J A L A N D H A R

SDO running from pillar to post to get justice for his ‘raped’ wife
Jalandhar, February 23
Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, an SDO with the BSNL posted at Jagraon in Ludhiana district, and his two sons are running from pillar to post in the hope of “getting justice” for Manpreet Kaur Dhaliwal (40), the second wife of Darshan Singh Dhaliwal and president of Ludhiana unit of the Mahila Congress.

Punjab Subordinate Services Federation holds rally
Jalandhar, February 23
The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation today held a rally at the Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall here to press for their demands. The federation’s demands included withdrawal of policies like privatisation, making regular appointments, restoration of abolished posts, interim relief, setting up of pay commission and regularisation of daily wagers, ETT and Anganwari workers.

Members of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation hold a protest march against Punjab government, in Jalandhar on Thursday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

‘Decline in the number of girls seeking admission to polytechnics’
Jalandhar, February 23
The primary purpose of starting polytechnic institutions in Punjab was to make rural women self-reliant by imparting vocational training to them. But this purpose seems to have been defeated. As per the official data, the enrolment of girls vis-a-vis boys in these centres had declined to just 17 per cent ever, since there has been a hike in the fee structure.

One commits suicide
Phagwara, February 23
A 32-year-old man, Gurmit Singh, allegedly committed suicide today by consuming celphos tablets in Mansa Devi Nagar here. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital here, but could not be saved.

LBP flays Congress, Akali Dal
Jalandhar, February 23
Attacking both the Congress as well as the Akali leadership for “failing to deal with the problems faced by the people of the region”, the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) held a rally here today to protest against the “government’s apathy”.

• Protest march
• Tight security for Bholath poll

SDO running from pillar to post to get justice for his ‘raped’ wife
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 23
Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, an SDO with the BSNL posted at Jagraon in Ludhiana district, and his two sons are running from pillar to post in the hope of “getting justice” for Manpreet Kaur Dhaliwal (40), the second wife of Darshan Singh Dhaliwal and president of Ludhiana unit of the Mahila Congress.

Manpreet Kaur Dhaliwal was allegedly framed by the Jagraon police in two “false cases”, including the one pertaining to the death of her own 17-year-old daughter Gurvinder Kaur Pinki.

She was also allegedly raped by an SHO, three cops and one unidentified person at an “unidentified location” on July 21 last year.

Gurvinder Kaur, according to her father Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, had died under mysterious circumstances in her home on July 31, 2004, while he and his wife Manpreet were away to Sherpur village in Sangrur for some familial engagements.

“As the investigation was still on, a police party, led by sub-inspector, came to our house on July 21, 2005, and told us that since the case pertaining to the death of my daughter was to be closed, our presence was required before the DSP Jagraon. But in the office of the DSP, we were told nothing till late night. About 12.30 a.m. on July 22, 2005, my wife was separated from my two sons and taken to the police station. Thereafter, at the police station she was raped by the SHO, three policemen and an unidentified person,” alleged Dhaliwal, who was accompanied by Mr Rajesh Bagha, the president of the SC, ST Morcha of the Punjab unit of the BJP.

The case of the alleged rape of Manpreet is pending with the Punjab Human Rights Commission and with the SC, ST Commission.

“When we were allowed to meet Manpreet, she was in a bad condition and was even unable to walk. We were told that she had been arrested in a case of murder of our own daughter and also in another case, wherein she had tried to bribe the police. We were also threatened by the SHO and other police officials and told not to open our mouth. Since Manpreet was sent to jail and was frightened, she did not reveal anything about her predicament till about a month after the incident. She narrated the whole incident only after she was sent to hospital from the jail for treatment. The SHO is politically well-connected and is patronised by an IPS officer. No case has been registered so far, despite our complaints to the CM and the DGP,” alleged Dhaliwal, who also lodged a complaint with the IG (Zonal) here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Bagha alleged that the case was a reflection of how Dalits were being subjected to torture and injustice in the state.

“We will take up the case with the highest authorities and the SC, ST Commission,” he added.

Harshpal Singh and Satinder Pal Singh, the two teenaged sons of the SDO, alleged that they, too, had been tortured by the Jagraon police in the presence of their father.

Punjab Subordinate Services Federation holds rally
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 23
The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation today held a rally at the Desh Bhagat Yaadgaar Hall here to press for their demands. The federation’s demands included withdrawal of policies like privatisation, making regular appointments, restoration of abolished posts, interim relief, setting up of pay commission and regularisation of daily wagers, ETT and Anganwari workers.

The federation leaders, including the state president, Mr Sucha Singh Khattra, alleged that due to the “faulty” policies of the government, there was widespread resentment brewing among the employees.

The speakers strongly condemned the “downsizing of the important departments responsible for providing basic necessities to the poor on the pretext of privatisation”.

The leaders alleged that even the Left parties had compromised with the policies of the government and were not siding with the employees and the working class.

The federation members passed a resolution in support of the “struggling” field and workshop workers, unemployed ETT teachers and the employees of the Central government and the Railways. 

‘Decline in the number of girls seeking admission to polytechnics’
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 23
The primary purpose of starting polytechnic institutions in Punjab was to make rural women self-reliant by imparting vocational training to them. But this purpose seems to have been defeated. As per the official data, the enrolment of girls vis-a-vis boys in these centres had declined to just 17 per cent ever, since there has been a hike in the fee structure.

Mr Naresh Nagpal, Additional Director, Technical Education and Industrial Training, confirmed this during an interaction with The Tribune at the Government Polytechnic for Women, Ladowali Road, soon after inaugurating the three-day Inter-Polytechnic Youth Festival that started here today.

Mr Nagpal confirmed that the number of girls seeking admission to polytechnic institutes of the state had gone down in the past few years, particularly ever since they had been denied a fee waiver.

The official said that the percentage of girls seeking admission to polytechnic institutes had been halved from 35 per cent to 17 per cent.

He added that parents preferred not to invest much in the education of their daughters.

Mr Nagpal said that under a Central government-funded scheme, the department had decided to start a new course in food preservation in six of the 14 polytechnics, including those in Jalandhar, Batala, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

He said the admission would be held through an entrance test to be conducted in the month of May.

He disclosed that a course in commercial arts was being scrapped from this year onwards, as the response was not good.

He said 100 new computers were being purchased. These would be distributed to all polytechnics. 

One commits suicide
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, February 23
A 32-year-old man, Gurmit Singh, allegedly committed suicide today by consuming celphos tablets in Mansa Devi Nagar here. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital here, but could not be saved.

The police has booked four persons, including his wife, on charges of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of the IPC.

According to sources, the family feud could be the reason that had led Gurmit to take this extreme step.

His wife Raj Rani, her two brothers Buta Ram and Hardip and her cousin Baljit had been booked on charges of abetment to suicide, sources added. 

LBP flays Congress, Akali Dal
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 23
Attacking both the Congress as well as the Akali leadership for “failing to deal with the problems faced by the people of the region”, the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) held a rally here today to protest against the “government’s apathy”.

Addressing the rally held at the end of the 24-hour hunger strike by the family members of the victims of fake travel agents, the LBP leader and former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia alleged, “The poor health facilities, long power cuts, red tapism in offices, lack of teaching staff in schools, no relief to the unemployed ETT and BEd teachers struggling for the past four years are all pointers to a very sad state of affairs and the failures of the successive governments in the state.” 

Protest march

Phagwara, February 23
Led by physically challenged Vinay Kumar Vinayak, shopkeepers and activists of various political parties today took out a protest march from Satnampura Road to the National Highway number 1, blocked vehicular traffic for about half an hour to protest against the state government for discontinuing the work at the road over bridge (ROB) at Satnanpura railway crossing here. —TNS

Tight security for Bholath poll

Bholath (Kapurthala), February 23
Keeping in view the past unsavoury incidents at the time of Nagar Panchayat president elections, which were postponed twice, the Bholath police has made tight security arrangements for the re-poll scheduled to be held here tomorrow. —TNS