Mohammad Ali Khan (Sultanpur Lodhi), June 21
Nearly 20 villages located between the dhussi bund and advance dhussi bund on the banks of Beas here face the danger of flash floods.

Recently, several acres of land situated in Mohammad Ali Khan village beneath the advance dhussi bund eroded. With the monsoons arriving, continued erosion may anytime cause a breach in the advance dhussi bund and cause flash floods. There is a clear and present danger to life, property and crops, sowed on about 6,000 acres in these villages.

Mr Baldev Singh of Mohammad Ali Khan village is among the affected farmers. He had lost several acres of land to the river. The farmer said if nothing conclusive was done to prevent the erosion, flash floods were bound to damage the crops.

In case the floods strike, villages of Mohammad Ali Khan, Sher Singh, Doda Wazir, Dona Sudagar, Chaulda, Passan Kadim, Mand Dhunde, Bhanu Musse He, Chaulda Sherpur, Dogra, Chaudri Wali, Khijrapur, Chhan Ke, Midhewal, Safdarpur, Miani, Faridpur, Doda Kame and Mazidpur situated between dhussi bund and advance dhussi bund would be badly affected.  These villages face the danger of floods every year, as soon as the Beas starts overflowing in the monsoons.

The nearly 14 km-long advance dhussi bund was built between Passan Kadim and Sujo Kalio villages in the year 2000 to end the flood problem, officials in the Irrigation Department said. The department has deputed six officials to keep a vigil on the land erosion.

Mr Gian Singh, one of the six deputed to keep a vigil at the site, told The Tribune that Beas had eroded at least 50 acres land last week itself. So much so, nine studs of sandbags were washed away, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Bala Murugan, Special Secretary, State Irrigation Department, and the Chief Engineer (Vigilance) of the Drainage Department visited the site separately today.

The district administration too is aware of the problem.

Mr Raminder Singh, the Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner, said the matter had already been brought to the Punjab government’s notice.

He added that a request for an estimated amount of Rs 2.65 crore had been sent to government to fund the work on checking the erosion. “As and when the required amount is sanctioned, the work to prevent land erosion will start,” he said.

The DC added that a large of sandbags had also been arranged in case a breach was reported in the advance dhussi bund.

Jalandhar, June 21
Chairman of the All India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjit Singh Bitta today expressed his “lack of confidence” in the Punjab Police and claimed that there was “no need” to extradite former KCF terrorist Kulbir Singh Bira from the US at this juncture.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, he also sought a joint interrogation of Bira by the Punjab Police, CBI, Delhi Police, Chandigarh Police and Central intelligence agencies.

“It’s a matter of concern that Bira was gathering ammunition from Punjab with the help of vested interests,” he alleged.

He even claimed that a section of the Punjab Police was “sympathetic” towards those elements.

Mr Bitta also claimed that an officer of the Punjab Police had approached him to seek a Presidential pardon for former terrorist Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar. Bhullar, Mr Bitta added, was one of terrorists responsible for a bomb attack on him in New Delhi in 1993.

“What was the need to bring back Beera from the US when Punjab is heading for Assembly polls? See the example of Dr Jagjit Singh Chauhan. He had promised the intelligence agencies before entering India that he would not create any problems. But he started raising the Khalistan issue as soon as he reached India,” Mr Bitta alleged.

“Similarly, Daljit Singh Bittu made certain KCF militants office-bearers of his organisation. So, what’s the guarantee that Bira would not do something like this in the future, particularly, when a section of the police officials have already made a bid to weaken his case?” Mr Bitta alleged.

Referring to the recent blasts at the Jalandhar bus stand, Mr Bitta alleged that the police had tried to cover up the cause behind the incident for a long time, but had to admit finally that these were acts of sabotage. Mr Bitta claimed that KCF activist Neeta was behind the bus stand blasts.

Phagwara, June 21
After much sound and fury, five police personnel suspended last year for allegedly thrashing a Jalandhar Zila Parishad member were today asked to return to duty.

On December 8, Sukhwinder Singh ‘Sukha’, an aide of Punjab Transport Minister Mohinder Singh Kaypee, was allegedly beaten up by the policemen during a public function.

After the public “fiasco”, on December 24, two Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Paramsunil Singh Randhawa and Ranjit Singh, and three constables, Malkiat Singh, Amrik Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, were suspended.

Today, after nearly seven months, the policemen were reinstated.

Jalandhar Range DIG Paramjit Singh Gill confirmed the reinstatements but added that Kapurthala SSP Rajiv Ahir would continue the high-level enquiry.

On the fateful evening, Sukhwinder Singh ‘Sukha’, a Zila Parishad member, had accompanied Mohinder Singh Kaypee to Phagwara, here to inspect the under-construction bus stand.

Later, the minister left for Jalandhar and Sukha, outside a hotel, reportedly engineered an argument with Chaheru Police Post in-charge Paramsunil Singh Randhawa, blaming him for harassing his (Sukha’s) relatives a month back. DSP Navjot Singh Mahal was also present at the spot and he reportedly tried to pacify the duo. However, the DSP alleged that Sukha misbehaved with him too. In the end, Sukha was beaten up by the policemen in the presence of over 60 eyewitness. He even had to be hospitalised for the injuries.

The issue was ‘settled’ the same day with Mr Kaypee’s and the local MLA, Mr Joginder Singh Mann’s, intervention.

But the next day, the Phagwara police registered a case against Sukha for allegedly assaulting the ASI and others on duty.

Meanwhile, Sukha shot off a petition to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission and got himself examination at the Civil Hospital.

The incident divided the district Congress camp: the Phagwara unit coming against Sukha and the Jalandhar unit supporting him. 

Kapurthala, June 21
Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, will sell 50 interlinked coaches for Rs 38 crore to two African nations, Senegal and Mali, the factory’s General Manager (GM) said today.

As the RCF begins its ‘Rail Week’ celebrations, Mr Pratap Srivastava, the GM, said the factory had exported 36 MG Coaches to Myanmar for Rs 19.26 crore and an export order of 20 coaches worth Rs 11.45 crore for suburban railway services in Senegal was under execution.

He said the factory had manufactured 1,263 coaches, the highest ever, in the last financial year and a total of 16,639 coaches till March 31, 2006. Besides this, RCF had manufactured 32 AC coaches for the Indian Army, Mr Srivastava added.

He said the Ministry of Railways had sanctioned Rs 141.5 crore as capital investment for the procurement of machinery and expansion of the RCF’s capacity to 1,400 coaches.