Gurdaspur June 29
Rekha, a dowry victim, today tried to end her life before the SSP office, Gurdaspur. She alleged harassment at the hands of certain police officers. Rekha suddenly became violent today after the inquiry officer told her to go back home as the other party i.e. her husband had not joined the inquiry.

She started abusing cops and levelled allegations of corruption against them while trying to end her life by hitting the things around. It was a hard time for the parents of Rekha. They sat on the floor holding her to prevent her from taking some drastic step.

She kept wailing and levelling allegations against the police and local politicians creating a scene in front of the SSP office. A large number of people gathered at the spot and tried to console the wailing Rekha. She, however, vowed to stay there till she got justice. The parents of Rekha also sat in front of the office while trying to control her.

While taking to The Tribune she alleged that her husband and his family harassed her for dowry following which she filed a complaint with the Dhariwal police. The police though registered a case but no action was allegedly taken against the culprits. Her husband was roaming openly in the area and threatening her and her family of dire consequences. She also levelled allegations against the local MLA, Mr Sucha Singh Chottepur. She alleged that the MLA was shielding the accused family and not allowing the police to take action in the case.

Mr Subhash Chander, father of the girl, alleged that the inquiry officers in the case had been calling them again and again to the police station. They despite being the complainants were being called to the police station where as the accused in the case were being allowed to go Scot-free.

The family insisted on meeting the SSP, who was present in the office today. The SSP, Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, when contacted on phone, however, said the police was taking appropriate action in the case.

Rekha, the complainant in the case, had married her husband against the wishes of both families. The parents of her husband had disowned him. She entered into a dispute with her husband and came back to her parents. On her compliant, the police registered a case under the Dowry Act against her husband. However, she wanted to implicate the entire family of in-laws in the case that had been found to be unjustified after inquiry.

Chandigarh, June 29
A section of Punjab Ministers have criticised the statement of Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Sukhbir Badal on the setting up of the project of rural business hubs by Reliance Industries Limited at an investment of Rs 5000 crore. The ministers described these statements as baseless, politically motivated, factually incorrect and highly misleading.

The Local Government Minister, Ch Jagjit Singh, the Irrigation and Power Minister, Mr Lal Singh, the PWD Minister, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, the Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Sardul Singh, the Transport Minister, Mr Mohinder Singh Kaypee, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Avtar Henry, the Revenue Minister, Mr Amarjit Singh Samra, the Cooperation Minister, Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, and the Finance Minister, Mr Surinder Singla, today issued a joint statement flaying Mr Badal’s statement.

The statement said Sukhbir Badal was saying all this due to his myopic vision and whimsical approach restricted to petty politics for his personal gains. The ministers said: “Had the Akalis been sincere they would have supported this venture cutting across political lines which would prove to be a milestone in changing the scenario of the traditional agriculture thereby bringing prosperity to the farming community”.

The Ministers also alleged that Sukhbir Badal was seeking personal favours from the Reliance Group and for his ulterior motives was ignoring the public interest. In the statement the Ministers asked Mr Sukhbir Badal to spell out even a single tiny cottage industry that had come up during his father’s tenure as the Chief Minister from 1997 to 2002. The Akalis were distorting and mis-representing the facts.

The Ministers further said the leadership of the SAD, who claims to be the champions of the State’s peasantry, was least concerned about the woes of the farmers. They said the Akalis pushed the state back to the 20th century due to their narrow and self-centric approach instead of taking it into the 21st century.

The Ministers said Badal had launched a disinformation campaign to cover up for his misdeeds.

Ludhiana, June 29
In a red letter day for thousands of Indian soldiers in the British Army, who had fought on the Western Front for England in the World War-II and were incarcerated as prisoner of war by enemy forces in Africa, the British Parliament had finally moved a notice of motion seeking compensation for the soldiers some six decades after the bloody war ended.

The notice of motion passed last month was the result of fervent appeals made over last couple of decades by Ludhiana-based Col Chanan Singh Dhillon, a decorated soldier, who was one of the few hundred surviving Indian soldiers those had made a daring escape from the PoW camps in Africa.

However, while the English soldiers fighting the war got handsome compensation for injuries, causalities in the world war after the Japanese Government paid enough reparation to the British, Indian soldiers didn’t get a penny. Thousands of Indian soldiers were killed or injured.

The Indian Government did not pay anything after Independence saying it was not supposed to pay anything as the soldiers had fought for the British. The Britain Government too looked the other side.

Claiming it to be a matter of right for the Indian soldiers, many of whom like Col Dhillon were incorporated in the Indian Army later and went on to win many a battle and wars for the country were demanding compensation.

Col Dhillon, who has made several trips to England to pursue the issue, finally managed to get it taken up in the British Parliament. The notice of motion moved in the House of Commons by 19 Members of Parliament led mainly by Mr John McDonnel, Mr Rob Marrs, Mr Bob Rusell and others said, “This House calls upon the government to undertake in liaison with the Indian Government an assessment of the plight of surviving members of the British Army recruited from Indian sub-continent, who were taken prisoner of wars on the Western Front in the Second World War with a view to ensuring adequate support and financial assistance to those who served this country at its time of need.”

Col Dhillon said he had to taken up the issue with British MPs after the Ministry of Defence, England, rejected the claims. He had written several letters to the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, about the claim. Mr Blair had forwarded it to the Ministry of Defence. Ms Lyn Hearn from the Corporate Memory (Analysis Branch) of the Defence Ministry declined the claims in a letter written to Col Dhillon.

She said, “The Indian soldiers were not included in the ex gratia payment because the responsibility for the old Indian Army had passed to the new governments of India and Pakistan, when those countries became independent sovereign states in 1947. The Government of India was not a party to the 1951 Peace Treaty but signed a separate agreement with Japan in respect of matters arising from the Second World War”.

“Accordingly, the great majority of those who served in the old Indian Army during the Second World War were not eligible for a payment under the UK’s ex gratia scheme”. This was the general view about the issue accepted in England till the passing of the notice of motion now.

Not willing to be bogged down, Col Dhillon had held that the British Government could not wash their hands of the matter, “Our plea through out has been that the transfer of power to India and Pakistan took place more than two years after the war had ended”.

Talking to The Tribune at his residence in Ludhiana, he said he was in the twilight of his life now but would fight till his last breath like a true soldier to get compensation for the Indian soldiers who had fought so gallantly and enabled the Britain to win the war.

Chandigarh, June 29
The Punjab Congress chief, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, today appointed young Congress leader Gurkirat Singh as his Political Advisor.

Gurkirat Singh, who is at present Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, is a son of Tej Parkash Singh, an MLA, and grand-son of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.

It may be mentioned that Gurkirat Singh was the front runner for the post of President of the Youth Congress, however, the party high-command reportedly rejected his candidature on the premise that all leaders in the forefront belonged to the Sikh community.

The party wanted a person from the Hindu community to lead the Youth Congress so that all sections of society were represented. 

Nangal, June 29
The water level of the Bhakra Dam finally reached the balance point today. It’s level decreased 19 feet this month in comparison to the last month. The water level in May-end was 1,588 feet. The discharge of water to the consumer states was increased this month while inflow was low and as a result the water level of the Bhakra Dam today reached to 1569 feet.

The water level in the Bhakra Dam was kept low keeping in view the expected high inflow of water during the rest of the filling period in July, August and September due to rainfall in its catchment’s area (upper hills). Now, the Bhakra Dam has enough space to store water up to 1,680 feet (the optimum level) in the coming months, revealed the BBMB sources.

The sources said the BBMB authorities were worried with the rise in the water level of the Bhakra Dam in May due to the high inflow of water at 36,000 cusecs per day. In the end of May the water level reached 1,588 feet while last year the water level was 1,536 feet on the same day.

As the water level was 52 feet higher than the last year in May so the BBMB authorities had increased the release of water to consumer states, including Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, to meet their demand and keep enough space in the dam considering rainfall in the coming three months. Besides, the high discharge of water was used to generate power to help the consumer states to reduce power cuts, the sources added.

The sources said the discharge of water today was 27,000 cusecs to consumer states while inflow was 34,000 cusecs. The Irrigation Department of the BBMB had been monitoring the situation of inflow daily. The discharge of water would be increased if the inflow remained high for many days and the demand also increased.

The sources added that in the coming three months the discharge of water into the Sutlej could not be increased much in the downstream of the Bhakra Dam. 

Chandigarh, June 29
The Director-General of Punjab Police, Mr S.S. Virk, today ordered the immediate stocktaking of all vehicles in the police force, deployment of manpower and usage of cash. He also ordered that a record should be maintained on the number of policemen posted in a district and how many were drawing salaries.

The DGP told officers at the state-level crime review meeting here today that all details of the stocktaking should be covered. He said there should be details of the exact number of vehicles and what was their present status. Also records should be available on the constabulary, the place of posting of all of them and the position where he or she was actually working. Or if the cop was deployed elsewhere on some job of an official then the record should reflect it. Mr Virk told The Tribune “these were maladies in any force and we have to keep a continuous check”.

He told officers that isolated efforts were being made by certain radical elements who were regrouping to show their presence in the state.

This would need more emphasis, keeping in view the forthcoming general elections in the state, said the DGP, while claiming that the Punjab Police was fully determined and geared up to dismantle the nefarious designs and plans of any such elements.

The DGP said told district police chiefs to sensitise the force in the event of any stray incident of violence carried out by vested interests. The issue of custodial death cases was also raised by the DGP and he said that the guilty should be punished.

Taking a serious view of drug trafficking in Punjab, the DGP asked his officers to nab drug traffickers and confiscate their properties as per the new provisions of the law.

A spokesperson of the Police Department said the DGP had observed that there had been certain cases of robberies and snatchings and the leads in such incidents had to be pursued professionally. Important crime cases must be worked out without any delay, he told the officers.

Mr Virk asked all field officers to personally visit the sub-divisions and police stations to check the progress in crime detection and investigation of cases besides interacting with lower-level police officials to gather specific information. Regular follow-up of court cases and litigation work must be supervised besides cracking down on unscrupulous travel agents.

In order to bring out more improvement in the police functioning at the lower level, the DGP said a plan was being worked out to have a cooperative credit society for the police force. Mr Virk suggested vacancies should be filled and genuine problems and constructive suggestions must be heard by senior officers on a regular basis.

Patiala, June 29
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has signed an agreement with the Power Grid Corporation Limited (PGCL) for setting up national load despatching centres at Delhi and Kolkata for making online purchase of power from other sources during peak demand time.

The agreement was signed by Mr Jyotinder Singh, Chief Engineer, System Operations and Communication, PSEB and Mr N.R. Chanda, Executive Director, PGCL on behalf of their organisations.

After signing the agreement, Mr Chanda said Rs 45 crore would be spent to set up the National Load Despatching Centres at Delhi and Kolkata. He said the PSEB would part with Rs 13 crore for that job while rest of the money would be contributed by other states.

He added main centre would function from Delhi while the Kolkata centre would be kept as back-up support in case of failure of the main centre. He said with the setting up of these centres, the PSEB would be having current data of all states regarding their quantum of generation of electricity, demand and quantum of surplus power. With this data available to the PSEB, it would be able to make online purchase of power during peak demand times.

He said after the national load despatch centre came into existence, it could be connected with the power distribution centres of neighbouring states and hence it can be used to bring electricity from those countries to any part of India.

Mr Jyotinder Singh, said the centre would came into existence by 2008. He said that with the availability of such centre, the PSEB would be able to check whether any state had been making violations of norms laid down for drawing power from the national transmission lines.

He pointed out the PSEB had already been running its despatch load centre at Ablowal village in this district. With all kinds of current data in connection with each sub station available the PSEB management had been finding it easy to keep power supply smooth in the state and to consumers of different categories.

He said with the setting of national load despatch centre, a watch could be kept on all transmission lines. Such centre would make the task of control over voltage and frequency of electricity easy.

Meanwhile, the PSEB had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with KBRL Limited, Basour (Sangrur) for supplying surplus power to the PSEB.

Amritsar, June 29
Jathedar Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, today called upon Sikh masses to defeat nefarious designs of anti-Panthic forces who were out to denigrate and challenge the authority of Akal Takht — the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs .

Addressing a seminar organised by the Sikh Students Federation (Mehta)to mark the 4th centenary of the foundation of Akal Takht, here, Jathedar Vedanti said the ‘ifs and buts’ being raised on the authority of the Akal Takht and criticism of ‘hukmnamas’ by a section of the Sikh masses was the most unfortunate development.

Speaking on the supremacy of the Akal Takht, Mr Baljit Singh Brar, Editor of a Punjabi daily, said there was need to change the system of appointing Jathedar Akal Takht by keeping him out of the purview of the Gurdwara Act. He said the installation of Jathedar Akal Takht should be on the lines of the Pope so that he work throughout his life and could take decisions freely and independently.

Meanwhile, five resolutions were passed on the occasion, including implementation of the ‘hukmnamas’ (edicts), pronounced by the Akal Takht from time to time .

The resolution also called upon the Sikh masses to implement the decision of the SGPC, taken on March 21 for initiating legal action against the editor of a Punjabi daily . Another resolution sought installation of the portrait of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale in the Sikh museums. It also demanded raising of a memorial in the memory of those killed in the infamous Operation Blue Star.

Patiala, June 29
The Postal Department has been involved in the process to prepare revised electoral rolls.

People can collect form No. 6 for the inclusion of name, form No. 8 for correction of particulars on the rolls and form No. 8A for transposition of entry into the rolls.

The forms are available at various post offices, including Head Post Office, Baradari Gardens, Bhupindera State Press, Sheranwala Gate, Jhaurian Bhattian, Ragho Majra, Shahi Samadan, National Institute of Sports (NIS), New Officers Colony, Bahera Road, Gurbax Colony and Dukhniwaran Sahib. 

Patiala, June 29
A seminar in connection with the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev was organised by the Punjab Today Foundation here late last night.

Mr Kanwar Manjit Singh, CEO, said in a press note that Dr Rajwant Singh, who had created awareness about Sikh culture in foreign lands, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, former President of the SGPC, and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, a senior SAD leader (Badal), delivered lectures in the seminar. TNS

Bathinda, June 29
A couple of spells of pre-monsoon showers have brought cheers among the cotton farmers of the Malwa region and if conducive weather conditions prevailed in the next quarter of the year Punjab’s cotton production will cross 20 lakh bales for the second year in succession, feel experts.

Talking to the Tribune, the former president of the North India Cotton Association, Mr Ashok Kapur, said though the area under cotton cultivation had gone up in Punjab the increase had been offset by decline in area in Haryana and Rajasthan.

He said north India’s cotton production was likely to touch 40 lakh bales, out of which Punjab would contribute more then half. Not ruling out higher production, he said favourable weather could make up for the reduced area in neighbouring states. He added that lesser area had produced higher crop in the past too.

As per unofficial figures, the area under cotton in Punjab has gone up from the last year’s figure of 5.57 lakh hectares to 6.2 lakh hectares, while it has declined from 5.8 lakh hectares to 5.6 lakh hectares in Haryana and from 3.5 lakh hectares to 2.4 lakh hectares in Rajasthan. Overall, the area has reduced from 14.87 lakh hectares to 14.2 lakh hectares in north India as compared to last year.

Mr Kapur attributed the significant fall in cotton sowing in Rajasthan to the non-availability of water, as canal network was shut while sowing operation was on in the state. On the prevailing scenario, he said the crop was progressing satisfactorily in Punjab and the pre-monsoon showers in the last couple of days augured well for it. He said Punjab’s farmers had done a lot in buying quality cottonseed and shifting more area under cotton, though much would depend on weather now.

He said while the farmers had become more aware about seeds, the state government had failed to make quality seeds available to them. He said a majority of the farmers had once again shown their inclination towards Bt cotton.

The crop was progressing in a similar fashion last year, but excessive rain in September spoiled the show, he added.

Nawanshahr, June 29
The basic spirit behind the Right to Public Information Act is to make the common man realise that he is the master in the democratic set-up and the proper implementation of the Act is the need of the hour for providing a transparent administration and strengthening the democratic set-up.

This was stated by Chief Public Information Commissioner Rajan Kashyap while underlining the importance of the proper implementation of the Act here today.

He was here to inaugurate the computerised information kiosk set up for providing detailed information to the public regarding various departments and other aspects of the district and release the brochure published by the district administration to make the people aware about the Act.

He said the commission had selected Nawanshahr and Mohali districts as model districts for the implementation of the Act in the district and the model would be replicated in other districts.

He added that the commission had received 300 complaints and appeals regarding denial of information, non-availability of timely information and distorted information, of which 60 had been settled.

Mr Kashyap also inaugurated a blood donation camp at Balachaur, about 20 km from here, during which 150 units of blood were collected.

Abohar, June 29
The police today arrested two women for smuggling 4.5 kg of opium from Rajasthan. A resident of Sadulshehar, known as a principal narcotics centre on the other side of the inter-state border, was nabbed with 10 gm of smack. A raid led to recovery of 4,500 pirated CDs, including 130 obscene titles.

The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Arpit Shukla, said this evening that the police had a tip-off that the smugglers were trying to deploy women as couriers to evade vigil at the 14 sensitive points near the Rajasthan border. A party of police commandos and the CIA staff had been alerted.

The staff led by Sub-Inspector Major Singh intercepted two women on a canal bridge during patrolling on the Himmatpura-Bazeedpur Bhoma road. The police seized 4.5 kg of opium and arrested Balbir Kaur (23), wife of Satnam Singh of Hizravan Chotian, Fatehabad (Haryana), and Kamlesh (35), wife of Sat Pal of Guru Nanak Nagri, Malout, under Sections 18/61/85, NDPS Act.

Preliminary interrogation indicated that the women had taken the supply of opium from Chittaurgarh in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, the Sadar police here nabbed Krishan Kumar, son of Padma Ram of Sadulshehar, and seized 10 gm of smack from him. He was booked under the NDPS Act.

In a major action, the police led by SHO Satish Malhotra carried a raid at a portion of the house owned by Chander Bhan Patwari in the Nanak Nagri locality here.

The tenant, Sudhir Kumar, escaped but his son, Deepu, alias Deepa, was arrested on the seizure of 4,500 CDs. The police registered a case under Sections 420, 292 and 293, IPC, and Sections 51, 52-A, 64, 66 and 68-A of the Copyright Act.

Tarn Taran, June 29
The Khemkaran police has registered a case under Section 409 of the IPC over 1210 intoxicant tablets and capsules going missing from the malkhana.

A naka party of the police station recovered 8102 intoxicant tablets and capsules from Satpal Singh of Bhura Kona village in 2002 and a case under the NDPS Act was registered.

On the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, these was going to be destroyed when Navdeep Singh of the area filed a writ petition suspecting that the tablets and capsules had been reduced.

The high court ordered the SSP to probe into the matter, and the local SP (Detective), who enquired into the matter, detected some foul play.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 29
The police has unearthed two units involved in manufacture of spurious milk and desi ghee during raids in the district. Culprits were held red-handed while manufacturing spurious milk and desi ghee and raw material used for it was seized.

The police has registered separate cases under sections 420 of the IPC and 7 of the Food Adulteration Act 1954.

Mr Shiv Kumar Verma, SSP, said the police had got a tip-off that the owners of Balbir Dairy at Tarkheri and Ambey Majra villages had been manufacturing spurious milk and desi ghee which they supplied in various towns of the state. The police raided the dairy and arrested Balbir Singh.

He told the police that they used to prepare spurious milk and desi ghee by mixing refined oil, castic soda, meetha soda and some other chemicals in milk powder.

The SSP said the dairy of Swarn Singh at Gadhera village in Bassi Pathana subdivision was also raided. It was found that he too manufactured spurious milk by using chemicals and used to supply it to Verka Milk Plant in Mohali. The police has registered a case against him. 

Gurdaspur, June 29
The Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) built by the government at Kanuwan and Mukerian have failed to start courses even 10 years after the completion of the buildings.

People of the area have been bereft of the benefit of technical education though they had donated land for the educational institutes.

The youth of the area still had to go to far-flung areas for obtaining technical training.

The building for starting an ITI at Kanuwan had been constructed during the Beant Singh government in 1996.

About Rs 4.5 crore had been spent on the building, but the government had failed to start courses at the institute. The SAD-BJP government had also failed to start courses at the institute.

The then SAD minister from the area, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, had tried to hand over the building to the Guru Nanak Dev University for running management courses, which was opposed by the Congress.

Protests had been organised to prevent the Guru Nanak Dev University from taking over the institute.

The village panchayat had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, saying it had given land for an ITI.

The Congress government had then decided to hand over buildings of technical institutes to private education trusts which could run courses there.

The Kanuwan and Mukerain ITIs had been handed over to a trust for running ITI courses.

An year after the transfer of the building, the private trust had failed to run ITI courses.

The Director, Technical Education, Mr Narinderjit Singh, said they had been prompt in giving permission for running courses and the process of handing over the remaining about 12 buildings was going on.

The Deputy Director, Technical Education, Ms Daljit Singh, said permission for running courses at the Kanuwan and Mukerian ITIs had been given by the state technical education department.

Education trusts would have to seek permission from the National Council for Vocational Training, which was still awaited, she said.

People of the area had been demanding that the government run the institute itself or hand it over to some educational organisation that could start courses immediately.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 29
Hundreds of activists of the ITI Employees Union, Punjab, supported by students from the Patiala and Ludhiana zones, today organised a dharna at the ITI, Bassi Pathana, in support of their demands.

Mr Sunil Dutt Sharma, state president of the union, while addressing the gathering, said various memorandums regarding their demands had been submitted to the government but nothing had been done so far. So they had been forced to organise the dharna.

He said the main demands of the employees included no recruitment of new staff and reducing the posts of instructor by implementing a new scheme of centres of excellency by the government.

He said the Department of Industrial Training had adopted the scheme in six ITIs by dissolving 36 posts of various trades.

He said the new scheme was implemented only to consume Rs 9.6 crore. He said they had already used Rs 440 crore taken from the World Bank in which purchase officers were facing vigilance enquires.

Mr Harvinder Bhardwaj, state general secretary of the union, said private ITIs were working as commercial shops where poor students were exploited and fleeced.

He said these institutions did not have proper building, machinery, hostel, playgrounds and competent staff.

He said such institutions get affiliation by corrupt practices and some high-level officials were facing vigilance enquires in this regard.