J A L A N D H A R

Prize for info on poll malpractices
Nawanshahr, February 10
Give information regarding any malpractices being followed in the three Nawanshahr constituencies take a prize of Rs 11,000, the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner , Mr Krishan Kumar, has announced.

Islanders demand polling booth
Sultanpur Lodhi, February 10
The simmering voices of resentment brewing among residents, who are living far from madding crowd, are not new. Every election brings a ray of hope for them, but there is a disappointment in the end.

Rajbans’ rally: Hooda fails to turn up
Kapurthala February 10
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda could not come here today to address a rally in favour of Congress candidate Rajbans Kaur, wife of Jalandhar MP Rana Gurjit Singh. The rally organisers said that he could not come due to rainy weather.

Election Code violated: Posters of Congress candidate from the Jalandhar Cantt Assembly constituency Gurkanwal Kaur have been pasted on the walls of government departments on Ladhowali Road, Jalandhar. — Photo by S.S. Chopra

Mayawati seeks votes for Hargopal
Balachaur, February 10
BSP chief Ms Mayawati today held a rally at Balachaur Grain Market in favour of the party candidate, Mr Hargopal Singh.

Documentary on Trident row
Jalandhar, February 10
A documentary, “Khetan De Putt Jag Paye”, highlighting the alleged forcible land acquisition by the Trident group was released by communist leader Surinder Kumari here yesterday.

Poll day holiday
Jalandhar, February 10
To enable the employees working in shops and commercial establishments in the state exercise their franchise in the Vidhan Sabha elections to be held on February 13, the Punjab government has declared the day as a closed day.

Prize for info on poll malpractices
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, February 10
Give information regarding any malpractices being followed in the three Nawanshahr constituencies take a prize of Rs 11,000, the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner , Mr Krishan Kumar, has announced.

The DC has said that any informer providing him details regarding a candidate or his supporters offering money, liquor, drugs or any other freebies in lieu of casting vote in his favour would be given the prize money, provided the information given comes out to be true.

Monitoring liquor sale

The DC has also deployed 50 officials from various departments to monitor the sale of liquor. The officials have been asked to ensure that no one below 25 years was able to purchase liquor and no one takes away more than two bottles without showing a licence for the same. The orders have been passed since hearing on a petition filed by contractors against the DC’s order has been adjourned to February 20. In fact, the DC’s orders on liquor sales are being followed quite stringently. The shopkeepers have been maintaining registers for noting down the EPIC numbers, driving licence numbers, ration card numbers and other documents certifying age of the consumer. A team of DC and RO-cum SDM, Mr Ashwini Kumar, had visited the Rahon area in the Nawanshahr constituency, to keep a check on liquor sales. The drawer of liquor vend run by Mr Ashwini Joshi was checked for any slips given by any party. The slip carried a message “2 cases of Green Label Tea”. The vend owner was detained.

Islanders demand polling booth
Vishal Gulati
Tribune News Service

Sultanpur Lodhi, February 10
The simmering voices of resentment brewing among residents, who are living far from madding crowd, are not new. Every election brings a ray of hope for them, but there is a disappointment in the end.

A recent visit to various villages, located on an island falling under the Sultanpur Lodhi constituency, revealed that the villagers were disillusioned with the present set-up.

The island has a population of nearly 3,000. From sunset to sunrise everyday, they remained cut off from the rest of the world. For day-to-day affairs, they have to depend upon bedas (boats) to cross the Beas.

Peeved about the apathy of the district administration towards development issues, the villagers have now demanded that at least a polling booth should be set up on the island.

“We drew the attention of candidates and government officials to our problems regarding casting of votes but to no avail. We asked them to set up a polling booth in the middle school at Baupur Kadim as it is difficult for the voters, especially octogenarians, to visit polling booths across the river,” said Kishan Singh, sarpanch, Baupur Jadid.

“No one seems to be bothered about what is happening to the villagers, who have been living on the island since Independence,” rued Ajmer Singh, another villager.

The SAD candidate from the area, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, said at this point of time it was difficult for the administration to set up a polling booth there.

Rajbans’ rally: Hooda fails to turn up
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala February 10
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda could not come here today to address a rally in favour of Congress candidate Rajbans Kaur, wife of Jalandhar MP Rana Gurjit Singh. The rally organisers said that he could not come due to rainy weather. Singer Gurdass Mann was specially called to entertain the electors. Mann enthralled them with his Punjabi songs.

DGPC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna addressed the rally. Sarna alleged that Parkash and Sukhbir Badal had tried to create problems in the executive meeting of the DGPC the previous day but failed to do so as the Sikhs living in Delhi did not tolerate their interference in the DGPC affairs.

Rana Gurjit Singh claimed that a sum of Rs 80 crores had been spent on a number of development works in the Kapurthala Assembly constituency during the Congress rule.

Mayawati seeks votes for Hargopal
Tribune News Service

Balachaur, February 10
BSP chief Ms Mayawati today held a rally at Balachaur Grain Market in favour of the party candidate, Mr Hargopal Singh.

The BSP president arrived here in a chopper here this morning to a welcome by a gathering of over 4000 people. She assured that the party would endeavour to provide houses to the homeless and Dalits on the UP pattern. She said that their elected candidates would also try to bring in more job opportunities and get vacant government posts filled.

Documentary on Trident row

Jalandhar, February 10
A documentary, “Khetan De Putt Jag Paye”, highlighting the alleged forcible land acquisition by the Trident group was released by communist leader Surinder Kumari here yesterday.

Ms Kumari said the CD was a startling revelation of the forcible acquiring of 376 acres in Fatehgarh Chhana, Dhaula and Sanghera villages which had shaken the farming community. The general secretary of the Lok Morcha Punjab, Mr Amolak Singh, said the documentary would prove to be an evidence against the ruling leaders who would be shown defeat in the poll. — TNS

Poll day holiday

Jalandhar, February 10
To enable the employees working in shops and commercial establishments in the state exercise their franchise in the Vidhan Sabha elections to be held on February 13, the Punjab government has declared the day as a closed day. Labour Commissioner-cum Director of Factories, Punjab, Mr N.K. Wadhawan, in a press note said that the day will be closed in lieu of any other day off between February 14 and February 20.