J A L A N D H A R

Controversial Votes
PCCTU poll: Counting put off to May 20
Jalandhar, May 13
The counting of votes for elections to the posts of office-bearers of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union was stalled at Lyallpur Khalsa College here today as the returning officers and representatives of the two rival groups failed to take a decision on 20 disputed votes polled.

Surgical complex cries for care
Jalandhar May 13
The Sports and Surgical Goods Complex Association has apprised the Punjab Government of an array of the long-standing problems being faced by the industrialists having their units in the complex.

Vedanti against dera culture
Phagwara, May 13
Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti has inspired the Sikh sangat to actively work against social evils like female foeticide, drug menace and dowry as these social evils can destroy the future of the youth as well as harm our traditions and culture.

NRI ‘cheated’ by astrologer
Phagwara, May 13
Gurdip Kaur, an NRI and a resident of Satnampura area of Phagwara, alleged that she has been cheated by an astrologer Pt Uma Ram of nearby Jagatpura Jattan village in the guise of removing social evils from her UK house.

Spurious cold drink factory unearthed
Batala, May 13
The police unearthed a factory manufacturing artificial cold drinks resembling a well-known brand here on Friday evening. A surveyor of the Pepsi cold drinks made a complaint to the police after which a case under sections 272, 273 and 420 of the IPC was registered.

Hawala money seized
Phagwara, May 13
Phagwara police has arrested a scooterist along with 'hawala' money of Rs six lakh at the nearby Bhullarai village here today. DSP HPS Khakh told that on a secret information, a police team laid a naka near the Bhullarai village.

Controversial Votes
PCCTU poll: Counting put off to May 20
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 13
The counting of votes for elections to the posts of office-bearers of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union was stalled at Lyallpur Khalsa College here today as the returning officers and representatives of the two rival groups failed to take a decision on 20 disputed votes polled.

Even as voting had closed at 3 p.m., the process of counting got stuck up.

The members said the disputed votes included those polled in a separate box by the teachers who did not qualify the constitutional requirement for membership or had failed as per the eligibility criterion.

Ultimately, it was decided to put off the counting of votes till May 20.

Some demanded that the counting be allowed and in case the difference in results of opposite groups was more than 20 votes, the outcome be declared or else held up. There were others who insisted that the matter be resolved over the controversial votes before resuming counting.

The number of votes polled was quite high as nearly 459 teachers from a total of 500 members arrived at the venue from Punjab and Chandigarh.

The members included those from 160 aided or unaided, affiliated colleges of Panjab University, Guru Nanak Dev University and Punjabi University.

The candidates for the ruling Jagwant-Walia-Brar group were R.S. Brar from Sandaur for the post of president, Kuldeep Singh from Doraha for the post of general secretary, Mukhwinder Singh Randhawa from Dina Nagar for the post of vice-president, Anil Parti from Chandigarh for the post of secretary (Panjab University area), Muktiar Singh from Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, for the post of secretary (Guru Nanak Dev University area), P.K. Sharma from Sanghera for the post of secretary (Punjabi University area) and J.R. Prashar from Ferozepore for the post of financial secretary.

The candidates from the rival Hundal-Tewari group for the same posts in the same order are S.S. Hundal, R.B. Singh, Anil Sarwar, M.S. Komal, Rajwinderjit Singh, Balbir Singh and Iqbal Singh.

Surgical complex cries for care
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar May 13
The Sports and Surgical Goods Complex Association has apprised the Punjab Government of an array of the long-standing problems being faced by the industrialists having their units in the complex.

In a memorandum to minister for local bodies and industry Manoranjan Kalia, association chairman and president Satish Wasan and R.K. Gandhi, respectively, rued that the roads in the complex were damaged and even non-existent in certain parts despite the fact that the house tax was regularly being collected by the municipal corporation.

Wasan and Gandhi said the factory owners had been compelled to source water on their own as the Punjab State Industrial Export Corporation (PSIEC) had unilaterally raised bills on industrialists to the tune of Rs 5,000 per factory per month.

“Not only this, street lights are not working and sewerage remains clogged. There are two roads leading to the complex. The 120-foot road has been encroached upon by certain people who have erected a wall on it thus, blocking the passage to the complex. Moreover, the land rates fixed by the PSIEC are much lower and hence there is a clash between the rates fixed by the PSIEC and the ones by the administration. The anomaly should be rectified,” said Wasan and Gandhi.

Vedanti against dera culture
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, May 13
Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti has inspired the Sikh sangat to actively work against social evils like female foeticide, drug menace and dowry as these social evils can destroy the future of the youth as well as harm our traditions and culture.

Addressing a large religious congregation on the 10th death anniversary of Brahm Giani Sant Ranjit Singh at nearby Bhogpur village this afternoon, Vedanti appealed to the social organisations to launch different campaigns against these social evils.

He inspired Sikh youths to lead their life like a true Sikh. Vedanti also appealed to the Sikh community to keep distance from “dehdhari gurus” as only Guru Granth Sahib was the Guru of Sikhs as advised by Guru Gobind Singh. Vedanti also spoke against the “dera” culture.

The Jathedar released a book, “Kesh Guru Di Mohar”, written by Dr Sarup Singh Alag.

Punjab technical education minister Swarna Ram, former minister Joginder Singh Mann and several prominent citizens also spoke on the occasion.

NRI ‘cheated’ by astrologer
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, May 13
Gurdip Kaur, an NRI and a resident of Satnampura area of Phagwara, alleged that she has been cheated by an astrologer Pt Uma Ram of nearby Jagatpura Jattan village in the guise of removing social evils from her UK house.

The NRI woman in her complaint to the police alleged that she was residing in UK and her husband Mohan Singh was a daily drinker who has the habit of picking quarrels with her on minor issues.

She told that Harpreet, son of her daughter Kulwinder Kaur was mentally ill.

She, during her visit to Phagwara, came in the contact with the astrologer who created doubts about her UK residence and asked her to make arrangements for sending him to UK so that he could make his house free from all sorts of social evils.

She alleged that the said astrologer charged Rs 12 lakh from her but nothing improved afterwards.

She has also knocked at the doors of NRI sabha, Punjab.

Spurious cold drink factory unearthed
Our Correspondent

Batala, May 13
The police unearthed a factory manufacturing artificial cold drinks resembling a well-known brand here on Friday evening.

A surveyor of the Pepsi cold drinks made a complaint to the police after which a case under sections 272, 273 and 420 of the IPC was registered. A raid was conducted at the residence of Tarsem Lal of Ram Tirath Road and machinery and spurious cold drink bottles with gas cylinders, artificial flavours, sugar solution and empty bottles of different brands were seized. The chemicals and sugar solutions were stinking, besides containing dead flies and mosquitoes.

Tarsem used to supply spurious cold drink bottles in the nearby villages at Rs 60 per crate. He has been running this business for the past more than one year.

In another raid, Jagtar Singh of New Model Town was arrested by the police and 504 spurious cold drinks bottles, gas cylinders, chemical flavour and machines were seized.

Hawala money seized
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, May 13
Phagwara police has arrested a scooterist along with 'hawala' money of Rs six lakh at the nearby Bhullarai village here today.

DSP HPS Khakh told that on a secret information, a police team laid a naka near the Bhullarai village.

During the naka, the police signalled a scooterist to stop, coming from Jalandhar side. In the search operation, the police recovered 'hawala' money of Rs six lakh from the dicky of the scooter.

The accused was identified as Sewa Ram, a resident of Shankar village of Nakodar in Jalandhar district. A case under FEMA has been registered.