Jalandhar, August 12
While lobbying for the mayor’s post, mainly by three BJP councillors Shiv Dayal Chugh, Ravi Mahendru and Rakesh Rathore is in full swing, the number of councillors supporting SAD in the 60-member MC house increased to 19 on Sunday with two more independents declaring their loyalties towards the ruling party.

Talking to mediapersons here, senior SAD leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan said independent councillors Gurmeet Singh and Raminder Kaur Dhindsa had joined the party.

Dhindsa had contested the MC elections as an independent following the denial of a ticket from the party.

Regarding action against the rebel SAD candidates, Sekhwan said, “Since the public has given its verdict in Dhindsa’s favour, the party has decided to take her back.” Fourteen SAD candidates had emerged victorious in the recently-held MC poll. Following results, three independents, including Joginder Singh Tony and Sunanda Malhotra, had joined SAD.

Similarly, the number of BJP councillors has also increased to 20 with another independent joining hands with the party. 

Kapurthala, August 12
District police chief Rakesh Agarwal has asked SP (Headquarter) Charanjit Kumar to re-inquire the rape case against a former district bar association (DBA) chief Ashok Kumar Sabharwal.

Talking to The Tribune, SSP Agarwal said Sabharwal would not be arrested till the fresh report is 
submitted.

Interestingly, the rape case was registered against ex-DBA chief under Section 376 of the IPC at city police station a few days back only after the inquiry conducted by DSP Kapurthala Sukhdev Singh Chhina.

Station house officer (SHO) of city police station Satnam Singh said a woman submitted a complaint to the SSP a few months back in which she alleged that Sabharwal and an unknown person had raped her.

The SSP marked the complaint to the DSP for probing the matter. Subsequently the FIR was registered on the basis of the findings of his inquiry.

Following registration of the rape case, Sabharwal along with a deputation of the members of district bar association met the district police chief and demanded cancellation of the FIR.

At this, the SSP asked SP (HQ) to re-inquire the case.

Nawanshahr, August 12
With August 15 deadline to implement the state government’s much-hyped ‘Atta-dal’ scheme nearing, the district administration here is working overtime to ensure that the needy get the ration cards.

While, the beneficiaries listed under the scheme are expressing gratitude towards the SAD-BJP leaders — who are distributing ration cards among them in specially-organised functions — those who have been left out have expressed their strong resentment over the development.

Though the assurances are pouring in from the state government, the opposition leaders are highlighting anomalies in the survey conducted for the implementation of the scheme.

According to sources, as many as 41,765 ration cards have been prepared under the scheme, which has been now rechristened as ‘Kanak-dal Scheme’. Under the initiative, a person would get 7 kg of wheat per month while a family would be eligible for a total of 35 kg of food-grain. As far as pulses are concerned, an individual would get 1 kg dal. The monthly-limit for a family has been fixed as 4 kg. The distribution would be made through government fair price shops.

Ration depot holders would get the supply from the PUNSUP. The officials of the district food & civil supplies are also holding meetings with the ration depot holders to make them aware about the guidelines for proper maintenance of the scheme. Some depot holders have expressed their reservations over the scheme stating that it would lay additional burden on them as they would have to bear the transportation costs in fetching wheat and pulses from PUNSUP. 

Amritsar, August 12
To commemorate the tragedy caused by atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan), Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) celebrated International Peace Day here on Saturday. The function was organised by the department of political science in association with the school of social sciences and was presided over by eminent political scientist H.K. Puri. While addressing the gathering, Puri highlighted the tragedy and holocaust of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan). He emphasised on the need of preventing such tragedies, citing documents from personal diaries of various international leaders.

Quoting examples, Puri revealed how the nuclear weapons would pose a threat and analysed the different shades of opinion in-depth whether the nuclear bomb should be used or not. However, the gathering felt that the atom bomb was used as the last resort without knowing the consequences.

Head of the school of social sciences Gurnam Singh said though different conferences were held in order to avoid this holocaust, all proved ineffective.

Batala, August 12
The Punjab government has earmarked Rs 25.57 crore for the urban development, of which Rs 10 crore will be spent on the establishment of sewerage treatment plants in 14 cities and towns, said chief parliamentary secretary Jagdish Raj Sahni here yesterday.

Sahni said 10 steel containers would be purchased to collect garbage in Batala. He directed the municipal council authorities to take immediate steps for the cleanliness, maintenance of the water supply and the sewerage.

Meanwhile, Sahni granted Rs 1.70 lakh for the maintenance of the building of Government Primary School, Shukarpura. He said the government was concerned about the maintenance of the buildings of government schools. — OC