J A L A N D H A R

Rs 17-lakh PF fraud unearthed, 3 held
Batala, September 5
Local police has unearthed a fraud of Rs 17 lakh in Primary Health Center, Bham, near Quadian. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.While talking to the mediapersons here today SSP Batala R.N. Dhoke said on the complaint of in charge of PHC Dr Lakhwinder Singh a cheating case was registered against clerk Geeta Rani.

Punjab roads to look more beautiful
Phagwara, September 5
The PWD (B&R) has initiated recarpetting of 185.93 km of state roads, including highways, for which Rs 62 crore has been allotted, said PWD (B&R) minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa.

Govt told to meet poll-promises
Nawanshahr, September 5
Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa, general secretary, Principals Association (Colleges affiliated to GNDU, Amritsar), strongly condemned the alleged repressive attitude of the state government in a press statement here on Wednesday. As many as 21 activists of Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) were arrested while they were holding a peaceful demonstration in Chandigarh today. 

Membership Drive

Youth Cong goes full throttle Nawanshahr, September 5 Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) president Vijay Inder Singla today formally launched a membership drive for the district unit of the Youth Congress here at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhavan.Addressing media persons, Singla said, “A membership drive in the state was formally launched on August 29 in Patiala and a target of recruiting four lakh primary members and 40,000 active members was set.

Youth Congress leaders in Jalandhar on Wednesday. — A Tribune photograph

Guru Cool
Lectures, functions mark Teachers’ Day
Jalandhar, September 5
Lectures, cultural functions and fun games marked the Teachers’ Day celebrations at various schools and colleges in the city.

Pensioners’ cell holds protest
Jalandhar, September 5
The Punjab Aided School Pensioners Cell, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, organised a massive rally at Company Bagh here today.

Three held with pistols
Jalandhar, September 5
The district police today nabbed three persons and recovered three unlicensed pistols and two live cartridges from their possession. The accused were identified as Vikas Sharma of Gurjepal Nagar, Aditya Khanna of Raja Garden and Satyawan hailing from Model Town. — TNS

Hoax caller nabbed
Phagwara, September 5
The police arrested a hoax caller, Sheikh Jamal, alias Mintoo, a resident of Khurrda village near Calcutta, under section 67 of the IT Act, 2000, and section 505 of the IPC allegedly for making hoax calls threatening to blow up Gandhi Hospital in Phagwara on August 29. DSP H.P.S. Khakh said the accused had confessed to his crime. 

Sex ring busted; 6 arrested
Phagwara September 5
The police unearthed a flesh trade racket here today with the arrest of its kingpin Anu, her son Kamal and four other girls. DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said Anu, who was a divorcee of police constable Sital Parshad, used to supply young girls to customers near Haveli dhaba. Kamal worked as a mediator and charged Rs 5,000 per girl per night. The girls fetched Rs 1,500 per deal, added Khahk.

Rs 17-lakh PF fraud unearthed, 3 held
Balraj Mahajan

Batala, September 5
Local police has unearthed a fraud of Rs 17 lakh in Primary Health Center, Bham, near Quadian. Three persons have been arrested in this connection.

While talking to the mediapersons here today SSP Batala R.N. Dhoke said on the complaint of in charge of PHC Dr Lakhwinder Singh a cheating case was registered against clerk Geeta Rani. The accused was arrested and during her interrogation it was revealed that she along with cashier Jai Gopal and assistant cashier Kewal Krishan was committing forgery in General Provident Fund (GPF) account of Class III and Class IV employees. The accused used to 
withdraw the GPF and other funds of staffers and divide the money among themselves.

Dhoke said jewellery worth Rs 80,000, an Indigo car (HR-51M-6600) and a Tavera car (PB-08P-Temp-7500) were recovered from the hosue of the accused, who is a resident of Awakhan village. Her bank account, having Rs 50,000, has been also sealed, said the SSP.

The officer said after Geeta’s arrest a special investigation team comprising inspector Sukhjit Singh, in charge anti-fraud staff, Batala and sub-inspector Harwinder Singh was formulated to further investigate the case.

The team managed to arrest Jaipal and Kewal Krishan on Tuesday. The accused confessed to have helped Geeta Rani.

Punjab roads to look more beautiful
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, September 5
The PWD (B&R) has initiated recarpetting of 185.93 km of state roads, including highways, for which Rs 62 crore has been allotted, said PWD (B&R) minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa.

Giving details, the minister said under the central road fund, work on a 77.20-km stretch of road (length of three major roads, Mukerian-Talwara road, Malout-Sri Ganganagar road and Mukatsar-Malout road) had been completed during the last six months. Work on the remaining 107.13-km stretch of road (including Amritsar-Bhikhiwind-Khemkaran road, Harike-Khalra road, Bhawanigarh-Sunam-Bhikhi-Kotshamir road, Patran-Munak-Tohana road was in advanced stage of completion, added Dhindsa The work include widening, strengthening and improvement of the road network in the state.

The minister said the PWD had begun a statewide exercise to identity important roads in the state which required improvement keeping in view the development scenario of next 25 years.

Govt told to meet poll-promises

Nawanshahr, September 5
Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa, general secretary, Principals Association (Colleges affiliated to GNDU, Amritsar), strongly condemned the alleged repressive attitude of the state government in a press statement here on Wednesday. As many as 21 activists of Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) were arrested while they were holding a peaceful demonstration in Chandigarh today. Their demands include restoration of 95 % grant-in-aid scheme of the privately managed government aided colleges, filling up of vacant posts and implementation of pension-cum-gratuity scheme. Dr. Randhawa said the demands being raised by the PCCTU had already been endorsed by the SAD in its pre-poll promises. — OC

Membership Drive
Youth Cong goes full throttle
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, September 5
Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) president Vijay Inder Singla today formally launched a membership drive for the district unit of the Youth Congress here at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhavan.

Addressing media persons, Singla said, “A membership drive in the state was formally launched on August 29 in Patiala and a target of recruiting four lakh primary members and 40,000 active members was set. But due to the encouraging response from the youth for associating themselves with the Congress, we can convincingly say that by October 31, the membership of the State Youth Congress would touch the figure of at least seven lakh. The state Youth Congress chief said in the brochure meant for the membership drive, the achievements of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, and the previous Congress government in Punjab had been highlighted. Besides, Rahul Gandhi’s message was also being propagated at the grassroots level.

Singla said the wrong policies and failures of the SAD-BJP government were also being brought to the notice of the people, especially youth, during the membership drive. District Youth Congress president Rajwinder Singh Lucky, state Youth Congress general secretary Vipin Taneja, MC president Dharam Pal Banger, Rahon MC president Sartaj Singh Mangewal, and Rahon city Congress president Naresh Parbhakar also spoke on the occasion.

Guru Cool
Lectures, functions mark Teachers’ Day
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 5
Lectures, cultural functions and fun games marked the Teachers’ Day celebrations at various schools and colleges in the city.

An extension lecture was organised at the MGN College of Education. Dr Dharam Pal Maini, professor and head of Hindi department, Panjab University, was invited to deliver a lecture on “Directions for excellence in teaching.” He opined, “A teacher to be a teacher throughout his life should imbibe virtues of proficiency in subject concerned, professionalism, personal virtues and social values.”

At Guru Nanak Dev University College, Basti Nau, students arranged a party for teachers and organised fun games. They presented bhangra and other items. In her address, principal Usha Kapoor compared a teacher with a sculptor who moulds the personality of the students.

Senior students of Mayor World School celebrated Teachers’ Day by holding a special assembly. Head girl Chahat Mayor and head boy Jaskaran Hayer organised fun games, speeches, poems and skits.

Principal Neeraj Bhargava recited a poem emphasising on vast influence a teacher could have in innumerable and unimaginable ways on the lives he touches. A cake-cutting ceremony and a sumptuous lunch for teachers were organised.

Students and teachers from the primary wing of Guru Amar Dass Public School celebrated the day by paying homage to former President late Dr Radhakrishnan. Students showed respect and love for their teachers by presenting them cards and flowers. Head girl Alyessa expressed her gratitude through a speech. Senior students enacted as teachers and took classes as the teachers were relieved of their job for the day.

B.D. Arya Collegiate School organised a public speaking competition. Students spoke on various aspects of teaching profession. Director Swaraj Mohan and principal Dr Sarita Verma and in charge Chandanpreet Kaur exhorted the students to imbibe good values in life. Seth Hukum Chand SD Public Senior Secondary School celebrated Teachers’ Day by organising a cultural show. The day began with speeches on importance of teachers, followed by shabad singing and group songs.

Lyallpur Khalsa Collegiate Senior Secondary School held a cake-cutting ceremony and a tea party for the teachers today. Teachers were also presented gifts by the management.At Innocent Hearts School, Sonali Sharma of class X gave a speech on teachers. The head boy, head girl and house captains presented bouquets to the principal, Shally Bowry.

Pensioners’ cell holds protest

Jalandhar, September 5
The Punjab Aided School Pensioners Cell, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, organised a massive rally at Company Bagh here today.

The members demanded from the state government that the pension scheme withdrawn during the Congress regime be restored. Bhupinder Lal, state press secretary, said the scheme was started in 1987 and was of immense social and financial support to the retirees. He said even as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had on September 27, 2005 ordered restoration of pension, the previous government took the matter to the Supreme Court. They said they had not been paid pension since June 2003. — TNS

Three held with pistols

Jalandhar, September 5
The district police today nabbed three persons and recovered three unlicensed pistols and two live cartridges from their possession. The accused were identified as Vikas Sharma of Gurjepal Nagar, Aditya Khanna of Raja Garden and Satyawan hailing from Model Town. — TNS

Hoax caller nabbed

Phagwara, September 5
The police arrested a hoax caller, Sheikh Jamal, alias Mintoo, a resident of Khurrda village near Calcutta, under section 67 of the IT Act, 2000, and section 505 of the IPC allegedly for making hoax calls threatening to blow up Gandhi Hospital in Phagwara on August 29. DSP H.P.S. Khakh said the accused had confessed to his crime. The accused told the police that he worked as an embroiderer in the Satnampura area and had gone to Gandhi Hospital for treatment of fever. He returned to his village when his ailment could not be treated. The DSP said the accused admitted that he made three telephone calls to the hospital only to create panic. The police has seized his mobile phone and is investigating the case further, said Khakh. — OC

Sex ring busted; 6 arrested

Phagwara September 5
The police unearthed a flesh trade racket here today with the arrest of its kingpin Anu, her son Kamal and four other girls. DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said Anu, who was a divorcee of police constable Sital Parshad, used to supply young girls to customers near Haveli dhaba. Kamal worked as a mediator and charged Rs 5,000 per girl per night. The girls fetched Rs 1,500 per deal, added Khahk. Arrested girls are Sonia of Mahilowal village, Paramjit Kaur of Kapurthala, Hardip Kaur of Jalandhar, Nisha of Kankar Khera village

Setting a trap, the police sent a fake customer who contacted Anu, sitting in Bolero Car near Haveli dhaba and fixed the rate for a girl and soon after all were nabbed by the police, said Khakh. — OC