J A L A N D H A R

Attack on policemen: Accused still at large
Kapurthala, October 9
Even after three-and-a-half weeks, the district police has failed to arrest any of the seven accused wanted in connection with an attack on a six-member police party, led by Subhanpur SHO Balkar Singh, at Bhut village.

Complaint box to battle corruption
Nawanshahr, October 9
With a view to ensure transparent and responsive administration as well as to redress genuine public grievances against corrupt officials, a 'Complaint Box' would be installed in the office of the deputy commissioner. This was stated by the local MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha here on Tuesday.

Big Catch
10 POs nabbed
Phillaur, October 9
Phillaur police headed by DSP Harpreet Singh Benepal nabbed ten proclaimed offenders (POs), who were wanted in different cases during this week. This was confirmed by Benepal himself while talking with newsmen at Phillaur on Tuesday night. Benepal disclosed that Phillaur police had arrested 54 POs wanted in different criminal cases during last five months.

9 travel agents booked
Hoshiarpur, October 9
The police booked nine fake travel agents, who duped Ajit Singh (of Adarsh Nagar, Mukerian) of Rs 18.65 lakh in the name of sending his son abroad.

Performance To Pay Off
Village sports to get shot in arm
Batala, October 9
A two-day village sports mela, held at Manjh village, concluded here on Tuesday evening. Bikram Singh Majithia, Punjab minister for information and public relations, water supply and sanitation and scientific technology, presided over the last function of the mela in which sportsmen of different categories took part.

Hoshiarpur to host rural games
Hoshiarpur, October 9
Hoshiarpur is all set to host Punjab State Rural Games - Boys (under 16 years) from October 10 to October 12, 2007 at Outdoor Stadium here. Pargat Singh, Director Sports, Punjab, said as many as 1,900 players from various districts of the state are going to participate in the games. As many as 150 officials have been deputed for the smooth conduct of the games, he added.

Set up IT park in holy city, CM urged
Amritsar, October 9
Acting president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal along with information and public relations minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and patron, Amritsar Vikas Manch, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, have demanded setting up of an international-level IT and software technology park in city.

Attack on policemen: Accused still at large
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, October 9
Even after three-and-a-half weeks, the district police has failed to arrest any of the seven accused wanted in connection with an attack on a six-member police party, led by Subhanpur SHO Balkar Singh, at Bhut village.

Confirming that the police has failed to arrest any of the accused, Balkar Singh said all accused had fled from their village and they were also not found at their relatives’ places. The police was trying its best to arrest them by raiding their possible hideouts, he said.

The seven accused wanted by the police are a proclaimed offender (PO) Charan Singh, alias Babbu, his father Kala Singh, his two sons Joga Singh, Patwari Singh, his wife Kulwant Kaur and his two daughter-in-laws Ratni and Malkiat Kaur.

An FIR under different sections, including 307, 332, 186, 148 and 149, of the IPC was lodged against the absconding PO Charan Singh and his six family members at Subhanpur police station.

Three policemen were injured in the attack on the police party by over 15 villagers, including the six members of the PO Charan Singh’s family, at Bhut village, falling under Subhanpur police station, on September 16.

The police party had raided Babbu’ house to arrest him after a tip-off in a case filed against him under sections 15, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act in 2006 after the recovery of poppy husk from him but it had to return empty handed as his family members, including three women, attacked it forcing it to flee from the spot. While constable Balbir Singh’s uniform was torn in the attack, two other police personnel, head constable Surinder Singh and Punjab Home Gaurds (PHG) jawan Nirmal Singh, received injuries.

All seven members of the PO’s family managed to flee from their house after the incident. 

Complaint box to battle corruption
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, October 9
With a view to ensure transparent and responsive administration as well as to redress genuine public grievances against corrupt officials, a 'Complaint Box' would be installed in the office of the deputy commissioner. This was stated by the local MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha here on Tuesday.

"While one key of the lock of the complaint box would be kept by him, the other one would be with the deputy commissioner", said Kariha adding that the complaints regarding corruption charges against officials would be thoroughly examined and strict action would be taken against the guilty. While urging the people to come forward to fight the menace of corruption by putting in their complaints, the MLA advised them not to level vague charges of corruption against any official. “The allegations must be substantiated by solid proofs or witnesses, otherwise it would be difficult to convict anyone in the inquiry,” he said. “It has become a fashion with the politicians to level corruption charges against the opposition leaders in public speeches to tarnish the image of the government, but corruption can not be checked by using rhetoric,” added the MLA, while urging the political and social leaders to come forward and take some concrete steps to curb the menace of corruption. 

Big Catch
10 POs nabbed
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, October 9
Phillaur police headed by DSP Harpreet Singh Benepal nabbed ten proclaimed offenders (POs), who were wanted in different cases during this week. This was confirmed by Benepal himself while talking with newsmen at Phillaur on Tuesday night. Benepal disclosed that Phillaur police had arrested 54 POs wanted in different criminal cases during last five months.

Meanwhile a police party headed by Phillaur SHO Sarabjit Rai has arrested a mobile thief Sonu of nearby village Ramgarh and recovered 18 stolen mobiles from his possession.

One hawala racketeer, Joginder Singh of Kandola village was also arrested by a police party headed by the SHO and hawala money worth Rs 2.17 lakh was recovered from his possession. 

9 travel agents booked
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, October 9
The police booked nine fake travel agents, who duped Ajit Singh (of Adarsh Nagar, Mukerian) of Rs 18.65 lakh in the name of sending his son abroad.

Mukerian Police last evening booked the proprietor of Highlife Travels (near income tax office, Jalandhar), Narotam Singh Saini and his accomplices Alka, Sanjay Bhola, Arun Sharma, Charu Kharbanda, Rajesh Kumar Chadha, Ajay Dhawan, Meenu and Nakul Kohli, all residents of Delhi, under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC. According to police sources, Ajit alleged that the aforesaid travel agents took Rs 18.65 lakh and a passport for sending his son Mandip Singh to Canada, but neither did they send him abroad, nor returned his money.

Performance To Pay Off
Village sports to get shot in arm
Our Correspondent

Batala, October 9
A two-day village sports mela, held at Manjh village, concluded here on Tuesday evening.

Bikram Singh Majithia, Punjab minister for information and public relations, water supply and sanitation and scientific technology, presided over the last function of the mela in which sportsmen of different categories took part.

While addressing a gathering of the village, participants and SAD (B)-BJP workers, the minister declared that all those sportspersons attaining new heights at the national and international levels will be rewarded with cash and lucrative government jobs besides being given sports facilities at the international level.

Majithia further disclosed that such events, like village sports computations, will help in uplifting the rural youth and also keep them away from addiction.

The government is chalking out a plan to provide facilities for different competitive sports at the village level. The minister declared that the Punjab government was planning to supply electricity to the urban and rural consumers round the clock and efforts were on to produce five thousand mega-watts of electricity in the coming five years which will be more than the requirements of the state.

The government has plans to augment water-supply, sewerage facilities, electricity and roads in forty different cities of Punjab and an amount of Rs 3,150 crore and Rs 2053 crore has been earmarked for providing basic facilities in Amritsar and Ludhiana respectively. When asked whether Majithia had any differences with Prof.Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Health minister, Punjab, he denied any such conflicts and reiterated that BJP and SAD (B) have very cordial relations and both are committed to the development of Punjab.

Hoshiarpur to host rural games
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, October 9
Hoshiarpur is all set to host Punjab State Rural Games - Boys (under 16 years) from October 10 to October 12, 2007 at Outdoor Stadium here.

Pargat Singh, Director Sports, Punjab, said as many as 1,900 players from various districts of the state are going to participate in the games. As many as 150 officials have been deputed for the smooth conduct of the games, he added.

“The main aim of these games is to give a fair chance to rural youth to participate in sports at the block, district, state and national levels. Since the rural areas lack sports infrastructure as compared to urban areas, these games would definitely enthuse interest in the rural sports talent,” said the hockey legend.

The competition includes disciplines of athletics, archery, football, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, tug-of-war, volleyball, wrestling and weightlifting. The boys, who are going to represent Punjab in the all-India rural sport tournaments, would be selected from these games.

The Outdoor Stadium, Hoshiarpur would be the host for eight disciplines except hockey and football. The event of hockey would be conducted at Government College and Government Polytechnic Hoshiarpur and football matches would be played at DAV College and Police Lines.

According to Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner D.K. Tiwari, all arrangements for accommodation, boarding, transportation and other arrangements have been finalised. The playgrounds are ready for the conduct of the events, he added.

For the smooth conduct of the games various committees like medical, security/discipline, accommodation, transport, health and media have been formed. A media centre has been established at Outdoor Stadium to provide results of the games.

SSP Anita Punj informed that all security arrangements for the opening and closing ceremonies, at different venues of the competitions and places of stay of the players have been completed.

Meanwhile, wrestling coach PR Sondhi while talking to newsmen here on Tuesday evening said a ten member wrestling team of district Kapurthla has been selected to participate in the state level competition. 

Set up IT park in holy city, CM urged
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 9
Acting president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal along with information and public relations minister, Bikram Singh Majithia, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and patron, Amritsar Vikas Manch, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, have demanded setting up of an international-level IT and software technology park in city.

The leaders have urged the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take advantage of the already existing international airport here instead of going for a new one to be set up in Mohali to make the city an IT hub. The leaders have urged this in separate missives to the CM.

Dr Gumtala said the airport here has been termed as the fastest growing international airport in the country as it links London, Birmingham, Toronto, New York, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, Moscow, Paris, Italy and various other cities of Australia and New Zealand with over 70 flights per week. He said the city will be linked to San Francisco and Vancouver by next year as per the Jet Airways plans.

AVM has termed acquisition of 300 acres of prime land at Mohali for price ranging from 600 to 1000 crore as wastage of funds by a cash starved state government.

With the commissioning of an international cargo complex at the airport, the city was fast emerging as world wide import export hub of the state, he added.