Jalandhar, February 21
The UPA government has, in principle, decided to waive the loans of Punjab farmers.

This was stated by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal here this afternoon. She added this was being done keeping in view the acute crisis in the farm sector.

She said the problem had been brought to the notice of the Centre which had decided to waive the debt of the state farmers whose land holdings were not more than five acres. A formal announcement in this context would be made soon, she added.

Bhattal said the state unit would be organising a thanks giving rally on February 25 in Delhi, besides submitting a charter of demands to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi concerning farm labourers and other people associated with farming.

As many as 20,000 Congress workers from Punjab would participate in the rally, she added.

The Congress would observe March 1, the first anniversary of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab, as “black day”. On that day party workers would protest at all district headquarters and a state-level rally would be organised at Ludhiana against the anti-people policies of the ruling alliance.

Reacting to a query on restructuring the party, she said the exercise was long overdue but would be completed after the forthcoming assembly session.

Ridiculing the Akalis for holding a rally in Delhi, she said it was a political gimmick and a charade being played on the people. When the Akalis could not push through a package during the NDA rule and when Sukhbir Badal was a minister, there was no point in doing so now, she said.

Bhattal added that most of the projects, the credit for which was being taken by the Badals, were conceived and started during Congress rule.

Hoshiarpur, February 21
The Industrial Training (ITIs) Employees Union, Punjab, president Sunil Dutt Sharma, and secretary Harvinder Baharwaj have urged the state government not to put ITIs under  the public-private partnership scheme.

In a press release here today, the duo said the public-private partnership scheme was neither in the favour of students nor employees. It was for the benefit of only capitalists as they would get Rs 2.50 crore for acquiring each ITI.

Harvinder said the state government was doing nothing for their demands like regularising the contract employees, recruitment for vacant posts, amendment to service rules, etc, which were accepted at a meeting between the minister and the union members on November 6, 2007.

They said the private capitalists from other states had already started visiting the state ITIs and the union wanted immediate ban on the entry of private persons.

They said if their demands were not met, employees and students would take action jointly. 

Amritsar, February 21
The district police today nabbed five notorious drug smugglers, including two women and two close aides of Dr Balwinder Singh, another big fish, who recently fled from police custody while he was being taken to Delhi in connection with a court hearing.

The police recovered 300 grams of heroin besides 265 grams of smack from their possession.

Those accused have been identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Babbu, a resident of Havellian, Paramjit Kaur alias Chandni of Daim Ganj, Islamabad, Buta Singh alias Laddi of Verowal (Tarn Taran) and Vishal Kumar of Himmatpura. Earlier, Santosh Kumari alias Toshi of Gali Bag wali New Jawahar Nagar Mehta Road was arrested with 200 gram of smack.

SSP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said Kuldeep and Buta Singh were close aides of Dr Balwinder. During investigations, it was found that Kuldeep was instrumental in doctor’s escaping from police custody.

The entire family of Baboo, including his two brothers, was involved in drug trafficking. His brothers, Amarik Singh, presently lodged in Tihar Jail Delhi and Ranjit Singh Rana were arrested by special narcotics cell sometime ago. His father Harbhajan Singh was also involved in a heroin smuggling case.

Paramjit Kaur, a professional dancer, is wife of another notorious smuggler Kiranpal Singh, who was arrested by district police along with his associate Avnish Kumar of Gaziabad, UP.

The consignments brought by Kiranpal Singh from Gaziabad, UP were handed over to his wife and the same were supplied to various smugglers, including Kuldeep and others, said the police official.

Santosh Kumari, known as smack smuggler of the focal point area, has been arrested and convicted earlier too in NDPS cases. Police said she had been carrying on drug business for the last several years and her property was also seized under section 68F of NDPS Act in August 2007.

She was released from the Central Jail, Amritsar last month and soon after coming out she started her business again. Vishal Kumar was arrested by the district police from Gujarpura area.

Jalandhar, February 21
Taking a stand on the issue of protest by milkmen yesterday, Vajra Corps officials today got issued a press note stating that this could be an outcome of the recent move of the station headquarters of blacklisting five vendors who had been supplying spurious milk.

The press note issued by defence PRO Naresh Vig said recently a surprise check of the milk samples from vendors supplying milk in the cantonment had been carried out. “Five of the 10 samples checked by an authorised laboratory were found to be contaminated with elements like urea,” it read.

It was pointed out that after the incident, instructions to the milk vendors supplying milk to army personnel and civilians in the cantonment had been given that they would be issued security passes for entry to the cantonment keeping in mind the concern over the health of the local population. This was done to identify the defaulters on the contamination issue, the PRO pointed out. “Only a photograph, address proof, vehicle number and police verification are required to make a pass. Six passes for vendors supplying milk in the cantonment and three transit passes have already been issued. A transit pass is being issued straightaway by the station headquarters to avoid inconvenience to the public,” he said. — TNS

Kapurthala, February 21
Residents of Nangal Lubana village bid adieu to its brave son Sukhwinder Singh, a central reserve police force (CRPF) jawan, who sacrificed his life in a fierce encounter with Maoist militants in Chattisgarh on Monday night.

Sukhwinder was cremated with full state honours at his ancestral village on Thursday. A police party presented guard of honours in respect of the son of the soil by reversing its weapons. Among others, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, was present on the occasion to pay tributes to the martyr.

Posted with 31 Battalion, the CRPF jawan lost his life along with six other jawans in the encounter in which 14 Maoists were also killed. Sukhwinder Singh fought bravely till his last breath, said CRPF jawan Kulwant of the same battalion who brought his body to the village.

Kulwant said the gunbattle of 35 CRPF men with several Maoists continued for several hours in a Chattisgarh village during patrolling. Four of the six CRPF jawans belonged to different parts of Punjab, he added.

Sukhwinder is survived by his wife Daljit Kaur, daughter Rajinder Kaur and son Parminder Singh. His father Dasota Singh had also served for several years in the Border Security Force (BSF).

Pathankot: A pall of gloom descended on Dhar block after the body of head constable Suresh Kumar of 31 Battalion of the CRPF, who was killed in an encounter with Naxlaties in Chhattisgarh on February 18, reached his native village, Jalahar, near here, this morning. Suresh Kumar and five other jawans, three from Punjab and two from Andhara Pradesh, fell prey to the Naxlaties’ bullets in the Baksar forests. The CRPF soldiers also killed 13 Naxlaties in the crossfire.

A unit of the CRPF brought the body to the village in the morning where the family members and villagers bid adieu to the departed soul. His parents and wife Rita Devi were inconsolable.

He was cremated with full honour as the CRPF unit fired volley of shots into the air to pay him the last respect.Wreaths were placed on his pyre by Punjab transport minister Master Mohan Lal Sharma, Dinesh Singh Babbu, MLA, Sujanpur, and various other government officials besides officials of the CRPF. The transport minister announced the renaming of village school after Suresh Kumar and construction of a gate in his memory at the village.

Jalandhar, February 21
Members of the All-Punjab Truck Operators Union (APTOU) today condemned the state government for starting the sticker system under which they would have to pay more for a truckload.

In a press conference held here on Thursday, president Charan Singh Lohara said by issuing stickers to the truck operators, the SAD-BJP government had violated the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC).

The SC in its ruling had asked the truck operators not to carry a load of more than nine tonnes. The present orders by the state government went against the SC ruling. “Earlier too we met transport minister Master Mohan Lal in this regard but to no avail,” he said.

The members maintained that in case the Punjab government failed to take back the sticker system, the All-India Motor Congress, APTOU, the Jalandhar Goods Booking Association and the Jalandhar District Goods Transport Cooperative Association would file a petition in the High Court and would also approach the SC.

Jalandhar, February 21
A minor fire broke out in the air-conditioned coach, A-2, of the Jammu Mail between Jalandhar cantonment and city railway stations in the wee hours here on Thursday.

No one was injured in the fire as it was put out within minutes.

However, the train was delayed by about an hour.

Jalandhar, February 21
The body of a person, identified as Hassan Lal of Bhambianwal village, was found on the Jamsher-Khusropur road under Sadar police station here today.

Hassan Lal was apparently murdered by some unidentified persons as his body bore several injury marks. He was reportedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons last night when he was returning from his shop in the cantonment area to his house, said the police sources.

An FIR under sections 302 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in this regard.