The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Holiday in Barnala today
Barnala, August 19
Deputy commissioner R.L. Mehta has declared a holiday for Wednesday under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, in connection with the 23rd death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal. A state-level function would be organised on the day. — OC

Demolition plan falls flat
Cops were deployed in large numbers for the demolition. Bathinda, August 19
Officials of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) had to return empty-handed today from their demolition drive with one of the offending parties agreeing to voluntarily remove the structure and the other obtaining an ex-parte order from the court, staying the proceedings.

Cops were deployed in large numbers for the demolition. —Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Man stabs wife, commits suicide
Bathinda, August 19
Following an incident of domestic violence, a man committed suicide at the railway track here today after first stabbing his wife and father-in-law, As per the details available, Bhag Mal, who was in his 40s, had some dispute with his wife Paramjeet Kaur.

In retaliation to the desecration of the tricolour by the pro-Pakistan elements in Kashmir valley, VHP activists burning the Pakistani flag in Bathinda on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Computer teachers want regular jobs
Bathinda, August 19
Computer Teachers' Union today criticised the alleged step-motherly treatment being meted out to them by the state government. A meeting of the district presidents and general secretaries of the union was held under the presidentship of Ravi Inder Singh today. The union urged the government to regularise the services of all computer teachers.

Rousing reception for Jain saint
Bathinda, August 19
Jainacharya Muni Shri Vinay Kumar Alok arrived in the city to a rousing welcome here today. An 'abhinandan samaroh' was organised by the Jain Samaj to welcome the Muni on his arrival in the city.

VVIP visits impede flood relief work
Madaarpur (Moga),August 19
The Sutlej still continues to give sleepless nights to the residents of hundreds of villages in the Moga and Ferozepur districts with little progress on plugging the breaches developed on its banks. The water level in the Sutlej that started to decline last evening has once again begun to rise. The current of water from the breaches has also slightly increased on Tuesday afternoon.

Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti members attacked
Fazilka, August 19
Toll Plaza personnel on Fazilka-Ferozepur road, 9 km from here, allegedly attacked the members of the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti Chetna Yatra near Tara Palace in the afternoon today. The Plaza personnel allegedly indulged in hooliganism and assaulted the members of the samiti with sticks and sharp-edged weapons.

Two die in separate road accidents
Barnala, August 19
One person, identified as Buta Singh (30), died when the bicycle he was riding, was hit by the truck bearing registration number RJ-3 GE-2402 on Tapa-Bathinda main road, today.

Mann gives Rs 20 lakh from MPLAD fund
Abohar, August 19
Zora Singh Mann hopes to find a respectable place among those members of the Lok Sabha who could boast of having utilised all the money received under the MPLAD fund.

	Congress-SAD war of words hots up Sukhbir haunted by fear of Capt, say MLAs S.P. Sharma Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 As the war of words between the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress has further intensified, nine MLAs of the Congress today accused Sukhbir Singh Badal of being "too obsessed, haunted and hallucinated by the fear of Capt. Amarinder Singh that he is finding ground slipping beneath his feet." These MLAs were reacting to the statement of Prem Singh Chandumajra, general secretary of SAD, against the Congress and Amarinder Singh. In a joint statement, these MLAs said, "Chandumajra seems to speak from his personal experience in the SAD where the leaders are not treated uniformly but categorised according to the level and ranking accorded to them on the basis of their loyalty, rather sycophancy, towards the first family in the party, as first rung, second rung, third rung and so on. While it is already a public knowledge as to how the leaders are scornfully treated in the SAD, be they general secretaries or the secretaries general, but now, it has been confirmed, rather confessed, by no less a person than the party general secretary himself. Their power and authority is restricted to merely issuing the statements in defence of their leaders." The MLAs who issued the joint statement included Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Joginder Singh Panjgrayan, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Makhan Singh, Naresh Kataria, Sukh Sarkaria, Mangat Rai Bansal, Sher Singh Gagoowal, Harmohinder Singh Pradhan, Joginderpal Jain, Ajit Singh Shant and Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu. It may be recalled that four of the five Congress MLAs of Bathinda district, except Harminder Singh Jassi, had yesterday issued a statement ridiculing Sukhbir Badal. The nine MLAs said that by indulging in sycophancy of the Badals, Chandumajra hoped to get SAD ticket for the Patiala parliamentary constituency that he was refused during the last elections. The MLAs asserted that leaders are not categorized in the Congress as "family loyalists and sycophants" and possible rebels, but are treated as public representatives who come from grassroots. And the leadership in Congress, unlike the SAD, is not thrust from the top nor inherited by virtue of birth, it is earned by hardwork, experience and service to the people, they claimed. They said the SAD activist should first question Sukhbir Badal who has taken upon himself so many roles, but for that of a mature and responsible leader leading a responsible party.
	Cong ploy to motivate listless workers: Maluka Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 "We are unable to understand why the Congmen are celebrating the appointment of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh as chairman of the Congress election campaign committee, which nobody has ever heard of," said Sikander Singh Maluka, the district president of the ruling SAD. After being re-appointed as the district president of the party, Maluka today addressed the first party meeting, in which the absence of the area in-charge, Sarup Chand Singla, also remained a matter of discussion. When asked about the allegations levelled by the Congress workers that the SAD (B) leaders are frightened due to the return of Amarinder in Punjab politics, he said, "It is an attempt to encourage their own party workers who are dull. Moreover, we have a fight with the Congress as a party, so it does not matter as to who represents them." After participating in the kabaddi competitions in Pakistan, Maluka, who is also the president of the Punjab Kabaddi Association (PKA), shared his experiences. He said that people in Pakistan do not have any such issue that the governments of the two countries keep raising. He added that people in Pakistan want to visit India. Narrating the anguish of the Pakistanis against former President Pervez Musharraf, Maluka said he had never seen such hatred against any one. About the kabaddi matches played, he said that out of the total six matches played, the Punjab team won two and lost four. Overwhelmed with the reception, Maluka said that the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had invited the Pakistan kabbadi team through the PKA during the Gurutta Gaddi Diwas celebrations in Nanded. Speaking further, he said that the Pakistan team would visit India and matches would be played on October 31 and November 1. He added that the state government would also hold celebrations at Talwandi Sabo on October 20. Possibly, a kabaddi match would also be played there. He announced that in the Kabaddi Word Cup to be held in 2009, the semi-final would be held in Punjab while the final would be played in Pakistan.
	Demolition plan falls flat Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 Officials of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) had to return empty-handed today from their demolition drive with one of the offending parties agreeing to voluntarily remove the structure and the other obtaining an ex-parte order from the court, staying the proceedings. As per the details available, the BMC authorities today reached the Dhobi Bazaar area of the city in a huge cavalcade that included anti-encroachment equipment and policemen. But faced with a protest by the shopkeepers, they had to return. This in itself has raised several question marks. Seeking anonymity, a well-placed BMC official said that the senior BMC officials are capable of taking action but some political personalities close to the parties in power were against removing the illegal and unauthorised structures of the showrooms concerned. Talking to TNS, the protesters, however, said that they had assured the administration that they would themselves remove the objectionable structure within a period of one month. So, BMC action in this regard had been averted. When contacted, the BMC executive officer, Kamal Kant, said, "There were two showrooms against which we wanted to take action. But one of them, along with the shopkeepers, submitted an affidavit that they would clear the illegal structure themselves. The other violator, took an ex-parte order from the court, which we will appeal against." Municipal Commissioner K.K. Yadav, who was leading the drive, could not be contacted for his version.
	Man stabs wife, commits suicide Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 Following an incident of domestic violence, a man committed suicide at the railway track here today after first stabbing his wife and father-in-law, As per the details available, Bhag Mal, who was in his 40s, had some dispute with his wife Paramjeet Kaur. A few days earlier, in connivance with his sisters, he allegedly beat up his wife. Frustrated, Paramjeet submitted a complaint to the SSP Bathinda and left for her paternal home, which is also in the same locality-- Railway quarters-- across the railway lines. The SSP had marked the inquiry to the in-charge canal police post, under whose jurisdiction the area comes. To attend to the inquiry, when Paramjeet Kaur and her father Gurdayal Singh came out of their house today at 10.15 am, Bhag Mal stabbed them. The two fell on the ground while Bhag Mal ran away. NGO volunteers rushed them to the civil hospital. At this stage, the knife was still stuck in Gurdayal's belly. On the basis of the statement of his son Pardeep Kumar, police registered a case under section 307 of the IPC. Later, the Government Railway Police (GRP) found a body lying on the Ferozepur-Bathinda rail track, which was identified as that of Bhag Mal. When contacted, in-charge, canal police post, who is investigating the case, said, "As per the prima facie evidence, Bhag Mal committed suicide on the railway track after stabbing his wife and father-in-law. To ascertain the facts, further investigation is on." The victims were not in a condition to answer any query as their condition was described as critical.
	Computer teachers want regular jobs Anil Jerath Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 Computer Teachers' Union today criticised the alleged step-motherly treatment being meted out to them by the state government. A meeting of the district presidents and general secretaries of the union was held under the presidentship of Ravi Inder Singh today. The union urged the government to regularise the services of all computer teachers. Ravi Inder alleged that the computer teachers had not been paid salaries for the last four months. He rued that whereas the Central government had recently announced a 21 per cent hike in salaries of its employees and on the other hand, computer teachers were getting Rs 6,000 per month. They were deprived of allowances being extended to regular teachers, he regretted. "The computer teachers, whose eligibility criterion is a postgraduate degree are employed on contract and given a measly pay. Crores of rupees are spent on setting up computer laboratories, but teachers are discriminated against," he alleged. The demands of the union included a permanent job, bringing computer teachers under the Department of Education, Punjab, and continuation of services of the daily wagers.
	Rousing reception for Jain saint Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 19 Jainacharya Muni Shri Vinay Kumar Alok arrived in the city to a rousing welcome here today. An 'abhinandan samaroh' was organised by the Jain Samaj to welcome the Muni on his arrival in the city. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Muni exhorted the Jain Samaj to maintain unity and keep the flame of religion burning. He revealed that he had to traverse about 2,500 km on foot to reach the city via various areas of UP, Rajasthan and Haryana. The Jain Muni said that the scientists today are carrying out studies and research into innumerable subjects. They are also publishing reports from time to time, which provide us with an opportunity to understand ecology and environment and also bestow on us an in-depth experience of human problems. In the global society there is a race for economic development, materialistic development and the development of the means of comfort but human development is being lost sight of, he added. Muni Alok said the truth is that any development that ignores human development cannot solve the problem. “Let us not think of human development only on the basis of materialistic development. Human development is, in reality, the development of consciousness. It is the development of that consciousness on the basis of which one can dream of a truly happy life, free from physical and mental diseases,” he added.

VVIP visits impede flood relief work
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Madaarpur (Moga),August 19
The Sutlej still continues to give sleepless nights to the residents of hundreds of villages in the Moga and Ferozepur districts with little progress on plugging the breaches developed on its banks. The water level in the Sutlej that started to decline last evening has once again begun to rise. The current of water from the breaches has also slightly increased on Tuesday afternoon.

A senior official of the irrigation department revealed that 36,955 cusecs of water was released from the Gobind Sagar reservoir in the Sutlej and 19,458 cusecs of water from the Pong reservoir in the Beas this morning. The confluence of both these rivers is at Harike near Makhu in Ferozepur district.

An emergency meeting of the officials of the district administration, irrigation department and the technical experts of the Army was held here today, where it was decided to continue the raising of wall (ring bandh) of sand bags, about 700 metres in length, to connect the main and advance embankments leaving aside the points of breaches. Officiating district magistrate of Moga V.K. Meena confirming the same to TNS said it was impossible to plug the breaches directly against the current of the river as the depth of water on these points was 40 feet.

Meanwhile, the official of the irrigation department revealed that it would take at least 15 days to complete the wall of sand bag but if the water level continues to rise the job could take more time.

Another official of this department rued that the visits of VVIPs were also hindering the progress of work. On Monday and Tuesday there were scheduled visits of CM Parkash Singh Badal and MP Sukhbir Singh Badal here. As a result, hundreds of policemen were deployed for their security. Today, even the IG and the DIG of border range came to ensure the safety of Sukhbir along with the deployment of over 500 cops, which completely paralysed the ongoing work of plugging the breaches for almost the whole day.

Meanwhile, Sukhbir failed to meet the people of his own constituency as hundreds of villagers waited throughout Monday and Tuesday hoping of announcement for some immediate financial relief.