The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Shrine Land Row Thousands court arrest in Doaba Tribune Reporters & Agencies Jalandhar, August 21 Hundreds of Hindus under the banner of the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti today took out a procession in the city and were arrested while they were protesting against the Union government to demand immediate transfer of cancelled land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. According to a planned programme, protesters gathered at Company Bagh Chowk and took out a procession up to the district administrative complex where they offered arrest and were immediately taken in custody and taken away in eight buses. While addressing the protesters, district BJP chief Ravi Mahindru said the Union government should not under-estimate the strength of Hindus and instead of bowing to the political parties, which were known as sympathisers of the neighbouring country, the Hindus should immediately be given back their right in the form of transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. The government just wanted to test the patience of Hindus, but the continued agitation in Jammu had already shown them what they wanted and if justice was not done at the earliest, the situation would be worse and the Union government, which had just adopted a “wait-and-watch policy” over the issue, would be responsible for the consequences. When contacted, superintendent of police (SP) S.K. Kalia confirmed that over 750 persons were arrested by the police and were taken to local Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, where they were released. Prominent among those who were arrested were MLAs K.D. Bhandari and Bhagat Chunni Lal, Punjab samiti president Mahant Ganga Das and district BJP Yuva Morcha president K.L. Sharma. Members of the BJP legal cell participated in the “jail-bharo movement launched by the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti. They demanded immediate transfer of 100 acres of land in Baltal to the shrine board. They criticised the Union government for not taking the issue seriously in spite of the fact that Hindus throughout the country were protesting against the decision of the J&K government. Legal cell members, led by R.K. Bhalla, courted arrest outside the office of the deputy commissioner. KAPURTHALA: Hundreds of activists of the Amarnath Sanghrash Samiti, led by its district in charge Chander Sharma, courted arrest in favour of their demand of restoration of the land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. The activists, including workers of the BJP, the BJYM, the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, gathered at Kachehari Chowk in large numbers. They raised slogans against the decision of the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led previous Congress government of revocation of land handed over to the Amarnath Shrine Board. Subsequently, they courted arrest and were taken to Police Lines. They were released in the evening. BJP district president Sham Sunder Aggarwal, BJYM district president Avtar Singh Mand, BJP state executive member Hira Lal Dhir, its district general secretary Umesh Sharda and its block president Yash Mahajan were among those who courted arrest. Hoshiarpur: Thousands of Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti activists along with BJP MP from Hoshiarpur, Avinash Rai Khanna, MLA (Dasuya) Amarjit Singh Sahi, VHP district president Om Parkash Shastri and many other leaders courted arrest today as part of the 'jail bharo' agitation, demanding transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. Over 2,000 activists, led by Avinash Rai Khanna, staged demonstration outside the mini-secretariat and raised slogans against the UPA and Jammu and Kashmir (J& K) governments for their ‘appeasement policy’ towards Muslims. Addressing the activists, the speakers said the Amarnath issue was no more limited to J&K. They also demanded restoration of Amarnath Yatra to the board and recall of J&K Governor NN Vohra. The leaders alleged that Hindus were being unfairly treated in J&K. “The UPA and J&K governments should treat all the countrymen equally otherwise the chaotic situation in the country will worsen,” added the leaders. Later, the protesters removed the barricades and entered the premises of mini-secretariat. When they forcibly tried to enter the main gate, the police stopped them and in the ensuing melee some damage was caused to the windows panes and doors. The Sangarsh Samiti activists and others who had courted arrest were taken to Sardar police station and released after some time.
	Private practice by govt doctors opposed Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 21 Senior doctors of the Punjab Civil Medical Service Association (PCMS) have opposed the suggestion to allow private practice to government doctors in any form, saying this will affect the healthcare available in government hospitals. The association categorically told health secretary, T.R.Sarangal, at a meeting recently that no doctor would be liable to come to attend any emergency case in hospital after duty hours if he did private practice, as he would be busy attending his own private patients to compensate for the loss of non-practising allowance (NPA). Instead, the organisation wanted the present system of the NPA to continue on the pattern of the Union government and the Armed Forces. Association state general secretary D.C.Sharma said they had asked the secretary, health, to restore the NPA of 40 senior PCMS doctors of the ranks of deputy director, joint director and director health services, that had been arbitrarily withdrawn with effect from 2003 while framing new service rules of the integrated PCMS-I cadre. Sharma said before 2006, all PCMS doctors, numbering about 4,000, were getting NPA, but it was then suddenly withdrawn in case of 40 PCMS officers of the ranks of deputy directors/civil surgeons/joint directors and directors of health on the plea that it had been omitted in the revised PCMS-I service rules of 2003. The association leader said this omission had caused a loss of salary to the tune of Rs 12,000 per month, besides loss of retirement benefits. He said because of this senior medical officers had refused to accept the promotions to the ranks of civil surgeon/deputy director. Sharma claimed that the government had been giving a step-motherly treatment to its government doctors for several years. The government granted dearness pay and resultant benefits to all its employees, except doctors, on the pattern of the Union government with effect from April 2004. He said this was causing a loss of salary of up to Rs 5,000 per month to 4,000 PCMS doctors.
	Criminal cases filed against 5 women quashed Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 21 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed criminal cases filed by a presiding officer against five women of Kot Khurd village during panchayat elections held on May 26. The court has passed quashing orders after petitioners and respondents personally appeared in the court and submitted a document of compromise. The complainant, Surjit Singh, resident of Rajowal village in Hoshiarpur, who was appointed presiding officer (PO) for the panchayat elections in the village, had lodged a complaint against the five women, including a contestant, Neelam. Accompanying Neelam, the other women - Vidya, Paramjit Kaur, Manjit Kaur and Bhollan - had allegedly indulged in arguments with the PO. On the complaint of the PO, the women were arrested by the police and cases under sections 353 and 186 of the IPC and 131 and 132 of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, were registered against them at Sadar police station. Both parties later entered into a compromise on June 24. The PO later submitted an application to the SHO, Sadar police station, seeking withdrawal of his complaint against the women. The parties had to approach the high court after the police turned down their repeated requests for cancellation of the case.
	Speaker-Finance Dept Row Kahlon for written explanation Chandigarh, August 21 The confrontation between the speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and the Punjab finance department does not seem to be over as speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon refused to accept oral explanation from the department on the delay in approving his trip for a speakers’ conference in Malaysia from August 1 to 10. Principal secretary, finance, Dilsher Singh Kalha, appeared before the speaker following a privilege notice to him, but Kahlon, after making Kalha wait for over half an hour, asked him to submit a reply in writing by August 26. The speaker in July had asked the Finance Department to release money for his trip to Malaysia for attending speakers’ conference from August 1. But the department raised certain objections delaying the file. When the file was cleared, it was late for Kahlon to attend the conference. He in turn issued a privilege notice to Kalha. Finance minister Manpreet Badal has already stated that the file was delayed in his office due to some technical reason. But Kahlon wants to know the reasons. Meanwhile, there is resentment among officials over the way Kalha was summoned and “humiliated”. Officers say the matter of delay in clearing the file was an administrative matter and had no reason to issue a privilege notice to the officer concerned. The matter, they say, should have ended after the finance minister had stated that the delay had taken place in his office “due to technical reasons”. — TNS
	Mystery shrouds undertrial’s death Jalandhar, August 21 An undertrial prisoner lodged in central jail here today died under mysterious circumstances while he was being shifted to the local civil hospital after sudden deterioration in his health condition. The deceased, Karan Singh, resident of Mansia village in Ferozepore district, was booked in an attempt-to-murder case by the Shahkot police two months back and was lodged in Jalandhar central jail, police sources said. Health condition of Karan Singh suddenly started deteriorating in the afternoon and some white substance was coming out of his mouth, sources said, adding that he was immediately referred to the local civil hospital where he was declared brought dead by medical experts. However, the police did not rule out any foul play and said that investigation was on to know the exact cause of the death which would only be known after getting the report of the post-mortem examination of the body. Relatives of the deceased were informed about the death of Karan and after conducting a post-mortem examination, the body would be handed over to them, the police added. — PTI
	PMU threatens agitation Lathicharge on farm labourers flayed Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 21 The Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU), Punjab, today criticised the lathi charge on the protesting farm labourers near the village of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Expressing solidarity with the victims, union president Tarsem Peter and general secretary Avtar Singh Rasulpur said the SAD-BJP government had failed to fulfil the promises made to the mazdoors during the assembly elections. The labour class was still reeling under loans taken from money-lenders, they said, adding that the voice of the labourers could not be suppressed. If the demands of the mazdoors were not met they would be forced to take to streets, they said. The mazdoor leaders demanded strict action against those responsible for the lathi charge, allotment of plots to mazdoors, supply of cheap atta-daal to the labourers and waiving of loans and electricity bills of the farm labourers.
	Lt-Gen VS Tonk takes over Vajra reins Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 21 Lt-Gen V.S. Tonk took over as the next General Officer Commanding of Vajra Corps here today. An alumnus of Sainik School, Kunjpura, and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned on November 14, 1971, in the Rajput Regiment. Later in the day a wreath-laying ceremony, exchange of baton and other farewell programmes were organised. GOC Tonk has commanded his battalion, an infantry brigade and a mountain division. Earlier yesterday, former GOC of Vajra Corps Lt-Gen S.S. Kumar paid homage to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the Punjab State War Memorial. He is joining as Quarter Master-General (QMG) at the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), New Delhi.
	33 sacks of poppy husk seized, 4 held Phagwara, August 21 The police arrested four smugglers and seized 33 sacks of poppy husk from them. In a press note issued here today, DSP H.P.S. Khakh stated that the four smugglers were identified as Dilbagh Singh, Varinderpal Singh, Gurdev Singh, all of a Jalandhar village, and Preetam Singh of Chapaar village in Ludhiana district. Khakh said SHO (city) Amrik Singh Chahal and SHO (Satnampur) Yogesh Kumar nabbed them at a special checkpoint near Ekta Palace on the Nakodar road when the four came there in two vehicles. A case under sections 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act and sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC has been registered against them. — TNS