Jalandhar, August 25
The Punjab Urban Development and Planning Authority (PUDA) has finally started dealing strictly with illegal colonisers. It has got as many as 230 FIRs lodged against such persons in the last few months in Jalandhar. There are several other cases being registered in six other districts of Doaba and Majha regions.

While a lenient attitude by the civic body officials had led to mushrooming of illegal colonies, the recent action is forcing the unapproved colonisers to wind up their operations, at least for the time being.

Additional chief administrator PUDA, A.K. Sikka, said most of the cases had been registered directly through the court as he felt that the policemen often indulged in a lot of hanky-panky and delayed registering of FIRs.

Taking advantage of the dilly-dallying tactics of the police, the miscreants often managed to get sufficient time to dupe the poor residents by selling off the properties to them illegally. “While the colonisers themselves disappeared, poor people had to bear the brunt as the municipal corporation and electricity board would later not give connections for water and power supply or provide roads in an unapproved area for years,” the ACA said.

“But we have found a way out. As soon as we get the case registered, we put up our signboard at the site cautioning people against buying the property there. This is really helping us sound an alarm against those trying to earn quick bucks without paying the requisite change of land use fee, development charges and license fee to us while also safeguarding the common man against making any investment in such a property,” he added.

The PUDA is also planning to issue notices to all its approved colonisers to pay up pending extension development charges (EDC) and license fee dues. The PUDA officials disclosed that colonisers would have to pay up as per the enhanced rates, bringing an income of Rs 50 to 55 crores to the state body on the recovery of all the collections.

Batala, August 25
The police arrested two brothers here on Sunday for duping four youths of Rs 46.35 lakh on the pretext of sending them to the USA.

The duo has been identified as Jagroop Singh and Rajinder Singh, residents of Himmat Pura village in Moga district.

Giving details, SSP Naresh Arora said the police received complaints about the duo from four persons - Kuldip Singh, Daljit Singh, Harinder Singh and Manjinder Singh - who said they were cheated by the brothers.

He said in May last year, Jagroop came to Kastiwali village and told complainant Kuldip Singh that his brother Rajinder used to send people to European countries on reasonable prices.

Kuldip gave Rs 8 lakh as advance to Jagroop on May 10, 2007, and assured that Rs 6 lakh would be given at the time of visa and Rs 12 lakh when he would reach the USA.

Similarly, Daljit Singh gave Rs 9.35 lakh, whereas Manjinder Singh and Harinder Singh gave Rs 23 lakh to the accused for sending them to the USA.

The complainants said when they reached Delhi they were sent to Malaysia and Kuldip was told that if he deposits Rs 6 lakh in the accused account at Delhi, only then he would be sent to the USA. However they neither send the complainants to the USA nor returned their money.

A case has been registered.

Jalandhar, August 25
To curb the cyber crime in India, top engineering institutes like IITs and RECs should introduce ethical hacking as a mandatory subject. It would not only help students to become cyber professionals but even assist in keeping a check on misuse of internet.

This was suggested by 23-year-old Ankit Fadia who had been working as an independent security and digital intelligence consultant. The renowned ethical hacker was here at the Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) today to address students on ethical hacking.

Talking to The Tribune, Fadia said at present only the Indian Navy and the police departments of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerela were accustomed with cyber crime. “With the recent spurt in cyber cases, there is a need to introduce cyber cells with latest technology in all the police departments,” he added.

The cyber anti-terrorism expert said he was consulted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a classified agency, for breaking an encrypted message sent by one of Osama-bin-Laden’s men. Besides, he recently assisted the Navi Mumbai police in the Gujarat blasts and helped in tracing the email that was sent from a wi-fi system of a Mumbai-based couple. He said it took around 15 days for him to ascertain the exact address of the hacker.

The computer wizard, who is trying to create awareness about hacking through his books, said, “My book ‘People Hacking’ provides basic details of computer security for the beginners, including hacking windows, networking hacking and e-mail hacking.”

He said the book was scheduled to be released in September and added that other books to his credit included “Unofficial guide to ethical hacking,” “Network security” and “The ethical guide to corporate security”.

Disclosing about his present ventures, Fadia said he had been providing cyber security training across the globe, including countries in North America, Asia, Australia and Middle East. In addition, his clientele also included Google, Citibank, Wipro, Infosys, Bank of Thailand and Cisco Systems.

Jalandhar, August 25
The government has failed to announce any relief measures for the poor and those who earn their living as daily wagers.

This was stated by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA, and president, DCC, at a function held at Nadali village to distribute relief to the victims of the recent floods. Speaking on the occasion, he said heavy rains had caused damage to crops, life and property in Punjab.

Bholath constituency, which falls along the Beas, suffered heavy losses due to the floods. It is also pertinent to mention here that the Kali Bein also flows through this area.

He said he had extensively toured the flood affected villages of his constituency and has taken an initiative to help the poor and the underprivileged, particularly the Dalit families of the area.

At today's function, he distributed ration and other daily need items besides blankets to over 200 poor families whose homes were inundated and destroyed by the over flow of the Bein.

Since Nadali, Bhaagwanpur, Karnailganj etc. were the worst affected areas, it was decided that the function would be organised without waiting for government help, he pointed out.

He said the working of the government could be gauged from the fact that even after almost a month, the government has failed to provide any relief to the flood affected, particularly the Dalits of the villages, who eke out their earning as daily wagers.

Khaira said the Dhusi bundh or the left bank of Beas was weak due to which destruction is caused to thousands of acres of crops every year.

“I had written a letter to the Prime Minister to construct a road under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) on the Dhusi bundhs of Beas for which I got a favourable response and an assurance from the PMO,” said Khaira.

An estimate of Rs 19.20 crores had been prepared by the government under the PMGSY scheme to construct a 48 km road from Kishan Singh Wala to Tahli near the Sri Hargobindpur Bridge, which would act as a very strong flood control measure, apart from connecting the entire Mand area to the GT road of Amritsar - Delhi and Jalandhar - Jammu.

He added that although the floods had destroyed Punjab in the years 1988 and 1995, the government took no preventive measures to tackle the menace of floods.

He has also demanded a special girdawari and compensation of Rs 25,000 per acres for the destruction of paddy crop and Rs 50,000 as grant to those whose houses had been destroyed.

He has also sought an ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Jagir Singh of Karnailganj village who lost his life in the flood.

The legislator has urged the CM to convene an emergency meeting of the Bet Area Advisory Council to discuss the issue of floods and relief to be given. Sarpanches and prominent people of the area attended the function.

Jalandhar, August 25
The district education authorities today took strict action against 16 teachers for allowing the use of unfair means in the reappear examination of classes X and XII of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) and suspended them on the spot. The authorities cancelled the examination of both classes and ordered disciplinary action against those involved. A flying squad , led by district education officer (secondary) Harinder Sahni, today raided Government Girls High School, Shahkot, and caught the teachers allowing students to use unfair means.

As many as 391 students of class X were appearing for the supplementary examination of maths while 21 students from the National Open School were appearing for class XII English exam. Sahni said, “When our team reached the school premises, the teachers were busy talking over mobile phones, passing slips and reading out answers from books to the students. The entire area outside the examination hall had simply turned into an open dumping ground for books, slips and notes. Those helping the students included their parents as well.” He said all this was happening in the presence of police personnel. Sahni said when he reached the spot one of the teachers Hansraj was busy talking over phone to a parent and helping the student in cheating. “I snatched the mobile phone from Hansraj and found that the parent was talking about an amount of Rs 1,200 and liquor he gave him to assist his child during the exam.”

The action has been taken against controller of examination Santosh Kumari, superintendent Kuljit Singh (Government Senior Secondary School, Bajwa Kalan), deputy superintendent, Prithipal Singh (Government Senior Secondary School, Bajwa Kalan), deputy superintendent, Palwinder Singh (Government High School, Roopewal), deputy superintendent, Paramjit Singh (Government Senior Secondary School, Baupur), supervisors Balwinder Kaur, (Kotla Surajmal), Vijay Kumar (Shahkot), Gurpal Singh (Mulewal Khera), Dalbir Kaur (Kotli Gajra), Hansraj (Lassuri), Surinder Kumar (Bajwa Kalan), Amar Singh (Bajwa Kalan), Daljeet Singh (Bhayupur), Neelam (Bajwa Kalam), Azad Singh (Mulewal Khera), Rajinder Kaur (Rount) and Lakhbir Singh (Shahkot).

When contacted, director-general, school education (DGSE), Krishan Kumar said, “The teachers have been suspended and now strict disciplinary action would be taken against them.”

Jalandhar, August 25
Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amrinder Singh would be given a warm welcome by the Jalandhar unit of the Congress party at PAP Chowk on Tuesday morning. The newly-elected chairman of the election campaign committee will be taking a brief halt in the city on way to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Former chairman of Jalandhar Improvement Trust Tejinder Singh Bittu along woth his supporters and Congress workers would receive Amarinder. Bittu said a cavalcade of vehicles, including 150 cars and 27 buses, would follow their leader to the holy city where the latter would pay obeisance.