Jalandhar, September 1
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), launched by the UPA government for providing at least 100 days of employment to unskilled persons, has virtually proven to be a tool to deceive the innocent public in Punjab.

A typical example of apathy on the part of the district administration in implementing the act for the welfare of the youth came to light when the Jalandhar administration failed to provide appointment letters to 17 youths even after over six moths of their service as gram rozgar sewaks.

Narrating their woes, the affected youths said the administration had appointed 43 persons as gram rozgar sewaks to supervise the work being carried out in different blocks under the scheme on February 25, 2009. The appointees were promised a monthly salary of Rs 3,000 each.

A couple of months after their appointment, the administration showed the door to 26 persons without paying the salaries. Satpal Singh, an affected person, said the administration claimed that they did not fulfil the eligibility criterion fixed by NREGA.

“If we did not fulfil the eligibility criterion, the administration should not have deployed us on the job for months together,”

Satpal rued.

Talwinder Singh from Adampur claimed that the administration did not pay salary to them since their appointment over six months ago. “Even the gram rozgar sewaks have not been given appointment letters by the district administration till date,” claimed Ranjit Singh of Lohian village.

When contacted, Jalandhar additional deputy commissioner (development) Kulbir Singh said the gram rozgar sewaks were appointed on a trial basis for 15 days. He claimed that certain persons were expelled for not falling in the norms set up under the act.

He, however, claimed that a case had been put up before the deputy commissioner for the salary and the appointment letters to the eligible persons. The matter would be solved shortly, he claimed.

Nawanshahr, September 1
With an eye on the coming Lok Sabha poll, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has launched a countrywide “Janhit Chetna Andolan” from today. During this month-long programme, rallies would be organised at all district headquarters to oppose the alleged anti-people policies of the UPA government.

As part of the andolan, a rally was organised here today. Narinder Kashayap, national general secretary of the BSP, while addressing the rally said the BSP would raise the issue of rising prices, unemployment, poverty, etc, during the movement as these were the issues which had been hitting the common man hard. But, the Congress-led UPA government had failed miserably to address these issues as it had been running with the help of the capitalists, allege d Kashayap.

“Scared with the rise in popularity graph of the BSP supremo and Uttar Pardesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, among the masses, the UPA government has been trying to implicate her in false cases,” alleged Kashayap, adding that even conspiracies for her physical elimination were being hatched. Undeterred by the political as well as immoral conspiracies with a view to build pressure on her, Mayawati had dared her political rivals by launching the Janhit Chetna Andolan, said Kashayap.

Avtar Singh Karimpuri, state BSP president, Paramjit Gosal, general secretary, Hargopal Singh, a former MLA, Kewal Krishan Chauhan and coordinator of Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency were among others who addressed the gathering.

Jalandhar, September 1
Dal Khalsa will stage dharna outside Punjab assembly on September 10 to press for their demands of scrapping of Section V of Punjab Termination of Water Agreements (PTA) Act, 2004. The group is also against the SAD-BJP government’s proposal of handing over of Panjab University to union government.

This was revealed by Dal Khalsa president Harcharanjeet Singh Dhami and its spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh after the release of book `Dal Khalsa: 30 years of struggle’. The convener of Khalsa Action Committee Bhai Mohkam Singh handed over the first copy of the book to Bibi Sarabjit Kaur, daughter of Gurmej Singh, who was killed during Operation Bluestar in 1984.

The duo also condemned the move of handing over of PU to Centre. “We will write a letter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, asking him to withdraw the proposal sent to the union government,” they added.

Batala, September 1
N.P.S. Aulakh, director-general of police (DGP), Punjab, visited the city today, where he was accorded a warm welcome by the SSP, Dr Naresh Kumar Arora, and other officers.

The DGP inspected a guard of honour and held a meeting with officers and discussed the working of the police department and problems being faced by police officials in the field. He also visited Civil Lines police station and gave directions to improve the police working.

Aulakh interacted with officers, SPOs, PHGs and class-IV employees in an open darbar and redressed their grievances.

The IG, border zone, R.P. Meena, and DIG, border, P.S. Sidhu, accompanied the DGP. — OC

Amritsar, September 1
A resident of Hathi Gate area Rani was allegedly poisoned to death by her husband here on Monday. According to a complaint lodged by Devender Sharma, brother of the deceased, Rani’s husband Ashwani Kumar was jobless and hooked on drugs. He used to repeatedly beat Rani and her daughters.

Devender said they received a call from his sister in the morning that she has been poisoned by her husband.

“When we reached at her house, we found her unconscious. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where doctors declared her as brought dead,” further said the complainant. A case has been registered. 

Jalandhar, September 1
Vanamahotsva was organised by the Gujral Nagar Welfare Society here on Sunday. Municipal corporation commissioner Viney Bublani was the chief guest. “Plant a tree and adopt a tree” was the motto of the function held in Gujral Nagar Park.

Society secretary Dr Ravinder Verma apprised the chief guest of the problems faced by the residents of Gujral Nagar. Bublani assured him to look into the problems.

Bublani planted a sapling and appealed to all the residents to plant the maximum number of plants and trees in their vicinity to have a clean pollution-free envoirnment. 

Hoshiarpur, September 1
District and sessions judge of Hoshiarpur S.K. Goyal has convicted Varinder Kumar, alias Binda, of Ward 10, Tanda, under sections 376 and 511 of the IPC.

Goyal sentenced him to seven-year rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 5,000. If the event of non-payment of fine, he would further undergo three months’ imprisonment.

According to the prosecution, the mother of a three-year-old girl lodged an FIR with Tanda police station stating that on July 30, 2006, her neighbour Varinder Kumar enticed her daughter by offering her toffees.

He took the girl with him, raped her and left the house after an hour. — OC