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TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Woman falls victim to dowry demon
Batala, November 21
Laadi, wife of Tarsem Singh, died an unnatural death in a private hospital at Qadian on Thursday. Kashmir Kaur, mother of the deceased, lodged a complaint with the police that her daughter was married to Tarsem Singh of Kotla Musa village about five years ago and she had given sufficient dowry at the time of marriage.

IFTU rallies for better wages to labourers
Gurdaspur, November 21
Hundreds of activists of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Punjab, today took out a march and held a rally to lodge a protest against the fixation of lesser amount as minimum wages for skilled and non-skilled labourers by the state government.

Patching Up
Centre’s yeoman’s service in uniting families
Nawanshahr, November 21
The Family Counselling Centre, being run under the aegis of the District Red Cross Society, though in a nascent stage, has been doing a yeoman's service in uniting the families here. The centre was set up last year with a view to solving family disputes relating to matrimony or property.

MC rejects move to sell land for funds
Hoshiarpur, November 21
At a meeting of the municipal council, Hoshiarpur, all the municipal councillors, including 12 of the BJP, nine of the SAD, six of the Congress and four Independents have rejected the proposal of the Punjab government for mortgaging the land of municipality to HUDCO for raising loans for development in the town under the Punjab development plan.

Parents lash out at Kahlon
Batala, November 21
Fatehgarh Churian municipal council president Ashok Pandhi, along with the parents of the students of Government Senior Secondary School, while addressing mediapersons here today, criticised the controversial activities of transferred principal Sukhdev Singh Kahlon.

Major power cut tomorrow
Jalandhar, November 21
The city would face a major power cut on Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm. According to the Punjab State Electricity Board officials, power supply to focal point, TV Centre and Patara village would remain inoperative due to urgent maintenance of 66 kv sub-stations.

	Nephew arrested in Raj Rani murder case Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 21 The district police arrested two persons, including a nephew of the deceased in the Raj Rani murder case. The police arrested Dharminder Singh, alias Rinku, and his friend Harvinder Singh, alias Harry, residents of the Sinknderpur area, for clubbing Raj Rani to death, besides leaving her daughter critically injured. SP (city-I) S.K. Kalia said the duo had been arrested on the statement of Bindu, under going treatment at a private hospital. Bindu revealed that her cousin Rinku came to their house in Sant Nagar along with Harry and demanded money. Rinku got furious after her mother refused to give money to him and he indulged in arguments, the police said. The SP said Rinku turned aggressive and hit Raj Rani with a flower vase on her head. He also attacked Bindu on her head with the same vase. Considering the both dead, the friends dragged the body of Raj Rani up to a distance but decamped from the scene as the injured raised the alarm. The Body of Raj Rani was cremated this evening, while health of Bindu was improving. The police has registered a case. Gang of thieves busted Jalandhar: With the arrest of three members, the police on Friday claimed to have busted a gang of auto thieves and recovered a car and four motorcycles from their possession. According to the police, Mehtab Singh, a resident of Old Grain market, Kapurthala, Paramjit Singh of Khojwal and Shinder Singh of Kapurthala, were arrested for stealing the vehicles. A case has been registered at Maqsudan police station.
	Woman falls victim to dowry demon Batala, November 21 Laadi, wife of Tarsem Singh, died an unnatural death in a private hospital at Qadian on Thursday. Kashmir Kaur, mother of the deceased, lodged a complaint with the police that her daughter was married to Tarsem Singh of Kotla Musa village about five years ago and she had given sufficient dowry at the time of marriage. However, her husband Tarsem Singh, mother-in-law Charan Kaur and father-in-law Diwan Singh used to maltreat and harass Laadi and she was turned out of her in-laws’ house. But every time with the intervention of respectable people of the village, the accused brought her home back. Last month also she was turned out but with the intervention of Sarpanch Gurmej Singh the deceased was brought back to her in-laws’ house. Laadi reported to her mother on Wednesday that her in-laws had beaten her up. Kashmir Kaur sent her nephew to know the facts but the mother-in-law of the deceased sent him back stating that she was under the influence of some evil spirits and had been taken to some baba. But on the outskirts of the village, a woman disclosed to him that his sister was beaten up by the accused and was admitted in Noor hospital. The relatives then went to Noor hospital to find Laadi dead there. Kashmir Kaur then made a complaint to the police that the accused used to maltreat and beat up her daughter and also demanded a car in dowry for which they caused the death of Laadi. The police registered a case under sections 304-b and 34, IPC, at Qadian police station and arrested Tarsem Singh, Charan Kaur and Diwan Singh. All the three were remanded in police custody by the JMIC here today. The body of Laadi has been handed over to the relatives after a post-mortem examination. — OC
	IFTU rallies for better wages to labourers Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, November 21 Hundreds of activists of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Punjab, today took out a march and held a rally to lodge a protest against the fixation of lesser amount as minimum wages for skilled and non-skilled labourers by the state government. In a memorandum submitted to the Punjab government through deputy commissioner, Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, the federation demanded that by taking all the factors and norms laid down by UNO and International Labour Organisation (ILO) into consideration, the minimum wages for the skilled labourers must be fixed at Rs 10,500 per month and Rs 5,500 for the non-skilled labourers. Gurmit Singh Bhaktpura, president, IFTU, said the Punjab government had fixed Rs 3,200 as minimum wages for the labourers of the state despite the fact that minimum wages for the labourers were Rs 3,800 in Haryana and Rs 3,775 in Delhi. He added that as per the Minimum Wages Act, the minimum wages of the labourers must be revised every month. And as per that policy, the Punjab government was liable to increase the minimum wages of labourers in 2006. However, the Punjab government caused inordinate delay in increasing the minimum wages and at last it did the same after about three years. But the government had played into the hands of business tycoons, industrialists and other rich people by fixing fewer amounts as minimum wages for the labourers. He pointed out that a large number of labourers had been rendered jobless after a large number of small scale industries in Punjab got closed down due to the wrong policies of the state government.
	Patching Up Centre’s yeoman’s service in uniting families Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, November 21 The Family Counselling Centre, being run under the aegis of the District Red Cross Society, though in a nascent stage, has been doing a yeoman's service in uniting the families here. The centre was set up last year with a view to solving family disputes relating to matrimony or property. The deputy commissioner’s wife Prajakta presides over the counselling sessions every Tuesday and Friday. Among others, social activists, Lally Saini, Kulwant Kaur, Rajinder Kaur Gidda and Birbal Takhi, accompany her during the counselling sessions. During the past one year about 150 cases have been heard by the centre. Most of the cases were related to matrimonial disputes and fraudulent marriages by NRIs. Besides, the centre has been trying to create an awakening among the people to thwart the growing menace of fraudulent marriages by NRIs. The relevant literature is being distributed and tips given to the people regarding how to enquire properly about the NRIs before finalising the marriage alliances. In some cases, the guidance from the embassies concerned has been sought to help the aggrieved parties, Lally said. Prajakta has chalked out a programme to make the women aware of their rights.
	MC rejects move to sell land for funds Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 21 At a meeting of the municipal council, Hoshiarpur, all the municipal councillors, including 12 of the BJP, nine of the SAD, six of the Congress and four Independents have rejected the proposal of the Punjab government for mortgaging the land of municipality to HUDCO for raising loans for development in the town under the Punjab development plan. The deputy director, local government, Jalandhar, had in its letter asked the municipal council, Hoshiarpur, to take a loan from HUDCO by mortgaging its vacant lands for providing basic civic amenities such as sewerage, water supply and sanitation in the town. The council had identified many areas the cost of which was estimated at Rs 2,547.20 lakh. According to MC Kharaiti Lal Katna, it was proposed to raise a loan of Rs 92 crore at 13.75 per cent rate of interest for overall development of the town. According to reliable sources, the government has written to all the municipal councils for raising loans from HUDCO, PUDA and the Punjab infrastructure development board by mortgaging their abandoned lands to make the development in their respective areas and towns before the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
	Parents lash out at Kahlon Batala, November 21 Fatehgarh Churian municipal council president Ashok Pandhi, along with the parents of the students of Government Senior Secondary School, while addressing mediapersons here today, criticised the controversial activities of transferred principal Sukhdev Singh Kahlon. Kahlon was recently transferred to Ludhiana, a move against which some teachers and students of the school have been staging protests allegedly at the instance of certain Congress leaders. Pandhi stated that many teachers have alleged that the transferred principal had misappropriated the PTA and DRP funds and was instrumental in providing illegal possession of certain shops in the stadium of the school. The leaders demanded a thorough probe and strict action against Kahlon who served in the school for 14 years. — OC