Moga, January 3
The Supreme Court has fixed coming Monday, the next date of hearing, for the final disposal on the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Punjab Government on February 4, 2008 challenging the December 11, 2007 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which ordered for a CBI investigation into the infamous Moga sex scandal.

On February 7, 2008 the apex court had granted an interim stay on the High Court order giving directions that the CBI would continue its probe but could not submit the challan in the competent court till the final disposal of this petition. The state government's counsel Ajay Pal had sought the stay on the High Court order claiming that it would virtually stall the trial proceedings, which were proceeding smoothly and satisfactorily in the district and sessions' court, here.

In the SLP, the state government had urged the apex court to set aside the High Court's order as the trial in it had proceeded much ahead.

One year after the state government approached the apex court; the CBI had almost completed its probe in this scam and recently asked for a permission from the state government to prosecute one IPS and one PPS officer allegedly involved in this scam. The state government had so far not given any reply to the CBI in this regard keeping in view of the SLP pending for final disposal in the apex court.

The state had maintained in the SLP 'We want to make one thing very clear that the special investigation team comprising Ishwar Chander, DIG, L K Yadav, SSP, Moga and Bhupinder Singh, DSP, have done a commendable job in unearthing this scam'.

In such circumstances, the High Court had ordered transfer of this case to the CBI 'without there being any material on record to doubt the investigation of the state police'.

The government had gone to the extent of praising the state agencies that though the sex scandal had a larger dimension with over Rs 5 crore changing hands with the involvement of some businessmen, yet the police had done its job fairly well to bring the guilty to the book.

The High Court had relied on the statements of two persons- Bhushan Garg and Inderjit Singh- while ordering transfer of the case as they alleged that they had been 'implicated' in the case by the police in the second case registered by the police. 

Bathinda, January 3
“Because of indifferent attitude of the Union government, Punjab has been unsuccessful in preventing the industrial houses from leaving the state,” said Surjit Singh Barnala, Governor of Tamil Nadu and former chief minister of Punjab, who was here today to attend the annual function of a private school.

While talking to media persons, he said, “Industry requires concessions and the state offering benefits would only attract entrepreneurs. Since the Union government provided tax-benefit to the neighbouring states of Punjab, it was obvious that industry would not survive here.”

“In the absence of industrial growth, Punjab has confined to be an agriculture-based state. However, the road ahead would not be smooth for farmers if they did not go for diversification. Horticulture and floriculture should be encouraged in the state,” the governor pointed out.

On the issue of oil prices not being slashed in congruence with the international prices, he said, “It is the duty of price commission to keep a watch on the prices and to make balance according to the current index. Moreover, oil being a basic commodity has effect upon the overall economy. The prices should have been slashed with immediate effect.”

“If fuel becomes cheaper, production cost of everything would automatically come down, which may play an important role in keeping inflation under check,” he said.

Replying a query, he said, “It is really unfortunate to see criminal activities getting place in politics. Everyone should take a stand against such an evil and strengthen the democracy.”

When asked about the solution for the long-lasting tension between India and Pakistan, he said, “Except joining hands and reaching an amicable solution, there is hardly any other step to stop such unpleasant situations. The recent terror attacks in Mumbai are a matter of regret.”

The governor hushed up the query whether Barnala family was willing to contest the parliamentary polls saying, “Nobody knows, what will happen in future.”

Earlier, while speaking from stage, Barnala said, “Children in rural areas should have access to quality education. No doubt, our system of education has undergone a rapid change and has developed a lot since independence. However, imparting value-based education combined with good conduct and character is a need of the hour.”

Bathinda, January 3
The issue of tampering with the proceedings details of the fourth general house meeting of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) and circulating it without the approval of Baljeet Singh Bir Behman, Mayor, BMC, does not seem to die down soon. As per sources, the Mayor after being pressurised by other councillors along with senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor has taken the issue very seriously.

A close confident of the Mayor today apprised the TNS that to discuss the issue, the Mayor held a closed-room meeting with three of his lawyer friends at his house on Friday evening. The Mayor did not take advice from the legal advisor of the BMC as he wished to keep all the options secret from the BMC commissioner and other officials of the BMC.

During the meeting, the lawyers suggested him the various aspects of the issue along with the remedies to tackle the situation. It was also discussed that the complaint could be lodged directly with the chief secretary and the chief minister in writing.

It may be mentioned that after going through the report many councillors had alleged that some matters on the agenda of the general house, like a matter related to finance and control committee, which had remained the main topic of controversy, had been shown as passed in the report and ignored the original demand of the house.

They had said that the issue of multi-storied parking, which was cancelled in the meeting, had been mentioned as deferred till the next meeting. Some issues were mentioned under the name of concillors, who were not even present at the meeting.

When contacted, Mayor Baljeet Singh Bir Behman said, “I have been going through the investigations in details. I have kept all the options open and also consulting with intelligentsia before taking any action. One thing is for sure that the erring official will not be spared at any cost.”

Muktsar/Bathinda, January 3
“Sangat Darshan programmes are being carried so that chief minister could build a direct bonding with commoners. Moreover, when the high court has accepted the sanctity of the programmes, it is surprising that Amarinder Singh, former CM, is having a problem with it,” said CM Parkash Singh Badal during his Sangat Darshan of eight villages of Muktsar district today. He distributed cheques worth Rs 10 crore for various developmental projects.

Giving details of a survey, Badal said it was only due to the "wrong" policies of the UPA government that the daily income of 60 per cent population of the country had fallen to Rs 20 while 46 per cent of the total population could not even get proper meals.

He said though Punjab had been contributing 60 per cent of wheat and 40 per cent of rice to the food stock of the country, it had been getting only 1.29 per cent of the collected taxes. He said it should be raised up to 50 per cent so that state government could become independent and capable to curb the poverty and other menaces.

Badal held programmes at Bhagsar, Gandar, Lakhewali, Nandgarh, Sammewali and Chak Madrasa villages.

While interacting with people, he said his' would be the only government in the country, which had been providing atta-dal at Rs 4 and Rs 20 respectively to around 13 lakh people at the cost of Rs 700 crore.

Badal said that the issuance of blue cards to poor would be restarted soon and camps would be arranged for old-age and widow pensions.

Chandigarh, January 3
Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded a CBI inquiry into what he termed as capture of the cable television network business in Punjab by two companies at the behest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal with the support of the state machinery.

The Congress leader, while addressing a press conference here yesterday, said he had talked to Minister for State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma on the issue and the latter had assured that he would look into the allegations being made in this regard.

Khaira, who also released a number of complaints received by the Information and Broadcasting  Ministry about theft and piracy of dish TV signals by Digicable in Amritsar in February this year,  said though the state Chief Secretary had been directed to act in the matter, nothing had been done till now.

Khaira alleged that Digicable and Fastway, who he claimed were being patronised by the SAD president, had terrorised all small cable operators across the state.

The Congress leader claimed even national-level channels were finding the going tough as was seen in the case of Zee Punjabi the frequency of which was changed so that an average viewer could not tune in to it.

Abohar, January 3
The Railway ministry has sparked a controversy by announcing that each railway station will have only one toilet block.

The vice-president of the Railway Passengers Association (North Zone), Hanuman Dass Goyal, in a memorandum faxed to the chairman of the Railway Board on Saturday regretted that the decision would also be applicable to the railway stations having more than one platforms. Does the Board expect elderly passengers to cross the over bridges along with luggage for using essential facilities, he questioned. Goyal said the decision ignores the ground realities. Toilet blocks need to be provided on each platform. If the ministry finds itself handicapped in pursuing the sanitation staff to do their job effectively, Sulabh Shauchalyas could be raised on each platform on contract basis. Such blocks must be equipped with bath rooms so as to facilitate the passengers take bath during long journey. — OC

Abohar, January 3
Physical disabilities have never been a deterrent for Baba Surjit Singh Bedi who had migrated from district Sahiwal of West Punjab along with his family in August 1947 due to creation of Pakistan. His followers had always responded to his call for helping the families, affected by natural calamities.

Last evening, Baba with a former SDM B.L. Sikka transported relief material to the border villages, where the families were hit by the recent floods in the Sutlej River. Parliamentary secretary, Sher Singh Ghubaya, while joining the Baba in distributing clothes, blankets and food packets lauded such noble efforts. — OC

Bathinda, January 3
The Government High School Chak Ram Singh Wala, Bathinda organised two-day educational tour of science and social science from December 30.

Altogether 48 students of classes VIII to X, along with five teachers, visited various places in Amritsar, for having first hand information about social science.

The students of rural background visited Jalianwala Bagh. They were also made acquainted with history of Sikh religion when they visited various Gurudwara of Harike Pattan and the Golden Temple.

The students also witnessed the retreat ceremony at Wagha border. Students said that it was one of the most exciting moments of their life and their hearts filled with full of patriotism while watching the 20-minute ceremony.

The students were also taken to Pushpa Gujral Science City to know various facts of science. The students enjoyed flight stimulator, laser show, 3-D show, Dinosaur Park, Energy park, Dome theatre and other things there.

Headmistress of the school Rajinder Kaur said the tour aimed at boosting the interest of science among government school students.

“The school has been doing such activities to provide better exposure to students who belong to rural areas, she added.

Meanwhile, the six scouts and six guides of the school along with the scout and guide Captain joined the Adventurous tour at Tara Devi in Shimla held between December 29 and January 1.

Bathinda, January 3
The National Fertilizers Limited, Bathinda, distributed scholarships to the students, who stood first in their respective classes, of Government Elementary School, NFL Township, here today.

On the occasion, chief general manager K.S. Gill and his wife distributed items like woollen jerseys, sports material, notebooks, pens and pencils to the students of the school.

The NFL also distributed scholarships and the stationery items to the students of the government schools of nearby villages, including Gill Patti, Bhokhra, Sivian, Kothe Amarpura, Kheta Singh Basti, Kothe Kame Ke and Joga Nand. — TNS

Bathinda, January 3
Hundreds of activists of the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Teachers’ Union hailing from all around Malwa held a protest march through the city markets after staging a dharna at Gol Diggi market here today. Later, they blocked the main gate of the bus stand in protest.

Accusing the state government of being callous towards the fulfillment of promise that it had made to them for arranging diploma in education and then regularising their services, the protesters raised anti-government and anti-Sukhbir slogans.

They warned the administration that if their demands were not met till January 10, they could go to any extent of lodging their protest. They said they may repeat the Kapurthala incident by climbing up the water reservoirs in Bathinda to lodge their protest. “The state government will be responsible in case of mishap,” they warned.

The protesters alleged that they had been working on a meagre salary of Rs 1,000 to gain experience so as to comply with the condition of the education department. Now that they had fulfilled the condition, the department, even after receiving 3,000 applications, was not taking any step for the diploma.

“At present, there are 3,175 teachers in the union, who are all unemployed since the state government after passing a resolution, as an attempt to deceive us, closed all EGS centres on March 31, 2008,” said Pritpal Singh Fazilka, state president of the union.

Lashing out at SAD (B)-chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and education minister Upinderjeet Kaur, they said, “We have met them a number of times. Earlier, they had been giving fake assurances but now, they have even stopped paying heed to us.”

“On the one hand, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of the SAD (B) chief, has launched Nanhi Chhaan, a venture to eradicate female foeticide and create awareness among people to give respect to girls, while on the other girls were being served with lathis as they take stand for their demand,” said Kulwant Kaur, president of the Bathinda unit of the union.

“Today’s protest march and dharna is just to awake the administration from its deep slumber. It was a move to remind them that protesters can sacrifice anything for their rights,” the protesters said through loudspeakers, adding that they would soon gherao district education officer and deputy commissioner.

Chandigarh, January 3
Flaying the government’s attitude towards their cause, a section of ex-servicemen threatened to burn their gallantry awards if the government did not take concrete step to meet their demands by January 26. Col. P.I.S. Phulka (retd.), National President, Ex-Serviceman Wing, (SAD), today said if the government would not pay heed to their demands, hundreds of ex-sevicemen from states, including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, would gather in New Delhi and burn their medals.

He said ex-soldiers were already sitting on hunger strike to press for their demands at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Col. Phulka stated that the pay scales were creating resentment amongst the armed forces of the country.

Addressing a press conference here Col. Phulka said the bureaucracy left no chance to give a negative colour to the thinking of their political bosses in order to downgrade the status of security forces.

He further stated that the demand of “one rank one pension” of the ex-servicemen was outrightly rejected by the defence minister under the ill advice of these bureaucrats.

“As per Madan Lal Khurana Committee’s report, the implementation of this demand involved an expenditure of Rs 650 crore only whereas these bureaucrats twisted the financial implications of this proposal to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore,” he said.

Col. Phulka said the increase of 70 per cent to the personnel below officer rank recommended earlier had been reduced 50 per cent by the Sixth Pay Commission (SPC).

“Almost 90 per cent of the PBORs are part of armed forces, who have been adversely affected by the decision of the SPC,” he said. He added that the terminology used by the group of officers in respect of pay band-4 has confused it in such a manner that the 7th Pay Commission if ever appointed, will not be in a position to rectify the anomalies in the pay scales and the members of the armed forces will have to face litigations to get their claims.

“Even class IV employees in the Central government would be getting better pay scales, pensioner benefits and benefit of holidays and duty hour than the sepoys of the armed forces,” he said.

Col. Phulka expressed apprehensions that some anti-armed forces elements had sneaked in the Ministry of Defence to torpedo the interests of the armed forces and to demoralise them. He referred to an incident where a martyr was compared to a dog by a political leader.

He exhorted the 7 lakh ex-serviceman of the state and family members of the working soldiers that they should rise above petty politics and work together under the banner of Ex-Serviceman Wing to get their genuine demands accepted by the Centre.

Ferozepur, January 3
As a part of the Army day celebrations, the Golden Arrow Division of the Indian Army displayed latest high technology arms, weapons and sophisticated defence equipment at the cantonment here today.

The display highlighted various achievements of the Army in safeguarding the territorial integrity of the nation besides it efforts towards carrying out humanitarian-aid and relief work rendered as aid to civil authorities. The exhibition also provided a glimpse of life in the Army with the aim of motivating the youth to join the prestigious defence forces.

Major General T.S. GILL, GOC, Golden Arrow Division inaugurated the display. On the occasion, large number of civilian dignitaries, residents and school children of Ferozepur and neighbouring areas were present.

The event which showcased the true might of Indian Army was appreciated by all the civilian visitors who also availed of the opportunity to interact with the men in olive green. 

Abohar, January 3
Hundreds joined the Nagar Kirtan taken out here to mark the Guru Gobind Singh's birthday celebrations this afternoon. Women were dusting the entire route as Panj Pyaras led the flower bedecked Palki carrying Granth Sahib from Gurdwara Singh Sabha.

Women and students from different schools formed major part of the procession and recited shabads. Citizens lined up on both sides roads as the procession passed through the Circular road and Gaushala road. Water and sweets were distributed among the participants by some devotees.

District Youth Congress president Sandeep Jakhar while welcoming the procession offered siropas to the Panj Pyaras. He was joined in serving sweets by city Congress president B.L. Nagpal, Beopar Mandal president Brahm Parkash Bhusari, district Congress vice-president Vimal Thathai and councilors. 

Moga, January 3
A member of Canadian Parliament Sukh Dhaliwal has asked the Punjab government to reactivate NRI cell in the state so as to check exploitation of youth of the state by travel agents on the pretext of providing jobs in Canada.

The Canadian MP who was currently on a tour in the state had also urged the youth to get technical education and then try for jobs in Canada through state's NRI cell.

After visiting a few places in the district, he said that there was a great demand of skilled workers in construction sector in Canada. He, however, cautioned the youth not to get exploited by the travel agents promising to provide jobs in foreign countries.

The Canadian MP asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to arrange a meeting between vice-chancellors of various state universities and their counterparts in Canada so that Punjab youth could improve their standard of education.

Regarding fake marriages by the NRIs and exploitation of the Punjabi women, the MP appealed the people of the state to launch a social awareness drive against such practices. 

Bathinda, January 3
The chill prevailing in Bathinda and the adjoining areas for the last three days intensified today as the maximum temperature witnessed a considerable fall.

Although the minimum temperature improved a bit and touched the normal range, it did not prove sufficient to give much respite to the residents from the intense cold.

Moreover, the system for precipitation developing from Friday resulted into slight rainfall today in the evening, in some pockets of the region.

The minimum temperature on Saturday recorded was 4.5 degree Celsius, 2.0 degree higher than on Friday, as per the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda.

The maximum temperature retreated up to 16.0 degree Celsius, three degree lower than yesterday, the weathermen confirmed.

However, the city again woke up to a blind start today as the foggy condition developed from Friday night remained till Saturday afternoon. The condition improved in the noon when the fog started descending. However, the sunshine remained weak throughout the day.

It may be mentioned that the weathermen on Friday had predicted that there might be possibility of rainfall and thundershower in isolated pockets in the region as the system for same was developing.

Fazilka, January 3
An incident of murder of a minor boy after allegedly being sodomised has come to light.

According to FIR lodged with the Sadar police, Jalalabad, by Gurmeet Singh, a resident of village Mahalam, his five-year-old son Lovepreet was allegedly sodomised by Surjit Singh of same village. Surjit was frequent visitor to house of Gurmeet Singh.

On Friday evening, Surjeet came to the house of Gurmeet and took him with him. Gurmeet got worried when his son did not return for quite some time. He along with his family members and friends started searching his son. They also tried to find out Surjeet but he was not traceable.

Today morning, Gurmeet along with him the village Sarpanch Om Parkash searched another locations. They found body of Lovepreet near the resident of Khanda Singh of same village.

Gurmeet alleged that his son was allured by Surjeet who allegedly sodomised and killed him thereafter. The post mortem of deceased was conducted at the local civil hospital today in the evening.

According to post mortem report, the victim died due to throttling and symptom of sodomy were also confirmed. Injury marks of scratch and bites were also found on the face and cheeks of deceased boy.

Jalalabad police have registered a case under section 302/377 IPC against Surjeet Singh. 

Abohar, January 3
The DAV Collegiate Senior Secondary School felicitated Vishesh Batra for returning with gold from the 54th National School Games held at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Principal BB Sharma while honouring Vishesh, in the presence of his father Virender Batra, informed that this brilliant student represented Punjab in the National Games and topped in Feta round 60 meter in individual category. Sharma also complimented Physical Education lecturer, Sarabjit Singh and Coach Dharam Chand. — OC