The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

State-level fruit exhibition ends
Progressive farmers’ hard work bears fruits
Abohar, January 15
A family of progressive farmers in village Tootwala here has won six of the eight first prizes for growing kinnow besides the prestigious award for best fruit at the state-level exhibition that concluded here today.

Winter of discontent in Bathinda
Dharnas, protests show no signs of ebbing in an election year
Bathinda, January 15
EGS teachers who have been sitting on dharna for almost a week today condemned the alleged "high-handedness" of cops who had reportedly kicked women teachers in Sukhbir Badal's presence yesterday.

Dera chief visits native village amid security
Sriganganagar/Abohar, January 15
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh finally reached his native village Gurusar Modia amid tight security. Only sporadic protests by some individuals was witnessed as his cavalcade arrived after performing satsang at Kolayat near Bikaner for the last two days.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief at his native village Gurusar Modia on Thursday. Photo: Raj Sadosh

Row in Cantonment Board
Former CEO denies allegations
Ferozepur, January 15
The former Chief Executive officer A. Sekhar Babu of the local Cantonment Board in a reply filed to the Principal Director, Defence Estates, Western Command has denied the allegations of irregularities committed in his office during the past three years. He was transferred from here a couple of months back.

Jassi Jaisa Koi Nahin: Sena
Bathinda, January 15
"Our MLA Harminder Singh Jassi has gone missing,” exclaimed Sunita Rani as she read the poster while passing by St. Joseph Convent school this morning. The centre of attention was the poster of Bathinda MLA Harminder Singh Jassi with an appeal to find the 'missing' Jassi.
The poster on Bathinda MLA. Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera

28 students injured in road mishap
Hanumangarh/Abohar, January 15
Twenty-eight students along with the driver of a mini-bus of a private school sustained injuries when the vehicle overturned after hitting a roadside tree in between village Silwala and Maseet Wala canal head today.

New building for Army school
Bathinda, January 15
Lt Gen D.S. Chuahan, GOC, Chetak Corps, inaugurated the new building of the Army Public School today. Rama Katoch, vice-president, Chetak AWWA, lighted the lamp and Lt. Gen. Chauhan unfurled the AWES flag. Principal Rupinder Kaur said, "This day would be historical for us.”

Foreign national held
Ferozepur, January 15
The Border Security Force (BSF) sleuths have apprehended a foreign national who had intruded inside Indian territory here this morning. According to sources, the foreign national was apprehended from an area close to Indo- Pakistan joint check post, Hussainiwala, belonging to the 07 battalion.

Army ready to Pak a punch
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15
A highly decorated Major General J.S. Herr (retd), whose three generations have served the Indian army, does not want the fourth generation of his clan to follow suit because of the poor working conditions.

Herr, during interaction with the TNS at the Army Day celebration here today, said that the armed forces were not being given their due as a result of which the youth were not attracted towards the army.

He said that the troops that guard the frontiers of the country in strenuous conditions were poorly paid as compared to the bureaucracy. This was for the first time that the three service chiefs had to meet the Prime Minister for parity in pay-scales with bureaucrats.

Meanwhile, Lt General D.S.Chauhan, commander of the Chetak Corps, said that the troops were in complete readiness to meet any eventuality on the borders with Pakistan. Lt.Gen.Chauhan said that "we are ready to meet any situation". He interacted with retired army officers and listened to various suggestions put forth by them.

He greeted the veteran officers residing here and hosted a lunch for them. About 60 retired officers and their families narrated their exploits while in service and remembered the sacrifices and valour of their comrade-in-arms.

It is worth mentioning that Field Marshal K.M.Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces on January 15,1948.

At 63, Army veteran still goes para-jumping
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15
Age has not dampened the spirit of retired colonel B.J.S.Gill who still volunteers himself for para-jumping from an aircraft flying 4200 feet above.

At the age of 63, Gill has thrice participated in para-jumping events of the army and was firm to again take the risk of doing so.

He joined the army in 1964 and became a paratrooper in 1973. He actively participated in Indo-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971 in the Shakargarh and Basantar sectors respectively.

He did numerous para-jumps while in service. He participated in para-jumping in the recently celebrated 66th Raising Day of the 622 Coy. ASC at Malpura near Agra on December 26.

Gill says that he was an active para-trooper even after he retired from the army in 1987.

Army officers have appreciated the courage exhibited by the veteran. "He belongs to the rare breed of veterans having such courage and love towards adventure, which is a matter of great motivation to the younger generation", remarked a senior officer.

Gill suffered serious injuries twice during para-jumping, but this has failed to dampen his spirit.

He comes from village Panniwala Mohrika in Sirsa, but has now settled down here.

State-level fruit exhibition ends
Progressive farmers’ hard work bears fruits
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, January 15
A family of progressive farmers in village Tootwala here has won six of the eight first prizes for growing kinnow besides the prestigious award for best fruit at the state-level exhibition that concluded here today.

CM Parkash Singh Badal's wife is also among the winners. She, however, did not turn up to receive the prize from the agriculture minister Sucha Singh Langah.

Rajat Setia (son of Ashwani Setia popularly known as fruit man) clinched the Best Fruit (kinnow) award out of 4,527 entries examined by a team of experts from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). He also got first prize in general category. Other first prize winners in different categories included his mother Beenu, grand mother Kanta Setia, brother Sharad, cousin sister Nupur (daughter of Arvind Setia) and cousin Geet. Surinder Kaur Badal and Jasveer Singh Mamujoyia village in Muktsar district were the other first prize recipients. The agriculture minister tasted the best fruit while taking a round of the exhibition and complimented the Setia family for such fine achievement.

First prize winners in other citrus fruits are: Gurlal Singh Danewala and Divjot Singh Kallarkhera (Jafa), Monu Bhadu Waryamkhera (Blood red), Vinita Periwal Khippanwali (Mausami), Sushil Periwal Khippanwali and Fateh Singh Badal (Walachia late), Gurcharan Singh Patiala (Foster), Suman Setia Gumjal (Mars Seedless), Vikramjit Singh Poohla (Duncan), Tejwinder Singh Kallarkhera (Red blush), Malkiat Singh Kapurthala and Vijay Singh Dhinganwali (lemon), Ganesh Dass Jalalpur (Pomilo), Naresh Kumar Hoshiarpur (galgal), Arun Jot Abulkhurana (narangi), Tegpal Katehra (sonu mitra) and Harjinder Singh Daulatpura (orange).

Toppers in fruit-based products are: Dolly Setia Tootwala, Paramjit Kaur Ludhiana, Sartaj Singh Patiala, Mannat Chahal Ludhiana, Guddu Abohar, Rhythm Chaudhary Hoshiarpur and Amarpreet Singh Ludhiana.

Winter of discontent in Bathinda
Dharnas, protests show no signs of ebbing in an election year
Anjali Singh Deswal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15
EGS teachers who have been sitting on dharna for almost a week today condemned the alleged "high-handedness" of cops who had reportedly kicked women teachers in Sukhbir Badal's presence yesterday.

At a press conference held at the Teachers' Home today, the EGS Teachers' Union said they would take up the matter with the human rights commission, chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and the President of India soon.

The union said they would not allow the Badal family to campaign in the state for the forthcoming elections. "We have started our public awareness campaign,” said Prithpal Singh Fazilka of the union.

Many groups like the Azad, BKU (Ugrahan), Technical Service Union, Khet Mazdoor Union, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha Punjab, etc have supported the EGS teachers.

Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, January 15
Hundreds of farmers owing allegiance to the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) held a dharna and rally outside the mini-secretariat here today and decided to take upon themselves the onerous task of forcing the Union government to reduce the prices of petroleum products in consonance with prices prevailing worldwide. Farmer leaders, including Shingara Singh and Sukhdev Singh, held that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal had done nothing except for making statements in the media to get petroleum prices reduced on a par with prevailing international prices. "We will intensify our agitation,” said Shingara Singh.

Bathinda, January 15
A group of youths, who even after a two-month training at Jahan Khelan Police Training Centre, Hoshiarpur, have found themselves unemplyed, lodged a protest outside the mini-secretariat, here today. The agitators told the media that they attempted to meet the DGP Punjab, NPS Aulakh, who refused to meet them. Paranjeet Singh, president of the union said, "The government has been saying that we have been getting a salary of Rs 9,000, which is merely an attempt to deceive people." Meanwhile, on a call given by the Unemployed Veterinary Pharmacists Union, union members held a protest rally in front of mini-secretariat here today. The rally was led by its president Ravinder Pheruman. — TNS

Teachers to go on mass CL

Bathinda, January 15
As per directives of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers' Union, private college teachers of Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur would be on mass CL on January 19 and stage dharna in front of DPI (Colleges). N.K. Gosain, president, PCCTU, condemned manhandling of EGS teachers. — TNS

Dera chief visits native village amid security
Raj Sadosh

Sriganganagar/Abohar, January 15
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh finally reached his native village Gurusar Modia amid tight security.

Only sporadic protests by some individuals was witnessed as his cavalcade arrived after performing satsang at Kolayat near Bikaner for the last two days.

Hundreds of followers greeted him as the cavalcade, escorted by the Rajasthan police, passed through the Indira circle of Suratgarh and other areas.

The police have fortified his native house in the village. Even women police personnel have been deployed to frisk incomers besides subjecting them to check through metal detectors which have been installed at the main gate.

The Dera chief twice moved close to the gate to acknowledge greetings from his followers who kept on thronging the small village that has got super-specialty indoor hospital and educational institution besides other facilities provided by the trust that was founded by him.

Nearly 500 policemen have been deployed to ensure an incident-free environment during his two-day visit.

Row in Cantonment Board
Former CEO denies allegations
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Ferozepur, January 15
The former Chief Executive officer A. Sekhar Babu of the local Cantonment Board in a reply filed to the Principal Director, Defence Estates, Western Command has denied the allegations of irregularities committed in his office during the past three years. He was transferred from here a couple of months back.

A complaint was made to the Defence Minister AK Antony by one Sugandha Mishra levelling allegations against the said CEO and a Junior Engineer Satish Arora with regard to mismanagement of the board finances and biased attitude in administrative work, which was forwarded to the Western Command for inquiry through proper channel.

The CEO has given the reply that the public money was not wasted on the hospital as alleged in the complaint and an inspection in this regard made by the higher authorities had already expressed satisfaction on the hospital’s working.

He has further stated that an elementary school run in the cantonment area had not been shut down and was still functioning, shopping complex was constructed as per the guidelines and rules to generate income, no fine was paid as electricity fine for failing to pay the bills, building of an octroi post was leased out to generate income, no unauthorised constructions had come up in the cantonment area, pipelines of water supply were replaced with new ones to provide clean potable water and no violations were made in allotting various tenders as alleged in the complaint.

Meanwhile, the JE claimed that all the defamation cases pending against the Cantonment Board and its officials had been quashed by the high court.

Jassi Jaisa Koi Nahin: Sena
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15
"Our MLA Harminder Singh Jassi has gone missing,” exclaimed Sunita Rani as she read the poster while passing by St. Joseph Convent school this morning. The centre of attention was the poster of Bathinda MLA Harminder Singh Jassi with an appeal to find the 'missing' Jassi.

The poster is the handiwork of Yogesh Batish, vice-president, Shiv Sena, Punjab. As per the details printed on the posters which are in Punjabi, around two years back, voters elected Harminder Singh Jassi as MLA Bathinda. Jassi has unfortunately not returned to the constituency ever since, the poster says. "Whosoever, after finding him, takes him back to the people of Bathinda, will be honoured with a cash reward of Rs 1,000 along with conveyance charges," Batish says in the poster.

"If Jassi himself reads, he should return as soon as possible and express concern for the helpless public, that, due to the careless attitude of the Congress and the SAD-BJP government, is in problem

The poster carries the name of Yogsh Batish along with his cell phone number in the end.

When contacted, Yogesh Batish said, "It is an attempt to awaken the "missing" Jassi from deep slumber.”

"We have printed 5000 posters of which 4000 have been pasted and the rest will be pasted in nearby villages. We have 35 youngsters who did the job on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Since morning, I have received hundreds of calls appreciating the step."

On his part, MLA Jassi said, "It is just a tactics which the person has tried for reasons best known to him. Moreover, I always try to stand by people but I avoid controversies."

28 students injured in road mishap

Hanumangarh/Abohar, January 15
Twenty-eight students along with the driver of a mini-bus of a private school sustained injuries when the vehicle overturned after hitting a roadside tree in between village Silwala and Maseet Wala canal head today.

Sources said the driver lost control of the vehicle while heading towards village Silwala after collecting children from different farm houses and surrounding areas. The villagers rushed and rescued the children besides dragging out the driver. The emergency ambulance van was rushed to the spot and the injured students and driver were shifted to the civil hospital at the district headquarters. — OC

New building for Army school
Anjali Singh Deswal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15
Lt Gen D.S. Chuahan, GOC, Chetak Corps, inaugurated the new building of the Army Public School today. Rama Katoch, vice-president, Chetak AWWA, lighted the lamp and Lt. Gen. Chauhan unfurled the AWES flag. Principal Rupinder Kaur said, "This day would be historical for us.” The kids presented a cultural programme. Later, Lt Gen Chauhan, Maj Gen Katoch and Rama Katoch planted saplings. Lt Gen Chauhan cut the ribbon before entering the new building.