Nawanshahr, February 25
The issue of alleged discrimination in the allotment of funds out of the development grant of Rs 2 crore recently given by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal being raised by the local Congress councillors took a new turn here today.

Congress councillors, led by municipal council president Rajinder Chopra, at a press conference at Punjab Mata Vidyawati Bhavan accused the executive officer of the municipal council of effecting changes in the tenders invited for various development works.

Earlier tenders for 36 and 20 development works were prepared but later six projects were deleted from these tenders, alleged the MC president, adding that though the tenders containing 36 and 20 works bore his signatures but the changed tender containing 50 works did not bear his signatures. Another Congress councillor Chet Ram Rattan raised the issue of discrimination in allotment of funds for the development of works in areas inhabited by Dalit population.

The Congress councillors demanded a fresh survey for the allotment of funds for carrying out development works by taking the municipal councillors concerned into confidence.

It is pertinent to mention here that Chopra along with Congress councillors had boycotted the council meeting on Friday following a clash between the Congress and SAD-BJP councillors over the issue.

When contacted on the phone, executive officer V.K. Mehta, while denying the allegations as baseless, said the tenders duly approved by the director, local bodies, had been invited for carrying out development works in the town. No change had been effected in the approved tenders, he added.

The tenders for effecting utilisation of the grant provided by the Chief Minister are scheduled to be opened tomorrow.

Jalandhar, February 25
The police yesterday called certain suspected students of the CT Group of Educational Institutions to Lambra police station and recorded their statements.

The angry students had damaged the building of the institution after the death of two students in a road accident just 500 yards from the main gate of the institution on Thursday morning.

ASP Inderbir Singh said cases of violence and rioting were registered against six students on the complaint of the management of the institution. He further said certain students would be arrested in a day or two after the completion of investigations into the incident. The ASP said if any complainant came forward against the authorities of the institution, the police would investigate the issue in depth.

Meanwhile, the management of the CT Group of Educational Institutions located at Shahpur village on the Jalandhar-Nakodar road has alleged that certain anti-social elements had been politicising the incident by levelling false allegations against the authorities.

In a communication to The Tribune, CT Group of Educational Institutions chairman Charanjit Singh Channi claimed that the institute had borne all the expenses of the deceased and the injured, besides announcing Rs 21,000 for the families of the deceased.

He also claimed that three teachers of the institution visited the houses of the deceased - Bharat Bhushan at Badhani and Prabhjot Singh at Bhogpur - to offer condolences.

He claimed that damages, ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh, were caused to the institution as students went on the rampage on the day of the accident.

Hoshiarpur, February 25
With the arrest of one person, the district police claims to have solved a blind murder case within 72 hours of the crime.

Talking to mediapersons here this evening, SP (D) Sushil Kumar said on the night of February 21, migrant labourer Rama Shankar Shah of Gopal Ganj district (Bihar), was found murdered in a tubewell room in the fields at Bhelan village under Adampur police station. On the complaint of Gurjit Singh of Bhelan village, a case under sections 302 of the IPC had been registered at Bulhowal police station in this connection. During investigation, Gurjit Singh’s servant Hakam Yadav, alias Raju, alias Misar, of Chadrari Polia under Bathraea police station in West Champaran Betia district (Bihar) emerged as the main suspect because on the day of the incident he had gone to meet the deceased at Focal Point, Ludhiana, and returned along with him to the village.

The mobile phone details of Hakam and Rama Shankar revealed that both of them were in regular contact with each other. Later, the police arrested Hakam Yadav.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had borrowed Rs 10,000 from Rama Shankar and the latter was demanding the money back. On the day of the incident when Rama Shankar demanded his money again, Hakam assaulted him to death. The police has recovered the axe used by Hakam in the crime. — OC