The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Poll Goal
Hectic lobbying on for Cong ticket
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, February 28
Leaders of various factions within the DCC, including former ministers, Punjab, Naresh Thakur and Romesh Chander Dogra, former chairman of the Improvement Trust, Hoshiarpur, Pawan Adia, former MLA Chaudhary Ram Rattan, secretary PPCC Jasbir Singh Pal, former president of the City Congress Committee Kusha Dev, municipal councillors Mohan Lal Pehalwan and Brahm Shankar Jimpa met AICC observer Hari Singh for the allotment of party ticket to their respective candidates from Hoshiarpur (reserve) Lok Sabha segment for the forthcoming elections.

Talking to this correspondent, Hari Singh said he had met a number of Congressmen and leaders at Mukerian, Dasuya, Tanda, and Sri Hargobindpur segments of the state assembly yesterday to know their views about the prospective candidate of the party from the Hoshiarpur segment and had met a number of leaders and workers from Hoshiarpur, Chabewal, Shamchaurasi, Phagwara and Bulath constituencies today.

He was also an AICC observer for Anandpur Sahib and Khadoor Sahib segments and would meet the leaders and workers of these constituencies within the next two days.

After compiling the recommendation of the Congress leaders and workers of the above said segments, he would submit his report to the AICC within the next four days.

Replying to a question, he claimed that he had not noticed any dissension among the Congress leaders of the DCC, Hoshiarpur. However, there might be some difference of opinion among them which could be sorted out amicably.

Infighting to hit prospects: Cong panel

Hoshiarpur: Members of the coordination committee of the Congress from Wards I to V of the town expressed their concern over the non-cooperative attitude of leaders of the district Congress causing great setback to the party.

Coordination committee convener Surinder Sodhi said all the members were of the opinion that instead of working unitedly, almost all the leaders had been criticising one another for their petty gains and tarnishing the image of the party. They felt unity among the Congressmen was the need of the hour as the parliamentary elections were approaching and without unity they would not be able to face their opponents. A meeting of the members of the remaining 25 wards of the town would soon be held for preparing a strategy to unite the Congress leaders. The coordination committee would also chalk out the strategy to unitedly encounter the vendetta politics of the SAD-BJP combine and for strengthening the booth-level party worker committees. — OC

Minor raped in tehsil office
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 28
A minor girl was allegedly raped by an official of the old tehsil office here when she along with her aunt had gone to take the cheque for the Shagun scheme from the office. The police has registered a case under section 376 of the IPC against Harbhajan Singh, tehsil officer, after conducting the medical examination of the victim.

The 15-year-old girl in her complaint stated that she along with her aunt had gone to the old tehsil office to take the cheque. She alleged that Harbhajan Singh sent her aunt outside the office to bring some documents. Taking the advantage of her being alone, Harbhajan Singh raped her.

She alleged that Harbhajan also threatened her that if she would tell about the incident to anyone, he would not give them the cheque. She said Harbhajan Singh did not give them cheque and asked them to collect it later. After returning home she told her family about the incident, who got the complaint lodged with the Rambagh police station.

Navjot Singh, SHO, said raids were being conducted to nab the culprit, who had been absconding after the incident. He said police parties raided his office and home, however, he was not there. The preliminary reports have reportedly confirmed the rape, it is learnt.

Pay panel report to be implemented from Jan ’06

Kapurthala, February 28
The pay commission report will be implemented in Punjab from January 1, 2006. Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal stated this while talking to mediapersons at PWD Rest House in Sultanpur Lodhi today.

Manpreet said the state pay panel was likely to submit its report within a day or two and the same would be implemented within a week after minutely studying it.

To a query, he said the state employees should not worry even if the election code of conduct came into force after the declaration of dates of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In that case, the implementation of the pay panel report would be announced after the Lok Sabha elections but it would come into force from January 1, 2006.

Earlier, he laid foundation stones of Rs 8.58 crore project for providing cent per cent water supply and sewage facility in Sultanpur Lodhi town and a government college building at Mithra village, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs 8 crore. Later, Manpreet, education minister Dr Upinderjeet Kaur and deputy commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhury addressed the gathering. — TNS

Man burnt alive

Hoshiarpur, February 28
An employee of BBMB, Beldar Ram Pal of village Bader, was burnt alive in a store shed at Terras near Talwara while he was on duty there late last night.

According to police sources, some people informed the fire brigade when they saw flames arising from the shed of BBMB Talwara. The fire brigade rushed to the spot but could not save the life of Ram Pal.

Sources said he was under the influence of liquor and was sitting beside the room heater. Unfortunately, the clothes he was wearing came in contact with the heater due to which he was burnt alive. — OC

National Science Day
‘Vikrami calendar needs rectification’
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, February 28
Man-made activities including rapid industrialisation and deforestation pose a huge threat to life on the planet. This was stated by emeritus scientist, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, Chandigarh and former director of the National Institute of Science and Technology and Development Studies (NISTDS), New Delhi, Dr. Rajesh Kochhar, while addressing a gathering at a function organised to mark National Science Day at the conventional hall of the Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC) on Saturday.

Dr. Kocchar said there is a gap of 23 days between the natural and Vikrami calendar. This gap has developed over the last 1,500 years.

He suggested that the error should be rectified by adjusting the Vikrami calendar according to nature.

Elaborating on the issue, he said the Vikrami calendar is a twin-track calendar. It keeps track of Samkranti as well as Amavasya and Poornima.

Further, seasonal festivals are all associated with the astronomical position of the Sun, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, PGSC director general Dr. RS Khandpur said PGSC has been celebrating the National Science Day every year on February 28 to acknowledge and remember Nobel laureate Sir CV Raman for inventing the Raman Effect on this day.

Painting, quiz, debate and science play contests were organised among the students of different educational institutes on this occasion.

Tanners demand SEZ status for leather complex

Jalandhar, February 28
The owners of nearly 65 tanneries in the leather complex on Kapurthala Road today raised their demand that they should be given the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status keeping in view the cluster form in which they were already operating.

The tanners raised the demand during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the second module of the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in the complex with a capacity of five MLD. The project worth Rs 18 crore has been commissioned to Ramky Infrastructure.

While Rs 8 crore has come from the Government of India, the rest of the amount would be pooled by the state government. The project was likely to get completed by November.

During the function today, secretary-cum-director of the Punjab Effluent Treatment Society (PETS) Ajay Sharma put forth a string of demands before the chief parliamentary secretary of health and family welfare and a member of their cluster, Avinash Chander, and chief engineer of Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) J.S. Bhatia to take up the matter at the highest level.

Sharma said the complex already had an integrated facility and by a simple policy announcement, the government could aptly utilise its resources, while providing the much needed stimulus to the leather industry. He further made a point saying, “Ours is the only industry that produces raw material indigenously.”

The members also demanded extension of the city bus route to the leather complex for fulfilling the requirement of workforce of about 8,000 to 10,000 workers. They also demanded continuous power supply and expedition of 11-kv sub-station. — TNS