Jalandhar, March 10
Contrary to the fact that DC-cum-district returning officer (DRO) Ajit Singh Pannu has set up a three-member-committee to implement the model election code of conduct strictly, especially as far as putting up hoardings, banners and pasting posters is concerned, the code of conduct is being violated right under the DC’s nose.

The Tribune team found on Thursday that several posters containing the photograph of BSP candidates from Jalandhar, Surjit Singh, were pasted on boards and walls of the main entrance of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) opposite PUDA office.

The posters also carried the photographs of the late founder president of BSP Kanshi Ram, BSP superemo and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati and Punjab BSP president and Rajya Sabha member Avtar Singh Karimpuri.

Interestingly, when contacted, BSP candidate Surjit Singh said the posters were pasted much before the code of conduct came into force.

When asked about the DRO’s directions to all political parties to remove all hoardings, banners and posters fixed without any permission, he claimed his party itself had removed most of the posters but some posters might have been left from being removed. When contacted, DRO Ajit Singh Pannu said he would get it checked and would direct the concerned staff to remove such posters immediately. 

Batala, March 10
Sale of intoxicants and illicit liquor has increased to an alarming extent probably because of the upcoming parliament elections, political patronage and inaction on the part of the government machinery.

Thathiari Gate, Rangeelpura, Kotla Nawab, Shampura and Mulla Suniya and Bye Pass Jalandhar-Amritsar Road are the known areas where this trade has been going on unchecked by the police.

Some such persons enjoy the patronage of the local political parties while others carry on with the trade by greasing the palms of the concerned public servants.

Even some unauthorised liquor vends, just adjoining the schools and residential areas, run under the patronage of political stalwarts, well within the knowledge of the local police.

Such unauthorised liquor vends operate in the Tibba Bazar, Achli Gate, Bhandari Mohalla, Ohri Chowk, Thathiari Gate and Kazi Mori Gate etc.

When contacted today, Dr. Naresh Arora (chief of Batala police district) told this correspondent that, to take stock of the situation and to implement the code of conduct properly due to the coming Lok Sabha Elections in May, the meeting of various concerned officials had been conducted by deputy commissioner / district electoral officer Neelkanth.

Arora further informed the correspondent that to prevent the sale of intoxicants and drugs come under the preview of sub inspector Harjinder Singh (in-charge Narcotic Cell, Batala Police District).

Harjinder Singh, when contacted, said whenever their cell gets information in this connection, they took action.

Later on, when this correspondent made a call to Mr. S.S Brar (financial minister, excise and taxation), he assured that he would talk to the commissioner, excise and taxation, Punjab, S.K. Mittal to take preventive measures to stop the loss to state revenue.

Hoshiarpur, March 10
By not implementing the pay commission report, the Punjab government has cheated its employees. The SAD-BJP government intentionally withheld the report so that with the announcement of the parliamentary elections, the government could further delay its implementation on the pretext of election code of conduct, said BSP state chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri.

He said implementation of the pay commission report was the legitimate right of the employees and pensioners, but the government had deprived them of their rights. He said in Uttar Pradesh, the Mayawati government had implemented the report for its employees and pensioners.

He described the recent announcement of the Punjab government for providing a financial help of Rs 2 lakh each to all those families of farmers and labourers who had committed suicide an election stunt. In 2001 too the SAD-BJP government had announced Rs 2.50 lakh each for the families of those who had committed suicide, but no aggrieved family had received even a single penny till date.

He said the Congress and BJP governments were responsible for the high prices of essential commodities. The governments of both the political parties in various states had miserably failed in providing employment to the unemployed and protecting lives of poor.

Referring to the recent inclusion of the Saini community in backward classes, he said the Chief Minister was trying to befool Sainis. He had failed to implement the Mandal Commission report. The backward classes could not get the benefit of reservation till the Mandal Commission report was implemented.

He alleged the SAD-BJP government was trying to crush the voice of people through undemocratic norms. Its employees of various departments were agitating in support of their long-pending demands but the government had observed complete silence. Crores of rupees were being spent on the publicity of false development in the state but salaries had not provided to the newly appointed BEd teachers for the past six months.

He appealed to the people of Punjab to throw out the corrupt family rule of Parkash Singh Badal in the elections to save the state.

He said the BSP would contest all the 13 seats of Punjab in the coming Lok Sabha poll.

Jalandhar, March 10
The robbers who were admitted to the civil hospital with bullet injuries in their backs are still in the emergency wing of the hospital even after 24 hours. The robbers - Hans Raj and Kulbir Singh - were not operated upon and the bullets are still inside their bodies.

The hospital authorities, however, claimed that the condition of the injured was stable and they would be operated upon after completion of all mandatory formalities. The duo had sustained bullet injuries in an encounter with the police at Aur village, near Phillaur, on Monday.

The DSP, Sandeep Singh, claimed that the robbers had been identified as Hans Raj and Amarjit Singh, both from Doraha, Kulbir Singh from Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district, and Roshan, a resident of Phagwara.

While Hans Raj and Kulbir sustained bullet injuries, Roshan sustained internal injuries. Out of the four, Amarjit Singh was in good condition and was today produced before a court in Phillaur, which remanded him in police custody till March 14.

Talking to The Tribune, DSP claimed that Hans Raj was wanted in over two dozen criminal cases by the Punjab police. During preliminary investigations, it was found that the gang had been active in Doaba and Majha region for the past many years and involved in various heinous crimes.

Hoshiarpur, March 10
The regular incidents of looting and cheating the people in the town, is not a new phenomenon. The rehari vendors near the bus-stand keep on befooling the passengers, including the Army personnel of Himachal Pradesh and the entire scene goes unchecked by the police.

According to victims of the rehari vendors, including Raj Kumar of Yol cantonment near Dharamshala and Onkar Chand Kashyap of Amb at Una in Himachal Pradesh said the incoming and outgoing passengers stood for a while at the bus-stand to purchase fruits and vegetables from rehari vendors roaming in the vicinity. The modus operandi of the rehari vendors was that they kept poorly stuffed underweight material in envelops at one side of the rehari adjoining to the exhibited fruits and vegetables. Whenever any passenger in a haste came to purchase something, they cleverly provide him the said goods packed in envelops.

If purchaser paid through currency note of high denomination, they somehow through a trick, after deducting the cost of their material, provide less amount to him. On account of haste to catch the bus, majority of the passengers do not count the returned money and whenever they count it, they find the less amount.

When any of the passenger demanded the difference of less money from the rehari vendor, instead of paying it, the other rehari vendors assembled there and started quarreling with the passenger.

Phagwara, March 10
Kapurthala SSP Ram Singh suspended three policemen posted at Chaheru police post, falling under Sadar police station, Phagwara, for calling two women at the post without the presence of any woman constable there in connection with a case.

The SSP said head constables Inderjeet Singh and Baljinder Singh and constable Gurmukh Singh were suspended as they had defied the directions of not calling any woman at the police post or police station without the presence of any woman constable.

The SSP said the three policemen were suspended and a copy of the order of their suspension was also sent to the Chief Electoral Office (CEO), Punjab, in view of the model code of conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Amritsar, March 10
The district police today arrested three notorious drug smugglers and seized 1.6 kg smack from them.

The accused were identified as Vikram of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Money Partap Singh of Bhagwan Dass Di Sarai Main Bazar Putlighar, now gali no-12, Pawan Nagar and Gopi of Shaheed Udham Singh Colony, Gate Khazana.

The police said on a tip-off that narcotic and cross border crime cell team headed by sub-inspector Vavinder Kumar, laid a naka near gali no-12, Pawan Nagar, and arrested the accused. During search, 500 gm of smack has been seized from Money Partap Singh, 290 gm from Gopi and 270 gm from Vikram.

During investigations, it has been found that the arrested persons were facing many cases of NDPS Act, thefts and snatchings.

A case under sections 22, 25, 29, 61 and 85 of NDPS Act has been registered.