 |
|
|
Northern districts see rise in water table
Attacks on students in Australia |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Two MC employees crushed to death
MC employees protest outside the police station in Moga on Thursday. Photo: Kulwinder Sandhu
Squabble over Tohra’s legacy
Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s supporters hold black flags in front of the stadium whose land has been ploughed. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tiwari
Sant Ramanand was target: Eyewitness
BJP made to vacate building
Mob goes violent, as dhaba owner dies in custody
Male infant stolen from hospital
M.Ed Course
Hookah bars raided, boys, girls detained, let off
|
Northern districts see rise in water table
Chandigarh, June 4 The Act, which prohibits sowing of paddy nursery before May 10 and its transplantation before June 10, was implemented last year. Studies till now have shown there has been rise in the water table in the northern districts, including Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur even and rate of decline has been reduced in southern districts of Sangrur and Patiala where ground water depletion was occurring at a fast pace. According to Agriculture Department Joint Director P S Sodhi results showed water table had increased from 50 centimetres in some districts to two to three metres in others. Meanwhile Punjab Farmers Commission chairman Dr G S Kalkat said the savings in water were enormous and together with better rainfall, the water table improved leading to the revival of many dried wells and hand pumps in 2008-09. Dr Kalkat said another major impact had been the decrease in the use electricity in agriculture. He said from April to September 2007, electricity consumption for agriculture was 6288 million units. He said 2008 was one of the few exceptional ones when the PSEB has reported decline in actual electricity consumption in agriculture sector in the same period by 562 million units. The Farmers Commission Chairman said the PSEB acknowledged the role of the Sub Soil Preservation Act, saying besides preserving the groundwater, essential for sustainable agriculture, the Act also resulted in saving power requirement for pumping groundwater. He said based on the water requirements of rice, there was a saving of about 276 million units of electricity out of 562 million, due to the Act in 2008-09 paddy season. The Punjab State Electricity Board, by selling the saved electricity to the manufacturing sector earned Rs 108 crore and the state government earned Rs 14 crore as taxes on this transaction. Besides, the subsidy burden on the government was reduced by about Rs 63 crore due to the Act. Dr Kalkat also claimed inspite of labour shortage, and shorter period available for transplantation of paddy, the area had increased last year and the production, yield and procurement of rice have also increased significantly and had been a record. Thus, it had been a win-win situation for all stakeholders, he added.
|
|
Attacks on students in Australia
Jalandhar, June 4 Quoting Professor Chris Nyland, researching on international student security with the University of Melbourne’s Simon Maginson, The Australian, a leading daily newspaper, has reported foreign governments were actively intervening to protect their students and Australia faced “potentially crippling sanctions from the Chinese and India governments over students’ safety”. Professor Nyland has said the overseas student industry had grown so large the police needed more resources for patrols and an independent ombudsman for students. He said “even though the furore over the attacks appeared to have sprung up overnight, Australian authorities had already received strong warnings from Chineses, Indian and Indonesian embassies about attacks on their student nationals.” Professor Nyland has told The Australian “New Zealanders got seriously whacked by China in 2003 when they were warned they had to act on students given racism concerns, violence and inadequate facilities. But the NZ government did not respond with anything except spin, so the Chinese Ministry of Education put a notice on their website saying not to go to New Zealand and the Chinese part of their industry collapsed”. The Newspaper has reported in the Highly leverage and concentrated $15 billion Australian overseas student market, about 42 per cent of country’s 414,446 overseas students as of March were from China and India. The newspaper has also quoted Daryl Le Grew, Universities Australia’s spokesman on international affairs, saying, “We need to do much more to support and care for students and we cannot do it (that market) will dissolve”.
|
|
Two MC employees crushed to death
Moga, June 4 The incident triggered protests in the town by the employees of the council amid security restrictions already imposed by the administration in view of the funeral of Sant Ramanand at Jalandhar. Two employees, Satpal (34) and Raj Kumar (36), were cleaning the road at 8.30 am on the main square of the town amid heavy flow of traffic. They were crushed to death by a truck coming from Ludhiana side. Raj died on the spot while Satpal succumbed to injuries on way to the district hospital. As the news of the deaths spread, at least 400 employees of the council descended on the streets , forcing the shopkeepers and other business establishments to put up the shutters. They also threw stones at some places, causing damage to a petrol station in the main market of the town. They also targeted some passing vehicles. However, no one reported loss to the police. The employees also gathered on the main square and blocked the Ludhiana-Ferozepur national highway keeping one of the bodies on the spot for more than six hours. Many other link roads of the town were also blocked by the employees. Life was disturbed in the town till afternoon. When it appeared that the situation was not likely to defuse, the district administration and SAD leader Jathedar Tota Singh, Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain and MC president Barjinder Singh Brar reached the spot. After having dialogue with the employees and the family members of the deceased, the DM announced he had recommended to the state government to provide relief of Rs 10 lakh each to the family members and jobs to one member of their families. An immediate relief of Rs 10,000 each was also provided to the family members of the deceased employees on the spot. After this announcement, the local body employees allowed the police to take the body into custody for a post-mortem examination and agreed to lift the protest, following which the highway traffic was restored. Meanwhile, the police had arrested the truck driver, Vishal Kumar, and registered a criminal case against him. Two sanitary inspectors were suspended from service by the MC authorities on the charge of negligence of duty. They were charged with not providing proper barricades and kits to the deceased employees to perform their duty amid the flow of traffic.
|
Squabble over Tohra’s legacy
Tohra (Patiala), June 4 Today, this incomplete memorial in the late SGPC president’s name is in peril with rival groups fighting for its control and part of it being ploughed two days back. This happened after the village panchayat decided to give eight of the 18 acres of land inside the stadium boundary on rent for a year. At loggerheads are the previous managers of the stadium and its new “owners”. Arraigned against each other are three-time sarpanch, Tohra loyalist and SGPC member Satwinder Singh Tohra, who conceived and built the two-storey stadium structure and the new sarpanch —Bahadur Singh — who is supported by GS Tohra’s son-in-law and former minister Harmail Singh Tohra. The issue over control over the stadium hit a flash point on June 2 when a police force was used to auction the “shamlat” land inside its boundary. Another flashpoint is likely soon with Satwinder Tohra and his supporters today threatening to stop paddy from being planted in the auctioned land. The problem lies in the management of the stadium as well as deep animosity between the rival groups. Satwinder Tohra claims the panchayat passed a resolution in April 2005 to make a stadium in former SGPC president’s name. He said Rs 30 lakh were collected with Ropar MP Sukhdev Singh Libra (Rs 9 lakh), SGPC (Rs 16 lakh) and Akali leaders chipping in. He said the change in the panchayat in the recent elections has seen a Rs 5 lakh grant given by the SGPC being returned. Former minister Harmail Singh Tohra claims Satwinder wants control over the stadium and Rs 5 lakh SGPC grant was returned because the panchayat was not allowed to spend it. Harmail Tohra said the fact was that the land was owned by the panchayat, which had taken permission from the district administration to rent out eight acres of land for Rs 1.27 lakh. Meanwhile, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, when contacted, said the present panchayat could have desisted from letting out the stadium land for agricultural purposes even as he appealed to both parties to exercise restraint.
|
|
Sant Ramanand was target: Eyewitness
Ballan, June 4 While the attack on the duo in a Ravidass temple on May 24 had been reported as an attack on Dera head Sant Niranjan Das, but an aide and witness of the incident, today told media persons the accused had come to kill Sant Ramanand and not the former. Tarsem Lal, said Sant Niranjan Das was sitting ahead while Sant Ramanand was sitting five or six feet behind him when the assailants came and one of them started shooting Sant Ramanand first, he added. Lal had accompanied both the sants during their tour to Austria and came back today with the body of the Sant and a recuperating Sant Niranjan Dass. He said Sant Niranjan Das was hit in the melee that followed as the rushed to the aid of his deputy and got injured, he said. However, he was silent on the identity of the assailants and evaded other queries. Initially it was reported some Sikh fundamentalists had targeted dera head Niranjan Dass for allowing his followers to touch his feet in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. The Vienna police too had also reported the attack was premeditated and a conspiracy. What lends credence to fresh revelation is the fact Sant Ramanand had been named successor of Sant Niranjan Das but he was more dynamic of the duo and it was due to his efforts that the more than 36 deras had come up across Europe alone. He was largely credited with popularising the sect across the globe. Like Sant Niranjan Das, he was given "Chadavah? (religious offering) to the dera when he was a kid. Known as aggressive and assertive person, he was graduate and had introduced the concept of circulating CDs and DVDs to propagate the teachings of Sant Ravidass. Hence, a possible threat to those who killed him.
|
|
BJP made to vacate building
Sangrur , June 4 At the time of taking possession of the building, two municipal councillors, including Harinder Singh, were
also present. Harinder said four fans, a board of the BJP and a flag were taken in possession from the building at the time of taking possession of it by the owner. The possession of the building was today taken by a son of the owner of the building Tripta Rani, wife of Krishan Sarup. The possession was taken by breaking the locks of the building.
|
|
Mob goes violent, as dhaba owner dies in custody
Sangrur, June 4 Talking to The Tribune at the civil hospital this evening, Mohan Pal Singh, elder brother of the deceased Paramjit Singh, said his brother had been brought to the local police station from the dhaba by the police at about 5 pm today for interrogation in connection with the murder of a milkman Balwinder Singh, whose body had been found hanging from a tree on December 4 near Nankiana Sahib Chowk here. Mohan Pal further said when he came to know about it, he went to the local police station where he had been told by the police that his brother had gone to the toilet of the police station. He went to the toilet and called his brother from outside, but he did not give reply. So he scaled the wall of the toilet and saw his brother lying on the ground. Then he opened the door from inside, he added. Mohan Pal said after that the police took his brother to the hospital, but when he died, all the policemen fled from there. He said this showed the police was at fault as his brother had died in police custody. He also said the police had been harassing his brother continuously after the murder of milkman Balwinder Singh. He said they only wanted justice. The relatives of the deceased raised slogans against the police and demanded stern action against the policemen. Emergency medical officer (EMO) on duty at the civil hospital Baljit Singh said He said the reasons of the death would be ascertained after the post-mortem examination of the body. DSP Kuldip Sharma visited the hospital after the death of Paramjit, but he could not give a proper reply, adding that he was yet to look into the matter. Meanwhile, after the death of dhaba owner this evening, the mob became violent and took away his body tonight from the local civil hospital forcefully and headed towards the bazar. The mob blocked the road for some time and later started throwing bricks on the shop shutters and damaged traffic nakas at the Mahavir chowk, near the civil hospital. They kept the body of the deceased in front of the police station and started demonstration there. The police reportedly resorted to lathicharge and used tear gas to disperse the alleged violent mob. Reserve forces were also called to control the mob.
|
|
Male infant stolen from hospital
Bathinda, June 4 “Surjit Kaur, mother of Paramjit Kaur had been looking after her daughter and the new born since then in the hospital,” Dr Aggarwal added. Dr Aggarwal added as he came to know of child-lifting from the hospital, he informed the police . DSP (city) Dilbagh Singh and other officials reached the hospital and started inquiry from the mother of the patient, he added. Mother of patient Surjit Kaur said, “An unknown woman in mid-30’s came in contact with me and became friendly. She started helping my daughter and grandson.” “As I was to get my grandson checked up from another doctor in other ward this morning, that woman also accompanied me,” she said. Giving her description she added as doctor was not available, on her way back to the ward, she handed over her grandson to that woman. “As I was the patient of asthma, I kept on moving slowly when all of a sudden that woman disappeared mid-way with the newly-born,” she lamented. She raised the alarm but in vain, she added. However, Satnam Singh, husband of the patient, told the police he did not have cordial relations with his mother-in-law. “Despite my resistance, my mother-in-law forced my wife to come to Bathinda for delivery instead at Malout,” he said. He told the police he doubted his mother-in-law’s brain behind the ‘stealing’ of the newly-born.
|
|
M.Ed Course
Chandigarh, June 4 Taking up the petition filed through advocate Sameer Sachdeva, Justice Ajai Lamba observed: “Counsel contends that the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), a statutory body created under the Central legislation, has given sanction to the petitioner to run B.Ed course. “The NCTE has considered that the petitioner-college has been running a B.Ed course for the last three years, which is the requirement under the regulations adopted by the NCTE. It has been pointed out that Guru Nanak Dev University, however, has laid a condition that the college should be running B.Ed course for five years before affiliation can be granted to run M.Ed course. “In view of the fact that NCTE has considered this aspect of the matter also and allowed sanction to the petitioner to run M.Ed course, the petitioner, as an interim measure, would be allowed to make admissions to M.Ed course”. International degree
Punjab’s former additional advocate-general Harpreet Sandhu has been awarded international practice diploma degree in “International Human Rights and Criminal Procedure” by the College of Law of England and Wales, UK. Sandhu is the only lawyer from this part of the region to have successfully completed in the recent past the “formative and summative” study assessments modules in session 2009. The international practice diploma has been issued in England under the seal of the chairman of the board of governors, the College of Law England and Wales. The programme is designed specifically to meet the needs of international practitioners throughout the world.
|
|
Hookah bars raided, boys, girls detained, let off
Ludhiana, June 4 The raids were made on Mr Beans and One Happy Bean
(OHB), in Sarabha Nagar; Hookie Cookie and Twister situated in Kitchlu
Nagar; Groove n Greece in Tagore Nagar; and Las Vegas in Prem Nagar. SP (detective) S K
Kalia, who oversaw the raids, said, “We have been receiving complaints from parents of youngsters that such hookah bars were encouraging smoking among teenagers and should be closed down.” He revealed the raiding party was accompanied by Health officials. Strict action would be taken against the hookah bars violating rules by serving hookah to minors, he added. A teenager, caught having hookah at one of the bars, requesting anonymity, said, “Hookah is great stress buster and gives me a high. Moreover, smoking hookah is a style statement these days among the young’. Another teenager said he took to smoking hookah under peer pressure and also, to impress girls. “One of my friends encouraged me to take a puff. When I expressed reluctance, he said smoking hookah was no big deal and started boasting about his experience with other activities like doping and boozing, which pinched me,” said the youth. Meanwhile, the nabbed teenagers were later let off in the presence of their parents following a warning by the police. The hookah bar owners refused to comment on the issue.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Two middle-aged part-time employees of the municipal council here were crushed to death under a truck while they were cleaning the road on the main square of the town, this morning.
The incident triggered protests in the town by the employees of the council amid security restrictions already imposed by the administration in view of the funeral of Sant Ramanand at
Jalandhar.
Tohra (Patiala), June 4
