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Attack on Tehsildar
Tehsildars’ strike costs state Rs 100 cr
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Rights panel seeks report
Ex-servicemen to bear expenses on HC case by Benipal
Juvenile home staff, inmates clash
Delay in lucky coupon scheme decried
4 hurt as guard’s rifle goes off accidentally
Chotta Ghallughara Stone laid for heritage complex
Plan to curb drug smuggling
Power crisis: BKU to hold dharna today
Drug de-addicted starts a new life
PSEB to overhaul units to control pollution
Ash being puffed out of chimneys of the thermal power station in
Bathinda. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh 3 units of Ropar power plant trip Denied pension, PSEB retiree seeks CM’s help Labour, power shortage delay paddy transplantation
Moga cops held with poppy husk in MP
Professor booked in dowry case
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Attack on Tehsildar
Ludhiana, June 22 The activists also demanded dissolution of a special investigation team formed to look into the fake stamp paper racket and handing the case over to the CBI. They sought the probe into the assault too be handed over to an independent agency. After a four-hour-long meeting attended by employees and officials of various organisations, the committee’s spokesman, tehsildar KS Randhawa, demanded the immediate arrest of SAD councillor and Youth Akali Dal leader Simarjit Singh Bains. Noting the latter was a prime accused in the case, he said because of the police inefficiency and helplessness that he had yet not been arrested even though he was present at the DC's residence and also in Sadar police station premises. ‘‘This clearly shows their intention - they don’t have the guts to arrest him (Bains), ’’ he added. Producing copies of six letters written to the DC by Benipal during the past seven months seeking protection, Randhawa said the committee members wanted to know why the DC had not done anything about the case. Stating both Bains and SAD councillor and prime accused Kamaljit Singh Karwal had been booked by the police several times in the past, he said they were “roaming freely” and no action had yet been taken against them. ‘‘As many as four FIRs have been registered against Bains for threats and assault, besides three against Karwal, during the past five years. The committee activists said they would go on leave en masse for an indefinite period. They added they would every day sit on ‘sharnas’ in front of the respective DCs’ offices from 11 am to 2 pm till they were “delivered justice”.
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Tehsildars’ strike costs state Rs 100 cr
Ludhiana, June 22 Pegging the loss between Rs 100 to Rs 125 crore, the revenue officials told the Tribune that this was an average amount collected on any working day after registering revenue documents, including sale deeds, power of attorneys and wills. Besides, treasuries also sold stamp papers worth crores every day. With the tehsildars declaring their strike, none of the revenue offices functioned in the state.
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Rights panel seeks report
Chandigarh, June 22 The orders of the full bench of the commission, headed by Justice RS Mongia, issued today stated the report had to be submitted by July 30, the next date of hearing. Meanwhile, the Punjab State IAS Officers Association has expressed concern over the incident. “Deterrent steps must be taken in order to give justice to Major Benipal and to maintain a congenial atmosphere for work and discharge of official duty for all officers of the government in the state. It is in public interest to ensure that such incidents do not occur and the civil servants are allowed to function smoothly in their official capacity,” stated the resolution passed by the executive committee of the association that met under the chairmanship of association’s president Tejinder Kaur today.
PCS officers to wear black badges
All PCS officers in the state would bear black badges from tomorrow as a sign of protest against the inadequate punitive action taken against the accused by the police in tehsildar bashing case. This was decided in the meeting of the executive committee of the PCS (EB) Officers Association here today.
Members of the executive committee pointed out that the police has arrested only two of the accused out of a total of 24 perpetrators. The main accused has been moving freely in the DC and SSP offices and the police station concerned openly declaring that nobody can arrest him. Another accused, who was made to surrender at DC residence showed highest degree of arrogance without an iota of remorse. The culprits of the crime do not have any fear of the law rather they are openly declaring that they care two hoots for the rule of the law. It demanded that all the accused must be arrested within 48 hours positively. It must be ensured that challan is presented in the court within 15 days. Two of the accused councillors must be suspended from their posts immediately. All the Executive Magistrates must be provided adequate security to deal with such elements. The Executive Committee feels these steps were required, if the government wants to regain the trust of the officers of the state.
Probe attack on
tehsildar: Union
Amritsar: The Punjab State District (DC) Offices Employees Union, led by its president Sukhraj Singh Sandhu, today condemned the recent attack on Major GS Benipal (retd), tehsildar, Ludhiana.
Sandhu said the incident showed that either “elected representatives” did not know how to get due regard or they were not competent to be regarded. He urged the state government to get the probe into the attack conducted by any government agency on a priority basis.
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Ex-servicemen to bear expenses on HC case by Benipal
Ludhiana, June 22 Col Bhag Singh, an office-bearer of the league, said they would hire four award-winning lawyers of the High Court to fight this case and take it to its logical end. The Tribune today highlighted in these columns the wish of Major Benipal to fight the case in the High Court and not bow to any pressure. Col Bhag Singh said seven lakh ex-servicemen of the state were with Major Benipal. “Though Major Benipal is very well off, we want to tell him that we stand by him,” he added. A resident of Bathinda, Ravinder Singal, who is also a complainant in a similar stamp paper scam, said he, too, would fight for the cause along with Major Benipal. “I have spoken to him today and I will also move the HC along with him,” he added.
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Juvenile home staff, inmates clash
Hoshiarpur, June 22 The inmates pelted stones and bricks on the staff on duty, damaged steel furniture, including ceiling fans, and set ablaze wooden furniture of the observation home. To prevent the situation from becoming ugly, the police was called that fired tear gas to control the inmates and forced them to return to their barracks. One of the inmates, Sikander (15), son of Baldev Singh, who came under the smoke of tear gas was admitted to the local Civil Hospital. According to some delinquents, Naveen escaped from the home last Saturday night. This infuriated duty employees Head Constable Satnam Singh and Rattan Singh who allegedly consumed liquor and started mercilessly beating some of the inmates, which provoked all of them. They pelted stones and bricks on the staff. Somehow the staff ran out and none of them was injured. Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj, along with SSP Parmod Ban, SDM Capt Karnail Singh (retd) and other officers, inspected the home and interacted with the inmates to know the details today. Later, talking to The Tribune, Megh Raj said he had deputed the SDM, Hoshiarpur, to make an inquiry into the incident and submit his report to him within two days. The DC had found that some adult inmates were staying in the observation home. He had also instructed the SDM to get them medically examined to ascertain their actual age. There were 88 inmates, of whom one had escaped on June 20, 2009. District Social Security Officer Jagdish Mitter, who was also holding the charge of the home, and was stationed here, used to go to his house at Dasuya daily without getting permission. He was not present at the time of incident. Action would also be taken against him for dereliction of duty, said Megh Raj. SSP Parmod Ban said Satnam had been suspended and all four security guards of the home, who were absent during the incident, had been sent to the Police Lines and new security guards in their place had been deputed. Action would be taken against them after receiving the report of the SDM. Meanwhile, the Sadar police has registered an FIR under Sections 353, 336 and 186, IPC, and Section 3, Damage of Public Property Act, 1984, against eight delinquents.
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Delay in lucky coupon scheme decried
Sangrur, June 22 Due to a delay in the the relaunch of the scheme, thousands of investors of various small savings schemes have been losing the benefits of the lucky coupon scheme. Scheme’s benefits are given to the investors prospectively, not retrospectively. Besides, non-start of the scheme is also reportedly putting an adverse affect on small savings deposits. Earlier, every depositor used to get a lucky coupon for a deposit of Rs 5,000 under various small savings schemes like the Public Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and time deposits. Agents are apprehensive of achieving targets of small savings collections given the delay in the relaunch of the lucky coupon scheme. Press secretary of the local Small Savings Agents Association Jasvir Singh said the delay in the scheme had caused them losses. They used to get gifts or incentives under the lucky coupon scheme. Jasvir said the government had not held draw of lots for the 35th small savings lucky coupon scheme (starting from August 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009) so far.
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4 hurt as guard’s rifle goes off accidentally
Sangrur, June 22 SHO (City) Sanjiv Goyal said guard of the local HDFC Bank Bagga Singh was sitting outside the bank building when his .12-bore double-barrel rifle went off accidentally. It was loaded, but not locked. The incident led to minor injuries to four persons, namely Gagandip Singh, Ramandip Kaur, Parveen Kumar and Parminder Singh. Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the local Civil Hospital HS Bali said after initial treatment all injured persons were out of danger.
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Chotta Ghallughara Stone laid for heritage complex
Gurdaspur, June 22 The Chief Minister, who held a two-day sangat darshan in the Kahnuwan assembly segment, said the heritage complex would be of international standards. More than 11,000 Sikh warriors had been massacred by Mughal armies at this place in 1746 at the order of then governor of Punjab Yahiya Khan and the event is known as Chotta Ghallughara in Sikh history. The Chief Minister said the land for the complex would be acquired at market price. He announced that the foundation stone of a skill centre had been laid at Sekhwan village. About 250 km length of link roads would be constructed in this area. Badal also listened to the grievances of local residents and solved many on the spot.
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Plan to curb drug smuggling
Gurdaspur, June 22 The action plan, which will remain in vogue for five years, is expected to be ready within a month. The Punjab police, in consultation with other state government agencies, including Health Department, Social Security Department, Education Department and other relevant wings, is preparing the plan. “The main purpose of this action plan is to put a check on the supply and demand of narcotics in the state,” disclosed IG and head of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Punjab, RP Meena. Filed committees would be set up. Officers and officials involved in such committees would be assigned special duties and responsibilities. Results of the plan would be evaluated every year. He disclosed that after coming to know that about 1,000 youths had died due to drug addiction in Gurdaspur district from a news item that appeared in these columns today, he had directed the authorities concerned to take effective steps to curb the same. Meanwhile, Gurdaspur SSP Lok Nath Angra said the police had been coming down heavily on smugglers and so far 512 smugglers had been sent to jail in this district alone. He added that thousands of drug addicts had been motivated to get treatment in the local de-addiction centre. He said as per information given to him by project director of the Red Cross De-addiction Centre Romesh Mahajan, only 12 persons had died so far in this area due to drug consumption. He added that these deaths were never reported to the police.
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Power crisis: BKU to hold dharna today
Jalandhar, June 22 “We will hold dharna at all important grid stations tomorrow,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal. He said the power cuts had further prolonged in the state. Farmers, who had transplanted the paddy during the past one week, were fighting hard to save their crops, he said. “There should be no confrontation with any official of the PSEB because they were not at fault,” he said. Repeated tripping of the power distribution system had become a source of big trouble for rural areas. The government should have tied up with the power surplus states, he added.
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Drug de-addicted starts a new life
Sangrur, June 22 Talking to The Tribune today, project director of the centre Mohan Sharma said before coming to the centre in May this year, Darshan had been addicted to poppy husk and liquor, but with the efforts of the staff and medical treatment given to him here, he not only gave up poppy husk and liquor, but also became mentally strong. “He has also promised that he will never use intoxicants in his life. Besides, he also said he will also inspire other drug addicts to leave this bad habit,” Sharma added.
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PSEB to overhaul units to control pollution
Bathinda, June 22 The GNDTP has become a major source of air pollution here for the past 35 years. Units 1 and 2 were renovated a few years ago, but pollution was continuing because of the two leftover units. The Chief Engineer (thermal), GNDTP, said the renovation and modernisation (R and M) of unit 4 would be taken up in September and completed in nine months. The work has been assigned to BHEL that will undertake R and M of unit 3, following stabilisation of unit 4. Thereafter, the ash pollution level of these units will also come within the prescribed limits. He claimed that the suspended particular matter (SPM) level of all four units was mostly within the permissible limits prescribed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board. The Chief Engineer said sometimes due to high percentage of ash in coal, the pollution level of units 3 and 4 tended to go beyond the prescribed norms, but concrete steps had always been made by the GNDTP to minimise the ash-pollution level. He clarified that a cement manufacturer and brick-kilns lifted a part of the fly ash regularly as per the contract and rest of it was dumped in the ash slurry pond area in the thermal plant. No dry fly ash was given to anybody for dumping in public places, he claimed.
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3 units of Ropar power plant trip Ropar, June 22 Unit no 1 and 2 tripped at around 10.30 am and later unit no 4 too tripped due to sudden low voltage system. Sources said due to the paddy season the demand for power had increased by manifolds, whereas supply remains the same. All three units could be resumed only after noon. Due to the tripping of three units, two hours additional power cut was imposed in the state.
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Denied pension, PSEB retiree seeks CM’s help Patiala, June 22 After retirement no service benefits were released to him despite his repeated request. Harbhajan Singh said he represented to the President for release of his pension and the President’s Secretariat forwarded his case to the Punjab Chief Secretary on November 25, 2004, but no action had been taken so far. Harbhajan said at the age of 68 years he had no source of income to meet his liabilities. He said he had been struggling to get his pension for the past 10 years, but to no avail. He further said he hailed from Bure Jattan village in Hoshiarpur district where his family settled after the partition. He said his family was allotted land in the village but when his father Basawa Singh died in 1948 the land had been snatched from him in 1950. After his father’s death his pension had not been granted to his family. He told The Tribune that he had filed a petition with the Punjab State Information Commission to seek detail information about his retirement case. He said he had been running from pillar to post but he had not been granted his pension so far.
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Labour, power shortage delay paddy transplantation Patiala, June 22 The predicament of farmers started with the onset of summers towards the end of April when the shortage of migrant labour, particularly, from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, led to a sudden and steep onset of an unusual crisis in shape of hike in daily labour charges from Rs 125-135 to a whopping Rs 170 to Rs 180 per person a day. If this was not enough, erratic power supply compounded the problems of farmers and others alike. Farmers, on an average were allegedly getting power supply for just about four to five hours a day. Whereas, the PSEB claimed to have been providing them with power supply for a minimum of eight hours. Trickling down of migrant labour has definitely came to farmers as a bolt from the blue, this summers. Most labourers are said to have found work near their homes under the Centre-sponsored NAREGA scheme. If the estimates of farmers were to be believed then the state received 30 to 40 per cent lesser labourers this paddy season than last year. “We are not able to transplant paddy as yet due to shortage and escalated labour charges this time though, we used to complete the process earlier by June 20. Though, there has not been any major hike in crop prices, yet labourers have increased their daily wages, making them highly inaffordable. That is why most of farmers were switching to paddy transplantation with the help of machines. It is for the first time that labour charges have witnessed such an increase within such a short time,” rued Surinder Panjola, a farmer.
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Moga cops held with poppy husk in MP
Moga, June 22 Two cops in the narcotics wing of the Punjab police posted here were arrested two days ago by the Madhya Pradesh police in Morena district on charges of drug trafficking. Morena district SP told The Tribune on telephone that the police had recovered 76 kg of poppy husk and a Ford Ikon car from their possession. “We have registered a criminal case against them, the details of which are available with the subdivisional police officer (SDPO),” he said. Morena SDPO RD Prajapati said Head Constables Balkar Singh and Pippal Singh were arrested at a police naka on the highway outside Noorabad on June 20. “The police had recovered four bags of poppy husk weighing 76 kg from their car,” he said. “A criminal case under Sections 8, 15 and 18, NDPS Act, had been registered against them in the Noorabad police station. Prajapati said another cop Kulwinder Singh, who is the owner of the car, fled from the spot, along with another person, taking advantage of the darkness. However, fourth person Bhupinder Singh was arrested by the Rajasthan police from the Dhaulpur area carrying 2 kg of opium in a carrybag. A criminal case had been registered against him in the Mallian police station in Rajasthan. The SDPO said the arrested cops had stated that they had come to the Chambal valley to arrest two interstate drug smugglers, Jassa and Pamma, along with Bhupinder Singh, who they said was an informer of the Punjab police. But the drug smugglers and their gang leader Alam abducted them. Then the smugglers kept four bags of poppy husk in their car and asked them to run away from there. “We have been arrested at the behest of drug smugglers, who manipulated with the MP police,” they stated. Prajapati said the statements of the arrested cops was hard to digest because they did not inform the local police about their mission, no senior rank official was accompanying them, they did not carry any weapons to conduct raids on the hideouts of inter-state smugglers and, above all, no senior official of the Punjab police had so far approached them to present their case. The arrested cops were produced before a judicial court at Morena today. The court has sent them to judicial custody for 14 days, revealed the Noorabad police station SHO, BK Parasar.
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Professor booked in dowry case
Malerkotla, June 22 Sadra Chauhan, daughter of Mohammed Jamil of Mohalla Nusrat Khani here, in a complaint to the DIG had alleged that her husband Rasid Rashid, a professor at Mata Gujri College, Fathegarh Sahib, demanded a Swift car in dowry. Sadra in her complaint said her marriage was solemnised with Rasid according to Muslim rituals on June 25, 2008. But Rasid was not satisfied with the dowry and demanded a Swift car. The SP(D) found the complaint of the demand for a Swift car genuine and so he recommended the registration of a case against her husband Rasid. After this, the DIG ordered the registration a case against her husband. DSP Gurpreet Singh Sikand said here today the police had registered a case under Sections 498-A and 406, IPC, aganist Rasid. The accused was absconding.
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Bathinda, June 22
