Nawanshahr, July 8
Though the local municipal councillors passed a resolution that they would not pledge any property to PUDA in lieu of the funds amounting to Rs 2 crore provided to it by the Chief Minister and the financial position of the local Municipal Corporation (MC) does not permit it to take loan, the acute factionalism among Congress councillors came to fore here at the MC meeting, specially convened on the issue.

A total chaos prevailed at the meeting as some of the Congress councillors, Lalit Mohan Pathak, alias Ballu (former MC chief), Chet Ram Rattan, senior vice-president, Vijay Kumar, Manjit Kaur, Pirthi Chand, Balwinder Kumar and Vinod Kumar Pinka, raised the issue that the funds amounting to Rs 2 crore should not be utilised for carrying out development works if it was not a grant.

Congress councilors Vijay Kumar, Pirthi Chand, Manjit Kaur and Balwinder Kumar boycotted the meeting. “The amount of Rs 2 crore should not be used till it becomes clear whether it is grant or a loan,” said the Congress councillors boycotting the meeting.

Former MC chief Ballu, though put his signature on the resolution, was seen indulging in an altercation with the MC chief, Rajinder Chopra, while accusing him of having “double policy” on the issue. “On the one hand, MC chief Chopra has been writing letters to MC officials for not purchasing anything or make any payment to any firm or contractor out of the amount of Rs 2 crore, on the other hand, a sum of Rs 20 lakh has been utilised from the funds,” alleged Ballu, daring the MC chief to make his stand clear on the issue.

Rajinder Chopra, MC chief, however, could not give a satisfactory reply to the query whether the amount of Rs 2 crore would be utilised or not. He just read out the letter written by him to the MC officials directing them not to make any purchase or payment out of the fund. If it is done, then they would personally be responsible for the same.

However, when, Executive Officer V.K. Mehta was contacted to comment on the issue, he said the development works would be carried by using the amount of Rs 2 crore. Interestingly in reply to it, the Executive Officer has also shot a letter to the MC president.

“The work orders have been released as per the sanction given by the MC president and there is no instructions to stop the development works in the recent communication of the state government. If the work is stopped at this stage, then the contractors may knock the door of the court and in such a situation the problems of the Municipal Council may increase and it may put financial burden on the MC and the MC president would be personally responsible for it,” said the letter sent by the Executive Officer.

Earlier, reacting to the statements of the Congress leaders in connection with the alleged conversion of development grant of Rs 2 crore into loan, the local SAD MLA, Jatinder Singh Kariha, while talking to mediapersons here on Sunday, accused the opposition of misinterpreting the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land (OUVGL) Scheme to create hindrances in the development of the town.

While claiming that the amount of Rs 2 crore given by Parkash Singh Badal is cent percent in form of grant, Kariha categorically declared that if it happened to be a loan for the local MC, then he would not contest the next assembly election. The opposition Congress is trying to politicise the issue at the cost of the development, he alleged.

Tarn Taran, July 8
The normal functioning in the PSEB’s Bhikhiwind border division was totally paralysed today when all seven junior engineers (JEs) declared to go on strike for indefinite period protesting against the suspension of an SDO and a JE of the division.

Sudeep Singh Sandhu, Deputy Chief Engineer of the local circle, while confirming the suspension orders of the officials told this correspondent that SDO Jaspal Singh and JE Gurbachan Singh had been suspended for negligence in their duty by the board authorities.

Sandhu said sometime back two heavy capacity transformers were replaced with small capacity transformers at Wan Tara Singh village and the heavy capacity transformers were to be deposited with the board.

The SDO and the junior engineer did not bother to deposit the transformers and they were used by some farmers to steal electricity. The matter came to the notice of the board and an inquiry was conducted by a member of the board.

The board detected negligence on the part of the SDO and JE and decided to suspend them.

All seven JEs called an emergency meeting and decided to go on strike for indefinite period from today.

Sandhu said he would pursue the junior engineers to call off the strike and come to work.

Amritsar, July 8
The police has booked District Youth Congress (urban) President Dinesh Bassi along with six others for allegedly grabbing a property and defrauding one Rakesh Kumar of the Nava Kot area.

Rakesh in his complaint to the police said he had purchased a house worth Rs 35 lakh in the Green Avenue area from the accused in January.

However, the accused failed to give possession of the property even as he paid the entire amount.

Rakesh alleged the accused also threatened of dire consequences if he or any of his family members come to the said house.

Others who were booked are Narinder Bala, Rajiv Nayyar, Gaurav Nayyar, Shally Nayyar, Sania Nayyar, all residents of Green Avenue, and Raju Madaan of Aman Avenue.

Dinesh Bassi said he had nothing to do with the case adding that the case was registered under political pressure and was an attempt to defame him. He said the court has granted a stay in the case.

He said he would file a defamation suit against the person who had falsely involved him in the dispute. Meanwhile, the police said the case was registered on the written statements given by Rakesh adding that investigations were on. They said no arrest has been made so far.

Nawanshahr, July 8
Activists of the BR Ambedkar Health Club opposed the move of the Municipal Council to remove the club from Ambedkar Park in Ravidass Nagar.

The Municipal Council has recently passed a resolution in this connection. Activists led by President Ram Lubhaya Ladhar have submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

Ladhar accused municipal councillors of conspiring against the club for their own interests.

He said the club had been working for 10 years with a view to channelising youth’s energy towards constructive purposes as well as saving them from the drug menace.

He said the club activists would gherao the MC President and councillors if the council did not withdraw its decision.

Gurdaspur, July 8
The police has solved a murder case by arresting two accused, identified as Parminder Singh and his uncle Wassan Singh, who have confessed to the crime.

The duo killed one Gurjit Singh, a resident of Rassolpur Tibba village of this district, whose body was found floating in the Uppar Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) on July 1.

As per a press note issued by SSP Lok Nath Angra, a team was constituted to investigate the matter after Gurjit’s father lodged a complaint with the police.

After making investigation on scientific lines, the team found that Parminder Singh and his uncle Wassan Singh murdered Gurjit and later threw the body in the canal.

Parminder Singh was taken into custody, where he confessed that he and his uncle Wassan Singh killed Gurjit as the latter had developed an illicit relation with their kin.

Parminder said Gurjit developed an illicit relation with his kin when the deceased was constructing his house. When he came to know about the relation, he talked with his uncle and they both decided to kill Gurjit.

He said on June 30 they made a call to Gurjit and asked him to come for some work. When he did, he was taken to the canal, where as per plan they hit him with a brick on his head. After that he was killed with a wooden log. The body was later thrown into the canal, he said.