Bathinda, August 8
In the recent high profile murder of Sandeep Singh alias Bobby, son of former Akali Minister Teja Singh, the early pictures taken of the deceased have raised question marks over the investigation methods of the police besides belying its claims.

SSP Ashish Chaudhary, in a press conference on Friday, claimed to have cracked the blind murder case of Sandeep Singh with the arrest of three persons. However, he maintained that Jagtar Singh, an old rival of Sandeep Singh, who was named in the FIR, has still not been given a clean chit.

Further, the SSP had said that the killers along with other important things, decamped with the gold Kara that Sandeep was wearing in his wrist. The same was mentioned in the press note that he released to the media during the press conference.

Ironically, at the time when media persons had witnessed Sandeep's body at about 10 am on August 2, the Kara was very much present on his right wrist. In the presence of the media, the volunteers of Sahara Jan Seva had asked the police officials present there to remove it and hand it over to the kin of the deceased but the officials said they would look into such details later.

Some of the lensmen unintentionally captured the image of the Kara in their camera.

Receiving an anonymous call regarding this, TNS checked out the photographs that had captured the Kara in his wrist.

Talking over the phone, Tek Chand, volunteer of the Sahara Jan Seva, confirmed the facts. "I asked the policemen to remove the Kara but they refused. Then we took his body to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital and handed it over to the officials concerned."

In reply to a query, SSP Ashish Chaudhary stated through an SMS, "It was the complainant who alleged it. We do not claim that we have found them. Case is still open for investigation."

However, SHO Kotwali police station, GS Romana, who had conducted the preliminary investigation in the case, said, "I was busy with some other case so the investigation was done by some other official. So I am unable to confirm the fact."

When he was reminded about the inquest proceedings, Romana said, "I will have to check the details."

Sandeep Singh's sister Amarjot Kaur, when contacted, said she was not in a position to comment on it.

Fazilka, August 8
The uninterrupted power supply holidays for the residents of Fazilka and adjacent Jalalabad town has come to an end with the declaration of the result of Jalalabad by-election, in which, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal recorded a victory.

Now, Badal is away to Chandigarh and the power supply is also away from the residents. During the election process of the three weeks and the presence of Badal in Fazilka during the election, the residents of the two sub-divisions enjoyed the power supply round-the-clock.

Only after 24 hours of the declaration of results on August 6, the electricity board showed its 'original' form. On August 7, people of Fazilka had to face power cut for about 12 hours during the daytime in sweltering heat and intense humid weather. Out of the 12 hour power cut, the residents suffered a constant long spell of eight hours of power cut from 12 PM to 8 PM. This power cut was imposed on the pretext of 'maintenance'.

"Such long power cuts were expected with completion of the election process and victory of Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad. The uninterrupted power supply for the three weeks was a mirage and farce to fool the voters," said Jagidh Kumar, a resident of Radha Swami Colony, who does not afford to even install an inverter too for his small karyana shop to combat the power cuts.

As far as the unscheduled power cuts are imposed, knowledgeable sources reveal that a sudden telephonic message is flashed from power controller Patiala office to sectional engineer PSEB Muktsar to impose yet another cut for this specified period.

The Muktsar office immediately conveys these instructions to Grid Station Fazilka to shut down the power supply forthwith for a particular period.

Today also right from 6.30 AM till 6.30 PM in the evening people enjoyed the power supply for minutes only with its total being around two hours. Now, the PSEB in the name of maintenance and shifting the electric polls is again preparing for long power cuts on Monday.

According to communiqué issued by the PSEB, there will be a power cut from 8 AM to 6 PM on Monday from maintenance. The Fazilka residents have demanded that the maintenance work should be done during the schedule power cuts only and no additional power cuts should be imposed for so called 'maintenance' works. 

Bathinda, August 8
Work on the Rs 20,000-crore refinery project of the HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) here has been put on fast track so that it is commissioned by mid 2011. The project has brought to the country one of the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

According to Rajeev Parmar, a senior functionary of the project, about 37 per cent of the work on the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery has been completed.

A consortium of 26 bankers and financial institutions that provided loans amounting to over Rs 10,000 crore for the refinery visited the project site on Friday to review the construction progress, completion schedule and other relevant details of the units.

They have expressed satisfaction on various financial and technical parameters of the project.

Among the members of the consortium are the State Bank of India, the Canara Bank, the Punjab National Bank, the Bank of Baroda, the Allahabad Bank, the Union Bank, the Syndicate Bank and the Life Insurance Corporation. The company’s future plans were also presented to the consortium.

A specific mention was made on the strict health and safety code being enforced by the company on more than 14,000 workers at the site.

A sum of Rs 4,500 crore has so far been spent on the project and orders for more than 90 per cent equipment have already been finalised. The sponsors, HPCL and Mittals, have already put in Rs 2,000 crore and shall contribute equity of Rs 6,555 crore by 2011.

When complete, in addition to catering to the requirements of petroleum products in Punjab, the project shall also provide various value-added products, notable among them being polypropylene and pet coke.

Bathinda, August 8
Teachers in Bathinda have welcomed the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) move imposing ban on the use of cell phones by everyone in the school campus. The purpose of this decision, as stated by various educationists of the city, is to provide an environment free from disturbance to the students. Use of mobile phones leads to interruption during the classes, teachers said.

While the teachers have welcomed the CBSE's move, students believe that cell phones have become a necessity these days.

Teachers said that cell phones were a source of distraction. Apart from the ring tones which causes disturbance, students were found indulging in sending SMSs to one another during classes, the added.

While attributing reasons to its move, the CBSE stated that cell phones cause distraction, anxiety, lack of concentration for students and sometimes even cell phone were also misused.

A section of students stated that mobile phones were needed to make calls during an emergency, but Neelam Verma, principal of the Silver Oaks School here negated this by saying that, "We provide landline phones to our staff members and even to students in case of an emergency and we do not charge for making calls. We have already banned the use of cell phone on the campus by everyone."

The CBSE has issued circulars to its affiliated schools, schools in the city said they were yet to receive the circular regarding the ban.

Moreover, The CBSE has not laid down any penalty for those found violating the orders.

Anil Lawrence, principal of St Paul's School, Bathinda, agreed with the CBSE and said that if talking over phone and teaching could not go hand in hand. "If teachers go on receiving calls during the classes and children would be busy with SMSs. How would education achieve its purpose?," he asked.

Arun Jee, principal of Delhi Public School, Bathinda, said that children should be kept away from mobie phone.

Moga, August 8
A 10-year-old boy was crushed to death under a van at Singhawala village on the outskirts of this town on Saturday morning.

As per the details available from the police, the deceased identified as Arshdeep Singh came to the roadside to get school bus with his father Sartaj Singh as usual in the morning.

While they were waiting for the school bus, Arshdeep saw his cousin coming from the other side of the road and rushed to meet him leaving behind his father. But while crossing the road, he was crushed under a speeding Mahindra van bearing registration number PB-07-G-3001 coming from Moga side.

He was immediately rushed to the district hospital but was declared brought dead by the doctors. The health authorities after conducting the post-mortem examination handed over the body to the family members.

The police after recording the statement of Sartaj Singh has lodged an FIR under sections 279, 337 and 304-A of the IPC against Mahesh Giri the driver of the Mahindra van. However, the driver has fled away from the spot, said the police sources. 

Patiala, August 8
The cash-strapped Punjabi University, Patiala, it seems, has become a member of the group of a few “recession-proof” institutes of the world as it is exhibiting its “strong determination” to go ahead with its proposed programme to recruit more teachers in one of its departments that has failed to attract even a single student for all its three postgraduate courses this year.

Ironically, while all existing seven teachers of the department were going without work and were finding it hard to justify their heavy salary bill of about Rs 2.5 lakh, the university authorities are learnt to have decided to appoint one more professor, a reader and three lecturers. “The interview for the selection of the reader is scheduled to be held on August 10,” sources said.

It is for the first time that all three masters’ courses (MA) in religious studies, Sikh studies, Buddhist studies and a certificate course in Pali language and literature are going without students this year. The two applicants, who applied for these courses this year, were not found eligible for admission. In such a situation, all seven teachers, four lecturers and three professors, were going without work and were said to have been busy justifying their salaries by seeking research-based projects.

While VC Jaspal Singh was not available for comments despite repeated attempts, sources said the proposed recruitment was being done with an aim to elevate one of the junior lecturers to the post of a reader under “political pressure”.

Abohar, August 8
The Central government had sanctioned a whopping Rs 75 crore as additional assistance to facilitate Punjab open 31 new schools under the Adarsh School scheme. Two such schools are to be raised by December-end in the Abohar sub-division.

Ironically, the state government had not been able to keep its word with the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) to get the north side boundary wall of the oldest Government Adarsh Senior Secondary School for Boys in Abohar. In district Ferozepure, this happens to be the only Adarsh School so far.

The PSHRC, while taking suo moto notice of a report appearing in The Tribune had last year issued notice to secretary, Education Department and DPI. An undertaking was reportedly given that the boundary wall adjoining the new road that connects Maharaja Aggarsein Chowk with Sunder Nagari will be reconstructed latest by March 31, 2009. However, one finds only wild growth of shrubs instead of the boundary wall.

Initially, developed as Municipal Board High School, the institution had been inaugurated on January 6, 1929 by the then education minister of undivided Punjab Manohar Lal, who possessed the degree of Bar at Law. JW Hearn ICS was the deputy commissioner while KH Faiz Mohd.

Khan was posted as SDM of Fazilka sub-division at that time. He also held the charge of president of the local municipal committee. Manmohan was inspector of schools then. Chaudhary Attar Chand, who later figured as one of the eminent educationists was posted as headmaster of the school.

The municipal committee handed over the school to the state government in 1957 and it was upgraded to senior secondary level in 1986. Before that principal Maghar Singh had led the institution to heights in sixties.

Intriguingly, this Adarsh School had no potable water till early last year. Toilets stood damaged. Miscreants use to target the scouts hall and computer rooms to decamp with equipments regularly. But, there was no alarming bell for the department.

A senior lecturer Ajinder Singh took over as principal and chose to change the scenario by seeking help through the parents-teachers association. His earnest efforts got some attention from the Public Works Department and the latter got south boundary wall replaced.

However, apathy of government continues to affect the strength of students. Most of the teachers were recently found roaming outside classrooms when a special team made surprise checking. 

Abohar, August 8
More than three hundred families, who had been in possession of the land for the three-four decades and raised houses over the ancient Mud Fort, have formed an action committee to fight against their eviction.

During a meeting on Friday, Buta Singh, Suman Kumar Taneja and Balwant Singh (all members of the local municipal council) besides former councillor Harcharan Singh Pappu assured support to the residents. The area known as Jammu Basti has been renamed as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), Chandigarh circle had last month served notices on the residents giving them 15 days ultimatum to vacate the houses but none responded. 

Fazilka, August 8
With plantation of a sapling on Sadhu Asharam Road near Shastri Chowk here, the two days Anand Utsav programme took off in Fazilka on Staurday.

The first citizen of Fazilka Anil Kumar Sethi, president MC, planted a sapling in presence of the office-bearers of Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF), which is organising this mega festival with help of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, in memory of the great martyr Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

To acquaint the young generation with traditional ancient games, which have now almost disappeared in the age of computer, the sports meet programme was organised in the evening in Nai Abadi locality near railway crossing.

On the first day of Anand Utsav, the popular traditional street games vaanjhi, pithu, kabaddi, kho-kho, laatu, bhambiri, langra sher, anna sotta and different races were organised, in which, dozens of youngsters participated.