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Revival of militancy haunts Punjab
33 per cent water samples fail test |
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Five of family killed in road mishap
Hike in borrowing limit to benefit state
English, maths exams of classes X, XII cancelled
Chaos prevails on PTU campus
Missing judicial files recovered from junk dealer
Aam Khas Bagh, which was built by Mughal Emperor Humayun in Sirhind, in a
dilapidating condition. Photo by writer
Babe Da Viah: 3-day celebrations begin
Kharar chemical lab to get staff boost
Sikhs in Austria feel let down by SGPC
Bhattal demands Rs 200 bonus on paddy
Karoran Land Scam
Morning assembly sans principals
Gastroenteritis strikes another village
Fifth swine flu case in Amritsar
School locked
No confusion on NPA: Docs
Karoran Land Scam
High
Court
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Revival of militancy haunts Punjab Chandigarh/Ludhiana, August 25 The shoot-out at the Ludhiana railway station today involving Babbar Khalsa activist Balbir Singh Bhootna is the third incident in recent days with militancy angle returning to haunt the Punjab Police. The police has linked recent killings of Rulda Singh of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (RSS) and Lily Kumar of Mansa, follower the Dera Sucha Sauda, to Punjab militants. Interrogation revealed that the Babbar Khalsa had supplied arms for the killing. Groups dormant and spread across the state have started receiving more funds from
overseas. This was revealed by some persons interrogated at Kot Fateh police station in Faridkot district. Sanjiv Kalra, Inspector-General of Police, said, “There is no cause for serious concern. There are dormant terrorist outfits, without much mass base that plan small incidents to keep themselves in the news. However, we cannot deny their presence”. The intelligence agencies also link recent spurt in heroin smuggling to increased activity in militant camps in Pakistan that aim at targeting soft targets in India. Narco-terrorism is the order of the day in which women and children act as carriers. Balbir Singh too was accompanied by a woman. When cornered he offered to surrender if a former terrorist was brought to meet him, exposing the link. Militancy started raising head about two years ago when terrorists struck at the Shingar cinema in Ludhiana in October 2007. Senior police officials say bombing in the cinema house was an act of terrorists to target migrant labourers. But their designs were curtailed. The situation is alarming, but positive side is militants do not get new recruits and are dependent mainly on former associates scattered in the state. DIG, Jalandhar, Ishwar Singh said, “There are no terrorist organisations with established base in Punjab. But their support from abroad in terms of motivation and money keeps the police on the alert”. In 2005, the European Union had asked its member countries to freeze accounts of the BKI. The funds, however, continue to flow from individual coffers. Besides militant leaders like Wadhawa Singh Babbar, there are others like him in Pakistan. These include Ranjit Singh Neeta of the Khalistan Zindabad Force. Other militant groups having presence in Punjab include the Bhindranwale Tigers Force and the Khalsa Action Committee. Sources say the ISI has asked the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) to train Babbar Khalsa International
(BKI) militants.
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ISI vital link between jehadi groups, BKI: Gill Chandigarh, August 25 Gill added there was also general “environment build-up” in Punjab that encouraged militant activity. “When you move around in the state you see cars and trucks having posters and stickers of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale saying: ‘Lagda pher aana paou’. This projects the general state of disillusionment among people. Added to this is rampant unemployment among the youth,” he said. Gill added discipline in the police force too leaves much to be desired. “The police cannot turn a blind eye to the smallest of details in such matters. Casual approach of the police can be dangerous to the lives of many,” he said. “Equally to be blamed for the current state of affairs are irresponsible statements by leaders at the Centre and the state. There is disintegration of consensus among the states and the Centre to deal with terrorists,” he said. “It is most distressing to see the Centre blaming the states for terrorist attacks, while the states continue putting the blame on the Centre. Take Naxalism for example. Who in the end is responsible for countering terrorism?” he asked.
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33 per cent water samples fail test
Chandigarh, August 25 Of these, 162 samples were sent to the government laboratory, and 107 samples have passed the test, but 55 samples failed. He said of 12 samples obtained from Amritsar, six passed the test, whereas six failed it. In Bathinda of 12 samples, nine passed and three failed; in Fatehgarh Sahib of 10 samples five passed and five did not; in Gurdaspur of 12 samples eight passed and four did not; in Jalandhar 10 of 12 samples passed and two failed; in Kapurthala of 12 samples six passed and six failed; in Moga eight of 12 samples passed; in Ropar six of 10 samples passed and the remaining failed. All 10 samples obtained in Muktsar passed, whereas in Patiala nine of 10 passed and one failed. Out of 19 samples in SAS Nagar district, 16 passed and three failed; in Sangrur district seven of 10 passed and three did not. In Ludhiana, nine of 12 passed and three did not. Dr Sohal added that Health Department officials had been told to coordinate with officials of other departments like Water Supply and Sanitation, Local Bodies, Municipal Corporations and Sewerage for checking the spread of water-borne diseases. He said awareness drives on safe drinking water, proper washing of hands and chlorination of water, personal and public hygiene etc was being stepped up among people to check water-borne diseases, especially in the rainy season.
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Five of family killed in road mishap
Lalita Gupta along with her sons and NRI daughter were killed in the mishap. The siblings have been identified as Wing Commander Sunil Gupta (38), Anil Gupta (36), Parveen Gupta (34) and Rachna Batra. The family belonged to Kathua in Jammu. Sunil and Anil were deployed as engineers in Delhi. All siblings are survived by their spouses
and children. Lalita’s nephew Deepak said he got a call from the Fatehgarh Sahib police at about 5 am and immediately to Mandi Gobindgarh. “Before I arrived, many relatives and friends from Mohali, besides Air Force officers from Chandigarh, had already reached there,” he said. SSP Fatehgarh Sahib Kaustubh Sharma said it was likely that the driver of the car failed to apply brakes on time or negotiate the stationary vehicle. “Had the driver applied brakes on time, there would have been skid marks at the accident spot. There were no such marks,” he said. However, a detailed inquiry would be initiated after registering a case in this connection, he said, adding that possibility of the driver falling asleep while driving could not be ruled out. A case has been registered and bodies have been handed over to the relatives. Ravi Krishnan Khajuria adds from Kathua: Meanwhile, an eerie silence prevailed in ward No. 16 of Shiva Nagar in Kathua here where the Gupta residence wore a deserted look. However, Suman Gupta, relative of the family, said the family had initially decided to go to Haridwar by train, but it could not get reservations and hence they decided to go by car. “The family had left Kathua last night around 10 pm and we had never dreamt in our wildest of dreams that such a tragedy would befall us,” he said.
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Hike in borrowing limit to benefit state
Chandigarh, August 25 Punjab Finance Department sources said the Centre had approved total borrowing limit for all states to 4 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP) for current fiscal year. This is the second time this year the Centre has announced hike in borrowing limit for state governments. Till last year, the state governments were allowed to raise 3 per cent of the GSDP by auctioning government securities - which was increased to 3.5 per cent in the beginning of this fiscal year . The move is aimed at helping states to increase spending to stimulate economies in recessionary environment. However, for Punjab this hike in borrowing limit has been a God-sent. The state now can raise additional Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore by auctioning state development loans (SDL). Against previous borrowing limit of Rs 5,000 crore through selling of securities, the state will be allowed to raise over Rs 5,500 crore (depending on how the Centre pegs the state’s GSDP). Sources said additional money raised would help the state tideover additional financial burden arising out of the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission report (Rs 2,700 crore annually and Rs 4,800 crore as arrears) and hike in power subsidy bill (Rs 542 crore). The Punjab Congress has demanded white paper from the government on the state of economy of the state. Congress spokesperson and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said auctioning of State Development loans for day-to-day expenses would land Punjab in more mess. Thus, people of Punjab should know financial situation in the state. He urged the Badal government not to hoodwink people and misuse taxpayers’ money. Senior Congress leader Rajanbir Singh, too, decried poor fiscal management of the Badal government and demanded either the government should set its house in order or resign owning moral responsibility for making the state insolvent. “The state is already overburdened by debt of over Rs 60,000 crore which is slated to increase to Rs 63,000 crore by the year-end. The present dispensation has failed to raise resources even in its third Budget,” he said. Lamenting Punjab is in dire straits because of Badal’s policy of gaining votes by squandering public money on freebies and sangat darshans, Rajanbir said the days were not far when there would be no takers for Punjab paper securities.
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English, maths exams of classes X, XII cancelled
Bathinda, August 25 Nearly 149 students - 52 of class X and 97 of class XII- were reportedly caught using unfair means by Parminder Kaur Sandhu, Principal, Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Bhagu, Muktsar, also a member of the PSEB academy council, who was a member of a flying squad sent by the board today. Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon, chairman, PSEB, said, “We are against cheating and will not tolerate this. We have cancelled the exams”. Parminder said she, along with four members, went for a surprise check at the school and found children copying freely from Swan pocket guides. Students were caught with blank papers also that were supposed to be filled with answers by teachers if they were unable to find answers from their guides, she added. Today was the PSEB’s classes X and XII maths and English supplementary exam. She said this was the first school she visited to check and the second school, in which the flying squad went, had already burnt the cheating material as they were already informed by the staff of Balbir Senior Secondary School over the phone about the flying squad visiting Faridkot schools today. The squad members reported the matter to the Principal concerned, but according to Parminder, he took it lightly and the DEO (Secondary) was also informed. He signed the copy of fax written by the squad to the chairman of the PSEB for cancelling today’s exam. This was the ‘golden chance’ given to those students who had appeared in all chances the board gives for clearing a supplementary exam.
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Chaos prevails on PTU campus
Jalandhar, August 25 University officials maintained silence on the case that required immediate attention as the fate of hundreds of students hangs in the balance ever since the manual counselling on the basis of class XII merit was stopped on August 13. Sources revealed that the court had ordered the quashing of the previous public notice regarding the counselling. It was also pronounced that the PTU should issue a fresh public notice on filling its vacant seats with candidates trying admission on the basis of CET and AIEEE merit. The court has directed the PTU to fix a cutoff date for the appearing of such candidates after which the remaining seats may be filled on the basis of class XII merit. Unperturbed and perhaps taking the issue too casually, Vice-Chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora and acting Registrar Sarojini Gautam Sharda said they were waiting for a copy of the orders from their counsel. The PTU’s counsel confirmed that the students’ petition had been allowed. “The judgment was pronounced in the court today, but I have not received its copy as yet. I cannot divulge much on it,” the counsel said. With the PTU not yet clearly defining its stance further, uncertainty prevails on the minds of the students, who are unable to decide that whether they should join the seat they had already got in online counselling or to wait for another chance for upgrade of their seat, which may still take at least another fortnight. The session has already begun in colleges since August 17. Over 1,100 candidates had taken admission through manual counselling- 70 per cent of them being fresh candidates, who had not appeared through the CET counselling and had directly approached on the basis of class XII counselling. Confusion prevails even in college campuses. A staff member from the CT Institute of Engineering and Technology revealed, “We are getting so many queries daily with students seeking direct admission but we can provide them only a provisional seat since there have no orders as yet of filling seats through the management quota”.
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Missing judicial files recovered from junk dealer
Muktsar, August 25 The files were reported to have gone missing on Friday. They dealt with various cases pertaining to the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) and the Judicial Magistrate (First Class). The record room is located between the strong room of the District Treasury Office and the residence of Additional Session Judge BS Sodhi. Both have police presence in their vicinity. When record keeper Sachin Kumar came to the office on Saturday, he found that 150 files were missing from the record room. He immediately informed CJM Rajeev Kumar Kalra and filed a complaint with the Muktsar city police station. Judicial officers also informed Faridkot Session Judge Inderjeet Singh Walia under whose jurisdiction the Muktsar judicial complex falls since there is no District Sessions Judge posted in the district. Walia rushed to Muktsar on Saturday and conducted an inquiry. He, along with some judicial officers and the police raided a local junk dealer on the Budda Gujjar road and retrieved 65 files. The rest of the files were recovered later on. Muktsar SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said a rag picker, Rani, who used to operate in the area near the judicial complex, has been booked. She was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Kamaljit Singh today and was remanded in a 14-day judicial custody. The incident has sent shock waves among judicial officials and advocates alike, but no one was willing to comment on the issue.
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A haven for drug addicts
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 25 Though archeological department and district administration claim to maintain various ancient buildings in 42 acres of Bagh, nothing has been done to stop the crumbling portions. Mughal emperor Jahangir got the bagh constructed in the 16th century for his stay during journeys from Delhi towards Lahore. The buildings in Bagh include Naughara, Sheesh Mahal, Shahi Hamaam, Sard Khana, Daulat Khana Khas and Talaab. The area was maintained till a few years ago. Large number of visitors came to see the monuments and nearby buildings. However, the Bagh has now become a den for the drug addicts. Buildings in worst condition include Daulat Khana Khas, Sard Khana and Shahi Hamaam. Lack of upkeep has ruined these buildings. The boards erected outside monument state that many of the rooms were air-conditioned and had facility of modern heaters as well. Around 150 feet deep well has now gone completely dry, which was once source of water for the entire bagh. Employees working in the bagh rued that despite repeated requests to higher authorities nothing has been done to maintain building. Even staff appointed by the department is not sufficient. The staff members include two attendants, two guards and four gardeners. Two guards fail to stop people from desecrating the monument or stop its defacement. Funds released for maintenance for bagh were last issued in 1996. Local residents rued that the politicians make false promises to maintain bagh during elections. But all promises evaporate once the din of elections subsides. One of the employees in office said that at least Rs 5 crore is needed for entire maintenance of bagh but a mere proposal of Rs 1.75 has been sent to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in this regard. Surprisingly, the officials have stated that the money will be used for the construction of parking and maintenance of a pond. The renovation of dilapidating buildings is not in the list of the budget, said the employees.
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Babe Da Viah: 3-day celebrations begin
Batala, August 25 Devotees from across the country have descended on the town and paid obeisance in gurdwaras, built where the marriage ceremony of Guru Nanak Dev with Bibi Sulakhni is said to have taken place 522 years ago. Devotees from Australia, Italy, Canada, England and Germany have also come in large numbers and are going from one gurdwara to another to pay obeisance. Women have been singing marriage songs in a traditional manner to welcome the baraat (marriage party). The baraat of Guru Nanak Dev, which left Sultanpur Lodhi today morning in the shape of a nagar kirtan (religious procession) for this town from Ber Sahib Gurdwara of Sultanpur Lodhi, is expected to reach here late in the evening today. Sucha Singh Langah, Punjab Agriculture Minister, Gurinder Pal Singh Gora and Kashmir Singh Bariarpur, both SGPC members, and Joginder Pal Singh Batala, senior SAD leader, with other residents are awaiting the arrival of the baraat at Ammo Nangal village to extend it a traditional welcome. Guru Nanak Dev married Bibi Sulakhni, daughter of Mul Chand, a Chona Khatri, in 1487 at Batala. The ceremonies were a grand affair as Bibi Sulakhni was the daughter of a revenue official. Guru Nanak Dev refused to follow marriage rituals dictated by Brahmins of that era. He and Bibi Sulakhni took four rounds of the sacred fire instead of the seven prescribed. Rajinder Singh, president, Satkartaria Sahib Gurdwara, said the marriage party would be staying in Satkartaria Sahib Gurdwara tonight. The baraat will be served traditional delicacies. Kulwant Singh, manager, Kand Sahib Gurdwara, built at the place where the marriage party of Guru Nanak Dev was made to rest before the ceremonies, said two lakh devotees had come to the town so far.
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Kharar chemical lab to get staff boost
Chandigarh, August 25 As the case regarding the state of chemical laboratories came up before Justice Rajesh Bindal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Secretary Health informed the court the state was taking steps to increase the working strength at the Kharar chemical lab. Currently, there were 33 employees, but by October 31, as many as 30 more would be appointed, he undertook, adding their appointment would reduce the testing time to three weeks. Present in the court, he added the only exception would be samples to be tested for poison, which would be completed within a month. Justice Bindal, on the previous date of hearing, had asked the Health Secretary to furnish the details of steps being taken to increase the number of chemical laboratories in the state or its staff. The directions come on a habeas corpus petition by Ratta Singh of Beli village in Ropar. He was seeking production of his son Piara Singh, allegedly in illegal confined since May 22. Justice Bindal had previously asserted: “On August 6, considering the fact that a sample of vomiting was sent to the chemical examiner in the state chemical laboratory, Kharar, by the medical officer for testing on May 29 and the report thereof had not been received till date, the head of the laboratory was directed to appear in person in the court. “The state Chief Chemical Examiner has appeared in person. He has apprised the court that there is only one chemical laboratory in the state of Punjab, which is carrying out the tests of poison, drugs and samples sent in rape cases. The tests of the samples can be conducted within a period of five to 10 days.” “However, considering the work load which has increased manifold, the testing takes time ranging from one month to two months. This results in unnecessary delay in the investigation of the case, and also filing of challan and prosecution of the accused”.
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Sikhs in Austria feel let down by SGPC
Amritsar, August 25 Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Austria, said here today that the Punjab government had sent a special plane to Vienna to bring the body of Sant Parmanand killed in a gurdwara on May 24, but had failed to visit the gurdwara where no “prakash” was being held for three “Birs” of Guru Granth Sahib for 14 days. The Austrian resident rued that Akal Takht had directed the SGPC to form a fact-finding committee some weeks ago, but the latter had failed to do so. He said even members of the Indian Embassy were adopting a half- hearted approach to solve their problems. A Dal Khalsa spokesman urged the SGPC to constitute the fact-finding committee to find out the truth behind the Vienna incident. He said the SGPC should initiate steps to boost the morale of Sikhs and draw up programmes to meet promises made to Sikhs in Vienna.
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Bhattal demands Rs 200 bonus on paddy
Chandigarh, August 25 Congress leaders urged Pawar to announce bonus of Rs 200 per quintal on paddy as farmers had to resort to diesel pumps to water their fields in lieu of acute power shortage. Bhattal also requested Pawar to take up the case of the farmers of the state for supply of cheap power to Punjab especially for the farm sector. Taking up the case of FCI employees who were running from pillar to post for their regularisation, Congress leaders called upon the Agriculture Minister to regularise their services as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had already directed the FCI to do the needful. Meanwhile, Bhattal said rice millers of border districts, who were given relaxation on VAT for 2005-06, had not been given any refunds so far.
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Karoran Land Scam
Chandigarh, August 25 The VB had recommended to the government that the case be given to the CBI for investigations, as the VB was short on manpower and resources. It had added that some important files pertaining to the case were also with the CBI as it was carrying out its own investigations into a part of the land scam. The Chief Secretary had called VB officials for a meeting to take a decision in the matter yesterday. “We have decided that there is no need to transfer the case to CBI. Further directions in the matter would follow,” said Punjab Chief Secretary SC Agrawal. The VB had taken up the case in 2006 when it was discovered that over 2,870 acres of shamlat land of Karoran village (near Chandigarh) worth over Rs 3,000 crore had been divided among individual claimants of the land. The VB submitted its findings in the case in 2008 stating that the mutations in favour of individual landowners were “fraudulent, illegal and invalid.” While the VB continued to investigate the case for three years, sources add that now the bureau was probably finding the investigations “too hot to handle” and wanted to wash its hands off the case.
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Morning assembly sans principals
Amritsar, August 25 The Director General of School Education was surprised to find that though prayer was held in all 49 senior secondary schools of the border belt subjected to inspection today, principals or head teachers were absent in the morning assemblies in all of these schools. “Participation, especially that of senior teachers or principals, is considered to be must in the morning assembly as it inculcates discipline among students,” Krishan Kumar said. He said teachers coming late and principals not participating in the morning assembly have been warned of disciplinary action. Also, toilets, particularly that of girls’ schools, were found to be stinking.
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Gastroenteritis strikes another village
Barnala, August 25 According to information, the disease has claimed the life of one person. However, Harkesh Singh Sidhu, DC, Barnala, said the person was under treatment at a hospital in Ludhiana for another disease. Some of the affected persons visited the Barnala Civil Hospital and the Mehal Kalan Health Centre, but many of them were sent back home after treatment. However, two to three persons are still reportedly admitted in the Barnala hospital and the health centre. The DC said after getting information about the spread of the disease at the village, he directed the Public Health authorities to check water supply pipes and locate a leakage point, if any. He also asked them to get water tanks cleaned immediately. He said he had also asked doctors to keep a close watch over the affected patients.
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Fifth swine flu case in Amritsar
Amritsar, August 25 Gurpreet Singh of Nagoke village and his parents, Sandeep Singh and Rupinder Kaur, have been kept in quarantine ward of the hospital. They had reached New Delhi on August 21 and Gurpreet’s test samples were taken at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Later, the family boarded a flight to Amritsar the same night. The boy was admitted to the civil hospital here on his arrival. Till now, five cases have been confirmed in the city. Medical Officer HS Ghai said three more persons, who had returned from Dubai, had been admitted in the hospital with suspected H1N1 infection. He said tests had not been conducted yet, but treatment has been started.
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School locked
Malerkotla , August 25 Following this, Principal Ashok Joshi called the police that broke open the lock and allowed the students to enter the examination hall. Ashok Jain, president, Jain Sabha, which controls the school, said the management had declared two holidays in connection with the Sanwatsri Parv. He said earlier they had terminated the services of the Principal and had written to the board to change the examination centre. But it failed to do so, forcing them to take this step, he added. However, Ashok Joshi said a case was pending in a court regarding their dispute. He said he had informed the board about the behaviour of the management committee and chances of an untoward incident in the school so the board had sent its officials to watch the situation. Gurmail Singh, Deputy Secretary, Middle Cell, and in charge of examination of the PSEB, Mohali, reached with his team there.
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No confusion on NPA: Docs
Patiala, August 25 A spokesman of the IMA here today said the NPA is a part of pay and is given as 25 per cent of the basic pay of any doctor irrespective of old or new pay scales and it has no concern with new allowances yet to be notified by the state government. Accordingly, it should be given w.e.f. January 1, 2006, the date from which the revised pay scales are being implemented for the state government employees as per the pay commission report.
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Hearing in defamation case against Capt deferred
Chandigarh, August 25 The court proceedings, however, were adjourned as Capt Amarirnder Singh had sought an exemption from the court. The court has fixed September 26 as the next date of hearing pertaining to the civil defamation suit. The criminal defamation case also came up for hearing today but was adjourned to Oct 31 after the defense counsel sought time for furnishing additional details. The Chief Minister only stayed on for a few minutes and left the court premises immediately after the case was adjouned. The defamation case was filed on August 12, 2002, in connection with an advertisement portraying Badal as having amassed illegal property worth
crores. It was alleged that the advertisement published on January 1, 2002, under the heading- “The Great Betrayal” had wrongly conveyed a message that the Punjab CM had mortgaged the state’s interest in the SYL canal.
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Fill engg seats on merit, PTU told
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 25 If seats still remained vacant, these would be offered to candidates having basic qualification of 10 plus 2 examination, again strictly on merit.
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Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today made a brief appearance in the District Courts, in connection with an ongoing defamation suit of Rs 5 core filed by him, against former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate J
Sidhu.
Mandi Gobindgarh, August 25