Hoshiarpur, September 11
Instead of making any effort to control the price hike of essential commodities, ensuring regular power supply to save the dying industry or improving the deteriorated law and order situation in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal has left its traditional gurdwara-based politics and adopted the five-star hotel culture at the cost of the people of the state.

This was stated by Santosh Chaudhary, MP from Hoshiarpur, while talking to The Tribune here today.

She strongly criticised the leaders of the SAD, particularly Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, for organising a brain storming conclave “Punjab vichar manch” of the party at a five-star hotel at Shimla. She said all the SAD delegates had been staying in the costly rooms and suites of a heritage hotel in the Himachal Pradesh capital, for which the party had to pay crores of rupees.

Punjab was already facing a financial crisis on account of the wrong policies of the SAD-BJP government for which its Finance Minister Manpreet Badal had stressed on the discontinuation of subsidies on certain items, including free power being supplied to BPL families and tubewells, to improve the state economy, she said.

Santosh Chaudhary said Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal were giving false statements to set up four more thermal plants in the state but actually nothing had been done so far in this connection.

She specially quoted the deteriorating condition of the ESI Hospital of Chohal in Hoshiarpur. She said there were three industrial units in Chohal where thousands of workers were working.

The managements were providing Rs 20 lakh per month as their share to the state government for the medical benefit of the factory workers. She was shocked to see the deteriorated condition of the ESI Hospital. She said during her recent visit to the hospital she found dusty, broken furniture, unclean bed sheets and other material there.

Only one part-time doctor was visiting the hospital against the two sanctioned posts. The workers complained that their medical bills had not been reimbursed for the past about six years. There was no clerical staff either. Workers alleged that the part-time doctor demanded illegal gratification for forwarding their reimbursement bills to the head office.

The Congress MP said instead of adopting the five-star hotel culture, the SAD first of all should set things right to serve the people of Punjab honestly.

Kapurthala, September 11
Lazing it out as they allegedly detained a resident of Kalewal village for the past five days without registration of an FIR against him, the district police sprung to action and did the needful hours before the arrival of a warrant officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Acting on the complaint of Shankar Lal, a local resident, a warrant officer from the High Court conducted a surprise visit to the city police station on Wednesday evening but got a bit too late.

The complainant, in his application, had said the district police has illegally detained his son Vijay Kumar in the police station’s lock-up for the past five days. He had sought the court’s intervention to get his son freed from the clutches of the police.

Sources disclosed that the police got information about the visit of the warrant officer, and it registered an FIR under section 420 of the IPC against Vijay on the complaint of Baldev Kaur of the same locality, just hours before his visit.

The warrant officer returned empty handed. He, however, prepared a report in this regard after questioning the cops.

Batala, September 11
Surinder Kumar, son of Ishar Dass of Kapoori Gate, Batala, today lodged a complaint with the police that one of his neighbourers Gurdeep Singh, son of Manjeet Singh, also of Kapoori Gate, had been harassing his wife Nottan (name changed) for the past about four years by teasing her and passing remarks on her mobile phone.

Gurdeep Singh phoned her daily from his mobile phone (94640-96669).

The SHO appointed SI Darshan Lal to look into the matter. However, SI Dashing Lal called both the parties to come to the police station at 3 pm. But no solution could be found to the problem.

When contacted, SSP Dr Naresh Arora said he had asked for a copy of the complaint which Surinder Kumar had given to the city police Station.

Phagwara, September 11
A 17-year-old resident of Sudan Mohalla, Sagar Sud, was found murdered at Mannawali village this morning. The motive behind the murder could not be ascertained as yet.

Working as a recovery agent with a private telecommunication company Sud was allegedly stabbed to death and his body was dumped in thickets along a village road.

Family members of Sud revealed that Sagar went to the office in the morning but did not return till late in the evening. His employer revealed that Sud had gone to Mannawali village for collection of money.

Some women of Mannawali village noticed the body in the thickets and villagers informed the police. The police reached the spot and took the body in possession. The investigating officer said the body had deep injuries on the neck and back. Sud’s motorcycle and mobile phone were found missing. The assailants, however, did not take the money lying in Sud’s pocket.

DBA suspends six ‘rebels’

Jalandhar, September 11
The District Bar Association (DBA) has suspended its six members for challenging a state-level strike call of the association to protest against the hike in the court fee by the Punjab government.

While two members were suspended yesterday, four were suspended a day before.

The DBA had given a call to observe a strike across the state against the state government for hiking the court fee. The members of DBA had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner in this regard. — TNS