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RMO interview: Merit given go-by, allege some
Jalandhar, September 15
As the Zila Parishad yesterday conducted interviews for the selection of medical graduates for 20 posts of Rural Medical Officer (RMO), a few candidates cried foul alleging that they were not taken into consideration despite a better merit.

Sale Deed Scam
2 registry clerks suspended
Action has been recommended against revenue and bank officials
Hoshiarpur, September 15
On the enquiry report of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Kavita Singh in the much-publicised sale deed scam, Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj has suspended registry clerks Shaminder Singh and Jasbir Singh for their involvement in the scam.

Court Fee Hike
Hundreds of lawyers join agitation
Gurdaspur, September 15
Members of the District Bar Association today took out a march in the town and jammed traffic on the Gurdaspur-Pathankot stretch of the national highway near Post Office Chowk for more than one hour to lodge their protest against the unprecedented hike made by the Punjab government in the court fee.

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	RMO interview: Merit given go-by, allege some Deepkamal Kaur Tribune News Service Jalandhar, September 15 As the Zila Parishad yesterday conducted interviews for the selection of medical graduates for 20 posts of Rural Medical Officer (RMO), a few candidates cried foul alleging that they were not taken into consideration despite a better merit. Among those who lodged the protest was a graduate who had passed out from a foreign institute. There were 59 candidates who were called for interview, of whom there were nine foreign graduates. Rohit Bhanot, who had completed his MBBS from Volgograd Medical University, Russia, rued that despite a good merit, he was called at the fag-end of the interview when all the seats had been allotted. He said he was told that he had been called late since he had not attached the percentage certificate of the screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations, India, with his application. Bhanot said the advertisement regarding the interviews had appeared in newspapers on August 13 in which “it was advised that percentage details of test be attached along with the application”. He said on August 17 he had moved to Delhi to fetch the certificate. He had to apply for it under RTI, the reply of which was dispatched to him on September 1, a day after the cut-off date for applying. He alleged that he got it much later and had taken it along with him at the time of the interview yesterday. The candidate said despite protest he had been placed in the waiting list. ADC (Development) Sarojini Gautam Sharda said the candidate had not attached the required testimonial with his application. “For the same reason, he was called late. He showed the certificate but by then all the seats had been filled and stations had been allotted to the selected candidates. We have accepted his testimonials. We have done that for other candidates as well. In case, any post falls vacant even six months from now, we will call these candidates and get them posted,” she said. Another candidate lodged a strong protest during the interview claiming that he had not been called in. The panelists said since he had failed to show up at the time of the call, he had been marked absent.
	Sale Deed Scam 2 registry clerks suspended Action has been recommended against revenue and bank officials Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 15 On the enquiry report of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Kavita Singh in the much-publicised sale deed scam, Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj has suspended registry clerks Shaminder Singh and Jasbir Singh for their involvement in the scam. Stating this here today, the Deputy Commissioner said both the clerks were being chargesheeted. The licence of stamp vender Vikram Mehta had been suspended and a show-cause notice was being issued to him for the cancellation of his licence. Vicky Malhotra, the kingpin of the scam, was an employee of Vikram Mehta. But actually he used to act on behalf of his employer. Action against Tehsildar Vijay Sharma, presently posted at Hoshiarpur, Tehsildar Harminder Singh, presently posted at Jalandhar, and Naib-Tehsildar Manjit Singh, presently posted at Hoshiarpur, had been recommended to the Financial Commissioner, Punjab, and the Commissioner, Jalandhar Division, for their negligence in duty. Besides, action against Chief Manager Parvir Sharma, Manager Sucha Singh and Deputy Manager Swatantar Malhotra, presently posted at the State Bank of India, main branch, Hoshiarpur, had also been recommended to the head office of the SBI at Chandigarh for their role in the scam. He said the role of Treasury Officer Surinder Kumar and Assistant Cashier Beant Singh was also found doubtful for which action against them had also been recommended to the Director, Treasury, Punjab. Action against audit parties of the Accountant-General, Punjab, and the Financial Commissioner had been recommended for their audit reports. During the inquiry, it was found that Vicky Malhotra in connivance with these officials, carried out a fraud of Rs 76.60 lakh in 49 land deeds. Malhotra used to first deposit less amount in the bank through challan forms from the actual prescribed registration fee of the land sale deeds. Thereafter, he changed the amount on the challan form through overwriting to the actual required fee for the registration and thus got the sale deeds registered from the Tehsildar. The tehsil and bank offices did not tally the amount of challan forms with their records. He said proceedings against Malhotra and his employer Vikram Mehta had been recommended to the district police authorities. Vicky Malhotra had already been arrested in this connection. The Deputy Commissioner said show-cause notices to 15 document writers of the district courts, who had written the sale deeds, had been served for the cancellation of their licences.
	Court Fee Hike Hundreds of lawyers join agitation Tribune Reporters Gurdaspur, September 15 Members of the District Bar Association today took out a march in the town and jammed traffic on the Gurdaspur-Pathankot stretch of the national highway near Post Office Chowk for more than one hour to lodge their protest against the unprecedented hike made by the Punjab government in the court fee. Hundred of lawyers, who carried out the protest for the second consecutive day today on the call given by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, raised slogans against the Punjab government and condemned its anti-poor attitude. Before taking out the march, the members of the Bar led by its president Baltej Singh Saroya said on one hand the government was trying to extend justice to the poor through its free legal aid service and, on the other, the same government had made an increase in the court fee which would render the poor unable to approach the courts for justice. Saroya said that the Bar also condemned the attack on lawyers at Bathinda while they were holding a peaceful demonstration yesterday and demanded that all the goons who were involved in the attack must be arrested without any delay. Hoshiarpur: On the second day, members of the District Bar Association continued their strike here on Tuesday against the unjustified hike in the court fee. Members blocked vehicular traffic for about an hour in front of the civil court premises in protest against the hike. Addressing the protesters, R.P. Dhir, Sarabjit Singh and Navdeep Thakur, president, general secretary and vice-president, respectively, of the association said on account of the hike, litigants had to give 25 per cent court fee on recovery suits up to Rs 4 lakh, whereas earlier it up to Rs 6,248 only. Similarly, the court fee had been increased manifold for obtaining a succession certificate, seeking exemption from personal appearance, filing injunction suit, filing written statement, obtaining certified copy of revenue department, etc. They urged the government to withdraw the hike immediately, failing which the Bar would go on an indefinite strike and would also take legal steps in the matter.
	Elderly woman murdered for earrings Chander Parkash Tribune News Service Lalowal (Gurdaspur), September 15 Pritam Devi, an elderly woman of Lalowal village, falling in Kalanaur police station, was murdered by two youths of the same village this morning for earrings. Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that Pritam Devi, who went to her farm, was attacked by two youths, whose faces were covered. The youths asked her to give them her earrings. Pritam Devi gave her earrings to the attackers without offering any resistance and she recognised both of them. The assailants, who have been identified as Jaika Masih and Mahesh Masih, fearing that Pritam Devi would report the matter to the police as both of them had been recognised by her, attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon injuring her in the head. The youths fled away from the spot with the earrings. Pritam Devi was taken to a hospital but she died on the way. Police sources said both the accused were arrested and the earrings recovered from them. Jaika Masih had earlier been arrested in a theft case and was bailed out in that case in the recent past. A case under sections 302, 382 and 34 of the IPC was registered.
	500 factory workers sit on dharna Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, September 15 More than 500 workers of Usha Martin Factory sat on a dharna in front of the mill gate at Chauhal, 8 km from here, yesterday in support of their various demands, including payment according to the minimum wages fixed by the government, payment of overtime and implementation of labour laws, etc. Ganga Parshad, president of the Kiln Labour Union Punjab, said the dispute between workers and the mill management on various issues had been going on for the past one and a half years. The management had terminated the services of five of the labour leaders due to which great resentment prevails among factory workers. Keeping in view the unrest in the labour class, a heavy police force has been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.
	Black-badge protest by PCMS members Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, September 15 Members of the PCMS Association, Gurdaspur, yesterday wore black badges to protest against the callous and dilly-dallying attitude of the Punjab government in implementing the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. They alleged that instead of implementing the recommendations in toto, the government had been issuing notifications to implement the same in piecemeal and hence denying them pay parity with our central counterparts.