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TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Woman, infant killed in bike-truck collision
Pathankot, October 20
Two persons were killed in a road accident on the Pathankot-Jalandhar road, near Mirthal, 28 km from here, today. According to the police, a man riding a bike (PB-35-G-1590) was on the way to his Kaountar Pur village from Pathankot with his wife and a one-and-a-half-month-old child.

Cong men rally against Badals
Pathankot, October 20
A red notebook is being prepared to record the alleged excesses and misdeeds of police officials who are dancing to the tune of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to harass Congress leaders, activists and the general public.

New parameters to grade SSPs’ performance: DGP
Nawanshahr, October 20
With a view to bringing in qualitative improvement and transparency in police functioning, parameters for grading the performance of SSPs have been formulated. This was stated by DGP P.S. Gill while interacting with mediapersons here today.

Teachers’ front threatens agitation
Jalandhar, October 20
Members of the Primary/Elementary Sikhia Bachao Front have decided to launch a statewide protest and submit a memorandum to Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur in protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands.

Cong’s cleanliness drive
Hoshiarpur, October 20
Chairman of the Training Cell of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Pankaj Kirpal along with Congress workers launched a cleanliness drive at a Dalit basti of Madhowal village of Garhshankar subdivision today. He and his associates cleaned drains and streets with brooms.

Man killed in mishap
Nawanshahr, October 20
Raj Kumar (35) of Phagwara was killed on the spot and his father Kharaiti Lal injured when the motorcycle they were riding on was hit by a car coming from the opposite direction near Chak Bilga village on the Nawanshahr-Jalandhar highway on Monday evening.

Italy agrees to search remains of victims
Amaninder Pal
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 20
The prayers of relatives of the 289 youths who perished in the Malta boat tragedy have been answered owing to the tireless efforts of the Malta Tragedy Probe Mission.

In response to the prolonged battle fought by this mission, the government of Italy has agreed to carry out operations to retrieve the remains of youths from India and other South-Asian countries who drowned in the waters of the Malta Sicily channel when the boat carrying them capsized on the night of December 24, 1996.

Malta Boat Tragedy Probe Mission President Balwant Singh Khera, who organised meetings with ministers and officials of European countries, said Italy had agreed, in principle, to retrieve bones and personal belongings of the deceased.

Senator and member of the Chamber of Deputies Tana De Zulueta had said that the government of Italy was ready to open tenders for the operation, said Khera.

It is learnt that Zulueta also expressed her intention to erect a monument in the honour of the victims in the south of Sicily. A draft legislation for the same has been tabled in both the houses of Parliament of Italy.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Pawan Bansal also requested Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna to consider the matter sympathetically.

“I request you to kindly issue appropriate instructions to the Indian Embassy for adequate and effective follow up on the issues of the retrieval of bones and the erection of the monument. It shall be appropriate if the families of the deceased are informed of the action taken by the Government of India,” wrote Bansal.

The captains of the Yeohan ship, Yousaf El Hallal and Turab Ahmed, who arranged the ship, the drowning of which caused the death of the youths, have been imprisoned for 30 years, said Khera.

During the investigation, a top official of the government of Malta claimed that he himself visited the village named Polpotro D’Cappotassero on the banks of Sicily where villagers collected the remains, including skulls, bones, handbags, shoes, etc., from the bank, but threw them back into the sea fearing police investigation, reads the website of the mission.

As per the website, in the past years the mission has generated public opinion by organising delegations and protests, including a protest in Vatican City and delegation to Archbishop of Athens, in different European countries. Members of the mission had also registered their case in international courts of justice based in Hague, Netherlands, and also approached the International Tribunal at Luxemburg. Member of the Italian parliament Tana De Zulueta had also raised her voice in the parliament and floated an Anti-Pacifist Forum for the Malta Tragedy Prosecution.

Honour killing: Father does away with daughter
Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, October 20
In a bizarre case of honour killing, Ram Singh of Bangla-Ra-Ke village falling under Patti police station, killed his teenage daughter Mandeep Kaur with the help of his brother Gurbhej Singh.

According to information, an FIR lodged with the police claims that Ram Singh allegedly poisoned Mandeep Kaur (14) with the help of Gurbhej Singh. The accused hurriedly cremated Mandeep, apparently to destroy evidence.

The police claimed that Ram Singh managed to immerse her ashes without raising any suspicion among family members and close relatives.

However, village chawkidar Kashmir Singh, suspecting foul play in the death of Mandeep Kaur, reported the matter to the police last night.

On the statement of Kashmir Singh, the Patti police registered a case under sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC against both the accused.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sukhdev Singh Brar said the police was working on two theories in which it suspected that Ram Singh either poisoned Mandeep Kaur or strangled her.

The incident took place on October 1 but the case was registered yesterday.

The accused gave the impression to villagers that Mandeep Kaur had died due to dehydration though all the villagers were suspicious of his motive.

Both the brothers are said to be absconding and the police has launched a manhunt to nab them.

Govt to ensure speedy paddy lifting: Guru
Tribune News Service

Principal Secretary to CM Darbara Singh Guru inspects paddy arrival at a mandi in Jalandhar on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Jalandhar, October 20
The government will ensure that lifting of paddy from various mandis takes place the same day and money is paid to the farmers the following day.

Darbara Singh Guru, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, today inspected the procurement process in the mandis of Bhogpur, Alawalpur, Adampur, Jalandhar and Kartarpur. He instructed the staff of various agencies to ensure lifting of stock without any delay by pressing more trucks and tractor-trailers for the purpose.

The government had secured Rs 12,628 crore for the procurement season, of which Rs 3,500 crore had already been paid to farmers. This amounted to 88 per cent of the total paddy procured. As many as 52.50 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured till last evening, he revealed.

The state had been divided into six centres and nearly 1,600 purchase centres set up across the state for the smooth procurement of the crop. Senior officials had been deputed to look after all such centres and they would not only supervise the procurement but also solve the problems of the farmers, commission agents and government agencies, he added.

Guru said the Deputy Commissioners had been instructed to meet the officials of the procurement agencies in the morning and remove obstacles, if any. The CM himself reviewed the entire process at a meeting with senior officials every morning, he said.

He said the state had made all arrangements for the supply of DAP fertiliser for the forthcoming rabi crop. The cooperative and private sectors had enough stocks to meet the requirements of the farmers, he added. The Principal Secretary was accompanied by DC A.S. Pannu, Women Commission Chairperson Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Food and Supplies Deputy Director Nishan Singh and DFSC Rajat Oberoi.

Woman, infant killed in bike-truck collision
Our Correspondent

Pathankot, October 20
Two persons were killed in a road accident on the Pathankot-Jalandhar road, near Mirthal, 28 km from here, today. According to the police, a man riding a bike (PB-35-G-1590) was on the way to his Kaountar Pur village from Pathankot with his wife and a one-and-a-half-month-old child.

When they reached near Mirthal, a Tata-407 truck, coming from the Jalandhar side, hit the motorcycle, resulting in the death of his wife Soma Devi (23) and her son on the spot. The driver of the Tata-407 truck fled from the scene with his vehicle. The police has registered a case.

Congmen rally against Badals

Pathankot, October 20
A red notebook is being prepared to record the alleged excesses and misdeeds of police officials who are dancing to the tune of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to harass Congress leaders, activists and the general public. Congressmen held a protest march in the town and burnt the effigy of the state government at Labour Shed Chowk.

Addressing a district-level dharna organised by the District Congress Committee against price hike, prolonged power cuts and reimposition of octroi here today, Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa alleged that the Badals had not been sparing even a single moment to take Congressmen to task to meet their political ends. He said the government had stealthily prepared a blueprint for reimposition of octroi in the state. He said Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia was also misguiding people .regarding reimposition of octroi.

New parameters to grade SSPs’ performance: DGP
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, October 20
With a view to bringing in qualitative improvement and transparency in police functioning, parameters for grading the performance of SSPs have been formulated. This was stated by DGP P.S. Gill while interacting with mediapersons here today.

The SSPs have been made aware of the grading parameters at a meeting held in Chandigarh recently and action would be taken against the SSPs falling short of the grading parameters, said the DGP, who visited the town to conduct an inspection of the office of the SSP.

The DGP visited the various counters and interacted with police officials to have first-hand information with regard to the delivery mechanism of various public utility services. Answering a query regarding the reported row between the Amritsar SSP and MLA Anil Joshi, Gill said he had just read the statement of the MLA in newspapers. The MLA had not brought the matter to his notice.

Answering a query about shortage of police staff in the district, he said excess staff from other districts would be transferred to make up for the staff shortage.