Ferozepur, November 27
In a significant development, which has put the Punjab police authorities on extra alert, Harnek Singh, a resident of village Dila Ram of this district on November 25, has turned out be an activist of a Naxalite organisation-Karantikari Kisan Union.

Not only this, the foreign made .32 bore revolver (Smith and Wesson), which was recovered from his possession, was given to him by Naxalite leader Surjeet Singh Phool, an associate of Kobad Ghandy, a top Maoist leader, for carrying out the criminal activities as per his (Surjeet Singh Phool) directions.

Phool was arrested by Bathinda police from the Rampura Phul court complex on November 17 and he was taken to the joint interrogation centre (JIC), Amritsar by the police for investigating his activities connected with Naxalite movement. The police authorities recovered some documents from Phool, which established the fact that they were in advance stage of launching armed struggle in Punjab.

A section of police officials pointed out that arrest of Harnek Singh with a weapon was a serious matter and the authorities concerned would have to work out a strategy to stop this movement from spreading its tentacles in Punjab.

Police sources said that Harnek Singh, a school dropout, who was about 25-year-old, was remanded to the police custody when he was produced before the court here after a case under sections 9 and 11 of the Unlawful Activities Act and section 25 of the Arms Act was registered against him at the CIA police station. The police also recovered some literature to be used for the purpose of propagating the Naxalite movement.

Sources added that Harnek Singh, who came into contact with Phool during a number of organisations launched an agitation against a commission agent in Guruharsahai area a few months ago, would be sent to JIC, Amritsar on Saturday for thorough investigation of his activities.

The police authorities had also identified two persons, who had been helping Harnek Singh in his 'mission'.

Belonging to a family of landless farmers, one brother of Harnek Singh was working as granthi in one of the famous Gurudwara of northern region while the other brother was working at a wielding workshop. Harnek Singh was not married yet.

Sources said that preliminary investigations had revealed so far that main task of Harnek Singh was to identify fearless and unemployed youths so that they could be motivated for initiating an armed struggle in Punjab. 

Ferozepur, November 27
In a significant judgment passed by the district consumer forum, the Idea Cellular Limited and Spice Communications Private Limited (mobile service providers) have been ordered to stop levying plan charges, extra CLI charges or incremental charges or other rental charges from all their consumers, which were not a part of the plan opted by the consumers at the time of taking the connection of above-mentioned mobile service provider.

Sanjay Garg, president of the Forum, also directed both the mobile service providers that the account of the consumers enrolled with the Idea Cellular and Spice Communication be reviewed for the last two years and the extra amount charged by these mobile service providers be refunded, including the extra charges for sending SMS on special occasions, plan charges, enhanced or extra CLI charges and incremental rental.

The Forum further directed the company to pay a compensation of Rs 1,00,000 for adopting unfair trade practice, out of which a sum of Rs 10,000 is to be paid to the complainant Bachan Singh and rest of the amount of Rs 90,000 is ordered to be deposited to the consumer legal aid fund maintained by the Forum besides another Rs 5000 to the complainant Bachan Singh as litigation expenses.

He directed that if the amount collected from the consumer on account of taxes has not been paid to the government, the same be refunded back to the respective consumers.

Bachan Singh had filed a complaint against both the firms pleading unfair trade practice. 

Moga, November 27
The president of All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF) Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad has dissolved the organisational set-up claiming to pave the way for younger generation to come into the body.

Talking to The Tribune, he said after dissolving the Central Executive Committee all the state, district and lower level office-bearers had been removed from their respective posts.

Adding that the new set-up of the organisation would be announced in January 2010. “In the new set-up, we will chalk out a programme to organise seminars, hold discussions at the high school and college-level across the state and Sikh populated areas in the country to teach the preachings of Sikh gurus to groom the youngsters for bringing in social reforms in the coming times,” he said.

Lashing out at various Sikh organisations, Peer Mohammad said these organisations had deviated from the policies and programmes of their respective organisations for vested political interests, which was not in the interest of the society.

“I think that all likeminded organisations should come on a common platform for bringing in social reforms in the society, which is the need of the hour,” he added. 

Abohar, November 27
The fresh global slump has led to steep fall in the processed cotton prices in the region today. The rate for 40 kg packing of the processed cotton jumped down from Rs 2,688 to Rs 2,590, brokers in Punjab’s major cotton market here confirmed on Friday afternoon.

They maintained that most of the exporters, who had stacked cotton bales, have started disposing it of hurriedly in the domestic market.

Experts in the cotton trade quoting official statistics said cotton had been sown in 15.02 lakh hectares in the north zone while the area in Punjab was limited to 5.36 lakh hectares. It was 101 lakh hectares, if figures collected from other states were added.

The officials had estimated the production in the north zone at 39 lakh bales with 16 lakh bales contribution from Punjab. The government had been expecting import worth seven lakh bales.

Since the situation visibly appeared to be congenial, the export houses had planned to export 55 lakh bales, out of which deals for 35 lakh bales had already been penned. The experts were expecting carry forward 68.50 lakh bales at the end of the year. However, the fresh slump may tilt the prices as well as the balance in demand and availability further, it is feared. — OC 

Abohar, November 27
By sanctioning Rs 10 lakh for de-silting of canals during his day-long sangat darshan tour of this sub-division on Thursday, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has played yet another cheap political gimmick, said Sunil Jakhar, former parliamentary secretary of the irrigation and horticulture departments.

Speaking to the media today, the local legislator said Badal, as well as engineers of the irrigation department knew that a sum of Rs 70 lakh was required for the de-silting project but funds were not arranged before suspending supply of water in the canals last month. The authorities failed in utilising Rs 32 lakh out of pending NREGA funds. Farmers would now have to tolerate closure of canals as sowing of wheat has already been delayed, he said. — OC

Hanumangarh/Abohar, November 27
Surinder Kaur of BJP has been elected as chairperson of the Hanumangarh Municipal Council by defeating her nearest rival Bhanu Bhadoo (Congress) by a margin of 10,729 votes. She was administered oath of the office immediately by the Deputy Commissioner Dr Ravi Kumar.

The winner polled 32719; Bhadoo got 21990 whereas the BJP rebel Narbada Tanwar, wife of the former president, Raj Kumar Tanwar, got 13546 of valid votes. BSP candidate Saroj Rani polled only 769 while CPM candidate Sarvjeet Kaur polled 1273 votes.

Interestingly, Surinder Kaur's, husband (Jaspal Singh) had quit as district president of the BSP during the last Vidhan Sabha elections to join the saffron party.

He had earlier contested Vidhan Sabha elections for four times but always lost besides struggling hard to save the security deposits. 

Bathinda, November 27
Following demand from the employees of district rural development agencies (DRDAs) in the country, the Rural Development Ministry, Government of India, has invited representatives of the All India DRDA Staff Welfare Association for discussion on the proposed winding up of DRDAs, at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, on November 30.

Giving this information here, president of the association Sadhu Ram Kusla said thousands of employees working in the DRDAs all over India were implementing various Centre-sponsored schemes for the past several decades. These schemes would hamper adversely in case the government decided to wind up the DRDAs. Besides, these employees would also face retrenchment, he added.

Kusla said step-motherly treatment was being given to the DRDA employees by the Centre as well as the state governments by depriving them of the service benefits of the state government employees.

Kusla demanded security of job for DRDA employees, framing of service rules, service benefits at par with state government employees, and filling up of vacant posts in the DRDAs. 

Bathinda, November 27
Cricket has moved on to the plains of the south-west Punjab in a big way with the Association of the Indian Universities (AIU) deciding to allot the All India (North Zone) Inter-university cricket championship to the local Rajindra College. The tournament, which has attracted 36 university teams, will be played from December 20 to January 4.

Director (Sports), Punjabi University, Dr Raj Kumar Sharma disclosed that it was for the first time that a tournament of such a magnitude would be held in this part of the state. He added that the teams have been divided in four pools and matches of one pool will be played at Barjindra College, Faridkot.

The matches at Bathinda will be played at the Rajindra College, the Police Public School and the Delhi Public School (DPS). He added that all the arrangements for the stay of officials and umpires had been made.

Dr Sharma said that earlier, high profile matches were confined to the cities like Mohali, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. “Not much cricket has been witnessed in this region ever since Punjab took on Haryana in a Ranji trophy match held at Muktsar way back in 1974. However, by holding this tournament, the sport will get a big fillip. The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) already has made plans to introduce cricket in the villages and the inter-university tournament will be an extension of the PCA’s effort,” he disclosed.

That the sport has already managed to get a foothold in the region is evident from the fact that a team from Bathinda region — Baba Farid College, Deon — sprung a surprise by winning the title in the Punjabi University Inter-college Cricket Tournament which concluded at the Rajindra College yesterday.

Earlier, college teams from Patiala used to win the title with monotonous regularity with the teams from Bathinda and Faridkot not being seen anywhere. However, the domination of Patiala teams has now been broken by the teams from this region.

Said joint secretary, Bathinda District Cricket Association,(BDCA), Arun Wadhawan, “The Punjab Cricket Association, under the leadership of its president IS Bindra and secretary MP Pandove, are making all-out efforts to take cricket to every nook and corner of the south-west Punjab. Just two years ago, curator Babu Ram, who used to prepare pitches at the PCA Mohali, was sent to prepare the practice and match pitches at the Rajindra College ground. Keeping in view the good quality of pitches and supporting infrastructure, the AIU this time decided to pitch for Bathinda as a venue. The inter-university tournament is a springboard for the talented cricketers to enter big time domestic cricket. Most of the Ranji trophy cricketers have been through the rigours of University cricket.”

Assistant coach of the Indian team Munish Bali, who took part in the World Cup (under-19), added, “The tournament will be a good exposure for local boys. It will enable them to understand the finer points of the game which are so essential for a player to make a splash into a big time cricket. Earlier, boys of the region could not differentiate between a slip and a gully. Now, they have started winning major tournaments — the most notable being Baba Farid College’s win in the inter-college tournament.”

Meanwhile, trials to select the Punjabi University team for the tournament were held at the Rajindra College ground here today under the overall supervision of senior Punjabi University cricket coach Harpreet Singh.

Faridkot, November 27
The VI Hamdard hockey tournament organised in the memory of Dr Sadhu Singh Hamdard, who was an eminent media personality of the state, began at Barjindra College in the historic town of Faridkot on Thursday.

Manpreet Singh Badal, finance minister of the state, while inaugurating the tournament announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to Barjindra College and Rs 2 lakh to the organising committee of the tournament and promised to upgrade the hockey ground of the college in the next financial year by laying Astro Turf in order to provide better playing facilities to the players.

Former olympian and president of the Dr Sadhu Singh Hamdard Sports Welfare Society, Surinder Singh Sodhi, said that he was imparting game skills among the budding youngsters.

Meanwhile, three matches were played on the first day of the tournament. In the first match, Baba Naga Sahib Hockey Academy defeated Faridkot Hockey Academy by 7-1 goals.

The second match was played between Hockey Academy Kurali and Jakhar Hockey Academy Jagraon in which Kurali team won by 4-1 goals. The third match was won by Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Club Amritsar that defeated Chema Hockey Academy Barnala by 4-1 goals.

It may be mentioned that as many as eight teams were participating in this tournament, which would continue till November 30. 

Bathinda, November 27
It was momentary fear for Pinki, who was told to jump off a flying AN-32 plane with a parachute, but the apprehension dispelled as she felt the whiff of fresh air on her face. Pinki, a graduation student at the Government Rajindra College here, was adjudged the best girl cadet at the Para Basic Course held in Agra recently.

“Pinki has brought laurels to the 20 battalion, NCC, Bathinda. Over 80 cadets from the country attended the camp. The cadets had to do four jumps a day and one at night. The camp aims at giving a feel of para jumps to cadets,” said Col Dinesh Sayal, a proud commanding officer of the battalion.

Pinki said selection for the course was done after stringent physical tests that included push ups, stretches, sit ups, etc. The selection is as tough for girls as it is for boys as all the cadets go through the same training.

Raju Mohammad, an NCC cadet from the ITI here, also attended the camp and completed it successfully. “My friends forced me to take up NCC as they felt I could be a good cadet. It was a different experience at the Agra camp and I shall always remember it. The course not only taught me how to do para jumps but also about teamwork, leadership and qualities that are needed to become an officer in the defence forces,” Raju said.