The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

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Sikh protesters block highway, 31 held
Phagwara, December 5
Timely action by the Phagwara police prevented Sikh fundamentalists to disturb peace in the town. As per reports, panic gripped the town when Sikh fundamentalists came on roads after hearing the news of large-scale violence in Ludhiana this afternoon.

Policemen disperse the demonstrators in Phagwara.

Ludhiana Violence
Impose Prez rule: Cong
Phagwara, December 5
Several Congress leaders, including PPCC Secretary Parminder Mehta and former minister Rakesh Pandey, described the violence in Ludhiana for last two days as the result of failure of the government, and urged the Union government to impose President rule in the state to protect the lives of the people.

Fraudster in police net
Batala, December 5
The police arrested one Surinder Kumar, resident of Gopal Vihar, Batala, looted many innocents on the pretext of helping them. Kumar used to deceive old and illiterate people at the ATMs by exchanging the cards fraudulently and later withdrawing money from their accounts.

Workers of Forest Dept demand regularisation
Jalandhar, December 5
Under the banner of Joint Front Punjab, state-level leaders of the Forest Department Field Workers Union held a meeting at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall here today. Demands like regularisation of contract workers, issuance of pay slips and pass book to the employees, appointment of regular class-four employees and proper implementation of worker laws were raised during the meeting.

SC panel reviews atrocity cases
Hoshiarpur, December 5
To review the pending cases registered under the Atrocities Act, 1989, and to review various schemes being carried out under the sub-plan in different government departments, a special meeting under the presidentship of Chairman of the Scheduled Caste Commission, Punjab, Narjan Singh was held here yesterday.

	Road drama all around, public pay price School holds traffic to ransom G.S. Paul Tribune News Service Amritsar, December 5 Yet again the public convenience as well as the safety factor was put at stake this morning. For over four hours, the Amritsar bypass road was blocked for the ‘convenience’ of a school function. Consequently, the obvious heavy traffic on this main bypass road was diverted to move from the wrong side, leading to great inconvenience and risky drive for commuters. The authorities of Ryan International School had parked their buses in middle of the slip road as well as the main road to block traffic. But this arrangement was made for the common people only not for the VIPs who were part of the function. Mayor Shwet Malik, attended the school function in the morning by getting the blocked passage cleared. Later at 12.20 pm, the caravan of MLA OP Soni, who has to preside over the function, too got the ‘blocked road’ clear to reach the school. Defending their move, the school authorities said the roads were blocked for the safety of the schoolchildren, who had to participate in the mini-marathon during the function. Questions are being raised that when the normal traffic was blocked for safety of students then why were the VIPs exempted. Nevertheless, as soon as Soni arrived, the pilot guards ‘instructed’ the bus drivers, sitting inside the buses, to remove the buses to make way for the ‘sahib’. In this exercise, total chaos was created on the road as the two school buses, halted in between, got the normal traffic on the GT Road jammed for quite sometime. “This is India. Rules are for us only, not for these VIPs. I got a hard rebuke from the policemen on duty when I got ‘bit late’ in taking aside my car. I could have retorted but ultimately, it was of no use. I would have to surrender, I knew,” rued Manoj Kumar, an executive with a multinational bank. People argued that the school function could have been organised within its premises only. “What was the point of conducting event on the main bypass road. Moreover, they talk about jamming the road for the safety of participating school children. Did anyone thought about safety of those children who had to go on wrong side of way in this heavy traffic,” said another commuter Rekha Biswas, who had to go on the wrong side of the main road with her two children riding pillion on her scooter. Kashmir Singh, officiating in charge, Daburji Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, admitted that the inconvenience was there but it was done for the safety of schoolchildren participating in the marathon on the road. However, he chose to reserve his comments when asked about the passage to the VIPs. “You know, we have to abide by the instructions we receive from high-ups and we did accordingly,” he said. Interestingly, the phones of both the SSP (City) PK Rai and DSP (Traffic) Gurmeet Singh were found to be ‘switched off’ till evening.
	Road show organisers mislead admn Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, December 5 The timely cracking of whip by Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh on the organisers of the ‘Road Show’, for which the permission was sought by misleading the district administration, helped avert mishaps on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway here today. Still, the commuters had to bear with the traffic chaos. In the Road Show, events like bike racing, skating race, squenger hunts, fights open & demo, stunts, band performance, horse racing, scooty race for girls, cycling race, painting, kids fashion show, karate competitions and dance performances were to be held. But the permission from the district administration was sought in the name of a show against the drug menace. As per the schedule, the organisers put up their tents and started playing DJ, near ITI, on the Nawanshahr-Chandigarh Highway and the participants started gathering there. The organisers even started putting up barriers on the one main highway, consequently leading to the traffic chaos there. It came to notice that most of the participants were minor and they had skipped their school to take part in the road show. A few worried parents brought the matter to the notice of the DC and urged him to stop the show. After verifying facts regarding the permission, the Deputy Commissioner gave instructions to stop the show and issue showcause notice to the organisers. Moreover, large hoardings were put up at various public places and pamphlets circulated through newspapers to publicise the show, but there was no mention about the organisation, which is organising the show. After the cancellation of the road show, the organisers, when contacted, tried to evade the queries on one pretext or the other. The residents, especially worried parents, heaved a sigh of relief on the cancellation of the show. They said the district administration should formulate strict parameters for granting permission to show organisers.
	Sikh protesters block highway, 31 held Phagwara, December 5 Timely action by the Phagwara police prevented Sikh fundamentalists to disturb peace in the town. As per reports, panic gripped the town when Sikh fundamentalists came on roads after hearing the news of large-scale violence in Ludhiana this afternoon. The protesters demonstrated in the town and sat on a dharna in middle of the national highway near Goal Chowk here at about 2 pm. Phagwara City SHO Amrik Singh Chahal with Tehsildar Harinder Singh and Naib Tehsildar Mulakh Raj first tried to pacify the protesters but when the crowd did not disperse, the police arrested 31 demonstrators under section 107/151 of the CrPC on the charges of creating hindrance in normal life and apprehension of breach of peace. Several shopkeepers downed their shutters in fear. Later the normal road traffic was restored after the arrests. The DSP said the arrested were produced before SDM Amarjeet Paul and were sent on a judicial remand for 10 days. — OC
	Ludhiana Violence Impose Prez rule: Cong Our Correspondent Phagwara, December 5 Several Congress leaders, including PPCC Secretary Parminder Mehta and former minister Rakesh Pandey, described the violence in Ludhiana for last two days as the result of failure of the government, and urged the Union government to impose President rule in the state to protect the lives of the people. They alleged that the Badal government which had lost the faith of the people and the law and order situation in the state has collapsed in the state. The Congress leaders also came hard on the police saying that the police was unable to control the situation. They said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, BJP Minister Manoranjan Kalia nor Punjab DGP PS Gill didn’t visit Ludhiana during the two days. The Congress leaders appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.
	Fraudster in police net Our Correspondent Batala, December 5 The police arrested one Surinder Kumar, resident of Gopal Vihar, Batala, looted many innocents on the pretext of helping them. Kumar used to deceive old and illiterate people at the ATMs by exchanging the cards fraudulently and later withdrawing money from their accounts. He allegedly withdrew Rs 4.4 lakh. SSP Dinesh Partap Singh said Kumar had become a headache for the police for last many months. Surinder withdrew Rs 93,000 from the account of Sukhjinder Kaur, resident of Faizpura village, Rs 5,500 from the account of Kewal, Rs 52,800 from the account of Sukhdev Kaur of Gallowal village, Rs 57,000 from the account of Beant Singh of Maari Panwan village and Rs 39,000 from the account of Kashmir Singh. The police has recovered Rs 50,000 from Surinder and seized 5 ATM cards.
	Workers of Forest Dept demand regularisation Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 5 Under the banner of Joint Front Punjab, state-level leaders of the Forest Department Field Workers Union held a meeting at the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall here today. Demands like regularisation of contract workers, issuance of pay slips and pass book to the employees, appointment of regular class-four employees and proper implementation of worker laws were raised during the meeting. Facilities like provident fund, ESI, JIS and implementation of social security act 2008 were also demanded for the daily-wage workers employed under the department. The Joint Front Punjab demanded that remuneration of the employees should be equal to that of those under agriculture department. The leaders strongly protested against the government’s attempt to privatise the sector. They declared that if the demands weren’t met, the struggle would be intensified and a rally would be organised in Bathinda.