Bathinda, December 11
To conduct the ensuing elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (Board), commissioner of the Gurdwara Elections, Punjab, Kulbir Singh has appointed returning officers (ROs) for 110 constituencies of the state.

A notification to this effect has recently been issued by the Department of Elections (Gurdwara Elections), Government of Punjab.

As per the notification, the Bathinda additional deputy commissioner (Development) has been appointed as the returning officer (RO) for the Bhagta constituency of this district while the Rampura Phul sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been made the RO for the Rampura Phul constituency.

The Bathinda and the Talwandi Sabo SDMs have been appointed as the ROs for the Bathinda and Talwandi Sabo constituencies, respectively.

The Bathinda district revenue officer (DRO) has been made the RO of the Balluana constituency while deputy chief executive officer of the Bathinda Zila Parishad is the RO of the Maur constituency.

Meanwhile, in the remaining constituencies of the state also, the SDMs, the district transport officers (DTOs), the ADCs (D), the ADC, the DROs, the district development and panchayat officer (DDPO), the district transport officers (DTOs) and the assistant excise and taxation commissioners (AETCs) have been appointed as returning officers by the Commissioner.

Bathinda, December 11
National general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal’s youth wing Inderpreet Singh Goga Sandhu has strongly criticised the statement of a Khalistani leader that the ensuing SGPC elections would be contested on the Khalistan issue.

In a statement issued today, Sandhu said as the process of the SGPC elections had begun, the different Akali Dals had started exercise to contest, for which they were even issuing populist statements to attract Sikhs.

He alleged that such Khalistani leaders had “befooled” the Sikhs in the past. However, they would not succeed in their nefarious designs now, he added.

Sandhu further said no Sikh or Punjabi agreed to the issue of Khalistan. He asked the leaders of Khalistan ideology to tell people what they had done for the suffering Panthic families when they were in a position to do something for them.

He also said he himself was a staunch supporter of more rights for Sikhs in the Constitution and for the cause, he had also participated in the Sikhs’ struggle for about two decades. However, he did not approve of killing youths by showing them baseless dreams.

Sandhu appealed to the Sikh voters not to extend support to the radical leaders in the SGPC elections as sentimental persons, rather they should analyse whether these leaders had achieved anything or had they only delivered speeches. He also said there were several issues related to Sikhs that were still lying unaddressed due to political reasons. — TNS

Abohar, December 11
The Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan police today decided to make their joint operation launched against the interstate criminal and smugglers result oriented by using effective communication and crime detection techniques. Besides, new check posts would be set up at vulnerable areas.

Rajan Gupta, ADGP, crime, Punjab, here today said that a lot of information had been exchanged by the police officers of these three states today.

He pointed out that what had been causing problems in bringing the smuggling of narcotics to zero was the fact that smugglers had been using mobile phones and their associates as pilots to inform about the safe routes, supposed to be followed by them for running their illegal business safely.

The other factor, which had also become a major hurdle in containing the activities of smugglers, was that number of policemen deployed for this task was not adequate.

The meeting was attended by I.P.S. Sahota, IG, and border range, Punjab, R.P.S. Brar and R.P. Mittal (both DIGs), Umesh Datta, SP, Sriganganagar, Gurpreet Singh, SSP, Muktsar and senior functionaries of Sirsa and Hanumangarh districts.

Gupta said that list of active smugglers of all the three states were made available to all the officers concerned.

Meanwhile a section of senior functionaries of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan states police put their heads together here today to arrest Jagsir Singh, an accused involved in the murder of three brothers last year, who has been declared proclaimed offender.

Bathinda, December 11
The Bathinda police today arrested two persons involved in the firing incident, which took place at Model Town phase-III here on Thursday evening.

The police has booked four persons, including one Rajinder Singh, junior engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), his nephew Sandeep and two of their accomplices Sonu and Mukund Bihari under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 506 and 34 of the IPC, and sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. However, the police could arrest only Rajinder and Sandeep while others were at large.

The incident had occurred following a dispute over sharing of a common wall. The dispute flared up to the extent that Rajinder and his kin opened fire at their neighbour Sham Garg.

Meanwhile, neighbours Kulwant Singh and Rakesh Arora, who intervened to settle the matter, also sustained bullet injuries. The three injured are still under medical observance. — TNS

Ferozepur, December 11
Three persons including two youths were killed in two separate road accidents in the district. Sources said that Sube Singh and Birla Singh, both youths, were killed when the motorcycle they were travelling hit by a truck on the Zira-Amritsar road.

While one Makhan Singh was killed when the scooter on which he was riding was hit by a car near Surpur level-crossing on Makhu-Moga road.— TNS

Bathinda, December 11
Jagrup Singh Brar, MLA from Surrey-Fleetwood in British Columbia (BC), Canada, has expressed deep concern over the “poorly-managed” system in Punjab. Brar, a three-time MLA from BC, was here with his family to apprise the Punjab government about the changes every NRI wants to see in Punjab.

He lamented that every Punjabi settled abroad wished to invest here but the state authorities had no pragmatic plans to attract them.

Punjab-born Brar said that according to a survey conducted in 2007, NRIs had invested about 27 billion dollars in Punjab, which could be 100 times more if the state government removes the procedural formalities and streamlines the system.

“If we want to lure foreign investors, we will have to set pragmatic examples and set the guidelines regarding the rights and responsibilities of NRIs rather than issuing political statements only,” emphasised Brar.

He lamented that Punjab had potential to attract foreign investors but due to a huge risk factor of their property getting encroached, NRIs feared sending money here.

“During my four-week stay in Punjab, I would work on various plans. It is not that Punjab can attract investment only. The youth in the state has enough potential to get jobs throughout the world. The only need is to channelise the system,” said Brar.

He said, “I will visit schools and colleges to inspire youth to rejuvenate their strength, for which Punjabis were known worldwide. Meanwhile, I will have talks with the politicians in power and ask them to play a role in producing skilled labour.”

Condemning the turban-tossing incident occurred recently in the state Assembly, Brar said, “We too have vibrant sessions in the Assembly at BC. However, the image of this state at international level has been hit hard due to the shameful incident. Such incidents should never be repeated in Punjab, if we want the state to see development in the 21st century.” 

Bathinda, December 11
Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Amarinder Singh would address a party workers’ meeting here on December 16. Earlier, he would hold a similar meeting at Mansa.

Party activists said he would review the membership drive and also activate partymen against the ruling SAD-BJP government in Punjab.

Meanwhile, secretary of the PCC Gurkirpal Singh, in a statement today, lambasted Congress Legislative Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for opposing Amarinder’s move to support Paramjit Singh Sarna for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections.

He accused Bhattal of having exposed her proximity to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by opposing Amarinder on the issue of Sarna’s candidature.

Gurkirpal urged the Congress high command to appoint Amarinder as the PCC chief because he was the undisputed leader of the party.

Bathinda, December 11
The Class IV Punjab Government Employees Union (Bathinda unit) staged a rally near the Mini-secretariat here to protest against the non-implementation of pay scales as envisaged by the 5th pay commission.

The rally was held under the presidentship of Manjit Singh. Addressing the gathering, Manjit urged the Punjab government to revise their pay scales on the pattern of Central government employees. He added that services of the employees working on temporary basis should be regularised immediately.

Speakers on the occasion also urged the government to increase their medical expenditure to Rs 1,500 per month and also demanded to set up a review pay commission committee. — OC