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One lakh clerks up in arms against govt
Amritsar, December 24
About a lakh clerks of as many as 31 departments of the Punjab government are up in arms against the latter for ignoring their demands. The Punjab State Ministerial Union (PSMU) and the Ministerial Staff Union (MSU) have demanded the inclusion of a computer course and exclusion of a typing test for effecting increment.

Sarna has links with ISI, claims Bitta
Jalandhar, December 24
MS Bitta addresses a press conference in Jalandhar on Thursday Reacting over the recent clashes between the hard-line Sikh organisations and different sects, in the recent past, President of All India Anti Terrorist Front MS Bitta today urged the Central Government to form probe committees,
MS Bitta addresses a press conference in Jalandhar on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Undertrial escapes, 3 cops suspended
Jalandhar, December 24
Eluding cops, an undertrial escaped from the Prisoners Ward located on the second floor of the local civil hospital building this morning.

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One lakh clerks up in arms against govt
Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 24
About a lakh clerks of as many as 31 departments of the Punjab government are up in arms against the latter for ignoring their demands. The Punjab State Ministerial Union (PSMU) and the Ministerial Staff Union (MSU) have demanded the inclusion of a computer course and exclusion of a typing test for effecting increment.

The district president of the MSU Sartajbir Singh said the Bhasha Vibhag “Conducts tests for starting increments of clerks after joining the job.” The test is meant to adjudge the speed of Punjabi typing.

He said, however, nearly 15,000 clerks have not cleared the test so far.

He reasoned that the typing test had become obsolete since majority of the work was being done on computers.

Besides, paucity of staff had increased the work manifold which did not give adequate time to the employees to train for the tests, which seeks speed of 300 words in ten minutes.

He said parity in the pay scale of clerks, ETT, PTI, Art and Craft teachers must be effected keeping in mind their qualification. He asserted that as per the new guidelines, though qualification of clerks was higher in comparison to ETT, PTI, Art and Craft teachers, yet they were offered lesser salaries.

Sarna has links with ISI, claims Bitta
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
Reacting over the recent clashes between the hard-line Sikh organisations and different sects, in the recent past, President of All India Anti Terrorist Front MS Bitta today urged the Central Government to form probe committees, with representatives of all religions and sects, eminent scholars and intellectuals of both state and national repute, as its constituents.

While talking to the media here, he said independent probe committees, without any representatives from any political party, should be formed after any incident of fundamental colours.

“To probe the reasons and after-effects of all the clashes which have taken place in the recent past, a committee of intellectuals and scholars, who are able to understand the social fabric of involved communities and societies, and prominent religious figures of all religions, should be formed,” he said.

While blaming BJP MLA from Ludhiana Harish Bedi for the clashes which occurred between Sikh organisations and followers of Ashutosh Maharaj in Ludhiana, he said, “Politicians should refrain from indulging in any kind of activity which can add fuel to the already prevailing violent sentiments.”

Although, he did not submit any documented proof supporting his allegations to the media, he alleged that Paramjeet Singh Sarna of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee has links with ISI and his activities should be probed by central intelligence agencies.

Undertrial escapes, 3 cops suspended
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 24
Eluding cops, an undertrial escaped from the Prisoners Ward located on the second floor of the local civil hospital building this morning.

A suspect in a theft case, Sunny, a resident of Mohalla Telian in Basti Sheikh, was hospitalised and lodged in the ward under police surveillance. He managed to open his shackles when three cops, who were custodians of Sunny, were using the washroom.

Meanwhile, the district police has placed three cops - Amir Singh and Sohan Lal, head constables, and Jasbir Singh, a constable, - under suspension for negligence while on duty.

SP (City-I), SK Kalia said action had been initiated against police personnel for being negligent while on duty. A case in this regard has been registered against the three, he added.

The SP added that traps have been laid to nab the absconder. Police parties have been sent to his suspected hideouts. The family members of Sunny have also been asked to inform the police about his whereabouts.

Woman killed as truck hits scooter

Jalandhar, December 24
An aged woman was crushed to death and her husband sustained critical injuries when the scooter they were riding in was hit by a truck on the Nehru Garden Road near Shashtri Market this afternoon. The mishap occurred when Mangat Singh, a resident of Gurunanakpura West was on his way back from the Football Chowk.
His wife Mohinder Kaur was riding pillion.

As the couple entered the main road, a truck loaded with wheat rammed into their scooter from behind, leaving Mohinder Kaur dead on the spot. Her husband, however, had a narrow escape. The truck driver fled from the scene, leaving behind his vehicle. The body has been sent to the Civil Hospital for postmortem. After impounding the vehicles involved in the accident, the police has registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the truck driver, at police station division no. 4. — TNS

Police station to pave way for highway expansion
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, December 24
The building of the Police Station Chaheru on the national highway would be demolished to pave way for highway expansion. Six-laning work is being carried out between the stretch of Panipat to Jalandhar.

Phagwara DSP Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said the police was in the process of selecting an alternative site for the building. Three to four places have been identified, which were near Haveli dhabha, Lovely Professional University, Hardasspur road and near Chiherru Railway station.