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Dera Pandwa followers defy Dera Ballan
Phagwara, February 5
Outrightly ignoring the directives of Jalandhar-based Dera Sachkhand Ballan to severe ties with Sikhs, hundreds of followers of Dera Baba Hans Rajji Pandwa paid their obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib and organised a religious congregation in nearby Pandhwan village.

Promotion norms ignored, allege SC/BC teachers
Jalandhar, February 5
The SC/BC Teachers Union, Punjab, today demanded correction in the promotion system of the Education Department while appointing principals of senior secondary schools.

First convocation of Trinity College: 150 get degrees
Guru Nanak Dev University Registrar Inderjeet Singh gives away a degree to a Trinity College student in Jalandhar Jalandhar, February 5
As many as 150 undergraduate students of Trinity College were conferred degrees at the first-ever convocation function of the institution here today.Guru Nanak Dev University Registrar Dr Inderjeet Singh gave away the degrees to the students. The Registrar congratulated the college for its first convocation and urged the students to play an active role in the nation building.

Guru Nanak Dev University Registrar Inderjeet Singh gives away a degree to a Trinity College student in Jalandhar. A Tribune photograph

Gurdaspur youth dies of swine flu
Amritsar, February 5
Nirmal Singh (30), a resident of Chhichhrewal Village in Gurdaspur, died of swine flu at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) here today. He was admitted in critical condition with symptom of flu last evening.

Crime File
Held with smack
HOSHIARPUR: The Bulhowal police has arrested Nekpal, son of Bakashi Ram of Nasanu (UP), and Onkar, son of Azad Rai of the same village, and seized 220 gm smack from them. Both had been booked under sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. Similarly, the Garhshankar police has arrested Sohan Singh, son of Avtar Singh of Bagapur, and seized 15 kg of poppy husk from him. He was also booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act.

MC drama day 3: Cross FIRs, dharnas by Akalis, employees
Asst Commissioner among those booked
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 5
After day-long protests by Akalis and MC employees following an assault on Senior Deputy Mayor at the Commissioner’s office yesterday, the district police today registered cross FIRs against both the groups.

MC employees stage dharnas in Jalandhar on Friday. Tribune photos: Malkiat Singh

The police registered a case under sections 307, 323, 306, 147, 149 and 295-A, IPC, against Assistant Commissioner D.P. Bhardwaj, MC Secretary Ashok Kumar Sharma and MC union member Ashok Bheel, on the complaint of Senior Deputy Mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia.

A counter case was registered against Bhatia under sections 186, 353, 506, 341 and 34 of the IPC on the complaint of the MC Secretary who was allegedly manhandled by Bhatia
on Wednesday.

All the accused have denied any involvement in the incident.

At 11 am today, Akali councillors jammed Guru Nanak Mission Chowk for about an hour demanding police action against the accused. Bhatia, accompanied by Deputy Mayor Parvesh Tangri and a few Akali councillors and supporters held a march towards the residence of the Deputy Commissioner where they again held a demonstration for about two hours.

The dharna was lifted after Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu, SSP R.K. Jaiswal and SP S.K. Kalia agreed to register an FIR on their complaint.

MC employees, on the other hand, observed a complete strike and held a demonstration outside the office. They also held a march up to Jyoti Chowk.

They too demanded registration of a counter case against Bhatia and Tangri. Later in the evening, after a meeting with Commissioner Viney Bublani, the employees agreed to resume work tomorrow.

“We may observe a statewide strike from Monday,” they threatened.

Bajwa sees red as MLAs abstain from meeting
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, February 5
Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa today pulled up officials of the district administration for showing laxity in the implementation of Central schemes.

Bajwa was presiding over a meeting of the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee held at Panchayat Bhavan here to review the district’s performance as far as the implementation of Central government schemes like the Indira Awaas Yoyna, NREGA, the Rural Sanitation Programme and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna was concerned.

Interestingly, all the 11 MLAs from the Gurdaspur Parliamentary constituency were absent from the meeting.

An infuriated Bajwa later said he would be writing to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to ensure that all MLAs turn up at such meetings in future.

Bajwa said Nirmal Singh Kahlon, who is the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Fatehgarh Churian MLA, should also have attended the meeting.

All the 11 MLAs who played truant today are aligned either with the SAD or the BJP and as a leader claimed “were not too interested in attending the meeting being chaired by a Congress MP.”

Bajwa added that he had instructed officials of the district administration to ensure that the agenda of the next such meeting should be circulated at least seven days in advance and not just a day before the meeting as was done this time.

The MP said that payments being made to labourers working under the NREGS should be credited directly to their bank accounts so that the role of sarpanches and district-level officials was minimised and, in the process, corrupt practices were checked.

Bajwa said he was not at all happy over “Gurdaspur district’s low utilisation of funds under the Central government schemes.” He claimed he would hold a meeting after every two months to ensure that these schemes were properly implemented in this district.

Dera Pandwa followers defy Dera Ballan
Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, February 5
Outrightly ignoring the directives of Jalandhar-based Dera Sachkhand Ballan to severe ties with Sikhs, hundreds of followers of Dera Baba Hans Rajji Pandwa paid their obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib and organised a religious congregation in nearby Pandhwan village.

The function was largely attended by dera followers and addressed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Avtar Singh Makkar, Sant Mahinder Dass Pandhwa, Sant Nirmal Dass Rasulpur, Sant Sarwan Dass Ludhiana and Sant Tehal Dass of Nangal late last night.

Makkar, who arrived in the dera at about 9.45 pm on Thursday, appealed to the people to follow the path and inspirations-cum-teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and work for strengthening society. He said that some anti-panth forces were actively working to divide the Sikhs and the Ravidass Community.

But their mala fide intentions could not succeed as the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib did not allow destruction of society.

Almost all speakers expressed their determination to maintain maryada of Guru Granth Sahib and said the designs to divide the communities would be foiled as the decision to remove Guru Granth Sahib from the deras taken by Dera Ballan could not be imposed on the entire Ravidass community.

Meanwhile, the Phagwara police had made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident. Kapurthala SSP Ram Singh and SP (HQ) Chaman Lal were also camping here to monitor the law and order situation. When contacted, the SSP refused to comment on the prevailing situation.

However, it has been observed that Phagwara has been a sensitive subdivision. It has witnessed rampant violence after the Vienna episode.

Meanwhile, the Congress-Shiv Sena dispute could be flare up at any moment as Youth Congress activists led by DYC (Rural) president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary will burn the effigy of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in Goraya on Saturday due to his objectionable remarks against Rahul Gandhi and north Indians.

Promotion norms ignored, allege SC/BC teachers
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 5
The SC/BC Teachers Union, Punjab, today demanded correction in the promotion system of the Education Department while appointing principals of senior secondary schools.

In a press conference, the union leaders said it was a matter of great concern that the seniority list of lecturers had not been regarded while considering promotions. “No transparent method has been adopted in promoting the principals of senior secondary schools in Punjab. The departmental promotional committee met on January 13 in which junior lecturers with an experience of eight to 10 years were considered and promoted as principals, while senior lecturers with 20 plus years of service have been left out,” said state president Mulagar Singh.

Chief organiser Gurmail Singh Chander said: “It is a grave discrimination against senior lecturers, especially of the SC category. Even the judgment of the Supreme Court has been neglected.”

Slamming the MLAs belonging to the SC category, the union demanded their resignations since they had been nothing but mute spectators throughout. “They are cheating the electorate and Dr B.R. Ambedkar,” alleged Chander.

The union will organise a rally in Kapurthala on February 9 to protest against the gross injustice done the teacher community.

First convocation of Trinity College: 150 get degrees
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 5
As many as 150 undergraduate students of Trinity College were conferred degrees at the first-ever convocation function of the institution here today. Guru Nanak Dev University Registrar Dr Inderjeet Singh gave away the degrees to the students. The Registrar congratulated the college for its first convocation and urged the students to play an active role in the nation building.

Among those who were present on the occasion were college Principal Dr Stella, college Director Father Simon, former Director of the college Father Kurian and the President, Bishop Rt. Reverent Dr Anil Couto.

Gurdaspur youth dies of swine flu

Amritsar, February 5
Nirmal Singh (30), a resident of Chhichhrewal Village in Gurdaspur, died of swine flu at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) here today. He was admitted in critical condition with symptom of flu last evening.

Dr H.S. Ghai, Deputy Medical Commissioner and in charge of the swine flu ward in the Civil Hospital, here said earlier, Nirmal remained admitted in a private hospital from where he was referred to the GNDH. He was suffering from acute pneumonia and was put on ventilator.

He said the Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon had been informed in this regard and asked to take preventive measures. Meanwhile, Ravinder Kaur (25), a pregnant lady and resident of Krishna Square, here suffering from the H1N1 virus has been admitted in a private hospital in a critical condition. She was carrying a dead baby that has been aborted. — TNS