Mansa, February 20
“There was a need to resolve the pending cases which were lying in different courts for a long time,” said Justice Lakshmi Narain Mittal, judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court-cum-Administrative Judge of Session Division Mansa, while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the new building of bar room-cum-litigants hall at Mansa today.

He called upon the lawyers and judges to work harmoniously to reduce the heavy burden of pending cases. He stressed upon the speedy justice so that possibility of injustice could be removed.

Giving details of new building in court complex, he said this would be helpful in the efficient functioning of bar. He informed that a new building of the Court Complex Sardulgarh would be constructed soon.

Earlier, Justice Mittal was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival in the Judicial Court Complex Mansa. President of Bar Association Mansa, Gurpreet Singh Sidhu welcomed the visiting High Court judge on behalf of the district advocates. Addressing the gathering, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kumar Rahul said the district administration has been working sincerely to ensure the development in every field.

A suitable building was a long-pending demand of lawyers and litigants that was fulfilled with the completion of this building. Notably, building has been provided with the facilities of bar room library and canteen and provision was also made for bank, post office and two shops in this building.

District and sessions judge, HPS Mahal thanked the HC judge for inaugurating the bar room and litigant hall. Speaking on the occasion, he assured that district judiciary will work for the speedy justice to people.

On the occasion, SSP Hardyal Singh Maan, advocates and other officials and people were also present. 

Moga, February 20
The Inspector General of Police (Bathinda zone) Rohit Chaudhary has decided to hold an open public darbar on February 25 in Moga to look into the complaints and grievances of the local people.

The IG, who has joined on this key post a couple of days back, had come over to Moga on Saturday to meet the officials of the district police. During his visit, a few people met him and gave some complaints to him.

Talking to The Tribune he said, “I have come here for introduction with the local officials and I could not look into the complaints of the people properly. Therefore, I have decided to hold an open public meet on February 25 especially to look into the complaints of the people.”

When asked about whether he had come here to hold inquiry into the ‘extortion scam of the police’, the IG said that he had not come for this purpose and neither he had been assigned the task to specifically conduct inquiry in this case.

However, he said that some people met him today raising this issue and he had taken the complaints from them. “I will look into these complaints,” he said.

He has appealed to the people of the Moga district that if they had grievances or complaints, even against the local police, they could meet him on coming February 25 in the PWD guest house in Moga.

Earlier, during his visit here, Rohit Chaudhary met the SSP Ashok Bath and other officials of the district police including the SHOs of the police stations and directed them to curb the drug mafia in the state, besides, making efforts to increase the conviction rate of the criminals.

He also asked the local police officials to discharge their duties and serve the people with dedication and honesty so as to raise the faith of the common masses in the working system of the police. 

Jalalabad, February 20
The Border Security Force (BSF) authorities while initiating a unique exercise to keep the morale of its personnel high in all conditions, held a seminar to find ways and means to prevent the suicides, which sometimes took place among them.

The seminar, first of its kind in the Punjab frontier, was organised by the BSF, Abohar sector in this town. Vimal Satyarthi, DIG, BSF, Abohar sector, presided over the seminar. The seminar was attended by about 300 persons including officers, subordinate officers and troops. Gurinder Pal Singh, assistant Prof (Psychology), Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, delivered a valuable lecture on reasons for suicidal tendencies and on their prevention.

Rajesh Kumar Gupta, DIG, BSF, Ferozepur, was the chief observer. SPS Sandhu, Commandant, 30 BN, BSF was the chief modulator and was assisted by Vijay Sinha, two IC and Narender Pal, assistant commandant/ADJT, 30 BN, BSF.

Singh while addressing the seminar, which concluded late last evening, said that symptoms of suicidal tendencies arise quite early in a person who commits suicide and if these symptoms were identified on time and proper help is provided to that person, suicide could be prevented.

Satyarthi said that such an exercise would be carried out at command level. He added that psychologists and counsellors from the reputed institutions and district Red Cross Society would be engaged for holding regular counselling of the BSF personnel.

He added that main purpose of this exercise was that no one from the BSF must go under depression and take extreme step.

He added that Abohar sector would also organise yoga camp for its personnel and other people so that they could be benefitted from it. The families of the BSF personnel would also be invited so that they could learn yoga and could adopt it as their career.

Sandhu, commandant, 30 battalion, BSF, emphasised that committing suicide was a heinous crime and was a cowardice act and a person should face hardship of the life with full confidence rather than to opt for committing suicide.

Rajesh Gupta, DIG said that easy availability of means of suicide and loneliness enhanced the chances of suicide by a person with suicidal tendency. Representatives of all the BSF battalions and sector headquarter from rank and file participated in the seminar. 

Bathinda, February 20
Hardeep Singh Mann, Baba Farid Global Innovation Centre, Bathinda was invited to present his research paper journey towards a fine balance: MG Vassanji’s No New Land to Rohinton Mistry's ‘Swimming Lessons' at the international conference on Canadian studies at the Centre for Candadian Studies, department of comparative literature, Jadavpur University, Kolkata recently.

The conference was attended by eminent scholars and distinguished faculty from India and Canada.

Hardeep Singh Mann is the only person from Punjab who has presented research paper at the conference. Managing Director (MD) of Baba Farid Group of Institution, Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal felicitated Hardeep Singh Maan.

Ferozepur, February 20
The District Consumer Forum, Ferozepur, while holding a local wine contractor for indulging in unfair trade practices and selling liquor bottles at much high prices than the actual prices printed on the same, ordered him to pay a compensation of Rs one lakh.

Sanjay Garg, president, Tarlok Singh and Meena Bishnoi, both members of the Consumer Forum, while deciding the complaint lodged by Sarbrinder Jeet Singh against Gaurav Malhotra, a local wine contractor, held that Malhotra was also guilty of restrictive trade practice.

They ordered Malhotra to pay a compensation of Rs one lakh for selling the liquor at a much excessive rate than its actual price printed on the liquor bottles.

Out of Rs one lakh, Rs 10,000 was to be paid to the complainant and rest of the amount of Rs 90,000 has to be deposited to the Consumer Legal Aid Fund maintained by this Forum.

The Forum had also directed the wine contractor to issue the bills of the price paid by the consumers for the purchase of liquor from their retail outlets in future.

Garg also directed the Excise and Taxation authorities to ensure that the wine contractors must issue bills and not sell the liquor above than the maximum retail price in future.

Bathinda, February 20
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Member of Lok Sabha, today accused the CBI of deliberately delaying the arrest of Sajjan Kumar against whom non-bailable warrants have been issued in connection with the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.

Harsimrat Kaur lashed out at union minister Preneet Kaur and CLP chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for remaining mum on the issue. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had been raising flimsy issues to garner cheap publicity and ignoring the real and burning issues of Punjabis as well as Sikhs, she alleged.

She said that if Bhattal was really concerned about Punjab, she should stage a dharna outside the residence of Sonia Gandhi to pressurise the government to put Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler behind bars.

Questioning the silence of Bhattal and other Congress leaders on the decision of the UPA government to enhance the price of urea by 10 per cent and decontrolling other fertilisers, Harsimrat Kaur said Bhattal does not want to annoy the Congress high-command by raising pro-Punjab and pro-farmer issues as this would put at risk her own position in the party.

She said the UPA government should first link MSP to price index, as suggested by the Swaminathan Commission before tinkering with the rates of farm inputs. She said declaring Punjab a special agricultural zone and acceptance of the report of the Swaminathan Commission was the only solution to farm indebtness. By raising the price of urea, the UPA was further pushing the farmers into deep debt.

Expressing surprise over Preneet Kaur silently endorsing the policy decision in the council of ministers hiking the price of urea, Harsimrat Kaur said she had no moral right to represent the people of Punjab whose 80 per cent population had been adversely affected by the decision.

She said when Mamata Banerjee had the courage to veto the decisions going against West Bengal, the silence of Preneet shows her lust for power and chair.

Chandigarh, February 20
UT Administrator and Punjab Governor Shivraj V Patil has stressed on the need for promoting selfless service, the only virtue that could bring peace in the world, country, community, family and even within oneself.

Inaugurating a two-day Rotary conference, “Confluence 2010”, at Panjab University today, Patil said: “A spirit of positive attitude needs to be inculcated amongst Indians to take the country forward.”

The UT Administrator commended Rotary for undertaking humanitarian tasks with the spirit of service to help others, which they should now extend to the society, too, so that every other professional followed it. Being hosted by Chandigarh Central Club at Law Auditorium, the event also saw Rotary District 3080 present Shreyas Awards to three ‘sons-of-the-soil’ to recognise their excellence in their respective professions.

Former world president of Rotary International Rajendra K. Saboo said the organisation had decided to confer these awards on Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune group of publications and Rajya Sabha member HK Dua, Hero Honda’s managing director Pawan Munjal and Bollywood actress Kirron Kher. Dr Abid Hussain, a noted economist, was the chief guest and he also gave away the awards.

While accepting the award, Dua said nomination to the Rajya Sabha was another extension of his present assignment as a journalist, which primarily involved being the voice of the people and protecting public interests.

“There is a need for more serious people to get into Parliament and I will endeavour to remain the voice of the people of this country,” he averred.

Munjal said Hero Honda owed its success to “strong values, ethical dealings and relationship with its customers, which led to the evolution of a culture of excellence in the company”. Kirron Kher nostalgically remembered her days in the city, especially her return to the same stage of the Law Auditorium where once she performed. 

Bathinda, February 20
Despite being ‘a generation ahead’ service using the cutting-edge technology, the 3G Service of the telecom major, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), is yet to become a craze among mobile users in Bathinda and Mansa districts.

It is not that there is anything wrong with the service or technology; or the company has not been making required efforts in terms of marketing to make the service a success. In fact, ‘high cost’ of 3G-enabled cell phones, availability of low cost cell phone as well as service and most importantly, absence of need for the data service, particularly on move, have been putting obstacles in the way of the ‘Gen-next of mobile telephony’ topping popularity chart in Bathinda and Mansa.

During the last one year, from the launch of the service to till date, the 3G service could find over 10,250 customers.

Experts say that the number could not be termed as a big in the backdrop of rapidly growing base of mobile customers.

The BSNL had launched its epoch-making service in the twin districts of Punjab last year in March and April.

The company has also been ‘aggressive’ in marketing the service. It even distributed SIM cards free of cost and offered attractive free services, like 50 minutes of free video calls etc. But the results could not be drawn on desired and expected lines, BSNL sources said.

It may be mentioned that there are nearly three lakhs customers of BSNL’s mobile services in Bathinda Secondary Switching Area (SAA). The number includes 3G subscribers.

Significantly, the 3G service is much beyond the voice service. It is a bouquet of services. Users of the service could use applications, including high speed broadband, view video footage/clips on mobile handset, make video calls, enjoy live TV, high speed internet while on move, receive e-mails, download full track music, live streaming, online games and others. The data could be downloaded at much higher speed than 2G network, at 2 mbps in ideal conditions.

“Facilities are there but I do not think there is need for me to spend Rs 7,000 to buy a mobile set. Actually, I do not need these services,” said Kishan, a resident of Bathinda. “If I buy and others do not have the set, then what would be the use of mine having such a costly set,” he added.

For many, cell phone means only voice service, not data. “When I could talk to others with the help of a cheaper mobile set, then what is the advantage of going for a costlier one,” another resident said, adding that he had broadband service at home that was catering to his need.

Sources in the BSNL said that it was the ‘demand side problem’ that is coming in way of such a promising service in gaining popularity.

Bathinda, February 20
Jaspal Singh, vice-chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, yesterday inaugurated a hi-tech internet computer lab at the university’s neighbourhood campus in Maur.

Speaking on the occasion, the VC assured full cooperation to this newly-established campus of the Punjabi University. He said the new lab would be of great use to the already running professional classes like MBA, MCA, M Sc, IT, PGDCA, BBA and BCA.

He appreciated the efforts of Manjit Singh, Dean (Colleges) and DK Madaan, principal, for development and promotion of professional education in this backward rural region of Punjab. 

Bathinda, February 20
In a fit of rage, a man shot his wife and her paramour dead at village Gehari Buttar in the district on Saturday evening.

Sources in the village informed that one Nachattar Singh (40) and Sukhjeet Kaur alias Veer Pal Kaur (32), mother of two children, had extra-marital relations for the past couple of years. Manjeet Singh alias Kewal Singh, the husband of the woman in question, knew about it.

Manjeet asked his wife to break her illicit relations with Nachattar Singh many times but she turned down his plea. The issue became a cause of domestic quarrel between the couple, to resolve which, villagers counseled the woman but in vain.

As per the pre-decided plan, carrying his licensed .12 bore gun, Nachattar visited Manjeet’s house to meet his wife, late this evening.

Irked over his regular visits, Manjeet had already decided to take him to task. Immediately after, Nachattar, in an inebriated condition, entered the house. Manjeet hit him on the head with a hockey stick and then snatched the gun.

With the gun, he opened fire at Nachattar Singh and then shot at his wife Sukhjeet Kaur. Leaving them in an injured state, Manjeet managed to flee from the spot. Reaching the spot, villagers found Nachattar dead and rushed Sukhjeet to the hospital. Meanwhile, she too succumbed to the injury.

DSP (Rural) Baljeet Singh reached the spot along with the cops of Sangat police station, who were informed that the deceased woman had an unsavoury reputation in the village for her illicit relations with various persons in the village.

Confirming the facts, SSP Bathinda, Sukhchain Singh Gill said, “Though our team is still investigating the case in detail, acting upon the statement of the son of the deceased Nachattar Singh, we have booked Manjeet Singh under section 302 of the IPC.”

However, the accused was still at large, till the filing of the report.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, February 20
A police constable was killed while an assistant sub-inspector and an alleged rape victim sustained injuries as the jeep that they were using collided with a truck near village Bhurasar of Hanumangarh district today, sources said.

As per details, a case had been registered at the Raziasar police station on the complaint of the woman, who alleged that she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted. The police team was on its way along with the victim for on the spot investigation. Constable Dharampal of Malsisar died on the spot. — OC

Fazilka, February 20
The 63rd Annual Sports Meet of the local MR Government College began here today. In-charge of the meet Prof. Tribhuvan and technical in-charge Harjit Singh Gill said that in 500 meter race (boys) Ranjit Singh and Raj Kumar were adjudged first and second respectively. In the shot put, Gurvinder Singh topped and Harvinder Singh was declared runners up.

Gurpinder Singh won first and Amardeep Singh got second prize in the long jump. Pinderjit Kaur stood first and Balakara second in 200 meter race for girls, Sonia Rani and Anita Rani were declared first and second respectively in shot put, Anju Bala and Amarjot stood first and second in Discus Throw.

The students displayed their rare talent in other events also.

Chief guest of first day events, Karamjit Singh, DSP Fazilka and Davinder Sachdeva, general secretary, PPCC gave away the prizes to the winners.