Jalandhar, February 22
Members of the Punjab Government Pensioners, Family Pensioners, Semi-Pensioners Joint Front today blocked the road outside the DC’s office for over half an hour, after Deputy Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu failed to turn up at the office to accept their memorandum. Traffic was diverted to an alternate route to avoid traffic jams.

The blockage was lifted after the ADC took the memorandum. The front decided to hold a meeting on March 7 to decide the next course of action, including jail bharo movement, if their demands were not met by the government.

A protest rally was organised by the joint front at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall against the indifferent attitude of the state government for not accepting their demands. Their major demands included cash payments of the arrears of pension revision of 43 months in one go and inclusion of the names of three conveners of the front in the anomaly committee.

“The recommendations of the Fifth Punjab Pay Commission were implemented by the government without taking the leaders of the pensioners’ front into confidence. Our efforts for a dialogue with it ended in smoke. It has resulted in various anomalies in the report,” said Om Parkash Gabha, convener of the front.

Earlier, the front had held a protest rally at Chandigarh on July 3, 2009, and handed over a demand letter to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, but no action had been taken by the government.

“Forced by the adamant and callous attitude of the government we were forced to adopt the path of struggle and will continue with the protests till our demands are met,” said Mohinder Singh Parwana.

Hoshiarpur, February 22
State Information Commissioner (SIO) , Punjab, Kulbir Singh has recently ordered the local Public Information Officer (PIO) to pay a compensation of Rs 2,000 to Dharamvir Khosla of the local Bazar Vakilan within one week of the receipt of the order and come to his office for confirmation of the compliance on March 4.

Dharamvir Khosla had sought information from the PIO, which the latter provided to him but he was not satisfied with the information under the plea that why his basic application of August 19, 2009, was not treated as an official document. He had filed a complaint against the PIO to the SIO in this connection.

Regarding the observation of Dharamvir Khosla, the SIO advised that the information was only to be provided if it existed in the record and no information was to be created.

In the order of December 1, 2009, the SIO directed the respondent to show cause as to why the complainant should not be compensated for the detriment suffered by him. It is observed that in spite of two opportunities, the respondent did not file his reply. The complainant had to attend the commission on three occasions in connection with his complaint. In the facts and circumstances of the case, the SIO was of the view that justice would be given by allowing a compensation of Rs 2,000 to Dharamvir Khosla as no case for imposing penalty under section 20 of the RTI Act was made out.

Nawanshahr, February 22
Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, rise in incidents of communal riots and increasing number of false cases against Congress workers during the three-year rule of the SAD-BJP alliance in the state, Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the Congress would raise the demand of imposition of President’s rule before the next assembly poll in Punjab.

He expressed apprehension that a free and fair poll under the SAD-BJP rule would not be possible in such a situation.

Khaira was talking to mediapersons at the residence of District Congress (Urban) president Vipin Taneja here on Monday.

While accusing the Badal family of misusing official machinery for furthering their own interests rather than caring for the welfare of the people, the Congress MLA said the Badal family had not only been terrorising the small and marginal traders in the trades like transport, liquor, sand and TV cable, etc. but had formulated such laws so that they could establish their monopoly. Even the Sukhbir Badal-Manoranjan Kalia Committee on Resource Mobilisation had levied taxes to promote the vested interests of the Badal family.

“Not only this, the Badal family has also been trying to deny the people their fundamental rights by monopolising the cable TV trade in the state,” alleged Khaira, while adding that 90 per cent of the cable TV channels in the state were directly or indirectly owned by the Badal family so that the people could be forced to view only those programmes which the Badal family wanted to telecast.

Grilling Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on his favourite topic of criticising the Central government for alleged discrimination against Punjab, the Congress MLA accused the CM of being thankless as he had been taking credit for the Centre-sponsored projects by laying the foundation stones.

The SAD-BJP government had failed in fulfilling its poll promises, he alleged while citing the example of the poll promise of making Punjab a power surplus state in three years. The SAD-BJP government had just laid foundation stones of the thermal plants and biomass plants, but nothing concrete had been done so far for translating the projects into reality.

Former MC chief Lalit Mohan Pathak, District Youth Congress President Rajwinder Singh Lucky, Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, Rinku Taneja, Naresh Suri, Satish Rana, among others, were present on the occasion.

Amritsar, February 22
Dal Khalsa has rejected the proposal of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to allow former Sikh terrorists to return to their country.

Even as the names of various leaders of Dal Khalsa, including one of its founders Gajinder Singh, figured in the blacklist, Dal Khalsa has rejected the proposal.

Dal Khalsa President Harcharanjit Singh Dhammi and its spokesman Kanwarpal Singh said here today that Sikh leaders with a soft approach certainly took centre stage in the sikh politics of the state but it must not be construed that the Sikhs had altogether abandoned the movement to achieve “Khalistan”.

They said a peaceful agitation for achieving a separate homeland was a democratic right. They stated that the Central government instead of rehabilitation of former Sikh terrorists must look for those issues which led to the birth of the extremist movement in Punjab. They said the government must facilitate return of those Sikhs without any precondition who had to leave the country fearing police persecution and had no link with the terrorist movement. — TNS

Hoshiarpur, February 22
Activists of the District Congress Committee, led by their local leaders, including Sunder Sham Arora, Omkar Nath, Arun Dogra, Kamaljit Singh, Mandan Gandhi and Varjinder Pal Sud, took out a protest march in the city to show their resentment against the increasing cases of theft in the district and failure of the police to control the crime.

They raised slogans against the Punjab Police and a Cabinet Minister of the state government for allegedly protecting the criminals.

They ended their procession at Clock Tower. Later, they staged a demonstration and blocked vehicular traffic in front of the city police station for more than an hour.

Addressing the rally, local Congress leader Shankar Dass Kataria said though the Model Town police had registered a case on January 11 under section 380 and amended section 365 of the IPC against Jaswinder Singh and some others for stealing buffaloes of Om Parkash Gujjar of the local Mohalla Bassi Khawaju, but it neither arrested the accused nor recovered the stolen buffaloes at the alleged behest of the local Cabinet Minister of Punjab.

Cases of theft and snatching were increasing. Various intoxicants were being sold under the nose of the police, all speakers alleged and demanded arrest of the accused in the case and recovery of stolen buffaloes.

In case the police failed to control crime and arrest criminals, the Congress would intensify its agitation to pressurise the administration, they warned.

Later, the DSP (H) intervened and on his assurance that the accused would soon be arrested, they lifted the dharna and the traffic was restored.

Referring to the case of January 11, SSP Parmod Ban said investigation was being done and in case charges were found correct against Jaswinder Singh, he would immediately be arrested.

Phagwara, February 22
The Phagwara administration will launch a campaign tomorrow to remove illegal encroachments made by shopkeepers on municipal land.

This was stated by SDM Amarjeet Paul while talking to newsmen here today. The SDM took serious notice of the reports that several shopkeepers had extended their shops and encroached upon municipal lands up to middle of the bazaars, resulting in hurdles for the customers.

Paul disclosed that revenue records of 12 villages of Phagwara subdivision had been computerised and the said “fard centre” for the villages of Dhuck, Jagpalpur, Duggan, Dhadhe, Gulabgarh, Jagir, Wariana, Rawalpindi, Fatehgarh, Khalwara, Bishanpur, Wazidowal, Khatti and Dhuck Khatti will start its formal working on February 24.

He instructed the muncipal officials to initiate action for the disposal of dirty water from the localities of Sham Nagar, Tibbi and Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar.

Hoshiarpur, February 22
The SAD-BJP government has failed to control the attacks on minority communities in Punjab. This was alleged by member of the Rajya Sabha and Punjab BSP chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri in a press note here today.

Condemning the objectionable printing of the portrait of Jesus Christ on banners in Jalandhar and also printing of small-size portrait of Guri Ravi Dass, Guru Nanak Dev and Bhagwan Valmiki on the banners, Karimpuri said resentment was prevailing among BSP workers on both these issues.

He demanded immediate and stern action against persons responsible for the episode. Condemning the beheading of two Sikhs by the Pakistani Taliban, he urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to personally intervene in the matter to ensure the safety of Sikhs residing in Pakistan.

Tarn Taran, February 22
Two women were killed when the motorcycle on which they were sitting pillion was hit from the back by a truck at the Goindwal bypass here.

According to information, the deceased have been identified as Karamjit Kaur (32) of Fattowal village in Sultanpur Lodhi and Ajit Kaur (33) of Khadur Sahib.

The deceased were sitting pillion on the motorcycle being driven by Lakhwant Singh, husband of Karamjit Kaur. They were going to Manochahal Kalan village to attend some function. Ajit Kaur died on the spot, while Karamjit Kaur died on way to hospital.