Ferozepur, March 12
Even as the sleuths of Vigilance Bureau (VB), Punjab, caught Dharampal and Baldev Singh, two staff of deputy commissioner (DC) office, allegedly red handed while accepting bribe, the action of former triggered off a protest among the other staff members of the same office, who staged a dharna immediately after the incident, here today.

Varinder Sharma, vice-president, DC Office Ministerial Staff Association, Ferozepur, who led the dharna, said that a state-wide agitation including stopping of work in all the government offices could be launched from Monday onward if the justice was not done with two officials, who had allegedly been falsely implicated into corruption case.

To prevent the situation from taking ugly turn, deputy commissioner K. K. Yadav had taken up the matter with state vigilance bureau authorities apart from talking with the local officials of the bureau.

He said that the association had submitted a memorandum to him that sleuths of VB did not follow the proper procedure while catching two officials in a corruption case. He said that he would ensure justice in this case.

He added that he had not been taken into confidence by the sleuths of VB before catching two officials of his office in bribe case. He said that a section of advocates of this town also met him in this connection and lodged the protest against action of VB.

He was holding a meeting with senior civil and police officials in his office till the filing of this report.

Sharma said association had urged Yadav to institute an inquiry by a senior civil official in this matter by using the powers of district magistrate and stop any action on the basis of criminal case registered against two officials by the VB till that inquiry was concluded. He said that manner of the agitation would be decided tomorrow.

Dharampal, Superintendent (Grade-1) and Baldev Singh, Establishment Assistant (EA), working in the DC office, were caught allegedly red handed while taking bribe from Kulwant Singh, another clerk also posted in the same office in lieu of making payment of his dues to the tune of about Rs 13 lakhs.

Kulwant Singh, who remained suspended for years together and got reinstated few months ago, was entitled to get the wages for the period during which he remained suspended. The accused officials had been demanding bribe from him in lieu of making payment of his dues.

DSP Talwinder Singh, who led the VB team, said that Rs 2,000 each was recovered from the pockets of shirts of both Dharampal and Baldev Singh immediately after they took the same from Kulwant Singh today.

He added that a case in this connection had been registered under Prevention of Corruption Act in local vigilance bureau police station.

Meanwhile, two separate parties were sent to houses of both the officials by the VB to carry out the search of same.

Moga, March 12
The Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes has summoned a report from the District Magistrate of Moga Satwant Singh Johal with regard to a complaint of caste discrimination lodged by a section of the residents of nearby Thoothgarh village. In the complaint, it has been alleged that 'granthi' (priest) of the village gurdwara belonging to a upper class had refused to perform the religious rites for solemnising the marriage of a Dalit girl.

As per the complaint, the copy of which is available with The Tribune, the parents of the poor girl, nambardar, three panches and few other residents had alleged that the 'granthi' refused to perform the religious rites for solemnising the marriage of a poor Sikh girl on December 9, 2009 belonging to a scheduled caste family.

They had alleged that the family members of the girl first approached the village panchayat who intervened into the matter but the 'granthi' did not listen to them. The family along with other residents of the village then approached the concerned SHO and DSP, besides, the SSP and DM of Moga district but no action was taken against the 'granthi' during the past three months.

Having failed to get "justice" from the district administration and the police, the family then approached the SC Commission on February 24, 2010. A complaint in this regard was lodged in the office of the Commission at Chandigarh.

While taking up the matter today, Dalip Singh Pandhi Member of the Commission has asked the DM of Moga to submit a report in this regard on coming March 25, the next date of hearing in this case.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the incidents of caste discrimination in Punjab, Pandhi said that inequity still persists in the state. Despite tall claims of the government, the scheduled castes had failed to achieve a commensurate improvement in their social status, he said. 

Bathinda, March 12
Probing a complaint, the Bathinda police booked the principal, a superintendent and two other staff members of the Indian ITI here for cheating two students, who are brothers.

A student of the ITI, Heera Nand of the Ajit road, had lodged a complaint alleging that the staff sought bribe to get them passed in an examination. However, the brothers refused to pay the bribe. Irked over it, the ITI authorities allegedly changed their examination sheets and failed Heera’s brother.

Following the complaint, the police booked Anand Kumar, the principal, superintendent Kulwinder Singh and two persons from management, namely Sant Parkash Sharma and Jaswinder Singh, under sections 420, 120-B, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code. 

Bathinda, March 12
Though many do not accept inter- caste marriages whole heartedly, such marriages are being solemnised in routine by the youths (boys and girls) from various general category communities and backward classes communities with the members of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities by breaking the age-old barriers of caste system.

Under a scheme of the Central government of removing untouchability, which provides an award of Rs 25,000 for solemnising inter caste marriage, more than two dozens of couples had applied for award money during three financial years (2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-2010) to the district welfare office here for getting the award money. Of the Rs 25000, a sum of Rs 15000 is given in cash while remaining Rs 10,000 is given in the form of National Savings Certificates.

As per the data, collected by TNS, during three years, 27 couples have applied for award money to the district welfare office here, of which 22 boys and girls from general category and five from backward classes have solemnised marriages with the members of the SC communities in Bathinda district.

According to information, the district welfare office today sent the cases of four couples (who had applied for award money during the current financial year) to the Director, Welfare, Punjab for sending the same to the Union Welfare Ministry, Government of India, after processing these cases at its level, for getting these cases sanctioned.

However, the office had sent 11 cases of inter caste marriage couples (who had applied for award money during 2008-09) on November 10, 2009 while it had sent cases of 12 couples (who had applied for award money during 2007-08) in February 2008 to the Welfare Department. One case from 2007-08 cases had already reportedly been sanctioned.

Thus, beneficiaries of 22 cases (11 each of 2007-08 and 2008-09) are still awaiting their award money of Rs 25,000 each though the local office of Welfare Department had sent these cases for sanction about four months ago or more than this period. 

Moga, March 12
Police has registered a criminal case against eight persons, including mother of the 19-year old woman, on charges of allegedly abducting and pushing her into prostitution. The plight of the victim was highlighted in the news report "Man rescues sister 'forced' into prostitution by mother" published in The Tribune on March 12.

Talking to TNS, Ram Singh SHO of the police station (South) said a criminal case under sections 366-A, 376 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against Gurmeet Kaur, wife of Kartar Singh and the mother of the girl, Poonam, Preet, Keepa, Neeta, Sebi, Tari, all residents of Moga town, and Swaran Singh son of Balbir Singh resident of Charik village.

He said that the investigation of this case has been handed over to ASI Sukhpal Singh who has conducted raids on the houses of the alleged accused but no one could was arrested at the time of filing this news report.

It may mentioned that the victim had filed an affidavit before the DSP (City) Balwinder Singh on Wednesday alleging that she was pushed into prostitution by her mother and another woman of this town.

It was learnt that during preliminary investigations she had also revealed the locations of many brothels in this town. 

Abohar, March 12
While reacting to the agitation launched by the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan) against an ENT specialist here over alleged negligence in treatment of a female patient, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the sub-divisional administration to intervene in the matter.

Former IMA president Dr Harsh Wadhwa was joined by Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, former MLA and Dr Gian Singh, former SMO in refuting the allegations levelled by the BKU at a press conference this evening.

IMA president Dr RK Nagpal, chest specialist Dr P P Gupta, heart specialist Dr N Sethi and senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mohinder Goyal were also present.

They sought to convey that fear psychosis haunts as many as 65 members of the IMA here as the BKU had not called off the agitation even when Dr Ram Kumar Goyal had assured adequate compensation to the kin of the woman who had died of cancer at Bikaner after preliminary treatment here by the ENT specialist. “We had made the offer on humanitarian ground considering expenses incurred by the economically backward family but regretfully the BKU was exploiting it,” they said.

The IMA warned of one day strike. — OC

Bathinda, March 12
The Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have landed in a fresh trouble as the Punjab Infrastructure and Development Board (PIDB) has refused to return a multicrore-worth property, the Blue Fox, till the BMC repays the loan of Rs 40 crore advanced by the board.

The BMC had transferred the land in question, measuring about 22,000 square yards, to the PIDB on January 12, 2008, with an intention to sell it at higher price.

Acting upon the directions, the PIDB put it on auction for March 12, 2007, with a reserve price of Rs 50,000 per square yard. Despite being a commercial land, the bids could reach just Rs 60,000 when news reached that the High Court had stayed the auction. Though it was unconfirmed, the auction committee withdrew the auction floating an excuse that the bid was much below than the expected amount.

Later, the BMC got an advance loan of Rs 40 crore from the PIDB for development projects in the city. It was said that the loan amount would be deducted from the income generated out of the sale of the property.

Later, BMC officials had a communication with the PIDB that they wanted to get the property back after repaying the debt. Getting a nod from PIDB officials, the BMC officials had filed an affidavit with the High Court stating that they could fetch more money if they sold the property on their own.

Convinced over the plea, the HC directed the PIDB to return the land and recover the loan from the BMC. However, a BMC official recently asked the PIDB officials to change the mutation in the name of the BMC, which the latter refused.

Issuing a memo on March 8, 2010, the PIDB officials clearly stated that the land could be transferred only if the BMC repays the loan of Rs 40 crore as well as an amount of Rs 14.35 lakh, which the PIDB had paid as consultancy fee to IL&FC-IDC.

BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “We are already facing funds crisis and meeting their condition may be tough for us. I will put the matter at the coming general house meeting to arrive at a decision.”

Bathinda, March 12
Just a few days after initiating a probe in the city beautification project worth Rs 40-crore, the Vigilance Bureau (Bathinda range) has now taken a privately constructed “illegal” market — the Nauhria Street shopping complex, Bathinda — under its scanner.

It was alleged that the complex had been illegally raised in the residential area without a clearance certificate regarding the change of land use (CLU). Further, the builders, who allegedly belong to the ruling political alliance, had sold the shops constructed there.

In the whole process, connivance of some senior officials of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) had also been alleged, which led the VB sleuths to launch a probe in the matter.

During a general house meeting earlier, some councillors, including Rajan Garg, had raised an objection over the construction of market and asked the BMC Mayor to get the matter thoroughly examined. Going by the demand, the Mayor marked an inquiry to BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat.

After conducting a detailed inquiry, the BMC commissioner announced in the next general house meeting that the ‘much controversial’ multicrore-worth shopping complex situated at Nauhria Street was illegally constructed without the permission of the BMC.

In the report, he had observed the role of various subordinate officials controversial.

However, while addressing the house, the BMC commissioner did not produce all documents related to the case as well as his findings of the probe to each councillor, floating the file being heavy as an excuse.

Irked over the reply, a BJP councillor, Krishan Kumar Garg, openly accused Superintending Engineer-cum-Executive officer of the BMC BD Singla of having a financial interest in the complex. Krishan Garg had alleged, “It is the reason why the Superintending Engineer was shielding the persons, who have raised such a huge structure without even completing any of the formalities.” Pacifying the agitating councillors, BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat had said after finding it totally illegal structure, he had passed verbal orders for its demolition. However, no action has been taken to demolish the structure till now.

Meanwhile, a social activist lodged a detailed complaint with the sleuths of VB (Bathinda range), who forwarded it to their headquarters for approval. The senior officials sent it back with a direction to investigate the matter in detail. However, terming it a confidential proceeding, senior VB officials refused to divulge in details.

On his part, BMC Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “We had provided the documents related to the complex immediately after the VB sleuths had asked these for investigation.”

Bathinda, March 12
The Punjab Government has released a sum of Rs 4.70 crore for the Bathinda district to distribute the same among thousands of beneficiaries of various financial assistance and pension schemes of the Social Security Department, Punjab. This amount has been released for disbursing old-age pension to elderly persons and financial assistance to widows/destitute women, disabled persons and dependent children for the months of October and November 2009.

Sources told TNS that there were over 93,900 beneficiaries of all the four welfare schemes in the district, who were getting Rs 250 per month. Even after the release of funds for the months of October and November 2009, the financial assistance or old age pension, worth about Rs 7.05 crore, for the months of December 2009, January and February 2010 was yet to be released.

The cheques of the pensions and financial assistance are being sent to the banks of urban individual beneficiaries for crediting the same in their accounts while the cheques of rural beneficiaries are being sent to the bank accounts of the Panchayats of the villages, so that the beneficiaries could get their pension from the village Panchayat concerned.

Moga, March 12
Annual sports meet of the DM College of Education concluded here this week. In the 400-metre race (boys) Baljit Singh bagged first position while Vikram Rai and Gurvinder Singh got the second and third positions, respectively. In the 400-metre race (girls) Baljit Kaur, Shinder Pal and Rajdeep Kaur got top three slots, respectively.

In the long jump (boys) Baljit Singh, Rajinder and Vikram Rai got first, second and third positions, respectively. In the long jump (girls) Mandeep Kaur, Lovedeep Kaur and Veer Pal Kaur clinched the top three positions, respectively.

Many other sports events were also organised by the college. Mandeep Kaur and Baljit Singh were adjudged best athletes, said Dr Shushma Sharma, principal of the college.

The local MLA Joginder Pal Jain inaugurated the sports meet while the chief parliamentary secretary Sheetal Singh gave the prizes to the winners. 

Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 12
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan has arrested Tushar Aggarwal of Shankar Colony in Sriganganagar for fraudulently changing the IMEI numbers of mobile phones, sources said.

Sources in the SOG while confirming the arrest said raids have been conducted at many places in the state to unearth the gang that had indulged in unfair practice after the customers were asked to get their IMEI numbers registered with the respective service providers. — OC