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Non-Acceptance of Demands
Dogs maul boy to death
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Harjeet Kaur (left) and Sukhpal Kaur, daughters of Gurjant Singh of Behman Jassa Singh village, narrating their plight at Chak Ram Singh Wala village
in Bathinda district on Thursday. Photo by writer
PAU-201 variety
Play urges people to shun superstitions
Man killed in road mishap
Mandi Board orders re-auction of paddy
MES workers stage dharna
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Govt staff to observe pen-down strike today
Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 25 Talking to TNS, state president of the union Darshan Singh Bajaj said these days were very crucial for the state government as the current financial year was nearing its end. He said in case the government compelled them to continue their pen down strike for an indefinite period from March 27, all grants and funds to the tune of crores of rupees would lapse after March 31, as no bill would be passed by the treasuries and no money would be collected by the offices. Bajaj said the main demand of the union was scrapping of government’s decision that makes mandatory for clerks and stenorgraphers to pass a Punjabi typing test or computer test. He said due to this, clerks in service for 15 years had still been working on the starting basic pay scale of Rs 3,120, as no increment had been given to them during these years. He said the union wanted that in place of imposing condition of computer test on clerks and stenos, the government should allow them to attend only a 120-hour computer course. Bajaj said regarding higher pay-scale for clerks in the light of enhanced educational qualification from 10+2 to graduate, the CM had assured them in October last that he would get a survey conducted to know how much financial burden the step would draw to the state exchequer. Nothing had been done so far, he regretted. Meanwhile, a large number of ministerial employees, including women, today held a rally outside the Mini-secretariat here in support of their demands. The leaders urged the employees to make the pen down strike a big success to compel the government to accept their demands immediately. Among the leaders who were present or addressed the rally included Darshan Singh Bajaj, Gopal Singh, Kuldip Sharma, Ashok Chopra, Gurdev Singh Kot Fatta, Sukhpal Singh Sidhu, Randhir Singh Dhillon, Gurpreet Singh, Sham Lal, Tek Singh and Amarjit Sharma.
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Dogs maul boy to death
Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 25 Some residents including Lalit Kumar Harwani revealed to The Tribune that Roshan
Lal, son of Paras Ram Bawri, was on his way back from school and was to join the parents, who were harvesting crop. On the way, a group of stray dogs attacked him. He cried for help. The parents and other farm workers rushed for help but in full view the dogs dragged the minor boy, continued biting until more workers joined the rescue operation carrying
lathies. The boy was rushed to the civil hospital but he succumbed to his multiple wounds. Scores of villagers led by sarpanch Pat Ram, social activist Baba Chuni Lal and Santosh Bishnoi shifted Roshan's body from the hospital, kept it on the road near 24BB village and staged
dharna. Vehicular traffic was jammed amidst shouting of slogans. Roshan’s mother Sharda Devi was in an inconsolable condition. The protesters said just 10 days back the stray dogs had tried to kill another boy in broad daylight. This was the third such incident.
Tehsildar Hoshiar Singh along with SHO Balraj Singh Mann and others rushed in and negotiated with the protesters. The dharna was lifted in the evening after the administration promised to get the cremation ground shifted within a week besides pursuing the staff concerned to initiate action to combat the stray dog menace. |
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Sorrow stalks Gurjant’s family members
Chak Ram Singh Wala (Bathinda), March 25 After protests, a committee fighting for the cause of family managed to make the administration release Rs 8 lakh in the name of the three surviving girls. During negotiations, two of them were assured of government jobs. At the time, all three daughters of Gurjant Singh namely, Harjeet Kaur, Rampal Kaur and Sukhpal Kaur, were unmarried. Later, Harjeet and Rampal got married but luck did not smile on Rampal, a physically challenged. She became an alleged victim of dowry and later returned to her parental house. The youngest one, who is still unmarried, has now been living with Harjeet at her in-laws' house in village Chak Ram Singh Wala, fearing a threat to life. Narrating the plight to TNS, Harjeet cursed the government as well as their "bad luck". She alleged, "The government had promised jobs for Sukhpal and Rampal, as they were 10+2 pass. But the promise has not been kept till date." "Further, about half of the compensation was spent on marrying Rampal with a wish to make up her physical weakness by fulfilling her in-laws' every demand," she said with tears in eyes. Wiping her tears, Sukhpal said, "Just after six months, Rampal's in-laws started harassing her. Despite being well aware about the tragedy we had recently faced, they demanded Rs 4.5 lakh to buy a car. We withdrew the remaining compensation from our accounts and handed it over to them." She alleged, "Later, they started pressurising us to reach a compromise with the cops, who were accused of abetting our parents and sisters to commit suicide. They asked us to settle the case for a handsome amount and fill their pockets if wanted to see Rampal happy." Consoling both of them, Harpreet Singh, husband of Harjeet said, "About 10 days back, she was beaten up by her brother-in-law. Finally, we brought her back and lodged a case against her in-laws for committing atrocities and demanding dowry. Now, she is living at her paternal uncle's house, which is also located at Behman Jassa Singh village." "We lost everything due to the harassment but even after that the police kept on torturing us mentally. An inspector rank officer, who was also accused of abetment in the incident, had many a times threatened us to withdraw the case. We want justice..." Both could not utter anything more. It may be recalled that in his recent report to the High Court, the district and session judge, Bathinda, Kuldip Singh, who held the judicial probe has indicted the team of cops for fabricating evidence, abetting suicide, dereliction of duty and misrepresenting facts. |
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Delayed nod for purchase fails to provide relief to rice millers
Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service
Moga, March 25 About 40-lakh tonnes of this variety of paddy was procured by various agencies during the last procurement season and its milling was yet to begin in all the districts of the state. The state government had spent more than Rs 4,000 crore to procure it. As per the orders issued by Dr Ashok Kumar Deputy Commissioner (S&R) of the union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution on March 23, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the relaxation has not been given in the Majha and Doaba belts of the state comprising as many as 11 districts. The relaxation in broken rice has been increased from 25 per cent to 28 per cent and in case of damage from four to 4.75 per cent for the national pool. Earlier, the damage percentage limit was four per cent. The Centre has given partial relaxation for purchase of the PAU-201 variety after six months of the beginning of the last year’s procurement. Hukam Chand Chabra, president, rice millers association, Moga district, said shortage of labour, ensuing summer season and power cuts is likely to add to the problems of the rice millers in addition to the condition of partial relaxation without value cut.
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Play urges people to shun superstitions
Bathinda, March 25 Three plays — ‘Awesale yudhan di naika’, ‘Main phir aawanga’ and “Pret” — were staged to disseminate the ideology of the martyrs and aware the people against superstitions. Besides, members of the Tarksheel Society, namely Kulwant Singh, Balbir Singh and Harinder Kumar, performed magic tricks to educate people that “magic is not a divine force, but only an art”. An exhibition was also organised by the Tarksheel Society. Banners carrying quotations of Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ideology and posters exposing the tricks of ‘tantriks’ and information about eye, body and blood donations were displayed at the exhibition that attracted a large number of visitors. Revolutionary, scientific and ‘Tarksheel’ books were also displayed at the exhibition. State-level leaders of the Tarksheel Society Bhura Singh Mehma Sarja and Ranjit Singh exhorted people not to believe superstitions. |
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Man killed in road mishap
Fazilka, March 25 They were returning to their village Sidhwala in the wee hours today. On the way, their bike went out of control and fell into a 10 feet drain near village Jandwala. As the day broke, the nearby villagers noticed an accident and pulled out Sona Singh and Jarinail Singh. Sona Singh was found dead. However, Jarnail Singh was shifted to the Civil Hospital Jalalabad. Sona Singh and Jarnail Singh went to meet their friend at a brick kiln at village Maur. The postmorterm of Sona Singh was conducted here in the local civil hospital today.
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Mandi Board orders re-auction of paddy
Fazilka, March 25 Talking to TNS, he said that he had ordered the re-auction of the same. Now, an officer of the rank of Deputy General Manager of Punjab Mandi Board from Chandigarh to be sent for the auction, which would be held at Ferozepur instead of Fazilka shortly, he added. Lakhowal said he would institute a probe to find out the role of officials, posted in Fazilka, into the bungling and if any of them found guilty of causing financial loss to the state exchequer, strict action would be taken against him. |
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MES workers stage dharna
Bathinda, March 25 The protesters demanded opening of gate of 132-KV grid and the gate of sub-station number three, stoppage of shifting of office of the B&R of GE (North), and promotions of workers. Among others, Jasvir Singh, Darshan Singh, Gurmej Singh, all union leaders, addressed the protesters.
— TNS |
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