J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Patwaris launch ‘allowance’ war against govt
Nawanshahr, March 28
The Revenue Patwaris have come out in the open against the Punjab Government over non-enhancement of their various allowances. Amrik Singh Rai and Gurnek Singh Sher, State President and General Secretary of the Punjab Revenue Patwari Union, respectively, said the union would hold district-level dharnas to protest over the matter.

Stopped from cheating, girl slaps Deputy Superintendent (Exams)
Phillaur, March 28
In a shocking incident, a Class XII girl slapped Deputy Superintendent (Examinations) Navpreet Kaur as she had stopped the student from cheating during her English examination at Government Senior Secondary School (Girls) Phillaur.

HC officer rescues minor from police post
Batala, March 28
A warrant officer, appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, rescued a minor who was illegally detained by the police, from the Udhanwal police post on Saturday. The police had illegally detained Zorawar Singh, whose brother Jagjit Singh had eloped with a girl, on the complaint of girl’s relatives.

SGPC Polls
Support anti-Badal candidates: Bittu to Cong
Jalandhar, March 28
Member Parliament and President of Punjab Youth Congress Ravneet Singh Bittu said the Congress should extend its support to all anti-Badal factions in the coming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections.

Man shot dead
Hoshiarpur, March 28
A red alert was sounded in the district following the murder of Narinder Kumar, alias Bittu of Sahora village PS Hajipur by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths on Mukerian-Hajipur road yesterday.

Patwaris launch ‘allowance’ war against govt
Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, March 28
The Revenue Patwaris have come out in the open against the Punjab Government over non-enhancement of their various allowances. Amrik Singh Rai and Gurnek Singh Sher, State President and General Secretary of the Punjab Revenue Patwari Union, respectively, said the union would hold district-level dharnas to protest over the matter.

They said they would also expose the alleged embezzlement of funds of the Punjab Land Record Society by officials on the pretext of improvement in the functioning of the State Revenue Department.

“Though the state government is keen to enhance the salaries and emoluments of legislators and has hiked the amount to be credited in the account of the Land Record Society from Rs 150 to Rs 500 per land registration deed, the various allowances being provided to the Revenue Patwaris for office rent, stationery and travelling have not been enhanced for the past about two decades,” they said.

With the hike in land registration fee, the common man has been burdened but it has facilitated the ‘extravagance’ of the officials of the Punjab State Land Record Society, further alleged the union leaders, while lamenting that though a huge amount had been spent by the society during the past six years, till now even the primary work of computerisation of records had not been completed.

The Patwaris have been demanding enhancement in the allowance of office rent from Rs 35 to Rs 1,000, stationery allowance from Rs 25 to 500, basta allowance from Rs 25 to Rs 500, travelling allowance of Rs 1,500 and special allowance of Rs 1,000 for the office of the assistant kanugo.

The union has also been raising the demand of imparting computer training to Patwaris for proper computerisation of land records, instead of privatisation of the Revenue Department under the guise of the Punjab Land Record Society, said the leaders.

Stopped from cheating, girl slaps Deputy Superintendent (Exams)
Ashok Kaura

Phillaur, March 28
In a shocking incident, a Class XII girl slapped Deputy Superintendent (Examinations) Navpreet Kaur as she had stopped the student from cheating during her English examination at Government Senior Secondary School (Girls) Phillaur.

On March 22, the girl, identified as Amandeep Kaur and daughter of Partappura Sarpanch Surinder Pal, was found to be using mobile during her examination. When further checked, the student was also found to be carrying chits. The Deputy Superintendent still allowed the girl to complete her paper after seizing the chits and mobile.

According to sources, the girl missed her next four papers on consecutive days. On March 27, she arrived at the school to give her Computers’ paper. There she entered into an argument with the Navpreet Kaur after which she slapped the latter and destroyed her mobile throwing it on the floor.

The Deputy Superintendent reported the matter to the Principal, who then lodged a complaint with the Phillaur police. SHO Omkar Singh and SDO Pritam Singh said they had gone to the girl’s house but she was not present at that time. “So we have asked the Sarpanch to come with the girl and report to them. If the girl doesn’t apologise, they would take legal action against her,” the police official said.

HC officer rescues minor from police post
Balraj Mahajan

Batala, March 28
A warrant officer, appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, rescued a minor who was illegally detained by the police, from the Udhanwal police post on Saturday. The police had illegally detained Zorawar Singh, whose brother Jagjit Singh had eloped with a girl, on the complaint of girl’s relatives.

The police took the boy in custody hoping to get some information on the runaway couple and possibly pressurise Jagjit to surrender.

On a writ petition filed by the relatives of Zorawar, the high court appointed Advocate Satish Kumar Growar as a warrant officer to rescue the “detainee”.

The warrant officer raided the Udhanwal police post and rescued the minor from its rooftop.

The officer also took possession of the daily diary register of the police post where no entry about the boy’s arrest was made.

Meanwhile, the local police denied the illegal detention and said the relatives of the boy must have used a ladder to send Zorawar to the roof.

SGPC Polls
Support anti-Badal candidates: Bittu to Cong

Jalandhar, March 28
Member Parliament and President of Punjab Youth Congress Ravneet Singh Bittu said the Congress should extend its support to all anti-Badal factions in the coming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections.

Bittu, who was here to conduct a review meeting of the District Youth Congress (urban), opined that instead of fielding its own candidates, the Congress should use the influence of its leaders and cadres in support of such candidates.

“Although the Congress party has no intentions to indulge in the religious affairs of any community, it should back honest and right thinking candidates in the coming SGPC elections. This will only give a jolt to the iron grip of the Shiromani Akali Dal on the Committee”, he said. — TNS

Man shot dead

Hoshiarpur, March 28
A red alert was sounded in the district following the murder of Narinder Kumar, alias Bittu of Sahora village PS Hajipur by two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths on Mukerian-Hajipur road yesterday.

According to the police sources, Narinder Kumar was going in his car (PB 54 C 3007) from Mukerian to his village. On the way near Thakur Rice Mill, two youths stopped him and fired a shot at him from point blank range. The bullet hit Narinder Kumar on his chest and he died on the spot. After dragging his body from the car, they threw it on the road and fled in the car towards Mukerian side. SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said a red alert had been sounded to catch the culprits. — OC