J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Cong leaders welcome SC verdict, want CM to quit
Gurdaspur, April 26
Congress leaders from the Mahja region have welcomed the judgement of five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court declaring the expulsion of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Assembly as unconstitutional, unwarranted and uncalled for.

Cong stand vindicated: Khaira
Jalandhar, April 26
Congressmen of the region have hailed the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court in which it has set aside the expulsion of Capt Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Martyr cops cremated with state honours
Jagowal Bangar (Gurdaspur), April 26
There was not a single man, woman or child among the thousands of people gathered who did not have moist eyes as the body of head constable Sawinder Singh (56) was cremated at his native village with full state honours.

Power tariff hike
Cong dharna on April 28
Nawanshahr, April 26
Congress workers, led by Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP, and T.S. Soondh, former MLA, will organise a dharna here on Wednesday against the hike in power tariff.

Resolutions to raise councillors’ honorarium rejected
Phagwara, April 26
The Deputy Director of Local Bodies, Jalandhar region, Pardeep Sabharwal, has rejected and suspended two resolutions passed by the Nakodar and Sultanpur Lodhi nagar councils to increase the honorariums of the councillors.

Youth Cong activists gherao DC’s office
Amritsar, April 26
The District Youth Congress (Rural) here today organised a demonstration against the Punjab government for the alleged improper implementation of the Central schemes, including the MGNREGA, the National Rural Health Mission, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Indira Avas Yojna, the Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan, the National Food Security Yojna, etc.

Activists of the District Youth Congress (Urban) protest in front of the Mayor’s office in Amritsar on Monday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Modern facilities for inmates
Govt spending Rs 300 cr
To provide modern facilities to inmates in jails, the Punjab Government is spending Rs 300 crore. With the completion of five new jails at Ropar, Nabha, Mansa, Faridkot and Kapurthala, accommodation for 6,500 prisoners would be available with all modern facilities.

Punjabi singer Saggi cremated
Nawanshahr, April 26
Saudagar Begumpuri (62), veteran Punjabi singer, TV and film artiste, was cremated at his native village Begumpur, near here, today. He had not been keeping well for the past few months and died here today. Popularly known as Saggi in the area, he came into limelight with his Punjabi song “Nee main sas kutni, kutni sandukan ohle .... “ telecast by Jalandhar Doordarshan. He had also acted in Punjabi TV serials and films. He had close relations with Punjabi artistes Dara Singh, Varinder and Mehar Mittal. Saggi had formed the Film and TV Artistes Association and set up Varinder Yaadgari Open Theatre at Begumpur.

Cow Devp Board Soon
Centre opened for treating birds
Hoshiarpur, April 26
The Punjab Government would soon set up a cow development board for promoting cows in the state. Disclosing this in a public meeting after the inauguration of a Birds Treatment Centre (BTC) here last evening, Punjab Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and Dairy Development Gulzar Singh Ranike said the BTC had been constructed by a local NGO, Jain Sewa Sangh, in 15 kanals for treatment of injured birds of the area.

MLA booked for inaugurating ROB unofficially
Hoshiarpur, April 26
The Tanda police booked MLA of the area Sangat Singh Gilzian and his about 150 supporters under sections 186, 188, 353 and 427 of the IPC last night for unofficially inaugurating a railway overbridge (ROB) in the town yesterday before its completion.

Cong leaders welcome SC verdict, want CM to quit
Tribune Reporters

Gurdaspur, April 26
Congress leaders from the Mahja region have welcomed the judgement of five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court declaring the expulsion of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Assembly as unconstitutional, unwarranted and uncalled for.

In a press release, the Congress leaders have demanded resignation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for using the executive and the legislature for political motives.

While hailing the judgement, senior Congress leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Ashwani Sekhri, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, Kanwaljit Singh Lalli, S.S. Sukhsarkaria, Tripat Rajinder Bajwa, Dr Mohinder Rinwa, Raman Behl, Ashok Sharma, Naresh Puri, Prof Darbari Lal, Harjinder Singh Thekedar, Dharambir Sarin, Tarsem Singh, Harminder Singh Gill, Dr Dharambir Agnihotri, S.S. Kanthunangal, Ramanjit Sikki, Gurminder Ratual, Kamal Bakshi and others from Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts, said, “At last the truth has prevailed and narrowminded, partisan and sinister designs of the ruling SAD-BJP combine have been exposed.”

“This judgement has proved that how the SAD-BJP government is using the executive and the legislature for political goals. In view of the SC judgement, which termed the government move as unconstitutional, the CM must own the responsibility and resign from his post,” said the leaders.

The leaders urged Capt Amarinder Singh to launch a campaign both in the House and among the masses to expose the malfunctioning and poor performance of the SAD-BJP government.

Hoshiarpur: Hailing the verdict of the Supreme Court for revoking the expulsion of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh from the Assembly for allegedly committing a breach of the privilege by causing a loss to the exchequer in the alleged Amritsar Improvement Trust scam, MLAs Sangat Singh Gilzian and Lov Kumar Goldy, former minister Romesh Chander Dogra, District of Youth Congress president Amarjeet Singh Lali Manto, former Chairmen of the Market Committee and Improvement Trust Sunder Sham Arora and Pawan Kumar Adia, respectively, PPCC general secretary Kuldip Nanda, DCC general secretary Rajnish Tandon and former president of the District Youth Congress Arun Kumar Dogra said the verdict was a right step in the democratic process.

Instead of taking steps to control price hike, improve law and order, arrange electricity for the dying industry and other problems confronting to the people, the SAD-BJP government was only promoting vendetta politics to crush Congress workers and leaders, they alleged.

Nawanshahr: Former MLAs Parkash Singh (Nawanshahr), Tarlochan Singh Soondh (Banga) and Ram Kishan Kataria (Balachaur) and District Congress Committee president Kuldip Singh Rana, while hailing the decision of the apex court to revoke the expulsion of Capt Amarinder Singh from the assembly, said the decision had not only proved the vindictive attitude and vendetta being practised by the SAD-BJP government against the Congress leaders and workers but it would also give a new direction to the state politics. They were addressing a meeting of Congress workers at Punjab Mata Vidhyawati Bhavan here on Monday.

While terming the recent hike in power tariif as anti-people, the Congress leaders said the Congress would hold a protest dharna against the hike as well as to expose the overall failure of the SAD-BJP government on Wednesday.

Cong stand vindicated: Khaira
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 26
Congressmen of the region have hailed the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court in which it has set aside the expulsion of Capt Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

While hailing the decision of the apex court, Senior Congress leader and former minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said the Supreme Court verdict clearly revealed that the decision taken by the SAD-BJP regime was undemocratic and had made mockery of the established norms of the democratic institution.

“The judgement has established that Congress leaders and workers had been suffering in the atmosphere of political vendetta for the past three years and the cries of Congress workers against vendatta politics were quite justified,” said former minister Chaudhary 
Santokh Singh.

Terming the expulsion of Captain Singh, a public nominee, as an act of political terrorism by the state government against the Congress, Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira demanded immediate resignation of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal who is responsible for misusing the platform of the Vidhan Sabha.

Terming it a turning point, he said the decision of the apex court would discourage the emerging immoral trend of transforming legislative assemblies into a platform for political vendetta.

He demanded that a sitting judge of the High Court should probe thousands of politically motivated cases against Congress cadres in the state.

Former Chairman of the Improvement Trust Tejinder Singh Bittu and DCC senior vice-president Sanjeev Sehgal said the SAD-BJP government had misused the Vidhan Sabha to settle political scores with Captain.

Martyr cops cremated with state honours
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Jagowal Bangar (Gurdaspur), April 26
There was not a single man, woman or child among the thousands of people gathered who did not have moist eyes as the body of head constable Sawinder Singh (56) was cremated at his native village with full state honours.

A contingent of the Punjab Police reversed arms and fired 21 shots in the air as a mark of respect towards the slain cop who died yesterday in the Bhamiyal sector fighting infiltrators who had sneaked into the area from across the border.

Since morning all roads led to the village cremation ground, which was jampacked by villagers who came from far and near, politicians, policemen and officials of the district administration.

The pyre was lit by Sawinder Singh’s eldest son Jagpreet Singh, who is an engineering graduate. His other two sons Hardeep Singh and Baljinder Singh stood by their sobbing mother Manohar Kaur, who found solace in embracing her sons time and again.

Weeping relatives of the deceased elbowed each other for space in the cramped cremation ground and touching scenes could be witnessed all around.

Sawinder Singh was doing duty with the Gurdaspur Highway Patrol before the final call of duty came.

Similar tragic scenes were witnessed at Ghot Phokher village cremation ground where the other deceased Narinder Singh (34) was cremated with full state honours. Head constable Narinder Singh was working as a reader in the office of DSP Garib Dass before he was called to fight the infiltrators in Bhamiyal sector.

Narinder Singh is survived by his wife Sarabjit Kaur and two daughters Sukhjit Kaur (9) and Swaranpreet Kaur (11). The pyre was lit by Narinder Singh’s father Karnail Singh whose anguish over losing a son reflected in his loud wails.

Prominent among those who were present at both the cremations were Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh, Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, Gurdaspur MLA Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, Chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front and former Punjab Minister Maninderjit Singh Bitta, former minister Sucha Singh Chottepur, Deputy Commissioner Pirthi Chand, Inspector-General (Border Range) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, DIG (Border) P.S Gill, Gurdaspur SSP Lok Nath Angra, Secretary of PPCC Raman Bahl and former Chairman of the Gurdaspur Improvement Trust Neeraj Salhotra.

Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa in a message sent from New Delhi said the Punjab Government should see to it that kin of the deceased cops were well looked after and proper monetary aid be given to both the families. Public Relations Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, who is on a tour of the USA, also expressed sympathies with the families of the slain cops.

Power tariff hike
Cong dharna on April 28

Nawanshahr, April 26
Congress workers, led by Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP, and T.S. Soondh, former MLA, will organise a dharna here on Wednesday against the hike in power tariff.

DCC (U) chief Vipin Taneja and former MC chief Lalit Mohan Pathak said the failure of the SAD-BJP government in fulfilling its promise of making the state power surplus would be highlighted. — OC

Resolutions to raise councillors’ honorarium rejected
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, April 26
The Deputy Director of Local Bodies, Jalandhar region, Pardeep Sabharwal, has rejected and suspended two resolutions passed by the Nakodar and Sultanpur Lodhi nagar councils to increase the honorariums of the councillors.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Sabharwal said a meeting of the Nakodar nagar council held on April 20 had passed a resolution to increase the monthly honorarium of the councillors from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 and Rs 200 to Rs 400 per meeting attended by a councillor.

Though 14 of the 15 councillors had supported the resolution moved by Congress member Keshav Dhir and supported by SAD councillor Joginder Gill, Executive Officer Pardeep Kumar had raised some technical objections and ultimately the resolution had to be suspended and rejected by him. Meanwhile, the Executive Officer said the nagar council had sanctioned 98 development works worth more than Rs 1 crore for Nakodar town.

Similarly, he had rejected a resolution of the Sultanpur Lodhi nagar council to increase the monthly honorarium of the NC president from Rs 4000 to Rs 6,000 and for councillors from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000.

Youth Cong activists gherao DC’s office
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 26
The District Youth Congress (Rural) here today organised a demonstration against the Punjab government for the alleged improper implementation of the Central schemes, including the MGNREGA, the National Rural Health Mission, the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Indira Avas Yojna, the Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan, the National Food Security Yojna, etc.

They gheraoed the Deputy Commissioner’s office and raised slogans against the state government for its utter failure in the proper implementation of these schemes.

Among others present on the occasion were All-India Youth Congress secretary Vikas Upadhya and state general secretary Sukhcharan Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Harpartap Ajnala and Dr Shailendra Singh Shelly.

Shelly while submitting a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu, demanded that these schemes should be implemented in letter and spirit. He alleged that the genuine people were deprived of the facilities provided under these schemes.

Meanwhile, activists of the District Youth Congress (Urban), led by its president Dinesh Bassi, also protested against the alleged discrimination being meted out to the areas under the Congress councillors. They protested in front of the Mayor’s office and raised slogans against him and the civil administration.

He alleged that the SAD-BJP government had adopted a partial approach towards the wards headed by Congress councillors. He said though the Mayor had installed foundation stones in every nook and corner of the city, there was nothing in the name of development.

He threatened that the Congress would gherao Mayor Shwet Malik wherever he would go if he failed to initiate development works in these areas.

Modern facilities for inmates
Govt spending Rs 300 cr
Hoshiarpur, April 26

To provide modern facilities to inmates in jails, the Punjab Government is spending Rs 300 crore. With the completion of five new jails at Ropar, Nabha, Mansa, Faridkot and Kapurthala, accommodation for 6,500 prisoners would be available with all modern facilities.

Disclosing this while inaugurating the building of special tourism destination at Vishveshvranand Vedic Research Institute (VVRI) Sadhu Ashram here today, Punjab Minister for Jails, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Hira Singh Gabaria said to promote tourism in the state, the Punjab Government was spending Rs 10 crore on different tourist complexes in the district. After the completion of these projects, the name of Hoshiarpur would come on the world tourism map. He announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the VVRI for promoting vedic research work.

Punjab Minister for Medical Education and Research, Forest, Labour and Parliamentary Affairs Tikshan Sud was also present. Briefing about the importance of the district in tourism he said Sher Shah Suri was born in Bajwara village, located on the periphery of the city.

He announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the institute. — OC

Punjabi singer Saggi cremated
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, April 26
Saudagar Begumpuri (62), veteran Punjabi singer, TV and film artiste, was cremated at his native village Begumpur, near here, today. He had not been keeping well for the past few months and died here today. Popularly known as Saggi in the area, he came into limelight with his Punjabi song “Nee main sas kutni, kutni sandukan ohle .... “ telecast by Jalandhar Doordarshan. He had also acted in Punjabi TV serials and films. He had close relations with Punjabi artistes Dara Singh, Varinder and Mehar Mittal. Saggi had formed the Film and TV Artistes Association and set up Varinder Yaadgari Open Theatre at Begumpur.

Cow Devp Board Soon
Centre opened for treating birds
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, April 26
The Punjab Government would soon set up a cow development board for promoting cows in the state. Disclosing this in a public meeting after the inauguration of a Birds Treatment Centre (BTC) here last evening, Punjab Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and Dairy Development Gulzar Singh Ranike said the BTC had been constructed by a local NGO, Jain Sewa Sangh, in 15 kanals for treatment of injured birds of the area.

The centre had a operation theatre, ICU and recovery room facilities where 170 birds were under treatment. About 70 kg feed for birds was being supplied per month and their monthly expenditure was ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.

Ranike appreciated the efforts of the Jain Sewa Sangh for establishing a unique type of centre for the treatment of injured birds. He announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to the centre for its further promotion.

Punjab Minister for Medical Education and Research, Forest, Labour and Parliamentary Affairs Tikshan Sud said birds had important role in maintaining the neat and clean environment.

Appreciating the activists of the Jain Sewa Sangh for its role in opening the BTC for injured birds he announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the NGO.

MLA booked for inaugurating ROB unofficially
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, April 26
The Tanda police booked MLA of the area Sangat Singh Gilzian and his about 150 supporters under sections 186, 188, 353 and 427 of the IPC last night for unofficially inaugurating a railway overbridge (ROB) in the town yesterday before its completion.

The SDE of the Tanda branch of the PWD got registered the case in which he alleged that Sangat Singh Gilzian along with his supporters demolished the brick wall and iron poles of the overbridge and thus made hurdles in the construction work.

Gilzian successfully contested the last state assembly election from Tanda segment independently when the Congress high command refused him party ticket. After becoming MLA he again joined the party.

Sangat Singh Gilzian claimed that after a lot of efforts the construction of the overbridge was got sanctioned by the railway authorities during the last Congress regime in Punjab and thereafter the construction started. He said the SAD-BJP government did nothing for its construction and was now trying to take credit for this long-awaited project.

Criticising Gilzian for his act, the local leaders of the SAD said he was trying to get cheap publicity by making the inauguration.

According to official sources, the construction work of the overbridge was in final stage and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has to inaugurate it in the first or second week of May.