J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Montek promises Rs 800-cr help to Punjab
Claims Rajinder Bhandari, Vice-Chairman of Punjab State Planning Board
Hoshiarpur, May 25
Despite drought like condition and acute shortage of electricity, Punjab has made contribution of 25 per cent of the total paddy in the national food reservation stock for which Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Mantek Singh Ahluwalia has issued a letter of appreciation to the state government and has promised to grant a financial help of Rs 800 crore to it for development works in the state.

The case of lost and found baby
Nawanshahr, May 25
A four-month-old female child reportedly went missing from the cot and then was found within half an hour from a nearby place under mysterious circumstances at nearby Mahalon village on Monday night. Dev Raj, a rickshaw-puller, father of the victim, told mediapersons that around midnight his wife suddenly woke up and found the baby missing from the cot. They looked for her in the entire room but could not find her. By that time, their neighbours also woke up and started searching the baby.

Youth murdered, three booked
Nawanshahr, May 25
Baljinder Kumar (18), a resident of Phanweran village, was allegedly murdered by three youths belonging to the same village on Monday night. Giving details, Rahon SHO Hardeep Kumar said that a case under sections 302 and 34, IPC, had been registered against accused Lakhi, Kulwant Singh and Ricky on the basis of the statement of Kamaljit Singh, elder brother of the deceased.

Lucky Seven

Rajinder from Bathinda passes through Jalandhar on his way to Amarnath on his bicycle. This is his 7th such trip to the holy cave.

Cong infighting: Goldy’s men ‘beat up’ PPCC secy
Hoshiarpur, May 25
Secretary Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Balwinder Singh Bittu was wounded when a group of at least 25 persons, equipped with blunt weapons, assaulted him at the civil rest house, Garhshankar, 40 km from here, this afternoon, soon after the departure of the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, after meeting the Congress workers of the area.

Preparations on to host AICC mini session in state: Bhattal
Hoshiarpur, May 25
Showing her deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, leader of opposition in Punjab State Assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said keeping in view the prevailing circumstances, it was presumed that there was no government in the state.

Ganda Nullah
Bad construction gives hard time to residents
Hoshiarpur, May 25
The use of sub-standard material in the construction of the ganda nullah and slabs on the drains in the Dharampura area of ward no. 9 and 10, in the Dasuya town of this district, have become constant reasons for damage and resultant reconstruction by the executing agency.

Montek promises Rs 800-cr help to Punjab
Claims Rajinder Bhandari, Vice-Chairman of Punjab State Planning Board
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 25
Despite drought like condition and acute shortage of electricity, Punjab has made contribution of 25 per cent of the total paddy in the national food reservation stock for which Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Mantek Singh Ahluwalia has issued a letter of appreciation to the state government and has promised to grant a financial help of Rs 800 crore to it for development works in the state.

Claiming this while talking to mediapersons on his first visit to the city after taking over the charge of the Vice Chairman of Punjab State Planning Board Rajinder Bhandari said Punjab had contributed 45 per cent wheat in national food reservation stock of the country.

Punjab would demand at least Rs 300 crore for the completion of various development projects from the Planning Commission in the meeting of June 10, 2010.

Referring to the ongoing decrease in ground water level, he said that water depletion in Punjab was quite alarming. It was essential to check its utilization.

He expressed his deep concern over the ever increasing pollution problem in Punjab particularly in Ludhiana city. He said that all the units of electroplating in Ludhiana would be set up in a small cluster there to check the pollution where a water treatment plant would also be installed in this connection.

The case of lost and found baby
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, May 25
A four-month-old female child reportedly went missing from the cot and then was found within half an hour from a nearby place under mysterious circumstances at nearby Mahalon village on Monday night. Dev Raj, a rickshaw-puller, father of the victim, told mediapersons that around midnight his wife suddenly woke up and found the baby missing from the cot. They looked for her in the entire room but could not find her. By that time, their neighbours also woke up and started searching the baby.

It was when they heard sounds of a weeping baby from a place across the road that they rushed to the spot and found the baby safe, said Dev Raj.

“I have no rivalry with anyone in the colony and wonder how someone succeeded in taking the baby away when she was sleeping by the side of her mother and even a dog was there in the room,” added the victim’s father.

The matter was reported to the police and the baby was also taken to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The doctors, after preliminary examination, relieved the baby as no problems were detected.

DSP Satpal Singh Bhangu and city SHO Surinder Pal Singh said the police had registered a case and started investigations into the matter.

Youth murdered, three booked
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, May 25
Baljinder Kumar (18), a resident of Phanweran village, was allegedly murdered by three youths belonging to the same village on Monday night. Giving details, Rahon SHO Hardeep Kumar said that a case under sections 302 and 34, IPC, had been registered against accused Lakhi, Kulwant Singh and Ricky on the basis of the statement of Kamaljit Singh, elder brother of the deceased.

In his statement, Kamaljit had stated that his brother had gone to see a cycle show being held at Dana Mandi of the village. The main accused were also present there and they called his brother on some pretext and took him to a nearby place where the accused attacked his brother with a sharp-edged weapon and fled taking advantage of the darkness, he said, adding that when they came to know about the incident they immediately brought Baljinder to the Civil Hospital, Nawanshahr, where doctors declared him dead.

Kamaljit attributed the incident to about eight-month old quarrel occurred between them during a “chhinj mela” held in the village. At that time, the accused had threatened his brother with dire consequences.

The police has started investigation into the case. No arrest has been made so far.

Cong infighting: Goldy’s men ‘beat up’ PPCC secy
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 25
Secretary Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Balwinder Singh Bittu was wounded when a group of at least 25 persons, equipped with blunt weapons, assaulted him at the civil rest house, Garhshankar, 40 km from here, this afternoon, soon after the departure of the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, after meeting the Congress workers of the area.

Bittu was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Garhshankar, from where he was referred to Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur, where he is under treatment now.

Talking to mediapersons, Balwinder Singh Bittu alleged that the assault on him was made at the behest of Congress MLA of the area Lov Kumar Goldy, who was present on the spot.

Police personnel, including SHO of Garhshankar police station, were also present there and remained silent spectators during the assault.

More than 350 Congress workers assembled there to meet their leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in the rest house. Lov Kumar Goldy, who also came there with his supporters, was irked at seeing the gathering which had assembled to greet his rival faction.

As soon as Bhattal left the venue, Goldy, provoked his men to beat Bittu.

Bittu said he was assaulted by Goldy’s supporters after being instigated b\y him.

Bittu said he would get a case registered against Goldy and his supporters for making derogatory remarks against him and his caste.

Refuting the charge of making derogatory remarks against Bittu or anyone else, Goldy said it was a clash between some party workers which would be sorted out within the next two or three days. He had great respect for all party workers, he said Adding that he was 200 meters away from the incident site.

Former Chariman of the Market Committee, Garhshankar, Pankaj Kirpal condemned the violence within the party and demanded action against all the people who assaulted the Secretary of PPCC Balwinder Singh Bittu.

Former Minister Naresh Thakur also condemned the aforesaid incident and said violence had no place in democracy.

According to police sources, no complaint of the above said incident has been received so far at the Garhshankar police stations.

Preparations on to host AICC mini session in state: Bhattal

Hoshiarpur, May 25
Showing her deep concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab, leader of opposition in Punjab State Assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said keeping in view the prevailing circumstances, it was presumed that there was no government in the state.

Talking to the media at Garhshankar, 40 km from here, today, she said the Congress was not responsible for the delay in the holding of SGPC elections. The leaders of the SGPC had yet to finalise the voter lists on account of which they were getting the lections postponed. She said preparations had been started to host the mini session of the AICC in September 2010 in which Congress leaders from eight adjoining states would participate. — OC

Ganda Nullah
Bad construction gives hard time to residents
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 25
The use of sub-standard material in the construction of the ganda nullah and slabs on the drains in the Dharampura area of ward no. 9 and 10, in the Dasuya town of this district, have become constant reasons for damage and resultant reconstruction by the executing agency.

This in turn causes a lot of inconvenience to the inhabitants of the area and passers-by.

Alleging this in a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, members of the District Advisory Committee Pradeep Chaudhary, Kailash Bassi and Krishan Gopal, all residents of Dasuya, stated that the work for the construction of the ganda nullah and drains (for Rs 23.35 lakh) was allotted by the authorities of the Municipal Council (MC), Dasuya on February 18, 2009 in ward no. 9 and 10.

The work was supposed to be completed by the executing agency within six months i.e. before August 18, 2009.

But it was completed in December 2009 and the construction was done with material below the standard specifications of the PWD, due to which the ganda nullah and slabs on drains were damaged again and were reconstructed by the executing agency.

They further alleged that the excavated (malba) debris was still lying at the site, for which the payment for removal had been made. Similarly, talking about the use of sub-standard material during the construction works of other development projects, by the MC authorities recently, from the executing agencies, they alleged that the Executive Officer of the MC had obtained a transfer to save his skin and escape the charges.

The Chairman of the District Development and Planning Board Amarjit Singh Sahi, who is the MLA of the area, told this correspondent that he had also received complaints in this regard.

He had forwarded the same to the MC authorities, Dasuya, for its comments on the issue. He had provided Rs 8.50 lakh for the street lights and Rs 13.50 lakh, for laying sewerage at the Guru Har Rai Nagar and Moti Nagar areas of the town, to the MC for which he had received complaints for the misuse of funds. He himself was probing the issue.

Junior Engineer of the MC Bhupinder Singh confirmed the damage in the ganda nullah and slabs on drains on account of passing of traffic from them. He claimed that these had been repaired now.

The Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj said he had directed SDM (Civil) Dasuya to probe the charges and submit his report to him. After going through the report of the SDM, action would be taken against the defaulters.