Moga, May 30
Gross irregularities in the release of old age, widow and other social security pensions have come to light in the district.

As many as 2,623 cases, including those of the dead and missing persons, have been detected across the district. The pensions have gone into the pockets of the sarpanches or members of the village committees assigned the task of disbursement of pension funds.

A report in this regard was dispatched to the director (Social Welfare) by district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal, but no action has been taken so far against those involved in the fraud.

As many as 71,818 persons were getting financial assistance under various social security schemes in the district as on February 2009. Out of it, 60,991 beneficiaries belong to rural areas while 10,827 reside in urban settlements.

Interestingly, 2,579 cases of bogus pensions have been found in rural areas and 44 in urban areas indicating that panchayats are responsible for these frauds of releasing social security pensions in the name of dead and missing persons.

As per government guidelines, pensions are released in the presence of a seven-member sub-committee constituted by the gram panchayat. It has come to notice that in some villages this mandatory provision is not practised.

Moreover, the District Magistrate (DM) had recently asked District Development and Panchayat Officer Joginder Kumar to ensure displaying lists of the beneficiaries of all government schemes at prominent places in the villages, but these orders have not been followed even after six months. These measures were to be taken to ensure transparency in the distribution system and check malpractices, if any, at various levels.

District Social Welfare Officer Debo Rani refused to give details of the villages where irregularities in the distribution of pensions had been detected, saying she has been asked by the higher authorities not to do so. She even refused to give details of the action taken in such cases, adding that she had given the details to the DM who would pass orders of taking action against those responsible.

The DM said he had forwarded the report to the state government.

Amritsar, May 30
The Punjab Police today declared the arrest of hardcore terrorist Bakhshish Singh, alias Baba, associated with the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) from Amritsar and claimed that bus stand or vegetable market here was his main target to carry out an explosion as it could have resulted in maximum damage of life and property.

He was presented in the court of Special Duty Magistrate-cum-Judicial Magistrate Hargurjit Kaur who sent him to five-day police remand.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that he was planning to carry out an explosion at bus stand, vegetable market or any other crowded public place. Although we are yet to interrogate Bakhshish Singh, he has admitted his involvement in planting IED on a bicycle at Sultanwind area on May 1,” said Varinder Kumar, Commissioner of Police.

The IED was spotted by a night watchman, who was injured due to explosion caused by it when he tried to operate the mobile phone attached to it.

“During investigations he also admitted his role in the explosion to kill Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim in Karnal in February 2008. Though he escaped unscathed, several of his devotees were critically injured in the incident. He also confessed planting of an IED at LPG Bottling plant at Nabha Air Force Station, Halwara, in January this year,” said the commissioner.

Carrying a reward of Rs 6 lakh on his head by the Punjab and Haryana police, Bakhshish Singh was reportedly working for the revival of the KLF besides executing a series of explosions in the state at the behest of the Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI). Originally hailed from Nizamniwala village, he first joined Bhindrawala Tiger Force of Khalistan in 1991 and later to Khalistan Commondo Force following the death of Sukh Ram Singh, area commander of Bhindrawala Tiger force led by Jarnail Singh Shatrana.

A case under various sections of the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has been registered against him.

Patiala, May 30
Arrested Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Bakhshish Singh, alias Baba, would soon be brought to Patiala on production warrant, a senior Punjab police official said. The interrogation might lead to major recoveries and other important information pertaining to the nefarious designs of the terrorists to disturb peace in the state.

Speaking to The Tribune, Patiala SSP Ranbir Singh Khattra said, “Bakhshish not only hails from Nizamniwala (Samana) village in Patiala district, but was also involved in planting of IED near LPG bottling plant, Nabha. Following the requisite procedure, we will bring Bakhshish to Patiala on production warrant and interrogate him about his accomplices and other criminal activities, besides the Hawala transactions”.

Senior police officials said raids were being conducted in some other parts of the state to nab his accomplices, including Harminder Singh, the main accused in the Shingaar bomb blast in Ludhiana in October 2007. While confirming this, top brass of the Patiala police said all possible efforts were being made to nab Harminder, on whose arrest a reward of Rs 5 lakh was already announced a few months back.

It is learnt that during the interrogation, the main focus of the police would be to ascertain the information pertaining to other terrorists with whom Bakhshish was in touch, and the Hawala transactions made for the purchase of explosives. According to senior Intelligence Wing officials, during his stay in Pakistan, Bakhshish had come in contact with the ISI and Ranjeet Singh Neeta, a hardcore terrorist, who is hiding in Pakistan.

Bathinda, May 30
After a notable success in the JEE-IIT three days ago by getting the 79th rank, city boy Tarun Mangla has again impressed all by clinching the top state rank in the AIEEE. He has got the 16th position in the all-India ranking.

Tarun had scored 94.8 per cent marks in Class XII, whose results were declared recently, and got the second position in the district. He was also the district topper in Class X with a score of 97.4 per cent. Taking various challenges to prove himself, he kept on clearing various examinations with remarkable positions.

He had cleared the NTSE in 2008 as well as the level II of the Math Olympiad.

“My father was more anxious about my result and was eagerly waiting for it to be out. Finding it satisfactory, he informed me over the phone in a thrilled voice,” said Tarun.

Felicity was quite visible on the faces of his parents, Suresh Mangla and Kanta Mangla, who seemed to be relishing the media attention and fame that their son have brought for them. It was a sense of pride in their eyes, which was making their moments special for them.

Talking to this correspondent, Tarun said he had already made up his mind to get admission to IIT Delhi (computer science).

Meanwhile, a number of students, who, too, scored well in the AIEEE, thronged the venue along with their parents to congratulate the Mangla family.

Among them Vishal Gupta scored 18th state rank and 392nd in the all-India ranking, Aadish Bansal got 28th state rank and 729 in the all-India ranking , Jashan got 37th rank in the state and 894th in the all-India ranking and Akriti Maheshwari got 45th rank in the state and 1025 in the all-India ranking.

Jalandhar, May 30
Subedar Charanjit Lal (retired) of Hoshiarpur and former Army personnel Jagdish Raj of Kangra have been suffering from lung cancer for the past some time.

Talking to The Tribune, both appealed smokers to give up smoking immediately to avoid serious health problems.

Charanjit (61) had started smoking when he was 20 and Jagdish (66) started smoking at the age of 35. The former gave up smoking about two years ago, whereas the latter did so about six months ago. Presently, both of them are undergoing treatment at Ranjit Hospital in Patel Chowk here.

Dr HJ Singh, who is treating them, said he did not revealed them the fact that both were afflicted with the fatal lung cancer, but they knew that they were suffering from some serious disease.

However their relatives had been informed about the disease, he said, adding that they would not live beyond six months as their cancer was in the last stage.

Singh said the New England Journal of Medicine Study had found that smoking already accounted for 9,00,000 deaths a year in India and led to lung, breast, colon, head, neck, cervix and bladder cancers.

A special anti-smoking clinic had been set up at Ranjit Hospital for encouraging general public to give up smoking by spreading awareness about its ill effects, he said, adding that the clinic was formally inaugurated by Charanjit, one of the patients.

Longowal (Sangrur), May 30
Ad hoc arrangements for top posts are marring the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET). What is more revealing is the fact that faculty members are running the show and occupying top administrative posts of SLIET, including Director, Registrar, Controller of Examination, Deputy Registrar (administration), Deputy Registrar (academics) and many other posts like the estate officer which is affecting the studies of the students as also the educational standard of this prestigious institution.

“It is shocking that even the Chairman of the institution is not a regular one but officiating. After SLIET was given the deemed university status in 2007, an industrialist or educationist was to be appointed as Chairman. Inder Kumar Khosla was appointed as the new Chairman but he died in a road accident in July 2008. As an interim arrangement, Ashok Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), was appointed as officiating Chairman and he continues to occupy the post since the MHRD didn’t find any industrialist or educationist of repute for the post,” said a source. “Before July-August 2008, SLIET used to have a regular Director in Dr SK Pandey but after her, the new Director, Dr Varinder Sawhney, who continues to occupy the post, is an officiating one and is a faculty member of the mechanical engineering department. Similarly, the Registrar of SLIET, Dr SS Dhaliwal, is also holding an officiating charge and is a Professor in the mathematics department. Amanpreet Singh, who is an Assistant Professor in the electrical and instrumentation engineering department, is holding the officiating charge of Deputy Registrar (administration). Dr Praduman Kumar, Assistant Professor in the food engineering and technology department, is holding the charge of Controller of Examination. The Deputy Registrar (academics), Dr KS Kahlon, is again holding an officiating charge and is Associate Professor in department of physics.

“Since many of the experienced professors who are holding administrative posts are not normally available for academic work, their burden is shifted on to less experienced ad hoc faculty members who have to conduct teaching, invigilation, paper setting and paper checking work.

“The saving grace for SLIET is the fact is that everything right from paper setting, paper checking and assignment is done internally. If these functions are done externally, the result of the students will be disappointing,” added an official on condition of anonymity.

A student said since the faculty members were holding administrative posts, their time got divided and they could not do justice to their teaching job. He added that students had to pay the price for this. Even as they managed to get pass percentage, they had less practical knowledge.

The media liason officer of SLIET, Dr Kulwant Singh, who again is holding an officiating charge, said the higher authorities were in the process of filling a majority of these posts and had already advertised for them.

Dr Kulwant Singh, however, refuted the assertion of the students and reliable sources that studies of the students were getting affected, saying that the faculty members who were holding the administrative posts were senior teachers who had fewer lectures.

Jalandhar, May 30
Many professional colleges affiliated with Punjab Technical University (PTU) have questioned the varsity’s decision to join hands with a private university for faculty training programme.

PTU and Lovely Professional University (LPU) had early this week made a joint statement announcing the tie-up. Managements of several colleges have opposed the tie-up asserting that they would not take part in any arrangement made by PTU with the private university. “We have not been taken into confidence before proceeding ahead with the collaboration,” they said.

PTU was directed by the state government to start its own teachers’ training institute and it should have gone ahead to open the same, principal of a PTU-affiliated college said on the condition of anonymity. Moreover, the university was rolling in cash and it could afford to make arrangement for faculty training at its own level. The PTU represented the state and it should not lend its name and status to any other private University, he added.

However, LPU’s assistant director Aman Mittal said: “It will be our endeavour to call all top-notch professors of the country to impart training. We have offered our venue and will be making the arrangements. PTU will get a chance to train nearly 800 teachers on our campus”.

PTU Dean (Academics) Buta Singh stated: “A university alone can sometimes find it difficult to pay up for the charges that the visiting professors ask. Such programmes are often done jointly to share the expenses. Moreover, we did not have an infrastructure at our disposal to make arrangements such a big workshop”.

“Ours is a state technical university. Top professors from IITs and IIMs would have readily given consent to PTU for their participation. If the varsity did not have required infrastructure for conducting a workshop, they could easily have asked any local college to spare their auditorium for some days,” suggested a director of a management college.

“The PTU has put us in an awkward situation. LPU is our direct competitor. How can we send our teachers on LPU campus? There is all probability of poaching our faculty,” director of a reputed engineering college said.

Even members of the Punjab Unaided Technical Institutes Association has opposed the move. Zora Singh, senior vice-president of the association, said: “The matter was never discussed with us. Every college is already doing its own faculty training programmes twice a year. Even if PTU wanted to do it collectively, the training sessions could have done within the internal system of the varsity.”

Chandigarh, May 30
Kulbir Singh Sidhu belongs to a select brand of bureaucrats, who have a writer inside them.

Acknowledged as an expert on Sikh centenaries, he has after retirement from the civil services, come out with a book on Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. This is his fifth book and the third related to the Sikh history.

Interestingly, he was at the centre stage in the organisation and celebration of nine of the last 11 centenary celebrations related to the Sikh history held in the state.

He takes pride in carrying on the rich tradition set in motion by Dr Mohinder Singh Randhawa, Manohar Singh Chandla and a few other civil servants, who carved a name for themselves with their writing on the Sikh history and heritage.

Sidhu, who retired as Commissioner, Ferozepore Division, some years ago, has dedicated his latest work to the tercentenary celebrations of the Sirhind Fateh Diwas.

His earlier books, distributed free of cost in thousands among his friends all over the globe, were about Guru Gobind Singh, Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh besides districts of undivided Punjab.

Sidhu, known for his immaculate detail, accuracy and objectivity, has portrayed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur as a great follower of a great Guru.

He, however, often wonders how much the people of Punjab in general and Sikhs in particular, have benefited by celebrating these centenaries. A little has been done either by the SGPC or the Punjab Government to introduce books or a subject on the rich Sikh heritage in the educational curriculum of the state.

Even after retirement, he dedicates most of his time in looking through historic documents besides pursuing his passion in research. He wants Sikh intellectuals, writers, civil servants and others to spare time and energies for preserving the rich Sikh heritage.

Ropar, May 30
In yet another incident of attacks on Indians abroad, a Punjabi youth was allegedly shot down by Negros in Virginia on Friday night. Prima facie it seems to be a case of robbery.

Nirmal Singh, a resident of Mianpur village of Ropar district, was killed at Virginia, US, on Friday night. His wife, Ranjit Kaur, who lives in their native village, got a call from her relatives in Virginia that Nirmal was shot dead at the store where he worked.

Nirmal Singh has a daughter, who lives at Atlanta, and two sons, Daljit Singh and Kuljit Singh. Daljit stays in Canada, while the other in Kuwait.

As per information, three armed Negroes entered the store around midnight when Nirmal Singh and his Gujarati colleague were about to leave.

The Negros allegedly demanded money from them. On being denied the same, they opened fire. One of the bullets hit the Gujarati employee’s leg and he fell down. The assailants then caught hold of Nirmal and repeatedly fired at him. Nirmal Singh died on the spot.

An agriculturist, Nirmal Singh, had migrated to the US two years ago. He had got his green card couple of days ago.

His nephew, Hardeep Singh, said his body was in such a bad shape that it might not be brought to India. His daughter, Sarabjit Kaur, might cremate the body at Virginia itself.

A pall of gloom descended on Nirmal’s house at Mianpur when people came to know about the gory killing. The family members would decide about the cremation after getting an approval from the Virginia police.

Chandigarh, May 30
The Punjab government has increased the tenure of the interim committee which is managing the affairs of the new electricity utilities -- Powercom and Transco -- formed after restructuring of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), till June 10.

The interim committee had been earlier appointed for a period of six weeks after restructuring of the PSEB. The government had solicited applications for the appointment of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of both companies as well as their Directors during this period.

While according to earlier timelines, the new structure was to be put in place in three weeks’ time; this has been delayed due to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s absence. The CM is at present away to visit his wife, Surinder Kaur Badal, who is undergoing medical treatment in the US.

According of sources, former member Distribution of the PSEB and at present a member of the interim committee, KD Chaudhary, is the front-runner for being appointed as Chairman of Powercom. Chaudhary is known not only for his administrative acumen but is also credited with conducting the first pilot project whereby meters were shifted out of houses and installed in boxes. This project is now being implemented all over the state.

The sources said bureaucrat Anurag Aggarwal, who is at present the Chairman of the interim management committee, is among the front-runners for appointment as Chairman of Transco. Aggarwal has earlier served as Member, Finance, of the PSEB. However, recent appointments given to contractual workers under his stewardship of the interim committee have resulted in a controversy with those left out, including sportsmen, crying foul.

Jalandhar, May 30
Disputing the statement of Punjab DGP PS Gill that there are 15 pro-Maoist organisations, including certain farmer and mazdoor unions, active in the state, the Kirti Kisan Union and other organisations on Friday said the statement had been given to start repression against the people engaged in the struggle against the state government, which had failed on all fronts.

Countering the DGP’s statement, Hardev Singh Sandhu, president of the Kirti Kisan Union, said it was the people’s right to struggle against the state government that had failed to resolve issues such as unemployment. To brand such organisations as pro-Maoist was a clear indication that the police would be used to suppress them.

He said that he, along with Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, PSU leader Gurmukh Singh Mann, Naujawan Sabha leader Raminder Singh Patiala and Daljit Singh, met the DGP in Chandigarh to argue that there was no logic in his statement. Sandhu said the farmers were struggling for their rights and demands, students were struggling for bus passes and affordable education and labour organisations were fighting for employment and more wages.

It was a wrong approach to label those people who were fighting against the state government on various issues as pro-Naxalites.

Meanwhile, a deputation of the Kirti Kisan Union, Pendu Majdoor Union, Indian Federation of Trade Unions , Punjab Students Union, Naujawan Bharat Sabha, Istri Jagriti Manch, Democratic Employees Front, Medical Practitioners Association and Democratic Lawyers Association met the DIG, Jalandhar Range, here yesterday . They raised issues relating to the putting of an unofficial ban on the activities of various people’s organisations and using force against them. Sandhu said all these organisations would hold a demonstration at Nawanshahr on June 3 to protest against police repression, power bills to farmers and rising prices.

Chandigarh, May 30
Punjab’s former additional advocate-general Harpreet Sandhu has been registered as an associate member of the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL).

The membership is governed by legislation - Singapore Academy of Law Act. Sandhu has been studying Singapore Academy of Law Journals since 2004. He happens to be the only lawyer from this region to become an SAL member. He has also been taken as a member of the Barristers and Advocates Forum of the International Bar Association, UK.

Patiala, May 30
After a Delhi court accepted the closure report filed by the CBI in a 1984 riots case on April 27, 2010, in which former Minister Jagdish Tytler was the accused, one of the victims Lakhwinder Kaur, filed a revision petition in the court of Delhi District and Sessions Judge in Karkardooma yesterday.

Giving this information, senior advocate HS Phoolka said revision petition would come up for hearing in the court on June 1. “Our main plea before the court will be that matter should be sent to the CBI for further investigations,” he said.

Phoolka, who was in Patiala today, told The Tribune, “Lakhwinder, who is widow of Badal Singh, one of the persons killed in the 1984 Sikh genocide, has filed the revision petition through advocate Navkiran Singh and advocate Kamna Vohra under my supervision”.

He said the main point mentioned in the revision petition was that the CBI had not inquired into the conspiracy angle in the incident.

“For the purpose of conspiracy, a person need not be present at the spot. The main reason behind the CBI giving clean chit was that Tytler’s presence at the spot was not proved, but the conspiracy angle has been totally ignored,” he argued.

He said the CBI had not considered the evidence of an eyewitness, Jasbir Singh, stating that the fateful incident occurred on November 1, 1984, whereas Jasbir had given statement regarding the incident of November 3.

He added that Jasbir’s statement that he heard Tytler addressing his supporters was fully relevant for purpose of conspiracy.

“Also, Tytler went to office of Police Commissioner on November 5 and demanded that the rioters arrested by the police should be released. He said they were his men and this appeared in newspapers the very next day. This is also relevant for the purpose of conspiracy,” claimed the senior counsel, adding that the CBI had also not taken this crucial point into consideration.

Phoolka said three witnesses, whose names had come on the record, Alam Singh, Santokh Singh and Chanchal Singh, yet their statements were not recorded by the CBI.

Meanwhile, he alleged that petitioner Lakhwinder Kaur was being harassed, so that she backs out and does not pursue the case.

“We are quite concerned about the security of the victims. Some of the riot-affected widows are doing petty jobs and the accused are too powerful. But the Centre is just shielding the guilty instead of protecting the victims,” he said.

Phoolka said to discuss the matter in detail and find out some alternative for the protection of the victims, he would be meeting Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the moment he was back from the US.

Kharar, May 30
The court of judicial magistrate KK Goel today sent 28-year-old ISI agent Irfan Ulha to six-day police custody.

Mohali CIA staff ASI Ajaib Singh and team presented the accused in court today and demanded ten-day police remand of the accused. The police told the court that during preliminary investigation, the accused had accepted charges of passing on information to Pakistan. The cops reasoned that his ten-day police remand was necessary to know about the kind of information and documents passed on to Irfan’s Pakistani handlers.

Dressed in safari suit, while deposing before the court, the accused spoke in fluent English. He said, “I don’t know why I have been brought here? I have got no counsel or lawyer to defend me. The police told me that I was to be produced before court but I don’t know why.” Replying to magistrate’s query about his education, Irfan said he was a graduate from Lahore.

Hearing him, the judge appointed advocate Deepak Sharma as his counsel. Sharma appealed that ten-day police remand was too long.

The court then sent him to six-day police remand. He underwent a medical examination at Kharar civil hospital before being taken away.

Zira, May 30
For Sandeep Kaur of Rattol Rohi village of this subdivision, who got married to Kuldeep Singh of Ludhiana over two years ago, life seems to have stopped holding any meaning.

First she was thrashed enough allegedly by her husband and mother-in-law Balwinder Kaur for bringing insufficient dowry and after that she experienced “forced abortion”. When she started coming to terms to the tragedy, she was allegedly thrown out of her in-laws’ house, as she could not satisfy their unending lust for more dowry. Finding that her in-laws are not ready to change, she approached the police and lodged a complaint against her in-laws.

She alleged that she was made to abort a few months after she conceived for the first time by her mother-in-law and husband after giving repeated punches in her abdomen and other parts of the body. She said she was meted out this kind of treatment frequently as her in-laws were demanding a car and Rs 3 lakh from her parents. Though number of times panchayats of the villages tried to sort out the matter, her harassment continued and one day she was allegedly thrown out of her in-laws’ house.

The SHO of the city police station said an inquiry into this case was being conducted by DSP Wazid Singh and a case had been registered against Kuldeep and Balwinder.