Jalandhar, June 3
Amid loud uproar over the uplift and welfare of the downtrodden through a series of welfare schemes, over 27,000 girls in the Jalandhar district alone are waiting to get scholarship under the “Attendance Scholarship Scheme.”

Nearly 27,010 girls students, who belong to Scheduled Caste and Backward Class families and study in class I to V, are waiting for scholarships in the district. All these beneficiaries were registered during the academic year 2009-2010.

The district welfare authorities had forwarded the request to the state government to release an amount of Rs 1.35 crore for the purpose. However, the state government has failed to release the needed amount even after the closing of the financial year 2009-2010.

The central idea of the scheme is to encourage girl students, hailing from Scheduled Caste and Backward Class families, to continue their studies up to the level of class V.

Under the scheme, girl students, whose attendance remained above 75 per cent are facilitated by Rs 50 per month for 10 months (Rs 500 per 
academic session).

The whole purpose of the scheme is to motivate girl students, studying in class I to V, to continue their studies.

However, due to delay in the release of the scholarship amount, the scheme is gradually loosing its essence.

Ironically, even approximately 22,000 beneficiaries, who were registered during the academic year 2008-09, are still waiting to receive their pending scholarship amount. Although Rs 500 per academic year is announced as scholarship under the scheme, the state government released only Rs 200 per student for the beneficiaries during the year 2008-09.

Total amount of Rs 1.35 crore was sought, however, the government released only Rs 54.21 lakh that year and even after two years, Rs 81.31 lakh are still pending to be released.

Owing to the delay in the release of funds from higher authorities, the district welfare authorities have expressed their inability to comment on the situation. “We can disburse the amount only after we get it from our higher authorities. We are at no fault here”, said an employee.

Hoshiarpur, June 3
In a clash that took place at the local Phagwara Chowk this forenoon, between two groups, Sudhir Sharma, Senior Vice President of the district unit of the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha and Yogesh of Yogi Flex Sign were wounded.

According to eyewitnesses, members of both the groups brandished swords and other sharp-edged weapons, following which many of the shopkeepers came under the grip of panic and closed their establishments for quite some time.

Later, police reached the spot and controlled the situation.

Sudhir and Yogesh were admitted to the local Civil Hospital.

Talking to mediapersons, Sudhir Sharma said he went to the photo studio shop near Phagwara Chowk to take his photographs. When he returned to his car, he saw Yogesh, his brother Vikas and Rajan, along with at least seven persons, equipped with swords and some other sharp edged weapons standing there. On seeing him, they allegedly attacked him and when he took his .32 bore revolver for safety, they also snatched it.

Yogesh and Vikas said Sudhir got some flex hoardings prepared from their shop, for which Rs 11,500 were still lying unpaid. Despite repeated requests, Sudhir Sharma always confronted them instead of making the payment. The Model Town police has booked Yogi and his brother Raj under sections 382, 323, 324, 341, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.

Hoshiarpur, June 3
The Punjab government had taken various effective steps to overcome the shortage of power and to supply it to all the sectors in the state. With the result that power supply in the state has been improved now.

Claiming this while addressing a gathering on the 60th death anniversary of Sant Baba Prem Singh at Miani village, 40 km from here this evening, Chief Minister, Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal said the previous Congress government had not taken any steps to enhance power production whereas the SAD-BJP government had started work on four new thermal plants in the state which would soon become operational to cater to the state’s need.

Though unemployment was the biggest problem of the state, the Punjab government had provided employment to doctors, teachers and staff in other departments completely on merit basis. Recruitments of police constables was being done.

To raise the standard of education and educate all the youths in the state, three new universities were being set up at Amritsar, Bhatinda and Fatehgarh Sahib. Thirteen new colleges would be opened in Punjab during the current financial year.

Referring to the SGPC elections, he appealed to workers, MLAs and office bearers to work hard to strengthen the party in their respective areas. He hoped that SAD would win the SGPC elections with a thumping majority.

Hoshiarpur, June 3
Dalits, led by Secretary of BSP of Parliamentary area, Hoshiarpur segment, Onkar Singh Jhamat, Mehar Chand Sidhu and SDO (retired) Bakhshish Singh, blocked traffic on the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road at Tanuli village from 6 am to 10 am this morning.

They did so in protest against the police for not registering a case under the relevant sections of the SC and ST Acts against those persons of the high community of the area who assaulted Dalits in their houses on May 14, 2010 and abused them and their community. They raised slogans against the police and SHO, Mehtiana police station.

Later, DSP (Rural) Parminder Singh Parmar assured the agitators that justice would be done to them and a case, under relevant sections of the IPC, would be registered against the defaulters. Only then they lifted the dharna and the traffic was resumed.

Tarn Taran, June 3
The state government has made a plan to impart training and guidance to as many as 5,000 youths to be recruited in military forces in officer ranks by organising NDA training camps, for which 150 schools have been selected in the state.

It was disclosed here today by S.R. Ladhar, Commissioner, Jalandhar division, who was addressing a group of boys and girls at the local Government Secondary School where a 4-week camp has been organised for the purpose.

Ladhar said the youths trained in these camps would be given further coaching through private centres by the government in subsidised fee. He added that the youths taking coaching for officer ranks would be also given Rs 1 lakh per candidate per year by the government during coaching period for tests and for interview .

Brigadier J.J. Singh, Director C-Pyte, the main agency imparting training to the youths, said as many as 14,000 posts of official ranks were lying vacant in military forces in the country so the youth of the state should take advantage of the initiative of the state government. Khushi Ram, Deputy Commissioner (DC) and other officials of the district were also present on the occasion.