Jalandhar, June 7
If facts are any indication, as many as 528 war widows in the state, including those who lost their husbands in counter-insurgency operations from January 1, 1962, to December 1, 1998, have not received any jobs or other benefits from the government so far.

Out of a total of 537 Army casualties during this period, only nine war widows received jobs and allied benefits. These shocking facts have come to light in information procured by Gulshan Sandhu of Jalandhar under the RTI Act.

He had sought information on how many soldiers had died during counter-insurgency operations and wars during this period, how many war widows received jobs and other benefits and their present status. The data was procured from Amritsar; Bathinda; Faridkot; Fatehgarh Sahib; Ferozepur; Gurdaspur; Hoshiarpur; Jalandhar; Kapurthala; Ludhiana; Mansa; Moga; Muktsar; Patiala; Rupnagar; Sangrur and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar.

In its reply, the Sainik Welfare Office at Hoshiarpur, which had maximum casualties of 386 soldiers, maintained that they were not aware of the job status of war widows. “Not known”, was the reply from Hoshiarpur.

At Bathinda, three soldiers had died and none of the widows was given a job. Among other districts where none of the widows could get a job include Faridkot, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala.

In Fatehgarh Sahib too, there was one casualty but again no job for the widow. At Ludhiana, 10 soldiers lost their lives but none of the families received any jobs.

Similarly, of the four widows at Mansa, none got any job while at Moga, seven soldiers lost their lives but again no jobs. The districts, which provided benefits to war widows, include Amritsar, where nine soldiers were killed during this period, of which two were given jobs while one was given a gas agency.

In Jalandhar, 13 soldiers were killed and only two were given jobs and two were given gas agencies. While at Rupnagar, nine soldiers were killed and only two war widows were given jobs.

However, the lone exception was Ferozepur where only one soldier was killed and his widow was given a job. Even at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar only one martyr’s family was able to get a job out of the total 24.

Senior officials at the Sainik Welfare Boards maintained that the state government had issued a notification, which stated that jobs could be given to next of kin of only those soldiers who died after January 1, 1999, as the Kargil War took place this year.

It is pertinent to mention here that from January 1, 1962, to December 31, 1998, two major wars took place apart from other concurrent operations. This includes the 1965 Indo-Pak war, 1971 Indo-Pak war, Operation Pawan, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Rakshak, Operation Hifazat and Operation Rhino.

Director, Sainik Welfare, Brig Inderjit Singh Gakhal (retd) said the state government hasd provided benefits to all war widows apart from the mandatory gratuity benefits. “The state government has been providing due benefits to all war widows as per the state policy. At the Rajya Sainik Board, we ensure that war widows avail the maximum benefit out of various welfare policies,” he added.

Moga, June 7
Various unions of farmers, labourers, students and trade organisations have demanded from the Union and state governments to continue providing free power of 100 units to the poor labour class, write-off arrears of their power bills, increase grant-in-aid under the NREGA scheme and provide job avenues for farm labourers.

They also demanded to provide grants for the labour class to build their houses, keep a check on price rise, streamline public distribution system, cancel all criminal cases registered against farmers/labourers, write-off loans of labourers and stop arresting farmers and labourers with regard to the non-repayment of loans.

They slammed Punjab DGP PS Gill for allegedly calling their organisations as “fronts of Naxalites”. Activists and supporters of these unions, who had gathered in large numbers at the local grain market, also criticised the state government for not arresting the main accused, including a sitting MLA of the ruling SAD in the Sadhu Singh Takhtupura murder case and the Khanna-Chamara case.

They termed this rally as ‘Sangram Rally’ that was addressed by leaders like Satnam Singh Ajnala of the Jamoohri Kisan Union, Satnam Singh Pannu of the Kissan Sangharsh Committee, Sukhdev Singh Kokri of the BKU (Ekta), Joginder Singh and Surjit Singh Phool of the BKU (Krantikari) among others.

Kokri, while addressing the rally, alleged that SAD MLA Veer Singh Lopoke and some of his family members were directly involved in the murder of Takhtupura and they had not been arrested so far. Instead, the government and the police were protecting these culprits.

He also lashed at the Moga police for arresting the president of the Punjab Students’ Union, recently.

All union leaders flayed the state government and said it would have to ensure that poor farmers and the labour class get justice or else they would be forced to launch an indefinite agitation against it.

While demanding to ensure 16 hours of regular power supply for the farm sector and 24 hours of power supply in residential areas, they announced to hold protest rallies outside the offices of executive engineers of the Irrigation Department for not solving the pending cases of water supply disputes.

Koharawali (Ferozepur), June 7
In a significant development that could have far reaching religio-political consequences, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said today that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh could be pardoned if he presented himself before Akal Takht and sought forgiveness for his blasphemous act.

Akal Takht had issued an edict to Sikhs for observing a total boycott of the dera chief and followers of his sect after he tried to dress like Guru Gobind Singh and administer ‘Jam-e-Insan’ (a sweet drink) to his followers in 2007 at one of the branches of his dera in Bathinda district.

The Jathedar, who was here today to attend the bhog of akhand path organised on the first death anniversary of Datar Kaur, the mother of a granthi of a Delhi-based gurdwara, said ex-communicated Sikhs had been given time to seek forgiveness for their anti-Sikh acts to mark the celebrations connected with the 300th anniversary of the Fateh Diwas.

Talking to TNS over the phone this evening, the Jathedar said any Sikh, who had been expelled from the Panth, could seek forgiveness. He said even the Dera Sacha Sauda chief could come and seek forgiveness. “If he came to Akal Takht and seek forgiveness, the Sikh clergy would take decision accordingly. He could be given punishment, but that will not be hard,” he added.

Meanwhile, he said the SGPC would solemnise marriages of daughters of baptised Sikh families belonging to the poor section of society. The SGPC would extend financial help to those members of the Sikh community, who intended to take coaching for clearing competitive exams. He said that he would also make an appeal to members of the Sikh community to spare 10 per cent of their income to help the poor.

Chandigarh, June 7
Balwinder Singh Bhunder, a general secretary of the SAD, became the first candidate to file his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections here today.

Accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other senior leaders of the party, Bhunder filed his papers with the Secretary of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, who is the returning officer for the elections.

Two seats will fall vacant on July 4 on the retirement of Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni (Congress) and Rajmohinder Singh (SAD).

Later in the day Ambika Soni, accompanied by senior Congress leaders of the state, also filed her nomination papers.

Today was the last day for the filing of nomination papers.

A spokesman of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, said the scrutiny of the nomination papers would be held tomorrow and the election process will be completed by June 19.

Amritsar June 7
The Government of India has refused permission to 20 Sikhs while the Pakistan Government has denied visas to five out of a total of 295 Sikh applicants who had sought clearance to travel to Pakistan to observe the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev there.

Nearly 40 of 295 Sikh aspirants would not be able to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan as either they had failed to fill their forms properly or had opted out of the jatha for personal reasons. Members of the jatha will be visiting various gurdwaras during their stay in Pakistan between June 8 and 17.

As an outcome of a combination of reasons ranging from refusal of permission or visas by the Governments of India and Pakistan and for improper filling of applications, a jatha of only 230 Sikh pilgrims will be leaving the SGPC office on Tuesday for Pakistan. The SGPC had sent a list of 295 Sikhs to the Center through Punjab for their travel to various Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

After scrutiny, central and state intelligence agencies blocked the names of 20 aspirants figuring in the list. Five Sikhs were denied visas by the Pakistan Government apparently on the basis of objections by intelligence agencies of the nighbouring country. The jatha will reach Gurdwara Nankana Sahib by train.

Chandigarh, June 7
The Punjab Government has decided to conduct centralised online counselling for the first time for the selection of students for admission to various law courses in the colleges affiliated to GND University, Amritsar, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and Punjabi University, Patiala, and others located in the state.

Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur said today that GND University had been authorised to conduct online counselling for the five-year BA, LLB (Hons), five-year BA, LLB, and three-year LLB courses for the academic session of 2010-11 in the law colleges located in Punjab. These three universities had 380 seats for the BA, LLB (Hons), 1,520 for BA, LLB, and 1,900 seats for LLB courses in the affiliated 22 law colleges of the state, she added.

She clarified that during this academic session, out of 80 seats of the Army Institute of Law, SAS Nagar, 12 seats for Punjab residents of the civil category would be filled through this centralised online counselling. "The remaining 64 seats for wards of Army personnel and four seats of all- India general category would be filled by the Army Institute of Law through its centralised counselling", she said.

The Minister said the the merit of each candidate would be determined on the basis of the marks secured in the qualifying degree and there would not be any entrance test. After the normalisation of marks, 5 per cent marks would be given to candidates who had passed their 8th and 10th class examinations from schools located in the rural areas of Punjab.

Ludhiana, June 7
The US Department of Agriculture has approved a project entitled International Research and Education, in collaboration with India and China in Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture and Precision Agriculture and sanctioned funding worth $1,50,000 for three years.

The project will be in collaboration between Punjab Agricultural University and Colorado State University (CSU) of the US. This information has been conveyed to Manjit Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, by Raj Khosla, Associate Professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, CSU. Dr Kang will be the collaborator of this project in India.

In August 2009, the CSU signed an international memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PAU during the visit of Dr Kang to the US.

Likewise, the CSU has an active MoU with China Agricultural University (CAU). Both PAU and CAU are key partners of the four partners in this project.

Dr Kang said: “This project aims to develop and strengthen international collaboration between the US and two emerging economies of the world, India and China, in the area of information and communication technologies in agriculture and precision agricultural practices and technologies in agriculture.”

The goal is to enhance international experience and knowledge of Colorado University’s faculty, staff, students and extension agents and fortify their global competitiveness in the areas of ICT-Agriculture and Precision agriculture.

Under the project, faculty members, students and extension agents of the CSU would visit PAU and also China.

The CSU will also have a collaboration with University of Agricultural Sciences, Karnataka, on information and communication technology.

Chandigarh, June 7
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni is seriously concerned about the growing incidence of cancer and water-borne diseases in Punjab that primarily stem from the consumption of highly contaminated drinking water.

She is also feeling concerned about the misuse of the news columns in the print media through paid news items.

Ambika Soni, who was here to file her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha, said she had always forcefully taken up issues concerning the people of Punjab both with the Central Government as well as the state government.

“The basic problem with Punjab has been its highly contaminated water. Now it has become a serious issue in the state because of a spurt in cases of both water- borne diseases, including black jaundice, and cancer.

“Cancer and diseases relating to the liver and the kidneys were severely afflicting the youth of Punjab. I will take up this issue with the Central Government and find a lasting solution to this problem,” she said while assuring that along with the other MPs and MLAs of Punjab, all issues relating to the state would be taken up with the government and she would relentlessly work for the betterment of the people of the state.

During her informal interaction with mediapersons she not only talked about a number of measures taken by the UPA government in the first year of its second term, including the Right to Education Bill, passing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha and preparation of the Food Security Bill, but also expressed hope that by the end of the year, the Women’s Reservation Bill would also be cleared by the Lok Sabha as well.

While talking about the performance of the government on the economic front, Ambika Soni said that despite a drought and the global economic crisis, India had been able to manage a growth rate of 7.5 per cent with an expectation of 8.5 per cent in the future. India’s economy, she said, has comparatively done much better than the economies of other countries in the past two years. This was the result of the economic policies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was now invited by forums like the G-20 and G-8 for his opinion on economic issues, she added.

The Union Government, she said, was equally concerned about price rise in essential commodities and all measures were being taken to bring it under control. She hoped that it would be checked in a few months.

Ambika Soni said the Union Government was also appalled by the concept of paid news. The government was ready with the draft of the new PBR Act and efforts were being made to ensure total transparency and probity in issues relating to the growth and development of a healthy media in the country.

Jalandhar, June 7
Accused of stealing eight eggs of Lady Amherst Pheasant from an enclosure in Chhat Bir Zoo on May 26, a spectacled cobra got a new home in the dense Kandi forest area.

Measuring nearly five-and-a-half-ft long, the jet black cobra, which is common in the region, was noticed by the zoo staff inside the enclosure of the pair of this rare species on May 27.

The zoo authorities were in a quandary after finding eggs of the pair of Lady Amherst pheasant missing mysteriously from the enclosure.

Sources said the zoo management was apprehending that certain employees might had stolen the eggs, but a search operation was launched in the enclosure to ascertain the cause of disappearance of the eggs.

A daily-wage worker, who was pressed into service, was shocked to notice a black cobra with swollen neck inside the bird enclosure. He immediately informed his superiors.

Eyewitnesses said the zoo staff disturbed the reptile following which it vomited 2-3 intact eggs. The zoo employees had a tough time capturing the poisonous reptile.

After keeping the reptile in captivity for over eight days, the zoo management sought help of Nikhil Sangar of a Nawanshahr-based NGO for the rehabilitation of the reptile, claimed TK Behra, zoo director.

The rouge cobra was transported by two zoo employees in a car to Nawanshahar and was released in a dense forest at Baddi village in the Kandi Belt on June 4. Sangar said the length of the cobra was normal but it was quite healthy and furious.

Anandpur Sahib, June 7
A Punjab Police constable killed a woman and her married daughter before shooting himself with a semi-loaded rifle (SLR) here today. The constable, Harjinder Singh (38), was posted at the Ganguwal Powerhouse.

Anandpur Sahib DSP SS Dhaliwal said at 1 am, Harjinder left his duty abruptly and went to the house of Prema (40) of Bassowal village with whom he reportedly had illicit relations. He entered her house by scaling a wall.

Prema, her daughter Ram Lalli and Lalli’s four-year-old son were sleeping in one room, while Prema’s husband Ram Asra and Lalli’s six-year-old son were sleeping in another room.

Harjinder entered the house and locked the room where Asra was sleeping. Lalli saw Harjinder and asked him to leave the house. In his statement to the police, Asra said at around 1 am he heard some noise in his house.

“I tried to go out, but the door to my room was locked. I knocked hard but no one opened it. I heard the sound of gunshots and thought that some firing incidence might have taken place near my house. Then I went to sleep,” he said.

The police said Harjinder had 15 rounds in the magazine of the SLR. He shot four rounds at Prema, two at Lalli and shot himself in chin with one last round.

Seven bullet cartridges were found lying on the floor. At around 5.30 am, Ram Asra got up and again knocked the door. Lalli’s younger son, who survived the incident, opened the door and Asra was surprised to see his wife, his daughter and constable lying in a pool of blood.

Asra found that the gate of his house was locked from inside and its keys were lying in his wife’s hand.

Mohali/Patiala, June 7
The number of students pouring in at the head office of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) for re-checking of the Class XII answer sheets is swelling with each passing day.

Around 3,000 students have already applied for re-checking of their answer sheets in various subjects till today. The count does not include those approaching board’s textbook depots and those who have sent their forms by post. Due to goof-up by the PSEB in posting of the awards, a number of students have been complaining about board awarding them incorrect numbers.

In the month period allowed by the board for re-checking, the officials expect around 10,000 applications. Already, a number of students are complaining that due to the goof-up by the board their career was at stake, as they have cleared various entrance tests for admissions in professional courses.

It may be mentioned that the board chairman has constituted a special committee to look in to each and every case and verify the facts and go through the answer books. All such cases would be disposed off within 15 days, the chairman had stated. There was a huge rush at the enquiry counter of the board today. The students were coming from different districts.

The goof-up has also delayed the schedule to declare the Class X result. The board officials were to be doubly sure that no goof-up surfaces in Class X results.

Ropar, June 7
On the lines of whopping compensations awarded to the Mohali farmers against their land acquired for setting up international airport, people at Ropar are being given compensation of Rs 1.44 crore per acre for land acquired under widening of the National Highway 21, Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib stretch.

The compensation is being awarded in three phases. While the compensation for land acquired under first phase went for around Rs 40 lakh per acre, second phase for around Rs 50 lakh per acre and the third phase witnessed whopping prices of Rs 1.44 crore per acre.

Interestingly, the beneficiaries who were awarded compensation under first phase have decided to file cases claiming enhancements as per those awarded Rs 1.44 crore per acre. In the third phase, land lying under Ropar, Sukhrampur Tappariyan and Kotla Nihang village is being acquired at a price of Rs 1.44 crore per acre.

In Ropar, already six canal 11 marla of the area has been acquired from 30 persons at this cost. In another case, the area of 13 acre of land, two canal six marla of which was private land and rest four canal 15 marla was irrigated land, compensations have been awarded at the same rate. The private land belonged to 21 different beneficiaries. Sukhrampur Tappariyan and Kotla Nihang residents too would be compensated at the same scale. The details of these two places were awaited, said the district administration officials.

SDM Ropar Anindita Mitra, who is the competent authority under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) Act 1965, said she personally visited the sites to be acquired before awarding compensations.

“The land acquisition is considered an inhumane procedure, wherein people are left bereft of their houses and commercial establishments. By offering higher price for per acre under third phase, we have tried to lend little colour of humanity to land acquiring procedure,” she said, while talking to TNS. The 44.6 km stretch of Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib National Highway is being four laned at a cost of Rs 309 crore.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 7
Challenging the modern gadgets and traffic monitoring system, drivers and criminals have devised sign languages to alert each other against the presence of police.

“Thumbs-down to an approaching vehicle means there is a naka ahead. Waiving a hand holding a pen means a DTO and slap means deployment of cops,” revealed Karanpal, a truck driver at Mandi Gobindgarh.

He said these signals help them a lot and at times they escape nakas with the help of these signs. These signs help truckers to evade challans, however, some unscrupulous elements carrying narcotics and other illegal consignments, too, take advantage of it.

Truck drivers have been using these signs for a long time. Cell phones have added to their help in order to inform others.

Harpreet Singh, a truck driver from Bathinda, said even if they had complete documents, a minor flaw could bring penalties for them and truckers always try to evade nakas.

During night, truckers wait at roadside dhabas to get ‘clearance’ from trucks coming from the opposite direction and to enquire about the deployment of government servants, including police and excise officials.

A police official in Rajpura revealed that beside these drivers, some criminals, too, use sign languages. He said different criminal communities had different codes.A recently arrested member of a smuggling gang revealed that he had patted below his knees to signal others that he had disclosed all illegal activities of his gang to the police and other members must run for cover immediately.

Srihind/ Rajpura, June 7
Ban on sand quarrying has lead to crisis in construction work. From a past few days, cases of black marketing and pilferage are on rise. Besides hitting private construction, most of the government buildings under construction too have got affected due to non-availability of the white sand and its sale at exorbitant prices.

The Industry Department officials said the sand quarrying was discontinued after the Punjab and Haryana High High Court directed the state to demarcate land for sand quarrying besides getting environment clearance.

The officials added that the process of getting environment clearance is too lengthy and it would take some more time to get all formalities done. The process to get all formalities completed was going on and would be completed soon, said the Industry Department officials at Mohali.

General Manager, Industries at Mohali, Surinder Singh said quarrying had stopped since May 15 and further orders to resume it were still awaited.

He said the quarrying would restart after receiving the fresh orders of auction and people would be given contract to get the white sand from river beds of the Ghaggar and the other rivers.

The constructions of the government buildings, including the government colleges and repair work in buildings at Rajpura, Fatehgarh Sahib and Khanna have got affected.

“Earlier, we used to get a trolley of white sand at a cost of Rs 1,000 or 1,100, which has now increased to Rs 2,500 and traders are charging even more than that. Though sand is not available, some of the traders manage to get it from far off places and sell it at higher prices,” said another building contractor. Meanwhile, director, Industries and Commerce, Sukhjeet Singh Bains said a clear picture would emerge about this problem in coming days. “We have pressed the department lawyers into service to look into all the legal formalities after which the auction will be conducted to again start the sand quarrying,” he added.