Bathinda, June 15
After enacting nearly 30-hour long high voltage drama atop the 100-feet high overhead water tank, located on the Mall road, here, activists of the unemployed linemen’s union as well as the unemployed veterinary pharmacists’ union climbed down.

The linemen relented at 7.15 pm after the DC assured them of arranging a meeting with the managing director of the Powercom to discuss their demands on June 17.

The vet pharmacists too relented late at night, at about 11.30 pm, after having been promised a meeting with the CM and the animal husbandry minister on the same day, i.e., June 17.

Earlier, the agitating youth (atop the water tank) had poured kerosene over them and threatened the administration to set themselves ablaze, demanding that the government issue appointment letters to all of them, on the spot. Finding the administration rigid over its stand, the protesters mellowed down and demanded that the chief minister give them job assurance.

However, senior district officials managed to persuade them by handing over a simple letter issued from the DC to MD Powercom. The letter mentioned, “After a telephonic discussion with you, a meeting of the protesters has been fixed with you on June 17 at 11 am at your Patiala office. The protesters demand a probe regarding the appointment procedure of recently recruited meter readers. After a meeting with you, the protesters would be given a meeting with the chief minister .”

Receiving a copy of the letter at about 7.15 pm, all five agitators climbed down claiming victory. Their colleagues hoisted them on their shoulders and raised slogans.

Speaking to media persons, the protesters said they would lift their dharna also, which was being staged near the Gol Diggi here ever since their colleagues climbed atop the water tank on Monday at 1 pm.

Though the protesters termed the development as their victory, it created a split among them as the president and the general secretary of their union “ditched” them midway by resigning from their posts.

Before leaving the place, the president and general secretary, who were continuously bearing the pressure of the administration to make their colleagues call off the agitation, stated in writing, “We are quitting the union as our colleagues atop the tank are not adhering to our repeated requests. If they take any wrong step, we will not be responsible for it.”

The protesters were claiming to be unemployed for 14 years, saying that even after valid ITI diploma and two years' apprenticeship with the electricity department, they were unemployed while some unqualified people were selected through questionable methods.

The unemployed veterinary pharmacists' union, on the other hand, have been demanding employment for all 400 of them in the animal husbandry department, which was promised to them by the deputy chief minister and animal husbandry minister when they staged stir earlier.

Ferozepur, June 15
At last the excise and taxation authorities have woken up to the menace of illicit distillation of liquor, which has become a permanent occupation for a major section of populace, which is unemployed and living in the villages situated on the bank of the meandering river Sutlej, flowing in the close vicinity of the Indo-Pak border.

Coming down heavily on such unscrupulous elements, the sleuths of the excise and taxation department, Ferozepur, have managed to detect and destroy two illicit liquor manufacturing units on the bank of the Sutlej river, today. About 1,000 litres of illicit distilled liquor was also destroyed.

On June 11, The Tribune had carried a story in connection with the illicit distillation of liquor in this region where villages bordering Pakistan and situated on the bank of the Sutlej had turned into a hub of illegal business of liquor.

The Tribune had reported that illicit distillation had become a common scene in the border area and in certain pockets, the people had been running small working stills round-the-clock to meet the demand of ‘Desi Marka’ liquor, which had also been witnessing jump due to unaffordable prices of country made and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) by commoners.

Official sources said a case was registered against Kali Singh, who was found involved in this business under the Excise Act. About two tubes of tyres, which were filled with illicit distilled liquor and were found near the Bansi gate of this city, were also destroyed.

The raids were conducted at a number of places by the team led by the excise and taxation official (ETO), HS Brar with the help of the excise police and local police.

PS Randhawa, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC), said raids would continue and no one would be allowed to indulge in illicit distillation of liquor and subsequent sale of the same in this border district.

Meanwhile, those, who were in the profession of making illegal liquor, said raids by the officials of the excise department was a routine feature and would not affect their operations adversely.

They said they had no other option left than to produce liquor in illegal manner as they were landless and had been facing an acute problem of unemployment. 

Faridkot, June 15
Just 15 minutes after he gave an application to the district and sessions judge of Faridkot requesting the court to provide him security, a person was brutally attacked on the premises of the court complex when he came here to record his statement as a witness in a murder case on Tuesday.

As per the details available, a youth was murdered in front of the Guru Gobind 
Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot in the year 2009, the trial of which is pending before the sessions court, here.

In the case, Harjinder Singh, a key witness, was supposed to record his statement in the court against the alleged murders. Fearing attack on him, he gave an application to Fatehdeep Singh, district and sessions judge, requesting him to provide security.

However, before any decision could be taken on his application, a few youths equipped with sharp-edged weapons attacked him in the court premises, while he was waiting outside the court.

The case was yet to come up for hearing for recording of the statements of the witnesses. He got severe head injury, besides, multiple injuries on other parts of the body as well.

He was immediately rushed to the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital where his condition was said to be serious at the time of writing the news report.

The police after registering a criminal case under section 307 of the IPC against unknown persons had rounded up a few youths from the court complex for interrogation.

Barnala, June 15
A local court has issued arrest warrants against a senior leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) for not paying phone bills amounting to thousands of rupees of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.

As per reports, a court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate Barnala has issued arrest warrants against the national general secretary of the SAD (Mann) and chief of the Miri Piri Sewa Dal, Gurinder Pal Singh Dhanola, son of Raghuveer Singh of Dhanola Khurd for not paying the phone bill of the BSNL landline number 284355 amounting to Rs 63,646 for the duration from May 1, 1991 to August 31, 1999.

Reports further said the BSNL had filed a case in a court in Sangrur on February 20, 1999 for payment of bill by Gurinder Singh Dhanola and on December 18, 2007, the court gave a verdict in favour of the BSNL.

Reports said following the verdict, Divisional Engineer Telecom, Sangrur, filed an execution petition in a Barnala Court on August 8 for payment of bill by the accused.

Gurinder Pal Singh failed to comply with the orders of the court even after receiving the summons from the court. Giving verdict in the case on April 3, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Hari Singh Grewal, has ordered that Gurinder Pal Singh be arrested and produced before him till July 17 this year.

As per the verdict, the court has issued conditional arrest warrant against the accused. If the accused does not pay the bill by July 17, he would be arrested and produced before the court.