Bathinda, July 2
Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s son and general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Raninder Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the previous Lok Sabha election from Bathinda parliamentary constituency, today flayed the Badal family alleging that the family had vested all powers in itself to run the affairs of the state at all levels.

Raninder also criticised the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) saying that it was now not a party of old times, as it had now been confined to a particular family.

To a question whether he will contest the February 2012 Assembly elections from any constituency of the Bathinda district, Raninder said it would depend on the decision of the party. But he would accept every duty assigned to him by the party to defeat the Badal-led alliance.

The party general secretary said the Congress had been playing the role of Opposition in a big way but the SAD-led government was not ready to hear any of its grievances.

He said if the Congress came to power during next Assembly elections, it would return the lands acquired forcibly by the SAD-BJP government to its owners.

Raninder also asked CM Parkash Singh Badal to fight the case of river waters in the Supreme Court with full legal strength so as to protect Punjab’s interests.

On the subject, MLA and former Congress minister Lal Singh flayed the CM’s proposal to take a deputation of all parties to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by saying that the PM could not do anything in this regard as the matter was sub judice.

Lal Singh also criticised the Badal government over the Atta-dal scheme saying though the SAD had formed the government by alluring the poor in the name of Atta-dal scheme during previous Assembly elections, the scheme did not find any mention in this year’s budget.

Earlier, Raninder attended the bhog ceremony of Bisanjot Singh, a seven-month-old grandson of Nathana MLA Ajaib Singh Bhatti, at a gurdwara situated in Model Town here.

On the occasion, several MLAs, including Lal Singh, Harminder Singh Jassi, Mangat Rai Bansal and Ajit Singh Shant, former ministers Chiranji Lal Garg and Jasbir Singh and ex-MLAs Malkiat Singh Keetu and Hardev Singh Arshi were also present.

Bathinda, July 2
Taking yet another innovative step, the well-known social NGO of Bathinda—Sahara Jan Seva— has launched an SMS campaign to motivate people join hands to save water, grow trees and protect environment.

The SMS is in dual language—Hindi and English.

In Hindi, the SMS reads: Dharti maa ki suno pukar, kudrat ka na karo beopar, Vriksh lagao, Manushyata ka karo uddhar.

The next words, which are in English, state: save water, save nature, save future.

President of the NGO Vijay Goyal said, “We have planned to use seven mobile phones for the purpose. Initially our target is to send about 100 SMS a day and after observing the public response, gradually, it may be increased.”

“The SMS campaign will have no geographic limits and we will try to cover as many people as we can do,” he added.

“Though a number of social and environmental groups are making efforts, we took the step after a number of eco loving intellectuals recommended it as yet another way to make contribution for the welfare of mankind,” disclosed Goyal.

Replying to a query, he said, “Even if only one person in a hundred adopts the drive and starts saving water and trees, we will be a satisfied lot.”

Further, the NGO plans to tap the emotional and religious feelings of people to make it a mass movement.

“We have been working on some hoardings and billboards, which would have messages reflecting the emotional and religious sentiments of the masses. We will try to link the messages with the gods/goddesses as well as virtue and sin committed by human beings, with a hope to make the next generation adopt the traditional ways to protect trees,” shared Goyal.

It may be mentioned that volunteers of the NGO Sahara Jan Seva are already known for their dedication towards the society as they run 24X7 helpline to serve all in their need, whether it be a case of an accident or the medical assistance for the poor and needy.

Bathinda, July 2
Mystery shrouds the recovery of a male foetus and four bodies including one of a newly-born male child from two different canals in Bathinda and Mansa districts.

Though the police initiated inquest proceedings to trace their identity, till the filing of the report, the cops were clueless.

Speaking to the TNS, volunteers of the Noujwan Welfare Society said acting on a tip-off, they rushed towards a small dam on Bhakhra canal located at Talwandi Sabo-Sardoolgarh road and found three decomposed bodies and a male foetus enmeshed in the bushes under the bridge.

Finding the crowd and cops reluctant to come forward, four volunteers of the NGO jumped into the canal and pulled out the bodies and the foetus.

After preliminary investigation by the Jorhkian (Mansa) police, the NGO volunteers took the bodies to the Civil Hospital, Sardoolgarh, for the postmortem.

President of the NGO, Noujwan Welfare Society, Sonu Maheshwari said all the bodies were in a badly decomposed state. Except for the words "JOTE" engraved on the arm of one of the deceased, nothing was available to give any clue for identification.

About the foetus, Maheshwari said it was of a male, which might have been aborted when it was about seven to eight months old.

Meanwhile, volunteers of another NGO, Sahara Jan Seva informed about the recovery of the body of a newly-born male infant from the Bathinda branch of Sirhind canal near village Teona in Bathinda district.

After pulling it out, NGO members found that the umbilical cord of the child had been clipped indicating that it might have been abandoned soon after the delivery.

Completing preliminary formalities, Bathinda (Sadar) police handed it over to the Sahara volunteers, who took it to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda for postmortem.

Till the filing of the news, police could not ascertain the identity of any of the deceased.

Bathinda, July 2
To sponsor candidates through the district office of the Employment Generation and Training for apprenticeship to the NFL factory, Bathinda, two thermal plants at Bathinda and Lehra Mohabbat, and some private factories in the district, the district administration today held a meeting here and asked the representatives of the participating private factories, the NFL, and the thermal plants to send their demand for number of candidates required for apprenticeship, in writing to the Employment office and the ITIs.

Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, who presided over the meeting, also asked the private factories, the NFL, and the thermal plants’ authorities to inform the Employment office about the vacancies of apprentices of various trades lying in their respective organisations.

He also said after the completion of apprenticeship, the administration would also issue certificates to the apprentices so that they do not face any problem in getting jobs.

The DC has also constituted a three member committee, comprising ADC (D) C. Sibin, deputy director, Employment Generation and Training, Bathinda, Harpal Singh, and general manager (GM), Industries, Bathinda, Chiman Lal to monitor the whole process of apprenticeship.

An ITI pass-out is eligible for apprenticeship for a period ranging between six months and four years as per the requirement of the trade. He will also be eligible for getting free training, besides monthly stipend from the organisation.

Besides the NFL and the two thermal plants, the representative of some other factories/industries also participated in the meeting, including the Vardhman Polytex Limited, Partap Spintex, Maur, Ambuja Cement, Chahal Spintex Limited, Kot Shameer. The local ITI’s representative also took part in the meeting.

Deputy director Harpal Singh said the services of these apprentices could also be utilised in case the employees of the NFL, the thermal plants or elsewhere suddenly went on strike.

Moga, July 2
The additional sessions judge of Moga, Raj Shekhar Attri, while coming down heavily on the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday, has asked its officials and the prosecution to put in plain words under which authority and provisions of the law, the local drug inspector, Balram Luthra, who was caught red-handed on June 4 while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000, was released from the police custody.

The counsel for the complainant, Ramesh Grover, brought to the notice of the court that the drug inspector was released by the Bureau officials at their own level after the expiry of the police remand without producing him before the court.

He argued that as per the law, the IO should have moved an application before the court under section 169 of the CrPC seeking release of the drug inspector and he should have also been produced before the court.

He said in this case, neither any application under section 169 of the CrPC was moved nor the drug inspector was produced before the court, which, undoubtedly, is a gross irregularity in duty on the part of the investigating official and violation of criminal laws. The Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, section 169 and many rulings of the apex court and various high courts clearly define, "If police investigating official found that there is no evidence against accused to justify detention - police officer in-charge of police station should release the accused on his executing a bond with or without surety. However, when accused is produced before magistrate, then magistrate has to release the accused from custody under section 169 of the CrPC. Release from custody does not amount to discharge of accused…"

The IO filed an application before the duty magistrate, Rakesh Gupta, intimating that he has released the drug inspector as he was no more required in the custody. The duty magistrate sent this application to the sessions court.

The application of the main accused, Sukhdev Singh, requesting not to discharge the drug inspector, was also discussed in the sessions court, today, however, no decision was taken on it.

The sessions court has fixed July 6 as the next date of hearing on the controversy that has surfaced on the release of the drug inspector. Meanwhile, the drug inspector was present in the court but he was asked to go out of the court room after objections raised by the complainant's counsel.

It may be mentioned that the functioning and style of working of the state's premier investigating agency came under a cloud in this controversial arrest, after which, taking a u-turn, the Bureau registered a criminal case under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 193, 195 and 120B of the IPC and 7, 8, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1989, against the complainant, shadow witness, the main witnesses and its ASI Jarnail Singh along with three chemists of the town on the charges of allegedly 'manipulating' the arrest of the drug inspector.

The DSP of the Bureau, Amarjit Singh Matwani, the then investigating official, was suspended from the service and the Superintendent of Police of the Bureau, Ferozepur ,division was also transferred from his post and was asked to report at the head office.

Ferozepur, July 2
The Punjab Congress leadership has come to the support of residents of villages and towns situated in the close vicinity of the Indo-Pak border and river Sutlej, who have been facing severe danger to their lives due to consumption of polluted water.

General Secretary and media in-charge, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Parminder Singh, today said the Punjab government must take up this matter with the Central government so that the people of the border pockets, who had been living in hell-like conditions, could be given civil amenities without any delay.

“The water of river Sutlej is being polluted due to effluents discharged from about 200 leather tanneries running into the Kasur district of Pakistan, which almost rub its shoulder with Pakistan. This has become an invasion of the environment by the Pakistan authorities,” said Parminder.

“A number of villages in the border areas of Ferozepur along the river Sutlej right up to Abohar areas are in the grip of cancer and other serious diseases caused by highly polluted water. The origin of pollution is in Pakistan,” he added. The most affected area in the Ferozepur district due to such pollution was Hussainiwala sector.

He said though different agencies of the Punjab government had been collecting samples of water from different pockets of the Ferozepur border for the past few days for chemical examination to find out the types of effluents, which had made the water polluted, this exercise would not suffice till the pollution caused by Kasur-based tanneries was tackled.

“We must learn a lesson from village Danngar Khera of Abohar area where about 35 residents have died in the past three years due to cancer as they have been consuming polluted water,” said Parminder.

Even the authorities concerned did not take corrective measure to supply potable water in those villages where the water samples were taken about two years by the health department authorities and which were found unfit for human consumption.

Abohar, July 2
Four teams of the health department have reached Dangarkhera, located about 10 kilometres from Abohar, to conduct door-to-door survey on high incidence of cancer allegedly due to supply of contaminated water.

Crew of TV channels also arrived by the afternoon. However, no senior government official or political leaders visited the village, workers of the Youth Club regretted.

The village, connected with the Abohar-Fazilka road (NH 10) by a link road, is known because of the Basanti Mata Mandir. The health department team led by the sanitary inspector Hukam Chand took samples of drinking water from the government school, Basanti Mata Mandir, waterworks and some houses.

The eight-member teams would visit all the houses and submit report to the district authorities after a week.

About 4,000 iron tablets were distributed among the residents today, the department staff said. 

Abohar, July 2
The 38 point model code of conduct issued recently by the Punjab education department for the ETT training centres may prompt most of the private institutions to bid adieu to this particular course, some senior educationists feel.

Some of the former principals and other educationists said this would further promote the on-going trend among the job-seekers to approach the Jammu-based “teaching shops” for getting degree in the ETT. Notably, Punjab Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur last week expressed concern over the “stuff” of teachers being produced by scores of such shops, operating mostly from small houses, taking mileage of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir. As per the 38 guidelines, all the principals of government and non-government teacher training centers, inclusive of colleges, have been issued guidelines. Reforms are welcome but who can afford to go ahead with this highly economically non-viable training, an educationist asked? 

Moga, July 2
An employee of the revenue department, Naresh Kumar, tried to kill his 16-year-old daughter Priyanka and brother Gopal Krishan by firing shots from his licensed revolver at them last night at Bedi Nagar in Moga on Friday. Both of them are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ludhiana.

The police have arrested Naresh and recovered the revolver. It may be mentioned that a few months back, Naresh was also accused of murdering his wife but his mother did not give statement against him. Due to this, the police initiated inquest proceedings in the case.

Police sources said Naresh, who is an alcoholic, asked his daughter not to join the 
celebrations at the marriage ceremony of his brother's daughter, who is getting married on Sunday.

Raj Rani, mother of the accused, stated, "We have a wedding ceremony in the family. On Thursday night, Priyanka went to her uncle's house to join the pre-wedding celebrations. Naresh came home and asked for Priyanka. I went to my elder son's house and called her back. At around midnight, Naresh began beating up his daughter, who was sleeping with me. I ran up the stairs to call my elder son to save us. However, before my elder son could reach us, Naresh fired at Priyanka and when Gopal came inside the house to save Priyanka, he was also attacked by him."

Both the injured persons were immediately rushed to the district hospital from where they were referred to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital at Ludhiana. The condition of Priyanka was said to be critical at the time of writing this news report. Naresh’s mother alleged that he has an affair with a woman of Dhurkot village. 

Ferozepur, July 2
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Manjeet Singh, head constable, Joginder Singh and Punjab Home Guard (PHG) jawan, Sarwan Singh were booked in a criminal case after a smuggler Jaswinder Singh managed to escape from the lock-up of the Lakho Ke Behram police station.

All these three officials, who along with Jaswinder Singh, were booked under sections 223 and 224 of the IPC in the same police station where they were posted, were also placed under suspension for their negligence while performing their duty.

Police sources said Jaswinder Singh was arrested on June 27 this year for his alleged involvement in smuggling of narcotics. About 1700 tablets and 350 capsules, being used by the people for intoxication, were recovered from his possession.

After this recovery, a case under the NDPS Act was registered against Jaswinder Singh, who belonged to the nearby village Gajni Wala and who is just 23-year-old.

Sources said Jaswinder was supposed to be produced in the court of the judicial magistrate for getting his remand in the police custody by the police officials concerned.

When he was taken out of the lock-up in the morning for refreshment, he managed to escape from the police station.

SHO, Lakho Ke Behram police station, Sahib Singh said raids were being conducted at the suspected hideout of Jaswinder Singh. Inquiries about his whereabouts were also being made from his kin and family members.

He added that there was no doubt in the fact that Jaswinder had managed to escape from the lock-up due to negligence of duty official and other policemen, who were present in the police station. He said neither of the policemen, against whom the case had been registered, was arrested so far. 

Fazilka, July 2
A person was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the border village of Bkainwala in Fazilka sub-division. The police have booked unidentified persons in connection with his murder under section 302 of the IPC.

As per the FIR registered with the police station Sadar, Fazilka, by Gursewak Singh, a resident of Muktsar, his elder brother Ajit Singh (40) had been working in the fields of a farmer Chhinderpal Singh in the border village Bkainwala since long. Gursewak Singh used to visit his brother frequently. As per his statement, as usual he went to meet Ajit Singh at his residence on Monday. However, he was shocked to see that the body of his brother, Ajit Singh, was lying in the porch of his house. His hands were tied with cloth. However, Gursewak Singh could not give the names of the suspects behind the alleged ‘killing’ of his brother Ajit Singh.