Chandigarh, July 9
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that an elected member of the municipality abuses his position if he “enters upon his duties” before the oath is administered.

With this, Justice Alok Singh of the high court has upheld the removal of Ulfat Rai Sahota as member of the Ferozepur Municipal Council. “Posing” as the newly elected senior vice-president of the municipal council, he had “entered the office of the Ferozepur Municipal Council and signed three cheques” to be issued to different people. It was contended that the petitioner was, as such, guilty of misconduct and flagrant abuse of his position as a member of the council”. — TNS

Bathinda, July 9
While receiving a bank draft for Rs 5 lakh from the district sainik welfare officer Col S.S. Mann (Retd) here today, Satveer Kaur (29), widow of Lance Naik Nirmal Singh who sacrificed his life fighting against terrorists, became emotional remembering the moments, spent with her late husband during a short span of her less than two years' married life.

The draft of Rs 5 lakh was handed over to her in lieu of the house/plot, given to the family of martyred military personnel from Punjab under a policy of the Punjab government. On the occasion, her father Dula Singh, ex-Sarpanch, Bhucho Khurd village (near Bathinda), was also present.

After receiving information regarding presence of terrorists in the area of Kidur, Tehsil Kishtwar, District Doda (Jammu and Kashmir), a 25 men column, led by Major PDS Bal, launched a joint operation with the police and the CRPF on January 28, 2007, reached the target area and established cordon. When Lance Naik Nirmal Singh, 63 RR Battalion of 118 Engineering Regiment, was observing the target house he received fire from the terrorists' side. He instantly lost his life during 'Operation Rakshak'. He died due to gun shot wound.

Talking to TNS, Satveer Kaur said she had been married to Nirmal Singh on February 14, 2005 but she was not so lucky to spend a long life with her husband as he had to sacrifice his life for the country even before the completion of their two years' married life. An apparent sadness appeared on her face when the TNS asked her about any issue (child) from Nirmal Singh as she replied in negative.

Satveer said she had passed 10 plus two examinations and had been working nowadays on the post of senior assistant at the community health centre, Goniana. This job had been provided to her by the Punjab government after the martyrdom of her husband, she added.

Dula Singh said his daughter Satveer had been living at his house for more than two and a half years at Bhucho Khurd. He claimed that after the death of his daughter's husband her in-laws had started quarrelling with her on one pretext or the other.

After handing over the draft to Satveer, district sainik welfare officer Mann exhorted her to complete her graduation during next three years as without doing graduation she could not make progress in life. He also told her that whenever she would pass her graduation course his office would honour her with a souvenir.

Bathinda, July 9
The campaign against environmental toxicity and Raghu Rai's photo exhibition on the Bhopal gas tragedy that was to be inaugurated tomorrow at Faridkot by famous singer Rabbi Shergill has been rescheduled.

As per Umendera Dutt, executive director of the Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), Sant Balbeir Singh Seenchewal shall inaugurate the exhibition on July 20 and Shergill will address a rally on July 24 at the concluding ceremony.

Dutt said that after getting overwhelming response from various parts of Punjab and neighboring states of Haryana and Rajasthan, the KVM and other voluntary organizations, which are planning to start people's movement against environmental toxicity in Faridkot, have now decided to reschedule the programme. The programme will start on July 12 with the participation of many environmental activists from Bhopal. This will be followed by mass contact programme in educational institutions, villages and different parts of Faridkot to rope-in more people in campaign.

Shergill will announce formation of alliance of people's organisations and civil society groups to detoxify Punjab and to build people based mass movement to fight against environmental toxicity and Bhopals happening in Punjab.