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Pak diverts rainwater to India |
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Bathinda-bound train services hit
Floods cut off border village
CM offers help to victims in Pakistan
State Cong delegates’ list accepted
BJP attacks coalition partner again
‘Phone Tapping’ By Govt
Toll plaza staff accused of misbehaviour
Jammers to curb mobile menace in jails
Respite from power cuts for residents
Grewal takes charge as PPSC member
State restrained from notifying civic poll schedule
100 PCMS docs absent from duty
Amritsar village kids learn Queen’s English
No HC respite for IS Bindra
Medical Officers’ Selection
Discharge coma patient: HC
Assistant Garrison Engineer held on bribe charge
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Pak diverts rainwater to India
Shamke Border Observation Post (Ferozepur), August
27 Residents alleged that the Pakistan authorities had also raised bundhs alongside the river flowing in their territory, restricting its natural flow. The water of the Sutlej was now hitting back the areas of India, causing damage to the standing paddy, fodder and cotton crops, they added. “Water from the Bhikhiwind post area of Pakistan has been coming to this area through the Sutlej. Four observation posts and cobra fencing in about 4 km have been flooded,” said a senior functionary of the BSF, adding that the higher authorities had been informed about this. DIG (BSF), Ferozepur sector, Rajesh Gupta said he was not aware of the fact that Pakistan had been diverting rainwater to India through the Sutlej, but he admitted that water level in this area was around 6 to 7 inches. Meanwhile, link of villages, including Chandi Wala, Tindi Wala and Gatti Rajo Ke, with other areas was cut after water from the Sutlej started entering their fields and dwellings and subsequently caused two breaches in a small bridge built over a small branch of the river. Residents alleged that instead of taking care of their plight, officials remained busy with a sangat darshan programme held by CM Parkash Singh Badal in the Guru Harsahai Assembly segment today. They added that Badal’s visit to their area late last evening had failed to bring any relief to them. Jalalabad: The Jalalabad-Nath Singh Wala road washed away after water from swelling Sutlej started hitting it on Friday. Sources said the BSF authorities had pressed boats into service for transportation of residents of various villages. They added that standing paddy and other crops in about 850 acres falling in 10 villages of this subdivision were also submerged after the Sutlej water entered them. TNS reports from Jalandhar: State Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur, accompanied by the area Subdivisional Magistrate, local leaders and other officials, on Friday visited flood-hit areas of Kapurthala and Jalandhar districts. She promised a new 12-km-long bundh along the Sutlej to prevent its water from entering villages situated along the river. She said the height of the existing dhussi bundh would be raised to avoid the flood fury in the future.
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Bathinda-bound train services hit
Bathinda, August 27 Meanwhile, the normal route of trains on the Ferozepur-Jalandhar section was restored today, sources in the Railway said. However, trains touching the Bathinda station continued to run hours behind the schedule following diversion through Ludhiana. Sources in the Railways said the Jammu Tawi-Bathinda 9226 was expected to arrive at Bathinda at 7.30 pm, nearly 10 hours behind the schedule, on Friday. Further, Thursday’s journey of the Bathinda-Jammu Tawi 9225 was not only delayed but also terminated midway in Jalandhar. The train was expected to reach Bathinda at 8 pm on Friday, nearing two hours behind the schedule. Sources in the Railways said passengers of the trains running three hours behind the schedule could get full refund.
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Floods cut off border village
Fazilka, August 27 It is attached with India only from the east side creating a chicken neck-like location in military parlance. However, with devastating flood fury these days it has been cut off through land to land connectivity and has been reduced as an island in isolation. The only remaining connection to this village, a temporary wooden bridge raised by villagers, has been washed away today. Having population of about 800, it has been situated on the bed of old Sutlej Creek just at a stone’s throw distance from the International border in the Fazilka sub-division. As a result, it continues to be flood-prone ever since. The indifferent attitude of successive governments and the official machinery towards not providing basic amenities of pure drinking water, health and education to its residents have added to their grievances. When the flood water is released from the Pakistan side from the swollen Sutlej, it spelled miseries for them as the gushing water damaged their standing crops. Only six families of Mohar Jamsher village have shifted, along with their belongings, to safer places. “The standing crop of paddy in more than 200 acres of this village has been inundated as water entered the fields following the overflowing of the Sutlej” admits Fazilka SDM Ajay Sood. He cautioned villagers to be vigilant as there was an imminent threat of more water pouring in. Harbans Singh, former sarpanch, said the civil administration and politicians were not bothered about their grievances. He rued that it had became their destiny to live in these odd circumstances. Kakkan Singh, the only rover of the boat, said now, boat was the only way left to ferry villagers to their destination.
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CM offers help to victims in Pakistan
Chandigarh, August 27 The offer came in a telephone talk the Chief Minister had with Mian Sharif this morning. The conversation between the two leaders lasted about 10 minutes in which Badal inquired about the plight of those trapped in floods or otherwise affected by the fury of the floods in Pakistan. He also wanted to know in what specific areas would help be welcome. The Chief Minister expressed sympathy and solidarity with the people of Pakistani Punjab, facing the wrath of the ravaging waters. He also shared with his Pakistani counterpart the flood situation in Indian Punjab and the steps being taken by the government to help the beleaguered people. Mian Sharif appreciated the gesture of Badal and said that he was deeply touched by the show of emotional solidarity by "our brethern in Indian Punjab." He promised to send details of the specific requirements in the form of aid. — TNS
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State Cong delegates’ list accepted
Chandigarh, August 27 Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO) Usha Thakkar ,when questioned, said she had finalised the list of 234 delegates and submitted it to Election Committee Chairman Oscar Fernandes. She said the Election Authority had accepted the list. However, what has come to light is that Congressmen are not willing to call it a day till the very end. Sources said former state Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had been camping in Delhi since Monday and that he had been successful in getting around 15 names changed with some of the changes taking place last night only. The sources said there was lack of consensus on a few names still. The names included those of former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma, former Sangrur legislator Arvind Khanna and youth leader and former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s grandson Gurkirat Singh. In the case of Vishnu Sharma while the ruling dispensation is game on nominating him a delegate from Tripri in Patiala, Capt Amarinder Singh has opposed this, saying Vishnu had gone against the party candidate (his wife Preneet Kaur) in the last Lok Sabha elections. Vishnu Sharma has been demanding an election from Tripri and does not want to be adjusted from anywhere else in the district. Arvind Khanna had also called for holding an election from Sangrur from where he wants to get nominated as a delegate. Khanna, who is an Amarinder confidant, when questioned on the issue, admitted that he wanted to get nominated from Sangrur, but said he would go by the party decision and was ready for nomination from elsewhere also. Youth leader Gurkirat Singh wants to be nominated from Khanna as does former MP Shamsher Singh Dullo. Meanwhile, sources said the ruling dispensation in the Punjab Congress has not taken kindly to the success achieved by the Amarinder group in getting some changes effected at the last minute. Sources said Punjab Congress President Mohinder Singh Kaypee rushed to Delhi today and will be meeting the party high command. Kaypee is likely to emphasise that a consensus list had been submitted to the high command after he had sat down with Capt Amarinder Singh and taken down his suggestions. Sources said though the list was supposed to be announced today, it could be released tomorrow also. Post announcement, the Pradesh Congress delegates are expected meet to pass a one-line resolution authorising party President Sonia Gandhi to nominate the state party chief.
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BJP attacks coalition partner again
Chandigarh, August 27 Giving out details, a BJP leader said the money that was received was assistance under various schemes and meant for water supply and sewer system in major towns. This money was extended to Punjab under the return of central taxes collected from the state and returned in a 30:70 per cent ratio with 30 per cent being the state’s share in the tax and 70 per cent being the central assistance. But the SAD used the money without bringing it to the Around Rs 18.71 crore has been extended to Dharamkot, Rs 19.53 crore to Makhu, Rs 24.48 crore to Zeera, Rs 17.47 crore to Talwandi Bhai and Rs 37.50 crore to Ferozepur, all the areas that have a dominant SAD base, the BJP has claimed. Earlier, too, the BJP had accused the SAD of spending Rs 83.71 crore out of the Rs 87.12 crore in areas with SAD vote bank. Incidentally the largest amount of money Rs 24.62 crore has been spent on the Gidderbaha constituency represented by SAD’s finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Again the BJP claims that the commitment made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to a three-member BJP committee comprising of Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia, MP Navjot Sidhu and senior leader BD Tandon promising more money for urban development was never fulfilled.
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‘Phone Tapping’ By Govt
Guru Har Sahai (Ferozepur), August
27 Sodhi said his party would take up the issue with the party high command. The SAD-BJP alliance led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has started indulging in phone tapping to harass leaders belonging to opposition parties and media persons, who have been exposing its misdeeds, pointed out
Sodhi. He questioned Badal as to why he had been holding Sangat Darshan in the district and keeping all officials busy when the people residing in border areas were facing a flood- like situation and needed help. — TNS
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Toll plaza staff accused of misbehaviour
Rajpura, August 27 A complaint in this regard has been registered in the complaint register of the plaza and matter has also been brought to the notice of project director, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), and the police. The scribes had gone there to enquire about the rise in the number of accidents due to bad road conditions near the plaza and lack of facilities provided to commuters. As per agreement between the company, operating toll plazas and the government, basic facilities, including ambulances, cranes and patrolling vehicles should be provided to the commuters. Though there is an ambulance at the toll plaza, it caters a distance of more than 70 km between Mandi Gobindgarh and Kalka Chowk in Ambala city. Even crane is of very low capacity and can only tow only light vehicles. The scribes stated that they were clicking pictures of the plaza from a distance on Wednesday when employees of the plaza approached them and told them to meet their manager. “The manager was rude and even threatened us with dire consequences,” said a local scribe, Sudesh Taneja. He said the scribes went along with their photographers to enquire into the traffic chaos and accidents near the plaza. “If photography is not allowed then it should have written somewhere on the board. But there was no such thing. We saw an overturned truck about 300 meters away from the toll plaza and a car with a broken wheel due to potholes,” said another scribe Iqbal Singh. Truckers and commuters alleged that the company and the government was befooling them by collecting lakhs of rupees as toll tax everyday. According to NHAI officials, Rs 65-70 lakh is collected as toll everyday from three toll plazas on the Karnal-Jalandhar road. Project director (NHAI) R Rastogi, too, admitted to the rude behaviour of the toll employees. He lamented that he too, besides various other VIPs, has fallen victim of such misbehaviour. A few days ago the plaza employees entered into a heated arguments with a Member of Parliament before allowing him to go without paying toll.
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Jammers to curb mobile menace in jails
Patiala, August 27 While stating that his department has intelligence inputs regarding the usage of mobile phones by criminals lodged in various jails of the state, Gabria, who was in city to review the progress of renovation work of heritage buildings of Patiala, said it had been decided to install mobile phone jammers in the jails. Notably, there had been several incidents in the past, wherein jail authorities had red-handedly caught inmates using mobile phones. “We have got concrete intelligence reports that clearly indicate that nexus among the criminals is increasing and jails are becoming a platform for the hardcore criminals to spread their network. In wake of this, several steps are being taken,” Gabria said, adding that on the basis of the nature of crime committed by the accused, a system would be devised to categorise the inmates and lodge hardcore criminals in separate barracks so that they do not get any opportunity to influence those accused of petty crimes. Meanwhile, Gabria also stated that numerous historical monuments in Punjab had been encroached upon by unscrupulous elements. “There have been considerable cases wherein Punjab’s heritage buildings have been encroached. Necessary steps would be taken to remove these encroachments. The state government is contemplating to chalk out a plan for a proper facelift of such historical buildings.”
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Respite from power cuts for residents
Patiala, August 27 As per the data available, on August 26 against the demand of 1,555 lakh units (LU), the power supply was 1,540 LU, whereas on the same day last year, the figures of demand and supply stood at about 1,670 LU and 1,490 LU, respectively. The figures imply that presently the gap between demand and supply is just 15 LU, whereas last year it was about 180 LU. Against the power generation of 125 LU from last year, this year the figure stands at 170 LU.
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Grewal takes charge as PPSC member
Patiala, August 27 Replying to a query that whether presently there is lack of transparency in the examination system, he said transparency was there but there was the need to further enhance it. Playing down the issue of alleged irregularities in the selection of 312 doctors, Grewal said: “We have to look forward with a positive approach and hopefully the commission would work as a cohesive unit to achieve this goal.” Earlier, Grewal was given a warm welcome at the PPSC office. Besides chairman Sanjit Kumar Sinha, other members of the commission were also present on the occasion.
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State restrained from notifying civic poll schedule
Chandigarh, August 27 The direction came on a bunch of petitions filed by residents of Bholath, Dhilwan and Bhagowal. In one of the petitions, Vippen Khurana and three other residents of Bholath in Kapurthala district had sought the quashing of the notification on the ground it was “in violation of Rule 4 of the Determination of the Number of Elected Members and Reservation of Office of Presidents, Municipality Rules, 1994….” Counsel for the petitioner Gurinder Singh Gill and Lisa Gill contended: “Due to the illegal act on the part of the respondents, grave injustice has been caused to the petitioners and other residents of the municipal council, Bholath. The petitioners are not against the reservation of the seats, but they are aggrieved by the wrong rotation of the reserved seats, which has been notified by the state. The authorities are acting in an arbitrary and illegal manner without adherence to the provisions of law....” They added: “The act of the respondents is illegal, unconstitutional against the law and rules; and is liable to be set aside the delimitation of the wards. Now the respondent has issued the impugned notification dated 3.8.2010 wherein they have wrongly reserved the seats in total violation of the provisions of law”.
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100 PCMS docs absent from duty
Jalandhar, August 27 Some of the doctors are absent from duty for the past more than a year, whereas some are absent since 2006. Official sources said in all 112 doctors had been found absent from duty. Of them 85 are absent for more than a year. Such doctors have either started their own private practice or have gone abroad without giving any intimation to the department. Health centres, where such doctors were posted, were badly hit, as the department was unable to provide replacement in the absence of any formal intimation by the doctors. The worst affected are Sangrur and Ludhiana districts, where 18 and 16 doctors respectively were found absent for more than a year. Dr JP Singh, Director, Health Services, told The Tribune that the department had decided to terminate the services of those doctors who were absent for years.
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Amritsar village kids learn Queen’s English
Dhulka (Amritsar), August 27 This organisation has adopted 11 students belonging to the poor strata of society and studying in four schools situated in and around Amritsar. Harmanpreet is one of them. She lost her father at a tender age and her mother works as a domestic help. A student of Class VI in Standard Public High School of this village, she always tops in her class. The organisation has adopted six students of this school under the project, STARAE - scholarship as a tool to revive academic excellence. Other five children are from Saint Soldier Boarding School, Jandiala Guru; Shaheed Darshan Singh Pheruman Public School, Rayya; and Shri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Amritsar. Students of Standard Public High School are also learning English in a month-long English language learning program - Travel Aid Project, wherein five students of Oxford University (UK), Gemma, Katerina, Pauline, Ella and Suzie - led by project coordinator Harjyot Kaur, are training them in spoken English. Talking to TNS, Harjyot said besides this, the students adopted under the project were also getting tuition from their foreign guest teachers, who had been coming to the school for the past five years. Every time a new batch of students of the university volunteered themselves for the project, she added. These foreign students also helped in raising funds for the project and for providing necessary facilities to the school. Pauline, who originally hails from France, said children here were very disciplined and they felt nice teaching them.
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No HC respite for IS Bindra
Chandigarh, August 27 The ruling came on an appeal filed by the reconstruction company. Disposing of the plea, Bench consisting Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh asserted: “Sequence of events clearly indicates that the company is buying time by putting up one excuse or another. It appears that the company is putting up successive applications to prolong the proceedings.” The Bench asserted: “It is apparent from the records that a very reasonable one-time settlement was offered to the company in 2006; and against an amount of Rs 41 crore, the company was asked to pay an amount of Rs 13.25 crore that was not paid. “As per the contention of the counsel for the appellant, amount due at the time of one-time settlement was Rs 40.90 crore, whereas to the contrary, counsel for the company states that the due amount was only Rs 32.25 crore. Be that as it may, by an interim measure we accept the figure given by the counsel for the company. Taking the note of the act and conduct of the company, we are of the opinion that it does not deserve any further concession from this court.” “Under the circumstances, the company is directed to pay an amount of Rs 32.35 crore, less an amount of Rs 5 crore already paid. The company may sell its land and pay that amount to the appellant within four weeks from today, subject to further orders, which may be passed by this court”. The Bench ruled PML had raised a loan from financial institutions in 1995-96 to be repaid in 16 half-yearly instalments. But, failed to repay the amount. It was declared sick industrial unit vide order dated May 14, 1995. The one-time settlement for Rs 13.25 crore was offered in June 2006. But the company committed default in the payment.
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HC to Vigilance: Continue with probe
Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 27 The state has been asked to furnish a list. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari also asked the state government to furnish a status report on the next date of hearing. The development is significant as Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) chairman Sanjit Kumar Sinha has all along been seeking an “independent probe” into the allegations levelled against the commission. Sinha has been insisting that Badal has “put the commission under the scanner of an official, who is directly under his control, thereby violating the constitutional safeguards, which the commission has been granted by the Constitution of India”. As the case came up for hearing this morning, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari asked Punjab Additional Advocate-General Rupinder Singh Khosla to hand over a list of documents required by the Vigilance Bureau to the counsel for the petitioner -- Bar-at-law Himmat Singh Shergill. He, within a week, thereafter, shall hand over all the demanded documents to the respondents. Before parting with the orders, the Bench directed the state government to furnish a status report on the inquiry -- interim or final -- after perusing all documents before the next date of hearing. The bench also fixed November 9 as Shergill, on the other hand, has been stating they have supplied whatever record was permissible to be handed over; and the commission’s style of functioning was completely transparent.
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Discharge coma patient: HC
Chandigarh, August 27 Accident victim Balwinder Singh’s case was brought to the High Court’s notice by World Human Rights Protection Council through its chairman Ranjan Lakhanpal. In a petition placed before Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari, Lakhanpal had asserted that Ludhiana resident Balwinder Singh was riding down from Dehra Dun to his hometown, when he suffered head injury in a mishap on June
20. He was admitted to the CMC on June 24; and Rs 50,000 was paid to the hospital towards medical expenses. As Balwinder Singh went into a coma, his brother Joginder Singh was advised to take him home. But, the victim was not discharged, as Joginder Singh did not have Rs 63,000 to pay the remaining bill. The Bench directed his immediate discharge, without the authorities insisting on the payment of the initial amount. The case will now come up on September 6.
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Assistant Garrison Engineer held on bribe charge
Bathinda, August 27 It is learnt that a local MES contractor, Ashok Kumar, lodged a complaint with the VB officials that a Garrison Engineer (Utility), Sudesh Chandra, and his subordinate, AGE Balraj Nehra, were seeking a bribe for clearing his bills regarding some maintenance work done in the cantonment. The VB sleuths laid a trap to arrest the accused officials. Though the VB sleuths had laid a trap to arrest both, the GE, on some suspicion, asked the contractor to hold negotiations with the AGE if he wanted to get the bills cleared. During the negotiations, AGE Nehra sought a bribe of Rs 20,000 from the contractor to get his pending bills cleared from the GE. However, they settled on Rs 10,000 as bribe. The complainant called the AGE at a shop on the Bathinda-Goniana road and handed over a packet of chemically treated currency notes worth Rs 10,000. Before the accused could leave the place with the money, a team of VB sleuths, accompanied by some official witnesses, arrested him red-handed. The VB officials booked the accused under sections 7, 13 (2), 88 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The VB officials went to the MES office to collect official record suspecting corruption. It took at least two hours to the VB team to enter the cantonment due to the security deployed but by that time the staff of the MES had locked the office and fled. SSP, Vigilance Bureau (Bathinda range), Sukhdev Singh Chahal said, “After arresting the AGE, we wanted to collect documentary evidence before arresting his boss, the GE. But before we could reach there, the MES staff locked the office and managed to flee.
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Officials of the Shambhu Toll Plaza are accused of misbehaviour with
journalists. A complaint in this regard has been registered in the complaint register of the plaza and matter has also been brought to the notice of project director, National Highway Authority of India
(NHAI), and the
police.
With a view to end the increasing nexus among the criminals on account of the unrestricted usage of mobile phones by the inmates, Minister for Jails, Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Punjab Hira Singh Gabria today said mobile jammers would be installed in jails across the state.
Newly appointed member of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Hardeep Singh Grewal took charge today. Grewal said his foremost priority would be to coordinate with the commission chairman and members. “My objective would be to assure that there is complete transparency and fairness in the examinations being conducted by the PPSC,” he asserted.
Harmanpreet Kaur (12), a resident of this village, can now think of fulfilling her dreams after getting quality education, which otherwise could not have been possible for her due to the poor financial condition of her family. Thanks to the scholarship and financial aid provided by a USA-based NGO, “United
Sikhs”.