The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	LPG shortage rocks Gurdaspur Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, December 3 The town is in the grip of a self-created LPG crisis. The unlawful use of LPG cylinders for gas geysers by residents, coupled with the fact that the Jalandhar Bottling Plant, which feeds the LPG needs of the town, is not getting sufficient supply of gas from the Panipat refinery, has resulted in an acute shortage of cooking gas. The severity of the crisis is reflected from the fact that serpentine queues are formed in front of all the five gas agencies the moment the first rays of the sun hit the ground. District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC) Munish Narula said that due to some repair in the dumps at the Panipat refinery, the Jalandhar LPG Bottling Plant was feeling the heat, following which gas supply to the town had been drastically reduced. But in the same breath, he admitted that gas geysers, too, were no less the culprits. Statistics culled from various sources reveal that the town has 60,188 connections but last month residents managed to get just 38,148 cylinders. This shows a dismal average of less than one cylinder per connection per month. Sources disclosed that there were nearly 15,000 LPG geysers in the town and residents used these entities generously, oblivious of the fact that LPG cylinders could not be used for such purposes. Hotels, dhabas and other eateries were adding to the ‘gas crisis’ by using LPG cylinders meant for domestic use. They had their own reasons for doing so as a 19-kg cylinder, meant for use by commercial establishments, cost Rs 1,201. “This price is on the higher side as compared to the Rs 365 we pay for a 14.2-kg LPG domestic cylinder,” observed a hotel owner. The DFSC said his department had formed a team which regularly checked hotels and other eateries for any infringements. “We have also written to marriage palace owners not to use domestic LPG cylinders for commercial use. If they do not fall in line, we will be getting FIRs registered against them,” said Narula.
	Cop murdered, body found in fields Phagwara, December 3 Head constable Jasbir Singh of 9/19 PAP, presently posted in CID at Chandigarh, was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in the fields of Lakhbir Singh on the Narur-Rihana-Jattan road in this subdivision last night. Kulbir Singh, brother of the deceased, alleged in his complaint to the police that the deceased had come to his village Purani Bassi from Chandigarh to attend the death anniversary of his mother a few days back, but had been missing under mysterious circumstances since Wednesday. Perhaps some killers strangled him first and threw the body in the fields. Senior Medical Officer Dr Rajiv Gupta said the body of the deceased was handed over to his family members after conducting a post-mortem examination. Hundreds of prominent citizens, including police officials, attended his funeral in his village this evening, the police said. The police has registered a case under Sections 302, 201 and 34, IPC, against unknown killers. The police suspects some foul play and perhaps a love story followed by personal enmity behind the murder. — OC
	RTI: Dasuya resident accuses school of supplying wrong info Tribune News Service Dasuya (Hoshiarpur), December 3 Functioning of the management of the Government Senior Secondary School, Sagran, located on the Dasuya-Hajipur road, has come under the scanner with information supplied by the school authorities to a Dasuya resident. Kamal Sharma, who sought information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the school principal regarding construction of a room, running of a canteen and record of disposal of the answer sheets, has raised a finger at the school management. The school does not have the record of revenue generated with the allotment of a canteen, which has been running on the school premises for the past many years. Moreover, in a reply, the school principal said the institute had no record of answer sheets and waste paper. In another reply, the principal said the school sold only 93 kg of waste newspaper for Rs 465 in the last two years. Kamal Sharma has said the school collected a large number of answer sheets after every examination and has allegedly supplied wrong information.
	2 gangs of robbers busted, 12 held Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, December 3 With the arrest of 12 persons, the district police today claimed to have busted two gangs of robbers operating in the district.Talking to mediapersons here today, SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said on Thursday evening the Tanda police got a tipp-off that at least six youths had assembled at a secluded place near Tanda Urmur railway station and preparing to commit a big robbery. The police immediately raided that place and arrested Gurcharan Singh, alias Charna, of Pandori Sumlan, Taranjit Singh, alias Taran, of Ludan, Pavitar Singh, alias Prince, of Nangal Kusala and Dalip Singh, alias Deepu, of Chahdake (Bhogpur). Their two accomplices, including kingpin of the gang Harminder Lovdeep Singh, alias Deepa, of Kandhali Narangpur, and Harminder Singh, alias Bika, of Chacksotla, managed to escape. The police recovered Rs 3.45 lakh, sickle, iron rod and two lathis from them. During their interrogation all the four confessed that they had robbed a money exchanger Inderjit Singh of Ahaiyapur of Rs 5 lakh near Adda Saran on November 23. They revealed that their accomplice Lovdeep Singh used to visit the money exchange shop of Inderjit Singh and knew that the latter along with his servant had gone to collect money at Hoshiarpur on November 23. Knowing the fact that Inderjit Singh would return to Tanda, they hatched a plot to rob him of cash. Taranjt Singh, Pavitar Singh and Dalip Singh, who were on a motorcycle snatched Rs 5 lakh from Inderjit Singh near Adda Saran and fled. Later, they distributed the looted money among all of them. The police recovered Rs 3.45 lakh of the looted money from the arrested accused. Similarly, acting on a tip-off that at least 13 persons were preparing to commit a dacoity, the Hariana police last evening raided Dadiana Kalan choe (seasonal rivulet) near Dhussi Bandh of Sherpur Kacha village and arrested Manpreet Singh, alias Laddi, of the local Police Line, kingpin of the gang Mano, alias Shivam, of Quarter No 13, local Civil Hospital, Shiva Ladi, Gagan Sabharwal, alias Gaggi, and Kali, alias Sunil, all of local Rishi Nagar, Vicky Kumar, of old Quarter, local Police Line, Muqadar Lal, alias Sunny, of Pahari Gate, Hariana, and Arun Kumar, of Jahan Khelan. However, their five accomplices, identified as Jaskaran Singh of local Tanda bypass, Sunny Motta of Hariana, Raak of Jalandhar, another kingpin of the gang Shipu of Khajuri Gate, Batala, and Jassa of the local Ravidass Nagar managed to escape. The police recovered a country-made .12-bore pistol, country-made .32-bore pistol, four cartridges of .12 bore and .32 bore, three motorcycles, sickle, sword and two iron rods from the arrested persons. Their modus operandi of the gang was that the members used to ride on motorcycles in lanes or roads where volume of traffic was low and when they saw a person going alone, chased him and whenever they got a chance they snatched gold ornaments, purse and vehicles from them and fled. Their interrogation helped in solving 13 theft and robbery cases committed in the district. Besides, they confessed to their involvement in a number of snatching money and ornaments cases from labourers and other persons near Mahavir Spinning Mills, Purhiran, Una road, Bhangi Choe, Bajwara area, etc. Due to the death of his father, Manpreet Singh, who was studying in class 10, started committing robberies and thefts to feed the family, whereas Mano, Gagan Sabharwal and Arun Kumar fell in bad company and started committing crimes.
	SSP honours ‘cleansed’ addicts Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, December 3 The District Red Cross Drug De-addiction Centre honoured SSP Varinderpal Singh at a function held on the centre’s premises here today. The SSP, on his part, honoured 45 drug addicts who, after being treated at the centre, were given a warm send-off by the centre’s staff, including project director Romesh Mahajan. Mahajan gave Rs 1,000 each to the “cleansed” addicts who stayed at the centre for nearly two months for treatment. The centre has treated 12,537 addicts since its inception in March 1993.
	85 huts demolished at Sanghowal village Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 3 The district administration today pulled down over 85 huts on panchayat land at Sanghowal village, near Mehatpur, in Nakodar tehsil amid protests. Armed with men and machinery, the district administration reached the village early in the morning and started the operation with the assistance of heavy police force. The demolition operation continued for almost five hours. The administration had called police force from surrounding police stations, besides fire tenders and riot control vehicles to avoid any untoward incident. The police had to use force against the irate residents, who lodged their protest against the drive. Almost half a dozen residents reportedly sustained mild injuries during a scuffle with the police. The police booked over 12 persons, including Satpal Sahota, Sumeet, Sandeep Arora, Rajinder Singh and Ravinder Singh, and a case under Section 353 of the IPC has been registered against them. The operation was carried under the supervision of area SDM Supreet Singh. He said the land belonged to the village panchayat and the District Development Project Officer had issued them eviction notice around five months ago. Moreover, the administration had made public announcement (munnadi) asking the occupants to vacate the land. Tarsem Peter, president of the Pendu Mazdoor Union, Punjab, has condemned the operation saying that the administration had evicted the innocent migrants without making any prior arrangements for their rehabilitation.