Moga, January 12
The Member of Parliament from Brampton (Canada), Ruby Dhalla, while advocating strict implementation of the laws against fraud marriages, has appealed to the Punjabi community settled across the globe to stop indulging in such practices which defame the community. She was in the town today.

Dhalla was greeted by Jathedar Tota Singh, a former minister and senior leader of the ruling SAD and his son Barjinder Singh Brar, president, Municipal Council, at the Moga Town Hall club where she was honoured by the local residents and the councillors.

Perturbed over the incidents of abuse of Punjabi women, the Canadian lawmaker said she would meet the victims of fraud marriages on Friday at village Ramu Wala Kalan in the Moga district.

Ruby Dhalla, whose ancestors hail from Mullanpur in Ludhiana district, is the worst affected area next only to Moga and Jalandhar districts, from where, hundreds of such cases of abuse by NRIs settled in Canada had been reported in the past couple of years. Adding that the women who migrate to Canada, face a lot of problems, she said people should not adopt unlawful practices to send their kids to the foreign shores.

Ruby said she would press the Canadian government to grant old-age pension to the parents of the Indian youths on their arrival in Canada after three years instead of ten years as it is being granted to the citizens of the UK.

She also said the Punjabi NRIs settled in Canada wanted to make investments in their home state provided that the state government provides them with security and better infrastructure.

She welcomed the decision of the state government to set up an NRI cell in the Chief Minister’s office to look into the grievances of the migrant Punjabis settled abroad.

She was of the view that the Punjab government should take up steps to revamp the education system and restore the work culture among the youths instead of sending them to foreign shores in search of jobs.

Dhalla also appealed to the NRIs to adopt schools in their home state to improve the education system here.

Muktsar, January 12
The black Marwari horse of Satpal Singh of Johal village in Jalandhar district won the first prize of Rs one lakh in the National Livestock Championship-2011 that concluded here today.

The HF breed cow of Sahib Singh of village Mehta in Amritsar was purchased on the spot for Rs two lakh after it was adjudged the champion in its category.

Events like lifting of tent pegs by the students of Kirpal Sagar Academy, Rahon, adventurous martial art (gatka) performed by Nihangs, mare dance and decorated camels at the fair proved to be spectators’ delight.

Though Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal kept his own horses (imported breeds) out of the championship this time, their presence near the main stage was a major attraction.

Despite tight security, dozens of the agitating activists of the Rural Vets Regularisation Front, Punjab, entered the stadium when the Deputy CM was distributing prizes. However, the police prevented them from moving towards the stage. They were demanding regularisation of their services. They warned that if their demand was not accepted soon, they would tender mass resignation. Punjab Minister for Animal Husbandry Gulzar Singh Ranike and Member, GADVASU, Balsher Singh also addressed the gathering.

Muktsar, January 12
The recent changes in the political equations have not only made the politicians take their Maghi Mela conferences as a challenge, it has also put the whole administration on its toes.

Witnessing the stiff competition among the political parties, the administration is expecting the total strength of the visitors to the city to surge on that day.

To ensure that the event passes off peacefully, four SSPs, 13 SPs, 50 DSPs and about 6,000 others, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and constables, have been assigned duties to boost security arrangements.

It is learnt that besides senior officials like DIG (Range) and IG (Zone), the DGP (Law and Order) is also expected to be there to monitor things.

Speaking to TNS, Muktsar SSP Inder Mohan Singh said the city had been divided into seven sectors and the officials had been assigned duties to monitor each and every activity in the sector allotted to them.

He informed that expecting a huge gathering on the day, two rescue teams had been formed comprising specially trained officials from the police, health and electricity departments.

The teams would be on the move and would rush to the spot in case of any exigency.

About the traffic bottlenecks, the biggest problem at the fair, the SSP said, “To ensure a smooth flow of traffic this time, we have allotted separate routes to the workers of each political party. Further, we have planned diversions even for city residents. An SSP rank officials has been appointed as the route management in-charge, to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.”

The SSP said the district police had installed CCTV cameras to keep an eye on the miscreants at the fair.

Bathinda, January 12
The women’s wing of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) will play a vital role in making the party’s Maghi Mela conference, which will be held at Muktsar on January 14, a successful event as women from this region and other parts of the state will reach the conference venue in large numbers. This was stated by president of the District Mahila Congress Committee Mohinder Kaur Rani.

She said that as former Chief Minister and president of the PPCC Captain Amarinder Singh would address the party’s conference, a record number of people, including women, would attend the same.

She added that the district unit of the Mahila Congress had planned to take hundreds of woman activists to the conference. She said duties had been assigned to the party’s activists at ward and village levels to ensure maximum participation.

On the occasion, District Congress Committee (Urban) president Ashok Kumar said they would also ferry a large number of persons to the conference to make it a historic event.

Bathinda, January 12
On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda today, the Rashtriya Swaymsewak Sangh (RSS) launched a fortnightly newsletter containing its views and details of activities in Punjab.

President of the Arya Samaj, Bathinda, PD Goyal launched the newsletter that would also propagate the views of the RSS in a big way.

Prof Ashok Gupta, in-charge of the RSS in some districts in the region, said the news and views of the RSS would be e-mailed to the district in-charges, who would make hardcopies of the fortnightly newsletter available to the activists and supporters of the RSS in their respective districts.