Ferozepur, July 14
While criticising Haryana for its anti-Punjab stance on the issue connected with the toe wall alongside the controversial Hansi Butana canal, Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Irrigation minister, Punjab, today said adequate flood prevention measures were being taken in the state.

The Irrigation Minister pointed out that instead of solving the issue of construction of the Hansi Butana canal and subsequently beginning of construction of four kilometres wall alongside one of its banks by the Haryana Government, the Central Government had made it more complicated.

Sekhon, who was here today to distribute cheques of grants to various panchayats, youth clubs and other social and voluntary organisation of Ferozepur, Zira and Guruharsahai assembly segments for various development projects, said so far the Punjab Government had released Rs 56 crore for flood protection measures.

“The rainy drains, canals, rivers and rivulets are being cleaned and desilted.  The bundhs of all the rivers and rainy drains flowing in Punjab are being strengthened to avoid floods,” claimed Sekhon. He added that it was the duty of the Central Government to pressurise the Haryana Government to stop construction of wall alongside the Hansi Butana canal to save various parts of Punjab from floods.

Sekhon, while asking former Congress chief ministers Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal as to why they had not come up with the fact matter on the Hansi Butana canal and kept themselves ‘unmoved’ when injustice was being done to Punjab, urged them to approach the Congress-led UPA Government at Centre to save Punjab from destruction.

“The SAD-BJP combine government has been doing its best to save Punjab from floods.  If the construction of the wall is not stopped, Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa districts would face the worst situation, if Ghaggar gets swollen,” claimed Sekhon, adding that nobody could be allowed to block the natural flow of a river. He said the Punjab Government had also taken the initiative for revamping the canal irrigation system in the state and so far hundreds of crores of rupees had been spent on that task. The water course in every nook and corner of Punjab were being renovated and reconstructed at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

He claimed that people of Punjab would never forgive the Congress for its anti-Punjab stance shown on the issue of construction of the Hansi Butana canal first and then starting construction of about four kilometres long concrete wall alongside it by the Congress Government of Haryana.

Bathinda, July 14
Two labourers, who were buried under a huge heap of sand while trying to extract bricks from an abandoned well in Bhagta Bhai Ka town of this district, turned out to be ‘lucky’ as they were saved by the efforts of people and the help of civil and police administration.

The residents of Bhagta Bhai Ka town, about 55 km from here, did not lose hope and put relentless efforts for about three hours with the help of civil and police functionaries to bring the labourers, identified as Sheera Singh and Buta Singh, out of the well alive.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that both Sheera and Buta went inside the abandoned well to bring out bricks with an intention of using the same for construction of their own dwellings.

While they were inside the well, a huge mound of sand caved into the well leaving the labourers buried. Some persons residing in the nearby dwellings rushed to the spot and began the rescue operation before the civil and police officials arrived.

Few tractors and three JCB machines were also pressed into service to remove the sand from about 25-feet-deep well.

When brought out of the well, one of the labourers was found to be fully conscious while the other was in a state of shock and was not able to speak.

Both the labourers were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Bhagta Bhai Ka. The vitals of their bodies were functioning normally when the reports last came in.

Moga, July 14
Punjab DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill who has of late invited the anguish of the Congress and the PPP for allegedly preparing his ground to contest the state assembly elections from Moga constituency, has now landed in fresh trouble.

The High Court of Punjab and Haryana has issued a contempt of court notice to the DGP by name for having failed to comply with the orders of the HC to take appropriate action against former District Magistrate of Moga Satwant Singh Johal, former SSP of Moga Ashok Bath and Naib Tehsildar Jaspal Singh Brar.

These officials had allegedly fabricated a criminal case of cheating against a local Congress leader Harinderjit Singh, a resident of Rode village at the time of Zila Parishad (ZP) elections in 2008, probably under political pressure to prevent him from contesting the election against the ruling party candidate.

The petitioner, Harinderjit, filed his nomination papers for the ZP elections in 2008 on Congress ticket. On May 11, 2008, Atma Singh, his SAD rival moved an application against him before the DM alleging that the petitioner holds three different voter I-cards— one from village Rode, the second from Baghapurana and the third also from Baghapurana.

The same day, the application was marked to Jaspal Brar by Satwant Johal for investigation. Brar prepared an investigation report and submitted it before the DM the same day.

Johal after accepting the report, marked it to the then SSP Ashok Bath for action. Interestingly, an FIR under section 420 of the IPC was registered against the petitioner the same day and he was arrested the same day.

He remained in custody for three days before being released on bail by a local court. In the due course of trial, the court of Kewal Krishan, JMIC, Moga, absolved him of the charges on July 30, 2010.

Harinderjit alleged that the motive behind the registration of a false case on a frivolous application moved by his rival candidate was just to harass him and win the election by hook or crook, in which, the ruling party succeeded with the help of the officials of the district administration.

After winning the case in the trial court, Harinderjit moved an application before the DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill to take action against Atma Singh, Satwant Johal, Ashok Bath and Jaspal Brar but the DGP did not take any action. Then, he filed a petition in the High Court at Chandigarh.

On February 4 this year, Justice Ritu Bahri passed a direction to the DGP “'to look into the representation and pass appropriate orders as per law within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of certified copy of this order.” But no action was taken by the DGP even after the HC orders.

After waiting for three-and-half months, Harinderjit again moved a petition against the DGP Paramdeep Gill, by name, demanding to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him.

Reacting to this petition, Justice Permod Kohli, this week, has issued a contempt of court notice to the DGP by name and fixed September 19 as the next date of hearing in the case.

Bathinda, July 14
Congress MLA from Bathinda Harminder Singh Jassi today accused the SAD-BJP government of diverting the funds and grants of crores of rupees received from the Centre for its political gains. He alleged that the funds were being spent in the name of “Sangat Darshans”.

Jassi also opposed displacement of slum dwellers by the local administration. He demanded that the administration should rehabilitate the uprooted dwellers. He criticised the administration on various issues, including menace of stray cattle and accumulation of rain water at various places in the city.

Jassi said the Congress would form the next government in the state. He said all the problems being faced by the residents would be solved on priority basis when the Congress would come to power. — TNS

Mansa, July 14
Two different post-mortem reports given by same doctor in connection with the alleged murder of a woman, has put a question mark on the functioning of government-run hospitals.

The state health authorities, it is learnt, have been embarrassed ever since Dr Parveen Mahaindru, the then medical officer, Sardulgarh, gave two different reports in connection with the death of Jeewan Kaur, a resident of Alhupur village of the district.

Jeewan Kaur along with her husband Man Singh was allegedly murdered under mysterious circumstances on the night of August 27, 2010 when they were asleep in their house.

Civil Surgeon, Mansa, Dr Pritpal Singh ordered an inquiry after receiving a formal complaint from the kin of a person, who was named as an accused in the murder of the elderly couple.

Information revealed that in the first post-mortem report, it was claimed that Jeewan Kaur had died of heart attack while her husband Man Singh had died due to injuries suffered in the attack.

However, when the challan was presented in the judicial court by the police, the post-mortem report was entirely different as it claimed that Jeewan Kaur had been strangulated to death. Suspecting some foul play, a kin of Gurmeet Singh moved an application before the Civil Surgeon to probe the matter.

The Civil Surgeon said he had asked Dr Yashpal to conduct a probe. Dr Yashpal said he had recorded the statement of the complainant. He added that the statements of Dr Mahaindru and police officials were yet to be recorded. He claimed that the record was tampered with and he was the victim of a conspiracy.