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Gross neglect: Elderly not paid pension for 4 months
SGPC
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Act fast to save youths in Iraq, HC tells Centre
Mohali immigration firm booked for fraud
Inflation hits demand for national flag
A salesman with the Tricolour at Satluj Khadi Mandal, Khadi Bhanda, Ludhiana. Photo by Inderjeet Verma
Canal
Row
Respond to court summons, Punjab Govt tells officials
Train mishap averted
Holiday rush jams national highway
PO arrested, police tells HC
Patiala cops solve 2 murder cases
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Gross neglect: Elderly not paid pension for 4 months
Similarly, under the family benefit scheme about 20 families that have applied for the grant during four months of the current financial year, are yet to be paid a sum of Rs 10,000 each. The amount of both these schemes is distributed among the beneficiaries by the district office of the Department of Social Security. Under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, a beneficiary is given Rs 200 per month as pension. This pension is being given to the already identified 6149 beneficiaries, belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families and the four other categories- widow, disabled, issueless and unmarried person, in the district. Among these 6,149 beneficiaries, there are reportedly about 4,100 BPL beneficiaries while the remaining belong to other four categories. However, under the National Family Benefit Scheme, Rs 10,000 in the form of grant is given after the death of a bread-winner of the BPL family. The BPL survey was conducted in the state in 2002 and after that no poor family could be added in the BPL list. As the number of poor families is now more than the number shown in the existing list of BPL families (Yellow Card holders) for the year 2002. Whenever the Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal goes to the villages for holding Sangat Darshan programmes, the holders of Blue Cards, issued by state government to the Atta-Dal Scheme beneficiaries, always make a plea for getting their names inducted in the list of BPL families. In the light of this, the MP has reportedly written to the Centre to consider all the state’s Blue Card holders for receiving benefits of the centrally sponsored schemes on a par with the BPL card holders. This has to be done because as a prosperous state all Punjab’s poor families do not fulfil the economic criterion fixed for a BPL family by the Centre for the entire country.
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SGPC
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Chandigarh, August 12 With the Model code of Conduct in place after the announcement of the SGPC elections scheduled for September 18, the PCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, had objected to the Fazilka function where besides Gadkari, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal were also present. The SAD-BJP government had described it as a thanksgiving rally after Fazilka was made district. “I have asked him to specify if the function held at Fazilka was a party function or an official function of the government. The commission will decide the further course of action based on the DC’s reply”, Justice Brar said. Also, the Gurdwara Election Commission has refused permission to the government to distribute bicycles among Class XI and XII schoolgirls on August 15 because of the poll code.The commission has, in all, received about 40 complaints that have been forwarded to the commissioners for verification. Meanwhile, 1110 candidates have filed their papers for the SGPC elections. Justice Brar said 1011 nominations had been received from Punjab, 75 Haryana, 14 Chandigarh and 10 Himachal Pradesh. In Punjab, the highest number of nominations (122) had been received from Ludhiana district and the least (15) Nawanshahr district. The nominations received from other districts are: Gurdaspur (67), Amritsar (80), Moga (53), Faridkot (29), Mansa (36), Patiala (83), Fatehgarh Sahib (20), Muktsar (42), Ferozepur (70), Bathinda (57), Sangrur (77), Barnala (31, Jalandhar (56), Kapurthala (25), Tarn taran (48), Hoshiarpur (32), Ropar (42) and Mohali (26).
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PEDA chief goes unopposed
Amritsar, August 12 The final list will be displayed on August 29. His cousin Sukhdev Singh is the covering candidate. Surrounded by supporters, Bhai Manjit Singh today paid obeisance at the
Golden Temple. He said his first and foremost task would be to encourage the youths of his area to follow Sikhism in letter and spirit.
— TNS
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Mann’s key aide joins SAD
Chandigarh, August 12 Bhai Ram Singh joined the SAD along with three SAD (Amritsar) SGPC candidates - Amarjit Singh Bhola, Manjit Singh and Manjinder Roranwala, all from Amritsar district. With Bhai Ram Singh joining the SAD, the party has the support of both former claimants to the Damdami Taksal headship. Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma, who heads the 300-year-old seminary once led by Bhindranwala, had got the better of Bhai Ram Singh during the war of succession following the death of Baba Thakur Singh in December 2004. Sources said SAD youth wing president Bikram Singh Majithia played a crucial role in bringing Bhai Ram Singh and his supporters into the SAD fold. Bhai Ram Singh said he had decided to join the SAD to be part of the development process. Badal claimed many Sikh leaders in rival factions felt disgusted with the open interference of the Congress in SGPC affairs and had come out in support of the SAD.
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Act fast to save youths in Iraq, HC tells Centre
Chandigarh, August 12 The Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh asserted: “Keeping in view the facts and circumstances and the plight of these 40 young persons, we direct the respondents to take notice of these events and act promptly before there is any loss to life.” The directions came after the clippings of The Tribune report were placed before the Bench of amicus curiae Anil Malhotra. The Bench observed the application brings to the notice of the court the case of about 40 youths from the State of Punjab lured to go to foreign country. They were ultimately sent to Iraq by unscrupulous agents with the promise of jobs. Allured by the promise of jobs, they landed in Iraq and appear to have been apprehended by the local police there. According to reports, they have now been sent to Najaf, about 160 km from Bagdad, and have been forced to clear battlefields strewn with used missiles, bomb shells and rocket launchers as Iraq has been confronted with a grim type of violence in the recent times. “According to the averment made in the application, these young persons belong to the area of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala. Malhotra has also brought on record the provisions of Passport Act, 1967 and a pointed reference has been made to the Passports Rules, 1980, to state how Emergency Certificate could be granted to a person who is citizen of India abroad and how he could be brought back to his country…,” the Bench added while issuing a notice.
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Mohali immigration firm booked for fraud
Mohali, August 12 In the past two months, 10 cases of cheating have been registered against them. In the three cases registered today, 77 persons from Jalandhar, Patiala, and Gurdaspur had complained to the police that the company had taken Rs 35 lakh to arrange visas for Switzerland. All the individuals had given around Rs 1 lakh each. The money was taken from victims on different dates. “When the visa seekers sought a refund, cheques issued by the company bounced”, said Superintendent of Police (City) Harpreet Singh. The Mohali Phase 1 Police Station and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) are investigating the cases. In June last, the Mohali police had registered a case under Sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the IPC and the Immigration Act against the owners and employees of the company on the complaint of Pushpa Salaria, chairperson of the Human Rights Protection Forum, for duping many residents. She had complained that the company took money from persons to send them abroad on work permits. Last week, the police had registered another case against Deepak Arora on the complaint of Jai Singh, a resident of Sector 21, Panchkula, for duping him. The SP (City) said arrest warrants had been issued against the persons named in the
FIRs.
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Inflation hits demand for national flag
Ludhiana, August 12 Revealing this, Kashmiri Lal Chopra, Chairman Satluj Khadi Mandal Nakodar, district Jalandhar, said, "In India, only four to five organisations are authorised to make national flags. We get national flags from Nanded in Maharashtra which is also under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. Since the rates of cotton have increased, so have the rates of national flags by 30 to 35 per cent.” He further said,"We placed an order for 500 national flags about three months ago. And now that only three days are left for Independence Day, we received the intimation of the order today but are yet to receive the consignments. So the supply of the national flag is also slow." Gopak Krishan, Manager of Satluj Khadi Bhandar, Chaura Bazaar, Ludhiana said,"Till last year we used to sell national flags of Khadi worth Rs 1 lakh in a year. But this year as the rates have increased, we will earn the same amount but the number of flags to be sold will be less. Almost every year we sold about 400 national flags before Republic Day and Independence Day, but this year we could sell only about 250 flags." While Dr. Ravinder Vatsayan, a city-based ayurvedacharya who prefers to wear khadi and hoists the national flag at his clinic on national days said, "National flags should be sold on subsidised rates."
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Need for new policies to revive economy: Capt
Patiala, August 12 Amarinder fielded questions for about two hours during an interaction session with the students who had come from various parts of Punjab during ‘Ru-baru’ (face to face) programme organised by the National Students Union of India outside the Punjabi University campus here today. As the university authorities denied permission, the interaction was held right outside the campus opposite the main gate. Interestingly, the university had declared a holiday today for unexplained reasons. The PPCC chief told the students that he was aware of their problems, particularly related to employment. He said, "There was an urgent need to build up investors’ confidence so that they invest here and those who are already working here do not move out. The economic condition of a state impacts employment opportunities there and hence Punjab needs to improve its economy on priority," he added. Also, Amarinder assured the students that if the Congress came to power, it would allow holding of elections in all universities and colleges in the state. Replying to a complaint by a student regarding incidents of “ill-treatment” of youngsters only because they were Congress supporters, he said the Congress, “once in power”, would form a high-level committee to dispose of such cases.
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Canal Row
New Delhi, August 12 In a special mention, Dhindsa said Haryana undertook construction of Hansi Butana canal without the concurrence of Punjab and Rajasthan that was required under the Bhakra Nangal agreement, 1959. He alleged, the consequence of the canal would be displacement of one lakh people and submergence of 20,756 acres of land. Elaborating on Haryana’s actions, Dhindsa said in March 2006, the inter-state meeting was conducted by the Central Water Commission (CWC), which concluded that Haryana’s proposal for the construction of Hansi Butana canal has inter-state implications and requires concurrence of partner states. Despite that, Haryana continued with its unilateral action of constructing the canal. In December 2006, the site was visited by the then Chief Engineer (Now Chairman, CWC) with the representatives of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and the Bhakra Beas Management Board. The report vindicated Punjab’s stand regarding the blockade of ‘sheet-flow’ of flood waters. The apprehension of Punjab proved correct in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010, when rain water caused suffering to the people of areas of Punjab which were submerged as the canal blocked the normal flow of water. Haryana was now implementing some protective measures by constructing a deep concrete toe wall blocking the flood waters leading to submergence of Punjab areas.
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Respond to court summons, Punjab Govt tells officials
Talking Tough
n Acting on Punjab Advocate-General Baldev Singh’s missive, state government circulates detailed instructions to all heads of the departments Chandigarh, August 12 For, acting promptly on Punjab Advocate-General Baldev Singh’s missive, the State Government has circulated detailed instructions to all heads of the departments, Divisional Commissioners, and Deputy Commissioners. The instructions, with stamp of approval on Baldev Singh’s suggestions, have also been circulated to the Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Chairmen and Managing Directors of all boards and corporations. They have, in fact, been told to strictly comply with all the suggestions contained in Baldev Singh’s letter dated July 20 for effectively assisting the law officers in conducting the State cases. In a communication to the State Chief Secretary, Baldev Singh had warned that the Judges “may be constrained to require personal appearances of senior officers in the Court”, if the “situation does not improve and departments concerned do not properly assist the law officers”. The AG had made it clear that since he took over as the Advocate-General on June 15, he has been “called by a number of Judges”. They conveyed “their displeasure on account of the fact that in many cases even after the due service of summons to the State of Punjab, no instructions are conveyed to the law officers before the date of hearing”. The Advocate-General said the government did issue instructions to the departments. But “it seems those instructions are not being complied with in letter and spirit”. Baldev Singh’s letter carried in it “consolidated and comprehensive requirements on filing of counter affidavits and written statements”. The letter said the sanction for defence of the case at state expense should be issued within a week of receiving the court summons; and the counter affidavit “must be of an officer not below the rank of additional secretary in the department concerned”.
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Rain in Tarn Taran wreaks havoc
Tarn Taran, August 12 The administration has asked the revenue officials to undertake a special girdawari to assess the loss. The report says that Janta Singh of Thatha (Chabal) village had been killed in a roof collapse. Sewa Singh (65) of village Noorpur had died while removing water hyacinth from the village drain and a child had died in Sursing village, 25 km from here. The worst-affected has been Sursing village where crops on 2000 acres have been affected followed by Sarai Amanat Khan village(1290 acres), Lehian (1100 acres), Naushehra Dhalla (1570 acres), Chhirewal (900 acres), Chabal (1140 acres), Mehandipur (875 acres). The other affected villages were Chahal, Mannan , Gandiwind, Sohal Thathi, Bhuchar kalan, Kasel, Meerpur, Cheema Kalan, Gaggobua, Thatha, Musse, Padhari kalan, Kot Dahram Chand kalan , Bhojian, Panjwar, Gehri, Pandori ran Singh, Gohalwar, Bala Chak, Pahuwind, Bhikhiwind, Dall, Daliri, Marrimegha, Marri kamoke, Marri Udhoke, Narli, Khalra, Masatgarh, Noorwala, Kals and
Dholan.
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Train mishap averted
Phagwara, August 12 Confirming it, the Phagwara Railway Station Superintendent Ashok Kumar said that the railway staff was put into operation immediately and with the help of fire extinguishers managed to control the fire.
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Holiday rush jams national highway
Mohali, August 12 Being an extended weekend, owing to holidays on Rakhi and Independence Day, people could be seen heading towards their home-towns to be with their families. Due to lack of adequate policing, the movement of traffic came to a stand-still due to heavy rush of motorists. At Kharar, the traffic could only be cleared by the evening and at Kurali, the situation was much worse due to malfunctioning traffic-lights. “I was forced to remain in my car for three hours”, said Kiran Sood, who was heading for Ludhiana. Those who tried a de tour via the Chandigarh-Mullanpur-Kurali road could be seen struggling to wriggle out of the traffic at Ropar. The situation on the Mohali-Fatehgarh section and the Chandigarh-Ambala Highway was also chaotic. SP City, Mohali, said the SHOs of respective areas were put on duty.
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PO arrested, police tells HC Chandigarh, August 12 As the case came up for hearing before Justice Mahesh Grover, the Punjab Police claimed proclaimed offender-cum-Patti market committee chairman Gurdip Singh had been arrested. Holding that the lookout notices and special investigating team, constituted after the court took notice of the matter, were merely an eyewash, Justice Grover, on August 4, had directed the DGP to ensure Gurdip Singh’s arrest in three days. — TNS
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Patiala cops solve 2 murder cases
Patiala, August 12 Addressing
mediapersons, here today, SSP Patiala, Gurpreet Singh Gill, said that the first murder case that was cracked was that of village Kakrala resident Harpreet Singh, who was murdered on August 11. “We have arrested Sukhvinder Singh and Simranjit Singh in this connection, following preliminary investigations and the accused have confessed”, he stated. Gill further said that they have also solved the murder of Hardeep Singh who went missing from his house while listening to a phone call on his mobile. Later, his corpse was recovered from the village. “We have arrested the victim’s friend identified as Gurpreet Singh
Gaggi, who told us that he had illicit relations with a widow from a nearby village. When Hardip also got involved with the widow and refused to return some borrowed money from him, he strangulated him to death”, he stated. The SSP said that they have arrested Baisi Lal and Mishri
Lal, residents of Rajsthan, who were nabbed by Jhulkan police station with 10 kg opium
— TNS
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Ludhiana, August 12
Bathinda, August 12