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Protesting farmers lathi-charged
Discordant notes: Some Gobindpura farmers oppose agitation
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Pro-farmer morcha pointless, says Cong MLA
Schools shut down in flood-affected Fazilka
No proposal from government to close Bathinda
plant, says power corp chief
Defections part of game: Manpreet
Punjab Civil Services Exam
Govt seeks more time to submit report on Gill
Arms holders told to get their weapons verified
Govt schools made to pay charity for private NGO
Land record of 9k villages computerised
Amritsar, Attari truckers at loggerheads again
Another Morcha candidate pulls out
Complaint against teacher for sending lewd SMSs to student
Rural mission employees hold stir
34 dengue fever cases detected in Bathinda
Christian association threatens to step up stir
Develop software for medico-legal reports on computers: High Court
Finally, justice for sister of Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Doc, tehsildar booked on forgery charges
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Protesting farmers lathi-charged
Mansa, August 25 Some elderly farmers were among those injured. By noon, farmers from Bathinda and Mansa districts assembled in strength in Bahaini Bagha village, 8 km away, and began to march towards Mansa to resume the dharna.The police deployed in strength at the highway equipped with riot control vehicles did not stop the farmers who re-assembled at the district office complex and resumed the dharna.District police chief SPS Parmar denied that the police had resorted to a lathi charge. He said the police suspected that some mischievous elements had joined the protesters and could create trouble. Hence, the police had been deployed in strength in the area. An elderly farmer, Teja Singh, who had come from Sangrur to join the dharna, showed his bloodstained pyjama and said he had sustained injuries on his leg when beaten up by policemen. Another farmer Joginder Singh had a bandaged leg. Jagraj Singh said the police reached the dharna site in strength at 5.30 am and started beating the farmers without any provocation. Their ration bags were also taken away, he alleged. Shingara Singh, general secretary of the BKU (Ugrahan), said the police action was unjustified when the farmers had responded positively to the invitation of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for holding talks on the issue. He said despite the police provocation, the farmers would continue their agitation peacefully till the outcome of their talks with the CM on August 28. Shingara Singh claimed that 34 farmers whose 269 acres land had beens acquired for the power project had decided to return the compensation amount. Meanwhile, the Punjab people’s Party leader, Manpreet Singh Badal, has announced that his party will organise a rally at Breta in Mansa district in support of the Gobindpura farmers. Farmers to move rights panel Mansa, August 25 “at least 200 stick-wielding policemen surrounded us at around 6 am and tried to drive us away from the protest site. When we refused, the cops attacked us and 35 farmers received injuries,” said Ram Singh, district president of BKU (Ugraha). Ram said the farmers were planning to move the State Human Rights Commission.
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Discordant notes: Some Gobindpura farmers oppose agitation
Chandigarh, August 25 Led by former sarpanch Balwan Singh, they held a press conference here, claiming they had parted with their land happily and that vested interests had politicised the issue. They said they would protest against any attempts by the Congress to start an agitation demanding that the project be scrapped. Balwan Singh said it was being wrongly claimed that farmers possessing 166 acres of land were protesting against the acquisition. “Farmers who owned 71 acres out of the 166-acre plot have accepted compensation for the same. Only five families with 90 acres of land have refused the same”. They claimed they had given land of their own volition and had got a just price for the same. Balwan Singh said the farmers had met the Chief Minister yesterday and appealed to him to grant government jobs to members of eight families who had been left with very little land and needed to be supported. He claimed Indiabulls had already offered to give jobs to the affected villagers.
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Pro-farmer morcha pointless, says Cong MLA
Chandigarh, August 25 Ripjit Brar’s stand only serves to highlight dissension in the state Congress over the issue. The PCC chief, Amarinder singh, had announced a morcha from September 2. Welcoming the agitation, the legislator claimed that it was a bit too late as only a handful of farmers remained to be paid compensation for the acquired land. This view is consistent with that of the SAD which claims 95 per cent of the farmers have taken compensation.
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Schools shut down in flood-affected Fazilka
Fazilka, August 25 “Protecting habitat areas in flood-hit villages is our priority as of now…. The residents of these villages have been told to shift to relief camps or other safer places,” Garg said after a visit to these villages. With continuous release of water from dams and Hussainiwala head works coupled with low absorption rate, the partition line between India and Pakistan has vanished at some places. The border observation post of the BSF at GG-1 village has been surrounded by water from all sides. GL Meena, the Commandant of 51 Battalion, said the officials were maintaining a tight vigil despite the odd circumstances. He said they had several motorboats ready to meet any kind of eventuality, if ever. Meanwhile, the residents of several villages here have shifted their belongings to the first floor of their concrete houses. Also, the sarpanches of flood-hit Ghurka, Guddar Bhaini, Walleshah and Mohna Ram villages have demanded compensation worth Rs 20,000 per acre as their standing crops had been destroyed.
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No proposal from government to close Bathinda
plant, says power corp chief
Patiala, August 25 In an interview, power corporation CMD KD Chaudhri said there had been no official communication on the issue. Maintaining that the plant could be kept operational for another 10 years, Chaudhri said; “Neither anyone from the state government, nor the GNDTP authorities in Bathinda have sent any proposal to us for shutting down the plant.” On the pollution levels, Chaudhri said the prescribed pollution limit for Units 3 and 4 of the plant was 100 mg/Nm3 and the concentration of the SPM (suspended particulate matter) recorded by the corporation was 80-90 mg/Nm3. “After renovation, the pollution levels are bound to come down further,” he said. However, contrary to the claims by the PSPCL authorities, documents in possession of The Tribune show that on June 23, 2011, the Punjab Pollution Control Board took samples from GNDTP, Bathinda. The average concentration of the SPM recorded from Unit 1 (Path A) was about 163 mg/Nm3 and Unit 1 (Path B) 159 mg/Nm3, whereas the figure for Unit 2 (Path A) was 167 mg/Nm3 and Unit 2 (Path B) 163 mg/Nm3, which is certainly more than the prescribed pollution limits. “Unit 3 is closed. The concentration of SPM from Unit 4 (Path A) has been recorded at 260 mg/Nm3 and Unit 4 (Path B) 280 mg/Nm3,” informed PPCB Chairman KS Pannu. The board authorities said after the renovation of the Units 1 and 2, the SPM had decreased drastically and was at present only marginally more than the prescribed limit.
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Defections part of game: Manpreet
Abohar, August 25 Manpreet said the PPP was likely to announce its organisational team by next month. About the possibility of an alliance with the CPI and CPM, he said he had got know about their (tie-up) offer during his foreign tour. “We will try to decide the issue over the next fortnight,” he said. The PPP chief reiterated his challenge to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal to contest the Vidhan Sabha elections from their home turf. “Poor show during Sangat Darshan programmes in Gidderbaha has forced both (the CM and the Dy CM) to rethink of contesting from the seat…. My father Gurdas Singh Badal has nurtured Lambi segment for the past 25 years. He will contest this time from there, come what may. I will contest from Gidderbaha,” he said. Also, he said the PPP would release its list of candidates along with manifesto for Vidhan Sabha elections in November. “Populist slogans will not find space in the manifesto,” he said. Meanwhile, Manpreet has ridiculed the state government over the proposed dismantling of the Guru Nanak Thermal Plant at Bathinda saying “it is widely believed that the ruling party is conspiring to strike an underhand deal with some big colonisers”.
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Punjab Civil Services Exam
Patiala, August 25 The candidates claimed that there were certain Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) members whose relatives were appearing in the exam. Hence, the HC should intervene and devise some mechanism for the free and fair conduct of the exam. Despite repeated attempts, none of the PPSC member was ready to comment on the issue. As many as 2,140 candidates from the state have to appear in the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2009, scheduled to start from September 2. Though, it is almost certain that examination will be postponed, but the contention of the students is that “how can the exam process be fair if son of one of the Commission member will also be appearing for the examination”. The students asserted that some Commission members were already under scanner, pertaining to the alleged “wrong-doings” in the selection of 312 PCMS doctors. “The unsuccessful candidates had openly alleged that many meritorious candidates were rejected in favour of the kin of influential politicians, bureaucrats, senior doctors, judges and relatives of present and past members of the PPSC,” alleged a candidate, while claiming that without a clean chit from the HC, all those members, who were facing allegations, must be kept out of the examination process. “If the examination is conducted with the present setup, it will be nothing but a repeat of the Ravi Sidhu episode,” said another candidate. Meanwhile, candidates said, “Since, the UPSC exam will start from October 29, the PPSC main exam must be conducted after the completion of the UPSC exam.”
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Govt seeks more time to submit report on Gill
Chandigarh, August 25 Chief Secretary CS Aggarwal has been asked to keep a watch on the political activities of Principal Secretary to CM DS Guru and DGP PS Gill. Punjab has now sought more time to submit its report. The ECI had asked the CEO to submit a report by August 25. The ECI has asked the government to fill all vacant posts of Returning and Assistant Returning (ROs and AROs), nearly 35 in number, by August 31. There are a large number of retired officers re-employed as PCS officers. The ECI has directed that all such officers who had completed four years on a particular post by December 31, 2011, should be transferred. It has also ordered that all offices in their home districts be moved out. The Home Department has also been asked to furnish reports on the execution of non-bailable warrants and arms licences. The CEO has also asked the department to verify the authenticity of the media reports about the DGP sharing stage with some proclaimed offenders. Also the DCs of all the 22 revenue districts in Punjab have been asked to intimate to the CEO about vulnerable booths. The ECI has sought reports on the expenditure incurred under the MPLAD and MLALAD schemes.
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Arms holders told to get their weapons verified
Patiala, August 25 Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan has already ordered, under Section 144, that all the arms owners in the district should get a physical verification of the weapons done in the coming one month from the nearby police station. “The orders have been passed keeping in view the Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled to be held early next year,” he said. Patiala IG Paramjit Gill said various people could have shifted from one village to other place or other district and therefore, he had already ordered the SSPs to ensure that all the weapon holders were registered. “Verification of such weapons is very important to check the crime graph as licenced weapon users will always be under scanner,” added Gill. “The licensed weapons can easily be used in the poll process and therefore, there is an absolute necessity to get these verified from the police, so that the SHO concerned is aware of the number of weapon holders in his area,” said senior officials. —
TNS
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Govt schools made to pay charity for private NGO
Bathinda, August 25 The schools have been made to pay Rs 2,500 per cluster for a Delhi-based NGO. The Bathinda district has 46 clusters and each cluster has 6 to 13 schools. This way, the department has managed to collect an estimated Rs 1,15,000 for the NGO in the past 15 days. The schools were directed to collect the amount as charity. While in some schools, teachers paid the amount, in others, it was the students who were made to pay. The issue was duly listed on the agenda at the monthly meeting held at the Teachers’ Home today. The agenda even mentioned the schools that did not pay the amount. This includes the Government Senior Secondary School (boys), Balianwali, government schools at Bhai Rupa, Bhagi Vandar, Bhagta, Maisarkhana, Maluka (boys), Rampura Mandi (girls), Sheikhpura, Bathinda (girls), Kalyan Sukha, Goniana (girls and boys), Kotshamir, Kuti and Maur Mandi (girls). Today, the Education Department officials also distributed receipts of the donation received. During the meeting, the representatives of these schools were humiliated for not paying the aforesaid amount. “It’s a unique case. This is the first time when a government department has collected funds for a private NGO. Earlier too, we have received requests to collect funds but these are routed through the Red Cross Society, which is under the Deputy Commissioner and that, too, for government-run groups only,” said an Education Department official. District Education Officer (Secondary) Harbans Singh Sandhu said he had received orders from his superiors. However, the Director-General School Education (DGSE), Baldeo Purushartha said he had not passed any such orders. He ordered an inquiry into the whole affair. “The Education Department officials have committed a mistake and the entire incident would be looked into. I have directed that the money be returned to those from whom it was taken and no one should be asked to pay,” Purushartha said. Meanwhile, when a phone call was made at the number mentioned on the receipt of the NGO concerned, the call attendant claimed that the NGO holds seminars to educate people from all walks of life. However, the attendant could not tell the date and place where an awareness camp was last held by it in Punjab.
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Land record of 9k villages computerised
Jalandhar, August 25 So far, the land records of 9,000 villages have been computerised. Divisional Commissioner Anurag Verma, who was closely associated with the project, said work was slow in Jalandhar, Taran Taran and Gurdaspur because of certain technical glitches and the non-cooperation of the revenue staff. “But things have been sorted out and the work is on full steam,” he added. The pace of work was slow in Ludhiana and Ferozepur as these were big districts with a huge volume of records. Besides the farmers, the main beneficiaries would be NRIs who would be able to download mutations at the click of the button. On the functioning of the existing kendras, he said these were now focusing on qualityservices. “We even send decoys to see the level of performance/ delivery systems”, Verma said. “I regularly call up the panches of villages in my jurisdiction for a feedback and seek their suggestions to further improve the system.” Once the records are fully computerised, the practice of farads being attested by retired patwaris would be discontinued, he said. Verma said in some places the requisite infrastructure was not in place. “A farmer has to pay a mere Rs 20 per page for a copy of the mutation,” he added.
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Amritsar, Attari truckers at loggerheads again
Amritsar, August 25 The trading community today met Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal in this connection and sought the intervention of the district administration in resolving the standoff between traders, transporters and Attari truck union, it has been learnt. A similar standoff between Amritsar-based transporters, traders and the Attari truck union had hit the cross border trade between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route in July. The district administration had to intervene then as well. Iqbal Singh Bedi, a transporter based in the city, alleged that several persons belonging to Attari Truck union allegedly beat up the drivers of his transport on the pretext of overloading. He pointed out that if his trucks were overloaded, it was for the district administration to take action.
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Another Morcha candidate pulls out
Amritsar, August 25 Presenting Bajaj before the media, Youth Akali Dal president Bikram Singh Majithia claimed that the SAD was all set to win six SGPC seats in Majha unopposed. These include Guru ka Bagh, Mattewal, Amritsar (East), Amritsar (Central), Bhikhiwind and Chogawan. While PEDA chairman Bhai Manjeet Singh was the lone candidate to have filed his papers from Bhikhiwind, all eight candidates against SAD candidate Harjap Singh from Amritsar (East) had withdrawn from the contest, he said. Majithia said, “DSGMC chief PS Sarna could not find 170 candidates to field against the SAD candidates and resorted to poaching of SAD leaders.” He denied the charges of alluring the Morcha candidates to withdraw from the contest. He said the trend was the reflection of public mood which was clearly in favour of the SAD. Bajaj became the fifth Panthic Morcha candidate to have withdrawn his nomination in support of the SAD.
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Complaint against teacher for sending lewd SMSs to student
Patiala, August 25 Head of Department Pushpinder Singh said, “The teacher has been sent on leave from today. I will be able to comment further on the issue only after thorough investigation.” University VC Dr Jaspal Singh said, “I have asked the Head of Department to talk to the girl and the teacher concerned and give me a detailed report within two days. After I get the report, I will take suitable action,” he added. — TNS
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Rural mission employees hold stir
Patiala, August 25
They also burned an effigy of the Punjab Government at the Leela Bhawan Chowk here today.
They alleged that they were being forced to work for lesser salaries than their counterparts in other states and were not even able to make two ends meet. These employees are demanding permanent jobs, salary hike and framing of service rules for them. These employees have been protesting since 14 days and have threatened to continue the stir till their demands were met.
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34 dengue fever cases detected in Bathinda
Bathinda, August 25 Despite regarded as post-monsoon disease, the dengue fever cases have surfaced in summer this time as most of the cases were reported during the last one month. Meanwhile, the larva of the mosquito causing dengue has been detected by the Health Department in about 14 localities in Bathinda city during the current month. These localities include the Police Lines, NFL Colony, Janta Nagar, Jogi Nagar, Model Town, Thermal Colony, Sarabha Nagar, Housefed Colony, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Bhagu Road, Ajit Road and National Colony. Two teams of anti-larva staff have been formed by the district health authorities to check its spread in the city. During the last season, more than 300 dengue fever cases were reported from various localities of the city.
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Christian association threatens to step up stir
Jalandhar, August 25 They threatened that the agitation will be intensified across the state and the government and respective administrations would be responsible for it. Speaking on the occasion, the PCM president Hamid Masih (who also happens to be a member of the State Commission for Minorities), said the reason for the unrest has been the administration's growing apathy and the unrest brewing among Christians as a consequence. — TNS
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Develop software for medico-legal reports on computers: High Court
Justice Rajesh Bindal directed that the joint meeting between the “state informatics officers” of the two states and the UT be held on August 26. The meeting will be attended by Health Department representatives to apprise the committee about the requirements and the software currently in use. “A representative of the PGIMER, Chandigarh, may be requested to attend this meeting,” Justice Bindal asserted. The directions are significant as the court, the prosecution and the defence face problems in appreciating the postmortem and the medico-legal reports during trial as these are more often than not penned down in illegible handwriting. Taking up the issue, Justice Bindal also directed: “On the next date of hearing, the court shall be apprised about the minimum time required for the development of the software for the preparation of the medico-legal reports on the computer”. As the case came up, Sukant Gupta, appearing for the UT Administration, told the court that the Government Multi-speciality Hospital had already started giving computerised postmortem reports and a request for additional staff and funds had been sent to the Administration. Appearing for Haryana, Additional Advocate-General Sandeep Vermani said a decision to prepare on computer all postmortem reports from September 1 was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. A communication to this effect has been sent by the Director-General, Health Services, to all the civil surgeons. Taking on record the assertion, Justice Bindal asked the Director-General to communicate the decision to the Director-Principals of all the medical colleges in the state, the Haryana Medical Council and the state chapter of the Indian Medical Council. The directions come just about six months after a Division Bench of the High Court asked government doctors in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to find a cure for their illegible handwriting.
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Finally, justice for sister of Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Chandigarh, August 25 The case was pending in the High Court for more than 14 years. The judgement in the case was reserved, but just after about 14 days it was again listed for hearing after the filing of an application for placing certain documents on record. The State of Punjab had earlier granted permission for the prosecution of the cops. But they moved the High Court on the ground that as the state then was under the Punjab Disturbed Area Act, 1983, only the Centre could have granted sanction for their prosecution. Canada-based Parkash Kaur had moved the Supreme Court, which on January 3 had asked the High Court to render its judgement by March-end. Justice HS Bedi and Justice Chandramauli KR Prasad of the Supreme Court had, in fact, directed the High Court that the copies of the petition and the apex court’s order be placed before the High Court Chief Justice so that the judgment could be pronounced within the stipulated time.
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Doc, tehsildar booked on forgery charges
Patiala, August 25 Ravinder had complained to the Fatehgarh Sahib SSP against Sector 32 resident Sohan Lal Arora and the accused were arrested and presented in the court. The accused had allegedly forged documents to usurp land in conspiracy with the other accused. — TNS
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At least 12 persons were injured when in a pre-dawn swoop, the police cane-charged and chased away farmers sitting on an indefinite dharna outside the district office complex here to protest against the “forcible” acquisition of agriculture land in Gobindpura village for a thermal power plant in the private sector.
Fazilka, August 25
Abohar, August 25
As per information, the 22 positive cases of dengue from Bathinda city have been reported from various localities like Ajit road, Adarsh Nagar, Thermal Colony, Power House Road, Guru Nanak Pura, Guru Ki Nagri, Lal Singh Basti, opposite TV Tower and the Civil Hospital’s re]sidential quarters. However, information about 23 cases was provided to the district health authorities by the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana, two cases by the Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, and nine cases by the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. 
Chandigarh, August 25