The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Punjab Roadways’ Kilometre Scheme scam Transport workers union seeks transfer of GM Kusum Arora Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 26 Following a scam in the Kilometre Scheme of the Punjab Roadways, members of the Punjab Government Transport Workers Union today demanded that the General Manager (GM) of the Jalandhar-I depot should be transferred at the earliest. The union members said GM Inderjit Singh Chawla had been shielding conductor Viney Kumar, who remained on duty in the Punjab Roadways’ bus PB 11 AQ 8305 ever since the scheme was launched. He caused a huge loss to the state Transport Department by misappropriating funds. President of the union Jagtar Singh said, “This conductor travelled 332 km, but submitted a daily pay bill of 498 km. The difference in terms of diesel, amounting between Rs 2,500 to 3,000, was pocketed by him daily.” “We demand strict action against this conductor as GM Chawla has failed to initiate any proceedings against him,” he added. The union members also said when the Kilometre Scheme was launched, an agreement was signed between the Punjab Roadways and the Director, State Transport. “The agreement had stated that the conductor will be given by the Punjab Roadways, while the driver will be from private buses. It was also mentioned that the conductor will be changed after a short time, but Viney Kumar continued to work in the same bus,” the members added. However, when contacted GM Chawla said the union members were trying to shield Kulwant Singh, secretary of the union, who was also involved in the scam. “Viney Kumar was suspended on August 23 after a probe was ordered against him. The loss that he caused to the state Transport Department to the tune of Rs 1.72 lakh was also recovered from him by us. Even a special investigating team, comprising senior officials, also conducted a probe,” he added. Chawla emphasised, “Everything is on record and we are ready to produce any evidence required in this scam. But now that one of their own union members has also been caught in this scam, they are trying to divert attention, which is not possible. The guilty will have to face the music.”
	Colleges remain closed as non-teaching employees boycott work Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 Members of the Non-Teaching Employees Union, Punjab and Chandigarh-aided colleges, falling under Guru Nanak Dev University boycotted colleges in favour of their demands here today. As a result many colleges of the region remained closed. The agitating non-teaching employees held a protest march against the SAD-BJP government. The agitating employees gathered at DAV College where their leaders delivered speeches and highlighted their grievances. Subsequently, they marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office after passing through Hall Gate, Bhandari Bridge and Court Road. Union’s state general secretary Madan Lal Khullar said there were around 3,000 non-teaching employees in nearly 170 aided colleges in the state. He added that they were also governed under the state government rules like their counterparts in government colleges. He said, however, they are treated unfairly. He said pensionary and gratuity benefits were being denied. Hence, he said, they did not have any social security. Apart from Amritsar, non-teaching employees from Gurdaspur, Kaputhala, Jalandhar, Nawashahar and Banga also took part. He demanded that they must be issued arrears as per the new pay scale since January 1, 2006.
	Mayor-Youth Cong spat Cases scrapped but the core issues remain GS Paul/TNS Amritsar, August 26 Even as the cases against former District Congress Chief Dinesh Bassi were scrapped and he, along with 10 others, including NSUI activists were released from Amritsar Central Jail yesterday, the core issue over which all this chaos had occurred, remains as it was. Today, Youth Congress (YC), Punjab chief and Member Parliament, Ravneet Bittu, visited Bassi at his house here. He assured that the matter pertaining to imposition of serious charges under IPC 307, 353 against YC activists have been conveyed to the AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi and a high-level inquiry would be conducted with the intervention of Union Home Ministry. It is pertinent to note that on August 18, at Katra Ahluwalia the YC and NSUI activists entered into a scuffle with the Mayor Shwait Malik and his team, following which the activists were arrested and serious charges were slapped on them, reportedly at the instance of Malik. Bittu said that the party would challenge the serious allegations imposed and later withdrawn under the influence of the ruling SAD-BJP leaders, in the high court. “When the matter was brought to the notice of the court here, the circumstantial evidence was enough to prove that they (BJP Mayor’s supporters) had no ground to stand on and all the serious allegations under which the YC and NSUI activists were booked were quashed instantly. But the imposition of serious allegations is a matter of concern and a thorough probe would be made in the direction”, he said. Emphasising on the much talked about development funds to the tune of Rs 526 crore, that Malik had claimed to spend on various development projects, Bittu alleged that the civic authorities did not reply satisfactorily to the numerous RTIs filed in this direction. “Just on the lines of the same procedure we had adopted for other districts, we have asked the civic authorities concerned here (through RTI) about the status of the development funds which had been granted by the Centre. Unfortunately, when an inquiry was made from the Amritsar authorities, they responded in a brusque manner which would not be tolerated at any cost”, he said. “But, our campaign would go on as it was the liability of Mayor to come out clean on this issue. We had filed RTIs to make it known to the general public that where, when and how this public money was utilised, but instead of small projects which did not matter much all major fundings in respect of NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) or SSA( Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan) because we feared that these funds could not be utilised in proper manner ”, he added.
	Tension in Chabal over holding of religious congregation Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, August 26 The situation remained tense for more than two hours at the border township Chabal, 16 km from here today when the members of radical Sikh organisations objected over the holding of Satsang by (DJJS) Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan (Noormehlian) . The Sikh organisations, headed by Panch Pardhani, Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha led by Randhir Singh Ramrauni, Suba Singh , Sukhjinder Singh, Mangdeep Singh and Avtar Singh objected the holding of satsang by the members of DJJS at the house of one Dilbag Singh . He was holding the religious congregation in connection of the birthday celebrations of his son . Preachers Neerja Bharti, Gagan Bharti, Deepa Bharti and Manjit Bharti and other were addressing the gathering. Panch Pardhani members went to the house of Dilbag Singh and objected by saying that the Akal Takht had prohibited holding of satsang by the DJJS . The DJJS denied to stop its satsang and the Sikh members came back from the spot. The Sikh organisation held a meeting at Gurdwara Bibi Veero of the township. They armed themselves with naked kirpans and were ready to perform ardaas. They decided to go to the spot and stop DJJS from holding its congregation. The Sikh members were about 20 in number. About 250 followers armed themselves with stones, lathis, and kirpans. In the mean time, the intelligence agencies sent a message to the police and apprised it of the situation . The district police, under the supervision of SP (Traffic) Ranbir Singh , DSP sub division Kuljit Singh , DSP (Head quarter) Gurpreet Singh reached the spot with a heavy force. The police officials persuaded DJJS followers to drop the programme to which they agreed and the situation was brought to normal.
	Historic Baradari turns into dumping ground in Pak Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 A historic Baradari, belonging to Maharaja Sher Singh, son of legendary Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, has been turned into a dumping ground in Pakistan. Alleging this, Surinder Kochhar, a historian, claimed that as per the Archaeology and World Heritage Act, Pakistan, no construction is allowed within the periphery of 200 feet of the heritage site. However, the historic Baradari is being used as a dumping ground by a Lahore-based waste management company. Notably, the outer walls of the Baradari had already been demolished to construct Nawaz Sharif Hospital to encroach upon the land of the heritage site. In a letter to the Deputy Director, Power and Horticulture Authority, Punjab Government, Pakistan, he urged the authorities to renovate the historical site after removing the garbage.
	Worker buried alive Tarn Taran: Gurkukh Singh (32), a sewerage worker, was buried alive while working in Muradpur locality here on Friday. His associates managed to escape. He was installing cement pipes when the land gave in. A rescue operation had just been started by his co-workers when a water pipe started leaking near the spot. Rescue operations were affected. No technical official or contractor was present on the occasion. The deceased was cremated here on Friday. The employees, officials, contractors and others have decided to extend financial help to the family of the deceased.—OC
	Newlywed girl kills self, husband arrested Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 26 Disturbed over an ‘illicit relationship’ of her husband, a newlywed girl of Mattewal village, falling under Amritsar Rural police district, committed suicide here today. The Mattewal police arrested Hardeep Kaur’s husband Gagandeep Singh of Bagga village under Section 306 of the IPC. In a statement to the police, Hardeep’s father Amrik Singh alleged that Gagandeep also used to beat his daughter. Sukhpal Singh, SHO, said during investigations it was found that Gagandeep had an illicit relationship with another woman which created tension between the married couple.
	Two arrested for murder Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, August 26 With the arrest of Baljit Singh and Inderpal Singh, the police claimed to have solved the blind murder case of Narinder Singh of Sahaura Kandi. Baljit and Inderpal had shot Narinder dead when he had refused to give away his car keys to them on March 27, 2010. Following a complaint by Narinder’s father Surjit Singh, the police had formed a special investigating team to crack the case. Surjit had informed the police that he received an SMS which claimed that Narinder was killed by three motorcycle-borne youths. A case under Sections 302, 397 and 34 of the IPC and Section 20, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act in Hazipur police station was registered at the time of incident. During interrogations, it was found that Baljit Singh, a dreaded criminal who had murdered his brother-in-law in 2000, teamed up with Inderpal Singh, also a murderer, while they were on parole. After coming out of jail on a parole, both made a plan to loot people, who came from Amritsar to collect money from their supply of medicines to stores of the area. On March 27, Inderpal Singh stopped Narinder Singh and instructed him to leave his car. When Narinder resisted, Inderpal Singh shot him dead. Then he drove the car towards Kalanaur vai Gurdaspur. While his accomplice Baljit Singh followed him on a motorcycle. They broke open the briefcase of Narinder Singh in which they found Rs 1 lakh. Later, after completing their parole, they again went to the jail. The car of deceased Narinder Singh was recovered by the police. Both the accused had confessed to their crime. Motorcycle used while committing the crime had been recovered by the police.