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Batala SHO suspended as NRI’s murder case gains political hues
Cotton crop on 2.56 lakh acres hit
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Sehajdharis Voting Rights row
Last political battle for the
‘General of Doaba’
Tohra loyalist vs Mann’s
son from Bhadson seat
Capt blames Sukhbir for state’s fiscal mess
AISSF seeks deletion of ‘bogus’ votes
10-yr-old gives birth to child at Faridkot hospital
Resolution on Bhullar
Cops flouting norms laid for CM’s security
Excise officers seek change in promotion
policy
21 years on, blast victim awaits relief
High Court sets aside termination orders
Don’t proceed with disputed mutation: HC to revenue officials
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Batala SHO suspended as NRI’s murder case gains political hues
Batala, September 10 In a day of hectic developments, the SSP said the police had identified all the four accused: Ward No 12 BJP councillor Rajbir Singh Bhullar, his brother Yadvinder Bhullar, Raju and Raju Bajwa. They have been booked under Section 302 of the IPC. Rajbir's name has surfaced in several criminal cases earlier as well. Gurkirpal Singh said they were close to nabbing the culprits who, as per sources, were close to Batala MLA Jagdeesh Sahni. The legislator, however, denied the allegation. Sahni also clarified that after winning the MC election on a BJP ticket, he joined the Youth Akali Dal under the influence of its president Bikramjit Majithia. Earlier, hundreds of Congress workers took out a procession on the streets of this industrial town carrying the body of the deceased, who was reportedly a Youth Congress worker. The procession culminated in front of the SSP office where Congress leaders raised slogans against the police, Batala MLA Sahni and Majithia. Congress' Gurdaspur district unit president Sukhjinder Randhawa and PPCC vice-president Ashwani Sekhri claimed that Rajbir Singh was the "right hand" of Sahni and was even provided with three body guards by the police at the behest of the MLA, an allegation vehemently denied by the legislator. Randhawa and his supporters lay siege to the police station following which the SSP suspended the SHO. Meanwhile, Gurinder's body was cremated at a local cremation ground in the evening.
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Cotton crop on 2.56 lakh acres hit
Bathinda, September 10 The Punjab Government has released a sum of Rs 25 crore for immediate relief to the flood-hit. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today rushed his Principal Secretary DS Guru and the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) AR Talwar to the flood-affected districts of Muktsar and Ferozepur to oversee the relief measures. The two officers also made an aerial survey of the affected area. KJS Cheema, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and G. Vagralingam Principal Secretary, Irrigation, also accompanied them. According to the government official, the Punjab Government had already spent Rs 27 crore on flood-protection works and Rs 79 crore were being spent. He said the CM has sanctioned Rs 25 crore to all the Deputy Commissioners to provide immediate relief to the flood victims. He said Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for purchase of medicines. Guru said tents, medicines, ration and fodder was being sent to the flood-hit areas and instructions have been issued to release Rs 1 lakh to each of the family in case of death of any member due to floods. Farmers were eligible to get Rs 5,000 per acre relief in case of total loss of crop. "To meet the problem of waterlogging in the region, out of 7,200 km drain channels, 2,750 km of channels have been de-silted," said the official. Relief teams would reach the affected districts by this evening, he announced. "The Punjab Government is keeping a close watch on the situation. The level in the Bhakra today was 1679.28 feet, 1.1 feet lower than the last year's level. Similarly, the water level in the Pong dam was 1,387.34 feet, 2.76 feet lower than last year's level," the official added. The government officials also met the flood-hit villagers and issued instructions to authorities to provide them immediate relief.
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Sehajdharis Voting Rights row
Patiala, September 10 Demanding her immediate resignation, Badal alleged that it was Preneet Kaur who wrote a letter to the Union Law and Justice Ministry over appointing senior advocate and Punjab former Advocate-General Harbhagwan Singh as a counsel in Sehajdhari voting rights case. The matter was being heard in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. After this, averred Badal, the Congress stood “exposed” on the issue of making a “deliberate attempt to get the SGPC elections deferred”. Addressing a series of SGPC election rallies in Rajpura, Sanaur and Patiala, he demanded Preneet’s resignation on “moral” grounds. “We seek a judicial probe in the entire matter. The SAD will also explore the option of approaching the HC.” Drawing a parallel between the Congress-led governments and those of the Britishers and the Mughals during a rally at the Rajpura Grain Market, Badal said, “During the British and Mughal era in India, they did everything to capture the religious institutions of the Sikhs in order to exploit them for their own benefits. The Congress, too, is trying the same and has time and again made futile attempts to interfere in the Sikh religious affairs. No true Sikh will allow it to achieve its hidden agenda to make a backdoor entry into the SGPC.” Coming down heavily on PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh for terming Badal a “moral coward”, he said the Congress leader was using “unparliamentarily” language because he had got baffled in wake of the fact that the SAD was on the “verge of making a clean sweep in the SGPC elections” as well as the Assembly elections due to be held in Punjab early next year. Also, he called DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and former Governor Surjit Singh Barnala as “opportunists”.
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Last political battle for the
‘General of Doaba’
In his 80s now, he is a
respected figure and draws huge crowds, including women, at his meetings in the
countryside. While the young seek his blessings, old timers give him a hug and
share anecdotes of the good old days. Having bid adieu to electoral politics
for the past many years, he has been focusing on Panthic issues, besides taking
the lead in seeking a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan from
both the governments. Surprisingly, he is candid and has a new outlook when
it comes to Panthic issues. Hackneyed methods to propagate our religion will
not work in the IT era. There was a time when Taksali preachers used to fan out
in the countryside and educate the people, especially the youngsters, on the
life and teachings of the Gurus and our glorious traditions. But it is not so
nowadays and that is why the people are drifting away from their faith and are
becoming apostate, he rues. “Similarly, comparative religious lessons must be
introduced in the school curriculum from the middle level. A committee should
appoint teachers for this subject, at least in government schools,” he
demands. At Rolli village, the residents are exceptionally thankful to him as
he got opened a girl’s school in this backward rural area, which started
functioning from this academic session. For, girl education is the last thing
on the minds of villagers here. He is mobbed by the womenfolk who now want a
hospital for their area. “Don’t worry… you’ll get it. But before that,
don’t forget to flock the polling stations on the D-Day,” he reminds his
voters with a smile on his face. The villagers respond with laughter. The same
scene is enacted at Pandori and Hershadpur Nawanpind villages where the
residents demand that the “use of intoxicants” in the SGPC elections by
other candidates should be curbed as it violates the very spirit of the
election and is against the tenets of Sikhism. He assures them “he has and
will never resort to such tactics to lure voters”. Wadala’s son Gurpartap
Singh, who is assisting his father in the election, says the octogenarian still
maintains a “punishing” schedule. He wakes up at 4.30 am and hits the road
by 8 am after reciting his prayers and a frugal breakfast. He is in bed by 11
pm after campaigning all day long, he adds. Wadala’s main opponents are DS
Kahlon, who rebelled against him and was expelled from the party by SAD (B)
patron Parkash Singh Badal a few days ago. The other is AS Ramewal of the
Panthic Morcha.
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Tohra loyalist vs Mann’s
son from Bhadson seat
Expected to be a cracker of a contest, Tohra loyalist Satwinder Singh Tohra of the SAD
(Badal) is contesting against SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann’s son Emaan Singh Mann. Gurtej Singh
(Panthic Morcha) is the third candidate. It a scene at 8:30 am in one of the villages of the constituency (with a little over 47,000 voters in 141 villages), falling in Patiala district: A fleet of swanky vehicles arrives. Satwinder Singh, a sitting SGPC member, alights from his car to address an audience. But instead of speaking on current issued pertaining to the development of Sikhs, he focuses his talk on “keeping intact the high values” preached by his mentor
(Tohra). Satwinder then moves ahead to Hallotali village. He is weighed in sweets equal to his weight. Again, his initial speech sees a little change of words but the later part remains focused on invoking the legacy of
Tohra. He speaks about Sikh values as per his mentor’s thoughts. And apparently more so because initially the Tohras were themselves interested in fielding their family member from the seat, but Satwinder Singh managed to beat them in the pre-poll lobbying and was handpicked by the SAD (B) leadership. “My opponents are working for their own agenda (read as
Khalistan), which has been rejected numerous times…,” says
Satwinder. He hurriedly meets the village elderly as his aides intimate him they are running behind schedule for the next village. Meanwhile, a couple of kilometres away at Rasail village, Emaan Singh addresses a public meeting in the village
gurdwara. There, he talks of Khalistan and “corrupt” practices of the Badal family. “My father has been fighting for the Sikhs till date and his demand for a separate state is clear. I assure you a better and transparent SGPC if our party is voted to power,” says
Emaan, rubbishing allegations that he is an outsider. “I very much belong to Punjab… Even allegations by my rivals that I am getting Congress support are totally baseless… they have nothing to speak against me, so they are using such tactics,” he says. Though facing a tough opposition, Gurtej Singh has not lost heart as he says that he has his own agenda and voters would not believe the “lies” of his rivals. “The results will prove them wrong,” is all he has to say.
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Capt blames Sukhbir for state’s fiscal mess
“You want to bask in the borrowed glory by trying to borrow money from wherever you can and I am not going to allow that to happen,” he told Sukhbir while blaming him for the state’s debt liabilities that had already crossed Rs 1.7 lakh crore. Taking a dig at Sukhbir, Capt reiterated, “Yes I have written to the Chairman of the Reserve Bank of India and other banks not to give you loans as the state was not in a capacity to pay back.” He said, “Sukhbir knows that his countdown has begun and his days are numbered and he is now going for wanton borrowings to pass on the burden to the next Congress Government.” Referring to the refusal of loan by the Union Urban Development Ministry to Punjab, the PCC President said, the ministry must have made its own inquiries before deciding not to give loan to Punjab. “Who will lend money to a bankrupt state?” Capt Amarinder asked Sukhbir, while advising him to better look into the financial mess his government had pushed the state into before accusing him of hampering the development. The former CM again cautioned the banks against providing loans to various market committees in Punjab.
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AISSF seeks deletion of ‘bogus’ votes
Moga, September 10 “I have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Commissioner of the Gurdwara Election Commission, giving details of the bogus votes, demanding to conduct a high-level probe,” said president of the AISSF, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad.
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10-yr-old gives birth to child at Faridkot hospital
Faridkot, September 10 The girl, who belongs to Sirsa in Haryana and had shifted to Ferozepur with her family six months ago, was brought to the medical college on Friday evening with a complaint of acute pain. The family members were suspecting the pains due to some tumour in the abdomen of the girl and brought her for treatment. Faridkot police station incharge SHO JJ Singh said after getting the information from the hospital authorities, the police security was provided around the room where the girl was recuperating. Dr Lajja, the doctor attending the girl, said the condition of the girl was out of danger. The girl’s family suspect a 17-year-old boy of Sirsa for his involvement in the crime as he used to visit them often.
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Resolution on Bhullar
Chandigarh, September 10 Khaira said as reported by the media, the CM had made contradictory statements on the issue, wherein he had said he would take up the issue with the PM. Khaira said the death sentence to Bhullar has been a subject-matter of active discussion in the legal as well as social and political circles in the recent past. He has written that “while you are seeking commutation of Bhullar’s sentence, your government has managed to get a stay from the SC against investigation by the CBI. This petition has been filed after appeals of the UT. The administration of Chandigarh in the same case had been dismissed by the HC as well as by the SC. Interestingly, the point of
appeals/SLPs filed by the UT and their dismissal has not been reflected in the petition filed by your government concealing material facts therein. Are the two stands not contradictory to each other?” He has asked Badal to clarify his stand. — TNS
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Now, NRIs can lodge a police complaint via video-conferencing
Jalandhar, September 10 The facility would not only benefit NRIs facing property-related problems in Punjab, but would also prove a boon for women deserted by their husbands. Till now, the complainants had to come to India for get their grievances redressed. Sources said an aggrieved NRI can access the website www.punjabpolice.gov.in for video conferencing every Monday between 4.00 to 5.00 pm. The complaint can also be registered through e-mail nri.pbpolice@gmail.com. Those wishing to speak directly with a senior official can dial the helpline at 0172-2748100. For special assistance, an SP rank official is also available at mobile number 97794-64002. The complainants can check the status of their complaints at the website, the sources added. The website also has a provision for submitting information about Punjabis detained abroad. An NRI wing has been functional in the Punjab police Headquarters for the past many months under the supervision of IG Gurpreet Deo, who also handles the Community Affairs Division. The NRI branch is the nodal authority for monitoring complaints of NRIs, inquiries and investigations carried out in the NRI police stations and supervision of the six NRI police stations in the state. In addition to this, the cell deals with issues pertaining to those who have been duped by travel agents. Their mandate also includes compiling a database of complaints by NRIs, pertaining to research and evaluate nature of problems faced by them for improving the quality and efficiency of police services, the sources added. Instructions have been issued to all SSPs and Commissioners of the six police districts where NRI police stations are functioning to ensure that all NRI-related matters are dealt with these police stations only and monitored by a Gazetted Officer.
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Cops flouting norms laid for CM’s security
In a major security lapse, the district police forces manning the outer cordon of the Chief Minister’s security continue to use mobile phones on official VIP duty during the presence of the CM despite repeated instructions to them to shift to official wireless sets for better communication. During his visits to Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib, numerous officials could be seen using mobile phones on duty and if the jammers created a hindrance, they moved to a distance. “We are using mobiles as there are not many wireless sets available. No DSP or other senior was carrying any such set, so with whom will we communicate if we carry it?” asked a head constable, manning the entry gate near the CM’s stage. Earlier during the CM’s Saturday rally at Dana Mandi, Patiala, when some union members raised slogans at the rally venue, officials took almost 10 minutes to get the situation under control and junior officials could not be intimated by their seniors as the mobile network was jammed. A DSP and a sub-inspector level official rushed to the spot along with other constables to control the situation. “Due to complete dependence on mobile phones, many times important messages fail to be delivered to other officials as mobile networks are jammed in the CM security,” reads a recent communiqué shot to all the police officials of the district by SSP Patiala Gurpreet Singh Gill. “I further warn of strict action if officials fail to bring their wireless sets during VIP visits,” further reads the letter in possession of the TNS. A senior police official opined that while on one hand the state government was willing to spend crores to acquire the state-of-the-art weaponry for the SSG teams that will protect VIPs and ensure their training at the hands of foreign experts, on the other hand, the state police department was laissez-faire themselves in tackling vital security concerns.
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Excise officers seek change in promotion
policy
Chandigarh: Union Minister of State for Department of Personnel and Training V. Subrmanium Sami has given an assurance to gazetted officers of the Central Excise Departments of Punjab, HP, J&K and Chandigarh that the restructuring of cadres would be looked into with a positive mind. A delegation of central excise officials, led by President of the Association of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers AK Sharma and accompanied by Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, submitted a memorandum to the minister to press for restructuring the promotion policy. — TNS
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21 years on, blast victim awaits relief
Patiala, September 10 Sanjesh said after the blast on June 4, 1990, the government announced a compensation for the families of those who died during the blast and jobs and pension for those who were disabled. But till date, he has not been given any benefit. He said he was only 12-year-old when the incident occurred. He said this incident altogether changed his life making him disabled. Despite repeated visits to the DC office, there was no reply to his request, he rued. Every time he visited the RRA Branch, he said, the clerks there send him back saying he could not get a job as it was only for those who were 100 per cent disabled. “I applied for the pension, but even this demand is not being accepted. My wife and child are visually disabled and even my parents are old now. Therefore, the responsibility of the entire family is on my shoulders. I am unable to cope up with the pressure due to my disability,” he said. While Sanjesh alleged that the other victims had got the benefits and the authorities were not taking his case seriously, sources in the DC office said Sanjesh’s application was rejected as he did not meet the necessary conditions laid down by the government.
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High Court sets aside termination orders
Chandigarh, September 10 The directions by Justice Daya Chaudhary came on a petition filed by Ranjit Singh against the State of Punjab. He had moved the court alleging his services had been illegally dispensed with on March 31, 2008. Taking up the plea, Justice Daya Chaudhary asserted: “Putting a ban on the appointment of daily wagers is for future appointment and not for the daily wagers who have completed 10 years of service before the cut-off date of April 10, 2006, as stipulated in the policy of December 15, 2006.” Allowing the petition argued by advocate Somesh Gupta, Justice Chaudhary directed the setting aside of the termination orders. The State of Punjab and other respondents were also asked to reinstate the petitioner forthwith, and consider his case for regularisation in accordance with the policy. Before parting, Justice Daya Chaudhary asserted: “The period for which the petitioner remained out of service shall be taken to be continuity in service for all intent and purposes. However, the petitioner is not entitled to claim wages for the period he did not work.”
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Don’t proceed with disputed mutation: HC to revenue officials Chandigarh, September 10 Justice Alok Singh has, in fact, expressed anguish that the parties were being misled to contest the mutation before different revenue authorities. Justice Alok Singh asserted: “It has come to the notice of this court that even if a civil suit involving question of title and inheritance is pending, the authorities are proceeding with the mutation cases and litigants are being advised and misled to file appeals and revisions before the higher revenue authorities, while mutation order by the revenue authorities shall be of no avail in view of the pendency of the civil suit and ultimately mutation is to be carried out as per the ultimate decision in the pending civil suit. This is the classical example of multiplicity of the litigation.” The observations came on a petition by Shamsher Singh against Patiala Division Commissioner. He was claiming himself to be the natural heir of Mohinder Singh, while the private respondents were claiming inheritance on the basis of alleged registered 'Will'. Counsel for the petitioner had stated that a civil suit between the parties was already pending on inheritance of Mohinder Singh’s estate. Justice Alok Singh ruled: “In the opinion of this court, if mutation is opposed or contested by the parties claiming their respective title or inheritance, parties should be left to approach the Civil Court to get their title decided and mutation proceedings should be kept in abeyance awaiting decision in the civil suit.” Laying down the guidelines, Justice Alok Singh asserted: “Mutation must be carried out strictly as per the ultimate judgment/decree in the suit. Meanwhile, entry should be made to the effect that mutation is contested between such and such and shall be carried out as per the final judgment by civil court so that prospective buyer cannot be cheated and misled by any of the party on the basis of mutation.” Calling for a decision on the civil suit, Justice Alok Singh added: “Writ petition arising out of summary proceedings of mutation should ordinarily be not entertained and parties should be left to get their respective title decided in a suit for declaration.”
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Under intense pressure from residents and Congress leaders, SSP Gurkirpal Singh today suspended Batala city SHO Parladh Singh for “hushing up” investigation in the murder case.
Extensive damage to cotton crop in the state is feared to have been caused by rains with 2.56 lakh acre of land under crop being affected in the Malwa region.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today dragged Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur into the controversy surrounding the Sehajdhari voting rights issue.
Demanding her immediate resignation, Badal alleged that it was Preneet Kaur who wrote a letter to the Union Law and Justice Ministry over appointing senior advocate and Punjab former Advocate-General Harbhagwan Singh as a counsel in Sehajdhari voting rights case.
Mandiala,
September 10
Patiala, September 10
Mandiala,
September 10
Bhadson
(Patiala), Sept 10
Chandigarh, September 10
Fatehgarh Sahib/Patiala, September 10