B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Atta-Dal scheme
Shanta welcomes Capt’s statement
Moga, November 27
The BJP has welcomed the statements of the PPCC president and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh that the Atta-Dal scheme for the poor, initiated by the SAD-BJP Government in the state, would be continued, if the Congress is voted to power. The party also expressed its happiness over the Captain endorsing the role model of development initiated by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.

Beas Dera head ‘influencing’ politics in Moga
Moga, November 27
The head of the Dera Radha Soami (Beas), Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, hailing from Moga, is said to be tactfully playing a subtle role in the local politics, with a little inclined towards the former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill and at the same time, maintaining relations with the sitting Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain.

Assembly polls
‘BSP will contest alone’
Bathinda, November 27
“The BSP would contest at all the assembly seats alone. We would not go in alliance with any party,” said the BSP state chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri, while talking to the media persons here, today.

Foreign Direct Investment in retail outlets opposed
Bathinda, November 27
The Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industry today urged the Punjab Government not to allow 51 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail outlets any where in the state as it would hit the interests of the small-scale industries and the small traders in a big way.

Woman killed in road accident
Bathinda, November 27
A couple from Phulomithi village, falling under the Sangat block, sustained serious injuries in a road accident, yesterday. The woman (Baljeet Kaur) succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital on the Barnala road while Sukhdarshan Singh (husband of the deceased) is still undergoing treatment.

Atta-Dal scheme
Shanta welcomes Capt’s statement
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, November 27
The BJP has welcomed the statements of the PPCC president and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh that the Atta-Dal scheme for the poor, initiated by the SAD-BJP Government in the state, would be continued, if the Congress is voted to power. The party also expressed its happiness over the Captain endorsing the role model of development initiated by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.

Shanta Kumar, a senior BJP leader and in-charge of the party affairs in Punjab, while speaking to The Tribune over the phone, said the Congress high command should also learn a lesson from Modi, who has set up a model for development for the other states. It may be mentioned that Captain in a media interaction had praised the development model of Modi saying he would attract investment for setting up industries in Punjab on the Gujarat pattern, if voted to power.

Shanta Kumar, who pioneered the ‘Antyodaya’ scheme during the tenure of the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government at the Centre, claimed that the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab had also carried out massive development work to improve the existing infrastructure in the urban areas by constructing new over-bridges, roads, bypasses, initiating work on the new thermal power projects. Taking a dig at Amarinder, the BJP leader said the Congress leader should also extol good work done by the state government in Punjab instead of using ‘unparliamentary’ language at public rallies. “Rather, the Captain should come out for an open debate on development,” he said.

He said the Right to Service Act is a landmark legislation given to the people of Punjab, which has ensured time-bound basic services and such things should also be visible to the Congress leaders.

Claiming that the people would again bring the SAD-BJP government back to power, Shanta Kumar said development would be one of the biggest issues in the ensuing assembly elections in the state. “The Congress leadership has no agenda to fight the elections, apart from mudslinging and using unparliamentary language,” he added.

Beas Dera head ‘influencing’ politics in Moga
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, November 27
The head of the Dera Radha Soami (Beas), Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, hailing from Moga, is said to be tactfully playing a subtle role in the local politics, with a little inclined towards the former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill and at the same time, maintaining relations with the sitting Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain.

Baba is said to be a childhood friend of Gill and they used to play together on weekends during family gatherings. Baba’s father, late Gurmukh Singh Dhillon, Gill’s father late Nachattar Singh Gill and one Rajinder Singh Dhillon, were good friends and often used to spend time together along with their families. It was the family sittings on weekends that brought Gurinder and Paramdeep closer, said an old resident of the town pleading anonymity, which was confirmed by many locals of the town.

In the last 2007 assembly elections, the Baba's father reportedly gave his blessings to Jain to secure a Congress ticket and indirectly influenced a large section of society, the followers of Dera Radha Soami that helped Jain defeat Jathedar Tota Singh, the Akali stalwart of the area. But this time, the political situation seems to have become complex for the Dera head, putting him in a tight spot. On the one hand, Gill, his childhood friend is an aspirant for contesting the election on a SAD ticket from Moga while on the other, Jain, a loyal associate of his father, is looking forward to retaining the party ticket for contesting the elections. Moreover, the political situation at the ground level in Moga does not seem to be favouring Gill ,who is struggling hard to get along with the influential personalities of the area to strengthen his political base among the masses.

The president of the local civic body, Barjinder Singh Brar, a youth Akali leader, who is the youngest son of Jathedar Tota Singh, has kept Gill on his toes by keeping a majority of the councillors with him, while claiming the party ticket for himself. Sources revealed that Paramdeep Gill met the Dera head a few days back, after which, Jain is said to have been called by him to discuss the prevailing political situation. Due to family compulsions, Dhillon is not said to be in favour of Gill and Jain contesting the election against each other, added the sources. To avoid ‘division’ among the followers of the Radha Soami sect, in the hometown of the Dera head, there could be a possible chance of either Gill or Jain shifting their constituencies so as to avoid a ‘political clash’ among themselves. The pressure of the Dera may influence the policy makers of both the Congress and the SAD to rethink their strategy on allotment of tickets in the district, particularly the Moga assembly segment.

Assembly polls
‘BSP will contest alone’
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 27
“The BSP would contest at all the assembly seats alone. We would not go in alliance with any party,” said the BSP state chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri, while talking to the media persons here, today.

Karimpuri said, “There has been no intimation from the party headquarters about any such thing adding that Manpreet is misguiding the masses. We have already decided the candidates for 82 seats and sent the list to the party chief Mayawati seeking approval. The next batch of the candidates’ listings would be decided and sent soon,” he added.

Karimpuri was here to address the workers at the BSP Satta Parivartan rally held in Bathinda, today.

Foreign Direct Investment in retail outlets opposed
Sushil Goyal/TNS

Bathinda, November 27
The Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industry today urged the Punjab Government not to allow 51 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail outlets any where in the state as it would hit the interests of the small-scale industries and the small traders in a big way.

District president of the chamber Raman Watts said today that in case the state government granted permission to the foreign companies to do so, the small-scale industries and the small traders would be completely ruined as they would not be able to compete with the international-level companies in any way.

He said with 51 per cent FDI in retail outlets, the small industrialists and traders would be forced to do jobs and may face unemployment.

Watts further added that the Badal Government should follow the path, adopted by the Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh that had taken a stand against the Union Government’s decision.

“Our small-scale industries and small traders are not in a position to compete with big international companies. If these companies invest 51 per cent FDI in retail outlets, we will certainly face adversities,” he said. Opposing the Central Government’s policy relating to 51 per cent FDI in retail outlets, Watts said if the retail outlets with such a FDI were opened in Punjab, the traders and businessmen would launch an agitation against the Union Government.

Woman killed in road accident
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 27
A couple from Phulomithi village, falling under the Sangat block, sustained serious injuries in a road accident, yesterday. The woman (Baljeet Kaur) succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital on the Barnala road while Sukhdarshan Singh (husband of the deceased) is still undergoing treatment.

As per the details, the bike of the victims collided with a speeding truck on the Multania flyover. The injured were taken to the local civil hospital by the volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa. The woman was further referred to a private hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. A case under various Sections of the IPC has been registered against the unidentified truck driver on the complaint of Mahinder Singh of Phulomithi village.