The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Poachers fire at wildlife team in Mehngrowal Bipin Bhardwaj Tribune News Service Hoshiarpur, December 11 Certain unidentified poachers allegedly opened fire at a team led by Gurvinder Singh, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Hoshiarpur, in Mehngrowal forests in the wee hours on Saturday. The incident occurred at 1.30 am on the Mehngrowal-Chohal link road near Mehngrowal forests where Gurwinder Singh and forest guards Harjinder Singh Rajpal Singh were out in jungle to arrest poachers. Gurvinder Singh said on a tip off from villagers that they had seen poachers, he informed the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Wildlife, Satnam Singh. After getting a go-ahead from the DFO to trap the poachers, Gurvinder Singh took two forest guards along and asked the Forest Inspector, Sunil Kumar, to follow him. But Kumar went back to Hoshiarpur leaving them midway, he alleged. “After a long search we decided to launch a search operation and lit the torch after parking our vehicle almost 30 metres off a road leading towards Chohal from Mehngrowal. The poachers came in two gypsies and fired two shots at us when we signaled them to stop. We were lucky as they missed the target due to the dark,” he said. Fearing more gun shots, they hid in the bushes till early this morning. Gurvinder Singh, however, complained that the DFO took the incident lightly when he was asked to take action against the Inspector Sunil Kumar, who allegedly left them midway and did nothing to lay a naka to nab the poachers. “The DFO said it was a routine while Sunil Kumar asked him to do whatever he wants to do against him,” Singh alleged. Sunil, however, denied the allegations. The incident was brought to the notice of the Chief Wildlife Warden, Dhirendra Kumar, who asked the warden to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard. The Chief Wildlife Warden, Dhirendra Kumar, said, “We will probe the matter and action will be taken against the erring officers. I have also asked Gurvinder Singh and others to lodge a complaint with the police in this regard.”
	Pollution control board goes online Umesh Dewan Tribune News Service Patiala, December 11 The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has introduced the e-governance system for giving approvals on pollution issues to the industrialists in the state. PPCB chairman KS Pannu launched the e-governance system at the Board headquarters here today. With the introduction of online system, the industry proponents will not have to visit any office of the Board for seeking either consent to establish an industry or to operate a firm after its establishment. Even the renewal of the consents will be processed through e-governance system. Speaking to The Tribune, Pannu said that the hassle-free and paperless service would bring complete transparency and efficiency in the regulatory mechanism of the Board. "The industrialists will be able to fill the requisite forms online and the Board officials from the level of Assistant Environmental Engineer to the Chairman will process the case online without any paper work", he said. The Board functionaries further said that the online system would enable the PPCB officers to effective monitoring the processing of files in a time-bound manner and would also make the them accountable. Initially, the online service would be made available to the large-scale industries, with investment of Rs 15 crore and above. "The service for other industries would also be started soon", said PPCB officials. With the new online system in place, now the status of the applications will be displayed on the login of the applicant industry, during the course of its processing with the Board. "The initiative taken by the Board would make the PPCB functioning transparent", said PPCB Deputy Director (PR) Charanjit Singh. e-governance Industrialists need not to visit Board's office, they can fill the requisite forms online Approvals for establishing, operating industries and renewal can also be obtained through the service Paperless service will bring transparency in the system Status of applications will be displayed during the course of its processing The system will enable the officers to clear files in a time-bound manner Initially, the service will be made available to large-scale industries
	2 killed, 50 hurt as bus turns turtle Ravi Dhaliwal Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, December 11 Two people, including a ten-year-old child, were killed and nearly 50 injured in an accident when a private bus lost control at Naushera Majha Singh, 20 km from here, on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Nishan Singh and ten-year-old Abhu of Batala. Eye witness claimed that the bus belonging to the Amritsar-Bathinda Transport Company (ABTC), turned turtle when the bus driver was trying to save a motor cyclist coming from the opposite direction. The bus was on its way to Pathankot from Amritsar. Both Nishan Singh and Abhu died on the spot while people who sustained minor injuries were admitted to Community Health Centre at Naushera Majha Singh. Those who sustained serious injuries were referred to the Civil Hospitals of Gurdaspur and Batala. Gurdaspur SSP Varinder Pal Singh immediately rushed a team of police officers headed by DSP (City) Ajinder Singh to the spot. Later, DSP (Rural), Gurdaspur, also visited the accident site. Sources disclosed that the highway police patrol did a commendable job by rushing the injured to Batala and Gurdaspur. Today’s accident has once again put the focus on over speeding private buses. Mandeep Singh Boparai, an advocate, said that the punishment for over speeding is not severe enough to deter these bus drivers to put a check on their speed. “The errant driver is slapped with a case under 279 (rash driving) and 304A (rash driving leading to death) and both these offences are bail able in nature. “Once drivers, who indulge in over-speeding, are hauled up by the Police, they walk out of the Police station within minutes as bail under these Sections of the IPC can be given in the police stations itself.” A passenger travelling in the bus claimed that he had repeatedly asked the conductor to urge the driver to drive slowly. “The bus just missed ramming into a car as it left Batala and minutes later, as it reached Naushera Majha Singh, it overturned,” he said. “The police should get their act together and start issuing challans for over speeding. However, this is not done and the result is that accidents involving private buses on the Amritsar-Pathankot highway are increasing with every passing day,” said Harjit Alam, a journalist, who regularly travels on this stretch of road.
	3 held for firing Our Correspondent Nawanshahr, December 11 Behram police led by the SHO, Shahbaj Singh, succeeded in nabbing three employees of a private security agency for firing shots and manhandling employees at a toll plaza in Behram situated on Jalandhar-Nawanshahr-Chandigarh highway here on Saturday. The accused are identified as Chand Lal of Begowal (Kapurthala), Jagdip Singh of Khera village (Jalandhar) and Mann Singh of Hoddian village (Kapurthala). The vehicle and the rifle used have been recovered from them. However, their two accomplices, Lakhbir Singh and Paramjit, are still at large. Shahbaj Singh, SHO, said the police had received a complaint from Darshan Singh working as toll tax collector at the Behram Toll Plaza. In his complaint, he had stated that at around 1.45 am employees of a private security agency, travelling in a blue coloured vehicle (PB 65 KT 8880), reached the toll plaza. When he stopped them for the toll tax the accused said they had already paid the tax but refused to show the pay slip. Instead they started manhandling him and terrorised the employees at the toll plaza. Chand Lal, one of the accused, fired two shots in the air and fled away breaking the barricades. The police nabbed the accused from Jalandhar and registered a case under Sections 336, 506, 427, 148 and 149 of the IPC.
	Theatre fest gets underway Neha Saini/TNS Amritsar, December 11 Manch Rangmanch is organising a theatre festival at Punjab Naatshala dedicated to the literary genius Rabindra Nath Tagore. The week-long event will see plays based on Rabindra Nath Tagore’s writings. The inaugural play was Jeebito, based on Rabindra Nath Tagore’s short story Jeevat Ya Mrit was a monologue presented by actor Seema Biswas. The play was based on women who live various kinds of death through out their lives. Seema played the role of Kadambani. Her second performance was also a mono act, Streer Patra, was also based on a short story by Rabindra Nath Tagore. Plays Samaapti, Var Mala, Viserjan all based on Tagore’s stories will be staged during the theatre festival. With powerful female protagonists and characters, the festival emphasises on women’s position and plight in our society over the years. “Tagore’s women are strong even in comparison to the women of today. With each passing day, I am reminded that somewhere some woman has committed suicide as they cannot cope with the stress and constant societal pressures. But what have our great philosophers, poets taught us? We have had women of robust will like Meera and Laxmi Bai who lived on their terms. Social attitudes have not changed but it for us the women to fight for our dignity and live with it,” says Seema, director of the play Streer Patra.
	Lab technicians to go on 2-day strike Our Correspondent Phagwara, December 11 Hundreds of employees belonging to Punjab State Laboratory Technicians Association will go on two days ‘Pen Down-Tool Down’ strike in support of their long pending demands throughout the state from Monday. This was announced by Association Press Secretary Jhirmal Singh Bhinder while talking to newsmen here today. He alleged that despite repeated assurances state government could not issue any notification in this regard. Bhinder threatened to intensify the stir by observing indefinite strike, if government could not full fill their demands soon.