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High polling keeps analysts guessing
Former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill who is in the fray from Moga as SAD candidate relaxes with his supporters after the polls. A Tribune photograph
A bridge too far on the Sutlej
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Youth Cong chief booked for assault
Robbers strike at petrol pump, loot Rs
13,000
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High polling keeps analysts guessing
Moga, February 1 Some political observers believe that the trend indicated that people might have aggressively polled against the anti-incumbency but at the same time, some others also believe in change, especially where new faces were in the fray. Going by the pattern of polling, it appeared that the maximum polling of 84.37 per cent was registered in the Baghapurana constituency. The local Congress MLA, Darshan Singh Brar believes that the people were fed up with the state government and therefore, they had turned out to vote in large numbers in an 'outburst' against the ruling party. But a local resident, Balwinder Singh, said the heavy turnout could also be attributed to the enthusiasm shown by the youth and the women who came on their own to cast their votes in large numbers under pleasant weather conditions. In the rural-dominated Dharamkot constituency, 83.81 per cent polling has been reported where the prestige of Akali stalwart Jathedar Tota Singh is at stake against the rebel Akali leader Sukhjit Singh Kaka, contesting the election on Congress ticket from here. Kaka, who is a popular leader of the area, is contesting the assembly election for the first time but has shown perfect managerial skills, pulling the voters out of their houses to cast their votes. The Jathedar claims that the people had voted in large numbers on the development agenda while Kaka asserts that the people had voted against anti-incumbency to drive out an outsider candidate from the area. In Nihalsinghwala constituency, 78.20 and in urban-dominated Moga constituency, 76.80 per cent polling has been recorded, indicating the enthusiasm of the voters. "The increase in polling is a signal that the voters have faith in the present system and accepted the working of the ruling party," claimed former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill contesting the election on a SAD ticket from here. Parveen Garg, a supporter of Gill, claims that the people of Moga constituency have voted for change, accepting the new faces in politics. "Gill is gentle by nature and people like him entering politics," he added. The local MLA, Joginder Pal Jain, claims he would win the election banking on anti-incumbency and the 'charismatic' leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh coupled with his popularity in the area and his managerial skills. According to him, the people are annoyed with the ruling party. District Magistrate B. Purushartha and Additional Deputy Commissioner Chander Gaind and the SDM of Nihalsinghwala Joram Beda claim that the electoral reforms introduced by the Election Commission have brought in this positive change. "We have been successful in the campaign to motivate voters to exercise their franchise," Joram Beda added. An analysis made by this correspondent after an interaction with scores of people from varied sections of society also revealed a close contest on all the seats. The third front and rebel independents had also mobilised the electorate for polling. There has been a close competition between the candidates to reach the doorstep of voters and motivate them to vote and make them responsive.
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A bridge too far on the Sutlej
Ferozepur, February 1 As per information, the entire funding of the project is being done under the Centrally sponsored CRF scheme. However, the cost of the land was to be borne by the state government. Even the Chief Minister himself had written a note to the PIDB for immediate release of Rs 339.60 lakhs needed for the acquisition of land. According to the PWD officials, around 26 acres of land needs to be acquired in Ferozepur besides another 33 acres in Tarn Taran district for the project. Meanwhile, the tender has already been approved and allotted to Vashista-SCC (joint venture) for the construction of the bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 46.20 crores. The company has already set up its site office besides concrete batch mix plant has also been established. Karim Ullah Chowdhry, Project Manager, Vashista-SCC, said they have already mobilised the men and machinery on the site. However, the work was stuck as the land has not been acquired yet, adding that the company was incurring losses due to the inordinate delay. The ambitious project assumes much significance for lakhs of people belonging to the border districts of Amritsar and Ferozepur. At present, in the absence of any direct rail or road connectivity between these two places, people have to take a longer detour which makes the distance between them around 120 kms which will be reduced by over 30 kms once the bridge comes up. Moreover, the bridge will also facilitate the movement of entire commercial fleet of vehicles going from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to Kandla port which will usher in immense prosperity in the region. Even hundreds of residents belonging to border villages those who are using "beras" to cross the Sutlej to go towards Amritsar will also be relieved as the improvised boats pose a threat to their lives. When contacted, PWD officials said the procedure for the acquisition of land has been started for which a notification has already been released. Another official said that the land owners have given their consent for acquisition of the land in writing. Hence, there was no controversy over it. He said that the funds were expected to be granted soon following which the remuneration will be provided to the land owners. However, the residents here are sceptical that in case of a change in guard in the state after the polls, the project might hang in abeyance. |
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Youth Cong chief booked for assault
Fazilka, February 1 It may be recalled that Sanjeev Sachdeva along with Fazilka Youth Congress vice-president Ranjam Kamra were going in the latter's car at around 5 pm on the local Raja Cinema road on January 30, the day of polling. According to FIR registered with the city police, Fazilka, by Sanjeev Sachdeva, a nearby shopkeeper Gaurav hurled a wooden table at the windscreen of the car. Immediately, Sidharath Rinwa and some of his companions including Rimple and Chamkaur Singh, came out of the car following them. They hit Sanjeev with a baseball on his mouth and smashed the windscreen of the car. Ranjam raised an alarm and escaped from the scene. According to Goldy Sachdeva, the miscreants tried to carry him in their car but as police vehicles reached there, they fled from the scene. There after, Ranjam and others got him admitted to the local Civil Hospital. Sanjeev has alleged that Sidharath and others assaulted him because he had supported Ranjam Kamra in Youth Congress elections against Sidharth Rinwa. The Youth Congress has been faction-ridden in Fazilka and the relations between Ranjam Kamra and Sidharth Rinwa remained strained ever since the Youth Congress elections were held two months back.Police have registered a case under sections 323, 506,427,148 and149 of the IPC against the accused.
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Robbers strike at petrol pump, loot Rs
13,000
Fazilka, February 1 As per police sources, three motorcycle-borne miscreants came to M/s Bholla and Sons Indian Oil petrol pump near village Chandmari here for refilling the petrol at about 3 pm. They probably came to check the security and other arrangements at the petrol pump. They again came to the petrol pump after some time and looted cash worth Rs 13,000 kept in the bag from the salesman, Rakesh Kumar, a resident of nearby village Pharmanwali, and another employee Parvinder Kumar at gunpoint. As per the employees, the robbers allegedly pointed the country-made pistol at the forehead of the salesman and looted the cash. After that, they locked both the employees in a room and decamped with the booty. DSP Fazilka Sukhdev Singh and SHO Sadar Chhinder Singh reached the spot. Chhinder Singh said the Sadar police registered an FIR under section 382 of the Arms Act on the basis of the statement of Rakesh Kumar against three unidentified persons. Notably, the miscreants had looted the same petrol pump about two years back and the robbers had been nabbed by the police a few days later.
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High polling on an average of 80.79 per cent in the four assembly constituencies of the Moga district could turn out to be a major factor in deciding the fate of the winning candidates.
The work on the construction of a high-level bridge over the Sutlej between Ferozepur and Tarn Taran districts, the foundation stone of which was laid by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a much hyped ceremony on November 18, 2011, is stuck in procedural wrangles
