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So far, no action against erring Moga cops
‘One man army’ battles workload in F’pur admn
Can assist CM in seeking funds for state: CLP leader
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Rs 20 crore to end sewerage woes in Abohar
Promoting science education
Fazilka felicitates its daughters
Edu Dept releases error-ridden promotion list
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custodial death
Moga, April 8 The victim, Chamkaur Singh (35), son of Ajaib Singh and a resident of Khosa Pando village who used to run a small shop, was picked up by the police on the charge of drug trafficking on Friday evening. He was sent to the CIA where he was allegedly tortured at the interrogation centre, which could have led to his death. A day has passed since the shocking incident took place. Glaring evidences of torture in the form of photographs showing injury marks and bruises have also come up to determine the cruelty that the victim was subjected to by the cops. However, the SP (H) of Moga, Satpal Singh Bhangu, maintains that it primarily appears to be a natural death. When asked what immediate action has been taken against the erring cops, Bhangu said he was still waiting for the reports of the inquiry being conducted by a judicial magistrate and the post-mortem examination conducted by the board of doctors. Till then, he was not in a position to take any action, he added. Moga SSP Sneh Deep Sharma is said to be on leave and in his absence, Bhangu is the senior-most police officer in the district. The judicial probe being conducted by the CJM Rakesh Gupta was underway as the victim’s wife and brother were yet to record their statements when the news report was last filed. The CJM had also not received the post-mortem examination report of the victim’s body. A parallel inquiry marked to the SDM of Dharamkot sub-division by District Magistrate Arshdeep Singh Thind was also in progress. Meanwhile, photographs available with The Tribune reveal the ugly picture of torture, belying the claims of the police. The victim’s body bore injury marks and bruises. Besides, blood was coming out of the mouth during the the post-mortem examination of the body. A medical expert was of the view that the blood flowing out of the mouth of the body indicates that the victim could have been administered some poisonous substance. For this very fact, the medical board, which conducted the post-mortem examination, had also collected the viscera from the body for a chemical examination. Paramjit Kaur, the victim’s wife, while speaking to a news channel, alleged that the cops had forcibly got her signatures on two plain papers and could use them to save their skin. Another family member alleged that the police was constantly pressurising them to state before the CJM and the SDM that they (family members) do not want any legal action. |
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‘One man army’ battles workload in F’pur admn
Ferozepur, April 8 At the moment, only one officer, S Karuna Raju, has been posted here as the Deputy Commissioner (DC), whereas all other positions including that of the ADC (General), ADC (Development), Public Grievance Officer (PGO), Deputy Director (Local Government), Secretary RTA ( Regional Transport Authority), DRO (District Revenue Officer) besides Assistant Commissioner (General) are lying vacant. DPS Kharbanda, who was hitherto posted here as the ADC (G), before moving on to Patiala as MD, PRTC, was holding charge of five important profiles including that of the DDLG and Secretary, RTA. However, after his transfer, it is virtually a “one man army” at the district headquarters as the DC alone is left to manage all the departments. At a time when the government is talking about the administrative reforms and introduction of Right to Service (RTS) Act, the acute shortage of officers at the district headquarters is adversely affecting the functioning of various key government departments in the district which is already reeling under abject illiteracy, lack of infrastructural growth and backward economy. The dearth of officers has not only affected the day-to-day working, but has also added to the workload of those posted here in various capacities. Over and above, following the creation of a new district of Fazilka, the heads of various departments like education, excise, agriculture, health, public relations besides a few others, have to double up for this newly carved out district as the state government has failed to depute the requisite manpower there so far. All these posts involve lot of public dealing. However, in the absence of regular appointments, the public is bearing the brunt. Though the DC has been trying to combat the manpower scarcity by marshalling the limited resources, it appears to be an arduous task to make up for such huge deficit of officers, that too in an important border district where it entails liaison with several central government agencies like the Railways, BSF and Army. The office of the ADC (Development) looks after several significant areas including NREGA, Zila Parishad, mid-day meal, MPLAD besides rural sanitation and developmental works. However, all these works have taken a back seat as the post is lying vacant after the superannuation of last incumbent GS Pannu, who retired before the polls. The functioning of the transport department has also invited public wrath in the absence of adequate staff. Gurcharan Singh, ADTO, is discharging duties as the DTO of Ferozpur and Fazilka as well. Though the state government has upgraded Guruharsahai as a new sub-division, the post of the SDM is still vacant there following which the SDM, Ferozepur, Subhash Chander has been given the additional charge of Guruharsahai also. Besides vacancies at senior positions, hundreds of posts of medical officers, principals, teachers, clerical staff and even revenue staff are also lying vacant. Even the municipal committee is reeling under the lack of adequate manpower which has severely affected its functioning. An official said that earlier, the district had the disadvantage of location. But now, following its further fragmentation after the creation of Fazilka, no official is keen to get posted to this border district for obvious reasons as being posted here is no more a lucrative proposition. Another official quipped, “Forget filling up the vacancies. Even those who are posted here are trying to get out from here and move to some better place.” In this grim scenario, the fate of this historic district continues to hang in balance. Probably, the residents here need to launch another movement to awaken the government and seek freedom from the apathy that hampers the development of the district. |
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Can assist CM in seeking funds for state: CLP leader
Abohar, April 8 Instead of condemning the Central government, the coalition partners in Punjab should sincerely utilise the funds under the flagship programmes launched by the Centre, he said. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a grand community lunch organised at the new grain market here today to felicitate him on his elevation, the three-time legislator reiterated that the CLP, comprising 46 MLAs, was determined to play a strong and constructive opposition. “We simply expect Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to mean whatever he says. All the promises listed in the election manifesto of the ruling coalition need to be honoured in letter and spirit,” he said. Former Lok Sabha speaker and Madhya Pradesh ex-governor Bal Ram Jakhar exchanged greetings with thousands of people, who converged at the grain market. His grandson Sandeep Jakhar, a youth Congress leader, and other relatives were also present. Sunil Jakhar urged the Chief Minister to ensure adequate arrangements besides time-bound payments on the purchase of wheat, as harvesting had already picked up. Transparency in supply of certified Bt cotton seeds at a fixed rate should also be ensured as the state had arranged 80 lakh packets this year, the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly said. Speaking about the ongoing campaign against the PCC president, Sunil Jakhar denied there was factionalism in the party. “The principal endeavour is to introspect why the party could not get the majority when it got more votes than the 2007 election,” he observed. |
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Rs 20 crore to end sewerage woes in Abohar
Abohar, April 8 Punjab State Social Welfare Board chairperson Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo led a deputation to discuss the problem with Badal during his visit to Kandukhera village. Former BJP MLA Arjun Singh Siyag, some councillors of the saffron party and senior functionaries of the SAD accompanied her. They reminded the CM that following his approval, tenders for laying 10-km-long cement pipes to connect the sewage disposal works with Sayeedwala drain were floated last year. The CM had also asked the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board to start the work as he had signed the papers to release Rs 2.5 crore as the first installment against Rs 12-crore projects. But a sudden imposition of the Election code of conduct held up the task. The CM said he was well-acquainted with the problem and would call a high-level meeting at Chandigarh next week to arrange Rs 20 crore for drinking water and sewerage projects at Abohar. —
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Moga, April 8 While presiding over a meeting of the representatives of some private colleges and principals of government schools, Moga District Education Officer Baldev Singh asked them to give up-to-date knowledge of science to their students. The participants discussed at length the problems being faced by them in imparting science education — medical and non-medical — and English as a language, at the senior secondary level. They expressed concern over the non-availability of land and space for the science blocks and language communication laboratories, lack of infrastructure, non-availability of teaching staff, absence of science apparatus and above all, paucity of requisite funds for the promotion of science education. Some school heads reported they had all provisions for science education but there was no qualified staff. —
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Fazilka felicitates its daughters
Fazilka, April 8 The four-day event is being organised by the Graduate Welfare Association, Fazilka (GWAF), in association with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board. Sandhya Kataria, a commissioned officer in the Indian Army who joined as a lieutenant last year and was promoted to the rank of captain within three weeks of her first assignment, was among those honoured. Since she could not turn up to take the award, her grandfather Kishore Chand Poonchhi and father Rajinder Kataria received it on her behalf. Sukhwinder Kaur of nearby Senia village, who had won half a dozen medals in wrestling at national and state-level championships, was felicitated with the title of the “Daughter of Fazilka”. She bagged silver medals in national wrestling championships held at Aurangabad and Jalandhar and won two gold medals during state-level championships held in Chandigarh. Sandeep Kaur, a resident of local Kailash Nagar, who was conferred the Mother Teresa Award in the field of culture and education by the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan last year, was also honoured on the occasion. Another girl to be honoured was Manveer Kaur of Chaurianwali village. Her achievements included a bronze medal in the Asian Archery Championship held at Myanmar, a gold medal in junior archery championship held in Sikkim, a gold medal in national games held at Guwahati and the South Asian Archery Championship held at Tata Nagar. The awards were presented by senior woman citizens of Fazilka, including retired principal Pritam Kaur, patron of Stri Arya Samaj Sudesh Kumari Nagpal and social activist Shashi Ahuja besides the office-bearers and members of the GWAF, including Dr Bhupinder Singh, Navdeep Asija, Umesh Chander Kukkar, Surinder Kumar Ahuja, Lachhman Dost, Nitin Setia, Pankaj Dhamija and Dolly. Renuka, an archery coach, was also honoured for training nearly half a dozen players who performed at national and state-level events in the recent years. US-based Vinod Aggarwal presided over the programme. Ranuka Jhinga, the founder president of the Baba Bholla Giri Gramin Mahilla Utthan Sansthan, exhorted the audience, women in particular, to come forward to curb the menace of female foeticide. A choreography on the menace by students of Lachhman Dost School, ‘giddha’ by students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School and cultural programmes by students of Kotilaya International School, Guru Gobind Singh Youth Club and Shining Public School regaled the audience. |
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Edu Dept releases error-ridden promotion list
Fazilka, April 8 “The messy affair of the Education Department can be gauged from the fact that when I had applied for promotion two years back, the department had overruled my claim. Instead, it promoted junior masters as headmasters about six months back. Now when I have retired, I am being promoted,” remarked Kirpal Singh. Kirpal’s name figures on the promotion list of 238 teachers (promoted from senior masters to headmasters) released recently by the Education Department. The Shiksha Sudhar Committee, an NGO, has scrutinised the list. President of the committee, Raj Kishore Kalra said in Fazilka area, at least five such persons have been promoted and assigned schools where there was no vacant post, as a regular headmaster was already working there. According to the list, Ashok Kumar, a science master at Government Elementary School in Jandwala Kharta village, has been promoted as the headmaster of Government High School in Kandhwala Hazarkhan village. Jagdev Singh, a science master at Tahliwala Bodla village, has been promoted as the headmaster of Government High School in Mehrana (Ferozepur). Similarly, Gopal Krishan, a science master at Government Elementary School, Ramkot, has been sent to Government High School, Shergarh (Ferozepur), as headmaster. Chander Parkash Vij, a science teacher, and Ranjha Ram, DPE, Government High School, Mauzam, have also been promoted and posted as headmasters in Ferozepur district. The schools where all these five teachers have been posted already have regular headmasters. Surprisingly, it has been mentioned in the orders that these masters are being shifted against “vacant posts”. Flaying the inefficiency of the authorities concerned in issuing the promotion orders, the NGO has demanded that the state government should delegate the powers to district education officers to adjust teachers against the vacant posts at district level. |
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Moga, April 8
Fazilka, April 8
