|
|
|
|
|
DC says he has no authority to cancel Sadique’s certificate
Civic poll: Capt all set to take on SAD
Be wary of CM, Dy CM, Amarinder tells MLAs
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SGPC’s no to admissions & jobs to ‘patits’
marriage act row
Vigil up at ICP
A BSF jawan on vigil at the Integrated Check Post. A Tribune photograph
8 securitymen deployed with Jagmeet withdrawn
Oil stations get supplies
Border area farmers seek relief
Govt announces scheme for girlchild
‘Will restore people’s faith in govt schools’
State gives clean chit to higher-ups
Complaint against ‘outsourcing’ of manpower hiring by Infotech
Kandi canal to be completed this year
Five IAS, two PCS officers transferred
Punjab plans product-specific industrial zones
Relief for Tota Singh;
HC suspends sentence
Habeas corpus pleas
Transport policy case
Two held for robbing traders while posing as policemen
|
DC says he has no authority to cancel Sadique’s certificate
Chandigarh, May 17 Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari said the authority to cancel the certificate rested with the state board constituted for the welfare of SCs and BCs. “The board will conduct an indepth inquiry into the issue. It will issue a show-cause notice to the candidate and give him time to file a representation and appear before the board. If he is found practising Islam as his religion, his certificate will be cancelled,” Tiwari said. Lakha Singh, Deputy Director, Welfare Department, said they were yet to receive any communication from the DC. The SC Commission had on April 24 directed the DC to cancel Sadique’s certificate as he was a Muslim and could not be certified as an SC. It had also directed that all such certificates issued earlier be cancelled and the compliance report sent every month. Sadique won from the Bhadaur (reserve) seat defeating retired bureaucrat Darbara Singh Guru in the recent assembly poll. Guru challenged his election in the High Court, saying that Sadique was not eligible to contest from the Bhadaur (R) seat as he was a Muslim. Interestingly, the commission had directed the DC to cancel Sadique’s certificate despite a set procedure in such cases. Sadique says he is being targeted as he had defeated an Akali heavyweight and a senior bureaucrat. Looking back n The Scheduled Caste Commission had on April 24 directed the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner
to cancel Mohammed Sadique's certificate as he was a Muslim and could not be certified as an SC n
It had directed that all such certificates issued earlier be cancelled and the
compliance report sent every month n
Sadique, Bhadaur MLA, says he is being targeted as he had defeated Akali heavyweight DS Guru n
Guru had challenged his election in the High Court
|
|
Civic poll: Capt all set to take on SAD
Chandigarh, May 17 It’s now clear that Amarinder had submitted his resignation along with UP chief Rita Bahuguna. It also seems the Congress high command has decided to withhold a decision on the state leadership issue till the MC next month. Amarinder reportedly briefed the Congress president about the civic elections and it was felt that these should be fought under his leadership alone. The next step is anyone’s guess. Amarinder says effecting a change in the PCC leadership is the sole prerogative of the Congress president and not that of his detractors. His loyalists, who were sure that he would remain on the PCC chief’s post, have become shaky after what his detractors call a “temporary extension”. In the meantime, Amarinder is all set to take on the Akalis in the civic elections. “We are ready to take on the Akalis if they resort to goondaism”, he said, adding the Akalis were bound to lose if the poll was free and fair. The PCC president said Congress councillors were being intimidated with false cases registered against councillors in Ludhiana and Amritsar. He spoke of the manhandling of the Malerkotla civic body president, Mohammad Sardar Dara. CLP leader Sunil Jakhar has said they may release their list of candidates in four days.
|
|
|
Be wary of CM, Dy CM, Amarinder tells MLAs
Chandigarh, May 17 A day after The Tribune reported the race among the young and middle-rung Congress legislators to extend cooperation to the government to ensure development of their areas, Amarinder cautioned the MLAs, particularly the younger ones, of the "deceit" and "machinations" of the CM and his deputy. He alleged both Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal were projecting their routine or incidental meetings in a manner that could lead to a misunderstanding within the party. Amarinder claimed the state publicity department was trying to project "casual" meetings of the legislators with either Parkash Singh Badal or Sukhbir Badal as examples of complete bonhomie, "which was not the case". The PCC president alleged that the Akalis were still victimising the Congress workers at grassroots level in even a more brutal manner than during the previous regime and the party had to stand by their workers and supporters. Reacting to the diktat, Congress legislator Parminder Singh said he and other MLAs were committed to the Congress's ideology, but needed the government's help for development. He maintained that if need by, he would again call on the CM or the Deputy CM seeking development grants for his constituency. "I and other MLAs met the Deputy CM in his office and did not go to his residence to have dinner or lunch with him like a few others did," he quipped.
|
|
|
SGPC’s no to admissions & jobs to ‘patits’
Amritsar, May 17 SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said they will strictly implement the norms from the coming academic session and will not allow 'patits' (apostates) to take admission in SGPC-run educational institutions. Similarly, he said, a Sikh with unshorn hair will be given priority while recruiting staff in various institutions, including educational and medical, being run by the SGPC. The move is aimed at promoting Sikhism at a time when Sikh youth are going astray. The SGPC runs around 100 schools and degree colleges, besides one medical, one dental, two engineering and three polytechnic colleges and a university. — TNS
|
|
marriage act row
Amritsar, May 17 Addressing mediapersons to clear the air on the issue today, the Jathedar said the Anand Marriage Amendment Bill 2012 should be passed in Parliament and subsequently implemented at the earliest. He also appreciated the measures taken by various Sikh leaders and organisations for getting the Bill to this stage. He attributed his support for the amendments in the Act to the fact that “a majority of Sikhs feel that these should be passed in Parliament”. He said an expert panel constituted by the SGPC had also voiced its full support to these amendments. He said all the Sikh leaders should rise above party lines to ensure that these are passed. He said a committee comprising Sikh intellectuals and legal experts would be set up if need of any further amendments was felt in future. The Jathedar clarified that he had also opposed the proposed move of sending the draft of a complete Sikh marriage Act prepared by Khalsa College principal Dr Daljeet Singh directly to the Prime Minister while contending that any such draft should be routed through the SGPC. He said earlier too, a few drafts of the ‘Sikh Personal Law’ were prepared and if more amendments were needed in future, all these drafts will be utilised suitably. On the issue of divorce, he said the Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ (code of conduct) did not allow divorce, though re-marriage may take place under special circumstances. Asked whether the Sikh clergy would consider changing ‘rehat maryada’, he said only the “Sarbat Khalsa” could do it. The change in the Jathedar's stand came after SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar met him in Ludhiana yesterday. The duo later even issued a joint statement supporting the amendments in the Act. Earlier, the Jathedar had rejected these amendments when he wondered as to how Parliament could pass it without the consent of Sikhs while talking to the media after a seminar organised by Chief Khalsa Diwan on Tuesday. Though the SGPC and DSGMC took a conflicting stand on the issue, the move was hailed by outfits like Dal Khalsa and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
|
|
|
Vigil up at ICP
Amritsar, May 17 The development followed after intelligence agencies in the neighbouring nation sounded an alert to Pakistan Rangers about a possible terrorist strike at the key trading post between two countries. "The BSF has been put on high alert. Extra forces have been deployed to meet any eventuality," said BSF Inspector General Aditya Mishra. He said extra forces had also been deployed during the retreat ceremony at Attari-Wagah joint check post.
|
|
|
8 securitymen deployed with Jagmeet withdrawn
Muktsar, May 17 In all, the Punjab Police has withdrawn 30 security personnel in Muktsar district. Other VVIPs facing pruning include Muktsar constituency SAD incharge Kanwarjit Singh Barkandi “Rozy” and SGPC members Sukhdarshan Singh Marar and Dyal Singh Kolianwali. Acting upon recent directions by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to withdraw extra security cover of all VVIPs across the state before May 16, the district police has not only acted swiftly on withdrawing the security of politicians, industrialists but has also sent back all these guards to their basic units. Besides Jagmeet’s eight guards, including four Home Guards personnel, three guards of Barkandi, two of Marar and one each of Kolianwali and Gidderbaha Congress MLA Amrinder Singh Warring “Raja” have been withdrawn. Apart from them, two guards each provided to famous industrialist Rajan Setia, businessman Guarav Saluja and transporter Dimpy Dhillon have been withdrawn. SP (Headquarters) Narinderpal Singh said, “Extra security cover of all protectees in the district has been withdrawn and the guards have been sent back to their basic units.”
|
|
|
Oil stations get supplies
Jalandhar, May 17 State Petroleum Tanker Society president Dharmendra Rana said all 700 tanker owners of Punjab withdrew their strike following an assurance from the HPCL authorities of their demands being accepted. The tanker owners resumed supply of diesel and petrol from the three HPCL depots in Jalandhar, Bathinda and
Sangrur.
|
|
|
Border area farmers seek relief
Ferozepur, May 17 Border Area Sangharsh Committee secretary Karan Singh Dhaliwal said the demand had been taken up with the Union Government representatives time and again but to no avail. Dhaliwal claimed that even during the Kargil conflict when situation along the border became volatile, the Army dug up several trenches on their land without any compensation being paid to the farmers. — TNS
|
|
|
Govt announces scheme for girlchild
Chandigarh May 17 Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Madan Mohan Mittal said today that a girlchild born on or after April 1, 2011, to couples following the two-child norm and whose income was les than 30,000 per annum would be covered under the scheme. The department would invest Rs 20,000 in LIC in the name of the beneficiary. On birth, a girlchild would get Rs 1,100, on attaining the age of 1 and 2 years (after immunisation), the child would get Rs 1,200, in the third year she would be entitled for Rs 1,500 and on admission to Class I, the department would deposit Rs 1,100 in her bank account. On admission to Classes VI, IX and XI, a sum of Rs 2,100 would be deposited in her account. On attaining adulthood, she would be entitled to Rs 21,000 as scholarship for pursuing higher studies. Mittal said the department would provide the beneficiary a scholarship of Rs 100 per month from Class I- Class VI, amounting to Rs 7,200, and a scholarship of Rs 200 per month from Class VII - Class XII, amounting to Rs 14,400 in six years. The minister said the target was to cover 34,500 beneficiaries. He said that each youth club would be given a grant of Rs 5000 under another scheme. Punjab Government to promote dairy farming No extension for retired employees CM seeks report on pending decisions
|
|
|
Ministerspeak: Looking ahead
Though just a matriculate, Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka is becoming attuned with his department and is making waves. Firm and authoritative as Power Minister more than a decade back, he is expected to call the shots even now. Maluka is on the fast lane, streamlining transfers, proposing a commission to revise the school syllabi and trying to bringing in more English in the government school curriculum. In an interview with Jangveer Singh, he speaks of his future plans
What has been your impression about the Education Department? The performance has been a little lacklustre. I want to take Punjab to the No.1 slot in the field of education. I have found that teachers have been sent to cities on false pretexts. There are cities with two teachers available for one class. But in villages of Faridkot, Moga, Ferozepur and Sangrur districts, there is a shortage of teachers. Teachers are taking long leave leaving students in the lurch. What corrective steps are you taking? I have put a stop to “on demand” postings. All teachers sent on deputation to various places are being recalled. I have directed that the strength of teachers be rationalised all over the state. There should be one teacher for every 30 students. The student, teacher ratio needs to be corrected.Teachers will not be given leave for more than three months. Anyone wanting to go on leave for years together will have to resign. You have ruffled feathers with two high-profile suspensions. Is corruption an issue in your department? I believe there is some truth in allegations about corruption in the Education Department. I admit touts exist in our office here and in offices of district education officers. I have told my district officers that I will take strict action in case any such case comes to my notice. I have suspended the Gurdaspur education officer after complaints were received against him. I have also suspended an adminstrative officer at the headquarters here after she failed to move a file in time. What is on top of your
priority list? We need to build upon our infrastructure. In Majha and southern Malwa areas, schools are without toilets. There is no clean drinking water facility in several schools and some schools do not have a boundary wall. I want to correct this situation as quickly as possible. What is your agenda for the first 100 days in office? First, I want to ensure that teachers take their classes regularly. We will go in for biometric machines in urban areas. I want to introduce vocational courses on the US pattern. This will first be taken up in a few districts and then introduced elsewhere. I also want to set up a commission that can look into the school syllabi and revise it as per the present-day needs. I also have to take a call on whether we should introduce semester system in government schools as recommended by the State Education Board. Are any reforms in the offing? I have decided to go in for a transparent transfer policy. Teachers will be transferred in May and their cases reviewed only after a year. A teacher can opt for a posting, but once this request is accepted, he or she will have to remain at that station for three years. This is necessary so that the studies of students are not disrupted. Besides, to ensure there is no mid-session disruption in studies, teachers will be retired either on March 31 or September 30. Is teachers’ recruitment on the cards? Yes. There is a shortage in rural areas. At least 15-20 per cent posts are lying vacant. I will propose to the government to create a recruitment board for the Education Department or outsource this work to a private agency. This work has been done by the Punjab Public Service Commission or the Subordinate Services Selection Board till now. Surveys say only SC and BC students go to government schools and just 4 per cent of rural students opt for higher education. Does this worry you? Yes. I have already held detailed talks with teachers’ unions. We have teachers more qualified than those in private schools. But unfortunately people do not have faith in government education. I will work to restore people’s faith in state education by doing away with “sifarishi” honours and awarding teachers on merit only. Teachers will also be encouraged to reduce the school dropout rate. Any measures for improving rural students’ performance in maths and science? In rural areas, the number of maths and science students at the higher secondary level is very less. I have decided to form clusters for teaching different subjects. We will provide transport facilities to students to help them reach these places where senior teachers will take large classes. We have also decided to have sports periods in the evening and a weekly special period to make senior students aware about the ill- effects of drug abuse. What about the demand for more stress on English in government schools? I feel this is a must. We teach English only as a subject as the medium of instruction is Punjabi. If we switch over to English as the medium of instruction, it will also invite criticism. I am open to a solution to this problem.
|
|
|
Nayagaon Land Acquisition
Chandigarh, May 17 This assumes significance as “all other individuals” include Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Director-General of Police, Punjab, Sumedh Singh Saini. As the case came up for hearing before a Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Alok Singh this morning, Punjab produced a list of individuals, including the Chief Minister and Saini, and an affidavit by Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh. The affidavit said the seven cases were that of Surjit Kaur, Baldev Singh, Gurcharan Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Jagbir Singh, Daljit Singh Dhillon and Surjit Singh. Except for Baldev Singh, retired DSP, Chandigarh Police, the affidavit did not mention the credentials of other individuals. It said: “In the case of three persons, Sumedh Singh Saini, Shivinder Singh Brar and Harjinder Singh, the land in question was jumla mushtarkan malkan hasab rasad rakba khewat created at the time of consolidation in 1971 by imposing a pro-rata cut on landowners. “Thereafter, vide order dated January 16, 1986, of the consolidation officer, Ropar, the khewat was dismantled and shares were apportioned to individual properties. The three persons mentioned have purchased land from original landowners. These properties, as per the revenue record, were never vested in the ownership of the forest/nazool, shamlat, municipal/government land.” Nazool means “land situated beyond two miles of the municipal limits, escheated to the State Government and not already appropriated by the State Government for any purpose”. Shamlat signifies village common land. The Bench appointed advocate Arun Jain as amicus curiae and fixed the case for Monday for further hearing. The case is about acquisition of properties by high-ups in Nayagaon and its vicinity. The matter was brought to the HC notice by Nayagoan resident Kuldip Singh.
|
|
Complaint against ‘outsourcing’ of manpower hiring by Infotech
Mohali, May 17 Earlier, the corporation had been charging 8 per cent as service charge from the beneficiary department for providing manpower on its own. The policy decision to handover the job to a private party has been taken without approval from the Board of Directors. Taking a strong note of the issue, Infotech Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal has written against the Managing Director, RK
Verma, to Industries Minister Anil Joshi, and Principal Secretary, Industries, AR
Talwar. Joshi said he had already directed the Principal Secretary to inquire into the facts of the complaint.
Grewal said the corporation was the nodal agency appointed by the Punjab government to provide IT-trained manpower for hiring by government departments and through this the PSU had a regular source of income. Now, the government departments were being asked to hire manpower from a private agency which would charge 2.95 per cent for the service. Recently, the Punjab Forest Department, in a communication to
Verma, had sought extension of the service of data operators and assistant system managers. The corporation advised the department to take the services of The Providers Management Informatics for the purpose. “By hiring private agencies, the quality of work had gone down and there was delay in implementation of various projects. A number of already employed youths would lose jobs once the work goes to the private hands," the chairman stated in his complaint. Though Verma was not available for comment, officials in the corporation said many departments had been misusing the facility to meet their long-term requirements and this had led to various representations and litigations regarding regularisation of services of the assignees.
violating norms n
Infotech MD has “outsourced” the job of hiring manpower for various government departments, causing loss to the PSU n
The corporation had been charging 8 per cent as service charge from the beneficiary department for providing manpower on its own n
The decision has been taken without approval from the Board of Directors n
Terming the move as inappropriate, Infotech Chairman Harjit Singh Grewal has complained to Industries Minister Anil Joshi
|
||
|
Kandi canal to be completed this year
Chandigarh, May 17 Sohan Singh Thandal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Irrigation, said considering the long-pending demands of natives of Kandi area, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had approved a special package for the area, which included completion of the canal, digging deep tubewells and providing better irrigation facilities to the farmers. Thandal said due to scarcity of irrigation facilities the Kandi area was lagging behind in the development of agriculture sector. He said Badal had instructed the authorities to expedite the work and complete the second phase of Kandi canal this year. He said the government had also approved a special plan for the all-round development of the Kandi area. Thandal said Rs 100 crore would be incurred on digging deep tubewells in the area, which would irrigate 25,000 acre of barren land.
|
||
|
Five IAS, two PCS officers transferred
Chandigarh May 17 Ashok Kumar Gupta has been posted as Secretary Coordination and in addition Secretary General Administration; Arunjit Singh Miglani as Registrar Cooperative Societies, Punjab; Adapa Karthik as Additional Secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Training, and Additional Secretary, Local Government, in addition to his present assignment. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, PCS, Special Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, would also hold the charge of Chief Administrator, PUDA; while Manjit Singh Brar has been posted as ACA, GMADA, SAS
Nagar.
|
||
|
Punjab plans product-specific industrial zones
Chandigarh May 17 Sukhbir said Bathinda area would be developed as a textile zone whereas IT industry would be promoted in SAS Nagar and Rajpura. Kapurthala would be the new hub of hand tools whereas the leather industry would be promoted in Jalandhar-Kapurthala area. He said with the completion of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh International Airport at Mohali, the industry in Punjab was set to get a boost. About steps taken to promote investments, Sukhbir said he had held meetings with various industrial houses who were keen to invest in the state and that the proposals were likely to materialise soon.
|
||
|
|
Relief for Tota Singh;
HC suspends sentence
Chandigarh, May 17 Tota Singh was out on interim bail granted to him by Mohali’s special court, which sentenced him to one-year rigorous imprisonment on May 5 on the charge of misusing the official car of Punjab School Education Board. In his appeal, Tota Singh argued that he was given a private vehicle with unlimited fuel and that there was no need for him to misuse the official car. The former minister also submitted that the lower court, in its judgment, had cast serious aspersions on the investigating agency. The court had, rather, held that the investigating agency had deliberately not collected evidence against Tota Singh. He submitted that the investigating agency was rather biased against him and that he was implicated in the case. In its 75-page judgement, the Mohali court had also issued show-cause notices to three witnesses, three drivers and the then officer on special duty to school board chairman. asking them to explain why perjury proceedings not be initiated against them for misleading the court.
|
|
|
Habeas corpus pleas
Chandigarh, May 17 Summoning SSP, Jalandhar (rural), and SSP, Patiala, vide separate orders, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted in the open court that it seems the respondents have taken the writ of habeas corpus too lightly. Going into the background of one of the cases, Justice Ranjit Singh observed a telegram by Paramjit Kaur to the Chief Justice, alleging that her son Gurjit Singh has been taken away from his residence on April 3, was treated as a petition. In it, the petitioner expressed apprehension of her son being implicated in false cases. On April 18, the notice issued by the court was accepted by the state counsel. But on April 27, the state counsel prayed for some more time to file reply. Justice Ranjit Singh added that the respondents - the State of Punjab and others - were required to come up with a stand before the court. The Judge added that the allegations were against the police, but despite two opportunities, the respondents failed to file reply. Justice Ranjit Singh directed the Jalandhar SSP to remain present, file an affidavit and also disclose the name of the person failing to take timely action in the matter.
|
|
|
Transport policy case
Chandigarh, May 17 In the petition filed this morning, Shergill asserted that on January 20, he approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after drafting a detailed complaint along with 14 annexures. But, on February 23, he received a copy of communication from CBI SP Vineet Brij Lal to the Director, Punjab Vigilance Bureau. Shergill quoted the operative part as saying: "The complaint dated January 20, submitted by Himmat Singh Shergill, along with its annexures, is forwarded to your good self for taking an appropriate action". Shergill has added about 12 weeks have passed, but the Vigilance Bureau has not taken any action in the matter. Once again seeking a probe by independent investigating agency like the CBI, or by a sitting or a retired High Court judge, Shergill has submitted that the respondents in the case include the Punjab Chief Minister and his son. "It is submitted that the Vigilance Bureau, Government of Punjab, is under the direct control of the respondents," Shergill added. Describing it as "a case of meticulously planned institutional corruption", Shergill has added that "under a deep-rooted and well-planned conspiracy, Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia by illegal and manipulative exercise of executive power have, prima facie, wrongfully and illegally monetarily benefited companies directly owned by themselves and their family members while causing colossal losses to the state exchequer". In his earlier petition, Shergill had sought the registration of an FIR and a thorough probe into the alleged "manipulative and illegal exercise of executive power" by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, Public Relations Minister from 2007 to January 2009. Disposing of a petition filed by Shergill alleging manipulation in the transport policy to drive private bus operators towards profits, a Division Bench had in December last asserted: "We decline to entertain this public interest litigation in the present form and deem it appropriate to close the same by grant of liberty to the petitioner to approach the investigating agency for redress of his grievance and, thereafter, to approach the Court if he has any subsisting grievance in the matter".
|
|
Two held for robbing traders while posing as policemen
Patiala/Rajpura, May 17 The arrests were made following a tip-off from another gang member arrested by the Fatehgarh Sahib police. An operation lead by SHO, Rajpura City, Bikramjit Brar, led to the arrest of the accused who used to stop traders travelling in buses and later rob them of their cash. "The main accused used to dress as an ASI and befool people and rob them of their valuables," said SSP Patiala Gurpreet Singh Gill. Gill further said the accused, Ashwani Kumar alias Laddi, and Surjit Singh alias Pappu, had been arrested while two other accused were absconding. "Earlier an SHO and a police post in-charge were suspended as they failed to register an FIR even after some victims lodged a complaint in this regard," he added. Gill said highway robbers had looted Rs 60 lakh from representatives of financial agencies in Rajpura, Sirhind and Mandi Gobindgarh in the recent past. He said the accused dressed as cops used to stop buses on the pretext of checking unaccounted cash. They used to detain traders and after robbing them of their belongings desert them, he added. After receiving a number of complaints in this regard, the police had formed teams to nab the accused. "We finally succeeded in busting the gang with the arrest of these two persons," the SSP added.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
A month after the SC Commission directed the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana to cancel the Scheduled Caste certificate issued to Mohammad Sadique, the bard-turned-Congress legislator from Bhadaur, the DC has referred the matter back to the Directorate of SC and ST Welfare, Chandigarh.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has deployed extra forces at the Integrated Check Post following threats of a possible terror attack on its Pakistan side.
The development followed after intelligence agencies in the neighbouring nation sounded an alert to Pakistan Rangers about a possible terrorist strike at the key trading post between two countries.
Though just a matriculate, Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka is becoming attuned with his department and is making waves. Firm and authoritative as Power Minister more than a decade back, he is expected to call the shots even now. Maluka is on the fast lane, streamlining transfers, proposing a commission to revise the school syllabi and trying to bringing in more English in the government school curriculum. In an interview with Jangveer Singh, he speaks of his future plans
Chandigarh, May 17
The Patiala police today arrested two members of a gang, including a dismissed constable, allegedly involved in looting traders after donning police uniform. The police has recovered Rs 6.20 lakh from the accused.
The arrests were made following a tip-off from another gang member arrested by the Fatehgarh Sahib police. An operation lead by
SHO, Rajpura City, Bikramjit Brar, led to the arrest of the accused who used to stop traders travelling in buses and later rob them of their cash.
security downsizing