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Unaware of checking system, PMET candidates lose marks
Bhai Randhir Singh MinarET
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Cong gives rebels a day more to relent
11 defiant in Ludhiana
Congress frustrated by infighting, says Sukhbir
Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal welcomes SAD (Amritsar) leaders into the Akali Dal in Chandigarh. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari
SAD (Delhi) leaders join Shiromani Akali Dal (B)
Operation Bluestar Anniversary
tomorrow
Project to provide urban amenities in rural areas
Smart cards to replace coupons in Punjab jails
Jail official alleges threat to her kids
Sanehjot Kaur
Police clean chit to Akali leader Kang
Scholars deliberate on Manto’s life
Dasuya MLA Sahi cremated
NRI drug ring
Two drug peddlers arrested
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Unaware of checking system, PMET candidates lose marks
Faridkot, June 4 In the PMET-2012, conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), there were 200 objective-type questions. Out of four answers, the students were required to darken the oval in front of the correct answer. But in case a candidate did not want to attempt a question, he/she was required to darken the fifth oval which meant that this question was not attempted. However, if all ovals were left blank, it was subjected to negative marking. This fifth oval was introduced for security reasons. If a candidate did not darken any of the ovals, there was a scope of cheating as the correct oval could be darkened at a later stage, said Sat Pal, deputy registrar of the university. "We had broadly mentioned this provision in the application form and prospectus and asked the candidates not to leave any question unattended. We had also made it clear that there would be no negative marking for a wrong answer, but the candidate would lose one mark each for an un-attempted question," said Sat Pal. "We did not want to leave any scope for cheating. So this new provision was introduced," said Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor. The students are required to read the instructions carefully before entering the examination hall, he said. Due to this new provision, many high-ranking students also lost marks for not attempting the questions. Manmeet Kaur (rank 53), Amrit Jot Kaur (rank 74), Shashank Gaurav Pandey (rank 144), Karamjeet Kaur Dhaliwal (rank 181) are among the 18 students in the first 500 candidates who lost marks. Between the ranks 500 and 1,000, 31 students lost marks for not attempting all questions while there were 44 such students between 1,000 and 1,500 rank positions. Caught unawares There were 200 objective-type questions. Out of four answers, the students were required to darken the oval in front of the correct answer If a candidate did not want to attempt a question, he/she was required to darken the fifth oval meant for questions not attempted. However, if all ovals were left blank, it was subjected to negative marking This fifth oval was introduced for security reasons since there was a scope of cheating as the correct oval could be darkened at a later stage Due to this new provision, many high-ranking students also lost marks for not attempting the questions. There are 18 students in the first 500 candidates who lost marks
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Bhai Randhir Singh MinarET
Ludhiana, June 4 Sources said the Chief Minister had asked the administration to complete the construction of the Bhai Randhir Singh Minar at Narangwal village and restoration of the historic rest house at Bassian village in Raikot within next six months. The GLADA would sanction funds for both the projects. The minaret would be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. Rs 40 lakh for the project has already been released and the Punjab Works Department (PWD) has been asked to construct it. The historic rest house at Bassian village, where Maharaja Dalip Singh had stayed for sometime before he was exiled to England, was in dilapidated condition and Intac Solutions, an architectural firm from Delhi, has been entrusted to conserve the historical building. The total cost of the project would be Rs 3 crore and the GLADA had already released Rs 2 crore for preservation of the building.
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Cong gives rebels a day more to relent
Chandigarh, June 4 Senior leader Laal Singh today visited Ludhiana and tried to initiate talks with dissidents. He said local leaders appealed to him to put off action against the rebels for one more day. He said the party would take the final decision on the matter tomorrow. However, rebel group leader Varun Mehta claimed Laal Singh had not struck base with any of their candidates and that none of them were withdrawing from the fray. In Patiala, senior leader Choudhary Jagjit Singh said there were only a few rebels in the fray, though he could not come out with an exact figure. He said a decision on expelling the rebels would only be taken tomorrow. Sources said there were around 20 rebel candidates in the fray from Patiala, prominent among them being 10 former councilors, including city Mahila Congress chief Sukhwinder Kaur. The rebels are rallying around former Mayor Vishnu Sharma who is reportedly miffed at Patiala MP Preneeet Kaur for not giving the party ticket to any of his supporters. In Jalandhar, party selection and campaigning committee incharge Ashwani Sekhri said 12 rebels continued to be in the fray. Sekhri said he had contacted the rebels through local leaders. In Amritsar, while there are a few rebels in the fray, there is friction between rival factions of legislator and former Mayor OP Soni and the group of Sukh Sarkaria, Darbari Lak and Raj Kumar. Senior leader Joginder Dhingra said the DCC had decided to send the list of four rebels to the PCC for necessary action.
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11 defiant in Ludhiana
Ludhiana, June 4 Congress’ incharge of Ludhiana MC poll Laal Singh today said the party had been able to win over 19 of the 30 dissidents. Conceding that internal wrangling could harm the interests of the party, he asserted that the distribution of ticket was based on merit. Coming to the defence of MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu, he said it would have been unfair to deny the party ticket to his wife Mamta Ashu who’s a sitting councillor. “More than 500 aspirants had staked their claim to the party ticket from 75 wards in Ludhiana. This has silenced the critics of the party who had claimed that post-assembly poll, the Congress would not get sufficient number of candidates for the municipal elections,” he added. Later, Congress leaders submitted a memorandum alleging harassment of party workers to DCP Ashish
Chaudhary.
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Congress frustrated by infighting, says Sukhbir
Chandigarh, June 4 Sukhbir today inducted senior SAD (Amritsar) leaders Charan Singh Lahora, Barinder Singh Mann and Jagir Singh Wadala into the party at its head office here. He claimed that many heavyweights from rival parties wanted to join the SAD. Manpreet Badal, his estranged cousin, however, had not shown any inclination to return, he clarified in response to a question. Sukhbir said PCC president Amarinder Singh was camping in Delhi while many other senior Congress leaders were on a vacation. Refuting allegations of pressurising Congress leaders to contest as Independents, the SAD president said these were mere allegations stemming from frustration and levelled from air-conditioned drawing rooms. “If the SAD was so powerful, we would have ensured a clean sweep in the assembly elections too. The charges against the SAD are an outcome of the bickering within the Congress”. On Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal being a likely NDA candidate for the post of President or Vice-President, he said the NDA had so far not called any meeting of its allies to discuss the issue.
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SAD (Delhi) leaders join Shiromani Akali Dal (B)
Ludhiana, June 4 Youth Akali Dal president and Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia welcomed Gurdip Singh Gosha and Balwinder Singh Bhullar into the party fold during a programme organised in Ludhiana today. Gosha was earlier the president of the state youth wing of the SAD (Delhi) while Bhullar held the post of the state president of the SAD (Delhi) Beopar Mandal. Majithia claimed that the inclusion of these leaders and their supporters into the party fold was unconditional. Gosha, while interacting with mediapersons, said he had no differences with the Shiromani Akali Dal now. On June 2, the SAD (Delhi) had dissolved its youth wing and disbanded its state general body. Party president Paramjit Singh Sarna had said the SAD (Delhi) was willing to join hands with like-minded parties. He had also claimed that talks were on with some Panthic parties. Jaswinder Singh Baliewal, the former Punjab unit president of SAD (Delhi), had asserted that a reorganisation of the party was on the anvil.
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Operation Bluestar Anniversary
tomorrow
Amritsar, June 4 While the Operation Bluestar anniversary in the past has witnessed all Sikh groups seeking the memorial in one voice, this time it may bring division on the issue to the fore. Tthe demand of the memorial has been addressed, but it still has certain issues linked with it, which a section of Sikh bodies may raise on the occasion. Outfits like the SAD (Amritsar), SAD (1920), Akhand Kirtani Jatha and the rival faction of the Damdami Taksal led by Ram Singh are likely to air their dissenting views regarding the SGPC handing over the ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, besides the shape and design of the memorial. These outfits had kept away from the foundation stone laying ceremony of the memorial. But, they will participate in the anniversary. While opposing what they dubbed as “government-sponsored kar sewa”, they had contended that the ‘kar sewa’ should have been given to a “neutral and non-controversial” person or group. Regarding the shape of the memorial, these groups had lamented that they were not taken into confidence and demanded that it should be more than “just a gurdwara”. Coincidentally, like the memorial, 133 shopkeepers whose businesses adjoining the Golden Temple were ruined in the Operation Bluestar also got justice after a long wait of 28 years, as the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently ordered allocation of an alternative place for them. However, another major demand pertaining to Operation Bluestar is yet to be addressed. This is regarding rare manuscripts and books allegedly taken away by the Army from the Sikh Reference Library in 1984. While the Army authorities claimed that the library had caught fire during exchange of fire with the militants, the SGPC had accused the Army of “deliberately setting the empty library afire after taking the rare and invaluable material away”. The SGPC says it has time and again taken up the case of returning more than 1,500 books of the library and other articles with the Centre, but to no avail. Rajoana to get ‘Zinda Shaheed’ title The Akal Takht will honour Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case, with the title of 'Zinda Shaheed' (living martyr) on June 6. Rajoana has been conferred with the title by the Akal Takht. Rajoana's sister Kamaldeep Kaur shall receive the honour from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on her brother's behalf. He will be honoured with a plaque, a 'siropa' and a sword. Rajoana was sentenced to death and his execution was ordered by a Chandigarh court. However, the orders of his execution stand stayed as the case of his co-accused is pending in the Supreme Court and a petition to commute his death sentence is pending with the President . At present, he is lodged at the Central Jail in Patiala. Dissenting Note The 28th anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6 will be a different affair this time as for the past several years the demand for a memorial had been hogging the limelight Earlier, all Sikh groups had been seeking the memorial in one voice. This time round it may bring division on the issue to the fore Sikh outfits are likely to air dissenting views regarding the SGPC handing over the 'kar sewa' of the memorial to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh
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Project to provide urban amenities in rural areas
Chandigarh, June 4 An official spokesman said under the scheme, select private partners would develop livelihood opportunities, urban amenities and infrastructure facilities and maintain the same for a period of 10 years in identified villages or cluster of villages. Funding would be sourced from the Central Sector Scheme of PURA. As many as nine projects have been initiated under PURA through the PPP mode across five states and one UT in the first batch. It was proposed to undertake a second batch of 10-15 pilot projects for which the Planning Commission had already made available additional funds to the tune of Rs 560 crore. The private partners would be required to provide standard amenities like water supply and sewerage, roads, drainage, solid waste management, street lighting and power distribution, besides undertaking some economic and skill development as part of the project. Badal asked the Chief Secretary to take up the issue of execution of PURA in Punjab with the top management of IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation.
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Smart cards to replace coupons in Punjab jails
Ludhiana, June 4 Following complaints that inmates were using cash vouchers for betting on cricket matches, the department has decided to do away with the practice of issuing coupons. DGP (Prisons) Shashi Kant, who was here for a routine inspection, said they had decided to do away with the coupon system after receiving complaints about inmates using it for betting. A Delhi-based company has been roped in for the project. He said instead of exchanging coupons, inmates would have to swipe the smart card for purchase. Further, details of the purchase made by the inmate would be stored in the database for transparency. He said they had received complaints that inmates even snatched coupons of their weaker counterparts during IPL matches. The smart card technology would be introduced in all the central jails across the state in the first phase, said the
DGP. ‘Will disclose something big after retirement’ About exposing drug mafia in jails, he said, "I have worked as a whistleblower and somehow managed to control the abuse of drugs thriving in jails across the state. I know that by doing so I have ruffled many feathers. My life is at risk and the real risk will start after 26 days when I will retire. I am going to make big disclosure, which I cannot do while holding the chair of the DGP (Prison)."
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Jail official alleges threat to her kids
Ludhiana, June 4 Women’s Jail Superintendent Sanehjot Kaur told DGP (Prison) Shashi Kant that she received the threat call yesterday afternoon and the caller identified himself as Amit Kamboj. He asked the superintendent to provide VIP treatment to his alleged paramour Dolly, who is facing jail term in various heinous offences, including murder and robbery. “I am not worried about my life, but the man said that if I would not make the arrangements then the life of my children would be in danger,” she said. The DGP assured her that full security would be provided to her children. Shashi Kant said even he had faced threats for his recent comments. “We have informed Commissioner of Police Ishwar Singh about the threat calls. And the police has assured us that the criminal would be nabbed soon,” said the
DGP.
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Police clean chit to Akali leader Kang
Chandigarh, June 4 The World Human Rights Council had, through its chairman Ranjan Lakhanpal, filed a case for an independent probe into Nishan Singh’s alleged murder. A “thorough” inquiry into the allegations was conducted by the Baba Bakala deputy superintendent of police and the findings were approved by Amritsar senior superintendent of police (Rural). In the inquiry, no substance was found against Manjinder Singh Kang to hold him guilty, the Punjab and Haryana High Court heard. The police and the State of Punjab told the High Court: “After recording of statements and analysing the evidence, it has been concluded that there is no conclusive evidence to establish the involvement of Manjinder Singh Kang in the matter”. Taking on record the assertion and the fact that the Human Rights Council did not file a replication despite an opportunity to controvert the averments, the High Court closed the proceedings in the matter. In its petition against the State of Punjab, the director general of police, Amritsar senior superintendent of police, the then MLA Kang and two others, the petitioner said Kang claimed on a channel that he killed Nishan Singh during the days of militancy and his family was awarded Shaurya Chakra. After his statement led to “hue and cry”, Kang retracted and claimed his father had killed Nishan Singh. “Kang stated so as his father is no more; and as such no action could have been taken against him,” Lakhanpal said. He added: “Nishan Singh went missing during the days of terrorism and it was only during the proceedings of Khera commission that it came to be known that he had been killed on September 21, 1992. Lakhanpal said the FIR in the matter gave out a totally different story. “The fact remains that one person was extra-judicially killed and no action was taken in the matter by the police. All this clearly shows that there was a lot of hanky panky going on at that point of time”.
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Scholars deliberate on Manto’s life
Malerkotla, June 4 Mohammad Izhar
Alam, chairman, Punjab Wakf Board, was the chief guest on the occasion. Renowned Urdu writers and guests were also honoured on this occasion. Scholars who presented their research papers, included Dr Khalid
Ashraf, KL Zakir, Dr Shaheena Tabassum, Dr Mohammad Iqbal, secretary of the academy, Dr Nadeem Ahmed, Prof Afroz Taj and Prof John Caldwell (both from the USA). — OC
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Dasuya MLA Sahi cremated
Hoshiarpur, June 4 Sahi's body was brought to the cremation ground in a procession started from his residence. Those who attended the funeral included Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, state ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Anil Joshi and Surjit Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna, BJP state chief Ashvani Sharma, Punjab Deputy Speaker Damesh Singh Babbu, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mohinder Kaur Josh, Som Nath, Sohan Singh Thandal, CD Bhandari, Nand Lal, former Punjab minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, MLAs Pargat Singh, Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan, Sunder Sham Arora, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sangat Singh and Rajnish Kumar Babbi. Badal said with his death was an irreparable loss to the SAD-BJP alliance. He was a balanced, hardworking and honest politician who worked for the downtrodden. Majithia said Sahi had achieved popularity in a short period though his dedicated service to society. Shopkeepers of the town kept their shops shut as a mark of respect to the MLA.
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NRI drug ring
Jalandhar, June 4 "The girl has been identified as Vanya Khanna who had even left her job and joined the drug trade for the lure of big and easy money. She had met Raja in a Delhi hotel for the first time. She had stayed at the Samrala-based farmhouse where the gang had set up a laboratory to manufacture 'ice' with the help of chemicals like ephedrine, acetone, sodium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, toluene etc," said Jalandhar Zone IG Gurpreet Deo. The police has also arrested Surinder Kaur, mother of one of main accused Sukhwinder Singh Laddu of Chack Sangha village in Garshankar. His Banga-based girlfriend Shweta has also been arrested. Jalandhar SSP (Rural) Yurinder Singh said the police was conducting raids to nab Raja. "The gang used to procure ephedrine from illegal market for manufacturing drugs as other chemicals are available at most chemist shops. The gang had set up a laboratory in a farmhouse owned by Raja in Samrala". "The police is also looking for Milan, possibly a Russian national, who allegedly provided technical know-how to the gang to manufacture drugs," he added. "The gang had well-off persons as its members. These included IT professionals and experts in chemical engineering to business graduates and financial experts. Since synthetic drugs are new to India, the kingpin had roped in the services of foreigners who had an expertise in setting up a lab and had the requisite training in the manufacturing of the drug. The case has also revealed that synthetic drugs are fast making inroads into the rural areas and semi-urban areas," the IG said.
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Two drug peddlers arrested
Patiala, June 4 Nabha Sadar SHO Guriqbal Sikand said the accused have been identified as Chander
Parkash, a resident of Friend Colony, Nabha, and Jaswinder alias Binder from Mais village. “The two were supplying intoxicating powder to nearby village youth for the past many years,” he said. The two were arrested with 1-kg of intoxicating powder hidden in their trousers. “They panicked on seeing a naka and tried to flee but were caught. More arrests could follow after their interrogation,” Sikand added. The police has booked the accused under the NDPS Act.
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3 Patiala SHOs under lens
Patiala, June 4 Congress candidates Sneh Lata (ward 50), Sukhdev Jhony (ward 13) and Rajinder Kaur (ward 3) today lodged written complaints with Deputy Commissioner GK Singh regarding the alleged intimidation by the three police officials. The Deputy Commissioner said he will forward the complaints to Patiala (Range) DIG LK Yadav and SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill so that they could look into the matter and take appropriate action. “As far as the election process is concerned, instructions have already been issued to the entire staff that the polls have to be conducted in a free and fair manner,” he said. The complaints followed after Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur met the Deputy Commissioner in this regard. The DC asked the Congress leaders to submit written complaints so that necessary action could be initiated. Accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Patiala (Rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra, Preneet met the Deputy Commissioner in his office and apprised him of the situation. Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Preneet said: "I have been receiving calls from Congress candidates that police officials are threatening them with dire consequences in case they remain in the fray." Preneet, who is an MP from Patiala, said it was "unfortunate" that the SAD-BJP government was resorting to such tactics to capture civic bodies across the state. "Steps must be immediately initiated to ensure free and fair elections," she demanded. Congress MLA Brahm Mohindra said, "It is a murder of democracy. Law protectors have become law breakers. But we will not sit quite in case the SAD-BJP government commits any excesses on or before the polling day," he said.
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The SAD has predicted a clean sweep for its party nominees as also of the BJP in the June 7 and June 10 civic elections. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the feedback he was getting from the ground was most Congress candidates were being forced by the party to contests even though the wave was in favour of the
SAD-BJP alliance.
With the SGPC finally going ahead with its plan to build Operation Bluestar Memorial by starting its ‘kar sewa’ on May 20, the 28th anniversary of the Army operation on June 6 will be a different affair this time as for the past several years this demand had been hogging the limelight on the occasion. The SGPC today began an “akhand path” at the Akal Takht, the ‘bhog’ ceremony of which will take place on June 6.
The jail department has decided to replace coupons issued to inmates with smart cards for purchasing grocery items. Inmates were given coupons in exchange of money for purchasing small items in jail.
Ludhiana, June 4
