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Uranium traces in tubewell water
Problem not due to fertilisers: PAU |
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No reverse osmosis plants for 33 villages in Muktsar
Muktsar, July 18 In the absence of RO (reverse osmosis) water treatment plants in their area, residents of around 33 villages in the district are forced to drink contaminated water. Underground water has already been declared unfit for human consumption in the area due to its high TDS level.
Additional taxes on sugar, mobiles
Kashmir Singh, a physically challenged farmer, owns one acre of land at the border village of Tanana. The land is the only source of income for his family of 10. Farmers point at their fields at Ghogga village on the Indo-Pak border. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Vacation weddings: Govt to make marriage registration compulsory
Under pressure, Ludhiana vendor goes into hiding
New mining policy put on hold
Govt readies to attract Rs 1 lakh cr investment
Snag results in long power cuts
Act against publisher: Valmikis
Railways fails to comply with High Court order
More women in Punjab taking to dairy farming
non-payment
of salaries Soon, CCTVs to monitor truant teachers
Traders want I-T office back in Sirhind
JEs up in arms against Power Corp
Tax evaders attack police team
Presidential Poll
HC notice to State in African student’s case
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Uranium traces in tubewell water
Bathinda, July 18 High cases of cancer have already been reported from these villages. Dullewala village in Phul block has the highest concentration of uranium with 295.8 parts particle per billion of water (ppb) found from a 500-ft deep tubewell. The Indian health standards state uranium traces up to 60 ppb are permissible while the World Health Organisation (WHO) puts the permissible limit at 15 ppb. Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had recently stated in Mohali that groundwater contamination in Punjab was 50 per cent more than the WHO standards. The BARC report, however, reveals that the contamination is many times more than that. The report has put 13 villages in the high-risk category. These are Dullewalla (295.8 ppb), Patti Karam Chand (164 ppb), Giddar (140 .5 ppb), Bhai Rupa (116 ppb), Sema (101 ppb), Kalyan Sukha (94.1 ppb), Bhai Rupa (88.6 ppb), Dhapali (87 ppb), Dhinger (77.8 ppb), Bhaini (66 ppb), Ghurelli (66 ppb), Pitho (65 ppb), Sandhu Khurd (62.9 ppb) and Salabatpura (61 ppb). Though the state government has installed reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plants at several places, not all are benefitted. XEN (Public Health) Veenakshi Sharma said RO water was safe, but all were not having it for varied reasons. She said the government was trying to spread awareness regarding RO water so that the entire population in the area was covered. “However, the RO process is costly and there are problems like disposing of waste water after purification. Nearly 50 per cent of the water used for purification goes waste and there is no safe method to dispose it”. She said there was still inconclusive evidence to show what was actually causing cancer and whether merely purifying drinking water could solve the problem.
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Problem not due
to fertilisers: PAU
Chandigarh, July 18 Challenging the assertion made by Atomic Energy Department Secretary RK Sinha that granite rocks were responsible for high uranium content in subsoil water in the state, nuclear physicist Dr HS Virk said subsoil water in the state originated from the alluvial basin of the Indo-Gangetic plains and the hypothesis with regard to presence of granite rocks in the state was not valid. Sinha’s assertion was far from the truth, he said. Dr Virk, who has published his research findings on environmental radiation hazards in Punjab, said: “If leaching of uranium from granite rocks enhances uranium content in groundwater in Malwa belt, then why it is found to be high in Ludhiana, Moga, Nawanshahr, Ropar and Hoshiarpur districts, which have no granite rocks?” He said a research paper on geochemical modelling of uranium in the sub-surface aquatic environment of Punjab by scientists of the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) also negated Sinha’s hypothesis. Recently, Dr Virk collected groundwater samples from 12 locations such as Jajjal, Malkana and Giania, the villages with high incidence of cancer cases in Talwandi Sabo region of Bathinda district. The samples were analysed using a laser technique at the radiation lab of Mangalore University. The results showed high uranium content in the range of 76 to 205 ppb (microgram per litre). The safe limit of uranium in the ground water is 60 ppb, according to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board of India. Dr Virk said the mystery behind cancer cases in Malwa should be solved by medical science. A team of epidemiologists of international repute should handle the task, he said.
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No reverse osmosis plants for 33 villages in Muktsar
Muktsar, July 18 Of the total 234 villages of the district, the RO plants have been installed in 201 villages while the rest are yet to be covered. These villages fall in Muktsar area as its 88 villages out of 121 have been covered whereas in Malout, RO plants have been installed in its all 113 villages. In some villages, lack of electricity connections is proving a major hurdle in commissioning of these plants. The problem of drinking water also exists in all three municipal towns of the district, Muktsar, Malout and Gidderbaha. Only six RO water plants have been installed in Malout, four in Gidderbaha and four in Muktsar. These are insufficient to cater to the entire population of these towns. Yadwinder Singh, Executive Engineer, Pubic Health Engineering (PHE), said: “In villages having a population of less than 800, the department can’t install RO plants. If any village having a population of more than 800 has been left out, it will be covered soon”. “The water purification plant is not viable in small villages as the number of consumers is less and the cost of the plant is quite high,” Yadwinder said. Parmod Chand, Executive Engineer, PHE, said: “In Malout, all villages have been covered and in some villages, where the population is large, two RO plants have been installed”.
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Nod to Anandpur Sahib - Naina Devi ropeway project
Chandigarh, July 18 A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said a joint venture “Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Sri Naina Devi Ji and Sri Anandpur Sahib Ji Ropeway Company Private Limited” would be formed for the project on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOPT) basis or any other appropriate PPP format. The Cabinet approved the setting up of two self-financed private universities- Desh Bhagat University at Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib and DAV University at Jalandhar-for multi-disciplined quality education. It agreed to provide 12.5 acres of land at Birla Farm in Ropar free of cost to the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (formerly DOEACC Society), Chandigarh, for setting up a full-fledged Centre. The Cabinet approved the amendment in the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land (OUVGL) to enable the government to create a special 'Punjab Infrastructure Fund' by disposing of government land. The fund would be exclusively used to finance infrastructure schemes and projects in rural and urban areas. The Cabinet decided to amend clause 3 of the tripartite agreement between the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Jalandhar, the Punjab Government and PUDA for enhancing the amount for funding health institutions in the state from Rs 100 crore to Rs 130 crore. In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved the creation of 134 posts in seven nursing schools run by the government. This would entail an extra burden of Rs 423 crore annually. The Cabinet decided to take these posts out of the purview of the State Services Selection Board so as to enable the Directorate of Health Services to fill these posts in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council. The Cabinet approved amendment to the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) Rules, 1976, to enable the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) to frame rules regarding the syllabi and the screening test. This would enable the commission to overcome the shortage of PCS officers. The Cabinet agreed to amending Rule 1.1 of the Punjab Police Rules, 1934, abolishing the provision of a separate cadre for women. It approved the allotment of booths to tenants of shops demolished for the Galiara project at
Amritsar.
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Additional taxes on sugar, mobiles
The decisions will result in a 5 per cent VAT and 10 per cent surcharge on sugar, which will yield Rs 100 crore. Besides, an 8 per cent lump sum tax has been imposed on mobile phones and its accessories. A separate VAT and surcharge on these products has been done away with. The tax would be levied on all parts, including the head phone, data cable, mobile charger, memory card, ear phone, audio device, mobile cover, mobile battery, bluetooth and mobile holder.The decision is expected to generate an additional revenue of Rs 30 crore annually. To check tax evasion on account of classification of lubricants, the Cabinet gave its approval to amend the notification in this regard to now incorporate ‘transformer oil’ or ‘rubber processing oil’ besides all types of processing oils and fluids. This decision is likely to generate an additional revenue of Rs.15 crore annually, thereby plugging tax leakage. To boost the export of non-basmati rice, the Cabinet approved the refund of infrastructure development (ID) fee to private parties exporting rice. On the recommendations of the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission, the Cabinet also approved the introduction of facilitation charges for the services provided to the people at the community police stations. T he facilitation charges, ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 500, will be used for the upkeep of the
centres.
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Border farmers asked to vacate land after decades
Ghogga village, July 18 However, for the past few weeks, he has been daily visiting this non-descript village to participate in an indefinite dharna to urge the government not to take away his land and deprive him of livelihood. Kashmir is not alone in this struggle, says the Jamhuri Kisan Sabha. He is among over 2,000 farmers belonging to 44 border villages who have been asked by the Forest Department to evacuate 10,500 acres of land which they have been cultivating since the 1960s. The farmers admit that the land does not belong to them. They claim they were allotted the land by the then CM Partap Singh Kairon during the Green Revolution to “grow more crops”. They claim they were promised ownership of the land, but this did not happen. Bachan Singh of Behlol village said they had been cultivating the land for two generations now. He said: “The land was barren. Our ancestors toiled hard to make it cultivable. How can we let go of it now?” Bachan’s 40-member joint family depends on their six acres of agricultural land for bread and butter. Septuagenarian Nanta Singh says he remembers the day when Kairon handed over the land to the farmers, urging them to make it cultivable. Kashmir Singh said his family of 15 was primarily dependent on their five acres of land. There are 36 families in Tanana village who own one acre or less agricultural land. The farmers say they depend on the land for subsistence, growing two crops a year. Jamhuri Kisan Sabha chief Satnam Singh Ajnala said the farmers had worked hard to turn the barren land in the border belt cultivable. But the government wanted them to vacate the land now, which was sheer injustice. He said most of the land belonged to families who had migrated to Pakistan post-Partition. Border Area Sangharsh Committee general secretary Rattan Singh Randhawa said the Forest Department could make do with the vast stretches of land along the canals and water channels for augmenting the green cover. The leaders alleged that the Forest Department, had on June 27-29, ruined the standing crop of some farmers who were forced to sow again. “Besides, the police registered false cases against 25 farmers while arresting two of them,” they said, adding that they would lead a protest dharna outside the Ajnala SDM’s office on July 23. Divisional Forest Officer NS Randhawa said the land had been encroached by the farmers and they had lodged cases against some farmers. Randhawa's predecessor Wilbert Samson said they had initiated action against 10 farmers on the basis of court proceedings, adding that 6,000 acres-7,000 acres had been encroached by the farmers in the border belt.
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Vacation weddings: Govt to make marriage registration compulsory
Chandigarh, July 18 The Punjab Government is, in fact, coming up with the Punjab Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill, 2012. The Bill comes nearly four years after the state assembly passed the Punjab Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill 2008, paving the way for the registration of marriages solemnised in the state under the Anand Marriage Act 1909. Punjab Undersecretary in the Department of Home Affairs and Justice Sewa Singh says the Department of Legal and Legislative Affairs has prepared the Bill, but the government is awaiting reply from the Centre before going ahead in the matter. He says: “It came to the knowledge of the state government that the Union Cabinet has recently approved amendments to the Hindu Marriages Act, 1955, and Anand Marriage Act, 1909, providing for registration of marriages. “Therefore, before taking any further action in this regard, including reconsideration by the state legislative, the government has requested the Centre vide its letter dated June 22 to confirm as to whether the Union Cabinet has recently approved such amendments to enable the state government to proceed further in this case. A reply in this regard is awaited”. The assertion is significant as the Punjab and Haryana High Court is hearing a petition filed in public interest in the matter by Didar Singh. He is seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to frame a policy or guidelines on marriages by NRI bridegrooms in Punjab and other parts of the country. He has contended that often married NRIs tie the knot again in India by concealing their earlier marriage and run away leaving the bride at nobody's mercy. During the hearing, the state counsel assured the court that “all efforts would be made to get the Punjab Compulsory Registration of Marriages Bill, 2012 passed as per norms”. Taking on record the assertion, Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain asserted: “Since the Punjab Government is alive to this issue and necessary enactment for making the registration of marriage compulsory is being brought, this court is not required to issue any further direction in the matter”.
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Under pressure, Ludhiana vendor goes into hiding Ludhiana, July 18 “Since yesterday, MC officials have been pressurising us to reach a compromise. They have been visiting our shop. This has affected business,” Kamlesh told The Tribune over the phone. His teenaged son Amit alleged that he was approached by two persons in a car who asked him to accompany them to an undisclosed location for “paper work”. But he refused to oblige. “I received a call on my mobile phone. The caller threatened that if my father did not reach the city by night, our shop would be razed,” Amit said. “They want me to sign documents, declaring I had given a wrong statement. How can I lie? An official came to my shop late in the evening. He asked me to tell senior officials that no wrong had been done and the shop would not be touched.” Last evening, an affidavit with Kamlesh’s photograph was sent to The Tribune office, claiming that the woman who had an altercation with him was not officer Jaggi’s wife. “Last night, some officials took away my father and made him sign some documents. We thought this would make things normal. But we were wrong,” said a tearful
Amit.
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New mining policy put on hold
Chandigarh, July 18 According to the new policy, all new stone crushers in the state will be given a licence to operate only after they have a tie-up with the local mining contractor for assured supply of raw material. This is to curb illegal mining of sand and gravel. By ensuring a tie-up between the stone crusher and the raw material supplier, the government will be able to keep tabs on the total raw material lifted from the state’s quarries. Top officials said since the Centre had made a Presidential reference on the auction of natural resources before the apex court, asking its “advice” on what could be considered as natural resources, the decision to implement the new mining policy had been deferred for the time being. The draft policy would first be taken up by a sub-committee comprising six ministers. “It will then be placed before the Cabinet for approval,” said a senior official. The state has recently got environmental clearance for auctioning 25 quarries. But the auction will be now carried out after the new mining and stone crusher policy comes into force. Following reports of illegal mining in the state, the government had initially decided to model its new mining policy on the lines of that of the Himachal Government under which only those with a permit to mine quarries for sand and gravel are allowed to set up stone crushers.
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Govt readies to attract Rs 1 lakh cr investment
Chandigarh, July 18 Accompanied by Industry Minister Anil Joshi and Labour Minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani, he held detailed deliberations with representatives of industrial houses from all over the country. The Deputy Chief Minister said Punjab was the only state in the country with three international airports besides a world class road connectivity with major cities. He said Punjab would be power surplus by 2013-14. He assured the industrialists a round-the-clock power supply. He said in Punjab power tariff for the industry was one of the lowest in the country and with the commissioning of three thermal plants at Talwandi Sabo, Goindwal Sahib and Rajpura, the power tariff would come down substantially. He said Punjab had a chain of engineering polytechnics and ITIs to provide a backup for the upcoming industry. Sukhbir said steps were being taken to create a 200-acre industrial park near the Bathinda refinery to facilitate the ancillary industry. — PTI
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Agrarian movements serving no purpose: Expert
Chandigarh, July 18 Gill, who is Director General of the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), said at least 90 per cent of the farmer bodies were, of late, represented by non-agriculturists, especially traders. “Agrarian movements are serving no purpose as farmer leaders are not aware of the ground realities. Politicians, too, don’t have first-hand knowledge of farm-related issues as they do not live in villages. The present day writers also do not represent the real rural picture,” said Gill. He was addressing a seminar on “Political Economy of Punjab” organised by Punjabi Sahitya Akademi in Chandigarh. Gill maintained the rural folk was frustrated and, therefore, resorting to drug abuse, violence, snatchings and even suicides. “Go to villages to experience the life there. A writer’s pen can move hearts of stone in case he himself has lived in the rural set-up,” he said. The CRRID Director General said more than 6,500 farmers had committed suicide in different parts of Punjab in the last 15 years. Most of them took the extreme due to financial reasons. He said the writers who stayed abreast with life around will have a better vision in their writings. “In the absence of an insurance policy for crops, farmers take loans whenever their crop fails…. Farming in less than five acres is largely unviable. As a result, marginal farmers are getting wiped out. Due to mechanised farming, youths have been rendered idle,” he averred. Prof Manjit Singh, from Panjab University’s Department of Sociology, said, “Both family and society have assumed commercial colours. Emotional moments like marriages too have become a fashion commodity.” Akademi president Gurbhajan Singh Gill initiated the seminar while PPS Gill, a former member of the Punjab Information Commission, presided over the function.
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Snag results in long power cuts
Patiala, July 18 Confirming this, Arun Verma, Director (Distribution), PSPCL, said the corporation was left with no option but to impose cuts in the domestic sector. People in several districts had to face long power cuts. While Amritsar witnessed four to six-hour long cut, the situation in Patiala, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur was no better with the PSPCL imposing cuts for long hours. Industrialists have also complained that besides the weekly off, the corporation was imposing unscheduled power cuts. The demand for power is about 8,420 MW these days. The demand was 2140 lakh unit (LU) yesterday against the availability of 1,868 LU, a shortfall of 275 LU. It is also learnt that on account of tripping, supply from one unit of Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant remained affected for about an hour. GS Chhabra, Director (Generation), PSPCL, said: “The power scenario will improve in the coming days. One unit of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda, which was closed for renovation, has been put on testing”.
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Act against publisher: Valmikis
Amritsar, July 18 They were protesting against the alleged objectionable remarks by former Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti on Valmiki in his book “Barah Mah Majh”. The highway traffic remained suspended for about two hours. Gill said though the police had registered a case, no arrest had been made in this regard. He said if the publisher and the translator of the book were not arrested, they would hold statewide protests. The protest was suspended after senior police and administrative officials reached the spot and the agitators submitted a memorandum to them. —
TNS
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Railways fails to comply with High Court order
Chandigarh, July 18 Resident of Teur village in Mohali district, Jarnail Singh has once again moved the high court seeking the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Divisional Railways Manager, Northern Railways, PK Sanghi. In his petition, Jarnail Singh has contended that he was posted at Dappar near Ambala, when his services were illegally terminated on February 28, 1981. Although he was selected and appointed on a regular post after following the due process of law, Jarnail Singh claimed his services were terminated “without issuing any notice and without observing the principles of natural justice”. After a series of litigations, he finally moved the high court on the ground that the respondents have not complied with findings of the Ambala District Judge, who had held that the “plaintiff should be deemed to be continuing in service of the defendant as a gateman and entitled to all benefits and privileges of his service…” Jarnail Singh served a legal notice to the railways, after the petition was allowed to be withdrawn for pursuing the matter with the departmental authorities. But, they did not “care to decide the legal notice” compelling him to move the court again. Acting on his plea, Justice Mahesh Grover set a four-month deadline for the respondents to decide his legal notice. The orders have allegedly still not been complied with. Jarnail Singh, in his contempt petition, has now asserted: “The present respondent (Sanghi), who is to decide the case of the petitioner, having received the directions of the high court, has intentionally, willfully and knowingly did not take any action till today”. The high court has now issued notice to Sanghi and the petition is scheduled to come up for hearing on August 29.
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More women in Punjab taking to dairy farming
Ludhiana, July 18 A graduate from Ferozepur, Mandeep said all her sisters were well educated, still they could not find suitable jobs. Since their father was a farmer, Mandeep decided to start dairy farming. "Though, we have a rural background, but my father always taught us to be financially independent. And when I discussed the idea with my family members, all agreed to it. I have joined the course at the GADVASU to know the latest techniques in this industry. We want to start with a few animals first and then will take it further to the commercial level," she said. While for Rashpal, a married woman with two children, after doing MBA, found it difficult to maintain a balance between job and home. "I was offered jobs far away from home. By the time I used to come back, it was too late. I realised that this was the time my kids need me the most. Keeping this in mind, I purchased 12 cattle heads to start dairy farming. And I joined the course at the GADVASU to get answers to all my queries in addition to knowledge provided by experts," said Rashpal, adding that almost each woman at the village was a dairy-farmer, but a few took it to commercial level. Maya, another 23-year-old girl from Jagraon, said though her father was an agriculturist but she wanted to start her own business. "I do not mind starting it at the small level with just 8-10 cattle heads initially. But training is necessary if we want to take it to higher levels," she said. The Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, GADVASU, is conducting the course. Dr RS Sahota, Director, Extension Education, GADVASU, said that it was a knowledge upgradation programme for dairy farmers and about half a dozen females were attending the course for the fist time.
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non-payment of salaries
Patiala, July 18 Talking to The Tribune, SSA/RMSA/CSS Teachers Union district president Hardeep Singh Todarpur alleged that their salaries for the month of April was released more than a month back and that of May 10 days back. “We get very less salaries and due to the delay; it has become very difficult for us to sustain our families. We met the District Education Officer (DEO) in this regard and she says that our principals have not yet completed some formalities related to our jobs. This is really strange because we have been working for so long now and if this is the case, they should have pull up our principals and get the work done. Why are we being targeted?” he added. DEO (Secondary) Balbir Kaur Gill said school principals of these teachers had not yet submitted their salary statements for the last year as a result of which the record could not be matched with the cashbook record. “Moreover, we have sent their contracts for renewal and have not received the renewed contracts yet, which is another reason we have not yet given the salaries,” she said. Meanwhile, SSA/RMSA/ CSS teachers have decided to hold a state-level convention at Bathinda on July 22 against the Punjab Government for delaying the notification of their revised pay scales, which have to be sent to the SSA India for implementation of the revised grades. These teachers have been demanding equal pay for equal work and regular jobs as their counterparts have already been regularised in a few states.
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Soon, CCTVs to monitor truant teachers Mohali, July 18 Punjab Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka made this announcement at a function organised to distribute 32 appointment letters to candidates selected on compassionate ground at the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Phase III-B1, Mohali. Maluka said classrooms of all senior secondary schools and high schools in the state would be equipped with CCTVs. “The decision has been taken by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. The aim is to keep a watch on teachers’ punctuality and their performance,” he said. Maintaining that CCTVs would keep an eye on both teachers and students, Maluka said modalities for the project were yet to be worked out. He said the initiative had been taken following complaints of teachers playing truant, which, in turn, affected results. “We want to deal with such cases sternly. There will be no compromise as far as education is concerned,” the Minister said. Maluka said schools that were continuously giving poor results had been served notices while those that showed poor results for the first time had been issued warnings. About the shortage of teachers, the Minister said 4,000, of the total 11,500 vacancies, had already been filled. “Another 5,000 vacancies will be filled soon,” he said.
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Traders want I-T office back in Sirhind
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 18 Addressing mediapersons, District Beopar Mandal president Varinder Rattan said with great efforts of the Beopar Mandal, the Income Tax Department opened an office at Sirhind for the benefit of taxpayers belonging to Bassi Pathana, Sanghol, Khamano, Chuni and other surrounding areas. But in 2008, this office was shifted to Mandi Gobindgarh, he added. He said a delegation of the Beopar Mandal had met the Chief Commissioner of the Income Tax in Chandigarh and he had assured to shift the office back at Sirhind but so far their demand had not been accepted. — TNS
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JEs up in arms against Power Corp
Patiala, July 18 Council president RL Chaudhary and general secretary Davinder Singh said the Power Corporation Management had failed to finalise certain issues pertaining to their pay scales. — TNS
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Tax evaders attack police team
Patiala, July 18 The Punjab Government has failed to check the growing terror of the tax evaders, who have been operating in the state for the past many years, causing revenue loss to the state exchequer worth hundreds of crores per annum. The tax evaders were tamed to an extent when senior police officer Mandeep Singh Sidhu was posted as SSP, Excise and Taxation Wing, but once he was shifted, the mafia-men are back on the prowl. Tax evader Gogi Sood attacked an on duty police team, after it had confiscated two trucks loaded with iron scrap from near Gadapur village. “The goons tore the uniform, hit the policemen and escaped from the spot in their vehicle,” said the police. Earlier in April this year, in two separate cases henchmen of tax evaders attacked the policemen attached with excise officers and escaped with the goods. Sources said role of certain officers and their involvement with tax evaders had come to light in the past, but the government has failed to initiate any action against them. On April 7, an excise team headed by ETO Bhupinder Pal Singh Bhatia had laid a naka on Tepla Road in Banur where they stopped a truck for checking its documents. “Instead of showing the documents pertaining to the loaded goods, accused inside the truck Gogi Sood, Ishwar Singh and a dozen others attacked the excise team, including constable Balwinder Singh. The accused escaped from the spot threatening the government officials,” reads the FIR registered at Banur police station. In another similar incident, an FIR was lodged at Kherhi Gandian police station where smugglers attacked two policemen on duty and snatched documents pertaining to a truck that was confiscated by ETO Surjit Singh
Mansahia.
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Presidential Poll
Chandigarh, July 18 The Bench of Justice AK Mittal and Justice GS Sandhawalia directed Bibi to furnish a bail bond to the satisfaction of the Jalandhar Chief Judicial Magistrate. The court also directed her to surrender before the Kapurthala Jail Superintendent on or before 6 pm tomorrow.
— TNS
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HC notice to State in African student’s case
Chandigarh, July 18 All this, and much more, has been alleged in a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Jalandhar couple Jaswinder Singh and Baljinder Kaur, whose son has been arraigned as an accused in the case. Taking up the plea, Justice Sanghi has issued a notice of motion for October 15 to the State and other respondents. The couple was seeking directions to the State and other respondents to comply with the provisions of Section 160, CrPC, which makes it mandatory for the investigating agency to issue a notice in writing to a person, who is to be summoned in connection with an investigation. The petition comes within days of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal directing Commissioner of Police Gaurav Yadav to expedite the hunt for remaining accused in the case and spare no guilty. The FIR in the matter was registered on April 22 against three unknown persons for attempt to murder and other offences after Yannick Nicky alias Nihangaza was attacked with glass bottles and stones with an intention to kill him. In their petition placed before the Bench of Justice N.K. Sanghi, the couple has contended that their son Jaskaran Singh was being implicated by the police “without any basis”. Studying in Australia, he was in India at the time of the incident. Counsel Ranjit Bajaj said on the petitioners’ behalf that “the police, to project their over-vigilant image, wanted to rope in as many persons as possible in the FIR” and were allegedly using pressure tactics on the parents for compelling them to produce Jaskaran. They were being called to the police station at odd hours and were made to sit from morning till evening on at least two occasions “without any legal and valid justification”. Besides, the police allegedly threatened the petitioners that they and their close relatives would be illegally detained “at some undisclosed place” and implicated in criminal cases, if they failed to produce Jaskaran Singh by July 22.
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water samples taken from tubewells in 43 villages in Bhagta Bhai Ke, Mour, Nathana, Phul and Rampura blocks of the district. The samples, taken by a government lab, were analysed by Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Mumbai.
Chandigarh, July 18
Ludhiana, July 18
Chandigarh, July 18