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Faridkot jail inmate made 603 phone calls in a month: RTI
Fazilka judicial complex cries for attention
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Animal husbandry dept yet to find its footing in Muktsar
BJP councillors join protest against MC chief
PPCC to ask PM to ensure safety of Sikhs abroad
Termite trouble haunts CM’s house, DC office
Cong policies driving its workers to join SAD
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Faridkot jail inmate made 603 phone calls in a month: RTI
Faridkot, August 6 Mentioning the details of the 603 phone calls which Jaswant Singh, the alleged kingpin of a gang of land grabbers in the area, made to various police officials, advocates and others from the jail in a month’s time, a petition filed by a widow before the Punjab and Haryana High Court has unravelled that the use of mobile phone in jail is almost without any restriction in Punjab. Balwant Kaur, the widow and a victim in one of the land grabbing cases, alleged in her petition that the accused was intimidating and pressurising the victims and witnesses and even manipulating the police officials who are dealing with the case. Using the RTI Act, Balwant Kaur procured the details of the phone calls made by Jaswant Singh from the SSP’s office in Faridkot. The SSP’s office had collected the details of these phone calls after the District and Sessions Judge, Faridkot, ordered an inquiry into the modus operandi of some property dealers, advocates, revenue department officials, stamp paper vendors and deed writers. It is alleged that based at Faridkot, Moga and Ludhiana, the accused worked in league with each other to cheat some elderly persons by transferring their properties in their name, using fake documents and fictitious identities. As per the details, Jaswant Singh made four phone calls to a police constable, two phone calls to an ASI, 10 phone calls to a lady constable, 12 calls to an advocate in Ferozepur, five calls to an advocate in Punjab and Haryana High Court and three phone calls to an advocate in Faridkot (one of the accused). While the High Court has already issued notice to the Punjab Government in this writ petition, Balwant Kaur has demanded that the investigation into the crime against the accused be probed through an independent agency, fearing she would not get any justice from the local police as is evident from the details of phone calls. |
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Fazilka judicial complex cries for attention
Fazilka, August 6 There are three judicial courts in the old complex. Hundreds of litigants visit the complex daily to attend the courts. But there is no proper drinking water facility here. Lawyers purchase water cans on their own. “The authorities concerned should immediately install an RO system on the court complex,” demanded a senior advocate, RK Angi. Angi said he has been practising here for the last 45 years but the condition had never been so bad the way it was today. The toilets stink and are in a dilapidated condition. Even their doors have been damaged badly. “It is shameful that there is no toilet facility for women,” said a young lawyer, Veena Rani. Fazilka sub-jail is also housed on the complex. But there is no approach road to the main gate of the sub-jail. The advocates have demanded immediate provision of basic infrastructure on the judicial complex. Executive Engineer (B&R) Prem Kumar said a new judicial complex was proposed to be built in the near future. He added that construction of a new toilet block had already begun. |
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Animal husbandry dept yet to find its footing in Muktsar
Muktsar, August 6 Against the annual target of opening five pig farms under the RKVY, the department could get open just one pig farm here, that too, in almost 16 months. Similarly, the target of establishing three goat farms in a year has not been achieved. So far, not even a single goat farm has been set up in the district, since April 2011. Deputy Director, Muktsar, Animal Husbandry Department, Dr Naresh Sachdeva, admitted the shortcomings saying, “Yes, we are running much behind schedule. But it does not mean we are not putting in efforts. The banks do not support us by sanctioning the loan of an applicant interested in opening pig farms.” Dr Sachdeva further said he had also brought this matter to the knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner. If a pig farm has to be set up at an approximate cost of Rs 6 lakh, the department gives subsidy of nearly 30 per cent on it. The department even provides Yorkshire pigs at a reasonable price from its own farms. Dr Sachdeva said due to bottlenecks, only one pig farm was set up in the last one year. The department officials revealed that the overall functioning of the department in other districts was satisfactory. “In the nearby districts, more pig farms and goat farms have been opened than the given target,” claimed the department's officials. |
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BJP councillors join protest against MC chief
Abohar, August 6 Goyal is the son of former BJP MLA Dr Ram Kumar Goyal and was a keen contender for a BJP ticket in the Vidhan Sabha elections. Former BJP Mahila Morcha president Geeta Chaudhary, Ravi Makkar, Kamal Nagpal and Buta Singh joined the protesters, who burnt Goyal's effigy outside the Municipal Council complex as the dharna entered its 20th day while the token fast continued for the 16th day. The protesters shouted slogans before setting the effigy on fire. Notably, the state high-command had already sacked four councillors for opposing the official candidate, Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo, in the Vidhan Sabha elections. If the dissidents support the Congress move, the no-confidence motion might get through. Councillor Ravi Makkar lambasted the MC president for not solving the sewage and drinking water problem. Meanwhile, the Municipal Council could not get the de-silting machines to operate even today, a week after the directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Malika Sharma, former principal of a government school, said dirty water had accumulated in the gurdwara street for the last two weeks, causing skin and respiratory problems. Another prominent resident of the town, Captain SK Dutta said no relief has been provided from sewage to the residents in New Suraj Nagari. Nanak Nagari and Gobind Nagari, which are among the worst affected areas, said Surinder Aneja. |
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PPCC to ask PM to ensure safety of Sikhs abroad
Abohar, August 6 Describing it as an unfortunate and tragic incident, Jakhar said it has shocked Punjabis across the world. “The Punjab Congress condemns the attack in unequivocal terms and has sympathies for the families who lost their near and dear ones in the incident,” he said. The CLP leader said since Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was on a private tour to the US, he should meet the families of the victims and assuage their pain of irreparable loss. He should also try to meet the law enforcing agencies to ensure security and safety of gurdwaras in the US so that such tragedies do not recur. |
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Termite trouble haunts CM’s house, DC office
Muktsar, August 6 Residence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the office of Muktsar Deputy Commissioner have also been affected by the problem of termites. A few months ago, when termites consumed some wooden furniture in the house of the Chief Minister at his native village Badal, an insecticide was sprayed there, due to which he spent a few nights at the Old Age Home in the village. Now, the wooden furniture in the Deputy Commissioner's office is also been consumed by the termites and plastic work has been initiated to garnish the walls. A large number of residents are also facing the same problem. They are not only spending a large sum of money to deal with it, but are also shifting from wood to pressed steel, aluminium and plastic to avoid the termites. After meeting a number of people and visiting their houses, this correspondent found that the buildings which were constructed even two years ago, had been affected by the termites. Big holes were found in the door frames (chowkhats). A housewife, Naveen Arora, while showing a cupboard in her house located on the Bank road, which was built two years ago, said, "I keep my house neat and clean and have even put some phenyl balls in the cupboard. Yet, termites have consumed the wood. The cupboard is of no use now and the carpenter has given an estimate of Rs 40,000 to make it again and Rs 10,000 for its repair." Narrating almost a similar tale, Amit Bansal, a resident of Kotkapura road here, said, "I even put an insecticide in the affected part of the wooden frames, but the termites continue to be present. They have just changed their location and have now started consuming the other portion of the frame." He said he also availed of the services of an expert, who even charged nearly Rs 10,000 from him, but of no use. "The expert dug some holes in the affected part of the wood and injected some insecticide through them. But everything was in vain." Agriculture Development Officer, Muktsar, Kuldeep Singh, said, "We recommend the spray of Chlorpyrifos 30 per cent to destroy termites in the fields. But we don't suggest any insecticide for termite causing loss in the buildings. Termite is mostly found in sandy soils." He, however, said that termites had even consumed wooden fittings in his newly-built house, where he recently experimented with spraying insecticides. Similarly, Dr NK Dhaliwal, Deputy Director, Krishi Vigyan Kendra of PAU, said, "I have also suffered losses due to termites in my house. But there is no recommendation by us to use any insecticide to destroy termites in any building." Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Muktsar, Gursewak Singh also said, "Termite control doesn't come under the functioning of any municipality." |
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Cong policies driving its workers to join SAD
Bathinda, August 6 Harsimrat presented a robe of honour (siropa) to the leaders and workers, and also promised to give them respectful positions in the SAD. According to a press release, Harsimrat persuaded these Congress and PPP workers to join the SAD during her 'Nanhi Chhan' campaign in Bhokra, Dhilwan, Gidar, Bath, Burj Kahan Singh Wala, Chak Wakhto and Tungawali villages of the Bhucho constituency. During the campaign, about 200 families belonging to the Congress joined the SAD under the leadership of Shaminder Kaur whereas 80 families owing allegiance to the PPP embraced the SAD under the headship of a PPP leader, Devinder Singh Mahal. Speaking on the occasion, Harsimrat slammed the Congress-led UPA Government for its wrong economic policies. She said poverty, unemployment, inflation and corruption had attained new heights during the Congress regime. She said Punjab, once a major contributor to the Central foodgrain pool, was now in the clutches of drought due to the deficient rain. She criticised the UPA Government for its discriminatory approach towards Punjab. The state had not been given a special drought package as sanctioned for Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra. She said due to the policies of the Congress, its workers had been drifting away from the party and joining the SAD. Among those present were Lakhvir Singh Lakhi Jaildar, Balkar Singh, Dr Om Parkash Sharma, Ishtpal Singh Khialiwala, Iqbal Singh Mehma Sarja, Jagsir Singh Kalian, Swaran Singh Akalian, Jathedar Gurmail Singh, Roop Singh Nathana and Jagtar Singh Bath. |
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Abohar, August 6
Even as the termite (deemak) menace is ceaselessly swallowing the wooden doors, furniture and other products in Muktsar district, no government department has so far come forward to deal with the situation or to inform people about the precautionary methods so that they can prevent the financial losses being incurred for the last many years now.
