The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Woman found murdered at a dhaba near dist courts Tribune News Service Fatehgarh Sahib, August 9 In a shocking incident, a woman was found raped and murdered at a dhabha near the District Courts Complex here today. The complex houses the offices of the Senior Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner. The dhaba owner, with whom the woman was employed to clean utensils, feigned ignorance about the identity of the deceased. He said the victim had come to him in search of a job more than a month ago. As the woman did not have any accommodation, she slept at the dhaba, he said. The gruesome murder highlights the failure of the police in initiating action against house owners and business establishments who have failed to provide information to the police about their tenants and migrant labour employed with them. The murder came to light when one of the dhaba workers noticed the victim’s body. He informed the owner who approached the police which immediately reached the spot and took the body away. The police has registered a case against unknown persons and has sent the body to the Civil Hospital for identification of the victim. The post-mortem examination will be conducted after three days. Station House Officer Devinder Singh said prima facie evidence showed that the victim was raped before being murdered with a blunt weapon as was evident from the injuries on the head. The police suspected that the assailant may have been known to the victim and that could be the reason behind the murder. The police had launched a manhunt to arrest the suspect. The police had obtained vital clues from the crime site, the police official claimed.
	Not paid by PRTC, bus owners in trouble Gagan K Teja Tribune News Service Patiala, August 9 Owners plying buses under the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) Kilometre Scheme are in a fix as the PRTC management has not paid them for the last six months. Now banks have initiated action against the bus owners who have not been able to pay their loan installments. The PTRC management is supposed to pay Rs 6.59 per km to the bus owners every fortnight. State president of the PRTC Kilometre Scheme Bus operators Association, Punjab, Malwinder Singh Sandhu, said the management had not complied with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court had directed the management to release the due amount to the operators. It was ordered to pay the amount due till March 31, 2012, before June 30,2012. “But till date we have only received payment till the month of February,” Sandhu said. However, the management was still making excuses to delay the payment, he added. Vice-president of the association Sewa Singh Saroa said, “Almost a 100 buses plying under the scheme have been taken off the road. If this continues we’ll have no more bus operators left.” Most of these owners had been included in the list of defaulters by banks. Meanwhile, PRTC managing director DPS Kharbanda said he was aware of the problems faced by the bus operators. He claimed to have issued a cheque for Rs 1 crore to the bus owners 10 days ago to bail them out.
	Farmers protest over lack of power supply Tribune News Service Patiala, August 9 Expressing resentment over the shortage of power supply, hundreds of farmers today held a protest outside the office of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited demanding a power supply for eight hours to the agricultural sector. State president of BKU (Dakaunda) Buta Singh Burajgill said the Punjab government had promised uninterrupted supply for eight hours to the agricultural sector but the farmers were hardly getting a supply of 5 to 6 hours. As a result of which farmers were going through a hard time. “The Corporation has added to the farmers woes who were already struggling this year due to lack of rainfall,” said Manjeet Singh, senior vice president of BKU (Dakaunda). BKU threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands were not met.
	Without local funds, govt schools face financial crisis Gagan K. Teja Tribune News Service Patiala, August 9 The Punjab Government’s decision not to charge government school students Rs 90 per month has led to a severe shortfall in local funds in all government schools. Now girls till Class XII and boys till Class VIII do not have to pay this amount. The schools would spend this money to meet their daily expenses and pay water and electricity tariff. With the discontinuation of these funds, school principals are finding it difficult to run the schools. The situation has turned so bad that school teachers have started seeking the support of philanthropists and NGOs. When asked, a government school principal said, “We used local funds to meet the school’s running expenses. These funds were utilised to pay bills, organise cultural activities and for students’ excursion trips. Now we are facing a financial crisis.” Another teacher from a school with a bigger campus complained, “How are we supposed to pay for the electricity bills that run into thousands. We are shelling out money from our own pocket to pay for stationery, chalk and fuel for generators. But how long can we sustain this way. The condition of middle schools is even worse.”
	HC orders fresh probe into issuance of red cards Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 9 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered fresh inquiry into the issuance of red cards to 30 beneficiaries. Punjab had earlier denied irregularity in the issuance of red cards to 578 riot victims. But, the High Court had observed that a vigilance inquiry, said to have been conducted in the matter, had found that the documents furnished by 30 beneficiaries were forged. Apparently dissatisfied with the State’s stand on the issue, the High Court had asked the government to file a fresh affidavit giving details of the inquiry. The development is significant as a red card enables the victims to seek compensation. As the petition filed in the matter by Sikh Danga Pirat Welfare Society came up for hearing on a previous date, the Bench had observed in the open court that the state government denied that in the issuance of red cards to 578 riot victims, any anomaly was committed and the entire process had been carried out strictly in accordance with the norms. The Bench added, but a vigilance inquiry in the matter appears to have been conducted, which found that the documents and certificates furnished by 30 beneficiaries were forged; and an FIR against the beneficiaries has also been lodged.
	Court wants brakes on buses ferrying commuters illegally Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 9 Just about three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took up the issue of plying of sleeper buses in Punjab, a Division Bench today directed the Secretary (Transport) to ensure that the buses with national permits do not pick and drop passengers on way. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also made it clear to the State that buses violating the directions were liable to be impounded. The Bench, on the previous date of hearing, had directed the Punjab Transport Department authorities to clarify what action could be initiated against plying of sleeper buses as the Motor Vehicle Act does not provide for the registration of such buses. The directions came after Punjab State Transport Commissioner Harjeet Singh, in his affidavit, stated no tourist sleeper coach had been registered in Punjab as the Motor Vehicle Act and Punjab Motor Vehicle Act had no provision for such buses. The affidavit also stated that brakes had not been applied on buses registered in other states and only buses plying without paying taxes were being challaned. In an earlier reply, the state Transport Department had stated that 24 sleeper buses were found to be plying illegally and action was taken against such buses. But, petitioner Ramesh Sharma had questioned the plying of such buses when there was no provision in the Motor Vehicle Act. The Bench then directed the department to clarify why such buses could not be impounded. The hearing of the case has now been fixed for April 30. A large number of sleeper buses have been plying in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh and most of these buses were registered in far off states. About the case Motor Vehicle Act does not provide for the registration of sleeper buses. Only buses plying without paying taxes were being challaned. The Punjab Transport Department had earlier claimed to have taken action against 24 sleeper buses that were found plying illegally The next hearing of the case has now been fixed for April 30.
	SAD has left farmers in the lurch: Cong Chandigarh, August 9 Congress legislators today condemned the Shiromani Akali Dal for deserting drought-hit farmers. In a joint statement issued here today, party legislators Laal Singh, Parminder Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Gurkarit Singh and Tarlochan Singh Sundh said instead of the ruling party leaders flying abroad at this crucial juncture, the MLAs said the Akali leadership should have been focussing on the problems of farmers. The leaders alleged that instead of rescuing farmers, the Akali leadership were attending social engagements along with their cabinet colleagues in the US. Similarly many are attending London Olympics, they said. — TNS
	More services to come under RTS Act Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, August 8 Nearly 41 services concerning various government departments will be brought under the ambit of the Right to Service (RTS) Act soon. It will raise the number of services under the Act to 110. This was stated by the Commissioner of the RTS Act Commission, Dr Dalbir Singh Verka, who was here to review the implementation of the Act in the district today. Addressing mediapersons, Dr Verka said over 20.12 lakh application concerning various departments in the state had been received ever since the RTS Act came into effect. Out of these, 18.41 lakh applications had been disposed of, he added. Replying to a query, Dr Verka said the first appellate authority for the implementation of the Act had received 174 appeals till date.