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‘Misuse’ of funds by former Sikh varsity VC
Shinde to visit ICP soon
Royal city gears up for state-level I-Day function
Nursing dollar dream, Punjabi hunks shed macho image
Patiala sealing drive takes political colour
Villagers block highway
to protest illegal mining
Respect panchayat decisions: NGOs
Countering Addiction
Water at 16 Sangrur schools not potable
2 abandoned baby boys find place in girls’ shelter home
Fungal infection hits paddy crop in Moga villages
Low water level in
dams hits irrigation
But recent rain
cuts power cut duration
Drug menace in jails
PEDA for focus on biogas
Police plans to crack the whip on tax evaders in Bathinda
Tributes paid to hero of Zoji La battle
HC to rescue of those paying loan in advance
Man held with fake currency
Councillor booked for cheating
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Healthcare takes a knock as new appointments stuck
Chandigarh, August 11
These appointments, however, have failed to cure the ailing healthcare system in Punjab as a large number of subordinate staff posts are still vacant. This, despite the fact that the state government had shortlisted candidates for 330 nursing and 57 supporting technical staff posts. Their names were even uploaded on the Health Department's website four months ago. A senior doctor posted in Ludhiana said: "There has been a sizeable increase in the number of surgeries that we perform daily. Meeting the increasing demand is just not possible until we have sufficient subordinate staff to assist us." Apart from these posts, the government had also started the process to fill 25 posts of dental doctor, 23 of audiometric technician, 12 of food inspector and eight each of psychiatrist social worker and echo technician. All these posts were advertised almost a year ago. For nursing and supporting technical staff posts, the process of document verification and seeking choice of posting from candidates had even been completed. Underlining the need for immediate appointments, Dr Hardeep Singh, president of Punjab Civil Medical Services Association, said: "Government hospitals are facing an acute staff shortage. The appointment process started in July 2011 but the exercise has not been completed even after the passage of a year." Unlike the process for appointment of doctors, which was delayed due to a petition pertaining to merit list filed in the high court, there are no court cases pending in these categories. Dharminder Singh, an aspirant for the post of a dental doctor from Khanna, said: "My name figured on the first list of selected candidates. It was followed by seeking a choice of posting and verification of documents on at least two occasions. The provisional list was put up in March and the second counselling was held in May. After that, there has been no word from the government's side on these appointments." Health and Family Welfare Director Dr JP Singh said as of now, the department was busy issuing appointment letters to doctors. Principal Secretary (Health) Vini Mahajan said: "The remaining all categories of appointments will be made after the ongoing process of issuing letters to doctors gets over."
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Gurdaspur dist has no funds
for sewage treatment plants
Gurdaspur, August 11 The erring MCs are Gurdaspur, Qadian, Fatehgarh Churian, Dhariwal, Sri Hargobindpur, Dinanagar, Batala, Sujanpur and Dera Baba Nanak. On innumerable occasions, the PPCB has called the Executive Officers and Presidents of these councils for a “hearing”, but things are back to square one once the hearings are over. To make matters worse, there are just two Executive Officers (EO) who control the affairs of all the nine MCs. “We could not set up an STP because of lack of funds,” said Ambika Khanna, former president of the Batala Municipal Council. This view was echoed by seven other MCs. The Gurdaspur MC chief Santosh Riar said that there was a proposal to set up one on Tibri Road. “A sum of Rs 39 crore has been allocated for the MC out of which Rs 15 crore will be spent on the STP,” she said. Dr SS Nijjar, a Batala based social activist, said, “If the Batala MC is facing a financial crunch, I will launch a drive to collect money to ensure that an STP is set up. A light shower means that the narrow bylanes of the town are clogged with sewage water.” In Batala, sewage falls into the 30-ft-wide Hansli drain. There are more
than 700 small and middle industrial units, including 400 foundries, in Batala. All the effluents discharged by these units simply
goes untreated. “We are sitting on a major pollution hazard and the government is simply
not allocating funds to set up STPs,” said a senior MC official. In Sujanpur, the Capt Amarinder Singh government released some funds in 2007. “With the change of government, things
fell flat. Ever since, the MC has been doing without an STP. All the effluents fall into Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) polluting the river,” said Naresh
Puri, former Sujanpur MC president. Pathankot may get STP by Dec Pathankot MC is faring a little better as it has got Rs 22 crore under a Central government scheme to establish an STP at Ladochak village. Once the plant is operational by December, all the sewage will get collected at Sundernagar and Daultapur pumping stations. Then, it will be taken to Ladhochak where it will be treated and given to farmers for agricultural purposes. The plant has a capacity of 27 MLDs
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‘Misuse’ of funds by former Sikh varsity VC
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 11 Sources said the two firms had already checked the financial records pertaining to the last four years, when Ahluwalia was appointed the first VC of the university in 2008. It would take another two to three weeks to check quality of the material used in the construction of the building and its total cost as per the then prevailing rates, said the sources. The SGPC chief, Avtar Singh Makkar, who is also the Chancellor of the university, had appointed two Chandigarh-based audit firms to inquire into the alleged misuse of funds and other irregularities committed by Ahluwalia. These firms were to submit their reports within a week. Ahluwalia was removed from the post following allegations of irregularities and mismanagement of funds. Varsity Registrar Dr Prithipal Singh has been given the additional charge of the VC. Meanwhile, SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra criticised Ahluwalia for knocking the door of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said if the VC thought that his hands were clean then he should have waited for the audit firms to submit their reports to the SGPC chief. Congress MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra had also filed a writ petition in the High Court, alleging violation of the UGC norms.
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Shinde to visit ICP soon
Amritsar, August 11 Shinde gave this assurance to Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and a delegation of the Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry in a meeting in New Delhi today. Sidhu, in a statement issued here, said he apprised the Union Home Minister of the three seizures of heroin over the last two months. The contraband was recovered from cement-laden rail wagons arriving from Pakistan at the Amritsar Rail Cargo terminal. Shinde said he had taken note of the inadequate security and infrastructure arrangements, the Press release said. Sidhu claimed the Home Minister took a serious note of the lack of scanners at the entry point on the international border, besides absence of measures like deployment of sniffer dogs, installation of CCTV cameras and round-the-clock patrolling at the railway cargo terminus at Attari and Amritsar.
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Royal city gears up for state-level I-Day function
Patiala, August 11 Throwing light on the preparations, the DC said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would hoist the National Flag and address a gathering. Apart from the routine parade, ceremonies and march-past, bikers from Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, would present stunts. Also, a team from the Punjab Police would present Malwai Giddha on the occasion. Punjabi University team would put up a Gatka show, the DC added. He said students from nearly 10 schools would participate in the cultural events. While girls from Government College for Girls, Mohindra College and Khalsa College would present Giddha, boys from Khalsa College and Mohindra College would present Bhangra.
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Nursing dollar dream, Punjabi hunks shed macho image
The shift in trend is being seen more in rural Punjab. At Davindra College of Nursing in Patti, a sub-division of Tarn Taran district, 15 of the new 89 students are boys. The list of male aspirants for the course ran long, but others couldn’t make it due to the high cut-off. College principal Satish Kumar Singh says, “It wasn’t too long ago when male nursing was unheard of in rural areas. But nowadays, boys are competing with girls for these courses. A visa is mostly assured as several countries have easy norms for trained nurses.” Satish Kumar says Punjab’s ‘gabru jawans’ (well-built boys) are happily turning their back on patriarchal division of professions on gender-basis, provided a trained nurse certificate can guarantee them fulfillment of their dollar dreams. Government College of Nursing principal Kamaljeet Kaur affirms, “The craze for nursing is indeed increasing. Boys who cannot make it through merit are opting for high-cost management quota seats.” NRI College of Nursing principal Kamlesh Kumari says, “We have five to six boys in each class. And why not, trained nurses have a bright future abroad. Earlier, Punjabi boys would only enrol in psychiatric nursing courses. Being physically strong was mandatory to nurse a psychiatric patient.” Whatever the reason, a boy choosing a womanly job is good news for feminists advocating gender equality. An immigration adviser says, “A trained nurse needs two or three years of experience to file for a permanent residency in most of the foreign countries.” But it is not just boys, even girls are shedding their traditional feminine attire to do manly jobs. A career consultant says girls are increasingly opting for jobs that fell very much in a male domain. The traditional belief towards gender-based jobs has indeed changed, he avers.
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Patiala sealing drive takes political colour
Patiala, August 11 Lal Singh said, “It is ridiculous that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are abroad despite the fact that the situation in Patiala is volatile because of the sealing drive.” “The silence of the SAD-BJP government makes it clear that it is not bothered about the interests of the masses,” he said. Hitting back, Patiala Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli said, “Before making any statement, Lal Singh should first clarify that why at this crucial juncture, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president and MLA from Patiala City, Capt Amarinder Singh, has gone abroad. It is really sad that Congress leaders are politicising the matter notwithstanding the fact that it is being done with the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.” Congress MLA from Patiala (Rural) Brahm Mohindra said as the number of shopkeepers who would be affected with the sealing drive was high, it was the responsibility of the SAD-BJP government to take up the matter and explore all options in the HC for providing relief to the shopkeepers. Addressing a press conference in the city today, SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said it was ironical that Amarinder Singh was himself out of the country and Congress leaders were pointing fingers at the Badal duo.
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Villagers block highway
to protest illegal mining
Nawanshahr, August 11 The protesters alleged excessive excavation of sand from the Sutlej bed and the adjacent dhussi bundh had exposed the foundation of a nearby bridge. They alleged that the mining contractor had been flouting norms of the Mining Act right under the nose of the authorities concerned. “Throwing norms to the wind, the contractor is excavating sand beyond the permissible limit. The bridge, which links Nawanshahr with Ludhiana and Chandigarh, is facing a threat,” a villager said. Addressed the protesters, Baldev Raj, former sarpanch of Kanaun village and president of Sutlej Bachao Sangharsh Committee, alleged that mining contractors in the area enjoyed patronage of the ruling parties. “Therefore, the local administration cannot dare to act against them,” another protester said. Residents of more than 50 villages downstream the Sutlej have been living under constant threat of flash floods in case of heavy rains in the region. The river has even changed its course due to the illegal mining within 500 metres radius of the Rahon-Machhiwara bridge where the mafia has dug 20 ft to 25 ft deep pits, they alleged. Heavy machinery being used in mining had been even confiscated by local panchayat members on August 9, but the administration failed to take any action against the violators, they claimed. Also, the contractor is charging Rs 1,400 per hundred cubic feet of sand against Rs 260 per cubic feet, the rate fixed by the state government, they alleged. The committee threatened to intensify their stir if the district administration continued to remain “indifferent” towards the menace.
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Respect panchayat decisions: NGOs
Sangrur, August 11 The NGOs’ demand was also supported by Project Director, Red Cross Drug De-addiction Centre, Sangrur, Mohan Sharma. The leaders of the NGOs Dr AS Mann and Kamal Anand asked the state government to respect the resolutions passed by the panchayats in this regard. They also appealed to the panchayats to pass their resolutions till September 30 - the last date for passing the resolution on not opening a liquor shop in their village - for submission to the Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, Punjab. Dr Mann said that during the past three years, 37 liquor shops were closed in villages of Sangrur district as their panchayats had passed resolutions in this regard. He said that during 2011-12, 55 panchayats of Sangrur district had passed resolutions not to open liquor vends in their villages during 2012-13. But only 14 shops had been closed in the villages during this financial year while resolutions of 24 panchayats had been rejected. In 17 cases, the liquor shops were shifted to other places, he added. Kamal Anand said that in the past five years, the number of liquor shops in Sangrur district had increased in a big way as during 2007-08, there were only 507 liquor outlets in the district which had now been increased to 654.
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Countering Addiction
Chandigarh, August 11 More than two years after theatre personalities, social activists and NGOs joined hands to seek a ban on correction fluids and thinners increasingly being used by the addicts, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a notification that the fluids would be available in the markets only in shape of pens, once the existing stock comes to an end. Taking up the issue, the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice TS Dhindsa also directed the health authorities concerned in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to take remedial steps for the rehabilitation of those addicted to the stuff. On a previous date of hearing, counsel for the Centre Onkar Singh Batalvi had told the High Court that the ministry concerned was in the process of issuing a notification to control/ban the sale of correction fluid in bottles. The UT Administration has already claimed that it had charted a special plan to deal with the menace. The Chandigarh Administration has claimed that the plan to stop the use of correction fluid by schoolchildren had been prepared in collaboration with the Government Medical College and Hospital-32 and the PGI. In an affidavit, the deputy commissioner had earlier claimed that they had completely banned the sale of correction fluid in stationery shops across the city. The UT Health Secretary has asked the Director, Health Department, to take preventive measures to control the use of correction fluid by minors in the city. In a petition, Ashok Khanna of the Art of Living, NGO Yuvsatta through its chief Promod Sharma, theatre-director Neelam Maan Singh Chaudhary, Rakesh Sharma and six others had earlier asserted that there was a need to initiate steps expeditiously against the prevalent tendency among the youth, even children, especially those residing in the city slums. The petitioners said there was a need to withdraw the stocks from the market and only allow the direct use of correction pens.
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Water at 16 Sangrur schools not potable
Out of a total of 76 samples collected from government and private educational institutes in the district, 16 samples failed the bacteriological or chemical test. These samples were collected in the first six months of this year. Out of 13 samples taken from private educational establishments, five failed the test. While out of 63 samples taken from government schools, 11 failed the test. Samples fail the test when the bacterial contamination or fluoride content is more than the permissible limit. Water samples were collected from various water sources, like taps, hand pumps and Reverse Osmosis systems. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Surinder Singla said that schools which had unclean water were asked to make alternative arrangements or ensure proper chlorination of water. These schools are situated at Bhawanigarh, Cheema, Sangrur, Sunam, Satauj (Sunam) Bhawanigarh, Bhullan, Kila Hakima, Bhasaur, Sangrur, Madevi, Meemsa, Sultanpur, Jakhepal and Ratoke village. The DHO said in view of the gravity of the matter, he would soon hold a meeting with the District Education Officers (secondary and elementary schools) to make arrangements to provide schoolchildren with safe drinking water. Dr Singla added the department would again collect samples from all those schools which had failed the test earlier.
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2 abandoned baby boys find place in girls’ shelter home
Amritsar, August 11 A few hours before the rag picker brought the newborn to the institution, someone had dropped another newborn boy at the cradle outside the bhawan. Had it not been for rag picker Lakhan, a dog would have devoured the new-born boy abandoned in a garbage dump. The child was rescued from the jaws of a dog and later found shelter at Panghura. It was sheer luck that Lakhan was collecting rags from the same garbage heap at the same time as the dog. When the dog pulled out a polythene bag, the baby fell out of it. “When he fell on the heap, I heard a feeble cry,” said Lakhan who shooed away the canine and took the child home. There, Lakhan offered him to his married and childless sister for adoption. “As people came to know about the incident, we were approached by many who wanted to adopt the child. Some even offered money. So we called up the police,” said Lakhan. The child was then brought to Panghura which made arrangements for his hospitalisation. In fact, both boys are presently being taken care of in a hospital. Thakur Randhir Singh, Secretary, Red Cross, said, “We know of persons who wish to adopt the child. Even Lakhan’s family wants him. But that can only be done through a legal adoption and placement agency.” You can blame Punjab’s ‘male child fixation’ for it, but the enthusiasm for adoption is absent on occasions a female child is received.
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Fungal infection hits paddy crop in Moga villages
Moga, August 11 “Extra use of nitrogenous fertilisers, particularly urea, by the farmers to save the paddy crop from the dry spell has resulted in this blight infestation,” Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, Agriculture Development Officer, said. During field demonstrations at Nathuwala Jadid, Rode, Manuke, Raonta and Himmatpura villages in the past couple of days, Dr Brar said that the fungal infection was in the preliminary stage these days and could be controlled by using the recommended dose of fungicides and reducing the spray of urea. He asked the farmers to spray Folicur 25EC or Tilt 25EC or Monceren 250 SC - 200ml with 200 litres of water per acre immediately at the first appearance of this fungal infection. Sheath blight is a serious infestation that affects the paddy crop. Initially, water-soaked yellowish stripes appear on leaf blades. These start at the leaf tip, later increasing in length with a wavy margin. On the leaf surface, a milky or opaque dewdrop could be noticed early morning. Lesions go from yellow to white as the disease advances. Severely infested leaves tend to dry quickly. The agro-scientist said that the infection could spread in the field from tiller to tiller on an infected plant or across the surface of water to the adjacent plants. Dr Jaswinder Brar also advised the farmers to remove wild grass, especially ‘khabble’ grass which harbours the inoculums of the fungus throughout the year. The presence of weeds, rice stubble and stems of infected plants, presence of bacteria in the paddy seeds and irrigation canals, warm temperature, high humidity, water stagnation and overdose of urea are the basic causes of blight infestation.
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Low water level in
dams hits irrigation
Chandigarh, August 11 Compared to last year, the level of water in Bhakra dam was less by about 54 feet last evening. In Pong dam, it was less by 42 feet. In Ranjit Sagar dam, it was less by 22 feet. Till date, the inflow of water in Bhakra dam was less by 24 per cent, in Pong dam, it was less by 45 per cent and in Ranjit Sagar dam, it was less by 43 per cent from the normal. The authorities said that against the total indent of 1.99 MAF (million acre feet), the state government has got 1.74 MAF water from dams, which is less by 12 per cent. The daily cut on water supply from various dams is to the tune of 2,000 cusecs. The low water level has put the state government under severe fiscal burden as it has to buy power from other states. The farmers are forced to spend lot of money on diesel to run diesel pump sets to operate tubewells. Punjab is a state where canal irrigation caters to 28 per cent of the total area covered under various crops. The water supply from Bhakra and Pong dams feeds various canal systems in the region. The remaining 72 per cent area is served by tubewells. Their number in the state is about 13 lakh, including 11.56 lakh tubewells operated with electric motors. Chief Engineer (canals) Amarjit Singh Dullet said that the low level of water in dams had not only hit the kharif crops hard, but it will also have an impact on rabi production.” He said that there would be a fall of about 100 cm in the water table this year compared to the average fall of 60-65 cm every year. He said that there would be a fiscal loss of Rs 2,000 crore due to the fall in the water table. Due to scanty rainfall, the 12 low dams in Kandi area have almost dried up. In Kandi areas, most farmers were dependent on water supply from low dams. “Due to shortage of surface water, temporary shoots, which used to be sanctioned to irrigate paddy, were not sanctioned this year thus denying surface water to about 10.09 lakh hectares,” said Dullet. Diesel consumption in the state went up by 5.78 per cent in May this year compared to this month last year and by 15 per cent in June this year compared to the same month last year. It was up by 23.56 per cent in July this year in the state. Till last week, rainfall was less by 82 per cent from the normal in Amritsar district, 90 per cent in Mansa, 95 per cent in Moga, 89 per cent in Tarn Taran, 80 per cent in Muktsar, 83 per cent in Sangrur, 88 per cent in Fatehgarh Sahib and 77 per cent in Nawanshahr. Till date, the average rainfall is less by 70 per cent from the normal in the state.
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But recent rain
cuts power cut duration
Patiala, August 11 The latest figures indicate that the power demand recorded in the state on Friday was 2,030 Lakh Unit (LU) while the availability was 1,838 LU. “Unable
to fill the gap of 192 LU between demand and supply, the power
corporation resorted to power cuts, but now, the period of the cuts in
the domestic sector has come down considerably,” said a PSPCL
official. Till a few days ago, the power demand in the state was as high as 2,200 LU. Speaking
to The Tribune, PSPCL Director Distribution Arun Verma said, “Rain
in some parts of the state has brought down the power demand. At the
same time, we are purchasing 175-200 LU on day-head basis in order to
ensure that minimal cuts are imposed in the domestic sector.” PSPCL
Director Generation GS Chhabra said that all the thermal units in the
state were working at optimum capacity.
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Drug menace in jails
Ludhiana, August 11 “Officers have been asked to work diligently, as honesty and commitment will be recognised," said the ADGP. "Drug addiction is a cause of concern and to control the menace, drug addict prisoners will be sent to drug de-addiction centres from now onwards. We will also maintain their records,” he said. Strict departmental action would be initiated against the employees found indulging in supplying drugs to prisoners, he said, adding that they would watch activities of both the employees and prisoners through CCTV cameras. To bring transparency and improve the functioning of jails, staff would be monitored through a software installed in Chandigarh, he said. Meena said special checking and raids would be conducted in jails for the smooth functioning of jails. "We want to create an improved work culture in jails and for this, we will provide all facilities including computerisation of jails, installation of CCTV cameras and facility of video-conferencing," said the
ADGP.
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PEDA for focus on biogas
Bathinda, August 11 Speaking on the occasion, PEDA in-charge Sukhwinder Singh said if pollution was not checked, it would become difficult for the people to live in a healthy way. People wearing masks in metropolitan cities to protect themselves from air pollution will no more be a cinematic probability, but a The PEDA in-charge added that shifting to non-conventional sources of energy was the only way out. Biogas is one such non-conventional source of energy that is cheap and environment-friendly, he informed the gathering. "Due to increasing demand, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), kerosene, wood and coal have become costly and would soon be out of reach of the common man, whereas biogas is one source of energy that is available at an affordable rate," he said. To promote the usage of biogas, PEDA is offering a subsidy of Rs 8,000 on biogas plant for every beneficiary. He said in Bathinda district, there are 2250 such plants that are functioning efficiently. PEDA engineer Sandeep Singh spoke about the benefits offered on schemes such as subsidy given on solar geyser, solar street lights, solar inverter and solar cooker.
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Police plans to crack the whip on tax evaders in Bathinda
Bathinda, August 11 The officials at the excise department, with the help of the Sangat police, have detected tax evasion to the tune of lakhs through the Punjab and Haryana border near Sangat Mandi. Sangat Mandi SHO, Amritpal Bhaati, said they were keeping a track of the tax evaders passing through various escape routes. He said goods and papers were confiscated yesterday in the city in connection with tax evasion. A senior excise official, pleading anonymity, said in a bid to escape the two per cent Central Sales Tax (CST) on various goods, including iron, scrap or other goods, the businessmen were not entering through the prescribed entry tax barriers and were instead taking escape routes through villages of Haryana, Baretta, Boha or near Sangat Mandi. “A truck carrying material worth `20 lakh is supposed to pay entry tax of at least `20,000 and if a trader manages to take five trucks a day through the escape route, he would save `1 lakh,” said the excise officer. To levy CST, the officials are now plugging all the possible escape routes with the help of the police. They have also raided the premises of some transporters. The officials, however, said they faced difficulties as the tax evaders had developed a network with the help of many shopkeepers, dhaba workers and others.
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Tributes paid to hero of Zoji La battle
Chandigarh, August 11 The Army had been engaged in a series of tough battles, many of which were fought in adverse conditions and inclement weather to regain control over areas which included Kargil and Dras towns as well as other important landmarks. The battles remain etched in the military history but their city-based hero marched into oblivion earlier this week. Col Shamsher Singh, then second-in-command of the 1 Patiala (now 15 Punjab), the first unit to capture Zoji La and Dras, breathed his last on August 6, a few weeks after his 97th birthday. The bhog ceremony for the departed soul was held here today and largely attended by relatives and well wishers. Col Shamsher Singh was born during the First World War into the Panag family of Mahadian village near Fatehgarh Sahib, and began his service career as an enlisted soldier with the Patiala State Forces. Soon after he was identified for his outstanding qualities, and was commissioned as an officer into the 1st Patiala Lancers and took part in military operations in the North West Frontier Province. During World War II, he served in Egypt and Palestine. Upon return in 1946, he was transferred to the 1st Patiala (Rajindra Sikhs) Infantry Battalion and on October 27, 1947 the battalion was air-lifted at a short notice of 12 hours to Jammu to push back the advancing Pakistani raiders. In March 1948, the battalion was moved to Srinagar for rest, but due to the imminent threat to Zoji La from Pakistani troops, the battalion was mobilised in haste to this sector. Major Shamsher Singh, then second-in-command, was made responsible for the defence of Zoji La and Gumri heights with a garrison of two companies. In spite of the intense pressure from Pakistani troops desperate to capture Zoji La so as to gain access to Srinagar and the Valley, the Zoji La garrison stalled the enemy advance and successfully defended the pass from May to October 1948.
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HC to rescue of those paying loan in advance
Chandigarh, August 11 At the same time, the High Court has let off the hook Punjab Mandi Board Secretary Mohinder Singh Kainth and Estate Officer Rajinderpal Singh in a plot allocation matter. They were in the dock as the authorities concerned had charged interest as per the original scheme of payment, though the purchasers had paid the amount in advance. A Division Bench of the High Court ruled: “We heard counsel for the parties at some length and were of the view that the action of the respondent-authorities in demanding interest as per the original schedule was unfair and could warrant penal action against the officers responsible for harassing the petitioners….” The directions came on a petition filed by Ram Niwas and another petitioner against the State of Punjab and other respondents. In their petition placed before the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice R.P. Nagrath, the petitioners had sought the quashing of order dated April 27, 2010, and another memo dated October 13, 2009. The respondents, vide the orders, had rejected their claim for the refund of alleged excess amount deposited towards allotment price of a plot in Jalandhar’s New Subzi Mandi. The petitioners were the highest bidders for site and were required to deposit the balance sale consideration in six half-yearly installments. They were to deposit the amount by March 2011, but deposited the balance sale consideration by August 2009. Still, the authority concerned insisted that the petitioners must pay interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum as per “original calculation” as on the due dates mentioned in the allotment letter, irrespective of the advance payment. “The question that arises for consideration is whether the petitioners, who have deposited due amount well in advance, are entitled to proportionate reduction towards interest liability or they must pay as per the calculations made in the allotment letter?” the Bench framed the question. The Bench added that waiving off the interest “would be consistent and in consonance with the principle which permits the respondent-authorities to charge additional/compounding/penal interest from an allottee who fails to deposit the installment on due date”. The Bench concluded: “In view of the fact that the respondents have now refunded the excess amount to the petitioners, we dispose of this writ petition as
infructuous.”
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Man held with fake currency
Muktsar, August 11 “Someone had lodged a complaint that the accused had promised them that he, after taking a handsome amount in advance, would return double the money. Later, he paid them in fake currency notes,” said SHO Lakhewali Major Singh. He added that fake currency notes in the denomination of Rs 500 and 100 had been seized from the accused. A case under various Sections of the IPC has been registered.
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Councillor booked for cheating
Bathinda, August 11 She accused Devinder Kohli, Raghuvir Kohli Bhappa, both brothers, Lakhvir Singh of Adarsh Nagar, Jiwan Kumar, MC Darbara Singh and former MC Chhinder Kaur of pocketing `14 lakh on the pretext of selling a plot. Naib Singh, an employee of the college and husband of the complainant, said they decided to purchase a 101 square yard plot in the unplanned area near Adarsh Nagar for `7 lakh around seven months ago. The accused, including a policeman and their son-in -law, whose names have not been included by the police in the FIR, offered to help them in buying the plot.
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After a long wait, 195 doctors received their appointment letters in the first week of July. But, not before the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened in the matter and directed the state government to hasten the process.
The Punjab Pollution
Control Board (PPCB) authorities in the district are fuming over rising water pollution.
Security arrangements have been made and all preparations are in place for the state-level Independence Day function to be organised at the YPS Stadium in the Royal city on August 15. Deputy Commissioner (DC) GK Singh is personally monitoring the security and other arrangements for the function.
Up in arms against the mining mafia, residents of over a dozen villages today blocked the Rahon-Machhiwara highway for over two hours.
Having gathered under the banner of Sutlej Bachao Sangharsh Committee, the villagers, a majority of them farmers, raised slogans against the
SAD-BJP government and the district administration for allegedly turning a blind eye towards the menace.
Amritsar, August 11
Amritsar, August 11
Sangrur, August 11
The Agriculture Department has sprung into action to educate the farmers about its control. It has recommended not using extra doses of nitrogenous fertilisers.