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DC detects irregularities in Muktsar school
State nod for sewage treatment plant in Abohar
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Stir against MC gains strength
19-year-old raped in Bhadaur
Arhtiyas ask Union Minister to withdraw proposal to fix their commission
Jains in Punjab seek minority status
College students protest ‘harassment’ by pvt bus operators
Students threaten indefinite sit-in if college seats not increased
Flesh trade
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DC detects irregularities in Muktsar school
Muktsar, August 18 The DC caught the teacher who was in-charge of the mid-day meal scheme red-handed, for serving poor quality food to the schoolchildren. During the inspection of the cooked meal at a senior secondary school in Bariwala village of Muktsar district, Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh found that besides adopting improper ways to cook the food, the quantity of the raw material used for the cooked food was much less than what was shown in the stock register. As per the stock register of the mid-day meal scheme in the school, 37 kg rice was shown to have been cooked for the children today in the afternoon, but in reality, only 20 kg rice was cooked, said the DC. To verify the quantity of the cooked rice and the used raw material, besides questioning those who were working in the school kitchen, the DC asked the school staff to take the utensil containing the cooked rice to a flour mill in the village for weighing it. Instead of cooking both rice and pulses (dal) separately, these items were being cooked by mixing them in one utensil in the school. While ordering an inquiry, the DC regretted that there had been even misappropriation in the ration meant for small children in the schools. The objective of the mid-day meal scheme is to protect children from classroom hunger, increasing school enrollment and attendance, improving socialisation among children belonging to all castes and checking malnutrition, said the DC.
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State nod for sewage treatment plant in Abohar
Abohar, August 18 Addressing a rally in Nai Abadi here, Congress MLA from Abohar and the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Sunil Jakhar said the state government had cleared the installation of plant to treat sewage near the disposal works here with a budgeted cost of Rs 42 crore. Fifty per cent of the total amount was released earlier to lay cement pipes to connect the sewage disposal with a drain. Now, the process of inviting tenders for the Rs 19.5 crore project to install the treatment plant has been completed. The company that has been allotted the work has started testing the soil to initiate the work. The Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) has been asked to monitor the scheme. The Board has also been re-allotted Rs 11.70 crore for the construction of another reservoir, 500x300 feet in size, besides linking the previously constructed reservoirs with pipes in the new water works located on the Abohar-Hanumangarh road. The project includes construction of 2.5 MLD gallon canal water treatment plant at the same site besides a clear water tank. Notably, Rs 20 crore had been refunded to the state treasury in 2006 on this account as funds were not utilised. The rally is being seen as the beginning of the Congress campaign for the coming municipal elections. Jakhar lambasted the BJP-run council for disbursing Rs 30 lakh to contractors instead of paying salaries to its staff. The staff has gone on an indefinite dharna inside the council complex. Senior councillor Vimal Thatai and district Youth Congress former president Sandeep Jakhar were also present at the rally that was organised by councillor Prem
Kalra. |
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Stir against MC gains strength
Abohar, August 18 The protesters demanded the resignation of the municipal council president Shivraj Goyal and dissolution of the council over its failure to resolve the sewerage problem. Sore over the malpractices in the contractual sanitation system, the protesters also demanded that it should be scrapped immediately and the youths should be deployed on daily wage basis. Speaking on the occasion Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo, former chairperson of the Social Welfare Board and ex-president of Punjab BJP Mahila Morcha, said the party had suffered in the past Vidhan Sabha elections as the council run by it failed to drain out dirty water from the residential areas and markets and could not ensure the supply of potable water. She did not approve of the recommendation made by the BJP South Mandal unit to expel three councilors, Geeta Chaudhary, Ravi Makkar and Kamal Nagpal for airing the grievances of the people. “We are accountable to the people for our failure to ensure the basic amenities,” she observed. Bhadoo spoke to the Deputy Commissioner to intervene as the council had not convened its budget meeting for the last four months. Notably, 12 members owing allegiance to the Congress had a few days back submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner seeking his immediate intervention under Section 22 and 25 of the Punjab Municipal Act since the president had not called a meeting of the House despite a letter given to him by the executive officer of the MC in July. |
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19-year-old raped in Bhadaur
Barnala, August 18 SHO, Bhadaur Sadar police station, Bhupinder Singh said this evening that the 19-year-old girl was going to her college on foot as she had missed the bus. On way to the college, two motorcycle-borne youths (including a neighbour) offered to drop her at the college. But instead of dropping her at the college, they took her to their rented room where they beat her up and raped her, the SHO added. The SHO said one of them had been identified by the girl as Gurwinder Singh, alias Guri while the second was not known to her. However, the accused were still at large. He said the girl’s father took her to the hospital where her medical examination was conducted. Meanwhile, the girl’s parents have demanded the arrest of the accused immediately. |
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Arhtiyas ask Union Minister to withdraw proposal to fix their commission
Fazilka, August 18 The deputation was led by the state president of the Federation, Vijay Karla, along with Members of Parliament from Punjab, Preneet Kaur, Vijay Inder Singla, Ravneet Bittu and SS Libra. Giving details after returning from Delhi today, the president of the Fazilka district unit of the Federation, Daya Krishan Sachdeva, disclosed that the commission agents have demanded from the Union Minister that 2.5 per cent commission paid to the arhtiyas on minimum support price (MSP) for purchasing foodgrain for Central pool should not be curtailed. At present, the state government pays 2.5 per cent commission to the agents on the minimum support price (MSP) of different commodities. The need for the meeting arose following a letter sent to the Chief Minister of Punjab by the Union Food Minister that the taxes levied by Punjab on foodgrain procurement was the highest in the country. The total taxes levied by the state government add up to 14.5 per cent including 2 per cent market fees, 2 per cent rural development funds, 5 per cent VAT, 3 per cent infrastructure development cess and 2.5 per cent commission of arhtiyas. The Union Food Minister had proposed that the commission of arhtiyas be fixed at Rs 27. The amount was calculated on the basis of commission paid to the agents on the MSP for the year 2011-12. “We have pleaded before the minister that the commission should not be fixed and it should be paid as per the old pattern of 2.5 per cent on the MSP of foodgrain,” said Vijay Kalra over the phone. If the commission is slashed, it may not be economically viable for the traders to run their business, maintained the commission agents. Kalra and Sachdeva said the cost of input in the procurement process, including power bills, labour charges and maintenance, had been accelerating continuously and it would not be possible for them to run the business on the fixed sum. Sachdeva said after giving them a patient hearing, KV Thomas assured them that the old pattern of paying 2.5 per cent commission on the MSP would continue. |
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Jains in Punjab seek minority status
Bathinda, August 18 Jain saint Vachnacarya Vishal Muni Ji has written to the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Minority Affairs, the Home Minister and the National Minorities Commission for recognising Jains as a religious minority. He reminded that more than 14 states have accorded religious minority status to Jains including neighbouring Haryana which gave the minority status to Jains in April this year. Interestingly, Punjab nominated a member from the community to the State Minority Commission three years ago but has not granted minority status to the Jain community in Punjab. Notably, the Central Government recognises Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis as minorities and various scholarships and benefits are given to these religious communities under Central schemes. |
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College students protest ‘harassment’ by pvt bus operators
Barnala, August 18 The call for the strike had been given by the Punjab Students Union (PSU). State finance secretary of the PSU, Pardeep Kasba said in these three colleges, the strike evoked a good response. He said the students were demanding, bus pass/identity card facility in all government and private buses, check on “illegal nakas” being laid by the employees of private bus operators to harass the students, and registration of cases against the private bus operators whose employees had been committing “atrocities” on the students. Kasba said they would continue their agitation till the state government accepted their demands and initiated action against the private bus operators. The agitating students were addressed among others by Gurpreet Singh Kherri, Simarjit Singh Sekha, Ram Dass Chhapa and Gurpreet Singh
Sehna. |
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Students threaten indefinite sit-in if college seats not increased
Ferozepur, August 18 As a last resort, the students, under the banner of Punjab Students Union (PSU), have now decided to launch another stir in support of their demands. Sukhwinder Singh Shreehwala, zonal president, PSU, said they had organised a dharna in front of the DC office at Ferozepur on Tuesday last. However, the dharna was lifted after an assurance from the DC, S Karuna Raju, who assured them of looking into their demands including enhancement of number of seats in the college besides regulation of fee structure and appointment of faculty against the vacant posts. Sukhwinder said if their demands are not fulfilled by Monday, they will again sit on an indefinite dharna in front of the DC office. Sukhwinder said there are more than 1000 students seeking admission to BA first year in the college. However, due to shortage of staff and lack of infrastructure, almost 600 students have been denied admission this year. Another student Rakesh Singh said, “It is the only government college in this area close to our village as other nearest colleges are situated in places like Fazilka and Faridkot for which he have to travel almost 70 to 80 kms daily”. He said Guruharsahai being an economically backward area, the students here cannot afford the higher fee structure of the private colleges. Meanwhile, Dr Hira Singh, officiating principal of the college, said he has already informed the DC as well as the university authorities about the demands of the students. The principal said after the condition of the college was highlighted in a section of the media, the PWD authorities had descended on the college campus for repair work. However, no other requirement including provision for furniture and other equipment has been looked into till now due to which the students were facing problems. |
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Flesh trade
Fazilka, August 18 SSP Amar Singh Chahal said the police nabbed Ashok Kumar alias Langra who was trying to sell a minor girl to a customer in the local grain market late on Friday evening. As per the preliminary investigations, Ashok Kumar, a resident of village Penchanwali and Rani of village Arniwala in Fazilka sub-division, lured a minor girl, a resident of Patiala, and brought her here. While Ashok Kumar was in the process of selling the girl to one Ram Krishan, a resident of village Bihla Patti, the police raided the place and nabbed him. SSP Chahal said Ashok Kumar had settled the deal for the minor girl at Rs 50,000. The SSP disclosed that Rani, the leader of the gang, was earlier nabbed for selling a Bengali girl. He apprehended that she may be part of an inter-state gang running the sex racket. The accused have been booked under sections 372, 373 and 34 of the
IPC. |
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