B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Rollback new taxes: Cong
Bathinda, September 7
Congress activists sat on protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today to protest against rising prices and failure of the Punjab government to check the rising graph of crime.

Congress activists stage a protest outside the District Administrative Complex in Muktsar on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Irate Malout residents block Abohar road
Malout, September 7
Even though Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, during his visit to Malout on Tuesday, had claimed that the state government has improved the potable water supply across the state. Yet the situation appears to be in contrast, as three days after his visit, the residents today blocked the Malout-Abohar national highway for nearly two hours, demanding adequate supply of potable water to their houses.

RTS Act has worked, claims commissioner
Muktsar, September 7
The Right to Service (RTS) Act, which was implemented in November 2010 in Punjab, has got a marvelous response in all the districts, said Dr Dalbir Singh Verka, Commissioner, RTS Act.

Double murder accused nabbed
Muktsar, September 7
The district police today claimed to have nabbed the murderer of Mahant Nirman Muni and his driver. The police said Pathar Dass, who was wanted in the murder case registered against him in 2003 in Patiala district for allegedly killing Mahant Nirman Muni and his driver Gurcharan Singh, was caught riding a bike on Thandewala road in Sangu Dhaun village.

Freedom fighter, VC to get honesty award
Faridkot, September 7
A freedom fighter who leads a low-profile life has now been selected for the Annual Baba Farid Award for Honesty. Amar Singh Sukhija, the 89-year-old, spent many months in jail with Giani Zail Singh during the Praja Mandal Movement before independence.

 Rollback new taxes: Cong
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 7
Congress activists sat on protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today to protest against rising prices and failure of the Punjab government to check the rising graph of crime. They chanted slogans against the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and demanded roll back of the recently imposed taxes.

They submitted a memorandum to the DC KK Yadav claiming there was unrest among the farmers and the poor sections over the failure of the SAD-BJP government to fulfill the election promises. Prominent among those who participated in the dharna were, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, MLA, Harminder Singh Jassi, Gurpreet Kangar, Ashok Kumar, Rupinder Bindra, Rajan Garg and Narender Bhaleria.

MUKTSAR: Congress activists today staged a massive protest outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) against the state government for increasing taxes and demanded a rollback of the decision.

They also handed over a memorandum to the ADC Narinder Singh Bath in this regard.

Those who addressed the gathering included Muktsar MLA Karan Kaur Brar, Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Warring ‘Raja’, former MLA Malout Nathu Ram and district Congress president Gurdas Girdhar.

FAZILKA: The Congress workers here heaved a sigh of relief as the dharna organized by the faction-ridden party at the district headquarters passed off peacefully. In the previous dharna staged before the assembly elections, supporters of different groups had thrashed each other.

Secretary, PPCC, Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha a former OSD to Captain Amarinder Singh, was the special observer.

Former minister Hans Raj Josan from Jalalabad, former MLA Mohinder Rinwa and Capt MS Bedi, Atul Nagpal, Jaspinder Jakhar, Mahila Congress leader Indu Jyani, were present. Besides, Giri Raj Rajora, the defeated Congress candidate from Balluana and another aspirant Gurcharan Singh Musaffir, Malkiat Singh who unsuccessfully contested the election from Jalalabad assembly constituency, former District Youth Congress president from Abohar Sandeep Jakhar along with Fazilka youth Congress vice-president Ranjam Kamra, attended the rally.

Faridkot: The Congress faced a tough time in keeping its flock together during the protest dharna today.

Avtar Singh Brar, a senior Congress leader, former  MLA and a minister from Faridkot, and Ripjit Singh Brar, former MLA from Kotkapura and  younger brother of Jagmeet Singh Brar, and their supporters, were conspicuously absent from the dharna.

It was Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, a former SAD MLA and now general secretary, Punjab Congress, and Joginder Singh, Congress MLA from Jaitu, and some other local leaders of the party who participated in the dharna with an impressive gathering of their supporters.

Ferozepur: DCC president Anoop Singh, Parminder Singh Pinki, MLA, Inderjit Singh Zira, ex-minister, Gurnaib Brar, ex-MLA, Rajinder Sharma, Gurdeep Dhillon, Ajit Singh, Chander Mohan besides block heads and Youth Congress workers participated in the dharna and condemned the “anti people” policies of the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.

 Irate Malout residents block Abohar road
Archit Watts/TNS

Malout, September 7
Even though Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, during his visit to Malout on Tuesday, had claimed that the state government has improved the potable water supply across the state. Yet the situation appears to be in contrast, as three days after his visit, the residents today blocked the Malout-Abohar national highway for nearly two hours, demanding adequate supply of potable water to their houses.

“There is no potable water supply to our houses since the village sarpanch has taken the keys of the water works in his possession. Last month, a committee consisting of village residents was formed to solve the problem and the duty of supplying the water was assigned to its members. But the intervention of the sarpanch has worsened the situation,” said Harwinder Singh alias Kala, a former member of the village panchayat.

Meanwhile, a police party led by SHO Sadar police station Paramjit Singh reached the spot to pacify the protesters.

An executive engineer of the water supply department, Parmod Kumar, also reached the spot to assure the protesters. The protesters also demanded legal approval of the committee formed by the villagers to oversee water supply.

A meeting with the local MLA Harpreet Singh was fixed for tomorrow. It was only then that the protesters lifted their dharna.

Meanwhile, the officials blamed the villagers for the irregular water supply, saying a majority of them did not even pay the bills and were politically motivated.

Irregular water supply
* Demanding adequate supply of potable water to their houses, the residents blocked the Malout-Abohar national highway for nearly two hours.

* A police party reached the spot to pacify the protesters.

* The dharna was lifted after a meeting with the local MLA Harpreet Singh was fixed for Saturday.

* The officials blamed the villagers for the irregular water supply saying a majority of them did not even pay the bills.

  RTS Act has worked, claims commissioner

Muktsar, September 7
The Right to Service (RTS) Act, which was implemented in November 2010 in Punjab, has got a marvelous response in all the districts, said Dr Dalbir Singh Verka, Commissioner, RTS Act.

Backing his claim, he said so far, only 205 appeals have been received by the first and the second appellant authority.

“It shows that 69 services, which have been brought under the preview of the Act, are being provided to the people within the stipulated time period,” said Dr Verka.

“Besides the applications received by the first and second appellant authorities, only six applications have come for revision before the Right to Service Commission and four of them have already been redressed,” he added.

Dr Verka said the government was now going to expand the limits of the Act by bringing in 41 more services under its umbrella. He said so far, no appeal had come before the first and second appellant authority in Muktsar district. No revision petition has been filed against the failure of the Act’s implementation. — TNS

  Double murder accused nabbed

Muktsar, September 7
The district police today claimed to have nabbed the murderer of Mahant Nirman Muni and his driver. The police said Pathar Dass, who was wanted in the murder case registered against him in 2003 in Patiala district for allegedly killing Mahant Nirman Muni and his driver Gurcharan Singh, was caught riding a bike on Thandewala road in Sangu Dhaun village.

DSP (City) Kanwaljit Singh Chahal said, “The accused was presently living in village Chak Bir Sarkar near here. During the preliminary interrogation, he admitted that he was about to commit one more heinous crime.” The police added that the parents of the accused had handed him over to the Mahant in 1998. He later killed him and his driver on May 5, 2003 and along with his accomplice, threw their bodies into a canal at Pabri village near Patiala.

The accused was awarded imprisonment for 20 years for the killings and after getting bail, did not return to the prison. — TNS

 Freedom fighter, VC to get honesty award
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 7
A freedom fighter who leads a low-profile life has now been selected for the Annual Baba Farid Award for Honesty. Amar Singh Sukhija, the 89-year-old, spent many months in jail with Giani Zail Singh during the Praja Mandal Movement before independence.

Though he was a close friend of Giani Zail Singh, Sukhija never used his close ties with the late President of India for any personal benefits.

Besides Sukhija, Dr SS Gill, vice-chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), has also been selected for the honesty award.

A noted singer and lyricist, Rajesh Mohan who is working relentlessly to promote music and singing among the blind in Punjab, has been selected for the Bhagat Puran Singh Award for his service to humanity.

Rajesh Mohan will share the award with Jagdev Singh Jassowal, chairman, Punjabi Cultural Manch, Ludhiana. “Jassowal is known for his promotion of Punjabi culture,” said Inderjit Singh Sekhon, chairman of Gurudwara Tila Baba Farid Society, Faridkot, which bestows the award every year on Baba Farid Aagman Purb, held on September 23.

The honesty award is given by the society to an honest Punjabi working in any part of the country. The earlier winners of the award include Kiran Bedi,  IPS, and Krishan  Kumar, IAS.