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Patiala mayoral poll today
SAD decides to discard secret ballot
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Protesting teachers canecharged
Slugfest: Policemen try to stop teachers from blocking the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road in Ludhiana on Sunday. Tribune
photo: Himanshu Mahajan
Khanna Factory inferno
Ranike was reluctant to quit
Demand for CBI probe gets louder
Plan to impart employable skills to 1 lakh youths
Hoshiarpur villagers on warpath against mining
Govt to give Adarsh schools another shot
Nothing is too tough for these rural girls
Girls attend a class at Guru Angad Dev Institute of Careers and Courses in Khadoor Sahib. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Institute fined for misleading students
Playwright's house
to be made museum
Ludhiana resident receives power bill of
Rs 11 lakh!
Dubai firm to compensate Indian family for worker’s death
Speed limit warning goes unheeded in Bathinda
Octroi abolition has hit revenue: Mayors
Dialogue only way out, says Pak minister
Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, and his family pays obeisance at the Golden Temple. A Tribune photo
PSPCL RECRUITMENT EXAM
ASI begins work to restore the historic grandeur of Bathinda Fort
Dispatch tax notifications on time: HC
Embezzlement
Suspended principal booked for drawing wife’s salary
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Patiala mayoral poll today
This will be followed by elections to the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Of the 50 municipal councillors, 35 belong to the SAD, seven to the BJP and eight to the Congress. It is almost certain that the Congress will not field a candidate for any of the posts. Insiders say though Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has picked a candidate to be made Mayor, aspirants are still lobbying for the post. Sources close to Sukhbir say the names of candidates for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be disclosed during a special meeting of the Patiala MC House to be held at 11 am tomorrow. “It could be anybody - Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, Jaspal Pardhan or Amarinder Bajaj,” said a senior Akali leader. For the post of Senior Deputy Mayor, incumbent Anil Bajaj, former Patiala BJP president Balwant Rai and senior BJP leader Jagdish Rai are in the race. For the chair of Deputy Mayor, BJP’s Lata Aggarwal is the sole contender. She is the only woman BJP councillor. If the SAD-BJP alliance decides to make a woman councillor Ludhiana’s Deputy Mayor, then a Scheduled Caste BJP councillor would be made Patiala’s Deputy Mayor.
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SAD decides to discard secret ballot
Ludhiana, September 16 It is an open secret that the local SAD unit is divided into different factions. Almost all the factions are lobbying for the Mayor’s post. This is despite the fact that the Akali councillors and MLAs have left the decision to party president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. Congress leaders, anticipating cross-voting, were hopeful of making some gains. In 2002, Congress councillor Nahar Singh Gill was elected Mayor through the secret ballot. At that time, an Independent councillor, with the help of SAD-BJP councillors, almost became Mayor but Gill managed to win with a wafer thin margin. In 2007, Hakam Singh Giaspura was elected unopposed as his candidature was not opposed by any party. Speaking to The Tribune, Ludhiana West MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress, said the “show of hands” clearly indicated that the Akali Dal feared cross-voting by its councillors. “The state government should allow voting through the secret ballot so that no member of the Ludhiana MC House is under any pressure,” he said. On the other hand, PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said: “There is no factionalism within the party. The SAD-BJP is in majority and that is why we will choose our Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor without any impediment,” the minister added
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Protesting teachers canecharged
Ludhiana, September 16 However, the policemen failed in their mission and the protesters managed to block the road for three-and-a-half hours from 1:30 pm to 5 pm. Hundreds of teachers from the Sanjha Front Teachers Union and other bodies had gathered for a state-level rally in support of their demands at a park near Vardhman Mill. As the rally ended, the teachers started marching towards the highway. The police tried to stop them, which led to an argument between the two parties. Soon, a huge posse of policemen arrived at the spot and barricades were put up. Adamant on blocking the road, the protesters, including female teachers, pushed the barricades and rushed towards the highway. The police used mild force, but that failed to stop the protesters. It was only after Deputy Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Toor and district administration officials intervened that the blockade was lifted. Toor made an announcement that he would get a meeting fixed between the teachers and the Chief Minister. "I assure you a meeting between you and the Chief Minister will be arranged in the next 10 days," he said. Teachers' union district president Manpreet Singh claimed that 7,654 contractual teachers who were recruited by the state government on September 23, 2009, were being paid salary five-time lesser than their regular counterparts. "A lecturer is paid Rs 10,000 a month, master cadre teacher is paid Rs 9,000 and a librarian is paid Rs 6,500. The Chief Minister had promised to meet us on August 28, but the meeting was postponed at the last minute. We have been demanding regularisation of our services since long. The state government is not paying any heed towards our demand. The Chief Minister is not even giving us time for a meeting," said Manpreet. On last Sunday, the teachers had blocked the main GT Road. Then as well, the police used mild force but could not stop the protesters from blocking the road. Another union plans mega rally on Sept 23 Sangrur: Members of the district unit of the Teachers Eligibility Test Pass Unemployed Teachers Union here on Sunday held a rally to protest against the alleged “false promises” made to them by the state government regarding regular jobs. After gathering at the local Banasar Bagh, the protesters took out a march from there till the Traffic Lights chowk near the bus stand. They were led by union state general secretary Raghbir Singh Bhawanigarh. Bhawanigarh said they will hold a state-level mega rally in Ludhiana on September 23. Among their main demands are enhancement in the number of posts of Punjabi and Social Studies teacher to 2,000 each. The posts were recently advertised by the state government, he added. — TNS
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Khanna Factory inferno
Ludhiana, September 16 Two more workers succumbed to their burns at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, today, taking the toll to 12. Ajay Kumar Mishra, father of plant operator Davinder Kumar, declined to take the relief, terming it as a "cruel joke" with the families who had lost their near ones. "We lost our breadwinner….our 22-year-old son. And the Punjab Government wants to compensate us with a mere Rs 1 lakh! The government should spend the amount on strengthening the department so that such incidents don't recur," he said. Going a step ahead, Ajay Kumar alleged that it appeared the police was sheltering the accused as the statement of only one worker, electrician Manjit Singh, was recorded to file an FIR even as five more workers were admitted at the PGIMER. "The police did not contact the other five workers. Why? They should explain," he contended. On the other hand, the move of the Khanna police to register a case against the plant owners even before the filing of a magisterial report has raised many an eyebrow. The development has contradicted SSP Ravcharan Brar's earlier claim that the case would be registered only after the filing of the magisterial probe report. "I did say that a case will be registered after the filing of the report, but we changed our mind after the complainant's statement," Brar said. A senior police official, however, said the case was registered due to political pressure and public outrage. As two more workers died today, their relatives and labours union flayed the police for booking the six accused, including three owners of the factory, under "bailable" sections. Under Section 304-A, 427 and 120-B of the IPC (under which the case has been registered), accused can get bail by furnishing a bail bond. In his complaint, Manjit had stated that the "plant's machines had developed snags and the owners did not bother to get then repaired despite the matter being brought to their notice". Police sources said the electrician's statement held no meaning after a clean chit from the Power Corporation officials, who stated the incident did not occur due to a shot circuit.
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Ranike was reluctant to quit
Chandigarh, September 16 The Chief Minister is said to have assured Ranike that if found innocent by the Vigilance Bureau, he would be re-inducted in the Cabinet. This means the government is unlikely to allot the important portfolio held by Ranike to anyone. The government has shied away from appointing anyone to the two posts vacated by the forced resignations of Rural Water Supply and Defence Services Welfare Minister Bibi Jagir Kaur and Agriculture Minister Tota Singh. The sources said the SAD decided to move into action following reports that a PIL might be filed in the case. The party was also under pressure from Congress legislators from Majha who have been demanding a CBI inquiry into the issue. Sources said Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal consulted the Advocate-General besides seeking a report from the Amritsar Police Commissioner to ascertain whether the case touched Ranike too. The sources said that it had come to light that Ranike had directed that cheques to beneficiaries be routed through his personal assistant rather than the panchayats concerned. This compelled the government to aask Ranike to quit. The sources said Ranike was likely to be asked to join the investigation. His son Gurinderpal Singh was also likely to be questioned.
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Demand for CBI probe gets louder
Amritsar, September 16 Alleging that Ranike had connived with his personal assistant Sarbdayal Singh and his son Gurinderpal Singh for siphoning over Rs 2 crore, Tarsem Singh said the scope of inquiry should be extended to cover all grants received from the state and the Centre. — TNS
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Plan to impart employable skills to 1 lakh youths
Chandigarh, September 16 A meeting held under Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal gave the final touches to the blueprint of the plan. Sukhbir said that technical institutes must weed out obsolete trades and focus on only those required by the industry. The Deputy CM was informed at the meeting that there were 111 government and 294 private ITIs in the state providing training to over 64,000 students every year. Sukhbir directed the Principal Secretary, Technical Education, SS Channi, to submit a concept paper for improving placement in the ITIs by involving renowned companies like the Tata, Toyota, Kirloskar and Mahindra in the training programme. Concerned over fewer students opting for the science stream at the plus two level, Sukhbir directed the Director of Technical Education to put up a proposal making it must for every ITI to run plus two classes on its campus.
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Hoshiarpur villagers on warpath against mining
Talwara (Hoshiarpur), September 16 The residents have been protesting against the illegal activity in their area for the past quite some time, but no concrete action has been initiated by the government officials concerned. The Tribune too has highlighted the issue earlier. Braving heavy rain that lashed this part of the region in the morning, the residents, including women and youth, of over 50 villages located on either side of the Beas gathered at the protest venue at 10 am. Raising slogans against the governments of the neighbouring states for remaining a mute spectator towards their grievances, they claimed that the mining contractors allegedly enjoyed the backing of politicians in power. The villagers also formed an 11-member joint action committee, under the leadership of Sulakhan Singh Jaggi and Santokh Singh, to lead their protest in an organised way. Jaggi claimed that illegal mining was not only threatening the area's ecology with the riverbed being excavated extensively, but the activity was also resulting in losses to the state exchequers as no taxes were being paid to the government. Santokh Singh claimed that by taking advantage of the unclear demarcation on the interstate border, certain influential persons had even set up stone crushers on the riverbed and were excavating natural minerals in violation of norms. The mafia has also been charging exorbitantly from customers for sand, gravel and crushed stones. Besides, the villagers want a stop on the use of village link roads for heavy vehicles as the roads were getting damaged. The action committee has now decided to restrict the entry of trucks and tractor trailers carrying construction material on these roads.
what they want *
An end to illegal quarrying on the Beas riverbed
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Govt to give Adarsh schools another shot
Chandigarh, September 16 The government is reworking on certain issues relating to school management, including financial and administrative, seeking to fix greater accountability. A detailed report prepared by the Education Department has been submitted to Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka. Without divulging details of the report, Maluka said: “The functioning of Adarsh schools will come up for a detailed discussion with Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on September 19”. An inquiry report had earlier revealed that certain schools were charging fees from students on different accounts, including books and uniform. The report had pointed out that the actual number of students enrolled in many of schools was much lesser than the numbers shown in the registers to claim money from the government. Even teachers were not paid as per the fixed criterion. Certain schools have complained that they have not received the matching government grant of Rs 1,120 per child since May this year. Located mainly in remote areas of the state, the schools are affiliated with the CBSE. Gurtej Singh Brar, chairman, Aklia Educational and Research Society, Bathinda, said: “Adarsh schools are doing a yeoman service by educating poor children. We are not charging any fees. Only insignificant amounts are sought for books and uniforms. The government should study the working of each society and take action against those found guilty of violating the norms”. Brar said: “The government has stopped giving grants for buildings because of which our contractors have stopped the work. A number of school buildings are incomplete. The state is charging a special cess on the sale of liquor to fund the education sector, but the same is not allocated for the purpose”. After initial hiccups and backing out by certain private parties, those who had joined the government initiative on Adarsh schools included Bharti Enterprises, Educomp Solutions, Baba Isher Singh Education Society, Balaji Education Trust, SAS Group, FCS Software Solutions, Chief Khalsa Dewan, Amritsar, and Akalia Education Society.
Project revamp *
Adarsh schools, opened to benefit poor children, have failed to make an impact
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Nothing is too tough for these rural girls
Capt KS Bal (retd), who runs the institute’s affairs, says the girls are provided free lodge and boarding facilities. They are given coaching free of cost too. They only have to pay a registration fee of Rs 100. Capt Bal says on completion of course, the trainees return to the institute for brushing up their skills when the date of an entrance exam is announced. “Normally, the date is declared three to four months in advance and the girls come back to us for a fresh round of training so that they are able to give their best shot in the exams,” says Capt Bal. The girls are given physical training and prepared for the written test as well as the interview. The officer says 208 girls from the institute have been selected in various paramilitary/police forces since its launch in 2008. He takes pride in the fact that a trainee from the institute led the passing out parade of the first-ever women battalion of the BSF. Capt Bal says the girls undergo physical training from 8 am to 10 am daily. After a 30-minute break, they re-assemble for the coaching class that are held from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm. As most girls come from villages, “we have to work very hard to prepare them for the entrance exam. There knowledge of current affairs and mathematics is rather poor,” says Capt Bal. At present, the institute is training a batch of 67 girls. “I want to stand on my feet so as to help my siblings get a better education,” says Rajbir Kaur from Butala village.
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Institute fined for misleading students
Chandigarh, September 16 The institute allegedly cheated Rajbir Kaur Brar and Gurbir Kaur Brar, both residents of Moga, and other students by offering BSc (Medical Lab Attendant) course under its distant learning programme even though it did not have the permission of Punjab Technical University (PTU). The commission upheld the decision of the consumer forum which had awarded Rs 32,000 to each of the complainant with 9 per cent interest and an additional Rs 20,000 to each of them. Rajbir and Gurbir took admission in the college as regular students by paying Rs 20,500 each. Later, the college informed them that there would be no regular classes for the course, which would be part of its distance learning programme. The complainants decided to quit the course and demanded fee refund, which the college had refused. The commission pointed out that the college did not have the approval of PTU for offering a course through distance learning at the time of issuing of the advertisement.
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Playwright's house
to be made museum
Amritsar, September 16 On his birth anniversary, as a tribute to the theatre activist, who revived the Punjabi theatre and made it a medium of the masses, his ancestral home Guru Khalsa Niwas is being turned into a museum. One portion of the building is already being run as Guru Khalsa Library. Besides, his birth anniversary, which falls on September 16, will be celebrated as “Inqualabi Rangmanch Divas” from this year. The initiative is being taken by Gursharan Singh Memorial International Trust, run by his family and members of literary society in Amritsar. “Gursharan used to rehearse for his plays on the terrace of his house where he established Amritsar Natak Kala Kendra in 1960. Late Balraj Sahni also stayed at Guru Khalsa Niwas during his association with the Punjabi theatre,” said theatre personality Kewal Dhaliwal, who was a disciple of Gursharan Singh. The house was constructed by Gursharan Singh’s grandfather Narayan Singh. “It became a revolutionary epicentre for literary groups during the Partition, Emergency and militancy period in Punjab. During the early 1990s, Gursharan shifted to Chandigarh, but he wanted to set up an open air theatre inside his house,” said Dhaliwal. The proposed museum will showcase his plays, handwritten notes, writings, pictures and memorabilia for public display. “Gursharan along with his team had toured the state hinterland and staged plays like ‘Dhamak Nagare De’, ‘Bhai Mana Singh’ and ‘Miti da Mul’. He worked relentlessly for an egalitarian society, gender equality and workers’ rights. He also served as chairman of theatre group Pulse Manch,” Dhaliwal said.
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Six units found violating pollution norms
Patiala, September 16 “Under the supervision of Senior Environmental Engineer Gulshan Rai, four teams headed by members of the Board of Environmental Engineers raided 14 units in Mandi Gobindgarh and found 6 major violators, who were not complying with the various provisions of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974,” said Ravinder Singh. Board officials said the samples from all the industries have been collected and sent to the Head Office Laboratory for analysis. “As per the preliminary reports, the proceedings for the action against the defaulting units have already been initiated. Once the lab reports confirm the violations, strict action would be taken against all the erring units,” said Board chairman. The industrial units of Mandi Gobindgarh have been under the Board’s scanner for a long time as most units here have been polluting the air heavily. But due to the efforts of the PPCB, the number of polluting units has gone down in the recent past.
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Ludhiana resident receives power bill of
Rs 11 lakh!
Patiala, September 16 Terming the bill as “inflated”, the person concerned Manav Inder Singh Guram, has shot off a complaint to KD Chaudhri, PSPCL Chief Managing Director, and Director (Distribution) Arun Verma, demanding a probe into the matter. “We do not have any appliance that consumes so much electricity. Our last bill this year was Rs 19,250, whereas the bill for the period between mid-July and mid-August is of Rs 11,11,440,” reads the complaint.
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Dubai firm to compensate Indian family for worker’s death
Chandigarh, September 16 A resident of Nawanshahar, Siso had petitioned the commission that her son Jinder Pal Singh had been employed with Al Tharwaniah Building Contracting since 2005. On August 6, 2011, while at work he fell from a height and died due to cardio-respiratory arrest. His body was sent to India and cremated. However, the employer did not pay any dues or compensation. She claimed she was a heart patient with daughters to look after. She said the family was dependant on Jinder for their livelihood. Observing that the labour laws are prevalent for expatriates working in the Gulf and the same would also be applicable to the aforementioned firm, the Commission’s bench comprising Justice Arvind Kumar and S Chattopadhyaya asked the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to take up the cause of the complainant with the authorities concerned since the legal representatives of Jinder were entitled to grant of death compensation. The firm has now responded saying that it requires a legal heirship certificate and a power of attorney authorising one of the legal heirs of the deceased along with bank account details for making the necessary payment. The Commission has now directed the Deputy Commissioner, Nawanshar to look into the matter and get the needful done expeditiously so that the bereaved family gets the compensation at the earliest.
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Speed limit warning goes unheeded in Bathinda
Bathinda, September 16 One can witness vehicles running beyond the prescribed limit on almost every road in the city. A number of boards displaying the maximum speed limit have been installed in the city, but the commuters are still not ready to obey the instructions. For instance, the maximum speed limit set by the traffic police on the Goniana road is 40 km/hour. But hardly any four-wheeler is seen complying with the same. Nakas laid by the traffic police on roads hardly served any purpose so far. For lack of strictness on the part of traffic cops, commuters are not willing to give up their bad habits. In the past, vehicles running above prescribed speed limits have proved to be fatal as well as injurious in some cases. In the absence of strict enforcement of traffic rules, more such accidents are bound to take place. An advocate, Ranjodh Singh, said, "Since the city developed into a major town in the past few years, its traffic needs to be regulated. The number of vehicles is increasing day by day and the violations are also increasing. In the past, the traffic police carried out a drive to check unauthorised parking of vehicles. Now, they must carry out a similar drive to curb over-speeding." A shopkeeper, Sumit Dhingra, said, "The number of road mishaps is increasing and it is the duty of cops to regulate the traffic and ensure vehicles don't cross the prescribed speed limits on roads. This can go a long way in saving the precious lives of commuters. The traffic cops must chalk out some plan and implement it strictly." When contacted, Kuldeep Singh, ASP Traffic, said, "We are going to start a special drive in this regard. All vehicles running above the permitted speed limit would be challaned. We have found a number of points in the city where we are installing boards mentioning the speed limits for different types of vehicles." "In the past, we carried out special drives to control the problem of parking, which has brought good results. But the people must also support us to streamline the traffic, which is a problem here," added the traffic police official. The ASP, however, parried the query about the number of vehicles that have been challaned for
overspeeding.
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Octroi abolition has hit revenue: Mayors
Bathinda, September 16 While some of these mayors accused their state governments of not providing funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM), a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India in 2005, others blamed the Ministry of Urban Development for its 'bias and dictatorial attitude' in the allotment of funds. But they were all in unison when it came to voicing their opinion on the abolition of octroi. The abolition of octroi, the charges levied on goods moving between two municipalities, has left the local bodies financially crippled. The octroi helped the local corporations meet their expenses and made up for almost 70-80 per cent of their revenue. "But in the absence of octroi and the dependence of municipalities on the state governments, civic amenities in the urban areas have been adversely affected," said Madhu Sood, the former Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, who imposed the 'green tax' on every vehicle entering Shimla from April 2012. The green tax, ranging between Rs 100 for two-wheelers, Rs 200 for cars and jeeps, Rs 300 for middle segment and utility vehicles and Rs 500 for buses and trucks, is levied on all vehicles not registered in Himachal. The tax is valid for a week. "After the octroi was removed in Himachal Pradesh, we faced an acute financial problem. So imposing the green tax to generate revenue was the only option for us," said Madhu Sood. Brinda Kartika Reddy, Mayor, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, also shared the views. "During my participation in a number of executive committee meetings of the mayors in various parts of the country, I came across this common grouse of the local bodies after the state government removed the octroi," she said. "After the removal of octroi, there were ways to compensate the municipalities with the surcharge levied on VAT or excise duties. But this surcharge first goes into the coffers of the state government, so getting it back from the state government is a tedious and Herculean task," said Bhawna Shah, Mayor, Khandwa Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh. With the landmark 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, there were wide-ranging urban sector reforms to strengthen municipal governance so that the elected representatives could effectively run their local affairs. "But now, for every financial aid, we keep looking at the state government and the latter looks towards the union government. This is not the 3-tier system of governance which the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act envisaged,"
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Dialogue only way out, says Pak minister
Amritsar, September 16 Wattoo said he prayed for harmonious relations between India and Pakistan and sought peace and prosperity for their inhabitants. Talking to The Tribune, Wattoo said though he was on a private visit, he would say that “Pakistan was committed to resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue. Various governments in the world are resolving their differences with dialogue. Similarly, the India and Pakistan governments must resolve their bilateral issues, including Kashmir with dialogue”. He, however, favoured holding of tripartite talks including representatives of Kashmir apart from two governments. Stressing that the Kashmir issue has pushed India and Pakistan too far from each other, Wattoo said Pakistan was committed to resolving the issue through dialogue and advise of Kashmiris. He also appreciated the way both countries have initiated talks on key issues, especially the recent Foreign Ministers’ meet in Islamabad. He said its outcome of relaxing visa norms was outstanding and encouraging for future dialogue. Wattoo said: “My ancestors lived in Muazzam village near Fazilka and I was born there. I was a child when our family moved to Pakistan. My long desire to see the ancestral village and say prayers at the mausoleums of my ancestors were fulfilled and felt blessed”. He thanked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his hospitality and arrangement for the visit. His family had to migrate to Pakistan in 1947 on a cart leaving behind a huge estate of 650 acres. Wattoo, who arrived here on September 12, said he arrived here on the invitation of the state government and expressed his gratitude to the people of East Punjab. He favoured for the opening of the Indo-Pak Border at the Sulemanki-Sadiqi check post in the Fazilka sector for the economic development of the area. Watto was accompanied by his wife Parveen Begaum, sons Khurram Jahangir Watto, MLA, Punjab Province, Mauzzam Wattu, former MP, daughter Tabana Shehzad, son-in-law Shehzad Ali Khan (president, All-Pakistan Cotton Association, Punjab Province).
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PSPCL RECRUITMENT EXAM
Patiala, September 16 Eleven hundred candidates were to be recruited under 17 categories through the examination that a Noida-based agency EDCIL conducted on July 13. PSPCL had hired the agency. After the exam, several candidates had alleged that many carried mobile phones and sent photos of the question paper via MMS to people outside the premises. They later got the answers to the questions on their phones. This had put a question mark on the legitimacy of the exam. The Power Corporation then entrusted its Vigilance Wing to conduct a probe into the matter. “The probe report has not ruled out the use of unfair means by candidates at the examination,” said a senior PSPCL official, preferring anonymity. However, KD Chaudhri, PSPCL Chief Managing Director said, “The inquiry report clearly mentions that there is nothing substantial to prove whether the candidates received or sent MMS,” while adding, since the matter was pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Power Corporation will submit the report in the court.
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ASI begins work to restore the historic grandeur of Bathinda Fort
Bathinda, September 16 Conservation assistant at the Bathinda Fort, MC Sharma, said the work on restoring the low wall has almost been completed. He, however, could not elaborate on the amount spent on it. Along with the north-west fortification of the wall, construction in some portion of the Fort's southern part and the grill fencing at the rear (in 100 metre length) is also being undertaken.
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Dispatch tax notifications on time: HC
Chandigarh, September 16 The directions came on a petition filed by the District Taxation Bar Association (Sale Tax) against the State of Punjab and another respondent. In its petition, the Association had sought directions “to make immediately available the notifications” after publication in the official gazette. The Association had contended that many a time, penalties had been imposed upon assesses due to non-availability of the
notifications. Taking up the matter, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain asserted that earlier also an Association member had filed a writ petition in the High Court “when similar difficulty was faced”. The Bench observed the petition “P.C. Garg, advocate, versus State of Punjab” was disposed of on August 29, 2004, on the basis of a reply filed by the State Government, claiming that notifications were to be dispatched every Monday through the Department of Posts at concessional rates. But, the notifications could not be dispatched due to paucity of funds. In its reply, the State had also assured the Court that “paucity of funds would not be a ground for not dispatching the notifications with promptitude in future”. The Bench further observed that at the time of arguments, a further undertaking was given that all pending notifications would be dispatched to the departments concerned and in future, dispatch of gazette notifications would not suffer delay for want of funds. In its detailed order, the Bench added: “The undertaking given in the writ petition decided on August 29, 2004, still holds the field and the department concerned is bound to abide by the same. “Therefore, we direct the State Government to take appropriate action forthwith in terms thereof. Any laxity in this regard will be viewed seriously by this Court”. Disposing of the petition, the Bench added liberty is granted to the petitioner to initiate appropriate proceedings against the erring officials, if any such lapse is brought to the Court’s notice”.
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Embezzlement
Bathinda, September 16 Deputy Commissioner Amit Dhaka said the accused had embezzled money meant for various development works in the two villages. He said the cases had been registered on the recommendation of the Block Development and Panchayat officers of Mansa and Budhlada. He said Mandeep Singh, along with panchayat secretaries Harbans Singh, Jagwinder Singh and Vijay Kumar, had allegedly embezzled Rs 45.40 lakh. They had allegedly produced bills for works that were never executed, They also furnished inflated bills for the works undertaken in the village. Dimple Kumar, panchayat secretary of Kahangarh village , allegedly pocketed Rs 4.23 lakh of the Rs 5.79 lakh received for leasing out the village land to a farm contractor. The DC said that a former sarpanch of the village had brought the matter to his notice, claiming that Dimple had not deposited the money in the account of the panchayat. Neither had he submitted a receipt of the money received. Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Narinder Bhargav said two cases under Sections 408, 409 and 120-B had been registered against the accused. “We have initiated the process to arrest the accused and to investigate the case further.”
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Suspended principal booked for drawing wife’s salary
Patiala, September 16 The police have registered an FIR under sections 406, 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC against Gurjinder Singh Grewal, principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Bhadson, his wife Malwinder Kaur, Amandeep Kaur-a clerk in the same school and a private doctor Mahinder Pal, who helped the accused couple obtain fake health certificates. Investigating officer, sub inspector Jaspal Singh said the accused clerk and the doctor have been arrested while raids were on to nab the other two. “It is likely that Malwinder Kaur is already abroad but we are conducting raids to arrest
Gurjinder,” he added. Last month, Punjab Government had suspended the principal after an FIR was registered against him by the police on a District Education Officer’s
(DEO) complaint. The DEO had filed a complaint with the police after a departmental probe had indicted the accused. Senior police officials said, “Prima facie it appears to be a case of forgery.” The FIR against the accused reads, “The principal has been drawing the salary of an absent teacher, who is his wife, on his own behalf.”
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The SAD high command this evening finalised candidates for the post of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Patiala MC.
According to a notification issued by Patiala Divisional Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu, all 50 councillors will be administered oath at a special meeting of the House at the Patiala MC headquarters at 11 am tomorrow.
Ludhiana, September 16
Guru Angad Dev Institute of Careers and Courses, being run by Baba Sewa Singh, has proved that girls are no less than boys.
More than 200 girls trained at the institute have made it to the paramilitary/police forces in the last four years.
Amritsar, September 16
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmad
Wattoo, along with his family, paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before returning to his country through the Attari-Wagah Joint check post today.
Wattoo said he prayed for harmonious relations between India and Pakistan and sought peace and prosperity for their inhabitants.
Patiala, September 16
Khadoor Sahib (Tarn Taran), September 16