The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Moga trader accused of killing youth for revenge Police case not registered, the youth’s kin allege local SAD leaders protecting the accused Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, September 18 A youth who was allegedly involved in an attack on a local businessman died under mysterious circumstances today on the premises of a commercial complex owned by that businessman who survived his attack about two years back. Although the police has not yet registered a criminal case, senior officials believe it is a clear cut case of murder probably committed to take revenge. The family members and relatives of the deceased youth, identified as Parveen alias Bobby, protested outside the local police station for not registering a case of murder against the businessman alleging that the culprit was being protected by the local leaders of the SAD. As per the details available, Parveen was involved in a murderous attack two years back on a businessman, Vinod Goel, who owns a commercial building Kaka Plaza. Parveen was presently out of jail on bail. Interestingly, his body was recovered by the police from the premises of this commercial building, which raises the doubts of murder. Ajay, the brother of the deceased youth, has alleged his brother has been murdered for revenge. TNS tried to contact Vinod Goel on his mobile phone but it was switched off. The police had not yet registered any criminal case but had entered the report of the incident in the daily diary register (DDR) of the police station. The body of the deceased youth had been taken to the district hospital for post-mortem examination, which would be conducted on Wednesday. Meanwhile, preliminary investigations by the local police revealed that it could be a case of murder but this could be established only after the post-mortem report or if required a viscera examination, said a senior police official.
	Property tax HC slams Moga MC for being unfair to Nestle Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, September 18 The Municipal Corporation, Moga, has received a severe blow from the Punjab and Haryana High Court for imposing an irrational hike of 5,500 per cent property tax on the local unit of Nestle India Limited, the world's premiere food manufacturing company. The HC has not only stayed this move of the local body but also passed strictures commenting that if such policies continue in the state, no industry would come forward for investment. The Municipal Corporation, which was then a council, first issued a notice to the company on March 5, 2008, raising the annual property tax on its premises by 50 times to Rs 2 crore from Rs 4 lakh, which it was paying in the year 2000-01. Recently, the Corporation demanded a hefty amount of more than Rs 15 crore by way of arrears for the last 10 years from the company by making an unreasonable hike of 5,500 per cent, which shocked the company officials. A senior official of the company told TNS that a representation was given early this year to the DM in this regard who asked the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, Chander Gaind, to look into the matter. "The ADC, after conducting the magisterial inquiry, gave a report in our favour. But the MC authorities again moved an application before the Secretary, Local Bodies Department, who stayed the orders of the magistrate asking the MC to proceed forward for the recovery of property tax." The notices were issued to the company under Sections 137 and 138 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 for tax recovery. If the company failed to pay the tax, the MC could have initiated action to attach the company's moveable and immovable properties as per the existing laws. After this, the company moved a petition in the High Court through senior advocate ML Sarin, contending that it had made no substantial alterations to the premises since 2001, and that the demand for tax and arrears was "arbitrary, illegal, unjust and unconstitutional". The lawyer argued that the state could raise the tax on account of a rise in the market price, which should not be more than 10 per cent. While passing the stay order, Justice Ranjit Singh commented in the open court, last week, that with such notices and unreasonable hike in taxes, no industry would remain and invest in the state. Meanwhile, the court, while directing the Punjab government to be reasonable, also asked the Nestle authorities to pay the property tax at a rate of 10 per cent increase. The court gave the Punjab government and the Moga Municipal Corporation two months to respond.
	Trauma centres near national highways ‘State stealing credit for the project’ Our Correspondent Abohar, September 18 While the Punjab Minister for Local Bodies Chuni Lal Bhagat had at Patiala sought to assign credit to the state government for planning trauma centres, the Congress Legislative Party leader Sunil Jakhar has produced some documents to assert that the project has been offered by the UPA government during the 12th plan. Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Vini Mahajan, in a letter to the Central Government on August 9 this year, acknowledged that Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had on June 21 this year sought a list of hospitals and medical colleges for development of trauma care facilities during the 12th plan. The state government then short-listed nine hospitals for the scheme. Jakhar said as per the proposals, level-I trauma centre is to be developed at the medical college in Patiala (950-bed) at a cost of Rs 50 crore while four level-II trauma centres, each costing Rs 15 crore, have been planned for 200-bed hospitals at Abohar, Bathinda, Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur. Level-III trauma centres, each costing Rs 8 crore, have been recommended for 100-bed hospitals at Phagwara, Ropar, Sangrur and Ferozepur. All the trauma centres will be located near the national highways as casualties have been higher in mishaps there. The CLP leader said even when the maximum numbers of cancer patients board the Abohar-Bikaner (cancer train) here, the state government has not recommended the setting up of cancer hospital here. Even the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital at Abohar has not been provided with a specialist to examine such patients.
	Low temperature affects cotton in Fazilka Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, September 18 The cotton of Fazilka, known for its long staple quality, has been hit adversely by the inclement weather and the low temperature. Following the increase in moisture, particularly during the day, the growth of the cotton balls has slowed down for the last fortnight. According to agricultural experts, around 30-32 degree Celsius temperature is required in September for the blooming of the plant. But as per the meteorological department, the temperature has been ranging from 24-28 degrees. "About 12 acres of our cotton fields has been hit by the leaf curl virus and the cotton ball drop due to adverse weather conditions," said a traditional farmer Nishan Singh of village Tahliwala Jattan. In some villages, particularly on the Malout road, considered to be the cotton belt of Fazilka sub-division, there have been reports of these pests attacking the blooming cotton balls. "The cotton plants have been uprooted and flattened in some fields. Reports of fruit drops have been received, particularly in those villages on Malout road where the water table is high. But the situation is not alarming and there is nothing to worry about," said Assistant Cotton Extension Officer (ACEO), Fazilka, Ram Swaroop. "Sucking pests like aphids and jasids have attacked the plants in some areas causing hindrance in their growth," said a cotton grower and an agricultural expert, Satish Dhingra. The month of September records the maximum growth of flowers and balls but due to the inclement weather, the blooming of new flowers has slowed down, said Dhingra. Dhingra pointed out that the south winds are considered favourable for the growth of cotton but the east winds blowing these days are another factor for the fruit drop. "Farmers have failed to control the white fly despite spraying costly insecticides and fungicides. Besides, leaf curl has also now hit the plants," said another agricultural expert Prem Babbar, who has been awarded many times by the Punjab Agriculture University. "The arrival of cotton has also been delayed due to adverse weather conditions," say the experts. As per official sources, cotton is cultivated in nearly 24,000 hectares of land in Fazilka block alone. "The farmers should avoid unwanted and excessive spraying of pesticides. They should contact the cotton experts of the agriculture department to curtail expenses and to derive maximum yield," said Ram Swaroop.
	Woman forges documents to get job, held Tribune News Service Moga, September 18 The economic offences wing of the Moga police has arrested a woman on charges of forging documents to prepare a certificate showing that she belongs to a family of freedom fighters. By using the fake certificate, the woman identified as Gurdip Kaur, daughter of Gurcharan Singh, a resident of Ferozepur, got admission in a B.Ed course and then also got a government job. At a time when the scrutiny of the certificates was going on, her relations with her husband soured. And they mutually agreed to get divorce. But her husband who knew about her fake certificate, complained to the education department and the police authorities. The education department, in an internal inquiry, found that she forged the documents to get admission to the B.Ed course and then also used it to get the job. The economic offences wing, under the supervision of the SSP, also conducted a separate inquiry in which she was found guilty of forging the documents. The in-charge of the economic offences wing of the local police, Guru Dutt said a criminal case under sections 420, 465, 467, 471 and 120B of the IPC has been registered against her. "We have arrested the woman and further investigations are in progress," he added.