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State ploughs a lonely furrow in field of crop diversification
pollution case
Police behind fictitious letter, allege kidnapped girl’s parents
Excise Dept to get tough on dry day violators
Capt’s rivals pin hopes on Rahul’s visit
Area frequented by Bhagat Singh a neglected lot
Farmers fail to reap profits from Guar
Millers buy paddy from grain markets to meet backlog
Rice mills evading market fee to face action
No evidence yet against Ranike
Rates of bricks up by 35%
Hue and cry over shifting of police stations
Gastro claims two more lives in Batala
Punjab Regiment Officers Association holds annual meet
Police clueless in
Rs 2.5 lakh theft case
FDI will push natives out of market: Economist
Do not outsource mid-day meals
preparation
Bathinda MC reeling under cash crunch
Bathinda to have metered water connections
2 rape cases in 24 hours shock Amritsar residents
Bribe-for-job scam rocks Punjabi varsity, 3 booked
2 Armymen held with 7-kg opium
4 days on, murder case still a mystery
29-year-old man found dead in fields
Two booked after man’s death
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Traders call on Shinde, seek scanners at ICP, rail cargo
Attari, October 7 Majithia along with Khanna Paper Mill MD Suneet Kochhar and prominent exporter Rajdeep Uppal demanded that scanners should be installed for import cargo at the ICP as well as the rail cargo terminal in Amritsar to curb smuggling of narcotics from the other side of the border. "The installation of scanners will help in creating foolproof mechanism to check any such illegal activities," they said, also demanding more warehousing space at the ICP and the rail cargo in view of the increase in imports from Pakistan. The traders said the open yard where goods were being dumped should have a concrete floor and roof to save cargo from the vagaries of weather. At present, the yard being used is an open piece of land. During extreme climatic conditions, the traders face a lot of hardships in loading and unloading cargo from the yard. Majithia also demanded that the freight corridor should be extended from Ludhiana up to ICP (Attari) to help boost economic and social stability of the region. Highlighting the issues of border farmers, Majithia sought adequate compensation for the farmers owning land across the barbed wire fencing. He informed Shinde that the farmers were provided a relief of Rs 2,500 per acre during the NDA regime but later this compensation was withdrawn. He strongly pleaded that in view of the current inflation, compensation to the tune of Rs 10,000 per acre should be earmarked to provide relief to the farmers. He also apprised him that the farmers had also not received compensation for the land acquired for erecting barbed wire fencing while the same was the case regarding the 11-feet road on the international border used by the BSF and Army for patrolling. Responding to it, Shinde said the government will look into all such cases of land acquisition from the farmers in the border area of Punjab. Majithia told Shinde that all roads, structures and fortified bunkers constructed during Operation Vijay (Kargil 1999) had not been removed till date nor any compensation paid so far. He also brought home the need to construct bridges over defense drains. He said post-1965 war, these drains were constructed in the border areas. But till date, the farmers had to travel up to 15-20 km around the drain to reach their farmland. Former minister and SAD MLA from Attari constituency, Gulzar Singh Ranike, was conspicuous by his absence during the Home Minister's visit. While Revenue Minister Majithia was there along with border area MLAs like Virsa Singh Valtoha, Amarpal Singh Boni Ajnala, Manjit Singh Manna and Harmit Singh Sandhu, Ranike wasn't present there. Ranike had resigned recently from the Punjab Cabinet after his name cropped up in a rural development fund scam.
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State ploughs a lonely furrow in field of crop diversification
Ludhiana, October 7 Head of the Department of Economics at the university, MS Sidhu, said: "The area under pulses has decreased rapidly after the introduction of paddy in Punjab. In the financial year 1980-81, the area under pulses was 3.41 lakh hectares, which at present has come down to 21,000 hectare." Experts believe the main reason behind the decline in production could be that unlike wheat and paddy, there is no assured market for pulses. A marketing expert at the university, Jagroop Singh Sidhu, said, "As the yield of pulses is low, farmers prefer to grow the crop only on non-irrigated land… In no way can pulses compete with paddy or wheat on an economic scale." Dismal scenario
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pollution case
Chandigarh, October 7 Local resident Gurdas Chand had complained that some persons had installed machinery of hazardous nature in his locality which was causing unbearable pollution. He also alleged that the matter was reported to the Punjab Pollution Board and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, but no action was taken. Taking cognizance of the matter, the commission had called for a report from the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner, which stated that the Punjab State Pollution Control Board, Amritsar, had already issued a notice to the other party and the matter was pending before the board. The panel, after going through this report, called for a status report from the board. In the next seven hearings, no report from the board was submitted to the commission. The panel directed disciplinary action against the officials concerned. Subsequently, this case was again adjourned a number of times for want of reply and comments from the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner. The commission, in its order this week, directed the Amritsar Municipal Corporation Commissioner to appear personally before the commission.
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Police behind fictitious letter, allege kidnapped girl’s parents
Faridkot, October 7 “The police is trying to sabotage the bandh call for October 12. Instead of tracing our daughter and nabbing the accused, who is facing 16 criminal cases, the Faridkot police is pressurising us not to support the bandh call,” alleged Ashwani Kumar, father of the kidnapped girl, Shruti, while speaking to mediapersons. He said the police had now started concocting stories on the basis of a fictitious letter. “The motive is to sabotage the October 12 bandh by suggesting that Shruti has eloped and has not been kidnapped,” said Seema, the girl's mother. “My daughter was taken forcibly away by a gang of armed youths in broad daylight. The kidnappers inflicted serious injuries on the family members, dragged Shruti out of the house and bundled her into a car, firing several rounds into the air before fleeing. “All this took place in the presence of more than 100 residents of the locality”, she claimed. She ridiculed the police theory, two weeks after the incident, that the girl had willingly left the house with the key accused. A member of the local Action Committee, formed to get justice for the aggrieved parents, alleged that a few days ago a senior police officer had visited the victim's parents and told them about the letter. He, however, did not show the letter to them. “ The following day, photocopies of the letter were freely available to make it seem that Shruti had eloped. The police is clearly trying to save the culprits and sabotage the October 12 bandh.” A distraught Asha Rani, 70, Shruti’s grandmother, could not hold back her tears. "There seems no hope for us. I wish we were dead," she said. Faridkot Senior Superintendent of Police GS Dhillon declined to comment on the allegations levelled against the police. He said the police was working on the case in right earnest. The prime accused in the case is said to be close to some local Akali leaders.
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Excise Dept to get tough on dry day violators
Patiala, October 7 Sources confirmed that many vends and English wine stores in the state remained open despite ban orders by the Deputy Commissioners and the excise office for not selling liquor on October 2. "Many shops operated illegally and sold liquor, flouting all norms. A detailed report is being sought from the respected Excise and Taxation Officers
(ETOs) of those wards to initiate action," they added, claiming ETOs have been warned to report all such violations without bias. In Patiala alone, where the excise headquarters are located, three liquor vends have been identified, while an English wine store located near a prominent hotel is also under the scanner for not only selling liquor but also serving hard liquor, despite it being only a beer bar. Meanwhile, four such liquor vends in
Sangrur, a couple of vends in Ludhiana, Mohali and one each in Jalandhar and Pathankot are under the scanner of the authorities concerned. A visit to such places on October 2 in the district confirmed that liquor continued to be sold across the table and at least a couple of hotels violated the norms. District police was, however, unaware of the goings-on, with seniors maintaining there were no complaints. Many liquor contractors rued that while they suffered losses as they followed government rules, many did not follow the norms and raked in illegal profits, and thus, must be brought to book. “We have identified such shops in
Patiala. By Monday, they would be fined for violating rules. A case has been forwarded to the Divisional Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC),” said LS Jakhar, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner,
Patiala. Navdeep Bhinder, DETC, Patiala division, said she would act tough. Those found violating the rules will have to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 and will be served show-cause notice. “We will get a report from our AETCs in various districts and I will cross-check to ensure that no one goes scot-free,” she stated.
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Capt’s rivals pin hopes on Rahul’s visit
Chandigarh, October 7 There was a flutter in the Congress rank and file with Rahul cancelling the tour plan proposed by the Pradesh Congress, which included a visit to Patiala. Amarinder's rivals are reportedly preparing for a show of strength following reports that Rahul would hold a one-on-one meeting with senior party leaders, including legislators, at the party office here. Rahul's programme for Amritsar on October 10 has been finalised but his programme for October 11 is still unclear. There are chances the tour may be curtailed to one day. Supporters of both Partap Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Randhawa are expected to lobby for their leaders during Rahul's visit to Amritsar. However, the focus of Rahul's visit is much broader. Sources say Rajasthan MP Harish Chaudhary, who is coordinating Rahul's visit, wants the Congress general secretary to meet a large section of the state leadership. While he is scheduled to meet block and district-level presidents, besides legislators and the youth and NSUI wings of the party, Rahul will also meet former district and PCC presidents. Bajwa's supporters claim that things are moving in favour of their leader. This group has approached a cross-section of leaders to ensure Bajwa is projected as the best alternative to Amarinder. A senior leader said Bajwa would be projected as a man of the masses who could take on the Akalis effectively. Efforts are being made by some legislators to project former minister Laal Singh as a consensus choice.These leaders claim that Laal Singh is the only person who can unite the party leadership and lead it effectively at this juncture. Laal Singh claims he is not a candidate but says he has never shied away from responsibility. Amarinder, when told that one of his many rivals claimed to have been shown the green flag by the high command, quipped: " There are at least 12 leaders waving the green flag in varying shades." The PCC president said it was up to party president Sonia Gandhi to decide on the issue of leadership change, adding that Rahul was visiting Punjab as part of a nationwide programme under which he had already visited Jharkhand and Kashmir.
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Area frequented by Bhagat Singh a neglected lot
Amritsar, October 7 The Bara Makan lane, located in Islamabad area of the city, lies under the shadow of tall buildings, although portions of the two gates of the lane are intact. A well from where the revolutionaries used to fetch water now lies buried under a building. The lanes adjoining Bara Makan have been named as Gandhi Gali, Jawahar Gali, Tilak Gali and Lajpat Gali. Most of the houses in these lanes now don a modern look. Bara Makan had six houses on both sides of the lane. It was said to be a safe haven for revolutionaries because of its strategic location as the lane (with 12 houses) had big gates on both the ends which could be locked. Besides, the area was surrounded by orchards and cultivated land. After assassinating Saunders, Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev had taken shelter in a rented accommodation of noted freedom fighter Sohan Singh Josh in the area. The incident was later termed as the Lahore Conspiracy Case. Bara Makan was also the headquarters of monthly Punjabi revolutionary magazine “Kirti”. Bhagat Singh also worked in the editorial board of the magazine for three months. Eminent poet Dev Dard, who lives in the area, said he had documentary proof in the form of Sohan Singh Josh’s writings which clearly mentioned Bhagat’s visit to the area. He said Josh mentioned it in his autobiography “My Tryst with Secularism” and his book “Bhagat Singh Naal Meriyan Mulaqatan Te Chaar Hor Inqalaabi”. A disappointed Dard said no effort had been made to preserve the area. “The government should identify the building in which Bhagat Singh had stayed and preserve it for posterity.” He said the government could identify the place as raids were conducted to nab the revolutionaries after Saunder’s murder and it must be there in the police and CID records. Besides Bara Makan, Bhagat Singh also had links with the border village of Narli in the neighbouring Tarn Taran district. It is believed that the ancestors of Bhagat Singh had shifted from Narli to Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshahr district. Former sarpanch of Narli village Mukhtiar Singh said Bhagat Singh had six kanals of land in his name in the village. He said the martyr's mother hailed from the village while his sister used to frequent it. He said they were planning to build a stadium in martyr’s memory. Importance of the Site
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Farmers fail to reap profits from Guar
Bathinda, October 7 The state government had encouraged the farmers to sow this crop, also known as Cluster Bean, and reap better returns under its diversification plan. A Ganganagar-based company, Vikas WSP, went ahead to sign a contract with farmers for sowing in nearly 30,000 hectares in Punjab. The company provided seeds, besides the expert and logistic support and postdated cheques worth Rs 40,000 per acre as ensured return. Those who have the cheques are hoping that the company will honour its agreement. But most of the farmers could not get the cheques as their paperwork was not completed in time. It is estimated that Guar was sown in about 40,000 hectares in Punjab. Such farmers along with many others who sowed the crop on their own are left in limbo due to the crashed international price of the crop. The state government may have to face protests from the already affected farmers if the company did not honour its agreement. Talking to The Tribune, Pankaj Sharma, project coordinator of the company, reiterated the commitment to lift all the produce grown by the farmers under the contract with them. “We are duty-bound to procure the crop directly from the farmers,” he said. However, so far about 100 farmers have encashed the cheque. Others are waiting for the company officials. Guar is sown widely in Rajasthan also. The procurement of the crop is almost over there unlike Punjab.
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Millers buy paddy from grain markets to meet backlog
Moga, October 7 The government opened the grain markets for paddy purchase from October 1 onwards, but due to the boycott call by employees of state-owned agencies and rice millers, the official purchase could not begin even on the sixth day of beginning of purchase. A visit to the grain market at Moga revealed that many rice millers were busy loading paddy from the commission agents to complete their backlog of stocks. The backlog has resulted from illegal sale of custom-milled rice from the last year’s stock by them in the open market in black instead of its delivery in the central pool to the Food Corporation of India, the central food procurement agency. Sources in the rice milling industry revealed that the millers have purchased more than 50,000 metric tonne of normal varieties of paddy from Moga, Charik, Baghapurana, Nihalsinghwala and Ajitwal grain markets. Since the employees of all the state procurement agencies are on strike, the millers have taken advantage of the situation to purchase paddy even without paying the market fee by allegedly conniving with officials of the respective market committees. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chairman of the Punjab State Agriculture Marketing Board, said he had directed the authorities concerned of all the market committees across the state to be vigilant and keep an eye on illegal sale of paddy without levy of market fee. He said a team of officials would soon be dispatched from the head office to conduct random physical verification of the rice mills for cross-checking of their stock, which would be compared with their previous stocks by getting physical verification reports from their respective purchase agencies to detect illegal purchase. Last month, the board conducted surprise checking of rice mills in Moga district, in which, penalty was imposed on many mills. The government opened the grain markets for paddy purchase from October 1 onwards, but due to the boycott call by employees of state-owned agencies and rice millers, the official purchase could not begin even on the sixth day of beginning of purchase. A visit to the grain market at Moga revealed that many rice millers were busy loading paddy from the commission agents to complete their backlog of stocks
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Rice mills evading market fee to face action
Moga, October 7 The backlog is the result of the illegal sale of custom milled rice in the open market last year. Sources said the millers had purchased more than 25,000 tonnes of paddy from the
Moga, Charik, Baghapurana, Nihalsinghwala and Ajitwal grain markets. With employees of all state procurement agencies on strike, the millers are purchasing paddy without paying the market fee by "manipulating" officials of market committees, say sources. Pungrain has purchased 168 tonnes of paddy, Punsup 63
tonnes, the Punjab Warehouse Corporation six tonnes, Punjab Agro 80 tonnes and rice millers 7,315 tonnes of paddy. But the official figures are far less than the actual purchase made by the rice millers, said an insider in the industry. Most of the purchases had been made last week by evading the market fee, sources
said. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, Chairman of the Punjab State Agriculture Marketing Board, said he had directed the authorities concerned to keep an eye on the sale of paddy so that there was no evasion of the market fee. He said teams of officials would conduct a physical verification of rice mills at random and check their stocks which would be compared with their previous stocks. He said last month the board had conducted surprise checks and imposed a penalty on various defaulting mills. Several leaders of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in the area are also purchasing paddy from the markets without paying the market fee, say reliable sources.
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No evidence yet against Ranike
Sources say Ranike's PA Sarbhdyal Singh has been found to be involved in the the Rural Development Fund scam. But the VB has not found any documentary evidence against the former minister. The sources say the Rural Development Fund scam may turn out to be bigger than what it was initially thought out to be. Till now, the VB has detected an embezzlement of Rs 1.5 crore. But the amount misappropriated in the scam could be much more, say the sources. The amount was put at Rs 1.15 crore when the scam first broke out. The VB has arrested three persons, including Om Parkash, manager of the Bank of Maharastra, besides conduits Amit and Baljit Singh in this regard. The sources say that Baljit Singh has provided the photographs on the basis of which fake accounts were opened. Amit had opened two fake accounts, including one in the name of Karam Singh. The Vigilance sleuths are also looking into the foreign trips undertaken by Sarbhdayal in the past. He had reportedly made three foreign trips, including those to Hongkong and Bangkok. Dismissing the suspicion that Sarabhdyal may have fled the country, the sources said that all airports had been alerted about him. When contacted, Opinderjit Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, said the embezzled sum in the Rural Development Fund scam was much more than what had been reported in the FIR. He said a scrutiny of documents was under progress. “ To get the relevant documents from various departments is a tedious process.,” he said. The VB had yesterday produced a challan in the local court regarding the Border Area Development Fund scam while claiming that funds worth Rs 74 lakh were bungled in the case. It has arrested six persons, including Block Development and Panchayat Officer Satwinder Singh. The VB has stepped up efforts to nab Sarabhdyal and his brother-in-law Harjit Singh from whose residence it has seized at least 26 cheques and rubber stamps.
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Rates of bricks up by 35%
Chandigarh, October 7 The prices of bricks across the state have gone up by 35-50 per cent. Priced at Rs 3,200-Rs 3,300 per 1,000 bricks in June, the prices have zoomed to Rs 4,500-Rs 5,000 per 1,000 bricks now. There is no shortage of bricks at the moment mainly because each of the 2,600 kilns in the state have reserve a stock of seven to 15 lakh bricks. The brick rates have gone up in anticipation of the kilns failing to get the requisite environment clearance to resume excavation and a possible shortage in the future. On an average, 15 crore bricks were produced in Punjab daily before the production came to a halt in June this year. Sources in the trade said moulding and baking of bricks was not done in the monsoon season. Before the onset of the monsoon, kiln owners make huge stockpiles of bricks which sail them through between June and September. Now that the brick-making season has started, the kilns have remained closed because of the Supreme Court order banning mining of brick earth, that is included in the list of minor minerals, till an environmental clearance is obtained. Since the procedure to get the clearance is tedious and could take months, there could be a shortage of bricks in the future. While all kilns in the state have stopped operations, at least four owned by a sitting MLA in Hoshiarpur district have resumed operations without getting the environment clearance. While the Muktsar administration has booked two brick-kiln owners for resuming operations without the requisite clearance, no action has been taken against in Hoshiarpur, allegedly because the kilns are owned by a sitting MLA and his kin. When contacted, Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Deepinder Singh said he had not received any complaint against a kiln owner. “We will look into the matter and examine whether brick moulding is being done with the earth excavated earlier or whether fresh brick earth has been excavated in violation of the court order,” he added.
Flouting rules No action has been initiated against four kilns resuming operations without environment clearance in Hoshiarpur as these are said to be owned by a sitting MLA and his kin even as two kiln owners have been booked in Muktsar for the same offence
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Hue and cry over shifting of police stations
Batala/Gurdaspur, October 7 The state government has in principal cleared a proposal to shift the Dera Baba Nanak and Kotli Surat Mali police stations from the Batala Police district to Gurdaspur and the Dhariwal, Kahunwan, and Bhaini Mian Khan police stations from Gurdaspur to Batala. Batala is not a revenue district but it has been accorded the status of a police district ever since the days of terrorism in Punjab. At least 200 residents of nearby villages held a protest here today, allegedly at the behest of former Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan. “Our police station was with Gurdaspur. If we wanted to meet a senior police officer, we would go to Gurdaspur, which is just 12 km away. Now we will have to trudge a distance of nearly 25 km to meet the Batala Senior Superintendent of Police,” said Surjit Singh of Dhariwal. Former Minister Sucha Singh Langah, designated as halqa in charge of the Dera Baba Nanak Vidhan sabha seat, from where he lost during the last elections, seems to be happy over the turn of events. Kotli Surat Mali, one of the stations to be shifted to Gurdaspur from Batala, is in Dera Baba Nanak. “Langah’s hold over senior and middle-rung officers in the Gurdaspur police is strong. Once the two police stations are shifted to Gurdaspur, he will not have to talk to the Batala police officers to get his work done. "Also, Batala has a strong Congress and BJP presence while the SAD is yet to strike root in the industrial township.This is evident from the fact that SAD candidate LS Lodhinangal lost the Batala seat by over 20,000 votes to the Congress candidate,” remarked a senior Akali leader. Sukhjinder Randhawa, MLA, Dera Baba Nanak, said: “b A status quo should be maintained. The police stations are being shifted only to make some defeated Akali leaders more powerful before the parliamentary elections. Residents of Hardrowal village will now have to trudge 70 km if they have to meet the Gurdaspur SSP. I will take up the matter in the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” he added.
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Gastro claims two more lives in Batala
Batala, October 7 It has forced district administration officials to find ways and means to improve facilities at the hospital. The tall claims made by Civic and Health Department officials that they were providing adequate safety measures to control the outbreak of the disease in the Gandhi camp locality were blow to smithereens with two more deaths being reported from the locality and 21 others being admitted to the Civil Hospital. It is pertinent to mention here that on Friday evening, three persons, all residents of Gandhi camp locality, had allegedly died of gastroenteritis, forcing the Health Department to depute a round-the-clock health team in the locality. The two persons who died of gastroenteritis had been identified as Surinder Pal and Billo. Interestingly, Health Department officials denied such an outbreak in the Gandhi camp locality, but the increasing number of persons admitted to the Civil Hospital from this locality has raised a plethora of questions. Sukhdeep Singh, senior medical officer, Civil Hospital, said: “There is no clear reason following the increasing number of patients being admitted to the hospital from this particular locality. However, we will go door-to-door and provide proper vaccination to the residents of the locality”. The authorities have sent water samples to a laboratory. Batala SDM JS Grewal said: “All preventative measures are being taken to overcome this outbreak in the Gandhi camp locality.”
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Punjab Regiment Officers Association holds annual meet
Chandigarh, October 7 Maj Gen BS Sachar, Colonel of the Punjab Regiment, gave an overview of the ongoing activities and achievements of various battalions of the regiment and discussed various regimental issues with veterans. Commandant of the Punjab Regimental Centre, Brig Anil Pande, highlighted the ongoing developmental works at the centre and spoke about various welfare measures instituted for troops and their families. Among those present were Lt Gen GS Brar and Maj Gen SK Awasthy, both former Colonels of the Regiment, Maj Gen JS Bhullar and Maj Gen KS Sethi. Punjab Regiment is the oldest regiment of the Army, which traces its origins to 1761 when the first battalion was raised at Trichinoply. It has, at present, 19 regular battalions and four Rashtriya Rifles battalions. Its awards include 10 Battle Honours, two Padma Bhushan, one Padma Shri, 18 Maha Vir Chakra, nine Kirti Chakra, 56 Vir Chakra and 29 Shaurya
Chakra.
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Police clueless in
Rs 2.5 lakh theft case
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 7 According to sources, the police is still clueless about the accused, who had taken away cash after breaking open the safe of the registry clerk in the tehsil office. The amount had been received by the office as registration fee. SHO Devinderpal Singh said they were working on various theories and have got some vital leads. He said they would soon nab the accused. The thieves in the district are having a field day as they strike at will and the police has failed to crack the case. Earlier, on August 13, an NRI woman from Cyprus had lost her bag containing cash, a mobile set and some important documents. An unidentified accused grabbed the bag after breaking the car's rear window pane on the left near the Bank Square on the busy Fatehgarh Sahib-Sirhind Road. The woman, identified as Manpreet Kaur, had come to the bank along with her relatives from village Balahda, for opening an account in an Indian Overseas Bank branch near Jyoti Sarup Morh. On December 31, 2010, some women in the town had taken away a kit containing gold jewellery worth Rs 13 lakh from the purse of Paramjit Kaur, a resident of village Brass. Police is yet to crack any of the cases.
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FDI will push natives out of market: Economist
Chandigarh, October 7 Delivering a special lecture at a discussion on ‘FDI in retail’ organised by the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta, Sidhupur), Internationlist Democratic Party (IDP) and Punjab Manch here, Dr Sukhpal Singh, a professor in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, said permitting FDI in retail would adversely affect self-employment of around 45 million people engaged in the retail sector. He said the government was unrealistically claiming that foreign investment would create an additional 10 million jobs in the sector.
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Do not outsource mid-day meals
preparation
Patiala, October 7 District president of the front Sukhjeet Kaur Lachkani said the government is planning to outsource this scheme in schools falling under corporations, including those in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, Mohali, Moga, Bathinda and Ludhiana, to some NGOs, who are in reality private contractors ignoring the interests of school children. "This scheme is already operational in Nawanshahr, Fazilka and Ferozepur. The contractors are providing low-quality raw material from which the food is prepared. Government gives 100 grams grains and Rs 3.11 per child from Class I to V each day and 150 grams grains and Rs 4.65 per child from Class VI to VIII, but these contractors were risking children's lives by providing low-quality food just for monetary interests. How can the government risk children's health?" added Sukhjeet Kaur. The cooks also demanded hike in their salaries as per the pay norms for skilled workers.
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Bathinda MC reeling under cash crunch
Bathinda, October 7 With the election year inching closer, the revelation may not go down well with the opposition and the voters. The official report states that the government has directed that only those development works should be initiated for which funds are available. The officials of the corporation state that Rs 2296.01 lakhs have been earmarked for works already in process or for those projects that the House has already passed. At the same time, only Rs 719 lakhs is available for development after deducting the committed expenses. These works do not include those related to sewerage and drinking water going on in the areas across the railway lines. Opposition leader Jagroop Singh Gill said with just Rs 719 lakhs in its kitty, the SAD-BJP government wants to take the people for a ride. "Just before the polls, the laying of foundation stones would start and even before money is released for the new projects, the model code of conduct would come into force. How does the government hope to sustain itself,” he said. Besides, the general house would also discuss the issue related to the areas where building maps are not being passed owing to the government's notification declaring almost 90 per cent of the area illegal. With the government having withdrawn the notification, people are expected to get relief. Another major issue would be the fixing of user charges for garbage collection and tipping by the JITF Urban Waste Management, Bathinda. The MCB has decided to follow the rates of the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar. The revised licence fees for professionals would also be discussed. Keeping in view the expansion of the city which now houses the industrial area, old focal point, new focal point, industrial growth centre, oil depot, LPG bottling plant, grain market, cotton factory, mall and refinery, emphasis is being laid on strengthening the fire-fighting system. Presently, the fire brigade has six fire tenders, one fire jeep and one ambulance. As per government rules, it is mandatory to have one sub-fire officer for every fire tender but presently, there are only two sub-fire officers. Also, there are just six drivers and 19 firemen for six fire tenders as against 12 drivers and 36 firemen needed. Even the setting up of a sub-fire station in the industrial area has been delayed due to the shortage of manpower. Recruiting these personnel will help in setting up the new fire station also. Besides, four sub-fire officers are needed as every fire unit should have one leading fireman. Presently, there is just one post of fireman, which is also lying vacant. The Corporation has proposed the introduction of the posts of 12 leading firemen for which firemen working for the last 20 to 25 years shall be considered. The lease of Public Library, which was earlier given for 47 years, would now be extended for only three years. General secretary, Public Library, Kuldeep Dhingra had moved an application requesting renewal of the lease deed of the 1840 square yards of the library's land. The land was given on lease in 1965 at the rate of Rs 1,794 per year. The lease ended on March 31 this year and would be revised for a period of three years with 20 per cent increase. The agenda for regularising the services of 36 sewer men and appointing 15 sewer mates would also be kept before the House in view of the long-pending demand of sewer men union.
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Bathinda to have metered water connections
Bathinda, October 7 The draft policy will be produced before the General House of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) scheduled to meet on October 8 to discuss various issues. The metered water connection aims at decreasing the cost of operation and maintenance, increase revenue, ensure round-the-clock supply of water, check the depletion of underground water and make funds available for the other projects. MCB will address the problem of colonies and areas where the maps of new constructions are not being passed. A few months ago, the Punjab government had released a list of unauthorised and illegal colonies in Punjab. The new maps of these enlisted colonies were not being passed, leading to panic among residents there.
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2 rape cases in 24 hours shock Amritsar residents
Amritsar, October 7 A case under Sections 362, 376 and 34 of the IPC was registered against the two. Parvesh Chopra, Station House Officer, said the girl would be medically examined tomorrow. He said raids were being conducted to nab the culprits who had fled. In another incident, the police arrested three persons for allegedly raping a teenaged girl. One of the offenders, Sunny of Guru Nanak Pura, was believed to be the victim's boyfriend. The police said he had fled to evade arrest. The other three arrested for the crime were identified as Jobanpreet Singh of Guru Nanak Pura, Rakesh Kapoor of Gate Hakima and Gaurav of Gali Hatimtai. Sunny and his accomplices reportedly took the unsuspecting girl to a hotel and raped her. On Friday, they came to her house when her parents were away and raped her again. Traumatised, the girl told her mother about the crime who lodged a complaint with the police.
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Bribe-for-job scam rocks Punjabi varsity, 3 booked
According to the FIR, the accused Major Khan, his wife Soni and brother Mustaq Khan, residents of village Akrhi in Fatehgarh Sahib, allegedly accepted Rs 2.25 lakh from a few applicants interested in getting a job in the university. The FIR further states that an unidentified clerk from the university was providing the accused with inside information and was instrumental in proving to the victims that the accused had a say in the university. Police sources confirmed that the clerk used to allegedly apprise the other accused that there were some vacant posts in the university departments, following which, they spread the word that they would be able to get "people adjusted" in exchange for a sum of money. "How many of these people actually managed to get a job and how many lost their money to these fraudsters is still a matter of investigation," they added. The accused had opened an office in Sular in Patiala and were duping people in the name of providing them a job in Punjabi University. Some other persons were found to be employing a similar modus operandi a few months back, with some Urban Estate residents allegedly accepting money from candidates for "getting them a job in the university", holding interviews inside the university campus and later fleeing with the money. Investigating officer, in-charge of New Officers Colony police post, Simarjit Singh, told The Tribune that they were yet to trace and arrest the accused and their interrogation will reveal the role of the university officials. "As of now, we know that a clerk on rolls of the Punjabi University helped these accused and they are all at large. If more university officials or others are involved, we will add their names too," he stated. "We have registered an FIR against the accused under Sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the IPC following complaints by Sunam resident Umkar and two brothers Khushpreet Singh," Simarjit added. According to the FIR, the accused Major Khan, his wife Soni and brother Mustaq Khan, residents of village Akrhi in Fatehgarh Sahib, allegedly accepted Rs 2.25 lakh from a few applicants interested in getting a job in the university. The FIR further states that an unidentified clerk from the university was providing the accused with inside information and was instrumental in proving to the victims that the accused had a say in the university.
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2 Armymen held with 7-kg opium
Bathinda, October 7 Inspector General Jatinder Jain said two Armymen were arrested at Talwandi Sabo with 7 kg of opium milk, estimated around Rs 4.5 lakh in the local market. Those arrested were identified as Sumeet, posted in Bathinda, and Shamsher, posted in Dehradun. Both belong to Jhajjar in Haryana. The police is conducting raids to arrest the kingpin, a naik in the Army, who has been accused of running the racket and controlling the transfer of money. Jain said AIG Ajay Saluja and his team had been keeping a watch on these Armymen for the past few weeks. "We handled the case carefully as we wanted to arrest the accused red-handed," Jain said. He said senior officers of the Army were kept in the loop. The Inspector General said the police had approached the Army high-ups seeking their help to nab others accused, including the kingpin. Drug trafficking in Malwa has been a cause for concern. Last month, a high-level meeting of police officials from Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana was organised here to put up a united front against the smugglers.
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4 days on, murder case still a mystery
Muktsar, October 7 Sukhjinder Singh (24), alias Sunny, was murdered on October 2 and his body was found lying on the driving seat of his Bolero jeep near a private resort on the Kotkapura-Bathinda bypass road here. The autopsy report showed that Sunny had bullet injuries on his neck and head. The police said prima facie it appeared that the killers were travelling in the same vehicle. One bullet was apparently shot by a person sitting on the back seat while the other was fired by a person sitting to the victim's left, sources said. They, however, ruled out robbery as the motive as the assailants left the vehicle behind. Sources said it appeared to be a planned murder and the criminals knew the victim well. Crime could have been committed by the victim's in-laws, as Sunny had a marital dispute. Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police Inder Mohan Singh aired the same views: "Preliminary inquiry suggests that the victim had a dispute with his in-laws. Though we have recorded statements of other family members, the victim’s brother-in-law, Tarandeep Bedi, a B.Tech student at a private college in Kharar, is yet to be questioned.”
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29-year-old man found dead in fields
Muktsar, October 7 Twentynine-year-old Gargesh Kumar, a resident of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, bore severe injuries on his head. "Preliminary investigations suggest that man was murdered on Saturday night," the police said. It said a passerby first spotted the body and informed the police. The body was later sent for a post-mortem examination to the Civil Hospital. A murder case has been registered against unidentified persons at Gidderbaha police station. The police has initiated inquest proceedings.
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Two booked after man’s death
Bathinda, October 7 Police said the two parties were fighting over a 250 yard incomplete house in the locality. Thermal police station in-charge Harpreet Singh said the two parties, including some residents of Bathinda and nearby Tapa, had been laying claim to the house for some time. Those residing in Tapa claimed they had purchased the house in 2008, the SHO said. He said 42-year-old Parsa, a resident of Bhagu road, lost his life in yesterday's firing and the postmortem of the body was conducted at the local Civil Hospital. A case under section 302 of the IPC and other sections has been registered against two persons, Dheeru and Bhindi, who would be arrested soon, the SHO said. Police said the house is in the name of three women who had purchased the land from the other party.
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Amritsar, October 7
Chandigarh, October 7
The Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and the state Agriculture Department have been putting in efforts to promote crop diversification since 1986, but nothing much could be achieved on the ground. On the contrary, the area under paddy and wheat kept on increasing. At present, a mere 0.35 per cent of the total cultivable area in the state is under pulses, point out figured compiled by the Punjab Agricultural University's Department of Economics. A sharp declined in pulses' cultivation has been witnessed in the state during the last three decades. So much so that the produce cannot even meet the state's domestic demand.
Amritsar, October 7
Patiala, October 7