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Patiala village lives in fear of cancer
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Cabinet approves policy for renewable energy resources
Nothing wrong in banks financing application money, says High Court
14 killed in bus-truck collision
43,000 tonnes of paddy yet to be lifted from Ferozepur mandis
2 workers asphyxiated while cleaning sewer
Akalis influencing ward demarcation in villages: Cong
Relying on superstition for reaping good profits
2 officers fined under Right to Service Act
Capt seeks Saini’s removal on phone-tapping issue
Probe panel misses deadline
Mohali most prosperous district
Ludhiana Metro project fine-tuned for final approval
Punjab govt to acquire 5,250 acres in Mullanpur
Employment fair held at Bassi Pathana crowds
Health infrastructure ailing in Ropar
Rs 2.25 cr sanctioned for new fish market in Ludhiana
Grievances panel not formed despite Guv’s approval
Bathinda politicians flaunt bodyguards
Red-tapism delays work on administrative complex
PTU student killed in road mishap
Women taking up drug trafficking
Sikhs want Punjabi taught in Assam schools BSF official held on graft charges in CBI custody till tomorrow
17 trucks seized with illegally mined sand
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Patiala village lives in fear of cancer
Dedhna (Patran), November 22 Wrong diagnosis For rest of the deaths, doctors claimed, quacks were to be blamed. “Unqualified quacks have been creating a scare by wrongly diagnosing and mistreating chronic diseases as cancer,” says Dr Sukhcharan Singh Brar, Senior Medical Officer, Shatrana. The Health Department has confirmed only five cases of cancer in the village so far. One of them, a woman Panch, is under treatment at the PGI. The remaining four cancer patients are getting treated either in Haryana or in Delhi. Incidentally, none of the confirmed cases is getting any financial assistance from the State towards their treatment. “We provide financial assistance to only those who are getting treated from any of the approved cancer treatment hospitals,” says Dr Brar. Maintaining that there was no evidence to link the deaths of all 76 persons to cancer, Dr Brar claims that the figures are inflated. “Lack of proper diagnosis facilities may be a reason for the villagers falling prey to quacks who, due to ignorance, even diagnose curable chronic diseases as cancer,” he said. More villages affected Dedhna is no exception. There are other villages as well where people, in the absence of proper diagnostic facilities and health centres, are falling prey to quacks. Though the state government launched a special cancer detection drive on October 1, villages like Dedhna seldom benefit from such initiatives. “From December 1, we are starting a door-to-door survey in entire Punjab to find out the exact number of people suffering from cancer,” says Dr Usha Bansal, Civil Surgeon of Patiala who supervised the survey in Dedhna village. “We actually have no record to support or reject the claim of alarmingly large number of deaths due to cancer in the village since 1975. In case any confirmed case of cancer is brought to our notice, we recommend it to the state government for financial assistance in treatment at any of the approved hospitals,” she says. Inability to repay debt Located only 43 km from Rajindra Medical College and Hospital on the Patiala-Patran Road, most of the farmers here have lost their agricultural land to a few money lenders for their inability to repay their debt. Poverty, lack of awareness and health care facilities have been the bane of this village. They have been spending from their scarce financial resources to get their near and dear ones cured from village quacks and “self-styled cancer experts”. The villagers blame the state in general and the Health Department in particular for their condition. “We do not even have quality potable water. Our repeated requests to the government for installation of a reverse osmosis plant in the village have been ignored. While deaths due to cancer have been continuing for years now, it was only on October 13 that the Health Department conducted a door-to-door survey to access the damage inflicted by this dreaded disease on our village,” says Darshan Singh, treasurer of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Youth Club of the village. Poverty a major issue “Ninety per cent of the people in our village are labourers. They have no resources to get proper treatment for cancer,” he adds. Five days before the survey, Roko Cancer organised a camp in the village where 45 suspected cases of cancer were given special tests. “Reports of tests, including mammography, are expected any time now,” says village sarpanch Karnail Singh. Beeta Rani, a health worker who visits the village daily and maintains a record of births and deaths claims that the last known case of cancer — throat — death in the village was that of Hari Dass, who died on September 30. Another girl from the village, Guddi, married in nearby Nizamwala village, died of breast cancer a fortnight ago. She says there are three confirmed cases of cancer in Brahman Majra and two in Nagri village. She covers these villages too. Throat or breast cancer “There are several people who are suffering either from throat or breast cancer in our village. Lumps around their faces, throat and chest are visible symptoms of cancer. A few who have lumps on their head are losing hair,” says Babu Ram, a former panchayat member who runs a ration depot in the village. Unqualified quacks have been creating a scare by wrongly diagnosing and mistreating chronic diseases as cancer We do not even have quality potable water. Our repeated requests to the government for installation of a reverse osmosis plant in the village have been ignored
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Cabinet approves policy for renewable energy resources
Chandigarh, November 22 The policy is aimed at maximising the share of new and renewable sources of energy to 10 per cent of the total installed power capacity in the State by the year 2020 besides promoting renewable energy initiatives for meeting energy needs. The policy will focus on creating conducive conditions to woo private sector investments in NRSE projects along with broader participation by public by giving a slew of incentives in terms of 100 per cent electricity duty, exemption from VAT and entry tax on equipment/machinery for the setting up of NRSE power plants, exemption from stamp duty, registration fee, Change of Land Use (CLU) fee and External Development Charges. The Cabinet decided that entrepreneurs keen on setting up NRSE projects would be provided with the single-window facility through the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), the nodal agency for implementation of such projects. The interested entrepreneurs and investors would be eligible for all incentives under the Mega Projects and Industrial Policy. The policy would focus to generate nearly 400 MW power through non-conventional and renewable sources by 2017. It would also be instrumental in bridging the gap between demand and supply besides ensuring quality power to consumers at affordable rates. The Cabinet also approved the creation of a land pool for setting up a "Tourism Destination" in an area comprising Haider Nagar, Garcha, Selkiana, Sekhuwal, Garhi, Machian Kalan, Mattewara and other surrounding areas of Ludhiana district besides consolidating this land under the Public Works Department (B&R) on a public, private partnership (PPP) or any other mode. The Cabinet approved the transfer of ownership of 33 markets (mandis) of the erstwhile PEPSU State to respective municipal committees. The Cabinet also approved regularising the services of 19 Law Officers in the Punjab Police from the date of completion of three years of service.These officers were appointed in 2009 on contract to impart legal training to officers/employees within and outside the state at Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur, and the Police Recruitment Training Centre, Jahan Kehlan. To ensure that the Punjab Civil Service (Executive Branch) and allied services exam was held on time by the Punjab Public Service Commission, the Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to the amendment made in the Punjab State Civil Services appointment and examination rules, 2009, under which the syllabus and procedure can be modified by the commission after the approval of the state government. To boost the civil aviation industry and tourism, the Cabinet also approved amendment in the Schedule "B" of the Punjab VAT Act, 2005, slashing VAT to 5.5 per cent (plus 10 per cent surcharge) on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) supplied to the scheduled and non-scheduled airlines operating at Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda and Pathankot airports. The Cabinet decided to delete Clause 20 of the auction notification regarding the mining of gravel and sand. The entire process would take place through e-auction and no mine would be sub-divided into blocks for the purpose of mining. Other key decisions...
Minimum wages up Unskilled Rs 5,200 Semi-skilled
Rs 5,980 Skilled workers Rs 6,877 highly skilled Rs 7,909 Staff category A
Rs 10,370 Staff category B Rs 8,700 Staff category C Rs 7,200 Staff category D
Rs 6,000
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Nothing wrong in banks financing application money, says High Court
Chandigarh, November 22 In one of the petitions, Gurpreet Singh had sought directions to the Reserve Bank of India to restrain all banks from financing money for allotment of plots and flats. Claiming to be a riot victim, he had alleged in his petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents that the process of financing the application money amounted to gambling. Persons not even having the ability to pay 10 per cent of the proposed costs were applying by paying interest in advance to the banks on the application money. He was also aggrieved by the advertisement, whereby the banks proposed to finance the application money. In the other petition, Renu Sharma had sought additional directions for providing residential accommodation to the citizens at a reasonable price. She had also sought directions to the State of Haryana and other respondents against proposing master plans and urban schemes “without first collecting data of the actual requirement or necessities for such urban schemes in extension of cities”.Directions had also been sought “not to issue conversion of land use from agriculture land into urban colonies without first carrying out external development of the proposed urban area”. Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina asserted: “The action of the banks in financing the amount of the application money on receipt of interest is a commercial transaction for both, the bank as well as the applicant desirous of applying for a plot/flat. The applicant gets money for submitting his application and the bank is assured of interest on the loan amount, which is equivalent to the application money. “We do not find that any gambling activity can be read into such act of financing of amount of application money for allotment of plots/flats. For the Banks, it’s an action to finance short-term loan on payment of interest in advance”. Also dismissing the other petition on development issues, the Bench asserted: “We do not find that any direction in the matter of framing of policy can be issued, when there are statutes governing development in states”.
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14 killed in bus-truck collision
Abohar, November 22 Fifty passengers were on board the bus owned by Shri Shyam Travels. It was on its way to the border town of Srikaranpur in Sriganganagar. Witnesses said the accident occurred when the bus driver, Sukhdev (30), tried to overtake a vehicle. Farmers working in the fields near the highway rushed to help the passengers. Crates of fruit and vegetables lay scattered on the road. Truck driver Hira Singh, his assistant Sucha Singh and an unidentified person were found dead in the truck cabin. All belonged to Gurdaspur district . The other killed were identified as Home Guard Hans Raj posted at the District Jail, Sriganganagar, Sukhdev Bishnoi (Satjanda), Prahlad (Mohan Magria), Sukhpal Singh (Araiwala), Bimla and Gurtej Singh Brar (Srikaranpur), Bablu Singh (Bharatpur), Bablu (Aligarh), Gaja Nand Khatik (Nawalgarh), Sita Devi and her husband Hanuman (Ratangarh). Gurtej Singh Brar was the only son of his parents. The condition of several of the injured was said to be critical.
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43,000 tonnes of paddy yet to be lifted from Ferozepur mandis
Ferozepur, November 22 Officials privy to the procurement process say of the total 7.86 lakh tonnes paddy procured in the district, about 43,000 tonnes is still lying in the open, exposed to the vagaries of weather. So far Pungrain has procured 7,892 tonnes, Punsup 18,713 tonnes, Markfed 11,017 tonnes, Punjab Agro 2,623 tonnes and the Punjab Warehouse 2,694 tonnes. These stocks are not being lifted by owners of rice millers who believe that these have been purchased by overlooking the prescribed specifications. This, they say, could create problems for them during the delivery of the milled rice to the Food Corporation of India. Paddy is a perishable item and it loses weight if not properly stored in a covered area. With the relaxation in the policy over bank guarantees, the rice millers have started storing paddy, but on their terms and conditions.This has led to resentment among the commission agents who plan to start an agitation if lifting does not begin in right earnest and they are not paid their dues.
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2 workers asphyxiated while cleaning sewer
Sangrur, November 22 Three of their colleagues, Mukesh, Rajesh and Vicky, fell unconscious. The trio was rushed to the local Civil Hospital from where two of them were referred to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. After the deaths occurred, a large number of residents, including the victims' family members, gathered at the spot and staged a dharna. Holding the sewerage board responsible for the mishap, the protesters alleged that the authorities had failed to take safety measures before sending the staff to the disposal point. They also demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation and a government job for a member from each of the victim families. Rs 3-lakh relief
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each for the bereaved families of Tinku and Ramesh, said Bhadaur constituency in charge Darbara Singh Guru. The treatment cost of the remaining three workers would be borne by the government, he added.
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Akalis influencing ward demarcation in villages: Cong
Muktsar, November 22 Crying foul over the issue, two sitting and a former Congress MLA, including Karan Kaur Brar (Muktsar), Amarinder Singh "Raja" Warring (Gidderbaha) and Nathu Ram (Malout), have shot off letters to election officials, both at the state and the national level, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh. In their letters, the Congress leaders have lodged a complaint against alleged undue pressure and interference of the defeated SAD candidates who were later designated by the party as in-charge of their respective constituencies from where they had contested unsuccessfully. The three Congress leaders have demanded that panchayat secretaries must consult all political representatives in each village before demarcating the wards afresh. Warring said, "We have evidence to show that Shiromani Akali Dal's constituency heads have been putting undue pressure upon panchayat secretaries. We want the constitutional dignitaries to ensure that such practice is stopped. Otherwise, we will act on our own against these leaders." Muktsar district has 234 villages with 263 panchayats. Of these, 94 are in Muktsar block, 54 in Gidderbaha block and 59 in Lambi block. Following directions from the district administration, the authorities are on their toes these days to complete the whole process of demarcation of village wards by November 30.
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Relying on superstition for reaping good profits
Gurdaspur, November 22 Illiterate farmers of this district, that is known to be educationally backward, believe that doing so will ensure speedy lifting of the controversial 1121 paddy by private players. A visit to the grain markets at Gurdaspur, Dhariwal, Kalanuar and Dinanagar showed that procurement was on in full swing. Farmers of the Dorangla block, known for producing a bumper crop of the 1121 variety, say that hanging a horseshoe on a wooden door before leaving home to sell the produce always ensures quick lifting of their crop. “In an era of science and technology, people continue to believe in myths. I believe that my produce will not fetch good money if I do not throw a coin into the Babbehali canal on my way to the grain market, said Gagandeep Singh, a farmer.
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2 officers fined under Right to Service Act
Ferozepur, November 22 The officials are Jasbir Kaur, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Social Security, Women and Child Welfare Department, and the Ferozepur SDM. Sources said Maya Devi, a resident of Ferozepur Cantonment, had applied for old-age pension to the CDPO concerned on May 8, 2012. Her application was not processed even after the lapse of one month. Maya Devi then forwarded an application to the Ferozepur SDM, but to no avail. She then lodged a compliant with the RTS Commission on July 12, 2012. The commission forwarded the complaint to Deputy Commissioner S Karuna Raju. After a probe, Raju imposed a penalty of Rs 500 on Jasbir Kaur for not processing the application in time. He also fined the SDM for failing to timely disposing of the complaint. The Deputy Commissioner said he had also recommended disciplinary action against the CDPO for dereliction of duty. — OC
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Capt seeks Saini’s removal on phone-tapping issue
Chandigarh, November 22 In a statement, Amarinder pointed out that in his scathing observations against Saini as the Director, Punjab Vigilance Bureau, for tapping telephones, the then Chief Justice had noted that cases involving the security of the state were not available from the record as Saini had tried to make out. Justice Thakur had also said: “It is difficult to appreciate the immediate provocation the Vigilance Bureau had for demanding permission for phone-tapping”. The Pradesh Congress president said Saini’s attempts to tap phones was clearly aimed at targeting and maligning Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retred) who had referred his case to the CBI. “This was clear intimidation of the judiciary”, Amarinder observed, adding that though he had not tapped the phones of the honourable Judges, he had deliberately mentioned the names of seven sitting Judges in his reports with a malafide intent. Amarinder said Justice Thakur had also taken exception to Saini’s handing over of CD recordings and reports to the then Punjab Advocate-General HS Mattewal, who, he had pointed out, had no locus standi in the administrative hierarchy. The PCC president said it was clear from the contents of the letter, copies of which were released to the press, that Saini had kept everybody, including his own Director-General of Police and the Chief Secretary in the dark about the "dirty games" he was playing by getting the phones of certain persons tapped, apparently to intimidate them for reasons and motives best known to him. Amarinder said that Saini had become a law unto himself and he had no moral right to continue as the Director-General of the Punjab Police.
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Amritsar, November 22 Sources said the panel could not visit Delhi because of the death of Ponty Chadha and his brother Hardeep Singh. The latter was the son-in-law of HS Sarna, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing committee chief PS Sarna’s brother. A member of the probe panel said the investigation would now be conducted after December 5. There are reports that members on the panel, including former SGPC secretary Waryam Singh, Dr BS Dhillon of Guru Nanak Dev University, IS Gugwani and SGPC secretary Satbir Singh, are reluctant to probe the gurdwara clash between two Akali factions. — TNS
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Mohali most prosperous district
Ludhiana, November 22 Every fourth house has a laptop and every fifth house has a four-wheeler in Mohali. The districts closely behind Mohali in both the categories are Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar with a laptop in every fifth house and a four-wheeler in every sixth house. On an average, every ninth house in the state has a laptop and every eighth has a four-wheeler. The 2011 Census report revealed that Mohali was fast becoming an industrial hub after Ludhiana. Varun Rujam, Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, said that the district’s proximity to Chandigarh was the driving force behind its development. The real estate in the district was experiencing a boom and it was attracting a lot of investment from private firms. Besides, Mohali district had generated the maximum revenue for the state exchequer which showed that people here were quite prosperous and companies were taking keen interest in setting up their headquarters here, said Rujam. Ludhiana, on the other hand, has slipped to number two position as a large number of migrants have started working there in the local factories. Moreover, there are over 900 villages in Ludhiana district which brings the overall level of prosperity down. On the up
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Ludhiana Metro project fine-tuned for final approval
Chandigarh, November 22 The committee approved the alignment of the metro from Aayali Chowk to BBMB Power Chowk. Out of the 15.70 km of the rail track between the two destinations, 12.152 km would be elevated and 3.617 km would be underground. It would have 11 elevated and 3 underground stations. Similarly, the alignment for Corridor-2 from Gill village to Rahon Road was also finalised. The corridor is 13.626 km long with 4.886 km of elevated track and 8.740 km of underground track. Sukhbir said the metro project shouldn’t result in displacement of people. Metro Authority could build underground lines to minimise displacement. It was decided in the meeting that 11.70 acres of land would be required for the alignment and for the construction of stations in Corridor-1 and 19.05 acres for Corridor-2. Sixty-five acres of land would be needed for Baddowal depot and 52 acres for Gill village depot. Sukhbir also finalised the relief and resettlement policy for the project.
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Punjab govt to acquire 5,250 acres in Mullanpur
Chandigarh, November 22 While charing the 14th meeting of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also approved the financial district plan for the city centre in sector 62 of Mohali. At the meeting, it was pointed out that nearly 1,275 acres of land was developed by private contractors in a haphazard manner in contrast to the Mullanpur Master plan, approved by the GAMADA. The contractors thereby flouted the requisite norms to ensure grid roads and city level infrastructure. The authority also approved the acquisition of 162 acres of land under the land pooling scheme in addition to the 326 acres of land that had already been acquired for the extension of Medicity Phase II and Eco-city Phase II as per the Mulanpur Master Plan. The Financial District complex will be built over an area of 34.27 acres in the City Centre, Sector 62. It would house financial institutions like banks, the stock market and insurance companies. It was also decided in the meeting to allot 2.06 acres of land to the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, New Delhi, for the establishment of their Regional Centre in Sector 79, Mohali, free of cost under the CDS scheme.
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Employment fair held at Bassi Pathana crowds
Bassi Pathana, November 22 Earlier, inaugurating the fair, Justice (retd) Nirmal Singh exhorted the youth to improve their work culture and increase their chances of getting employed. He said this would also help them in becoming self dependent and added that such fairs would be organised every year to provide jobs to the unemployed youth of He said this would help them in increasing their profits and finding a career in retail in the near future. Singh said that a scholarship of Rs 1,000 was being offered to students from the schedule caste category who opted to train as a motor mechanic, fireman, a welder among other careers. — TNS
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Health infrastructure ailing in Ropar
Ropar, November 22 However, with the department grappling with shortage of doctors and pharmacists, such camps are of little use. While the Ayurvedic Department needs 200 more doctors, in the Homoeopathic Department, 138 posts are lying vacant. In allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, the number of vacancies is more than 600. The situation is dismal in Ropar district, particularly in rural areas. Harnek Singh, an attendant, opens Government Ayurvedic Dispensary at Bindrakh village in the district at 9 am and locks it at 3 pm every day. No one visits the dispensary as no doctor has been posted here. “At least 20 patients used to visit the dispensary every day till a doctor was posted here. He was transferred to Mohali district in December last year,” said Rajinder Singh, a village resident. A lone pharmacist posted here was also withdrawn a few months ago. Since then a doctor posted at the nearby Haripur village visits the dispensary every Wednesday and Friday, he said. The situation is similar in several other ayurvedic and homoeopathic dispensaries. The state has five 50-bed ayurvedic hospitals and 507 dispensaries. It is facing a shortage of 200 doctors and as many pharmacists. A mere 75 doctors are available for 111 homoeopathic dispensaries in the state. Against 192 post of doctor, 102 are lying vacant. Rakesh Kumar and AK Sharma, Directors, Ayruvedic and Homoeopathic, respectively, said the procedure to recruit doctors had already been completed and the postings would be made soon.
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Rs 2.25 cr sanctioned for new fish market in Ludhiana
Ludhiana, November 22 The total cost of the project is Rs 3 crore with the state chipping in with Rs 75 lakh. Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, said that the proposal had been approved and work on the project would start soon. The fish market will be built in an area of 3.62 acres. It will be equipped with effluent treatment system, yard lighting and a flake ice unit. The market will have sufficient water supply, a chill room, rain water harvesting and sanitary arrangements and an office for fish farmers. BK Sood, Director and Warden of Fisheries at Chandigarh, said that as fish was a perishable product, it needed to be stored well to cut down on wastage. "This fish market will be equipped with all the facilities and fish farmers will be able to fully reap the benefits of their produce," said Sood. The existing fish market is situated in Sherpur area of Ludhiana and is not fitted with basic civic amenities.
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Grievances panel not formed despite Guv’s approval
Sangrur, November 22 The governor also approved the nomination of new non-official members on these committees. The last meeting of the district’s committee was held over a year ago. Since then, the grievances of the people have not been addressed. The non-official members of the committee, belonging to political parties, played a major role in tabling people’s grievances before the committee. . The list of official members has been handed over to the office of the Deputy Commissioner. However, sources said the administration had not yet received the names of a majority of non-official members for the committee. The Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul said the reconstitution of the District Grievances Redressal Committee was under process and it would be constituted soon. A senior leader of the BJP Jatinder Kalra, who was a member of the previous District Grievances Redressal Committee, said due to the non-constitution of committees in various parts of the state, the grievances’ redressal structure was not developed.
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Bathinda politicians flaunt bodyguards
Bathinda, November 22 So while some political leaders in Bathinda strut around with AK-47-wielding guards "to satisfy their egos", the policemen most of the times have to rely on lathis and old-styled SLRs (Self Loading Rifles) to maintain the law and order besides chasing narcotic drug dealers and other dread criminals. It is common for leaders of the ruling party (during both the Congress and Akalis' regimes) to have police security and guards armed with the sophisticated AK-47 assault rifles. The weapon is legendary for its ruggedness and reliability. Even some political leaders who faced drubbing in the elections continue to enjoy the 'status symbol' - security guards with AK-47 rifles. As body guards holding sophisticated weapons earn a political leader clout among his neighbourhood besides satisfying his ego, every ruling party leader gives priority to the police security, said PPP chief Manpreet Badal, who had refused the police security offered by the state government when he was the finance minister. The expenditure on the security men wastes the public's money. Further, the blaring sirens of the VIP vehicles and gunmen put commuters to inconvenience, said Manpreet Badal. It is not only political leaders but many senior government officials also 'fancy' a stylish security cover. Bathinda SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar said, "There is always a rationale behind allotment of weapons to the policemen. Instead of AK-47, the SLR (Self-Loading Rifle) is more preferred weapon for the constabulary for its capacity to hit the target from a long distance. Using an AK-47 needs special training as it is capable of firing 600 bullets in a minute and its size is small in comparison to the SLR. It is more convenient for the police staff who are always on the move." The cops in the field were also not lagging behind in the use of modern weapons like AK-47, said Brar. "In the coming days, a brigade of 25 new police motorcycles will be patrolling in Bathinda. The one steering the vehicle will be armed with a sophisticated revolver while the pillion rider will be provided with an AK-47," said the
SSP.
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Red-tapism delays work on administrative complex
Gurdaspur, November 22 The Chief Architect's (CA) office wanted that the District Transport Office (DTO) , which attracts a lot of rush, should be located on the fifth floor while the less busy District Election Office be given space on the first floor. But district officials have objected to this as they want the DTO's office on the first floor. The SSP's office, which has been given space on the ground floor, has no washroom. Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Trikha said the design has been sent back to the Chief Architect's office with the necessary recommendations. He said that work on the project would commence once the "incongruities in the design" were removed. The foundation stone of the complex was laid by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on May 17, 2006. Earlier, the proposed complex was also to house judicial chambers.
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PTU student killed in road mishap
Bathinda, November 22 Eye-witnesses to the mishap said Sachin and Anmol were on a bike with the latter riding pillion. It is leant that the bike belonged to one of their friends. A truck loaded with bags containing garlic was descending the flyover by overtaking a car. It seemingly could not apply brakes and collided with the bike. Sachin's leg and lower portion of the body got crushed under the wheels of the truck.
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Women taking up drug trafficking
Bathinda, November 22 Santosh Rani (name changed) was arrested for drug peddling in May this year. Two years ago, cops in Mansa had picked up her husband for the same crime. It was not the first instance when Santosh was booked for peddling. In the two years that she had been active in this trade, she was booked in two cases of drug smuggling, revealed the police records in Mansa district. She entered the racket just at the time when her husband walked out. Once her husband was arrested, she was burdened with the responsibility of keeping the hearth burning.
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Sikhs want Punjabi taught in Assam schools Guwahati, November 22 Dr Ajaib Singh, who was on a two-day visit to Assam, said Chief Minister Gogoi had assured him of initiating steps for Guru Nanak Chair at the Gauhati University as well as for providing land to Sikhs for a cultural centre. “The Chief Minister was very responsive to the demands raised by the Northeast Sikh Foundation,” Dr Ajaib Singh said, adding that the Assam State Minority Commission should have a Sikh member. He pointed out to the Assam Chief Minister that there would be no financial constraints to appointing Punjabi language teachers in Assam schools as the cost would be borne by the Central Government under the PM’s 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities. Dr Ajaib Singh said that according to an agreement signed by the Assam Government and the Punjab Government a few years back, Guru Nanak Chair was to be established at the Gauhati University and a Chair after the name of Assam’s religious and social reformer Srimanta Sankardeva at the Paunjab University, Chandigarh. While the Panjab University had done the needful, the Gauhati University had not. Meanwhile, all gurdwaras in Assam have asked for subsidised LPG cylinders to prepare
langar.
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BSF official held on graft charges in CBI custody till tomorrow Patiala: The court of Special Judge (CBI), Patiala has sent Deputy Financial Adviser of the BSF Charu Narang Thakur and Ludhiana businessman Sandeep Mehra to CBI custody till November 24. The two were arrested on Wednesday under the Prevention of Corruption Act. CBI counsel SK Kantiwal said Charu and Mehra were produced before the Patiala Special CBI Court that sent them to a two-day remand. The CBI had allegedly caught the BSF official red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1.8 lakh from Mehra. The bribe was being taken for clearing his tender file for supplying clothing and other items to the BSF worth over Rs 10 lakh. — TNS
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17 trucks seized with illegally mined sand
Moga, November 22 Grewal said FIRs had been registered under Section 379 of the IPC and various sections of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, at various police stations. He said illegal mining of sand was going on in adjoining villages of Ferozepur and Jalandhar districts, from where it was transported through Moga district to other parts of the state. Most of the trucks seized by the police belonged to
Bathinda, Mansa and Barnala districts, he said. The police official said the ban on mining had led to a rise in sand prices, which had resulted in illegal mining and smuggling.
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Abohar, November 22
Ferozepur, November 22
Gurdaspur, November 22
