NEIGHBOURHOOD

Govt on development mode
Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 7
The UPA Government has deceived farmers by backtracking from the increase in the MSP for wheat as suggested by the Agriculture Price Commission. The Union Government has done it despite the fact that the Union Agriculture Minister had assured in the Parliament to increase in the MSP to the tune of Rs 115 per quintal.

As farmers sowed wheat on his assurance, the UPA Government refused to increase the MSP. SAD(B) President Sukhbir Badal has called a meeting of the SAD(B) core committee on December 8 to finalise the strategy for opposing the decision of the Union Government. This was stated by Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, General Secretary, SAD(B), while addressing the mediapersons here today.

He said the SAD(B) would raise the issue in the Parliament and would oppose the dictatorial attitude of the UPA Government toward the farmers of the country. If the government did not increased the MSP, the party would take the fight to streets, he added.

He said the Swaminathan Commission had recommended that 50 per cent of the increased cost should be given to farmers while fixing MSP. He suggested there was no need to set up commissions and spending crores of rupees if its recommendations were not to be implemented.

He said on the one hand the Central government was talking about food security and on the other hand was discouraging the farmers, who feed the country.

He said the step of the Government would lead to starvation. He demanded that the MSP should be increases as assured by the Union Minister.

Patiala, December 7
The second World Punjabi Literary Conference, organised by the Department of Punjabi Literary Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, concluded today. Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, presided over the valedictory function. In his inaugural address Dr Jaspal Singh said Punjabi University was committed to promote and propagate Punjabi language, literature and culture.

Dr Balbir Kaur, Director, Language Department, Punjab, appreciated the contribution made by Punjabi University in the field of Punjabi literature. Earlier Dr Harjodh Singh presented a detailed report about the proceedings of the conference. He said a total of 125 research papers were presented during the conference.

Dr Amritpal Kaur also spoke on the occasion. 

Kalka, December 7
A youth (26) succumbed to injuries in the PGI, Chandigarh, today. Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Khera Basaulan village, Pinjore, had met with an accident while returning after attending a marriage function. 

His car collided with another car near Rampur Jangi village on the NH-21-A yesterday night. His father-in-law and mother-in-law also sustained injuries and the three were rushed to Pinjore Civil Hospital. Later, Sukhwinder was referred to the PGI , Chandigarh. — OC

Chandigarh, December 7
The Tobacco Control Nodal Officer, Chandigarh, today raided Harry Hyper store in Sector 26 here and found a blatant violation of Section 5 of the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), wherein no advertisement or display of cigarette brands is permitted.

The owner had displayed cigarette packs right at the entrance of the store and there was a very big advertisement and boxes of ‘Classic’ brand of cigarettes.

The police of Sector 26 Police Station has confiscated all material.

The team also found two vending carts bearing the advertisement of cigarette brand, Classic, in the corridor, which the vendors had abandoned and disappeared on seeing the action being taken at the store. The police has also confiscated both carts.

Panchkula, December 7
Thieves struck at three places in Panchkula while another attempt was foiled at Sector 15 when the security alarm installed at the residence went off.

When the thieves tried to gain entry into the residence of Manoj Ahuja at Sector 15, Panchkula, the alarm went off and the neighbours rushed to the place. On seeing them, the miscreants fled.

The owner of the house was out of station.

Yesterday, two masked robbers looted Rs 10,000 from a liquor vend at Sector 16 in Panchkula at 4.45 am.

In the same sector, locks of a sweet shop were found broken and an unsuccessful attempt to rob another vend was also made in Sector 20 at 4.15 am. The police said the miscreants, who had come in an Esteem car, broke the locks to gain entry into the liquor vend. Two workers, Manoj and Harnam, were sleeping inside. The police said the same miscreants might have targeted the vend in Sector 20. The two could not enter the vend as they were unable to break the grill.

Chandigarh, December 7
In a case of cyber fraud, a woman was duped of Rs 12 lakh by hackers who siphoned off the money by accessing her bank account online.

The woman is the owner of a city-based company of dental surgical equipment and hackers took advance money from her against fake deals on the behalf of a foreign-based company.

The woman deposited Rs 12 lakh in four different accounts in four different instalments.

Though hackers had hacked the email account of Manu Batta in May 2012, she came to know about the reality when she did not receive the supply in August 2012.

The representatives of the foreign-based company denied having received any advance money from the complainant.

The police said scrutiny of all four accounts indicated that the fraudsters had withdrawn the money through different ATM machines after hacking the email account and then using it to make fraudulent transactions.

However, cyber crime sleuths have failed to ascertain whether the account of Manu Datta was hacked in India or it was hacked in a foreign country.

A case under various charges of cheating and 66-C, and 66-D of the Information Technology (IT) Act was registered in this connection.

Chandigarh, December 7
A day after the arrest of a fraudster from Jalandhar, who was wanted by the police of six states in the fraud of Rs 2.1 crore, the police has seized a number of stamps, a scanner, a laptop and fake demand drafts from the residence of accused. It has also impounded a Honda city car of the accused. DSP Anil Joshi said they also confiscated four mobiles which were used in the crime. The police has also written to the police of five sates, Maharashra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi, informing it about the arrest of the accused.

The accused, Gurpreet Singh, was arrested yesterday for duping brass and copper dealers of various states by ordering a consignment and then issuing a fake demand draft. After the dealers fell in his trap, he used to ask them to deliver consignments in trucks in the surrounding areas of Chandigarh. Since he was having the phone number of the truck driver, he would contact them and ask them to deliver the consignment at a place of his choice. He would then dupe the truck drivers either by giving them fake demand drafts or by stating that their truck was too small for the consignment for further journey. After loading the consignment, he would flee with the material in another truck arranged by him.

The accused would destroy the phone and SIM after committing the fraud.

Panchkula, December 7
The family of Jyoti, who was found murdered on a road at Sector 21 in Panchkula on November 22, alleged that the police was offering it money for striking a compromise with the suspects.

The victim's family that had come from Hoshiarpur to meet the ACP complaining about the police inaction stated this to mediapersons today.

The victim, Jyoti, was putting up as a paying guest in house number 3295, Sector-21D Chandigarh.

Jyoti was pursuing BEd from a private institute in Mohali and was employed with a security agency in Mohali.

“The police called us a few days ago and when we asked why it had failed to take action against the accused, in-charge of the Sector 5 police station offered us money saying the suspects were ready to pay the money,” said Mohan Lal, the deceased's paternal uncle.

He added, “We told them that we wanted the murderers to be behind the bars."

Investigations revealed that a political leader from Himachal Pardesh and his accomplices had spoken to the victim minutes before her murder. The post-mortem report of the girl had revealed that she had undergone an abortion and was suspected to be in a relationship for the past two years.

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Virender Sangwan assured the family of doing the needful."

He added, "The family did not complain about anything."

Chandigarh, December 7
On the concluding day of the 6th RF Saupin’s Football Trophy Tournament, Carmel Convent girls proved their mettle by defeating Saupin's, Chandigarh, (1-0) in the final match.

On the final day of the tournament, a total of three matches were held. Out of which, the first semifinal was won by Saupin's, Chandigarh, against Government Model Senior Secondary School-22 (3-1). Sacred Heart’s girls’ football team was smashed by Carmel Convent in the second semifinal league of the day (1-0).

Finally, Carmel Convent stole the show by beating Saupin’s Chandigarh (1-0) in the final match and lifted the 6th RF Saupin’s Trophy.

June Saupin, director of Saupin's School, Chandigarh, and Mohali, presented the running trophy to the winning team.

Brief Scores:

1st Match: Saupin's Chandigarh: Gagneet (first goal in 6th minute), Venu Pathak (second and third goal in the 13th and 16th minute, respectively)

Government Model Senior Secondary School-22: Ashu (one goal in 20th minute)

2nd Match: Carmel Convent: Anupa (one goal in 4th minute)

3rd Match (Final): Carmel Convent - Jotnoor (one goal in 4th minute)

Chandigarh, December 7
Punjab’s Manan Vohra, who missed out on the U-19 World Cup because of an injury, was in a cracking form when he hammered an unbeaten double century (211) while playing for the Young Friends Cricket Club against Delhi Cricket Club in the DDCA Premier League at Shivaji College Ground, Delhi.

Batting first, Young Friends Cricket Club posted a total of 362 for 4 in the allotted 45 overs. Vohra, who opened the innings, was in a rampaging mood. He scored an unbeaten 211 off just 149 balls.

His innings were studded with 28 boundaries and three sixes.

His imperious knock enabled his team to carve out a 237-run win.

Delhi Cricket Club bundled out for 125 runs, as Sunny Rana returned the flattering figures of 5 for 23.

Chandigarh, November 7
Rishabh Sharda upset top seed Sacchit Sharma to win the boys’ U-12 singles title in the lawn tennis tournament held at the CLTA.

Sarah Dev worked hard and rallied to beat Prinkle Singh in marathon three-setter. Sarah won by 5-7, 6-3, 7-5. Top seed Paramveer Bajwa conceded just three games to win U-16 title by defeating his practice partner Param Pun (6-0, 6-3).

Second seed Nandini Sharma upset top seed Bhavya Wadhwan by beating her in straight sets (6-3, 6-3).

Dr Jasjit Singh, secretary of the CLTA, gave away the prices to the winners.

Results

Boys U-12 Singles final: Rishabh Sharda bt Sacchit Sharma (6-2, 6-2)

Girls U-12 Singles final: Sarah Dev bt Prinkle Singh (5-7, 6-3, 7-5)

Boys U-16 Singles final: Paramveer Bajwa bt Param Pun (6-0, 6-3)

Girls U-16 Singles final: Nandini Sharma bt Bhawya Wadhawan (6-3, 6-3)