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mudslinging at Jor Mela despite jathedar’s advice
2012 PUNJAB LOOKING BACK—sikh clergy |
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Chargesheet in Shruti abduction case filed
MSP hike too meagre, says SAD
GPRS system to check kerosene pilferage rejected by transporters
42% of water samples non-potable in Patiala
People living in constant fear: Capt
Mann for Governor's rule in Punjab
Jain to contest Moga byelection as SAD nominee
From Left: PS Gill, former DGP, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Joginderpal Jain at the SAd headquarters in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan
Councillors stage dharna in Sangrur
‘Cancer survey will dispel fear’
Doctors threaten to protest if changes not rolled back
Sangrur district faces acute shortage of medical staff
Director (Health) pulls up doctors in Bathinda
Released prisoner brings message from Sarabjit
Protests held against 'lawlessness'
Majithia says he will come out unscathed
‘Sunny terrorised Cong men in Majitha’
SAD cadre not involved, says Sukhbir
‘Kidnapped’ girl found
Government plans separate force for night policing
Sanjh Kendras to go online
Bathinda man held for filing false theft case
with police
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mudslinging at Jor Mela despite jathedar’s advice
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26 Interestingly, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar also spoke on the same podium, although he did not make any political comments. Addressing a press conference, Sukhbir said with Congress MLA from Moga Joginder Pal Jain joining the SAD, a hiatus had started in the Congress and "you will see regular desertions from their camp". Making an indirect reference to the recent incident in the Vidhan Sabha following which Congressman Rana Gurjit Singh was suspended, Majithia said: "Our gurus have taught us that it is not right to bear cruelty at anyone's hands. I have never reacted to allegations against me. Some even call me a 'goonda' or a murderer. But I cannot tolerate anyone dragging my mother's name". Mahesh Inder Grewal, adviser to the Chief Minister, said: "Religion and politics are the very essence of Sikhism. It will not be correct to address our community during a religious occasion and not mentioning the wrongs in our society". SAD general secretary Balwant Singh Ramoowalia also took a satirical dig at the Congress and its national leaders. Others present on the occasion included Bibi Jagir Kaur, Speaker Charanjit Atwal, Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Bhunder and Jathedar Tota Singh. Sukhbir said Fatehgarh Sahib would have a stadium in the name of Baba Zora Singh and Baba Fateh Singh by next year.
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2012 PUNJAB LOOKING BACK—sikh clergy
Amritsar, December 26 The decision to construct the memorial sparked a huge debate with the Congress and other political parties, including the ruling SAD's alliance partner BJP, condemning it, arguing that it may revive militancy in the state which has already paid a heavy price in terms of economy and loss of life during the dark days of terrorism. However, unfazed by the criticism, the SGPC went ahead with it while maintaining that the memorial will only house a gurdwara which will spread the message of peace. It justified the move, contending that the memorial had been a long pending demand of Sikhs and the Sikh leadership was well aware of the community's sentiments. The SGPC handed over the "kar sewa" of the memorial to the Damdami Taksal headed by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa. The Sikh high priests then laid the foundation stone of the memorial on June 6, the 28th anniversary of the Army operation. The issue returned to haunt the SGPC once again in October when Lt Gen KS Brar (retd) who led the Army in the Operation Bluestar was attacked by some unidentified assailants in London. While the SGPC remained tightlipped over the incident, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde indirectly asked it to introspect on their move. The Sikh clergy and the SGPC hit the headlines when they opposed the capital punishment being awarded to Bhullar and Rajoana. The SGPC had even moved clemency petitions before the President to save them from the death sentence. The then President Pratibha Patil had rejected the mercy plea of Bhullar on May 26, 2011, following which the SGPC had filed a clemency petition before the President on July 26, 2011. Similarly, the Sikh high priests and the SGPC threw their weight behind Rajoana when a court ordered his execution in March this year. The state government had refused to hang him. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal even met the then President Pratibha Patil to seek clemency for Rajoana whose death sentence was later stayed by the Centre. The Sikh high priests even bestowed the title of Zinda Shaheed (living martyr) on Rajoana. The clergy led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh presented a plaque, a shawl, a "siropa" and a sword to Kamaldeep Kaur, Rajoana's sister, who received the title on his behalf. Though Rajoana had declined the title, the Akal Takht had refused to withdraw it. Meanwhile, the fate of the new SGPC House continued to hang in balance even after a year of the SGPC elections held on September 18 last year, as the hearing of the case over the Sehajdhari row is still pending in the Supreme Court. At present, the SGPC neither has the old House nor the new one. Though the apex court has authorised the SGPC executive (elected in 2010) to manage the Sikh institution's daily affairs, the legal tangle has hit its normal functioning. This is evident from the fact that perhaps for the first time in its history the SGPC could not pass its annual budget in March this year as there was no House. The SGPC executive passed the vote-on-account for managing the affairs. The year gone by also saw the Sikh community coming face to face with Dera Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, over the alleged demolition of a gurdwara at Waraich village, although the matter was amicably resolved later on. The controversy also saw various Sikh outfits announcing their move to "boycott" the Akal Takht Jathedar for giving the clean chit to the dera over this issue. The Jathedar had attributed his move to an SGPC panel report which said no sacrilege was committed in "shifting" the gurdwara. Later, the dera head came forward and offered to reconstruct the gurdwara which led to the resolution of the issue. The Akal Takht Jathedar got embroiled in another controversy when he supported a complete marriage Act for Sikhs instead of mere amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, though he quickly did a volte face and supported Anand Marriage Amendment Bill, 2012, which was later passed by both the houses of Parliament. The Wisconsin gurdwara shootout in the US also brought to the fore the fact that the Sikhs abroad are still facing the issue of identity and the community needs to take urgent measures to deal with it. Taking serious note of the rising instances of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh clergy initiated stringent measures for facilitating a copy of the holy book. The Sikh high priests also issued guidelines for transportation of religious books. The SGPC finally installed jammers inside the sanctum sanctorum at the Golden Temple while it also started the facility of "pinni parshad" for the devotees visiting the shrine from far-flung areas.
major events * The SGPC decided to construct the Operation Bluestar Memorial 28 years after the Army operation * The decision sparked a huge debate with the Congress and other political parties, condemning it, arguing that it may revive militancy * The SGPC justified the move, contending that the memorial had been a long pending demand of Sikhs Bhullar, Rajoana issue * The Sikh clergy and the SGPC hit the headlines when they openly opposed the capital punishment being awarded to Delhi blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and Beant Singh assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana * The SGPC had even moved clemency petitions before the President to save them from the death sentence fate of SGPC House * The fate of the new SGPC House continued to hang in balance even after a year of the SGPC elections held on September 18 last year, as the hearing of the case over the Sehajdhari row is still pending in the Supreme Court marriage act * The Akal Takht Jathedar got embroiled in another controversy when he supported a complete marriage Act for Sikhs instead of mere amendment to the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 * He quickly did a volte face and supported the Anand Marriage Amendment Bill, 2012 row with beas dera * The year gone by also saw the Sikh community coming face to face with Dera Radha Soami Satsang, Beas, over the alleged demolition of a gurdwara at Waraich village * It was only after the dera head offered to reconstruct the gurdwara that the matter was resolved initiatives * The Sikh clergy initiated stringent measures for facilitating a copy of Guru Granth Sahib * The SGPC finally installed jammers inside the sanctum sanctorum at the Golden Temple * It also started the facility of "pinni parshad" for the devotees visiting the shrine from far-flung areas
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Chargesheet in Shruti abduction case filed
Faridkot, December 26 The 15-year-old girl was first abducted on June 25. A case was registered against Nishan Singh, Navjot Kaur, Dimpi Samra and Bikram Singh. Two days ago, the police had filed the chargesheet against four accused in this case. The girl was again abducted on September 24 and in this case, the police arrested 20 persons. Keeping in view the public outrage over incidents of crime against women these days, the Faridkot police hastened to file the chargesheet with the duty magistrate as there is winter break in the courts. Some of the accused in the case have been in jail for around 80 days. A delay of 10 days in filing the chargesheet could have made those accused entitled to get bail under Section 167 (2) of CrPC, said GS Toor, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Faridkot. The police would ensure that there was no delay at the level of prosecution in the speedy trial of this case, said the SSP. The police today produced a list of 80 witnesses before the court to prove charges against the accused. Earlier, the police teams had raided various hideouts in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, UP, Delhi and Goa to nab the accused. As per an estimate, the police investigation in this case has so far cost the state government about Rs 50 lakh. The police has also procured various fake documents on the basis of which Nishan Singh got a passport and a driving licence. The police has also got the DNA testing of Nishan Singh done from PGI, Chandigarh, to prove him guilty of rape charges.
Hastened move * The Faridkot police hastened to file the chargesheet with the duty magistrate as there is winter break in the courts. * Chargesheet has been filed against all the 20 accused, who are at present lodged in the Central Jail, Faridkot * Some of the accused in the case have been in jail for around 80 days * A delay of 10 days in filing the chargesheet could have made those accused entitled to get bail under Section 167 (2) of CrPC
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MSP hike too meagre, says SAD
Chandigarh, December 26 In a statement here, SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Congress-led UPA had once again exposed its anti-farmer face by denying remunerative prices to the farming community. He said while on the one hand, the UPA Government had permitted fertiliser companies to fix prices on their own and had scrapped subsidy on
fertilisers, raising the prices of agriculture inputs, on the other, it haddenied the minimum production price to the farmers. He said the SAD had been asking the Union Government to accept the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission, linking the MSP with wholesale price index to neutralise the impact of inflation or giving 50 per cent profit on the input costs. But the Congress-led UPA Government, he said, was favouring multinational companies so that the import lobby could mint money. Questioning the silence of state Congress on the issue, Sukhbir said those threatening to go on dharnas on petty issues should stage a dharna at the Prime Minister’s office till the Centre accepted the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Sukhbir said along with Chief Minister Parkash Singh
Badal, he would soon call on the Prime Minister on the issue.
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GPRS system to check kerosene pilferage rejected by transporters
It is alleged that kerosene oil meant for kerosene agencies in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur, is being diverted by these depot holders and sold in the open market at a much higher price. The much-hyped system of installing GPRS on all trucks ferrying kerosene to the 17,388 agency holders in the state has stopped working, with most transporters refusing to pay the monthly service charge of Rs 200 per truck to the company offering this service. This means that the movement of the 200 trucks that ferry kerosene across the state cannot be tracked. With the tracking system not working, the kerosene agency holders are having a free run. Following large scale complaints against the kerosene agency holders in the above mentioned districts, the Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department has initiated an inquiry against at least six agency holders in Patti and Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur. The inquiry is being conducted by the Deputy Director, Food and Supplies, Jalandhar, following a complaint that a large number of trucks ferrying kerosene from the Jalandhar depot of Indian Oil Corporation, meant for the agency holders in the above mentioned districts never reached there. It is allegedly sold in black in Jalandhar itself. As against the subsidised price of Rs 14.28 per litre, kerosene is sold in black at almost Rs 40-Rs 50 per litre. This oil is used in the industry as a substitute for diesel; in paint manufacturing by making it colourless; and, for making duplicate furnace oil. Since the industry finds it cheaper to use subsidised kerosene oil than furnace oil or diesel, there is a huge market for kerosene oil in the industry. There are 59.45 lakh ration card holders in Punjab and kerosene oil is available to all Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders, red card holders and blue card holders. After the Government of India cut the quota for kerosene by 63 per cent earlier this year, the state now gets 23,000 kilolitres of kerosene for each quarter (8,000 kilolitres per month).
TUg of war *
Oil Marketing Companies ferry kerosene oil to 17,300 agencies * Transporters refused to pay the monthly service charge of Rs 200 per truck to the company offering the GPRS service
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42% of water samples non-potable in Patiala
Patiala, December 26 The District Health Officer Dr Harish Malhotra said that in Patiala city, the department had collected 94 water samples out of which 34 samples were found unfit for drinking. These samples had been collected from various government and private schools, marriage palaces, restaurants etc. In Nabha, out of 47 samples, 17 were found non-potable and in Samana, out of 38 samples, 13 failed the test. In Rajpura, as many as 17 samples out of 52 were found non-potable. He said that 37 water samples out of 94 water samples collected from government schools were unfit for consumption. This was a cause for concern as the number of schools providing dirty water to our youth was very high. In private schools, 11 out of 27 samples were found non-potable. Out of the 35 water samples collected from the Local Bodies Department, 12 were found non-potable and 15 out of the 26 samples collected from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department were found unfit for consumption. Out of the 316 samples collected from other sources, only 179 passed the quality test.
Frightening facts * 37 water samples out of 94 water samples collected from government schools unfit for consumption * In private schools, 11 out of 27 samples were found non-potable * 15 out of the 26 samples collected from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department were found unfit for consumption
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People living in constant fear: Capt
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26 Addressing a gathering at Shaheedi Jor Mela here, PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh said people in the state were living under constant fear. He said if the SAD should expel Majithia from the party and order an inquiry into his role in "promoting gooda raj" in the state. He said even the policemen were being forced to obey the dictates of Majithia's goons. Referring to yesterday's attack on Ludhiana AIG Mand, Amarinder said DGP Sumedh Singh Saini should ensure the safety of the force. Capt said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was losing control over the government and the day-to-day affairs were being run by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Majithia. He said if the law and order situation did not improve, industrialists would refrain from investing in the state, which would lead to more unemployment. He alleged the SAD was using the SGPC and "Guru Ki Goluk" to fulfill its political agenda. Senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said highhandedness of the Akali workers and the police would not be tolerated. MP Sukhdev Singh Libra, MLAs Balbir Singh Sidhu, Kuljit Singh Nagra and Kaka Ranbir Singh Nabha were among those present.
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Mann for Governor's rule in Punjab
Addressing a rally at Shaheedi Jor Mela here, Mann said Akali workers and the police were hand in glove and had been harassing the common man. He said the SAD Government had 'failed" to safeguard the lives and property of the people. Lashing out at the BJP, Mann said: "The party's communal face has been exposed as it has failed to field even a single Muslim candidate during the assembly elections in Gujarat". He said his party had never differentiated between the Sikhs and Muslims and treated both these communities on equal terms. The leader also criticised the Union and the Delhi Governments for their "mishandling" of the gang rape case of a 23-year-old Delhi girl.
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Jain to contest Moga byelection as SAD nominee
Chandigarh, December 26 Jain's desertion from the Congress is seen as SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's
masterstroke. It has put the state Congress on the defensive. The SAD has timed the move to deflect attention from acts of lawlessness by Youth Akali Dal (YAD) workers. It has also helped lay the ground for taking on the Congress in the parliamentary elections. Jain submitted his resignation letter to Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal this morning, which was promptly accepted. He walked into the conference room of the SAD headquarters here with the SAD president and former state police chief PS Gill, whom he had defeated in the last elections, to join the SAD. Balancing act Sukhbir Badal welcomed Jain into the party fold. He said he knew Jain from the days when he first contested the Faridkot parliamentary seat. Jain, he said, had helped him then. He mollified Gill by saying the latter was a “family member” and part of his core team and that he had something in line for him. Gill looked embarrassed as he sat alongside Sukhbir and Jain. The former DGP managed a faint smile for the cameras when Sukhbir honoured Jain with a ‘siropa’ to signal his entry into the SAD. The agreement Sources said both sides have reached an agreement which was brokered by a religious head. Sukhbir accordingly announced that Jain would be the party’s candidate from Moga in the ensuing byelection. Jain is likely to be accommodated politically by being given a chairmanship. When questioned, Jain indirectly revealed the reason for his joining the SAD by saying, “basically, I am not a politician”. His close associates said Jain was primarily a businessman dealing in real estate and that his business interests were being hurt by remaining in the Opposition for the second term. The associates claimed that this was why he had joined the SAD and not because of fear of cases against him. The cases were mainly about FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act) violations and the state government had nothiong to do with the same. Treading cautiously Jain was careful not to cross swords with Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh. Despite being goaded to take on Amarinder, he said he was disappointed with the party for not supporting him in his cases and not any one individual. Sources said Jain, who will be contesting the Moga byelection, does not want to open another front with Amarinder. He remained at his diplomatic best. Tota Singh absent Among those who came along with Jain were his son Akshay, who is Moga district Youth Congress president, former chairmen Gurdeep Singh Gill, Nachhattar Singh Korian and several former councillors. Former Agriculture Minister Tota Singh was conspicuous by his absence. Tota Singh, earlier a legislator from Moga who had shifted to the Dharamkot constutuency, had been demanding the Moga seat for his son Makhan Singh Brar. Jain has failed to work on senior district-level Congress leaders who have chosen to remain with the parent party. Road ahead Jain fits into the social engineering undertaken by the SAD president. He has chosen to field him from a constituency which was till recently was represented by party old guard jathedar Tota Singh. Sukhbir's message to the electorate is clear-that the SAD wants to include major communities in its fold. This is an ominous signal for the BJP which till now would get the Hindu votes for the SAD. The saffron party may see its importance reduced further with the SAD gaining an absolute majority in the assembly if Jain wins the ensuing byelection on the Akali ticket.
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Councillors stage dharna in Sangrur
Sangrur, December 26 Sources said the post of the President of Lehragaga Municipal Council had been lying vacant since July 29, 2011. Likewise, the posts of Senior Vice President and Vice President of the council had also been lying vacant since 2009. Out of the 13 Municipal Councilors, 8 councillors, including Mahesh Sharma Neetu (Congress), Rajinder Singh (Congress), Simarjit Kaur (Congress), Geetanjali (Congress), Palwinder Singh (BJP), Tarsem Chand (BJP) and Kamaljit Kaur (BJP) participated in the dharna. Councillor Mahesh Sharma Neetu said, earlier on two occasions, the councillors had met with officials from the administration to conduct the elections, but these had been cancelled “on the pretext of the law and order situation”. He said around 10 days ago, they had also written to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) threatening to stage a dharna if elections were not held. A couple of days ago, they had also submitted a memorandum to the Lehragaga Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in this regard. But no action has been taken so far, he added. The Sangrur DC Kumar Rahul said he had asked the Lehragaga SDM to send the memorandum to him when he had rung him up on Monday. He said the elections would soon be held and had already formed a committee so that development works do not stall in Lehragaga.
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‘Cancer survey will dispel fear’
Bathinda, December 26 In the city to participate in the conference organised by the Punjab chapter of the Indian Medical Asociation (IMA), Dr Gupta said the data collected by the survey will dispel fears and myths associated with cancer in Punjab, particularly the Malwa belt. He added that so far, only cancer registries and odd entries with different hospitals served the purpose of providing data on cancer. "A big hospital, such as the cancer institute in Bikaner or Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, has people from different states visiting it. Hence, the date on cancer collected from these places does not give exact information about the disease or its incidence in any state. Moreover, scattered data is not easy to interpret. The cancer survey will provide us with consolidated data that will help the doctors, officials and others," he said. "The causes of cancer are multi-factorial. These include environment, dietary pattern, lifestyle, less exercise, obesity, high calorie intake and environmental radiation etc. We cannot pinpoint one abnormality in the system or just diet or lifestyle as the cause. After conducting the survey, the government should lay emphasis on propagating ways to prevent cancer," he said. Dr Gupta added that as the foremost measure, the government should completely ban the sale of tobacco and its products as 40 to 50 per cent of cancer cases reported are due to tobacco consumption. "Since the habit of consuming tobacco is formed at a young age, the children in schools and colleges should be educated against its ill effects. Once the consumption of tobacco is checked, we will experience a significant fall in the number of cancer cases," he said. Dr Gupta said the non-government organizations (NGOs) could be roped in to spread the message and strategy for preventing cancer. He said special emphasis should be laid on educating girls.
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Eligibility criteria
Ludhiana, December 26 This was discussed in the extended state body meeting presided over by its president, Dr Hardeep Singh, here today. The association members said that the government has increased the number of years of rural service required to take admission into a postgraduate (PG) course to 6 years. A majority of the specialist PCMS doctors has also been discriminated against in getting PG increments. There has been a delay in routine service matters and promotions have stagnated, members said. Dr Inderjit Singla, state general secretary of the PCMS association and Dr Amrit Raj Bahal, state secretary of PCMS dental doctors, demanded an immediate rollback of the change in the eligibility criteria
for admission into a PG course. They demanded that the PG increments to all specialist doctors be given without any discrimination. The association requested Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to look into the matter.
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Sangrur district faces acute shortage of medical staff
Sangrur, December 26 It is hard to believe the state government’s claims to improve the health services since the state of affairs is so alarming. Sources in the health department said of the 169 sanctioned posts of medical officers in the district, 69 have been lying vacant. There are 10 vacant posts in civil hospital, Sangrur, eight in civil hospital, Sunam, seven in civil hospital, Malerkotla, and four in civil hospital, Dhuri. Out of over 200 sanctioned posts for staff nurses, more than 100 have been lying vacant. Moreover, all the four sanctioned posts of radiologists in the civil hospitals at Sangrur, Sunam, Dhuri and Malerkotla have also been lying vacant in the district due to which patients have been visiting private radiologists and shelling out more money.
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Director (Health) pulls up doctors in Bathinda
Bathinda, December 26 Nayyar also visited the Civil Hospital at Ghudda where he noticed that the number of patients was quite less in comparison with the facilities provided at the health centre. During his visit to the Civil Hospital here, the director scrutinised the records of the hospital and found them not up to the mark. While talking to TNS, Nayyar said the doctors and staff present at the Civil Hospital were told to maintain the records according to the diseases and urgency of providing medical facility. "Reports of complete diagnosis were not mentioned on the patients' files which, are mandatory to provide better health services. Also, the service being provided at the OPD was not satisfactory," Nayyar said. He said the overall performance of the doctors was found satisfactory. "I have again called up the SMO to diagnose the patients in a proper manner and if a patient is serious then every minute detail should be mentioned on the patient's file,” the director said. He said instructions had been issued to the staff to minimise the presence of medical representatives and fix specific hours for them. The emphasis of the doctors should be on patients only and the presence of medical representatives should not affect the treatment, the director said. Nayyar also pointed out to segregate the medical and surgical wards and asked the staff to identify separate rooms for the purpose. On the lack of a trauma centre, Nayyar said such centres were provided by the Central Government near various state highways. "We have mooted the idea to have a trauma centre in Bathinda also, so that accident victims could be treated properly," he said.
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Released prisoner brings message from Sarabjit
Amritsar, December 26 Jitender said he stayed at Kot Lakhpat Jail where both Sarabjit and Kirpal were lodged. He said they had appealed to the Indian government to step up efforts for their release. He said he landed in Iran while going to Dubai in an illegal manner in 2009 before finally ending up in the Pakistan jail in April this year. He was awarded a six-month jail term there. He said there were 200-250 Indian prisoners in the Kot Lakhpat Jail who had already completed their jail term. Jitender hails from the Safabad area in Kapurthala district.
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Protests held against 'lawlessness'
Ludhiana, December 26 Led by District Congress Committee Ludhiana (Urban) president Pawan Dewan, Congress workers took out a silent march. "If a senior police officer of the rank of SSP can be thrashed in full public view, I shudder to think of the plight of a common man," he remarked. Maha Sabha Ludhiana, an NGO, alleged that Sunny Johar who had attacked police officer SS Mand was involved in land grab cases. Another protest was organised by the Shiv Sena, Punjab. The organisation said it would hold a "Punjab Bachao Rally" at Amritsar on January 6. Rajiv Gandhi Youth Federation president Varun Mehta President alleged that in Ludhiana, police stations were being run by Akali Jathhedars. He said the common man lived in constant fear.
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Majithia says he will come out unscathed
However, he seems to be courting controversies one after the other. Hailing from the illustrious Majithia family, he is better known as the brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Bikram has been at the receiving end of the Opposition attack ever since the assembly elections early this year. The Congress sharpened its attack on the Revenue Minister during the just-concluded assembly session for using expletives against Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh during an argument. Now, he is facing bitter criticism with leaders of the Youth Akali Dal (YAD), the party wing that he heads , allegedly assaulting a senior police officer in a night club in Ludhiana. Talking to The Tribune, Majithia appeared unfazed. “If a Congress man commits a crime, will Congress president Sonia Gandhi be blamed for it? A Himachal MLA is on the run in a murder case. Will she be asked to take responsibility for nominating him? There can’t be dual standards. The law is applicable to the person who breaks it,” he maintained. On the unseemly happenings inside the assembly, he said: “Punjabis are known for self-respect.The opposition MLA not just accused me of being involved in the ASI murder case, but also abused my parents. What do you expect in return? ” Majithia rubbished the Congress charge that he was controlling the sand, transport, liquor and cable trade in the state. He claimed that excise revenue had gone up by three times under the SAD-BJP regime. "This would not have been so if there had been any hanky-panky. The Congress today has neither any agenda nor a leader. They’re tarnishing my image to provoke me into a confrontation,” he said. Majithia said he was confident of coming out unscathed. “The day I feel I have done some wrong, I will quit politics. I don’t need to follow the diktats of the Congress.”
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‘Sunny terrorised Cong men in Majitha’
Addressing mediapersons here today, Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majithia, president intellectual cell, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, said Majithia should resign on moral grounds as the "onus of lawlessness by Youth Akali Dal leaders lies with him." He alleged that during the assembly elections, Maninder Pal Singh alias Sunny Johar, Rishi Banda and Amandeep Singh had let loose a reign of terror on Congress workers in the Majitha constituency. "They had got a false case registered against my family members at that time," he said, showing a copy of the FIR to prove his charge. He demanded a CBI inquiry into Majithia's role in land and sand mafia.
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SAD cadre not involved, says Sukhbir
Chandigarh, December 26 Speaking to the media at a function here, he claimed the prime accused in the case, Sunny Johar and Rishi Banda, had been expelled from the Youth Akali Dal
(YAD) in May. He said the police officer, who was in mufti, had broken his leg while trying to intervene in an altercation between the accused and Canadian national Parmjit Singh. He denied that the incident had demoralised the police and said Mand was free to get a case registered in the matter. He said nobody was above the law, irrespective of his position.
Sukhbir said in the past six years, there had been only a few “high-profile violations of law and order, and in each case, we have acted with exemplary speed." The Deputy CM challenged his opponents to name one case in which the accused had been allowed to go scot free. “According to the data circulated by agencies of the Central Government, Punjab is the most peaceful state”, he pointed out.
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Faridkot, December 26 The victim’s parents worked at the house of the accused. The police produced her in the court of Duty Magistrate and got her medical examination done. The court ordered thatshe sent to Nari Niketan in Amritsar. — TNS
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Government plans separate force for night policing
Chandigarh, December 26 He said Punjab would be the first state in the country with a dedicated force for night policing. There would be a Superintendent of Police for each district for the night policing wing. The Deputy CM said as the police had a rotational duty system, night policing was getting ignored. “Policemen performing night duty do not get adequate rest,” he said. The government had , hence, decided to ensure adequate police presence on highways and streets to keep a tab on anti-social elements. The Punjab Police would take measures to sensitise its personnel while respond ing to cases of crime against women, he said. Expressing concern at the “collapse of law and order ” in the national Capital and the rising crime against women, Sukhbir said the Punjab Police had taken special steps to empower women. He said on his initiative, more than 3,000 women were recruited in the police force last year. The authorities concerned had been directed to step up women recruitment up to 15 per cent in the police force, Sukhbir added. On Anvil * Superintendent of Police for each district for night policing wing * Adequate police presence on highways/roads to keep a tab on anti-social elements * Measures to sensitise police force in handling cases of crime against women * Number of women recruits in the police to be increased up to 15 per cent
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Sanjh Kendras to go online
Mansa, December 26 In the first phase of his state-wide tour, Sharma visited Mansa today. He held a public meeting at the Bachat Bhawan here. Addressing people, the ADGP said Sanjh Vans would make people aware of the facilities available at the Sanjh
Kendras. Sharma said the Police Department was planning to make the Sanjh Kendras online soon. Under the online system, the applicant would be issued an identification number, using which the applicant could know the status of his work. A Sanjh helpline would also be established to seek suggestions from the people. “The aim of Sanjh Kendras is to establish direct contact with the people and increased community participation in curbing crime,” he said, adding every Sanjh Kendra would have a citizens’ council. He said the Sanjh Kendras had so far delivered 13 lakh services of which 3,765 had been provided within the stipulated time period. The technical reasons due to which several grievances could not be redressed in a time-bound manner were being looked into, he said. The ADGP also issued posters regarding women helpline and made a mock call at the helpline number. Former DGP Siddiqui said women seeking help could call on the toll-free number 1091 or 01652-220043.
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Bathinda man held for filing false theft case
with police
Bathinda, December 26 On December 24, Gurditt Singh, a resident of Kothe Chet Singh Wala, informed the police that his Sumo Victa, number PB 03 V 9089, had been stolen from the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. Already in a state of alarm after a utility vehicle was lifted from near Mittal Mall at gunpoint a few days ago, the police swung into action. On the orders of SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar, an alert was sounded at the nakas and the detail of the missing car was circulated. SO (Detective) Amarjit Singh and DSP Ranjit Singh were put on the job. During the investigation, it was found that the vehicle had been hired by a company that had installed global positioning system (GPS) in it to check its misuse. On the basis of the GPS, the police found that the car was in an area under the jurisdiction of the Kotfatta police station. The SHO Kotfatta was informed and directed to follow the vehicle. He was informed about the location of car based on inputs from the GPS device. The accused Sulakhan Singh alias Lakha parked his vehicle at the house of a friend Gurmukh Singh in village Jodhpur Romana and stayed there. The police recovered the vehicle and arrested Sulakhan alias Lakha from village Bhitiwala under the Lambi police station. Lakha was currently staying in street number 1, Mehna Basti, Bathinda. During the investigations, Lakha revealed that he had jointly bought the vehicle a year ago along with the complainant Gurditta Singh and one Lakhwinder Singh from Baba Deep Singh Nagar. The company hired the vehicle for which Sulakhan had contributed Rs 70,000 while buying it. However, Gurditta Singh did not give Sulakhan his due share. Sulakhan then took possession of the vehicle and drove it away from the Civil Hospital in the presence of Gurditta. "After this, Gurditta Singh wrongly alleged that his vehicle had been stolen, whereas Gurditta and Sulakhan were together till 10 am of December 24 when the incident took place. They also had drinks together at a liquor vend situated near Haji Rattan Chowk. He then lodged a complaint stating that his vehicle has been stolen," said the SSP. Kotwali police has arrested Gurditta Singh under Sections 182 and 406 of the IPC for misleading the police and not giving Sulakhan his due share. The Senior Superintendent of Police appealed to the people to furnish right information to the police. He suggested that the people should install GPS in their vehicles so that they could be traced and recovered if stolen. GPS also gives details of the vehicle's speed thereby informing whether the vehicle is moving or static.
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The Congress today demanded the expulsion of Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia for "spreading hooliganism" in the state.
Addressing a gathering at Shaheedi Jor Mela here, PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh said people in the state were living under constant fear. He said if the SAD should expel Majithia from the party and order an inquiry into his role in "promoting gooda
raj" in the state.
In a first in Punjab politics, Congress legislator from Moga Joginderpal Jain today resigned from the party and joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to pave the way for a byelection that he will now contest as Akali nominee.
Jain's desertion from the Congress is seen as SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's
masterstroke.
Chandigarh, December 26
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 26
Amritsar, December 26
Amritsar, December 26