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Perishable goods exporters demand faster clearance at Attari check post
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Salary scam detected
in Amritsar health department
Gurdaspur Rape Case
Patiala Gangrape Case
3-member probe panel formed
40 rape cases reported in state every
month
SSPs told to monitor cases related to gender crime: Saini
7 years on, martyrs’ memorial in ‘stage of discussion’
Foggy weather will increase yield: Experts
PPCB seals 2 industrial units for flouting norms
‘Govt using pressure tactics on NRI’
ETO suicide case
No threat to Hindus, says Pak Punjab Speaker
CM opposes water regulatory authority Badal reviews
law & order Ludhiana case: Notice to night club owners Govt shifts 31
IAS, 48 PCS officers
Patiala Land Scam
6 employees of animal husbandry dept caught drunk on duty
14-year-old raped in Fatehgarh Sahib
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Perishable goods exporters demand faster clearance at Attari check post
Amritsar, December 28 Addressing mediapersons here today, Indo-Expo Fruit and Vegetable Association office-bearers Bhushan Lal, Sanjay Dua and Sham Lal alleged that Customs authorities were giving preference to goods like soyabean and cotton, while perishable goods were being made to wait for days for clearance. They said they were sending 150 trucks of vegetables, including capsicum, bitter gourd, tomato and peas, to Pakistan everyday, but at times, only 50 or less trucks were cleared. Most of these exporters are from New Delhi and they get these vegetables from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. They claimed that Pakistan allows entry of Indian goods only between 8 am to 2 pm. They said that Customs officials should give preference to perishables during this period as these have to be transported to the interior areas in Pakistan. "As our goods can rot easily in the absence of storage facility at the ICP, it is desirable that our trucks are cleared on priority.” They, however, alleged that there is a strong lobby of cotton and soyabean exporters who ensure that their goods cross over to Pakistan first. They said that at times their goods reach their destination in five to seven days in a rotten state. They said that they have already taken up the matter with Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma. On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner, Customs, Attari, Amanjeet Singh, dubbed these allegations as baseless. “We never give preference to any particular goods while clearing the trucks at the ICP. The goods are cleared on first-come-first-served basis,” he added. Later, the exporters along with Punjab Trade Industries Board Director Rajinder Singh Marwaha met the Customs Commissioner in Amritsar and brought the matter to his notice. Marwaha said the Commissioner has assured to resolve the issue after discussing it with all the concerned parties. He said they have sought a separate yard for perishables, introduction of token system and resumption of trade with Pakistan via rail route to redress the problems being faced by perishable goods exporters. Rotten state Pakistan allows entry of Indian goods only between 8 am to 2 pm 150 trucks of vegetables being sent to Pakistan everyday Less than 50 are cleared daily These goods have to reach the interior areas in Pakistan
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Chandigarh, December 28 The good news, however, was that the state government realised that it needed to generate additional resources. Though the Budget 2012 did not impose any new taxes on the people, the government was forced to go in for additional resource mobilisation in September, so as to ensure that it was able to bring down the revenue deficit. Punjab had reported a revenue deficit of Rs 6,838 crore in 2011-12, which had shot up substantially in the last financial year as against the estimate of Rs 3,379
crore. The state has set a target to bring down the revenue deficit to Rs 3,123 crore during this fiscal. The government first hiked the electricity duty and the collector rate (for getting stamp duty). As part of the additional resource mobilisation drive, the state decided to impose property tax; increase VAT rate by 0.5 per cent; have a single slab for motor vehicle tax; and impose social infrastructure cess on property registration. These measures would help the state raise Rs 900 crore in an entire financial year. However, since these measures came into force from September, the state is expected to earn just Rs 600 crore during this financial year. With the increase in electricity duty and collector rate, earning an additional Rs 550 crore from excise collections and through the additional resource mobilisation measures, the state has made a provision to rake in Rs 2,400 crore during this fiscal. However, this may not help Punjab bring down its revenue deficit by 100 per cent, as proposed by the Finance Minister, Parminder Singh
Dhindsa, while presenting the Budget in June this year. But even as these measures were initiated, and the state exhausted all means to keep the inflow of cash, the committed expenditure seemed to be much more than the cash inflow in the state treasury. In fact, September and October were bad months for the state, as it had bills worth Rs 2,300 crore pending for clearance. During this period, the state government, having exhausted its overdraft limit of Rs 367
crore, made an overdraft of Rs 43 crore over and above its limit. The state continued to raise money from the market through sale of its state development loans, as its monthly income remained short of Rs 500
crore, from its monthly expenditure, through most part of the year. As the state staggered with its rising salary and pension bills, private investment in the state remained elusive. As the government struggled to come out with a new industrial and real estate policy to woo investors, very little investment fructified in the state, mainly because of the slowdown in the country's economy. Though major Punjab-based industries continued with their investment in other areas - where land and labour were cheaper and power was surplus - Punjab failed to attract any major investment. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh
Badal, however, tried to woo private investors by forming a core group of top industrialists to advise him on investment promotion, especially after he took over charge of the department of investment promotion. The only good thing to have happened in the state on the industry front was the formal inauguration and commissioning of the Rs 20,000 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at
Ramsara, near Bathinda, in April. A joint venture of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(HPCL) and Mittal Energy Investment Pvt Ltd, the refinery will produce LPG, petrol and diesel, and value-added products like polypropylene, food-grade hexane, solvents, naphtha and aviation fuel. It is expected to generate a sizable number of jobs directly and indirectly, besides a source of assured supply of petroleum products in Punjab and North India. A study has indicated growth in the state GDP in the range of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 crore if the associated downstream industry comes up in a petrochemical hub. The other major investment that came in Punjab was the German cash and carry major, Metro, spreading its business in the state by opening its third distribution centre at Zirakpur in October. The company already has two stores in Punjab at Ludhiana and Jalandhar and proposes to start another store at
Amritsar. With this, the company's total investment in Punjab will be over Rs 400
crore. Alarming fiscal health State’s rising debt and widening gap in revenue and expenditure State defaulting on payment of salaries Slow revenue generation and diminishing private investment in the state Punjab had reported a revenue deficit of Rs 6,838 crore in 2011-12 Encouraging developments The state has set a target to bring down the revenue deficit to Rs 3,123 crore during this fiscal The government hiked electricity duty and the collector rate Decided to impose property tax; increase VAT rate by 0.5 per cent; have a single slab for motor vehicle tax Impose social infrastructure cess on property registration Glimmer of hope The inauguration of Rs 20,000 crore Guru Gobind Singh refinery at
Ramsara, near Bathinda, in April The other major investment that flowed into Punjab was the German cash and carry major Metro The company’s total investment in Punjab will be over Rs 400 crore after it opens its third store in Amritsar
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Salary scam detected
in Amritsar health department
Amritsar, December 28 Though the district health authorities are mum on the exact amount of money thus embezzled, sources in the department said that at least Rs 75 lakh were routed to various accounts. The kingpin of the scam is a clerk posted in the accounts branch of the sub-divisional hospital-cum-community health centre at Baba Bakala near here. The salary bills of the employees of all government institutions are sent to the treasury every month. It is only on the basis of these bills, signed by the head of the institute, that the treasury sanctions the salary. After the amount has been sanctioned, a separate list is sent to the bank to route the money to the designated accounts. It has been learnt that at the first stage, the scamsters got many fake bills sanctioned from the treasury. Later, the list of accounts sent to the bank was also manipulated. The department also has information about the accused forging the signatures of the head of the institute and another employee. By manipulating the documents, salaries were withdrawn for non-existent employees. The department has sealed the record of the accounts office at the sub-divisional hospital and an inquiry has been initiated. Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra confirmed that a scam has been detected. However, he refused to divulge the details reasoning that the department was yet to ascertain the amount of money embezzled and the persons involved in it. Modus operandi The scamsters got many fake bills of employees salary sanctioned from the treasury The list of accounts sent to the bank was also manipulated The department also has information about the accused forging the signatures of the head of the institute and another employee
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Gurdaspur Rape Case
Gurdaspur, December 28 Stringent security measures had been made by the Gurdaspur police in anticipation of the protest with anti-riot vehicles stationed at the protest site. Prominent among the unions which took part in the proceedings were the Kirti Kisan Union, the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, the Democratic Employees Front and the Pindu Mazdoor Union. The police has so far questioned more than 100 persons, a majority of them young boys from adjoining villages. Speakers at the dharna compared the working of the Punjab Police with the “tyranny unleashed during the Mughul rule.” Satbir Singh of the Kirti Kisan Union said that despite the fact that 23 days had elapsed since the girl was found murdered, the police has yet to identity the accused. Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh said that the police was working on various theories. “We have identified some suspects and are monitoring their movements. We hope to nab the accused within the next 48 hours. We have assured the kin of the deceased that the accused will be nabbed within two days,” he said. Later in the day, the SSP held a meeting of SHOs of this district at the Police Lines and told them to be extra vigilant against eve-teasers. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs of the district have demanded a CBI probe into the murder. Dera Baba Nanak MLA and president of the Gurdaspur District Congress Committee said that the SSP should be placed under suspension for dereliction of duty. “He should be either suspended or transferred out of the district as his police force has miserably failed to arrest the culprits. I also demand a CBI probe into the incident,” he said.
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Patiala Gangrape Case
Badshahpur (Ghagga), December 28 “Many in the village have shunned us for registering a rape case. It is not our fault that some police officers have been suspended for not acting against those who raped my cousin,” said a grieving Charanjit Kaur. Patiala Inspector-General of Police Paramjit Singh Gill was among those who visited the bereaved family today. “None heard Daljit Kaur as she ran from pillar to post for help. What purpose will the officers’s visit serve now. They can only express regret,” said another relative. The victim’s father refused to talk on the issue, claiming that he has heard enough“Wherever I would go, the villagers would ask me all sorts of questions pertaining to my daughter. I just wanted justice and never wanted to strike a compromise with the accused. It was the police that wanted us to reach an agreement,” he said. The victim’s mother Surjit Kaur said that instead of standing up for her daughter who had been wronged, “ several village residents supported the accused and wanted the case to be withdrawn in lieu of money.” Shocking Apathy Blame them for bringing disgrace to village by filing a rape case Not many from Badshahpur village attend girl’s funeral Instead of standing up for my daughter who had been wronged, several residents supported the accused and wanted us to withdraw the case in lieu of money — Surjit
Kaur, victim’s mother
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3-member probe panel formed
Patiala, December 28 The panel, headed by Additional Director-General of Police (Crime) Jaswinder Singh, would include Inspector-General of Police (Crime) Shashi Prabha Dwivedi and the Inspector-General of Police (Zonal),
Patiala, Paramjit Singh Gill. “The panel would probe if there was dereliction of duty by any officer up to the level of
SSP,” said a government spokesman. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Ghagga had reportedly kept his seniors in the dark about the case. An FIR regarding abetment to suicide has been lodged against dismissed Assistant Sub-Inspector
(ASI) Nasib Singh. Sources said more heads were likely to roll and some senior officers could be transferred. Highly placed sources said it was only on the orders of the Deputy CM that the police top brass suspended Patran Deputy Superintendent of Police
(DSP) Harpreet Singh and dismissed ASI Nasib Singh and the Ghagga SHO. “Since copies of the FIR are sent to the area magistrate, the police control room, the DSP’s office and the SSP’s office, it seems impossible that the SHO connived with the ASI to keep the case under wraps,” said the Patiala
IGP.
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40 rape cases reported in state every
month Ludhiana, December 28 Investigations in 251 rape cases is still pending while in 309 cases the accused could not be traced and 479 cases were cancelled. This information was given to Karandeep Singh Kairon, president, People for Literacy who filed an RTI petition on August 11, seeking details of rape cases
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SSPs told to monitor cases related to gender crime: Saini
Chandigarh, December 28 Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters here, the DGP said the force had learnt a lesson from the Patiala gangrape incident in which laxity and even possible involvement of the investigating officer in trying to affect a compromise between the accused and the victim had led the latter to commit suicide. He said the Additional DGP (Crime), Jasminder Singh, had visited Patiala today and that the Senior Superintendent of Police
(SSP), Patiala, was also under scrutiny to ascertain why the issue had not been brought to his
notice. Saini said advisories had been sent to show sensitivity in dealing with crime against women, children and the elderly. He denied allegations that the force had become
politicised. He said prompt action had been taken by arresting all accused involved in the attack on an ASI in Amritsar and those involved in a brawl in Ludhiana that had resulted in an injury to the Assistant
IG, Counter-Intelligence, SS Mand or those who had raped a minor girl in Patiala district. He said action had been taken against police personnel found guilty of dereliction of duty. When questioned about the CCTV footage of the brawl at Ludhiana, the DGP said he had asked the Ludhiana Commissioner to examine the same. He said as far as he was concerned, it was part of case history. Asked why the AIG’s name was not in the FIR, the DGP said the FIR had been recorded as per the statement of NRI Paramjit Singh. “What I know as of now is that this was a typical hotel
brawl." Saini was also questioned whether Mand and NRI Paramjit Singh had got into an altercation with former Akali worker Sunny Johar due to a business deal turning sour and on allegations of another
NRI, Hardial Singh Hundal, that the land on which The Hub stood belonged to him and had been forcibly taken over by Sunny. The DGP said he had asked the Ludhiana Commissioner to look into ther charges. The DGP said there were reports from the highest quarters that efforts were on to revive terrorism in Punjab. “We shall not permit this”, he said. He said the state police had taken “certain steps” to prevent Naxals from entering the state.
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7 years on, martyrs’ memorial in ‘stage of discussion’
Muktsar, December 28 The foundation stone, laid by the then president, SAD, Parkash Singh Badal and the then SGPC chief Jagir Kaur on May 4, 2005 on Tibbi Sahib road, is standing alone with the building nowhere in sight. In the past seven years, a number of meetings have been held in this regard, but the fate of this proposed memorial still remains unclear. When the foundation stone of the memorial was laid, it was announced that the design had been approved and the amount required would also be sanctioned shortly, but no work has been witnessed on the ground yet. The SGPC had formed a committee that was given the task of completing the construction work before January 2013, but when The Tribune interacted with a member of the committee, he said that he was not sure about the date of commencement of the construction work. “There is some change to the original plan of constructing the memorial on Tibbi Sahib road. The site of memorial may be changed or the actual plan may also be dropped, as the SGPC may take over another Sikh memorial in the town, which is at present under some government department,” he said. Jarnail Singh, manager, gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Muktsar, who is also the member of the committee assigned the task to build the memorial, said, “As of now, there is no scheduled date to commence the construction work of the martyrs’ memorial. It will take some more time as the project is at the stage of discussion.” Repeated attempts to contact SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar proved futile. Timeline May 4, 2005: Parkash Singh Badal and Jagir Kaur lay the foundation stone January 2012: SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar assures that work will be completed by Maghi 2013
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Foggy weather will increase yield: Experts
Sangrur, December 28 They say that the present weather conditions will lead to a high yield of rabi crops. Though many farmers feel the present weather conditions are good for the wheat crop, some fear it might have an adverse affect on their wheat crop. They say they will have to give an additional dose of urea to save their crop. Agriculture experts said the prolonged cool temperature increased tillering and stopped the vegetative growth, thereby enhancing the yield of wheat. However, sometimes prolonged foggy conditions lead to nutritional disorders, such as a deficiency of manganese and sulphur, particularly in wheat crop. Dr Amarjit Singh, Agriculture Development Officer, Sangrur, said during such weather conditions, the farmers were advised to spray a solution comprising one kg of manganese sulphate (30.5 per cent) in 200 litres of water on one acre of wheat crop. The crop should be sprayed at sunrise during foggy days. Four to five sprays of manganese sulphate were sufficient to get a good yield, he said. Sangrur Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Rajinder Singh Sohi exhorted the farmers to irrigate vegetables and fodder with less water in such conditions. He said wheat was grown on more than 2.85 lakh hectares in the Sangrur district and they expected a record production of wheat this rabi season. Dr Sohi said if the existing weather conditions continued up to mid January, the state could expect a high yield of wheat.
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PPCB seals 2 industrial units for flouting norms
Patiala, December 28 It instructed Chadha Sugars & Industries Ltd to ensure compliance of the requisite norms and give a bank guarantee of Rs 35 lakh. The PPCB authorities had conducted raids on the companies on December 16. The companies operated from the same complex in Kiri Afghana village, Gurdaspur. The PPCB team led by Environmental Engineer Sandeep Bahl found that the Effulgent Treatment Plant (ETP) and the Air Pollution Control Devices (APCD) of these industries were not working properly. Bahl said stagnant water was spotted at various places in the complex and all the three companies were not complying with the requisite parameters fixed by the PPCB. The PPCB chairman Ravinder Singh said, as instructed by the Board, these companies did not dismantle the pipeline network through which the untreated water was discharged into the Sarri tributary and the Beas. “The report of the samples, collected by the Board, brought to light that the violations were of a very serious nature. The representatives of these industries was given a personal hearing on December 27 and subsequently on the basis of the overall investigations, the orders to seal AB Grains and Adie Broswon were issued,” he said. Bahl, who himself supervised the sealing operation today, said that the boiler and other generation systems of AB Grains and Adie Broswon were sealed.
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‘Govt using pressure tactics on NRI’
Ludhiana, December 28 The Congress also targeted the NRI and sought a probe as to how he was carrying a weapon in the night club (The Hub) despite Section 144 CrPC being imposed in the city. Former spokesperson of the Punjab Youth Congress Ishwarjot Cheema said that the owner of The Hub, Sunny Johar, accused of attacking Paramjit Singh, had been made a scapegoat to “save Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.” —TNS
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ETO suicide case
Mohali, December 28 Manjeet Kaur, widow of ETO Ranjit Singh, said the accused were arrested within 24 hours after the assault on Assistant Inspector-General of Police SS Mand. Those wanted in connection with an attack on ASI Ravinder Pal Singh in Amritsar were also nabbed within 24 hours. However, those allegedly responsible, including a Superintendent of Police (SP) with the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, for her husband’s suicide in April last year had still not been arrested. She said the accused were being “shielded” by the government. They had not been arrested even when a local court had issued non-bailable warrants against them on November 26. The next date of hearing was January 9. If the accused failed to turn up at the court, then the process to declare them as proclaimed offenders would begin. The police, she alleged, was trying to give the accused time to secure an anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court. She alleged her late husband had been implicated in a false case and he was forced to commit suicide. She said she had not been provided with any security even though she had received telephonic threats to withdraw the case. She had met Capt Amarinder Singh yesterday to seek his help in getting justice. Manjeet Kaur said that officials working at her late husband’s department had assured assistance of Rs 1 crore to her family on his bhog ceremony, but till now she hadn’t received any help. Those booked were Amandeep Kaur, SP, Vigilance Bureau, Harminder Singh, Havaldar, Rajinder Singh, Rajiv Sood and Paramjit Singh. A case was registered against them under Sections 7 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B and other provisions of the IPC. ETO Ranjit Singh was arrested by a Vigilance team headed by Amandeep Kaur on March 29 last year after he was allegedly caught taking a bribe from a trader. He was released on bail by a court on April 20. He allegedly committed suicide on April 22.
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No threat to Hindus, says Pak Punjab Speaker
Patiala, December 28 Khan said it was wrong to perceive that the Government of Pakistan neglected Hindu citizens because some had migrated to India. “It is an individual’s choice to reside wherever he or she wishes to,” he said. Asked about the conditions of gurdwaras in Pakistan, Khan said the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) had handed over the Kar Sewa to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). He said that PETPB had been taking care of gurdwaras in Pakistan. The reconstruction work of the gurdwaras would be carried out only after consulting with the Sikhs in India and other parts of the world. Khan said that the two countries, which had now become nuclear powers, had fought many wars and should work towards a brighter future. He said that he strongly favoured easing visa norms on both the sides in order to promote people to people contact.
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CM opposes water regulatory authority New Delhi, December 28 Participating in deliberations during the sixth meeting of the National Water Resources Council, he said water was a state subject and the states had the exclusive power of legislation on it. Expressing strong reservations over a water tariff system and a water regulatory authority under the draft National Water Policy-2012. he said that these issues should be left to the states. Badal said that being an agrarian state, Punjab was opposed to the concept of integrated planning and management of river basins. “Without prejudice to our stand on riparian rights, principles of equitable distribution of water should be well-defined,” he said. The Chief Minister said water was an important issue and should be handled with care. “This is one of the many areas where our decision-makers in New Delhi must show greater sensitivity, statesmanship and farsightedness,” he said. Badal said the distribution of powers under the federal structure of the Constitution should not be tinkered with by making changes in the framework of existing laws and that each state had its own considerations in the planning, management and use of its water resources. "The contribution made by each basin state to the catchment area of a river should be the main criteria for apportioning water,"
he added. Citing the Irrigation Commission Report, 1972, which had observed that the drainage area of Punjab in the Indus basin was three times that of Rajasthan and five times that of Haryana, Badal rued that Punjab was allocated only about 25 per cent share in the Ravi-Beas waters while Rajasthan and Haryana were allocated about 50 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively. Alleging infringement on the freedom of states by way of imposing any integrated water resources management for the basin as a whole or sub-basin, Badal said such purported move would deprive the states of their legitimate rights to plan, formulate and execute water supply schemes as per their needs. "Any integrated water management plan would lead to more conflicts among states," he concluded. On subsidised irrigation to Punjab farmers, he said this was done to compensate farmers in view of their contribution in making the country self-reliant in food production as the price of farm produce was fixed in an “arbitrary” manner.
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Badal
reviews law & order Chandigarh, December 28 A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister who reviewed the law and order situation here this evening. Official sources said the Chief Minister also directed the Principal Secretary, Home, and the Director-General of Police to prepare a blueprint for quick response teams to complaints of crime against women and children. Meanwhile, the DGP told the Chief Minister about the suspension of a DSP and dismissal of an ASI in the Badshahpur rape case.
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Ludhiana case: Notice to night club owners Ludhiana, December 28 “If they fail to give a reply to the department, a case will be registered against them," said Kanwalpreet Brar, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner. Meanwhile, a day after Canada-based NRI Paramjit Singh appreciated the “swift and decisive” action of the Punjab Police in arresting those who had attacked him at a Ludhiana night club three days ago, the Congress today claimed that the state government was employing pressure tactics on the NRI to save its own image. The Congress also targeted the NRI and sought a probe as to how he was carrying a weapon in the night club (The Hub) despite Section 144 CrPC being imposed in the city. Former spokesperson of the Punjab Youth Congress Ishwarjot Cheema said that the owner of The Hub, Sunny Johar, accused of attacking Paramjit Singh, had been made a scapegoat to “save Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.” Chandigarh While police reports had said the officer had broken his leg after he had slipped, the CCTV footage clearly showed him being assaulted. The police has registered a case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and the Arms Act on the statement of Paramjit Singh, an NRI from Canada, who was accompanying the AIG at the time of the incident. "Even in routine cases, courts do not accept the accused's statement made before a police officer as evidence. This is because often details in FIRs are manipulated owing to political pressure," said a senior officer. The officer said earlier FIRs would barely mention the police station carrying out investigations before a formal case was registered. But after the Supreme Court asked the police to take cognisance of public complaints, police accountability had increased. However, this had led to certain aberrations such as names being unnecessarily added in the FIR and harassment by investigation officers.
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Govt shifts 31 IAS, 48 PCS officers Chandigarh, December 28 AR Talwar has been transferred as Principal Secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Trainning; SS Channy is Principal Secretary, Cultural Affairs and NRI Department; RC Nayyar has been shifted to the Grievance Redressal and Welfare of Pensioners Cell; and Suresh Kumar is Principal Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation, Science, Technology and Environment and Pollution. PR Sarangal is Principal Secretary, Elections; Jagpal Sandhu is Principal Secretary, Local Government; Karan A Singh is Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce; C Roul is Principal Secretary, Governance Reforms, and Director-General of Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration; G Vajralingam is Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry; and SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary to the CM, gets the additional charge of Financial Commissioner, Cooperation. — TNS
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Patiala Land Scam
Chandigarh, December 28 Dismissing the anticipatory bail plea of Garg and two other accused Yashpal Aggarwal and Devinder Singh Sandhu in the alleged land scam, Justice Paramjeet Singh added: “Here is a case where the misuse of power by the government officer has been shown. The market value of the property as stated by the Investigating Agency is more than Rs 250 crores Therefore, such like scandal needs to be thoroughly probed and the custodial interrogation is a necessity in such like cases”. The accused were apprehending arrest in case FIR number 23, registered at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, on November 9 for cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other offences under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, along with the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused, in October 2011, had allegedly executed the sale deed of a government property illegally. The property, which houses offices of the civil surgeon, district town planner, district education officer and employment exchange, was estimated to be worth 250 crore. Taking up the matter, Justice Paramjeet Singh asserted Garg’s action was “inconsistent, incompatible, rather in conflict with the established values and duties of a Deputy Commissioner. He failed to protect the government and public properties and resultantly acted in an inefficient manner”. Justice Paramjeet Singh added: “Rather it appears that the petitioner is directly accountable for the misuse of powers. Herein government property worth Rs 250 crore is involved. This particular scandal barely scratches the surface of a base of power by the Government officer”. In his detailed judgment, Justice Paramjeet Singh further added the Indian Administrative Service was one of the premier Civil Services of the country. The Deputy Commissioner, being the administrative head of the district, was required to have firsthand knowledge of the ground realities in the various parts of his district. “Garg appears to have acted in an inward looking manner. It points out the inefficiency and ineffectiveness towards administration”. Before parting with the order, Justice Paramjeet Singh clarified that the observations were for limited purpose of deciding the anticipatory bail and were not to be treated as an expression of opinion on the merits of this case.
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6 employees of animal husbandry dept caught drunk on duty
Muktsar, December 28 Acting upon a complaint lodged by an unidentified person to the Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh, a raid was conducted under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner (under training) KS Raj, who found all the accused including two clerks, two helpers and two drivers of the department in an inebriated condition. The accused were first taken to the city police station from where they were taken to the local civil hospital for medical examination. Their blood samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for examination. Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner today submitted his report to the deputy commissioner. It was forwarded to the Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Chandigarh.
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14-year-old raped in Fatehgarh Sahib
Fatehgarh Sahib, December 28 The girl, a Class VIII student of a government school here, left her house at 7 pm. When she did not return till 11pm, her uncle Buta Khan started to search for her. He spotted a truck parked on the roadside in an islolated place. As he knocked at the driver’s window, the driver fled from the other side. He found his niece in the truck cabin in an unconscious state. Buta Khan said as the truck owner belonged to the same village, he approached the village sarpanch. But the latter warned him against filing a complaint with the police. Buta Khan said that accompanied by a former sarpanch, he approached the police and a case was registered. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hardial Singh Mann, said: “We have arrested the accused, who has been identified as Gurmeet Singh alias Kaka (30). A case under Sections 376, 342 and 506 of the IPC has been registered against him. The victim was got medically examined at the Civil Hospital at Mandi Gobindgarh. We prepared the charge sheet within 24 hours”. The victim, who had a black eye, said she was repeatedly slapped by the accused. She had injury marks on the throat. The girl alleged that the accused had tried to strangle her. The victim, who had lost her father a few years ago, was being raised by her uncle.
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Exporters of perishable goods to Pakistan via Attari-Wagah land route are a harried lot these days.
Hundreds of farmers associated with various trade unions today joined the kin of the minor schoolgirl, who was allegedly raped and later done to death by unidentified persons at Hasapur village on December 5, staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here against police "inaction".
Stringent security measures had been made by the Gurdaspur police in anticipation of the protest with anti-riot vehicles stationed at the protest site.
Sumedh Singh Saini today said directions had been issued to district police chiefs to personally review gender-related crimes and take prompt decisions on the same.
Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters here, the DGP said the force had learnt a lesson from the Patiala gangrape incident in which laxity and even possible involvement of the investigating officer in trying to affect a compromise between the accused and the victim had led the latter to commit suicide. 
Despite an assurance from SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar on Maghi in January that construction work of the martyrs’ memorial (dedicated to Mai Bhago and 40
Muktas) would be completed before Maghi 2013, not even a single wall has been constructed.
The foundation stone, laid by the then president, SAD, Parkash Singh Badal and the then SGPC chief Jagir Kaur on May 4, 2005 on Tibbi Sahib road, is standing alone with the building nowhere in sight.
Agriculture experts and farmers say the prevalent foggy and cold weather conditions in the region is beneficial for wheat and other rabi crops such as barley, winter maize, gram, lentil, rapeseed, mustard and sunflower.
They say that the present weather conditions will lead to a high yield of
rabi crops.
Accusing the Badal government of adopting double standards in the matter of executing arrests, the widow of an Excise and Taxation Officer
(ETO), who committed suicide, said today, that the accused in the case had not been arrested even eighteen months after his death.
Ten women are being raped in the state every week and 40 women every month. According to information obtained under the RTI Act, as many as 4,974 rape cases have been registered in the past 10 years (2002 to 2012).