J A L A N D H A R    E D I T I O N

Cong MLAs: Govt manipulating delimitation process in villages
Gurdaspur, January 8
The delimitation process being carried out in all the 1260 villages of this district ahead of the Panchayat elections scheduled to be held before May 31 has acquired political contours with Congress legislators claiming that the entire procedure was being hijacked by the ruling SAD-BJP combine with the help of district administration officials.

3 arrested with intoxicants
Hoshiarpur, January 8
The district police has arrested three persons and seized intoxicant capsules, pills, powder, etc, from them. According to the police, the Sadar police intercepted a Tempo (PB-07J-1614) near Radha Soami Satsang Ghar, Bajwara, and on the search of the tempo the police seized 40 intoxicant injections, 816 capsules, 6,400 pills.

Cong MLAs: Govt manipulating delimitation process in villages
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, January 8
The delimitation process being carried out in all the 1260 villages of this district ahead of the Panchayat elections scheduled to be held before May 31 has acquired political contours with Congress legislators claiming that the entire procedure was being hijacked by the ruling SAD-BJP combine with the help of district administration officials.

This development assumes all the more significance as out of a total of seven Vidhan Sabha seats in this district, five are held by Congress legislators.

Congress legislators, including Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak), Tripit Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian), Ashwani Sekhri (Batala) and PPCC Member Raman Bahl have claimed that norms as envisaged under the Panchayati Raj Act 1994 were being thrown to the winds by civil administration officials ostensibly to held some powerful SAD leaders who lost the elections, but later were designated as halqa in charges of the very assembly seats they had lost.

The Congress leaders claimed that the entire process of delimitation of wards in villages had been completely politicised to ensure the victory of men loyal to the ruling party in the state.

“In blatant violation of rules, officials have attached a set of houses in a street to one locality while another set of houses on the same street have been attached to a different locality allegedly at the behest of halqa in charges. No continuity is being followed relating to the division of wards,” said Sukhjinder Randhawa.

He said in yet another violation of rules, administration officials did not even call for objections.

“Had officials called for objections, we would have brought some of the anomalies to the notice of the administration. However, in the absence of these objections, we are feeling helpless. We have been left with no option expect to place our objections in front of the Jit Mohinder Singh Panel set by the PPCC. If the need arises we will also knock the doors of the court,” said Tripit Rajinder Bajwa.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha, however, rubbished the claims of these Congress legislators by saying that anyone could file objections with the offices of the DDPO and the BDPO. “The delimitation process was completed on December 20 and objections were invited till January 1. So far we have received nearly 110 objections and a summary inquiry of these complaints to ascertain weather the objections are genuine or not is being carried out. We will cancel the delimitation process in any village if we find any anomaly,” he added. He also refuted allegations of the Congress legislators that rules were being bent to help some SAD leaders.

Senior Congressman Kanwal Bakshi, a former member of the Punjab State Subordinate Services Selection Board (PSSSSB) said the ruling party was trying to bring in social disharmony amongst villagers by politicising the delimitation issue.

3 arrested with intoxicants
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, January 8
The district police has arrested three persons and seized intoxicant capsules, pills, powder, etc, from them.

According to the police, the Sadar police intercepted a Tempo (PB-07J-1614) near Radha Soami Satsang Ghar, Bajwara, and on the search of the tempo the police seized 40 intoxicant injections, 816 capsules, 6,400 pills.

The Sadar police also intercepted a car (PB-10J-8484) near Allahabad village and seized 720 intoxicant capsules and 3,400 pills from its occupant, identified as Naresh Kumar of Allahabad village.

The Dasuya police arrested Sukhwinder Singh of Jalota, and seized 200 gm intoxicant powder from him.

Cases under Sections 22, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act have been registered.