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Land acquisition for cantonment
Sewage woes continue to haunt Abohar residents
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Clad in black, students and teachers flay spurt in crime against women
Fame, felicitations fail to sweep Fauja’s feet off the ground
‘Fakhr-e-Quam’ award for centenarian
Body exhumed 9 months after youth went missing
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Land acquisition for cantonment
Faridkot, January 23 While many landowners have died, the descendents of several others are doing menial jobs since they were left with no source of income. Baldev Raj Watts, a local advocate who is contesting the case for many of these farmers, said the Defence Ministry had taken the possession of land in Killnau, Machaki Kalan and Kameana villages in September 1974. The Special Land Acquisition Collector had fixed the price of the land between Rs 2,500 and Rs 15,000 per acre. After some farmers challenged this price, the Punjab and Haryana High Court enhanced the rates to Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 per acre. In the last many years, the farmers had sent a number of representations to the defence authorities and even filed petitions in the courts, but no payment was made, said Gurdeep Singh, grandson of Gurdeep Singh who died waiting for the compensation. To force the defence authorities to release the compensation, the courts had attached the properties of the Central Government, but it failed to stir the authorities into action, said Watts. About 43 acres of the acquired land belonged to the Scheduled Caste Cooperative Society of Killnau village. Many society members have already died. 80-year-old, Hardial Singh, a retired headmaster, is now pursuing the case which his father Ram Singh had started in 1980. Phuman Singh of Machaki Kalan village has turned 102, but no compensation was paid to him. While the market rate of the land is now over Rs 25 lakh per acre, the farmers are running from pillar to post to get Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 per acre price for the last many years, said Gurdeep Singh. A senior officer in Faridkot cantonment said the Defence Estate Officer, Jalandhar, had many times forwarded the case for obtaining funds for payment of enhanced compensation to the farmers. "We are awaiting the funds. We hope to compensate the farmers before the end of this fiscal," he said. Story so far
The Ministry of Defence acquired over 1,850 acres of farmers’ land in Faridkot to establish a military cantonment. The Special Land Acquisition Collector had fixed the price of the land between
Rs 2,500 and Rs 15,000 per acre. After some farmers challenged the price, the Punjab and Haryana High Court raised it to
Rs 20,000 - Rs 30,000 per acre. 38 years after the acquisition, the farmers are yet to receive the compensation amount. Over the period, many land owners have died whereas the descendents of several others are doing menial jobs as they have no other source of income. While the market rate of the land is now over
Rs 25 lakh per acre, the farmers are running from pillar to post to get
Rs 20,000 - Rs 30,000 per acre. |
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Sewage woes continue to haunt Abohar residents
Abohar, January 23 One of the petitioners, Vimal
Thatai, informed that while continuing hearing on a PIL filed by him and other Congress
councillors, Justice Rajesh Bindal went through the latest photos presented by them to substantiate that there had been no improvement in the sewerage system even when the HC had directed the state government to launch a comprehensive drive beginning January 11. Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Surinderpal Singh Tinna reportedly pleaded that most of the affected colonies and main roads in the town remained submerged with dirty water till today. Justice Bindal asked the chief engineer to redress the grievances highlighted by the petitioners and submit the status report by January 31. The Local Bodies chief engineer accompanied by experts and Congress councillors Vimal
Thatai, Raja Ram and Naresh Wadhwa visited a dozen localities, including Nirankari Bhawan road, Seetogunno road, Thakur Abadi and Kandhwala road, till this afternoon. They had to use three-wheeler to wade through the sewerage water accumulated on the main
roads. Councillor Thatai has urged the state government to order a probe into the mischief of removing sand bags placed to form a bandh at the manhole to stop sewage from flooding residential areas of the town. He said the mischief had affected the drive adversely. — OC |
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Clad in black, students and teachers flay spurt in crime against women
Abohar, January 23 Dignitaries at the conference regretted that the rate of conviction in such cases in India was hardly 10 per cent and it was due to poor infrastructure provided to the law-enforcing agencies. However, the rate was 80-90 per cent in most of the developed countries. SSP Amar Singh Chahal was the chief guest while Ferozepur ADC Sonali Giri and Fazilka ADC Vipul Ujwal presided over the forenoon session. The director-cum-principal of the college Dr Neelam Arun Mittu and DSP Raj Kumar Jalhotra were the main speakers. The participants favoured the proposed amendment in the law to ensure trial on day-to-day basis and stringent punishment to the guilty. But they were apprehensive that Section 376 of the IPC could be misused like Section 498 A. The chief guest SSP Chahal exhorted the girls to inform the police on helpline numbers in case they faced any harassment. — OC |
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Fame, felicitations fail to sweep Fauja’s feet off the ground
Bathinda, January 23 In Bathinda to attend the hearing of the case registered against stand-up comedians who spoofed him in a video, Fauja Singh maintained that he believes in forgiving and forgetting. Amardeep Gill, a leading lyricist of Punjab and a resident of Bathinda, had in August last year lodged a complaint in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate against the alleged disrespecting remarks made against Fauja Singh, during a comedy show. A case was filed against the producer, director and the actor of the show. Although the producers of the show had released a video of apology, Amardeep had maintained that that such persons should be punished so that no one dares to indulge in such an act again. "No one can make or break someone else. They made a video and poked fun at me. I lost nothing because of the video but they landed in trouble. In fact, I was touched that the Sikh community took my insult as the community's insult. A case was lodged by people whom I didn't know and had no relations with," said Fauja Singh today. As he spoke about his health, he rued the fact that today generation was more into exercising and less into working hard. "Physical labour has reduced. To keep fit, we don't need to go through a taxing exercise regime, working hard will work equally well. These days, youngsters believe in living a lavish life and enjoying liquor and habit-forming substances. And then they hit the gym seeking a good body," he said. The "Turbuned Tornado", as he is also known after his biography by the same title, laughed when asked why he was planning to hang his boots after the Australian marathon, in the last week of January. With his tongue firmly in cheek, he said, "Instead of attaining permanent retirement on the track itself, it is better that I retire when I'm still active." He got a bit emotional as he spoke about his journey from a village in Punjab to being a celebrated international marathon. "I was happy with my agricultural background. And then, fate took me to foreign shores. Despite all the recognition and adulation, I am still the person I was. Fame goes to the head of those who get it by birth. I earned it with my hard work and that is why it has kept me humble," he said. |
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‘Fakhr-e-Quam’ award for centenarian
Barnala, January 23 The society is being run by its president Bhan Singh Jassi. Fauja Singh also spoke to the children. He appreciated the society’s efforts towards helping the poor children. He appealed to the NRIs and Indian citizens to come forward and donate for such organisations. He donated Rs 11,000 to the society here. At the local Gurdwara Baba Gandha Singh, the organisers hounoured Fauja Singh with “Fakhar-e-Quam” award. Among those present on the occasion included the vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Prof Bawa Singh, the president of Kendri Punjabi Lekhak Sabha (Sekhon) Dr Tejwant Mann, the deputy director of Public Relations Department Gopal Singh Dardi, Fauja Singh’s son Harwinder Singh Dhindsa, and Dr Amrit Pal Goyal from Mansa. |
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Body exhumed 9 months after youth went missing
Fazilka, January 23 In the presence of the duty magistrate Atam Singh, the Fazilka police dug 15 feet deep to exhume the mutilated and decomposed body. Giving details, Fazilka Sadar police station SHO Barjinder Singh said a married man, Vikram Singh (26), went missing on April 27, 2012. After an unsuccessful search for him, his father Fauza Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Tarobri village, lodged a police complaint on May 2, 2012. During the investigation, the Ladhuka police chowki in-charge, Paramjit Singh, learnt from sources that some unidentified persons had kidnapped Vikram with an intention of murder for unknown reasons. On May 19, an FIR was registered against unidentified persons under Section 364 of the IPC. Nine months down the line, the police now learnt from its sources in the village that Vikram's body was buried 15-feet deep near the cattle shed at the residence of one Boota Singh, a village resident. In the presence of duty magistrate-cum-Tehsildar Atam Singh, the police today exhumed the decomposed body with the help of a JCB machine. The hands and feet of the body were tied with ropes. The Sadar police has added Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC to the FIR registered on May 19, 2012. The police is now working towards unfolding the mystery behind the murder. "The police has been working on different theories and the mystery would be unravelled soon," claimed SHO Barjinder Singh. It is learnt that the police has rounded up some persons for investigation. The body has been sent to the Medical College at Faridkot for conducting the post-mortem examination. |
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engineer Vijay
Kanwar, who was yesterday pulled by the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) over failure in solving the sewage problem in
Abohar, arrived here today along with other experts.
For a 102-year-old person, the veteran athlete Sikh Fauja Singh is remarkably young, in actions and in words. He speaks as quickly as he walks during his numerous marathon feats.
In Bathinda to attend the hearing of the case registered against stand-up comedians who spoofed him in a video, Fauja Singh maintained that he believes in forgiving and forgetting.
