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No funds, Ropar civic body to borrow money
Stern action against ex-JE unlikely
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Technical glitches may hamper
cash transfer plan in Gurdaspur
Moga bypoll: Sathi is Congress nominee
Moga BJP leaders skip Jain's meeting
Leopard trapped in telephone cables saved
Head Constable gets President’s Police medal
Award for CRPF top official
NRI Sabha poll evokes little interest
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll -2013
53 polling stations declared hypersensitive, 128 sensitive
Young Sikh voters throng Sukhbir’s rallies
Riot-hit hold the key in Tilak Nagar
Poll code violation: SAD files complaint
4 college teachers allege harassment
National Voter’s Day
Bhakra canal mishap
Ludhiana court decides 3 rape cases in a day
Charge sheet issued to former Anandpur Sahib BDPO
Decide on Industrial Housing Policy in 3 months, HC tells Punjab
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No funds, Ropar civic body to borrow money
Ropar, January 25 The council after meeting its expenses is left with a meagre amount of Rs 67 lakh. It was not possible for the council to carry out any development initiative, said an official. The roads in the town were badly broken, half of its street lights were out of order and its sanitation was in a complete mess, said Madan Mohan Kapila, a councillor from ward no 13. All the roads in my ward comprising of Jain Mohalla and Uccha Khera have been in a shambles for the last five years. A Rs 30-lakh project passed by the council to put interlocking tiles in the streets never materialised for want of money, said Kapila. Rachna Lamba, another councilor from Ward No 9, said the residents in the town were fed up. A broken road in my ward had not been repaired for the last 12 years. It was only repaired last year with the help of the Improvement Trust, she said. The annual income of council from sources, including VAT, house tax, excise duty and rent from properties for current fiscal is projected to be Rs 768.70 lakh. However Rs 4.8 crore of the amount will be spent on establishment expenses, Rs 1.10 crore on electricity, and Rs 80 lakh on sanitation. With hardly any money to spare, the civic body has proposed to sell its land to purchase a plot for solid waste management and borrow money to repair its roads. Municipal council president Amarjit Satyal, however, denied that no development work had been undertaken in the last five years. “With a state government grant of Rs 5 crore, we laid water supply lines and erected street lights in many new areas,” he said. He agreed on the issue that the civic body did not have resources to meet its expenses and required government assistance to undertake development work. Falling apart The council after meeting its expenses is left with a meagre amount of Rs 67 lakh The roads in the town are badly broken, half of its street lights are out of order and its sanitation is in a complete mess A Rs 30-lakh project to put interlocking tiles in the streets never materialised for want of money
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Stern action against ex-JE unlikely
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 25 In 2006, the MC had awarded a tender worth Rs 1.10 crore for the construction of various roads in the town. JE had also withdrawn Rs 7.53 lakh to purchase bitumen and
labour. However, the JE neither purchased the bitumen nor returned the money taken as advance. When the matter was brought to the notice of the higher authorities, the Local Bodies Department issued a show cause notice to the JE on September 25, just five days before the
superannuation. But 90 per cent of the JE’s pension was released. His gratuity though is yet to be released by the department. A senior MC official, requesting anonymity, said they had already written to Harmel Singh Jhandu to refund the amount or clarify the issue. “We are still awaiting his reply,” said the official. RTI Activist NK
Syal, who has been waging a lone battle against corruption in the district, said he had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take action against the accused. The authorities are playing a cruel joke with the residents of the town. We have been demanding better civic amenities for so long now, he added.
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Technical glitches may hamper
cash transfer plan in Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur, January 25 The other two districts are Nawanshahr and Fatehgarh Sahib. Under the first phase of the scheme in Gurdaspur, cash subsidies would be rolled out to 38,000 beneficiaries, mainly students, on the basis of Aadhar cards. The project, however, may miss its deadline as the authorities concerned were yet to prepare a large number of cards. Of the 38,000 beneficiaries targeted in the first phase —in all, there are 15 lakh beneficiaries in the district —37,500 are students alone. Of them, just 22,231 students have completed their formalities for the Aadhar cards, meaning the rest would have to be prepared within 10 days. Sources said the shortage of laptops installed with special software for preparing such cards (also known as UID (unique identification) cards) was a major hang-up. Against the required strength of 260 laptops, there are only 50 such devices available, it has been learnt. Not only this, the data entry operators using these laptops complained that the machines provided to them were slow in functioning as they had probable been used earlier. Once these Aadhar cards are prepared, students can avail the benefits of numerous schemes, including pre-matric and post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Caste students, National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship and the National Scheme for Incentive for the Girl Child for Secondary Education, through direct cash transfer. Apart from subsidies to students, a few schemes like MGNREGA and the National Rural Livelihood Mission have also been included in the first phase. Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha, however, claimed that the scheme would be rolled out on schedule: “Of the 37,500 students, 22,231 have completed their Aadhar card formalities. The remaining data too would be collected before the February 1 deadline,” he said. Teething problems Data entry operators preparing Aadhar data are facing shortage of laptops The laptops have special software installed in them for preparing these cards, also known as ID cards Against the required strength of 260 laptops, there are only 50 such devices available The operators claim that the laptops available too are slow to operate Gurdaspur is one of the three districts in Punjab where the Direct Cash Transfer scheme is to be rolled out on a trial basis
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Moga bypoll: Sathi is Congress nominee
Moga, January 25 Vijay, a law graduate, is the son of the late Sathi Roop Lal who spearheaded the socialist movement in the state. His father represented the Moga constituency twice in the 1969 and 1977 elections. He enjoys the goodwill of both the Jat Sikhs and the Hindus. Sathi won the 1992 assembly election from the Baghapurana constituency. He contested the 2002 elections on the Congress ticket from Moga constituency but was defeated by Akali stalwart Tota Singh by a narrow margin of 300 votes. Traditionally, Moga has been a stronghold of socialist parties as well as the Congress. It is probably because of this and the caste combinations that Sathi's name has been cleared by the Congress party high command. Observers say that the Congress zeroed in on Sathi's name as the constituency has a large number of Hindu voters. Former minister Darshan Brar was also a contender for the party nomination. There are 65,000 Hindu voters of the total 1.78 lakh voters (35%) in the constituency. And 25 per cent to 28 per cent of the voters are Dalits. The Jat-Sikhs are about 32 to 35 per cent.
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Moga BJP leaders skip Jain's meeting
Moga, January 25 They promised him all help. However, the former DGP himself was not present at the meeting. A former councillor of the BJP, Rajpal Sharma, who is close to Gill, also attended the meeting. But no other local BJP leader turned up. Senior Akali leader Jathedar Tota Singh's son Barjinder Singh Brar, a former president of the Moga Municipal Council, was also absent. When contacted, he said he was out of station. Significantly, none of his close associates from the youth wing turned up at the meeting. However, the district president of the SAD, Tirath Singh Mahla, claimed that the SAD stood united and all local leaders and supporters would campaign for the party candidate. Meanwhile, Rajinder Bhandari, former president of the BJP state unit, will be in charge of Jain’s campaign. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting in Chandigarh today.
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Leopard trapped in telephone cables saved
Jalandhar, January 25 The animal leg was entangled in a bunch of telephone cables laid by the Army inside the forest. As the beast cried out in pain, the authorities contacted Pathankot Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Rajesh Mahajan at about 1 pm yesterday. The latter rushed to the spot along with his team. Equipped with a tranquilising gun, the wildlife officials spotted the cat caught in the telephone cables with minor injuries to its paw. Two dozes of sedative failed to work on the beast. Subsequently, the Conservator of Forest (Shivalik Circle) and the Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, Dhirendra Singh, was called and he reached the site with a well-equipped team of experts from Chandigarh. The cat was finally tranquilised by two officials who entered a cage placed in the jaws of an earth-mover and then taken near the animal for a close shot. After medical care, the leopard was sent to the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park in in Chhat village, 20 km from Chandigarh, on the Patiala highway, this afternoon.
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Head Constable gets President’s Police medal
Chandigarh, January 25 Iqbal Preet Singh
Sahota, Inspector-General of Police, Chandigarh, and Santokh Singh, Inspector,
Phillaur, Punjab have been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. According to a spokesman of the Punjab Police, Rajesh Kumar
Jaiswal, IPS, DIG Intelligence, Chandigarh, Punjab, Amar Singh Chahal, SSP,
Fazilka, Yurinder Singh, SSP, Jalandhar, Gursharan Singh Sandhu, SP, Phillaur, Gurmeet Singh, SP,
Bathinda, Amrik Singh Powar, ADCP-II, Amritsar, Angrej Singh, Inspector, CIA,
Jalandhar, Bimal Kant, Inspector, Jalandhar, Kuldeep Singh, Inspector, CIA, Patiala and Mahesh Kumar, Inspector, Kurali have been awarded the Police Medals for Meritorious Service on the occasion.
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Chandigarh, January 25 Kulbir Singh has also served as Superintendent of Police (Operations) Punjab Police where he liquidated hardcore militants. He commanded 104 Rapid Action Force Battalion at Aligarh and raised the force’s 159 Battalion at
Sindri. — TNS
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NRI Sabha poll evokes little interest
Jalandhar, January 25 Only 18,735 Punjabis settled abroad are enrolled as members of the sabha and are eligible voters. Also, not more than 10 per cent of the eligible voters will be here to cast their vote at the NRI Bhawan in Jalandhar. The voter will have to be present at the polling booth with his passport as identity proof. There is no provision of postal ballot. During the last NRI Sabha elections held in 2010, the voters were allowed to send their nominees for voting. British MP Virendra Sharma, who hails from Jalandhar, is among those who have specially come to India for cast his vote. Jalandhar Additional DC-cum-returning officer Praneet Bhardwaj said he would recommend a system to ensure participation of NRIs during the next elections. Only 2,435 voters had cast their vote in 2010 when there was a provision for authorising nominees to cast vote. Sitting NRI Sabha president Kamaljit Singh Hayer said: "Not more than 2,000 voters are expected to exercise franchise this time too." Hayer, former president NRI Sabha chief Pritam Singh Narungpur and former senior vice- president Jasvir Singh Gill are locked in a triangular fight for the post of President. All three candidates hail from the Doaba region. In the fray for president’s post
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Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll -2013
New Delhi, January 25 As the 4.15-lakh strong Sikh electorate gears up to cast vote a day after tomorrow, the community stands divided over a host of issues, thereby, making it anybody's chance at winning the 46-member committee. The Paramjit Singh Sarna-led group is in power at the cash-rich DSGMC while the Parkash Singh Badal-led group is challenging his authority. SAD president Sukhbir Badal and his team have been working overtime to accomplish their "Oust-Sarna" mission. Though the electioneering has come to an end, the acrimony at which the process culminated has given rise to a fear about the management of gurdwara affairs in the National Capital. Also, the campaigning threw up several issues that will be a challenge for the winner to fulfill. The key issue is implementing the Akal Takht-approved Nanakshahi calendar to observe Sikh rituals and gurpurbs in Delhi. DSGMC's incumbent chief Sarna disapproves of the Akal Takht decision to announce the calendar on its own without any discussion among the jathedars of other Takhts. Sukhbir has been playing up the issue claiming that the Akal Takht was the supreme Sikh temporal body and that Sarna had been "defying" it. Sarna, on his part, has been accusing the Badals of "running an agenda of the right wing body RSS in Punjab". He warned the Sikhs in Delhi: "The Badals are eyeing the donations (about Rs 50 crore a year) gathered at Delhi gurdwaras." The Punjab versus Delhi divide is also in play. Sarna says, "Delhi Sikhs have nothing in common with their counterparts from Punjab. The Delhi Sikhs settled in the National Capital following the 1947 migration from Pakistan and are largely traders. The Punjab Sikh is primarily a farmer." Countering the Sarna claim, the Badal group says: "Sarna, at the behest of the Congress, is created a geographical divide among the Sikhs." Another factor is the Jat Sikh versus non-Jat Sikh clash. The Delhi Sikhs sound intimidated by their Punjabi brethren, who enjoy the reputation of being aggressive. In contrast, New Delhi's Sikhs, mostly comprising traders, are more conciliatory by nature. Sarna's followers are non-Jat Sikhs. Interestingly, Badal's presidential nominee Manjit Singh GK is also a non-Jat. The manner is which a few of the candidates have withdrawn from the fray or have retired in favour of their rivals has raised questions if they were under pressure or whether money power was at play. "It is money power of the Badals," claims Sarna. Sukhbir, however, says, "The people are fed up with the Sarnas." The level of education in the DSGMC-run schools and colleges has been debated time and again. But the reality is schools and colleges have been used by ruling group to dole out favours. When the Badal group ruled the DSGMC, an inquiry found out that teachers were recruited on fake documents. They were removed. During Sarna's tenure, there have been allegations of favouritism in appointments. Issues that dominated campaigning process Implementation of the Akal Takht-approved Nanakshahi calendar for observing Sikh rituals and gurpurbs in Delhi Delhi versus Punjab Sikhs: Sarna claims there is nothing common between the two; Sukhbir says it's a 'divide and rule' ploy The Jat Sikh versus non-Jat Sikh clash: Delhi Sikhs sound intimidated by their Punjabi brethren who enjoy the reputation of being aggressive The standard of education in DSGMC-run schools and colleges; whichever group ruled the committee has faced allegations of doling out favours to supporters
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No Cong backing: Sarna
New Delhi, January 25 Talking to The Tribune, SAD (Delhi) leader and DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna claimed that no Congress leader had campaigned for his party whereas the entire SAD team from Punjab had been camping in Delhi for the past several days. In the 2007 elections, the Congress had openly supported the SAD (Delhi) to get the SAD defeated. The Sarna group had then bagged 28 of the 46 wards whereas the Badal group was decimated to 12 seats. Then Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president late Ram Babu Sharma used to address the media along with Sarna. Queried about the Congress' stance, Sarna said, "Our party is confident of winning the elections alone." A senior Congress leader said differences had developed between the Congress and the SAD (Delhi) during the Delhi Assembly elections in 2008 and later in the municipal corporation poll. He claimed Sarna had not actively supported the Congress then. Sources said after this, the Congress had decided to bring someone else in the DSGMC who could be "faithful". The launch of Kendriya Guru Singh Sabha by Congress MLA from Jangpura Tarvinder Singh Marwah in March 2011 was also seen as a step in this direction. The Sabha's inauguration function was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Health Minister AK Walia, Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami, Education Minister Kiran Walia, former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahai and member of Delhi Minority Commission Pushpinder Singh. At present, the Sabha leads 600 gurdwaras managed by the local Singh Sabhas in different parts of Delhi. Marwah has jumped into the DSGMC election fray from Defence Colony ward number-2. Fifteen other candidates of the Sabha are also contesting.
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53 polling stations declared hypersensitive, 128 sensitive
New Delhi, January 25 The Director of the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, Delhi Government, GP Singh, today said the 53 hypersensitive stations were in five wards of the DSGMC: Shiv Nagar (ward 11), Ashok Nagar (16), Vishnu Garden (18), Karampura (40) and Hari Nagar (42). In all, 449 polling stations have been set up for the voting process. The Directorate said security will be tightened at polling stations that have been identified hypersensitive and sensitive. The Delhi Police has decided to deploy six companies to ensure peaceful polling in the elections. Once the Republic Day function was over, more police force could be deployed, an official said. The Director also held a meeting in this regard with the police. Besides, the Directorate has already ordered videography of voting at all hypersensitive polling stations. Queried about voters “who had died but their names still existed” on the electoral rolls, the Director said, “We have received this complaint both from the SAD and SAD (Delhi). A list of voters who died will be given to the polling officers to ensure the names are not misused.” At present, the DSGMC has 4,15,621 voters, including 2,12,075 male and 2,03,546 female. The counting will be held on January 30 at five centres: ITI, Tilak Nagar; ITI (women), Vivek Vihar; ITI, Khichripur; Aryabhat Polytechnic, GT Karnal Road and Basic Training Institute, Pusa Road, the Director said.
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Young Sikh voters throng Sukhbir’s rallies
New Delhi, January 25 Sukhbir talks of "defiance" of the Akal Takht by Sarna and the need to punish the "gaddar (traitor)" . He also accuses him of attempting to divide the Sikhs on caste lines. At his first halt in Shalimar Bagh, the SAD president is mobbed by youngsters. "I have been meeting local Sikhs every week-end for the past more than five years and the results of our endeavour are for all to see," he says. Accompanied by SAD Delhi wing president Avtar Singh Hit, Sukhbir addresses six public meetings well into the night, his last meeting being in Sarna's constituency of Punjabi Bagh. Sukhbir confidant Parambans Romana says the large turnout against SAD Delhi Pitampura candidate Bhajan Singh Walia, a DSGMC member for 18 years, signals the winds of change sweeping Delhi. Young Sikh voters claim it is the first time that Walia's supremacy is being challenged. Sukhbir tells voters that Sarna had colluded with those "behind anti-Sikh riots", Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler. Back in his Montero, Sukhbir proceeds towards Rohini but decides to visit supporters in the Dharam Kunj apartment building in Sector 9. He is welcomed with rose petals. Sukhbir meets heads of seven gurdwaras at the apartment building. All promise to back the SAD. Moving on, Sukhbir is welcomed by state BJP president Vijendra Gupta who claims the SAD president is the real leader of the Sikhs. He asks the gathering: " Should I tell Sukhbjir ji he will get your votes? ". Each one in the audience raises his hand in response. For Sukhbir, the focus is again Sarna. He says: "Ek toofan chal reha hai. Quam da toofan." He claims that Sarna will be swept aside and will even lose his security deposit. Sukhbir ends his campaign at Punjabi Bagh. Addressing a mammoth gathering along with constituency in charge Bikram Majithia and SAD candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa, he takes the anti-Sarna rhetoric further. " For the Sikhs, the Akal Takht is supreme and by defying the august body, Sarna has lost his right to Sikh vote," he says. "Anyone voting for Sarna is not a Guru ka Sikh", he declares as he lampoons the election symbol of the SAD (Delhi). "Sarna's car will remain in the parking lot but our "balti" (iron bucket) is an intrinsic part of Guru ghar's langar," he says.
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Riot-hit hold the key in Tilak Nagar
New Delhi, January 25 With the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections scheduled for January 27, a number of leaders of various parties have been making rounds of the area over the past few days. But the local Sikhs say they did not have much to expect from any of them. They claim that all their community leaders had “failed” them when it came to securing relief from the authorities concerned. Those eligible to vote share a common refrain: “We become important only when the DSGMC elections approach. Otherwise, we remain neglected.” Magru Singh, who saw six of his family members being burnt to death during the riots, now spends his day sitting on a rickety chair and talking to other victims in the locality. “The government has given me a meagre Rs 2,500 as pension. Can anybody survive in this less amount in an expensive place like Delhi? I can still work but can’t find a job. I even approached the DSGMC to give me a job or help me find one but to no avail. Only false assurances have come,” he said. Amidst the poll fervour, the community members are not shying from raising demands that are outside the DSGMC’s jurisdiction. A resident complained about the poor state of civic amenities in the area: “Look at the way we live. The colony stinks due to overflowing sewers. There is no provision of regular power and potable water.” A college student who lost his father during the riots said: “A school run by the DSGMC used to provide education by charging nominal fee to the wards of the riot-victim families. But now, that provision has been withdrawn. The community children are charged full fee, which is too high for us to pay.” Besides, there are 15 women in the colony who had lost their husbands in the riots. But even 28 years after the tragedy, they are yet to get the promised jobs, the student said. Call to oppose Sarna by former president of exservicemen’s body Barnala: A former president of the ex-servicemen wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, has appealed to Sikh ex-servicemen to oppose Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother in the DSGMC elections. He said uniformed Sikh soldiers had also been killed in the Delhi riots. These soldiers were either on duty or were returning home on leave. "Today, Sarna and his brother are hand in glove with the Congress," he alleged. — TNS
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Poll code violation: SAD files complaint
New Delhi, January 25 The SAD leaders alleged misuse of DSGMC funds, machinery and other resources by the Sarna brothers and demanded that the DSGMC records be seized. In his complaint, Dr Dalijit Singh Cheema, secretary, SAD, alleged that cheques were being distributed by the Sarna brothers among various Delhi gurdwaras. They also alleged that several teachers had been appointed in DSGMC-run schools after the poll notification. — TNS
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4 college teachers allege harassment
Hoshiarpur, January 25 In their complaint to Punjab University, the teachers alleged that the superintendent made "obscene" gestures. They also alleged that the college authorities, when informed about the matter, told them to "put up" with the superintendent for menetary interests. In their complaint to the National Women Commission and the State Human Rights Commission, the teachers alleged that on December 21, 2012, the man "crossed all limits of decency" and continued to harass outside the examination hall, even as senior staff members of the college chose to look the other way. The teachers said that the college authorities, instead of taking action against the accused, started harassing them for complaining to the university against the superintendent. They said the college had now begun to fabricate complaints against them, warning that they could be booked under the SC/ST Act. College chairman Jasbir Singh Randhawa said the teachers were making false accusations as they wanted regular jobs. He said it was the teachers who had barged into the examination hall and misbehaved with the centre superintendent. They had also used abusive language with a college gardener, Randhawa added.
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National Voter’s Day
Jalandhar, January 25 She said, “The Election Commission of India has always striven for transparency in its functioning and has been urging every state to awaken the voters, particularly the youth. In this context, a large number of voters' education activities have been taken up in the state to popularise electoral participation. Even the National Voters' Day, to commemorate the day when the Election Commission of India came into being in 1950, is being observed to inspire young voters to exercise their voting rights.” Sidhu also said, “The Commission also launched a campaign to reach out to the 18-plus electors and to get them registered during the revision of the electoral rolls. As a result, the number of voters in Punjab has gone up considerably in comparison to electors in the corresponding period last year.” She appealed to the youth and asked them to contact the nodal officer deputed on the campus to get their Voter Identity Cards. “A vote from each one of you is important to us, so make use of this opportunity. So I appeal to all to become a voter and cast your vote in the next election.” She said 94 per cent of the voters across the state, including those recently registered had been issued ID cards. She was accompanied by Gurpreet Deo, IG Police, Jalandhar Range, Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Alaknanda Dayal and LPU Chancellor Ashok Mittal. Electors photo identity cards (EPIC) were distributed to five newly eligible voters.
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Bhakra canal mishap
Ropar, January 25 The tragedy happened when Lucky (30) was teaching Indu (25) how to drive yesterday. Their niece Preeti (16) was also sitting in the car. Indu lost control over the car and it fell into the canal. Eye witnesses said some youths playing nearby came to the rescue of the victims and were able to save Preeti. Before, Indu and Lucky could come out of the car, they were washed away by the strong current, said Kiratpur Station House Officer Raminderpal Singh.—TNS
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Ludhiana court decides 3 rape cases in a day
Ludhiana, January 25 Additional Sessions Judge Mandeep Pannu convicted Sant Singh of Bathu Chak village, Kathunangal, Amritsar, for raping a minor girl. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined Rs 11,000. The girl used to frequently come to Gurdwara Chhapri Sahib for paying obeisance. The accused was working there as a cook. In the second case, the court sentenced Jaswinder Kaur of Hazuri Bagh, Bhattian Bet, Ludhiana, to seven years in jail under Sections 120-B and 376 of the IPC for sedating a minor who was later raped. The main accused, Parveen Kumar, is dead. In the third case, Pawan Kumar, Vicky Mahant and Baljinder Singh, all resident of Habibowal Kalan, Ludhiana, were acquitted after the complainant turned hostile. They were booked for the abduction and rape of a woman. Youth gets 10 yrs’ RI
Sangrur: In a rape case, Virinder Aggarwal, Additional Sessions Judge, Sangrur, today awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 376 of the IPC to a 28-year-old youth Gurmail Singh from Kutba village in Barnala district. The judge also awarded three years’ RI and a fine of Rs 500 under Section 363 of the IPC and seven years’ RI and Rs 500 fine under Section 366 of the IPC to Gurmail Singh. All sentences shall run concurrently. A case was registered against Gurmail Singh on the complaint of father of a minor girl, about 16 years, from Jharron village, under Sections 363, 366-A and 376 of the IPC on October 9, 2012 at the police station in Cheema (near Sunam). The father had told the police that Gurmail Singh had taken his daughter away by enticing her. Later, the girl was reportedly recovered from the house of the accused. —TNS Hoshiarpur: Manjinder Singh, Additional Sessions Judge, has sentenced Kuldip Singh of Badesron village to seven years imprisonment for raping a girl. — OC
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Charge sheet issued to former Anandpur Sahib BDPO
Chandigarh, January 25 The assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest by Jasbir Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents, seeking directions for quashing the official’s action vide which he “purportedly allotted valuable gram panchayat land by cutting plots for commercial purposes to unlimited persons without any lawful authority”. The petitioners had alleged that the income derived from the transactions too was misappropriated. During the course of hearing, the official respondents informed the High Court that a resolution dated June 10, 2008, passed by the Administrator, Gram Panchayat, was suspended by the Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, and had not been implemented. Taking note of the assertion, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain asserted: “In so far as initiation of disciplinary action against the then Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Anandpur Sahib, is concerned, it is disclosed in the affidavit that an official respondent has issued a charge sheet to the officer and that appropriate action would be taken in accordance with law.” Dismissing the petition, the Bench added: “The purpose of the writ petition has accordingly been served. No further orders are required to be passed”.
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Decide on Industrial Housing Policy in 3 months, HC tells Punjab
Chandigarh, January 25 The directions by the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice RP Nagrath came on a petition filed by Col Baldev Singh Sekhon and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents Describing themselves as the owners of industrial plots in Industrial Focal Points in Phase VIII-A and VIII-B of Mohali, the petitioners were seeking directions to the respondents to allot residential plots as per the Industrial Housing Policy floated by the State Government vide letter dated December 26, 2001. The petitioners added that the policy has been duly approved by the Supreme Court in the case of “Jasbir Singh Chhabra and others versus State of Punjab and others”. Taking note of the submissions, the Bench asserted: “In sum and substance, the petitioners' case is that being allottees of industrial plots where their respective industrial units are functional, the respondents, in terms of their policy decision, are obligated to allot residential plots to the petitioners to enable the petitioners to provide residential accommodation to their workers/ employees. “The documents on record suggest long correspondence between the parties and in this process, the petitioners have served the authorities with a legal notice dated January 22, 2012, to which even a reminder was sent. It further appears that some selective information has been given to the petitioners under Right to Information Act about the policy decision but no firm decision appears to have been taken by the respondents or communicated to the petitioners as to whether or not the Industrial Housing Policy is to give effect and if not, why? “In these circumstances, we are of the view that it is imperative upon the respondents to take some decision with reference to the petitioners' claim and communicate it by way of a speaking order as early as possible but no later than three months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order”.
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The All-India Congress Committee today announced former MLA Vijay Sathi as its nominee for the Moga byelection to be held on February 23. Jagmeet Singh
Brar, member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) said the decision was taken by party President Sonia Gandhi in consultation with the state leadership. He hoped that the Sanjha Morcha would lend support to
Sathi, one of the most honest political leaders in the state. "I will personally call on PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal and leaders of the Left parties to seek their support," he said.
Pathankot wildlife officials struggled for more than 28 hours to rescue a leopard trapped in a thick forest in the Mamoon cantonment area.
The animal leg was entangled in a bunch of telephone cables laid by the Army inside the forest. As the beast cried out in pain, the authorities contacted Pathankot Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Rajesh Mahajan at about 1 pm yesterday.
Kulbir Singh, Inspector-General, North West Sector, Central Reserve Police Force, Chandigarh, will be awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of Republic Day, 2013, in recognition of his unblemished and outstanding services over the past 36 years. His has been posted at insurgency infested areas of
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Assam. He served for about eight years in militancy-prone areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
The focus of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's attack is PS Sarna. On the campaign trail with Sukhbir in his bullet-proof Montero with a vehicle with jammers in tow, it is all about discrediting
Sarna.
The Punjab Election Commission organised the National Voters' Day on the campus of a private university in Jalandhar today. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu was the chief guest.
