|
|
|
|
|
Cash-strapped govt to slash scholarship of 1,300 players
Cong not to screen Majithia video
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Many quota jobs lying vacant in Punjab
Former Cong MLA returns to party fold
His efforts ensured return of 17 Indians on death row in Sharjah
3 more youths await release by UAE govt
9 members nominated to DSGMC
Re-auction of 13 sand quarries today
Rape accused constable dismissed
Fatehgarh Sahib admn to construct 46 new classrooms under SSA
Gender ratio improves in 116 Patiala villages
Man dies in bus-car collision near Barnala
Woman dies of swine flu
Baal Preet magazine launched for children
Punjab told to check plying of heavy vehicles from HP
Teacher booked for raping 14-yr-old
|
Cash-strapped govt to slash scholarship of 1,300 players
Patiala, February 13 Instead of paying the announced amount per month, the Sports Department is yet to release any funds for the purpose. The department had initially earmarked Rs 1.5 crore for these scholarships. The scholarship scheme was also in the election manifesto of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal. In the 2012-13 budget, Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa had announced annual grading of sportspersons in 13 disciplines and had planned to give scholarships to 100 sportspersons in each of the disciplines from April 2012. He had said, “Sportspersons below 16 years of age will be given a monthly scholarship of Rs 500 and sportspersons above 16 years of age will get Rs 1,000 every month. The scholarships will be disbursed from April 1, 2012, as promised in our election manifesto.” However, tweaking the budget announcement, the Sports Department now plans to give a one-time scholarship amount of Rs 5,000 to junior players and Rs 10,000 to senior sportsmen instead of the promised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per month, respectively. Punjab Sports Director Shivdular Singh confirmed the development. However, even this curtailed amount is yet to be distributed due to the delay in the release of grants by the Finance Department, even as the financial year is about to end. Sources said last year, the Sports Department had identified players to be given scholarships under the Sahibzada Ajit Singh Singh Scheme (for senior players) and the Sahibzada Fateh Singh Scheme (for junior players), announced by the state government during the budget speech. However, even as these sportsmen tried their best to get the scholarship funds, they were told to wait. “Till January, the funds were not okayed by the Finance Department and we were told to wait till the sanction is received. Till date, there is no clarity whether any scholarship amount would be paid to us,” said a player. “It would have been better had the government paid us each month instead of promising to pay the total amount in the end,” he said. Dhindsa confirmed that due to “financial constraints”, some schemes had witnessed curtailment. “We will try to implement the scheme fully in the next financial year,” he said.
|
|
Moga, February 13 The Congress had earlier given an impression that the party would make the Majithia CD a poll issue. Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh had even announced that the party would distribute 10,000 CDs during the course of the Moga bypoll. The party now seems to have revised its strategy. Questioned on the turnaround, Amarinder Singh said the CD was lying with the party and that anyone who wished to see it could take it for viewing. The stance is different from the party's earlier take that it might display the CD on big screens and also distribute it in the constituency. Rana Gurjit, who bore the brunt of the expletives and is looking after the poll campaign in the constituency, is keeping quiet on the issue and even refuses to give any details, only offering a cryptic "ask the boss" answer. Amarinder Singh said the CD, in which there was a lot of interest earlier, had lost significance. "People are interested in their own problems," he said. “The CD was in public domain and was watched by many. We showed it during the Maghi Mela and also displayed it when Congress candidate Vijay Sathi filed his nomination papers." The Akali leadership, however, alleged that the Congress was forced to redraw its strategy as it feared the CD move may prove counterproductive in rural areas. There is an impression that the people in rural areas support those in power and a CD depicting Majithia uttering expletives at Rana Gurjit, who himself is considered to be an aggressive leader, would harm the Congress chances rather than improving it, they said. Bikram Majithia, who used to defend his utterances in Chandigarh, is not worried about it while campaigning in Moga rural area. In fact, his supporters claim the issue had helped him connect with the electorate better.
|
||
|
In rural Moga, voters may back party in power
Moga, February 13 A visit to the two most populous villages of the constituency, Ghal Kalan and Droli Bhai, reveals how entrenched the Akalis are in the villages. Though the Congress has deputed its leaders in rural areas, the Akalis are getting a much better response because they are in power. "Khade da Khalsa hai (support the man in power)," said Hamir Singh of Ghal Kalan. "Sarkar naal chalna chahida hai (we should support the ruling party)", he said, adding people wanted to reap the benefits by electing the ruling party's candidate. The Jat peasantry vote seems to have tilted towards the SAD as its president Sukhbir Badal has promised to resolve the issue of lack of canal water in the constituency. Attempts are also being made by Akali leaders to break into the traditional Congress Dalit vote bank. This is being done by doling out money for common causes like for utensils to panchayats for use in functions, construction of community centres and for digging tubewells in Dalit localities. Sukhbir, who is leading the party's campaign and has made the contest as one between himself and the Congress rather than between party candidate Joginder Pal Jain and Congress' Vijay Sathi, makes it a point to stress that villages have prospered only during the SAD rule. Though the Congress is putting up a brave front, its leaders admit that they are not being able to get the better of Akalis in villages. "People don't want to identify themselves with us because the government still has four more years to go", said a Congress leader. Others feel the party is simply not able to counter the financial might of the Akalis. However, Congress leader Balbir Sidhu, who is leading the party's campaign in villages, said the party was getting a good response but he had only a few people with him. PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh is also getting a fairly good response in the rural areas, indicating anti-Akali groups will vote for the Congress candidate who otherwise does not have any hold in villages. Amarinder claimed there was no fear among the people and they had vowed to support the Congress.
|
||
|
Many quota jobs lying vacant in Punjab
Chandigarh, February 13 They said that candidates in the reserved categories had shown a commendable progress in their scores and had occupied seats in the general quota, thereby leaving more posts vacant in the reserved category. Moreover, fresh recruitment will take a long time as the procedure is very lengthy, particularly affecting the functioning of schools. The impact is also felt among other government departments running short of officials, appointed under the reserved An official communication from the Education Department to the office of the Director of Schedule Caste(SC)/ Backward Class (BC) Welfare, said that during a recruitment drive for master cadre appointments recently, at least 300 reserved category candidates scored better than the general category candidates. They were later shifted to the open quota and due to this, there are 825 vacancies now. In another case, during the recruitment of Elementary Teacher Training teachers, more than 120 teachers were shifted to the general category leading to more vacancies in the reserved categories. According to a communication to the Director, Social Welfare, under the Right to Education Act, 2009, it was mandatory for the department to ensure that there is never more than 10 per cent vacancies at any point of time. In a separate development, the General Categories Welfare Federation has warned the Punjab Government that they would hold protest rallies against the government during the run-up to the Moga by-election. The federation said the state was not following the judgement of the Supreme Court in M Nagraj vs Union of India dated October 19, 2006 which stated that no one’s seniority should be jumped in routine. Prabhjit Singh, President of the State Federation, said by posting nearly hundred per cent SC officers in the Welfare Department, general category employees had no hope of being heard on the issue. The federation had given specific examples where seniority of the employees had been recast in a wrongful manner by demoting general category employees. Majority of the Deputy Secretaries were from the reserved categories and big favours were being doled out in recruiting principals, Prabhjit Singh said. Anurag Aggarwal, Secretary SC/BC Welfare, said the department had received representations from different quarters and the matter was being looked into.
|
||
Former Cong MLA returns to party fold
Moga, February 13 Akali leader Mehtab Singh also joined the Congress along with him at a function organised in favour of party candidate Vijay Sathi at Landeke village. PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh and other senior leaders of the party welcomed them. Gill, who is a relative of former Union Home Minister Buta Singh, was elected MLA on the Congress ticket in the 1985 assembly elections. He said the entire rank and file of the Akali Dal was demoralised since senior party leaders had been sidelined and marginalised after Joginder Pal Jain's induction into the party. Amarinder claimed several prominent Akali leaders had expressed their desire to leave the party and join the Congress as "they are being humiliated by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Bikram Majithia".
|
|
His efforts ensured return of 17 Indians on death row in Sharjah
Chandigarh, February 13 Oberoi, who was born in Nangal, now manages not only Apex Emirates General Trading Llc and a hotel in Dubai but is also the chairman of the Apex Group of Companies. Much before the release of 17 Indian boys in the Mishri Khan murder case two days ago, Oberoi had visited the homes of most of them and started paying a monthly pension to their families to mitigate their sufferings. Besides, he sponsored parents or spouses to visit convicted persons in Sharjah jail. Other than these 17 youths, he has also got released so far 33 Indian expatriates who had been languishing in various jails of the UAE. "I have been fully supported by not only the staff of Indian Mission in the UAE but also by certain political bigwigs, including Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur and former Union Chemical Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa." Among the beneficiaries has been a girl of Ludhiana who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case. Most of the releases secured by him were through payment of blood money to the families of the victims. He would visit the families, convince them for a settlement, pay them the blood money and get the settlement documents ratified by both the Indian and the UAE missions before submitting them to the UAE courts. "I do not support any unlawful activity," he reiterates, maintaining that he has been trying to help expatriate workers who had been lured into traps by those running all such illegitimate activities, including bootlegging. Because of shrinking job market and sharp fall in wages, expatriate workers get lured with big financial returns from such activities without ever releasing the implications.
|
||
|
3 more youths await release by UAE govt
Amritsar, February 13 Sarbat da Bhalla managing trustee SPS Oberoi said the pardon letters had been procured from the families after paying blood money. “Pardon letters were submitted to the UAE’s apex court and their death sentence has been waived,” he said. Sandeep was allegedly involved in the murder of Mandeep Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpur, in 2007 while Talwinder and Paramjit were involved in the murder of a youth from Hyderabad in 2009. Oberoi said these youths had undergone sentence of three years. Oberoi said the NGO had helped in waiving the death sentence and life imprisonment of 54 youths of various South Asian countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India.
|
||
|
New Delhi, February 13 Among the nominated members are SGPC nominee Gurmeet Singh Lubana; Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, Takht Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) Jathedar Tarlochan Singh, Takht Patna Sahib Jathedar Iqbal Singh and Hazur Sahib Jathdear Kulmant Singh; Kulmohan Singh and Surjeet Singh (SAD); Dheeraj Kaur of Bhai Mati Das Singh Sabha Gurdwara and Gurbachan Singh of Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara. — TNS
|
||
|
Re-auction of 13 sand quarries today
The total reserve price kept for all these quarries is Rs 8.90 crore. The successful bidders can extract 6,68,786.88 tonnes of minerals from these quarries. To thwart attempts of collusive bidding, the state Industries Department has taken corrective steps such as significantly raising the earnest money to be deposited by bidders. It has also changed the policy by including a clause that the government can cancel the electronic auctioning of sand quarries without assigning any reasons (If it finds that the e-auction website has been hacked or that collusive bidding is on). However, the high reserve price for auction would mean higher bids would wrest control of the quarries. This in turn will mean that the rates at which the contractors will sell the sand and gravel will be much higher, leading to a steep rise in the cost of construction. The Industries Department is also working to check that there is no re-grouping amongst various factions of sand contractors. There are reports that sand contractors, including some big players from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, were trying to get together after deciding on each person’s share in the business to ensure a successful auction of 13 sand quarries in Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar and SAS Nagar tomorrow. Sources in the mining business told The Tribune that the main mining contractors, a youth Akali leader from Muktsar and the son of a former Akali MP, were trying to enter into a pact with aspiring contractors and fix the share of each member for selling sand and gravel.
|
||
|
Rape accused constable dismissed
Faridkot, February 13 Nirmal Singh Dhillon, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Bathinda range, today ordered the dismissal of Kulwinder from police service. "Such a behaviour from a policeman is unexpected. He could not be retained in the police service as prima facie he has been found guilty of the crime," he said. Kulwinder Singh was appointed as a constable in the Punjab Police a few days ago. He was under probation at the City police station, Faridkot. Kulwinder and his friend allegedly kidnapped the minor girl from her maternal grandfather’s house in Sukhanwala village of Faridkot on Sunday evening. After committing the crime, the accused dumped the girl near a water channel at Golewala village on Monday. In another incident, the Judicial Magistrate today sent two rape accused to 14-day police remand. In this case, the Kotkapura police had booked two persons for allegedly raping a 15-year-old student of Class X.
|
||
|
Fatehgarh Sahib admn to construct 46 new classrooms under SSA
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 13 Stating this, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Yashvir Mahajan said Rs 4.32 crore was being spent on
various development works in schools in the district. He said Rs 1.30 crore was being provided for the construction of the boundary walls of various schools. Separate toilets for girls were also being constructed in over 20 schools at a cost of Rs 39.40 lakh. He said Rs 22.63 lakh was being spent for the renovation of school buildings in the district. He directed the officials to provide details about the new classrooms required in various schools. Mahajan directed the executive engineers, Block Development and Panchayat Officers at the Bhachat Bhawan here to provide the completion certificate of grants issued for various development works in the district within 7 days. He also directed all the sub divisional magistrates to inspect the quality of work from time to time and submit their reports in time. Mahajan asked the executive officers of various municipal committees to repair the main roads in their respective towns. He said the authorities should make persistent efforts to remove all encroachments on various roads in the district.
|
||
|
Gender ratio improves in 116 Patiala villages
Patiala, february 13 Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Usha Bansal said considerable efforts were made to curb the social evil of female foeticide. She said 1,652 girls had been recorded per thousand boys in the age group of 0-6 years in Reeth Kheri village. “Likewise, in Beedh Kauli village the figure stands at 1,353, Dadhera (1,256), Babu Singh Colony (1,327), Hajimajara (1,235), Marodi (1,230), Naushera (1,200) and Salvati (1,254),” she said. Dr Bansal said special focus was laid on the strict implementation of the PNDT Act. NGOs were also encouraged to spread awareness on the issue, she said, adding that these steps were vital in making the turnaround. “We will strive to work against female foeticide and will make earnest efforts to ensure that the gender ratio improves in more number of villages in the near future,” she asserted.
|
||
|
Confined to house, family of four rescued in Mohali
Mohali, February 13 The matter was brought to the notice of the police by the family's neighbours after their house started stinking. They claimed that family head Dildar Singh (70) was the only one of the four who would come out of the house and that too rarely. When he stepped out of the house today, the police caught hold of him and entered the house in his company. Station House Officer Atul Soni said the entire house was stinking as the family seemed to be defecating and urinating in their rooms. "Dildar's wife, said to be a retired teacher, protested a lot when we entered the house. Their daughter was found sitting in a room only wrapping a blanket while their son, Manmit (38), bolted his room from inside. He agreed to open the door after a lot of persuasion," said Soni. The neighbours claimed that all the members of the family were well educated. Dildar Singh had retired as reader of a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court while Manmit also used to practice in the court, claimed a neighbour. He said the family appeared to be in depression. The police has shifted the family members to the Civil Hospital, Phase VI.
|
||
|
Man dies in bus-car collision near Barnala
Barnala, February 13 Jaswinder Singh was admitted to Dhanaula Government Hospital, from where he was referred to DMC Hospital, Ludhiana. — TNS
|
||
|
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 13 Meanwhile, three more persons have tested positive for H1N1 in the district. The deceased has been identified as Manjit Kaur of Uncha Jatana village. Those admitted to the local Civil Hospital have been identified as Samarveer Singh (10), Paramjit (54) of Sirhind, and Babita (45) of Uncha Pind. They have been shifted to PGI, Chandigarh. — TNS
|
||
|
Baal Preet magazine launched for children
Patiala is the first district in the state to have published a magazine fully dedicated to children. The magazine was released by Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra in the presence of Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) GK Singh Dhaliwal, who had originally proposed the idea to publish such a magazine, at the District Administrative Complex, here today. Rakhra said, “It will channelise the creative instincts of children.” He also said literature had always played a crucial role in influencing the impressionable minds of children and magazines such as these would do the same. Dhaliwal said the main aim of the magazine was to encourage children to write and express their views freely in their mother tongue. Two copies of the magazine would be sent to every government school and one to every aanganwari school, he said. “The magazine will be priced at Rs 20 and if any school lacks funds to procure the magazine, the District Child Welfare Council will pay for it,” added the DC.
— TNS
|
|
Punjab told to check plying of heavy vehicles from HP
Chandigarh, February 13 The Division Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also directed the respondents to take “appropriate action” and apply brakes on the practice if the plying of vehicles were disturbing people’s lives. The directions came on a petition filed by Surinder Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents. In their petition, the petitioners had earlier claimed that they were agitated due to the plying of heavy vehicles “filled with stone-crusher material through their villages, as well as adjoining village on the border of Himachal Pradesh in the area of Mukerian tehsil in Hoshiarpur district”. Giving reasons, the petitioners had asserted that the movement of heavy vehicles were damaging the rural roads, polluting the atmosphere and also posing danger to the life and property of the villagers. Appearing before the Bench, their counsel claimed that the petitioners had earlier also approached the High Court by filing a civil writ petition, which was disposed of on September 26, 2012, with directions to the authorities to treat the plea as a representation. The counsel submitted that the Deputy Commissioner stopped the plying of heavy trucks ferrying crusher material after he looked into the matter in compliance with the High Court directives. But after his transfer, the trucks were plying on the roads again. Taking note of the contentions, the Bench asserted: “In the facts and circumstances, we dispose of this writ petition as well, directing the respondents to take appropriate action and if the aforesaid submissions are found to be correct, the earlier orders passed by the Deputy Commissioner should be restored and implemented”.
|
|
Teacher booked for raping 14-yr-old
Sangrur, February 13 Rajwant Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Cheema police station, said accused Gurjant Singh (42), a mathematics teacher of Government Senior Secondary School, Namol (near Sunam), was absconding. He said Gurjant had called the student to his house on December 31 on the pretext of checking her notebook. He allegedly raped her and threatened her of dire consequences if she told anybody about the incident, he said. Former sarpanch of Namol village Charanjit said the matter came to light after some students of the school informed the teachers, who then told the victim's parents about the crime. Senior Medical Officer Makhan Singh said they had handed over the medico-legal report (MLR) of the girl to the police. Meanwhile, District Education Officer (Secondary) Nirmal Singh Sohi said the teacher had been placed under suspension on the telephonic orders of the Director-General of School Education (DGSE), Punjab.
Rama Mandi accused held
Bathinda: The local police today arrested the accused who had allegedly raped a six-year-old girl at Raman Mandi. The accused has been identified as 21-year-old Akhilesh, a native of Bhawalpur Purulia in Uttar Pradesh. His elder sister lives in the neighbourhood of the victim. SSP Ravcharan Singh Brar said the victim's 10-year-old cousin helped the police nab the accused. He had allegedly seen Akhilesh committing the crime. Meanwhile, the town today observed a complete bandh to express solidarity with the victim's family.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Moga, February 13
Chandigarh, February 13
Chandigarh:
Chandigarh, February 13
Patiala, February 13