B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

HMEL Colony
Allotment of houses draws criticism
Muktsar, March 21
Just hours after the handing over of keys to the beneficiaries, the allotment of one-room houses in a residential colony built for the poor by the HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) at Killianwali village in the Lambi area, is in the eye of a storm with a large number of people alleging that the allotment was not fair.

HC directive to check illegal pensions
Faridkot, March 21
At a time when many officials in the social security department are in the dock for granting old age and widow pension to many ineligible persons due to thyeir political connections, the Legal Service Authority wing of Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) has directed its district-level authorities across the state to hold Pension Suvidha Camp in villages to educate people about their legal rights and help eligible persons in getting the pension benefit.

Molestation victim sets herself ablaze, dies
Faridkot, March 21
A young daughter of a rickshaw puller, who had set herself afire on March 5 in Ambedkar Nagar locality in Faridkot after she was repeatedly molested and stalked by five youths, succumbed to burn injuries today.

Pak spy nabbed in Jalalabad
Fazilka, March 21
An Indian national believed to a spy working for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has been arrested. The accused, identified as Tarsem Singh alias Lali, a resident of Jalalabad town in Fazilka district, was allegedly sending vital information about the border area for the last one year. 

Two killed

HMEL Colony
Allotment of houses draws criticism
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 21
Just hours after the handing over of keys to the beneficiaries, the allotment of one-room houses in a residential colony built for the poor by the HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL) at Killianwali village in the Lambi area, is in the eye of a storm with a large number of people alleging that the allotment was not fair.

The CEO-cum-MD of the HMEL, Prabh Das, and special principal secretary to the Chief Minister, KJS Cheema, had yesterday handed over the keys of the houses to the beneficiaries but as soon as they left the venue, a number of people present there started lodging protest against the district administration. The protest continued till late in the evening and was resumed this morning. The protesters alleged that the houses were allotted on the recommendations of some politicians and the needy were ignored.

Rajpal Singh, Chamkaur Singh, Dhira Singh and Sukhpal Kaur said, “We have been living in shanties on the roadside for years, but the administration did not allot us houses here. If the government fails to allot us houses in this colony, we will forcibly take possession after breaking open the locks.”

Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh said, "The allotment has been done in a fair manner by the SDM, Malout, Amandeep Bansal. Still, if some people have any objections, they can come and meet me."

"All the needy have been given the houses, but the problem is that the houses are less in number and those who need it are more," the DC added.

HC directive to check illegal pensions

Faridkot, March 21
At a time when many officials in the social security department are in the dock for granting old age and widow pension to many ineligible persons due to thyeir political connections, the Legal Service Authority wing of Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) has directed its district-level authorities across the state to hold Pension Suvidha Camp in villages to educate people about their legal rights and help eligible persons in getting the pension benefit.

In a letter sent to all district legal authorities on March 7, the HC stated that the formula of one such camp held in Faridkot some days ago, be replicated across the state.

At a Pension Suvidha Camp in Kot Sukhia village of Faridkot, Chief Judicial Magistrate Rakesh Mittal and the secretary, District Legal Services Authority, found many ineligible persons getting pension and over 60 eligible persons deprived of the benefit.

Taking a serious note of large-scale irregularities in disbursal of the old age and widow pension a few days ago, the HC had issued notice to Social Security Department to investigate the pension benefit to about 1 lakh “ineligible” beneficiaries in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the court of judicial magistrate on Wednesday sentenced a man and his wife, residents of Kot Sukhia, to one year in jail for faking documents to get the old age pension. — TNS

Molestation victim sets herself ablaze, dies
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 21
A young daughter of a rickshaw puller, who had set herself afire on March 5 in Ambedkar Nagar locality in Faridkot after she was repeatedly molested and stalked by five youths, succumbed to burn injuries today.

The girl was admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital Faridkot with 90 per cent burn injuries.

Earlier, the police had arrested four persons for molestation. The victim’s father had lodged a police complaint against the accused on March 5. Faridkot Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) had recorded the dying declaration of the victim.

The post-mortem examination report of the victim is awaited. After receiving the report, the charge of abetment to suicide will be added to the case, said Faridkot SSP GS Toor. Earlier, the police had registered a criminal case under Sections 354 and 506 of the IPC against five persons.

As per the FIR, the victim girl was being harassed and threatened by the accused, who lived in her neighbourhood. The girl stopped going to school as the accused had started intercepting her on her way to school.

The victim’s father alleged that whenever his family dared to object to the rowdy behaviour of the accused, they assualted them. On the day of incident, the girl reportedly poured kerosene on her and set herself afire after the accused assaulted her father. 

Pak spy nabbed in Jalalabad

Fazilka, March 21
An Indian national believed to a spy working for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has been arrested. The accused, identified as Tarsem Singh alias Lali, a resident of Jalalabad town in Fazilka district, was allegedly sending vital information about the border area for the last one year. 

Following a tip-off, the police laid a barrier near the ITI in Jalalabad town and trapped the accused while he was travelling on his bike. The police recovered from him a Pakistani SIM, maps and photographs of strategic border areas in Fazilka district. — OC

Two killed

Muktsar, March 21
Two masons — Dharminder Singh of Fakkarsar village, and Amrik Singh of Jandwala village — were killed when the motorcycle they were riding hit a truck parked on the Malout-Delhi highway near Mahuana village in Muktsar district late this evening. The duo was on its way to Malout from Mehna village. — TNS