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1 killed, three injured in firing at Cong-PPP rally
Congress candidate’s son critical
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Fit case for President’s rule, say Bajwa, Capt
Revenue Minister’s election opponent fears for his life
Don’t notify panchayat poll: HC to state
Set own house in order, Majithia tells Congress
SAD-BJP govt has pushed state into
debt trap: Tewari
BJP going strong in Pathankot
MLA’s kin appointed poll observers
Gruesome attack in Ferozepur village
Panel fails to fix cane procurement price
Spot-fixing: Ready to assist Delhi police, says Mohali SSP
Excise inspector suspended
collection
of application fee by misusing govt bodies' names
Youth gets life term for raping 5-yr-old
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1 killed, three injured in firing at Cong-PPP rally
Adampur (Bathinda), May 16 The deceased, Jaspreet Singh Jassa, was an aide of Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana, a PPP leader who was among those injured. Over 60 rounds were reportedly fired from various weapons, including a .30 US carbine (a prohibited weapon), a .30 pistol and a .12 bore gun. Sources said the target was Lakha as the firing took place just minutes before he was to get into his car. Lakha had addressed the rally in favour of Congress candidate Malkiat Singh, who is contesting the zila parishad election from Bhai Rupa zone. Malkiat’s son Rajwinder Singh alias Raju was also wounded. The Congress and the Sanjha Morcha have been contesting the zila parishad elections on a seat-adjustment basis. Lakha suffered four gunshot wounds in his abdomen, shoulder and ankle. He was operated upon at a Bhucho Mandi hospital where his condition was stated to be serious. The third injured, Balbir Singh, was also Lakha’s associate. Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police Ravcharan Brar, however, denied the attack was out of political rivalry. He said Balbir had identified one of the assailants as Jagseer Singh alias Seera. He said Lakha and Seera were old rivals. “The assailants chose an election rally for the attack to avoid suspicion. But, we have identified them and they will be arrested soon,” the police officer said. He said Lakha himself was booked in 11 cases, including attempt to murder. An eyewitness said, “When the assailants opened fire, Lakha managed to get out of his car and hid behind a cement platform. But, Jaspreet could not run to safety... Lakha and his supporters were armless.” District Magistrate KK Yadav said the security of candidates would be upgraded. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer SS Brar said he had sought a report from the police.
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Congress candidate’s son critical
Ludhiana, May 16 In the firing incident, Lakhbir Singh alias Lakha Sidhana, a People’s Party of Punjab leader, was injured while one of his associates was killed on the spot. Malkiat Singh said, “Rajwinder received two bullets on the left side of his abdomen, which were fired by unidentified persons.” Malkiat is contesting the zila parishad elections from Bhai Rupa zone in Bathinda. Doctors at the hospital said Rajwinder’s condition was critical. Dr Charanjit Gill, who operated upon Rajwinder, said, “The gunshots led to multiple perforations in his intestine.”
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Fit case for President’s rule, say Bajwa, Capt
Chandigarh, May 16 Reacting to today’s killing, they demanded the imposition of President’s rule in the state. Amarinder went on to claim that “those responsible for governing the state and protecting its people were resorting to such killings”. Bajwa, in a statement, said he would soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and appeal him to seek a report from the Punjab Governor on the “deteriorating” law and order in the state. He said he would also request Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to send a high-level team from the Centre to take stock of the situation in Punjab. He reiterated his demand for deployment of paramilitary forces to conduct panchayati raj elections. Taking a dig at the State Election Commissioner Shivinder Singh Brar, the PPCC chief said he had so far remained a “mute spectator” to the attacks on Congress workers. Claiming Brar had no right to continue in his post, he advised him to “step down gracefully to save the prestige of the post”. In a separate statement, Amarinder Singh alleged the ruling Akalis were resorting to planned killings of political opponents with due connivance of the police. He warned this will put Punjab in a state of civil war as such violence could not be tolerated for a long time.
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Revenue Minister’s election opponent fears for his life
Amritsar, May 16 He said armed Akali workers were threatening Congress workers in the area. “Congress nominees for zila parishad and block samitis from Majitha, Sohian Kalan, Bhoma, Tarsikka, Mattewal and Sadhpur were forced to withdraw their nominations,” alleged Lalli. He said SAD workers were carrying guns and pistols to villages to intimidate voters. At a press conference, Lalli alleged that there was an attempt to kidnap Jalalpur block samiti Congress candidate Jaspal Singh, but he was saved as they came to know about it in advance. He said weapons of Akali workers were not deposited and there was a firing incident at Supariwind village two days ago. “We demand that either weapons of Congress workers should be returned or SAD men be asked to deposit theirs,” he said, adding the life of Congress workers was at risk. Lalli said Akalis wanted to demoralise Congress workers in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
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Don’t notify panchayat poll: HC to state
Chandigarh, May 16 The directions were issued today in the open court on a petition filed by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) challenging the delimitation of wards in the state. As the case came up for resumed hearing this morning, the Bench refused to pass written orders in the matter. But, it orally issued the directions after a senior lawyer appearing for the PPCC requested the court to stay the issuance of notification of the elections. The PPCC also placed on record an additional affidavit filed by its president Partap Singh Bajwa. He produced a copy of notification issued by Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner. In the notification, the Deputy Commissioner had clearly mentioned the house numbers in each ward. The development is significant as the State of Punjab, its affidavit, had earlier submitted that houses in villages did not have numbers. The affidavit read: "It cannot possibly be the case of the state that in entire Punjab, villages only in district Fatehgarh Sahib have house numbers". Launching an attack at the government, the Congress stated the "lame excuses" offered by the state in its affidavit was an attempt to justify non-mentioning of house numbers in wardbandi notifications. In its petition filed in public interest through president Partap Singh Bajwa, the party had earlier sought directions to the State of Punjab, and no less than 22 deputy commissioners to undertake the process afresh. Claiming to have received "numerous complaints" in recent past on "grave illegalities, irregularities and gross violations of law in the process of wardbandi", the party added that irregularities were being committed by the respondents with malafide and insidious designs.
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Set own house in order, Majithia tells Congress
Batala/Amritsar, May 16 “The UPA is involved in major scams, but Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa is always quiet on the issue. Instead, he keeps on finding faults with the SAD-BJP government,” he said. Majithia said the Congress should have learnt something after its defeat in the Dasuya and Moga byelections. The SAD leader also took on PCC chief’s brother Fatehjung Bajwa at an election rally here by asking him “whether his regular criticism of the ruling SAD-BJP combine was in the interests of the state people”. In Amritsar, Majithia said the Punjab Congress leadership should tender an apology to the state people for their “connivance in step-motherly treatment” meted out to the state by the UPA government in the last 10 years.
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SAD-BJP govt has pushed state into
debt trap: Tewari
Ludhiana, May 16 “It is a serious cause for concern as the state is heading towards bankruptcy,” he warned while addressing a series of public meetings in support of the party candidates contesting the May 19 zila parishad and block samiti elections in Gill assembly segment here. Tewari claimed the state debt, according to its own Finance Minister, was likely to cross Rs 1 lakh crore by the end of this financial year and it was increasing at an alarming rate. “Every year, the Akali government is borrowing more than Rs 13,000 crore. Of this, Rs 11,500 crore is being spent to pay debt. It is a unique case where the state is borrowing money only to pay its debt and not for any development works,” he said. Representing Ludhiana parliamentary constituency, Tewari said, “Any development that is showing up is being carried out on the grants given by the Union Government under its various flagship programmes.”
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BJP going strong in Pathankot
Pathankot, May 16 Pathankot district, with three assembly seats of Sujanpur, Bhoa and Pathankot town, is a BJP stronghold. All the three assembly seats have BJP legislators. The party is expected to sweep the zila parishad elections. Punjab Child Rights Commission Chairman Swaran Salaria, Deputy Speaker Dinesh Babbu and educationist SK Pun have fanned out to rural areas for campaigning. Also making his presence felt is cine star and three-time MP Vinod Khanna and his Man Friday Dr Samrender Sharma. All the 10 zones are being contested by BJP candidates. The Congress is on the back foot and its leaders are crying hoarse that their candidates are being threatened by officials. Former minister Raman Bhalla alleged that officials were hand in glove with senior BJP leaders of the district. However, Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SK Kalia denied the allegation. “We have not received any complaint from a Congress worker so far,” he maintained. Bhalla’s wife Anu, who was recently appointed vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Mahila Congress, has formed a group which is campaigning intensively in the district. Voters want more veterinary hospitals and primary schools in the area. “More primary schools are needed in the Dhar block. Students, particularly girls, have to travel long distances to attend school,” said Goverdhan Gopal, BJP candidate from Narot Jaimal Singh. The Congress seems in a disarray because of infighting. In Sujanpur, Dinesh Babbu’s assembly seat, the Congress is putting up a disjointed effort. In Pathankot, which has just one zone, former legislator Bhalla is slugging it out but infighting is sure to damage his victory prospects. Amid the poll din, there are few leaders touching the real issues. “One of the main issues is augmenting the World Bank water supply schemes in remote villages. No leader is talking about this. Roads in the newly formed Gharota block are in a dilapidated condition. We need roads and potable drinking water and not mere rhetoric,” said a former
sarpanch.
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MLA’s kin appointed poll observers
Jalandhar, May 16 Municipal Corporation Joint Commissioner Anupam Kler, appointed observer for Jalandhar-I and Jalandhar-II sub-divisions, is the sister of Avinash Chander, Akali MLA from Phillaur. The MLA’s sister-in-law Babita Kler, who is Deputy Director, Local Bodies in Ludhiana, has also been given the charge of poll observer for two other local sub-divisions, Shahkot and Nakodar. Anupam Kler, in an order passed earlier, was also given Phillaur subdivision, but it has now been withdrawn by the Commission and given to Baldev Singh, Additional Chief Administrator, GLADA. Kartarpur sub-tehsil, which Avinash Chander represented from 2007-12, also is in Jalandhar-II sub-division, where Anupam Kler will act as an observer. Having remained an MLA in Kartarpur prior to the change of his constituency, Avinash Chander still enjoys a significant hold in the area. The appointment has raised many an eyebrow not just from leaders of the opposite camp but also from senior bureaucrats. Top administrative functionaries claim that they have not earlier seen a junior PCS officer being appointed as an observer for a constituency where seniors are discharging their duties as returning officers. Secretary, Regional Transport Authority-cum-RO for zila parishad poll Jaskiran Singh is a 1992-batch PCS officer while Anupam is from the 2003 batch. Another issue being raised is that while the observers usually are from outside the district, Anupam, who belongs to Jalandhar, and Babita, who has had a long tenure locally, have been appointed as observers. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer SS Brar said he was not aware of the relationship of the observers with the MLA. “But, I wonder why no one has complained and brought the matter to my notice,” he said. Asked if he would change them, he replied, “I think it is too late now to make the changes. We will have to live with it.” CLP leader Sunil Jakhar commented, “The very idea of appointing close family relations as election observers is another reflection of the undemocratic strategies that the ruling party is following.”
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Polldigest
Ropar: Ninetyone polling booths have been declared sensitive for the zila parishad and block samiti elections in the district. In all, 686 booths will be set up for 3.59 lakh voters. While Anandpur Sahib block has 1,03,950 voters (maximum among the five blocks in district), Ropar and Nurpur Bedi blocks have 91,710 and 76,635 voters. Chamkaur Sahib and Morinda have 44,910, and 42021 voters. The Deputy Commissioner said 69 supervisors and 3,430 officers and employees had been deputed to conduct the elections. The counting of votes will be held at Government College, Ropar; Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sandhuan, Chamkaur Sahib; Hindu Dharmshala, Morinda; Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Nurpur Bedi and Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Anandpur Sahib.
Police takes out flag march in Abohar
Abohar: As 52 of the total 78 villages in the block have been declared hyper-sensitive (16) or sensitive (36) for the zila parishad and block samiti elections, the police on Thursday took out a flag march in areas where it anticipated violence. Sources said despite warnings, most of the licencees were yet to deposit their arms with the police. Seetogunno village leads the tally of most sophisticated weapons and has seen violent clashes in the past as well. The Congress and the SAD are locked in a touch contest in the block.
Rural people fed up with Akalis: Sathi
Moga: Senior Congress leader Vijay Sathi has said the people living in rural areas in Punjab were "fed up" with the SAD-BJP government over the "false promises" made to them by the ruling combine in its election manifesto. After holding 'nukkar sabhas' at several villages in Moga assembly segment from where he lost in the recent byelection, Sathi said, "The people of this area know very well how the assembly bypoll was manipulated by the ruling party with money and muscle power." Claiming the Congress candidates were in a comfortable position, Sathi challenged the SAD-BJP government to hold free and fair elections. He alleged the officials of the district administration, particularly the police, were threatening the candidates and supporters of the Congress and other opposition parties.
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Gruesome attack in Ferozepur village
Bathinda, May 16 The accused entered Balwant Singh’s house by scaling the outer wall. Balwant Singh’s mother Bachan Kaur (70) and daughters Jasbir Kaur (17) and Tasveer Kaur (15) died in the gruesome attack. Balwant Singh, who suffered 70 per cent burns, his wife Veerpal Kaur and their son Satveer Singh (10) are undergoing treatment in a Ferozepur hospital. Lakhwinder Singh was Balwant Singh’s neighbour till he shifted to Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala a few months ago after distrust grew between them. Balwant Singh was booked in a liquor smuggling case and he blamed Lakhwinder Singh for the same. Speaking from his hospital bed, Balwant Singh said his wife’s relative had finalised a matrimonial alliance with Lakhwinder Singh’s kin. “Lakhwinder Singh called us up several times, threatening to kill us if the marriage was not called off.” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ferozepur, Varinder Pal Singh, said all the three accused had been booked for triple murder and attempt to murder. Raids were on to nab them. Deputy Commissiner Manjeet Singh Narang said he had ordered the District Red Cross to pay for the medical expenses of the injured.
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Tardy lifting a worry for commission agents
Amritsar, May 16 These agencies had procured 16 lakh wheat bags at the Bhagtanwala grain market in Amritsar, of which 3 lakh bags are yet to be lifted. In Tarn Taran, 1.95 lakh tonnes of the total 5.56 lakh tonnes of wheat procured is lying in the open in various markets. The maximum of 54,295 tonnes of wheat is yet to be lifted at the Bhikhiwind grain market, followed by 45,718 tonnes in Tarn Taran and 43,220 tonnes in Khemkaran. While the farmers have sold their produce and received payment too, it is the arhtiyas (commission agents) who are at the receiving end. Nishan Singh, an agent from Tarn Taran, said slow lifting had exposed the stock to vagaries of weather. “Besides, we have to engage people to keep a vigil on the stock at night,” he said. Official sources attributed slow lifting to the government order that wheat be stored only in covered godowns. Since there were only five covered godowns in Amritsar and six in Tarn Taran district, this hampered speedy lifting, the sources said. “The fact that we have a limited number of such godowns restricts our daily lifting capacity,” said an official. Sources said wheat had already been stored in 40 open godowns in Amritsar district. Now, only covered godowns had the capacity to accommodate more wheat stock.
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Panel fails to fix cane procurement price
Chandigarh, May 16 The issue will now come up at the board meeting likely to be held next week. The number of functional mills in the state has come down from 21 to 14. Most mills face a crisis of raw material during the crushing season with the area under sugarcane declining to 1 lakh hectares over the years. However, the government is keen to increase the area under cane to 2.5 lakh hectares in the next five years. For this, it would have to offer a remunerative price to farmers to motivate them to switch over to cane. “With Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, pegging the production cost of cane at Rs 290 per quintal, the procurement price should be fixed at Rs 335 per quintal,” said Balbir Singh Rajewal, one of the members on the sub-committee. As of now, the procurement price is Rs 250 per quintal, the lowest in the country. Representatives of the sugar industry at the meeting opposed the increase in the cane price on the plea that the industry had already suffered a loss of Rs 177 per quintal. They said that the production cost of sugar was Rs 3,377 per quintal whereas its selling price in the wholesale market was Rs 3,200 per quintal. So any increase in the cane price would cripple the sugar industry.
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Spot-fixing: Ready to assist Delhi police, says Mohali SSP
Mohali, May 16 Mohali’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that technically the matter came under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police. Besides, most of the bookies either belonged to Delhi or Mumbai. “Though it has come to light that the May 9 match in Mohali was fixed, it does not make Mohali a place of offence,” explained Bhullar. The Delhi Police had not contacted them so far, the SSP added.
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Patiala, May 16 Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma said on June 6, 2012, inspector Pawan Sood passed the vehicle PB-10-BF-8655 carrying hosiery goods worth Rs 2.59 lakh at the Ludhiana Railway Station barrier, but did not submit the entry in computer records. Rather, he changed the commodity from hosiery goods to knitted cloth worth Rs 1.46 lakh, he said, adding that it was found that the inspector had changed nearly 30 such entries in the past three months. “We have placed Sood under suspension, while inspector Naresh Kumar, who was also found indulging in a similar case, has been shifted from Shamboo barrier to Gurdaspur,” Verma said.
Court officials suspended
District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Atri today suspended the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s reader Balwinder Singh and peon Vinod Kumar for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 2,000 from a person for completing his pending work. — TNS
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Police told to book rapper Honey Singh
Chandigarh, May 16 Senior Superintendent of Police, Nawanshahr, Dhanpreet Kaur, has been asked to book the singer under Section 294 of the IPC for his song “main hun balatkari” (I am a rapist). Principal Secretary, Home, DS Bains, told the Tribune that the Home Department had asked the SSP to book him immediately, cutting short paper work. Bains said the police had earlier tried to locate the singer’s residential address and written to the Uttar Pradesh police in this regard. “All this was taking time. Now we are decided to act with speed.” Dhanpreet Kaur, however, said she was yet to receive the orders. “I have been at meetings since morning. We will book the singer when we receive the orders,” she said. The Department of Cultural Affairs had earlier submitted a report to the Home department, recommending action against the singer. SS Channy, Principal Secretary, Cultural Affairs, said: “ We had recommended action against Honey Singh under Section 294 and sent the report to the Home Department.” The High Court had on Tuesday slammed the Punjab Government for not taking action against the rapper. A petition in this regard was filed by HELP, a non-government organisation based in
Nawanshahr.
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collection
of application fee by misusing govt bodies' names
Chandigarh, May 16 The directions came as a petition filed in public interest by advocate HC Arora came up for hearing before the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain. He was seeking directions to the state government to investigate the conduct of one Sikander Singh, self- styled chief of Mohali-based "Rashtriya Sarv Sikhsha Authority, Mohali" and Delhi-based organisation called "Rashtriya Sarv Sikhsha Authority". Arora had earlier alleged that the society invited applications for filing up 2,529 posts of computer personnel across Punjab and had collected money by way of application fee. The society stated in its public notice that it was a Government of India undertaking. The society operating from Mohali had also issued public notices for employment to unemployed youngsters by opening computer centres all over Punjab. It had also issued appointment letters to unemployed candidates and collected a security of Rs 20,000 each. They were neither allowed to join, nor paid the salary. In fact, the society did not open any computer
centre.
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Youth gets life term for raping 5-yr-old
Ropar, May 16 Manohar, a distant relative of the victim, raped her on February 4 this year when she was alone at her home. Victim's father said he left home at 8.30 am in search of work along with his wife. As he did not get any work and returned home at 10.30 am, he found his daughter crying and Manohar leaving the place abruptly. – TNS
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Chandigarh, May 16
Amritsar, May 16
Batala/Amritsar, May 16
Bathinda, May 16
PPP chief Manpreet Badal termed the incident as “murder of democracy”. He appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal “to learn from Nawaz Sharif’s experiences in Pakistan who returned to power despite being hounded by Pervez Musharraf for years”. He said Badal should leave his ‘Dhritrashtra’ stance and take tough decisions for the safety of the state people. He said today’s attack proved that Badal, his son and other SAD leaders “could go to any extent to remain in power”. 
Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar has alleged that the attack was scripted by Akali goons. He, however, claimed Congress leader Gurpreet Kanger was the target. Demanding a judicial probe into all incidents of attacks on Congress leaders, Jakhar alleged that political terrorism was prevailing in the state at the behest of the SAD-BJP leadership. Jakhar appealed to the Election Commission to intervene and send outside observers to ensure free and fair elections.
