The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Asha workers threaten to intensify stir if their demands are not met
Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, May 25
Asha Workers' Union, Punjab threatened to intensify their stir if the Punjab Government failed to fulfil their long pending demands. Addressing the meeting, President of the union Kirandeep Kaur Panjola said that the state government was ignoring the Asha workers in the state. She said adequate remuneration was not being paid to workers who were carrying out their duties sincerely. She said even though the union had raised their demands before the State Government many times, but nothing had been done
so far.

Panjola said that their important demands included fixed wages, insurance facility, free bus travel facility and promoting Asha workers as ANMs whenever there was any vacancy. She warned the government that if their demands were not fulfilled they would be forced to launch an agitation and the government would be responsible for any untoward incident.

Besides office-bearers Kashmir Kaur, Jasvir Kaur, Santosh Kumari, Paramjit Kaur, Pavandeep Kaur, Karamjit Kaur and Surinder Kaur were among those present in the meeting.

Campaigning for Ambala MC elections in full swing
Our Correspondent

Ambala, May 25
The election campaign has picked up in all the 20 wards of Ambala City and Cantonment since hardly one week is left for Ambala Municipal Corporation elections.

After the withdrawal of 50 candidates as many as 180 candidates are in fray. BJP, which contesting the election on its symbol, has filed its candidates in all the 20 wards, whereas INLD has filed its candidates in 18 wards. Congress supported candidates have been contesting on all the 20 wards as independent candidates. Besides 140 independent are also fighting the elections.

The candidates have been preferring door-to-door campaign to approach the voters personally. A large number of hoardings and banners have also been displayed in most of the wards. Meanwhile, the campaigning by the senior leaders of various political parties has also started. The INLD leader, Abhay Chautala, and Haryana BJP spokesman Veer Kumar Yadav addressed a few meeting of workers yesterday. The Ambala City MLA, Vinod Sharma, also addressed a meeting of congress supported candidate of Ward No 6 here today.

Notably, the Congress party has not allotted its party symbol to its candidates. The rebel Congress supported candidates, contesting election in half a dozen wards of Ambala City, can make a marginal dent in Congress. However the Congress decided to ignore the rebel candidates and concentrate on the campaigning. Some efforts were also made to pacify rebels. Despite this Congress is hopeful that voter will push the party to power.

BJP and INLD are raising local issues like water, sanitations and roads while the Congress supported candidates are publicising the development works carried out in the Congress regime.

In the meantime the District Returning Officer, Shekhar Vidyarthi, has directed the candidates to follow the model code of conduct. He also asked them to take prior permission before organising in public meeting or rally.

Patiala police solves murder mystery
Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 25
Patiala police has cracked a blind murder case within four days of the crime. The Patiala SSP, HS Mann, said that a three-wheeler driver Kirpal Singh was murdered on May 21 by assassins hired by his wife. He further said that during investigations, the driver’s wife said she had planned his death since her husband was a heavy drunkard and used to beat her everyday. She hired a lady and two assassins who murdered Kirpal Singh, he added.

Mann further informed that that after disposing off the body of Kirpal Singh on the outskirts of the city, the assassins took away his mobile phone which helped in tracing the murders.

Campaign on crop diversification launched

Mohali, May 25
The Agriculture Department has launched a special crop diversification campaign in Mohali district to bring at least 8,500 hectares under the cultivation of hybrid varieties of maize and pulses with the dual purpose of promoting agri-diversification and ensuring more remunerative returns for farmers.

Giving this information here yesterday, chief agriculture officer Dr Parminder Singh said under this awareness campaign, special camps were being organised at the village level to educate farmers on various more viable crops. — OC

CRIME

3 held for possessing drugs in Mohali
Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 25
The Mohali police today arrested three persons on the charges of possessing banned drugs during a special drive in the town.

One of the accused, Hemant Anand, was arrested from the Industrial Area, while the other two, Yashpal and Sunil Kumar, were nabbed at a checkpoint in Karoran village.

The police recovered banned drugs, including cough syrup, capsules, powder and tablets, and seized two vehicles being used by the drug peddlers.

Hemant Anand’s father runs a chemist shop in Phase V. The police said Hemant was carrying the contraband in a car when he was intercepted. “During the search, we found 68 bottles of banned syrup and 250 grams of powder in his possession,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohali, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.

Yashpal, a resident of Naya Gaon village, and Sunil Kumar from Chandigarh, meanwhile, were arrested with 3,600 capsules, 150 tablets and 11 bottles of cough syrup at a police checkpoint. The police also confiscated a Swift car in which the drugs were beingtransported.

During the special drive, the police also raided Anand Medical Hall at Phase V and recovered 23 bottles of banned cough syrup and 252 capsules from the shop. A legal action has been initiated against the chemist.

SSP Bhullar said the special drive against drugs would continue in the coming days.

Youth held for molesting minor

Panchkula, May 25
An eight-year-old girl was molested by a youth in Kalka. The accused, identified as Vijay, has been arrested by the police.

The police said the victim was playing outside her house when Vijay called her on the pretext of giving a candy. He held her hand and tried to physically abuse her.

The accused had made a similar attempt 10 days back too. Last evening when the accused repeated it, the victim informed her parents who decided to file a complaint with the police.

A case was registered under Section 354-A and 509 of the IPC at the Kalka police station, following which the accused was arrested. — TNS

dowry case
Woman accuses police of inaction

Chandigarh, May 25
The daughter-in-law of a retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, during a press conference today, accused the police of inaction in a case of dowry against her husband who was booked on May 22.

The complainant alleged that despite a case being registered against her husband, Pradip Bhandari of Sector 18, the police had not arrested him. She also blamed the police for not booked her mother-in-law in the case.

Complainant Anu Bhandari said she was being harassed for dowry by her husband since their marriage in 1997. “For the past 15 years, I kept quiet. However, on April 8, I lodged a complaint with the police,” she said.

Anu said after a thorough inquiry, the police booked her husband under Sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 498-A (husband or relative of the husband subjecting the woman to cruelty) of the IPC on May 22. Since then, however, no arrests had been made in the case.

“Instead, the police is repeatedly harassing me by asking me to come to the police station on the pretext of verifying statements mentioned in the FIR,” she said. Anu said she had also named her mother-in-law in the complaint, who was not booked by the police.

Investigating officer Harbhajan Singh said an inquiry had been initiated and arrests would be made after its completion. — TNS

SPORTS

Cricket: Minerva team beat LIC Club
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25
After delivering their best in the IPL (Indian Premier League), the local players are now providing their talent to the local clubs in the ongoing UT T20 cricket tournament. A match between Minerva Academy and LIC club witnessed the arrival of these players back to roots.

The Minerva Academy defeated LIC Club by 20 runs. Batting fir st, the Minerva academy pilled up 170 runs. Gurkeerat Maan, a product of Kings XI Punjab, scored a quick fire 60 off 41, studded with eight boundaries and a six. Sarul Kanwar, a former player of Mumbai Indians team contributed 42 runs, while Bipul Sharma, who was the part of Kings XI Punjab side contributed 37-runs. For LIC, Maninder claimed 3wickets. In reply the LIC fell short of 20 runs and bundled out for 150 runs. Uday Kaul, the Ranji skipper of Punjab team and a former player of Kings XI Punjab, scored 50 runs.