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Defying Section 144, Cong leaders enter Muktsar village in strength
Bajwa’s visit has come too late: Maheshinder |
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Residents blame ‘outsiders’ for ruining village peace
Education
Department rocked by Scandals
Cong rejects probe by retired judge, says it’s mere eyewash
Milkfed expansion plan gets government’s nod
Capacity of Bist Doab canal to be augmented
Govt restores heritage site, but fails to revive tourism
Bathinda toppers
Save Bhullar, Takht chief urges Badal Govt
5 of family killed in mishap
HC fines firm Rs 60 crore for delaying highway project
Principal Secy pulled up for misleading court
Quota in PG courses
Dera followers clash with SGPC members
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Defying Section 144, Cong leaders enter Muktsar village in strength
Mann (Muktsar), May 27 Fearing arrest, more than a hundred families of Congress workers in Mann village have fled their homes since the poll violence on May 19 in which nine vehicles were torched. The village has been a Congress stronghold since long. Bajwa demanded a CBI inquiry or a probe by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court into the "atrocities" on Congress workers and their families at the hands of Akali activists. Maheshinder Singh Badal, who enjoys a massive following in the village, said the aggrieved residents would tomorrow file a police complaint on the ‘witch-hunt’ of Congress supporters. With no police personnel in the village today, the Congress leaders freely raised slogans against the Badals. Several families complained that in the absence of male members, there was none to take care of the sick and the elderly and to tend to the crops and livestock. Bajwa said the plight of residents would be highlighted at every platform across the country to show how the SAD-BJP alliance was "killing grassroots democracy." Though Bajwa put up a unity show, he publicly chided Vikramjit Singh, president, Punjab Youth Congress, for walking ahead of him. The latter had arrived with his supporters in strength. Congress workers almost came to blows at the house of another worker. They accused one another of siding with the Akalis. On CWC member Jagmeet Brar's visit to the village yesterday, Bajwa said as a senior leader, he was free to go anywhere. Bajwa was accompanied by Congress vice-president and Malwa head Gurpreet Kangar, MPs Ravneet Bittu and Santosh Chowhdry, MLAs Karan Kaur Brar, Raja Warring and Parminder Pinky, Gicky Dhillon and Harminder Jassi. Talking to mediapersons, he said the village residents were not criminals and were paying the price for standing with the Congress.
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Bajwa’s visit has come too late: Maheshinder
Badal (Muktsar), May 27 Welcoming Bajwa, Maheshinder said: "Bajwa sahib, we are thankful to you for your visit here. But we have a complaint. Why did you not come within two-three days of the incident?" He said: "In future, too, we might have to fight against police highhandedness, but please do not repeat this." A number of party workers present there applauded Maheshinder's statement. Maheshinder also showed his resentment by sitting in the last row of the gathering and did not share the stage with other party leaders. He said, "There is nothing wrong in it. If he (Bajwa) can come late, why can't I sit with party workers and go to the stage a little later." Later, when Congress leaders went to meet the aggrieved families in Mann village, Maheshinder preferred to stand in a corner inquiring about the well being of area residents. On his visiting Mann village a week after the incident, Bajwa said: "It is not possible for a state president to go everywhere the same day. I had to attend the bhog ceremony of a senior youth Congress leader in Tarn Taran and thereafter the PPP had planned a protest on May 23." He passed the buck on local Congress leaders, saying, "The local leadership did not ask me to visit the village earlier. And when they did, I agreed. But, I was regularly in touch with them over the phone."
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Residents blame ‘outsiders’ for ruining village peace
Mann (Muktsar), May 27 But for the last eight days, Gurtej, too, is not available. He is on the run fearing police arrest. He is among the 25 "identified" accused in the FIR no. 65, dated May 19 regarding violence, rioting, beating of Akali workers, attempt to capture polling booths and burning of vehicles. Gurtej treated Akalis and Congressmen alike. But today his aged mother Jarnail Kaur, a heart patient, is lying on the cot with only Gurtej's wife Parvinder Kaur to take care of her. With the FIR stating 125 "unidentified" persons besides 25 "identified" had caused the violence, almost all families owing allegiance to the Congress are living in fear since May 19. Gurtej's sister Baljinder Kaur said the villagers lost brotherhood and sense of belongingness for each other. "All families had been living and dining together since long despite their political affiliations. I am shocked that my mother and sister-in-law are left alone by the same people," she said. Baltej Singh, who holds religious congregations, was also on the run. He returned today emboldened by the visit of senior Congress leaders. He blamed "outsiders" for violence and causing enmity among the villagers. He said the peace of the village was never disturbed like this. "Everyone knows who supports whom. It is for the first time that Akali families in the village are not helping Congress supporters in distress." He said he was a witness to the booth capturing incident that sparked violence. "There were a large number of outsiders who came in vehicles bearing registration numbers of other districts. They barged into a polling booth and beat up Congress polling agent Major Singh. He was rescued by policemen who had to fire in the air to disperse the attackers. Later, Major Singh was the first to be arrested for causing violence. We had no option but to run for our lives". What the police says Muktsar police chief Surjeet Singh claimed the police was not harassing Congress workers and their families. “We lodged the FIR on the basis of a complaint. We have a video footage of the incident. There is ample proof against the accused”. The police has so far arrested 10 persons, including a woman.
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Education
Department rocked by Scandals
Chandigarh, May 27 But this logic is hard to believe given the fact that it was the District Education officer (DEO), Ludhiana, that sent an official communication to schools asking them to collect the kits from a particular school. The following day she sent another official communication, informing the schools that the earlier orders had been withheld. The Ambala-based Ansh Scientific Corporation, Shri Enterprises and Sachdev Enterprises are learnt to have supplied only a “small number” of kits. Harish Singhal, proprieter of Ansh Scientific Corporation, said: “Perhaps the confusion arose because we did not comprehend the correspondence sent to us, which was in Punjabi.” Reliable sources in the department said the process for handing over the kits to schools had already begun when the issue was highlighted in the media. “If there was no order from the department why did the second communication from the District Education Officer ask the schools to withhold the
earlier orders,” the sources pointed out. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka had at a press meet yesterday clarified that no panel had been entrusted with the job of providing the kits. Meanwhile, one of
the suppliers, pleading anonymity, said: “Till 2010, the department would give Rs 25,000 to every school to buy science kits. Most schools did not have shops nearby and made temporary arrangements. Tendering ensured a better supply”.
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Cong rejects probe by retired judge, says it’s mere eyewash
Sources said the Chief Minister was alarmed at the allegations levelled against Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka and his department. The minister explained his point of view to the Chief Minister during a meeting yesterday, claiming that there was no wrongdoing. But the Chief Minister asked him to explain his position to the media besides asking for a report from the Principal Secretary, Education. During a press conference yesterday, Maluka had announced that he was ready to face a probe by an independent agency. Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said the inquiry ordered by the Chief Minister into the books scam was a “mere eyewash”. He said the Congress did not have any faith in the inquiry. In a statement, Bajwa said if the Chief Minister was really serious about the issue, he should request the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to hand over the investigation of the case to a sitting judge. Also, the probe should be time-bound, Bajwa said. Alternatively, the case could be given to the CBI so that the “real facts” could be brought out before the people of Punjab, the PPCC chief said. In a separate statement, Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira alleged that the former judge who had been entrusted with the inquiry shared a close relationship with both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. He alleged this was part of a strategy to ensure that the Education Minister was given a clean chit. Terming Maluka as ‘Scandal ka Sikandar,’ Khaira said he had thrown all norms and procedures to the winds and indulged in gross favouritism while allotting tenders worth crores of rupees. He said the minister was accused of ‘benami’ shares in the RCC pipe manufacturing company which was given the order for the books. Similarly, science kits under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA) had been misappropriated. Also Map Master was distributed among poor students at inflated rates. “It is shameful how Maluka’s daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), was appointed Additional Director General of School Education, flouting all norms,” Khaira said. He demanded Parampal Kaur’s immediate repatriation to her parent department. The Congress leader also targeted the BJP for keeping mum on the scam and challenged the party to launch its anti-corruption ‘jail bharo andolan’ from Maluka's home. He said the BJP should pressurise the Chief Minister to dismiss the minister.
Firms under scrutiny
Patiala: While the Punjab Excise and Taxation officials are going slow in probing the role of two Mansa firms, including Friends Enterprises allegedly involved in the books scam that has hit the Education Department, they have decided to carry a thorough scrutiny of records of all firms registered with the department. "We sent our officer to inspect Friends Enterprises and found everything in order. The firm has been paying its tax returns regularly," said Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mansa, Madan Mohan Singh. "The change in the firm's name and the addition of books in its trade commodities was done as per the rules," he said, adding that they would still look into the matter. Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma today visited Bathinda and held closed-door discussions with department officials posted at Mansa.Though he refused to comment, sources in the department confirmed that all firms involved in making supplies to the government would be probed. — Aman Sood
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Milkfed expansion plan gets government’s nod
Chandigarh, May 27 Reviewing the working of Milkfed, he said his aim was to make Verka the largest selling brand of milk products in the country and this could only be achieved through expansion. He said the expansion plan would focus on encouraging the dairy sector, setting up organised dairy farms, reorienting procurement of raw milk, scientific collection and chilling chain, ultramodern milk processing facilities, value addition of milk products and effective marketing network. Stressing the need for strengthening the dairy sector at the grass-roots level, Sukhbir also approved a specialised scheme for encouraging women in the dairy sector by providing them subsidised loans, technical know-how and support by providing veterinary care and farm feed. He asked SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary, Cooperative, to put up a proposal for treating the dairy sector on a par with the farm sector for the purpose of bank credit. Expressing concern at the shortage of green fodder, Sukhbir said the diversification plan would offer special incentive for the farmers, who would switch over from paddy or wheat to fodder.
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Capacity of Bist Doab canal to be augmented
Jalandhar, May 27 The 811-km long Bist Doab canal has not been relined since its construction in 1954-55. Sources in the Irrigation Department said a decision had been taken to rejuvenate the canal system to cater to the increasing demand for water for the new cropping pattern. The sources said the Union Government had turned down the Punjab Government’s demand for Rs 3,000 crore to augment the state's canal system on the plea that this would have a direct impact on the country's food security. The Bist Doab canal, that takes off from the Ropar Head Works on the Sutlej with a discharge of 1,452 cusecs, caters to the irrigation needs of Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts. Its two main branches in Jalandhar and Nawanshahr has a supply discharge of 500 cusecs and 497 cusecs, respectively. The Nawanshahr branch has a length of 22.87 km and the Jalandhar branch is 69.90 km long. The government has also given the go-ahead to repair the damaged syphon aqueduct at the Jalandhar branch, thus increasing the irrigated area by 15,8416 acres.
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Govt restores heritage site, but fails to revive tourism
Attari (Amritsar), May 27 There is not a single signboard mentioning the name and direction of the village right from Attari up to the village. Interestingly, one comes across a signboard reading “Pul Kanjri” when one reaches the heritage site after exploring the way on his own. Moreover, half of the 7-km stretch from Attari to Pul Kanjri is full of potholes with a dilapidated bridge linking the two locations. Hardly any tourist visits the site. Sucha Singh, who takes care of the heritage site, also confirmed that many tourists end up losing their way while visiting the site due to lack of signboards. Harjinder Singh, a village resident, said it was an ancient village with significant history, but the government was making “half-hearted” efforts to promote tourism. District Tourism Officer Balraj Singh said both these issues (potholed road and lack of signboards) were
in their knowledge and work on it would start in near future. If promoted well, the site has the potential to draw a large number of tourists visiting the Attari border for the retreat ceremony.
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CBSE
Class XII results
Amritsar, May 27 Harleen has secured 97.8 per cent marks, making her the city topper. Divita Gupta of The Senior Study II School, Putlighar, has secured 97 per cent marks in the non-medical stream. Commerce student of the same school Srishti Mahajan has secured 96 per cent, while Akshita Khanna has got the highest 93 per cent in the medical stream. Gurnoor Kaur of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, GT Road, has secured 97.2 per cent in the commerce stream. In the non-medical stream, Jasmeet Kaur has obtained 95 per cent marks. DAV Public School student Ayush Arora has secured 96 per cent in the commerce stream, while Dhruv Sabharwal and Gurseerat Sandhu secured 95.6 per cent in commerce. In Spring Dale Senior School, Rahil Dutt of the non-medical secured 96.8 per cent marks, while Dhruv Sharma secured 96.2 per cent. Commerce student Kushaldeep Gill and medical student Hemdeep Singh obtained 95.8 per cent marks each. In DPS School, Kaynat Ohri of commerce has secured 94.2 per cent , while Rajat Chhabra of the science stream has got 91.6 per cent. DAV International Public School student Nikhil Mannan secured 96.2 per cent in the non-medical stream. Vidit Vansil and Ankush Sharma of the commerce stream got 95.4 per
cent and 94.2 percent, respectively.
Apeejay duo shines
Jalandhar: Roop Kunwar ingh and Anurag Batra of Apeejay School, Jalandhar, shone as the CBSE Class XII results were declared today. The duo scored 97 per cent marks in the commerce stream. In the non-medical stream, Shivam Arora of the Delhi Public School, here, bagged 96.2 per cent. Rudatadeep Kaur (96.2 percent) and Sumant Ahuja (96 per cent) of the MGN Public School and Surbhi Singla of the Delhi Public School scored 96 per cent marks.
While in the medical stream, Umesh Arora of the MGN Public School and Anmol Sanjay Chabra of the Delhi Public School scored 96.6 per cent. Most colleges in the district reported 100 per cent results.
Bathinda toppers
Bathinda: In the CBSE Class XII examination results declared today, students of various city schools came out in flying colours. While doing so, they have also proved that being satisfied with distinctions or 80 per cent marks was a thing of passé.
Jatin Chopra of Sudesh Vatika Public School, Bhagi Bander, has topped the examination in the non-medical stream by securing 97 per cent marks. He has secured 99 marks in mathematics and physics and 98 marks in chemistry. In the medical stream, Shruti Bansal of Rose Mary Convent School has got 93.6 per cent marks. In the commerce stream, Ashish Lehri of St Xavier’s High School has secured 95.4 per cent marks.
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Ludhiana topper Ritish scores 98.6%
Ludhiana, May 27 "Computers have always fascinated me and I want to work in the field of information technology," he said. Teachers and parents played an important role in Ritish's success story. "I am indebted to my family and teachers who were always there," he adds.
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Save Bhullar, Takht chief urges Badal Govt
Amritsar, May 27 A medical report by a committee set up by the Central Government has said that Bhullar is suffering from severe depression with psychotic symptoms and suicidal tendencies. The jathedar said the government should hand over the medical report to the President so that Bhullar’s mercy petition is accepted. He said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal should approach the Central Government on the matter.
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Abohar, May 27 The victims were returning from Nahran village in Sriganganagar district, after attending a wedding. Surviving members said the driver took evasive action in order to avert collision with a stray cow and collided with a tree. Om Parkash, an Inspector at the Department of Local Bodies, his brother Dara Ram and son Gaurav died on the spot. Om Parkash’s wife Meera, nieces Sonu and Sushmita were injured seriously and taken to Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital. Meera Devi and Sonu were referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital at Faridkot but succumbed to their injuries on the way. —OC
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HC fines firm Rs 60 crore for delaying highway project
Chandigarh, May 27 The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been asked to immediately take over the project work. Issuing the directions, Justice Rajive Bhalla ordered an inquiry on the allotment of work to a single company. Dictating the orders in an open court, Justice Bhalla asked the company to deposit the penalty amount within three weeks. Justice Bhalla further issued a notice to the Director of Soma Isolex Rollways. He has been asked to show cause why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated for alleged breach of undertaking on the completion of project. The case has been fixed for July 12 for further hearing. The directions came during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest by Harish Kumar Puri for streamlining the flow of traffic for avoiding accidents. In his petition, Puri had earlier asked for the construction of rumble strips along with traffic signals at the crossings. He had stated that his 27-year-old son Ashok Puri had died on May 14, 1996, due to a failure of the signal system. The case is being pursued by the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation through its secretary-general-cum-senior advocate ML Sarin. Former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, Justice SS Sodhi, is the president of the foundation. The NHAI had earlier issued a notice to the concessionaire for the alleged slow pace of the six-laning project. But a Division Bench had in August 2012 directed that the notice be held in abeyance. The direction was issued after the concessionaire told the Bench that the “information to show-cause” notice for the termination of contract had been issued to it. It had the potential of slowing down the project’s progress. At that time too, the Bench had made it clear to the NHAI that the concessionaire was bound by its own undertaking to complete the Haryana portion of NH-1 by December and the Punjab portion by March next year. The Bench had said it had already been made clear that the concessionaire of the 291-km six-laning project would be liable to pay a fine of Rs 60 crore in case of failure to complete the project on time. The amount had been enhanced from 50 crore for failure to complete the project, the Bench had added.
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Principal Secy pulled up for misleading court
Chandigarh, May 27 The directions came during the hearing of a contempt petition after the High Court took a serious note of contrary affidavits filed before the court. Justice Rakesh Kumar Garg reserved the orders on the contempt petition and directed the respondent authorities to appear in person at the time of pronouncement of orders. Justice Garg observed that the officials of the Punjab Education Department selected candidates lower on merit by ignoring the candidates with higher merit and also tried to hush up the matter. In September 2009, the Punjab Education Department had issued an advertisement seeking applications for filling up 7,654 posts, including 700 posts of Hindi masters. Sonia Verma and another candidate moved the High Court through counsel Kapil Kakkar and Hema Kakkar, alleging that they were not selected while seven persons below them on the merit list were selected. The court ordered if persons lower to them in merit had been selected, the petitioners should also be selected. But, when the petitioners were not appointed, they filed a contempt of court petition. The petitioners were finally appointed on the posts, but the officials informed the court that there were 90 more candidates on the merit list between the petitioners and the candidates selected wrongly. Meanwhile, “wrongly” selected candidates, removed from service, also approached the High Court. Justice Garg observed that respondent authorities were guilty of concealing facts and misleading the court by false plea. The judge however held that before proceeding further, it was appropriate to grant one opportunity to the respondent officials to put up their defence. They would now file the affidavit in this regard on May 30.
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Quota
in PG courses
Chandigarh, May 27 The ruling is significant as the rural medical officers are, as such, not entitled to be considered for 60 per cent seats in postgraduate degree/diploma courses in the health sciences institutions. These seats are to be filled from among the eligible in-service doctors. The ruling by Justice Rameshwar Singh Malik came on a bunch of six petitions filed by Dr Manu Gupta and others against the state of Punjab and others. Their counsel had added "since the petitioners were serving as rural medial officers under zila parishads, they were entitled to be treated on a par with PCMS doctors for the purpose of admission to postgraduate courses in question". In an attempt to substantiate the argument, the counsel added their salary was also the same as PCMS doctors. Moreover, the state government has pervasive control over zila parishads. As such, the petitioners should be considered as state government employees, and permitted to compete with the PCMS doctors for 60 per cent seats for in-service candidates. Justice Malik asserted that a bare reading of a clause in the prospectus "would make it crystal clear that 60 per cent seats for admission to the postgraduate degree courses, are meant only for PCMS/PCMS (Dental)/PDES, in-service doctors. Rural medical officers, like the petitioners, will be given benefit of their rural service rendered by them as RMOs under zila parishads after their selection in PCMS". "It is unhesitatingly held that petitioners cannot be equated with PCMS in-service doctors. They are not eligible to be considered, within the zone of consideration, for 60 per cent seats meant for PCMS in-service doctors, for the purpose of admission to the postgraduate degree courses". The Bench added: "These writ petitions are bereft of any merit and substance. Thus, these writ petitions must fail. No case for interference has been made out".
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Dera followers clash with SGPC members
Doraha, May 27 Two SGPC members were injured. Police personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent the situation from getting
out of hand. The mahants claim it is their land and allege that the SGPC members, residing in the village, have been trying to grab the land from them since 2010. They allege that the SGPC members had also destroyed 600 sacks of wheat grown by them on this land. “The SGPC members have illegally erected a room on this land. The administration is well aware of this but it has kept mum for the past many years,” dera followers said. Doraha SHO Amardeep Singh said, “The mahants attacked the SGPC members who had erected a room in this portion of the land and injured two of them. They razed the room, and stole some of their belongings. A case has been registered against them.” None of the accused have been
arrested so far.
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Attari (Amritsar), May 27
It was the first visit of Partap Singh Bajwa to Badal village after taking over as the Pradesh Congress president. Before his visit, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal left for Chandigarh in a helicopter around 11.10 am from the Kaljharani village helipad. Sources said Sukhbir did not leave the village due to Bajwa's visit, but he had to attend a meeting in
Chandigarh.
Chandigarh, May 27
Thrust
areas
