The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	High Court hopes police will act on BDA request Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 30 The Punjab and Haryana High Court today expressed the hope that Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) would initiate action against those responsible for unauthorised construction of a warehouse in Mehta village. The Bench asserted: "We hope and trust that SSP shall take action on the request of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA)" on the issue. The development is significant as, according to the petitioner, the godown was handed over to PUNGRAIN on lease after completion. A letter was sent by the BDA's Chief Administrator to the SSP in March for registering an FIR and to take further action for the prosecution of the owners, since the on-going construction was totally in violation of the "Punjab Regional Town Planning and Development Act, 1995". The directions by Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, came on a PIL filed by Bathinda-based vice-president of Naujawan Welfare Society Rohit Garg. He was seeking directions to BDA and the SSP to register a criminal case under "Punjab Regional Town Planning and Development Act, 1995," against the owners of a recently constructed godown. He had alleged that the owners had not taken no-objection certificate from the authority before constructing it. The petitioner had contended that despite repeated directions issued by the authority, the owners did not stop construction, and handed over the godown to PUNGRAIN on lease after completion. On the other hand, the SSP did not take any action on the request of the authority for registering a criminal case against the owners. Megha Mann adds from Bathinda: The godown in question, spread over 9 acres, has been in controversy for over a year. People in the village objected to the setting up of a warehouse adjacent to a colony and had even met the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, KK Yadav to inform him of the issue. People had alleged that the godown owners did not seek any permission or no-objection certificate (NOC) from the BDA to construct it. DC Yadav said the BDA authorities had even sent a letter to the SSP Bathinda mentioning that a case be registered against the owner of godown. "To my knowledge, no such case has been registered so far," he said. The Chief Administrator, BDA had written to the SSP Bathinda on March 4 for registration of an FIR and to take further action for prosecuting the owners of the godowns, since the ongoing construction by them at the said site was in violation of Section 80 and 81 of Punjab Regional Town Planning and Development Act, 1995. The BDA authorities have thrice issued letters to the owners of the godown asking them to stop the construction. The last notice was pasted on the walls of the godown. "The owners, however, cared two hoots for the rules and kept constructing the godown, which is now ready," said Sonu Maheshwari, president of the NGO that filed the PIL. The godown was given on lease to a government procuring agency. As per rules, no godown should be farther than 8 kms away from the railway station, whereas this godown is 19 kms away.
	Chetak Corps GOC pays tributes at Asafwala war memorial Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, May 30 General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps, Lieutenant General NS Ghei, laid wreaths at at Asafwala War Memorial, 7 kilometers from here today and paid floral tributes to about 225 martyrs of 1971 Indo-Pak war during his maiden visit to the memorial. He was accompanied by GOC, Amogh Division, Major General N.C. Badhani and Commander, Fazilka Military Station, Brigadier Rakesh Raina. He lauded the efforts of the members of Shaheedon Ki Samadhi Committee for maintaining one of the best privately managed war memorials since 1971. The GOCs also visited Amogh Computer Centre being run in the War Memorial Complex to enhance the computer skills among the girl students of this remote border area, who are otherwise deprived of this opportunity. The free computer centre, a joint venture of the Indian Army and the Shaheedon Ki Samadhi Committee has been running successfully and eight batches of girls have already passed out from the centre. The Corps Commander also interacted with the members of the Samadhi Committee, including Raja Ram Nagpal, Amar Chand Bhateja, Mohan Lal Paruthi, Karan Gilhotra, Umesh Chander Kukkar, Shashi Kant, Sanjeev Nagpal, Master Gokal Chand Aneja to discuss further development plans. Earlier, the GOC visited the military station at Fazilka to inaugurate Amogh Fun Park and Brijendra Sainik Institute, an endeavour by the station commander to improve the quality of life at the station. Lieutenant General Ghei appreciated the efforts of the local Army station on all fronts and encouraged to continue the same.
	Spl trainer teachers disrupt road traffic for 4 hours Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, May 30 Demanding the release of their 217 jailed comrades and cancellation of an FIR against them and the revival of their jobs on a regular basis, hundreds of Special Trainer Teachers (STT) in Faridkot today brought the traffic on the busy Bathinda-Amritsar road to a virtual halt for over four hours. When the police issued a veiled threat of using force to end the traffic blockade, some of the protesting teachers threatened to jump into the Sirhind and Rajasthan feeder canals which flow near the traffic blockade site. For the next two hours, the district administration and police were using various methods to pacify the protesting teachers to lift the blockade. After the suicide threat, Faridkot Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat, SSP Gurmeet Singh and the ADC rushed to the spot and prevailed upon the teachers to hold talks. The DC assured the teachers that their companions would be released soon and talks were already on with the Bathinda police and the civil administration to cancel the FIR. The teachers were also assured of a meeting with the CM. More than 1800 STT were employed on contract basis on a salary of Rs 3,500 per month under the central government-sponsored SSA scheme to teach school dropouts. But on March 31, the services of these 1800 teachers were terminated. The teachers now want back the services, that too, on a regular basis.
	Class X exams: Schools achieve 100 pc results Tribune News Service Muktsar, May 30 The students of JNJDAV Public School, Gidderbaha, have brought laurels to the institution after securing 100 per cent results in the CBSE class X results declared today. Six students of the school have cleared the class X exam with 10 CGPA, namely, Gaurav Garg, Ragini, Sahil Jindal, Subhash Garg, Sumandeep Kaur and Tamanpreet Kaur. The remaining 22 students have got nine CGPA, said school principal, Monika Khanna. Guru Dashmesh Academy, Bhagu village, near Lambi, also achieved 100 per cent result. All 20 students of the school have got more than 8 CGPA and five of them have even got 10 CGPA. Director of the school, Ramdir Singh and principal Jasveer Singh congratulated the students. Abohar: The LRS DAV Senior Secondary Model School here has achieved 100 per cent results in the CBSE class X exam, principal Kusum Khunger said. Eleven students, Riya Juneja, Kavita, Aditi Dhaka, Mehak Singla, Abhishek Dhingra, Shivam Sharma, Vasu Sachdeva, Saurabhdeep Arora, Hardik Bajaj, Jaspreet Singh and Saugat Jain have got the highest CGPA-10 grade. — OC
	19-yr-old abducted from her place, 7 booked Our Correspondent Ferozepur, May 30 Seven persons belonging to a family were booked for allegedly kidnapping a 19-year-old girl from her house in village Jhoke Harihar under Kulgarhi police station. According to the information available, the prime accused, identified as Sukhdev Handa, along with his brother Manpreet Handa, Noori (sister), Darsha Rani (mother) besides his father Om Parkash Handa and two other unidentified persons went to the girl's house in the village, where they allegedly threatened her father Surjit Singh with dire consequences and then took the girl along with them. Later, Surjit Singh lodged a complaint with the police following which a case was registered against the persons concerned. Meanwhile, the police also registered a counter case against Surjit Singh, besides four others including Gurjant Singh, Thana Singh, Rajinder Singh and a few other unidentified persons for allegedly thrashing Manpreet and his accomplice Baldev Krishan. Police sources said Manpreet Handa, brother of the main accused Sukhdev Handa alias Sukha, along with Baldev Krishan, had gone to the city bus stand to enquire about the bus timings when Surjit , the father of the missing girl, along with others who came there in an Ertigo car, attacked them. While Manpreet escaped from the spot, the accused allegedly thrashed Baldev and even took away his motorcycle with them. Police officials termed it as an act of vengeance by the girl's family who suspected Sukhdev of luring their daughter and eventually whisking her away. Meanwhile, the police was investigating the matter to find out the veracity of the allegations levelled by the two parties. Police officials said it was still not confirmed whether the girl had gone of her own consent or she was kidnapped, though a case has been registered in connection with the kidnapping.