B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

PURC Muktsar cries for attention
Muktsar, July 11
This is the admission time in the Panjab University and students are eagerly waiting to get admission to the main campus of the university and its regional centres.


A hole emerged in a building at the Panjab University regional centre after its roof collapsed. A Tribune photograph

Suicide case: School headmistress, teacher among four booked
Ferozepur, July 11
The Ferozepur police has booked four persons belonging to the Education Department, including a headmistress and science teacher, in connection with the suicide case of one Amandeep Singh who was working as a clerk in Government High School, Karmuwala, in the district.

24 gold biscuits recovered from mishap-hit car
Abohar, July 11
Customs officials have decided to inquire into the recovery of 24 gold biscuits from a car that was damaged in a mishap on Sadulshehar-Abohar road recently.

Woman, kids jump into minor
Muktsar, July 11 A woman along with her son and daughter allegedly jumped into the Malukpura minor to end lives near Alamwala village here today. The body of the woman, Sukhpreet Kaur (25) and her daughter Ekta (7), were fished out of the canal, but her son Arshdeep (5) was yet to be found.

Stir over fire tenders in Abohar foiled
Abohar, July 11
The joint action committee of NGOs drew flak as some of its member including the convener last evening joined the local BJP leadership in rejoicing over the arrival of 1985 model fire tender spared by Fazilka Municipal Council to foil the stir slated for today.

AISSF to sue KPS Gill for ‘fake’ encounters
Moga, July 11
The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has stated that it would initiate criminal proceedings against former Director General of Police (DGP) KPS Gill and sub-inspector Surjit Singh for staging fake encounters during the nineties. The AISSF claimed that Surjit had publicly confessed that on the directions of Gill, he had killed many innocent Sikh youths.

PURC Muktsar cries for attention
Roofs leak, wooden beams hang precariously; counselling begins tomorrow
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 11
This is the admission time in the Panjab University and students are eagerly waiting to get admission to the main campus of the university and its regional centres. But when the students come here to attend the counselling at the Panjab University Regional Centre (PURC) on Saturday, they will see gaping holes in its roof.

During the recent rains, the roof over the PURC canteen and a store room had partially collapsed, which has increased the worries of the officials. Though a number of requests have been made by the university authorities to the state 
government to allocate some land to shift the PURC, yet nothing has been done as of now except for giving some assurances. As a result, the centre is running from a rented building located on Tibbi Sahib road since its inception in 1998. The centre offers courses like LLB and MA (Economics, Political Science, Punjabi and English).

While visiting the PURC building today, this correspondent saw two big holes in the roof, wooden beams hanging loose and more bricks about to fall. Large cracks were also visible in the walls and roofs in the corridors.

"If it rains during the counselling, the building will get damaged even more. But the state government is showing its lax attitude towards this centre which imparts education to nearly 400 students," said a clerk at the PURC. "We don't even go close to the place as some part of the roof still hangs precariously," he added.

He said as per the university's rules, the money can be spent on the repair of a rented building, but no new construction can be started on any rented land.

Director, PURC, Muktsar, PS Dhingra said, "The building is in a poor shape and the roofs are collapsing. The matter has been brought to the notice of the senior officials and the Chief Minister a number of times, but a solution in this regard is awaited. As per the information received, the authorities concerned may allot some land for the PURC on Abohar road or at government college, but no final decision has been taken so far," he said.

PU senate member, Prof RD Bansal, said, "This is a very serious issue and I have highlighted it a number of times in the senate. Yesterday, we met the principal secretary to Chief Minister, Gagandip Singh Brar, and requested him to arrange some land for the PURC, which is the academic lifeline of Muktsar. He has assured us of taking up the issue with all those concerned in Chandigarh.”

Suicide case: School headmistress, teacher among four booked
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, July 11
The Ferozepur police has booked four persons belonging to the Education Department, including a headmistress and science teacher, in connection with the suicide case of one Amandeep Singh who was working as a clerk in Government High School, Karmuwala, in the district.

In a registered letter sent to the Director General School Education, the District Education Officer besides senior police officials, Amandeep had accused Inderjeet Singh, who is posted as a senior official in the DEO office here besides his son and two women, identified as Vijay Trehan, head teacher and Harpreet Kaur, science teacher, who were also posted in the same school.

In his letter, Amandeep had alleged that the official concerned in the DEO office allegedly used to demand money from him and trouble him following which he resorted to this extreme step.

Earlier, Amandeep Singh, who was put on election duty in Mamdot block for Panchayat elections, had left the house on July 2. However, he neither reached the place of his election duty nor came back home. Later, his body was found in the river near village Sherkhan on July 6.

Sources said Amandeep was not keen to go on poll duty and had requested his seniors not to relieve him for it. Perturbed over it, he left his house in disgust and resorted to this extreme step, said an official in the Education Department. The police said further investigations were on. No arrest has been made yet.

24 gold biscuits recovered from mishap-hit car
Our Correspondent

Abohar, July 11
Customs officials have decided to inquire into the recovery of 24 gold biscuits from a car that was damaged in a mishap on Sadulshehar-Abohar road recently.

An NRI, Sukhdev Kaur, was killed when the car that her daughter Kirandeep Kaur was driving, turned turtle as its tyre burst while she was on way to village Kala Tibba near here. Sukhdev Kaur was to meet her daughter in the village before leaving for New Delhi to board a flight for the US. The Sadulshehar police had impounded the badly damaged vehicle after shifting Kirandeep Kaur and her servant Mangi Lal to the hospital.

Gold biscuits with US marking and a bag of money were found in the car during the search, the police said, adding that the gold biscuits were handed over to the customs officials. The latter is waiting for the arrival of her son and other relatives from the US for further proceedings, sources said.

Woman, kids jump into minor

Muktsar, July 11
A woman along with her son and daughter allegedly jumped into the Malukpura minor to end lives near Alamwala village here today. The body of the woman, Sukhpreet Kaur (25) and her daughter Ekta (7), were fished out of the canal, but her son Arshdeep (5) was yet to be found.

The police said as per the statement of the deceased woman's in-laws, Sukhpreet had gone to wash clothes at the canal, where she died under mysterious circumstances.

The Kabarwala police has started investigations. — TNS

Stir over fire tenders in Abohar foiled
Old vehicle from Fazilka brought to the sub-divisional town
Raj Sadosh

Fire tenders that have been brought from other towns to Abohar. Photo: Raj Sadosh

Abohar, July 11
The joint action committee of NGOs drew flak as some of its member including the convener last evening joined the local BJP leadership in rejoicing over the arrival of 1985 model fire tender spared by Fazilka Municipal Council to foil the stir slated for today.

The action committee had hired a dozen of rickshaws fitted with amplifiers and loudspeaker last evening to exhort the citizens to assemble at Gandhi Ground today for a protest march at the office of the SDM. However, there was no SMS or announcement to inform that the stir has been dropped.

The local Municipal Council run by the BJP had grounded its fire tenders early this year and requested the state government earlier to sanction special grants to replace the outlived vehicles that were gifted by the Punjab Mandi Board in 1985.

While the Fazilka municipal council maintained the vehicles well, the municipal council at Abohar spent huge sums on repairs that exceeded the cost of the fire tenders.

A deputation of the BJP and Congress workers had submitted memorandums to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister during their respective visits in May seeking funds for the fire tenders as a dozen cotton ginning and pressing factories besides other establishments in Abohar, known as Manchester of Punjab, were at great risk. Both were told that wheat crop, valued in millions, was gutted as fire tenders from neighbouring towns took their own time to reach here.

The memorandums were referred to the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner for necessary action.

He forwarded it to the state government.

The state government was yet to respond even when the BJP leadership had met local bodies minister and the state party chief in this connection. And now, in a face saving exercise, an aged vehicle has been shifted temporarily from Fazilka to Abohar.

AISSF to sue KPS Gill for ‘fake’ encounters

Moga, July 11
The All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has stated that it would initiate criminal proceedings against former Director General of Police (DGP) KPS Gill and sub-inspector Surjit Singh for staging fake encounters during the nineties. The AISSF claimed that Surjit had publicly confessed that on the directions of Gill, he had killed many innocent Sikh youths.

Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, president of the AISSF, said a criminal complaint would be filed by the AISSF in a competent court demanding criminal proceedings against KPS Gill and Surjit Singh under Sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC. — TNS