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Waterlogged Muktsar struggles to stay afloat
demand for potable water in Amritsar, Ludhiana
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20 vocational institutions lose affiliation
2014 to be year of regional parties, claims
JD(U) chief
SAD nominee elected Sangrur ZP chairman
Khaira shames SGPC for failing to procure rare Sikh artefacts
Education Dept to punish school principals for dummy admissions
42 more diarrhoea cases in Phagwara
Labour Party's Dhesi vows help on turban issue
SGPC approves renovation of Sikh Museum
Out of OPD cards, Rajindra Hospital issues rough slips
For these panchayat members, it’s never too late to learn
Govt to start ‘bed and breakfast’ plan for tourists
Diagonstic centre to be set up at Sangrur Civil Hospital
2,444 challaned in Sangrur for smoking in public
Varsity cancels admissions of CMJ University students
Villagers seek police action against vandals
Faridkot chemists fleece cancer-hit
Delhi woman held in Moga passport scam
3 travel agents arrested for duping youths
FIR lodged for ruckus at Sangat Darshan
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Waterlogged Muktsar struggles to stay afloat
Muktsar, August 25 The affected villagers have been complaining that they were neither getting relief material nor feed for their livestock. A few people yesterday lodged complaints with the Chief Minister, who directed the officials concerned to redress their grievances. He also asked Director (Health) Dr Ashok Nayyar to set up a camp office in Muktsar and send teams to all villages for check-ups. Puran Singh Doda, president of the Muktsar unit of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), said, “The situation is still grim in a number of villages. The politicians and bureaucrats should visit the affected areas and initiate relief measures.” The condition of the lone government college in Muktsar too is worsening with each passing day. The building continues to be under three feet water but hardly anybody has so far paid any heed towards it. The schools are also lying closed in around 60 villages due to flooded buildings. The condition of the Muktsar-Kotkapura road has also worsened as big potholes have developed on it. The Malout-Delhi national highway is closed for vehicular movement near Danewala village where a bridge was washed away in the floods. Though a diversion has been made, the route is in a poor condition. The potable water supply has also been affected in several areas. Former Member of Parliament and senior Congress leader Jagmeet Brar also visited a number of flood-affected villages in the district. Brar said, “In this hour of crisis, everyone should think above the party lines to find a permanent solution to the problem of water-logging. He alleged that villagers were not getting relief material. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal too visited two flood-affected villages in his home constituency Lambi today. He has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for fixing the amount of compensation for the affected people at Rs 20,000 per acre. “I have shot off a letter to the Prime Minister for revising the criteria to fix the relief amount in regions inflicted with any natural disaster,” he said. Grim scenario
Power supply hit
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demand for potable water in Amritsar, Ludhiana
Amritsar, August 25 Rapid urbanisation in these cities and the fast-depleting groundwater has propelled the government to turn to surface water to meet future potable water needs. Government officials, who attended a meeting here today, said Philippe expected feasibility and technical analysis of the project to be finished by April next year. “only then will the World Bank finalise the quantum of grant”. On the lines of the successful utilisation of surface water in Karnataka and Bihar, the Union Government has approved a state government proposal to exploit the abundant flow of the Ravi and the Beas for Amritsar residents and of the Sutlej for Ludhiana residents. The proposal says the Ravi could be connected to the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) in neighbouring Gurdaspur. The UBDC is already connected to Amritsar. Water could be sourced from the Beas, that flows 40 km from the holy city. Similarly, the Sutlej water could be harnessed for Ludhiana. Amritsar Municipal Corporation Commissioner DPS Kharbanda gave a 20-minute power point presentation. He said residents of the holy city were overdrawing water from reservoirs at the rate of 145 per cent. The situation at Ludhiana was even more grim. He said the corporation had prepared two proposals to ensure cent per cent water supply for the city by drawing water from the Beas at an investment of Rs 250 crore and the UBDC at a cost of Rs 150 crore. Philippe skipped his visit to Jallianwala Bagh to catch a flight to Delhi in the noon. He was earlier scheduled to leave in the evening. Earlier, he visited Naushera Pannuan and Nizampura villages to take stock of the World Bank-funded 154 million dollar Punjab Rural Drinking Water Supply Scheme under which piped water is to be supplied to inhabitants of 1,476 villages. Under the scheme, 90 per cent grant has been given by the World Bank and 10 per cent contributed by the consumers. The project is expected to be completed by December 31 next year. Fact of the matter
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Perform or quit, Bajwa tells Chief Minister
Dharamkot (Moga), August 25 Addressing a rally, Bajwa criticised the state government for reckless borrowing to clear the mounting debt and to pay salaries to its employees. "Keeping in view the poor fiscal management, it is high time that the Union Government imposed a financial emergency in the state," he reiterated. Asserting that selling government properties was unethical, he claimed the
SAD-BJP Government had already sold properties of Punjab Tourism at throwaway prices and had now began mortgaging land and buildings owned by
PUDA. Referring to reports that PUDA Bhawan in Mohali had been mortgaged for Rs 500 crore, he said that PUDA had also been asked to raise Rs 1,000 crore by obtaining loans against its properties. "The government has borrowed Rs 3,500 crore from the market by auctioning state development funds," Bajwa claimed. Later talking to
mediapersons, he said thos who had quit the Congress to join the SAD had been sidelined and their political career was almost over. Claiming that the Pradesh Congress stood united, he said the party would highlight the failures of the
SAD-BJP Government during canvassing for the Lok Sabha elections. Local Congress leaders Sukhjit Singh
Lohgarh, district president Gurdarshan Kaur, Ferozepur MLA Parminder Singh
Pinki, Gidderbaha MLA Raja Amarinder Singh, youth leaders Sukhwinder Singh Danny and Harjot Kamal Singh and several others were present at the rally.
Factually wrong: Govt
Chandigarh: An official spokesman for the Punjab Government on Sunday denied a news report, that appeared in a section of the press, claiming that PUDA had mortgaged its building. He described the same as "factually wrong." In a statement, the spokesman said the Punjab Government had not mortgaged the PUDA building to raise loan as was being claimed. — TNS
Manish Tewari seeks white paper on finances Chandigarh: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today demanded a white paper on the state's fiscal health and asked the SAD-BJP Government to clarify if the state was heading towards bankruptcy. He said it was for the first time in the history of Punjab that the state government had to mortgage its own property for a Rs 1,000 crore loan in order to salaries to its employees. The minister said it was time that the state government brought out a white paper on the state's finances. "It is strange that the state government is announcing projects worth thousands of crores when it does not have money to pay salaries and pensions," he remarked. — TNS
Cut spending, says Surinder Singla
Chandigarh: Former state Finance Minister Surinder Singla said that the state's growth had been severely impeded owing to lack of capital investment. He said that without boosting growth and cutting down expenditure, Punjab could not think of coming out of its fiscal mess. "The state needs immediate capital investment to jack up growth," he stressed. Singla expressed surprise that on the one hand the state government had announced incentives to promote investment in the industrial sector and on the other introduced measures such as e-trip that would “stifle” trade and business. "Duty on power bills should be immediately done away, not only for industry but for all sections. Industry will only come to Punjab if efforts are made to reduce input costs. And power is one of the major inputs for industry," Singla maintained. — TNS
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20 vocational institutions lose affiliation
Chandigarh, August 25 Anil Joshi, Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister, said these decisions had been made following a review of the working of art and craft teachers' training institutions affiliated with the SCVT. Admissions to five NCVT institutions had been barred, he said. Institutions whose affiliation has been cancelled included: Guru Teg Bahadur Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute( Samana), Prime Technical Training Institute( Sangrur), Malwa Art & Craft Institute( Sangrur), Mata Gujri Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute( Patran), PRG Art & Craft( Chanalon, Kurali), Honey Art & Craft Institute( Patiala), Anand College of Art & Craft( Majitha), Gyan Jyoti ITC (Chunni Kalan), Natraj Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute( Barnala), International Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute (Sirhind), Fateh Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute (Abohar), Sant Baba Nidhan Singh Art & Craft Institute (Nadalon, Teh Garshankar), Punjab Medical Institute Art & Craft PM (Jalandhar) National Art & Craft Institute (Sangrur), Gian Sagar Art & Crafts Institute( Amritsar), Akal Kirpa ITC (Malout), Sri Satya Sai Art & Craft Teacher Training Institute (Alamgarh bypass, Teh Abohar), Vishwamitter Institute for Technical Education (Batala), Lala Lajpat Rai ITC(Dhudike, Moga) and Guru Har Krishan ITC (Rasoolpur Bate village,
Gurdaspur).
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2014 to be year of regional parties, claims JD(U) chief
Longowal (Sangrur), August 25 Yadav said his party was in touch with several regional parties like the BSP, Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress. He said the JD (U) was in favour of the Food Security Act, but questioned the Centre on inadequate number of ration depots and storage capacity. Sanjha Morcha chairman Surjit Singh Barnala, former Assam Chief Minister Praful Kumar Mohanta, PPP president Manpreet Singh Badal, SAD (Longowal) president Surjit Kaur Barnala, CPI state secretary Bant Singh Brar, SAD (Longowal) secretary general Baldev Singh Mann and PPP leader Bhagwant Mann were among those present. Manpreet Badal said PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa had rightfully demanded imposition of a financial emergency in the state. He alleged that Punjab was on the verge of bankruptcy as the government did not have money to pay salaries and pension to its employees and for which it had been mortgaging or selling its properties. Regarding an alliance with the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, Manpreet said the Sanjha Morcha would take a decision in this regard after an announcement of the elections. But, in the municipal council elections, seat adjustments could be made with the Congress, he added. Claiming that Punjab had become personal property of a family, Sant Baljit Singh Daduwal, president, Panthic Vichar Manch, stressed that people should unite to take on corruption, unemployment and poverty in the state.
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CPS Sidhu’s remarks anger SAD leaders
Amritsar, August 25 Addressing a press conference here today, district SAD chief Upkar Singh Sandhu flayed Dr Sidhu for allegedly targeting some office-bearers, accusing them of involvement in the drug trade. He claimed that the office-bearers in question had a clean image and had, in fact, got some drug peddlers arrested. He alleged that these leaders had brought to her notice the names of some drug dealers, but no action was taken in this regard. “If Dr Sidhu wants to hog the limelight, she should do some constructive work while keeping in mind the coalition dharma,” Sandhu said. He said SAD workers from Dr Sidhu's Amritsar East constituency complained to him that they were being ignored. He took up the matter with Dr Sidhu, rather than rushing to the media. He urged Dr Sidhu to sort out the differences, if any, through talks. "But she didn’t give any response,' he claimed. He reiterated that every SAD worker was committed to rid Punjab of drugs. He said they would send a complaint against her to the Chief Minister, the Deputy CM and the Punjab BJP chief. Dr Sidhu, however, said she had vent her ire against a particular Akali leader. “I have done a lot of development in the Verka area, where this leader comes from. This year the area didn’t get inundated during the rainy season. I’ve also worked tirelessly for drug de-addiction in the area. Why doesn’t the SAD shut him up,” she asked. She clarified that she did not have any problem with the SAD and that "Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal is like a brother to me." She alleged that the SAD leader in question owned liquor vends and there were FIRs registered against him. Talking about her Delhi visit, she said she had already met BJP president Rajnath Singh, senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Shanta Kumar and would meet senior Arun Jaitley tomorrow. “These leaders, subsequently, had a word with CM Parkash Singh Badal and Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma. I’m a soldier of the party who is doing her duty... All I want is clean and good governance, if we are to win the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.”
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SAD nominee elected Sangrur ZP chairman
Sangrur, August 25 Gurcharan Kaur is a relative of SAD secretary general Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Paramjit Kaur, district president of the Istri Akali Dal, also did not attend the meeting. she was among the candidates for the post of vice-chairman. The presiding officer-cum-Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Sangrur, Pritam Singh Johal, said the remaining 19 members,18 of the SAD and one of the Congress, and 10 chairpersons of Block Panchayat Samitis attended the meeting. The ADC said Jasvir Singh, a member from the Hathan zone, was declared elected chairman with no other candidate laying claim to the post. Likewise, Raj Rani from the Andana zone, was declared elected as vice-chairperson without any opposition.
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Khaira shames SGPC for failing to procure rare Sikh artefacts
Chandigarh, August 25 He said: “Most importantly, a 204-year-old copy of the Treaty of Amritsar: 1809 between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Charles T Metcalfe of the East India company was bought by an anonymous bidder for merely 3,400 pounds (Rs 3.5 lakh).” Khaira said the SGPC, the highest elected body of the Sikhs, was supposed to act as the guardian and custodian of Sikh culture and religion. “ Unfortunately, it has committed a grave error by not making any effort to secure the priceless items of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
the pride of the Sikhs,” he added. — TNS
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Education Dept to punish school principals for dummy admissions
Chandigarh, August 25 A brainchild of the coaching industry, dummy admission is a concept where students miss their regular
ClassXI/XII classes to attend private tuitions for appearing in entrance examination for professional courses. At places, such students have to go to school only once a year to appear for the board examination. They do not even participate in practicals as the schools mark their fake attendance. These schools, in turn, charge a hefty amount from the dummies. The issue gains importance in the context that hundreds of children enrolled in government as well as private schools across the state, particularly in
Ferozepur, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts, are staying largely in Chandigarh or Kota (Rajasthan). The office of the Director, Senior Secondary,
Mohali, in an August 22 communication to all District Education Officers, mentioned: “Strict disciplinary action be initiated against principals allowing dummy admissions in their schools.” A senior academician said the circular did target fake classroom attendance being marked by schools but remained silent on the non-availability of coaching facilities in remote areas, something considered imperative for cracking any entrance examination in the present era.
Ashok Chuchra, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Fazilka, claimed, “Government schools have managed to cut down heavily on fake admissions. But, the need of the hour is to act tough on erring private institutes, which have made dummy admissions a business. In fact, it is the only source of survival for many schools.” A senior principal said a large number of fake admissions pertained to students from outside Punjab who were interested in entering professional colleges in the state. About the menace
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42 more diarrhoea cases in Phagwara
Phagwara, August 25 Dr RL
Wasan, Civil Surgeon, Jalandhar, said residents were being examined at a medical camp organised in the village. As many as 42 persons complained of diarrhoea symptoms, he said, adding 11 of these were admitted to hospitals in
Phillaur, Bilga and Noormahal. Jasbir Singh, Phillaur SDM, today visited the village to take stock of the measures taken to check diarrhoea outbreak. He said water contamination caused by mixing of waste due to damaged pipes led to the disease outbreak. The pipes were being replaced and the villagers were being provided fresh water through tankers, the SDM said.
— OC
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Labour Party's Dhesi vows help on turban issue Amritsar, August 25 Earlier, Dhesi was Mayor of Gravesham. Replying to media queries after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, he said it was unfortunate that Sikhs had to undergo the ignominy of having their turban frisked at various international airports in the US and Europe. He said, if elected, it would be his endeavour to promote Indo-UK ties. Meanwhile, condemning the proposal moved by Canada’s Quebec assembly to impose a ban on the turban and kirpan, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president, Avtar Singh Makkar, has said that this must be stopped. In a press statement here, he said the ban would hurt the sentiments of the Sikhs all over the globe. He said the move was especially deplorable as the Sikhs in Canada had immensely contributed to the development and prosperity of that country. He urged the Indian Government to intervene and safeguard the rights of the Sikhs living in Canada’s Quebec province. The extreme right Sikh organisation, Dal Khalsa, too has expressed alarm over the issue and sought the intervention of the Centre.
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SGPC approves renovation of Sikh Museum
Amritsar, August 25 Museum in charge Iqbal Singh said under the renovation plan, photographs, rare documents, artefacts, weapons and musical instruments kept at the museum would be placed into categories. One section of the museum would portray Sikh history related to the Gurus while another would showcase the history of Sikh misls and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh era. The photographs would have identical frames with captions in Hindi, English and Gurmukhi for the convenience of visitors. Special care would be taken to exhibit rare documents and artefacts dating back to the era of the Sikh Gurus. A team of experts that visited the museum on July 25 suggested the widening of stairs leading to the museum, installation of a lift for the elderly and physically challenged and installation of air-conditioners. Meanwhile, the SGPC is contemplating to display rare artefacts from the Toshakhana of the holy shrine. It has constituted a panel to deliberate on the issue. Makkar said they were considering exhibiting rare artefacts at the Golden Temple ‘parkarma’. The SGPC had earlier decided to shift the museum to a new building at Akali Market but the proposal had been put on the backburner. The Central Sikh Museum, on the right side of the main entrance to the Golden Temple, showcases paintings of Sikh Gurus, warriors and leaders who contributed to the propagation of Sikhism. The museum boasts of old hand-written manuscripts, cannons, 18th century swords, coins from the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and ancient musical instruments like the sarangi, saranda, mardang and vachittar veena. On display is also a list of 743 persons killed during Operation Bluestar in 1984.
Measures ahead
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Out of OPD cards, Rajindra Hospital issues rough slips
Patiala, August 25 The hospital is also short of investigation slips that are used for prescribing tests to patients. A doctor requesting anonymity said on the one hand senior authorities were busy purchasing air-conditioners for their offices, but on the other, they had not bothered to purchase OPD slips that were vital to ensure the smooth functioning of the hospital. “We are writing treatment and investigations on rough papers and slips that can easily be manipulated,” he said. “Many of our patients are employees who often seek reimbursement from their employers. But since everything is handwritten now, they can manipulate these,” he rued. However, sources said the hospital had plenty of OPD slips and fresh registers in the store room but because of improper upkeep, they were all chewed up by insects. Following this, the hospital sold these as junk for about Rs 1.25 lakh recently. Dr VK Sharda, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said he was not aware of the matter and that he would look into it.
Shoddy affair
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For these panchayat members, it’s never too late to learn
Bathinda, August 25 Elected to the panchayat at Jalal village in Bhagta block, Murti Devi has just started signing her name. She is one among the over 800 panchayat members in the district who have made it successfully despite being
illiterate. Panchayat Department officials say there are many panchayat members who are trying to rid themselves of the ‘angutha
chhap’ (somebody who cannot even sign) tag. Taught by a retired teacher, she says it is never too late to learn reading or writing. “I have got an opportunity to do something for my village. Learning to write my name is the first step. I want to read my name on the foundation stones that I will be laying for development works,” she avers. There are as many as 805 illiterate sarpanches and panches elected from 294 panchayats in Bathinda district. There are only two post-graduate panchayat heads: Gurlabh Singh of Dhelwan and Gurtej Singh of Bhaini Chuhar villages. "Learning to sign their names is their first step towards ensuring the progress of their villages,” says an administration official. The constituency of Education Minister Sikander Singh
Maluke, who is a matriculate himself, boasts of just one graduate sarpanch among the 45 panchayats in his segment. Data procured from the district administration mentions that 63 sarpanches did not know how to read or write. Therefore, it seems, the political masters of all parties do not encourage educated persons to become part of planning in the state. The Bathinda block has the highest number of illiterate sarpanches with 19 of them dependent on others to read official documents. Nathan block has the least two illiterate
sarpanches. Twentyseven sarpanches did not study beyond Class II while 90 are matriculates. Fiftysix sarpanches have passed Class V while 41 have cleared the Class VIII.
Talwandi Sabo block has 137 illiterate panches while Bathinda block has 135. There is some saving grace as well: Nirpinder Singh, a panchayat member of Jawahar Nagar village in Rampura block, represented by
Maluka, is an MBA.
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Govt to start ‘bed and breakfast’ plan for tourists
Chandigarh, August 25 The scheme will be managed by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board. The guidelines for the scheme have been formed, an official spokesman said here today. The initiative is to provide a clean and comfortable place for overseas and domestic tourists along with an opportunity for them to stay with an Indian, particularly a Punjabi family and experience the traditions, culture and cuisine of the state, he said. The first phase of 'bed and breakfast' scheme would be launched in the urban areas of
Amritsar, Patiala and Mohali and would be expanded to other towns of the state in due course, the spokesman said. — PTI
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Diagonstic centre to be set up at Sangrur Civil Hospital
Sangrur, August 25 As patients had to travel to other districts such as Patiala to get these tests conducted, it turned out to be a costly affair. Ultrasound tests and X-rays will also be conducted at the centre. However, all the five posts of radiologist at government hospitals in Sangrur, Sunam, Malerkotla, Dhuri and Moonak, have been lying vacant. The radiologists conduct and report CT scan, MRI and ultrasound tests etc. The diagnostic centre will be built at a cost of Rs 51 lakh on a covered area of 4,150 square-ft. An official of the construction wing of the Punjab Health System Corporation said the construction of the centre that began in the first week of April would be completed by mid-September. Senior Medical Officer Dr Balwant Singh said it would prove to be a boon for poor patients who couldn’t afford to get these expensive tests done at private scan centres.
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2,444 challaned in Sangrur for smoking in public
Sangrur, August 25 The ‘no smoking rules’ were framed under the ‘Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)’. Dr Surinder Singla, a Tuberculosis (TB) and chest specialist, who is now the District Nodal Officer, Tobacco Control Programme, Sangrur, said, “People continue to smoke freely and ignore the administration’s repeated warnings about its harmful effects.” He said tobacco consumption/smoking caused cancer, especially lung and oral cancer, pneumonia, asthma and TB, heart attack and hypertension, gastric problems and even impotency. Dr Singla said tobacco contained carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar and thousands of harmful chemicals that put the lives of smokers in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Sangrur Civil Surgeon Dr Subodh Gupta has directed all Senior Medical Officers of the district to ensure ‘no smoking rules’ were implemented strictly.
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Varsity cancels admissions of CMJ University students
Patiala, August 25 Established in 2009, the private CMJ University had allegedly awarded a record number of 434 PhD degrees in year 2012-13 and had registered 490 more research scholars during the same year. When the matter came to the notice of Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary that the university was literally selling degrees for money, he sought an explanation from the university Vice Chancellor and also marked an enquiry to the police which held the university guilty. He then brought the matter to the notice of UGC which cancelled the degrees. Governor Mooshahary then sought the dissolution of CMJ university for fraudulently awarding PhD degrees and enrolling students in violation of
UGC norms. Following this episode, most of the universities in the country, including Panjab University, Chandigarh and Kurukshetra University had blacklisted the university. The Maharashtra Government had even registered FIRs against the degree holders which applied in the universities but Punjabi University admitted students on the basis of degrees issued by CMJ University. However, when the matter was brought to the notice of university authorities, they issued a circular to all departments seeking the cancellation of these admissions. Dr Paramjeet Singh, Dean (Academics), admitted that they had issued the circular to immediately get these admissions cancelled. However, the university is yet to take a decision over students admitted last year.
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Villagers seek police action against vandals
Barnala, August 25 The crematorium was reportedly demolished with the intention of taking possession of the land. The protesters raised slogans against the police for not allegedly initiating action against the accused. They sought the arrest of the alleged accused without any further delay. They also submitted a memorandum demanding action against the alleged accused, to the DC here. Dr Indu Malhotra, the DC, said she had forwarded the memorandum to the SSP for initiating action on the complaint of the villagers against the persons, allegedly responsible for the demolition of the crematorium. — TNS
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Faridkot chemists fleece cancer-hit
Faridkot, August 25 In some cases, when the authorities of the GGSMCH came to know about it, the chemist shops in the medical college prepared fake bills to hoodwink the authorities and cover their wrongdoings. One such shocking incident came to light when Jaspal Singh, a resident of Jand Sahib village, submitted the bills of some cancer medicines in the office of the Medical Superintendent, GGSMCH, for reimbursement under the Punjab Chief Minister's Cancer Relief Fund. Once inspected, it was found that these bills were overpriced, up to 50 per cent more than the prices fixed by the
BFUHS.
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Delhi woman held in Moga passport scam
Moga, August 25 Inspector Shiv Chand and ASI Tejinder Singh, both SIT members, said the accused, Ritu Kumar, hailed from Rohini area of New Delhi. She was married to Vicky Kumar of Banga in Jalandhar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that she went to the US with her husband in 1995 allegedly on a fake identity and passport made on forged documents. In 2006, she got another passport issued from here allegedly on the basis of forged documents. She used this passport to return to India yesterday. The SIT has so far arrested at least 100 NRIs on their arrival from various countries in the past five years. As many as 18 travel agents, three policemen, an employee of the passport office, an employee of the local body and a postman had also been arrested in this scam. Lookout notices had been issued against 400 persons who had fled the country allegedly on fake passports.
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3 travel agents arrested for duping youths
Hoshiarpur, August 25 Sukhchain Singh Gill, Senior Superintendent of Police, Hoshiarpur, said the police had seized 109 passports from their possession. The accused had advertised about 200 jobs in Kuwait in various trades. As many as 109 youths submitted their passports along with Rs 3,000 each as registration fee to them.
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FIR lodged for ruckus at Sangat Darshan
Muktsar, August 25 A police officer said Kaur Singh had alleged that when he along with others came out after meeting the Chief Minister, some people started thrashing them and tossed his turban. Acting upon the complaint, a case had been registered, he added. Meanwhile, the other group has also given a complaint to the police to register a cross case. The police said an investigation was being conducted into the matter. Two Akali groups had clashed in the presence of the Chief Minister yesterday over the issue of construction of a drain. But, sources said the infighting among the two groups had started during the panchayat elections.
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Nine held for clash with cops in Abohar
Abohar, August 25 Most of the accused were known for their allegiance to the ruling alliance. There were efforts to make the authorities take a lenient view but it did not find favour as senior officials were pelted with stones in which a DSP had a marginal escape. The administration has imposed prohibitory orders. The drain water fury took a new turn today as gushing waters from the Aspal drain proceeded to village Ramgarh after submerging village Gaddandob where a government school, water works, religious places and cremation ground are now under knee-deep water.
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It’s been almost a week since the drainage operation began, but most of the district continues to be under water.
World Bank's South Asia region vice-president Philippe Le Houerou has assured state government officials that the bank will get a feasibility study.
The SGPC executive has approved renovation the Central Sikh Museum at the Golden Temple complex here.
Museum in charge Iqbal Singh said under the renovation plan, photographs, rare documents,
artefacts, weapons and musical instruments kept at the museum would be placed into categories.
Moga, August 25
The flood-water at Thandewala village on Saturday night inundated the 220-KV power sub-station at Ferozepur road in Muktsar. It affected the power supply to Abohar, Fazilka, Jalalabad and Guruharsahai areas and nearly a 100 villages of Malout and Muktsar blocks. An official said the repair work would take a week. The flood-water has also caused damage to the Bariwala sub-station at Sarainaga village.
The Technical Education Department has cancelled the affiliation of 20 institutions with the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT), official sources said. The affiliation of five institutions with the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) has been suspended and their case forwarded to the DGET.
