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Elaborate security for two-day Jor Mela
Illegal Sand Mining |
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Takht, SGPC should have handled Khalsa issue better, say experts
SAD funding by realtors questioned
It’s a frame-up, says singer Gill
Victim's house pelted with stones
Low job rate belies govt’s claim
Capt cautions Bajwa for remarks on MPs
Suspended improvement trust
officials face criminal charge
posts of food inspector
Gurmeet reaches home in Patiala amid tight security
Clarify stand on detainees, Bhattal tells CM
Dal Khalsa opposes Jat quota
Exporters sit up as Ludhiana shawls get more trendy
Several posts of doctor lying vacant at Sangrur hospitals
Grape cultivation declines as labour gets dearer
Seven of 10 blocks in district declared notified areas
2013 Review | politics
Ludhiana tops in human rights violations: RTI info
Vets to boycott livestock meet
Ignored, Gurdaspur BJP legislators sulk
Karnal Sikh organisations back Gurbaksh Khalsa
Ex-DSP commits suicide, 7 booked
Man in Abohar kills wife for giving birth to girl
Debt-ridden farmer kills self in Moga village
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Elaborate security for two-day Jor Mela
Fatehgarh Sahib,
December 25 The Shaheedi Samagam began with akhand path by head granthi Harpal Singh at Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup. The two-day Shaheedi Jor Mela will begin tomorrow. The district police has made elaborate security arrangements for the mela. The district police chief, addressing the media, said the town had been divided into five sectors. Barricades had been raised so that devotees did not face any inconvenience in reaching the shrine. Setting up kiosks along the road from Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup to Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara had been prohibited. Meanwhile, workers of various parties, including the People's Party of Punjab, are leaving no stone unturned for a show of strength at their respective conferences tomorrow. It will be for the first time that the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) will be holding its conference at the Shaheedi Jor Mela. Sources said various Panthic issues, including the release of Sikh detainees lodged in various jails, will dominate the conference of the Simranjit Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). The Sikh high priests have already issued an appeal to politicians not to politicise the religious event. Elated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) win in the Delhi Assembly elections, PPP workers are expecting a big crowd at their conference that will be addressed by Manpreet Badal tomorrow. State Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal will address the SAD conference. Kuljit Nagra, local Congress MLA, and Harinder Bhambhri, District Congress Committee (DCC) president, are making arrangements for the Congress conference that will be addressed by Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC chief, and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.The BSP, Sikh Students Federation and Dal Khalsa will also be holding their conferences. Demand for holiday Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh said today that it was “extremely unfortunate” that the state government had not deemed it important to declared a gazetted holiday on the Martyrdom Day of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh. He pointed out that the Badal Government had declared a holiday for much less significant occasions. “This is an unpardonable lapse by the government. Even the SGPC failed to take note of the lapse and take up the issue with the Punjab Government,” he said.
Measures in place
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Illegal Sand Mining
Ropar, December 25 This resulted in the police suspending action against the suspects. No action has been initiated against the suspects, nor further raids conducted. The leaders told the Chief Minister that the police action had created a panic and one of the accused had been "falsely implicated" in a case, pointing out that he did not own a crusher, said sources. It is an open secret that the Swan river, Lohand khud, and the Sutlej that pass through the district have been plundered by the sand mafia despite repeated the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that banned mining two years ago. On December 17 and 18 the district police had conducted raids at Nurpur Bedi and Nangal and booked nine persons, including Akali leader Darbara Singh Bala, a former block samiti member and husband of Nurpur Bedi Block Samiti chairperson. The police did not name an SGPC member from an adjoining state and a local BJP leader in the FIR despite the fact that the machines and vehicles used for illegal mining were owned by them. Disappointed with the working of the SSP, the people of the area have started targeting him on the Facebook. The SSP, when contacted, denied any pressure on him. “The Nurpur Bedi police booked Bala after raids and if he has a complaint, he can contact me,” he Brar. Investigations in the case were on, he said.
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Takht, SGPC should have handled Khalsa issue better, say experts
Amritsar, December 25 He said efforts now being made by Akal Takht were “too little” and a part of “political management” of the crisis. He said none of the ruling SAD leaders had issued a statement either in support or against Khalsa’s movement. “Even Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal ignored the issue till a couple of days ago,” he pointed out, adding that it was time that the SGPC and Akal Takht arose above politics to deal with Panthic issues. Former SGPC general secretary Kiranjot Kaur said Akal Takht had directed the SGPC to initiate measures for the release of Sikh detainees, but the SGPC had not made it clear as to what its stand on the issue was. She said the matter should have been resolved at the political level and the SGPC should have taken a lead in it. “ The SGPC took an ambivalent stand and didn't even clarify as to what it planned to do to sort out the matter,” she said. Sikh scholar Ashok Singh Bagarian said the Sikh clergy should suo motu take notice of Panthic issues. He said it was unfortunate that Gurbaksh Singh had to resort to an agitation to seek the release of Sikh detainees who had completed their jail term. He said Akal Takht and the SGPC could have handled the situation better. “It would have been more apt had the Sikh high priests tried to resolve the crisis through the political leadership.” Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the SGPC and the Akal Takht Jathedar had not played their role in a positive manner. “From day one SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar’s role was non-serious and insensitive. He ridiculed Khalsa’s campaign to prove he was more loyal than the king (read Badals). The Jathedar's stand remained confused and self-contradictory,” he said. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh merely paid lip sympathy without realising the gravity of the situation, he added.
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SAD funding by realtors questioned
Chandigarh, December 25 In a joint statement, MLAs Balbir Singh Sidhu, Jagmohan Singh Kang, Amrik Singh Dhillon and Randeep Singh Nabha said the SAD had submitted a list of donors to the Election Commission which showed that private builders had funded the party. The name of a Mumbai-based detective agency Trig Detectives Private Limited run by a Punjab resident had also figured. It had donated Rs 50 lakh to the SAD, they said. The leaders alleged that the agency might be involved by the Badals for spying on their political opponents.
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It’s a frame-up, says singer Gill
Ludhiana, December 25 Gill alleged that the girl was misusing the law meant to protect women. He was today presented before a local court which sent him to two-day police remand. The 26-year-old rape victim had alleged that while Gill developed physical relations with her on the pretext of helping her become a top model, the other three accused — Charanjeet Singh
Channi, a builder, Raja and Jagdeep Sohi, both of Waddi Haibowal — violated her promising to help her pursue legal action against Gill and to send her abroad. The police said all the accused used sedative-laced cold drinks to rape the girl. A Punjabi singer and a close friend of Gill questioned how could four persons use the same modus operandi to rape the victim. "The woman is trying to tarnish the singer's image. She knew him since 2006," he said. Sources said Gill, who was being questioned by the CIA staff for four days, was arrested after the victim's family met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and complained about the police "inaction". Meanwhile, the sources said in the lock-up, several policemen were busy posing for photographs with the singer, who was offered food ordered from a
dhaba. Sources added singer's family met him late in the night, but none of them accompanied him when he was presented before the court.
Two more held
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Victim's house pelted with stones
Ludhiana, December 25 Following the incident, the victim's family demanded security. "We are worried about our daughter's safety. I fear she might become victim of an acid attack as three accused are yet to be arrested," said victim's father. He said his daughter had got engaged to a boy in
Mukerian, but the incident had jeopardised her marriage prospects. Gurveer Singh, Station House Officer, PAU police station, said they were going through the CCTV footage and had deployed policemen outside victim's house.
Businessman, wife
booked for rape
Ludhiana; The city police have booked a local businessman, Harbir Singh, on the charge of raping a woman. The police have also booked Harbir's wife Manpreet
Kaur, a resident of Model Town Extension, and friend Gurveer Singh for "conniving" with him. The victim, a resident of Shaheed
Haibowal, alleged that after her relations with her husband turned sour, Harbir took advantage of her plight and raped her at his factory and a hotel in Thailand. Victim said Harbir had even taken money from her on the pretext of sending her abroad.
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Low job rate belies govt’s claim
Chandigarh, December 25 Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Partap Singh Bajwa said the unemployed youth of Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions were falsely promised over one lakh jobs in the IT sector alone. He said the data provided by the Job Generation and Training Department has now revealed the truth. In Malwa districts, the home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the job generation scenario was the bleak. He said, in Muktsar district, only 41 out of the 10,884 job seekers got employed (0.38 per cent job rate). In Faridkot district, out of 10,747 registered unemployed, only 43 got jobs (0.3 per cent). In Bathinda district, employment rate was 1.01 percent with only 255 unemployed persons out of 25,172 job seekers getting jobs. In Mansa district, only 59 of the 4,537 job seekers got employed. The picture was as grim in the border districts of Amritsar and Tarn Taran, where the employment rate was two per cent each. The job rate was low in other districts too with 1.5 per cent in Gurdaspur, Pathankot (0.4 percent), Ferozepur (1%), Ropar (4%), Nawanshahr (3%), Patiala (6%), Sangrur (2%), Barnala (2.8%), Fatehgarh Sahib (2%) and Hoshiarpur (5.43%). The employment rate was relatively high in Mohali (24.9 per cent), Jalandhar (8.8%) and Ludhiana (18%) districts. Official figures revealed that out of 2,19,784 Scheduled Caste persons registered with the Job Generation Department till August 2013, only 2,680 persons were provided jobs. In the OBC category, only 553 out of 19,969 job seekers were employed. For other reserved categories, only 250 out of the 9,966 job seekers got employed.
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Not joining AAP: Khaira
Jalandhar, December 25 Khaira alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's "outright rejection" of a CBI probe into the international drug racket was nothing but an "attempt to shield" his ministers likely to be named by drug lord and former DSP Jagdish Bhola. "Bhola, who has already named two Akali leaders, has said if the CBI probed the matter, he could divulge the names of three cabinet ministers involved in the racket. The disclosure has raised a question mark over the efficiency and integrity of the Punjab Police," said Khaira. "We will move the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the matter," he said. He alleged that Badal protected leaders like Bibi Jagir Kaur and Sikander Singh Maluka despite their involvement in several cases. Similarly, the CM gave a clean chit to Gulzar Singh Ranike even before the completion of probe against him by the Vigilance Bureau, he said. Khaira said the SAD-BJP government should accord the Backward Class status to Jat Sikhs who had been left out of the category.
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Capt cautions Bajwa for remarks on MPs
Chandigarh, December 25 In a press release, Capt pointed out that Bajwa had been quoted in media that there was anti-incumbency against some sitting Congress MPs. He said this would create dissidence among party workers and demoralise the potential candidates. Advising the PPCC president to exercise restraint, Capt Amarinder said he (Bajwa) should raise these matters with the party high command.
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‘Cong must rebuild cadre at grass-roots’
Chandigarh, December 25 In an interview with The Tribune today, he said he would again prefer Ludhiana as his constituency to contest the Lok Sabha elections. "Notwithstanding my commitments in New Delhi, I have spent at least 80 to 100 days in Ludhiana a year during my term. I have given my best to the constituency. The final decision rests with the party leadership". On the success of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, Tewari said: "We stumbled in presenting a correct perspective on many issues raised by the opposition. The AAP, for example, took the centre stage with allegations on Rs 1.76 lakh crore loss in 2G auction. A joint parliamentary committee later rubbished CAG's loss figures, but the AAP capitalised on the mythical figures". He said: "The recent Delhi elections results have recognised the media's ability in creating new political dynamics. I think the people of Delhi have shown that they did not want a Congress government. The party should concentrate on rebuilding its cadre at the grass-roots level." On whether the AICC would name Rahul Gandhi as its Prime Minister candidate in its January 17 meeting, Tewari said: "We feel it is the right time for Rahul Gandhi to lead the show. Party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will take a final call on the matter". On the selective approach of the Centre on BC status for Jat Sikhs, he said: "The BC Commission is looking into the matter in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan and certain other states. The cabinet has also sought the commission's recommendation in this regard".
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Suspended improvement trust
officials face criminal charge
Patiala, December 25 Those suspended are Gore Lal, executive officer (EO); Rajesh Chaudhary, the then additional executive officer (presently posted at Nabha); Amarpreet Kaur, town planner; Basant Singh, superintendent; Sanjay, clerk and Jagdeep Singh, the then senior assistant (now posted as superintendent in Nabha). The officials were suspended after they were prima facie found guilty of causing a huge loss to the government exchequer by not implementing an extension scheme in time and letting seven acres of prime land worth Rs 50 crore remain with private parties. Highly placed sources confirmed that Ashok Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Local Bodies, had shot off a letter to Chairman of the Patiala Improvement Trust, urging him to register a criminal case against Gore Lal, Chaudhary, Amarpreet Kaur and Basant Singh. Sanjay and Jagdeep Singh have been spared for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. Gupta has asked the Chairman to make sure that the case was registered at the earliest. The suspension orders had mentioned that the officials had played a suspicious role in the Shaheed Sewa Singh Thikriwala (SST) Nagar extension scheme. The scheme announced by the state government in 2006 was not executed and lapsed due to alleged deliberate actions, lackadaisical attitude and vested interest of the erring officials. Joshi said: "The officials have also been accused of misplacing and tampering official record pertaining to the extension scheme, leading to its deliberate lapse. They had even tampered some documents to save themselves."
Case file * Six Patiala Improvement Trust officials were suspended for lapses in the Shaheed Sewa Singh Thikriwala Nagar extension scheme *
These are Gore Lal, Rajesh Chaudhary, Amarpreet Kaur, Basant Singh, Sanjay, and Jagdeep Singh *
They allegedly misplaced and tampered official record to let the scheme lapse *
They even tampered certain documents to save themselves
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posts of food inspector
Chandigarh, December 25 It was reported today that all candidates who appeared in a particular centre had been declared successful whereas from other centres only eight to 10 candidates have cleared the test. PPCC spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the examination was conducted in a haphazard manner denying opportunity to thousands of candidates who failed to appear because of traffic jams. He said the SAD-BJP government which had made tall promises such as unemployment allowance before the assembly elections should at least conduct recruitments in a fair and transparent manner. Without realising that how such a large number of candidates would arrive in Chandigarh from places like Ferozepur, Fazilka, Dera Baba Nanak etc for the test, the Punjab Government went ahead with the test which was reportedly rigged at certain centres. CPI leader Dr Joginder Dayal said irregularities in the test had been proved. He said the state government, which collected about Rs 10 crore from candidates as application fee should first refund the money and reconduct the test without charging anything from them. On behalf of the state government, Panjab University had conducted the test to recruit 461 food inspectors on December 15. Of the 1.92 lakh candidates, only 1.20 lakh could appear in the test because many were caught in traffic jams. The result of the test was declared yesterday.
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Gurmeet reaches home in Patiala amid tight security
Patiala, December 25 Gurmeet Singh, lodged in the Burail Model Jail in Chandigarh, has been released under Sections 3 and 4 of the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 1962, on furnishing a bond and two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each. Gurmeet Singh’s mother expressed a desire to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar along with her son as soon as possible. “We will keep an eye on Gurmeet Singh though he will not be under constant surveillance,” said Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police HS Mann. Patiala DC Gopal Krishan Singh said once Gurmeet Singh’s family sent him a request in writing, the police would be asked to consider their plea for visiting the Golden Temple. “I will ask the police to make necessary arrangements in that case,” the DC said. Gurmeet has been ordered to mark his presence with the Sadar SHO twice a week.
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Clarify stand on detainees, Bhattal tells CM
Doraha, December 25 Addressing a press conference at the residence of Ram Kumar Vinayak, vice-president, Ludhiana (Rural), at Doraha, she said it was only fair that Sikh detainees who had completed their sentence be freed. She was referring to the indefinite fast by Sikh activist Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa for the release of six former militants languishing in jails. The Congress leader said: “The Chief Minister should clarify his stand on the matter and ensure the release of these detainees forthwith.” She demanded a CBI probe into the drug scam, ridiculing the Badal Government’s claim that it would free the state of the menace of drugs.
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Dal Khalsa opposes Jat quota
Amritsar, December 25 The organisation said that reservation should be on the economic criteria rather than caste. In a statement, Dal Khalsa chief HS Dhami said competitive politics being resorted to by the ruling SAD and the Congress in Punjab on the issue would prove to be "another step towards vitiating the fragile social fabric" of Punjab. He said Punjab, perhaps, was the only state in the country where casteism had never struck root.This was owing to the Sikh doctrine of equality with stress on a casteless, classless society. The institution of ''langar'' was the outcome of this very doctrine, he said. He said history was repeating itself with the Congress and the SAD targeting a particular vote bank, this time the Sikh Jats. "What’s alarming is that the SAD is once again violating the tenets of Sikhism," he said.
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Exporters sit up as Ludhiana shawls get more trendy
Ludhiana, December 25 Kashmiri shawls have dominated the market worldwide but Ludhiana manufacturers have installed world-class machines and managed to earn recognition at the international level. Ludhiana is now focusing on Australia, Europe, Japan, the Middle East and the US market. With modern machines and innovative techniques in design and production, the shawl industry has graduated to another level. "Shawls are now an fashion accessory. This has helped local manufacturers in tapping the international market. Manufacturers have improved upon designs, colour and wool quality to meet international standards. The industry that had a sale of Rs 40 crore to Rs 50 crore a few years back has now exports touching Rs 800 crore," said exporter Tarun Jain. Designs are being created on computers. “The shawl industry in Ludhiana has taken giant strides to keep in step with with the ever-changing style statement of developed nations," said Sameer Aggarwal, another manufacturer. "Shawls from India are very popular among NRIs. Stoles are more popular overseas and even youngsters love to wrap them around their neck," said another manufacturer.
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Several posts of doctor lying vacant at Sangrur hospitals
Sangrur, December 25 A radiologist and an anaesthetist are required at every sub-divisional hospital but none are posted at hospitals in Sunam, Dhuri, Malerkotla and Moonak. An anaesthetist administers anaesthesia to patients while a radiographer has expertise in operating machines such as an MRI. Apart from this, about 12 posts of radiographer out of sanctioned 28 have been lying vacant in Sangrur district.
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Grape cultivation declines as labour gets dearer
Muktsar, December 25 The area under grape cultivation has decreased from 1,324 hectare since 2002. The steps taken by the state Horticulture Department have failed to dissuade farmers from switching to cultivation of other fruits. The officials said the erratic rains were one of the main reasons for farmers to stop growing grapes. The government has been emphasising on the need to enhance the area under high value crops such as fruits. A few years ago, the department had adopted Israeli technique for the improvement of quality and quantity of grapes, but it failed to yield any results. The maximum area under grape cultivation was in Malwa region,
particularly in Bathinda, Faridkot and Muktsar districts. Gurjit Singh of Muktsar district, who used to grow grapes, said, “I suffered huge losses in cultivating grapes, so I have now decided to grow
kinnows. You need to make an investment of Rs 1 lakh on an acre of land to grow grapes as pillars have to be erected in the soil.” An RTI query revealed the area under sweet orange has also decreased from 2,799 hectare in 2,002 to 2,761 hectares in 2012-13. Similarly, the area under lemon decreased from 667 hectares in 2002 to 632 hectares in 2012-13. The area under ber also decreased from 2,411 hectare to 1,828 hectares in the last 10 years. However, the total area under horticultural crops has increased from 40,489 to 74,897 hectares in the state between 2002-03 and 2012-13. Area under kinnow cultivation has risen the most rapidly from 15,155 hectares in 2002 to 45,851 hectares
now. Lajwinder Singh Brar, Director, Horticulture Department, said, “The grape cultivation
needs manual labour and since it is getting more expensive each day, the farmers are growing other fruit crops that
only require mecha nised labour.”
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Sangrur facing groundwater crisis
Sangrur, December 25 The CGWA took this decision to control and regulate the supply of groundwater as groundwater in these blocks had been exploited to a large extent. In a notified area, permission to extract groundwater is granted only to supply drinking
water. Bhawanigarh was declared as a notified area in November 2012 while
Dhuri, Sunam, Sherpur and Malerkotla blocks were declared notified areas in August 2011. Sangrur and Ahmedgarh blocks
were declared notified areas in December 2006. Groundwater in the district has been depleting constantly over the last decade. Sources in the Agriculture Department said the situation had got so grim since several people were extracting groundwater using generators. Under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner, a district-level groundwater regulation committee was set up in Sangrur district last year. The panel decides as to how many tube well connections are to be issued. In June 2000, the minimum water level in the Sangrur district was reportedly 8.75 metres and the maximum 23.25
metres, while in June 2012, the minimum water level was recorded as 16.50 metres in Andana block and maximum 32.50 metres in Sherpur block.
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2013 Review | politics
Amritsar, December 25 The year started with the SAD registering an impressive win in the DSGMC elections, putting an end to the rule of Paramjeet Singh Sarna in Delhi
gurdwaras. With this victory, the SAD established its complete control over the religious as well as the political space of Sikhs.
Bluestar Memorial row The year also saw the Operation Bluestar Memorial finally taking shape, 29 years after the Army operation and a string of controversies. The memorial was opened on April 27. However, the Damdami Taksal move to dedicate the memorial to Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale sparked another row. The Taksal had also inscribed Bhindranwale's name on six spots, besides putting up a wall clock with his photograph. The SGPC cried foul play, contending that it was kept in the dark about it. It had brought the SGPC face to face with the
Taksal. Even as the dust was yet to settle down on the Operation Bluestar Memorial row, another controversy erupted in June this time over the memorial of those killed in 1984 anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi. The controversy broke out after former DSGMC chief Paramjeet Singh Sarna came out against the DSGMC move to construct the memorial within the premises of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. He had even filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against the move and ended up incurring the wrath of the Sikh clergy. The Akal Takht summoned him on July 26 and directed him to withdraw his petition, besides asking him to perform a religious service by holding an
'Akhand Path'. Sikh identity issue As in the past, the Sikh community continued to struggle with the issues of Sikh identity abroad. DSGMC President Manjeet Singh GK had to face rough weather at the Rome international airport in Italy in August as he refused to undergo turban frisking. He chose not to board the flight and remained stranded at the airport for hours before he could finally leave for Dubai without turban frisking following the Union Government's intervention. There were incidents like a teenage girl punching an octogenarian Sikh in UK and an unidentified assailant attacking Prof Prabhjot Singh of Columbia University. Besides, the assault on senior IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu in Uttarakhand also sparked outrage in the Sikh circles. The Akal Takht and the SGPC also came out against Canada’s Quebec province move to ban religious symbols under its controversial ‘Charter of Quebec Values’. To deal with the issues concerning Sikh identity abroad, the SGPC announced setting up the Global Sikh Centre for Learning and Information at Yuba City in California (USA) whose foundation stone would be laid in February 2014. Legal battles Talking about the legal battles, the SGPC finally deposited a court fee of Rs 10 crore in the 28-year-old legal battle for Rs 1,000 crore compensation from the Union Government for the damages caused during the 1984 Operation
Bluestar. Earlier, in March, the SGPC had intimated the Delhi High Court that it was withdrawing the suit, contending that it would be “sheer wastage of money spent on court fee, which is the hard-earned money donated by devotees” if the case is decided against it. Besides, the new SGPC House continued to remain entangled in a legal fight in the Supreme Court over the Sehajdhari row even after two years of the SGPC elections.
Langar death The year also witnessed two instances of devotees taking ill after consuming
'parshad' or 'langar' in Amritsar. Amarjit Singh, a pilgrim from Jabalpur (MP), died after consuming ‘langar’ served by some private organisation near Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai on
Diwali. A month later, three pilgrims from Kota (Rajasthan) were taken ill, one of them seriously, after consuming ‘parshad’ given to them by a couple of unidentified men at the Golden Temple
Complex. Khalsa’s fast At the end of the year, the fast-unto-death by Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa at Mohali has brought back into the limelight the issue of Sikh detainees languishing in different jails even after serving their jail term.
Sukhbir re-elected Apart from it, the differences between the SGPC and the PSGPC continued over the Nanakshahi Calendar. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal was re-elected as the SAD president for the second successive term. SGPC member Navtej Singh Kauni was awarded
'tankhah' for attending congregation of Dera Sacha Sauda. The SGPC filed a clemency petition before President Pranab
Mukherjee, seeking pardon for Devinderpal Singh Bhullar. Giani Mal Singh was installed as the new jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib following the demise of Giani Tarlochan Singh.
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Ludhiana tops in human rights violations: RTI info
Muktsar, December 25 The residents of Patiala filed 7,649 complaints, Gurdaspur 7,419, Tarn Taran 6,902, Jalandhar 6,352, Bathinda 6,169, Sangrur 5,214, Muktsar 4,525, Moga 4,191, Faridkot 3,896, Hoshiarpur 3,750, Mansa 3,357, Mohali 2,790, Kapurthala 2,523, Barnala 1,804, Fatehgarh Sahib 1,609, Ropar 1,565 and Nawanshahr 1,161. From the newly craved-out Fazilka and Pathankot districts, 1,575 and 377 complaints were filed, respectively, since 2011. Besides, 1,083 complaints were filed with the PSHRC from outside the state in the corresponding period. Altogether, 15,800 complaints from the state were filed in 2007, 15,400 in 2008, 16,755 in 2009, 19,266 in 2010, 16,311 in 2011 and 18,322 in 2012. The maximum number of complaints was filed against the police.
This year’s complaint record Till September this year, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) received 12,124 complaints. The maximum complaints are from Ludhiana (1,622) followed by Amritsar (1,429) and Patiala (798). In all, 746 cases were filed from Tarn Taran, 731 from Jalandhar, 708 from Ferozepur, 693 from Gurdaspur, 689 from Bathinda, 541 from Sangrur, 527 from Fazilka, 493 from Muktsar, 443 from Moga, 432 from Hoshiarpur, 401 from Faridkot, 304 from Mohali, 294 from Mansa, 285 from Kapurthala, 203 from Barnala, 169 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 154 from Ropar, 127 from Nawanshahr and 117 from Pathankot. Altogether, 218 cases were filed from outside the state.
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Vets to boycott livestock meet
Muktsar, December 25 The PSVOA declared this during a state-level protest outside the office of the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, here today. The veterinary officers are demanding promotions and appointments in the department, pending for long. “The veterinary officers have not been promoted once in spite of completing 30 years in service,” PSVOA president Dr Ashok Sharma said.
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Ignored, Gurdaspur BJP legislators sulk
Gurdaspur, December 25 Earlier, they were not invited to the CM’s Sangat Darshan programmes organised recently in the district. The development has not gone down well with the BJP as many leaders claim that the going will get tough for the party candidates in the general polls if the SAD does not support its ally. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur parliamentary seats have been allocated to the BJP. All three BJP legislators in Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency — Deputy Speaker Dinesh Babbu (Sujanpur), Ashwani Sharma (Pathankot) and Seema Kumari (Bhoa) — were kept in the dark about the yesterday’s function. In spite of being a BJP seat, neither of the prospective candidates — Union Minister Vinod Khanna or industrialist Swaran Salaria — were present. BJP’s Gurdaspur unit president Romesh Sharma confirmed that neither of his party colleagues, including all three MLAs, was invited to the yesterday’s function. “The SAD never invites us to state-level or government functions. Recently, CM Parkash Singh Badal presided over Sangat Darshan programmes in Qadian and Fatehgarh Churian, but neither the Akalis nor any government functionary invited us to the functions,” he claimed. Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha said the administration had invited BJP office-bearers to the Sangat Darshans. “Gurdaspur is a BJP seat. With the Akalis keeping us away from the proceedings, the Christians, who constitute nearly 17 per cent of the vote bank in the parliamentary constituency, may not vote for the BJP,” a former minister said. BJP state president Kamal Sharma could not be contacted in spite of repeated attempts.
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Another honour for Abohar’s ‘Kinnow Queen’
Abohar, December 25 Former Tamil Nadu Governor Dr Bhishma Narain Singh and former Punjab Governor Justice OP Verma (retd) presented the award to “Kinnow Queen” Karamjit Kaur Danewalia during a seminar on “Economic Growth and National Integration”. The India International Friendship Society (IIFS) had organised the seminar in Delhi earlier this week. “I treat trees and plants like my children and raise them lovingly,” Karamjit (56) said today. The passion to work is evident from her routine. She works 10 hours daily at her 25-acre orchard at Danewala Satkosi village in Abohar sub-division. “Trees in my orchard yield nearly 4,000 kinnows on an average,” she claims. Credited with creating a world record production of 132.2 tonnes of kinnow from 1 hectare in 2002, Karamjit has been growing kinnow mandarin for the past 35 years. She was conferred with the title of “Kinnow Queen” in 2011. Karamjit is not new to awards. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal honored her on Republic Day. She was honoured for growing the best citrus fruit and excellent maintenance of her orchard during the annual citrus show organised by the Punjab Horticulture Department. Besides, she was termed the “best
kinnow grower” of Punjab during the silver jubilee function of the National Research Centre for
Citrus (NRCC) at Nagpur in Maharashtra in February. In May, she was appointed a non-official member on the management board of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, for three years. Coming from a family of agriculturists, she has been into farming since childhood. She keeps on attending conferences to be abreast of the latest know-how. She had earlier gone to the US to learn about the improved techniques of kinnow processing and packaging. “I learnt that appropriate amount of water is essential for the maximum yield of kinnow. Excess or less water affects the yield,” she said. Horticulture is not Karamjit’s only interest. She is rooted in Punjab’s cultural heritage and loves wearing self-woven ‘phulkari’.
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Ex-DSP commits suicide, 7 booked
Hoshiarpur, December 25 Victim Satpal's wife alleged that their US-based son Lakhvinder Singh had got engaged to Ravinder Singh's daughter on December 11 last year. After eight months of engagement, Ravinder's wife asked Rs 5 lakh from them to send Prince abroad. When they refused, Ravinder and his family got a false cheating case registered against them and their daughter. All three had to stay in jail for some time, she alleged. She said Satpal was under stress since his release from jail. The police are investigating the matter.
The charges * Victim Satpal's US-based son had got engaged to a girl last year *
Her mother sought
Rs 5 lakh from the victim, which he refused * Her family got a false case registered against Satpal and his family due to which the latter was under stress
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Man in Abohar kills wife for giving birth to girl
Abohar, December 25 Officials said a case had been registered with the Wahabwala police station on the Abohar-Hanumangarh state highway. Pappa Singh told the police that the second marriage of his sister Asha Rani alias Manjinder Kaur was solemnised in 2011 with Gurpreet Singh of Gurusar village who had a daughter from his first marriage. The girl stayed with her maternal grandparents. Sources said the couple shifted to Narainpura village to work as farm labourers. Early this month, Asha gave birth to a girl child. Upset over having a second daughter, Gurpreet Singh allegedly killed Asha in a fit of rage on December 22. He then hired an autorickshaw to carry the body to Silwala Tibbi village in Rajasthan for cremation with the help of his brother. But Asha’s relatives smelled foul play and they informed the Hanumangarh police. Senior officials from Hanumangarh, Sangria and Tibbi reached Silwala village and foiled the attempt to cremate the body. They then informed the Abohar police. Sources said a post-mortem examination revealed Asha’as brutal murder.
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Debt-ridden farmer kills self in Moga village
Moga, December 25 Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Satpal Singh, who is investigating the case, said the deceased farmer, Malkit Singh, shot himself to death with a.12 bore licensed gun of his elder son Sukhwinder Singh. Preliminary investigations revealed that
the younger son of the deceased farmer, Malkit had sold a portion of his small landholding to send his son abroad, but even after four years he was struggling to find his feet there. Recently, the farmer sold some more of his land to send money to his
son in Canada. Thereafter, he slowly went into depression. The investigating officer confirmed that the deceased farmer was debt-ridden and had a small landholding. The body was handed over to the deceased’s family members after a postmortem examination that was conducted at the district hospital. A case has been registered.
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Fatehgarh Sahib,
December 25 
Former Guru Nanak Dev University Vice Chancellor SP Singh said Akal Takht and the SGPC at first thought that Gurbaksh Singh’s fast was a “non-issue”. The Akal Takht Jathedar even declared that resorting to a fast was against Sikh tenets. 
The data collected by Jasdeepak Singh, a Chandigarh-based RTI activist, said more than 50 lakh youth were unemployed in the state. The SAD-BJP Government has provided jobs to only 35,034 unemployed persons out of the 5,30,724 persons that have got registered during the SAD-BJP regime from 2007 till August 2013. This turned out to be 6.6 percent.
In all, 14,983 complaints were filed by the residents of the industrial town. Next on the list is Amritsar with 13,880 complaints. Ferozepur witnessed 10,304 cases of human rights violations.