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High Court to clear backlog by July 31: CJ
Insurance scheme for traders on cards
Cong seeks dismissal of lawsuit in US
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Victims’ bodies recovered
2 in Pak charged with Sarabjit's murder
Dismissed DSP files review petition
Mann: Will move ICC against UK
Police ambulances shifted
from accident-prone areas
Yellow rust: Rain intensifies farmers' fears
Sikh leader killed in Kabul held high posts
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High Court to clear backlog by July 31: CJ
Bathinda, January 18 Accompanied by several judges, Kaul said besides manpower, adequate infrastructure was required for an efficient functioning of the courts. The Chief Justice said a target was set to clear 5,000 cases pending in the High Court for 10 years by March 31. He said another 54,000 cases older than five years would also be pronounced by July 31. Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal stressed on the need to eliminate the age-old laws enacted by the British. He said litigation had risen with the rising awareness among the masses. Sukhbir expressed his desire to have ADR centres in all districts for which he claimed that money was no constraint. Justice Jasbir Singh, executive chairman, Punjab Legal Services Authority, Justice SK Mittal, executive chairman, Haryana Legal Services Authority, and Justice Jitendra Chauhan also spoke. Those present included Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justice KC Puri, Justice RK Garg, Justice MS Sullar, Justice Paramjit Singh, Justice SP Bangar, Justice Jaspal Singh, District and Sessions Judge Tejwinder Singh, CJM-cum-DLSA Secretary Daljeet Singh Ralhan, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla, Divisional Commissioner RK Sharma, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mohamad Tayyab and Assistant Media Adviser to Deputy CM Harjinder Sidhu. Previous grant not released, more announced Bathinda: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Saturday announced Rs 2 crore for the construction of lawyers’ chambers even as Rs 50 lakh announced by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal three months ago for the same purpose is yet to be released. While the CM had made the announcement during a sangat darshan programme on November 9 in Bathinda, his deputy made an announcement in this regard after inaugurating an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre here. Sukhbir promised the grant when lawyers requested him to announce something (grant) for them. “The CM had assured to release the first grant of Rs 25 lakh out of Rs 50 lakh immediately and the second instalment after submitting the utilisation certificate to the DC,” said advocate JR Khattar. — Gurdeep Singh Mann
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Insurance scheme for traders on cards
Chandigarh, January 18 Sources in the government told The Tribune that 1,86,543 traders (including proprietors and kartas in case of Hindu undivided families), whose annual turnover is less than Rs 1 crore per annum, will be covered with this insurance. Almost 70 per cent of the traders in the state will be covered under this insurance scheme. The government will pay premium for their policy. Under the scheme, traders will be insured for a maximum of Rs 5 lakh for life, disability and fire. These traders will also get a cashless health insurance for a maximum of Rs 50,000. The insurance company will have to empanel one hospital for every 1,000 dealers. The traders will also be insured for diseases they are already suffering from. The new scheme called the Social Security Scheme for Business Community was envisioned by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. He had asked the Excise and Taxation Department to prepare this scheme while announcing the new traders policy in November last year. Sources said the basic framework of the scheme was set up and request for proposal (RFP) was to be floated soon as meetings to thrash out issues were being held with various insurance companies. It is estimated that the government will spend Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore on paying the premium. Talks are on to get a part of this premium from some financial institution under its CSR programme. The remaining premium (other than what the financial institution agrees to pay) will be paid by the state government. The traders to be insured have already been identified and this database will be given to the insurance company chosen for the scheme. All eligible traders (having a turnover of less than Rs 1 crore) can then register themselves at the district taxation office, where the insurance companies will set up registration offices, take biometrics of these traders and issue them smart cards. A state-level committee under the chairmanship of Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma and nominees from Health and Finance departments and from the insurance company will look into the implementation of the scheme. Similar committees chaired by Assistant Excise and Taxation will be formed at the district level for implementation and later redressal of complaints. The scheme
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Cong seeks dismissal of lawsuit in US
New York, January 18 Indian-American Attorney Ravi Batra, who represents the Congress in the US, filed a motion in a Manhattan federal court yesterday saying the party would on March 12 seek an order from District Judge Robert Sweet for dismissal of the complaint filed by the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The party is seeking the dismissal of the complaint citing lack of subject-matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The SFJ has time till February 17 to respond to the Congress’ motion and Batra will then have to file his response by March 10. — PTI
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Victims’ bodies recovered
Muktsar, January 18 The bodies were sent to the Civil Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Faridkot MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan visited the accident spot when a search operation by the National Disaster Response Force and the district police was on. Badal directed the Deputy Commissioner to construct walls on both sides of the road near the canal to avoid mishaps. Bhullar villagers complained to the Chief Minister about inability of the administration to tackle such situations. — TNS
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2 in Pak charged with Sarabjit's murder
An additional district and sessions judge held trial at the Central Jail in Kot Lakhpat yesterday and formally charged the two inmates, Amer Sarfraz alias Tamba and Muddassar Bashir. During the proceedings, copies of chargesheet were handed over to both the accused. Judge Syed Anjum Raza Syed adjourned the hearing till January 20 and directed the prosecution to produce witnesses. The two accused had brutally attacked 49-year-old Sarabjit at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in April last year. Sarabjit, who had sustained severe injuries, including a fractured skull, died on May 2. A jail official said the police would produce witnesses, both Indian and Pakistani inmates, who had already recorded their statements before them. Amir and Mudda had reportedly told investigators that they had attacked Sarabjit because he had allegedly carried out bomb attacks in Lahore. — PTI Amritsar: Reacting to the news, Sarabjit's family says they have no faith in Pakistan's judicial system that had awarded death sentence to him without any witness. Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur said: "We have no expectations from the trial. It is their government which could not do anything when Sarabjit was brutally murdered by his fellow inmates in connivance with the jail authorities." "They can at least allow me for the trial. I can collect the evidence to bring the culprits to book," she said. — TNS
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Dismissed DSP files review petition
Chandigarh, January 18 Their dismissal was ordered soon after the High Court asked the State of Punjab to immediately remove police officials that were convicted for murder and report compliance. In his affidavit, Assistant Inspector-General of Police MS Chhina had earlier confirmed that DSPs Ravinder Kumar and Rajinder Pal Anand, along with ASI Malvinder Singh and Constables Manjeet Singh and Gurcharan Singh had been dismissed from service on February 22. In his PIL, advocate HC Arora alleged information received under the Right to Information Act had indicated two DSPs, Ravinder Kumar and Rajinderpal Anand, were in service despite conviction for murder and life sentence under Section 302 IPC. Ravinder Kumar was earlier dismissed from service, but taken back when his sentence was suspended. DSP Rajinderpal Anand, convicted on December 16, 2007, was not removed from service purportedly on the grounds that approval for his dismissal was yet to be received from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). Arora also referred to cases of ASI Malvinder Singh, Constable Manjit Singh, Inspector Harinderpal Singh, Head Constable Jaswant Singh and Constable Gurcharan Singh. They were all similarly dismissed from service, when convicted for murder, but were reinstated on grant of bail.
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Mann: Will move ICC against UK
Chandigarh, January 18 Mann said Thatcher had provided logistic support to the operation because she wanted to sell the British helicopters and armaments to India. — TNS
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Police ambulances shifted
from accident-prone areas
Jalandhar, January 18 Of the 10 ambulances that were called to Chandigarh for an inspection three days ago, five have been chosen to be stationed at HPCs. They will be flagged off from five HPCs to be inaugurated soon by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The 10 ambulances were stationed at accident-prone state and national highways in the state and, in view of no alternative arrangement so far, people are pointing fingers at the government. The five ambulances shortlisted to be stationed at the HPCs catered to Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Sangrur and Jalandhar districts. Jalandhar is an accident-prone area. The lone ambulance with the district police picks up 15 to 20 victims every month. “In all, five ambulances have been chosen. They might be stationed at their new locations permanently, while the government may arrange alternative ambulances in the accident-prone areas,” said Khubi Ram, DIG (Security). Traffic police officials were, however, unaware of the move to shift the ambulances to the HPCs. “The ambulance must be here only. It would have gone for repair,” said Paramjit Singh, ADCP, Traffic,
Jalandhar.
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Yellow rust: Rain intensifies farmers' fears
Ropar, January 18 Last week, experts had noticed yellow rust in the fields of Dabkhera village in Anandpur Sahib, besides Surewal Upparla, Khamera, Chandpur Bela, Thalu, Ajouli, Daraoul, Kalitran, Dunela and Jhalian Kalan villages. The maximum damage was found in Kalitran village where standing crop over 100 acres was affected. It was found that HD 2932 and WL 711 varieties of wheat seed were more susceptible to the disease. Ropar Chief Agriculture Officer Lakhwinder Singh Hundal said, “The department does not recommend these varieties as these are prone to diseases.” He said those who had sown wheat at least a fortnight prior to the recommended time suffered losses. The department recommends that wheat be sown between November 1 and November 15. Agriculture Joint Director JS Sodhi, who visited the area today to assess the situation, said the diseases as of now had been kept in check. “Farmers have been advised to spray fungicide in the fields regularly. We have made it available at all focal points and offices of the Agriculture Department in the district,” said Hundal. The fungicide is available to farmers at a subsidy of 50 per cent.
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Sikh leader killed in Kabul held high posts
Islamabad, January 18 Britain’s Foreign Office today confirmed the death of Dhamender Singh Phangurha, also known as Del Singh. Singh was a Labour Party candidate from the South East for the European Parliament, the BBC reported. He had previously been an adviser to the European Mission in Kosovo and worked on UN and DFID-funded projects in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Libya, Nepal and Palestine. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said Singh, who had "dedicated his life to working with people across the world who needed his support", was killed in a "barbarous act of terror". “My thoughts - and the thoughts of the whole Labour Party - are with the family and friends of Del Singh who was killed in yesterday's tragic suicide bomb in Kabul,” he said in a statement. The attack occurred last evening when a bomber blew himself up outside the heavily fortified Taverna du Liban restaurant in the upmarket neighbourhood of Wazir Akbar Khan. Two gunmen then entered the restaurant and started “indiscriminately killing” people inside, Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said. The attackers were eventually shot dead by security forces. Two Americans, two Britons, two Canadians, a senior International Monetary Fund representative from Lebanon and the restaurant’s Lebanese owner were among the dead. Salangi said five women were among the dead. Four UN staff members were also killed in the attack, though their nationalities were not confirmed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted foreign officials. — PTI
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Muktsar, January 18
Jalandhar, January 18
Lahore, January 18