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Dera chief’s kin break fast, decide to move apex court
Gurdaspur BJP in poll mode, Cong far behind |
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Chadha re-elected Chief Khalsa Diwan president
Irked by transfers, teachers on warpath
Bathinda protest: Child died of exposure to cold, says pvt doctor
fake
certificate scam
Four-laning of Ferozepur-Hussainiwala NH approved
BBMB workshop may produce rail coaches
Woman accuses ASI of implicating husband
People fret as power cuts back in Muktsar, Fazilka
De-silting of Ropar lake begins despite protest
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US war veteran cremated with military honours
Two held with 20 kg opium
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Dera chief’s kin break fast, decide to move apex court
Jalandhar, February 9 They were on an indefinite fast at Lakhnaur village of Madhubani district in Bihar for two days. The Maharaj’s son Dalip Jha and brother-in-law Mohan Jha said they would move the Supreme Court, demanding that the Maharaj’s body be handed over to the family for last rites. Earlier in the day, they had threatened to shift their protest outside the Nurmahal dera. Meanwhile, in a press note, Tirath Ram Sandhu, former Nurmahal Municipal Council president, said questions being raised over the Maharaj’s past were uncalled for. He said talking about a sanyasi’s past was “meaningless.” Satpal Maharaj, founder of the Manav Uthhaan Sewa Samiti, where Ashutosh was a discipline before he set up his own dera in 1983, said Ashutosh Maharaj’s body should be handed over to his family for last rites. ‘No fight over succession’ Despite the dera management denying a succession war, reliable sources said there was a keen tussle among two factions over the “Guru gaddi.” Unable to decide as to who would be the next dera head, the management was delaying announcement on Ashutosh Maharaj’s death, the sources said. One section of the dera wanted Arvindanand, a resident of Bilga village in Nurmahal, to be named successor. Another section backed Narendranand, president of the dera governing body in Delhi. “We have no tradition of ‘gaddi’ and, therefore, there is no question of any succession dispute. Maharaj ji will return from the samadhi (deep meditation) when he so desires. The media speculation in the matter is baseless,” maintained dera officials.
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Gurdaspur BJP in poll mode, Cong far behind
Gurdaspur, February 9 On the other hand, the lack of activity in the Congress camp is a pointer to the party’s lethargy only a few months before the Lok Sabha elections. Under the seat-sharing agreement between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar parliamentary seats have been allotted to the BJP. In the 2009 elections, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa had wrested the seat from the BJP by beating three-time MP and filmstar Vinod Khanna by 8,000 votes. This time, Bajwa, sensing a strong pro-BJP wave, has washed his hands off the party nomination leaving youth leader Kartik Wadhera, Delhi-based businessman Vikramjit Singh, former minister Raman Bhalla and Amardeep Cheema in contention for the ticket. All four have applied for the party nomination from Gurdaspur. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi had appointed Wadhera the party’s co-ordinator during the recent Chhattisgarh and Gujarat assembly elections. The youth leader is eyeing the ticket under the “AICC Youth Quota”. In a related development, there is a rumour that a former Indian cricket captain is set to throw his hat into the electoral ring. With Bajwa not willing to play ball, the dice is heavily tipped in the favour of Batala legislator Ashwani Sekhri. He, too, has cried off by applying for the Amritsar seat. If the Congress has been pushed to the back foot, the BJP is moving full steam ahead to win the seat it had lost in 2009. All three mainline contenders — former Union Minister Vinod Khanna, businessman Swaran Salaria and former cabinet minister Master Mohan Lal — have been working among the masses for the past several months. A few days ago, the state leadership had recommended their names to the party high command. Sources claimed that scores of RSS workers have fanned out in the constituency. They are busy setting up nearly 250 “shakti kendras”, with each “kendra” looking after a cluster of five to seven booths. There are 1,300 booths in the Gurdaspur seat. Top BJP leaders, including state president Kamal Sharma, have reached Pathankot to attend Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Sangat Darshan programme to be held in the Bhoa assembly seat tomorrow.
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Chadha re-elected Chief Khalsa Diwan president
Amritsar, February 9 Soon after his name was proposed for the presidentship, all present members, around 270 of the total 552, registered their approval. The president has been given the right to elect three or more office-bearers, 31 managing committee members and 10 finance and other committee members within a week. The elections were held under the supervision of former Rajya Sabha member Rajmohinder Singh Majithia and former Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University SP Singh at Chief Khalsa
Diwan gurdwara in a peaceful manner. A message from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh was read out. Major Mohindar Singh Sarkaria (91), a descendant of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, said it was for the first time that Chadha had managed to bring the members on a single platform for a unanimous election. Stating that education was his top priority, Chadha said setting up of a university was on their agenda and modalities were being finalised for the same. “We intend to establish a CKD University. Our immediate goal is to set up at least five colleges and 10 schools in different pockets of the state. A world-class residential school would be established in the next two years in Amritsar, which would cater to the children of Sikh families from the US, Canada and the UK,” he said. At present, more than 45 schools, Central Khalsa Orphanage (Amritsar) Old-Age Home (Tarn Taran), Hospitals, Homeopathic dispensaries, Dental Clinics, Sangeet Vidyalayas, Dharam Parcher committees etc are being run under the aegis of Chief Khalsa Diwan Charitable Society, which not only provide quality education but also make efforts to inculcate among students the spirit of Sikhism.
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Irked by transfers, teachers on warpath
Chandigarh, February 9 The transfer orders are to be implemented from April 1. The press secretary of the sangharsh committee, Teerath Singh Bassi, said the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, the Government Teachers Union and the Democratic Teachers Front would take part. Principal Lakhbir Singh from Jalandhar said that by doubting the integrity of teachers, the government had insulted them. He said male teachers with a clean record were among those shifted out of a girls’ school. Lakhvir Singh Harike, Muktsar district president of the Democratic Teachers Front, said he had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, challenging the rationale for the transfers. “Certain tasks like extra-curricular activities and school trips are handled better by the male staff,” he argued. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka could not be contacted despite several attempts. Sources said the department had received complaints by schoolgirls in Bathinda and Ludhiana districts against certain male teachers. These teachers had now been shifted. The DPI (SE), Kamal Garg, said: “The transfers are not meant to belittle the teachers. Not all male teachers have been shifted to boys’ schools. The transfers had been done for academic reasons. The department has started a campaign under which 200 teachers will visit different schools and speak on gender issues.” The protesting unions are also demanding that vacant posts be filled and their salaries revised.
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Bathinda protest: Child died of exposure to cold, says pvt doctor
Bathinda, February 9 At a press meet yesterday, Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni had said that Ruth was admitted to the women and children’s hospital on February 3. She was shivering when brought to hospital. She had a minor chest infection and had no fever. Neither did she have breathing problems. “The child was dependant on mother’s feed. She suffered from a multi-vitamin deficiency and was malnourished,” he had said. An MRI scan at the neighbouring Max Hospital showed Ruth had cerebral atrophy that occurs because of vitamin deficiency,” paediatrician Dr Satish Jindal had told mediapersons. Senior Medical Officers Dr SS Romana and Dr Satish Goyal were also present at the press meet.
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CM was arrested much after Bluestar: Capt
Chandigarh, February 9 "Either he (Badal) has lost his memory or he is lying to mislead people," Amarinder alleged. He reiterated that Badal went into hiding to avoid the uneasy situation building up in the state before the Army operation. "It was much later that Badal was arrested or he got himself arrested as he used to do (getting himself arrested to avoid uncomfortable situations)," he said. "Let us leave it to the people to make their own judgement based on historical facts and records as to who is speaking the truth," he said. On Badal's claims of having spent considerable time in jail, the former Chief Minister said: "Jail was at best a retreat and at worst a hideout for Badal." He said it was his characteristic trait to push the situation to a boil and get himself arrested and spend time in some state guest house where he would be provided best facilities he could never have afforded at that time. In a separate statement, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, PPCC spokesperson, claimed Badal was arrested from his Chandigarh residence on June 10, 1984. Khaira said: "He (Badal) instead of marching towards Amritsar in the aftermath of the Operation Bluestar, preferred to remain in hiding at his residence in Chandigarh. To avoid a direct clash with the security forces, Badal got himself arrested under the National Security Act (NSA)."
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fake certificate scam
Mansa, February 9 The CIA branch of the Ferozepur police claims to have unearthed the scam following the arrest of two persons. Acting on a tip-off, the police reportedly arrested Shiv Kumar of Mansa and Jarnail Singh of Sangrur for selling fake certificates to candidates enrolled for Army recruitment and other jobs. Manminder Singh, SSP, Ferozepur, said local resident Shiv Kumar was among five persons booked under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC. He was earlier booked in a similar case in October 2009. At that time, he was running a book stall near the local bus stand. He was arrested along with his assistant Lovedeep Singh. School certificates, government stamps and answer sheets of the Punjab School Education Board were recovered from them, the SSP said. Once out on bail, Shiv Kumar had returned to selling fake certificates. He would charge anything between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 for each certificate, the police claimed. Kikkar Singh, CIA in charge, said Shiv Kumar would offer to provide ‘genuine’ Class X and Class XII certificates from Allahabad with the help of proxy candidates. A police team would take Shiv Kumar to Allahabad to identify the two other accused named in the FIR, the officer added.
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Four-laning of Ferozepur-Hussainiwala NH approved
Ferozepur, February 9 The development comes as relief for Ferozepur residents as the 13-km stretch was not part of a project for turning the Ludhiana-Talwandi Bhai road into four lanes. The ministry had approved the widening of the Ludhiana-Talwandi Bhai road about a year ago under the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system for Rs 479 crore, causing resentment among the Ferozepur residents who demanded four-laning of the road up to Hussainiwala. Following public outcry, local legislator Parminder Singh Pinki took up the matter with the ministry, following which the officials concerned were asked to prepare a survey report and revised estimate for the project. The widening of road from Ferozepur to Hussainiwala will cost Rs 36 crore. Sukhdev Singh, Executive Engineer, Central Works Division, Public Works Department (PWD), said: “The work on road widening from octroi post number 7 in Ferozepur has started.” He added that the stretch from Vajidpur to the octroi post was likely to be approved soon. “Every day, people visit Hussainiwala to pay respects to the martyrs and watch the India-Pakistan retreat ceremony. Several festivals such as Baisakhi and Shaheedi Divas are held here with much fanfare,” Pinki said, adding that it was imperative to widen the road as the day was not far when the Hussainiwala-Lahore border would reopen for trade and transit.
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BBMB workshop may produce rail coaches
Nangal, February 9 The board has constituted a four-member committee to look into the possibility of using its huge infrastructure in collaboration with the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. The workshop was set up over 23 acres five decades ago to facilitate Bhakra Dam's construction with a manpower of over 600. After the dam's construction, the workshop was used for the maintenance of the dam and its machinery. At present, only six of the 18 shops are operational having less than 200 employees. The remaining were shut down due to obsolete machinery. Efforts to revive the workshop were started in November 2012 when local MP Ravneet Singh Bittu wrote to Union Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia and the then Railway Minister Pawan Bansal, suggesting that the workshop could be used for manufacturing coaches and wheels for the Railways. As a railway line was already in place at the workshop, it would prove a suitable facility, he had suggested. KK Atal, general manager, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, has sought guidance from the Railway Board in this regard.
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Woman accuses ASI of implicating husband
Hoshiarpur, February 9 “My husband Bikram Singh was picked from our house in Ravidass Nagar on January 30. Three days later, he was falsely booked under the NDPS Act. His arrest was shown from another place,” Rajbir Kaur told the media here yesterday. The ASI, Pardeep Kumar, is posted at Model Town police station and is the Investigating Officer (IO) in the drug case, which Kaur alleges is fake. Before marriage, she said, ASI Kumar was her neighbour at Police Lines, where she lived with her mother who was also an ASI-rank officer. Kumar created pressure on her to marry him in spite of him being married, Kaur alleged. She, however, married Singh. Kaur alleged that after her marriage, the ASI threatened her to divorce Singh and marry him. “As I did not accede to his demand, he implicated my husband in the drug case.” “The ASI and other police officials arrested my husband from our house without specifying any reason. I ran from pillar to post to determine his whereabouts. On February 2, he was reported arrested along with 560-gm narcotic powder from Fatehgarh area of the city,” Kaur said. The ASI refuted the allegations. Narinder Bhargav, SSP, said: “The matter will be investigated.”
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SUV slips into drain near Abohar, 5 hurt
Abohar, February 9 Everyone escaped with minor injuries as farmers rushed to help. The police arranged a JCB machine to fish the vehicle out of the drain. In another mishap, Des Raj (35) of Chanankhera village was drowned as he slipped into Panjawa sub-canal near Gobindgarh village, 8 km from here, on the Abohar-Muktsar road. Jhumianwali village resident Vinod Kumar (31) was killed and his friend riding pillion on a motorcycle injured critically as their motorcycle was hit by another motorcycle near a petrol pump on the Abohar-Fazilka road. In Hanumangarh’s Kohla village, a tempo hit a motorcycle on the Rawatsar road. Narinder Bhardwaj (29), who was riding the motorcycle, was killed. In another incident, a truck crushed a man to death at Hanumangarh junction in Rajasthan. The victim, Suresh Sindhi (32), was on a moped. His wife Dhanwanti (30) and son Ayush (3) riding pillion were injured critically. Preliminary inquiry indicated that police were chasing the truck as it had jumped the traffic signal. The truck driver and his assistant fled the spot, leaving the truck behind.
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People fret as power cuts back in Muktsar, Fazilka
Muktsar, February 9 For the past three to four days, there have been frequent power cuts. Industrial work has been hit hard. The residents said the situation was no different than in summers. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials of the Muktsar circle are unaware of the reason behind power outage. “I am out of town today and unaware of the reason behind power cuts,” said BS Matharu, Deputy Chief Engineer, PSPCL, Muktsar circle. Chief Engineer (Power Purchase and Regulation) VK Kalra said, “There was a snag at the newly inaugurated Rajpura power plant three to four days ago, disrupting the supply. The problem has been rectified and the plant is fully operational. As for the scenario in the Muktsar circle, I will have to get the details.” He, though, clarified that sudden power cuts could not be attributed to the increase in demand. The residents said it was shameful that power cuts were being imposed in winters. If there was a shortfall in supply, the PSPCL should have informed them in advance, they said.
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De-silting of Ropar lake begins despite protest
Jalandhar, January 9 The Wildlife Department, however, has lodged a strong protest against the Irrigation Department for starting the project at a time when migratory birds visit the wetland. Officials said human activity and use of heavy machinery to remove silt had disturbed the winged visitors. While Sirhind Canal has been carrying water to Faridkot, Bathinda, Patiala and other areas of Malwa for irrigation, the UBDC is feeding Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts of the Doaba region. Silt from the adjoining barren and fragile hills has reduced the pond area to a large extent. Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department (Canals), Ropar, Darshan Singh said Pushpinder Singh, a contractor, had been assigned the task of removing four lakh cubic metric silt from the pond area on the right side of the lake in four months. The work started on January 16 and the silt would be stored on department’s land near Morinda, he said.
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Hounded by the press over the death of Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan head Ashutosh Maharaj, Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam and Jalandhar SSP (rural) Jaspreet Singh have stopped interacting with the media. The controversy over the godman’s death has not died down over the past two weeks. Now, mediapersons with other queries are having a tough time contacting these officials.
Flogged to death
It seems the issue of Dera Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan head Ashutosh Maharaj’s death has already been flogged to death. With a question mark on when his last rites will be performed, reporters have written on almost every aspect of the issue. Reports have been published on his succession, political connections, security provisions and his family in Bihar. Some have even gone to the extent of comparing the event with Bollywood movie Peepli Live.
Tea stalls to vent ire
Protesting Jalandhar traders have come up with innovative ways to draw the attention of the government. Satirising the NaMo tea stalls set up by the BJP in the city to get support for its Prime Ministerial candidate, they put up “Dharna tea stalls” on Friday. The traders have also showed lollipops to MLAs while demanding a reduction in property tax on commercial buildings, a quicker VAT refund and withdrawal of the proposal to levy advance tax.
Weddings to the rescue
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) postponed its hunger strikes to be held on February 3 and 4. It cited weddings in the families of senior party leaders to be the sole reason for the postponement. Rajpura MLA Hardayal Kamboj got married on February 3. However, sources say the party failed to finalise its programme for organising the strike at the district level. It also postponed its hunger strike in Ropar due to infighting among leaders. It seems the weddings came to the party’s rescue.
Move boomeranged
Even as Punjab Local Body Minister Anil Joshi finds himself in a soup over the issue of dual votes, the state BJP seems to have added to his cup of woes. In a bid to defend the beleaguered minister, the BJP leaders ended up handing over two voter lists of Amritsar to mediapersons. These showed Joshi and his family enrolled at two places — Medical Enclave and New Golden Avenue — in Amritsar. The Congress leaders grabbed the opportunity to fire a fresh salvo at Joshi and took the media to Golden Avenue to prove that Joshi never lived there and that he had contested the 2007 assembly elections on the basis of forged votes. Clearly, the BJP’s move proved to be counterproductive.
In a fix, yet again
Known for her straightforward approach in politics, firebrand Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu has once again put the SAD-BJP alliance government in a tight spot. She has now threatened to take her own government to court if it does not re-impose sin tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products within 15 days. This is not the first time that she has come out in the open against the ruling alliance government. Earlier, she had targeted the SAD-BJP government for diverting funds meant for development works in Amritsar and denying her the grants promised for her Amritsar East constituency.
Friendly advice
While Akal Takht Secretariat is all set for a revamp over the next few months, a Sikh intellectual quipped on the development, "It is good that the Akal Takht Secretariat will be more spacious and have a good ambience, but what is of utmost importance is that the Akal Takht Jathedar should function in an independent manner. Various groups have in the past termed some of the Akal Takht Jathedar's decisions as "influenced by the ruling SAD". It is an open secret that the Jathedars are appointed by the SGPC which is also ruled by the SAD. — Umesh Dewan, Deepkamal Kaur,
Sanjeev Bariana and Perneet Singh
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US war veteran cremated with military honours
Sacramento/California, February 9 As a colour guard team assembled outdoors in a light rain to honour Shergill’s service to the country, family and friends demanded answers from the government. They lamented as to why a soft-spoken and law-abiding man suffered such a violent death. Shergill’s family members alleged the police killed him for no reason. The Lodi police have already released the name of two police officers, Scott Bratton and Adam Lockie, involved in the January 26 shooting that left Shergill dead. Sources said Bratton had been with the Lodi Police Department since 2000 and Lockie since 1999. Shergill served in the Gulf War and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. His mother had called the police, worried about her son’s mental health. Multiple agencies, including the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, Lodi Police Department and the state Department of Justice are investigating the case. Shergill lived with his mother and younger brother in the tidy Lodi neighborhood. Born in 1970 in Jagatpur, India, his parents brought him to America when he was five years old. Shergill completed his schooling at Lodi High School and graduated in biochemistry from the University of the Pacific in Stockton and Sacramento State University. Thereafter, he joined the US Army. He served in Germany for two years, fought on the front lines in Iraq during the Gulf War and took part in
the Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. In 1995, he was dishonorably discharged from the Army. Thereafter, he worked as a supervisor at Pacific Coast Producers, a food production company based in Lodi. But, he couldn’t continue working there as his disability proved too disruptive.
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Two held with 20 kg opium
Fazilka, February 9 During the search, opium packed in a polythene bag kept in a plastic bucket was recovered from the driver’s cabin. Truck driver Om Parkash and Aasu Ram, both residents of Rajasthan, were arrested.
7 kg poppy husk seized
Hoshiarpur: The Sadar police have arrested a drug peddler and seized 7 kg of poppy husk. Karanvir Singh, in-charge, Sadar police station, said a police team on patrol on the Shergarh road, intercepted Jaswinder Pal alias Rana of Garhi Kanugoan village of Balachaur. On a search, the contraband was seized from him.
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Jalandhar, January 9
Sacramento/California, February 9
