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After HC order, police vacate Bassi Pathana building
Kar sewaks, not pvt firm, must build langar hall: Dhadhi Sabha
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Fake votes: Amritsar DC seeks legal opinion
Badal announces Rs 250 cr projects for Ferozepur dist
Cong seeks stay on election sop
Clarify stand on Jat quota, Capt to CM
All peripheral pulses absent, reveals medical report
Against rules, SGPC member shifts transformer
Business delegation crosses over
to Lahore for ‘India Show’
2 IAS, 7 PCS officers transferred
punjab progressive agriculture summit — analysis
Western Command honours 19 soldiers
Sukhbir launches Rs
41-cr e-district project in Mansa
Bajwa backs EGS teachers
Aussie gets 11-yr jail for killing Sikh cabbie
Rs 30 lakh ‘hawala’ transactions detected in Jalandhar
2 held for smuggling rabbits
ASI booked for abduction
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After HC order, police vacate Bassi Pathana building
Bassi Pathana, February 14 The Deputy Commissioner (DC) had constituted a three-member committee, led by Tehsildar KS Tiwana, to hand over the building to its owner, Bhushan Lal Gupta. Sources said the police began vacating the property at midnight. It took the police two hours to remove case property vehicles from the premises. A tractor and a JCB machine were used in the operation. Earlier, a former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) used the building as his office. Thereafter, the police parked case property vehicles on the premises due to the deteriorating condition of the building. Gupta alleged the police had neglected the historical building spread over 3 kanals and 15 marlas. He claimed the doors and windows of the 11-room building were infested with termites. Gupta alleged revenue officials during demarcation found some of the area at the back of the complex had been encroached upon. Tehsildar KS Tiwana said they had received the order yesterday evening and the police had vacated the complex. He said the demarcation of the complex was on and a comprehensive report would be submitted to the DC soon. When asked if some of the area had been encroached upon, he said it was for the court to decide.
About the case *
The 100-yr-old building had been under the illegal occupation of the police for the past 52 years *
The police had used the 11-room building to park case property vehicles
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Kar sewaks, not pvt firm, must build langar hall: Dhadhi Sabha
Amritsar, February 14 Following a meeting here today, Dhadhi Sabha chief and former SGPC member Baldev Singh said they would take out a march from Gurdwara Pipli Sahib in Amritsar on February 17 before sitting on the fast near the langar hall building under construction at the Golden Temple complex. He said they had earlier planned to start their protest after performing 'ardaas' at Akal Takht but the SGPC already has some programme on that day. “We don't want any confrontation and therefore we decided to kick it off from Gurdwara Pipli Sahib,” he said. The Dhadhi Sabha is opposing the SGPC move, contending that those engaged in the construction work of the building are non-Punjabis and they even smoke cigarettes and consume tobacco while carrying out the construction activity, which is a violation of the ‘maryada’. On the other hand, the SGPC today directed the construction firm to strictly ensure that the employees engaged in the construction activity don't resort to cigarette smoking or tobacco consumption while working at the langar hall building. Earlier, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar had cautioned against the “misinformation campaign” unleashed by Baldev Singh. He had argued that the contract for the building was awarded to a private firm only with an intention to complete it within a specific time frame. The trigger *
The Dhadhi Sabha is opposing the SGPC’s move, contending those engaged in the construction of the building are non-Punjabis *
It alleges they even smoke cigarettes and consume tobacco on the site in violation of the
'maryada'
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Fake votes: Amritsar DC seeks legal opinion
Amritsar, February 14 The CEO had yesterday faxed a message to the Office of DC, Amritsar, to seek the opinion of the District Attorney before starting proceedings for allegedly violating several clauses of the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act 1950, according to the directions of the Election Commission of India. Ravi Bhagat said, "According to the communication received from the CEO, the opinion of the District Attorney was sought before taking the next step. We are waiting for the case file from the Office of CEO. We may get it tomorrow. Then, it will be handed over to the District Attorney." The Election Commission of India (ECI) had issued a notice to the CEO on January 27 seeking report of the "necessary action" taken against Cabinet Minister Anil Joshi and his family members
who have allegedly enrolled themselves "deliberately" at several places in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts and contested Assembly and
MC elections. The notice dated January 27 stated that "the CEO shall file a complaint under Section 31 of RP Act 1950 against persons who were not only enrolled at more than one place but have also contested elections from these places by virtue of such enrolment which shows that they were aware about their enrolments at more than one place in violation of Sections 17 and 18 of RP Act 1950". The ECI had sought a report within 30 days. The ECI has also recommended disciplinary action against the Electoral Registration Officer and other officers who were responsible for the lapses. The CEO had written to the ECI on January 1 about fixing the responsibility on ERO Ashok Bhatia and Laboratory Assistant Pradeep Kumar for misplacing the record pertaining to the case. The latter had expired on October 11, 2010. "The disciplinary action against the officials will be taken at the level of CEO," said Ravi Bhagat. Two city-based lawyers, Sandeep Gorsi (also a Congress worker) and Vaneet Mahajan, had approached the Chief Election Commissioner, ECI, seeking criminal proceedings against the minister, who belongs to the BJP, and others. They had alleged that Joshi had concealed the fact that he featured in more than one voter list from election commission authorities while filing his 2012 Assembly election nomination.
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Badal announces Rs 250 cr projects for Ferozepur dist
Ferozepur, February 14 These include the setting up of a government degree college in the name of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and construction of a hockey stadium. State BJP president Kamal Sharma, Irrigation Minister Sher Singh and MP Janmeja Singh Sekhon were also present on the occasion. Badal also announced relocation of the central jail to the outskirts of the town so that the existing jail land situated in the heart of the town could be commercially exploited. He said around Rs 150 crore would be spent on the construction of the new jail. In another major decision, Badal said the existing Industrial Training Institute (ITI) would be relocated to pave way for construction of a PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur. It was approved by the Ministry of Health last year but was yet to get the no-objection certificate from the state government. At the instance of Kamal Sharma, Badal also approved the project pertaining to the development and beautification of the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala at a cost of Rs 5 crore. He also announced construction of two railway over-bridges on the Ferozepur-Zira highway at a cost of Rs 50 crore, besides creation of a bypass road along the Sutlej. The road will help divert heavy vehicular traffic coming from Gujrat and Rajasthan moving towards Jammu and Kashmir, which leads to traffic chaos. Badal said after the NDA assumes power at the Centre, all pending demands of border residents, including the reopening of Hussainiwala border, would be fulfilled.
Projects sanctioned *
A government degree college in the name of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and a hockey stadium *
Relocation of the central jail to the outskirts of the town so that the existing jail land in the heart of Ferozepur town can be commercially exploited *
Industrial Training Institute to be relocated to pave way for a PGI satellite centre in Ferozepur *
Development and beautification of the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala *
Creation of a bypass road along the Sutlej for diverting traffic from Gujrat and Rajasthan towards Jammu and Kashmir *
Two railway over-bridges on the Ferozepur-Zira highway
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Cong seeks stay on election sop
Chandigarh, February 14 Drawing the attention of the CEO to a “couple of grossly erroneous, unconstitutional and illegitimate decisions”, Khaira said the government had directed the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to hand over the approved demand notice/tubewell power connections to the MLAs and ‘halqa’ incharges of the ruling alliance. More than 65,000 tubewell power connections will be distributed shortly. Details of the beneficiaries who applied 3-4 years earlier, along with demand notices, were summoned at the PSPCL head office at Patiala on January 29. These demand notices will now be distributed by political leaders in their respective constituencies. Khaira has sought that the government be directed to revert to its official method of distributing power connections for
tubewells.
Objects to 'Rahat' certificates Patiala: In a complaint to the CEO, Khaira has slammed the ‘Rahat’ certificates, with photos of the CM and the Deputy CM, given to traders. “The certificate has to be displayed at shops, offices and factories. By doing so, the owners will be spared of raids. Those who do not subscribe to the Akali-BJP ideology will be forced to display the certificates with the photos of the CM and his deputy,” Khaira said. — TNS .
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Clarify stand on Jat quota, Capt to CM
Chandigarh, February 14 The former CM said of the six lakh vacancies at the Centre every year, about 1.5 lakh were reserved for OBCs (Other Backward Classes). If Punjab Jats were also accorded the OBC status, Jat youths would benefit from it. Amarinder Singh said, “Badal is not keen on reservation for Punjab Jats or else his government should have taken up the matter with the National Backward Classes Commission.”
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All peripheral pulses absent, reveals medical report
Chandigarh, February 14 The medical examination, carried out before he was pronounced clinically dead at 2.15 am on January 29, also shows that all “peripheral pulses were absent”. The ECG record too shows “absence of any electrical activity”. The details of the medical examination, available with The Tribune, also suggest “all his superficial and deep reflexes were absent” and there were “no spontaneous respiratory movements”. He was declared clinically dead in consultation with all the doctors. The details are significant as his organisation is still claiming that Ashutosh Maharaj is alive. In fact, Narinder Singh, authorised by Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Nurmahal, has “certified” he is of the firm opinion that “Ashutosh Maharaj ji is in deep samadhi in the freezer kept in the room”. The medical report, prepared by three doctors who attended Ashutosh Maharaj on January 29, was procured by Nakodar Deputy Superintendent of Police after he along with the Station House Officer and Duty Magistrate visited the organisation. The controversy hovering around his health had only recently reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with his ex-driver Puran Singh filing a habeas corpus petition for his production and an application for his medical examination. Dismissing the petition, Justice MMS Bedi had asserted: “From the report of the doctors, it is apparently clear that the alleged detainee at the time of presentation of the petition was clinically dead. Justice Bedi had also asserted: “The present habeas corpus petition cannot be used as an instrument for publicity. So far as the legal position is concerned, in my opinion a petition for habeas corpus is not maintainable after the death of the alleged detainee… “I am of the opinion that the High Court can direct to have the body of the person detained to be brought before it, in order to ascertain whether the detention is legal or illegal. The scope of habeas corpus cannot be extended to issue any directions pertaining to a body which has been declared to be clinically dead”. Row over dera chief’s death *
The examination carried out at 2.15 am on January 29 also shows the spiritual guru's blood pressure was "not recordable" and the pupils were "fixed and dilated" *
The ECG record shows "absence of any electrical activity" * It suggests "all his superficial and deep reflexes were absent" and there were "no spontaneous respiratory movements"
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Against rules, SGPC member shifts transformer
Muktsar, February 14 "The transformer's location has been changed but we are yet to inspect the site to initiate any legal action," said Makhan Singh, Sub Divisional Officer
(SDO), PSPCL. He admitted Kauni had broken the law. Navtej Singh Kauni said, “The transformer's location has been changed, because it inconvenienced commuters. When PSPCL officials did not pay heed to my request of changing its location, I shifted the transformer myself. I do not think I did anything illegal.” Sources said the transformer was installed there about 25 years ago. If one wanted to get its location changed, one had to
pay, they said. Some village residents said private electricians were called yesterday to shift the transformer and there was no power in the area for almost half of the day.
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Business delegation crosses over
to Lahore for ‘India Show’
Amritsar, February 14 The event is being organised by FICCI in collaboration with the Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Trade Development Authority of India. During an interaction with the media before crossing over Pakistan, Dr Suri, who is the first woman to lead the 100-member delegation, stressed on strengthening trade relations with Pakistan.
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2 IAS, 7 PCS officers transferred
Chandigarh, February 14 Sumeet Jarangal has been posted as Additional Commissioner, MC-1, Ludhiana, and Isha as ADC (D) and in addition Additional Commissioner, MC Ludhiana. Transfer/posting orders of 10 District Revenue Officers (DROs) and 39 Tehsildars with immediate effect were also issued. The names of transferred DROs included: Rohit Gupta (Amritsar), Mukesh Kumar (Mohali), Jiwan Jagjot (Ludhiana), Daljit Singh Chhina (Fatehgarh Sahib), Ram Singh (Moga), Arvind Kumar (Hoshiarpur), Atam Singh (Ropar) and Varinder Kumar
(Jalandhar).
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punjab progressive agriculture summit — analysis
Chandigarh, February 14 That Punjab is the food bowl of India is a known fact. Of Punjab's total geographical area of 50.33 lakh hectares, 41.98 lakh hectares is under cultivation. The cropping intensity in the state is 190 per cent. In 2011-12, Punjab produced 157 lakh tonnes of paddy, 170 lakh tonnes of wheat and 16.9 lakh bales of cotton. Horticulture accounts for only 3 per cent of cropped area, with minnow and potato as the major horticulture crops. Punjab is the fourth highest milk producing state with a daily production of 258 lakh litres. But post-harvest losses in the state remain high. In most developed countries, almost three-fourth of the agriculture produce is processed and packaged, In Punjab, less than 20 per cent of the produce is processed and packaged. The post-harvest losses in foodgrain and horticulture is over 40 per cent (of the produce). For almost two decades now, Punjab has been talking of chain of cold storages, silos, sorting and grading centres and distance marketing and centre for perishable goods near airports. But so far these initiatives have remained on paper alone. The Punjab Industrial Policy: 2009 did announce several incentives to promote agro industry and agro processing. Punjab managed to attract investment proposals worth Rs 5,500 crore, but projects worth only Rs 1,700 crore actually took off. These were mostly distilleries, mega rice shelters and yarn spinning mills. The state was not really been able to establish a food processing sector. It is for this reason that in Punjab's New Industrial Policy: 2013, distilleries, breweries and rice shelters with a fixed capital investment of less than Rs 10 crore,and vanaspati ghee mills have been included in the negative list. Concessions offered to agro processing units *
60-80% concession
in value-added tax for 10 years * 75% exemption in Central Sales Tax *
Electricity duty and property tax waived * Market fee, rural development fund and Punjab infrastructure development fund cess waived *
Certain fooda items exempted from purchase tax Main investors in agro industry Company Investment *
ITC Rs 680 cr * Container Corp Rs 500 cr * United Liner Agency
Rs 400 cr * Zeba Agro Rs 300 cr * Digvijay Chemicals
Rs 300 cr * NASA Agro Rs 250 cr * VIR Foods Rs 250 cr *
GAD Logistics Rs 150cr * Yadu Corporation Rs 150cr * Saastha Warehousing
Rs 150 cr
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Western Command honours 19 soldiers
Patiala, February 14 Lt General Philip Campose, GoC-in-C, Western Command, felicitated the soldiers, includuing two Yudh Seva Medals (YSM), six Sena Medals (Gallantry), one bar to Sena Medal (Distinguished), four Sena Medals (Distinguished), one bar to Vishisht Seva Medal and six Vishisht Seva Medals. Lt General Campose told the media, “The Army has been successful in countering terrorist bids in the past few years and efforts are on to tackle drug smuggling wherever the Army is deployed for such operations. We are, however, working on our lapses.” Earlier, he honoured 11 units of the Western Command with a unit citation for their outstanding performance. The awardees included Col Sanjeev Mehrotra, Col Mohit Khokhran, Major Dhirender Yadav, Major Suhail Singh Salaria, Major Ajay Kumar, Major Tanmay Rath, Col Vikram Singh Guleria, Brig Rakesh Kumar Raina, Col Manish Sharma, Col Sanjeev Kumar, Lt Col Ram Niwas Guards, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Brig Umar Farookh, Brig Sanjeev Saini, Brig Zasbir Singh Jamwal (retd), Col Chandan Singh Pathania and Maj Ranveer Singh
Jamwal.
The awardees * Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi * Brig Umar Farookh *
Brig Sanjeev Saini * Brig Sanjeev Saini * Brig Rakesh Raina * Col Sanjeev Mehrotra *
Col Mohit Khokhran * Col Vikram Singh Guleria * Col Manish Sharma *
Col Chandan Pathania * Lt Col Ram Niwas * Major Dhirender Yadav *
Major SS Salaria * Major Ajay Kumar * Major Tanmay Rath * Major Ranveer Jamwal
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Sukhbir launches Rs
41-cr e-district project in Mansa
Mansa, February 14 Mansa becomes the third district in the state after Kapurthala and Nawanshahr where the pilot project has been launched. The project launch in Mansa entailed Rs 41.7 crore. “The state government is all set to deliver citizen-centric services online within nine months and this will cost the government Rs 60.97 crore. Reliance will launch its 4G services in six months,” Sukhbir said. The Deputy Chief Minister said that with the launch of e-district project, 47 public services would be made online such as issuance of certificates pertaining to caste, residence, birth, marriage, arms and agricultural licences, ration card, pensions, government dues and recovery. About the efficacy of Lokpal to eliminate corruption, he said: “The Lokpal alone cannot wipe out corruption. The need is to computerise the whole system.”
Citizen-centric *
Mansa becomes the third district in the state to have launched the e-district project *
Kapurthala and
Nawanshahr are the other two districts * In all, 47 public services will be made online
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Chandigarh, February 14 “It is the responsibility of the state governments to fix salaries of education volunteers... Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal wrote to Badal in 2011, telling him that the state government could raise the remuneration if it wished so,” he claimed. — TNS
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Aussie gets 11-yr jail for killing Sikh cabbie
Melbourne, February 14 The West Australian Supreme Court here sentenced Antony Edward Fogarty, 24, who admitted to killing Kuldeep Singh and his passenger Sean Duncan Barrett. Barrett, 36, had been in Australia for less than an hour and Singh, 28, was driving him from the airport to his hotel when they collided with Fogarty as he sped through a red light in October 2012, Australia’s AAP news agency reported. The court heard that the pair was killed instantly as the taxi burst into flames. Justice Michael Corboy accepted that Fogarty did not intend to cause the accident, but he was driving with “recklessly excessive speed” and should have known the danger. Fogarty’s sentence was backdated to October 2012, and he will be eligible for parole in 2021. — PTI
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Rs 30 lakh ‘hawala’ transactions detected in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, February 14 Raids on Raj Money Changer, situated near Jalandhar bus stand, were part of the ongoing ED operations against associates of Happy Forex. The ED has already conducted six raids on the premises of the ‘hawala’ operators in the Doaba region who are alleged to be part of the cartel of Happy Forex. The owners of Happy Forex allegedly sent or received crores of rupees through illegal 'hawala' channels from countries like Canada, USA, UK, Germany, Dubai and other European nations. The ED is also zeroing in on 400-500 major exporters and importers in the state, particularly at Ludhiana and Jalandhar. These exporters and importers had allegedly used the ‘services’ of Happy Forex and that of its associates to channelise money to or from half a dozen countries including the USA, Canada and South Africa. ED sources revealed that notices have been issued to 150 exporters and importers who had allegedly routed their money through
Happy Forex.
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2 held for smuggling rabbits
Abohar, February 14 The rabbits were found in a Tata-Ace tempo (PB 22 J 2583), which was intercepted by the police near a railway crossing in Red Buggy village. These were being transported for a function in Khajuwala. Anil Arora of Anand Nagari, Abohar, and Bhim Pratap Nayak of Baruwala village, Raisinghnagar, were arrested under Sections 9/51 of the Wild Life Protection Act. Preliminary investigation indicated that the rabbits were purchased from a local resident and they had been caught in the sanctuary area. Bhim Pratap had paid Rs 36,000 for them.
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ASI booked for abduction
Tarn Taran, February 14 Sukhwinder Kaur, the youth’s mother had alleged that it was Tilak Raj who had taken away her son Gurbhej Singh Billa from her house on October 16, 2013. Bhikhiwind Deputy Superintendent of Police Harpal Singh said Tilak Raj has not been arrested so far. He said the case would be investigated and further action would be taken after that. — OC
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The road ahead for Punjab's staggering agriculture economy is agri industry. However, over the years attempts made by the state government to promote agro processing and agro industry have failed to yield results.
After receiving the communication pertaining to Joshi's duplicate vote controversy from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Ravi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, has approached the District Attorney (Prosecution) JK Bhagat.