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Alarmed at Rahat certificates, Congress approaches CEO
Capt: My stand on Army action has been unambiguous
Broom takes Jalandhar in its sweep
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Shashi Kant on AAP’s poll panel
A publicity stunt: Congress
SAD (A) not to allow Modi rally
State BJP chief being considered for Amritsar seat?
2,500 cops to be deployed at Hola Mohalla
Toor's allegations baseless: Satguru’s brother
Zila parishads have failed to manage schools: Teachers
Woman run over in Barnala, mob sets bus on fire
Power engineers to intensify stir
Textile manufacturers seek capital subsidy
RinGside view
UK Sikhs threaten poll boycott over Operation Bluestar
Thefts of computers
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Alarmed at Rahat certificates, Congress approaches CEO
Patiala, February 16 But the Taxation Department is happy with the scheme, hoping to bring more traders under the tax net. The scheme is operational in 74 cities and towns. Traders with a turnover of up to Rs 25 lakh would have to deposit Rs 5,000 as lump sum tax, those with a turnover between Rs 25 and Rs 50 lakh would have top pay Rs 10,000 and those with a turnover between Rs 50 lakh and 75 lakh Rs 15,000.Traders with a turnover of Rs 1 crore would have to pay Rs 20,000 as tax. With Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal holding rallies in towns to promote the scheme, the Congress wants the Election Commission to stop him from “blowing his own trumpet”. It wants the pictures of the CM and his deputy be removed from Rahat certificates. But Taxation Department officials say there is nothing wrong in the certificates carrying the pictures of the VVIPs. “The scheme was designed after a scrutiny of records of over 70 small towns where the average tax collection was almost Rs 10 crore, almost 13 lakh per town,” said Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma, who drafted the scheme. “The government wanted to provide relief to lakhs of shopkeepers living under the fear of tax inspectors and simplify the procedure to pay taxes,” Verma said. The Punjab Small Traders Rahat Scheme: 2014 is for retailers who do not have business in any corporation or Class-1 municipal town, have a taxable turnover (excluding the turnover of goods covered under single-stage taxation) of less than Rs 1 crore per annum and who do not conduct inter-state sale or purchase. “If the business premises of a dealer who has opted for the scheme are inspected by any officer without the permission of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, he can lodge a complaint online,” Verma explained. Anyone opting for the scheme needs to submit an application to the designated officer.The application will be invariably accepted unless the officer has reasons to believe that this will lead to substantial tax evasion. “The certificate, with the picture of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, needs to be displayed at the business premises. But what about those who do not want to showcase the pictures of the SAD leaders,” asks Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira. He has written to the Chief Electoral Officer seeking the removal of the pictures on Rahat certificates for a free and fair poll. Describing the Congress complaints as a “nervous reaction to a popular trader-friendly scheme,” SAD spokesman Daljeet Cheema says the pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi also feature in several government schemes. Hence, the Congress objection carried no weight.
About the scheme
Cong objection
SAD defence
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Capt: My stand on Army action has been unambiguous
“I had strongly opposed Operation Bluestar then, I am opposing it now and will continue to oppose it in future unlike Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who changes his stance as it suits him,” Amarinder Singh said in a statement. He was reacting to allegations by Akali leaders Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder that he had advised then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the military operation. The former Chief Minister said he had not only resigned from the Congress in protest but had also quit as Member of Parliament. He said he was involved in negotiations on Punjab from 1980 to January 1984 after which he had dissociated himself from the same. Amarinder Singh asked Badal to explain to the people of Punjab as what had transpired between him and the Union Home Minister PV Narsimha Rao on March 28, 1984, and whether or not he had recommended military action in Amritsar as “he was dead scared of the rise of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.” Accusing Badal of double standards, the senior Congress leader said on the one hand, Badal had recommended military action against Bhindranwale and on the other cultivated ties with Khalistan Commando Force led by Gurjant Singh Rajasthani as he feared for his life. He said while Badal always attended the bhog of slain militants, he had never condemned the killing of innocent Hindus in Punjab.
SAD resolution
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal has demanded an explanation from the Congress-led UPA regime on the advice and help sought by the Government of India on executing the "brutal" Army assault on the Golden Temple in June 1984. A resolution passed at the SAD core committee meeting described the UK disclosures as "shocking and highly condemnable".
— TNS
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Broom takes Jalandhar in its sweep
Jalandhar, February 16 The rally saw the presence of Advocate HS Phoolka, while the one in Ludhiana saw the participation of former Director General of Police (DGP) Shashi Kant. The rally will be held in Patiala and Sangrur, among other districts. Phoolka and other district and state members welcomed Arvind Kejriwal’s decision to resign from the post of Delhi Chief Minister. Jalandhar is considered one of the prominent cities where AAP has evoked considerable suuport. Retired officers Swarn Singh and Lok Raj Nayyar are the front runners for the candidacy from the Jalandhar parliamentary seat. The name of government school principal Rajkumari Saroj is also doing the rounds. Swarn Singh was allegedly involved in the misuse of funds for the Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary celebrations in 2008. He has termed it a “political conspiracy” and reportedly had a word with Kejriwal on the issue, after which he was given the go-ahead for the membership. Sources said the state executive would decide on the candidate from Jalandhar. Meanwhile, enthused about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and claiming to be unfazed by the Kejriwal’s resignation, the party has been trying to broaden its base in the city. The party plans to cover all 60 wards across nine blocks in the urban areas. As for strengthening its rural base in the district, party workers have been forming teams in villages. While teams at 28 villages in Adampur, Nakodar and Shahakot have been formed, the party is looking to form teams in all 944 villages in the district. At present, the party has 35,000 members in the district and 500 field workers. AAP convener Himanshu Pathak said, “The Lok Sabha elections is round the corner and there is a lot of work to do. The party will shortly be sending teams across the district for door-to-door campaigning and raise issues that matter the most.”
You do the sting, we will do the rest: AAP
Hoshiarpur: If someone in a government office asks for a bribe, don’t panic. Do a sting on him and give the video clip to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It will file a complaint and contest the case in the court too. This was the message to the people during the 'Jhadu Rally' of the AAP's district unit organised here today. The AAP leaders with brooms in their hands raised slogans such as ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Vande Matram’, and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. Led by the members of the national executive, they went across the city on motorcycles and scooters and stopped at intervals to sweep the roads and address people.
— TNS
Rally round-up
Numbers count
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Phoolka begins campaign
Chandigarh, February 16 Talking to The Tribune, he said: “ Our party is for recalling MPs and MLAs who fail to live up to the expectations of voters.” Phoolka, who did matriculation from Government High School, Bhadaur, a few kilometers from Barnala, said for him it was back to his roots. After LLB from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Phoolka started practising in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Before that, he did B.Sc (Agriculture) from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. “I did a course from the Ludhiana flying Academy to become a commercial pilot,” he said. Phoolka, who is associated with the Gian Sewa Samiti, has been helping students in Punjab to prepare for medical and engineering entrance exams. He is also associated with Edusat. Phoolka has launched community farming projects in the state. “Community farming is being done in certain villages of Moga and Ferozepur districts. I organised a people’s march against the use of drugs during the SGPC and assembly elections,” he said. Phoolka, who launched his campaign today, said his wife had taught in Ludhiana for some years before moving to New Delhi. “After the 1984 Delhi riots, we decided to shift back to Punjab. When I went to Delhi to bring our luggage, I was told that riot victims in relief camps needed advocates to get their complaints registered. I visited some camps and decided to stay on in Delhi to help them get justice,” Phoolka said.
About AAP candidate
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Shashi Kant on AAP’s poll panel
Advocate Navin Jairath, AAP state spokesperson, said: “The national executive has approved the list of members of the election campaign committee. After screening the names for the 12 parliamentary seats, AAP will declare the candidates soon after approval from the national election commitee.” He said that nearly 750 applications were received for all 13 seats in Punjab. The members of the election campaign committee are Advocate Naveen Jairth, Deepak Thakur, Dharamvir Gandhi, Gulshan Chhabra, HS Phoolka, Harinder Singh, Harjot Singh Bains, Lal Singh Sulhani, Manjit Singh, Raghbir Singh, Rajni, Ranjeet Singh Pandher, Santokh Singh, Dr Sumail Singh Sidhu, Tarandeep Singh, Shashi Kant and Kultar Singh.
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MSP, subsidy dominate discussions
The event was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chauhan, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu and a number of agricultural experts. The leaders dwelt upon issues like making the minimum support price (MSP) more remunerative, providing huge subsidies to farmers as was being given in developed countries, developing food processing and agro units and implementing recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Terming farmers as backbone of the country, Badal said: "With a separate agriculture budget, problems of the country's farmers would be resolved effectively and policies related to the farm sector would be made and implemented in a better way. The end result will be a higher agricultural growth," said Badal. Badal alleged due to Centre's indifferent approach towards the sector, over one lakh farmers in Punjab had switched over to other businesses. "I am not aware of statistics in other states, but I am sure the situation will be similar there", he said. The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said: "If the cost of production is Re 1, give him (farmer) Rs 1.50 as MSP. It should be MPP instead of MSP." Echoing similar sentiments, Shivraj Chauhan said efforts should be made to make agriculture a profitable business. "Policies should be made to ensure a lower cost of farm inputs and a right price of the produce. Only then we would be able to save our farmers," he said. "The Centre is doling out huge subsidies to industrialists. Why not farmers who give us food be given the same," said Chauhan. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said in 1950, 65 per cent of the country's population was engaged in agriculture which accounted for 65 per cent share in the GDP. "Now around 55 per cent of nation's population is in agriculture and its share in the GDP has reduced to a mere 27 per cent. The downfall is due to the anti-farmer policies of the successive Union Governments," he said. Badal said he had sent invitations to chief ministers of all the states. "We will prepare a report of the summit and send it to the Centre," he added.
CMs speak Over one lakh farmers in Punjab have switched over to other businesses due to Centre's indifferent approach towards the sector. Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister The Centre is doling out huge subsidies to industrialists. Why not farmers who give us food be given the same. Shivraj Chauhan, Madhya Pradesh CM
Exhibition opened
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated an exhibition for farmers at Chappar Chhiri on Sunday. More than 175 companies are participating
On the sidelines...
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CM keeps mum as speakers suggest inter-linking rivers
Mohali, February 16 Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal chose to remain mum on the subject, The Akali Government has openly opposed inter-linking of water bodies with its adjoining states, particularly Haryana. Badal had appealed to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to direct the Haryana Government to stop the construction of a concrete wall at the Hansi-Butana canal, pleading that it could cause floods in Punjab areas. Naidu said in view of the drying up water resources, there was a need for interlinking rivers as underlined during the tenure of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government at the Centre when a task force was
set up. “Interlinking of rivers by state governments should be the top priority in view of the changed agriculture scenario,” Naidu said. Chauhan said that river connectivity in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh had worked wonders. “The region had turned into a desert with the water level sliding 1,000 feet below the ground. We have managed to get the waters of the Narmada into the Chhipra river. This has improved water availability in the region,” he said.
Why the silence ?
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A publicity stunt: Congress
Accordingly, every farm household was under a debt of Rs 3.05 lakh and the debt per operated acre stood at Rs 28,947. The plight of small and marginal farmers was even more dismal with a debt of Rs 41,147 per operated acre. This showed that 96 per cent of farmers in Punjab were under debt . Hence, the summit was yet another image-building attempt by the Badals at the cost of the public exchequer, Khaira added.
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SAD (A) not to allow Modi rally
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 16 He called Modi “a murderer of Muslims”. He said the “communal” Modi Government had uprooted 60,000 Sikhs from Gujarat. Mann called upon the Sikhs to participate in the party’s "Char di Kala" By inviting Modi, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was trying to vitiate communal harmony in the state, he alleged. “Badal has no right to call himself leader of the Sikhs as he failed to get justice for the 1984 riot victims during the NDA regime. He did not ensure the release all Sikh detainees languishing in various jails,” Mann said. He said the UK Government had betrayed the Sikhs by helping the Indira Gandhi Government to conduct Operation Bluestar. On the occasion, a resolution was passed demanding that the Unitted Kingdom courts reconsider the punishment awarded to four youths for attacking General KS Brar. Another demanded a CBI inquiry into the drug trade in Punjab and the scrapping of the Bikrami calendar.
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State BJP chief being considered for Amritsar seat?
Jalandhar, February 16 Sources in the BJP said Sharma was one of the heavyweights of the party and might be the party’s choice from Amritsar. They said during the recent BJP state election committee meeting, senior party leaders had vociferously projected Sharma’s candidature from Amritsar constituency. Navjot Singh Sidhu, who presently represents Amritsar, had a week back stated, “I am aware that certain persons don’t want me to contest from Amritsar. It is okay if there are compulsions within the party and the alliance.” “Sidhu’s sour relations with senior Akali leaders, particularly SAD stalwart from Majha Bikram Singh Majithia, are an open secret. According to the changed permutations and combinations, the political scenario in Amritsar has changed. Kamal Sharma is the state BJP president and he also suits to the Akali leadership. It won’t be a surprise if Sharma gets a BJP ticket from Amritsar,” said a senior BJP leader. Meanwhile, Kamal Sharma, who was in the city yesterday, said, “I want to put all the speculations to rest. I am not contesting the parliamentary elections.” When asked that if the party high command asked him to contest the elections, he said, “It is a very tricky question,” indicating anything can happen.
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Langar hall: Dhadhi Sabha, SGPC meeting today
Amritsar, February 16 Members of the Guru Hargobind Dhadhi Sabha had announced to go on an indefinite fast at the construction site after the SGPC failed to respond to their demands. The Dhadhi Sabha is of the view that those engaged in the construction were non-Punjabis who smoked and consumed tobacco while carrying out construction, which is a violation of the “maryada”. They demanded the building should ideally be constructed through ‘kar sewa”. Dhadi Sabha chief Baldev Singh, a former SGPC member, said if the talks failed to yield the desired results, they would continue with their agitation. It is learnt that the SGPC has given an assurance that the labourers would not be allowed to consume tobacco while on job at the langar hall. The SGPC has also agreed to depute supervisors and its task force to monitor the work.
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2,500 cops to be deployed at Hola Mohalla
Anandpur Sahib, February 16 At a meeting, Ropar Deputy Commissioner PK Agrawal said Anandpur Sahib would be divided into nine sectors and all liquor shops would remain closed during the festival. He said 14 towers would be set up to keep a close watch on the crowd. The DC said telecom companies would be asked to install a booster in the area so that visitors do not face connectivity issues. Duty magistrates will maintain law and order in all the sectors and a total of 14 dispensaries will be set up in the area. As many as 21 ambulances will also be stationed there. The DC said over 25 buses would be introduced for the convenience of devotees.
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Toor's allegations baseless: Satguru’s brother
Ludhiana, February 16 Thakur Dalip Singh, who is engaged in a bitter succession row with Satguru Uday Singh for the supreme post of the Namdhari sect, said Toor was levelling such baseless allegations to avoid a stringent punishment for the offence. He also termed Toor as a radical. Nearly three days ago, Satguru Uday Singh had rebutted Toor’s allegations while his followers strongly condemned these. They also demanded stringent punishment for Toor for attacking the sect chief. They had termed Toor as a puppet in the hands of a few opportunists, who wanted to hurt the religious sentiments of Satguru's followers. Satguru Uday Singh was attacked with an axe during early morning prayers at a Namdhari gurdwara at Leicester in the UK on August 11 last year.
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Ahead of poll, Sukhbir woos another sect
Nawanshahr, February 16 Sources said SAD ticket aspirant Prem Singh Chandumajra and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhary Nand Lal took keen interest in scheduling his meeting with the head of Bhuriwale sect, Chetna Nand. The sect has a considerable clout in Nawanshahr, Ropar districts, Garhshanker (Hoshiarpur) and a part of Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency. Sukhbir promised them to lay the foundation stone of a charitable hospital at Jhandian village near Nurpur Bedi (Ropar) in the last week of this month and to widen the road from Tapparian Khurd to Kahanpur Khuhi. — OC
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Sangrur MP flags off Panj Takht Darshan
Dhuri, February 16 The Director (Finance), Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), New Delhi, MP Mall, said the next journey could be March 21 or April 18, depending on the pilgrims’ response. The 504-seat train has seven coaches for pilgrims, two for luggage, and a pantry car.The train will return to the Dhuri railway station on February 25. The ticket fare, including food and bus facility, is Rs 8,250 per person. The train will cover about 5,250 km to and fro. Gurdeep Singh, a businessman from Sultanpur Lodhi, said owing to the MP’s efforts, his and his wife’s dream to visit the five Takhts had come true. He suggested that the train should be air-conditioned. School lecturer Om Parkash from Sangrur was among those who boarded the train today.
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Zila parishads have failed to manage schools: Teachers
Hoshiarpur, February 16 Union leaders demanded that 13,034 ETT teachers working in 5,752 elementary schools should be shifted to the Education Department. The teachers held a rally at Shahid Udham Singh park. Union member Ajib
Dwivedi, while addressing the teachers, said the state government was “cheating people in the name of
panchaytikaran”. “If the government wants to give rights to
panchayats, then why not give them the right to keep a check on the police, hospitals and other departmental offices. If the government cannot do that, then schools should also be handed over to the Education Department,” he said. The teachers demanded that the schools be immediately incorporated into the Education Department. They said if their demand is not met, they would hold a rally in Bathinda on
February 27.
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Woman run over in Barnala, mob sets bus on fire
Barnala, February 16 After the woman died, the mob set the bus on fire, alleging Orbit buses were driven rashly and led to several deaths. Raising slogans against the state government, they demanded the immediate arrest of the bus driver. However, the driver and conductor of the bus fled from the spot. The bus was on its way from Bathinda to Patiala. Gurlal Singh and Gurdeep were travelling to Mastauna Sahib on their motorcycle when the accident occurred. On hearing the news, villagers gathered and reportedly set the bus on fire. Station House Officer (SHO) Gurbhajan Singh said the bus driver had been booked.
Villagers blame Orbit buses for accidents
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Power engineers to intensify stir
Patiala, February 16 Association president Baldev Singh said the "unilateral" move had the shaken their trust in the government. "The bureaucrats and the government ignored the spirit of the clause wherein it has specifically been provided that any change in the qualification and experience of the CMD and Directors shall be with mutual understanding and not only with consultation". Demanding adherence to the pact, addressing the issue of common cadre and seniority and parity in pay scale of newly recruited assistant engineers, association general secretary Sanjeev Sood said they would continue to protest till their demands were met. He said the association would not cooperate with the management and hold a candlelight march in Patiala on February 19, Bathinda on February 26, Jalandhar on March 3, Amritsar on March 12 and Ludhiana on March 19. CMD reviews works KD Chaudhri, CMD, PSPCL, reviewed the corporation's progress in various sectors. He said the consumer base had grown from less than 70 lakh in 2010 to around 80 lakh at present. He said even after an increase of more than 10 lakh consumers in Punjab and achieving highest per capita consumption in India, the PSPCL had been able to supply uninterrupted power. He said Rs 4,400 crore had been spent on upgrading the transmission and distribution system.
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Textile manufacturers seek capital subsidy
Amritsar, February 16 TMA general secretary Hardit Singh Makhni said there were about 121 claimants for capital subsidy from Amritsar and Tarn Taran and several others from Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Ferozepur. He said a timely release of funds would have helped these industrialists to compete with their counterparts in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir who were better placed due to tax holiday in these states. He alleged the ruling alliance was not serious in promoting the industry in the state. — TNS
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RinGside view
Perturbed with the pathetic condition of Jalandhar roads, a journalist hit out at Mayor Sunil Jyoti at a press conference. When state BJP president Kamal Sharma was briefing the media on Narendra Modi's rally in Jagraon on February 23, the journo asked him if they would take BJP activists to the site on February 22.
"Considering the state of the roads here, it might take a day to get to Jagraon," he said. While the Mayor and senior BJP leaders looked shamefaced, the media fraternity could not contain their laughter.
NaMo out of tune
The BJP in its bid to promote its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi recently launched a NaMo caller tune. The BJP's email sent to people read: "Make 'Modi aane wala hai' your caller tune on your Airtel/Vodafone mobile number by dialing 509090 (toll free)". Though people liked the idea, the tune didn't go down so well. "At least they could have chosen a more soothing song," said an irate customer.
Conditional offer
Last Monday at the launch of a group housing scheme of PUDA in Jalandhar, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal made a lucrative offer to mediapersons present. "All of you will get a flat here, provided you work as per my whims and fancies for the next three months," he said. A reporter then quipped, "We'll take the offer if you remove the rider."
The rising son
In Gurdaspur they refer to him as the 'Rising son'. Drainage Department officials were taken aback a halqa in charge's son convened a meeting at the PWD guest house. They were aghast as the son, who is also a prominent Youth Akali Dal leader, directed them to complete the works pertaining to the assembly seat in the area. When the officials approached their seniors, the latter brushed them off. A visibly upset official remarked, "If someone doesn't show this son his place, we'll be in deep trouble.”
Former Cabinet Minister SS Langah's (in pic) repeated pleas to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal seem to be falling on deaf ears. Ever since he was made the halqa in charge of Dera Baba Nanak, he has been urging Badal to hold a Sangat Darshan in his assembly segment. Moreover, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has inadvertently rubbed salt into Sucha Singh Langah's wounds by holding sangat darshans in the backyard of two of his rivals - former Speaker NS Kahlon and former minister SS
Sekhwan. — Umesh Dewan, Deepkamal Kaur, and Ravi Dhaliwal
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UK Sikhs threaten poll boycott over Operation Bluestar
London, February 16 Sikh Federation UK has warned that thousands of Sikh voters could boycott Conservative party candidates at the next year's General Election unless Cameron agrees to a large-scale probe into Britain's role in the operation in Amritsar. "We already have the support of over 50 politicians for an independent public inquiry from across the political spectrum. In the next few days, we are confident this number will increase to over 100," Amrik Singh, chair of Sikh Federation UK, told the 'Sunday Telegraph'. "Many Conservative politicians in Labour target seats whilst not yet supporting the inquiry are under enormous pressure as we have now started to gain the support of prospective parliamentary candidates, who are their main rivals," he claimed. Britain’s estimated 7,00,000 Sikhs live in urban areas, which include some marginal constituencies in parts of London, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands and their vote can prove decisive in an election. Over the weekend, worshippers at gurdwaras across the country will be urged to write to their MPs demanding that they back calls for a full public inquiry, the report said. MPs, who refuse to support the call, are likely to be banned from gurdwaras and will face losing the votes of Sikhs in their constituencies, the Federation has warned. A mass protest near Parliament in Westminster is expected to be called on Thursday if Cameron refuses requests for an urgent meeting to discuss the issue. Documents disclosed under the 30-year declassification rule had brought the issue into focus after it emerged that an officer of the British elite Special Air Service visited India to offer advice for the operation against militants in the holiest Sikh shrine. After an investigation by UK Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood, the UK Government had revealed earlier this month that Britain's alleged role in the planning of the operation had been limited and purely advisory in the early stages. — PTI
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Thefts of computers
Faridkot, February 16 The stolen computers are insured against theft but the insurance companies are denying the claim to the department, saying there was inordinate delay in lodging FIRs. The schools alleged that the police were reluctant in registering the FIRs due to increasing number of such thefts. In a letter issued to government schools last week, the Director General School Education (DGSE) pulled up the school heads for the delay in reporting thefts to vendors and insurance companies, which led to the denial of insurance money. The DGSE warned the school heads that if there was any delay in giving information to the vendors, the school teachers would have to compensate the school for these thefts. However, school heads said when they approached vendors and insurance companies, they demanded a copy of the FIR. They said the police were reluctant in registering the theft cases and sometimes, cases were registered months after the matter is taken up with them. Therefore, the vendor and insurance companies ended up denying them the insurance claim due to inordinate delay. In one such case, the police registered the FIR after about three months of a theft of ICT equipment from a government school in Romana Ajit Singh Wala village of Faridkot. Thefts of LPG cylinders, which are used for cooking mid-day meals in upper primary schools, are also on the rise. In the past one week, cylinders were stolen from five government schools at Bhilewala, Bazigar Basti, Chak Shahu, Janeria and Sangatpura in Faridkot. Faridkot DSP Jaswinder Pal Sharma claimed the police did not delay the registration of FIRs. “We have raised the matter with the village panchayats and asked them to be vigilant during the night hours to check these thefts till permanent night guards were deployed by these schools,” he said.
Education dept incurs losses
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Rs 1.2 cr smuggled liquor seized, two arrested
Abohar, February 16 Rawatsar police station in charge Anil Meena said the truck bearing registration number PB 04R 7762 was intercepted on the mega highway. Its search led to the seizure of 1,280 cases of whisky valued at Rs 65 lakh. Deep Singh said the consignment was loaded at Rohtak for Barmer. In another such seizure near Seruna on Biker road, the police chased a truck as its driver ignored their signal to stop. The vehicle (RJ 21GA 4826) was abandoned four km from the police barrier. Its search led to the seizure of 1,700 cases of whisky distilled in Haryana with a market value of Rs 55 lakh. The police also found three other registration plates in the driver’s cabin with goods carriage receipt (GCR) of cattle feed. About the contraband
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Patiala, February 16
Hoshiarpur, February 16
Mohali, February 16
Prominent speakers
Chandigarh, February 16
Langah let down