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Modi hardsells pro-farmer image
Plotters of 1984 riots must be exposed: CM
Traffic goes haywire after rally
Netting profits through fish farming in waterlogged Muktsar
Sikh farmers in Kutch sceptical
Rs 150-crore plan to upgrade Patiala medical college
Get kids vaccinated against H1N1: Experts
50% AIDS patients are youth: Expert
Farmer killed in clash with cops cremated
Social body announces
Rs 1 cr for skill development
BSF ups vigil to check cross-border smuggling
SLIET students protest during convocation
Congress MLA from Dhuri may join SAD
‘Thrashed’ by classmates, 16-year-old ends life
Thieves cut open
ATM at Mukerian
Man booked for
killing ex-wife
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Halqa chiefs baffled over rush of applicants for tube well connection
Patiala, February 23 The SAD-BJP Government has summoned the entire record of demand notices so that these are distributed constituency-wise, allege Congress leaders. Highly placed sources in the government said they had expected about 60,000 applications. But the figure had touched 90,000 and was expected to go up. “About 40,000 applicants comprise those with agriculture land less than 2.5 acres," the sources said.
“Be it farmers affiliated with the Congress or the SAD-BJP alliance, we have to hand over demand note for tube well connections to all farmers in our constituency.The rush is stupendous,” said an Akali halqa in charge, adding that in his assembly segment alone there were over 1,200 applicants. At a function in Sangrur a couple of days ago, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had handed over demand note to over 7,000 farmers. The Secretary, Power, Anirudh Tewari, told The Tribune that the government was committed to make these tube well connections functional. This, he said, would entail a subsidy of Rs 670 crore. The Congress claims that the government wants to privatise the PSPCL. But before doing so, it wants to release tube well connections through halqa chiefs in order to win the farmers' support. “The question is as to how the government will pay for this additional subsidy. The government is yet to clear dues on account of power subsidy. Now, with an additional Rs 670 crore per annum, it is not hard to guess as to what will be the fate of the power utility,” remarked former minister Laal Singh. He accused the Badal Government of populism, saying its sole aim was to garner votes ahead of the parliamentary elections. When contacted, PSPCL chief KD Chaudhri claimed that with two thermal plants expected to generate ample power by the paddy season, additional power would not be a problem. “Roughly, the additional burden on account of one lakh tube well connections would be over Rs 650 crore. But the connections will be released in a phased manner. So, there will not be much of a trouble,” Chaudhri explained. Populism: Oppn *
The Opposition claims the government wants to privatise the PSPCL * Before doing so, it wants to release tube well connections through halqa chiefs to win farmers’ support *
That the tube well connections will entail an additional burden of Rs
670 crore * The Congress said it wonders how the fund-starved government would pay the subsidy
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Amritsar admn denies RTI info on flimsy ground
Chandigarh, February 23 The office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar (in its capacity as the Public Information Officer), rejected RTI activist Dr Jasdeepak Singh’s application for failing to provide attach his identity proof. Associated with the Congress, Dr Jasdeepak had sought information on a range of government activities, works and schemes. He alleged the office had flouted Section 6(2) of the RTI Act, which mentions that an “applicant shall not be required to give personal details except those needed to contact him”. The applicant claimed it appeared the government did not want to face public ire on “wasteful expenditure or poor work execution” pertaining to various welfare schemes in the district. To complicate the matter, the reply mentioned that since information belonged to other offices, and not his, the applicant should separately apply to them, including Public Works Department, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Social Welfare Officer and Punjab Roadways. The Central Information Commission, New Delhi, in its orders dated June 27, 2013, had also said that “if the public authority has any doubt relating to the citizenship of an individual, he can satisfy himself as to the genuineness of the appellant’s citizenship. However, there is no requirement for providing any proof of address.” The application *
The applicant had sought information on a range of government activities and expenditure Why the denial *
It was rejected on the ground that the applicant had not submitted his ID proof, though norms suggest it is not required
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Modi hardsells pro-farmer image
Jagraon, February 23 The two, holding the Congress directly responsible for the anti-Sikh riots, had demanded that once the NDA comes to power, fast-track courts should be set up to try those accused in the riots and to re-investige cases where perpetrators of the "genocide" had been let off. They had pointed out that Punjab had been discriminated against by the Congress-led UPA Government by giving tax concessions to neighbouring hill states, despite the sacrifices made by Punjabis in defending the country and making the country food surplus. Modi chose not to respond to these demands. Instead, he tried to woo the people by declaring that Sikh farmers in Kutch would not be displaced. Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh projected the NDA as the real representative of the farming community. "These Sikhs have as much right over Gujarat as I have and they will never be displaced from their fields. We owe it to them for cultivating fields on the dry and arid Kutch land. Any officer found harassing these farmers will have to go," Modi declared. Carrying further the NDA's pro-farmer campaign, Modi promised to divide the FCI into three divisions-procurement, storage and distribution. He said tonnes of foodgrain was rotting in the open. This was deliberate so that the rotten grains could be sold off to distilleries at throwaway rates. Knowing well that the agrarian population in Punjab would be decisive in the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi said if elected, he would ensure uniform development in agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors. He emphasised value addition in agriculture, saying "... If you grow tomatoes, you will not get a good price. But processing the tomatoes into ketchup and then bottling and marketing these, will increase its value manifold." Modi emphasised that the Akali-BJP alliance was symbolic of Hindu-Sikh unity. Lashing out at the Congress, Modi said, "They believe in divide and rule. but the people of Punjab have voted for development." Though the Badals refrained from talking about cross-border drug smuggling, both Modi and the BJP president said drug smuggling from Pakistan was a conspiracy to weaken the Indian youth. Modi struck an emotional chord, telling the gathering that Gujarat and Punjab shared religious and cultural bonds. The crowd cheered Modi as he announced: " If elected PM, I will be a watchman of the country's resources and ensure that these are not allowed to waste." On the sidelines of Jagraon rally *
Estranged MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife, Dr Navjot Kaur, were conspicuous by their absence. * The three children of Sukhbir Singh Badal and Harsimrat Badal were seen posing for pictures with Narendra
Modi. * All seven Akali candidates for the Lok Sabha elections were seated on the stage with ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries, sitting MPs and advisers to the government. * The MLAs and jathedars were seated on two stages raised on either side of the main stage. The colours used for the stages were saffron and indigo. * The venue was chosen carefully. The Akali leadership believes that each time a major political rally is held along the GT road, the Congress is stumped out. * The rally was a ‘kaka ji’ affair. Youth Akali leaders were seen manning the crowds, walkie talkie sets in hand. * 50-year-old Moga man died while returning from the rally * School buses and private buses ferried people to the rally (pic below). These buses parked along tents had supporters sitting on the roofs.
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Modi’s assurance to farmers meaningless, says Bajwa
Chandigarh, February 23 “Why did Modi not announce that his government will withdraw the SLP? His assurances that Punjabi farmers in Gujarat will not be evicted are hollow," he said. In a statement, Bajwa said it was shameful that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had been unable to convince Modi to withdraw the SLP. "Unless the SLP is withdrawn, all talk of protection to Sikh farmers settled in Kutch is meaningless," he said. The PPCC chief said the grim reality was that the minorities in Gujarat were being targeted, be it the Muslims, Christians or Sikhs. Correcting Modi, Bajwa said that drugs were not coming into Punjab, but were being supplied from Punjab to all over the world. He said Punjab was, perhaps, the only state in the country where "drug units are run by the state government and drug consignments are supplied under police protection." He claimed that the Congress, not the BJP, was the force behind the one rank, one pension scheme for ex-servicemen. " To speak on issues such as communal harmony, Modi must first apologise to the nation for the anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat," Bajwa added. YC activists detained in Jagraon Jagraon: The local police detained 24 Youth Congress activists while demonstrating against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. They were led by Punjab Youth Congress general secretary Kamaljit Singh Brar. As the activists began marching towards the rally venue, a police team led by DSP Jagraon Surinder Kumar stopped them near Rani Jhansi Chowk. The activistswere taken to the Raikot police station in a bus. They were released in the evening. The Simarnjit Singh Mann-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) opted not to hold a protest against Modi. — Jaswant Shetra Practice makes a man perfect The crowd was made to practise slogans before Modi’s arrival. But much to the dismay of senior SAD and BJP leaders, the response to slogans remained lackadaisical. “Your voice should go right up to Gujarat,” said one of the leaders to enthuse the gathering. He was corrected by Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia who said the voice should go up to Delhi. Keeping a watch Majithia’s binoculars remained much talked about during the rally. Majithia, along with other party leaders, kept telling Youth Akali Dal workers that he (Majithia) was watching them perform their duties. “If you perform your duty well, you’ll get a pat on the back from Badal Sahib,” he announced from the stage. Mutual admiration Praises were showered on the BJP prime ministerial candidate. "There has been only one Chief Minister as hard working as the Punjab CM and that is Gujarat CM Narendra Modi," said Sukhbir Badal. Modi responded by saying that he had learnt a lot from Badal Senior during his stay in Punjab.
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Plotters of 1984 riots must be exposed: CM
Jagraon, February 23 He said a sitting Supreme Court Judge should investigate the "conspiracy" behind the riots and expose the plotters. "The cases should be reopened and tried by fast-track courts," he said. He said the Punjabis had pinned hope on Narendra Modi for redressal of grievances. "The UPA Government has turned the federal system into a unitary one. The NDA, when voted to power, will undo this." The CM alleged that the Congress had ruined the state's industry in the state. " We are not against concessions being given to neighbouring states, but these being denied to Punjab," he said. Addressing the rally, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal said the country's economy was in tatters, the inflation rate was high, the industry had collapsed and the real estate was in the doldrums. He claimed that electing Modi the Prime Minister was the solution to all problems ailing the country. The BJP national president, Rajnath Singh, said the NDA would take up with the UK the issue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh being referred to as a "terrorist" in that country. It would provide special funds to Punjab to tackle the problem of depleting groundwater. It would implement the farmers' insurance scheme and ensure a separate budget for agriculture. Among those at the rally were Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP, BJP state chief Kamal Sharma, BJP leaders Shanta Kumar, Balramji Das Tandon and Vinod Khanna. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amritsar MP, was not at the rally. Rajnath Singh woos Punjabis *
Says NDA will take up with the UK the issue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh being referred to as a 'terrorist' *
It will provide special funds to Punjab to tackle the problem of depleting groundwater *
It will implement farmers' insurance scheme and ensure a separate budget for agriculture
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Traffic goes haywire after rally
Jagraon, February 23 In spite of a diversion route plan prepared by the Ludhiana (Rural) police, long queues of vehicles were seen up to many kilometers on both sides of the rally venue. Though the police had banned the entry of vehicles of the general public on the highway, yet a long jam was witnessed on the road due to hurriedness of visitors after the rally. Traffic policemen faced a tough time to ease out the traffic jam. It took more than two hours after the rally to clear the road of the traffic. Meanwhile, police personnel and civil officials deployed at the rally venue and residents of the nearby areas heaved a sigh of relief after the rally. “Repeated visits of VIPs at the venue and tight security arrangements put in place in the area caused a lot of inconvenience to the local residents and commuters travelling on the Ludhiana-Moga highway. We had to spend many sleepless nights due to loud noises of hooters of the vehicles of VIPs visiting the venue. The end of the rally has come as a huge relief to us," said Amit Khanna, a local resident. More than 10,000 police personnel, including a large number of women, were deployed at the venue. But in the absence of proper staying arrangements, they had to face a lot of inconvenience.
Clearing snarls
*
The police took more than two hours to clear traffic on the Ludhiana-Moga highway
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Netting profits through fish farming in waterlogged Muktsar
Muktsar, February 23 In the last three months, four villages — Ghagga, Tappakhera, Rattakhera and Manianwala — hit worst by waterlogging, have been brought under the scheme. The project is part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The farmers from each village have agreed to adopt aquaculture on 100 acres of land for a minimum of seven years. At present, 44 farmers are digging ponds and Rs 44 lakh (30 per cent of the total) subsidy has been provided to them as first installment. Spread on 500 acres, Ghagga village in Malout assembly constituency has not seen a single crop for the last almost 20 years. But now, farmers can be seen preparing fish ponds. Iqbal Singh, an affected farmer, said, "As Ghagga farmers agreed for fish farming on 100 acres, the government added this village in the 90 per cent subsidy category. For my 2.5 acres fish pond, I have so far received Rs 65,000 subsidy and the government is bearing entire cost." He said the Fisheries Department had held a camp in their village last year to motivate the farmers to opt for the venture. He said they were provided training and received the first installment as advance subsidy in their bank accounts. "The land was not of any use earlier. But with this subsidy and training, we are hopeful of generating Rs 1 lakh per acre annually. The department will also provide us Rs 1 lakh subsidy for fish feed," said Iqbal. Ramesh Kumar, Assistant Director, Fisheries Department, Muktsar, said, "The fish pond requires a minimum 2.5 acres area. We give Rs 3.10 lakh for one hectare in three installments.” He said villages that fell short of the 100-acre ceiling (for 90 per cent subsidy) were provided 40 per cent subsidy.
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Sikh farmers in Kutch sceptical
Chandigarh, February 23 Sikh farmers, allotted land in the Kutch region of Gujarat in the sixties, were sent eviction notices by the Gujarat Government. The notices were challenged by the farmers in the Gujarat High Court that gave a verdict in their favour. But the Modi Government filed an SLP ( Special Leave Petition) in the Supreme Court against the order. "We welcome Modi's assurance. We will welcome Modi with garlands if he orders the withdrawal of the SLP filed by his government in the Supreme Court", said Surinder Singh Bhullar, a farmer from Gujarat. Lachhman Singh Brar, who lives in Bhuj district, said they would be relieved only if the Modi Government withdrew the SLP. Dr Ajaib Singh, member, National Commission for Minorities, said assurances alone would not suffice. The Gujarat Government would have to withdrew the SLP to win over the Kutch farmers' trust. Farmers Prithi Singh, Mohan Singh, Bhajan Singh, Jasbir Singh, Naib Singh and Harnam Singh said Modi should instruct his revenue officials to withdraw the government appeal.
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Rs 150-crore plan to upgrade Patiala medical college
Patiala, February 23 The project would cost Rs 150 crore — Rs 120 crore to be borne by the Centre and the rest by the state. While Rs 90 crore is meant for infrastructure development, Rs 60 crore would be spent on purchasing new equipment. Eighteen super-specialty blocks are to be built. Azad said apart from upgrading the existing hospitals, the Centre would open new institutions that provided AIIMS-level facilities. “We have already upgraded 19 medical colleges while the process is on at 39 others under the scheme’s third phase. It will be completed in two years,” he said. Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Patiala MP Preneet Kaur said upgrading the facilities would mean the residents would no longer have to travel to other states for specialised treatment. Criticising the US Food and Drug Administration for banning a Ranbaxy plant, the Minister said India would challenge the decision at appropriate international forums. Azad refused to reply to queries related to the transfer of Keshav Desiraju from the post of Union Health Secretary in alleged violation of the Supreme Court’s minimum two-year tenure norm. He said the transfer was an internal matter of the Ministry. Former Health Secretaries Sujatha Rao and Naresh Dayal, historian Ramchandra Guha, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and Kiran Mazumdar of Biocon, among others, have written to the Prime Minister expressing concern over Desiraju’s “abrupt” transfer. The issue has been highlighted in a section of the media. The letter mentions that Desiraju, appointed only a year ago, was allegedly shifted as he opposed the re-entry of Dr Ketan Desai, who is facing graft charges, into the Medical Council of India. Laal Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Hardyal Singh (all MLAs), Principal Secretary (Health, Punjab) Vinni Mahajan, Director of Medical Education Dr Jasvir Singh and college Principal Dr KD Singh were among those present. For better care *
Of the Rs 150 crore, Rs 120 crore would be borne by the Centre and the rest by Punjab *
Rs 90 crore would be spent on infrastructure development * Rs 60 crore would be spent on purchasing new equipment *
18 super-specialty blocks are to be built at the hospital * The Centre has already upgraded 19 medical colleges with AIIMS-level facilities *
Another 39 are being upgraded under the Centre's latest scheme
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Get kids vaccinated against H1N1: Experts
Ludhiana, February 23 “The H1N1 vaccine is easily available and one should get it administered every year since the molecular level of the virus changes each year. The best time to get vaccinated is around March and April and it takes 6 to 8 weeks to become effective,” says Dr Suri. He said children below a year old should also be administered the vaccine as their immunity hadn’t developed fully. “If a child is suffering from H1N1, he should not be sent to school since it is a communicable disease,” said Dr Suri. Clearing the misconceptions about the virus, Dr Bhalla said H1N1 was a flu virus and had nothing to do with pigs. He further said it should not be called swine flu. “It is called HIN1 2014 this year since its molecules change every year,” he said. When it was first detected in 2009, it was called “swine flu” because the virus was similar to that found in pigs. The H1N1 virus is currently a seasonal flu virus found in humans and pigs. Dr Bhalla also advised that one should not eat poorly cooked pork products in order to avoid catching the virus.
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50% AIDS patients are youth: Expert
Ludhiana, February 23 “Since, parents are reluctant to talk about issues related to sex with their children, peer educators can chip in as students are closer to their teachers. To raise awareness, we have also introduced a chapter on sexual and reproductive health in Class IX,” he said. ‘Age of personalised medicine is here’ Ludhiana: Dr N Naithani from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, said the age of "customised medicine" had arrived. "Our growing understanding of genetics is allowing us to provide better diagnoses, safer drug prescriptions, and more effective treatment of the diseases," he said. —TNS
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Farmer killed in clash with cops cremated
Amritsar, February 23 Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC) leaders and the deceased’s family members took the body’s possession after around 45 farmers, barring 13 who were booked by name on attempt to murder charge, were let off by the police. They were arrested following a clash that occurred outside the power corporation office where they had allegedly held the officials hostage. Around 15 policemen were also injured. After taking the body’s possession, the farmers reached Bandala village while marching through various roads of the city amid chanting of anti-Punjab Government slogans for its alleged anti-farmer policies. They took the Majitha Road route to the bus stand, from there to Jahajgarh, Chatiwind Gate and then moved towards Sultanwind Road. They then moved towards Chabba and finally to Bandala. The march was carried out amidst heavy police deployment. Representatives of various farmer bodies paid tribute to the departed soul. Angrej Singh, the deceased’s elder son, lit the pyre. KSC general secretary Sawinder Singh Chutala said they would soon submit a list of the injured farmers to the government to seek their free treatment. Their demands *
State government should employ a family member of the deceased farmer *
Slash power rates to Re 1 per unit for houses * Provide free connections for farmers with less than five acre landholding
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Social body announces
Rs 1 cr for skill development
Chandigarh, February 23 Foundation’s chairman Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Padma Shri awardee, who is also the international president of the World Punjabi Organisation said The Sun Foundation had been involved in a number of social welfare activities aimed at liberating destitute people from poverty and neglect. He said the foundation had set up 50 skill development centres in the region, which imparted free training to 3,000 beneficiaries every year through projects such as “Surya Kiran”. The project aims at providing vocational training to women so that they can earn a sustainable livelihood. He said around 25 such vocational centres were being set up in Punjab and Haryana by the foundation. Other projects of the foundation include “Taare Zameen Par”, vocational training institute for differently abled children, “Save the Girl Child” campaign and “Angels of Sun”, which aims at providing financial support to needy children.
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BSF ups vigil to check cross-border smuggling
Abohar, February 23 Border Security Force (BSF), Rajasthan Frontier, Inspector General PC Meena said the renovation of constrain wiring put up long ago had been taken up as the pilot project. He was speaking during the inauguration of the new administrative complex on the Sriganganagar-Padampur road last evening. He said Intelligence inputs had indicated that the gunning down of narcotic smugglers and seizures in Punjab might force smugglers to increase activities in the Sriganganagar region. There had been major attempts of smuggling near Hindumalkot bordering Abohar sub division last year too, he said. The BSF has also increased the effective strength in each battalion besides equipping patrolling parties with modern gadgets, including night vision devices. Meena said, “Labourers from across Punjab would join local workers in the ensuing harvesting season. Security personnel would have to more vigilant to check infiltration of anti-national elements under the garb of farm labourers.” Referring to the arrest of Pakistani nationals last year, he said spying attempts were negligible and so, the BSF would concentrate more on checking smuggling of narcotics and fake currency from other side of border. On the social front, he said a civic action plan (CAP) had been launched under which each battalion had been provided a budget for organising free medical camps in border villages, providing bicycles, stationery and sports kits to youth, besides training them for recruitment in security forces. This would help in keeping them away from drugs and anti-social activities, he said. Meena said a road, four feet above the Ghaggar river’s level, would be constructed in the Anoopgarh border area to prevent recurrence of damage caused to barbed wire fencing and BoPs due to floods.
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SLIET students protest during convocation
Sangrur, February 23 Dean (Academic) Dheeraj Sud said Navneet had not been given the medal as he and 27 others were allegedly involved in a rampage at the campus. His case was pending before disciplinary action committee, he said. — TNS
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Congress MLA from Dhuri may join SAD Chandigarh, February 23 It is learnt that Khanna has held several meetings with his supporters at his Sangrur residence. His close aide said the MLA was set to join the SAD along with his core team. When contacted, Khanna said: “As of now, there is no such move to quit the Congress.” Khanna was once known as former CM Amarinder Singh’s right hand man. Harchand Kaur is thinking of leaving the Congress because of group rivalry. The two MLA are reportedly planning to announce their defection to the SAD after the EC announces the Lok Sabha elections. If they resign before that, perhaps the EC may declare a byelection in their constituencies. And this could place them in a difficult situation. Some Congress MLAs from Majha may also quit the party, say sources.
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Out of date
Though the state government has claimed to have gone digital, its official website is appallingly out of date. On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal declared the state would be the first in the country to have 147 citizen services under RTS. He claimed people could access information about these services on www.punjab.gov.in . But a visit to the website showed Late Capt Kanwaljit Singh as the Banur MLA and Balbir Singh as MLA from Kharar. Incidentally, the present Kharar MLA is Jagmohan Kang and Balbir Singh is MLA Mohali. So much for Sukhbir’s announcements! Cutting edge tech With Ludhiana in the lead, the region is fast emerging as a leader in medicine. Last month on Republic Day, Chief Minister had honoured local dentist Dr Vivek Saggar with the highest state award. Now, eye surgeon Dr Navjot Chugh’s has set up the first Wave Light Refractive Suite in the region at his surgery in Model Town. It is the most efficient laser system for refractive surgery in the world. It can correct low to high levels of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. Surprise AAP gift It seems the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going overboard with its ongoing enrolment drive in the state. This correspondent was offered membership of the party through the Aam Aadmi group messaging service on February 11 even though he had never asked for it. When he tried to lodge a complaint on AAP website, it shut down. Perhaps, it had too much on its plate with so many people flocking to become members. Father, son shine in US This father-son duo has made their sleepy village of Authola proud after being appointed to prestigious posts in the US. While, Tarlochan Sohal has been working as a Deputy Sheriff for Merced County in California for a few years, his son, Satbir Sohal, too has been appointed as Deputy Sheriff at the same county. Tarlochan had left for the US in 1978. “Like my father, I will crack down on drug peddlers,” asserted Satbir Sohal. The two are still connected to their roots and visit Authola village once a year. Dearly missed The serviceberry sapling that was planted in a US college in memory of a young golf icon now stands as a fully grown tree. Samarvir Sahi also known as Sam Sahi lost his battle against cancer in November, 1994. Each year, the students and staff of Albright College, Reading, Pennsylvania, hold a memorial service for one of their brightest students. Sam had also worked as a Resident Assistant at his alma mater for two years. The college had also started a Sam Sahi International Scholarship Fund for poor students from South Asia. Sam was also a close friend of ace golfer Jeev Milkha Singh. Top amateur golfers from across India have been participating in a golf tourney being held in Sam’s memory in Chandigarh since 1996. — Varinder Singh, Sarbjit Dhaliwal & Rajiv Bhatia
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‘Thrashed’ by classmates, 16-year-old ends lifeOur Correspondent
Hoshiarpur, February 23 A student of Cambridge International School, Kulraj Bedi of Ramesh Nagar area was reportedly beaten by his classmates when he was to board the school bus yesterday afternoon. Kulraj's father Vishal Bedi claimed his son's uniform was badly torn when he reached home. In his complaint to the police, Vishal alleged the assailants came in a car and humiliated his son in front of other students. "Kulraj appeared very disturbed. He said he will not go to the school unless we talk to the principal and the parents of the five boys. I assured him I will accompany him to the school on Monday," he said. Kulraj was rushed to a Ludhiana hospital. He breathed his last while being taken to the PGI, Chandigarh. DSP Digvijay Kapil said investigations were on.
Tragic end *
He was reportedly beaten up by five of his classmates outside the school on Saturday *
Unable to bear the humiliation, he ended his life, his father alleged
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Thieves cut open
ATM at Mukerian
Hoshiarpur, February 23 The ATM was burgled around 3.30 am. CCTV footage shows a man entering the ATM booth and spraying paint on the camera installed there. The thieves then cut open the ATM’s safe vault with a gas cutter and fled with the cash. The incident came to light when passersby saw the ATM machine cut open and its front panel lying outside. It was reported to bank manager Dinesh Kumar, who informed the police. Kumar said, “As of now, I do not know the exact amount of cash taken away. We had put Rs 50,000 on Friday, but there was more cash from before." The police have lodged an FIR against unknown persons in this regard.
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Man booked for
killing ex-wife
Phagwara, February 23 Bindu, mother of the deceased, told the police that her daughter was first married to Darshan Lal of Wadhala in 2010, who was later imprisoned in a theft case. Kamaljit then got married to Deep Kumar of Samrai village and they had a son, she said. Things turned ugly when Darshan came out from jail and reached the house of Kamaljeet’s new in-laws in Samrai village. Investigating Officer Amrik Singh said Darshan had claimed there that her son was out of their wedlock. Ultimately, Deep Kumar separated from her after divorce and then Kamaljit married Jaswinder Singh, who resides in the UAE. Bindu alleged that her first son-in-law Darshan had strangulated her daughter to death as her body was found tied and a cloth was pushed into her mouth. A case has been registered against Darshan. The body was handed over to her family members after an autopsy was conducted at the local Civil Hospital today.
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With more than 90,000 applicants in the queue, SAD halqa chiefs, empowered to recommend tube well connections, are in a fix. The state government and the PSPCL expect the annual subsidy bill to touch a whopping Rs 670 crore per once these tube wells become functional.
The NDA's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, while addressing a mammoth rally here today, did not speak on the 1984 riot victims, greater devolution of central funds and special package for the border state. These demands were raised by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the rally.
Farmers settled in Kutch remain sceptical of Narendra Modi's assurance that they will not be evicted from their land.Speaking at the Jagroan rally today, Modi had said that vested interests were spreading canards in this regard.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here today laid the foundation stone for upgrading the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital under the third phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana.
Dr Vikas Suri and Dr Ashish Bhalla from Chandigarh said children less than a year old and people suffering from diabetes, AIDS, cancer, etc were at high risk of catching the H1N1 virus. They were addressing the gathering at the 69th annual conference of Association of Physicians of India (API) here today. They said those susceptible to the virus should get vaccinated every year.
Bahadur Singh (74), the farmer who had died during a clash between agitating farmers and the police two days ago, was cremated at his native Bandala village near here today.
Senior PSPCL officials said that 1.10 lakh connections would entail an additional burden of Rs 670 crore. “The government is already trying hard to clear pending dues against power released to the agriculture sector,” they said. 
Fifty per cent of AIDS patients were young and parents and peer educators could play a pivotal role in raising awareness among them, said Dr BB Rewari, National Programme Officer for Anti-Retroviral Treatment at National AIDS programme.
*
Kulraj Bedi, a Class X student, allegedly consumed poisonous substance