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Govt to expand ICP to boost trade
Ashutosh Maharaj's death
Cong top brass wants Bajwa to re-contest seat
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Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh (centre) with his brother Malwinder Singh (left), who rejoined the Congress, at a press meet in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan
Tewari: Will contest from Ludhiana
Cinema houses shut, Malwinder’s aides allege vendetta
BSP goes it alone, declares 12 candidates
Disgruntled Congress leaders meet Ahmed
Khalsa meets Jathedar for detainees' release
No fresh blue cards to be made for Atta-Dal scheme, says CEO
Bains’ poll eve appointment comes under HC scanner
SIT formed to probe double murder case
3 BSF battalions to be on poll duty
200 Hoshiarpur students get degrees
Studies to be hit as poll panel bans free books
Notice issued to AAP
DC made custodian of century-old building
A Revenue Department employee pasting a notice on the building. Tribune photo
Sikh 'hakeem' shot dead in Pakistan
Man jailed for hitting wife in Singapore
Kanugo held for job on fake certificate
Kingpin of robbers’ gang arrested
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Govt to expand ICP to boost trade
Amritsar, March 14 Snehlata Kumar, Secretary (Border Management), Ministry of Home Affairs, recently held a meeting in this regard with the BSF officials, Customs Department and the district administration. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said the government intends to acquire another 200 to 250 acres adjacent to the existing ICP premises in Attari to improve trade facilities. At present the ICP is spread over 120 acres. He said the district administration has already conducted a survey of the area and submitted a report to the ministry. It is now for the government to identify the land it plans to acquire and intimate the district administration that will subsequently begin the process of land acquisition as per the new government policy. Meanwhile, the business community has hailed the move. Exporter Rajdeep Uppal said now that the government was contemplating to acquire more land it should work on setting up Inland Container Depot (ICD). He said setting up ICD was the way forward and there should be no problem in doing so as both the countries had already agreed to containerised movement of goods. CII National Council on Public Policy member Gunbir Singh said the move augurs well for bilateral trade. He, however, felt that the ICP could only be a game changer if the negative list for trade was implemented at the Attari border and the rail route was brought under the ambit of the ICP. Currently, Pakistan has restricted the list of importable items through Wagah to a meagre 137. He felt once the rail route that is hardly 400 metres away from the ICP, finds access into it, the goods being imported through trains could be handled properly. “It will serve two purposes - first, it will drastically curtail the threat of contraband smuggling in goods train and second, it will serve as a good alternative to the rail cargo facility in Amritsar which is in a shambles,” he added. On the other hand, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha leader Rattan Singh Randhawa said if the government intended to acquire more land adjacent to the ICP in Attari then it should provide adequate compensation to the farmers, besides facilitating employment to their family members. India and Pakistan had resumed trade engagement at the ministerial level in January this year by announcing a series of steps, including 24x7 trade activity at the Attari-Wagah border, allowing the movement of container cargo, opening of bank branches, issuing more business visas and setting up a non-discriminatory market access (NDMA) programme in both countries. This was announced after a bilateral meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and his visiting Pakistani counterpart Khurram Dastgir Khan in New Delhi on January 18.
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Ashutosh Maharaj's death
Chandigarh, March 14 The petition was filed less than a month after Justice MMS Bedi of the high court told Puran that he could approach the police station concerned for remedy if he felt Ashutosh Maharaj had died an unnatural death. Puran's latest petition, which is expected to come up during the next hearing, is based on the ground that the police refused to intervene even after he had approached them. Puran has all along been contending that Ashutosh Maharaj was clinically dead as per the status report of Punjab Government and certificate of doctors. He was hale and hearty and his alleged sudden death due to cardiac arrest raised suspicion, he had maintained. The post mortem was imperative so that “the real cause of death may come to light”. Puran had also filed a habeas corpus petition for Ashutosh Maharaj’s release. In his order, Justice 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." Latest plea * The court adjourned the case till March 18 *
Ashutosh Maharaj's driver Puran Singh's latest petition, which is expected to come up in the next hearing, is that the police refused to intervene even after he approached them to look into his "unnatural" death
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Cong top brass wants Bajwa to re-contest seat
Gurdaspur, March 14 On the other hand, Capt Vikram Singh is working his contacts in New Delhi. He is considered close to Congress leader Ambika Soni. He had unsuccessfully contested elections against BSP heavyweights such as Capt Vikram seems to be on a firm ground because be being a Rajput can garner the votes of nearly 2 lakh Rajputs in the constituency. And being a former Armyman, he can sway a major chunk of the 90,000 Army votes in the segment. The Congress is likely to announce the candidate after the BJP announces theirs. The saffron party is likely to name its candidate either on March 15 or March 18. For the saffron party, the toss-up is between former Union Minister Vinod Khanna and industrialist Swaran Salaria. “If Khanna is re-nominated, Bajwa will not be keen to re-contest. Then the onus may fall on Capt Vikram. Amardeep Cheema, vice-chairperson of the Nehru Yuva Kendra is also in contention. It all depends on whom the BJP fields,” a Congress leader said. There are rumours that if Bajwa opts out, he may ask his younger brother Fatehjung Singh Bajwa to contest. Fatehjung confirmed that he was in the race. “I will abide by the high command’s decision,” he added.
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Amarinder takes on CEO
Chandigarh, March 14 Without naming him (VK Singh), Amarinder said: “When bicycles with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s photos have been stopped from being distributed among students, how can blue cards with the CM's picture for the Atta-Dal Scheme be allowed? “It is strange the CEO has allowed DGP Sumedh Saini to continue in office when he is facing murder charges and has been accused of money transfer during earlier elections”. On whether Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa should contest from Gurdaspur, he said: “All I can say is that I always contested elections when I led the party in the state. Party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are contesting the elections. Bajwa should do so too.” Malwinder Singh said he had met Sonia Gandhi on her return from the US after a medical check-up in July 2012. “Her husband (Rajiv Gandhi) was my classmate at Doon School. She asked me to return to the party. When I met her again this January, she once again asked me to join the party and I said yes.” Amarinder denied he had a breakfast meeting with People's Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Badal recently. “He did talk to me. His name has been cleared by the party high command. I will campaign for him on the party high command's orders,” he said. Congress MLAs Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Charanjit Channy, Kewal Dhillon, Jagmohan Kang, Guriqbal Kaur, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were present at the press meet.
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Congress candidates fleeing, claims Sukhbir
Jalandhar, March 14 District planning committee chairman Gurcharan Singh Channi tried to pacify the protesters, but in vain. The protesters dispersed after BJP legislator Manoranjan Kalia assured them that they would be given an opportunity to put across their point of view during a meeting with Sukhbir later. Addressing party workers, Sukhbir trained his guns at the Congress. He claimed Congress candidates were "running away". He said the PPCC president and sitting MP from Gurdaspur, Partap Singh Bajwa, did not want to contest elections as the Congress was on a weak wicket. Sukhbir claimed the ruling alliance would sweep the poll owing to Congress infighting. Talking to the media later, he denied party workers had indulged in sloganeering. At Khanna, addressing party workers in favour of Kulwant Singh, SAD nominee from Fatehgarh Sahib, Sukhbir claimed the Congress was on its deathbed as most of its leaders were refusing to contest the elections. Balwinder Billa, BSP secretary and Khanna constituency in charge, joined the SAD on the occasion.
Tewari scared of losing: Deputy CM Ludhiana: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Friday inaugurates the office of Manpreet Ayali, SAD-BJP candidate from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat. He said the Congress-PPP alliance would not make any impact on the poll outcome. He alleged that anish Tewari, sitting MP from Ludhiana, was shying away from contesting the elections from Ludhiana as he was scared of losing. He appealed to the voters to elect Ayali. On Simarjit Singh Bains contesting the Ludhiana seat as an Independent, Sukhbir said: “I will not let him join the SAD as long as I am the party president. It is the party of loyal people.” He claimed several Congress MLAs were ready to join the SAD. He said the SAD-BJP alliance would win all 13 Lok sabha seats in the state. Earlier at a rally, SGPC chief AS Makkar said the Congress, that had “shielded” those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots should be defeated. — TNS
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Tewari: Will contest from Ludhiana
Ludhiana, March 14 There were reports that Tewari was keen to contest from Chandigarh. His remarks on “tainted Congress leaders” were viewed in this light. However, talking to The Tribune yesterday, he said it was “absolutely incorrect” that he had at any stage been interested in contesting from Chandigarh. “I reiterate that I will contest from no other seat except Ludhiana," he said. Local Congress leaders, including former DCC chief Krishan Kumar Bawa, have appealed to the high command to decide on Tewari’s candidature at the earliest. The sitting MP’s reported reluctance to contest from Ludhiana has given enough ammunition to SAD-BJP candidate Manpreet Singh Ayali to attack him Ayali has accused Tewari of trying to “run away” from the contest.
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Cinema houses shut, Malwinder’s aides allege vendetta
Patiala, March 14 Alleging political vendetta by the SAD, Malwinder said his proximity to two of the cinema owners cost them dear. The owners of Malwa and Phool cinemas on the Mall Road are his friends. The other three cinemas that have sealed are Capital, Tagore and Mini Tagore in Model Town. Sources said when Malwinder had joined the SAD, he demanded freehold lease status to Malwa and Phool cinemas. But on joining the Congress today, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Gopal Krishan Singh ordered the “immediate closure” of five cinemas for “not paying taxes for about a year”. The DC has sought a report from the SSP and the SDM by tomorrow. “On joining the SAD, I had apprised CM Parkash Singh Badal of my demand as the owners of the two cinemas are my friends,” Malwinder told The Tribune. “The government is harming my friends economically to settle personal scores,” he said. The Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer has written to the DC’s office that the five cinemas had not paid the requisite taxes and were running illegally. “These cinemas should be sealed and a report be sent by March 15,” reads the excise orders, forwarded by the DC to the Patiala SSP. “The DC could have given time to the cinema owners to pay taxes,” Malwinder said. The DC said that in the past one year, he had written to the cinema owners several times to pay taxes, but to no avail. “There is no political vendetta behind the order and I have acted as per rules,” he said.
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BSP goes it alone, declares 12 candidates
Chandigarh, March 14 The party’s state unit, often referred to as the “B-team” of the Akali Dal in political circles (because the party eats into the Congress vote bank and thus benefits the Akalis), today announced its candidates for 12 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Except for Sangrur, where the party is yet to announce its candidate, the BSP has gone ahead with its national agenda of social engineering by fielding two Jat Sikh candidates (Navjot Singh Jarag in Ludhiana and singer KS Makhan in Anandpur Sahib) and a Khatri Arora candidate (Pradeep Singh Walia) in Amritsar. The remaining nine candidates (see box) are from amongst the Dalit community. The party will also be holding a “Maha” rally in Nawanshahr on April 16, to be addressed by BSP supremo Mayawati, for which it proposes to mobilise 5 lakh people. BSP’s national general secretary and MP Narendra Kashyap hopes for a much better performance in this election. “We have consolidated our cadre and Dalit voters to a large extent. They will not fall prey to the politics of sops like atta- dal, free power and free residential plots, or the politics behind government supporting the razing of our religious structures,” he said. Going by statistics, the BSP throwing its hat in the political arena is actually good news for the SAD. This is because whenever the BSP has fielded its candidates, they have cut into the Congress vote bank. During the 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress had faced a virtual rout in the Doaba region (Dalits comprise 45 per cent of the population) as the BSP vote bank here increased substantially. Though the BSP did not win any seat, the party managed to increase its vote base in Kartarpur, Phillaur, Jalandhar (South), Adampur, Sham Chaurasi, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Banga assembly seats. Even in 2007, the Congress was defeated because it suffered losses in the Doaba region.
The candidates Ludhiana: Navjot Singh Jarag; Anandpur Sahib: KS Makhan; Amritsar: Pradeep Singh Walia; Jalandhar: Sukhwind Singh Kotli; Hoshiarpur: Bhagwan Singh Chauhan; Ferozepur: Rajkumar Prajapati; Khadoor Sahib: Sucha Singh Mann; Patiala: Ram Singh Dihiman; Faridkot: Sant Ram Maliya; Bathinda: Kuldip Singh; Fatehgarh Sahib: Sarvjit Singh Khalsa; Gurdaspur: Sukhwind Singh Sukh; Sangrur (yet to be declared) Caste matters * Four of the 13 Lok Sabha seats, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Faridkot and Fatehgarh Sahib, are reserved *
Dalits comprise 32 per cent of Punjab’s total population * The community comprises over 30% of the population in Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Muktsar and Faridkot districts *
BSP’s vote share in Punjab was 4.75 per cent in the 2012 assembly elections. *
In 2012, the SAD had won the maximum 25 reserved seats
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Disgruntled Congress leaders meet Ahmed
Patiala, March 14 Sources said Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri, Sangrur AICC member Aman Arora, former Patiala Mayor Vishnu Sharma, Bathinda Congress leader KK Sharma, former Deputy Chairman of the Punjab Planning Board RR Bhardwaj and others told Ahmed that the Congress had been ignoring Punjabi Hindus, who constituted just 13 per cent of the state Congress office-bearers. Vishnu Sharma said while the SAD-BJP alliance had allotted the party ticket to 35 Hindu leaders in the last assembly elections whereas the Congress had allotted the ticket to only 23 Hindus. “The Hindus constitute 38 per cent of the state population and yet are not given their due. If nothing is done, we may oppose official Congress candidates,” he said. Punjab politics is dominated by Jats, who constitute a mere 18 per cent of the population.
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Khalsa meets Jathedar for detainees' release
Amritsar, March 14 Talking to The Tribune, Gurbaksh Singh said they had requested the Jathedar to fulfill the promises he had made when he (Gurbaksh) had broken his indefinite fast for the release of the detainees. “We told him that it was his responsibility to ensure that those detainees were freed from jails permanently,” he said. He said they had also told the Jathedar that if he could not take a stand on the issue, he should facilitate their meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He said the Jathedar assured them of support but with a rider that the ongoing election process might affect the process. Gurbaksh said the Jathedar had also told them that he would try to arrange their meeting with the Chief Minister. He said they told him to redress the issue at the earliest so that they are not forced to resume their agitation.
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No fresh blue cards to be made for Atta-Dal scheme, says CEO
Chandigarh, March 14 “We have sought information from the Food and Civil Supplies Department on the number of blue cards made before the elections were announced on March 5. We have also sought information on flour and pulses given to weaker sections after March 5 ”. “We will be writing to the Chief Election Commissioner for instructions on the Atta-Dal Scheme. Beneficiaries identified before March 5, when the Model Code of Conduct came into force, will continue to get the ration,” the CEO said. Patiala Member of Parliament Preneet Kaur had pointed out that ‘atta-dal’ was being distributed on old photo cards to lure voters. On allegations by Ravneet
Bittu, Anandpur Sahib MP, that fresh cards were being made for the food scheme in
Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Ropar, the CEO said a reply had been sought from the
DCs. Hola Mohalla rallies The Ropar Deputy Commissioner had given permission to the SAD to hold a political rally at Anandpur Sahib during Hola Mohalla celebrations on land 200 yards from the gurdwara that was owned by the SGPC. PPP complaint People's Party of Punjab (PPP) general secretary Yadwinder Singh Buttar, in a complaint to the CEO, has sought the transfer of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Lok Nath Angra, saying he was a threat to his life. Buttar alleged that unknown assailants had fired at him in Sector 8 on January 21 earlier this year. The CEO said the matter had been referred to the Principal Secretary, Home. Hijacking credit The Election Commission is looking into the issue of politicians/ministers claiming credit for the achievements of their departments/ ministeries listed on the official websites.
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Bains’ poll eve appointment comes under HC scanner
Chandigarh, March 14 The notice by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Arun Palli for April 7 came on the PIL by advocate HC Arora, challenging the notification issued by the Punjab Government for appointing Bains as the chairman. Arora claimed that Bains retired as Principal Secretary, Home Department, on February 28. The state government, sensing the possible enforcement of model code of conduct for parliamentary elections from March 5, rushed through the entire process. Instead of inviting a panel of names of retired Judges from the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Government issued two notifications. One was for setting up Punjab State Police Complaints Authority at Chandigarh and the other was for appointment of Bains as the chairman, apart from two members. The hidden intention of the state government was to beat the March deadline. Its efforts to carry out the process before the enforcement of the code was evident from the fact that proper office for the authority was yet to be established. Besides, the staff was yet to be deployed, Arora alleged. He argued that the Punjab Government, in the process, also ignored the procedure prescribed by the apex court in the case of “Parkash Singh” in 2006. The Supreme Court had directed all states to set up state-level and district-level Police Complaints Authorities. Referring to Supreme Court judgment in Parkash Singh’s case, the petitioner asserted that the chairperson of the state-level police complaints authority has to be a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge. The petitioners asserted the apex court had also directed that the chairperson would be chosen by the state government or the Union Territory out of a panel forwarded by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned. He said the State of Punjab enacted Punjab Police Act, 2007, and prescribed the setting up of State-level Police Complaints Authority, yet it did not lay down the procedure to be followed for appointment of chairman.
Hasty matter * Former Principal Secretary (Home) DS Bains has been appointed the State Police Complaints Authority chairman *
The petitioner has claimed that the appointment was made in a rush on February 20 to beat the code of conduct *
He claimed that proper office for the authority was yet to be established and the staff was yet to be deployed *
The petitioner asserted that the chairperson of the police complaints authority has to be a retired SC or HC Judge
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SIT formed to probe double murder case
Sangrur, March 14 The SIT is being headed by Paramjit Singh Goraya, SP, (Detective), while the other members of the team are Moonak DSP, Moonak SHO, Lehragaga SHO, and Inspector of CIA staff.
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3 BSF battalions to be on poll duty
Jalandhar March 14 Sources said Ajay Kumar Tomar, Inspector-General, Punjab Frontier, today held a meeting with the top brass of the region in this regard. Tomar said though there would be a shortfall of personnel on the border, the senior BSF officials would keep the morale of the jawans up. —TNS
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200 Hoshiarpur students get degrees
Hoshiarpur, March 14 In his address, Sandhu emphasised the need for quality education and urged students to broaden their horizon by inculcating an inter-disciplinary approach towards knowledge. “There’s need to blend modern scientific outlook with human values,” he said. Sandhu presided over the function, while Satish Sharma, Director, DAV Management Committee, New Delhi, was the guest of honour. College principal Dharam Singh presented the annual report. Nearly 200 students were given prizes for their achievements in academics, sports and extra-curricular activities. Three students were awarded the roll of honour and 25 students were decorated with the college colour. College vice-principal Shobha Kalia proposed the vote of thanks.
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Studies to be hit as poll panel bans free books
Mohali, March 14 The books are distributed under Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan and a Social Welfare Department scheme to students up to Class X. Punjab Principal Secretary (Education) Anjali Bhawra confirmed the development. However, the Education Department has sought special permission from the election authorities to go ahead with the scheme. The new academic session in the state begins from April 1. “The students will suffer as they will have to wait for books till the General Election results, which will be declared on May 16,” a senior official said. In another development, the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has claimed that about 85 per cent of the books of all classes had been published. “We had supplied about 70 per cent of the books but the process had to be stopped due to the code of conduct,” said Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Board chairperson.
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Notice issued to AAP
Bathinda, March 14 Dr Sumel Singh Sidhu, AAP state convener, who reached here today, demanded action against the erring policemen. He demanded that a case be registered against those who had put up posters against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a CIA agent. He accused the police of being partisan. Kamal Kishore Yadav, DC, said an Assistant Returning Officer had been asked to inquire into the AAP complaint.
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DC made custodian of century-old building
Bassi Pathana, March 14 The Additional Advocate General while appearing for the petitioners, had contended the respondents were entitled to only one third of the property, but they were handed over the whole property. However, the counsel for the respondents agreed to it, but claimed that another one third portion was owned by their brothers, who were supporting them, and for the remaining one third portion, they had an agreement to sell. The court observed that there was a possibility of mischief as the authorities concerned would be in difficulty when the remaining owners claim their right. The court has fixed May 2 as the next date for hearing.
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Docs blamed for woman’s death
Sangrur, March 14 Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Rajiv Puri, however, claimed that the woman was brought dead to the hospital. Protesters alleged that the doctors did not attend to Rani in time when she brought to the hospital. She had fever for the past few days. Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla, former MLA Chand Singh Chopra and trade union leader Sukhdev Singh Barri reached the protest site. The dharna was lifted after Dhuri Sub-Divisional Magistrate Isha Singal and Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Panthey assured the protesters that they would look into the matter.
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Sikh 'hakeem' shot dead in Pakistan
Peshawar, March 14 On the complaint of Zahid’s father Syed Asghar, the local police have begun a probe into the killings. It is the second such incident in the district this year. Sikhs, who have been living in the district for centuries, have expressed concern over attacks against members of their community. —PTI Protect Sikhs, Pak told SGPC chief Avtar Makkar said the incident had triggered panic among the minority community in the neighbouring nation. He urged the Pakistan Government to ensure safety and security of the Sikhs
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Man jailed for hitting wife in Singapore
Singapore, March 14 Inderjit Singh (36) on Thursday admitted to hitting Amrita Dubey (26) with a 50-cm long pipe twice at his home in Woodlands on July 27, 2012, the Straits Times reported. Inderjit was also fined $2,000 for using abusive words against a police sergeant on January 2 this year. A district court heard that Inderjit returned home drunk around 1 am on July 27, 2012, and woke up his wife. He asked for her mobile phone but Amrita refused to give it to him. Inderjit scolded her and kept asking her who she was having an affair with but she persistently denied having an affair, the court heard. Singh admitted that after a heated argument, he beat his wife with the motorcycle exhaust pipe. — IANS
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Kanugo held for job on fake certificate
Moga, March 14 The local Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), VB, Surinder Kumar said the kanugo, Sukhjinder Singh of Phema village, Zira sub-division, Ferozepur district, had prepared a fake certificate of class X and then fraudulently changed his date of birth to get the job of a patwari 24 years ago. A few years ago, he was promoted as kanugo after qualifying the minimum requirements on the basis of a fake educational
certificate. The DSP said a complaint in this regard was lodged by Sukhjinder’s cousin Jaskaranjit Singh of the same village on July 10, 2013. A preliminary inquiry was conducted after which a case of fraud has been registered against him. Subsequently, he was arrested today. He also allegedly got a driving licence on the basis of a fake birth certificate. The VB has started an investigation to find out people who facilitated these fake certificates to him and to determine properties he had made by this fraud with the government, the DSP added.
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Kingpin of robbers’ gang arrested
Abohar, March 14 The accused, Kahlo Devi (65), is listed as history-sheeter in Sangrur’s Dhuri city, her native place. The gang operated in Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, Nabha and Bathinda. The gang’s modus operandi was to offer lift to women in a car, rob them of their ornaments and drop them at a secluded place. — OC
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The Punjab and Haryana High Court has appointed the local Deputy Commissioner (DC) as the custodian of a 100-year-old building worth crores of rupees here. The move comes after revenue officials filed a petition to get the possession of the property, which was earlier illegally occupied by the police department for over 52 years. The court said the DC would ensure the property is protected from encroachment or third party claim.
A powerful coterie of the Punjab Congress is pushing for Bajwa’s candidature, sources say. The Punjab Congress chief has tried to impress upon party leaders to not field him in the elections, but his argument did not hold water, they say.