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Debt forces 2 more Bathinda
farmers to commit suicide
the tribune
special |
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Over 250 held in anti-drug drive
HC notice to state, agencies for tardy lifting of wheat
Cong puts 2 MLAs on notice over indiscipline
Cong okays panel to look into rout
Youth Cong chief seeks Majithia’s resignation
BJP loses urban vote bank
Negative image of some Akali
ministers cost us dear: Shanta
MLA Sidhu’s supporters hit back at SAD
AAP holds protests in Kejri’s support
bhai rupa land row
Attack on Amritsar lawyers
Faulty meters: PSPCL slapped penalty
Power cuts back in Bathinda after 5 yrs
Sangrur dist sans grievance redressal panels for 2 years
Arhtiyas, labourers block highway
Hoshiarpur girl tops in North in ICSE
School board nod to cash awards for top students
Girl students protest poor facilities at Pbi varsity
Pak Sikhs have accepted
amended calendar: Makkar
Driver alleges misuse of official vehicle by officer
Cabbie to be deported for Australian’s rape
2 youths get 5 yrs for assault on principal
Undertrial escapes police custody, nabbed
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Debt forces 2 more Bathinda
farmers to commit suicide
Bathinda, May 22 Farmer and village union leader Tehal Singh allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a beam of the ceiling of his house in Phul town. The police found a suicide note in which the deceased wrote that he was taking this extreme step owing to his precarious financial condition. In a similar case, Jagmeet Singh of Chak Fateh Singhwala village in the Bucho block allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. His family said he was under debt and was disturbed from the last two-three months. He returned home from the fields last afternoon after sowing cotton crop. He went to his room to take a nap but was later found hanging by one of the family members in the evening. BKU leaders of the village stated that two years ago, Jagmeet's father Khem Singh had met with an accident in which he had fractured his leg. The family had to take a loan of Rs 6-7 lakh from private moneylenders to pay the medical bills. Jagmeet, who had a small landholding, failed to pay the debt that forced him to end his life. Recent case Two brothers attempted suicide at Hassanpur village of Mansa district on May 10 after they failed to repay the loan taken by their father. The brothers took the extreme step after receiving a letter from a bank that asked their father Ram Singh to repay Rs 2.81 lakh loan taken by him 15 years ago.
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the tribune
special
Chandigarh, May 22 The problem of drugs and its rampant smuggling inside the state jails is grave. In fact, one-third of the total inmates lodged in various jails across Punjab are drug addicts. Almost 40 per cent of the new inmates coming to jails daily are drug consumers. Of over 28,000 prisoners lodged in the eight central jails and 18 district and sub-jails of Punjab, 9,500 are drug addicts. These startling figures have been provided by the state Jails Department. While top jail officials maintain that barracks inside jails are checked regularly and drugs are seized, the fact is that with most jails not having any baggage scanners, drug supply in jails is a big business that remains largely unchecked. On the eve of the elections, 10 inmates were rushed to the Jalandhar Civil Hospital after their condition deteriorated owing to withdrawal symptoms. Kapurthala Jail Superintendent Prem Sagar Sharma told The Tribune that the problem arose because the drug supply was completely cut off owing to strict monitoring by the Election Commission. He said of 4,000 inmates lodged in the jail, 75 per cent were addicts. He, however, admitted that there had been no problem after the conduct of elections. In fact, the Jalandhar rural police have several times established the fact that masterminds of drug operators are running their business from the jail itself. In the Faridkot Central Jail where 400 of the 2,000 prisoners are addicts, the authorities have failed to check drug smuggling inside the jail. They have now imposed a ban on the sale of curd in the jail because the aluminum foil in its packaging is used by addicts to smoke and snort heroin and smack. Earlier an inquiry conducted into the clashes in Faridkot jail last year, revealed that an increase in the number of suicides inside the jail had its genesis in drug addiction. The inquiry report by Kotkapura SDM revealed that the addicts had an easy access to drugs in the jail. “Without the complicity of the jail staff, drugs cannot enter the premises,” reads the report. The report also said there were every day skirmishes in the jail hospital when doctors and paramedical staff failed to provide necessary drugs to addicts. The only remedy with the jail doctors was to give the addicts tranquilisers, which rather than helping them, aggravated the problem. The Jails Department maintains that they have set up drug deaddiction centres inside all eight central jails and that all addicts even from district and sub-jails are brought to these de-addiction centres. “We run this programme which has been designed by experts from the PGI. Separate barracks have been set up in jails for those undergoing detoxification and those opting for rehabilitation. The maximum number of those seeking detoxification are in Patiala (85 inmates) while 47 are undergoing rehabilitation. This is followed by Ludhiana (78 for detoxification and 25 rehabilitation) and Kapurthala (60 detoxification and 79 rehabilitation),” says a top official in the department. However, various Jails superintendents confirm that the de-addiction centres are not run properly. De-addiction has to be opted voluntarily, but not many come forward, they
say.
Menace deep-rooted
(With inputs from Deepkamal Kaur in Kapurthala and Balwant Garg in Faridkot)
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Over 250 held in anti-drug drive
Chandigarh, May 22 An ADGP-level official said that though the drive was launched a year ago, it was suspended during the Lok Sabha elections. He said it was resumed after Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini assumed office two days ago. The police district-wise details of the cases registered under the NDPS Act are: 45 in Amritsar city and rural, 38 Jalandhar (rural), 30 each in Ludhiana and Sangrur, 25 Hoshiarpur, 20 each in Kapurthala, Patiala and Tarn Taran, six each in Nawanshahr and Ropar, five in Barnala, four in Gurdaspur, three each in Batala and Moga, two each in Pathankot and Ferozepur and one each in Faridkot and Fazilka. No case has been registered in Bathinda. The ADGP said during the current drive, emphasis had been laid on catching the peddlers supplying drugs to youths on the streets.
Akali leader’s son held for possessing heroin
Moga: The police have arrested a constable, son of a local Akali leader, and his accomplice on the charge of possessing 10 gram of heroin. A criminal case under the NDPS Act has been registered against them at the city (south) police station. The constable has been suspended from service and a departmental inquiry initiated against him. During a routine checking, city (south) police station SHO, Inspector Hardip Singh, and ASI Dilbar Ali intercepted a car near Pahara Singh Chowk and seized 10 gram of heroin from it. The two youths, who were travelling in the car, were taken into custody. They have been identified as constable Satnam Singh of Duneke village, and Sanjog Singh of Moga. Satnam was posted in the city-I police station here. His father, Jarnail Singh, is a former Akali sarpanch of the village. Jarnail is considered close to Paramdip Singh Gill, former DGP who joined the SAD after retirement and unsuccessfully contested the 2012 Assembly elections. — TNS
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HC notice to state, agencies for tardy lifting of wheat
Faridkot, May 22 Kulbhushan Rai, president of the Ahrityas’ Association in Faridkot, filed the writ petition as large stocks of wheat had been lying in the open in mandis in Faridkot, Jaitu, Kotkapura and Sadiq in the district. The wheat procurement had started over 50 days ago and most of the wheat lying in the open was now infested with worms and termite, he said. “We have sought directions for the state government in this regard and demanded in the petition that commission agents shouldn’t be held responsible for the damage to the wheat,” Rai said. He said it was the responsibility of the Food and Supply Department to shift the procured wheat to its stores within 72 hours of its procurement. The procurement agency is penalised 25 paise per bag (50 kg) if it fails to lift the wheat in the stipulated time limit. On Thursday morning, 10.61 lakh wheat bags were lying in the mandis. So far, 45.70 lakh quintal wheat has been procured in the district this season. Two weeks ago, Punjab Mandi Board, Faridkot, had served notices to Pungrain, Punsup, Markfed, Warehouse and Punjab Agro, demanding Rs 70 lakh as damages for the delay in lifting. “However, neither the notice, nor the farmers’ protests have resulted in speedy lifting,” said Rai. Sources said over 15 per cent of the procured wheat had been completely damaged due to tardy lifting by politically-backed private contractors. Lally Chhabra, general secretary, Ahritya’s Association, said over 25 per cent of procured wheat in Faridkot was unfit for human consumption. District Food and Supplies Controller Jaspreet Singh Kahlon said a major portion of the procured wheat had been shifted to the stores. The remaining stock would be lifted in the next two to three days, he said. Apathetic state
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Cong puts 2 MLAs on notice over indiscipline
Chandigarh, May 22 Addressing mediapersons here, disciplinary committee chairman Gopal Krishan Chatrath said, “We have definite information that both these leaders did not visit their constituencies during the elections. Our candidates trailed by more than 50,000 in one of these segments.” Chatrath asked how could the duo question Bajwa’s authority when they themselves had failed to secure a lead in their home constituency. “The press statement issued by the duo mentioned 23 MLAs who wanted Bajwa to go. But when contacted, a majority of other MLAs denied they had signed any such statement. Notices will be sent to all those found guilty of misconduct,” he said. Asked if any clarification would be sought from Capt Amarinder Singh as well for seeking Bajwa’s resignation, Chatrath said, “I cannot question him directly in his capacity as the CWC member. But I can definitely counter him with permission from the high command.” When contacted, Dhillon said, “I have no information about any notice from the party as yet. I will reply once I receive it.” Bajwa refused a comment on the issue saying “he would only speak to the party high command”.
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Cong okays panel to look into rout
New Delhi, May 22 Chaired by Himachal Cabinet Minister Col Dhani Ram Shandil, as reported by The Tribune yesterday, the panel would have Haryana Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed as the vice-president of the five-member. The other members of the fact-finding committee are former president, District Pradesh Congress Committee, Delhi, Subhash Chopra; and Congress MLAs in Delhi Jai Kishen and Devender Yadav. The committee will be assisted by ex-OSD to former Chief Minister of Punjab Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha who is at present a PPCC general secretary.
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Youth Cong chief seeks Majithia’s resignation
Jalandhar, May 22 He said it was
Majithia, who was the “kingpin” of the drug trafficking trade in the state. — TNS
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BJP loses urban vote bank
Gurdaspur, May 22 Under the seat-sharing agreement with the SAD, the BJP was allotted as many as 23 seats in the 2007 and 2012 Assembly polls, all of which were predominantly urban and had a high population of Hindus. However, statistics now prove that the party has lost its grip on the very seats it was dependent on. Barring the Pathankot seat, which gave the BJP candidate a massive lead of over 20,000 votes, the party suffered losses in a majority of the other 23 seats. The victory in the Pathankot seat is being attributed to the fact that former state president Ashwani Sharma, who after being deprived of the presidentship just after the 2012 Assembly polls, worked wholeheartedly among the masses. “His non-intervention in day-to-day affairs of the Pathankot administration also went in his
favour,” claimed a former minister. In the 2007 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 19 out of the 23 seats allocated to it. This figure came down to 12 in the 2012 polls. Now, the party has got a lead from just five of the total seats allotted to it. The prime reason is the fact that the state government had imposed property tax on the common man in urban areas. “Another factor was that residents who had purchased plots for investment purposes were slapped heavy fines. A person who bought a 10-marla plot and left it vacant was imposed a penalty of anything between Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000. Moreover, building a house in the city became difficult due to the spiraling prices of sand and gravel,” said a senior leader. “Even when property tax was under consideration by the state government, BJP ministers and MLAs had vehemently opposed it. However, just for the sake of coalition politics, we had to keep quiet,” said the leader. Prominent among the party bigwigs who lost their seats were state BJP president Kamal Sharma
(Ferozepur city), Navjot Kaur Sidhu (Amritsar east), Som Parkash (Phagwara), Manoranjan Kalia
(Jalandhar central), Anil Joshi (Amritsar north), Chunni Lal Bhagat (Jalandhar west), Tarun Chugh (area chief of Amritsar central), KD Bhandari
(Jalandhar north), Rajinder Bhandari (area chief of Ludhiana west), Sat Pal Gosain (area chief of Ludhiana central), Tikshan Sud (area chief of Hoshiarpur and advisor
to the Chief Minister).
Bigwigs fail to wrest leads for MP candidates
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Negative image of some Akali
ministers cost us dear: Shanta
New Delhi, May 22 Shanta said a meeting of the BJP's core group in Punjab would be held on May 25 to discuss the dismal performance and to prepare a roadmap for the future. “There was a strong anti-incumbency against the SAD-BJP Government on account of the poor image of some ministers. The BJP was not able to make an impact due to the negative image of some powerful Akali ministers,” Shanta Kumar said. Also, a couple of BJP ministers’ image among the electorate was uninspiring, the leader said. Kumar said the poll results in the state were disturbing as the party could not cash in on the pervasive
Modi-wave. In contrast, the party did well in neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, he said.
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MLA Sidhu’s supporters hit back at SAD
Amritsar, May 22 Gaurav Vasdev, political secretary to Dr Sidhu, councillors Damandeep, Rama Mahajan, Ajit Singh Bhatia and others today said she had never differentiated between Akali or BJP wards. “On the contrary, the Akali wards have been given more funds than those of the BJP," they said. They claimed the problem started the day when Dr Sidhu got the BJP ticket from Amritsar (East) as SAD Amritsar unit president Upkar Singh Sandhu was interested in contesting from there constituency.
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AAP holds protests in Kejri’s support
Chandigarh, May 22 Kejriwal was sent to jail yesterday after he refused to furnish a bail bond in the Nitin Gadkari defamation case. AAP leader Sumail Singh Sidhu and Prof Manjit Singh said the party activists held dharnas in several district headquarters, including Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib. They claimed the protests drew a good response. “We are waiting for next direction from the party top brass in Delhi and will act accordingly,” said Sidhu. Prof Manjit Singh said AAP was determined to fight corruption in politics. — TNS
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bhai rupa land row
Chandigarh, May 22 “Another disturbing fact is that the SGPC used Sangat’s money (devotees’ money) to fight a case against the poor farmers up to the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that “the SGPC should explain to people how much it had paid to advocates to contest the case. Gill said the SGPC had become the biggest landlord in the state. “After taking possession of land at Bhai Rupa, the SGPC will hand over the land to influential persons, as has been the case at several other places. Instead of using police force against people, the SGPC authorities should have convened a meeting of villagers and talked to them to settle the issue,” he said. Aam Aadmi Party’s Faridkot MP Prof Sadhu Singh hears the grievances of the residents of Bhai Rupa village in Bathinda district on Thursday. tribune photo: pawan sharma
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Attack on Amritsar lawyers
Chandigarh, May 22 Disposing of a petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court asserted: “We have perused the report produced before the court in a sealed cover, which is returned. We are satisfied that the investigation is being carried out properly. The other aspect is the security to the affected parties, which has since been provided. “Additional Advocate-General assures the court that investigation in terms of our order would continue and it is expected to culminate in about a month’s time, after necessary ‘challan’ will be filed. We envisage that no other directions arise in the present petition”. The High Court, on the previous date, had directed State Director-General of Police to file status report on two FIRs in the matter. The constitution of a special investigation team and security for
both the advocates was also ordered. The directions by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Arun Palli came on a petition by the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association. It was seeking adequate protection and security for the advocates. In the petition filed in public interest through association secretary Saurav Khurana, the Bar Association categorically alleged that the two advocates were attacked at the insistence of the minister in an alleged attempt to eliminate them for exposing “fraud and forgery” committed by him in the dual vote case. The petition added that the minister was allegedly time and again attacking the advocates through workers by sometimes firing upon them. The association, as such, sought directions to the State of Punjab, its Director-General of Police
and two other respondents to provide adequate protection and security to the two. Directions were also sought to handover the probe in the attempt to murder case against Gorsi to an independent agency.
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Faulty meters: PSPCL slapped penalty
Patiala, May 22 The regulatory body held that “in spite of regular monitoring and prodding by the commission during pendency of this petition (regarding non-replacement of defective meters) for more than a year, the distribution licensee took the matter casually, making mockery of the ‘standards of performance’ guidelines laid down by the commission”. The PSERC, in its order dated May 21, 2005, indicted the PSPCL by observing that only individual officers could not be blamed for flouting the guidelines. It was a result of PSPCL’s unscientific policy regarding procurement of meters and absence of a mechanism to replace defective and burnt meters expeditiously. The regulator noted that more than 8,400 meters declared burnt up to June 2013 had not been replaced. It observed that PSPCL chief engineers by issuing wrong certificates made a deliberate attempt to mislead the regulatory body. The PSPCL had given an undertaking that it would replace all defective meters as per the Supply Code and Electricity Act. The PSERC took a suo motu notice of defective meters and a detailed notice was issued to the PSPCL CMD on March 19, 2013, why action should not be taken against the PSPCL for not complying with the guildelines. In reply, the PSPCL authorities had said that there were 1.35 lakh defective or burnt meters as on March 31, 2013. These comprised 1.3 lakh single-phase meters, 5,099 three-phase meters, 298 LT CT meters and 8 HT TPT meters. Of the total meters, 48,555 were lying defective for more than six months and 41,366 for three to six months. In its latest reply, the PSPCL has submitted that there are more than 36,000 defective meters that are needed to be replaced. Bajwa calls for stir against proposed hike Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday said the party would mobilise people on a mass level against the proposed 12 per cent hike in power tariff. “It is all the more surprising that the move has been proposed at a time when the PSPCL has been raking in profits for the past two years. Congress will launch an agitation against the government on the issue,” Bajwa said. — TNS Chandigarh: Demanding an independent audit of the PSPCL and the Punjab State Power Transmission Corporation (PSPTC), AAP here on Thursday said it would oppose any hike in power tariff for the current fiscal year. AAP spokesperson Sumail Singh Sidhu said there was no reason for increasing power tariff in the state because it was already very high. — TNS Engineers to switch off phones in protest Chandigarh: Intensifying stir against the Punjab Government, PSPCL engineers on Thursday announced to switch off their mobile phones on Friday to protest against non-acceptance of their demands. With engineers remaining incommunicado, the hapless power consumers will face tough time. — PTI
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Power cuts back in Bathinda after 5 yrs
Bathinda, May 22 But of late, the city has witnessed power cuts ranging from four to six hours. The cuts coincide with the Lok Sabha election results. In spite of winning from the constituency again, Harsimrat trailed by nearly 30,000 votes from the city. PSPCL officials, though, maintain that the cuts have been imposed to meet the gap between demand and supply. Bathinda city executive engineer (XEN) Hardeep Singh Sidhu said that in 2009 (when Harsimrat was elected MP for the first time), Bathinda city was declared a “no power cut zone”. On the current power scenario, he said: “Owing to the wide gap between demand and supply, cuts have to be imposed. The shortage of coal in the past few weeks has compounded the problem.” Rakesh Nath, a shopkeeper on the Mall Road, said long power cuts had never been witnessed in the city for the past so many years. “When our relatives made fun of Bathinda on account its backwardness, we used to retort by saying that ours are the only city to get regular power supply,” he said. Power cuts are not the only problem. The “non-responsive” complaint centres of the PSPCL raise hackles of residents. “When power snapped on Wednesday, I called up the complaint centre. But my calls went unanswered,” Sonu of Paras Ram Nagar said.
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Sangrur dist sans grievance redressal panels for 2 years
Sangrur, May 22 The reconstitution of the panels in the state was approved by the Governor on April 12, 2012. People, especially in rural areas, are unable to approach the district administration. It is easier for them to submit their problems and complaints to “non-official” members of such committees. The “non-official” members of the committee include members of recognised political parties, representatives of ex-servicemen, freedom fighters, backward classes, scheduled castes, youth, women, Muslims, Christians and
nambardars. The last meeting of the district grievance redressal committee was held in November 2011. Sources in the district administration said the reconstitution of such panels at the sub-division level was being delayed as they had not received recommendations regarding names of non-official members from the offices of three out of six sub-divisional magistrates
(SDMs). They said the names of four non-official members of the redressal committee at the district level were also yet to be
finalised. After receiving all the recommendations, the entire case will be sent to the state Department of Grievances for notifying the committees. The sources said reminders were being sent to the SDMs concerned to send the names for over a year.
Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Kavita Singh today claimed the panels would be constituted in a month.
Solving public problems not a govt priority?
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Arhtiyas, labourers block highway
Abohar, May 22 As the blockade triggered problems for inter-state passenger and goods transport, Deputy Superintendent of Police
(DSP) Veer Chand informed the Deputy Commissioner, who deputed tehsildars PK Pandey and Darshan Singh Sandhu but the protesters refused to budge. They said the district administration had been making promises but there had been no relief so far. The dharna was lifted after Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Mann spoke to the government agencies concerned and transport contractors and directed them to sort out the stalemate by tomorrow.
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Hoshiarpur girl tops in North in ICSE
Chandigarh/ Hoshiarpur, May 22 Nivedita was a student of St. Joseph’s Convent School. Her report card speaks volumes of her calibre. She scored a perfect 100 in mathematics and computer application, 99 in science and history, civics and geography, 97 in Punjabi and 92 in English. The young achiever, who aspires to become a scientist, said, “My idols are Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, I want to make a mark in the field of science. I want to study in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, after Class XII.” She is fascinated by quantum physics. “I had never expected I would top in the region. Tears rolled down my cheeks when I found out about the result,” she said. She claimed studying regularly for four hours daily helped her achieve this feat. “I never got stressed and made it a point to get all my concepts clear. I would ask my teachers a lot of questions both in and outside the classroom.” The beaming girl, whose father is an investor in the stock market, owed her success to her parents. She is the only child of Neerja Sud, a retired English language teacher, and Vimal Kumar Vij.
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School board nod to cash awards for top students
Mohali, May 22 The board has passed a budget of Rs 295 crore with a deficit of Rs 47 crore. The deficit last year was Rs 29.12 crore. Board secretary Gurinder Pal Singh Bath said the estimated income of the board would be Rs 247 crore against the expenditure of Rs 295 crore. The board has also sanctioned Rs 2 crore to review old books and to
publish new books. No book has been reviewed in the past 25 years.
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Girl students protest poor facilities at Pbi varsity
Patiala, May 22 They demanded that the water supply at the hostel rest rooms be improved; the entry deadline in the hostel be extended; and more hostels for girls be constructed. The students held the protest since the authorities had failed to pay heed to these long pending demands. They had staged a dharna outside the office of the Vice Chancellor yesterday. The students alleged that instead of assuring them, Dr Kulbir Singh Dhillon, Dean of Student Welfare, and the Senior Hostel Warden misbehaved with them. Thereafter, the protesting students locked the university gate at 8 am. Soon, newly elected Patiala MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi reached the spot and joined the protest. Gandhi said while the university was charging students large sums of money, they did not provide even the basic facilities.
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Pak Sikhs have accepted
amended calendar: Makkar
Amritsar, May 22 He stated this after an eight-member SGPC delegation led by him returned from Pakistan today. Talking to mediapersons at the Attari border, Makkar said their delegation today met Cabinet ministers of Pakistan Punjab and discussed various Sikh issues. He said Cabinet Minister Rana Sanaullah would submit a report to Pakistan Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif, on the basis of which further action would be initiated. He said though the media focus was more on the Nanakshahi Calendar row, they discussed a host of other issues confronting the Sikh community in Pakistan. He said they also raised the matter of upkeep and expansion of gurdwaras, ensuring safety of gurdwara properties, lodging facilities for pilgrims, flexible visa norms for ‘granthis’ and ‘raagis’, ensuring full allocation of 60 per cent visa quota to the SGPC during ‘gurpurabs’, and opening up of visa centres in Amritsar and Lahore, with the Pakistani Punjab government. He said they had also requested the government there to hand over the ‘kar sewa’ of Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, where Guru Arjan Dev attained martyrdom, to the SGPC. Former Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Bishen Singh said they would observe the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev on June 16 as per the original Nanakshahi Calendar. He said the PSGPC had not yet taken the final call on the issue of Nanakshahi Calendar. "The PSGPC elections are due to take place next month and any decision in this regard could be taken only after the new team takes charge," he said.
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Driver alleges misuse of official vehicle by officer
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 22 The complainant, Ranjit Singh, alleged when he refused to make entries regarding a condemned vehicle which was being “misused”, then Assistant Commissioner (Grievances) Fatehgarh Sahib Harjot Kaur and Malwinder Singh Jaggi, ADC (G), and his gunman Gurdeep Singh threatened him with dire consequences. He alleged the accused forced him to sign certain blank papers at gunpoint. Both officers have refuted the allegations. They alleged that the driver had concocted a false story to escape punishment as he was “caught making bogus entries into the logbook”. Arun Sekhri, Deputy Commissioner, said he had marked an inquiry to the ADC (Development). Harjot Kaur said she had used the condemned vehicle for local use and logbooks were duly filled, but after some time, Ranjit Singh did not get the logbook signed from her. “Later, I was shocked to see entries regarding the use of the vehicle for more than 200 km every day. I then refused to sign it and brought the matter to the notice of senior officers,” she said. Jaggi said he was unaware of the contents of the complaint. On the alleged involvement of his gunman Gurdeep Singh, Jaggi said Gurdeep was earlier attached with Harjot. “I will comment on the matter once the complaint is forwarded to me,” he added.
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Cabbie to be deported for Australian’s rape
Sydney, May 22 Jaswinder Singh Mutta, 27, has been accused of raping a 26-year-old woman passenger late at night in his taxi in North Fitzroy in Melbourne in January, 2010. Mutta pleaded guilty before the county court to indecently assaulting the woman. The judge sentenced Mutta to the time he has already served, plus one day so that
deportation arrangements could be made. “This is a terribly tragic affair that has seen the lives of two obviously promising young people wrecked up to this point," the judge said. The defence counsel said the devout Sikh had spent six months in "extremely arduous" circumstances in Indian custody and had been in restrictive protective custody for the past 19 months due to severe racial abuse received from other prisoners. — IANS
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2 youths get 5 yrs for assault on principal
Ropar, May 22 The case dates back to July 2013 when the duo attacked the victim, Bhag Singh, with sharp-edged weapons in Government Senior Secondary School of Lutheri village near Chamkaur Sahib. Bhag Singh was seriously injured. The Morinda police recorded the statement of the principal and registered a case under Section 307 IPC. The court has imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on each convict. The court also sentenced them to an imprisonment of one year under Sections 353 and 332 of the IPC and three months under Section 186 of the IPC. All the sentences will run concurrently.
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Undertrial escapes police custody, nabbed
Abohar, May 22 The police had on May 19 intercepted a motorcycle on the Padampur-Raisinghnagar road and
seized 5 kg poppy husk from Balwinder of Kandukhera village (Malout) and Manphool
of Anoopgarh. Both were arrested under the NDPS Act. On the completion of the police remand, both were to be produced in the court for further proceedings. Team in charge Sub-Inspector Lal Singh said Balwinder had pushed the escorts and escaped from the court complex. Two constables chased and nabbed him near the jail terminal. Both were remanded in judicial custody by the court.
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The sad saga of indebted Punjab farmers continues with two more persons hanging themselves in the district.
Farmer and village union leader Tehal Singh allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a beam of the ceiling of his house in Phul town. The police found a suicide note in which the deceased wrote that he was taking this extreme step owing to his precarious financial condition.
Taking note of the rotting wheat in the mandis in Faridkot, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to the state Mandi Board and five procurement agencies.
They are to appear in court on May 28. Kulbhushan Rai, president of the Ahrityas’ Association in Faridkot, filed the writ petition as large stocks of wheat had been lying in the open in mandis in Faridkot, Jaitu, Kotkapura and Sadiq in the district.
The in charge of BJP affairs in Punjab and former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shanta Kumar, has urged the party's central leadership to take urgent measures to revive the party in the wake of its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections in the
state.
Chandigarh/ Hoshiarpur, May 22
Girl students of Amrita Shergill Hostel in Punjabi University protested the lack of basic amenities in the hostel today. They blocked the university gates for several hours.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar today expressed hope that the amended Nanakshahi Calendar would soon be implemented in Pakistan as the "Sikhs there had given their consent to observing
'gurpurbs' as per the amended version approved by the Akal Takht".