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Cabinet approves transfer policy
clash at golden temple
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Badal to meet Modi, press for loan waiver
Why no probe into drug menace: Cong
Demolition drive triggers tension
A devotee resists the demolition of a temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. Photo: RK Soni
Former MP Lakha dead
Don’t harass arhtiyas, Sukhbir tells cops
State manages to meet power demand at high cost
Paddy sowing in progress in a field in a village near Patiala on Tuesday. Farmers claimed they got over seven-hour power supply for tubewells on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar
Industry Dept told to speed up clearances for mega projects
11 more hand grenades found in Sidhwan Khurd village pond
Chemists on strike today
Birth certificate scam unearthed in Gurdaspur
Inmate ‘commits suicide’
in Gurdaspur Central Jail
Probe trusts making huge profits, UGC tells state govt
Pbi varsity fails to pay pension for May
State fails to give info on sangat darshan
Cheating case: 6 bank officers on the run
Moga residents take to streets against drug addiction
Residents hold an awareness march against drugs in Moga on Wednesday. Tribune Photo
Protest over dumping of animal carcasses near houses
Varsity authorities jittery before MCI team’s visit
24 hurt as bus overturns
Raje speaks to Badal over polluted canal water supply
More transformers sought in Abohar
BKU man’s house at Bhai Rupa raided
HC reverses trial court verdict against DSP
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Cabinet approves transfer policy
Chandigarh, June 11 General transfers will now be made between June 15-July 15 every year. The administrative secretaries of the departments concerned would be held responsible if any transfer is made after the stipulated period. This step is aimed at clipping the wings of the bureaucracy. Deputy Commissioners and SSPs were recently pulled up by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for not being in their offices during working hours. The Cabinet also agreed to withdraw the amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure,1973, which stipulates that if a government employee fails to vacate his government accomodation, even after a notice has been sent to him, it will be regarded a non-bailable offence. Process servers working in civil courts across the state will now be entitled to summer vacation just as other court employees. Diversification To promote diversification, the Cabinet gave its consent to establishing the Punjab State Fisheries Development Board under the Chief Minister. The Animal Husbandry Minister would be its vice-chairman. The board would receive funds from the National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad. It would use the funds judiciously for encouraging fish farming in the state. More recruitments To ensure quality healthcare to the people, the Cabinet approved the creation of 250 posts of Medical Officer (MO) and 1,925 posts of Lecturer in private aided colleges within four years. The recruitment would be made in phases. At least 94 posts of Senior Assistant in the Punjab Civil Secretariat would be filled for which an examination to be conducted by Panjab University, Chandigarh. Jail Deputy Suptds The Cabinet decided to amend the Punjab Prison State Services (Class II) Rules,1978, so that Jail Deputy Superintendents and District Probation Officers were selected by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). The Cabinet decided to raise the age bar for these posts to 28 years. For better compliance of tax collection, the Cabinet decided to fill 100 posts of Excise and Taxation Inspector. Of these, 50 per cent would be filled through promotion. Change of Land Use The Cabinet agreed to extend the exemption to promoters from a 10 per cent annual increase in change of land use (CLU), external development charges (EDC) and license fee from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015. This would enable them to implement their projects. For planned urban development, the Cabinet decided to amend the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995. The Cabinet gave approval for enhancing the EDC for up-grading the road corridors in the state and for developing infrastructure in New Chandigarh. Diagnostic centres The Cabinet approved the opening of a diagnostic centre at the ESI Dispensary at Dera Bassi. It agreed to create 10 posts for the Diagnostic Centre, Dera Bassi, and 14 posts for the ESI Zonal and Drug Depot, Ludhiana. It decided to upgrade the Bhogpur Sugar Mill.
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clash at golden temple
Amritsar, June 11 Talking to mediapersons here, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said the probe committee comprised SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, executive member Karnail Singh Panjauli, Baba Nihal Singh Hariyanvela and Bidhi Chand sect chief Baba Avtar Singh. Additional secretary Balwinder Singh Jaurasingha would be coordinator. Makkar said the Sikh “maryada” and Akal Takht sanctity would be upheld at all costs. The SGPC has included Baba Nihal Singh and Baba Avtar Singh on the probe panel to allay reservations expressed by certain quarters that the panel, if dominated by SGPC members, may be prejudiced. Sources said both Baba Hariyanvela and Baba Avtar Singh enjoyed the confidence of radical Sikh leaders. Radical Sikh outfits had earlier rejected the SGPC inquiry as “one-sided”. SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann, had contended that if an impartial probe was to be conducted, representatives of his party as well as neutral observers should be appointed on the panel too. Dal Khalsa too had said the SGPC probe would have no credibility “when the SGPC’s own role is under the scanner.”
Those on the panel SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Executive member Karnail Singh Panjauli, Baba Nihal Singh Hariyanvela, Bidhi Chand sect chief Baba Avtar Singh, Additional secy BS Jaurasingha to be coordinator SGPC task force illegal, will move court: Mann Sangrur: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) will move the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the setting up of the SGPC task force. Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD (A) president, described the task force as an “illegal army” of the SGPC. He said such “private armies” had been banned by the Supreme Court. Mann condemned the attack on innocent persons by task force members at Akal Takht Sahib on June 6. He criticised Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for ensuring a berth for his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur in the Union Cabinet even though several senior leaders in the SAD deserved the post.
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Hearing in cases against Joshi deferred
Amritsar, June 11 The minister has already been exempted from personal appearance in the three cases, which have been clubbed together. These comprise two defamation cases and a case of trespassing. The cases are slated for hearing in the court of Amandeep Kaur Chahal, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMIC) while the case pertaining to dual vote is scheduled for hearing in the court of Ukti Goel, CJM. As both the judges were on leave, the court deferred the case for July 2 and September 5, respectively.
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Badal to meet Modi, press for loan waiver
Chandigarh, June 11 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 13 and try to impress upon him to make arrangements for waving the huge loan, mostly incurred to tackling decade-long militancy in the state. Punjab has been pleading for waiving of loan repeatedly, but sans any practical results so far. The CM was also scheduled to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti during his two-day visit to New Delhi. He will be formally calling on PM Narendra Modi and other Union ministers for the first time after the formation of the NDA government at the Centre. The CM, it was learnt, would first try to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to waive the loan outrightly with a plea that the loan amount was only "standing in papers" as Punjab was not in a position to repay such a huge loan amount. Highly placed sources said Badal had already done his "home work" to accentuate his arguments with the PM and other leaders. He would cite examples of certain north-eastern and other states that faced Punjab-like situation and were accorded complete loan waiver by the Centre. "If a full loan waiver is not possible due to some technical reasons, only then the CM would press for at least a moratorium on the interest component," said Badal's adviser Harcharan Bains. Badal was of the view that the drug problem could be tackled effectively in Punjab only if the drug supply from across the border was snapped completely. It would be possible if the Centre sealed the international border. The CM and the Deputy CM had been blaming the previous UPA-led Centre Government and Central forces like the BSF for their "laxity" in dealing with drug smuggling from across the border. Badal has given a nod to recruitment of 100 counsellors to ensure proper drug de-addiction in the state. Plea for loan waiver * The amount was mostly spent on tackling the decade-long militancy in the state *
The state government is not in a position to repay such a huge loan amount (Rs 1 lakh crore) *
Certain north-eastern and other states that faced Punjab-like situation were accorded complete loan waiver by the Centre earlier
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Why no probe into drug menace: Cong
Chandigarh, June 11 Despite a huge public outcry, the Badal government had turned a blind eye to the burning issue of drug trafficking in which the name of Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithiahad cropped up. In a press note, Khaira said: “A CBI inquiry into Munde’s death was unnecessary. The government could have constituted a SIT to probe the accident to ascertain ulterior motive, if any”.
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Demolition drive triggers tension
Amritsar, June 11 Five persons, who resisted the temple demolition, were whisked away by the police. The land has been handed over to the Amritsar Improvement Trust for beautifying the Durgiana Temple surroundings. Temple caretaker Yogi Shiv Nath claimed that three rooms and a hall were pulled down. He admitted that the temple management had received a notice for vacating the premises a few days ago. He said despite a verbal assurance by the officials, they were not given time to remove costly items. Before launching the drive, PSPCL officials snapped the power line to the locality. The water supply too was stopped. The drive to take over the land lasted till noon. But the demolition of 47 structures, including 60 shops, will take a few days. The land has been acquired under the Durgiana Beautification Project that envisages widening the approach road to the Durgiana Temple, a double-storey parking lot and an open plaza.
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Former MP Lakha dead
Jalandhar, June 11 Lakha, an associate of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, represented the Phillaur constituency from 1989 to 1996. Prior to that, he had contested the Nawanshahr Assembly seat (in 1985) and secured 17,000 votes. He was later made general secretary, Punjab. After the party’s “non-performance” in the 2002 Assembly poll, Lakha, Darshal Lal Jethumajara, Lal Singh Salhani and Major Pritpal Singh were expelled from the party by BSP chief
Mayawati.
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Don’t harass arhtiyas, Sukhbir tells cops
Chandigarh, june 11 As many as 527 grievances were settled on the spot, said official sources.The interactive session lasting four hours where. The ADGP, Law and Order, Dinkar Gupta, and Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema were present on the occasion. Most of the grievances pertained to the Revenue, Police, Power and Education Departments. On the complaint of sarpanches from Fazilka, the Deputy CM ordered an inquiry against a BDPO and asked the officers concerned to submit a report in two days. The panchayat of Dalsinghwala village in Faridkot district complained that canal water was not reaching their fields. There were complaints against senior police officers too. Sukhbir asked ADGP Gupta to look into the complaints and provide security to the complainants. There was a complaint by operators against the Truck Union,
Bathinda.
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State manages to meet power demand at high cost
Patiala, June 11 With the power portfolio being allotted to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, some tough decisions could be taken to ensure better power supply in the coming days. Sources said the PSPCL managed power through exchange to meet the paddy/summer season demand. For June 11, the corporation purchased 760 MW (183 LU) of power at a cost of around Rs 8.3 crore (Rs 4.56 per unit). "This purchase is in addition to 1,000 MW (240 LU) of short-term power purchase ranging from Rs 3.35 to Rs 3.75 per unit," they said. The power consumption is expected to touch 2,000 lakh units on Wednesday. On June 10, the first day of the paddy season, the PSPCL bought 330 MW of power costing Rs 3.4 crore (Rs 4.25 per unit). However, it still faced shortage of 30 lakh units. "Maximum demand was in the range of 8,200 MW on June 10, which touched 9,000-MW mark on Wednesday," they added. Now the PSPCL is pinning hopes on coal suppliers to ensure increased power generation at thermal plants in the state. While regular coal supply has been promised by the coal supplying firm, it is still early days to say whether sufficient coal supply will continue throughout the paddy season. "We have sufficient power to meet the demand for this week with power exchange and other short-term power purchase agreements, but we are praying that the coal stocks continue to reach us in time so that we can run all our thermal plant units at their optimum levels," said Director (Commercial) Surinder Pal. "Today we were able to supply power for eight hours to farmers and had to resort to almost no power cuts in the region due to sufficient power availability," he said. Farmers expressed satisfaction on the second day of the paddy season claiming they received power to run their tubewells for over seven hours. "Except some minor problems on the first day of the paddy season, power was almost regular to their fields on Wednesday," said Satnam Singh Behru, president of the consortium of Indian farmer associations.
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Industry Dept told to speed up clearances for mega projects
Chandigarh, June 11 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal directed the Industry Department to make the erring officers accountable for lapses in providing requisite approvals for mega projects. The CM was presiding over a meeting of the empowered committee on mega projects. The Department of Information Technology has been designated as the nodal agency for matters relating to mega/super mega projects relating to IT, knowledge and industry parks. The Housing Department was told to grant approvals pertaining to housing projects in a time-bound manner to avoid unnecessarily delays. It was also approved that the ongoing Quark City (phase I) project would be carried out as per the previous agreement between the state government and Quark City India Private Limited. However, the phase II of the project would be cleared as per the new investment promotion policy of the government. The new policy aims at providing all requisite clearances for setting up industrial, housing, agro and IT units through a single officer i.e. the CEO, Bureau of Investment Promotion, Punjab. The bureau would re-examine the phase II of the Quark City project and put it on the fast-track to finalise necessary approvals and concessions.
Other directives * The cancer relief fund rate will be reduced from 0.5 per cent to 0.25 per cent (maximum Rs 25 lakh) in case of delayed mega projects *
The permissible period of delay will rise from one year to two years *
The Department of Information Technology will be the nodal agency for matters relating to mega/super mega projects
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11 more hand grenades found in Sidhwan Khurd village pond
Jagraon, June 11 The grenades and cartridges were noticed by workers hired under the MGNREGA Scheme while they were cleaning the pond. "Initially, five hand grenades were found wrapped in a plastic bag. The workers informed village sarpanch Harpreet Singh about the recovery, who then informed the police. Soon, a police team lead by Jagraon DSP Surinder Kumar reached the spot and sealed the area," said a villager. In the ensuing search operation, two more plastic bags containing six hand grenades and 115 cartridges of AK-47 rifle were found in the pond. "After finding the ammunition, we called a bomb-disposal squad that took the ammunition in its custody. An investigation is underway to find out how these hand grenades and cartridges reached the village pond," the DSP said. He appealed to the panchayats of nearby villages to remain alert while
getting cleaned the ponds in their respective villages and inform the police if they noticed anything suspicious. The police have not confirmed whether the hand grenades and the cartridges are live or not. "It will be quite early to say whether these hand grenades and cartridges are live or not. We will be in a position to comment on this only after the experts complete their investigation," the DSP said.
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Chemists on strike today
Moga, June 11 State president of the association Surjit Mehta and district president Rajiv Garg alleged policemen were harassing chemists across the state in the name of checking the sale of psychotropic drugs. They said hundreds of chemists had been booked by the police in the state under the NDPS Act over the past few weeks. "The drug authorities should check chemist shops instead of the police. If anybody was found selling non-scheduled drugs, a legal action can be initiated against him accordingly. But the police should not harass us," Garg said. He alleged the police officials often demanded money from chemists by threatening to slap criminal cases against them under the NDPS Act. That was a major cause of resentment among the chemists in the state, he added.
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Birth certificate scam unearthed in Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur, June 11 SSP Sukhwant Singh Gill said the figure was likely to go up as the investigation progressed. City police station SHO Gurdeep Singh is heading the investigating team. The cases have been registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the RPO, Jalandhar. The Municipal Committee (MC) issues birth certificates to people residing in urban areas, while the office of the Civil Surgeon is responsible for getting these certificates prepared in case of people living in rural areas. The passport authorities have now made it mandatory for the people applying for passports to
attach copies of their birth certificates along with other documents. Touts operating in the vicinity of the Civil Hospital and the MC office often lure gullible residents to pay them anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 for getting a birth certificate made without any hassles. Many of such documents later turn out to be fake. Jalandhar RPO officials have asked Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha to look into the cases of fake certificates being received by their office from people residing in Gurdaspur district. The DC asked the SSP to conduct an inquiry that ultimately led to the unearthing of the scam. "An organised network of touts operates around the Civil Hospital and the MC office. It is a serious matter and no official involved in the scam will be let off," the DC said. "I am in the process of bringing the issuance of these certificates directly under my office. I have asked the authorities concerned to develop a
new software that can ensure transparency in issuing these certificates," he added. Civil Surgeon Rajnish Sood said the case pertained to previous years and since he took up this assignment just a few days ago, he did not have much knowledge about what was going on there.
The genesis * The passport authorities have made it mandatory for people applying for passports to attach copies of their birth certificates along with their applications *
Touts operating in the district often lure residents to pay them anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 for getting these certificates prepared without any hassle *
Many of such documents later turn out to be fake * Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner has said that an organised network of touts operates around the Civil Hospital and the MC office. It is a serious matter and no official involved in the scam will be let off
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Inmate ‘commits suicide’
in Gurdaspur Central Jail
Gurdaspur, June 11 The victim, Kulwinder Singh (42) of Bathwala village, falling under the Sadar police station, was allegedly picked up by the police during an anti-drug drive on June 7 from his shop on the outskirts of the village. The police, however, claimed that they had arrested Kulwinder at a naka and seized 1.5 kg of poppy husk from his possession. He was later sent to judicial remand by a local court. Kulwinder’s family members and a large number of villagers blocked traffic at the Dak Khana chowk. The police had to press into service anti-riot vehicles. Sukhwant Singh Gill, Senior Superintendent of Police, sent Jagjit Singh Saroya, SP (D), to placate the protesters. The latter, however, refused to relent and demanded that a murder case be registered against Inspector Baldev Singh, in charge, Gurdaspur Narcotic Cell. The SSP said he would comment only after receiving the post-mortem report of the deceased,
but added since Kulwinder was in judicial custody, the jail authorities should be held responsible for the incident. Till the time of filing the report, the protest was continue and senior police officers were trying to persuade the protesters. The sequence of events * A large number of villagers blocked traffic at the Dak Khana chowk *
Sukhwant Singh Gill, Senior Superintendent of Police, then sent Jagjit Singh Saroya, SP (D), to placate the protesters *
But Kulwinder's kin refused to relent and demanded that a murder case be registered against Inspector Baldev Singh, in charge, Gurdaspur Narcotic Cell
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Probe trusts making huge profits, UGC tells state govt
Ropar, June 11 The UGC had formed a two-member committee in this regard after Ropar-based RTI activist in June 2012 had revealed that several such institutions were making a huge profit. Dinesh Chadha said these trusts were circumventing the rules framed under the Indian Trust Act. “Instead of reinvesting the profits earned, these trusts were increasing the salaries of the trustees,” he said. Chadha through RTI applications found that several trusts running higher education colleges across the state, earned a surplus income in the range of Rs 2 crore to Rs 9 crore per annum. “Rather than using this surplus income to improve infrastructure, the colleges had raised a surplus income fund,” he said. The UGC committee in its report had stated that such trusts were earning huge profits and the trustees were not spending this money to increase the welfare of the students.
RTI activist’s findings *
The UGC had formed a two-member committee after Ropar-based RTI activist Dinesh Chadha in June 2012 had revealed that several institutions run by charitable trusts were making huge profits *
Chadha said these trusts were circumventing the rules framed under the Indian Trust Act *
He said several trusts across the state earned a surplus income in the range of Rs 2 crore to Rs 9 crore per annum
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Pbi varsity fails to pay pension for May
Patiala, June 11 Moreover, they are still awaiting the payment of the first installment of their arrears from January 2006 to July 2009; the enhancement of DA; and Leave Travel Concession from 2005 onwards. Punjabi University Retired Officers Welfare Association president Sham Singh said on the one hand, the university was spending crores on constructing new infrastructure, while on the other hand, pensioners had not been paid. He said the university was ignoring Supreme Court directions that pensioners should be paid on a priority basis. “Pension is our only source of income and we cannot make ends meet without it,” Sham Singh said. Punjabi University Registrar AS Chawla said the university might disburse pensions within a week. “Since the university does not earn any income in April, May and June, it is solely dependent on government grants,” he added.
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State fails to give info on sangat darshan
Muktsar, June 11 A former IAS officer, who is the chairman of PPCC RTI Cell, had sought the information on the expenditure on the sangat darshans held from 2007 to 2012 from Muktsar Deputy Commissioner in October last year. As per the RTI Act, the information is to be provided by the authorities within a month of receiving the application. In November last year, PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa had criticised Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for not providing information on the funding sources of sangat darshans. Bajwa had said the government should also provide information on the criteria for the distribution of grants. Even though reminders have been sent twice to all Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs) regarding the RTI application, the administration has not replied. The Deputy Commissioner is supposed to distribute the grants sanctioned by the CM during his sangat darshans through the Block Development Offices.
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Cheating case: 6 bank officers on the run
Sangrur, June 11 On the complaint of Bikram Singh of Sangrur, a cheating case was registered against six bank officers and an unknown person on June 7. The four accused officers of Sangrur IndusInd Bank are Rajan Soni, Manager; Himanshu Johar, Relation Officer; Puneet Sehgal, Sales Manager; and Arun Kumar, Sales Manager. The two officers of Federal Bank are Sandeep Kumar and Inderdeep
Kaur.
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Moga residents take to streets against drug addiction
Moga, June 11 They marched through the main roads of the city carrying placards, posters and banners under the aegis of the Youth Welfare Federation and raising slogans against drug abuse, female foeticide and dowry. There have been reports that a large number of youths in Moga district, especially in rural areas, are under the grip of drug addiction. Some of them go to the extent of committing crimes such as snatching and burglary when they do not have money to buy drugs. District Magistrate Parminder Singh Gill also came out of his office and addressed the youths. He expressed concern over the growing number of drug addicts in the region and asked the youth to fight against the menace. “Although the police have launched a special drive to arrest drug peddlers and seize contraband, the need of the hour is to create awareness on a larger level to eradicate this menace,” he said. He said addiction among youths had reached such alarming proportions that without the active support and cooperation from all corners, including the police, drug dealers and parents of addicts, it was not possible to come out of this problem. Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Naresh Gupta and Senior Medical Officer Dr Arvinder Singh Gill, who flagged off this procession from the district hospital, said they had to fight together against the problem of drug abuse. “If people come out like they have today and support the administration in combating drug peddling, it will soon be wiped out,” he said.
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Protest over dumping of animal carcasses near houses
Abohar, June 11 Subhash Kashyap and Radheyshyam, who were leading the protest, said "Haddan Rodi" (carcasses dumping site) had in
2008 been shifted by the Municipal Council from near the sewage disposal works to Killianwali village by acquiring some land about
6 km from here. Other protesters alleged ruling political leaders of different parties in power had allegedly been minting money from the business of collecting and dumping animal bodies. The local Municipal Council had deferred
the auctioning of contracts for the business allegedly to benefit the persons involved. To give the contractors relief in carriage charges, the "Haddan Rodi" had been run near the disposal works, Shivpuri (human cremation ground), city bypass and grain
market frequently. For the past few days, carriers loaded with animal carcasses were being unloaded near
Ram Nagar. The residents raised slogans against the authorities and threatened that the agitation would be intensified if the practice was not checked. "We have problem in eating as foul smell emanates from the dumping site. Our children keep vomiting,” Lakhwinder Singh, a protester said.
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Varsity authorities jittery before MCI team’s visit
Faridkot, June 11 The team will check whether the university has met the criterion for new postgraduate medical courses. Many senior doctors on contractual basis in the medical university will face the axe in consequence of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s recent direction to the
university to reframe its rules for filling contractual posts. The university authorities fear that
the consequent shortage of senior faculty members might come to the “adverse” notice
of the MCI. Over 20 senior doctors and faculty members in Guru Gobind Singh Medical College of the BFUHS in Faridkot are working on contract basis. Most of these doctors were recruited by the university without advertising these posts. With this new faculty, the university started five new post-graduation courses and increased the strength of students in the past two years. After this recruitment was challenged in the high court, the court on May 26 directed the university to make appointments on the basis of selection by duly constituted committees after advertising in leading national newspapers and providing information on university website. After the High Court directions, many doctors
in the medical university started approaching private medical colleges
for getting jobs. Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, BFUHS, said the high court has not barred the university from extending the term of contractual employees nor has it directed it to make regular appointments. It has only directed to follow a proper selection procedure, he said. He said as it was a rural and backward area, experienced and efficient doctors/faculty members did not serve there. The Vice Chancellor said whenever any experienced and efficient faculty members/doctor used to show his willingness, they used to appoint them. He said the draft of rules and regulations was ready for approval from the
Governor and the state government. “As per the directions of the high court, the rules and regulations of this university will be approved within a period of six months,” he said.
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24 hurt as bus overturns
Abohar, June 11 Among the affected passengers were Banwari Lal of Killianwali village (Abohar), Anu, Parmeshwari, Nathi Devi, Gyan Kaur, Shanti Devi, Sukhpreet Kaur, Sita Devi and Shakuntala Devi of Sriganganagar. Some labourers from the local grain market, who rescued the passengers by smashing windowpanes of the bus said the driver had lost control over the speeding bus and it turned turtle. Four of the injured have been referred to a private hospital at Sriganganagar. — OC
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Raje speaks to Badal over polluted canal water supply
Abohar, June 11 "Raje told us that the Punjab Chief Minister has assured that proceedings to check the discharge of chemical waste by industries in the main canals in the state have been initiated and results could be expected in a few days,” Hanumangarh Zila Parishad chairperson Shobha Doodi and vice-chairperson Shabnam Godara said today. Shobha and Shabnam had filed a public interest litigation on this issue with the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Notices have been issued to the Centre and the Punjab Government for July 21. Raje yesterday discussed problems of farmers with senior functionaries ahead of her visit to Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh. Punjab-based environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal has already extended his support to the campaign launched by Rajasthan’s farmers against contaminated water. On February 3, Raje had sent a letter to Badal over “unchecked” flow of polluted water through the canal system originating from Ferozepur. She had said that industrial units in Punjab were discharging hazardous waste into the Sutlej and its tributaries. She had urged Badal to initiate strong measures against the erring industry and civic bodies
as untreated water had “polluted river waters beyond proportions." Expressing concern over the poor quality of water being released into the Indira Gandhi feeder through the Harike barrage, she told Badal that polluted water had resulted in a spurt of water-borne diseases in the area. The letter also expressed resentment that the Punjab Government had ignored letters by Rajasthan on the issue in the past.
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More transformers sought in Abohar
Abohar, June 11 The NGO’s chairman, Satpal Khariwal, in the mails to the power corporation’s headquarters, stated that damage to electrical appliances had become a recurrent phenomenon for the past few years. The requests made to the divisional engineers here last year seeking installation of more transformers in their locality had not yielded desired results. "The authorities have promptly obliged to the demand of commercial consumers by installing three transformers over the dividers in the timber market recently. However, similar requests by domestic consumers
in the old walled city for new transformers has not been accepted,” Khariwal resented. He said the behaviour of power officials was “autocratic” and they were “immune” to the grievances of the common man. The members rued that the authorities didn’t even inform the residents about power cuts as long as 4-5 hours.
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BKU man’s house at Bhai Rupa raided
Bathinda, June 11 Jaggu was not at home. Village residents alleged that policemen misbehaved with the women and children in the house. Angered by the police behaviour, village women gathered at the langar hall. Rajwinder Singh Raju, president of the Langar Committee said the police was trying to intimidate the residents. "But we will surely protest the SGPC taking over the land forcibly."
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HC reverses trial court verdict against DSP
Chandigarh, June 11 The DSP had allegedly incurred the wrath of then DGP after a case was registered against the latter’s son. Taking up the case, Justice M Jeyapaul reversed the trial court’s judgment against Sukhdev Singh Chhina. The prosecution had alleged that the DSP, while posted at Zira in Ferozepur district, had accepted Rs 20,000 from a farmer for helping him take possession of land. He was sentenced to imprisonment for two years. He was also fined by the trial court. Challenging the judgment, his counsel P Hundal argued that a false case was registered against him after an FIR was registered against top cop Mehal Singh Bhullar’s son, Kuldeep Singh, under Section 365 of the IPC. The case was registered at the Zira police station under the DSP’s jurisdiction. Justice Jeyapaul asserted that complainant Sukhdev Singh had turned hostile. He had deposed before the court that the accused had never demanded illegal gratification from him. Justice Jeyapaul concluded: “I find that the prosecution has miserably failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt the demand and acceptance of bribe by the accused-appellant. The trial court has misdirected itself and come to a wrong conclusion. “Therefore, the judgment of conviction and sentence passed by the trial court stands reversed. The accused is acquitted of the charge under Sections 7 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.”
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Tension prevailed at the Durgiana Temple complex here when the Land Acquisition Department, with the help of the police, got a piece of land, measuring 6,700 square feet, vacated despite stiff opposition. A portion of Prachin Bhairav Temple was damaged. A group of devotees argued with the police. One of them threatened the JCB driver with a brick.
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has finally managed to ensure eight-hour supply to farmers and uninterrupted power to the other consumers, thanks to costly power purchases. The PSPCL bought power worth over Rs 10 crore in the past two days to meet the rising demand following the start of the paddy season.
Hundreds of residents of Moga, mostly youths, took to the streets on Wednesday to raise their voice against the menace of drug addiction and other social evils.
They marched through the main roads of the city carrying placards, posters and banners under the aegis of the Youth Welfare Federation and raising slogans against drug abuse, female foeticide and dowry.
