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Political conferences at rakhar punya fair
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Direct SAD not to use drugs during bypoll: Bajwa to Takht
Independent Balkar Sidhu hurls dual vote charge at AAP nominee
Patiala BJP cadre wants Sidhu to campaign for Juneja
Residents protest move to demolish houses
Will return to state politics, says Capt
At debut rally, AAP hard-sells itself for ’17
ED going slow on probe into drug racket: Cong
AAP leaders seek CBI probe into Congress leader’s assets
SAD to get help from Delhi unit
CM forms panel to resolve ETT issue
Cops harassed us, say mid-day meal cooks
Bulgarian team calls on Speaker
‘I will celebrate Rakhi on my brother’s return from Iraq’
BDS admissions delayed despite govt orders
us shootout
Govt staff to protest on Aug 15
Will campaign against govt in Talwandi Sabo: PRTC workers
Girl molested, varsity students protest poor security
Bias against SC students
MC strike results in garbage heaps dotting Hoshiarpur
Centre to improve rail facilities in Fazilka: Ghubaya
Abohar MC staff given undue benefits: RTI
Delay in stadium project named after martyr irks sportspersons
Health info helpline ‘104’ a hit
Couple booked for culpable
homicide
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Political conferences at rakhar punya fair
Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 10 Addressing a rally here to mark Rakhar Punya fair, Badal said, “The emotive issue of gurdwaras is always close to the heart of every Sikh. The Congress and its agents were trying to take control of gurdwaras, but their attempts will never succeed as every Sikh is aware of their dubious track record.” He said the “deliberate attempt” by the Congress to “weaken” the SAD, SGPC and even Akal Takht was totally intolerable. Recalling the sacrifices made by the Sikhs to constitute the SGPC during the British Raj, the Chief Minister alleged the “modern day mahants” were trying to weaken this prestigious body of the Sikhs at the “behest of the Congress”. He said it was time for the Sikhs to introspect the “anti-Sikh stance” of the Congress, which had allegedly attacked Harmandar Sahib and killed innocent members of the community during the 1984 carnage. “The tyrannies unleashed by the Congress on the Sikhs had surpassed even those by the British and the Mughals,” he said. Lashing out at the Congress for meting out “step-motherly” treatment to the state during their rule at the Centre, Badal alleged the successive Congress governments at the Centre had deliberately framed such policies that were aimed at ruining the industry and agriculture in the state. He, however, expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would steer the country on the path to progress and development by overcoming all the hurdles. Interacting with mediapersons after the rally, the Chief Minister said it was too early to assess the performance of the Union Government, and that Modi must be given some time to perform. He said Punjab would immensely benefit from the NDA Government. The Chief Minister said the state government was making all efforts to wipe out the drug menace. He said the government was constructing 22 rehabilitation centres, which would become operational within four months. Badal said the Congress should not oppose any move by the Centre or the state government only for the sake of opposition. Rather, he advised, the Congress should play the role of a constructive opposition for ensuring the welfare of the country as well as the state. On the Punjab athletes’ grudge against the government, Badal said the SAD-BJP coalition was following a set procedure for felicitating sportspersons who bring laurels for the state. He said that besides honoring medallists of various international sports events, the government had recruited them on key government jobs. The Chief Minister also assured support to the families of the youth stuck in strife-torn Iraq. Revenue Minister Majithia skips rally Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was conspicuous by his absence at the party’s rally during the Rakhar Punya fair. A powerful Cabinet Minister, Majithia has been keeping a low profile ever since senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley lost the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar. Interestingly, the Akali leaders at the rally addressed SAD stalwart Ranjeet Singh Brahmpura as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’ (General of Majha), a title used to address Majithia in the party circles sometime back. Majithia’s aide Sukhdeep Sidhu said he was busy with the party campaign in the bypolls.
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Direct SAD not to use drugs during bypoll: Bajwa to Takht
Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 10 Addressing a rally organised by former MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa on the occasion of Rakhar Punya here, Bajwa said: “Around 70 per cent of the state’s youth are hooked to drugs in one form or the other. In this scenario, Akal Takht must step in to save the young generation of Punjab.” Interestingly, Bajwa had earlier issued orders to call off the party's rally at Baba Bakala in view of the byelections. He, however, justified Dimpa's decision to hold it, saying they organised the rally as the SAD and the AAP too had held political conferences. “We have been holding rallies here on Rakhar Punya every year. Not holding it this time would have sent a wrong message,” he said. Bajwa accused the SAD-BJP Government of ignoring the interests of the Majha region, alleging that the ruling alliance didn’t set up any university or industrial unit in the region ever since it came to power in 2007. He also targeted the ruling alliance over its “non-fulfillment” of poll promises even after completion of half of its term. “The Akali Dal had promised to give Rs 1,000 per month as allowance to the unemployed youth. It had also promised laptops to students of classes XI and XII. None of these promises was fulfilled. Other such promises include increasing old age pension from Rs 250 to Rs 500 and benefit under the Shagun Scheme from Rs 15,000 to Rs 31,000,” he said. The PPCC chief flayed the government for the “deteriorating law and order situation” and for using force against employees who had been protesting in support of their just demands. He said on one hand, the Badal family supported the Nanhi Chhan campaign and on the other, women employees were being “brutally thrashed by the state police during protests”. Wants Army deployed Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that paramilitary forces be deployed to ensure free and fair elections in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo. He said he had written to the Election Commission in this regard. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said they had no objection if the Army was deployed. The Akali Dal was confident of winning both the elections, he claimed. Bajwa accused the SAD of resorting to “unprincipled politics” stating that it was in alliance with the BJP in Punjab, but canvassing against it in Haryana. He said the Centre neither helped Punjab in the SGPC row nor in dealing with drought-like situation in the state.
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Independent Balkar Sidhu hurls dual vote charge at AAP nominee
Talwandi Sabo, August 10 He produced two sets of documents, one mentioning her father’s name as Darshan Singh and another as Amarjeet Singh. He produced a copy of a public notice declaring Baljinder as Amarjeet Singh’s adopted daughter. The notice was published in 2005. He also showed Amarjeet Singh’s death certificate mentioning that he had passed away in 2002. Sidhu said at one place in the voter list, it was mentioned that Baljinder Kaur (voter no. 352) was a resident of house number 272, Jagah Ram Teerth village. The father’s name was given as Darshan Singh. At another place Baljinder Kaur (voter no. 354) was shown as a resident of house number 272-A of the village. “My candidature was withdrawn by AAP on baseless allegations. No case has been registered against me anywhere in the country. Now that I have provided evidence against Baljinder Kaur, will the party withdraw her candidature,” he asked. He said AAP leader Prashant Bhushan had assured him that he would reply to all his queries by August 6. But he had not heard from him so far. When approached, Darshan Singh said: “Officials entering the data seem to have made a mistake about the father’s name. My mother has been shown as a resident of 272-A and my daughter that of 272. We will take up the matter with the election officials and seek a correction”.
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Patiala BJP cadre wants Sidhu to campaign for Juneja
Patiala, August 10 Sidhu, who now resides in Amritsar, belongs to Patiala. “There is a demand that Sidhu should campaign in the city where he (Sidhu) grew up and has his ancestral home,” said Nardev Singh Akari, in charge, SAD-BJP programme committee. Sidhu is an icon for the city youth. “We will approach the BJP leadership to ask Sidhu to campaign in Patiala city. We also want Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, who speaks fluent Punjabi, to canvass for Juneja,” said Nardev Singh.The BJP has a considerable vote bank in the city. Sidhu does not have a rapport with the top SAD leadership, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. He did not campaign for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar during the Lok Sabha elections because of his differences with the SAD leadership. Jaitley lost to Capt Amarinder Singh with a huge margin. Patiala is all set to see a flurry of activity in days to come. The Chief minister will campaign in the city on April 13 and 14. The Deputy CM will address election rallies here after August 15. Amarinder Singh, will stay here till the polling on August 21. He will skip the remaining session of the Lok Sabha and concentrate on campaigning for his wife. Manish Sisodia, AAP leader, will arrive here tomorrow. He will campaign along with Bhagwant Mann. Yogendra Yadav will arrive here on August 14. Arvind Kejriwal is expected to campaign in the constituency after August 15.
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Residents protest move to demolish houses
Ferozepur, August 10 A few days ago, the Cantonment Board had issued a series of notices under Section 305 and 311 of the Cantonment Act, 2006, to several residents that their structures would be razed. Hundreds of residents gathered to protest the move. They said the move was unwarranted and would affect the lives of over 5,000 people. “Earlier we were uprooted from Pakistan at the time of Partition and now, our own government is bent on rendering us homeless again,” said Surinder Pal Singh, president, Bungalow Association, demanding that the proposed demolition be shelved. “The entire civilian lot staying in the Cantonment is yet to taste the fruits of freedom as they are still governed by the old Governor General’s Order (GGO) No. 179 of 1836 as per which only British can buy property in the cantonment,” said SK Chibber, adding that these “draconian” laws should be done away with at the earliest. Last week, a delegation of cantonment residents had met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley to apprise them about their problems. The Chavvni Bachao Sangharsh Committee also submitted a memorandum to state BJP chief Kamal Sharma, who assured the people that he would take up the matter with Jaitley. “The people here are already reeling under poor economic conditions and a demolition drive will prove catastrophic for them,” said Nand Kishore, president, Beopar Mandal, who threatened to launch a stir if the drive was carried out. When contacted, MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Defence, said he would take up the matter with the ministry. He said any such move might disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the cantonment. On the other hand, Vijaya Bhaskar, CEO, Cantonment Board, said the notices had been issued to those residents who had raised unauthorised structures in the form of commercial units on the new plinth area on the premises of Old Grant Bungalows (OGB) meant for residential purpose. He said though the board had issued demolition orders in these cases under Section 185 of the Cantt Act, 1924, a long time ago, the owners did not even file for appeals before the appellate authority. “Moreover, no related court cases were pending as on the date of issue of notices, which meant that these cases had attained finality and the board is competent to demolish as per the law,” he added.
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Will return to state politics, says Capt
Patiala, August 10 The former Chief Minister said he had told the AICC president that he hoped to spend his "last tenure” in Punjab. He warned Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that it would be the beginning of the SAD fall if the Congress won any one of the Patiala Urban or Talwandi Sabo seats. As both the seats were in the Malwa belt, “a defeat from any of the these seats would mean the Akalis have lost the confidence of the people,” Amarinder Singh said. On HSGMC
On the separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, he said Sikhs residing in various states had the right to form a separate body to manage their gurdwaras. “Badal is a modern-day mahant. As Haryana gurdwaras earn Rs 400 crore from offerings and other properties, he does not want to lose hold over these shrines. But Badal and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar cannot dictate terms to Sikhs across the country,” he said. On SAD-BJP rift
On the differences between the SAD and the BJP, Amarinder Singh said both these parties were "extremists" and were in an alliance only for personal gains. “In Haryana, Badal is supporting the INLD against the BJP. This clearly exposes Badal's double standards,” he said. Speaking with The Tribune at his new Moti Bagh Palace, he said he was in the process of devising a strategy for the Patiala Urban byelection with the help of Dhuri MLA Arvind Khanna and other confidants. He said during the parliamentary elections, the media played up the issue of corruption with such force that the voters turned away from the Congress. In the state, the Akalis faced anti-incumbency for failure to tackle the drug menace, corruption and spiralling sand prices. In such a scenario, the voters in Punjab opted for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On ‘secret’ pact
Scorching rumours of a secret understanding with the SAD to let them win the Talwandi Sabo seat in return for the Congress win in Patiala, he said the entire SAD leadership would have converged on Patiala but the Talwandi Sabo seat was part of the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency represented by Harsimrat Badal and the Akalis were trying hard to win the seat. "Therefore, only a handful of Akali leaders are in Patiala," he explained. On Cong fissures
On fissures within the Pradesh Congress and various leaders voicing different opinion on those selected for canvassing, he said: "You cannot have all Congress men in Patiala or everyone camping in Talwandi Sabo. As far as I know, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal will be visiting Patiala. Partap Singh Bajwa is in Talwandi Sabo." On investigations into the drug racket in Punjab, Amarinder Singh said: "I'm of the opinion that once the investigating team finds evidence against a leader, only then should he be named and punished. We cannot demand action against anyone, be it Bikram Majithia or Raja Warring, merely on the basis of allegations," Amarinder Singh maintained.
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At debut rally, AAP hard-sells itself for ’17
Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 10 Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann turned out to be the biggest crowd-puller for the party as the people were seen cheering him off and on during his entire speech, which was laced with his trademark humour. Addressing the rally, Mann targeted the state government for resorting to “oppression” to curb the protest staged by ETT teachers, “and not even sparing women”. “We celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters on Rakhar Punya and this is the treatment the government is meting out to your sisters on the streets of Talwandi Sabo,” he said. Mann alleged that while the Sikh gurus had sacrificed their families for the Panth, today Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was sacrificing the Panth to get his family members occupy the seats of power. “Badal talks of making a sacrifice by putting up a ‘Morcha’. But it will be suicide, not sacrifice, for them as their entire fight is for the ‘golak’,” he said. He told the people that they had thrown out the British in 1947, but today they had been replaced by “black British”, and to oust them they must use the power of ballot. “You have already shown the strength of democracy in the recent Lok Sabha elections as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’ hardly figures in the media these days,” he said, apparently referring to Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia. He also termed the anti-drug campaign launched by the state government as a mere “drama”, asking why the Akali leaders whose names had figured in the probe had not been arrested. He also took a potshot at the Modi government while wondering when would ‘achhe din’ arrive for the common man. AAP leader Jarnail Singh expressed confidence that the AAP would come to power in Punjab in the coming Assembly elections. Party leaders Dr Daljit Singh and Sucha Singh Chhotepur said the AAP was committed to root out corruption in the country.
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ED going slow on probe into drug racket: Cong
Jalandhar, August 10 The party alleged that though it had been seven months since the ED started the probe, hardly any progress had been made. The Congress alleged that the probe had particularly gone slow ever since the BJP-led NDA Government had assumed power at the Centre. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa said he was dismayed at the pace of the probe. “Once the by-elections are over, we will consult our lawyers and subsequently approach the Supreme Court for a CBI probe,” he said. The Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) has also decided to take up the matter at the highest possible level after the bypoll. “We will not sit quiet. The Youth Congress will make itself heard and demand a CBI probe,” said PYC president Vikramjit Chaudhary. Despite repeated attempts, ED officials did not respond to calls from The Tribune. During the interrogation earlier this year, druglord Jagdish Bhola, prime accused in the Rs 6,000 crore drug racket, had named Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Damanvir Singh, son of Kartarpur MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur, of being involved in the racket. The Congress alleged that though the ED had summoned Damanvir in February, it was yet to call Majithia for questioning. Likewise, Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Phillaur MLA Avinash Chander’s name had also cropped up in the case after some financial transactions against his name were found in the documents seized from a key accused. But so far, he has also not been asked to appear before any probe agency. Chaudhary alleged that the probe by the ED and the Punjab Police appeared to be an eyewash as nothing concrete had emerged so far. “Till the time the big fish are taken to task, the truth will not come out,” he said.
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AAP leaders seek CBI probe into Congress leader’s assets
Patiala, August 10 He alleged Laal Singh had amassed huge wealth without having any known source of income. The MLA had earlier alleged that Adaltiwala had forcefully acquired land of villagers in Adaltiwala village. Adaltiwala had refuted the allegations. Supporting Adaltiwala, Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi alleged Laal Singh was trying to misguide voters by levelling such allegations against the AAP candidate. Dr Gandhi questioned Laal Singh on his huge wealth saying, “Has he inherited such large number of properties? Everyone knows about his financial status before he became an MLA and a minister.” Dr Gandhi asked on what grounds the SAD-BJP Government was seeking votes in Patiala. He alleged the Badal government was looting people by patronising drug, sand transport and land mafias. Akali MP Prem Singh Chandumajra along with SAD-BJP candidate from Patiala (urban) Bhagwan Dass Juneja today paid tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh. They said they would ensure proper upkeep of his statue in the city. AAP volunteers criticised the move saying that the SAD-BJP was trying to get political mileage in the name of martyrs. District AAP convener Jarnail Singh alleged the ruling party leaders had violated the code of conduct by making such statements.
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SAD to get help from Delhi unit
New Delhi, August 10 They said the Patiala seat was urban dominated and the DSGMC would deploy workers with experience of canvassing in urban areas while in Talwandi Sabo, religious leaders would be deployed.
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CM forms panel to resolve ETT issue
Chandigarh, August 10 The teachers, currently associated with the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, have been demanding that their services be brought under the Education Department. The decision to constitute the team was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a meeting with a five-member delegation of ETT Association led by its president Jaswinder Singh Sidhu, which called on him at his residence today. The ETT teachers are on protest for the last almost two years. The government had reportedly reached an understanding with them during the Lok Sabha elections, but the teachers claimed that it was only a “poll gimmick”. A government spokesperson said the committee would meet after the byelections and explore every possibility to sort out the issue. The CM asked the committee to give their recommendations for early resolution of this issue to the satisfaction of the protesting teachers. — TNS Their demand *Currently associated with the Rural Development and Panchayats Department, the ETT teachers have been demanding that their services should be brought under the Education Department
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Cops harassed us, say mid-day meal cooks
Bathinda, August 10 “We wanted to highlight the plight of the mid-day meal cooks across the state. But instead of listening to our grievances, the government manhandled us through the police,” said union state president Harjinder Kaur Lope. She alleged that around 70 workers were taken to Kotfatta police station from Talwandi Sabo when they were on their way to submit a memorandum to the government representatives. “Amid sultry weather, we all were squeezed into private buses hired by the police from educational institutes and taken to the police station,” she said. In a statement, Lope alleged the police refused to answer any of their queries and the women remained lodged behind bars till 6.30 pm. “Since a majority of those arrested were from far-off districts, they failed to get any public transportation in the evening and reached their houses late at night,” she said. Lope claimed that as most of the women were above 40 years, they found it tough to bear the extreme heat and were taken ill. The workers have been demanding a hike in their monthly allowances on the pattern of Haryana and Chandigarh. The workers claimed they were being paid a mere Rs 1,200 per month whereas Haryana was paying Rs 2,500 and Chandigarh Rs 2,600. The union announced that its members would again hold a protest against the Punjab Government in Patiala on August 17.
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Bulgarian team calls on Speaker
Chandigarh, August 10 During the meeting, Atwal advocated the need to set up a joint venture to promote tourism and food processing industry in Bulgaria as well as Punjab. The delegation had a round of the Vidhan Sabha and collected information on the functioning of the Assembly. Atwal apprised the delegation of Punjab being the leading agrarian state of the country. He said there was ample scope of tourism promotion and food processing industry in the state. The Speaker also apprised the delegation about the policies and programmes of the Punjab Government for the welfare of its people. — TNS
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‘I will celebrate Rakhi on my brother’s return from Iraq’
Chandigarh, August 10 Manjinder is among 41 youths from Punjab in the custody of ISIS militants in Iraq. “I will celebrate Rakhi the day my brother returns home safely,” she told The Tribune, her voice choking. Amarjit Kaur’s brother Kanwaljit, a resident of Gurdaspur, is yet to return from Iraq. “Last year, I tied him a rakhi 10 days before the festival as he left for Iraq. This time, I don’t even know whether he is alive or not,” said Amarjit Kaur. She said they had last heard from another Gurdaspur resident, Surjit Singh, on June 15. “He was screaming in fear. He told us that they had been taken into custody and were being hit by rifle butts,” she recalled. But at a house in Khatkar Kalan village in Nawanshahr, there were special celebrations today. “I had almost lost hope of my brother’s safe return. But he (Gaurav Kangotra) arrived three days ago. I could not have got a better gift for Raksha Bandhan,” said an elated Lovepreet. Harpreet Kaur said she would not allow her brother, Navdeep Saroha, a resident of Adampur, to leave the country after his ordeal in Iraq. “I will not ever allow him to go abroad. It does not matter if he earns less here,” she said. Kin of kidnapped youth threaten stir Hoshiarpur: Families of kidnapped youths in Iraq have threatened to block roads and stage dharnas if the Centre does not take concrete steps to rescue them. At a meeting here on Sunday, they accused the government of misleading them. “Our relatives are in the clutches of death and our External Affairs Minister is making trips to various countries other than Iraq,” they said. Parminder Singh, whose brother and two brothers-in-law are among those stuck in Iraq, said: “I was in touch with someone in Mosul.They were helping us trace our kin. But after the US air raids, we lost contact with them,” he said. — Sanjeev Kumar Bakshi Will ensure their early return: Badal Baba Bakala: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday met a delegation of the family members of youths stuck in Iraq. He told them he was keeping a close liaison with the Union Government and the officers of the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure their early release.
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BDS admissions delayed despite govt orders
Faridkot, August 10 On July 21, the department had issued instructions to the university to ensure that the admission process to fill all seats in dental colleges be completed before August 15. The department had asked the university to go for extensive publicity to attract maximum candidates. However, the university has fixed August 24 as the date for the entrance test and the medical university is yet to announce the counselling schedule. The admission process is not expected to be completed before September 15. Official sources said the university was told to complete the admission process by August 15 as per the Supreme Court guidelines, according to which the academic session should start on September 1. The university claimed had it followed the instructions, there were chances of more than 200 seats remaining vacant even after the test since the third counselling for MBBS was scheduled for the first week of September. Many unsuccessful candidates would apply for BDS seats after the counselling, university officials maintained. The tangle
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us shootout
Amritsar, August 10 In his letter to Swaraj, copies of which have been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Amarinder said the victim’s family had no clue how to get the body to India. Employed at a gas station, Rajinder was shot dead while on duty. He belonged to Khandwala in Chheharta area of Amritsar and had been working in the US for the past three years. The Amritsar MP urged Swaraj to direct the Indian Embassy in the US to make the necessary arrangements so that the body could be transported to India at the earliest.
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Govt staff to protest on Aug 15
Patiala, August 10 These employees said they had been working on a contractual basis for the past over eight years. They alleged that despite repeated assurances, the state government had not regularised their services and that they were paid just Rs 7,000 per month. Ram Singh Allowal, state convener of the committee, said their grade pay should have been Rs 10,300-Rs 34,800. He alleged that Class IV employees too were paid little. He said they were paid Rs 3,000 instead of Rs 10,000. Allowal further alleged that the government was appointing new pharmacists at drug de-addiction centres for Rs 15,000, which was much higher than the wages they got. “In May 2011, the government brought us under the zila parishad. Even though we have worked for three years, our services have not been regularised,” he alleged. He further said that over 90 unqualified pharmacists, who have been working for the government for a while, had not been expelled.
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Will campaign against govt in Talwandi Sabo: PRTC workers
Bathinda, August 10 The employees have been demanding that buses plying under the kilometre scheme should be stopped as the owners of these buses in connivance with PRTC officials are allegedly causing a loss of Rs 7 crore per month to the roadways. They allege the drivers of these buses were pilfering 20 litres of diesel daily. They also demand that the contract system should be abolished and their services be made regular. Their other demands include payment for working overtime and reinstatement of suspended employees. Their wishlist
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Girl molested, varsity students protest poor security
Amritsar, August 10 University Vice Chancellor Dr AS Brar held meetings with officials to revise the security arrangements near the girls’ hostels. Among those present at the meeting include Dr Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Dean, Student Welfare, security officer Col (retd) Harbans Singh, officials from Construction and Maintenance Department, Landscape Department and girls’ hostel inmates. It was decided to increase the strength of security guards and begin patrolling alongside hostels’ rear entrance and install quality CCTV cameras with night vision facility. The GNDU authorities also planned to increase the height of the boundary wall of the university facing Polytechnic Road by another six feet. Security Officer Harbans Singh said around six women security guards would also patrol the corridors of the hostel. He said the Vice Chancellor directed the Landscape Officer to root out the weeds and asked Electricity Department to replace the defunct lights. Sources said an unidentified youth entered girls’ hostel number 1 from the balcony and allegedly molested a girl staying on the first floor of the hostel. She immediately raised an alarm after which the intruder physically assaulted her. Hearing her cries, three girls from hostel number 3 reached there. They immediately brought the matter to the notice of security guards and Warden. By the time they searched the area the miscreant had fled. However, the victims family desisted from the filing a police complaint. Measures proposed
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Bias against SC students
Jalandhar, August 10 The visiting delegation held that the ongoing trouble at the college had been caused due to misunderstandings between the students and the authorities. Even as the team said many of the students alleging bias in internal assessments had secured first divisions, they said they needed to probe the matter deeply. Dr Raunki Ram, Dean, Arts Faculty, PU, said, “Of the 92 students, 82 had received first divisions and still they say they have been wronged? But the AR exams will conduct an in-depth enquiry into the issue. However, the students’ complaints that they have not been awarded first class were baseless.” “The students’ allegation that they had to pay in advance also could not be substantiated. The students could not identify the person who had charged them,” he said. Meanwhile, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anand Sagar Sharma said an SIT had been constituted to look into the allegation.
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MC strike results in garbage heaps dotting Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur, August 10 The frequent showers have deteriorated the conditions, wherein waterborne diseases may spread rapidly. District Epidemiologist Dr Shailesh Kumar says the situation could lead to a health hazard. The Unions of MC employees say they would end the strike only if their demands were met. The sanitation system has collapsed. Heaps of garbage are seen in Shimla Pahadi, Mall Road, Arya Nagar, Government College Chowk, Jagatpura, Prem Garh, Phagwara Road, Civil Hospital Road, Bahadurpur Clock Tower crossing, Committee Bazaar and the old vegetable market. The choked sewerage is also compounding problems. There is no one at the MC office to address people’s complaints. Kumar said, “The situation is grim as garbage attracts mosquitoes, flies and other insects. The heaps of waste have choked the sewerage. In such conditions, water borne and vectorborne diseases such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, cholera, malaria,
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Centre to improve rail facilities in Fazilka: Ghubaya
Fazilka, august 10 Ghubaya said he had discussed the list of demands that Sanjha Morcha presented to him with the Union Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda recently. He said the minister promised to extend the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express train to
Fazilka.
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Abohar MC staff given undue benefits: RTI
Abohar, August 10 The council has conceded that junior assistant Ved Parkash Watts, who had retired on superannuation of 32.5 years of service on December 31, 2009, was paid an excess benefit of Rs 2.16 lakh. A notice has been issued to him to refund the amount. Gardner Gore Lal was also paid Rs 50,000 excess of his claims in 2004. A notice has been served to recover the amount after ten years. The MC said Babu Lal, a peon, had died on November 4, 2010. Medical allowance worth Rs 7,000 was credited to his spouse Krishna Devi’s account even when she had died after a few months. A notice was issued to her sons to refund the amount in 2012 but there was no response. Her sons Vinod Kumar and Devinder Kumar claimed on July 17, 2014, that they had submitted her death certificate immediately and were not aware as to who had drawn the amount. The Executive Officer of the MC confessed loan money/advances were not deducted from the benefits of some employees upon retirement. — OC
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Delay in stadium project named after martyr irks sportspersons
Abohar, August 10 They were speaking during a function to commemorate martyr Captain Navpal Singh Sidhu on his 37th birth anniversary in Padampur, Sriganganagar. Navpal had sacrificed his life on December 30, 2002, after gunning down three PoK-trained terrorists in the Surankote area in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir. The Sikh martyr was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. Shaheed Navpal Trust secretary Ghanshyam Harwani said Chief Ministers of the successive governments, MPs and ministers had visited the memorial and made tall promises but funds, estimated to amount to Rs 2 crore, were yet to be received to complete the stadium project.
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Health info helpline ‘104’ a hit
Muktsar, August 10 The data procured till Friday shows that as many as 221 calls were of complaints received from public regarding healthcare services being provided in the state government-run hospitals and dispensaries. As many as 1,717 people availed the benefit of getting advice about health problems from counsellors or qualified doctors. As many as 2,598 people called to know about the existing health programmes and schemes of the government. At least 20 people called for counselling related to drug de-addiction or psychiatric cases. As many as 4,250 calls received are not directly related to the health department, but to other departments. Apart from these, helpline officials made as many as 5,168 calls under the Mother Child Tracking System (MCTS) to guide pregnant women. A senior executive of the helpline told The Tribune that only 35 people were dissatisfied with the information received from the helpline. He said the helpline had four tele-callers, who were operating from an office at Kharar, to receive or make the calls in three eight-hour shifts. The ‘104’ helpline is different from ‘108’helpline as the former is for non-emergency health information and the latter is for emergency-related calls.
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Couple booked for culpable homicide
Mandi Gobindgarh, August 10 The police have registered a case against Pinky, her husband Mohammad Farooq and unidentified assailants under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt),148 and 149 (rioting) of the IPC. The police said when Rattan intervened, he was attacked by the group. He was hit with a baton on his head. — TNS
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Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 10
Talwandi Sabo, August 10
Patiala, August 10
Baba Bakala (Amritsar), August 10
Chandigarh, August 10
Abohar, August 10
Amarjit Kaur shows her brother Kanwaljit Singh’s picture. Both the youths are stuck in Iraq.