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TOP STORIES

BJP differs with CM on scope of new panel
Kamal Sharma, state bjp chief Chandigarh, August 13
The state BJP has expressed disagreement with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the mandate and scope of the state coordination committee and district-level committees.
Kamal Sharma, state bjp chief

Ruling alliance strong as ever, claims Badal
Patiala, August 13
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during an election rally in Patiala on Wednesday Claiming that relations between the SAD and the BJP are intact and growing stronger, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said their alliance for Haryana Assembly elections was being discussed at the top level.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during an election rally in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar


YOUR TOWN
Chandigarh


EARLIER STORIES



Punjab Bypoll 2014
No ‘achhe din’ yet for common man: Tewari
Congress leader Manish Tewari during an election rally in support of Congress candidate Preneet Kaur in Patiala on WednesdayPatiala, August 13
Canvassing for Congress candidate for Patiala (Urban) bypoll, former Union minister Manish Tewari said, “The victory of the Congress in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo will set the tone for the 2017 Assembly elections, which the Congress is bound to win.”

Congress leader Manish Tewari during an election rally in support of Congress candidate Preneet Kaur in Patiala on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Constituency watch: Patiala-Urban
It's a matter of prestige for Congress
A view of Patiala bus standPatiala, August 13
Poor sanitation, broken roads, shoddy MC functioning, encroachments and waterlogging are the key issues on which the voters of this constituency will cast their vote on August 21. Failing to retain the Patiala Lok Sabha seat, Preneet Kaur, who was minister in the UPA government, is now contesting the Patiala-Urban Assembly seat.

A view of Patiala bus stand

Brar preparing reforms charter
Jagmeet Brar Chandigarh, August 13
Jagmeet Singh Brar, senior Congress leader and former member of the Congress Working Committee, today said that he was preparing a 100-point charter of reforms that would be sent to all Congress leaders, including members of the AICC, presidents of state units, MPs and former MPs.
Jagmeet Brar






 

POLITICS

Campaign trail: Talwandi Sabo
Akali Dal, BJP working at cross-purposes: Bajwa
Talwandi Sabo, August 13
PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa today dubbed the SAD-BJP alliance as a marriage of convenience. He claimed the two parties were actually working at cross-purposes. He was addressing a gathering at a village in Talwandi Sabo.

COMMUNITY

Mohali police told to act against ‘con man’ who duped cops
Chandigarh, August 13
Decks have been cleared for the interrogation of alleged con man Devinder Gill. The latter allegedly duped several police officials and their relatives on the pretext of providing them farmhouses on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

Kin of teacher held in NDPS case cry foul
NDPS case accused Sandeep Madkan’s family members address the media in Chandigarh on Wednesday Chandigarh, August 13
A teacher from Malerkotla, Suman, along with her mother-in-law Dev Rani, also a teacher, today appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to save her husband from the Punjab Police, which had allegedly falsely implicated him in a case under the NDPS Act.


NDPS case accused Sandeep Madkan’s family members address the media in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Talwandi Sabo turns a fortress
A police naka to prevent entry of unlawful elements in Talwandi Sabo Talwandi Sabo, August 13
Talwandi Sabo has acquired the look of a fortress as heavy police security has been put in place in view of the forthcoming Assembly byelection and regular protests by staff of different departments who have shifted their base from Bathinda to Talwandi Sabo to get draw political and media attention.

A police naka to prevent entry of unlawful elements in Talwandi Sabo. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma

Teachers awaiting job letters climb water tank
Talwandi Sabo, August 13
Candidates, who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), today climbed a water tank in Jeevansinghwala village and threatened to commit suicide if they were not given appointment letters immediately.

College not recognised, MBBS students want to be shifted
Faridkot, August 13
As many as 150 MBBS students of Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot, along with their parents reached Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) here today and demanded that they be shifted to some other institute in Punjab.

Reconsider move, Sehajdharis to Modi government
New Delhi, August 13
Sehajdhari Sikhs today urged the Narendra Modi government to reconsider the move to amend law to deny them the right to vote in the SGPC elections.

Private banks cold to Debt Swap Scheme for farmers
Chandigarh, August 13
High rural indebtedness in Punjab has led to several incidents of farmer suicides. Rural debt in Punjab is estimated to be around Rs 35,000 crore, but private banks operating in the state seem uninterested in swapping the debt taken from private money lenders.

SI suspended for torturing minor boy
Nakodar, August 13
In yet another incident of police high handedness, a 13-year-old boy was allegedly tortured during illegally detention at the Mehatpur police station for 22 hours.

Students demand passes for travelling in private buses
Sangrur, August 13
Students today demanded that the state government enact a law that would enable them to use concessionary passes on all buses. At present, the bus passes are only valid on government-owned buses such as the PRTC.

Goof-up: Two vehicles get same number
Muktsar, August 13
Two vehicles with the same registration number are said to be plying on city roads. Local resident Harmeet Singh said he had purchased a second-hand Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle (PB-30-B-9000). However, he found out that a Punjab Roadways bus also had the same number.

State to honour 2 Fazilka farmers on I-Day
Fazilka, August 13
The state government will honour two farmers for their contribution to the field of agriculture at the state-level Independence Day function in Patiala. The office of the Chief Minister has invited horticulturist and agriculture reformer Surinder Kumar Ahuja and progressive farmer Sanjeev Nagpal to the event.


COURTS

Liquor vends: HC wants status report by Nov 27
Chandigarh, August 13
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today called for a status report on compliance of directions on removal of liquor vends dotting the highways. As a petition seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged inaction came up for hearing, Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa made it clear that the status report was required to be filed by November 27.

Perks of employee facing charges can be withheld: Court
Chandigarh, August 13
Putting to rest the controversy over the issue of holding back the amount of leave encashment of a retiring employee facing departmental inquiry or criminal proceedings, a three-Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the payment can indeed be withheld in Punjab.

HC upholds setting aside of PROs' selection
Chandigarh, August 13
More than a year after a Single Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the selection of information and public relations officers (IPROs), a Division Bench today upheld the orders.


CRIME

Two minor girls rescued
Abohar, August 13
The police have rescued two minor girls in the region. Last night, a girl abducted by four persons was rescued by the police in Sriganganagar, 40 km from here in Rajasthan. While three miscreants escaped, Vijay Kumar of Basant Vihar was nabbed.

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BJP differs with CM on scope of new panel
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
The state BJP has expressed disagreement with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the mandate and scope of the state coordination committee and district-level committees.

The Chief Minister had constituted a six-member panel on Tuesday to “further streamline day-to-day functioning and strengthen cooperation between the alliance partners.” The BJP today said that a coordination committee already existed. Set up in 2007, it was headed by the Chief Minister himself.

“It will be a misnomer to call the new panel a coordination committee. The mandate of the new panel is not to streamline day-to-day functioning but to tackle contentious issues like the spiralling sand and gravel prices, the drug menace and VAT. These were some of the issues that hurt the alliance during the parliamentary elections.

“If the committee had been set up to strengthen cooperation, the Chief Minister, Deputy CM and state BJP president would have been its members,” said Kamal Sharma. Talking to The Tribune, he said the mandate of the new panel was to pinpoint deficiencies and suggest remedial measures.

He said the new panel was constituted following marathon discussions between the Chief Minister and the BJP top brass on June 25. The Akali leaders on the committee are: Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder. The BJP is represented by Ashwani Sharma, Narottam Dev Ratti and Prof Rajinder Bhandari.

Sources say the Balramji Dass Tandon report has blamed the imposition of property tax, neglect of industrialists and traders, the growing clout of SAD’s halqa chiefs and the spiralling prices of sand and gravel for the poor performance of SAD-BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.

Asked if the BJP leadership would ask its alliance partner to correct the “goof-up”, Sharma said there was no need for it. “The sole purpose of the new panel will be to implement the Tandon report recommendations and to initiate remedial measures,” he said.

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Ruling alliance strong as ever, claims Badal
Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 13
Claiming that relations between the SAD and the BJP are intact and growing stronger, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said their alliance for Haryana Assembly elections was being discussed at the top level.

Badal said: “All reports on differences among the ruling partners are baseless. The reality is that we are growing stronger,” he said after addressing an election rally at Model Town here.

He rubbished claims of the Congress that “the entire SAD rank and file was busy concentrating on the Talwandi Sabo seat”. He said he and his party leaders were equally devoted to the Patiala and Talwandi Sabo byelections.

On former CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s charge that Badal government ignored Patiala, he said he would camp in Patiala for the next two days. “We are focusing on both seats.”

Accompanied by SAD candidate Bhagwan Dass Juneja and party leader Deepinder Dhillon, Badal said: “I cannot promise much due to the poll code, but once you ensure Juneja’s victory, I assure you that Patiala’s development will be our foremost priority.”

On separate gurdwara panel in Haryana, Badal said the SAD was never against Sikhs of other states, but the Congress played a mischief to divide the Sikh community.

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Punjab Bypoll 2014
No ‘achhe din’ yet for common man: Tewari
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 13
Canvassing for Congress candidate for Patiala (Urban) bypoll, former Union minister Manish Tewari said, “The victory of the Congress in Patiala and Talwandi Sabo will set the tone for the 2017 Assembly elections, which the Congress is bound to win.” Lashing out at the ruling SAD-BJP state government, Tewari said their rule for two terms had pushed the state far behind in progress and development.

He urged the people of Patiala to ensure that they voted for Preneet Kaur on August 21 as it was not only in the interest of the city, but also the entire state. “If she is voted as the MLA, it will teach the Akalis a lesson that the voters are not happy with their performance,” he said.

Addressing a public meeting, Tewari recalled his roots and association with Patiala. “Both my parents belonged to this place before moving to Chandigarh,” he said. “It is sort of a homecoming for me,” he said.

Tewari also lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. In just two months, it had exposed itself in terms of ideological bankruptcy, he said. The prices of essential commodities had increased manifold, he said. “What happened to their promise of bringing down prices immediately?” he said.

He said they always advocated a tough stance towards Pakistan, but took no time to accord red carpet reception to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief to embellish their swearing-in ceremony.

Having a dig at the “ache din” slogan of the BJP and the NDA, he said, “Achhe din have certainly come, but only for the BJP and NDA and not for the common man.”

Meanwhile, SAD-BJP combine candidate Bhagwan Dass Juneja said, “Preneet Kaur should first tell the people that what would she do if she wins the election this time and how her win could benefit the city?”

Seeking votes from shopkeepers in the AC market area, Juneja said, “Preneet Kaur ignored city’s development while being a minister in the Union Cabinet and a Member of Parliament for 15 years. Now, she was attributing her non-performance to her status of minister of state for external affairs.”

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Constituency watch: Patiala-Urban
It's a matter of prestige for Congress
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 13
Poor sanitation, broken roads, shoddy MC functioning, encroachments and waterlogging are the key issues on which the voters of this constituency will cast their vote on August 21.
An incomplete road near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala
An incomplete road near Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Tribune photos: Rajesh Sachar

Failing to retain the Patiala Lok Sabha seat, Preneet Kaur, who was minister in the UPA government, is now contesting the Patiala-Urban Assembly seat. She is pitted against SAD-BJP nominee Bhagwan Dass Juneja and Harjeet Singh Adaltiwala of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This fledgling party had secured 35,676 votes in the Lok Sabha elections compared to the Congress's 43,238. The SAD bagged only 16,342 votes in this segment.

With the Congress winning this seat nine times in the past five decades, it continues to be a Congress stronghold.The seat fell vacant after Capt Amarinder Singh resigned as an MLA to fight the Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar. Amarinder Singh has been aggressively canvassing for his wife Preneet. He will be in the constituency till the polling day. For him, it's a prestige war.

Since 1977, the SAD has won the seat only twice. In 1977, Akali leader Sardara Singh Kohli won the seat defeating Shambhu Prasad (Independent). In the 1980, 1985 and 1992 elections, the seat was wrested by Congress' Brahm Mohindra. In 1997, Sardara Singh Kohli's son Surjit Singh Kohli defeated Mohindra. In the 2002 Assembly elections, Mohindra was shifted to Samana and Amarinder fielded as Congress candidate. He defeated SAD's Sarup Singh Sehgal and became the Chief Minister. In 2007, Amarinder Singh defeated SAD candidate Surjit Singh Kohli. He again won the seat in 2012.

at a glance

Total voters: 1.51 lakh

Men: 79,475

Women: 71,985

Segment scan

The constituency has 28 municipal wards. The problem of waterlogging persists even though during the earlier Congress regime, the nullah flowing through the city was covered. Cleaning the nullah remains a challenge for the cash-strapped municipal corporation. Most roads in the city are in a bad shape.

Main issues

  • Supply of drinking water, especially in summers
  • Need for a new bus stand, removal of encroachments and laying of roads

Candidates in fray

SAD-BJP: Bhagwan Dass Juneja

AAP: Harjeet Singh Adaltiwala

Congress: Preneet Kaur

Legislatorspeak

Ever since the Akalis took over the reins of the state, they have ignored Patiala. The city has become one of the most backward areas.

Capt Amarinder Singh, mp

Oppositionspeak

Preneet Kaur ignored city's development as MP. Once elected, I will ensure overall development of the city.

Bhagwan Dass Juneja, sad-bjp

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Brar preparing reforms charter
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
Jagmeet Singh Brar, senior Congress leader and former member of the Congress Working Committee, today said that he was preparing a 100-point charter of reforms that would be sent to all Congress leaders, including members of the AICC, presidents of state units, MPs and former MPs.

Brar said he favoured a fixed tenure for AICC presidentship. “It should not be more than 10 years, in any case," he said. Claiming he was not targeting anyone, he said: "No party leader should be nominated or elected to the Rajya Sabha for more than two terms. When these leaders contest Lok Sabha elections in their states, they perform miserably.”

Brar said a state unit chief should not be allowed to hold office if the party loses assembly elections twice in a row under his leadership.

"Those defecting to the Congress should not be considered for a party position or office for five years. They should be asked to work for the party first. Anybody against whom criminal charges have been framed should not be nominated to any party office or be fielded for an election,” said Brar. He said the party should finalise alliances with other parties two years prior to an Assemby poll or General Election. "There should be a clear policy regarding such alliances. No leader found opposing the official candidate should be given any space in the party," he added.

Salient points

  • The tenure of AICC president should not be more than 10 yrs
  • Nobody should be elected to Rajya Sabha for more than two terms
  • Those defecting to Cong mustn't be considered for any office for 5 years
  • Anybody facing criminal charges should not be nominated to any party position
  • Poll alliances should be sealed 2 years prior to any election
  • Those found opposing official candidate should get no space in the party

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Campaign trail: Talwandi Sabo
Akali Dal, BJP working at cross-purposes: Bajwa
Tribune News Service

Talwandi Sabo, August 13
PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa today dubbed the SAD-BJP alliance as a marriage of convenience. He claimed the two parties were actually working at cross-purposes. He was addressing a gathering at a village in Talwandi Sabo.

The PPCC chief said former BJP minister Satpal Gosain and former Ludhiana Improvement Trust chairman MM Vyas had started a “Punjab Bachao Morcha” to take up the problems confronting industrialists. Local Bodies minister Anil Joshi too had objected to some of the decisions taken by the government. He called upon the BJP leaders to introspect whether it was right to remain in the government under such “humiliating conditions” when its ministers had no say in decision-making.

Balkar writes to EC

Balkar Sidhu, Independent, has demanded that the candidature of AAP candidate Baljinder Kaur be cancelled for submitting “forged” documents to the returning officer. He has written to the Election Commission, the Bathinda Deputy Commissioner and the SDM in this regard.

Sukhbir woos voters

In a bid to woo voters, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today said that the Centre had cleared Rs 2500 crore to ensure that water meant for irrigation purposes reached villages located at the tailend of canals. Addressing gatherings at Bhagwangarh, Nasibpura, Bhagwangarh, Dunewala, Malwala, Mannwala, Bangi Deepa, Bangi Rughu, Bangi Nihal Singh Wala, Bangi Ruldu, Kot Bakhtu and Raman Mandi town, he said the Centre would provide Rs 10,000 crore for brick-lining water channels.

(Contributed by Nikhila Pant, Bharat Khanna and Gurdeep Mann)

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Mohali police told to act against ‘con man’ who duped cops
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
Decks have been cleared for the interrogation of alleged con man Devinder Gill. The latter allegedly duped several police officials and their relatives on the pretext of providing them farmhouses on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

The Additional DGP, Law and Order, Dinkar Gupta, today directed the Mohali SSP to act on the FIR registered against Gill and his accomplices in March this year. The police will now seek his production remand from a Panchkula court. The Haryana Police had arrested Gill in July this year for rape.

Though the ADGP said his earlier directive in the matter was misconstrued, the Mohali police has been quoting from a letter written by him to the police officials, directing them to withhold further investigation into the case till the Vigilance completed an inquiry into charges levelled by Gill’s wife, Kriscpy Khera, that her husband had been kidnapped by certain IPS officers.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had reportedly asked the police to withhold the investigation till the conclusion of the Vigilance inquiry.

“I have issued a letter to the Mohali police to proceed against Gill as per the law,” Gupta told The Tribune. He said with several complaints and counter-complaints being filed in the case, he had earlier directed the police to act cautiously.

Though declared a “proclaimed offender”, the Punjab Police did not make any move to seek Gill’s production remand when arrested by the Haryana Police two weeks ago. Gill was a junior employee with the Registrar of Societies. His questioning is likely to focus on his links with police officials.

Kriscpy Khera said her husband was innocent: “He is paying for his proximity with policemen. Two senior policemen had kidnapped him and made him sign on a blank paper. They had molested me too. I fear for my husband’s life.”

The woman on whose complaint the Haryana Police had arrested Gill claimed that he was being protected by police officials who had invested “black money” in his land project.

Gill had allegedly made an offer to senior police officials to invest their money in farmhouses in Mullanpur (now New Chandigarh), each measuring 2.5 acres. However, the scheme existed on paper only and the Mohali police booked five persons, including Gill, earlier this year.

The FIR identified the accused as Devinder Gill, Goldy, Manpreet Chahal, Neeraj Wadhera and Dhanraj of Sky Heights Housing Building Society. A Delhi resident, Yashpal Gupta, had complained to the police that he had paid Rs 2 crore to the accused. But neither had he received a refund, nor had he been allotted a plot.

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Kin of teacher held in NDPS case cry foul
Allege frame-up at behest of some influential persons in Malerkotla, seek CM’s intervention
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
A teacher from Malerkotla, Suman, along with her mother-in-law Dev Rani, also a teacher, today appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to save her husband from the Punjab Police, which had allegedly falsely implicated him in a case under the NDPS Act.

Addressing the media here, Suman alleged that her husband Sandeep Madkan, who too was a teacher, was arrested with intoxicating syrups at the behest of certain influential persons. She claimed the family was being pressurised to withdraw a case registered against five persons for abetting the suicide of her father-in-law Ramesh Madkan. Ramesh had ended his life when he was removed from his post over allegations of facilitating copying in an exam in 2010. “My father-in-law could not bear the charge. He, in fact, had stopped some students from copying. An honest person, he chose to end his life,” she claimed.

On the basis of Ramesh’s suicide note, the police had registered an FIR against five persons, including a school principal and three mediapersons. Suman alleged she and her husband were getting threatening calls to withdraw the case. “When my husband refused to budge, they got him implicated in a false case,” she claimed.

She also showed video clippings of CCTV footage outside their house and another near a gurdwara to substantiate her claim that her husband was picked up from their house but allegedly shown arrested at a police ‘naka’, “which was never set up”. “We want a high-level inquiry by a senior official,” she demanded.

Sangrur SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu defended the case against Sandeep: “The allegations levelled by the family are false. The CCTV footage can’t be relied upon as the cameras showed one side of the road while our ‘naka’ was on the other side. The police presence outside the house of the accused (as shown in the CCTV footage) was due to a search operation that was underway.” He claimed there was no pressure on the police.

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Talwandi Sabo turns a fortress
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service


Some youngsters being rounded up by the police on Wednesday
Some youngsters being rounded up by the police on Wednesday

Talwandi Sabo, August 13
Talwandi Sabo has acquired the look of a fortress as heavy police security has been put in place in view of the forthcoming Assembly byelection and regular protests by staff of different departments who have shifted their base from Bathinda to Talwandi Sabo to get draw political and media attention.

The police prevented the entry of PEPSU Roadways Transport Corporation staff and Teacher Eligibility Test-qualified candidates into the town today. Rupinder Singh, state general secretary of the PRTC Workers Union, said, “We wanted to enter Talwandi Sabo, but we were turned back.” TET teachers staged a dharna atop a water tank in Jeevansinghwala village.

ASI Ranjod Singh said, ‘Members of various unions, including PRTC, ETT teachers, TET-qualified candidates and mid-day meals workers, have been told not to disturb peace in the area.”

A Tribune team saw six youngsters being taken away in a police vehicle at a special naka. While police officials refused to comment, a person being taken away by the police said, “We have come to visit a gurdwara here and have been unnecessarily rounded up.”

SSP Gurpreet Bhullar said, “Under the poll code, we cannot allow any unlawful gathering in the constituency. Protesters often try to storm the venues where political leaders are campaigning, this cannot be allowed.”

He said, “All persons concerned have been instructed to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the constituency, at least till the poll process is over.”

Tight security in place

  • Talwandi Sabo and Patiala constituencies that go to the polls on August 21 will witness a large deployment of paramilitary forces for keeping guard on polling booths.
  • Due to the sensitive nature of the high-profile constituencies, 11 companies of paramilitary forces like the CRPF, the SSG, the ITBP etc. will be deployed at around 250 polling stations in the two Assembly segments.
  • Each company comprises up to 135 personnel.
  • Apart from ensuring smooth polling, these troops will also guard the rooms where the EVMs will be stored.
  • Paramilitary personnel will start descending on Patiala and Talwandi Sabo on August 14 and they will be assigned specific polling stations by August 17.
  • “They will be on guard at polling stations and booths from August 17 till August 25. They will start moving out in a phased manner after the counting of votes was over on August 25,” said Chief Electoral Officer VK Singh.

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Teachers awaiting job letters climb water tank
Tribune News Service

Talwandi Sabo, August 13
Candidates, who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), today climbed a water tank in Jeevansinghwala village and threatened to commit suicide if they were not given appointment letters immediately.

Earlier, the protesters were reportedly lathicharged by the police when they tried to block the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road.
The protesters in Jeevansinghwala village near Talwandi Sabo on Wednesday
The protesters in Jeevansinghwala village near Talwandi Sabo on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

The police denied they had cane-charged the protesters. More than 100 persons were rounded up. The rest of the teachers climbed the water tank.

Kulwinder Singh of Patiala, who also climbed the tank, said, “The state government had advertised 4,901 posts of teacher in zila parishad schools in February. In June, a list of 2,600 qualified candidates was put on the website, but none has been given an appointment letter.”

Various political leaders, including Harminder Jassi of the Congress and Baljinder Kaur of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) visited the site and talked to the agitating candidates.

Sources said the appointments were being delayed since the government was thinking of merging the schools under zila parishads with other schools.

Kiran from Jalalabad alleged that there were no women police personnel at the site and that they were roughed up.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Malkit Singh denied all such allegations.

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College not recognised, MBBS students want to be shifted
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, August 13
As many as 150 MBBS students of Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Pathankot, along with their parents reached Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) here today and demanded that they be shifted to some other institute in Punjab.

The students alleged that though started three years ago, the college was yet to get recognition from the Medical Council of India (MCI), which had put a question mark on their future.

Without the MCI’s recognition, their professional degree would be worthless, the students said during their meeting with BFUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr SS Gill.

Accusing the Punjab Government and the university of being indifferent towards their future, the students alleged the college lacked faculty, OPD facilities, library and even hostels. “When there is no faculty to teach, hardly any laboratory for practical and no patients to treat, how a student is expected to become a doctor,” they questioned.

The Vice-Chancellor advised the students to approach the MCI: “Only the council can help the students secure admission in other colleges... Moreover, there are orders to close the Pathankot college.”

The college had admitted the first batch of 150 students for MBBS in 2011 after they cleared the PMT (Pre-Medical Test) conducted by the BFUHS. But over the last three years, there was no admission in the college as the MCI debarred it from enrolling new students on account of lack of facilities.

KC Manchanda, college principal, claimed they were hopeful of getting the MCI recognition within some time.

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Reconsider move, Sehajdharis to Modi government
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 13
Sehajdhari Sikhs today urged the Narendra Modi government to reconsider the move to amend law to deny them the right to vote in the SGPC elections.

The national president of the Sehajdhari Sikh Party (SSP), Dr Paramjeet Singh Ranu, in a statement appealed to the Centre to abandon the move as the issue was still under consideration of the Supreme Court. Also, any such move to disenfranchise the Sehajdharis must come from the SGPC, he said. He accused the Centre of working at the instance of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Former Union Minister SS Dhindsa (SAD) had said yesterday that the Union Home Ministry had given its clearance to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act to disenfranchise the Sahajdharis.

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Private banks cold to Debt Swap Scheme for farmers
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
High rural indebtedness in Punjab has led to several incidents of farmer suicides. Rural debt in Punjab is estimated to be around Rs 35,000 crore, but private banks operating in the state seem uninterested in swapping the debt taken from private money lenders.

Other than HDFC Bank, no private sector bank has been participating in the Debt Swap Scheme, which was introduced to swap the debts taken by farmers from arhtiyas or private money lenders with bank loans.

In all, private banks operating in the state have achieved just 8 per cent of the target set for them under this scheme. This was revealed during the state-level bankers committee meeting for Punjab held today. The progress report on the scheme was submitted during the meeting, chaired by Punjab’s Principal Secretary (Finance) Vini Mahajan.

It is only the regional rural banks that have done well under the scheme. Three banks — Punjab Gramin Bank, Malwa Gramin Bank and Satlej Gramin Bank — have managed to achieve 36 per cent of the target set for them under the scheme. Of the Rs 36.64 crore, they have managed to swap debt worth Rs 13.28 crore so far.

At least 3 per cent of the disbursement of agriculture credit during this year is to be earmarked for giving loans under the scheme. This year, the government has set a target of Rs 589.34 crore, but so far only 20 per cent of this target had been achieved (till June 30).

SR Ladhar, Secretary, Food Processing, also sought the help of bankers in supporting the food processing sector and providing a liberal credit line to food processing ventures, including cold chains.

About the scheme

  • The scheme was introduced to swap the debts taken by farmers from arhtiyas or private money lenders with bank loans
  • The scheme was initiated in view of high rural indebtedness, which has led to several incidents of farmer suicides
  • Other than HDFC Bank, no private sector bank has been participating in the scheme
  • In all, private banks operating in the state have achieved just 8 per cent of the target set for them

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SI suspended for torturing minor boy
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Nakodar, August 13
In yet another incident of police high handedness, a 13-year-old boy was allegedly tortured during illegally detention at the Mehatpur police station for 22 hours.

The police had been reportedly pressuring the boy to admit to his involvement in drug trafficking. The victim was restored to the family by a warrant officer of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The victim, a resident of Dharme Dian Chhana village in Nakodar, has suffered injuries on his foot. He has been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Nakodar.

Narinder Bhargav, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jalandhar Rural, said Daler Singh, Sub Inspector, had been suspended.

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Students demand passes for travelling in private buses
Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 13
Students today demanded that the state government enact a law that would enable them to use concessionary passes on all buses. At present, the bus passes are only valid on government-owned buses such as the PRTC.

They said this law would benefit poor students, who cannot afford to pay for tickets daily.

As the private bus operators do not allow these bus passes, students and bus conductors often get into arguments. In the past six months, two such incidents have come to light.

On January 30, the Barnala police on the charges of attempt to murder and damaging a private bus, registered a case against nine leaders of Punjab Students Union (PSU) and 40-50 unidentified students.

In the other incident that took place on July 12, four employees of a private bus operator reportedly sustained injuries at Bahadurpur village (near Mastuana Sahib).

The police registered a case against 11 persons, including three students of Akal Degree College, Mastuana Sahib.

Shankar Badra, a PSU leader, termed both cases as false. He alleged the employees of private firms often harassed the students by putting up nakas on roads.

However, the staff of private bus firms denied the allegations and said the students with passes should travel on government-owned buses.

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Goof-up: Two vehicles get same number

Muktsar, August 13
Two vehicles with the same registration number are said to be plying on city roads. Local resident Harmeet Singh said he had purchased a second-hand Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle (PB-30-B-9000). However, he found out that a Punjab Roadways bus also had the same number.

“I came to know that the registration number had been duplicated when I applied to get the vehicle registered on my name. Transport Department officials told me that the number was allotted to a bus. When none addressed my grievance, I lodged a complaint with the then District Transport Officer (DTO) in February. However, no action has been taken yet,” said Harmeet.

Muktsar DTO Hardeep Singh said, “A case of issuing the same number to more than one vehicle is pending in the district and sessions court.” — TNS

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State to honour 2 Fazilka farmers on I-Day
Praful Chander Nagpal
Our Correspondent
Surinder Ahuja
Surinder Ahuja
Sanjeev Nagpal
Sanjeev Nagpal

Fazilka, August 13
The state government will honour two farmers for their contribution to the field of agriculture at the state-level Independence Day function in Patiala. The office of the Chief Minister has invited horticulturist and agriculture reformer Surinder Kumar Ahuja and progressive farmer Sanjeev Nagpal to the event.

Septuagenarian Surinder Kumar Ahuja, a graduate in commerce from Panjab University, was the first to adopt drip irrigation system for his orchards situated in Karnikhera village of Fazilka district. His company Zamidara Farmsolutions deals in affordable machines for marginal farmers through the pay-for-use model. Ahuja’s firm offers training to farmers on resource conservation. The company was the first to introduce laser guided levelling in the state to save water.

Ahuja’s contribution to the field of agriculture has been duly acknowledged by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and NABARD.

He also visited Belarus to attend a course on “Optimum utilisation of farm machines for sustainable agriculture”. Ahuja was also part of the National Horticulture Mission delegation to Israel, led by the then Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, to study micro-irrigation systems.

Sanjeev Nagpal, a progressive farmer, engineer and an industrialist, has prepared an Integrated Agri Business Model for Wasteland Development Project to overcome the menace of seepage in Fazilka district. He has also helped farmers overcome the problem. The estimated cost of the project will be about Rs 10 crore. A large portion of agriculture land has been rendered barren due to seepage and waterlogging in many villages of the district.

Leading the way

  • Surinder Kumar Ahuja was the first to set up drip irrigation system at his orchards in Karnikhera village of Fazilka district
  • Sanjeev Nagpal has prepared a business model for wasteland development to tackle seepage in the district

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Liquor vends: HC wants status report by Nov 27
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today called for a status report on compliance of directions on removal of liquor vends dotting the highways. As a petition seeking the initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged inaction came up for hearing, Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa made it clear that the status report was required to be filed by November 27.

The contempt petition has been filed by Chandigarh-based NGO "Arrive Safe Society" through its president Harman Singh Sidhu. In one of the orders, the High Court had taken note of a letter by the National Highways Authority of India, bringing out the seriousness of the problem. The latter had said that there were 185 liquor shops on a stretch of the the Panipat-Jalandhar highway measuring 291.100 km."

The Bench had said: “This calls for removal of all unauthorised access/encroachments, signboards , if any, by the liquor shops with the assistance of the district administration….

“A survey should be done to find out how many liquor shops are located on highways and prescribe the time period for their removal. The advertisement boards in any case should be removed forthwith.

The High Court, on a previous date of hearing, had directed the states to explicitly mention that “liquor shops would not be set up along the national and state highways” in their new excise policies.

The High Court had made it clear that the joint survey would be carried out by deputy excise commissioners in Punjab and excise commissioners in Haryana. Taking serious note of the mushrooming of liquor vends along the national highways, the High Court had on September 13 last year directed the NHAI, the states of Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh to form a committee.

The committee was asked to conduct a survey to identify the liquor vends that needed to be removed. The licence-holder of such liquor vends would get compensation or refund of the amount deposited with the state government.

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Perks of employee facing charges can be withheld: Court
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
Putting to rest the controversy over the issue of holding back the amount of leave encashment of a retiring employee facing departmental inquiry or criminal proceedings, a three-Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the payment can indeed be withheld in Punjab.

The ruling in the case of Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited and other petitioners against respondent Pyare Lal by Justice Hemant Gupta, Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain and Justice Kuldip Singh is significant as the High Court had expressed divergent views on the issue in its judgments.

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HC upholds setting aside of PROs' selection
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13
More than a year after a Single Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the selection of information and public relations officers (IPROs), a Division Bench today upheld the orders.

The development is significant as the dismissal of the appeal by the Division Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Arun Palli has paved way for the appointment of six officers selected in their place. They too had moved the High Court through counsel Rajiv Atma Ram and Harpreet Sandhu.

The posts were advertised by the government in September 2009, and the written examination was conducted in July 2010. The interviews were subsequently held in December 2010, and the selections were finalised in July 2011.

The court had set aside the selection on the ground that there was no criterion of granting five additional marks to candidates passing their middle and matriculation examinations from schools located in rural areas, when the advertisement was issued in September 2009.

But the criterion was approved by the Chief Minister in October 2010, subsequent to the completion of the written examination. In April 2013, a Full Bench ruled that the grant of five additional marks to candidates passing out from rural schools for appointments was unsustainable.

A single judge of the High Court had then set aside the selection of the officers while directing the authorities concerned to recast the merit list. The process was to be carried out after ignoring five additional marks.

The High Court, on a previous date of hearing, had ordered stay on the petition filed by Subeg Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents.

The state government had earlier terminated the services of Balwinder Kaur, Kuljit Mianpuri and Baljinder Singh posted at Chandigarh. It had also terminated the services of Hardeep Singh at Patiala, along with Avtar Singh and Gurpartap Kairon at Jalandhar.

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Two minor girls rescued

Abohar, August 13
The police have rescued two minor girls in the region. Last night, a girl abducted by four persons was rescued by the police in Sriganganagar, 40 km from here in Rajasthan. While three miscreants escaped, Vijay Kumar of Basant Vihar was nabbed.

The police said they were informed that four youths were thrashing a girl at an isolated place near Tripuli on Srikaranpur Road. The victim said Vijay and the others took her to an isolated spot. She alleged Vijay had sexually assaulted her. A case had been registered and efforts were on to nab the other three, the police said.

In another incident, a minor girl was rescued from Jabrasar village. Four persons had allegedly kidnapped her on August 8 and gangraped her in Hanumangarh district village. A case has been registered against Prabhu Dayal, Brij Lal, Chanan Ram and Krishan Kumar, the police said. No arrest has been made. — OC

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