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Ensure timely payment to beneficiaries: Sukhbir to DCs
Local Bodies suggests Vigilance inquiry into Abohar MC scam
Waiting for AICC’s reply, says Jagmeet
PPP, Cong activists block traffic
J&k floods
Rain fury: Hopes of cotton growers sink
In waterlogged Muktsar dist, crores go down the drain
Fish ponds washed away
CM accepts Jakhar’s invitation to visit rain-hit Abohar
Sacha Sauda dera at Bhindranwale’s village angers radical Sikhs
Malwa ginning industry on brink of collapse
Missing holy book found near gurdwara
State ranked top in job generation
Bhola case: ED raids offices of money changers
Delhi Police pick up land scam accused from Mohali
HC puts DGP on notice over transfers
Ashutosh clinically dead, case can’t be re-opened: HC
2 allowed MBBS counselling on HC orders
Teachers’ selection: HC assesses ‘correct answers’
Daduwal's bail plea to be heard on Sept 16
Budhlada rape victim lied she was nurse: Police
Youth shot dead in Moga village
Liquor worth Rs 1 cr seized
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CM’s kin among 700 found absent from work in 80 days
Chandigarh, September 11 The truants range from the level of ministers, deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police down to peons in remote tehsils. The inaccessibility of the government officials at various levels had emerged as one of the issues in the elections. The actual figure of the absentees may be higher as the figure of over 700 has been gathered from news reports. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, known for his punctuality, himself had conducted surprise checks. “Over the last two days, 201 employees were found absent. No stringent action has been taken against any employee so far,” said an official. A government official said strict action could be taken against habitual offenders. Two relatives of the Chief Minister, Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Majithia and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Kairon, lead the list of absentees. Another absentee minister, Surjit Kumar Jyani (Health), had conducted surprise checks a few days ago in his department. The practice of surprise checks has evoked mixed response from various quarters. A few deputy commissioners who were reported absent said they work 24x7 and if found missing from office at sharp 9 am, they should not be considered absent. Other employees felt they should not work late now as the government wanted them to be present only between 9 am and 5 pm. The Gazetted Officers Association and other employee organisations have alleged that the government was issuing notices for absenteeism to lower-rung staff whereas ministers and senior bureaucrats had been spared the stick. Tally of truant June 6: In Bathinda, seven inspectors, four excise and taxation officers found absent. June 17: Eight ministers found absent, among them being Parminder Dhindsa (Finance), Sharanjeet Singh Dhillon (Irrigation), Anil Joshi (Local Government), Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon (Food and Civil Supplies), Surjit Kumar Jyani (Health), Chunni Lal Bhagat (Forest), Madan Mohan Mittal (Industries) and Bikram Singh Majithia (Revenue and Information & Public Relations). Besides, Principal Secretary General Administration Sanjay Kumar was also found absent. July 21: Director General of School Education (DGSE), DPI (Schools) and 160 other employees found absent in education department. August 4: 141 officials in the Health Department found absent during a surprise check at the office of the Director, Health and Family Welfare. August 12:
42 mandi board staff found absent in Moga. August 21: 69 teachers found absent while 84 arrive late in Jalandhar, Faridkot and Nabha schools. September 9: 146 found absent at the office of the Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, and the Joint Development Commissioner in Mohali. September 10:
Four superintendents, 20 senior assistants and 24 other employees found absent at the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. Four Under Secretaries told to explain failure in not ensuring punctuality of the staff. All issued show-cause notices.
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Rs 1 lakh daily fuel bill of cavalcade accompanying Badals
Bathinda, September 11 During the past nearly six years, the fuel consumed by the cavalcade of vehicles accompanying both the VIPs has been Rs 20.20 crore, as per information procured under the RTI Act. The figures for the CM and the Deputy CM on this count were Rs 15.51 crore and Rs 4.69 crore. As many as 33 vehicles are attached with the CM security while 11 vehicles are with the Badal Junior. A perusal of the information reveals that the fuel consumption on this count has been rising every year. During the Akali regime from 2007-12, the CM’s convoy alone consumed fuel worth Rs 11.25 crore while the bill for ministers was Rs 22.50 crore, an average of Rs 2.16 lakh per day, and Rs 9.95 crore for CPSs. During the Congress rule, Capt Amarinder’s cavalcade consumed fuel worth Rs 5.20 crore and that of his ministers Rs 11.97 crore. The state exchequer is burdened every time the CM, Deputy CM, ministers or CPSs attend any social event that is not part of their official duty. As Leader of the Opposition, Badal ran up a bill of Rs 48.90 crore while Rajinder Kaur Bhattal exhausted fuel worth Rs 52.70 lakh. A proposal to purchase new cars worth Rs 6.60 crore during 2012-13 could not mature due to financial constraints. The only acquisition during 2013-14 was the purchase of an Innova SUV for the CM. In neighbouring Haryana, the CM’s cavalcade comprised just 25 vehicles while it was 12 in the case of Bihar. There are just six vehicles for the CM in Madhya Pradesh, the sources added. State Transport Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said there was no limit on amount for the CM, Deputy CM and ministers. He said the proposal to acquire new vehicles was under consideration. Costly ride *
Rs 23.49 crore spent on buying 386 cars from 2002-12 for the cavalcade of the CM and the Dy CM *
Rs 20.20 crore spent on the fuel consumed by the cavalcade accompanying both the VIPs in the last six years *
Rs 15.51 crore out of this is the fuel bill of the CM alone * 33 vehicles are attached with the CM while 11 vehicles are with the Badal Jr
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Ensure timely payment to beneficiaries: Sukhbir to DCs
Chandigarh, September 11 The deputy commissioners reportedly said poor fund flow was hindering the implementation of various schemes such as the Atta-Dal Scheme, old-age pension, widow pension and pre-matric scholarships. The officers are learnt to have asked Sukhbir, who chaired the meeting, to ensure proper flow of funds so that the backlog could be cleared. While the state government does not have pending cases under the Shagun Scheme, the old-age pension, widow pension and pre-matric scholarships are not being released on time. The annual bill of the state government on these schemes is Rs 1,100 crore – Rs 400 crore for Atta-Dal Scheme, Rs 600 crore for social security pensions and Rs 100 crore for Shagun Scheme. The government meets this expenditure by collecting social security cess of Rs 1,000 crore per annum on liquor sale. Since this cess goes directly to the state’s consolidated fund, the release of funds becomes a problem as the fund is mostly utilised for meeting the state’s committed liabilities. It is learnt that the Deputy CM had asked the DCs that an alternative had to be found to ensure that the pensions were paid on time. The DCs had been asked to approach banks and request for getting enhanced limits for withdrawal. Sukhbir reportedly asked the DCs to ensure that pensions were released on time as it had become a big issue during the Lok Sabha elections. Senior citizens and other beneficiaries had weaned away from the government over a delay in their payments. He asked the DCs to reduce delays in implementation of government schemes, ensure timely delivery of services and check corruption in their districts. He also directed them to implement the new mining policy strictly and enjoined them to respond to people’s grievances, including web-complaints forwarded to them from his office immediately. The DCs were also asked to ensure reduction in prices of sand and gravel by keeping a vigil on sand mining as well as its distribution. Other issues which were discussed were regularisation of plots and colonies, rationalisation of collector rates, pending suvidha centre applications and RTS applications beyond deadline, relief measures on account of recent rains and waterlogging and floods. Fund flow a problem *
The state’s annual bill on these schemes is Rs 1,100 cr * The government meets this expenditure by collecting social security cess of
Rs 1,000 cr per annum on the sale of liquor * Since this cess goes directly to the state’s consolidated fund, the release of funds becomes a problem as this fund is mostly utilised to meet the committed liabilities
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Local Bodies suggests Vigilance inquiry into Abohar MC scam
Abohar, September 11 In a letter (a copy of which is with The Tribune), the Ferozepur-based Deputy Director has informed the state government that the MC authorities had not given an explanation on the allegations levelled in complaints despite reminders. He said as the complaints are about malpractices in accounts and development works, it need to be inquired in depth. In a separate letter (Memo No. 15 dated September 4) the Assistant Controller, Local Audit, Punjab, has pointed out that the MC had wrongly cancelled Receipt No. 10/230 dated March 19, 2013, issued against the advance payment of Rs 26 lakh as development fee by coloniser, who wanted to convert a part of his residential colony for commercial use, through cheques. The cheques were illegally refunded to the coloniser later by the cash-strapped council after he got the project approved on the basis of the said receipt by the state government “fraudulently”, the Retired Municipal Employees Union had alleged. On the directions of the Deputy Director, now four employees who handled the transactions have been shifted to other departments. The Audit officer has said in the memo given to the MC Executive officer (EO) that Rs 1.04 crore should have been recovered from the coloniser as the area under commercial use was put at 1,56,205 sq ft as per the state government’s notification issued in 2011. The letter states that the responsibility of erring officials should be fixed and the development charges should also be recovered from the
colonisers. Letter sent to state govt The Deputy Director, Local Bodies, has informed the state government that the MC authorities had not given an explanation on the allegations levelled in complaints despite reminders. He said as the complaints are about malpractices in accounts and development works, the same need to be inquired in depth
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Waiting for AICC’s reply, says Jagmeet
Chandigarh, September 11 He said he had replied to the high command on the show-cause notice issued him, but did not get any response from it on the issues he had raised. “Whatever I wrote was in the larger interest of the party and there was no vested interest involved in it. It is now for the high command to respond on the issues raised by me”, said Brar, who had urged for making the party’s functioning more democratic and fix responsibility for its massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. On the rumours of his joining some other party, Brar said he had not contacted any other party. Dullo in poll panel Former minister and former president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Shamsher Singh Dullo has been made member of the election authority set up by AICC president Sonia Gandhi to conduct the organisational elections. The committee has been set up under the chairmanship of Mullappally Ramachandran. Its other members are Biren Singh Engti and Ashk Ali Tak. The Congress organisational elections are scheduled to be held in a few weeks from now.
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PPP, Cong activists block traffic
Muktsar, September 11 The Gidderbaha police had yesterday registered a case against former sarpanch of Kotbhai village Babu Singh and former councillor Narinder Bhola on a complaint filed by Jasvir Singh of Gidderbaha. The latter alleged that they had forcibly entered his house, fired a gunshot and made casteist remarks. Addressing the protesters, Manpreet claimed the police was working at the behest of the Akalis. “The case should be cancelled and the matter must be thoroughly probed or else we will intensify the stir,” he warned. He accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of double standards. “On the one hand, the Chief Minister claims he does not believe in the politics of vendetta and on the other, his party leaders are registering false cases against PPP activists,” he said. Warring too addressed the gathering. Among the others present were Jaijeet Singh Johal, Jagjeet Singh Fattanwala, Rajnish Garg and Charanjit Singh
Dhillon.
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J&k floods
Amritsar, September 11 Kewal Singh said: “We will take stock of the situation there and plan relief work for the coming days it. We have also sent more relief material to
Srinagar.” A truckload of relief material comprising around 60 quintals of ration was sent to flood-affected areas of J&K by Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh
Sabha, Model Town Extension, Ludhiana. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
(DSGMC) too flagged off six trucks loaded with relief material, comprising 66 quintals of rice and 5,000 blankets, for flood-hit people. The material was unloaded at the Delhi airport from where DSGMC president Manjeet Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa took it to Srinagar by air.
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Rain fury: Hopes of cotton growers sink
Bathinda, September 11 He says the per acre input cost for growing cotton was Rs 19,900. This includes expenses on DAP, urea, labour, harvesting and diesel. “I have spent Rs 1,200 each on urea and DAP, Rs 2000 on cottonseed, Rs 6,500 on sprays, Rs 3,000 on labour and Rs 6,000 on diesel. Now I have had to shell out money on removing water from my fields,” he says. He does not expect a yield of more than 6 or 7 quintals per acre that will fetch him Rs 27,000 - Rs 30,000. He says that if the per quintal rate of cotton is less than Rs 4,500, he will run into losses in the face of high inpit costs. Fateh Singh of Gurusar Shainewala village, has grown cotton on 50 acres. “Owing to the rains, the per acre input cost this season rose by Rs 600 - Rs 700.” He said: “I will be lucky if he is able to recover the entire input cost. Only those farmers who are close to the politicians enjoy the benefits. The rest have to make endless rounds of government offices and still get nothing.” ‘Losses annual feature’
‘We need govt help’ Even after having spent Rs 10,000 per acre, we are unable to make money only because of waterlogging. A number of farmers are already under debt. The state government must take steps to help them out. Some of us are planning to sale our land and shift elsewhere. — Bhupinder Singh, Bhundar village, Muktsar ‘All hopes dashed’ Earlier we fought drought-like conditions. We had to spend on diesel to run pump sets to irrigate our fields. We expected a yield of about 12 quintals per acre. But incessant rain followed by flash floods have destroyed our hopes. In case of more rain, the yield could be as low as 4 quintals per acre. — Tilak Raj, Kamalwala village, Fazilka ‘Can't repay debt’ What to speak of profit, I will be unable to repay the loan raised from commission agents and co-operative societies to grow cotton. Affected farmers should be paid a compensation of at least Rs 25,000 per acre, considering that the input cost is about Rs 20,000 per acre. — Gurvinder Singh, Noorpura village, Fazilka
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In waterlogged Muktsar dist, crores go down the drain
Muktsar, September 11 Sources said nearly Rs 1,100 crore had been spent to deal with the problem, but the situation was still alarming. Successive state governments have not been able to find out a permanent solution to this problem, which started affecting the district in 1990s. A number of farmers have lost their source of income as their land has become unproductive. They have adopted other professions. Faulty drains and seepage from the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals were identified as the major causes. A number of high-level teams, including those of the Planning Commission, Union Environment Ministry and the state government, conducted surveys, but their recommendations are yet to be followed. The government had last year sought Rs 3,277 crore from the Centre. The latter had approved Rs 2,246 crore. Of this, Rs 561 crore has to be contributed by the state. The Centre had released the first installment of Rs 100 crore. Dr JS Samra, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority, said: “Under the project, major works to be carried out are relining of Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals, construction of new drains and widening of some existing drains. But there is a need for more funds and the state has not yet sought the second installment from the
Centre.”
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Fish ponds washed away
Fazilka, September 11 Water from fish ponds overflowed due to excessive rainfall and washed away fish and fish seed. The worst hit areas are Bahadurkhera and Shajrana villages. In Bahadur Khera village, there were 16 fish ponds managed by 15 farmers over 84 acres of land. All these ponds have been submerged. In Shajrana, 13 ponds spread over 40 acres owned by eight farmers merged with waterlogged areas. “Rainwater has washed away fish from our ponds spread over 22 acres. The damage was done by overflowing water from Shajrana drain,” said Atma Ram, owner of a pond. He said they had poured in fish seed worth Rs 85,000 just two days before the rain lashed the region. Seeking a compensation from the government, Atma Ram said the loss was huge as the fish were ready in his old ponds and a single fish weighed up to 3 kg. “A survey of damage in all 330 ponds in Fazilka district is being conducted,” said Rajinder Kataria, Deputy Director, Fisheries,
Ferozepur.
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CM accepts Jakhar’s invitation to visit rain-hit Abohar
Abohar, September 11
Jakhar, during a whirlwind tour of localities inundated with rainwater, claimed that he had last night apprised the Chief Minister of the grim situation in the town and requested him to visit the town. Badal has scheduled his visit for September 15. “I told the Chief Minister that thousands of people here are suffering as the projects funded by the Centre have not been executed by the state agencies so far,” he said at a meeting in Subhash
Nagar. Scores of shopkeepers staged a dharna on the Malout highway to protest inundation of streets with sewage water. CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar told the authorities to streamline the drainage system. The dharna was lifted after an hour. District Congress vice-president Vimal Thatai has been told to coordinate with the administration in rescue and relief operations.
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Sacha Sauda dera at Bhindranwale’s village angers radical Sikhs
Moga, September 11 Bhindranwale was the head of Damdami Taksal. He was killed during Operation Bluestar on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. It was in 2007 that Damdami Taksal and other radical Sikh organisations had accused Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of imitating Guru Gobind Singh. Both the sides have been at loggerheads ever since. They have even clashed on several occasions. The proposed dera at Rode village on the Kotkapura road is being viewed as a threat to the legacy of Bhindranwale who, as per the radicals, “ushered a movement for religious and spiritual values”. The radical Sikh groups have held a couple of meetings on the issue in the past two weeks. In one such meeting at Rode, presided over by Giani Raghbir Singh Khalsa, a granthi at the Golden Temple, a resolution was passed not to allow the construction of the dera. This meeting was held at Gurdwara Sant Baba Kirpal Singh at Rode village. SGPC members Jagtar Singh Rode and Sukhpreet Singh also attended the meeting. The elder brother of Bhindranwale, Captain Harcharan Singh Rode, Akali Dal 1920 leader Buta Singh Ranseeh Kalan, Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) district president Daler Singh and several other local radical leaders were present. At daggers drawn *
Radical Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda have been at loggerheads even since dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was accused of imitating Guru Gobind Singh *
The two sides have even clashed with each other on several occasions *
The proposed dera at Rode village is being seen as a threat to the legacy of Bhindranwale who, as per the radicals, "ushered a movement for religious and spiritual values".
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Malwa ginning industry on brink of collapse
Bathinda, September 11 From ginning (process to separate cotton from the seed), farmers have been shifting to spinning (an exercise to produce thread). The owners of ginning mills blame the higher taxes for the closure of the ginning mills. They say spinning mills, on the other hand, are being provided relaxation. Of the 45,000 workers in ginning mills in Punjab a decade ago, around 35,000 have been rendered jobless. There are 12 spinning mills in the districts of Malwa, with maximum five in Bathinda, three in Mansa, one each in Jalalabad and Sangrur and two in Muktsar. Some ginning mills have shifted base to Haryana and Rajasthan, which provide relief in taxation. “As the cotton crop gets ready in the first week of October, farmers from Punjab will start carrying their produce to the neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan in view of the higher prices there,” says Bhagwan Bansal, Punjab Cotton Factories and Ginners Association president. Punjab farmers usually get Rs 200 to Rs 250 per bail (1.5 quintal) higher in Haryana. Bansal says the ginners in Punjab fail to purchase cotton at the prices offered to the farmers in Haryana. The total tax imposed on cotton sale in Punjab is 14.40 per cent. The rate in Haryana is 8.1 per cent and 9.6 in Rajasthan, he says. Bhupinder Brar, an engineer who designed a software for cotton industries of Malwa, says, “A handful of spinning mills in and around Bathinda have sounded the death knell for the ginning industry.” Brar says Punjab has reduced the market fee on spinning mills from 4 per cent to 2 per cent. The fee is 1.6 per cent in Haryana and Rajasthan. Punjab has 4.95 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) whereas Haryana has 2 per cent and Rajasthan 4 per cent. The Central Sales Tax in Haryana and Rajasthan is 2 per cent whereas the same in Punjab is 4.95 per cent. As the tax on the spinning industry too is higher than the neighbouring states, not many new applications are being received. Jarnail Singh, General Manager, Industries Department, Bathinda, says he received only two applications to set up new units in the district this year. Industries and Commerce Minister Madan Mohan Mittal says he is not aware of the declining number of the ginning mills. “I have not been apprised of the problem by the ginning mill owners otherwise we would have devised some strategy.” On the sale of cotton by Punjab farmers in Haryana, Mittal says this is due to lack of minimum support price for cotton. “Farmers are bound to sell their produce wherever they fetch a higher price,” he says.
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Missing holy book found near gurdwara
Abohar, September 11 Srikaranpur Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajinder Singh Shekhawat along with station house officers from Chunawadh, Mateeli Rathan, Lalgarh and Sadulshehar reached with heavy police force to take stock of the situation. A fire had engulfed the complex in Chak 11G village on August 20. The complex located in a field houses a gurdwara and “mazaars” of a peer. A holy book was found missing. The furniture and fixtures were damaged and the holy book and two arrows were found missing. The incident triggered protests. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar and Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh had spoken to the district officers over the phone. Later, hundreds of Sikhs organised a protest in Sriganganagar. The caretaker in the gurdwara had, in the presence of a Akal Takht representative, apologised for maintaining the gurdwara and “mazaars” in the same complex.
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State ranked top in job generation
Chandigarh, September 11 The revelation was made by a recent study conducted by apex industry body Assocham. “Only three other states, Maharashtra (11.5 per cent), Bihar (3.7 per cent) and Odisha (1.8 per cent), have recorded growth in employment generation by the CPSEs while rest of the major 20 states have seen a decline in this sector. Even nationally, the employment in CPSEs has plummeted by about 8 per cent during this period,” according to the study, titled ‘Employment Scenario in CPSEs’. About 22,200 people were employed by CPSEs in Punjab as of 2008-09, which had increased to over 32,500 in 2012-13. At the national level, about 15,33,500 people were employed by CPSEs, which came down to 14,04,000 as of 2012-13, the study noted. Punjab had also registered an increase of about 1 per cent in its share in total employment generated by CPSEs, highlighted the study, prepared by the Assocham Economic Research Bureau (AERB). With a share of just about 0.7 per cent, Punjab had attracted investments worth about Rs 3,906 crore, of the total Rs 5.5 lakh crore invested by the CPSEs during 2008-09 and 2012-13. Punjab remained slightly ahead of its immediate neighbouring state of Haryana, which with a share of 0.6 per cent had attracted CPSEs’ investments worth Rs 3,186 crore during the same period.
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Bhola case: ED raids offices of money changers
Chandigarh, September 11 Sources said currency notes worth Rs 25 lakh and 'incriminating' documents were seized from the offices and residences of the owners of Bajaj
Forex, Bajaj Enterprises and SB Forex. The raids began at 6 pm and continued till late in the night.
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Delhi Police pick up land scam accused from Mohali
Mohali, September 11 Khara, a resident of Amritsar and a former trustee of the Amritsar Improvement Trust, had come here to attend a court hearing in connection with the case. Sources said a cheating case was registered against Khara in Delhi following a complaint against him by a woman. He has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Delhi court. "Today, a team of the Delhi Police, along with the complainant, was present in the Mohali court. After recognising Khara, the team arrested him while he was coming out of the court after attending the hearing," sources said. Amarinder Singh did not turn up in the court to attend the case hearing today. "He is out of the country. The court has given us due permission," said his counsel Ramdeep Partap Singh.
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HC puts DGP on notice over transfers
Chandigarh, September 11 Justice RK Jain today issued a notice of motion for October 13 on the petition filed by advocate HC Arora alleging transfers of DSPs and above police officers in gross violation of Section 15 of the Police Act, 2007 during the past one year. Referring to Section 15, Arora stated police officers of rank of DSPs and above, up to IG level, shall have minimum assured tenure of one year against their posts, with proviso that under certain contingencies like promotion to a higher post they can be transferred earlier as well. He said ex-Home Secretary Samir Kumar earlier filed an affidavit that “Section 15 of the Punjab Police Act, 2007, would be fully complied with in future”. He stated at least 20 IPS officers have been transferred more than twice during the last 12 months.
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Ashutosh clinically dead, case can’t be re-opened: HC
Chandigarh, September 11 The observations were made during the hearing of a petition filed by Ashutosh Maharaj’s “son” Dalip Kumar Jha, pleading that he be handed over his body for last rites. The observations cannot be construed as final expression of the court’s opinion on the merits of the case. The arguments are still on and the case is scheduled to come up for further hearing on Friday. The arguments today largely hovered around the issue of samadhi, with his followers insisting that the Maharaj would “return” and the High Court posing questions on issues such as biological death. During the course of arguments, Justice MMS Bedi asked the parties concerned whether an appeal was filed against the dismissal of the habeas corpus petition for Ashutosh Maharaj’s release on the ground of his clinical death. After Jha’s counsel SP Soi replied in the negative, the court orally observed that the order had attained finality and could not be re-opened. In his earlier order dismissing the habeas corpus petition for Ashutosh Maharaj’s release, Justice MMS Bedi had asserted: “From the doctors’ report, it is apparently clear that the alleged detainee at the time of presentation of the petition was clinically dead”. Justice Bedi had also asserted: “The present habeas corpus petition cannot be used as an instrument for publicity. So far as the legal position is concerned, in my opinion a petition for habeas corpus is not maintainable after the death of the alleged detainee… The Maharaj’s former driver, Puran Singh, had filed the habeas corpus petition.
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2 allowed MBBS counselling on HC orders
Patiala, September 11 Following the court order, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) allowed both students to appear for the third counselling for MBBS seats held from September 6 to 8. Both of them have reportedly got admission based on merit. University Vice-chancellor Dr SS Gill said, "Although we don't approve of submitting applications late, we cannot have gone against court orders and thus allowed them to appear for the
counselling."
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Teachers’ selection: HC assesses ‘correct answers’
Chandigarh, September 11 The decision came on petitions by Kulwinder Kaur and others. They had brought to the court's notice wrong answer keys in the examinations held for teachers' selection in 2011. The state counsel contended that an agency conducted the test and gave the answer keys. Claiming that the court could not interfere in the matter, the counsel referred to a judgment holding that the Bench could not overrun expert's view of what was correct. Justice K Kannan asserted: "After two years of pendency of a writ petition, the state's response is abysmally pathetic….. I have no problem in accepting a proposition that the court will not supplant an expert's view as regards the correct answers or that the questions were not vague. But in the first place, there must be an attempt of the state to respond to a plea that the key answers were wrong and that any of the questions were vague by making an objective appraisal of the grievance by entrusting the task of appraisal to some expert body and elicit its response…. "In this case after the petitioner's challenge, the state has done nothing except to state that an agency was entrusted with the task of running the examination and their response that these answers were correct must be accepted. It would mean a brazen abdication of powers and a clear betrayal of the trust in a state body." Justice Kannan added the case was filed in 2012 and it pertained to examinations held a year before. The matter would get delayed further, if the court was to place it before experts now. "Under the extraordinary circumstances of the state inertia, I will substitute my own resources to what is possible," Justice Kannan added.
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Daduwal's bail plea to be heard on Sept 16
Mansa, September 11 Daduwal’s counsel HS Tiwana today filed the plea in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kumar in a case (FIR 109) filed by the Mansa police on August 27.
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Budhlada rape victim lied she was nurse: Police
Mansa, September 11 The woman has been handed over to her relatives in Delhi. The police also said she had mentioned her name wrong in the FIR, and that her claim of being an orphan too had been found false. Budhlada Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajveer Singh, who handed over the victim to her relatives, said on phone: “We enquired at Safdarjung Hospital and found she was not employed there. She also mentioned her name wrong in the FIR.” The police official claimed the woman’s husband, with whom she had a son, had left her four years ago. They said her parents, living at Kidwai Nagar in Delhi, too had reportedly disowned her six months ago. “The family has its roots in Uttarakhand. We handed her over to her relatives in the presence of the Delhi Police,” he said. The woman had lodged a complaint of gang rape at Budhlada police station against four men, including a 60-year-old, on September 9. Two of the accused have been arrested.
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Youth shot dead in Moga village
Moga, September 11 The deceased, identified as Harpreeet Singh, was going to his fields on a tractor-trailer to fetch fodder for his cattle when three motorcycle-borne youths armed opened fired at him. Harpreet’s father Gamdoor Singh alleged that his son had stopped the tractor-trailer outside a workshop for a minor repair on his way to the fields when a bullet hit him on his back. He tried to run away to save his life but the armed men chased him and fired another shot, leaving him dead, Gamdoor alleged. The Station House Officer of the Badhni Kalan police station Harjinder Singh said that a case of murder had been registered against Sukhraj Singh, Manpreet Singh of Kussa village and an unidentified person. They are yet to be arrested. The police said it appeared to be a case of personal enmity over a piece of land.
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Abohar, September 11 The trucks were carrying 1,300 and 1,200 cartons of whisky. The police have arrested truck drivers Gursahib Singh (35) of Tarn Taran and Sarwan Singh (30) of Mahima Pandori, Amritsar, and cleaner Om Parkash of Bihar. Preliminary investigation reportedly indicated that the liquor was to be delivered in Gujarat and fake receipts were issued for Kandla sea port. — OC
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Unmindful of the financial crises staring the state in the face, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Badal have bought 386 cars worth Rs 23.49 crore from 2002-12.
A large number of PPP and Congress activists, who were led by Manpreet Singh Badal and Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, today blocked National Highway-15 outside the courts complex in Gidderbaha, alleging that the police had registered a false case against a former sarpanch, a former councillor and two others at the behest of Akali leaders.
Tej Singh of Chugge Khurd village, who owns four acres of agricultural land, is a worried man. He fears that if cotton fetches less than Rs 4,500 per quintal in the market, he may run into losses.
Muktsar is the worst-affected waterlogged district in the state. As per an estimate at least 46.32 sq km of its area is submerged. People in the district have been suffering massive losses, mainly during the monsoon every year.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has reportedly accepted Jakhar’s invitation to Abohar town. Badal had held a Sangat Darshan in Sappanwali village when some villages were submerged due to overflowing drains in September last year but Jakhar was not invited to the meeting.
The number of ginning mills is fast declining in the Malwa region of Punjab. From 422 in 2000, their number has fallen to 110 this year.
From ginning (process to separate cotton from the seed), farmers have been shifting to spinning (an exercise to produce thread).
May 26, 2014:
18 deputy commissioners, including those of Amritsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Mansa, SAS Nagar, Pathankot, Patiala, Tarn Taran, Moga, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Ferozepur found absent. All SSPs barring those posted in Barnala and Mohali found absent. 
We suffer losses every year with rainwater inundating our fields. I had grown cotton on nearly 30 acres. It is now submerged. The entire crop is damaged. I had spent nearly Rs 11,000 per acre. Even when rains do not wreak havoc, we face losses as the land is gradually turning
infertile. — Hari Singh, Raniwala village, Muktsar