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Mid-term review of
SAD-BJP govt: Industry
Government mohindra college row
‘Diarrhoea’ outbreak in moga
Maluka’s son in race for post of Malwa YAD chief
INLD ties won’t impact Akali-BJP bond: Badal
Politicians reject delimitation draft of Batala MC wards
Cong MLA leads protest in Ferozepur
Villagers protest police inaction in ‘murder’ case
Residents up in arms against pvt transporters
Pong dam not filled to capacity; irrigation may be hit
PMO intervenes, infuses life into Dera Bassi plant
Rs 3 as ration money for constable!
BRTS: Chawla protests felling of trees
Boy who slit girl’s throat nabbed from Uttarakhand
RSS chief’s fourth visit on Sept 24
Fissures in AAP’s Amritsar unit to the fore
Medical students on warpath
Better upkeep of focal points
on cards
Maya’s working dictatorial, alleges Jandali
Hope for kin of youths stuck in Iraq
Unsafe classrooms a worry
Start Namdhari Azadi train, CM tells Centre
Will fill posts for differently abled, says Dhindsa
Boy hurt in firing
Fazilka college faces shortage of employees
Madrasa teacher gets life term for raping minor
3 booked for cheating
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MLA–SDM spat gives Cong ammo to target govt
Chandigarh, September 21 The Congress had been lying low for several weeks since the Punjab Police allegedly linked one of its legislators, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha constituency), to a drug smuggler. The Nagra issue has provided various factions of the Congress a common cause to target the ruling alliance. Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has termed it an “insult” that a Commissioner-level officer was inquiring against an MLA, who was above the Chief Secretary in protocol. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Sunil Jakhar has called a meeting of all party MLAs on Tuesday to discuss the “disrespect” shown to Nagra by the SDM. The meeting would be held at the CLP office in the Vidhan Sabha. Jakhar said the MLAs would finalise a strategy and call on Assembly Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal after the meeting. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa has already announced the party would fight for the “honour” of its legislator. The Congress leaders are unhappy that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had ordered an inquiry against Nagra after a delegation of the Punjab Civil Services Association met him on September 18. Capt Amarinder has asked Badal not to set “wrong precedents by belittling the institution of an MLA”. He questioned the need to marking the inquiry to the Commissioner when the Speaker had already been informed, and that he had summoned all those involved on September 24. He alleged Badal had buckled under pressure from bureaucrats. “Badal had himself said a few days ago that bureaucrats gang up to protect their colleagues… By assigning a parallel inquiry to the Commissioner, Badal has betrayed his lack of faith in the constitutional authority of the Speaker,” he said. Jakhar said most of the MLAs were of the opinion that the SDM had allegedly overstepped her protocol. Effigies of SDM, Chandumajra burnt Fatehgarh Sahib: Nagra today organised a protest at Kharora village in Sirhind. His supporters raised slogans against the SDM and the state government. They also burnt an effigy of the SDM and Prem Singh Chandumajra, MP. Nagra alleged the SAD-BJP government wanted to silence the young Congress MLAs who were vocal in the Assembly. He alleged the government wanted to implicate them in false cases. He alleged earlier Charanjit Channi and Amrinder Raja Warring had been at the receiving end of the government, and that now it was his turn. Bir Devinder demands white paper on employment Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder has demanded a white paper on the employment policy of various industrial houses concerning Punjabi youth. He also sought details of the recruitment made by these units over the last five years. He alleged despite having their production units in Punjab, several industries were recruiting skilled and unskilled workers from outside the state, particularly from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. He said the unemployed Punjabis were running to the Middle East for petty jobs. MLAs to protest ‘discrimination’ A group of Congress MLAs have announced dharnas across the state to protest the alleged discrimination against Punjab by the BJP-led NDA Government. Former Minister Laal Singh would lead the group, which includes Parminder Singh Pinki, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Navtej Singh Cheema and Bharat Bhushan Ashu. In a statement, they said they would protest the reduction in moisture content of paddy, “refusal” by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley to recruit Punjabi youths on merit rather than quota and his refusal to extend a financial package. (Inputs by Surinder Bhardwaj in Fatehgarh Sahib)
their stand
Capt Amarinder Singh, congress deputy leader in the lok sabha
Sunil Jakhar, leader of opposition in the punjab vidhan sabha
Partap Singh Bajwa, punjab pradesh congress committee president
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Mid-term review of
SAD-BJP govt: Industry
Chandigarh, September 21 In the past two-and-a-half years, the state government has taken baby steps to take the state’s staggering economy towards industrialisation. It is wooing fresh investment at a time when economic slowdown has hit the country hard. The state has come up with an attractive industrial policy with a plethora of concessions in value added tax (VAT), stamp duty, central sales tax and electricity duty. It appears that the state is serious about attracting fresh investment. Senior government functionaries, led by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, are knocking at the doors of big industrial houses inside and outside the country, asking them to set up projects in Punjab. But new investment has been slow to come to Punjab. Of the Rs 65,000 crore worth MoUs signed during the Progressive Punjab Investor Summit in December last year, the state has so far approved projects worth Rs 10,000 crore. While fresh investment appears to be just trickling in, the state government has shown little keenness to protect the existing industry. No wonder that the existing units are shifting to the neighbouring states that offer various tax concessions. Unconfirmed reports peg the number of industrial units that have shut shop in the state to more than 17,000 units. As many as 274 industrial units, involving an investment of Rs 3,679.79 crore, are learnt to have moved out to Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand. Ludhiana has been the worst-hit, with investment worth Rs 2,027.34 crore shifting to other states. Malerkotla has lost an investment of Rs 742.50 crore and Gurdaspur has lost Rs 461.11 crore. In Mandi Gobindgarh, between April and December 2013, the Industry Department reported that 155 steel units had closed down. These included 55 small, 40 medium and 60 large units. The main reason was shrinking profit margins because of the disparity in taxation with neighbouring states. The closure of these tertiary iron and steel producers has a wider ramification. These provided raw material to machine parts, tools, bicycle and bicycle parts, auto parts and foundries. MinisterSpeak The state has not only attracted fresh investment, but also taken several measures to strengthen the existing industry. In just nine months after the Investor Summit, we have approved projects worth Rs 10,000 crore. Top-notch IT companies like Infosys Technologies will set shop here. The VAT on iron and steel industry has been slashed. We are also working on rationalising taxes for other
industries They claim the state has got fresh investment worth Rs 10,000 crore in nine months. But where are these projects? Between 2002-07, we got two big companies, Quark and Dell, to set up shop here. Now, Dell has decided to shut shop. Investors complain that files are not cleared for months. Focal Points are in a bad
shape What industrialists say There has been tax rationalisation. Efforts are afoot to decrease input costs. A peaceful business environment is the state's biggest
asset Along with an industrial policy for fresh investment, the state government should frame a policy for the existing industry and provide it a level playing field with the industry in neighbouring
states Industry moving out
UNKEPT PROMISES
The promise has been partially met. Inspections by Labour, Power, Pollution, Health, Public Works Departments continue
The govt has notified a new industrial policy with various tax concessions
This is part of the New Industrial Policy: 2013
No move made by the state government in this regard so far. The focus is on getting more and more private investment
Nothing achieved on this front
Nothing has been done in this direction
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Government mohindra college row
Patiala, September 21 Thereafter, the replaced teachers approached the senior functionaries of the Higher Education Department. Based on their complaint, the Special Secretary of the Higher Education Department directed the college principal to reinstate the teachers. The secretary said as per the directions of the High Court, a guest teacher could not be replaced by another guest teacher and sought explanation as to why they were removed. Harminder Singh, president of the Guest Faculty Lecturer Association, claimed that the as per the guidelines of the High Court, guest teachers could be replaced only by permanent faculty members. While Kirandeep Kaur is a NET qualified teacher, Deepti has done her masters in English. As per reports, the college has reinstated Kirandeep Kaur, but has not allowed Deepti Goyal to join yet. “We had advertised interviews for guest lecturers, but Deepti did not even attend the interview. She scored only 57 per cent in her masters, whereas the guest lecturer appointed in her place is the topper of Punjabi University. She even attended the interviews. Moreover, the students were dissatisfied with her teaching. So, we have relieved her,” Thind added. The matter at hand
We had advertised interviews for guest lecturers, but Deepti did not even attend the interview. She scored only 57 per cent in her masters, whereas the guest lecturer appointed in her place is the topper of Punjabi University. She even attended the
interviews
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‘Diarrhoea’ outbreak in moga
Moga, September 21 A 45-year-old vegetable vendor died of suspected diarrhoea on Friday while 20 others were suspected to be suffering from this disease. No immediate monetary relief has been given to the kin of the deceased man, who was the only bread winner for his family. Sahib Singh, Vijay Singh, Gurdip Singh, Chamkaur Singh, Balvir Singh — all of whom are residents Mohan Singh Basti — have demanded registration of a criminal case against the authorities concerned for having failed to supply clean potable water. At least two more cases of suspected diarrhoea came to light on Sunday, besides many others reporting abdominal pain. They have been given medicines and are under medical observation. Teams of doctors and para-medical staff are on a door-to-door drive to check people living in the affected areas of the city. The MC has begun supplying potable water through tankers. Open sewerage lines and streets are also being cleaned to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, Barjinder Singh Brar, chairman, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, has asked people to protect their food from insects, especially house flies, and boil drinking water before consumption. They have asked residents to wash fruits and vegetables in clean water from a reliable source. Former MLA and senior Congress leader Vijay Sathi said the “diarrhoea” outbreak had called for attention to design, maintenance and monitoring of potable water systems. A similar outbreak was reported at Rania village in Moga district in the last week of August. Two youths had died and many others were
hospitalised. Residents’ woes
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Maluka’s son in race for post of Malwa YAD chief
Bathinda, September 21 Gurpreet Maluka, Bathinda Zila Parishad chief and son of Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, Dilraj Bhunder, son of senior Akali leader and CM’s confidant Balwinder Bhunder, Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy’ Barkandi, the party’s young face in the Chief Minister’s home district (Muktsar), Parambans Singh, popularly known as Bunty Romana, and Balkar Brar, president of the Bathinda district Youth Akali Dal, are some of the names being considered. Gurpreet Maluka was elected Bathinda Zila Parishad chairman in 2013 for the second time in a row. A graduate in law, he is credited with getting approval for the new Cooperative Bank and zila parishad buildings. He played an important role during the recent Talwandi Sabo byelection. Dilraj Bhunder is a resourceful person. A former zila parishad chairman, Bhunder Junior lost the Vidhan Sabha elections from the Sardulgarh constituency in 2012. Bunty Romana is an ambitious leader who enjoys the confidence of Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. He has been rewarded with the post of chairman of the Faridkot Improvement Trust. ‘Rozy’ Barkandi had lost to Congress candidate Karan Brar. Yet, he continues to enjoy the patronage of the top leadership. A dedicated worker, Balkar Brar, is said to have little following outside the district. Key contenders Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy’ Barkandi:
He is party’s young face in the CM’s home district Muktsar Parambans
Singh, popularly known as Bunty Romana Balkar Brar, youth leader
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INLD ties won’t impact Akali-BJP bond: Badal
Faridkot, September 21 “We are sworn allies in Punjab for over three decades and the SAD-BJP alliance has always stood the test of time,” said Badal, while speaking to mediapersons in Faridkot today. He came here to pay obeisance at Tilla Baba Sheikh Farid after the beginning of the five-day annual Baba Farid Aagman Purv here. Badal said it was “wrong to compare” the alliance with any other alliance in the country. He was referring to the buzzing differences between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He said the relations between the SAD and the BJP were very cordial because they had been, time and again, “cemented with mutual affection and understanding”. Badal said these sworn allies in Punjab were political foes in Haryana but it was sheer wastage of time to be suspicious about the relationship between the alliance partners in Punjab. Earlier, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Shiekh Baba Farid. Badal said the life and philosophy of Baba Farid was very relevant in today’s materialistic society. We (SAD, BJP) are sworn allies in Punjab for over three decades and the alliance has always stood the test of time... The relations between the SAD and the BJP were very cordial because they had been, time and again, “cemented with mutual affection and
understanding
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Politicians reject delimitation draft of Batala MC wards
Batala, September 21 The Batala Municipal Council (MC) has 33 wards and after the delimitation process, this number will increase to 35. The process of identifying new wards is being carried out by the Local Bodies Department, which is headed by a BJP minister. It is a well-known fact that the party that controls the MC holds the key to the city. Batala Congress MLA Ashwani Sekhri, who is an ex-officio member of the civic body, said the committee’s interim recommendations were not in accordance with the norms. “In some wards, the number of voters has been shown to be more than the total population of Batala. We have given other suggestions to the SDM, who is the president of the committee, and hope that they are incorporated in the new delimitation process,” he said. The SDM said he had sent the new proposals to the state government and was awaiting their approval before finalising the new wards. Like the Congress, the SAD too has virtually rejected the proposals of the old committee. Former MLA and Batala halqa in charge LS Lodhiangal said if the process was given a political colour, the party would be left with no option but to sever ties with the BJP and contest from all the 35 wards on its own. “It is a well-known fact that the Local Bodies Department is overseeing the process. The Department is being headed by a BJP Minister and if the process is given political colour, we will contest from all the 35 wards on our own. The survey team that came from Chandigarh did not meet even a single resident or former municipal councillor as should have been the case. This is the reason why we have suggested other parameters to the SDM on the basis of which the new de-limitation should be done,” Lodhinangal added. Meanwhile, the Batala BJP is a divided lot over the process. Shortly, after the committee ended its deliberations, two senior leaders raised a banner of revolt. Former district BJP president, Naresh Mahajan, former state BJP Yuva Morcha president Vivek Modgil and some former BJP councillors alleged that the entire delimitation process was being carried out under the influence of a particular group of persons. They claimed that as per rules, connectivity in the ward area should be taken into consideration during the demarcation of the wards but in the proposal, some of the areas added in the wards were those which did not have any connectivity with the concerned ward. They said they had already raised their objections with the local administration and the BJP high command and if their objections were not considered, they would knock the doors of court. Objections
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Cong MLA leads protest in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, September 21 The party workers said poor water supply, faulty sewerage system and dilapidated roads were posing inconvenience to residents. Pinki said there was a lot of anguish among people against municipal officials, who were allegedly adopting a step-motherly treatment towards development of various wards at the instance of leaders of ruling alliance. “Over Rs 60 crore had been sanctioned for sewerage system in the city. However, the Municipal Committee has not completed the work till now,” said Pinki. He said instead of any improvement, things were going from bad to worse. The Congress legislator alleged that certain political leaders were hands in glove with contractors and lakhs of rupees were being siphoned off. He said his party would continue to agitate for residents till civic amenities were improved.
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Villagers protest police inaction in ‘murder’ case
Batala, September 21 Batala Senior Superintendent of Police Manminder Singh said the police were investigating the sequence of events that led to the death. “We are working on several leads. I have formed several teams that are working on various angles. We will nab the accused within the next 24 hours. I am personally overseeing the case,” he added. Raising slogans against the police, the protesters blocked the traffic on the busy Batala-Dera Baba Nanak road for several hours and later, held a dharna near the police station. Joginder’s wife Daljeet Kaur, a resident of Shikar Massian village, claimed that her husband had called her on the night of September 17 and told her that he would stay back at the filling station as the another employee had taken a leave. She added that on the morning of September 18, another employee came to their home and asked them about the keys of a cash box. “The employee said the keys were with my husband. He also claimed that Joginder was not at the pump the earlier night,” she said. “There were several injury marks on his body, which indicated that the accused might have assaulted him before murdering him but the police, under some pressure, is reluctant about registering a murder case,” she added. However, a senior police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed the body bore no injury marks. It was only after Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurmeet Singh Cheema assured the protesters that the police would take strict action against the culprit that the protesters lifted the dharna. The Kotli Surat Malhi police station Station House Officer said the police had sent the viscera report of Joginder to the Kharar chemical laboratory to ascertain the exact cause of death. The case
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Residents up in arms against pvt transporters
Bassi Pathana, May 21 Two buses each of Chandigarh Transport Undertaking, Haryana Roadways and Punjab Roadways enter the bus terminal, generating revenue of a few hundred rupees. The PRTC suffers a loss of about Rs 15,000 daily as over 300 buses operating on the route do not enter the bus stand constructed at a cost of Rs 3.15 crore. Banda said the bus terminal, which was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on February 28, 2014, had been rendered useless. He said the private transporters ignored the sign boards put up by the Municipal Council that directed bus operators not to stop their vehicles on the road. Banda said even the policemen stationed outside the bus stand to keep an eye on the rowdy transporters had been withdrawn. PRTC suffering huge losses
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Pong dam not filled to capacity; irrigation may be hit
Last year, the Bhakra dam was filled up to the level of 1,678.19 feet. The filling period is considered from May 21 to September 20. Though Bhakra is filled almost to the brim, the Bhakra Beas Management Board authorities feel Punjab and Rajasthan are likely to face difficulty in peak season due to low water level in Pong and Thein dams this year. While Pong could be filled up to 1,367.88 feet only against its capacity of 1,390 feet, the water level at Thein was recorded as 516.46 metres against its maximum capacity of 525 metres at 6 am today. In 2013, the authorities were able to store water till the level of 1,389.75 feet in Pong dam and 519.97 metres in Thein on September 21. The fields in three states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan are irrigated with water from Bhakra, Pong and Thein dams. While Punjab has 77 lakh acres of land under canal water irrigation, Rajasthan and Haryana irrigate 53 lakh and 22 lakh acres of land from these dams. Bhakra and Pong dams are run by the Bhakra Beas Management Board while Thein Dam is managed by the Punjab Government. Sources in the Bhakra Beas Management Board said Punjab and Rajasthan receive water from Pong dam and they were likely to face a cut in supply during summer when the demand of water remains on peak for irrigation of crops. Summer concern
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PMO intervenes, infuses life into Dera Bassi plant
Chandigarh, September 21 But within a month after plant owner SS Virdi wrote in desperation to the PMO, highlighting how he was being forced to run from pillar to post to get the NOC, he got a call from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), seeking some minor details and within a week, he got the NOC through his email. “I had never expected that the PMO would intervene. After trying every possible avenue to get clearances for constructing a new storage chamber for gases, I shot off a letter to the Prime Minister’s office. I managed to get the NOC just eight days before the deadline was to end. The governance seems to have improved drastically,” he told The Tribune. Anaesthetic Gases Pvt Ltd is one of the largest producers of nitrous oxide having a capacity to manufacture 18,000 cubic meters of gas per month. Nitrous oxide is the cheapest gas used to give anaesthesia during surgeries. Virdi’s company supplies it to medical institutions in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation changed the rules for storing ammonium nitrate (raw material to manufacture nitrous oxide) two years ago. It directed all units using the gas to construct storage godowns as per the specifications of Department of Explosives. Virdi says he constructed the storages and hence began his struggle to get an NOC from the local administration in Mohali. “The NOC had to be issued by the District Magistrate of Mohali after we submitted clearances from eight different departments. The file remained stuck there for 11 months. Later, the ministry said the drawings for storage had to be cleared by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as a proper approach road to the unit was to be shown. But the NHAI refused to issue an NOC. The Department of Explosives had warned that without the NOC, they would stop supplying ammonium nitrate to us. “When nothing moved, I approached the PMO and the issue was resolved on August 22, eight days before the deadline was to end,” he said. Reprieve, at last
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Rs 3 as ration money for constable!
Ropar, September 21 The information was procured by Ropar-based RTI activist Dinesh Chadha. He found out that police officials up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police used to be given Rs 100 monthly ration allowance 23 years ago in 1991. The allowance is given as police officials are considered to be on duty throughout the day as they have to remain in field for a long period. “The allowance of Rs 3 per day is not sufficient even for a cup of tea,” said a police official. The RTI information revealed that officials from the rank of constable to the Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Punjab Armed Police receive Rs 150 per month as ration allowance. Though other states keep on increasing the grant gradually, the amount of ration allowance has remained static in Punjab for the last more than two decades despite manifold increase in food prices.
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BRTS: Chawla protests felling of trees
Amritsar, September 21 Chawla, in a statement issued here, said, “It is not bus rapid transport system, but ‘rapid devastation system’. The city is being ruined in the name of development.” The BJP leader said the City Bus Service, which had already been launched, was enough for Amritsar. She alleged the authorities were now displacing traders to make way for the BRTS project, in the process leaving them without any source of livelihood. She alleged all this was being done at the behest of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. She said the “destructive measures being resorted to by the government were condemnable”. Chawla said it was unfortunate that the MP and the MLAs of the constituency had chosen to remain tight-lipped over the issue. She has appealed the people to unite on a single platform to “save their city”. She alleged it seemed the public representatives were busy protecting their own interests. National Scheduled Castes Commission Vice-Chairman Raj Kumar Verka too has hit out at the government over the issue. He said it should rehabilitate the traders who were being displaced due to the BRTS project.
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Boy who slit girl’s throat nabbed from Uttarakhand
Jalandhar, September 21 On September 18, Jagdip Singh of Kot Fattu village had “slit” the throat of the 20-year-old girl of Groper village. The girl was on her way to attend classes at an institute near Satluj Cinema, situated on the Jalandhar-Chandigarh road, when she was cornered by the accused. After the incident, the girl had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Nawanshahr and she was now stated to be out of danger. Nawanshahr Superintendent of Police DS Pannu said the accused was arrested after his location was traced near Dehradun in Uttarakhand. “The accused made a phone call at his house. After the incoming call was intercepted, the youth was traced to a village near Dehradun. The police raided the spot and nabbed him,” Pannu said. During questioning, the accused reportedly told the police that he was upset after the girl discarded his proposal. He told the police that after injuring the girl he too had decided to commit suicide, but had changed his mind later.
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RSS chief’s fourth visit on Sept 24
Chandigarh, September 21 Bhagwat’s meetings with RSS volunteers are held in secrecy, away from the media glare. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is reportedly keeping a watch on the RSS chief’s visits. Already, a cold war is on between the two alliance partners with each trying to make inroads into the other’s vote bank. While the BJP holds sway in cities, the Akalis have a following in villages. Recently, the SAD president appointed Hindu leaders as heads of the party’s district units. This move has reportedly upset the BJP.
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Fissures in AAP’s Amritsar unit to the fore
Amritsar, September 21 Party’s state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur today flagged of another consignment of relief material to Srinagar. He said: “I have taken cognisance of the matter and will hold an inquiry.” Talwar alleged that Walia had lodged the complaint by misusing Dr Daljeet Singh’s letterhead. The latter had fought the Lok Sabha elections on AAP ticket from Amritsar. Talwar claimed Dr Daljit Singh had denied having submitted any complaint. Walia, however, said the complaint was lodged on a plain paper on behalf of the office secretary. He alleged there was lack of transparency in maintaining record of relief material. “The complaint was withdrawn after we got the details,” he added. Parveen Kumar, in charge, Lawrence Road police station, said the complaint had been withdrawn. “The complaint was made on the letterhead of Dr Daljit Singh. When we called him, he said he did not want to pursue the complaint,” he said. Talwar accused Walia of trying to grab a prominent party position. “He had switched over to AAP after quitting the Congress. “He has a dubious past and the way he forged the party letterhead is a testimony to this fact. The matter has been brought to the knowledge of the state convener who has assured us that he would take serious note of it,” he said.
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Medical students on warpath
Jalandhar, September 21 “With the Medical Council of India refusing approval, Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, had written to the Principal Secretary two months ago to adjust the students in other recognised colleges. But nothing has happened so far,” said a parent. Ravnoor Kaur, a student, said: “The process for the exams in November has already started. We are worried about our future.” As per the MCI guidelines, while granting a licence for a medical college, the state government has to give a certificate, saying if the applicant fails to create the necessary infrastructure for the college as per the MCI norms, it (the state) will take responsibility of the students admitted in the college. Joshi, when contacted, said: “I have written to the MCI to provide accreditation to the college. Once they confirm that the accreditation is cancelled, we will shift the students to other colleges.” Asked why he had not sought permission for temporary seats, Joshi said: “That is the state government’s internal matter. I will direct the VC to shift the students and later inform the MCI about it.”
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Better upkeep of focal points
on cards
Chandigarh, September 21 Disclosing this here today, Madan Mohan Mittal, Industries and Commerce Minister, said Punjab was the first state in the country to have adopted SPV route in consultation with industrialists to involve them in the upkeep and maintenance of focal points. He said there were a lot of complaints regarding poor upkeep of focal points as multiple agencies were responsible for their maintenance. He said the work was suffering due to lack of coordination between various departments.
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Maya’s working dictatorial, alleges Jandali
Jalandhar, September 21
He announced that on the latter's death anniversary, a 'Sankalp Divas’ was being organised at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here. The state BSP unit has seen intense infighting. The party performed miserably in the recent Lok Sabha elections, with its vote share plunging from 5.7 per cent during the 2009 General Elections to a mere 1.9 per cent in 2014. It is believed that BSP votes may have drifted to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On September 12, Jandali, who was president of the state BSP unit, was expelled from the party and Avtar Singh Karimpuri was appointed president.
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Hope for kin of youths stuck in Iraq
Amritsar, September 21 Gurpinder Kaur, sister of kidnapped youth Manjinder Singh of Bhoewal village, said: “The news has come as a relief. We are continuously watching news channels for an update. I hope that my brother is safe and would return soon.” She said the Central Government should now step up efforts for their early release. The families had already met Union Minster for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj twice in this regard. After the recent development, they have again sought time to meet Swaraj. “If the Turkish government can succeed in getting their citizens released, why can’t the Indian government? We want the government to hasten the process as the time is running out,” said Ranjit Kaur of Sialka village whose son Jatinder Singh is among the kidnapped youths. Another kidnapped youth Harsimranjit Singh’s mother Harbhajan Kaur of Babowal village said: “It’s been three months now. The government has failed to give us a satisfactory reply. I have not talked to my son since June 15.”
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Unsafe classrooms a worry
Patiala, September 21 With student strength in schools increasing by the year, it is becoming more and more difficult to adjust the students in the limited number of classrooms.Though the government sanctions grants to schools every year for constructing new classrooms, it is much less than required amount. Last year the district education department had sent a proposal seeking 350 new classrooms for classes VI, VII and VIII but sanction was accorded for only 150 rooms. At least 200 rooms in primary and upper primary schools were declared unsafe. This figure has now risen to 330. The schools get grant of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, depending on the number of classrooms in a school, and Rs 75,000 under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. But these funds are meagre comsidering that the schools have to pay electricity bills and water bills and spend money on stationery. More than 15 rooms of Government Senior Secondary School, Machingan, have been declared unsafe while Devigarh Secondary School requires at least five more rooms. Teachers are forced to accommodate up to 60 students in a section against the prescribed teacher-student ratio. A senior teacher said several schools in the district did not have enough room to accommodate all students. Often, teachers were forced to hold classes in the open. District Education Officer (Secondary) Harinder Kaur said the government was trying its best to approve infrastructure in schools. The demands put forth by the schools were being studied, she said.
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Start Namdhari Azadi train, CM tells Centre
Chandigarh, September 21 In a letter to Gowda, the Chief Minister sought prompt action in this regard as the matter had been pending since long. He reiterated to resolve the issue in order to pay a befitting tribute to the martyrs of the Kuka Movement. He said the Centre had already recognised the Kuka Movement as a part of the freedom struggle and commemorated year-long celebrations on 150 years of the Kuka Movement in 2007.
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Will fill posts for differently abled, says Dhindsa
Sangrur, September 21 Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa at an “Angheen Chetna Conference”, organised by Physically Handicapped Association, Punjab, today said the SAD-BJP government wanted to provide more opportunities to the differently abled. He also appealed to the differently-abled persons to educate their children. He also announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh for the association. Among those present were Chief Parliamentary Secretary Parkash Chand Garg, Kashmir Sanawa, chairman of Physically Handicapped Association, Punjab, Additional Deputy Commissioner Pritam Singh Johal and Zila Parishad member Paramjit Kaur Virk.—TNS
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Abohar, September 21
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Fazilka college faces shortage of employees
Fazilka, September 21 Posts have been lying vacant since a long time. The college is also without a regular Principal. The additional charge of Principal has been given to Vijay Goyal, Principal, Government College, Bathinda. Staff of MR Government College have to visit Bathinda even for petty financial and administrative works. The college is facing acute shortage of clerical staff too. Sixty per cent of the posts of clerks have been lying vacant. Out of six sanctioned posts of clerk, four are vacant. The shortage of lecturers and other staff has adversely affected the functioning of the college, which has about 2,300 students. Guest faculty members, engaged from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) funds, are managing the affairs. Students can often be seen killing time on the campus as their periods are seldom taken by lecturers. The college was established by philanthropist Late Munshi Ram Aggarwal in 1940 and was managed by Munshi Ram Aggarwal Charitable Trust. Later on, the government took over the reign of the college in 1984 with an aim to provide cheaper education to poor border area students. However, since then, the situation has become worse. Students, most of whom have come from rural border area families who cannot afford high fees of private colleges. They have demanded that the posts of lecturers be filled without further delay. No. of vacant posts
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Madrasa teacher gets life term for raping minor
Sangrur, September 21 The sentence was awarded yesterday under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act-2012. On the statement of a 13-year-old student of the madrasa, Mohammad Amzad Khan was booked on March 27. He was arrested on the same day the case was registered. The victim had alleged she had been raped on February 26 and March 17 during special classes in the evening on the premises of the madrasa. She had also alleged the madrasa teacher had molested four other girls of her age on the institute premises.
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3 booked for cheating
Abohar, SeptEMBER 21 The complainant said Gobind Ram, liquor shop owner, of Panjawa Mandala village had been booked under Sections 188 of the IPC by Khuyiansarwer police on January 28, 2012. The accused had allegedly produced someone else impersonating as Gobind Ram in the trial court. 5 booked for theft
The police in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan have booked three persons for theft and two for purchase of government property. Water Resources Department junior engineer (JE) Balwinder Singh told the police that Tehal Singh, Gagan Ramgarhia and Sajjan Nayak had stolen iron girders from government quarters and a rest house in border village Banda in Anoopgarh segment during the past three months as the complex remained out of use. Inquiry indicated that the property had been sold to junk dealers Raj Kumar and Babbu. They had hired a vehicle to transport the material. All the accused are absconding.
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Chandigarh, September 21
Moga, September 21
Faridkot, September 21
Bassi Pathana, May 21
Amritsar, September 21
Amritsar, September 21
Jalandhar, September 21
Parkash Singh Jandali, who was recently expelled from the BSP, has lashed out at party chief Mayawati describing her style of functioning as "dictatorial."
Addressing mediapersons here today, he accused Mayawati of promoting sycophants and ignoring honest and dedicated party workers. “Mayawati has wavered from the path shown by Dr BR Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram.” 
Patiala, September 21
Fazilka, September 21
Says commissioner-level officer can't inquire against an MLA, who is above the level of Chief Secretary in protocol
Has called a meeting of all Congress MLAs on Tuesday to discuss the "disrespect" shown to Nagra by the SDM
Has already announced that the Congress would fight for the "honour" of its legislator Kuljeet Singh Nagra
Dilraj
Bhunder: He is son of senior Akali leader and CM’s confidant Balwinder Bhunder
More than Rs 60 crore had been sanctioned for sewerage in the city. However, the Municipal Committee has not completed the work till
now...Lakhs of rupees
are being siphoned
off
Ropar, September 21