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171 employees attached to VIPs replaced over ‘inflated’ fuel bills
20 Punjabi youths held in US shifted to |
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Ex-SGPC member Barapind acquitted
Bhagat Singh’s sister dies in Canada
SAD chief allots duty for Haryana elections
Badal residents play spoilsport at Sukhbir’s function
DGP orders probe into custodial death
Suspend SHO for ‘twin murders’, says Verka
PPCC kisan cell holds dharna at DC’s office
Minister orders speedy lifting of paddy, timely payment
Anganwari workers gherao admn complex
Massive protest against ‘black law’
Local Bodies Dept delaying works, alleges Mittal
Need for peace memorial: Manpreet
State bags best rural tourism initiative award
SGPC to honour Asiad medallists
PRTC contractual employees call off strike
CM inaugurates 3D Digital Orthopaedic Suite of Mohali hospital
Funds released for repair of roads in Abohar
Notice to state on amending police Act
HC comes to aid of differently abled workers
Daduwal gets bail in another case
Out on parole, gangster shot dead
‘Harassed’ by professors, medical student commits suicide
4 held for killing infant
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171 employees attached to VIPs replaced over ‘inflated’ fuel bills
Chandigarh, September 29 The alleged malpractice of tampering with the odometer (that reads the distance travelled by a vehicle) was exposed by Chief Parliamentary Secretary NK Sharma. The SAD leader got a whiff of the alleged scam after realising that the petrol bill claimed from the Treasury for a vehicle assigned to him was Rs 53.48 lakh for 16 months, which was “too high”. He approached the Transport Department and demanded an inquiry. Transport Department Secretary Anurag Aggarwal dismissed the replacement of the 171 employees as a routine exercise. But, sources said the decision was taken after the alleged scam came to light. On being contacted, Sharma confirmed he had complained that excess money had been paid to the transport commission staff deployed with him. He claimed the vehicle given to him had been shown to be traversing between Chandigarh and Delhi on almost a regular basis. He confirmed he had demanded a thorough investigation. The Transport Department has reportedly drawn a list of all the VIPs who had been assigned convoys, especially those where the transport commission employees were posted. Preliminary inquiries found that the government was paying crores each month as fuel bill, even in cases where the VIP could not have travelled as much as the fuel consumed was shown, often allegedly through fake bills. The fuel bill of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was over Rs 8 crore between March 2012 and December 2013. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s bill was Rs 6 crore. Sukhbir too had reportedly ordered an inquiry to verify the “inflated” bills. The investigation showed that the odometers were allegedly tampered with. The security staff in connivance with some fuel retail outlets would present fake bills, it has been learnt. Incidentally, the system of gettingthe fuel filled in these vehicles was as much to blame for the scam. The drivers (who are from the transport commission) are supposed to pay the bill from their own pockets and then submit bills to the Treasury for reimbursement. It’s only after several months that the bills are cleared and reimbursed in their (drivers’) accounts. This gives them an opportunity to put up inflated bills and then claim them back. Sources said the Transport Department was also getting seals installed on the odometers of all the vehicles to ensure these could not be tampered with.
Petrol scam?
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20 Punjabi youths held in US shifted to Miami prison
Chandigarh, September 29 Eighteen of them were on hunger protest for about a fortnight against the “ill-treatment” meted out to them by the jail officials. They were also protesting “insufficient food, and that too of inferior quality, being supplied to them”. A group of six youths, led by Ranjit Singh, had written a letter to North American Punjabi Association executive director Satnam Singh Chahal. These youths provided details of their plight and how the vegetarian Punjabi detainees were being provided non-vegetarian food. Among those who have been shifted to Miami are Navdip Singh (from Delhi), Jagminder Singh (Begowal, Kapurthala), Harpreet Lal (Mehatpur, Nakodar), Nishan Singh (Begowal), Arshdeep Singh (Moga), Kamaljit Singh (Kapurthala), Sandip Singh (Begowal), another Sandeep Singh (also from Begowal), Gurbinder Singh (Begowal), Jaspreet Singh Kang (Ferozepur), Ranjodh Singh Dhaliwal and Bikram Kumar (Jalandhar), Malkiat Singh from Hariana, Yashpal Singh (Jalandhar) and Sarthak Kumar Patel (Gujarat). Those still lodged at the Utah jail and who were observing fast against the jail officials are Harjinder Singh (Begowal), Anmol Pal (Jalandhar), Kuldip Singh (Jalandhar), Rahul Guru (Nawanshahr), Sukhwinder Singh (Jalalpur), Pardip Kumar (Haryana), Inderjit Singh Parmar (Ajnoha), Balwinder Singh (Mansoorpur, Mukerian) and Sukhjinder Singh (Ludhiana). Two of the youths have not joined the fast. “Though I have lost contact with others, I am in touch with these two,” said Chahal. “When we protested against the treatment meted out to the Punjabi youths, the jail authorities did nothing except shifting most of them to Miami,” he said.
Curbing protest? About 20 of the 29 youths have been shifted from Utah to Miami jail reportedly following their complaints against jail officials. Eighteen of them were on hunger strike for about a fortnight against the "ill-treatment" meted out to them by the jail officials.
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Ex-SGPC member Barapind acquitted
Jalandhar, September 29 On September 20, 2012, the Nawanshahr police had taken away Barapind from his residence at Barapind village. A day later, he was booked by the the Jalandhar Rural police under various Sections of IPC, including Section 121 (waging war against the state), Section 121-A (conspiracy to commit an offence punishable under Section 121), Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) Sections 3,4 and 5 of the Explosives Act, Section 25 of the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities Act. The Police had then claimed to have recovered a mauser pistol, six live cartridges, a night vision device, bulletproof jackets and seditious literature, including booklets and calendars carrying the photos of Bhindranwale and magazines such as “Sikh Shahadat”, “Khalsa Fatehnama”, “Paigam”, “Jang Zari Rahegi” and “Who killed Karkare.” The police failed to recover any explosives despite having booked Barapind under the Explosives Act. Barapind had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for bail. The petition is still pending with the High Court, said his lawyer. Barapind said: “I was implicated by the Punjab government and central agencies. I was serving the Panth and had won the SGPC elections as an Independent. This annoyed the Akali leaders and they slapped false charges on me only to destroy my political career”. About Barapind
Police flip-flop
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Mid-term review of
SAD-BJP
government
Chandigarh, September 29 Has your government failed to honour its promise on improving power and urban infrastructure? The first two-and-a-half years in office have been spent on getting clearances for four and six-lane expressways that will connect all major cities in the state. Land acquisition, approval from the Planning Commission and clearances from the National Highways Authority of India and the Forest and Environment Ministry is a long process. But with the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, all this has now been done. Within two years, you will see most expressways being completed. Punjab is the only state that has increased its power generation capacity manifold, that too in a short time. The power distribution infrastructure has been improved. In October, we will start selling surplus power. It is not our fault that the country is facing a coal crisis.The BRTS project for Amritsar is progressing well and a similar one for Ludhiana will be started soon. We have asked the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation to start the international airport at Mohali. The 4G connectivity will be laid out across the state. I am personally reviewing each of these projects. I am making sure that the deadline for various projects is met. Why has industrial development failed to take off? That’s not true. More than 90 projects, approved at the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit, are about to take off. These will entail investment worth Rs 10,000 crore. The government is in touch with the captains of industry. I believe that rapid industrialisation alone will propel growth in the state. Why is the government dithering on imposing fresh taxes and improving the economy? The SAD-BJP government believes in imposing few taxes and increasing the tax base. The state revenue has gone up from Rs 25,216 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 29,968 crore in 2013-14. If new taxes are imposed, trade and industry will feel threatened and move their business out of the state. So our emphasis is on plugging the loopholes in the tax structure. The problem with Punjab’s economy is the huge burden of committed liabilities. Its only because we have almost doubled the revenue in the past seven-and-a-half years that the state’s economy has not collapsed. Why is the government succumbing to vote bank politics by withdrawing or slashing taxes and continuing with subsidies? You have to remember that we are a welfare state. Certain under-privileged sections have to be given subsidies. Also, the BJP is always on board whenever we decide to impose any tax. Even when property tax was imposed in 2013-14, the BJP minister had decided on the taxation rate. Property tax has been cut because there were certain lacunae in calculations. We have reduced tax rates for certain sections of trade and industry to create an enabling environment for them. What are you doing to improve governance, especially with regards to the powers enjoyed by your halqa chiefs and politicisation of the police? Its wrong to say that there is politicisation of the police or the administration. We are appointing the best possible officers for improving governance and law and order. In fact, more than 1,700 citizen service centres will be established by next year. It’s a misconception that governance is concentrated in the hands of halqa heads. The ruling party, whosoever it may be, always gives some powers to its local leaders. However, we are changing the names of halqa chiefs to ‘halqa sewadar’. As party president, I have issued instructions that they must facilitate good governance. Is there a strain in the Akali-BJP alliance, considering that the BJP-led NDA government seems unwilling to give any help
to Punjab? Let me assure you that the SAD-BJP alliance is permanent. With the BJP-led government taking over the reins of the country, Punjab has started getting projects. The Union Road Transport Minister has sanctioned several projects and environmental clearances for several other infrastructure projects have started coming in. As regards a special package, we are hopeful of getting one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured us of all possible help. Who calls the shots in the Punjab government? The general perception is that there are two parallel
power centres in Punjab. There are no two parallel centres of power. The chain of command is clear. The Chief Minister is the overall in charge of the affairs of the state. He has delegated certain responsibilities to me, which I carry out without any interference. I do not interfere in the departments that are under the Chief Minister. There is a seamless coordination between us.
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Bhagat Singh’s sister dies in Canada
Chandigarh, September 29 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, PPPC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal, AAP MPs Bhagwant Singh Mann and Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, Congress leader Jagmeet Singh Brar, CPI leaders Bant Brar and Dr Joginder Dayal, CPM leaders Charan Singh Virdi and Prof Chaman Lal expressed grief over Parkash Kaur's death. "She was a great source of inspiration for the people of the country," said Prof Chaman Lal, who spent some time with her in Canada a few months ago. Parkash Kaur's nephew Abhay Singh Sandhu said her body would be consigned to flames on Sunday. She is survived by two daughters and two sons, all settled in Canada. Hours before her death, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activists in Canada visited her to greet her on Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary, but she was not in a condition to respond. She was bed-ridden for 6-7 years. Her husband Harbans Singh expired more than a decade ago. She was a brave woman who fought relentlessly to get arrested and convicted police officials who killed her daughter's brother-in-law in a "fake encounter", sources said. Bhagat Singh had eight siblings: Jagat Singh, Amar Kaur, Kulbir Singh, Shakuntla Devi, Kultar Singh, Prakash Kaur, Ranbir Singh and Rajinder Singh.
She last visited Hoshiarpur in 2005 Hoshiarpur:
Bhagat Singh's sister Parkash Kaur had last visited the town in 2005 when she attended a felicitation function here. She later went to Canada to stay with her two sons and a daughter. Speaking at the function, she had recalled her last meeting with Bhagat Singh in jail a couple of days before he was hanged to death by the British. She said Bhagat Singh was sure that his martyrdom would not go waste and that the British would be forced to leave India. She said he had instructed her to continue the fight for
freedom after his death. Parkash Kaur’s niece, Bhupinder Kaur, and her son Sukhwinderjit Singh Sangha said Parkash Kaur's death was the end of an era.
— Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi CM expresses grief Chandigarh:
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has expressed grief over the Parkash Kaur’s demise. In his condolence message, the Chief Minister expressed his heart-felt sympathies with the bereaved family. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia also mourned Parkash Kaur’s death.
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SAD chief allots duty for Haryana elections
Badal (Muktsar), September 29 Sukhbir assigned duties to the party leaders. Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who is close to CM Parkash Singh Badal, has been made the in charge for Kalanwali seat. Daljeet Singh Chema, Education Minister, would take care of the Ambala (City) constituency. A majority of the SAD leaders from the Malwa region have been assigned duties for Kalanwali seat whereas the Majha and Doaba leaders have been told to campaign in Ambala. Both the constituencies have been divided into 10 to 12 zones. The zones have been further divided among ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries. Each MLA, halqa incharge has been given two-three villages. In some villages, they are told to work alone, but in some villages with other leaders of the SAD. The role of Bikram Majithia, Sukhbir’s brother-in-law, seems to have been cut down this time. Sources said Majithia may campaign in other parts of Haryana.
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Badal residents play spoilsport at Sukhbir’s function
Badal (Muktsar), September 29 The people living near the pond gathered at the venue, taking stand against the government. They were reportedly protesting the proposed cut in the pond’s circumference. The response of the public even put the district administration in a tizzy. A visit to the village pond site revealed that all arrangements were in place, including the tent, garlands and carpet. Even the foundation stone was installed, bearing the names of the Deputy Chief Minister, the Deputy Commissioner, the Executive Engineer of Rural Development Department and the village sarpanch. But Sukhbir, probably after getting to know about the resentment, decided not to visit the venue. Kulwant Singh, a resident, said, “The area of the pond, as per the government plan, has to be decreased... During rains, our houses will be inundated. So, we gathered here to oppose the decision.” Sandeep Singh, husband of the village sarpanch, said, “Some residents objected to the renovation of the village pond and creation of a park. The issue was brought to the notice of the Deputy CM, who decided not to lay the stone.”
Airing dissent
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DGP orders probe into custodial death
Abohar, September 29 Amit Adlakha had allegedly killed himself by using the dupatta of a woman constable at the police station. He was rounded up in connection with motorcycle theft. A case was registered against SHO Bhanwer Lal Meghwal, Assistant Sub-Inspector Dunger Mal and three constables. The accused were arrested, but the trial court acquitted them in 2003. The state challenged the judgment in the High Court. An action committee formed by citizens organised an agitation and recently met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The committee, headed by former police officer Tara Chand, questioned the rationale behind allowing Bhanwer Lal Meghwal function as the in charge of Nohar police station, while the HC was yet to decide on the appeal against his acquittal. The Chief Minister reportedly referred the matter to the Law Department in the office of the DGP. Sources said the crime branch had been directed to re-investigate the matter.
Case details
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Suspend SHO for ‘twin murders’, says Verka
Ludhiana, September 29 An Akali leader, Gurjeet Singh, husband of a sarpanch of a village in Bohapur’s vicinity, was among four persons arrested; the rest being a head constable and two home guards. National Commission for Scheduled Caste Vice-Chairman Raj Kumar Verka has demanded suspension and registration of a case against the Machhiwara Station House Officer (SHO), Manjinder Singh. The SHO, who was sent to Police Lines after the incident, was not available for comment. Verka met the victims’ parents, who were allegedly gunned down by Gurjeet at Ahluwalia colony in Jamalpur, at the Circuit House here today. He demanded besides registering a murder case, another case under the Prevention of Atrocities under the SC/ST Act should be slapped against the accused. “It is not possible that a police team can conduct any raid without the SHO’s knowledge. The Punjab Police is trying to hush up the matter by booking lower-rung officials and sparing the SHO,” said Verka. Verka alleged Gurjeet fired at the brothers as he wanted to show them his political might. Both the brothers were wanted in an attempt to murder case. Former MP and suspended Congress leader Jagmeet Brar today met the parents of the victims. He handed over Rs 50,000 to Rupinder Kaur, the deceased’s sister. He lambasted the local leaders for not meeting the parents, who had lost both their sons at the fag end of their life. “Akali halqa in charge and former MLA Jagjeevan Singh Khirnia, local Congress MLA Amrik Singh and AAP MP Harinder Singh Khalsa should have at least visited the victim family to mourn the deaths… Nothing less than a CBI probe can bring out the truth,” he said. Jagmeet said he would speak to Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar and urge him to raise the matter in the Vidhan Sabha.
Row over Facebook profile Harinder Singh (Lally Bohapur) was shown on his Facebook account with weapons, provocative speeches and displaying a Khalitani flag, which created a flutter. His father Satpal Singh claimed the account had been hacked.
Flip-flop on investigation The state government seems to be undecided on initiating a probe into the double murder case. A communiqué was issued during the day stating Inspector Generals Ishwar Singh and Pramod Ban would conduct the probe and submit a report within 15 days. The order was soon withdrawn.
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Assess damage accurately, revenue officials
told
Muktsar, September 29 Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Jaskiran Singh recently directed the officials concerned to carry out the girdawari in a fair manner. “The girdawari is underway in waterlogged villages. The officials of Revenue Department have been told to monitor the subordinate staff,” said Jaskiran Singh. Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh
Dhillon, who had recently visited the waterlogged villages, said, “The state government will not repeat the same mistake this year. The officials concerned have been asked to do their job diligently. Action will be taken against the erring staff.” Meanwhile, a visit to some waterlogged villages revealed that though the water had been drained out from the residential areas, the fields were still flooded. The farmers of Baam village said that the tractor pumps installed to de-water the fields were not proving to be effective. “At this rate, it will take nearly a month for the pumps to dewater the fields,” said Gurjant Singh, a farmer of Baam village. Moreover, though the Health Department had sprayed mosquito repellant in villages, a majority of people complained of mosquito bites.
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PPCC kisan cell holds dharna at DC’s office
Sangrur, September 29 The dharna was staged under the leadership of Rajinder Raja Bir
Kalan, chairman of the district unit of the Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Cell. The protesters also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at traffic light chowk near main bus stand. They also submitted a memorandum to Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar to forward the same to the Chief Minister. Almost all speakers, including district Congress president Mai Roop Kaur Bagrian and district chairman of Kisan Cell Rajinder Raja Bir
Kalan, accused the state and the Centre of not paying attention to the demands of farmers and farm
labourers. They demanded compensation of Rs 5 lakh and a government job to the families of farmers who committed suicides due to debt, besides implementing the crop insurance scheme. The leaders also flayed the Centre for lowering the moisture content limit for rice from 15 to 14 per cent. Besides demanding increase in moisture content in paddy from 17 to 20 per cent, they also demanded drought relief of Rs 5,000 per acre. Their other demands included control over the sale of spurious insecticides and seeds and ban on drugs.
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Minister orders speedy lifting of paddy, timely payment
The minister appealed to the farmers to bring dry paddy to the market so that it could be easily procured as per government norms. "The farmers should not give any chance to the agencies to reject or delay the procurement of their produce on the pretext of high humidity content," he said. He asked District Magistrate (DM) Parminder Singh Gill and District Food and Civil Supplies Controller (DFSC) Rajnish Kumari to send back paddy having humidity content of 18 per cent or more. Claiming that the administration has finalised all arrangements for the procurement of paddy in the district, the DM and the DFSC said various agencies had already appointed procurement staff in mandis. Sufficient stock of gunny bags, polythene covers and crates had been also arranged, they added. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) would purchase 10 per cent of the expected paddy arrival, PUNSUP 23 per cent, Markfed 22 per cent, Pungrain 25 per cent, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation 11 per cent and Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation 9 per cent, they said. Rajnish Kumari told the minister that 11.71 lakh MT of paddy arrived in the district last year. The figure was likely to remain 10 to 12 per cent less this year due to rise in cultivation of basmati varieties. The area under paddy cultivation was 1,37,000 hectare this year, while basmati was cultivated on 36,000 hectare, she added. Meanwhile, Tota Singh asked the market committees to make elaborate arrangements for ensuring cleanliness at purchase centres, besides arranging drinking water and proper shelter for farmers.
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Anganwari workers gherao admn complex
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 29 The ongoing feud between Congress MLA Kuljeet Nagra and the Fatehgarh Sahib SDM cast a shadow on the incident. The issue was set to aggravate as the MLA was pleading the case of agitating anganwari workers while the SDM was representing the administration. The MLA demanded that anganwari workers should be allowed to submit a memorandum, but the SDM insisted they should first vacate the complex and lift the dharna. SSP Gurmeet Singh Chauhan also reached the spot. He told the anganwari workers to vacate the complex otherwise a legal action would be initiated against them. The SSP said confining administration officials and the public was not acceptable and that they could not be mute spectators to any such act. The anganwari workers later decided to vacate the complex. They were assured by the DC that their demands would be looked into next week. The DC, however, warned the agitators that no indiscipline would be tolerated. He said a specific site had been earmarked for holding protests and laying siege to the district administrative complex was
not acceptable.
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Massive protest against ‘black law’
Amritsar, September 29 Addressing the protesters, farmer leaders Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala and Rattan Singh Randhawa accused the
SAD-BJP alliance government of giving a “misleading name” to the Bill. They said it was a “dangerous” measure to prevent public
organisations, trade unions and political parties from raising their voice against the government. The leaders lashed out at the government for failing to ensure that the farmers got remunerative prices for their produce.They referred to the plight of basmati growers in this regard. They said that most farmers, already burdened with loans, had to bear the brunt of nature’s fury with rains taking a toll on their paddy crop. They alleged that while the farmers were being fleeced in the grain markets, the government continued to back “capitalist forces.” Leaders Satnam Singh Pannu and Datar Singh said the ‘black law’ brought in by the state government may be misused. They pointed out that agitating organisations had never damaged public or private property. “We will not rest until the government withdraws the black law’,” they warned. The protesters marched to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and handed over a memorandum to Ravi
Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner. The protesters had come from Amritsar,
Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran districts.
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Local Bodies Dept delaying works, alleges Mittal
Ropar, September 29 He said the government was trying hard for the state’s progress, but the officials were working against it. It is worth mentioning that his party colleague Anil Joshi is Local Bodies
Minister. Mittal was in the district today to attend the installation ceremonies of Anandpur Sahib market committee office-bearers. Education Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema and Prem Singh
Chandumajra, MP, were present. Mittal alleged the Nangal Municipal Council had passed Rs 3 crore loan each for the development of Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib long ago, but the Local Bodies Department was sitting on the files on frivolous grounds. He said both towns required immediate development works as celebrations for the 350th foundation day of Anandpur Sahib had been started and lakhs of people from the country and abroad were likely to visit these places. He warned the officials if the funds were delayed further, he would hold a press conference in Chandigarh soon.
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Need for peace memorial: Manpreet
In a statement, he said the memorial should be a source of inspiration for the future generations rather than being a reminder of the tragedy that struck the state for more than a decade, a period when every section of the society suffered. Manpreet said Punjab was the sacred land of Gurus, sages and seers. He said there should be no space for sectarian politics in the state. “We are the inheritors of the legacy of the martyrs like Shaheed Bhagat Singh in whose doctrine parochialism and sectarianism had no place. These martyrs sacrificed their lives so that the future generations could breathe in a free society, without any distinction of caste or creed. We have to uphold those ideals,” he said. The PPP chief admitted that the people of Punjab suffered trauma and hardships during that the dark period of militancy, which resulted in perverted perceptions and varied ideological positions. The need was to bury such polarised perceptions, he said. “The peace memorial should reinforce the ideology of Punjabiat and progressiveness and remind the coming generation of our great heritage,” he said.
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State bags best rural tourism initiative award
Chandigarh, September 29 Sohan Singh Thandal, Punjab Tourism Minister, has congratulated the employees of the Tourism Department for putting in efforts to get Punjab included in the international tourist circuit. Basanta Raj Kumar, Executive Director, Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, received the award from Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister. In a statement, the Punjab Tourism Department said that the Board’s marketing efforts to reach out to those linked to the travel trade had remained successful. He said the travel industry had appreciated Punjab "Farm Tourism" scheme. The department claimed that under the scheme, the Board had been holding workshops with the help industry professionals. It said the government was also roping in tour operators to promote the scheme. The scheme was also being showcased at various travel exhibitions and travel industry forums. “A ‘Farm Tourism’ operator acts as guide and host to the guests visiting Punjab,”it said.
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SGPC to honour Asiad medallists
Amritsar, September 29 Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, said that the duo had made India proud by winning a silver and a bronze medal in the mega sports event. He said the SGPC had always promoted sports in its educational institutions by holding different tournaments and rewarded outstanding sportspersons. Makkar was all praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a patient hearing to the problems of Sikhs living in America during his ongoing US visit. He said it was commendable that the Prime Minister had given the Sikh leaders more time than scheduled so as to listen to their woes. He said the Sikhs in the US were facing various issues due to mistaken identity and security barriers. He expressed the hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would resolve the issues being faced by the Sikhs there.
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PRTC contractual employees call off strike
Patiala, September 29 These workers had been holding a protest at Rajesh Pilot Memorial Park since September 1. Their demands included regularisation of their services, abolition of the contract system, re-employment of terminated workers, adding 500 new buses to the PRTC fleet, transferring some general managers and cancellation of "false" cases registered against contractual employees. The district administration uprooted their tents on Saturday night and kept around 100 protesters in custody for around 2 hours. After the union members announced to restart their protest today, the district administration held a meeting with them. Representatives of the PRTC Workers' Union (Azaad) met SDM Gurpal Singh Chahal, who later arranged a meeting with Cabinet minister Surjit Singh Rakhra. The union representatives were assured that their demands would be taken up with the state government on priority.
The assurance The decision to call off the strike came after the district
administration assured them of arranging their meeting with the Transport Secretary before October
10.
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CM inaugurates 3D Digital Orthopaedic Suite of Mohali hospital
Chandigarh, September 29 Max Super Speciality Hospital (MSSH), Mohali, launched the suite that works on the revolutionary concept of utilising digital patient data to review, plan and execute the entire orthopaedic procedure. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal launched the suite in the presence of Analjit Singh, chairman, Max India Ltd and chairman (Emeritus), Rahul Khosla, MD, Max India Ltd and Dr Manuj Wadhwa, Director and Head, Max Elite Institute of Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement at MSSH, Mohali. “Max hospitals in Mohali and Bathinda are doing well in PPP mode,” said Badal.
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Notice to state on amending police Act
Chandigarh, September 29 The Division Bench of Justice SK Mittal and Justice Deepak Sibal issued the notices for October 14 on the petition filed in public interest by advocate HC Arora. He stated that only retired judges of high courts or Supreme Court were to be appointed chairmen of state-level police complaints authorities as per directions issued by Supreme Court in the Parkash Singh’s case. Likewise, only retired district judges were to be appointed chairmen of district-level police complaints authorities. The appointments were also to be made from a panel of retired judges to be sent by the chief justice of the high court concerned. During the PIL’s pendency, the Punjab Assembly in July 2014 passed amendments to the Punjab Police Act 2007, and inserted Section 54 (2) and 54 (3). It laid down that retired civil services officer not below the chief secretary’s rank of the state government or a secretary to the Union Government or a retired director general of police of the state government shall only be eligible for appointment as chairman of the state-level police complaints authority. It added only a civil services officer retired from a post not below the rank of a secretary to the Union Government or a police officer who retired from a post not below the rank of deputy inspector-general of police was eligible for appointment as chairman of the divisional-level police complaints authority. Thus, retired judges had now been made ineligible. Arora contented that retired bureaucrats or police officers could not inspire the confidence of people. Moreover, the exclusion of retired judges from consideration not only violated the Supreme Court directions but also unreasonable and arbitrary, he added.
About the PIL The exclusion of retired judges from consideration for appointment as chairmen of police complaints authority not only violates the Supreme Court directions but is also unreasonable and arbitrary
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HC comes to aid of differently abled workers
Chandigarh, September 29 Taking up a petition by an employee with 100 per cent disability, Justice Mahesh Grover also imposed Rs 20,000 fine on a superintending engineer for "obstructing the course of justice and filing a false affidavit". Malkit Singh Sidhu through counsel Promila Nain had earlier petitioned that he met with an accident in September 2007, and was agitating his case for benefits under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Justice Grover observed the accident, the injuries, his "vegetative condition" and his inability to perform functions were not denied by the respondents. The petitioner was initially promoted as XEN from January 2008. But the respondents were now not paying him salary since March 2009. Justice Grover added: "The provisions of the Act would obligate the state to ensure that the service of an employee visited with disability during his service is neither dispensed with nor his status reduced in rank. "Rather efforts are to be made to accommodate such an employee in other areas if he is unable to meet the rigours of duties.”
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Mohali court turns down Cheema’s bail petitions
Mohali, September 29 The court will hear the anticipatory bail application of Cheema’s co-accused in both cases, Ajay Chaudhary, on October 10. Sources said the public prosecutor opposed anticipatory bail for Cheema on the plea that being one of the top functionaries of the Punjab Police, he (Cheema) could influence the course of investigation. The Mohali court has already granted interim bail to a woman accused in the Kricpy molestation case. Cheema had moved an anticipatory bail application on September 23 after Mohali Additional District and Sessions Judge Shiv Mohan Garg issued warrants for his arrest on September 15. The court had directed the Mohali Police to produce Cheema before September 27. With the Mohali police failing to arrest Cheema, the court today directed that Cheema be produced before it by October 15.
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Out on parole, gangster shot dead
Amritsar, September 29 Babba sustained four bullet injuries. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him “brought dead”. On his son Raghav’s statement, the Sadar police have registered a case under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC and the Arms Act against unknown persons. A local court had in February sentenced Babba and another gangster Ankur Likhari to life imprisonment for the murder of gangster Raju Chikna. The latter was a member of the Jagtar Boxer gang. Babba was on a 28-day parole. Raju Chikna was killed by car-borne assailants outside the local courts on January 15, 2010. He was there for a court hearing. Babba and Likhari were arrested for the murder on the complaint of one Balwinder Singh. Police sources said Babba was driving an Innova (PB-02-BD-1010). As the vehicle took a U-turn from the resort, unidentified assailants intercepted the vehicle and opened fire. While three bullets hit Babba’s shoulder, the fourth pierced his chest. The police have recovered the bullet shells from the murder site. Dr Ketan Patil, Additional DCP (City-II), said that preliminary investigations suggested that he may have been killed by his rivals. “We are working on various theories. Investigations reveal that he had old rivalry with the Jagtar Boxer gang. We are also trying to obtain the camera footage of the marriage function for clues,” Patil said. The SHO of the Sadar police station, Parvesh Chopra, said that separate teams had been formed to identify and arrest the killers.
Was well-connected
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‘Harassed’ by professors, medical student commits suicide
Ludhiana, September 29 PS Pannu, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the police had taken into possession a suicide note reportedly written by the victim. It read: "I am tired of fighting alone. Meri bas ho chukki
hai, tusi meri tension na lo. Tohaday kol Nonu hai (I am fed up. You don't worry about me. Nonu will take care of you)." Nonu is the nickname of Supriya's younger
brother. Balwinder alleged two professors and a student had been harassing her daughter. He alleged he had brought the matter to the notice of the hospital authorities about eight months ago, but no action was taken. He said he spoke to her daughter's fellow students who told him that Supriya was "snubbed" in the classroom today. She was in tears when she left the college, he
alleged. "Supriya then called one of her friends. But she was busy. Had she come on time my daughter would have been saved," Balwinder
said. Pannu said the body had been sent to the Civil Hospital for a postmortem. Further action will be taken after recording the statements of the deceased's relatives, he added.
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4 held for killing infant
Abohar, September 29 The police found that the baby was born on September 23 at a private
hospital in Raisinghnagar. Her parents took the duo away on September
24, the police said. They said the accused persons were Meera’s
cousins Madan Lal and Bhala Ram, Uncle Jiya Ram and her sister’s
husband Vijyender Kumar. The police said the accused allegedly threw
the baby into a canal, while Meera was unconscious. They were taken to
the canal for spot verification.
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The Punjab Government has replaced 171 State Transport Commission employees who were attached with political VVIPs following an alleged petrol scam.
The move comes after the alleged pilferage of petrol and diesel in government vehicles that constitute the convoy of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, ministers and chief parliamentary secretaries.
There seems to be no end to the problems of the 29 Punjabi youths detained in Utah jail in the US for the past seven months.
At least 20 of these youths have now been shifted to Miami jail as an alleged result of their complaints against the jail officials. They had tried to sneak into the US through the Arizona border, but were captured by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement wing. They were later shifted from Arizona to Utah.
Mid-term review of
SAD-BJP
government
Chandigarh, September 29
The residents of Badal village, home to the state’s first political family, today played spoilsport at a function that was to be presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
The Deputy Chief Minister was scheduled to lay the stone of the village pond’s renovation work and a park along the Badal-Bathinda highway.
Amritsar, September 29
Industries Minister and senior BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal today lashed out at officers of the Local Bodies Department blaming them for creating hurdles in the development of the state.
He said the government was trying hard for the state’s progress, but the officials were working against it. It is worth mentioning that his party colleague Anil Joshi is Local Bodies
Minister.
The Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today announced that it would felicitate Amritsar's Khushbir Kaur and Patiala's Trisha Deb for bringing laurels to the country in the ongoing Asian Games.
Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, said that the duo had made India proud by winning a silver and a bronze medal in the mega sports event.
Amritsar, September 29
Moga, September 29
Chandigarh, September 29