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Villages in border districts yet to see ‘achhe din’
RSS ‘shastra puja’ triggers controversy
100 youths duped of Rs 90
lakh, no action against travel agent
Model Code of Conduct is not a statute, says High Court
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Inundated fields still a worry for farmers
Most Punjabi girls still shy away from donning the khaki
Harassed by traders, farmers block highway in Abohar
Reverse tax recovery
A cotton factory wears a deserted look in Sriganganagar on Monday. Tribune Photo
Govt targeting gun lovers
Central team to submit report today
Chintpurni college students meet SC panel chairman
Unpaid PRTC pensioners seek aid from NGOs
Cotton glut
Peace back in Nagpur, four detained youths let off
Ropar plant has coal only for a day
50% rain deficit puts state farmers under fiscal stress
Atwal leaves for Cameroon
11,800 ETT teachers under Education Dept
Health teams visit cancer-prone village
Rail officials work on draft to bifurcate Ferozepur division
Ludhiana man in US shot dead
Seize CCTV footage in Cheema case, state told
Police assault on Tarn Taran woman
Man gets life term for murder
May reconsider stand on land to Major’s widow, state tells HC
Theft at gun house sends Faridkot cops in a tizzy
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Villages in border districts yet to see ‘achhe din’
Amritsar, October 6 Scores of border villages in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts are deprived of basic amenities like clean drinking water, proper roads, education and healthcare. Their demands for development have fallen on deaf ears during successive state governments. Nachhatar Singh, a resident of Rania village, said there was only a sub-centre in the name of health facilities, which too did not have proper staff and adequate medicines. He said they primarily relied on a government hospital in Lopoke, which was 13 km away from the village, whenever a villager had a serious health problem. However, shifting a patient to Lopoke was also not easy as there was hardly any mode of transportation in this remote village. At Muzaffarpur village, the residents don’t have access to clean drinking water. Though hand-pumps are installed, their water is not fit for consumption as it tastes sour and turns yellow after sometime. In the absence of potable water facility, women from the village fetch water from tube-wells in agricultural fields or at times from a nearby village. The scenario is equally dismal in the education sector. The school infrastructure is in dire straits with inadequate rooms, furniture, washrooms and drinking water facility. Then there are schools with a lone teacher teaching students of five classes. Bikkar Singh from Rajatal village said their village only had a middle school, which catered to five-six villages. For further education, children have to commute all the way to Attari. At Daoke village, which is surrounded by India-Pakistan border from three sides, the bridge over the defence drain is in a bad shape and its railings are damaged. It has dusty streets and choked sewers. The village neither has a hospital nor a veterinary dispensary. Apart from lack of basic amenities, rampant drug addiction is also a major problem in border villages. A number of youth have fallen prey to drugs. Increasing unemployment and easy availability of drugs is seen as a prime reason behind it. The farming community too is a harried lot in the border villages as they face a tough time in cultivating their land across the fence. Gurpreet Singh from Rajatal village said they were facing various problems on this count. “Firstly, the time allotted to us by the BSF to tend to our land across the fence is inadequate. Secondly, wild boars also ruin whatever crop is grown. Last but not the least, non-availability of power supply near the fence makes it difficult for us to water our fields across it,” he rued.
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RSS ‘shastra puja’ triggers controversy
Faridkot, October 6 But local RSS leaders maintain that “shastra puja” (worship of arms) during Dasehra festivities and “pathsanchalan” (street march) have been traditional practices. however, BJP’s opponents point out that public display of firearms is illegal. Kushaldeep Dhillon, general secretary, Punjab Congress, said Punjab was a sensitive state and every organisation and political group should desist from any public display of arms. Prof Sadhu Singh, Aam Aadmi Party Member of Parliament from Faridkot, claimed that firearms had been used for “shastra puja” for the first time in Punjab. Also, the organisers did not have the permission of the district administration for brandishing weapons, he said. Sukhdev Singh Brar, Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP), Jaitu, admitted that the RSS had not sought permission for displaying the firearms. “However, as there was no threat to peace and the weapons were used for a religious ceremony only, we did not initiate any action against the organisers,” he explained. When contacted, Tirth Verma, RSS district chief, said: “We have no objection to seeking permission, if this is required as per the law. We are all law-abiding
citizens.” Congress leader Dhillon said the RSS had become more assertive in Punjab ever since the Modi government had taken over the reins at the Centre. He said the Akali Dal seemed helpless in checking its activities.
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100 youths duped of Rs 90
lakh, no action against travel agent
Hoshiarpur, October 6 Victims Sukhjinder Singh and Jaspal Singh of Keshopur Tund village said that a travel agent of Mukerian swindled over 100 youths of the area. They alleged he had taken passport and Rs 85,000 from each of them.
The total amount collected by the accused was over Rs 90 lakh. They said, “We approached the Mukerian police, but they asked us to go to the SSP. We then went to the SSP on September 9 and September 13. He then marked the complaints to the Economic Offences Wing of the district police, but no action has been taken.” Harman Singh Bal, the in charge of the EO wing, said he had forwarded the matter to Mukerian police around 15 days ago. Mukerian SHO Jagdish Raj refuted the claims made by the EO wing in charge, saying, “The matter is with the EO wing and they are investigation the matter. I have not received the complaint till yet.”
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Model Code of Conduct is not a statute, says High Court
Chandigarh, October 6 The assertion came as a Division Bench of the High Court dismissed a petition filed by advocate Sarvesh Bisaria for quashing an advertisement issued by the State of Punjab for appointing Punjab Public Service Commission Chairman. The directions were sought on the ground that the process was initiated when the Model Code of Conduct was in force. Taking up the matter, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu added: “The enforcement of the model code vests with the Election Commission and the Election Commission deals with all complaints of violation by taking timely action to curb the violation during the election process…. “The petitioner did not complain to the Election Commission immediately after the advertisement was issued that it was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Had he done so, the Election Commission would have examined it and if found to be in violation of the model code, the Election Commission could have issued any appropriate orders including directing withdrawal of the advertisement or putting the selection process on hold”. Dismissing the petition, the Bench asserted: “As of now, the model code is not in force. It remained in force from March 5 to May 19. Hence, without going into the question as to whether the advertisement and the consequent action was or was not in violation of the model code, it is held that the present petition, at this stage, to quash the advertisement on the ground that it is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct is not maintainable. The Bench also referred to the Supreme Court judgment in the case of State of Punjab versus Salil Sabhlok, where the apex court had held that the High Court should not interfere with the discretion of the government in selecting and appointing the chairman of the Public Service Commission, “except in exceptional cases where it is shown that the relevant factors implied from the very nature of the duties entrusted to the Public Service have not been considered”. The Bench added: “Beyond bald allegations, there is no material in this petition to even remotely suggest that there was no such consideration”. About the case ‘Complaint delayed’
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Inundated fields still a worry for farmers
Muktsar, October 6 Jaijeet Singh Johal, a progressive farmer and senior PPP leader, who owns agricultural land in Gandhar village, said, “Despite the Chief Minister’s assurance of a 24-hour power supply for tube well connections till October 10, farmers are forced to use diesel to save their standing paddy crop by draining out water with pumps.” Gandhar village sarpanch Gurwinder Singh said, “The fields are still inundated with rainwater. The village waterworks too is yet to become functional after the rains. The cotton crop has totally damaged. There is an urgent need for arrangements for the dewatering process, so that the paddy crop could be saved.” In Baam village too, farmers lodged similar complaints and demanded fogging of mosquito repellant. These villagers also accused the state government of having a biased approach against villages falling in the Malout Assembly segment. “The pace of dewatering work is much faster in Lambi villages in comparison to Malout villages. Here, the government has done its job only as a formality,” alleged a farmer. The farmers also demanded speedy assessment of damage so that they could get some financial respite as earlier they had spent huge amounts of money on irrigation due to a “drought-like situation” till the end of August.
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Sidhu to canvass in Ambala, Kalanwali
Amritsar, October 6 A star campaigner, Sidhu will hold a series of public meetings at Jagadhri, Guhla, Pehowa, Safidon, Dabwali, Kalanwali and Tohana over the next three days. The party has arranged for a chopper for Sidhu. The ex-MP will be seeking votes for the BJP which is pitted against the INLD-SAD alliance and the Congress in Haryana. Sidhu had been on a collision course with the SAD top brass before the Lok Sabha elections. His tussle with the SAD-led government is believed to have cost him the ticket for the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency. A three-time MP from Amritsar, Sidhu had accused the Badal government of scuttling his pet projects in the holy city. He did not campaign for Arun Jaitley who was fielded from Amritsar. He did not campaign in Punjab at all. The Haryana BJP has urged the party high command to allow Sidhu to campaign for another two days as the state has a sizeable Sikh population, particularly in Ambala, Kalanwali, Kurukshetra, and Sirsa. The party unit feels that being a popular Sikh face, he would strike a rapport with the electorate and help the party garner crucial Sikh votes. Sidhu will also be seeking votes for the BJP in Ambala and Kalanwali. Significantly, in these two Assembly constituencies, the SAD has fielded its candidates in alliance with the INLD. Sidhu’s wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, too would be campaigning for the party in Haryana. Talking to The Tribune, she said they would target the Chautalas on “corruption and other misdeeds” and dwell on BJP’s strengths. The Maharashtra BJP too has requested the high command to spare him for canvassing. Sidhu will be campaigning in Maharashtra for at least four days, reliable sources said. It is learnt that the state unit has requested the high command to extend Sidhu’s election schedule by a few more days.
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Shanta Kumar slams Badal govt for failure to mobilise resources
Chandigarh, October 6 He has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing out that most states, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, have a huge non-Plan expenditure that can be curbed by 10 per cent. “I have asked the Prime Minister to write to all state governments, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, that have huge administrative expenses, but repeatedly fail to meet committed liabilities, including payment of salaries to employees,” he told The Tribune. Shanta Kumar has urged the Prime Minister to ask all states, especially those governed by the BJP and its allies, to follow the example set by the BJP government at the Centre and cut down non-Plan expenditure. Punjab’s non-Plan expenditure has been growing rapidly, from Rs 40,247.l73 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 43,019.94 crore in 2013-14. This year, it is expected to reach Rs 45,083.81 crore. Shanta Kumar says that other than the non-Plan expenditure being used for committed liabilities like interest payment, salaries and pensions, it also includes power subsidy and expenditure incurred on running a fleet of cars allotted to VIPs, which can be easily slashed. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has denied a special package to Punjab. Jaitley, in a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister, had pointed out all special grants that the state had received over the past 10 years and advised the state to go in for resource mobilisation by cutting its power subsidy and routing the Rural Development Fund and Infrastructure Development Fund through the state’s consolidated fund. “The BJP is all for resource mobilisation and the BJP leadership has never asked the Akalis to roll back taxes. But the BJP leaders are for fair play. One section cannot be given subsidies while the state continues to tax the other sections,” Shanta Kumar said, referring to the taxes on urban consumers and free power and other sops given to agriculturists in the state. Shanta Kumar’s utterances have led to a political debate. Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said that nothing could be more humiliating for Badal than these observations on the functioning of his government “which has been resorting to profligacy and unproductive expenditure adding to the state’s debt burden.” People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal said: “Shanta Kumar has made it clear that the Punjab government has no right to ask for a special package. “Moreover, the financial assistance to the states is governed by a set norms.”
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Most Punjabi girls still shy away from donning the khaki
Chandigarh, October 6 About 12,250 applicants of the nearly 20,600 were found absent. This is despite the fact that the post entails Rs 40,000 salary, plus allowances. The recruitment committee headed by Additional Director General of Police Iqbalpreet Singh Sahota sent an SMS to the absentee applicants at the last minute, after which hundred more candidates turned up. Officials said one of the main reasons for such a high number of absentees could be that a police job for women was still considered a taboo in Punjab. A number of applicants contended they did not know the dates of the test. They alleged the recruitment committee failed to advertise those properly. The physical test has been cleared by 2,466 of the 8,356 applicants. They would appear for the written test in Jalandhar on October 12. The recruitment process had begun in November last. The applications were filled online between November 15 and December 2. An applicant from Bathinda claimed she wanted to don the khaki, but missed the physical test due to lack of information. A girl maintained the government should have issued an advertisement in newspapers informing about the test date. “We paid Rs 500 each for the application form. The government earned more than Rs 1 crore from the sale of forms alone. An advertisement in newspapers could have helped us,” she said. Another aspirant from Patiala said her parents did not allow her to take the test. “Some of my friends also did not go. We were told the job is too tough,” she said. Sahota said it seemed girls applied for the post on their own, and were later convinced by their parents against taking the physical test. “Our society is yet to opt for police as a career for women,” he said. The police officer claimed he had advertised the dates for the test. “We even sent SMSes to the applicants. About 100 turned up at the last minute,” he said. 30% clear physical test Of all the girls who appeared for the physical test, only 30 per cent proved successful. The candidates had to complete 800-metre race in 4.30 minutes in a single attempt. They had to clear 3-metre long jump and 0.95-metre high jump in three chances each. “It appeared the aspirants didn’t do prior practice,” said a police officer.
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Harassed by traders, farmers block highway in Abohar
Abohar, October 6 Private buyers and government agencies in the past have made purchases through on-the-spot auction, judging the quality of cotton while loaded on vehicles. The adamance surprised the Arhtiya Association too. The cotton traders claimed that it had been announced on Saturday that farmers would have to stack cotton on yards. But Market Committee secretary Jagdish Beniwal refuted this. The farmers rubbished the traders’ claim that the cotton being brought to the mandis had a high moisture content. Anguished at the traders’ obduracy, scores of farmers marched out of the grain market and staged a dharna on the national highway, jamming traffic. They claimed that paddy too had not been lifted for the past four days. They said there was no space to stack cotton under the market sheds. The farmers lifted the dharna only after district officials assured them that their grievances would be looked into. Till Saturday, 18,530 quintals of cotton (narma) had arrived in the market compared with 28,335 quintals in the corresponding period last year. The crop is being sold at Rs 3,600-Rs 4295 per quintal. It had fetched Rs 5,000-Rs 5,400 last year. Jagdish Kookna, a farmer, said the per acre yield had fallen to six quintals, especially in waterlogged areas.
Arrivals so far
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Reverse tax recovery
Abohar, October 6 Association president Aditya Chitlangia said the state government run by the BJP had in
2006 provided subsidised cattle feed to promote animal husbandry and waived tax on cotton
seed oil cake. But the Commercial Tax authorities were now demanding reverse tax from oil
mills for the past eight years even when the latter had passed on the benefits to consumers. Gujarat had exempted oil cake from tax, the same pattern needs to be followed in Rajasthan and other states, he said. Cotton and oil traders today submitted memorandums to the civil authorities in different towns of the districts. They said Rajasthan had to import 93 per cent of
oil cake for cattle from other states. On April 16, 2013, traders had held a meeting with the ministers and secretaries for Industries and Agricultural Marketing departments. They were convinced of demand for exemption in reverse tax and the
state stayed the recoveries on April 24, but on February 22 the decision was reversed. The Sriganganagar Traders Association and Commission Agents Association have also extended support to the agitation against reverse tax. Traders said 21 out of 55 cotton ginning pressing factories had already been shut in the region, which had rendered hundreds of workers jobless. The factories were reportedly under the threat of seizing of their accounts by the Commercial Tax authorities. Such steps would ruin cotton and oil industries in the state as most
of the cotton ginners were also running oil cake mills as allied industry, they said. Commercial Tax Deputy Commissioner Shaukat Ali said Rs 5 crore had
so far been recovered against the total demand pegged at Rs 13 crore on account of reverse tax
in the region.
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Govt targeting gun lovers
Bathinda, October 6 Clearly, getting an arms licence in Punjab has become a costly business. But, the high fee for an arms licence form appears farcical, especially in cases where a second-hand firearm like an ordinary 12 bore gun can be purchased for less than Earlier in Bathinda, one had to pay Rs 1,000 towards Red Cross Fund when applying for an arms licence. In 2012, the arms licence form fee was hiked to Rs 1,500 and in February 2013, the form, along with a licence copy, was priced at Rs 5,000. In July-end this year, Deputy Commissioner Basant Garg further hiked the fee to Rs 10,000. The money so collected goes into the Suwidha Centres. The administration says that the hike in the form fee is to curtail the increase in applications for arms licences. “Since licence forms were so cheap (Rs 20), anybody could apply,” Mohali Suwidha Centre in charge Charanjit Singh told The Tribune. However, this argument has few takers. Says advocate NK Jeet: “Even though the money is going into official accounts, the hefty charge is illegal as it does not have any government sanction. The explanation that this is to curb the number of arms licences is laughable as filling a form does not result in grant of a licence. One has to undergo a detailed police verification and scrutiny.” An RTI activist and a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, HC Arora, said: “Increasing the fee without a government notification is incorrect. You can’t curtail services to users by imposing extra burden on them.” Suwidha Centres set up at the district headquarters provide 36 services and charge the public for the same. Earlier the fee was not uniform in all the districts but the State Administrative Reforms Commission on April 26, 2013 made it uniform across the state. These centres are run by Sukhmani Societies headed by deputy commissioners. The society deposits 15 per cent of the amount from the total income with the Administrative Reforms Department. Government sources say the deputy commissioners of several districts had fixed an exorbitant fee for arms licence forms without any government notification. In many cases, due share (15%) from the collection was not being sent to the state exchequer. It is learnt that the fee for the arms licence form is not uniform in the state. In Moga, it is Rs 5,000 (raised from Rs 500 earlier). In Muktsar, the form is available for Rs 3,500 with an additional Rs 3,500 taken as Red Cross Fund. In Sangrur, the form is available for Rs 5,000. It was available for Rs 1,250 till three months ago. In Mohali, too, it is available for Rs 5,000. In Barnala, the form is available for Rs 1,250 whereas earlier it cost Rs 100. In Mansa district, the form is available for Rs 5,000. The Principal Secretary, Administrative Reforms, C Roul, said he was aware of the matter. “Since only the notified charges can be charged from consumers, the state-level committee has sent its report and soon such charges will be abolished”. Exorbitant fee
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Central team to submit report today
Jalandhar, October 6 After having looked into the reasons for tardy lifting of paddy in the state’s grain markets, it will submit its report tomorrow (Tuesday). Punjab leads in the use of gunny bags in the country followed by Chhattisgarh and Haryana. The manufacturing cost of these gunny bags is the same as of bags with a capacity to carry goods weighing up to 50 kg. Hence, the Centre had asked these states to increase the packaging capacity from 35 kg to 40 kg.
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Chintpurni college students meet SC panel chairman
Jalandhar, October 6 The students have been on a strike outside the Amritsar Medical College for the past over a week. The students formally raised a voice over the issue in January and met various officials, but to no avail. They met the Vice Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, earlier this year, seeking recognition for the CMCH. They also met Anil Joshi, Minister for Medical Education and Research, and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The students claimed that the CM
had assured them of taking the issue at a meeting on October 7. They formerly protested outside the BFUHS in August, following which the VC wrote to Anil Joshi to shift the students, but no action has been taken so far. Students said they would wait for the state’s response for a week. They said if no action was taken, they would go on a fast. Of the 150 students in the first batch of CMCH, 50 per cent are SC students. There are 75 boys and 95 girls in the batch. Long struggle
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Unpaid PRTC pensioners seek aid from NGOs
Patiala, October 6 Most pensioners are suffering from chronic diseases and are struggling to fund their treatment. Mohinder Singh from Patiala, who is on dialysis for the past few months, is finding it difficult
to meet the expenses of the treatment. Pensioner Gurcharan Singh of Lehra village is struggling to make ends meet. His wife is bed ridden and his son has got
a mental disability. He is now dependent on their married daughter. Surinder Singh (name changed) from a small village near Dhuri in Sangrur is unable to make arrangements for his daughter’s wedding. He is now hoping to get Rs 1 lakh from the government under the
Mai Bhago scheme. The list of struggling pensioners is endless. Taking note of their struggle, Dr Kulwant Kaur, patron of the Mai Bhago Brigade, today sanctioned Rs 21,000 for the pensioners, who are in urgent need of money. She will release Rs 30,000 more this week. Apart from promising to provide food for the protesting pensioners, she has also promised to release Rs 1 lakh for the marriage of a needy pensioner. Expressing anguish over the callous attitude of the corporation and the state government, she said it was unfortunate that the state government and the corporation were not paying any heed to the needs of these aged pensioners. “These pensioners shouldn’t have to protest. In their twilight years,
they should be spending their time in the comfort of their homes,” Kulwant said. Secretary of the PRTC Pensioners Association Hari Singh Chamak said they had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the corporation authorities several times, but to no avail. He said the government shouldn’t delay merging the PRTC with the Punjab Roadways. He said this would be beneficial as the PRTC owned assets worth Rs 1,400 crore. Chamak said the PRTC could not recover from its losses now.
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Peace back in Nagpur, four detained youths let off
Chandigarh, October 6 Leaders and members of various communities held a peace march through the areas where tension was witnessed on Saturday and Sunday. Jaswant Singh Mann, SAD (A) secretary general, said they would soon send a delegation to Nagpur. He said the aim would be to strengthen the spirit of harmony among the people living there. Mann said former Director General of Police SS Virk, who had served in Maharashtra, played a vital role in restoring peace.
More than 50,000 Sikhs live in Nagpur.
Former SGPC member Malkiat Singh Saggu, who lives in Nagpur, claimed it appeared some political parties wanted to engineer riots due to vested interests ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. He said a high-level inquiry should be conducted to identify the culprits. Saggu said all the four youth who were detained after the brawl had been released as they were found innocent. He said false allegations were levelled against them. The police sent them home after an inquiry, he said.
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Ropar plant has coal only for a day
Ropar, October 6 The coal stock at the plant has been reduced to 61,000 tonnes, which may be sufficient only till Wednesday afternoon. The worst part is that no coal supply is scheduled to arrive at the plant even today. Nearly one-third coal in the stock is stated to be carpet coal, which contains high amount of ash and sand. Under such conditions, the authorities would have no option but to shut down other units gradually in coming days. Facing coal shortage, the authorities at the plant had shut down unit-1 on September 28. The unit-5 was closed due to the same reason on October 3. Now, four units with a capacity of 210 MW each are in operation. The plant, with six units of 210 MW each, has been facing coal crunch since September 19 when Panem (the company providing coal to Punjab) stopped the supply completely. The plant requires 21,000 tonnes of coal daily to run all its six units. There has been supply of 6,000 tonnes of coal per day over the last 10 days. Panem took the step after the Supreme Court cancelled the allotment of coal blocks. Sources said at Talwandi Sabo, another unit was likely to be shut down once the unit ignited yesterday started generating power to its full capacity. The situation at the thermal plants in Bathinda and Lehra Mohabbat was similar where two and one unit had been shut down due to coal shortage. The coal stock at these two plants (recorded last midnight) too was sufficient only till Wednesday noon.
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50% rain deficit puts state farmers under fiscal stress
Chandigarh, October 6 The farmers had to spend an additional amount of
Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 per acre to save their crops from the drought-like situation. As canal irrigation only caters to the 29 per cent of the cultivable land in the state, farmers are mostly dependent on weather gods and tube wells to irrigate their crops. “We had to give five doses of water to our cotton crop with tube wells because of inadequate rainfall,” said Krishan Singh, a farmer from Jherianwali village, near Mansa. “Besides, we had to bear the brunt as untimely rain last month proved harmful for the crops,” he said. A Met Department official said the actual rainfall in Punjab during the monsoon period (July to September) was recorded 243.9 mm against the average of 491.5 mm, a deficit of nearly 50 per cent. “Before the first week of September, the deficit was above 60 per cent,” he added. As the farmers pumped out groundwater through tube wells, it has hit the water table hard. “The fall in water table in the state will be in the range of 3 ft this year,” said a senior official.
Grim scenario
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Atwal leaves for Cameroon
Chandigarh, October 6 During the conference, Dr Atwal will take part in deliberations on different subjects such as unity and diversity: The role of Parliament; how can Parliament ensure that young people are placed at the centre of sustainable development; the role of education; and galvanising the Commonwealth in meeting the global economic challenges. Dr Atwal will also
participate in the Execu-tive Committee meeting in Cameroon.
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11,800 ETT teachers under Education Dept
Chandigarh, October 6 Disclosing this, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Education Minister, said the decision had been taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. A notification in this regard had already been issued, he said. Cheema welcomed the teachers on their induction and hoped that they would do their duty with utmost sincerity.— TNS
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Health teams visit cancer-prone village
Abohar, October 6 Seetogunno-based Community Health Centre in charge Sandeep Gilhotra said a sub-centre would be set up in the village under the National Rural Health Mission. A survey conducted in 2012 had found 10 suspected cancer patients; one of whom died recently. Gilhotra said the recent deaths might have occurred due to the consumption of non-potable water that the rural water works had been supplying for many years. Health workers today covered almost half of the village under the door-to-door survey and spotted 10 more residents with symptoms of cancer. Their blood samples will be tested. Water Resources Department Junior Engineer ML Sethi said unwanted wild growth at the water works complex would be removed, besides getting the reservoir cleaned. Another engineer Sachin Kumar assured residents that the reverse osmosis plant, which had become dysfunctional, would be set in order within the next two days. — OC Survey conducted
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Rail officials work on draft to bifurcate Ferozepur division
Moga, October 6 At present, there are five railway divisions in the Northern Railways — Delhi, Moradabad, Ferozepur, Ambala and Lucknow. After the creation of the Jammu division, the number would increase to six. During the British period, there were eight divisions in North India, which also included Allahabad, Bikaner and Jodhpur divisions. However, after the re-organisation of zones by the Union Government, the Northern Railway Zone came to its present form on April 14, 1952. A senior official of the Railways at the divisional headquarters in Ferozepur said Jalandhar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur districts of Punjab; Kangra, Palampur and Joginder Nagar areas of Himachal Pradesh; and Jammu, Katra, Udhampur and other areas of Jammu and Kashmir; would fall under the new Jammu railway division. Due to the bifurcation of the Ferozepur railway division, the Bathinda railway station, its adjoining areas and a few areas beyond Ludhiana that presently fall under the Ambala railway division might be included in the Ferozepur division to streamline the administrative control, he said. A list of employees, who belong to Jammu and Kashmir, is also being prepared so that they could be sent to Jammu if they wish to get themselves transferred to the new division. Most of these employees posted at the Ferozepur divisional headquarters had already started lobbying for their transfers to Jammu and its adjoining areas, sources said. The draft is being made keeping in view of the railway expansion plans of the Union Government in Jammu and Kashmir. The rail link has already been established between Banihal and Baramulla in the Valley. Only the Katra-Banihal link remains to be completed, which is likely to be done by 2017, and with that a direct link from Jammu to Baramulla will be established.
Likely changes
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Ludhiana man in US shot dead
Ludhiana, October 6 “Sachin caught a man while stealing valuables from a store. Hurling abuses at Sachin, the man pulled out a weapon and fired two shots, killing my son on the spot. I have lost everything at the fag-end of life,” said a disconsolate Charanji Lal. A former student of Brahmrishi Bawra Senior Secondary School, Madhopuri, Sachin did odd jobs to fund his education. Charanji Lal, a knitting machine mechanic, said Sachin had done a course in computers and was earning well. He was married to Dia, an American. “We request the Ministry of External Affairs to intervene so that my son’s body can be flown to India for last rites” said Charanji Lal, struggling to hold back his tears. Charanji Lal said Sachin had often talked about the poor law and order situation in Ohio and was planning to move to California. “Worried at the growing gun culture, Sachin and his wife had last year left their daughter with us. The child has no clue about the tragedy,” he said.
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Seize CCTV footage in Cheema case, state told
Chandigarh, October 6 The direction by Justice Jitendra Chauhan is significant as Cheema allegedly took away proclaimed offender Sumedh Gulati to MAX Hospital, Mohali, in his car. Gulati was in the custody of the complainant, Dilbagh Singh, ASI, at the Phase 1 police station in Mohali. The direction came during the hearing of a petition filed by Cheema for anticipatory bail. As the case came up for hearing this morning, his counsel KS Khehar contended that the petitioner had reached the hospital “much prior” to the arrival of the alleged proclaimed offender, who was accompanied by his wife. Taking up the matter, Justice Chauhan also issued notice of motion to the Punjab Government for October 13 before directing the state “to seize the CCTV camera record of August 26 from the hospital and the police station”. The petition was filed just about a week after a Mohali court dismissed Cheema’s anticipatory bail plea. Facing allegations of abduction of the proclaimed offender, the IGP is at present under suspension. On August 31, a case of kidnap was registered against Cheema. He had earlier moved the Mohali court for bail on various grounds, including “jealous colleagues” and “clinching” CCTV footage from a private hospital in
Mohali.
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Police assault on Tarn Taran woman
Chandigarh, October 6 As the case came up for resumed hearing, Justice Inderjit Singh was of the view that the security had been provided to the victim and her family by the Supreme Court. The UT Administration or the Central Reserve Police Force may approach the apex court in case the security was sought to be withdrawn. The verbal observations came as Justice Inderjit Singh dismissed the petition as withdrawn. The victim and her family had earlier moved the High Court for handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation on the grounds of inaction by the Punjab Police. Directions were sought against the withdrawal of security cover provided to them. In the petition filed through counsel Nitin Thatai, the petitioners had asserted: “The accused police officials are very influential and politically very sound, having high links in the political circle and that may be one of the reasons that the state police as well as the special investigating team is not initiating any action against them even after registration of the FIR.” The matter initially came under judicial scanner after the Supreme Court took a serious note of the incident when it appeared on news and TV channels. The victim, her father and other relatives also moved the High Court for necessary action against police “for blatant violation of their basic human rights”. About the case
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Ropar, October 6 The police had arrested Gurmit Singh on July 23, last year and a case was registered against him. The prosecution alleged Gurmit beat her wife, threw kerosene on her and set her ablaze on July 22, 2013. The victim was admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh, where she alleged her husband had tried to kill her. Later, Kulwinder succumbed to her injuries. — TNS
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May reconsider stand on land to Major’s widow, state tells HC
Chandigarh, October 6 The decision to review the matter was taken after letters by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Army headquarters, expressing The developments took place during the hearing of a case filed by Jasbir Kaur for the allotment of 10 acres for honouring the sacrifice of Major Kanwaljit Singh, who went missing during the war. As the matter came up for resumed hearing before the Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, the law officer of the Punjab Government sought adjournment for seeking fresh instructions from the state. It had earlier taken stand in its written statement that the case could not be considered for the allotment of land under the Punjab Package Deal Properties (Disposal) Rules, 1976, as Major Kanwaljit Singh’s name was not included in the list of prisoners of 1971 war; and the petitioner had not produced evidence of his death. The law officer conceded that the petitioner has now attached two documents — a letter dated February 3, 1973, from Indira Gandhi, and another letter dated January 25, 1973, from the Army headquarters condoling the Major’s death. He added the petitioner’s claim might require reconsideration at the state government level.
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Theft at gun house sends Faridkot cops in a tizzy
Faridkot, October 6 The police suspect the involvement of a gang from Haryana and another from Punjab. They have started investigating the matter fearing that the weapons could be used in serious crimes. Sources said the thieves broke into the Sher-e-Punjab Gun House through an adjoining pipe store. From there, they made a big hole in the wall of the gun shop and took away weapons after breaking open the strong room. Before leaving, the culprits set the gun house on fire in a bid to destroy evidence. Ekjot Singh, owner of the gun house, told the police that when he reached his shop, which is situated on the Jaitu Road, he found smoke emanating from the premises. He called the police and the shop was opened in their presence. Mohnish Chawla, DIG, Ferozepur range, visited the spot this morning. He was accompanied by Swapan Sharma, Senior Superintendent of Police, Fazilka, and other senior police officials. Chawla said a team of forensic experts had been summoned to collect evidence. A case has been registered.
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One month after rains wreaked havoc in the region, fields in Muktsar district still lie inundated.
Farmers say Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during his Sangat Darshan, assured them that a 24-hour power supply for tube well connections would be provided till October 10 to drain out water from fields. However, they complain that the Power Department has curtailed the supply to just six hours.
Joining the police force still seems to be the last career option for most of the Punjabi girls.
Nearly 60 per cent of the over 20,000 applicants for the 110 posts of woman sub-inspector did not turn up for the physical test, organised at Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Ferozepur recently.
About 12,250 applicants of the nearly 20,600 were found absent. This is despite the fact that the post entails Rs 40,000 salary, plus allowances. The recruitment committee headed by Additional Director General of Police Iqbalpreet Singh Sahota sent an SMS to the absentee applicants at the last minute, after which hundred more candidates turned up.
Responding to the call given by Rajasthan Cotton Ginning and Factories Association, business activities in all the grain/cotton markets and factories in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts were suspended
on Monday.
The protesting Scheduled Caste (SC) students of the Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital
(CMCH), Pathankot, today met Rajesh Bagha, chairman of the State Commission for Scheduled Castes, here today. The students demanded that they be shifted to a recognised medical college. Bagha said he would ask the government to take prompt action and shift the students to another institute within a week.
Ludhiana, October 6
The victims alleged that they had filed a complaint with the Hoshiarpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) around a month ago, but to no avail. They alleged the police had not even recorded their statements. Moreover, the Economic Offences wing of the district police and the Mukerian police instead of taking action are blaming each other for failing to take action. 
