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Tarn Taran DC’s office issues ‘fake’ arms licence
Rice millers seek concessions
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Cotton prices plummet 20% on low demand
Badal village road caves in, residents seek probe
BJP must rethink ties with SAD, says Gosain
Capt, Ramoowalia back BJP demand on Chandigarh
farmers’ Suicides
SAD (A) to hold protest tomorrow
Union seeks PTU VC’s resignation
SGPC to stick to 12-minute fireworks display
BSF not to offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers on Diwali
Curtail list of
holidays, demands PSU
Anti-cracker drive
National award for Dr Dhillon
219 school headmasters
get job letters
Belgium gurdwara
closed for 'harbouring' illegal migrants
Couple with a passion for motorbikes
Schoolkids celebrate Diwali with slum children
Sriganganagar Brigade celebrates Raising Day
Act against dishonest travel agents, NGO tells NRI panel
High Court declines pay protection to govt employee
ranbaxy, sun pharma merger
Excise Suptd’s police remand extended
Bail to Thapa upheld
92 truck engines worth
Rs 1 cr seized
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Tarn Taran DC’s office issues ‘fake’ arms licence
Tarn Taran, October 22 The licence was issued to Jaspal Singh of Bhikhiwind. When he went to an arms dealer for getting a weapon, the dealer told him that the licence was fake. Communist Party of India (CPI) worker Sukhdev Singh Kala took up the issue with the clerk concerned after which he "assured" Jaspal to return the money
that he had taken from him. He also assured him that a fresh licence would be issued to him. Kala said Jaspal applied for an arms licence vide file No 49667, dated August 12, 2013. The clerk concerned made him make several rounds of the office. He demanded Rs 30,000 from Jaspal for issuing the licence. Jaspal gave him Rs 10,000. A few days ago,
the clerk came to his shop at Bhikhiwind. He delivered the licence to Jaspal and
collected the remaining amount from him. Amrinder Singh Tiwana, General Assistant to the DC, said the office had not received any complaint in that regard so far. In case a written complaint was received, an impartial probe would be conducted into the case, he added.
The case
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Rice millers seek concessions
Chandigarh, October 22 He said the state government had been giving tax concessions to export units for procuring basmati. He urged the government to extend such concessions to all rice mills in the state. This would benefit the farmers too as greater competition would help them get better rates for the produce. Claiming that small rice mills too could prepare export-quality basmati, he said: “Even now some exporters get basmati shelled from small units.” Of the total 27 lakh hectares under paddy this year, basmati has been transplanted in about 8.5 lakh hectares. Last year, it was about 5 lakh hectares. Before that it was less than 2 lakh hectares. “If this trend continues, work at most rice mills will come to a standstill because of lack of paddy for shelling,” said a worried Saini. About 98 per cent rice mills undertake custom milling of ordinary varieties procured for the central pool. Rice prepared from the ordinary varieties is handed over to the FCI for public distribution. For every 100 kg of paddy given to a rice miller, the latter is required to contribute 67.5 kg rice to the central pool. However, in case of basmati, there is no such condition. Meanwhile, farmers say they are not getting payment for paddy in time. At times the payment is delayed by a week, they allege. When contacted, BKU leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said some farmers had today received payment for paddy supplied till October 18.
The state government claims that all payments are being within 48 hours.
Phagwara: Farmers, supported by Congress activists, today burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for “tardy” procurement by government agencies and lower basmati rates. The protesters staged a dharna outside the local grain market on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road and raised slogans. Addressing the agitated farmers, PPCC general secretary and former minister Joginder Singh Mann climed: “The basmati is selling at Rs 2,000-2,500 per quintal while during the Congress regime it fetched Rs 4,500-6,000 per quintal.” He alleged that the farmers were being harassed in mandis on the pretext of higher moisture content and discolouration of grain. This was leading to distress sale. Paddy growers have so far been paid Rs 2,000 crore for their crop with procurement in the state reaching 40 lakh tonnes so far, said official sources. Of the total purchase, 38.84 lakh tonnes have been procured by government agencies and the rest by private millers, the sources said . Among the government agencies, Pungrain has bought 11.32 lakh tonnes and Markfed, Punsup, PSWC and Punjab Agro 9.35 lakh tonnes, 8.60 lakh tonnes, 3.85 lakh tonnes and 4.08 lakh tonnes, respectively. He FCI has procured 1.61 lakh tonnes, 2.9 per cent of the total purchase. — PTI
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Cotton prices plummet 20% on low demand
Faridkot, October 22 At present, cotton is selling at Rs 3,950-Rs 4,100 per quintal against Rs 5,000-5,300 in the corresponding period last year. Over 20 per cent fall is visible in lint cotton rates which plunged from Rs 4,500-4,600 per maund (37.324 kg) last year to Rs 3,400-3,450 this year in October. Though the government has fixed a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,950 for cotton, low demand has forced the farmers to sell their produce at a price less than the MSP. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is under pressure to start procurement on the MSP. BK Mishra, Chairman and Managing Director, CCI, said they would purchase a maximum quantity of cotton from the mandis in Punjab so that the farmers got remunerative price. The unprecedented downward movement in cotton prices started early this month after China clamped restrictions on shipments to offload its huge stock, said IJ Dhuria, director (material), Vardhman. "China has to exhaust a major chunk of its stock this year. It already has 11 million tonnes of stock which is expected to rise to 17.7 million tonnes with the arrival of new crop by the end of this season. This stock is enough to cater to China's domestic industry for the next two years," said Dhuria. Indian spinning mills catering to the Chinese yarn market are also not expecting a good demand from China this year. In the past three years, there had been a consistent growth in cotton yarn export to China and the mills had bought cotton at higher prices. Low demand this year has hit the cotton prices, said Kunal Thukral, proprietor of UB Steel Ltd in Bombay, a leading yarn and textile exporter. An analysis of future and physical international cotton market revealed that the cotton prices which were being quoted at 85 cent per pound for December delivery have dipped to 60-62 cent per pound in the present physical market, said Dhuria. Punjab is expecting 12 lakh bales of cotton production from about 4.53 lakh hectare area this season. It is too early to fix a target for the CCI procurement as it depends on arrivals and demand, said a senior CCI functionary in Bathinda. Since the corporation is pressure to make bulk purchasing this season, sources reveal the CCI is interacting with some banks to arrange funds. Farmers in distress
Govt may offer relief
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Badal village road caves in, residents seek probe
Badal (Muktsar), October 22 Residents allege the apathetic officials have not addressed their grievances. They alleged the Kheowali-Badal-Bathinda Road was in a bad state. Though some repair work was carried out in May, the road has caved in near several manholes. Villagers allege, “The sewerage is faulty and the road has not been constructed properly. The Chief Minister too
reportedly warned the officials concerned, but to no avail.” Bugga Singh of Badal village said, “The large amount of money spent on the laying of sewerage in the village seems to have gone waste. The government should order an independent probe into the matter. The culprits should be punished.” Parmod Chand, Executive Engineer, Water Supply and Sanitation, Malout, said, “There is no fault in the sewerage system. The problem has occurred because the material used to construct the road has not been properly compressed.” Charges and counter-charges The large amount of money spent on sewerage and road construction seems to have gone waste. The state government should order an probe
into the matter. The culprits should be punished. Bugga Singh, resident of
Badal village There is no fault in the sewerage that was laid in the village recently. The problem has occurred because the material used for constructing
the road has not been properly compressed. Parmod Chand, Executive
Engineer, water supply dept
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BJP must rethink ties with SAD, says Gosain
Ludhiana, October 22 "A string of allegations against the Akali Dal has not helped the BJP in any way," he said while talking to The Tribune today. "The drug trade allegations have been a major concern for the people. The BJP needs to rework the nitty-gritty of its relation with its alliance partner for its own good," he said. Accusing the Akali Dal of betraying interests of the Punjab industry, he said the industry was suffering and the businessmen in the state were "unhappy". "The industry is in doldrums. The state policies have ruined the industry. The surveys we conducted have shown that there is a widespread resentment among the industrialists,” he said.
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Capt, Ramoowalia back BJP demand on Chandigarh
Chandigarh, October 22 Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, SAD’s senior vice-president, said the accord would benefit the state if implemented in letter and spirit, “I was privy to discussions that led to the signing of the accord. It’s main thrust was transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. Capt Amarinder Singh said it was only right that Chandigarh was given to Punjab as it was built as its capital. “It is the best time to give Chandigarh to Punjab since there is a BJP government at the Centre, in Haryana and in Punjab where the BJP is a partner in the government.” He said it was to be seen if the BJP sincerely pursued its demand with the Centre. He cautioned the party against its alliance partner (SAD). He said the Akalis were likely to sabotage any move they saw as an intrusion into their political space. Capt Amarinder Singh said it suited the Akalis not to allow the contentious issues to be resolved.
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farmers’ Suicides
Chandigarh, October 22 In a letter to the Chief Minister, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Khanna has urged the state government to frame a policy for all farmers and farm labourers who committed suicide after the 2011—when the previous policy of giving financial assistance to the families of such farmers was framed. Khanna has said the issue is serious and the government needs to take it up on priority. He made reference to news items published in the columns of The Tribune earlier this month, wherein the state government had expressed unwillingness to grant relief to over 95 families of farmers and farm labourers who committed suicide because of rural indebtedness. These incidents had occurred after a survey on suicides by farmers ended in 2011. Khanna has also sent a copy of the letter to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan.
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SAD (A) to hold protest tomorrow
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 22 Party president Simranjit Singh Mann said by raking up the issue, the BJP was trying to take approval from its partner SAD to annex Fazilka, Pathankot, Dera Bassi and Lalru from Punjab and transfer these to Haryana, Himachal and Rajasthan. Mann alleged the saffron party, buoyed over its success in the Lok Sahbha and assembly elections, was now bent on harming the interests of Punjab for promoting its own interests. He said his party would not allow this to happen at any cost. He said a large number of party workers led by general secretary Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singh Wala would hold a protest rally. — TNS
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Union seeks PTU VC’s resignation
Jalandhar, October 22 But the police, allegedly under pressure from local BJP leaders, today removed the tents and forcibly evicted the protesters. Nirmal Singh, Station House Officer, Model Town, said the activists had not taken permission for the dharna. "We cannot allow anyone to sit on a dharna in front of someone's house with permission," he said. Hardeep Bagga, association president, said they had sought permission, but it was not granted. He said they would again seek permission on Friday and return to the site to hold a protest. The members blamed the VC for leaving the distance education students in the lurch for failing to get approval to run the courses. They alleged the university had been earning up to Rs 100 crore per annum, but it had come down to a few lakhs in the past two years with student strength dropping from two lakh to just about a few thousand. The association members alleged Arora had transferred crores of rupees to the account of Parveen Kumar, a consultant for PTU's distance education programme. They said the learning centres used to get Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000 per semester as their share, but now they were being given Rs 2,600 per semester. The rest of the money was going to Parveen Kumar, they alleged. Sources said the university had paid Rs 1.43 crore to the advocates in the past one year for various litigations pertaining to approval for the distance education programme and eligibility of the VC for his post. Arora could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. The university PRO, Rajneesh Sharma, too, refused to make any comment over the matter.
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SGPC to stick to 12-minute fireworks display
Amritsar, October 22 Talking to The Tribune, Darbar Sahib manager Partap Singh said they had already reduced the duration of fireworks to 12 minutes. He said the SGPC had been looking for “smokeless firecrackers” for the past three years, but in vain. It was in 2011 that the SGPC first reduced the time of fireworks from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. In 2012 too the fireworks display was for 15 minutes. The duration was further slashed in 2013 to 12 minutes. The move came after the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) advised the SGPC to ban firecrackers at the Golden Temple complex. As per a study on air pollution around the shrine conducted by the IIT Delhi, the particulate matter (PM10) concentration breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The study found re-suspension of road dust (47 per cent), followed by industries (31 per cent) as the main source of PM10. The study said diesel generators (59 per cent), vehicular exhaust (26 per cent), and free kitchen (12 per cent) were contributing to NO2 emission. Similarly, kitchen (46 per cent) and industries (41 per cent) were main sources of SO2 emission around the shrine. As per a pollution control board study from January 2010 to December 2011, the pollution is damaging miniature paintings and the temple’s gold-plating besides leading to corrosion and blackening of marble.
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BSF not to offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers on Diwali
Amritsar, October 22 Talking to The Tribune, BSF IG (Punjab Frontier) Ashok Kumar said they would not offer sweets to the Pakistan Rangers this Diwali. He said there had been repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. "Hence, it will not be appropriate for us to offer them sweets," he said. He declined to comment any further. It is, perhaps, for the first time that India is not offering sweets to the neighbouring country on Diwali. The two countries had followed the custom on their Independence Day in August this year. However, the exercise remained a modest affair because of tension along the LoC. Eid celebrations on July 29 had also been a low-key event. The media was not allowed at Zero Line where sweets were exchanged between BSF officials and the Pakistan Rangers.
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Curtail list of
holidays, demands PSU
Chandigarh, October 22 Spokesman for the Punjab Students Union (PSU) Rajinder Majhail said the state government had reduced colleges to mere examination centres. He claimed that most of the colleges opened for only 100-125 days in a year. The PSU has urged the state government to change its policy on public holidays for schools, colleges and universities. “We
want regular classes. Too many holidays hamper studies,” said
Shankar, a PSU leader from Sangrur. He said the state government
should curtail its list of holidays for educational institutions or
else academic standards would fall. “If the government fails to
address the issue, the PSU will step up its agitation,” warned the
PSU leader.
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Anti-cracker drive
Chandigarh, October 22 Dr Mann said she utilised her spare time educating students against the busting of crackers and about the importance of clean environment. Paramedical staff, including Manpreet Kaur, Nirmal Kaur, Amritpal Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, Sukhwinder Kaur and others, were also extending their full support in the effort, she said.
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National award for Dr Dhillon
Chandigarh, October 22 The award carries a citation, a gold medal and Rs 2 lakh in cash. With this award, Dr Dhillon joins the rank of eminent personalities such as Dr Verghese Kurien, Dr MS Swaminathan, Dr GS Khush, Dr HK Jain, Dr RS Paroda, Dr VL Chopra and Dr S Ayyappan. Dr Dhillon is the first scientist from any university to get this award. Having an outstanding academic record, Dr Dhillon has worked at the University of Hohenheim in Germany and at the University of Birmingham, UK. He worked as Associate Scientist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, (CIMMYT), Mexico. He has served the ICAR for eight years. As maize breeder at PAU, Dr Dhillon reoriented the maize breeding programme to develop early maturing, stress-tolerant, high-yielding varieties. He has to his credit the first single cross- maize hybrid in India. The germplasm developed by Dr Dhillon has been used in breeding programmes in India and abroad. His works on new genetically efficient methods of plant breeding and genetic analyses have been included in textbooks. As Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR), he played a key role in creating a plant genetic resource database and integrated germplasm acquisition, evaluation and conservation. Under him, the number of germplasm accessions rose from 0.196 to 0.303 million in the national gene bank, the third largest in the world. Dr Dhillon took active part in the negotiations on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
(FAO).
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219 school headmasters
get job letters
Chandigarh, October 22 The newly appointed school headmasters have also been postings as per their choice. In a statement issued here today, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, Education Minister, said the Education Department had for the first time allotted stations of choice to the headmasters by adopting a transparent online procedure. They were expected to join duty soon, he added.
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Belgium gurdwara
closed for 'harbouring' illegal migrants
London, October 22 "This is the same hiding place used by traffickers who were convicted last year. The gurdwara provided food and accommodation to illegal migrants during the daytime," said Hans Bonte, Mayor of Vilvoorde. On October 13, Bonte had a meeting with representatives of the shrine. He asked them to formulate constructive proposals aimed at tackling the problem of the illegal immigrants. "They told me they were aware of the situation, but couldn't do anything about it. Meanwhile I have not heard anything," Bonte said. The Mayor also accused the judicial authorities of failing to address the problem. The immigrants detained on October 11 were released the same day and ordered to leave the country. Representatives of the gurdwara say that they offered "langar" to anybody who came there without demanding their identity papers. Amritsar: The SGPC has taken strong exception to the move to shut a gurdwara in Belgium on the premise that it was harbouring illegal Indian immigrants. In a release issued here on Wednesday, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the Belgium government should beef up vigil along its borders instead of closing down the gurdwara. He said the doors of gurdwaras were always open for those having faith in it and anybody could visit it to pay obeisance. He said it was not for the gurdwara management committee to check travel documents of the pilgrims visiting it. As far as langar was concerned, he said it was the tradition started by the Sikh gurus and any pilgrim visiting the gurdwara could partake of it. He urged the Belgium government to reopen the gurdwara in view of the sentiments of the Sikh community.
SGPC flays action The Belgium government should strengthen vigil along its borders instead of closing down the gurdwara. It is not for the gurdwara management committee to check travel documents of
the pilgrims. Avtar Singh Makkar, sgpc president
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Couple with a passion for motorbikes
Bathinda, October 22 Having returned from Australia after doing post-graduation in architecture along with his wife Aman Laungia, Sidhu is an expert in customising Royal Enfield (Bullet) and Yamaha motorbikes. He has also delivered a new-look Harley Davidson with a compass fit on its fuel tank lid for navigation. He has been getting queries from bike lovers since his participation in the first-ever bike festival held in Noida recently. Star cricketer Mahender Singh Dhoni had visited his stall and asked him questions on redesigning two-wheelers. Other prominent visitors to his stall included Vikram Oberoi, the third generation scion of a country's leading hotel chain. The Sidhu-Laungia couple, both architects by profession, has set up their work station far from the maddening rush of the city. Cleaning an oil tank of a Yamaha bike which was painted in an exquisite floral pattern in Turkey, Sidhu said: "We do not modify the original engine. We only customise the bikes according to the customer's choices made largely on our suggestions." Aman said: "We do not use leather accessory on our motorbikes. We get exquisite patterns from made by cobblers in Sialkot, Pakistan. Artists from Udaipur, too, lend a matchless artistic form to the spokes of motorcycles which make incomparable accessory." Providing a classy look to motorcycles, the couple designs oil tanks that are made with steel and are much heavier than the normal tanks which are made of aluminium. The standard designs, largely on pattern of imported models such as Harley Davidson, are made by an in-house worker. Sidhu said: "We remodel 90 per cent of the looks without meddling with the engine. These models carry only one seat. Some are designed only for tough terrain," he said, pointing out to special tyres on a bike which he said had been imported from England.
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Schoolkids celebrate Diwali with slum children
Abohar, October 22 “It gave me tremendous satisfaction seeing the children smile from ear to ear upon receiving the gifts,” Ridam Soni, a
student said. Sakshi Gadhiya, Yukti, Athah Bhatnagar and Yash Karnani said this was the first time they had visited a slum. They rued that the slum dwellers did not
have access to any basic amenities.
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Sriganganagar Brigade celebrates Raising Day
Abohar, October 22 Brigadier Virender Singh Dalal inaugurated the daylong celebrations. The participants at the Sainik Sammelan recalled the brigade’s contribution in the Indo-Pak War, Operations Blue Star, Albert, Cactus Lilly, Vijay and Prakarm. Brigadier Dalal said the brigade would follow the traditions of the Amogh Division. A mass prayer was also organised in a gurdwara. Veteran officers assured the ex-servicemen that their problems would be adequately addressed. — OC
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Act against dishonest travel agents, NGO tells NRI panel
Hoshiarpur, October 22 Nagra in his complaint alleged that a travel agent allegedly duped around 100 youths of Mukerian and surrounding villages on the pretext of sending them to South Africa. The agent allegedly took Rs 90 lakh from them and fled. Though several complaints were lodged with the police, no action had been taken, he alleged. Nagra said the agent had allegedly taken the victims’ passports and Rs 85,000 from each youth. Nagra said, “The unemployed youths of the state are falling prey to unscrupulous travel agents. These agents promise the youth lucrative jobs in foreign countries and charge them a hefty amount for a visa.” He said that these youths belonged to the marginalised section of the society and farmers with small landholdings. Nagra alleged the victims’ parents would somehow arrange the money to send their wards abroad, where they would land up in jail. Nagra said the travel agents would send the youths abroad on fake visas. He alleged the youths had become victims of human trafficking, which is in gross violation of human rights.
The case A travel agent allegedly duped around 100 youths of Mukerian and surrounding villages on the pretext of sending them to South Africa.
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High Court declines pay protection to govt employee
Chandigarh, October 22 It has made it clear that the past service will not be counted for pay protection as it stands surrendered for all intents and purposes when an employee enters service in Punjab through open competition by direct recruitment. "The past service rendered in Haryana, or any other state for that matter or in the UT Administration, will not count for protection of pay of an employee entering service through open competition by direct recruitment. The past service stands surrendered for all intents and purposes," Justice Rajiv Narain Raina said. The assertion came on a petition filed by Karamjit Singh against the state of Punjab and other respondents. He was seeking "protection of pay last drawn by him on being relieved by the UT Administration to join service by way of direct recruitment to the post of manual assistant" in Legal Metrology in the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Punjab. The petitioner was initially posted as Manual Assistant in Mohali Legal Metrology, vide appointment letter dated December 6, 2011. The UT Chief Engineer relieved him on December 23, 2011. However, his lien was kept in the electricity wing of the Engineering Department for two years. While serving the UT Administration, he drew Rs 28,298 per month. He was placed in the same scale on the new post, but he started earning less and moved a plea before the Controller, Legal Metrology, Mohali, for protecting the pay he was drawing while serving in the UT Electricity Department. The request was refused vide order dated June 11, 2012. Justice Bhalla added: "When a government speaks formally and in writing, it speaks for its own territories and for its employees and not employees of other states and UTs, unless it is expressly stated so."
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ranbaxy, sun pharma merger
Chandigarh, October 22 Acting on a petition filed by Ranbaxy on the proposed amalgamation scheme, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to the official liquidator. A notice has also been issued to Noida-based Regional Director, Northern Region, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The sanction for merger would make Sun Pharmaceuticals the world’s fifth largest and India’s largest specialty generic pharmaceutical company. The gross sales of the combined entity are estimated to be Rs 27,000 crore or
$ 4.2 billion. Sun Pharmaceuticals had agreed to acquire Ranbaxy Laboratories on April 7, after which the petition was filed by Ranbaxy through senior advocate Anand Chhibbar and JS Bhatia. Chhibbar contended that the scheme was aimed at consolidating and effectively managing the pharmaceutical and related businesses of both companies as a single entity. This, he said, would provide synergy benefits and attain efficiency. It would also create a large specialty pharmaceutical company with strong capabilities in developing complex products. The company, after the merger, would also have a diverse, highly complementary portfolio of specialty and generic products targeting a spectrum of chronic and acute treatments. The High Court had earlier paved the way for convening a shareholders’ meeting to vote on the amalgamation scheme. The petition was allowed with 99 per cent of the shareholders approving
the scheme.
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Excise Suptd’s police remand extended
Ludhiana, October 22 Dhaliwal was allegedly caught red-handed while demanding a bribe of Rs 20 lakh from Gurdeep Singh Jujhar, transporter and managing director of Fastway Citizens Cable Network. Earlier during the day, Vigilance officials raided Dhaliwal's house and seized Rs 3.27 lakh cash. The officials visited HDFC Bank at BRS Nagar and searched Dhaliwal's bank locker. They recovered another Rs 3.25 lakh. Sources said the Vigilance had also produced a video footage in the court which reportedly showed the accused demanding bribe. The Vigilance also submitted a transcript of the conversation between Jujhar and Dhaliwal. The sources said the court would verify the authenticity of the evidence. Dhaliwal's counsel claimed that he was implicated in the case. Jujhar had alleged the official had threatened to show huge outstanding tax against his companies in case the bribe of Rs 3 crore was not paid. He alleged the deal was finalised at Rs 2 crore.
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Bail to Thapa upheld
Mohali, October 22 Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Surabhi Prashar had granted bail to Thapa following which the public prosecutor had filed an appeal in the upper court, pleading that the accused had misled the court on certain facts. The Mohali police had registered a case of cheating against Thapa and Gulati on March 22.
Thapa, who was arrested on August 20, is in custody in another case. — TNS
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92 truck engines worth
Rs 1 cr seized
Patiala, October 22 The gang had been operating in Punjab for the past nine years. A team of the Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) led by inspector Bikramjit Brar nabbed the robbers, who have allegedly sold trucks worth over Rs 50 crore. Hardial Singh Mann, Senior Superintendent of Police, said they had arrested Ramesh Chand Gaur, Dinesh Kumar, Mobin Khan, all from Bharatpur (Rajasthan) and Baljit Singh, a scrap vendor from Jagdish Colony, Patiala. "The accused used to steal vehicles from various states and sell these by preparing forged bills and registration certificates," he said. A case under Sections 82, 379, 411, 412, 465, 468, 471, 473, 474 and 120 B of the IPC and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered.
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Rice mills in Punjab are facing a bleak future, claims the Punjab Rice Millers Association. “There were about 3,500 rice mills in the state.
Despite recent repair, the road linking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s private residence in Badal village to other areas has caved in at several places. This has raised doubts over the quality of the work carried out by contractors. Villagers seek an independent probe into the matter.
Members of the PTU Learning Centre Association have sought the resignation of Vice Chancellor Rajneesh
Arora. They burnt an effigy of the VC and held a dharna in front of his residence yesterday. The members had announced that the sit-in protest would continue till October 31.
Unable to zero in on a “pollution-free alternative”, the SGPC is left with no option but to curtail the timing of fireworks at the Golden Temple complex on the occasion of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Diwas.
In what seems to be a tit-for-tat response, the BSF has decided not to offer sweets to the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah Border in Punjab on Diwali tomorrow. The Pakistan Rangers did not offer sweets to the BSF on Eid earlier this month.
Talking to The Tribune, BSF IG (Punjab Frontier) Ashok Kumar said they would not offer sweets to the Pakistan Rangers this
Diwali.
Preferring to use the word "customising" rather than "modifying" for giving a different look to motorbikes, architect-designer Tarun Sidhu justifies his choice of words saying he employs artists from as far as Turkey to do the job.
Having returned from Australia after doing post-graduation in architecture along with his wife Aman
Laungia, Sidhu is an expert in customising Royal Enfield (Bullet) and Yamaha motorbikes.
Students of Saraswati Convent School in Hanumangarh, 65 km from here, today distributed sweets to children in slums. The children had bought the sweets with their pocket money. The motivator of the children, Rajesh
Dadri, escorted them to the slums located near the Excel industrial unit and Dholi Basti on Gurusar Road.
The Sriganganagar Brigade, founded during the Indo-Pak War on October 22, 1971, celebrated its 43th Raising Day near Sriganganagar today.
Brigadier Virender Singh Dalal inaugurated the daylong celebrations. The participants at the Sainik Sammelan recalled the brigade’s contribution in the Indo-Pak War, Operations Blue Star, Albert, Cactus Lilly, Vijay and Prakarm.
Rice mills in Punjab are facing a bleak future, claims the Punjab Rice Millers Association. “There were about 3,500 rice mills in the state. As the farmers’ focus has shifted from ordinary varieties to basmati, there appears to be no future for most rice mills. The ordinary varieties are not available in adequate quantity for milling,” Tarsem Saini, president of the Rice Millers Association said.
With low demand for cotton from China, the world's largest consumer of cotton and yarn, the cotton prices have touched an all-time low in the local markets.
