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Bandi Chhod Diwas celebrated at Golden Temple
BSF jawans celebrate Diwali on border
Dark Diwali for kin of youths stuck in Iraq
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Alliance with BJP everlasting, says Badal Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, honours an industrialist at Vishwakarma Day celebrations in Ludhiana on Friday. Tribune Photo
BJP plays smart with Ram Shankar’s appointment
Sack Avinash Chander, BJP tells Akalis
SAD (A) backs BJP demand
Diesel cheaper in state, but not bus travel
Workshop on
Bluestar in UK
Several families in dire straits
Manpreet’s email account hacked, 400 mails sent
Badal flags off educational delegation to Canada
Jobless teachers to protest on October 26
NRI Sabhas to be set up in each district
Probe in arms scandal comes to standstill
Applicants for Improvement Trust schemes a harassed lot
Masihi Satsang: VHP at loggerheads with Christian Front in Hoshiarpur
Electronic goods worth lakhs gutted in Ferozepur
Govt gives nod to pension scheme for political detainees
Devotees celebrate Vishwakarma Day
NGO holds contests in Abohar to celebrate United Nations Day
Singers Jally, Manga booked on rape charge
Supdt arrested for graft gets promotion
Three killed in accidents
School authorities booked for hurting religious sentiments
Woman booked for fraud
Three of family killed in bus-car collision
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Bandi Chhod Diwas celebrated at Golden Temple
Amritsar, October 24 Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said the Sikhs were facing a challenge in the form of rising apostasy and rampant drug addiction. He said there was a need for the people and the government to be vigilant in that regard. He also raised the issue of alleged "injustice being meted out to the community". He said scores of Sikhs were still languishing in jails despite completion of their jail terms. He said the government must initiate measures to release them. 15 hurt in clashes Abohar: A shop in a makeshift firecrackers market in Gandhi Stadium, Peelibanga (Hanumangarh), was gutted. At least 15 persons, including seven women, were injured in clashes over bursting of crackers in Nanak Nagari, Indira Nagar, Arya Nagar and Bhangala village. Poonam of Taneja Nagari was critically injured while decorating her house with electric lamps. Piles of waste post-Diwali Phagwara: Diwali celebrations left piles of waste in the town with most localities turned into garbage dumps. Pollution Control Board officials said air pollution level in the area had increased manifold after the celebrations. Traders protest Mandi Gobindgarh: Small-scale inudustrialists in this steel town observed a 'black Diwali' .The president of the Bhavnagar Traders Association, Man Mohan Singh Mangat, said despite assurances by the state government to solve their problems, nothing had been done so far. He said they had now started a relay fast. Mangat said the industrialists had been protesting for more than a month. They wanted uniform value-added tax (VAT) on power consumption and a special package for the state industry. Members of the Veterinary Pharmacist Union also observed a 'black Diwali'. They held a candle march at Fatehgarh Sahib. One of the union members, Munish Garg, has been fasting since October 14. The union wants services of rural veterinary pharmacists working since 2006 regularised. Garg said on September 29, the government had issued a notification, accommodating rural veterinary doctors in the Animal Husbandry Department. But it did not clarify whether those working with the Zila Parishad would also be accommodated. PPCB collects samples Patiala: The Punjab Pollution Control Board has collected samples from five cities—Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh and Patiala—for monitoring oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and respirable suspended particulate matter during October 23 - October 24 to prepare a report. Official spokesperson Charanjit Singh said samples had been collected from silence zones, commercial zones and residential zones. The difference would be calculated after comparing these with the samples collected on October 15. He said noise tests had been conducted in other cities of Punjab and a report would be compiled in a week. No major fire incident was reported in Patiala this Diwali. The festival was celebrated with fervour. Medical students protest Amritsar: Students of Chintpurni Medical College held a protest inside a tent pitched on the Government Medical College road. The students are demanding that they be shifted to recognised medical colleges in the pstate. The Medical Council of india has withdrawn recognition to the Chintpurni college for not meeting the eligibility norms on infrastructure and faculty. 50 stalls gutted Muktsar: More than 50 stalls were gutted in an accidental fire at Mandi Bariwala. There was no loss of life. Three motorcycles were destroyed in the fire. The fire broke out in the local grain market at 10.30 am. Paddy stocks lying in the market too was burnt. Locals claimed that the administration had earmarked space for the stalls at Government Senior Secondary School, but the shopkeepers preferred the local grain market.
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BSF jawans celebrate Diwali on border
Amritsar, October 24 In what may possibly be the first of its kind initiative, BSF DIG MF Farooqui reached out to the jawans deployed along the border fence in Daoke and Rajatal villages of Attari and celebrated Diwali with them on Thursday night. He, along with BSF jawans, lighted candles along the fence. Farooqui said, "Though we celebrate Diwali at the battalion level as well as at the headquarters, but the jawans deployed at the borders felt left out. They were denied the opportunity to be part of celebrations. This sentiment prompted me to venture out and celebrate the festival with the jawans there." "It was just to convey that we care for them. It was also to tell them that the entire country was celebrating the festival in peace because they are guarding the borders 24x7," he said. BSF jawan Ramjee Singh said, "Though we are away from our homes, we are feeling great with the way our officials have come all the way to the border to be with us on Diwali. It seems as if we are celebrating the festival with our families." He said they were proud of the fact that they were serving their country at the borders. Another BSF jawan Jagdish Singh said it was a kind gesture on part of their officials as they specially visited the border to be with them on Diwali night. Meanwhile, the BSF didn't offer sweets to Pakistan at the Attari-Wagah check-post on Diwali in view of repeated ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Dark Diwali for kin of youths stuck in Iraq
Jalandhar, October 24 Kamaljit, who has no relative to turn to for help, has had sleepless nights. She had to shift her sons Karan (9) and Saurav (8) from a private school to a government school. “My husband took money from financiers to pay Rs 1.75 lakh to the travel agent. They want the money back and are after my life. I received a cheque for Rs 50,000 from the SGPC. I have been using the money judiciously. A part of the money was spent on travelling to Delhi to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. There has been no official word so far on those trapped in Iraq.” The son of Balwant Rai (48) of Dhadde village, Rakesh Kumar (26), has not seen his father for eight years now. “The travel agent made my father work as a slave. It was after I put money in his account that he got him a job in a construction company. Now my father is trapped in Iraq,” said a worried Rakesh. His mother Gian Kaur said the family was facing financial hardship. “But money is not what I want. I want my husband back. I spoke to him last on June 15. He had then hinted that he was in trouble and that his phone could go off any time,” she said.
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Hope dying, kin lash out at govt
Batala, October 24 The last time Malkit’s mother Nirmal Kaur received a call from him was in June. He called up to say that his company’s employees had been abducted but all would be well within a couple of days. Four months on, Malkit’s parents and his two brothers, Paramjit Singh and Manjit Singh, have not heard from him. “When I called him up, I I heard a strange voice at the other end. I think his phone has been snatched by the kidnappers,” said a distraught Nirmal Kaur. Malkit’s family seems to be rather well-off. His father Sukhdev Singh, who worked with the FCI, retired a few years ago. Both his brothers are gainfully employed. Malkit got married in January last year. His young wife said: “I see no light at the end of the tunnel. I am hoping against hope.” Nirmal Kaur says she is aghast at the way the Punjab government has been splurging on the Kabaddi World Cup. “The Chief Minister, at a Sangat Darshan recently, had assured us that the affected families would be paid Rs 20,000 every month till their near and dear ones returned home safe. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has been spending crores on the Kabaddi World Cup. “Why can’t he pay the money promised to us by his father (Chief Minister),” she asks in anger. Malkit had left for Iraq along with his brother-in-law Harish Kumar, who hails from Amritsar. “We do not expect the Union Government to help us trace our boys. We have decided not to approach any government official for help, whether financial or otherwise,” said an exasperated Nirmal
Kaur.
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Womenfolk turn to menial jobs
Jalandhar, October 24 Usha Rani has also to take care of her mother-in-law, who is nearly blind. “I earn Rs 20 for stitching one football. While some families have received an aid of Rs 20,000 for the second time, 11 families, including mine, have not received any aid till date,” she claims. “I work in the fields for Rs 80 to Rs 100 per day. I work overtime to get foodgrain,” says Chhindo. “I am prepared for the worst,” says Amarjit Kaur (32) of Murar village in Kapurthala district. Her husband Gobinder Singh is trapped in Iraq. “We had to sell household items to pay the travel agent who promised to send my son to Dubai. Instead, he sent him to Iraq,” says Gobinder’s father. Slamming the state government for sleeping over the issue, Harbhajan Kaur, mother of Surjit Mainka of Churowali village in Jalandhar, said she had expected some help from the Modi-led Union Government. Hoshiarpur: Not relying on the government, Parminder Singh of Chawani Kalan village, whose brother Kamaljit is among those kidnapped by ISIS militants, has been trying to locate his whereabouts through personal contacts. Kamaljit and his relative Gurdeep from Jaitpur village in Hoshiarpur phoned their families a couple of times after they were kidnapped. Their whereabouts are unknown. Gurdeep’s wife Anita said: “When he called me last he told me he had been kidnapped and that it was now my responsibility to take care of the family.” Breaking into tears, she said she wanted her husband back. The family has been in touch with the Union Government, the Iraq Embassy and the Indian Embassy in Iraq. — Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi
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Alliance with BJP everlasting, says Badal
Ludhiana, October 24 Pointing out that the
SAD-BJP alliance had withstood the test of time, the Chief Minister said that the two parties should not be seen as different entities. To a query, he said if invited, he would surely attend the swearing-in ceremony of Manohar Lal Khattar as Haryana CM. Asked why industry was sinking in Punjab, heclaimed : “Punjab is the most preferred investment destination across the country. The state’s infrastructure has been adjudged as excellent by several renowned agencies across the globe.“ He evaded a query as to why VAT refund to traders was being delayed. Woman creates ruckus When the Chief Minister was honouring industrialists at Guru Nanak Dev
Bhawan, a women, who was carrying an application addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, called out, “Sardar Badal Sahib, Sardar Badal Sahib”. She was quickly escorted out of the hall by security personnel. A resident of the city’s Basti Jodhewal area, the woman alleged that she had been repeatedly raped by a man who had promised to get her loan. “He has taken away the papers of my house. He is now blackmailing me,” alleged the woman. She was taken to Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, after she fainted acouple of times. When contacted. Additional Station House Officer
(SHO) Kamal Dutt of the Jodhewal Basti police station said: “She lodged a complaint with SHO Hardeep Singh two days ago. We are investigating the matter.”
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BJP plays smart with Ram Shankar’s appointment
Chandigarh, October 24 Author of a number of books, including "Dalit Chetna ki Avashyakata", "Samajik Ekta Ki Avashyakata", "Dalit Sahitya Aur Nai Chunautiyan", Ram Shankar is also a writer of Hindi plays and stories. A former professor and holder of a doctorate degree, Ram Shankar is considered an expert on Dalit affairs. "That is why he has been made in charge of the party affairs in Punjab, a state having a high percentage of Dalit population," said a senior BJP leader. Of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, four are reserved; while out of 117 Assembly seats, 34 are reserved. It is around one-third of the total seats. Ram Shankar's appointment hints at BJP's strategy to work on poor sections of society. Dalit politics in the state has been in doldrums for the past some years. After the Independence, SCs (by and large) supported the Congress in the state for decades. After 1980s, they tilted towards the BSP and of late, they have been mostly supporting the SAD. Dalits have never been big supporters of the BJP. In fact, most of them have been maintaining distance from the party. The BJP high command seems to have made Ram Shankar in charge of the party affairs with an aim to widen its support base among SCs. Talking to The Tribune on the phone, Ram Shankar, a staunch RSS man, said he would plan his visit to Punjab soon. However, he refused to talk in detail about the Punjab politics.
The man, the mission * Ram Shankar Katheria was elected an MP for the second time from the Agra (reserved) constituency in May this year *
A former professor and holder of a doctorate degree, Ram Shankar is considered an expert on Dalit affairs *
His appointment hints at BJP's strategy to work on poor sections of society and widen the its support base among Dalits
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Sack Avinash Chander, BJP tells Akalis
Chandigarh, October 24 After state BJP president Kamal Sharma sought the resignation of Chander, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh has approached Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the issue. Chugh said the BJP was committed in its fight against drugs in the state and felt that Avinash Chander should have resigned on his own after his name cropped up in the Bhola case. “If he is proved innocent after the probe, he can again join the government as a CPS,” he said. Avinash Chander’s refusal to resign as the CPS in the SAD-BJP government was hurting the image of the alliance government, said Chugh in a hard-hitting statement. He stressed the BJP had been consistent in its stand against the illegal drug trade in Punjab. Chugh said the party believed the supply and sale of drugs in the state had dealt a severe blow not only to the youth involved and their families, but also to the economy and culture of the state.
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SAD (A) backs BJP demand
Fazilka, October 24 Emann Singh Mann, SAD (A) patron and son of Simranjit Singh Mann, Jaskaran Singh Kahansinghwala. party general secretary, Parminder Singh Balianwali, Bathinda district unit president, Jasbir Singh Bhullar, Ferozepur district unit chief, Iqbal Singh Bariwala, Muktsar district unit chief, Balwinder Singh Mander, Mansa district president, and Iqbal Singh Kussa, president of the Moga district unit, today submitted a memorandum to the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner. Criticising the Rajiv-Longowal accord, they said that no area in Punjab should be shifted to Haryana in lieu of Chandigarh. The transfer of Fazilka-Abohar territories remained a bone of contention between Punjab and Haryana in the mid-eighties. The Surjit Singh Barnala government then had deputed a team of ministers to campaign vigorously in Kandukhera village, which is located on the Punjab-Haryana border, to persuade its residents to declare Punjabi as their mother tongue so that Haryana’s claim on Abohar-Fazilka areas fell flat. Capt Amarinder Singh, Member of Parliament from Amritsar who was then Agriculture Minister in the Barnala Cabinet, had camped at Kandukhera for the purpose. He succeeded in his mission with residents declaring Punjabi as their mother tongue.
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Diesel cheaper in state, but not bus travel
Chandigarh, October 24 As of now, there is no proposal to review bus fares for both state-run and private buses, officials in the state Transport department say. The government will not like to reduce bus fares as it will hurt private bus operators, who have been clamouring against high taxes imposed on them, leading to losses in their business, sources say. The bus fare in the state is Rs 0.91 per km. Motor vehicle tax of Rs 3.13 per person per km is also imposed on both private and public bus operators. The Punjab Transport department framed a policy last year, linking bus fares to the price of diesel. Under this policy, a review of diesel prices is to be undertaken every quarter. The rationale was to have a new mechanism for fixing bus fares and ending the state government's role in fixing bus fares. Officials in the department admit that the bus fares were hiked following hike in diesel prices. Bus fares were increased by 8 paisa per km in June, but now that the diesel price has come down to Rs 54.61 per litre, there is no proposal to lower the bus fares, allegedly because the government does not want to "annoy the powerful lobby of private bus operators". Punjab Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar told The Tribune though there was no proposal to reduce bus fares, he would hold a review meeting once he was back in the state capital. "However, a decision on reducing the bus fares can be taken only if Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asks us to review and slash these," he said. On the other hand, private bus operators maintain the state government cannot slash bus fares as they are suffering huge losses. "The price of diesel increased 19 times between January 2013 to August 2014, but the bus fares were hiked only twice during that period. The resultant hike in diesel price was Rs 11.81 per litre in a year. The tariff was increased marginally — by Rs 0.12 per km (in august 2013 by four paisa and June 2014 by 8 paisa). So, the government cannot force a cut in bus fares, especially when taxes in Punjab are too high," said Rajinder Singh Bajwa, secretary of the Punjab Motor Union.
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Workshop on
Bluestar in UK
London, October 24 This is the only event of its kind being organised in the UK, matching a similar event at Hofstra University in New York. Both workshops will focus on multiple dimensions of Bluestar, including its historical genesis, what actually happened, its relevance for relations between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, as well as long-term scenario for Punjabi community living in India and abroad. PRG
convener Professor Pritam Singh of Oxford Brookes University, who is
jointly organising the event with Dr Iftikhar Malik of Bath Spa
University and Dr Kaveri Qureshi of Oxford, told The Tribune,
"This is a serious attempt to select on long-term implications of
Operation Bluestar."
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Several families in dire straits
Babbowal (Amritsar), October 24 She said her son was the family’s sole bread-earner. “We’ve not received any money from the state government that had promised Rs 20,000 per month to the affected families. We’re surviving on our small-time dairy business,” she lamented. Jeeto, mother of Sonu from Chawinda Devi village, said her daughter-in-law had taken up a job to repay loan.” Sonu had taken money on interest to pay the travel agent. We’re still repaying the loan.” An irate Jasbir Kaur, sister of Ranjit Singh from Manawala village, alleged that the government was doing nothing to bring the youths back from Iraq. “They tell us that they are safe in Iraq, but nothing about their whereabouts. We had earlier met ministers. Now they refuse to give us an appointment,” she complained. Harjeet Kaur, wife of Gurcharan Singh from Jalal Usma village, said she had ailing in-laws and two kids to look after. She said Gurcharan’s younger brother Gurjeet, who was working in Bahrain, was supporting the family now. Gurcharan, a carpenter, had taken a loan of Rs 1.4 lakh for migrating to Iraq. Gurmej Singh, father of Nishan Singh of Sangoana village, said they had received Rs 20,000 from the state government only once. Gurpinder Kaur, sister of Manjinder Singh from Bhoewal village, said they had been running from pillar to post for the past four months, but to no avail. “Every time we visit New Delhi, we are assured that our kin are safe in Iraq and nothing beyond that.” Ranjit Kaur, mother of Jatinder Singh from Sialka village, said they had mortgaged their land to take a loan of Rs 4 lakh to send their son abroad.
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Manpreet’s email account hacked, 400 mails sent
Muktsar, October 24 The hacker on Tuesday sent 400 emails to several of his acquaintances, seeking a financial aid of
Rs 90,000 to meet the medical expenses of his cousin, suffering from tumour
in Bangkok. The hacker, impersonating Manpreet Badal, said he was in Bangkok
and would pay his creditors as soon he returned to India. Manpreet Badal today approached the Cyber Crime Cell of the Chandigarh Police, seeking action against the hacker, furnishing the copy of one such email sent to his friends in Canada. Manpreet’s brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal, who manages the social media activities of the PPP, confirmed the
development. “Someone hacked Manpreet’s email account, when he was in England recently. The hacker had sent nearly 400 emails to his acquaintances, seeking aid for his cousin,” he said. Jaijeet further said some of the people who got the email were Dr Jagjit Singh in England and Harcharan Bains, Media Advisor to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He said the hacker didn’t give any bank account details. Jasbir Singh, in charge, Cyber Crime Cell, Chandigarh Police, said they would start the investigation soon. Manpreet could not be contacted. What the email said Hello, how are you doing today? I'm in Bangkok, Thailand, to see my cousin. I need your help urgently. I did not want to disturb you with this, but I have no one else to turn to. My cousin, who is a missionary here, is suffering from a critical uterine fibroid and must undergo a hysterectomy surgery. She is going through a lot of pain at the moment. The doctors have advised me that the tumour needs to be removed soon in order to avoid any complications. I need a loan of Rs 90,000 to make the necessary arrangements. I will pay you back as soon as I have returned to India. I travelled with little money as the trip was planned at a short notice. Please let me know if you can help me. I will provide you with the account details. I will check my email every 30 minutes. I will be grateful to hear from you. Regards, Manpreet Singh Badal
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Badal flags off educational delegation to Canada
Chandigarh, October 24 A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s office said that Badal was presiding over the flag-off ceremony. He said the delegation was jointly led by Regional Director PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dalip Sharma and chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges, Anshu Kataria. Extending his good wishes to the delegation, Badal said that the education system needed a paradigm shift with a focus on skill development training in the education system. Emphasising the need to impart skill training to youth, Badal categorically asked the delegation to chalk out a strategy with Canadian counterparts during their week-long stay there. He said a need-based skill training centres of international standards should be established in the state for imparting short term courses for specific trade and industry. Taking part in the deliberations, Technical Education Minister Madan Mohan Mittal, appreciated the effort of educationalist and educational consultants form Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal
Pradesh.
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Jobless teachers to protest on October 26
Sangrur, October 24 Raghbir Singh Bhawanigarh, state general secretary of TET Pass Unemployed Teachers Union, Punjab, demanded that all the 3,800 jobless teachers (2011 TET pass batch) be employed. He further said the government should advertise for 15,000 posts of master cadre and invite applications from teachers who had passed TET in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He claimed the Right to Education Act recommended that a teacher-student ratio (1:30) should be maintained. He added to suffice the requirement, the government needed to hire 40,000 teachers.
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NRI Sabhas to be set up in each district
Chandigarh, October 24 He said that Minister for NRI Affairs Tota Singh had given his approval in this regard and the proceedings would be initiated soon to set up NRI Sabhas at the district level. He said that the minister was also keen to resolve the pendency of cases/issues pertaining to NRIs in minimum time. The spokesperson said instructions in this regard had been issued to all Divisional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, IG NRI Affairs, Commissioners of Police and Senior Superintendent of Police so the NRIs did Giving details of units to be set up at the district level, the spokesperson said the staff of NRI Sabha in each district would provide necessary information to non-resident Punjabis. He said that there were 11 exclusive NRI Police Stations set up to ensure speedy and time-bound redressal of their issues. He said the state government was fully committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of NRIs. This was the reason why NRI police stations, special revenue courts, fast track courts, NRI Sammelan and media campaigns were put in place. He said that a special web portal for NRIs had been launched so
that NRIs could track their applications.
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Probe in arms scandal comes to standstill
Faridkot, October 24 The police got the details of the 19 other illegal weapons sold in Punjab after arresting four members of a smugglers’ gang. The police are allegedly going soft on the buyers of these smuggled weapons, deeming them as ‘bonafide’ buyers. The police said they purchased the weapons at a premium, unaware that these were smuggled weapons. However, none of the possessors of these illegal weapons had so far come forward to deposit these with the police, said a senior police officer, associated with the investigation in the scandal. He said the police were under a lot of pressure not to take
action against the accused persons. The Faridkot police claimed with the booming gun business that operated through the Manipur-Myanmar border, many affluent persons in north India had access to small foreign-made arms. They said these weapons included revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, submachine guns, assault rifles and light machine guns. These sophisticated smuggled weapons were being sold at a premium. Some arms dealers in Punjab prepared forged papers to sell these weapons in the market, claimed Paramraj Umranangal, Inspector General (IG), Faridkot police range. The police already arrested an arms dealer of Mansa four days back. The police accidentally stumbled upon this scandal, while questioning a notorious criminal on the theft of a Toyata Fortuner in Kotkapura. During the investigation, the Faridkot police brought Paras, an under-trial in Agra jail, on transit remand. Facing 14 murder and 21 exortion cases, Paras reportedly told the police about firearms trafficking and the sale of these in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi He reportedly said the weapons were sold on the basis of forged papers. Paras further revealed that most of these weapons were sold to affluent persons for around Rs 25-30 lakh each.
The matter at hand * The police recently recovered eight foreign-made revolvers and pistols *
But they are struggling to lay their hands on 19 other identified smuggled arms *
It is reported that these weapons are in the possession of influential persons in the state
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Applicants for Improvement Trust schemes a harassed lot
Jalandhar, October 24 Case 2: The owners of plots allotted 16 years ago under the Guru Gobind Singh Avenue scheme of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust are being asked to pay Rs 8,000 per marla more as enhancement fee. The Trust has lost the case to the farmers, who had challenged the amount of compensation for acquisition of land in the Supreme Court. Case 3: Only five of the 500 allottees of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Avenue scheme have started construction on their plots even as the scheme was launched in October 2006. The plotting has been done on a 10-feet -low plinth area and the Trust has failed to provide any amenities. To top it all, the Improvement Trust had in March this year invited applications for 119 super-deluxe flats as part of the Surya Enclave scheme. There were only 19 applicants. The poor response is a direct indication of residents losing faith in the Trust’s schemes. Officials, who had been planning to earn a good profit out of these flats, which were to be sold for about Rs 67 lakh, are now being forced to sell properties to repay a loan of Rs 273 crore that they had taken from the Punjab National Bank for its 94.97-acre project. Owing to pending litigation and no development under this scheme, owners of the 200-sq yard plots too have started seeking refund of the paid amount. In fact, each scheme of the Trust that came up in the last two decades is mired in multiple litigations with applicants forced to take recourse via the consumer forum or other courts. Recently, an applicant of the Hare Krishna Towers, who had not been given the possession of an HIG flat due since November 2009, got a compensation of Rs 5.4 lakh for the delay with the help of the consumer forum. There is no single window system provided under the Trust, due to which visitors have to keep running around to get their work done. The Trust’s website does not even provide mandatory information and has been just flashing an
old scheme. Since the dissolution of the Trust on July 11, 2012, the post of its chairman has been held by administrative officers. Seven officers were given charge of the post and relieved in the past two years, further affecting Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi said there was no plan to merge the Trusts with PUDA as was being said earlier. Regarding pendency in completion of works, he said he would get the works expedited. “Now that you have told me about the problems, we will look into them and resolve whatever can be done out of the purview of courts,” he told The Tribune.
Poor response to Trust’s new project The Jalandhar Improvement Trust in March invited applications for 119 super-deluxe flats as part of the Surya Enclave scheme. There were only 19 applicants. The poor response is a direct indication that residents are losing faith in the Trust’s schemes
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Masihi Satsang: VHP at loggerheads with Christian Front in Hoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur, October 24 Vishva Hindu Parishad has opposed the Christian religious convention to be held on October 29 in the city. The VHP activists have warned the administration against providing the required permissions for the programme. VHP leaders in a press conference here have said if the administration did not revoke the permissions already granted, activists from all over Punjab would gather in Hoshiarpur on October 29 to ensure that the programme is cancelled. Pradesh Seh Sampark Pramukh Kamaljit Setia, district president Pandit Suresh Sharma, Bajrang Dal district president Shere Punjab Singh, in a joint press conference here, alleged that such conventions were being held to convert people to Christianity. Setia alleged that poor people were being converted on promise of sending them abroad, curing ailments and providing monetary benefits etc. On the other hand, Christian organisations, during a press conference today, declared that they would conduct the Satsang no matter what as it was their constitutional right. Representatives of Christian organisations led by Laurence Chowdhary, state president
of the Christian Front, said they had the required legal permission from the Hoshiarpur administration. Refuting the charges of conversions, he said they welcome those who have been opposing it to come see for themselves what happens at the Satsang. He said it was up to the administration to look into law and order. VHP, Bajrang Dal want event cancelled *
They want administration to revoke permissions granted for the Christian religious convention to be held on October 29 *
VHP leaders have warned that if the administration did not heed to their demand, activists from all over Punjab would gather in Hoshiarpur to ensure that the programme is cancelled *
They have alleged that such events were held to convert poor people to Christianity
Christian Front undettered * Christian organisations on Friday declared that they would conduct the Satsang no matter what as it was their constitutional right *
Representatives of
Christian organisations said they had the required legal permission from the Hoshiarpur administration *
Refuting the charges of conversions, they said they welcome those who have been opposing it to come and see for themselves what happens at the satsang
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Electronic goods worth lakhs gutted in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, October 24 Five fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. It took almost eight hours to bring the fire under control. The incident took place around 11:30 pm on Thursday at Sachdeva Electronics in the Chuhi Chowk area of the city. Satpal Sachdeva, the owner of the shop, said they had closed the shop late at 10:30 pm due to heavy rush of customers on Diwali. “Around 11:30 pm, we were informed that smoke was emanating from our shop. We
rushed to our shop immediately,” he said. As the shop is located in a very populated residential area, there were chances of fire spreading out to other parts of the city. This triggered immense chaos in the vicinity. Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, senior civil and police officials, including Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sandeep Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police Vibhor
Sharma, rushed to the spot and supervised the rescue operation. Fire tenders from Moga, Faridkot and Kotkapura, besides the Cantonment Board and the city, were summoned to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the city.
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Govt gives nod to pension scheme for political detainees
Abohar, October 24 The scheme was first launched under Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s first term in 2008. Among these, 25 belong to the Sriganganagar district, near Abohar. The scheme was discontinued in 2009 by Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. The revised pension will be effective from January 1, 2014, an official said. Along with this, the government has also announced medical allowance of Rs 1,200 per month for the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) prisoners or their dependents. Each beneficiary will get Rs 1.32 lakh within a week, the amount might be transferred in their respective bank account, sources said. The Sriganganagar administration had received 51 applications from the families which claimed detention of a member during the period of political emergency.
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Devotees celebrate Vishwakarma Day
Phagwara, October 24 Markfed chairman Jarnail Singh Wahid and former Minister Joginder Singh Maan said Lord Vishwakarma was as great as other deities as all our religious scriptures contained episodes of his glorious contributions. They appealed to people to improve their vocational skills and follow the message of Lord Vishwakarma. They said it would help them in getting new job opportunities and would amount as the real tribute to Lord Vishwakarama. — OC
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NGO holds contests in Abohar to celebrate United Nations Day
Abohar, October 24 During the event, NGO members discussed challenges of peacekeeping before the United Nations Organisation in the 21st century. Panjab University senator Sanjeev Kumar Arora was the chief guest. He gave away prizes to winners Navdeep Kaur, Harjit Singh, Harpreet Kaur, Harvinder Singh and Rohit Kumar. The senator said the
UN had undergone some profound changes aimed at improving its ability to meet the new peacekeeping challenges of the century. However, if peacekeeping is to continue serving as a tool for maintaining international peace and security, the member states would have to ensure that missions were given clear mandates and necessary human and financial resources to implement them, they said. In order to deal effectively with the lingering forces of war and conflict, the UN and other key stakeholders should continue working together to develop right tools to make the peacekeeping process work, they said.
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Singers Jally, Manga booked on rape charge
Mohali, October 24 Those booked include Punjabi singers Jarnail Singh Jally and Maninder Manga, lyricist Sarwan Singh Chinda and Charanpreet Singh Goldy. They have been booked under Sections 363, 364 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 376 D, 506 (criminal intimidation), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison etc) and 120B of the IPC and Section 66 of the IT Act at the Phase 1 police station. Jally claimed he had solemnised marriage with the victim. He alleged the victim had kept him in the dark about the status of her previous marriage. "She told me that she had taken divorce from her first husband, but that is not the case. She cheated on me," he alleged. The victim approached the police on September 29 and levelled allegations against the accused. She said she came in contact with Jally for learning music. She alleged she was told to put up in a flat in Phase 1. Manga also started frequenting the place. They raped her and shot an obscene video after giving her a soft drink laced with some sedative, she alleged. "Later they started exploiting me using the obscene video clipping," she said. Manga's wife was also aware of the incident, she alleged. After she became pregnant, Goldy gave her some drug for causing abortion, but her condition deteriorated and she was taken to a private hospital for treatment, the victim alleged. Jally, however, said, "We (he and the victim) solemnised marriage at a gurdwara in Kror Kalan village on September 3. Later, I got to know that she was yet to take divorce from her first husband."
Victim's allegations * She came in contact with Punjabi singer Jarnail Singh Jally for
learning music * She was asked to stay put in a flat in Phase 1 where Maninder Manga also used to come *
The duo later raped her and shot an obscene video after giving her a soft drink laced with some sedative
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Supdt arrested for graft gets promotion
Ludhiana, October 24 Joint Commissioner of Central Excise and Service Tax Department Hardeep Singh said, "Several officers have been promoted. I have yet to see the list whether he (Amarjit Singh Dhaliwal) has been promoted or not." Amarjit Singh Dhaliwal, who was caught on October 20, was due to be promoted on October 22. It is learnt that he had ordered local studio owner to make a collage of the photographs of his achievements which the superintendent wished to install in his new office. Amarjit was produced in a court yesterday that remanded him in judicial custody. Meanwhile, a video of the controversial sting operation showing the superintendent demanding graft has been leaked. The video available with The Tribune (the veracity was yet to be verified) shows the superintendent sitting in a cafeteria and negotiating a "bribery deal" with employees of Gurdeep Jujhar. Sources said it was the same video that was submitted in the court by the Vigilance Department. SSP (Vigilance) Satinder Singh said, "We had received a complaint along with the video." In the video, the superintendent could be seen discussing institutionalisation of corruption in the Central Exercise and Service Tax Department.
Why the arrest * Transporter-cum-managing director of Fastway Citizens Cable Network Gurdeep Singh Jujhar said a case pertaining to the audit of excise and service tax of his companies was pending with Superintendent Amarjit Singh Dhaliwal *
Dhaliwal allegedly told Jujhar that he should pay Rs 3 crore to him or he would show that Rs 30 crore was payable by his companies to the department *
A deal was struck at Rs 2 crore, but Jujhar reported the matter to the Vigilance Department and Dhaliwal was caught red-handed while accepting first instalment of bribe
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Three killed in accidents
Hoshiarpur, October 24 Two youths were killed when their bike was hit by an unidentified vehicle near Midda village. The deceased were Jaspreet Singh and Jaswinder Singh. Both of them died on the spot. In another case, a truck-trailer loaded with tractors hit a bike on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road near Harian Belan, killing Paramjit Singh on the spot. Jagdish Singh of Gogron village was injured.
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School authorities booked for hurting religious sentiments
Sangrur, October 24 The case has been registered on the complaint
of members of the Valmiki community. Sources said on the occasion of ‘Pargat Divas’ of Bhagwan Sri Valmiki on October 8, the school was not closed by its management and a film on the life of Bhagwan Valmiki was shown to students on the life of Bhagwan Valmiki. Valmiki community members alleged the film contained objectionable contents. Due to this, there is resentment among community members against the school authorities. The state leadership of the community had warned the police a few days ago that if they did not register a case against school authorities, they would intensify their agitation at the state level. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sangrur, Gurpreet Singh Dhindsa confirmed this evening that the police had registered a case against the management of the school. He said they were investigating the case.
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Phagwara, October 24 The complainant in his complaint lodged with the police alleged that the accused had kept him in the dark by hiding the status of documents and had taken the complete amount from him. — OC
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Three of family killed in bus-car collision
Bathinda, October 24 Sahara Jan Sewa and Naujawan Welfare Society volunteers extricated the bodies. They rushed the injured to a private hospital. The deceased have been identified as Gagandeep Mittal (44), his wife Kusam Devi (40) and his mother Puspa Devi (70), residents of Model Town, Phase-1. The family was returning to Bathinda after paying obeisance at a religious place in Talewala village of Barnala district. The police said a case had been registered against the bus driver. The bus had been impounded. He said the driver would be arrested soon. Sangrur: A four-year-old girl, Khushpreet Kaur, was killed in a road accident near Nihalgarh village today. The incident happened when the motorcycle her father was driving rammed into a roadside tree. Khushpreet’s parents Gurdeep Singh (30) and her mother Amarjeet Kaur (27), residents of Lehragaga, sustained injuries. Khushpreet’s one-year-old brother escaped unhurt. The family was going to Cheeka town to meet
their relatives. In another accident, a 32-year-old labourer, Shambhu Prashad, died after a Scorpio car allegedly hit his bicycle on the Sangrur-Mehlan road near Sibia village (near Sangrur) on Thursday. He was going towards Sangrur to shop for Diwali. He died on the way to the Sangrur Civil Hospital. The Sunam Sadar police arrested the car driver, Ram Niwas, a resident of Balawamas village, Sekar (Rajasthan). A case was registered against the driver under Sections 279, 304-A and 427 of the
IPC.
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The SAD–BJP alliance is everlasting, said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while talking
to mediapersons on the sidelines of the Vishwakarma Day celebrations at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan here today.
He said the SAD would always be an integral part of the
BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
Case 1: As many as 276 persons from the low income group doled out savings amounting to Rs 6 lakh to purchase LIG flats of the Bibi Bhani Complexscheme of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust. The scheme launched on November 17, 2009, was to be completed by May 16, 2011. The basic structure of the flats was constructed three years ago but owing to pending interior work, the allottees are still awaiting possession of flats.
