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Ward delimitation pending, municipal poll now in Jan
SAD-BJP will try to polarise voters: Bajwa
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Akal Takht, SGPC pass the buck on calendar row
Shrinking govt grant leaves Pbi varsity in a mess
unbundling of fci
Realtors eye Shivalik foothills; land prices surge in Pathankot
Few people in BJP creating rift: Cheema
BJP’s Amritsar unit defends CPS Sidhu
Get Centre’s nod for foreign tours, IAS officers told
State seeks Central package for cleaning rivers
Mann visits adopted village Benra, promises assistance
Irregularities at NIT: Director told to go on leave, several officials replaced
Framing of charges against cops adjourned again in drugs case
Cops told to crack down on illegal lotteries
shaheedi jor mela
Sugarcane crushing season begins
Stir off as e-trip goes in Mandi Gobindgarh
Engineers oppose appointment of advisers
Colony’s road link with Abohar cleared
Shops offered to traders near Golden Temple
Women burn Bajwa’s effigy
A sufferer herself, she assists domestic violence victims in US
Vidhu case: State can’t escape responsibility, says High Court
16 dera followers booked for
clashing with Sikh groups
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Ward delimitation pending, municipal poll now in Jan
Chandigarh, November 20 Sources in the Local Bodies Department told The Tribune that for the two municipal corporations of Pathankot and Mohali, even the draft notification had not yet been issued. While the ward delimitation in Pathankot was not yet complete, in Mohali, the government had received over 50 objections which had to be dealt with before the ward delimitation was finalised. Similarly, for two municipal councils of Gurdaspur and Arniwala, the ward delimitation work was incomplete. Though initially it was believed that the municipal poll would be held in December, the elections have now been pushed to January. Official said the final notification of ward limitation had been issued for 60 municipal councils and draft notification had been prepared for another 60. Of the 60 councils whose draft notification is ready, 30 are pending for final notification after the objections received from public have been settled. For the remaining 30 councils, the department is in the process of settling the objections. Other than the two above mentioned municipal corporations, elections to four newly created corporations of Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Bathinda and Moga, too, are to be held. The sources say the case for issuing final notification is still pending with Local Government Minister Anil Joshi. “We hope that these will be cleared by the end of this week,” said an official. The sources say because of the ward delimitation process, they are receiving several objections from public and it is taking time to settle the objections. “Based on the population, the blocks in each place have been clubbed to form a ward. On an average, each ward has an average population of 3,000 persons. The objections raised are not political, but technical as adjacent houses have now been assigned separate wards,” said the officer, adding that they would be able to complete all notifications only by the end of the month.
Notifications delayed
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SAD-BJP will try to polarise voters: Bajwa
Amritsar, November 20 Bajwa attended various public meetings organised by former MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa at Rayya today to mobilise support for the Congress in the municipal poll. He termed the elections as “semi-finals” before the Assembly elections. He said the Congress would join hands with the PPP and the Sanjha Morcha. “I would also approach the CPI so that all anti-communal forces are brought on one platform,” he said. He said the ruling alliance would try to polarise voters on communal grounds. “The Chief Minister has given a veiled threat to people by stating that the SAD-BJP break-up would create communal disharmony in the state,” he alleged. Even as Bajwa and Capt Amarinder Singh are often at loggerheads, Bajwa praised him stating that during his tenure as Chief Minister, all communities had flourished in the state. On political situation in case of SAD-BJP break-up, Bajwa said: “Even if both the parties part ways and contest independently, they would make a post-poll alliance saying it is required for peace in Punjab.” He alleged people were fed with the SAD-BJP government.
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Akal Takht, SGPC pass the buck on calendar row
Amritsar, November 20 Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said, "We would certainly like this confusion to end so that we don't have to change Gurpurb dates in future. We have also kept a provision for making further amendments." He, however, said they had received no suggestions till now. He also made it clear that the two-member panel comprising SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, which was constituted for making amendments to the calendar a few years ago, would have to take the initiative, if any changes were to be made. Makkar threw the ball in Akal Takht's court saying "whatever Akal Takht decides on the issue will be acceptable to us. We have always acknowledged the supremacy of Akal Takht." On the other hand, the newly constituted team of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) is contemplating to hold a "World Sikh Convention" at Nankana Sahib to deliberate on the issue. Talking to The Tribune on the phone from Pakistan, PSGPC member Gopal Singh said they were to hold the convention alongside Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrations early this month, but could not do so because some key Sikh leaders from Indian and Germany could not reach Pakistan due to visa issues. He said they would soon announce a fresh date for the convention. The Sikh leaders in Pakistan plan to extend an invitation to the Jathedars of all five Takhts, besides key Sikh organisations like the SGPC and the DSGMC for the convention. Former PSGPC president Bishen Singh said, "We may be having our differences with the SGPC over the calendar issue, but we would welcome them to air their views. We will also be sending invites to Sikh leaders in countries like the USA, the UK, Canada and even Afghanistan. We wish to bridge the divide in the community and work for the unity of Sikhs across the globe." The PSGPC follows the original Nanakshahi calendar, while the SGPC follows its amended version. In the past, the SGPC and the PSGPC had been at loggerheads over the Nanakshahi calendar row. Giani Gurbachan Singh, Akal takht jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar,
SGPC president
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CM inaugurates centre of excellence for citrus fruit
Khanaura (Hoshiarpur), November 20 Badal called such centres as harbingers of the second Green Revolution. He expressed hope that these centres would help in bailing out the beleaguered peasantry from the current agrarian crisis. Badal said the centres would help in saving the exhausted natural resources of the state and bring about all-round development. The centre will conduct research in various varieties of fruit from Israel and elsewhere. The saplings of new improved varieties will be provided to farmers. They will also get technical training. The Chief Minister said the state-of-the-art facilities available at the centre of excellence would double the per hectare productivity of citrus fruit. He said it would also motivate farmers to increase the area under citrus fruit cultivation from the existing six percent to 10 per cent of the cultivable land in the state. Badal exhorted farmers to grow crops other than wheat and paddy. “The water table is depleting fast and the soil is no longer rich in nutrients. We are facing a grave crisis,” he said. He said farmers should take to allied agriculture activities such as dairy farming, etc. The CM urged the people to play a proactive role in eradicating the menace of drugs. He claimed the state government was taking steps to check the drug menace. Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers Jathedar Tota Singh and Sohan Singh Thandal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh, MLA Surinder Singh Bhullewal Raathan and Dr GS Kalkatt, chairman, Punjab Farmers’ Commission. On the occasion, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla lauded the Chief Minister for setting up the project in the kandi area of the state. Sampla said the need of the hour was to encourage food processing industry. Ambassador of Israel Daniel Carmon, said the centre would lay the foundation of good health of the future generations. Badal mum on Sidhus Hoshiarpur: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal chose not to comment on former MP Navjot Sidhu's outbursts against the SAD leadership. "I have nothing to say about anyone,” he said.The Chief Minister said the SAD would contest the coming Delhi Assembly poll in alliance with the BJP. — OC Will benefit farmers
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Shrinking govt grant leaves Pbi varsity in a mess
Patiala, November 20 The university is facing a Rs 157 crore deficit. While the university’s expected income for this year is Rs 280.44 crore, the expected expenditure has touched Rs 437.80 crore. This means the university’s income has gone up by 6.5 per cent while its expenditure has risen by 34 per cent. A major part of this increased expenditure is being spent on salaries. The university this fiscal year will be spending Rs 41.71 crore (against Rs 31.80 crore) on salaries to non-teaching employees. It will be spending Rs 185 crore (against Rs 118 crore) to the teachers. The university expenditure, that stood at Rs 264 crore in 2011-2012, has recorded an increase of Rs 173 crore in the past three years. To make matters worse, the government grant has been steadily falling. Till about 15 years ago, the state government was taking care of 76 per cent of the university budget as grant. This has now declined to 20 per cent. Higher Education Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said he had apprised the Chief Minister of the matter and the government would release all pending grants in a fortnight. “Funds will not be a hindrance,” he said. Even as the university has been entrusted with the task of running nine constituent colleges at Ghudda, Sardulgarh (Mansa), Jaito, Dhilwan (Barnala), Moonak (Sangrur), Chunni Kalan (Fatehgarh Sahib), Ghanour, Mirapur and Mansa, it is yet to receive money (Rs 15 crore) from the government to maintain these colleges and pay salaries to the staff. The university authorities had raised the admission fee for all its courses and the examination fee by 10 per cent. But with students resorting to protests, it rolled back the admission fee and increased the examination fee by 5 per cent. Now, the students want their fee refunded. University Vice Chancellor Jaspal Singh could not be contacted for comment despite several attempts.
rising expenditure
student unrest
campus clash 8.30 am Students gather at the university gate; university officials seek administration’s help 9.20 am SDM Gurpal Chahal reaches the site along with DSP Gurdev Dhaliwal 9.30 am Police opens lathicharge as DSP’s turban tossed; DSP slaps a student leader 9.40 am Angry students block the university’s entry gates, resort to sloganeering 10 am Students injured in another police lathicharge; Students retaliate with bricks, stones 11 am Senior officers rushed to the troubled spot, additional force summoned
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unbundling of fci
The committee set up to prepare a road map for the unbundling of the FCI, which procures, stacks and distributes foodgrain in various parts of the country, will visit Chandigarh on November 28 and November 29. Punjab has been clubbed with Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for discussions on the issue. Not happy over the arrangement, the Punjab government has told the authorities that in view of the state’s contribution to the national food pool, it should be given a day to put across its view before the committee. Sources said Food and Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon wants to discuss all points related to the FCI functioning, consequences of its unbundling and future arrangements with the committee members. The thinking in the state government is that the FCI deliberately creates problems in procurement of foodgrain from Punjab and its unbundling will be good for the state. But it fears that the FCI unbundling could lead to the procurement process going into private hands and this could create major problems for a food-surplus state like Punjab. The other big issue is settling the food account with the Cente. The matter, that has been hanging fire for the past 10 years, involves a sum of Rs 42,000 crore. Obviously, it would have to be settled before the arrival of fresh wheat in April. Or else the Centre would once again object to releasing the cash credit limit for wheat procurement, as it had done a few weeks ago in case of paddy. Minister Kairon had to camp in Delhi to get the money released to make payment to farmers. “We are pressing for charges for transporting paddy from the grain markets to rice mills. The Punjab government is also seeking a 3 per cent infrastructure development cess on grain procured for the central pool. Then there is a dispute over handling charges. “We have foodgrain in our stock worth Rs 20,000 crore. We will be paid when this stock is transferred to the central pool,” said an official. “The actual dispute is regarding Rs 10,000 crore, that includes the transport charges, and an additional Rs 13,000 crore as interest on money taken for procurement during the past few years. We have sent the detailed account to the Union Finance Ministry,” he said.
The dilemma
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Realtors eye Shivalik foothills; land prices surge in Pathankot
Pathankot, November 20 Real estate developers had been eyeing this area ever since Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna announced his intention of developing the lake as a state-of-the-art water sports project during his 2004-2009 tenure. However, nothing concrete could be achieved by the MP. Now, with ten top corporate executives of the hospitality sector and owners of five-star hotels paying a visit to the site in a chartered plane from Delhi, realtors are seeing a lot of “potential” in the area once it is turned into a tourist spot. Sources said several politicians had also developed a keen interest in the Dhar block as many were acquiring thousands of acres of land there. Some rich farmers have also constructed farmhouses here. Dhar block is an area from where a bridge is to be constructed to bring tourists to the twin islands in the lake. The parched hills, which were of little interest to anyone, have suddenly started breathing life. Earlier, this area — considered to be one of the most backward regions of the state and inhabited by only wild animals — was viewed with a certain degree of interest only by people in the education business. They purchased vast tracts of land at cheap rates from poor farmers and raised large buildings in the name of providing education. Apart from these people, some local hoteliers also managed to purchase land from agriculturists at below par prices and constructed their establishments. “A majority of these structures were constructed on the Pathankot-Dalhousie road and some on the Shahpur Kandi road. Still the big fish in the property dealing business showed little interest. However, when news spread like wildfire that the state government was indeed serious about developing the twin islands on the pattern they have in Singapore and Malaysia, queries started flowing in,” claimed Anil Vij, former president of the Pathankot Municipal Committee. “The rates of land are bound to rise in the near future and keeping this in view, nobody wants to be left out of the race. Real estate owners are keenly viewing this area and many of them have already invested big money in the region,” said Anil Vasudeva, former chairman, Pathankot Improvement Trust. “When I inquired about land rates a few months ago, they were not much. However, now with the state government planning to develop the lake as a tourist spot, there has been a
sudden increase in the rates,” claimed Vikas Mahajan, a Pathankot-based real estate developer. Why the beeline Ever since Deputy Chief Minister invited top executives of the hospitality sector to the twin islands of Masarba and Kalara, located in the middle of Ranjit Sagar Dam earlier this month, the Dhar block area has sprung to life "When the news spread about the government being serious about developing the Ranjit Sagar lake area like in Singapore and Malaysia, queries started pouring
in" Anil Vij, ex-president, Pathankot municipal committee "The rates of land are bound to rise in the near future... Real estate agents are keenly viewing this area and many of them have already invested a lot of money in the
region" Anil Vasudeva, Former chairman, Pathankot Improvement Trust
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Few people in BJP creating rift: Cheema
Ludhiana, November 20 Interacting with mediapersons, Dr Cheema clarified that the government did not plan to close down any affliated school. The Education Department had simply sought self-evaluation forms from schools to know about their infrastructure, he said. On the implementation of the Right to Education Act, Cheema said Punjab had implemented the Act in 2010. On 25 per cent reservation for students of economically weaker sections in CBSE schools, Dr Cheema said: “The state government will formulate a policy in this regard because we don’t want the CBSE school run into losses.”
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BJP’s Amritsar unit defends CPS Sidhu
Amritsar, November 20 District BJP Chief Naresh Sharma said Dr Sidhu was a popular MLA who had utilised the funds granted to her constituency "honesty." He gave details of the development works in the Akali Dal-held wards of her Amritsar East constituency. He said Dr Sidhu had used the funds impartially. Sharma said that SAD leaders should desist from hurling allegations against her merely for cheap publicity.
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Get Centre’s nod for foreign tours, IAS officers told
Chandigarh, November 20 The issue has been taken by the Personnel Department after Punjab was pulled up by the Union Government as officers from the state were leaving on foreign visits without taking approval from the Union Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These officers would just proceed on foreign tours and then try to get ex post facto approvals for their visits. But even as new instructions have been issued, there is a lot of heartburn among IAS officers of the state as only a handful of "privileged" officers seem to be going on these "state-sponsored foreign jaunts'. An IAS officer who is about to retire this month has accompanied Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to Spain with nobody knowing how his visit would help the state. Another IAS officer has proceeded on a second foreign tour in a month - first to the UK and now to Morocco. So much for the much-touted austerity measures announced by the state government last month! A Personnel Department spokesperson said all state departments had been asked to obtain clearance from the Union Minister of Foreign Affairs before sending the case to the Personnel Department. He said the department had found that in most cases, the departments sent cadre clearance recommendation without getting the political clearance from the Union Minister of Foreign Affairs or the IAS officers proceeded on foreign visit without getting such approval. The spokesperson said the department had been instructed to get prior approval of the Chief Minister in case there was change in the date of foreign visit of an officer.
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State seeks Central package for cleaning rivers
Chanmdigarh/Delhi, November 20 Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said Punjab had bled itself over the past 67 years to make India self-sufficient on the food-security front. Now, it became the duty of the nation to allocate adequate resources for relining and redesigning of the canal system in one go, besides sanctioning a special package for recharging the fast-depleting groundwater, he said. He was speaking at a conference in Delhi. Seeking a special package for rejuvenating rivers, Dhillon said the excessive use of chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, besides industrial pollution had made water of major rivers unfit for consumption by even animals. "The rising number of cancer cases is a grim reminder that in a mad race to feed the country by increasing our agricultural production, we have inadvertently played havoc with the ecological system. It needs to be brought back on track with liberal help by the Union Government," he said. The Irrigation Minister said the water table in the state was depleting fast. "If the water table continues to deplete at the same pace, days are not far when Punjab will turn into a desert," he said.
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Mann visits adopted village Benra, promises assistance
He said the survey teams would collect data about the arrangements of water supply and electricity in every house. He said the teams would also find out about the literacy and income of the villagers. On the basis of the data, Mann said he would implement 31 schemes of the Central Government to bring all-round development in the village. He said he would speak to the Union Environment Minister to check pollution in the village. He said a zinc factory near Benra village was reportedly polluting groundwater. Mann said he would focus on providing quality education, health care and potable water. He said he had already given Rs 20 lakh from his MPLAD funds to a government school in Sherpur. Mann said the school would construct a new building with the funds. He said he had also released money for the purchase of five ambulance vans in his constituency.
What he plans to do
"I will focus on providing quality education, health care and potable water. I have already given Rs 20 lakh from my MPLAD funds to a school." Bhagwant Mann, Sangrur MP
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Irregularities at NIT: Director told to go on leave, several officials replaced
Jalandhar, November 20 Das will be replaced by AS Ghosh while Sarbjit Singh has been made acting registrar of the institute replacing former registrar Sarbjit Singh Bedi. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the institute in Delhi on Monday. The charges against the director include self-nomination as BoG chairman, grant expenditure in violation of norms, replacing NIT registrar without approval, three visits abroad without MHRD nod, appointment of various deans and HoDs and cases against NIT in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The BoG meeting on Monday took place after a gap of 15 months. As per rules, the meeting should take place every three months. Other office-bearers who have been replaced include nodal legal officer, legal officer, deputy registrar finance. Sources said the NIT staff and students had hailed the decision. A committee, comprising Director IIT, Madras, Director College of Engineering, Pune, and Director IIT Bhopal, constituted by the President of India (who is a visitor of the institute), visited the institute to look into its working. The committee members met directors, deans, senate members, teaching and non-teaching staff and students yesterday. A committee official said: “We have looked into the functioning of the NIT. The report will be sent to the Ministry of Human Resource and Development in two weeks. The MHRD will decide on further action.” The matter was raised by BJP’s Hoshiarpur MP Avinash Rai Khanna in the Rajya Sabha following complaints against the institute. Khanna had also written to the MHRD regarding the NIT and recently visited the institute. Khanna said: “There is a need for administrative reforms at the NIT, Jalandhar. More staff should be recruited and proper placements made to get the institute back on track.”
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Framing of charges against cops adjourned again in drugs case
Moga, November 20 At a time when the court was about to frame charges against the accused policemen, the senior authorities of the police filed an application seeking permission to reinvestigate the case. Amarjit Singh, the then SHO of the Baghapurana police station where the case was registered, has filed an application in the court demanding that a reinvestigation into the case should not be allowed. Fearing that the case may be hushed-up, he claimed the drug recoveries were made in the presence of a DSP-rank officer; therefore, there was no doubt on the investigation carried out by the investigating officer earlier. This is the third adjournment in the case over the past couple of months. A challan has been already submitted against the accused in the court. One of the accused policemen did not turn up for the hearing today, seeking exemption on medical grounds. ASI Jarnail Singh and Munshi Jasbir Singh were arrested from the Nathuwala police post in September 2013, while Head Constable Devinder Singh Billa had managed to escape. Billa later died of cancer. Third adjournment in a couple of months
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Cops told to crack down on illegal lotteries
The government that has already floated tenders to start its own online lottery system is worried that its lotteries won’t attract customers. Sources said the authorities feel that people are hooked to illegal lotteries. Rahul Tiwari, Director, Punjab State Lotteries, recently shot off letters to the Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Police Commissioners across the state. “After the government increased tax on online lotteries, lottery operators of other states such as Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam closed operations. “At present, only the state government is running weekly and bumper lottery schemes. However, illegal lotteries have reduced the profits of the lottery schemes of the state,” the letter reads. Tiwari said he shot off letters after receiving complaints in this regard. “We have received several complaints from Ludhiana and have informed Ludhiana Police Commissioner,” he said. He revealed the department had already floated tenders to start online lotteries which could generate revenue to the tune of Rs 150 crore. The government would engage a private firm to design, set up and operate the online lottery system in the state, he added.
Money spinner
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shaheedi jor mela
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 20 Sekhri said liquor shops within 3 km of Gurudwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib and Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib would remain closed during the event. He said people would not be allowed to set up shops, stalls, conferences or community kitchens on the road from Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Gurudwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib and towards Roza Sharif. He said no one would be allowed to carry weapons and the use of loudspeakers on langar stalls would be banned. The Saheedi Jor Mela is held to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh. They were killed as they had refused to embrace Islam.
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Watchmen demand better wages
Sangrur, November 20 Balraj Singh Nandgarh, state vice-president of the union, demanded that they be issued torches, sticks, two sets of uniform for winter and summer and identification numbers. Nandgarh said they had submitted memorandums time and again to the state government, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the district unit of Punjab Pensioners Welfare Front has extended its support to the agitating
chowkidars.
Not paid enough
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Sugarcane crushing season begins
Jalandhar, November 20 The state government had increased the state advisory price (SAP) of sugarcane crop to Rs 295 this year. All the cooperative and private mills had been directed to pay the new rates to sugarcane producers. Vahla exhorted private players to operate their mills soon so the farmers could sow wheat crop after harvesting the sugarcane crop. He said private mills crushed 75 per cent of the total sugarcane produced. J Ranjit Singh Jhinger, chairman, Nawanshahr Sugar Mill, said the mill was expecting an arrival of 35 lakh quintal of sugarcane. The mill management also honoured the first five farmers to have supplied the sugarcane.
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Stir off as e-trip goes in Mandi Gobindgarh
Mandi Gobindgarh, November 20 He said Chief Parliamentary Secretary NK Sharma, district SAD president Jagdeep Singh Cheema arrived here and assured the protesting industrialists that e-trip system would be scrapped soon. He said the leaders had also assured them that a policy to provide electricity to impose VAT as per the electricity consumed would be framed by November 26.
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Engineers oppose appointment of advisers
Chandigarh, November 20 The organisation has all cadres (right from junior engineers to chief engineers) as its members. A meeting of the forum was held here today. Chief Engineer (Irrigation) Vinod Chaudhry, Chief Engineer (PWD B&R) Rampal, Chief Engineer (Mandi Board) Harpreet Singh Brar and 40 engineers representing various departments attended the meeting. Engineer-in-Chief, Department of Local Bodies Department, Manmohan Singh was unanimously nominated convener of the body. Engineers participating in the meeting discussed difficulties being faced by them. Suggestions were also made for enhancing the quality of development works.
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Authorities impound unregistered vehicles
Faridkot, November 20 The three-wheeler drivers’ association alleged that the move would render them unemployed as they have no other means of earning their livelihood, said Tarsem Lal, president of the drivers’ association. Nachhatar Singh Brar, district transport officer, said the plying of customised and unregistered three-wheelers had been declared illegal by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and they were following the orders by impounding these vehicles. The campaign was intensified after some mini-bus operators approached the high court, alleging that the Transport Department was not complying with the court’s directions. In their complaint, the mini-bus operators stated that as per provisions of Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, no owner of a motor vehicle shall use or permit the use of a vehicle at any public place unless a permit is granted. — TNS
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Five rocket launcher shells found in drain
Ferozepur, November 20 Sources in the Army said the shells were TPT (Target Practice Tracers) of 84-mm rocket launcher used in the practice ranges. It could not be ascertained how and when the shells were dumped there. Army officials said the shells had outlived their usefulness and were not in use. They said their lot and serial number could not be identified. The police said the shells had been handed over to the Army and a probe had been ordered. — OC
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Colony’s road link with Abohar cleared
Abohar, November 20 The residents had been using dumpy lanes adjoining a rail track here as no road link was provided. Sometimes, they crossed the track, through which 28 trains pass each day, putting their lives in danger. Now, with the blockade being removed, residents gave Jakhar a warm welcome when he visited the colony with his party workers. Jakhar blamed SAD MP Sher Singh Ghubaya for the delay in execution of a railway under-bridge and a steel iron over-bridge, besides construction of a pucca road for Ram Nagar residents.
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Shops offered to traders near Golden Temple
Amritsar, November 20 There are at least 17 shops selling religious items such as ‘kirpan and ‘kara’ and religious literature near the main entrance of the holy shrine. The government intends to expand the Central Sikh Museum on the first floor. The shopkeepers’ union leader, Parminder Singh, said the traders were ready to vacate their shops if some modifications were made in the shops offered to them. He demanded three months’ time to vacate the shops. He said the alternative shops were smaller in size, but the rent being sought was high. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said they would hold deliberations with the plaza architect regarding the modifications. He would send a proposal to the government regarding the rent, he said.
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Muktsar, November 20 Anju, president, BJP Mahila Wing, Muktsar, said, “Bajwa has lost his balance due to frustration.” “No politician has any right to speak against a woman. By making derogatory comments, the Congress chief has shown his low mentality,” alleged Anju. — TNS
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A sufferer herself, she assists domestic violence victims in US
Jalandhar, November 20 Ramanpreet said: “They (my in-laws) were defiant during family court hearings. They kept claiming that they being US citizens, I couldn’t do any harm to them. They used to beat me up. My husband had even locked me inside his uncle’s house for 15 days before my parents came to my rescue.” Her father, retired from the electricity board, and her mother, a retired teacher, are at present bearing the expenses of around $2,000 to $2,500 per month for her stay and battle for justice in New York. Ramanpreet married Kulwarn Singh of Hukkad village in Hoshairpur after checking his profile on a matrimonial site last year. She claimed her parents almost spent Rs 30 lakh on her marriage that took place at Richmond Hill Sikh temple on November 16 last year. Nachattar Singh, Ramanpreet’s father, alleged: “They started harassing my daughter soon after we returned to India on December 31 last year. They even threatened to kill her. I approached the state as well as the Union Government, but to no avail.” He alleged Ramanpreet’s in-laws kept her gold jewellery and other valuables. Despite repeated attempts. Kulwarn Singh did not respond to the phone calls. The police reports claimed it to be a case of domestic violence. Ramanpreet has managed to get US work permit under the Violence against Women Act (VAWA), 1994, of the United States Federal Law. She is making efforts to reopen the case against her in-laws. Ramanpreet is now helping and advising other women like her who find themselves at the receiving end on foreign land. “I find solace whenever I help someone like me. I am still trying hard to settle myself after an emotional turmoil. I want to see those behind bars who have left me devastated and abandoned,” she added.
Fight for justice
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Vidhu case: State can’t escape responsibility, says High Court
Chandigarh, November 20 The assertion came after Justice Jitendra Chauhan observed there was nothing on record to suggest “factors or the deficiencies with the state of Punjab as to why the investigation cannot be carried out successfully in the case” Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police was directed to remain present in court on the next date of hearing. Taking up the matter, Justice Chauhan asserted that the request to entrust the investigation to the CBI was considered and deliberated upon by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs with the CBI, which claimed that the matter did not have inter-state or transnational ramifications to warrant such an investigation. Consequently, the Punjab government’s request was not accepted. Justice Chauhan called for the filing of a “detailed reply stating the precise reasons or the incapacity of state of Punjab for not carrying out the investigation”. The case will come up on November 29 for further hearing. Seeking directions for a time-bound CBI probe into the matter under the supervision of a retired High Court Judge for speedy justice, Vidhu’s mother Aarti Jain had earlier sought protection of life and liberty for 2,500 members of the Jain community in Malerkotla area, alleging that they were being targeted by a particular community. She alleged that her son was burnt by five youngsters of Malerkotla town in broad daylight, but the state’s investigation agencies had done did nothing to arrest the culprits. She had sought directions to probe the role of police officials, who had “deliberately” not investigated the case properly and had failed to collect relevant evidence from the crime site, which ultimately helped the accused. She told the court that her son could have been saved, had the police taken him to hospital in time. “Instead of taking him to hospital, they were busy making a video of the incident,” she alleged.
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16 dera followers booked for
clashing with Sikh groups
Ferozepur, November 20 Those booked are Kulwant Singh, Nirmal Singh, Mehal Singh, Surinder, Sukhminder, Vikas, Malkit Singh, Puran Singh, Manjit Singh, Gurbaksh Singh, Ravi Sharma, Harmandeep, Balwinder Singh, Surinder Kumar, Jagjit and Mangal. Another 300 unidentified dera followers were also booked on the basis of a complaint lodged by Mohkam Singh of Chehrata village under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act. Earlier, on Sunday, following the clash which saw over a dozen people belonging to both factions sustaining serious injuries, the police had booked five persons including Gurlal Singh (head granthi, Jogewala village), Dilbagh Singh, Bittu Singh, Lakhvir Singh and Amrik Singh, besides 150 unidentified persons on the basis of statement by Dera followers. The police had to fire gun shots in the air to disperse the mob. The groups had come to loggerheads over holding of a “naam charcha” by Dera followers, which was being opposed by Sikh groups. — OC The issue The clash triggered over holding of a ‘naam charcha’ by Dera Sacha Sauda followers, which was opposed by Sikh groups
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"We will like this confusion to end so that we don't have to change Gurpurb dates in future. We have also kept a provision for making further
amendments."
"Whatever Akal Takht decides will
be acceptable to us. We have always acknowledged the supremacy of Akal Takht."
Chandigarh, November 20
Benra (Sangrur), November 20
Jalandhar, November 20
Jalandhar-based Ramanpreet Kaur (27), was allegedly left stranded by her in-laws in New York