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Tohra denied entry to Central Jail Patiala, December 6 The SGPC President made this sudden announcement in
front of Central Jail here. He was apparently piqued that he had not
been allowed inside the jail with Union Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Earlier, the jail authorities had informed that permission had been
granted to only four persons — Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and two MPs,
Mr Zora Singh Mann and Mr Tarlochan Singh Tur besides Ms Swaraj. The
authorities did not allow Mr Tohra and other leaders inside who had
come to the jail. Former SGPC President Kirpal Singh Badungar and SAD
President’s nephew Manpreet Singh Badal were also not allowed entry.
Mr Tohra, who was very angry, said “Cannot they see that an old
man is standing for two hours. They have not even offered me a
chair.” He said now he would work for taking back the “chair” of
the state from the residents of New Moti Bagh Palace (where the Chief
Minister lives). Terming the next Lok Sabha election as a “jhuggi
te mahal di takkar”, he said he would definitely fight the election
if the SAD nominated him from Patiala. He said he was confident the
Lok Sabha elections would wipe out the Congress from the state. The
SGPC President said they made a mistake by not fighting the last State
Assembly elections. He said it was due to this “mistake” that the
Congress had been able to capture power in Punjab. When questioned
whether his health might allow him to fight the Lok Sabha elections,
he said he was in fine shape and did not visualise any problem on this
score. Meanwhile, senior party leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, who had
fought from the Patiala Lok Sabha constituency thrice said he would
opt out of the contest in case the party chose to give the seat to the
SGPC President. |
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No plea for pre-arrest bail filed: SAD men Chandigarh, December 6 They elaborated that the question of applying for anticipatory bail did not arise as the investigating agency did not pray for warrants of arrest even on presentation of challan. Otherwise, too, the Supreme Court had held that the court, as normal practice, shall release the accused on bail when they appeared in response to summons. The yardstick was not followed in the case in spite of their bona fide conduct, they said. Giving reasons for not challenging the summoning order, they said the law was that the court which issued summons “shall be at first instance apprised of its lack of jurisdiction or sanction to summon the accused”. This was done in the present case on the day the challan was presented in the court by an accused. Describing it as “unprecedented”, they said during the six months of investigation the prosecution did not seek the custody of the Badals. They responded to each and every notice served on them by the prosecution and fully cooperated with the investigation. Efforts, they claimed, had been made to keep the Badals in custody for “longer period” to gain propaganda and political mileage. The fact that former Solicitor-General Harish Salve appeared before the Supreme Court and Punjab’s former Advocate-General H.S. Mattewal was arguing the matter was a pointer to the fact. They argued that the primary prayer to have the case transferred outside Punjab was keeping in mind the fact even before coming to power, the Captain had made statements to the effect that he was going to put the Badals in jail. |
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Ravi Inder’s Akali Dal to burn Badal’s effigy Mansa, December 6 Mr Khiala, while talking to mediapersons here today, said that Mr Badal was trying to equate himself with the Sikh gurus by celebrating his birthday on as in the Sikh
religion only the birthday of Sikh gurus could be celebrated. He said that Mr Badal, who had been exposed for his misdeeds and corrupt practices, was trying to launch a morcha after he had been sent to jail by the court in a corruption case registered against him and his kin by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. He said that now the Sikhs had come to know that it was a personal matter of Mr Badal and not the matter pertaining to Sikh community so there was no need for a morcha. To a question, he said that the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, who had been claiming he would uproot corruption from Punjab, should also take action against those Congress leaders who have been indicted by the Lok Pal for their various acts of omission and commission during the rule of the Congress government in Punjab from 1992 to 1997. He said that some Sikh Congress leaders, who indulged in rampant corruption during the rule of the Congress government, had also brought a bad name to the Sikh community. |
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Khalsa panchayat
assails SAD stand Chandigarh, December 6 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rajinder Singh, convener of the
Khalsa panchayat, came down heavily on SAD for planning the celebrations of Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s birthday at various gurdwaras on December 8. He alleged that in doing so they were violating the norms and traditions of the Panth. The rules stipulate that only gurpurbs can be celebrated at the gurdwaras and celebrating the birthday of a person, who is facing corruption charges amounts to violation of the ‘maryada’. He said in fact the day charges were framed against Mr Badal, that very day he should have quit as the President of SAD. Mr Rajinder Singh said a call had been given to various Panthic organisations to boycott the celebrations but clarified that they would not lodge any counter protest. Members of the Dal Khalsa, various human rights organisations and federations owing allegiance to the Panth have been given a call to decide the future course of action. Answering a question, he said the
Khalsa panchayat would not be contesting the elections but would be supporting the candidates. |
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100 SAD activists arrested Bathinda, December 6 The arrests are allegedly being made under the garb of an anti-social element campaign to cause a setback to the SAD, which has decided to hold a rally in Patiala on December 8 to celebrate the birthday of its President, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The residential premises of various Akali leaders and party functionaries are being raided. Mr Ajay Maluja, SP (Detective) refused to comment on the arrests. |
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Akali workers released Nawanshahr, December 6 |
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Three political bigwigs
face court cases Chandigarh, December 6 One thing common about them is that all three are involved in court cases. While Capt Amarinder Singh is on bail in a case filed against him by Mr Parkash Singh Badal, whose bail application is pending in the court in a separate case filed against him by the Capt Amarinder Singh government. Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is also fighting a legal battle in the court that has also been filed against her by the State Government of which she is part. It is for the first time in the history of Punjab that the entire political focus is on three persons — two former and one serving Chief Minister, who have to appear in courts because of ongoing cases. In a way, state’s politics has become Chief Minister-centric for a while because of political and legal fights. For the past few weeks, the houses of these politicians have become centres of hectic political activity as much to garner support for themselves and also to target one and
another. Capt Amarinder Singh has been focusing on his predecessor, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. While defending himself, Mr Badal has been trying to build a counterattack against Capt Amarinder Singh. Mrs Bhattal, who was earlier reluctant to say anything against Capt Amarinder Singh has now come out in the open against him. She has also blamed Capt Amarinder Singh for the case she has been facing in the court. Because of the ongoing battles among them, it has become a tough job for media persons to keep track of daily happenings which have been occurring rapidly. In fact, the ongoing tussle between Capt Amarinder Singh and Mrs Bhattal has spilled over to even social functions in the ruling party circles. And the fight between Capt Amarinder Singh and Mr Parkash Singh Badal has come out on the roads as Akali leaders have announced a sort of “ morcha” against the State Government. Actually social functions have become big political events for the ruling party politicians, who have been engaged in a political tug of war within their own government. These functions for ruling party politicians have become occasions for political networking and show of strength. On the other hand, Akali leaders have been trying to capitalise on the judicial custody of their leader, Mr Parkash Singh
Badal. They have been mobilising party workers to convert Mr Badal’s birthday on December 8 into a big political event. Interestingly, in recent days social functions in political families are taking place with the same rapid frequency as the political developments. Most politicians are engaged in the task of marrying of their offsprings. Those invited to attend such marriage functions also keenly watch the political developments. In the past days, Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Mr Tej Parkash Singh and Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi, all ruling party ministers, have organised the parties in connection with the marriage of their offsprings. These functions, which otherwise would have passed off as quiet affairs, turned into big events because of the ongoing internal pulls and pressures within the ruling party. Politicians and others interested in the state’s political developments are keenly watching another marriage in the ruling party. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Birdevinder Singh, has fixed the marriage of his daughter on December 12. Obviously, it will be another big
occasion for ruling party politicians to discuss political issues. Another significant development is that only a few politicians from opposition parties have been seen in these marriages. Earlier, such occasions used to be graced by politicians of all hues keeping aside their political affiliations. All this signifies a new wave of bitterness in the state’s political atmosphere. “ Where that bitterness will take the state, no one can answer this question with authority”, says a Punjab watcher. |
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DGP’s plan to reform Punjab jails
Chandigarh, December 6 Mr Bhatnagar had recently gone to Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, along with the Minister of Prisons, Mr Malkiat Singh Birmi, and visited some of the prisons with specialised facilities. The recommendations are part of the report submitted by him after his return. One of the main recommendations pertains to the segregation of prisoners in accordance with their need for treatment, counselling and reformation from the point of ultimate rehabilitation in society. In fact, separate prisons for different category of prisoners will help achieve the desired pace of reforms. There can be more than one prison within a large campus. Another recommendation pertains to the change in the structural design of the prison buildings, some of which were like ancient monuments not fit to house the inmates. Efforts should be made to provide a more humane atmosphere in jails in terms of privacy, hygiene, entertainment, a reasonably comfortable bed with cushion, music through radio or TV, provision of newspapers and magazines and items of toiletries. Since the main task of the department is to bring about reforms, the nomenclature of the Prisons Department should be changed to correctional services department. Further, the aims and objectives of the department and the role of its functionaries should be clearly defined. For example, each warder should know what he is expected to do vis-a-vis a prisoner who is put in his charge in a prison. It has also been recommended that a well-equipped hospital for psychiatric problems should be set up within each prison in view a rise in the number of violent, drug abuse and sex-related offenders. The reformatories should have an intelligence unit to check drug, alcohol, sex abuse, etc. Dog squads should be used to detect drugs and a list of visitors to the drug abusers maintained. Another recommendation pertains to designing the industrial training more innovatively. Diversification of learning skills to include engineering and technology to help them get better jobs once they are out of the jail. Among the other recommendations are provision of surveillance equipment for security in all the prisons, conference facility and setting up a control room at the headquarters for better coordination and supervision of the jails. Lastly, with a view to exposing the members of the department to the latest in the world relating to corrective services, an exchange programme should be started with the NSW Department of Corrective Services whose programmes are certified as ISO-9001. |
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Cabinet expansion after December 10, says Amarinder Patiala, December 6 Talking to newsmen here, the Chief Minister said women and members of the minority community would also be included in the Cabinet. He said a few new faces could also find a place. Capt Amarinder also disclosed that portfolios would also be reallocated after the expansion. The Chief Minister said in order to bring more efficiency in the working ministers having more than one portfolio would be divested of the additional charge. He gave his own example saying he had four portfolios and wanted to delegate responsibility to others by giving up a few of them. Similarly, his Cabinet colleague Lal Singh was also holding two portfolios of Finance and Cooperatives. |
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Board moots EC
model system for exams Chandigarh December 6 As in the case of elections, during the annual examination period the requisite staff on duty should be considered on ‘’deputation’’ to the board. It will assign duties or change duties with no interference of the local district education offices. The examination duty too will be made compulsory, as in respect of election duty. Another proposal was to seek bar on the entry into the examination centers of the police personnel on law and order duty. Even promulgation of Section 144 of Cr. Pc. around the examination centers to keep away unwanted people is proposed. This was the consensus of the first-ever meeting of the district education officers convened by the Punjab School Education Board, Chairman, Dr Kehar Singh, yesterday. The focus was how to eliminate the menace of mass copying that took place with the connivance of teachers on examination duty. At the meeting, DEOs also raised grievances of the staff assigned examination duties. They demanded enhancement in daily allowance for examination duty. At present the rates are Rs 40 for supervisory staff and Rs 60 for superintendents. They were told that eradicating copying was in the larger interest of education. The board has enhanced the travelling allowance of the flying squads to Rs 5 per km from Rs 3 per km. Daily allowance too would be revised. These proposals were expected to be implemented from the next annual examinations in February-March,2004. Dr Kehar Singh said the incidence of copying was fairly high in the three border districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Ferozepore. Usually, the board sets up around 3,000 examination centers for the three examinations. Of late, there has been some success in checking copying but much more was needed to achieved. On the modus operandi of copying, he said question papers were leaked to ‘’professionals’’ waiting outside the centers. ‘’These professionals solve the question papers and courier them inside the examination centers through police personnel on duty or canteen boys. This happens with the connivance of the staff’’, he added. Among the steps to check copying, the board has deiced to set up separate examination centers for private candidates. This was being done in the problem areas. Also, the examination forms of students appearing in the centers in these areas would be duly verified and attested to establish the bona fides of students. No student would be allowed to sit for examination in a centre outside his block. Now ‘’obsevers’’ would be sent to sensitive centers to ensure there were no malpractices, he added. The board prepares a list of examination superintendents and supervisors. Often, some of them opt out and the local district education offices make alternative arrangements, drafting in ‘’professionals’’, who connive with the local examination centre staff and engage in malpractices, like leaking question papers to outsiders. Henceforth, the board has decided to have a standby lists of supervisory staff to be put on examination duty in case an assigned staffer opts out in favour of a professional. Now the next on the list would take over. |
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Punwire
scam: CBI charge sheet in six months SAS Nagar, December 6 Well-placed sources in the agency today revealed that the CBI was on the last leg of its investigation and would file a charge sheet in the alleged Rs 500-crore scam within the next six months. However, one of the accused who is now on regular bail and helping the CBI in investigation, told The Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the unaccounted amount was not more than Rs 5 crore. Claiming that the police did not investigate the matter properly, he has decided to approach the court to file a defamation case against the police for terming this a Rs 500-crore scam. The CBI charges based on the various FIRs registered by the police in 1999 and 2000 are likely to seal the fate of former managing director of the company Gurpal Singh who has been on the run since the scam came to light along with at least 20 others accused in the case, including Ved Prakash, the then executive director, Ashok Jerath, AGM, and A.P. Singh, DGM of the company.
Talking to The Tribune, a senior CBI official said that the CBI was limiting itself to 20 of the total 37 FIRs lodged in the case while the rest had been handled by the Punjab police. Attributing the delay in filing the charge sheet to missing documents, many of which were with the liquidator, the CBI official explained that the investigation was moving at the right pace. Sources informed that while the Punjab police had filed charge sheets in 12 of the FIRs, five cases had been closed following investigation by the police. The police had presented the charge sheets in these cases last year. A majority of the accused, including Ved Prakash, had been arrested. However, the main accused in the various cases, the company's MD from 1985 to 1999, Gurpal Singh, has evaded arrest. Gurpal Singh was declared a proclaimed offender on August 8, 2000. The police suspects that he was hiding in the USA. A red-corner notice was sent through Interpol to trace Gurpal Singh and arrest him. The Punwire scam had come to light in 1999. |
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DCC chief asks party men to stop infighting Faridkot, December 6 In a press statement here today while endorsing the crusade launched by the Chief Minister against the corruption, the DCC president expressed concern over the statement of one of the senior party ministers expressing ignorance about the action taken against Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his son Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal. Mr Brar requested Ms Sonia Gandhi to intervene into the matter. |
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Mann to raise fertiliser scam in Parliament Bathinda, December 6 Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Mr Behru said that party had decided to raise this issue in Parliament as Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab had been supporting a few Congress leaders involved in it and against whom a case was registered by the Vigilance Bureau. He said that though the Vigilance Bureau launched criminal proceedings against those involved in the scam in 1995, a certain persons could not be arrested earlier as Mr Parkash Singh Badal also supported them during his chief ministership. He added that some persons, including senior officials of the Department of Agriculture Punjab, manufacturers of fertilisers and dealers could also not be arrested by the Vigilance Bureau so far. He pointed out that his party’s president, had already taken up this issue with Union Fertiliser and Chemical Minister, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Union Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh for seeking a CBI probe into this scam in which Punjab government officials, fertiliser manufacturers and dealers had misappropriated crores of subsidy meant for farmers. He said if the authorities failed to order a CBI probe into this scam the party would approach the Supreme Court for the same. |
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Vilayat Khan hurts finger Amritsar, December 6 Unnerved by this unsavoury development, which disturbed the smooth performance, the doyen, who had earlier sought the blessing of the crowd, saying that he was not sure if he could perform well in Punjab, which has produced world-class musicians said: “It does not matter if I have hurt my finger in an attempt to make a worthy presentation for such good listeners”. With these remarks, the instrumentalist concluded his recital. |
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Fashion show modified to Punjabi sensibility Amritsar, December 6 Not only was Khalsa College cleared of jerky shamianas on request from choreographer Harmeet Bajaj, the entire garment line was also revamped to reflect the quintessential Punjabi flavour. The air resonated with Punjabi remixes, drawing on Abida Parveen’s mystical melodies. Even the fillers featured giddha and jaago. Alterations ensured that the fashion display progressed without inviting wrath from the custodians of heritage, who had detested inclusion of fashionable stuff on the heritage calendar. While Rina Dhaka’s netted costumes recreated the 1960s skintight look, reminiscent of Asha Parekh, Manish Arora’s fluorescent line underlined the Punjabi element. Gautam Rakha, Shibani and Rahul Rabani’s exuberance was carried elegantly by models Noyonika, Indrani Dasgupta (the face of Allen Solly’s women’s line), Aparna Kumar (the Asmi girl) and the recently crowned Ms International first runners up Shonali Nagrani. The models visited the Golden Temple late last night, immediately after arrival. Today’s fair offered a heady mix of culture and fashion. Holding the fort was Manish, who spoke to The Tribune about his two scintillatingly fresh lines. While the Manish Arora line serves the traditionally-rooted collectors, the fish fry line caters to the wild and the humorous. Ask Manish where exactly does humour fit into his garment scheme and he flaunts his “Bollywood” shirt, dotted with beautiful faces (of Rani Mukherjee, Juhi Chawla) that rule Bollywood. Flashing smiles, he claims, “I love wearing beauty.” Balancing contradictory fashion concerns has been Manish’s forte. He loves experimenting, even to the extent of converting bed sheets into shirts. Even today his garments had unpredictable cuts, enhanced by velvets, sequins and brocades. The collection was traditional, but in sync. Its abundance made it Punjabi. Gautam talked about the magic of affluent silks. A new find of the fashion world, Gautam has trained under Tarun Tahiliyani. Naturally, he pampers clothes with jewels, sequins and zari borders. He, however, clarifies, “No matter how much we indulge, our bread and butter comes from Indian lines.” Model Noyonika confirms this, “We are culturally so bound that we will take long before transition.” Married to a Sikh as she is, Noyonika says she can relate with Punjabi sensibilities, which were carefully handled on stage today. Highlight of the show was the experimental collection by Rina Dhaka, who was not present personally. Gautam explained her style, “Rina’s clothes are wearable. Her designs are an extension of her personality.” Today Rina brought the 1960s era alive on stage by draping her models in skintight kurtas and salwaars made rich by turquoise and maroons. |
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Delayed visa keeps poet Faraaz away Urdu poet Janaab Ahmad Faraaz, who was being anxiously awaited in Amritsar, could not make it to the poetic symposium held today. Confirming that the poet received his visa only after about 11 am today, the organisers informed, “He was in Islamabad when we last spoke to him at around noon. It was difficult for him to drive down.” The kavi dabar went on without Ahmad Faraaz, who was also to be given a samman patra today. The 20 poets who attended the symposium included Surjit Pattar, Rabina Shabnam, Manjit Tiwana, Surjit Marjara, Dr Mohanjit, among others. |
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INTACH to restore lost character of Jallianwala Bagh Amritsar, December 6 Speaking on the fourth day of the Heritage Festival, Mr Mishra also laid emphasis on the regulation of urban planning around the Golden Temple, besides advocating adoption of Debashish Nayak’s Ahmedabad model of involvement of local community in restoring heritage of the city. The Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, Mr Raminder Singh, meanwhile, said the festival would be an annual feature, which would also serve to promote tourism in the region. From the next year onwards, heritage festivals at Patiala, Kapurthala and Amritsar will be held on the same dates. The Patiala festival, scheduled to begin on February 14, 2004, will also feature participation from Kerala and Uttaranchal. |
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Protected gate area encroached upon Amritsar, December 6 The historical structure was built with bricks and limestone
during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is believed that the
Maharaja used to visit the Golden Temple from a route through the
gate. Construction work on the building is still going on even as the
owner has tried to camouflage the new construction by a coat of
whitewash on the outer elevation. Ram Bagh Gate is one of the six
existing gates of the earlier 12 in the city and was declared a
protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act —
1904 in a special notification issued in 1925 by the then Secretary to
the Government of Punjab, J.G. Beazley. The dairy owner has allegedly
tampered with the gate to make way for his own
construction. According to experts, the curvature of the gate and
some windows have been destroyed by the dairy owner to facilitate his
own construction. Besides, many other structures have come up on this
area, including a municipal corporation printing press, a police post
and a public toilet. Mr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, president of the
Aritsar Vikas Manch, has demanded the demolition of all structures
around the gate. Mr K.S. Kang, Municipal Commissioner, said he had
ordered a survey of the site. |
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Police gets digital cameras for use in NDPS cases Chandigarh, December 4 In a letter issued to the Senior Superintendents of Police in all the districts, Punjab’s Additional Director-General of Police (Crime) has stated that the cameras can be used by the officers investigating the cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS). Giving details, the ADGP asserted that the High Court, while deciding an application, had directed that the recovery made under the NDPS Act should be captured, as such digital cameras had been supplied. He also directed the officers to ensure compliance of the directions.
Stressing upon the need for having safeguards to prevent the implication of innocents in drug peddling cases, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel had earlier directed the heads of investigating agencies to “bestow their attention” regarding the feasibility of capturing the recoveries with the “help of digital cameras or some other electronic device”. The order was not the first of its kind aimed at reducing the possibility of implicating innocents in NDPS cases. Earlier also, Mr Justice Goel had paved the way for effective pre-trial disposal of seized contraband for reducing the possibility of the police planting the stuff on innocents. After hearing Punjab’s Deputy Advocate-General Mansur Ali, Mr Justice Goel had clarified that the magistrates, before whom applications were made for disposal of contraband, would deal with the same as per the statutory provisions. In his detailed order regarding the procurement of cameras and other safeguards, Mr Justice Goel had held: “Counsel for the state says that he has learnt about a proposal in the Punjab police to secure video cameras.... He is not aware about the status of compliance of the direction or about adoption of any other adequate safeguard by the investigating agencies”. The judge had added: “To ensure that justice is done and no innocent is falsely implicated, and at the same time no guilty person is allowed to escape on account of lack of adequate material, interest of justice does require heads of investigating agencies to bestow their attention to this important aspect without any loss of time and issue appropriate directions to all those dealing with the investigation of such cases, if this aspect has not been already been dealt with appropriately”. The judge had concluded: “Counsel for the state submits that there is difficulty of finances. It is not clear why a photographer, normally used by the police for taking photographs of scenes of occurrences, cannot be pressed into service. It will not require special provision of finances. Let counsel take instructions from the state....” |
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AIDS-infected fight a losing battle Chandigarh, December 6 The case came to light when volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva discovered the woman and her daughter in a miserable condition in the Baba Deep Singh locality in Bathinda on December 2. The victims’ house was found full of liquid and solid waste and without electricity. Thereafter, the woman and her child were admitted to the Civil Hospital by the volunteers, where doctors described their condition as critical. The PSHRC took cognizance on a complaint by Ms Veena Kumari, Coordinator, Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), stating that after the death of the woman’s husband, a truck driver, she was disowned by her in-laws as well as her parents. Now the woman along with her daughter was living in a miserable condition. The doctors confirmed that the woman and her child had tested HIV positive and were being kept in a separate ward, the NGO added. |
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BJP writes to Jagmohan on building bylaws Bathinda, December 6 In a letter to Mr Jagmohan, Mr Sham Lal, convener of the legal cell of the local unit of the BJP pointed out that people of this city had been facing harassment at the hands of state and Central agencies for carrying out repair and construction work on commercial establishments. He said fearing harassment, some people had been living in unsafe building and running their business activities from unsafe premises as they were not being allowed to carry out repair work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the municipal corporation authorities. He pointed out that though the local Gobind fort was declared a protected monument under the Central Act enacted in 1953, people had constructed their residences and commercial establishments in its surrounding areas in 1905 when the then Maharaja of Patiala allotted them pieces of land. He said some
establishments were as old as the fort. He urged Mr Jagmohan that laws pertaining to construction around protected monuments should be amended so that people could carry out construction work. |
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PHAGWARA: The National President of Bahujan Samaj Morcha, Mr Satnam Singh Kainth, today demanded a dual voting right for Dalits and a double-constituency system where only Dalits could vote for the Dalit candidates in the so-demarcated constituencies. Addressing various rallies on the death anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in and around the town today, Mr Kainth called upon the poor sections of the society, small farmers, petty shopkeepers and employees to come under the umbrella of the morcha for the solution of their problems. TARN TARAN:
The 47th death anniversary of Dr Bheem Rao Ambedkar was observed on Saturday here by the local Dr Ambedkar mission cell. Mr Tarsem Singh, Mr Sarwan Singh, Mr Paramjit Singh and many others
addressed a gathering on the occasion. Bathinda:
Hundreds of workers of the BSP today held a march in the city and a rally at Ambedkar Park to mark the death anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Mr Sham Singh Jaura, general secretary, BSP, Punjab, was among those present.
— TNS, PTI, OCs |
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PATIALA DIARY EVER since Capt Amarinder Singh became the Chief Minister, his sleepy little hometown has witnessed a spate of political activities, however none so hectic as those following the arrest of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir. With the Badals being lodged at the Central Jail here, dramatic developments keep surfacing. One day it is the suspension of a local SHO who let an arrested Youth Akali leader escape from right under his nose, while the other day Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra along with his supporters threaten to break the gates of the jail if partymen are stopped from visiting the Badals. Meanwhile, Mr Sukhbir continues to breathe fire while swearing revenge on the "raja" everytime he interacts with the Akali leaders. More action is on the cards with the dateline set for Akali “Morchas” drawing near. Sun sets on Patiala gharana With the passing away of Ustaad Bakar Hussein, the last surviving scion of the Patiala gharana this side of the border, Hindustani classical music has received a blow it may never recover from. The frail old man died in the bylanes of Malerkotla. His presence had lent a dignity to this town which will remain so for times to come. The death of this "Taan da kaptaan" in penury reflects on the dilemma of old masters who find it impossible to eke out a livelihood following the withdrawal of royal patronage in the post-independence era. Honest man back
in seat The PSEB has done well to re-employ on contract basis its Senior Engineer and Chief Engineer (Systems Operation), Mr Padamjit Singh, as Adviser to Member (Operations) following his retirement. A role model for officers of the city, he is respected for his honesty and devotion. His farsightedness saved the board crores of rupees during the recent paddy season. With an excellent track record untouched by on controversy, Mr Padamjit is one of the best-known figures in the city and uses a bicycle as a mode of transport. Hospitality takes a beating The attitude of officials concerned combined with the callousness of a local canteen contractor have placed Patiala hospitality under a cloud. Nearly 62 young teachers from Orissa, Assam, Kerala and Bihar who are here to undergo a language course, have boycotted meals being served to them, besides threatening to go on an indefinite fast. The teachers who have been in the city since July to attend a 10-month course to learn Punjabi, Urdu and Kashmiri have been lodged at the Northern Regional Languages Centre. They are opposing the "substandard" food being served to them. |
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I became approver
by choice, says Dheera Patiala, December 6 Deposing in the court of Sessions Judge A.N. Jinadal here, Dheera claimed during cross examination that he had become an approver in the case on his own accord and had not been coerced into this act. He denied that he had given statements to the press stating that he was being forced to become an approver in the case by the Vigilance authorities. Earlier, while answering another question, Dheera claimed that Vigilance department Superintendent of Police Mukhtiar Singh had drafted an application in this regard on July 17 last year. |
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Medical camp held at
ex-servicemen’s rally Fatehgarh Sahib, December
6 The district
administration will extend all facilities to the ex-servicemen and
take steps to improve the living standards of ex-servicemen by
extending all sorts of assistance to them, said Mr S. K. Ahluwalia,
Deputy Commissioner-cum-President, District Sainik Board, while
addressing a state-level ex-servicemen’s rally organised on the eve
of Armed Forces Flag Day by the District Sanik Board on the MG College
grounds here yesterday. He said, “We are enjoying Independence due
to the sacrifices of soldiers". He said ex-servicemen, who were
known for commitment and devotion, could help in a big way to root out
social evils like drug addiction, female foeticide, dowry, etc. He
said it was our moral duty to pay tributes to the martyrs and to show
solidarity with the widows of the martyrs’ families, orphan children
and disabled soldiers who made supreme sacrifice for the country as
well as for the serving soldiers, who were defending our borders. On
this occasion, a medical check-up camp was also organised, where
specialist doctors from various fields and dental surgeons examined up
the patients and medicines were provided to them free of cost.
Information stalls were set up by the Territorial Army to train the
youth for employment as well as to give information to ex-servicemen
and their wards regarding employment opportunities. All the
government departments organised different exhibition stalls depicting
the achievements of the government so that the ex-servicemen could
benefit from different government-sponsored schemes. The war widows,
gallantry and meritorious award winners were honoured. Financial
assistance of Rs 300 per month to 188 ex-servicemen and Rs 45,000 for
marriages of daughters of nine ex-servicemen was given besides other
grants. Addressing the rally, Col N.S. Pall, District Sainik Welfare
Officer, said in the memory of martyrs a memorial would be constructed
soon at Fatehgarh Sahib, while the construction of a Sainik Guest
House would also be completed soon. He said that a gallery had been
set up at Fatehgarh Sahib in which brief biographies of the martyrs
since 1947 had been displayed. Among those who addressed the rally
included Lt-Col Iqbal Singh, Mr Amrik Singh, DDPO, Mr S.S. Balagan,
VP, District Sanik Board. |
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Doctors cross over to Pak Amritsar, December 6 The doctors went to attend the two-day 16th World Conference of General Medical Practitioners, which began in Lahore today. Dr Satish Chander Chug, vice-president of the Indian Medical Association and leader of the delegation, told mediapersons that they would like to treat patients in Pakistan if the Pakistan Government wanted so. He said the Indian Government should allow Pakistan doctors to practise in India or go in for higher education here. Similarly, the Pakistan Government should allow Indian doctors to practise there. The doctors urged both governments to ease visa restrictions. |
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Medical teachers back Civil Surgeon Amritsar, December 6 The local politicians, including ministers, MLAs, the Mayor and the PPCC President had sought his immediate transfer during a public meeting held by the Chief Minister on Thursday. Dr Baljit Singh
Dhillion, secretary of the MDTA, alleged that a “corrupt lobby” of some doctors was responsible for action against Dr Singla who had been endeavouring to stamp out corruption ever since his posting as Civil Surgeon here. Dr Singla had been pursuing the agenda of Capt Amarinder Singh so far as eradication of corruption was concerned, he claimed. The Health Transport Workers Union also held an emergency meeting under the presidentship of Mr Balwinder Singh and urged the Chief Minister not to transfer him. The meeting said the action against Dr Singla would embolden the ‘corrupt elements’ in the department. The union sought a high-level inquiry in this regard. |
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Ex-servicemen hold rally Hoshiarpur, December 6 Brig R.K. Yadav, DDEME of 11 Corps, was the guest of honour in the rally. A medical camp was also held which included a dentist session. As many as 157 ex-servicemen were examined. Cheques amounting to Rs 8.44 lakh were given to 25 ex-servicemen families. Employment letters were given to four dependents of ex-servicemen. |
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3 die, 2 hurt in accidents Nawanshahr, December 6 |
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One dead, 4 hurt in mishaps Phagwara, December 6 In the first accident motorcyclist Gurdip Singh of Sangatpur village died while his pillion rider Hardial Singh of Khera village received injuries when their motocycle skidded near Chiheru village on GT Road. Both are employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board. Gurdip Singh was going to Jalandhar to collect bills. Hardial Singh is hospitalised here. In the second accident two JBT teachers Mr Rajan Kanda and Ms Upasna Madaan received injuries when their motorcycle was hit by a car near Khurampur village while they were coming from Panshat village after duty. They are admitted in a private hospital. In the last incident Jaswinder Singh was injured when he fell while engaged in lintel work at Gulabgarh village. He was also hospitalised here. |
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Six hurt in accident Fazilka, December 6 Six persons, who had come here from Ferozepore area to attend marriage in the morning yesterday were going back in a car. The car collided with a
tractor-trailor coming from opposite direction near Ladhuka village 16 km from here. Car driver Balwinder Singh (20), Pippal Singh (25), his sister Sukhvinder Kaur (18), Lovepreet (5), all residents of Malsian village near Ferozepore, Gurdev Singh (24) and his mother Jasbir Kaur (55) resident of Toor also of Ferozepore subdivision were injured. All injured were admitted in local civil hospital where their condition is said to be stable. |
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Anti-pollution march held Jalandhar, December 6 The march, which was jointly flagged off by Mr Philip McDonagh, Ambassador of Ireland, and Mr Avtar Henry, Punjab Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, at the Circuit House, passed through various roads and lanes. Mr McDonagh stressed the need for environmental conservation and awareness so that developing countries like India could have sustainable development for its next generations. |
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Dalits’ dharna
against administration Sangrur, December 6 A clash between the Dalits and landlords of Hasanpur village took place on November 11 over a piece of “shamlat” (common land) in the village. In the clash 20 persons from both sides were injured. The police registered a case against 18 persons after the clash. The rally was addressed, among others, by Mr Narinder Nindi, Mr Bhola Singh, leader of the Bahujan Samaj Morcha, Mr Zora Singh Cheema, a BSP leader, and Ms Kulwinder Begum, leader of the Istri Sabha. The speakers demanded that Section 307 of the IPC be added to the FIR registered against the landlords. |
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Zail Singh's daughter-in-law dead Moga, December 6 She is survived by her husband Joginder Singh and three sons. She complained of pain in the chest and was taken from her Sandhwan village residence to a private hospital at KotKapura yesterday, where she breathed her last.
— PTI |
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Directive to demarcate 2 acres for gaushala Kharar, December 5 Taking a cue from the UT, the SPCA, Kharar, had offered to run a gaushala in the town to meet the stray cattle menace, following which the DC, Ropar, had marked the request to SDM, Kharar. The BDPO has been directed to look for at least 2 acres in any of the nearby villages which can be used to store stray cattle and other animals. |
Ex-cop held for Rs 1.22 cr looting Jalandhar, December 6 Director General of Police A.A. Siddiqui here said Mohan Singh, alias Maqbool, of Patiala, and Manpreet, alias Preeti, of Nakodar in this district were nabbed from their farmhouse in Sadhav village of Kutch on December 3 by a special Punjab police team. The duo, along with their third accomplice Darshan Singh, also of Patiala, was on the “most wanted” list of the website of Jalandhar as well the Punjab police. They were declared proclaimed offenders on August 1 last year. The two were remanded in police custody by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Naliya, and after procuring their transit remand they have been brought here for further interrogation. Mr Siddiqui said on the early morning of October 16, 2001, Sanjiv Sharma, Manager of the Tata Finance Amex Limited, and his colleague, Manish Sharda, were going on a scooter from their office in the Delta Chambers to the railway station to board the Delhi-bound Shatabdi with a suitcase full of foreign currency. When they reached near Maya Hotel, a Contessa car hit their scooter from behind and they fell down on the road, after which two youths, who came out of the car, started beating Manish Sharda and later disappeared with the currency bag containing foreign currency worth Rs 1.22 crore. The kingpin of the gang and the mastermind behind the robbery was identified as Mohan Singh, alias Maqbool, a resident of Lang village in Patiala district. He and his two accomplices — his girl friend Manpreet, alias Preeti, a resident of Shankar village near Jalandhar, and his friend Darshan Singh, a resident of Lang village, were believed to have managed to flee. As part of a special campaign, a secret information was received that Mohan Singh and Manpreet had bought a farm house in Sadhav village in Kutch district of Gujarat and were living together after changing their identities. A police party comprising Mr Rakesh Kaushal, SP, Mr Dharam Singh, DSP, Inspector Pritam Singh and ASI Raman Kumar were sent to Sadhav village where they arrested the accused, who were brought here for interrogation. According to Mr Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, during investigation, it was revealed that Mohan Singh and Darshan Singh were working as Head Constables in a battalion of the Punjab Police. As he was living in a rented accommodation in the Rama Mandi area in a house owned by Preeti’s parents, he allegedly developed illicit relationship with Preeti, which coupled with dream to live a lavish life, drove him to plan a big heist and found a willing accomplice in Darshan Singh. They watched the movements of employees of the company and as planned, the cash was robbed by Mohan Singh, Darshan Singh and two other accomplices. Later, Mohan Singh called his wife at Manali and asked her to bring his child Harry to meet him and took the latter on a pretext and disappeared. He then bought a 56-acre farm house in the Kutch village and also built a palatial house for himself and changed his name to Vijay Singh and that of Preeti to Manjit Kaur. Mr Bhullar said efforts were being made to redeem property of Mohan Singh and to know the whereabouts of Darshan Singh.
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2 cops held
for graft Amritsar, December 6 The accused are Salwinder Singh (Inspector), Rachhpal Singh (head constable), Tarsem Singh and Nishan Singh, who used to work as agents for the Inspector. Mr R.P.S. Bajwa, SSP, Majitha, said that one Suba Singh, resident of Brar village, Lopoke, in a complaint had alleged that the accused officials kept him in illegal detention at CIA staff Majitha on October 10 and took Rs 52,000 to release him. He said he along with Hardip Singh of same village were admitted to Sahibzada Ajit Singh de-addiction centre at Chheharta on October 6. He alleged on October 10, the said cops along with 10-15 more policemen forcibly took both of them to CIA staff Majitha. Suba Singh further alleged he was tortured by the accused who were demanding money for releasing them. They were later agreed on Rs 52,000 for releasing him. |
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Rs 1.50 lakh hawala money seized Kapurthala, December 6 In a press note yesterday Mr S.K. Asthana SSP told that after taking this hawala money from Manjit Singh of Ludhiana Sushil Kumar was going on his scooter for delivering it to the customers Dalip Singh of Bariar village, Bishan Kaur of Pandori village and Charan Kaur of Fatehgarh village under Bholath police station when he was nabbed by the police. Mr Asthana said that Gurmel Singh a resident of Adampur was operating in hawala money business in France had sent the money for delivery to the kin of those residing abroad. The police has confiscated the money under Section 102 of Cr. P.C. |
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Youth’s body identified Kharar, December 6 According to prima facie information available with the police, the victim was murdered as he was reportedly having illicit relations with a married woman of nearby Vadala village. The police has registered a case under Section 302/ 201/34 of the IPC against the woman. |
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3 held for Mahant’s murder Moga, December 6 The police identified those arrested as Sukhjit Singh, Jagseer Singh and Sukhdev Singh, all residents of the area around the dera. Investigations revealed that illicit relations of the Mahant with a woman of that area led to his murder.
— UNI |
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Six held for stealing cars Barnala, December 6 Dr Narinder Bhargav, SSP today identified the arrested as Kanshi Ram, Suresh Kumar, Chattar Singh, Sanjay and Ram. Dr Bhargav said they had stolen a bag of gold ornaments a woman's purse, cash and household goods etc. of Charanjit Singh of Khiali. A case has been registered by Dhanaula Police Station. The police recovered gold ornaments, woman’s purse, cash and household items of Charanjit Singh. |
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Racism not natural, says Dr Buttny of USA Patiala, December 6 Dr Buttny said racism was not natural, but socially constructed. White racism in America had a long history, it still existed today and was sustained by unequal distribution of wealth and power. Focusing on racial talk in everyday life in America, Dr Buttny highlighted that cultural ignorance of the black modes of communication on the part of the whites and the latter’s “perception of difference” as threatening were important variables in producing racism in America. He added that on the positive side, multiculturalism was becoming popular, at least in academics. Earlier the Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Prof Bhupinder Singh, remarked that terrible atrocities had been committed on human beings in the name of superior race, religion and civilisation. White racism, proselytising religion and the misguided ideology of modernism and progress had led to the subjugation of non-western peoples of the world. Dr Buttny is Professor in the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Syracuse University and is on a short visit to India to teach inter-cultural
communication to the students of journalism and mass communication of Punjabi University. Dr Buttny’s lecture was followed by a discussion in which Prof Bhupinder Singh, Prof Kamaljit Kaur Gill, Prof Birinderpal Singh, Prof Malkit Kaur and Dr S.P Singh of Human Biology Department participated. |
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First-aid competition held Patiala, December 6 As many as 47 teams from various schools, colleges, factories of the HLL and Horlicks and the Punjab Police took part in the competition. In senior (boys) group, H.L.L, Rajpura, Baba Deep Singh Institute of Punjab Police, Sant Nirankari Mandal and Horlicks Factory, Nabha, received prizes. In junior (boys) Section, Government Multi-Purpose School, Pheel Khana, Bahadurgarh, Government Model High School, Nabha and Banwara received prizes. Speaking on the occasion, honorary secretary of the Red Cross Poonamdeep said it was duty of each citizen to help the injured and for this he must take first aid training and identity card from the Red Cross. Principal of the host college B.S. Sidhu said each team member demonstrated how to attend accident cases on roads, transport the injured on stretchers and cross through wires, roads and other obstacles. Speaking on the occasion, District Education Officer (Secondary) Pritpal Kaur Sidhu informed that the state government had introduced first aid as a subject in schools. She added that life-saving training was imparted to students. |
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V-Sat link for 400 PTU centres Jalandhar, December 6 Mr S.K. Bhatia, Director (Distance Education) in a press conference said the university would network all its learning centres from Kargil to Kanya Kumari and deliver guest lectures to students in a two-way communication mode. |
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