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Cable operators in RCF manhandled
Two arrested for raping minor
14 school students caught copying
Rains prove good for wheat, bad for mustard, say experts
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‘Rs 16 cr invested in medium, small scale industries in past
Commemorative stamps on defence forces released
Alleged police inaction in attempted murder case
Thieves’ gang busted
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Cable operators in RCF manhandled
Kapurthala, March 28 The women were “agitated” over the telecast of the recorded interview of Mr Yash Pal Gupta, the RCF’s General Manager, in which he had explained his views on several issues pertaining to the allegations and demands of the employees, including the ministry’s proposal. They also allegedly took away the cassette from the video cassette player to express their resentment. A private channel had broadcast the interview of Mr Gupta yesterday morning, and the management had reportedly asked the cable operators to broadcast the recording of the programme continuously on the cable network of the factory. But the factory management has denied that any such manhandling took place, though it did admit that a video cassette having the recordings of the interview was forcibly taken away from the cable operators. After the incident, some RPF personnel have been deployed outside the office of the cable operator. Meanwhile, after Rana Gurjit Singh, Mr Navjot Singh Sidhu and Mr Sukhbir Badal, it was the turn of another Member of Parliament, Mr Avinash Rai Khanna, to address the protesting employees of the Rail Coach Factory here yesterday. The leader from Hoshiarpur is also the State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The RCF employees are demanding the reversal of a proposal to declare the factory as a Public Sector Undertaking. Addressing a huge gathering of employees and their families, including children, Mr Khanna assured that no political leader from Punjab would keep quiet on the issue. Apprehending that the proposed conversion of the RCF into a PSU was a step towards its privatisation, the MP expressed his surprise over the proposal. He said that the RCF produced more than 16,000 coaches of 70 variants, which was more than 40 per cent of the total rolling stock in the Indian Railways. He said that the RCF had been producing more than 1,400 coaches annually, which was the highest among all the railways production units in the country. The MP said that the Railway Ministry’s proposal had caused widespread unrest, resentment and a sense of social insecurity among the employees and their families. He added that the factory was set up after acquiring 1,192 acres of land, rendering hundreds of families from a number of villages landless and homeless. “Now the employees from those families are feeling insecure about their jobs, too,” he added. |
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Two arrested for raping minor
Phagwara, March 28 The alleged accused have been identified as Ashok Kumar, a resident of Khilwara village, and Hitesh, a resident of Dhak Pandori village here. According to police sources, the duo had forcibly taken the girl, a resident of Ranipur village, on a motorcycle to Khilwara village where they allegedly raped her. Earlier, the victim, in her complaint lodged with the Sadar police on Monday, had alleged that she was abducted on her way home and later raped. Meanwhile, one of the alleged accused, Hitesh, claimed that he had surrendered to the police on his own. He claimed that he was being falsely implicated in the rape case. He alleged that everything would become clear after the medical examination of the girl. A case under Section 376 of the IPC has been registered against the duo. |
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14 school students caught copying
Phagwara, March 28 A team of flying squad, headed by Mr Dharminder Rana from the District Institute of Elementary Training (DIET), Kapurthala, conducted the inspection and caught 14 students copying with the help of slips. The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) had hitherto been claiming that copying was being effectively curbed. According to sources, before the exam was to begin, a warning bugle was sounded and the students surrendered a bagful of slips. A total of 223 students appeared for the science paper at the mentioned centre. When this correspondent visited the school, youths could be seen passing slips through windows of the school building that had no mesh. Mr Suresh Gupta, the centre observer, said he had faxed a detailed report on the alleged copying in the examination to the PSEB authorities at Mohali and to the DEO at Kapurthala. Mr Gupta rued that there was staff shortage at the centre. The Kapurthala District Education Officer (DEO), Mr Surinder Singh Atwal, when contacted, said it was the duty of the examination controller ( i.e. the school principal) to intimate him about the shortage of staff and asking for the required manpower. “Action will be taken against the students, who were nabbed using unfair means in the examination and also against the erring official, if any,” Mr Atwal added. |
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Rains prove good for wheat,
Phagwara, March 28 Though there were reports of some losses to the early-sowing varieties of the wheat crop in Doaba region, where farmers largely plant the late-sowing varieties, the rains are likely to be beneficial for the crop. With a sudden rise in the temperatures in February, the crops had started shrivelling. Since a prolonged warm period badly affects the wheat crop, particularly the late-sowing varieties, due to the poor formation of the grain, there were chances of the crop ripening well before time. Experts say that the rains, besides facilitating irrigation, have brought the temperatures down, providing more time for the wheat to shape up. The rains have also given a relief to the Punjab State Electricity Board. The demands for power to numerous tubewell connections have dipped. However, experts add that if the rains persist, there are chances of loss to the early-sowing varieties of wheat, besides causing delay in the harvesting of the crop. But the rains have not been beneficial to the mustard crop which, during this period, was at a ripening stage. Widespread losses to the crop have been reported in the area. According to Mr Manjot Singh, an agriculture officer here, this spell of rain, preceded by high-velocity winds, had flattened wide tracts of the early-sowing wheat varieties and had led to accumulation of water in the fields, causing loss to the levelled crop. He, however, added that if the farmers could drain out the accumulated rain water, they might minimise their losses. Meanwhile, the rains made life difficult for the residents of low-lying areas. But the agriculture officer feared that the inclement weather was likely to create problems for farmers of this region, who contributed the maximum quantity of wheat to the Central pool. |
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‘Rs 16 cr invested in medium,
Kapurthala, March 28 There are 10 big industrial units in the district, which have employed more than 17,000 people. These industries are producing IMFL, starch, glucose, rice bran oil, sugar and cotton clothes. A total of Rs 862 crore had been invested in these big units, Mr Kumar added. Besides, with an investment of Rs 99 crore, 7,885 small-scale industrial units providing employment to 25,832 people, directly or indirectly, were functioning in the district, added the DC. Under the Prime Minister Employment Scheme, loans worth more than Rs 6 crore had been disbursed to 1,036 entrepreneurs during the past four years, informed the deputy commissioner. The deputy commissioner said that after obtaining the license from the Union Ministry of Industries, two medium-scale units of solvent extract oil had also been set up during the past three years. |
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Commemorative stamps on defence forces released
Jalandhar, March 28 While on February 1, a stamp was released to commemorate 150 years of the Third Battalion of the Sikh Regiment, a postage stamp on the Builder’s Navy was released on December 4 last, to be followed by a stamp to mark the golden jubilee of the 16 Squadron Air Force. This stamp was released on December 27, 2005. The stamps have registered good sales through the District Philately Bureau, especially from ex-servicemen of the area pursuing philately as a hobby post-retirement. The department is yet to release a commemorative stamp on the golden jubilee of the 62 Cavalry that has had the dual honour of being the first armoured regiment to be raised post-Independence and also the first one raised on tanks. While the raising orders were issued on July 1, 1956, the regiment was declared fit for war on March 31, 1957. The stamp will depict a tank in operation by men during a war. It is learnt that the regiment displayed its excellence in battle in 1965 during the Indo-Pak war. It is said to have played a pivotal role in the capture of Phillaura. Hurtling into combat, the aging Sherman tanks of the regiment were pitting against the cream of Pakistani Armour Patton Tanks at Pagowal. In the intense battle that ensued, the 62 Cavalry is said to have destroyed six Patton tanks and one Chaffee Tank. In the 1971 war, the regiment was the first to be formed as an independent combat group of the Indian Army tasked to launch the audacious offensive into the enemy territory. The regiment was recently deployed during the Operations Trident, Vijay and Parakram. The stamp released on the Third Battalion of the Sikh Regiment shows a Sikh soldier in the forefront and a cavalcade of the regiment in the backdrop. A brochure of the stamp reveals the history of the 150-year-old regiment that was raised at Lahore on January 31, 1856, as the Bengal Military Police Battalion with eight infantry companies. In 1864, it was given a pure Sikh status. The stamp on the Builder’s Navy depicts a Leander class Frigate, a Kora class ship and a Delhi class ship. The first-day cover bears the picture of a Brahmaputra class ship. The Builder’s Navy denotes the Indian Navy’s resolute pursuit of indigenous design efforts in construction of warships and submarines. The creation of a Corps of Naval Constructors in 1954, the setting up of a Central Design Office in 1964 and the decision to construct Leander class frigates in 1960s marked the early steps of modern warship building in the country. A Directorate of the Naval Ship Design was set up in 1970, followed by the Directorates of Ship Production and Submarine Design. The stamp on 16 Squadron Air Force, bearing three flying aircrafts, is one of the most commonly seen and available postage stamps being used. Initially, a flight of Spitfires and Tempest aircraft, 16 Squadron Air Force, known as the Cobras, had been one of the mainline strike squadrons of the force. Besides acting as a heavy bomber, it also performs the task of training bomber aircrew. The squadron participated in the liberation of Goa, the Indo-China war in 1962, the Indo-Pak conflicts in 1965 and 1971, and the Operations Kargil and
Paramkram. |
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Alleged police inaction in attempted murder case
Phagwara, March 28 On March 23, some miscreants had reportedly made a bid on the life of Amarjit Singh with sharp-edged weapons. The attack left him seriously injured. The accused were later released on bail. The protesters demanded that Section 307 be added to the earlier FIR registered against the accused. Later, the Tehsildar, Mr Narinderpal Singh, assured the protesters of suitable action against the accused. The City police Station SHO, Mr Gurvinder Singh, said that Section 326 had been added to the previous FIR, as per the medical report submitted by the Civil Hospital. |
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Thieves’ gang busted
Phagwara, March 28 Those arrested were identified as Pardeep Kumar, alias Sonu, and Beero, both residents of Nakodar. The accused have reportedly confessed to having sneaked into the house of one Balwinder Singh in Prem Nagar locality on the Railway Road and decamped with Rs 50,000 in cash and a mobile phone about a fortnight back. The City police station SHO, Mr Gurvinder Singh, claimed that Rs 43,000 in cash, and a mobile had been recovered from them. The duo had also admitted to having stolen six liquor bottles and Rs 500 in cash from a wine shop on the Banga Road. — TNS |
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