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Conclave Varinder Walia Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 10 Both Dhindsa and Tarlochan Singh conveyed the anxiety of the Prime Minister to Parkash Singh Badal and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana. The Prime Minister had reportedly told the Sikh leaders that the clashes had been bringing a bad name to the community and some way be found to get the Sikh conclave postponed. Tarlochan Singh then motivated the members of Haryana SGPC to send their representation to the Jathedar, Akal Takht, to help in defusing the impending confrontation. He also spoke to Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti on this issue. The SGPC chief, Avtar Singh, also prevailed upon Jathedar Vedanti to withdraw the call. Talking to The Tribune, Tarlochan Singh said the Prime Minister also talked to the Punjab and Haryana Chief Ministers to seek their cooperation in defusing the situation. The SGPC members from Haryana, belonging to both groups, had also faxed their representation to the Jathedar, Akal Takht, in which they apprehended that the conclave might result in violence. The union home minister had also sought the cooperation of SGPC chief during their meeting in New Delhi. The move to get the conclave postponed was kept secret which was clear from the fact that Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, expressed surprise over the development. On learning that Jathedar Nandgarh was annoyed with the postponement, the entire top leadership of SAD and SGPC used their good offices to stop him from taking the extreme step of sticking to the “gurmatta”.
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Gabria gets cracking, visits Jalandhar Central Jail
Chandigarh, July 10 The minister, however, maintained that none of the jail officials knew of his arrival and he managed to get an objective peek into the affairs of the jail. He started from the gurdwara and went on to survey all sections of the jail, including the centuries-old kitchen, men’s barracks, the hospital and the women’s cell where 80 prisoners live in two rooms. The minister has now instructed his department to prepare a status report of all prisons in the state and launch a massive crackdown on those receiving five-star treatment inside the barracks. The department is also getting ready to report the condition of jails to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had issued suo motu notices to chief secretary and secretary, Home, following The Tribune reports on the state of Punjab jails. The minister said the reports were being compiled and much more was being planned to improve the jail atmosphere. “In the past, we have recovered mobiles from several inmates lodged in jails across the state. Many of these offenders have been shifted to “chakkis” (small six feet by eight feet rooms provided in every prison for the purpose of solitary confinement). I am in the process of fixing the responsibility of jail officials, who failed in their duty to treat all the prisoners alike and to honour the jail manual. Once the final report on the state of Punjab prisons is out, we will propose whatever measures possible for improvement,” added the minister, admitting that Jalandhar Central Jail was very old, ill-kept and in need of urgent repair. He said overcrowding, as highlighted by The Tribune in its recent investigations on jail conditions, was in fact the root of all problems. “We are now preparing a list of all convicts and undertrials lodged in Punjab jails. We will shift them to jails located in the areas of their belonging. Some jails like Patiala, Amritsar and Ferozepur have room for more inmates. We are working out the possibility of transferring some convicts and undertrials out of overcrowded jails like Jalandhar. We will also implement the Model Jail Manual in the prisons proposed for Kapurthala and Faridkot,” Gabria said. Meanwhile, construction work in new jails at Nabha and Ropar has been expedited to ease congestion in the other jails, especially older ones like Jalandhar, where a new block for women prisoners has also been planned. Jail superintendent Dilraj Singh said it would be ready in two months.
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Flood-hit farmers
Sidhu pledges Rs 1.25 cr
Ajnala (Amritsar), July 10 Sidhu said the money would be distributed among the affected farmers of nearly a 100 villages in Ajnala subdivision, where crop was damaged due to heavy rains. He further announced that a Central government-sponsored project of Rs 136 crore had been finalised for cleaning up of the Sakki nullah in a year’s time and providing an outlet to rainwater collecting in the low-lying areas. Sidhu also announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the five persons who died in the floods that hit the area last month. This would be paid by the state government.
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Police holds flag march
Bathinda, July 10 Shops remained closed in the area. Only private clinics and chemists shops were opened. The attendance of students in different schools dotting Paras Ram Nagar area remained thin today. The cremation was expected to take place tomorrow afternoon as the body would reach here tomorrow. Punjab Police and paramilitary forces personnel also took out a flag march in the area.
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Four killed as truck overturns Ropar, July 10 The accident took place when the truck overturned at a sharp turn on the Ropar-Behrampur road. The vehicle carrying migrant labourers rolled down a ditch after oveturning. Three persons, including two women, died on the spot and 26 were injured. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Chamkaur Sahib. seven of the seriously injured were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. An injured child succumbed to injuries at hospital — PTI
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Introspect before accusing Patil, Tiwari tells
NDA
Ludhiana, July 10 Reacting sharply to the statement of former minister Arun Shourie that Patil had the mentality of a pick pocket, Tiwari alleged while talking to The Tribune here today, the NDA was doing it only to safeguard the image of a “tainted Shekhawat” in the hope that “offence might prove to be the best defence”.
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Khalsa panel struggle being crushed: Bittu
Chandigarh, July 10 He said the committee was committed to getting the decisions announced by Akal Takht against the dera chief implemented. The social boycott of the dera would continue. But all this would be done peacefully, he added.
— TNS
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Bhattal to launch anti-govt drive
Ludhiana, July 10 Talking to reporters here today, the former Chief Minister warned the SAD-BJP government against letting loose a reign of terror against her party workers. She was here to attend the bhog ceremony of six persons at Sayan village. — TNS
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Pallanpur Rest House Case Chitleen K. Sethi Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 10 Principal chief conservator of forest B.C. Bala along with the conservator of forests had ‘appeared’ before Dhanda on June 29, but since other officers were absent he had called them again. He had complained to minister for forest and wildlife Tikshan Sood and the PCCF that forest officials had stopped him from staying at the rest house and humiliated him. Demanding an explanation, Dhanda had virtually held the entire forest department from the PCCF to the rest house guard responsible. When these officials did not visit Dhanda today, he shot off a letter to Tikshan Sood giving him details of the matter. “I have asked him to take a decision based on his wisdom and conscience,” said Dhanda. “The issue has to be capped somewhere and I now leave it to the minister. The ball is in his court, ” he added. On the other hand, forest officials also sent a note to the minister this morning explaining their position to him. The note stated that the permission to use the rest house for residential purposes would have to come from the Government of India since the entire area was being governed by the Forest Conservation Act 1980 and a Supreme Court judgement of 1996. And the Pallanpur rest house was a Van Chetna Kendra and was built for a special purpose that could not be used for residential purpose. The note to the minister added that the matter had become extremely controversial and all officials trooping to the office of the chief parliamentary secretary would have attracted publicity. “It is felt that it should be left to the chief secretary to convey to the chief parliamentary secretary regarding the legal position. Even otherwise the chief parliamentary secretary had made a written request to the chief secretary for permission to use the Van Chetna Kender at Pallanpur as a temporary residence.” The Ludhiana MLA had requested the chief secretary to allow him to live in the rest house, as he had not been allotted a house. Chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh had marked the request to the personnel department who had sought the comments of the forest department.
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Rehabilitation Centre
Moga, July 10 Upon asking, the attendant, without disclosing her name, said she was a mother of two children and had been taking medicine from here for detoxification regularly. Being a member of a cultural troupe, she had developed the habit of taking drugs with a view to shedding her inhibition on the stage.Before she realised,it had become an addiction. The responsibility of bringing up her children made her consult the drug de-addiction centre. The centre here is discharging yeoman service for addicts and their families not only from here, but also from neighbouring cities as well. Ranjit Singh Gill, project director of the centre, said 2,444 persons had been detoxified out of the 3,518 persons admitted here since its inception in 1999. Expressing concern at the increasing number of addicts, he considered it to be the fallout of the fast-changing lifestyle and the crumbling of the joint family system. For this reason, the counselling of families has been introduced. Psychologists and special invitees deliver intimate lectures to streamline their thoughts and convince them to prepare for their life ahead. Even experts from professional courses, including fishery, vermiculture, dairy farming and bee-keeping with the active support from the District Agriculture Office, arrive at the centre to teach them nuances of their fields. The District Industrial Centre also holds lectures of similar nature and even tells them regarding availability of loans. Religious, spiritual, meditation classes and yoga sessions are a must for each inmate to develop faith in themselves to overcome addiction. He informed that the centre was running a UN-funded project to educate the youth about the harmful effects of drugs. The centre also holds camps at villages and in schools. Bhupinder Singh, a retired SDO, has joined the centre. He informed that former MLA Jugraj Singh Gill donated 16 acres of land for constructing a new building for the de-addiction centre. The new building would also house an old-age home and adult education centre.
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Anganwari workers block rail, road traffic
Sangrur, July 10 The protesters also took out a march from the railway station to the traffic lights chowk, near main bus stand, here and raised slogans in support of their demands and against the central and Punjab governments. The protesters also burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They also blocked vehicular traffic for about 20 minutes and lifted the blockade when naib tehsildar Nirmal Singh visited them and received a memorandum from them. Usha Rani said they had been working as anganwari workers and helpers in the department for the past more than 30 years, but they were getting only Rs 1,000 per month, which was even less than a daily wage worker. She said there were some postgraduate and graduate girls, who were working as anganwari workers at a meagre honorarium. This showed the government was exploiting them. She also asked the government to immediately enhance the honorarium of anganwari workers and helpers to Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 per month, respectively. Usha Rani threatened if the government did not fulfil their demands soon they would launch a ‘jail bharo’ agitation. State secretary of the Punjab unit of CITU Dev Raj Verma also addressed the protesters.
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Maintain unity, Vedanti to Sikhs
Amritsar, July 10 The message, contents of which are exceptional, comes a day after the postponement of the Ratia Sikh conclave by Jathedar Vedanti. It reads, “Some inhuman and callous forces want to encash on the current conflicts”. He said the Sikhs had been fighting for the welfare of the mankind and had made supreme sacrifice. However, veteran SGPC member Manjit Singh Calcutta has described the postponement of the Sikh conclave at Ratia as “unprecedented” in the Sikh history. He said Jathedar Vedanti was not competent to change the “Gurmatta” passed by the five Sikh high priests. Calcutta alleged that Jathedar Vedanti was guilty of violating the “ardas” and hence Sikh intellectuals and Sikh organisations should hold a meeting to take a serious note of this case.
— TNS
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‘Govt wants MC poll before Aug 12’
Patiala, July 10 Minister for local bodies and industry Manoranjan Kalia gave this information while responding to queries of newspersons today. He was here to hold a meeting with BJP
workers in view of the forthcoming corporation elections. The minister said all arrangements with regard to the elections had been completed. The decision regarding sharing of seats by the SAD and the BJP would be finalised at the next meeting of the coordination committee. About the declining income of the local governments after the abolition of octoroi, he said various proposals to increase the income were being considered. A formula was being worked out with which the residents of urbans areas would be able to asses their house tax on their own. When asked about the rationalisation of the lower staff in municipal councils, he said most of these councils were already facing staff shortage, so there was no need for it. He added that a project had been mooted to provide one-room pucca apartments to the slum dwellers in the state. For this purpose a survey had been ordered in all urban centres to identify the slum dwellers. Kalia further said the local municipal corporation had been given Rs 10 crore for development works by the new government.
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Clash: Cops shifted to Police Lines
Ferozepur, July 10 The SSP said the matter was being looked into and anyone found guilty of misbehaving with the protesters would be severely dealt with and department action initiated against the same. The police had registered a case against several Sikh leaders for taking law in their hands.
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Attempt to murder case
Chandigarh, July 10 Soon after the commencement of proceedings this morning in a case pertaining to the grant of regular bail to Chahal in an attempt to murder matter, Justice Uma Nath Singh of the HC took strong exception to Chahal’s action of forwarding the copy of letter to him. Addressed to the SSP (Vigilance), the communiqué, a copy of which was forwarded to the High Court Judge by name, mentions Chahal’s address and his willingness to join the investigations in the case against him. Chahal’s counsel said he was yet to verify whether the letter had been written by Chahal and sought time to address the court after talking to his client. He added that Chahal was semi-literate and could have forwarded the letter to the High Court out of ignorance. Punjab’s Additional Advocate-General Reeta Kohli got the information verified from the office of the SSP Vigilance. She pointed out that the letter bore Chahal’s initials and was available with the Vigilance Bureau.
After Chahal’s counsel sought time, Justice Uma Nath Singh adjourned the matter and fixed Thursday as the next date of hearing. Another petition, seeking the grant of bail, by Chahal’s relative Jagdish Lal will also come up for hearing on the same date.
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Ludhiana, July 10 Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate Harinder Kaur Sidhu here today extended the judicial remand of Chahal till July 23 in an attempt to murder and land grabbing case registered against him at Sadar police station on June 10. During the hearing on the bail application of Chahal in the attempt to murder and land grabbing case, Justice Uma Nath Singh took a serious view of sending of a telegram directly addressed to him. In view of that the Chahal’s counsel got prepared an affidavit and got it attested with the permission of a local court. Chahal’s affidavit says he was unaware of the legal system that any telegram or letter should have been routed through the registrar general of the High Court. So, he tendered an unconditional apology. The Judge also extended the judicial remand of Jagdish Pal Singh, father-in-law of Chahal’s son, Jaswinder Pal and Harbhajan Singh.
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Advance Notice on Custody
Chandigarh, July 10 The Bench, comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Rajive Bhalla, had earlier reserved the orders on the petition after hearing detailed arguments in the matter. In his petition against the State of Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and three others, Chahal had sought directions against his torture and seven-day advance notice in case his custody was sought in any FIR to be registered against him in the future. He had also sought directions for the entrusting of the case against him to the Central Bureau of Investigation, besides staying the investigations being carried out in the matter by the Punjab Police. Chahal is facing allegations of attempt to murder and rioting. A first information report under Sections 307, 452, 447, 379, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code has already been registered against him at Police Station Sadar in Ludhiana.
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Liquor Sale to Youth
Sangrur, July 10 Section 29 of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, prohibits the sale of liquor to persons below the age of 25, but the excise department authorities have not been able to check such violators. Talking to TNS here, general secretary of the Association of People for Transparency Kamal Anand, who is also an advocate, said he had sought information from the excise department under the RTI Act to know the occurrence of such incidents during the past seven years in the state. Kamal said the lackadaisical approach of the department was clearly reflected in the information provided by it to him that its officers had nabbed only three vendors/employees in July, 2004, while selling liquor to persons below the age of 25 years, and 12 in January and February, 2007. This showed that no vendor or employee of a liquor shop had been found violating law. As per information provided by the department, in July 2004 three violators (vendors) were nabbed in Bathinda while in January and February, 2007, 10 violators were caught in Nawanshahr district. Two violators were held at Phillaur and Mahilpur in February, 2007.
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2 brothers killed in clash
Amritsar, July 10 A dispute over a land passage is said to be the reason behind the killing of two brothers. The injured included Baghel Singh and his son Gurpartap Singh. On the other hand, Congress workers, including Jaswant Singh, Jarnail Singh, Balwinder Singh, alias Fauji, Nirmal Singh and Harjinder Singh, were also injured in the exchange of fire. Earlier, both groups had clashed in the afternoon. However, the Congress workers alleged that the Akalis beat up Fauji and his son Harman and this triggered the clash. They alleged that the Akalis attacked the Congress workers first but they suffered casualties and injuries in the return fire. IG (border) Rajpal Meena said an FIR had been registered. The police says it has identified the culprits.
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‘Harassed’ by in-laws, man commits suicide
Sangrur, July10 The chowki in charge of the Mehlan police post said on the complaint of Ran Singh, a brother of the deceased, the police had registered a case against the wife, father-in-law and two brothers-in-law of the deceased, residents of Bharur village (near
Sunam). He said according to the brother of the deceased, the in-laws of his brother had been harassing his brother for the past about one year to get one acre land entered in the revenue records in the name of his (brother’s) wife and deposit of Rs 1 lakh in a bank in her name. Besides this, the in-laws of his brother had not been sending his wife to Mehlan village for the past several months. Due to this, his brother had taken the step.
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Dimpa’s gunmen named in theft case
Amritsar, July 10 The police presented four policemen, including head constable Sarabjit Singh and constables Kashmir Singh, Pawan Kumar and Jaspal Singh, on production warrant in a theft case of a truck. The counsel for police authorities said the four had made extra-judicial confession before one Kuldip Singh of Baba Bakala area that they had stolen a truck. Kashmir Singh fell unconscious during the hearing and was admitted to Baba Bakala civil hospital. Later, the magistrate at Baba Bakala Court sent him to judicial remand while sending the other three gunmen to police remand.
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3 of family killed
Mansa, July 10 Sources revealed that accident took place near Nangal village and all three persons died on the spot. They were going to Jhanduke village. Both Sarbjit Kaur and Veerpal Kaur were married. The bus driver fled after the accident. Police sources said a case against bus driver Harmohinder Singh had been registered.
— TNS
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Gurdwara clerk held with fake coupons
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 10 Gurdwara manager Amarjit Singh conducted a surprise check of the gurdwara during which Buta Singh, a clerk of the gurdwara responsible for issuing parsad coupons to devotees, was found in possession of fake coupons. The manager found eight fake coupons worth Rs 51 each from Buta Singh. These coupons were given to devotees by Buta Singh after taking money from them and devotees, after showing these, collected parsad from the gurdwara. The manager then informed senior functionaries of the SGPC, following which the matter was reported to the police. The police conducted a raid on the house of Buta Singh from where fake coupons were worth Rs 4 lakh were seized. A case under Sections 420, 467 and 406 of the IPC has been registered against Buta Singh, who has been placed under arrest.
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Fatehgarh Sahib, July 10 In a statement, senior superintendent of police Nilabh Kishore stated that the police had received a complaint from representatives of distribution companies that one of the shopkeepers in Gandhi Nagar in Mandi Gobindgarh had been selling pirated CDs. He said a team of CIA staff along with the complainants raided the shop and took into possession around 800 CDs that were either pirated or contained obscene material. He said the police had arrested the shopkeeper and was investigating the matter. — TNS
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Cong councillor held Patiala, July 10
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Bihar govt invites PTU VC
Jalandhar, July 10 Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has not only made Dr Salwaan a member of the state’s high-powered committee on technical education, he has also sought his opinion on how to upgrade Bihar’s technical education. Apart from Dr S.K. Salwaan, former PTU V-C Dr Y.S. Rajan and V-C of Pilani-based Birla University along with some top Bihar bureaucrats are also the members of the committee. “We have been asked to look out for futuristic means for ensuring a considerable upliftment in the technical education scenario of Bihar. Firstly, we will attend meeting of the committee in Patna on Wednesday morning and then we will hold discussions and assess the prevailing ground realities in technical education,” he said.
— TNS
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Vigilance probe sought into teachers’ selection
Chandigarh, July 10 In a complaint submitted to CM Parkash Singh Badal, the candidates have sought a probe by the vigilance bureau into the recruitment. The authority had advertised the posts to recruit resource teachers qualified in special education. It has been alleged that many candidates who had just passed a certificate course in special education were selected while postgraduates with the BEd degree in special education were ignored. Besides, holders of the BEd degree in special education, there were also candidates with a two-year diploma in special education. Many of them were also not selected.
— TNS
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