Sunday, April 4, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Sunday, April 4, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Puran Singh
to perform formal duties |
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Mysterious
death of undertrial Govt
has 'stopped' pension payment
Badal
asked to apologise Prepare
model for education: Badal Park
named after 'Panj Piaras' opens
Cattle
hit by deadly disease A
panchayat with a difference Badal
releases cassette on 'Music of Khalsa' |
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Puran Singh to perform formal
duties AMRITSAR, April 3 — Giani Puran Singh, acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, who had suffered a heart attack on February 15 at the time of his installation, will start his formal duties tomorrow. Doctors attending on him said the acting Jathedar was in good health now. He will receive the "Parkarma Khalsa march" at Akal Takht tomorrow. This march, which began from Anandpur Sahib on April 2, will reach Anandpur Sahib again on April 10. A spokesman of Giani Puran Singh said he would deliver a message in the name of the "quam" (Khalsa Panth) on April 14 at Anandpur Sahib to mark the tercentenary celebrations. This sets at rest all speculation about his non-attendance at the celebrations due to ill-health. The spokesman said the
acting Jathedar would also receive the "Khalsa
march" from Khalra at Akal Takht tomorrow. This
march is being organised by the Guru Gobind Singh Study
Circle. More than 500 youth, including students, will be
administered "amrit" at Akal Takht tomorrow in
presence of Giani Puran Singh. |
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Spying gang identified, one
arrested GURDASPUR, April 3 — With the arrest of Rakesh Kumar alias Raja resident of Biabiapur under the Bilaspur police station in Uttar Pradesh today the police has detected a mercenary spying gang hired by our hostile neighbour nation to cause damage to strategically and militarily very important oil depot, vital installations and bridges. Mr Varinder Kumar SSP, briefing reporters here today said that sub-inspector Jagjit Singh, SHO Pathankot police station division number 1 on a tip-off apprehended the accused in the Army area of Pathankot moving under suspicious circumstances. On personal search of the accused one map of head petroleum depot Pathankot and one classified secret map were recovered. The SSP said that on preliminary interrogation of the accused revealed that he was directed by one Munna Khan of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh who is kingpin of the gang to get topography of head petroleum depot at Army head quarter Pathankot which is regarded as high valuable target and secret maps of vital and strategic installations meant to be used by the Army only. The plan of the accused was to supply topography and maps of strategic installations at Pathankot to hostile nation through Munna Khan. Mr Kumar said that one Sachdeva and D.K. Chouhan who were also from Jhansi were associates of Munna Khan. The accused said that he too had links with army officers of the hostile country. The accused added that he was also trying for further supply to the above said person. A case under Section 3 O.B.I. had been registered against the accused. Mr Kumar said that the accused was physically so fit and agile that he could scale 10 metre-high walls easily. The accused who belongs to a poor landless family came into contact with Munna Khan three years ago and became very close to Munna Khan, a notorious gangster whose activities included contract killings, sale of stolen vehicles, drug trafficking and also storage of country made bombs and weapons. The gang member had been given the task by the hostile nation to carry out explosive and sabotage activity on vital targets. The SSP said that police
parties had been sent to arrest Munna Khan, Sachdeva and
Chauhan. |
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Faridkot vends fetch less in fresh
auction BATHINDA, April 3 — The auction of group number one to three vends of the Faridkot circle which was held here today on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court fetched Rs 10.55 crore as against Rs 12 crore offered by contractor Mangat Rai and Company in the auction held on March 21, 1999. Sources said the Excise and Taxation Department suffered a loss of about Rs 1.45 crore as the bidders of the previous auction joined hands to keep the contract amount low. Mangat Rai and Company and Mr Deep Malhotra were locked in a dispute over their respective bids on March 21. Mr Malhotra offered a bid of Rs 10.65 crore while Mangat Rai and Company offered a bid of Rs 12 crore. However, officials of Excise and Taxation Department did not take 10 per cent of the auction amount from Mangat Rai and company allegedly under political pressure. Mangat Rai and company
filed a writ petition in the high court against the
malpractices adopted by officials of Excise and Taxation
Department in the auction. The Punjab and Haryana High
Court after listening to all parties on March 30, 1999,
directed the Punjab Government to conduct a fresh auction
on April 3, 1999, in the office of Assistant Excise and
Taxation Commissioner, Bathinda. |
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Mysterious death of undertrial KAPURTHALA, April 3 — Harbans Lal, alias Jagdish Singh, alias Toni, aged 27, a resident of Aurpur village in Hoshiarpur district, who an undertrial lodged in the local District Jail, died under mysterious circumstances in the Civil Hospital here on Thursday. According to hospital sources, Harbans Lal was brought to the Civil Hospital in an unconscious condition for treatment at about 6.30 pm but he died within 15 minutes in spite of doctors efforts to save him. It is suspected that he consumed some poisonous substance. When contacted, Mr Gurbax Singh Sandhu, Superintendent of the jail, said that Harbans Lal was facing trial on the charge of looting and dacoity in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr S.P. Bangrah. He returned to jail on Thursday after attending the court and was all right then. Mr Sandhu said that his beloved reportedly met him on the court premises and told him that she had decided to marry someone else as she could not wait for him any more. On his return from the court Harbans Lal went to his barrack and in the evening he learnt from jail warders that Harbans Lal lay motionless in the barrack. He immediately then rushed to the Civil Hospital where he died. It is suspected that he took this extreme step following frustration. Mr NS Baath, SDM Kapurthala has been deputed to conduct enquiry into the incident. In another incident
Kotwali police today recovered the highly decomposed body
of a man aged about 30 years from the fields of Santokh
Singh, sarpanch of the village. |
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Govt has 'stopped' pension
payment JALANDHAR, April 3 — The All-India Central Government Pensioners Association (North India) has condemned the move of the Punjab Government to stop payment of pension from the state treasury offices. Mr V.S. Jolly, general secretary of the association, said here yesterday that the Punjab Government had been resorting to this "illegal act" during the past six months, issuing verbal instructions to state treasury offices to stop payment of pension. The apex court and various high courts had repeatedly held that "the right to receive pension is a fundamental right of a pensioner and it cannot be withheld by an executive order". As such the move of Punjab Government was in clear violation of the fundamental rights of the pensioners. The issue had come up before the Punjab and Haryana High Court two months ago. The Punjab Government had filed an affidavit denying issuance of verbal orders to state treasury offices to stop pension payments. LUDHIANA: Mr Yash Paul Ghai, additional general secretary of the Government Pensioners Association said here on Friday that the treasury officers had expressed their helplessness in paying pensions as per the verbal instructions of the government. This was the second time
during the past six months that the state government had
banned the payment of pensions, he said, adding the
association had sent a telegram to the Chief Minister in
this regard. |
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Arms smugglers' gang busted GURDASPUR, April 3 — The police has busted an inter-state gang involved in the smuggling of country-made arms. The modus operandi of the gang members was that they used to buy arms from Jammu and Kashmir and sell them in Punjab. These arms were sold in the open market as foreign-made weapons. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, the police has arrested Kuldip Sharma, Sakil Ahmed and Murari Lal, alias Murari, all residents of Jammu and recovered one country-made .303 revolver and two country made .32 bore revolvers from them. A case under Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act was registered against the accused at Pathankot on April 1. The district police chief said a few days ago Ashok Kumar along with the above accused had gone to Jammu to purchase arms. These arms were to be sold to a gun house at Jalandhar. The police on specific information laid a naka at Nurpur bus stand on Saturday and arrested them. The SSP said important members of the gang, including Ashok Kumar, Pawan Kumar and Rakesh Kumar had absconded. He said the accused during
their preliminary interrogation revealed that they had
come in contact with Pawan Kumar, alias Pamma, who in
turn introduced them to Ashok Kumar. Ashok Kumar
persuaded them to join the gang and promises to pay Rs
5,000 per arm to them. |
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World Sikh Council holds meeting AMRITSAR, April 3 — Amid allegations and counter-allegations, the World Sikh Council (Amritsar region) today held its meeting outside the Akal Takht secretariat which was locked on the instructions of the SGPC. A resolution passed on the occasion said Bhai Ranjit Singh, who was placed under suspension on February 10, was the real Jathedar of Akal Takht. The meeting described Giani Puran Singh, acting Jathedar in place of Bhai Ranjit Singh, a "sarkari Jathedar". Executive members of the WSC reiterated their resolve to launch a "Khalsa march" from Akal Takht on April 11 in connection with the tercentenary of the foundation of the Khalsa Panth. In yet another resolution, the meeting asked Mr Parkash Singh Badal, president, SAD, to tender an unconditional apology to the Sikh Panth by appearing at Akal Takht before April 10 so that the tercentenary could be celebrated in the "most befitting manner" under the leadership of Bhai Ranjit Singh. The executive members, who had assembled outside Akal Takht despite the heavy security by the SGPC task force, were asked by senior functionaries of the committee not to "misuse" the SGPC premises for the "unauthorised" meeting. Mr Jasbir Singh Ghuman, who presided over the meeting, alleged that policemen in mufti had tried to thwart the meeting. He alleged the SGPC had broken open the locks of the office of the World Sikh Council housed in the Akal Takht secretariat and taken away the entire record of the council. Mr Kulwant Singh, SGPC secretary, refuted the charges. He said members of the council themselves had taken away the entire record and wanted to "embezzle" the funds. "We (the SGPC) will move the Sikh Judicial Commission to get the office of the Akal Takht secretariat vacated from the possession of Bhai Ranjit Singh," he said. Mr Ghuman said members of the council did not indulge in any sort of the confrontation with the task force of the SGPC as directed by Bhai Ranjit Singh. He said the "suspended" Jathedar had given clear instructions that confrontation should be prevented till April 15. In yet another resolution, the council said efforts would be made to "liberate" all Sikh institutions from the "Badal camp". Another resolution made a fervent appeal to the Central Government to release all Sikh detainees languishing in various jails of the country so that they could participate in the tercentenary celebrations. The council also passed a resolution declaring a gazetted holiday on April 14 to mark the foundation of the Khalsa Panth. It appealed to the Central Government to declare all important towns and cities visited by Sikh gurus as "holy". Mr Ghuman, however, admitted that they had made an attempt to open the locks of the office of the World Sikh Council but these had already been changed by the SGPC. Chandigarh: The new SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur was today co-opted as a member of the executive committee of the World Sikh Council (WSC). WSC Secretary-General,
Brig Gurdip Singh, said here that Bibi Jagir Kaur had
been co-opted in place of Mr G.S. Tohra, since the SGPC
President was an ex-officio member of the council. |
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Prepare model for education: Badal CHANDIGARH, April 3 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today gave a clarion call to the educationists and academicians for a revolutionary change in the present education system with a uniform and equitable reach for each section of society besides making it job oriented. Inaugurating a three-day international conclave on School Education and the Challenges of the 21st Century at Guru Gobind Singh Bhavan here, Mr Badal also wanted the participants to suggest a new model of education which he offered to introduce in Punjab, may be on a selective basis, immediately. "The present day scenario has been worrying all of us. Punjab, which was once considered one of top states in the field of education, was trailing at the 17th position. When we are ahead in making sacrifices and in food production, there is no reason why we should lag behind others in education. "Rich and affluent could afford to provide quality education to their children. But unfortunately, a large section of population in Punjab does not get good quality education. As such these less privileged students cannot compete with their better educated opponents in jobs and other areas. The biggest need is to provide good and uniform level of education to all. Unfortunately, the present education system lacks counselling and guidance. "Some time ago we requested Dr Amrik Singh, an eminent educationist, to prepare a model for us, especially for college education. After a lot of hard work, he gave us a model. But unfortunately, I must admit, I could not go through his report. But I promise to go through it within a month. The present system is no good. It is adding to the numbers of unemployed. I strongly feel that dignity of labour, which is lacking in the present generation, has to restored by making 50 per cent of education practical and remaining 50 per cent theoretical," Mr Badal said. The Punjab Chief Minister also inaugurated the website of the Punjab School Education Board which, incidentally, has become the first board in the country to have a website. Mr Parkash Singh Badal released a number of publications, including three books, dedicated to the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa. He also released a cassette of the anthem song of the board. Earlier, the Chief Minister flagged off 100 senior secondary students from various private schools on their last leg of their expedition to Anandpur Sahib to propagate the message on two social evils — against drug addiction, and female foeticide. Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman, Punjab School Education Board, in his address of welcome, said the conclave was dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of Khalsa and added to the educational dimension to the celebrations. He stressed the need for value-oriented and socially relevant education for students. More than 500 educationists, including chairmen of 24 state school education boards from all over India besides those from Bhutan and Nepal are participating in the conclave. The conclave is being organised by the Punjab School Education Board in collaboration with the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the National Institute of Education Planning and Administration; the Confederation of Boards of Secondary Education in India; the National Council of Teacher Education and National Open School. The conclave will evolve a
perspective plan on school education for the first
quarter of the 21st century with stress on switch over
from the present concept of teaching to the post modern
concept of learning as given in the UNESCO report. |
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Park named after 'Panj Piaras'
opens ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 3 — The Union Environment and Forest Minister, Mr Suresh P Prabhu today announced that a special country wide campaign would be launched this year from Punjab for bringing 33 per cent land under forest cover. He was addressing a public gathering here after laying the foundation stone of Guru Gobind Singh Nature Reserve at Jhajhar village near here, and inaugurating 'Panj Piare Park' set up at a cost of Rs 1 crore in memory of "Panj Piaras" near Khalsa College here. The nature reserve is being set up in 89 acres at a cost of Rs 2.85 crore. Both projects were planned as part of programmes, drawn up in connection with the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. Mr Prabhu said at present there was 19 per cent land under the forest cover in the country, but his ministry had planned to increase the forest area to 33 per cent in the next 2 years. He said, the British had formed a forest policy, but it proved anti-forest because it laid more stress upon agriculture. The union minister announced that the Centre would provide liberal grants for the setting up Guru Gobind Singh Nature Reserve. He assured Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that his ministry would also provide monetary assistance for the protection and development of Hari-ke-Pattan wet land of the state. He said, he had convened a meeting on April 13 for the purpose. The Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal said the state government had taken effective steps for the preservation of forests and wildlife. He called upon people not to cut trees as forests had great importance in controlling environment. Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, while welcoming Mr Prabhu, said that Guru Gobind Singh Nature Reserve would attract the attention at the national and international level. Mr Prabhu released a booklet prepared by the Anandpur Sahib Urban Development Authority regarding various development projects. Earlier, Mr Prabhu along with Mr Badal paid obeisance at the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, where they were presented siropa by Prof Manjit Singh. Prof Manjit Singh, Mr Prabhu and Mr Badal planted three saplings in the Panj Piare Park. Mr Prabhu also visited the
site of local Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex. |
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PM must 'apologise' for
Bluestar JALANDHAR, April 3 — Akali leader Kuldeep Singh Wadala today appealed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to offer an apology for Operation Bluestar to the Khalsa Panth on behalf of the Union Government when he came to inaugurate the tercentenary of the Panth at Anandpur Sahib on April 8. The Akali Dal (Democratic) chief said his faction was trying to unite all anti-Badal factions on a common platform at Anandpur Sahib. For this purpose a meeting had been planned for April 6 at Gurdwara Model Town here, which would be addressed by the suspended Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh. Mr Wadala said the meeting would be addressed by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president, SAD (Amritsar), Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi of the Sant Samaj and Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa, president, SAD (Panthic). Addressing a press conference here, Mr Wadala equated Mr G.S. Tohra, former SGPC chief, with Mr Parkash Singh Badal and clarified that his faction wanted to uphold the supremacy of Akal Takht and that too under Bhai Ranjit Singh. Mr Wadala said the anti-Badal factions had planned three Khalsa marches. One from Akal Takht, Amritsar, would be led by Bhai Ranjit Singh on April 11. The second march would start from Takht Damdama Sahib at the same time. It would be flagged off by Bhai Jasbir Singh Khalsa. The third would be flagged off by Prof Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of Akal Takht, at Delhi. All three marches would
reach Anandpur Sahib on April 12. |
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Cattle hit by deadly disease CHANDIGARH, April 3 — Some cases of heads of cattle affected by "Gal gottu" (haemorrhagesepticaemia), deadly disease, have been reported at Kudhu-Wala village, 35 km from Mansa. Residents of the village told TNS that a number of animals affected by the disease had died in the past few days. They are worried as more animals have been hit by the disease. Meanwhile, the Punjab State Veterinary Officers' Association headed by Dr Gurcharan Singh Chahal has urged the state government to withdraw charges levied for immunising animals in the countryside against the "gal gottu" and black quarter diseases. Till recently, Mr Chahal said, the state government used to immunise all livestock against these diseases in the state free of cost. But now officials had been asked to charge Re 1 per animal for vaccinating animals against the diseases. Mr Chahal said H.S. vaccines were prepared by the biological product centre of the Punjab Government and it cost only 20 paise per unit. Every year nearly one crore vaccine was being administrated in the state, according to Mr Chahal. An amount of Rs 20 lakh was being spent and it was a very nominal sum for the government. He said as the government
had levied charges, it would be very difficult for
veterinary officers to achieve 100 per cent coverage of
livestock against these diseases by immunising them. As
charges had been fixed, it would be the discretion of the
owner of animals whether to opt for vaccination or not.
He added that as gal gottu was a deadly disease it was
the moral duty of the government to protect animals from
this malady. |
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Tercentenary: Badal calls emergency
meeting CHANDIGARH, April 3 — The SAD President and Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has convened an emergency meeting of the party MPs, MLAs, political affairs committee, working committee, SGPC members and the district presidents at Anandpur Sahib on April 6 to take review the preparations for the tercentenary celebrations. The meeting venue will be Dewan Hall, where a similar meeting was held on January 7 last when Mr Badal was given all powers to chalk out the programme by coordinating the role and functions of the SAD, the SGPC and the government. He is also chairperson of
the Anandpur Sahib Foundation. |
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Lawyers not to work on Saturdays JALANDHAR, April 3 — In a meeting of the presidents and secretaries of all Bar Associations of Punjab, under the chairmanship of Mr G.K. Agnihotri, president District Bar Association, Jalandhar, which was held here today, it was decided to observe no work day on every Saturday in the judicial courts till the five days week was implemented by the high court. It was also resolved that the government should withdraw the enhancement made in the court fee and stamp duty, three should be a bar room and lawyers’ chambers in the newly constructed judicial complex. The Punjab Lawyers
Association was formed to persue the five day week
implementation and any other problem of the lawyers. All
presidents and secretaries of the Bar Associations of
Punjab will be members of the said association. The
president of the Jalandhar District Bar Association is
the chairman of the association and the members of the
executive committee are — Mr Raj Kumar Bhalla
(Secretary District Bar Association, Jalandhar), Mr
Tajinder Singh (President Fatehgarh Sahib Bar
Association), Mr Vinay Vatran (Secretary Patiala Bar
Association), and President of Ludhiana, Amritsar and
Ropar Bar Associations. |
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A panchayat with a
difference BEGOWAL (Ludhiana): The narrow road passing through lush green fields leads to Begowal village, 25 km from the megapolis, Ludhiana. Begowal, with a population of 5000, is a unique example of self-financed rural development. Barely six years after the villagers took upon themselves the task of bringing modern amenities and working for the uplift of the village, they have succeeded in making giant strides in this regard. A state-of-the-art dispensary, schools, biogas plants in most houses, a milk producers’ cooperative society, the latest in agricultural technology — Begowal has it all. Mrs Rajinder Kaur, sarpanch of the village, says that Begowal was declared as the best village in Asia on July 14, 1996, by the Union Health Ministry on account of the development work done here. This honour was bestowed on the village after the panchayat initiated steps to maintain cleanliness in the village and succeeded in controlling the population by giving incentives to small families. Begowal has many "firsts" to its credit. This was the first village in the region to have a PCO-STD, 24-hour supply of electricity and air-conditioned panchayat ghar. Besides, it is the only village to have passed a resolution excommunicating those who went in for female foeticide after ultra-sound scan. Unlike most villages, where hygiene and cleanliness are unheard of, the roads of Begowal are clean — something rarely seen in this part of the region. The village panchayat got two lanes built on the sides of the main road, for pedestrians and cyclists with a boundary beyond which no villager is allowed to throw farm waste. The cattle is not allowed to move on the roads and is kept tied within these bylanes. The panchayat imposes fines on anyone found violating these rules. The panchayat also ensures that DDT or any other insecticide or pesticide is sprayed at least twice a year to keep diseases at bay. For providing clean water supply, a new borewell has been sunk. Along with the village panchayat, Bhai Ghunaiya Welfare Society, established by a handful of well-to-do villagers in 1994, has also been actively involved in the village’s development. "Initially funds for the society came from a dozen-odd villagers. Then seeing development work being done here, the 150-odd villagers, most of whom are now settled abroad, started sending donations to the society, states Mr Charanjit Singh, secretary of the society. Special work done by the society involves running a free ambulance service between Ludhiana and Khanna on the G.T. Road, and between Neelon and Doraha villages to attend to road accident cases. Besides, the society provides for the education and other financial needs of girls from families having two or more daughters. The society has also donated a television set and V.C.R. to the panchayat so that educational films can be screened for villagers. The village mahila mandal, established in 1975, also runs a weaving and sewing centre. Young girls are also taught weaving and sewing to make them self-dependent. The panchayat owns a power generator, a sprinkler, a tractor, 50 beds and 50 chairs — a rarity in most villages. The man responsible for starting development work in the village is a former sarpanch, Mr Rajwinder Singh Mangat. When he took over as sarpanch in 1993, he embarked on the road to social welfare by first removing encroachments from roads, planting of trees, widening roads, creating a awareness about literacy and ensuring that all children went to schools. He feels the process of development has to be a continuous one. Although a lot has been done in the village, there is still scope for further development. Mrs Rajinder Kaur agrees with him and says: "We are planning to tie up with a shawl-making unit of Ludhiana, so that they set up a sub-unit in the village, where our womenfolk can work as weavers and earn their livelihood. A project to lay underground sewers along with another project to make a park beside the village pond, is also in the offing." Earlier this month the
Governor visited the village and on seeing the
developmental activities being carried out in the village
sanctioned a grant of Rs 2 lakh to the panchayat. |
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Badal releases cassette on
'Music of Khalsa' CHANDIGARH, April 3 — The Punjab Governor, Lieut-Gen BKN Chibber (retd), today released a CD-ROM. A journey from Sikh to Khalsa- a multimedia presentation on Sikh History produced by a private computer firm on the occasion of the tercentenary of the birth of Khalsa at Punjab Raj Bhavan. The CD-ROM has been produced on the basis of text and photographs supplied by the SGPC. Explaining the contents, Mr Deepak Saini, managing director of the computer firm, said CD-ROM contained nine main chapters, including history of Sikhs, 10 Gurus, historical shrines, historical personalities, historical events, ardas (prayer), Gurmukhi lipi, English translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and glossary of common Punjabi terms. An attempt has been made to trace the history of the Khalsa Panth right from the beginning and present it in a proper perspective. The chapter on Gurmukhi lipi and glossary of common Punjabi terms has been included to give an exposure to the younger generation on the day-to-day usage of Punjabi, and explain the meaning of common religious terms. The software was developed by Dr Saranjeet Singh of Australia. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Badal released an 'audio cassette' of 'Music of Khalsa', a documentary film produced by Mr Mangal Dhillon. The film was sponsored by the Information and Public Relations Department. The audio cassette, which has been produced by HMV, contains nine shabada written by gurus and set to tune by Arvinder and Surinder. Mr Badal stressed the need of evolving an effective system with modern techniques to propagate the philosophy of Sikhism and the 'order of the Khalsa' propounded by Guru Gobind Singh, worldwide. The Minister for Information and Public Relations, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, was present. Mr Mangal Dhillon said
though the documentary covered a brief history of Sikhs
the emphasis was on the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. |
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PSEB draws flak for power cuts BATHINDA, April 3 — Mr Kewal Krishan Aggarwal, general secretary of the District Congress Committee (DCC), has alleged that frequent power cuts in the city have adversely affected students and traders. In a press note issued here yesterday he alleged that the PSEB authorities had started imposing undeclared power cuts in the city though the summer had just started. He pointed out that unscheduled power cuts were disturbing college students who were taking their final exams. He added that after 6 p.m. the traders could not do their business due to power cuts. Mr Aggarwal alleged that the PSEB was deliberately imposing power cuts to promote the business interests of some industrialists who were engaged in the manufacture of power generators. He pointed out though Bathinda district boated of two thermal plants yet the city suffered from frequent power cuts. He demanded 24-hour power
supply to Bathinda residents. |
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Department denies report GURDASPUR, April 3 — Dr Gambir Inder Singh, Deputy Director, District Animal Husbandry Department, while referring to a news item "Lead poisoning kills cattle", published in these columns denied the statement which said the Director of the department did not act promptly to save the cattle. He said he went to the dairy farm of Yashpaul on March 7 and saved more than half the cattle with the help of other veterinary surgeons. Meanwhile, the lead
factory in the area had been closed and the owner of the
factory had agreed to pay compensation to the owner of
the cattle. |
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Laws sought for private schools BATHINDA, April 3 — The Janata Dal has urged the district administration to enact a law for private schools regarding the collection of tuition fee, admission fee and different funds. In a press note issued here today, Mr Bhupinder Sharma, Vice-President, Janata Dal alleged that private schools were making money on one pretext or the other. He added that this practice had been going on without any official check. He alleged that the private school managements were also indirectly looting the parents by supplying their students uniforms, shoes, neck-ties, books and exercise books on rates higher than the market. Every year, the managements increase admission fee, building fund and tuition fee. He pointed out that presently there were hundreds of such school which were indulging in number of malpractices on the pretext of quality education. He added that some of the schools which started with only four to five rooms about few years ago now had big buildings. He demanded that
government should made laws to check the loot of parents
by private schools. |
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2 held for theft of vehicles ABOHAR, April 3 — Hareender Singh alias Happy, a resident of Nai Abadi here, was arrested by the police for theft of vehicles when he appeared in the district court to face trial in another case registered under Sections 307,326,148 and 149 in 1995. He had been avoiding appearing in the court for sometime. His accomplice Baljit Singh Pappu was arrested last week. The police recovered a jeep and a scooter from his possession at a police naka on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. In another case, two
residents of Pandia village in Zira subdivision were
arrested yesterday while allegedly smuggling six bags of
poppy husk in Maruti car from Rajasthan. A police party
intercepted the vehicle near Kulsar village and seized
180kg of poppy husk. The culprits were booked under the
NDPS Act. |
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Guidelines for private schools KAPURTHALA, April 3 — The district administration has issued guidelines to all private schools in the district over the charging of fees in the new academic year at the time of fresh admission. In a order issued here yesterday Mrs Usha, R Sharma, District Magistrate allowed only 10 per cent increase in fees for admission. Preference will be given to second child. The refundable caution money should either be put in fixed deposits account receipts or it should be abolished. The guidelines also mentioned that parents should be informed in advance regarding the organisation of functions, decrease in holidays and restrain from charging extra fee if a students take part in sports. The parents were also directed to make a complaint to the District Magistrate if the schools violated the directions. The order has been issued
keeping in view of the resentment among parents over the
increase in fees in new academic session. |
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Food-processing units being
boosted: Sukhbir PATIALA, April 3 — The Union Minister of State for Industry, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, today said the food-processing industry was being encouraged in Punjab and that a major food processing unit was coming up in Sirhind. Addressing a rural conference at Shahpur village, about 25 km from here, in this district, Mr Badal said besides this private manufacturing houses were going to invest in the area which would give a fillip to its development. Industrial investment
worth Rs 2200 crore had been approved for the state by
the Centre in the last one year. Besides this various
welfare schemes had also been started in the state. The
Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, was also
present. |
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AIFUCTO invited for talks JALANDHAR, April 3 — The All-India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (AIFUCTO) has been invited for talks by the Ministry of Human Resource Developments on April 6 and the University Grants Commission on April 7. Disclosing this, Dr VK Tewari, national secretary of AIFUCTO said here today that the secretary consisting of eight members of the national apex body of 3.50 lakh university and college teachers would attend the meetings. However, he said that
AIFUCTO resented the delay in solving the pending
problems of the university teaching community even when
Dr MM Joshi, Union Minister of HRD, had assured on
September 5 last that the agreed upon issues would be
expeditiously resolved. |
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