Friday, April 9, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Friday, April 9, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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PM opens
Khalsa heritage show |
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 AmritsarAnandpur Sahib Bathinda Chandigarh Hoshiarpur Ludhiana Patiala
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Has PPCB given wrong facts? Fake goods invade Punjab
Plea against illegal poultry farms Dogra installed DCC chief Driver flees with cash and car Tohra camp to 'liberate' SAD Eighth day of convicts' fast Facilities restored to SGPC
ex-Addl Secy MC criticised for poor water
supply Plea on industrial revival |
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Thermal plant GOINDWAL (Amritsar), April 8 — Has the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) deliberately given wrong information about the distance of protected wetland and bird sanctuary, Harike, from the proposed coal-based thermal plant being installed here at a cost of Rs 2,200 crore? The study of the executive summary report supplied to the panel of judges who heard public objections gave an impression that the PPCB had concealed many facts to get the no-objection certificate to the private firm for the installation of the project. The foundation stone of this project was likely to be laid by the Prime Minister shortly, as per official information. Apart from panches and sarpanches of the area a member of the panel of judges constituted by the district administration, Mr Mukhtiar Singh Khera, raised objections regarding the accuracy of the data provided by the PPCB. He alleged that the board had misguided the government with regard to the distance between the protected wetland, bird sanctuary and the site for the proposed coal-based thermal plant. While the executive summary report of the PPCB reads, "No reserve forests are located within a 25-km radius of the study area, Harike sanctuary is located at 55 km from the proposed site. No irrigation dams or canals are existing in the down stream of the river". However, Mr Khera claimed that the distance between the site of proposed plant and wetland bird sanctuary was almost half i.e. 28 km and not 55 km as claimed by the PPCB. He added that the site for the proposed plant should be shifted to the place where the wasteland was available so that no damage was done to the bird sanctuary or the wetland. Mr Khera said it would be an environmental hazard to the bird sanctuary and the aquatic life-breeding ground lying up stream of both the Sutlej and the Beas, barraged at Harike. He added that a map was shown to the board and the district administration which showed wrong details. The water feature at the confluence of the Sutlej and the Beas covers a vast area extending to more than 15 km up stream towards the plant site. Its up stream limit lies less than 15 km from the proposed plant site. A radial distance of 25 km from such a plant is legally an affected area. This important water feature thus lies in the maximum pollution-thrust area. Besides being of host to thousands of migratory and local birds and a vital fish culture and breeding ground, it supplies drinking and irrigation water to areas in Rajasthan. The report has
conveniently ignored the existence of the Harike and
Sulaimanki barrages and the canals they feed. |
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Fake goods invade Punjab BATHINDA: About four years ago, a trader of Ludhiana pocketed several crores of rupees through sale tax evasion by supplying fake ST-22 forms to wholesale merchants of the state. Three units manufacturing fake or spurious engine oil were detected in Bathinda and Sangrur districts. In 1996, the Ludhiana police unearthed factories manufacturing fake nail polish, shoes, and soda water. In the past three years a synthetic desi ghee racket was detected in Bathinda, Mansa and Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan. The fake desi ghee being manufactured in Rajasthan was being supplied in Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and other parts of the country under popular brand names. Punjab, having an international border with Pakistan and a state border with Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, has become a paradise for unscrupulous traders and manufacturers who sell or manufacture fake goods. Recently at Jalandhar, a factory making adulterated spices was unearthed by the police. The Bathinda district administration arrested chemists selling spurious medicines in December 1998 and unearthed a fake gas agency in December 1997. In the recent past the Ferozepore police had seized fake currency worth lakhs of rupees. The currency was reportedly pumped into India from across the border by Pakistan's ISI. Instances of manufacturing fake fertilisers and pesticides are very common as is the seizure of adulterated petrol at petrol pumps in Punjab. Duplicate cassettes have been seized here and other parts of the state a number of times. After the installation of the SAD-BJP government, a scandal of fake enrolment of students by 41 schools of Jalandhar division came to light. About four years ago, a scandal of fake recruitment of Home Guard jawans was unearthed by the Vigilance Bureau of the Punjab Government. Recently, the Jalalabad police arrested a "fake judge" who was cheating rural people. The person, who was later identified as Harial Singh, used to wear a black coat and a black tie and carried a fake identity card of a judicial magistrate. A number of people
talked TNS said that the Punjab Government should create
a special cell to check the invasion of markets by fake
goods. Manufacturers of fake goods should be given
stringent punishment to deter the other unscrupulous
elements, they added. |
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Plea against illegal poultry
farms KHARAR, April 8 — The alleged illegal setting up of poultry farms by certain influential persons near Tira village near the Chandigarh border has created problems for the villagers and the departments concerned were not taking any action against them. According to a copy of a complaint received here yesterday, which has been sent to the Punjab Chief Minister by the Sarpanch of Tira village the Youth and Welfare Club and the Youth Welfare and Development Club of the village, certain persons have set up these poultry farms without getting approval from the departments concerned and were allegedly running these illegally. No arrangement of cleanliness had been made and garbage is thrown near the village. A foul smell always pervades in the area. Flies and mosquitoes make it difficult for the people to live. They have written that because of this foot and mouth disease had spread in the area some times ago and many animals had died of it. The Punjab State
Pollution Board, Chandigarh, wrote to the SDM, Kharar on
December 29 last year to close down these poultry farms
but no step was taken in this regard. They demanded that
the government should take immediate action. |
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PM opens Khalsa heritage
show ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 8 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his party was accorded a warn welcome on reaching here shortly before noon by helicopter from Chandigarh. The Governor, Lt-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd.), and the Chief Minister accompanied him. From the helipad he drove straight to Takht Keshgarh Sahib to pay obeisance. Thereafter, he visited the site of the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, whose foundation was laid by the Panj Pyaras in November last year. Later, Mr Vajpayee went to a local college to inaugurate the Khalsa heritage exhibition. It displays under one roof rare artefacts and exhibits connected with Sikh Gurus, warriors and the socio-cultural and war history. After the main function was over the Prime Minister was taken to "kisan haveli" for its inauguration. There he met prominent Punjab leaders. Keeping in view several factors, Guru Granth Sahib was not installed on the stage in the pandal today. But all other functions will be held there in the presence of the holy book. The much-hyped media centre lacked proper arrangements for newspersons. Some correspondents were heard complaining of faulty lines of communication or poor availability of light refreshment. The tercentenary celebrations have given the historic town a festive look. Besides the usual religious routine followed at Takht Keshgarh Sahib, other programmes have been planned to blend with ambience of the occasion. A sports mela will be inaugurated tomorrow at Charan Ganga Stadium. April 10 is devoted to religious discourses in the main pandal and there will be a welcome ceremony of the marches which will reach Patalpuri Gurdwara at Kiratpur Sahib from the places to which the Panj Pyaras belonged. There will be a kavi darbar on the same evening. The environment park
named after the Panj Pyaras turned out to be the main
attraction for devotees with high shooting fountains and
open space. |
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Manjit Singh absent ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 8 — Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee today visited Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, became the first Prime Minister of the country to visit this holy city. Mr Vajpayee arrived an hour behind schedule. He reached at 12.45 p.m. though it was officially announced he would arrive there at 11.50 a.m. Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of the Takht, here, was conspicuous by his absence when the Prime Minister was presented with a siropa by Bibi Jagir Kaur, President of the SGPC. The huge pandal raised at a cost of Rs 1 crore in about 4.5 acres from where the Prime Minister, the Punjab Chief Minister and other top leaders today addressed the gathering was packed to capacity. At least 80 close-circuit TV sets relayed the inaugural ceremony for the benefit of the public. The "Lioness of Bengal" Ms Mamata Banerjee, during her address raised the slogan of "Bole so nihal...", thrice, which was enthusiastically responded by the public. While Mr Vajpayee was addressing the gathering, people were seen leaving the pandal at least twice. Mr Madan Lal Khurana,
former Delhi Chief Minister, was addressed as
"Jathedar" Madan Lal Khurana by Capt Kanwaljit
Singh, Punjab Finance Minister, who was acting as stage
secretary at the inaugural function of the tercentenary
celebrations. |
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CM sabotaging Cong yatra:
Amarinder GURUSARMEHRAJ (Bathinda) — The Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President, Capt Amarinder Singh, today alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was trying to sabotage the Sarbans Dani Shardha Yatra being organised by the party. Addressing a press conference in a historical gurdwara here, he alleged that Mr Badal was getting worried over the 'huge' response to the yatra and had acquired the 12 acre plot at Anandpur Sahib, belonging to a block Congress President, where the Congress was to held its conference on Baisakhi. He, however, made it clear that Congress men would not allow any body to sabotage the yatra. He added that Mr Badal was indulging in political vindictiveness and he would have to face the music. When asked whether the infighting in the state Congress had affected the yatra, he denied that there were differences in the party over the yatra. On the open defiance of Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Capt Amarinder Singh said an individual's 'indiscipline' could not be dubbed as infighting. After the tercentenary celebration, the Punjab Congress would launch a mass awareness movement regarding the alleged corruption by Mr Badal, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal and Mrs Surinder Kaur Badal. Government jobs in Punjab were on sale and only the highest bidders were recruited, he alleged. He further alleged that Mr Badal and his family members had financially squeezed the industrialists of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar by extorting huge funds from them for the party. The economy of farmers had been shattered in Punjab. The wheat price was not satisfactory and there were no buyers for the potato crop. Suicides by farmers were still being reported. A vegetable export corporation should by set up by the Central Government to ensure remunerative prices to farmers, he demanded. There was not much security at the gurdwara. Asked whether Congress recognised Bhai Ranjit Singh or Bhai Puran Singh as the real Jathedar of Akal Takht, Capt Amarinder Singh said: "I don't want to comment on it. It is an internal matter of the Akalis." However, he said, the Akali feud could bring terrorism back in Punjab and the Congress would leave no stone unturned to prevent this. While demanding a CBI probe into the purchase of substandard paddy in the previous season by procurement agencies, he demanded that the Punjab Government should make arrangements for storing the wheat crop otherwise the farmers would have to suffer again. He alleged that Rs 140 crore given by the Central Government to the Punjab Government on the occasion of the tercentenary celebrations had been wasted. The Akalis had 'not used' this amount in a meaningful way. When asked whether the Congress would approach the Punjab Lok Pal regarding the corruption charges against the Chief Minister and others, Capt Amarinder Singh said his party did not recognise the present Lok Pal. For a year from April 13
this year, the state Congress would organise kirtan
darbars, dhadi darbars, blood donation camps in the name
of the panj pyaras of Guru Gobind Singh and an
international seminars, he added |
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'Badal has no right to lead celebrations' LUDHIANA (FOC): — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, senior Akali leader and a close associate of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, asserted that Mr Badal had no right to lead the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib. In a statement issued here yesterday, Mr Chandumajra accused Mr Badal of failing to fulfil any of the promises made before the polls to the people of the state. He said Mr Badal had promised to constitute a judicial commission to look into the causes of Operation Bluestar and the growth of terrorism in Punjab. But he had done nothing of the sort, apparently to protect the guilty Congressmen and his own supporters, he added. He pointed out that a
senior IAS officer who signed the official order for
carrying out Operation Bluestar as Deputy Commissioner of
Amritsar in 1984 and was later honoured by the Congress
government with a Padam Shree, now occupied a key
position in the Badal administration. Similarly, the
Badal government had failed to take any action against
corrupt Congressmen, some of whom continued to be
chairmen of government corporations. |
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7 first aid posts at
Anandpur Sahib ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 8 — The Punjab Red Cross Society has set up seven first aid posts in and around this town to provide emergency medical aid to needy pilgrims. Out of these, three posts will work round the clock up to April 14. According to Mr Mohan Bindal a Senior State Officer of the society, here today, the society has pressed 125 volunteers into service. They have been drawn from Delhi and Punjabi. Apart from this, eight ambulances from Punjab and two from Delhi will also be available. Medicines will be distributed free of cost. A first aid post has
also been set up at the media centre in the local
Government Senior Secondary School for Girls opposite the
ADC office for providing medical aid to mediapersons. |
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Exhibition at Anandpur Sahib CHANDIGARH, April 8
— A handicraft and industrial exhibition organised
by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation
will be inaugurated by Mr Sucha Singh Langah, Minister of
State for Industry, at Anandpur Sahib tomorrow, according
to a press note issued here today. |
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Railway booking time increased HOSHIARPUR, April 8 — Railway passengers will get computerised railway booking facility at the local railway station from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May. According to railway sources, the Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepore, has issued instructions in this regard to the railway authorities on the suggestion of Mr Harish Saini, member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee, Ferozepore division of Northern Railways. At the present the booking is being done here from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, due to which passengers are facing a lot of inconvenience. Mr Saini ha also
suggested to the Divisional Railway Manager, Northern
Railways, Ferozepore to make alternative arrangements for
power supply at Hoshiarpur station in case of power
failure. The Divisional Manager has agreed to make
necessary arrangements in this regard. |
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Dogra installed DCC chief HOSHIARPUR, April 8 — Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, MLA, was installed as president of the District Congress Committee here by Dr Kewal Krishan, Mr Gurmail Singh, Mr Dharam Pal Sabharwal, all former ministers of Punjab, Mr Ram Rattan, Acting President of the DCC, Mr Kuldip Nanda, General Secretary of the DCC and Congress workers were also present at the function at the party office here yesterday. Mr Dogra, who is Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was appointed as the President of the District Congress Committee by the PPCC recently. Addressing the gathering, Dr Kewal Krishan criticised the SAD-BJP government, for its alleged failure on all fronts especially on the economic front due to which even salaries to the Government employees and pensions were not regularly being paid. SAD and BJP leaders were interfering in administrative works. More than 20 local leaders of the BJP-BSP and SAD including Mr Anil Sharma, Mr Anil Kumar, Mr Santa Singh, Mr Ashutosh Hajipur, Mr Janmej Singh, Sarpanch of Halwara Haler, along with their supporters joined the Congress on the occasion. Mr Dogra said he would take all factions into his confidence for strengthening the party. He alleged that SAD and BJP leaders were using government offices for running the parties affairs. He said 2,000 Congress
workers from the district would participate in the
political conference at Anandpur Sahib on April 13. All
present office-bearers of the DCC would continue in the
same capacity, he added. |
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Call for stay-in strike PHAGWARA, April 8 — The Private Colleges Non-Teaching Employees' Union, Punjab and Chandigarh, has called for a stay-in strike and gate rallies in 160 privately-managed colleges on April 15,17 and 20. The decision was taken by the union executive, Mr R.K. Parmar, General Secretary of the union, said here today. Besides, the
6,000-strong non-teaching staff would continue its
ongoing boycott of the university examinations to press
for the acceptance or revised pay scales and other
demands, Mr Parmar added. |
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Driver flees with cash and car BATHINDA, April 8 — Ajay, a driver working at the local Panchvati Motors Limited Company and dealers of cars, fled with a Zen car and some cash yesterday. Police sources said the manager of the company, Mr Hardev Singh, gave Rs 6 lakh to Ajay for depositing it at a branch of Punjab and Sind Bank. The driver took the car while going to the bank. Mr Hardev Singh became suspicious when the driver did not come back after a long time. Inquiries regarding his whereabouts could not yield any satisfactory reply. The manager reported the
matter to the police and a case was registered at the
city police station. |
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Tohra camp to 'liberate' SAD AMRITSAR, April 8 — Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, who is a close confidant of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, has said he will vote to save the Vajpayee government in case a no-confidence motion was moved against his government. Talking to the press here today, Prof Chandumajra, however, said the Tohra camp would launch a campaign "Save Akali Dal" after the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth. He added that the time had come to "liberate" the SAD from "Badal family", and it would be made the party of workers. In a significant statement, Prof Chandumajra said he and Mr Tohra were in touch with the leaders of various regional parties. He said the BJP had given nothing to Punjab and the Punjabis. Efforts should be made to explore the possibilities to form a united front at the central level so that the Congress should be stopped from coming to power. When asked about the
indications that Mr Tohra and he could be expelled from
the SAD, he said they (Mr Tohra and Prof Chandumajra)
belonged to the real Akali Dal. |
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Eighth day of convicts' fast NABHA, April 8 — The indefinite fast started by TADA convicts at the maximum security prison here entered the eighth day today even as the Akali Dal (Amritsar) announced it would hold a dharna in front of the prison to seek their release on the occasion of the tercentenary. Four convicts had gone on fast on April 1 to focus attention on their "plight" on the occasion of the tercentenary of the birth of the Khalsa. Following this 35 more TADA convicts and undertrials had joined them on April 3. The jail authorities were able to persuade most of them to discontinue the strike and only eight convicts were on strike on April 6. However, today the number of convicts has risen to 12. Official sources stated that the health of 12 convicts was satisfactory and that regular check ups to monitor their health were being done by the jail authorities. The sources said all 12 convicts had been put on an intravenous drip at the jail hospital with one convict being taken to the Civil Hospital here. The jail authorities
refused to comment on the issue. |
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Farmers wait for wheat
procurement PATIALA, April 8 — Government procuring agencies have not started buying wheat from grain markets in this and other districts even though the Punjab Government had announced the commencement of the wheat procurement from April. Claiming this in a press note here yesterday Mr Satnam Singh Behru, President, kisan wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), said a survey conducted by a team of the wing in the district had revealed lacklustre arrangements made by the government for wheat procurement. He said at various places even the gunny bags to be provided by the government were still awaited. At other places the farmers were waiting for the past several weeks for the arrival of officials of various procurement agencies. Mr Behru also threatened
that if the government did not make adequate arrangements
for wheat procurement, then his party activists would
gherao offices of procurement agencies and the government
departments concerned. |
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No threat to BJP govt: Uma LUDHIANA, April 8 — The Union Minister of State for Sports, Women and Child Development, Ms Uma Bharti, has asserted that there was no threat to the BJP-led coalition government and that it would complete its full term. She was speaking to mediapersons here today after addressing a meeting of the district unit of the BJP. She was here to preside over the convocation function of devaki Devi Jain College. She said Congress President Sonia Gandhi as threat no 1' to the country. Answering a query on betting in sports, she said she had ordered an inquiry into it. She said the BJP had not
been able to implement some of its promises like the
implementation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and
building of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya because they were
working on the national agenda and not the party agenda. |
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Facilities restored to SGPC ex-Addl
Secy CHANDIGARH, April 8 — Mr Raghbir Singh, former Additional Secretary of the S.G.P.C., today preferred a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court questioning the continuance of Mr Kulwant Singh as Secretary of the S.G.P.C., and withdrawal of facilities that he enjoyed. Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice A.S. Garg, before whom the petition came up for hearing, issued notice to S.G.P.C. President Jagir Kaur, Mr Kulwant Singh and the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission for April 30. The Judges also ordered that whatever facilities the petitioner enjoyed "shall be restored to him." The petitioner stated that Mr Kulwant Singh was due to retire after attaining the superannuation age of 58 years. However, the S.G.P.C., vide its order dated January 17, 1994, allowed him to continue till further orders. He stated that Mr Kulwant Singh continued in service even after January 23, 1996, when he was aged above 60 years. His continuance in service beyond that date was illegal and without any authority and against the rules. He stated that Rule 21 of the Service Rules provided that no employee shall remain in service beyond 60 years. Mr Raghbir Singh stated
that former President of the S.G.P.C. had retired Mr
Kulwant Singh from service on March 13, 1999. He also
prayed that the order withdrawing the facilities he
enjoyed before March 29, 1999, be quashed as the order,
he submitted, was vindictive, mala fide, oppressive and
punitive. |
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MC criticised for poor
water supply PATIALA, April 8 — Residents of several outer colonies in the city have criticised the municipal corporation for not supplying regular and adequate water to their colonies. In a statement, Mr Manmohan Arora who was yesterday elected president of the United Welfare Association of 16 colonies, including Gurbax Colony, Tafazalpura Colony, Jhujhar Nagar, Bishan Nagar, Bajwa Colony and other surrounding localities, said for the past several days residents of these colonies had been suffering due to irregular water supply and in some areas the supply was almost non-existence. Mr Arora said in spite
of repeated pleas, the municipal corporation had not
redressed their grievances. The association will give the
corporation 10 days' time to regulate the water supply
and then it would launch an agitation by gheraoing the
office of the municipal corporation, he added. |
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Plea on industrial revival CHANDIGARH, April 8 — The Punjab Forum for Industrial Revival, Mandi Gobindgarh has urged Mr Pranab Mukherjee, general secretary of the AICC, to take up the issue of industrial revival of the state with the central government. Mr S.D. Garg, chairman of the forum said here today that the Punjab Government had not done anything and the steel industry was in bad shape due to recession. There was no escape from the ever-increasing cost of raw material, no industrial development work had been initiated and an increase in the freight had further burdened the industry. Industrialists in the state were expecting same relief, but in vain, Mr Garg added. He said the last time Mr
Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Mandi Gobindgarh, he
promised the construction of a railway overbridge there.
But it had not been done so far. In the absence of it,
the growth of the steel town had been hampered, he added. |
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Primary education officers
resign LUDHIANA, April 8 — All block primary education officers handed over their resignation letters to the District Education Officer (Primary). Mr Pritpal Singh, President of the Block Primary Education Officers, informed that these officers were basically head teachers of primary schools, holding current duty charge, and that benefits of the posts of the block primary education officer were being denied to them. They are demanding that
they either be given the due benefits or sent back to
their own place of posting. |
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Park inaugurated ANANDPUR SAHIB, April 8 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, today inaugurated a park, built by the Young Farmers' Association, Punjab, Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle and the local Municipal Council in memory of Amrik Singh Cheema, a former Vice Chancellor of PAU, Ludhiana. The park has been given
a facelift under the IDMST scheme by the Municipal
Council. Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Keshgarh
Sahib, was present. |
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GND varsity holidays AMRITSAR, April 8 — Guru Nanak Dev University teaching departments and the affiliated colleges of this university will remain closed from April 9 to 14 in connection with tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth. Consequently, the university has reduced the summer vacation by one week. This was disclosed here today by Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar, through a notification. Dr Bawa has announced
that all the administrative offices and non-teaching
departments of the university will also remain closed
from April 12-14. However, he said the university will
remain open for full day on April 17 (Saturday). |
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Electoral rolls on April 20 LUDHIANA, April 8 — The printing of the voters list which was to be held on April 10 has been further postponed till April 20, according to the information received from the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel. The printing has been
reportedly postponed in accordance with the orders issued
from the Election Commissioner, and the objections would
now be accepted till May 20. |
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Lift ban on polythene bags,
govt urged AMRITSAR, April 8 — The Amritsar and Gurdaspur Polythene Bags Manufacturers Association has urged the Chief Minister to direct the Deputy Commissioners of certain districts to withdraw the ban on sale of polythene bags. In a communication sent to Mr Parkash Singh Badal, the President of the association, Mr Inderpal Singh, said instead of such a ban, regulatory orders should be passed for the proper use of polythene bags. He claimed that people, especially the poor, would be adversely affected with such bans who were earning their livelihood from this business. The association suggested that instead of a blanket ban the government should educate the people about the disposal of the bags into the dustbins or ban throwing of bags at public places, sewer lines etc. Mr Inderpal Singh said with the ban on polythene bags, the state government would lose annual revenue worth crores as the manufacturers pay heavy electricity bills to the Punjab State Electricity Board. The association
threatened to launch an agitation if the Deputy
Commissioners of certain districts failed to withdraw the
ban orders immediately. |
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Widows wait for pension release AMRITSAR, April 8 — Widows of terrorist-affected families have been running from pillar to post to get their pension released for the past eight months. Mr Surinder Kumar Billa,
president, All-India Hindu Shiv Sena in a press note has
threatened to launch an agitation if the Relief and
Rehabilitation Department fails to release the pensions
to the widows immediately. |
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Gang of robbers busted BATHINDA, April 8 — The police has claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of robbers with the arrest of Darshan Singh of Malkana village. Mr H.S. Sran, SSP, in a press note here today said the gang was involved in three cases of dacoity, two in Haryana and one in Punjab. Makhan Singh of Bara Gura village in (Haryana), another associate of the accused had absconded, he said. A .315-bore pistol and
two cartridges had been seized from the accused. |
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Punjab Assembly prorogued CHANDIGARH, April 8
— The Punjab Governor, Lt Gen B.K.N. Chhibber has
prorogued the state assembly, which was adjourned sine
die at the conclusion of its Budget session here on March
30, an official notification said here today. |
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Sikh detainees' release
sought CHANDIGARH, April 8 — Mr Inderjit Singh Jaijee, convener of the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) in an open letter to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has sought the release of Sikh detainees lodged in various jails under TADA for the past several years. He said while Mr Badal
was competent to release those detained in Punjab, the
central government could be requested to release those
detained in jails in other parts of the country. |
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