Sunday, December 12, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Sunday, December 12, 1999 |
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SAD
working committee meets on Dec 15 Retired Army men to head flying
squads |
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Fruit
traders on warpath Cheat posing as travel agent held Are they Laden men? Dean to look into cases of
victimisation BSP pursuing caste politics:
Kamboj MP decries Cong on
"false" cases Palledars: end contract system CM making hollow promises: Cong Employees’ panel threatens
stir No ‘claim’ is made on
portfolios ‘Need to regulate’
parties funding Two vultures die near Makhu Reframe Punjabi film policy:
Mangal Messiah for cyclone victims Plea to farmers on floriculture Suspect dies in police custody Gunner Buta Singh cremated Two commit suicide Holiday creates confusion Rice millers’ plea on milling
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Decision likely on Ravi Inder CHANDIGARH, Dec 11 — The Punjab Chief Minister and President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has called a meeting of the party's working committee for December 15 to decide the fate of former Speaker Ravi Inder Singh. The secretary of the SAD, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, in a signed statement here today said the meeting would be held at the central office of the party under the chairmanship of Mr Badal in MLA flat no 7 in Sector 3. He said apart from taking up the case of Mr Ravi Inder Singh, other cases of indiscipline in the party would also be reviewed. The statement is not clear whether the issue of taking action against 10 pro-Tohra MLAs will come up at the December 15 meeting. It may be recalled that Mr Badal had made statements earlier that the issue of taking action against 10 pro-Tohra MLAs, who are members of the Legislative Council of the SAD, has been handed over to Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the party. Informed sources said the working committee may decide on initiating action against those supporting Mr Ravi Inder Singh. The Badal camp has perceived Mr Ravi Inder Singh as a "dissident" in the party who has been involved in anti-party activities and posing threat to the chief ministership of Mr Badal. Mr Ravi Inder Singh was served a show-cause notice in this connection by Mr Badal and the matter had gone to court as Mr Ravi Inder Singh had challenged the constitutional validity of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which had authorised Mr Badal to issue a show-cause notice to him. The former Speaker had sent a reply of the show-cause notice on December 6. He has sought proof from Mr Badal as regards the charges levelled against him in the show-cause notice and offered to face the disciplinary committee. Meanwhile, a group of Sikh intellectuals, including Mr Gurdarshan Singh Grewal, a former Advocate- General, Punjab; Mr Karnail Singh Doad, a former MLA; Mr Jasmer Singh Bala; Mr Bharpur Singh, former Chairman of the Education Board; Mr Gur Rattan Lal Singh, a senior advocate and writer; Mr Mehar Singh, a retired professor; and Mr Gurdev Singh Brar, a retired IAS officer, have written a three-page letter to Mr Badal in connection with Mr Ravi Inder and other Panthic issues. Levelling serious charges against Mr Badal, the intellectuals, a majority of whom are pro-Tohra, have stated that Mr Badal was cleverly using the device of anti-Congressism as an "astra" (a weapon) to malign and dump those leaders whom he considered an impendiment in the way of his personal agenda. The letter says: "You have successfully employed this strategy of and on to malign and ease out leaders, including Mr Sukhjinder Singh, Mr Kuldip Singh Wadala, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Even Mr Surjit Singh Barnala had been made a victim of this strategy. "You insist on unswering personal loyalty from your old collegues and berate them as ‘Congress party quislings’ at the slightest provocation. But in pursuance of your unsatiated avrice for power, you proved disloyal and crafty to party presidents like Master Tara Singh, Sant Fateh Singh, Mr Mohan Singh Tur, Mr Talwandi, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, etc." They have alleged that
Mr Badal has always remained close to Congress leaders
like Mr Harcharan Singh Brar. They have questioned the
rationale behind the conferment of supremacy to the
Kairon family in the Majha region by Mr Badal. Even
charges of misuse of police and administrative machinery
to secure the control of the SGPC have been levelled in
the letter against Mr Badal. They have sought the
resignation of Mr Badal as Chief Minister and President
of the SAD. |
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Tohra: CM will soon face revolt KHASA (Patiala), Dec 11 — The All-India Shiromani Akali Dal President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, today indicated his preference for former Speaker Ravi Inder Singh, saying the latter could be a better administrator than Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Addressing a gathering here, Mr Tohra said if Mr Ravi Inder was given a chance to head the government, he would be more successful than the Chief Minister. He said the state needed an administrator who was responsive to the needs of the people. Mr Tohra said legislators of the Shiromani Akali Dal could not be coerced to toe Mr Badal’s line for long and he felt they "were going to take action against the Chief Minister". "Be ready for a revolt by the legislators soon", he warned. The AISAD chief demanded that the CBI or a sitting judge of the High Court should inquire into the violence at Dhakki Sahib so that the people would know the real picture. He said the Chief Minister was trying to evade responsibility for the incident by politicising the issue. On the alleged firing on former minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, his loyalist, Mr Tohra said the Ludhiana police was not taking any action in the matter as Mr Grewal had been responsible for the transfer of district police chief Kuldeep Singh from the district during the elections. The former SGPC chief also alleged tht the Chief Minister and his family had taken money from liquor contractors. He said it was because of this that excise revenue from liquor had recorded a decrease this year. He said the government should give an explanation on the matter. Mr Tohra laid the
foundation stones of drains in Khasa and nearby villages
for which a total grant of Rs 8 lakh was announced by
him. He was accompanied by former minister Harmail Singh
Tohra and AISAD district president Rajinder Singh Tohra. |
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Punjab move on copying CHANDIGARH, Dec 11 — The Punjab Education department has decided to appoint retired commissioned officers of the Army as head of the flying squads to get rid of the menace of copying in the annual examinations conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. This is the first time that such a step has been taken in the country. A decision to this effect has been taken at the initiative of the Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh. Informed sources said here today that several meetings of the officials concerned had been held in the past one week for conducting examinations in a fair way. Although some steps were taken last year for curbing the menace of copying, but this year the board and the Education department authorities have decided to tighten the noose. The retired army officers will be assisted by teachers and for a cluster of 15 examination centres, one flying squad will be constituted. Supervisors and superintendents concerned will be held responsible in case of detection of any sort of copying material in any examination centre. Mr Tota Singh said he wanted that students should pass their examinations after putting in a lot of hardwork and by improving their educational standard. He plans to write to the Deputy Commissioners to extend their cooperation for conducting the examinations smoothly. The District Education Officers have been made in charge of the conduct of examinations in their respective areas. They have been asked to send a panel of names to the board authorities concerned for appointing supervisory staff and superintendents of examination centres. The examination for eigth class will start from March 1. Earlier the examinations used to start in the second week of February. Immediately after the end of the eighth class examination, the examinations for higher classes will start, officials concerned said. Mr Tota Singh added that the board would continue with its last year introduced system of five sets of question papers. Elaborating on this he said for conducting the examinations of eighth, 10th and 12th classes a set of five different question papers would be prepared and every second student would get a different paper on the same subject. As parents have complained that last year there was a variation in question papers, the board authorities have been instructed to set the question papers of the same standard to eliminate the possibility of being dubbed tough or easy question paper. The authorities have
also been asked to set question papers by following a set
formula. Out of 100-mark question paper, questions for 40
marks should be difficult and the rest should be average
and easy ones. |
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Fruit traders on warpath AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — Fruit and vegetable wholesalers, retailers and commission agents have decided not to pay market fee from December 13 and to launch an indefinite agitation against the Mandi Board. The fruit and vegetable sellers have been on loggerheads with the Market Committee for over five years on the issue of shifting the market site from the congested Bhandari bridge to Vallah Mandi on the outskirts of the city. A spokesman of the aggrieved party, Mr Harish Taneja, told The Tribune that last week the administration along with Market Committee officers with the help of the police had suddenly stopped the entry of trucks, trollies and carts from entering the city without prior information, thereby hitting the trade worth over crores of rupees daily. Mr Taneja pointed out that fruit and vegetable dealers, farmers and the district officials had worked out an alternative, to temporarily shift the market to the vacant Transport Nagar on GT Road which is close to the present mandi. Mr Taneja said he was shocked and dismayed that although the district administration had agreed to allow the farm produce be brought to more convenient and open place, the rigid and adamant attitude of Market Committee officers had failed to resolve the issue. Mr Taneja maintained that they were prepared to shift the mandi to the proposed site at Vallah provided the government allotted plots on reserve price to licencees. The Fruit and Vegetable Merchants Union, the Amritsar Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agents Union and the Retailers Association had endorsed this view but it was Market Committee officials who were "conspiring against their livelihood" by displacing them to Vallah without plots and infrastructure, he argued. Mr Taneja said the present mandi was set up by migrants from Pakistan after Independence who had constructed the entire mandi through their own resources. After the enactment of the Punjabi Agriculture Produce Act in 1961, a market fee was imposed for the purpose of developing the markets with better infrastructure. The foodgrain market at Vallah was established on 97 acres 23 years ago but for unexplained reasons, it was shifted to Bhagtanwala and the Mandi Board allocated only 15 acres for the vegetable and fruit market. Five years ago, the Market Committee asked merchants, commission agents and others to shift to the new mandi without offering any facilities and decided to allot them plots on the market price through open auction. This forced the three associations to knock the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which stayed shifting of the market place. Since then the issue has been hanging fire. Mr Taneja contended that the government had no right to sell plots to the original licencees and merchants on the market rate. He quoted a Division Bench judgement of the Supreme Court that all mandi oustees should be provided with plots on reserve price. He felt the Punjab Government was acting against the spirit of the judgement and had drawn a stringent laws for the licencees which were not practical. The BJP MLA, Mrs Laxmi
Kanta Chawla, has assured the agitating dealers that she
will take up the matter with the highest authority to
work out an amicable solution. |
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Cheat posing as travel agent
held GURDASPUR, Dec 11 — The police has busted an interstate gang extorting huge amounts from persons aspiring to go abroad in search of jobs. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, Paramjit Singh alias Bhutto resident of Naushehra Bahadur, 5 km from here kingpin of this gang, was arrested today. Other members of the gang are Jarnail Singh, Arshad & Vikram all Delhi-based, are still at large. Mr Varinder Kumar said that the modus operandi of this gang was that they used to send such persons abroad on fake visas. The innocent persons were arrested abroad after having reached there on the charges of having entered that country on fake visas. This gang was operating through various agents who used to play different role at different stages. The SSP said that the members of the gang were based at Delhi for arranging fake visas, at south Korean Airport for getting them out of Airport and inside South Korea for hiding them and arranging for them some illegal jobs. The SSP said the police received a written affidavit from Baljinder Singh resident of Nawan Shalla, near here on May 2, 1999 that the accused Paramjit Singh came to him and extorted Rs 2.5 lakh on the plea that he would send him to South Korea and also arrange a job for him there. Lured by the promise, Baljinder Singh paid the accused Rs 2.5 lakh in the presence of Tarsem Singh his relative from Shela village in this sub-division. Paramjit Singh took Baljinder Singh to the resident of Jarnail Singh who further handed him to their accomplices Arshad and Vikram. The SSP added that Baljinder Singh alongwith Arshad and Vikram reached South Korea on July 24 by air. As soon as Baljinder Singh alighted at the Airport his passport was taken by Arshad and Vikram and he was arrested by the police of South Korea for possessing fake visas. He had to undergo a sentence of two months and was kept in jail at Kempo Airport. In jail, said Baljinder Singh there were many cells and in a cell where he was kept were a Chinese and Bangladeshi. He was beaten up twice every day in the jail and given one bottle of water for the whole day. At 6 a.m. in the morning the jail authority used to snatch his bedsheet and was left to shiver in cold the whole day. They were served three meals a day each consisting of 10 gms of rice and dish of insects and other animals. They were not allowed to go out to urinate the whole day. He used to weep the whole day and prayed to god to get him out of the jail. Paramjit Singh after graduation from government college here managed to get a passport in 1993 and went to Thailand on December 14, 1993. After staying there for 24 days he went to South Korea where he stayed till March 25, 1998. In South Korea he fell in love with a Korean girl namely Suk-Junoja. He brought this girl to India against a valid passport and married her legally and again went back South Korea on November 6, 1998 with his wife. He again came back India in February 1999 and sent Tajinder Singh Raja, both of Purana Shalla, Baljinder of Nawan Shalla, Kama of Purana Shalla, Harpreet Singh of Nawan Pind, Mohinder Singh of Chara, Saoba and Makhan Singh of Jalandhar, Bindri, Parma, and Satta of Parma Samian and charged Rs 2.5 lakh from every one. He handed over them to his Delhi-based agents and used to come back. Mr Varinder Kumar said
that the police is raiding the possible hide-outs to
arrest the remaining accused. A case under Section 420 of
the IPC has been registered against the accused on
December 10 in Purana Shalla police station in this
district. |
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Are they Laden men? ABOHAR, Dec 11 — The intelligence agencies reportedly are trying to find out whether two Afghans nabbed on Thursday had any link with the outfit led by Osama bin Laden. Sources said interrogation made, so far, had led to startling disclosures. Mir Vise (44) son of Naseem Gul of Khwaisgah, Kabul and Khan Zaman (36) son of Sarwar Khan of Logar Mohamad Umar, Kabul were arrested by a team of Narcotics Control Bureau with the coordination of the BSF while crossing international border near BoP Ashok in Gharsana sector of Sriganganagar district on December 9 morning on a tip off thirtyfive kg. heroin valued at Rs 30 crore was seized from them in the joint operation launched by the NCB and the BSF. Well-placed sources said a Maruti van (DL-I-CG 8133) was lying abandoned outside a village on the Khajuwala road just one km away from the BoP on the same day. The villagers say two persons had parked the vehicle but did not turn up. Intelligence agencies believed the van was to be used by the nabbed Afghans for delivering the consignment to some gang at New Delhi. A message was flashed to Delhi by the sleuths but it was revealed that the van had been stolen by some one and the owner had lodged an FIR with the Delhi Police. Sources said the Afghanistan nationals appeared to be couriers and narrated identical story during interrogation. But it was revealed that they had been operating in Hong Kong, Thailand, China and Burma. Sources said that Khan
Zaman possessed fake Pakistani passports but he destroyed
the same later on. To make both culprits tell the truth
was an uphill task. Agencies said even then there were
broad hints that they had links with the unlawful
organisation headed by Osama bin Laden who was wanted by
the USA for acts of terrorism. There were indications
that Khan Zaman and Mir Vise had been asked to contact
‘Sikandar’ at Delhi but intelligence agencies
had not so far been able to find his whereabouts who had
been operating in the Jama Masjid area. The consignment
carried made in Pakistan’ markings. The involvement
of the ISI in this deal could not be ruled out, the
agencies said. |
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Dean to look into cases of
victimisation PATIALA, Dec 11 — Punjabi University has deputed the Dean, academic affairs Dr K.S. Dhir, to monitor all victimisation cases pertaining to the staff and give his report every week. This decision was taken by Vice-Chancellor Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia after the executive committee of the Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA) met him recently on the issue. The victimisation allegedly took place during the tenure of Dr J.S. Puar. After Dr Ahluwalia took over as Vice-Chancellor, he directed Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Dr Ram Murti Goel, to review all such cases, a majority of the cases are still to be reviewed. The PUTA secretary, Dr Hari Singh Boparai, said the executive had also expressed concern over the delay in the payment of arrears for the period January, 1996, to December, 1998, as a result of revision of grades. Dr Boparai said the PUTA executive impressed upon the Vice-Chancellor to raise the retirement age to 62 as had been done in Paunjab University, Chandigarh. He said the Vice-Chancellor, while agreeing on principle to the demand said the issue would be taken up with government after a discussion with other universities of the region. Dr Ahluwalia also agreed
to consider the cases of promotion of lecturers under the
career advancement scheme, Dr Boparai added. |
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BSP pursuing caste politics:
Kamboj FEROZEPORE, Dec 11 — Justifying his decision to join the Congress after stepping down as the Punjab Bahujan Samaj Party President during the Lok Sabha polls, Mr C.D. Singh Kamboj, said the "unholy alliance" struck by the BSP supremo, Mr Kanshi Ram, with "radicals" had forced him to switch sides. Terming the electoral alliance between the BSP and the breakaway factions of then Akali Dal as "unholy" and dangerous he said the patch up was unacceptable to him. Describing as "extremists" the leaders of the breakaway Akali factions represented by Mr Jasbir Singh Rode and Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, he described the policies of Mr Kanshi Ram as "harmful". Accusing Mr Kanshi Ram of resorting to casteist politics and vitiating the social fabric by creating a class difference, he alleged that the BSP is biased and prejudiced. On being pointed out that he had failed to woo his Kamboj community for the BSP, he retorted, "this expectation on the part of the BSP had forced me to desert the party, as my earlier decision of joining it was not based on any caste consideration". He alleged that Mr
Kanshi Ram had ridiculed him at a public rally in
Anandpur Sahib, where he had announced his desire to shed
his surname "Kamboj" in line with the
principles laid down by Guru Gobind Singh for the Khalsa
Panth. |
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MP decries Cong on
"false" cases FAZILKA, Dec 11 — Mr Zora Singh, Mann, MP Lok Sabha from Ferozepore constituency talking to reporters in government senior secondary school here today criticised the statement of the PPCC chief, Captain Amarindar Singh at Ferozepore on Friday saying that 300 Congress workers had been implicated in false police cases. He described the allegation as false. He also criticised Congress men for describing registration of a case against former Punjab Minister Brij Bhupinder Singh as politically motivated, Mr Mann revealed that the case has been registered against former minister on orders of the Lok Pal. In reply to a question of long standing demand of linking Fazilka and Abohar with Railway line the MP said he and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa Union Minister, has taken up the issue with Ms Mamta Banerjee Union Railway Minister and she would soon announce linking these towns through Railway line. To another question Mr Mann said he would take up the issue of construction of Asia’s one of the largest TV. Tower at Fazilka to get the construction expedited. Mr Mann had come for the
first time after being elected to thank the voters of
Fazilka, Mr Surjeet Kumar Jyani, Minister of state for
rural development. Mr Mohinder Pratap Dhingra, president,
BJP Fazilka block, Mr Rajesh Kumar Angi, president,
Parents Teachers association, Mr Gurjent Singh
Chimnewala, propaganda secretary, district, Mukatsar
Akali Dal also addressed the gathering. The MP announced
to give Rs one lakh for the development of government
senior secondary school for boys from the MP area
development fund. |
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Palledars: end contract system TARN TARAN, Dec 11 — The FCI Workers Palledar Union, Punjab, and the Punjab Palledar Union (AITUC) organised a state-level conference here today and stressed on their long-pending demands, including abolition of the contract system of labour in a FCI depots in Punjab. Hundreds of palledars from different parts of the state participated. Among those who addressed the conference were Mr K.L. Mahendra, General Secretary, AITUC, Mr Bant Brar, Mr D L Sachdeva, Mr Harnek Singh Khanna, Mr Amar Singh Bhattian, Mr Karamdeol, Mr Idris and Jagdish Paswan. Mr Sat Pal Dang, veteran CPI leaders, supported the demands of the palledars. The leaders also
demanded absorption of the so-called surplus labour in
depots brought under the direct payment scheme (DPS). |
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CM making hollow promises:
Cong JALANDHAR, Dec 11 — The Congress is worried over the SAD(B) bid to woo voters for the coming byelection in Nawanshahr by announcing development schemes at rallies held in the district. Reacting to the announcement of development schemes, Mr Umrao Singh and Mr Iqbal Singh, both former MPs and senior Congress leaders, at a joint press conference here today alleged that Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, had made hollow announcements in Nawanshahr and was playing with the emotions of people. They alleged that Mr Badal had not implemented any of his earlier promises such as a science city in Jalandhar. On the decision of a party candidate for the Nawanshahr byelection, they said that the Congress had not finalised any name yet, but whichever candidate is decided upon by the party high command would be acceptale to them. Mr Iqbal said that
without the support of Capt Amarinder Singh they could
not win the election. |
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Employees’ panel threatens stir JALANDHAR, Dec 11 — The Punjab Mulazam Sangharsh Committee has threatened to launch an agitation, if the Punjab Government fails to concede its 14-point demand charter by December 14. Serving a two-week notice on the Punjab Government after a state-level rally at the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here yesterday. Committee leaders said their demands included the payment of salaries to employees on a monthly basis, reduction in the size of the Cabinet, cutting down the expenditure on ministers and bureaucrats and effectively checking tax evasion. The committee also condemned the government’s move to shift employees of certain departments to the Zila Parishad and panchayat samitis and the refusal of the state government to pay two instalments of dearness allowance to its employees. The rally was addressed
among others by Mr H.S. Minhas of the Mulazam Action
Committee, Mr Dattar Singh of the Democratic Employees
Front, Mr Ranbir Dhillon of the Punjab Subordinate
Services Federation and Mr Nazar Singh of the Ekta
Kendra. |
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No ‘claim’ is
made on portfolios CHANDIGARH, Dec 11 — The Punjab Local Bodies Minister and senior leader of the BJP, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, has denied that the BJP is pressing for Finance, Excise and Industry portfolios. He claimed that nothing of this sort had been discussed in any meeting of the BJP. Such stories were being carried to create a wage between the two coalition partners — the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP — in Punjab. The coalition government was working unitedly to mitigate the sufferings of the people and the BJP was with the government as its responsible partner. Neither he nor Mr Madan Mohan Mittal nor Mr Daya Singh Sodhi have made any statement to the print media in this connection, he added. The denial was issued
today by Mr Tandon. |
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‘Need to regulate’
parties funding PATIALA, Dec 11 — Ministry of Home Affairs Inter-State Council Adviser D.S. Bagga yesterday said the funding of parties and their election campaigns needed to be regulated by appropriate laws and adequate enforcement mechanisms with a view to providing equal opportunity to everyone. Delivering a lecture on "Funding of political parties and election campaigns by business houses" in the Department of Business Management, Punjabi University, here, Dr Bagga said corporate donations were a cause of corruption not only in elections but also in the Governance of the country. He said such donations generally went to big parties as the smaller parties or parties following ideologies and policies opposed to the interests of big business or industrial houses did not enjoy the patronage of big donors. Dr Bagga said the first challenge was to strengthen the law for the regulation of private funding and effectively curb the misuse on unaccounted financial resources at elections. He said the existing laws, if effectively enforced, could ensure a check on ostentatious electioneering and make it austere enough to be in the reach of the common man. Dr H.S. Deol, former
chairman of the National Commission of Minority
Languages, presided over the function. |
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Two vultures die near Makhu CHANDIGARH, Dec 11 — Today was a day of disappointment for officers of the Punjab Wildlife department. Reason: death of two vultures at Chotti Chakian village near Makhu. After a lot of efforts as many as eight vultures were located at the village in a cluster of trees along the roadside. Two of these were found dead yesterday evening. The remaining six are still perched on the treetop there. Mr Gurmit Singh, Director, Wildlife, Punjab, told TNS after returning from the scene that dead vultures had been sent for post-mortem examination to the Punjab Agriculture University’s veterinary wing. A team of three senior veterinary doctors of PAU conducted the post-mortem and the report is expected to be available on Friday. The most probable reason for the mortality of the two vultures seems to be a gout disease. The neck portion of the dead birds was a bit flabby and there was some swelling. Mr Gurmeet Singh said the Chief Wildlife Warden, Mr B.C. Bala, has informed the Salim Ali Centre for Nature Conservation, Coimbatore, about the death of two vultures. The centre is conducting a study on the near extinction of the vultures in the country. Various international
bodies and national institutions, including the Bombay
Natural History Society, have expressed concern over the
disappearance of vultures, and a national alert has been
sounded in this regard. |
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Air-conditioned market
complex BATHINDA: With the setting up of Asia’s biggest military station here in 1975, the town came to limelight in the country for its defence establishment. It appeared on the industrial map of the country when the National Fertilisers plant was set up here in the public sector. The town kept growing even though at a slow pace. A few years ago, an engineering college and a polytechnic were established in the town. The town now can boast of an air-conditioned market which has come on Mall Road. The District Red Cross Society has been behind this venture in the sandy and arid town of Bathinda. It is the first project of its kind by the Red Cross. According to sources, the three storeyed market complex houses 45 shops with a basement for parking vehicles. At least 12 shops have been rented out by the District Red Cross Society. With the coming up of this market, the district education authorities (primary as well as secondary) have found a permanent place for running their offices. The Red Cross Society has given the top storey of the market to the district education authorities for running their offices. Earlier, the office of the District Education Officer (Secondary) was shifted from one place to the other. Official sources say the market was constructed in the shortest possible period and at a costless than that prevailing in the market. Mr S.R. Ladhar, Deputy Commissioner, says the income generated from the air-conditioned market will be used to meet the expenses of a deaf and dumb school run by the Red Cross. The market has all modern facilities. Residents feel as the
town attracts customers from various towns in Haryana and
Rajasthan, the market will hum with activity in years to
come. |
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Reframe Punjabi film policy:
Mangal BATHINDA, Dec 11 — The Punjab Government should reframe the Punjabi film policy of 1994 and implement it effectively. This was stated by Mangal Dhillon, actor, director and producer of films and serials, while addressing a press conference here today. He was here for free shows of his movie, ‘Khalsa’, dedicated to the tercentenary of the birth of Khalsa. He urged the government to form a committee of the persons/experts associated with Punjabi cinema with a view to reframing the policy for the benefits of all producers. He claimed that the policy for Punjabi films announced in 1994 has not been properly implemented. The policy had failed due to the producers dependence on subsidies, he alleged. He said ‘Khalsa’ was a cinematic recreation of the history of Khalsa for the ‘first’ time. He said he planned to hold more than 150 shows of the movie in villages, towns, cities and prominent gurdwaras of the state in the coming months. He also proposed to screen the movie in other states and abroad. He urged the SGPC, religious and social organisations to help him hold free shows of the movie to spread message of the Khalsa Panth worldwide. He said his future ventures included "From Sikhs to Singhs" and "the history of the Golden Temple" which will depict the events of Sikh history from the era of Guru Nanak Dev Ji to the present day. The movie will be
screened here on December 12, in Badal village on
December 14, Goniana on December 15, Jaito on December 16
and Kapurthala on December 17. |
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Messiah for cyclone victims RAJPURA, Dec 11 — Baba Maan Singh, who has fed more than one lakh cyclone-hit people of Jagatsinghpura district in Orissa for nearly one month, will now help those rendered orphans by the tragedy. In an interview at the railway station here yesterday where he had come to oversee the flagging off of a train carrying relief material collected by his followers, Baba Maan Singh of Pehowa said: "I could not come back when I saw the magnitude to the tragedy by travelling to Bhubaneshwar. Although the state government had asked him to visit the site of the tragedy before committing himself, he said he did not feel like coming back from there. "Following this we organised 60 trucks and set off to Orissa to feed homeless on November 14", he said. The Baba remarked that there was no looking back and that a team led by Baba Mohan Singh had been performing the community kitchen service efficiently despite all odds. He said it had been decided to run the community kitchen for another three months as the people were in no position to earn their livelihood. "Our first priority was food. Now we are providing clothing and linen in the second phase", he said. Keeping this in mind one lakh blankets, durrees, khes, sheets and suits each and 50,000 sarees were being sent to Orissa with the latest consignment of relief material along with ration. Baba Maan Singh said his next priority would be to take orphans of the tragedy under his fold and educate them. He said he would hold talks with the Orissa Government so that a special academy could be opened for the orphans in the cyclone-hit area. If the Baba has led the entire exercise admirably it is also because of overwhelming support he has got from his followers. Yesterday 200 of his followers accompanied the relief material with more likely to join from Lucknow and Kanpur. Some of those going with the train said they had been encouraged with the spirit of social service and care for humanity displayed by the sant and had decided to join him in the venture. Giving details of the Baba who has his headquarters at Pehowa in Kurukshetra district of Haryana, his close adviser Laskhar Singh said the 45-year-old Baba was a graduate and had received his education at Patiala. He said the Baba was running various educational institutions in Pehowa and more such institutions were likely to be set up in Ropar and Jalandhar. Lashkar Singh said the
Baba was also engaged in changing the impression of
Punjabis, particularly Sikhs in other states. |
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Plea to farmers on
floriculture JALANDHAR, Dec 11 — The Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, has urged farmers to shun the traditional crop cycle and adopt floriculture for more income. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the fourth state-level "gulddudi show" here yesterday, he said though florists were facing marketing problems, yet floriculture had bright prospects. He said to eliminate the problem of marketing, the Punjab Government had decided to grant Rs 14 crore to enable entrepreneurs to set up cold storages. These would be used for stocking flowers and vegetables. He said his department was providing nearly one lakh plastic crates to farmers on a concessional rate so that they could transport vegetables without any handling problem. Mr Badal said four major markets would be set up in the state where farmers would be able to sell their produce, particularly vegetables and flowers. From these markets, the produce would be transported to international airports for export. Mr Ajit Singh Kohar,
Minister of State for Agriculture, urged the farmers to
maintain the quality of their produce so that it could
fetch a good price in the international market. |
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Suspect dies in police custody AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — A petty criminal, Gurtej Singh (21), committed suicide in police custody last night. Four policemen, including SHO Harbhajan Singh Gill, were placed under suspension for deriliction of duty. The SP (City), Mr Jatinder Jain, who conducted an inquiry into the death, found that Gurtej Singh, a resident of Amloh had hanged himself to death with his shirt from a ceiling fan in the Ram Bagh police station at midnight. The victim was arrested last night on a complaint by Raman Bhatia who alleged that Gurtej had tried to knife him after he had hit his car at crossing. Assistant SHO Kashmir
Singh, Munshi Jarnail Singh and sentry Kirpal Singh were
suspended and a case registered under Section 304-A. |
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Two commit suicide JALANDHAR, Dec 11 — Radhe Shyam (28), a resident of Bhagatpura locality here was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his residence last evening. Police sources said it appeared to a case of suicide as the deceased was mentally weak. He allegedly took the extreme step when his family was on the rooftop. Malkiat Kaur an unmarried girl (24) allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in her home in Jind Nagar near Maqsudan on the outskirts of the city yesterday. What led her to take her life could not be ascertained as yet, the police said. Mrs Geeta (22), suffered
90 per cent burns at her home in nearby Phagwara town
when her clothes caught fire in a kerosene stove burst.
She was admitted to the civil hospital here where doctors
attending on her described her condition as serious. |
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Subramaniam Bharti remembered AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — Tributes were paid to known and unknown martyrs at a function held in Jallianwala Bagh here today to mark the 105th birth anniversary of Subramaniam Bharti, a national poet. Earlier, statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, and Shaheed Udham Singh were garlanded by political leaders. Processions were also taken out in the city. The function was
organised jointly by Guru Nanak Dev University and the
Yuva Kendra. |
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IHRO’s charge against CM LUDHIANA, Dec 11 — The International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO) yesterday alleged that the Chief Minister, two local MLAs, the district administraton and the Khanna police were responsible for the attack on a dera at Dhakki Sahib, Muksudra, near here, on December 2. In a statement here,
IHRO leaders who visited the scene, said inaction against
the dera opponents had led to the torching of Sikh
scriptures, religious literature, thatched huts and other
valuables worth lakhs. |
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RMPs, midwives arrested FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 11
— All RMP doctors and midwives in the district were
arrested late last night. According to a spokesman of the
RMP doctors at midnight police raided their houses and
took them to different police stations. He alleged that
even the trained midwives were not spared. Meanwhile most
of the arrested RMP doctors were produced in the court of
Ms Poonam Rati Judicial Magistrate here and she remanded
them in police custody for one day. |
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1 killed, 2 hurt as shell
explodes PATHANKOT, Dec 11 — One person was killed and two injured, including a 13-year-old boy, in a bomb blast at about 11 a.m. in a cluster of huts near Friends Colony here. The blast occurred when the victims were trying to extract metal from a canon shell they had procured as junk, SSP Varinder Kumar stated. The deceased was
identified as Moti Lal, of Yamunanagar (Haryana).
Inderjit, (33), and Tara Chand, (13), who were wounded,
were admitted to a hospital. |
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Holiday creates confusion AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — The declaration of a gazetted holiday by the Punjab Government on December 13 on the occasion of the Martyrdom Day of Guru Teg Bahadur even when it observed the day on November 24 by declaring a gazetted holiday then has created confusion among the Sikhs. The newly appointed Secretary of the SGPC, Mr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, refused to comment on this issue and said the SGPC had not been taken into confidence by the government before announcing the holiday. The controversy relating to the issue of the Nanakshahi calendar has yet to resolved. Leading Sikh intellectuals and the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh, had raised objection over the new calendar being printed by the SGPC. It may be mentioned here
that the holiday last month was based on the new
calendar, while the declaration of holiday on December 13
has been on the basis of the old system of dates. |
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Martyrdom day observed AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — A religious procession was taken out in the walled areas around the Golden Temple today on the eve of martyrdom day of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. Led by "panj Piyaras" the procession comprised of "shabad" reciting groups of men and women. School children in colourful dresses also participated along with ‘gatka’ parties. The procession which
started from Akal Takht in the afternoon culminated at
Gurdwara Gugu Ka Mahal, the birth place of the Guru
located 1 km from the Golden Temple. |
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Rice millers’ plea on
milling rates LUDHIANA, Dec 11 — Annual general meeting of the Punjab Rice Millers Association here today urged the Punjab government to take up with the Centre the issue of 2 per cent driage for custom milling of par boiled and raw rice, 3.5 per cent damage of rice and for the enhancement of milling rates. It also appealed to the
Punjab government to drop the arbitration cases of crop
94-95 as earlier decided by the Chief Minister, Punjab at
various meetings held with the Punjab Rice Millers
Association. "If our demands are not met by December
26, the executive committee of Rice Millers Association
will decide on further course of action." Mr H.S.
Baggar and Mr Tarsem Saini chairman and president of the
association respectively declared in a joint statement. |
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1.5 kg charas seized, one
held LUDHIANA, Dec 11 — The local police claimed to have seized 1.5 kg of charas last night when Sub-Inspector Jaswinder Singh, SHO, arrested Rajinder Kumar, alias Billy, at a naka near the Jwadi bridge. Rajinder Kumar confessed that he was supplied the contraband by his brother-in-law Kala and Gora. Kala and Gora have absconded. A case has been registered in this regard. In another incident,
alertness of the police resulted in saving an
18-year-old-girl from possible exploitation. The girl was
found loitering near the bus stand. On being questioned,
she stated that she had run away from her home. The
police handed the girl back to her parents. |
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‘Make economic status basis
for reservation’ ROPAR, Dec 11 — The Ropar Thermal Plant unit of the Punjab State General Category Welfare Federation, while condemning the statement of the Prime Minister regarding an amendment in the Constitution for speedy promotions in government jobs for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes employees, has urged the Union Government to implement reservation benefits on the basis of economic status rather than on caste basis in the country. Mr Bhajan Singh, President of the unit, said the federation had felt that reservation on the basis of economic status would benefit poor persons belonging to all sections of society. The federation has also
appealed the leaders of all political parties to work for
the welfare of people and large interests of the country
by giving up their narrow political interests. |
||
Gunner Buta Singh cremated JALANDHAR, Dec 11 — Gunner Buta Singh, who sacrificed his life while fighting militants in the Baramula sector of Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated with full military honours at his ancestral Salempur Masandan village, near here, today. Buta Singh sacrificed his life when he along with other jawans of 29 RR Battalion was searching of a house in Janbajpur locality of Baramula to trace two militants. The militants fired at the jawans, killing Buta Singh on the spot. Mr Som Parkash, Deputy Commissioner, and Col S.K. Sharma, paid floral tributes to Buta Singh on behalf of the Punjab Government and the Chief of the Army Staff, respectively. Tributes were also paid by Brig. J S Grewal of Western Command and Lieut-Col Manmohan Singh, (retd), Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare Board, Punjab. Earlier, the pyre was
lit by Gagan Deep Singh, the three-year-old son of the
martyr. |
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Show-cause notice to YC 2
leaders LUDHIANA, Dec 11 — Two Punjab Pradesh Youth Congress Vice-Presidents, Mr Nirdosh Dhand and Mr Ashok Prashar, were served a show-cause notice by the party high command today for allegedly being involved in criminal cases. The notice was served by
Mr Jagdish Chander, Secretary of the IYC and asked them
to give explanation within the next seven days. |
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