Saturday, July 10, 1999
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Saturday, July 10, 1999 |
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Tohra group in touch with
parties CHANDIGARH, July 9 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, who is a former MP, said today that a "Lok shakti morcha" was likely to be formed to contest the coming Lok Sabha election in Punjab and Chandigarh Wife kills man over daughters’ marriage JALANDHAR, July 9 — The mystery surrounding the murder of a spouse, who did not agree to marry his two young daughters in lieu of money, has been solved by the police here with the arrest of the wife of the victim today. |
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Ropar
admn gears up for floods Out-of-job FCI guard’s plea
to Centre Residents harried by frequent
power cuts Drinking water problem in Patiala FM flays Tohra group MLAs Muslims burn Sharif’s effigy Admission of NRI students from
July 31
Protest against razing of temple Transfer process of teachers over |
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Tohra group in touch with
parties CHANDIGARH, July 9 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, who is a former MP, said today that a "Lok shakti morcha" was likely to be formed to contest the coming Lok Sabha election in Punjab and Chandigarh, which together account for 14 seats. Mr Chandumajra told newsmen, his party was in touch with like-minded parties to arrive at an electoral understanding to give a befitting defeat to the Congress, the ruling SAD of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and the BJP. "Our main fight is against the Congress", he added. Exploratory talks were on with the Left parties, CP(M) of Mr Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, the splinter groups or factions of the SAD and the BSP with which an understanding has been reached, he said. The like-minded parties have been extended an invitation for July 17 convention proposed to be held at Patiala where the two factions of the BKU — Bharti Kisan Union — one of Mr Balbir Singh Rajewal and the other of Mr Pashaura Singh (Ekta group) are expected to participate. The Lok Sabha poll will be unique in the sense that it will be contested between the "rich" — Capt Amarinder Singh, Mr Harcharan Singh Brar and Mr Parkash Singh Badal lined up on one side and the "poor" — like the Sarb Hind SAD of Mr G.S. Tohra and other parties. Field visits showed
there was "resentment and anger" welled up
against the ruling SAD. People were irked by corruption,
stoppage of development works due to financial
mismanagement and the way sycophants were conducting
themselves in the ruling coalition. Even the SGPC funds
and platform was being misused by the President, Bibi
Jagir Kaur, and "people take cognisance of what is
going on and shall give a befitting rebuff to the ruling
party allies", he added. |
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Wife kills man over
daughters’ marriage JALANDHAR, July 9 — The mystery surrounding the murder of a spouse, who did not agree to marry his two young daughters in lieu of money, has been solved by the police here with the arrest of the wife of the victim today. The SSP, Mr Gaurav Yadav, while admitting that the four accused, in the murder were arrested by the police today, said Basant Singh, husband of Kashmir Kaur, was murdered by her in connivance with three persons — Joginder Singh, Surjit Kaur and Sukhdev Singh. The deceased was reportedly against marrying his two daughters off for monetary gains. He was allegedly strangulated on May 26 at Talwandi Bhai village in Zira tehsil of Ferozepore by the accused and his body was thrown in a canal. Later, Kashmir Kaur solemnised the marriages of her two daughters Gurmit Kaur and Manjit Kaur at Baba Deep Singh gurdwara in Zira on June 7 with Waryam Singh and Gurcharan Singh respectively. Both the grooms paid money to Kashmir Kaur. Subsequently, she returned to her village, Bara Jodh Singh in Jalandhar district. But, Basant Singh’s sister, Pritam Kaur, after making inquiries about her brother’s whereabouts lodged an FIR against her sister-in-law on June 26, suspecting foul play in the disappearance of her brother. What was initially taken
up as a case for investigation of the alleged abduction
of Basant Singh on the basis of the complaint lodged by
the victim’s sister with Lohian Police, it turned
out to be a case of murder. Kashmir Kaur, Joginder Singh
of Sarowal village and his wife, Surjit Kaur and Sukhdev
Singh of Talwandi Bhai were arrested today morning after
the police investigations. |
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Ropar admn gears up for floods ROPAR, July 9 — The district administration has geared up to tackle flood-like-situation or floods during this monsoon in the district by taking various flood control measures. The Water Management Investigation Division, Ropar, popularly known as drainage department, has identified about 50 vulnerable sites (high flood sites).These sites fall near river Satluj, Swan nadi, Sirsa nadi, Sugrao nadi, Budki nadi, Siswan nadi, Patiala Ki Rao, Jayanti Devi Ki Rao and other khuds and choes. As part of flood control measures, the administration has set up 15 flood control rooms throughout the district. The main flood control room (phone number 21157) at the district headquarters here has been functioning under the supervision of the District Revenue Officer, Mr Sohan Lal Bhumbak, who is also the District Flood Control Officer and Flood Relief Officer. All flood control rooms have been directed to function round-the-clock. The authorities of the BBMB at Nangal have been ordered to issue warnings from time to time about the flood. About 10 wireless sets have been installed at some flood control rooms, vulnerable sites and in the vehicles of officers concerned. As many as 17 boats, five O.B.M. Engine, 25 oars, 74 life jackets and 55 tents have been kept ready. For the shifting of people in case of floods, sites and buildings have been identified in all subdivisions of the district. The Civil Surgeon has been ordered to constitute required number of medical teams, of which four teams will remain at the district headquarters, while a mobile medical team will be available round-the-clock in the offices of all SDMs. Four ambulances will be available for any emergency at the district headquarters. The Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Ropar, has been directed to constitute medical teams to provide immediate aid in the villages, which may be affected from floods. Essential medicines and fodder for animals will also be made available. The administration has completed flood protection works at 26 sensitive points at a cost of Rs 1.50 crore. Thousands of sand bags, have been placed at the vulnerable points and in the stocks. To assist the civil administration, a team of military personnel has already arrived here. The Divisional Forest Officer has been ordered to make arrangements for the lifting of trees which may fall during rains from the roads and other places. The Executive Engineers of plan roads and link roads have been directed to make sure that during rains no road should be damaged. Executive Officers of the municipal councils of the district have been asked to make arrangements for pumping out the storm water which would be accumulated near the populated areas during rains. They have also been directed to supply pure drinking water to the residents during rainy season. In the villages, supply of pure drinking water will be the responsibility of the Executive Engineer of Rural Water Supply. The Deputy Commissioner
has also ordered that no officer will leave his/her
headquarters till September 30 even on Saturdays and
Sundays. Any body wanting to leave the station, will have
to obtain prior permission from the Deputy Commissioner
or the Additional Deputy Commissioner. |
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Vacant plots at focal point NAWANSHAHR: The local Industrial Focal Point, which is spread over 55 acres of land here on the Jalandhar-Chandigarh main road was set up under the Industrial Policy, 1978. But it has not achieved the desired development. It was one of the nine focal points declared unpopular by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) in December, 1986. But, while all the remaining eight focal points are progressing well now, the one situated here wears a deserted look even after two decades of its existence. It lacks implementation of promised incentives from the state government and industrial enthusiasm among businessmen here. According to a survey, out of 99 plots and six sheds provided by the PSIEC at very cheap rates for setting up industrial units, only 18 plots and one shed went in for some sort of industrial activity. Three plots are under construction and heading towards becoming operational, but the remaining plots either have just boundary walls or just grass. Moreover as many as two industrial units have stopped production due to on-going disputes with the PSIEC. Mr Joginder Pal, General Secretary, Nawanshahr Industrial Focal Point Association, said with the strenuous efforts of the association, this focal point now had good roads, street lights, sewerage and water supply facilities etc. But to accelerate the pace of development, the focal point should be given incentives under group IV, as had been given to Hoshiarpur district. All the old units which had become defaulters , should be given relief by waiving off penal interest levied by PSIEC, PFC, Banks, Department of Industries etc. and the balance outstanding payments should be realised by mutually agreed easy instalments. The enhanced price of land being demanded from about first 10 units should not be demanded and ongoing disputes with some industrial units should be resolved sympathetically and quickly to avert their further ruination. He further said that the
government should come forward to remove various
administrative hurdles being faced by the industrialists,
which ultimately had a demoralising effect on the
entrepreneurs. |
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Out-of-job FCI guard’s
plea to Centre PATIALA, July 9 — Shunted out of the FCI Department more than 300 ex-servicemen guards in the FCI have urged the centre to send them to Kargil. Mr Harbhajan Singh, President, Ex-Servicemen Security Guard Union, FCI, Punjab, has sent communications in this regard to the President, Prime Minister, Food and Supply Minister and the Deputy Commissioner here. He said the ex-servicemen were working with the Food Corporation of India as security guards for the past seven years, without any break. He said some cases extend even to 10 and 13 years. However, instead of regularising the SG's service the FCI had given them marching orders. The decision, he said, was violative of a Supreme Court order stating employees who completed 240 days in office without break should be regularised. An official of the
department said the guards were shunted out on directions
from the FCI head office, New Delhi. |
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Residents harried by frequent
power cuts BATHINDA, July 9 — Even as the district has emerged as one of the largest electricity producing districts of the state, unscheduled power cuts have become a routine feature in the city. For the past many days, residents of the city have been enduring power cuts for long hours. The residents have been holding demonstrations against the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) authorities frequently. About five days ago, residents of the Amrik Singh road held a demonstration and staged a dharna outside the PSEB complaint centre. Residents alleged that the frequent and unscheduled power cuts were to benefit the manufacturers of generator sets. The power cuts have also affected the functioning of the Punjab Sewerage Board tubewells installed in the city to supply drinking water to the citizens. Most of the localities have been facing water scarcity for the last many days. Even the local civil hospital is not free from the powers cuts and these have affected its functioning adversely. Mr Jagdish Singh Ghai, former vice-president of the Municipal Council, Bathinda, alleged that the duration of the cuts had become about eight hours daily. He has urged the Chief Minister, Punjab, to take necessary steps in this regard. Residents alleged that the complaint centre phones were invariably "engaged" during the power cuts making it impossible for residents to get any information regarding the power cuts from the authorities. Mr R.K. Bains, SE
(Distribution), said the power cuts in the city were
being imposed as per the directions of the higher PSEB
authorities for the past five days. He added that the
state was facing power shortage. |
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Drinking water problem in Patiala PATIALA, July 9 — Water is not fit for drinking in many localities of this city. The Public Interest Litigation Forum President, Mr R.S. Salooja, said this here yesterday. The forum had received many complaints in this regard. It approached the sub-divisional magistrate to get water samples tested from 10 areas. The tests revealed either water was not potable, or was contaminated. Mr Salooja said in New Bishan Nagar, Arya Samaj, Ragho Majra, Sheranwala Gate and Gurbaksh Colony the samples contained faecal and organic coloforms. In the samples from Jattanwala Chountra, Partap Nagar, Sewak Colony, Anand Nagar and Tripari town magnesium and other salts were found in excess. Notwithstanding the claim by the Municipal corporation chlorination of water was not taking place, he said. He has urged the district administration to institute a probe into the functioning of the scheme. However, Municipal
Corporation Commissioner Harkesh Singh Sidhu said the
forum had not complained about chlorination. He said
chlorination pumps were being made use of by the
corporation. Pumps drawing impure water had been
identified. People had been advised not to drink water
from those. |
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FM flays Tohra group MLAs PATIALA, July 9 — Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, Punjab, today alleged that MLAs supporting Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra had not done any development activity in their respective constituencies. Talking to reporters after addressing a conference of SAD and BJP workers at Karhali village near Dakala, 20 km from here, the Finance Minister said, he had toured Dakala, Shatrana and Samana constituencies represented by Mr Harmel Singh Tohra, Mr Gurdev Singh Sidhu and Mr Jagtar Singh Rajla, respectively, and had found that various schemes introduced by the Punjab Government had failed to materialise due to lack of interest shown by these legislators. Citing an example he said the state government had made a scheme to protect people living in these constituencies from the fury of floods caused by the Ghaggar river, but the elected legislators did not had the will to pursue the scheme. Capt Kanwaljit Singh
said the state government had also accepted a
flood-damaged report sent by the Deputy Commissioner
regarding relief of Rs 13 lakh to affected farmers. |
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Muslims burn Sharif’s
effigy MALERKOTLA, July 9 — City residents burnt an effigy of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here and raised slogans against Pakistan intrusion into Indian territory. A procession led by Mohammad Shafiq Bhola, district president of the minorities cell of the BJP was taken out here yesterday. A number of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs participated in the procession. Later, they burnt an effigy of Nawas Sharif at Kelon Gate here. Meanwhile, prominent Muslims of the town have condemned Pakistan for intrusion in Kargil and Dras sectors. Mrs Sajida Begum, general secretary of the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee and former MLA, in a statement strongly criticised Pakistan. She, however, blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for misleading the country on the Kargil issue. She said it was due to government’s negligence that the intruders had entered our territory. Mr Mohammad Sardar Dara,
ex-president of Municipal Council, and a leading
industrialist, Mr Azmat Ali Khan, president Municipal
Council, Mr Amjad Ali, general secretary of the
Malerkotla Industries Association, in a separate
statement strongly criticised Mr Nawaz Sharif. They also
appreciated the Indian forces for their bravery and
restraint in handling the situation. They also appealed
the Muslim community to donate to the relief funds for
the help of the families of the Kargil martyrs. |
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Admission of NRI students from
July 31 FARIDKOT, July 9 — All modalities regarding the admission of NRI students in the three state government medical colleges affiliated with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences here, have been completed. Admissions will start from July 31 and be finalised by August 10. This was stated here today Dr L.S. Chawla, Vice-Chancellor of the university. The applicants can get admission forms from the university office by paying Rs 200 at the counter and Rs 225 by post. Meanwhile, the Punjab
Government has granted a first instalment of Rs 3 crore
against Rs 10 crore earmarked for setting up the
university during the current financial year. The amount
will be utilised to procure 125-acre of additional land
to start the project. The Vice-Chancellor said the next
instalment of Rs 3 crore was likely to be released during
the next two months to start the construction work. The
faculties and senate will be constituted by the end of
this month, he added. |
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Theri, Bains part ways with
Badal PATIALA, July 9 — Mr Didar Singh Bains, Chairman, World Sikh Organisation, and Mr Surjit Singh Theri, Chairman, SGPC International, have parted ways with Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Announcing this to reporters here today, Mr Surjit Singh Theri said he along with Mr Bains had decided to fully support Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, as Mr Badal had 'miserably' failed to deliver the goods for the Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular. Mr Theri is known for his key role played during the Punjabi Suba agitation in 1970 while Mr Bains, a non-resident Indian, known for his hardline view on a separate Sikh state, was in the news last year when he visited Punjab as a state guest at the invitation of Mr Badal. At that time Mr Bains had announced he would bring money from Sikhs settled abroad to fund the Punjab Government for the development of the state. Mr Theri said he (Mr Bains) and Sikhs settled abroad have withdrawn all plans to fund the Badal government and would now help Mr Tohra and his party. No international agency of Sikhs favour Mr Badal as he had put his family interests before his duty towards the state and Sikhs. Daring Mr Badal and his
supporters to sue Mr Tohra for alleging hawala-type
corruption by Mr Badal, Mr Theri said he would prove
bungling by the state government in funds meant for the
tercentenary celebrations and development works in the
state. |
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Protest against razing of temple LUDHIANA, July 9 — Several persons converged near the office of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation here today to protest against the demolition of Satya Narayan temple at Laxminagar, Haibowal, by the corporation on July 7. They also blocked
traffic near the corporation. They alleged that the land
of the temple did not belong to the corporation to the
government and demanded that the police initiate action
against those responsible for razing the temple. |
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Transfer process of teachers over CHANDIGARH, July 9 — The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, today announced that the transfer process of teaching staff was completed on July 7. No case of transfer will
be considered henceforth he said and directed the
teachers not to visit Chandigarh in this connection,
according to press note. |
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Donation for war heroes CHANDIGARH, July 9
— Mr G.V Krishna Reddy, Chairman of GVK power
project at Goindwal Sahib, has handed over to the Chief
Minister a draft for Rs 10,01,118 towards the Punjab War
Heroes Families Relief Fund. |
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46 criminals arrested AMRITSAR, July 9 — Amritsar police has arrested as many as 46 criminals, including a proclaimed offender, who had been evading arrest for the past four years. Mr Jatinder Jain, Superintendent of Police (City), while addressing a press conference here today, said all arrests were made during the past week. He said a huge quantity of smuggled items, including smack, pistols, illicit liquor, etc had been recovered. Mr Jain said efforts
were being made to seal the border city so that
antisocial elements could not disturb the peace of the
city. |
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3 killed in road accident ROPAR, July 9 — Two lecturers — Mrs Amardeep Kaur and Ms Ravinder Kaur, and a senior technician, Parvesh Kumar, of the local Government Polytechnic for Women were killed while another lecturer, Mr Rajdip Singh Bal, and a workshop instructor, Mr Ravinder Singh, were seriously injured when their Maruti car and a Jeep met with an accident on the Ropar-Chandigarh road near Bhago Majra village, 12 km from here, today. According to the police, the Jeep was going towards Chandigarh and the Maruti car was on its way to Ropar from SAS Nagar. The occupants of the car, who died and those injured, were reportedly coming to perform their duties in the polytechnic. The injured are now under treatment in the PGI at Chandigarh. The Ropar police has
registered a case under Sections 279, 337, 304-A and 427
of the IPC against the Jeep driver. |
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