Tuesday, November 2, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Tuesday, November 2, 1999 |
weather  spotlighttoday's calendar |
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Officials
return bribe as CM looks on |
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Brahmpura
for action against rebels |
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Move on SGPC post may be storm in
a teacup Traders gherao Sales Tax Inspector ‘Badal main hurdle in Akali
unity’ No alternative to Badal: Tandon
Gang of cheats busted, 1 held Abduction bid: police conducts
raids |
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Officials return bribe as CM looks
on MALOUT, Nov 1 — Two revenue officials were summoned to the podium where the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was holding a conference yesterday. They were asked to return the money to villagers which was taken by them as ‘bribe’. Then the revenue officials were asked to seek forgiveness from public for their misdeeds and a warning was issued to them not to repeat their mistake again. The same thing was repeated by Mr Badal in Kattianwali, Karan Patti, Raniwala, Ratta Tibba, Chappianwala villages and in the city. Worried over the rampant corruption in the state government departments, Mr Badal seems to have adopted new methods to check it. Yesterday while addressing various gatherings, Mr Badal appealed to the people to name those officials who have taken bribe from them. Acting promptly on the complaint of these villagers, Mr Badal asked the police to bring the person to the podium. Mr Badal then asked the officials concerned to return back the bribe money to the persons concerned and seek their forgiveness. Official sources said that about six officials including a retired military personnel who had taken Rs 20,000 from a poor person as a bribe to get his son recruited in the Army was produced before public for their illegal act. Mr Badal had instructed all Deputy Commissioners of the state to take effective steps to check corruption in the government departments. Mr Badal while addressing the gathering announced that sale deeds of land in the tehsil offices would be registered between 9 am to 1 pm on every working day and same would be handed over to the person on the same day between 2 pm to 5 pm to avoid unnecessary harassment to public. Mr Badal urged the
people to stop bribing officials to eradicate corruption
and said the state government would take stern action
against the officials who would indulge in corruption. |
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Brahmpura for action against
rebels AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — Senior SAD leader and Cooperation Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura has favoured action against those rebel MLAs who had raised the banner of revolt against party chief Parkash Singh Badal. Talking to reporters here today, Mr Brahmpura said if action could be taken against a senior leader like Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra why dissidents like Mr Ravi Inder Singh were being spared. He, however, said efforts should be made to forge Panthic unity and said he was not in a position to mediate. Reposing faith in the leadership of Mr Badal, Mr Brahmpura alleged that a section of the Press was publishing misleading reports that he (Mr Brahmpura) had joined hands with the dissidents. "I have always been loyal to the party president" he emphasised. Replying to a question, Mr Brahmpura admitted that he had urged Mr Badal to appoint Mr Balbir Singh Naushehra Pannu the new president of the SGPC. He however, said he had never bargained for anything at a dinner hosted by him for Mr Badal. He said the party chief had every right to announce the candidature of anybody for the post of the SGPC chief. He, however, said Mr Balbir Singh was a deserving candidate and should be appointed the SGPC chief. Mr Brahmpura also denied
that he had ever opposed the induction of Mr Sukhdev
Singh Dhindsa into the Union Cabinet. |
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Punjab Day function sans frills PATIALA, Nov 1 — The state Languages Department today observed Punjab Day at a low-key function held here in the open to honour to eminent writers. A seminar was organised at Bhasha Bhavan here which was presided over by the Principal Secretary, Higher Education and Languages, Mr GPS Shahi. A former Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor, Dr S.S. Johl, gave the keynote address. The function was sans any frills, probably due to the financial crunch being faced by the government. The Languages Department itself was in the news recently for being unable to pay its electricity bills and the rent of various district language offices. While the department has already shelved its programme to celebrate its golden jubilee, under which it was proposed to computerise its entire functioning, modernise its library and install its own printing presses, even the customary honouring of eminent writers in Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu with Shiromani Awards could not take place. The main function itself was held in the conference room with no shamianas being put up for the purpose. Dr Johl said Punjabi could be easily implemented as the work language in government offices if the government so desired. Punjabi language had already been limited to Punjab after the trifurcation of united Punjab. It was being further limited with the state bureaucracy reluctant to use it for official work. There was also need to rejuvenate spoken Punjabi as it was losing its purity and was mixed with Hindi or English in speech. Besides, there was need to publish modern literature in Punjabi which would reflect the current items. Mr GPS Shahi said Punjabi language was being implemented in government offices with vigour. All heads of departments
had been told to work in Punjabi so that the junior staff
would also be encouraged to follow suit. The Languages
Department Director, Mr M.L. Hasija, outlined the various
activities undertaken by the department during the 300th
anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa. |
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Move on SGPC post may be
storm in a teacup LUDHIANA, Nov 1 — The move by certain SAD MLAs and SGPC members belonging to the Majha region led by the Cooperation Minister, Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, to have someone from their region as the next President of the SGPC may turn out to be a storm in a teacup. The SAD leadership seems confident of tackling the situation and ensuring another term for the present incumbent, Bibi Jagir Kaur. The SGPC consists of 170 elected members and 15 coopted members. Two of them have died. Therefore, the House now has an effective strength of 183. The group led by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who is also the SAD chief, commands an overwhelming majority. The former SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and the newly elected MP from Sangrur, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, together command a following of about 50 members. Political observers here say that Mr Badal is unlikely to concede the demand of the leaders of the Majha region for more reasons than one. Ever since she was elected earlier this year, Bibi Jagir Kaur has been giving a good account of herself in the running battle with Mr Tohra on the religious as well as political fronts. Her performance as the President of the SGPC has, therefore, come in for a fair amount of praise within the party and outside. Thus, there is no reason for the SAD chief to replace her. The observers say that if Mr Badal is to concede the demand of the Brahmpura-led group and replace Bibi Jagir Kaur, he would be sending out a wrong signal. It has been noted that Mr Brahmpura became active only after speculation in the media that he might be divested of the Cooperation Department and given some other portfolio in the expansion of the Badal Ministry later this month. Another sore point with Mr Brahmpura is his friction with the Kairon family. Mr Badal’s daughter is married to Mr Adesh Partap Singh, son of Mr Surinder Singh Kairon. Mr Surinder Singh is known to be making plans for the induction of his son in the Badal Ministry besides the introduction of his daughter-in-law in politics. Although he has not so far succeeded in either of the objectives, he is said to the wielding considerable influence in the state administration. According to the
Brahmpura camp, the district administration in Amritsar
is under the influence of Mr Kairon. |
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Traders gherao Sales Tax
Inspector ROPAR, Nov 1 — Shopkeepers here today gheraoed a Sales Tax Inspector, Karnail Singh, near the Pul bazaar here on the plea that he was "unauthorisedly" checking shops in the bazaar. Following the gherao, the Inspector was taken to the local city police station where a large number of shopkeepers gathered to demand legal action against the Inspector. They were led by Mr Sudarshan Lal Belewala, president of the local Beopar Mandal. A complaint was submitted to the police by the Beopar Mandal seeking an action against the Inspector. In the application, it was alleged that Inspector Karnail Singh, Peon Rajinder Talwar and Jasbir Singh were checking the shops "unauthorisedly" in the bazaar today (a holiday on account of New Punjab Day) when they were asked by the shopkeepers to produce authority to check the shops, the Sales Tax men could not produce any authority letter or order in this regard. On this the shopkeepers gheraoed them and asked them to go with the shopkeepers to the police station. On the other hand, Mr Karnail Singh, Inspector, in a written reply to the police has stated that he came to bazaar on the instructions of ETO, Kesar Singh, when he was asked by some persons to produce authority, he told them that he had no written permission. The police said as no
cognisable offence was made out hence it would sent the
complaint of the Beopar Mandal and the reply of the
Inspector to Excise and Sales Tax Department for
initiating further proceedings in this case. |
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‘Badal main hurdle in Akali
unity’ CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — Mr G.S. Grewal, a former Advocate General of Punjab, has blamed the adamant attitude of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for the split in the SAD and said that a divided dal could not win Assembly election despite its alliance with the BJP. In a statement here today he said repeated announcements by Mr Badal proclaiming that he would never compromise with Mr Tohra would ensure party's defeat in the next election too. Mr Badal, he said, had been the main hurdle in the Akali unity. The senior leaders of the BJP had tried their best to avert a split and to work out an understanding between the two factions. While Mr Tohra agreed for it, Mr Badal did not budge at all, he added. The BJP had foreseen the
coming events and announced that its alliance was with
the Akali party and not with any individual. The hint was
precise and clear and it was now for the Akali
Legislative Party to rise to the occasion and save the
dal from further humiliation, he observed. |
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No alternative to Badal:
Tandon CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — The Punjab Minister for Local Bodies, Mr Balramji Das Tandon, today echoed the SAD legislature party’s sentiments when he expressed his and his party’s total faith and confidence in the leadership of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. "As far as the Akali politics is concerned, the BJP is clearly of the view that there is no alternative to Mr Badal, who truly represents the voice of Punjab and valiant, secular and patriotic traditions of Punjabis". In a statement, Mr Tandon described as baseless and misleading reports appearing in a section of the press that there was either rethinking or vagueness in the BJP, which is solidly with Mr Badal. The Akali-BJP alliance
was based on certain principles, which symbolised in the
ideas, approach and style of functioning of the Chief
Minister, he added. |
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In-laws kill woman with
electric shocks JALANDHAR, Nov 1 — The police has arrested two persons on the charge of murdering a young married woman by giving her electric shocks. The SSP, Mr Gaurav Yadav, said here today that a case under Section 304-B-34 of the IPC was registered in the Bhogpur police station on October 29 on a complaint from Mr Nirmal Singh, resident of Jahoora. Mr Nirmal Singh complained that his niece, Sarabjit Kaur (Rano) was married in February this year to Salwinder Singh of Khojpur village. Soon after the marriage, her in-laws allegedly started harassing her for dowry. On October 28, Sarabjit Kaur gave birth to a daughter around 4 p.m. After this her mother-in-law and husband allegedly hatched a conspiracy. On the night of October 28, they attached electric wires to her feet and hands and "killed" her by giving her electric shocks. Mr Yadav said that the initial report received by the police from the in-laws of the deceased were that the girl had died accidentally. However, sustained investigation by Mr Kashmir Singh, SHO, Bhogpur, police station, showed otherwise. The husband of the deceased, Salwinder Singh, and her mother-in-law, Jasbir Kaur were arrested yesterday. The SSP said that only
the above two persons were named in the FIR and the
father-in-law, Dalip Singh, was not present at the scene
when the incident occurred. |
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Gang of cheats busted, 1 held LUDHIANA, Nov 1 — The Economic Offences Wing has busted a gang involved in sending people abroad as part of a musical troupe by preparing forged documents with the arrest of one person. A police party led by Inspector Satish Malhotra, in charge of the Economic Offences Wing, conducted a raid and arrested Vipin Gupta, a kingpin in this racket. The police also recovered eight files of different names, four passports, three jama bandis, one form of Jalandhar Doordarshan, passport forms, six copies of a bank account, one forged registration copy of a tractor, affidavits, agreements, stamp papers, cheque book, stamps, etc. The police has
registered a case under Sections 467, 468, 420 and 34 of
the IPC against Vipin Gupta and Mahesh Gupta. However,
Mahesh Gupta is still at large. |
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Abduction bid: police conducts raids LUDHIANA, Nov 1 (PTI) — The police today conducted raids at several places in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to nab five persons, including a son of a BJP councillor, charged with an attempt to kidnap film actress Mamata Kulkarni from a hotel here on Saturday. District Police chief Gurpreet Deo told reporters here that police teams had been sent to different places in search of the five persons — two of whom posed as senior police officers in a bid to abduct the Bollywood heroine. Though search parties conducted raids at a number of places, including at a tourist complex near Kalka in Haryana, they had not met with success so far. Kamal Sharma, son of
local BJP councillor, and Gurcharan Singh, owner of a
petrol station in the city, were among the five persons
charged with the kidnapping bid. |
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Abolish ceiling on bonus: govt
staff LUDHIANA, Nov 1 — The President of the National Organisation of Government Employees, Mr K.R.Tripathi, and the General Secretary, Dr Shiv Kumar Gupta, in a joint statement issued to the press have urged the Central Government the bonus ceiling amount by making an amendment in the bonus Act so that all employees be paid bonus without any discrimination, whether subordinate or in the managerial cadre. They also reiterated
their long-pending demands and urged the state government
for the revision of the minimum wages of industrial
workers to Rs 5,500 per month, restoration of border
allowance, regularisation of all employees who have
completed 240 days of service and of those who were
appointed on an 89-day basis. |
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Teacher detained, released AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — An unmarried part-time school teacher was detained on the charge of theft at police station Jandiala Guru, about 18 km from here. The school teacher, who was rounded up from her house yesterday was let off today when residents of Jandiala Guru, including women, held a protest dharna in front of the police station today. However, Mr S.S. Brar, district police chief, Majitha, denied that the school teacher was kept in illegal custody in the police station. He, however, admitted that she was brought to the police station and then let off when found innocent during the investigation. She was picked up from
her residence on the complaint of a private school owner
who had lodged an FIR that she had indulged in theft. A
case under Sections 403 and 380, IPC, has been
registered. |
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