Sunday, October 3, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Sunday, October 3, 1999 |
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Tohra
submits memo against |
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Lok Pal
report weak: Tohra Tributes paid to Gandhiji, Shastri Punish MC staff for violations:
Rai SDM orders probe into woman’s
death Dept’s golden jubilee plan
mixed Probe ordered into encroachments
in Ludhiana Students not to assess teachers CBI probe sought into custodial
death PCMS threatens to intensify stir All set for counting SSP, 2 DSPs shifted Allegations against Mayor
"false" Gas connections for martyrs’
kin Better perks sought for security
forces Kar seva starts at Darbar Sahib Mother, child burnt to death |
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Tohra submits memo against
Badal govt CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Sarab Hind Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra has intensified its political campaign against the Punjab Government headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal. Mr Tohra, who was made to quit as president of the SGPC by Mr Badal and his proteges, here today met the Punjab Governor, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), and submitted a memorandum to him against the Punjab Government. Though the memorandum was brief and mainly confined to the alleged selling of government property at a throw away price and about the financial collapse of the state due to mismanagement, malpractices and misutilisation of the state exchequer but later addressing mediapersons, Mr Tohra came down heavily on the Punjab Government. He said the government was the custodian of government property, which according to him, belonged to the people of state. "People have every right to know all details with regard to sale of property." He urged the Punjab Governor to intervene to check the government selling land of the state. Urging the Punjab Government to make all details public with regard to the sale of property, Mr Tohra alleged that this was a big scandal. It would be better if the Punjab Government itself made the details of the "scandal" public, otherwise, he said, his party would have to perform the task. Government property was being sold to "favourites" by the state government, he added. Demanding the declaration of financial emergency in the state, Mr Tohra said there were three options. The Punjab Government could be suspended or dismissed, and the third option was that the executive powers pertaining to the state, as was clear in Article 360 of the Constitution, could be wielded by the Central Government in the name of President. Making his intentions clear about the Punjab Government, Mr Tohra said he would soon meet the President to submit a memorandum to him about the fiscal crisis in the state. Punjab was facing a situation which had never been faced by any state in the history of independent India, Mr Tohra asserted. Having a dig at the Chief Minister, Mr Tohra said while there was no money to pay salaries to employees, Mr Badal was hovering in a helicopter for which the government had to pay lakhs. He alleged that government machinery, including helicopter, was being used to attend political rallies. All this was illegal. He said his party was ready to cooperate if the government agreed to take steps suggested by it for bringing the state out of the financial chaos. Asked how the Governor could intervene, Mr Tohra said he could send a report to the Central Government and recommend appropriate action. To save Punjab the intervention of the Governor was a must. The Badal
Government’s record on the education front, health
services and in other fields was very poor and
condemnable, he added. |
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High-level team visits Thein
dam CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — On the directive of Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, a high-level team comprising Mr R.S. Mann, Chief Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Engineer R.S Gill, Engineer N.S. Vasant and S.K. Tuteja, Chairman, PSEB and Mr Bikramjit Singh, Principal Secretary, irrigation and Power, visited Thein dam to study the problems that surfaced recently, delaying the commissioning of the Ranjit Sagar dam. The team, with the help of technical experts, thoroughly inspected tunnels P-1 and P-2 and reviewed the commissioning schedule of the Ranjit Sagar dam project. It was observed that due to a snag in the housing of emergency gate of Tunnel P-1, the generation of power from Plant no. 3 and 4 could not be started and will require repairs to the emergency gate, which is likely to take nearly six months. The P-2 tunnel showed leakage of water from three points. Its schedule for repair was discussed with the dam experts who assured that this defect should be rectified in about two months. The power plants no. 1 and 2 could be made functional once the repairs are completed in tunnel no P-2 and generation of power from plant no P-1 will start before the year end. After generation from plant no. P-1 for about three months, once the reservoir level is brought down to the level of 456 metres, the repairs in tunnel P-1 will be undertaken. This process will not affect the filling up of reservoir in the season and power generation from power plants no 1 and 2 is likely to be regular from July, 2000 onwards. The cause of technical delay are being scrutinised by experts. In case it is found that the technical snag is due to negligence, appropriate action will be taken. The snags of tunnel P-1
and P-2 will require repairs which will cost nearly Rs 2
crore. |
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Tributes paid to Gandhiji,
Shastri JALANDHAR, Oct 2 — The Rashtriya Jagriti Manch (Punjab) and other senior citizens paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries today at Nehru Garden and Shastri Market Chowk here by garlanding their statues. Those who paid their tributes included manch President Rajat Mohindru, Samata Party state General Secretary Arun Sharma and others. LUDHIANA: The State Bank of India, overseas branch, celebrated Gandhi Jayanti at Daad village on Saturday by donating six sewing machines for the opening of Nishkam Sewing School at Kheri village. Mr S.S. Sharma, Assistant General manager of the bank, presided over the function. The PPCC also celebrated the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri by observing the day as a leprosy eradication day at the Leprosy Ashram here. FARIDKOT: The local District Congress committee (DCC) held a ‘prabhat pheri’ on Saturday on the eve of 130th and 95th birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, respectively, which passed through the main bazaars and streets of the town. Tributes were paid to the departed leaders by observing two minutes’ silence at a meeting at the DCC (I) office. Similar functions were held at Kotkapura, Jaitu, Muktsar, Malout, Gidderbaha and Moga, according to reports received here. MOGA: Glowing tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his 130th birth anniversary by a large congregation here on Saturday. PPCC General Secretary Malti Thapar, former President of the Punjab Janata Dal and MLA Vijay Sathi were among those who paid their tributes to the Mahatma. ABOHAR: Gandhi
Jayanti was celebrated here at a joint meeting of the
Congress and Youth Congress workers at New Grain Market.
Mr Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, General Secretary of the PPCC, Mr
Vimal Thathai, leader of the Opposition in the municipal
council and Mr Om Parkash Panjawa, former President of
the Rural Congress Committee paid tributes to Mahatma
Gandhi. Tributes were also paid to Lal Bahadur Shastri on
his 95th birth anniversary. |
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Lok Pal report weak: Tohra CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — Controversies with regard to the Punjab Lok Pal continues to raise their head. While earlier it was Punjab Pradesh Congress President, Capt Amarinder Singh, to take pot-shot at the Lok Pal, today it was a turn of the former SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Raising the issue Mr Tohra said the report prepared by the Lok Pal against Congress ministers was legally and judicially so weak that no one could take action against them on the basis of such a report. Without answering the question as to why it so happened, Mr Tohra urged the mediapersons to study themselves the report and also get it examined from legal experts. Findings in the report were so vague that no legal mind would be able to suggest any action on the basis of the document. A former Advocate-General of Punjab, Mr Gurdarshan Singh Grewal, who was with Mr Tohra, intervened to say that the laid-down judicial norms were not followed while preparing the report by the Lok Pal. "The reports were not as per judicial norms", he asserted. He gave some instances in this connection. Nothing could be presumed while preparing a legal report. Second, there could be nothing suo motu and there should be testification of allegations by the complainant. Mr Tohra said he had
suggested to Mr Badal to appoint Justice S.S. Sodhi
(retd) as the Lok Pal. "But Mr Badal did not accept
my advice as he had the fear that Mr Sodhi is such a bold
person that he will not even spare the Badal
Government." Justice Sodhi at present is the
chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI). |
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Punish MC staff for violations:
Rai LUDHIANA, Oct 2 — Lala Lajpat Rai, a BJP MP, said today that strict action should be taken against officials of the Municipal Corporation and the Improvement Trust for allowing massive encroachments and violation of building laws by individuals in the city. Talking to news persons here, he said it was not correct to punish the builders alone. Those who permitted the violations to take place in the first palace were also equally responsible. He was of the view that demolition of buildings once constructed under the very nose of the authorities by individuals was tantamount to "national wastage and loss". Narrating the sequence of events of last Saturday when he had the demolition of a building stopped in the city, he said he had been approached by a group of people led by Mr Suraj Bhan Jain who told him that demolition of a multi-storey building by the corporation staff was threatening their own houses in the neighbourhood. He went to the site and was told by the builder that compounding of the violation of various building by-laws was already underway. Lala Lajpat Rai said he
tried to contact the Commissioner and Joint Commissioner
of the Municipal Corporation who were not available. He
then rang up the Minister for Local Bodies, Mr Balramji
Dass Tandon, who had the demolition stayed pending an
investigation. The BJP leader alleged that certain
officials of the corporation were conniving with with
violators of building by-laws. |
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SDM orders probe into woman’s death BATALA, Oct 2 (UNI) — Death of a woman at the local Civil Hospital last night triggered a protest demonstration today by Shiv Sena activists, forcing the authorities to order a probe into the death which, the protesters claimed, was caused due to the negligence of the doctors on duty. Sarbjit Kaur, 35-year-old wife of a poor cycle mechanic, Ajit Singh, died about 10 hours after she was admitted to the hospital around 9 a.m. yesterday, according to hospital and police sources here. Mother of five children, aged four to 15 years, Sarbjit Kaur was not properly attended by the doctors, according to her mother, Ms Harbhajan Kaur, who had come from Jaura Chitran village to look after her daughter. Sarbjit Kaur’s mother-in-law, Ms Swaran Kaur said she (Sarabjit Kaur) had been under treatment at the hospital for a month and was admitted yesterday when her condition turned serious. But, she was not given proper attention at the hospital, Mrs Swaran Kaur alleged. Sub-Divisional
Magistrate A.K. Sinha has ordered a probe and a
post-mortem examination by a medical board. |
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Dept’s golden jubilee plan
mixed PATIALA, Oct 2 — Even though the Punjab Government professes to be the guardian and propagator of Punjabi it has shot down a proposal to celebrate the golden jubilee of the state's Languages Department under which many projects for the development of Punjabi were to have taken shape. On its golden jubilee the state Languages Department is virtually starved of funds with things coming to such a pass that even its electricity supply was cut off for a few days recently. The writers home situated in the department complex is in a state of utter neglect. Prominent projects which were to be taken up during the golden jubilee celebrations of the department were modernisation of its library and preparation of an anthology of Punjabi literature of the past 50 years. The library project included bringing it on the Internet besides making other modern references available and augmenting its staff. The anthology of Punjabi literature was to be made a source material in which the literature of the past 50 years was to be consolidated periodwise under different categories. Among the other schemes during the golden jubilee year were computerisation of the department and installation of its own printing press. Languages Department Director Madan Lal Hasija when asked about the schemes said though they had not been approved by the government at present they could be taken up again. He said computerisation of the department was very much needed to streamline its functioning and bring the costs of preparing manuscripts down. He said if the department could have its own computer the process of preparing manuscripts for printing would be drastically reduced as everything, including page making, would be done on computer. Mr Hasija said if a printing press was also installed in the complex for which space was available the entire printing process cost could be reduced by nearly one third. Departmental sources disclosed the Languages Department at present owed around Rs 40 lakh to various printing presses. While it had a printing budget of Rs 20 lakh last year, only Rs 3 lakh were cleared by the treasury for printing purposes. They said the financial crunch being faced by the government was having an adverse effect on the department and it was due to that the Punjab Government had expressed its inability to give funds to it for celebration of the department's golden jubilee in writing. Due to the financial crunch, the department had to go without electricity for two days as an electricity bill of Rs 1.35 lakh had not been cleared. The department has also not been able to pay rent of various buildings rented out in districts as offices of the District Language Officer. Four to five months of rent of various buildings has accumulated. Even the writers home, a modernistic structure which is the pride of the department, is falling into a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. The writers home is not even cleaned properly as there are only two sweepers for the entire building. Besides this, termites and ants have eaten away carpets in various rooms as they are barely opened. The main building of the
department, which is a massive four-storeyed structure,
is also not maintained well. Glass panes which are broken
have not been replaced and the reception area is in a
poor shape with the sitting area becoming unfit for the
purpose. |
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Salvaging reputation of Punjab
rice MANDIKALAN (Bathinda), Oct 2 — The Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities have initiated a number of steps to purchase high quality paddy in the current procurement season to salvage the reputation of Punjab rice in the other states. Perturbed over the customers’ low opinion of Punjab rice, the FCI authorities have laid down clear-cut guidelines to be followed by the procurement staff while procuring paddy in the state. The FCI authorities have also decided to carry out random checking of paddy purchased by the field staff in the current season so that any bungling could be nipped in the bud. After the procurement of paddy, the FCI authorities would also carry out random checking of rice which would be supplied to it after milling. Mr D.P. Reddy, Senior Regional Manager (SRM), FCI, who has been visiting all purchase centres to check the quality of paddy being purchased by the filed staff, told TNS that the steps had been taken as the reputation of Punjab rice had touched record low. The consumers in other states did not favour Punjab rice because of its sub-standard quality. He pointed out that the FCI authorities had to face an embarrassing situation whenever the quality of Punjab rice was discussed at any meeting with the officials of other regions. He said due to the purchase of sub-standard paddy by the field staff, about one lakh bags were lying unmilled in Ferozepore for the past one year. He added that apart from sub-standard paddy, the bags were turning under weight also at number of places. He disclosed that he was himself touring number of purchase centres to check any bungling either by FCI officials or by commission agents and whenever any thing wrong wrong detected, action was being taken on the spot. Mr Reddy said he had identified some "notorious centres", which had earned the reputation of accepting poor quality rice after custom milling of paddy and special efforts was being made to break the "trader-official nexus" to check this problem. He added that massive reshuffle had been carried out in the department to improve the functioning of the officials and to check bunglings. He disclosed that the FCI was purchasing more paddy than the state agencies and lifting and payments were being done in the scheduled time period. He added that up to October 1, the FCI had purchased 6.7 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from Punjab. Mr Reddy said that to
overcome storage problem, the FCI had increased its
storage capacity in the state by 15 lakh metric tonnes.
He said at present the FCI had 48 metric tonnes covered
capacity and 24 metric tonnes open capacity. The movement
of wheat and rice of last year was also satisfactory, he
added. |
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Students not to assess teachers AMRITSAR, Oct 2 — The students of various colleges will not assess the performance of their teachers as per the recommendations of the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) because of the deletion of controversial clauses by Guru Nanak Dev University. However, they would continue to give their reactions/assessment on the overall performance of their colleges, syllabus and other activities. Guru Nanak Dev University has become the first university in the Northern India to implement the report of the NAAC in its 90 affiliated colleges in five districts, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur and Nawanshahr. According to Dr S.P. Singh, Dean, Colleges, only four colleges in the country had come forward to implement the NAAC report so far. He said in view of the sentiments of teachers, the university had not suggested any punitive measures against the teachers showing poor performance in their "self-assessment report" being implemented by the university. He further said the report would be implemented from the current academic session and would be mandatory for all teachers of the colleges to fill up the proforma annually. The NAAC had suggested that students should also assess the performance of a teacher as an academician and person. However, Dr S.P. Singh claimed that the university had not deleted this clause under any pressure. He said the self-assessment by the teachers would go a long way in improving the academic standards of the colleges. Giving details, Dr S.P. Singh said at least 50 students of each college, including leaders, would be involved in filling up the self-assessment reports by each teacher of the college. He said there were more than 4,000 colleges which would be filling up the self-assessment reports annually from the current academic session. Giving details, Dr S.P. Singh said the guidelines had been prepared to help the affiliated colleges in self-assessment of the institutions. The objective of these documents was to invest the colleges with an understanding in order to keep themselves abreast of the latest requirements laid down by the NAAC expected to be incorporated in the Tenth Plan development grant schemes. The document would facilitate the colleges in fetching maximum grants for various development projects so that colleges were not caught unawares by the time the UGC implements the NAAC scheme. Dr S.P. Singh further clarified that the data provided by the colleges would not be assessed by any other agency because its purpose would be to create proper atmosphere and knack for introspection. In a circular to all principals, the university has suggested that at least 50 students should fill the proforma meant specially for them and all teachers should fill the requisite proforma meant for them. The varsity further directed the principals that total document be filled and completed by the steering committee appointed by them which should reach the university by October 30. The university believes that the self-assessment report to be sent by the teachers and students will improve academic standards in the educational institutions. The guidelines for
writing the self-study report of affiliated colleges were
prepared by an eight-member committee of colleges
principals, headed by Dean, College. Later, the draft was
discussed on district-level before it was given a final
shape. |
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CBI probe sought into
custodial death BATHINDA, Oct 2 — Activists of the Congress and the CPI yesterday urged the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to order a CBI probe into the custodial death of Jagdish Rai Jain. In a memorandum
submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, the activists
alleged that though Jain had died due to police
harassment but the case was registered under Section 306
of the IPC. |
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PCMS threatens to intensify
stir CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The PCMS Association has decided to intensify its agitation against the Punjab Government for its alleged failure to denounce its decision as regards abolition of non-practising allowance (NPA) and putting the doctors under administrative control of the panchayats. Dr B.S. Sahota, president, and Dr D.C. Sharma, general secretary of the association, in a statement here today said rallies would be held by doctors at all district headquarters this month and at the end an en masse fast would be organised in Chandigarh. They said despite ‘‘sabotage’’ the dharna organised by the association at Matka chowk here on September 30 was successful. The association leaders
said the government was not coming forward to discuss the
issues having an adverse effect on the health services,
and was rather raising issues of absenteeism, etc. The
association said the issue of NPA was not negotiable. |
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All set for counting CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — All arrangements have been made for the counting of votes in all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, according to Dr Brajendra Singh, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. The counting process in all constituencies in the state will begin at 8 a.m. on October 6. There will be 117 counting centres at 66 different places in the state, according to him. Mrs Usha R. Sharma, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, said except in three parliamentary constituencies where the electronic voting machines were used, the counting would be made by mixing the votes in all rounds. As many as 117 Central observers have been appointed by the Election Commission to supervise counting. There will be wiremesh separating counting staff and agents of different parties to avoid any unpleasant situation in the counting hall. As many as 99 computers centres have been set up for transmission of result data. A control room and a media centre have been set up at the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab. Security arrangements
have also been made at the counting centres. |
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SSP, 2 DSPs shifted FAZILKA, Oct 2 — The Election Commission of India have shifted three senior police officers of the district and appointed them observers for all nine Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency to ensure fair counting of votes. According to official sources, Mr Gurcharan Singh Pherurai, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ferozepore, Mr Rachhpal Singh, DSP, Ferozepore, Mr M.M. Singh, DSP, Jalalabad, have been shifted to the police headquarters, Chandigarh, from October 1 to 8. In addition to this on a directive of the Election Commission in all nine Assembly segments of Zira, Dharamkot, Ferozepore city and cantonment, Guru Har Sahai, Jalalabad, Fazilka, Abohar and Balluana observers have been appointed to monitor the counting of votes. Official sources have confirmed that the police officers have relinquished their charge and reported at the Chandigarh headquarters. Meanwhile, Mr S.K.
Singla, SDM-cum-Assistant Returning Officer, here has
stated that all necessary arrangements for counting in
the Assembly constituency has been completed. |
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Probe ordered into
encroachments in Ludhiana CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has ordered an enquiry into allegations of encroachments of public property at various places in the city of Ludhiana as reported by The Tribune today. The Commissioner, Patiala division Mr D.S. Kalha, will personally conduct the enquiry and submit a report to the Chief Minister in a fortnight. The Chief Minister has also ordered that the Commissioner should have access to any records pertaining to the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, the Department of Local Self Government, the Directorate of Town and Country Planning or any other department concerned to arrive at factually correct findings within the stipulated period. In the process of enquiry the commissioner should have the power to summon any public servant or public man to record oral evidence and obtain such documentary evidence required for the purpose of enquiry. The commissioner has also been ordered not only to pinpoint responsibility, leading to unchecked encroachments, building violations and land grabbings, but also suggest ways for ensuring the safety of government property in the fast developing city of Ludhiana . The Chief Minister has
also ordered the Department of Local Self Government to
submit a detailed record of land and property belonging
to all government departments and semi-government
organisations and local authority within the municipal
limits of Ludhiana, indicating their status and
occupancy. |
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Gas connections for
martyrs’ kin HOSHIARPUR, Oct 2 — The district administration here provided free cooking gas connections by the Indian Oil Corporation to all 21 widows of martyrs in the district who laid down their lives in Kargil. Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner and Mr A.M. Naggar, Deputy General Manager of Indian Oil Corporation, distributed relevant documents of gas connections to the widows at a function held here yesterday. Gas stoves and regulators, etc were also provided by the gas agency holders of the district. Besides, the Deputy Commissioner also gave appointment letters of Class IV government jobs to five widows and two brothers of martyrs in government schools adjoining their respective villages. Lt Col A.S. Gill, President local unit of Indian Ex-Services League, Punjab and Chandigarh, Rs 11000 each to five families of martyrs. Mr Sidhu said according
to the decision of the district Sainik Board 13 link
roads would be named after the martyrs. He added that the
financial help of Rs 2 lakh each promised by the Punjab
Government, to the families of martyrs had already been
given to 21 families in the district. He said the state
government would provide Rs 5 lakh each to all families
for the construction of their houses at a state-level
function on October 14 at Chandigarh. |
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Better perks sought for
security forces LUDHIANA, Oct 2 — The Central Government should give more emoluments and better facilities to the security forces engaged in fighting terrorists so that the problem of terrorism, that is once again raising its head in Punjab, can be nipped in the bud, according to the former president of the All-India Youth Congress, Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta. Citing examples of seizure of large cache of arms in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Jalandhar recently, Mr Bitta, said this was a matter of grave concern and the Centre should allocate separate funds to counter terrorist operations in the state. Mr Bitta was addressing a press conference here yesterday. He said India should discontinue the bus and rail service to Lahore in the wake of the recent Kargil intrusions and the continuous efforts of Pakistani agencies to wage a proxy war in India. He also said India should amass support from other countries and get Pakistan declared a terrorist state. He added that the Indian Government should raise the issue of the release of 71 Indian soldiers in Pakistani jails in the UN. While talking about the financial crisis in Punjab, the leader said the SAD-BJP government should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the situation and find a suitable solution. He stated that a seminar
would be organised on fighting terrorism and added that
the next year would be dedicated to the Indian soldiers. |
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Kar seva starts at Darbar
Sahib TARN TARAN, Oct 2 — The kar seva at the Sri Darbar Sahib here for the gold plating of the tombs and other works of the holy building started here yesterday with full religious enthusiasm. The SGPC in a resolution have given this assignment to Baba Jagtar Singh of the local Dera Baba Jeewan Singh. A religious function was organised yesterday at Diwan Manji Sahib Hall which was presided over by Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, Senior Vice-President, SGPC. The "panj piaras" comprising Baba Jagtar Singh, Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, Mr Sukhwinder Singh Chabal, member, SGPC, Head Granthi Giani Partap Singh and Jathedar Kirpal Singh performed the ceremony to start the kar seva. A large number of devotees offered gold and cash in offerings on the occasion. Baba Amrik Singh of Dera
Baba Jeewan Singh said Rs 5 crore would be spent on the
kar seva and will be collected from the sangat of the
area. After the completion work the charge of Sri Darbar
Sahib would be handed back to the SGPC. |
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Mother, child burnt to death PATIALA, Oct 2 — Neeru Bala (26), and her one-and-a-half-year old child were allegedly burnt to death at Dakala near here today. Both mother and the child were brought dead to the Rajindra Hospital here in the afternoon today. A post-mortem was conducted in the evening and Assistant Professor Dr O.P. Aggarwal said it seemed that the deaths had occurred due to burning. He said the viscera of the deceased had been sent to the chemical examination laboratory on police request. The police has registered a case under Section 304 of the IPC. While the deceased's mother-in-law, Lajwanti, has been arrested, her husband, Sat Pal Jindal, is absconding. According to the FIR
registered with the Sadar police both mother and child
died around 7 a.m. The report said the suspects had put
an old stove near the site of the incident in a bid to
show that the deaths has occurred due to the bursting of
the stove. |
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Freedom fighter cremated HOSHIARPUR, Oct 2 (UNI) — Freedom fighter and eminent Gandhian Ram Lal who died at his home in Hariana town yesterday, after protracted illness, was cremated at his native place today. The 90-year-old freedom fighter is survived by wife, Satyawati, five sons and a daughter. Former Congress
ministers Surjit Kaur and Naresh Thakur, DCC Secretary
Gulshan Rai Passi, Hariana Congress President Sham Singh
Passi, Hariana Municipal Council President Barinder Kumar
and DCC Secretary Chander Mohan, were among those
present. |
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Allegations against Mayor
"false" JALANDHAR, Oct 2 — The ongoing feud between the Mayor and the Senior Deputy Mayor took a new turn today as 17 councillors of the municipal corporation alleged that the allegations levelled against the Mayor, Mr Suresh Seghal, by the Senior Deputy Mayor were false. Refuting the allegations, the councillors at a media briefing said the Mayor had worked for the development of the city with a sense of commitment and the wards, represented by the Akali councillors, had been given top priority in developmental schemes by the municipal council. They alleged that the Senior Deputy Mayor was making false allegations that the Mayor had threatened him. The councillors said a
vigilance inquiry should be conducted into allegations of
corruption in the corporation. On the issue of
encroachments they alleged that the Municipal
Commissioner was not taking action against the erring
persons. It was not the duty of the Mayor to remove the
encroachments, they added. |
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Ajooba project: NRIs to be
mobilised CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 — The executive of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation at its meeting decided to mobilise NRIs for donations for the construction of the Ajooba project at the Khalsa Heritage Momorial Complex in Anandpur Sahib. Mrs Vini Mahajan, chief
executive officer of the foundation, informed the
executive members that the construction of the walkway
bridge connecting the northern and southern wings of the
heritage memorial was in progress. The construction of
the main building, the cost of which has been estimated
at Rs 90 crore, will start in December. |
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Beopar Mandal’s call for bandh AMRITSAR, Oct 2 — The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal and 40 other trade associations yesterday decided to oppose the privatisation of octroi in Amritsar. At a meeting here, the mandal passed a resolution stating that in case of privatisation, businessmen would be subjected to humiliation by private contractors. Addressing the meeting,
Mr Amrit Lal Jain, president, Punjab Beopar Mandal,
alleged that traders of Amritsar would observe a bandh
here on October 12 in protest against the privatisation
of octroi. The traders would stage a dharna and hold a
rally in front of the Mayor's office. |
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Man arrested for duping
people LUDHIANA, Oct 2 — The police has arrested K.L. Mahajan allegedly for defrauding people by luring them of with promises securing admissions for their wards in medical and engineering colleges in south India and thus extracting lakhs of rupees from them. According to information available from the police, a case under Section 420 of the IPC had been registered on the complaint of Dr K.P. Singh, a consultant surgeon, who had been duped of Rs 3,10,000 by Mahajan, who promised to secure admission for his son in a medical college in South India. However, the complainant later learnt the accused had been cheating many people on the pretext of securing admissions. He pressurised the accused to return his money. Mahajan gave him a cheque of Rs 3,10,000 which was also dishonoured. In another incident, the
police has arrested Mohammad Gulser under Sections 18, 61
and 85 of the NDPS Act and seized 700 gm of opium from
his possession. |
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Tara Singh’s death
anniversary CHANDIGARH, Oct 2 —
Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, secretary of the Shiromani
Akali Dal, said today that the death anniversary of
Master Tara Singh would be observed on November 22 in
Amritsar. |
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Conference on oncology LUDHIANA, Oct 2 — The sixth annual conference of the Association of Radiation Oncologists of India was held at Christian Medical College and Hospital, here today. The conference was organised by Dr M.K. Mahajan, Professor and Head of Radiotherapy Department, Christian Medical College. An old student and senior citizen of the city, Dr V.K. Satija, inaugurated the conference. The aim of the conference was to focus on assessment of prescribing suitable syllabus for the teaching of oncology to undergraduate and postgraduate students in various genres of medicine, where facilities of radiation oncology exist to accommodate cancer patients. More the 75 delegates
practising radiation oncology from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Delhi
participated in the conference. |
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Supplementary exams AMRITSAR, Oct 2 — The supplementary examinations of Guru Nanak Dev University will start on October 9. According to an official
spokesman, roll numbers had already been sent. |
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