Wednesday, September 1, 1999
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Wednesday, September 1, 1999 |
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Rape case takes new turn LUDHIANA, Aug 31 — The rape case allegedly involving a son and a close relative of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, today took a new turn when the victim alleged that an unsuccessful attempt was made yesterday to tamper with her sealed statement lying in the court yesterday. Badal confidant joins Congress AMRITSAR, Aug 31 — The President of the PPCC, Capt Amarinder Singh, has predicted that mid-term Vidhan Sabha poll in Punjab would be held this year as the Badal government had became bankrupt. |
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Pt Mohan
Lal cremated
Chief
Agriculture Officer held for taking bribe Decision on milling rings alarm
bells Rakhra stresses on Patiala's
development 'Invite nominations for Senate
poll' Tributes paid to Beant Singh Five get life term for murder 2 held for theft |
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Rape case takes new turn LUDHIANA, Aug 31 — The rape case allegedly involving a son and a close relative of the Punjab Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, today took a new turn when the victim alleged that an unsuccessful attempt was made yesterday to tamper with her sealed statement lying in the court yesterday. In an application filed before the Duty Magistrate, Mr Rakesh Kumar, here today, the rape victim urged him to order an enquiry in this regard. Later talking to this correspondent, her father, Mr Paramjit Sharma and Mr Harish Khanna, a Janata Dal leader, said they had learnt that documents could have been tampered with had an alert court official not arrived at the scene. In the application moved before the Duty Magistrate, the rape victim also alleged that her counsel, in connivance with the suspects had pressurised her to change her statement by dropping the name of Suba Singh, son of Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, and naming Pammi as one of the suspects. She stated that her lawyer brought her to the court on August 26 along with her uncle while her father was away in Ambala on the pretext that some evidence was to be recorded. She was then asked by her counsel to give evidence to the effect that she was indisposed when her statement was first recorded on August 20 and that she had "wrongfully" mentioned the name of Suba Singh. However, she said she refused to give such an evidence and stated in her application that she was made to sign certain documents by lawyer and said that they could be misused by the culprits to distort the facts. She appealed that the statement given by her on August 20 before the Judicial Magistrate was correct and factual. She refuted the allegation that she had any links with Kishan from whose house in Almora district in Uttar Pradesh she was recovered. "Kishan had been kidnapped by Suba Singh and Baljinder Singh hours before they abducted me on April 24", she alleged. This was part of their gameplan and after two months they brought Kishan and asked him to take her away after threatening them with dire consequences, she alleged. Kishan then took her to
one of his relatives' house in Almora district. The rape
victim said that during her one-and-a-half month stay
there, Kishan came to visit her only twice. On both
occasions, he asked her to ring up her parents in
Ludhiana and ask them to get his brother, Shyam, released
from police custody as he had been falsely implicated. |
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Badal confidant joins Congress AMRITSAR, Aug 31 — The President of the PPCC, Capt Amarinder Singh, has predicted that mid-term Vidhan Sabha poll in Punjab would be held this year as the Badal government had became bankrupt. He said this while addressing mediapersons here today after admitting Mr Lakhbir Singh Loldhinangal, a former general secretary of the SAD to the Congress. He said his party would surely return to power in the Centre and it would dismiss the Badal government due to financial emergency in Punjab. We will have no option than to dismiss Mr Badal's government, he remarked. Mr Loldhinangal announced his joining the Congress along with 143 supporters at a function held here. The Congress candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, Mr R.L. Bhatia, was also present on the occasion. Capt Amarinder Singh denied that his party was having any alliance with Mr G.S. Tohra party and claimed that the Congress would capture all 13 Lok Sabha seats. The Punjab Congress chief said "We are keeping an eye on the situation in Faridkot as there are reports that Mr Badal was depending mainly on his money power". He further stated that he had warned officials in the Faridkot constituency against vote rigging. He said those joined the
party along with Mr Loldhinangal included a SGPC member
Bibi Surjit Kaur, 54 panches and sarpanches, 8 samiti
members and one Zila Parishad Member. |
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It’s no easy going for Badal BATHINDA, Aug 31 — For whom the bell tolls during elections in Punjab? It is clearly Mr Parkash Singh Badal vs all others this time. As one travels through the breadth and length of the state, particularly the Malwa, the debate centres around one man. It is the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. In the sprawling rural areas or in the congested bastis and mohallas or in those living hells, Mr Badal is at the centre of praise, ridicule and sometime rustic Punjabi humour. It is natural. Mr Badal not only leads the Akali Dal, the government but the SGPC, the mini Sikh parliament. No Akali Chief Minister has ever enjoyed such a measure of political clout. he has seen Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the SGPC for a quarter of a century out into near wilderness from where he is now striking hard. His control over the party and the government is complete. Nothing moves without his consent in the Akali Dal. Every decision carries his stamp. In 1996, Akali Dal just conceded two seats to the Congress, winning eight for itself and three for its partner, the BSP. In next election in 1998, it just swept the polls like it had done in 1977 with its the then ally, the Janata Party. It not only captured all the 13 seats, but helped the BJP get the lone seat from Chandigarh too. Mr Badal has to match this. But can he! Today, the mighty Mr Badal, now 72, faces one of the biggest challenges. It is he who is under scrutiny and not the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee. Mr Badal is making every effort to project this election as Vajpayee vs Sonia Gandhi. He would like to wish away what journalists call the anti-incumbency factor. But people seem to be harsh judges at the time of elections, and they are asking hard questions. Mr Badal’s this effort to project Vajpayee vs Sonia Gandhi has a two-fold purpose. One, to project this as a national level fight where bigger issues are involved, and second, to get away from the shrill criticism. Would he succeed? His adversaries, though not much united, are nevertheless keeping him under constant fire. The Congress with the Left is one set, and Mr Tohra and the BSP another. They are so arranged in this fight that the third force is coming to the rescue of the Congress and much to the chagrin of Mr Badal and his Akali Dal, they are gaining the upper hand. Mr Badal may not be able to perform as per the 1998 or even 1996 standards. A relevant question is how people would finally judge? To a large number of people in the villages of Ferozepore, and Faridkot and Bathinda this correspondent put a simple question when he heard people shoot complaints against Mr Badal and his government as to why are they against him? Why have you lost faith in him in just one year? He has given you free power and irrigation water. He has kept peace without a single fake encounter and much more than that he is your friend. Replies came fast: "Free power and water benefit the well-to-do landowners. We poor have nothing to sing about it. Look at the electricity bills. We have to pay Rs 25,000 and wait for years to get a power connection. And look at the bus fare. It costs Rs 100 from Ferozepore to Chandigarh, 44 per cent rise. Roads are bad and the corruption phase has crossed all bounds, and also prices of farm inputs. Suicides by farmers adds to the total crisis". What does the government know of this? several voices ask. it is the historic village Mudki where Sikhs fought the valiant battle with the British in 1845. And, at Sandhwa in Faridkot that gave first Punjabi, Giani Zail Singh, to the country to be its President, the voices are equally strident. To test it further, this correspondent spoke to villagers like Badbar near Barnala, Nagawa near Bassi Pathana or to people in Barnala Jaiton, Samrala, Doraha and host of other small but busy towns. Some remarks were indeed unkind, and perhaps, inspired by the Opposition. There was also criticism of the first family of Punjab too. In fact one heard of those stories which had not been published or verified. The strong oral tradition had done the job indeed. And employees, the most disgruntled of the lot, grumbled about their salaries. They had lot many stories to tell that the government’s kitty is empty. Some had, indeed, not been paid for two or three months. There was a check, and a hard one on petrol and telephones. But ask them have not they got a raise that total Rs 700 crore in one go. "It was long over due and much of it has been eaten away by the rising prices and in case where is the development taking place", they ask. At least in Faridkot from where Mr Badal’s son, Mr Sukhbir Singh, faces a big challenge from Mr Jagmit Singh Brar of the Congress there is development. There were serious doubts about the government’s efficiency. In this situation, the Akali party’s poll campaigners rest heavily on the Vajpayee factor. This also explains Mr Badal’s emphasis and the target is the city dweller. There is another factor that worries Mr Badal and his party men. In 1996 elections, the Akali BSP alliance got 35.20 per cent votes and won 11 seats. Mr Badal improved its tally to 13 in 1998 and the Akali-BJP alliance polled 44.60 per cent. The Congress and the BSP in alliance got 37.52 per cent and yet drew a blank. Now Mr Tohra and the BSP can cause a swing of just 7 per cent and upset Mr Badal’s applecart. There are just two
questions. One, how much benefit Mr Badal can draw from
Mr Vajpayee? Second, how many votes can Mr Tohra, Bhai
Ranjit and Singh and the BSP take away from Mr Badal?
There is no way to make a definite hard calculation. But
signs are ominous. Each seat offers a hard contest, and
1999 is just not 1998. |
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Pt Mohan Lal cremated CHANDIGARH, Aug 31 — Pt Mohan Lal, a former Home, Finance and Education Minister of Punjab, who died here yesterday, was cremated here today. Leaders of various political parties, Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha, educationists, social workers, teachers, doctors and others attended the cremation. All the Sanatan Dharam institutions in the city remained closed today as a mark of respect to the departed soul. The Governor of Punjab-cum-Administrator of Chandigarh, Lieut-Gen BKN Chhibber (retd), visited the house of Pt Mohan Lal in Sector 44-B in the morning. He laid a wreath on the mortal remains of Pt Mohan Lal and consoled the grieving sons — Mr K.K. Sharma, Mr Surinder Nath Sharma and Mr Upkar Sharma — besides two daughters — Ms Sheila and Ms Raj. General Chhibber described him as a prominent figure in the Sanatan Dharam movement and said in his death a great educationist, a philanthropist and a social worker besides a revered political personality of Punjab has been lost. The management and the staff of the Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board mourned the death by observing a two-minute silence. Pt Mohan Lal had served the board from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1988 to 1992. The Chandigarh
Acharyakul Trust and the Sector 16 Gandhi Smarak Bhavan
also mourned his death by observing a two-minute silence. |
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Sonia not competent to rule
India: CM TARN TARAN, Aug 31 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister Punjab and the president of SAD has called Ms Sonia Gandhi incompetent and unable to administer a country like India. Mr Badal, on a day-long tour of this border constituency on Monday, addressed well-attended rallies at Sarai Amanat Khan, Amarkot, Naushehra Pannuan and Fatehabad, in favour of the SAD candidate, Mr Tarlochan Singh Tur he called on SAD-BJP workers to work unitedly to ensure the victory of Mr Tur. Mr Badal called Mr Vajpayee a friend of Punjab and said during his 13-month rule big industrial projects were allotted to Punjab like the oil refinery for Bathinda worth Rs 16000 crore. Lambasting Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra for his "power-hungry" political games and "sinister designs" aimed at dividing the panth, Mr Badal said Mr Tohra's condition out of power was like that of a fish without water. He said the candidates of Mr Tohra's party will be completely routed in Punjab. Others who addressed the
rallies were Mr Ranjit Singh Brahampura, Cooperative
Minister, Dr Rattan Singh, Animal Husbandry Minister and
other MLAs. |
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IYC cautions NDA leaders LUDHIANA, Aug 31 — Mr Munish Tewari, president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), today cautioned NDA leaders that if they did not stop personal attacks on Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the IYC would hit back at them. Talking to reporters here, Mr Tewari was highly critical of "low tactics" being adopted by the NDA leaders in the campaign. He also favoured snapping of diplomatic ties with Pakistan and stoppage of the bus service to Lahore. He said since Pakistan was pursuing its proxy war against India, there was no point in having any talks or links with that country. Mr Tewari said reports regarding the import of sugar from Pakistan by the present government revealed that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was not so clean as was being projected by the NDA. The Prime Minister must speak on these issues and make his position clear. The BJP, he charged, was exploiting the Kargil issue for its political ends, but was silent on the factors that brought the country to such a pass. In reply to a question,
Mr Tewari said he was not satisfied with just four seats
being allotted to IYC leaders. |
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Brahm Mohindra Congress
observer for Chandigarh CHANDIGARH, Aug 31 — The All-India Congress Committee has appointed Mr Brahm Mohindra, former Health Minister of Punjab, the party observer for election work in Chandigarh. According to Mr Oscar
Fernandes, General Secretary of the AICC, Mr Mohindra has
been asked to undertake extensive tour of the areas
covering the constituency and help in the election work. |
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Kataria sees Cong wave JALANDHAR, Aug 31 — A former Punjab Pradesh Congress President, Mr Varinder Kataria, promised that privatisation of octroi posts would be abolished and the policy to provide free electricity to the farmers would be reviewed if the Congress voted to powers. He said this while addressing mediapersons here today. He said the Congress would sweep all parliamentary seats in the state as there had been resentment against the SAD-BJP alliance. Lashing out at the BJP
for trying to encash the votes on the Kargil conflict he
alleged that the recent media reports on (Kargil) had
exposed a huge blunder on the part of the government. |
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Tohra flays SAD BARNALA, Aug 31 — Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President, All-India Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, has warned the voters against the policies of the SAD. He said this while addressing a rally in support of the Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat, here today. He criticised the SAD
government for its anti-farmers, anti-public and
anti-panth activities. |
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Transferred SSP may approach EC CHANDIGARH, Aug 31 — One of the four district police chiefs transferred at the instance of the Election Commission may approach the commission to know his actual home district as the name he had entered in his official documents is different from the one recognised by the commission. Mr Surinder Singh Sodhi has been transferred from Nawanshahr as SSP at the instance of the EC on the plea that he was posted in his home district. Sources reveal that in the official records, Jalandhar has been described as his home district. He owns a house, a ration card besides being registered as a voter there. His father, who retired from the Railways, had migrated from Pakistan at the time of Partition. Mr Surinder Sodi had his education also in Jalandhar. Further no political party has complained against him. The only complaint was from the District Bar Association which was being investigated. Though an inquiry was being conducted against the SSP at the instance of the EC, the report was yet to be submitted before his transfer orders came. Mr Surinder Singh Sodhi
had faced a similar complaint in the last Lok Sabha
elections which was found frivolous and was dismissed. He
is the first Olympian to be appointed SSP in the country. |
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AIDS deaths jolt residents NANGAL, Aug 31 — The deaths of two AIDS patients in on a single day in two villages adjoining Nangal have spread panic. Two residents, of Hambewal and Barmula villages, both truck drivers, died of AIDS on Sunday. They are survived by young wives and minor children who are also being suspected to be suffering from the disease. The villagers are demanding that tests be carried out in the entire area to identify others afflicted with the infection for which there is no cure. Dr V. K. Jaswal, who runs a private nursing home in the area, substantiates the fear of the villagers saying he alone has detected about 10 AIDS cases in the area during the past one year an alarming number for this small area. The belt from Anandpur to Nangal is considered vulnerable to AIDS due to the presence of a large number of truck drivers in the area. There are 1800 trucks registered in the truck union at Nangal and more at truck unions of various villages. About 5000 truck drivers regularly ply on inter-state routes. Dr Jaswal feels that the truck drivers are major carriers of the disease along with drug addicts. Dr T. R. Aggarwal, PMO of the BBMB Canal Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals of the area, also admits to the possibility of the presence of large number of AIDS patients in the area. The hospital has detected three AIDS patients in the past year but this is suspected to be merely the lip of the iceberg. Many cases are not reported in the hospitals due to fear of the social stigma attached to the disease. Instead suspected AIDS patients get themselves treated from the large number of quacks in the area, who might even be contributing to the spread of the disease by their insanitary practices. Another source of spreading AIDS may be blood transfusions. All the hospitals in the area have the facility of TRI-DOT method for the detection of AIDS, among blood donors. This method is 70 per cent accurate. The more accurate Eliza test is at present not available in any of the hospitals of the area. Various social organisations and NGOs operating in the area have repeatedly written to the district authorities to conduct a survey to evaluate the extent of the disease. NAWANSHAHR: The death of an AIDS patient, Kuljit Singh (name changed), a driver and a resident of nearby Daulatpur village, a couple of months ago, has caused a scare in the village. District health authorities and NGOs active in creating AIDS awareness in the town, say that they can do nothing as the government policy regarding AIDS does not permit them to force anyone to get their blood tested. Kuljit Singh had reportedly contracted the disease during his stay in Bombay, where he used to go when he was a truck driver about six to seven years ago. He was tested HIV-positive in 1996 at a local hi-tech lab being run by an NGO. He used to get treatment from a number of places. Though reluctant, he was married off by his parents about two years ago. Now the tragic part of the story is that his wife and child (8 months old) have reportedly contracted the disease. Dr Surinder Kaur Kochar, Civil Surgeon, when contacted, said as per the government policy on AIDS, social isolation of AIDS patients was not possible . The Health Department with the help of NGOs was working in the field of AIDS awareness can provide counselling and work for the rehabilitation of AIDS patients. A senior functionary of
a local NGO engaged in the field for more than a decade,
revealed that a number of HIV-positive cases have been
detected and reported to the health authorities, but the
counselling aspect of the WHO policy on AIDS was being
neglected. Though a number of persons had died of AIDS in
Nawanshahr in the recent past, nothing was being done to
tackle the menace, he lamented. |
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Chief Agriculture Officer held
for taking bribe PATIALA, Aug 31 — The local vigilance bureau has arrested the district’s Chief Agriculture Officer Sardul Singh for allegedly taking a bribe to pass the licence application of an insecticide dealer of Samana township. Mr B.K. Uppal, SP (Vigilance) said in a press release here today that a vigilance team raided the agriculture office on August 27 and caught Sardul Singh accepting a bribe of Rs 1000 from Mr Baldev Singh of Samana. He said the officer was immediately arrested and booked under 7, 13 (2), 88 P of the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, employees of the Agriculture Department including Mr Satnam Singh, general secretary Agriculture Technocrats Association, claim that the Chief Agriculture Officer had been falsely implicated in the case. They said that on August 27 a vigilance team raided the office. But when they could not find anything against the agriculture staff they forcibly put money in the pocket of the Chief Agriculture Officer. The release also said the vigilance cell had been harassing Agriculture Department staff after the super phosphate scam involving department employees. Mr B.K. Uppal (SP)
vigilance however termed the allegations of the
agriculture staff as baseless and said they had even
tried to thwart the vigilance raid. A separate case of
blocking a vigilance enquiry has been registered against
Mr Satnam Singh Bajwa and others. |
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Decision on milling rings alarm
bells GURDASPUR, Aug 31 — The statement of Mr MD Asthana, Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, government of India that Punjab paddy will be sent to other states for milling has sent shock waves down milling circles. Mr Baljinder Singh, alias Billu, spokesman of the rice millers of Punjab, said that such a policy would result the closure of rice mills in Punjab already in the grip of crisis. Mr Billu said that the state has 2600 rice mills of which 600 were closed last year due to following the 'wrong specifications' imposed by the government on rice. He also stressed that purchase of levy rice through agents and mediators must be abolished as agents harm millers by extorting illegal gratification from them and the Central government by procuring 'below quality' rice. He demanded that recovery of rice be fixed at 62 per cent, to solve the problems of the millers. This will also assure better prices for paddy. On milling outside the
state he said there were enough mills in Punjab to mill
paddy produced in the state in time. If procurement is
delayed resulting in spoilage, it is due to delay by the
centre in declaring policy,not due to non-milling as was
being stated by the Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies. |
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Rakhra stresses on Patiala's
development PATIALA, Aug 31 — The SAD candidate, Mr Surjit Singh Rakhra, said today that he would try to get $100 million from the World Bank for the development of the constituency. He would seek the help of his brother, Mr Darshan Singh Rakhra, who is a Minister for Education in Wisconsin state of the USA. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Rakhra said he was committed to developing Patiala. He said work on the development of roads and providing water facility in the constituency would be taken on a priority basis if voted to power. The SAD leader said the family had faced difficulty in the past as it could not set up a branch of the Winconsin University in Patiala, despite the fact that the case had been passed by the parent university. He said this was because Punjabi University did not clear it and there were also procedural delays. Mr Rakhra said students
could study in the university branch here for two years
and then go to the USA to finish their degree courses.
Besides this already 60 students from the constituency
were studying on scholarships at the university, he
added. |
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'Invite nominations for Senate
poll' PATIALA, Aug 31 — Punjabi University Syndicate member and Business Administration Departments' Head, Dr K.C. Singhal, said today that the elections to the Syndicate and the finance committee of the Senate should be held by inviting nominations and holding a poll, if necessary. Dr Singhal has made this demand in a representation to the university Registrar as the elections, which were scheduled for August 23, have been postponed. Dr Singhal said in the past these elections were reduced to a farce with subcommittee of the Senate being authorised to give a panel of names for the Syndicate and the finance committee. He said the practice was totally illegal and needed to be dismissed outrightly. He further said besides this, members to the academic bodies of Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Punjab Agricultural University were also nominated. The professor said all university and college teachers' organisations of Punjab and Chandigarh had been demanding that the Acts of the universities of Punjab need amendments so as to democratise various academic bodies by introducing elected representatives of students, teachers and employees. He said while the Akali government in Punjab in its earlier tenure had constituted a commission with a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as the Chairman for suggesting amendments in the Acts, the commission had invited proposals in this regard from the universities. He sought suitable
amendments in the Act of the universities in Punjab from
the present state government. |
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Tributes paid to Beant Singh CHANDIGARH, Aug 31 — Led by Mrs Jaswant Kaur, family members of the late Mr Beant Singh paid tributes to him at his samadhi on his "Shaheedi" divas today. Senior Congress leaders were also present. Among those who offered
flowers at the samadhi were Mr Gurkirat Singh, Mr Tej
Parkash Singh, a former minister. |
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Five get life term for murder HOSHIARPUR, Aug 31 (UNI) — District and Sessions Judge R.M. Gupta has sentenced five persons, Ravi, Chaman Lal, Balbir Singh, Parmjit Singh and Raj Kumar, to life imprisonment for murdering Kamaljit Singh on July 10 last year. All five, residents of
Thathlan village of the district, were convicted by the
court yesterday, according to police sources here today. |
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2 held for theft LUDHIANA, Aug 31 — The police has arrested two persons in separate cases of theft and one person under the NDPS Act. Fateh Singh, a resident of Ramma village in Moga district, was arrested by the police of division number 5 and a stolen Maruti car and a scooter were recovered from him. He has been sent to judicial custody. Ramu was arrested by the police and a stolen scooter was recovered from him. A case under Section 379 of the IPC has been registered. In yet another incident,
the Sahnewal police has arrested Pritam Singh and
recovered 4 kg of opium from him. A case under Section
18, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against
him. |
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