J A L A N D H A R

Three power projects for state
Jalandhar, December 15
Three power projects will be set up in different parts of Punjab on the Built Operate Transfer (BOT) system. This was stated by a PSEB member (generation), Mr H.M Jain, said here yesterday.

Badal jr attacks Tejinder Bittu
Jalandhar, December 15
Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, general secretary, SAD,alleged today the Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman, Mr Tejinder Singh Bittu, has illegally leased out a 5-acre plot in the city to the Dashmesh Education Trust being chaired by CM’s media advisor, Mr B.I.S. Chahal.

Advances in electronics discussed
Nawanshahr, December 15
A two-day international conference on “Advances in electronics and communication technology” was inaugurated by Dr Pawan Kapoor, Director, CSIO, Chandigarh, at the K.C. College of Engineering and Information Technology here today.

Protesters lathicharged 
Kartarpur, December 15
Members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union who were out to hold a demonstration in front of Master Gurbanta Singh Memorial College, where the Deputy Chief Minister was presiding over a convocation function, were lathicharged here this afternoon.

• NRI’s house burgled

Three power projects for state
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 15
Three power projects will be set up in different parts of Punjab on the Built Operate Transfer (BOT) system. This was stated by a PSEB member (generation), Mr H.M Jain, said here yesterday.

Mr. Jain said that two thermal stations would be set up at Talwandi Sabo and Nabha whereas the third power project would be set up at Doraha.

A high voltage distribution system would be set up in Punjab to save electricity losses during transmission.

Mr Jain was here to be the chief guest at the Energy Conservation Day function held at Apeejay College of Fine Arts.

A paper reading contest was held on energy conservation.Anushree Bansal of DN Model School Moga, Jaismeen of Lawrence International School ,Jalandhar and Jasmeen Kaur of Government Model Co-Educational Senior Secondary School, Ladowali Road Jalandhar, won first, second and third prizes, respectively. 

Badal jr attacks Tejinder Bittu

Mr Sukhbir Badal, general secretary, SAD, along with party workers talks to mediapersons in Jalandhar on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Jalandhar, December 15
Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, general secretary, SAD, alleged today the Jalandhar Improvement Trust Chairman, Mr Tejinder Singh Bittu, has illegally leased out a 5-acre plot in the city to the Dashmesh Education Trust being chaired by CM’s media advisor, Mr B.I.S. Chahal.

Mr Badal said the JIT chairman had also allotted sites for five petrol pumps to his favourite people, one of whom was the daughter of Mr A.P. Pandey, DGP (Prisons), and the other being his relatives. He said that he would show the documentary evidences in this regard tomorrow. — TNS

Advances in electronics discussed
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, December 15
A two-day international conference on “Advances in electronics and communication technology” was inaugurated by Dr Pawan Kapoor, Director, CSIO, Chandigarh, at the K.C. College of Engineering and Information Technology here today.

Mr Prem Pandhi, Chairman, KC Social Welfare Trust, and Prof J. Dahiya, Dean, Applied Sciences, SEMO, USA, presided over it. Experts from various colleges from here and abroad are participating in the conference to discuss the latest advances and trends in research and development in the field of electronics and communication.

Dr Kapoor delivered the keynote address. Dr B.S. Jassal of Defence Electronics Applications Lab, Dehradun, Prof R. Thangaraj and Prof S.S. Sekhon of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Prof I.S. Hundiara, Brig H.S. Bhandal, among others, delivered lectures in the inaugural session.

Rally

Activists of the district Revenue Patwar Union went on mass casual leave to hold a dharna consecutively on the second day at Tehsil Complex here on Friday. The protesting patwaris also took out a protest march in the town.

Mr Gurnek Singh Sher, state secretary of the union, Mr Amardeep Singh, Mr Harbhajan Jadli and Mr Baldev Balli, among others, addressed the dharna and criticized the state government for the delay to implement their demands. 

Protesters lathicharged 
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Police personnel lathi charge members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union protesting in front of Master Gurbanta Singh Memorial Janta College in Kartarpur on Friday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Kartarpur, December 15
Members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union who were out to hold a demonstration in front of Master Gurbanta Singh Memorial College, where the Deputy Chief Minister was presiding over a convocation function, were lathicharged here this afternoon.

Police personnel led by DSP (Rural) Jagmohan Singh wielded canes on nearly 35 protestors carrying black flags. No one was spared, not even women.

The protestors came from the Kapurthala Gate side towards the main gate on GT Road seeking waiving off of their power bills . Eight prominent leaders of the group were detained at Kartarpur police station. Those rounded up leaders were :Kashmir Singh Ghugshore, Kala Dugri, Jaswinder Singh, Balbir S. Dhirpur, Sukhdev Singh, Billu and Avtar Singh.

Police personnel gave that they had to resort to lathi charge as one of their men got injured. They even presented a man in mufti ,who, they said ,was hit by the protestors. When the lensmen tried to take his picture, he was whisked away in a gypsy.

Even the SSP termed the incident as a “minor scuffle” as he said that a policeman was injured by the protestors who pelted stones on him. However, eyewitnesses said that no such incident took place. The SSP further said that minimum force had to be used to thwart any such action. When told that no apparent attack was made on policemen, he said that SP City-II had been asked to inquire into the matter. He further said that those rounded up would be booked.

The college is owned by Ch Jagjit Singh, Local Bodies Minister. While the rallyists were simply walking around the boundary of the college, they could not meet the Local Bodies Minister or Deputy Chief Minister, Ms Rajinder Bhattal, as both had directly landed in the college grounds in a chopper ride from Chandigarh.

The passouts of the college had to actually pay off for being a student in a college run by a minister as they had to wait for over three hours as the function ran much behind the schedule. Even as it was to start at 11:30 am, the students were called at 9 am for rehearsal and the function actually began after 2:30 pm with the arrival of Ms Bhattal, who said that she was busy with a cabinet meeting.

After awarding degrees to nearly 200 students today, she interacted with mediapersons. Regarding today’s statement by Mr Sukhbir Badal, general secretary, SAD, on re-opening corruption cases against Ms Bhattal, she said that her case did not fall in the category as it was rather a case of misappropriation of funds. She said that the matter was still pending in Supreme Court adding that junior Badal had no right to talk over judicial matters nor was he going to come into power again.

Regarding restoring of pension to aided colleges, she said that the matter was being looked into. Regarding her desire to be the next CM in case Congress came into power, she said that the decision was in the hands of the party high command though many party leaders could eyeing that post.

Later in the day, Mr Tarsem Peter, president of the union, gave a press note demanding quick release of the members arrested. He said that in case they would not be released, the union would have to resort to protest. 

NRI’s house burgled
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, December 15
The house of one UK-based NRI, Pargan Singh, was burgled in Urban Estate locality here on Thursday.

The NRI along with his wife, Surinder Kaur, were away from the house to attend the marriage of their niece at Pattran village when the burglars struck their house and decamped with them Rs 1 lakh in cash, 700 pounds and gold ornaments, two air tickets and their British passports.