Satte pe Satta: After Satnam, Palpreet heads to NBA

Palpreet Singh Brar

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 25

Muktsar cager Palpreet Singh Brar has won the national finals of the ACG-NBA Jump, India’s first national basketball talent search programme. 

The 21-year-old will now attend the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) tryout in the United States in June.

The NBA D-League is the NBA’s official minor league, serving to develop players, coaches, and the other officials. The league features 19 teams in the US and Canada, each of which is affiliated with an NBA parent club.

Hailing from Kauni village, Brar, a former trainee of the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, is already a member of India’s senior national team. The 6’9” cager, weighing 115kg, plays as a centre in the national team. Brar has represented India at the SAFF Games, Lusofonia Games and the Asian Games.

“I will focus on becoming a stronger player now that I am going to compete with some of the best in the world,” said Brar. 

“It is a proud moment for us. Palpreet has been selected for the tryout. He is the lone sportsperson in our family. I am thankful to my friends who advised me to introduce Palpreet to basketball because of his height,” said his father Farjinder Singh. He, however, rued that the state government has done nothing for them. “My son is an international player but the state government has never offered him a job. Even the district administration has not honoured him once. It seems the sports department is not even aware that a village in Muktsar has produced an international basketball player,” he added.

Brar started playing basketball at Gidderbaha  under coach Jagsir Puri. In just two months, he was selected for the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) where coach S Subramanian honed his skills.

In Satnam’s footsteps

Punjab Basketball Association secretary general Teja Singh Dhaliwal expressed his happiness over Brar’s selection. “It’s a big achievement for Brar. He is the only player from India to get selected for a tryout. Thousands appeared for this programme but Brar was the lucky one. His professional basketball journey started from the LBA where he spent his entire time nursing just one dream — to represent India at the NBA. This is a proud moment for the whole academy as Satta (Satnam) is also a product of the LBA.” Brar is presently posted as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) with the Railways in Ludhiana.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Staff shortage: Accountant to monitor 160 panchayats

None ready to work in Muktsar due to ‘political pressure’

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 24

The charge of block development and panchayat officers of Malout and Muktsar has been given to an accountant as these posts have been lying vacant for about a month. He will monitor the development works of 160 panchayats.

“In the prevailing circumstances, no one is ready to work here as BDPO. There is a lot of political pressure on employees,” claimed sources. They further said the development works in the area were hit due to staff shortage.

In such a scenario, the additional deputy commissioner’s (Development) office has started clearing the pending bills after utilising its contingency funds.

Kulwant Singh, Muktsar ADC, said, “Two of the four posts of BDPO have been lying vacant in the district. The charge has been given to an accountant. But we are clearing the bills through my office.”

A sarpanch from Malout block said, “An accountant can’t hold the charge of two BDPOs. He won’t even be able to inspect any ongoing development work. The state government must fill the posts soon.”

Another sarpanch alleged, “It is ironic that in Lambi, the Chief Minister’s home turf, there is excess staff, while in other areas, there is an acute staff shortage.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Panchayat objects to PUDA colony in Muktsar village

Says land was transferred for hospital, govt houses

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 18

The panchayat of Udekaran village near here has raised an objection to the residential colony being developed over 12 acres there by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA).

The panchayat has approached the district administration demanding that the construction work be stopped immediately. It said that the land was transferred to construct a hospital and government accommodation and not for setting up a residential colony for commercial purpose.

Gurlabh Singh, Akali Sarpanch of Udekaran village, said, “The gram panchayat had passed two resolutions — on March 20, 1990 and January 22, 1998 — to give 12 acre and 2 kanal land along the railway line for the construction of a hospital and accommodation of government officers.

“Though some flats were constructed, the hospital has not been built till date. Now, the land has been transferred to PUDA for making a residential colony there.

“Had the government hospital been built, it would have been beneficial for the villagers. The colony is being built without the consent of the panchayat.

“The gram panchayat has not been paid even a single penny for this prime land which now is worth crores. We demand that the construction be stopped immediately,” said Gurlabh, who along with some villagers, again met the Deputy Commissioner today.

Kulwant Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Muktsar, who has been told to inquire into the matter, said, “An empowered committee of the state government had transferred the land to PUDA. We are investigating the matter.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Muktsar college staff not paid for 4 months

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 16

Teachers and the non-teaching sstaff of the Government College in Muktsar are a harried lot as they have not been given their salaries for the last four months. Notably, this is the lone government college in the district.

They said they have put up their case before the authorities many times, but to no avail.

They have now started a protest and taken the support of students as well. Some students expressed concern that if the protest lasts longer, it would hit studies as examinations were just a month away.

“We have brought this matter to the notice of the higher-ups time and again, but to no avail. Irate over the lax attitude of the authorities, we have started a two-hour protest from today. It will last for a week and thereafter, we will lodge a protest in Chandigarh,” said Prof Parminder Singh, Secretary, Government College Teachers’ Association, Muktsar.

He said, “The Class IV employees are suffering more hardships due to the non-payment of their salaries. As many as 22 teachers and 13 non-teaching employees are without salaries since September. The staff of the Government College in Jalalabad will also begin from tomorrow.”

Notably, this college does not even have a regular Principal for long time.

The additional charge of the post has been given to the Principal of the Government College, Faridkot.

TK Goyal, Director Public Instructions (Colleges), said, “The matter has come to my notice and the salary will be given in a day or two. Action will also be taken against those found guilty during the inquiry.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Month on, Muktsar villagers yet to get revised pension

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 15

Villagers in the district are yet to get enhanced pensions even though the gram panchayats have been given the money. The pension was to be disbursed among the people in January.

The state government recently hiked pension for the elderly, widows and the differently abled from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per month. On the other hand, the beneficiaries in urban areas have already been paid the revised pension.

As per the fresh policy, beneficiaries in rural areas will get pension through the village panchayats and those in urban areas will get the money in their bank accounts. In Muktsar district, 53,892 of the total 67,887 beneficiaries belong to rural areas.

“We haven’t been paid yet. The panchayats have been told not to disburse pensions until February 18. The government will hold a function that day to mark the launch of enhanced pension,” villagers said. Sarpanches of Udekaran, Haraj and Raniwala villages also complained that they had not got their pension yet.

Sources in the Social Security Department said they would start disbursing pension in rural areas after February 18.

However, Naresh Kumar, District Social Security Officer, said, “We have transferred the pension funds into the accounts of gram panchayats. They are free to disburse the money.”

The district had received Rs 3,39,43,500 to disburse among the beneficiaries for January.

Courtesy: The Tribune

MUKTSAR ACCIDENT: Being pressured to reach compromise: Victim’s kin

MUKTSAR ACCIDENT

Being pressured to reach compromise: Victim’s kin

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 6

More than 24 hours after SAD leader Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon’s bus reportedly mowed down a 27-year-old Dalit man at Kauni village, the police are yet to identify the accused bus driver. The driver had fled the spot, leaving the vehicle behind after the incident.

Dimpy Dhillon, who is the co-owner of New Deep Transport, is a close aide of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and his buses have reportedly claimed many lives in the past.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gurmeet Singh, who is investigating the case, said, “The accused driver is yet to be identified. So far, we had been busy with the cremation of the victim. Now, we will speak to the transporter about the driver.”

Meanwhile, deceased’s brother Jasvir Singh alleged some Akali leaders, including an SGPC member, had yesterday pressurised them, offered above Rs 15 lakh for compromise. "With this fake assurance, they managed the situation and we cremated the body today. However, we did not get a single penny. We will fight for justice," he added.

“They made my father consume alcohol and took him into confidence,” he added.

Courtesy: The Tribune

27-year-old crushed under bus owned by SAD leader

The accident victim’s body and motorcycle (stuck under the bus) at Kauni village in Muktsar district on Friday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, February 5

A 27-year-old Dalit man was crushed under a bus of New Deep Transport at Kauni village on the Gidderbaha-Muktsar road this evening. The driver managed to flee from the spot.

This transport company is co-owned by SAD’s Gidderbaha constituency incharge-cum-chairman, District Planning Committee, Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon.

This is the third fatal accident involving the bus of the same transport firm in less than two months.

A 12-year-old Dalit girl was crushed under a bus of the same company at Channu village in Lambi Assembly segment on December 11 last year. Then on December 17, a 10-year-old Dalit girl was killed in an accident involving another bus of the same firm in Ferozepur district.

As per sources, the deceased, Sukhvir Singh of Kauni village, was standing next to his motorcycle on the roadside. He was talking to someone over the phone when the bus (PB 30 F 4578) hit him from behind and dragged him along 100 feet.

The bus was on its way from Gidderbaha to Faridkot and the victim was going to Assa Buttar village to meet his relatives.

A large number of people gathered at the spot after the mishap. A police party from Kotbhai police station also reached the site and took the body to civil hospital, Gidderbaha, for the post-mortem examination.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gurmeet Singh, investigating officer, said, “A case has been registered against the unidentified driver under Sections 304-A, 279 and 427 of the IPC.”

SSP Kuldeep Chahal said that the police were trying to identify and nab the accused.

Transport firm co-owner Hardeep Singh ‘Dimpy’ Dhillon said, “It is an unfortunate incident. But as per my information, the motorcyclist, all of a sudden, took a u-turn which resulted in the accident. We are co-operating with the police and the bus has been taken to the police station.”

Courtesy: The Tribune