AAP makes ‘topi-cal’ gaffe

AAP makes ‘topi-cal’ gaffe

Muktsar: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Gidderbaha recently committed a faux pas while printing posters inviting people to attend Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s rally on July 28. The poster showed AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal wearing the trademark white ‘topi’ (cap), but the catchline, ‘Main hoon aam aadmi’, got flipped. The rally was eventually postponed as Mann was busy giving his reply regarding the controversial Parliament video. Luckily for AAP, this gaffe didn’t stir a hornet’s nest.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Cow slaughter triggers protest in Malout; 2 held

Gau Sewa Commission forms panel, asks police to file report

Activists of Hindu organisations take out a protest march against the alleged slaughter of cows in Malout town of Muktsar district on Sunday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, July 31

Tension prevailed in the town after two persons were nabbed for allegedly slaughtering cows at a vacant plot on the Shekhu road here last night. A pickup vehicle used to transport cows was impounded.

Those arrested are Rakesh Kumar and Ramesh Kumar. Their three accomplices managed to flee. A case under various sections of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act and Sections 295-A, 278, 429, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered against them.

Later, activists of some Hindu organisations and the BJP staged a protest in the town. They also damaged the pickup vehicle used to transport cows.

The protest was resumed at Gandhi Chowk today. The activists took out a march in the town and appealed to the shopkeepers to close their business establishments.

Keemti Lal Bhagat, Chairman, Gau Sewa Commission, Punjab, visited the town today. He formed a five-member committee to probe the matter and directed the district police and the administration to deal with this issue diligently and file a report in seven days.

Bhagat said he had last night tried to speak to the SSP, Muktsar, and IGP, Bathinda zone, but none of them answered his phone call. He said: “If the police officers don’t answer our phone calls, I can understand the plight of the commoners.”

Balraj Singh, SP, Malout, said: “A post-mortem of the dead bovines was conducted. The situation is now under control.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Shoddy work, funds lapse too

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 29

The panchayat of Dhulkot village in Gidderbaha sub-division has been running from pillar to post for the past seven months to know who repaired the sewerage pipeline.

A sum of Rs 6 lakh had been released on this count by the Centre in the panchayat’s account. Surjit Singh, the Akali sarpanch of the village, accused a SGPC member of the area saying, “A constituency incharge carried out the work in a botched manner. He did not have any authority but did this work to usurp grants forcibly from the panchayat. He even pressed me to release the grants, but I refused. The grants lapsed.”

“Since then we are repeatedly asking the district administration to inform us that which agency had carried out the work, but are not getting any reply. The funds for the repair work were deposited in the bank account of the panchayat in December. The work was done in January by the SGPC member. A large number of people are affected due to the poor condition of the works but no official concerned is paying any attention,” he claimed.

He showed some documents of the Rural Development Department, Punjab Mandi Board and Soil Conservation Department, which he had procured under the RTI Act, wherein it was clearly mentioned that they had neither carried out the work nor paid the money to anyone.

DC Sumeet Jarangal has asked for a probe by the Rural Development Department.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Dept uploads information on RMO posts

Tribune News Service
Muktsar, July 29

Acting on The Tribune report, ‘Job applications sought twice, but forms unavailable’ (July 29), the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats today uploaded information regarding the recruitment of rural medical officers (RMOs) on its website.

It also increased the posts from 346 to 370 and extended the last date of submission of applications from August 1 to 11.

It was highlighted in the report that though the department had twice sought the applications, the forms were neither available on the website nor in the Zila Parishad offices across the state.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Job applications sought twice, but forms unavailable

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 28

The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has twice sought applications for 346 posts of rural medical officer (RMO), but the application forms have not yet been made available.

The posts were first advertised on June 25, asking the applicants to download the form from the department’s website or collect it from any Zila Parishad office and submit it by July 15. Later, the last date was extended to August 1.

However, the forms, terms and conditions, pay, allowances and other details have not been made public so far.

A job aspirant said, “I have visited the Zila Parishad office twice, but the officials have no information about the availability of the forms.”

When contacted, Baljit Singh, Deputy Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, said, “The forms will be made available from tomorrow. The last date will be extended again.” Repeated attempts to contact SS Bains, Director of the department, proved futile.

Courtesy: The Tribune

CM’s posters on buses ripped off

A Punjab Roadways bus with torn off image of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal parked at the Bus Stand in Muktsar town on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 28

Posters listing government’s achievements, schemes and the picture of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal pasted on state-owned buses were found torn in the district.

The Punjab Roadways authorities have blamed the staff and warned them of stern action if someone was found guilty. A visit to the local bus stand today revealed that the buses with torn posters were parked in the workshop.

Charanjit Singh Brar, General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Muktsar, said: “The government’s publicity posters were pasted on nearly 20-22 buses a week ago. But some drivers and conductors tried to remove these from two-three buses. They have admitted to it and agreed to replace these by paying from their own pocket.” Rejecting the charge, some drivers and conductors said some passengers might have tried to remove the posters. “But we have contributed money and placed order to print 13 such posters,” a staff member said.

Courtesy: The Tribune

DCs ‘not reporting’ to child rights panel on school bus safety

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 27

Despite the High Court being strict regarding the violation of traffic norms by school buses and the Child Rights Protection Commission trying to implement the ‘Safe Vahan’ policy regarding the safety of school buses, Deputy Commissioners and other officials concerned seemed to be not taking it seriously.

For instance, the Child Rights Protection Commission is repeatedly writing to all Deputy Commissioners to send monthly action report to it. However, except for SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other Deputy Commissioner has sent the report.

Sources in the Child Rights Protection Commission said they had first written to all DCs on April 12 to send the action report at the earliest. However, not even a single DC sent the required information that time. Thereafter, the commission sent a reminder on July 11, asking DCs to submit report by July 25.

“Except for the SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other DC sent us the report till the evening of July 25. The commission is again issuing a reminder to DCs. Even the District Transport Officers (DTOs) of four districts — Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana and Fazilka — were recently summoned regarding the safety of school students and the implementation of the Safe Vahan policy,” said Rajwinder Singh Gill, Deputy Director, Child Rights Protection Commission.

On the other hand, sources claimed that the District Safe Vahan Inspection Committees formed in the state were working under immense “political pressure”.

“Recently, a district-level team had gone to the school of an SAD leader in Malwa region, who misbehaved with the officials. Later, the officials decided to approach the court. Then the issue was settled with a compromise and the buses violating the norms were penalised. These are the issues responsible for the half-hearted approach of the officials concerned now,” said a source.

Courtesy: The Tribune