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September 10, 2011

Now, NRIs can lodge a police complaint via video-conferencing


alandhar, September 10
The Punjabi diaspora have a reason to cheer with the state government launching a webpage through which an aggrieved person can speak with senior officilas through the video conferencing facility and lodge a complaint online.

The facility would not only benefit NRIs facing property-related problems in Punjab, but would also prove a boon for women deserted by their husbands. Till now, the complainants had to come to India for get their grievances redressed.
Sources said an aggrieved NRI can access the website www.punjabpolice.gov.in for video conferencing every Monday between 4.00 to 5.00 pm. The complaint can also be registered through e-mail nri.pbpolice@gmail.com.
Those wishing to speak directly with a senior official can dial the helpline at 0172-2748100. For special assistance, an SP rank official is also available at mobile number 97794-64002. The complainants can check the status of their complaints at the website, the sources added.
The website also has a provision for submitting information about Punjabis detained abroad.
An NRI wing has been functional in the Punjab police Headquarters for the past many months under the supervision of IG Gurpreet Deo, who also handles the Community Affairs Division. The NRI branch is the nodal authority for monitoring complaints of NRIs, inquiries and investigations carried out in the NRI police stations and supervision of the six NRI police stations in the state.
In addition to this, the cell deals with issues pertaining to those who have been duped by travel agents. Their mandate also includes compiling a database of complaints by NRIs, pertaining to research and evaluate nature of problems faced by them for improving the quality and efficiency of police services, the sources added.
Instructions have been issued to all SSPs and Commissioners of the six police districts where NRI police stations are functioning to ensure that all NRI-related matters are dealt with these police stations only and monitored by a Gazetted Officer.

Batala SHO suspended as NRI’s murder case gains political hues

 Congress workers take to streets, accuse BJP MLA Sahni of sheltering the accused

Batala, September 10
Under intense pressure from residents and Congress leaders, SSP Gurkirpal Singh today suspended Batala city SHO Parladh Singh for “hushing up” investigation in the murder case of NRI Gurinder Singh (26) who was shot by four assailants in broad daylight in front of the court here yesterday.

In a day of hectic developments, the SSP said the police had identified all the four accused: Ward No 12 BJP councillor Rajbir Singh Bhullar, his brother Yadvinder Bhullar, Raju and Raju Bajwa. They have been booked under Section 302 of the IPC. Rajbir's name has surfaced in several criminal cases earlier as well.
Gurkirpal Singh said they were close to nabbing the culprits who, as per sources, were close to Batala MLA Jagdeesh Sahni. The legislator, however, denied the allegation. Sahni also clarified that after winning the MC election on a BJP ticket, he joined the Youth Akali Dal under the influence of its president Bikramjit Majithia.
Earlier, hundreds of Congress workers took out a procession on the streets of this industrial town carrying the body of the deceased, who was reportedly a Youth Congress worker. The procession culminated in front of the SSP office where Congress leaders raised slogans against the police, Batala MLA Sahni and Majithia. Congress' Gurdaspur district unit president Sukhjinder Randhawa and PPCC vice-president Ashwani Sekhri claimed that Rajbir Singh was the "right hand" of Sahni and was even provided with three body guards by the police at the behest of the MLA, an allegation vehemently denied by the legislator.
Randhawa and his supporters lay siege to the police station following which the SSP suspended the SHO. Meanwhile, Gurinder's body was cremated at a local cremation ground in the evening.
About the victim
Gurinder Singh, reportedly a Youth Congress activist, returned from Canada about two months ago and was planning to get married soon. He lost his brother in an accident and his father is paralysed.
‘3 months, 5 murders’
Cong leader Randhawa claimed it was the fifth murder in Batala in the last three months. He asked local MLA to resign as the law and order had worsened in his tenure.

Direct flight from Bergamo to Amritsar


ਬੈਰਗਾਮੋ ਤੋਂ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਲਈ ਸਿੱਧੀ ਉਡਾਣ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਤੋਂ
ਬਰੇਸ਼ੀਆ (ਇਟਲੀ), 10 ਸਤੰਬਰ (ਬਲਦੇਵ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੂਰੇ ਜੱਟਾਂ)-ਯੂਰਪ ਵਸਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਹੂਲਤ ਨੂੰ ਮੁੱਖ ਰੱਖਦਿਆਂ ਇਟਲੀ ਦੇ ਬੈਰਗਾਮੋ ਹਵਾਈ ਅੱਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਰਾਜਾਸਾਂਸ਼ੀ ਹਵਾਈ ਅੱਡੇ (ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ) ਲਈ ਕੌਮਟੇਲ ਏਅਰ ਲਾਈਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸਿੱਧੀ ਉਡਾਣ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤ 1 ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਤੋਂ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਵਿਆਨਾ ਐਕਸਕਿਊਟਿਵ ਐਵੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਚਲਾਈ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਇਹ ਹਵਾਈ ਉਡਾਨ ਹਫ਼ਤੇ ਵਿਚ ਤਿੰਨ ਦਿਨ ਸ਼ੁੱਕਰਵਾਰ, ਸਨਿਚਰਵਾਰ, ਐਤਵਾਰ ਉਡਾਣ ਭਰੇਗੀ ਅਤੇ ਬੈਰਗਾਮੋ ਹਵਾਈ ਅੱਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਲੈ ਕੇ 7 ਘੰਟੇ ਵਿਚ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਪਹੁੰਚੇਗੀ। ਇਟਲੀ ਵਿਚ ਇਸ ਏਅਰ ਲਾਈਨ ਦੀਆਂ ਟਿਕਟਾਂ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਵਿਕਰੇਤਾ ਸੀ. ਐਸ. ਆਈ. ਚੈਂਤਰੋ ਵਿਆਜੀ, ਬਰੇਸ਼ੀਆ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਪੂਰਾ ਅਕਤੂਬਰ ਮਹੀਨਾ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਹੂਲਤ ਲਈ ਕੰਪਨੀ ਵੱਲੋਂ 500 ਯੂਰੋ ਤੋਂ ਟਿਕਟ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ।

ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਾਸੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਪਾਖੰਡੀ ਬਾਬੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ਼ ਜਿੱਤ ਦੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਗੱਡੇ


 ਨਿੱਤਿਆਨੰਦ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਆਖਰੀ ਮੌਕੇ 'ਤੇ ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ ਦਾ ਦੌਰਾ ਰੱਦ
ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ, 10 ਸਤੰਬਰ (ਗੁਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ)-ਦੱਖਣੀ ਭਾਰਤ 'ਚ ਧਰਮ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਕੇ ਜਾਣੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਵਿਵਾਦਗ੍ਰਸਤ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਨਿੱਤਿਆਨੰਦ ਦੀ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਫੇਰੀ ਐਨ ਆਖਰੀ ਮੌਕੇ ਰੱਦ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਉਕਤ ਯੋਗਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਚੇਲਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਡਾਊਨ ਟਾਊਨ ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ 'ਚ ਸਥਾਪਿਤ 'ਲਾਈਫ ਬਲਿੱਸ' ਸੰਸਥਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਲਈ ਜਾਰੀ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਕਿ 'ਸੁਆਮੀ ਜੀ' ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਅਤੇ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ 'ਧਰਮ ਦੌਰੇ' 'ਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਆ ਰਹੇ, ਸਗੋਂ ਉਹ ਹੁਣ ਵੀਡੀਉ ਕਾਨਫਰੰਸਿੰਗ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਸ਼ਰਧਾਲੂਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਨਗੇ। ਇਸ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਮੀਡੀਆ ਸੰਸਥਾ ਸ਼ੇਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਰੇਡੀਓ ਅਤੇ ਤਰਕਸ਼ੀਲ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ ਆਫ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ 59 ਦਿਨ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ 'ਚ ਬਿਤਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਜ਼ਮਾਨਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਅਧੀਨ ਰਿਹਾਅ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਨਿੱਤਿਆਨੰਦ ਖਿਲਾਫ਼ ਮੋਰਚਾ ਖੋਲ੍ਹਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ ਤੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ ਆਉਣ 'ਤੇ ਵੱਡਾ ਰੋਸ ਵਿਖਾਵਾ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਫੈਸਲਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। ਸੰਸਥਾ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ: ਅਵਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਜਾਗਰੂਕ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਕ ਵਾਰ ਫਿਰ ਸੁਨੇਹਾ ਪਹੁੰਚਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ 'ਚ ਪਾਖੰਡੀ ਬਾਬਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਕੋਈ ਥਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਅਤੇ ਨਿੱਤਿਆਨੰਦ ਦਾ ਦੌਰਾ ਰੱਦ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਣਾ ਪਾਖੰਡ ਖਿਲਾਫ਼ ਜਿੱਤ ਦੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਗੱਡੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਮਿਸਾਲ ਹੋ ਨਿੱਬੜੀ ਹੈ।

ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ 'ਚ ਨਿਸ਼ਕਾਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਇਮਰੀ ਸਕੂਲ ਦਾ ਉਦਘਾਟਨ

ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ, 10 ਸਤੰਬਰ (ਪਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ)-ਬੀਤੇ ਦਿਨੀਂ ਇਥੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਕਾਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਇਮਰੀ ਸਕੂਲ ਦਾ ਉਦਘਾਟਨ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਬਾਰੇ ਰਾਜ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਮਿਸਟਰ ਲਾਰਡ ਹਿਲ ਨੇ ਕੀਤਾ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਸਿੱਖ ਕੌਮ ਨੂੰ ਵਧਾਈ ਦਿੰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਥੇ ਆ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਮਹਿਸੂਸ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ 'ਨਿਸ਼ਕਾਮ' ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦਾ ਅਸਲੀ ਮਤਲਬ ਕੀ ਹੈ। ਜ਼ਿਕਰਯੋਗ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਸਕੂਲ ਮਿਡਲੈਡ ਦਾ ਦਾ ਪਹਿਲਾ ਸਕੂਲ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ 'ਫ੍ਰੀ ਸਕੂਲ ਸਕੀਮ' ਤਹਿਤ ਤਿਆਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਸਕੂਲ ਸਾਰੇ ਧਰਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਖੋਲਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਕੈਮਰੂਨ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ 'ਫ੍ਰੀ ਸਕੂਲ ਸਕੀਮ' ਇਕ ਸ਼ਲਾਘਾਯੋਗ ਕਦਮ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸਰ ਰੋਬਰਟ ਡਾਓਲਿਗ ਨੇ ਵੀ 'ਨਿਸ਼ਕਾਮ ਸਕੂਲ' ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹਣ 'ਤੇ ਵਧਾਈ ਦਿੱਤੀ। ਉਪਰੰਤ ਭਾਈ ਮਹਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਪੂਰੇ ਇੰਗਲੈਡ 'ਚ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਧਰਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਰੀਬ 8300 ਸਕੂਲ ਚੱਲ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹਾਂ 'ਚ ਸਿਰਫ 4 ਸਕੂਲ ਹੀ ਸਿੱਖ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧਿਤ ਹਨ, ਜਦੋਂਕਿ ਇਥੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਬਾਦੀ ਸਾਢੇ 7 ਲੱਖ ਦੇ ਕਰੀਬ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬੱਚੇ ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਮਾਂ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਸਾਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੰਸਕਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਦੇਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਭੁੱਲਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਭਗਤ ਕਬੀਰ ਦੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਹਵਾਲਾ ਦਿੰਦਿਆ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਜਿੱਥੇ-ਜਿੱਤੇ ਗਿਆਨ ਹੈ, ਉਥੇ-ਉਥੇ ਧਰਮ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਨੈਤਿਕ ਕਦਰਾਂ ਕੀਮਤਾਂ ਵਾਲੀ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦੇਣਾ ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਲਾਰਡ ਤਰਸੇਮ ਕਿੰਗ, ਬਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਚਹੇੜੂ, ਪ੍ਰੋ. ਪਰਦੇਸੀ, ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਮਨ ਲਾਲ, ਨਰਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਪਤਵੰਤੇ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਸਨ।

London Court ordered Millionaire NRI to pay over 2,000 pounds as parking fee

LONDON: A millionaire NRI dentist has been ordered by a court to pay more than £2,000 inparking fee after fraudulently using a disabled badge to park his £140,000 Ferrari.

33-year-old Dr Chirag Patel used the badge which was issued to his business partner's late father, to park outside one of his 'Perfect Smile' dental practices in south London to avoid parking charges of about £15 a day.

According to a report in 'The Daily Telegraph', he admitted using the permit on six occasions in December 2009 and pleaded guilty to two counts of misusing the badge but denied a charge of fraud, which was dropped by prosecutors yesterday just as his trial was due to begin.

Paul Jarvis, prosecuting, told South Western magistrates' court in Battersea: "This case concerns Dr Patel's misuse of a disabled blue badge, that badge having been issued to the father of his business partner.

"The father passed away in 2008 and these offences are concerned with conduct occurring some time thereafter".

The dentist had just traded in his Bentley for a bright red Ferrari California convertible, making his £540-a-year Wandsworth business parking permit invalid while it was transferred to the new vehicle.

It would have cost nothing to get a temporary permit to cover the transition period but instead Patel used the badge, which had been invalid for about 16 months.

Patel was fined totally £2,199 including £784 cost.

NRI businessman gifts 1 million pound for engineering institute in India

LONDON: A new engineering institute affiliated to the London South Bank University has been launched here with one million pound gift from an NRI businessman.
Britain’s Business   Cable yesterday launched the Nathu Puri Institute for Engineering and Enterprise, set up with a 1 million pound gift from the Indian-origin Nathu Puri.
Puri, who came to UK from India in 1960s, has been a long-standing supporter of LSBU which presented him with an honorary doctorate in 2007.
“The establishment of this Institute shows that philanthropic donations can lead to great things for a university, its students and the economy,” said Vince Cable.
“This new facility gives students the means to transform their abilities in science and engineering into dynamic businesses for the future,” he said.
The institute will comprise a professorial chair in engineering & management, a professorial chair in engineering & enterprise, two senior lecturers in engineering & enterprise, research and development space and other facilities.

NRI Doctor Alleges Threat from Land Mafia


A doctor from New York has alleged that he is being threatened by land grabbers at his native village Marhana in Tarn Taran district.  

In a written complaint to DGP PS Gill, the doctor, Teghpal Singh, alleged that some people who had attacked his mother some six months ago, were now out on bail and threatening him.
Sandhu claimed that he had met the DGP in Chandigarh who had then directed the SSP, Tarn Taran, P S Virk, to ensure safety for the doctor. However, he was still not being allowed to cultivate his land by Hardip Singh, Gurlal Singh and Hira Singh, residents of same village. “I met SSP also and he promised that justice would prevail but nothing has been done,” Sandhu said, adding that his mother Rupinder Kaur (65) was attacked by the same men on November 17, 2010 and a case was registered.
The accused were arrested and later released on bail and were not allowing him cultivate his land. “They are armed and when I went to cultivate the land with my managers today they issued threats. The police is also not helping me as the accused are trying to grab our land,” said Sandhu.

India’s Anti Corruption movement has gone Global


Hot on the trail of corruption protests in other emerging markets, such as India , Brazilians are marching in their thousands to voice their opposition against one of the country’s most endemic problems. In fact, corruption is estimated to have cost Brazilians R$40bn ($25bn) between 2002 and 2009.
During Ms Rousseff’s eight months in power, 4 minister have been sacked, three of them following corruption or ethics scandals.
Dilma’s willingness to drop wrongdoers from her government has been alternately been criticised as political weakness and praised as moral fortitude. But the fact is that the episodes, which include allegations of major corruption rackets at the transport and agriculture ministries, show that corruption is present at almost all levels of government in Brazil.
The scandals have helped raise awareness of the issue to such an extent that Brazilians, who are normally not politically active, are finally beginning to stir. Anger over corruption adds to discontent with the fact despite its high tax rates, education and health system in Brazil remain poor.
An estimated 25,000 people took part in the Brasília protest and about 2,000 in a march against corruption in São Paulo. (See pictures below) The protests appear to have been organised by fed-up middle-class Brazilians on social networking websites rather than by political organisations.

NRIs now have Video conferencing service to redress their problems

Jalandhar, Sep 6 (PTI) The NRI cell of Punjab Police has started an integrated video conferencing service to help in redressing problems of the state’s Non-Resident Indians. The service is targeted to be a one-stop solution to various indigenous problems of the NRIs, especially property- related and marital disputes, through which they will be able to put forward their issues directly before the police, Inspector-General (NRI Affairs) Gurpreet Kaur Deo said here. “We started the service two weeks back. Now, they (NRIs) can directly put their problems before me. This will help in speedy redressal of issues,” Deo said, adding that the department has fixed timings exclusively for the service. “The service will be operational every Monday from 4 to 5 pm. Initially, it is one day a week, but frequency can be increased depending on the response the scheme gets,” she said. The move is in line with the earlier information technology-based initiatives of the department to facilitate Indians residing abroad, Deo said, adding that functional mobile and e-mail assistance services have proved to be of great help in sorting out issues of Indians residing abroad. She, however, asserted that there needs to be a proper campaigning for the scheme to let more and more people know about it. Deo said most of the complaints received by the NRI cell are of land grab and marital disputes which is why the target people will mostly be those faced with these problems. She further said that 319 out of the 715 complaints received by the NRI cell are related to land grab cases, followed by 58 cases of marital disputes.