Chandigarh: The Congress-led government on Wednesday announced five more political appointments as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. The OSDs are Gurpreet Singh Sonu Dhesi, Jagdeep Singh Sidhu, Sandeep Singh Brar, Damanjeet Singh Mohi and Ankit Bansal. A spokesman for the CMO’s office said the terms and conditions of their appointments would be finalised shortly. More political appointments of advisers under newly appointed Senior Adviser Lt Gen TS Shergill is expected in coming days. Sources said Kewal Dhillon, former MLA who lost from Barnala in the recent Assembly elections, could also be rehabilitated. Meanwhile, the process of assigning rooms to CM’s advisers and political secretaries began on Wednesday. TNS

Assembly session from tomorrow

Chandigarh: The 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha formally constituted on March 14 has been summoned by the Governor to meet for its first session on March 24. The session will begin with the taking of oath by the new MLAs followed by the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker on March 27. On March 28, there will be Governor’s address and March 29 has been fixed for obituaries and passing the vote of account. TNSPay panel chief Mann resignsChandigarh: RS Mann, who was made the chairman of the Sixth Pay Commission of Punjab by the previous government, on Wednesday resigned from the post citing personal reasons. Jai Singh Gill will replace him. This would mean that entire process would have to be started all over again. TNSAjit Singh Kohar SAD deputy leaderChandigarh: Ajit Singh Kohar has been appointed as the deputy leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the Assembly. The party has 15 members in the House and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal is the leader of the House. TNS

Union leader wants lal batti

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 22

In a telling satire on bureaucrats bending the rules for the coveted red beacon, a union leader here has sought permission from the DC for doing so.Rajesh Behal, president, Jai Vishavkarma Mistri Mazdoor Union, in a letter written to DC Sumeet Jarangal has cited frequent traffic jams and shortage of space in parking lots of the state for this request.The DC said, “I am not the competent authority to take a decision in this regard.”

How will beacon move benefit commoners, Badal asks Cong

Tribune News Service

Lambi, March 22

Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said there would be no impact of removing red beacons from vehicles of the VIPs on the commoners in the state. He advised the Congress government to take decisions for the welfare of people.“It doesn’t matter whether the red beacon is allowed or banned. What is the impact of it on the common man? The government must do works that directly benefit people. In the first cabinet meeting, the Congress has not announced any such work,” said Badal, while visiting villages on the second day of his thanksgiving tour in Lambi.He, however, added that the SAD would not react on the initial performance of the government, saying, “We will wait and watch.”On the controversy over Navjot Singh Sidhu continuing his TV shows, Badal said: “It is his own sweet will or if the law permits. What can I say?”

Cable operators lock Fastway offices

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 22

With the change of guard in the state, the much anticipated dispute over a private channel allegedly run by Akali stakeholders has begun. Cable operators who were operating in 2006-07 forcefully locked offices of Fastway Cable Operators in Sanaur and Devigarh towns of Patiala district today.The matter has reached the respective police stations but no formal complaints have been made. Sources said the old cable operators had been very annoyed with the SAD-BJP government since it came to power in 2007 as their cable services were allegedly taken over forcibly and they were “thrown out” of their offices.They said the resentment kept brewing but there was no one to support them all these years. However, soon after the Congress came to power, they decided to take back “their” properties, considering they were shareholders in the cable services, they said.Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar said, “Yuvraj Singh, who locked a Fastway office today, has shown us an agreement made in 2006-07. In the agreement, the property stands in his name and it states that he is the owner of 52 per cent shares in this cable service. However, he alleged that Vikas Puri took over the entire network in the area, ousting them. We will take action once the investigation is complete.”

Muktsar sarpanch not allowed to disburse pension

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, March 22

A few Congress workers at Gurusar village in the Gidderbaha Assembly segment today stopped the village sarpanch and panchayat secretary from disbursing pension among beneficiaries.Bhupinder Singh, party general secretary, Muktsar, said, “The village sarpanch and panchayat secretary had come to disburse pension at Sidhu dharamshala in the village, but we asked them to disburse the money at Panchayat Ghar. We not only stopped them from the disbursal of pension but also asked the status of pension of the past five months. They were distributing pensions of just one month.”However, Naib Singh, SAD sarpanch of Gurusar village, said, “We received the pension of October 2017 and started the disbursement today. They are now making an issue because the Congress has come to the power.”

Health Dept raids medicine stores, seizes contraband

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 21

In an attempt to tighten the noose around the illegal sale of drugs, as promised by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in the first cabinet meeting, as many as 16 medicine stores across the city were raided late this evening.Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra had directed the District Health Department to conduct surprise checks at unauthorised stores selling medicnes without prescription and also selling contraband drugs.“Following the directions, the Health Department had constituted three teams comprising of officials from the department and the district administration. Raids were conducted at medicine stores located in the rear of the bus stand, Haji Ratan Chowk, Mall Road, Hospital Bazaar, areas located across railway lines, Bhatti Road and Powerhouse Road,” said Civil Surgeon RS Randhawa.As per information, the teams confiscated proscribed drugs from some of the stores.A team headed by tehsildar Lakhwinder Singh, drug inspector Amandeep Verma and policemen Kulwinder Singh and Rajwinder Singh raided stores in Hospital Bazaar. At one of the stores, Alprex and Tramedol tablets were found.Strips of Illegal medicines were also found from the pockets of the  workers at these shops. Anticipating raids at their stores, owners of some of the stores closed their shops earlier than their scheduled timings and left. 

Shopowners stage protest

Irked over the raids, almost 100 drug store owners and workers of these shops staged a late night protest outside Jawahar Medical Store. They lifted the dharna after they decided to convene a meeting tomorrow in this regard. They argued that the state government had resorted to troubling the small-time medicine sellers rather than getting hold of the big drug peddlers.