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2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017

MILLS SQUARE: RENOWNED PEMBERTONFINISHES AND EXCITING AMENITIES

Mills Square is Pember ton Group's newest condominium development coming to Eglinton Avenue Westand Metcalfe Avenue, just west of Erin Mills Parkway, in the desirable Erin Mills neighbourhood of

Mississauga. Embodying everything a home should be, MillsSquare's open-concept layouts will have Pember ton's renownedhigh-quality features and finishes.Some of the highlights are: 7 ½"-wide laminate flooring, smoothceilings, and 9-foot ceiling heights in the principal rooms;custom-quality kitchens with extra-tall uppers and a full-sizeappliance package; and spa-inspired bathrooms. Suites comewith a stacked washer and dryer, and a patio or balcony. Allfeatures and finishes are as per plan.The separate two-storey Recreational Centre will total more than17,000 square feet, and will be ready when residents move-in.Exceptional facilities will include the large indoor pool andpoolside retreat with saunas and steam rooms. There willalso be a cardio fitness studio, and yoga/Pilates area. The twopar ty rooms with a bar, a dining room with kitchen, and thebarbeque terrace with panoramic views round out the onsiteamenit ies.The established area boasts great schools, parks, trails,recreation facilities, Credit Valley Hospital, and easy highwayaccess, including the 403, 401, and 407.Across the street fromPember ton's community, the much anticipated $100-milliondollar renovation of Erin Mills Town Centre is complete,providing a large roster of new retail shops, big box stores andboutiques, plus even more local services and restaurants.The Erin Mills rapid-bus station that is part of the Mississauga Transitwaysystem carrying MI Way and GO Buses is open. In operation from WinstonChurchill to Etobicoke Creek, the final three stations are projected to completeby the end of this year. Plus, the Streetsville GO Station is near at hand.Designs will include one-bedroom plus den, two-bedroom, two-bedroom plus den open-concept layouts, priced from the$300's. Included in the price is a parking space and locker.Prices and specifications are correct at press time. See asales representative for full details. For more information and to registeronline, visitpembertongroup.com.To discover more about the company's current condominiumcommunities and to subscribe to be among the first to learn about allthose coming soon, visit the website. You can also follow Pembertonon Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON

Federal Conservative leadershiprace gets ugly: GTA Punjabicommunity asks questions

JASON KENNEY WINS PC PARTYLEADERSHIP RACE IN ALBERTA

WIFE KILLS HUSBAND, POLICEFINDS BODY IN BMW CAR

THE NEWLY ELECTED CHIEF MINISTER OF PUNJAB CAPT AMARINDERSINGH HAS VOWED TO CRACKDOWN ON CORRUPTION AND ELIMINATEDRUG MENACE. HE HAS ORDERED DCS AND SSPS TO CREATE A CLEANWORK CULTURE WHILE DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC, BE PRESENT INTHEIR OFFICES FROM 9AM TO 5PM ON ALL WORKING DAYS, AND TOBE POLITE TO PUBLIC.

DESK REPORTBRAMPTON - Jason Kenney has won the AlbertaProgressive Conservative leadership race. Afterwinning by 75 per cent of votes at the party con-vention, Kenny said he would like to unite con-servative par ty ahead of the spring 2018 elec-tions. Talking to media at a news conference inCalgary, Kenney said he intends to complete histalks with Wildrose Par ty and suggested the newpar ty could hold a convention where "this united par ty would adopt aconstitution with leadership rules, elect an executive. That election would ap-point a leadership election committee and then we would move immediately intoa leadership election." He continued by saying: "Voters in Alberta are going topunish any par ty that obstructs unity amongst free enterprisers.

DESK REPORTTORONTO - The Federal Conservative leadership racegets ugly as there have been accusations of vote buy-ing. This has put GTA's Punjabi community in a fix whoare questioning the accusations.Earlier on a prominent Punjabi leader alerted partyofficials about suspected membership signings. Theparty held a review and removed 1,351 people fromits membership list. After that Maxium Bernier'scampaign provided a section of press with a sworn affidavit alleging one ofO'Leary's key organizers from the Punjabi community in Brampton, offered topay for party membership. Bernier camp has called O'Leary a hypocrite asBernier has denied his campaign was involved in vote buying.As per Globe & Mail newspaper six Punjabi community members sworean affidavit on Sunday alleging that they were offered to pay for theirmemberships. According to the party's rules a membership should bepurchased by an individual using either personal cheques or personalcredit cards. However, the O'Leary camp has denied any misdoing in thisregard and the key Punjabi O'Leary associate has said he will defend hisreputation through legal means. YMedia tried to contact them severaltimes but those calls were never returned. None of the allegations havebeen proven in court.

DESK REPORTIn Punjab the body of Ekam Singh Dhillon, 40 wasfound stuffed in a suitcase kept in a BMW car. SP CityParminder Singh Bhandal has arrested his wifeSeerat who has admitted murdering him with thehelp of her brother and his friend. Seerat is the nieceof Congress leader Ajit Inder Singh Mofar. Seeratwas missing from the house when the body was found but their two kids - son anddaughter, 5 were present. The crime was reported by an auto-rickshaw driver whowas dropping a passenger when he saw two women carrying a bag that seemedto be heavy. A .9mm pistol licensed in Seerat's name was used in the crime that hitEkam in the head. According to police Seerat and her brother planned tothrow the body in a canal and so it was kept in the BMW but Seerat misplaced thecar key. Ekam's father, Jaspal Singh Dhillon suspects that more than one person isinvolved in the crime because it was not easy to bring the body down from the firstfloor by two people. Police is investigating the matter further.

TWO CHIEF MINISTERS, SAME TOUGH MESSAGE

UP'S NEW CHIEF MINISTER YOGI ADITYANATH HAS SENT TOUGHMESSAGE AGAINST CORRUPTION ASKING BUREAUCRATS TO RELEASEDETAILS OF ALL THEIR ASSETS WITHIN 15 DAYS. SIMILARINSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO HIS 47 CABINET MINISTERS A DAYBEFORE. HE HAS VOWED TO MAKE UP A DREAM STATE.

Why did AAP lose in Punjab? Failure to projectCM face, over-enthusiasm did us in: Ghuggi

JALANDHAR - At the first all-candidate meeting of the Aam AadmiPar ty in Punjab af ter assembly elections here on Monday, the stateunit made it clear that it won't accept inter ference any more byAAP Delhi.Maintaining that the Delhi team calling the shots did not godown well with Punjab electorate, state AAP convenerGurpreet Ghuggi said the Delhi team was here just forthe elections and from now on the Punjab unit shall beindependently taking all decisions.Terming the AAP's Punjab unit an "independent" body,Ghuggi said, "The sentiment that Punjab did not acceptthe De lh i l eade rsh ip has been unan imous lyexpressed by candidates and par ty leaders.Somewhere, the feeling has emerged thatthe Punjab unit should take lead rather thanthe Delhi team calling the shots."Ghuggi said over-enthusiasm of the par ty,a seasoned Congress l eade rsh ip andfailure to project a CM face were amongreasons fo r t he pa r t y ' s de fea t . "The

Congress leadership emerged more seasoned than us. The lacko f expe r i ence and Congress ' p rowess to encash on ou rshor tcomings also cost us dear," he said at the end of a marathonmeeting of par ty's 117 candidates held in Jalandhar to analyse

the poor per for mance of the par ty in the assemblyelections. The meeting was held from noon to 6pm.Asked whether the par ty would convey the deliberationsplanned in the meeting to the Delhi unit, Ghuggi said,"We don't need to convey it to them. The Punjab unit isan independent body. However, we respect the PAC and

shall be keeping the views in front of them."Responding to questions over the absence of

par ty leaders Sanjay Singh and DurgeshPathak from today's meeting, Ghuggi said,"They were here only for the elections. ThePun jab team sha l l be tak ing dec is ionsregarding the corrective measures to betaken to fix the things. The Delhi team willnot be inter fering in the state's decisions inthe future."

JASSI SIDHU MURDER CASE:SC HOLDS HEARING AGAINST

MOTHER, UNCLEDESK REPORT

BRAMPTON - In the Jassi Sidhu murder case,the Supreme Court of Canada has begun hear-ing of the mother Malkit, and Sidhu'suncle, SurjitBadesha and is expected to rule on whether ornot the pair can be extradited to India. Both couldface murder and conspiracy to murder chargesin killing Sidhu. It was a case of honour killingas Jaswinder, 25 married Mithu Sidhu, arickshaw driver whom she had met in Indiaa few years earlier. Her family did not approveof the match. I CONTD. ON PAGE 7

Navjot Singh Sidhu, clinging to histelevision role even after becominga minister in Punjab, insisted "whatI do after 6pm is no one'sbusiness." But on his "captain",Chief Minister Amarinder Singh,seeking legal advice on his doublerole, Sidhu appeared to make atactical retreat. "The boss isalways right," Sidhu told reporters.Punjab Advocate General, AtulNanda has confirmed that he hasreceived Amarinder Singh's queryon whether a minister can do TVshows. "Yes, the Chief Ministerhas asked for legal advice, I willprovide it once I receive thefiles," Nanda said. "If he raisesany legal objection, Sidhu "will100 per cent give up his TV show"said his wife Navjot Kaur.

What I Do After 6pm is No One's Business': Sidhu On TV Assignments


TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017s p e c i a l r e p o r t

Toronto Mayor John Tory with Canadian Ambassadoe to India Nader Patel and Councillors Thompson and Neethan Shan In India.

UP, PUNJAB AND GOA: MLAS WITHCRIMINAL RECORDS DECLINE

BY SAKET SUMANPunjab's newly-appointed Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh toldCongress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi in 2015 that he wasready to quit and float his own outfit, if he was not appointedstate par ty chief. An authorised biography of Amarinder Singhclaims that even though Sonia Gandhi was open to bringingSingh back at the helm in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi was deadagainst taking away the baton from Pratap Singh Bajwa.Tensions reached a high point in October 2015 in the capitalwhen Rahul Gandhi asked Amarinder Singh if he was floatinghis own party to which Singh replied: "What you've heard isabsolutely correct," biographer Khushwant Singh, not to beconfused with the late literary giant, quotes him as saying in,Captain Amarinder Singh: The People's Maharaja. "If I do notfit in your scheme of things, I will need to find an alternative. Ilive in Punjab; the Akalis have ruined Punjab and I have to lookfor my own path if you don't have a plan for me," the biographyquotes Amarinder Singh as telling Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi,on his par t, said that if this step was taken both the Congressand Amarinder Singh would be the losers."So be it," contended Singh. Eventually, Amarinder Singh wasappointed as the Punjab Pradesh Congress President on No-vember 27, 2015. He was sworn in as the Chief Minister onThursday after the Congress romped home with 77 seats in the117-member assembly. Bajwa represented Gurdaspur in theLok Sabha from 2009 to 2014. He was earlier a member of thePunjab assembly and was elevated to state par ty chief in March2013. Even after Amarinder Singh's victory in the 2014 LokSabha election from Amritsar - where is resoundingly defeatedArun Jaitley despite the Narendra Modi wave of that year -- hisfocus was totally on regaining his lost ber th as the PunjabCongress chief, which would eventually help to again catapulthim into the Chief Minister's chair.But the Congress high command turned a deaf ear to his claims,pushing the Punjab unit of the par ty towards factionalism asSingh and Bajwa began flaying each other in the media."Amarinder Singh, who had enjoyed a very cordial relationshipwith Sonia Gandhi, suddenly felt cold-shouldered by the Gandhifamily. Rahul Gandhi, whom Amrinder Singh would frequentlytake out for outings whenever he visited Doon School to meethis son Raninder, was adamant that he would not consider thecase of his father's friend," Khushwant Singh writes. Publishedin the last week of February by Hay House India, it is theauthorised biography of the Punjab Chief Minister and, there-fore, clearly implies that Amarinder Singh has duly approvedall the incidents and facts that find mention.By the end of 2014, several meetings between Amarinder Singhand the Congress top brass yielded no result. During this pe-riod of uncer tainty, his team also flir ted the idea of him becom-ing part of the Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) and when this toodid not work, he flexed his muscles fur ther. Singh then went onto question the leadership ability of Rahul Gandhi time andagain but the Congress high command "seemed to be shuttingits eyes, the ground reality notwithstanding." After his pridehad been hur t, he was advised by his suppor ters to float hisown par ty, but Singh held Sonia Gandhi in high esteem."The reverence is not just an outcome of she being an ex-Prime Minister's wife or his schoolmate's wife but more so forher ability to lead the par ty. Referring to her as 'Mrs Gandhi', hefrequently expresses gratitude to her for allowing him to leadthe Congress in Punjab for so many years as well as for mak-ing him the Chief Minister (in February 2002)," states the biog-raphy, based on scores of interviews spanning over five years.The situation, according to the biography, deteriorated further in oneclosed-door meeting at 10, Janpath, in late September 2015 when "theCongress Vice-president did not bestow the respect a senior leader likeAmarinder Singh deserved." Rahul Gandhi was reminded by Sonia Gandhithat he was talking to his father's friend, after which he calmed down.Besides tracing the career graph of Amarinder Singh, the book providesmeaningful insights into crucial events that have made an immense im-pact on that state and its neighbouring areas over the past few decades.Often confused with late writer Khushwant Singh, who wrote the much-acclaimed 1956 historical novel "Train to Pakistan", biographer KhushwantSingh is the author of three books: the best-selling "Sikhs Unlimited"(2007), a travelogue featuring extraordinary Sikhs; the gripping"Turbaned Tornado: The Oldest Marathon Runner Fauja Singh"(2011); and the widely-acclaimed novel "Maharaja in Denims"(2014), a story set in Chandigarh.

Capt Amarinder threatened toquit Congress if not made state

party chief: Biography

BY PRACHI SALVEThere has been a decrease in the number of members of legislative assembly (MLAs) with criminal records in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Punjab andGoa of the five states that elected new state governments, according to our analysis of data compiled by Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR), an advocacy. Of 690 MLAs elected in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa, 27.8% (192) have a criminal record, while 20% (140)face serious criminal charges, such as murder, kidnapping and extor tion, the data show. While the number of MLAs with criminal recordsdeclined in three of five states, the number of MLAs with serious criminal charges increased in all states, except Manipur.

The Bharatiya Janata Par ty swept UP with a record 312 of 403 seats, and the Congress emerged as the single largest par ty in three of fivestates. As many as 1,000 candidates contesting the elections in the five states had criminal charges against them and 850 candidates hadserious criminal charges, as IndiaSpend repor ted in March 2017.LARGEST INCREASE IN MLAS WITHOUT CRIMINAL RECORD IN UPThere was a 19.2% rise in the number of MLAs without a criminal record in UP in 2017 over 2012, the largest increase in crime-free lower-house legislators among the five states. The new UP assembly will have 260 MLAs (of 403) without a criminal record. The state saw a declinein the number of MLAs with a criminal record, from 189 in 2012 to 143 in 2017. However, the number of MLAs with serious criminal recordsin UP has gone up from 98 in 2012 to 107 in 2017.

Punjab repor ted a 3% increase in the number of MLAs without criminal records in 2017 over 2012, with 19 MLAs with a clean record electedin 2017 compared to 16 in 2012. Goa saw an increase of 10% in MLAs without criminal records, with 31 MLAs with no criminal record beingelected in 2017 compared to 28 in 2012. Manipur and Uttarakhand saw a decline in the number of MLAs with no criminal records. Manipur,which had no MLAs with criminal records in 2012, elected two MLAs with serious criminal charges. In Uttarakhand, these numbers more thantripled, from four in 2012 to 14 in 2017.540 CROREPATIS AMONG 690 MLAS WHOSE RECORDS WERE ANALYSEDOf the 690 MLAs whose records were analysed by ADR, 192 had criminal cases registered against them and 140 had serious offencesregistered: 540 are crorepatis. Of 140 candidates in five states, 10 faced murder and 37 attempt-to-murder charges. There was a decline in theoverall propor tion of MLAs facing criminal charges across these states, from 33.6% in 2012 to 27.8% in 2017. Of 403 MLAs in UP, 36% havea criminal record and 26% face serious criminal charges; the BJP has 83 (of 312) MLAs with criminal charges-compared with 25 of 47 in 2012-followed by 11 of the Samajwadi Par ty.In UP, eight MLAs have declared cases related to murder against themselves and 34 MLAs have declared cases related to attempt to murder.These declarations are required by the Election Commission of India. Criminal cases do not debar anyone from contesting elections. InPunjab, the number of MLAs with serious criminal records went up from five to 11 between 2012 and 2017. Punjab had 11 MLAs with criminalcharges, of which seven were from the Congress, including chief-minister elect Capt Amarinder Singh (four charges relating to cheating andforgery) and Navjot Singh Sidhu (one charge of murder). Goan MLAs with serious charges over the same period (2012-17) rose from two tosix, according to the ADR data.

Pakistan Sikh community sadfor being left out of census

DESK REPORTPakistan's Sikh community disappointed at being 'left out' of acensus that has taken place after 19 years. Radesh SingTony, chairman of the Sikh committee, complained that a size-able number of Sikhs are living in Pakistan, but the commu-nity was not counted among the religions included in the cen-sus form. They were counted under the 'other' religion cat-egory in the form, which would not provide an accurate pic-ture of the Sikh population.Radesh said: "Sikhs are a progressive community of Paki-stan and the 2017 census forms should have a separate boxfor them." He said the absence of Sikhs' identity from thecensus forms had given some insecurity to the communitymembers in Pakistan. Echoing Radesh sentiments, formerpresident of PSGPC Bishan Singh said Sikhs had their distinctidentity and were in almost every profession and governmentpost in Pakistan, so they deserved to be counted separately.He said he would take up the issue with other Sikh bodies andurge the Pakistan government to bestow honour upon Sikhsby counting them separately.A spokesperson for the census exercise Habibullah Khan ad-mitted that it was a mistake on the par t of the census authori-ties. He said the census forms had been printed in 2007 and only fivereligions had been included on the recommendation of a 120-membertechnical committee. He said the Sikh population was marginal in 2007but it has increased with the passage of time.

MidWeek 5MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY




MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017 c o m m u n i t y

COUNCILLOR GURPREET DHILLON WARNS RESIDENTSOF MISINFORMATION ON BRAMPTON UNIVERSITY

PC LEADER PATRICK BROWN AT THE EIGHT ANNUAL RADIANT NIGHT GALA HOSTED BY THE SAAAC TO HELP CHILDREN WITH AUTISM.

BRAMPTON - Recently the Province of Ontario announced that thefirst phase for interest in the Brampton University ap-plication process is complete, and that RyersonUniversity's bid will be the proposal being reviewedgoing forward. Ryerson, a champion in diversity, en-trepreneurship and innovation, has expressed interestin a long term partnership with both the City of Brampton, andSheridan College as per the Province's requirement. The twoother municipalities where universities have been announcedwill also have college partners: Markham with York Universityand Seneca College, and Milton with Laurier Universityand Conestoga College.Councillor Gurpreet Dhillon, a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee,noted Brampton's "bedroom city" reputation, where nearly 70% ofresidents leave the city to go to work, and a vast majority of students

leave to go to university. "After years of failure and mismanagementfrom previous Councils, whose focus was primarilybuilding houses, we are finally seeing the progress theresidents of Brampton deserve," said Councillor Dhillon."This council has already approved a new jobs strat-egy, which includes creating more employment lands,and on our way to bringing a world class university."Councillor Dhillon also warned residents of misinfor-mation being spread for "political gain", including arumour that Sheridan will become the University. "Falseinformation has begun to spread by potential 2018 mu-nicipal election candidates, as well past failed candi-

dates," said Councillor Dhillon. "We must continue to move forward,together in a positive manner, and build a city that is future ready forour youth. We cannot afford to look backwards now."

Obhrai calls on govt toincrease tourism budget

to attract visitorsOTTAWA - The Conservat ivePar ty of Canada Leadership candi-date Deepak Obhrai called on thefederal Liberal government to in-crease its tourism budget in order toattract tourists visiting the NorthAmerican continent. Obhrai stated: "Inlight of the uncertainties at the US bor-ders, we should reach out to those whowish to visit North America and pro-mote our beautiful country. Canada has a lot to offer, including ourworld-renowned Canadian hospitality. This will not only increase oureconomic benefits, but it will also promote jobs growth. If the USAcannot be your destination, Canada can!" As 2017 marks the sesqui-centennial of Canada's confederation, it is more imperative than ever toincrease our touristic visibility on the global stage.

ONTARIO RELEASES BASIC INCOMECONSULTATION FEEDBACK

ONTARIO - Ontario is releasing a repor t that summarizes thefeedback gathered from thousands of people across the provinceon how to design and deliver a basic income pilot. Basic incomeis a payment to eligible families or individuals that ensures aminimum income level. It is designed to help people meet theirbasic needs while suppor ting long-term social and economicprosperity and security for everyone. More than 35,000 peopleand organizations shared their ideas on a range of topicsincluding who should be eligible for a basic income, whichcommunities to include, how a basic income should bedelivered and how the pilot should be evaluated, during theconsultations.The consultations help build on the advice the governmentreceived from the Honourable Hugh Segal in his discussionpaper. The province continues to engage with First Nations,urban Indigenous, Métis and Inuit communities to ensure theirunique perspectives are heard and to tailor a culturallyappropriate approach that reflects their advice. All inputreceived through the consultation process is being considered

as the government works to introduce a plan for Ontario's BasicIncome Pilot in spring 2017.Exploring new ways to help people living in pover ty reach theirfull potential is par t of the government's plan to create jobs,grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives. "Weare committed to taking a careful and evidence-based approachto the design and implementation of the basic income pilot. Thecollaborative consultation process we have under taken willhelp us to deliver an effective basic income pilot and exploresolutions that suppor t long-term economic prosperity andsecurity for everyone in Ontario." - Dr Helena Jaczek, Ministerof Community and Social Services"Every family in Ontario deserves the security and dignity of alife free from pover ty. Af ter hearing from people in person andthrough over 34,000 responses online, I'm energized to build ontheir feedback and introduce a basic income pilot that will test howto improve health, employment and housing outcomes for thepeople of Ontario." - Chris Ballard, Minister Responsible forPover ty Reduction.

Brampton South MP ChairsOpioids Response RoundtableBRAMPTON - On September 22, 2016, the House of Com-mons Standing Committee on Health adopted a motion toundertake an "emergency study" of the opioid crisis in Canada.Member of Parliament for Brampton South, Sonia Sidhu, is amember of the committee and enthusiastically engaged in creat-ing a report to help shape the Minister of Health's actions in re-sponse to the growing public health crisis, which has tragicallytaken hundreds of Canadians' lives. Today, she invited a range ofrepresentatives to join her for a roundtable at the Flower City LawnBowling Community Room to discuss the local response inBrampton, and all of Peel Region."While we may think that deaths due to opioids abuse only hap-pens in Alberta or BC, it was recently reported by Peel RegionalPolice that 37 people have died of fentanyl in our own community,"commented MP Sidhu. "These statistics of growing death rates herein our community is concerning, and we must work together at alllevels to respond to this. I was pleased that so many answered the callto participate in this roundtable today." Participants came from thefederal, provincial, and municipal governments, as well as Peel PublicHealth, not-for-profit organizations, first responders units, and othersinvested in the issue. Each provided an update on their organization'sresponse to the situation and the measures they are taking to savelives. The meeting was framed as not being about laying blame, butrather about collaborating to proactively prevent future deaths. "This isa positive, proactive, first-step that we are taking together to reassureall those concerned in Peel region that we will work to prevent deathsusing an evidence-based, collaborative approach," remarked MP Sidhuin her opening comments. "I have been honoured to work with mycolleagues in Ottawa and the Minister of Health on this, but I'm evenmore pleased to be working with everyone in this room on this issuehere in our community." The meeting lasted 2 hours, and included anopen discussion portion after the presentations portion, in order tocome up with collaborative, local recommendations to move forward.MP Sidhu will be formulating a report to provide to the federal andprovincial Ministers of Health on the proactive approach beingtaken in Peel region.

MP RUBY SAHOTA WITH NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE HOLI RANGBARSE FESTIVITIES AND A VISIT TO HANSON CDA'S BRAMPTON CAMPUS.

Sahib Thind honoured forKomagata Maru campaign

DESK REPORTCHANDIGARH - Sahib Thind, who campaigned for Komagata Maruapology, has received the Medal of Good Citizenship from the BCGovernment at an event that was held recently in Vancouver.Thind is the leader of Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Founda-tion that started a campaign seeking apology for the KomagataMaru tragedy that took place in Canada in 1914. A ship carrying 345passengers, mostly Sikhs from India were denied entry in Canada.This was one of the several incidents in the early 20th century whereexclusion laws in Canada and the US were used to exclude immigrantsof Asian origin. Thind's signature campaign had received a massivesupport from the community, as a result of which Canadian PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau apologised in the Parliament last year.

Police arrest 7 youngsters between age groups of 14-18 for robberyBRAMPTON- Investigators from Peel Regional Police 21 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have charged seven males in connec-tion with a robbery involving a replica handgun. On Friday March 17, at 4:50pm the two victims were at the Bramalea City Centre whenthey were approached by a group of males. One of the males showed the victims the butt of a firearm and made a demand for cash. Thesuspects then fled in and around the Bramalea City Centre. The victims did not sustain any injuries. Uniform officers from 21 Divisionwere quick to respond to the area. With the assistance of loss prevention officers and surveillance footage, all the par ties wereidentified and taken into custody without incident, less than 2 hours after the call was placed to police. Edgar Koroma, an 18 year oldmale from Brampton, has been charged with robbery. Koroma will appear before the Ontario Cour t of Justice at the A. Grenville andWilliam Davis Cour thouse in Brampton on April 20, 2017. Six young offenders have also been charged. 4 are 14 years of age, 1 is 15years old and 1 is 16 years old. The 16 year old male has also been charged with Disguise with Intent. A replica firearm was recoveredfrom one of the young persons during his arrest. All par ties reside in Brampton. The young persons will appear before the Ontario Courtof Justice at the A. Grenville & William Davis Courthouse in Brampton on April 18, 2017.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1Jaswinder and her husband were attacked near Sangrur,Punjab in June 2000. Mithu was severely beaten and left fordead while Jassi was kidnapped and killed. Her body was leftin a canal. Investigations in India showed the murder was anhonour killing planned by Jassi's mother and her uncle while inCanada. Former justice minister Peter MacKay had orderedtheir surrender to face charges of murder and conspiracy tocommit murder, conditional on assurances from India that theywould not face death penalty, and that their health and safetywould be protected in custody, and they would get consular ac-cess. Both were extradited to Canada after talks between the foreignoffices of Canada and India on the issue.

Jassi Sidhu murder case: SC holdshearing against mother, uncle


TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017opinion

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PUNJAB: SLOW GROWTH, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENTCHALLENGES FOR AMARINDER

AN INDIASPEND REPORT

The new Congress government of Captain Amarinder Singh inPunjab, which takes oath on March 16, faces multiple chal-lenges, with slow economic growth, high youth unemployment,drug addiction and large dropouts before secondary schools. In2014-15, Punjab had a per capita income of Rs 96,638, which islikely to increase five per cent to Rs 101,498 in 2015-16,according to advance estimates, but this rise does not reflect ahost of economic and social problems. As the new Congressgovernment takes charge, here is a look at some of the majorissues in Punjab, India's 11th richest state, and the solutionslaid out by the par ty in its election manifesto.SLOW AGRICULTURAL GROWTHThe rate of agriculture growth in the state declined over nineyears, from 0.95 per cent in 2005-06 to -3.4 per cent in 2014-15,according to Punjab government data, affecting 6.3 millionpeople of the working population engaged in agriculture,according to the 2011 Census. Although Punjab is likely to haverecorded a higher agricultural growth rate in 2015-16 than thenational agricultural growth rate, average farm sizes have fallenfrom 3.9 hectares to 3.7 hectares over five years from 2005-06to 2010-11, according to 2010-11 Agricultural Census data.Many youth are no longer interested in farming.Lack of research and development and the inability to exploitirrigation facilities and boost yields are issues that lead toagriculture to grow slower than it could, according to theEconomic Survey 2015-16 of Punjab. What the manifesto said:For higher agricultural growth, the Congress manifesto said itwould continue to provide free power to farmers, improveagricultural product markets, suppor t the development of newhigh-yielding varieties of seeds, improve the canal irrigationsystem, incentivise farmers to invest in crop diversification,promote food processing industries, set up modern warehousesfor produce, cold storage and better transpor t infrastructure for

agricultural produce. The manifesto also proposes several otherprogrammes, including a direct transfer of agricultural subsi-dies to reduce leakage, and increasing compensation for cropfailure to Rs 20,000 per acre.HIGH YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENTIn Punjab, the unemployment rate among youth -- the propor tionof the labour force between 18 and 29 years that is unemployed-- is 16.6 per cent while the Indian average is 10.2 per cent.Punjabalso has India's eighth-highest rural youth unemploymentrate. Increasing mechanisation of agriculture and the lack ofrequired skills to work in IT firms have left Punjab's ruraleducated youth in a limbo.As many as 18,770 factories closed between 2007 and 2014,when the Akali Dal was in power: 8,053 factories closed inAmritsar, and no new industries were star ted in Tarn Taran,Moga, Rupar and Mansa districts. Increasing subsidies -- andhence a shor tage of money for government investment -- hasbeen cited as a key reason for Punjab's declining growth rate.Populist policies, such as free electricity to farmers, could alsobe responsible for slowdowns. Inflated land prices due torestrictive laws, neglect of higher education due to emphasison agriculture, investment rates below the national averagesince the 1990s and corruption are other reasons for slowindustrial growth in Punjab.What the manifesto said: The manifesto said the governmentwill provide "Ghar Ghar Rozgaar", a job in every household. Forthis, it proposes to revive small and medium scale industrialclusters such as hosiery, textiles, spor ts goods, electronics,wood work, electrical, hand-tools, light machinery par ts, whileaggressively pursuing global and domestic investors to set upunits inPunjab. The manifesto said the government would selectcompanies based on the employment oppor tunities for theyouth of Punjab.It also promises an unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500 permonth to all unemployed, until these jobs can be created. Toattract industry, the manifesto promises electricity at Rs 5 perunit, subsidised water and a sewerage facility. It also suggestsa revamp of the excise, taxation policy, and administration tocheck corruption.DEEP AND SPIRALLING DRUG PROBLEMThere are nearly 230,000 opioid dependent and 860,000 opioidusers in Punjab, according to the 2015 Punjab Opioid Depen-dence Survey. While 80 per cent of addicts tried to quit, no morethan 35 per cent received professional help. Opioid dependentsspent Rs 1,400 per day on drugs or an estimated Rs 7,575 crorestate-wide every year, and drug use is linked with pover ty,unemployment and illiteracy.What the manifesto said: The Congress manifesto suggests a"Zero tolerance policy". It proposes "permanent cure, per fectrehabilitation" through a new legislation for the speedy trial ofthose who engage in the drug trade, and confiscation of theirproper ty, along with a policy of rehabilitation for those who"have been wrecked by this evil". Anyone who registersthemselves at a district de-addiction centre will be treated freeof cost, and receive training so that they can earn their liveli-hood. It also proposes to increase economic productivity withhigher investment to create large-scale employment foryoungsters. Finally, it proposes an overhaul of the educationpolicy so that the youth can benefit from India's growingeconomy.NEGLECT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION, DROP-OUT PROBLEMFemale literacy rate increased 11 percentage points from 70.7per cent in 2011 to 81.4 per cent in 2015-16, according to datafrom the National Family Health Survey, 2015-16. The maleliteracy rate saw a slower growth of seven percentage points,from 80.4 per cent in 2011 to 87.5 per cent in 2015-16. But eventhough literacy and the general education budget rose, theaverage annual dropout rate at the primary level increased,from 1.3 per cent in 2014-15 to 3.1 per cent in 2015-16, accord-ing to District Information for System Education (DISE) data.In Punjab, 84 per cent of primary-age students were enrolled inprimary school in 2015-16, but only half (51.6 per cent) ofsecondary-age school students were enrolled in secondaryschool, according to the DISE data. Though learning levels inthe state are higher than many other Indian states, many studentsare left behind, and others don't learn at the grade level. For instance,in 2016, in rural Punjab, less than half (48.7 per cent) of Grade IIIchildren surveyed in households could subtract, while as few as35.2 per cent could read a Grade II level text.

Lack of classrooms, over-congestion of present ones andunavailability of basic electricity or drinking water are somereasons as to why students dropped out or cut classes. Whatthe manifesto said: The Congress manifesto lays out severalprovisions for improving education in the state, includingspending six per cent of the state's GDP on education, empha-sis on early childhood care and education, promoting qualityeducation, a digital education programme, recruiting teachersin sufficient numbers, reducing their time spent on non-teachingrelated tasks, and providing free transpor tation to school for allstudents.WEAK HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, LOW HEALTH INSURANCEPunjab faces a double burden of obesity and poor nutrition.Obesity among men (27.8 per cent) and women (31.3 per cent)increased by 5.6 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, in thedecade to 2015, putting more people than ever at risk ofdifferent non-communicable diseases, a situation the state'shealthcare system appears unprepared to deal with. Simulta-neously, the propor tion of anaemic men doubled between 2005(13.6 per cent) and 2015 (25.9 per cent), and anaemic womenwent up from 38 per cent to 53.5 per cent.Wasting (low weight-for-height) among children has increasedfrom 9.2 per cent in 2005 to 15.6 per cent in 2015, and one infour children is still stunted (low height-for-age), according toan analysis of the latest government data. Vacancies andabsenteeism at Punjab's public-health facilities make it difficultto improve health status through publicly provided healthcare,according to a 2014 Princeton University study. As a result,dependence on private healthcare facilities is high - 83 per centfor outpatient and 66 per cent for inpatient -- leading to Punjabhaving the highest average medical expenditure per episode ofhospital admission in India.Punjab also has among the lowest propor tions of populationcovered by health insurance -- 5.6 per cent, compared to theall-India average of 15.2 per cent. What the manifesto said: TheCongress manifesto promises compulsory health insurance forall, with premiums borne by the state government for thosebelow 18 years and those above 60 years. It also promises thatprimary and community health centres would be developed asmulti-speciality hospitals with adequate medical and non-medical staff, while proposing to hire doctors every year toavoid a shor tfall.



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Ministers Morneau and Chagger WelcomeLaunch of Canadian Business Growth Fund

TORONTO - Finance Minister Bill Morneau issued the following state-ment at an event in Toronto where several Canadian financial institu-tions announced the launch of the Canadian Business Growth Fund:"The Government of Canada welcomes the announcement byCanada's leading financial institutions to establish a businessgrowth fund that will help ambitious Canadian companies get thecapital they need to grow and succeed globally. This will helpthem create good, well-paying middle class jobs, and will growCanada's economy over the long term."I want to thank all of the par ticipating institutions for their leadershipin seizing upon this recent recommendation by the Advisory Councilon Economic Growth, and for their hard work in turning good advice

into a concrete reality." Minister of Small Business and Tourism andLeader of the Government in the House of Commons BardishChagger added: "By working together to invest in Canadian entre-preneurs, our major financial institutions are investing not only inCanada's economy but in our country's people."The Canadian Business Growth Fund will suppor t the men andwomen working hard to grow companies and create more middleclass jobs across the country. The entrepreneurs I've met fromcoast to coast to coast have been asking for access to exactlythis kind of capital and mentorship. I can't think of a better vote ofconfidence in the great potential of Canadians who own and workin small and medium-sized businesses."

Improving GO Service for Students and Families in NiagaraONTARIO - Ontario is making it easier to get around Niagara and theGreater Toronto and Hamilton Area by expanding and improving localGO Transit services to better meet the needs of students, families, andcommuters. Starting April 8, the Route 12 GO Bus will stop at Niagara College's

Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus to make it easier for students and staff to get to andfrom school and for more people to take transit in Niagara Region. Minister ofTransportation Steven Del Duca and St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley made theannouncement while engaging with students in a roundtable at Niagara

College's Niagara-on-the-Lake cam-pus. Buses will run between NiagaraFalls and Burlington, with stops in St.Catharines, Grimsby and Stoney Creek,connecting to Lakeshore West GO Trainservice at the Burlington GO Station.GO Transit will provide hourly servicethroughout the day and into late evening,seven days a week. Expanding GO Tran-sit service to improve people's com-mute is part of our government's plan tocreate jobs, grow our economyand help people in their every-day lives. "It was a pleasuremeeting with Niagara Collegestudent leaders today to dis-cuss local transit and transpor-ta t ion issues. We know thattransit directly affects students, aswell as local commuters and travelers,which is why, I am so pleased to an-nounce that we are expanding and im-proving local GO Transit services. Im-provements like these will help reducecongestion on our roads and make itmore convenient for locals to travelacross the Niagara region." - StevenDel Duca, Minister of Transportation.

Boosting Digital and OnlineLearning for StudentsONTARIO - Ontario is suppor ting colleges and universitiesacross the province in developing new and innovative ap-proaches to online and technology-enabled learning thatbest meets the needs of Ontario students. This year, 45recipients from universities and colleges across Ontariowill receive a broad range of research and innovation grantsthrough eCampusOntario to explore technology-enabledlearning and highlight best practices in student engage-ment. These new investments in research and innovationwill fur ther position Ontario as a leader in the developmentof evidence-based strategies for online learning.eCampusOntario is a vital par t of Ontario's commitment toinvest in postsecondary education that is accessible andthat provides people with the skills and training they needto succeed. "Our government wants Ontario students tohave access to high quality education and training so thatthey have the skills they need to get the jobs of today andtomorrow. Investing in innovative educational methods liketechnology-enabled learning is one of the ways we canmake sure we're providing learning options for studentsthat will help them succeed." - Deb Matthews, Minister ofAdvanced Education and Skills Development, Minister Re-sponsible for Digital Government.

International Trade Ministerpromotes free trade duringvisit to MexicoMEXICO - Spanning more than 70 years, Canada and Mexicoshare a vibrant, multi-faceted relationship that is charac-terized by deep people-to-people ties, rich cultural connec-tions, and growing trade and investment. François-PhilippeChampagne, Minister of International Trade, today con-cluded a successful two-day visit to Mexico during which he high-lighted the strong and growing commercial relationship between thetwo countries and the opportunities that creates for the middle class.Minister Champagne met in Mexico City with Ildefonso GuajardoVillarreal, Mexico's Secretary of Economy. Their broad-ranging dis-cussion included bilateral trade and investment, their governments'mutual interest in strengthening the North American economy andincreasing collective competitiveness, as well as other bilateral link-ages ranging from education and tourism to labour mobility and in-vestment. While in Mexico City, Minister Champagne met businessleaders, delivered remarks to the Canadian and Mexican busi-ness community at an event organized by the CanadianChamber of Commerce and the Mexican Council for For-eign Trade and also attended a round table with Canadianinvestors in Mexico.Minister Champagne also met with Jaime Rodriguez Calderón, Gov-ernor of Nuevo León, with whom he discussed Canada's interest instrengthening relations in key strategic sectors, such as automotive,education, advanced manufacturing and agri-food, and delivered re-marks to the Monterrey branch of the Canadian Chamber of Com-merce. He also participated in a round table with woman entre-preneurs. In his exchanges with government officials andbusinesspeople, Minister Champagne underscored Canada'scommitment to NAFTA and to the North American partnershipthat has brought much prosperity in the 23 years since it wasimplemented. Over this time, NAFTA has brought clear eco-nomic benefits, generating millions of good-paying jobs forthe middle class and growing the combined GDP of our sharedcontinent. "The North American economy can out-competeany region in the world. Our partnership has also contributed toimproved respect for labour and human rights, environmental protec-tion and gender and minority equality. Canada is committed to ensur-ing that the North American Free Trade Agreement remains the foun-dation of our future prosperity." - François-Philippe Cham-pagne, Minister of International Trade.


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MAYOR JOHN TORY AT IBI'S GURGAON OFFICE IN INDIA.

Strong, Confident Middle Class Critical For StableGlobal Economy: Minister Morneau at G20GERMANY - While G20 countries have found common ground in their collective effor t to creategrowth to benefit all citizens, the Government of Canada believes we must continue to work together to createopportunities and build confidence in our middle class. Finance Minister Bill Morneau today spoke at the 9th AnnualInstitute of International Finance G20 Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, where he shared Canada's plan for growingthe middle class. The Minister spoke of the need to grow the global economy through smart, responsible investmentsin people and in infrastructure which create well-paying jobs now, and will make our communities, our industries andour economy more competitive in the long term. He also spoke of the role that trade, openness and investment playin creating opportunities for Canadian families. Over the next two days, Minister Morneau will attend the G20 FinanceMinisters and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Baden-Baden, Germany, where the focus will be oncontinuing to make progress on achieving strong, sustainable and shared growth for the world's middleclass, and those working hard to join it. "Canada is doing what ambitious and confident countries do: Weare investing in our middle class, in our communities and in our economy. Together with our G20par tners, we can create the jobs and opportunities that will help our families succeed in the new,innovative, global economy of tomorrow." - Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance.

Canada to provide $119.25 to tackle severe foodcrises in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen

TORONTO- Canadians have al-ways helped in times of crisis,and Canada's humanitarian as-sistance reflects the best of Ca-nadian values. As a result of con-flicts in nor theastern Nigeria,South Sudan and Yemen, aswell as a devastating droughtaffecting Somalia, more than 20mil l ion people are facing ex-treme food insecurity, with fam-ine already declared in par ts ofSouth Sudan.Earlier this month, the UnitedNations appealed for humani-tarian aid urgently, saying thatthis is the largest humanitariancrisis since the end of the Sec-ond Wor ld War. Ahmed D .Hussen, Minister of Immigra-tion, Refugees and Citizenship,on behalf of the Marie-ClaudeBibeau, Minister of International

Development and LaFrancophonie, announced thatCanada will provide $119.25 mil-lion in humanitarian funding torespond to needs of crisis-af-fected people in Nigeria, Soma-lia, South Sudan and Yemen.The funding announced will helpprovide life-saving assistance tocrisis-affected people in thesecountries and will take into ac-count the specif ic needs ofwomen and children. It will in-clude the provision of food andnutrition, health care services,clean water and sanitation facili-t ies, and l ivel ihoods suppor t.Canada calls on all parties to pro-vide a safe and immediate accessfor humanitarian workers and al-low them to do their work."It is a human tragedy that thesituation has deteriorated to the

extent where we have over 20million people facing starvation.This assistance will be disbursedimmediately to the most affectedareas. We urge all actors in theaffected countries to facil i tatehumanitarian access so that assis-tance can reach those most inneed." - Marie-Claude Bibeau, Min-ister of International Developmentand La Francophonie"Canada is continuing its hu-manitarian tradition by steppingup to bring much-needed hu-manitarian assistance to com-munities in need. We work withtrusted humanitarian par tnersthat will make sure that the aidgets there quickly and goes tosuppor t the most vulnerablepeople. - Ahmed D. Hussen, Min-ister of Immigration, Refugeesand Citizenship.



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POLICE LATHI-CHARGE AGAINST INLD SUPPORTERS PROTESTING OVER SYL CANAL ISSUE.

YOGI ADITYANATH, NEW UP CHIEF MINISTER;CONGRESS CALLS IT CRUEL JOKE

UTTAR PARDESH - Yogi Adityanath, the controversial hardline advo-cate of Hindutva, took over as the 32nd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.Two Deputy Chief Ministers - Dinesh Sharma and Keshav PrasadMaurya - and 47 Ministers were sworn in. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minis-ter Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed officials to declare their as-sets within 15 days, following up on a similar order to Ministers afterassuming office on Sunday, a move aimed at uprooting corruption. Thoughthe new chief minister has promised to work for all sections of the society withoutany discrimination, pursuing the agenda of 'sabka sath, sabka vikas', Congresshas termed it a cruel joke. Congress leader Rizwan Arshad said, "It is acruel joke played on the people of UP. Yogi Adityanath is a divisiveman, he divides society. He shamelessly propagates divisive agenda,which he carries forward from RSS." Arshad fur ther asser ted thatUttar Pradesh will no remain secular, adding that the state will unfor-tunately fall back into chaos. "BJP's decision that the saffron-robedGorakhpur MP will hold the reins of the state is very unfor tunate forthe constitution and for the development of the state also. Now, Uttar

Pradesh will go back into chaos, masjid-mandir days and oldpolarisation-communal days," he added.

NIA ISSUES FRESHSUMMONS TO ZAKIR NAIKNEW DELHI, (PTI) The NIA today issued a second notice tocontroversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik asking him to ap-pear before it on March 30 in a case filed against him underan anti-terror law. The agency had early this month issued the firstsummons to him asking him to appear on March 14. Officials saidNaik has been summoned at the National Investigation Agency'sheadquarters here. The notice has been sent to the Mumbai resi-dence of 51-year-old Naik, who is believed to be staying in SaudiArabia to evade arrest after his activities came under scanner fol-lowing accusations that he had inspired some of the terrorists whoattacked a cafe in Dhaka last year. An FIR against Naik and hisassociates was registered by the NIA in November last year. Thephysician-turned-preacher has been booked for allegedly promot-ing enmity between different groups on grounds of religion anddoing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. Sections of the Un-lawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have also been slapped on him.In the FIR, the NIA alleged that Naik incited Muslim youths to commitunlawful and terrorist acts, the official said. The Centre had declaredIslamic Research Foundation (IRF), an NGO based at Dongri in southMumbai, an unlawful organisation under the UAPA.

Rape trial: Dera Sacha Sauda chieffiles another plea for reviewMUMBAI - Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram RahimSingh on Saturday moved another application to examine former CBIdeputy superintendent of police (DSP) SS Sandhu, who was chief inves-tigating officer (IO) in the rape case against him, as court witness. CBIspecial judge, Haryana, Jagdeep Singh, issued notice to CBI on thisapplication. There are two alleged rape victims in the case. In his plea,Ram Rahim said he earlier wanted to examine inspector Sat Narain ashe had recorded statements of two rape victims when the allegationssurfaced. But Sat Narain died in 2011 and the CBI also produced his deathcertificate. He told the court that as Sandhu was heading the investiga-tions and Sat Narain was reporting to him, so he needed to be cross-examined on statements of the two alleged rape victims in police diary.The dera chief, through his counsel SK Garg Narwana, submitted beforethe court that when Sandhu was examined initially, he was not aware ofSat Narain recording statements of the victims in the police diary. Earlier,Ram Rahim had filed an application to examine another former CBI DSPKL Raina, who was once IO of the case, which was dismissed from theCBI court as well as the high court. But then he moved the apex court andgot a favourable order. He told the CBI court on Saturday that it wasduring deposition of Raina that it came out that Sat Narain hadalso examined the alleged victims.

Sukhbir Badal elected AkaliDal's legislature party leaderCHANDIGARH, (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) presidentSukhbir Singh Badal was elected legislature par ty leader ofthe SAD. Former chief parliamentary secretary and AdampurMLA Pawan Kumar Teenu was elected chief whip of the leg-islature party. This was decided unanimously by members ofthe legislature par ty in a meeting presided over by par typatron and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Themembers brought on record the services rendered by SADpresident Sukhbir Singh Badal during the last 10 years andalso appreciated the development done during SAD-BJP rule.They said the par ty would play the role of a constructiveopposition under Mr Sukhbir Badal's leadership and continueto work for the welfare of Punjab

Sidhu: A soldier in Capt's army, would do whatever he asks forCHANDIGARH (PTI) A day after being sworn in as minister, NavjotSingh Sidhu said if the Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, hadasked him to serve as an MLA, he would have done so. Allottedpor tfolios of local government and tourism and cultural affairs, ar-chives and museums, the cricketer-turned-politician also said he willcontinue doing his television show. "There were a lot of discussionson Sidhu will become this and that... I am thankful to the people fortheir wishes and intentions. But I always kept away from this," hesaid after assuming office. On speculation about him being made theDeputy Chief Minister, Mr Sidhu said, "Had the Captain (Mr Amarinder)asked me to serve by being an MLA, I would have done that too. I amhappy with anything and everything that Captain sahib, Rahul ji and

Priyanka ji think and deem fit for me. I have come to put the state onthe right track and not fufil any private interest," he said.Speculation was rife that Sidhu would be made Deputy Chief Minister.However, he featured second on the list of nine ministers who weresworn in yesterday. The former BJP MP said he had been offered bythe BJP to contest elections from Kurukshetra, Chandigarh and WestDelhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but a Rajya Sabha seat did notmatter to him as it forced him to stay away from his roots.Sidhu emphasised that the new Congress government in Punjab wouldhave to work with a positive intent for the first six months. "The firstsix months, we have to work with positive intent. We have to be truein our work," he said while describing Chief Minister Amarinder Singh

as a father figure to him. "Amarinder,who is like my father, told me to showpositive intent of the government in thefirst six months."



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A LARGE NUMBER OF DOMESTIC WORKERS PROTESTED AGAINST DEATH OF A DOMESTIC HELP FROM ASSAM.

CAPT, HIS TEAM SAY NO TO RED BEACONSCHANDIGARH - Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his councilof ministers today removed red beacons from their vehicles even asa formal notification in this regard is yet to be issued. An officialstatement said the beacons were removed on Saturday soon after theAmarinder-led government took a decision to shun VIP culture at itsmaiden meeting.The government's move to shed the VIP frills is in line with the stateCongress poll manifesto. Though the Chief Minister and the Cabinetministers were exempted in the Congress manifesto, they decided tobring themselves within the ambit of the decision, said an officialspokesperson.

The removal of the beacons marks the beginning of the effor t of thestate government, which is burdened by a huge debt inherited fromthe previous regime, to clean up the official system of the much-hyped VIP culture that has been a huge drain on the exchequerover the years, while causing extreme hardships to the commonman, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, the process of imple-mentation of other decisions of the Cabinet has also been initi-ated, said the official spokesperson, adding that all decisions wouldbe executed in a stringent time-bound framework, with the Chief Min-ister and the ministers concerned monitoring the process to ensurethat there is no default or delay.

Cabinet clears GST draft bills;reform to boost growth by 2%NEW DELHI, (PTI) The Cabinet has cleared four legislationsfor implementing GST as the government sprints to meet theJuly 1 schedule to rollout the indirect tax reform which canadd up to 2 per cent to India's economic growth. The bills oncompensating states for loss of revenue from GST rollout in first fiveyears as well as those enabling levy of the new tax on intra/inter statemovement of goods and services will be introduced in Parliament thisweek. The approval of Parliament, coupled with a separate one by allState Assemblies, will complete the legislative process for the roll outof one-nation-one-tax regime by merging central taxes like excise dutyand service tax as well as state levies like VAT. The GST Council hasalready approved four-tier tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent plus anadditional cess on demerit goods like luxury cars, aerated drinks andtobacco products. The work on for putting various goods and servicesin different slabs is slated to begin next month."The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modihas approved the four GST related bills -- The Central Goodsand Services Tax Bill 2017 (The CGST Bill), The Integrated Goodsand Services Tax Bill 2017 (The IGST Bill), The Union TerritoryGoods and Services Tax Bill 2017 (The UTGST Bill) and TheGoods and Services Tax (Compensation to the States) Bill 2017(The Compensation Bill)," an official statement said. These willbe introduced as Money Bills in the Lok Sabha this week."Itcould be even today," a source said, adding that discussion onthe four legislations could happen together. The GST legislationswere the only agenda in today's Cabinet meeting.

Sikh body demands freshprobe into the ChattisinghporaSRINAGAR, (PTI) A Sikh body here today demanded a freshprobe into the Chattisinghpora massacre which claimed thelives of 35 Sikhs on this day in 2000. "After 17 years, thepeople of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Sikhs of theValley, are still waiting for the justice. We urge the state andcentral governments to nab the culprits of the massacre,"Chairman, Al l Par t ies Sikh Coordinat ion Commit tee,Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement issued here.He said it was "unfor tunate" that the government is main-taining "silence" on the issue. "We urge the state andcentral governments to go for fresh a probe into the inci-dent. If they fail to do so, then we will consider it as ahuge injustice with the Sikhs of Kashmir," Raina said."We will not rest till the real culprits of the massacre arebrought to justice," he vowed. After the massacre onMarch 20, 2000 in Chat t is inghpora v i l lage in southKashmir's Anantnag district, the security forces claimedto have killed five "militants" responsible for the murderof the Sikhs at a nearby village. However, a CBI inquiry,ordered by the state government after massive protests,revealed that the deceased were civilians who were ab-ducted and killed in a fake encounter.

Suspected Khalistani terrorist arrested in DelhiNEW DELHI, (PTI) A suspected member of the Khalistan Commando Force, allegedly involved in over 50 cases of terrorist activities,murder and dacoity, was arrested in the national capital, police said. Gursewak Singh alias Babla (51) was allegedly trying tocollect funds to revive the KCF and was in touch with gangs in Delhi with a plan to commit bank robberies, they added.He was arrested from National Highway 8 at Mahipalpur and a "sophisticated" pistol, loaded with four car tridges, was seizedfrom his possession, police said. Gursewak was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was killed during the army'sOperation Blue Star in 1984.He was planning to revive the banned outfit on instructions of KCF chief Paramjeet Singh Panjwad, who is currently in Pakistan, and wasin touch with Jagtaar Singh Hawara and other militants lodged in Indian jails, said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) PraveerRanjan. Gursewak had twice managed to run away from the custody of police, once in Delhi and once in Rajasthan, he added.In the 1980s, Gursewak was involved in over 50 cases of terrorist activities, murders of police officials and informers, bank and policestation dacoities etc. in Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, said Ranjan, adding that his elder brother Swaran Singh was amember of the militant group run by Bhindranwale. Terrorism was at its peak in Punjab in the 80s when Gursewak came in contact withBhindranwale's nephew Darshan Singh. He joined the militant group in 1982.


TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017w o r l d

Native American Indians in Washington DC march against Dakota Access Pipeline in USA.

US BANS ELECTRONICS ON FLIGHTS FROM 8MUSLIM COUNTRIES, UK ALSO JOINS INWASHINGTON (IANS) Passengers headed to the US from eight Muslim-majority countries andNor th Africa have been barred from carrying electronic devices larger than a cellphone under anew flight restriction enacted on Tuesday by the Trump administration.Officials said the directive was an attempt to address gaps in foreign airport security, and said it was notbased on any specific or credible threat of an imminent attack, the New York Times reported. The Departmentof Homeland Security said the restricted items included laptop computers, tablets, cameras, travel printersand games bigger than a phone. The restrictions would not apply to aircraft crews, officials said in a briefingto reporters on Monday night that outlined the terms of the ban.The new policy took effect on Tuesday, and must be followed within 96 hours by airlines flying to the US fromairports in Cairo (Egypt), Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE), Istanbul (Turkey), Doha (Qatar), Amman (Jordan),Kuwait City, Casablanca (Morocco), Jeddah and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Officials said the airports wereselected based on the "current threat picture" and added that the carriers that fail to follow them risk losing theirauthorisation to operate in the US. The ban applies only to flights on foreign carriers, and not American-operated airlines. Officials did not say how long the ban would remain in place or if other airports would beadded, said the report. In all, officials said an estimated 50 flights each day into the US would be affected.The airlines affected are Egyptair, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal AirMaroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Word of the ban was first madepublic Monday afternoon -- not by US administration officials, but in a tweet sent out by Royal JordanianAirlines, reported the Washington Post. Initially, US officials declined to comment on the report, saying onlythat they would provide an update "when appropriate", said the report. Royal Jordanian Airlines told passen-gers that medical devices were still allowed. The US officials said intelligence "indicates terrorist groupscontinue to target commercial aviation" by "smuggling explosive devices in various consumeritems. "Just evaluating all the intelligence, we believe that the threat is still prominent againstaircraft and airpor ts," an official said. Separately, an official with the Transpor tation Security Ad-ministration who confirmed the new restriction, said that not everyone at the agency had beenbriefed about it as of Monday evening, raising the possibility that it was being rushed out. Mean-while, UK has said it will also follow suite.



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