The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

MC officials in spot over allegations
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, November 4
A rather unprecedented move by more than six councillors of the ruling Congress in the Municipal Corporation has not only embarrassed its leader in the civic body but has virtually created a crisis-like situation with senior leaders appearing clueless to wriggle out of the situation.

At an informal meeting at the residence of Mr Chanchal Singh, councillor of ward No. 7, several of his colleagues while raising doubts on the tendering process in the MC for different kind of works, levelled serious allegations of corruption against some of the officers. They asserted that certain officials were manipulating the entire process for granting favours to a few selected contractors.

The Congress councillors present at the meeting included Mr Rajesh Jain (ward No. 60), Mr Jasvir Singh Chadha (ward No. 58), Mr Sushil Raju Thapar (ward No. 70), Mr Palwinder Singh Taggar (ward No. 28), Ms Malkiat Kaur (ward No. 56), Mr Satwinder Singh Jawaddi (ward No. 42) and Mr Bhupinder Singh (ward No. 54).

However, sources within the Congress and the MC revealed that the outburst by the ruling party councillors was part of a well thought-out plan and pressure tactics to browbeat the officials and the political leadership. Some of these councillors had reportedly made attempts to “influence” the tenders for development works in their respective wards and having been unsuccessful to get the works awarded to their favourite contractors, had now raised the revolt banner, demanding cleansing of the tendering process.

The city Mayor, Mr Nahar Singh Gill, is away on a foreign tour. The Senior Deputy Mayor, Mr Prem Mittal, when contacted by Ludhiana Tribune, failed to give an explicit reply. When asked if the outburst against their own party leadership in the MC warranted disciplinary action, he initially attempted to pose a weak defence with the plea that the councillors merely wanted further improvement in the system to make the process of giving tenders transparent. In reply to a question, he went on to remark that the reports appearing in a section of the Press were false and further that the councillors concerned might have been unaware of the implications of their observations.

The MC Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sharma, while refusing to be drawn into the controversy, maintained that the process of inviting tenders was completely transparent and strictly in accordance with the manual of tendering, which was being followed by all other departments including the PWD, Central PWD, Railways, improvement trusts and PUDA. He further claimed that the MC had saved around Rs 28 crore during the past one-and-a-half year in execution of civil and electrical works, sinking of tubewells and other major projects.

Earlier in the day, a few Congress councillors had an extended meeting with the MC Commissioner on the issue of tenders and offered many suggestions to make further improvements and check manipulation.

12 guilty in fake stamp case: VC
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 4
Nearly 12 students, including the son of a local MLA, have been found guilty in the fake stamp case during the investigations being conducted by Panjab University since the past nearly three months.

This was disclosed by Dr K.N. Pathak, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, during his visit at the inauguration of the PU zonal youth festival at SDP College for Women here today. The VC said that during the investigations, detailed marksheets of all the fresh students taking admission in all colleges of the university were checked. He said that a majority of the students who had presented detailed marksheets with a fake stamp of Mr Sodhi Ram, controller of examinations, were from Ludhiana, though one or two students from other districts had also been found guilty.

Dr Pathak said that all such students had been given two months’ time to give their representations. He said that the students had even been called up repeatedly and asked about the source who supplied them the fake stamps but none of them revealed the truth. He said that the students were even told that they would get some exemption in their punishment even if they would give some clue to the authorities, but all remained tight-lipped.

Regarding the punishment, Dr Pathak said that the university had some pre-set guidelines and the students would be given treatment accordingly. He said that the case was on the agenda of the Syndicate meeting to be held on November 23 in the university and the final verdict would be announced at that time.

Commenting on the hike in the fee structure of Panjab University, Dr Pathak said that it was quite nominal and would be implemented from the next session. He said that the students had been protesting not against the fee hike but against the additional charges been levied by the college managements. He said that for the current session, all the colleges that had taken increased fee charges at the beginning of the session had been directed to adjust in the next instalment.

Regarding five additional seats that had been given to each college from this session for giving free admission to the meritorious students from weaker section of the society, Dr Pathak said that the scheme could not be implemented well from this session. Since the students had been asked to get low income certificates from the Deputy Commissioner, the process became too elaborate and the response remained low. He, however, said that suitable amendments would be made from the next session so that more students reap benefit.

Auto thieves’ gang busted
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 4
The Ludhiana police achieved a major breakthrough today when personnel from the police station division No 7 managed to bust a gang of car and two wheeler thieves and recovered from them several cars and motorcycles stolen from different cities in the state. Several incriminating documents exposing their modus operandi have been recovered and three members of the gang have been arrested.

According to Mr Randhir Singh, SHO of the concerned police station, he said that a naka party led by him at the Vardhman Chowk signalled an Esteem car (PB-10 B-2317) to stop.

Interrogation of the three occupants led the police to suspicion. Looking through the dashboard of the police personnel found a blank registration book with the stamp and signatures of the DTO, Ludhiana. Interrogation of the three revealed that they were involved in stealing cars with the help of fake registration booklets.

The DSP of the area, Mr R.K. Bakshi, has identified the three as Bharatvir Singh, resident of Balachaur, Harbir a resident of Kila Ras village in Jagraon subdivision, and Hira Singh of Mundian Kalan village. The three accused have revealed that they were procuring blank registration booklets from one Suresh Kumar of Ludhiana. The police have recovered four cars and four motor cycles from their residences and are hopeful of more recoveries.

The accused told the police that they used to pay Suresh Kumar Rs 1000 per blank registration booklet in which they used to fill in fake numbers making a stolen vehicle look authentic. They would then sell the stolen vehicle at market rates. The police have recovered several stamps and blank booklets bearing forged signatures of DTO of several cities in the region. The police say that the gang was operating as far as Delhi and they are likely to identify more people involved in the racket soon.

LUDHIANA CALLING

Of the four legislators elected from Ludhiana city, three have made it to the Ministry. They include Mr Harnamm Dass Johar, Mr Rakesh Pandey and Mr Milkiat Singh Birmi. Mr Johar happens to be one of the senior Ministers in the government. Mr Johar seems to be nourishing some grouse about the functioning of the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. In fact the indomitable Mr Johar did not mind speaking in the presence of the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, at a public function disputing the claims of the MC about its ‘achievements’. Mr Johar would have sounded more credible had he included the functioning of other departments also in his commentary, which hardly perform any better. He may have his own reasons for making unpalatable remarks and observations about the functioning of the MC, but the matter of the fact remains that there is a widespread impression among the people that the MC needs to practice what it has been preaching. Proper presentation of the achievements apart, the people at the helm of affairs in the MC need a thorough introspection, besides preparing a balance sheet of their performance. MC may deserve a lot many plaudits for saving and generating so much money and even lending it to the cash-starved state government, but that is not the primary job of the MC. It should leave the financial management to the financial experts and focus more on development and providing of basic amenities and other facilities to the people, the purpose MC had been set up. It is sure and certain that the MC had never been set up for lending money to the state government. Good credit balance is no consolation for the people who do not get regular drinking water, who are stuck in traffic jam, thanks to the failure of lights at the crossings (these are to be managed and maintained by the MC), who have to take bumpy rides, thanks to poor condition of roads, and much more. That is why people find it difficult to disagree with Mr Johar, at least on this count.

Double standards!

A glittering function at one of the marriage palaces on the outskirts of the city to celebrate the marriage of a nephew of Mr Sudrashan Aggarwal, Uttaranchal Pradesh Governor, left a score of local politicians fretting and fuming over the double standards adopted by the security personnel. While the jittery security staff, perhaps being too cautious due to presence of a galaxy of VVIPs, including the Uttaranchal Chief Minister, Mr Narayan Dutt Tiwari, did not allow the political functionaries to carry any package, including gifts and bouquets, inside the panadal, the bureaucrats had a free run and faced no such restrictions.

A senior political leader and a victim of security ‘bandobust’ sarcastically commented that as the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, had gone all out to ‘discipline’ the bureaucrats, including the police top brass, the police personnel (at this function and elsewhere) were taking it out against the politicians.

Headache at intersections

To stop for two minutes at intersections while the traffic lights change from red to green is a nightmarish experience. One is troubled by beggars of all shapes and sizes in a terribly ragged condition. They keep tapping on windows to draw attention. Then one is surrounded by mobile sellers selling their wares from face tissues of dubious kind, small titbits to be hanged in the car and incense sellers. They keep offering their wares at discounted rates and five or six of these kind of people are ready to unnerve the driver.

Creative press conference

The district police deserve kudos for organising a well-arranged press conference regarding the busting of an inter-state gang of dacoits. Normally, the police press conferences were hurriedly called meets, where even the chairs for the ever-increasing number of mediapersons used to fall short. And then there was always a hankering over freedom to talk to accused, know exact details address of the victims etc. But this time the press conference was a complete transparent one. Mediapersons could talk to the accused and the victims, who were presented before them. The neatly laid chairs had ample room for reporters. The police did some creative work by displaying boards detailing the criminal activities of the gang. Even four to five year old news reports about the dacoities were traced and pasted on the display boards for the benefit of the reporters.

Beware of dark nights

Beware of dark nights. This dictum is commonly used in horror movies, where some bad soul emerges from the pitch darkness of amavyasa nights. But these days one has to be beware of robbers and dacoits. The dark nights are specially chosen by these criminals to strike at the place of their choice. The police is, too, aware of this modus operandi. It prepares special lunar charts and pastes it in the police stations for the benefit of the cops to keep on maximum alert. Unfortunately, the police have not thought of educating the masses on this front. It is yet to take up the matter with the Municipal Corporation for maximum illumination on roads and colonies, especially on the outskirts, on these nights for the benefit of the population.

Police hooters, boon or bane?

The PCR squads of the district police are the most important wing of the night domination exercises. But one wonders if the loud hooters blared by the patrolling motor cycle squads are benefiting the masses or not. First of all the noise is a major irritant. Mostly, the hooters are sounded at the dead of night and people wake up with a start. The exercise designed for peaceful sleep of the city residents thus backfires by disturbing people’s slumber. Secondly, in pure movie style, the hooters cause an alarm for the criminals to escape before the cops arrive. This happened at Mundian Kalan village on the outskirts of the city.

A gang of dacoits was looting a milk plant when they heard hooters of the approaching squad and ran away. Had the cops came in quietly, they could have caught some of these.

Passing the buck

Ludhiana has the distinction (read compulsion) of being a city with largest number of vehicles in the north. Obviously the traffic management is no ordinary job. While the width and length of roads in the city remains the same as it was a couple of decades ago, the number of vehicles has increased manifold. This has put tremendous pressure on the city roads. Like in other big cities, Ludhiana has also traffic lights installed at several crossings. Thanks to the regular electricity failure in the city, these lights also go off for a good period of time leading to total chaos at these crossings. The traffic police has been shrugging off the responsibility since these lights are managed by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation. But on their part the traffic cops also take some time to reach a crossing where the lights go off, which go off more frequently, much to the trouble and torture of the public, as by that time the traffic gets jammed. If only MC and traffic police officials could find a way out, without passing the buck. Doctor appreciates city police

A city-based doctor has congratulated the Senior Suprintendent of Police, Ludhiana, on nabbing the dacoits who had committed several murders, robberies in the state and city. In his letter to the SSP, the doctor also appreciated the efforts of the CIA staff and SP(D) for catching the dreadful criminals. He said that such exercise will infuse confidence in the general public because people had lost faith in the police in all these years. The doctor said that his organisation will always support, encourage and co-operate in such moments.

The clean/unclean drive

The railway authorities have started a cleanliness drive to beautify the railway station by painting the walls, booking counters, ceilings etc. The men at work are religiously doing their work. They are so involved in their work that the drops of their paint spoil the clothes of the passengers and the passersby. Some of the people even told them to be careful but they seem to ‘clean’ the railway station and ‘unclean’ the public.

Traffic chaos

The traffic chaos in Feroze Gandhi Market complex is an everyday feature, thanks to the lack of adequate parking space. Although the market is known to have a lot of parking space as is designed on the pattern of Sector 17, Chandigarh, traffic problems have always been creating problems for the commuters. The persons to blame are the contractors of parking lots who after charging their money allow the people to park on the roads itself. As the market is frequented by numerous people everyday keeping in view the location of the Ludhiana Stock Exchange, car bazaar and banks and many showrooms, the controlling of traffic is always a problem.

Sentinel

Central Excise tightens noose around cable operators
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 4
The Central Excise Commissionerate has tightened its noose around local marriage palaces and cable operators to check the evasion of service tax. The department has effected recovery worth Rs 1 lakh from the owner of a marriage palace and a cable operator in this regard.

It has also issued a deadline to the cable operators to get themselves registered with the department by November 15, failing which they would have to face stringent action. The officials concerned will also hold a meeting with the owners of marriage palaces on November 11 in this regard.

Stating this to the mediapersons here today, the Excise Commissioner, Mr H.K. Mittal, said the department had recovered the evaded amount from the marriage palace owner in the city. He, however, refused to divulge the details.

At the same time he said the department would take strong action against the defaulters if they failed to get themselves registered with the department. There are 250 cable operators in the city of which 148 are already registered with the department. Similarly there are 120 marriage palaces in the city.

Mr Mittal said the evasion of service tax by service tax assessees has been causing concern to the Central Government. The service tax rate was revised in this year’s budget from 5 per cent to 8 per cent and the tax was imposed on seven new services, raising the total of taxable services to 58.

He said the department would be organising on-the-spot registration melas in the city to enable various service providers to get themselves registered with the department without any hassles. He further said that as many as 3,000 assessees were identified and the department had set the service tax target at Rs 24 crore during the current fiscal year. He added that Rs 10 crore had already been collected by the commissionerate.

The Commissioner said the corporate offices should pay the tax on a monthly basis and all other service providers on quarterly basis.

Centre’s policies anti-farmer, says SAD
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, November 4
The Central Government has adopted anti-farmer policies which will ruin the country. This was stated by the SAD General Secretary, Capt Kanwaljit Singh. He was talking to mediapersons at Salana village last night. He was there to attend a social function. The SAD General Secretary rejected the MSP for wheat announced by the Centre.

He demanded to fix the MSP for wheat at Rs 750 per quintal and accordance with the price index on the pattern of increase in the dearness allowance of the employees.

Agricultural input costs have increased manifold whereas the MSP has not been increased accordingly. Farmers have become bankrupt and they are under debts totalling Rs 10,000 crore, he added.

Lambasting the state government, the SAD leader accused the government of carrying out a bogey of anti-corruption drive against the Akali leadership to take mileage in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

He said the earlier Akali government had given relief of Rs 2,000 crore to Dalit farmers and other categories whereas the present

Congress government had not only withdrawn the concessions but had also put a burden of Rs 1,100 crore on the people of the state. It still raised a hue and cry about the financial crisis left by the Akali government.

Cheques of development grants issued to each panchayat worth Rs 25,000 had been dishonoured by the banks.

People have turned their back towards the Congress and the government had to misuse the government machinery during the rural development bank elections at Dera Bassi.

The papers of all Akali nominees were rejected on flimsy grounds. Akali sarpanches were being framed in false cases, he alleged. Mr Tajinder Singh Salana, state general secretary of the youth Akali Dal, Mr Harbhajan Singh, Mr Jassa Singh Ahuluwalia, member SGPC, and Mr Lakhbir Singh Kalalmajra were also present.

BKU threatens stir on MSP
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 4
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has threatened to launch an agitation to pressurise the government for the announcement of the minimum support price (MSP) of kharif crops on the basis of wholesale price index, if the government failed to come out with the suitable revision by November 9.

Stating this, the BKU vice-president, Mr Gurbachan Singh Rajla, and the secretary-general, Mr Manjit Singh Kadian, said the detailed programme of the proposed stir would be finalised at a state-level meeting of the BKU on November 10.

BKU functionaries charged the government with backing out from its earlier commitment of announcement of the MSP of different crops well before the sowing season to enable farmers to select the cropping pattern on the basis of economic viability and promote diversification of farming. “Now that almost 80 per cent sowing of the main crop of wheat is over, the government is yet to announce the MSP as a result of which the farming community is in a quandary.” The union leaders reiterated their demand for an MSP of Rs 980 per quintal for wheat, Rs 143 for sugarcane and Rs 2860 for oil seeds and pulses on the basis of the wholesale price index.

Castigating the state government for the non-payment of arrears to sugarcane growers, procured during last season, Mr Kadian made a plea for the immediate release of arrears worth Rs 52 crores and asked the government to ensure that in future the farmers were paid the entire amount against their crop in cash because the system of 70:30 payment was loaded against the farming community and tended to cause financial losses.

Expressing concern over the ever increasing debt burden on the farmers, the BKU urged the government to remit all outstanding crop loans and slash the interest rate on agricultural loans to be disbursed in future so that the farmers were in a position to repay. The BKU activists demanded that pending power connections for tubewells be released forthwith since a large number of such tubewells were already in operation with the complicity of the PSEB employees and no revenue was accruing to the board.

Politics overtakes clash victim’s bhog
Jupinderjit Singh and Mahesh Sharma
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 4
The bhog ceremony of Jeet Singh, who died on October 25 because of bullet injuries suffered in a clash between rival groups and the police over the control of Nanaksar Ashram Thath, passed off peacefully here today amidst heavy police security. The ceremony became a stage of the Akali-Congress conflict as speakers of these parties blamed each other for the sorry state of affairs. The political bashing took centre stage at the ceremony.

The congregation passed a resolution declaring the deceased a martyr. While most of the speakers, including leaders of the faction led by Baba Mann Singh, eldest son of late Sant Meehan Singh, accused the police of conspiring and using the supporters of Baba Harnek Singh to get control over the trust running around 24 thaths all over the world, a number of Congress leaders gave clean chit to the Khanna police.

Briefing the sequence of events, Mr Grewal said trouble started on October 6 when Sangat had declared Baba Mann Singh as chief of the dera. He said, “We were deceived by the police on October 11, when it acted as if it was intervening to make both parties arrive at a compromise. But it conspired to handover the control to the other group and book the innocent followers who were performing sewa at the Thath.

SAD MLA Jagdish Singh Garcha alleged that the police had attacked the innocent villagers on the night of October 11, who had come to the rescue around 50 followers of late Baba Meehan Singh from the police and supporters of Baba Harnek Singh. Mr Jagjit Singh, Director, Punjab Energy Development Agency, said, “Such incidents at Sikh religious places have unfortunately become a global phenomenon as we are lacking sense of sacrifice.” He cited many incidents of sacrilege which took place in Canada and America also.

Mr Jagpal Singh Khangura, a senior Congress leader, besides paying tributes to the deceased, objected strongly to the comments made by a SAD MLA. Mr Gurcharan Singh Ghalib, MP, said only a person abiding by the norms of Sikhism could become a head of Nanaksar Thath. Commenting on the allegations made by some leaders he gave a clean chit to the police chief. “Some junior officer might have accepted bribe to favour the other group and conceal the facts,” he said.

Besides paying tributes to the deceased, organisers came forward to help the aggrieved family. Baba Meehan Singh gave Rs 15 lakh to the family. Village panchayat gave Rs 1 lakh. Mr Jagjit Singh Makandpuri, Director, PEDA assured to provide a government job to the elder son of the deceased and provide solar street lights in his memory.

Stone for cremation ground laid
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, November 4
Whenever the Congress came to power, it worked for the welfare of the people. Whereas during the regime of the Akali-BJP combine, farmers had to spend days in grain markets to sell their produce. The Congress government had succeeded in smooth procurement of paddy lifting and payment to the farmers in time, said Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, MLA. Mr Dharamsot was addressing a gathering at Salana Jeevan Singh Wala village, 5 km from here, on Monday after laying the foundation stone of a cremation ground, costing Rs 4 lakh. The MLA also inaugurated a cluster of shops constructed by the gram panchayat.

He alleged that corruption was rampant in almost all departments during the tenure of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and rates were fixed for appointments and transfers of employees. Now when scandals worth crores of rupees had come on the surface, the Akali leadership had started misguiding the people by calling it an attack on the party to save its leadership from the clutches of law, he added. He assured the gathering for an early release of Rs 1 crore grant for the development of the village under the CRDP.

Mr Dharamsot also criticised the Central Government for allegedly discriminating with Punjab by delaying the declaration of the MSP of wheat and paddy and not lifting the levy sugar from sugar mills. This was causing a delay in the payment of arrears to sugarcane growers, causing of restlessness among farmers, he said. The misrule of the Akali-BJP combine had left the state bankrupt, he alleged.

Mr Pakhar Singh Salana, chairman, zila parishad, highlighted various development schemes of the parishad. Ms Rajinder Kaur, Sarpanch, Mr Shingara Singh, president, Amloh Congress Committee, and Mr Joginder Singh Narayangarh, member, block samiti, also addressed the gathering.