Fatehgarh Sahib, February 6
Leaders of various Panthic organisations meet at the residence of Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) at his native place Kila Harnam Singh. Prof Darshan Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh, former Jathedars of Akal Takht, Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi, head, Sant Samaj could not attend the meeting but sent their consent on the decisions taken at the meeting.

The edict by Jathedar, Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti, was discussed by the leaders. Mr Mann urged all leaders to take only that decisions to which they could adhere to. Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra told reporters that the leaders of Panthic organisations had faith and respect for Akal Takht but were worried at the misuse and arbitrary decisions taken at Akal Takht to promote petty political interests of one faction of the SAD. He said all leaders urged Jathedar of Akal Takht to withdraw the “edict” issued against Sarna brothers and others as the “edict” was unprecedented in the annals of Sikh religion.

He said that when Sarna was summoned at Akal Takht on February 10 by all five Jathedars, it was unfortunate that before his appearance, Jathedar Vedanti issued the “edict”.

This decision of the Jathedar has brought bad name to supreme Sikh seat and even created a rift between the five Jathedars, destroying the Sikh principle of “Panch Pardhani”. He said any Sikh, summoned at Akal Takht should appear before Akal Takht not before any individual. And decision about his fate should be taken by all five Jathedars after giving him a chance of clarification.

He said that it is very unfortunate that when an action was required against Bibi Jagir Kaur, Ashutosh, Bhaniaranwala, the SGPC and political leaders who organised Havans, Ramayan Paths, Baba Daljit Singh Chicago, SGPC members who misused Golak of Guru were spared the Jathedar remained silent.

He said the leaders also urged Mr Badal not to interfere in the working of Akal Takht and use its Jathedar for promoting his faction and bringing bad name to the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

The meeting was attended by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president SAD(A), Mr Daljit Singh Bittu, Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, Mr Rajinder Singh of Khalsa Panchayat, Jagjit Singh Chauhan, Justice Ajit Singh Bains, Satnam Singh Behru, Charn Singh Loharan, Advocate Navkiran Singh, Bibi Kirtan Kaur USA, Karnail Singh Panjoli, Gurdeep Singh of SAD1920, Tarsem Singh Chairman Dharm Parchar DSGMC and Iman Singh Mann.

Ludhiana, February 6
Taking a tough stand against ousted Principal of the Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Dr U.S. Dhaliwal, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said here today that an inquiry committee was being constituted to look into “omissions and commissions” by him.

He said he had been placed under suspension after he resorted to indiscipline and misbehaved with SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh.

Mr Makkar said he had learnt that some important files relating to various court cases were missing from the institute and these might have kept in his custody by the Principal. The SGPC president said the committee would look into everything and if it was found that Dr Dhaliwal had resorted to any misconduct or embezzlement, criminal proceedings could also be initiated against him.

Reacting to criticism of the decision by SAD(A) president Simranjit Singh Mann and SAD (Longowal) president Prem Singh Chandumajra, he said they were “criticising for the sake of criticism only”. “Let Mr Mann ask himself what it takes to run an institution and whether one can tolerate indiscipline,” he asked. The opposition leaders were trying to derive political mileage out of it, he added.

He defended Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti for his decision of interim punishment to Sarna brothers. He said, “Akal Takht holds supreme authority among the Sikhs and it is beyond any question.”

He said the way Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna was behaving, it only amounted to an attempt to “undermine the authority” of Akal Takht.

He ridiculed Mr Sarna for “threatening” to bring 20,000 persons to the Golden Temple on February 10 when he would appear before Akal Takht.

Instead of going around the state and mobilising people in his support, Mr Sarna should present his case before Akal Takht, he added. This simply amounted to “bringing in extra judicial pressure” which would not yield any benefit to him, he said.

He said, “If we mobilise thousands of people and demonstrate outside the Supreme Court, will that influence the court’s opinion? In a similar way, Akal Takht is the supreme authority which cannot be influenced by anyone, not even public pressure.”

Mr Makkar said, “Mr Sarna supported by Chief Minister and people from various splinter akali dals was day dreaming and I challenge them to open their account in the state assembly.” He said Mr Sarna was fighting a losing battle and was resorting to desperate ways.

Mr Makkar sought to play down the felicitation of Mr Sarna by various Sikh groups yesterday, maintaining if a few people gathered to greet Mr Sarna that did not mean the entire Sikh community was supporting him.

Chandigarh, February 6
Employees of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), will disassociate from themselves the Punjab Nirman Programme being run in villages of the state.

They will also resist the plan to allot land and ploughing rights to bazigars; stop disbursement of pensions, attendance scholarships and registration of births and deaths. Leaders of the Joint Association PRIs Employees announced this at a rally here today.

Mr Sukhdev Singh Barike, president Panchayat Union, said the non-cooperation with the government would continue till all pending cases against all gram panchayats and employees were withdrawn and a notification issued to prevent the Vigilance Bureau from taking action against PRIs.

Meanwhile the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh said, it was the job of the vigilance bureau to nab people indulging in corruption.

The Panchayati Raj Institutions had vested powers in the hands of Director Panchayat and Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat, to take disciplinary action against the guilty sarpanches and officials of the Rural Development and Panchayat Department. The officials, can refer the case to the Vigilance Bureau and even
the CBI.

Chandigarh, February 6
Michael De Jong, Minister of Labour and Citizen’s Services, British Columbia, Canada, today said his government was interested in a bilateral agreement with Punjab for providing workers on “seasonal” basis through the year. Mr Jong was talking to media persons at Panjab University here today.

He added that a similar agreement had been done by his government with Mexico two years ago. Mr Jong pointed out since British Columbia was the breadbasket of Canada, a large number of agriculture-related jobs were available on a seasonal basis in Canada and that is the time when farmers were relatively free here.

“If Punjab could provide the services of their farmers at that time for, let’s say, six months, it would take care of many problems that farmers were facing here,” he said, adding that the employers would provide accommodation and transportation to such seasonal workers,

Responding to a question Mr Jong said the job scenario for both skilled and unskilled workers in British Columbia, specifically Canada, in general was extremely good.

“We have an acute shortage of working population and this shortage is going to become more acute. While we have almost reached our full employment potential internally, majority of our population is ageing. We have two options to take care of the problem. Either we train our own people or draw on the expertise of other countries,” he said.

Mr Jong added that hundreds of thousands of jobs were available in all fields of healthcare and engineering.

“Also we are looking for a collaboration of aerospace engineers who can be trained at the University College of Fraser Valley, British Columbia, to be placed at the Western Canadian Aerospace Development Centre,” he said, adding that there is also a tremendous scope for IT professionals also.

Stating that education in India had to ensure a strategic involvement of the private sector Mr Jong said partnerships with the private sector and industries was being done by them, also in India. He added there was a need for better air links between Punjab and Canada.

“I know of many airline operators in British Columbia who would be only too glad for having more flights to Punjab,” he said.

Later, Mr Jong delivered a special lecture on “Canada - India collaboration in Education and Trade” organised by the ICSSR North- Western Regional Centre and Canadian Centre, PU. Prof. B.S. Ghuman, Coordinator, Canadian Studies Centre, welcomed the guest speaker and other eminent members of the Canadian delegation including Prof. D.J. Sandhu.

President’s Adviser on Strategic Initiatives at the University College of Fraser Valley (UCFV), Canada, Mr Moe Gill, Councillor, City of Abbotsford, Mr Balbinder Rakhra from Philstream, Avtar Gill, Cultural Promoter, Jatinder Singh Sidhu, Member of the Asia Pacific Trade Council Advisory Group and Parry Sahota, a former MLA, British Columbia.

Mandi Ahmedgarh, February 6
Mr Michael de Jong, Canadian Minister of Labour and Citizen’s Welfare, today assured that the Canadian Government would ensure security and a bright future for skilled and trained Punjabi youth immigrating to his country through proper channels. The minister disclosed that on behalf of his government, he would take up vital issues with the Chief Minister of Punjab at a meeting scheduled to take place on Monday.

Talking to The Tribune after attending a felicitation function organized by the panchayat of Fallewal village near here today, Mr Jong appreciated the potency and integrity of the Punjabis.

The delegation were felicitated by Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, MP, Mr Jagdish Singh Garcha, MLA.

POLITICS

BJP threatens stir
Our Correspondent

Kharar, February 6
The Panchayati Raj cell of the Punjab unit of the BJP today threatened to stage a protest if the authorities failed to ensure regular availability of revenue officials to the public at the local tehsil offices within 10 days.

The president of the cell, Mr Khushwant Rai Giga, said people were feeling harassed as they were not sure when the officials would be available to redress grievances. He also alleged that certain revenue officials were indulging in corruption.

The BJP leader said the Kharar MLA had earlier carried out a surprise check of the tehsil offices and found certain officials absent from duty. Despite this, the concerned authorities had failed to take effective steps to ensure that the public was not subjected to harassment.

Sangrur, February 6
Noted film and television actor and Rajya Sabha MP, Dara Singh today asked the Punjab Government to frame a permanent policy to exempt the Punjabi films from entertainment tax. He said this was the need of the hour to promote the Punjabi film industry as production of good Punjabi films had started once again in the recent past.

Dara Singh was talking to mediapersons at the residence of Mr Satwant Singh Punia, national vice-president of the BJP Kisan Morcha, at Gurdaspura village, near here. Earlier, Mr Dara Singh attended a function, organised in his honour 
by the BJP at Mr Punia’s residence.

Dara Singh is taking part in the shooting of a Punjabi film “Dil Apna Punjabi” which is in progress in the nearby villages of this town. Harbhajan Mann is the hero of this film while Dara Singh is playing the role of Mann’s grandfather.

In reply to a question whether there should be a separate censor board for the TV channels in the country in the wake of semi-nakedness in the songs and serials, Dara Singh said the country was now following the European culture, which was being liked by the new generation. Besides this, the Indian film/TV censor board could not impose censorship on the foreign TV channels. So in these circumstances Indian Film Censor Board could impose restrictions on the only Indian TV channels, he added. He also supported a ban on the smoking in the films and TV serials.

Whether he would like to contest Lok Sabha election from Punjab, Dara Singh replied in negative by saying that he felt that an MP of the Lok Sabha should remain in his constituency, which he could not do due to his engagements and ill-health.

He said he did yoga daily but not any type of physical exercise, as his health did not allow him to do so at the age of 78.

With regard to the BJP, Dara Singh said the BJP should enter the villages in a big way. He advised BJP leaders to go to the villages to enrol members of the party. He said as a member of the BJP, he would also contribute in this direction.

Chandigarh, February 6
On the orders issued this afternoon by the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Ferozepore district administration pulled down the wall that was allegedly raised by the Municipal Committee at Fazilka to confine the Muslim families to their houses.

Reports from Fazilka stated that had been pulled down. The wall was raised around the houses in which 150 Muslims engaged in rearing cows and selling milk lived. The Committee had taken the plea that the cows raised by the Muslim families had been making the water dirty at a nearby water purification plant set up by the Committee.

After addressing a Press conference here this afternoon, Capt Amarinder Singh, directed the Deputy Commissioner and also the district police chief of Ferozepore to immediately visit Fazilka to pull down the wall. Expressing his strong displeasure to both the officers on the phone, Capt Amarinder Singh, told them that they should submit a report to him immediately explaining under what circumstance the wall was raised around the premises where Muslim families had been living for the past 18 years.

When the Deputy Commissioner tried to explain that certain MLA was behind raising the wall, Capt Amarinder Singh, said that “tell the MLA that I have ordered to demolish the wall”.

The Chief Minister said that the Haryana Government can’t unilaterally take out distributary from the Bhakra Mainline (BML) Canal.

He said that vast number of villages would be affected in the Punjab area if the proposed distributary with 2,000 cusec water-carrying capacity was drawn from the BML near Samana. The flow of water to villages on the tailend of the BML and in the distributaries linked to it downstream Samana would be affected, he added.

He said that the ETT teachers would be recruited by panchayats. The rules in this regard were being framed. The recruitment process would be completed before April 1, he added. The authorities concerned would be directed to reduce the school timings in case of primary classes to lunch time.

Coming to VAT, Capt Amarinder Singh said: “It was Capt Kanwaljit Singh, who had accepted VAT in the existing form. We continued with VAT because it was a futuristic tax that is accepted all over the world.”

“My Government would abolish octroi soon, give promotional scale to employees on completion four, nine and 14 years of service and clear the two pending installments of bonus on paddy shortly,” Capt Amarinder Singh asserted.

The Punjab State Electricity Board was processing the power connection cases of Dalit families, he added.

Chandigarh, February 6
Mr Rakesh Chander, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Punjab Chief Minister, has been absorbed into the Punjab Police Cadre. This comes in line with the state government’s policy to absorb officers from the central cadre whose performance had been commendable during anti-terrorist operations.

Having topped in the 1984 batch of Central Reserve Police Force officers, he served six years with the elite National Security Guards and had taken part in several sensitive anti-terrorist operations in Punjab during the days of militancy. His decorations include the President’s Police Medal, UN Peace Medal, Garaj Star besides, three Director-General’s commendations and the Golden Disc for performance in anti-terrorist operations.

Mr Chander has also been a member of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Mozambique and Special Task Force in Kashmir. He has also trained with United States federal law enforcement agencies in Georgia. 

Abohar, February 6
The colonies of tenants in the state government seed farm, which is located on the outskirts of the town, are fast emerging as a major centre for marketing of smack and other narcotics, sources said.

The farm had been developed by the government to assist Punjab Agricultural University in research on grains in 1956. The authorities later allowed members of a community to cultivate the land on a share basis to grow wheat and other crops. However, the tenants refused to vacate the land under cultivation after a decade.

The Leftists, who were partners in the state government run by the SAD, extended support to the tenants’ agitation against eviction. The tenants lost legal battle in the Punjab and Haryana High Court but the government dropped the plan to get 125 acres vacated because of political compulsions.

The colonies later attained the status of separate panchayats under the titles, “kutcha seed farm” and “pucca seed farm” villages.

A perusal of the record maintained by the city police here has revealed that the seed farm colonies have been fast emerging as a hub for illicit liquor distillation. Thousands of cases were registered under the Excise Act involving most of the residents of the colonies.

An education drive launched in the colonies has helped little in brining awareness among the residents who had been booked in hundreds of cases under Sections 324, 324, 326 and 452 of the IPC besides various Sections of the Arms Act.

During the past three years many residents have been booked under the NDPS Act for selling poppy husk. Those put behind the bars included women and teenagers. Catches made during the past few days indicate that they had now taken up smack marketing. Most of the residents consume the drug too.

Earlier, only upper streets of Nai Abadi, located near Azeemgarh, were known for dealing in the narcotics.

According to the police, 20 gm of smack was seized from two residents of one of the colonies on December 10, three persons, including a woman, were arrested on December 22 with 30 gm of smack. Again on January 5 the police arrested Simarjit Kaur and seized 150 gm of smack from her possession. Jarnail Singh was nabbed with 5 gm of smack on January 11 and the police seized 10 gm of the contraband from Gurdeep Singh on January 31.

Nearly 75 per cent of the residents are facing litigations for various criminal offences. The police had seized sharp-edged weapons besides countrymade revolvers in raids carried out in the colonies in the past.

The residents smuggle smack, opium and poppy husk from Rajasthan areas, the sources added.

Una/Hoshiarpur, February 6
Feeding monkeys by devotees on the Hoshiarpur-Una highway is endangering the environment. The Forest and Wildlife Departments of Punjab and Himachal appear to be mute spectators and seem unable to tackle the situation.

A 15-km stretch of the highway from Chakksadhu in Hoshiarpur to Pandoga village in Una district virtually seems like a feeding zone for monkeys. Polythene bags and bread wrappers are scattered along the road, posing a serious threat to the ecological balance in this border area. Both Punjab and Himachal have imposed a ban on polythene.

Even though feeding monkeys has been banned by the Himachal Government, the forest authorities of Una don’t seem to be enforcing it. Devotees have been violating norms with impunity. Plastic has accumulated in gorges and choes along a 10-km section of the road, adding to the problem of soil erosion.

The Forest and Wildlife Departments of both states have hardly taken any step to control the menace. Neither of them has installed signboards, warning the devotees against feeding monkeys.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Bhupinder Singh, a conductor with Punjab Roadways, claimed that the population of monkeys had multiplied in the past 25 years. “I have been travelling on this route for the past 25 years. Their number was hardly 25-30 then, but now the place is teeming with them. They have also become a traffic hazard on this busy road,” he said.

Mr Rajiv Kumar, a devotee of Lord Hanuman, feels that feeding monkeys would bring him good fortune. When told that feeding monkeys not only made them incapable of looking for food, but also the plastic thrown by the devotees in the forest area was aggravating ecological imbalance, he simply replied: “That is the problem of the government, not ours.”

Some monkeys have lost their limbs while trying to grab food from under speeding vehicles.

Roshan Lal, a dhaba owner at Bankhandi village, has installed a wire mesh on windows and the gate to prevent the monkeys from coming in.

Pritam Singh of Pandoga village lamented that the monkeys had been playing havoc with crops in over 25 villages. Villagers have to burst crackers and pass sleepless nights to save their crop. “The population of the monkeys has gone up so much that the authorities seems helpless to tackle the menace,” villagers said.

The Divisional Forest Officer, Una, was unable for comments but Mr R.R. Kakkar, DFO, Hoshiarpur, said since the issue was related to religion, it was hard to solve the problem. He, however, said he would contact his counterpart in Una and evolve a strategy.

Signboards warning the public against feeding monkeys would also be put up along the highway, he added.

Amritsar, February 6
Sounding the Finance Ministry before the current budget session, traders sent a note to Mr Surinder Singla, state Finance Minister, on abolishing octroi said that the withdrawal of this tax would not affect the development.

Mr Amrit Lal Jain, president, Punjab Pardesh Beopar Mandal, said due to VAT and stamp duty the state had earned substantial revenue.

He said the ruling party had never laid a condition for alternative tax when it promised to abolish octroi. However, the state was earning considerable revenue through other levies leaving enough margin to withdraw the octroi.

The state Finance Commission, he said, recommended that 4 per cent of net proceeds from taxes should be given to local bodies for development.

In addition to these, the state could also work out levies on the pattern of the Delhi Government that imposes a toll tax of Rs 50 on taxi and Rs 100, Rs 250, Rs 500 as per the capacity of trucks/goods vehicles. This would generate added income and could substitute for the loss due to withdrawal of octroi.