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Badals’ cavalcade forces Lahore bus to change course
Jalandhar, February 16
The high VVIP movement in the city today not only created traffic hassles for the residents but also led to the diversion of the Delhi-bound “Sada-e-Sarhad” bus.


Delhi-bound Sada-e-Sarhad waits for the opening of DAV railway crossing on a diverted route in Jalandhar on Saturday. Delhi-bound Sada-e-Sarhad waits for the opening of DAV railway crossing on a diverted route in Jalandhar on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Pawan Sharma

Together We Stand
Alliance partners to decide on subsidies: CM
Jalandhar, February 16
Reacting to the pre-Budget speculations that the Punjab government would withdraw the subsidies, including free power supply to the agricultural sector, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the decision on the issue of subsidy would be taken at the joint meeting of the ruling alliance partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP.



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Job Blues
Rural doctors put forward grievances
Jalandhar, February 16
The association of rural health officers of Punjab said its delegation met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh a few days back and apprised him of the problems related to their working conditions at subsidiary health centres across the state.

For 17 yrs degree delay kept him on tenterhooks
Jalandhar, February 16
It took this Gurdaspur resident 17 years to realise his engineering dream. Naresh Kumar, who enrolled for the B. Tech degree at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, in 1990, finally received his degree just two months back.

Slight rise in night temp
Jalandhar, February 16
After a spell of cold weather conditions, Punjab witnessed a slight rise in the night temperature.

More power trouble for industry
Jalandhar, February 16
The news is not good for entrepreneurs in the Jalandhar circle. The Punjab State Electricity Board has ordered that instead of one weekly off day for general industry and furnaces, there will be two such offs every week within the circle.

Hoshiarpur delimitation unjust, says PPCC secy
Hoshiarpur, February 16
Sharply reacting to the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India (DCoI) in its notification regarding the proposed abolition of the Garhdiwala (SC) segment, PPCC secretary Jasbir Singh Pal alleged that Punjab chief parliamentary secretary Des Raj Dhugga, who is representing the constituency, had miserably failed in protecting the interests of the people of the area.

Dasuya seeks ‘Swaraj’
Hoshiarpur, February 16
Resentment prevails among the inhabitants of Dasuya and its surrounding areas against the northern railway authorities for not providing a stoppage of train 2471Up and 2472Dn Swaraj Express at Dasuya railway station despite repeated requests.

Rural employment scheme for all from April: Brahmpura
Amritsar, February 16
The national rural employment guarantee scheme being implemented in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr districts would be extended to all districts of the state from April, minister for rural development and panchayat Ranjit Singh Brahmpura stated this here today.





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Badals’ cavalcade forces Lahore bus to change course
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16
The high VVIP movement in the city today not only created traffic hassles for the residents but also led to the diversion of the Delhi-bound “Sada-e-Sarhad” bus.

The bus that usually passes from the city outskirts had to move from within the city, passing through two level crossings on the old GT Road before moving towards PAP Chowk.

The bus was following its normal route via Amritsar highway when a heavy traffic due to the visit of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal forced the bus to move back and take a detour from within the city across the Bidhipur and DAV College level crossing.

Citing security reasons for the same, SP (traffic) Rakesh Kaushal said the bus had to be diverted because of heavy traffic in the city and a dharna by residents of Bhagat Singh Colony.

Both the father-son VVIPs with their huge cavalcades, including Z-plus security, officials of the local administration, local MLAs and party workers zoomed past the city, creating traffic bottlenecks for the commuters from wherever they were scheduled to pass.

Sukhbir’s schedule included a visit to the Radisson hotel, a condolence meeting at the residence of former MP Balbir Singh on Cool Road, a meeting at Model Town gurdwara and another one at Circuit House.

The CM too first arrived at PAP helipad and then went to Cool Road for the condolence and headed to Oxford Hospital to see an ailing SGPC member.

Kaushal pointed out that the quantum of traffic in the city had increased so much that even if the traffic was halted for 15 minutes, it became difficult to manage it for the next half-an-hour.

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Together We Stand
Alliance partners to decide on subsidies: CM

Jalandhar, February 16
Reacting to the pre-Budget speculations that the Punjab government would withdraw the subsidies, including free power supply to the agricultural sector, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the decision on the issue of subsidy would be taken at the joint meeting of the ruling alliance partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP.

“We will take the decision on subsidies in the forthcoming coordination committee’s meeting of both the ruling alliance parties and after that the decision on the issue will be put before the Cabinet for a final decision,” said Badal, who was here to visit the residence of former MP Balbir Singh who recently died.

Asked whether new taxes would be levied in the forthcoming state Budget, Badal denied to reveal the details and said, “Everything will be clear in the Budget only.”

Criticising the Union government for its decision to hike the prices of petrol and diesel, Badal said the issue would be raised at the proposed rally of the BJP-SAD combine scheduled to be held on February 26 at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi.

The other issues to be raised at the rally included denial of a financial package to farmers of Punjab who contribute more than 70 per cent to the central poll of foodgrain, discrimination against Punjab in not extending any special concession to its industry which was suffering because of the concessions given to the neighbouring states of HP and Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre’s attempt to weaken the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), Badal added.

Asked about his comments on the ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Sikhs were not in minority in Punjab, Badal denied to comment on the issue as it was sub-judice and said, “I just want to say that judiciary should have taken the sentiments of Sikhs also into confidence before taking any decision on the issue.” — PTI

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Job Blues
Rural doctors put forward grievances
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16
The association of rural health officers of Punjab said its delegation met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh a few days back and apprised him of the problems related to their working conditions at subsidiary health centres across the state.

The delegation said it discussed with him the problems related to insufficient medicines, irregularities in crediting of monthly salaries, insecurity in the mind of doctors related to renewal of their contract and their exploitation by officials of various departments related with them.

Dr Parveen Singla, president, said the doctors had not received their salaries for the past three months and those who were sole earners were facing a lot of problems.

They pointed out that at the time when contracts had been signed, there was no treaty regarding payment to paramedics and class IV employees.

But they said now they had been told to pay an amount of Rs 5,000 per month to a paramedic and Rs 2,500 to a class IV employee out of their own remuneration which, they said, was unfair.

The members claimed the CM assured them of a solution to their problems.

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For 17 yrs degree delay kept him on tenterhooks
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16
It took this Gurdaspur resident 17 years to realise his engineering dream. Naresh Kumar, who enrolled for the B. Tech degree at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, in 1990, finally received his degree just two months back.

Talking to The Tribune, Naresh said, “I got myself registered (number 90EL110) in Panjab University, Chandigarh. But I have received a degree from Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, just two months back.”

Naresh, who joined as a lecturer in a government polytechnic after receiving the degree, believes that it was partly his fault for inordinate delay and the rest of the PTU as the university was unable to match his documents transferred by PU.

“I took to studies in 1992 and finished two semesters. However, I could not appear for the next ones as I remained ill for a long time. I then appeared under PTU and finished the course in 2002. Since then I have been taking regular rounds of the university asking officials to award my degree,” pointed out Kumar.

Describing his woes, Naresh said, “It was very tough without degree. I was left with no other option but to join my father’s business which he started after his retirement.” But now, he said, he had made up his mind to concentrate on his job which he got after a prolonged wait.

Well his case is not lone. PTU dean (examination) Dr N.P. Singh, said there were 225 such cases which had been lingering on for more than a decade. These include students from the GNE, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Longowal and a few other institutes.

He said, “During that time, the students were not bound to complete their course in a limited timeframe and were open to complete it as per their will. So, they took it leisurely.”

The dean pointed out that the problem in awarding degrees to such students enrolled in early 1990s amplified as there were many technical wrangles.

“Such students had done some part of the course from Panjab University and the remaining from PTU because after inception of PTU in 1997 most of the technical colleges were affiliated to it. Besides, most of these cases involve a long gap period,” he added.

According to sources, even chief parliamentary secretary for technical education Bikramjit Singh Khalsa took keen interest in resolving such cases. Interestingly, even he was a B.Tech passout from the GNE, Ludhiana, in 1990s.

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Slight rise in night temp

Jalandhar, February 16
After a spell of cold weather conditions, Punjab witnessed a slight rise in the night temperature.

According to a defence spokesperson, the minumum temperature recorded at Admapur Air Force Station, near here, was 3.6°C.

The holy city of Amritsar was cold at 3.2°C. The night temperature at Halwara Air Force Station, near Ludhiana, hovered at 6 degrees.

In the border town of Pathankot, the minumum increased to 7.8 degees celsius from yesterday’s 6.6°C, while in Bathinda, the night temperature recorded was 6.6 degrees.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh registered a steep hike in the minimum temperature. It was 9.4°C as against yesterday’s 6 degrees. — UNI

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More power trouble for industry
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16
The news is not good for entrepreneurs in the Jalandhar circle. The Punjab State Electricity Board has ordered that instead of one weekly off day for general industry and furnaces, there will be two such offs every week within the circle.

The order that comes into force with immediate effect states that the weekly offs will be on Sundays and Mondays. Presently, Sunday was the off day for all units.

The power position is such that SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, who was in the city today, pointed out that the situation will only improve after three years when some of the power projects go on steam.

The industry has been crying hoarse that their losses were mounting with each off day and if the situation persisted they would be forced to shift to other states.

The entrepreneurs had marked their displeasure on frequent power cuts by staging a dharna on Friday.

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Hoshiarpur delimitation unjust, says PPCC secy
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, February 16
Sharply reacting to the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India (DCoI) in its notification regarding the proposed abolition of the Garhdiwala (SC) segment, PPCC secretary Jasbir Singh Pal alleged that Punjab chief parliamentary secretary Des Raj Dhugga, who is representing the constituency, had miserably failed in protecting the interests of the people of the area.

Jasbir, who unsuccessfully contested as the Congress candidate in the last assembly elections from Garhdiwala (SC), said here on Saturday that with the proposed abolishment of this segment, its areas would be merged with Shamchaurasi (SC), the new proposed constituency Urmur and the Dasuya segments.

“It is the most backward segment of Punjab. People residing here have common problems. The Kandi area is the worst hit. Here inhabitants are still deprived of basic facilities such as paved rural roads, drinking water supply, health and education, etc,” said Jasbir Singh Pal.

With the abolishment of the Garhdiwala (SC) segment, around 87,000 electorate would be included in Shamchaurasi, 66,000 in Urmur and 48,000 in Dasuya segments. With this division the electorate would lose their separate identities and collective voice in the state assembly. They will have to face three separate representatives for their work.

A lot of resentment prevailed among the electorate against these recommendations of the DCoI, claimed Jasbir Singh Pal. He urged the DCoI chairman to reconsider the proposal of the abolition of the Garhdiwala segment, failing which the people would launch an agitation.

However, Des Raj Dhugga claimed that the proposed abolition of the Garhdiwala segment was in the interest of the people.

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Dasuya seeks ‘Swaraj’
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, February 16
Resentment prevails among the inhabitants of Dasuya and its surrounding areas against the northern railway authorities for not providing a stoppage of train 2471Up and 2472Dn Swaraj Express at Dasuya railway station despite repeated requests.

In a representation to railway minister Laloo Parsad Yadav, former member of the northern railway advisory committee Tulsi Raj Jagga said people of the area had been running from pillar to post since 2003 for the provision of a stoppage of the train at Dasuya railway station.

Dasuya railway station is situated exactly on the centre of Jalandhar-Pathankot railway section of 112 Km and there is no stoppage of this train in this section. A big army unit, 18 field ammunition depot (18 FAD), is located at a distance of hardly 3 km from the DRC.

With the stoppage of this train, people in 30-km radius of Dasuya railway station and the adjoining area of Himachal Pradesh would be benefited.

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Rural employment scheme for all from 
April: Brahmpura

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 16
The national rural employment guarantee scheme being implemented in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Nawanshahr districts would be extended to all districts of the state from April, minister for rural development and panchayat Ranjit Singh Brahmpura stated this here today.

He was here to chair a meeting of legislators and block development officers of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran.

He instructed the officers to chalk out plans at the grass-roots level to be implemented with the help of grants from the Centre under the rural employment guarantee scheme.

He asked them to identify areas to be covered under the scheme. After receiving the project reports, the Punjab government would put them before the Centre for the required grants.

The administrative charge of villages where sarpanches were recently suspended for irregularities had been given to the block-level officials, he added.

Out of the grant received from the Centre, the government had sanctioned grants of Rs 2.86 crore for Amritsar, Rs 2.79 crore for Gurdaspur and Rs 1.24 crore for Tarn Taran, he added.

Brahmpura distributed cheques worth Rs 6.90 crore among MLAs from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran for various development projects.

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