Nawanshahr, March 31
While allaying the apprehension prevailing among the employees about privatisation of ITIs, chief parliamentary secretary for technical education and industrial training Bikram Singh Khalsa categorically said no ITI in the state was being privatised.

Rather, the ITIs were being converted into centres of excellence (CoEs) to equip them with the training facilities for the youth as per the requirements of the industry. A sum of Rs 38 crore has been earmarked in the budget for the purpose, he said.

Khalsa expressed his resentment over lack of security arrangements during his visit to the local ITI on Monday. He said though the district administration was informed about the visit three days ago, neither proper arrangements had been made nor any senior official was present there.

Deputy commissioner Gurpal Singh Bhatti could not be contacted and ADC Pritam Singh Johal was to retire that day. However, later SDM Upkar Singh reached the site. He apologised for the lapse and assured that he would inquire into the matter, Khalsa said.

He conducted an inspection of the ITI and interacted with the students to take stock of the progress of various training courses.

Jalandhar, March 31
A non-resident Indian (NRI) was arrested on Monday for impersonating a senior police officer. Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who hails from Ghurka village in Jalandhar, was nabbed from an area falling under Goraya police station.

Talking to mediapersons, SP (D) PBS Parmar said Sandhu used to pose as SP and order police officers, including Phillaur DSP RS Sohal and Goraya SHO Kailash Chandra, to provide him security during his visit to their areas or face consequences.

As many as 100 stamps of various police and administrative officers, including those of Punjab DGP and Phillaur SDM were recovered from the accused. A fake ID card, which shows Sandhu in an SP’s uniform, has been also seized by the cops.

Besides, 10 passports, two mobile phones, a dozen SIM cards, two walkie- talkie sets, were also recovered during a raid at his residence.

An NRI from North America, Sandhu used to frequently visit India posing as a big businessman, the SP said, adding that the police also suspects his involvement in human trafficking. We are expecting more revelations during the interrogation, further said the officer.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Sandhu at Goraya police station. Sohal and CIA in charge inspector Harinder Singh were also present in the press conference.

Jalandhar, March 31
The parents of children studying in Sanskriti KMV School on Monday held a protest, demanding rollback of hike in fee and transportation charges brought into effect without any prior notice.

The parents claimed that the monthly fee for most of the classes has been increased by 30 to 40 per cent whereas transportation charges too had been hiked by 10 to 15 per cent.

They further alleged that when they met the principal Nisha Bhardwaj in this connection she behaved rudely with them. Sanjiv Sharma, whose kid is in class IV, said, “We’ve been paying Rs 750 as monthly fee. Now, the management has increased it to Rs 1,000.”

Preeti Sehgal, another parent, claimed that the school has failed to make any major improvement in infrastructure. “So hiking the fee is totally unjustified since we are already spending so much on our ward’s education. This will put an additional burden on us,” she rued. The parents also jointly submitted a memorandum to the management members, asking them to give a personal hearing to their problems. The memorandum bears the signatures of nearly 25 parents. Efforts to contact the school administration remained unfruitful. 

Jalandhar, March 31
The Punjab government has decided to convert two Doaba villages, Appra (Jalandhar) and Talwara (Hoshiarpur), into towns.

This was confirmed by local government deputy director Vinay Bublani. He said the recommendations and meetings for converting Appra and Talwara villages into towns have been completed, whereas the project of Behram was still under consideration.

Bublani said, “The official formalities for these two proposed nagar panchayats are almost completed and the department is waiting for the final nod from the government.” After the formation of nagar panchayats, the villages would be divided into 13 wards for the developmental works, he added.

The deputy director said the status of town would usher in a new era of development as local taxes such as house taxes, tehbazaari, water and sewerage charges, advertisement tax, shop licensing and building plan fees would be collected.

“Villages of Appra and Talwara fulfilled the requisite conditions like population and per capita income for getting nagar panchayats and therefore recommendations were made to the local government department,” he said, adding that the case of Behram was still in the pipeline.

Bublani said Jalandhar deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu-led three member committee had almost completed all the formalities for Appra and Talwara.

“Last year a committee headed by the Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner had submitted a report recommending town status for Talwara village as it had a population of 22,584 and was eligible to get a nagar panchayat,” he added.

Dasuya MLA Amarjit Singh Sohi, the man behind the move, said, “I am not aware of the present status of this project. But I am happy that my aim to provide civic amenities, including street lights, sewerage, roads and hospitals, to the villagers was being fulfilled”.

“It was during the inauguration of a mobile court at Talwara that the chief minister had promised me to give a nagar council to my constituency.

After I receive a notification in this regard, I will try to get new sewerage and water supply lines laid in Talwara,” Sohi said, adding that the proposed nagar panchayat would easily generate revenue through local measures.

Hoshiarpur, March 31
Ahmed Fraz Khan, a reporter of Daily Dawn, an English newspaper being published from Pakistan, said the people of Pakistan were delighted with 
the restoration of democracy in the country after a long period.

They had franchised their right to vote for electing a democratic government and had now high hopes from the new Prime Minister. Khan, who visited Hoshiarpur along with an eight-member delegation of farmers of Pakistan yesterday, said though there were some stray incidents of violence before the recent elections in Pakistan, there was a peaceful transfer of power and restoration of democracy.

People were fed up with the long period of army rule and wanted democracy, he claimed.

More than 90 per cent roads, including link roads in rural areas, had already been completed in the country, but it was still lagging in development in other sectors.

The new government led by Yousaf Gillani had to face problems to bring the country on the right track, Khan said and hoped that President Pervez Musharraf would not reimpose army rule as he was no more an army chief now.

He pointed out that only sincere efforts by the leaders of the two countries could bring the people nearer to each other which could be beneficial for them.

Answering a question, Ahmed Fraz Khan said the prices of various edibles like wheat flour, rice and pulses were much high in Pakistan as compared with the prices of these commodities in India.

Jalandhar, March 31
Health services across the state are likely to be affected as the contract of nearly
250 multi-purpose health workers deployed in government dispensaries, which expires on Monday, has not been renewed.

The workers discharging their duties with the department of reproductive child health scheme decided on Monday to launch an agitation under the banner of the Sehat Mulazam Ekta Manch. The members will hold a march outside the office of director, health services, in Chandigarh on April 2.

Convener Harinder Singh Dosanjh said the health workers conducted the crucial task of mingling with a community comprising 10,000 persons, making them aware of various epidemics, family planning schemes, polio vaccination schedule, TB and other fatal diseases. They also took the people to dispensaries or the civil hospital.

President Kulwant Singh said the workers had been demanding that nearly 1,000 vacant posts of health workers be filled as well. They said they had recently held a dharna in front of the residence of health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla in this connection. He said they were being maltreated despite the best of their efforts.

Batala, March 31
Minister for information and public relations, water supply and sanitation Bikram Singh Majithia inaugurated the Royal Institute of Nursing Jaito Sarja village, 7 km from here. Dr Joan Botterf, dean of heath and science faculty, and Dr Joan Bassett Smith, director, School of Nursing (both from the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Canada), were the guest of honour.

The institute was started by the Global Education and Charitable Trust.

Both the Canadian women gave details of the nursing profession. It was no more a profession for girls only, but gents were also joining it in several countries, they said.

Majithia further said at present nurses are very much needed in the foreign countries and this profession is highly appreciated in these counties than India.

Majithia said those who got degrees from this nursing college could go abroad because the institute had got affiliation with the University of Columbia. — OC

Hoshiarpur, March 31
To solve the cases of NRIs on priority, the Punjab government has set up a special department and instructed all the deputy commissioners and SSPs in the state to dispose of their cases immediately.

This was disclosed by Punjab minister for cooperative Capt Kanwaljit Singh while addressing a public gathering at Akalgarh village here. The minister was at the village to inaugurate the fourth free medical checkup camp organised by NRIs of the area in memory of late Mohinder Singh Gill.

Appreciating the efforts made by the NRIs, Capt Kanawaljit said the state government had started matching the grants contributed by the NRIs for the development of their villages. Earlier, NRIs were sharing 50 per cent of the expenses, but under the present scheme they would be required to contribute only 35 per cent of the share. The rest would be borne by the state government, he added. Criticising the waiving of loans, the minister alleged that it was bullying tactics adopted by the UPA government for wining cheap popularity. He said only 22 per cent of the defaulter farmers of Punjab would benefit from the scheme. Punjab minister for social welfare department Swarna Ram said more than 1,500 complaints had been received from all over the state regarding the misuse of money by sarpanchs under the pension scheme.

He said the pensioners would now get the money directly through banks. Chequebooks were being issued to the aged and infirm beneficiaries for withdrawing pensions. — OC

Hoshiarpur, March 31
A student union leader Manu Sharma, in a press release here, criticised the role of the Indian government on the recent developments in Tibet.

The use of indiscriminate violence by the Chinese armed forces to forcibly crush the voice of the people of Tibet is a serious development, said the release. The entire global community has begun to voice its apprehension about the manner in which force is being used against the protestors.

The anguish and suffering of Tibet and its people, eloquently expressed by the Dalai Lama in pain imbued words, is a call to the conscience of humanity.

The Indian government, instead of expressing concern against the use of force by the Chinese government, is adopting a degrading policy of blatant appeasement towards China with scant regard to the country's national honour and foreign policy independence.

He added that India must give voice to its concerns correctly, unequivocally and unambiguously.