Ludhiana, August 15
India is burning. The UPA government should either control or quit the seat of power. These remarks were made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while addressing a press conference after the state Independence Day function at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

He said, “Innocents are losing their lives in the wake of explicit communal tension in different parts of the country. The Centre is unconcerned and sits smugly even after bombs rock country streets”.

“Inflation is touching 13 per cent, which has no parallel in the past 30 years, and the finance minister says it can go up further. Widespread poverty, illiteracy and unemployment are a perfect breeding ground for Naxalites in the country. Act now or we might reach a situation of no return,” he said.

He said all deputy commissioners had been instructed to compensate everyone who lost any property or crop in floods, and, of course, all deaths would be compensated. "We are faced with certain old laws governing compensation. In case of certain shops which are flooded in Hoshiarpur, I am told the compensation does not work out to more than Rs 2,000, which is too paltry."

Reacting to the 21 per cent hike in pay for government officials by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Badal said, "Let us look into the details of the announcement and the possible steps here before any formal announcement."

“People from Punjab have not been given a fair deal by the Centre, which did not even appropriately react to a state lad bagging an Olympic gold. We did not even get a ‘nice job done’ message for unparalleled wheat harvest this year.” Punjab deserves a special economic zone status for farming activities in the state.

“Power is the biggest priority sector for my government and I assure all that the government will have a surplus before we quit office this time. The state has already launched a programme for 6,000 MW power in the coming couple of years. The major thermal projects include 1,980 MW at Talwandi Sabo, 1,320 MW at Rajpura, 2,000 MW at Gidderbaha, 1,200 MW at Mukerian.”

The Chief Minister honoured 33 personalities from different fields, including Gurpinder Singh and Amrit Pal Kaur, father and mother of Ishmeet Singh, the singer who lost his life recently, Pritam Singh Kumedan, vice-chancellor of Panjab University R.C. Sobti and noted poet Sardar Anjum.

The list also included Manmohan Singh, K.B.S. Sidhu, Randeep Singh Mann, Bhupinder Singh Randhawa, Sanjeev Goel, Vaid Jagjit Singh, Nachhatar Singh Barnala, Hari Singh Nabha, Parampal Singh, Gurdarshan Singh, Bhag Singh, P.R. Luthra, Dulcha Singh Brar, Harchand Singh, Sarwan Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Vinod Sharma, Rubina and Manjit Singh Jaggi.

The personalities honoured for their distinction in social services included Amarjit Agarwal, Harjit Singh Nerwal, Vajinder Singh, Sham Sunder Juneja, Surinder Kumar Goyal, Amarjit Kaur and Dr Milkha Singh.

Chandigarh, August 15
Moderate to heavy rain in Punjab over the past few days has inundated roads and made sewers to overflow. With flood-like situation everywhere it has almost paralysed normal life. Despite claims of “preparedness,” water logging has resulted in almost every posh locality of every town and city in the state. Epidemics like cholera and typhoid are threatening human life with “preventable” misery staring people in the face.

Municipal Corporations and other civic bodies have left people to the mercy of nature’s fury. There is hardly drainage worth its name in any town or city, while rural areas boast of none. Little has been done to clear choked drains, wherever they exist, while lack of proper waste disposal system has taken its toll on the frail drainage system.

Posh areas like Civil Lines in Ludhiana have up to a foot of water accumulating on the main roads, submerging many homes and businesses. The past two days has seen many girl and boys of Khalsa College wading they way back home with drenched clothes and wet books. Sunil Kumar of Salim Tabri said, “If a posh area with sewers have been flooded, you can imagine the plight of people living in low-lying areas like Salim Tabri.”

In a typical knee-jerk reaction, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has directed the chief secretary and the deputy commissioner to monitor the situation resulting from 72 hours of rain. But little has been done either by the SAD-BJP government now or by the previous Congress government to ensure proper drainage in the state. Realising the grip situation, Punjab is requesting the Army to aid the civil administration.

Roads in most towns and cities have damaged. In Ludhiana upper crust has been completely washed away from many roads. Roads have caved in at several places. Most importantly, at Leisure valley and Dugri and under the elevated road. The road under the elevated road has caved in twice near Ghanta Ghar Chowk raising serious questions on the safety of the area as well as the elevated road. Lack of proper drainage has led to inundating the deputy commissioner’s residence too.

In Jalandhar residents of several villages falling in Nakodar tehsil have been marooned due to overflowing water from Chitti Bein since yesterday. Villagers are holding Theekri Pheras along canals and water bodies in the night to keep an eye on the rising water levels. DC Ajeet Singh Pannu said a close watch was being kept on rising water levels.

Villages in Jalandhar district like Khunkhan, Uddopur, Talwandi Bharon and Mudh villages have been submerged in 40-ft deep water, at least 8-ft deep water has flown into Kang Sabo, Hamiri Khera and Fatehpura villages a little ahead.

Reports from Bathinda described the situation there to be grim with localities like Goniana Road, Power House Road, Mall Road, Sirki Bazaar, Navi Basti, etc, in knee-deep water due to a choked sewer. Ongoing construction in many areas has resulted in further accumulation of water in western part of the city, paralysing movement.

In Moga too, the claims of the Municipal Council have been exposed with a virtual flood-like situation in the absence of any proper drainage, which often led to the choking of the sewerage system. Even the residences of the district magistrate, executive officer of the MC and many government offices and residences of senior officials get flooded in water during the rains.

The water level in the Sutlej rose by 5 to 6 ft above normal this afternoon swallowing more than 50,000 acres of standing paddy crop along the 30-km stretch of land within its embankment areas in the district. No casualties were reported, however, hundreds of people from low-lying areas in a couple of villages had migrated to nearby safer places.

The standing paddy crop of thousands of residents of Sherewala, Sherpur Taiban, Sanghera, Rerhwan, Adraman, Shah Jalalpur, Bagge, Manjli and many other villages had been inundated in the flood water.Jagdish Singh, sarpanch of Manjli village, who was busy helping in strengthening the embankment of the river from vulnerable places, alleged that the district administration had not extended any help to local people to meet the challenges of heavy rainfall and flood.

People of Ferozepur have been equally harried due to the absence of any provision for disposal of rainwater. Many roads that were re-carpeted recently have been damaged. Roads from Udham Singh Chowk to Baghdadi Gate, Main Circular Road, Iechewala Road, roads near Piranwala Mohalla, Lohanran Bazaar, Amritsari Darwaza, Kasuri Gate, Zira Gate and even on the Mall Road have become ponds.

Patiala’s sewer system does not have the capacity to take the excess rain waters following which water enters houses of the residents. To make matters worse, the previous government, led by a Congress mayor, covered the ganda nullah, which passes through the middle of the town with concrete slabs as a result it cannot be cleaned and is now choked with polythene.

Areas like Khalsa Mohalla, bus stand, Sheranwala Gate, Gurbax Colony, Guru Nanak Nagar, Tripuri, Anardana Chowk, Lehal Colony and practically all areas falling within the precincts of the walled city turn into small lake after the slightest downpour, while this year has been particularly bad says Amarjit Kaur of Tripuri.

In Asia’s largest grain market at Khanna, the situation is pathetic. Water logging has resulted from most places, forcing the merchants to use water pumps to push out standing water. Large amount of stored grain has been destroyed here. In the city many other areas like Lalheri Road, GT Road, Book Market, Main Market, Railway Road, besides streets of a large number of colonies, including the Nandi Colony have been flooded.

(With inputs from Jupinderjit Singh, Deepkamal Kaur, Anil Jerath, Kulwinder Sandhu, Attar Singh and Gurdeep Mann)

Chandigarh, August 15
“Jis ke tufail mujhko meri zindagi mili, voh geet maine shayad ab tak likha nahin.,” feels the legendary lyricist and thinker, Padmabhushan Dr Sardar Anjum despite being at the epitome his literary prominence.

Anjum has over the years emerged as the poet of the masses. His creative poetry brings alive the ethos of the distressed, downtrodden and suppressed stratum of society.

On being conferred with the state honour by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at the Independence day celebrations held at Ludhiana, Anjum, though bestowed with 18 state-level awards, Padma shri (1991), Padmabhushan in 2005 and International Millennium Peace award by Hilary Clinton in 2000 regarded the instant honour as being close to his heart as a Punjabi.

Anjum, however retaining the citation, medal and shawl took the lead by donating the prize money for the ‘Ishmeet Singh Cultural Akademy’ being established in the memory of the prodigious singer.

Anjum later shared his views with the Tribune on diverse issues, which had labelled him as a rebel poet.

Anjum maintained that a writer blessed with a vision and urge for creative attitude, in fact, defines the country’s national psyche and symbolises its deepest desires and dreams.

When in the region the terrorism assumed threatening dimensions Anjum displayed an exemplary courage by making a TV serial ‘Goongi Twareekh’ on the sensitive theme. Anjum’s personal contribution in bringing harmony with neighbouring countries has been hailed at the state and Central government level. His ghazals are being sung by great maestros like Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota and Sony Company is soon releasing an album of his ghazals by singer Madhushree.

Chandigarh, August 15
In what could be seen an attempt to rebuild bridges in the Pradesh Congress, newly appointed Punjab Campaign Committee chairman and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today called on former minister Lal Singh, who is admitted in a Mohali hospital.

The ailing leader, who was operated upon yesterday for a growth in his urinary tract, was put in a piquant position, as Congress Legislature Party leader (CLP) Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, party acting president Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Campaign Committee convener Ashwani Sekhri and former minister Tej Prakash were sitting with him in his room when Amarinder came to visit him.

Amarinder came to visit Lal Singh with his supporters, including Talwandi Sabo legislator Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhy Randhawa.

While the visit by Bhattal was on expected lines, the fact that all senior Congress leaders chose to accompany her to visit Lal Singh is an indication of where their loyalties lay.

Lal Singh, who was aligned with Amarinder during the latter’s stint as Chief Minister, had also shifted base to the Bhattal camp in the past some months.

However, Amarinder’s visit has come as a surprise, as the relationship between the two leaders has hit rock bottom in the recent past. Lal Singh reacted angrily to a statement by Amarinder that he felt hurt that those for whom he did so much had turned away from him.

Lal Singh claimed Amarinder was junior to him and that he was loyal to the post of the Pradesh Congress chief and not to a particular personality while explaining why he was supporting Bhattal.

Lal Singh, when contacted, said Amarinder had come to ask about his welfare when Bhattal and others had also come to know his well-being. He said there was no political talk except that Amarinder had told him that he would visit him again once he became well.

Amarinder loyalist Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu said one should not read too much into the visit, as it was not political in nature.

Meanwhile, political observers said Amarinder commanded the support of a number of party legislators, mainly from the Malwa belt. They, however, said if Amarinder was to lead the party campaign effectively in the entire state, he needed the support of senior leaders who had been supporting Bhattal earlier and might now like to work under acting president Mohinder Kaypee rather than him if not convinced otherwise.

Amritsar, August 15
The BJP has been making inroads into Akali pockets, especially in the border belt of Amritsar district, as its supporters are joining the BJP creating a piquant situation for the alliance partner.

The BJP said the Akalis have tried to trample on democratic norms and were forcing handpicked sarpanches by abusing official machinery, including the police. This action of the ruling party had caused great resentment among independent Akali cadres.

More than 500 workers of the SAD, the Congress, the BSP and Communists with their family members have joined the BJP in view of the parliamentary elections next year. In Ajnala sector many panches of the SAD and the Congress have joined the party along with their supporters.

Addressing separate meetings in Gharinda and Ajnala areas of the district on Sunday evening, health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said the country from Attari to Kanyakumari was coming under the banner of the BJP. She said she was proud of people of this border area who had joined the party. She said this was for the first time when people of the border areas had joined the party in large numbers. She said a majority of the people who had joined had done so due to highhandedness of the SAD during elections to Panchayati Raj institutions.

Announcing Rs 2 lakh from her personal funds for various development projects at Riar Chawla village she asked the sarpanches to initiate development projects in the villages without bias. People were yet to enjoy the fruits of Independence, she rued.

Attari, August 15
In a rare gesture of reciprocation, hundreds of Pakistani peaceniks lined up at the zero line for the first time in the past 14 years to exchange candles to celebrate the independence of India and Pakistan jointly here late last night.

A group of 50 persons led by Kuldeep Nayar, Rajinder Sachar, Parvez Malik, Manzoor Alam and others carried the ritual of lighting candles and walking in a procession from the customs gate to the zero line shouting slogans “Hind-Pak dosti zindabad” which was reciprocated by shouts from across the zero line and electrified the atmosphere in a gesture of bonhomie and comradeship.

Prominent leaders from Pakistan Chaudhary Manzoor Ahmad and human rights activist Asma Jehangir were among the group which greeted the Indian nationals accompanied by a 28-member Pakistan delegation led by Manu Bhai and Parvez Malik and their families from across the border.

The father figure of this Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, Kuldeep Nayar, described this move as an opening of a new chapter in the history of Indo-Pak relations which had seen many good and bad phases, but hastened to add that he was optimistic that this historic occasion would herald a new chapter in the subcontinent as people wanted peace and harmony.

The only discordant note in this candlelight vigil bonhomie was that the Pakistan Rangers did not open the gates on their side while India showed its magnanimity by allowing Nayar, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, mayor Shwet Malik and a few more people to move towards the zero line to exchange candles and greetings. Mediapersons from this side of the border were not allowed by the BSF authorities to move with peaceniks up to the zero line.

Sidhu said Nayar had provided an excellent platform for forging unity among people of both nations. He said leaders from both counties must take an initiative to resolve differences .

Celebrating his birthday on Pakistan’s Independence Day, charismatic journalist Nayar expressed satisfaction over the move started 14 years ago and said the love and affection from people had given him enough enthusiasm to continue his march for generating goodwill among the two neighbours.

There was also an overwhelming crowd at the cultural festival organised by the peaceniks of Pakistan across the border. As per the telephonic conversation with folk singer Hans Raj Hans there were traffic jams on the Lahore-Wagah road. He said huge posters were displayed on the 23-km route depicting unity between people of the two countries.

Amritsar, August 15
History was created when the Hind-Pak Dosti Manch organised a Punjabi cultural programme on both sides of the Radcliffe Line to mark the Independence Day of both India and Pakistan on Thursday evening.

The culturally rich items gave a taste of real composite Punjabi culture. It gave an impression that both Punjabs (East and West) had become one entity once again after 61 years of Partition. There was an overwhelming crowd on the Pakistani side with reported traffic jams on the Lahore-Wagah road.

Hans Raj Hans sang his best notes from across the border. Pakistani singer Aamir Bakshi Khan gave his performance in the grain market of Attari.

The poem of noted Punjabi poet from India, Surjit Pattar, “Jaga de mombattian, eh tan ethe wagdian hi rehnia pouna kuppattian” (Let us light the candles; without caring the hostile air) rendered by Pakistani artiste Aamir Bashir Khan, heralded the annual candlelight vigil festival on the Indo-Pak joint check-post.

Bashir said the candlelight vigil was called “Mombattian Da Mela” (festival of candles) in Pakistan.

Indian singer Salim Akhtar’s moving voice with classical variations left the audience spellbound when he sang “Sade nalon change ne janour ve hamidia; jehde binan visa jande ne Lahore ve hamidia” (the birds are luckier than human beings who can visit Lahore without visa).

The Wadali brothers and Harbhajan Mann also captivated the audience.

Aamir, a famous Pakistani vocalist, specially came here on the invitation by the Hind-Pak Dosti Manch (HPDM). He said the artistes from Pakistan had been looking forward to this show with great enthusiasm.

Veteran journalist Kuldeep Nayar, the moving spirit behind the HPDM, said it was perhaps for the first time that Pakistan top intellectuals, eminent media personalities, artistes and politicians participated in a similar candlelight function.

Parvez Malik, a close confidant of former PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif is regular participant in the candlelight festivities.

Patiala August 15
The much-publicised recruitment of 147 doctors by the Punjab Health Department virtually got a set back with the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) throwing a spanner in the wheel by raising certain major objections to the health department’s recruitment proposal.

Interestingly, the health department, it was learnt, had not clarified its position in respect to the PPSC raised objections so far, which indicated the alleged “lackadaisical” approach of the department towards recruitment of doctors. These doctors, it was learnt, were primarily being recruited to fill the void in the health sector in rural areas of Punjab.

The Punjab Health Department had asked the PPSC to recruit as many as 147 doctors around three months back. After examining the request thoroughly, the PPSC raised at least six objections. The major objection of the PPSC, it was learnt, was pertaining to lack of clarity about qualification of the doctors to be recruited.

The health department, according to sources, was keen to recruit those specialists as doctors who were armed with MD degrees, but, in contrast the existing PPSC norms stipulated that the basic qualification for recruitment of the doctors was an MBBS degree.

The commission felt that either it had to change the rules or the recruitments could be challenged in the court, in case these were made as per the qualification stipulated by the health department. On the other hand, the health department, it was learnt, had neither resorted to division of posts in the light of existing reservation rules nor it had specified the number of posts. Sources pointed out that though the PPSC had raised its objections, yet the health department exhibited no interest as certain quarters in the department was said to be keen to get the vacant positions recruited by the department itself.

Patiala, August 15
There is resentment among Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) diploma engineers against delay in filling of vacancies available in 5 per cent promotion quota for removal of under-employment among them.

Gursharan Singh and S.S. Gill, president and general secretary, respectively, of the PSEB Diploma Engineers Association, said qualification-based promotion quota were available for under-employed diploma engineers from 1970 to 1986 to the extent of 33 per cent which was diverted from direct recruitment share. This qualification-based quota was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1986 following which the board had withdrawn this promotion quota.

However, the Supreme Court overruled its earlier judgement and held that such classification on the basis of qualification was not bad. But during the 10 years, from 1986 to 1996, fate of underemployed diploma holders remained sealed. Later, the board management agreed to restore the promotion quota in 1996 to the extent of only 20 per cent, while promotion quota meant for other category of linemen was also enchanced from 33 to 40 per cent

The board later made it mandatory for JE (electrical) that such posts were to be filled by conducting departmental test. However, linemen other than diploma holders were also made eligible to appear in this test and this quota was enhanced to 30 per cent with further relaxation in experience just to accommodate them.

It is quite understandable that those on the verge of retirement can hardly compete with younger elements. So the association sought a separate promotion quota for diploma holders.

The board constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the secretary of the board in 2004 which recommended 5 per cent promotion quota for underemployed diploma holders and it was granted by the board in May 2005. But still this was not acceptable to some already over-privileged employees of the PSEB and upon their resistance the board modified earlier orders to the extent that 5 per cent promotion quota granted for underemployed diploma holders would be drawn from direct recruitment quota lying in the open instead of the quota already diverted from direct recruitment for promotion through test.

The association further informed that more than 900 posts of JE (electrical) were vacant for some years. Existing JEs are being overburdened and consumer service is deteriorating day by day.

The association demanded the filling of about 100 posts in the promotion share of underemployed diploma holder linemen at the earliest. Further, 30 per cent promotion quota which was still kept for department test to adjust underemployed diploma holders should be diverted to direct recruitment share as it has become redundant for these underemployed diploma engineers, Moreover, young diploma holders must be inducted through direct recruitment to give new look to all supervising staff in the PSEB keeping in view technological advancement and consumer service. 

Ludhiana, August 15
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has decided to plead strongly before the Sessions Court, Ludhiana, for framing charges against former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, one of the accused in the alleged multi-crore City Centre scam, at the earliest.

The case is fixed for tomorrow.

The case has got importance after the bouncing back of Capt Amarinder Singh in the Congress party as in charge of the campaign committee constituted in view of the coming parliamentary elections.

Sources in the Vigilance Bureau said they would make strong pleas in the court of Sessions Judge G.K.Rai for framing charges against Captain Amarinder Singh and all other accused chargesheeted in the scam for starting trial.

The VB had filed challan against 36 accused on December 12, 2007. After the scrutiny of challan containing more than 20,000 pages, the court had summoned all accused on January 10, 2008. But the charges have not be framed till today.

Sources in the prosecution department said the accused were making efforts to delay the start of the trial due to one reason or other.

According to the sources, now the accused, especially managing directors, directors and officials of Today Homes Company, were delaying the case on the pretext of giving suitable time for inspecting the complete challan filed by the VB. But they can not be allowed to delay the proceedings of the case for years on the pretext of inspecting the file.

A large number of Congress leaders who have never reached court complex to meet Capt Amarinder Singh in this case were likely to come to court for showing their faces to Amarinder, as he has become the centre-point in the state Congress. 

Chandigarh, August 15
Acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) against the continuation of tainted police officers on key positions, a Division Bench headed by Justice J.S. Khehar has expressed opinion that Punjab was not taking up the matter seriously.

As the petition came up for hearing, Punjab sought four months time for filing the reply. The Bench has fixed December 10 as the next date of hearing.

Another Bench, headed by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill, had previously ruled the petition pertained to the implementation of Section 13 and 15 of the Punjab Police Act, which mandated the removal of charge-sheeted officers.

The Bench had added that the petition should be treated as a public interest litigation after taking appropriate orders from the Chief Justice.