Pathankot, November 20
Even as Congress councillor Anil Vij was elected president of the local municipal council today, factionalism in the party came to the fore prominently.

The BJP, which had suffered a major setback in the council elections held about five months ago when its candidates could win 10 seats out of total 33 seats, suffered yet another jolt as its two councillor supported Vij by raising their hands in his favour during the election.

Earlier, the name of Congress councillor Gopal Mahajan was proposed for the post of president. Minutes later, a section of Congress councillors proposed the name of Vij for the post.

Though senior congress leadership was in favour of Mahajan, Vij got elected with the support of three independent municipal councillors and two BJP councillors. Out of total 25 councillors, who participated in the election, 14 supported Vij. SDM Abhinav Trikha presided over the meeting.

In the 33-member House, the BJP, which claims the town to be its stronghold, has only 10 members while the Congress has 20 members. The remaining three members are independent.

The council had been headless for the past five months as the authorities concerned had dilly-dallied on the elections to the posts of president and vice-president.

Differences in the Congress led to the election of Soma Devi, an independent, to the post of vice-president.

Satish Sahni, president of the local unit of the BJP, while admitting the fact that Mann Singh and Gulshan Kumar of the party had supported Vij, said he had written to state party president Rajinder Bhandari to take action against them.

Amritsar, November 20
Following Punjab and Haryana High Court directions to remove encroachments on government lands, especially hospitals, dispensaries, schools etc, the Municipal Corporation yesterday formed an enforcement and monitoring committee (EMC) to avoid probable contempt proceedings.

The court has ordered, “If a public-spirited person notices that an encroachment is not being removed and/or allowed to take place in connivance with employees, authorities or Municipal Corporation councillors, he/she shall be at liberty to institute contempt of court proceedings against such a person and/or municipal authorties for their act of wilful and deliberate disobedience of the directions”.

In his orders here yesterday, MC commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, by taking suo-motu action, had taken a very serious view of encroachments by individuals and institutions on government land. The commissioner of other corporations of the state would also constitute EMCs in the coming days to clear and monitor encroachments on government land.

Kharbanda added that while issuing directions for removing these encroachments, the court had directed the state of Punjab to take a conscious policy decision for removal/regularisation of encroachments made on public land. However, all MCs had been directed to constitute and notify the EMCs. He said necessary action would be taken by the municipal authorties. The corporation would be bound to locate encroachment-prone areas.

Deputy commissioner K.S.Pannu said the district administration would launch a drive to clear encroachments from all government property and public land as per the direction of the high court.

The EMC, constituted by the commissioner, would be headed by Jasbir Singh, additional commissioner, while D.P. Bhardwaj, assistant commissioner, Lashman Dass, SE, S.S. Bhatia, MTP, Charnjit Singh and Vishal Wadhawan, Estate Officer, will be members.

Jalandhar, November 20
Dismissing reports regarding talks with the SAD or any other party for electoral alliance in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab as “absurd”, president of the Punjab unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Avtar Singh Karimpuri today announced the names of party candidates for six Lok Sabha constituencies. Candidates for the remaining seven seats will be declared in the next few weeks.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Karimpuri, who was recently elected as Member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, said the SAD leader, Parkash Singh Badal, was in the habit of spreading word regarding talks for electoral alliance with the BSP. Badal had been using the card (of talks with the BSP) for political bargaining with the BJP. “I am making it clear that the BSP will not enter into an alliance with any political party in Punjab”, said Karimpuri.

Punjab was unsafe in the hands of the SAD-BJP government that was selling its precious assets such as valuable properties to favourites, he said. “This will be made an election issue by the BSP,” said Karimpuri.

On what basis has Badal proposed to hold a Dalit rally when his government did nothing for them, he said. The Mayawati government had waived loans worth Rs 120 crore advanced by the Scheduled Caste Corporation in Uttar Pradesh whereas Punjab had not given any relief to the SCs. He said Punjab and the Union Government should waive all outstanding loans against the SCs and Backward Classes.

“The Badal government had treated educated youth shabbily and exploited them. Qualified BEd youths had been given jobs at a salary of a mere Rs 5,500 per month,” he asserted.

He said the Punjab unit of the BSP would make its contribution towards making Mayawati the next Prime Minister. While Mayawati was creating social harmony in the country by bringing different communities on one platform, the UPA and the NDA alliance were creating divisions among people in the name of religion caste and states. People had seen the Congress and the BJP governments at the Centre during the past 61 years; now they should be given a chance to have Mayawati serve them, said Karimpuri. He said from November 23, functions would be held in all districts-first at Hoshiarpur- by the BSP to thank Mayawati for making him member of the Rajya Sabha and to take an oath not to rest till she was made Prime Minister of the country. Punjab was high on the agenda of Mayawati; because of that reason she chose to get him elected for the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, he said.

Meanwhile, the BSP’s candidate for Jalandhar will be Surjit Singh, former divisional forest officer, for Hoshiarpur Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, an ENT specialist, and for Anadpur Sahib Kewal Krishan Chohan, a member of the Gujjar community. For Sangrur Madanjit Singh, a former police officer, for Fatehgarh Sahib Gurnam Singh Sewak, a retired judge, and for Ferozepur Dr Harbhajan Awla. 

Sangrur, November 20
Despite the start of campaigning in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency by former Congress MLA Arvind Khanna, national Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) chief Balwant Singh Ramoowalia yesterday indicated that the Congress would leave Sangrur Lok Sabha (LS) seat to the LBP.

To a question here, Ramoowalia said only he or the Congress high command in Delhi knew about the status of an alliance between the LBP and the Congress for the LS elections. He said both parties were in dire need of an alliance, so if the Congress wanted support from the LBP on 12 LS seats in Punjab, it would have to give support to the LBP only on one seat i.e. Sangrur seat.

Ramoowalia added that in the light of talk with the Congress high command he was hopeful of an alliance between both parties, and as part of this alliance the Congress would support the LBP candidate on Sangrur LS seat. He also said the Congress high command had already talked to senior Congress leaders of Punjab, regarding the alliance.

Ramoowalia announced the replacement of LBP flag with a new one. He also released the new flag, which was of yellow colour with the party name on it. He said this colour represented the ideology and dreams of national martyrs, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and Udham Singh.

Ramoowalia said his party’s main issues in the elections would be end to exploitation of girls, farmers, small traders, labourers and Dalits, opposition to division of people in the name of religions, all-round development of Punjab, establishment of industries etc.

Ramoowalia also presented youth Roop Singh from Rao Ke village in Moga district with Rs 2.50 lakh. A travel agent had taken from him Rs 6.10 lakh three years ago to send him to Italy, but he was not sent to Italy. Then Roop met Ramoowalia, who talked to the agent. After that the agent returned Rs 2.50 lakh as first instalment to Roop, promising to return the remaining amount in a month.

Amritsar, November 20
Former Congress MLA Raj Kumar has sought disciplinary action against Capt Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister and chairman of the Congress Campaign Committee in Punjab, for disclosing to the media the names of certain probables for the Lok Sabha elections.

Dr Kumar said here today that the Congress high command should take serious note of the indiscipline created by the former Chief Minister by disclosing the names of party probables for the elections. He alleged that Amarinder had deliberately done this so as to create confusion among the party ranks.

Amarinder has already denied that he had recommended any names to the party high command and has stated that recommendation would be made only after the Assembly elections in six states are over.

Dr Kumar said Amarinder had been appointed the chairman of the campaign committee only to assist the PPCC president and it was he (state president) who could recommend the names to the party high command.

Chandigarh, November 20
The principal political families of Punjab are set for a face-off in Bathinda with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal scheduled to hold sangat darshan programmes in the constituency on November 22 even as former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh held meetings in the constituency yesterday as well as today.

Raninder Singh seems to have made his intentions clear on contesting from the Bathinda parliamentary seat by attending two functions at Budhladha and Mansa yesterday and holding another meeting at Bhucho Mandi today. Two days ago, he also attended a dinner hosted by businessmen and intellectuals at Bathinda. Raninder has been the political manager of the Bathinda seat during the last Congress government and is at present being seen as the strongest Congress candidate from the constituency.

Though the Badal family has not expressed its desire to contest from Bathinda, it has been vigorously nurturing the constituency after its stronghold of Faridkot was brought under the ambit of reservation. There is immense speculation that a family member, including Sukhbir Badal’s wife Harsimrat, could be put up from the seat.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is scheduled to hold sangat darshan programmes in Behman Diwana village, Goniana Mandi and Bhucho Mandi on November 22. The programmes are being looked upon as a political exercise after Raninder’s visit to the area.

The Badal family is also using its might to woo the people of the constituency. The family earlier held ‘paths’ in all Assembly constituencies of the parliamentary seat. Besides, now the Chief Minister’s wife Surinder Kaur Badal is leading the move to take people from the various Assembly seats to the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar to do ‘langar sewa’ as part of a larger drive that will be extended to other constituencies in the state also.

Even though the Badals can do as they wish, the decision to field Raninder has to be taken by the Congress high command. What can come in the way is the fact that Raninder’s mother Preneet Kaur is also a candidate from Patiala and the party may not give two tickets to one family.

Capt Amarinder Singh said his son was keen to contest from Bathinda but added that it was up to the high command to take the final decision on the subject. He refused to answer as to what would the family decide if it is given one seat only. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Mohinder Singh Kaypee said the winnability factor of a candidate rather than family affiliations would be the only factor while deciding tickets for the parliamentary elections. 

Amritsar, November 20
The youngest Shiromani Akali Dal president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, will hold a meeting of the SGPC in the historical Teja Singh Sammundri Hall here tomorrow just to seek “authorisation” from it to nominate the next president of the Shiromani committee, called ‘mini parliament’ of the Sikhs.

The annual election to elect the SGPC chief and other office-bearers is slated for November 22.

It has been the convention of the SAD to convene a meeting of the SGPC members of the party to give an impression that the party takes the decision to nominate the SGPC president in “a democratic and transparent way”. However, on the eve of the annual election, the SAD president hands over a sealed envelop, containing the names of the president and other office-bearers to his trustworthy, which is opened at the time of the general house of the ‘mini parliament’ of the Sikhs.

After the unceremonious removal of Gurcharn Singh Tohra as SGPC president, a few months before the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa Panth, the SAD (Badal) has been keeping the entire Sikh Panth speculating about the next SGPC president.

On the convention of sending the names of SGPC president and its office-bearers in a sealed envelope, Harcharn Bains, media adviser to the Chief Minister, said it was due to the faith of the Shiromani committee members in the leadership of the SAD.

Chandigarh, November 20
A false reply filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a land acquisition matter has landed Punjab and other powers-that-be in the dock.

A division bench has made it clear that it is imposing exemplary costs on the state, Patiala-based chief engineer of central works (national highway), Ferozepore-based executive engineer of central works (B and R) and others involved in filing a false reply.

The respondents had initially stated that land of the petitioners and other similarly situated persons in Moga district had been acquired. But during the pendency of the case, they claimed land had never been acquired.

The bench of Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice Nirmaljit Kaur asserted: Before passing the order imposing the costs, we consider it just and appropriate to require all those who were involved in the present litigation - i.e. all those who participated in the finalisation of the joint written statement on behalf of the three respondents….”

The officers have been asked to appear in person or through a counsel “so as to submit their defence explaining how false averments came to be made”.

Taking up the petition filed by Devninder Singh and 33 others of Bilaspur village, the Bench observed: “This case presents an extremely deplorable state of affairs at the hands of the state government.

“As many as 76 notices dated May 14, 2007, were issued by the executive engineer, central works division (B and R), Ferozepore, requiring the petitioner and other similarly situated as the petitioners to vacate the land in their possession within 15 days. It was alleged that the land in possession of the petitioners, and others to whom notices were issued, was unauthorised.”

The bench observed on October 31 they “were inclined to dismiss the writ petition on account of the stance adopted by the respondent that the land over which the possession was being sought through the notice dated May 14, 2007, had actually been acquired by the state government”.

Reference was made to paragraph seven in which it was written that the “revenue authorities have given in writing that the land was acquired in abadi area, but the record pertaining to the acquisition was not forthcoming”.

The Judges observed that the stance now adopted by the respondents “that the land in question had never been acquired and that the notices dated May 14, 2007, are being withdrawn, may have resulted in relief to the petitioner.

Be that as it may, it is not possible for us to accept the callous attitude of the respondents resulting in extreme hardship to the petitioners, besides having required them to incur unnecessary expenses to pursue the present litigation….” The case will now come up on December 22.

Chandigarh, November 20
The Punjab and Haryana High Court wants the minister concerned of the Punjab government to “ensure proper action” in the Marriot hotel controversy.

Justice Ranjit Singh has also made it clear that the high court wants the matter to be brought to a logical conclusion by the police and the Vigilance Department, once the stay granted by the Supreme Court is vacated.

Justice Ranjit Singh has directed that the copy of the order “be placed before the minister concerned for him to ensure proper action. Copy be also sent to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, as apparently the Advocate-General does not seem to be concerned with the property of Improvement Trust, Ludhiana”.

The matter was placed before Justice Ranjit Singh after Dalip Kumar and another petitioner filed a petition for quashing of an FIR registered on January 3, 2007, under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 209 and 120-B of the IPC.

Justice Ranjit Singh ruled: “This case has a checkered history. Fortunately or unfortunately, the matter concerning this case has come up before this court on more than one occasion in some form or the other.

The petitioners now pray for quashing of the FIR…. It is averred that this case is registered on account of inimical relations between Vijay B. Verma, advocate, co-accused of the petitioners, on account of professional rivalry and the petitioners have been roped in, being associates of the advocate.”

“A perusal of the FIR would show that an application was moved before the SSP, Ludhiana, for conducting an inquiry into the Government Improvement Trust land grabbing scandal. A land measuring 700 sq yards situated in Model Town Extension, Part II, Block C, Ludhiana, owned by the Improvement Trust, Ludhiana, is alleged to have been grabbed by Vijay B. Verma, advocate, his son Sachin Verma and his wife Sita Verma. As per the allegations, officials of the Improvement Trust, Ludhiana, had connived with these persons and have allowed them to even construct hotel named Marriot illegally on the trust land”.

After referring in detail to the controversy, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The situation seems to be alarming, especially so when the Improvement Trust officials are conniving with the petitioners ever since this land has been usurped and hotel constructed thereon…. A plot, which was taken for the purpose of maintenance, has been sold. To say that no offence is made out in these circumstances is totally misconceived and misplaced argument and deserves to be rejected.

“The present petition deserves to be dismissed and it is so ordered. It is expected from the police and the vigilance that they would investigate this matter thoroughly and bring it to a logical conclusion, once the stay granted by the Supreme Court is vacated. It would be appropriate to see in this case that every officer concerned perform his duty as per law”.

Chandigarh, November 20
If suggestions put forth by a Division Bench of the high court are implemented in Punjab, the problem of building bylaws violation may soon be a thing of the past.

The suggestions followed a petition filed by Ludhiana-based Rajesh Inderpal and 
others.

They have been claiming that the chaos on the streets due to commercial complexes in residential areas was so bad that even the district and sessions judge along with other judicial officers were finding it difficult to enter their houses.

The Bench of Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Jasbir Singh verbally asked the state in the open courtroom to explore the feasibility of coming out with a system where at every level of construction a certificate by a responsible engineer would be required. This would help in fixing responsibility in case of 
violation.

The certificate would be issued after carrying out complete checking so that the problem could be prevented from attaining the proportions of a menace at initial stages.