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Beant Singh Case
Balwant Singh wants to argue his case personally
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Takht chief ‘must preside over world conference’
While teachers do
census duty, studies suffer
‘HC under RTI purview’
Guru Gobind Singh Refinery
SI dismissed on harassment charge
Recommended Salaries
Cong MP opens bus stand without being invited
Ministerial staff to observe strike
Stopping PAU 210 Sale
Park dedicated to Sahibzadas to be ready soon
Tribune Impact
Encroachments on NH-21
PSEB Unbundling
Delay in Commissioning of Thermal Units
2 new directors for khadi board
Rs 2.85 lakh in fake currency seized
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Beant Singh Case Saurabh Malik/TNS
Chandigarh, April 7 The belt, stuffed with RDX, was used by human bomb Dilawar Singh to kill the former Chief Minister and 11 others outside the Punjab civil secretariat on August 31, 1995. Dilawar Singh, too, was killed in the blast. Two of the assassins, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, face the gallows. Three other convicts, Shamsher Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Nearly 15 years after the assassination, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told that Balwant Singh got the belt stitched on the pretext of helping out the ailing mother of a person accompanying him during the visit to the tailor. As the appeal filed by the convicts came up for hearing before Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar, the CBI said that convict Balwant Singh approached Jasbir Singh at his shop in Patiala’s AC market. Appearing on the CBI’s behalf, SK Saxena and RK Handa said Balwant Singh told Jasbir Singh the “mother of the person along with him” was ill and he wanted the belt to be stitched in a manner that it could hold a hot water bottle. Jasbir Singh took the measurements, while Balwant Singh drew a sketch of the belt. In all, two belts were prepared. The CBI also told the court that the RDX was later placed in the belt in Gurmeet Singh’s room. Balwant Singh also approached another tailor in Patiala Amarjeet Singh on July 11, 1995. Accompanied by Dilawar Singh, they came to Amarjeet Singh to get police uniforms stitched. After a gap of about 10 days, the order for stitching five more uniforms was placed. The uniforms were necessary to facilitate entry into the secretariat. The Bench was also told that after the assassination, Balwant Singh practically went out on a countrywide tour. He went to Nagpur, then to Ambala city before going to Agra. He also stayed at Panipat, Jaipur, Kolkata and Farrukhabad. At Nagpur, he called up Germany and the USA.
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Balwant Singh wants to argue his case personally
Chandigarh, April 7 The Chandigarh Administration had, in fact, issued a notification against taking him and other accused out of the jail premises due to security reasons. Balwant Singh has also reiterated his stand of not contesting the appeal through a lawyer against the capital punishment awarded to him by the trial court in the assassination case. A close friend of human bomb Dilawar Singh, Balwant Singh was among the first ones to confess his hand in the assassination case. It is believed that Balwant Singh had promised Dilawar Singh that he would not plead innocence. The promise was made just before Dilawar Singh was to act as the human bomb. Balwant Singh had earlier shot off a communication to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, spelling out his desire against engaging a counsel. As the letter was placed before the high court Division Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar, Patiala district and sessions judge was asked to verify the authenticity of the communication. He was, in fact, asked on March 18 to personally visit Balwant Singh to find out if he had written the letter, and whether he wanted a lawyer. In his report to the high court registrar-general, the sessions judge has asserted that he visited the central jail on April 1, along with chief judicial magistrate HS Grewal. The report says Balwant Singh admitted he had written the letter dated August 10 last year. Balwant Singh also told the judge that he had not engaged any counsel. In fact, he did not wish to engage the services of any lawyer, but wanted an opportunity to appear before the high court to argue the appeal. Taking up the matter, the Bench headed by Justice Gill has taken the communication on record. The issue will now come up for further discussion on April 22.
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Takht chief ‘must preside over world conference’
Amritsar, April 7 Leaders of these organisations were unanimous in their opinion that Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh must accept the invitation to preside over the conference. Addressing a press conference here today, president of the Dal Khalsa HS Dhami said the DSGMC was only facilitating the convention, which is a joint venture of various
Sikh bodies. He said the platform would offer an opportunity to Sikhs from across the world to come together to define their role in the world polity and to establish procedures and mechanism to safeguard their separate identity and interests. The SGPC had organised the first convention in 1995. It had announced to hold the international conclave after every five years. However, he said, the SGPC “failed” to honour its resolve. He alleged the contemporary leadership of the SAD and the SGPC abandoned its responsibilities and deviated from the Sikh agenda. President, Dal Khalsa, US Chapter, Dr Bakshish Singh Sandhu, said he would take up the issue of independent institute of Jathedar, free from all kind of political and administrative pressures and manipulations during the Conference. Secretary-general, Dal Khalsa, Kanwar Pal Singh said issues ranging from codifying the post of Akal Takht Jathedar to changes made in the Nanakshahi calendar would be taken up in the convention.
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While teachers do census
duty, studies suffer Patiala, April 7 The department has sent a written communication to teachers giving information about the duty and warned them of dire consequences if they avoided doing the duty. The order clearly states, “Being government employees, they have no right to deny the duty. Failure to abide by it will attract (charges under) the IPC and they (teachers) would face (jail for) up to
three years.” The Municipal Corporation has also called on-duty teachers on April 13 and April 19 to the MC auditorium at 10 am for training them for the survey. Teachers are in a dilemma because they will have to miss their classes to take part in the survey. These orders have spread discontent amidst the teaching community because they are forced to do something that was not a part of their profile. They believe students would the ultimate sufferers because of these ‘forced’ duties. In many schools of the city, including Government Senior Secondary School, Tripri, and government multi-purpose school, all staff has been put on duty. “In many schools, almost all teachers have been issued duty letters-which means no classes for almost a month-and by the time they are back in schools, it will be time for summer vacation. Who will make up for that time is beyond my understanding,” rued one
of the teachers. Almost all teachers shared this fear. “As such, we have lot of duties and seminars throughout the year, this additional wastage of one month will certainly affect the students,” added another teacher. DEO (secondary) Surinder Kaur Verma, when contacted, said she was asked to submit a list of teachers which she did. She added, “The Municipal Commissioner has distributed the duties. I have nothing to do with it. But these duties will certainly effect the functioning of the schools.” On being asked whether the teachers might have to first take the classes and then go for duties after school time in the afternoon, the DEO said she had no idea. “The orders were not circulated through me. Moreover, they were passed to the teachers directly,” she added.
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‘HC under RTI purview’ Chandigarh, April 7 Taking up an appeal filed by Amar Singh Chahal, a city-based advocate, Chief Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh stated in his orders of April 5, “Sitting on podium of a court, a judge is himself in public domain, like the proceedings before him. In matters of life and death or liberty and confinement or patrimony and property or denial and deprivation, a judge is no less than a demigod, determining the fate and future of litigants and through judicial interpretation, often laying the rules of game, thereby limiting or enlarging the future options of people, who are not even parties to cases under adjudication.” Chahal had sought information on cases in which judgments have been reserved by different benches of the high court since July 1, 2003. The court denied the information on the grounds that the information could not be supplied in view of Rule 4(a) and 5 of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana (RTI) Rules, 2007. “Unfortunately, it is not for the first time that the PIO of the high court has deprived citizens access to the information sought by them, by mechanically relying on the Rule 4 (a) and 5 of the High Court Rules, 2007,” observed the CIC. “It must be held that openness of judicial procedures is the essence of law and any denial of access to information relating to judicial processes is not a mere negation of Rule 4 (a) of the High Court Rules, 2007 which has been totally misinterpreted by the PIO, but a mockery of the RTI and the very foundation of free democracy. To say differently would be to turn jurisprudence, as we know in this country, upside down, heals over the head!” stated the CIC in his orders. The complainant had averred that the request for information relates to judicial functions and duties of the judges of the court. He had also argued that the information sought by the complainant was in public interest as delay in delivery of judgments, after conclusion of arguments, amounts to a miscarriage of justice - justice delayed is justice denied. It was also stated that the high court impresses the subordinate judges for expeditious delivery of justice, but in some cases, the high court itself reserves judgments for abnormally long periods. Denial of the information by the PIO, it was alleged, is a cover-up to suppress the information in respect of cases reserved for long period as it reflects on the ills of the judicial system. The PIO submitted that the rules do not permit disclosure of any information which is not in “public domain” or “which does not relate to judicial functions and duties of the court”.
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Guru Gobind Singh Refinery Phulokhari (Bathinda), April 7 To control the situation, a large number of cops led by the SSP Bathinda rushed to the spot and turned the refinery into a fortress. The construction work was suspended and the entry of everybody was restricted. The details emerging from the refinery terrified the labourers in their quarters nearby. Fearing that the situation might worsen, they ran away and all shopkeepers outside the refinery rolled up their shutters. It is learnt that labourers working with the IVRCL, a construction company, were put on job of laying of a crude oil pipeline when the soil caved in and two labourers got stuck in it. One of them was rescued, while the other, namely, Lakhan Sarkar, was pulled out after a few minutes. Suspecting that many others were buried inside, the labourers started raising a hue and cry. They went on the rampage when the refinery authorities tried to take the injured labourer out of the refinery in an ambulance. They intercepted the vehicle and damaged it. Meanwhile, some of them partially torched a hydra crane, that was digging a trench at the spot. Things became so unruly that the agitating workers listened to no one and immediately started pelting some truck-trailers parked nearby with stones and damaged their windshields and panes. Meanwhile, some agitators torched a Tata Sumo that arrived there and started raising anti-establishment slogans. Meanwhile, the management of the refinery called up the civil and police administration of Bathinda that reached the spot hurriedly and sealed all gates and turned the refinery into a fortress to bring the situation under control. The injured labourer Lakhan Sarkar was then rushed to a private hospital but terming his condition as critical, the media was not allowed to see him. After repeated attempts, the HR manager of the refinery, Ravi Yadav, answered the phone call made by this correspondent and confirmed the incident late in the evening. He said the incident was the result of rumour-mongering indulged in by miscreants who spread the word that a large number of labourers had got buried in the landslide. “The injured labourer was given proper first-aid assistance and now he is stable as confirmed by the doctors of the hospital. Everything has returned to normalcy and work has been restored,” added Yadav. SSP, Bathinda, Sukhchain Singh Gill, said, “Acting upon the statement of some eyewitnesses, about 15-20 persons have been booked under various sections. We have initiated the process to identify all accused in the incident.”
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SI dismissed on harassment charge
Chandigarh, April 7 Stating this here today, a spokesman for the state government said Tilak Raj had been found guilty of harassing and exploiting a lady from Jalandhar for the past four years, who appeared before the chairperson of the Women Commission, Gurdev Kaur
Sangha.
She had apprised the commission of misdeeds of Tilak Raj, who instead of solving her family dispute, started exploiting her. The commission forwarded her complaint to the Director-General Police of Punjab and the Commissioner Police, Jalandhar, for immediate action. It was further stated that despite repeated verbal and written complaints by the woman to senior police officials against Tilak Raj, no action was taken. She then contacted the commission and on the behest of the it, this case was later investigated by Additional DCP, Jalandhar, Satinder Singh. A case under section 506/376 was registered against him. His bail application was also rejected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was declared absconding and finally dismissed from the service. Taking a serious view of such cases, Sangha has asked the district administration to be very quick in responding to such criminal cases once reported.
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Pvt aided colleges flout UGC norms
Anshu Seth /TNS
Ludhiana, April 7 The lecturers on unaided posts are paid by the college managements while the lecturers on aided posts get paid by state government. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, in a notification, have stated that the managements, to remain within the ambit of UGC/MHRD will have to implement the pay scales in "toto". But the private aided colleges failed to abide by the notification and continued with disparity. Prof Tarun Ghai, head, Department of Political Science, at Swami Ganga Giri Janta Girls College, Raikot, alleged that the college management denied him "due" salary. "I joined as a lecturer of political science in 2006 in the grade 13,500 but I was paid a consolidated salary of Rs 10,000 for one year. I have not been given the recommended DA and medical allowance, the worst being the deduction in my basic pay, which is a clear violation of the service rules," he rued. Sudarshan Sharma, the chairman of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Punjab, the parent body managing Swami Ganga Giri Girls College, Raikot, said, "I will look into the matter and ensure that the lecturers in the college are paid uniform salaries." Prof Jaipal Singh, vice-president of the Punjab Federation of University College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO), said, "No discrimination can be done by the appointing authority in the disbursal of salaries as the disparity is against the rule of equal pay for equal work and a violation of UGC guidelines."
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Cong MP opens bus stand without being invited
Hoshiarpur, April 7 The official inauguration of the complex is, however, yet to be done. It is learnt that Santosh Chaudhary, along with her supporters, went to the bus stand for its informal inspection. On the gate of the complex, she contacted the GM of the Punjab Roadways Depot, Hoshiarpur, Iqbal Singh Sandhu, and asked him to accompany her. However, during the inspection, one of her supporters asked her to inaugurate the complex. Seeing the peculiar situation, Iqbal Singh Sandhu slipped from the scene. Later, after her departure, BJP activists, led by their district president Jagtar Singh and local leaders, Kamaljit Satia and Romesh Zalim, arrived there and staged a demonstration against Santosh Chaudhary for taking credit for the construction of the complex.
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Ministerial staff to observe strike
Bathinda, April 7 The main demands of the employees include the release of arrears of the revised pay scales since January 1, 2006; scrapping of the government’s decision related to passing of the Punjabi type test or computer test by clerks and stenos; enhancement in the starting basic pay scale of clerk due to a change in the qualification for the post from plus two to graduate; and 20 per cent house rent allowance for the employees posted in Bathinda and Patiala cities. Talking to TNS here today state president of the PSMSU Darshan Singh Bajaj urged the Chief Minister to break the deadlock between the employees and the government by holding talks on the demands. Meanwhile, on a call of the union employees today held a rally in support of their demands for two hours outside the Mini Secretariat here.
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Stopping PAU 210 Sale
Ludhiana, April 7 The Punjab Agriculture Minister, Sucha Singh Langah, had called upon the farmers not to sow PAU 201, last week. The local president of the BKU(Ekta), Darshan Singh Kohli, said, "The FCI has said no to PAU 201 following the specifications of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The parameters of the WTO are very stringent and it is not possible for all Indian foodgrain varieties to qualify according to their recommended standards." He also stated that the PAU 201 yield comprises 20 per cent of the total produce of paddy in Punjab. An executive member of the BKU (Lakhowal), Avtar Singh Mehlon, said the government should give a go-ahead to the sowing of PAU 201, adding, “It has proved to be beneficial for the farmers so far and has been the best bet against water depletion in the state.” Gurminder Singh, a farmer from Kuli Kalan, said after harvesting wheat, they would be left with little time to procure seeds of other varieties. "As a result, the farmers will fall in the trap of seed production companies which will sell seeds at high prices," rued Gurminder.
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NRIs ‘themselves responsible’ for attacks in Oz
Jalandhar, April 6 Talking to The Tribune, Pandit, who is in Punjab nowadays to take part in the maiden World Cup kabaddi tournament, said that most of the attacks on NRIs in the recent past were not racial. In fact, the conduct of the NRIs was responsible for their fate in Australia, he added. Hailing from Makhand village in Jind district of Haryana, Pandit said, “Several NRIs not only create a nuisance by playing music at a high volume in their vehicles but they also ogle at young Australian girls. Such conduct invites an aggressive reaction from young Australians, resulting in attacks on the NRIs in several cases.” At the same time, he said, “Some isolated attacks on the NRIs may be termed racial.” Pandit had gone to Australia just two years ago and is now settled in Melbourne. He is the only NRI player in the six foreign teams, including Canada, Spain, America, Australia, Italy and United Kingdom, who hails from Haryana; the other NRIs are from Punjab.
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Park dedicated to Sahibzadas to be ready soon Chamkaur Sahib, April 7 Tourism and jail minister Hira Singh Gabria said this during his visit to the incomplete theme park, where not even a single new brick has been added in the last four years. An initiative of the previous Congress government, the park has turned into a safe haven for anti-social elements. Gabria said the government had earmarked Rs 2.23-crore fund for the project and Rs 1.78 crore had already been released. He added that the aim of the government was to complete this park soon. Gabria observed that once completed, the park would serve as an apt place to shoot religious films and serials. It would also have a well-choreographed light and sound show to acquaint the younger generation with the sacrifices laid by great Sikh leaders. Spread over 10 acres, the first phase of park was completed in December 2006, and former CM Captain Amrinder Singh had inaugurated this project. Pegged at a cost of Rs 28 crore, including Rs 60,000 compensation per marla awarded to the locales, the project was to be a completed within two years. The park has two large and 40 medium-sized pillars symbolising the sons of Guru Gobind Singh and the 40 soldiers, respectively.
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Tribune Impact Ropar, April 7 A report has been sought under Section 17(I) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. A deputation of the dismissed teachers had met Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna and apprised him of grievances related to the termination of their services
on grounds of having inadequate experience certificates.
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Encroachments on NH-21 Kharar, April 7 The issue cropped up after The Tribune highlighted the matter through its news report “Tussle over road-widening project” carried on April 7. Sources said the department had swung into action after the news report appeared. It is learnt that even the Chief Minister’s Office has taken a strict note of the issue and directed the Mohali district administration as well as the Central Works Division to resolve the matter and accelerate work on the four-laning of the stretch. Gupta said the department would now consider the list of encroachments prepared by the tehsildar in 2008. “We have sought an explanation from the tehsildar and asked him to appear with all documents and lists regarding the encroachments,” he said. He added that the administration was questioning tehsildar as to the criteria he followed to identify certain constructions as encroachments in 2008, and then nullify the same this year. “Also the court’s orders awarding stay on encroachments will also be taken up in the court itself,” he asserted. Talking about the demarcation of property of Sun Rise group in Kharar done on March 7 in the absence of XEN central works division, he said the XEN had been asked to file an application in court regarding the re-demarcation of the area on the upcoming hearing on April 10. “Re-demarcation would enable the XEN to be a part of the procedure next conducted. We are making concerted efforts to ensure speedy work ,” he claimed.
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PSEB Unbundling Chandigarh, April 7 Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal said the Cabinet was most likely to meet on April 15 and that the issue of the unbundling of the PSEB would be taken up at the meeting. Sources said in case the draft proposal was approved by the Cabinet, it would be notified immediately. The state Power Department has also prepared a draft notification so that the government is able to meet the April 15 deadline for the unbundling of the PSEB. Meanwhile, sources said the PSEB Engineers Association had given its go-ahead for the bifurcation of the board. The government had also agreed to the demand of the engineers that only technocrats should head the companies formed after the splitting of the PSEB. The government is simultaneously trying to take major unions on board. Though CM Parkash Singh Badal will hold formal talks with the unions on April 9, preliminary talks have started and employees have been assured that their service conditions will not change. Employees have also been assured of a common seniority and the government may even go for a tripartite agreement with the employees and the managements to ensure the rights of the employees are protected in the new organisations. Chander Parkash adds from Ferozepur: Punjab will be provided with foolproof security cover within a few days to prevent any untoward incident during the unbundling of the PSEB by the end of the second week of this month. For this task, a considerable number of companies of the IRB, PAP and Punjab Commandos will be deployed in nooks and corners of the state. Joint Control Rooms, which will be handled by civil, police and PSEB officials, will start functioning at every district headquarters of Punjab. Preventive arrests of elements, who are suspected to be potential trouble makers in the coming days, have started already.
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Delay in Commissioning of Thermal Units Jalandhar, April 7 “Due to substantial time overrun in the execution of both units, the board was saddled with additional capital costs of Rs 564.19 crore coupled with extra avoidable expenditure of Rs 2,061 crore on the purchase of power at a high rate. Power had to be purchased due to delay in the completion of both units,” says a CAG report. The delay in the commissioning of these two units was also highlighted in these columns. President of the BKU (Rajewal) said after fixing the responsibility, the commission should direct the state government to take action against officials concerned. Rajewal said people, who directly fund the PSEB through tariff fixed by the commission, would have to borne the burden of the loss suffered by the PSEB. He said the commission should go through the CAG report. The scheduled time period for commissioning units III and IV was December 2006 and March 2007. The unit III was synchronised for a trial operation in February 2008 and the unit IV in August 2008. Due to the synchronisation of the units without ensuring completion of all works, the period of trial operation was prolonged. The unit-III was commercially commissioned only in October 2008 and the unit IV was not commissioned till August 2009 when the audit was conducted. However, now both the units are operational. Prolonged period of trial run resulted in the excess consumption of inputs of Rs 18.17 crore, which could not be recovered from the BHEL. It was given the task to set up the units in the absence of enabling clause, adds the CAG report. The board not only failed to fulfill the primary objective of bridging the demand gap but also deprived itself of the benefit of interest rebate and interest subsidy for which it was entitled in case the project had been completed in the stipulated period.
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Rs 2.85 lakh in fake currency seized Amritsar, April 7 Deputy Commissioner (Customs) VK Mahajan said Rs 2.85 lakh in fake currency were handed over to Bano by one of her relatives to deliver it to a person who would approach her at the New Delhi bus stand. However, he refused to give the name of the person. He said during preliminary interrogations, Bano revealed that she was paid Rs 2,000 to deliver the consignment and was supposed to get an equal amount after reaching Delhi. She had gone Lahore for the first time to meet her relatives,
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Amritsar, April 7
Patiala, April 7
Vehicles torched, shops closed
Bathinda, April 7
Chamkaur Sahib, April 7
Chandigarh, April 7
