Chandigarh, June 26
Demanding that the Termination of Agreements Act adopted unanimously by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 2004 should be defended with full might in the apex court, the leadership of the Punjab Congress conditionally threw its weight behind the all-party consensus on meeting the Prime Minister to get justice for the state on the river waters issue.

While leaders of all parties agreed that an all-party delegation led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal should meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before July 13, the date on which the next hearing on the Act will be held in the Supreme Court, Congress leaders wanted to wait for the court verdict.

Contrary to expectations, the issue of demanding royalty on river waters did not come up for discussion at a meeting that was called by the CM and attended by leaders of all major political parties, including the Congress, BJP, CPI and CPM. During over two-hour deliberations, all parties wanted that Punjab waters should be protected.

Incidentally, the main architect of the Act, Capt Amarinder Singh, was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting. Perhaps no personal invitations were given to any leader. Invites, sources said, were conveyed telephonically only at the party headquarters leaving it to them to nominate their representatives.

Deputy CM and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, who arrived only yesterday after an overseas visit, participated in the discussions.

“Royalty was not on the agenda,” the CM said after the meeting, maintaining that the water situation in the state was critical.

“We will discuss the royalty issue at one of the subsequent meetings. But immediate concern has been sharing of river waters. We do not have any water, what to talk of surplus water,” the CM said.

“Though the Prime Minister is aware of the situation, we will go to him to seek his intervention in the interest of the state. Punjab has been contributing tremendously to the food security of the country. We need Centre’s total support to continue our contribution to the food security. Our water resources are shrinking,” he said.

State Industries Minister and BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia also echoed the same sentiments supporting an argument in favour of protecting water resources of the state.

Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said it was the duty of every Punjabi to work for saving state waters besides defending the Act.

Charan Singh Virdi of the CPM held that the waters issue had become very complicated. “Its solution can be found only politically. We feel at this juncture political solution based upon user principle and the framework provided in the Rajiv-Longowal accord is the only option. The existing usage of all three states should be protected and it should continue to flow free of cost - without any seignior age or royalty. And this also be guaranteed that no water is withdrawn as consequence to the implementation of any agreement or award from Punjab which is already used for irrigation purposes by it,” he added.

Joginder Dyal, Hardev Arshi and Bhupinder Sambhar in a three-page letter submitted to the CM at the meeting wanted that the issue should be taken to the PM by an all-party delegation so that it could be judiciously examined in the national context. Punjab needs for waters must be met.

The meeting was attended by PPCC chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee, state BJP chief Ashwani Kumar, senior BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon, Local Government and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia, SAD secretary-general and MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, senior vice- president of the SAD Gurdev Singh Badal, SAD general secretary Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, state general secretary of the CPI Bhupinder Sambhar, National Executive Council Member (CPI) Joginder Dayal, state general secretary of the CPM Charan Singh Virdi, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, adviser to the Chief Minister Daljit Singh Cheema and media adviser to the CM Harcharan Bains.

Patiala, June 26
The Queen’s Baton received a warm welcome here today with thousands of city residents standing on roads just to catch a glimpse of the baton. The baton, escorted by numerous cars and XIX Commonwealth Games mascot Shera, was a sight 
to watch.

It was a day of festivities with almost all political personalities of the area giving appearing at the event. The baton was received at Hasanpur village by IG Patiala Paramjeet Singh Virk, DC Deepinder Singh, SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra along with other district officials and Olympians Jagmohan Singh, Brig Labh Singh, Tarlok Singh Sandhu and Jaipal Singh.

It was further taken to the Polo Ground, where city Mayor Ajitpal Singh Kohli handed over the baton to Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Bhangra was also presented on this occasion. Being the first runner to carry the baton in the city, cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu said he was sure that this baton would act as a bridge between different countries. He said being a sportsman, he wanted India to top the medal tally during the Commonwealth Games. Around 50 players carried the baton into the city. Finally, it reached the NIS where a grand cultural programme was organised.

In the end, it was kept at the sports museum of the NIS under the supervision of executive director of the NIS LS Ranaut. From here it will be carried further at 8 am.

Kusum Arora adds from Jalandhar: The Queen’s Baton relay and Shera, the official mascot of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, brought Jalandhar, the sports city of Punjab, virtually to a halt as everybody jostled to touch and catch their glimpse. Today was the second day of the Commonwealth torch in the Indian territory. This despite the fact that the torch was late by around one hour. While the torch convoy was scheduled to reach here at 9.30 am, it reached the sports city at 11 am. To keep everybody hooked to their seats, the district administration had arranged a performance by a dance troupe.

Secretary of the Punjab Olympic Association Raja K Sidhu accompanied by the convener of Queen’s Baton Relay, Alka Lamba, handed over the torch to DC Priyank Bharti. Sidhu expressed happiness over a resounding welcome. Earlier during the relay mode, the torch was first handed over to paralympics power lifter Rajinder Singh Rahelu and Rajdeep Kaur, who received the torch on their wheelchairs.

“We are overwhelmed at becoming a part of the Commonwealth torch relay. It is an honour and a lifetime moment for us,” the duo maintained.

Later Arjuna awardee Bahadur Singh carried the torch and started the relay. The Olympians and Arjuna awardees ran for a distance of approximately 80 m each.

Among those who held the baton included Arjuna awardee Hari Pal Kaushik, golden girl Rajbir Kaur, Dhyan Chand awardee Rajinder Singh Junior, Olympian Col Balbir Singh, to name a few. “It has been a wonderful experience running at your home town holding the Commonwealth torch,” said Olympian Col Balbir Singh.

Earlier in the day, the torch received a ceremonial welcome with an impressive band display at the headquarters of ITBP, CRPF, BSF, PAP and Vajra Corps, Jalandhar cantonment.

Abohar, June 26
The state-level function organised by the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Punjab, to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse here, acquired a different tone when Vijay Laxmi Bhadu, chairperson, Social Welfare Board, Punjab, accused leaders of the ruling parties and police functionaries of promoting drug abuse.

Though Cabinet minister Swarna Ram was the chief guest at the function, it was Bhadu who stole the show by delivering a hard- hitting speech at the function.

“The police and a section of leaders of the ruling parties have been playing a key role in protecting the drug peddlers, hence holding of such functions is of no use to create awareness among masses against this evil,” she alleged, adding that only a people’s movement could make Punjab a drug-free state.

“The police knows all about drug peddlers. Instead of dealing with them under the law, they are set free through manipulations, whenever they are caught with narcotics,” she claimed. The situation had come to a pass where cases were not being registered against criminals.

She held out a warning that if the police failed to set the house in order, she would have to take it head on.

Swarna Ram, when asked about his reaction to the speech of Bhadu, said he would look into the matter if Bhadu made a written complaint to him. He added that the Punjab government had earmarked Rs 1 crore to hold functions in the state to create awareness among people against drug abuse.

To another question, he said action would be taken against those drug de-addiction centres, which had been running without any valid authorisation and where the inmates were being tortured. He said if the menace of drug addiction was not curbed, it would initiate social unrest in Punjab.

RP Meena, IG, Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Punjab, pointed out that Punjab had become the second state in the country after Manipur in terms of drug abuse. He said going by the number of peddlers who were being arrested and recovery of narcotics being made, Punjab had become the number one state in the country for its campaign against drugs.

TR Sarangal, Principal Secretary, pointed out that drug addiction had become a major reason for road accidents in big cities.

He added that the parents must play their role to keep their wards away from this evil.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 26
The PWD B&R department officials have accused Soma Enterprises, which is widening the National Highway-I, of damaging the link roads built by the Punjab Government by plying overloaded trucks on these.

PWD officials had written to the Deputy Commissioner, SSP and DTO in this regard, but to no avail. Soma Enterprises is widening the NH-I and is also constructing flyovers at Rajpura and Sirhind.

The officials concerned alleged that on one hand, the company was widening the GT Road while on the other hand, it was damaging the newly constructed link roads. Despite repeated requests and complaints to the authorities concerned, the trucks are overloading construction material to save time and money.

The maximum load approved for the trucks is nearly nine-tonne axel, however, these load nearly 25 tonne per axel and around 100 tippers. Most trucks pass through villages where roads had been constructed of late. The trucks also pass through two small bridges, which have been declared unsafe for heavy vehicles, near Bhamarsi village.

PWD B&R XEN Gurmukh Singh said he had brought the problem to the notice of senior functionaries, including the DTO, but to no avail. He alleged that the authorities had inspected the trucks and found them overloaded.

“We caught one such truck a few days ago and weighed it with the help of the local police. We have complained about the matter too,” the XEN said.

He pointed out that the company was responsible for the damage done to the roads constructed by the state and it was also supposed to get the roads repaired.

“Instead, our department has re-laid the broken patches near Bhamarsi village, which got damaged again due to overloaded trucks,” he said.

He said the overloaded trucks had damaged roads in Khanna too. Roads leading to Bija, Payal, Rara Sahib and Jagera, which were upgraded under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna, also developed potholes due to the overloaded trucks. Presently, the company is constructing overbridges and widening the GT Road.

Jalandhar, June 26
The Punjab Civil Medical Service-I (PCMS-I) Association has expressed strong resentment against the “indifferent” attitude of the state government towards the grievances of doctors - serving as well as retired.

The general secretary of the association, Dr DC Sharma, said they would meet tomorrow in Ludhiana to announce the first phase of their agitation.

He said before the implementation of the Fifth Pay Panel Report, non-practising allowance (NPA) of PCMS doctors had been always treated as “pay” for all intents and purposes, including the calculation of various allowances and retirement benefits.

“But due to some clerical error, after the implementation of the pay panel report, the NPA had not being included in the pay for the calculation of house rent allowance and some other allowances. The association had brought this to the notice of the Health Department several times, but nothing concrete had been done to correct the error,” said Sharma.

Of 300-odd SMOs, who were already working as SMOs for years, only 175 had been granted regular promotions through the Departmental Promotion Committee and cases of others had been rejected on flimsily grounds. They had reverted to the posts of medical officers though they had served as SMOs for many years, in some cases for over 10years, said Sharma. 

Jalandhar, June 26
It is widely acknowledged that Qazi Mandi has become one of the main hubs of the drug market in Punjab. The illegal drug trade has been going on in this locality, situated in the rear of Jalandhar city railway station, for a few decades. The district police has proved inept in wiping out the drug mafia due to “political pressure”.

When DGP PS Gill was questioned on the unabated drug trade in Qazi Mandi during his visit to Nawanshahr on Saturday, he said the police was doing its level best against the Qazi Mandi drug mafia. Gill accompanied by IG, Jalandhar zone, Sanjiv Kalra, asked journalists to suggest ways to wipe out the drug mafia from this infamous locality, falling under the Jalandhar Central Assembly constituency currently being represented by Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia. It is learnt that the police has not taken any strict action against the kingpins of the illegal drug trade.

The recent statement by the ruling BJP MLA from the Jalandhar north constituency, KD Bhandari, endorsed that the illegal drug trade was going on unchecked in Qazi Mandi. Responding to the ruling party MLA’s statement, several Congress leaders said Bhandari had accepted his government’s failure in tackling the problem.

It is learnt that Qazi Mandi especially a mohalla, Bhim Nagar, has become infamous as a wholesale market of drugs in the state. 

Jalandhar, June 26
There will be at least eight to 10 per cent increase in the freight charges owing to the increase in the fuel prices. This will further increase inflation in the country. Asserting this, former president of the All-India Motor Transport Congress Charan Singh Lohara said the Union Government had decontrolled the fuel prices at the behest of a big corporate house.

He said owing to the controlled fuel price system, thousands of petrol pumps owned by the corporate house had become redundant, but now such pumps would be back in business following decontrolling of the fuel prices.

He said a meeting of the office-bearers of the Transport Congress, a representative body of lakhs of truckers across the country, would be held in Delhi on July 12 to discuss the issue of fuel prices, toll charges, tyre prices and the new rules framed by the Union Government with regard to the public transport carriers. He said the Transport Congress would give a call for a ‘chakka jam’ across the country to seek a roll back in fuel prices and urge the Union Government to break the tyre manufacturing companies’ cartel.

Lohra said the Union Surface Transport Ministry had promised to change its toll policy and had said that the distance from one toll barrier to the next would be about 100 km, but this promise had not been fulfilled as yet.

He said tyre companies had formed a cartel in the country and they were raising the tyre prices repeatedly. 

Bharti Kisan Union president Balbir Singh Rajewal said on Saturday farmers would be hit the most because of a hike in the diesel price. He said the prices of various inputs would go up and the farmers would have to spend about Rs 200 crore more on diesel in Punjab alone to grow their paddy crops.

Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda), June 26
Under the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, a community LPG kitchen has been set up at a de-addiction centre, Civil Hospital, here.

Now, the attendants of the patients admitted at the de-addiction centre will have no need to move out for any cooking-related purposes. The authorities running the de-addiction centre would charge a meagre mount as the usage charges and offer the burners and utensils for the purpose. As per the scheme, one can use it maximum for an hour after paying Rs 2 for every 15 minutes.

Speaking to the TNS, area manager (LPG-sales)-cum-district level coordinator, Indane gas, Suresh Sharma said motive behind the scheme was to make the domestic LPG available to the deprived sections of the society through the common LPG kitchen mode.”

“The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas wishes to establish more than 75 such kitchens throughout the state,” he added.

Fatehgarh Sahib, June 26
The Health Department, doctors and NGOs organised seminars and functions today on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse.They stressed upon the need of having a drug de-addiction centre in Fatehgarh Sahib, identification of addicts and their cure. They said the menace was spreading its wings like never before and had not only taken a toll on addicts but on their family members and friends too.

Doctors at the local civil hospital said the number of people falling prey to drugs had increased manifold. But sadly, we don’t have a drug de-addiction centre, they rued.

People fail to rid of the menace due to lack of trained councillors and psychiatrists in the town.

Chief Medical Officer at Fatehgarh Sahib Reena Sandhu said: “Efforts are being made to rehabilitate the drug addicts and a de-addiction centre would be set up here at the earliest,” she added.

Chandigarh, June 26
A competition held by the Defence Research and Development Organisation to harness innovative ideas and attract the youth towards its programme by challenging engineering students to design vehicles that can be used in low-intensity conflicts, has received a huge response, with the Patiala team making it to the top 10.

Christened “Driving Innovation -- Student Robot Competition 2010”, the event received 240 entries from across the country, which the DRDO has described as “overwhelming”. The results of the competition’s first phase were declared last week, with the team from IIT, Kharagpur bagging the top position.

Moga, June 26A bid to “smuggle” arms and ammunition into the district jail has been reported here today. SDM HS Sandhu and DSP Pargat Singh reached the spot and a search operation was carried out but no such thing was recovered from the jail premises.

The SDM said as a precautionary measure, eight inmates were being transferred to some other jails due to security reasons. Sources said a black Scorpio came outside the jail around 4 pm and two persons went inside the jail to meet some inmates, while other two persons remained in the jeep.

When the two persons were still inside the jail, the SHO of the police station (city) and in charge of the CIA staff came and rounded up the duo and impounded the jeep. When the other two saw this happening, they fled away.

Sources said some weapons had been recovered from the jeep, but senior police officials were tightlipped on it.

The jail superintendent was not present in the jail at the time of the incident.

Meanwhile, local MLA Joginder Pal Jain while talking to TNS over the phone alleged that he had informed the Home Secretary of the state a few days ago that some people were planning to “smuggle” arms and ammunition into the jail in a plot to kill some of his supporters lodged in the jail in various cases.