Central team visits flood-hit areas
Dera Bassi/Zirakpur, July 20
A four-member Central team, led by joint secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, RP Nath, today visited the flood-affected areas in Dera Bassi and Lalru. The team took stock of damage of the roads and crops in Gulabgarh and Sitarpur villages here before moving on to other flood-affected areas of Punjab and Haryana.

A five-member Central team inspects a flood-affected area of Patiala on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Anxious farmers had a lot to say...
Devigarh (Patiala), July 20
Angst and agony written all over their faces, swollen eyes and desperate gestures is what could best describe the physical state of hundreds of farmers of flood-affected villages of Devigarh, who had been waiting for the four-member Central team to come to their rescue.

Lakhwinder Wadali enthrals audience at Patiala college
Patiala, July 20
Lakhwinder Wadali’s Sufi music has not only made him popular among youngsters, but also the older lot. Lakhwinder, who was in the city to perform on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebration of Khalsa College’s establishment, enthralled the audience with his singing. Singing popular tracks like ‘Tu Mane Ya Na Mane Dildara’, ‘Diva na Bujhayin’, ‘Heer’ and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s popular song ‘Mera Piya Ghar Aya’, he made the crowd swing to his tunes.
Punjabi Sufi singer Lakhwinder Wadali performing in Patiala on Monday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Revision of voter lists underway in Patiala
Patiala, July 20
Following directions of the Election Commission, work on the revision of the voter lists of the eight assembly constituencies of Patiala has been initiated from July 16.

COURTS

Meter readers’ plea on employment rejected
Chandigarh, July 20
A petition by meter readers and bill distributors challenging the rejection of their claim to continue in service even after the Punjab State Electricity Board became Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has failed to find favour with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Bathinda, July 20
The two-hour downpour that lashed today inundated most parts of the town exposing the poor condition of the recently laid drainage system. Normal life was thrown out of gear, as residents remained marooned inside their houses. Sirki Bazar, Civil Lines, Bangi Nagar, Paras Ram Nagar, Navi Basti, Power House Road, the Central jail road and the Mall road were the worst hit areas.

The road dividing the mini secretariat and district court areas in the town. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma

According to reports from various parts of the city, the drainage and sewerage system failed to carry rainwater, resulting in waterlogging. Rainwater also entered houses, shops and government offices in the low-lying areas.

Against the claim of officials of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) of proper functioning of drainage channels and pumps, number of people were witnessed stacking sandbags at the main gates of their shops and houses.

The postmaster of the Navi Basti post office rued that rainwater entered their building and spoiled a number of records and gadgets, including computer devices.

During a visit to different localities to ascertain the actual position, this correspondent witnessed that the poor drainage system of the city had marred business in markets. Sensing the problem not getting solved soon, various shopkeepers shut their shops. The advocates’ chambers at the district courts also appeared like a pond. Moreover, the common man, judges and bureaucrats had to face a tough time as rainwater that had accumulated outside the mini secretariat and district courts could not be cleared even after couple of hours.

Receiving reports about waterlogging in the city, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was here on her sangat darshan spree, immediately suspended her scheduled programmes and directed district officials to do the needful and inform OSD to the Deputy CM Moneesh Kumar.

However, BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “All motor pumps are functioning. A number of officials have been deputed to ensure the speedy drainage. We hope the whole accumulation will be cleared till late evening.”

Sanghol (Fatehgarh Sahib), July 20
The Punjab Government is seriously pursuing the issue of NRIs blacklisted by the Centre. The Union Home Ministry had forwarded a list of 185 such cases to the state government for verification before taking any decision to drop their names from the list, but the actual persons were 169.

Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said this while talking to mediapersons on a function held for distributing Rs 3.25 crore to 81 village panchayats of Bassi Pathana Assembly constituency here today.

Badal released a grant for the execution of various development works out of the rural development fund on the construction and repair of the roads, street lighting, drinking water and construction of drains. He also released a special grant of Rs 1.51 crore for construction of boundary walls of the government middle and private schools in 36 villages and sanctioned Rs 1.50 crore for brick lining of minors in the area to enhance carrying capacity of the irrigation water in the region.

Badal added that as per the Union Home Ministry list, 39 persons faced no criminal charges, 28 persons were facing criminal cases, seven were present in Punjab, 84 persons had incomplete addresses, 11 belonged to other states and 46 persons had been recommended for removal of their names from the list.

Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan said Rs 45 lakh had already been released for construction of toilets in villages and Rs 2.88 crore had already been spent on water supply and other development works under grant from 12th Finance Commission during the current fiscal.

While talking about encroachments on the Sirhind rivulet in city he said a private coloniser had demarcated the colony on the bed of the rivulet. But now the work has been stopped and arrangements were being made to ensure free flow of water in it.

Chandigarh, July 20
The Punjab Congress poll may turn out to be “elections” which never were with “consensus” being the buzzword and nearly half of the booth-level candidates already being elected “unanimously”.

Moreover, even as the elections are to take place in a few days in Chandigarh, all prominent leaders have shifted base to Delhi. They include pradesh returning officer (PRO) Usha Thakkar.

There is confusion over the election process with divergent views on how the assistant returning officers (AROs) are to be appointed. The Congress high command appointed the PRO to oversee the election process as well as district returning officers (DROs) who are from outside the state. Now local Congressmen are being appointed AROs. The AROs are responsible for the “election” of the Block and District Congress presidents.

Congressmen, especially those who are not legislators, have objected to the say being given to MLAs to appoint AROs of their choice. In Sangrur, former MLA Arvind Khanna has objected to such appointments saying he should be given equal say due to his track record in recruiting members during the party membership drive preceding the elections.

According to sources out of a total of 18,717 booths, unanimous elections have taken place in 7,053 booths. They said consultations were on and that unanimous elections could take place in more booths. The election process, which starts off from the booth level, is expected to culminate in the election of 234 Punjab Congress Committee members. Fifteen legislators will be co-opted on the committee.

Sources said with the July 25 deadline for the elections fast approaching, efforts were on to speed up the process and that the PRO and senior leaders had gone to Delhi to find a solution to pending issues. The PRO met central leaders, including Mohsina Kidwai and Oscar Fernandes, in Delhi today.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has taken umbrage at leaders trooping to Delhi. When contacted he said the leadership did not have any role in the election process. He said holding the organisational elections was the job of the PRO and that there was no need for anyone to canvass in Delhi for this purpose.

Senior Congress leader Ashwani Sekhri confirmed that Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee had come back to the country today from his foreign trip. He said legislators had been given representation in the appointment of AROs but that those who had conducted membership drives would also be given appropriate representation.

Sources said the new PCC was likely to be in place by July 24 and would meet immediately. They said the new PCC was likely to pass a resolution authorising party President Sonia Gandhi to nominate the new state party chief.

Bathinda, July 20
Tension brewed at the district courts here today after a number of Nihangs belonging to two rival factions of the Budha Dal assembled to attend the legal proceedings of a murder case.

The complainant group belonged to Baba Balbir Singh, chief of the Budha Dal, while the group that came in support of some of the accused in the case was of their rival faction-Surjeet Singh group. The rivalry among the groups was for the coronet as both had claimed their right of being the chief of the Dal.

Sensing the risk of a clash between the groups, the district administration cordoned off the courts complex and prevented the entry of the Surjeet group.

After they lodged resentment with the cops deputed to check their entry, they were allowed to meet the accused in Bakshikhana (lock-up) one by one. The proceeding was related to evidence of two eye-witnesses in the murder case of Nihang Balwinder Singh (25), who was killed in broad daylight at Talwandi Sabo on June, 23, 2008. He was said to be close to Balbir Singh, chief of the Budha Dal.

The case was in the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Manju Rana. Though both eye-witnesses, Sikander Singh and Paramjit Singh, were present in the court, their statements could not be recorded as one of the seven identified accused did not appear in the court.

Sources in the court said one of the accused, Baljeet Singh, alias Kala, was lodged in the Amritsar jail for some other crime. Due to some undisclosed reason, the jail staff could not bring him to attend the hearing, which led the judge to adjourn the case for August 3.

The six accused, who were brought from the Central Jail Bathinda, were, namely, Kuldeep Singh, Mandeep Soni, Karamjeet Singh, Harbant Singh, Sukhbir Singh Mitha and Jafarjang Singh. The group of Nihangs, who were kept outside the courts, had come to show their support for Sukhbir Singh Mitha, district Jathedar (Sangrur) of the Surjeet Singh faction.

Speaking to the media, the Surjeet Singh group alleged false implication of three of their Nihangs, while the Balbir group accused them of killing their Nihang due to an old rivalry for the coronet.

Jalandhar, July 20
In a significant development, the Border Security Force (BSF) has decided to induct women at the subordinate and official levels, a move that will provide equality to women, on a par with their male counterparts.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has given its approval for the recruitment of 15 Sub-Inspectors (female) for better supervision and command of the women constables. The induction of Assistant Commandants (General Duty) Mahila is in the process and the BSF authorities are hopeful of a positive outcome (regarding the number of posts) soon.

DIG (Intelligence) Pankaj Goomer said that going one step further, they had asked the Staff Selection Commission to provide the posts of Sub-Inspector after a need was felt for an all-women command. “As women constables were inducted for the first time last year, subsequently a need to fill the supervisory gap was felt. The induction of women Sub-Inspectors and Assistant Commandants will facilitate the functioning of the women constables,” he added.

While the selection of the lady subordinate officers will be held within another two to three months, that of the women Assistant Commandants is yet to be finalised. “As of now, we have 635 women constables deployed along the Indo-Pakistan international border, while another 50 of them are posted along the West Bengal border,” he said.

Several other paramilitary forces like the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), usually looking after internal security, already have women at the official level. However, the BSF being a border force, it did not induct women initially. “The training for the selected candidates for the posts of Subordinate Officer may be conducted at Subsidiary Training Centre, BSF, Kharkan, Hoshiarpur. However, we may request the CRPF and CISF for training too,” he said. The BSF authorities are hopeful of a rousing response to this initiative. Last year when the posts for women constable were advertised, girls especially from a rural background applied in large numbers. “Women are already on a par with their men counterparts and this will be another feather in their cap,” the DIG maintained.

Mohali, July 20
A long-pending tussle between the Department of the Local Government and the Department of Housing in Punjab over approving colonies in the state has been settled with commissioners of the Municipal Corporations and regional deputy directors of the Department of the Local Government being notified as the competent authorities under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995 (PAPRA).

Officials of the Department of Housing said the new orders would not only check practise by the Department of the Local Government to sanction colonies under the garb of the town planning (TP) scheme that virtually ruined towns as a result of unbridled colonisation, it would also protect consumer interests.

While promoters of PAPRA-approved colonies had to pay substantial development charges and follow strict rules to ensure that a consumer was not taken for a ride and certain basic facilities like community centres, schools and parks were provided, in municipal areas there was absence of a strict regulatory control.

Under the notification issued by the Secretary (Housing and Urban Development) Dr SS Sandhu, officials of the Department of the Local Government would now grant licences to colonies in their respective jurisdiction under the PAPRA. However, power to grant the change of land use still vests with the state chief town planner. During the past few years, a number of civic bodies have extended their limits, thereby bringing in more colonies within their areas. To regulate the colonies, the Housing and Urban Development Department had been seeking amendment in the PAPRA by including group housing apartments (approved by the Department of the Local Bodies) in the definition of “colonies” given in the Act. But the Department of the Local Government opposed the move.

Bagge Ke Hithar (Ferozepur), July 20
The Punjab government’s writ seems to have stopped running in this village, bordering Pakistan. Officials concerned of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, Punjab, have allegedly facilitated the illegal occupation of panchayat land measuring 316 acres instead of getting the illegal occupants evicted.

Getting agitated over the “irresponsible” attitude of the officials, Deputy Director, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, JP Singh, has verbally brought the matter to the notice of Punjab Rural Development Minister Ranjit Singh Bhrampura for action.

“I am going to write against the officials, who have either failed to perform their duties or have connived with the illegal occupants and hence have not taken any action against them,” he said, while talking to The Tribune today, adding that he had given July 15, 2010, as the deadline to the officials to clear the land from illegal occupants.

As 316 acres of land belonging to the panchayat of Bagge Ke Hithar was under illegal occupation, the panchayat is suffering losses to the tune of Rs 1 crore every year. It could have generated this amount by leasing the land for agriculture purposes to individuals at the rate of Rs 30,000 per acre lease money per annum.

“Last year, instead of evicting the illegal occupants from the panchayat land, a section of officials made them tenants of the land by issuing lease orders in their names by charging token money from them despite the fact that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also ordered the eviction of illegal occupants from same pieces of land,” he pointed out, adding that this year, they could not find new tenants. Hence the land remained in the possession of old, illegal occupants.

Baljit Singh, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Ferozepur, said they had filed about 80 cases of eviction against the illegal occupants. Besides, the process had been initiated to get criminal cases registered against them.

He claimed that they had been facing a number of difficulties in getting the panchayat land evicted due to “political pressure” being put on them. He added that almost all illegal occupants had forcibly occupied the land with the active patronage of a section of politicians.

“We will not spare any illegal occupant,” he claimed.

Dera Bassi/Zirakpur, July 20
A four-member Central team, led by joint secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, RP Nath, today visited the flood-affected areas in Dera Bassi and Lalru.

The team took stock of damage of the roads and crops in Gulabgarh and Sitarpur villages here before moving on to other flood-affected areas of Punjab and Haryana.

The visiting team included senior regional director of Health and Family Welfare Dr Amarjeet Kaur, director of Ministry of Power Dr RK Verma and GK Chaudhry from the Agriculture and Cooperation Department.

Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Romila Dubey, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Parbhjot Singh Mand and ADC Mohinder Singh accompanied the team to see the flood-affected spots.

District administration officials during checking of the flood-affected areas found that a number of places, landowners had blocked the opening of culverts to check flooding of their fields downstream of the choes, which resulted in flooding at many places.

At Chatt village in Zirakpur, a team of officials led by the Dera Bassi SDM Puneet Goyal, inspected the spur near Chatt Bir Zoo that had been damaged, following strong current in the Ghaggar. The officials of the Drainage Department and Army also accompanied the SDM. It is learnt that due to damage to the spur, there was chances of the zoo’s lion safari being inundated.

The zoo director had taken up the matter with the Mohali Deputy Commissioner. After inspection, it was decided that the spur would be repaired at a cost of Rs 7 lakh.

Meanwhile, locally Jasjit Singh Bunny also visited the flood-affected families and distributed cheques of Rs three lakh in the Lalru and Dera Bassi areas. He gave three cheques of one lakh each to the families of Parveen, a girl who drowned during the floods in Lalru; Jaipal, who had been electrocuted due to flooding and Simranjeet, who had also drowned in Pabhat village.

Patiala: The team members went on a tour of flood-hit areas of Patiala, including Devigarh, Samana and Patran.

The senior administrative officials of the Patiala, including DC Dipinder Singh, Patiala SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra and Chief Engineer, Drainage Department, Vinod Chaudhary, accompanied the team.

The team also visited several villages, including that of Ojha, Adaltiwala, Budhmore, Bibipur, Dharmheri, Roshanpur, Ganeshpur, Ghungiyan, Kharabgarh and Binjal. The team also paid a visit to the Hansi Butana canal, which is being termed as one of the major reasons behind flooding.

The team members interacted with the affected farmers and inhabitants of the several villages and listened to their problems post floods.

Speaking to The Tribune, one of the members of the Central team said they have seen the damage caused due to floods and based on the spot visit of the affected areas, the team would submit its report to the Centre, while further refusing to comment on the issue.

Thereafter, Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Romila Dubey said the state government has urged the Centre that in wake of the massive damage to the crops, the Centre should relax the conditions pertaining to the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre should be given to the affected farmers.

“The government has also requested the Centre that norms should be relaxed, so that the farmers could get compensation for the tubewells as well,” she added.

Devigarh (Patiala), July 20
Angst and agony written all over their faces, swollen eyes and desperate gestures is what could best describe the physical state of hundreds of farmers of flood-affected villages of Devigarh, who had been waiting for the four-member Central team to come to their rescue.

At around 1 pm, as the farmers of several villages gathered at Ojha village spotted the cavalcade of the Central team, they were seen jostling to convey their sentiments and pain to the team members.

It also came to light that the farmers were suffering the fury of floods for four decades and majority of them were hopeful of relief from the government.

“Non-widening of the path of the Tangri and Ghaggar rivers has been playing havoc,” said the farmers from various villages.

Ropar, July 20
The Ropar DC asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) chief to ensure that pollution norms were complied with while issuing licence to Jaypee Cement for setting up a clinker yard at Dehni village, Kiratpur Sahib.

Patiala, July 20
Lakhwinder Wadali’s Sufi music has not only made him popular among youngsters, but also the older lot.

Lakhwinder, who was in the city to perform on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebration of Khalsa College’s establishment, enthralled the audience with his singing. Singing popular tracks like ‘Tu Mane Ya Na Mane Dildara’, ‘Diva na Bujhayin’, ‘Heer’ and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s popular song ‘Mera Piya Ghar Aya’, he made the crowd swing to his tunes.

Lakhwinder belongs from a family of illustrious musicians. His father and uncle forms India’s most celebrated Sufi Qawal duo. He, too, received extensive classical music training from his father and guru Padmashree Puran Chand Wadali.

Lakhwinder, who recently turned into an actor with Punjabi film “Akhiyaa Udeek Diyan” feels that as an artist he needs to explore new horizons. He feels that there should be more and more Sufi singers because this style has large fan following and people indifferent of their age are fond of Sufi singing. Thanking college principal Dr Dharminder Singh Ubha and SK Ahluwalia, he said artists required such appreciators in order to grow.

Patiala, July 20
Following directions of the Election Commission, work on the revision of the voter lists of the eight assembly constituencies of Patiala has been initiated from July 16.

Patiala District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh said the work of the revision of the voter lists would continue till July 31. Notably, the Assembly constituencies of Patiala include Rajpura, Nabha, Patiala (Rural), Ghanaur, Sanaur, Patiala city, Samana and Shatrana.

Dipinder further informed that during the above-mentioned period, the claims/ objections have to be submitted and all claims/ objections received would be disposed off by August 9 and the final publication of the voter lists would be done on September 15. Dipinder also stated that from July 16 to 31, the BLOs would be sitting in their respective polling stations and would receive claims/objections from the voters.