The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

no booth level agents in 111 assembly constituencies
Political parties shirk their duty
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 20
Political parties are shirking their duty of appointing booth level agents (BLAs) in the ongoing revision of voter rolls for the benefit of the voters. How serious are the political parties in the state towards tapping potential voters by urging them to get themselves registered can be gauged from the fact that no BLA had been appointed in 111 assembly segments of the state by the ruling SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress.

So far such agents are in place in Abohar, Faridkot, Kotkapura, Jaito, Bhadaur and Patiala only, says Shingara Ram, Principal Secretary to the Election Commission of India. He is in the city to oversee the ongoing exercise in all the seven districts in Jalandhar division.

Despite sending circulars to all the registered parties in the state, no party has come forward to depute such agents who act as facilitators between the poll staff and the voters. It seems the parties have no interest in such an exercise now but would raise all sorts of objections on election eve, he pointed out.

Sources said this exercise assumes significance since all the deletions and the additions, corrections and any other lacunae can be easily redressed at this stage and the political parties can put across their viewpoint too.

But things become complicated once the final rolls are prepared and carrying out any corrections at that stage is not possible, the sources added.

It has been seen that many voters too do not bother to go to their designated polling booth and check their particulars in the voters list at this stage but complain to their staff on polling day that their names have been omitted or had factual errors, they said.

Political parties too raise a hue and cry and attribute motives to them and trade charges against each other that are not true. If the parties cooperate with them at this time all such errors can be rectified at this stage easily and to the mutual benefit of all, they added.

Interestingly, work in underway in the state even in the absence of BLAs with the exception of six constituencies of the Malwa belt. No agents have been appointed from other parties of the state like the CPI, CPM and BSP anywhere.

Our Correspondent adds from Nawanshahr:

Shingara Ram, Principal Secretary, Election Commission of India, who has been appointed Electoral Observer for the revision of electoral rolls, today not only convened a meeting with the officials concerned but also visited the booths in the district to take stock of the actual progress as well as the practical problems at the execution level.

Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh, Shingara Ram visited a number of booths and interacted with the booth level officials, examined the various proformas being filled by them and the documentary evidence being obtained by them for effecting different types of revisions in the photo electoral rolls.

While giving instructions to the officials at different booths, he asked them to take extra care while authenticating the revisions in the rolls. Earlier, addresing a meeting of the officials related to the elections of the Shahid Bhagat Singh and Hoshiarpur districts, Shingara Ram asked them to keep in touch with the booth level officials for proper registration of voters and revision in the voters' lists.

The DC said there were as many as 3,94,401 voters in Nawanshahr, Banga and Balachaur Assembly segments falling in the district and as many as 3,93,584 (99.79 %) voters identity cards had been prepared.

Suvidha centres to be set up in small towns, cities
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 20
To provide the facility of single window clearance in 300 small towns and cities of the state, the state government would set up suvidha centres in cities, which are being managed by municipal committees and nagar councils.

This was revealed by Rakesh Verma, MD, Infotech, Punjab, who visited the Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurthala, to inaugurate a two-day science fest, 2010.

He said under the project, which is worth around Rs 400 crore, the first such centre would be set up at the municipal corporation premises, Jalandhar, by June next year.

He also added that to promote the job scenario in the information and technology sector in the state government, the government has cleared another project, worth around Rs 600 crore, to develop sprawling IT parks in Mohali, Ropar, Kapurthala and Rajpura.

Earlier, while inaugurating the state level festival, organised to inculcate and promote scientific temper among the students of the state, he said the science city is showcasing a path to develop a scientific temper in the society.

Dr RS Khandpur, Director General, PGSC, said they had received around 1,500 entries but 600 students were short listed for the event.

On the first day, painting, logo designing and quiz competitions were organised. Themes for the painting competition were India 2050, World 2050, Equal India and My Future School.

On the second day, Finance Minister Upinderjit Kaur distributed prizes to the winners of the competition.

In logo design, Diksha Vadhorha (SP Prime Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar), Priyanka (Senior Secondary School, Nabha) and Kanwardeep (Apeejay, Rama Mandi, Jalandhar) bagged first, second and third position, respectively.

Govt working on 19 progammes to improve health services: Chawla
Our Correspondent

‘Misuse of pro-women legal provisions is unfortunate’

Phagwara: Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Health and Family Welfare Minister Punjab, today said misuse of pro-women legal provisions is unfortunate and should be checked. Addressing the national seminar on ‘Human Rights and Women Rights: Indian Perspective’, organised by Kamla Nehru College for Women in collaboration with UGC, Chawla said misuse of legal provisions like Article 498 was causing imbalance in the society. — OC

Phagwara, November 20
While reiterating her determination to improve the quality of health services in civil hospitals, Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said the Health Department was actively working on 19 programmes with the financial assistance of the Union and state government.

Talking to newsmen here today, Chawla said the programmes were being actively implemented in the state.

The list includes National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, National Leprosy Eradication Programme, National Mental Health Programme, National Programme for control of blindness, Revised National TB Control Programme, National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme, National Cancer Control Programme, School Health Programme, Intensive Dental Health Care Programme, Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, Tobacco Control Programme, Civil Registration System, National Family Welfare Programme, Immunization Strengthening Programme, Janani Suraksha Yojna, Implementation of PC and PNDT act, Drug& Cosmetic Act, Food Adulteration Act and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.

She said in the series of the initiative to provide ultra modern facilities in the hospitals, digital X-rays would soon be installed and dialysis machines would also be provided to big hospitals for proper treatment of kidney patients.

Replying a question, the Health Minister strongly opposed the appointment of medical staff on deputation and disclosed that no medical staff would be appointed on deputation now. Earlier, the Health Minister visited and inspected civil hospitals of Phillaur, Phagwara, and Panchhatt and expressed her satisfaction on the working.

Cooking gas shortage fuels protest

Hoshiarpur, November 20
People of Chagran and its adjoining villages along with activists of Social Democratic Party of India, led by President Jai Gopal Dhiman, burnt an effigy of Union Petroleum Minister at Adda Chagran, 8 kms from here, today in protest against the shortage of cooking gas.

They staged a demonstration against the LPG agency holders for their allegedly creating artificial shortage of LPG cylinders and selling them in the black market.

Addressing gathering on the occasion, Jai Gopal Dhiman alleged that a filled LPG cylinder was being sold for Rs 500 to Rs 700 in black market whereas its actual cost was Rs 361.15 for home delivery and Rs 353.15 ex-godown. There were only 23 LPG agencies in the district of which 10 were in the city. People of rural areas had to visit 5 to 15 kms to get LPG cylinder. They had to visit agency premises regularly to obtain filled LPG cylinder.

Deputy Commissioner Dharam Dutt Ternach warned the agency holders not to create artificial shortage of LPG and stop its selling in black market failing which strict action would be taken against the defaulters. — OC

BKI terrorist opposes narco test
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, November 20
As Makhan Singh, terrorist of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), refused to undergo narco and lie detector tests, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate A.S. Sullar denied permission to the police for conducting the tests today.

Makhan Singh, who was jointly arrested by the Uttar Pradesh and Khanna (Punjab) police in the third week of October, was handed over to the Hoshiarpur police on November 11 in connection with the murder of Sant Pardhan Singh, in charge of Dera at Baddon in Mahilpur block of this district. Makhan Singh was produced in the court today. The police has already applied for his narco and lie detector tests.

According to Hoshiarpur SSP Rakesh Aggarwal as per the directions of the Supreme Court, permission could not be granted for narco and lie detector tests in case the accused is not willing.

Refusal by Makhan Singh for narco and lie detector tests would go against him in his trial. The court has recorded the statement of Makhan Singh.

One more inmate of juvenile home nabbed

Hoshiarpur, November 20
The police today succeeded to arrest one more juvenile delinquent who along with five others fled from the local Bal Sudhar Ghar on November 18. SSP Rakesh Aggarwal said the arrested juvenile was identified as Rasid Ali (16), son of Habib Ahmed of Faridkot in Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

He was caught at a special naka near Patiarian village on Hoshiarpur-Una road. Two inmates, Tarsem Lal (18) and Balraj Singh (16), of the juvenile home were nabbed yesterday. — OC