6 PCS officers selected for IAS
Chandigarh, January 10
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has approved the names of six PCS officers for elevation from the PCS cadre to the IAS. The six officers belong to the 1986, 1987 and 1989 batches.

Chandigarh, January 10
Punjab is set to monitor the functioning of private medical establishments more effectively by bringing in legislation, which will require private players to not only maintain clinical records and supply these to patients but also make and enforce a schedule of charges for all kinds of treatment.

The legislation, which will be called the Private Health Regulation Bill, aims to create a regulatory act which, while protecting the interests of patients, will put an end to unscrupulous activities by medical establishments.

While a cabinet subcommittee is still to decide on whether to follow the central act in this regard or make an act according to the needs of the state, Punjab Governance Reforms Commission Chairman Pramod Kumar told TNS that the commission was in favour of the state having its own act. He said the commission had proposed the Private Health Regulation Bill, which was at present was under consideration of the Health Department.

Meanwhile, as a first step, the proposed bill calls for the registration of all private medical establishments with the Deputy Commissioner in each district. The DC will act as the chairman of the proposed registering authority, which will also have the district health and family welfare officer and an office-bearer of the Indian Medical Association as its members.

The regulatory mechanism calls for making it mandatory for each private establishment to submit a schedule of charges for different kinds of treatment and services to the registering authority. These will also have to be displayed on the notice boards of the establishments. The private players will not be allowed to collect any money in excess of the charges displayed by them and will have to issue a proper receipt for the same.

The proposed bill will allow patients as well as the registering authority to have access to the clinical records. While patients or members of their families will be entitled to a copy of the clinical records, the same will also be made available to the district civil surgeon or any other officer empowered by him.

In a bid to do away with private practice by government doctors and make them accountable for the same, it will now be the duty of the private establishments to submit a list of government doctors and paramedical staff whose services are used by them. These services could be in the form of consultation or any other basis, including free of cost.

The steps, once in place, are expected to rationalise the fee of private medical establishments. Dr Pramod Kumar says Punjab continues to remain a state where in comparison to the national average, the share of people citing financial reasons for non-treatment is fairly high. He said untreated morbidity in the rural areas in the state was higher than in the urban areas, indicating a lack of access to health services.

Amritsar, January 10
After a school in Michigan province of the US barred Sikh students from carrying the kirpan, Sikh organisations like the United Sikhs and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) have jointly launched a campaign to sensitise people there about Sikhism and the articles of faith.

Hansdeep Singh, Senior Staff Attorney, United Sikhs, said, “We will strive to coordinate efforts with other civil rights organisations to ensure that our articles of faith are safeguarded. We emphasise that this is not an issue only for advocates; instead it is an opportunity for all Sikhs to take the initiative to educate their fellow brothers and sisters about what Sikhi is and why our articles of faith are an inextricable part of who we are.” He said they had already begun their endeavour to reach out to their neighbours with the formation of a Community Forum at St Thomas a'Becket Catholic Church in Canton on January 6. With the assistance of the Michigan Sikh Sangat, parents and general community members learned about Sikhs, their beliefs, their values, and how the five articles of faith inform the spiritual development of a Sikh. Also, a question and answer session followed where a more intimate dialogue between both Sikhs and non-Sikhs could continue.

He said the United Sikhs, SALDEF, and Sikh Coalition in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Michigan, would continue to pursue this case until an amicable resolution was reached. Sikh students should practise their faith fearlessly without having to choose between religious adherence and obtaining a proper education, he added. According to him, the Sikh community must make its voices heard and begin to engage and educate those who did not understand their articles of faith. The Sikh outfits had also written to the authorities to allow the student to continue practising his faith, while the district worked with civil rights advocates to fashion an appropriate resolution.

Back home, the SGPC, too, has dubbed it as “injustice” to Sikhs and said it would approach the Prime Minister as well as the Ministry of External Affairs over the issue.

Amritsar, January 10
The SGPC and Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) today held a nagar kirtan on the eve of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary here.

Led by Panj Pyaras, the Chief Khalsa Diwan’s nagar kirtan started from Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary Public School, GT Road, and culminated at the Golden Temple after passing through Bhandari Bridge, Hall Gate, and Hall Bazaar. The nagar kirtan witnessed participation by the students and staff of 15 branches of Chief Khalsa Diwan schools in and around Amritsar. The students displayed their ‘gatka’ skills during the nagar kirtan that was also marked by recital of gurbani and performance by the music band teams of the schools. Residents of the city welcomed the nagar kirtan at various points en route to the Golden Temple. Special arrangements for langar for the students participating in the event were made at the Golden Temple. Chief Khalsa Diwan chairman Charanjeet Singh Chadha expressed his gratitude to the students, residents and the administration for making the event a success.

The SGPC also held a nagar kirtan that started from Sri Akal Takht at noon. Sri Guru Granth Sahib was installed in a golden palanquin while various Sikh organisations and beautifully attired children took part in the procession. The entire route of the nagar kirtan was decorated beautifully.

Darbar Sahib manager Harbans Singh Malhi said the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh would be celebrated at the holy shrine tomorrow which would be marked by spectacular fireworks in the evening.

Amritsar, January 10
Acting on a tip-off, the State Special Operation Cell, a counter intelligence wing of the Punjab Police, today arrested Sukhbir Singh of Bhusse village and seized 14 kg of heroin worth Rs 70 crore in the international market, one .30-bore pistol (China made), two magazines and 12 cartridges from his possession.

His accomplice, Angrej Singh, however, managed to flee. A case under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act has been registered against the duo.

AIG (Counter Intelligence) Manminder Singh said after a tip-off, a police team kept a close watch on their activities. The accused was arrested from Baba Deep Singh Colony in the Chheharta area this morning when he, along with Angrej Singh, was loading the heroin in an Innova. On seeing the police party, Angrej fled the spot while Sukhbir was caught by the police.

The consignment, which was smuggled from Pakistan through the Gurdaspur area, was concealed in a fertiliser bag having a stamp of Pakistan. It was to be delivered in Chandigarh and Delhi.

During preliminary investigations, it came to the fore that the consignment was smuggled to India from Pakistan on the intervening night of January 9 and 10.

“The accused were constantly in touch with their Pakistani counterparts,” said the AIG. He added that efforts were on to nab Angrej Singh.

Chandigarh, January 10
Former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s ‘Jago Punjab’ yatra, while aimed at weaning away the vote bank of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), is giving sleepless nights to the state Congress party as well. The party cadres feel the anti-government vote is slipping away from its hands.

Reports from all over the state indicate Manpreet is eating away into the Congress vote bank and that things could become worse for the party once the rebel Akali forms his own political outfit in March.

The reason for disquiet among Congressmen is that while the SAD-BJP alliance has adopted a clear cut development agenda and promised to deliver during the last one year in office, the Congress party is yet to form an alternative policy framework even as its issue of vendetta politics is getting only a limited response from the people. What is more worrying is that Manpreet is attracting the middle class voters that would have otherwise gone to the Congress.

Similarly, the rebel Akali is also attracting intellectuals who traditionally vote for the secular party. Manpreet’s growing support base amongst traders in cities would also harm the Congress, as it would have got this vote at the cost of the BJP. Similarly, Manpreet and the Congress party would now share the radical panthic vote, which is opposed to the SAD and would normally have gone to the Congress.

Manpreet’s presence in the electoral fray would also harm the Congress directly. There is heightened competition for the Congress ticket and those who do not get the same could opt for Manpreet’s party and ensure it contests all 117-assembly seats. With the average victory margins in assembly elections coming down considerably, this could again affect the party.

The SAD too is likely to be affected but till now it seems to have curtailed Manpreet to the Gidderbaha-Muktsar-Malout-Mansa belt and unlike the Congress has taken him on aggressively, drawing clear battle lines. The Congress on its part is in a denial mode with Pradesh Congress President Capt Amarinder Singh saying Manpreet would not have any influence on the assembly elections.

Congress leaders are, however, not so confident and assert the Manpreet factor would be crucial in the coming days.

There is a growing feeling in the Congress that it should not take victory in the next assembly elections for granted on the assumption that Punjab has never returned a political party back to power. Political parties who are delivering have started returning to power as has been witnessed in Haryana and Delhi and even Bihar. In such a situation the party would have to come out with a strategy to tackle Manpreet and take him on in the coming days.

Bathinda, January 10
An ingenious way to smuggle drugs into the jail was unearthed today when officials of the Bathinda Central Jail found four nuggets of charas hidden inside onions, which had been allegedly brought by a woman for two persons lodged there.

The drug had been so well packaged that it made its way across the first checkpoint and reached inside the jail. But at the second stage, jail staff opened the polybag containing onions and found the nuggets hidden in four of the onions. Following this, the jail authorities arrested the woman and recommended the Civil Lines police to book the trio under the NDPS Act.

Meanwhile, finding a serious lapse in security, the jail authorities has suspended security man Jagjit Singh posted at the first checkpoint.

Giving details, Jail Superintendent SS Saggu said Jasvir Kaur, along with her husband Sukhdev Singh and daughter, had come to the visitors’ room at the jail to meet Mann Singh and Jarnail Singh. Both were lodged in the jail since January 6 as they were facing trial in an assault case registered at Bareta on December 30 last year.

She handed over a bag full of vegetables and fruits to the jail staff to take it inside for the two. After this, she returned. “The bag crossed the first security checkpoint but at the second stage inside the jail’s gate, the staff smelt a rat. While checking the bag, security man Niranjan Singh found that charas was hidden in four onions,” said Saggu.

“Following this, we asked Mann Singh to call the woman and her husband over her cellphone to check their whereabouts. As she said she was near the railway station, our jail staff rushed there and arrested them before they could catch a train,’ he added.

He further said: “During interrogation, the woman confessed that she has illicit relations with Mann Singh and had brought the drug for him and his friend. Her husband, Jasvir Singh, also admitted that he knew about their relations. But he feigned ignorance about the presence of charas and claimed that he had come along with her just to take her back home.”

Finding his statement to be true, the jail authorities did not mention his name in a complaint to the Civil Lines police and released him.

SHO (Civil Lines police station) Jaspal Singh said, “We will send the drug for a laboratory test.”

Amritsar, January 10
Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, KS Pannu, has written a letter to the state government seeking immediate action to curb lawlessness inside the jail.

This follows the findings of a high-powered team of the police and the administration, which raided the Amritsar Central Jail premises yesterday, according to sources.

The jail staff had tried to stop members of the high-power raiding team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Additional District Magistrate from entering the jail premises, said an officer who was part of the team.

The team comprising 400 police personnel and seven magistrates, gained forceful entry to the jail premises. “We had to resort to physical assault with the jail staff to gain entry into the jail premises. It took us over 25 minutes to get inside,” the officer said.

“We found 12 mobile phone sets and drug pouches from their possession,” he said.

DC KS Pannu said he has recommended to Secretary, state government for overall revamping of the governance of the jail. “I have recommended to the government that a team headed by an IPS officer should be deployed in the jail after removing the present staff with immediate effect.

He said most of the staff on surveillance duty was not physically fit. “It is astonishing that for past 15 years, there has been no new recruitment in the jail staff. Consequently, more than 50 per cent of the staff manning the jail, have attained the age of over 50 years. Therefore, I have advised the state government to recruit ‘alert’ staff at the earliest. The jail is also over crowded. Against the capacity of 1500 inmates, at present there are over 2,700 inmates lodged in this jail,” he said.

Pannu said probe is on to trace call details to find out outside contacts of the inmates.

Ferozepur/Abohar, January 10
The relay fast launched by 11 members of the Zila Bachao Sangharsh Committee, Ferozepur, was suspended today after Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav offered all of them glasses of juice with the suggestion that they put up their case strongly against the bifurcation of Ferozepur district before the Sukhbir-Kalia subcommittee.

KD Syal, president, District Bar Association, Ferozepur, said the committee would submit its memorandum to the subcommittee and if it was found that justice was being denied to them, they would launch the agitation again.

However, activists of the committee jammed traffic this morning on octroi post number seven to press the Punjab Government not to initiate any move to bifurcate Ferozepur district. They also held a protest march in the city.

On the other hand, members of the Bar Association, Abohar, today observed a strike to press their demand of granting district status to Abohar. The Sacha Morcha will hold a meeting on January 15 to work out a strategy to conduct its agitation in future.

Rajnit Phore, general secretary of the morcha, said all NGOs based in Abohar and its surrounding villages would be asked to attend the meeting so that a decision could be taken in connection with the future course of action.

Meanwhile, Parminder Singh, general secretary, PPCC, while condemning the divisive politics being allegedly played by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the issue of granting district status to various towns, said the Punjab Government must release enough funds for the overall development of border areas.

He said that instead of setting up a subcommittee, Badal should have gone in for setting up a judicial commission to look into the issues related to the demand of district status being raised by residents of various towns of Punjab.

Patiala, January 10
The Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 20 lakh to set up a fire station in Samana. The move comes after property worth crores was destroyed in major fire accidents in the industrial hub of Samana recently. The Tribune had highlighted the financial loss suffered by the residents and industrialists in these columns on January 22.

In December, fire in a cotton mill in Retgarh village in Samana had caused losses worth over Rs 6 crore following which the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress party blamed each other for the failure to allot a fire station to Samana.

While Congress MLA from Samana Brahm Mohindra had blamed the ruling SAD-BJP alliance for allegedly ignoring the need to set up a fire station, the former Samana MLA Surjit Singh Rakhra had promised action in this regard. Rakhra had said that a grant would be sanctioned before January 31. “I personally took up the matter with the Punjab Chief Minister and the CM office informed me last week that the grant had been released,” he added.

“Once the matter came to my knowledge I decided to take it up and we received a cheque for the setting up of a fire station on Friday,” Rakhra claimed.

Earlier, Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, former (SAD) MLA from Samana Surjit Singh Rakhra and the present Samana MLA Brahm Mohindra had promised setting up of a fire station.

Samana Municipal Council president Kapoor Chand Bansal said the amount for the fire station has been received. “We are already in the process of floating tenders and start work on the fire station as soon as possible,” he said. The MC would first buy a vehicle for the station, he added.

Patiala, January 10
Notwithstanding the fact that the Patiala Municipal Corporation (MC) could generate revenue in crores, the state government still continues to overlook the matter pertaining to give nod to the MC resolution, whereby the civic body had declared eight residential roads of the city as commercial some past three years back. As per the information, only one residential road area from the YPS Chowk to Thikriwala Chowk, opposite the Polo Ground was declared commercial by the Department of Local Government but it has proved to be of no use as all Change of Land Use (CLU) cases of this road have still not been cleared by the government.

Notably, some three years back, the Patiala MC house passed resolutions declaring eight city roads as commercial. The roads, which had been declared as commercial by the Patiala MC but are pending for government approval includes road from Raghomajra Pulley to Ayurvedic College, road from Gurdwara Dukhnivarn Sahib to Madhu Clinic, road from Tripuri from house of Ajit Singh Kooner to the Kohli Sweets Chowk and then the Kohli Sweets Chowk to BN Khalsa School Chowk, Sanour Road Kanchian to Amar Marbel, road from Sirhind Road to Jhill village , Bhadson Road to Seona Road along drain and street number 1-7 of Hira Bagh, Rajpura Road.

According to senior civic functionaries, the main objective behind declaring these roads as commercial was to generate revenue in the form of the CLU charges and the composition fee to be charged from the commercial buildings that had come up on these roads illegally. The applicant is required to pay Rs 2,197 per square yard the CLU charges for getting the residential building concerted into commercial establishment. The CLU charges of Rs 2,197 per square yard doubles if the building height increased by 38’6’’.

Patiala Municipal Commissioner Manjit Singh Narang said, “Presently around 15 CLU cases are lying pending with the Department of Local Government.” He said, “Just imagine that the CLU charges for a 500 square yard plot amounts to about Rs 11 lakh. If the government approves resolutions passed by the MC declaring the eight roads as commercial, civic body could generate crores in the form of the CLU charges. These funds could be utilised for the development of the city.”

Fatehgarh Sahib, January 10
Lack of awareness over use of urea by farmers has led to its shortage in Fatehgarh Sahib. Uneducated farmers have dented their pockets with excessive use of fertiliser besides contributing to its shortage. Agriculture Department officials said, “Demand of urea is increasing every year. There seems to be no shortage but farmers are using its overdose.”

“It’s a kind of self-created shortage. Scientists recommend that on an average wheat crop requires 110 kg urea per acre in the state,” said Jaswinder Singh, Agriculture Department officer in Fatehgarh Sahib. He pointed out that 25 per cent urea application should be reduced on late-sown varieties of wheat in December.

Agriculture experts said farmers in state are using 150 kg urea in every acre creating shortage. Officials in the Agriculture Department stated that they always recommend quantity of fertiliser in district after calculating use of urea per acre. Though there is no harm in excessive use of fertiliser in fields but it also does not give any additional benefit. “Excessive quantity of urea used is ether drained out with water or evaporates. Wheat plants get as much of quantity as they require,” said the officials.

Farmers purchase urea at a cost of Rs 5 per kg and usually purchase 50 kg urea for Rs 250. Instead of applying 33-35 kg per acre as per quality of soil, farmers simply apply entire bag for one acre. It should be used as per nature of soil. f soil is nitrogen deficient then it may apply up to 130 kg per acres. A normal soil requires 110 kg urea per acre.

Kiratpur Sahib, January 10
The residents of Kalyanpur village have alleged panchayat of preparing wrong list for awarding ownership rights to the scheduled caste and bazigar (nomad) families as per the instructions of the government.

Villager Surinder Singh said the government had decided to give ownership rights to the families of the SC and the BC, who had been living on the outskirts on shyamlat (common land) village before August 15, 2008. According to the rules, the Revenue Department officials should have carried out demarcation of households of beneficiaries. “Instead the village sarpanch and some of his people carried out this demarcation task, which is illegal. Acting on this own whims and fancies, these people did not mention the actual area covered by respective households,” alleged Surinder.

A list mentioning 141 beneficiaries of the scheme was prepared and sent to the office of the Deputy Commissioner Ropar and the district development panchayat officer. Objecting to certain entries in the list and alleging discrepancies, Surinder and some other people approached high authorities. Surinder sought the list under the RTI Act, which revealed that some of the beneficiaries mentioned do not follow under the enlisted category.

“For instance, one such beneficiary is a 22-years-old unmarried youth. As per the rule, only that person can get house ownership who is married or the one who is unmarried and above 45-years-old,” Surinder claimed.

He added that when villagers raised hue and cry, 15 names were removed from the list stating that these have been inadvertently mentioned. When contacted DDPO Gagandeep Singh Virk said the list submitted was not final. “We will first verify the demarcations made and only then will award the ownership rights. Villagers need not worry,” he asserted.

Chandigarh, January 10
The Punjab police’s functioning has come under the judicial scanner, with two telegrams on harassment being placed before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In one of the petitions, a senior citizen has alleged attempts to implicate him. In the other, a senior functionary has been blamed for not even recording statements. Taking cognisance of both the telegrams on the judicial side, the Bench of acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih has issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab.

In his telegram, Prem Kumar Pathan has accused inspector Harpal Singh of raiding his house repeatedly and issuing threats of lodging an FIR for defaming him. Claiming to be 70 years old, Pathan has also claimed that a daily diary report was lodged against him, but he stood acquitted.

Seeking the change of inquiry officer, Jaswinder Singh of Faridkot has alleged that the Moga Superintendent of Police was not recording their statement during the inquiry of a cheating and forgery case registered on November 3 last. He has alleged that the statements were not being recorded even though they twice took the panchayat along.

Jaswinder Singh has added the officer “wants to record our statement by writing our name as alias, which is not in revenue record”. He has further added: “We do not expect any justice from him. So inquiry may be transferred from him out of Moga district”.