The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Amending rules for promotion to PCS cadre
Revenue officials give 15-day ultimatum to govt
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 11
The Punjab Revenue Officers Association has given a 15-day ultimatum to the SAD-BJP government to make requisite amendments to the rules for promoting revenue officials to PCS cadre. The ultimatum was given in the state executive meeting of the association held here today under the chairmanship of its state president Ram Singh.

However, the association hailed the decision of the state government for accepting in principle the formula of “seniority-cum-merit” for promoting revenue officials to PCS cadre. The association warned the state government that if requisite amendments to the rules for implementing the decision were not made within 15 days, it would launch a stir in the first week of May.

The association urged the state government to immediately call a meeting of the Department Promotions Committee (DPC) for granting promotions to the Naib Tehsildars as Tehsildars. The meeting of the DPC has not been convened since 1995, consequently depriving the Naib Tehsildars of timely promotions.

The association criticised the issuance of notices and levying of penalties on revenue officials for not filing returns in the case of registration of land-sale deeds exceeding Rs 30 lakh.

While demanding the intervention of the Finance Commissioner (Revenue) to resolve the issue, the association unanimously resolved that neither the reply to the notices would be filed, nor penalty would be paid. Condemning the attack on Subash Khatak, Tehsildar, Jalalabad, the association demanded security for the revenue officials.

With the view to strengthening the organisation, the association decided to convene general body meetings of Patiala division on April 16, Jalandhar division on April 30 and Faridkot and Ferozepur divisions on May 14.

Opportunity went begging on state loan waiving issue: Manpreet
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

NGO to work as cultural wing of PPP

Jalandhar, April 11
A meeting of the representatives of the Life Awareness Movement, an NGO, was held with former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today, in which it was decided that the NGO would work as the cultural wing of the recently floated People’s Party of Punjab (PPP).

The meeting was attended by Dr S.S. Johal, Dr J.S. Dosanjh, Principal Ranjit Singh Bal, Jatinder Pal Singh Dhillon, Baldev Singh Bhinder, Anoop Vohra, Dr Ajmer Singh, Manu Gautam, Jaswinder Hundal and Danjeev Thukral. — TNS

Jalandhar, April 11
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has held the Punjab Government responsible for its failure to get the state loan waived or restructured. Manpreet Singh Badal, talking to The Tribune, said the government wasted a golden opportunity in this regard.

He said it was first time in the history of the country that a committee was set up by the Centre to revisit the state’s debt and waive at least 50 per cent of it. The Centre, Manpreet claimed, had assured to waive and restructure the debt to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore.

The existing debt against the state is in the range of Rs 70,000 crore.

However, he said certain elements in the state government were working overtime to sabotage the entire exercise related to the waiving of the loan. “I had worked very hard to convince the Union Finance Ministry that Punjab had a strong case with regard to the waiving of its debt. I held three meetings on this issue,” he said.

“The Centre had asked to submit a roadmap of measures the state government would initiate for its financial recovery once the loan was waived,” he said.

“I am not aware that whether any roadmap was submitted by the state government or not. I was thrown out of the party and made to resign as a finance minister on this very issue,” said Manpreet Singh Badal.

“It is a very sad development that the state government had failed to get the loan waived or restructured. It should have gone all out because such committees were set up once in a while in several decades. I am disappointed that the state government did not act appropriately to take advantage of the opportunity for the creating of which I had worked hard”, he said. “The day I resigned as Finance Minister, I had urged the State Government to pick up the thread regarding the waiving of the loan from where I had left it”, he said.

Cong flays govt for hiking collector’s rates
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, April 11
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) member Vipan Taneja, former Municipal Council chief Lalit Mohan Pathak Ballu and former District Youth Congress president Satbir Singh Palli Jhikki in a joint statement here today criticised the SAD-BJP government for frequent hikes in the collector’s rates for the registration of land sale deeds in the state.

During the last year, the government hiked the collector’s rates thrice, hence, effecting an increase of about 55 -60 per cent in a year. Recently, the collector’s rates have again been increased by 20 -25 per cent in the district making it virtually difficult for the common man to get the sale deed registered.

“Besides, the hike in rates have been effected without conducting proper field survey in the district,” alleged the Congress leaders, while citing a number of examples of the localities where the collector’s rates had been fixed much higher than the prevailing market rates. While demanding an immediate withdrawal in the hike of the collector's rates, the Congress leaders warned the government of starting a stir. “Even, the issue would be brought into the notice of the party high command to raise the voice of the common man," said Vipan Taneja.

Deputy Commissioner, Shruti Singh, when contacted on phone, said the collector’s rates had been increased as per the directions of the state government and the set procedure for effecting the increase had been followed. Expressing surprise over the incidence of the collector's rates higher than the market rates, the DC said no such case had been brought to her notice by any official or public representatives. Before effecting the hike in the collector's rates, the report from the officials of the Revenue Department as well as the views from the political representatives were sought. The DC assured to look into the matter.

Limit of election expenditure increased

Hoshiarpur, April 11
The Election Commission of India has increased the limit of expenditure by a candidate in Parliament and Vidhan Sabha elections. Disclosing this at a meeting of the representatives of various political parties here last evening, District Transport Officer-cum-Electoral Registration Officer B.S. Dhaliwal said the expenditure limit for Parliament elections had been increased from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 40 lakh, whereas for Assembly elections from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 16 lakh.

NRIs living abroad could become voters by filing form No 6 A. The average of getting prepared voter identity cards was less in the district as compared with the state. All those voters who had not got their voter identity cards prepared so far could get them prepared by filing form No 001B.

The number of voters between the age group of 18 year and 19 year were very low. He appealed to the representatives to motivate youths, who had completed 18 years of their age on January 1, 2011, to get their voter cards prepared by submitting form No 6. He also asked the representatives of national political parties to appoint their polling agents on all booths of polling stations. — OC

Two killed, 25 injured as bus rams into tree
Tribune Reporters

Gurdaspur, April 11
Two persons died and 25 persons sustained injuries when a private bus in which they were travelling rammed into a tree after hitting a tractor-trailer. The accident occurred near Sohal village, 8 kilometre from Gurdaspur. The bus, which was on its way to Amritsar, was badly damaged.

The dead have been identified as 12-year-old girl Payal of Little Flower Convent School, Dhariwal, and a middle-aged woman. A woman, Sudarshana, who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to Amritsar.

The management of Little Flower Convent School closed the school as a mark of respect to the dead student.

Gurdaspur SP (Headquarters) Charanjit Singh reached the spot and supervised rescue operation. He disclosed that all the injured, barring Sudarshana, were shifted to the Civil Hospital, Gurdaspur, where they were undergoing treatment.

Dr Rajesh Lakhanpal, Medical Specialist at the Civil Hospital, disclosed that nearly 25 persons were discharged after being given first aid, while 10 others were still recuperating at the hospital.

Another killed

Hoshiarpur: A person was killed when he was hit by a motorcycle near Adda Randhaw here last evening. According to police sources, Parminder Singh, son of Jai Singh of Nanaksar, Tarn Taran, was hit by a motorcycle (PB 07 X 5241) being driven by Romesh Kumar, son of Mohinder Singh of Badala, near Adda Randhawa.

Parminder Singh was seriously wounded and was admitted to the Civil Hospital, Dasuya where he breathed his last. The Dasuya police has registered a case against Romesh Kumar.

Man, son hurt

Phagwara: Sat Paul, employee of Phagwara SDM office, and his son Jasleen sustained critical injuries when a motorcycle they were riding on was hit by a truck on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road today.

Both were admitted to the Civil Hospital here, but later referred to a Ludhiana Hospital.

The police has registered a case and impounded the truck.

4 suspended for train derailment
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 11
The Indian Railways suspended Deputy Station Superintendent Akshay Pathania, shunter Ram Kishan, shunt man Ramvilas and one Gurdeep Singh for the derailment of the Katihar Amrapalli Express.

The incident occurred during the shunting of the train on the night of April 5. Luckily, no one was hurt as the train was empty at that time. The train was being shifted to another track after its maintenance during the time of the accident.

In railway terminology, shunting involves the process of sorting items of rolling stock into complete train sets. Shunters are to get between the wagons to complete the coupling process, especially where hook-and-chain coupling systems are in use. It makes the occupation a little dangerous as there is a risk of being run over.

During the time of the derailment, Ram Kishan was in the engine while Ramvilas and Gurdeep were guiding him for shunting of empty racks. Pathania was also on duty.

Consequently, traffic movement on the Amritsar-Delhi railway line remained crippled for nearly 15 hours.

The lapse was blamed on communication gap between signal and operating employees. Following this a team of officials from Ferozepur also visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

Earlier, Hoshiarpur DMU had derailed in the yard on March 9. The inquiry was still underway to ascertain the reasons behind it that another incident occurred.