Rice millers uneasy too
Chandigarh, April 28
Tardy movement of foodgrain from Punjab could jeopardise the delivery of rice to the central pool with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) concentrating on moving last year’s wheat stock out of the state to accommodate the fresh stock.

Tribune Exclusive
Grievance tribunal for NRIs soon
Chandigarh, April 28
Grant of voting rights to non-resident Indians (NRIs) has necessitated that the Punjab Government takes their demands seriously. Amendment in the Representation of People’s (RP) Act has forced the SAD-BJP Government in the pre-election year to please the NRIs and a tribunal to redress their grievances is likely to be constituted soon.

Khalsa College Imbroglio
Teachers on hunger strike from next week
Amritsar, April 28
Changing their mode of protest over the Khalsa College row, the teachers today announced to observe chain hunger strike in support of their demands from next week.

Jalandhar/Patiala, April 28
Not convinced by Chief Minister Parksah Singh Badal’s assurance pertaining to a thorough probe into the alleged suicide by an Excise and Taxation Officer recently, the entire staff of the Excise and Taxation Department has decided to proceed on mass leave tomorrow.

Alleging that the Vigilance Bureau officials were harassing them unnecessarily, Excise and Taxation Officers Association president Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the state government had failed in checking the “interference”. About 1,800 employees of the department would be taking casual leave.

Notably, ETO Ranjit Singh allegedly committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets at his Phase II residence in Mohali after he was released from jail — arrested by the VB for “accepting bribe” from a trader to release his goods.

Dhaliwal alleged that at the behest of the trader, who had questionable past regarding tax evasion, a few VB officials arrested the ETO in a cooked-up bribery case. “Unable to bear the humiliation, he committed suicide.”

Claiming that there were some VB officials who were openly supporting tax evaders and smugglers, he stressed the need to break the alleged nexus between the VB officials and tax evaders, who operate through goods transport companies. “They (VB officials) pressurise us to release the goods of such smugglers and when our officers refuse to obey, they threaten them of implicating them in false cases…. The recent case of Ranjit Singh is a prime example.”

Excise Department officials also demanded that the Vigilance officials involved in the action against the deceased ETO be transferred to prevent them from “influencing” the inquiry. However, they said no change should be made in the two-member inquiry committee, comprising Harpreet Singh Sidhu (IPS) and Mushvi Kumar (IAS), investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Excise and Taxation Commissioner Venu Parsad met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and requested him to stop the alleged Vigilance interference in the functioning of his department and to give justice to the family of the deceased. 

Chandigarh, April 28
Tardy movement of foodgrain from Punjab could jeopardise the delivery of rice to the central pool with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) concentrating on moving last year’s wheat stock out of the state to accommodate the fresh stock.

Wagons planned for moving 8 lakh tonnes of rice out of the state are now to be used for wheat .

Rice millers say this strategy will cause a huge loss to the milling industry as only 40 per cent of the over 80 lakh tonnes of rice have been delivered to the central agency till now. State Rice Millers Asociation president Tarsem Saini claimed the FCI had stopped taking the delivery of rice from mills, citing shortage of staff.

Saini said rice lost moisture rapidly. Though the millers were bound to deliver rice with 67 per cent moisture content to the FCI, this had come down to 62 per cent. Similarly, the percentage of broken grain had increased from the permissible limit of 25 per cent to over 40 per cent, he added. The association has called a meeting of its executive body on May 1 to plan an agitation in case the Centre failed to address the issue. 

Chandigarh, April 28
Grant of voting rights to non-resident Indians (NRIs) has necessitated that the Punjab Government takes their demands seriously. Amendment in the Representation of People’s (RP) Act has forced the SAD-BJP Government in the pre-election year to please the NRIs and a tribunal to redress their grievances is likely to be constituted soon.

Amritsar, April 28
Changing their mode of protest over the Khalsa College row, the teachers today announced to observe chain hunger strike in support of their demands from next week.

However, the teacher bodies’ fresh move gives an impression that they have softened their approach, as till yesterday they were warning to further intensify their agitation. But, the teacher union leaders justified “shift in their stand”, contending that they took the decision in the students’ interest. The teachers were boycotting evaluation work for the last two days.

Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO) president Prof HS Kingra said, “We will resume evaluation work in all the centres designated by the universities of Punjab from tomorrow. The protest will now be in the form of chain fast from next week. The venue and date will be finalised after consulting teachers of Amritsar within a couple of days.”

Meanwhile, a teachers’ delegation led by PFUCTO met Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan today to seek his intervention into the issue, but could not garner much support.

PFUCTO general secretary Dr Jagwant Singh said the education minister supported the cause of preserving the heritage status of the college but refrained from interfering directly in the matter pertaining to cases registered against the teachers by the management.

While showing resentment against the college management, PFUCTO general secretary Dr Jagwant Singh told that the teachers in all the universities and colleges of the state have shown their complete solidarity against the victimisation of teachers and unequivocally rejected the idea of converting the college into a private university.

Meanwhile, hailing the decision RK Bedi, In Charge (examinations), GNDU, said that the timings of evaluation centres would be enhanced to cover up the loss of time.

Amritsar, April 28
An employee of a private security agency was shot dead by two unidentified assailants at noon today during a robbery bid on the Axis Bank premises, situated a few yards away of the Mayor’s residence in the posh Court Road area.

Police officials inspect the Axis Bank on Majitha Road in Amritsar on Thursday.

Ghanshayam (22) was coming out of the bank with other security guards. The assailants snatched the bag, used for carrying cash, from the victim and fled from the spot. But police officials maintained that the cash had already been deposited with the bank and the bag was empty.

Ghanshayam, a resident of Mohini Park area opposite the Khalsa College, was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries about an hour and a half later.

The victim, along with security guards, used to carry cash when it was to be shifted from one place to another or to feed it into ATM machines.

This is the second incident in nine days in which an employee of a same private security company on duty for the same bank was killed by unidentified assailants.

On April 19, a security guard was shot dead on Majitha Road when he, along with other persons, was going to load an ATM machine of the Axis Bank on Majitha Road here.

The police is yet to find any clues in the earlier incident. Amar Singh Chahal, Deputy Commissioner of Police claimed that the police had found vital clues in today’s incident.

He said it was too early to say that the same persons were involved in both incidents. About the involvement of some employees of the private security company, he said it was too early to comment.

Amritsar, April 28
Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh, who is on a death row in Pakistan, has moved the Supreme Court, seeking directions to the government to take steps for his release.

“We have filed a petition in the hope that the court will ask the Government of India to initiate measures to secure my brother’s release,” she said.

She has, however, withdrawn a petition filed in a Pakistan court for reopening the case, contending that Sarabjit is a victim of mistaken identity and he be given another chance to prove his innocence.

She said she had done so on the advice of Pakistan’s former Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney. The latter has filed a mercy petition on behalf of Sarabjit before the President of Pakistan. 

Chandigarh/Dubai, April 28
Seventeen Indian boys facing death sentence in a bootlegging-cum-murder case were given three more weeks by a Sharjah court today to reach a compromise with the family of the victim, Mishri Khan of Pakistan, so as to get the capital punishment waived. The court told the defence counsel and the nominee of the deceased to go in for an out-of-court settlement on or before May 19, the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the court took exception to the statement of Mohammed Ramzan, the authorised nominee of the victim’s family, who wanted the death sentence to stay. The court asked him what prompted him to change his statement made on December 30 last that the family of the victim was ready for a compromise on payment of blood money - ‘diya’. Besides Ramzan, one of the witnesses to the crime, Mohammed Mushtaq, besides all 17 Indian boys on death row, were present in the court today. While Ansul Sharma represented Indian Consulate-General Riyaz Langa, Zarina turned up on behalf of the Pakistan Consulate-General.

The court observed that under the Shariat law, maximum permissible ‘diya’ was UAE AD 2 lakh. The family of the victim and the defence were, however, free to negotiate the settlement amount, the court said. Dubai-based businessman SP Singh Oberoi, who has been pursuing the case of the Indian boys, was hopeful that the settlement with the family of Mishri Khan would be reached before the next hearing.

On December 30 last, the defence team was not fully inclined to the settlement proposal after Ramzan conveyed consent of the deceased’s family. The defence team argued that all Indian boys were innocent. The defence team, however, agreed to forward the settlement proposal to the Indian Consulate-General for further instructions from the Indian Government in the case.

It is in this case that the defence team has been put up by the Indian Consulate-General in Dubai. At today’s hearing, even representatives of the Pakistan Consulate-General were present. Meanwhile, there was some gloom in the Indian camp in the Sharjah prison as news of the death of Mohinder Singh, father of Kashmir Singh, one of convicts in the case, reached there. Mohinder Singh, who had been under a shock after he was told about the conviction of his son, died at his native Ratuke village on Tuesday.

Kuldip Singh, another convict in the case, told The Tribune over the phone that Kashmir Singh hailed from a poor family. One of his two daughters could not be operated upon for restoration of her speech because of paucity of funds, he said. He also wanted some political leaders and rights organisations to exercise restraint than making baseless claims and statements over the help extended to their families.

Jalandhar, April 28
The three African students of Lovely Professional University, who allegedly thrashed a Mizoram student to death during a football match, have been remanded to police custody for a day.

The students, two from Sudan and one from Tanzania, were presented before the duty magistrate today.

The DSP, Phagwara, Sandeep Sharma, said that nine others, eight from Sudan and one from Tanzania, arrested under Sections 107/151, CrPC, were produced before SDM Amarjit Paul this afternoon who sent them them to judicial custody for 14 days. Local representatives of the NSUI have sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh from the authorities for the family of the deceased.

Classes at the campus, which is under tight security after the student violence yesterday, have been suspended till Saturday. Assistant director of the university Aman Mittal said Johny’s body had been flown to Mizoram after being embalmed at the CMC, Ludhiana. The autopsy report indicated that the death had occurred due to abdominal haemorrhage and shock, he said.

The university has foreign students from at least 15 countries. Insiders say that events held to project cultural diversity at the campus may have triggered bitter rivalries and resulted in the unfortunate incident.The university officials, however, deny the same. 

Ropar, April 28
All the members of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) prefer to remain mum rather than raise their voice and perform their duties, said environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, who is himself a member of the board.

Speaking at the Government Girls School today, Seechewal said that barring him, no other board member ever raises a hue and cry over any issue.

“The Amritsar and Ludhiana Municipal Commissioners are also members of the board, but they prefer to remain silent,” he said.

Seechewal pointed out that the quality of water has not improved in Punjab in the past three years.

“In 2009, we had E-grade water and the situation is still grim. Electroplating industries had earlier been using cyanide in their units. Why is something not being done to counter-effect the large amount of cyanide that flows in various water bodies,” he said.

He added that the municipal bodies should be held accountable for solid and liquid waste being released untreated.

He planted saplings at the government school.

The school authorities have decided to plant 1,000 saplings.

Gidderbaha, April 28
Amarjit Singh Mallan, former chairman, block samiti, Gidderbaha, along with more than 20 persons, allegedly attacked a farmer and his kin with fire arms at Mallan village in the morning today.

Banta Singh, owner of a farm, his son Gora Singh and another relative Sudagar Singh suffered fire arms injuries in the attack.

Gora Singh, whose condition was stated to be serious, was shifted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. Banta Singh and Sudagar Singh have been getting treatment at the Civil Hospital in Muktsar.

Amarjit and his brother Charanjit, kin of Gurdial Kaur Mallan, former chairperson of the Punjab Social Welfare Board, and his goons allegedly attacked Banta and the others while they were sitting in a tent in their farm.

When they tried to run away from the spot, the attackers kept on firing shots on them from their rifles and guns.

Both Amarjit and Gurdial Kaur Mallan have recently joined Manpreet Badal’s People’s Party of Punjab (PPP).

Bhupinder Singh, DSP, Gidderbaha, who visited the spot, located about 25 km from here, said that the assailants had also set the wheat stubble on fire to incinerate the injured Banta and others, who were laying on the field after suffering injuries.

He added that Gurnam Singh, who was with Banta at the time of the attack and had hid in a ditch, managed to shift the injured persons to Doda hospital after the attackers had left the spot.

From Doda hospital, all the three injured persons were shifted to Muktsar civil hospital. From there, Gora Singh was referred to the Faridkot-based medical college hospital.

He said that Charanjit Singh, who was among the assailants, had also suffered a fire-arm injury on his leg. The police was investigating whether it was self-inflicted injury or not. Charanjit Singh was admitted to the Doda hospital.

According to the police, Mallan was trying to dispossess Banta Singh of a piece of land measuring five acres. That land was sold to Banta Singh by three commission agents - Tarsem, Subash and Naresh of Jaitu town in December 2008. They had purchased it from Amarjit Mallan’s grandfather in 1999.

He said that a case under Sections 307, 436, 148 and 149 of the IPC and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act had been registered in Kot Bhai police station against 16 identified persons and six to seven unidentified persons on the statement of Banta Singh. The police had also gathered about 30 empty cartridges from the spot.

Patiala, April 28
The third Cankids annual women’s car rally organised to spread awareness about cancer among young children reached Blossoms Senior Secondary School, Patiala, here today.

Sant Kaur Chahal, trustee of the school, welcomed the participants of the rally to the school. Cankids president Poonam Bagai said the rally aimed to create awareness and raise funds for students suffering from the disease. The organisers of the rally made a presentation showing that childhood cancer was preventable. — TNS

Chandigarh, April 28
The Punjab Government has admitted that it lacks facilities for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, resulting in 70 per cent relapse rate. Taking on record the assertion, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the state to extend its support to non-governmental organisations.

Justice Rajiv Bhalla has asserted: “Though the state of Punjab has set up a few de-toxication centres, no rehabilitation facilities have been provided.

“Curing a drug addict has two essential stages, namely de-toxication and rehabilitation. The state admittedly does not possess any facilities for rehabilitation or counselling of drug addicts, leading to a 70 per cent relapse rate.

“Till such time that the state of Punjab sets up rehabilitation centres, it may consider supporting private non-profit organisations that are ready to provide their time, money and effort to rehabilitate drug addicts in such a manner as may be deemed appropriate.”

The assertion is significant as a recent Punjab Government survey suggested 66 per cent of the school-going students in the state consume gutka or tobacco; every third boy and every 10th girl student has taken drugs on one pretext or the other and seven out of 10 college-going students abuse one or the other drug.

The disturbing details were submitted to the High Court by the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development. Justice Bhalla also took on record the assertion made by senior advocate Atul Lakhanpal. He told the High Court, “The rules notified by the state of Punjab contain anomalies relating to rehabilitation centres as the parameters related to the qualifications of social workers, counsellors and ward attendants may not be workable.”

Fixing May 3 as the next date of hearing in the case, Justice Bhalla also asked the state to file its response on the issue.

Already, Justice Bhalla has directed the states of Punjab and Haryana to prepare a plan for allocation of funds and manpower for post-cure support to addicts and their families.

The matter was brought to Justice Bhalla’s notice after a petition was filed by a few rehabilitation centres challenging the Punjab Government’s orders on closing down the wards.

Taking up the matter, the High Court had earlier constituted a committee, comprising two advocates, to inspect the condition of drug de-addiction centres in the two states. 

The High Court has asked the Punjab Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, to look into allegations of misuse of government grants to Ludhiana--based BL Kapoor Memorial Hospital. The grants were made for promoting family planning. The entire exercise is to be completed in two months. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Surya Kant issued the directions while disposing of a PIL filed by Balbir Aggarwal of Ludhiana. 

The petitioner had alleged misuse of government grants and had sought appropriate action against government officials and also against the management of the hospital for misuse of government money. 

Chandigarh, April 28
Local bodies cannot escape payment of water cess, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear. It has also dismissed as without merit a petition filed by the Nabha Municipal Committee against the Union of India and other respondents. The local body had claimed it could not be made liable under the Cess Act.

Taking up the petition, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Surya Kant said: “The liability of the Municipal Council, Nabha, to pay cess under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977, as well as interest on the amount due, and the penalty imposed, has been sought to be resisted by making a challenge to the applicability of the provisions of the Cess Act to the petitioner Council”.

Summing up the contentions raised in the petition, the Bench observed: "According to the petitioner, it extracts water from the tube wells, which is supplied to different residents free of charge up to a particular quantity, where after, the residents are required to pay charges to the petitioner-Municipal Committee on an ascending scale.

“According to the petitioner, such use of water would not be exigible to the Cess under the Act, which can only be levied if the water extracted is supplied to an industry having discharge of effluents”.

The Bench concluded: “A reading of the Schedule to the Act would indicate that use/consumption of water for domestic purpose also have been made exigible to cess under the Act.

“ If that be so, it is difficult to visualize as to how the petitioner-Committee, merely being a local body, can claim be outside the purview of the Cess Act.

“We find no merit whatsoever in the contention advanced by counsel for the petitioner with regard to the applicability of the Cess Act to the petitioner. Consequently, we dismiss this writ petition.”

Rajpura, April 28
The Rajpura police today arrested four persons who were planning to target farmers living on the outskirts of Rajpura villages.

Police officials said that the foursome arrived in Rajpura a few days back and were trying to rope in two or three more persons to attack the houses of farmers during the wheat procurement season as farmers would have money in their houses after selling their produce.

The miscreants were identified as Yusuf Malik, Aneesh Khan, Sajid and Danish. They are in their twenties and hail from Meerut. Three country-made pistols of 315 bore and five live cartridges were seized from them.