Ferozepur, May 17
Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh said here today that the Congress would raise the issues of atrocities and registration of false criminal cases against Congress men, corruption and mismanagement of the state economy during the coming assembly elections.

He said factionalism did not worry him as “I believe in internal democracy.” He said what had alarmed him was the clash between two groups of Congress workers in the presence of senior party leaders in Ferozepore recently.

He said the chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, had been made vice-president of Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee as per the recommendations of party high command. Sodhi is MLA from Guru Harsahai.

All the names that figured in the list of office-bearers of the party’s organisational setup had been approved by the high command. Some senior leaders like Avtar Singh Brar, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa and others could not be accommodated and he had made a request to party president Sonia Gandhi to allow him to expand the PPCC.

“To accommodate left-out deserving candidates, I have urged Sonia Gandhi to allow the Punjab Congress to follow the old pattern in constituting its organisational body,” he said. He made it clear that winnability would be the sole criterion while selecting party candidates for the next assembly elections. He expressed his displeasure over the conduct of a particular Congress leader who, he said, had stopped other Congress men of the area from attending his function at City Plaza here.

Ferozepur, May 17
PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh has said that the SAD-BJP regime should file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the Haryana Government for allegedly trying to construct a 10-feet high wall alongside the controversial Hansi Butana canal.

Amarinder Singh, who was here today to hold discussions with the party workers drawn from Ferozepur (Rural), Ferozepur (Urban), Guru Harsahai and Zira Assembly segments, said: “At the first place, the construction of the canal by Haryana is illegal. And now the construction of about four kilometres long wall will spell doom for the area in Patiala and Sangrur districts.”

When the Supreme Court had stayed the usage of Hansi Butana canal, then how could the state construct concrete walls alongside it, questioned the PPCC chief.

This, said he, was liable to contempt of the apex court’s order. “The chief minister must approach the Supreme Court against the injustice likely to be done to Punjab by Haryana.”

Claiming that about 30,000 criminal cases had been registered against Congressmen in the past four years by the ruling alliance, he said every member of the SAD-BJP coalition and every policeman who was found involved in such activities would be taken to task once the Congress came to power.

Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh will begin the second phase of his assembly tour from June 8 beginning Ludhiana (Urban), according to statement released by the party in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh, May 17
Deletion of names from the blacklist does not give 28 of the “most wanted” Punjab militants a passport to travel to India as they can be hauled up by security agencies in any of the member nations of the Interpol.

Those wanted by law-enforcing agencies for terrorist crime have red-corner notice tagged to their names. The list to Interpol is sent through the CBI.

“Blacklist is a misnomer as it does not enjoy any legal sanctity”, explains a senior police official, maintaining that “it is nothing more than consolidation of a list of names for whom getting visa to travel to India may not be easy.” Deletion of names from the notional blacklist does not give Sikh militants abroad any immunity from law, adds the police official.

“Criminal is a criminal irrespective of his caste or religion. Recently, when India handed over a list of 50 ‘most wanted’ to Pakistan, it comprised names of four Sikh militants. The remaining 46 were Muslim fundamentalists. But have you ever heard of a blacklist for the Muslims,” he asks.

Names on the blacklist have often caused unnecessary harassment to innocent citizens. An eminent neurologist of Chandigarh with the same initials as that of the late Khalistan ideologue Jagjit Singh Chohan has been detained more than once at different airports for questioning.

Senior police officials maintain that deletion of name from the blacklist for those wanted by the law enforcement agencies is no reprieve. Their status in the criminal cases pending against them remains unchanged.

Mehal Singh Babbar, for example, is wanted since 1997 in cases of attempted murder, rioting, indulging in terrorist activities and violation of the Arms Act.

Paramjit Singh Panjwar is wanted since 1995 in cases under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act. Ranjit Singh, alias Neeta, is booked for murder, sobotage, bombing and terrorist activities.

Surinder Singh Sekhon has been on the ‘most wanted’ list since 2003 in cases of murder, harbouring terrorists and keeping unauthorised firearms.

Sukhwinder Singh Grewal, alias Panta, has been on the ‘wanted’ list since 1997 for murder, rioting and other offences. Wadhwa Singh, alias Chacha, has been on the list since 1982 for various cases under the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act.

Jagtar Singh, alias Tari, has been on the list since 1997 with cases of murder, criminal conspiracy and terrorist activites pending against him in different police stations. Jagjit Singh Billa has been a fugitive since 1997.

Police and intelligence officials, however, maintain that the actual beneficiaries of deletion of names from the blacklist will either be Khalistan ideologues or innocent family members of the ‘wanted’ Sikh militants, say intelligence officials. For them getting visa to travel to India may no longer be an arduous task.

Chandigarh, May 17
Punjab is all set to shield whistleblowers and RTI activists and has notified a policy for their protection.. The information was made public during the hearing of a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

When the petition, filed by advocate HC Arora and state president of RTI Activists Federation, came up before Acting Chief Justice Adarsh Goel and Justice AK Mittal, the Punjab Additional Advocate-General said that the policy relating to the protection of whistleblowers and RTI activists had been finalised and circulated.

An affidavit by DSP (Security) said the policy had been sent to Additional DGP (Security) and also sent to the Commissioners of Police and SSPs.

The salient features are: “A whistleblower or an RTI activist who has a threat perception of danger to his life may approach the district magistrate or commissioner of police concerned. The authority should initiate an inquiry into the threat perception within 48 hours of receiving the application and provide security if need be.

The threat perception, however, would depend upon the facts and circumstances in each individual case. In case of whistleblowers or RTI activists, the intensity of the threat may increase or decrease with the passage of time, the affidavit said. “It cannot be taken for granted that security once provided to a whistleblower or RTI activist shall continue for all time to come.

The security may be increased, decreased or withdrawn as per the threat perception review report by the district police.”

Chandigarh, May 17
SAD spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema today charged the Congress-led UPA Government of allegedly robbing the common man to fill the coffers of multinational companies by making petrol costlier than aviation turbine fuel.

The spokesman said that the government’s “pro-MNC” tilt had been exposed following its move to slash the rate of ATF by over Rs 3,000 per barrel the same day when it effected Rs 5 per litre rise in petrol prices. He claimed it was for the first time in the history of independent India that ATF, on which the refining charges were five times as that on petrol, was cheaper than petrol. — TNS

Amritsar, May 17
HSGPC (ad hoc) chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda today demanded that they be allotted a couple of rooms at a ‘sarai’ (inn) in the Golden Temple Complex to set up an office of the separate Haryana gurdwara panel.

Addressing the mediapersons here today, Jhinda alleged that the SGPC ‘ignores’ the Sikh Sangat from Haryana and hence, they need to establish an office here to facilitate the devotees from their state. He said he had written to the SGPC in this regard.

He alleged that the SGPC has neither done anything for raising memorial of the Hondh-Chillar Massacre in Haryana, nor extended an aid of Rs 2 lakh per family as promised by it till date. He said they would wait for another three months, following which they would take initiative to construct the memorial there.

He alleged that the SGPC had sought an alternative site for re-constructing Gian Godri Gurdwara at Har-ki-Pauri in Uttarakhand, which was wrong.

He said this time, too, they would fight the SGPC polls on the plank of separate gurdwara panel for Haryana.

Amritsar, May 17
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar today lashed out at the Centre for “deliberately delaying” the SGPC elections. Talking to mediapersons here today, Makkar said, “Some outfits, having no mass base, are playing into the hands of the Congress and raising unnecessary objections in the SGPC poll process with an intention to delay it.”

He said even the Gurdwara Election Commission had time and again recommended that the SGPC polls be conducted, but the Centre had turned a blind eye to it. “The SGPC House had completed its five-year term a couple of years back and the government should not delay the polls further,” he said, alleging that the Punjab Congress, too, doesn’t want the SGPC polls to take place now. — TNS

Amritsar, May 17
Tourists visiting the holy city are in for a huge relief, as the Galiara project team has decided to run a pre-paid taxi service from the Golden Temple complex.

Deputy Commissioner-cum-director (Galiara project) Kahan Singh Pannu said the tenders for the taxi service had already been floated and it would commence within a month. “We will set up two booking counters, one near the ‘sarais’ (inns) and the other in front of the main entrance of the Golden Temple complex. The taxis will be parked at the Saragarhi parking, near Dharam Singh Market. The commuters can collect the slips from the counters and produce the same at the parking area to board a taxi. However, for elderly, who cannot walk up to the parking, there will be a facility of pick up from the Golden Temple.”

He said there would be around 25 taxis to start with and the number would be increased, as and when required. He said the people had been demanding pre-paid taxi service for long and expressed hope that it would protect the visitors from fleecing. He said the service was being launched in consultation with the SGPC authorities, adding that the fares would be genuine.

“We already have a pre-paid taxi service at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport and with the service starting at the Golden Temple we will have two key destinations connected with the service. We also plan to introduce the service at the railway station in future,” he averred.

Tarn Taran, May 17
Harjit Singh (22), a resident of Kallaha village, 15 kms from here, became a victim of racial attack in England.

Meanwhile, the England Government had demanded £6,000 to send the body here. While talking to The Tribune, deceased’s father Wassan Singh and his uncle Satnam Singh told The Tribune that they received a message from the England police officials about his death last evening.

“The four British nationals, including two women, came to the residence Harjit Singh located at Spikes Bridge Road House-15, South Hall, on May 14 and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons,” said Wassan. Harjit was admitted to Ealing Hospital, London, where he succumbed to his injuries.

According to information, Harjit had gone to England on Study basis a year back. The family told that no official or representative of any political party have reached to them to share their grief.

Moga, May 17
Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) students hailing from Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa districts studying in private colleges of the state staged a protest on the main square of the Moga town and blocked the traffic on the national highway today.

The protesting students’ alleged that as many as 5,000 students’ of ETT, who got admissions in 50 private colleges in the state, have been left in lurch as the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) has declined to affiliate these colleges and take examinations.

A petition filed by the association of the private ETT colleges in this regard was pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the next hearing of which was slated for May 19, said State General Secretary of the Punjab Students’ Union Rajinder Singh, who led the protest here.

He demanded that the SCERT should take examinations of the students studying in private ETT colleges and the government should take legal action against the private colleges which conducted admissions without SCERT approval and had failed to take examinations.

Lashing out at the state government for the mess, the protesting students demanded that the state government should take over all the private ETT colleges under its control to protect the career of 5,000 students. The students who have already completed the first semester from the 2009 batch are yet to sit in the examinations. “We do not know as to when the examinations will be conducted,” said Arun Kumar, a student leader.

On the other hand, the SCERT authorities claimed that the private ETT colleges admitted students on their own by flouting the rules and regulations. “The state government has so far not taken any action against these colleges and it has been learnt that the government is considering giving a nod to open many more private ETT colleges in the state,” said Rajinder.

He further alleged that neither the students got admission receipts, nor the colleges adopted District Institutes of Educational Training’s fee structure. After completion of 100 lectures in the first semester, the students are still waiting to appear for exams, he added.

Jalandhar, May 17
While Punjab has never really been known for doling out children’s cinema, leave alone animation, the backyard exploits of a young animator from Jalandhar have got him wide acclaim in Indian cinema.

“Lost and found”, a 6-minute long, motion film by Jalandhar-born animator Param Shiv (25), has won him the top slot on “Premier- The short film competition”, a nationwide contest inviting short film projects from amateurs and professionals on the movie channel UTV World Movies.

Judged by bollywood biggies like Rajkumar Gupta (director of “No One killed Jessica”), Paresh Mokashi (director of “Harishchandrachi Factory”, the official Indian entry to the Academy Awards-2010 and Sooni Taraporevala (screenwriter for critically acclaimed films like “Namesake”, “Salaam Bombay”, “Mississippi Masala’ and writer, director of “Little Zizou”); Param’s film is among the top three winning entries of the contest (the others being Bangalore-based Vikram Ahuja’s “Do I” and Mumbai-based Vicky Khandpur’s “Price”).

Param shifted to Mumbai a year ago, owing to constant encouragement by Dhimant Vyas (animator of the movie Tare Zameen Par), whom he met and befriended on the Internet and showed his works.

A show-reel of Param’s works, submitted with the Yash Raj team got him the job of an assistant director to Ali Abbas Zafar for Yash Raj Films’ upcoming project “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan”. Talking about “Lost and Found”, Param says it was made while he was still pursuing his graduation at the Apeejay College of Fine Arts in Jalandhar. Through charming, hand-crafted clay figures, Param narrates the story of an old man who takes a memory trip back into his rosy childhood, when someone drops a little ball into his lonely courtyard.

“I grew up watching my father making characters with the use of animatronics, robotics, latex puppets etc. I had also been assisting him in his projects, research work for a book, shooting music videos, documentaries or a regional Punjabi film. He taught me animation as a kid, but I practised it when I wanted to make my first film. I used to attend college during the day and work on the project at night in our little one-room workshop,” shared Param.

While his father Harjit Singh (an acclaimed director and former programme executive with Doordarshan Jalandhar) wrote the film, a team of friends helped him on the project. An old landlord, who always waited for the postman and kept checking the mail box, and Param’s great grandmother, who died at 106, served as inspirations for the film.

“Grandma’s house also became the reference for our Punjabi village set,” said Param. Beginning as a purely artistic, family endeavour without resources, it took three years for the film to be completed. At that time, Param had no clue the film would make it so big.

“It was a total surprise and makes me happy. I hope the hard work of my team is noticed and opportunities to make films come my way,” quips Param. Before “Lost and Found”, Param had also made a little fairy-tale sequence in stop animation for the TV serial “Anhoye”, which was telecast on Doordarshan. “Lost and Found” would be telecast on UTV World Movies, along with the other two films on May 22 and 23.

Moga, May 17
Taking advantage of the subsidy schemes of the Union Government, dairy farmers of the district are keen to set up silo pits for preserving green fodder to make silage and hay to feed their cattle in the lean dry season. Dr PC Mittal, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, said that preserved fodder was nutritious for the cattle and cheaper for the farmers. He said the Centre provided a subsidy of 80 per cent for making silo pits with automatic loaders. The farmer got Rs 75,000 for making a pit and Rs 30,000 for setting up the automatic loader.

The total cost came to about 1.35 lakh. The farmers needed to pool in just Rs 30,000 for the purpose. He said such experiments in Moga villages had proved successful. Dr Mittal said if the cattle ate less fodder, the milk yield too was reduced, which resulted in economic losses to dairy farmers.

Dr Ram Chand, a former Assistant Director-General of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, said the availability of nutritious fodder throughout the year was essential for profitable dairy farming. “Therefore, every dairy farmer must preserve surplus fodder in the form of silage or hay.” Gurpreet Singh of Jalalabad village, who has a silo pit, said: “We save on labour and the fall in the milk yield is also averted during the lean months.”

Patiala, May 17
The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has started a probe into a scam that could be running into crores, wherein vehicle agencies have been evading taxes and causing monthly losses to the state exchequer.

Numerous agencies dealing in vehicles are under scanner following a letter by Punjab DGP that highlights their role in evading tax through smuggling.

Following the preliminary investigations into the smuggling of luxury vehicles in Punjab by a Patiala-based agency, the Punjab DGP PS Gill has shot a letter to the Home Department for a probe of all the vehicle agencies, including agencies dealing with four wheelers and two wheelers, operating in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the Excise and Taxation Department has started collecting data of all the vehicles being sent to Punjab by manufacturing units. Sources said Gill had given an instance of recovery of a Verna car in which, following preliminary investigation, the Patiala police had registered an FIR against owner and employees of the Patiala-based car showroom ‘DPG Hyundai’. The agency owners were allegedly smuggling around 15 new vehicles per month in Punjab without paying any excise duty.

“The agency owners could prepare documents to save themselves and hence, there was need of earliest possible action to stop them from doing so,” reads the letter, which was forwarded to the Excise Department.

“Though the Excise Department had started a probe, it had failed to fix responsibility of their own officers. The matter becomes more serious as the scam was took place in Patiala right under the nose of the excise headquarters,” they added. The agency owners were allegedly smuggling new vehicles in the state without paying any excise duty.

In his letter, the DGP has said, “The smuggling of vehicles in Punjab is causing a loss to the state exchequer and therefore, there is a need to take strict action against all such vehicle agencies. The chasis and registration numbers of all the vehicles entering the state should be verified and the records of all the agency owners should be crosschecked to ascertain evasion of the taxes,” reads the letter.

Director, Investigation, Excise and Taxation Department, KVS Sidhu said their department had received the letter from the DGP and the data from numerous manufacturers sending vehicles in Punjab was being scrutinised.

Patiala, May 17
Residents are all set to bring hearing impaired children in the mainstream by helping them in all the possible ways so that they can compete with normal children. Many experts from different fields are giving their time to these children out of sheer interest and sense of responsibility.

Nancy Ghuman, an employee of Punjabi University who is also running a club for these children, says these children need a lot of attention. “These children are no less than normal children but it is just that they need some extra care in order to bring out their hidden talents. Whenever I saw these children, I wanted to do something to help them. Therefore, I started a ‘Rainbow Club for special children’ just to ensure that they get their due share. We often organise various competitions to provide exposure. In our club, we teach them activities like dance etc and often take them to other cities for participating in functions that will give recognition to their talent,” she added.

Tae Kwon Do coach Satwinder Singh, who has been training these children for few years, has not only made them learn self-defence techniques but also made them compete with normal children time and again during the district and state-level competitions.

“Once I saw these children performing a dance sequence. That is when I realised that these children can also be trained in martial arts. There is something really special about them. Their ability to grasp new things is very good and in some ways better than those of normal children. After training, these children have not only defeated normal children to win medals but also created a niche for themselves,” he said.

Dr Barjinder Sohal from the city who often visits these children says they are very creative. “You must see the candles and other items they make for sale during Diwali season. I often get shocked on seeing their effort because even normal children are not that good at certain things. I am glad that I get the opportunity to serve them time and again because it gives me satisfaction,” he added.

Anandpur Sahib, May 17
The Punjab Government has issued Rs 90 lakh grant for embankments of the Sutlej river lying in the areas of Anandpur Sahib and Nangal in its bid to control flooding of villages situated along the river, which has turned into an annual affair.

The funds have been released just few weeks before monsoon. While work on these embankments is yet to begin, the delay may jeopardise lives and properties of thousands of villagers living on the banks of the river.

Ropar Deputy Commissioner GK Singh said the state government had already released the first instalment of Rs 90 lakh and the amount would be spent on projects priority-wise. “Work has already started and we will safeguard the interest of common man,” he added.

In November last year, the Drainage Department conducted a detailed survey of the tasks to be undertaken as flood-control measure. The first priority list had projects of total cost at Rs 306.35 lakh. The list was sent to the financial commissioner, revenue, Punjab, through the office of deputy commissioner, Ropar.

The department came out with a detailed plan, including laying bund on both sides of the Sutlej from Lodhipur village to Burj, raise a stone wall along the river near Chandpur Bela village, laying revetment (a structure wherein boulders are held together using metal net) along with studs at Bela Dhiyani and Golni, clearing of choked river bed from Midhwan Khad to lower Kotla, digging of Bhairon Majra drain and providing series of studs along river in Chakdher village.

During last year’s floods, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had witnessed the flood-hit areas and directed the Drainage Department to prepare detailed plan in order to save people and property, besides the river.

Last year the Drainage Department had constructed a bund at Lodhipur village, which could not stand the gushes of Sutlej water and developed a breech leading to the flooding of nearby villages. After Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal visited the place, the Drainage Department charted out an entire new project and sent it for model study, but no model had been prepared till now.

Patiala, May 17
Patiala Industries Association (PIA) have demanded immediate action from the Punjab Government to save the industry in the state which is fast falling prey to other states, which have better atmosphere and facilities.

In a meeting held here, PIA members alleged that government agencies were hell bent upon creating more problems for the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.

“It is the sheer grit and entrepreneurial spirit of Punjabi industrialists that they are surviving in Punjab despite neighbouring states taking away a major chunk of industries by attractive fiscal policies and incentives,” claimed NIA president Naresh Gupta, in the meeting of the PIA.

“The biggest perpetuator of dictatorship is Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) which is making policies without taking any consent of industry which is biggest contributor to revenue,” alleged Naresh Goyal, general secretary.

“The PIA strongly demand that notifications and draconian notices issued by the PSPCL and the Sales Tax Department should be withdrawn immediately as these notices have no relevance in the present day consumer-friendly scenario,” Goyal added.

The PIA further demanded that the Punjab Government should consult various associations and bodies representing industries regarding important matters pertaining to power, sales tax, pollution and local bodies so that decisions were more realistic and subject to less resistance by the SME sector.

Ropar, May 17
The construction work of a sub-tehsil building of Nurpur Bedi has started and the project will be completed within this financial year at the cost of Rs 34 lakh.

Deputy Commissioner GK Singh said this while presiding over a meeting of the district revenue advisory committee held today.

“The Nurpur Bedi naib-tehsildar sits at the office for two days. The structure is coming up in the building of the industrial training centre and will also have land record centre,” he added.

Chandigarh, May 17
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today heard that the holding of Chief Parliamentary Secretary’s post by five MLAs in Punjab was illegal and unconstitutional.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice AK Mittal was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Jagmohan Singh Bhatti against MLAs KD Bhandari, Amarjit Singh Sahi, Dinesh Singh, Sukhpal Singh Nannu and Bishamber Dass. The Chief Minister has been made a party.

Bhatti in his petition has sought directions for restraining the Finance Department from bearing “the expenses of these illegal appointments”. Directions have also been sought to withdraw facilities given to the respondents.

Bhatti contended that his main grievance was that the state had appointed the respondents in spite of the fact no such post existed under the Constitution or under any statue or Act passed by Parliament or any state legislature”.

Patiala, May 17
Twentyeight income tax officials were convicted by a special CBI court following the registration of a case pertaining to cheating and forgery to secure jobs in the Income Tax Department.

The court had sentenced them to two years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 each, after the CBI had booked the accused.

The case dates back to 1989-90 when these officials had connived with officials of the Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi, and secured jobs in the Income Tax Department.

While the case earlier had 31 accused, two were acquitted by the court and one died during the course of the case.

The accused had procured jobs against clerical level posts of stenos and clerks.