Chak-Meerpur (Hoshiarpur), July 14
Making the most of confusion over the demarcation of the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border, a mining politician mafia is mining on a massive scale along the Beas and Chakki rivers, besides their tributaries right under the nose of the authorities concerned.

The mafia has not only been causing a huge loss to the state exchequers, but also endangering ecology at a large scale. Though the state government has declared over 24 stone crushers as illegal and had banned them too, the mining is still going on in the area.

A survey by The Tribune team along the Beas river, starting from Rey village near Pong Dam till Mirthal village, revealed that mechanised mining was going on a war footing in Ray and Rehatpur villages of Fatehpur subdivision of the Kangra district in Himanchal Pradesh (located across the Beas). The mining-mafia men were excavating sand and gravel with the help of earth movers under a hillock covered with forests.

The material is then stored in various areas in Punjab by the mafia by evading state entry tax and royalty that the Punjab Government imposed in its new mining policy recently.

Moreover, stone crushing units that fail to get consent to operate (CTO) from the HP Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) could be seen quarrying in Himachal and storing the material in Punjab.

District Mining Officer, Kangra, Ashok Kumar admitted that certain stone crushing units were involved in the illegal mining along the Chakki and the Beas riverbeds. He, however, expressed his inability to keep a regular check on the illegal mining due to staff shortage.

“We have delegated powers to other departments so that action could be taken against the violators. I will ask the area DFO and the DSP to visit the sites and take appropriate action against the violators,” said Kumar. GM, district industries centre, Hoshiarpur, Balwinder Pal Singh said he would visit the area and imposes a penalty on the violators if they were found evading taxes and violating the government norms.

Chandigarh, July 14
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh today said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was “wasting time in politicising” the issue of construction of concrete wall along the Hansi-Butana canal. He said “blowing hot and cold on the issue was not going to solve the problem”.

In an informal conversation with reporters after meeting workers from across the state at the PCC office here, Amarinder wondered as to why the Punjab Government was not approaching the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek a stay on the construction of the wall.

Asked how Punjab could approach the High Court when the matter was pending in the Supreme Court, the PCC chief clarified that these were two separate issues. He pointed out, “It is the issue of the Hansi-Butana canal that is pending in the Supreme Court and the Haryana Government is erecting a concrete wall along the canal to block the extra water from Ghaggar, which can threaten hundreds of villages in Patiala and Sangrur districts.”

Amarinder said the state could take this plea with the High Court while making it clear that the Hansi-Butana canal and the construction of the concrete wall were two separate issues. “Since it concerns hundreds and thousands of people in Punjab, the state has a good case to get it stayed… the government seems to be confused,” he observed.

In response to another question, Capt Amarinder said “the confrontationist posture Badal seems to have adopted apparently for political gains is not going to solve the problem”. “It is surprising to see Badal one day writing letter to his Haryana counterpart and the next day threatening to block all the water… this is characteristic of his confused state of mind,” he remarked.

About the PCC expansion, he said the list had already been submitted to the high command and it was expected to be released soon.

On the workers’ meetings in various assembly segments, he said so far he had covered more than half of the 117 assembly segments and the remaining would be covered in the next couple of months.

Also, Amarinder reiterated his stand that the Punjab Public Service Commission chairman must be a person of high integrity and his or her credentials must be above board and Harish Rai Dhanda “does not fit” these criteria.

Ferozepur, July 14
Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon today blamed the Congress-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana for allegedly complicating the Hansi-Butana canal issue.

Sekhon at the same time dared Congress’ former chief ministers of Punjab Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to come out with “true facts” on the canal issue.

Also, he asked the PCC leaders, especially Amarinder and Bhattal, to approach the Congress-led Union Government to save Punjab from the impending destruction by floods that may be caused by the four-km toe wall being constructed by Haryana along the canal. The Minister said the Opposition leaders should not remain “unmoved when grave injustice was being done to the state”.

Criticising Haryana for its anti-Punjab stance on the canal issue, the Irrigation Minister said, “If the construction of the wall is not stopped, Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa districts will face their worst when Ghaggar gets swollen… nobody can be allowed to block the natural flow of the river. Still, the SAD-BJP coalition government has been doing its best in terms of anti-flood measures.”

Sekhon said Rs 400 crore was being spent on clearing drains and canals in the state. “Drains, canals, rivers and rivulets are being cleaned and desilted. Bundhs along all rivers and rainy drains flowing in Punjab are being strengthened.”

The Minister today distributed cheques for grants among various panchayats, youth clubs and other social and voluntary organisations of Ferozepur, Zira and Guruharsahai assembly segments for various developmental projects.

Chandigarh, July 14
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that the Right to Service Act would be implemented in the state from August 15, a step that would empower citizens to get 67 basic services as a matter of right. He said the ordinance in this regard had already been promulgated by the Punjab Governor.

Sukhbir said this while presiding over a meeting of all deputy commissioners of the state. He sought their cooperation for making this Act a success.

He told the DCs to set up a special cell at every Suwidha Kendra at Sub-Tehsil level to receive complaints regarding not providing scheduled services within the stipulated time. He also told Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal to sanction separate budget for every district and provide requisite hardware support.

Sukhbir also directed Secretary (Planning) Satish Chandra to synchronise timeline of various services of Suwidha Kendra with the provisions of the Act.

Expressing concern over reported cases of touts operating in Suwidha Kendras, Badal told the DCs to strengthen their counterintelligence to check the menace. Reviewing the progress of digitalisation of land records, Sukhbir said that he was committed to put all digital records of the state on the web by October 1 and launch this state ID program me on that day.

Chandigarh, July 14
The Punjab Government today transferred two IAS and 22 PCS officers. While Basant Garg has sbeen hifted as Chief Administrator, Bathinda Development Authority, Sandeep Kaur goes as AC (UT), Ludhiana.

Dharampal, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar; Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, SDM, Ajnala; Jaipal Singh, SDM, Dharkala; Prem Chand, SDM, Phillaur; Manpreet Singh, SDM, Phagwara; Kanwal Preet Brar, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Jalandhar; Devinder Pal Singh Kharbanda, ADC, Ferozepur, with additional charge of Deputy Director, Urban Local Bodies, Ferozepur; Puneet Goyal, SDM, Roopnagar; Jasbir Singh-I, SDM, Samrala; Harbir Singh, AETC, Ludhiana; Sandeep Rishi, SDM, Bathinda; Karnail Singh, Deputy Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jalandhar; Gurpreet Singh Thind, SDM, Samana; Jagwinderjit Singh Grewal, SDM, Patti; Rahul Chaba, SDM, Mukerian; Subhas Chander, SDM, Ferozepur and Paramjit Singh, SDM, Batala. Besides, Rishi Pal Singh has been posted as Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister; Kuljeet Pal Singh is the new SDM, Ludhiana (West); Gurjit Singh becomes AC (Gen), Ferozepur; Lakhmir Singh goes as SDM, Sultanpur Lodhi, and NS Brar will be the new SDM, Faridkot,with additional charge of DTO, Faridkot. — TNS

Chhapianwali/Kotbhai (Muktsar), July 14
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s night halt in village schools is disruptiing studies with students forced to stay out of their classrooms till he leaves the premises.

With the assembly elections round the corner, Badal spends the night in the village where he holds Sangat Darshan during the day. The objective of the exercise is to strike a rapport with the people who have begun to talk of an imminent regime change.

During his night halt at Chhapianwali village on July 7 and Kotbhai village on July 8, both in his home district, classrooms in the village schools were turned into luxurious bedrooms with portable airconditioners, a sofa set and a double-bed. A toilet seat too was installed in a classroom for the convenience of the CM.

A senior bureaucrat accompanying Badal was accorded the same privilege at Government Middle School, Chhapianwali, and Adarsh School, Kotbhai.

“For the CM’s halt for the night in our school on July 7, we were dislocated from our classrooms on July 6. The teachers had to hold the classes in the open,” revealed Class VI, VII and VIII students.

Pointing towards the holes made in walls of the school building to lay pipes for makeshift lavatories, the students said: “When we came to school on the morning of July 8, our classroom was stinking. The teachers told us that it was used as a toilet by the CM. “The next morning, we removed the bricks laid in the classroom as a channel for the urinals.” Schoolteachers said the holes in the walls had become a threat with rodents and reptiles entering the classrooms. The pits dug for dumping the excreta were also a nuisance, they added.

Students of Adarsh School, Kotbhai, said the Chief Minister’s visit had disrupted their studies for two days. “A day before the CM’s visit, bureaucrats and some politicians inspected the school premises to select rooms for the CM and his staff.

“Finally, they selected our computer classroom for the CM’s stay.The rooms meant for Class XI and XII were occupied. All computers and tables were shifted to a store on July 7 and brought back on July 10,” they informed. “How can the CM justify the installation of a toilet seat in our computer classroom,” asked the aghast students.

“Studies in schools are not being disrupted. In fact, they benefit as pending works of schools are completed ahead of the CM's visit,” said Dr DS Cheema, SAD general secretary.

Amritsar, July 14
While the SGPC has made significant contribution in the field of religion, education and healthcare over the years, it has also started focusing on sports over the last few months and the formation of its kabaddi team, comprising “sabat surat” (a Sikh with full grown and uncut hair and beard) players, is another step in this direction.

A brainchild of SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh, the kabaddi team, which came into being in November last, is all set to participate in its first tournament overseas next month after making a mark at the state level.

Dalmegh said, “I witnessed a few matches of the International Kabaddi Tournament organised by the state government last year. I noticed that though Indian teams had many players with “Singh” suffixed to their names, none of them was a “sabat surat” Sikh, which prompted me to think about a team having all Sikh players.”

He then began his search for “sabat surat” Sikh kabaddi players, which, he said, was not an easy job. It took him eight to 10 months to prepare a team, picking the best players from different parts of Punjab. “As kabaddi in Punjab has become a huge money spinner over the last few years, most of the best players are engaged with various academies. Moreover, we were not looking for best players but for best Sikh players, which made our hunt a little tougher,” he said.

The SGPC has made an attempt to establish this team as a role model for the youth of Punjab who are falling prey to apostasy and drug addiction.

Dalmegh said they have not only made lodging and boarding arrangements for their team at Fatehgarh Sahib but have also provided them with an AC bus to travel for participating in tournaments. “Each player draws a salary of Rs 10,000 per month, besides free lodging and boarding. We also ensure that our players get rich diet comprising milk and dry fruits etc, on which we are spending around Rs 10,000 per month for each player. We have also given them strict instructions to stay away from food supplements and energy boosting drugs,” he averred.

Apart from the salary, the players also get their share in prize money whenever they win a tournament. The SGPC is also grooming the budding kabaddi players alongside training its team with the help of its coach Major Singh.

Dalmegh strongly advocated the need for anti-dope test among kabaddi players in Punjab. He said they would themselves have a mechanism in place to ensure that all the players in their team are dope-free. He said kabaddi has become commercialised over the last few years and the use of banned drugs among the players cannot be ruled out.

Chandigarh, July 14
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has achieved record power generation from its various power houses in its 1st quarter (April-June) this year.

The power generation during the quarter was 3,059 million units (MUs, whereas the earlier maximum generation during the 1st quarter in the last 12 years since 2000-2001 was 3,051 MUs in 2007-08.

The record generation has been achieved despite the ongoing renovation and modernisation of two generating machines of the Bhakra Left Bank Power House.

According to an official release, the BBMB has always been in the forefront to provide cheap power to its partner states by careful planning, so that their interests are best watched by striking a judicious balance in meeting water requirements and simultaneously meeting increased power requirements during summer and paddy season marked by grave shortage of power in the grid.

“The BBMB has regulated its reservoirs in such a way that there has been optimum utilisation of irrigation needs and power generation has been maximised in summer and paddy season,” stated the release.

Chandigarh, July 14
Private medical colleges in Punjab are overcharging MBBS students by levying tuition fee for five years, despite the fact that the duration of the academic course is four-and-a-half years.

MBBS students of private medical colleges, including Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, Banur, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Adesh Institute of Medical Science and Research, Bathinda, and SGRD Institute of Medical Science and Research, Amritsar, have demanded that the practice to stopped forthwith in a representation to the Medical Education ad Research Department.

They have mentioned MCI rules in this regard. Especially affected are those who have taken admission under the management quota. These students are being charged Rs 3 lakh annually as annual tuition fee and will have to deposit an extra Rs 3 lakh in case the Medical Education and Research Ddepartment does not act in the matter. The MCI guidelines available on its website say: “Every student shall undergo a period of certified study extending over four-and-a-half academic years divided into nine semesters from the date of commencement of study for the subjects comprising the medical curriculum to the date of completion of examination”.

The Director, Medical Education and Research, Dr Jai Kishan, said the government was yet to take a decision on the issue.

Phillaur, July 14
A four-member team of the New York Police today arrived at the Punjab Police Academy here for an exchange programme aimed at curbing crime and presenting the police image as people friendly by promoting community policing.

The visiting team was headed by Dr Maria Haberfeld of John Jay School of New York, USA. Dr Maria and ADGP (HRD) SK Sharma agreed on working jointly to promote community policing, crime scene investigation, traffic management and leadership to maintain law and order.

Patiala, July 14
The government school teachers are irked over the five-day seminars being conducted by the Education Department to impart knowledge of computers. They allege that these seminars waste their time, besides there is no practical application of this knowledge in their teaching methods. The decision to hold the seminars was taken by the department in order to do away with the concept of paper work.

“We are already facing difficulty in finishing the syllabus on time due to introduction of the semester system. Almost one more month is wasted in exams. These seminars waste five more days. Learning something is out of question because as soon as we go back to school, we forget everything. There is no practical application of this knowledge in our teaching methods,” said a government school teacher.

“These seminars are a waste of time. We are being taught the basics of computers, whereas the fact is that it is very difficult to understand all this at this age. What irks us more is that the timings of the seminar are 9 am to 4 pm, which is one hour more than our school timings. The weather is so hot that it becomes difficult to sit for such a long time,” said another teacher.

Officiating principal of the In-Service Teachers Training Centre Maninder Singh said, “It is a very constructive move. We began conducting these seminars because the former DGSE Krishan Kumar was of the view that the teachers should have knowledge of computers to do away with the paper work.”

“Working on computers will save time and help the department to connect properly. With the changing education system, it is necessary to have proper knowledge of computers,” he added.

Fatehgarh Sahib, July 14
The rights to telecast Gurbani from the Golden Temple and religious programmes would be allowed as per the norms set by the SGPC and the state government. There is no possibility of bending rules to benefit any particular channel. This was stated by Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar while laying a foundation stone of a girls’ hostel at the Mata Gujri College here today.

The term of the television channel presently covering religious programmes from the Golden Temple will expire in the coming two months.

Over the demolishing of a gurdwara in Pakistan, he said the Indian Government should take up the matter with the international community. Makkar said the campaign of planting the saplings by the SGPC would restart in the coming days and maximum saplings would be planted at various places in the state.

“Students of integrated information technology course will be offered a five-year MTech course and the students may join this course after completing Class XII,” said Makkar.

He said it has been decided to waive off Rs 500 to girls who would stay in university’s hostel and also released a documentary film prepared by the Sikh Media Centre. Makkar also inaugurated Mata Sahib Kaur girls’ hostel at the Guru Granth Sahib World University. He also laid foundation stone of block-II of the Bebe Nanki Girls’ Hostel at the college. — TNS

Chandigarh, July 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Ludhiana Commissioner of Police to order a probe into the alleged illegal detention of a Ludhiana resident at division number eight police station.

The inquiry was ordered by Justice Jora Singh after the warrant officer appointed by the High Court in his report dated September 6, 2008, asserted that the “detainee” was found in the police station courtyard during a raid.

The warrant officer reported: “It appears that Daniel Dass was illegally detained by the staff of police station division number eight, Ludhiana.”

The raid was conducted after the alleged detainee’s brother Karam Dass filed a habeas corpus petition through counsel VS Rana. He had alleged that Daniel was kept in illegal confinement by SHO Ravinder Singh and SI Manjit Singh.

Justice Jora Singh directed the commissioner to mark the inquiry to “any responsible police officer not below the DSP’s rank” for ascertaining who summoned the detainee to the police station and who illegally detained him, or whether he came to the police station a few minutes prior to the raid to pressurise the police not to take any action.