Special exam for students caught ‘cheating’
Chandigarh, July 18
Thousands of students of polytechnic colleges in Punjab are in a daze. The Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training had cancelled the papers of students from as many as 18 colleges on the charge of mass copying.The shocking news came alongwith the result declared last Friday.

Experts’ panel to recruit 1,214 doctors
Jalandhar, July 18
The state Health Department proposes to recruit 3,669 health officials, including 1,214 doctors, by a committee likely to include Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, and Dr JS Chopra.

COMMUNITY

Row Over Birs
Sikh outfits put off Ludhiana meeting
Amritsar, July 18
Even as the Akal Takht Jathedar had urged them to call off their tomorrow’s meeting in Ludhiana regarding the controversy over “birs”, various Sikh organisations, including the DSGMC, have decided to merely postpone it for a few days.

Patiala, July 18
Accusing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of acting in an irresponsible way, PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh today reiterated that the state government should move the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the concrete wall being raised by Haryana along the Hansi-Butana canal.

Accompanied by his wife Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs, and Dakala MLA Lal Singh, Capt Amarinder, while addressing the media here, said: “The SAD-BJP government will be squarely responsible for any devastation that may be caused by the Ghaggar waters, especially in Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa.”

Capt Amarinder claimed that during the Congress regime, all flood prevention measures were finalised by May-end whereas the present government was yet to sanction funds to its departments for the same.

Amarinder demanded a CBI probe into the alleged ETT scam and the appointment of 11 Assistant Public Relations Officers. “Pawan Kumar who was recently arrested in Sangrur in connection with the ETT scam with about Rs 50 lakh enjoyed the patronage of some politicians. I’m sure he is a small fry and only a CBI probe can trace the roots of the scam”, he alleged.

He alleged that merit was ignored during the recruitment of APROs and a “selected few” were appointed. “The matter needs to be thoroughly probed”, he said.

Chandigarh, July 18
Thousands of students of polytechnic colleges in Punjab are in a daze. The Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training had cancelled the papers of students from as many as 18 colleges on the charge of mass copying.The shocking news came alongwith the result declared last Friday.

Now, the board has decided to conduct a special exam so that the career of these students is not jeopardised.

The board, to improve its image and raise the examination standards, had constituted 10 teams of flying squads that went around silently and reported cases of mass cheating to the board. While most colleges were sent show-cause notices, the students were caught unaware when the board website declared their result as “cancelled” on July 15.

Most of the affected students are from semester IV and VI, electronic and communication engineering and mechanical wings. A student who did not wish to be identified said: “Many of us had worked hard for the exams. We were not even aware about mass copying. It is unfair to punish us for something we did not do”.

Dr AP Papreja, Principal GGS Poly College, Kharar, too expressed shock. “We were never brought into the picture. No invigilator was punished, no student was caught red-handed, nor did the board inform us about mass copying”. He said at least 400 students from his college alone had been penalised.

But the Registrar of the board, Dr AS Arunachal, had a different story to tell. He said 18 colleges had been found facilitating copying by teams of retired educationists especially constituted by the board. The board had issued notices to the colleges on the report of these flying squads.

He said since it was not possible to book individual students when there was mass copying, all exams were unfair means were used had been cancelled. The Registrar said serious action would beg taken against colleges acting as teaching shops and helping students in the exams to attract more students for future admissions.

However, taking a sympathetic view, the Punjab Government had decided to hold the cancelled exams from August 1 to 8. The results would be declared within a week so that students could seek admission to the next class without losing a year.

Students passing a three-year diploma from polytechnics are eligible for admission in the second year of an engineering college.

Jalandhar, July 18
The state Health Department proposes to recruit 3,669 health officials, including 1,214 doctors, by a committee likely to include Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, and Dr JS Chopra.

These recruitments will not be through the Punjab Public Service Commission. Official sources said the proposal would be placed before the Cabinet for approval tomorrow. Approval would also be sought to remove the posts from the purview of the PPSC.

For the recruitment of 574 Medical Officers (specialists), 10 points would be for the interview and 90 for academic performance.

To recruit 500 medical officers and 114 dental officers, the written test would be of 95 marks. Five points would be given to those from the rural background. There would be no interview.

As many as 600 staff nurses, 390 lab technicians, 169 radiographers, 107 operation theatre assistants and 27 food inspectors are proposed to be recruited by the committee.

The Health Department said that the PPSC would take at least a year to make the recruitments whereas doctors were required for the newly opened hospitals and health centres almost immediately.

Amritsar, July 18
Even as the Akal Takht Jathedar had urged them to call off their tomorrow’s meeting in Ludhiana regarding the controversy over “birs”, various Sikh organisations, including the DSGMC, have decided to merely postpone it for a few days.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh today shot off a missive to these organisations, in which he said, “The incident of printing of “birs” of Guru Granth Sahib with spelling mistakes has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs. A panel formed by the SGPC has already submitted its report on the issue, which would be discussed during a meeting of the Sikh high priests on July 22.”

The Jathedar directed these outfits not to resort to a public debate on the issue and call off the meeting.

On the other hand, these organisations accepted the Akal Takht Jathedar’s directions but with a rider. Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh said they had decided to postpone the meeting for a few days.

“We will see the outcome of the meeting of Sikh high priests. If justice is done in the matter we will call off our meeting, otherwise we will go ahead with it,” he said.

Chandigarh, July 18
In the wake of reports of a terror threat to the 225-metre high Bhakra Dam, the Punjab government has called an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss measures relating to its security.

“Punjab Chief Secretary has called an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the security situation of Bhakra Dam. All the member states and senior officials of BBMB, including its chairman, will participate in this meeting,” GS Wassan, director (security), Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), said today.

He added: “Various security concerns will be discussed in this meeting and our future strategy will be designed accordingly. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh government had also called such a meeting. Besides Bhakra Dam, we will also discuss security of other dams.”

Bakhra Dam is located nearly 20 km from Nangal town in Punjab. The dam is on the Sutlej is in Himachal Pradesh along the hill state’s border with Punjab, around 130 km from here. The Bhakra Dam is crucial for power generation and water supply to northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Earlier, security at the Bhakra Dam was beefed up in March 2009 following reports from central intelligence agencies that terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) intended to target the mega hydro-electric project.

The recent specific intelligence reports said that the dam is high on the latest hit-list of Pakistan-based terrorist outfits like LeT and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). The Bhakra Dam, India's first and biggest hydro-electric project, was described by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the temple of resurgent India. — IANS

Ropar, July 18
While the National Highway-21, Kurali-Kiratpur Sahib stretch, has opened to the commuters, the possession of the 10-m land on both sides of the road, termed as future expansion lane, is yet to be handed over to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Of the 44.7-km long stretch, only 10 per cent of the land for future expansion has been handed over to the NHAI, while 90 per cent remains pending, whereas the compensation (running in crores) in lieu of the land acquired has already been awarded to the respective holders of this 90 per cent land.

“We have written to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, apprising him of the issue. We hope to get a reply soon,” said the project director, NHAI, Anila Dahiya. Sources said the NHAI had been repeatedly taking up the issue with the Punjab Government and the Ropar administration, but nothing has been done so far.

According to the sources in the Ropar district administration, the issue lies largely with the notification of the land acquired. “Some of the land needs to be de-notified. In many cases, the land is shown to be included in the notification issued, but in reality (physical appearance on the spot) it does not exist and vice-versa,” said the officials.

He added that matching up of the land notified with the revenue records of the district is being done. “Such things happen while executing major projects. Neither the NHAI Act, nor the Land Acquisition Act has any provisions of the de-notifying of the land. The procedure is now being taken up on the basis of the court judgments,” he added.

However, Deputy Commissioner GK Singh said the work was complete. He added that the NHAI authorities had been told to take the possession of the land and if needed, they would be provided with the police help.

“I have got no letter or any other communiqué over the issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, the company that has executed the project will start collecting the toll tax from August 1 near Solakhian village. It will collect tax over a period of 16 years. Earlier, the project was to be completed in three years, but delay in the land acquisition took four years. Even the budget got stretched from Rs 346 crore to Rs 390 crore for this six-laned road. The project also had construction of six bridges over the Bhakra Main Line, over Budhki rivulet, over Nangal Hydel Channel in Ghanauli, over Lohand Khad in Bharatgarh and at Kiratpur Sahib leading to Manali. 

Patiala, July 18
As many as 155 dairy farming units have come up in the district in the last one year. Giving information in this regard, Deputy Commissioner of Patiala Dipinder Singh informed that in order to promote the dairy farming, the Punjab Government had provided financial assistance of Rs 7.25 crore under various schemes as a result of which these units have come up in the district.

“The government is providing loans on an interest of 2 to 2.5 per cent in order to help these dairy farmers,” he added.

He further informed that the government was lending loans of Rs 3 lakh to farmers for buying milking machines for improving the quality of the milk. The National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been providing subsidies under the dairy entrepreneurship schemes i.e. 25 per cent for general category and 33 per cent for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The government also provides Rs 12,000 for buying two buffaloes to people from financially weaker section and those belonging to Below Poverty Line category, he added.

The DC informed that the Dairy Farming Department has been organising awareness campaigns in various villages and apprising people about its benefits. The district administration had also imparted 15-day training programmes for promoting the dairy farming amongst the unemployed youth.

Patiala, July 18
The Rural Veterinary Officers Association, Punjab, has threatened to go on mass leave on July 21 in wake of the delay being done by the Punjab Government in issuing notification regarding amendment in the Punjab Civil Services Act-2011.

“Despite the fact that the Cabinet had approved amendments in the Act, the government has not issued any notification in this regard so far, due to which we are not getting our salaries ever since our services have been regularised,” said state president of the association Dr NS Khinda.

He further informed that the office bearers of the association met Punjab CM on July 4 at Chandigarh. “The CM had assured us that the government will issue notification within a week, but till date nothing has been done in this regard. If the government will not issue the notification till July 20, all the rural veterinary doctors will go on mass leave on July 21. Even then, if the government delays the matter, we will intensify our stir and organise mass protests,” he added. — TNS

Amritsar, July 18
Several armed persons attacked a police party from Patiala and freed persons wanted in a forgery case registered at the Amloh police station in Patiala.

In true Bollywood style, armed persons in three vehicles (Tata Safari PB-17-0037 and PB-08-5207) and a Verna car, allegedly owing allegiance to the ruling alliance, overtook the police vehicle near the Beas bridge.

Kanwaljit Singh, alias Pardhan of Bhalaipur, Bhundi of Mattewal, Surinder Singh of Dhulka village, and Tarsem Masih and Ajay Kumar of Rayya, opened fired at the police party.

They took away the rifle of a constable while leaving constable Pawan Kumar injured. He was rushed to a hospital in Amritsar. The police has registered a case. Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, SSP, denied that they owed allegiance to a political party. — TNS

Jalandhar, July 18
Recent investigations by the Jalandhar (Rural) police has revealed that a good number of NRI-sponsored youth festivals, sports events and charity shows in Punjab are being used as a cover to smuggle narcotics to foreign shores.

The revelation has been made by Harjinder Singh, who, along with his sister, was caught carrying 1.5 kg of a highly refined derivative of heroin on July 2. The recovered contraband, nicknamed “ICE”, is worth Rs 15 crore in the market, said a police officer.

For the past few years, the drug was procured by notorious drug traffickers lodged in various Indian prisons through their contacts in neighbouring countries. The consignments would be delivered to them by separate “carriers”.

During police remand, Harjinder reportedly confessed to receiving orders from NRI customers well in advance of sports or charity events hosted by them. Code words like “shirts-blazers”, “chakla belna” and “portraits” were used to indicate the drug quantity, he said.

“The consignments are delivered to NRIs in the collar and cuffs of shirts/blazers. Another method is to pack it in thick wooden photo frames,” said the officer.

“Such drugs cannot be scanned by X-rays at airports. By packing the consignments in bulky luggage bags, the smugglers also escape being caught by sniffer dogs.”

PK Tikoo, Assistant Commissioner, Customs and incharge of the anti-smuggling wing at the Amritsar International Airport, said:

“Powdered drugs can’t be detected by scanners. Smart packing techniques help the smugglers to dodge the sniffer dogs too. Without intelligence inputs, most traffickers usually manage to get through,” said Tikoo.

It has been revealed that Harjinder is merely a link in a chain of modules operating in the state.

HKS Khakh, DSP, said more facts were expected to emerge following further investigations.