Farmers rue meagre compensation
Gobindpura (Mansa), July 30
Farmer Karam Singh and his family members see a dark future for themselves ahead as they say the compensation of Rs 23.54 lakh per acre paid by the Punjab Government for their fertile land was too less as he was unable to purchase land at that price elsewhere in the state.

All Punjab districts to be covered under UN project
Mohali, July 30
All districts of Punjab will be covered under the Road Safety Project (RS-10) being run by the UNO, said Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, here yesterday.

POLITICS

Jalandhar, July 30
Congress state vice-president and Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon today alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his UP counterpart Mayawati were two sides of the same coin when it came to dealing with gullible farmers.

Reacting to the protest by farmers over land acquisition in Mansa, Dhillon said the farmers of both the non-Congress-ruled states were allegedly being forced to handover their fertile land to private companies.

The PPCC vice-president said with the UPA Government releasing the draft Land Acquisition Bill that spoke for sweeping changes in the existing laws to protect the farmers’ interests, the SAD-BJP government now had no right to go ahead with the acquisition.

Dhillon warned that the Congress would launch a statewide agitation if the government continued with the acquisition process.

The Congress MLA also reiterated their demand for action against the officials responsible for alleged brutalities against the farmers.

Gobindpura (Mansa), July 30
Farmer Karam Singh and his family members see a dark future for themselves ahead as they say the compensation of Rs 23.54 lakh per acre paid by the Punjab Government for their fertile land was too less as he was unable to purchase land at that price elsewhere in the state.

There are many other farmers who have a similar grudge against the government - all struggling to acquire a good piece of land in the hinterland.

Amar, another farmer, rued that his two sons had been arrested and lodged in Bathinda jail for raising their voice against acquisition.

The government had last year notified 880 acres for acquisition in the village. However, eight families have so far refused to accept the compensation for their 120 acres, claimed Deputy Commissioner Ravinder Singh. He said the 120 acres of land was scattered and not a single unit.

The 1,320 MW thermal power plant will be built by a subsidiary of the IndiaBulls. The land acquisition has now become a political issue with the Congress batting for the farmers. On the other hand, a senior functionary of the ruling SAD, on anonymity, said the farmers had willingly offered their land at prices ranging from Rs 23.24 lakh to Rs 23.77 lakh, which was higher than the market price at that time. However, now the Congress was trying to politicise the issue by misleading the farmers as the land prices had shot up over the period of time, he alleged.

The acquisition has turned 62 farmers landless while 123 other big farmers had been left with small landholdings. The government had acquired 80 acres at a price of Rs 23.77 lakh, 560 acres for Rs 23.54 lakh and 166 acres for Rs 23.24 lakh by issuing three separate notifications.

The Draft Land Acquisition Bill of the Centre banning acquiring of multi-cropped and irrigated land for public purposes had come in handy for the state Congress leadership to whip up the sentiments of the farmers.

Mangat Rai Bansal, local MLA, said he was not against the thermal plant in the area and the development of the state but the farmers should be paid the current market price of Rs 38 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per acre.

Mohali, July 30
All districts of Punjab will be covered under the Road Safety Project (RS-10) being run by the UNO, said Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, here yesterday.

While addressing the participants at a high-level review meeting of the project, Chandra said presently Jalandhar had been identified for the implementation of this project on a pilot basis. Once the first phase ends in December, the project would be extended to the whole of Punjab. He said the project had been initiated by the UN in collaboration with several international agencies. The project was being implemented in 10 different countries, including India. Two states - Punjab and Andhra Pradesh - were selected for this project.

He said the objective of the project was to strengthen the road safety mechanism and curtail roadside trauma cases by effective traffic management as well as improved infrastructure. He said Punjab had achieved some success in tackling road trauma cases but much more was still to be done. He assured that funds would not be any constraint in this regard. The three trauma centres set up at Amritsar, Pathankot and Jalandhar were functioning well and another such centre would be set up at Khanna, he added.

RP Singh, ADGP, Traffic, emphasised on awareness about traffic rules and change in the mindset of people towards traffic norms. He disclosed that eight lakh challans for different traffic violations were issued during the past one year. The help of new technology like GPS system was being taken to curtail traffic violations and the aim was to reduce road-side trauma cases by half in the near future.

Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Health & Family Welfare-cum-Nodal Officer, RS-10 Project, said out of various factors resulting in road traffic injuries, drunken driving and over speeding were identified for a detailed study. The enforcement of the project would begin from August. 

To strengthen the road safety mechanism

To curtail roadside trauma cases by effective traffic management and infrastructure

Chandigarh, July 30
People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) President Manpreet Singh Badal today received a severe jolt with his former officer on special duty (OSD) and party core committee member Charanjit Singh Brar not only resigning from the party but also accusing its founder of nepotism and favouritism.

Charanjit Brar has been associated with Manpreet Badal for 16 years and his desertion is expected to help the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He has chosen to resign at a time when Manpreet is wooing NRIs in Canada.

When he was questioned, Charanjit claimed that he would continue to be in politics and would now choose between the SAD and the Congress. Before resigning from his post and making the announcement here, Charanjit also held a workers meeting at Gill Kalan village near Bathinda to show the “real face” of Manpreet to PPP workers. Any further meetings by Charanjit on the same issue would only damage Manpreet Badal further.

When Charanjit was asked the reason for his resignation, he said he felt betrayed by Manpreet who had reneged on all the promises made at the Golden temple in Amritsar before forming the PPP. He claimed Manpreet had filled the core committee with his relatives, including brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal and relatives Darshan Madhir, Amardeep Singh and Jagbir Singh Brar. He said there were only two non-family members in the party core committee.

Charanjit said the PPP which had promised to encourage youngsters to join politics, had changed its earlier decision not to allow anyone to hold a position of profit beyond 65 to 70 years now. Similarly, the clause not to allow anyone a position of profit beyond 10 years had been changed to say “not continuously beyond ten years”.

Accusing Manpreet of being surrounded by his relatives, Charanjit claimed the advice of such selfish advisers had compelled many stalwarts like Sant Ajit Singh, Charanjit Singh Channi and Manjinder Kang, all legislators, as well as former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh to part ways with Manpreet.

Meanwhile, Manpreet was not available for comment.

Jalandhar, July 30
Taking a harsh decision on the basis of recommendations of its hearing and appellate committees, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has placed the DAV Institute of Engineering and Technology (DAVIET) under ‘no-admission’ category till further orders. The communiqué from the Advisor (Approval) Dr MK Hada of the AICTE has come as a jolt for the institute that had planned to inaugurate the new session with freshers joining classes from Monday onwards. A havan ceremony is scheduled in the morning, to be followed by a lecture by Punjab Technical University Vice-Chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora.

The communiqué reads, “The appellate committee meeting was held on June 21 to hear the appeal of the institution. The committee found that the institution has not complied with the deficiencies observed by the hearing committee. The observations of the hearing committee in its meeting on February 4 have been found to be true.”

Director, Technical Colleges of DAV Management Committee, CL Kochher, however, has claimed that it was not the final decision and there was no reason to panic. “A representative from our college had contacted the AICTE in this context with sufficient evidence in our favour. They have given two-three days time for another appeal”, he said.

The orders come in the wake of a complaint lodged with the AICTE by the members of DAVIET Employees’ Welfare Association. The members had raised objections on the recruitment of three faculty members out of a total 13. Examining the documentary evidence, the AICTE committee has raised four points: Firstly, higher and better emoluments for Sanjeev Saini, M.Tech, and Anil Soni, MBA, cannot be fixed at the discretion of the management on selective basis. Secondly, Jasdeep Kaur, MCA, is not eligible for a faculty position as she has an MSc degree in computer science which is not equivalent to either MCA, M.Tech, BE/B.Tech or an M.Phil degree. So she cannot continue as a faculty member of the CSE/MCA/IT in the institute.

Subsequently, the committees have stated that the principal was not qualified as per AICTE norms and that a new appointment has to be complied with. Last of all, it has directed the college to maintain the faculty cadre ratio of professor/associate professor/assistant professor in the ratio of 1:2:6 in accordance with the norms.

Dr Rajneesh Arora, when contacted, said that the decision of the AICTE had come too late and the university had even completed the entire formalities of admission. “The newly admitted students cannot be shifted elsewhere at this stage. I need to wait for the directions from the technical education department for any further action”, he commented.

Amritsar, July 30
Even as the ruling SAD is gearing up to weave its SGPC poll campaign around its invincible run in the “Mini Parliament” of Sikhs and its performance over the years, the opposition would be seeking votes on issues like alleged corrupt practices in the SGPC, rising apostasy (abandonment of religious beliefs) and drug addiction among Sikh youth.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar claims the SAD has “successfully managed the gurdwara affairs and propagated the philosophy of Sikh gurus across the globe during its tenure in the SGPC”. “Continuing with our efforts to facilitate quality education to our children, we have opened Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University in Fatehgarh Sahib, which is a path-breaking initiative of ours. We are already running 43 professional colleges and 66 high/higher secondary schools. Besides, we intend to open 10 top class schools in other states as well,” he averred, highlighting the SGPC’s endeavours in the field of education.

Makkar said the SGPC has taken various initiatives to propagate Sikhism under the SAD rule. “We have established a missionary college at Talwandi Sabo as well as Panth Ratan Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Institute of Sikh Studies at Bahadurgarh (Patiala).”

On the other hand, DSGMC and SAD (Delhi) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said they would be contesting the SGPC elections on issues like “distortion of Sikh history” by the SAD-ruled SGPC and “rising apostasy” in rural areas of Punjab. “Over the last few years, the SGPC has published some literature in which Sikh history was distorted,” he said. “The recent episode of “sacrilegious birs” is also a serious issue.”

“These birs with grave spelling mistakes were published in violation of the Akal Takht’s edict and the state government’s law, but the issue was silently put on the backburner and no action was initiated against anybody,” he added. Sarna claimed that apostasy has witnessed an alarming rise in rural areas of Punjab and the SGPC has “made no effort to curb it”. He said if the electorate wants to save Sikhism, they should throw the SAD out of the SGPC and restrict it only to political arena. Khalsa Action Committee president Bhai Mohkam Singh said they would first seek “the vote for change”. “We will urge the electorate to give us a chance to serve the SGPC and see the difference between us and the SAD, which has been ruling it right from the beginning.” He said they would also expose the “corrupt practices” in the SGPC before the people, adding that increasing drug addiction and apostasy among Sikh youth will also be key issues. 

Jalandhar, July 30
There are countless families especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory Chandigarh whose three or even more generations have served in defence forces.

There is no data providing the exact information about such families. Considering this, Punjab Sainik Welfare Department has decided to compile information about all those soldiers who belong to old Punjab post-1947 and whose three or more generations have served in the defence forces.

Talking to The Tribune, the Director Sainik Welfare Punjab Lieutenant Colonel HP Singh (retd) said “The department has decided to publish the book as it will not only give a sense of pride to those families whose members served and continue to serve in the defence forces but it will also encourage the younger generation, even from among civilians

Interestingly Lt Col HP Singh is also among those retired army officers whose three generations have served in defence forces. While he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after initially joining as a Second-Lieutenant and serving the Army for 23 years, his son Amanat Jagjit Singh is a Captain in the same regiment Armed Core. Singh’s father Jagjit Singh was also an electrical mechanical engineer in the Army.

Punjab’s Minister for Defence Services Welfare, Capt Balbir Singh Bath is taking the initiative to compile the data for families from Punjab. A die-hard soldier, Capt Bath fought the 1965 war while serving in the Jat Regiment. His father and grandfather also served in the Army. His grandfather Rasaldar Chanda Singh fought in World War 1

The Lt Col said the work of collecting data on families from the defence forces, including their photographs and decorations, if any, had already been started. Those from families with more than three or more generations in the defence forces should send the details to his office at Sector 21 D in Chandigarh by August 15, he added

A committee of retired Army officers would be formed for preparing a draft of the book, he said.

Rajpura, July 30
The family of 24-year-old Ravinder Kaur, who was allegedly murdered by her husband in Surrey, has alleged that Ravinder’s in-laws used to harass for dowry.

The deceased’s father, Balbir Singh Bhangu, was reluctant to talk to the media, while her mother had taken ill after hearing the news of her daughter’s death. Balbir said Ravinder had married her classmate Sunny Bhangu, a resident of Mirch Mandi area, in December 2008. The couple then joined Sunny’s family in Canada. Balbir Bhangu, who is district manager with the IFFCO, Fatehgarh Sahib, said soon after the marriage, Sunny, his father Rupinderjit Singh and brother Jagmeet Singh started harassing Ravinder for dowry. “They first demanded a portion of Balbir’s agricultural land and later they kept harassing Ravinder on one pretext or the other,” said MCPI politburo member Prem Singh Bhangu, a close friend of aggrieved family. Rupinderjit had retired as a constable from the Punjab police at Rajpura. Ravinder and Sunny used to study together at Patel College, Rajpura.

During her visit to Rajpura in February this year, Ravinder had told her parents that Sunny used to harass her and her father-in-law and brother-in-law used to approach her with mala fide intentions. The couple separated in April this year. Ravinder started living separately and had taken up a job with Punjabi newspaper “Sach-Di-Awaaz”. Ravinder had planned to leave Surrey and come back to her parents in Rajpura next month. Family members said she had even bought tickets for the flight.

Irate over the separation, Sunny went to Ravinder’s office on July 28 and attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon. Ravinder died on the spot, while one of her colleagues sustained injuries while trying to save her.

Patiala, July 30
A labourer died and eight others were injured when the lintel of the porch of a house at Harinder Nagar collapsed here today. While the labourer died on the spot, the injured were taken to the Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, for treatment.

Talking to the Tribune, contractor Nand Lal, who is also amongst the injured, informed that they were lifting the lintel of a house at Harinder Nagar when suddenly a wooden plank, which was supporting the structure, got displaced due to which the jacks could not hold the structure and the entire roof fell.

“As many as 11 persons were doing the work of lifting the lintel out of which nine were inside the house and two were standing outside. I cannot remember much as I fell unconscious after the roof collapsed and was brought to the hospital. I got to know about the death of the labourer when I gained consciousness in the hospital,” he said.

He further informed that he was into the business of lifting lintel since past seven years and no such incident had happened before. There was no negligence on their part, it was merely an accident, he added.

The name of the deceased could not be identified till the filing of the report as the contractor had brought him from railway crossing number 24 today itself and was unaware of his name. The injured have been identified as Upinder (22), Sanjay (19), Nitesh (20), Shambu (35), Parmod (35), Pappu (18) and Anmol (25). Meanwhile, the condition of the injured is said to be stable.