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Protesters pull down wall of Lohian police station
Weekly power cuts back for industry
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Government foots bill for Chautalas’ security
YAD leaders accused of beating BDPO surrender
Left wants BSP to join alliance
Spell out stand on Bhullar, Capt to CM
25 buildings selected for rainwater harvesting
Reforms commission winds up
work
No party can ignore reforms, says panel chief Pramod
DGP PS Gill
PRTC unions to go on strike on Sept 29
Veterinary pass-outs fail to find jobs
Wrongly held on terror charges, man speaks up for Sehajdharis
Pak refugees demand rights
Apex court for expeditious disposal of Bhullar case
Student dead in tempo-truck collision in Rajpura
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Protesters pull down wall of Lohian police station
Jalandhar, September 26 The police registered an FIR against Pawan Kumar, his father Jaspal and his two brothers Kali and Vijay, all residents of Lohian Khas township. They were said to have had a feud with the victim. Kulwant Ram went missing on the night of September 22 after he left home to fetch some medicines. His body was found dumped in a motor well in a farm belonging to one Tirath Singh this morning. Agitated residents and labourers, led by leaders of the Pendu Mazdoor Union and the Democratic Teachers’ Front, blocked the Jalandhar-Moga highway at Lohian and later held a dharna outside the Lohian police station, alleging that the police was doing nothing against the alleged killers.They forced shopkeepers to down shutters. The police officials did not budge, ignoring the protest. Agitated, the protesters marched to the police station and pulled down a portion of its wall, despite heavy police deployment. “With the police doing nothing to nab Kulwant Ram’s killers, we were forced to swing into action. No case was registered even after four days of the murder. The police was forced to book the accused after the massive protest,” said Dilbagh Singh, district secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front. The SP, Gurmit Singh, and DSP Jasbir Singh tried to pacify the mob, assuring action against the guilty. The dharna was lifted in the evening after four persons were booked in the murder case.
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Weekly power cuts back for industry
Patiala, September 26 According to the circular, a copy of which is with The Tribune, one weekly off day (24 hours) would be imposed on the general industrial consumers being fed from the Category-II feeders. Apart from this, two weekly off days (48 hours) would be imposed on the Arc/Induction furnaces and rolling mill consumers, fed from the Category-II and Category-III feeders. The power regulatory measures would remain in force till further orders. The PSPCL move comes within days of the coal-based Singrauli Super Thermal Power Plant, located at Singrauli in Uttar Pradesh, developing a technical snag. Following this, the share of power being drawn by Punjab from the Central pool has dropped by about 40 lakh units. Apart from this, the power being drawn by the state industry through the open access system has also come down by almost 100 lakh units in just one day. And to top all these problems, a decline has been witnessed in hydel power generation in the past few days, following which the PSPCL today imposed fresh power regulatory measures on the industrial units in the state. As per the figures available with The Tribune, the power demand recorded in Punjab yesterday stood at 1,630 lakh units against the availability of 1,534 lakh units --- a shortfall of about 96 lakh units. “Due to some problem in the Singrauli thermal plant, the power availability to Punjab from the Central pool has been reduced by 40 lakh units. The power drawn by the Punjab industry through the open access system on September 25 was 37 lakh units whereas, on an average, the industry was earlier drawing about 135 lakh units daily. A decline in hydel power generation has also been recorded,” said PSPCL director (distribution) Arun Verma. Senior PSPCL functionaries said one unit (210-MW capacity) of the Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant in Ropar, which had been shut down, would be made operational from today with the aim to supplement the power supply. Factory losses
President of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association Badish K Jindal said the two weekly off days (48 hours) would result in significant losses to the units. The estimated per month net production from arc/induction furnaces and rolling mills in Punjab stands at Rs 5,000 crore. “After the two-day weekly off, the production loss will be at least Rs 1,500 crore. This would mean a loss of about 5 per cent of VAT (Rs 75 crore) to the state government and 10.25 per cent loss to the central excise,” he said. Also, because of the weekly offs, the prices of steel would go up. “The export commitments made to multinational companies will be hard to meet because of the power regulatory measures”, said several industrialists Nod to extending MoU for Mansa thermal plant The PSPCL Board of Directors has given the nod for extending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a 1320 MW coal-based power plant at Gobindpura (Mansa) by Indiabulls Power Limited. The one-year deadline for the MoU had expired on August 19. The matter came up for discussion during a board meeting recently. Director (Generation) GS Chhabra said the case had been sent to the government for approval. Short Supply One
weekly off (24 hours) to be imposed on general industrial consumers Two
weekly off days (48 hours) to be imposed on the arc/induction furnaces and
rolling mill consumers The move follows shortfall in power supply from
the central pool as well as hydel generation projects
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Government foots bill for Chautalas’ security
Bathinda, September 26 Such is the state of affairs that Shiromani Akali Dal’s block- level leaders are being given security cover too. Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act on the police force deputed in six districts of the state reveals that as per ADGP’s (security) order (TPM 30623-29 DDMB-3 dated December 23, 2009), Abhay Chautala has been given five police officials-ASI Sukhwant Singh (163 FGS), constable Balwinder Singh (1 CDO 625), constable Jagpal (75/56), constable Sukhwinder Singh (4 IRB 738) and constable Major Singh (4 IRB 607). These policemen together are paid Rs 1.50 lakh per month as salary. On papers, Chautala is shown as a resident of Began Wali village under the Fazilka police station. Interestingly, while the Ferozepur Improvement Trust Chairman has got five security personnel, the Ferozepur Sessions Judge has just two. In Ferozepur district alone, seven leaders who do not have any constitutional post have been given nine gunmen. Two gunmen each have been provided to Guru Harsahai SAD president Rohit Vohra and SAD general secretary Sukhjit Singh from Dhippan Wali village. Similarly, a gunman each has been provided to SAD block president Darshan Singh Brar, SAD Zira president Avtar Singh, SAD general secretary Ranjha Wali and SAD circle president PS Bath. Deceased MP Joga Singh Mann’s son Vardev Singh has been provided four gunmen. SGPC members Suba Singh, Satpal Singh and Gurpal Singh have been given four gunmen each. Two gunmen each have been provided to former BJP general secretaries Jagmohan Kaura Jira and Kamal Sharma and BJP vice-president Manjeet Rai. Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon has a brigade of 19 gunmen . Abhay Chautala given one head constable and four constables for security Shown on papers as resident of Began Wali village under Fazilka police station These policemen together are paid Rs 1.50 lakh per month as salary
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YAD leaders accused of beating BDPO surrender
Patiala, September 26 The duo, YAD Patiala unit president Harmeet Singh Dhillon and his cousin Amandeep Singh who is Pathanmajra village sarpanch, had allegedly beaten up BDPO Rajinder Gupta inside his office last Monday. A few villagers had accused the BDPO of corruption, a charge denied by the latter. The police, after registering a case, was on the lookout for the duo but had failed to arrest them. SHO (Civil Lines) said the two accused surrendered in the court today and though the police pressed for their remand, they were sent to judicial custody. After the "roughing-up" incident, the Punjab Development Officers Association met Rural Development and Panchayat Minister in Chandigarh demanding stern action against the accused. Sources said the duo had been evading arrest as they enjoyed political patronage. “I decided to surrender as the issue is being blown out of proportion by the Congress, which is trying to gain political mileage out of it,” said Harmeet Singh Dhillon following his arrest. According to the FIR registered at the Civil Lines police station, the victim, BDPO Rajinder Gupta, claimed that YAD district president Harmeet Singh Dhillon, his cousin Amandeep Singh thrashed him in his office. There are two more accused in the case — Balwinder Singh and Jatinder Singh. "The accused barged into my office and shouted at me that since he (Dhillon) was going to contest MLA's election from Patiala, I should not ask his supporters to vacate encroachments on government land," Gupta alleged in the FIR. "They slapped, kicked and dragged me inside my office without any provocation from my side," he added.
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Left wants BSP to join alliance
Chandigarh, September 26 Dayal said he would make an effort to rope in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Left-PPP alliance. "With the joining of the BSP, the Left-PPP alliance can become a most formidable political alternative to the mainstream parties such as the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP in the state," he said. A formal meeting between the leaders of the Left parties and the PPP would be held on October 5 in Jalandhar to work out the common minimum programme (CMP). Dayal said the CMP would be announced at a major rally, to be held in the last week of October, in which all senior leaders of the Left parties would take part. About the distribution of assembly seats, Dayal said there would be no difficulty as the PPP was expected to allocate 20 seats to the Left parties. Dayal said the Left-PPP alliance would launch an aggressive political campaign. "Of course, corruption will be one of the main issues. Both the Congress and the SAD are responsible for the fiscal mess in the state. Most of the leaders of these parties had been working to promote the interests of their own families neglecting the development of the state as a whole," he said. For financial crisis, corruption, lawlessness, use of drugs, unemployment and other social ills, the SAD and the Congress were allegedly responsible because they had been ruling the state on alternate basis for the past several decades, he added.
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Spell out stand on Bhullar, Capt to CM
Chandigarh, September 26 He said it was intriguing that Badal had refused to answer a query on the issue in Bathinda today. The PCC president said the CM was being deliberately vague and ambiguous by saying different things on different occasions. He said the state government had three years back said under oath that Bhullar was a hardcore criminal and a dreaded terrorist. “If Badal has really undergone a change of heart, let him withdraw the affidavit and help Bhullar to spend his incarceration in a Punjab jail”, he added.
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25 buildings selected for rainwater harvesting
Jalandhar, September 26 An area of 4,334 heactares in villages along the “Chitti Bein” rivulet has been selected for the Integrated Water-shed Management Programme. The plan has already been successfully implemented in the lower Shivaliks falling in Hoshiarpur and Pathankot to contain soil erosion. Ground water will be re-charged in the four blocks of Jalandhar district with the help of ultra-modern technologies and processes like rainharvesting, laser-levelling and micro-irrigation with the active help of villagers. “Roof-tops of buildings and the premises of 25 gurdwaras, schools and panchayat ghars will be used for recharging ground water by way of rainwater harvesting. “Residents of these villages will be motivated to contribute to the success of the project,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sarojini Gautam Sharda. “The biggest problem is that fertile soil in a large number of villages along the Chitti Bein is eroded during the rainy season. Now, soil erosion is being checked with the construction of toe walls and drop structures. These brick-lined, cemented structures will stop the soil from being washed away into the rivulet. A huge chunk of land measuring 4,334 hectares in 40 villages of Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian and Phillaur blocks has been selected for laser-levelling and water conservation under the Integrated Water-shed Management programme,” said Dr Jagir Singh, technical expert associated with the Rs 520 crore project. For rainwater harvesting, he said water would be collected on roof-tops of the selected buildings. “Rainwater will be taken to silting tanks and filteration zones to be constructed within the premises of these buildings. Then clean and filtered water will be released into the ground for re-charging the water table in the area,” he added. Gurdwaras, schools and panchayat ghars chosen for the purpose 4,334 hectares of land selected in villages along the Chitti Bein rivulet for the Rs 520 crore Integrated Water-shed Management Programme Ground water to be recharged in Nakodar, Shahkot, Lohian and Phillaur blocks of Jalandhar This is to be done by ultra-modern technologies and processes like laser-levelling and micro-irrigation
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Reforms commission winds up
work
Chandigarh, September 26 Chairperson Dr Pramod Kumar, who is also Director of the Institute for Development and Communication, said the commission had submitted five reports covering various aspects of governance. Technically, the term of the commission ends on September 30, but it finalised its reports and wound up office today. The First Status Report dealt with the assessment of the administrative system. The second took stock of the possible future developments in various areas of governance, including fiscal management, citizen services, social security schemes, police reforms and institutional framework for delivery of services. The third report was an attempt at providing a framework for citizens’ interaction with the government. The key focus area for recommendations in this report was enactment of the Right to Service Act. The fourth status report included significant areas of public domain such as environment management and pollution control, urban development and urban governance and the fifth dealt with key areas of education and the Right to Information
(RTI). To ensure accountability, the government accepted the recommendation of the commission to legislate an Act to ensure delivery of services to the citizens. It includes around 67 services . The government also decided to do away with the filing of affidavits, except in cases where it is mandatory by law. In the area of police reforms, the government has set up a wide network of community-policing
centres. The government has also implemented integrated e-tendering with the Department of Industry and Commerce taking the lead for streamlining procurement. The Department of Social Security and Women and Child Department has been asked to streamline the implementation of old-age pension and Shagun schemes. Punjab will be the second state in the country to authorise automobile dealers to act as registering authority on first sale. Five Reports... The first report dealt with the assessment of the administrative system The second took stock of possible future developments in various areas of governance The third was an attempt at providing a framework for citizens’ interaction with the governmentThe fourth status report included significant areas of public domain such as environment management The fifth dealt with key areas of education and the Right to Information Constituted in 2009, the commission had Prof Dipankar Gupta, sociologist Prof Atul
Sood, JNU economist RN Gupta and Satwant Reddy as members The task groups were chaired by Justice
(retd) KS Grewal, JR Kundal, IAS (retd), Prof SL Sharma and Prof BS
Ghuman
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No party can ignore reforms, says panel chief Pramod
Mohali, September 26 Talking on the sidelines of an interaction ‘People-oriented Administration-Opportunities and Challenges’ with students ofthe Chandigarh Group of Colleges,
Landran, Dr Pramod Kumar while acknowledging that there had been some delay in implementing the recommendations of the commission, said the mechanism and accountability element had been put in place. Now, the Right to Services Commission would carry forward the reforms agenda. Interacting with the students, Dr Pramod Kumar said: “The state is doing well, but it is the people or the citizens who are in a crisis. They talk of debt, which comes due to wrong utilisation of means available.” Citing the examples of Gujarat and the US, he said that they were also under heavy debt, but the people in these states enjoyed a good life because of good governance.
Dipankar Gupta, member of the PGRC, said it was unfortunate that people were using democracy for selfish gains. “Democracy is the hardest thing to practice,” he observed. JR
Kaundal, another member of the PGRC, said: “We are losing time, resources and self-respect at the hands of those governing us. All of us know that something is grossly wrong with the system...”
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Citizen-centric policing need of the hour: Punjab DGP
Chandigarh, September 26 Presiding over a high-level meeting of the police department at the Punjab Police headquarters here, Gill said field officers must learn to anticipate issues, which had the potential of becoming major law and order problems. Gill said when he assumed the charge as DGP, he had decided to focus on major issues of better policing through strengthening of police stations and ensuring required recruitments, modernisation of the force, besides removing stagnation through large-scale promotions from Head Constable to Superintendent of Police. The DGP expressed satisfaction over fforts put in place during last two years to control crime by taking strict legal action against thieves and criminal gangs. He said due to large-scale modernisation initiatives, the field officials' response time in case of any eventuality had reduced considerably. The DGP said e-beat, e-investigation and e-challan system has shown good results and theseinitiatives would be replicated throughout the state. He added that after the general insurance scheme, the health insurance scheme for the force would be implemented from October 1. He expressed satisfaction over successful implementation of commissionerate system in cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar. The meeting was attended by DGP/Security, all ADGPs, Zonal IGs, Range DIGs and
SSPs. Looking up Ludhiana Sadar police station has been declared the best police station in Asia The field officials' response time in case of any eventuality has reduced considerably Successful implementation of commissionerate system in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar
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PRTC unions to go on strike on Sept 29
Patiala, September 26 All the PRTC unions have gathered under one roof to oppose the policies of government demanding immediate release of financial support for the PRTC. They have announced a mass strike on September 29 in this regard. President of the PRTC Workers’ Union Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal said the government should immediately release the pending amount of the PRTC, which is over Rs 200 crore, to enable it to emerge from the financial crisis. “The government was not providing any financial support to the PRTC for many years. Moreover, it was not even making due payments, as a result of which, the PRTC was unable to pay salaries to its employees on time. Even the pensioners had to struggle due to the delay in release of their pensions and DA instalments,” he added.
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Veterinary pass-outs fail to find jobs
Ludhiana, September 26 In all, 92 students passed out from GADVASU this July. As the government has so far failed to recruit them, all of them have been running from pillar to post seeking jobs in private companies. For their part, the students as well as GADVASU authorities have made several representations to state government for advertising the posts, but to no avail. A pass-out from Batala in Gurdaspur, Manbir Singh, said: "We have apprised Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Minister concerned RS Brahmpura about five times. No jobs, only assurances came. Many of us are from poor families….Our future is bleak.” Another student from Kotkpura in Faridkot district, Purshottam Kumar, said: “My father is a fruit seller; he puts a ‘rehri’. It was so difficult for him to provide for my education…. I am jobless, frustrated, helpless and in depression. I even approached some private companies, but did not find vacancies there either.” Of the 92 students, 24 are girls. About 90 per cent of these students are from rural backgrounds who wish to serve as RVOs in rural areas. "About 582 posts were advertised by the sate government in 2006, but all were not filled. As many as 147 posts are still lying vacant and recruitments are to be done through the Zila Parishad. We are the first pass-outs of GADVASU and our future is not secure," said Jasneet Singh, another student.
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Wrongly held on terror charges, man speaks up for Sehajdharis
Chandigarh, September 26 More than two decades ago, Amritsar district resident Kewal claims he was supporting a turban and not trimming his beard. But then something happened that changed the course of his life and took away from him his rights to vote in the SGPC elections. In a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Kewal has claimed that he was suspected to be a militant by the police authorities and he was arrested by the police on the suspicion of being a terrorist on April 11,
1990. Kewal of Khaba Rajputana village has asserted that he was kept in detention for six-seven days, but was ultimately set free. He then gave valuable information to the police that eventually helped in the eradication of militancy in the state, Kewal has added. But now he was not supporting a turban and trimming his beard. And, as a result, he has been rendered ineligible to vote in the SGPC elections. His petition challenging the October 8, 2003, notification debarring the Sehajdhari Sikhs from exercising the right to vote was placed before the full Bench of Justices Surya Kant, MMS Bedi and Muttaci
Jeyapul. Claiming to be a strict follower of the Guru Granth Sahib, Kewal said he had to trim his beard because of some reasons, but his right to vote for the SGPC and related bodies was arbitrarily taken away by the
Centre.
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Chandigarh, September 26 Addressing mediapersons, West Pakistan Refugee Action Committee chief Labha Ram, who was accompanied by BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna, said despite being born and brought up in J&K, Hindu migrants’ descendents were still not being considered as state subjects. Labha Ram said around 35,000 families who had migrated to various parts of J&K did not have voting rights and consequently were denied the right to purchase land in the state. “Our children are not eligible for scholarships in state institutes and members of our families cannot take the benefit of various welfare schemes.” Meanwhile, Khanna said a committee of MPs headed by Rajnath Singh had been constituted to visit J&K and come up with a solution to ensure the Hindu migrants were given rights due to them. — TNS
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Apex court for expeditious disposal of Bhullar case
New Delhi, September 26 A Bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi made the remark while taking strong exception to a plea by the petitioners for a week-long adjournment on the ground that the arguing counsel was not available. The Bench pointed out that the petitioners had come to the SC seeking commutation of the death sentence to life term in view of the “abnormal delay” in rejecting the mercy petition of Bhullar, ordered to be sent to the gallows for his involvement in the 1993 bomb attack on the then Youth Congress chief MS Bitta. Having cited the delay on the part of the Delhi government and the Centre as the ground for seeking relief, the petitioners should not try to delay the court proceedings, the Bench said. The Bench clarified that it would not like to be accused of delaying the matter. Rejecting the plea for a week-long adjournment, the Bench said the case would be listed for hearing on Wednesday.
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Student dead in tempo-truck collision in Rajpura
Patiala, September 26 The police said the deceased, identified as Tarandeep Singh (7), was sitting on the conductor side in the front and his head smashed into the truck due to the impact of the collision. Others injured include Varinder Preet Singh, Harman Singh, Harpreet Singh, Manjot Kaur, Amandeep Singh, Harshpreet Kaur and Ramanpreet Kaur. Driver of the tempo Devi Dayal was also hurt in the mishap. According to Investigating Officer Gursharan Singh, prima facie it appears that the driver of the tempo was speeding when a cycle rider came in its way. The driver probably lost control while trying to save the cyclist and hit the truck. “Driver Devi Dayal has been booked for the accident and all are admitted in a private hospital,” he stated. Despite instructions issued in the past by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the police top brass, pertaining to norms for vehicles carrying schoolchildren, the police has failed to check and implement the same. “The tempo was being driven recklessly and it was only due to the intervention of the onlookers that the injured were rushed to the hospital,” claimed a passerby.
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alleged inaction of the Lohian police regarding the murder of 23-year-old labourer Kulwant Ram, hundreds of local residents and labourers demolished the wall of the Lohian Khas police station today.
Weekly power offs are back for the state industry. A circular in this connection was issued by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) today and the order would be implemented with immediate effect.
The Punjab Government is paying for the security of former Haryana CM Om Prakash Singh Chautala’s family. The Punjab Police has deputed an ASI and four other cops for the purpose, even as Punjabfaces a dearth of police officials for providing security to its own people.
It is administrative compulsion for any state government, irrespective of the party in power, to carry out reforms for better governance, said Pramod Kumar, Chairman of the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission
(PGRC) while announcing that the commission would winding up its functioning in the next three days.
