|
|
|
|
|
Regulation of Traffic
Court to examine situation on ‘killer’ NH-21 stretch
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Docs oppose Punjab’s policy on recruitments
Body of Hoshiarpur boy killed in Paris to arrive on Oct 11
Assembly passes 10 Bills, withdraws three
Opposition doesn’t give Badal a chance to speak in House
SAD ex-MLA Devinder Singh passes away
For Ferozepur officials, new Fazilka dist is added burden
Safai karamchari strike raises a stink around Golden Temple
‘Illegal mining in Nangal has cost state Rs 4,000 cr in revenue’
Foundation stone of 101st Akal Academy laid
‘Jan Aandolan’ against contract system from Nov 14
79th Air Force Day celebrated
DC issues instructions for sale, storage of crackers
Villagers protest against police inaction
State opposes MCI plan for common entrance test
Two dowry deaths in Moga villages
|
Regulation of Traffic
Chandigarh, October 8 Coming down heavily on the government on the issue, Justice Rajive Bhalla asserted, “Despite the grant of adequate opportunity and time, service lanes, abutting the highway and constructed for the benefit of shops and establishments, are still used for parking trucks and transport vehicles while paying taxes. “The government has a legitimate right to collect taxes. But while doing so, it cannot block highways /roads /service lanes and cause inconvenience to the shops, establishments and persons residing on the sides of service lanes. “The state of Punjab is directed to ensure that trucks/transport vehicles are not parked in the service lanes. Granting time till October 21 to the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department, Justice Bhalla asked it to “come up with a concrete proposal failing which the parking of trucks in service lanes shall be prohibited”. Justice Bhalla also asked Zirakpur Municipal Committee to “file an affidavit as to whether service lanes can be used as a parking area for trucks/transport vehicles”. The directions came during the hearing of the traffic regulation and pollution control case. As it came up for hearing, the Bench of Justice Bhalla was also informed of the removal of political and commercial hoardings from national highways on the directions of the High Court. An affidavit to this effect was filed by Punjab Public Works Department Special Secretary VS Meena. Justice Bhalla, on the previous date of hearing, had directed Punjab to file an affidavit on the legality of hoardings.
|
|
Court to examine situation on ‘killer’ NH-21 stretch
Chandigarh, October 8 Justice Bhalla also gave the State time till October 21 for filing the affidavit. The direction is significant as the High Court had earlier ruled the government has failed in its duty to ensure safety of commuters by timely completion of the project to six-lane the killer Kharar-Kiratpur Sahib stretch. The assertion followed suo motu cognisance of a news-report “Man, two sons among 5 killed in mishap” carried in these columns. At that time, Justice Jaswant Singh had asserted: “A news-report in the Chandigarh Tribune dated August 2 with regard to motor vehicle accident that took place on August 1 near Rangilpur village on the Kharar-Kiratpur Sahib stretch on the National Highway-21 has invited my attention. “As per the news-report, such accidents on this stretch are quite frequent and have claimed many lives. This road being a curtail link connecting Chandigarh to various parts of Punjab and Haryana has heavy traffic flow on it round the clock. “This stretch being vulnerable, the task of widening the road to make it six-laned has been undertaken for the smooth flow of traffic. But it appears that the task, which was slated to be completed by the end of June 2010, is nowhere near completion”. Justice Jaswant Singh added: “In fact, it is reported that 90 per cent of the work is pending. In my opinion, the government is failing in its duty in ensuring the timely completion of the project and ensuring safety of the travellers. Therefore, I deem it appropriate to take a judicial note of the news-item and to consider the same in public interest” The eight-km section of National Highway 21 between Mohali and Kharar is often described as “killer stretch”. The situation only marginally improves as you move towards the highway connecting Kharar with Ludhiana.
|
|||||||||||||
|
Docs oppose Punjab’s
policy on recruitments
Patiala, October 8 Docsfed president Dr DC Sharma claimed that the Department of Health and Family Welfare had assigned the job of conducting the written test for the posts of the Punjab Civil Medical Service (PCMS) to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, which had been fixed for October 16. "Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, is conducting the exam on behalf of the state health department. The Punjab Public Service Commission is a Constitutional Institution, entrusted with the job of making selections for the recruitment of the gazetted officers and other equivalent posts. To take these posts out of the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission goes against the spirit of the Indian Constitution," claimed Sharma. He said if the state government departments had to make the recruitments through agencies other than the PPSC, “then there was no logic in having the Punjab Public Service Commission”. While stating that the PPSC was a constitutionally competent authority to conduct the recruitment process for various state government departments, Sharma demanded that the recruitment of doctors, too, be done only by the Punjab Public Service Commission and it should be ensured that it undertakes the recruitment process in a “transparent” manner. Apart from the Docsfed, the chairman of the In-Service Doctors Wing of the Indian Medical Association Punjab, Dr DS Bhullar has also advocated that examination should be conducted in a free and fair manner, which could be done only by undertaking the exam through the Punjab Public Service Commission. Meanwhile, all attempts to contact the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Karan A Singh proved futile. Other officials of the health department were tight-lipped on the matter. Preferring anonymity, a few health department officials said that since the Punjab Public Service Commission was under the scanner on account of the alleged “wrongdoings” in the selection of 312 PCMS doctors, the department was not willing to conduct the recruitments through the
PPSC.
|
|||||||||||||
|
Body of Hoshiarpur boy killed in Paris to arrive on Oct 11
Jalandhar, October 8 Meanwhile, CM Parkash Singh Badal rang up the deceased’s father and assured him of all possible help. The French embassy in India, too, has sought details about Rajinder’s family, it is learnt.
|
|||||||||||||
Assembly passes 10 Bills, withdraws three
Chandigarh, October 8 All the 10 Bills were passed by majority vote amid much uproar, with the Opposition trying to stall the house proceedings after the Speaker ruled that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal could make a statement at the start of zero hour before allowing time to it (Opposition). Notably, the Punjab Legislative Assembly (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Amendment Bill, 2011, allows hike in house loan limit to Rs 50 lakh for legislators. The loan for house repair has been hiked to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 15 lakh will now be allowed for purchasing a car. The MLAs will also be eligible for transport allowance at the rate of Rs 12 to Rs 15 per km. The Punjab Legislative Assembly Speaker's and Deputy Speaker's Salaries (Second Amendment) Bill, 2011, allows the family and the dependents of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to travel by train or aeroplane. Now onwards, they would also not have to furnish any bills for free travel facility of up to Rs 2 lakh, as allowed to them. In another significant development, the ruling SAD bowed to the demand of its coalition partner, the BJP, by bringing in the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Amendment Bill, 2011. The Bill calls for punishment up to 10 years for cow slaughter, besides a penalty of Rs 10,000. Also passed was the Punjab Land Reforms Amendment Bill, 2011, which allows relaxation from land ceiling laws for those who are not tilling land. Among the other Bills passed were the Guru Kashi University Bill regarding the setting up of another private university at Talwandi Sabo and the Punjab School Education Board Amendment and Extension Bill, 2011, which allows for extension in the term of its Chairman Dr DS Dhillon for one year. The other Bills were Punjab State Commission for NRIs Bill, 2011, which calls for the formation of a commission for NRIs, Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training (Amendment) Bill, 2011, the Punjab Land Revenue Second Amendment Bill, 2011, and the Punjab Health Systems Corporation Amendment Bill 2011. In another significant development, the government withdrew three bills. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said both the Punjab Special Security Group Bill, 2010, and the Punjab Prevention of Damage to Public Property Bill, 2010, had been withdrawn following objections by various people groups. He said an apprehension had been created that these Bills would curtail the liberty of people, which was not the intention of the government. Sukhbir said the Special Security Group Bill had been proposed after the Mumbai terror attacks and that the special group being formed under it would not be involved in police work, as was being felt by some people. He said similarly there were objections to the Bill on damage to public property that people would have to take permission from the sub-divisional magistrate for holding demonstrations. He said both Bills were being reworked and would be brought into effect through ordinances soon. The Punjab Civil Services Amendment Bill has also been withdrawn with the government deciding not to go in for contractual employment in government service.
|
|||||||||||||
|
Opposition doesn’t give Badal a chance to speak in House
Chandigarh, October 8 Though the Chief Minister, while appealing to the Opposition to give him time to thank the Prime Minister and other central ministers for various projects given to Punjab, the release issued by the state government did not quote Badal thanking anyone. Badal announced that the state was making 200 acres available to the armed forces for the Centre and that the Ministry of Defence had cleared the proposal. The Chief Minister also announced that the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) for research and promotion of maize and wheat would come up over 500 acres at Ladowal near Ludhiana. He said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had agreed to lay the foundation stone of this world-class institute in November. Badal also announced the completion of the world-class Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, Anandpur Sahib. He said the Rs 292 crore project would be inaugurated and formally dedicated to mankind by the Prime Minister in November. The CM also mentioned that the prestigious Rs 19,000 crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Bathinda, has been completed and the production of high-value petroleum products had begun which would open new vistas of development and prosperity in the state. “We got this refinery sanctioned from former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee after strenuous efforts, but it was put on hold by the previous government immediately after taking over. We got it restarted in 2007 immediately after assuming office,” he added. The CM also spoke about the creation of three historical memorials at Chapar Chiri - one in the memory of Baba Banda Bahadur and two in the memory of Chhota and Wadda Ghallughara. He also regretted that his party’s efforts in completely removing the atmosphere of bitterness from the state has not received the response it deserved from the Opposition.
|
|||||||||||||
|
SAD ex-MLA Devinder Singh passes away
Chandigarh, October 8
|
|
For Ferozepur officials, new Fazilka dist is added burden
Ferozepur, October 8 The dearth of officers has not only affected the day-to-day working but has also added to the workload of those posted here. Over and above, following the creation of new Fazilka district, the heads of various government departments, including education, excise, agriculture, health and public relations, have to double up for this newly carved out district. For, the state government was yet to depute the requisite staff. Besides Deputy Commissioner S Karuna Raju, there is only one more officer, DPS Kharbanda, who is deputed at district headquarters as the ADC (General). Kharbanda, besides handling his own assignment, has five additional vital portfolios, including ADC (Development), Public Grievance Officer; Deputy Director (Local Government) and Assistant Commissioner (General). Though both the officials have been trying to combat the manpower scarcity by marshalling the limited resources in hand, it seems an arduous task to make up for such a huge deficit of officers. And that too in such an important border district where it entails liaison with several Central Government agencies like the Railways, the BSF and the Army. The office of ADC (Development) looks after several significant assignments, including NREGA, Zila Parishad, mid-day meal and MPLAD. However, all these works continue to suffer as the post has been lying vacant after the superannuation of previous incumbent GS Pannu last month. The functioning of the Transport Department, too, has invited public wrath in the absence of a regular DTO and RTA. Bhupinder Singh, ADC of Bhatinda, is looking after the work of Secretary, RTA, whereas ADTO Gurcharan Singh is discharging duties as DTO, Ferozepur as well as Fazilka. Though the state government has made Guruharsahai a new subdivision, the posts of both SDM and tehsildar lie vacant. Ferozepur SDM Subhash Chander has been given the additional charge of Guruharsahai. An official on anonymity revealed that following the creation of another district out of Ferozepur, lot of work pertaining to rationalisation of staff and transfer of funds, besides that of cast census and economic survey, was pending, and the shortage of revenue officers had added to the already grim situation as far as functioning of government departments is concerned. Another official said with next assembly elections on the anvil, there was lot of pressure from political quarters to expedite the pending developmental works. When contacted, S Karuna Raju said the matter was in the knowledge of the state government and appropriate steps were being taken to redress the shortage of officers.
|
||
|
Safai karamchari strike raises a stink around Golden Temple
Amritsar, October 8 However, they could only clear garbage from the route and in the absence of any lifting facility, they had no option but to gather it on the roadside. There were huge garbage heaps behind the langar hall and at the newly built ‘jora ghar’ (shoe stall) in the direction of the Akal Takht. Small piles of filth were also seen at various points around the temple complex. Neither the Amritsar Municipal Corporation nor the SGPC has made any alternative arrangements to get the surroundings of the shrine cleaned on this momentous occasion. However, Amritsar MC Commissioner Dharampal Gupta expressed helplessness over the issue stating that they were ready to make an alternative arrangement, but the striking employees were in no mood to let anybody else do their work. They had been issuing threats and it could have led to a law-and-order problem, he said. SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said it was the MC’s responsibility to keep the city clean and they should have made arrangements for it. “If they had any problem, they should have brought it to our notice, but they didn’t,” he said. Meanwhile, the nagar kirtan led by the Panj Pyaras was taken out in all splendour with schoolchildren, band and ‘gatka’ groups participating in it. Rose petals were showered on the procession by an aircraft. The nagar kirtan started from the Akal Takht at 12.30 pm and culminated in the evening after passing through areas like Bazaar Mai Sewa, Daal Mandi and Chowk Baba Sahib. The SGPC secretary said that “Gurbani kirtan” will be telecast live from Harmandar Sahib during the entire day tomorrow. “Prabhat pheris” from different points in the city will start at 6 am and reach the Golden Temple at 9 am tomorrow, while “amrit sanchar” will take place at the Akal Takht at 12 noon.
|
||
|
‘Illegal mining in Nangal has cost state Rs 4,000 cr in revenue’
Chandigarh, October 8 In a statement here, he claimed he was basing this figure on a statement by BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal who had recently said that the state was losing Rs 3 crore per day due to illegal mining in Nangal. Singla said that sand mining was being done in other parts of the state, including Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Dera Bassi. He said if these areas were also taken into account, it would involve a loss of a few more thousand crores.
|
||
|
Foundation stone of 101st Akal Academy laid
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 7 “They have set an example by taking up the responsibility of propelling the sidelined rural youths towards the mainstream and its vast resources of 60,000 students is spread in 101 English medium schools in rural areas,” said Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MP, while addressing a massive gathering after laying the foundation stone of the 101st Akal Academy-cum-Akal College of Education at Chuni Kalan village today. He said the trust had done a great service to the nation and the state, particularly as the young students had been instrumental in positively impacting the society by exhorting people to shed social evils like alcohol, drugs, female feticide and even marital discord. He hoped that the silent educational, socio and economic upliftment reforms would result out of this grass rooted exercise. —
OC
|
||
|
‘Jan Aandolan’ against contract system from Nov 14
Ludhiana, October 8 Disclosing this to The Tribune, Dr Raj Kumar Verka, vice-chairman of the commission, who was in the city today, said: ”In each state, we will hold three awareness rallies under Jan Aandolan and will make people aware as how they are being exploited through contract-based jobs. The government has already banned temporary toilets and this has led to a lot of unemployment to the safai karamcharies who were earning their livelihood through this. All the claims of the government to rehabilitate them have fallen flat as none of them has been rehabilitated till date.” Dr Verka further said: “The commission wants to abolish the contract system. We are very much in support of the ongoing strike in Punjab by the safai karamcharies. I have also given notices to all the municipal corporations of the state along with chief secretary of Punjab and Secretary of the local bodies government for going against the norms of the Government of India and the Supreme Court of India. As per the norms, any worker working on contract for 10 years is regularised. But these safai karamcharies are not being regularized and are again being offered contractual jobs.”
|
||
|
79th Air Force Day celebrated
Bathinda, October 8 This is the day, when in 1932 the Indian Air Force was formed. Every year this day is celebrated as Air Force Day to commemorate the occasion. Week-long events were conducted for station personnel and their families at the air base. Static display of aircraft and other operational equipment was organised in which students from schools got an opportunity to witness prowess of the
IAF. This was followed by a Station Mela and musical night for the personnel and families.
|
|
DC issues instructions for sale, storage of crackers
Patiala, October 8 Announcing the allotted space for storage and sale of crackers in the district, Garg said Polo Ground, Bhupindra Road, Water Tank Tripuri, Vir Hakikat Rai Ground, Urban Estate, SST Nagar and bus stand had been allotted in Patiala. Similarly, specific places have been allotted in Rajpura, Samana, Ghanaur and Nabha to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. “All other places where crackers are sold other than the allotted places will be illegal,” he stated.
|
|
|
Villagers protest against police inaction
Patiala, October 8 The victim, Kuldeep Singh (35), is missing for the past seven days and the cops have failed to even locate the body of the victim. “We went to the police station but no action was taken in this regard following which we held a dharna and blocked the Sirhind Road against the police inaction,” alleged residents. "They have identified the accused but are reluctant to act," the villagers said. Senior police officials reached the spot and pacified the residents following which they lifted the dharna after the police said the accused had been arrested. — TNS
|
|
|
State opposes MCI plan for common entrance test
Moga, October 8 The VC was here to inaugurate the three-day 16th national conference of the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI), organised at the Indo-Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy that began this evening. Punjab is among many other states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to oppose the move of the Medical Council, which has decided to implement the proposal from the next academic session. Dr Gill was of the view that it would be a direct interference in the sovereignty of the states and would cause a lot of problems for the state governments, universities and the students. Moreover, there were apprehensions of problems with the fixation of fee as expected by the medicos in the state expecting that when it is a common entrance test, even the fee would be same as it is at the national level. They fear that the new fee might go to the level of what the deemed universities charge. “Once the national-level entrance test is introduced, aspiring medical students would have no scope of negotiating the fee. Further, the government and private medical colleges would not be able to agree over the sharing of seats,” said Dr Malti Thapar, former health and medical education minister of the state. She further said it would also affect the admission of the rural students, who follow the state syllabus, disabling them from getting medical seats. “There could be possible chances of students hailing from the urban areas getting through the test leading to social disparity,” she added. Later, Dr Gill, while inaugurating the conference, called upon the teaching fraternity of the pharmaceutical science to transform teaching skills focusing on the new research with modern techniques. Parveen Garg, chairman of the college, welcomed the delegates. PG Yole, President of the APTI, Dr Harkishan Singh professor emeritus of the Punjab University, Dr AP Singh, Dean, Punjab Technical University, Puneet Jain, Managing Director, Cosmos Research Laboratory (Ludhiana) and many other scientists of pharmacy were present on the occasion. As many as 500 delegates had come here to take part in the conference.
|
|
Two dowry deaths in Moga villages
Moga, October 8 Her mother Gurmeet Kaur, residing at Machike village, in her statement to the police alleged that her daughter was being harassed by her husband and in-laws for the past couple of years. In the second incident, Paramjit Kaur (25) died of burn injuries after she set herself ablaze by pouring kerosene on herself. Her father Pardeep Kumar has alleged that Paramjit was being harassed for dowry by her husband Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Korewala village under Dharamkot sub-division. Cases have been registered under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against the victims’ husbands and in-laws, but no arrests have been made so far.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, October 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the Bench will examine the traffic situation on the Kurali-Kharar stretch of the National Highway-21.
Taking the traffic regulation and pollution control case, Justice Rajive Bhalla
asserted: “The counsel for the State of Punjab is directed to file
an affidavit with respect to the stretch of National Highway-21 between Kurali and
Kharar.”
Jalandhar, October 8
Chandigarh, October 8
While the stage is set to celebrate the 477th birth anniversary of Guru Ram Das, the founder of the city, tomorrow, the vicinity of the Golden Temple complex is dotted with heaps of garbage due to the ongoing strike by safai
karamcharis. Even the route of the nagar kirtan, which was taken out today to mark the occasion, was littered with garbage and was cleaned by volunteers accompanying the procession.
Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon ruled that the statement, which the CM was scheduled to make, should be treated as tabled.