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Battle of one-upmanship
A lot at stake for SAD & Badals in Majitha
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Congress Bhawan abuzz with ticket aspirants, workers
PSPCL applies for 55 pc hike in power tariff
Chanduarian joins PPP
Former DGP Gill woos councillors
Transfer officials serving in home dists: ECI
Suljana is PPSC Chairman
Talks fail, EGS teachers block national highway
AIE activist dies in hospital
Before poll code, Education Dept hastens to fill posts
Six names cleared for elevation to HC Bench
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Battle of one-upmanship
Chandigarh, December 12 Notably, the SAD-BJP government has been challenging the Congress for a debate on development issue. Recently, it started giving advertisements in newspapers, comparing development works in key sectors done by the two separate regimes. The Congress, which had earlier been challenged by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to list just five achievements, had come out with an advertisement listing 51. However, a scrutiny reveals that though the Congress rides high on political will with the enactment of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act on water sharing with Haryana, it has little to show by way of development in key sectors like health and education. The SAD-BJP government, which has a better track record in both these sectors as well as a few others, has now prepared a list of 101 achievements that form the core of its ongoing advertisement campaign. Besides development, the party is set to take up the issue of empowerment of the people through the Right to Service Act and the introduction of self-attestation process. Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder said while everyone knew that the Lehra Mohabbat (thermal plant) Stage 111 was launched by his government, the present regime had “pressurised” the state electricity utility to deny this. Questioning the manner in which power plants were being set up in Punjab, he said all of them had come through the MoU route. He said the thermal plants were free to sell power on the National Grid and no power had been dedicated for Punjab. Similarly, he said, all projects on the national highways were coming up through build operate and transfer (BOT) route and railway over-bridges through Central assistance. In fact, Rs 5,000 crore Central assistance given for flagship programmes could not be utilised because the state failed to provide a matching grant, he added. On mega projects listed in the Congress’ list of achievements that failed to take off, Capt Amarinder said the Badals were responsible for this. He said he would not repeat it in case the Congress was voted to power. The Congress is, however, hopeful that it would be able to get a financial package for Punjab, something which former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has claimed that he had also worked for. The PCC chief said Punjab had been listed for financial assistance under the 13th Finance Commission along with West Bengal and Kerala. “We are hopeful of getting Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 crore Central assistance”, he said, adding, “Besides, we will have to work on attracting private investment”.
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A lot at stake for SAD & Badals in Majitha
Having invested a lot of time and money in nursing this constituency, Majithia is confident of emerging as a “trend-changer” and is banking on the development that has taken place here in the past five years for his re-election. His proximity to the first family in Punjab has undoubtedly helped him get government investment worth over Rs 200 crore for the district, but it remains to be seen if the voters will back him or not. Promises & projects A series of development projects worth over Rs 200 crore are underway in Majitha, including the laying of a road network (new roads measuring 65 km laid and a stretch of 85 km upgraded). Work is also on for completing the 220 KV power grid substation and three 66 KV substations at Nag Kalan, Wadala Veeram and Dhade at a cost of Rs 22.5 crore. Three RO plants have been set up at a cost of Rs 36 lakh and water tanks constructed in Wadala, Sohian, Pokharpura, Tahli Sahib and Dhadde at a cost of Rs 7 crore. For improving education standards, over 20 primary schools catering to about 7,000 children have been constructed. Students in these schools are to get free books, uniform and food. For higher education, Majithia has set up Khalsa College for Girls at Chawinda Devi. Besides, five science blocks have been constructed at Bhangali Kalan, Naag Kalan, Chawinda Devi, Ram Diwali and Mattewal. Vox populi Even as a majority of residents express satisfaction at Majithia’s achievements as an MLA, his rivals allege that most of the development projects in the area have come up with Central funds and that Majithia is wrongly claiming credit for the same. Looking back In 1985, this constituency was represented Surinder Pal Singh of the Congress who won the seat with 55.83 per cent votes, defeating Sardul Singh of the SAD who polled 40.73 per cent. In 1992, an Independent candidate, Ranjit Singh, was declared the winner. In 1997 Parkash Singh of the SAD won the seat. In 2002, Swinder Singh of the Congress (49.4 per cent) defeated Rajmohinder Singh Majithia (46.76 per cent) of the SAD by a thin margin. In 2007, Bikram Majithia defeated Congress candidate Sukhjinder Raj Singh (Lalli) Majithia, securing 55.31 per cent votes. Voter strength The constituency has 1,31,634 voters, out of which 68,905 are male and 62,729 are female. HRD barometer No major initiative has been taken to generate employment opportunities for the youth in this constituency. Residents complain of rampant drug abuse in the area. Sitting MLA Bikram Singh Majithia is apparently the frontrunner for the SAD ticket while the Congress is likely to choose between former MLA Sawinder Singh Kathunangal and Sukhwinder Raj Singh (Lalli) Majithia. The Punjab People’s Party floated by CM’s nephew and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has no visible presence in this contituency and neither does Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (A), the BSP and the left parties. Barring SAD and the Congress, no other party has been a force to reckon with in this constituency.
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Congress Bhawan abuzz with ticket aspirants, workers
Chandigarh, December 12 “Thankfully, no one gets crushed in the melee”, said a senior Congressman as Amarinder drove out of the party office here along with aide Arvind Khanna. Today also saw a large number of young turks vying for the party ticket at the office here. Former youth leaders Kuljeet Nagra, Rajinder Deepa and Maninder Patti were among those present. Nagra is a ticket aspirant from Fatehgarh Sahib. He claims only he can put up a forceful stand against SAD’s likely candidate Prem Singh Chandumajra. Deepa, who has earlier been at loggerheads with his brother-in-law Aman Arora in Sunam, says the family has patched up now and that it is up to party to repose confidence in either of them. Maninder Patti says he is vying for the party ticket from Patti due to his family’s goodwill in the area and the work done by him as a youth activist. Maninder is former Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission chairman Kashmir Singh Patti’s son. The party was also buoyed up today with the defection of Prof Sarchand Singh, media adviser to SAD youth patron Bikram Majithia. Congress’ Majithia ticket hopeful Lalli Majithia said Sarchand had been formally inducted into the party by Capt Amarinder.
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PSPCL applies for 55 pc hike in power tariff
The PSERC has put details of the ARR on its website. Citizens can get detailed copies from various designated offices to file objections, if any, within 30 days. The demand for a 55 per cent tariff increase as well as a two-part tariff structure has come at an inconvenient time for the SAD-BJP government, which is facing elections in two months. However, it is needed to meet the revenue requirements of the power corporation whose revenue gap is on the increase. Earlier, the government had denied that any variable tariff structure was in the offing. The corporation has demanded an increase in tariff mainly because of power purchases at high rates. The power purchase bill that was Rs 5,527 crore in 2010-11 is projected at Rs 7,207 for 2012-13. A perusal of the ARR reveals that power purchase, fuel cost and employee cost alone come to Rs 15,000 crore. The regulatory commission has not being allowing power purchase, employee cost as well as fuel cost demanded by the PSPCL in recent years.This primarily led to a revenue gap of Rs 4,698 crore this year that has been carried over to 2012-13. The revenue gap for 2012-13 has been projected at Rs 3,966 crore, taking the total revenue gap to Rs 8,983 crore. The power utility has demanded a 55 per cent increase to meet this gap with its proposed revenue for 2012-13 being only Rs 16,310 crore against the total revenue requirement of Rs 20,415 crore. Meanwhile the PSPCL has proposed abolishing the minimum monthly consumption (MMC) criterion. It proposes bringing in a fixed charge, applicable whether the consumer uses power or not. A variable charge would also be imposed which would be decided on the cost of fuel as well as usage of power during peak or non-peak hours. Fixed and variable tariff structure is being implemented in about 12 states.
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Chanduarian joins PPP
Chandigarh, December 12 Ajit Singh, a former member of the SGPC, had contested the assembly elections from Malerkotla as an Independent candidate in 2002 and had lost to the Congress candidate with a margin of just 179 votes. He said that Ajit Singh had joined the PPP in the presence of its senior leaders, including Jagbir Singh Brar, Abhey Singh Sandhu, Harnek Singh Gharuan and Jagjit Singh Ghungrana. “Obviously, it was a big setback to the SAD in the Sangrur belt”, he observed. A few days ago, Ajit Singh’s name was finalised for appointment as an Information Commissioner in the Punjab Information Commission. However, the appointment was stayed by a court order.
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Former DGP Gill woos councillors
Moga, December 12 He is in the race for the SAD ticket from the Moga assembly segment. Senior vice-president of the Youth Akali Dal and president of the Moga Municipal Council Barjinder Singh Brar, son of SAD leader Tota Singh, is also an aspirant for the Moga ticket. Gill wants to keep alive the political legacy of his father, the late Nachattar Singh Gill, a former MLA from Moga. Gill was yesterday invited by Narotam Puri, president of the Private Bus Operators’ Union. Puri’s father Jagdish Puri, a former BJP leader, announced his support for Gill if he was allotted the party ticket. In the past couple of weeks, Gill has begun visiting local councillors at their homes so as to enlist their support for his candidature. Most of the councillors had recently met party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, demanding the party ticket for Brar.This has propelled Gill to go in for one-to-one contact with the
councillors.
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Transfer officials serving in home dists: ECI
Chandigarh December 12 It also said not only district election officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers would be covered under these instructions but also other district level officers like additional district magistrates, deputy collectors, subdivisional magistrates, tehsildars, block development officers or any other officer proposed to be used for election work. As for officers in the Police Department, these instructions would be applicable to the range IGs, DIGs, commandants of state armed police, SSPs, SPs, additional SPs, subdivisional heads of police, inspectors, sub-inspectors, sergeant majors or equivalent rank who are likely to be put on election duties. The ECI also desired that the officers/officials against whom the commission had recommended disciplinary action or who had been charged for any lapses in any election related work should not be assigned any election-related duty. The commission further desired that no officer/official, against whom a criminal case was pending in any court of law, be associated with the election work or election-related duty. While implementing the directions, the chief electoral officer of the state should invariably be consulted while posting the new persons in place of the present incumbents, who stand transferred as per the policy of the commission. Any officer who was due to retire within the next six months would be exempted from the purview of the above mentioned directions. Such officers would not be engaged in election duties during the forthcoming assembly elections. Similarly, the officers who are on extension of service or re-employed in different capacities would not be associated with any election-related work, except those with the office of the CEOs.
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Suljana is PPSC Chairman
Chandigarh, December 12 He took the oath of office at the Punjab Raj Bhawan after which Amita
Pandove, Bhai Rahul Singh Sidhu, Narinder Singh Sangha and Kulbir Singh Sandhu were also sworn in as members of the Commission. The term of Lt Gen Sujlana
(retd) would be governed under the Punjab Public Service Commission (Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1958, as amended from time to time. The swearing-in of the new team of the PPSC ends the controversy over the appointment of this constitutional body. According to sources in the Punjab Government, Lt Gen Sujlana has been an upright officer of the Indian Army and has wide administrative experience. An alumnus of Punjab Public School,
Nabha, Sujlana had also been the Commandant of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. His name was short-listed by a three-member committee, which was constituted on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was later cleared by Chief Minister Parkash Singh
Badal, Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Speaker NS
Kahlon. Prominent amongst others who attended the swearing-in ceremony included Technical Adviser to the Punjab Government, Lt Gen BS Dhaliwal
(retd), Principal Secretary to Governor, MP Singh, Secretary Personal, BS Sudan, Lt Gen SR
Ghosh, GOC-in-C, Western Command, and Capt KJS Sujlana. Lt Gen Sujlana joined the National Defence Academy in July 1967. On commissioning from the Indian Military Academy in June 1971, he joined the illustrious Sikh Regiment as a third generation Army officer and later he was selected as Colonel of the Sikh Regiment. As a young officer, he was baptised in battle during the 1971 Indo-Pak War in Jammu and Kashmir. In the years that followed, he gained further operational experience and commanded with distinction 3rd Battalion the Sikh Regiment and 77 Mountain Brigade, both in active counter insurgency or terrorist operations. In the higher echelons, he commanded the strategic 24 RAPID and 10 Corps, guarding the nation's desert frontier. Adept at media handling and psychological warfare, he was specially selected to hold the sensitive assignment of the official spokesperson of the Army over a prolonged period. He was the pioneer to introduce and streamline the Right to Information in the Army. He was decorated with
'Vishisht Seva Medal' in 2003 for his commendable role during Operation Parakram and later with the
'Ati Vishisht Seva Medal' in 2007. He had been an Instructor at the Indian Military Academy and later served most commendably, as the Commandant, of this prestigious and world-class institution. For his exceptional service of a very high order, he was awarded the
'Param Vishisht Seva Medal' in 2010.
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Talks fail, EGS teachers block national highway
Gidderbaha, December 12 Raising anti-government slogans, the protesters, including women, squatted on the highway, disrupting traffic. The protesters demanded the release of six activists arrested on December 8. Sensing that the situation was getting grave, Gidderbaha DSP Bhupinder Singh rushed to the protest spot and pleaded for calm. Pritpal Singh, president, EGS Teachers’ Union said: “The meeting with the CM lasted about 40 minutes, but he did not give us any assurance on regular jobs. “We have met the CM twice and the Deputy Chief Minister once, but none of them paid heed to our demands. Now, senior officials have again invited us to a meeting with the CM on December 16,” said Pritpal Singh. — TNS
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AIE activist dies in hospital
Muktsar, December 12 The 23-year-old activist of the Alternative Innovative Education Volunteers’ Union had been on fast , seeking admission to the ETT course without conditions. His health deteriorated while he was fasting and he was first taken to a hospital in Muktsar and then referred to Faridkot, where he died. Fearing violence, the police was deployed in strength at the village. Cousin of the deceased Sandeep Singh.said: “Zila was the eldest son of a debt-ridden family with meagre resources. He wanted to become a teacher and lead a respectable life.”
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Before poll code, Education Dept hastens to fill posts
Patiala, December 12 Sources in the Education Department said that these posts were published in September 2007 and the first counselling was held in 2008. He said, "All the posts could not be filled at that time as many candidates did not appea. After 2008, the department did not carry out another counselling and now after three years, they had issued orders a month back to fill the remaining seats." He further said that with just two months left for the assembly elections in the state, the Department invited the candidates to fill the posts, including the ones who missed the counselling in 2008. The merit list after January 8, 2010 had been made based on combined merit list of men and women candidates. One of the applicants, Neelam Rani had filed a writ petition against the Government in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and sought that all the appointments in any department in the state should be made based on combined merit list of men and women. The Court gave the decision in her favour on January 8, 2010. One of the applicants from nearby village said that she missed the counselling due to some exigency in her family, but later when she approached the department, they said she would be called soon. "For three years, there was no information as when the counselling would be held. Suddenly this counselling date comes as a surprise to me," she added.
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Six names cleared for elevation to HC Bench
Chandigarh, December 12 Reeling under the burden of pendency due to a severe shortage of judges, the Punjab and Haryana High Court collegium cleared their names for elevation. Four District and Sessions Judges are from Punjab and the remaining from Haryana. Available information suggests the names cleared by the High Court collegium are SP Bangar (Ludhiana), RP Nagrath (High Court Registrar-General), Rehka Mittal (Punjab Legal Remembrancer) and Inderjit Singh Walia (Jalandhar). The Haryana Judges, whose names have been cleared, are Bharat Bhushan Parsoon and RC Godara. The Judges, who could not make it to the top, are Varinder Kumar and KK Garg, both from Punjab. Indications are that Kumar’s name was dropped from the list on medical grounds. The development is significant as the High Court, as of now, has just 45 Judges, against the sanctioned strength of 68. The number is expected to fall further with the impending transfer of Justice Mohinder Pal. The possibility of more transfers from the High Court are, as of now, not being ruled out. The names of three more advocates were cleared for elevation by the High Court collegium earlier this year, but these failed to find favour with the apex court. The result of shortage of Judges is there for all to see. Currently, the High Court has approximately two lakh pending cases.
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Chandigarh, December 12
With the president of the Youth Akali Dal and Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia seeking a re-election from this border constituency, a lot is at stake for the SAD and the Badals. Since 1985, Majitha voters have never batted for the sitting MLA.
It’s a no holds barred contest between ticket hopefuls as well as party rank and file to get close to Amarinder. Some do it only for fleeting recognition, others to whisper something in his ear and still others to make it clear that Amarinder is their undisputed leader.
Chandigarh, December 12