The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Misappropriation of funds for civic works in villages
Pilot project to map status of development works
Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, January 14
To check the misuse of government funds meant for various development works in the rural areas, a comprehensive plan for all 655 villages in the district is being prepared. The plan will clearly indicate the present status of streets and drains, provision of water supply and sanitation besides the condition of village pond and other vital landmarks. The scheme is the first of its kind in the state.

Sources said the move was necessitated following reports regarding the alleged embezzlement of funds meant for development works in the rural pockets.

It was observed that in some villages, the sarpanches or panchayats have been receiving grants for development work from time to time. Ironically, at some places, the works were not executed despite the allocation of funds.

Deputy Commissioner Manjit Singh Narang said the administration has prepared a survey on a pilot basis in a few villages where the condition of roads, drains and other basic amenities has been indicated.

The DC said that all the streets, drains and even the inner lanes of the villages were being numbered to ascertain their permanent identity.

In the schematic drawings prepared by the Panchayati Raj Department, the existing streets have been marked with green colour whereas those streets and lanes which have not been constructed yet have been marked in blue.

Similarly, the existing drains have been shown in yellow colour whereas the proposed drains have been indicated in brown.

Even the condition of the retaining walls of the village ponds besides the approach roads have been mentioned in the plan.

The DC said that in future, before releasing any grant for a particular village, it will be easier to identify the status of the existing amenities so that funds are not released over and over again for the same purpose.

Official sources said that at times, the funds meant for development work in the villages are siphoned off causing loss to the state exchequer.

Therefore, the administration will try to put all such drawings on the website so that anyone can check the actual status of the various streets and drains which will go a long way in checking the squandering of government funds, said the DC.

On the anvil
A comprehensive plan for all 655 villages in Ferozepur district is being prepared.
The plan will clearly indicate the present status of streets and drains, provision of water supply and sanitation besides the condition of village pond and other vital landmarks.
The move was necessitated following reports of alleged embezzlement of funds meant for development works in the rural pockets.

Moga bypoll: SAD leaders subdue voices opposing Jain’s candidature
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, January 14
A day after the SAD(B) formally announced Joginder Pal Jain as the candidate of the ruling alliance for the Moga by-election, the party leadership has now started a move to quell the dissenting voices within the party opposing Jain’s candidature.

Hours after former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill's supporters in Moga announced to put up an impressive show of strength on January 16 to pressurise the party leadership to reconsider its decision of giving ticket to Jain, they withdrew their decision once they were prodded by the party high-command.

During a meeting convened yesterday at the residence of Micky Gill, a cousin of the former DGP, many of the ex-DGP’s staunch supporters had decided to organise an impressive show of strength as a pressure tactic on the party leadership to reconsider its candidate in view of the dissenting voices. But today, while speaking to TNS, Micky Gill said there was no programme to organise any such rally. “We will abide by the SAD(B) chief's decision and support whosoever is announced as the party’s candidate,” he said.

“Though there could be some dissenting voices in the beginning, once the ticket was announced, we are all united to emerge victorious,” he said.

Other than Gill's camp, there are some other dissenting voices in the SAD’s Moga unit.

Kamaljit Singh, the district president of the BC Cell (SAD) Moga, had also raised a banner of revolt against Jain's candidature some days ago.

Since there is a considerable number of BC voters in Moga, his discontent caught the party leaders’ attention.

After he announced to contest as an independent candidate if the party does not reconsider its choice in Jain, many ways are being worked out to quell his voice. In the evening today, he also convened a meeting of his supporters to weigh in the new political scene.

But there are many other rivals of Jain in SAD (B), who are in no mood to succumb to any pressure. Some of these leaders had joined the party some time ago after their differences with Jain became insurmountable in the Congress. Now, after Jain was at the helm of affairs in the Akali Dal, these leaders are again contemplating migration either to the Congress or Manpreet Badal’s the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP).

Ranwinder Singh Pappu, a senior Congress leader and a former president of the District Congress Committee who had joined the SAD recently, has strong political hold in the Moga assembly constituency. For his differences with Jain, he switched to the Akali Dal. But now with Joginder Pal Jain also joining the SAD(B), it made the going tough for Pappu. Looking for a new way forward, Pappu said they were now back to square one.

Muktsar residents expected more
from railway minister
Archit Watts/TNS

Muktsar, January 14
Despite the promise made by Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal yesterday to upgrade the local railway station and to run a train between Muktsar-Hazoor Sahib thrice a week, the local residents and associations said the town hardly got any benefit from the minister's visit. They were demanding a direct train to Delhi and extension of some existing trains via Muktsar.

"Our main demand of running a train to Delhi is still pending. The minister announced to run a train between Muktsar-Hazoor Sahib, which has already been approved. Besides, he announced to upgrade the local railway station and to add two new platforms here. But, what is the benefit of upgrading a station, which is not connected to any major town, except for nearby towns of Bathinda, Kotkapura and Fazilka," asked Sham Lal Goyal, who is spearheading a campaign seeking a direct train to Delhi.

He said, "The department should first start some new trains or alter the route of existing trains and the upgrade the station otherwise it would be mere wastage of money."

Social activist Sudarshan Sidana said, "We had demanded a night train from Fazilka-Muktsar-Kotkapura-Bathinda to Delhi, besides an increase in the number of trains running between Muktsar and Bathinda, which further link with Delhi-bound trains."

Northern Railway Passengers Samiti patron Mahasha Dev Raj said, "We had two main demands - a direct train to Delhi and a washing line at Fazilka. But none of these were fulfilled."

Some local residents said though the minister announced to change the route of a train for Hazoor Sahib thereby linking the historic towns of Muktsar and Nanded, he did not provide any major facility to the railway passengers.

It may be mentioned here that despite being the district headquarters, Muktsar still does not have a direct rail connectivity to Delhi. The passengers have either go to Kotkapura or Bathinda to catch a train for the national capital.

Dissenting voices
The department should first start some new trains or alter the route of existing trains and upgrade the station otherwise it would be a mere wastage of money.

— Sham Lal Goyal

We had demanded a night train from Fazilka-Muktsar-Kotkapura-Bathinda to Delhi, besides an increase in the number of trains running between Muktsar and Bathinda, which further link with Delhi-bound trains.

— Sudarshan Sidana

Punjab withdraws ban on entry of sleeper buses from R’than
Our Correspondent

Abohar, January 14
Punjab taxation officials withdrew the ban that had been imposed unofficially on June 8, on the entry of luxury sleeper buses from Sriganganagar through Abohar.

The authorities were forced to retreat on Friday as the taxation officials in Delhi and Jammu retaliated by pushing back the luxury buses run by politicians in Punjab. The buses ferrying hundreds of passengers from Punjab were stranded at Lakhanpur and Bahadurgarh near Jammu and Delhi respectively, well-placed sources confirmed.

This gave a jolt to the interests of transporters who hold influence in Punjab politics.

The divisional president of the Private Bus Operators’ Union Samunder Singh Rathore on Friday apprised Lok Sabha member Arjun Meghwal of the situation.

As the railways had suspended the 13008/13007 Udyan Abha Toofan Mail last month till February 15, commuters had been left with the compulsion of taking a tiresome and expensive bus travel to Delhi, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ludhiana, Patiala etc.

The private transport companies based at Sriganganagar had increased their fleets to meet the rush.

HC orders smooth transportation of Fazilka rice millers’ material
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, January 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police Fazilka to restrain the Fazilka Truck Union from creating any hindrances during the transportation of goods of rice millers.

Notably, 18 rice millers of Fazilka and Ladhuka area, which is dotted with rice mills, filed a writ petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2012 praying for issuance of direction to Punjab government, Fazilka police and the civil administration to provide police protection to the millers and their employees for execution and performance of handling and transport of trucks hired by them at their rice mills. They had alleged in the petition that they are being restrained by the respondent Truck Union, Fazilka, to hire their own private transportation.

Mohinder Singh Sullar, judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, has in his directions, restrained the truck union through its president, from creating any hindrance in transporting the goods by the petitioner till further orders and asked the SSP Fazilka to ensure the compliance of the order.

Ashok Grover, general secretary, Punjab Rice Millers Association, has observed that Fazilka district is one of the leading centres of export of basmati rice that earns foreign exchange. He added that in order to push development, it is the need of the hour to encourage the rice millers to further diversify from non basmati to basmati rice.

Another rice Mill owner of Fazilka, Ranjam Kamra, said restricted trade practice is forbidden by the law.

The millers have now demanded the implementation of the directions in letter and spirit. Fazilka SSP Amar Singh Chahal, when contacted, said the traders are free to transport the goods in their own and private vehicles and no question of any restriction arises. The security cover can be provided if the need arises, added SSP.

Refuting the allegations, the president of the Truck Operators Union, Fazilka, Parmjit Singh Pamma Warer clarified that the union never restricted any one from loading the foodgrain in outside and privately hired vehicles and would not do so in future also.