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After bout of illness, Badal takes on Amarinder
Till last elections, Sukhbir called Jain smuggler: Capt
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Re-auction of 13 sand quarries fetches Rs 14.90 cr
Appointment of Vigilance Bureau Chief Director
Personal contact is PPP president’s poll mantra
Threat to disturb SAD rallies works, 31 linemen released
High Court seeks explanation on sale of Patiala’s heritage buildings
Dam authorities
tricked into transferring six employees
Appointment of 252 doctors cancelled
Sushma urged to raise turban issue with Hollande
Few takers for Punjabi varsity language courses
I-T raids on two Mandi Gobindgarh steel units
78 beneficiaries
not paid in Sangrur
Fatehgarh Sahib court awards 10-yr RI to Akali activist’s son
Rapist teacher held
ASI’s Murder: Charges framed against 5 accused
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After bout of illness, Badal takes on Amarinder
Moga, February 14 Badal attracted a huge crowd at Saifuwala village and followed it up with lively interactions at two other rural and three urban meetings. The Chief Minister seems to have recovered completely from the bout of chest congestion due to which he remained indisposed for over two weeks. He was seen climbing stairs with little assistance and even ate regular food at a party supporter's house in Bukkanwal village. Badal campaigned in rural areas in an SUV and was accompanied by former Agriculture Minister Tota Singh and Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia. The SAD veteran had stayed at the residence of Tota Singh last night. The move is expected to boost the SAD prospects as Tota Singh so far appeared reluctant to campaign for party nominee Joginder Pal Jain. Gulzar Singh, a veteran Akali, said, “The Chief Minister’s humble style of campaign will surely help the SAD. It will sway the old Akalis who so far were not happy with Jain’s candidature.” Another party activist said SAD president Sukhbir Badal had initiated the campaign and the Chief Minister’s touch was needed to round it off. Addressing a gathering at Bukkanwal, Badal said, “I know each and every problem being faced by you and I also have a solution for them.” He promised ‘sangat darshan’ programmes in the constituency after the byelection. Badal also tried to distinguish himself from Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh: “People have faith in me. That is why I became the Chief Minister for the fifth time. When Amarinder was in the SAD, he too used to praise me to the skies.” Equating the fight in this constituency as one “between the people who wanted development against the Congress who could not offer anything”, he claimed Jain had switched over from the Congress to the SAD for the area’s development while Amarinder had done vice versa for his “own development”. “He is the real turncoat,” he said. The Chief Minister took a break to have lunch (consisting karela, gajar-methi and daal) at the house of a supporter, Mukand Singh. When approached by The Tribune, he said he was feeling “90 per cent fit”. “I caught cold while campaigning at night for the Delhi gurdwara elections. Electioneering will make me fit again.” He said he still remembered Giani Kartar Singh's words whenever he was ill: “Make me contest an election... Elections do wonders to us…” The Chief Minister said he would remain in Moga constituency till February 21 — the polling of votes is to be held on February 23.
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Till last elections, Sukhbir called Jain smuggler: Capt
Moga, February 14 Dubbing Sukhbir and Jain as “opportunists”, the PPCC president said in the run-up to the 2012 assembly elections, the Deputy Chief Minister used to say that Jain’s “real place was in Faridkot jail”. “Now Sukhbir is himself campaigning for the smuggler and trying to send him to the assembly,” he said. Amarinder Singh alleged that Sukhbir had scripted a shameful precedent in the history of political betrayals. “No matter how hard they try, Jain will never see the gates of the Punjab assembly again,” he said. The PPCC chief maintained that it reflected the “intimidating” nature of the Akalis to “threaten” their political opponents to win them over. “Jain succumbed and compromised without even caring about the trust reposed in him by the Moga electorate. But this time, voters will make him realise that he has committed political suicide by betraying his own people.” He claimed that not only the Congress workers, but even the Akali leaders were not happy with Jain’s joining the party as they were finding it difficult to defend and support a person whom they had opposed a year ago.
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Re-auction of 13 sand quarries fetches Rs 14.90 cr
Chandigarh, February 14 Sources said there was little competition during the bidding, which indicated that the bidders had reached an “understanding” among themselves. There was no collusive bidding, because the mining contractors had reportedly decided on how to share the profits in the business once they were successful in the bidding. The auction held initially in January had shocked everybody when the mining contractors, in their bid to thwart the process, had made astoundingly high bids (Rs 234 crore for 22 quarries). Only the 14 quarries in Hoshiarpur district had received bids worth Rs 133 crore as against the reserve price of Rs 3.58 crore. However, only nine bidders came forward to deposit the initial deposit, meaning that instead of Rs 234 crore, the state earned just Rs 29 crore in the auction. With today's auction, the state has earned Rs 43.90 crore from the auction of all 22 quarries. As during the January auction, the bids were made electronically. For five sand quarries - Dandiana Kalan, Deowala, Khalwana, Patti (Hoshiarpur ) and Chaula (Jalandhar), there was little competition, except for the last 15 minutes of the bidding. The state Industries Department received the highest bid (highest margin over the reserve price) for the Chaula quarry where against the reserve price of Rs 1.31 crore, the highest bid was for Rs 4.50 crore. For two of the sand quarries auctioned today, Hargarh and Kailon (Hoshiarpur), the difference between the highest bidder and the nearest competitor was negligible. For Hargarh, the highest bid received was Rs 60,77,901 while the second highest bid was less by just Re 1 (Rs 60,77,900). Similarly, the difference between the highest bid and the nearest competitor for the Kailon quarry was a mere Rs 1,000. Officials said there was a possibility that the competing bidders were in touch with each other though this could be confirmed only by finding the bidders’ IP (internet protocol) address. The reserve price for all the 13 quarries was Rs 8.90 crore. The state has earned Rs 5 crore over the reserve price. After collusive bidding thwarted the auction of these quarries last month, the state government had trebled the reserve price of the quarries to ensure that only serious players participated in the auction. Industries Minister Anil Joshi said the auction was “very successful” and transparent and that only serious players had participated in the bidding.
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Appointment of Vigilance Bureau Chief Director
Chandigarh, February 14 Placing on record the policy, Arun Sekhi, Special Secretary, Department of Vigilance, told the High Court that a committee of three comprising Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Home) and Secretary (Personnel), would select an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer for the post of Chief Director from a panel of three officers. Moreover, an IPS officer of the rank of Director General of Police (DGP)/Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) with 25 years of regular service as an IPS would be eligible for the post. Such person should be an officer of impeccable integrity and should be a known figure in carrying out major investigations. After the selection of such officer from the panel of three shortlisted officers, the name would be sent to the Chief Minister (CM) for a final decision. “If not satisfied with the recommendations of the selection committee, the CM can ask the committee to send a new name,” said the policy. On January 10, the High Court had directed the Punjab and Haryana Governments to lay down the procedure for appointments of Vigilance Bureau Chiefs, while keeping in view the principles laid down by Supreme Court in Vineet Narain’s case. The Apex Court, in Vineet Narain’s case, decided in 1997, had directed that a committee headed by Central Vigilance Commissioner, with Home Secretary and Secretary (Personnel) as members, should make recommendations for the appointment of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director. The Supreme Court had further directed that the views of the incumbent Director should be considered by the committee in order to make the best choice. The committee shall draw up a panel of IPS officers on the basis of their seniority, integrity, experience in investigation and anti-corruption work. As a PIL filed by advocate HC Arora and another petition came up for hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain had granted four weeks’ time to the State Governments of Punjab and Haryana.
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Don’t worry about Capt's lifestyle: Jakhar to Sukhbir
Bhattal to stay put in Moga Released youth meets Amarinder
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Personal contact is PPP president’s poll mantra
Moga, February 14 When asked what he said in the ears of people, Manpreet first laughed it off but then said, “I am telling them that the Moga by-election is a golden opportunity before them to lay the foundation stone of a new beginning in the state.” Manpreet has a different message for the youths: “I have lived almost half of my life, but your time has just begun. So, vote for change if you wish to see a prosperous Punjab.” The PPP chief said door-to-door campaign was a better mode to connect with people, particularly the youths who needed “guidance”. Dhaliwal too appears to be contended with his party chief’s technique. “I am getting good response from the voters. Manpreet’s campaign style is quite different,” he says. “We do not prefer road shows and rallies as people gets inconvenienced due to traffic jams. It is time to say bye to all such show-off and think about the real issues concerning the common man,” avers
Dhaliwal.
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Threat to disturb SAD rallies works, 31 linemen released
Faridkot, February 14 Demanding their release, some of those arrested were on hunger strike for the last one week. But, the state government seemed to be in no mood to relent and release them. But a day after 4,000 members of the Unemployed Linemen Union announced their decision to march towards Moga, the state government acted swiftly and announced unconditional release of the 31 linemen today.
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High Court seeks explanation on sale of Patiala’s heritage buildings
Chandigarh, February 14 Taking up a reference in this regard by Justice Ranjit Singh, Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain today issued notice to the State and other respondents. The notice came after Justice Ranjit Singh took suo motu cognizance of news-reports in these columns on crumbling heritage of Punjab. The State has also been asked to explain whether it intends to demolish century-old Patiala central jail or other heritage buildings in Baradari Garden. In his detailed order, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: "The news-items appearing in The Tribune dated February 11 and 13, 2013, make a very disturbing reading. The buildings of Quila Mubarak at Patiala and some other buildings like the century-old Patiala central jail building are falling apart or are being demolished to sell land over which these heritage buildings stand today. "Quila Mubarak, which is an old building, depicts our heritage. But apparently is facing the apathy of the Government in regard to its preservation or maintenance…. If my memory does not fail me, even an earlier attempt made few years ago to demolish this building was checked by the court with a direction to preserve the heritage. Still nothing substantial seems to have been done". Referring to the reports, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: "Most disturbing aspect is to notice that after being vacated, the century old jail building is to be auctioned, after which the Government plans to become richer by Rs 1,500 crore. This statedly is being done to pay the salaries of the employees and to run the expenditure of the Government. "There has to be some accountability. The heritage buildings cannot be vandalized in this manner either by not maintaining them or by demolishing them and selling the land over which these buildings stand. In my view, there has to be a check on this aspect to preserve our rich heritage…. "The State of Punjab needs to be put to notice to respond as to why such buildings carrying heritage value be not maintained and preserved and why the sale of such valuable land and building be not stopped. "The Government has to answer whether there is any move to demolish century-old Patiala central jail or other heritage buildings in Baradari Garden or such like places/buildings in the State. The Government also be put on notice as to what steps it has taken to preserve these heritage buildings situated in the State of Punjab and to preserve the priceless possession, which, according to the news-item, are left to decay…."
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Dam authorities
tricked into transferring six employees
Pathankot, February 14 Keeping in view the urgency of the matter, the Chief Engineer ordered the dam top bosses to issue the transfer orders of senior assistant Himmat Rai, junior assistant Tarsem Lal, water meter reader Harbhajan Singh, diesel mechanic Surinder Singh, draughtsman Janak Raj and welder Jaswant Singh. The employees, owing allegiance to powerful trade unions, were transferred to the Abohar Canal Division. According to rules, Ranjit Sagar Dam’s higher-ups can transfer employees who are either rendered surplus or those who have given their written consent to be shifted. In this case, the employees were neither in the surplus category nor had they given their consent to be transferred in writing. The authorities were left red-faced when the gaffe was exposed by a officer who checked the authenticity of the orders with the higher authorities. When the truth surfaced, the authorities in Chandigarh withheld the orders. By then the damage had been done. Apprehending that the ‘transferred’ employees had themselves forged the letter, the Director (Prosecution) asked Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SK Kalia to register a criminal case against them. The Shahpur Kandi police booked the six employees in a case of fraud. The harried employees met senior dam officials, telling them that they had been framed in the case and added that the forgery was the handiwork of one of their colleagues. The Chief Engineer (Canals) confirmed that the employees had been shifted on the basis of fake orders. A senior police officer, pleading anonymity, said the Pathankot police was investigating the case. “We booked the employees because prima facie it appeared that they had committed the fraud. However, now it has surfaced that it was the handiwork of one of their colleagues. We are probing all aspects,” Kalia added.
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Appointment of 252 doctors cancelled
Chandigarh, February 14 While the Ludhiana, Mohali, Jalandhar and Amritsar hospitals are overstaffed, the staff shortage is acute in most of the villages and small towns. Operations have to be put off everyday because there are no anaesthetists. Besides 141 MBBS doctors, the department has cancelled the appointment of 111 specialists.There are in all 3,790 doctors - 1735 specialists and 2050 MBBS, on the department roaster. Dr Hardeep Singh, president, PCMS Association, Punjab, said: “Doctors are peeved at the condition of compulsory four years' service in difficult areas or six years in rural areas for permission to pursue post-graduation studies. The condition is unfair.” Approached on the matter, Vini Mahajan, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said: “Those who want to pursue higher studies might as well take leave and appear for the entrance exam. Doctors joining the service know very well that they have to serve in rural areas and cannot get postings of their choice alone.”The secretary pointed out that there were virtually no doctors in rural areas. The health authorities say they plan four categories of postings, urban,semi-urban,small towns and rural, to overcome the problem. Denied central scales, specialists say there is no incentive for them to join the state’s medical services.
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Sushma urged to raise turban issue with Hollande
New Delhi, February 14 The delegation was led by BJP national executive member RP Singh. “Many turbaned Sikh soldiers fought and died for France during World War I and World War II, especially at Neuve Chapelle. The French are, therefore, not unfamiliar with the Sikh attire and of the fact that the turban is the most recognisable feature of a Sikh. “Unlike other headgear, it is an inextricable part of the Sikh identity,” the memorandum to Sushma Swaraj said. It said that the UN Human Rights Committe had recently ruled that France's turban ban violated a Sikh student's right to manifest his religion, protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The memorandum requested the BJP leader to impress on the visiting dignitary to repeal the law banning the wearing of the turban in France's schools so that French Sikhs too “enjoy their religious freedom in the country that recognises multiculturalism.” Among those part of the delegation were Kulwant Singh Bhatt, convener, BJP’s Sikh cell, Kuldeep Singh, member of the Delhi State Committee, Kartar Singh Duggal, Impreet Singh Bakshi, Kawaljeet Singh, Harbakshish Singh, Avtar Singh, Sukhwinder Kaur, Hartirath Singh and DS Gujral, president, Delhi Sikh
Sangat.
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Few takers for Punjabi varsity language courses
Patiala, February 14 The situation is so grave that the number of students is much lower than the number of sanctioned seats in these departments. Moreover, new professional courses that have begun in the last few years are making these courses irrelevant. In the Sanskrit and Pali Department, while the total number of seats in MA Sanskrit is 32, the combined strength of MA-I, MA-II, MPhil and PhD students is over 30. The certificate course in these languages had to be shut down as there were no takers for it. The department requires at least five students to start the certificate course. Similar is the fate of Persian and Arabic. Six students are doing the diploma course in Persian while not even a single student is registered for Arabic. Urdu seems to be the only exception as it has at least a couple of students enrolled in Masters and has over 22 PhD students. Admitting that though there has been a steep decline in the popularity of these courses, teachers in these departments said they were still hopeful of a better future for these subjects. Dr Nashir Naqvi, professor in the Department of Persian, Urdu and Arabic, said Urdu too was getting professional these days. “With three new Urdu universities and four Urdu channels coming up in the country, the demand for Urdu is picking up and we are hoping to attract more students in the future. Students are also opting for these courses through distance education,” he said. Dr Varinder Singh, in charge, Sankrit and Pali Department, said there was no threat to the department even though the number of students was less. “Our department is doing much better than the Sanskrit departments of other universities. We have 12 students in MA-I this year, many more than previous years. As far as certificate course is concerned, we can only begin enrolling after candidates have fulfilled the eligibility criteria,” he added.
Losing relevance
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I-T raids on two Mandi Gobindgarh steel units Patiala, February 14 Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma said Baba Steel Industries Limited had been suppressing its turnover of around Rs 8 crore for the last ten months of the current fiscal. During the inspection, over a hundred loose papers were seized and a huge difference in stock detected. Verma said Jawala Steel Corporation had suppressed its turnover of about Rs 4 crore. Verma said such raids would continue till tax evasion in the steel industry was minimised. He said the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department would share the data collected during the raids with the Central Excise Department and the Income Tax Department.— TNS
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78 beneficiaries
not paid in Sangrur
Sangrur, February 14 These 78 cases have accumulated in the years 2008-09 to 2011-12. The last payment to eight beneficiaries of the scheme was made in April 2011. They had been waiting since 2007-08. Under the scheme, the money is awarded to those people from the general or backward class category who marry someone from the scheduled caste community. Of the total Rs 50,000 awarded, a sum of Rs 30,000 is given to the beneficiary in the form of a draft and Rs 20,000 in
the form of National Savings Certificates. The scheme helps in breaking age-old barriers of the caste system. Sources said all the 78 cases had already been sent to the head office of the Department of Welfare, Punjab. However, since the central government hasn’t released the funds to the state government, the money could not be disbursed to the beneficiaries. The central and the state governments contributed equally to make the payments to the beneficiaries. As many as 10 beneficiaries have been awaiting the money since 2008-09 fiscal year in Sangrur district; 10 beneficiaries since 2009-10; 28 beneficiaries since 2010-11 and 30 beneficiaries since 2011-12. Besides these 78 beneficiaries, the cases of over 10 beneficiaries from the current financial year (2012-13) are under process at the district headquarters. It is learnt that the money hasn’t been disbursed to beneficiaries from other districts also.
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Fatehgarh Sahib court awards 10-yr RI to Akali activist’s son
Fatehgarh Sahib, February 14 As the judge pronounced the judgement, unruly scenes were witnessed outside the court with Satnam Singh hurling abuses at the judiciary, alleging that injustice had been done to his son. Jarnail Singh, in charge of security in the courts complex, informed the police and Satnam Singh was detained. The police had cancelled the FIR in the case and filed a cancellation report in the court. But the accused filed a private complaint. The verdict today came on the private complaint. The FIR registered against Kirpal Singh, Bhupinder Singh and Satnam Singh of Brass on the victim’s complaint was later cancelled and a cancellation report submitted in the court on March 6, 2010. The victim appeared in the court and alleged that the police was helping the key accused, who was the son of a senior SAD leader. She prayed that the police cancellation report be rejected.The judge ordered that the cancellation report be clubbed with the private complaint. The victim, then studying in Class XII in Chuni Kalan, was abducted on July 9, 2009, while on her way to school by Kirpal Singh and his driver Bhupinder Singh and then raped.
Sangrur: The Cheema police on Thursday arrested 49-year-old Gurjant Singh, mathematics teacher at Government Senior Secondary School in Namol near Sunam, for allegedly raping a 14-year-old Dalit student of Class VIII at his residence on December 31 last.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harcharan Singh Bhullar said the police had now included Section 3 (11) and Section 3 (12) of The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act:1989 and Section 5 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 in the FIR. Bhullar said the teacher had admitted to committing the crime and would be produced in a court here tomorrow.
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ASI’s Murder: Charges framed against 5 accused
Amritsar, February 14 The court, which fixed February 26 as the next date of hearing, has charged prime accused Rana, Dharamjit Singh alias Dharma, Gurbir Singh, Vikram and Sandeep Rampal under Section 302 (murder), Section 307 (attempt to murder) and Section 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC besides Section 27 of the Arms Act. Additional Session Judge Kishore Kumar said that prima facie, the accused had conspired to kill the ASI. The accused, who were produced in the court, pleaded not guilty. None of the deceased ASI’s family members, including his daughter Robinjeet Kaur, were present during the hearing. Defense counsel placed an application before the court pleading that Rana, in solitary confinement at the Amritsar Central Jail since his arrest, be moved to the barracks. The court sought a report from the state in this regard. The challan (a copy of which is with The Tribune) presented by the police, carries Robinjeet Kaur's statement that on December 1, 2012, Rana, Dharma, Gurbir, Sandeep and Vikram made obscene remarks about her while she was returning home from Amritsar. She lodged a (verbal) complaint with Ashwani Kumar, SHO, Chheharta police station, who sent two policeman with her to identify and arrest the accused. “This is the main reason that the accused conspired and shot my father dead,” she has stated.
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The SAD campaign received a fillip today with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal assuming command after a fortnight-long illness and immediately setting off to woo the old Akali guard.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh today lashed out at the ruling Akalis for allegedly adopting double standards in politics.
