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Now, Education Department halts supply of science kits
Sewage disposal plants in all cities in 3 yrs: Dy CM
State stares at power crisis as mercury soars
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Firms hired to help cut losses
Release Bhullar forthwith, say SGPC, Takht chief
Sukhbir hails assurance by Aussie PM on turban
Cong to move court against ‘bungling’ in vote counting
Unity move by Akali groups ahead of LS poll
Display Bluestar casualties, demands Taksal faction
Heat wave claims 3 more lives
New industrial policy soon, says Joshi
20 years on, kin seek CBI probe into fake encounter
Kin of most leaders made it
Storm sewer laying: Ludhiana MC in talks with World Bank
Youth accuses Malout police of torture
DSGMC leaders submit plea to Union Minister
Inquiry sittings on SLIET violence conclude
‘Shifting nakas’ to keep eye on trucks carrying sand
Delhi HC reserves order in case against Sajjan Kumar
HC allows MLA’s plea for transfer of case to Moga
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Now, Education Department halts supply of science kits
Chandigarh, May 24 The order related to the purchase of science kits. While the department had yesterday ordered Ludhiana school authorities to pick their science kits from Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, Jawahar Nagar, it today restrained them from doing so till further orders. Interestingly, the ‘put it on hold’ order came following inquiries by The Tribune wherein it found that various quarters involved in the purchase of science kits were giving contradictory versions. The issue gains importance in view of the fact that allegations have been levelled against committees constituted for making decisions on academic issues that its members have been ignoring senior officers, including at the secretary level. In this case, the Director (Elementary Education), Ajitgarh (Mohali), had decided on supplying 754 science kits to schools in all districts of the state. The single kit was priced at Rs 99,203.70, meaning the 754 kits would have cost more than Rs 7.5 crore. The supply job was assigned to five firms, all based in Ambala Cantonment. The current decision has the names of Director Public Instructions (Elementary), Pritpal Kaur, District Education Officer (Mohali) Vinod Kumar and Gurtej Singh, engaged in the finance section of the Punjab School Education Board. Interestingly, the trio was also associated with the earlier controversial decisions related to buying practical copies from a particular publisher and supply of library books containing text promoting vulgarity and extremist thoughts. It has also been learnt that no special funds had been earmarked for these science kits. As such, the schools that were to be supplied the material were in a fix as to from where would they foot the bill (Rs 99,203.70) from. Principal Secretary (School Education) Anjali Bhawra said the District Education Officer (Ludhiana), in capacity as the coordinator of RMSA (Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan), had been asked to withdraw yesterday’s circular. “The order was issued erroneously as the officer was unaware that the Education Minister has put all such allocations on hold till pending inquiries into related issues are cleared,” she said. The Ludhiana RMSA office today sent an updated circular, asking the schools not to collect the kits till the issuance of further orders. The schools that had collected the kits have been told not to open them. “The dates for your collecting the kit have been changed due to certain special reasons,” the note read. The order, however, came as a reprieve to schools fearing another scam of questionable decisions by the Education Department. A senior official said, “The Chief Minister himself had to intervene and cancel the order of practical notebooks. In fact, the Chief Minister needs to get to the bottom of the issue as he is very sensitive about education. The entire matter needs to be examined by a high-level committee under his supervision.”
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Sewage disposal plants in all cities in 3 yrs: Dy CM
Bathinda, May 24
Sukhbir, who was here to inaugurate one such plant, said a sum of Rs 800 crore had been earmarked for the purpose. The eight-acre plant has been built at Rs 37 crore and has a capacity of treating 52 million litres of sewage per day. “Underground sewerage in villages having a population of 5,000 and above will be a reality within next three years,” he said. Similarly, work was underway to provide potable water to all the villages in the state in the next two years, he said. “We have evolved an urban renewal plan under which all cities will have underground sewerage collection network, waste disposal units and metered drinking water. Besides, internal roads in cities will be upgraded,” he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said a separate plan had been finalised for scientific disposal of rainwater, besides rain water-harvesting, in view of the depleting underground water table. Sukhbir attributed the party’s success in the elections to the panchayati raj bodies to the SAD-BJP coalition’s development agenda.
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State stares at power crisis as mercury soars
Jalandhar, May 24 The latest to join the league of delayed projects is the first unit (270 MW) of the Goindwal Sahib thermal plant in Tarn Taran. It was to be commissioned by May 31, but the process may now take another three months. Earlier, the first unit (660 MW) of the Talwandi Sabo thermal plant was delayed. Paucity of coal to run the plants is stated to be the reason behind the delay. As Punjab's current power availability from various sources, including short-term purchase, is unlikely to cross 9,400 MW, it would be short of around 3,000 MW, an official said. Things would worsen once paddy transplantation begins across the state on June 10. Having little options, the government would be forced to impose long-duration cuts. Last year as well, the PSPCL had, during peak season, imposed four-day weekly off on industrial consumers while the duration (at intervals) in the domestic sector spanned to a maximum of 12 hours in a day. The present power demand in the state is about 6,777 MW. PSPCL Chief Managing Director KD Chaudhri confirmed that the first unit of the Goindwal Sahib plant had been delayed. “The project developer has not been able to get its mine at Tokisud in Ranchi (Jharkhand) operational,” he said.
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Firms hired to help cut losses
Patiala, May 24 PSPCL chairman KD Chaudhry said the prime target under this project was to reduce electricity losses in 39 cities of the state by strengthening the infrastructure of PSPCL in cities.
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Release Bhullar forthwith, say SGPC, Takht chief
Amritsar, May 24
The jail manual clearly states that a death row convict has to be declared physically and mentally fit before the sentence is carried out. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president said, they had been highlighting Bhullar's medical condition from the beginning but "there was a conspiracy against Bhullar which is why his medical reports were not brought to the notice of the Supreme Court and the President when his petitions were under consideration." Makkar alleged that the Central Government intended to hang Bhullar. “Now, that his medical condition has been made public, it should release him from jail immediately.” He said it was a known fact that Bhullar was undergoing treatment for at least a year. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said Bhullar should be released on humanitarian grounds in view of the medical board's report. Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh said Bhullar had undergone torture, mental stress and prolonged detention due to which his health had deteriorated. "Despite being aware of his medical condition, if the government hangs him, it will be a political murder,” he said, adding that Bhullar should be released unconditionally and allowed to lead a normal life with his family. All-India Sikh Students Federation chief Karnail Singh Peermohammed said the government should release Bhullar at once on humanitarian grounds as he had already served the life sentence.
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Sukhbir hails assurance by Aussie PM on turban
Chandigarh, May 24 In a statement, Sukhbir claimed the repeated efforts by his party on the issue had started showing results. He said the assurance was a good sign for the entire Sikh community for getting their right of wearing turban in government offices and other working places on foreign lands accepted. Badal said it was a positive move of the Australian government for strengthening relations with the Sikh community. — TNS
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Cong to move court against ‘bungling’ in vote counting
Fatehgarh Sahib, May 24 Local MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra alleged that the official machinery was hand in glove with the SAD leaders and had rejected a large number of Congress votes during counting in Khera and Chanarthal zones. He alleged that not only the seals of various ballot boxes were broken before the counting began, but a few of the boxes had votes of villages falling in other zones. Nagra said he was surprised the way the elections were conducted in the five blocks of the district. “First of all, a large number of nominations (of Congress candidates) were cancelled. Then, our supporters were threatened on the polling day. To top it all, the ruling alliance rejected the Congress votes,” he said. Despite that, he said, the Congress had improved its tally by grabbing 40 per cent of the seats in the block samiti elections in Fatehgarh Sahib. He said in Khamano block, the party had got a full majority.
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Unity move by Akali groups ahead of LS poll
Amritsar, May 24 Jaswant Singh Mann, former president of the All-India Siromani Akali Dal, merged with the SAD (A) in February last. A meeting was held at Calcutta' residence here today which was attended by former Member of Parliament Dhyan Singh Mand, Jaswant Singh Mann, Harbir Singh and Jarnail Singh Sakheera. Calcutta said he was yet to officially join the SAD (A). He said he had been offered the second-highest post in the party, but was yet to take decision. “We have decided to come together because of the anti-Panthic policies of the Badal government,” he claimed.
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Display Bluestar casualties, demands Taksal faction
Amritsar, May 24 The faction also supported the move to engrave the name of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the memorial building. It has also demanded that a list of the names of all those killed in the Army operation be put up at the memorial. Giani Ram Singh maintained the memorial was an internal issue of the Sikh community and no non-Sikh group had the right to interfere in it. He has urged the SGPC to set up a committee of intellectuals so that the history should be properly presented in the memorial and the future generations could draw inspiration from it.
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Heat wave claims 3 more lives
Amritsar/Tarn Taran, May 24 In Tarn Taran, Jaspal Singh (26), a resident of Islamabad locality in Amritsar, died at Goindwal Sahib late last evening. Sources said he fell unconscious near Gurdwara Dukhniwaran, Goindwal Sahib. Passersby rushed him to the nearest hospital where the doctors declared him dead. A mentally challenged woman, identified as Jeet Kaur (70) of Manakpura village died near Sohal village while she was on her way back from a fair in Gandiwind village. The police has registered cases under Section 174 of the CrPC. Amrik Singh (46), a resident of Shakri village had died of a heat stroke at Khan Chhapri village in Tarn Taran last evening. Amritsar had yesterday recorded the highest temperature at 48 degrees centigrade, shattering a three-decade record.
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New industrial policy soon, says Joshi
Malout, May 24 After degrees were conferred on students of Malout Institute of Management and Information Technology (MIMIT) here, he said the new industrial policy would be industrialist-friendly and this would also generate thousands of new employment opportunities for the youth. “The state government has now decided to boost its industry on its own after getting step-motherly treatment from the Centre,” said Joshi. He further said the state government had solicited expressions of interest from international players to set up four multi-skill development centres at four different locations in the state to be built at a cost of Rs 240 crore. “These multi-skill development centres will be established at Bathinda, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur to impart technical training to the state's youth. The number of passouts, when it comes to technically trained manpower, from these centres, will be 1 lakh per annum,” he added.
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20 years on, kin seek CBI probe into fake encounter
Chandigarh, May 24 In their petition, wife Dalbir Kaur and father Jagir Singh of Kala Afghana village have asserted that Sukhpal Singh was killed in a stage-managed encounter, but “militant” Gurnam Singh Bandala alias Neela Tara was shown to have been killed. He was later found to be alive, yet the State “did not initiate an inquiry to determine the truth about the fake encounter”, they added. Arguing on the petitioners’ behalf, he said the fake encounter, allegedly stage-managed by Ferozepur Range DIG Paramraj Singh Umranangal, was being covered up. Going into the background of the matter, the petitioners said on August 13, 1994, three to four police personnel took away Sukhpal Singh after coming to their house on the pretext that he was required by Majitha district police in connection with some investigation. Soon after some newspapers reported that “terrorist” Gurnam Singh Bandala had been killed in an encounter with the police in Ropar district. The petitioners later came to know that the person killed in the alleged encounter was not Bandala, but their Sukhpal Singh. They added in 2007 some leading newspapers of this region reported that Bandala, reportedly killed in encounter by Ropar police team headed by Paramraj Singh Umranangal, has been caught alive. “The petitioners approached several high-ups, including the head of the police establishment and political leaders. However, no action was taken as persons concerned knew that in case any action was initiated, the inevitable truth would come out and that would result in fixing the responsibility on the guilty officer and his team”. They added then “Director-General of Police NPS Aulakh ordered a probe into the fake encounter of Sukhpal Singh by Paramraj Singh Umranangal. IPS officer JP Birdi was appointed as inquiry officer. He retired in 2010. However, the status of the inquiry remained unanswered”. The petitioners have sought order for transferring inquiry “with respect to the fake encounter of Gurnam Singh Bandala to CBI for a fair and independent probe/investigation or to any other independent agency”.
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Kin of most leaders made it
Chandigarh, May 24 The strategy has been two-fold. While the party was liberal in adjusting the kith and kin of political leaders, including ministers, legislators and former legislators, it allotted the ticket to a large number of Youth Akali Dal (YAD) district presidents and other deserving workers. Among the kin of leaders who have been successful in the zila parishad elections are Education Minister Sikander Maluka’s son Gurpreet Maluka from the Bhagta zone in Bathinda, former minister Bibi Jagir Kaur’s son-in-law Yuvraj Bhupinder Singh from Nangal Lobana in Kapurthala and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mantar Brar’s brother Kultar Brar from Bara Darakha in Faridkot. Akali legislator Darshan Shiwalik’s son Harpreet Singh has won from Baddowal in Ludhiana. Malout legislator Harpreet Singh’s wife Avneet Kaur has won from the Malout zone in Muktsar. Mansa legislator Chetan Singh Samao’s son Malkit Singh has won from Budhlada. Former minister Suchha Singh Langah’s son Sonu Langah and former legislator Veer Singh Lapoke’s son Ranbir Singh Rana have won from Amritsar district. Legislator Manpreet Ayali’s brother Harbir Singh has won from Ludhiana district. Among the youth who have won the zila parishad elections are YAD district leaders of Hoshiarpur and Sangrur Sarabjot Sabi and Satgur Namol, Fazilka district president Sanjeev Wadhera’s sister, Karanbir Singh from Tarn Taran, Resham Bhullar and Sukhwinder Goldy from Majitha, Balkar Brar from Bathinda and Balbir Kala from Mansa. Youth Akali Dal president and Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia said almost all the youth candidates had won the zila parishad and block samiti elections.
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Storm sewer laying: Ludhiana MC in talks with World Bank
Ludhiana, May 24 At present, the rain water or other water disposed of goes directly into sewer lines, and from there, it ends up getting dumped into the Budha Nullah. And the nullah is already one of the most polluted drains of the country. Talking of storm sewers in the city, hardly 11-12 per cent of the total area in Ludhiana has a storm sewer project. These storm sewers don’t function properly because they remain choked with polythene bags and other such things. In terms of population, Ludhiana is among the biggest cities of the state, with more than 17 lakh population. A majority of the city's areas have sewer lines, which are several years old, and remain choked most of the time. If the World Bank approves funding of the storm sewer project for Ludhiana as well as Amritsar, both the cities could be benefited greatly. It is learnt that the Ludhiana MC is willing for funding from World Bank rather than through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. "JNNURM can fund only around 50 per cent of the project cost. If we are able to drive home our point to the World Bank officials, there can be 100 per cent funding," said a senior MC officer. Ludhiana MC Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Verma said storm sewers are the need of the hour. "If the entire Ludhiana city is covered through storm sewers, we can save a lot of money as well as contribute to restoring our natural resources. Our roads get damaged due to accumulation of water and sewers get choked as all rain water goes directly into them. If we get storm sewer in the entire city, these problems could be checked. If our roads don't get damaged, we can save a lot of money and the rain water can be used for water recharging rather than it getting dumped into the Budha Nullah," said Verma. The MC is in talks with the World Bank also for supply of Sirhand Canal water to the city residents. It was in December last year that to check feasibility of this system, a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee had visited the city and in its pre-feasibility report submitted to the MC, it too gave a go-ahead for this project.
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Youth accuses Malout police of torture
Muktsar, May 24 The victim, Gurlal, alleged that on May 15 Akali workers, among them a former block samiti member, asked his uncle Jaskaran Singh to accompany them to a SAD rally but he refused to do so. "A minor scuffle ensued and Akali worker Bittu was injured. Thereafter, the police took me to the police station from the village gurdwara. I was submitted to third-degree torture," alleged Gurlal. He said he was released only after the village residents gathered outside the police station and lodged a protest. "I went to the local hospital but nobody entertained my request for a medical examination," he alleged. Gurlal approached former MLA BS Ballamgarh, who took him to the Chief Minister's residence in Badal village on May 22. Ballamgarh said: "I verified the allegations levelled by the victim and thereafter called on the Chief Minister, who asked the Deputy Commissioner to conduct a probe." Rameshwar Singh, SHO, said Gurlal was lying.
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DSGMC leaders submit plea to Union Minister
New Delhi, May 24 The case was registered in 1987 for his alleged involvement in instigating anti-Sikh riots in November 1984. Apart from making Sajjan Kumar face trial for allegedly killing four Sikhs in the Nangloi area, the DSGMC leaders demanded action against police officers, including one of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of police (ASP) for "suppressing" the charge-sheet. In April, the Karkardooma court had acquitted Sajjan Kumar in another case of rioting. The memorandum said the chargesheet against Sajjan Kumar though prepared 21 years ago was not placed before the trial court. “Witnesses had mentioned the involvement of Sajjan Kumar. Now that the only surviving witness in the case, Gurbachan Singh, is severely ill, the charge sheet should be presented in the court as soon as possible,” Manjit Singh GK said.
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Inquiry sittings on SLIET violence conclude
Longowal (Sangrur), May 24 The committee comprising Justice SN Aggarwal, a retired High Court judge, and RP Aggarwal, a retired IAS officer, was appointed to look into the circumstances of violence by a mob of hundreds of students on SLIET campus on May 6.
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‘Shifting nakas’ to keep eye on trucks carrying sand
Jalandhar, May 24 The three-member high-powered committee formed by the state government to curb illegal mining, has directed these nodal officers to form flying squads, which will start functioning soon. “Mining at legally auctioned 'khuds' will continue without any restrictions,” said Nirmal Singh Dhillon, Inspector-General of Police (Bathinda Zone), who heads the committee that has Ropar SSP and the Joint Director, Industries and Mining, as its members. “We will have six 'shifting nakas' in the state to detect and intercept any vehicle carrying illegally mined sand,” said Dhillon. The committee was formed by the government after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered that steps be taken to curb illegal mining in the state. Dhillon said the committee had set up a 24-hour helpline (01642240180).
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Delhi HC reserves order in case against Sajjan Kumar
New Delhi, May 24 Justice Suresh Kaith reserved the order after hearing the arguments of victim’s counsel HS Phoolka and CBI prosecutor DP Singh. The former argued that a case of conspiracy be framed as Sajjan Kumar who had delivered a hate speech and instigated crowds to kill Sikhs, burn down their houses and loot their properties. But defence lawyer Anil Kumar Sharma said that the witnesses had not named Sajjan Kumar and that the latter had already been acquitted by the trail court. " A conspiracy is hatched with two or more persons. As Sajjan Kumar is the lone accused, the case of conspiracy does not arise," he argued. Phoolka argued that the trial court had overlooked the fact that Sajjan Kumar had conspired with other accused to wipe out the Sikhs. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa had yesterday met Minister of State in Prime Minister’s office Narayan Sami and submitted a memorandum. They had pleaded that immediate steps be taken to file a charge sheet for trial proceedings against Sajjan Kumar in a case registered against him in the Nangloi police station. The case was registered in 1987 for his alleged involvement in instigating anti-Sikh riots in November 1984.
Apart from making the Congress leader face trial for allegedly killing four members of the Sikh community in the Nangloi area, the DSGMC leaders demanded action against police officers, including one of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP). they accused the officer of "suppressing" the
chargesheet. In April, the Karkardooma court had acquitted Sajjan Kumar in yet another case of rioting. The memorandum said the chargesheet against Sajjan Kumar, though prepared 21 years ago, was not placed before the trial court. “Witnesses had mentioned the involvement of Sajjan Kumar. Now that the only surviving witness in the case, Gurbachan Singh, is severely ill, the chargesheet should be presented in court as soon as possible,” Manjit Singh GK contended.
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HC allows MLA’s plea for transfer of case to Moga
Chandigarh, May 24 Jain had initially won the Moga assembly elections on the Congress ticket. He switched over to the Shiromani Akali Dal in December last year, again contested the Moga assembly byelection in February this year on the SAD ticket and emerged victorious. In their petition filed through counsel Premjit Singh Dhaliwal Takhtupura, MLA Jain, his daughter Rohini Jain and other petitioners sought the transfer of the case from the court of Faridkot Judicial Magistrate (First Class) to any court in Moga district. It case was registered against them on August 26, 2007, under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995, at the Mehna Police Station in Moga district on the charge of raising an unauthorised residential colony. The case had taken a political hue a few years ago with Jain accusing a former Akali minister from Moga of falsely implicating his family in the case. His counsel had contended that the FIR was originally registered at the Mehna police station before a challan was presented in the court of the competent jurisdiction at Moga. He averred that “on account of the political scenario at that time, no senior counsel was ready to contest the case of the petitioners. As such, on their request, the District and Sessions Judge, Faridkot, had transferred the case from the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Moga to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot, vide order dated March 20, 2010”. The defence counsel also claimed that the prosecuting agency has already concluded its evidence and the case. “On account of change of circumstances, the petitioners are now able to engage a senior counsel to contest the case in Moga district”. During the course of hearing, state counsel said it would be convenient for the prosecution agency to effectively prosecute the petitioners at Moga. Taking up the matter, Justice MMS Bedi asserted: “The court is of the opinion that no prejudice will be caused to the prosecution agency in case the trial is transferred from the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot, to a court of the competent jurisdiction in the Sessions Division, Moga”.
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The Education Department has learnt a lesson from its recent mistakes in the purchase of academic material! This was evident when the department, in order to avoid any fresh controversy, today put on hold an order that it had issued only a day ago.
With the medical board constituted by the government concluding that death row convict Devinderpal Singh Bhullar is suffering from severe depression with psychotic symptoms and suicidal tendencies, various Sikh organisations today urged the Union Government to release Bhullar without further delay.
A faction of the Damdami Taksal headed by Giani Ram Singh today held a meeting to deliberate on the controversy surrounding the Operation Bluestar Memorial and demanded that the history from April 13, 1978, till date should be showcased inside the memorial in a modern way.
The Delhi High Court has reserved its order in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Victim Sheela Kaur had filed a petition seeking directions that the trial court be directed to frame the additional charge of conspiracy against the accused, including senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, for killing her husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law in Sultanpuri on November 1, 1984.
