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Cong demands memorial for militancy victims
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SAD-BJP govt responsible for problems facing Punjab: Hooda
Cong to its leaders: Let people know food, land Bills
HC raps govt for sacking missing court employee
Security cover: State provides info to Union Home Ministry
Rare artefacts with renewed glitter on display today
Drug stores at Faridkot medical college raided
Muktsar dist worst flood-hit
Drug peddler flees, 3 cops booked
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Cong demands memorial for militancy victims
Chandigarh, August 31 From the platform of the largely attended ‘Rashtriya Ekta Rally’, organised to mark the 19th death anniversary of the late Beant Singh, PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa along with other senior party leaders demanded setting up of a peace memorial for the terrorism victims. He said the memorial should come up on the lines of the one set up by the Akalis at the Golden Temple. “The role played by the former Chief Minister in wiping out terrorism from Punjab is being deliberately ignored by the Akalis,” said the Congress leaders. The occasion also witnessed the warring factions within the Congress sharing the dais and speaking in unison against the Akalis. Apart from All India Congress Committee General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, who is the party’s Punjab in charge, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar and former PPCC presidents Shamsher Singh Dullo, Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Lal Singh were present on the occasion. Though former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was conspicuous by his absence, legislators and other party leaders considered close to him were present at the rally. Another senior leader and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is said to be abroad. While paying tributes to the slain leader, senior Congress leaders like Jagmeet Brar, Shamsher Singh Dhullo and Lal Singh blamed the SAD-BJP government for not releasing Rs 6 crore for the completion of the Beant Singh Memorial in Sector 42 here even 18 years after his sacrifice. Shakeel Ahmed said, “The contribution made by the great leader is being belittled by the Akalis. The Punjab Government should rather have held a state-level function to mark the occasion.” Bajwa announced that the party would observe the occasion as the ‘National Integration Day’ and annually hold a function at the memorial. “The SAD-BJP government can spend Rs 70 crore on purchasing an aircraft, Rs 36 crore for a helicopter and Rs 7 crore each to buy two bullet-proof cars. But, it has no funds to complete a former Chief Minister’s memorial.”
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In Bajwa’s home town, Badal dares Oppn to stop Sangat Darshan
Qadian (Gurdaspur), August 31 Speaking at a prize distribution ceremony of a sports festival at Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Gurdaspur MLA GS Babbehali’s native village, Badal said some Congress leaders, including PPCC (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee) chief Partap Singh Bajwa, were needlessly raising a hue and cry over the Sangat Darshan. Earlier, Badal held Sangat Darshan in Bajwa’s hometown of Qadian. The fears of the district administration that Congress activists may play spoilsport during the event, however, proved unfounded. The programme went off uninterrupted amidst tight security arrangements. Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress MLA from Gidderbaha, had recently taken on the Chief Minister at a Sangat Darshan programme for not being invited to the event. Subsequently, the Congress had told its legislators to storm into the programme in their home constituencies.
Hits out at Centre
over fuel price hike
Badal also hit out at the Centre over the hike of Rs 2.35 per litre in petrol and Rs 0.50 in diesel prices. "It is a criminal conspiracy by the Centre to extend benefits to big oil companies at the cost of the common man," he said.
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SAD-BJP govt responsible for problems facing Punjab: Hooda
Chandigarh, August 31 On Sikh farmers being told to give up their land in Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts, an issue being raised vehemently by the Akalis, Hooda said, “I will ensure the farmers get ownership of the land handed over to them on lease by former Punjab Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon… The Akalis should instead focus on convincing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to help the Sikh farmers facing eviction from Kutch.” Reacting to Hooda’s statement, media adviser to Punjab Chief Minister Harcharan Bains said, “It’s purely an election speech by the CM of Haryana, a state that once used to be part of Punjab. It’s known to all that Haryana’s economy is concentrated only in the two cities of Gurgaon and Faridabad due to their proximity to the national capital. Otherwise, Haryana is way behind of Punjab.”
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Cong to its leaders: Let people know food, land Bills
Chandigarh, August 31 In a step in this direction, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh addressed a closed-door meeting of the Congress MLAs, MPs and other senior leaders at the Congress Bhawan here today. Ramesh asked the party leaders to launch a concerted campaign in the countryside to impress upon the people what the Congress-led UPA Government had done for them through the food security and the land acquisition Bills. He, in fact, is expected to extensively travel to rural areas in the country, including in Punjab, to address meetings of party activists to make them aware about the salient features of both the Bills and how to initiate publicity campaigns to highlight the benefits of these initiatives. Ramesh said some opposition parties were deliberately spreading rumours that the Food Security Bill would lead to a decrease in the minimum support price of paddy and wheat. He told the MLAs to contradict such rumours and convey to the farmers that the Bill would not affect them in any way. “We will be holding seminars in Malwa, Majha and Doaba regions in October. Jairam Ramesh will himself address these events,” said Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief. Bajwa said the land Bill passed by the Lok Sabha would override the state laws related to acquisition. He said the Bill was specific about giving the farmers their “actual due” while acquiring their land. Congress leader Sunil Jakhar said the party MLAs would be involved in a planned manner to educate people about these two Bills.
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HC raps govt for sacking missing court employee
Chandigarh, August 31 The censure by Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa came on a petition by Deepak Kumar Sharma against the state and another respondent. He had challenged the termination of his father's services after the latter went missing. His father Sat Narain was working as an ahlmad in the Court of Civil Judge, Senior Division, Muktsar. A chargesheet was issued on December 24, 2004 on the allegations of absence from duty from April 3, 2004. The ensuing departmental proceedings finally culminated in the issuance of the impugned order on September 30, 2012. As the case came up for hearing, the statement of Faridkot District and Sessions Judge was filed on behalf of Punjab and another respondent. A separate written statement was also filed on behalf of Muktsar District and Sessions Judge, after being impleaded as a party. Taking up the matter, Justice Dhindsa asserted: "The facts of the case are glaring in nature. The respondent authorities have continued with the inquiry proceedings against an employee who had gone missing and whose whereabouts were not known. This was in spite of repeated requests made by his legal heir, the present petitioner, to keep such inquiry proceedings in abeyance. "Clearly, the departmental proceedings having been conducted without there having been any association from the side of the delinquent, under the facts and circumstances of the present case, cannot be construed to be fair and reasonable". "A prudent and appropriate course of action would have been to suspend the inquiry proceedings. The impugned order of dismissal, passed as a consequence of such departmental proceedings, has to be held to be bad in law." Justice Dhindsa added Sat Narain had already been declared dead. "On this count alone, the order of dismissal could not sustain…. I am of considered view that the ends of
justice would be met if the father of the petitioner be treated as compulsorily retired from the service from the date of order
of dismissal…. Consequently, the admissible retirement and pension benefits be released to the legal heirs."
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Security cover: State provides info to Union Home Ministry
Chandigarh, August 31 As a petition filed came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the counsel for the state of Punjab informed the Bench that the information on deployment of 207 Punjab Police personnel for security of 25 individuals has been provided to the Union Home Ministry. The counsel appearing for the Centre confirmed that information supplied by Punjab Government, in response to MHA letter dated March 11, has been received by the ministry. "The matter is being examined by the MHA," he said. The MHA had told the chief secretaries of all the states and UTs that "the presence of security personnel from other states in Delhi is not in accordance with the instructions contained in the yellow book". It added: "It is also felt necessary that security is provided under a single chain of command so that there is no problem in fixing responsibility in case of any eventuality." It further stated: "The deployment of such security personnel of your state in Delhi, if any, may be reconsidered and if it is felt necessary to deploy them, they may be directed to report to DGP (Security), Delhi Police." The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih had, in its order dated July 16, observed: "It is neither the responsibility nor it is desirable that the state provides security to the persons who are residing in other states as there has to be centralised command and where such security is required the Central Government will ask the state to provide the requisite security. The exception is only if somebody is transiting for up to three days…." The Bench observed further directions were not considered necessary, now that the MHA was examining the matter on the basis of information provided by the state on deployment of Punjab Police personnel to individuals in Delhi.
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Rare artefacts with renewed glitter on display today
Amritsar, August 31 There are over five dozen rare and precious artefacts, which are put on display at the Golden Temple, Akal Takht and Gurdwara Sri Atal Rai on different gurpurbs. Among these are diamond necklaces, pearls of Kunwar Naunihal Singh, jewel-encrusted ‘kirpan’, a ring of Princess Bambah, a gold canopy, gold and turquoise peacock, gold necklace made of currency notes of Guru Nanak Dev, golden spades and much more. These are displayed during ‘jalau’ (show of splendour) from 8 am to 12 noon on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Ram Das, Guru Hargobind, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh, besides the installation ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib. The family of Sawinder Pal Singh and Inderpal Singh had expressed its wish to perform the ‘kar sewa’ before the SGPC and they were entrusted the job in May this year. It took them three months to repair and polish these artefacts. The SGPC had also constituted a three-member committee to supervise the ‘kar sewa’. Talking to The Tribune, committee member Sukhdev Singh Bhurakohna said the family had roped in experts from Mumbai, Delhi, Banaras, Jaipur and Surat for repair and polish work of these artefacts, which had regained their glitter now. Following the completion of the ‘kar sewa’, Bhai Sukhdev Singh performed ‘ardaas’ in the presence of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Mal Singh and Golden Temple’s Head Granthi Giani Jagtar Singh. Later, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar visited the ‘toshakhana’ and inspected the rare artefacts. He was shown the photographs of these artefacts clicked before and after the ‘kar sewa’. The SGPC has also prepared an album of these rare artefacts, which will be released at a later date. It has also been decided to make ‘toshakhana’ more secure by putting up bulletproof and fireproof glasses. SGPC secretary Roop Singh was also present on the occasion. Incidentally, the SGPC recently set up a committee to deliberate on the issue of permanent display of these artefacts for the devotees at the 'parikarma' of the Golden Temple. Earlier, former Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh had advocated the move, contending that permanent display will make the devotees aware of the invaluable articles gifted to the holy shrine. He had also stressed on the preservation of these artefacts in a modern way.
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Drug stores at Faridkot medical college raided
Faridkot, August 31 The health officials seized a huge quantity of physician samples of costly cancer drugs from these stores. It is believed that the physician samples were being sold to cancer patients from rural areas. The officials also found that persons selling medicines at these stores were under-qualified. "Selling samples is an illegal act while employing unqualified persons at drug stores is also a violation of the rules", said Dr Baldev Singh Sahota, Civil Surgeon Faridkot. The matter has been brought to the notice of the higher authorities, said Sahota. The pharmacy was given the contract of opening its branches at the medical college last year. There were a number of complaints against the drug stores for allegedly selling cancer medicines at inflated rates. Patients are bound to purchase medicines from stores in the hospital for a reimbursement of their bills under the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund. There have been allegations of excessive billing by the drug stores which are under investigation.
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No dearth of foodgrain: FCI
Amritsar, August 31 Talking to the mediapersons after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here today, the CMD said they had food stock capacity of 67 million tonnes and more foodgrain were added every season. He said they were taking measures to boost the storage capacity. “We will create infrastructure for storage of 203 lakh tonnes more foodgrain, the tenders for which have already been floated,” he said. The official said they had godowns under the private entrepreneur guarantee scheme and silos in Punjab, but still if the state government had some issues, these would be addressed. He said he would also review preparations for the procurement of Kharif crop in the state during his visit. On the MSP, he said it was fixed by the government and the FCI didn’t have any say in it.
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Muktsar dist worst flood-hit
Muktsar, August 31 Revenue officials said the flooded area comprised 86,545 acres in Muktsar sub-division, 72,647 acres in Malout and 24,520 acres in Gidderabha sub-division. A district flood control room official told The Tribune that the waterlogged area in Muktsar had gone down while it had increased in Malout and Gidderbaha. "In Muktsar, 1,01,394 acres were submerged on August 19. The figure has now come down to 86,545 acres. The affected area in Malout has increased from 54,520 acres on August 19 to 72,647 acres now. Similarly, 18,100 acres of land witnessed waterlogging in Gidderbaha on August 19, which has now reached to 24,520 acres," the official said. Meanwhile, farmers are now grappling with another problem. "A number of fish have found way to our fields from inundated fish ponds in nearby villages. These might harm our crops," said Jagtar Singh of Aulakh village. Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister KJS Cheema and MP Sher Singh Ghubaya today visited some flood-hit villages.
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Drug peddler flees, 3 cops booked
Ferozepur, August 31 Inspector Gurdeep Singh, Station House Officer, said the accused was arrested yesterday under the NDPS Act for possessing a huge quantity of poppy husk. He said when two constables opened his handcuffs to allow him to use the washroom, Surjeet fled after climbing the boundary wall of the police station. The accused had already been facing a trial in an NDPS case, he said. Manminder Singh, SSP, said head constable Tarlok Singh and PHG constables Sukhdev Singh and Kishore Singh, had been booked and a search had been launched to nab the drug peddler. Notably, the police station is functioning from temporary premises. Its boundary wall is just
5-feet high. Meanwhile, the police today arrested 13 drug peddlers in separate cases and seized a huge quantity of narcotics.
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