|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 killed in road accident near Verka
Revenue records ‘tampered with’ to sell Nabha palace
State BJP chief Kamal Sharma at a press conference in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Himanshu Mahajan
No takers for Patiala MC projects
Sikh empire’s artefacts to go under hammer
Waterlogging
Centre may relax norms for paddy procurement
Policy to set up college in each constituency on cards
Oil firms, dealers at loggerheads over ethanol content
Frame policy on naming streets, HC tells Punjab
PIL against lottery schemes being run in state dismissed
HC orders status quo on promotion of lecturers
Drug network key player arrested
Kingpin in Akali leader’s abduction in police custody
|
Chandigarh, October 29 The Congress, which had last week given a representation to the Speaker to extend the session, yesterday reiterated its demand, saying there was little time to debate on issues like the state’s financial health, property tax and advance tax and drug abuse. During the meeting of the Business Advisory Council last night, the Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Jakhar, had demanded that in case the session could not be extended, additional time slot may be granted to the Opposition to raise vital issues. Atwal initially agreed to allow additional time for a debate on four issues, including property tax, advance tax, policy for regularing illegal colonies and waterlogging. When the issue again came up for discussion today, the Speaker, displaying a spirit of accomodation, allowed the Opposition a time slot for discussion on two more issues, drug abuse and tardy procurement. The Speaker also conceded to the demand by ruling party MLAs to hold a discussion on inflation. The Congress MLAs complained that they were not being delivered copies of Bills (presented in the assembly today) and that was why they could not participate in any “meaningful debate”. When Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka got up to present the Punjab Privately Managed Recognised Schools Employees (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2013, and the Punjab School Education Board (Amendment) Bill, 2013, Jakhar insisted that the minister first spoke about the provisions of these Bills. “Since serious charges have been levelled against the Education Department recently, the government’s intentions are suspect. We want to know the contents of the Bills before these are passed by the House,” he said. Congress MLA from Chamkaur Sahib Charanjit Singh Channi said it was unfair to get any Bill passed without the Opposition MLAs having studied it.The Speaker insisted that copies of Bills to be tabled in the assembly were sent to all MLAs three days ago. The Education Minister stood up and explained the contents of the two Bills. Even as the debate on granting an additional time slot for discussing certain issues was on, the assembly session was over, almost 90 minutes before the scheduled time, even as the Congress demanded a discussion on illegal mining. But the ruling party wanted to discuss inflation first. With no party ready to concede, the House was adjourned. Jakhar said none of the Congress MLAs had got a copy of any of the Bills. “The least we expect of the government is to allow a healthy debate on issues.We should be provided with a copy of all Bills to be tabled in the House at least seven days in advance. Also, replies to the listed questions should be sent to us a day in advance,” he said.
|
|
Cong stages walkout over property tax
Chandigarh: Opposing property tax, Congress MLAs today made it clear to Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal that they would strongly oppose the Bill on the matter. In protest, they walked into the well of the House and later staged a walkout, raising slogans against the tax proposals. Former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal later joined them in the walkout. She had to stay back in the House as her calling attention notice was to come up for discussion.
Leader of the Opposition Sunil Jakhar sought a special discussion on the issue. The Speaker informed Jakhar that he would give enough time to the Opposition to speak on property tax when the Bill in this regard was taken up in the House. Confronting the Opposition on the issue, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal said: “We did not impose the tax for two years. The Centre stopped giving us grants. First ask your government at the Centre to stop forcing states from collecting taxes.” The matter was raised by Mohali MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu, who walked into the well of the House. — Sanjeev Singh Bariana
|
||
|
NRIs can evict tenants under new law
Chandigarh: In a major relief to NRIs and defence personnel, the House today passed a landmark Bill that will allow them to evict tenants/caretakers from their ancestral property as well as property acquired for more than five years.
The assembly also passed five other Bills. The PEPSU Tenancy and Agricultural Land (Amendment) Bill, 2013 and the Punjab Security of Land Tenures (Amendment) Bill: 2013 will ensure that the NRIs and armed forces personnel can get their land vacated by approaching the SDM and the tenants would not enjoy immunity from eviction under the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act: 1955 and the Pepsu Tenancy and Agricultural Land Act: 1955. — TNS
|
||
|
8 killed in road accident near Verka
Amritsar, October 29 Eyewitnesses said the truck driver tried to overtake a car but the vehicle collided head on with a speeding bus.The injured were rushed to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here. The private bus was carrying 32 passengers when it started from Batala. The truck was on its way to Pathankot from Amritsar.It took a JCB to extricate the bodies. The deceased have been identified as Manohar Lal, Sheetal Sharma and Daud of Batala, Parkash Chand of Chehharta and Rakesh Kumar of Ghuman Kalan village. Truck driver Satnam Singh of Sangrur and bus driver Gurjit Singh of Tarn Taran were also killed. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has expressed shock and anguish over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and free treatment to the injured in government hospitals.
One dead in Faridkot
A cyclist was killed and 12 passengers were injured when a PRTC bus turned turtle on the Faridkot-Talwandi Road today.The bus was bound for Chandigarh. The accident occurred when the driver swerved the vehicle to avoid hitting a bicycle near Kaler village. However, the cycle rider, 55-year-old Jeet Singh, died on the spot. The injured were rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Tayyab visited the injured and promised them free treatment.
|
||
|
Revenue records ‘tampered with’ to sell Nabha palace
Patiala, October 29 Maharaja Partap Singh’s historic legacy in Nabha, estimated to be worth crores, was illegally transferred to certain individuals in alleged connivance with Revenue Department officials and a local lawyer on February 18, 2010. The officials allegedly forged some documents and altered the property’s khasra numbers to effect the deal. The police have registered a case of cheating and conspiracy against 10 persons, including royal scion Tikka Hanuwant Singh and unidentified Revenue Department officials. "We have booked Hanuwant Singh for conniving with the accused. We will surely arrest him to ascertain his role in the case. We are probing whether some ancient royal artefacts are missing from the palace," Patiala SSP Hardyal Mann said. The police have arrested two individuals — Omparkash Jindal and Vikas Jindal — while others are evading arrest. “Even the Nishan Sahib installed inside Hira Mahal has been removed to ensure there is no religious opposition to this illegal takeover of the erstwhile royal property,” the police said. Nabha Kotwali SHO Devinder Atri said the others who have been booked include Ramesh Arora, Saurabh Jindal, Gaurav Jindal, Vivek Jindal, Sabina Jindal, Joti Parkash Jindal and some revenue officials, whose role is under the scanner for allowing this deal to go through in official records. “Tampering of records is evident. Private persons benefited through the change of records and we will get the police remand of the arrested persons to ascertain the role of revenue officials,” SHO Devinder Atri said. The police said the heritage property of Maharaja Partap Singh’s son Maharaja Ripudaman Singh was transferred through legal documents in favour of Tikka Hanuwant Singh and some unknown beneficiaries. “But instead of the beneficiaries to be shown as in favour of Maharaja Partap Singh Trust, these alleged accused featured in the list of persons who benefited from the sale,” reads the FIR. As per information available, Tikka Hanuwant Singh lives in Delhi with his family. The Maharaja Partap Singh Trust looks after the family heritage and whatever is left in Nabha. The Hira Mahal, which is related closely to Sikh history, is worth crores as per conservative estimates. The palace was managed by a trust. It has been locked up for some time now. Till a few years ago, it housed six relics belonging to Guru Gobind Singh. These include a ‘choga’ (cloak) given to Baba Triloka; a handwritten manuscript of the guru (Bani); a comb with hair and turban given to Syed Pir Budhu Shah of Sadhaura after the battle of Bhangani in appreciation of his loyal services; and three swords with inscriptions in Punjabi. These were later shifted to
Patiala.
|
||
|
Stubble-burning threatens to ground aircraft sorties
Bathinda, October 29 A defence spokesman said a fighter plane requires a minimum visibility of 4 km to take off. But in the past few days, he said the visibility had reduced to 2 km. “There have been days when the visibility has fallen even less than 1 km. As such, it becomes difficult to carry on with trainee sorties. Though our pilots have trained themselves in flying in such challenging situations too, the exercise is risky,” he said. The Air Force authorities have taken up the matter with the civil administration for remedial measures, besides spreading awareness among the farmers. The spokesman said the Air Force had now roped in ex-servicemen for a door-to-door campaign in rural areas. “We have convinced many to at least avoid burning stubble on flying days,” he said. The smog has been causing road accidents as well. Major health hazard Far away from the Air Force stations, Kulwinder Kaur in Daroli Bhai village near Moga has been cursing the practice. For, her two minor sons have been bedridden for more than a week. “They are unable to breathe properly and have developed sore throat, watery eyes and chest congestion, besides fever. There seems to be no escape from the smoke,” she complained. Dr UP Sidhu, Head of Department (Chest) at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, said chest-related infections rise by at least 25 per cent during this season. “Asthma patients and those suffering from other kinds of allergies are the worst sufferers,” he said. Causing fiscal loss On an average, farmers burn an estimated 20 tonnes of straw in a single paddy season. If sold to biomass plants, the straw could have fetched around Rs 400 crore. In Bhagta Bhai ke village, a farmer said he burnt straw despite opposition by his father. “I have to spend Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 more per acre to prepare the fields for the next crop if I don’t do so. That is something I can’t just afford.” He said the government should share the expenditure if it wanted to put an end to the practice. Violators go scot-free Though the state government has banned stubble burning, it generally has been going soft on violators. An official said nailing farmers was not that easy. “How can a farmer be penalised if he argues someone else set his field afire or it just happened by accident,” he said. The official said a solution had to be brought about through persuasion and not by forceas it may lead to additional problems. Some plus points too The recently started biomass power generation plants in Mansa and Muktsar districts have received more paddy straw this year than last year, indicating the trend of selling straw was gaining momentum. Dr Paramjit Dhat, District Agriculture Officer, Mansa, said the government was selling machines like Happy-seeder, bailer and chopper at about 50 per cent subsidy. “These help farmers in earning revenue from straw, which can be used as fodder, for power generation and for manufacturing paper.” He said with an effective education drive carried out by the administration, nearly 10,000 acres had been saved. Amit Dhaka, Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, said last year seven bailers were employed in the fields and this year 25 bailers had been put into use. “These are used with cutters and reapers to collect straw in bails for selling it off to bio-mass plants.” Dinesh Bhardawaj, an assistant manager at a biomass plant in Muktsar, said they had received 50,000 quintals of paddy straw this year as against 15,000 quintals in 2012. “We buy straw up to Rs 120 per quintal. This becomes a source of additional revenue for farmers,” he said.
|
||
Modi to visit Punjab in Dec: State BJP chief
Ludhiana, October 29 Responding to the statement of Congress spokesperson PC Chacko regarding the Patna blasts, Sharma said the party had the right to hate the Congress as their policies were hurting the nation. Addressing a news conference at the Circuit House here, Sharma condemned the blasts that occurred hours before Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was to address a rally in Patna on Sunday. Sharma justified the “hate politics”, saying the Congress too practised it on a large scale. Targeting the Nitish Kumar-led Janta Dal United Government of Bihar, Sharma said, “The state government has not cracked down on the radical elements there as it has an eye on the Muslim vote bank.” Sharma said the Bihar Government had failed to take adequate security measures for the BJP rally even though it was informed about the possibility of such blasts on October 23.
|
|
No takers for Patiala MC projects
Patiala, October 29 After initially struggling to arrange for funds to kick-start developmental works which include minor repair works in the city, the Patiala Municipal Corporation has failed to find a single contractor to start its development works. All government contractors have visibly backed out of the projects, sighting less profit. Now the Patiala Mayor is contemplating approaching the government to urge for a revision and hike in minimum government rates for allotment of work so that contractors come forward to complete stalled projects in Patiala. The Mayor is likely to meet the minister concerned to ensure that development works start before the Lok Sabha election process, expected to complete early next year as the civic amenities in the city are already in poor shape. Sources confirmed that the Patiala MC had recently decided to start works worth Rs 20 crore in the city area that would include patch work, repair and maintenance of roads. “However, the commission system is too high and the already escalating rate of raw materials such as sand, bricks, gravel and cement has added further to the woes,” they said. A few years back, there was a close contest between the contractors and a close contest was always witnessed with everyone trying his best to bag the contract, due to the profits. “However, this year we are not interested in the work as the work tenders, estimated to be over Rs 20 crore, are at a very low cost and there is no system to ascertain whether or not anyone who would work on it would pocket some profit,” said a contractor not interested to work on the project, despite the fact that he has no other work this Diwali due to the high input cost. Already the conditions of city roads are pathetic and even the main roads are full of potholes, with the MC authorities finding it tough to tackle the rising accidents due to the poor condition of roads. The delay on part of the contractors to stake claim for the tenders further means that the road carpeting works would be delayed by another few months due to the upcoming winter season when it is not possible to lay new roads. In this regard, Patiala Mayor Amrinder Singh Bazaz told The Tribune that due to the rising cost of sand, bricks and cement, the contractors were reluctant to come forward and start work on the tender. “It is not only in Patiala, but I would soon apprise the government about this issue and make sure that the low rates do not mean that development works are hampered”, he added.
|
||
|
Sikh empire’s artefacts to go under hammer
London, October 29 One of the highlights of the auction will be an early edition of the "History of the Sikhs" by Joseph Davy Cunningham which was published in 1853. It is considered the first extensive work on the Sikhs by a European, said sources. Other items on sale will be a first-hand account of the Sikhs by John Malcolm (1813), an 1803 account by the Marquis of Wellesley, portraits of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Gulab Singh, a rare 19th century British cast model, a fine engraving of Nihangs dating to 1844, an early drawing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, an illustrated book on the Sikh court of Lahore by a Russian traveller and the earliest European view of the Golden Temple dating to 1836. "This is one of earliest accounts of Ranjit Singh, he would have been at the tender age of 25, a young ambitious man who was set to rule a vast empire. He was clearly an obstacle to the British expanding their territory in India," specialist Richard Westwood-Brookes said of the 1803 account. "This sale is unique as it sheds light on the Sikh empire and religion from the eyes of the British and European explorers of the 19th century," he added. — IANS
|
||
|
Waterlogging
Muktsar, October 29 The compensation was for the losses to crops, houses and livestock. Mangal Singh, sarpanch of Chauntra village in Muktsar assembly constituency, said, “Our village suffered heavy losses as it remained under four-feet water for more than two weeks. All crops were damaged and houses developed cracks.” Karaj Singh, sarpanch of Rattakhera village in Lambi segment, said, “Authorities say relief cheques have been received but it’s difficult to understand why these are not being depayed.” Sources said the state government had, on October 14, transferred Rs 22.23 crore in the account of Muktsar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Rs 21.65 crore to the Malout SDM and Rs 5.6 crore to the Gidderbaha SDM as relief against crop loss. Besides, the divisions heads were given Rs 4.51 crore, Rs 2.97 crore and Rs 2.91 crore on account of damage to houses and some amount for livestock loss. Confirming that the amount had been received, Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh said the compensation had to be distributed among the affected parties within a month. “Our officials are busy preparing lists of waterlogging victims and the cheques will be distributed as soon as these are finaliszed. The entire process will not take more than a week.”
|
||
|
Centre may relax norms for paddy procurement
New Delhi, October 29 A statement issued by the Punjab Government said Kairon, who met Thomas at his office here at Krishi Bhawan this evening, sought his intervention to immediately announce the exemptions. Kairon said discoloration and moisture content were proving to be a hurdle in paddy procurement and relaxation of norms would speed up the process. Central teams had visited mandis across the state last week to assess damage to paddy (in terms of discoloration and moisture content) due to unseasonal rain and hail in September. — TNS
|
||
|
Policy to set up college in each constituency on cards
Mohali, October 29 This was stated by Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka at a one-day seminar and workshop on the Rashtriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) conducted by the Department of Higher Education, Punjab, at Government College here yesterday. Dr Roshan Sankaria, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, introduced RUSA, which aims to improve higher education to meet global needs, to the principals of various government colleges. Sankaria said Punjab was the first state in the country to constitute a Higher Education Council for universities and colleges, which was a prerequisite for the adoption of RUSA. Over Rs 22,500 crore are allocated at the national level for higher education under RUSA. Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, Maninder Singh Hundal, Dean, Academic Affairs, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and GS Ghuman, Special Secretary and DPI, Colleges, Punjab, were also present on the occasion.
|
||
|
Oil firms, dealers at loggerheads over ethanol content
Amritsar, October 29 With a rise in the incidents of face-off between petrol dealers and consumers over faults emerging in their vehicles immediately after re-fuelling, the PPDA initiated splashing posters around filling stations across the state to intimate the consumers about blending of ethanol with petrol and cautions that needed to be taken. The PPDA alleged that oil companies initiated the process of selling petrol blended with ethanol. It said “little moisture in the air could turn ethanol in petrol into water”.
|
|
Frame policy on naming streets, HC tells Punjab
Chandigarh, October 29 The court directions came during the hearing of a petition filed by Surinder Pal Kalia against the State of Punjab and other respondents. In his petition placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih, the petitioner had raised the issue of naming of buildings and streets as per the municipal council resolutions. He told the Bench that norms in regard of naming the buildings and other structures were missing; and the procedure being followed was to name the buildings and streets after religious personalities. He had also brought to the notice of the Bench an instance where two simultaneous resolutions were passed for naming a sports stadium and a bus stand in the name of the grandfather and father of a municipal council president. The process of naming the stadium and the bus stand was “sought to be done ostensibly on the basis of the demand of the residents, while apparently there was no such request….Taking up the matter, the Bench observed: “We are informed that the president was abroad at that time. We call upon the State Government to frame a proper policy in this behalf for naming the streets, buildings and locations so that uniformity is maintained, where after the resolutions in question mentioned would be tested on the touchstone of that policy”. In response, Punjab Additional Advocate-General sought two months’ time for the purpose. Taking a note of the request, the Bench granted the time “both to frame a policy and to take a fresh decision on the resolutions of the Council based on the said policy”. Before parting with the case, the Bench fixed January 17 next year for compliance.
|
||
|
PIL against lottery schemes being run in state dismissed
Chandigarh, October 29 The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih dismissed the PIL filed by advocate Santokh Singh of Ludhiana, challenging the decision of the Punjab Government to run as many as 28 weekly lotteries. The petitioner had contended that Section 4 (h) of the Act restricted the number of draws of any lottery to one a week. However, Rule 3 (6) of the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, permitted the draws of each lottery scheme up to 24 a week. As such, the draw of lotteries on an average were being pronounced every three hours during the daytime in Punjab with total
168 draws in a week of all 28 weekly lotteries put together. Dismissing the PIL, the HC observed that the Act permitted multiple lottery schemes, and the limit of 24 draws per week was with regard to each such lottery scheme. Thus, the prohibitive provisions of the Act or Regulations framed there under were not violated by the Punjab Government by running 28 weekly lottery schemes.
|
||
|
HC orders status quo on promotion of lecturers
Chandigarh, October 29 The directions by Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa came on a petition filed by Vijay Singh against the State of Punjab and other respondents through counsel Saurabh Arora. He had told the Bench that seniority in masters’ cadre has not been determined till date. As the issue came up for hearing, Arora told the court that the entire issue pertaining to promotions of masters and mistresses as lecturers only on the basis of date of joining in the masters cadre, without finalising the seniority, was taken up by the Punjab Education Department. A committee, too, was duly constituted. The committee furnished its recommendations, whereby seniority was to be determined first. Only thereafter, the promotions already made to the post of lecturers were to be reviewed. Referring to the case in hand, Arora asserted the petitioner working as social studies master was promoted to the post of lecturer (political science) vide order dated May 16, 2012, passed by the Punjab Principal Secretary, School Education Department. But, he was shown as reverted to the post of master vide impugned order dated September 27. An inquiry officer has also been appointed to look into the allegations of the petitioner procuring promotion by furnishing wrong facts.
|
|
Drug network key player arrested
Ludhiana, October 29 Goel had been on the run for the last one month after the police raided his godowns at Transport Nagar, shops in Pindi Street, and a factory at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. The police have so far recovered habit-forming drugs worth Rs 10 crore during a search at Goel’s Baddi factory. The chemicals were enough to make 10 lakh doses of high performance drugs. Police Commissioner Paramjit Singh Gill said Pawan Goel was the key player in the habit-forming drug network in the state. He said efforts were now on to arrest Goel’s son, Nitin. Gill said the father-son duo had floated bogus companies, including Goel Sales Corporation, Shri Krishna Agency and Atlas Pharmaceutical, and were procuring habit-forming drugs from pharma companies in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal. Nitin and Pawan Goel had fled Moga and allegedly started operating from Pindi Street near Chaura Bazar here after they were booked in a similar case in 2006.
|
|
|
Kingpin in Akali leader’s abduction in police custody
Samrala, October 29 Manmohan Singh Khera, an Akali leader from Machhiwara; Satwinder Singh Mavi, a bank manager from Chandigarh; and Gurinder Singh Gill, an advocate of Landran; were released by the abductors with the arrest of Simranjit Singh. A ransom of Rs 5 lakh he had received from Manmohan’s family was also recovered from him. Khanna SSP Sushil Kumar said Manmohan Singh and his companions had been released and were safe, but still in Hong Kong. He said they would interrogate Simranjit Singh in remand to know more about the abductors’ plans. The Hong Kong Police is also reported to have arrested two persons allegedly involved in the abduction. Manmohan had struck a big land deal with a Hong Kong-based company through a local property dealer. After two payments made by the company didn’t reach his bank account, the Akali leader, along with his lawyer and bank manager, went to Hong Kong to resolve the issue. There, they were abducted and the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 15 crore. Manmohan Singh and his companions have been put up in a hotel under police protection. The Hong Kong police, which was informed of the incident by the Punjab Police through the Interpol, wanted to know the abductors plans from the victims. It is learnt that they would be allowed to leave the country only after the abduction case is solved.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
