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NDA rally in Moga next month
Basmati prices almost double this year
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Bill distribution
Tarn Taran’s serai Noordin in shambles
Delhi Assembly Poll
Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat may be reserved
Vinod Khanna BJP’s star campaigner
Will monitor langars in holy city: SGPC
Dead in records, man fights for his land
Dal Khalsa flays govt for sops to migrants
Health problems on the rise due to burning of paddy stubble
IOC highest tax payer in state
Work on new drains
in Muktsar may be delayed
Medico-legal reports to be prepared under camera vigil
Punjabi varsity to digitise research on Ghadar mutiny
Amusement park to be set up in Bathinda
Community policing wing formed
Farmers told to sell stubble to biomass plants
PTU campus: Too many claimants to land acquired, work stalled
Punjab vets stage dharna
HC raps govt over sorry state of colleges
Cong leader, son booked
in firing case
Visa fraud: Youth loses
Rs 25.5 lakh
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NDA rally in Moga next month
Sirhind, November 5 He claimed there had been no law and order problem in the state under the SAD-BJP government during its six-year rule. The police and security agencies were vigilant to thwart any attempt to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the state, he said. Sukhbir urged BJP's national leaders to address rallies in the state without any fear as the state government was committed to providing foolproof security to them. Asking the people to vote for the SAD-BJP candidates in the parliamentary elections next year, Sukhbir said Modi was a popular prime ministerial candidate and Punjab would benefit if the NDA was voted to power at the Centre. Lashing out at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, he said senior Congress leaders were not aware of the problems being faced by the rural masses as they were not connected with them. The Deputy Chief Minister said the government would soon introduce a plan for blue card holders in the state under which the poor masses despite their caste and religion would be provided wheat at Rs 1 per kg. He said the government had also decided to increase the number of blue card holders from 15 lakh to 30 lakh. He said a state-of-the-art stadium would be set up in Sirhind whose foundation stone would be laid next month. He said the government would also issue an additional grant of Rs 50 lakh for completion of the Sirhind choe. SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra, PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal were among those present. High drama was witnessed at the rally venue in Sirhind when SAD vice-president and SGPC interim committee member Karnail Singh Panjoli, advocate Narinder Singh Tiwana and Jarnail Singh Hindupur were not allowed to join the stage by the police. Panjoli was seen arguing with senior police officers asking them to rein in their subordinates and direct them to behave properly. When contacted Panjoli said he was allowed to join the stage but felt humiliated when his colleagues were not allowed to accompany him which forced him to return from the rally.
Policy for traders soon
Khanna November 5 Speaking to the media after laying the foundation stone of a railway over-bridge at Bhadla village near Mandi Gobindgarh, the Deputy Chief Minister said under the new policy, all sanctions required by the traders could be secured online. "The policy will ensure that traders will not have to visit government offices for payments and sales tax purposes," he said, adding that within the next six months, the state would get rid of unwanted administrative procedures. Sukhbir said the government had taken steps to attract investment in the state by offering a number of incentives.
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Basmati prices almost double this year
Chandigarh, November 5 The average price of basmati, purchased by rice millers and other traders, is in the range of Rs 4,000 per quintal. Farmers had transplanted various varieties, mostly 1121, the yield of which was 18 quintals per acre this year. Based on the average price of Rs 4,000 per quintal, its yield is There are reports that at certain places, especially the Fazilka belt, rice millers have denied adequate price to the farmers. Where the government has faulted is in its policy regarding 7 per cent tax exemption to private traders. This exemption was given only to Punjab-based traders and millers. Those interested in buying basmati from other states were left out. This discriminatory policy, led to poor competition among traders. If traders from other states had also been allowed the exemption, it would have enhanced competition in the market and benefited the farmers with an even higher price for their produce. Owing to the exemption, almost the entire stock of basmati has arrived in various mandis for marketing. There is no off-the-record clandestine sale of basmati, as used to be the case earlier. “We have taken note of the deficiencies in the marketing of basmati and these will to remove next year,” said a senior official. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had directed the officials to promote basmati this year. To meet the objective, he allowed tax exemption to private traders in the anticipation that the traders would pass on to the farmers some part of the money thus saved. By now, more than 120 lakh tonnes of paddy, including basmati, has been procured by various agencies and private traders. The government agencies, that procure paddy at the minimum support price (MSP), had procured 99.62 lakh tonnes till last evening. Private traders have procured 18.82 lakh tonnes. Till last evening, 8.11 lakh tonnes of basmati had arrived in various markets compared to last year’s figure of 3.50 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period. Sources said basmati arrivals were likely to touch 20 lakh tonnes against 14.85 lakh tonnes last year. Poor marketing
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Bill distribution
Jalandhar, November 5 The association has taken up the matter with the PSPCL management. It says the PSPCL has outsourced the job of spot billing and related works, including field operations for meter reading, preparation of bills, delivery of bills and collecting payment in respect of domestic and non-residential consumers with a connected load of up to 20 KW, to private companies. “We had raised this issue at the July 2 meeting of PSPCL Directors, but to no avail”, said association president Baldev Singh Sran. As per the latest figures, from the total 98 divisions of the PSPCL, the power corporation has outsourced work of 81 to three private companies. Only 17 divisions are with the department staff. It is learnt that 13 divisions have been given to KLG Systel Ltd, Gurgaon, 48 to CSS Techenergy, Hyderabad, and 20 to A to Z. The PSPCL Director, Distribution, KL Sharma, said there were about 1,173 sanctioned posts of meter reader and 1,081 posts of bill distributor. “Of these, 606 posts of meter reader and 597 of bill distributor are vacant,” he informed. Sran contended that “when there is enough department staff, there is no logic in roping in private players. Considering the poor fiscal health of the PSPCL, it should save money by optimum utilisation of its employees.” Countering the argument, Sharma said: “Apart from the divisions, we have to look after 500 subdivisions as well. For electricity meter complaints and other related works, bill distributors have been stationed at almost every subdivision.”
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Tarn Taran’s serai Noordin in shambles
Tarn Taran, November 5 The serai was built on the initiative of a senior revenue official in the Mughal court, Nawab Amirudin, in 1654. It was used by government officials and traders of the time. Amirudin named the serai after his father Noor-Din whose octagonal tomb lies inside the serai. It is said that Amirudin forcibly took away bricks baked by devotees of Guru Arjan Dev, the Fifth Sikh Guru, to build the serai. Guru Arjan Dev was overseeing the development of Tarn Taran and the construction of a gurdwara there. The serai had only two gates, of which only one remains now. There is also a mosque and a well in the serai compound. The serai was guarded by armed sepoys. It is said that chariots pulled by goats were used on the outer walls to keep a vigil during the night. Now the outer wall of the serai is barely visible. It has been dismantled by locals and the bricks re-used in their homes. Brick powder and arches were used to wedge the bricks instead of limestone powder or cement. The walls of the tomb and the mosque had beautiful frescos which have been washed away. But these can still be seen on the mosque’s inner walls. The well is now filled with garbage. On the southern side of the serai stands a “koss minar”, a pillar built on the Lahore-Delhi route every 9 miles. Local residents believe that it is because of the curse of the Fifth Guru that the place is in ruins. “Guru ji’s devotees had baked bricks for a gurdwara at Tarn Taran. But Amirudin confiscated the bricks and used these for building the serai,” said a local trader. The village Noordi is also known as Quila Kavi Santokh Singh after the renowned Sikh scholar who authored “Sri Gur Partap Suraj Granth.” Members of Maha Kavi Bhai Santokh Singh Yadgari Committee say the Archeological Survey of India should preserve the
serai.
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Delhi Assembly Poll
Sources say BJP president Rajnath Singh has asked Jaitley to talk to the SAD leadership and submit a report to the party as to which constituencies in Delhi should be allocated to the SAD. They say the BJP is ready to allocate four constituencies to the SAD. But it does not want to part with the Tilaknagar constituency from where its candidates have won three times in a row. However, the SAD is insistent that Tilaknagar be allotted to it because the constituency has the highest number of Sikh voters, about 56,000, followed by Rajouri Garden (51,000). The sources say of the two constituencies of Kalkaji and Timurpur, the BJP is prepared to allocate one to the SAD. It is also ready to give Shadra and Rajouri Garden. In place of Tilaknagar, the BJP wants that the SAD should opt for another constituency. Already there have been meetings between Jaitley and SAD leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia and between the latter and Nitin Gadkari, BJP in charge of Delhi assembly elections. However, a final decision will be taken after a meeting between SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Jaitley. When approached, Ramoowalia said he could not reveal much at this juncture. “But I can say with certainty that there is a complete understanding between the SAD and the BJP on jointly contesting the Delhi assembly elections. The SAD will contest on its own symbol,” he said. “My duty is to prepare the ground for an agreement. But the final decision will be taken by our president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has been preparing a poll strategy for Delhi since the past several months,” Ramoowalia said. The BJP does not want to lose SAD’s support in Delhi because of the Aam Adami party (AAP) factor. Moreover, the SAD is the only party in the country which has stood solidly behind the BJP and has endorsed its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. However, the BJP is trying to assess whether its electoral chances will be affected more by the AAP or the ruling Congress. There are reports that the AAP is likely to garner the votes of those looking for a third option in Delhi. Bone of contention
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Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat may be reserved
New Delhi, November 5 Top sources say the Election Commission has written to the Registrar-General of India for state-wise details of SC/ST population in the country since the 2001 Census. The EC’s power flows from the “Re-adjustment of the Representation of SCs and STs in Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies” ordinance promulgated by the President in January this year. Accordingly in Punjab, the Lok Sabha segment of Ferozepur faces the likelihood of being reserved, given the considerable jump in the SC population after the recognition of Rai Sikhs in the SC list by the Centre. Rai Sikhs are a dominant community in this constituency. Top sources in the State Election Commission told The Tribune that at least two assembly segments of Ferozepur were likely to be reserved. These are Jalalabad, represented in the Punjab assembly by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, and “While there will be no change in the existing four reserved constituencies of the state, Ferozepur may have to be reserved but that will depend on the ground-level data. “Among the assembly segments, our assessment is that Jalalabad and Guruharsahai may be reserved on account of recognition of Rai Sikhs as SCs by the Centre. So far the EC has not sent us any direction in respect to the representation of SCs in the Lok Sabha and assembly segments in the state.” The ordinance was recently re-promulgated after Parliament failed to pass a Bill replacing it in the monsoon session. The ordinance empowers the EC to review and restore statutory rights of SCs/STs included and excluded from SC/ST lists all over the country.
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Vinod Khanna BJP’s star campaigner
Pathankot, November 5 Khanna has been camping in Pathankot, which is part of his former parliamentary constituency of Gurdaspur, said his aide Dr Samrendra Sharma. Insiders claim this indicates that the actor enjoys the backing of the party’s top leadership and that his announcement as the party nominee for the Gurdaspur seat is a foregone conclusion. Khanna has been extensively touring parts of Gurdaspur. During the Sujanpur chinj (festival) on October 27, he pulled a huge crowd. The festival was organised by Deputy Speaker Dinesh Babbu. Khanna had lost to sitting Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa by 4,700 votes in 2009. Sources said ticket aspirant Swaran Salaria, an industrialist, had been visiting the constituency on specific occasions. But Khanna had been in constant touch with the electorate during the past two years. Other contenders for the party nomination are educationist SK Punj and former Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal. Khanna has bought a palatial bungalow on Sally Road, Pathankot. This has made his detractors jittery. They fear that if he permanently shifts base to the city, their political interests may be harmed.
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Will monitor langars in holy city: SGPC
Amritsar, November 5 A number of stalls are put up near historic gurdwaras or on approach roads, serving langar to thousands of devotees thronging the holy city on auspicious occasions. But neither the SGPC nor the local administration cares to monitor these stalls. The SGPC seems to have woken up to the issue and has ordered an inquiry into the incident, besides deciding to monitor langars and chhabeels set up around the Golden Temple complex on various occasions. The SGPC has directed assistant secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhurakohna to probe the incident. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said it was a serious incident and appeared to be a conspiracy as others who also partook of langar from the same spot were fine. He said once the probe was over they would initiate a legal action. No private organisation seeks permission from the MC authorities before holding langar, which is a violation of the norms. Admitting to this, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said he would direct the authorities to implement the norm and ensure that a medical team was sent for sampling as well. Meanwhile, the police is investigating the matter and the officials say the exact reason behind Amarjit Singh's death will be ascertained only after receiving his viscera examination report. Registration a must
As per the law, it is mandatory for all langar committees to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. The Act has become operational in the state with effect from August 8, 2011. Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, District Health Officer, said: "The deadline for getting registered under the Act has been extended to February 2014. We will approach all religious and social organisations organising langars to get themselves registered." He said: "We had sent our team to collect the samples yesterday after the incident was reported. But by the time the team reached there, the organisers had left the spot". Waking up to reality
Officialspeak It is mandatory for all langar committees to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. Not a single body has been registered so far
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Dead in records, man fights for his land
Muktsar, November
5 He said in 1987, the then village
nambardar, Sohan Singh, told him that his relatives had connived with officials to show he had died on January 25, 1971, and got the ‘virasat
inteqal’ of the land on the name of his mother Nihal Kaur. Harnam Singh, an illiterate, says: “After my father's death, my siblings and their children forged documents to show I was dead. As I am single, I was to get a share of 7 acres, which was transferred in my mother's name. After she died, my siblings transferred the land in their names,” Harnam Singh, who has taken shelter in a relative’s house in Doda village, says. He says he had filed a complaint with the Faridkot Deputy Commissioner of
Faridkot, but in vain. Asked why he had fled from the village, Harnam Singh replied: “I was advised to run away as my relatives had shown me dead in the official records and could kill me. So I left my house and they (kin) took the possession of it.” He said his siblings wanted to sell a chunk of land that had initially come under the Rajasthan-Sirhind feeder. They took him to the Tehsildar’s office at
Muktsar, where the land was transferred in the name of another person of the village in the presence of eyewitnesses, including the nambardar of Kotli Sanghar village. "A picture of mine was clicked for the registered sale deed. With this, I obtained the proof that I was alive," said Harnam
Singh. Harnam Singh said that with the help of some good Samaritans, he had drafted an application against his relatives
Balvir, Mohinder, Joginder, Sukhdev, Nar, Dheera, Gurcharan, Gurmeet,
Jeet, Mandeep, Darshan, Mandar, Jaswant and Makhan, to be given to the Deputy Commissioner and the Muktsar
SSP. When contacted, Jagnandan Singh, a panchayat member of Kotli Sanghar village, said: “Harnam Singh is alive. But I am not aware about his whereabouts or any land transfer by his
family.” Baldev Singh, village nambardar, a retired government employee, also said that Harnam Singh was alive.
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Dal Khalsa flays govt for sops to migrants
Amritsar, November 5 Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the influx of migrants into the state had brought about “many negative and unwanted changes” in Punjab. “By encouraging them to settle in the state, the SAD has joined the club of political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, that have been serving the interests of Delhi against the interests of Punjab,” he said. He said Badal must learn from the Karnataka Chief Minister who had announced that learning the Kannada language and culture would be compulsory for all migrants.
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Health problems on the rise due to burning of paddy stubble
Sangrur, November 5 Doctors are of the view that the state government should strictly implement the ban instead of indulging in vote-bank politics. They say the number of patients visiting their clinics or OPDs with breathing problems had increased two to three times for the past two weeks. Even as people’s health is getting affected in the district due to the burning of paddy stubble, the police has registered no case with regard to violation of the order of the Additional District Magistrate, Sangrur, who had imposed a complete ban on stubble-burning from October 1 to November 30. Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu today said no such case had been registered so far as they had not received any complaint from an individual or from officials of the departments of revenue, agriculture or pollution control. Doctors at the local Civil Hospital said due to stubble-burning, the number of patients with breathing problems had increased two to three times. They said these patients were suffering from problems such as cough, throat infection, bronchial asthma and allergic bronchitis. Besides, they said, many persons coming to the hospital complained of irritation and allergy in eyes. Dr Rahul of the Civil Hospital said due to stubble-burning, the number of patients with breathing problems had increased three to four times at his OPD these days. He said he came across patients, from newborns to elderly persons, suffering from allergic bronchitis, throat infection, fungal infection of lungs and cough on a regular basis. District TB Officer Dr Parveen Paul Jindal said out of about 60 patients he had examined by 2 pm on tuesday, about 40 patients were suffering from breathing problems due to stubble-burning. A lung specialist at the civil hospital, Dr Kirpal Singh, said the number of patients with breathing problems had doubled at his OPD. He said in some of these cases, he had to prescribe an increased dosage of medicine. Doctors have advised people to use a mask on their mouth while going in areas where paddy stubble was being burnt.
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IOC highest tax payer in state
Jalandhar, November 5 The department has already finalised a list of highest tax-payers with Jalandhar-based Indian Oil Corporation topping the list with Rs 2367.13 crore. For the manufacturing companies, the department has placed its top tax payers in four categories. Bathinda-based HPCL Mittal Energy has paid taxes to the tune of Rs 374.83 crore. Food processing and beverage company Pioneer Industries of Pathankot has paid Rs 6.36 crore towards taxes. It leads among the medium-scale manufacturers. Among the small-scale companies, Concord Hospitality, Amritsar, tops with Rs 1.54 crore paid as tax. Ludhiana-based Indian Summer Hotels Pvt Ltd tops among micro-scale companies, depositing Rs 0.23 crore in the government treasury. Ludhiana, being the industrial hub of the state, has the highest tax payers in several categories. The city has the highest tax-paying restaurants and hotels. The top three tax-paying traders from across the state are Ludhiana-based Chadha Super Car, ANR Motors, Jalandhar, and Dada Motors, Ludhiana, who have deposited an amount of Rs 61.53 crore, Rs 58 crore and Rs 44.59 crore, respectively. In hosiery, Ludhiana-based Wool Crafts is on the top with Rs 2.35 crore paid as taxes. Among yarn traders, Pashupati Acrylon of Ludhiana has paid taxes to the tune of Rs 20.55
crore.
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Work on new drains
in Muktsar may be delayed
Muktsar, November 5 Contour-level sheet is required for the smooth flow of water into drains. The department has 5 metres to 10 metres contour-level sheets which are not much beneficial. A senior official in the drainage department said they were worried because if the 0.5 metre sheets took a long time, the target of rectifying the problem within three years would not be achieved. He
said the level of some existing drains needed to be adjusted. He said
since the outflow of a majority of drains was into the Sutlej, which
flows along the India-Pakistan border, “ISRO’s remote-sensing
technique will not work to determine the contour level along the
border." He said they had approached the Survey of India,
Dehradun, but officials there had said they had no time till March
2014. He said there was only one option available, that the
department’s own officials be engaged in the process to level the
area. BS Dhaliwal, Technical Adviser to Chief Minister, who headed
the government panel suggesting ways to tackle waterlogging, said: “The
ISRO officials have sought more than a year to complete the survey. We
will be holding a meeting of all officials concerned to find an
appropriate solution."
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Medico-legal reports to be prepared under camera vigil
Bathinda, November 5 Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Health Services, has issued instructions to all civil surgeons in this regard. It was usually alleged that MLRs could be easily manipulated to get advantage in criminal and legal cases, he said. "The CCTVs will help monitor the process. The civil surgeons will monitor the camera feed and the recording can be analysed anytime," he said. He said his staff at Chandigarh could also monitor the feeds. Dr Nayyar said there were no financial constraints. The orders for monitoring the medico legal cases come 15 years after the Health Department started video-filming the post-mortems in rape and custodial death cases. The National Human Rights Commission had ordered that all such cases should be video-recorded so that no evidence was ignored.
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Punjabi varsity to digitise research on Ghadar mutiny
Patiala, November 5 The centenary celebrations of the movement culminated on November 1. The university has over 1,000 books, newspaper articles and research papers related to the movement. Some of them, being very old, are in bad shape. Taking note of their condition, the university has decided to preserve them digitally. The initiative will not only ensure proper upkeep of the record but will also act as an easy reference for students for studying the history of the movement and for research purposes. Speaking to The Tribune, Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh said the university had already prepared a bibliography on various aspects of the mutiny, which has already been released in San Francisco, the headquarters of the Gadar movement. "This historical document, comprising more than 700 pages, about the history of the Ghadar movement, will serve as source-book for historians and scholars. Many of the documents available with us are very old and it was getting difficult to preserve them properly. Therefore, we have compiled them in the form of a book and are now going to digitise the records. This will help researchers in tracing a particular incident in the movement," he said. The university in collaboration with the Cultural Affairs Ministry, Government of India, also organised a two-day national seminar to mark the centenary celebrations of the Ghadar Movement. The theme of the seminar was "The Ghadar Movement: Analysis of the Writings of the Gadarites and their Representation in Punjabi Literature". Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa was the chief guest on the occasion. JS Grewal, former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, presented the inaugural address while Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, presided over the seminar. Prof TR Sareen, former Director, Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi, delivered the key-note address. The Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor lauded Gadri Babas for their contribution in the freedom struggle and honoured the families of martyrs such as Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Shaheed Banta Singh, Pt Sohan Lal Pathak and Pt Jagat Ram Hariana. Dhindsa inaugurated the newly constructed Sri Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan in the morning. Talking to The Tribune revolutionary Kartar Singh Sarabha's granddaughters Sukhjinder Kaur and Sukhdev Kaur today expressed resentment against the Punjab Government saying it had completely ignored the contributions of martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the independence of India. They said these martyrs had not been given due recognition. They were present at the seminar on the Ghadar Movement at Punjabi University. "We have met Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal many times and have urged him to put forth the case of Sarabha, who was the youngest martyr in the history of the Indian independence. We want him to be given the status of a national martyr with the Central government but all we get is assurances. The government is not doing anything substantial to give these heroes their due," they said. They said the government should renovate the ancestral house of Sarabha besides popularising the Ludhiana-Pakhowal road as the Kartar Singh Sarabha road.
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Amusement park to be set up in Bathinda
Bathinda, November 5 Under the first phase of the project, around 3 acres lying vacant from the point where shikaras and boats are stationed up to the railway tracks, will be spruced up for the park. Chief administrator of Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) Varinder Sharma said the idea was to bring up an exclusive amusement park, operations of which could be outsourced. “The project has been approved and work on it will begin very soon,” he said. In the second phase of the project, the BDA plans to build a restaurant or some eatery in the middle of the lake. People will be ferried to and fro the food joint. Earlier, a joggers’ park was set up along the water tanks near Rose Garden, which was on the lines of a walkway developed along the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh. The BDA will now develop a walkway along the lake number 1. The track will run between the lake and the railway track. The BDA will get the requisite land cleared and the area will be landscaped to provide a better ambience to morning walkers and joggers. The project will come up at the cost of Rs 3.5 crore. Earlier in the year 2010, the BDA had developed walkways along two lakes. The BDA had provided Rs 96 lakh to the Forest Department, which had developed the walkway and installed railings along the lakes. The tracks largely lie unused in the absence of its proper maintenance. Benches that were set up near the walkway are now surrounded by tall vegetative growth. The Plan
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Community policing wing formed
Chandigarh, November 5 An official release said a dedicated manpower of 3,085 police officers of all ranks had been put exclusively on community policing duties in the state. Gazetted officers of the rank of SP and DSP have been posted as district community police officers at all district headquarters in the State. A Punjab Police spokesman said at present, community policing resource centres were functioning at all district headquarters, community policing suvidha centres at sub-divisional headquarters and police station outreach centres in all police stations of the state.
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Farmers told to sell stubble to biomass plants
Sangrur, November 5 She said five biomass plants had been set up by the Punjab government in the state to check the burning of paddy stubble. She said farmers should sell the stubble at these plants at Rs 1,400 per acre. The DC said farmers should either bury the stubble in the fields during the sowing of wheat or they should contact officials of the biomass plants to sell the stubble. She said these plants had been made operational at Gulabewala village and Channu village in Muktsar district, Gadda Dob village in Ferozepur district, Bhagora village in Patiala district and Bijjo village in Hoshiarpur district.
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PTU campus: Too many claimants to land acquired, work stalled
Mansa, Novenber 5 Even though the cash-strapped government has released Rs 15.40 cr and acquired 53 acres for the campus in Mansa Kalan village, the money can't be paid as different groups have staked claim to the land. One of the claimants is a dera headed by Mahant Amrit Dass. The management of Khalsa College has also staked claim to the land. The college management says it has been a lease-holder of a major chunk of the land since 1956. Maghar Singh, managing trustee of the college, said the dera had leased out the land to them to run the college from the revenue earned from it. The dera had donated another piece of land to the college management in the fifties on which the college stood. Maghar Singh said they earned a revenue of Rs 45,000 per annum per acre. " We now have a lease of 44 years. We want the money or a part of it to be deposited with us so that we can run our college." The college management is demanding that a trust, consisting representatives of the dera, college, educationists and the administration, be set up to provide financial support to the college. A dera spokesperson said the government had acquired the land and as per the rules, the owner should be paid the money. "We had given land to the college on lease at a nominal price. But the college has not been paying the lease amount regularly." The controversy has pained the local Mansahia family that had donated hundreds of acres of land to the dera for setting up educational institutions. Honey Mansahia, A Youth Akali Dal leader, said his grandfather had given away land worth crores and that Mansa needed technical institutes to help the youth get jobs. Deputy Commissioner Amit Dhaka said he had sent the claims of the rival groups to the state government and that he was hopeful of an early solution.
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Punjab vets stage dharna
Chandigarh, November 5 Four out of five posts of Joint Director, 24 out of 25 posts of Deputy Director and about 60 out of 93 posts of Assistant Director/Senior Veterinary Officer were lying vacant, they said. Association’s president Dr Ashok Sharma said they had been urging the government to make placements but their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
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HC raps govt over sorry state of colleges
Chandigarh, November 5 The strictures by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih came in connection with the deteriorating condition of Patiala Government College of Ayurvedic. The Bench minced no words to say: “We must regretfully note that no endeavour is being made by the state government to even meet the minimum requirements for affiliation of this government college. On the one hand, the government seeks to check the functioning of private colleges while on the other hand, its own colleges are in a pitiable state”. The Bench also directed Secretary, Department of Medical Education and Research, to remain present in the court on the next date of hearing along with the records to underscore steps taken after inspection to remedy the deficiencies. The Secretary has also been asked to specify how much funds have been allocated and spent for removing deficiencies. Leaving nothing to surmises, the Bench has also called for the production of “photographs of the deficient facilities having been remedied”. An affidavit in the matter is also to be filed. The matter was brought under the judicial scanner by Tejinder Singh. His counsel Aalok Jagga told the Court that teachers deployed in the college were “not considered appropriate as per the current norms”. Combined with lack of infrastructure, it was one of the impediments in the grant of affiliation. Taking up the petition against the Union of India and other respondents, the Bench referred to an affidavit filed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, AYUSH Department. Asserting that the affidavit “painted a sorry picture of the college”, the Bench said: “It has been stated that in spite of being granted repeated opportunities, the college has failed to comply with the conditions and this resulted in the decision of college not being permitted to admit students for the academic session 2011-12. “The position continued for academic session 2012-13, even on re-inspection. Insofar as the current year is concerned, an inspection has been carried out for the academic session 2013-14, and the inspection report does not recommend grant of conditional permission for the concerned academic year…. “The result of the aforesaid is that there appears to be no hope even for the next academic session unless some immediate steps are taken...”
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Cong leader, son booked
in firing case
Tarn Taran, November 5 A case has been registered under Sections 307, 148, 149 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. Six others, including the leader's relatives Prabhdyal Singh alias Karam Singh and Baj Singh of Dubli village, have also been booked. The case has been registered on the complaint of Jagdeep Singh of Patti who alleged that Tarlok Singh had opened fired on him and his brother Jorawar Singh when they were working in their fields. A property dispute is said to be the reason behind the incident, the police said. Gurwinder Singh, Station House Officer, Patti, said no arrest had been made so far.
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Visa fraud: Youth loses
Rs 25.5 lakh
Moga, November 5 The victim, Baljinder Singh, alleged that Jarnail Singh of his village introduced him to a travel agent, Jujhar Singh of
Gurdaspur, to whom he gave Rs 25.5 lakh in February. He said he had arranged the money by mortgaging his agricultural
land. Baljinder alleged that the accused took his passport and also promised him a job in Canada. After conducting preliminary investigations, the police has registered a case against the accused who had absconded. Senior Superintendent of Police KJS Dhillon said the duo would be arrested soon. He warned all the travel agents in the district to get themselves registered as per the new policy or face legal action.
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Tarn Taran, November 5
Amritsar, November 5
Sangrur, November 5
Patiala, November 5
Chandigarh, November 5