The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Old age pension scam HC orders recovery of Rs 27 lakh disbursed to bogus beneficiaries Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, November 12 The Moga district administration has initiated a move to recover a sum of Rs 27.68 lakh from 93 ineligible persons who were getting the old age pension against the guidelines of the government by forging the documents for the past many years. A Punjab and Haryana division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih had recently asked the District Magistrate Arshdip Singh Thind to recover the amount, take disciplinary action against the guilty officials, ex-sarpanches and initiate criminal proceedings against all those responsible for this fraud and loss to the state exchequer. The DM had informed the High Court that 93 cases of ineligible persons under the old age pension scheme, out of 525 beneficiaries, had been detected and a sum of Rs 27,68,650 was to be recovered from them. Only Rs 1,98,600 had been recovered while steps had been initiated for the recovery of the balance amount. He also informed the court that disciplinary action had been recommended against certain officials and the matter was pending before the state government. The disciplinary action was underway against two officials and a charge-sheet was also being issued against them. The recovery proceedings were also stated to have been initiated against a few ex-sarpanches, besides the bogus beneficiaries. The court has asked the DM to recover the amount and take disciplinary action against the guilty officials within four months and fixed March 14, 2014 as the next date of hearing in the case. A local resident Harpreet Singh had filed this public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court exposing irregularities in the distribution of old age pension. He alleged that many beneficiaries had forged the documents to get the financial benefits cuasing a huge loss to the state exchequer. It was also found that the officials of the social security department had not verified the documents properly and not followed the departmental procedures. It may be mentioned that in 2012, as many as 8,800 bogus social security pension accounts were detected in the district. In 1,646 accounts, pension was drawn in a dead person’s name. At least, 6,351 persons were found underage, thus ineligible to draw the old age pension while 752 persons were found missing from the addresses mentioned on the receipt of pensions. A similar scam had rocked the district in 2010 also when 2,579 bogus pension accounts were detected in the rural areas and 44 cases in the urban areas. Now, the state government has amended the criteria for social security pensions and also initiated a move to open bank accounts of all the beneficiaries.
	Waterlogging: Rs 3200-cr proposal sent to Centre Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 12 On the completion of irrigation projects worth Rs 164 crore in the Malwa cotton belt, all the distributaries, irrigating 2. 80 lakh hectares of land, would have got a facelift. This was stated by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal at a function after laying the foundation stone of the side lining of the Bathinda branch at Canal Bridge here today. The relining and rehabilitation of canals and distributaries in Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur districts will give a boost to agriculture, especially cotton and other cash crops. Addressing media persons, the Deputy CM said with the completion of these projects, 55,000 acres of land would also be irrigated in addition to the present area. Construction has begun and renovation of water channels of Teona, Jodhpur Pakhar, Joga and Behman distributaries, Kotla branch, Saidewala branch, Mandi and Bhunder minors, Dhanola and Barnala distributaries would be completed within two months. To tackle waterlogging, a proposal of Rs 3,200 crore has already been sent to the Centre. If accepted, this problem would be tackled once and for all, he added. On Delhi elections, he said that SAD will contest these elections on the plank of incumbency, corruption, price rise and inflated power bills for the consumers in the national capital. The SAD leadership would launch a massive campaign in favour of its own candidates and the BJP contestants in a few days, he added. Those present on the occasion included Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta and DIG Narinder Singh Dhillon. Later, at another function in Mansa, Sukhbir said the latest Crisil ratings had again exposed the Punjab Congress for leading a misinformation campaign about the financial health of the state. The rating agency has rated the state as the most progressive and the richest state in India. Sukhbir Badal also laid a foundation stone for remodelling the Saidanwala distributary in Lakhiwala village.
	Municipal Council in Fazilka courts controversy Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, November 12 Municipal Council, Fazilka, which often remains embroiled in controversies, is again in the eye of a storm as it has sold a part of the Wakf Board land and another piece of land reserved for economically weaker sections, through an open auction. As per the information sought by RTI activist Amar Nath Chetiwal, the council worked out an ambitious project to sell small size plots for the homeless belonging to the economically weaker sections on Sania road through a lucky draw system. In this regard, the council passed a resolution-- No. 145-- on February 16, 2009. On May 12, 2011, the town planner also granted approval to the colony by endorsing the map prepared by the council. Soon thereafter, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal laid the foundation stone in the "controversial" colony named after his mother Surinder Kaur Badal on June 18, 2011. According to revenue records, out of a total of 33 acres of prime land on Sania road on the outskirts of Fazilka town for the proposed colony, more than two acres of land is owned by the Wakf Board. Surprisingly, the Municipal Council started an open auction of plots in the proposed Surinder Kaur Badal colony in the year 2012. According to official sources, in four open auction bids on 33 acres of prime land, out of the total 560 plots, 138 were sold and the council earned a revenue of about Rs 60 lakhs, perhaps "forgetting" that the part of the proposed colony land was owned by the Wakf Board. After some time, there were complaints regarding the ownership rights of the proposed colony. The Municipal Council authorities also woke up from the slumber and realised that the council was not the absolute and rightful owner of the total land auctioned for the proposed colony. Since June 2013, the MC authorities did not deposit the pending installment of the successful bidders without assigning any reason to them. "The prospective owners who are keen to deposit the remaining installments as per the terms and condition of the auction, feel cheated as they are keen to take possession of the auctioned land," said a prospective owner Kranti Kumar. Contrary to this, the MC authorities have maintained a studied silence over the entire issue and are reportedly finding ways to come out of the wrangle.
	Mai Bhago Scheme launched in Fazilka Fazilka, November 12 A day after launching Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojna by the state government from Fazilka, local MLA and Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani initiated Mai Bhago Vidya scheme for Fazilka district by distributing bicycles at the local Government Girls Senior Secondary School. Jyani along with District Education Officer Sandeep Dhuria distributed 1,434 cycles to the girl students of Plus I and Plus II classes of Fazilka district. Jyani said the girl students of 46 schools of the district would be provided 7,475 cycles in the next few days. “The Punjab government has been offering all facilities and welfare schemes to the girl students and now it is their responsibility to concentrate on studies for their better future. It is necessary to offer a proper atmosphere to the girls to get them educated,” said the Health Minister. The scheme has been envisaged to reduce the drop out rate of girl students. He appealed to the parents of the girls to send them to schools for educating them. The scheme is going to be instrumental in motivating the girl students of class X to XII to get school education in a hassle-free manner, particularly in far-flung areas of the border district of Fazilka. While lashing out at his traditional rival Congress leaders, Jyani said the biggest difference between the Congress and the BJP leaders was that the Congress leaders were hardly concerned about the problems of the people of the state whereas the SAD-BJP leaders were committed to the welfare of the poor. — OC
	Agitation reaches its logical end, city bus stand to be revived Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, November 12 Following a long-drawn agitation by the city residents demanding the revival of the city bus stand which wore a deserted look in the absence of passengers traffic, Deputy Commissioner Manjit Singh Narang has made it mandatory for all the private and government buses to operate from main bus stand failing which stern action shall be initiated against the operators. Earlier, the city residents, under the banner of “Bus Adda Bachao Samiti”, had launched a crusade against the administration in protest against the non-functioning of the main bus stand of the town owing to which most of the residents had to board buses from the cantonment bus stand for which they had to shell out extra bucks for hiring an auto or rickshaw. A civil writ petition had also been filed in the high court in this regard which instructed the district administration to make the main bus stand operational within two months. Over the years, the grand building of the bus stand, which hitherto wore a desolate look, had already started withering away as despite its central location, most bus traffic operated only from the cantonment bus stand. The DC said the Secretary, RTA, has even declared both the bus stands as the same fare stage so that all the bus journeys essentially culminate at the city bus stand only. Till now, the bus operators, in order to save time and to avoid the hassle of level rail crossings situated en route, generally bypassed this route. Many private transporters had even surrendered the route from the cantonment to the city bus stand in connivance with the transport officials to operate from the cantonment bus stand to save both time and money as the dilapidated condition of roads leading to the city also added to the wear and tear of the buses which ate into the profits of the transporters. The DC said the Secretary, RTA, has been told to extend all route permits which at the moment started from the cantonment to the city. He added that the cantonment bus stand will also remain functional. However, all bus traffic will begin and culminate in the city. A few days ago, the DC had banned plying of buses to cantonment bus stand. However, the orders were later revoked.