Saturday, August 8, 1998
|
P U N J A B | |
Saturday, August 8, 1998 |
| weather n
spotlight today's calendar |
 |
||
|
|
 |
 Rights commission seeks more powers CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — The National Human Rights Commission had set up a committee which had sought suggestions from state human rights commissions for making them more effective. The Punjab commission had suggested making amendment in the relevant part of the Act empowering the it to carry out surprise checking of jails. |
||||||
|
SAD threat
cosmetic, says Mann |
||||||||
| Congressmen hold rally Gurdwara poll tomorrow Road safety rally |
|
Power generation affected 4 PAU vets selected for award  |
|
||||
"SAD stand on principle" PATIALA, Aug 7 — Punjab Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh today said the Akali Dal decision to withdraw support to the BJP government if it failed to exclude Udham Singh Nagar from the proposed hill-state of Uttaranchal was neither a threat nor a warning. Talking to newsmen here, he said the Akali Dal was committed to protecting the interests of Punjabis and it was towards this end that it had taken a principled stand on the issue. He said the government had chalked out a three point rural development plan. Non-resident Indians were being encouraged to invest in development works, including building of schools and hospitals. He said the government would give funds upto 25 per cent of the cost for such projects. The NRIs would be free to name the institutions as they wished. Capt Kanwaljit Singh gave a cheque of Rs 3.50 lakh to the Bar Association which called on him at the local Circuit House to be used for the association library and building of toilets. He assured the delegation that the controversy over building of the judicial complex at the site also claimed by Mata Kaushalya Hospital had been resolved and that construction of the complex would continue. In a separate release,
Mata Kaushalya Hospital Bachao Committee convenor Dr M.S.
Randhawa claimed that the issue had yet to be decided by
the government. Dr Randhawa said the Chief Secretary had
held a meeting to discuss the issue with the Principal
Secretaries of Home, Health and PWD and Representatives
of the committee. No decision had been taken on the
status of the judicial complex which, he claimed, was an
encroachment on hospital land. |
||
Rights commission seeks more
powers CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — Though Mrs Amarjit Kaur and her son, Navdesh Kumar, have so far not come to terms with the trauma they suffered due to inhuman treatment by the Bathinda police, sustained efforts of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission have provided a little healing touch to them. Way back in August last, Mrs Amarjit Kaur, a Class IV employee of the Telecom Department, and her 21-year-old son, Navdesh Kumar, were picked up from their residence in a pre-dawn swoop by the CIA staff of Bathinda. Both were stripped naked in the presence of each other allegedly by Inspector Budh Singh of the CIA staff and other police officials. Besides, wooden rollers were rolled over the body of Mrs Amarjit Kaur. Likewise, her son was subjected to barbaric treatment. Justice V.K. Khanna, a former Chief Justice and now the Chairman of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, told TNS here today that on the intervention of the commission, the Punjab Government had been made to pay interim compensation of Rs 30,000 to Mrs Amarjit Kaur and Rs 15,000 to Mr Navdesh Kumar. The payment of this interim compensation would in no way reflect upon either the criminal trial or departmental inquiry pending against Inspector Budh Singh and others. Justice Khanna said that the Senior Superintendent of Police at Bathinda had informed him that the interim compensation to both had been paid through separate bank drafts. He said that the commission's Additional DGP, Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, had been sent to Bathinda to meet them. Mr Bhatnagar in his report observed that mother and son had not been able to overcome their humiliation yet. Both were earning a modest amount of Rs 1500 and Rs 1200, respectively. Justice Khanna said that this was not the only case where the commission had intervened. In several other cases of police excesses, torture and custodial deaths, the commission was taking suo motu notice. In certain cases proceedings had been launched as per the powers given to it under the Protection of Human Rights Act. The commission which started working in July last year following the appointment of Justice Khanna as Chairman received 90 applications with regard to human rights violation in 1997 and 583 this year till date. Out of these 170 had been disposed, recommending compensation for the victims or action against the officials found guilty. As many as 485 cases were pending with the commission. What surprises all concerned is the involvement of the police in property disputes. Excesses and torture on the part of the police was a common feature not only in Punjab but elsewhere in the country. The commission has received a large number of complaints in which either the police was supporting one party or harassing the other party. Even complaints made to the commission through telegrams and letters had been pursued and acted upon after verifying the facts either through the office of Principal Secretary (Home) or through the commission's own investigation wing headed by Mr Bhatnagar. Justice Khanna said the commission had taken up the case of Mental Hospital, Amritsar, which was the only hospital of its kind in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and J & K. A team of medical experts had been sent to examine all patients to find out whether there was any normal patient deliberately being kept in the hospital. Even checking of jails has been started. Justice Khanna said that the commission wanted to be empowered to make surprise checking of jails. At present the commission had to intimate the State Government before going out for jail inspection. He said that the National Human Rights Commission had set up a committee which had sought suggestions from state human rights commission for making such commissions more effective. The Punjab commission had suggested making amendment in the relevant part of the act empowering the commission to carry out surprise checking of jails. He said that the
commission had also held seminars in police training
centres and universities and other places to make people
aware about human rights. Even research work on this
front had been initiated. |
||
Badal asks police to change
attitude CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 —
The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today
called for an effort to create a people-friendly culture
with a humane approach to refurbish the image of the
police. |
||
Doctor told to pay Rs 3.5 lakh
compensation CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — The District Consumer Forum, Jalandhar, has directed Dr J.S. Thind, an eye surgeon of Jalandhar's Model Town, to pay a compensation of Rs 3.50 lakh to Baby Nidhi, a six-year old girl, for his negligence in operating her right eye for squint. The Forum also slapped costs of litigation on the surgeon. The costs are fixed at Rs 5,000. The surgeon had operated the right eye of girl on July 1, 1996 without measuring the angle of squint. She had divergent squint of 10 degrees in her right eye. According to the complainant, after the operation the squint of 10 degree increased to 40 degree convergent. Realising his fault, Dr Thind again operated the same eye on July 17, 1996, which, instead of any improvement, resulted in a sharp decline in the eyesight — ugly scar, double vision, sensitivity to sunlight and other manifold problems. The girl was later shown to a number of government and private surgeons who opined that this had happened due to overcorrection. Dr Thind operated the eye muscles much more than required. Dr Thind had also failed
to produce records of the operation before the Forum. |
||
SBI manager among 3 killed in
mishap FEROZEPORE, Aug 7 — Three persons, including a bank manager, were killed and two injured in an accident on the Makhu-Zira road near Bahk Pacharia village in Zira subdivision this afternoon. According to official sources, Mr Nand Kishore Verma, branch manager of the State Bank of India, Makhu, along with a guard and bank employee was on his way to Zira in a Maruti car (PB-47-4966). An employee of the FCI was also in the taxi. When the taxi reached Bahk Pacharia village, a Khalra-bound bus owned by a private company coming from the opposite direction collided with it. Mr Verma, taxi driver Pappu and the FCI employee (not yet identified) were killed. Two bank employees, including the guard, were injured seriously. The Zira, SDM, Mr Bakhtawar Singh, and the Zira, DSP, Mr Nachattar Singh, immediately reached the site and rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital, Zira. The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, has expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and announced that the state government would bear the expenses on treatment of the injured. Sources allege that when
the injured were taken to the Zira civil Hospital, the
SMO was found absent from duty. The Zira SDM had to wait
for an hour to provide first-aid to the injured. |
||
HUDCO loan for Punjab CHANDIGARH, Aug 7 — For the "integrated" socio-economic development of Punjab, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) Chairman and Managing Director, Mr V. Suresh, agreed to extend a loan of Rs 500 crore on "easy terms", during a meeting with the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, here today. The money will be for infrastructure development, water supply and sewerage, development of focal points, government buildings and housing schemes for rural and urban poor, improvement of slums and villages, district administration complexes, staff housing, judicial complexes, colleges, ITI buildings improvement of bus terminals etc. The HUDCO commitment of Rs
250 crore is for the construction and development of
roads, Rs 50 crore for government buildings and houses,
Rs 60 crore for urban and rural water supply, Rs 50 crore
for development of focal points, Rs 30 crore for rural
housing, Rs 35 crore for police housing and Rs 40 crore
for improvement of bus stands. |
||
SAD threat cosmetic, says Mann AMRITSAR, Aug 7 — Describing the ultimatum of the SAD (Badal) to the BJP to withdraw support on the Udham Singh Nagar issue as "high-level drama", Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, chief of the SAD (Amritsar), today said that Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, being a signatory to the Cabinet decision conveyed to the President, should be sacked immediately. This would show the sincerity of Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his colleagues on the issue, Mr Mann said. Mr Mann said Mr Barnala had "ditched" the Punjabis by signing the decision of the Cabinet. He questioned the seriousness of Mr Badal on Udham Singh Nagar, who had allegedly disposed of his land in Udham Singh Nagar. It was just a cosmetic decision of the political affairs committee of the SAD (Badal) to serve an ultimatum on the BJP as it had held secret parleys with the BJP leadership before taking this step. Mr Mann said. They are unlikely to withdraw the support as they are hankering after power, he added. Mr Mann said he had cautioned the SAD (Badal) about entering into alliance with the BJP as it was not sincere towards the demands of the Punjabis. Replying to another question, Mr Mann said the Sikh clergy had not summoned Mr Barnala to the Akal Takht for the entry of the police into Golden Temple during his stint as Chief Minister in 1986, though he (Mr Mann) has already filed a written complaint with the takht. He said the Sikh clergy had also not given any verdict on the "kirpan" (sword) issue so far. Mr Mann urged the Akal
Takht chief to review the Nirankari-Tohra case as the
verdict of the Takht on the issue had not satisfied the
Sikh masses. The Sikh masses wanted to know if Mr Tohra
had actually visited the Nirankari Bhavan at Patiala to
seek votes for his protege Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra or
not, he added. |
||
Support conditional, says Sukhbir FAZILKA, Aug 7 — The Union Minister of State for Industries, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, today said that if the BJP-led government at the Centre sticks to its decision on the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed hill state of Uttaranchal, the Akali Dal would be compelled to withdraw support to it. Mr Badal was talking to newspersons at Rampura village, near here. He, however, expressed confidence in the wisdom of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee "who understands the sentiments of residents of that area and would consider the decision and the matter would be resolved soon". He said a majority of
residents of Udham Singh Nagar want to remain in Uttar
Pradesh. He said the difference of opinion on the issue
between the Akali Dal and the BJP would not make any
difference on the credibility of the Union government. He
said the pace of development in Punjab shall not be
hampered in Punjab even if the Akali Dal withdrew support
from the Union government. In such a situation, the
alliance between the Akali Dal and the BJP shall be
reviewed in Punjab afresh, he added. |
||
Ashwani Kumar on PPCC Executive NEW DELHI, Aug 7 (TNS) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi has nominated Mr Ashwani Kumar, member, AICC, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr Ashwani Kumar, a senior
advocate of the Supreme Court and a former Additional
Solicitor-General of India, has also been included as a
member of the high-powered election committee of the
Punjab Congress. |
Congressmen hold rally JALANDHAR, Aug 7 — The Punjab Congress today held a rally to protest against the anti-poor policies, rising unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Those participating in the rally included Ms Meira Kumar, General Secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC), Capt Amarinder Singh, PPCC chief, and senior Congress leader Santokh Singh Randhawa. Addressing a Press conference Capt Amarinder Singh alleged the Akali Dal Badal government had failed to redress the economic problems faced by the urban and rural poor. The PPCC chief alleged that 135 farmers had committed suicide since the Akali Dal took over on June 11, 1997. The state government had promised the electorate of making Punjab a golden adarsh state. But instead Mr Badal had hiked the bus fares by 44 per cent and the power tariff by 15 per cent. Capt Amarinder Singh said if the Lok Pal found the Congressmen guilty of corruption in the cases pending with the Lok Pal, the party would take action against them. Prior to the Press
conference, a rally was held in front of the Deputy
Commissioner's office, and a memorandum was submitted to
the Deputy Commissioner. |
||
Power generation affected BATHINDA, Aug 7 — An increase in the load of the first unit of Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) has affected its generation capacity. Official sources said the first unit had been daily producing about 42 lakh units of electricity against its capacity of 50 lakh units. Mr T.L. Paika, Chief Engineer, GHTP, while talking to TNS, said the first unit would not be able to achieve its full generation capacity unless the load came down. He said there was no other problem in the unit. On the other hand, the PSEB Engineers Association claimed that its work-to-rule strike, which entered in the 12th day today, had affected the generation of the first unit. They also claimed that the
work-to-rule strike had also delayed the commissioning of
the second unit of the GHTP scheduled for next month. |
||
Gurdwara poll tomorrow LUDHIANA, Aug 7 — The district administration is prepared for the the elections to various local gurdwara management committees scheduled for August 9, said the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Goel, here yesterday. He said polling would be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The counting will begin immediately after the poll and the results declared on August 11. He said 99 polling stations had been made and some 400 employees and 15 officers put on duty for the polling.
4 PAU vets selected for award LUDHIANA, Aug 7 — The Indian Veterinary Association has awarded the Dr S.J. Angelo Memorial Prize to four P.A.U. veterinary surgeons — Dr P.S. Bansal, Assistant Professor, Dr V.K. Sobiti, Professor-cum-Head of the Department of Surgery and Radiology, Dr D.C. Dhablania, Professor, and Dr Balwinder Singh, former Assistant Professor — for their clinical work on reticular fistula in buffalo. The award will be presented at the annual conference and general body meeting of the association to be held in September at Chennai. The Indian Council of
Agricultural Research has already established a Centre of
Advanced Studies in the Department of Veterinary Surgery
and Radiology, PAU, to conduct the research and train the
faculty of various institutions in the country in
veterinary surgery and radiology. |
||
Road safety rally AMRITSAR, Aug 7 — The "Road safety — need of the hour" rally, organised by the CBSE schools here, was flagged off today by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr G.S. Sahota. The rally was sponsored by the Union Home Ministry of Surface Transport to create awareness among the youth for road safety and traffic regulations. The SSP said because of the increasing number of vehicles on the roads, it was important to follow the safety guidelines. Mrs V. Puri, Principal,
DAV Public School, and coordinator of the rally, said
traffic regulations should become part of the teaching
process. |
||
 |
 |
|
 |
| Nation
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Stocks | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
