Saturday, December 19, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Saturday, December 19, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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SSP
directed to register case Khalra
case: CBI told to file reply Bank
guarantees for pollution check devices |
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Docs
threaten stir |
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Residents
air grievances
CBI
ex-chief to talk on current situation CM
woos chief of Akhand Kirtani Jatha Beautification
plan 'bunch of lies' |
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| ‘Siropas’ presented to INS team | |
Varsity teachers' bodies flay Tohra |
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SSP directed
to register case CHANDIGARH, Dec 18 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the S.S.P. of Ropar to register a criminal case under Sections 302 (read with 364 and 342), I.P.C., with regard to the death of Darshan Singh Dalla, an alleged militant of Ludhiana. Mr Justice R.L. Anand, who handed down the order, ordered that the investigation of this case be handed over to the crime branch of the Chandigarh Police "which shall make necessary investigation into the matter and complete the same within six months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order." As for compensation and exemplary cost to the petitioner, "this court shall like to wait for the result of the investigation. This prayer of the petitioner stands deferred till I receive the outcome of the investigation." Mr D.S. Gill, a Ludhiana-based advocate, had earlier filed a writ petition seeking production of Dalla. He had named the state of Punjab, the Union of India, the S.S.P.s of Ropar and Hoshiarpur, among others, as respondents. "Even with the lapse of time Dalla had not been produced before any court of competent jurisdiction. Therefore reasonable inference should be drawn that either he had been eliminated when he was in police custody, or his presence is still being withheld." All these matters require investigation, the Judge held. The respondents, however,
denied the allegations. |
Khalra
case: CBI told to file reply PATIALA, Dec 18 — The District and Sessions Judge, Mr KS Garewal, today directed the CBI to file a detailed reply by January 15,1999, to the charge of the prosecution that it was delaying the Jaswant Singh Khalra disappearance case trial. Giving his verdict after a reply filed by the CBI urging the court to give it four months to further investigate the case, Mr Garewal said, this period is too long. While ordering that the case be put up for hearing on January 22, Mr Garewal ordered the CBI to file a detailed and specific reply to the application submitted by the prosecution. The judge also ordered that the investigating officer be present on the next hearing of the case. All the eight accused were present in the court during the hearing. Mr Garewal was taking up the reply to an application of prosecution counsel Brijinder Singh Sodhi on November 12 alleging that the CBI was not producing the fresh statement of special police officer (SPO) Kuldeep Singh, Mr Sodhi alleged that though the statement of Kuldeep Singh was recorded in March this year and adequate security provided to him, the CBI was not producing the statement which would necessitate the preparation of supplementary challans. The prosecution had also sought a direction to the CBI to present supplementary challans in the light of Kuldeep Singh's statement accusing former Director-General of Police KPS Gill and three other police officers of being conspirators in the crime. Mrs Paramjit Kaur Khalra,
wife of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human right activist, had
moved the Supreme Court for the registration of a case
against the police officers allegedly responsible for the
disappearance of her husband who had exposed the mass
cremations of nearly 2,500 youths allegedly killed in
fake encounters about six years ago. |
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Bank
guarantees for pollution check devices PATIALA, Dec 18 — Industrial units of Punjab will have to submit bank guarantees for the installation and operation of pollution control devices. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the State Pollution Control Board, its Chairman F. Lal Kansal said here today. He said each industry would have to submit a bank guarantee for a certain amount equivalent to the estimated operational cost of an effluent treatment plant or air pollution control device per month. The bank guarantee would be furnished at the time of grant of consent and would be valid up to March 31 of every year. Mr Kansal said if any industry was found not operating its treatment plant or air pollution device during surprise checking by board officials, the bank guarantee of the industry would be forfeited and it would be asked to submit a further bank guarantee double the amount. He said in case the second bank guarantee was also forfeited, closure proceedings under the relevant Acts would be initiated against the industry concerned. The Pollution Control Board Chairman said a decision regarding the discharge of effluent by the industry into drains, streams, nullahs and choes in the state had also been taken. He said the industry would not be allowed to discharge effluent with bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) more than 30 MG per litre in to the perennial drains and not more than 10 MG per litre in the non-perennial drains. According to Mr Kansal, the board had framed guidelines for hot mix plants. It had been decided that hot mix plant would be installed 5 km beyond the municipal corporation limits, 2 km beyond Class A municipalities, 1 km beyond the other municipal councils and 500 meters beyond the "lal dora" in case of villages. He said these plants would be installed 500 meters beyond the national highway, 300 meters beyond the state highway and 300 meters beyond residential areas, educational institution and protected monuments. The board Chairman also informed that hospitals and nursing homes would have to seek authorisation from the board for safe and proper handling of bio-medical waste. Mr Kansal said the board
had ordered the closure of 46 industrial units for
violating various provisions of Acts during July to
November this year. Out of these, power connections had
been restored to 16 industrial units as they had
subsequently installed proper pollution control devices.
The Board had agreed not pursue prosecution proceedings
against three industries which had installed adequate
pollution control devices and were complying with the
provisions of various Acts, he added. |
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Security
officer or a DTO? AMRITSAR: Can a security officer of a university exercise the powers of a district transport officer so far as challaning of vehicles is concerned? The answer is yes if one goes by the contents of a "challan form", printed by the Guru Nanak Dev University press. The decision to impose fine for wrong parking or over speeding was taken by the Registrar on August 8, 1998. The forms were got printed by the security officer (officer in charge) of the university. However, Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar of the university, when contacted by the TNS said being an autonomous body, a university could impose 'fine' for wrong parking or overspeeding. He, however, said he had no knowledge about the printing of "challan forms" by the security officer. He further said being an autonomous body the university could impose a fine for such violations within the campus area and that it had no clash of powers with the District Transport Officer. On the other hand, Vice-Chancellor, Dr H.S. Soch, when contacted by this correspondent said he would direct the authorities concerned to immediately withdraw the "challan form". He, however, justified the imposing of fine on students for wrong parking and over-speeding. He said in foreign universities imposing of such fines was common. Heavy fine was imposed on the owners of vehicles if they parked them at a place other than the prescribed place within campus. Answering another question, Dr Soch said the university had to take this decision to regularise traffic within the university following a number of reports that the students were making nuisance by over-speeding and wrong parking. The imposition of the fine was a step to check such students. He said no student had been fined so far after the decision. On the other hand the "challan form" of the university did not mention the "speed limit". The imposition of fine is applicable for all types of vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers. Col. Arjun Singh, security
officer, while talking to TNS said the "challan
form" was not yet approved by the Registrar. |
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Residents
air grievances ROPAR, Dec 18 — A large number of persons aired their grievances today at a Sangat Darshan programme, organised by the district administration at Bharatgarh village, about 20 km from here. Mr Khushi Ram, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Ropar, presided over the programme. Residents from Bharatgarh, Sirsa Nangal, Gardale, Kharota, Avankot, Allowal, Majri Gujran, Jhakhian and Barra Pind aired their grievances. Residents of Bharatgarh complained that the water supply scheme in their village had not been completed. They also said the berms near the bus stand had not been strengthened. They also demanded a bye-pass from Bharatgarh to Kakrala, besides opening of an electricity bills collection centre in the village. Residents of Kharota village urged the administration to take measures for the opening of permanent gates, fixed near the railway line, so that residents could be directly connected with the Ropar-Anandpur Sahib main road. Residents of Gardale village complained that the rooms of the village school were in a dilapidated condition, buses rarely halted near the village, and there was a shortage of drinking water. Residents of Majri Gajran village said the Harijan Dharamshala and the school building were in a bad shape and needed repair. A person from Sirsa Nangal also spoke against encroachment in the village and complained that buses did not stop near their village. Besides this, residents of the villages also complained that link roads of their villages were not up to the mark and urged the administration to ensure the presence of doctors in dispensaries. A number of villagers also complained that old age pension had not been granted to them. They said, their cases had been rejected. After hearing the complaints, Mr Khushi Ram, ADC, announced that old age pension would be granted on priority basis following a review of the rejected cases. He said, earlier pension cases had been rejected on the basis of wrong entries of age. The ADC assured the
gathering that all issues, brought before them during the
programme would be considered seriously. |
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Mann gives memo to
minorities panel NEW DELHI, Dec18 — The President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Mr Simranjit Singh Mann met the Chairman of the National Minorities Commission here on Friday and handed over a memorandum on the recent attack on Guru Ram Das Academy near Dehradun. The delegation led by Mr Mann urged the Chairman of the Minorities Commission, Mr Tahir Mehmood to take steps to protect the fundamental rights of all minorities. The delegation voiced the apprehension that the “rights of the minorities are under the attack of right wing forces which are spreading their tentacles throughout the country.” The memorandum is based on the findings of a three-member delegation of the party which visited the GRD Academy to gather more facts about the attack. The party has requested the Chairman of the Minorities Commission to treat its report as a complaint. The party has alleged that
the district administration turned a deaf ear to pleas by
the school management to take steps to stop the
vandalism. They have alleged that the “Senior
Superintendent of Police did not react to the situation
till the entire episode was flashed by the media. |
Doctors
threaten to shut clinics BATHINDA, Dec 18 — Private doctors of the district have threatened to shut their clinics and hospitals in protest against the proposed Punjab Nursing Home Registration Act of the state government. In a press note issued here yesterday, Dr H.S. Gill, President, Indian Medical Association, Bathinda unit, said the decision in this regard was taken at an emergency meeting of the IMA held in the recent past. He alleged that the Punjab Government had drafted the proposed Act in a hurry without consulting any representative body of medical professionals and without considering the ground realities. He said private medical professionals, who were catering to the health needs of about 80 per cent of the population, were already facing hazards of the Consumer Protection Act and other litigations of the court. The enactment of any other law would suffocate the medical professionals and bring them under the "inspector raj." He pointed out that due to
financial problems it was extremely difficult to fulfil
the requirements of the Act to run a clinic or hospital
privately. He added that if the Act was implemented, the
medical treatment would go out of reach of the common man
and most of the private clinics and hospitals in Punjab
would close down. |
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Customs
& Excise on-line LUDHIANA, Dec 18 — Ludhiana will soon become the first Customs and Excise division in the country to have a highly automated on-line system of vigilance alert for timely intervention for redressal of grievances of excise assesses, exporters and importers in the country. Announcing this here today, Mr S.S. Jha, Commissioner of Central Excise, Chandigarh, told newsmen that the system would facilitate on-line access to an assessee with the designated officers who in turn had on-line access to the field officers of Customs and Excise. The aggrieved assessee or exporters or importers based in any part of the division could access the system on the designated website. At present, the complaint of an assessee was considered at the quarterly meetings of the grievances committee. With the launch of the on-line system, each officer would have to dispose of a case in a week. The system would not only bring about efficiency in the department but would also introduce transparency in its functioning. The necessary software was
being developed and the on-line system would be launched
within a month, added Mr Jha. |
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Rice
millers to meet CM LUDHIANA, Dec 18 — A deputation of the Punjab Rice Millers Association will shortly meet the Chief Minister and the Food and Supplies Minister, to press them to ask the Central government to allow relaxation in specification for the delivery of custom milled rice from the paddy crop of 1998-99 as has been allowed in the case of UP. In the case of Punjab, relaxation has been allowed for the paddy procured from October 27 onwards whereas in the case of UP the relaxation has been allowed for the paddy procured during the entire season. This step of the Central government amounts to stepmotherly treatment with the rice millers of Punjab, according to Mr Tarsem Saini, President of the Association. Punjab is the highest
producer of food in the country and delivers the maximum
foodgrains to the Central pool. Mr Bhagirath Lal,
Chairman of the Punjab Rice Millers Association, says
that rice milling industry of Punjab is passing through a
crisis for the past many years. This year the rice mills
of Punjab are lying closed due to the step-motherly
treatment of the Central government for not allowing
relaxation in specifications for the delivery of custom
milled rice. Levy rice for the crop year 1998-99 as the
stocks were damaged due to unseasonal rains. Rice millers
of Punjab are paying the minimum electricity charges up
to Rs 80,000 p.m. The rice millers of the state have
demanded relaxation of 4.5 per cent in damage, 8 per cent
in discolour and 27 per cent in broken for the entire
season from September 15 onward, and in the event of any
delay, the broken percentage will further increase after
March 31. The millers of Punjab will not be able to mill
the paddy and paddy worth crores of rupees will be spoilt
as was in the case in 1997-98. Ultimately it would be a
direct loss to the exchequer. |
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Halwais threaten strike on Dec 21 JALANDHAR, Dec 18 (PTI) — Halwais of Punjab today criticised the move to levy sales tax on sweets and declared a one-day strike on December 21 to force the government to drop the proposal. Punjab Halwai union secretary Ashok Mittal said the government was preparing to bring in a legislation in the coming winter session of the state assembly for imposing sales tax on all halwais and bakers with an annual turnover of above Rs 4.5 lakh. Urging the government to drop the proposal, the halwais and 'bakers said they would shut business on December 21 to register their protest. "Even sweets meant
for prasad at temples and gurdwaras will not be sold on
that day," they said and warned that an indefinite
strike would be launched if the government remained
adamant on imposition of the tax. |
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CBI
ex-chief to talk on current situation LUDHIANA, Dec 18 — Mr Joginder Singh, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), will speak on the current situation in the country at the annual day function of the Ludhiana Citizen Council here on December 20. Mr Darshan Arora and Mr
Ashok Juneja, Chairman and General Secretary of the
council, said several eminent personalities like Mr Vijay
Chopra, Editor, Hind Samachar, Group, Mrs Rekha Arora,
Artist, Mr Rajesh Sharma, Dr Iqbal Ahuja and Mr Varinder
Kumar, SSP, would be honoured at the function. |
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AMRITSAR, Dec 18 (UNI) — The Chinese Ambassador to India, Mr Zhao Jang, today called for closer cooperation between India and China. The Ambassador, who was on a day's visit to the holy city, paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Mandir. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee presented the Ambassador with a 'siropa' and the Durgiana Mandir Management Committee also honoured him. The Amabassador, who was accompanied by his wife and embassy officials, paid homage to the Independence martyrs at the Jallianwala Bagh complex. The Ambassador was invited
to the city by local members of the Indo-Chinese
Friendship Association. |
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Beautification
plan 'bunch of lies' ROPAR, Dec 18 — A former Municipal Commissioner, Mrs Amrit Kaur Bindra, has described the claims of the district administration as a bunch of lies for making the town clean and beautiful in view of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa. Mrs Bindra has stated that by making announcements in newspapers nothing could be achieved. She said goals could only be achieved by practising the promises in letter and spirit. The pathetic conditions of the local Giani Zail Singh Nagar, which was a colony of the town, were living proofs of her observations. The roads of the nagar were in a bad shape, she added. She said besides this, heaps of garbage could be seen in the town at many places, but, the administration seemed to be ignorant. The old bus stand here lacked basic amenities like men's toilets, tap water and sitting arrangements. She also accused the administration of demolishing urinals at the old bus stand in the name of beautification of the town. Mrs Bindra also appealed
to the Punjab Chief Minister to ask the district
administration to take care of the town in view of
tercentenary celebrations. |
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‘Siropas’
presented to INS team AMRITSAR, Dec 18 — A delegation of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) led by its president, Mr Mammen Mathew, Editor, Malayalam Manorama, visited the holy city yesterday. Both Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief G.S. Tohra held separate receptions for the delegates. The delegation was honoured at the Golden Temple with "siropas". At a reception for the delegation, the Chief Minister, unfazed by the developments in the Akali Dal, spoke about Punjab's preparations for the 21st century. The delegation also visited the Durgiana Temple and received felicitations from prominent citizens of the city. The delegation visited Jalianwala Bagh where Mr Mathew placed a wreath. The Mayor and other leading citizens were present. Earlier in the day, the
INS executive met at Jalandhar to discuss issues
confronting the newspaper industry. Himachal Pradesh
Chief Minister PK Dhumal specially drove to Jalandhar and
presented mementoes to INS members. |
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CM
woos chief of Akhand Kirtani Jatha AMRITSAR, Dec 18 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister, today held a closed door meeting with Bhai Ram Singh, Jathedar Akhand Kirtani Jatha International (AKJI), at his residence early today. Though sources in the state government claim that it was a 'courtesy call", yet the AKJI sources say Mr Badal discussed the present political crisis with Bhai Ram Singh and sought his cooperation. The meeting lasted 30 minutes. When contacted, Bhai Ram
Singh refused to comment on what transpired at the
meeting. |
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Amend
list of tax-free drugs: chemists' body BATHINDA, Dec 18 — The Punjab Chemists Association today urged the Financial Commissioner (Taxation), Mr C.L. Bains, to amend the list of tax-free drugs released by him yesterday. In a letter faxed to Mr Bains, Mr R.D. Gupta, General Secretary, Punjab Chemists Association, pointed out that many drugs included in the list were not lifesaving. Anti-leprosy, anti-epilepsy, anti-cancer and anti-TB drugs had not been included in the list. He said certain drugs on which tax had been waived were the branded drugs of particular companies. The same drug being manufactured by other companies had not been given tax exemption. Mr Gupta said the list of
tax-free drugs was released by the state government
without consulting the association. He pointed out that
taking yesterday's list into consideration it could be
said with certainty that the Punjab Government had
favoured certain companies not given any relief to the
comman man. |
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Villagers
fail to save sambhar KHARAR, Dec 18 — A wild sambhar, who came from Shivalik hills in nearby Tewar village could not be saved in spite of the best efforts made by the sarpanch and villagers. Giving this information here today Mr Mohinder Singh Hundal, Sarpanch of Tewar village said the sambhar was spotted by the villagers on December 16 at 12 noon. A large number of dogs followed the sambhar. He said the villagers after a brief struggle caught hold of the sambhar. The officers of the Wild Life Department, Ropar, were informed at about 1.30 p.m. He said the animal was
served fodder and water, but it died at about 3.25 p.m.
The animal was buried in the village yesterday. |
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Punjabi
varsity teachers' bodies flay Tohra PATIALA, Dec 18 — The on-going tussle between the warring Akali factions has spilled over into Punjabi University here with prominent organisations throwing their weight behind Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in what appeared to be the SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra's turf. The organisations include the Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA), Sikh Intelligentia Forum, United Teachers Front and Punjabi University Employees Association (Non-Teaching). All organisations have come out openly in the support of the Chief Minister. PUTA President Surinder Singh Khera said the Chief Minister had shown admirable guts by accepting the resignation of the five ministers who owed allegiance to the SGPC chief. Mr Tohra, he said, had tried to disintegrate the community and demanded that he be expelled from the SAD and be made to resign from the SGPC and the Rajya Sabha. In separate statements,
the Sikh Intelligentsia Forum and the Punjabi University
Non-Teaching Employees Association has also condemned Mr
Tohra's "behaviour" and supported the Badal-led
state government. Both organisations claimed that the
sidelining of Mr Tohra would curb "corruption in the
university." |
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Senior
citizens to get room FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 18 — Senior citizens here will be provided a well-equipped room, Mr T.R. Sarangal, Deputy Commissioner announced this at a meeting here today. The meeting was presided by Bibi Jagir Kaur Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development. She assured that free bus travel for above 55 retired employees was being considered. Medical allowance will also be increased and other pay commission recommendations for the pensioners would also be implemented. Mr Balwant Singh Sodhi,
President, Pensioners Welfare Association, demanded that
the Pay Commission recommendation regarding medical
allowance should be implemented. |
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