Thursday, December 23, 1999
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Thursday, December 23, 1999 |
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PSEB a ‘victim’ of govt apathy CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — The Punjab State Electricity Board has once again become a "victim" of vacillation and indecisiveness on the past of the state government, which is unable to make up its mind on board appointments. |
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Plan to protect three designated
wetlands Tohra turns up for Ravi
Inder’s meeting Take action against Ravi Inder
‘forthwith’ PUDA nets 8 cr in auction Recovery of farmers’ loans
suspended CPI leader writes to PM on scam Talks on Nanakshahi calendar today PM criticised on reservation issue Students burn Badal’s effigy Cong leader for expulsion of
Manjinder Singh 60 pc complaints against police:
rights panel Welfare projects: UK spends £ 100
m Morcha chief’s stress on
enrolment Protest against liquor shops March heralds Xmas season |
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PSEB a ‘victim’ of
govt apathy CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — The Punjab State Electricity Board has once again become a "victim" of vacillation and indecisiveness on the past of the state government, which is unable to make up its mind on board appointments. While frequent shuffling of the Chairman of the board has dogged its functioning, even the state government has dithered about making regular appointment of its members. In fact the board virtually is a state within the state having more than one lakh employees and its budget running into crores. It has received a startlingly shocking and shabby treatment from the successive popular governments as far as appointment of the chairman is concerned. In the past nine years, the PSEB had as many as (hold your breath) nine chairmen. Among these only Mr H.S. Baweja completed a full tenure of a little over three years. At least two chairmen had a tenure of less than six month. Mr G.P.S. Shahi, a senior IAS, who remained Chairman of the PSEB for about two months starting in March, 1991, was replaced by Mr Baweja, who took over in April, 1991, and continued till August, 1994. Following the expiry of his term, Mr R.N. Gupta, another senior IAS officer, was drafted as chairman. In less than two years, Mr Gupta was substituted by Mr A.S. Chatha, who had hardly cooled his heels for about one year when he was succeeded by another IAS officer, Mr Jai Singh Gill. Mr Gill manned the board for five months when he was replaced by a political heavyweight, Mr S.S. Dhindsa. As Dhindsa was elevated to the Rajya Sabha within seven months of his taking over, the vacuum was filled by Mr Bikramjit Singh. In less than four months, Mr Bikramjit Singh was succeeded by Mr S.K. Tuteja. After having a "respectable" innings of one year and five months, Mr Tuteja went on deputation to the Centre. Again Mr Bikramjit Singh took over as chairman, though temporarily. The Punjab Government is looking for a "suitable" person for substituting Mr Bikramjit Singh and appointing a new PSEB chairman. When contacted in this connection, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, told TNS that the appointment of the new chairman would be made soon. "We have already started a search to appoint a new chairman and a decision will be taken in three to four days. The authorities concerned in the Punjab Government knew in advance that Mr Tuteja will proceed on deputation to the Centre in the second week of December but continued to vacillate on his replacement. Already, the Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers’ Association has made it clear to the state government that it wanted a technocrat as chairman of the board. Except Mr Baweja, no one was a technocrat among the succeeding chairmen. The association had conveyed its preference to Mr Badal when he went to Patiala on November 14 to address the general body meeting of association. Informed sources said the state government had sounded certain technocrats in Delhi for appointment as chairman of the PSEB. One of them is a former chairman of the National Thermal Power Corporation. One former chairman of the Bhakra Beas Management Board was also reportedly offered the job. Whether any of them have accepted the offer or not it is not known so far. When TNS asked Mr Badal whose name he has in his mind for the appointment, he said: "You will come to know about this shortly". But he neither disclosed the name nor gave any hint that whether a technocrat or any other person will be appointed". Quizzed as to why such an ad hoc policy was being adopted in case of board appointments, Mr Badal said that Mr Tuteja was supposed to continue as Chairman for a full term but he went on a deputation to Delhi. Informed sources said that two board members were also in the race for the post of Chairman. The engineers association has also told Mr Badal that the board was more important than the cadre. It wanted that a clean and honest person should be appointed as chairman as the PSEB was an organisation playing a key role in the state’s economy. What has surprised all concerned is the state government’s search for a PSEB chairman in Delhi. "The PSEB has most talented engineers on its rolls and some had retired in recent years and months were known for their honesty and efficiency. They know the board’s functioning as the back of their palm", said a senior bureaucrat. Any of them suitable to the government could be chosen for appointment and where is the need to beat about the bush in Delhi and elsewhere?" Leave the appointment of
the chairman aside. Even two members of the board are
working on a purely temporary basis. Mr Kirpal Singh Gill
and Mr Karam Singh Dhillon, both members of the PSEB, had
completed their terms in March but they were asked to
continue till further orders . Have anyone seen or heard
about such ad hocism?, asked a senior functionary of the
PSEB engineers association. |
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Master plan for Chamkaur Sahib CHAMKAUR SAHIB, Dec 22 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today announced that a master-plan for the all-round development of this historic town would be prepared in two months. This would be made in consultation with the local residents. Mr Badal was addressing a religious congregation organised on the occasion of the Shaheedi Jor Mela held at Gurdwara Katalgarh Sahib here. He said that he would send a team of renowned architects and town planners here for the purpose. They would prepare schemes as per the desires and requirements of the residents. He also announced that after the preparation of the master plan, the development work would start on a war footing. The Chief Minister announced that the state government had also decided to get all development works done in villages through the village panchayats in place of government agencies. This step would help in preventing pilferage of funds at various levels. He also exhorted the public to contribute to the development of the state. He accused the Congress party of doing injustice to the state in the past about 45 years. The Congress had not solved the issues of the state, like the transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab, the river water disputes etc, he claimed. Lashing out at the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, Mr Badal alleged that they fielded persons against the SAD candidates in the recent parliamentary elections to ensure the victory of the Congress. Bibi Jagir Kaur, President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), announced the setting up of a girls college here. She said in this college the SGPC would introduce a Bachelor of Information Technology course. She responded to the demand made by Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu, MLA, Chamkaur Sahib, in this regard. Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, justified the introduction of the ‘sikhiya karmi’ scheme in the state, saying that earlier all political parties had supported it but now the same parties were opposing it for political benefit. He also alleged these parties had been misleading the ETT students. He told students that the state government was ready to hold talks to resolve the issue. Mrs Satwant Kaur demanded subdivision status for Chamkaur Sahib from the Chief Minister. Among those who
addressed the gathering were Jathedar Jagdev Singh
Talwandi, Vice-President of the SAD; Mr Gurdev Singh
Badal, Mr Sucha Singh Langah and Mr Gobind Singh Kanjla,
all ministers of the state. |
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New millennium may tax
farmers BATHINDA, Dec 22 — The next millennium seems to have become more taxing for farmers of Punjab, a majority of whom are already reeling under heavy debts, as the standing committee of state Finance Ministers has proposed the imposition of 4 per cent sales tax on chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, insecticides, poultry feed and cattle feed with effect from January 1, 2000. These commodities, which are at present exempted from the sales tax, were placed at the floor level of 4 per cent at the meeting of the committee of state Finance Ministers held at Delhi on December 20. Sources said the farmers of Punjab whose economy was in a bad shape due to the increase in the cost of agricultural inputs and decrease in the output would have to pay about Rs 60 crore per annum from their pockets from January 1. They said at present 20 lakh tonnes of urea worth Rs 800 crore, 5 lakh tonnes of DAP fertiliser worth Rs 400 crore, zinc sulphate, super phosphate and MOP fertilisers worth Rs 100 crore and pesticides and insecticides worth Rs 300 crore were being used annually. The sales tax on these items came out to be about Rs 60 crore. The sources said Punjab was the only state where there was no sales tax on the items related to agriculture sector. The previous Congress government had exempted pesticides and insecticides from the sales tax. They said Bathinda had become the sale centre of big companies dealing in fertilisers and pesticides over the past few years as these commodities had been exempted from the sales tax. These companies were sending these items worth hundreds of crores of rupees to other states, including Haryana and Rajasthan, from here. Mr Narinder Mittal, member of the Punjab State Pesticides and Seed Dealers Association, told TNS that all companies would shift their business to other states which would affect the transport and labour sectors adversely. He pointed out that about 2,000 dealers who were attached to the fertiliser and pesticides business would have to face harassment at the hands of officials of the Sales Tax Department when these commodities came under the net of sales tax. Mr Amritapal Singh Brar, President, Punjab Young Farmers Federation, said agricultural commodities should not be brought under the sales tax net. As the farmers were already feeling the pinch of the hike in diesel prices. Mr Kewal Krishan
Aggarwal, General Secretary, DCC, alleged that the
SAD-BJP combine government which claimed itself as a
"champion of farmers" cause had now exposed
itself. |
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Plan to protect three
designated wetlands CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — An integrated programme for conservation and management of the three designated wetlands in Punjab, Harike (Ferozepore), Kanjli (Kapurthala) and Ropar, was drawn up here today at a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Mann. In line with the approach at the national and international level, the government is determined that the ecological balance created by the wetlands must be preserved. A comprehensive proposal for eco-development of Harike Wetland of Rs 48.5 crore was recently submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests for World Bank funding, says a press note. The proposal seeks to strengthen the on-going environmental programmes, including afforestation, and protection of wildlife, control of water hyacinth and other weeds, conservation of soils and water quality and introduction of eco-tourism. The government recognised that a multi-disciplinary approach required the active involvement of numerous departments, especially the Department of Irrigation, in respect of assured flow of water and control of weeds and desilting. As the nodal agency for environment, the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology was directed to prepare a special report in consultation with the Irrigation department for augmenting the flow of water in Kali Bein, which provides bathing water for devotees in Gurdwara Ber Sahib at Sultanpur Lodhi while the department of Wildlife is to upgrade the habitat for migratory birds and create conducive environment for wild life The committee decided
that eco-tourism must be promoted systematically with the
creation of nature parks and trials for science education
in schools and colleges, and for bird watchers. |
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Tohra turns up for Ravi
Inder’s meeting CHAMKAUR SAHIB, Dec 22 — Mr Ravi Inder Singh, MLA, Morinda, and a suspended SAD leader did not turn up for a function, organised by him today at the local Baba Ajit Singh Jujhar Singh Khalsa Senior Secondary School. The school is run under the management of Mr Ravi Inder Singh. Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SHSAD chief honoured the invitation of Mr Ravi Inder Singh and turned up at the meeting. The school is adjacent to the Gurdwara Katalgarh Sahib here, where the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and his party leaders addressed a religious congregation today. The school function turned into a political conference. Jathedar Tohra and his men made political speeches. Jathedar Tohra said the people would not allow Mr Parkash Singh Badal to make any of his relative or son the Chief Minister of Punjab as none of them, including Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, had made any sacrifice for the Panth. Mr Tohra also accused Mr Badal of not raising any issue of the State with the BJP-led Central Government. He said Mr Badal had failed to raise issues concerning the State which included the transfer of Chandigarh and Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab. Mr Tohra said Mr Badal should not expand his ministry only to accommodate his supporter MLAs because the State was passing through financial crisis. He also asked Mr Badal not to travel by helicopter. Mr Tohra also condemned repression on the ETT students and said when a large number of ETT teachers posts were lying vacant, the State Government should accommodate unemployed ETT students in place of ‘Sikhiya Karmis’. Besides Mr Tohra, other
who addressed the gathering included Col Jasmer Singh
Bala (retd), a member of the SHSAD working committee; Mr
Prem Singh Chandumajra, Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar, Mr
Sucha Singh Chottepur, Mr Karnail Singh Panjoli and Mr
Ujjagar Singh Wadali. |
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Take action against Ravi
Inder ‘forthwith’ CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — Yet another statement was issued today by supporters of Mr Parkash Singh Badal against a former Speaker, Mr Ravi Inder Singh. Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Mr Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Mr Rattan Singh, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Mr Sucha Singh Langah, all ministers, in a statement here today urged Mr Badal to take action against Mr Ravi Inder immediately. These leaders met the Chief Minister to demand action against Mr Ravi Inder. The statement was today
issued to the press by Secretary of the Shiromani Akali
Dal, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar. |
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PUDA nets 8 cr in auction LUDHIANA, Dec 22 — In the first ever auction of a piece of vacant government land in the city today, under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land Scheme, the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) has added Rs 8.05 crore to the state’s coffees. This is the second auction conducted by PUDA in the state. The first auction of a property at Jalandhar earlier thihs month had fetched Rs 6.85 crore. The commercial site, measuring 7,889 square yards and located on the G.T. Road, opposite the railway station, was sold to the highest bidder, M/S Gazebo Developers Private Limited. PUDA had fixed the reserve price for this land at Rs 7.889 crore. Only three bidders took part in the auction. Before the auction began, the bidders were heard expressing displeasure over the terms and conditions for selling the land to private developers, especially the ones relating to ground coverage of only 50 per cent of land and the use of basement for parking purposes only. They were also cribbing about the poor accessibility to the site from the G.T. Road because of encroachments at the entrance. The Additional Chief
Administrator, PUDA, Ms Jaspreet Talwar, said he reserve
price, which was much less than the existing market
rates, had been fixed after a pre-feasibility study had
been conducted by private consultants — Richard
Ellis — as pointed out by the municipal corporation
to PUDA. She said a reasonable price had been fixed
keeping in view the accessibility, encroachments and the
time span given to the bidders for making the entire
payment. |
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Recovery of farmers’ loans
suspended BATHINDA, Dec 22 — The Primary Agriculture Development Bank authorities in this district have suspended the recovery of loans given to farmers following a gherao of the bank at Rampuraphul by activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta). Official sources said that the district administration had yesterday asked the bank authorities to suspend the recovery of loans to farmers for at least six months after they reached a compromise with the activists of the BKU (Ekta), who had gheraoed the bank on Monday. The activists, had lifted the gherao only when a senior official announced publicly that no recovery of farmers’ loans would be made during the current season. With this decision of the district administration, the bank authorities would have to leave about 400 farmers out of the total 500 farmers whose warrants were issued as they fell in the farming sector category. Mr Nand Singh Sandhu, Manager, PADB, Bathinda, said that the recovery for the non-farming sector loan would continue and the defaulters would be arrested. The balance sheets of the bank would start showing losses if the instalments of loans due this season were not recovered from the farmers falling in the farming and non-farming sectors. The bank authorities did not press any farmer to deposit the instalment of their respective loans in the past two years as their crop was not good. Mr Natha Singh, District
Treasurer, BKU (Ekta), in a press note issued here said
that farmers held a victory rally at Rampura after the
district administration promised to suspend the recovery
of loans to the farming sector. |
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CPI leader writes to PM on
scam BATHINDA, Dec 22 — Mr Jagjit Singh Joga, Member, state council of the CPI, Punjab, in a letter to Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee has asked him why the Punjab Government had not taken action against state Irrigation Minister. Sikander Singh maluka for allegedly trying to hush up an inquiry into a scam. Copies of the letter were released to mediapersons here yesterday. Mr Joga pointed out that the state government had not "expelled" Mr Maluka so far, despite the fact that 11 officers of the Bathinda district administration had passed a resolution alleging that Mr Maluka had tried to hush up the scam. He alleged the government had punished Deputy commissioner S.R. Ladhar and SSP Harnek Singh Sran for the resolution against the minister and transferred them but no action against Mr Maluka had been initiated. He said the Punjab Government should order a CBI probe into all works of the Irrigation Department executed in the past few years. He said contractors involved in the Rs 2.5 crore irrigation scam had earlier executed various works related to the eradication of waterlogging in Muktsar district on which crores had been spent. Perhaps the Chief Minister had not asked the Irrigation minister to resign from his post or in the existing political situation the Chief Minister to take such a step, he said. He also demanded that
the chief minister into the assets "amassed" by
ruling politicians. |
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Talks on Nanakshahi calendar
today AMRITSAR, Dec 22 — The Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh, and the President of the SGPC, Bibi Jagir Kaur, have called separate meetings tomorrow to find an amicable solution of the contentious issue of the Nanakshahi calendar. According to sources close to the Jathedar, the meeting would be attended by all five head priests, members of the SGPC, respresentatives of various panthic organisations, sant samaj and others. In addition, the SGPC executive, which is also meeting here tomorrow at 11 a.m., would take the views of a cross-section of the Sikh intelligentsia and others to reach a consensus so that the new calendar’s printing could begin. Interestingly, the creator of the new calendar based on the solar system followed by the western world, Mr Pal Singh Purewal, a Sikh intellectual based in Canada, has been specially invited by the SGPC to present his views on his new calendar, which has fixed dates. However, opposing the complete shift from the earlier ‘maryada’, the votaries of the old school of thought contend that from its very inception, the Sikh gurus had followed the lunar system of fixing dates based on Bikrami Samvat, wherein the dates of all gurpurbs, shaheedi days and historic occasions are determined afresh every year. This calendar had been followed for centuries. The SGPC feels that the old system has created numerous difficulties for instance, certain occasions were observed twice a year. The martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur, for example, it was celebrated twice in 20 days this year — on November 24 and December 13. This confusion has affected the credibility of the supreme Sikh governing body, the SGPC feels. Giani Puran Singh has reportedly received numerous suggestions about the historic dates, with a majority of the people seeking status quo, as per the old Sikh traditions. At a meeting called by Giani Puran Singh on November 4 at Akal Takht it was decreed that the implementation of the controversial Nanakshahi calendar be suspended till the entire Sikh community reached a consensus on the issue. Earlier, the unanimous resolution passed by the SGPC to implement the calendar at its meeting held on April 20 this year had created a furore in the Sikh community throughout the world and led to a move by the Jathedar to ban its printing till the views of all Panthic organisations and Sikh intellectuals were obtained. At the last meeting, Sikh intellectuals and sants had expressed opposite views on the calendar. The five head priests, who had attended the meeting, had requested the masses to celebrate all gurpurbs and other events related to the Sikhs as per the previous calendar till the issue was settled. The pro-Badal Sant Samaj of Kashmira Singh too had opposed the implementation of the new calendar having fixed dates. The calendar issue, which had become a topic of heated discussions between the detractors of the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and his supporters, may be an acid test for the Chief Minister. The likely confrontation between Bibi Jagir Kaur and the Sikh clergy on this issue may snowball into a major embarrassment for Mr Badal. In an apparent
afterthought, the SGPC has changed the timing of the
meeting to 1 pm from 11 am so that the recommendations of
the meeting called by the Akal Takht Jathedar can be
incorporated in the Nanakshahi calendar to resolve the
crisis. |
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PM criticised on
reservation issue GURDASPUR, Dec 22 — Employees and students belonging to the general category participated in a rally held here today under the aegis of the district unit of the State General Categories Welfare Federation in protest against the "dilly-dallying attitude" of the government to implement the judgement of the Supreme Court regarding reservation. The Punjab Government has directed the heads of departments in the state to implement the judgement of Justice Ajit Singh Janjua delivered on September 16, this year. Mr Shyam Lal Sharma and Mr Prabhjit Singh, president and senior vice-president of the federation, respectively, addressed the rally. Mr Sharma criticised the statement of the Prime Minister in which he had said the Constitution would be amended to nullity the decision of the Supreme Court. He accused the Prime Minister of betraying the interests of those belonging to the general category and undermining the decision of the Supreme Court. Mr Sharma said the
federation was against caste-based reservation. |
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Students burn Badal’s effigy BATHINDA, Dec 22 — Hundreds of students of the ETT course and activists of various opposition parties today burnt the effigy of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, in front of the district administration office complex here in protest against the lathi charge on students at Ropar recently. The protesters, who also held a rally, raised slogans against the Chief Minister and termed the lathi charge as a barbaric act. They demanded that the policemen involved in the lathi charge should be arrested after registering criminal cases against them. The protesters were stopped by the police in front of the gate of the district administration office complex. Heavy security arrangements were made to prevent any untoward incident. Mr Surinder Kapoor, a
former minister, Mr Darshan Mehraj, District Secretary,
CPM, and Mr Sampooran Singh, president, Thermal Employees
Federation, addressed the gathering apart from students. |
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Cong leader for expulsion of TARN TARAN, Dec 22 — The Congress leader and former Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Mr Dilbag Singh Dalake, in a letter to party President Sonia Gandhi, had demanded the expulsion of SAD-turned Congress leader Manjinder Singh Behla for leading a deputation to submit a letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Puran Singh to summon Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for expelling SAD leader Ravi Inder Singh. Mr Dalake said Mr Behla remained in the SAD for 30 years and could not be a real Congressman as his sympathy would be with Mr Ravi Inder Singh. He alleged that Mr Behla
only joined the Congress due to his friendship with PPCC
chief Amarinder Singh and had nothing to do with the
Congress ideology. |
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60 pc complaints against
police: PHILLAUR, Dec 22 — The Punjab State Human Rights Commission Additional Director-General, Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, has said he has not yet received orders from the commission to inquire into complaints lodged with it against the police by Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwarpal Singh. Talking to this correspondent here today, he said he had read about it only in newspapers. He admitted that the commission received more than 60 per cent complaints against the police. He said the commission
had selected Ludhiana for a special project on child
labour, adding that efforts would be made to ensure there
was no child labour in hazardous industrial units. He
said more than five crore child labourers were working in
the country. |
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Welfare projects: UK spends £
100 m PHILLAUR, Dec 22 — The British Government is spending £ 100 million for different development projects in Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Mr Adam Noble, First Secretary, Political, British High Commission in India, told this to this correspondent here yesterday. He said the British Government was spending £ 20,000 on an Indo-British project on children's rights and child protection in India. He stressed the need for multi-lateral efforts for bringing awareness about social justice, child rights and atrocities against women. Mr Noble said the
project on children's rights was an excellent example of
what could be achieved through joint efforts. |
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Chawla questions govt on aided
colleges AMRITSAR, Dec 22 — Ms Luxmi Kanta Chawla, MLA, has demanded an answer from the government regarding the "stepmotherly" treatment meted out to government-aided private colleges. She said these colleges had not been given grants since the past several months as a result employees of these institutions had not been given their salaries. She questioned the
government whether education was on its priority agenda
and if the government was in such a financial crisis why
were ministers who flew in helicopters not been ordered
to take austerity measures. |
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Morcha chief’s stress on
enrolment BATHINDA, Dec 22 — Mrs Saroj Malhotra, President, BJP Mahila Morcha, Punjab, today urged the party workers to enrol maximum number of women in the party. Addressing a meeting of the activists of the morcha here she said the prime duty of the workers was to solve the problems of women and to work for their uplift. She added that women should be educated about their rights. Mrs Gurinderpal Kaur
Mangat, district President, BJP Mahila Morcha, also
addressed the meeting. |
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MC demolishes 20 shops KAPURTHALA, Dec 22 — The local municipal council today carried out a demolition exercise of a big commercial market on the Mall with the help of the police. Roofs of more than 20 shops were demolished on the first floor. The demolition was carried out under the supervision of Mr N.S. Baath, SDM, and Mr Raj Kumar Mittal, Executive Officer of the local municipal council. Mr Mittal told newspersons that the market had been constructed unauthorisedly. He said as per the records of the council, no one was the owner and the demolition was carried out after giving legal notices. However, Mr Jasbir Singh
of Jalandhar showed relevant papers of ownership of the
market to Mr Baath and Mr Mittal and the officers then
stopped the demolition work on an undertaking of the
owner that he was ready to enter into a compromise with
the council. |
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Protest against liquor shops AMRITSAR, Dec 22 — The BJP MLA, Mrs Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, today led a large number of people to stage a dharna in front of Beri Gate for the removal of liquor shops outside schools and colleges. Later, talking to newsmen, she lashed out at the state government for allowing the shops to open near religious and educational institutions. She pointed out that at the Grievances Committee meeting held on July 1, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, had directed the removal of liquor shops outside Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nawankot. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Narinderjit Singh, during his visit to the school last week had got the liquor shop locked personally but much to the chagrin of the administration, the shop has opened again. She condemned the Department of Excise and Taxation for acting against the orders of the minister and the DC. Mrs Chawla urged the government to draw a clear-cut policy for allotting vends in the city. The BJP MLA added that
she would continue with her dharna till the complete
removal all four shops outside the school and college in
the city by December 31. |
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March heralds Xmas season JALANDHAR, Dec 22 — A procession marked the onset of Christmas festivities here today. The procession started from the Defence Colony and concluded at the PNB chowk here after passing through different parts of the city. Delivering the Christmas message, the Right Reverend Catholic Bishop, Dr Symphorian Keeprath, stressed that forgiveness and truth should be the guiding principles of one’s life and Christians should resolve to follow these with greater intensity in the next millennium. A number of Christian
organisations, including Church of North India, Seventh
Day Adventists, Salvation Army and Pentecostal Group,
participated in the procession, which was greeted by
people from all walks of life. |
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Protest march by entrepreneurs TARN TARAN, Dec 22
— On the call given by the Goindwal Industries
Welfare Association entrepreneurs of the country’s
first nucleus industrial complex along with hundreds of
workers of the complex, employees and officials of
industrial units, panches, sarpanches and other
representatives of different political parties,
especially those of the ruling SAD, organised a protest
march today from the industrial complex of Goindwal Sahib
to the court of the SDM, Khadoor Sahib, against the
alleged locking up of industrial units and to check the
ruin of the complex by the government. Mr Jatinder Pal
Singh Dhillon, chairman of the association, led the march
while the other office-bearers of the association
addressed the participants. |
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Changing venue a mistake: SHSAD CHANDIGARH, Dec 22 — The Sarab Hind Shiromani Akali Dal in a statement here today said the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur, and Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal were making baseless allegations against the party. The General Secretary of the SHSAD, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, said it was the right of the SHSAD to hold a political conference at a place allotted to it at Fatehgarh Sahib. "There was no political stunt behind this". Mr Chandumajra said the
SGPC authorities had made a big mistake by changing the
venue of the SHSAD's conference. |
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Parents allege paper leak PATIALA, Dec 22 — Parents of candidates appearing in the all-India talent search examination held on December 19 alleged that a paper was leaked at a school in Samana. In a letter to the Chairman of the Children Education Trust of India, New Delhi, they alleged that the Model Senior Secondary School, Samana, the controller of the examination took a question paper booklet outside and returned after 35 minutes with xerox copies. They said when they objected to it, the controller said he was competent to do it. They urged the trust to
conduct a re-examination at the Samana centre and take
action against the controller. |
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Board urged to postpone test PATIALA, Dec 22 — A number of students yesterday urged the Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board to postpone the excise and taxation inspectors test scheduled for December 26 as it clashes with the UGC-conducted NET/JRF examination. In a press note signed
by several students appearing in both tests, the Board
has been requested to change the date as the UGC test was
announced much earlier. The students said if the tests
were held on the same date then many aspirants would lose
employment opportunity. |
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UNCR ‘protecting’
refugees’ rights PHILLAUR, Dec 22 — The United Nation Commission for Refugees (UNCR) is working to protect human rights of refugees of those countries which are gripped in war. This was stated by Ms Sumbul Rizvi Khan, expert of UNCR, here today. She said the UNCR was working in 106 countries, adding that only 16,350 refugees from Afghanistan and Sudan had taken refugee in India. She said every agency
dealing with refugee issues should be aware of the basic
human rights of refugees and ensure their rehabilitation. |
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Book released AMRITSAR, Dec 22 — A book "Gur-Sikhi Jeevan" written by Mr Surinderjit Singh Pall, Commissioner of Income Tax, Amritsar and Jammu and Kashmir, was released by Mr H.S.Soch, Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, at a function held here on Monday. The book describes
important ceremonies, rules and regulations which should
be followed by a Gur-Sikh in accordance with the tenets
enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. |
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