Wednesday, March 31, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Wednesday, March 31, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Punjab
Budget passed Auction
vends afresh: HC |
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Hospital
faces cash crises Land
allotment to PCA questioned Lead
poisoning kills cattle 20
sports schools to be opened: Uma Protest
against hike in octroi Affiliated
colleges Bill okayed Corporation
budget passed sans discussion Pendu
mazdoors hold dharna Phone
subscribers’ complaint "Save
education day" on April 5 ‘Safeguard’
farmers' water needs |
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Punjab Budget passed CHANDIGARH, March 30 — The Punjab Vidhan Sabha here today passed the Budget by voice vote. All demands for grants relating to the Budget estimates for the financial year 1999-2000 presented in the House by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, were passed by the House after a brief discussion. The house has adopted the Punjab Appropriation Bill, 1999, pertaining to Rs 19,218.61 crore moved by the Finance Minister. Taking part in the discussion in this connection, Mr Hardev Arshi, a leader of the CPI, urged the Punjab Government to make its official machinery active enough so that at least it responded to submissions made by the members of the house with regard to public issues. He said most of their submissions remain unanswered and top bureaucrats, especially officers of the ranks of Secretary or above considered it below their status to reply the demi-official letters sent to them in connection with public concerns. He said most of them violated the protocol when they ask their superintendents to send replies to MLAs. Earlier the House witnessed noisy scenes and dharna by the Congress MLAs inside the well over the issue of removed teachers. Chowdhary Jagjit Singh, Leader of the Opposition, while raising the issue of removed teachers said teachers were resorting to agitation and some of them were on an indefinite fast. The government should make a statement in the House on the issue. Mr Arshi and Mr Ajit Inder Singh Mafar (SAD-A) also raised this issue. However, the speaker said that the issue had already been discussed in the House and the Chief Minister had made a statement in this connection a few days ago in the Assembly. But Congress members continued to raise the issue and started waving- black flags in the House. They also started raising slogans. Members on the Treasury benches started counter-slogans, holding the previous Congress Government responsible for the problems faced by removed teachers. The Speaker made a request to the Congress MLAs to get back to their seats from the well and in the meantime, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, got up to assure the members that he was prepared to make a statement again on the issue. Mr Tota Singh, Punjab Education Minister, was also on his feet to speak on the issue. While Mt Tota Singh narrated the background of the issue and sought the cooperation of the Opposition to find a solution to the problem, Mr Badal while making a statement on the issue assured the Assembly that the government was examining the legal aspects to re-appoint the removed teachers. He said he had held a meeting with all senior officers of the Education department this morning to discuss what could be done in the case of removed teachers. The government wanted to resolve the issue, he added. Mr Madan Mohan Mittal,
Minister for Parliamentary affairs, reminded the Speaker
about setting up a committee of the House to find out who
was responsible for such a fate of the teachers. As many
as 1600 teachers were removed last year. |
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Auction vends afresh: HC CHANDIGARH, March 30 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Punjab Government to conduct a fresh auction of group Numbers 1 to 3 of the Faridkot Excise Circle on April 3 at the office of the Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Bathinda. This order was handed down by a Division Bench consisting of Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta and Mr Justice N.K. Agarwal following a statement made by the Punjab Advocate-General suggesting that to hammer out a solution to the controversy generated by Mangat Rai and Company and Mr Deep Malhotra, each claiming to have the highest bid at the fall of the hammer. The Advocate-General also told the court that a public notice regarding this auction would be issued in any event. So far as the petitioners were concerned, their counsel were given notice. He further stated that from April, 1 nobody would run the liquor vends of group Numbers 1 to 3 till the auction was over and licence issued. "Proceedings of the auction shall be video-taped as has been done on previous occasions." Counsel for Mangat Rai and Co. and Mr Deep Malhotra also gave an undertaking to the court that they would not claim any remission in the licence fee. After this order both the petitioners withdrew their petitions. The auction of group Numbers 1 to 3 of the Faridkot Excise Circle was held on March 21 at Bathinda. Mangat Rai and Co. had claimed that they had offered the highest bid of Rs 12 crore as against Rs 10.65 crore offered by Mr Deep Malhotra. Although the auction bid was knocked down in their favour, Mangat Rai and Co. alleged that the officials of the Excise and Taxation Department had not accepted 10 per cent of the bid money from them at the fall of the hammer. Mangat Rai and Co. had questioned the action of the Excise and Taxation Department in the High Court which issued notice to the respondent-officers for March 26. On that day Excise and Taxation Officer, Mr Shiv Charan Dass had appeared before the Bench and revealed that the department had obtained the signatures of Mangat Rai and Co. on the bid statement. He suggested that the petition should be withdrawn. After pursuing the documents which Mr Shiv Charan Dass had brought, the Judges recorded his statement and directed that Mr A.K. Sharma, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, and Mr Mela Singh, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, should be present on March 30 in court for getting their statement recorded. Their statements were recorded in court today. After the recording of the
statements a new controversy was raised by Mangat Rai and
Co. and Mr Deep Malhotra and the Advocate-General prayed
to the Bench that a fresh auction be ordered to end the
controversy. |
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Probe auction scam, says Sodhi JALANDHAR, March 30 (PTI) — The BJP in Punjab today alleged that the recent auction of liquor vends in the state involved a Rs 20 crore scam and demanded a CBI inquiry into the role of certain politicians and senior officials in these auctions. Punjab BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Daya Singh Sodhi told mediapersons that in Amritsar district alone Rs 3 crore had changed hands and the auction was preceded by an over two-hour conversation between a senior official and a politician. He, however, refused to identify the official or the politician and said only a CBI inquiry could bring out the truth. Mr Sodhi said in Faridkot a bid of Rs 12 crore was rejected only to give the liquor vend to an influential person who had made a bid of Rs 10.46 crore. Criticising the hike in sales tax on the hosiery sector from 2 to 4 per cent, he said senior BJP minister Balramji Das Tandon and Rajya Sabha MP Lajpat Rai had urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to withdraw the hike. "The hosiery trade is suffering from several other problems. The hike in the taxation rate will work to the detriment of the sector which gives employment to thousands," he said. Mr Sodhi also advocated exempting halwais, bakers and photographers from the new tax regime. Asked about the grievances of rice shellers who have been on the warpath for several months now with over Rs 2,000 crore of paddy rotting for want of milling, Mr Sodhi said the shellers' demands were genuine. "The Central
Government should not have any reservation on conducting
new field tests as demanded by sheller owners to revise
the rice to paddy ratio", he added. |
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Special revision of electoral
rolls ROPAR, March 30 — By ordering special revision of electoral rolls-1999, in the country, barring Madhya Pradesh and Tripura, with January 1, 1999, as the qualifying date, the Election Commission of India has added a new feature in the revision of the rolls. According to information available here today, the commission has directed Chief Electoral Officers of the states that claims and objections regarding the inclusion, correction and deletion of voters’ names in the electoral rolls would be received at the designated locations (polling stations) in two phases as part of a special campaign on four specific dates — April 24 and April 25, May 8 and May 9 next. Earlier, claims and objections were received by the patwaris in the rural areas and staff of the municipal council in the urban areas. The new system has been adopted following the success of the pulse polio campaign, organised throughout the country. At the designated locations (polling stations), full complement of staff representing Electoral Registration Officer will be present on the campaign dates with all relevant forms. The filled forms can also be submitted there. As per the special revision of electoral rolls-1999 schedule, the publication of draft roll will be held on April 10. Besides, at the designated locations on specific dates, claims and objections will be received in the office of Electoral Registration Officers from April 10 to May 10. Disposal of claims and objections will be done by June 12. After the completion of the entire process, final publication of electoral rolls will be done on July 12. Meanwhile, Mr Khushi Ram, Additional Deputy Commissioner, here, today, held a meeting regarding the revision of electoral rolls with representatives of various political parties and Electoral Registration Officers. He appealed to the political parties to cooperate in the revision of electoral rolls for preparing accurate voters’ lists. Mrs Satwant Kaur Sandhu,
MLA, Chamkaur Sahib; Com Lal Bahadur, district secretary
of the CPI; Mr Surinder Sood, district president of the
BJP; Mr Kulwant Singh Paprala and Mr Harbans Singh
Kandhola (representatives of the SAD); Jathedar Bhag
Singh, district president, SAD (Amritsar) and Mr Jaspal
Singh Gaddu, a representative of the Bahujan Samaj Morcha
also participated. |
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Hospital faces cash crises PATIALA, March 30 — Low budgetary allocations and high essential expenditures have driven Rajindra Hospital, the largest health institution in Punjab on to the edge of the precipice. The financial crisis has become so acute that the hospital does not have money even to run the community kitchen and has been requesting flour mills in the city for the supply of flour on credit for 15 days, hoping that by that time either the government or some charitable organisations would come forward to the help of the health institution. One such distress call was sent to Modi Flour Mill here, a fortnight ago informed sources disclosed. The sources also indicate that days are not far when the hospital would have to send a similar "SOS" to charitable organisations for obtaining other basic and necessary equipment like drugs, bedsheets, mattresses etc. for the patients. The sources further point out that the hospital which came into being before independence and was set up by Maharaja Rajindra Singh of the erstwhile princely state of Patiala, for decades it was main hospital in the northern region but lost some of its importance after the PGI at Chandigarh came into being. Still however, the hospital with 1300 beds is the largest health institution in the state. It also offers service at the lowest rates. According to the sources the budget allocation for the hospital for the year 1998-99 was Rs 8.5 crore. However till date the expenditure has crossed the Rs 10.5 crore mark leaving a deficit of Rs 2 crore. Major charges of payment of salaries to the staff. As much as Rs 7.5 crore was spent in disbursing salaries. sources say that in this amount Rs 1.5 crore was added suddenly due to the release of new pay scales for doctors and teachers. Out of the remaining budgetary allocations Rs 40 lakh was allocated for the provision of office expenses. However, electricity bill of the whole year exceeds Rs 50 lakh leaving the hospital authorities in a fix on how to manage other office expenses like stationery, petrol and telephone bills and purchasing medicines, bed sheet, mattresses and repair and maintenance of the existing infrastructure. The worst hit wing of the hospital is the community kitchen. For the past five years it is getting budgetary allocation of Rs 10.9 lakh annually notwithstanding the hike in prices of pulses, wheat flour and cooking gas in the recent years. The employees especially the class IV staff are also suffering due to paucity of funds. Only last week they went on a strike for four days demanding uniforms. The irony of the matter is that though the hospital has been provided cloth for uniforms there is no money for getting these stitched. Another wing bearing the brunt of financial crises is the essential services like ambulance and machines installed in operating theatres. Condition of the ambulances is to be seen to be believed. These are grounded at the hospital store as there is no money to get them repaired. Patients too have to spend from pocket for getting treatment at the hospital. Whenever a patient is operated upon his relatives first are handed a list of essential items required for the exercise which normally should be available in a government hospital. The list includes syringes, soap, cotton thread etc. Another offshoot of the bad working conditions is evident from the fact that nearly 20 specialist doctors have left government service in the hospital in last one year citing lack of infrastructure and equipment for proper treatment of patients. Medical Superintendent
Rajindra Hospital Dr Ravinder Singh when contacted said
the financial problem was mainly due to the pressure of
payment of salaries to the staff. However, the government
is trying to mobilise funds for the health institutions.
Certain schemes have been launched and the conditions
will improve after these take off. He admitted distress
call to flour mills for the supply of wheat flour on
credit. |
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Land allotment to PCA
questioned CHANDIGARH, March 30 — The issue of leasing out land to the Punjab Cricket Association at SAS Nagar for constructing a cricket stadium figured at length in the Vidhan Sabha. Mr Dhanwant Singh, MLA from Dhuri, had raised the issue on March 27. But as he was not satisfied with the information supplied in this connection in the House the Speaker had instructed the minister concerned to submit a detailed reply today. When the issue came up again today in the House, Mr Dhanwant Singh asked a specific question to Mr Charanji Lal Garg, a minister, who was to give him reply, under what rules the Punjab sports department leased out 13.56 acres of land to the cricket association. Mr Garg said while giving land to the Sports department a provision was made by the Punjab Urban Development Authority that out of 20 acres of land allotted to the Sports department, 13.56 acres would have to be given to the Punjab Cricket Association. Mr Dhanwant Singh unsatisfied with the answer again asked under what rules the provision was made. Was the Sports department competent to lease out government land to a private organisation (PCA), he asked. Mr Dhanwant Singh said the House was mild on this issue and demanded that a House committee should look into the matter. He said he had documents with him to prove his point. No provision was made to allot land to the PCA in the decision taken on April 24, 1991, by the then Governor. He said the land was allotted to the Sports department for building a sports complex. Intervening on the issue, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira put a supplementary question, asking the minister whether the government would be prepared to hold a probe into this case? The Speaker asked Mr Dhanwant Singh to hand over papers to him so that he could look into the matter and take an appropriate decision in this regard. Mr Dhanwant Singh offered
to lay all papers with regard to questions asked by him,
and on decisions pertaining to the allotment of land. |
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Lead poisoning kills cattle PATHANKOT: The death of high-yielding livestock has shocked residents of Malikpur village and with its toll rising to 17, the residents have become panicky. According to Mr Rajinder Singh, sarpanch of the village, the owners of costly Jersey cows and bulls have incurred a loss of several lakhs during the past fortnight. The most affected are the brothers Raj Paul and Yash Paul, who own a livestock farm and have lost more than a dozen head of cattle. They have lost a costly bull also which had brought glory and fame to their farm by winning a cash prize of Rs 2500 in the 48th Northern Regional Livestock and Poultry Show held at Ludhiana on November 25,1996, by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner. The gram panchayat, finding it difficult with the local Animal Husbandry Department to check the menace, approached the state government and sought the help of PAU veterinary scientists. A team of two doctors comprising Dr Dev Raj Sharma and Dr Gill inspected the animals and after thorough examination detected lead poisoning as the cause behind the mysterious deaths. The doctors team also took some samples of the fodder and soil. The team detected the presence of lead in the fields from where the fodder was provided to the cattle. The sarpanch said a factory engaged in manufacturing lead batteries was situated near the fields and effluents and lead waste spilled over into the fields made the fodder poisonous. Criticising the role of the Director and other senior officers of the Animal Husbandry Department, the sarpanch regretted that these officials neither paid any heed to the grievances of the affected people nor helped them in treatment of the cattle. The panchayat has written letters to the state pollution control board to initiate action against the factory owners and urged the government also to get the factory shifted from the village. The agitated villagers have dismantled the chimney of the factory and ways of drains flowing towards the fields to avoid further loss to animals. It is also alleged that the factory was running without any proper licence and mostly during the night. The villagers have also decided not use fodder from the fields around the battery factory as a precautionary measure. The factory is said to have been provided with an electric connection for assembling the battery only and not for moulding plates and manufacturing new ones, he said. The factory owners were
prevented from moulding lead plates also at another
factory in Bharoli village on the complaint of an SHO of
Pathankot Sadar police station, a year before, he further
added. |
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20 sports schools to be
opened: Uma HOSHIARPUR, March 30 — Twenty sports schools will be opened in the country to prepare 5000 sportsmen for the Olympic games to be held in 2000 in Australia. This was announced by Ms Uma Bharti, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports and Women and Development, while talking to media persons at the PWD Rest House here today. She said Rs 2 crore had been granted by her ministry for this purpose and she would now approach big houses to adopt these schools to groom national players for Olympics. Referring to the various schemes for women, she said she had recommended introducing the single-window system throughout the country to provide all types of facilities, including loans, to women. She praised the functioning of aanganwaris. There were about 6 lakh aanganwari workers and 6 lakh persons assisting them. She said she was thinking of further strengthening this organisation to reach out to 50 lakh rural women. Replying to a question, she said the National Commission for Women had no power to punish any person committing atrocities against women. The commission would be strengthened to give it powers to punish those committing atrocities. Her department would also recommend to the Law Ministry to define rape as ‘physical assault on a woman’. Rape victims would be covered under a new insurance scheme. They would get financial help under the Raj Rajeshwari Scheme. Ms Bharti was received by Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, Mr R.P. Mittal, SSP, Mr Hans Raj Nakra, President, BJP’s district unit, Mr Nipun Sharma and Mr Sanjiv Sood, President and Secretary respectively, of the Bhartiya Yuva Janta Morcha, Mr Sat Pal Sareen, President of the Municipal Council and many local leaders on her first visit to this town becoming a Union Minister. She inaugurated Kundan Saini Modern Public School at Guru Nanak Avenue on Fatehgarh Road here. Later, she also addressed
BJP workers. |
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Protest against hike in octroi JALANDHAR, March 30 — The traders' action committee here today condemned the Punjab Government for the privatisation of octroi and the licence fee, which had been increased from Rs 25 to Rs 100, and Rs 100 to Rs 250 within two years. After submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Naresh Chhibber, general secretary of the committee, condemned the SAD-BJP alliance government for its policies and said it had in its election manifesto promised to abolish octroi totally. Addressing the protesters in front of the municipal office here, he said the traders had urged the government to abolish the octroi, but the government had increased the octroi rates. AMRITSAR: The District Congress Committee and Congress councillors today held a rally in protest against the imposition of octroi on cycles, bicycles, gold, electric motors wood works, tea and vegetables. In a memorandum submitted to the Mayor, leaders alleged that development works particularly in the wards of the Congress councillors had been suspended. The Congress councillors
urged the Mayor to open the meetings of the house to
newspersons so that proceedings were covered with true
facts were not tampered with. |
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Affiliated colleges Bill okayed CHANDIGARH, March 30 — The Punjab Assembly today passed the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service of Employees) Amendment Bill and the Court Fees (Punjab Amendment) Bill by voice vote. While submitting a statement of objects and reasons with regard to affiliated colleges Bill, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said the government had agreed in principle to introduce a pension-and-gratuity scheme with effect from April 1, 1992, for the employees of the privately managed affiliated non-government aided colleges in the state in respect of aided posts covered under 95 per cent deficit grant in aid scheme. The scheme will operate from the corpus fund created out of the contributory provident fund share of managements. Where the management of any college failed to deposit the provident fund share with the state government, there is a provision under the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Services of Employees) Act, 1974, for legal action against the defaulter managements. In order to facilitate the punitive action against the defaulting management of any of the college, the proposed amendment in the Act was required. The amendments include
that there would be a provision of imprisonment up to one
year or with fine if any person fails or refuse to submit
any return, statement and other document required under
the rules framed under the Act. |
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Corporation budget passed sans discussion JALANDHAR, March 30 (UNI) — The Municipal Corporation budget of Rs 101.35 crore for fiscal 1999-2000 was today passed without discussion amid pandemonium created by the Opposition Congress backed by certain Independents. Opposition leader Raj Kumar Gupta opposed the presentation of the budget by Mayor Suresh Sehgal of the Akali-BJP-Bahujan Samaj Party combine, demanding that the house should first confirm proceedings of the previous meeting. But the Mayor did not agree to the opposition demand and presented the budget. Congress and five Independent councillors rushed to the well of house shouting against suppression of the opposition voice. When none of the ruling combine’s councillor offered any comment on the budget as sought by the Mayor, the budget was declared passed amid protest by the congress and five Independent councillors. Mr Gupta alleged that it was "auction budget" because the corporation propose to raise Rs 48 crore from auction of octroi posts which failed today and Rs 40 crore from auctioning corporation shops and other properties. But the Mayor said that 40.50 per cent of the budget would go for staff salary, 53 per cent for development and 6.50 per cent for contingency. Of the total 60-member
house, including five MLAs as its ex-officio members, 47
councillors attended the meeting. |
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Pendu mazdoors hold dharna JALANDHAR, March 30 — Members of the Pendu Mazdoor Union held a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office, demanding waiver of the electricity bills of daily wagers here today. The union General Secretary, Mr Tarsem Peter, said here today that a memorandum had been sent on March 5 to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, listing the demands of poor daily wagers. The main demands included increase in the kerosene quota for card holders and subsidy in the form of ration of 15 kg wheat, 5 kg rice and 5 kg sugar per person in a family. The union has also accused the state government of practising wrong economic policies by waiving the electricity bills for tubewells on the one hand, and increasing the charges for domestic consumption three times on the other hand. The PSEB was charging extra money under the miscellaneous category, owing to which labourers were receiving bills to the tune of Rs 5000. The rally was addressed, among others, by Mr Hans Raj, Mr Kasmira Singh and Gurdev Chand (Democratic Teachers Front). Kapurthala: Thousands of workers of the Pendu Mazdoor Union took out a procession in the town on Monday in support of their demands. Earlier, the members
assembled in the local Shalimar Garden, where they held a
rally, which was addressed by Mr Balwinder Singh Bajwa,
Mr Gurdev Singh, Mr Tek Singh and Mr Hansa Singh, all
union leaders. Later, they marched to the office of the
Deputy Commissioner and presented a memorandum to Mrs
Usha R. Sharma, Deputy Commissioner. |
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Phone subscribers’
complaint PATIALA, March 30 — The Patiala Consumers and Telephone Subscribers Association today charged the Telecommunication Department of not disposing of complaints according to the norms laid down by the Ministry of Communications. In a statement here, association president Mohinder Singh said split bills were not sent to subscribers complaining against overbilling and that telephones of affected persons were being disconnected or rendered one way. Under these circumstances cases of many subscribers, including Mr Parminder Singh Kaura, Mr Chander Shekhar and Mr Darshan Lal Sharma, were pending before the forum. The association had also
brought to the notice of the General Manager,
Telecommunications, that all junction boxes in the city
were lying open and various sensitive points, which could
give cause for overbilling, were not being maintained as
per directions of the Ministry of Communications. The
computer fault-finding system was also not fool-proof. |
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"Save education day" on April 5 PHAGWARA, March 30 (PTI) — In an unprecedented show of unity and strength, the managements, principals, teachers and non-teaching staff of non-government privately managed affiliated colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh will observe "save education day" on April 5. The will converge at Matka Chowk, Chandigarh, and March to the residence of the Chief Minister to press for reversal of the anti-higher education policy" being pursued by the government. Principal Tarsem Bahia, member of the action committee and general secretary of the Private Colleges Principals Association, Panjab University, said here today over 10,000 members of the four bodies of 160 colleges would strike work on that day and also continue boycott of work related to exams. Principal Bahia alleged that the government had downsized grant-in-aid to private colleges and was "running away" from meeting its commitment of granting pre-revised scales to the teachers. It had not implemented the
pension and gratuity scheme either. |
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‘Safeguard’ farmers' water needs NANGAL, March 30 — The waters of Punjab should be given to other states only after safeguarding the interests of the state's farmers. This was stated by Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, who was speaking here at the concluding function of the 10-day NSS camp at Bela Shiv Singh village. He criticised the opposition parties for spreading misconception regarding the procurement of wheat among farmers. All purchase centres had been made functional and arrangements had been made to buy and store maximum wheat in view of good production this year. Later, Mr Mittal gave away prizes to volunteers at the NSS camp. About 170 volunteers from schools in Bhallan, Chaj Noorpur Bedi, Naya Nangal and Brahmpur participated in the camp. Mr Rakesh Sharma, president of the Nangal Municipal Committee, Mr Parminder, President of the BJP (rural), Nangal, Mr Vijay Kumar, NSS Coordinator, and Mr Rashpal Singh Rana, programme officer were among those present. Earlier, Mr Mittal also
held a meeting of the local unit of the BJP to finalise
the programme for the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. |
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People's rally on April 4 AMRITSAR, March 30 — The Dal Khalsa has decided to hold a "people's rally" in Chandigarh on Sunday, April 4, to impress upon the Akali government in Punjab to release all Sikh detainees and undertrials in jails in Punjab and other states on the occasion of the terceneterary celebrations of the Sikh Panth next month. The rally to be organised with the cooperation of certain Sikh organisations like the Akali Dal (Amritsar) will submit a memorandum to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, after the rally pointing out his failure to solve the problems of families of victims of "state terrorism" and to urge him to withdraw cases against Sikh undertrials. The Dal Khalsa general secretary, Mr Kanwarpal Singh Bittu, talking to mediapersons here today, said the rally which would be followed by a protest march from the sector 19 gurdwara, would also call upon the Chief Minister for commuting the sentences of all those who had been convicted during the Sikh struggle. The rally would demand shifting of Sikh detainees from jails outside the state to Punjab and compensation to families who had suffered at the hands of the police. He said the Akali Dal
(Amritsar) president, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, had
consented to lead the protest march which would comprise
families of detainees languishing in jails and victims of
"state terrorism". |
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Bomb recovered in Sirhind FATEHGARH SAHIB, March 30 — The district police recovered a powerful bomb which was packed in a bag and placed on a cycle parked near a post office at Sirhind last night. Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, SSP, addressing a press conference here today said that chowkidar Bal Bahadur informed a police patrol party that an unclaimed cycle having a bag on the carrier, was parked near the post office. The police found that the bag contained 4.5 kg of explosive material, two metre fuse wire with detonator, one timer, and a dry battery. He said the police had started raiding the hideouts of anti-social elements and militants. He asked people not to
touch any unclaimed object and to inform the police
immediately. He said the chowkidar would be rewarded
soon. |
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Parents seek ban on forced
collections FATEHGARH SAHIB, March 30 — The parents of children studying in various private public schools at a meeting here yesterday urged the Deputy Commissioner to issue orders restraining the managements of these schools from making forced collection of funds. Mr Sanjeev Sharma, president of a newly formed parents association, alleged that certain schools were charging about Rs 5000 for the admission to LKG and UKG classes. Besides monthly fees, they charged computer, library, sports, examination and function dues every month though most of these schools did not have computers and libraries. He demanded that as the
DMs of Ludhiana, Gurdaspur and Ferozepore had banned the
collection of unauthorised funds, such a ban would also
be imposed on schools in this district. |
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2 MLAs boycott board meeting HOSHIARPUR, March 30 — Mr Romesh Chander Dogra, Congress MLA from Dasuya, and Mr Sohan Singh Bodal, SAD MLA from Gardhiwala, boycotted a meeting of the District Planning and Development Board here yesterday. They alleged that a SAD leader from Dasuya. Who was a nominated member of the board was hampering development activity in their assembly segments. Mr Romesh Dogra left the meeting hall when special grants were not given to panchayats, elected unanimously in his constituency whereas these were provided to almost all panchayats recommended by the aforesaid member of the board. Mr Sohan Singh Bodal did not attend the meeting. But he made a representation to the board chairman, printing out that non-members of the board were being allowed to attend the monthly meetings. Grants were being distributed among various panchayats in connivance with the Block Development and Panchayat Officers of the area in his constituency without taking him into confidence. He further alleged that
certain grants passed by the board for specific works had
been divested on the behest of the SAD leader. |
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Assembly adjourned sine die CHANDIGARH, March 30
— The Punjab Assembly adjourned sine die here this
evening after its 22-day-long Budget session by the
Speaker, Mr Charnjit Singh Atwal. |
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Arrangements for PM's visit reviewed CHANDIGARH, March 30 — At a meeting held under the chairmanship of Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, the executive of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation reviewed the arrangements to be made at Anandpur Sahib as regards Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to the place on April 8. Capt Kanwaljit Singh directed the officers concerned to get information dockets printed at the earliest. These will be distributed
among those visiting Anandpur Sahib in connection with
the tercentenary celebrations of Khalsa to provide them
adequate information. |
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Plea to hike quota for
ex-servicemen PATIALA, March 30 — The Indian Ex-Services League has urged the state government to increase the reservation quota for ex-servicemen and their dependents from 13 per cent to 20 per cent. A congregation of ex-servicemen and their widows held here also sought the naming of the crossing near the war memorial park as Gurbachan Singh Buch crossing. It was also urged the central government to bring on a par the pension of pensioners who served before 1986 with post-1996 pensioners. It was also demanded that the minimum wages for ex-servicemen be raised to Rs 2,500 per month.
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Encroachment by sarpanch alleged KHARAR, March 30 — Mr Balwant Singh, a former sarpanch and others, in a letter submitted to the local Block and Development Officer, today alleged that land worth about Rs 4 lakh in Chappar Chirri Kalan village had been encroached upon by the sarpanch of the village. They alleged that outsiders were constructing a wall around the pond and well on this land. They demanded that the encroachment should be checked. The BDPO, in a letter to
the sarpanch, has directed that the encroachment should
be stopped immediately. He has also asked the Panchayat
Secretary to get construction work on this land stopped.
He has asked the sarpanch to reply within two days
failing which action would be taken against her. |
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