I took the initiative on Jats: Ramoowalia
CHANDIGARH, Oct 24 — Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, a former Union Welfare Minister, has ridiculed the Vajpayee Government for taking credit for conferment of the Other Backward Classes status on the Jats of Rajasthan.

Badal for Dalit-specific schools
JALANDHAR, Oct 24 — The Chief Minister, Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has called for effective strategy and practical approach for economic betterment and social uplift of Valmikis and other Scheduled Caste communities for carving out a casteless and classless society.

DTO on duty attacked, arm fractured
FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 24 — The local District Transport Officer Mr M.S. Jaggi was injured and his arm fractured, when he was attacked by certain men in a truck. Mr Jaggi was checking vehicles at night at Mandi Gobindgarh town of the district. He has been admitted to the PGI Chandigarh.

Punjab lifts ban on promotions
CHANDIGARH, Oct 24 — The Punjab Government has issued instructions that roster point promotees, including those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, can not claim seniority on the basis of continuous officiation and lifted ban on promotions imposed in August 1997.

Govt funding fake clubs, says Chandumajra
PATIALA, Oct 24 — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, General Secretary, Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, yesterday alleged that several fake clubs in rural areas were receiving development funds.

Land mafia?
AMRITSAR, Oct 24 — The district administration has got evidence that a land mafia is active in the rural areas.

7 persons held
LUDHIANA, Oct 24 — The police has arrested seven persons — Avtar Singh, Gurdial Singh, Kirpal Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Surinder Kumar and Vijay Kumar — under the gambling Act and recovered Rs 7,679 from them.

SDM locks mosque to avert clash
MOGA, Oct 24 — The Sub-Divisional Magistrate Baghapurana in Moga district yesterday locked the doors of a mosque at Thraj village under the Baghapurana police station in this district to avert a clash between two groups of Muslims following a dispute between them over mosque’s possession.

Jagmeet vows to air Punjab woes
By P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 24 — A Congress member of the Lok Sabha from Faridkot, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, today said that his prime concern would be to echo the problems and needs of Punjab inside Parliament. There were several issues pertaining to Punjab pending with Delhi, which had to be pursued in the larger economic interest of the state.

Talking to TNS today, Mr Brar, who defeated Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, said he would write soon to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, seeking background papers on the pending issues so that the voice of Punjab could be effectively raised in the Capital. Irrespective of the political alignments, it was imperative that interests of Punjab and Punjabis be protected.

In this context he also referred to the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister that now that a new-look Parliament had been constituted all parties should forget acrimony of the electioneering and work in tandem in the interest of the nation.

Mr Brar referred to the approach of Mr Parkash Singh Badal as well, who had way back in February, 1997, spoken in the Vidhan Sabha about need for "cooperation and conciliation" rather than "confrontation" between the ruling and the Opposition parties and had said that Punjab was more important than anything else.

"This, however, did not mean compromising on basic political ideologies. It is a moral duty of all elected members of the Lok Sabha to watch collectively the interests of the people of the state and ensure all-round economic development".

Mr Brar will wait for the return of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, Capt Amarinder Singh, from the UK when he proposed to suggest a joint meeting of all Congress MPs, eight of them, with Mr Badal to work for resuscitating Punjab, which is facing financial crunch and where several projects are still-born due to the fiscal crisis.

Mr Brar in his chequered career in politics has faced several defeats. But he is not the one to give up easily. Commonly called "Awaz-e-Punjab" (Voice of Punjab), he has contested steadfastly against the Badal family and since the eighties has been successful only twice, in 1996, and now in 1999.

As regional parties had a role to play in national politics, Punjab's contribution could not be ignored. Besides as a border state Punjab had some special status and ensuring peace and development was imperative. What actually worries him at present is the growing frustration in Punjabi youth for whom meaningful outlets to ensure their economic succour was required. Likewise, youth, particularly in the Malwa belt, had to be weaned away from drugs and other intoxicants. In this context he said education, particularly primary-level teaching, had to be improved and proper infrastructure should be provided to motivate both teachers and students.

Mr Brar said he would take up the cause of Punjab's problems within his party with other colleagues and supplement and complement efforts of the SAD-BJP Government to apply "correctives" in the existing policies and programmes. A purely political angle to view policies would not help. For political survival, it is important that stress must be on politico-economic policies. He, nevertheless, did not mince words when it came to the way the SAD had gone about vitiating the atmosphere with its religio-political agenda.

As a responsible Opposition party, the Congress knows its role well, both in state politico-administrative matters as well as in the national perspective. Merely blaming it (Congress) for Punjab's ills will not solve any problem. Some hard decisions are required to rejuvenate agriculture and industry. Even if there was to be a price tag on "services" this must commensurate with the "quality" and spread of such services ("equity distribution") covering all sections of society, particularly, the target group. He was referring to social welfare schemes of the government, which have gone haywire.

Mr Brar conceded that the kind of problems that beset the state today could not be viewed in isolation from the overall economic and financial health of the country. Neither could these be attributed to the past decades, irrespective of the kind of governance the state had. Apportioning blame to a principal political party alone will not provide a solution. The remedies now being sought by the SAD-BJP leadership through its meetings with reputed economists and experts is a "belated action", spurred by the results of the Lok Sabha poll, which has shown the mirror to the ruling combine. All that is needed is a strong political will and a determination to act, he added.

The new MP concluded by saying that responsible, elected representatives will have to rise above narrow, partisan, vested interests if Punjab is to be saved. Its further growth and development has to be accelerated and sustained. All this required sincerity of purpose. While undertaking "constructive criticism" of the SAD-BJP Government policies, the Congress will not hesitate to support the correct decisions which will benefit the people.

Extortionists’ gang busted
From Our Correspondent

GURDASPUR, Oct 24 — The police has busted gang of cheats allegedly involved in extorting money from innocent people on the pretext of sending them abroad after submitting forged documents to the authorities concerned. According to Mr Varinder Kumar, SSP, Inspector Prem Dass of the CIA here intercepted Ramesh Rajdhan and his brother-in-law, Pradeep Kumar, while they were going in a car (PB-58-6008) from Purana Shalla to Pathankot in this district.

Mr Kumar said the accused disclosed that Ashok Rajdhan brother of Ramesh Rajdhan, and his wife, Poonam Rajdhan were their accomplices. The accused had floated a firm named Eagle International (Export and Import) at Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in 1996 in which Ramesh Rajdhan was the Executive Director. A branch office was also established in Indira Colony, Pathankot, at the residence of the accused.

The accused carried out no export and import business and instead allegedly indulged in the illegal business of deputing people to foreign countries after charging huge amounts from them for showing them as their firm’s representatives. For this purpose, they used to submit bogus project files.

The accused charged Rs 40,000 to Rs 2 lakh for sending person abroad. They had collected Rs 12 lakh from various persons in this manner. The person they sent abroad were either arrested by the police in foreign countries and deported back to India or they came back after the expiry of their visa.

The firm neither carried out any export-import business anywhere in the world, nor kept any employee on its rolls. The accused prepared bogus project files to get visas for the persons from whom they had extorted money on the promised of sending them to foreign countries like Germany, Belgium and U.S.A.

A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 168, 120B and of the IPC has been registered against the accused. Policemen have also been deputed to arrest the other accused.

District diary
Allottee wins damages suit
From Bharat Bhushan Dogra

PATHANKOT: Sahil Plaza Builders, a premier construction company of Pathankot, has been directed to provide basic amenities in the Sahil Plaza shopping complex as per the agreement by its owners during the sale of shops.

Mr Harish Anand, Judge ( Jr. Division), in a verdict given in favour of Mr Ajit Kumar Sharma directed Mr Kewal Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, and Mrs Monika Malhotra, another promoter of the complex, to provide all the facilities like central air conditioning, a fountain, glass lifts, toilets and parking in the shopping complex.

The owners of the construction company had promised the aforesaid facilities in the sale agreement dated June 6,1996, executed by the defendants Mr K.K. Gupta and Mrs Malhotra. Mr Ajit Kumar Sharma bought shop No 31 (basement) of the complex for Rs 1.75 lakh. But the owners failed to provide these facilities in his shop following which the purchaser, after waiting for some time filed a suit.

The Judge ordered the decree for mandatory injunction directing Mr Gupta and Mrs Malhotra to provide all that had been promised in the shopping complex within six months from the day the order was passed, failing which the plaintiff would be entitled to recover Rs 1.30 lakh by way of damages.

It is worth mentioning here that the owners and promoters of the shopping complex had lured people by promising all modern facilities at the complex. The people purchased the shops in the complex paying huge amounts as it would have been centrally air-conditioned equipped with glass lift and a huge parking lot. But the promoters after selling most of the shops in the complex hardly cared to provide the facilities mentioned in the agreement.

* * *

The Pathankot Truck Union honoured the families of 11 martyrs of the Kargil war. Each family was given fixed deposit receipts of Rs 20,000 each.

The families of the martyrs of Gurdaspur district honoured on the occasion include Dalbir Singh of 3 Field Regiment, Havildar Harish Pal Sharma and Lance Naik Ranbir Singh, both 13 J&K Rifles, Lance Naik Mukesh Kumar (188 It Regiment), Havildar Shamsher Singh (4 ITBT), Subedar Nirmal Singh, Naib-Subedar Ajit Singh, Major Singh, Sepoys Satnam Singh, Kulvinder Singh and Kans Ram, all of 8 Sikh Regiment.

Mr Dilbagh Singh, Chairman of the union, appreciated the valour shown by these martyrs in making Operation Vijay a great success.

* * *

The Punjab Forest Minister, Mr Mohan Lal, has said teachers should show a sense of responsibility towards the nation and the students . He regretted that a part of the teaching community was not performing its duty and instead indulged in exploiting students. This trend was dangerous and its results would be precarious for the nation and the coming generation.

He assured all types of government assistance to a study centre under the open school scheme being started here. He was delivering a speech at the seminar organised by the Punjab School Education Board at the Government Senior Secondary School, Lamini, on the development and promotion of the open school education system.

Prof Harlal Singh, Director of the Punjab School Education Board, Mrs P Kaur Deputy Director of the Open School Education System, Mr M S Sangal, Director of the National Open School, Dr M R Chilana, former Education Adviser, and Mr Pritam Singh former DPI (Schools), Punjab, also addressed the seminar.

Prof Harlal Singh stated that till now under the open school scheme, 120 centres had been opened in Punjab. He claimed that every person in Punjab would become literate in the next 10 years under the open school education scheme. Any private or governmental institution would be given recognition by the government, if the same recruited or admitted at least 35 students as part of the open school study centre.

Work on to raise turbines capacity
From Lalit Mohan

NANGAL: Ten Russian engineers under Mr Ablosky are here for the renovation of turbines in the right-wing power house at Bhakra. They have started testing equipment supplied for the purpose by a Russian company, Techno Prone Export (TPE).

According to Mr L.S. Deol, Chief Engineer (Power wing), the renovation of all turbines of the right-wing power house will be completed by March, 2001. These renovations will increase the generation capacity of each turbine by 25 MW. However, since Bhakra is a multipurpose project, with much of its water resources being used for irrigation purposes, this increased capacity can be used only during the peak hours.

The renovation process at Bhakra has been going on since 1991. Now its last phase, consisting of the renovation of the remaining two turbines, has been taken up.

The Bhakra right-wing power house turbines were originally supplied by TPE in 1966-68. They had an installation capacity of 120 MW each. But in light of the future power requirements a study was entrusted to BHEL to look into the possibilities of increasing the generation capacity of the turbines. In its report in 1977, BHEL suggested three alternatives: increasing the capacity of the existing units to 132 MW, each without effecting any change in them, increasing the capacity from 120 MW to 140 MW each by effecting minor changes in machines and from 120 MW to 160 MW each by effecting major changes. Due to techno-economic reasons, the BBMB, following the first suggestion, increased the generation capacity of each turbine to 132 MW per hour.

However, in July, 1991, an agreement was reached between the State Trading Corporation (STC), acting as an agent for the BBMB, and TPE to renovate the turbines. The deal was made under the Indo-Soviet trade fact signed in 1987. Under this agreement, TPE agreed to supply turbines at a cost of Rs 54.63 crore. The other attraction of the agreement is that the amount is to be paid on a barter basis ie India will supply goods worth Rs 54.64 crore to Russia.

The renovation work at the Ganguwal and Kotla power projects is also scheduled to start in November. During the second phase of renovation the generation capacity of turbines will be increased from 24.2 MW to 27.63 MW at Ganguwal and from 24.2 MW to 28.08 MW at Kotla. The renovation at Ganguwal and Kotla is to be done by BBMB engineers and technicians.

I took the initiative on Jats: Ramoowalia
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 24 — Mr Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, a former Union Welfare Minister, has ridiculed the Vajpayee Government for taking credit for conferment of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) status on the Jats of Rajasthan.

It was strange that the government, which delayed the notification to include Jats in the Central list of the OBCs by 20 months, was claiming to be the sole benefactor of the Jats, he told the TNS here today.

In fact the initiative to extend the benefit of reservation to the Jats of Rajasthan was taken by him during his tenure as Welfare Minister. A request to examine the case of Jats and certain other communities for inclusion in the OBC list was made to the National Backward Classes Commission by him in February, 1997.

The commission after conducting hearing in all the Jat-inhabited states recommended that the Jats of Rajasthan, except in Dholpur and Bharatpur districts, be included in the Central list. The matter was listed for consideration by the Union Cabinet in December, 1998, but the Election Commission enforced a code of conduct and restrained the government from taking a decision on it.

The BJP-led Government which came to power subsequently sat over the proposal and did not take any decision during its 13-month rule. He along with Mr Sis Ram Ola, a former Union Minister from Rajasthan, met Mr Vajpayee several times and urged him to accept the recommendation of commission, but to no avail. Instead, Mrs Maneka Gandhi, the then Welfare Minister, argued that the community should be included in the state OBC list first. As the Congress was in power in Rajasthan the BJP succeeded in painting the party as the villain during the run up to the Lok Sabha poll and managed to secure the support of Jats by promising them OBC status.

The Congress lost nine Jat-dominated seats because of its failure to present the true picture before the people.

Referring to the demand of various political parties for granting the OBC status to the Jat community in the entire country, Mr Ramoowalia said the commission had examined the cases of all states and made a recommendation only in the case of Rajasthan. The Centre could not include any other caste in the OBC list without the recommendation of the commission. The best course for the Centre would be to ask the commission to consider the matter afresh.

The Jats of Rajasthan, barring those of Dholpur and Bharatpur which were ruled by Jats, were subjected to social discrimination and injustice by Rajputs. A Jat could not ride a horse in the presence of a Rajput. He could neither share a ‘hukka’ or sit on a ‘charpai’ with a Rajput. In case of death of a Rajput all the Jats of village were forced to shave their heads. It was for this reason that the commission found it fit to place the community in the OBC list. Jats in other states were not subjected to such social disgrace, he pointed out.

Badal for Dalit-specific schools
From Our Correspondent

JALANDHAR, Oct 24 — The Chief Minister, Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has called for effective strategy and practical approach for economic betterment and social uplift of Valmikis and other Scheduled Caste communities for carving out a casteless and classless society.

Addressing a state-level function, to mark the Parkash Utsav of Maharshi Valmiki here today, Mr Badal said that a multi-pronged approach at all levels was required for alleviation of poverty and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. Hr lamented that the previous successive Congress governments did nothing in this direction, which resulted in a wide gap between the people of different classes created by certain vested interests for their own ends.

Mr Badal announced that public schools with quality education would be opened in the state in the names of Maharshi Valmiki, Guru Ravi Dass, and Bhagat Kabir, so that the children belonging to weaker sections could get quality education for competing for the IAS, IPS and other top services of the country.

The Chief Minister also announced that he would meet the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee along with the representatives of Valmiki community to request him for enacting a law prohibiting anyone to produce any kind of literature or visual productions aiming at hurting the sentiments of any community. He would also plead with the Prime Minister for taking one representative of Valmiki community on the Censor Board of India for ensuring that the life and philosophy of Maharshi Valmiki was depicted in true spirit in documentary and full length films.

Mr Badal reiterating justice to the Valmiki community and other weaker sections of society, said that his government was committed to protecting their rights on each and every issue and would do its best for improving their living standards. He said that various revolutionary schemes have been launched in the past about three years which has benefitted lakhs of Scheduled Castes families.

The Chief Minister released a book on the life and philosophy of Maharshi Valmiki and a folder on his teachings and a calendar carrying the portrait of Maharshi Valmiki brought out by Information and Public Relations Department, Punjab Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Minister, Information and Public Relations Punjab presented a set of these productions to the Chief Minister.

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal pleaded for the continuing reservation for Scheduled Castes till they get proper opportunities to grow themselves fully and make their place in every sphere of life. He stressed effective steps for promoting education among the Valmiki and others Scheduled Caste communities to enable them to know about their rights in the society.

Earlier the Chief Minister garlanded the portrait of Maharshi Valmiki and paid him rich tributes.

Prominent among others who paid homage and lauded the contribution of Maharshi Valmiki as a great saint. An Adi Kavi and a literature of exceptional brilliance included Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, Mr Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Mr Gobind Singh Kanjla, Mr Ajit Singh Kohar, Mr Sikander Singh Maluka (all ministers), various MLAs and prominent citizens of the state.

DTO on duty attacked, arm fractured
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 24 — The local District Transport Officer Mr M.S. Jaggi was injured and his arm fractured, when he was attacked by certain men in a truck. Mr Jaggi was checking vehicles at night at Mandi Gobindgarh town of the district. He has been admitted to the PGI Chandigarh.

According to information, at 9.30 p.m. last night the DTO along with his staff was checking vehicles, when the two trucks, he signalled to stop, did not heed and sped away, the DTO along with his driver chased the trucks and intercepted these near Gobindgarh Public School. Immediately six men armed with iron rods emerged from the truck and attacked the DTO. They broke his arm and injured the second one. They escaped after the incident leaving the truck behind. In the meantime the staff of the DTO also reached the spot. They chased the culprits and nabbed one of them. The police also reached the spot. The DTO continued checking vehicles till 1 a.m. He was taken to the local civil hospital where a fracture was detected. Later he was taken to the PGI.

The DTO was not available for comments. Checking of the vehicles was in progress done by the ADTO.

Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal SSP said that two persons had been arrested. He said the truck was coming from Assam and carrying with coal on its way to Batala. He said after the search of the truck 3 kg poppy husk was recovered. A case has been registered at Mandi Gobindgarh police station.

Punjab lifts ban on promotions

CHANDIGARH, Oct 24 (PTI) — The Punjab Government has issued instructions that roster point promotees, including those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, can not claim seniority on the basis of continuous officiation and lifted ban on promotions imposed in August 1997.

The Punjab State General Categories Welfare Federation president, Mr Shyamlal Sharma, said the government issued the orders of Friday following a Supreme Court order of September 16 settling all controversies in the service matters relating to fixation of seniority between the general and reserved category employees.

Mr Lal informed all seniority lists prepared on the basis of government circular dated July19,1969, would be reviewed as this circular was declared invalid by the Supreme Court.

This circular was against the Articles 14 and 16(1) of the Constitution as it says that roster points are seniority points for the Scheduled Castes. Mr Lal says all promotions made wrongly in excess of quota are to be treated as ad hoc. And seniority is to be refixed by applying correct roster.

No reversion of the SC employees will be made who have been promoted in excess of quota before the February 10, 1995.

Govt funding fake clubs, says Chandumajra
From Our Correspondent

PATIALA, Oct 24 — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, General Secretary, Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, yesterday alleged that several fake clubs in rural areas were receiving development funds.

Mr Chandumajra said he had a documentary proof of such bunglings. He alleged several government officials under the patronage of political leaders were funding fake clubs.

The government records show disbursement of funds to such welfare clubs in Shatrana Thus and Ghagga villages in this district, while no such organisations exist there. He said he has proof of bungling in more than 25 such clubs.

The district unit of SHSAD also staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office to protest against the unjust diesel and sales tax hike. A memorandum was also submitted to the Deputy Commissioner.

Land mafia?
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Oct 24 — The district administration has got evidence that a land mafia is active in the rural areas.

According to a press note issued by Mr Balwinder Singh SDM-II, certain persons have grabbed panchayat land in connivance with revenue officials. The modus operandi of the land grabbers is that they grab the land on the basis of old entries in the revenue records and move court for stay.

The SDM has directed all revenue officials in his division to monitor the revenue record.

7 persons held
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 24 — The police has arrested seven persons — Avtar Singh, Gurdial Singh, Kirpal Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Surinder Kumar and Vijay Kumar — under the gambling Act and recovered Rs 7,679 from them.

In another case, the police has arrested a travel agent, Mangat Ram, under Section 406 and 420 of the IPC allegedly for duping Ajit Singh of Rs 90,000 by promising to send his son, Tejinder Singh to Malaysia.

However, Tejinder Singh was sent to Bangkok. He was detained there for not having proper documents.

Invitation delayed
From Our Correspondent

PATIALA, Oct 24 — How much time does an invitation card sent through the Department of Post take to reach a destination 8 km away?

Eleven years!

Dr Daljit Singh, Director Youth Services, Punjabi University, received last week an invitation card for the Patiala Zonal Youth Festival beginning December 3, 1988 at Government Physical Education College in the city, 8 km from the university. Dr Daljit Singh was surprised, more so, on the good condition of the card.

SDM locks mosque to avert clash
From Our Correspondent

MOGA, Oct 24 — The Sub-Divisional Magistrate Baghapurana in Moga district yesterday locked the doors of a mosque at Thraj village under the Baghapurana police station in this district to avert a clash between two groups of Muslims following a dispute between them over mosque’s possession. A report said that doors of the mosque were locked on a complaint lodged by Jagir Mohammed of Jalal village that the present occupants of the mosque had no right to stay there as his stay was illegal the report said. The SDM has also got the mosque vacated from Masih Ahmad who occupied it illegally the report added.