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| Wednesday, June 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Eye surgeons absolved Gurdwara
panel adjourns hearing PUDA earns profit
of Rs 26.16 cr PUDA
scheme for Malout Teachers hold rally against transfers
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Rinwa:
BJP to recruit life members
Samiti withdraws bandh call Speed post service fails to take off Probe into unruly scenes at shooting Bandh in Mandi Gobindgarh
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Eye surgeons absolved BATHINDA, June 13 — Even as residents of Pathrala, Chakruldusinghwala
and Bandi villages of this district have been fighting against all odds to regain their lost vision after the operation, two teams of doctors sent by the district health authorities in these villages to get first-hand information have absolved the doctors, who performed the operations, of any liability. Dr Bawa Ram Gupta, Civil Surgeon, while talking to TNS said the residents of the four villages — Bandi, Chakruldusinghwala, Doomwali and Pathrala — who underwent surgery at a camp organised at a petrol station were perfectly alright and had not lost any vision. Dr Maninder Singh Brar, eye specialist, who headed one of the two teams, pointed out that the operation theatre set up at the petrol station was alright as the rooms were neat and clean. He added that all those who underwent surgery were able to see with the help of spectacles. He, however, said the team could examine only six persons of Pathrala village, five persons of Bandi village, two persons of Chakruldusinghwala village and two persons of Doomwali village. He added that with aging the quality of vision also changed and this was the main reason for these people to allege that they had been rendered with low vision after the operation. He added out of six persons examined in Pathrala village, two women underwent surgery for glaucoma in which vision was never restored as this operation was done only to prevent deterioration of the eye. He claimed that Mr Sivli Ram was suffering from optic atrophy and for this reason his vision could not be restored after the operation. Another resident, Dhan Kaur, was suffering from corneal opacity and for this reason her vision could not be restored. Dr Gupta, when asked whether proper guidelines were followed in setting up the operation theatre and in performing the operations said he was yet to read the guidelines. He said during eye check-up camps, surgeons who performed the operations were to check up the fitness of location and operation theatre. He added that he would send a report to the higher authorities on the basis of the facts gathered by the two teams who had visited these villages along with ophthalmic assistants. Dr Brar said all those who had been complaining of total loss of eye sight or low vision after the operation had been advised to get their spectacles changed from the government dispensary, Sangat, where an eye surgeon was posted. Dr Brar pointed out that he had observed these facts after examining the patients. He added that he had not recorded the statement of any person as it was not required. |
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Gurdwara
panel adjourns hearing AMRITSAR, June 13 — The three-member Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission today adjourned hearing till July 6 of a petition filed by two Sikhs of Faridkot seeking removal of the two-member managing committee of the Religious Institute of Tilla Baba Farid Shakarganj located at Faridkot, claiming it to be a Sikh gurdwara. The commission consisting of Mr Manmohan Singh Brar Chairman, Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa and Mr Ajwant Singh Mann accepted the plea of counsel for the petitioners that no reply was given so far of the application for injunction of working of the managing committee and its replacement by appointing a receiver. The commission asked counsel for respondent to file a reply by July 6. The commission would also take up on the same date the objection of the respondents, Mr Inderjit Singh Sekhon, president, and Mr Ranjit Singh Kohli, member, that the commission had no jurisdiction to hear this petition. This religious institute is not a Sikh Gurdwara. The petition under Section 142 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act had been filed by Mr Harbans Singh and Mr Gurdev Singh who alleged that both Mr Sekhon and Mr Kohli had misappropriated the funds of this religious institute. The SGPC had filed a separate petition alleging that the respondents had not provided account amounting to more than Rs 3 crore of the institute. |
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PUDA earns profit
of Rs 26.16 cr CHANDIGARH, June 12 —During the financial year 1999 - 2000, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) recorded a profit of Rs 26.16 crore. Stating this here today the Chief Administrator of PUDA, Mr KBS Sidhu, said the profit also included the money saved due to a tight control over the establishment expenditure. On the other hand, development works worth Rs 169. 60 crore were taken up against the corresponding figure of Rs 75.17 crore in the previous year. In the area of debt portfolio, Rs 56.81 crore debt was returned as compared to Rs 19.83 crore in the last year. Under the Optimum Utlilisation of Vacant Government Land ( OUVGL) scheme, PUDA provided Rs 105 crore to the Punjab Government on account of the anticipated sale of government properties transferred to it. The interest outgo for the year was Rs 6.51 crore. Of the total profit, an amount of Rs 1 crore was transferred to the infrastructure reserve and Rs 10 lakh to the staff welfare fund. During the past five months of the financial year, a revival of the real estate market resulted in an increase in the revenue of PUDA from Rs 47.11 crore to Rs 58.50 crore. In the auction of plots, it earned Rs 15.06 crore as against Rs 10.22 crore. On the account of house allotment, PUDA earned Rs 7.96 crore against an income of Rs 31. 37 crore of last year. The profit in the sale of commercial sites increased from Rs 82 lakh to Rs 16.09 crore. |
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PUDA
scheme for Malout CHANDIGARH, June 13 — The Choose Your Neighbourhood scheme has been approved at a meeting of the Finance and Accounts Committee of the Punjab Urban Development Authority. The Green Field Enclave in the Malout urban estate has been identified under the scheme. The disadvantages in the existing system of draw of lots for allotment of plots have been taken care under the new scheme. The Chief Administrator of PUDA, Mr KBS Sidhu, in a press note issued today said that in the earlier system of allotment chances of accommodating like minded applicants in a cluster was very low. Now the applicants will have to give their collective consent to the estate officer concerned before the draw of lots. He said the largest group of applicants would be given first preference in selecting a compact group of plots. In case two or more groups the priority would be determined by a draw of lots. However, the corner plots would have 100 per cent premium over the floor allotment price. The scheme for the Malout urban estate closes on June 23 and the draw would be held on July 5. Besides, PUDA has decided to offer 100 additional plots at Malout at a concessional price of Rs 1250 per sq yard. The Chief Administrator also said that PUDA was going ahead with construction of staff residential accommodation in the Malout Institute of Management and Information Technology at a cost of Rs 172 lakh. |
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Teachers hold rally against transfers AMRITSAR, June 13 — The Government Teachers Union, Punjab held a rally in protest against the policy of the government of the issue of mass transfers of teachers to rural areas from the urban areas. Underlining the need for making a reasonable policy on the matter, the union took exception to the fact that teachers with about 18 years’ tenure are being ‘indiscriminately’ transferred. The union claimed that out of the 224 persons transferred, 223 were women teachers and only one was a male teacher. The union members — Mr Sucha Singh, general secretary, Mr Joginder Singh Gill, Mr Avtar Singh, Mr Yashpal, and Mr Charanjit Singh Gumtala have demanded scrapping of the new policy. Describing the new proposal as an attempt to ‘uproot the teachers’, the union members threatened to intensify their agitation if a solution was not found to their problem. Meanwhile, Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla, too, has criticised the indiscriminate transfer of teachers to rural areas without any regard to the age, health, unmarried status and other factors of those affected. The union informed that out of the 224 persons transferred, 150 were couple cases, 32 were ailing persons, 12 were widows and the rest were all above the age of 54. |
Rinwa: BJP to recruit life members NAWANSHAHR, June 13 — Prof Brij Lal Rinwa, President of the state unit of the BJP, while talking to medipersons here on Sunday said a comprehensive programme to strengthen the party’s organisational network to
level-level had been chalked out. Top priority would be given to inculcate BJP’s philosophy among them, he added. The party has planned to organise training camps for active members besides state-level office-bearers and ministers of the party would be given charge of two or three districts each to make the party units more effective. The party had also planned to launch a drive to recruit life members which would have three categories and subscriptions of Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per annum would be charged from them to minimise the party’s financial
dependence upon donations he said. He further said Professor Rinwa along with other state-level office-bearers of the BJP which included Dr Narottam Dev Ratti, Mr Shakti Sharma, Mr Avinash Jaiswal, Dr Balbir Chand Kapila, Mrs Gurcharan Kaur, Jathedar Sukhwant Singh Dhanola, Mr Manjit Singh Rai, Mr Anil Sareen, Mr Mohinder Bhagat, Mr Sohanlal, Mr Vinod Sharma and Mr Raj Bhatia were here to address the party workers of the district unit of the BJP. |
Samiti withdraws bandh call PHAGWARA, June 13 — The Mandir Nirman Sangharsh Samiti, Phagwara last night withdrew its call for today’s Phagwara bandh after the police let off the samiti activists after detaining them for eight hours. Mahant Brahm Das Giri ended his fast unto death as the reconstruction of demolished structure at backside of Lord Shiva temple began today. The samiti members, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Congress activists besides others made the authorities bend to their demand as the officials appeared helpless in face of encroachment made in the name of religion. Meanwhile, in spite of the High Court’s blanket orders against encroachments, reconstruction of the rear room of temple was in full swing. Samiti convener and senior Congress leader Satbir Singh Sahbhi, municipal councillor and BJP leader Ram Saroop Arora and Chander Mohan Chawla were supervising the construction. The issue had further widened the wedge between the ruling SAD-BJP allies here as the SAD leaders last evening openly opposed all types of encroachments and publicly dissociated themselves from the aborted bandh call. In a meeting convened by the SDM, the Akali leaders were very vocal in their opposition to encroachments and pledged cooperation to the administration in its drive against the illegal structures.  |
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Speed post service
fails to take off ROPAR, June 13 — Although the speed post service at the main Post Office in nangal was inaugurated three days ago by the Superintending Engineer of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB), Mr V.P. Jain, the facility has not yet become operational. Some students, who had gone there yesterday to send their application forms for admission to various courses through this speed post, were told by the local postal authorities that their applications would be sent through the ordinary post. They advised them to make alternative arrangements for the timely delivery of their post. Ultimately, the students had to go to Una and Ropar to send their applications. The Postmaster was not available for
comments. |
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Probe into unruly scenes at shooting AMRITSAR, June 13 — The District Magistrate, Mr Narinderjit Singh, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the unruly scenes at Amritsar railway station at the shooting of film
Ghadar. Ms Gurpreet Sapra, SDM, who has been deputed for the magisterial inquiry, will submit her report at the earliest. About 30 persons were injured and one of them succumbed to his injuries after heavy police lathi charge on June 10 during the shooting of the film. A large number of persons had gathered at the railway station to watch the shooting of
much-publicised film Ghadar due to issuance of unauthorised passes by a local TV channel. Meanwhile, the civil lines police has arrested 10 persons for pelting stones on trains. The police had to resort to lathi charge to control the mob. The cases have been registered against many persons.
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Bandh in Mandi
Gobindgarh
FATEHGARH SAHIB, June 13 (PTI) — A complete ‘bandh’ was observed in the industrial and steel trade units in Mandi Gobindgarh town today to protest over the alleged ‘highhandedness’of the police in a case of negligence registered against the owners of two industrial units. Yesterday, a deputation of the industrialists had met the DIG Patiala range, Mr Sanjiv Gupta, who had justified the registration of case, but had assured them that no person would be unduly harassed. Despite his assurances, the industrialists and traders took decision to observe ‘bandh’and to go on strike. In two separate incidents,14 persons had lost their lives within a week but no trade or industry organisation has given any call to mourn their deaths. The police had allegedly brought three industrialists of the town to CIA staff police station at Sirhind. Industry leaders had also reached Sirhind and asked the police to release them. The police released them after completing the formalities. |
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