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| Monday, September 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
PUDA policy on land for hospitals
‘40,000 cr invested in industrial sector’
Fake currency, drugs cause concern Teachers not paid for 3 months Custody death:
2 cops held |
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Shekhar to campaign for
Chandumajra Mofar sees Badal-CPI
pact No differences among leaders: PPCC Secy
Bhinder asks CM to protect interests of paddy
growers ‘Use HFC’ to protect ozone
layer High cost of malnutrition
Admn geared up for
Sunam byelection Self-help groups for backward
section established
Killed for a motor
cycle Undertrial escape
case: 1 surrenders
Senate poll: supporters
allege malpractices PUTA poll: ‘Campus Scene’ creates flutter Grades of school
officers revised Post-literacy drive
abandoned Protest march by
ETT students
Cotton crop regains
popularity Dealers to boycott petro
companies
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PUDA policy on land for hospitals CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — To woo investment for super-speciality healthcare infrastructure, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) has finalised a liberal policy on the allotment of land to such institutions. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, here last evening. According to the Housing and Urban Development Minister, Dr Upinderjeet Kaur, the basic incentive provided was land at concessional rates. The rates fixed are (per sq yd): SAS Nagar Rs 1,700; Ludhiana Rs 2,060; Patiala Rs 1,620; Jalandhar Rs 1,670; Phagwara Rs 1,400; and Bathinda Rs 1,350. Even out of this only 25 per cent will be payable, and thereafter there will be a three-year moratorium, during which interest will neither accrue nor become payable. The remaining 75 per cent of the allotment price will be payable in six equated annual instalments at a concessional rate of interest of 9 per cent per annum, payable on a reducing balance basis. If any applicant desires to pay the price in advance, an attractive discount at the rate of 11 per cent on an annual basis will be given on the amount paid in advance. As per an official press release, the super-specialities recognised under the scheme are cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, pulmonary medicine and chest surgery, nephrology (including haemo dialysis transplant), oncology, orthopaedic surgery (including hip and knee joint replacement and microscopic surgery), ENT, ophthalmology (including post-chamber surgery), gastroenterology including endoscopic surgery), gynaecology, paediatrics (including neonatal care), vascular surgery and physiotherapy rehabilitation. PUDA reserves the right to add to this list. The minimum investment for the project is Rs 15 crore. The area norm is a maximum of one acre for every Rs 15 crore worth of investment. The project has to be completed within four years. Any default in the completion of the project will lead to the imposition of the normal rate of interest as well as penal interest, besides leading to resumption proceedings. In furtherance of the social welfare objectives of the government, it has been provided under the policy that 5 per cent of the indoor and 10 per cent of the outdoor patients from among yellow card holders will be provided free treatment by these institutions. An empowered committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary is being set up to provide additional incentives, over and above the current policy, in respect of investments exceeding Rs 100 crore. |
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‘40,000 cr invested in industrial sector’ DERA BASSI,
Sept 17 — The Punjab Government is focusing on the industrial sector to provide employment to the unemployed youth in the state. The government has invested Rs 40,000 crore in the sector during the last three and a half years against a total of Rs 14,000 crore in the past 50 years. Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planning Minister of Punjab, stated this while addressing a public meeting in Jandli village near Lalru on Saturday after laying the foundation stone of a pucca firni for the village. The minister disclosed that an anaz mandi with modern facilities would be constructed by the end of December at Lalru for the benefit of the farmers and the merchants of the area. He said, 50 boys have been recruited in the Army after completing the training courses from the newly opened Centre for Punjab Youth Training and Employment (C-PYTE). The minister also distributed cheques worth one lakh as financial aid to seven ‘‘thrasher’’ victims on the occasion. Earlier, he laid the foundation stones of
Jandli-Dera Gurpal Singh village link road and Jhaunsa-Sauli, a 1.5 km link road which will come up at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Besides the residents, Mr S.S Sidhu, SDM, Mr H.S.
Bhullar, DSP and other prominent persons were also present.
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Fake currency, drugs cause concern CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — Counterfeit currency and drugs are new areas of concern for the Punjab police. Though stray cases of counterfeit currency have been reported from different parts of the state for a long time, seizures in the past one year, especially from some passengers of the Samjhauta Express — the only train between India and Pakistan — at Attari railway station, must have been worrying the police. Equally serious has been the problem of the increasing trade in drugs, especially in heroin, opium, charas, hashish and poppy husk. Counterfeit Indian currency with a face value of Rs 65 lakh was seized last year and so far this year seizures of such currency totalling Rs 60 lakh have already been made. Most of this currency was being smuggled into India Through various routes from Pakistan, sources said. “This counterfeit currency is merely paper with no real value,” a senior police official said. Malwa belt continues to be the dominant area for trade in drugs. It was in Bathinda that in July three policemen, including two assistant sub inspectors, were allegedly found involved in of the poppy husk trade. A case was registered against the two ASIs and a constable. While the constable was arrested, the ASIs were reported “missing”. They were subsequently dismissed from service. The families of the ASIs, however, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court with a habeas corpus petition alleging that the two were in “illegal police custody”. The high court, however, dismissed the petitions appreciating the work done by the Bathinda police in smashing an alleged nexus between the police and criminals, maintaining that the police was duty bound to take action against criminals, including those in uniform. This is not a stray incident of its type. There have been cases and complaints of implicit involvement of policemen in drug trafficking in the state. If one looks at the figures, the drug trade appears to be growing rapidly in the state. In 1998, only 3.658 kg of heroin and smack was recovered in Punjab. The quantity of these drugs seized in 1999 increased to 4.060 kg. And this year, until September 13, the quantity of this contraband seized in the state has been 102.012 kg, almost 25 times more than last year’s figure. In the case of opium, the increase in seizures has been marginal. Against 247.105 kg seized in 1998, it was 298.400 kg in 1999 and 310.880 kg until September 13 this year. Seizures of charas and hashish, too, have been growing rapidly. Against 29.735 kg seized in 1998, the seizures dropped to 21.740 kg in 1999. But this year, the seizures have been to the tune of 65.688 kg until September 13. The seizure of poppy husk has almost doubled since 1998. Against 536.37 quintals in 1998, the seizures until September 13 have been 869.51 quintals. |
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Teachers not paid for 3 months CHANDIGARH, Sept 17 — More than 1350 middle school teachers
of the Punjab School Education Board have not been paid their salaries
for the last three months. And although the Director of Public
Instruction’s office dealing with schools at the secondary level
says the wait is going to be over soon, questions regarding the cause
of the delay are still being raised. The Government of India, under
the aegis of the Ninth Five-Year Plan started “Operation Blackboard”,
a scheme under which all primary schools and all upper primary schools
up to the middle level were covered. These schools were to be given
other than equipment, an additional post of master grade. In
Punjab,1353 schools were covered at the middle level for which
teachers were selected. The blackboard scheme was to be financed by
the Central Government for the period of the five-year plan after
which the responsibility was to be taken by the state Government.
Since the salaries of these teachers were to be sanctioned by the
Central Government, a long circuitous channel was followed to receive
that sanction which officials say routinely takes a long time. Those
running the scheme in its second year now have learnt nothing from
last year’s experience when the salaries were delayed by almost the
same duration. The authorities blame the Central Government for the
delay who in their process of calculating the actual expenditure
incurred during last year simply take so much time that the fresh
sanction gets delayed. Since the sanction to this scheme is made on a
year to year basis, last year’s sanction was exhausted by March 31,
after which the Punjab Government paid the salary of the next three
months in advance to these teachers in anticipation of the sanction.
This three-month period exhausted by May-end and these teachers have
been waiting for their pay since then. Officials at the DPI (Schools)
say just a few days back, the much-awaited sanction from the Central
Government has arrived and it won’t be long before the teachers get
their pay. The Education Secretary, Mr G.S. Sandhu, says: “There
is nothing special with the Blackboard Scheme. All Central Government
schemes have to go through this kind of processing and that takes
time. Delay in a single office can delay the whole process for months.
What is required is that there should be timely clearance at every
office.” “These kind of instances are not very rare. In fact it
shows how much importance the government gives to education. The
government speaks of how essential education is for the masses but
here teachers are not even being paid their salaries on time. Whatever
the reasons, the fact remains that education imparters are certainly
not one of the top priorities of the government” says a teacher
activist. |
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Custody death:
2 cops held MALERKOTLA, Sept 17 — The Malerkotla police has arrested two constables — Hans Raj and Bhim Chand — allegedly involved in the murder of Balbir Singh, nephew of Mr Sarwan Singh Phillor, the Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Punjab, here today. According to information, the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and Mr Sarwan Singh Phillor visited the house of Balbir Singh here today and directed the police to arrest the suspects. The Chief Minister’s direction were carried out.. Balbir Singh, a Dalit youth died of internal injuries in police custody here on September 2. Sarwan Singh Phillor talking to mediapersons said that his nephew had been implicated in a gambling case. He was beaten up. The local police had registered a case under Section 302 and 34 of the IPC against seven — Inspector Ram Kumar, head constable Bahadur Singh and head constable Harbhajan Singh, and constables Dilbar Khan, Hans Raj, Bhim Chand and Sukhwant Singh.
DSP Surinder Singh Saini said the remaining culprits would be arrested very soon. |
Shekhar to campaign for
Chandumajra BATHINDA, Sept 17 — The Sunam byelection seems to have become tough for the ruling SAD-BJP combine candidate, Mr Parminder Singh Dhindsa, as former Prime Minister Chander Shekhar along with a galaxy of other national-level leaders have confirmed their participation in the campaign for the Sanjha Morcha candidate, Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra. While Mr Shekhar will address public rallies at Cheema and Sunam towns in favour of Mr Chandumajra on September 20, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda will campaign the following day. Mr Raj Babbar, MP, Samajwadi Party, along with former Union Minister Ramji Lal Suman will address public meetings before September 27 in this segment. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of party General Secretaries at Delhi on September 19 to work out a strategy for campaigning in the Sunam Assembly constituency in favour of Mr Chandumajra. Mr Darshan Singh Jeeda, President, Samajwadi Janata Part (SJP), Punjab, and a close associate of Mr Shekhar talking to mediapersons here today, said senior Central leaders, including Mr Shekhar and Mr Deve Gowda had decided to visit the Sunam Assembly segment to ensure the victory of Mr Chandumajra. He alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his associates had been misleading the people saying that no Central leader would come here to seek votes for Mr Chandumajra. He pointed out that former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, who was undergoing treatment, if allowed by doctors, would address rallies in favour of Mr Chandumajra. He said Mr Chandumajra was a common candidate of nine parties and his victory would lay the foundation of a third alternative in Punjab. On the other hand, dissidence in the Congress and the SAD is likely to affect the prospects of their respective candidates in this byelection to be held on September 29. Though PPCC President Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal have decided to jointly campaign for party candidate Parmeshwari Devi, party workers owing allegiance to them are yet to unite. Moreover, the senior vice-President, PPCC, Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, has not articulated his intentions. Mr Badal, known to be a master campaigner, has been facing trouble from a section of party workers owing allegiance to a senior Akali leader whose differences with Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa are well known. Mr Kuldeep Singh Wadala, President, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), and convener, Sanjha Morcha, said the morcha had come to be accepted by the people as an alternative to the Congress and the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab. It had gained wide support from Central leaders of different parties. With this, the chances of victory of Mr Chandumajra had brightened. PHILLAUR (FOC): The Lok Bhalai Party will support the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal candidate, Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, in the Sunam byelection. This was announced by party President Balwant Singh Ramoowalia at a rally here on Sunday.
He appealed to all anti-SAD-BJP and Congress parties to join hands to defeat these parties in Sunam. |
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Mofar sees Badal-CPI
pact AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) headed by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann today appealed to Giani Joginder Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, to direct Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra to withdraw their candidates in favour of Prof Sukhjinder Singh in order to give a crushing defeat to the Congress in the Sunam byelection. Mr Ajitinder Singh Mofar, Senior Vice-President and MLA of the SAD (Amritsar), who was here to meet the Jathedar of Akal Takht, talking to TNS today said if Mr Badal and Mr Tohra wanted to defeat the Congress, they must support Prof Sukhjinder Singh. He claimed that the SAD (Amritsar) had fielded Prof Sukhjinder Singh after seeking the consent of Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta and Prof Chandumajra, senior leaders of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal. Mr Mofar said he had been sent to Amritsar by party President Simranjit Singh Mann to meet the Akal Takht Jathedar, but he could not contact him (Giani Joginder Singh) as he was away to Abohar. However, Mr Mofar said he had informed Mr Pritpal Singh, personal assistant to the Jathedar, regarding the purpose of his visit. He said he wanted to meet the Jathedar to ask him to direct the ruling Akali Dal to pass the Anandpur Sahib resolution on the floor of the Punjab House. Mr Mofar alleged that Mr Badal had reached a ‘secret’ understanding with the CPI. leadership to win the Sunam byelection. He claimed Mr Badal had agreed to fund the election of the CPI Apart from this, he had promised that during the forthcoming elections to the Punjab Assembly, the SAD would ensure the victory of at least 10 CPI MLAs by fielding ‘weak’ candidates against them. He said as the Congress stood divided, the CPI had no option but to reach a “secret understanding” with the ruling Akali Dal. Appreciating the Jathedar for declaring that Sikhs had a distinct identity during the Sikh conclave held at Akal Takht on May 14, Mr Mofar said he (the Jathedar) should direct Mr Badal to support him on the issue. Mr Mofar was critical of the ruling party for not advocating Punjab issues like transfer of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas to Punjab. He said the Badal government had failed to ensure the release of Sikh detainees, despite the Jathedar of Akal Takht having taken a serious view of the “callous” attitude of the ruling party in this regard. Mr Mofar urged Bhai Ranjit Singh, a former Jathedar of Akal Takht, not to campaign in favour of Prof Chandumajra. |
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No differences among leaders: PPCC Secy JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — Mrs Harsimranjeet Kaur, Secretary, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), has claimed that there are no differences among party leaders on the issue of the Sunam byelection and the Congress is fully united. According to a press note issued here yesterday, she, in an indirect reference to Communists, said since the fight was between secular and communal forces, all secular forces should unite under the banner of the Congress to defeat the Akali-BJP communal alliance. She criticised the Akali government to persuing anti-Dalit policies by revoking the roaster system pertaining to the reservation and promotion of the people belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Backward Classes. People
of Sunam would give a befitting reply to the Shiromani Akali Dal by defeating its candidate Parminder Singh Dhindsa in the byelection for persuing anti-people policies, she claimed. |
Bhinder asks CM to protect interests of paddy
growers GURDASPUR, Sept 17 — Mrs Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, senior Congress leader, today asked Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, to take a definite stand on lifting paddy to protect interests of paddy growers of Punjab. She said the Centre had adopted a casual approach regarding the issue leaving the growers to their fate. The situation could be exploited by traders. Distress sale of paddy continued in the state. Mr Badal was trying to appease the farmers by mere rhetoric. She demanded a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal to compensate the farmers for the distress sale of paddy. Mrs Bhinder said Mr Badal had chosen to play a second fiddle to the BJP-led Central Government to “prolong” his rule. The Political Affairs Committee of the SAD had passed a resolution to break ties with the BJP alliance at the Centre if Udham Singh Nagar was included in Uttaranchal. The district had been now merged with Uttaranchal but Badal had done nothing on the issue, irrespective of the resolution of the PAC.
Mrs Bhinder feared rigging by the SAD in the Sunam election.
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‘Use HFC’ to protect ozone
layer ROPAR, Sept 17 — The use of chloro flouro carbons (CFC), which are damaging the protective ozone layer around the earth, should be stopped immediately. They should be replaced in the industry of the hydro-flouro carbons (HFC), which have been recently developed in our country by scientists of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad. These HFC would pose no danger to the ozone layer, said Dr D.P. Singh, a senior member of the District Environment Brigade, while speaking at a seminar on the protection of ozone layer, organised yesterday by the Shivalik College of Pharmacy, Naya Nangal, to mark the International day for the preservation of ozone layer. He said out of the total quantity of CFC used, 8 per cent is used in refrigerators, 12 per cent in air conditioners, 19 per cent in solvents, 19 per cent in foams, 25 per cent in aerosols, 10 per cent in extinguishers and 7 per cent in flexible forms. They has been a growing trend in our country to use the CFC-based products. As per the latest data available about 40 per cent of the total household were now using refrigerators. The CFC’s which have a decaying life ranging from 60 to 110 years go up in the stratosphere and continue to damage the ozone for long periods. Though the according to the Montreal Protocol the developed countries were to ban the use of CFC’s by 2000, the India because of being a developing country has got a grace period upto 2010 for ban on these compounds. However, Dr D.P. Singh, was of the view that CFC’s should also be banned in our country at the earliest because even if total ban was laid on use of these compounds with immediate effect, it would take 70 years to make up for the loss already done to the ozone layer. Mr Roy, Principal of the college , Mr Tandon, General Manager of the Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (PACL) and Mr Saini the DGM, PACL were among others who attended the seminar. |
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High cost of malnutrition FATEHGARH SAHIB: The Food & Nutrition Board of India in collaboration with Departments of Social Security and Women and Child Developments organised state-level workshop-cum-seminar here on malnutrition. At the seminar delegates from all over the state participated and various speakers read papers. Addressing the workshop Mr R.L. Kalsia, Director of Child and Women’s Development, said the nutritional well-being of the population was an important prerequisite for national development. According to one estimate, India was losing Rs 33000 crore annually as a result of malnutrition and ill-health. In spite of record achievements in the field of food production and nutritional research, India’s burden of chronic malnutrition continued to be unbearable. India was ranked 128 out of 174 countries in the human development index of the UNDP. This low position reflected the poor quality of life of a majority of population. The high levels of malnutrition, particularly among children and women, directly or indirectly influenced the morbidity and mortality rates, unacceptably high in this country. The recent national family health survey revealed that 46 p.c. of children continued to be under-weight while 82.4 p.c. of pregnant women suffered from anaemia. Malnutrition to a very great extent was responsible for high infant, child and maternal mortality, poor physical development in children, more school dropouts and chronic energy deficiency. All these factors had a negative effect on economic and national development. Poverty was one cause of malnutrition. However, ignorance about proper nutrition for the mother, poor childcare practices arising out of ignorance or superstition, neglect of the adolescent girl, early marriage and pregnancy, led to malnutrition and perpetuated its vicious cycle. Malnutrition adversely affected productive life expectancy, adult’s earnings and the rate of employment. Anaemia further brought down productivity because a low
hemoglobin count did not allow strenuous activity for long periods. He said the time has come for all agencies working in the development sector to launch a multipronged strategy and awareness campaign to eradicate malnutrition. Mr B.S. Sudan, Deputy Commissioner, assured that panchayats and all development agencies of the district would be involved in the awareness campaign and it would be made a mass movement in the district. The menace of sex determination should be curbed with a heavy hand. The basic requirement was a change of attitude, otherwise there was no use of such seminars and workshop. Seminars and workshops should also be organised in slums and remote rural areas. Mr Sudan wanted nutritional needs to be recognised as a national problem and not merely a sectoral problem as the problem being of a complex and multifaceted nature required a multisector approach. Dr Amarjit, a professor from Medical College, Patiala, speaking on diet said for growing children certain supplements based on foods such as cereals, legumes, oilseeds had to be developed. In view of protein shortage, rich foods like milk, meat, fish in children’s diet were needed. Mr Gurdev Singh Cheema, Assistant Deputy Director of Horticulture, highlighted the value of fruits and urged people to plant fruit saplings. He said amarpali mango tree, sold at Rs 200 was available with the department for just Rs 15. |
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IMA flays lifting of ban on
non-iodised salt PHAGWARA, Sept 17 — The Union Government’s decision to lift ban on the sale of non-iodised salt yesterday drew flak from the Indian Medical Association, (IMA) Punjab.
The IMA’s academic wing, the College of General Practitioners (CGP), said the decision would lead to increase in goitre in endemic areas and this disease would assume epidemic proportions in sub-mountain areas. Dr Raman Aggarwal, Chairman, CGP, said barring two states, all other states and the medical fraternity had opposed lifting of the ban but the Union Government had brushed aside their opinion. The decision, to come in force from September 30, should be kept in abeyance in public interest, added Dr Aggarwal. |
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Marchers leave
for Amritsar PHAGWARA, Sept 17 — Over 200 peace marchers, led by Mr Ashwani Kumar, President, Punjab Young Peace Council, left today from here for Amritsar. They had gone yesterday to Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and obtained a “kalash” (urn) containing earth of his native house. The urn was handed over to veteran freedom fighter Kalicharan Sood by Sarpanch Jaswinder Singh. The urn will be carried on a Gypsy at the head of the peace march. Marchers will stop at the Jallianwala Bagh, Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir, according to Mr Ashwani Kumar, organiser of the march. Marchers will also offer a prayer at Akal Takht for communal harmony. A peace rally will be held at the Wagah border and the urn handed over to the BSF. |
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Tight security for
Khadoor mela TARN
TARAN, Sept 17 — The police has made elaborate security arrangement for “mela gurgaddi divas” being held at Khadoor Sahib to mark the installation of the second Sikh Guru Sri Guru Angad Devji to “gurgaddi” on September 18. Lakhs of devotees come to pay obeisance and attend the conferences organised by different political parties. Mr Jagdish Kumar
Mittal, SSP, told newsmen here yesterday that the police had set up 11 nakas and five assistance booths.
Besides, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President, SHSAD, Capt Amarinder Singh would address the conferences being organised by their respective political parties. |
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Christians to form
human rights unit JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — The United Christian Forum, Punjab, has decided to form district level human rights units in rural and urban areas of the state.
This decision was taken place at a meeting of the representatives of forum from various parts of the state, held at Adampur, near here today. Presiding over the meeting, Father Robi Colincheri said that the units would look into the grievances and rights of Christians. Representatives from Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Ropar, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Fatehgarh Churian and other parts of the state took part in the meeting. |
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Freedom fighter status
for suba activists GURDASPUR, Sept 17 — The Punjab Government has decided to accord facilities on a par with freedom fighters to persons who participated in the Gurdwara Seesganj and dharam yudh morchas of 1981 regarding the distribution of waters and Punjabi suba. They will be awarded with sanman patras. All officers of various departments have been instructed to accord due respect and redress their grievances on priority, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr B. Vikram, has said.These persons have been directed to be extended invitations on district-level functions on the Independence Day and the Republic Day.Mr Vikram said those persons who underwent jail term for more than six months during the said morchas would be accorded economic assistance to the tune of Rs 300 per month. |
Admn geared up for
Sunam byelection SANGRUR, Sept 17 — The district administration has geared up its machinery for holding the Sunam Assembly byelection on September 29. Stating this here yesterday, Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, said 147 polling booths had been set up for 1,39,085 voters. Besides, postal ballot papers to 216 voters had already been despatched. Mr Tiwari said nearly 800 persons, including 20 supervisors, would be deployed for the polling duty. The polling would be carried out by means of electronic voting machines (EVMs), he added. The Deputy Commissioner said all necessary security arrangements had been made for the smooth conduct of the byelection. The Election Commission of India had issued guidelines for those voters who were not in possession of identity cards that they could prove their identity by means of a passport, a driving licence, an arms licence, a bank or post office passbook, an identity card issued by the government, a PSU or a private company, pension payment orders or a physical disability certificate. The Deputy Commissioner said the model code of conduct was also being enforced and officers had been deployed for the purpose in various sectors of the
constituency. |
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Self-help groups for backward
section established AMRITSAR, Sept 17 — As a sop before the Assembly elections in Sunam, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Narinderjit Singh, yesterday announced about a scheme in which about 125 self-help groups, had been established for the upliftment of financially backward sections of society. The village banks had been instructed to help in every possible way to make the scheme effective in rural areas. The DC also instructed officers to supervise the trouble-free implementation of the scheme in villages. Punjab National Bank was taking the lead by providing krishi cards to villagers to fulfil their basic needs and also to prevent them from being dependant on rich landlords for loans etc. Mr K.N. Prithviraj, GM, Punjab National Bank, during his visit to its rural branch at Tarsikka, distributed 200 krishi cards to the farmers. While addressing members of the Farmers Club, Tarsikka, he said the PNB, Amritsar region had disbursed Rs 49.90 crore in the agriculture sector which was 20.08 per cent of the total advances of the region and as against national goals of 18 per cent. He further informed that the bank had advanced to 3,000 farmers Rs 17 crore in loans under the krishi card scheme in Amritsar region. |
Killed for a motor
cycle MAUR MANDI (Bathinda), Sept 17 — Sunita, a mother of two, was allegedly poisoned to death by her in-laws last night for failing to fulfil their demand for a motor cycle. Police sources said Sunita (24), who hailed from Sirsa in Haryana, was married to Rakesh Kumar of Maur Mandi five years ago. Fed up with the harassment at the hands of her husband, Rakesh Kumar, father-in-law Jagan Nath and three others, she telephoned her parents at around 9 pm last night. She said she was being harassed and was often beaten up by her husband and his relatives and urged them to take her back. The following day, when her relative came to Maur Mandi to take her back, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances. She was immediately shifted to hospital for post-mortem at Maur Mandi. But her uncle, Mr Deen
Dyal, insisted the same would be conducted at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. At the hospital the relatives of the victim and other residents raised slogans against the civil authorities alleging that the post-mortem report “was being tailored to favour the accused. Mr Deen Dyal said Sunita was
poisoned to death last night. Dr Jugraj Singh Sandhu, Senior Medical Officer
(SMO), said the post-mortem was conducted by a team comprising Dr Kasturi Lal, Dr Shushil Kumar and himself. He said it had not favoured anyone. The viscera had been sent to Patiala for chemical examination.
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Undertrial escape
case: 1 surrenders JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — The police claims to have arrested a person of a three-man group responsible for the escape of an undertrial Jasbir Singh Jassa from the police custody. The SSP in a press note issued here today said Amar Pal Singh, alias Jangi succumbed to the police pressure and surrendered himself before the police yesterday. Jasbir Singh Jassa, who, according to the police was a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force and was lodged in the Central Jail were was president of the Akali Dal (Badal) Malerkotla unit from 1977 to 1999. In another incident, two persons were arrested for selling fake consumer goods of major brands in the country. A large quantity of duplicate consumer items were seized and Sanjiv Kumar, alias Sanjay of Gopal Nagar, and Kamaldip Singh of Maqsudan were arrested. During interrogation they revealed that these items were being manufactured in Delhi and they used to bring them in large quantities paying a very small price. These items were later sold to small retailers in the rural or under-developed areas and their consumers were mainly in the areas of Chintpurni, Kangra and Una. |
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Man run
over by train JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — An unidentified person, aged about 30 years, was run over by a train, near the Dhogri railway station, here today.
According to police sources, he was going on his bicycle on the Jalandhar-Pathankot railway track, near Dhogri railway station. |
Senate poll: supporters
allege malpractices BATHINDA, Sept 17 — Supporters of various candidates for the Panjab University Senate Elections have alleged large-scale malpractices in the polling which was held here today. The total votes for the local DAV College were 1,074 and for Government Rajindra College 901. The voter turnout was about 50 per cent. Mr Darbara Singh representing Mr Ravinder Nath Sharma, alleged that the DAV College authorities were attesting “fake” voter slips. Mr Ravinder Singh Mann, Vice-President Affiliated and Recognised School Association, alleged that the college Principal, Mr S.C. Marriya, who was a candidate for the election was offering freebies to the voters. The supporters also alleged that the voters with fake identifications were allowed to escape so that their misdeeds were not exposed. Supporting their claim, they presented a
photocopy of a card attested with a wrong photograph by one of the professors of the college. The Principal, however, pointed out that the officer of the college had only attested the voter identification slip and not the photograph of the voter. He added that the photograph might have been tempered with by the rivals. Mr Marriya said free photographs and lunch had been arranged by the college only to show courtesy to the voters. The officer in question, Mr N.K. Gosain, was authorised to attested the voter identification card as an officer of the N.C.C. Mr Devan Chand Gulati, returning officer for DAV College, pointed out that although some of the voters had fake identity certificates but no fake voting took place.
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PUTA poll: ‘Campus Scene’ creates flutter PATIALA, Sept 17 — ‘Campus Scene’ a newsletter has become the focus of attention in the run up to the Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA) election which is slated for September 21. The newsletter has been circulated in a secret manner with no particular group taking credit for it. However, it targets the “whimsical” functioning of the Vice-Chancellor and the present PUTA leadership, which is accused of succumbing to crumbs thrown at them. Though both groups, the United Teachers Front (UTF) and the Teachers United Front (TUF), have dissociated themselves from the news-letter, the points raised by it are being hotly debated among the teachers and could play a role in the election. The newsletter highlights the spate of resignations from top academic and administrative posts in the university during the first year of Vice-Chancellor Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia’s tenure. The resignations highlighted include that of Dr Gursharan Kaur Jaggi from the post of Registrar, Dr Chandan Singh from the post of Head, Department of Computer Sciences and Dr Jodh Singh from the post of Dean, Colleges. The newsletter alleges that the entire university administration is being kept on tenterhooks with the present authorities saying that all persons holding top posts had been kept on an ad hoc basis with their appointment letters making it clear that they would hold the post till one year or till further orders, whichever was earlier. The newsletter has also attempted to prove the apparent hypocritical standards of some leaders of the present ruling group in PUTA, who had been issuing such newsletters earlier . However, TUF, while dissociating itself from ‘Campus Scene’ has in a statement released by it as part of its election campaign alleged that the ruling group had never stood for the genuine demands of the teachers during its tenure in office. It has alleged that all important PUTA leaders had taken favours from the university authorities, citing the example of present PUTA President Dr Gurdeep Singh who left the university midway during his term in office to become principal of an engineering institute. Similarly, it has highlighted the case of former PUTA President Surinder Singh Khaira, who was appointed director of the Dehradun centre of the university. TUF has alleged that by accepting such posts, members of the UTF had diluted the authority of PUTA. TUF has also highlighted other concerns of teachers, including why 36 teachers were called to fill 18 posts under the merit promotion scheme. While alleging this was done for vested interests, it has also questioned the moral authority under which the present PUTA Secretary, Dr Hari Singh Boparai, got himself promoted through the career advancement scheme at the cost of those senior to him. Dr Boparai of the UTF, however, said earlier 34 teachers were slated to be interviewed under the merit promotion scheme (MPS). However some teachers got a stay order from a court regarding this, following which PUTA prevailed upon the Vice-Chancellor to go ahead with promotions under the career advancement scheme (CAS). He said under this scheme one teacher was rejected and another interview could not be held following which his interview was held and he was promoted to Professor. He said the interviews had to be postponed shortly after that due to a communication from the University Grants Commission (UGC). Dr Boparai said, following this, on the behalf of teachers, PUTA had taken up the issue with the Vice-Chancellor, who had assured the faculty that henceforth no one would be rejected under CAS. He said there was no question of anyone using the PUTA office for selfish interests and that Dr Gurdeep Singh had been selected by the Punjab Government. He said Mr S.S. Khera had been selected under the MPS and that he had been given a regular appointment after that.
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Grades of school
officers revised MALERKOTLA, Sept 17 — The Punjab Government has issued a notification revising the grades of 19 categories of school officers equivalent to the school Principal on the basis of the report of the implementation committee which had been set up to examine the report of the anomalies committee. Mr Joginder Singh Aulakh, state unit president, Gazetted Educational School Services Association, in a press note issued here yesterday said school officers, whose posts were interchangeable and equivalent with the post of Principal (PES Class II) had been awarded the grade of Rs 10,025-15,100 the grade of Principal. Mr Aulakh while welcoming the notification said no doubt the demand of the association, pending since long had been accepted, but resentment prevailed among the PES Class I officers as no separate higher grade had been awarded to these officers. Mr Aulakh demanded a separate higher grade of Rs 14,300-18,600 for Deputy Directors (PES Class I) and its equivalent posts on the central as well as other departments on the Punjab Government pattern. |
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Post-literacy drive
abandoned ROPAR, Sept 17 — The post literacy campaign in the district has been abandoned due to the non-availability of funds. The work in the Zila Sakharta Samities formed in 1995 has been stopped as the staff employed in this campaign have not got salaries for the past one year. There are at least 100 persons employed in this campaign on regular basis besides the 102 key resource persons, 172 resource persons and 8821 voluntary instructors. A total literacy campaign was started in 1995 under the aegis of the national literacy mission (NLM) programme. The mission gave a financial aid of Rs 1,02,37,500 for the campaign in Ropar district. On August 8, 1998, the literacy day, the district was declared first in the country in the total literacy campaign. The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the sakharta samities received the prestigious Satyan Maitre Award from Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. In this campaign as per the evaluation done by the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, 74.21 per cent literacy level was achieved in the district. This campaign was to be followed by the post-literacy mission, which was to start from March 3, 1997. The total cost of the mission was estimated to be Rs 89.10 lakh by the district administration. The project was send to the National Literacy Mission for approval. Though it was quick to give the approval, no funds have been released as yet for the project. The district administration authorities continued to run the post-literacy campaign, with the funds saved from the total literacy campaign with an assurance from the NLM authorities that the funds would be released to them shortly. However, now the funds for running the campaign have been exhausted and the district
administration decided to abandon the mission. |
Protest march by
ETT students SUNAM, Sept 17 — As part of their agitation since September 8, hundreds of ETT students and members of the Unemployed Elementary Teachers Union, Punjab, today blocked traffic near the local ITI chowk for about 15 minutes. The blockade affected the traffic on the Sunam-Lehragaga and Sunam-Patiala routes. Earlier, the protesters took out a march through the main bazaar and streets of the town in protest against the policies of the SAD-BJP government. The students and unemployed elementary teachers held a rally in support of their demands which include no appointment of B.Ed students to ETT posts, immediate filling of vacant posts and withdrawal of criminal cases registered against the students and members of the union.
Mr Simranjit Singh Mann assured SAD(A) support to the students’ struggle.
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Cotton crop regains
popularity LUDHIANA, Sept 17 — The cotton crop in Punjab is once again gaining popularity after almost a decade of successive crop failures — courtesy the escape mechanism being adopted by agricultural scientists of the state. This year there has been an increase of 15.79 per cent in the area under cotton cultivation from 4.75 lakh hectares in 1998-1999 to 5.50 lakh hectares this year. As a result, the expected yield of the cotton crop in the state is also expected to be around 440 kg lint per hectare. This is in contrast to the gradual reduction of 30 per cent in the area under cotton cultivation from 7 lakh hectares in 1991-1992 to 4.75 lakh hectares last year. The yield, over a gap of eight years, too, had fallen from 608 kg lint per hectare in 1991 to 220 kg lint per hectare in 1998. It may be noted that a large number of farmers in the state had committed suicide, especially after the cotton crop failure from 1997 to 1999. The farmers had invested big amounts in insecticides and pesticides needed for the crop after taking loans but the failure of the crop did not yield any returns and year after year, their debts continued to mount. In fact, in 1998, the farmers had used insecticides worth Rs 380 crore on the cotton crop alone. But the total yield in the state in that year was worth Rs 250 crore only. Agricultural scientists realised the seriousness of the matter after the crop reached a disastrous phase with change in weather conditions, pest infestation and indiscriminate use of insecticides. Over the past two years, they have been working on an escape mechanism so that cotton could once again be regarded as ‘white gold’. “The strategy,” points out Dr Joginder Singh, a Senior Entomologist at Punjab Agricultural University, “was to grow early maturing rapid fruiting varieties, ensuring proper irrigation for timely sowing of crop, proper spacing and thinning in fields, and judicious use of nitrogenous fertilisers.” “Even Rs 2,000-crore plan of the state government for drainage of water in cotton-growing areas like Moga, Faridkot, Kotkapura, Muktsar and Malout helped the water table decrease to a certain extent and thus help in getting a better crop, he says. Apart from this, the growing of early maturing rapid fruiting varieties to a large extent helped in curbing the menace of biotic stresses on this crop like insect and pest infestations. With early sowing, boll formation is faster and the incidence of attack of heliothis, cotton leaf curl virus and whitefly is reduced. Cotton, a tropical crop, requires hot and dry weather during its flowering period, beginning end of July to mid-October. Water requirement of the crop from the germination of the seed to its maturity is between 140 mm to 300 mm of rainfall. During the past decade (especially from 1995 to 1998) the rainfall increased by 176 mm from August to October and the relative humidity was 6 per cent more than during 1990-1994. Moreover, the delayed withdrawal of monsoon in October from 1995 to 1998 also played a spoilsport by providing a conducive atmosphere for the pest infestation of the crop and a longer vegetative period, delaying the boll formation, resulting in lesser quantity of bolls produced. This year, there was less rainfall in the cotton-growing belt of Abohar, Ferozepore, Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur, Muktsar, Malout and Faridkot. Dr G.S. Chahal, Senior Plant Breeder (Cotton), P.A.U., said: “Though it is still too early to comment on the success of the cotton crop as monsoon is likely to extend up to October, yet we are expecting a fairly good crop.” He said though the harvesting of the desi variety of cotton had been successfully accomplished, this variety occupied only 25 to 30 per cent of the area under cotton cultivation. “The success will be determined only after the remaining crop is harvested without any rains,” he said. In fact, after the cotton crop failed to live up to its name of being ‘white gold’, a large number of farmers had shifted to paddy cultivation, specially in the areas bordering the cotton belt, where water table was high. But because there was insufficient rainfall last year and the government had launched the drainage scheme this year, many of them again shifted to cotton cultivation. As a result, even the worst-hit areas of Abohar, Lambi, Muktsar and Malout blocks, cotton has made a comeback this year. Agricultural scientists feel that if there is assured sale of cotton, the crop can be successfully cultivated in the central belt of Sangrur, Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar. |
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Dealers to boycott petro
companies JALANDHAR, Sept 17 — Petrol dealers all over the country have decided not to buy petrol, diesel and other petro products from oil companies from October 6. The decision has been taken by the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders, which has also resented against the “arm-twisting” methods being adopted by oil companies to force dealers to give their petrol outlet sites to these companies on lease. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr J.P. Khanna, chairman of the coordination committee of the Federation, said the decision follows reluctance of the companies in not revealing quality of petroleum products to dealers. Even as according to prevailing trade norms the delivery of petroleum products was the responsibility of companies. He said in absence of any arrangement to make dealers aware about the quality of the products as per the companies invoice, the dealers had no choice but to take the consignment in good faith. He also lamented that the companies have switched over to clinical test from density test, whereas the companies were not following the same procedure while delivering petrol and diesel to dealers. He said the dealers were concerned at a new trend wherein the campanies were coercing them to lease out the petrol pump sites to these companies for 50
years or even more. |
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