The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Decks cleared for first-ever World Punjabi Conference
By Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 31 — With decks having been cleared for holding the first ever World Punjabi Conference in India, the month of December will witness a convergence of Punjabis from all over the world in the city. Right from May 31 this year when the Punjab Arts Council took the decision to give body to its long-cherished dream of organising this a conference in the city, till today — a lot of groundwork has already been done.

And the heartening news is that about 1,000 delegates from 20 countries have already confirmed that they will attend the three-day conference from December 22 to 24. Out of the 1,000 participants, about 250 are expected to arrive from abroad about 500 will be from Punjab alone, and the rest about 250 are expected to come from other regions.

Highlights of the conference will be the presence of Punjabis from different corners of the world who have made it big in their respective vocations. So the conference will provide an opportunity to have a rendezvous with the premiere of British Columbia, Mr Ujwal Dosanjh on the one hand and with the world-famous dentist based at California, Dr A.S. Marwaha, on the other. Also almost confirmed is the visit of grape king Mr Charanjit Batth, member of the Canadian Parliament Mr P.S Gill and Mr Dev Hayer who has recently been appointed the Mayor of an important county in British Columbia.

The acceptance of all these well-placed Punjabis was not an easy task, but it was accomplished by chairman, Punjab Arts Council, Mr Harcharan Singh and president, reception committee, Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, who have recently returned from Canada after holding parleys with prominent Punjabis there and convincing them to fill the delegate form worth $100 each.

Further, the launch of World Punjabi Foundation (whose chief patron is former PM I.K. Gujral), with an initial endowment of Rs 1 crore, is also proposed to be launched during the forthcoming conference. On the occasion, the inauguration of the Randhawa auditorium is also expected to take place. But more than anything else, the conference is meant to look back on the history of Punjab vis-a-vis Punjabis, and the struggle which this race has made to reach where it is today. Cultural programmes will also be held on all three days, with Panjab University offering the much-needed venue support to organisers.

As informed by Mr Harcharan Singh, “We will have experts speaking on various technical aspects, and we will take this occasion to introspect and analyse the past events, the trials, tribulations of the Punjabis, as also the future projections Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiyat.

The three-days of the conference will see abou six seminars being organised on various subjects like information technology, medicine, agriculture, industry and fine arts.

Another encouraging feature is the massive support the conference has garnered from the literary community of Pakistan which has decided to participate in the sammelan in a big way. A delegation comprising 50 prominent artists, writers and poets will be arriving in the city under the leadership of Fakhar Zaman. The conference will also see about 21 reputed Punjabis being honoured.

The conference will be inaugurated by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

BJP focuses on rural areas
Spend more time in villages, ministers told
By Sarbjit Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — “Go back to the people, stay with them”. This command has come from the BJP chief, Mr Bangaru Laxman, to all BJP ministers in the states where the party is in power.

The ministers have been told to spend at least three nights in the rural areas in a month. And these rural areas should be outside the constituency of the minister concerned. The Punjab unit of the BJP is busy enforcing the command of Mr Laxman. It is obvious that the BJP is focusing on those rural areas where its base is insignificant. And, perhaps, it is the first time that the party has come out with a concrete plan to grow roots in the rural areas.

In fact, Mr Laxman has inquired from the party bosses in Punjab about what the party is doing to spread its base in the villages. He has asked Mr Brij Lal Rinwa, president of the state unit of the party, to periodically review the programme given by the party’s national body.

Interestingly, there were times when senior government officers, including Deputy Commissioners and district police chiefs, had to spend at least some days every month in the rural areas. It was mandatory as per the rules framed by the British. And these rules still exist, but no DC or SSP now cares to spend even a single night in the rural areas. The objective was to ensure that the officials developed rapport with people in the countryside to know their problems.

Mr Tikshan Sud, Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, who is a national delegate of the BJP and also a member of the state executive of the party, told TNS that Mr Laxman wanted that the party should go deep into the rural areas to have a strong base in the states in this region. The party had drawn up a programme to make it a representative of all sections and do away with the tag that it only represented traders and businessmen.

To go to the rural areas in a planned manner, Mr Laxman has directed the state party units to set up “shakti kendras” there. Each rural assembly constituency will have 10 to 15 such kendras depending on its size. The kendras will be recognised units in the party’s constitution but no poll will be held to elect their office-bearers. The kendra will be the smallest unit of the party at the constituency level. Earlier, party mandals, which were elected ones, used to be the smallest units in the party’s organisational set-up. Similar kendras will be set up in the urban areas too.

Mr Sud said the Punjab unit of the party would submit a progress report to the party high command on the setting up of the shakti kendras and the stay of BJP ministers in the rural areas by November 30.

The party has also launched a programme to enrol life members. This scheme has been named the “Ajivan Sehjog Nidhi”. There will be three categories of life membership. Payment for such membership will be Rs 1,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000. The Punjab unit has been given a target to enrol 3,000 life members. Already, 1,200 members have been enrolled, it is learnt.

The party has planned a massive programme to highlight its achievements during the past one year in November and December. The main focus will be on foreign policy, the isolation of Pakistan at the international level and schemes like Jan-shri, crop insurance, etc. The turnaround in the relations with the USA will be highlighted as a major achievement.

Mr Laxman has also told his party men, especially senior leaders, to educate the people regarding RSS-BJP controversies. He has told them to tell all concerned that there are no differences as far as principles and fundamental issues are concerned.

The differences are on policies and the programmes to achieve ends. These differences are bound to stay as both the BJP and the RSS are different entities. The BJP follows policies as per the democratic needs of the party.

Mr Laxman has told senior BJP members to hold party meetings at the district and mandal levels for this purpose, according to informed sources.

Jagir Kaur may attend session
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — Bibi Jagir Kaur, President, SGPC, who has been elusive ever since a criminal case was registered against her by the CBI, is likely to make a public appearance within this month as the stormy session of the general house of the SGPC is to be held before November 30.

Though the personal assistant and political secretary of the SGPC chief, Mr Harjit Singh and Mr Swarn Singh Josh, respectively, had claimed that the Bibi would visit Amritsar on the Gurpurb of Guru Ram Dass and Divali, she failed to turn up on both occasions.

However, the general house meeting of the SGPC, which elects the President and executive members, has to be held between October 31 and November 30 every year. The general house this time is likely to be stormy due to the CBI case against Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Apart from former President SGPC Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President SAD (Amritsar), ruling party members have openly sought the resignation of Bibi Jagir Kaur. So much so that Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, Senior Vice-President, has levelled serious charges against Bibi Jagir Kaur and her personal assistant.

Earlier, the executive meeting of the SGPC was postpone thrice without assigning any reason.

Though it is mandatory for the President to convene a meeting of the general house on a 21-day notice as per the Gurdwara Act, 1925, it is to be seen whether Bibi Jagir Kaur will preside over the meeting. In case she is absent, Senior Vice-President can preside over. The notice has to be issued by next week.

Though the support base of Bibi Jagir Kaur among the SGPC members has been eroded to an extent, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal is finding extremely difficult to look for a stalwart who can replace the Bibi. Sources say such a move can open a can on worms for the ruling party.

Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, Senior Vice-President, Mr Kewal Singh Badal, Mr Sucha Singh Langah and Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi are among the aspirants for the coveted post.

However, Mr Parkash Singh Badal has reasons to reject their candidatures. In case no suitable candidate is found, the general house can unanimously extend the general house for another one-year term.

The SGPC members belonging to the SHSAD and the SAD (Amritsar) and some members of the ruling party have already sought the resignation of Bibi Jagir Kaur.

The general house has 190 members, including 15 nominated ones from other states and five High Priests. The High Priests are non voting members. The ruling party has 130 members while the SHSAD has 50.

Sikh manch urges Bibi to resign
From Our Correspondent

AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — An emergency meeting of the Sikh Chintak Manch was held under the presidentship of Mr R.S. Bindra. Members expressed anguish over the prevailing affairs in the Sikh Panth and urged Bibi Jagir Kaur to resign voluntarily from the presidentship of the SGPC to uphold the high traditions of Sikh parliament.

The members felt that the hukamnama once pronounced could not be amended or withdrawn. The amendment to the hukamnama regarding langar was violative of the Sikh ‘maryada’.

The manch condemned Mr Sucha Singh Langah for organising recitation of the Ramayana path and urged Akal Takht Jathedar to summon and punish him according to the Sikh traditions.

The manch appealed to the Sikh intellectuals all over the world to come forward to save the Sikh institutions and Sikh ‘maryada’.

Bureaucracy plays spoilsport
Police bid to tackle cyber crime
From Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA Nov 1 — Has bureaucratic wrangling and lack of political initiative and support drowned the hopes of the Punjab Police to become the first force in the state equipped to tackle cyber crime.

This seems to be the case if the status of three proposals sent for approval of the state government way back in 1995-96 is gauged. The proposals, aimed at preparing the police for combating cyber crime are gathering dust in forgotten almirahs of government offices.

While the government sits over the proposals, the police is facing the music as it finds itself ill-equipped to tackle cyber criminals. Some residents of Ludhiana recently indulged in defaming and blackmailing wards of rich and influential persons through specially created websites. In two cases of computers were used for preparing fake lottery tickets in the city. But there was little the police could do.

With the widespread use of computers in government departments, the banking sector and the expansion of the information technology, an increase in the incidence of cyber crime is expected.

A senior police officer remarked: “We are drawing a flak from the masses and the media for our handicap in dealing with computer-related crime. In fact, it is the bureaucracy and politicians who are stalling the modernisation of the police’’. The officer said it was ironic that on the one hand the government was talking about computerisation in the state on the lines of states like Tamil Nadu and on the other no attention was being paid to equip the police to meet the challenge of cyber crime.

The three proposals were on raising a cadre of computer professionals, recording of all police data and record on a special computer proforma and implementation of the recommendation of the National Crime Record Bureau which called for introduction of computerised integrated forms for registering FIRs.

According to the first proposal, a police officer of the rank of DSP must be posted in each police district for detection and prevention of the crime. He is to be supported by junior level computer professionals.

The second and the third proposals would have helped in establishing a computer network in the state and got the police on-line with other state police departments. Information on crime and criminals would have been a mouse-click away. The recording of FIR through computers would have helped in storing information.

Responding to enquiries about the proposals the office said he had no inhibitions in admitting that the police was ill-equipped to tackle cyber crime. “But it is not because of any lack of vision on our part to meet the challenge,” he said, adding that the Punjab Police was, in fact, one of the first in the country to realise the problem of cyber crime state and had, thus, prepared a detailed proposal way back in 1995-96.

Citing an example, he said the police wanted direct recruitment of computer professionals but the bureaucracy wanted recruitment through agencies like the Punjab Public Service Commission . The DGP said, this recruitment process took time and computer professionals after lost interest beyond a point as they had other lucrative offers in hand.

‘Jokes on Sikhs angered Malik’
From Gurpreet Singh
Tribune News Service

FEROZEPORE, Nov 1 — Old friends of Ripudaman Singh Malik, who has been arrested by Canadian police for the blast in the Kanishka airbus carrying 329 passengers in 1985, remember him as a staunch Sikh.

At least two of them, Mr Surinder Chopra, a commission agent, and Mr Jitender Aggarwal, a landlord, say that religion always had a hold on Ripudaman, alias Machoo, who may have “gone astray” due to Operation Bluestar.

They remember Machoo coming from an orthodox Sikh family. “He never tolerated jokes targeting his community”, Mr Aggarwal pointed out.

Mr Chopra, also a senior BJP leader, pointed out that Operation Bluestar had left Akal Takht devastated “Even an ordinary Sikh felt hurt, what to say of Machoo”.

Both Mr Chopra and Mr Aggarwal were colleagues of Ripudaman, a student of the local RSD College, in the late sixties. They said Machoo mostly kept company with Sikh youths. This spoke volumes of his mindset.

Both were on good terms with Machoo and his family.

They described Machoo as an introvert. Mr Aggarwal remembered him as a shrewd businessman. “Since he is from a business family, he exploited every opportunity to mint money”, he said, pointing out that Machoo’s family owned a petrol station and a big chemist shop in the city.

Machoo left the country with a cousin in the early seventies. “He quit his studies midway”, Mr Aggarwal said.

Farm front: challenges ahead-V
Time to shift from strategy to action
From P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA: As one surveys the Punjab agricultural landscape through the prism of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), one is reminded of what Jawaharlal Nehru said: “Everything else can wait but not agriculture”. It was he who formally inaugurated the university on July 8, 1963; it was established in December, 1962.

PAU, at 38, looks much older, frail, fatigued and frayed; it has, seemingly, aged prematurely. Unless reinvigorated, it will die. Its physical appearance has changed drastically: unkempt campus, buildings in need of repair and whitewash, ill-equipped laboratories, stacks of broken furniture clogging and cramping corridors, unswept classrooms and toilets that stink. All these greet a visitor to a once premier institution.

Its mind-set obstructs quick reflexes. It has to overcome its infirmities, mostly perceived, and evolve its own mix of research priorities keeping in view national and state realities and interests. All its future programmes have to ensure for its clients, farmers, mostly small peasants, an opportunity for development, empowerment and security, both social and economic. For this, government participation with a strong political will is necessary. It is time to shift from strategies to action.

The present agricultural scene reminds one of what Sir Malcolm Darling wrote in the thirties of the great canal irrigation development in West Punjab. The Chief Election Commissioner, Dr M.S. Gill, quoted him in his convocation address at PAU in November, 1998: “The new prosperity would either make or mar the peasant. If the surpluses were invested productively, a new civilisation would rise. If, however, they went into the peasant’s inherent weaknesses of litigation and wasteful social expenditure, then the irrigation revolution would have been in vain”.

Today, the same question haunts Dr Gill and many other well-wishers of Punjab in the post-Green Revolution period. A false sense of social pride coupled with ego-satisfying heavy capital investments in farm machinery have led to the indebtedness of farmers. PAU needs to harness all its extension specialists to perform a social obligation: educating farmers about wasteful, ostentatious spending on social functions and liquor.

There are new challenges ahead. A new thinking, new technology and new tools are needed to meet these and provide answers to the increasing poverty and decreasing purchase power of the people. Punjab is no exception.

There are 11 lakh farming families. Data on the size of their holdings shows: marginal farmers (26.5 per cent) own 1 hectare; small farmers (19.1 per cent) 1-2 hectares; semi-medium farmers (25.9 per cent) 2-4 hectares; medium farmers (23.4 per cent) 4-10 hectares and large farmers (6.1 per cent) 4 hectares.

An answer to helping the poor, whom “deprivations keep from leading the kind of life that everyone values,” is provided in the “World Development Report — 2000-2001” on the theme. “Attacking Poverty”. PAU can take a cue from the report, which has identified three priority areas to alleviate the suffering of the poor: 1. opportunity — expanding economic opportunities for poor people through growth, ensuring better access to markets and increasing assets and eduction; 2. empowerment — make state institutions more responsive to poor people and remove social barriers that exclude women, ethnic and racial groups, and 3. security — provide machanisms to reduce the sources of vulnerability (economic shocks, crop failures, unemployment and other burdens of the poor).

Perhaps, PAU’s Director of Research, Dr M.S. Bajwa, had these points in view when he spoke of the task entrusted to economists, sociologists and home scientists to design a prototype of a “workable farming model” for small farmers.

The agricultural problems at hand and suggested solutions have both short and long gestation periods. Therefore, the quality of agricultural education to be imparted at PAU assumes significance. As a guidebook, it can fall back on the Dr M.S. Swaminathan Committee report on “Education for Agriculture”. In fact, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in collaboration with the World Bank has undertaken a countrywide scheme of “accreditation” of agricultural universities to the ICAR, whose Deputy Director-General (Education), Dr S.L. Mehta, is associated with the project along with Dr D.S. Padda from the World Bank.

The Head of the Economics and Sociology Department, Dr Joginder Singh, says education is crucial to the future of agriculture as much as it is to farmers to understand new concepts, technologies, pricing and marketing mechanisms. Punjab’s rural literacy should be a cause of grave concern: it is 52.8 per cent against the urban literacy rate of 72.1 per cent. The quality of education in rural areas is on the decline. Consequently, the intake of rural students into professional and technical educational institutions is dismal. Those who talk of problems in agriculture and solutions thereof must ensure for them forward and backward linkages with technical and computer education as well as information technology, he says.

Even as PAU re-focuses and refixes its research prorities, the government should so frame and profile its “sustainable models” of rural development and agriculture as to incorporate education and health in the policies. Rural Punjab lags behind in both these.

The faculty at PAU has to change its mind-set and work as “missionaries” to meet the new challenges ahead. It must reconstruct its own institution. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr G.S. Kalkat, is convinced that agricultural universities and the government, both at the Centre and in the states, require to network and evolve viable, workable solutions, if need be even outside the system. Then only can the Green Revolution become greener, Punjab agriculture’s vigour and vitality restored and farmer’s hopes rekindled.

Dr M.S. Gill in his convocation address had said: “It is necessary for the good of Punjab to immediately inject into the university a Rs 10 crore revolving research grant to once again put it on a path of new, much-needed research.”

The Swaminathan report recommended Rs 10,000 million in the Ninth Plan period for all state agricultural universities and deemed universities.

(Concluded)

Lucky draws, lotteries proliferate
From Pushpesh Kumar

BATHINDA: With the onset of the festival season various lucky draws and lottery schemes are being promoted by “service” clubs that have sprung up but the element of social service in a majority of them is marred by elements out to make a fast buck.

Shopkeepers have started these schemes. Of the various draws being promoted in the area many flaunt attractive prizes such as a car, motor-cycle, scooter, colour TV and white appliances. The people contribute for the sake of social charity and in the process hope to win a prize.

“Socially-oriented” names are often misleading and some of the clubs wind up after the initial euphoria is over. One wonders why such “schemes” are authorised by the administration? Government agencies do not enter the fray in collecting such donations and no such schemes have been launched by the district Red Cross Society.

The government has banned all “single digit” lotteries and various draws and sales promotion schemes. But the mushrooming of “social lotteries” with the purpose of cashing in on the festival spirit, seem to have made the ban self-defeating.

There is no auditing or verification of accounts of these “schemes” and the winner’s authenticity is often doubtful. Draws on a low ticket prize and a good prize are the main money-spinners, as the ticket’s proportion to the prize is huge.

When contacted Mr Harbhajan Singh, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Bathinda, said there were provision of tax on the income by lotteries and the company earning the profit was liable to pay tax, so was the winner. But the department had not taxed any firm, club or individual so far, he added.

Mr Jaspal Singh, District Magistrate, said his office had not given permission to some of these clubs running the lotteries and draws and added that the officers had been instructed to bring the culprits to book.

One wonders how the companies concerned frame the policies and fool the public, that too under the very nose of the income tax authorities. If the present trend continues, the time is not far when people would not be able to distinguish between the social and “unsocial” clubs.

COMMUNITY

Labourer thrown out of home
Says he owed Rs 10,000 to employer
From Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

PHILLAUR (Jalandhar), Nov 1 — Sukhdev Singh, a farm labourer of Mandiala village, and his family members are allegedly not being allowed to enter their ancestral home by his former employers. The house has been locked for more than a year.

Life has lost its meaning for Sukhdev, his two young children and wife, as they have to run from one relative to another for shelter.

Sukhdev says his only fault was that he had taken an amount of Rs 10,000 as loan from one of his former employers and had ‘‘failed’’ to repay the sum. He claimed he had worked in the fields of the farmer for over a half year in lieu of the amount. Yet the employer had been forcing him to repay the money, had beaten him and driven him and his family out of their home about a year ago.

His pleas to the administration to enable him to return to his village and his house had failed to yield any result. He had never dared to go to the village but once, a few months back, when his employer and his henchmen had thrashed him.

Sukhdev, who has taken shelter in a local rehabilitation centre run by a child rights and bonded labour organisation, said he had taken Rs 10,000 from Mr Mohinder Singh of Mandiala village in 1993. ‘‘After working for over three years on a monthly salary of Rs 1000, I was told that I still owed the amount. I took a loan of Rs 10,000 from Mohinder’s acquaintance, Mr Kuljit Singh of Saliana village, and paid back the former. I then started working with Mr Kuljit Singh. But worst was in store for me as I was beaten up by the latter when I sought leave to attend to my ailing child,’’ said a traumatised Sukhdev. ‘‘I was so terrified that I left for my in-laws’ house in Bundala village. In my absence, my house was locked by Mohinder Singh, his son, who is a Head Constable and Mr Kuljit Singh. ‘‘It has been locked since then,’’ said Sukhdev, who alleged that he had lodged a number of written complaints with the Deputy Commissioner and the Senior Superintendent of Police, but in vain.

Mr Mohinder Singh and Mr Kuljit Singh were not available for comment. But Mr Malkiat Singh, son of Mr Mohinder Singh, said the house of Sukhdev was locked by his father and Mr Kuljit Singh since Sukhdev had failed to repay the loan to Mr Kuljit Singh.

‘‘We locked the house with the consent of the village panchayat.’’

The village sarpanch was not available. However, Mr Jarnail Singh, another resident, said the panchayat had not given permission to anybody to lock the house of Sukhdev Singh. A group of villagers said Sukhdev had not been seen in the village for a couple of months. Parminder Singh, a resident of Balmiki Mohalla, where Sukhdev’s house is situated, said the latter was seen in the village for a few days when his nephew had died a few months back.

Check pollution, industry told
From Our Correspondent

AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — Mr Rajan Kashyap, Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, yesterday presided over a meeting to regulate the pollution problem in and around the city and also regarding the complaints made by the Pollution Control Committee which were pending before the Punjab State Human Rights Commission.

Besides officials of the local Municipal Corporation headed by its Commissioner, Mr Narinderjit Singh, the meeting was also attended by representatives of the textile industry and other related processing units to discuss various problems.

Mr Kashyap advised all industrial units which were discharging effluents into the Hudiara Nullah to take pollution control measures regarding the nullah. The progress made by various local bodies regarding installation of pollution control measures were also discussed.

He also visited the sewerage treatment plant of Guru Nanak Dev University and disposal sites of the Municipal Corporation along the Hudiara Nullah.

He urged the industries to install their own common effluent treatment plants (ETPs). The government would give 50 per cent financial assistance for the installation of such common ETPs along with the technical assistance, he assured.

7,400 TB cases in Ludhiana
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 1- The government has launched a massive campaign for eradication of tuberculosis in the state and the district. There are about 7,400 TB cases in the district. This was disclosed by the Punjab Health Minister, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, here today.

Dr Chawla said expenses for the treatment of 1600 patients would be paid by the government , while 5,400 patients would be taken care by different non-government organisations. He said special TB checking teams had been deployed in different areas. As a special measure, all waiters in all hotels were being checked for the TB infection.

The minister disclosed that 4.5 lakh children would be administered polio drops in Ludhiana. As many as 100 mobile teams had been deputed for the purpose. Of these 24 teams would be deputed at the Ludhiana Railway Station only.

Referring to the spread of dengue in Ludhiana, Dr Chawla sought to underplay the issue. He said it was up to the people themselves to prevent the spread of these kind of diseases by ensuring that mosquitoes were not allowed to breed.

Regarding the field travelling allowance (FTA) for the medical staff, Dr Chawla said that the issue had been cleared by the Finance Department.

Meanwhile, 15 fresh cases of dengue were reported today from different parts of the city. The total number of dengue cases has reached 240. According to the Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, of these 56 cases were confirmed to be of dengue, while 184 were suspected cases only.

Code, charges fixed for beggars, eunuchs
From Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

IBRAHIMWAL (Kapurthala) Nov 1 — Irked over swelling hordes of beggars and frequent enhancement of charges by domestic help during marriages and other ceremonies, residents of this tiny village have come out with a novel solution and have fixed a code and charges for different household chores and the rate of giving alms.

The villagers were particularly upset over the way beggars, domestic help and eunuchs used to behave during marriage ceremonies and family functions. These persons reportedly used to spoil the show if the amount offered did not meet their wishes. Having failed to find a remedy and suffering ‘humiliation’ at the hands of hordes of beggars, especially those who had recently migrated to the Doaba region from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, village elders finally solved the menace by fixing the charges and implementing a code for themselves and for beggars, domestic help and eunuchs.

Anybody violating the charges will have to face the village panchayat which will impose a penalty in the form of a contribution towards the development fund of the panchayat commensurating with the excess amount given to beggars and eunuchs.

Mr Tilak Raj, sarpanch of the village, said the problem had attained alarming proportions and villagers had started suffering at the hands of unscrupulous elements in the garb of beggars, eunuchs and domestic help on occasions like birth of a child, marriage, and other celebrations. “The situation had come to such a pass that they won’t leave the place without taking the desired amount of money and if anybody refused or failed to bow to their wishes, he would be inviting trouble since these people could go to any length to humiliate the family by creating an unruly scene and spoiling the atmosphere. Fearing such things, almost everybody had to give in to their demands. In a comparatively new development, domestic help had also started joining the ranks of such elements,” said Mr Tilak Raj.

Mr Stephan Kala, a local leader, said the problem was basically created by increasing number of unidentified beggars who at times even manhandled the person refusing to oblige them. “At one function, you could see 10-15 groups of beggars and eunuchs,” he said, adding that only genuine persons like domestic help who lend a helping hand on such occasion should be allowed to get some rewards and others should be dealt with strictly. The police should identify and register such genuine persons so as to prevent the occurrence of crime.

According to the new list announced by the sarpanch, a group of eunuchs was to get was a ladies suit, an amount of Rs 250 and a plateful of “atta” and “gur”. Similarly, a one time amount of Rs 50 and a suit will be given to a group of male or female “baazigars” and Rs 50 to the lone “dholwala” of the village. Poor women who wished the family with flowers and garlands with an aim to get some reward would get an amount of Rs 25. Interestingly, the code allowed only those groups of eunuchs, bazzigars and beggars who had been duly recognised by the village panchayats who had barred the entry of unidentified beggars and others in the village, said Mr Tilak Raj.

Joining hands with the villagers, the police authorities had also planned to initiate a verification exercise pertaining to beggars and migrant labourers. Mr Iqbal Singh, SSP, said after receiving a number of complaints regarding the increasing number of beggars, he had already instructed the officials concerned to identify such persons and check their antecedents from their parent states.

SC panel chief calls on CM
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — The Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mr Dalip Singh Bhuria, called on the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, here today. Mr Bhuria was accompanied by Mr Harinder Singh Khalsa, a member of the commission.

Mr Badal told the commission Chairman about various schemes started by the government for the welfare of the SCs and the STs.

Work permit for migrants sought
From Our Correspondent

AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — The Khalra Mission Committee Chairman, Mr Surinder Singh Ghariala, has said the migrant labour is increasing in Punjab.

He suggested that such labourers be issued work permits instead of ration cards and their names be omitted from the voters’ list.

He said even after 34 years of struggle Punjab is unable to have its own capital city and an exclusive state high court.

Books released
Tribune News Service

SANGRUR, Nov 1 — Two Punjabi books ‘Dubia Suraj’ (poetry and ‘Diari De Panne’ (prose) authored by Mr Mohan Sharma, were released by Mr Anirudh Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, at a function at the Ranbir Club here this evening.

Prof Charanjit Channi, a Punjabi short story writer, delivered introductory remarks about the books.

ADMINISTRATION

Jail officials fail exam on rule book
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, Nov 1 — Does a section of officials manning different jails of Punjab and Chandigarh have any knowledge of the jail manual? The answer seems to be in the negative if the results of the departmental examination held by the Central Committee of Examination in July, 2000, is any indication.

Of the 27 jail officials, including Probation Officers, Deputy Superintendents and Superintendents, who appeared in the examination, only two could pass the paper on the jail manual and that too with poor marks.

According to a copy of the Punjab Government gazette in which the result has been published, 13 officials could not get the pass marks while six passed the exam with low grades.

The jail officials who took the examination have been posted in different jails of Punjab and Chandigarh, including district, Central and model jails.

Similarly, Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) of the Agriculture Department have performed badly in the accounts examination held by the Central Examination Committee in July, 2000.

Of the total 24 ADOs who took the examination, only six could pass it while the remaining 18 were declared failed.

A major section of the 42 Assistant Commissioners and Extra Assistant Commissioners who appeared in the departmental examinations could barely pass the different exams. Most failed in Hindi.

A majority of the candidates could not pass in all the exams.

MC meeting postponed for a day
From Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR, Nov 1 — A meeting of the Municipal Corporation scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed to November 3 on account of Mr L.K. Advani, Union Minister’s visit to Beas for a free eye check-up camp. The postponement comes at a time when six earlier meetings of the House have been adjourned or postponed on one pretext or another by the former Mayor, Mr Subhash Sharma, who was later expelled from the BJP. Consequently development works in the city are awaiting sanction since June.

Corporation house meetings scheduled for June 30, July 10, July 14, August 31, September 4 and September 13 were either adjourned or postponed. Hence no agenda had been passed since the past five months in the corporation house.

Apprehensions also abound over a record number of developmental items scheduled for the first corporation house meeting to be chaired by the new Mayor, Mr Brij Mohan Kapoor.

A total of a whopping 225 development works await sanction. Majority of the items were scheduled by the earlier “officiating” Mayor, Mr Lakha Singh Gumtala, during the interim period from September 25 to October 18 pending elections for a new mayor.

Approximately Rs 5 crore expenditure would be incurred on the total projects in the agenda. “In normal practice 30 to 35 items of developmental works are passed in a single agenda, this agenda has surpassed all previous records”, said a councillor. But total items from all previous meetings are less than 35.

At present the municipal corporation is facing a financial crunch. More than the total budget of 1999-2000, which is Rs 116 crore, has already been spent. About Rs 25 crore in loans have been taken by the corporation, from the HUDCO, Oriental Bank of Commerce. The corporation is also facing overdrafting from different loan agencies. A sum of about Rs 9 crore is still pending towards payments to different contractors for carrying out development works.

The meeting assumes significance as the BJP, after the cross-voting during mayoral elections, fears the tilt in the balance of power.

The majority for passing agendas by the BJP is only possible with the support of 19 dissident Congress councillors besides the support of its coalition partner the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Majority in the House meeting is pivotal to counter the alleged Congress threat of walk-out and also to successfully tide over the crisis on the ‘number’ of development projects in the agenda.

The new Mayor, Mr Kapoor, said he was confident of support from both the Congress dissidents as well as the SAD in the house meeting.

CRIME

Smugglers held
From Our Correspondent

BATHINDA, Nov 1 — The district police has arrested four persons allegedly involved in the smuggling of narcotics.

Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, said here today that 1 kg of opium and 35 kg of poppy husk was seized from Joginder Singh, Sira Singh and Hardev Singh.

Robbers kill one, injure two
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, Nov 1 — One person was killed and two wounded when a group of 12 persons attacked a farm house near Bajuah village in Nakodar subdivision late last night.

According to the police, the persons with muffled faces attacked the farm house of Gulzaar Singh and decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.5 lakh after injuring the owner and his son, Manjit, and killing their relative, Sunder Singh, a resident of Ambgarh village, with sharp-edged weapons.

The group first attacked Sunder Singh, who tried to raise an alarm and then beat up Gulzaar Singh and Manjit, who suffered serious head injuries. Then they locked female members of the family in a room, searched almirahs and trunks and fled away with cash and jewellery. A case has been registered.

4 houses burgled
From Our Correspondent

PHILLAUR, Nov 1 — A gang of at least 12 armed miscreants burgled four houses near Goraya yesterday and decamped with Rs 15,000 in cash, gold and silver ornaments and household goods including wrist-watches and cameras.

According to reports received here today, the gang members burgled the houses of Kuldip Singh, Gurnek Singh at Rurrka Khurad, Balbir Singh and Jeet Singh at Mahal village. The robbers opened fire before leaving the houses. The police has registered a case.

Persian teachers’ conference ends
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, Nov 1 — With an impressive valedictory function the three-day 22nd All India Persian Teachers’ Conference underway at Punjabi University concluded here today. In the concluding session Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Member Parliament, highlighted the close ties through Sufi poetry between Punjabi and Persian languages and stressed the need of developing Persian to strengthen the cultural and literary bonds between the two sides.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University in his presidential address termed the holding of the Persian teachers’ conference an historic occasion as the conference had energised the emotional bounds with the Persian world. Dr Ahluwalia declared that Punjabi University would take all possible steps to develop Persian studies at Punjabi University and for this purpose scholarships would be provided and scholars from other parts of the country would be invited to work on special projects.

Dr S.A.M. Abidi, Professor, Emeritus, Delhi University, emphasised the need of paying due attention to the growth of Persian language in India. Dr Ahmed Ansari from Bombay University presented a report of the conference.

In the valedictory function Dr Ahluwalia honoured prominent guests with university publications and mementoes. In the evening a mushaira was organised in honour of the participants.

Nursing college for Faridkot
From Our Correspondent

FARIDKOT, Nov 1 — The Punjab Government has decided to start nursing college from the next academic session here. The District Red Cross Society has agreed to give its women working hostel to begin the project. Initially 200 students will be admitted, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal said at a press conference here today.

He said the state government had released Rs 1.05 crore for the construction of the first phase of Baba Farid university of health sciences here. The work would start in January. The notification regarding the setting up of a focal point on the Faridkot-Kotkapura road had been issued and objections had been asked for, he said.

He parried questions regarding the merging of about 100 villages around the Mudki area to strengthen Faridkot district which suffered after its trifurcation.