 |
|
| Wednesday,
May 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India
|
|
|
PSEB wants Rs 750 cr for paddy crop Patiala, May 14 During a special presentation made to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, board officials said the PSEB needed Rs 750 crore immediately if it was to cater to the demands of farmers. It was decided that loans would be raised for the purpose. Sources said Finance Secretary
K.R. Lakhanpal had been deputed to arrange for the loans. They said this recourse adopted as the government did not have any funds at present with the gap between the revenue and the
expenditure itself being Rs 3500 crore. It had also been decided to file objections on behalf of the government before the regulatory commission which meant any immediate power hike was ruled out. The entire process of filing of objections would take nearly two months. The government is also likely to negotiate the proposed power hike to soften the blow of the hike on both the industry and domestic sectors. Capt Amarinder Singh talking to newspersons after the meeting said the government wanted to adopt a middle path on the free power facility issue. He said there was no escape from the issue of power reforms with the previous government already signing a memorandum of understanding on the issue. He also expressed helplessness in compensating the board for the money spent by it on providing free power. The Chief Minister also made it clear that the high-cost of power being supplied by the NTPC and the Nuclear Power Corporation would be taken up with the Centre. He said earlier money had been borrowed for the board under
exorbitant rates of interest and it would be his government’s endeavour to negotiate the issue. He said a request had been made by the board Chairman, asking the government to help in the process of registering FIRs against those indulging in power theft. He said he was not in favour of the trifurcation of the board as the experiment had not been successful in Orissa and Haryana. |
|
Pbi varsity VC: search panel to be set up Chandigarh, May 14 The immediate need of the government is to find a suitable candidate for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University. Informed sources said 18 candidates were in the race for the post. When asked a question in this connection, the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, told TNS that he had made up his mind to break with the tradition of “political appointment” of Vice-Chancellors by Chief Ministers. Most of those appointed in various universities in the past several decades were the personal choices of the Chief Ministers concerned. By and large, those who used to meet the political needs of the Chief Ministers used to be appointed Vice-Chancellors. Of late, even lesser-known academicians made it to the coveted post using the right “political levers”. Capt Amarinder Singh said he would set up a three-member search committee of top academicians to “select an eminent academician” with a “decent” personal track record for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, which was at present headed by Mr N.S. Rattan, Principal Secretary, Higher Education. Mr Rattan was given additional charge of Vice-Chancellor after the removal of Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia. He said he had not found time yet to look at the bio-data of the candidates for the post. The search committee would be able to find the right person. “Moreover, I want to free academic institutions from the hold of politicians as far as academic appointments are concerned.” |
Vigilance begins probe into 23-cr fraud Chandigarh, May 14 The bureau has registered criminal cases against Satguru Rice Mill, near Rajpura, and one Inspector, Mr Gurmit Singh of Punjab Agro, regarding the embezzlement of government paddy worth Rs 2.31 crore. Another case regarding the embezzlement of wheat worth Rs 5 lakh has been registered against Sukhdev Raj Sharma of Punsup. Meanwhile, according to a press statement of the bureau, it has arrested Prem Chand Behl, a clerk with the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, Mohinder Pal Singh, senior assistant in the office of the Divisional Deputy Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, Patiala, Surinder Kumar Singla, a sales tax inspector and constable Balwinder Kumar at Doomwali, Ayudhaya Parshad Goyal, SDO, Punjab State Electricity Board, Bassi Pathana, Vijay Kumar, a patwari of Aliana village in Ferozepore, and Manmohan Kumar, Assistant Improvement Trust Engineer, Moga, in separate cases registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act. |
|
Highway 4-laning: Punjab to remind Vajpayee SAS Nagar, May 14 There is heavy traffic on that road in view of Amritsar being the “Mecca of the Sikhs” and implementation of the Rs 450 crore
four-laning project is of utmost importance. Stating this at a press conference, at the residence of Ms Lakhwinder Kaur
Garcha, OSD to the Chief Minister and PPCC general secretary, here today, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, Minister for Public Works, said he would also meet the Union Surface Transport Minister in connection with the project. Mr Bajwa said there were 23 main-level crossings in Punjab which had become traffic hazards. Projects on a build-operate-transfer
(BOT) basis would be taken up at 10 of the level crossings to tackle the traffic problem. Private parties would undertake the work and later a toll would be levied on vehicular traffic to recover the project costs. After a period of time the projects would become government property and the public would benefit. Mr Bajwa said the 10-level crossings included those at Kurali, Morinda and Nawanshahr. The minister disclosed that his department was studying a proposal to strengthen and widen state highways in view of the increasing traffic. In fact, the situation was so bad that the figure for murders in Punjab. Loans for the project would be taken from the World Bank and
HUDCO. He said after the road project was executed a toll would be imposed on users to enable the government to generate Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore annually to repay the loan
instalments. He said the total consumption of petrol and diesel in the state was being studied. Even though the entitlement of Punjab from the Central Road Fund was about Rs 200 crore, the state was only getting Rs 55 crore to Rs 60 crore. The previous government had not followed up the case. The study was being done to get the state’s due share of an additional Rs 150 crore in this regard. There was also a scheme to streamline traffic in the state. The Education and Transport Department would be asked to create awareness regarding traffic rules from class IX onwards in schools. Replying to a question relating to the allegation of the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, that the Congress government had halted ongoing work on roads, Mr Bajwa said the charge was baseless. No work had been stopped on the main roads but certain schemes which had been started by the Badal government merely to “please jathedars” were being screened. At certain places, he said, small stretches of roads were being constructed in rural areas to benefit individuals in violation of the rules. He said they had also planned to start a campaign next month to find out where substandard material had been used on roads. He would hold enquiries in this regard and action would be taken against the guilty. |
|
Cong changes 3 candidates for Amritsar civic poll New Delhi, May 14 The communication said support should be extended to new candidates. Sources said that the changes were made at the persuasion of senior leader from Amritsar who complained of ticket having been given to those who had worked against the party earlier. The party high-command had devised a formula for the distribution of ticket under which the local MLA was given almost 50 per cent of the seats in the wards in his constituency and remaining seats were distributed among the local MP and other party leaders. Today’s changes were made even as the municipal elections are only five days away. |
|
Dy Mayor opts out of MC poll Amritsar, May 14 In ward No 4, Independent candidates, Ms Tripta Mehra, Mr Vinod Kumar and Mr Satish Anand, withdrew their papers in favour of the Congress candidate, Dr Ajay Gupta. Meanwhile, terming the MC elections to be the most sensitive as far as the police was concerned, Mr Amit Parsad, SP headquarters, said 1000 more personnel had been requisitioned for the election. The police has identified 45 polling stations as highly sensitive and 166 as sensitive out of the total 334 polling stations and 756 polling booths in the entire municipal jurisdiction. Of these, 305 are located in the urban areas and 29 in the semi-urban localities. The entire plan was chalked out by the SSP, Mr Narinder Pal Singh, yesterday. Besides the mobile and mounted patrolling in the city and the outskirts has also been intensified, especially during processions and meeting. Depositing of licensed weapons is being carried on while special nakas are on to check liquor distribution during the poll campaign. Tearing the poster of opponents was the commonest reason for alterations, said Mr Parsad. Who had also supervised the last MC elections in the city in 1997. Meanwhile, the highest number of registered voters is in ward No 17 and the lowest in the ward No 16, with 25,374 and 7,772 voters, respectively. Interestingly, out of 485 candidates in the fray about 314 are Independents. During the last elections in 1997, out of the 503 contestants 324 were Independent candidates. Out of 60 wards, 20 wards are reserved for women. There are 136 women in the fray. While the Congress is contesting all 60 seats alone, the SAD-BJP combine is entering the fray with 35 seats going to the BJP and the remaining 25 to the SAD. Other than these the CPI is contesting from 19 wards, the CPM from 11 the Janta Dal United from 6, the BSP from 5, the Lok Bhalai Party from 3, the Phooley Bharti from 2 and the Samajwadi Party from 3 wards. Despite the fact that 12 candidates are contesting from the SAD (Amritsar) only one has been allotted the party symbol. Interestingly, Mr Lakha Singh Gumtala was contesting as an Independent after being denied the ticket by the SAD. |
|
BTF terrorist arrested Patiala, May 14 The terrorist — Harjit Singh Kala — was arrested at Harpalpur village in Rajpura subdivision, according to the local police. Two live foreignmade grenades have been recovered from his possession. Sources said Kala was at one time the right-hand man of dreaded terrorist Amrik Singh Kauli and had been an important member of the Zora-Mandoli group before he joined the Bhindranwale Tiger Force. He had been involved in several murder and dacoity cases. The sources said Kala had been released on parole from the Central Jail and was to report back on January 28. When Kala did not report back, a high alert was sounded, which led to his arrest. |
Scam vindicates aspirants’ claims Amritsar, May 14 Among the names that figured in complaints by these aspirants was that of Kuljit Kaur, daughter of SSP Gurcharan Singh, Ferozepore, who made it to the selection list despite having failed twice in her Bachelor of Arts examination. Similarly, Deepak Arora, Jiwan Kumar Garg, Amarveer Singh, Bharat Bhushan and Randip Singh are alleged to have been selected on “extraneous considerations”. At least six writs that were filed against these selections in 1999 soon after the selections, alleging malpractices and nepotism, are still pending with the Punjab and Haryana High Court. A case in instance is a complaint filed by Arti Puri, Deepak Gupta and Sanjeev Sharma, against PPSC Chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Mr Amarjit S. Sidhu, member, PPSC, and candidates selected in 1999. The complaint states that undue delay was shown in the declaration of results. The interviews conducted on June 2, 1998, and the result declared on July 11, 1999, exactly a year and nine days later, which showed that extraneous considerations came into play in the interim period. The complaint further states that the list displayed by the PPSC mentioned only 92 candidates, whereas 273 had appeared for the interview. The list was not prepared in order of merit and even roll numbers of unqualified candidates were left out. The waiting list was also done away with. |
|
Appointment letter not issued
despite selection Kapurthala, May 14 He alleged that he had not been issued appointment letter in spite of various representations to the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. He told the Tribune that the Punjab Public Service Commission had advertised in certain newspapers in 1998 for the recruitment of post of District Attorney in the commission. He said he, along with three other candidates, appeared for an interview before the commission at Patiala on November 27, 1998, which was conducted among others by Mr Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Chairman, PPSC. However, the results of the interview had not been released. Mr Surjit Singh said he later visited the office of the commission to know about the result of the interview but the same was not displayed on the notice board of the commission. He said now after more than three years, when the scandal involving the selections made by Mr Sidhu came to light and a list of candidates selected during his tenure was released in a section of the Press, he found that he had been selected for the post of District Attorney in the Punjab State Election Commission. He, thereafter, enquired from the office of the PPSC about his selection which was confirmed by the same. Mr Surjit Singh has demanded that he should be issued appointment letter for the post of District Attorney as the post had been lying vacant. He claimed that he was selected on merits. |
|
Ministers, MLAs told to declare assets SAS Nagar, May 14 Talking to mediapersons here today, the Punjab PWD Minister, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, said a proforma entailing a questionnaire about the assets had been circulated among the MLAs. On being asked whether the bureaucrats would also be asked to provide details about their assets, he said he would raise the point in the next meeting of the Cabinet. The minister said that there were a few corrupt officials in the PWD against whom action would be taken after proper investigations. He said such officials, in connivance with the former PWD minister, indulged in gross irregularities. Refusing to disclose the names of the officials, he said strict action against them was on the cards. |
|
Encroachments galore
in town Bathinda, May 14 The resident, Mr Om Parkash, who hardly manages to make both ends meet, has been running from pillar to post to get justice from the authorities concerned. There is no approach road to his plot of land now. However, he has started receiving phone calls from property dealers, offering to buy the plot at a price less than the market price. Mr Om Parkash has written to the Chief Minister, Local Bodies Minister and Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, for securing justice for him and punishment for the corrupt officials. A big chunk of land belonging to PUDA meant for developing the Urban Estate has also been encroached upon by hundreds of persons, allegedly at the instance of ruling politicians. A big shopping complex has come up at a piece of land belonging to the Wakf Board located in the heart of city in the recent past despite the fact that that area has been declared unbuilt area and reserved area in the town planning scheme and no site plan has been sanctioned by the municipal council for the same. The municipal council authorities failed to take any action against the unauthorised that illegal shopping complex despite the fact that the court has declared the construction illegal. Big multi-storeyed halls have come on the busy Amrik Singh road of this town despite the fact that site plans of most of them have not been sanctioned by the municipal council. Over the past few years, the town has become a haven for encroachers. The district administration too, seems to be showing little interest in the planned development and expansion of city. Interestingly, while on one hand, municipal council officials have been serving legal notice against encroachments or unauthorised constructions, on the other, they have been constructing appoach roads to such constructions. Mr Kamal Kant, Executive Officer (EO), Municipal Council, who has joined recently, said nobody would be allowed to encroach upon any land had indulge in unauthorised construction. He added that justice would be given to Mr Om Parkash. However, Mr Chabbra, Assistant Town Planner (ATP), Municipal Council pointed out that he had written to higher municipal council authorities to provide him a written order, adequate strength of labour and police protection to demolish the unauthorised shopping complex about a month ago, but no action had been taken on his request so far. He admitted that unauthorised constructions and encroachments were going on in the city and a landlord had also encroached upon a street, which had blocked the only way to the plots of land of Mr Om Parkash and others. |
|
Sharp showers in Jalandhar Chandigarh, May 14 The toll in the heat wave rose to six in Punjab and Haryana with an unidentified woman succumbing to sunstroke at the Jalandhar railway station today. Last week two minor children had died of heatstroke in Kot Kapura while Amarnath (50) died yesterday in Bathinda. In Rohtak district of Haryana, two persons died of heat stroke during the past two days. They have been identified as Bhagat Singh (36) and Kishan (40). Hisar and Bhiwani districts, bordering Rajasthan, continued to reel under the oppressive heat wave conditions with temperatures hovering between 45°C and 47°C Celsius. Hisar with 46.8°C and Amritsar with 44.3°C and were the hottest in the region, both six degrees above normal. Elsewhere, the day temperatures stayed two to five degrees above normal as the mercury hovered between 40°C and 44° Celsius with hot surface winds blowing across. A dust haze from Rajasthan enveloped most of the region. However, drizzles in and around Amritsar gave some relief to the people this afternoon. The day temperature in and around Chandigarh today rose again to 40.4° Celsius, two degrees more than the normal. Patiala reported a high of 42.3°C, two degrees above normal. Jalandhar and its surrounding areas were lashed by light showers this afternoon bringing the much-needed respite to the people from the sizzling heat wave conditions. Ludhiana reported 0.3 mm rain and a high of 43.7°C, three degrees above the normal. The maximum in and around Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, today dipped by 0.5 degrees to 28.7°C following 1 mm rain today.
UNI |
|
SOS children showcase talent Rajpura, May 14 During the sports meet prize distribution ceremony today, Mr
J.N. Kaul, president, SOS Children’s Villages of India (SOS CVI) thanked everyone for taking an interest in the SOS mission by participating in the
utsav, especially the young school children. “I’m sure that through this utsav many of them might have made new friends in the SOS Children’s Village,
Rajpura, and many more will come forward to befriend my children,” he said. Children from various schools from the neighbouring cities and the SOS children got an opportunity of showcasing their talents during the four-day event through various cultural activities like a painting competition, folk dances, children’s fair and sports meet. Apart from children’s activities, workshops were also organised for the adults. “The SOS family is happy that the fun and entertainment-filled event has brought together many people and children of Punjab to celebrate a happy childhood and hope that more such people will come forward and support the SOS cause, making the Bal Mitra Utsav true success.” SOS Children’s Village of India is a voluntary child-care organisation, which provides a home to a homeless child with a loving mother and brothers and sisters. It works under the umbrella organisation,
SOS-Kinderdorf International, founded by Dr Hermann Gmeiner. The first SOS Children’s Village in India was established in 1964. Mr
J.N. Kaul is the president of SOS Children’s Village of India. SOS CVI provides a home to almost 15,000 children in 34 children’s villages, located in various parts of the country. In addition to the children’s villages SOS provides indirect care to children through its 122 allied projects, such as kindergartens, schools, social, medical and vocational training centres, spread in every part of India. SOS CVI provides direct and indirect care to almost 2 lakh children in the country. SOS Children’s Village,
Rajpura, Punjab, was established in June 1996 and is the first SOS Children’s Village in Punjab. It was set up to take care of the children who had become homeless and orphaned due to the violence in the state. Currently it provides support to 168 children in 14 family homes. The SOS Children’s Village,
Rajpura, also has a kindergarten facility. The older children of the children’s village attend the neighbouring schools or have been put into boarding schools in the nearby towns. |
|
Attendants ransack hospital
Amritsar, May 14 The local unit of the IMA has taken a serious view of the situation at the private nursing home last night where Mukhtiar Singh of Thand village was brought in a critical condition after surgery in another private hospital in Chheharta on May 8. Dr Shashi Bhushan Nayyar said since the patient was brought in an emergency condition with failed kidneys and acute respiratory problems, he was allowed to take a few days’ treatment without paying advance money. Last night, more than 12 persons entered the hospital and wanted to take away the patient without paying the dues. On being resisted, hundred more collected outside the nursing home and rushed inside, ransacking the hospital and breaking windows with iron rods. A nurse was badly injured in the incident. The IMA at a meeting here today said a helpline would be provided wherein all private hospitals affiliated with the IMA body would have direct access to the police in case of an emergency. |
|
Rare eye defect corrected Amritsar, May 14 The defect called “blepharophimosis” shows absence of skin on the upper eyelid; hence folds on the upper eyelids are absent. The scarcity of skin on lower lids leads to slanting of lids. Amit had to bend his neck backwards to see below the eyelids. Instead of multiple surgeries, a single operation performed for the first time in the city at Guru Ram Das Hospital here by a team of experts led by Dr Bhupinder Singh along with Dr Amita Joshi and Dr Sunil Mehra was able to correct the defect. Amit had been shown to several eye surgeons in Jammu and Lucknow and had lost hope of relief. He presented a picture of happiness and delight when he opened his eyes wide for the first time in his life. |
|
High Court Judge inspects jail Sangrur, May 14 The Judge met jail inmates and heard their grievances. He ordered the courts concerned to grant bail to those jailed for carrying small quantities of poppy husk. Earlier, Mr Justice Nirmal Singh inaugurated a waiting shed, constructed at a cost of Rs 1.40 lakh outside the jail for relatives and friends of the inmates. On the occasion, a free medical camp was organised for the inmates by the local Umeed Khanna Foundation. There are 703 inmates in the District Jail here. |
|
2 police officials suspended Kapurthala, May 14 In a press note issued today, Mr Dhoke said that Mr Gurdial Singh of Jaid village under the Bholath police station, had registered a complaint alleging that Mr Dhiman had demanded Rs 10 lakh from him for sending him to the USA. He alleged that he had paid Rs four lakh to Mr Dhiman. He alleged that neither was he sent to the USA nor his money returned. Following the complaint, Mr Dhiman was booked and arrested. Following the inquiry, it was revealed that a land dispute was going on between Dr Gurwinder Samra of Kartarpur and Mr Dhiman. The case against Mr Dhiman had been dropped and strict action would be taken against the persons who had got the false case registered. |
|
YAD leader Brar held Moga, May 14 According to police sources, Nadharak Singh Brar, former senior vice-president of the party, was declared proclaimed offender by a court at Moga in 1985 as he jumped bail and had never appeared since then. A case was registered with the police against the leader on the complaint of the Principal of Government College, Rode, that some persons after beating the chowkidar opened the locks of the Principal’s office and had escaped with the examination papers in 1984.
PTI |
|
PSEB staff strike on May 16 Patiala, May 14 |
CM’s assurance on Punjab farmers New Delhi, May 14 According to an official release, the Chief Minister directed the officers concerned of the Cooperative Department to immediately release farmers who had been arrested by them. |
9 held for old couple’s murder Amritsar, May 14 It may be mentioned that the dacoits who were in their early twenties had killed an old couple Mr Hans Raj Chopra (73) and Ms Vidyawati (65) on May 8 before decamping with jewellery and cash. According to information, the plan of dacoity was hatched by son and daughter-in-law of the maid servant of the deceased with the help of some drug addicts. The computer sketches of the suspects which were made with the help of grandson of the deceased, who had witnessed the crime, helped in the identification of the murderers. According to police sources, the maid servant, Geeto (mother of one of the accused), had left the house of the deceased much earlier than the scheduled time. The relatives of the maid were summoned by the police and it was found that her son was a drug addict. The police kept a close vigil on the house of the servant and identified the culprits, who had visited her house after the
dacoity. |
|
SDO, patwari booked for graft Bathinda, May 14 Mr Baljinder Singh Grewal, SP (Vigilance) said in a press note that the SDO was arrested while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 2,000 for giving the completion certificate for a house constructed by a resident of Moga. A case under Sections 7, 13 (2) and 88, IPC, has been registered. A revenue patwari posted at Aaliana in Ferozepore was also arrested when he was accepting a bribe of Rs 500 for giving a land mutation. The Vigilance Bureau laid a trap to nab him and arrested him after he took the bribe and handed it over to a “munshi”. |
|
3 held for posing as doctors Mansa, May 14 The SSP detective told newspersons here today that Balwinder Singh, alias Lachman Dass, a member of the gang, went to Kauriwala village of this district and announced on the public address system in a gurdwara that he would treat people suffering from various ailments. He then charged heavy amounts of money after injecting them with intoxicants. Later he said a team of senior doctors would visit the village and give further treatment. Surinder Soni and his wife Mamta and Sudesh Rani reached the village and after segregating women, sedated them before decamping with gold ornaments. |
Anti-corruption drive gets kids’ support Abohar, May 14 Mr Gandhar said education was the only way to bring in reforms when the system had become disappointing. Mr Sunil Jakhar, MLA, inaugurated an activity hall built at a cost of Rs 13 lakh in the school. He criticised the present education system. What was the use of having degrees if merit was no consideration for the jobs, he asked. The teachers should inculcate strong moral values in the students, he added. Mrs Sudesh Gandhar, Principal of the school, read the annual report highlighting multifaceted achievements of the students. A cultural programme was also organised on the occasion. Toppers were honoured by Mr Jakhar and Mr Parkash Singh
Bhatti. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
