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| Tuesday,
May 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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Sacked PCS officers can reappear in exams : CM Chandigarh, May 27 Talking to media persons after the inauguration of the all India Ayurveda Congress in Chandigarh, the CM also stated that the person who will head the one man commission to look into the whole Ravi Sidhu episode will be finalised in a day or two. ‘‘The person will be chosen from a panel of 10 former judges of high repute and unblemished record who have been
shorlisted,” he said. He also reiterated that among the list of 46 people who had been removed from service in the PCS, the 18 who had been holding position in the government before they joined the PCS will be allowed to continue on their last position held. Stating that the government will be following the High Court’s orders in the matter of the selections done to PCS judicial, the CM reiterated that no action will be taken against anyone in a hurry or unfairly. Answering questions the CM informed that that this was just the beginning of a long drawn battle against corruption and that ‘‘the menace is so widely spread and deep rooted that very soon I might face a dearth of officers trying to bring everyone to book. But I promise that no one will be spared. They could be sons and daughters of anyone. each day we are receiving complaints and will take time to start enquiring into all of them But once it is found that someone is guilty even among those who have been in the regular service of the government will not be spared.’’ Denying that any names have been deleted out of the final list of those implicated, the CM said that he had cross checked with his office and confirmed that no names had been removed under pressure. The CM also stated that he was most dissatisfied with the amount of compensation the Centre had announced for those injured in the mine blast incident in one of the border villages of the state. ‘‘It is so ironical that for an acre of crop destroyed the compensation that has been announced amounts to Rs 11000 per acre and for any injury to a human being the amount is Rs 3000. We have decided to give compensation from our own side to our people.’’ The CM also confirmed that residents of two border villages of Punjab had been evacuated in view of the deteriorating conditions between India and Pakistan. ‘‘But the zila and panchayat elections in these districts will go ahead as scheduled’’, he said. |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, May 27 In one such petition, Paramjit Singh also sought directions to the state of Punjab and the Punjab Public Service Commission to reinstate him with effect from the date of his initial appointment with all consequential benefits, including seniority and arrears of salary. Claiming to be an outstanding student with MBA degree to his credit, the petitioner asserted that his conduct during the probation period too was good. His counsel submitted that even though the petitioner’s name was not mentioned by any of the alleged touts, his services were dispensed with. “If the veil is lifted it will be seen that the petitioner’s services were terminated as misconduct was attributed to the entire batch,” he contended. Terming the order “colourable exercise of power” and “stigmatic”, counsel added that it could not have been passed without conducting an inquiry into the allegations or giving the petitioner an opportunity of explaining his position. The case will now come up for further hearing on May 30 for considering the prayer for stay. Order stayed Taking up a petition by 19 teachers working in government schools of Mansa and Bathinda district challenging their termination after five years of regular service, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday stayed the operation of the orders terminating them. The Bench, comprising Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi and Mr Justice Jasbir Singh, also issued notice to the state of Punjab and other respondents for September 30. Arguing on their behalf, Mr Kapil Kakkar argued that their services were being terminated on the ground that the course they had passed from Maharastra was not recognised and as such they were not eligible. Mr Kakkar added that the action of the respondents terminating their services, despite the fact that the petitioners had completed probation period, was not only illegal and arbitrary, but also unjust and unfair. Policy on land In a statement before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, counsel for the state of Haryana on Monday stated that a policy decision had been taken for providing land to the advocates, practising in the district courts, for the constructions of chambers. After recording the statement, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, directed the petitioner and the state to approach the building committee of the High Court in this matter. The orders were passed on a petition seeking directions to the state and other respondents against the uprooting of the advocates practising in Faridabad courts, besides directions for providing basic amenities. Direction on security Disposing of a petition filed by Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents to provide him with security, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday asked Patiala’s Senior Superintendent of Police to look into the matter and act in accordance with law. The Baba’s counsel had earlier stated that the petitioner’s life was in grave danger and as such he needed security. The police, in a statement, too had admitted that his life was in danger, counsel had contended. It may be recalled that a Division Bench had earlier issued notice of motion a petition filed by the Baba seeking directions to the state and other respondents to inform the Court how Bhavsagar Samunder Amrit Vani Granth, written by him, was hurting the religious sentiments of any
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PCS job scam: touts’ remand extended Patiala, May 27 Meanwhile, Panjab University Senator Paramjit Singh Pammi and Prem Sagar alleged touts of PPSC chief arrested in the money-for-jobs scam have been remanded in judicial custody till June 5. PPSC Chairman a patient of diabetes and backache was hospitalised earlier for same problems in the Central Jail Hospital on May 13. |
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India re-shifts missiles on border Ferozepore, May 27 The missiles, christened
Prithvis, are capable of carrying conventional but not nuclear warheads. Intelligence agencies feel that fewer 12 missiles that earlier were deployed near Jalandhar City in Punjab, northwest of India have been shifted with immediate effect. The sites of deployment are away from the factory where most of Prithvi components were produced, at Hyderabad in south India, and constitute a serious ratcheting-up by the Indian military of rivalry with Pakistan’s armed forces. Intelligence officials have unofficially described the movement of the missiles as the third operational deployment of Prithvi since both countries came into conflict after an attack on Parliament. Re-positioning of missiles in a short time was done to avoid Pakistan getting information of the sites of deployment. This is seen as a major development on the Indian side. “This was the need of the hour to give Pakistan a blow in case full-scale war starts between both the countries”, said an Army official. Prithvi, single-stage, truck-mounted missile was derived from Soviet technology. The Army’s version has an estimated range of 93 miles but can be increased up to 150 miles by decreasing the
warload, giving it the capability to be launched from an area near the Indian border from where it can hit Pakistan’s capital Islamabad or major cities like Lahore,
Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. Other officials on condition of anonymity gave details of Indian action, predicting that Pakistan missile react to its disclosure by taking some provocative military action — possibly including making a public declaration that it has deployed similar medium-range missiles of its own, known as M-11s. India has developed five warheads for Prithvi that are packed with conventional explosives. Further the sources revealed that India had practised moving the missiles around and launching them from sites specially surveyed in advance. On the other hand, it is believed that Pakistan may already have completed development of a nuclear warhead for its M-11s, stored at an air force base west of Lahore. |
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Simmer on the border Hussainiwala, May 27 The ceremony on the zero line of the Hussainiwala border used to be little more than a tourist attraction. On either side of the border post, curious Indians and Pakistanis had a rare opportunity to scrutinise each other and shout patriotic chants. But these days the pantomime ritual has a deadpan seriousness about it. On either side of this border — the only road crossing between India and Pakistan in the Ferozepore sector — troops from both sides are furtively preparing for war. Soldiers have hidden thousands of land mines among the serene fields next to the electrified border fence. A little further back, Indian soldiers armed with machine guns conceal themselves in bunker posts dug into a raised mud embankment. Hundreds of villagers living in farmhouses next to the border are feared a lot. The Army has moved in afresh with ammunition, heavy weaponry, anti-aircraft guns and tanks. “We don’t want a war. Wars never solve any problems,” one Indian Army officer on the front line admitted. “But if it does happen we have to be prepared. The Pakistanis have been doing the same thing as us: laying mines and digging anti-aircraft emplacements. If either side tries to advance now, there will be maximum casualties,” he added. The gravity of this latest crisis between India and Pakistan — prompted by the lethal militant attack on India’s Parliament building and Jammu massacre — can be measured in its sheer scale. But the conflict has now swept across India and Pakistan’s entire border — down from the snow-covered Himalayan mountains, to the glittering plains of Punjab and the swirling deserts of Rajasthan. The losers by this unprecedented mobilisation have been ordinary people. Until three weeks ago, villagers were allowed to cross over the fence and harvest their wheat crop in no-man’s-land. From here they could see Pakistani villagers doing the same thing — although they were not allowed to talk to them. But now, they have been abandoned to plant their saplings of paddy. “Our cattle are going to die because we have no fodder to feed them,” says Harjit Singh, a resident of Chandiwala village, across the Satluj river. “The government has not given us full compensation at all. Even our tubewells have been mined. We are unable to water our crops.” The scene at Gatti Masta village, just 200 metres from the fenced wire was tranquil. Buffaloes chewed under the shades of trees as the mercury soared to 44 degree
celsius. In case of sudden attack thousands heads of cattle will remain straddled on this side of the border with tales of the White Revolution buried under the clouds of smoke coming out of explosives. Residents are shrewd enough to know that, if diplomacy between New Delhi and Islamabad fails, their village will be turned into an inferno of shellfire and death. But among even educated Indians, the enthusiasm for a war with Pakistan is depressingly overwhelming. “I want to teach them a lesson. I don’t want further generations to suffer the same humiliation that we have”, says a 30-year-old businessman. He further said, cheering on the Indian guards during the flag-lowering ceremony. “Our people are being killed. Our brave soldiers are sacrificing their lives,” he added. The ostensible problem is ‘cross-border terrorism’— the attacks by Pakistan-backed Islamic militants against Indian security forces in Kashmir and elsewhere. It is these militant groups which are now the focus of a crackdown inside Pakistan. There is also a lingering sense that, ever since Partition, Pakistan — a much smaller, and therefore presumably inferior player — has too frequently got the better of its Indian sibling. This resentment among the BJP leadership has grown since Pakistan’s wily, media-friendly ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, seized power in October 1999. He rarely misses an opportunity to score some PR points off India, a strategy that leaves its ageing leadership unhappy and frustrated. On the Pakistani side of the border, the crowd is divided into separate seating for men and women. On the Indian side, the only distinction made is between ordinary people and VIPs, who get their own separate enclosure. There are more Pakistanis, and they sense that one of their guards is the star of the show — an enormous 6ft 3in officer, whose swaggering gestures reveal genuine malevolence. The ceremony over, the Indian and Pakistani guards stand with their backs turned to each other and pose for pictures. They are less than one foot apart; their countries light years. |
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Mortar shelling in Pathankot
sector Pathankot, May 27 Though the residents of border villages have been witnessing firing between Indian and Pakistani troops since last September, what really worries them now is heavy artillery firing for the past one week. Most of the residents have left villages and staying in camps and other places. Those who are still staying back are spending sleepless nights as they are terrified by the mortars hitting the area. Tension is clearly visible on the faces of about 200 migrants putting in rescue camps at Khojki Chak village set up by the administration. They say that they are leading miserable life for want of proper food, medical facilities and potable water. According to sources, due to unprovoked heavy firing by Pakistani troops in Bamial sector for the past one week, the Army has asked the residents of 15 villages to vacate their houses and reach safe places. The situation at the border seems to have put the administration in a quandary. While on one hand, it wanted to discourage the large-scale exodus from border villages, on the other, it admitted that the shelling could make life difficult for the residents. Army sources has revealed that Pathankot sector is strategically important as it is the lifeline for the movement of the armed forces to Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. |
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Huge cache of arms,
ammunition seized Amritsar, May 27 Counted as one of the biggest recoveries during peace-time operation in the border belt, the operation was conducted on a tip off. The weapons recovered included nine AK-47 rifles, 41 magazines and eight cylindrical shell-like objects. The weapons were found buried in a container in a field under Sarai Ammanat Khan police station in the Attari sector here. Meanwhile, at least 100 transit camps, about 30 km from the international border are being set up in preparation for the outbreak of war with Pakistan. In addition to this, 10 evacuee camps, used in war emergencies, are being set up. Mr Baljit Singh, ADC, (Development), told this correspondent that transit camps were located 28 km from the international border keeping with the range of artillery fire by the enemy country whose range is 18 km. The camps are being set up away from critical defence installations and defence routes, he added. Amritsar and Tarn Taran police, in coordination with the security forces and the district administration, have also been setting up village defence forces. Mr Rajan Gupta, IG (Border Range) and Mr Narinderpal Singh, SSP, Amritsar, while addressing a press conference said the rifles were in operational condition. He said these arms belonged to
possibly the Khalistan Commando Force, the Khalistan Liberation Force or from the Babbar Khalsa outfit active in those times. Mr Rajan revealed that the arms might have been hidden in 1991 when militancy was at its peak and vigorous police crackdowns against terrorists in the state were on. According to information, the weapons had no markings but only some numbers and hence it could not be ascertained if they were foreign-made. Mr Narinderpal said the ISI had been providing these weapons to terrorists to foment trouble in Punjab in early 90s.
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Langah, Sidhu
file bail applications Ropar, May 27 Mr Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), also filed application in the Sessions Court here today for his regular bail in the PPSC recruitment scam case. Mr Sidhu is in the judicial remand these days. On the bail application of Mr Sidhu, Mr
A. S. Kathuria, Special Judge, here issued notice for May 31 to the state. Mr
A. S. Kathuria, Special Judge, here today rejected the anticipatory bail application of
C. L. Premi, Deputy Director, Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats, in a case of purchase of drag line machines scam. He also rejected the bail application of Surinder Kaur Manchanda, wife of
G. S. Manchanda, a retired bank official suspected of being involved in the PPSC scam. |
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Clear position on graft, Badal tells party men Jalandhar, May 27 Mr Badal also alleged that there was no law and order in Punjab and particularly in Jalandhar, and said the state of Punjab had become “just another Bihar”. Talking to The Tribune at the local Circuit House, Mr Badal said he had advised Akali leaders and former ministers to clear their position among the people regarding the allegations of corruption and to face any probe against them boldly. He said Mr Sucha Singh Langah should join investigation on one hand and clear his position among the public on the other. “I have also asked Mr Ajit Singh Kohar to clear his position following allegations that he had amassed huge wealth,” said Mr Badal. He, however, said his party had no faith in the Vigilance Bureau since it was under the State Home Department. He alleged that the Bureau was being used by the government as a tool against the Akalis. “We want that probe should be conducted in a free and fair manner by an independent agency,” said Mr Badal. Mr Badal alleged that the law and order position had deteriorated in the state and development works had come to a standstill. Later, Mr Badal attended a function organised at Seechewal by Sant Balbir Singh
Seechewal. Addressing the gathering, he demanded that the government should release Rs 10 crore earmarked by his government to make the historic Kali Bein river free from pollution. Sant Balbir Singh said river pollution had reached an alarming level and he and his followers would launch a stir if preventive measures were not taken.
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Power generation falls despite turbines’ overhaul Ropar, May 27 The Ganguwal and Kotla power houses of the BBMB has three turbines each. Each turbine of these power houses has generation capacity of 24 MW per hour. The Wasting House, an American company, supplied the original turbines installed in these power houses in 1954-55. For almost 35 years these turbines functioned without any problem, generating on an average 22 to 23 MW electricity per hour. However, in early nineties a few of these turbines allegedly started developing cracks in blades. The BBMB then decided to get these turbines renovated. The renovation process of four turbines (two each from Kotla and Ganguwal power houses) started in 1991 and was completed in 1999 at a cost of nearly Rs 175 crore. The renovation of the turbines was carried out by the
BHEL. After the renovation power generation capacity of the two turbines of the Ganguwal power house increased from 24.20 MW to 27.63 MW per hour. In the Kotla power house also power generation of two turbines increased from 24 MW to 28 MW per hour. However, information by The Tribune revealed that none of the renovated turbines was capable of generating power at the increased levels. The maximum increase in power generation registered by the renovated turbines in the past two years was just on an average 1 MW per machine against the capacity addition of 4 MW per machine. Even that extra MW generated created pressure on the turbines due to which these developed cracks in blades. Due to cracks in the blades of renovated turbines the BBMB had to resort to shut down on regular intervals causing power generation loss of Rs 12 lakh per machine per day. The renovated machines at Kotla were the first to develop cracks in blades. After BHEL engineers repaired the cracks in blades now the machines at Ganguwal have developed cracks in blades. At present BHEL engineers were repairing one renovated turbine at Ganguwal blades of which developed cracks. The sources said that the renovated turbines might not produce electricity at the optimum increased level. While the original machines worked smoothly for 35 years the renovated turbines developed cracks in blades in just two years. Cracks in the new blades of renovated turbines show that these cannot withstand pressure of water required for generating increased power. Even if the cracked blades are repaired it was unlikely these would withstand increased pressure of water in future. BBMB officials on the condition of anonymity blamed incompatibility of old parts with the new ones for the poor performance of renovated turbines. Due to techno-economic reasons the said turbines were renovated partially. Only a few some parts of the turbines were replaced during renovation. It appears that old parts are not developing compatibility with new parts which thus giving rise to technical problems. The matter of poor performance of renovated turbines was being taken with the BHEL at the highest levels to find a solution to the problems, said BBMB officials. The Chief Engineer (power) BBMB, Mr S.S. Thakur declined to comment on the issue. |
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Punjab
all set to see another poll battle Chandigarh, May 27 The process will continue till May 30. On June 1, the scrutiny of papers will be held. The withdrawal of papers will be on June 2 followed by the allotment of symbols to the remaining candidates. The polling will be held on June 9 between 8 a.m. 4 p.m. and the counting of votes
will be on June 10. A fierce contest between the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal( SAD) is on the cards. The Congress, which performed well in the urban areas as compared to the rural areas in the last Assembly elections, has decided to go all out to ensure a better performance in villages this time. Obviously, the SAD, which did well in the rural areas in the Assembly elections, will try hard to keep its rural base intact. The main political parties will contest the elections on their respective party symbols. It will be as big an exercise as the Assembly elections. There will be 1.35 crore voters in rural Punjab in these elections. As many as 281 members of zila parishads and 2,483 members of block samitis will be elected. For this purpose, the state has been divided into zones, which have been notified. One-third of the members to be elected will be women. The State Election Commissioner, Mr
C.L. Bains, told The Tribune he had recommended to the state government to charge-sheet two block development officers posted in Harsha Cheena and Chogawan blocks, respectively, as they did not perform their duty properly as far as the revision of the electoral rolls was concerned. Action against more officers could not be ruled out, he added. Commenting on complaints regarding the registration of bogus voters, deletion of the names of genuine voters and non-entertainment of new claims for enlistment as voters on political grounds, Mr Bains said that there was substance in such complaints. “I had deputed Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, secretary of the commission, to hold an inquiry. He visited Muktsar, Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts and found that officers put on duty for the revision of the rolls have played mischief at certain places”. Mr Bains has written to all deputy commissioners to warn officers that they will be taken to task if they are found playing a partisan role anywhere in the state. In fact, Mr Bains, effecting a change in the old pattern, has now declared deputy commissioners district electoral officers in place of additional deputy commissioners. The deputy commissioners have been authorised to get ballot papers printed, which will be of pink colour for zila parishad candidates and white for block samiti candidates. In each district, two senior officers will be appointed election observers. Are the decisions taken by the administrators of zila parishads and block samitis from October, 1999, till date legally valid? Mr Bains says no. He says that under the constitutional provisions, there can only be elected bodies. Once these complete their five-year term, fresh elections have to be held under the constitutional provisions. In Punjab the elections to these bodies were due to be held in October, 1999. But these were not held. Instead, administrators — deputy commissioners of zila parishads and SDMs of block samities — have been working as decision makers of these bodies since then. Mr Bains said that he had brought this matter to the notice of the state government in writing. As these bodies had been set up under the provisions of the Constitution, no state government could frame its own laws and rules in this connection, violating the spirit of the constitutional law. |
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Civic bodies’ elections: hundreds file papers Jalandhar May 27 Election to 173 zones of Panchayat samitis and 19 zones of zila parishads is scheduled to be held on June 9. The Punjab Congress has formed a district selection committee headed by Punjab Health Minister Ramesh Chander Dogra, comprising of all nine Congress MLAs, local MP Balbir Singh and the district presidents of Urban and Rural units, Mr Tajinder Singh Bittu and Mr Manjinder Singh Choudhary respectively. Nearly 1000 aspirants for Congress tickets thronged today the local Circuit House to meet senior party leaders, here to finalise candidates for the district. The Circuit House was turned virtually into Congress office with ticket aspirants making every effort to force entry into the meeting room. The committee scrutinised claims of ticket aspirants and reportedly had asked all ticket seekers to file nominations with authorities since the official list would be declared tomorrow. Mr Dogra revealed that the committee would declare list of candidates tomorrow and all ticket seekers were free to file nominations in anticipation of getting party ticket. “The tickets will be allotted on the recommendations of the MLAs concerned,” Mr Dogra added. Punjab Technical Education Minister Mohinder Singh Kaypee failed to turn up at the meeting, raising doubts in political circles. The minister developed differences with local MP Balbir Singh for denying ticket to his supporters for the recently concluded election to the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. Congress workers were feeling disillusioned because of delay in the announcement of candidates. “You see, we are running after senior party leaders for the past 10 days to get Congress ticket. This is going to hit our poll campaign,” they alleged. On the other hand, the SAD too had failed to announce candidates. Former Chief Minister and SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal alleged that the Congress government had “wrongly” demarcated Zones to suit their vested interests in the state. “Even in most of the districts, the administration had failed to inform on fresh demarcation of constituencies leading to delay in the announcement of candidates. How can one contest the election if he or she does not know about the constituency? Mr Badal questioned. Mr Badal revealed that district-level selection committees had been formed for the allotment of party ticket and the final lists would be declared within two days. These committees were authorised to align with the BJP and the BSP at the local level to ensure defeat of the Congress in these elections, he quipped.
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20 councillors who took the same bait Fatehgarh Sahib,
May 27 Twenty councillors out of 29, including the
minister himself, had supported the no-confidence motion, while nine
councillors sided with the outgoing president, Mr Ashok Sood. Out of
the 19 councillors who supported the motion, five are now
front-runners for the post of the president and others also have a
hidden desire to get the post. Residents of the town are keenly
watching the infighting among the elected councillors over the issue
which has become a talk of the town. All development activities have
come to a standstill and employees, who seem more interested in
watching new developments, are not listening to the problems of the
residents. Ms Anita Takyar, wife of a social worker, Mr Varinder
Takyar, and Mr Charanjit Singh Channa of the Congress are hot
contenders for the post, while Ms Sudha Puri, Mr Ajit Kumar Manga, Mr
Balbir Singh, all Congress councillors, and Mr Varinder Pathak are
also trying their best to get support of the councillors. Mr Varinder
Takyar had played an important role in voting out the president of the
council. According to sources, the minister had promised him that his
wife would be given the post of the president. Mr Charanjit Channa had
earlier contested for the post as Congress candidate, but lost to the
outgoing president, so he considers that he should get the opportunity
this time. He is supported by certain other councillors.
Interestingly all prospective candidates are banking on the support
of the minister and looking towards him for announcing their
candidature. It is learnt that the minister had made promises to a
number of candidates to get their support for the no-confidence
motion, but now he is finding it difficult to keep the rank and file
together. Moreover, the minister has maintained a complete silence
over the choice of the candidate. Certain councillors of his group
said they had the support of the minister and he had promised to
support their candidature. According to Ms Sudha Puri, if the minister
decided to give this post to a lady councillor, she would be the first
choice as she had stood by the minister during difficult days. She
said if the minister selected some other woman candidate, she would
contest election. But if any male candidate was selected, she would
support Mr Charanjit Channa, she declared. Other aspirants also said
they were in the race and enjoyed the support of the minister. A
group of councillors said they had committed a mistake by voting in
favour of the no-confidence notion which caused the removal of the
president, according to them, who had made a marvellous development in
the town. On the other hand, the group led by the outgoing president
is united and is making all-out efforts to win over those who had
deserted them during the no-confidence motion. Mr Ashok Sood, outgoing
president, said his group would contest the election and would win it.
He said many councillors had approached him and assured full support.
Meanwhile, Mr Ashok Sharma, an activist of a human rights
organisation, said they had decided to hand over a list of
councillors, who had indulged in horse trading during the
no-confidence motion, to the Vigilance Department so that a thorough
probe could be conducted. He said lakhs were given to various
councillors to muster their support by both the groups. He said this
list would also be sent to the government for necessary action against
them. He said it would also be a test for the present government that
had launched a campaign against corruption. A large number of social
clubs and senior citizens have strongly condemned this trend and said
the councillors had sold their votes for their individual interests.
They have now decided to launch a campaign against these councillors
and to educate voters not to vote for them again. |
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No nomination filed on first day Kharar, May 27 Mr Sukhwinder Singh Gill, SDM, is the returning officer for Morinda and Executive Engineer, PWD, SAS Nagar, will officiate for Kharar. The filing of nomination papers ends on May 30 in Kharar. While the nomination papers for Morinda would be received in the office of the SDM Kharar, those for Kharar would be received in the office of the BDPO here.
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TRIBUNE CAMPAIGN-II Patiala Rajindra Palace has deteriorated steadily over the years ever since the archival records were shifted in it in 1968. However, it is still a solid structure which can be restored partially provided funds are made available. The Public Works Department (PWD), which is responsible for maintaining the building, ignored it for a long time and only stepped in around two years ago to re-lay the roof of the display hall after it had caved in. Though a major portion of the roof has been re-laid, other associated repairs in the Display Gallery have come to a halt because the PWD has not received any payment for the work done by it, rendering the gallery unfit for use. With no maintenance being done and the addition of some toilets a few of the roofs have started leaking. Besides, termites are damaging the wood throughout the building. Iron girders in the roof are also rusting even as the electrical fittings need to replacement. Besides, no attempt has been made to make improvements in the way the records are stored. In fact, there are glaring violations of the archival norms with bundles being kept on each other. On some racks files containing documents are not even enclosed in the customary cotton sheet due to which they are being eaten away by silverfish besides becoming brittle due to over-exposure to heat and cold. Department sources say funds are not received for years together to ensure chemical treatment of the records and even phenyl balls have not been supplied over the past year. Historians feel that shifting the records will weaken the paper further and it will suffer more damage on any further re-location. Punjabi University historian S.K. Gupta said it would be better if the records were preserved before these were re-located. “It is an immense task,” he said, adding there was a little over a month left for the start of the monsoon which had been fixed as the deadline for the shifting of the records. “You have to deal with more than 20,000 ‘bastas’ (files wrapped in a cotton sheet),” say sources, adding it would not be possible to shift such a large number of records so quickly. They gave an example of how only a very small portion of the records which was still stored in the Quila Mubarak complex was brought to Rajindra Palace in 1995 and could not be properly arranged till now. “How can you arrange so many records and that, too, as a temporary measure,” they added. The Archives Director, Capt R.S. Randhawa, when questioned on the issue, said the department was initiating a drive to “prioritise the records”. He said following this, important records could also be micro-filmed so that researchers could have easy access to these. He said the department was, however, under a constraint to keep the records in Patiala according to an agreement arrived at when Pepsu was merged with Punjab. Captain Randhawa said it was under these circumstances that the Languages Department building had been chosen for shifting the records. He said though there was no proposal, as of now, to construct a new building to house the records, this could be contemplated at a later stage in the same complex as land was available there. (Concluded) |
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Flesh trade thrives in holy city Amritsar, May 27 Sources disclose that cyber cafes in and around the city are increasingly being used to set up meetings. Close cabins offered by many of the city’s cafes are taken on rent to show girls to a prospective client. Couples then leave for a pre-decided place which is either a hotel or even a residence in the posh localities of the city. Incidents, which went mostly unreported, pertaining to fights in several posh residences led to the exposure of these being used as brothels. The sources point out that several posh residences in Ranjit Avenue, hotels around the bus stand, in the Putlighar area, the Galiara area around the Golden Temple, Kennedy Avenue, residences in Basant Avenue, Green Avenue and the Chehharta area are host to these unholy activities. Two consecutive raids in the city on May 24 at Dashmesh Avenue and on May 26 on Amritsar International Hotel of the Tourism Department have exposed the activity, known to city residents since a long time. It is learnt that several guest-houses of various government departments are similarly being used for this trade and the police, including senior officials, are allegedly aware of it. Powerful leaders, bureaucrats, businessmen, traders and government employees are involved in the trade and they pay pimps who run the racket and in turn “keep policemen” on their monthly payment rolls. During the past three days, the police has arrested 17 persons in this connection after the public mounted pressure on it. However, no prominent person landed in the police net, which, the sources say, speaks volumes about the power nexus in this trade. Those arrested yesterday include a man and a girl from Jalandhar. Others arrested include a railway employee based in the city, a revenue employee and a Welfare Department employee. Others were mostly businessmen from Batala, Tarn Taran, Chabal, Valtoha, Jalandhar and local residents. The SP, City, Kanwar Vijay Partap Singh, said those arrested included Rajesh Kumar, Jaswant Singh, Sahib Singh, Subhash Chander and Daljit Singh. He revealed that in a raid, the police arrested Surjit Singh, Manjit Kaur and Gurmail Singh, all touts operating the flesh trade racket in the Focal Point area. Interestingly, a majority of the girls arrested yesterday were working in PCOs and beauty parlours. On the pretext of going to work and overtime at the workplace they indulged in flesh trade. Those arrested were in the age group of 18 to 30 years. One of the girls belonged to a well-off family in the city. The police seized three mobile phones, besides large amounts of cash from them. All entries in the Amritsar International Hotel guest register were on fake names, and many as husband and wife. The police also arrested the Manager of the hotel,
K. J. Singh and Parvin Kumar, booking clerk. Area residents, who did not want to be named, said the flesh trade began early in the morning and some rooms were even booked thrice a day. |
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CM disappoints ayurveda docs Chandigarh, May 27 Inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress is being attended by some of the leading vaidyas of the country. Even while the Chief Minister exhorted ayurvedic practitioners to popularise the old and time-tested system of medicine by undertaking intensive research in the field, he ended up disappointing the doctors who had come from all over the state, hoping that he would meet at least one of their many demands. Addressing the congress, organised by the Chandigarh chapter, the Chief Minister said ayurveda as a system of medicine was in vogue since time immemorial. Showing concern over the down-gradation of the system, the Chief Minister said it was ironical that ayurveda in the country of its origin had lost its popularity but was evoking such an encouraging response in the world outside. He assured the doctors that the paucity of funds would not be allowed to hamper the functioning of hospitals and dispensaries. Dr Ramesh Dutt Sharma, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said he was shocked to note that most of the ayurveda doctors were prescribing allopathic medicines. He also said most of the ayurveda doctors posted in the 500-odd dispensaries in the state did not visit the dispensaries for months. Vaidya Warrier, President of the Akhil Bhartiya Mahasammelan, said there was need to solve the problems facing the system in a phased manner. Vaidya Sri Ram Sharma, Chairman of the Central Council of Indian Medicine, said there was an urgent need to increase the budget share of this system of medicine. |
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PCMS body alleges irregularities Patiala, May 27 Appealing to the Chancellor to initiate a probe into the functioning of the university, especially the selection procedure, the president of the Resident Doctors Association, Mr Rajwinder Singh, alleged that during the last entrance examination, the way the university published the entrance results shocked the students, as the institution usually followed the practice of publishing the results in a way that clearly showed the rank, category and the roll number. He said, last time, the practice was abandoned and consequently students with higher rank were allotted BDS stream whereas those with lower grades got MBBS seats. Dr Vijay Kumar, convenor, and Dr Hardip Singh have appealed to the Governor of Punjab and the Chief Minister to intervene and streamline the functioning of the university. |
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Probe sought into ‘royal’ marriage of Laloo’s daughter Ropar, May 27 Demanding this here Mr V.P. Saini, member of the central secretariat of the AIFB, said since it would not be possible for the Bihar cadre officers to dare to peep into the affairs of Mr Laloo Yadav, so the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, should depute some central agency to collect the necessary evidence in the case of marriage of his daughter. Mr Saini said at a time when millions of people were starving in Bihar the “royal” marriage in Patna by a politician who had been charge-sheeted appeared like a mockery of all democratic values. |
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Bitta seeks J&K CM’s resignation Pathankot, May 27 He said India should have attacked militant training camps in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir immediately after Parliament was attacked by
Pakistan-sponsored militants. Talking to mediapersons here yesterday evening, Mr Bitta said the Kaluchak carnage had given a clear indication that Pakistan was reluctant to stop the proxy war against India. He said India should give a befitting reply to Pakistan by waging a decisive war end cross-border terrorism. He said he had 1,500 youths who were ready to lay their lives for the cause of the nation. Referring to the financial package announced by the Prime Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, he said the government instead should have utilised this mount for purchasing weapons to end cross-border terrorism. |
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Tax on rail passes opposed Amritsar, May 27 A spokesman for the joint action committee told mediapersons that in the recent Budget the Finance Minister had imposed tax on the free-travel passes issued to rail employees. The facility had been in existence since 1853, when the Railways was introduced in the country by the Britishers.
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SGPC meeting on May 31 Amritsar, May 27 The meeting has invited all members of the Singh Sabhas throughout the country to find out solutions to tackle the growing problems. The meeting is scheduled for May 31 at Teja Singh Samudari Hall in the Golden Temple complex. |
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Plan to augment
water supply Faridkot, May 27 Under the plan, nearly 7,000 of 12000 villages and the urban areas which are facing these problems will be covered under the Rs 4,800 crore plan. The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has already discussed the matter with the international financial consortium (IFC) which had agreed to release an amount of Rs 2,400 crore as the first instalment for the project. After its completion, the remaining instalment be given to continue the process in urban areas. The loan will be returnable within 30 years at 1 per cent interest and in the first 15 years, no interest will be charged. This was stated by Mr Jasjeet Singh Randhawa, Minister for Public Health and Panchayats, while talking to mediapersons here. He said an official team would shortly visit Kuala Lumpur to give final shape to the plan with the help of the IFC officials. He said the work was likely to start in mid-July and priority would be given to Faridkot, Bathinda, Ferozepore, Moga, Muktsar and Mansa. The minister said the Congress had formulated a plan of Rs 1,125 crore with the help of the World Bank in 1996 in this regard but the same could not be mobilised. Mr Randhawa who was here to ascertain the list of party candidates who would contest the forthcoming zila parishad and block samitis elections, said the list would be released by May 28. Mr Randhawa, who is also Chairman of the District Planning Board, disclosed that a meeting of the Punjab Planning Board would be held at Chandigarh before the start of the Budget session on June 12 to decide the criteria for the distribution of funds to the boards in the state for the current financial year. In reply to a question, he said in future no funds would be given to panchayats for development purposes in their respective areas. Rather all works would be done by the state government agencies with the help of non-government organisations. He said the state government would not face any problem in generating funds as many international agencies from various countries like Holland and Japan had offered their services. Mr Randhawa further said the government had already started a departmental enquiry into the distribution of funds during the sangat darshan programme by the former Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. |
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78 buses impounded during checking Chandigarh, May 27 The bureau said fine worth Rs 3.73 lakh was collected from defaulters. |
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Notification
for zila parishad poll Bathinda, May 27 This was stated in press note issued by Mr Anurag Verma, Deputy Commissioner, today. He said for zila parishad elections 14 zones had been formed in the district. These were Burj Thror, Bhai Rupa, Nathana, Bhucho Kalan, Balianwali, Gill Kalan, Kuttiwal Kalan, Bandi, Phoos Mandi, Killi Nihalsinghwala, Balarvinjhu, Talwandi Sabo, Pakka Kalan and Singho. He said the nominaions for zila parishad election could be filled till May 30. |
Narcotics seized from SGPC member’s car Bathinda, May 27 During the previous SAD-BJP combine government, poppy husk, opium and liquor had been flowing freely in this district as the police authorities had been finding it difficult to control the same due to the active participation of a section of the then ruling politicians. The case against the politicians involved was rarely registered despite the fact that some of them had opened poppy husk vends in rural areas of this district. According to information, Sadhu Singh, along with his associates, had been smuggling narcotics from Rajasthan for the past many years. Sadhu Singh would bring poppy husk from the Hanumangarh area of Rajasthan in trucks and four-wheelers and sell the same on small vehicles. Mr Balbir Singh Khera, DSP,
Rampuraphul, when contacted, said eight bags of poppy husk, weighing 240 kg had been seized from the car of Sadhu Singh
Ragi. He added that Jagsir Singh, alias Seera, who had been transporting the poppy husk at the behest of Sadhu Singh Ragi had been arrested. He pointed out that under the NDPS Act it had been categorically cleared that whosoever provides vehicles for transportation of poppy husk would also be liable to be challaned for the same offence. He said Ragi had smuggled about 50 bags of poppy husk from Rajasthan recently. Mr Khera said a case under the NDPS Act had been registered against Jagsir Singh. |
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Murder
case: 2 arrested, 3 surrender Bathinda, May 27 Mr Milap Kishore, SP (City), while addressing a press conference here today said the deceased, Sukhdev Singh, had illicit relations with Veena, of Pilianbanga near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. Sukhdev Singh, a native of Jalal village in the district, had started residing at Pilianbanga. He had undergone 14 years’ jail term for murder. Mr Kishore said Veena Rani (40), a widow, her two sons, a son-in-law, and his cousin were involved in the murder of Sukhdev Singh. He said when Veena started staying in Bathinda Sukhdev allegedly forced her to go along with him to Pilianbanga to which she reportedly objected. Sukhdev Singh was murdered when he was sleeping at the residence of Veena in the city on April 13. The accused allegedly slit his throat with some sharp-edged weapon. They wrapped the body in a quilt and threw it near the government quarters in the Civil Lines area in the city. A case was registered under Sections 302, 148 and 149, IPC. Veena, her sons Deepak Kumar and Roshan Kumar, her son-in-law Mukesh Kumar and Dharminder, a cousin of Mukesh, were found involved in the murder. The police arrested Deepak Kumar and Dharminder while Veena, Mukesh Kumar and Roshan have surrendered in the court. |
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Gang of ‘ragis’
busted Bathinda, May 27 The police was able to bust the gang with the arrest of Rajinder Kumar, alias Rajinder Singh, alias Babli, a resident of Moga. He along with Aswinder Singh, alias Kukki of Preet Nagar, Moga collected money from people by promising to take them abroad. |
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