The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Amarinder rules out police reshuffle
Voters’ names deleted in ‘almost all subdivisions’
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has ruled out the possibility of any administrative reshuffle in the Police Department , dismissing the Midhu Khera murders as a routine intra-village group rivalry crime.

"The Midhu Khera murders have nothing to do with politics. Unfortunately, the Akalis, upset over the unprecedented support to the Congress government's drive against corruption, were trying in vain to project the Bhikhiwind and Midhu Khera murders as political crimes.

"The police is handling both cases in a most professional manner and no one involved in any of the cases will be spared," he said, maintaining that the best police officers were in place to handle the law and order situation in the state.

The drive against corruption, he said, would continue unabated as it had been "well received by people, including those in the rural areas. So much so that even other states, including Uttaranchal, have decided to launch similar drives."

He expressed his ignorance about any request received from the Haryana Government for the release of any of the arrested persons in the Shifa case. "No such request has been brought to my notice. But if the ADGP (Intelligence) says that such a request was received from his counterparts in Haryana, it must be true."

Talking about the appointment of the one-man inquiry commission to look into acts of omission and commission of the previous SAD-BJP government in the state, Capt Amarinder Singh said that the Chief Secretary was in touch with 10 retired judges to ascertain their availability to head the commission.

"One of the judges approached has expressed his inability to take up the assignment as he is busy elsewhere," revealed the Chief Minister, hoping that the appointment of the new commission would be notified soon.

The Chief Minister said that Mr R.P.S. Pawar, who is looking into complaints of large-scale deletion of names from voters' lists at the time of the last Assembly elections, had told him that "names were deleted from the voters' lists in almost all subdivisions in the state”.

"But he has not been able to establish at whose instance such large-scale deletions were ordered. He is yet to give his written report," the Chief Minister said.

Referring to the SYL canal, the Chief Minister said the Advocate-General was in consultation with some top lawyers of the apex court on the filing of a writ petition. "I am not aware of the deadline. But we are definitely working on it," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Sardara Singh Johl will soon take over both as Vice-Chairman of the Punjab Planning Board as well as the Chairman of the Agricultural Commission.

Dr Johl, who had initially expressed his reservations on his appointment, had a long meeting with Capt Amarinder Singh at his residence here yesterday.

"All issues have been sorted out," said the Chief Minister.

"I must clarify that the position of Vice-Chairman of the state Planning Board invariably goes to the Finance Minister of the state. But in this case, Mr Lal Singh offered it to Dr Johl. So all facilities enjoyed by the Vice-Chairman will definitely be enjoyed by Dr Johl," the Chief Minister said, maintaining that "there is no such thing as giving the Vice-Chairman the status of Cabinet Minister. When he occupies the position meant for the Finance Minister, it means that he has been accorded that status. The only person outside the Council of Ministers given the status of Cabinet Minister is Mr Surinder Singla, Chairman of the Finance Committee.

"Mr Chatha is a former Chief Secretary and heads the Industries Revival Commission."

With regard to the Agricultural Commission, Dr Johl wanted certain organisational changes in the commission which “we will sort out”. He wanted the Director, Research, PAU, instead of the Director, Agriculture, to be the member-secretary. Besides, he would have an office in PAU, Ludhiana, and also operate here from the building of the Punjab Agro-Industries Corporation, the Chief Minister said.

Govt warned against scrapping selections
Our Correspondent

Bathinda, May 30
Even as the Punjab Government is yet to decide finally on whether to scrap all selections made by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) during the tenure of its controversial Chairman, Mr Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu, various employee unions have threatened to launch an agitation if the government went ahead with the decision.

Mr Jasbir Singh Gill, president of the Punjab Polytechnic Engineers Association, in a press note issued here today said all selections made by the PPSC during the tenure of Mr Sidhu were not tainted with corruption. He said while the association fully supported the move of the Punjab Government to eradicate corruption from public life, no decision should be taken in haste and without any concrete proofs against anybody.

Mr Gill said a meeting of the association was held here and it was unanimously decided that the move of the government to hold the selection interviews afresh would not be accepted. He said it would be nearly impossible for those who had been selected earlier to perform at the same level again due to mental tension and psychological pressure.

He pointed out that some of the lecturers were selected by some other departments but they continued in teaching jobs and had had a decent academic record. He said some of the lecturers working at the polytechnic colleges were selected by the PPSC for various engineering colleges (college cadre) and that would not have been possible in a corrupt system. Mr Gill pointed out that no lecturer would pay even a single penny for his selection to the college cadre lecturers as there was no difference in pay scale or status of these jobs.

The association said the government could cancel the selection of all those against whom evidences were found that they used corrupt means for their selection but if the government decided to dispense away with the services of all those selected by PPSC, under the chairmanship of Mr Sidhu, the association would resort to agitations and rallies.

‘Govt acted on basis, of reliable evidence’
Argument on plea by PCS officers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
A bunch of approximately 30 petitions filed by PCS officers — whose services were either dispensed with or were reverted — will come up for further arguments tomorrow when a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court would hear arguments on their plea for staying the government's order in this regard.

Today, arguing before a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Ms Justice Bakhshish Kaur, an Additional Solicitor-General stated that the entire selection was vitiated. He added that the government had acted on the basis of reliable evidence and after giving due consideration to the matter. He also assured the Court that the candidates would not be left in the lurch as there would be no age bar for those selected, and those who could not make it. He further claimed that if the candidates were able to make it again, their seniority would be maintained.

In their petitions, filed in less than a week after the Punjab government decided to dispense with their services, the PCS officers had sought directions for quashing the orders issued on May 23 in this regard. In one such petition, Surinder Kaur had claimed that independent agency had not been appointed for looking into the allegations. Her counsel had added that neither money was paid, nor was any kind of influence used. In another such petition, Paramjit Singh had termed the order "colourable exercise of power" and "stigmatic". His counsel had 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 tomorrow.

Way cleared for more disclosures
Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 30
The way has been cleared for further disclosures in the PPSC recruitment scam with a local court today deciding to record a supplementary statement of the prime accused, Randhir Singh Dheera, in the case Under Section 164 of the CrPC on June 5.

Dheera had earlier made a statement under Section 164 of the Cr PC in the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Ranjit Kumar Jain in which he had named 31 candidates who gave bribes for various posts, including the PCS (Executive), PCS (Judiciary), and Deputy Superintendents of Police. Dheera had earlier in a statement to the Vigilance Department named 62 persons who he claimed had got selected for various jobs through bribery as well as ‘’sifarish’’.

Mr Ranjit Kumar Jain who also heard the application filed by Dheera took this decision after the Vigilance department submitted a letter to the court through District Attorney V.K. Markan stating that it had no objection in case Dheera wanted to make a supplementary statement under Section 164 of the Cr PC.

Dheera’s counsel claimed that Dheera was not feeling comfortable and was feeling depressed. A similar reason had been given in an application filed before the same court earlier.

Sidhu files fresh bail plea

Ropar, May 30
Jailed Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu today filed a fresh bail application in the court of Ropar Special Judge A.S. Kathuria.

The judge has listed it for hearing tomorrow. The hearing on Sidhu’s earlier bail plea is listed for May 31 in the same court.

Sidhu’s counsel argued in today’s petition that his client be granted bail since the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had not submitted a challan in the corruption case against the PPSC Chairman even after the latter had spent 60 days in detention. UNI

Mann for CBI inquiry into PPSC scam
Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 30
The President of the Akali Dal (Amritsar), Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, today demanded that the PPSC recruitment scam case should be handed over to the CBI for investigation claiming that the Vigilance Bureau did not have the resources to investigate various facets of the case.

Talking to newspersons here, along with his legal adviser Barjinder Singh Sodhi, the Akali leader said the case had international ramifications because it involved hawala transactions and money laudering. He said the Vigilance Bureau was ill-equipped to liaison with the Interpol and other investigating agencies on the issue, adding that the CBI was the best agency for the job.

Mr Mann also demanded a probe into former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s role in recommending to the Prime Minister that jailed PPSC Chairman Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu should be appointed as a member of the Union Public Service Commission. He said it should be verified as to what interest Mr Badal had in the recommendation.

The Akali leader said the CBI could also investigate the alleged role of various members of the judiciary in the PPSC scam. He said the alleged role played by some judges had eroded the confidence of the people in the premier institution and that steps were needed to be taken to offset this.

He also accused that the Congress had made the Akali faction led by former SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra into a party loyal to it. He said in this context the clarion call issued by Mr Tohra asking all Akalis to rally behind him could not have much affect.

Mr Mann also ridiculed the announcement of Mr Badal that his party would launch a ‘’morcha’ to protest against the victimisation being meted out to its senior leaders, saying ‘’no one can save Badal’s colleagues because they are at fault for the corruption done by them’’. He said on the other hand Mr Badal had not thought of launching any ‘morcha’ in protest against the genocide practised in the Muslim community by the ultra right elements, any protest against the judiciary for its involvement in the PPSC scam, morcha against atrocities on farmers in Haryana or against any war against Pakistan or the recent announcement of death sentence on Devinderpal Singh Bhullar.

TRIBUNE FOLLOW UP
Crores paid for inaction in building scam
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 30
Crores of rupees had allegedly exchanged hands for turning a blind eye towards influential builders who had erected hundreds of huge buildings within the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation limit in stark violation of the building laws and which are now under scrutiny of the Vigilance wing of the Local Bodies Department Punjab.

Even as a six-member special Vigilance team of the Local Bodies Department conducted a raid on Municipal Corporation the MC office and seized the official record pertaining to its building branch today, the enormity of scam involving officials of the corporation could be judged from the fact that the local civic body topped the list of “suppressed” legal notices, found by the corporation officials after a probe was ordered by the Secretary of the Local Bodies Department, Mr Sarvesh Kaushal.

Of the 8,500 such “suppressed notices” all over the state, 7,080 belonged to the local municipal corporation, which had virtually turned a blind eye towards huge buildings erected during the past five years or before in violation of the building bylaws and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act. Such buildings included educational institutes, hotels, shopping complexes and other commercial complexes raised in posh areas like Model Town, Civil Lines, GT Road and Maqsudan by influential builders known for exploiting their links with strong politicians belonging to the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP combine.

While the raid stunned the staff of the civic body, who fear the exposure of many skeletons in their cupboards, sources said it also disturbed those who had constructed huge buildings, throwing all norms to winds. Scared by the possible action against them as a consequence of the raid, a number of owners of such buildings, builders and civic body officials, are said to have already headed towards Chandigarh to find some respite in advance with the help of their “political bosses”, most of whom had been participating in the inaugural and other functions of such institutions or had “partnerships” in such buildings and institutions.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that senior officials of the civic body had resorted to complete formality by slapping legal notices to violators, and mostly such notices were allegedly used for “bargaining” with the violators. Interestingly, though 7,080 notices were issued, no further steps, including the demolition of those illegal structures whose owners failed to deposit the compounding fee, were taken for obvious reasons. This resulted in mushrooming of illegal commercial and institutional buildings all over the city under the nose of the Town Planning Department of the civic body.

So much so that, though most of the defaulters failed to deposit the compounding fee, running over Rs 100 crore, no demolition exercise was carried out as prescribed in the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, during the past five years.

Interestingly, an official admitted that apart from huge money, that prevented them from taking action against the erring builders was political pressure. “I know a builder who owed over Rs 1 crore to the corporation as compounding fee for his illegally built institution. He threatened me that he was very close to a minister, so corporation could not do anything in his case and he even openly refused to accept the notice sent by us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Town Planner, Mr Raj Kumar, admitted that hundreds of illegal buildings had come up in the city in the past five years in violation of building bylaws. “In fact, we are working under immense political pressure and it is virtually very difficult to demolish the illegal structures. So much so that the influential builders threaten us when we go ahead to demolish these structures,” Mr Raj Kumar said, adding that the Vigilance staff was just completing a formality by scrutinising the official record.

Burying laws for raising buildings
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, May 30
A multi-crore racket, involving the flagrant violation of building byelaws in the construction of the commercial buildings in this district has come to the fore. This has taken place with the alleged connivance of staff of the municipal corporation.

There are more than four dozen commercial buildings which have come up after 1997. Norms of parking, floor area ratio (FAR) have been violated. Owners of these buildings have been challaned, but the follow up action has not been done. Of the four dozen buildings which have come up in violation to the byelaws after 1997, there are seven hotel buildings, three marriage palaces, 29 commercial complexes and three hospital buildings. One petrol pump in the most congested area of the town has also been constructed against the byelaws.

Mr Jagjit Singh, Local Bodies Minister, when contacted told this reporter that the state government was aware of the scam and was taking necessary action in the matter. The Government was likely to entrust this scandal to the Vigilance Bureau.

According to information a hotel on the Jalandhar road was fined Rs 1 crore as composition fee. There was violation of parking norms in the construction of the hotel. Similarly another hotel was constructed without getting sanction for the building plan.

A hospital under construction on the GT road, Ludhiana, was imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh but the amount has not been realised so far. Similarly there are a few buildings on the Mall and Pakhowal road which have been occupied without getting the completion certificate from the authorities concerned.

Besides, there are 35 buildings on the Malhar road (Ferozepore road to Pakhowal road) are unauthorised and commercial in nature. These too, have been constructed during the past five years despite the fact that road has not been declared as commercial.

No cut in Badal security cover
Security set-up to be commercialised
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
There will be no change in the security cover provided to former Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Badal, former Youth Congress President Maninderjit Singh Bitta, former Punjab Police chief K.P.S. Gill and certain other VVIPs.

Sources said that Mr Badal would continue to have the Z-plus security cover which had been provided to him on the advice of various intelligence agencies a few years ago. He is still considered to be a most threatened political leader in this part of the country.

The Union Home Ministry, according to informed sources, has also advised the state government that there should be no complacency as far as providing security to the former Chief Minister is concerned. Reports were doing the rounds in the media for the past several days, that there was a move to slash his security.

Likewise, his son and Mr Bitta will continue to have the Z category security cover. Though the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has repeatedly told the authorities concerned to provide him the “minimal required” security protection, the officers concerned wanted that he should have full security cover.

Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder Singh has given his nod to introduce the element of commercialisation in the security set-up. The security wing of the Punjab police had mooted a proposal that free security should be provided to only those VIPs whose protection was a social and administrative responsibility of the state government. These persons include the Chief Minister, former chief ministers, ministers, MLAs and chairpersons, judges and VIPs holding government positions.

Those who wanted the security cover just to flaunt their status and have no threat from any quarters should be given security on payment, if they demand it from the government. The security wing has fixed charges for providing security guards. Likewise, commercial organisations holding cultural functions should be provided securitymen against payment. And even the Punjab Cricket Association, should be given police force for making security arrangements at the time of holding international matches, on payment.

The security wing wanted to generate a revenue of Rs 100 crore by “selling security” cover to important persons who did not fall in the category of those who required to be provided the security cover free of cost as per state government’s guidelines. The FCI, banks, power stations, television stations, telephone exchanges, etc will henceforth get security guards from the Punjab police on a payment basis. The Chandigarh Administration will also be billed for availing itself the services of two companies of Punjab police for security purpose in City Beautiful. The FCI has sought 2,000 security personnels and it will get them on payment, it is learnt.

As many as 6,000 security guards have been withdrawn after reviewing the security cover of VIPs and others. As many as 80 vehicles provided for security has also been withdrawn.

Money earned by providing security guards would be spent on improving the infrastructure and communication system in police stations and on the welfare of police forces and to provide relief to the kin of policemen who were killed while stamping out terrorism from the state.

Govt not to privatise octroi collection
Our Correspondent

Phagwara, May 30
Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Minister Local Government Punjab today declared that octroi collection would not to privatised as experiment to this effect by the previous government had proved wrong as it had caused hardships to the business community and general public.

Talking to reporters here, the Minister was evasive on whether or not to challenge in the Supreme Court the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on octroi collection.

The Minister declared that election to four to five Nagar Councils, including Phagwara and Muktsar would be held soon. These municipal councils have outlived their term and the process of election had been initiated, said the minister. He was hopeful that the Congress would sweep panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishad elections being held on June 9. We will repeat the corporations’ performance in these polls, claimed the Minister. The crusade against corruption launched by the Congress government had carried conviction with the common man and we would win June 9 election on this very plank, asserted the Minister. “I am in charge of Amritsar district and there was massive response of people of Majha to government’s policies”, claimed the Minister. He declared that the irregularities committed by chairman of Improvement Trusts would also be probed. Their files had been requisitioned by me and an inquiry would start soon, he said.

On June 11 morcha by the SAD (B), the Minister pooh-poohed Akali penchant for agitations when out of power, Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal had not yet reconciled to his party’s defeat in February Assembly elections, he said. Since Mr Badal had harassed Congress men during his misrule the guilty was now conscious of it and was raising bogey of excesses, added Chaudhary Jagjit Singh.

Implement 85th amendment: BC staff
Tribune News Service

Ropar, May 30
The Gazetted and Non-Gazetted SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation, Punjab, today demanded from the Punjab Government to implement the 85th amendment to the Constitution which provided benefit of seniority from the date of promotion to the employees, including the SC, ST and BC employees.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Jasbir Singh Paul, state president of the federation, stated that the Punjab Government was “insulting” Parliament by not implementing the 85th amendment. He also said that there was a backlog of 42 lakh jobs, reserved for SCs/STs, in the country which should be cleared immediately,.

The state president of the federation also urged the Punjab Government to remove the 40 per cent marks cligibility condition for admission to the medical colleges etc in the case of SC and ST students. He also condemned the state government for not releasing stipend to the SC/ST students of colleges and schools for the past four years in Punjab.

Mr Paul also criticised the BSP-BJP alliance in UP by describing it as an “unholy” alliance. He said this alliance would prove a “fatal” step for the Delits in the future. He said just to capture the post of the Chief Minister, the BSP had “sold” the interests of the Dalits.

COMMUNITY

Bank defrauded of Rs 28.64 lakh
Our Correspondent

Gurdaspur, May 30
The management of the Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dina Nagar, has detected a fraud amounting to Rs 28.64 lakh committed by more than 12 persons. Talking to newsmen here today, Mr T.D. Sharma, Manager of the bank, said the suspects had been identified as Gurmeet Singh of Dharo Chack, Mohinder Pal of Kahnuwan, Sukhdayal, alias Ashoka, of Nangal Farida, Laras of Gulpur, Ashwani Kumar, Paras Ram, Charan Dass and Lal Chand, all residents of Bhagwanpur Kothe, Jatinder Pal Singh of Hayat Nagar, Joginder Singh of Dharo Chack, Baljit Singh of Gurdaspur and Karnial Singh of Mokhe (all from Gurdaspur district).

Mr Sharma said the suspects connived with each other to withdraw Rs 28.64 lakh as advance for the purchase of tractors from the bank against mortgage of land. He added that the suspects prepared fictitious revenue papers of the land mortgaged with the bank for getting loans.

Mr Sharma said the fraud took place between March, 1998, and April, 2001. It came to light when in the first week of July, the bank received an information that Baljit Singh and Karnial Singh (both loanees of the bank) had died in an accident. Mr Sharma went to the residence of the deceased to get fresh loan documents from the legal heirs of the deceased. On verification he found that there was no land in the name of the deceased and the land mortgaged to the bank was only on the basis of fictitious papers. The heirs of the deceased said that both the tractors purchased by the deceased were in the possession of Gurmeet Singh.

Mr Sharma said a Patwari of the area was also involved with the suspects. He said the bank had lodged a complaint with the district police for registration of a criminal case against the suspects for recovery of tractors.

It may be mentioned here that the suspects have also drawn such loans from other branches of the bank at Dina Nagar, Pania and Gurdaspur.

No funds to plug bundh breaches?
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 30
Flood protection works to save villages on the banks of the Beas river and various choes and khuds in the district which usually start before the onslaught of monsoons will not be carried out this year due to non-availability of funds with the Drainage Department.

Very little work, especially plugging of breaches in bundhs, has been done during the past two years. Luckily on account of less rain during this period there was no flooding due to which villagers did not face any serious problem.

According to the official sources, for building bundhs and for plugging of breaches in existing bundhs at Beas river near villages at Danoya, Taggar, Haler Janardhan, Begpur, Himmatpur and Shri Hargobindpur bridge in Mukerian and Dasuya sub-divisions, the Drainage Department has demanded Rs 97 lakh from the state government.

It has also demanded Rs 14 lakh for the protection bundhs at various khuds to save villages of Plahar, Bhavnour, Nathuwal, Kamahi Devi, Datarpur, Batwara, Amroh, Dharampur.

Besides about Rs 90 lakh were also sought for carrying out works for strengthening, plugging and widening of the protection bundhs of the Nasrala, Mehangrowal, Mehlanwali, Gignowal, Chabbewal, Rajni, Bahowal, Gajjan, Nariala and Sakurli choes. A sum of Rs 25.50 lakh was required for cleaning the Mansar, Atalgarh, Mauli, Taggar, Abdulpur, Chack Allabaksh, Simbli, Dhamian, Kitna, Moranwali drains for the smooth flow of flood water.

Sources said it was proposed that 50 per cent of the amount of the total required budget would be given to the department out of which it had to spend 35 per cent for the aforesaid works and had to reserve 15 per cent with it for flood season. But it is a pity that the state government has not given a single paisa till to date in this regard.

More funds sought for ayurveda
Chitleen K Sethi
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
Even as the practitioners of ayurveda in Punjab struggle for better service conditions and recognition, the state Health Department is considering posting an ayurvedic doctor and a homoeopath in all possible allopathic government hospital and dispensaries across the state.

Stating this in an interview to The Tribune, the Director Ayurveda, Mr Jagjit Puri, confirmed that this was being done for two reasons. ‘‘First, it will bring the practitioners of alternative forms of medicine on a par with those practising allopathy and second, it will give the patients more options with other systems of medicine being accessible to them under the same roof,’’ he said.

He also stated that the state government was considering the formation of an advisory committee to look into systems of alternative medicine. ‘‘A patent property board is also slated to be constituted to protect the ayurvedic medicines from being patented falsely,’’ he said.

Voicing the main concerns of the practitioners of ayurveda practitioner in the state, Vaidya R. Vatsyayan, a leading practitioner from Ludhiana said, ‘‘ The need of the hour is for the government to focus on ayurvedic education and research in the state. The entrance test is common for the three streams, as a result only those students who do not make it to the MBBS and BDS courses choose ayurveda. This needs to be put an end to. Separate entrance tests should be there for all three streams. Even the syllabus should not include topics related to allopathy . A culture of serious studies in ayurveda needs to be generated in ayurvedic colleges.’’

Vaidya Vatsyayan suggested that all research that was being done in the field should be tested using the principles of ayurveda the rasaguna siddhant not modern parameters being used by MNCs. ‘‘There is an urgency to protect our age-old knowledge of herbs from being robbed by MNCs. They are ‘chemicalising’ ayurveda by deriving extracts of extracts and patenting these. All this can be achieved more easily if the Directorate of Ayurveda in the state is headed by a technical person not a civil servant who has this post as an additional burden.’’

Responding to this, Mr Puri stated that principle it was right that the Director, Ayurveda should be an ayurvedic doctor and it was for the government to decide whom it wanted. ‘‘If a technically sound person with the appropriate seniority is chosen by the government to head these services in the state, I don’t think anyone will object to that, ’’he said.

Vaidya P.K. Warrier, one of the leading ayurvedic doctor of the country who runs his own academy in Kerala, stated that the Central Council for Indian Medicines (CCIM) had standardised the syllabus of ayurveda throughout the country, but in the bargain the standard of education in Kerala had gone down. ‘‘Earlier we were teaching two streams of the complete Charaka extensively. Now we have been asked to teach the whole thing, ’’he said.

Stating that the inclusion of allopathic topics in the ayurveda syllabus was not wrong, the Chairman CCIM, Vaidya Sri Ram Sharma said: ‘‘If needed in an emergency situation the ayurvedic doctor should know allopathic solutions. But the problem is not the syllabus, but the fact that the budget share of alternative system of the medicine in the country needs to be increased from the current 3-4 per cent to at least 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the total health budget.’’

Health Dept transfers stir controversy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
A controversy has broken out regarding transfers of junior employees in the Punjab Health Department. The Punjab Subordinate Services Federation, which staged a dharna here to protest against the large-scale transfers of class III and IV employees of the Health Department, has levelled very serious allegations regarding transfers.

Mr Ajit Singh Bagari and Mr Ranbir Singh Dhillon, president and general secretary of the federation respectively, in a statement have alleged that money had exchanged hands in transfers and these should be cancelled immediately.

They have also met the Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Chandra Dogra, in this regard. They have asked the Health Minister to order a vigilance probe into the transfers of junior-level employees in the department. No transfer policy had been followed, they alleged.

Mr Dhillon said as the Amarinder government was for removing corruption in the state it should hold an inquiry into the transfers ordered during his government in the Health Department.

Mr Dhillon said the federation would hold a dharna in the Dasuya constituency of the Health Minister on June 7 and also stage a protest march there, if the transfers were not cancelled. The Federation leaders said they would also hold a dharna near the Matka chowk on June 18 to raise their voice against the violation of the transfer policy.

They said the Congress government had not fulfilled the promises it made with the employees before the elections. It had promised to give bonus but it has not been given so far. Neither ministerial staff been given promotional pay scales on the pattern of officers. The Government was not filling the vacant posts but abolishing these.

Five dead cremated, hunt on for killers
Tribune News Service

Midhu Khera (Muktsar), May 30
The district police authorities have pressed 10 police parties into service to nab the killers of four members of a family here yesterday morning.

The bodies of the five victims were cremated in this village amid tight security.

Yesterday morning, Sukhdev Singh, his son Jagwinder Singh, brother Gamdur Singh and nephew Gurlal Singh, were killed by assailants while they were working in their fields. Mr Gurraj Singh, brother of deceased Gurlal Singh alleged that there was no serious dispute over the distribution of water and the other party was harassing them ever since the Congress came to power in Punjab.

He also claimed that he had lodged a complaint with the Irrigation Department in connection with the illegal use of pipe by the other party to draw the water from the Banwala minor, but he or any member of his family had not made any offence against the accused. He alleged that his kin had been killed by the assailants with the full-backing of a Congress leader who now had been trying to weaken the case by using his influence.

A section of residents of this village pointed out that had the Irrigation Department authorities done the chak bandi from the Banwala minor, the murders could have been avoided.

However, Mr R.P. Chaudhary, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, said that chak bandi could not be done in the past three years, as the residents never cooperated with Irrigation Department officials. He added that as a court case was pending in connection with the scam in the Banwala minor, the Irrigation Department was having no record of the same. He added that officially the Banwala minor had not been started.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister, Mr Sukhbir Badal, condemned the incident.

Bhullar promises security
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 30
Expressing concern over law and order situation in the state, the Punjab Director-General of Police Mr. M.S. Bhullar, today said the police force was striving to set it right.

Mr Bhullar, who was talking to mediapersons after presiding over the Civil Defence meeting at the PAP headquarters here today, said he was concerned over the law and order situation in the state, particularly, in Jalandhar, which had witnessed a spurt in crime during past two months. Mr Bhullar said that the district police has been able to solve some crimes.

Mr Bhullar said the district police officials have been instructed to sternly deal with criminals.

During the meeting, senior officials of Army and police also reviewed the internal security situation and decided to increase vigil on anti-social elements in view of tension on the border.

SAD leaders allege harassment
Our Correspondent

Faridkot, May 30
The senior vice president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal Mr Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon and Mr Mantar Singh Brar, both MLAs of Faridkot and Kotkapura respectively, have charged the Faridkot district administration with harassing the party nominees for the ensuing block samiti and zila parishad elections in Faridkot and Kotkapura blocks.

Addressing a joint press conference at here today, the three senior leaders said Mr Makhan Singh Nangal, member SGPC and Mr Jagjit Singh, Personal Assistant to Mr Gurdev Singh Badal were detained at local kotwali and the CIA Department.

They released a list of party candidates, who have been denied no objection certificates and Chullah Tax (House tax) certificates by the respective BDPOs of Kotkapura and Faridkot blocks.

They had already made complaints to the state election commissioner in this connection yesterday. They had also demanded the transfer of Mr Gurmit Singh, BDPO.

Refuting the charges, Mr A.Venu Prasad, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner said that no candidate had been denied NOC or house tax certificate who fulfil the norms regarding the elections. He further stated that no complaint has been received by him against the partisan role adopted by BDPO’s towards any candidate or party. Clear directions have been issued to the entire related staff to ensure fair and free polls otherwise strict action will be taken against the erring officer. He alleged that Mr Makhan Singh Nangal along with his 25 supporters attempted to create hurdles in the election process in the office of local BDPO and also attacked him (BDPO) yesterday. No senior district police officer was available for comments.

FCI rice export scam
Our Correspondent

Mansa, May 30
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been incurring a loss of crores in disposing of stocks of rice.

The FCI has entered into an agreement with a Delhi-based firm M/s KRB Limited for the sale of four rice rail specials amounting to 92000 quintals for export through the Kandla port at the rate of Rs 376 per quintal against Rs 1020 paid by the FCI for its purchase.

The buyer instead of carrying the stocks to the Kandla port, unload it at Sunam, Dirba or other places. Instead of exporting the same, sell the stocks at Rs 785 per quintal.

So far the Delhi-based firm has lifted 6600 quintals from the FCI godowns here. About 4.8 lakh quintals of rice are lying in the godowns of the FCI here.

Mr H.S. Walia, Assistant Manager, FCI, said the District Manager of the FCI has issued release order No. 44 to M/s KRB Limited, New Delhi, in this regard.

Sepoy cremated
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 30
Sepoy Rishi Kumar of the 6 Dogra Regiment was cremated with full police honours at his native village Behchhui Kamahi Devi 70 km from here, last evening.

Mr Mohal Lal, father of the sepoy, lit the pyre. A police contingent fired in the air as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Sepoy Rishi Kumar lost his life during Pakistan shelling in Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir on May 28.

He was 23-year-old and was a bachelor. He is survived by his father and mother. He joined the Army in 1999.

Don’t scrap NPA: doctors
Our Correspondent

Bathinda, May 30
The doctors under the aegis of the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association (Punjab) have opposed the government move to scrap the non-practising allowance (NPA).

Dr Narinder Kumar Bansal, district president of the association, in a written statement issued here today said if the state government went ahead with its move to scrap the NPA, the members of the association would go on a strike to press for their demands.

2 killed in mishap
Our Correspondent

Malerkotla, May 30
Two persons were killed, and three others injured when a car collided with an auto-rickshaw at Ludhiana bye-pass near octroi post here today.

Kamal Singh (32) son of Mohinder Singh, resident of Maloud and Sukhdev Singh (45) were killed on the spot while other persons, Baljinder Singh son of Sucha Singh, resident of Maloud, Yaqoob Mohd, son of Mohd Khan and Mohd Shabir, resident of Kup Kalan were wounded.

Power bills, loans of farmers deferred
Our Correspondent

Ferozepore, May 30
In order to ameliorate the hardships of the border residents to some extent, the electricity bills and cooperative loans of the farmers belonging to villages situated along the zero line of the Indo-Pakistan border have been deferred for six months. This was stated by Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, MLA and Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, Punjab, here today. Rana Sodhi, who toured the various border villages along with senior civil and police officials, said 24 hours power supply would be ensured in all border villages very soon. He said to bring transparency in the working of the government machinery and mitigate the grievances of the people, the SDMs had been instructed to hold open house sessions for the general public every Monday.

He said a number of multinational companies were keen to undertake new projects in Punjab in the areas of infrastructure development, food processing and other agro-based sectors and the government was hopeful that in next couple of months investment to the tune of around Rs 3,000 crores would be made in Punjab by foreign investors.

He said the state government had also sought soft loans from agencies like Nabard and Hudco, to give a boost to the sagging economy.

He asserted that the Congress would win with thumping majority in all 22 Zila Parishad segments in the district. As for the expansion of the Cabinet, he said there were no immediate plans for it and the decision would be taken by the Chief Minister at an appropriate time.

While exhorting the brave villagers to provide all sorts of assistance to the Army, he praised them for their courage, forbearance and perseverance. He said 50 per cent of the compensation had already been distributed to the affected farmers and tillers, and efforts were afoot to provide the remaining financial assistance as soon as possible.

Taxmen call truckers’ bluff
Lalit Mohan

Ropar, May 30
After tightening the noose around gold traders, the Sales Tax Department of the state has now started efforts to sieze the routes used by certain transporters to help traders evade sale tax.

The department achieved a major breakthrough in this direction when three trucks of Jalandhar-Delhi Transport Company were seized near Anandpur Sahib recently. A team of the department officials led by the ETO, Mr Surjit Singh, intercepted three trucks of the company near Anandpur Sahib while they were on their way to Jalandhar.

Reliable sources said the trucks were carrying retail items allegedly brought from Delhi and meant to be distributed in the local markets of Jalandhar. The transporters had taken the unorthodox route to evade the sales tax barriers of the state.

The unorthodox route itinerary of the trucks aimed at doging sales tax barriers of the state, started from Ambala. Instead of entering the state from the conventional route through Rajpura or Chandigarh, these trucks headed for Panchkula. From Panchkula they entered Nalagarh district of Himachal Pradesh and moving through villages entered Ropar district in Punjab near Anandpur Sahib. From Anandpur Sahib these trucks were to reach Jalandhar following the Garshankar, Mukerian route where there were no sales tax barriers.

Additional Commissioner, Excise and Taxation, Mr Krishan Kumar, when contacted on phone admitted that the trucks impounded at Anandpur Sahib were trying to evade tax. The department has identified certain notorious transporters in the state who have been colliding with traders for sales tax theft. These transporters charge double freight from the traders in lieu of saving their sales tax. Certain transporters also assure the traders that if caught they would bear the penalty for evading the sales tax. After charging double freight they ply their vehicles on unconventional routes to dodge the sales tax barriers of the state.

Earlier also many trucks of the Jalandhar-Delhi Transport company were caught carrying goods without paying any tax on them. In the raids conducted in the other parts of the state 20 trucks of Patiala Carriers, another notorious transport company involved in a similar business, were also impounded. The department was now closely monitoring the escape routes adopted by the notorious transporters in the state and was planning to step up vigil on them.

The transporters caught transporting goods illegally into the state were liable to pay a penalty of fifty per cent besides paying the regular sales tax due on the goods being transported, Mr Krishan Kumar said.

CRIME

Books meant for poor in bazar
Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, May 30
The police has unearthed a scam pertaining to the sale of school books, meant for distribution among Scheduled Caste and poor students, in open market by certain officials of the Welfare Department and depot of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) with the connivance of the book sellers.

Police sources said a case in this connection had been registered against Deputy Manager (Depot), Sukhbir Singh, who had also been working as Welfare Officer and Balraj Singh, working as packer. Both of them had absconded. The case had been registered under Sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC in city police station today.

Police sources said about 2000 books, which were to be distributed among Scheduled Caste and poor school student through the Welfare Department, were found lying in the local cinema opposite the book depot of the board in this city.

On an inquiry it was found that books had come out of depot with the connivance of certain officials.

Further inquiry revealed that both Sukhbir Singh and Balraj Singh had been selling the books in connivance with other officials and two shopkeepers.

The accused had been making wrong entries in the record in connection with the distribution of the books.

Police sources said on May 28, a police party picked up a woman librarian of a local school in connection with the investigation of this case and she was allegedly subjected to harassment. She was not allowed to talk to her husband in connection with her detention in the city police station.

Last morning, teachers and other members of the staff held a press conference and demanded that those police officials should be transferred who had picked up the librarian. She was later allowed to go home.

So far two book sellers in the city, who were acting as agents had been identified.