Amritsar, December 29
Taking a tough stand against Spokesman, a daily launched from Chandigarh, Mr Avtar Singh, President Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today asked Mr Mohinder Singh, a correspondent of the newspaper to leave the venue of press conference — Guru Nanak Nivas, here.

This for the fist time in the 80 years’ history of the Committee that a journalist was told to leave. The press conference went on even when the journalist left the venue without raising any question . However, he described the move of the SGPC chief as “attack” on the media.

The SGPC chief said that the persons having links with an “excommunicated” person could not be allowed to sit in the press conference. Mr Joginder Singh, Editor, Spokesman, was excommunicated from the Sikh Panth by an edict (Hukamnama) pronounced by the Sikh clergy. However, the Editor has already challenged his excommunication in a Court of law.

Later addressing reporters Mr Avtar Singh said that the Committee could not tolerate any move against the institution of Akal Takht. He said the Sikh Panth was bound to implement the edicts, pronounced by the Jathedars. He warned the ‘anti-Sikh intellectuals’ of ‘dire consequences’ if they continued to work against the age-old Sikh institutions. He called upon the Sikh Sangat to defeat the ‘nefarious designs’ of such forces, which wanted to denigrate Sikh Institutions and its ‘Maryada’.

Meanwhile, the SGPC chief announced that the efforts were on to bring all Sikh organisations on a single platform. He said meetings of representatives of various Sikh bodies would be convened from time to time. The first meeting of Sikh Sants in this regard had been convened on January 9 at Takht Keshgarh Sahib. Similarly, two-day international meeting of Sikh bodies would be convened, here from January 30 next.

He said it was the need of the hour to sink differences, if any, in the interest of the Sikh Panth. He added a letter had been written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss ‘ban on turban’ in France.

Mohali, December 29
The Punjab Government has allowed Harpratap Steel Limited, a company promoted by Mr Gurinder Singh Kairon, son of former Chief Minister of Punjab, to sell 15 acres of prime industrial land in Mohali allotted to the company over a decade ago for a steel industry. The multi-crore project, however, never took off leaving the company in a debt that ran into at least Rs 30 crore.

Waiving off the condition that a closed industrial unit’s land use can be changed only if it has remained functional for five years, the empowered committee of the Punjab Government has allowed the company to sell the land to Chandigarh-based real estate developer of Globus Projects Pvt Ltd, who intends to construct a knowledge-cum-IT park on this land at a cost of Rs 146 crore.

Harpratap Steel Limited was allotted this land - Plot Number 1, Industrial Area, Phase IX, Mohali - in 1991-1992 by the Department of Industries. The company then had, in collaboration with the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC) constructed a mammoth industrial shed on the land but never commenced production following which the project failed. Sources said the company by this time, however, owed various financial institutions like the IDBI, ICICI, IFCI and the State Bank of Patiala large sums of money.

Approving this new arrangement, the empowered committee headed by the Chief Minister during its last meeting noted that other than the requisite conversion fee, “the outstanding dues of M/s Harpratap Steels Ltd towards the PSIEC on account of land enhancement charges and of Mr Gurinder Singh Kairon, private collaborator in M/s Harpratap Steel Ltd, towards PSIDC’s equity contribution shall be settled to the satisfaction of these agencies before the signing of the agreement (between Harpratap Steels and Globus Projects)”.

Stating that a proposal by Globus Projects was under consideration, the MD PSIDC, Ms Ravneet Kaur, said the corporation was hopeful of getting back what Harpratap Steels owed them.

The sources, however, added that while the government had waived off the five- year- in- production condition for this sale, it was still not clear whether such a sale could be allowed at all. “This policy gives a second chance to entrepreneurs whose units are lying closed. But can the entrepreneur sell his unit to someone else?” questioned a senior official in the Industries Department. Globus Projects has been allowed to use 30 per cent of the said land for housing/residential purposes while the rest will have to be developed as industrial area. 

Chandigarh, December 29
The coming year will be one of challenges not only for the ruling Congress but also for the Opposition parties and the people of Punjab because it will be an election year.

The ruling party’s biggest challenge will be to win over those sections of society, by offering freebies or concessions and other financial benefits, which have remained annoyed with it during the past three years. In fact, the party has already started working in that direction. It has slashed the rates of VAT on certain items to pass on the benefit to traders and consumers.

More such benefits are in the pipeline. The government has also started talking to various sections of the employees to set up the fifth Pay Commission, implement the system of promotion on the completion of four, nine and 14 years of service and give other benefits to them. The abolition of octroi and jobs for trained but unemployed youth are also challenges faced by the Amarinder Singh government.

Nothing can be more challenging for the ruling party than to plan and execute various political and apolitical strategies during the election year to retain power for the next five years. And the party will have to put in a lot of hard labour to deal with the fierce onslaught mounted against it by the Shiromani Akali Dal, headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal. It will be also a great challenge for the Congress to hide its failures and put the entire blame on the Opposition for not achieving success on any particular front.

The challenge before the Opposition parties will be to put the ruling party on the mat by branding even its achievements as failures and by kicking off controversies with regard to those achievements. Mr Badal and his son, Mr Sukhbir Singh, have been doing this for the past few months. Politicians in this country now prefer to practise democracy by resorting to allegations against their opponents rather than through constructive discussions and dialogue on issues faced by the people.

The challenge before the Akali father and son duo( Badal and his son) is to win the next Assembly elections, which are just a year away. Mr Badal will be facing a major challenge of keeping his party united. One comes across a lot of murmuring in the top echelons of the SAD on the sustained efforts by Mr Sukhbir Singh to relegate other senior leaders to the position of second fiddle to be a decisive factor in the party. This grumbling can turn into screaming voices which will be difficult for Mr Badal to control.

For political parties having a limited base and influence, the basic challenge will be to find major political partners for the right political tie-ups in view of the Assembly elections. The political arena has already started warming up and political parties have opened informal dialogues to probe the minds of leaders of various parties to enter into poll alliances. It takes a long time for the materialisation of such partnerships.

The challenge before the people will be to elect the right kind of persons to represent them in the Vidhan Sabha. The next 12 months will be available to them to evaluate the performance of their present representatives.

It has been seen during the past four years that some politicians of the ruling and main Opposition party have been busy in personal battles and blame games instead of engaging in constructive political activity for the collective good of the people. What lesson deserves to be given to such politicians will be the greatest challenge for the voters of Punjab.

There were times when Punjab was a land of vast opportunities but most of these have become challenges now. The state needs statesmen to convert those challenges into opportunities again.

Chandigarh, December 29
Admitting differences with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, regarding the functioning of the party and also on certain Sikh religious issues, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta said today that despite all this he was a loyal worker of the party and had not quit it.

Talking to The Tribune on telephone from Kolkata, Mr Manjit Singh, who is a member of the political affairs committee of SAD, said he had been informing Mr Badal from time to time in this regard.” I have taken a different stand from the party on certain religious and political issues”, said Mr Calcutta and Mr Badal was aware of it, he added.

On being asked whether he had accepted the important office in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) offered to him by Mr Badal’s strong opponent, Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, Mr Calcutta said he had been given a religious duty to propagate Sikhism by the DSGMC and no one should have any objection in this regard.

Mr Calcutta had been made head of the Sikh Mission International by the DSGMC.

He said he had opposed the SAD’s decision to boycott the “Palki” procession taken to Nankana Sahib via Amritsar.

He had also opposed the elevation of Bibi Jagir Kaur as president of the SGPC earlier.

He said it was true that the party’s apex bodies had been entrusting all powers to Mr Badal to select candidates for the presidentship of the SGPC or other bodies but it did not mean that he (Mr Badal) should not satisfy the members of the apex bodies with regard to the decisions taken by him.

Can Mr Badal tell how many members of the SGPC and how many members of PAC had supported the candidature of Mr Avtar Singh Makkar as president of the SGPC recently.”

I have nothing against Mr Makkar but his appointment has been made against the opinion of the members of PAC and members of the SGPC with whom Mr Badal had held consultations one”, he added.

He said on one hand Mr Badal had been saying that he had nothing to do with religious matters and on the other hand he had established a firm control over the SGPC which decided all important religious issues.

He said he had told Mr Badal long back that he would not compromise on religious beliefs. “I am committed to protect the Khalsa doctrine, identity, sovereignty and not ready to compromise in this regard with any one”, he added.

Chandigarh, December 29
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), President, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, today asked the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, the Akali MLA, Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, and the Union Petroleum Minister, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, to give details of their visit to Dubai.

He said Capt Amarinder Singh should also tell why he attended a private function connected with Doon School at state expense.

Mr Mann also wanted to know why the Chief Secretary, Mr Jai Singh Gill, who was to retire next month, was taken along and why Ministers such as Mr Partap Singh Bajwa and MLA Rana Sodhi made part of the visit.

Mr Mann said while PUDA had stated that it did not need foreign investment in the housing sector, the state government was roping in a Dubai-based company to set up a township at Mohali.

He said already land sharks and a land mafia were thriving in Punjab. 

Bathinda, December 29
Schoolchildren in Punjab will no more queue up to welcome VIPs/political leaders in public functions or political rallies. The state government has directed the district education officers to ensure that students were not called for such programmes. According to sources, in an order dated December 23 issued to the Education Department officials, it has also been made clear that if students from any school were sent to greet VIPs at a function or a rally the school head and the DEO concerned shall be held personally responsible for it.

Sources said the decision was taken following consultation with the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh. The order stated that schoolchildren often were made to stand and wait to welcome VIPs, which was “gross apathy and cruelty towards them”. Sources said the state government’s decision had come as a major reprieve for schoolchildren who were called for such programmes, where they were forced to stand under the sun for hours without proper food and water. There had been instances where VIPs arrived two three hours late and organisers hardly paid any attention to the plight of schoolchildren either made to stand on both sides of entrance or were called to perform.

In one such incident, even disabled children were not spared at the state-level function held in the city to mark World Disabled Day on December 3. While Minister of State for Social Security Gurkanwal Kaur didn’t arrive, Finance Minister Surinder Singla came two hours late. A group of 10 disabled students of the local deaf and dumb school stood with bouquets in hands for over a couple of hours. During the Akali BJP regime too, students from the area were made to stand in queues for hours to welcome an Akali minister who was to inaugurate a development project at Chak Fateh Singh Wala village.

Gurdaspur, December 29
Chief Conservator Forest Swaran Singh has ordered an inquiry into the alleged violation of felling rules in Mahengrowal and Kapar ranges of Hoshiarpur forest division.

Former wildlife wardens Gunraj Singh and Sukhdeep Bajwa had complained to the higher authorities of the Forest Department after a news report regarding the violation of felling rules was published in these columns.

The Chief Conservator Forest ordered the inquiry on the basis of the complaint.

The inquiry would be conducted by a committee headed by Deputy DFO, Garhshankar range, Chanranjit Singh.

The Chief Conservator Forest admitted that a committee had been formed to look into the reported violations. He said it was a routine procedure to appoint officers form outside the forest division to inquiry into the complaints received regarding violation of the felling rules.

DFO, Hoshiarpur, R.R. Kakkar said no permit had been so far been issued to fell trees. He, however, declined to have any knowledge about the inquiry ordered.

In Pathankot division also, the local Deputy DFO has been appointed to recheck the marking of trees. The DFO, Pathankot division, said the reported markings were carried by the forester. It was now being verified by the Deputy DFO to see if there was any violation of the felling rules.

After that, conservator Jarnail Singh would conduct a sample check of the area. Permits for felling trees would be given after checking was completed as per the specifications of the felling rules, he said.

Tarn Taran, December 29
The decision of two village girls of the area to live under the same roof has astonished those living in the surrounding areas.

Palwinder Kaur, alias Goggi, 23, of Shakri village, who has been dressing up in men’s clothes for some time, has been living with Inderjit Kaur, alias Indu, a resident of Sarhali village, at the former’s house.

Villagers believed that both had “married” and were living as couple.

While Goggi belonged to a Jat Sikh family, Indu was from a Backward Class. The two developed friendship while studying at Government Girls High School, Sarhali, about eight years ago.

Indu is a graduate, while Goggi is a matriculate.

Around two months back, both had fled from their houses and returned a month after.

They said they had gone on a pilgrimage to Haridwar and other religious places. A fortnight later Indu again fled from her house but this time without Goggi.

In a complaint to the police, Indu’s brother Sarwan Singh alleged that Goggi was behind the disappearance of his sister. In the meantime, Indu sent a letter to the SSP stating that she had left the house as her family members were trying to “sell” her.

However, the police did not find the involvement of Goggi in Indu’s disappearance and at the same time found Indu’s allegation against her family members baseless.

The village elders later approached the police and revealed the facts about their relationship. Subsequently, Indu appeared before the police and gave her side of the story. She said she wanted to live with Goggi and not with her parents.

The Sarhali police presented Indu before the court of the local SDM, who allowed her to live with Goggi since she was an adult.

While talking to this correspondent at Shakri village, Indu and Goggi denied that they were a lesbian couple. They said it was a rumour that they were married.

They resolved to live together for the rest of their lives but not marry.

Hoshiarpur, December 29
Of the eight persons booked for the murder of NRI Mohan Singh of Hardo Purala village of Jalandhar district, two more accused Sukhjit Singh son of Kashmira Singh and Rajwinder Singh alias Raju of Hoshiarpur district in this case surrendered before the Garhshankar police today and last evening respectively, according to the police sources.

Sources said that the prime accused Jasbir Singh alias Jassa of Moranwali was also arrested by the Garhshankar police yesterday. All accused were handed over to the Jalandhar police. The Hoshiarpur police had announced reward of Rs 50,000 on Jasbir Singh alias Jassa.

The Phillaur police station of Jalandhar district had registered an FIR under Section 302 and 34 of the IPC on August 18, 2005 in connection with the murder of NRI Mohan Singh, who was killed near a dhaba on the GT road between Phillaur and Ludhiana.

British authorities visited Punjab to meet police high-ups and wanted probe into the case speeded up.

The Garhshankar police also arrested Sukhwinder Singh alias Reeta and Gurdip Singh alias Ghanti both of Moranwali of this district on December 24. Two accused in this case had also been arrested by Jalandhar police.

Sources said that of eight, seven had been arrested or surrendered and one accused Kulwant Singh was still at large.

Mohali, December 29
Examinations for senior secondary classes plus II of the Punjab School Education Board are beginning on March 2 next year and for matriculation on March 13.

The Board has released the datesheet for both examinations. According to the Controller of Examinations of the Board, Ms Sukhwinder Kaur Saroya, examinations for senior secondary classes will be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The timings for examinations in geometrical perspective and architectural drawings will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. while the timings in the case of elements of building construction, electronics, electrical, mechanical engineering and engineering drawings will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The matriculation examinations will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon but examinations for health and physical education will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.