Jalandhar, June 29
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is leaving no stone unturned to gear up for the eagerly awaited and politically important visit of Ms Mayawati to the city on July 2.

The proposed visit by the leader attains importance as she is likely to decide the future course of action for the party’s state leadership. Ms Mayawati is also expected to put forth indications about the possibility of her party’s alliance with another party in the state for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Though, the BSP leadership has weighed options of alliances with other political parties, including, the Shiromani Akali Dal and even the Congress, but it has kept its cards guarded so far. Insiders say the decision about a poll alliance depends entirely upon Ms Mayawati’s wish. So, the party leadership is hoping that she gives some indication about her mood to during her meeting with the state leaders.

Though the state leaders hope for a political alliance, they are not counting upon such an arrangement totally. “We are busy gearing up workers and leaders. Our motive is to reach out to people at the grass roots and every other thing comes after that. Nothing can be said about any alliance at this juncture and we are fully concentrating on strengthening our party set up in Punjab. We have been successful in putting forth our agenda before people and our workers as well,” said Mr Narendra Kashyap, the in-charge of the Punjab affairs and general secretary of the BSP while talking to The Tribune.

The party leadership will keep the July 2 meeting of Ms Mayawati with senior leaders at a local hotel a closely guarded affair since the BSP chief would take views of senior party functionaries about options to be followed by the party in respect of the Assembly elections.

Mr Kashyap has done his bit to mobilise senior party functionaries by camping here and consulting Mr Pawan Tinu, the general secretary of the Punjab unit.

“No chances are being taken and we are leaving no stone unturned to mobilise each and every senior party functionary,” said Mr Tinu.

Jalandhar, June 29
Businessmen of the city are facing a difficult situation these days.

Even as the last date for filling surety bonds for returns of sale tax falls tomorrow, the stamp papers required for the purpose are in short supply.

Even more alarming is the fact that vendors outside the District Administrative Complex are selling the stamp papers at a premium taking advantage of the situation.

But that does not solve the problem either.

The traders have been asked to give sureties on stamp papers worth Rs 75. But the vendors fail to provide stamp papers of the required denomination.

Instead, the vendors were seen asking buyers to take stamp papers worth Rs 100, that too at a price of Rs 140 or 150.

The customers said that they were, thus, being forced to pay double the price to fill in the bonds or else their date of filing returns would lapse.

The ordeal of the businessmen does not end here. Most of them have to take two to three rounds to get the stamp papers. None of the vendors supply these papers at one go.

“They make the buyers realise their worth by asking them to come again and again,” Mr Avinash Kumar, a trader here, said.

Mr Taranjit Singh Walia, a manufacturer, said he too got a stamp paper after making two rounds. “I had to pay Rs 150 for a stamp paper of Rs 100. I fail to understand why the administration has not been able to check the black marketing of government documents in its own vicinity”, he added.

A lawyer said that not only the stamp papers were in short supply, but the vendors also were causing inconvenience.

When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Verma, said he had not received any complaints regarding this practice.

Jalandhar, June 29
To ensure regular attendance by students from the beginning of the forthcoming academic session, the Punjab Technical University (PTU) is likely to make it compulsory for newly enrolled students to get themselves registered in their respective colleges in the first two days.

A proposal in this regard is likely to be mooted by the university officials in an academic council meeting scheduled to be held at the GNA Institute of Management and Technology, Phagwara, tomorrow.

Dr M.S. Grewal, Registrar, PTU, said it was noticed that many freshly enrolled students did not join their colleges for as long as one month, leading to a very casual attitude for the whole year. The Registrar said from this year the university would take strict action against those who do not join the college by August 1, the second day of the session.

The university officials are also likely to take up another major issue concerning regulation of the examination system. Dr S.K. Salwan, Vice-Chancellor, said earlier the university was following ‘1 to 5’ system, according to which students who were not able to clear their first semester subjects till the fifth semester were reverted back or ‘2 to 6’ rule wherein students had to clear all the subjects taken from the second semester till the sixth semester.

“This year we had given the students yet another option to clear at least 50 per cent subjects taken in a semester for getting enrolled in the next semester but no one opted for it”, he added.

“Going by the trend, we now feel that students want less restriction and more time so as to be under less pressure. Most universities are also doing that. We will discuss the matter and find out the best possible solution to the problem. We may do away with any intermediate restriction and only give the students specific time in which they have to complete their degrees”, the VC hinted.

Dr Salwan also added that the revamping of regional centres of the university for M.Tech (part time), set up in affiliated colleges was on the anvil. He said many centres, including one in Gurdaspur had not shown good response as very few students enrolled for the course. He hinted that the university may also adopt a harsh attitude by closing a few in far off areas. He hinted that the centres in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali were functioning well.

The VC said other routine issues, including status of its under-construction building, date of annual convocation and NSS activities of students in affiliated colleges would also be discussed. 

Phagwara, June 29
The Punjab Government has decided to appoint 682 veterinary surgeon, known as ‘service providers’, in rural veterinary hospitals on a three-year contract. The veterinarians will start service from August 1 this year.

While appointing these service providers, policy of reservation will be followed.

The veterinarians would be provided service fee of Rs 28,812 per month, with an annual amount of Rs 3.46 lakh.

They would have to hire a qualified pharmacist and a sweeper. Besides, they would also pay the electricity and water bill from the sanctioned amount.

Service providers would have to appoint pharmacists by August 16 while no timeframe has been fixed for sweepers.

The service providers should have studied Punjabi till class X.

Mr Hari Singh, a noted union member, said this was another step in the same direction after the privatisation of medical services in rural areas of Punjab.

He said the government was silent over the supply of medicines in the rural veterinary hospitals which are already facing an acute shortage.

He alleged that under these circumstances veterinary surgeons would be unable to provide free or subsidised medicines to the needy.

The government should leave the contract policy and should appoint regular staff in place of the service providers. He said the present policy would also promote exploitation of the lower staff.

The service providers have been asked to pay pharmacists according to the norms established by the panel. 

Phagwara, June 29
Justice Ranjit Singh from the Punjab and Haryana High Court inspected the site for a proposed record room in the local courts here today. He also met the District Sessions Judge Sat Pal Bangar, Phagwara Judicial Magistrates Manjot Kaur and Munish Arora, and lawyers from the Bar Association.

The lawyers urged him to set up an additional district sessions court at Phagwara. Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Raminder Singh and Phagwara SDM Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal were also present on the occasion.

Kapurthala, June 29
Three persons including Chairman of the Kapurthala Zila Parishad Harjinder Singh Khalsa have been booked on charges of receiving a bribe of Rs. 5.20 lakh from one Jaswant Singh of Haibatpur village and some other persons in two installments on different dates in November last year.

The story of the alleged bribery was published in The Tribune on June 26.

DSP (City) Amrik Singh Pawar said an FIR under sections 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and 8,9 and 10 of Prevention of Corruption Act was filed against Khalsa, his personal assistant Jaimal Singh and Sarabjit Kaur, Sarpanch of Ibrahimwal village at the City police station on Wednesday night.

However, none of the accused could be arrested, as the Sessions Court issued directions to the district police to give a seven-day notice to the accused before arresting them, the DSP added.

He said the accused have been served the notices.Meanwhile, Kapurthala SSP Rajiv Ahir said the case might be shifted to the Vigilance Bureau for further investigations.

The June 26 news item said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the police to file an affidavit regarding the status of the complaint submitted to it against Harjinder Singh Khalsa.

Jaswant Singh of Haibatpur village and others had submitted a complaint to district police on May 8, in which they had asked for an FIR to be registered against Khalsa for allegedly receiving bribes.

Justice Virender Singh from the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the Kapurthala police to file an affidavit on July 11, the next date of hearing of the application.

The complainants had alleged that they had given Rs 5.20 lakh to Khalsa in the presence of Jaimal Singh, Sarabjit Kaur and Ranjit Singh.

According to the complaint, the bribe was allegedly given to Khalsa on a promise of getting a case decided in favour of the complainants in the court of the

ADC (Development)-cum-Collector, Panchayat Lands, Kapurthala.

The complaint further mentioned that Khalsa had told them on May 5 that neither their work would be done nor the money would be returned.

The complainants said Ranjit Singh had told them that he would talk to Sarabjit Kaur and Khalsa about their case.

When they met Khalsa, he allegedly told them that their work would be done but for that they would have to spend some more money. They had also stated in the complaint that the call details of the mobile phones of Khalsa, Sarabjit Kaur, Ranjit Singh and one of the complainants Jaswant Singh would corroborate their allegations.

The complainants had also submitted affidavits in support of their allegations. The SSP had marked the complaint to Bholath DSP for an inquiry.