Lehra Gaga, October 1
On her first visit to Punjab on Friday, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury made no attempts to hide her anguish over the notoriously low female sex ratio in Punjab.

She was speaking with specific reference to Patran, which came as a blot on the face of the state government. In the aftermath of the incident, her Ministry dispatched an official communiqué to the Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, reminding him of Punjab’s appallingly low female sex ratio in the age group 0 to 6 years - 793 against 1000 males, and just 777 in Patiala.

In the communiqué, the CM had been exhorted to take strictest possible action against the offenders of Patran and publicize the punitive action taken thereof, for it to serve as a deterrent.

In Lehra Gaga recently to announce the commencement of Rashtriya Mahila Kosh’s (RMK) activities in Punjab, Ms Chowdhury, accompanied by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, candidly declared: “If the situation remains grim as it is, the day is not far when we will have no girls to add colour to festivities and cook food for men.” Speaking to TNS, she said the biggest challenge for her ministry was to fight the combined battle against female foeticide and infanticide, in which Punjab is among the worst offenders.

“The state must undertake a sustained awareness and sensitisation campaign to transform the perception of society about the female child,” said Ms Chowdhury, adding that her ministry was equally keen to address the long-standing issue of abandonment of brides trapped in NRI marriages.

“I am in constant touch with the Ministry of Indian Overseas Affairs to explore the possibility of tracking women who travel to Dubai as maids and others who leave India for different reasons. Also, we want to frame a common law on NRI marriages, besides setting up collaborations with the High Commissions and Embassies abroad,” she said in an interview.

Long involved with the conception of Bills addressing sexual harassment of women at workplace and issues around domestic violence, Ms Chowdhury said the Bills had been hanging fire, but were expected to be passed soon. “They have to be vetted by the Ministry of Law. We are also keenly monitoring the progress on the issue of 33 per cent reservations for women in the Parliament. We are awaiting a consensus on the matter. That is essential to implement the Act in letter and spirit,” she explained.

On children’s front, Ms Chowdhury has inspired some revolutionary changes in the Juvenile Justice Act. As per the amended Act, any child who is one day short of 18 years will also be treated as a child. “Under the new law, children in conflict with law and those in need of care and protection will be dealt with separately. Also, mediapersons who disclose clues about the identity of juvenile offenders will be fined Rs 21, 000 for each such disclosure,” she told TNS, while also referring to the Income Tax free National Child Fund service and the toll-free child helpline service, 1098, launched in some Indian cites to help children in distress.

In the Eleventh Plan, the Childline service will be extended to all Indian cities.

Fazilka, October 1
The Finance and Health Minister, Punjab, Mr Surinder Singla, has held women more responsible for female foeticide stating that they were not exercising their rights properly. Addressing a seminar on female feticide at the local Civil Hospital yesterday, he said it was time for introspection by them.

He said it was sad that women rejoiced the birth of the male child whereas they got disappointed over the birth of a baby girl. The minister said there was need for social awareness to check this social evil. 

Mr Singla also inaugurated a blood donation camp on this occasion. He was accompanied by Dr Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, MLA and Chairman of the Punjab State Tubewell Corporation, Dr S.S. Walia, Civil Surgeon, Ferozepore, and Mr Rahul Tiwari, ADC, Ferozepore.

The Health Minister announced to replace the century-old building with a new one as it has been declared unsafe by the PWD. He honoured Mr Rattan Chugh, who has donated blood 72 times, Mr Krishan Lal Taneja — 44 times and Mr Sham Lal Gandhi — 40 times, besides representatives of Dera Sacha Sauda, Fazilka, and Balaji Nauzwan Sewak Sabha, Fazilka, which have donated 176 and 50 units of blood, respectively, during the past one year. 

Dr D.P. Godara, Senior Medical Officer of the hospital, highlighted the overall progress of the hospital and the rise in the number of indoor and outdoor patients as a result of which the hospital had been placed in the A grade for the past three years consecutively. 

Later, addressing a press conference, Mr Singla said he would recommend to the government the setting up a medical college in Fazilka. 

To a question on tax holiday in border districts of Punjab on the pattern of hill states, the Finance Minister maintained that at present there was no such proposal. He added that to improve the health services in rural areas, 1,200 doctors and paramedical staff would be recruited shortly. 

Abohar, October 1
A unique social awareness campaign against female foeticide was launched as part of a seminar on the media’s role against this evil held here today. The seminar was organised by Pragtisheel Patarkar Manch and was sponsored by Dhiraj Trikha Memorial foundations.

As part of the seminar, three journalists — Mr Jagwinder Patial of Star News, Mr Ramesh Kathuria of Amar ujala and Mr Rajesh Sachdeva of Tasveer — were honoured for their relentless crusade against this evil. The award consisted of cash awards and mementos. 

Mr R.K. Khullar, a senior bureaucrat from Haryana, Prof Harbans Singh, Editor of Daily Jansandesh, Mr Tara Singh Ahuja, a philanthropist, Dr G.R. Garg, Dr P.K. Mittal and Mr Jaskaran Singh, SDM, were the main speakers in the seminar.

Gurdaspur, October 1
The railway police has handed over Pakistan spy Khalid Parvez, who had kidnapped a child from Jammu, to the Punjab Police. The spy was handed over after incriminating evidence regarding his spy activities was collected.

Sources here said the Punjab Police had recovered a camera that was being used by the spy. It also seized photographs of Army installations in the Jammu and Pathankot areas which were allegedly clicked by the spy to supply these to the Pakistan authorities.

The sources said the spy was using e-mail to send information regarding Army movements to Pakistan.

The SSP, Gurdaspur, Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, admitted that the spy had been handed over to them by the railway police. He said on the basis of the evidence collected recently, a local court had remanded the spy in police custody for seven days.

The inquiry into the case has been handed over to the SHO (City), Gurdaspur, Mr Sulakhan Singh.

Kalid Parvez stayed in India illegally after he came to see a cricket match in Mohali last year. Thereafter, he allegedly stayed in Ludhiana before moving to Jammu.

At Jammu he stayed as a tenant in the house of a constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Initially, he kept getting money for sustaining himself here from a Pakistan agent. However, for the past few months he did not get any money. Desperate, he kidnapped a three-year-old child of the constable in whose house he was staying.

He came with the child to Pathankot and demanded Rs 2.5 lakh as ransom. The parents of the child came to Pathankot tracing the telephone calls. Here they fortunately noticed the kidnapper of their child on the railway station and nabbed him with the help of the railway police.

The railway police and the Punjab Police clashed over the custody of the spy. Later, following the intervention of senior officers of both forces, it was declared that a joint investigation would be held in the case. The FIR against the alleged kidnapper was registered by the railway police.

However, now the Punjab Police will register a fresh FIR in the case.

Nawanshahr, October 1
Departments of Economics and Commerce of Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur (Nawanshahr) organised a two-day UGC sponsored national seminar on “Second Generation Economic Reforms in India: Prospects and challenge”. experts from the north India participated in it. Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairperson, Punjab State Planning Board inaugurated the seminar yesterday.

She stressed the need of improving infrastructure, accelerating growth of agriculture, strengthening social sector especially education and health, expediting labour reforms for results from economic reforms, to maintain high growth rate and sustain it. She was optimistic about the outcome of reforms.

Vice-Chairman of the Punjab State Planning Board, and Chairman, College Managing Committee Padam Shree, Dr S.S. Johl talked of the limitations of these reforms, particularly in education and health. He lamented education system in rural areas had collapsed and health infrastructure grossly under utilized.

About 50 participants from universities of north India and colleges attended the seminar. About 30 papers were presented on the first day. First technical session was chaired by Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar. In her paper Dr (Mrs) Rajesh Gill, Prof. of Sociology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, pointed out that, there was wide gap between picture presented in official publications and ground realities in respect of education in Punjab. Total 16 papers were presented in the first technical session.

Dr. R.S. Bawa in his presidential remarks suggested school education should be handed over to the NGOs and responsible educational societies to improve the education at scenario in Punjab.

Second technical session was chaired by Dr A.S. Sidhu, Head Department of Commerce and Business Management, Guru Nanak University, Amritsar. In their paper Dr R.S. Bawa and Dr P.S. Raikhy wanted job-oriented growth and humane reform process, protection of small scale sector by availing all WTO consistent instruments and safeguards. Prof Suresh Chadda of the University Business School, P.U. Chandigarh raised cross cultural issues under globalisation where India was emerging a major player. The cultural values in India were moving from joint to nuclear form, catering to trend in the world, he pointed out. Total 14 papers were presented in this session.

Technical session III was chaired by Dr Parminder Singh, Department of Economics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Total 20 research papers were presented in this session on financial, industrial and external sector reforms.

Industrialist and educationist Ranjodh Singh was the chief guest of the morning session. On the basis of his experiences of multiplying exports in past two or three years he observed that India had lagged behind China in terms of growth and highlighted that India had potential for growth, but it needed to be utilised in better way.

In his concluding remarks, Dr S.S. Johl suggested that India should check indiscipline, corruption and lack of accountability, for becoming a developed state. Dr Johl advised the researchers to identify target audience and try to influence the policy maker otherwise the exercise remains academic.

Bathinda, October 1
Hundreds of activists of the Veterinary Pharmacists Union, Punjab, blocked traffic near the bus stand for around 3 hours here today.

However, the police desisted from using force despite a strong provocation from the protesters. A large number of veterinary pharmacists gathered in front of the bus stand around 2.30 pm and blocked traffic to lodge protest against the non-fulfillment of their demands.

While traffic on the GT Road remained unaffected as a majority of vehicles were diverted to other roads from Hanuman Chowk and mini secretariat, the buses parked at the bus stand got stuck. Commuters, who had boarded these buses, helplessly watched the agitators, who were raising slogans against the government, and the heavy police force, which seemed reluctant to use force.

Naseeb Kaur from Sirsa said: “We are suffering for no fault of ours.” Another commuter Gursev Singh said: “They should have gheraoed either a top government official or a minister instead of illegally confining innocent people at the bus stand.”

The pharmacists were adamant on their stand that they would hand over their memorandum of demands only to Punjab Health Minister Surinder Singla.

Congress leaders Ashok Kumar and Tehal Singh Sandhu also tried to pacify them, but in vain.

The ADC, along with the GA and the tehsildar, arrived at the protest scene around 5 pm and asked the union leaders to give their memorandum to the district administration, as the minister was not in the city.

However, the leaders decided not to give it to any administration official and lifted the blockade in “people’s interest”. They also announced that Mr Singla would be gheraoed at all functions that he would attend in the district and would not be allowed to speak.

The protesters were demanding filling up of vacant posts of pharmacists in 1,362 veterinary hospitals and 1,478 veterinary dispensaries in the state. Their other demands included renaming of their designation as veterinary and livestock inspector, continuation of diploma in veterinary sciences at GADVASU, and generation of promotional avenues for them.

Ludhiana, October 1
Twentyfour newly appointed rural pharmacists, including girls, who were staging a dharna, demanding regularisation of their services, and better emoluments, were arrested following a scuffle with the police.

Three persons were injured in the fight that started when the police forced the protesters to leave the place as they were raising slogans against the Punjab Government and Health Minister Surinder Singla and caused traffic jam at Bharat Nagar Chowk on the Ludhiana-Ferozepore road here.

Earlier, the protesters held a demonstration at the venue of the blood donation camp which was to be inaugurated by Mr Singla. When they came to know that the minister’s visit had been cancelled, they rushed to Bharat Nagar Chowk and sat on dharna there.

Amritsar, October 1
Even as the Shiromani Akali Dal supremo, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, has convened a meeting of SGPC members, MLAs, district jathedars and senior Akali leaders of Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts to chalk out a programme on the birth centenary of Baba Budha here tomorrow, he might use the occasion to get feedback on the performance of the SGPC.

It is learnt that Mr Badal would meet the SGPC members separately so that administration of the Shiromani committee could be toned up well before the forthcoming general election of the Assembly. 

Initially, mediapersons were invited to attend the press conference of Mr Badal at 10 am at Bhai Gurdas Hall tomorrow, but later they sent a message that he (Mr Badal) won’t address the press meet. Instead, Mr Badal would like to hold the closed-meeting of SAD leaders, including Shiromani committee members of this region only. 

The annual elections of the SGPC chief and other office-bearers have to be held by next month. Last year, Mr Avtar Singh emerged as dark horse since he was considered “non-controversial”. However, he embroiled himself in the web of controversies after occupying the post. So much so, differences cropped up between the SGPC chief and Sikh clergy when the selection of three granthis was declared null and void by the latter.