Amritsar, November 2
A 4000-member jatha of Sikh devotees in four special trains today left for Nanakana Sahib in Pakistan to participate in the 538th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Enthusiastic devotees had lined at Attari railway station in the early hours of the day to board the trains to Lahore en route the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev. The jatha comprised 1700 members sponsored by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), 700 members sponsored by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), 250 from Haryana, 300 from Jammu and Kashmir, 60 from the Sai Mian Mir Foundation, the Nankana Sahib Sikh Yatri Jatha, 490 members from the Vishav Bhai Mardana Yaadgari Kirtan Darbar Society, 160 of Khalsa Panchayat, 66 from Baba Jagtar Singh Kar Sewa Wale and 40 of the Khalra Mission Committee.

Talking to media persons, Mr Savinder Singh said that akhand path would be held on November 3, while the bhog would be held on November 5.

He said during their nine-day stay, the jatha would also visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore, Gurdwara Rori Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and Sri Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Narowal and would return on November 11.

Voicing their serious concern over lack of visa centres both in Amritsar and Lahore, the chairman of the Sai Mian Mir Foundation, Mr Harbhjan Singh Brar, said the daily bus service running between Amritsar, Lahore and Nankana Sahib had virtually become redundant as very few devotees take this bus ride due to stringent safety norms. He suggested that both the governments must allow free access to the Sikh pilgrims to visit their holy shrines in Pakistan.

Ferozepore, November 2
Abysmal is the word that can describe the status of infrastructure in Ferozepore. Things are so bad that this border city can hardly even be compared to any small town in the state what to equate it with other major cities. Even though this city enjoys the status of divisional and a district headquarters it does not even have an administrative complex — the most basic infrastructure in any district of Punjab.

The districts which were carved out the area of Ferozepore have sprawling district administrative complexes. In the city road in some area have vanished, development stopped and there is no system to drain rain water. Due to lack of any major investment the city wears a battered look. Grand old bungalows once owned by the royals and a reminder of the days of the British rule, stand a mute witness to decay. Some of the bungalows — spread across six to eight acres — have also fallen on bad days but still bear testimony to the “high status” the city had a few decades ago.

Ferozepore was one of the most important stations during the British rule. Today it is reduced to no more than a ‘kasba’, rues Mr Shivjit Singh, who has spent a few years in Canada and has returned to do farming. Thankfully a new bridge has been sanctioned to replace the old one connecting Ferozepore cantonment and the city.

Ferozepore does not even have a government postgraduate college while the District Consumer and Redressal Court is functioning from the premises of badminton hall. In the absence of an administrative complex, offices of the divisional commissioner, DIG, deputy commissioner, SSP, SDM, Civil Surgeon, DTO, RTA and DEO, besides the PWD department, Roadways, offices of various grain procurement agencies like Markfed, PUNSUP, PSWC, the FCI are scattered and pose difficulties for people.

Work on the circuit house, the foundation stone of which was laid in April 1995, is held up reportedly due to shortage of funds.

In the absence of any judicial complex, no arrangement exists for advocates and judges. The sessions court is situated on the Mall Road whereas other courts are functioning from the district courts complex on the Jhoke Road. Number of advocates has increased enormously and so have unauthorized kiosks which have mushroomed over the years.

There is only one stadium, — used for all sports, be it athletics, volleyball, handball, hockey, judo, basketball and when all official functions including those on Independence Day and Republic Day are hosted.

The Municipal Committee does not enjoy the best of financial health and lacks resources to provide even the basic amenities. Local MLA, SukhPal Singh ‘Nannu’ says the district had seen nine Deputy Commissioners in the past four and half years less than six months of tenure on an average. He says the MC is to blame for the pathetic condition of the city and the ruling Congress enjoys a majority in it. The sewerage has collapsed and cesspools of slush hinder flow of traffic. Even a light rain inundates the city, particularly the interiors and low-lying areas.

General secretary of the Congress, Parminder Singh ‘Pinki’ says the government has released more Rs 6.80 crore under the Punjab Nirman Scheme and work has started on a war footing. Everything will be done , he adds. Mr Pinki has been entrusted with the task of distributing cheques under the scheme. Divisional Headquarters of the Army and divisional office of the Northern Railways are also located here.

Probably to freedom fighters Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, whose memorial is just 10 km away — need to arouse residents to seek freedom from apathy that hampers development of their city.

Hoshiarpur, November 2
Keeping in view the ongoing controversy over the identification of Dr Ravinder Singh Thind, a surgeon with Government Rural Hospital, Phuglana, who disappeared from duty on October 10 following the arrest of a doctor of the same name of a private hospital at Doraha in a murder case on October 9, Dr Kamaljeet Kaur, Civil Surgeon, Hoshiarpur, has instructed all Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) of the government health institutions in the district to ascertain the genuineness of their respective staff, especially doctors, and paste their photographs in the office record. She had called a special meeting of the SMOs in this regard.

It is a code of practice that neither the photograph of a government employee is pasted on his service book nor it is kept in the office record. The photograph is only pasted on the police verification form, it is learnt.

Talking to this correspondent here today, Dr Kamaljeet Kaur said to ascertain the identification of Dr Thind, she had sent Dr Sardul Singh, District Epidemiologist, to Ludhiana yesterday to locate the residence of Dr Thind at House No. 167-A, Model Town, as the address mentioned in his bank account. Dr Sardul Singh was startled to know that a series of houses did not exist in that locality. Later, he visited to Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, the address mentioned by Dr Thind in his service book. He was told by occupants that the house was belonged to in-laws of Dr Thind and his family was not residing there.

She had instructed the SMO, Phuglana, to scrutinise the entire service record of Dr Thind and submit his report to her. The police was being informed about the factitious addresses of Dr Thind, she added.

Hoshiarpur, November 2
The transporters, who had caught the Hoshiarpur DTO, Mr Chander Gaind, on tape demanding money from them today recorded their statements before the SP (headquarters), Mr Kalia, who had been appointed investigating officer in the case.

The main complainant, Mr Harminder Singh Lally, received support from other transporters of the district. Two more transporters, Mr Paramjit Singh and Mr Kuldeep Singh, had corroborated the charges levelled by Mr Lally against the Hoshiarpur DTO. They had also submitted affidavits before the investigating officers levelling charges of corruption against the DTO.

In his statement before the investigating officer, Mr Lally said he operated a transport company with 15 trucks under the name Lally Freight Carriers. Mr Chander Gaind was appointed as the DTO in the district about two years ago. The DTO contacted him and asked him to give Rs 1,000 per truck per month for plying his trucks smoothly in Hoshiarpur.

Mr Lally’s contention that he had been plying his trucks did not deter the DTO from extorting money from him. About a year ago the DTO increased his demand to Rs 2,000 per month per truck. I refrained from complaining against the DTO as he claimed to have close links with the Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, and the Media Adviser to the Chief Minister, Mr Bharat Inder Singh Chahal.

On October 19, I received a call from the DTO and he demanded Rs 20,000 for a dance party being organised at the Services Club. I again called up the DTO on October 20 and recorded his conversation on tape in which he again demanded Rs 20,000. However, the deal was settled for Rs 15,000. In the taped conversation the DTO stated that he needed money for the Services Club party for which a dance troop from Mumbai was being engaged for Rs 5 lakh.

In the affidavit the transporters had demanded that a FIR be registered against the DTO.

Mr Paramjit Singh and Mr Kuldeep Singh, the other transporters who deposed before the investigating officer, alleged that the DTO demanded Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively, from them for the party at the Services Club. They also corroborated the charges levelled by Mr Lally against the DTO.

The complainants also alleged that the DTO was threatening them and pressuring them to withdraw their complaints. The DTO, who presented himself before the investigating official, took the copies of the complaints filed against him. The SSP, Hoshiarpur, Mr R.N. Dhoke, admitted that the complainants had recorded their statements against the DTO. The police would now try to verify the facts provided in the statements and an enquiry report in the case would be submitted at the earliest.

Chandigarh, November 2
Modifying an earlier order on the allocation of power from its 15 per cent discretionary quota, the Union Government now has completely ignored Punjab. Sources said under the amended order, which is to become effective from tonight, the Centre has made zero per cent allocation of power from the Central pool for the winter season to Punjab.

In the last week of October, the Union Government had allocated 15 per cent power from the Central pool to Punjab from midnight to 10 a.m. and 2 per cent from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. However, amending the October order yesterday, the authorities in the Union Government slashed the allocation of Punjab to zero.

The Centre has a power quota of 1,206 MW that is allocated by it to various northern states during the winter and the summer. The sources said under the new order, the allocation of power to Himachal Pradesh had been raised from 0 per cent to 10 per cent from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 7 per cent from midnight to 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. to midnight. The allocation to Jammu and Kashmir has also been increased. Uttaranchal, which earlier was not allocated power, has been given 5 per cent power from the Central pool from midnight to 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 3 per cent from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Chandigarh, November 2
The Shiromani Akali Dal today demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged division and allotment of 2,870 acres of shamlat land (common village land) among private persons and also the scandal relating to the purchase of substandard imported coal by the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Mr Badal said the two scandals were serious in nature.

These had been first reported in The Tribune in the past 10 days.

In the case of the transfer of shamlat land the CBI and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau are separately looking into the matter.

The land is in Karoran village, adjoining Chandigarh, and is valued at Rs 2,500 crore.

However, the CBI is touching upon only a specific part of the land measuring about 300 acres. About 2,500 acres is not covered under the CBI probe.

Mr Badal said the entire case should be handed over to the CBI. In the case of the coal purchase scandal, the PSEB has stopped payments to the supplier.

Mr Badal said the Political Affairs Committee meeting of the SAD today passed a resolution demanding the CBI probe.

In the case of the City Centre scam in Ludhiana, Mr Badal said the SAD would move court.

The programme of the party to stage dharnas had been postponed for the time being.

Chandigarh, November 2
Following criticism from both within and outside the ruling Congress, the Punjab Government has finally relented and decided to rename the “fateh march” by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, as “vikas yatra”.

While the main Opposition party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, had objected to the naming of the special pre-election cavalcade of the Chief Minister, a group within the Congress prevailed upon him to change the name of the “yatra”. — TNS

Chandigarh, November 2
All offices of the Punjab Government, boards, corporations and educational institutions in Chandigarh and Punjab will remain closed for the second half tomorrow to enable employees to take part in the nagar kirtan procession on the Parkash Utsav of Guru Nanak Dev, a press note of the state government said tonight. — TNS

Amritsar, November 2
The police today arrested Pargat Singh, a close relative of Avtar Singh , a constable in the security of the Inspector-General, PAP, Jalandhar, for attacking Sahib Singh following a scuffle, a couple of days ago .

The youth was admitted to a private hospital in critical condition. The police said Avtar Singh, who had absconded, would be arrested shortly.

However, the IG himself told the police to take strict action against the gunman for attacking the youth.

A large number of people, including BSP activists, assembled here to lodge a protest against the police constable.

However, the SHO (Sadar), Mr Sukhwinder Singh, said the police had registered a case under Section 307, IPC, against the constable and his relative.

The eyewitnesses said the constable and his relative signalled to stop Sahib Singh, a resident of Gumtala and took away the keys of his scooter. After scuffle, the constable and his relative attacked Sahib Singh, who sustained serious head injuries.

Bathinda, November 2
Students and staff of various Talwandi Sabo colleges today gheraoed PRTC buses and blocked their entry and exit points for about an hour in support of their demands. The blockade caused incovenience to the commuters, who had boarded buses to their destinations.

The students and the staff of different colleges and of the Punjabi University campus in Talwandi Sabo alleged that they were reaching their institutions late because the PRTC was not plying its buses on schedule.

They alleged that the corporation was not plying the scheduled number of buses on the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo route between 7.30 am and 8.30 am.

They also charged the corporation with not renewing their bus passes that had expired.

The protesters initially gheraoed the PRTC buses before shutting down the entry and exit gates of the local bus stand.

Subsequently, various buses got delayed by about an hour. On the other hand, the PRTC authorities said a couple of private buses were supposed to leave for Talwandi Sabo in the morning, but they were impounded by the DTO last night.

They claimed that the agitating students and staff used to travel in those buses due to their “low fare”.

They said the protesters were raising hue and cry merely because they were asked to pay “full fare” when they boarded a PRTC bus to Talwandi Sabo.

They said their buses were plying as per the schedule.

The blockade was finally lifted after a police party reached the spot and a compromise was reached between the two parties.

Gurdaspur, November 2
AMIE engineers of the Irrigation Department of the state have threatened to start an agitation in case they are ignored in departmental promotions.

In a press note issued here today, a spokesperson for the AMIE engineers of the Irrigation Department said they had come to know that the government was going to promote diploma engineers on ad hoc basis.

As per the old rules of the department, only AMIE engineers were eligible for promotion as sub-divisional officers. The department later amended the rules making diploma engineers also eligible for promotion. However, they had been demanding that vacant posts of sub-divisional officers that existed before the rules were amended should be filled as per the old rules.

The AMIE engineers had won a case in this regard in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, the department had moved the Supreme Court and the matter was still pending in the court.

“We recently met the Irrigation Minister, Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, to convey our case to her. She assured us that we would not be ignored in case the promotions were done”, the engineers said in the press note.

However, in case the government did not safe guard their interests they would sit on a dharna, the engineers said.