J A L A N D H A R

Don’t shirk work, minister tells DEOs
Jalandhar, May 28
Directing the seven district education officers (DEOs) of the region to ensure better public dealing, Punjab education minister Upinderjit Kaur today asked them to stop looking for undue favours from visitors. The minister is said to have made these remarks during a first, closed-door formal meeting at circuit house here with the DEOs of the Doaba and Majha regions that lasted two-and-a-half hours.

Parents of art and craft teachers protest outside the venue of meeting between the Punjab education minister and DEOs. — A Tribune photograph

Govt to revamp ‘defunct’ PR dept, says Majithia Nawanshahr, May 28 The Information and Public Relations Department would be strengthened to make it a better link between the government and the public. Information and public relations minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia was felicitated in Nawanshahr on Monday. — A Tribune photograph

‘Register before June 1 to avail IT exemption’
Amritsar, May 28
Trusts or institutions which have not filed their applications within one year of their creation or establishment may file their applications before June 1 to avail the benefit of waiver of the delay for earlier years.

Insurance firm told to pay 2.75 lakh
Hoshiarpur, May 28
The District Consumer Forum has asked the National Insurance Company (NIC) to pay Rs 2.75 lakh along with 9 per cent interest rate to Datinder Singh, a resident of Kaki village, near Jalandhar, against his claim for stolen car.

Health insurance policy on anvil
Phillaur, May 28
Punjab government is all set to introduce a new health insurance policy. This was stated by Punjab Health System Corporation, managing director, T.R.Sarangal, while talking to newsmen here today.

Two die as jeep smashes into truck
Jalandhar, May 28
Two persons were killed and eight injured when the jeep they were travelling in collided with a stationary truck near Kishangarh village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway here today.

FCI staff threaten stir
Jalandhar, May 28
The Bharatiya Khadya Nigam Karamchari Sangh will launch its protest tomorrow in support of its demands. The protest would be in the form of rallies and dharnas.

Don’t shirk work, minister tells DEOs
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 28
Directing the seven district education officers (DEOs) of the region to ensure better public dealing, Punjab education minister Upinderjit Kaur today asked them to stop looking for undue favours from visitors.

The minister is said to have made these remarks during a first, closed-door formal meeting at circuit house here with the DEOs of the Doaba and Majha regions that lasted two-and-a-half hours.

Sources revealed that the minister told the education officers to give proper hearing to the grievances of principals, teachers, students and parents and help them solve their problems.

“Do not expect any kind of benefits from them. Perform your duties diligently and don’t shirk work,” Kaur reportedly told the DEOs. She emphasised on the need of improving vocational education stream at the class XII level. “All those trades that are in demand must be promoted and adequate staff provided for the same,” she asserted. The DEOs were told to conduct regular inspections in schools. The minister stressed on proper implementation of mid-day meal and Sarb Sikhya Abhiyan schemes.

Later, while talking to media persons, Kaur said promotions of teachers and headmasters would be done within three months. She said the process of making fresh recruitment of 22,000 teachers would start soon.

Regarding poor performance of class VIII government students, she said the schools did not have adequate staff and proper infrastructure.

The minister said the transfers of teachers would begin on June 1. She said the DEOs should transfer teachers at their own level till June 10 and circle education officers should finalise them till June 15. The lists would be passed at directorate level by June 20 and a final decision would come later.

She said handicapped persons, unmarried girls, widows and those suffering from medical problems would not be disturbed.

Among others present included school and higher education secretary K.B.S. Sidhu, DPI (secondary) Jagtar Singh Khattra, DPI (elementary) Harcharanjit Kaur Brar, PSEB adviser Sadhu Singh Dhillon and Nabha CEO Charanjit Kaur Cheema. The meeting was arranged by circle education officer of Jalandhar Harjit Gill.

Parents of art and craft teachers recruited around six months ago too lodged their protest before the minister. They alleged that while their wards had been asked to join, they had not been issued appointment letters. Representatives of various teacher associations too arrived at the venue raising their demands related to promotion and staff vacancies.

Govt to revamp ‘defunct’ PR dept, says Majithia
Our Correspondent

Nawanshahr, May 28
The Information and Public Relations Department would be strengthened to make it a better link between the government and the public.

This was stated by information and public relations minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia while talking to media persons at Gurdwara Singh Sabha here today. The latest IT technology would also be used in this direction, he said. The district unit of the SAD held a function to honour him here.

Majithia said a lot needed to be done to bring in qualitative improvement in the public relations department, as it had virtually been rendered “defunct” by former media adviser B.I.S. Chahal.

The latest information technology would be used to ensure better connectivity with a view to sprucing up functioning of the department, he added.Majithia said Rs 1,280 crore would be spent on providing basic civic amenities like drinking water and sewerage, etc. in the rural areas.

Besides, the village ponds would also be made pucca to ensure better sanitation.

Speaking about the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy, he said due to the objectionable activities of the dera chief sentiments of every religious minded person had been hurt.

Terming it a deep-rooted conspiracy to sabotage social harmony and peaceful atmosphere of the state as well as to destabilise the SAD-BJP government, Majhithia expressed his gratitude to the people of the state for exhibiting restrain and in succeeding to thwart the nefarious designs of some anti-peace forces.

The minister visited Khatkar Kalan, the native village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and paid tributes to the great martyr. Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Hind Suraksha Youth Sangram Democratic Parishad expressed their resentment over the issue of depicting the great martyr as “spiderman” by some unscrupulous elements. The minister assured them that he would bring the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister.

‘Register before June 1 to avail IT exemption’
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 28
Trusts or institutions which have not filed their applications within one year of their creation or establishment may file their applications before June 1 to avail the benefit of waiver of the delay for earlier years. Assistant commissioner of income tax (HQ) in a release said the applications filed on or after June 1 would not entitle the applicant to claim exemption for earlier years.

It is pertinent to mention here that the registration under Section 12A of the Income Tax 1961 is a precondition for availing exemption of income under Sections 11 and 12 of the said Act by a charitable or religious trust or institution. For obtaining such registration, the trust or institution has to make an application in form no 10 A to the commissioner of Income Tax within one year from the date of its creation or establishment.

He said the Finance Act, 2007 has removed the requirement of filing the application within one year of the creation or establishment of the trust or institution.

Insurance firm told to pay 2.75 lakh
Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, May 28
The District Consumer Forum has asked the National Insurance Company (NIC) to pay Rs 2.75 lakh along with 9 per cent interest rate to Datinder Singh, a resident of Kaki village, near Jalandhar, against his claim for stolen car.

The bench, headed by president P.D. Goel, while rejecting the plea of the National Insurance Company for repudiating claim of the complainant, has ordered the company to pay the amount along with the interest from the date of filing of the complaint till realisation and litigation expenses of Rs 1,000 within a month.

In his complaint to the forum, Datinder Singh had stated that he got his Santro car (PB-08-AG-6870) insured for one year after paying a premium of Rs 10,902.

“The car was stolen on the night of June 16 in the year 2002 for which an FIR, under section 379 IPC, was registered at Mukerian police station,” said the complainant.

However, the insurance company refused to settle his claim on the ground that Datinder had sold his car to Rajinder Kumar of Mukerian on May 28, 2002. Therefore, he had no insurable interest on the date of incident.

The forum held that Datinder was entitled to receive the claim from the insurance firm as the incident took place within the policy period.

Health insurance policy on anvil
Our Correspondent

Phillaur, May 28
Punjab government is all set to introduce a new health insurance policy. This was stated by Punjab Health System Corporation, managing director, T.R.Sarangal, while talking to newsmen here today.

He was on his visit to assess the three- day pulse polio drive. Sarangal said though the scheme was prepared in December 2006, but it could not be implemented due to the assembly elections. He said all yellow card holders will get Rs one lakh general health insurance by paying an annual premium of Rs one hundred. He said five members of a yellow card holder can get free medical treatment up to Rs one lakh in a year.

Tragedy On Tarmac
Two die as jeep smashes into truck
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 28
Two persons were killed and eight injured when the jeep they were travelling in collided with a stationary truck near Kishangarh village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway here today.

The deceased were identified as Jagmohan Singh of Mansoorpur village in Mukerian and Harbhajan Singh of Johal village in Tanda.

The injured were admitted to a private hospital in Jalandhar. They have been identified as Jaspal Singh of Naushera Pattan in Gurdaspur, Jagjivan Ram of Sanaura village, and Rachpal Singh, Sarpur Singh and Rajesh Kumar, all of Mukerian, Surender Kumar of Harshi Pattan, Ganesh Gupta of Dalhousie in HP and driver Harjit, alias Goli.

Sources said the jeep was returning to Jalandhar after unloading newspapers in Pathankot.

Near Kishangarh, the vehicle collided with a truck which was parked in the middle of the road. The truck had developed some fault and the driver had gone to fetch a mechanic. As it was raining heavily, the jeep driver could not notice the truck on the road, sources added.

Meanwhile, the bodies were sent for a post-mortem examination. A case has been registered.

FCI staff threaten stir

Jalandhar, May 28
The Bharatiya Khadya Nigam Karamchari Sangh will launch its protest tomorrow in support of its demands. The protest would be in the form of rallies and dharnas.

Stating this in a press statement here today, sangh press secretary Jit Singh Miglani said the protest dharnas and rallies would be held in front of district offices of the FCI.

The demands of the employees include merger of 50 per cent of dearness allowance with the basic salary, wage revision after five years instead of 10 years, stoppage of charge sheets on the basis of work performed 20 to 25 years ago and conduct of elections to the union. — TNS