Jalandhar, October 8
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday revealed that the state government would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on October 9 for exploring the viability to launch metro rail project in the districts of Amritsar and Ludhiana.

Chairman of DMRC will come to Chandigarh tomorrow to sign the MoU to explore viability of metro rail in Amritsar and Ludhiana and after we get their report the project will be initiated, Badal told reporters here today.

Badal reiterated that Punjab would be made a power surplus state in the years to come and today itself a meeting was held in Delhi to initiate a power purchase agreement with a private company, which was installing a power plant at Kandla port in Gujarat. Power secretary and chairman of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has already visited the site at Kandla and if finalised the state will get 2000 MW of power, he added.

The CM revealed that formalities for initiating work on proposed international airport at Mohali was in final state and state government would also take up its demand of setting up an international airport at Ludhiana.

Badal said the state government has planned to set up an aviation university in the state to impart training for pilot as well as of other crew members of the aviation industry. An advertisement in this regard has already been published and some of the foreign companies have shown keen interest for setting up of aviation university in the state, he added.

Meanwhile, in an attempt to put water on the fire ignited by the statement of Balbir Punj, who threatened to boycott the cabinet meeting if proposed hike in the power tariff was not rolled back, Badal preferred to keep mum on the issue and said the ruling alliance partners were having very strong relationship and it will continue to be the same. When specifically asked about his reaction on the statement of Punj, who claimed that there was no smooth relations between the ruling alliance, the CM said, “I don’t know why Punj has given such a statement, but as far as relations of SAD-BJP is concerned, it is strong and continue to be same always.”

On the BJP’s allegation that it was not taken into confidence before taking decision on power hike, Badal said it was not the government which hiked the tariff. The decision was that of state electricity regularity authority, which was informed to the cabinet, he added. “It’s a routine matter. The authority takes decision of power hike and on an average there is increase of 8.5 per cent in the tariff. The time too, the same was recommended by the authority,” said the CM.

Asked, whether the government would roll back the proposed due to pressured mounted by the alliance partner BJP, Badal remained non-committal and said if anybody has objection, he may challenge the decision of authority in the court of law. Moreover, it is internal issue of ruling alliance and I will not comment on it publically,” he added. — PTI 

Phagwara, October 8
Though social organisations were being inspired by the people and the government to participate in philanthropic activities, but in a surprising decision the Railway Board has banned all kinds of free drinking water facilities on the railway stations. Provision of free water facilities to the needy passengers, it seems, did not fit in the agenda of some railway contractors and officials. Thousands of indigent commuters would now be deprived of free cold drinking water, served by social organisations and would be forced to purchase drinking water or other soft drinks.

A circular of railway board vide 98/TGI/1/Policy, a copy of which is in The Tribune’s possession, was sent to all divisional railway offices and after getting the instructions of the Railway Board, senior divisional railway commercial managers have sent circulars to all the concerned railway stations. Sr DCM Barjesh Dharmani of the Firozepur division has sent the circular vide 79-RD/Drinking Water/Policy, dated 6 July, 2007 to the railway station superintendents of Phagwara and Batala stations, in which it was clearly mentioned that “Water vending by charity organisations within railway stations is not required, accordingly, the zonal railways has been directed not to permit any such installations at railway platforms and station buildings. The compliance to those aspects may be advised immediately.” Strangely this was the only reason that the circular gave for the discontinuation of free water facilities.

Interestingly, senior railway officials like divisional commercial manager Kuldip Singh and Phagwara station superintendent Bhushan Nandwani themselves attended a function of the concluding ceremony of "Jal Sewa" by Janta Jal Sewa Samiti at the Phagwara railway station yesterday. The function was also attended by the chairperson of the National Safai Karamchari Commission Santosh Chaudhry and noted philanthropist and industrialist Gurdip Singh of GNA. When questioned regarding the issue, Chaudhary assured to take up the matter with Railway Minister Lalu Parshad Yadav. Almost all divisional railway managers of the Firozepur division besides prominants including Vijay Chopra attended the functions of Janta Jal Sewa Samiti, which was serving free cold drinking water to railway passengers at the Phagwara Railway Station for the last 21 years, whereas earlier, activists of Manav Sewa Sangh led by Ramesh Matta started free drinking water sewa in 1976. Now samiti President Vipin Khurana and nagar council president Malkiat Singh Ragbotra have knocked the doors of railway board chairman, Union Railway Minister, DRM Firozepur division and Sr DCM to allow the samiti to provide free drinking water to railway passengers.

It is pertinent to mention here that activists of Janta Jal Sewa Samiti served cold drinking water to railway passengers in the summer season and milk, bread, medicines and fruits to poor patients of civil hospital in winters.

Hoshiarpur, October 8
The increasing traffic problem in the district has assumed an alarming proportion. The time has come for the social and religious heads to join hands and appeal to the public to take precautionary steps to avoid road accidents. This was stated in a joint press release issued by an NGO, Human Empowerment League (HEL), Punjab, here on Monday.

“According to the information collected by the HEL, under Right to Information Act, 2005 from the SSP, Hoshiarpur, in the last 15 months, atleast 18 persons were killed on an average every 30 days in various road mishaps in the district,” said NGO activists Gurvir Singh, Balwinder Singh Manolia, Talwinder Singh Heer and Parwinder Singh Kitna.

The information further revealed that out of the total 275 persons killed between April 1, 2006 and June 30,2007, four cases were reported in the jurisdiction of City police station, 24 in Model Town, 35 in Sadar, 5 in Mehtiana, 14 in Bulhowal, 9 in Hariana, 35 in Tanda, 10 in Hajipur, 22 in Mahilpur and 36 in Garhshankar police station.

The data also disclosed that the identity of nine deceased was yet to be established. The storage of unidentifiable bodies pose another challenge, claimed the NGO.

In the 73 cases, persons responsible for the accidents disappeared from the spot. The government has provision for compensation to the kin of victims. However, due to lack of awareness, people do not come forward to file a case for government aid. The NGO members said the government was spending crores of rupees to propagate prevention measures from dreaded diseases like AIDS annually, but nothing much is done for making people aware about traffic rules, despite the number of deaths quite high in road accidents. “In the end, it is left to some traffic constables to tackle the problem,” they added.

Hoshiarpur, October 8
To encounter the opposition by the local vendors, vegetable sellers, rehriwalas, and rickshawpullers, migrant labourers under the banner of the Punjab Nirman Mazdoor Union and Dehati Mazdoor Union, led by their presidents Comrade Ganga Parshad and Comrade Piara Singh Parkha, respectively, took out a protest march from civil hospital to SDM office at Dasuya, 40 km from here on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, Ganga Parshad and Parkha claimed that local fruit sellers, rehriwalas and rickshaw pullers were leveling wrong allegations against the migrant labourers that the latter were eating into their livelihood. Stating that migrants were worried about their daily bread and winner, they urged the district administration to make necessary arrangements to ensure their welfare. Later, they presented a memorandum to the SDM in this regard. Notably, local labourers are up in arms against their migrant counterparts, who are being accused of poaching into formers’ work territory by offering lower labour rates.

Area MLA Amarjit Singh Sahi while talking to The Tribune said he had asked the SDM and DSP to constitute a committee consisting of 5 members each from both the parties and find some amicable solution to the problem. — OC 

Jalandhar, October 8
Work in the district courts was adversely affected on Monday as the District Bar Association (DBA) observed ‘no work day’ to protest against the `fake’ implication of some lawyers in the City Centre scam. A former president of Punjab and Haryana Bar Council Navtej Singh Toor and DBA chief Narinder Singh demanded that the cases filed against some lawyers in this regard should be immediately withdrawn.

DBA apprises mayor of problems Jalandhar, October 8 The representatives of the district bar association, including president Narinder Singh and senior vice-president Ashok Sharma, apprised mayor Rakesh Rathod of the sanitation and parking problems being faced by the city lawyers at the district courts complex. Rathod had visited the district bar association office on Monday. He assured the lawyers of better parking facilities. The lawyers had earlier appealed for the better provision of roads around the district courts complex. — TNS

Earlier, in the meeting of the executive committee of DBA, the Parkash Singh Badal led SAD-BJP government was flayed for arresting a former Additional Advocate General Harpreet Sandhu. The city advocates said “A lawyer advises his clients as per his professional duties and has no role in the dealings of his clients,” the city advocates said.

“The advice given in a professional capacity does not call for the arrest of the advocate in any manner whatsoever,” they added.