Chandigarh, February 15
Within days of the Ferozepur police registering a case of cheating against Major Harminder Singh (retd), the woman who alleged that she was cheated, has now levelled allegations that Major Harminder was threatening her and her family.

Swarn Syal, a retired school teacher, today said she had sent her complaint to the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and also to the DGP, in this regard.

In her application she has alleged that Major Harminder, who is a former OSD to the previous Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, was pressurising her.

Swarn says she had entered into a deal to purchase a plot of land from Sukhdev Singh, father of Major Harminder.

She claims to have paid earnest money of Rs 2.50 lakh for the 35-marla plot inside Bansi gate area of Ferozepur. The date for final payment and transfer of property was fixed as March 31, 2006.

Meanwhile, Swarn alleges that she came to know that the said property was being sold off to Tripta Sharma and Varun Sharma on March 3, 2006.

She alleges that Sukhdev while executing the agreement on sale of the land was not the owner of the property but only the general power of attorney holder. The property was owned by Major Harminder.

She says the SSP, Ferozepur, asked the Sadar police station there to register a case and the same was registered on January 30. Swarn says she had gone to appear in court at Tarn Taran on January 29, where she was asked to compromise or face dire consequences. She had then complained to the SSP, Tarn Taran.

Chandigarh, February 15
Alcohol is not the major cause of liver disease which is one of the top ten killer diseases in India causing lakhs of deaths every year.

Instead, impure water is the primary cause of liver disease in India. This coupled with the lack of awareness about vaccination against liver-related diseases is playing havoc with the lives of lakhs of Indians, Dr Roger F. Butterworth from Canada and Dr Gerald Kircheis from Germany, two leading liver disease experts, told The Tribune here today.

However, in certain pockets like Punjab where the consumption of alcohol was rampant, liver-related diseases in a majority of cases could be due to alcohol consumption followed by other causes, they asserted.

In fact, hepatic encephalopathy - alteration of mental functions which occurs due to liver related diseases - was largely to be blamed on impure water in India, particularly in rural areas, Dr Butterworth, director of the Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Montreal, Canada, said.

The irony of the situation was that a majority of deaths on account of liver diseases were preventable with early diagnosis and the administration of the vaccines.

However, on account of lack of awareness about these diseases, a majority of the cases go undiagnosed in the early stages in India leading to several complications, informed Dr Kircheis, physician at the Department of Internal Medicine University, Dusseldorf, Germany.

Dr Kircheis claimed that the "flicker frequency test" was slowly emerging as the standardised diagnostic tool for patients suffering from hepatic encepalopathy the world over. While early diagnosis was important to treat the patient for his better quality of life, there was an urgent need for liver transplants for patients where liver damage was beyond permissible limits, he added.

The doctors highlighted that in earlier stages, the symptoms were those of decreased brain function. Moreover, subtle changes appear in logical thinking, personality and behaviour impairing patients' judgements. Going into coma for the patients was common and untreated hepatic encephalopathy could ultimately cause death, Dr Butterworth warned.

Talking about chronic liver patients, Dr Butterworth said hepatic encephalopathy could be triggered when an acute infection or alcohol increases the liver damage. Certain drugs, particularly sedatives, analgesics and diuretics may also trigger encephalopathy, he said stressing the need for preventive measures.

Chandigarh, February 15
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked vice-chancellors of universities in Punjab to chalk out an action programme to impart education in vocational training to the students along with the routine graduate and postgraduate courses.

Presiding over a meeting to discuss the strategy for “improving the employability of Punjabi youth” in the state here yesterday, he said it was essential to make them either self-employed or gainfully employed in the government or private sectors.

Badal urged the VCs to start job-oriented courses, keeping in view the state government's vision for employment generation targeting 50,000 job opportunities and 25,000 self-employed jobs every year.

He said the students would be awarded certificate or diplomas for these add-on courses. The Chief Minister pointed out that there was a limited scope for government jobs and such courses could easily fill the void created by the non-availability of sufficient jobs in the government sector.

These students could be easily absorbed in the priority private sectors, which have a tremendous scope for skilled youth in hospitality and tourism, aviation, security training, retail, media and entertainment, transport and auto industry, construction, textile industry, production and light engineering and soft skills for all sectors.

The Chief Minister also directed the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University to start short-term courses for the students of class XII at the block level to impart training so that they could undertake private practices as veterinary assistants to earn their livelihood.

Badal asked the finance department to provide Rs 10 crore from the Additional Central Assistance given by the Planning Commission of India for skilled development centres to run these courses after identifying each block from Majha, Malwa and Doaba region.

Badal also asked the authorities of Punjab Agricultural University to start add-on courses for the skilled/ semi-skilled extension workers for agricultural inputs, insecticides/ pesticides/ fertilisers, agricultural implements, marketing, processing, packaging, organic and bio-tech faming.

Faridkot, February 15
The SAD has chalked out an ambitious project to help make the voice of the common man heard in the corridors of power.

President of the SAD Sukhbir Badal laid bare the plan after addressing party workers at Gurdwara Khalsa Diwan here today. He also inaugurated the new building of a sarai of the gurdwara.

He added that the plan would also help in re-establishing and enhancing the waning confidence of party workers. The coordination committees comprising workers of the SAD and BJP would be established in all districts of the state in this regard.

The address was aimed at mobilising party workers for the scheduled “insaaf rally” to be held in Delhi on February 26.

Chairing a meeting of the district-level vigilance and monitoring committee at the Officer’s Club, he directed the district administrative officials to make sure that benefits of social welfare schemes trickle down to the bottom of society. He also inspected the schemes offered by the Ministry of Rural Development.

A delegation of the Mulazam Sangarsh Committee of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital led by its convener Avtar Singh Gill met Sukhbir and apprised him of their demands. The members of the committee had been on relay fast, which entered the 158th day today.

Later, he also addressed party workers at Gurdwara Bibi Kahan Kaur at Moga. However, after speaking to party workers he immediately left the venue without paying obeisance at the gurdwara.

Amritsar, February 15
Twelve passengers, including five women, were injured as a mini-bus overturned near Ashoka School on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road this morning.

Hazura Singh and Jasvir Kaur were among those seriously injured in the accident and were taken to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, along with other injured. Hazura’s condition was critical as he had received serious head and eye injuries.

According to Lakha Singh, who was also travelling in the mini-bus, said the bus was coming from Mahlowal village to Amritsar and the bus overturned after it tried to avoid a head-on collision with a Scorpio and a Maruti car while overtaking a truck.

They said the Scorpio coming from the opposite direction gave a dipper which confused bus driver, making him turn the bus first to the right and then to the left to avoid the collision with the Maruti car. However, the driver could not control it and it overturned. 

Ludhiana, February 15
With drug addiction among youngsters and spurious milk products playing havoc with the lives of many, the state Health Department has started a scheme for awarding informers to expose the illegal activities.

Announcing this here today while launching the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) health scheme, Laxmi Kanta Chawla, health and family welfare minister, Punjab, said special cash awards of Rs 1,100 would be given to the person providing information of a chemist illegally selling drugs. One who provided the information of spurious milk products would get an award of Rs 2,100.

She also announced that 15,800 ASHAs were being appointed in the state under the National Rural Health Mission to ensure the proper implementation of health schemes and eradicate female foeticide and infant mortalities. She presented accreditation letters to 987 newly appointed ASHAs in Ludhiana at Nehru Sidhant Kender here today.

The minister said an ASHA would cater to the population of 1,000 each. He or she would be provided with special medical kits after a short-term training for diagnose and to provide first hand care.

She said the ASHAs would be responsible for implementing various health services and programmes, including registration of pregnancy, to check female foeticide, ensure delivery in government hospitals, immunisation of children, family planning operations, TB treatment, check on sale of drugs/intoxicants, anti-adulteration drive etc. in their respective areas. The activists would ensure the compulsory registration of each pregnant woman. 

Ropar, February 15
The Punjab government has decided to extend senior citizen pension to all males above the age of 65 years and females above 60. This will, however, exclude government employees already getting pension.

Minister for Social Security Swarana Ram gave this information while talking to The Tribune here today. He was here to preside over the district planning board meeting.

He said age would be the only criteria for extending this pension in future. Due to persistent complaints the government has now ordered disbursement of pension by banks. These have also been directed to issue cheque books to physically challenged pension holders so that they are not forced to travel to banks for collecting pensions.

Officials of the Department of Social Security had been directed to take care of girl children left by their parents. Committees have formed under the deputy commissioners to take care of such children.

After presiding over the meeting the minister urged the panchayats to contribute 5 per cent share in implementing various scheme being brought up by the government under the World Bank schemes. Under these, it is mandatory for beneficiaries to contribute 5 per cent towards project costs. Unfortunately, some panchayats are not contributing this amount due to which their villages are bereft of the benefits of new development schemes.

The minister said the amount for constructing toilets in villages is also being increased to Rs 9,000 per unit. Earlier it was Rs 6,200 for below poverty-line families and Rs 5,200 for others.

Deputy commissioner, Ropar, B. Purusartha stated that the Chief Minister had ordered the department concerned to release a grant of Rs 42 crore for a theme park at Chamkaur Sahib. Besides, the national highways authority has also been directed to make the under-construction Chandigarh-Kiratpur Sahib national highway motorable before Holla Mohalla celebrations.

Chandigarh, February 15
“Despite sharing strong bonds of cultural inheritance, India and Pakistan have no official cultural exchange policy, which could serve to strengthen harmony between the two nations,” observed brothers Ustad Badar-uz-Zaman and Qamar-uz-Zaman, both acclaimed Pakistani maestros.

Recipients of the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance in musical arts and the Amir Khusro Award, the musicologists-cum-singers, who were in the city for an NZCC concert, shared their views with The Tribune here today.

Ustad Badar, the elder brother who is more articulate of the two, holds a Masters degree in classical music from PU, Lahore, and has served as director, Punjab Arts Council and the National Council of Arts.

Coming from a rich Sheikh family of cloth merchants, both brothers have no family legacy in music. They were drawn to classical music by the sublime quality of the melodies. A prolific writer, Badar has authored nine books on music, including two translation works in Hindi.

Eulogising the melody and rhythmic patterns of classical music, the Ustad maintained that it aimed at transforming the emotions of pain and suffering into pleasure and peace.

“In Pakistan, mostly non-professionals are made to head cultural organisations, thus limiting the scope for the promotion of classical arts. No significant promotion is forthcoming despite a spurt of TV channels like in India,” lamented Badar.

He observed that while imparting music education, the patriarchs or gurus of musical gharanas had been unfair to deserving pupils and had instead preferred to groom and promote their “incompetent” kins, resulting in the decline of musical standards.

“The Ustads confined their knowledge of nuances to themselves, with the result that frustrated music aspirants turned to the alternative streams of Western or pop music. However, the lack of dedication on the part of today’s youth in classical or ghazal music is also discouraging. We have a few ghazal maestros, while India has only Jagjit Singh,” said Ustad Badar.

He fondly recalled the glorious tradition when the compositions of Ustads and gharanas were given in dowry and the artiste proudly introduced his performance as “Dahej ki bandish”.

Ustad Badar stated that the grandeur of fine arts had suffered a lot in the northern region (including Pakistan) due to frequent tribal attacks over the centuries and later during the English rule. He was candid enough to admit that pristine Indian classical music, too, came under frantic assault in Pakistan as the Ustads ascribing to the fundamentalist view attempted to change the original Braj bhasha or Sanskrit contents of Indian raga compositions.

Gifted with a profound knowledge of Indian musicology and related texts of Vedic scriptures, the two brothers, often labelled as rebels, continue to preserve the serenity and magnificence of Indian music.

They regaled the select audience with compositions in classical, folk and light music at the Punjab Kala Bhawan auditorium in the evening.

Chandigarh, February 15
Just over a year after a police-public clash took place following a land dispute between two gurdwaras, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the presentation of supplementary challan on a petition filed by the Bhadaur Gurdwara Kand Virodhi Action Committee and others.

Taking up the petition, Justice H.S. Bhalla of the High Court also fixed March 23 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

The committee is seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter. Moving the High Court through counsel Navkiran Singh, the petitioners have contended that the crime branch of the Punjab police has made it clear through its action and conduct that it was not keen on conducting a free and fair investigation in the matter as ordered by the court.

The petitioners had earlier added that in spite of fair reinvestigation by SP (crime) R.S. Dhillon, the state of Punjab was getting the matter further reinvestigated “under suspicious circumstances” into two FIRs registered in the matter on October 11, 2006.

It was added that petitioner Buta Singh had sustained gun-shot injury during the police firing, while another petitioner Dara Singh had received sharp-edged injuries on his legs. A DSP, it may be recalled, has already blamed senior Punjab police functionaries of making an attempt to shield favourite officers “found to be involved” in a clash that took place.

In his petition filed before the High Court against ADGP G.D. Pandey, DIG B.K. Uppal, AIG V.Neerja, SP Sukhdev Singh Brar and others, DSP (detective) Baljit Singh has claimed that he was even being pressurised to change his statements made before Patiala’s SP (crime) and an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The clash took place on October 11, 2006 over the demarcation of land between two village gurudwaras. In the police-public clash that lasted for a week, one person was killed and several others sustained serious injuries. 

Chandigarh, February 15
Taking serious note of an alleged custodial death, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed Punjab to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of the victim’s kin.

The directions by the Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia comes in less than a year after Kewal Singh of Bukkanwala vilage in Ferozepore district died under mysterious circumstances at the Central Jail there. The court had earlier taken suo motu comes cognisance of media reports about the incident.

Kewal Singh was arrested in FIR dated April 12, 2007, in an attempt to murder case under Sections 307, 324, 323, 341, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

For looking into the circumstances leading to the incident, Justice Surya Kant, the then administrative judge of Ferozepore sessions division, had sent a message to the sessions judge for conducting an inquiry.

After a report “depicting sorry state of affairs” was received, Justice Rajesh Bindal of the high court had observed: In view of the clear opinion given by the in charge sessions judge, Ferozepore, in the fact finding inquiry, pointing fingers at the jail authorities in torturing deceased Kewal Singh, it is in the interest of justice that appropriate action in the matter is taken”.

Sangrur, February 15
All SDMs of the district were today asked to check noise pollution in their respective subdivisions strictly and initiate legal action against the parties and persons concerned for creating noise pollution after 10 pm.

These instructions were issued by deputy commissioner V.K. Ohri while presiding over a meeting of the District Noise Monitoring Committee. He asked the SDMs to initiate harsh steps to prevent noise pollution in their areas.

Ohri also asked the officers of the Pollution Control Board to initiate steps for checking noise pollution and get cases registered with the police against those violating the rules and instructions.

He urged the SDMs to make liaison with the heads of religious places in their respective subdivisions and ask them to complete their religious activities in a low voice on the loud speakers.

He also asked the officers concerned to check all persons playing songs and making announcements on loud speakers in streets and mohallas without procuring permission from the administration.

The DC also asked the district transport officer (DTO) to initiate necessary action against users of pressure horns and other such horns in the vehicles.

On the occasion, ADC Indu Malhotra told the meeting that instructions to check the noise pollution had already been issued during meetings held earlier, but there was a need to initiate harsh steps by the police in this direction.

Malerkotla, February 15
The Amargarh police has booked a man on the charge of raping his minor step-daughter. The accused is absconding.

Dhuri DSP Swaran Singh said today that Nirmal Singh, a resident of Jalalgarh village, near Amargarh, raped his 14-year-old step-daughter in his house. He said an ultrasound examination of the girl would be conducted on Monday. A case under Sections 376 and 506, IPC, had been registered against Nirmal.

Nirmal, whose wife died about three years ago, remarried Paramjit Kaur. Paramjit already had a daughter from her first marriage. The rape incident took place when the mother was not in the house.