Nawanshahr, April 5
Students of the local ITI today boycotted classes and raised slogans against the visiting officials of Bathinda Refinery and virtually sent them back without letting them inspect the ITI.

State PSU leader Karam Sekha said this in a press note issued here on Friday.

Terming the recent statement of Bikram Singh Khalsa, chief parliament secretary, department of technical education and industrial training, in which he had stated that the state government had not been privatising any ITI in the state as “misleading,” the PSU leader said the public-private participation (PPP) scheme was actually a step towards privatisation.

Jaswant Singh, principal, ITI, when contacted on phone, said the visit of officials from the Bathinda Refinery had nothing to do with the policy of privatisation.

“The local ITI has been brought under the centre of excellence (CoE) scheme under chemical sector. The youth would be imparted training as per the specific requirements of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry here. This scheme would not only impart training to youth to enable them to tap the growing employment avenues in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry but also provide the skilled labour force to the industry.

The purpose of the visit of the officials from the Bathinda Refinery was to take stock of the infrastructure facilities, training facilities and above all placement of the skilled work force. Though the officials tried to persuade the students to listen to them patiently but they just created a huge chaos there,” he lamented.

“Even, the students have been trying to cause obstruction in the site survey being conducted by an architecture agency for preparing the design of the proposed building of the CoE. But, they were made aware that the agency was hired by the state government to prepare the design of the building for upgrading the ITI to CoE,” the principal said.

Jalandhar, April 5
A month after a local advocate filed an application under the Right to Information Act to the district revenue officer-cum-state assistant public information officer to know the status of the facilities being provided to the 1984 riot victims and much more, he has not been provided the required information. Instead he has been given an incomplete reply.

Advocate Manmohan Saluja has been working as a crusader for the relief of the victims ever since the riots occurred in November, 1984.

Saluja had approached the state assistant public information commissioner to know about the detail of facilities, pertaining to rehabilitation of Sikhs who migrated to the state after 1984 riots, which have been withdrawn by the government since 1986, and the copy of order regarding the change of name of head of the family in “Red” card in case of death or otherwise.

He also sought to know about the copy of order regarding inclusion of name of children of Sikh migrants in “Red” card, along with the procedure being adopted by the district administration as well as the detailed information regarding the implementation of rehabilitation package of the Prime Minister for the migrants. Saluja had filed the application on February 13. Although the authorities concerned replied within one month on March 3, the information provided was not what he had asked for.

While the applicant wanted to know the facilities withdrawn by the government in the relief package, the state assistant public information officer gave information about the relief and resettlement of Sikh migrants so far. Even the information regarding the implementation of the Nanavati commission report was incomplete.

“This is in violation of the RTI Act. Through this attempt I wanted to know the loopholes in various facilities being provided to the victims by the district administration,” said the advocate. Saluja said he would now file the case once again and in case the authorities failed to provide the required information, he would file a case with the chief information commissioner.

When contacted, state assistant public information officer Bhupinderjit Singh said, “If the applicant is not satisfied with the reply, he can file an application again and get the required information from us.”

Jalandhar, April 5
All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) chairman Maninderjit Singh Bitta has said the problem of trans-border terrorism with Pakistan could only be solved through third party mediation.

He stressed the need for involvement of international community in talks between two nations since several rounds of bilateral parleys had failed to throw up any solution.

Talking to media persons here today, Bitta said instead of smoking the peace pipe with the newly-elected government India should involve the United Nations or countries like UK and USA in the talks. "If Pakistan does not make sincere efforts in curbing the cross border terrorism, our government should make efforts to get it labelled as a terrorist state," he asserted.

Before resuming the talks, India should take a firm commitment from Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism and shutdown the terrorist training camps operating on their soil. “In addition to this, we should seek the repatriation of those terrorists who were responsible for terror-related activities here,” he added.

He further said with a new pro-India government in place, the time was also right to seek the return of the '71 war prisoners.

Bitta apprehended that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) would play spoilsport and could exert pressure on their government to maintain the status quo. Their activities would receive a jolt if peace talks with India reach a logical conclusion, he pointed out.

Commenting on government sponsored welfare for terrorism-hit families, including civilians, paramilitary forces and defence personnel, the former Youth Congress chief said instead of paying the one-time compensation to the victims' family, the government should take the responsibility for their rehabilitation.

“I am filing a PIL in the Delhi High Court for providing free education with employment to the wards of those who fell victim to terrorists' bullets all over the country. He said a separate department is required to deal with such cases.

He also urged the Pakistan government to commute the death sentence awarded to Sarabjit Singh, who had been in Pakistan jail for the last 18 years. 

Jalandhar, April 5
Revolutionary thinker Baba Gurbax Singh Bannuana, who brought significant changes in the field of journalism with his work in various newspapers of the state, died of cancer here on Friday. He was 80. He was a trustee of the Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall (DBYH) Committee.

The mortal remains of Bannuana were brought to the DBYH where the trustees paid their respects to the departed soul. He was cremated at the Model Town cremation grounds. Born in 1928 in Hafisabad, Pakistan, the veteran journalist was an equally successful writer, critic and a social reformer. He started his career as a journalist with Urdu newspaper “Prabhat Patrika” in the early 1950s. — TNS