Amritsar, June 24
The government has sounded high alert in the state following rail roko call, given by the Damdami Taksal, the SAD (Amritsar) and certain radical Sikh organisations tomorrow in protest against the killing of a youth by a bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief in Mumbai. Leaders of various Sikh outfits have gone underground, fearing crackdown by the police.

However, radical Sikh organisations, including the Khalra Mission Committee, have urged Sikhs to maintain peace during the bandh.

Dal Khalsa general secretary Kanwarpal Singh said the Sikhs should not annoy common man by damaging the public property during dharnas against Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

SAD(A) general secretary Ram Singh said his party would also resort to rail roko at its own level.

On the other hand, the Khalsa Action Committee announced that only arrest of the Dera head would pacify the Sikhs. Taking a jibe at the SGPC president's call for a judicial probe into the murder of Balkar Singh at the hands of the guards of the Dera chief in Mumbai, the committee said nothing less than the arrest of the Dera chief would pacify the Sikhs.

In a joint statement, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Kanwar Pal Singh and Manjit Singh Calcutta said such unreasonable statements of a person holding high post would further confound the issue and delay justice. There was no need to muddle the issue at this crucial stage, they advised Jathedar Avtar Singh. They demanded a case under Section 302, IPC, be lodged against the Dera chief for conspiring in the killing of Balkar Singh.

On the provocative statement of Shiv Sena head Bal Thackeray that if Marathas rose there will be a big disaster for Sikhs, the office-bearers of the KAC said without understanding the genesis of the problem and without realising the concern of the Sikhs, Thackeray had gone overboard. "Thackeray and others should take the pain and agony of the Sikhs into account before dubbing them 'trouble-makers'. However, they clarified Sikhs were committed to peace and harmony wherever they reside.

Meanwhile, the Sikh Nation Organisation also flayed the statement of the SGPC president in demanding a judicial probe into the killing which they described as meaningless “delaying tactic”.

President of the organisation Manjit Singh Randhawa called for complete revamping of the SGPC. 

Chandigarh, June 24
The stste government today ordered withdrawal of security cover provided to former Punjab DGP S.S Virkand his family, reportedly on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s directive. Senior Punjab Police officials, however, were evasive and said, “It was a routine security review following Virk’s repatriation to Maharashtra”.

“Early in the morning the boys were asked to report back, by the evening all of them left, leaving the family exposed,” Virk’s son Pradeep told The Tribune. Virk had around 23 security personnel when he stepped down as DGP after the SAD-BJP alliance came to power. Within days, 12 highly trained Punjab Police commandos were withdrawn, leaving 11 of Virk’s otherwise trusted men behind.

Without any intimation to the Virks, today all 11 remaining security personnel were asked to return to their formations. Out of these 11 men, some have been with Virk since his CRPF days and were inducted into the Punjab Police from the CRPF. According to rules, after a DGP retires or steps down, for two years there is no change in the security cover provided to him. Several former DGPs, including D.S Mangat, K.P.S Gill, P.C Dogra, Sarabjit Singh, M.S Bhullar and A.A Siddiqui have retained their security cover.

Virk, an ace in counter-insurgency operation, is one of the most threatened cops in the country, on a par with K.P.S Gill, on account of being on the forefront of war against terror. He is credited with implementing the Cat Operations envisaged by Julio Ribeiro and K.P.S Gill. He escaped death when he was shot in the jaw just before Operation Black Thunder in 1988 in the Golden Temple complex while gathering information about the fortification of the complex. He has brought many militants back into the mainstream and continues to be on the hit list of the extremists’ throughout his police career.

“It is strange the security of only one of the many DGPs was withdrawn in a matter of days of his stepping down and the withdrawal became complete in less than two years, violating all prevailing norms”, Pradeep said. When The Tribune visited Virks’ house in the evening, there were no security personnel to perform the customary checking. The family said all security personnel had been provided accommodation in the house itself as the personnel were trusted and had become part of the family over the years.

Critical of the some Punjab Police officers, who are believed to have played a “yes master” role, Pradeep said, “Some of them who have not played an iota of role in fighting militancy are enjoying more security cover than authorised, while our security has been withdrawn merely out of vendetta”. 

Inquiry Against VC
GND varsity senator calls for special session
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 24
Member of the Finance Committee and third-time senator of Guru Nanak Dev University M.M. Singh Cheema has demanded the convening of a special session of the university senate to discuss the latest rumblings about the inquiry ordered by the state government against the vice-chancellor.

PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has also deputed Cheema to meet the Governor, who is also the chancellor of the varsity. Cheema also objected to the inquiry being conducted by B.C. Gupta, principal secretary (Home, and Karamjeet Singh, DPI(Colleges).

He has urged Governor Gen S.F. Rodrigues to have a thorough probe into the allegations levelled against the VC. He also demanded that strict action should be taken against mischief mongers.

Supporting the stand of the VC that the state government had no right to order an inquiry on the plea that amounted to erode the autonomy of the institution, Cheema said the VC was appointed by the chancellor under Section 10(1) of the GND University, Amritsar, Act. He said terms and conditions of appointment of the VC were defined in the Act and only the chancellor of the university could order any such inquiry.

Cheema alleged that earlier interference by the state government had delayed the election of three syndicate members of the senate for more than eight months and had caused delay in the highest policy making body of the university. 

Mohali, June 24
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the fresh case of corruption against former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was not the result of a ‘friendly match’ between PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and the SAD.

Badal was talking to media persons after inaugurating an animation institute here today. “Amarinder has only himself to blame for Congress infighting and between Amarinder and Bhattal,” he said.

On the BJP and the Akalis fighting municipal elections against each other in many areas, Badal said, “Both the parties are unhappy. We have tried our best but at some places we have been unable to have an arrangement. It happens. There can be different viewpoints,” he said. BJP minister Manoranjan Kalia who was accompanying the Chief Minister added they were watching the situation and wherever possible a joint arrangement for elections was being considered.

On recent shooting incident in which one Sikh was killed and many others injured in Mumbai Badal termed these happenings as tragic and most unfortunate. “We have sent a delegation to Mumbai and the situation would be sorted out,” he said. Making an appeal, the Chief Minister urged all sections of society to maintain peace, communal harmony and brotherhood at all costs.

Badal blamed the UPA government for unprecedented inflation that had crossed 11.05 per cent. He said the Centre' was not concerned about the common man ‘Aam Admi’ crushed under the burden of price rise.

“ The Centre is accountable for exorbitant price hike and can not shun its responsibility to control the price rise because it was at the helm in framing economic policies.

On the education front, Badal reiterated the government's commitment to impart quality education to the students in the rural areas. He said the state government had planned week- long districtwise programme starting from today to provide career counselling to the students especially who have passed matriculation in first division to enable them to choose subjects according to aptitude and calibre.

Chandigarh, June 24
Six Congress MLAs have condemned the SAD-BJP government for what they call “vilification and character assassination campaign launched against former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in the garb of false, frivolous and politically motivated cases registered against him”.

The legislators include Sunil Jakhar, Rana K.P. Singh, Kanwarjit Singh Brar, O.P. Soni, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Sukhpal Singh Khaira. All six jointly stated that the SAD-BJP government, having failed to find anything against Amarinder in the Ludhiana City Centre case, was now using the police to settle political scores with vendetta.

“Not satisfied with registering false cases against Congress leaders and workers across the state, the government seems to have initiated a new round of repression by attacking Amarinder and trying to accuse him of the same thing twice,” they have alleged.

“The six legislators, whose statement has not come as comfort for party president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, have added constitutional and legal norms have been thrown to the winds in Punjab. The way PRI elections have been rigged and booths captured in the recently concluded MC elections of Bathinda, it only reminds us of some medieval monarchy out to teach people a lesson. We are sure this definitely is not a democratic way of functioning,” they said.

The legislators said vice-chancellors, lawyers and journalists had not been spared by the ruling party. They had appealed to the courts and the government of India to take suo motu notice of the grave crises created by what they call “illegal and unconstitutional working of the SAD-BJP government in the state where Dalits have been forced to flee homes due to political repression, people have to place their dead in front of police stations and demand justice. It is not law and order, but anarchy in Punjab”.

“We reiterate on the issue of political vendetta, all Congressmenstand united with Amarinder. We warn the government to withdraw all cases registered mischievously and maliciously against Amarinder,” they have said.

The MLAs have said if the government was serious to curb corruption, matter of disproportionate assets and ill-gotten wealth of both, the Badal family as well as that of Amarinder should be handed over to an independent commission of inquiry, and terms of reference be acquisition of property and wealth by these leaders.

Patiala June 24
Having remained in shambles for years, the historical Baradari gardens here are likely to witness restoration of its lost glory once again, thanks to the efforts of a group of morning walkers, who have joined hands to save what was considered to be the most prestigious spot of Patiala.

The Baradari gardens, set up by the then Manaraja Rajinder Singh, was one of the most cherished green spot of North India till the early eighties. It was primarily known for its rare plants and exotic tree species for decades. The garden was so popular during the seventies that people from all over North India swarmed it to see the rarity of trees and plants and their symmetrical plantation, under the royal patronage.

The negligence on the part of the authorities turned this beautiful garden in to a heap of garbage. The ‘Revive Baradari’ programme initiated by the then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in 2005 proved to be a nonstarter. Instructions issued by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in March to the top authorities to ensure bring the place out of shambles also failed to fetch any positive results.

Fed up with the unresponsive attitude of the authorities, a group of morning walkers have now taken the responsibility to ensure cleanliness of the gardens.

The group has floated, the Patiala Baradari Beautification Society. It has Patiala Division commissioner Dr S. K. Ahluwalia as its patron. Ahluwalia himself is an avid morning walker. The society has a number of prominent senior citizens, businessmen, retired and serving government officials, including, prof Harbans Pathak, H.N. Mehsampuri, Narinder Narula, Ranjit Parkash Bhambri, prof. A.C Puri, Bhupinder Bhullar, Siv Pal Singla, Punjabi University dean Manjit Singh, advocate Surinder Sharma and Puneet Gupta as its members.

Apart from employing four sweepers, the society will plant nearly 500 saplings of ornamental, rare and other trees in the garden.

This is a bid to resurrect the fading sheen of the place. “Morning walkers had been disturbed over the lack of cleanliness of the place and their complaints were fetching no results. So, we have come out with the formation of this society to save the garden from decaying further. We will also solicit help of NGOs apart from seeking help of institutions like banks in raising money for the project. The sweepers would work in two shifts,” said Dr S. K. Ahluwalia while talking to The Tribune.

Chandigarh, June 24
Punjab has registered an impressive annual plan performance of 103 per cent in 2007-08. According to the data collected by the Punjab State Planning Board, the state incurred a plan expenditure of Rs 5,184 crore against an original plan allocation of Rs 5,111 crore that was subsequently revised to Rs 5,050 crore.

Giving details, a spokesperson for the Punjab government stated that against the revised budgetary plan allocation of Rs 3,050 crore, the state had incurred an expenditure of Rs 2,722 crore, which reflects an achievement of 89 per cent. Under the non-budgetary portion of the plan, reflecting capital expenditure incurred by the PSEB, Punjab Infrastructure Development Board and the Rural Development Fund, plan expenditure was Rs 2,462 crore against a revised allocation of Rs 2,000 crore, an achievement of 123 per cent.

Recently, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had expressed concern about different administrative departments in the state not being able to fully access and utilise their due share of the Central funds. The state government gets funds under the Centre-sponsored schemes with different sharing formulae as well as under the central sector schemes that are central grants. The Chief Minister had asked the chief secretary to monitor the performance of different departments in accessing and utilising the central funds.

Chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh has initiated a review of the plan schemes with the administrative secretaries. First of these meetings was held yesterday.

The spokesperson stated that it had been decided during the meeting that priority would be accorded towards releasing all Central grants as well as the state’s share for the centrally-sponsored schemes. Similarly, the Finance Department has been directed to expeditiously release all grants received for Nabard and externally aided projects (such as World Bank and JBIC) along with their matching state share. 

Chandigarh, June 24
There are a few Muslim families in big Sahora village near Kharar, 25 km from here. Salma, a Muslim, and her sister-in-law (wife husband’s brother) were elected panches in recently held panchayat election. Both became members of the panchayat without spending a single penny. Salma and her sister-in-law’s election has debunked the belief that caste plays major role to win elections.

Caste does play a role, but one’s good deeds have a bigger role in victory in elections. Salma has won due to her social work in the village. A woman with courage, Salma from a humble family, has been playing a significant role to transform lives of poor of her village. Salma, virtually a “sultan” in the village, has set up the Mata Raj Kaur Self-help Group there. The group funds villagers making efforts to earn a living .

Salma is not alone. Kanwaljit Kaur, Nirmal Kaur, Jawinder Kaur, Sarbjit Kaur, Manjit Kaur and several other women have formed self-help groups engaged in ridding the village of poverty and making the youth of poor families, self-reliant. Forming self-help groups is catching on in the neighbouring villages like Ghatore, Shahpur, Allapur etc.

On the success of self-help groups, Salma, who visited The Tribune office with Kanwaljit Kaur, Nirmal Kaur and others, says money lenders have been driven out of the village. Even one or two of them (money lenders) were thrashed when they insisted on charging 80 per cent interest.

“In our village, a money lender used to charge interest between 60 per cent and 100 per cent from poor. They used to get gold ornaments and other small valuables mortgaged for advancing money. However, following the setting up of self-help groups, almost all money lenders have become jobless,” says Kanwaljit, another self- help leader. Self-help groups advance money at minimal rate of interest.

“Our lives saw change because Resham Singh, manager of the local branch of Gramin Bank. He helped us set up self-help groups and advanced Rs 21 lakh to 28 self-help groups,” says Kanwaljit.

Resham Singh says 51 self-help groups with membership of 650 have been set up in Sahora and neighbouring villages. “There are 17 self-groups only of the youth indicating their interest in becoming self-reliant,” say Resham Singh. “I advance money equal to the amount saved by members of the group,” says Resham. A self-help group led by Darshan Singh has got 6 acres on rent to grow vegetables and other crops. “I am sure a group having expert hands in growing and selling vegetables will earn good,” says Resham.

Avtar Singh of the Akal Sahai Kisan Club is training youth in organic farming. Sukhwinder Singh of the Shere-Punjab Club of Shahpur village says self-help groups keep youth engaged in small ventures and away from drugs and intoxicants.

With financial help from self-help groups, Gurjant Singh has bought a three-wheeler and Daljit Singh a four-wheeler. Gurmail Singh, who was given Rs 10,000, has become contractor from a daily wage worker.

Bathinda, June 24
Faced with the controversy regarding his continuance as chairman of Markfed, Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi is likely to resign from the post tomorrow. Jassi today said he had decided to resign as it was not possible for him to continue to head Markfed with the SAD-led coalition government in power. He was elected to the post when the Congress government was in power in the state.

However, Congressmen have now started raising fingers at Jassi and other chairpersons who have resigned from their posts when the SAD-BJP government came to power about 15 months ago. Congress activists yesterday accused him of being hand-in-glove with the Badals. Jassi said he had so far not resigned from the post as he was an elected chairman whereas others were nominated ones.

Chandigarh, June 24
The Punjab government may soon find itself defending the Vigilance Bureau’s action of registering a second FIR against state’s former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and others.

As per the available information, the former Chief Minister has decided to challenge the registration of the second corruption case before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Amarinder Singh already has legal immunity and cannot be arrested in the second case, even if the state wants to take him in custody.

In fact, an order passed by Justice Ranjit Singh on the former Chief Minister’s blanket bail plea way back in September 2007, says he, if required to be arrested, would be released on bail to the satisfaction of the arresting officer. The petition is pending on final disposal and is slated to come up for further hearing on July 18. Congress sources say Amarinder Singh’s legal team, including a senior Delhi-based lawyer, has already prepared a petition running into over 100 pages. The petition is likely to be filed in a day or so; and is expected to come up for hearing before a vacation Bench, as the high court opens after the vacations in the first week of July.

Though the exact contents of the petition are not known, the sources say the former Chief Minister is seeking the quashing of the FIR on the grounds of double jeopardy as the allegations in both the cases are identical.

Rather, the second FIR has been carved out for the first case registered in the city centre matter and the allegations were being dealt with by a Ludhiana court. The property alleged to be owned by Amarinder Singh is already mentioned in the first FIR in the alleged city centre scam. The petition claims that the case has been registered in contravention of the judicial process, as an accused cannot be tried on the same charges in two courts.

The petitioner is also laying stress on the contention that Section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Corruption Act should have been added along with Section 7 of the Act, if at all required, in the first FIR.

Chandigarh, June 24
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a serious view of the action of two returning officers in removing the controversial election record pertaining to recently concluded panchayat polls in Punjab.

The court has ordered the state government to register FIRs against them and take action in accordance with the law. The returning officers were posted at Zira and had conducted the elections to gram panchayats of Kamalgarh and Gadriwala villages in Ferozepore district on May 26.

The polling at both the places became the subject matter of writ petitions for alleged irregularities due to which the high court had ordered production of relevant record.

EDUCATION

Better career options for Mukandpur students
Sanjay Bumbroo
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 24
Amardeep Singh Shergill Memorial College (ASSMC), Mukandpur, Nawanshahr district, has introduced a five-year integrated course in MBA and three-year course in MCA from the current academic session.

Stating this here today, principal Atamjit Singh said the courses were being started to provide better career opportunities to students at both national and international levels.

He informed The Tribune that the college, which was established in 1994 and affiliated with Guru Nanak Dev University in 2007, offered five full-time postgraduate courses in Punjabi, economics, commerce, music (vocal) and information technology. He added that the college also offered BA, BCA, BCom and BSc courses in medical, non-medical, economics and computer science. Vocational subjects like functional English, dairy farming, computer application and automobile maintenance are also offered at degree level.

In addition, the college also ran postgraduate diploma in computer application and financial services (banking and insurance), he added.

Singh also stated that keeping in view the deteriorating standard of English among rural youth, an English language lab with Re-Net software imported from Finland had been set up. He said an e-book section had also been set up in the college library, besides providing training to students in dairy farming, home science, child care, music and dress designing.

Patiala, June 24
Satnam Singh Behru, president of the Indian Consortium of Indian Farmers Association, met the DGP, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, and urged him to inquire into the controversial Own Your Tube well (OYT) scheme.

Behru, while talking to TNS, said he had urged the DGP to initiate an enquiry into the alleged nexus between contractors and employees of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), who fleeced people and wanted to use the OYT scheme for their purposes.

He claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had promised that farmers owing at least 5 acres of land would be given priority in tube well connections. He claimed that after the Chief Minister’s announcement, thousands of farmers submitted their applications to the PSEB authorities.

However, later the PSEB withdrew the circular to give priority connections to farmers having five acres of land and instead brought out the new OYT circular in which the farmers were to bear the costs. Under this scheme, 86,000 farmers applied in the OYT scheme by giving Rs 25,000 each as fees.

Later, the PSEB washed its hands of the scheme and handed it over to private contractors. Behru claimed that the PSEB officials entered into a nexus with suppliers and contractors due to which farmers had to buy much more for the OYT scheme.

When the irregularities came to light the consortium members met the PSEB chairman, who formed a committee comprising three senior officers to look into the consortium’s complaint about officials fleecing the farmers.

Behru claimed that the report submitted by the 3-member committee, proved that indeed there was a nexus between officials, suppliers and contractors and that small-land holding farmers were indeed being fleeced.

He further added that they had sent representations to the Chief Minister and the PSEB chairman seeking action against those firms, who were selling electricity appliance meant for tube wells at increased prices. He urged the Chief Minister and the Chairman to black list such firms.

Behru claimed that his consortium would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court if the enquiry was scuttled under political considerations.