Nawanshahr, September 23
The under-construction Sainik Sadan at nearby Sloh village in the district will provide the convenience of availing of all facilities under one roof to ex-servicemen and their dependent families, but at a cost of “covering more distance.”

The construction work of Sainik Sadan at Sloh village was started in September, 2006. As many as 78 marlas of land at the cost of about Rs 22 lakh was purchased for the purpose. The proposed Sainik Sadan was planned to be constructed in five phases - CSD canteen and office of the district sainik welfare, ECHS clinic, sainik rest house, sainik vocational training academy and defence pension disbursement office( DPDO) and community hall - at a cost of Rs 2 crore.

The directorate of sainik welfare, Punjab, had released a sum of Rs 35 lakh out of the Flag Day fund in shape of loan for carrying out the construction work of the first phase of Sainik Sadan. Though a sum of Rs 57 lakh was already spent on the proposed Sainik Sadan, but the construction work has been lying suspended for more than a year as suddenly a few ex-servicemen organisations started demanding the relocation of Sainik Sadan by raising the issue of distance of the site from the district headquarter.

“The ex-servicemen, especially old, and widows of ex-servicemen would have to face a lot of inconvenience in reaching the proposed Sainik Sadan because of its distance from the bus stand, railway station, district courts, mini-secretariat, etc. The non-availability of transport facility, that too on the link roads, would further add to their problems,” said a few ex-servicemen organisations in support of the relocation of Sainik Sadan in their memorandum.

The demand was virtually endorsed by the local authorities concerned by making a written request to relocate Sainik Sadan at defence land situated near district administrative complex in August, 2007. The Rajya Sainik Board, while reacting to the request had stated that these points should be considered earlier. Besides, the defence land situated near mini-secretariat was owned by the central government and the state government could not undertake construction there. But the fate of Sainik Sadan continued to be uncertain over the issue of distance. Major Yashpal, deputy director, sainik welfare, when contacted, told The Tribune that earlier a case relating to the defence land situated near district administrative complex was lying pending in the Supreme Court. So, keeping in view the convenience of the ex-servicemen and their families, it was decided that Sainik Sadan be constructed somewhere else. But, now the Supreme Court had given its verdict in favour of the army. As the land is situated in the heart of the town and is quite near the district courts, mini-secretariat, etc, it is the most suitable location for Sainik Sadan. Moreover, the HQ 91, Sub Area, in January this year, communicated that the CSD canteen and poly clinic would not be set up at the under-construction building of Sainik Sadan, hence, it is of no use to make further expenditure on the “sinking ship.”

While replying to a query regarding why the army is not willing to set up CSD canteen there when the first phase of the proposed Sainik Sadan is almost complete, Major Yashpal said it appeared that no undertaking was obtained from the army authorities for establishing the CSD canteen in the proposed Sainik Sadan.

“Is it possible that a project worth Rs 2 crore sanctioned by the Rajya Sainik Board was conceived in a hush hush manner?” In answer to this question, Major Yashpal said he could not comment much as no proper record was available in his office. The principal secretary, defence services, Punjab visited the site of Sainik Sadan in June this year in this connection.

Options like disposing off the under-construction Sainik Sadan at a premium of at least 20 per cent of the total investment made on it so that the amount earned thus could be spent on the construction of Sainik Sadan at another place and if it was not possible then the option of modifying the present structure for utilising it as sainik vocational training academy and community hall, etc, was under consideration. Brigadier J.S. Jaswal, former director, sainik welfare, Punjab, when contacted on phone, criticised the move to relocate the Sainik Sadan by just raising the flimsy issue of its distance from the town at this juncture. “The issue of distance was minutely discussed and it was a well-thought-of plan to construct Sainik Sadan at the site,” said the former director while categorically denying that the plan was sanctioned in a hush-hush manner.

The present site of Sainik Sadan is hardly 2 to 3 km from the mini secretariat and is well connected with the link roads. Besides, the present site is free from the traffic congestion of the town. Presently, almost all ex-servicemen or their dependents have their own vehicles, so reaching at the proposed site is not a problem at all, said Brig Jaswal, adding that the plying of minibuses from the town to mini-secretariat was also planned for the convenience of the ex-servicemen.

Presently, the CSD canteen, district sainik welfare office, sainik vocational training academy are situated at different places and that too in the rented buildings at Nawanshahr. With the setting up of Sainik Sadan, all these could not only be housed under one roof for the convenience of the ex-servicemen but also start earning revenue in shape of rent from the army.

Lt-Col Jernail Singh, former vice-president, district sainik board, said it would not be a prudent step to abandon the project at this juncture. By doing so, the ex-servicemen would have to face a lot of inconvenience due to lack of facilities under one roof for several more years.

Jalandhar, September 23
A resident of New Green Model Town here has been accused of keeping a teenage boy in an illegal confinement for the last more than one-and-a-half-year.

In a complaint to the Jalandhar labour department, Shaligram, a rickshawpuller by profession, alleged that the owner of House No 64 of the New Green Model Town, a widow, has kept his son Kishori Lal (12) in illegal confinement from January 2007 onwards. He claimed that Kishori was employed as a domestic help in the house. “Since then, the woman has neither let us meet him nor given any account of his salary,” alleged Shaligram, who claimed that that he had earlier too complained to the police, who allegedly did not pay any heed to him.

The boy’s family fears that Kishori might have been shifted to the house of women’s relatives in Patiala.

Acting on the complaint, a team of labour department, led by labour officer Barinder Jaswal, conducted a raid at the house but were unable to find the boy. The house-owner, who is a retired teacher, was also questioned. The woman said she knows no Kishori Lal.

Jalandhar, September 23
Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker highlighting a serious discrepancy in the MPLAD fund utilisation by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal. Khaira alleged that since the parliamentary elections were due, Atwal had resorted to obtaining political mileage, thereby violated the fund guidelines.

He said Atwal had laid a foundation stone on September 20 to dedicate a road called the Bholath bypass measuring 0.80 km. Actually the road had been constructed and was dedicated to the people on August 30, 1994, by then finance minister Kewal Krishan. The road had been repaired twice earlier and was due for repair for the third time now, he pointed out.

According to Para 1.3 of the MPLAD fund guidelines, “the objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of development nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs to be taken up in their constituencies.”

“I wish to question the Deputy Speaker whether he has created a durable community asset by repairing an old road. Would not the road be repaired again within two-three years,” he questioned.

Secondly, the amount sanctioned by the deputy speaker for the repair of road was Rs 25 lakh while the estimate prepared by the executing agency, PWD (B&R), was Rs 28 lakh.