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CM doles out Rs 555 cr for villages, towns
Amarkot (Valtoha), December 22 Launching Shiromani Akali Dal’s first election campaign rally from this remote border village in Valtoha Assembly segment in the Majha belt Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal declared development would be poll plank of the SAD-BJP alliance in Lok Sabha elections. He would interact with the masses to know their views and suggestions for overall progress and prosperity of the state because 'inclusive development' was continuous process and could not be accomplished without their participation. Lashing at the Congress for step-motherly treatment to Punjab, Badal said the control was with Delhi and states had always to look to it even for just demands and grants. He underscored the need of a central plan exclusively for the welfare of un-privileged sections of society besides redefining the central- state relations in the changed scenario and formulating a federal structure to secure state's participation in the national development. The Chief Minister said people of Punjab especially from the border areas had paid a heavy price for bringing peace in the state after militancy in Punjab. He said it was the obligatory on the central government to compensate the people of border areas who had faced the brunt of turmoil and wars with Pakistan. Reacting to resignations of the union home minister and Maharashtra Chief Minister after Mumbai strikes in which more than 200 lives were lost Badal said in any other country the governments there would have resigned on moral grounds. He said the Congress- led UPA government had no right to govern the country. The Chief Minister also distributed Rs 19.77 crore grant cheques, out of which Rs 8.02 crore, Rs 8.50 crore and Rs 3.25 crore was meant for Valtoha, Chabal and Tarn Taran for development schemes in urban and rural sector. He also addressed election rallies in Chabal and Tarn Taran. SAD-BJP nominee from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala said the party would win the elections . Local government and industry minister Manoranjan Kalia, animal husbandry minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Harmeet Singh Sandhu, Dr Dalbir Singh Verka,. Amarpal Singh Bonni, Anil Joshi and Inderbir Singh Bolaria (all MLAs) were among the speakers . Chairman Amritsar Planning Committee Vir Singh Lopoke, and senior leaders and party workers of SAD-BJP and members of the SGPC attended the conference.
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Amarinder ridicules Badal’s yatra
Chandigarh, December 22 In a statement here today, Amarinder remarked Rs 555 crore for 12,329 villages as well as municipal corporations and committees was not even peanuts. "This is cruel joke with people of Punjab, particularly the villagers", the former Chief Minister said adding, quite substantial portion of this amount must have already been shown to be spent on publicity campaign. He pointed out; the amount did not work out to a few lakh per village. “ But I understand Badal's compulsions as he has no money for the state", he said adding revenue collection had dipped and the state did not even have funds for paying salary to employees. Amarinder Singh said, this reflected the level the Badal family had brought the state to. He said while the Badals were getting richer and richer day by day the state was getting poorer and poorer". He maintained the Badal family would have to explain this to people of the state in the f in Lok Sabha elections.
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Badal shown black flags
Tarn Taran, December 22 Workers were protesting against the removal of seven of their colleagues and suspension of 12 others. They alleged their colleagues were sacked and suspended for agitating against the government’s move of privatisation of the
PSEB. Badal rang up and instructed the PSEB chairman to reinstate suspended and sacked employees.
— OC
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Valtoha criticises Chawla in CM’s presence
Addressing a rally at Amarkot near border, Valtoha alleged Chawla had been nurturing her constituency of Amritsar at the cost of Valtoha Assembly segment. ‘Is the constituency of health minister more important than the border villages?, he asked. This is for the second time Valtoha today embarrassed health and family welfare minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla for poor health care in the border area in the Chief Minister’s presence. Earlier, Valtoha raised similar issue in October in the presence of Badal at a religious function at Bhura Kona village, on the occasion of the 75th birth anniversary of late Sant Kartar Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale, the 13th head of the Damdami Taksal. Both Chawla and Valtoha have been nursing grouses against each other since July over the question of registering a case against Khehra Nursing Home, Valtoha ( a confidant of Akali MLA), where illegal aborting of female foetuses was allegedly ‘detected’ in a raid. To a question, Valtoha alleged he had been contacting the SMO for a long time but he avoided meeting him. However, Chawla said it was the duty of MLAs concerned to provide feedback to the government about the working of different departments by visiting them . She alleged though she took action against certain doctors and paramedical staff of Khem Karan and other stations of the border belt , yet no feedback was given to her by Valtoha so far.
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Defining Sehajdhari
Chandigarh, December 22 Affidavit has been submitted in context with the statutory law in enforce. Everyone was free to submit or represent its viewpoint in the case that is before the full bench for adjudication, claim SGPC sources, maintaining that even the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee through its president Paramjit Singh Sarna has become party in the case. The SGPC sources also try to dispel the impression that Punjab advocate-general H S Mattewal was representing the body in the case. “He is our senior counsel but since he had already expressed his opinion on the issue in an article in a newspaper, he has in all fairness asked us to use the services of other counsel,” say these sources maintaining “Pavit Singh Mattewal, a son of H.S. Mattewal, however, wanted to be an intervener in the case like any other lawyer or interested Sikh group to present his or their own opinion in the matter. Besides, there is a battery of lawyers representing different view points in the case.” The SGPC has appealed to all to use restraint asking those keen on the issue to seek intervention in the case as interested parties. It appears not many organisations have gone through the exact contents of the affidavit that prima facie looks well within the broad parameters of the definition given in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. The affidavit given was only in response to a specific query of the court and does not reflect either “any government interference” or “change in the definition”. The definition of “Sehajdhari Sikh” as given in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, says that a person “who performs ceremonies according to Sikh rites; who does not use tobacco or kutha (halal meat) in any form; who is not a Patit; and who can recite Mul Mantra is a “Sehajdhari Sikh”. The SGPC in its affidavit had given this definition and followed it with an explanation saying “Sehajdhari” consists of two words - sehaj - slowly and dhari - to adopt. It is this explanation and the subsequent description that has stirred hornet’s nest. “Hence Sahajdhari Sikhs are those novices who were born in non-Sikh families, and who expressed their desire to adopt Sikhism slowly and gradually, adopt its doctrines, ethics and tenets with belief in Sri Guru Granth Sahib and 10 Gurus. “A Sehajdhari, therefore, is a novice who has entered the path of Sikhism, and he will continue to be so till he or she fully accepts the moral and spiritual vows of Sikhism, to be called a practising Sikh professing Sikhism. Once a Sehajdhari becomes a Keshadhari Sikh, he under no circumstances by cutting, trimming his or her hair, beard, eyebrows in any manner can claim to be a sehajdhari Sikh. Similarly, a Sikh born in a Sikh family cannot claim to be a Sehajdhari Sikh by trimming or cutting his hair, beard or eyebrows in any manner.” This explanation, say the SGPC sources, was given only in the ongoing case and reflects the stand of the body in response to a specific query raised by the court in its order of September 29,2008. HS Mattewal refuses to be drawn into any controversy on the subject maintaining he has “nothing to say as the case is before the full bench and everybody has the right to express his or her opinion in the matter.I humbly submit to all not to sensationalise the issue which is before the full bench. And those who want their opinions to be heard can intervene as interested parties.”
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Diwan, US panel reject definition
Amritsar, December 22 The general house meeting of the
diwan, held under the presidentship of Charanjit Singh Chaddha, said only a kesdhari could be a Sikh. Secretary
(hon) Bhag Singh Ankhi said the diwan would become party in the High Court on the pretext that the provision of Shejdhari could not be accepted by the Sikhs. Similarly, Dr Pritpal Singh, convener of the
AGPC, had also engaged a Chandigarh-based lawyer to file an application in the High Court to challenge the definition submitted by the
SGPC. SGPC member Manjit Singh Calcutta said the shiromani committee failed to take entire Sikh community into confidence before filing the affidavit. Earlier, the DSGMC and Sikh bodies of Kolkata had opposed the affidavit. Calcutta said the definition of a Sikh as enshrined in Gurbani and based on the messages of the Sikh Gurus had already been accepted and approved by the panth and no one had the right or power to amend or change it. Meanwhile, Giani Iqbal Singh, Jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib, said the shiromani committee should not have taken such a decision on this sensitive issue of
Sehajdhari. He said meeting of the Sikh Clergy of Patna Sahib might be called in near future on the issue shortly. The members of the
SGPC, especially GS Lamba, had publicly stated that they were not taken into confidence before filing of the affidavit in the court. He said the definition, finalised by a panel, was different from the one included in the affidavit.
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Inside Babudom
Chandigarh, December 22 The state government, sources reveal, does not want to take
chances and may complete the process of filling all vacant posts in time
before the model code of conduct for the coming general elections comes
into force. Only today, the state notified amended guidelines for the
constitution of the Punjab State Backward Classes Commission. The
amendments have been necessitated to facilitate the appointment of
former SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar as its chairman. Badungar, like
Bibi Jagir Kaur, may have failed to come in place of Avtar Singh in the
last executive committee elections of the SGPC, SAD supremo Parkash
Singh Badal wants to reward him for his loyalty, both to the party and
its leadership. While Badungar is the front-runner in the race to the
post of the head of the commission, the position of secretary of the
commission may go to a retired bureaucrat of the rank of joint secretary
to the state government. The amended guidelines now allow an eminent
person belonging to backward classes or a superannuated bureaucrat of
the rank of principal secretary to the state government to be considered
for heading the commission. Besides, the chairman and the
member-secretary of the commission will have a maximum of six
non-official members. The state is also contemplating setting up other
commissions, including minorities commission, giving minorities,
including Christians and Muslims, due representations on it. Again, the
efforts of the state will aim at balancing nominations among politicians
and superannuated bureaucrats, reveal sources.
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Capt refuses to acknowledge Chatrath authority
Chandigarh, December 22 Amarinder today refused to even address Chatrath by his designation and chose to call him as “one Gopal Kishen Chatrath”. He brushed aside Chatrath’s comments that no one except the Pradesh Congress president or the Congress president could revoke expulsion of party leaders. The “reinduction” of expelled leaders Harjinder Singh Thekadar, Dhanwant Singh and Rajinder Deepa by Amarinder during his recent campaign tour had been objected to by a section of the party, including Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who had claimed this was the prerogative of PPCC president Mohinder Singh Kaypee alone. Chatrath had enlarged on the PPCC view in a statement recently. Reacting to the development today, Amarinder claimed that Chatrath had no position or authority to comment on the decision-making process. He also claimed Chatrath was spreading disinformation by attributing it to the PPCC chief. Amarinder claimed he had spoken to Kaypee yesterday regarding the re-induction of all those who had left the party and Kaypee had approved of the same. The former Chief Minister also claimed that the decision to re-induct those leaders was also agreed upon by Kaypee when he met him over breakfast at the latter’s residence in Jalandhar. He said the re-induction of Thekedar, Dhanwant and Deepa was done after framing a broad policy on the issue. The PPCC chief, who had earlier dodged queries when Bhattal has questioned Amarinder’s authority to take decisions which are normally his prerogative, did the same today. Upon being reached after much trying, Kaypee said he would get back, but never did.
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Secy visits tehsil complex, finds officers absent
Jalandhar, December 22 Without disclosing Avinash Chander along with certain persons reached the DC office in a private vehicle at 9.15 am and found all government officers late. After waiting for the officers and the employees for one hour, he took the attendance register in his possession and rang up the DC, Ajit Singh Pannu enquiring about absenteeism in his office. Avinash Chander was forced to visit the office of Anupam Kaler, GA to the divisional commissioner, who is his sister, and office of Babita Kaler, district transport officer (DTO) and his l sister-in-law. Both women officers were also found absent from offices. Avinash Chander, claimed he was on surprise visit to the office of Social Welfare Department at 9.20 am on complaints of corruption by certain people. As the employees and the officers of that office failed to turn up till 10.30 am, I took their attendance register in possession and visited other offices to check absenteeism and late coming, he claimed. After finding similar situation in every office I took attendance registers of every office in my possession and later called the DC to know his side claimed Chander. Even though the duty hours of the government employees are from 9 am to 5 pm, he said, till 10.30 am all additional deputy commissioners (ADCs), sub divisional magistrates (SDMs), tehsildars, naib tehsildars, block development officers (BDOs), district transport office (DTO) and all class-I officers, their secretaries, clerical staff and all other employees were not on duty. He later handed over the attendance registers to the DC and asked him to call explanations from the absent officers and employees. He has also demanded action against the employees evading work. DC Ajit Singh Pannu claimed he came to know Avinash Chader had visited the tehsil complex and found officers and employees absent from offices. He claimed the GA to divisional commissioner is supposed to check the attendance of the employees. When asked he was also absent from his office, the DC claimed, I am not supposed to come to my office from 9 am to 5 pm. I can also operate from my camp office. The DC, however, refused to comment if the chief parliamentary was competent to check the offices of the DC, ADCs, SDMs and other senior officers.
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Punjab to farm tourism
Ropar, December 22 Disclosing this here today, Ropar additional deputy commissioner (development) Kavita Singh said detailed guidelines had been chalked out to rope in progressive farmers and farmhouse owners in the district. Under the scheme, a farmhouse owner would be a host and guide sightseers. Those enrolling under the scheme would have to provide hygienic environment equipped with modern facilities to visitors meeting standards defined by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board. Giving more details on the scheme, she said the owner would provide home-cooked food, comfortable accommodation and show visitors’ local agricultural practices. Besides the farm experience, visitors would also receive exposure to the local community life such as marriages and local melas. Kavita further said the district authority as well as the tourism department would verify the quality of services being offered by farm owners. Moreover, the department would also provide mandatory training and technical know-how on hospitality front to farm owners. The tourism department would act only as promoter and would have no say in fixing prices to be taken from tourists. Also the state government would have no share in revenue generation from farm tourism. She added that under this scheme, a preference would be given to farms which had agricultural land attached. An inspection committee of the department and the district administration would visit farmhouse to see whether it could be recommended for registration with the department or not. The Punjab Tourism Department would also verify the quality of services offered by farmhouses. She said the scheme specified that only those farmhouses would be registered with the departments that had a minimum of two rooms with a toilet and provide full-meal service. Priority selection would be given to those farms providing a wide range of activities, she added.
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Poor Upkeep
Patiala, December 22 Notably, in January 2006 the then Amarinder Singh government had formed Patiala Development Authority (PDA), which, in turn, set up a society for the maintenance of the garden with DC as its chairman. Later, concerted efforts were made to resurrect the original old-world look and beauty of the place. An old-styled boundary wall was created, fountains were replaced, new lights were installed and irrigation system was put in order at a whopping cost of Rs 5-6 crores. Besides, Rs 14 lakh, given by the then Rajya Sabha MP Barjinder Singh, was also utilised for sprucing up the place. But, the newly acquired charm of the garden eclipsed within a year with accumulation of garbage and non-functioning of canal-based irrigation system and fountains, irking environmentalists, morning-walkers and nature lovers. Acting on a story carried by The Tribune, Badal had instructed the top administration officials to improve the condition of the garden. Unfortunately, nothing - not even the state head’s orders - seem to have been working, as the garden is deteriorating with each passing day. Nature lovers, led by the Patiala Social Welfare Society, have approached divisional commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir with a demand that concrete steps should be taken to preserve the garden. The society has also urged the commissioner to instruct the district administration for opening of the garden’s main gate, which has been closed for construction of a heritage hotel in front of the gardens. The hotel authorities have even closed the main road between the garden and the hotel. “The irrigation system is out of order, as a result several trees have dried up. How can the administration adopt such an indifference towards a place of historical importance,” rued society patron Ujjagar Singh. In absence of any vigil, the place has also become a favourite haunt of drug addicts and anti-social elements. Divisional commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir assured that no effort would be spared in redeeming of beauty of the garden and providing more facilities for visitors. The commissioner has also directed the deputy commissioner to talk to sub-committee members to seek their opinion and involve them in the proposed garden improvement exercises.
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Sikh Youth of Punjab comes into being
Amritsar, December 22 A 20- member interim committee was formed to run affairs of the organisation for one year. The interim committee will assemble on December 25 to elect acting president and other office- bearers. Constitution of the organisation will also be adopted at first annual conference next year. The delegates from 10 Districts of the state attended today's conference. Ranbir Singh said they would channel potential of youths for constructive role in society. He said those desirous of role in social, cultural and religio-political sphere had no body and direction so new new organisation of the Sikh youths was floated . He said the existing bodies were either student-centric, limited to institutions and universities or there were some which had become extensions and wings of existing political parties.
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Fast-track courts for cases of NRIs
Jalandhar, December 22 Chief Justice Thakur revealed cases of the NRIs were being taken up in general courts on routine basis in various districts, sessions courts apart from the high court. Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has been claiming fast- track courts would be set up soon for speedy justice to the NRIs involved in litigation. The Chief Justice was here to review Mega Lok Adalat ‘Samadhan 2008’ held in the judicial complex, here yesterday. On corruption in judiciary, Chief Justice Thakur claimed the high court had zero tolerance for corrupt judicial officers. Punjab and Haryana High Court has set an example of zero tolerance against corruption by terminating services of seven judges (one from Jalandhar) of Punjab and Haryana in four months for involvement in shady activities. On’ Samadhan 2008’, he claimed the governments of Haryana and Punjab had taken realistic step to clear backlog of over 15 lakh cases besides providing justice to lakhs of litigants in
pre-Lok Adalats. He claimed while 78 posts of judge were vacant in Haryana, there was need to create more vacancies for judicial officers in Punjab. He said 100 (50 in Punjab and 50 in Haryana) subordinate judges (undergoing training) would be given postings in April next year. The process to fill 78 posts in Haryana had already been started, he cleared. On the issue of not considering fresh public interest litigations
(PILs), the Chief Justive made clear the high court would entertain only urgent
PIL. Following Supreme Court’s directions in this regard the HC had decided to verify the PILs before entertaining to restrain certain persons from taking personal benefits after filing the
PILs, he claimed. On the ‘cash on door scam’, involving a woman judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chief Justice said after an inquiry into the facts by a committee of three judges, the report had been rent to the Chief Justice of India.
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Discretion to grant ‘extraordinary leave’ vests with govt: HC
Chandigarh, December 22 In a ruling affecting all Punjab government employees, a Division Bench has ruled: “It is clear that an employee can seek extraordinary leave without pay under Rule 8.137 of the Punjab Civil Services Rules, however, the discretion to grant the leave clearly lies with the government in view of Rule 8.121, according to which leave may be granted to any government employee in special circumstances when no other leave is admissible.” The judgment is significant as rejection of claim for grant of extraordinary leave, without pay, is a common ground for filing writ petitions against the state by government employees. Among the grounds relied upon to assail the orders is discrimination shown by the authorities concerned, which grant the claim of some, while rejecting that of others. In the case in hand also, lecturer in a government senior secondary school in Bathinda district Jagraj Singh had alleged similarly placed employees had been granted the benefit. In the detailed four-page order on the issue, the Bench of Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Rajan Gupta added: “The words may be used in Rule 8.121 leave no room for doubt that discretion to grant leave vests with the government and it is perfectly within its power to grant leave in a particular case and to decline the same in another. This is a discretionary power embodied in Rule 8.121 to be exercised by the competent authority. The plea regarding discrimination between similarly placed employees is totally devoid of force. Every case has to be assessed in its peculiar facts and circumstances. Grant of leave to one employee does not mean that another employee can ask for it as a matter of right.” Dismissing the plea, Justice Rajan Gupta for the Bench said: “In the present case, leave application of the petitioner was rejected keeping in view the interest of students. Apparently, the competent authority did not find it a fit case for grant of leave, as the students studying in school would suffer in case the petitioner was granted extraordinary leave for two years.
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High Court
Chandigarh, December 22 In October, the high court had asked the chairman to constitute a committee to look into the matter and submit a report within six weeks. Coming down heavily on the industry for not making the ETP completely functional, the high court had initially questioned Bindra as to why the unit should not be closed down. As the case came up, PML counsel Anand Chhibbar told Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Jasbir
Singh that the ETP was functioning in a proper manner. In another pollution-related matter based on a petition filed by Dera Bassi-based MK Overseas Private Limited, the Bench asked the board to nominate a committee to evaluate the measures
taken by the industry and also the efficient running of the plant.
Capt’s plea opposed
Punjab has opposed former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s plea for blanket bail against attempt to arrest him after registration of false and frivolous cases in future due to political vendetta. A written reply in this regard was placed before Justice Mohinder Pal by the state today. The case will now come up on February 9 for further hearing.
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6 of family killed in accident
Moga, December 22 Police sources said two women and four children died on the spot when Maruti car they were travelling by hit a milk tanker standing on the roadside. The driver of the tanker was changing tyre when the car hit it. The police is probing the cause of collision. It is believed it could have happened be due to heavy fog in the region in the evening on Sunday. The family was coming from Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur district after attending a marriage and going to its Bhaghele Wala village. Those who died on the spot include Gurpreet Kaur (25) her two minor sons Prabhjot and Prabhleen, Rupinder Kaur a daughter of Baljinder Singh, Balwinder Kaur wife of Davinder Singh who was driving the car and her seven-year- old son Harnoor Singh. Apart from the driver, the three seriously injured persons Lakhwinder Singh, Jaswinder Kaur and Ravinder Kaur were taken to the district hospital, here. All seriously injured were referred to Ludhiana for advanced medical attention while Davinder Singh driver of the car was under treatment in the district hospital, here.
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Amritsar, December 22
However,
Chawla told The Tribune she would take up the matter with the Chief Minister for publicly bringing bad name to the SAD-BJP government and alliance partner without cross-checking facts on health services which had improved after the formation of Badal government in the state. She said Valtoha should have talked to her before raising the issue at the public
forum. She said Valtoha had never brought any such shortcoming to her notice ever since she took charge of the health portfolio.