Moga, February 17
A middle-aged Dalit woman was allegedly raped by a dairy farm owner in collusion with his servant when she went to their farm to collect milk at Dharamkot in Moga district yesterday. The police has registered a criminal case of rape and involvement in the conspiracy against the dairy owner and his servant respectively.

Police sources said when the middle-aged married Dalit woman went to collect milk from a dairy farm near her house, the owner of the farm, Gurdev Singh, son of Channan Singh, took her inside a room forcibly and allegedly raped her.

The servant of the dairy owner, Bohar Singh, son of Amar Singh, was also involved in the conspiracy as he sat outside the farm to protect the culprit and prevent outsiders from entering the farm.

When the victim did not reach home in time, her sister came to inquire about her at the dairy farm. The servant tried to convince that her sister had already left after collecting the milk. But when she was still inquiring about her, she heard the voice of a woman crying for help from inside the room. She forced her way inside and managed to get the door of the room opened and found that her sister was weeping after having been raped by the owner of the dairy farm. Both Gurdev Singh and Bohar Singh fled the spot immediately.

The incident was reported to the police by the victim and her husband. A medical examination of the woman was conducted at the district hospital which confirmed that she was raped.

After confirming rape, the police registered a criminal case under Section 376 of the IPC against the dairy farm owner and Section 120-B of the IPC against his servant.

Chandigarh, February 17
Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal would be presenting a vote-on-account Budget in the coming Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. A regular Budget for the state would be presented in June-July this year.

Addressing a press conference here today, the minister said the implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission are also likely to be delayed beyond the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as they form a part of the regular Budget.

He said the entire exercise for the state Budget had been completed but the state plan was yet to be passed by the Planning Commission. “We were to meet the commission on February 24 but the meeting has been postponed to the first week of March.”

“The reason given by the Planning Commission is that Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia is not available till then. Since the Vidhan Sabha session starts on February 27 we would not be able to present a regular Budget,” said Manpreet.

He added that in case the model code of conduct comes into being after that, there is again no possibility of having a regular Budget. “All we can have is a vote-on-account budget in this session in which no fresh proposals would be considered,” he said, adding that similar delays in presenting regular Budgets are expected in other states as well.

He said the annual liability for the Fifth Pay Commission was over Rs 2,000 crore. “We have already made arrangements for shouldering this liability. The arrears, however, would be given away in parts over a period of two-three years. We are bound to implement it. It would be a part of the annual Budget which would be presented only after the elections,” he said.

“Also, we would like to wait for the Union Budget so that we can incorporate any benefits that the state gets from it into our Budget,” he added.

The FM also hinted that there was a possibility of the Centre taking on at least 50 per cent of the pay panel burden following the Finance Commission’s report.

Ludhiana, February 17
With the Shiromani Akali Dal postponing its Ludhiana rally scheduled for February 20, which was certain to see former Member Parliament and senior Congress leader Gurcharan Singh Badal joining the SAD, the uncertainty surrounding party candidate for Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat has deepened.

While Galib has been asked to present a show of strength by the SAD, many Congress leaders, who were supporting him till a few days ago, today said they would not join Akalis and remain with the Congress.

Sources in the SAD said the rally was postponed last evening when SAD supremo and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal asked Galib to present a show of strength by bringing the Congress leaders along. Sukhbir had reached the decision after addressing party workers yesterday.

After the meeting, he is learnt to have asked Galib to bring his supporters from the Congress to the rally. Galib then asked for some time and the rally was postponed. While Galib was not available for comments as he was busy in a meeting, his assistant said the rally would now be held on February 22.

Meanwhile, none of the Congress leaders, who were making announcements about their support to Galib, came forward to help him. A Congress councillor, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who has the support of many Congress leaders today ruled out any possibility to join the SAD.

“I have personal relations with Galib. This does not mean I have to change the party with him. It is his decision. If he remains with the Congress we would support him. But if he deserts the party then not,” said Ashu. 

Ferozpur, February 17
The government had a plan to construct 18 railway overbridges in the state by spending Rs 250 crore, said Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, while laying the foundation stone for the ROB upgradation project here.

Badal said reconstruction of this ROB connecting city and cantonment areas was needed as existing ROB , built by the British had outlived life. He said work on another 23 ROB’s in the state would also be completed soon.

Addressing SAD-BJP workers at the residence of Sukhpal Singh Nannu Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Revenue), Badal said Rs 773 lakh will be spent on both approaches of this railway overbridge and work on it shall be completed by March 2010. Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Gurtej Singh, Surjit Kumar Jiyani, both MLA’s besides SAD candidate for Ferozpur Lok Sabha constituency, Sher Singh Ghubaya CPS Agriculture. accompanied Badal. Badal said Rs 3035 crore would l be spent on four and six- laning of national highways., for which the Union government had accorded consent. Badal said for the growth , development and industrialisation of a state good road network was imperative.

Badal said Rs 3,243 crore was being spent on the maintenance, re-lining and construction of new canals in the state to raise crop productivity.

Badal said under the atta- daal scheme, more than 13 lakh families below poverty line were being provided subsidised wheat and dal on Rs 400 crore had been spent.

Sekhon said on directions of the CM, ban of the registration of sale deeds of property in the cantonment had been lifted, bringing relief to people. Badal government has also abolished octroi from the cantonments and decision on a government college had already been announced by the CM, he said.

Nannu thanked the CM for providing funds for the reconstruction of ROB. He demanded the office of the Water Supply and Sewerage Board should not be shifted to Bhatinda. Nannu also demanded construction of ROB from Mandala to Tarn Taran which would shorten distance from Ferozpur to Amritsar by 60 km, he added.

Sangrur, February 17
Workers of about 150 brick-kilns of the district began an indefinite strike today in support of their demands.

State general secretary of the Lal Jhanda Punjab Bhatha Mazdoor Union (AICCTU) Tarsem Jodhan said thousands of brick-kiln workers had been forced to take this step as the owners of brick-kilns were not ready to hold negotiations on their demands, which included enhancement in wages, payment of bonus, attendance of workers on registers, and implementation of provisions of the provident fund scheme.

He said the workers would continue their strike till the acceptance of their demands.

Jodhan the workers would not sit silent in the days to come as they would organise big rallies and dharnas at Sunam and Dhuri on February 19 and February 20, respectively. If no solution came out even after these rallies then they would block traffic in Sangrur on February 23, he added.

Meanwhile, hundreds of brick-kiln workers today took out a march through the town and staged a dharna in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) here to compel the administration to get their demands implemented. 

Amritsar, February 17
To rejuvenate the sick cooperative sugar mills in the state, the government has initiated Rs 1,000 crore-revival plan under which alternate power generation plants would be constructed on a built own operate and transfer (BOOT) basis in these mills.

The government is also contemplating to set up ethanol plants there in the next phase after the construction of these power plants. A proposal to change the present licences for producing industrial alcohol into bottling plants in three distilleries of the sugar mills at Nakodar, Gurdaspur and Nawan Shahar has already been sent to the state government.

Minster of Cooperative Capt Kanwaljit Singh today laid the foundation stone of a 12 MW co-generation plant at an outlay of Rs 80 crore, which would be set up by Saraya Industries at Co-operative Sugar Mill, Ajnala, while the work on five more such power generating projects at different mills have already been started. These have a combined generation capacity of 150 MW.

The minister said these mills would produce electricity of worth Rs 200 crore annually and added that the sugar mills would earn additional income of Rs 2 crore annually besides free power supply. He informed that these plants would be handed over to the mills after completion of 15 years. He further said the companies would purchase agricultural waste, including paddy-wheat straw, through cooperative societies, which would be used in the generation of power. Farmers of the state would get benefit of more than Rs 600 crore annually as they burnt their crop remains of such value, the minister added.

He said the decision to revive six closed cooperative sugar mills would be taken after considering the report of an expert group constituted for this purpose. 

Ludhiana, February 17
In recognition of the ‘revolutionary’ work on developing the Basmati-386 variety, which is the highest cash yielder for farmers, at least in the European markets, the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) honoured as many as 14 rice breeders of Punjab Agricultural University at a special function held at New Delhi yesterday. Only seven breeders of the original 1995 team were present on the occasion.

Of the total 14 honoured by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, only three are currently serving on the campus - Dr Gurjit Singh Mangat, Dr Tajinder Singh Bharaj and Dr Harmit Singh Mukar.

Those who are no longer on the university rolls included: Dr Gurdial Singh Sidhu, Dr Sadhu Singh Malhi, Dr Mulk Raj Gagneva, Dr Baldev Singh Boparai, Dr Jaswant Singh, Dr Piara Singh Gill, Dr Sirdul Singh Gill, Dr Gurdevinder Singh, Dr Girdhari Lal Raina, Dr Dharampal Singh and Dr Malwinder Singh Pandher.

Dr Mangla Rai, Director General of the ICAR, informed the gathering that Basmati-386 had revolutionised the rice production in the country.

The variety is perceived as very good on account of saving the already depleting ground water table. The variety yields nine quintal per acre on an average.

He also said, “Using Basmati-386 as the base ingredient, we have developed the Punjab Basmati-II variety, which has already shown its results in the market. The produce is 25 per cent higher than the earlier variety.

Importantly, the university is working on a blight resistant variety of the basmati crop and the results are expectedly, very shortly.”

Chandigarh, February 17
Senior IAS officer and chief general manager, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Sarvjit Singh today met the Punjab chief secretary (CS) Ramesh Inder Singh and expressed his “disbelief and resentment” over the registration of an FIR against him by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. Sarvjit reportedly told the CS that he had no role in the approval or implementation of the scheme. “I just happened to be director, Department of Rural Development and Panchayats, when the scheme was introduced, but was soon transferred to another department”.

Sources in the government said that RI Singh had asked Sarvjit to make a representation detailing his grievance following which the matter would be sent for review. Officials in the Vigilance Bureau, too, said that the case had been registered against Sarvjit and another retired IAS officer JR Kundal on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, but if during investigation nothing objectionable was found against these officers, their names could be dropped and those of anyone else found guilty added.

Saravjit’s plea that he was not director of the department of rural development and panchayats when the scheme was implemented has lent strong support to him and somewhat ruffled the Vigilance for rushing to register a case and naming 13 accused, besides three companies and some unnamed officials of the Central Institute for Plastic Technology (CIPT), Amritsar.

Sarvjit Singh, now serving as general manager, FCI, said, “When I was director, Rural Development, only the technology for the project was finalised, based on the recommendations given by the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology. The actual execution of the project was done after my tenure, therefore I had nothing to do with the quality and material used in executing the project”.

Ludhiana, February 17
The Education Department has plan to set up 16 model schools on the pattern of Kendriya Vidyalas under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan programme and sent the proposal to the Government of India for approval. These schools are proposed to be set up in 21 educationally backward blocks of the state.

These blocks are Sangat, Talwandi Sabo and Maur in Bathinda district, Abohar, Kuin Sarber, Ferozepur, Mamdot, Jalalabad and Fazilka in ferozpur district, Bhikhi, Mansa, Budhlada, Jhunir and Sardulgarh in Mansa District, Muktsar and Lambi in Muktsar district, Samana in Patiala, Valtoha in Tarn Taran, Sunam, Lehragaga and Andana in Sangrur district respectively. To give boost to the computer education, Punjab has also been able to get Rs 100 crore sanctioned under the ICT project (Information and communication technology) for three years and first instalment of Rs 30 crore had also been received.

This project will be implemented in three years. Punjab is one of the four states in the country which got this project sanctioned.

Krishan Kumar, Director-General, Punjab School Education, said under the EDUSAT project, the state government was going to start special crash course to train and coach the students aspiring to compete in engineering and medical examinations from April 2009.

The state government got central assistance to construct kitchen sheds in all government schools and Rs 76 crore has been received under this scheme. 

Chandigarh, February 17
The State of Punjab’s move to seek the cancellation of bail granted to former Director-General of Police SS Virk has resulted in serious observations by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the prosecution’s functioning.

Dismissing the petition, Justice HS Bhalla observed the prosecution could not be allowed to trifle with an individual’s liberty, if it did not take its task seriously and did not complete it in accordance with law.

Justice Bhalla took note of the fact that notices were issued to Virk twice on March 1, 2008, and March 7, the same year. The challan was presented before the court on March 20, 2008. A supplementary challan was presented on August 7, the same year. The original and the supplementary challans were filed after the issuance of notices.

Why was the original challan presented before the court without incorporating the full facts and circumstances? observed Justice Bhalla, while raising the issue. It appears the challan has been filed in a hot-haste manner without completing the investigations.

Justice Bhalla was also of the opinion that the accused could not be put on slow fire.

Presently posted at Mumbai as DGP, Virk was booked on September 8, 2007, and was arrested from Maharashtra Sadan, New Delhi, the next day.

Seeking the cancellation of regular bail granted to Virk, the state had alleged non-cooperation in investigation and failure to appear even once before the investigation officer, an allegation denied by the counsel for respondent Virk.