Amritsar, March 1
New Zealand’s senior minister for internal affairs Richard Worth said his government was interested in developing closer ties with India.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Worth admitted that the previous government was tilted towards China. He credited Indian community in general and Punjabi community in particular for bringing the New Zealand government, which was formed in November, 2008, closer to India.

In New Zealand, persons of the Indian origin are nearly 1.22 lakh out of the total population of 40 lakh. Worth is heading a 10-member delegation, which signed two MoUs between the Amritsar Muncipal Council and Waitakere City Council and the other one between the India Trade Group (ITG), New Zealand, and the Punjab Cultural Promotion Council, Ludhiana.

Earlier, the foreign delegation signed two MoUs, one between the ITG and North West Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dhudike (Moga) and the other between the ITG and Patiala Flying Club.

Worth, after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, said, “I am very much impressed with the Sikh faith. The community is live, fascinating and vibrant.”

He added that the visit to the holiest of the holy shrine of Sikhs was truly impressive and spiritual as he got mesmerised by the sea of thousands of devotees wearing colourful turbans.

He commented that the Punjabi hospitality touched his heart and Punjab was a
progressive state.

Davinder Singh Chhina, director, Punjab Cultural Promotion Council (PCPC), invited New Zealand folk artistes and students to Punjab in November to participate in the Punjab International Folk Festival and Amritsar International Folk Festival, which was accepted by the visiting delegation.

Avtar Singh, SGPC president, honoured Richard Worth and other delegation members with sets of Sikh literature books and photographs of the Golden Temple. Worth extended invitation to the SGPC president to visit New Zealand.

Upon the request of Kamaljit Singh Bakshi, MP from Auckland, to provide Sikh literature to gurdwaras in New Zealand, the Shiromani Committee president directed the SGPC officials to do the same.

Jalandhar, March 1
The Jalandhar Cantonment Board has finally received the green signal from the GOC-in-C of Western Command, Lt- Gen T.K. Sapru, pertaining to the laying of sewerage line in the grime-affected Bhoor Mandi area near Rama Mandi here.

Board’s cantt executive officer (CEO) Rakesh Mittal said the board has received a grant of Rs 2.2 crore to initiate the work.

“The final draft in this regard was sent on February 6 this month. This start-to-finish project will be completed within a period of one year. And we are hopeful to accomplish the task within the stipulated time”, he added.

The sewerage line of Bhoor Mandi will be directly linked with the mainline of the municipal corporation (MC), Jalandhar.

Besides this, a sewerage pumping station would also be installed. The CEO informed that a work order, along with the initial deposit of Rs 15 lakh, has already been issued to Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Jalandhar.

“We are looking forward to waive off the sharing cost of the sewer line with MC authorities. At present, we are waiting for the allotment of tenders,” said Mittal.

The sewerage system in the Bhoor Mandi and Rama Mandi area was laid more than 15 years ago.

But after the raising of the existing GT Road for four-laning, the area of Bhoor Mandi and Rama Mandi became low by 0.5 m to 1.5 m. This is one of the reasons why the area remains blocked with sewerage water every time.

It is pertinent to mention here that the issue of laying sewerage facility in Bhoor Mandi was used as one of the main poll planks during assembly elections and the cantonment board elections held last year.

The Cantt MLA Jabgir Brar especially gave a grant of Rs 1 crore for further continuing the development works in cantonment.

Nawanshahr, March 1
While accusing both the NDA and UPA governments in the Centre of pursuing the wrong economic policies under the influence of the imperialistic forces, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said the party under the aegis of the third front comprising leftist, democratic and secular political parties would strive hard to defeat both of them in the ensuing parliamentary polls.

Karat was addressing an election rally at Balachaur to kick start the campaign of CPM nominee from the Anandpur Sahib constituency, Mahan Singh Rouri, on Sunday.

“The policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation blindly followed by the NDA and UPA governments during the past 10 years had played havoc with the industrial, agricultural and employment generation in the country,” said Karat, adding that the wrong economic policies had rendered lakhs of people jobless.

The farmers had been committing suicides and the primary utility services like health and education had become out of the reach of the common man.

“While alleging that the NDA and UPA governments had virtually ‘knelt down’ before the USA in pursuing the economic policies, he said, however, the Congress under the pressure of the leftist political parties, could not implement its policies of privatisation at its own whims”.

Karat expressed hope that the third front would emerge as a formidable political force after the parliamentary polls in the country.

The polarisation of political forces after the LS polls would keep both the Congres and the BJP away from the power, he said.

Among others, Nilotpal Basu, central secretariat member of the CPM, Charan singh Virdi, state executive member, Lehmber Singh Taggar, Raghunath Singh, Mahan Singh Rouri, also addressed the rally.

Hoshiarpur, March 1
While appreciating the decision of the central government to grant six per cent dearness allowance (DA) to its employees on January 1, the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) and PCMS Welfare Association severely criticised the state government for the deliberate delay in implementing the recommendations of the 5th Punjab Pay Commission.

In a joint statement issued here today, state PCMS press secretary Dr Ajay Bagga and general secretary of the PCMS Welfare Association Dr Sardul Singh said the central government not only procured the report of the 6th Pay Commission, but also passed the benefits on account of the recommendations of the commission
to its employees.

The employees in the state feel that due to the likely enforcement of model code of conduct in the first week of March, they would not be able to get the new scales before August 2009.

They urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take necessary steps for procuring and implementing the recommendations of the commission’s report and also for granting 6 per cent DA immediately to the state government employees.

They said if the government failed to accept their demand, then the SAD-BJP alliance should be ready to face the wrath in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Tarn Taran, March 1
The police today succeeded in defusing the tension prevailing in the town for the last two days by giving assurance to the Hindu organisations of holding the election of the office-bearers of the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, which is managing three old temples of the town.

Heavy police force had been deployed in all three old temples of the town to avoid any untoward incident since the last night.

About 20 Hindu organisations, including Bajrang Dal, Brahmin Pratinidhi Sabha and Shivshakti Sabha, had called a meeting here today demanding to elect the office-bearers of the local Sanatan Dharam Sabha (SDS).

The SDS had been representing by Maya Das for the last more than 20 years and now when he has gone abroad he nominated Karan Tejpal, one of his relatives, as the acting president of the SDS.

The SDS has the control of the local Thakar Dwara Madan Mohan Mandir, Chintpurni Mandir and Shivala Mandir. The mandirs have 13 acres land at nearby Bath village and about 60 shops in the town.

Pawan Kundra and Surinder Muradpura of the Hindu organisations said serious irregularities had been committed in the financial affairs of the SDS during the last years. The Hindu representatives said they had been demanding for the democratic setup for the SDS.

Paramdeep Singh Teja and Malwinder Singh Sidhu, both SP, held a meeting with the agitating Hindu organisations and assured them that a meeting of all Hindu organisations would be called soon and process would be initiated to elect the office-bearers of the SDS soon.

“I am told that their condition is pathetic and it is our responsibility to bring about an improvement,” he said.