Amritsar, March 8
Delay of the project to restore Ram Bagh, summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, has become an issue of public outcry. Morning walkers and aware citizens are critical of the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) for destroying the heritage in the name of restoring it.

A senior citizen, who is a regular visitor to the only green spot in the Civil Lines, said he had been watching the digging up of roads and pulling down of Baradari and other buildings, and had been raising his voice.

But the ASI had failed to respond. The old building, which represented the era of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, continued to be vandalised, he added.

The complex includes the summer palace of the Maharaja, fountains and Baradari gardens replicating the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore (Pakistan). The Ministry of Culture, government of India, has reportedly approved Rs 200 crore to make Amritsar the tourist hub by undertaking projects to restore monuments to original shapes, but due to lack of accountability, people doubt how this amount was being spent.

Echoing sentiments of people, BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu was dismayed over the tardiness of the restoration project and lamented that the ASI and consultants were not involving the public into this. He said those executing the multi-crore projects would have to face public scrutiny and audit to give account of the taxpayers’ money.

He said conservationists and heritage experts from Guru Nanak Dev University were available to lend help in the works. Ram Bagh has been part of history and people are attached to it. It was a legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Sidhu said the government must furnish to people account and action plan of the restoration work for a final decision.

Consultant, restoration project, Gurmeet Rai admitted that the progress of the garden was tardy and added that in India there were very few conservation contractors with wherewithal. She said the government had sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore for redoing the garden and the contract was finalised only in October 2007. She said the roof work of the summer palace of the Maharaja had been completed, but some other projects also required to be completed. She said the new design based on historical background of the company bagh had been located which would be replicated on the basis of the Charbagh design. She assured that the contractors would be told up to speed up work. 

Chandigarh, March 8
The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) has summoned a meeting of its members tomorrow morning to discuss the appeal of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asking the opposition to end its boycott of the Budget Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Though the Congress legislators are keen to go back to the House, but since tomorrow is the last day of the House, many consider it futile to go back for a few hours.

A senior Congress legislator said there is no doubt that most of the legislators want to participate in the proceedings of the House and raise issues concerning people, but keeping in view the scrapping of the morning session and “ending the session hurriedly,” the collective opinion may differ. “A meeting of the CLP has been summoned at 11 am in the Vidhan Sabha tomorrow, where the matter will be debated and a decision taken”.

With senior Congress leaders camping in Delhi to help the party high command finalise the seats for the next parliamentary polls, only 20 to

Congress legislators are expected to participate in the meeting.

Senior Congress leader and former minister Brahm Mohindra said, “My personal viewpoint is that the Congress must respond to the appeal of the Chief Minister and use whatever opportunity to raise questions and counter propaganda. 

But at the same time it should be reiterated that the Speaker is the custodian of the House and it is his duty to maintain the dignity of the House and respect its members. But a final decision on this will be taken in the CLP meeting”.

On the other hand, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, against whom unparliamentary language was used leading to the boycott said, “Now tomorrow only the CM’s statement is left. We would like to use the floor of the House to highlight the problems of people. 

So we will request the Speaker to extend the sitting of the House. There is no point in going to listen only to the Chief Minister’s monologue”.

He clarified that in case the Speaker did not respond to the CLP’s request to extend the session, the Congress may have no other option but to sit in a dharna outside the assembly and raise issues through the media. “But all this is only thinking aloud, the final decision will be taken at the meeting tomorrow”.

Meanwhile, there is talk that the senior Congress leadership is now no longer interested in fighting it out with the SAD-BJP on the treasury benches. 

“We would rather get organised and take these issues to people as a run-up to the parliamentary polls”. The Congress is expected to release its first list of party candidates in Delhi on Monday. 

Chandigarh, March 8
The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer today directed the Mohali Deputy Commissioner to send an immediate report on the non-transfer of officials from their home district besides directing the Patiala Deputy Commissioner to get hoardings removed.

On another complaint, the Mansa Deputy Commissioner has been asked to stop the distribution of meters as well as ‘atta-daal’ scheme cards following a complaint from Partap Singh, Chairman, Land Mortgage Bank, at Sangha village in Sardulgarh tehsil. Regarding the transfer of a lecturer in government school in Amritar, the Secretary (Education) has been asked to send a report.

On a complaint of panches of Narain Pura village, Abohar tehsil, regarding the declaration of the result the election for the post of sarpanch and the constitution of gram panchayat, the Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat, has been asked to take action.

In another complaint by the City Congress Committee, Batala, that president of the MC had laid foundation stones of different works, the Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur, has been asked to report immediately. 

Regarding the complaint of Bhagwant Singh Saroa, district secretary CPI ML (Liberation), Bathinda, in connection with the transfer of Shri Amarjit Singh, JE of the MC, Mansa, the Principal Secretary, Local Government, has been asked to send his report.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Officer has accepted the plea of former Amritsar Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu that he be allowed to retain his Amritsar residence because his daughter was appearing for her class X examinations has been accepted. 

Sidhu has, however, directed that the officer should not visit Amritsar during this period. BS Sidhu, SDM-designate, Tarn Taran, who did not report for duty till this morning, has not been allowed to join. The state government is being asked to take disciplinary action against him and a panel of names for posting as the SDM, Tarn Taran, is also being requisitioned.

Sangrur, March 8
With a view to end the opposition to the entry of expelled Akali leader Naranjan Singh Bhutal into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the Moonak area, president of the SAD and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today visited Moonak, about 60 km from here, and addressed a gathering at the residence of Bhutal.

On the occasion, Sukhbir said with the entry of Bhutal into the SAD, the party had got strength in the Moonak area as it would certainly help in ensuring the victory of party candidate from Sangrur Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in the current Lok Sabha elections. 

He said he was also trying to get back all those SAD leaders and workers, who had left the party in the past, to the partyfold. He also promised to honour and respect them.

It is worth mentioning here that Bhutal, who as a “rebel” SAD candidate had become instrumental in the defeat of Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra in the Lehra Assembly constituency during the February 2007 Assembly elections, had joined the SAD on February 21 at Kanjhla village in the presence of Sukhbir. 

Since then, senior and junior SAD leaders of the Lehragaga Assembly constituency, including Moonak area, have been protesting against the joining of Bhutal and are in favour of getting him ousted from the party.

Sukhbir said if the NDA government came to power, the rates of diesel and petrol would be slashed by Rs 10 per litre. He also asked the gathering if they ensured victory for Dhindsa then he would be made Petroleum Minister in the NDA government.

Dhindsa said Bhutal had been taken back as per a policy adopted by Sukhbir to get annoyed leaders and workers back into the partyfold.

Among others who were present included chairman of the district planning committee Gobind Singh Longowal, former minister Gobind Singh Kanjhla, former minister Gurcharan Singh Dirba and SGPC member Uday Singh Longowal. 

Moga, March 8
District Magistrate Satwant Singh Johal has appealed to all the political parties to abide by the model code of conduct during the election campaign and said that any violation would attract action against the respective political party or its candidate.

At a meeting, the DM apprised the representatives of political parties and district officials of the provisions of the model code of conduct and various other directions issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the smooth conduct of Parliamentary polls.

The DM asked the political parties and candidates not to indulge in any activity which might spark off hatred or tension among people of different castes, communities, religions or regions. Adding that personal attacks should be avoided, he said that there should be no appeal on the basis of castes, communities and religion by any party to secure votes and there would be no use of places of worship for election campaign.

Political parties were also asked to refrain from practices like offering bribe, threats or intimidation of the voters, impersonation at the time of polling, canvassing within 100m of polling booths and offering transportation facilities to the voters to and from the polling stations.

Directing the enforcement authorities, particularly the sub-divisional magistrates to keep a strict vigil, he cautioned the political parties against making use of any private or government property for putting up posters or banners, erecting flag staffs or writing election slogans without obtaining written permission from the owners of the property.

Political parties were asked that they would be liable for action under the Defacement of Property Act, if charged with using private or government buildings to put up election propaganda material. He also asked the political parties to ensure that their supporters did not disturb or break up election meetings and processions, organised by other parties. He made it clear that nobody would be allowed to create disturbance of any kind during the campaigning period.

Johal further asked the political parties that it would be mandatory for them to submit prior information to the local police authorities regarding the venue and time of the election meetings and processions, well in time, so that proper security arrangements could be made. The independent candidates would also have to inform about the time, date and route of the proposed procession in advance for security and traffic management purposes.

All printed material must bear the name of publisher and printer and a copy of each material would have to be submitted with the competent authority of the district administration.

He said that any vehicle, fitted with loud speaker, without prior permission, would be confiscated along with sound equipment, as the permission for use of loudspeaker engaged for making announcement was mandatory. 

Sangrur, March 8
State president of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Rajinder Bhandari today gave a call to the youth to come forward to play a vital role in the current Lok Sabha (LS) elections. He also asked the youth to understand their responsibility and adopt a positive thinking for bringing a change in the country.

Bhandari was here in connection with a district-level Nav Matdata Sammellan (new voters’ conference), organised by the district unit of the BJP Yuva Morcha to honour new young voters from 18 years to 25 years, irrespective of their party affiliations, with certificates.

Bhandari said the country today needed a strong Prime Minister. This was the reason that the BJP had projected a strong man Lal Krishan Advani in the current LS elections as its PM candidate.He said Advani had already proved himself a strong man in the previous Vajpayee government as Home Minister of the country.

Bhandari honoured some new young voters by handing over certificates to them, while the remaining certificates were given by other office-bearers of the party on the occasion. District president of the BJP Jatinder Kalra said the district unit had distributed more than 1,000 certificates to new young voters today by offering them congratulations on becoming a part of the Indian democratic system.

State president of the Morcha Vivek Maudgil asked the voters to vote for nationalist forces in the LS elections. He also urged them to associate themselves with the BJP to form a government of a nationalist party at the Centre.

Among others who spoke on the occasion or were present included vice-chairman of the Punjab Small Traders Board DP Chandan, state vice-president of the Morcha Vikram Singh Saini, state secretary of the Morcha Anuj Chhahria, district BJP president Jatinder Kalra, state secretary of the BJP Medical Cell Dr Indu Singla and district president of the Morcha Sukhpal Singh Kanjhla. 

Phillaur, March 8
Senior United Kingdom police officers have called for strengthening immigration laws to check human-trafficking on the pretext of marriages. Immigration authorities need to evolve a mechanism for those who dump their spouses once they secure stay abroad.

The discussion formed part of the regional "Training of Trainers Programme on Human-Trafficking” conducted jointly by the United Nations Office on Drugs Control and Crime, the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the Punjab Police Academy (PPA) in which senior police officers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal , Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh participated.

Deputy Director (Indoors) MF Farooqui said, “There are a very large number of cases in the state, particularly in the Doaba belt, where local police was being contacted by parents from abroad saying they had been duped by the spouses of their children once they managed ways to stay on in the UK. We often feel helpless in giving correct guidance”.

Baljit Singh, Chief Executive, Punjab Link Council, Leicester, said, “Fostering collaboration between the law-enforcing agencies of the two countries to have a comprehensive plan of corrective action on hand in case of similar cases was needed”.

Chief Superintendent of the Operational Command Unit of the West Midlands Police, Deborah Harrod said, “The problem of forced marriages was very unique in context of South Asians. A Forced Marriage Protection Order came into force in 2008. In 2007, we recorded 400 cases of forced marriage and the number multipled three times to 1,200 in 2008”.

Deborah said, “To make the immigration laws a little more strict, the age of sponsored marriage partner was increased from 18 to 21 years recently. At least 30 per cent of the marriage-related cases seeking redressal pertain to the age group 18-21 years”.

K Koshy, former Director-General, Bureau, said human-trafficking was being listed as the second biggest crime after arms and drug-trafficking. RS Gill, DGP-cum-Director, PPA, in his presidential address said human-trafficking was a grave violation of human rights and had serious implications on all aspects of human living. Dr DJ Singh, Senior Deputy Director and Dean, PPA, provided an insight into ground realities of human-trafficking.

Chandigarh, March 8
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has finalised a power-purchase agreement for the purchase of 100 MW from the Baghlihar hydro power station in Jammu and Kashmir, besides signing three other such agreements, which will bring in additional 591 MW to the PSEB kitty during this summer.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal tabled this information about the agreements in the assembly regarding Gurdeep Singh Bhaini’s question, which was deemed answered in the face of a boycott of the House by the Congress.

The agreement for the 100-MW power purchase from Jammu and Kashmir will be signed later this month. Earlier, the PSEB signed three agreements with Tata Power Trading Company, the NTPC and the THDC for the purchase of 591 MW.

With all those agreements, there has been a net addition of 658 MW to the generation capacity of the state during the past two years. Besides, agreements have also been signed with 10 private companies for the purchase of power from mini hydropower projects. It will start getting 13 MW from these projects from December, 2009.

The state government is also upbeat about the 1,320-MW Rajpura thermal plant project. The Chief Minister has informed the assembly that following the approval of the project by the state, it is likely to be commissioned by March, 2012. The project has been referred to the State Electricity Regulatory Commission after a lone private bid was received for it.

Badal said the work on 2640-MW Gidderbaha thermal power project had been initiated and the bidding process for the same was under way.

According to the information tabled in the House by the Chief Minister, the outstanding debt of the PSEB as on December 31 last year ws Rs 12,600 crore. The accumulated losses of the board till the same date were to the tune of Rs 7,370 crore.

The government claims that on its part it has paid Rs 2,280 crore subsidy due on account of power supplied to the agriculture sector. It has also decided to issue a government guarantee of Rs 6,025 crore to enable the board raise loans from financial institutions and banks.

Bathinda, March 8
The Canada continues to be the hot destination for Punjabis moving out of the country and the worldwide economic slowdown has not affected the trend.

Stating this here today, Lt Col BS Sandhu (retd), chairman of the Worldwide Immigration and Consultancy Services (WWICS), said almost 15,000 of the estimated Punjabis immigrating to Canada every year were from the Malwa belt. About 50 per cent Punjabis settled abroad were from Malwa.

Among those immigrating to Canada were university teachers, finance and IT professionals, doctors, nurses, construction and tradespersons, who were in great demand. Headquartered in Toronto, the WWICS aims to tap and cater to a growing segment of businessmen, farmers and students who plan to settle abroad.

Sandhu said an extremely immigrant-friendly policy and law recently enacted by the Canadian parliament heavily favoured relocation of skilled Indian professionals in Canada.

Sylvain Payette, president, Renaissance Capital Inc, referred to the business immigration opportunities.

Earlier, Sandhu inaugurated the local office of the WWICS that will cater to Bathinda and Faridkot areas.

Patiala, March 8
Power position in the state has become comfortable following which the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) promises some respite from power cuts this summer.

Sources in the board today said the PSEB was in a much comfortable position this year compared to the corresponding period last year. Power availability in the state today was 1,052 lakh units against a demand of 1,123 lakh units with a shortfall of 71 lakh units.

Anandpur Sahib, March 8
A special train with 1,500 donors will reach Anandpur Sahib from Nagpur to be a part of the massive blood donation camp during the Hola Mohalla celebrations.

The Akal Purkh Ki Fauj, Nagpur, has arranged for this train that will also carry 100 medical experts, who will be part of this record-breaking blood donation camp.

Sources said the Railways had been paid Rs 28 lakh for this train. Also a motorcade of 50 buses was expected from Dehradun and UP, apart from hundreds of buses of blood donors coming from Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab.

Various panthic organisations under the aegis of Akal Takht and the SGPC are going to organise the world’s largest-ever blood donation camp on March 10. The camp is aiming to clock more than 25,000 donations in a single day. An adjudicator from the Guinness Book of World Records has also been invited to witness the event.

As per the instructions of the Guinness authority, the entire camp proceedings will be video recorded from four or five different angles. Also a list of entries and registrations will be submitted to the Guinness authority. The name and description of the Guinness official visiting event has been kept secret.

The mega camp will be held in makeshift arrangement tents with 700 beds divided in 14 blocks with 50 beds each. There will be 2,500 donations in one hour averaging 15 minutes per donor.

To ensure the smooth working of the camp, 5000 volunteers, including 3,000 paramedics, have been deployed. A team of 100 doctors has been deployed at different investigation counters. More than 110 blood banks from all over country are coming to collect blood from the camp. Special arrangements have been made to airlift the donated blood to different parts of the country, on that day itself.

To make this mega event a success case, organisers have arranged for accommodation of 20,000 donors with the rest of the donors expected from nearby areas of Anandpur Sahib. A big setup has been created for refreshment to donors, and different refreshments, including fruit, will be served by Kar Sewa Wale Babe.

The inaugural function of the camp will be blessed by “ardas” that will be performed by Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, at 6.45 am in the presence of Giani Tarlochan Singh, Jathedar, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Jaswinder Singh, Head Granthi, Sri Darbar Sahib, and Jathedar Avtar Singh, President, SGPC.

The first five donors, including Giani Jaswinder Singh, Head Granthi, Darbar Sahib, Baba Harnam Singh, Head, Damdami Taksal, Bikram Singh Majithia, patron, organising committee of the camp, and Prof Manjit Singh, former Jathedar, Akal Takht, will mark the beginning of the session at 7 am.

A reception with 150 counters to help fill forms of donors has also been set up at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College, Anandpur Sahib.

After launching a concerted drive against female foeticide and to promote greener environment through the Nanhi Chhaan programme, this will be another big social cause taken by the SGPC during the past two years.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema and many cabinet ministers of Punjab will visit the camp.

Sangrur, March 8
The local Municipal Council (MC) says it has several unapproved maps of local marriage palaces in its possession. The municipal authorities as well as the district administration, which is responsible for implementing certain norms fixed for marriage palaces by the government, need to answer this.

Talking to The Tribune here, general secretary of an NGO, People for Transparency, Kamal Anand said the MC had not approved the map of any marriage palace situated in the town, when he sought information about the violation of building plans and encroachments on government land from it under the Right To Information Act.

Anand said he was surprised when the authorities in reply to his application said the clerk, working in the building branch of the council, had not found an approved map of any marriage palace. 

Jalandhar, March 8
The train, which was introduced between Anantnag and Baramula, has become very popular among Kashmiris. It has proved such a revenue-earning preposition that the Railways had not visualised. The train introduction meant big security cover to it, but it is no more so because the Kasmiris have accepted it.

Divisional Railways Manager (DRM), Ferozepur, Satish Kumar said the train had been adding Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000 to the Railways’ income daily. Nearly 5,000 to 6,000 passengers have been enjoying the facility every day in the valley.

The train that was inaugurated under the shadow of bayonets on the 100 km-long track by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 11, 2008, was a dream of the Kashmiris that had come true, he said. The frequency of the train had also been maintained with the introduction of 10 trains (five on either sides) on the section, he added.

For the benefit of passengers, Kumar revealed that the Ferozepur division would soon provide railway reservation facility in post offices in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur. Instead of waiting in queues at ticket counters at the railway stations, people could get tickets from post offices. Separate ticket reservation counters would be set up in Jalandhar and other cities for the benefit of defence personnel.

After the success of fare counters at Ludhiana and Amritsar, the Railways would set up similar counters in Jalandhar in a couple of months, he said.

On the electrification of the Jalandhar-Jammu section, the DRM claimed that the Jalandhar-Chakki Bank (Pathankot) section of the track would be made functional by 2009-end. By spending Rs 50 crore, electrification of the section would be made operational with electricity substation at Dasuya. The Pathankot-Jammu stretch would be taken thereafter on the directions of the ministry.

Jalandhar, March 8
After spending several years in the UK, Surinder Singh Dhindsa has returned to his roots in Punjab. However, what makes him different from other persons having had an experience on foreign lands is that he has decided to convince Punjabi youth that they can lead a better life in Punjab itself with a little effort instead wasting money to find jobs abroad.

“I am not joking. Seriously speaking, Punjabi youth can lead a better life provided they put their best foot forward and leave aside their dream to settle abroad,” said Dhindsa, who has set up a huge buffalo centre at his native Rehpa village, 50 km from here, in Nawanshahr district.

Dhindsa, who served as an engineer in a multinational firm in the UK after studying there, started his life again in Punjab with a small dairy farm in 2006. Now, he has around 275 buffaloes. He has given jobs to around 30 persons and has a dedicated veterinary doctor, besides all infrastructure required for a dairy farm. There is even a mess for servants employed at the farm and two women prepare food for them. He himself prepares feed for the livestock.

“I am getting 7 per cent return on my investment now and it will go up to 20 per cent soon,” claims Dhindsa, who has a vision to supply pure buffaloes to Delhi, Chandigarh and other big cities.

“I have already launched a breed improvement programme. I have brought two bulls of Murrah breed to produce high milk-yielding cattle,” he says. Recently, he bought a buffalo worth Rs 70,000 from Haryana. Punjab is far behind Haryana in dairy farming. Even the Punjab government has not standardised cattle feed.

Asked about his plan to convince the Punjabi youth to stay back in villages and not waste lakhs of rupees just to secure petty jobs in the US, Canada and other foreign countries, Dhindsa said he had prepared a project for the youth. “I will give them training in dairy farming and help them set up mini dairy farms with four or 10 milch cattle,” he said. “They will be able to earn up to Rs 20,000 per month with a possible growth of 12 or 15 per cent in their business after two years,” he claimed.

“The training programme designed by me for the youth will include complete knowledge regarding the selection, reproduction, operations of the dairy farm in an efficient manner,” says Dhindsa, who is actively involved in organising kabaddi, football and other tournaments as well as running educational institutions and several other social activities in his area.