Amritsar, March 28
The public information officers (PIOs) being without proper training has been causing revenue loss to the government as these officers fail to give information in stipulated period to the complainants after which the department concerned is fined.

State Information Commissioner Kulbir Singh rued lack of efforts by the state government for generating awareness about technical know-how as the PIOs of government departments even did not know about their duties. He was for government steps to impart appropriate training to PIOs.

According to the Right to Information Act, the PIOs of the department had to provide information in a month failing which the department had to supply the information free of cost besides paying fine for the delay.

Kulbir Singh was here to inaugurate a workshop on "Generating Awareness about Contemporary Social Problems and Adult Education" organised by the Department of Adult Continuing Education and Extension of Guru Nanak Dev University here today.

On the difficulties being faced by the state Information Commission, he said usually people did not know where to file complaints. When failing to elicit response from the PIO concerned, he said then they file grievance with the commission at Chandigarh.

However, there is first appellant authority at local level where they could file the grievance if not satisfied with the information provided earlier. He said here also the government was supposed to provide awareness and every department required to give the names of the PIOs and first appellant authority to the people.

All this had not impaired efficiency of the commission, said Kulbir Singh. He said that more than 8,000 complaints were received by the commission till now and out of these 7,000 disposed of while remaining cases were under process.

On an average 700/800 cases were filed with the commission every month and as many are disposed of, he added.

He said the Act helped better functioning of bureaucrats. People from rural areas were coming with queries on funds released to Panchayats and works done by these grants, he added. 

Chandigarh March 28
A day after Congress leader Bir Devinder Singh demanded an International Court of Justice to probe 1984 Sikh genocide, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today criticised the Congress-led UPA government saying it would go to any length to protect the guilty of 1984 anti-Sikh violence.

Bir Devinder, former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha and former Chief Whip of the Congress Legislature Party, said he would urge and appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Commission to set up an International Court of Justice to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh violence.

His tirade against the party high command over ticket to Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar for the Lok Sabha elections has created a ruckus as Congress leaders have been trying to justify ticket saying their names had been cleared by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Sukhbir described the CBI clean chit to Tytler and its timing on the eve of Lok Sabha elections as “clinching proof that the Congress and its government at the Centre would go to any length to protect the guilty of massacre of thousands of innocent Sikhs in November 1984”.

“It is amazing while the Prime Minister of the country is on record tendering apology for the massacre, the CBI has chosen to submit a shocking version to shield the guilty. What is the Prime Minister apologising for then?” asked the SAD president. He said the SAD would examine all legal options to challenge the CBI verdict in the Supreme Court.

The Justice Nanavati Commission has indicted these two persons. Sajjan has been indicted for instigating the mob in front of Block A-4 gurdwara in front of Sultanpuri and gave instructions to kill Sikhs to avenge the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whereas Tytler has been quoted by a witness “Jagdish Tytler was complaining to his supporter about relatively ‘small’ number of Sikhs killed in his Delhi Sadar constituency, which he felt had weakened his position in the Congress party in India”.

Dr Manmohan Singh, PM, has allocated and distributed funds to victims of the 1984 Sikh riots. “Most of them are settled in Mohali and Ludhiana to whom I distributed the cheques. I heard widows and sisters wailing while receiving cheques,” said Bir Devinder.

“Taking the holistic view, the game of Sikh votes may not imbalance the seat-winnability criteria in a particular constituency, but it will definitely prove fatal in ultimate results elsewhere.,” Bir Devinder added.

Sukhbir asked Punjab Congress leaders, campaign in charge Amarinder Singh and CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhathal to clarify stand on this issue. 

Chandigarh, March 28
With the Badal family nominating Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s wife Harsimrat Kaur as Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from Bathinda, the SAD is set to make Harsimrat’s first visit to the city after getting party ticket a show of strength. The Congress is getting ready to give a similar reception to candidate Raninder Singh, son of former Chief Minister and party’s campaign committee president Amarinder Singh.

The Badal family was indecisive in disclosing its candidate and it waited till the announcement of the Congress list. However, with Amarinder gaining ascendancy in the Congress with both wife Preneet Kaur and son Raninder getting party nomination, it was felt that the former Chief Minister needed to be taken head on or the SAD would be a loser.

It is going to be a no-holds-barred campaign in which the SAD has the advantage of showcasing development undertaken in Bathinda city, a promise of more development if Harsimrat returns to power, appeal to women voters who constitute nearly half of the 13.30 lakh electorate as well as the appeal of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who still commands respect in the region.

On the Congress side, Raninder has the advantage of grassroot level work undertaken by him in the constituency when he nursed it during the Congress rule in the state. He has the advantage of having Congress legislators in seven of the nine Assembly segments. The Congress is also confident to get support of the Dera Sacha Sauda despite SAD efforts ensuring dera supporters not vote en bloc to the Congress. Raninder also has the advantage of 22 Sidhu Jat Sikh villages referred to as “baiyya” most of which fall in Nathana segment and are known to be inclined to his family.

Political analysts claim that the towns, particularly Bathinda, with a population of 1.70 lakh and Mansa with 1.50 lakh will be very important. The towns have been known to be partial to the Congress, but in Bathinda the dynamics have changed partially due to development undertaken in the city during the SAD-BJP rule.

Punjabis being Punjabis, they can vote for pure emotion. The Congress will try to make it Amarinder versus Sukhbir and hark back to “Amarinder times”. The SAD would like to bank on the legacy of Parkash Singh Badal who has done much for his Assembly segment Lambi, that is part of the constituency and the “dynamic” leadership of Sukhbir. The contestants seem to play second leads. 

Mansa, March 28
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said at Sardoolgarh today if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was voted to power and SAD candidates elected to the Lok Sabha, more funds and schemes would become available to the state for development. He said mostly Congress governments had ruled the country and Punjab remained as ignored. On more rights for states, he said the SAD would put its agenda when the common minimum programme would be prepared by the NDA. The Deputy Chief Minster said only SAD governments started development in the state and Congress governments did not care towards development.

He also addressed meetings in villages of Fattha, Maloka, Jhanduke, Hireke, Choutian, Kanhnewala, Ranjitgarh Bandar, Foosmandi, Sangha, Jhanda Khurd, Sardoolewala and Sardoolgarh. Sukhbir appealed to people of this area that there was a chance for development and they should not miss it. Problems of electricity, drinking water and irrigation water were being solved and people would be see change in this regard in coming days. Welfare schemes of the SAD-BJP government like the atta-daal scheme had benefited 16 lakh families of state, he informed. He blamed the Congress and said its candidates were not interested in the welfare and development of people.

SAD general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhunder, SAD district president Harbant Singh Datewas and youth leader Gurpreet Singh Banawali too were among the speakers.

Sangrur, March 28
In a serious complaint sent today to the Election Commission (EC) of India, president of the Longowal Municipal Council (MC) Mela Singh alleged that Chairman of the District Planning Committee Gobind Singh Longowal had been keeping a cheque of Rs 1 crore in his possession, issued by the state government to the Longowal MC for undertaking development works.

He also alleged that Longowal was not giving the same (cheque) to the MC by saying that if the president and the vice-president of the MC did not help SAD candidate Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from Sangrur in the Lok Sabha (LS) elections, the grant to the council would be stopped at the behest of Dhindsa.

The MC president today also gave a copy of the complaint, along with a photo copy of the cheque, to Additional Deputy Commissioner Arshdeep Singh Thind here. ADC Thind confirmed the receipt of the complaint and said he had marked an inquiry to the Sangrur SDM to look into the matter and submit his report in two days. On the other hand, Mela Singh said the cheque, whose photo copy had been given to him by Longowal five-six days ago, had been issued by the government on December 18, 2008, but the council had not received the same so far.

Mela also alleged that by using his political clout with the SAD-BJP government, Dhindsa was pressurising him and the vice-president of the council Sem Raj, alias Budh Ram, to help him in the elections. He said he was surprised how the cheque came into the possession of Longowal as the District Planning Committee had no business with the local bodies department and the council.

Ludhiana, March 28
Come elections and slum dwellers of the city, who are otherwise kicked for encroachment, suddenly become cynosure of all political leaders’ eyes.

With the creamy as well as educated class not taking pains to cast vote, history in the city has it that any politician who garners support of these dwellers becomes more confident about his victory.

In Ludhiana, politicians have started making a beeline to the slums, who interestingly, possess electronic voters’ identity cards, despite not having a permanent residential address.

This may sound surprising to many, who make rounds of corridors of babudom to get their names included in voters’ lists. But for slum dwellers it is not difficult to get it done with the backing of different political leaders, since they form an impressive vote bank.

In Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar alone, the much controversial slum has as many as 1,200 registered voters. Since all of them religiously do what their leader wants, the slum becomes a favourite with political leaders, who start wooing them before even formally starting their campaign.

“We have already started getting feelers. There are all kinds of promises - from liquid cash to narcotics and what not. But we have decided now. Whosoever provides us with a house, will get our vote,” said Ashok Kumar, president of the Slum Dwellers Association, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

He said they were mistreated normally as if they were not humans. They resent this fact. “Residents of nearby areas complain against us. Enforcement agencies order demolition of our houses. We really have trouble living on this planet.

But when it is election time, we are much sought after. Just stay here for two hours and find out how many people want to meet us and even shake hands with us,” added Ashok.

In BRS Nagar also, a slum that mushroomed recently, supporters of politicians have started knocking at their doorless shanties. “We are not registered as voters till date. A few days ago, a team came and took our details. We are hoping we will get identity cards and be able to vote,” said Sanjay Kumar, a slum dweller. 

Anandpur Sahib, March 28
Three out of four claimants to the seat of Member of Parliament (MP) from Anandpur Sahib constituency are senior secondary pass. The SAD-BJP candidate remains the only highly educated candidate with an MBBS degree.

Ravneet Singh Bittu, grandson of former assassinated Chief Minister Beant Singh, has completed his schooling from Guru Nanak Public School, Sector 36, Chandigarh. “I didn’t really get a chance to complete my college education due to terrorism,” says this young politician who figures in young brigade of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

He says, “For this general election, more than 4.5 crore youngsters have rolled as voters. My prerogative would be to channelise these young minds. Winning or losing is not a priority. The priority is to leave a mark,” he claims.

Similarly, BSP candidate, Kewal Kishan Chauhan “claims” to have passed BA from Government College, Chandigarh. However, he could not specify his college’s address and adds that he passed senior secondary from his village school. Son of a farmer from Ballowal Saunkhri village, Nawanshahr, he joined politics in 1992. After a four-year stint with the BJP, he switched over his loyalty to BSP when Kanshi Ram contested elections from Hoshiarpur constituency. “We will work for upliftment of downtrodden,” he promises.

The SAD-BJP candidate Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema is perhaps the only MBBS candidate for general elections in the entire state. A passout of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot, he has served the BSF as an assistant commandant in Mamdot sector of Faridkot for two years. Later, he joined PCMS in 1988 and worked in Kakrala village and Cheema Kalan before joining active politics in 1992.

Interestingly, the CPM candidate Maha Singh Rori too has the distinction of serving the state government. He passed his high secondary and enrolled as multipurpose health worker with the state government. He took premature retirement in 2005 as sanitary inspector from Dhudike village, Moga. He claims, “I have been transferred 18 times during 35 years of my service for being active in trade union.”

Jalandhar, March 28
The Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) will hold its general house meeting from March 30 to April 1 at Nabha to decide which party it should support in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state.

President, BKU, Balbir Singh Rajewal today said his organisation had not decided yet to which party it should support. A decision would be taken only after holding consultations with party activists. “We have invited our office-bearers up to the block level for the meeting. Each office-bearer will be asked to speak his mind at the meeting,” he said. Only then a decision with regard to support would be taken.

Meanwhile, the Lakhowal group of the BKU will most likely support the SAD-BJP combine. Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, president, BKU, is holding a political post of a chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board. 

Ludhiana, March 28
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said her government was sympathetic towards Kukki, who was facing life imprisonment for the murder of Lalit Makan and his wife. She said since the model code of conduct had been imposed in the country, anything on parole would be decided after the elections by the review committee. She made it clear that her government would not oppose Kukki’s plea.

Talking to reporters after presiding over the annual convocation at Guru Nanak Khalsa College here today, Dikshit also sought to downplay the issue of Varun Gandhi. She said whatever Varun had said against the minorities, be they anybody, was unacceptable. She said she did not know what were his compulsions to speak like that, but he should have avoided such utterances. Moreover, the Chief Minister maintained that the issue was the creation of media and too much attention was being given to the case.

On the issue of allotment of tickets to Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar by the Congress, particularly when they were accused of the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984, Dikshit said both leaders had been acquitted in all inquiries and cases.

“The matter of the fact is that none of the two have been found guilty, so there is no reason not to give them the tickets,” she said, while arguing that the Congress was the only party in the country that respected the sentiments of everybody, including the minorities.

Asked as how she had managed to return for the third consecutive term as the Chief Minister despite the trend of anti-incumbency prevailing almost all over the country, Dikshit said she always believed in sincere service to the people and “they (the people) did acknowledge it”.

To a question as how the Congress could provide wheat for Rs 3 a kg and that too so late after spending almost five years in power, she said this had become possible only after the prediction of bumper crops across the country. “It is better to provide wheat to people at affordable prices so that everybody can have two meals than to let it waste in godowns,” she observed.

Dikshit also expressed confidence that the Congress-led UPA would return to power at the Centre. It would be a repeat of “Delhi in Delhi”, she remarked in a lighter vein while referring to her own victory in the Assembly elections.

Chandigarh, March 28
After the issue of liquor cartel’s reported existence in Punjab was brought to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s notice, a Division Bench wants to know what action the state proposes to take to remedy the situation.

The observation by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Hemant Gupta follow a petition that has been filed by MLA Harmohinder Singh and another on allotments of vends.

The petitioners are seeking directions for setting aside the allotment of liquor vends in favour of the “Chadha group”. The group is, reportedly, managed by liquor baron Ponty Chadha and Inderpreet Chadha.

In the petition, MLA Harhohinder Singh and another had earlier sought directions for ordering an inquiry into the irregularities committed in the allotment of vends in the state for 2008-09.

Describing the allotment process as “illegal”, the petitioners, through senior counsel Mohan Jain, had contended the rules made it mandatory that applications were supported by requisite documents, application fee and five per cent amount of licence fee of a particular vend in form of demand draft.

But the Chadha group got maximum number of liquor vends allotted in their name or in that of their associates by manipulating the applications without submitting the requisite number of bank drafts.

The manipulation was done in connivance with the officials of the department concerned as they entertained deficient applications without proper demand drafts.

Jain contended the state, in its reply, claimed it had framed a policy for allotment of liquor vends to have healthy competition and not to create monopolies. But, the facts do not support their assertion.

The mere fact that all these allotments were made on the basis of applications under different names by the Ponty Chadha Group, with the earnest money running in hundreds of crores, was indicative of monopoly.

It was added the state was unable to check the cartel, which had resulted in creation of monopoly in favour of the Ponty Chadha group.

At the outset, the whole process appeared to have been hijacked.

The Bench directed the state additional advocate-general to seek instructions and appraise the court as to what remedial action was proposed. The case would now come up on April 2.

Ludhiana, March 28
The Science Mistresses’ Association has taken exception to the decision of the Punjab government to order fresh interviews of science mistresses and sought the withdrawal of the notification issued in this regard.

Science mistresses were selected in 2001 and after more than seven years of service, the state government has constituted a departmental committee headed by the DPI (Secondary) to make fresh selection of science mistresses. Some of the selected science mistresses were earlier working on an ad hoc basis in the college cadre and had left their jobs for a permanent selection in 2001.

In a memorandum to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, association’s president Anupdeep Kaur and its general secretary Navneet Kaur have stated that the selection of science mistresses (medical) had been made on merit and they had not paid a single penny in bribe. They had since been confirmed in service. Some of these were gold medalists, while some were even PhD.

They said in a complaint of an unsuccessful candidate, Nisha Kaura, the then Lok Pal on May 21, 2002, recommended that the selection of science mistresses be made afresh because the selection committee did not include university-level professors as subject experts and the marks of the interview seemed to have been awarded arbitrarily by the selection committee without explaining the academic qualifications of the candidates.

Contesting the contention of the Lok Pal, the association has maintained that there is no rule or regulation which makes it mandatory for the government to include the subject experts of the selection committee from amongst the subject experts at the university level (medical).

Earlier, the government had stated in the High Court that the selection was absolutely fair. The Director, Public Instructions (SE), was the coordinator of all departmental selection committees constituted by the government for selection of teachers in 2001.