Patiala, April 14
The Congress campaign committee chairman, Capt Amarinder Singh, and his wife and Congress candidate from Patiala Preneet Kaur faced revolt from an unexpected quarter as Amarinder’s aunt (chachi) and former MP Amarjit Kaur resigned from the Congress to join the SAD here today.

The defection of senior leaders like Amarjit, who has been MP twice, former member of the UNO and has performed as chairman of the Central Social Welfare Board twice apart from having been the president of the Mahila Congress, at this crucial moment can prove costly for Preneet, who is seeking election to the Lok Sabha for a third term.

SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who visited the residence of Amarjit in the morning, said political battles could be fought only by leading workers from the front and not through a remote-controlled media campaign while sitting in air-conditioned rooms of Moti Bagh Palace. “He is only appearing for brief photo sessions, enacted daily, in the air-conditioned library of the palace, showcasing the induction of rootless leaders in the Congress,” said Sukhbir, having a dig at his arch rival.

Making a mockery of “rotational headship” introduced in the Congress to keep the dwindling flock of “disgruntled leaders” together, Sukhbir said the Congress was a “leaderless party”, with every leader being given the opportunity to head the party for one month on a rotational basis.

He said there was so much infighting in the Congress that it has no energy left with to fight the Akali Dal in electoral battle.

Amarjit said she was pained at the attitude of the Congress that had awarded accused of 1984 riots. She said she was feeling suffocated in that party in which mass-based leaders were deliberately being sidelined, giving priority to sycophants.

Prominent among those who were present there were Prem Singh Chandumajra, SAD-BJP candidate from Patiala, Raj Khurana, chief parliamentary secretary, Surjit Singh Rakhra, president of the NRI wing of the SAD, Gurpreet Singh Raju Khana, chairman of the Youth Development Board, Surjit Singh Kohli, Harmel Singh Tohra, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, Hamir Singh Ghagga and Dalip Singh Pandhi, all former ministers.

Chandigarh, April 14
The EC today allowed the Punjab government to receive the report of the Fifth Pay Commission. But government employees put pressure on the govenment to take steps to accept all pending demands linked to pay scales, allowances and pension benefits.

The state government, which intended to implement the pay panel recommendations after the elections, has now been under pressure to accept all pending demands or face opposition from them in the Lok Sabha elections.

A spokesman of the Chief Electoral Officer here said the state government had been allowed to process the report. The government yesterday requested the EC to allow it to implement the recommendations of the pay panel. It has also contended central public sector undertakings and even the Chhattisgarh government had been allowed to implement new pay scales.

The Punjab Mulazam Sangharsh Committee (PMSC) has decided to launch “pol khol” march from Khatkar Kalan on April 16. PMSC leaders Ranbir Dhillon, Hari Singh Tohra, Bhupinder Singh Waraich and Sucha Singh Khatra demanded that the government implement revised pay scales, allowances and pension facilities as per agreement of January 27 with the organisation as well as Cabinet decision of March 2 this year. The leaders said both decisions should be implemented without delay.

The leaders said the employees would go ahead with “non-cooperation” plan as far as poll duties was concerned. They also demanded that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal should take steps to accept the demand allowing dearness allowance instalment at the rate of 10 per cent from January 2009.

Wagah (Amritsar), April 14
Visitors coming to watch the Retreat ceremony here in the evening from both sides of the border have started charging the atmosphere with loud slogans at the sensitive border post.

Visitors, whose number has increased suddenly in recent weeks because of tension in the relations between the two neighbouring countries, rend the air with fiery slogans trying to outdo each other. The ceremony begins after 5 pm. Smartly dressed tall BSF jawans and Pakistani Rangers however keep cool.

People from Punjab and as far as Patna, Chennai and Hyderabad come to watch the ceremony, perhaps one of the most recorded and watched events in the world. Sometimes international TV network teams and from other countries come here to record the “rare show of flag hoisting and lowering together” of the two countries having a history of three wars.

The visitors treat BSF jawans as heroes. After the ceremony, BSF jawans are most sought after by people for shaking hands with them and getting photographed with them.

“Film actors are also heroes, but I feel they (BSF jawans) are real heroes. They defend our borders,” said Seema, who has come from Patna with her mother Sumitra. Bimal Aggarwal, who has come from Chennai, also feels so. Visitors sometimes, out of excitement, exceed prescribed restrictions, but BSF jawans try to oblige maximum number of visitors.

However, due to poor arrangements for visitors on this side at the Wagah border, most of them return disappointed. Most of them even cannot see the real action on the zero line owing to huge gathering and less space on the raised gallery made for the purpose.

After the Retreat ceremony, visitors get held up in traffic jams for hours as traffic on the Wagah-Amritsar road is not streamlined. Almost every day, especially on Saturdays and Sundays, thousands of vehicles, including cars, tourist buses and auto-rickshaws, can be seen raising clouds of dust in the entire area.

Chandigarh, April 14
The Punjab Congress today, in a complaint to the EC, demanded removal of the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Patiala and Mohali, claiming they were working according to the dictates of the family of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal.

In the complaint by the party legal cell, which was released by party campaign committee chairman Capt Amarinder Singh’s aide Karanpal Sekhon here, the party has alleged that Patiala DC Deepinder Singh was closely associated with the Badal family and remained officer on special duty with him during his earlier stint as the CM. It said Mohali DC PS Mand was related to late Capt Kanwaljit Singh and was residing in Mohali for the past 15 years.

The Congress also submitted a list of several police and other officers posted in Tarn Taran, Moga, Muktsar, Mansa and Khanna, who were posted against the cadre posts despite being only PPS officers.

The complaint mentioned, in particular, the name of DSP Joginder Singh, alias Golu, presently posted as DSP, CID, Bathinda. It said, “He is the most trusted man of the Badal family”. It also questioned the appointment of Dr Jatinder Jain, DIG, Vigilance, Bathinda.

Chandigarh, April 14
Six candidates, including Congress candidate from Ferozepur Jagmeet Singh Brar, filed their nominations today.

Amanpreet Kaur filed her nomination as the covering candidate for Brar. Manoj Kumar of the Akhil Bharti Shiv Sena (Rashatravadi) and Dhayan Singh SAD (A) have also filed their nomination papers from Ferozepur. Others filing their nominations included Bhagwant Singh Samao, CPI (ML) Liberation, who filed his nomination papers from Bathinda and Billu Singh, All-India Shiromani Baba Jiwan Singh (Majabi Dal) who filed his papers from Sangrur.

The total number of 960 complaints of violations had been received out of which 536 had been disposed off.

Ferozepur: SAD candidate from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency Sher Singh Ghubaiya filed his nomination papers before the Returning Officer-cum-District Magistrate Megh Raj here on Monday.

He was accompanied by SAD president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sukhpal Singh Nannu, MLA Harpreet Singh, General Secretary of the BJP DP Chandan and other local leaders of the ruling party.

Jalandhar, April 14
Both Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) are equally responsible for not providing justice to victims of Sikh massacre in 1984 in Delhi and some other parts of the country.

BSP state president and Rajya Sabha member Avtar Singh Karimpuri stated this while talking to this correspondent on phone.

Elaborating, Karimpuri said the NDA, one of its constituents is the SAD, ruled the nation for seven years, but no culprit of the ’84 riots was punished. Similar was the case with the UPA, he said, adding that was why the Sikh community could not get justice even after 25 years of the riots.

He said no other BSP candidate in Punjab would be replaced after former SP Madanjeet Singh, who was changed from the Sangrur parliamentary seat with Mohammad Jameel-Ur-Rehman a few days back.

He termed as baseless the serious allegation levelled by Madanjeet that he was replaced as he had not paid BSP leaders Rs 50 lakh demanded by them.

Karimpuri said Madanjeet was replaced as he had been bed-ridden for the past three months as he was suffering from hernia. He also remained admitted at a hospital in Delhi for treatment.

Ropar, April 14
Four children drowned near Head Darbar Tibbi Sahib Gurdwara today afternoon while they were taking a dip. Three of them were from nearby Taunsa village and another from Fatehpur Tajewal village in Nawanshahr.

They had come to pay obeisance at Tibbi Sahib Gurdwara in Ropar on the occasion of Baisakhi. The deceased have been identified as Naresh Kumar (15), Bhag Ram (16), Parvinder Singh (18), all from Taunsa and Vikramjit Singh (14) from Fatehpur Tajewal.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the episode.

Five of the friends had ventured into the Sutlej. The fifth one, Balwinder Singh from Taunsa, came back. “As part of an adventurous dive, all of us decided to take a dip in water. I don’t know how to swim, so I came back. As I turned to look back, all four went missing,” sobbing Balwinder told the police.

Divers from Ropar and volunteers of the gurdwara looked for the bodies. Till 4 pm, Naresh’s body was recovered. The divers found Naresh was fighting for breath. However, before getting medical aid he died. Parwinder’s body too was recovered by evening. All five divers and volunteers of the gurdwara were searching for other two bodies till the filing of the report. The rescuers were facing problem of poor visibility in the muddy water.

SSP, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Rakesh Aggarwal said the children were taking bath away from the designated place. “Gurdwara management had made arrangements for pilgrims to take dip at a particular place. The children defied the norm and went in deep water,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said the district administration had decided to give Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased.

Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has mourned the deaths of the children.

SDM Balachaur Narinder Singh Batth, Balachaur DSP Jagmohan Singh, Kathgarh SHO Shamsher Singh too reached the spot. The Kathgarh police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174, Cr PC.

Amritsar, April 14
Members of a cultural troupe from Britanny (Western France) who arrived here today shopped in traditional bazaars.

The 50-member troupe of dancers and musicians came here to perform Breizh Side Storiou (nightingale of the valley) in traditional costumes at the BBK DAV College for Women here on behalf of the Virsa Vihar Society. The traditional Breton folk music of France includes variety of vocal and instrumental styles.

The foreign artistes purchased traditional Punjabi juttis (shoes) and artificial jewellery and evinced interest in local handicraft and handloom items. Praising Punjabi juttis they spent time in the Mochi bazaar.

Hand-woven carpets, blankets, woollen garments and of course traditional Indian garments with Punjabi design were also in great demand by the French nationals.

Jalandhar, April 14
Doaba farmers today demonstrated at Jaffarpur village, near Shahkot, 40 km from here, to protest against a potato seed company-Technico limited. Farmers accused the company of providing defective seed to them.

Sukhjit Singh Bhatti, president of the Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers, said he had suffered loss of Rs 3.50 crore due to defective seed of the company. He said cracks appear in potato tubers produced from the seed supplied by the company. The seed of Kufri Jyoti variety, Bhatti said, was procured from the tissue laboratory of the company.

“ There are so many others who too had suffered loss”, said Bhatti. He claimed farmers from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr took part in the demonstration. “ After multiplication, we have been supplying seed to Bengal and some other states. As farmers, who got seed from us in these states, have harvested crop of defective potato, they were blaming us for providing poor quality seed”, said Bhatti. “ For us, it was loss of face and trust of the farmers we were supplying the seed to,”, he said. Cracks in potatoes was abnormal and harvested crop is not worth marketing.

Bhatti said on inspection of potato fields, the Central Potato Research Station had found fault with the seed. He said “somacolonal variation” had been detected in potato and the problem was related to tissue culture of mother seed.

Farmers in Doaba are known for multiplication of seed. About 80 per cent seed to farmers is supplied from Doaba.

Chandigarh, April 14
Is pursuing floriculture in green house a commercial activity? The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) would lead us to believe so. However, the national horticulture mission thinks otherwise.

Now, the future prospects of all these 50-odd farmers, as well as the horticulture mission project in Punjab, has come under a cloud with the PSEB slapping a bill of Rs 1.59 lakh on a law graduate who has taken to green house farming.

The power utility has held that the farmer was engaged in a “commercial activity” during the provisional assessment for unauthorised use of electricity under the Power Act.

“I grow zerbra flowers and market them myself in Chandigarh but I was told that this is an agricultural activity and I should be billed as so for the power consumed by me in operating my tubewell connection,” says Tripjit Sidhu of Nadha village, on the outskirts of the city in Ropar district.

Tripjit said he had started work on his 1,000 sq yard green house in October 2007 and the structure was laid in February last year. “After fumigating the land, I sowed zerbra plants and spent Rs 1.96 lakh on purchasing the hybrid plants besides Rs 1.20 lakh on labour and nutrition and fertilisers during the past one year. Now, when I have started taking the produce, I am being asked to deposit bills on commercial rates by the board”, he added.

Claiming that the PSEB was not paying heed to the family’s pleas, Tripjit’s father Amarjit Sidhu said he had also approached the Agriculture Secretary to clarify their contention to the PSEB. He said the board was threatening to cut their power connection in case they did not submit the bill.

Meanwhile, state horticulture director Dr Baldev Singh, when questioned on the issue, said flowers were also agriculture produce and that the power utility could not charge commercial rates for such activity. “Such rates can be charged for industrial activity only,” he said, adding the confusion could be among lower-level officials of the power utility.

Bathinda, April 14
The job scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is a boon for the elderly forsaken by their families and who have to fend for themselves in the twilight of life.

A visit to Lehra Dhurkot village in the district, on the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway, nearly 30 elderly persons were seen digging a pond (chhappar) near the cremation ground. They shared sorrows and joy with The Tribune.

“We are employed under NREGA for three months to dig a pond in the village. This scheme is helpful to us as our kin have refused us shelter,” said elderly Som Nath.

“About 20 years back, my son went his own way and now at the age of 75, the scheme is proving good for me as here we all work, enjoy and get the money for livelihood,” he added.

Others too narrated their tale. Almost all of them were dejected due to family reasons as they had been abandoned by their kin or had lost their life partners.

Elderly couple, Bhura Singh and Daleep Kaur, in choked voice said, “We have two daughters and two sons, all married. In the last phase of our lives, they have left us. Now we are depending on this scheme for livelihood”.

Darshan Singh, who had lost a hand, and Jagsir Singh, who was struck by polio, were also seen working there.

Grey-haired Gurmel Singh said, “I have two sons and four daughters, two of whom are married. It was my ill fate that one of my married daughters, due to some dispute with her in-laws, has now come back to stay with us, along with her three children. It is due to helplessness I am here, but when I join these people for work, I forget all my worries”. Widow Harjeet Kaur, said, “I have two sons who are too young to earn a living. So I am working here.”

Before leaving the place, they all said, “We are working to earn wages which will guarantee us food and happiness. Every fortnight we are paid. This time we have been told the wages have been revised, which is good news for us”. To why they did not go to harvest wheat, they replied, “The scheme guarantees work for only 100 days in a year and we are about to complete that period. We fear if we leave this project midway, the government may not allow us to rejoin. So, we all are committed and for the moment do not want to go anywhere else.”

Chandigarh, April 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has not found anything amiss with the show-cause notices issued to Ludhiana Improvement Trust in December last year for holding a special audit.

The Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice HS Bhalla ruled: “There is nothing unwarranted, nor any lack of bona fide.

Even in the last assessment, special audit was ordered. The writ petition is wholly misconceived and the same is dismissed”.

In its petition against Ludhiana Commissioner of Income Tax department and other respondents, the Trust had sought directions for quashing show-cause notices, proposing to hold the special audit.

The Trust claimed it had filed its return for assessment year 2006-07 on October 29, 2006, and the case was selected for scrutiny on October 27, 2007.

A notice under the Income Tax Act was issued and assessment was required to be completed by December 31, 2008. But on December 5, 2008, a show-cause notice was issued, proposing to hold a special audit.

The Trust alleged special audit could be ordered only when the assessing officer was satisfied the nature of the accounts was. Counsel claimed the books of account were not even inspected on or before the date of issuance of notice proposing to hold special audit.

During the hearing, the department disclosed “in the preceding assessment year 2005-06, books of account were maintained on cash-system basis and as a result of examination of books of account by the Special Auditor, the income of the petitioner-Trust was assessed at Rs 8.6 crore as against the income returned by the petitioner-Trust at Rs 40.54 lakh. The gap between two incomes was, thus, evident”.

Taking up the matter, the Bench ruled: “The decision to undertake special audit for the assessment year 2006-07 does not emanate from the casual or in-serious approach of the respondents.

“It has come on record that the department has issued a letter dated November 26, 2008, to the petitioner-Trust, which posed a number of queries calling for details/ supporting evidence on various issues.

“The petitioner-Trust was to appear before the assessing officer on December 5, 2008, when it failed to appear nor any information was sent, despite the fact that it was duly informed that time barring assessment is involved and as such compliance to the above queries was to be ensured by December 5, 2008.

“Keeping in view the possibility of ignoring any income from the assessment and ensuring the interest of the revenue, a show-cause notice was issued.

“There is neither any procedural lapse because the prior approval of the Commissioner of Income Tax-III, Ludhiana, was obtained before issuance of the show-cause notice.”