Bathinda, April 24
“The great country of ours needs great leaders of high integrity to become a super power and for this it is necessary that it is ruled by powers, which have hold over the entire country.” This was stated by Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit while addressing a rally in Gandhi Market this evening. She was here to campaign for Congress candidate for Bathinda Raninder Singh.

She said this can happen only when we have parties in power at Centre who have a team of good leaders all over. This has not happened for last 60 years barring few exceptions, she added. She said that Congress is a party with positive thinking and leaders like Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. “No party can defeat the Congress,” she added.

“We are not mandated to bring nuclear power from the US, the deal only opens the door. The nuclear deal will make India a youthful country for the next two decades," she said.

Attacking the BJP, she alleged, "With its selfish political agenda, the BJP is enjoying the role of a spectator... it is a most irresponsible act. The N-deal was taken up by the BJP during the NDA government, now what makes them withdraw." She said that UPA Government was committed to wipe out terrorism from the country.

She urged the public to vote for Congress to bring about prosperity in the country.

Earlier, Paramjit Singh Sarna, Delhi State Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGPC) president said it is a time for the Akalis in general and the Sikhs in particular to rally behind an honest and committed Dr Manmohan Singh whose elevation as Prime Minister had given the community respectability worldwide.

Sarna has also cautioned the Akalis against those "anti-national forces that are always active in damaging the national and minority interests to establish their so-called nationality to achieve their own vested interests.

Among others, Jagmeet Singh Brar, former minister and Congress candidate from Ferozepur LS seat, Harminder Singh Jassi, local MLA and Ashok Kumar, district Congress president, Bathinda, were also present on the occasion.

Fazilka, April 24
Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, while addressing a public meeting organised to garner support of Ferozepur candidate, Jagmeet Brar, said the Congress had granted SC status to Rai Sikhs in year 2007.

The repeated claim of the Congress that it was the one that got SC status for Rai Sikhs is an attempt to combat the SAD strategy of fielding a Rai Sikh caste candidate Sher Singh Ghubaya from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency.

She said the voters must not vote in favour of regional parties like Akali Dal and BSP as regional parties create political instability at the national level. These small parties are not capable of doing any good, she added. She said that Congress being committed for social upliftment and development of farmers and downtrodden has waived off loans to farmers. It has ensured job avenues to all for 100 days.

In an indirect reference to BJP, Dikshit said having toured many parts of the country she had felt that vast majority of the people do not want a government which intends to divides he country on religious basis. She pleaded special package for residents of border district of Ferozepur who directly face the enemy across the borders.

Congress candidate Jagmeet Singh Brar said that if he is elected he would ensure similar development in Punjab.

Differences within the Congress party ranks were once again seen as Congress MLA Sunil Kumar Jakhar, former Congress minister Hans Raj Josan were conspicuous by their absence. 

Bathinda, April 24
Parmajit Singh Sarna, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee, today asked SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar to come out of the “slave mindset” and not act as a puppet of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal. He criticised Makkar for his remarks that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not a Sikh. He regretted Makkar having recently questioned the credentials of Manmohan Singh and his contribution to Punjab.

Sarna asked Makkar to have a moral courage and acknowledge the public sentiment that every Sikh felt proud of Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister of the country with a billion-plus population.

Sarna, who was campaigning for the Congress candidate Raninder Singh, took exception to Makkar saying that the BJP leader L.K. Advani would always be a better PM than Manmohan Singh.

Sarna asked Makkar to read Advani’s autobiography wherein he had proudly claimed that he and his party had put pressure on the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to go for Operation Bluestar.

He asked Makkar, “Can a person, who proudly claims to have a role in the destruction of the Akal Takht, be a better PM than a humble Sikh”.

Referring to Makkar’s remarks that the PM had done nothing for Punjab, Sarna said Manmohan Singh had announced a special package for the 1984-riot victims, issued special grants for Punjab, announced construction of the Guru Gobind Singh Marg from Talwandi Sabo to Nanded besides many other development projects.

He said it was after a long time that the Sikhs had occupied the premier position after Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had established a Sikh kingdom. “It is after over 160 years that the Sikhs could get an identity in the world with Manmohan Singh becoming the Prime Minister.”

He regretted that Makkar despite occupying the august post of the president of the SGPC was not able to come out of the “slave mindset”. Sarna said he was only doing the bidding of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukbir Badal.

Bathinda, April 24
The Gazetted and Non-Gazetted SC/BC Employees Welfare Federation, Punjab, has urged the state government to implement the guidelines in the 85th Amendment to the Constitution, which provided benefit of seniority from the date of promotion to the employees, including the SC, ST and BC employees.

Addressing a press conference at the Teachers’ Home here today, Jasbir Singh Paul, chairman of the Federation, said the Punjab government was “insulting” the Parliament by not implementing the 85th amendment. He added that there was a backlog of 80 lakh jobs reserved for SCs/STs in the country, which should be cleared immediately.

The chairman criticised Dalit MPs and MLAs for not raising their voice for the upliftment and betterment of Dalits, except during elections.

Among other issues, the Federation leaders demanded that reservation in recruitment and promotions should be increased to 33 per cent so that the constitutional provision was implemented, the fifth pay commission report should be released at the earliest and the daily wage workers should be regularised.

The members of the Federation said that to press for their demands a protest march would be held in Bathinda on May 1.

Ropar, April 24
Tonnes of heavy density furnace oil spilt today when the pipe carrying the same burst in unit III of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant, Ropar. The spillage further entered the nearby Sutlej and the Ropar international wetland.

The incident took place at 10.30 am today. Employees of the thermal plant blocked the place from where the oil started draining out into the Ghanauli drain that runs into the river.

By blocking the drain, the employees managed to recover a large amount of fuel. Member (generation) of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) GS Sra said such incidents happened in a large setup like this. “Media has a habit to blow up matters, so I would not comment further on the issue,” he added, refusing to comment on the losses.

The fuel was in the bitumen form and when made to run through pipes its temperature increases to around 50ºC to 95º C. For three hours the oil kept on pouring out of the pipes. Sand was used to douse the flames and prevent any further damage. This fuel is being brought from the Mathura refinery.

Sources said a few portions of this power plant had outlived their life and it was not easy for the employees to manage running it successfully.

Member secretary of PPCB Babu Ram said he had directed the PPCB environmental engineer to visit the spot and check any damage incurred by the flora and fauna. “We will initiate proceedings accordingly,” he added.

Meanwhile, local bird watcher Jaspreet Singh said the migratory birds had already left the wetland, but it’s the local flora and fauna that might be affected with the spillage.

Moga, April 24
The Punjab State Ayurvedic Medical Services Association has rejected the revised pay scale recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission alleging that they have not been given total pay parity in accordance to the Central pay pattern.

Dr Atamjit Singh Basra president and Dr Navdeep Singh Brar general secretary of the Association said that the state pay commission recommendations for ayurvedic doctors were unreasonable, as it had not followed the pay parity pattern of the Central government for allopathic, ayurvedic and homeopathy doctors.

The Association has demanded from the implementation committee set-up by the government to have a fresh look on the Commission's report and adjust their salary structure in accordance to the salary being given to ayurvedic doctors of the union government.

It may be mentioned that the allopathic, ayurvedic and homeopathy doctors hired under the National Rural Health Mission Project working in Primary Health Care Centres were getting equal pay and facilities.

The Commission has recommended the salary structure of allopathic doctors under the pay band-4 of Group-A officers at Rs 15,600-39,100 along with Rs 5400 grade pay. The ayurvedic doctors have also been placed under Group-A officers but their salaries have been recommended under the pay band-3 at Rs 10,300-34,800 with Rs 5000 grade pay.

Abohar, April 24
The CIA staff here today unfolded another case of siphoning off of the PDS wheat in the rural areas and got a case registered at Khuyiansarwar police station against 3 persons, including son of a former member of the SGPC, who had also served as vice-president of the district unit of the SAD, sources said.

As per information, a joint team of the department of Food and Supplies and the CIA staff, on a tip off, intercepted a tractor-trolley, loaded with wheat. Driver identified as Chan Singh fled on seeing the police while owner of the vehicle Gurbux Singh was nabbed.

He reportedly revealed that he had purchased 18 quintal of wheat that had been issued to depot holder Rasal Singh, son of a senior SAD leader of village Rukanpura Khuikhera, for distribution to the BPL families against the blue cards. The police raided the depot and residence of Rasal Singh but he had escaped by then, sources added. — OC

Bathinda, April 24
The Rampura police on Thursday nabbed an attempt to rape accused, who was at large for the past two months, after laying a trap.

In the case lodged at Rampura on March 1, 2009, Varinder Kumar alias Pinna of Rampura was booked under sections 376, 511, 323, 452 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

In this case, a 17-year-old girl of Barnala had lodged her statement before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Phul, Sanjeev Joshi under section 164 of the CrPC.

The accused had applied for anticipatory bail which was rejected by additional sessions judge, Bathinda, JS Kular on March 18.

The staff at the Rampura police station said that following a tip-off, the accused had been arrested on Thursday when he was moving around in the town.

According to information gathered, the accused Varinder Kumar was booked in various cases at Mansa, Kot Bhai (Muktsar), Ahmedgarh (Sangrur) and Rampura.