Chandigarh, May 19
First-time Punjab MPs elected to seven out of a total of 13 seats in the state are brimming with ideas to raise employment opportunities as well improve living standards in rural areas.

Some like Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD) are raring to go and already opening their computers to find out what needs to be done and where. “I have noted down five things people most want in every village of my constituency and I am going to focus on delivering these to the people,” Harsimrat says.

The 42-year-old MP and wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal says on the macro level she will focus on making safe drinking water available through reverse osmosis plants in the constituency, besides focusing on sanitation and sewerage facilities in rural areas. 

When asked what she aimed to do to raise employment, she said the government was already pushing for the establishment of an oil refinery. “Besides, Sukhbir is bringing in a Central university, cancer hospital and five-star hotel, all of which are aimed at creating more jobs”, she adds.

First-timer and 37-year-old Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla (Congress) says he will try to use his good offices to woo industry to his constituency. “I understand how even one big project can change the face of an area and I will try to get a big project which can spawn its own ancillaries to give both employment as well as business opportunities to the locals,” he says. As a starter, Singla says he wants more trains to stop at Sangrur, besides opening of drug de-addiction centres with Central funds.

Senior leader but also first time MP from Jalandhar (reserved) Mohinder Singh Kaypee (Congress) says creating better education and health facilities would be his focus. He says though the building of a medical college had been built during the Congress rule, it had failed to take off till date. “I will urge the Ministry of Health that it be converted into a super-speciality hospital”. The MP said he would also try to get an IIT allocated for Jalandhar.

Ferozepur first timer Sher Singh Ghubaya (SAD) says he would try to solve the problems of border farmers besides seeking incentives for the industry in border areas on the pattern of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

“I will try to get the present compensation of Rs 2,500 per acre given to those tilling land beyond the barbed wire fence along the Pakistan border raised to Rs 5,000 per acre”, he added.

Partap Singh Bajwa (Congress) asserts he will try to remove the problems in the border areas besides trying to rejuvenate industrial pockets like Batala through central assistance.

Chandigarh, May 19
The high court (HC) has ordered the transfer and postings of judicial officers in Punjab and Haryana. In all, 19 district and sessions judges, additional district and sessions judge, presiding officers of industrial tribunal or heading the fast-track courts have been shifted to new places.

Chandigarh additional district and sessions judge Satish Kumar Aggarwal has been transferred to Moga in place of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who succeeds Ravinder Singh at Jalandhar.

Another Chandigarh-based officer to be shifted is Gurpreet Singh Bakshi, additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) serving as secretary, Punjab legal services authority, has been posted as ADSJ, Hoshiarpur as an additional officer, while JS Kler ADJ, Bathinda comes to Mohali.

Virender Kumar, district and sessions judge, ( DSJ), Faridkot, and Inderjit Singh DSJ, Patiala swap places. HPS Mahal ADJ presiding officer-cum industrial tribunal, Ludhiana goes as ADJ, Bathinda in place of Kler.

Baldev Singh Sodhi ADJ, Ferozepur goes as such to Muktsar, Ashwani Kumar Mehta ADJ, Ludhiana goes to Nawanshahr in place of Tejwinder Singh who has been shifted to Gurdaspur in place of Gurmail Singh transferred to Ropar in place of Harpreet Kaur Randhawa, who has been posted as such to Ferozepur as an additional officer.

Harpreet Kaur Jeewan, ADJ, Gurdaspur, is shifted to Patiala in place of Sukhwinder Kaur who has been transferred to Gurdaspur in place of Gurmail Singh who stands transferred to Ropar.

Manoharjit Singh Randhawa, now posted at Ropar as ADJ, goes as such to Ferozepur in place of Baldev Singh Sodhi, Harpal Singh from Patiala to Gurdaspur in place of Surinder Mohan who stands shifted to Ropar fast track court. The transfers/posting orders of Gurmit Ram, ADJ, Muktsar, Jagjit Singh Chohan, Ferozepur and SK Arora, Hoshiarpur, will be issued later.

Bathinda, May 19
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the newly-elected SAD member of Parliament (MP) from Bathinda, today began her eight-day Dhanvad Daura (thanksgiving tour) to express gratitude to all those who supported her and voted for her in the Lok Sabha elections.

The newly-elected MP said she did not want to get involved in the nitty-gritty of being a politician, but wanted to concentrate on development and fulfilling promises made by her. “I will change the system and work for social upliftment. Punjab has earned a bad name for being ahead in female foeticide. I will try and remove this blot from the face of Punjab,” she proclaimed.

When her husband, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who was accompanying her, pointed out that systems did not change in a day, Harsimrat told him that both he and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal formed the system in Punjab and she would ensure that they changed, so that the system also changed for the better.

Harsimrat’s tour began from Badal village and Lambi where she thanked her supporters and distributed sweets.

Harsimrat will be covering all segments of her constituency during the tour, but visiting Bathinda is not on her agenda, disappointed with the response she got from Bathinda city. “I never thought I would get such a lukewarm response from the city.

Two years back, this city was considered the most backward in the state. But with better roads, connectivity, repaired sewer lines and accelerated pace of development, I thought people here would recognise Sukhbir’s efforts to make Bathinda a modern city,” she added.

Harsimrat, however, clarified that this would not make her ignore the development plans for the city. “I will try and fulfill all promises I made at the earliest possible,” she added.

As she started from her village, Badal, accompanied by her husband, huge crowds thronged the places where she delivered her thanksgiving speech. In all her speeches, it was reflected that women and child development were of prime importance to her.

She said, “I thank you all for trusting me and I assure you all that I will live up to your expectations. I will follow in my father-in-law’s footsteps and ensure justice,” Harsimrat said at every village.

Chandigarh, May 19
Congressmen, led by two co-chairs of the Indian Caucus in the United States, have agreed to help remove restrictions, which preclude the Sikhs from serving in the United States Armed Forces. The move assumes significance in light of the Sikhs being discriminated with on account of supporting the turban issue across the world.

A pledge towards this goal was taken last Saturday in Washington at the Sikh American Heritage Dinner, organised by the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE).

The support has come from Congressman Ed Royce Houser and Democrat Jim McDermott, who, as part of the Foreign Relations Committee led by chairman Howard Berman, had recently visited the Golden Temple.

According to Dr Rajwant Singh, chairman of SCORE, a commitment was made to about 225 Sikhs from across the US by Ed Royce, who is a highly ranked Republican member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jim McDermott, a Democrat and well-known expert on Indian issues.

The two have promised to bring this issue on the House floor to press Pentagon to admit Sikhs in the US military. Both are co-chairs of the India Caucus.

McDermott told the Sikh delegation, “Medical professionals in the military were told they had to shave their head and take off their turban and I thought to myself who in the world is in charge over in the Pentagon that made that decision? I know there have been discussions going on about the symbolic dagger and all of the things that are part of Sikhism but to say that these people can’t operate in the US military is just plain silly.”

“This country needs to be the place where everyone has the right to participate to the fullest extent possible in his or her life,” he added.

He also reflected upon his role in forming a hate-free zone in Seattle, Washington, following an attack on a Sikh in the aftermath of 9/11.

Congressman Rush Holt, who has a large Sikh gurdwara in his constituency in Bridgewater, NJ, said, “I believe the Sikhs are serving America in many ways and they should be able to do it in the US army without giving up their personhood.”

Other congressmen present on the occasion, who have pledged support to the turban issue, included Ted Poe from Houston, Michael Wear, Associate Director of the White House’s Faith Based Initiative, Wally Herger of Yuba City, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Ben R. Lujn from New Mexico, Rush Holt of New Jersey, besides others. 

Bathinda, May 19
The high-handedness of the police was witnessed late on Monday night in Bathinda similar to the incidents reported from the badlands of Bihar and UP.

Going by the statement of the victim, an ‘inebriated’ constable from the Police Control Room (PCR) tied his hands behind his back and dragged him with his motorcycle after severely beating him up near the Rose Garden in Bathinda late on Monday night, at around 2 am.

According to the information available, after intercepting four youth at a check-post, some PCR cops had a scuffle with them near the Rose Garden. In the quarrel, one of the youth was severely injured in head, chest and arm.

Talking to the media at the Civil Hospital, the injured, Chamkaur Singh of Naruana road, alleged that he along with his cousin, who had come from Dubai and two other friends, was searching for his missing cousin sister. Chamkaur Singh said his sister worked at a private hospital located on the Bathinda-Goniana road and yesterday she did not reach home till late in the evening. So, they had gone out to find her.

“Near the Rose Garden late at night, two PCR cops intercepted us and interrogated us. We disclosed the matter to them but they made fun of us and used derogatory language. We warned them not to use abusive language but they assaulted me with a lathi,” alleged Chamkaur Singh.

His companions alleged, “We were four in number and the cops were two. So one of them, Malkit Singh, called his other PCR colleagues and then, in the presence of everyone, constable Gurmail Singh threatened us to book in a dacoity case. He used his turban to tie Chamkaur’s hands with the motorcycle and dragged him for some distance. When he started bleeding, they rounded us up and dumped him on his own.”

“The volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva, after receiving information about the incident, took me to the Civil Hospital,” Chamkaur added.

Later, the cop in question, Gurmail Singh, when contacted at the Civil Lines police post, where he was getting his statement recorded in front of officials, parried the queries saying, “I have sought an apology and we have reached a compromise.” He denied allegations that he was drunk.

It has been reported that two SAD (B) leaders were witnessed taking the accused cop to the injured at Civil Hospital to reach a compromise.

SHO, Kotwali, Harmik Singh Deol said, “We have found out that the sister of the injured is missing along with a colleague. The girl is not a minor. Action would definitely be taken against them if they are found guilty.”

Chandigarh, May 19
Convicts serving in Haryana jails can look forward to break the shackles of financial misery. Their wages, fixed about a decade back, are now in for revision.

Concerned with the welfare of the families of the convicts --- health and education included--- the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state to set up a wage fixation board for “skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled convicts in Haryana”.

The last time the board fixed the wages was on July 15, 1999. The skilled were offered daily wages of Rs 16, the semi-skilled Rs 12, and the unskilled Rs 10.

For this, the state literally received rap on its knuckles. “We are not at all impressed with the manner in which the state has dealt with the matter of constituting a wage fixation board.

“If the state had considered the plight of the victim’s families, and the plight of the families of the convicts, the fixation of wages would have been done more realistically; and the convicts would also have been made to work much more productively,” the Bench of Justice KS Garewal and Justice Sham Sunder ruled.

The Bench also directed: The board shall consider the need for payment of compensation to the victims and monthly maintenance to the families of the convicts.

The Bench has also asked the state to “redesign the vocational and production activities in the jails, so that the victims learn contemporary vocation in accordance with their skills, and produce marketable products instead of mundane ones.

Speaking for the Bench, Justice Garewal also recommended nothing less than green and white revolution in the prisons. “Most jails have large tracts of land, which can be used for farming. Jails can also think of dairy farming and sale of milk and milk products to enhance its income.

“All these activities can be undertaken in the jails to provide more income to the jail departments and realistic wages to the convicts,” Justice Garewal asserted.

The Judge also made it clear the kin of convicts covered under the definition of below the poverty line (BPL) families should receive benefits of ration cars and other central or state-sponsored social welfare schemes.

“The families, which can be brought under NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), should be helped in all possible manner to overcome the deprivation of income of the members of the family undergoing jail sentence.”

The Bench had taken up the issue after the plight of Umed Singh and his wife Roshni Devi’s children was brought to its notice. Residents of Bhiwani district, the duo with six children are serving life sentence in a murder case. 

Chandigarh, May 19
Justice Rajan Gupta of Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued dasti notices for May 29 on a petition filed by Punjab MLA Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and ex-MLA Sucha Singh Chhotepur for entrusting to the CBI or an other independent agency the investigation of two cases registered against them and former minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia in a poll-related incident on May 7 in Bathinda parliamentary constituency.

The petitioners have contended that the independent agency should be outside the control of the Punjab government. Directions were also sought to the special investigation team not to proceed with the FIR registered initially against Majithia at the Talwandi Sabo police station in Bathinda; and asked for directions against their arrest during the pendency of the present petition

Hoshiarpur, May 19
Five persons were killed and eight others seriously injured when a cement laden truck (No. HP-23A-1453) after crushing a Santro car (No. PBO-6H-2588) rammed into a halwai shop at Adda Dhoot Kalan on the Hoshiarpur-Dasuya road, 28 km from here, today.

Those who died on the spot were identified as Bimla Devi, wife of late Sucha Singh of Tanda, Harmesh Lal, son of Ram Parkash, Prince (2), son of Suresh Kumar, both of Tibri (Gurdaspur), and Ranjit Kaur, wife of Lakhwinder Singh of Dhoot Kalan.

According to Dr Gurdev Singh, SMO, Civil Hospital, Hoshiarpur, Lakhwinder Singh succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

The injured were identified as Naveen Kumar and his mother Suraksha Devi, all of Tibri, Tejwant Kaur of Chack Khelan, Lakhwinder Singh and Raju of Dhoot Kalan and Gurdev Singh of Sarain were admitted to the local Civil Hospital, whereas Joginder Kumar and Neha, wife of Naveen, were admitted to a local private hospital and Sarabjit Singh of Sarain to PHC, Bhunga.

The car was coming towards Dhootan from Tanda side while the truck was going to Dasuya from Hoshiarpur.

After the accident, the truck drive fled the scene leaving his vehicle behind.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner NK Wadhawan visited the local Civil Hospital. Later, he announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of the five deceased who were killed in this accident and Rs 50,000 each to all eight injured persons.