Jalandhar, June 3
“Mainu Bilga le chalo, mere desh le chalo( take me to my village, to my country”, was the last words of ghadarite Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga who breathed his last at Birmingham (UK), where his sons and grandsons live. The freedom fighter wished to reach his native place before breathing his last but it did not happen.

Baba’s body was consigned consigned to flames at his native village this afternoon. He was 102 on May 22. Before performing the last rites, Baba’s body was kept at Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall, which was built under his patronage and is known for literary and cultural activities.

Baba was given state funeral amidst slogans:Baba bilga amar rahe’ and ‘Baba bilga da pegam, zari rakhna hai sangram. As Baba commanded high respect among trade unions, revolutionary groups and other Left wing organisations and even intellectuals of universities and college, they were all present in large number to pay their last respect to Baba Bilga, whose death marks end of an era of Ghadar movement.

Kulbir Singh Sanghera said Baba died after a brief illness. He was in his senses even a few hours before he breathed his last, said Sanghera.

Among those who paid tributes to Bada were Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Ajit Singh Kohar, Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, Jagbir Singh Brar, Amarjit Singh Samra, Avtar Henry, Gurcharan Singh Channi and some senior officers including Deputy Commissioner Ajit Singh Pannu.

The Kirti Kisan Union, the Kul Hind Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, the Dehati Mazdoor Sabha, the Technical Services Union, the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, the Indian Workers Association and the Pendu Mazdoor Union also paid tributes to Baba Bilga at his village.

Amritsar: Members of the Left parties and farmer unions today gathered at the Rajasansi airport her to pay homage to freedom fighter Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga, whose body was brought here here today at 2 am from London. Ajit Singh Kohar, Minister of Revenue and Rehabilitation, received the body at the airport on behalf of Punjab government.

Bhupinder Singh, president, Punjabi Virasat Foundation, general secretary Harjit Singh Rajasansi, leaders of Leftist parties Ajmer Singh, Jatinder Singh Pannu, Gurmeet Singh, members of farmer unions Jathinder Singh Chhina, Dr Satnalm Siongh Ajnala were among those who paid homage to the Baba .

The office-bearers of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall Naunihal Singh and Gurmeet Singh, general secretary and secretary, respectively, received the body of Baba Bilga at the airport, which was later taken to his native place Bilga near Nurmahal in Jalandhar district.

Chandigarh, June 3
Punjab, which consumes bananas worth Rs 500 crore every year, is set to grow them, too, with 250 acres to be brought under banana cultivation next month and another 500 acres in February next year.

Bananas are being grown on demonstration plots in Punjab for t three years, following an initiative of the Punjab Farmers Commission. and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, which was associated with the move, has since recommended banana cultivation in southern Punjab because it faces less harsh winters.

Farmers have decided to increase holding under bananas. Mewa Singh of Kolar village near Jagraon says even though the first banana crop is said to be very risky, he had earned Rs 2.20 lakh from his two-acre banana plantation. “I hope to do better this year” he said.

Nishan Singh Pannu of Malerkotla says he could not get profit in first year as his plants were small but he had earned Rs 1.75 lakh from one-acre plantation in second year. Pannu has planted bananas in four more acres this year and says 15 more farmers in and around Malerkotla are now growing bananas after his success.

Farmers also stand to gain from banana cultivation due to the subsidies offered under the Horticulture Mission. This means 75 per cent subsidy to those going in for drip irrigation and 50 per cent reduction in per plant cost from Rs 16 per plant to Rs 8. The Farmers Commission is providing the latter subsidy.

Farmers Commission member Dr PS Rangi, says the commission asked PAU to conduct feasibility study for taking up banana cultivation in Punjab after the success of such cultivation in the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh, which has similar climate. He said to offset harsh winter climate, farmers were advised to harvest fruit in November before the winter arrived. Dr Rangi said this strategy suited them because of the heavy demand in the festival season. He, however, advises farmers to go in for maturer plants to ensure they get a crop before the winter sets in and the plants wither away.

Dr Rangi also said the Punjab Mandi Board was working to establish 10 ripening chambers in the state with chambers in Ludhiana, Khanna, Jagraon and Malerkotla already ready. He said three laboratories had also been established to develop the “Grand Naina” variety, which was being propagated in the state.

Chandigarh, June 3
With another report on suicides in the farm sector being released, this time by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana, the number of people who have ended lives following indebtedness has become more confusing with no official figures available with the district administrations of the two districts surveyed.

According to sources district administrations of most suicide affected districts, including Sangrur and Bathinda, surveyed, are not following the due process of law to record suicide deaths. The sources said according to Section 174 CrPC all unnatural deaths have to be reported to the illaqa magistrate, which is the sub divisional magistrate or the deputy commissioner before an inquest can be carried out.

According to a Tribune survey two years back this is not being followed with most SDMs interviewed then not aware of a single suicide case in their area. A similar exercise conducted recently also revealed deputy commissioners of Sangrur and Bathinda are unaware of indebtedness related suicide cases in their districts.

Movement Against State Repression (MASR) convener Inderjit Singh Jaijee claims this ignorance could be deliberate. He pointed out to a revenue report in his possession, which has been signed by the SDM in 2001 pointing out the 30 persons who had committed suicide in 20 villages in Moonak sub division. Jaijee also has in his possession a CID report listing details of 130 persons who have committed suicide in Sangrur district.

Jaijee claims in the light of even official documents available on suicide deaths in Sangrur, it was surprising why the administration was silent on the issue. Jaijee says he has also submitted a list of 967 suicide victims from 91 villages in Moonak and Lehra subdivisons out of which 890 cases were supported with affidavits by panchayats.

The MASR claims around 3,000 suicides are taking place in Punjab every year though government figures are more conservative. Punjab government status report, 2004 has put the figure at 2,116 for period from 1998 to 2004, the Punjab Farmers Commission has put the figure at 2,000 per year, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) has put the figure at 90,000 for the period from 1990 to 2006 by extrapolating the figure of 29,766 recorded from eight districts after a random check of 261 villages. The Punjab Revenue Department’s report of 2007 puts the figure at 132 for five years while the Punjab Police report of 2007 has figure of seven for seven years.

MASR convener Jaijee while welcoming the latest PAU study, which has recorded a suicide figure of 2,990 from 2000 to 2008 in Sangrur and Bathinda distritcts, demanded the government pay compensation to all victims whose cases had been verified by their panchayats.

Ballan, June 3
Moist eyes await the arrival of the mortal remains of Sant Ramanand from Vienna tomorrow morning even as hundreds of devotees already made it to Dera Sachkhand by this evening.

The security arrangements were reviewed by DGP KK Attri here this afternoon. He is learnt to have issued instructions to senior officers to deal with any law and order problem with an iron hand.

Dera general secretary SR Heer said the body of the Sant would arrive in Delhi after 1 am tonight and would be flown to the Dera tomorrow morning. We expect the body to be here by 9 am. It would be placed for darshan for the devotees by 10 am, after performing religious rituals.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Preneet Kaur and Selja, both Union Ministers and former CM Capt Amarinder Singh are expected to receive the body at Delhi, he added. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, too, is expected to accompany the body to the drea tomorrow.

He added that the cremation would take place between 3 pm and 4 pm. “We expect more than 1 lakh people to pay their last respects to the departed soul,” he added.

Meanwhile, DS Guru, principal secretary to the CM, has reached Vienna and paid floral tributes to Sant Ramanand today on behalf of CM Parkash Singh Badal. He also called on Sant Niranjan Dass, who is convalescing at the hospital.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the administration for the cremation of the body of the Sant with state honours. A three- tier security cordon is in place and more than 4000 cops have been rushed from other districts. The Dera management has deputed 1000 volunteers to guide the people, serve water and lagar. A tented colony has been put to accommodate the devotees.

All approaches, even from the fields have been barricaded and mounted police has been stationed at various vantage points. Routes of only goods transport have been diverted from Phagwara.

Ludhiana, June 3
Assuring support to 1,1 93 doctors working in rural dispensaries under the Department of Rural Development, Punjab, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) today decided to join their struggle for the regularisation of the posts, revision of pay and for rural allowances as recommended by the National Rural Health Mission.

In the absence of revised salary package several rural doctors would not sign the contracts ,giving a blow to the 'village health programmes' said Dr Aslam Parvez, state president, Rural Medical Services Association Punjab. New PCMS recruits will get Rs 29,9000 which will go up to Rs 40,000 a month after the implementation of Vth Pay commission report.

Dr Hardeep Singh, PCMSA president said, "The doctors working in rural dispensaries are carrying out all national health programmes and deserve to get regular posts which strengthen the government's policy of expansion of rural dispensaries."

PCMSA members also supported the demand of rural doctors for increments in pay packages after the renewal of contracts. Their salary during the signing of their contracts were on a par with the salary of PCMS doctors which has been revised now, thus the salary of rural doctors should be revised accordingly observed the members of the PCMSA.

The association demanded rural doctors should be given preference in recruitment to PCMS cadre through the PPSC.Said Jagpal Singh Sandhu, Financial Commissioner, Punjab the doctors will be given a fair deal adding, "Looking into the work done by the doctors in rural dispensaries we are considering to revise their pay packages. But nothing is certain about the term of their contracts as it could be more than three years or even less," added Sandhu.

There is resentment among the 1,193 doctors working in village dispensaries in the state against Punjab government over “increments” after the renewal of contracts.

Some doctors in border areas of Amritsar, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur have quit in three years and many are planning to quit if their pay was not raised.

Dr Aslam Parvez, state president, Rural Medical Services Association, Punjab, said, “The SAD-BJP government before coming to power had promised to ‘regularise’ the contract posts of rural doctors, but it had not done it. It should acknowledge execution of school health programme, health awareness campaigns and restoring faith of rural populace in health services and give us salary on a par with the PCMS doctors. “We have equally qualified and ‘better’ experienced in preventive and promotive health care in rural Punjab,” the state president said.

Doctors are not paid rural allowance of Rs 5,000-15,000 for working in peripheral rural areas on the recommendations of the National Rural Health Mission and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India.

Fresh PCMS doctor gets Rs 29,9000 which goes up to Rs 40,000 per month after the implementation of Fifth Pay Commission.

Amritsar, June 3
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee president Avtar Singh is non-committal over memorial in the Golden Temple complex in the memory of those killed in Operation Bluestar in June 1984. SGPC executive committee member Karnail Singh Panjoli received memorandum from radical Sikh organisations today and said to place the matter in the meeting of the Shiromani Committee so that suitable memorial could be raised per resolution passed by the general house of the Shiromani Committee, during the presidentship of Bibi Jagir Kaur.

However, it is learnt the SGPC is unlikely to build the memorial due to pressure from the Shiromani Akali Dal’s alliance partner the BJP.

The memorandum was submitted by certain other radical Sikh organistions which undertook protest march from Dal Khala office to the SGPC complex, carrying placards of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Bhai Amrik Singh and Maj General Shahbeg Singh (retd) who were killed in Army action. The youths raised slogans against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The march was undertaken under the banner of ‘Genocide Remembrance Parade’ carrying black flags during march to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Darbar Sahib attack. Slogans like ‘Cruel hands of India’, ‘Never forget 1984’, ‘India should bow its head in shame’ and ‘Death of Indian secularism’ along with photographs of damaged Akal Takht Sahib were also written on the placards.

Boys and girls of the ‘Sikh Youth of Punjab’ led by its president Ranbir Singh were leading the procession wearing black T-shirts depicting photographs of Sant Bhindranwale. Family members of those killed in Operation Bluestar also took part of the procession. Dal Khalsa president H S Dhami said it was important to enact law to prevent such events. Stray apologies by the Prime Minister or the Congress president meant nothing, Dhami added

Condemning the 1984 events, Damdami Taksal head Baba Harnam Singh, Dal Khalsa’ s Kanwarpal Singh and KAC convener Bhai Mohkam Singh said future of minorities in the country was at stake.

Akhand Kirtani jatha head Gaini Baldev Singh, former jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal, Akal Federation chairman Naraien Singh, human rights activist Parmjit Kaur Khalra and leader of the SAD (Panch Pardani) Harpal Singh Cheema also participated in the march.

Ludhiana, June 3
Out of the 1,100 Dalits and farm labourers arrested for encroachment on shamlat lands in Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur in the second half of May, 511 are women and 50 children. They have been in jail for more than 10 days and despite assurances by Punjab Governor S F Rodrigues and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, nothing has been done. This was stated by the All-India Progressive Association general secretary Kavita Krishnan, who had come to meet these prisoners Ludhiana jail. She said, "These people were promised by political leaders legal possession of the land. The action that followed has come as a shock to them. These people,lodged in various jails at Ludhiana, Nabha, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur, have become victims of injustice."

Kavita, who had come from New Delhi along with Prof Manish Sethi, said, "This arrests are violation of human rights and if the victims are not released till June 8, the organisation will hold district-wise agitation on June 9." She added according to the 1961 Land Consolidation Act, one-third of the shamlat land needs to be allotted to the Dalits and farm labourers, but the way district administrations of the three areas have jailed these people, it is complete violation of human rights. She said the mass arrests by the district administrations are being looked into by their organisation and a report would be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women.

CPM(L) ex-MLA Tarsem Jodhan said, "We met CM Badal in Delhi yesterday and he assured us of action, but if the decision fails to come till June 9, the movement will be intensified with the cooperation of like-minded organisations." He added a joint programme would also be drawn up.

Chandigarh, June 3
Soon Punjab would become the first state in the country to introduce forensic computing and IT postgraduate course as University of Derby, UK, is planning to introduce it in the state by the end of this year. Derby University authorities are in the process of launching this course in one of the universities of Punjab after analysing the availability of the facilities.

The authorities have already approached the management of Punjabi University in Patiala but they have yet to finalise the project. Harjinder Singh Lallie, faculty-cum-course leader, Forensic Computing and IT for postgraduate courses in University of Derby, UK, disclosed this while on a visit to the city on Wedneasday.

Under this course, students would get training to deal with computer- forensic cases of any field like investigation, accounts, computer and mobile hacking.

Referring to the recent Mumbai incident, he remarked that there was a need to have an in-house specialisation of computer forensic to deal with modern terrorism cases in the country.

Singh stated that the whole incident could not have been planned in a day or so and if there was a track of these activities, it could have been avoided.

He said students were interested in such course but due to non-availability of any institute offering it, they had to seek admission in universities abroad. Singh commented that India needed to invest liberally in establishing forensics infrastructure in order to be well prepared and cope with attacks like the one in Mumbai.

The importance of forensic computing and IT has proved very useful in numerous serious terror attacks that had been thwarted in the UK with timely and early detection of the devious plans of terrorists, he added.

Ropar, June 3
Taking serious note of the sewerage and waste water being dumped from villages into the Sirhind canal, the Punjab rural development & panchayat department has taken up a project to save the canal from being polluted. Water from this canal, which originates from Ropar and ends in Ludhiana, is used for drinking and irrigation purposes in various parts of the state.

Under the project a department team recently visited Bassi Gujran and Dhaulran villages, the only two left in this district district whose sewerage and waste water flows into the canal. The team, headed by chief secretary-cum-commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu, talked to the village panchayats to come up with an amicable solution to the problem.

It was later decided that ponds would be built in both villages that would contain sewerage and waste water besides blocking openings of sewers leading towards the canal. DDPO Ropar Sanjiv Garg said the ponds would be constructed under the NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scheme. “As the panchayats of both villages have a sizable income they can manage to fund the construction of the ponds on their own,” he stated. The panchayats have also decided to set aside land in their villages for the ponds.

Other than these two there is no other village in Ropar district that disposes its waste into the Sirhind canal, claimed officials. “Though water from parts of Ropar town including Giani Zail Singh Nagar continues to find its way into the canal, this too would be soon be stopped”, they added.

Chandigarh, June 3
The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India to pay Rs 16.77 lakh as compensation to Amritsar-based exporter, Ms Sehgal Rope Works, for deficiency in service.

The corporation, which has been formed with the purpose of protecting interests of exporters, had rejected a claim filed by Sehgal Rope Works through its partner Ajay Sehgal that had not been paid for the export of 282 tonnes of onion to Ms Yasin Sons, Karachi.

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in its order passed by Justice SN Aggaral and Lt Col Darshan Singh (retd) on May 28, held that a case of deficiency of service was made out against the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation as the loss suffered by the complainant for exporting onions on letter of credit was covered by the corporation.

The redressal commission ordered compensation of Rs 16.77 lakh and also ordered the corporation to pay interest at the rate of Rs 7.5 per cent per annum with effect from September 18, 2006, when it rejected the claim of the complainants. It held that Sehgal Rope Works were also entitled to costs of Rs 10,000.

Complainant’s lawyer Pavit Mattewal said his clients had received an order from Ms Yasin Sons, Karachi, for purchase of 300 tonnes of onion on April 14, 2005. The complainants exported 6,000 bags of onion weighing 282 tonnes reached Karachi on April 27 the same year.

The importer did not lift the goods despite they being in compliance with safety and regulatory procedure following which the complainants wrote to the shipping agent in India that the importers be allowed to lift the goods against indemnity bond-cum-bank guarantee but with the clause that the original bank limit be surrendered within 30 days of delivery.

Mattewal said the complainants learnt from the General Manager (Operation) of the Karachi port that the consignment was lifted on May 11. Following this the complainants wrote letters to the shipping agent in Karachi as to why the goods had been released unlawfully and informed the shipping agent in India that the goods had been delivered unlawfully to importers. However, the corporation rejected the compensation claim filed by the complainant claiming there were discrepancies in the transaction under specific shipment policy and that there was a delay in making the claim.

Chandigarh, June 3
Exercising its suo motu jurisdiction for bringing to book an absconding triple murder case accused, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made the Punjab Director-General of Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation party to an ongoing case.

Justice Rajan Gupta has made it clear that the court wants the possibility of constituting a special investigation team to be explored for tracking down Jasbir Singh and to further probe the case of his escape.

The issue came up before Justice Gupta after two head constables Dharam Pal and Harnarain Singh moved the high court against the cancellation of their bail by the Ferozepur Sessions Judge.

They were booked, along with some others, on November 19, 2008, after Jasbir Singh escaped from a house in Kikkar Khera village in Abohar tehsil allegedly with their connivance while he was being taken to Jaipur for the pronouncement of orders in another case registered against him in a train robbery matter.

Going to the background of the case, Justice Gupta observed a triple murder case was registered on July 17, 2008, at the Khuian Sarwar police station in Ferozepur district.

Jasbir Singh, prime accused in the case, was being taken from the Fazilka sub-jail for production before an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, when he escaped.

Justice Gupta further observed admittedly Jasbir Singh was still at large, along with two police officials. In the facts and circumstances of the case, questions before the court were whether a DSP’s report declaring the other accused innocent in the escape case would have any bearing on the role of the cops; and whether they could rely on the inquiry report.

The other questions before the court were whether the refusal of the cops to surrender after the cancellation of their bail would be relevant; whether a special investigation team was required to be constituted; and whether the nature of the case warranted its handing over to an independent agency. Justice Gupta also asked advocate RS Bains to assist the court for arriving at the answers.

Mohali, June 3
Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh appeared before a court here today in connection with the alleged Amritsar land scam case. The next date of hearing has been fixed for July 11.

Ramdeep Pratap Singh, one of the three lawyers pleading the case of Capt Amarinder Singh, said an application for scrutinising the documents was presented in the court. He said certain documents of the 2,700 pages challan presented by the authorities concerned were not clear and it was difficult to read those. He said all persons linked with the case, including former minister Chaudhry Jagjit Singh were present in the court.

Capt Amarinder Singh, Chaudhry Jagjit Singh, former chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust Jugal Kishore and a number of other persons were booked by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in connection with an alleged scam involving land of the Amritsar Improvement Trust. The case was registered in Mohali last year.

The land scam issue was raised by Congress MLA Bir Devinder Singh after which a nine-member committee of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was constituted to probe the matter. The former Chief Minister and others were allegedly found guilty after which a case was registered.

While talking to mediapersons, the former Chief Minister alleged that the government machinery was misused in Bathinda during the Lok Sabha elections.

Lots of money was allegedly distributed and people of the area were given motor cycles, TV sets, refrigerators, etc., in order to win the elections.

He said his party was ready for the Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab and would certainly win even if the elections were held as early as possible.