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Army Ammunition Dump Site
Sidhu’s stand: Not to
return till Chhina quits
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State’s first model blood bank caught in GNDH departmental tussle
VC dreams of education centre at his village
Power cuts, rising prices weave misfortune for weavers
Quest for folk dances brings NRI girl to holy city
Workshop On Environment
Irregularities galore: DTO office under scanner Dist leads in mechanised
transplantation of paddy
Govt biased against Amritsar airport: AVM
Better Performance
Irrigation and Power Research Institute
Refresher course in research methods in social sciences
Jatha march by farmers
Women urged to take benefit from loan scheme
Tribune Adalat
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Army Ammunition Dump Site
Amritsar, July 24 The local Army establishment, who cannot take action against mushrooming of buildings, are finding themselves in a quandary as this growth put people’s safety at risk. According to Army officials, construction work is going on in the banned area. The sources said between 2007 and till date, around 52 illegal structures have come up in the area. The Army has filed first information reports (FIRs) at Vallah and Verka police stations in order to demolish the illegal structures. We have filed cases against them and few structures have also been demolished, the officials added. A glance on the area would explain the dilemma of the Army establishment. A residential complex, Global City, has come up just across the highway in front of the old ammunition dump while Forest Resort has already come up just adjacent to the new ammunition dump. Similarly, one can find an array of residential colonies in the notified area other than the old Vallah village. Maj Gen Balbir Pama, General Officer Commanding, 15 Infantry Division, said they understand the problems of urbanisation but the Army needs place for its amm He said these were vital to national security and could not be compromised and added that the Army had no option but to file FIRs against the violators. General Pama quoted the blast at the ammunition dump in Khandroo at Srinagar, which took place in August 2007, where three civilians were killed and 30 were left injured. The issue of ammunition dump location dates back to 2002 when the civic administration decided to increase the city periphery. The Army, till then had acquired 122 acres of land on the bypass, which had few settlements in the Vallah village. In turn, the Army approached the Union Government and a notification banning any construction in 1,000 yards parapet was issued on November 11, 2004. However, till then a vegetable market had come up in the vicinity. The vegetable market representatives moved to the court where in the Supreme Court on February 7, 2007 gave its ruling in favour of the Army and the GOC was empowered to decide upon the fate of the location. The GOC proposed farming in the 350-yard parapet while double storied buildings in the next 700-800 yards were to remain intact. The GOC also ordered that no new construction in the 1,000 yard parapet keeping in mind the safety of residents in case of any untoward incident. Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu said they have been issuing orders under section 144 of the CrPC (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) in the area for avoiding any fresh construction. He said they would strictly ensure no new construction in 1,000 yards. In case of Global city, the construction has come up before 2004 and the gates of the residential complex, which are coming under the 1,000 yard parapet, would be pulled down, he added. Elaborating further on the vegetable market, Pannu said, the Chief Secretary has asked us to work on a holistic view on the issue. “We are working on a revised plan for the vegetable market,” he added. However, Darshan Singh, a shop owner in the vegetable market, they were shifted from the old vegetable market near Hall Gate to this place some five years ago and added that they have never sensed danger in the area. He said people who stay near the dump are prone to danger. Thankfully, they are aware that there is ban on any new construction in the area. Another resident on condition of anonymity said the market should be shifted from Vallah as it may prove harmful for the residents. “We will be the ones who will face wrath of it if any untoward incident takes place in the dump,” he said. The Army officials, however, maintained that there are some vested interests at play wherein some people are claiming that they have appealed in the Supreme Court to shift the Valla ammunition dump. “This, however, is unlikely as courts across the country are giving priority to national security, which is reflected in the recent judgment of Ludhiana ammunition dump,” Gen Pama said.
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Sidhu’s stand: Not to
return till Chhina quits
Amritsar, July 24 Sources close to the MP said he had firmly told the national leaders of the party that it was impossible for him to return to his constituency as he felt that he was sidelined while making the appointment. Sidhu is known for keeping his firm stand as during his first election as MP from here he had taken a pledge that he would never go to Patiala and now in view of the hard stand he may not return to the city unless Chhina is removed from the post. According to the political grapevine, some of the old guards of the party in the state have allegedly connived to keep him out of state politics as there was a move by the party high command to hoist him as the state party chief to regroup the party at the grassroots level. Family sources revealed that the spent force of the state BJP had been keen to maintain a status quo and not allow the infusion of young blood in a bid to maintain their stranglehold over the party apparatus in the state. Meanwhile, various NGOs and social organisations have urged Sidhu not to fight on petty issues and return to the city for taking up development projects to bring the city back in focus. Social activist and president of the Citizens Vidya Forum Brij Bedi said Sidhu should return to the holy city and utilise his MPLAD funds for initiating development projects like starting city buses and the regulation of traffic. The upgradation of the airport, which was his pet project, has also suffered from neglect as customs officials have failed to operationalise the EDI system for faster clearance of duty drawback claims. BJP state President Rajinder Bhandari has told Chhina to continue as Chairman of the Amritsar Improvement Trust. However, the district unit of the party, in order to pressurise the national leaders to change the decision, remained adamant and supported Sidhu. Meanwhile, district president Col Amrik Singh, while talking to the media here, said the party workers were annoyed over the way the state leadership had given its consent for the appointment of Chhina without taking the leaders of the district into confidence. While clarifying that no one from the district had submitted resignation to the national leaders, Col Singh said they were not against anyone and would abide by the decision of the party. However, he immediately came out of the conference when the media asked him whether they were against the appointment of Chhina as Chairman. Many eyebrows were raised due to the presence of Tarun Chugh, general secretary of the district unit of the BJP, at the press conference as he was present during the installation ceremony of Chhina. Talking to the media, he said for him the party was supreme and he was not in favour of Sidhu or
Chhina.
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State’s first model blood bank caught in GNDH departmental tussle
Amritsar, July 24 The hospital authorities at a meeting held in June decided to include two rooms of the surgery department in the existing blood bank to increase the area and construction of a seminar or training room. It was decided that the adjoining open corridor would also be included for this purpose. The meeting was chaired by Secretary, Medical Education-cum-Project Director Satish Chandra, while others who had attended the meeting included Dr Jai Kishan, Director, Research and Medical Education (DRME), Dr Sukhwinder Singh, Joint Director, Punjab State AIDS Control Society, Dr R.P.S. Boparai, Medical Superintendent, GNDH, and in charge, blood bank. This was all done to meet the shortcomings for setting up the ambitious project worth more than Rs 1 crore, pointed out a NACO team led by Dr Sabita Basu, Head, Blood Transfusion Department, Chandigarh, and Dr Sukhwinder Singh, who had visited the city in March. However, the surgery department objected to the handing over of the room to the blood bank on the pretext that it would decrease the area of operation of the department, leading to inconvenience to the patients. Later, it was decided that a room of the orthopaedic department, on the same floor, would be transferred to the surgery department. But the controversy erupted when some unidentified unscrupulous persons demolished the wall being constructed by the PWD to include the surgery room and the open corridor into the blood bank, on the night of June 29. Medical officers of the surgery department at that time had stated that the wall was demolished by patients who were feeling inconvenienced and were agitated with the shifting of the room to the blood bank. When the matter came to the knowledge of Minister for Higher Medical Education and Research Tikshan Sud, he immediately ordered registration of an FIR against those who demolished the government property and appointed the DRME to hold a probe in this regard. The DRME, when contacted, said he had submitted his report to the minister in this regard. He said he had submitted the recorded statements of the authorities of both the departments and other officials concerned, besides a copy of the FIR registered in this regard. He said now it was up to the minister to take any action. SHO Tarsem Lal of Majitha Road police station said the accused, who had demolished the wall, had been identified. But he refused to divulge the details, adding that investigations were on. Dr Jagdish Gargi, Principal of Medical College, when contacted, said the DRME had been conducting the probe and the issue had been resolved, as the surgery department had agreed to give the room.
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VC dreams of education centre at his village
Amritsar, July 24 Q: After holding senior positions in the academic field and teaching in the best institutions, what is now your goal in life? VC: My dream is to establish a centre of education for children at my Nathuwala village in Moga district. I have a farmhouse there and would convert it into an education centre. Q: Would you spell out your education, research and awards? VC: I attained primary education from the village school, BSc from Government Barjindra College, Faridkot, and MSc from Punjabi University, Patiala. After completing PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), I served in Guru Nanak Dev University for six years. I joined the IIT, Delhi, as assistant professor in 1982. I got the UNESCO Fellowship in 1974, Outstanding Research award, IIT, Delhi, in 1994, besides being a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India. I was awarded the UP Ratan award by the All-India Conference of Intellectuals last year and was recently given the Saraswati Samman. Q: Declaration of results was delayed this time. Some sections blamed it on external reasons like Lok Sabha elections and others. Do you have a plan to insulate the examination system from external influences? VC:
I strongly feel the system of examination in force does not need correction. The results got delayed this time since several key posts had been lying vacant for the past some time. Q: What steps have
been taken to fill other key posts? VC: All arrangements have been made to advertise the posts of Registrar, FDO, Controller of
Examination, Directors for Computer Centreand Youth Welfare. In all probability, interviews would be held by
August-end. Q: Would you take classes as you used to do in Lucknow University as Vice-Chancellor? VC: Certainly, I would take a couple of lectures after some time.
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Power cuts, rising prices weave misfortune for weavers
Amritsar, July 24 The agitating workers gathered in front of the labour office, Putalighar, and held a sit-in for three hours. From there, they proceeded to the District Court Complex. Since Deputy Commissioner Kahn Singh Pannu was not in the office, they did not submit the memorandum. The memorandum, containing signatures of the workers, is addressed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, demanding compensation on the pattern of farmers at the time of any natural calamity. General secretary Bant Singh Brar and secretary Amarjeet Singh Assal of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Punjab, said they had sought an appointment with Chief Secretary Subodh Chander Aggarwal to narrate the plight of weavers and workers associated with the power loom units. They maintained that prolonged and frequent power cuts resulted in partial closure of
units which reduced more than 50 per cent of the earning of weavers. Remuneration of these workers depends upon the quantity of clothes prepared. However, in the absence of regular power supply they are not able to manufacture enough cloth which could fetch them adequate amount of salary to run their houses. Besides, Assal said, in order to secure an earning of Rs 4,000 per month, they were to work from eight to 12 hours daily. Power failures had added to their woes as their wages had plummeted by at least 50 per cent. Members of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), the Textile Mazdoor Ekta Union and the Sanatti Mazdoor Union took part in the strike. They said costly education, rising prices of vegetables and cereals were the other factors breaking the back of workers as they made it difficult for them to make both ends meet. |
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Quest for folk dances brings NRI girl to holy city
Amritsar, July 24 Talking to The Tribune, Seema Chanda Kapur, who has done Masters in Filming, said it had been her long desire to come to Punjab as she had been hearing from her parents about the rich cultural heritage of the state. She said she had seen the folk dances bhangra and giddha being performed commercially in the US but she wanted to the see these in their original or age-old form. She said she would produce the documentary on the Punjabi folk dances and the culture of Punjab after her return to the US. Seema, who had come with her mother, said why these dances were not being performed in the west Punjab was another area of her research. She said due to the disturbed conditions in Pakistan she could not go there, however, she added that whenever the situation normalises there she would go to Pakistan for completing her research. The Punjabi Samvad, headed by Amit Bawa and Jyoti Bawa, also arranged a programme at Virsa Vihar where students of Guru Nanak Khalsa Shaheedi Senior Secondary School Fatehpur Rajput and Goodwill School Chheharta performed the traditional bhangra and giddha for the visitors. Rhthma Paul sang a folk song “Shawa Charkha Chandan Da”. Her mother Chanda said she agreed to accompany her daughter to India for her research work and sought help from the local cultural group Punjabi Samvad, which was training the young artistes. She said they would also go to Chandigarh and meet the literary persons and folk dancers and try to know about the origin of these dances. She said after this they would go to Mansa where the folk dance bhangra originated and was being performed in its original shape.
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Workshop On Environment
Amritsar, July 24 The workshop was attended by representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Punjab, Pollution Control Board, Haryana, Guru Nanak Dev University, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and researchers. The foreign consultants were Dr Paul R Holmes, team leader, EU-India Joint Action Plan Support Facility (Environment Component) (JAPSF), Dr Ninja Reineke, Senior Policy Officer, WWF Policy Office, Belgium and Dr Anjana Pant, WWF Delhi. On completion of the training programme the experts visited sites in Amritsar and interacted with the industry and academia on one-to-one basis. Gunbir Singh Chairperson, World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), Punjab, said the programme was conducted after a decision in this regard was taken at the highest level between the EU and India. He said this collaborative effort of the European countries with India was facilitated by the WWF and the Union Ministry for Environment. He said the main stress of the programme was training and capacity building besides detailed discussions were also held on Euro norms such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Rotterdam Convention and procedures on chemicals and pesticides, as well as Basel Convention on hazardous waste disposal. Gunbir Singh, speaking on the occasion, impressed upon the need to have a comprehensive dialogue between the state government, local civic administrations, agriculturists, industry and NGOs to control the free flow of toxins into the ground and surface water of Punjab. This workshop on International Conventions and European legislation on chemicals and toxins shall be part of an ongoing partnership with the JAPSF to expand capacities on the fight against environmental degradation, he said.
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Irregularities galore: DTO office under scanner
Amritsar, July 24 The department had been under scanner of not only its superiors but also the district administration and the police had been getting constant complaints for its lackadaisical approach to the common man, besides running a well-organised racket with the help of touts, agents and the gunmen of DTOs. The police have raided the office of the DTO several times during the last two years and have sealed the kiosks of the agents operating from the complex and sealing the records. But this has only compounded to the problems of the general public without helping to clear the deep-rooted malaise afflicting the DTO’s office. Reliable sources in the department said most of the senior officers allegedly don’t visit the office during the office time but operate from elsewhere, adding to the chaos and confusion while the junior staff and middlemen use the office during their absence. The police have registered two separate cases including the one lodged by Mammohan Singh Kang DTO, about missing office records, and another on the statement of an arrested agent Vikram, alias Vickey, who, in connivance with DTO office employees had been forging documents. Those booked include Harvinder Singh Randhawa, Savinder Kaur, Poonam, Rajinder Kaur, Kishan Singh, Harvinder Kaur, all clerks of the DTO office. Besides Vikram, other agents who were booked include Varinder Singh, Vivek Sharma and Paramdeep Singh. Interestingly, according to police authorities, Savinder and Harvinder had hired private persons - Jatinder Kumar and Parveen Kumar - respectively, to do the office work which was the main cause of irregularities at the office. The police found two office registers and stamps from the residence of Parveen Kumar. They said the office work was being done from the residences of the employees rather than from the office. All the accused were at large while Vikram and Parveen had been arrested. Meanwhile, the work at the DTO office has been hampered and slowed down as the people were making rounds of the office for their work. However, Manmohan Singh Kang, DTO, said the department had hired the services of government employees so that the office work did not suffer. He said five registers were found missing from the records during the departmental investigations and the matter has been to the notice of the higher ups besides the Deputy Commissioner. When asked about hiring of private persons by office staff, the DTO said they were not in the office records while police was probing into the case, he could not comment further on this.
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Dist leads in mechanised
transplantation of paddy
Amritsar, July 24 Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu, who today visited the farm school at Talwandi Dogran village where farmer Deshpal Singh achieved a landmark by sowing 36 acres of paddy using mechanised transplantation, advised farmers to use paddy transplanters in their fields to overcome the problem of shortage of labour. He visited the fields where Pusa 1,121, HKR-47 and Gobinda varieties were transplanted with the machine. As many as 200 farmers from adjoining villages gathered at the farm school. The DC urged the farmers to upgrade their agricultural technology through the system of Agriculture Service Centres. He asked farmers to take up direct seedling of paddy on beds through specially made multi-purpose bed planter machines. He said farmers had proved innovative by raising mat nursery and transplanting it in their fields. The department has helped farmers in adopting mechanised transplantation and is also conducting village-level camps. He said it was important to use land laser lavellor machine to level the
field before mechanised transplanting operation and the district already had 40 land laser lavellor available on hiring. |
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Govt biased against Amritsar airport: AVM
Amritsar, July 24 Prof Mohan Singh and Amrit Lal Mannan, patron and general secretary, respectively, of the Amritsar Vikas Manch, in a joint statement to the press, said the state government was anxious for the development of Mohali airport and acquired land in a record time of just three to four months while on the other hand it did not released about Rs 20 to 22 crore for Amritsar airport. The AVM leaders said one failed to understand as to why the state government was so anxious to set up Mohali airport while both the Chandigarh Administration and the Haryana government were not showing much interest. They said Mohali airport would not be beneficial for the state, rather it would encourage shifting of the Punjabi industry to Baddi and other areas in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. They said the biased approach was also evident from the fact that the state government was taking the meetings at the Chief Secretary level for the introduction of international flights from Mohali seriously, but had not held a single meeting for the resumption of Singapore and Jet Airways flights from Amritsar. The two leaders said the state government had also failed to redress the problems being faced by Amritsar airport with the Airports Authority of India, the Customs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. They said the matter of reducing parking and landing charges, compensation of air cargo complex and other issues related to the new terminal building had not been addressed. They appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to prevail upon Singapore Airlines, Jet Airways and other airliners to resume their flights from Amritsar and also take up other matters concerning airports with the
Centre.
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Better Performance
Tarn Taran, July 24 The formal inauguration of the upgraded hospital was made by Health and Family Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla yesterday. The minister called upon the people to spread awareness among the general masses against the drug menace and female foeticide. The Civil Hospital is one of the six hospitals in the state which have been upgraded. The minister laid the foundation stone of a building of the hospital to be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.27 crore. The old building too would be repaired with the sanctioned amount, the minister said.
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Irrigation and Power Research Institute
Amritsar, July 24 The institute is credited for being a pioneer in the country in the field of land reclamation and irrigation. Established to provide service through water management research, it was shifted from Lahore following Partition of the country. It has nine research divisions with sophisticated instruments to make research investigations pertaining to various irrigation problems. It also accepts deposit work basis jobs related to hydraulic research, concrete foundation, soil characteristics, weed control and water analysis. Areas of its activities included hydraulic engineering, river engineering, reservoir and apartment structures, hydrology and water resources, foundation investigations and geotechnical problems, concrete technology, seepage loss studies, soil and water quality surveys, water management, aquatic weed management, environmental and meteorological studies, computer centre and library information. The institute also provides consultancy, model testing and analytical facilities in the field as well as in the laboratory to various government, semi-government and private organisations in Punjab and other states. The recipients of its services included the Railways, the National Hydro Power Corporation, the Vigilance Department, the Ministry of Water Resources and Engineering Departments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. For hydraulic model studies, the institute has 175 acres and water facilities for carrying out research activities. Its library has over 10,000 books and reports representing a comprehensive collection in irrigation, geotechnical, concrete, hydrology and hydraulics, aquatic, weed, environmental and allied subjects. The institute, which runs on no profit, no loss basis, undertakes research and analysis work on the written request from the department concerned, organisation or from an individual. However, it charges, from other than the Punjab Irrigation Department, 27.5 per cent extra on the estimated cost of work.
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Refresher course in research methods in social sciences
Amritsar, July 24 Dr S.L. Sharma, Dean Faculty of Arts, honorary director Academic Staff College, Panjab University, Chandigarh, emphasised that knowledge was not a package of information and gossips; it is a quest for truth. He said mind, motive and methods shape the research. He said quality of society depends on quality of knowledge, while quality of knowledge in society depends on quality of research. —
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Tarn Taran, July 24 State president of the KSC Satnam Singh Pannu, while addressing the farmers, threatened an agitation against the state government if it went ahead with its move to dislocate farmers from their cultivable land. He demanded withdrawal of cases registered against farmer leaders in Kang village after a firing incident some days back. Besides, the town, the jatha marched through Bath, Kang, Khadoor Sahib, Goindwal Sahib, Chola Sahib and culminated at Chambal village. — OC
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Women urged to take benefit from loan scheme
Amritsar, July 24 Mishra informed that the PNB Circle office held a loan mela at Bhalapind village today besides holding the fairs at Nag Kalan and Tarsikka villages on July 22 and 23, respectively. He said in these fairs advances to the tune of Rs 9.83 crore have been extended to 487 farmers. Among others, RS Chattha, Lead District Manager, Branch Managers of 11 branches of PNB and Sarpanches of the villages were present. —
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Amritsar, July 24
Amritsar, July 24
Amritsar, July 24
