Chandigarh, August 5
Anticipating 30 per cent rise in the number of H1N1 flu (swine flu) patients due to change of season, the Punjab government has started steps to check the spread of the virus in the state.

Following the death of a student in Pune due to the virus, Punjab has issued fresh alert to civil surgeons in the state to identify flu cases.

“We also appeal to all private practitioners in the state to be alert and if a case of H1N1 flu reports to them, treat it with care and send the patient to the nearest government hospital equipped to handle these cases,” said Dr Deepak Bhatia, nodal officer for the pandemic for Punjab.

The civil surgeons have also been asked to have isolation wards in civil hospitals and some sub-divisional hospitals for fresh cases due to the change in weather. “We are expecting larger number of cases in winter,” he added.

The last case of H1N1 flu in Punjab was reported on July 27 from Amritsar. Till date the state has reported 24 confirmed cases of the pandemic, all of which have been discharged after being kept in isolation wards. More than 700 contacts of these 24 patients too have been administered prophylactic treatment.

Dr Bhatia added that the pandemic was under control in the state. “But since change of season leads to increase in cases of normal flu also, there is need for public to understand the difference between normal flu and swine flu,” he said.

He said a H1N1 virus flu patient should have a history either of having travelled abroad in two weeks or met someone who travelled abroad in this time. “The history is most important. Following this, if there are symptoms like fever, lack of appetite, cough, runny nose, sore throat, nausea or diarrhoea, the patient should go to the nearest civil hospital or sub-divisional hospital equipped to deal with such cases,” said Bhatia.

Dr Bhatia said there were no guidelines from the government of India regarding involving private hospitals in the state for the treatment of the disease. “Currently the medicine which cures this flu, Tamiflu, is available only through nodal hospitals to the identified patients,” he said.

He added that in case any one in the state wanted to report a patient or wanted information or clarification on the disease, he could call him on 09814302403. 

Moga, August 5
The police arrested NRI Jagdev Singh who allegedly killed former MLA and father of the DGP, Punjab, from outside the District Courts yesterday on the charge of submitting fake documents to get police clearance certificate for Canadian citizenship. He was today produced before the Duty Magistrate, who sent him to one-day remand for investigations.

Jagdev Singh, son of Joginder Singh, had come here from Canada to appear in court in a case of murder of former MLA late Nachattar Singh Gill, father of Paramdip Singh Gill, DGP, Punjab.

The DGP’s father was murdered in 1991 and an FIR under Sections 302, 307, 120-B and 34, IPC, Sections 25, 54 and 59, Arms Act, and Sections 5 and 6, TADA Act, was registered against Jagdev’s mother Pritam Kaur, brother Hardev Singh, sister Paramjit Kaur and three others.

Joginder Singh was allegedly murdered and his family members were arrested by the police at that time. Facing threat he went to the USA and then to Canada. The police had also included his name in the case while producing challan in court.

The Supreme Court intervened in this case five years after the murder. Agreeing to arguments of Ram Jethmalani, defence counsel, the SC acquitted all his family members of murder, nine years back.

Knowing his family members had been acquitted of murder, Jagdev came to India in 2003 and applied for police clearance certificate for Canadian citizenship. On January 3, 2004, the police gave him the certificate and he went to Canada and got the citizenship there. Now, he has a Canadian passport.

Last year, he came to India and knew the murder case was pending against him. He surrendered in a court here. Additional Sessions Judge Amarjot Kaur Bhatti after going through the Supreme Court judgement granted him bail allowing him to go to Canada with the condition to appear in her court on every date.

Ludhiana, August 5
Punjabi entrepreneurs have devised innovative techniques to impart skills in attempting the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination. Hundreds appear in the exam each year pursuing their dream of admission in foreign universities in the UK, US, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries.

Punjabi is being used as the most effective tool for teaching English to students in scores in a very large number of institutions, all over the state.

Dheeraj Kumar, Director of a local institute, said, “A majority of the students at our institutes come from a background with poor command over English. The situation is no better in the institutes in smaller townships where students from adjoining villages also come”.

"Using our mother tongue as the basic medium, we try to make them familiar with the basics of English, particularly nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, besides other aspects. We have a team of content designers who keep on updating the course, always keeping in mind the Punjabi background of students. Special courses are also offered for improving speech, particularly pronunciation”.

Regional dailies are flooded with advertisements seeking faculty for IELTS preparation. In the immediate neighbourhood, specimens of specially designed courses using Punjabi, specially to benefit rural students, can be seen in peripheral towns like Mullanpur, Jagraon, Khanna and Mandi Ahmedgarh.

A local entrepreneur, not wishing to be quoted, said, “We pay Rs 6,000 to our junior-most teacher, who teaches in a private school". Keerti Sharma, a school teacher teaching at such an institution, said, “I am getting Rs 9,000 for a four-hour session, five days a week".

Pardeep Sharda, Principal, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial National Senior Secondary School, Mandi Ahmedgarh, said, “A majority of the institutes are into for money-making. On an average, an institute charges Rs 10,000 for a three-month course. There is no check on them. We have different institutes visiting us regularly, asking for teachers".

Narinder Singh, a student, said, “The institutes at best teach us the procedure of taking the tests and guide us about the inputs needed. A major chunk of preparatory work involves self-study”.

Bipin Kumar, manager, British Library, Chandigarh, said, “We are aware of the fact that the entire state is dotted with IELTS coaching institutes. The British Council is not linked with any of them. We also have institutions coming to us and asking for accreditation, which we do not offer”.

Baba Bakala, August 5
The Congress today slammed the SAD and the SGPC for opposing the formation of a separate gurdwara management committee in Haryana.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Rakhar Puniya, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab assembly, said Sikhs in Haryana had every right to have their own separate committee to maintain their religious shrines in the state. She said the Sikhs there had raised the demand as they were piqued over the misuse of funds by the SAD during the elections to fulfil its own interests.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his loyalists from the border district did not attend the rally. However, Jabir Singh Dimpa, who had organised the rally, said Amarinder cancelled the visit at the eleventh hour due to a health problem.

Bhattal said the Badals were not concerned about the plight of the people of the state and were worried only about the “Guru Ki Goluk”.

The state government had received Rs 99 crore under the NREGA scheme, but had spent only Rs 45 crore and when questioned about the unutilised funds in the second session of the state assembly, the government could not give a suitable reply.

Punjab Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former ministers Sardul Singh Bhandala, Gurchet Singh Bhullar, Sukhdev Singh Shahbazpuri, former chairman of the Improvement Trust Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ranjit Singh Chajjalwadi were among those who addressed the rally.

Baba Bakala, August 5
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today proposed that the Sikh community living in Haryana could spend the entire offering collected from various historic gurdwaras there on its own. Badal was replying to a query from mediapersons after addressing a rally held on the occasion of Rakhar Punia here today.

Badal said if the leaders of the ad hoc Haryana Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee felt that the offering collected in Haryana was not being spent on the development and renovation of their shrines, then they could keep the amount in that state only. When asked what position would be offered to president of the SAD Sukhbir Badal if he won the byelection from Jalalabad, the Chief Minister said it was the prerogative of the party to decide on the matter.

In his speech at the rally, Badal pleaded with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to allow the Congress to disturb the peaceful environment of the state. He devoted a major portion of his speech flaying the Congress, Dr Singh and Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda for dividing the Sikh community by setting up a separate gurdwara committee in Haryana.

The Sikhs, taking inspiration from great sacrifices of Gurus had struggled to establish a separate committee for managing gurdwaras during the British rule. “Eventually their struggle was rewarded with the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which is also referred to as the mini parliament of Sikhs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Badal laid the foundation stone of water supply and sewerage schemes under the World Bank-aided schemes in villages. The state government has sanctioned Rs 65.26 lakh for augmentation of existing water supply scheme under which 19,000-metre water supply pipeline would be laid. 

Sangrur , August 5
Kanakwal Bhanguan village farmer Sukhvir Singh (30), who committed suicide yesterday, was cremated in the village in the presence of relatives and others.

The SHO, Sunam Sadar police station, said recent rains had damaged Sukhvir’s paddy crop. He started sowing the crop again, but could not succeed in doing so. Since then he had been passing throughmental stress, due to which he reportedly consumed some poisonous substance to commit suicide, the SHO added. He said the police had initiated proceedings under Section 174, CrPC, in this case.

District general secretary, BKU (Ugrahan), Darbara Singh Chhajla said today Sukhvir had been upset for some time due to debt, besides facing damage to paddy crop in recent rains.

Chhajla added that farmer Gurtej Singh (32) from Jharon village (near Cheema) had also committed suicide three-four days ago as he was unable to repay his debt. Gurtej was cremated on August 3. Gurtej leaves behind a wife and three children.

Chhajla asked the state government to give compensation of Rs 2 lakh and a job each to the families of all those farmers who had committed suicides due to inability to return debt. 

Patiala, August 5
Degree of inconvenience to the people might witness a slight dip as Patiala has become the first district of Punjab to initiate implementation of the recommendations of the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission by revoking practice of marking of driving licence applications by the district transport officer (DTO) and marriage registration applications by tehsildars.

Earlier, applicants had to get their applications marked by these officials before submitting these at Suvidha Centres, which defeated the very purpose for which these centres were set up across the state. In most of the cases, applicants had to allegedly grease the palms of officials for getting their applications through in time, while, in some cases, they had to wait for long to get their work done due to other engagements of the officials concerned.

“The status report of the commission stipulated that the works to be dealt with at Suvidha Centres do not need any prior marking. The files are to be processed by the centre first and then it will be the responsibility of the centre officials to get these signed from the officials concerned at the end,” said Deputy Commissioner Deepinder Singh. The DC has already directed the DTO and tehsildars to follow the new procedure so as to reduce the inconvenience faced by the people.

He said the officials had been directed to sign licences and marriage certificates well within recently fixed deadlines and send these back to the Suvidha Centres for issuing these to the applicants.

Patiala, August 5
Long power cuts, ranging from two to four hours, are back in Punjab after the byelections. The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) attributes unannounced power outages to enhanced consumption and upsetting of the demand and supply gap owing to return of old office timings in the state.

Consumers in different areas are once again faced with long power cuts after about a fortnight. The PSEB is reportedly faced with a sudden surge in demand of power (around 1,920 lakh units (LUs), while the power availability hovered around 1,597 LUs on Tuesday.

The huge gap of over 300 LUs was being attributed to Punjab’s return to normal office timings of 9 am to 5 pm from yesterday and lack of rains over the past one week.

While the PSEB authorities tried to shift the blame on lack of rain, residents of areas that were having showers almost daily were also facing power cuts. “We had to face power cuts for about five hours,” rued a resident of Phagwara.

Since the demand of power in Punjab dropped to an all-time low (around 1300 LUs) in the last week, the board authorities had to halt power generation at two units of the Ropar Thermal Plant for two days.

“During the last fortnight, the demand hovered around 1,300 LUs and so was the supply, hence no power cuts for about two weeks,” said an official. The absence of power outages for two weeks was also being attributed by certain quarters to byelections held in three assembly constituencies in the state.

“Since, byelections are over, consumers might have to bear long unannounced power cuts once again. In fact, we had planned our daily chores foreseeing no cuts,” said Rajinder Kumar, a resident of Patiala.

“Since it is natural for demand to increase during afternoons, the board had to cope with a sudden surge in demand by 12-15 LUs yesterday. The situation has deteriorated as there has been no rain for some days in most of the areas in the state,” a PSEB official said.

Chandigarh, August 5
In less than a month after a Single-Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court turned down the bail plea of Chetan Gupta, he has filed an appeal against the orders, on which a Division Bench today issued notice of motion to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and other respondents.

Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s aide, Chetan Gupta has been accused of being the main conduit for putting black or ill-gotten money of 80 businessmen and top politicians in hawala transactions, investments in real estate and money laundering.

In his petition placed before the Division Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice Jaswant Singh, Gupta said his plea for directions to the state of Punjab for issuing 10-day notice in case the respondents wished to arrest him in any case likely to be registered against him in the state by any wing of the Punjab Police was dismissed. But the Single Judge “erred” in dismissing the petition in limine without even issuing notice to the state or the respondents, despite the grave nature of allegations and the material placed before the court.

Gupta claimed he was being made a pawn in the political feud between the families of Capt Amarinder Singh and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.