Bathinda, August 9
In the case of the murder of Sandeep Singh, alias Bobby, son of former Akali minister Teja Singh, the early pictures of the body have raised question marks over the investigation methods of the police.

SSP Ashish Chaudhary on Friday claimed to have cracked the blind murder case with the arrest of three persons. However, he maintained that Jagtar Singh, an old rival of Sandeep, who was named in the FIR, had not been given a clean chit. Further, the SSP had said the killers took away the gold “kara” of Sandeep and other important things. The same was mentioned in the press note that he released to the media during the press conference.

Ironically, at the time when mediapersons had witnessed Sandeep’s body at about 10 am on August 2, the “kara” was very much on his right wrist. In the presence of the media, volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva had asked the police officials present there to remove it and hand it over to the kin of the deceased, but the officials said they would look into such details later.

Some of the lensmen unintentionally captured the image of the “kara”.

Receiving an anonymous call regarding this, The Tribune checked out the photographs that showed the body with the “kara” on the wrist.

Talking over the phone, Tek Chand, volunteer of the Sahara Jan Seva, confirmed the facts. “I asked the policemen to remove the ‘kara’, but they refused. Then we took his body to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital and handed it over to the officials concerned.”

Meanwhile, the SSP stated through an SMS: “It was the complainant who alleged it. We do not claim that we have found them. The case is still open for investigation.”

However, SHO of the Kotwali police station GS Romana, who had conducted the preliminary investigation in the case, said: “I was busy with some other case so the the investigation was done by some other official. So I am unable to confirm the fact”.

When he was reminded about the inquest proceedings, Romana said: “I will have to check the details”.

Sandeep Singh’s sister Amarjot Kaur said she was not in a position to comment on it.

State ready for trials through video-conferencing
KS Chawla

Ludhiana, August 9
By September-end, five central jails and 29 judicial courts in the state are expected to be ready for trials through video-conferencing. Financial Commissioner (Home) AR Talwar informed The Tribune that the state government had already paid the BSNL for setting up the system. LCD screen, cameras and the Internet facility, etc, will be provided in jails and the courts so as to record evidence through video-conferencing.

The step will have several benefits. While undertrial prisoners, who are to be produced before the court once every fortnight, will no longer get the opportunity to escape in transit. The move will also spare a large number of policemen, who are deployed to escort the prisoners to the court and back, for other policing matters. Besides, there will be savings on petrol and diesel, Talwar pointed out.

In Ludhiana alone, over 300 men are taken to the local courts daily from the central jail and some 65 undertrials to other districts. Around 150 policemen are put on duty daily to produce them in courts and around six buses are engaged to ferry them. In Jalandhar, 165 criminals are produced in the courts. As many as 125 policemen are put on duty to take them to the courts in around 12 vehicles.

Raja, who had been arrested for murder of a jeweller of Ludhiana, escaped from police custody while he was being taken to the courts. After his escape, he committed a number of robberies. He also robbed an arms dealer in Hoshiarpur and made good with firearms from the showroom.

Defence counsels of undertrials insist on the recording of evidence in person. But, police officials point out that in the Telgi Stamp paper case and also the Lakhubhai Pathak case, evidence was recorded through video-conferencing.

Talwar also disclosed that the state government had set up a three-member panel comprising Justice Amardutt, a retired judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, GPS Sahi, former Home Secretary, and Inzhar Alam, who retired as DGP (Jails). The panel would study the jail manual and recommend improvements in the jails of the state.

Amritsar, August 9
The first-ever trans-arterial chemoembolisation to treat cancer of liver (TACE) was done in here in which instead of surgery, the patient is treated through TACE- procedure in which blood supply to the tumour of liver is blocked (embolised) and chemotherapy administered direct into the tumour.

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world and its incidence has been increasing due to increased prevalence of chronic hepatitis-B, hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis in Punjab, said Dr Vikram Gulati, vascular interventional radiologist with a hospital here, who performed this procedure the first time in Punjab.

Dr Gulati said today that usually surgery was preferred for the treatment of liver cancer. However, in a majority of cases the tumour was usually quite large at the time of diagnosis and, therefore, not amenable to surgery. Further, the strong medicines had side-effects that also reduced the life of the patient.

He said as the first step, angiography of the liver was performed on the patient and after this special mircro-catheters were advanced direct into those specific tiny branches supplying blood to tumour. Finally, chemotherapy drugs and embolisation particles were injected into these vessels. He said concentration of chemotherapy drug was maximum in the tumour bed and since the drug dose was concentrated in the tumour area, the side effects of chemotherapy were negligible that resulted in improving the survival chance of the patient and resulted in the improvement of the quality of life.

Dr Rohit Kapoor, consultant and MD, Carewell Heart and Superspeciality Institute, was also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh August 9
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today decried the statement of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda seeking a referendum on carving out a separate Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) in Haryana and described it as ‘totally illogical, ill-advised and politically motivated’.

Badal said the issue of holding referendum on the SGPC in Haryana would divide the countrymen. This could have adverse implications, thereby posing a serious threat to the national integration, peace and communal harmony. Badal further said seeking a referendum on this issue would open a Pandora’s box for many other states which were demanding a referendum on various vexed political issues.

Badal further said instead of seeking a referendum on the issue of a separate SGPC, the Haryana Chief Minister should go ahead for a referendum to identify Punjabi-speaking areas, which had been deliberately kept out of Punjab by the Congress party. He bemoaned that such actions on the part of Hooda would only tarnish the Congress party’s so-called secular image. 

Moga, August 9
The All-India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF) and the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) have hailed the proposal of referendum put forth by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on a separate gurdwara panel for Sikh shrines in Haryana.

Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, president, AISSF, and Bhai Mohkam Singh, president, KAC, in a joint statement here said the referendum was within the principles of democracy and it would be the best possible solution for this problem that had touched feelings of the Sikhs in Punjab, Haryana and across the globe.

Chandigarh, August 9
The Congress is trying to learn lessons from its poll debacle in the state and may give real teeth to its “acting president” Mohinder Singh Kaypee, but is still undecided over who should eventually lead the party against the SAD-BJP combine.

According to sources, the state Congress had been of the view that the lack of organisational changes in the past few years had made it difficult for Kaypee to carry much authority during the election campaign for the three Assembly byelections of Jalalabad, Kahnuwan and Banur.

The virtual absence of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh from the poll campaign also created confusion in the party rank and file. Party workers expected him to take on Sukhbir in Jalalabad, but he remained absent from the poll scene till the last few days.

Other senior leaders, including Kaypee and CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal were not able to lead a coordinated election campaign, which could take on the well-oiled campaign of their rivals.

Meanwhile, sources said organisational changes were in the offing and Kaypee was likely to be given a free hand to make changes to rejuvenate the Congress in the state and build upon gains in the Doaba belt and among Dalits.

However, it was to be seen how successful this exercise would be, as senior leaders like Amarinder and Bhattal were eyeing for the post.

Fatehgarh Sahib, August 9
The Punjab Youth Congress President and MP from Anandpur Sahib, Ravneet Bittu, today said AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi would train Congress Youth delegates during a five-day training session beginning from September 14.

Making this announcement at a special interactive session between district party leaders and workers here, Bittu said about 2,400 youths would attend the five-day programme.

The youths were selected out of about four lakh contestants in Punjab.

The venue of the camp would be decided after the team of volunteers from Delhi reaches Punjab. Of these 2,400 youths, 800 would be selected to train more youngsters, he added.

The trained youths would highlight the achievements and projects of the UPA government in their respective areas, besides creating awareness about new schemes of the government among the masses.

Bittu pointed out that elimination of drugs and female foeticide would be his priority and he would work in this direction with the help of fellow leaders and workers.

He would support Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal for every developmental work in the state, he added.

Chandigarh, August 9
To put attacks on Indian students behind and strengthen bilateral relations, Australia has decided to provide more than 80 lakh dollars to set up Australia India Institute in Melbourne.

A joint project of the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and the University of New South Wales, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister J Gillard says the new Institute will help Australians to know and understand India better.

“As the world’s largest democracy and key emerging economy, India is redefining its role in international affairs. Its influence in our region and globally is growing. India is among the top 10 trading partners for Australia and economic relationship between the two countries has grown strongly in recent years,” she said.

Australia welcomes India’s growing international role and “is working with India to strengthen our relationship in pursuit of our many shared interests.

“To underpin this, the Australian government is committed to building greater understanding between our two peoples,” she said in a communiqué.

The institute will work to increase Australians’ understanding of India, its culture, its history and its place in the world by producing and promoting specialised knowledge about India.

The three partner universities will invest around $ 20 lakh bringing total investment in the project to more than $ 1 crore over three years.

The institute will enable students, staff and the Australian community to gain a greater understanding of India and the rich bilateral relationship through courses of study, conferences and relevant research.

Australia has been keen that “uncertainty” created by the recent attacks on Indian students should end as various agencies, including the police, educational institutions, immigration and other departments, have been effortful to put an end to fraud and other practices against which Indian students had been protesting not only to visiting Indian officials, including foreign minister, but also to the media.

Ludhiana, August 9
Dr Harshinder Kaur, a paediatrician-cum-writer, who was sacked from Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, for her remarks at a UN seminar in Switzerland recently, said today that she was suffering for raising her voice for the cause of the girl child in the state.

She said she was hurt at her unceremonious exit even though she had clarified to the world that Punjab did not top the list of “kudimaars” (girl child killers). “This is how a doctor, a writer and a women rights activist is treated in this country. I am completely disillusioned,” she said.

A strong votary of female child, Dr Harshinder Kaur, who was invited by the UN to speak on female foeticide in Punjab at a seminar in Switzerland recently, was sacked after she was alleged to have “over spoken” during the seminar.

Talking to The Tribune during a function organised to honour her by the Universal Human Rights Organisation here today, Dr Harshinder said she had, in fact, stated the fact that Punjab was not the number one state in killing daughters. The notoriety, however, rested with Rajasthan.

She had asked the UN to release some money for the girl child in Punjab. This had not gone down well with a senior administrative officer, who had warned her of action once she was back home. “I was told asking for grants was not my job. It was for the government to do so,” she added.

On June 9, she had received a letter from the Director, Health, stating that she had immediately been relieved of the charge. “It was really like a sentence without a trial. I was not served any notice nor was I asked to explain. I was only talking to benefit the girls in the state but the official persisted that there was 100 per cent literacy in Punjab which is not true. The fact can be checked from the figures released by union government. Moreover, I was not asking for money for myself. It was demanded for the girls of the state,” said the doctor.

Ludhiana, August 9
Agricultural engineers of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) are in demand these days. Going by the university’s placement records of the past five years, the demand for agriculture engineers is rising among the country’s leading multinational companies.

Like previous years, this year too, almost a year in advance, 10 students who will be graduating in June 2010, have been picked up by MNCs through on-campus interviews.

A high-level panel comprising top management executives and technical heads from both organisations visited PAU’s College of Agricultural Engineering and conducted a recruitment drive.

Dr PK Gupta, Dean of the college, said PAU farm engineers were in demand and appreciated the efforts of the training and placement committee comprising Dr PPS Lubana, Dr Satish Kumar Gupta and Vishal Bector in this regard.

In view of the consistent performance of agricultural engineers in the industry over the years, such leading organisations visit the college regularly for picking candidates, said Dr Gupta.

Companies like John Deere, Pune, Escorts, Faridabad, and TAFE, Chennai, are the organisations visiting next for recruiting more agricultural engineering graduates from PAU, he informed.

The consistent trend of job placements of PAU agricultural engineers through on-campus interviews during the past five years has marked a professional recognition in the job sector in today’s competitive global economy, Dr Gupta added.

Director, Students’ Welfare, Dr Lubana, who is looking after the placement cell, said from next year, PAU would be holding placement weeks and strengthening the drive to call reputed companies seeking placements.

Meanwhile, PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang congratulated the selected candidates. Also present on the occasion were Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering, Dr PK Gupta, Director, Students’ Welfare, Dr Lubana, Additional Director, Communication, Dr Jagtar Singh Dhiman, members of the placement committee, Dr SK Gupta, Vishal Bector and the students receiving placements at M&M and CLAAS India Ltd.

Chandigarh, August 9
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) would undertake an inspection of all 17 large-scale dyeing industrial units in Ludhiana by September 15 to ascertain the extent of compliance of pollution norms prescribed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chairman, CPCB, Prof SP Gautam, during a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today. The complete information relating to these 17 industrial units would be provided by the Chairman of Vardhman Group SP Oswal to the Gautam to facilitate the board personnel to inspect these units. They would provide vital inputs to these industrialists for upgrade of their effluent treatment plants.

The Chief Minister asked the industrialists to abide by the prescribed norms of the PPCB to check pollution by not merely installing effluent treatment plants in their units but also ensure its proper operation to discharge the treated effluents in the sewage treatment plants (STPs) being responsible citizens of society. He said either strictly comply with the norms or face action as government could not compromise with the health of the people.”

The Chief Minister also directed the PPCB to convene a meeting of key players in the field of industrial pollution control at the earliest so that the entire work of running and maintaining common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) could be entrusted to them. Badal also emphasised the need to chalk out a detailed time-bound strategy to efficiently check the problem of pollution caused by the leather industry in Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, PPCB Chairman Yogesh Goel informed the Chief Minister that there were 268 industrial dyeing units in Ludhiana, consisting of 17 large and 251 small and medium units. Of 251 units, 51 were scattered in and around Ludhiana. He said the board had already undertaken a vigorous campaign to monitor the upgrade of ETPs in the units. He pointed out that in order to solve the problem of pollution in these industrial units, five clusters had been identified for the installation of CETPs at the Bahadur-ke road, Tajpur road, Rahon road, Industrial area-A and Focal Point. These clusters would cater to 200 units and the remaining 51 scattered units had been asked either to shift or up grade their individual effluent treatment plants as per the standard norms. The discharge of these 51 scattered units was 25 MLD.

Regarding the installation of sewage treatment plants (STPs) by the municipal committees of Machhiwara and Ludhiana under the Sutlej Action Plan, Managing Director of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board Sat Pal Angurala said a detailed scheme had already been prepared for the Machhiwara committee. Three STPs of capacity 48 MLD, 111 MLD, 152 MLD have already been installed at Jamalpur, Bhatian and Balloke, respectively, in Ludhiana.

Jalandhar, August 9
Though the Doaba region has certain villages where there are separate cremation grounds for the dead of different castes, there are many rural belts that stand as examples and have common grounds for performing last rites of all.

Phulpur village falling in Jalandhar East block is one such tiny, primitive hamlet that has a common funeral ground, irrespective of the caste difference. Former Sarpanch Raj Kumar said there were 15 Dalit houses in the village, but all cremated the dead at the same place.

“No separate demarcation of ground has ever been done and no one has ever raised a demand for the same. Dalits are a minority here, but everyone lives in complete harmony,” said the man who hails from the same community.

That’s the trend even in some Dalit-dominated villages. Khambra, a prominent village falling on the Nakodar road with 80 per cent Dalit population, also has a common ground for all communities.

Sarpanch Parveen Kumari said there had been just one ground for performing the last rites from the very beginning. “Our elders have set an example which we want to continue. We strongly believe that these are all man-made differences. Everyone has to unite with one God after he or she leaves this world, so where is the need for a separate ground?” she questioned.

In fact, all villages around Khambra, including Bajra, Badshahpur and Singhan, have a common cremation ground. However, Tajpur village, on the same stretch, has two separate cremation grounds, one for the pre-dominant Guru Ravidass followers and another for the Brahmin and Jatt community.

Dalit Sarpanch Ashok Kumar said, “This custom had been set long back by ancestors of the village. It is difficult to bring in a change in the system that has been set traditionally. It will take some time.” Ironically, the place meant for the so-called upper castes has a foundation stone for the construction of a shed laid by the same three-time Dalit Sarpanch.

Nabha, August 9
Stagnant water has been a nuisance in the town.This year unscheduled power cuts due to scanty rain are troubling people, but they are thankful that due to the absence of rain, several areas of the town have water even when there is no rain for 15 days.

Rains in the end of July brought misery to the town as open grounds were turned into lakes and streets into rivulets. All main roads extending from five main entrances of the town to bazaars remained in knee-deep water for days. Residential areas like Pandusar, Kartarpura, Hira Mahal, Krishna Puri, Old Vegetable Market, Hospital Road and colonies around the railway station, bus stand and Nabha Fort were inaccessible. Water from the hospital road entered the hospital converting it into a marshland. The bus stand and vegetable market also remained submerged for hours.

The road from the Old Vegetable Market to the hospital still has water as drains are choked and the market on this stretch is virtually closed for many days. The safai karamcharis of the MC remained on strike due to the non-payment of salary.

A major cause of flooding is encroachment on the Barsati Nala (seasonal drain), which has vanished from the map of the town, but the MC has done nothing.

Moreover, cleaning of the main drain (ganda nala) before monsoon was not undertaken this year. This drain gets choked with polythene bags and hard matter when it passes through a siphon on the vegetable market road. Rain water, household and industrial sullage and water of localities around Patiala Gate were discharged into a drain on the Sarain Dass village road near Kendriya Vidyalaya. That drain is also encroached on towards the Dulladi Gate side and its water gets collected under a bridge where colonies are located. Residents of these colonies say stagnant water breeds mosquitoes and other harmful insects.

The drains are not cleaned and sewers choked. The drains overflow and spread stink of sullage in streets. Residents complain that sweepers remove garbage from drains and houses near the banks of drains to be collected later, but never do so. The uncollected garbage flows to the doorsteps of the houses and into drains. They add that cemented lanes make the drains deeper, so these need more cleaning, but no one bothers.

A municipal councillor said though a huge sum was shown spent for the cleaning of main and other small drains, but nothing had improved.

He alleged the council had squandered the money and wanted it probed.

Jalandhar, August 9
The Union government has allocated 14 IAS officers to Uttar Pradesh alone, but five states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan together have been allotted only 10 officers from a fresh batch to be inducted in the IAS 
cadre following selection completed in May.

This has led to resentment as the candidates selected in the IAS from north-western states will not get home states on allocation later this month. Selected candidates will join training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie from September 1.

The Union government has released a list of the number of officers to be allotted to states from “insider and outsider” quota. The insider quota-officers to be inducted in the cadre from the candidates selected in the IAS from that particular state and outsider quota-officers to be inducted in particular state from the candidates selected from other states. Candidates clearing IAS from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan prefer their parent state as cadre.

No IAS officers selected in general category from Punjab will get his/her parent state. Three officers have been allocated to Punjab. Butonly the SC category candidate belonging to Punjab will get the parent state (Punjab) as there is only one seat of insider (Punjab) quota in the allocation made by the Union government. Two other candidates, one in general category and the other in the OBC category, will be inducted in the Punjab IAS cadre from other states as both seats are allocated to outsider quota in the state cadre. Sources said Punjab had asked for allocation of six offers but was allotted only three.

Haryana has been allotted three officers from the fresh batch. Only one candidate of general category from Haryana will get the parent state as part of allocation as there is only one seat allotted to the state in insider quota.

Haryana: Two officers from other states, one of the OBC category and the other of from SC, will be inducted in Haryana’s IAS cadre from other states as part of outsider quota.

Rajasthan, one of the biggest states, has been allotted only one officer from the outsider quota. So a candidate from Rajasthan will be inducted in the parent state cadre. Against one seat allotted to Rajasthan, candidate of the OBC category will be inducted in that state from outside.

Himachal has been allotted one officer, but that seat is to be filled under the inside quota in general category. One successful general category candidate from Himachal will be inducted against that seat.

Jammu and Kashmir has been allotted two officers, one to be inducted from the state against insider quota seat from the OBC category and other from outsider quota.

Madhya Pradesh has been allotted 12 officers from the new batch, Maharashtra eight, Tamil Nadu seven, Bengal five and Karnataka seven, Gujarat six and Manipur-Tripura four. Of the 120 officers, 60 belonged to the general category, 33 to OBC and 27 to SC.

Patiala, August 9
More than 20,000 employees of the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs), who have been contributing their might towards the implementation of various Centre-sponsored rural development projects worth several hundred crores of rupees for about the past 40 years, are facing the axe with the Union Rural Development Ministry expressing its intention to wind these agencies up across the country.

More than 22,000 employees are working for the programme initiated in the states by the Central government in 1970 under its poverty elimination programme. Of these, 303 DRDA officials like Assistant Project Officers, Accounts Officers, Investigators, stenographers and other clerical cadre were deployed in Punjab.

A major part of their salaries (around 75 per cent) was contributed by the ministry while the rest 25 per cent salary share was borne by the respective state governments.

These officials were virtually had Damocles’ sword hanging over their heads, particularly, after the ministry wrote a letter to the state governments on July 28 seeking their suggestions over the proposed closure of the 40-year-old agencies across the country.

In fact, this is not for the first time that these agencies were facing a threat to their existence as the Central government had intended to close these organisations in 1989. But, these were eventually saved by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi after the All India DRDA Staff Welfare Association told him about the rural developmental programmes undertaken by these agencies.

Even the opposition led by Atal Behari Vajpayee had then supported the cause of DRDA employees.

In fact, the Centre was seemingly trying to distance itself away from the programme, as it was allegedly in a mood to shrug off the “financial burden” while the states too have been shying away from taking any responsibility. The states feel in case the Centre withdraws from the programme, they will have to bear the entire expenditure.

“The Centre’s move is a violation of the repeated government assurances in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The state government had planned to merge the agencies with zila parishads in 2000, but, the proposal has not seen light of the day so far,” said the association’s state president Sadhu Ram Kusla and general secretary Sukhjit Prashar. “We have written to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and have apprised him of the situation,” both said.

Chandigarh, August 9
An NRI today complained to the Union Civil Aviation Minister that not only were goods and gold ornaments stolen from his sealed luggage at the Amritsar international airport, but he also had to face rude behaviour of officials when he made a complaint to the airport authorities.

The NRI, Satinder Kumar, said he was travelling with his wife in a connected Air India flight from New York to Amritsar via New Delhi on August 6. He said when the couple landed at the Amritsar Rajasansi Airport and received their luggage, they found that locks of their suitcases had been forced open. The couple said when they raised an alarm and reported the matter to an employee of the Air India, they had to face rude behaviour.

Satinder Kumar said four watches, 270 gm gold, one camcorder (Handycam) and perfumes and some miscellaneous goods were missing from the suitcases. He said as it was late in the night and they were stressed out, they returned to their hometown Barnala and reported the incident to the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner the next morning. The loss was also reported to the Air India office at Amritsar, he said.

Ex-Advocate-Gen speaks in favour
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 9
Former Punjab Advocate-General GS Grewal yesterday said Sikhs in Haryana felt betrayed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and accused the SGPC of spending little to maintain gurdwaras in Haryana.

In a statement here, the former Advocate-General said Sikhs in Haryana were not encouraged to participate in organisational work, which had created resentment among them.

He said the SGPC was not a religious body, but a political one. “Elections to the body are held on the tickets of the political parties,” he said.

The former AG said disturbing parliamentary proceedings would not help the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). “It will only create an unhealthy reaction as the formation of a separate SGPC seems to be a reality now as the Sikhs of Haryana are united on the issue,” he added.

MPhil, PhD scholars resent UGC move
Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, August 9
A sudden withdrawal of NET/SLET exemption extended to MPhil/PhD degree holders as a minimum qualification to appear for post of lecturer has put insecurity over the future of thousands of scholars across the country.

Terming the decision as arbitrary and illogical, the parents of scholars have urged the higher authorities, including the President and the Prime Minister, to impress upon the UGC to review the University Grants Commission (Minimum qualification required for the appointment and career advancement of teachers in universities and institutions affiliated to it) (3rd Amendment), Regulation, 2009. The exemption, given through the first and second amendment, has been withdrawn by this amendment.

“Are our children being punished for putting in their precious phase of life in doing MPhil and PhD instead of doing some diploma courses? Now, when we have exhausted all our resources in getting our wards MPhil/ PhD degrees, the regulatory body has announced to withdraw the exemption given through the first and second amendment in 2002 and 2007,” reads communiqué sent to the authorities by parents of a large number of scholars from this part of Malwa.

The parents have demanded that the amendment be revoked immediately. “At least those scholars, who have already completed their MPhil/PhD degrees should be exempted from appearing for NET and SLET,” demanded the parents.

Charan Preet Singh Dua, Kamal Preet and Gurpreet Singh of Jhammat, like many others from the area, were hoping that they would get jobs at government or private-aided colleges after the ban on appointments was lifted. Being eligible for the post of lecturer, they did not try their luck in any other field. While the government was yet to take a decision about lifting the ban on fresh appointments, the UGC has decided to withdraw all exemptions to these scholars.

Bathinda, August 9
A steep hike in the price of blood units by the Punjab AIDS Control Society (PACS) has irked volunteer donors.

With the implementation of the recently issued directive of the society, a unit of blood, which was otherwise being sold for Rs 300, now costs Rs 850 for patients admitted to private hospitals. The same applies to the price of platelets and plasma units, the prices of which have now shot up from Rs 60 to Rs 400.

Perturbed over the decision of the society, the volunteer donors have been trying to get the prices rolled back. Various NGOs, which arrange regular blood donation camps, have also come forward to raise their voice. Finding that their plea for price reduction was going unheeded, they have jointly decided to strike an emotional chord with Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla.

They have now launched a unique scheme, “An application in the name of Health Minister”. Each volunteer blood donor would send his plea for the reversal of hiked price, which is already printed on an inland letter, to the minister.

The inland letters have been distributed to around 60 NGOs that organize blood donation camps in Bathinda district. “The Health Minister’s office will be flooded with the inland letters which would drive home the point and get the hike rolled back. Moreover, it is a simple and noble way to represent the sentiments of people in Bathinda, who have always led the state in blood donation, before the state government,” said Sonu Maheshwari, president of the Naujwan Welfare Society.

Ramesh Mehta, president, Asra Welfare Society, who himself has donated 57 units of blood so far, said: “We are deeply hurt with the decision of the PACS. We organise blood donation camps and donors donate their blood only to serve society in the true spirit. But now, the donated blood unit is being sold at a much higher price. It really demoralises us.”

Expressing displeasure, Vijay Bareja, who has donated blood 86 times, said: “On the one hand the government claims success for populist schemes like the Atta-Dal scheme, and on the other, this emergency service has been made too expensive. This is unfair and we can never tolerate this. We will go to any extent to get the prices decreased.”

The Bathinda Vikas Manch, United Welfare Society, Naujwan Welfare Society, Asra Welfare Society, Taraksheel Society, New Generation Welfare society, Seva Bharti, Sahara Blood Donors, Sri Hanuman Seva Samiti and the Sri Balaji Seva Society are prominent NGOs who have raised the flag of protest.

Dowry charge against Cong ex-MLA
Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Pathankot, August 9
Teena, a teacher, has allegedly been beaten up and thrown out of the house by her father-in-law Krishan Chand Bains, former Congress MLA and president of the party unit of Gurdaspur, husband Anil Kumar and other members of the family after she failed to meet their demand for more dowry. The family lives at Sarjo Chak village of this subdivision.

Though about four weeks have passed since Teena has been thrown out of the house, no action has been taken against Bains and members of his family by the authorities concerned. Teena, who works in a government school, has been striving hard to get justice.

The police has not acted upon a complaint of Teena yet despite the fact that Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal had directed it to take necessary action on the complaint.

Puneet Kumar, brother of the victim, said Teena had suffered multiple injuries and was under treatment. Teena, who got married to Anil Kumar, an agriculturist, in June, 2007, was beaten up on July 18, three days before the birthday of her son. Her in-laws were demanding that she must bring a car from her parents, he alleged.

Teena was first taken to a dispensary in Taragarh town and then to the Civil Hospital, Pathankot. However, she was forcibly discharged from the Pathankot-based hospital by the authorities under pressure of Bains, who remained Congress MLA from 1992 to 1997 from the Narot Mehra constituency. He said now Teena had been getting treatment from a private doctor.

Bains, said Teena, along with her kin, had been playing into the hands of his political opponents to tarnish his image. How any member of his family could demand a car from the parents of Teena when everyone knew that they (her parents) were not having the capacity to do the same, he asked.

He said he would explain each and every thing to the police whenever he, along with his family members, would be required to make their statements in connection with the complaint moved by Teena.

Meanwhile, the police has directed the women cell to make an inquiry into the allegations levelled by Teena against her in-laws.