Ferozepur, August 15
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while lauding the role of Punjabis in the freedom movement said it was a matter of pride for the state that great martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev and Udham Singh were all Punjabis and freedom movements like Kuka, Gaddar and Babbar Akali were also spearheaded by Punjabis.

He was addressing a gathering after unfurling the national flag on the occasion of the 63rd Independence Day at a state-level function held here today.

He said Punjab had played an unprecedented role in the freedom movement. “Punjabis have a prominent place in the country and we are proud of this”, he said.

The CM said, “On this historic day, I bow my head in reverence for the great martyrs and the patriots of India’s freedom struggle, who displayed unparallelled heroism and valour thereby making supreme sacrifices for attaining freedom for the country”.

However, the CM said aspirations of freedom fighters had not yet been cherished because they dreamt of an independent nation free from poverty, starvation, corruption and unemployment. But even after 62 years of freedom, the nation had not been able to provide them with basic amenities of clean potable water, adequate electricity and shelter.

Listing achievements of his government, he said a blue print had been prepared to build slum colonies, clean village ponds, shelter for poor people and toilets in villages. Besides, a mega project to clean major rivers and canals was also on the cards, he added.

Badal announced that a new administrative and judicial complex would be built in this border town soon.

The CM inspected the guard of honour and took the salute from the march past comprising contingents of the PAP, Punjab Police, Home Guards, NCC cadets, GRP, Jail Police and PAP Band.

Students of various schools and colleges presented a cultural show.

Badal honoured Kulbir Singh posthumously with the Punjab Rattan Award for his outstanding role in the freedom movement.

Muktsar, August 15
The Centre’s Rs 1,441-crore grant to tackle water-logging in Muktsar district is hailed as Independence Day gift to the region’ s farmers.

The Centre’s decision was conveyed to farmers by Irrigation and Power Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon on the Independence Day function at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium here today. The amount will be utilised to water-proof and re-line the Rajasthan canal and the Sirhind feeder. Water-logging in the region is attributed to seepage from both canals which is believed to destroy crops in the area. Sekhon, who unfurled the Tricolour, said when canals were water-proofed and re-lined, the problem of water-logging would be solved to a large extent. Work on the project would start soon, added Sekhon. On its completion, complete Punjab would be able to save 1,200 cuesecs of water.

The minister said the government had envisaged restructuring of 100- year-old canals of the state to ensure adequate water for the districts of Muktsar, Mansa, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Bathinda.

Students of RBC School, Dashemsh Girls Senior Secondary Public School (Badal) and Dera Bhai Mastan Singh Public School presented a cultural programme.

Jalandhar, August 15
Students of Guru Amar Dass Public School, who have been cured of swine flu, inform countrymen that the disease is curable.

Thirtyone students and three teachers of the school, who were part of a group that had visited NASA, Houston (USA), were tested for the disease and the seven students who tested positive were hospitalised for more than a week.

They came to know about their being infected when one student Karandeep Singh was quarantined at the IGI airport on their arrival. The authorities there informed the Health Department here following which samples of all 34 teachers and students were sent for examination.

Loveleen Kaur (16) said on Wednesday that they were tense for the first two days, but things improved after that. “We were free to move about in the isolation ward and could eat and drink whatever our parents brought from home. We were given Tamiflu tablets and other medication and discharged after a week,” she added.

“We all are hale and hearty after being discharged and have been attending school after that. I have seen reports of the panic across the country in the media and wish to say we all have to overcome this situation,” she said.

Guriqbal Singh (15), another affected student, also said it was scary, but things got well afterwards. “The medical staff was supportive, but we were not allowed to meet visitors or take off our masks. Otherwise everything was normal,” he added.

HK Chawla, Principal of the school, said she had interacted with all children and they were fine.

District Health Officer Roop Lal said they had so far sent 41 samples, out of which 14 were positive. “The patients are doing fine. We have all necessary medicines like Tamiflu tablets and syrup and other equipment like additional ventilators in place,” he added.

“People should not panic and even those who have been affected should follow the advice of doctors and take the prescribed medication. There is no need to panic,” he reiterated.

“The only cause for worry is the weather since the virus spreads rapidly in colder climate,” he added. 

Isru (Khanna), August 15
In a repeat of last year, heavy rain today took away the sheen off political rallies in the annual fair at Isru village here, which draws thousands of people from neighbouring villages every year. It rained incessantly for more than two hours.

The fair is organised in the memory of Master Karnail Singh Isru, who sacrificed his life during the freedom struggle of Goa after Independence.

Pandals remained near empty even when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal were speaking on the dais of the SAD and president of the PPCC Mohinder Singh Kaypee and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal were speaking on the stage of the Congress.

Interestingly, the rallies were devoid of sloganeering.

Sources said the biggest reason behind this was that the audience could not hear the speakers. Swattantar Singh, a village elder, said: “We are standing here more out of habit and even the leaders are completing their speech as a mere formality”.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said: “A separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in Haryana will not be tolerated. Any move in this direction can give rise to more problems in Punjab. The Congress party must remember that even Jawahar Lal Nehru had supported the Sikhs for the creation of the SGPC”.

Badal said: “The Punjab government has spent Rs 400 crore on power for water in paddy fields. The Centre must give an MSP of at least Rs 1,500 per quintal for the paddy crop. I have already conveyed to the Prime Minister that farmers be given a compensation of Rs 2,000 per acre in wake of a poor monsoon this year”.

Charanjit Kaur, wife of martyr Karnail Singh, was honoured on the occasion.

Bhattal said: “The Congress is a secular party so I will not make any comment on behalf of my party on the SGPC row”.

She added: “Personally speaking, there is nothing wrong in Haryana having a separate gurdwara panel”.

Samsher Singh Dullo, former president the PPCC, also spoke on the occasion.

Avtar Singh Kareempuri, state president, BSP, said, “Isru had given two martyrs in Goa, Karnail Singh and Rala. Rala remained ignored just because he belonged to the reserved category”. 

Ferozepur, August 15
Noted environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and industrialist Rajni Bector were among several promising sportsmen, social workers, government employees and agriculturists who were bestowed with a “State award” by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Independence Day celebrations held here on Saturday.

Baba Seechewal said: “I am happy that at last, the government has recognised the significance of environment protection.”

Badal lauded his role in taking up the challenge to free rivers from the pollution menace

He urged the people to protect environment and come forward to help the government in this endeavour.

Rajni Bector, who from a small household unit went on to establish Rs 500 crore bakery conglomerate, was honoured during the function. Among sports personalities, Gagandeep Bhullar(golf), Jasnmandeep Singh (swimming), Harmanpreet Kaur (athletics for the blind) and Heena Sidhu (shooting) made it to the list of honours.

Young agriculturists, Vikram Ahuja and Ruhi Nijjer, besides Simran Kang (florist), Balwinder Singh Tikka (horticulturist) also got place of pride among those awarded by the state government for their meritorious services in the farming sector.

Several government officials, including Dr Lehbir Singh ,Civil Surgeon, Amritsar; Dr VK Goel, Assistant Director (Health Services); Sardool Singh, District Welfare Officer, Jaswinder Singh Brar, Chief Agriculture Officer, Mohammed Ishfaq, Executive Engineer, Project Management Cell, Ludhiana, were awarded for their meritorious work in the respective departments.

Inspector Manget Ram Arora and Head Constable Balbir Singh, Punjab Police, were also awarded.

Peacenik NS Nanda, Mohan Sharma (social worker), Bhola Singh (naturopath), Mehtab Singh (hotography), Yash Momi (art), Dr Amresh Kapil (acupressure), Ajit Singh and Tanvir Ali Khan (education), Inder Kumar (blood donation) were also accorded state honours.

Mangal Singh, who had died while cleaning a manhole in Amritsar, was awarded posthumously and his wife Raj Rani was given a grant of Rs 1 lakh by the CM. Anupam Dev Goyal was also awarded for winning a bronze medal in the International Science Olympiad held in Hungary.

Bathinda, August 15
The celebrations of the Independence Day here remained the talk of the town for one or the other wrong reason.

The chief guest on the occasion, Cabinet Minister Tikshan Sud, forgot to salute the Tricolour after unfurling it.

Interestingly, the minister’s tongue slipped while mentioning the name of freedom fighter Sohan Singh Bhakna as Mohan Singh Bhakna.

Recounting achievements of the SAD-BJP government, Sud flayed the previous Congress regime for all reasons, which hurt the audience.

Some senior citizens, attending the celebrations, accused the minister of ‘misusing’ the I-Day platform as of a political party’s stage.

The district administration made the minister to distribute 10 tricycles among physically challenged people, which irked other disabled persons, who were also waiting for government aid. They alleged that the administration was ignoring them.

Irked over this, the agitated physically challenged persons staged a dharna in the front of the minister.

Later, person in charge of the Bathinda Assembly constituency of the SAD (B), Sarup Chand Singla announced to distribute tricycles among all of them from the account of a charitable trust.

Despite presence of policemen, indiscipline among visitors was visible on the stadium. Talking about the issue, an Inspector accused his subordinates for the situation.

It was an embarrassing situation for DC Rahul Tewari when supporters of the chief guest elbowed him out to make way for the chief guest.

A metal detector installed at the VIP entrance of the stadium was also defunct.

Amritsar, August 15
Family members of terrorist victims protested on the Independence Day here today. They criticised the UPA coalition for not releasing Rs 781 crore to families of victims. The amount was approved by the Badal government.

They have been demanding compensation on a par with victims of anti- Sikh violation off 1984 following the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Chairman, All-India Terrorist Victims Association, Dr B R Hastir said they had met the PM and Sonia Gandhi in 2006 in this regard and they assured them of compensationl. He said the central government released Central Scheme for Assistance to victims of Terrorists and Communal Violence on April 1 last for compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family following the killing of a member in a terror attack. However, the insurgency remained in Punajb for 13 years. A member of the state government constituted Terrorist Victim Relief Committee Hastir said the CM moved by the predicament of terrorist victims had sent demi official letter to the PM for introducing the scheme retrospectively from August 1, 1982.

Amarjit Kaur, a victim, said similar relief of Rs 2 lakh to migrants and Rs 3.5 lakh for a killed person of anti- Sikh riots, they must also be given compensation. 

Patiala, August 15
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) informed that power demand in Punjab had broken all previous records consecutively on third day as it reached 2,098 lakh units on August 13, which is 92 per cent more than the last year. Yesterday, the demand was 110 per cent more as compared to the last year.

Yesterday the availability of power was 1,631 lakh units with 143 lakh units from own hydro plants, 575 lakh units from own thermal plants, 135 lakh unts from BBMB, 11 lakh units from NRSE and 767 lakh units from purchase and banking against the availability of 974 lakh units last year on the same day.

The PSEB has been able to arrange more power this year and yesterday the availability was 67 per cent more than the last year, but the unprecedented rise in demand to the tune of 110 per cent has forced the board to impose power cuts.

The PSEB said it had been decided to deal sternly with consumers who were violating PSEB’s regulatory measures, thereby overloading the system resulting into frequent tripping/breakdowns and causing avoidable inconvenience to the people. Member/distribution informed that yesterday, 8,840 connections were checked and out of which 720 were found to be indulging in theft and 106 using unauthorised load extension. It has therefore been decided by the PSEB that consumers, who violate peak load restrictions on weekly off days or whose MDI exceeds 25 per cent of sanctioned contracted demand, the electricity connection would be disconnected for one day on first violation, three days on second violation and seven days for each violation.

The PSEB is serious to check the menace of theft and since June 15, the board has already lodged more than 1,200 FIRs in special police stations set up to deal with theft cases. It has been informed that total 38,3919 DS category, 34,675 NRS category and 2,00,172 AP category connections were checked, out of which 22,224 DS category, 1,542 NRS category and 8,967 AP consumers were found to indulge in power thefts. Penalty of Rs 80 crore have already been imposed on the defaulters.

Jalandhar, August 15
Farmers are upset at power cuts and increase in power load charges. Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said power was supplied for three to four hours a day to the farm sector. He said additional power load charges had been raised from Rs 1,200 to Rs 3,800 per BHP.

He termed it exploitation of farmers, “We will stage dharna in the front of the PSEB from August 17 if the power load charges were not withdrawn by then,” said Rajewal.

He alleged PSEB officials were harassing farmers while quantifying load of motors. “Farmers and companies from which motors have been bought claim power motors of a specific BHP, the PSEB authorities reject the claims of farmers, saying the motor is of more power,” said Rajewal.

Rajewal said a petition with the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission was filed, challenging the enhanced charges but the commission had taken no decision in this regard as yet.

Jalandhar, August 15
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has suspended two managers and four technical assistants in Punjab.

A senior FCI officer today said special teams checked rice accepted for the Central pool in Mansa, Bathinda and Ludhiana areas. “The rice of substandard quality was found to have been accepted from rice millers at some places in the Ludhiana region and other places so action was taken against some officials of the FCI,” said the officer.

To protest against the suspension, the FCI staff overseeing quality control have stopped working at some places, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, many rice millers in the state have stopped shelling of paddy as FCI officials seem reluctant to accept rice following special checking ordered by the FCI. “No FCI official is ready to accept rice as there is scare among them. So we have stopped shelling of paddy,” said a rice miller.

About 15 lakh tonnes of paddy remains to be shelled in the state. Of it about 10 lakh tonne rice is to be prepared and supplied to the national pool. There is little possibility of the remaining paddy being shelled before arrival of new crop in the first week of October, in seven weeks. Last date for acceptance of the rice for the national pool has been extended till September end.

Rice millers are of the view that in the next milling season, starting in October, entire rice will be lifted by the FCI. Area under paddy has fallen by 60 lakh hectares and there will be steep fall in production of paddy. 

Ropar/ Anandpur Sahib, August 15
In the time of recession when others are losing their jobs, these people actually have more work. They are most sought during the tragedies in water bodies and floods.

These are 11-odd divers in the district with whom the Ropar police has joined hands to save as many lives as possible, albeit, in an integrated manner.

Fourtyfive-year-old Suresh Kumar and his brother Harbans Kumar from Sadavart village, Ropar, have been diving and saving lives and pulling out bodies for the past 22 years.

“As kids from the slum areas, we started diving to take the coins that people put in water as a‘daan’. Later, the police started calling us to fish out bodies in the areas in and around Ropar. At times we plunged to save someone from drowning or pulling out those attempting suicide,” says Suresh.

These divers sit down under the main bridge that crosses over Bhakra Main Line on the Ropar-Chandigarh road.

Suicide bidders from Chandigarh, Kharar, Kurali and even from Ludhiana take this route to end their lives.

All Sadavart divers are related to each other. Work of these divers is not related to only saving lives. They also counsel those committing suicide. “It’s a tough job. We have so many roles to play at the same time and to top all, there is hardly any money,” says Dinesh, diver from Nangal.

“Diving is like talking to the water current. We have become more like fish that befriends hot and cold water alike. During floods, swimming against current is the biggest challenge,” says Babloo.

SSP LK Yadav said the police decided to rope in these divers together after coming across high number of deaths due to drowning. “Ropar is richest district in the water resources with more than 15 rivers and rivulets dotting it,” he said.

In 2008, 70 persons lost lives due to drowning and 112 have lost their lives till date in this year. These figures are less than 50 per cent of the reported cases. Many victims and bodies from Himachal, too, find their way into Punjab waters, while many bodies remain unidentified and unclaimed.

Mohali, August 15
A UK-based NRI is having a first hand experience of the much-touted NRI friendly policy of the Punjab government.

In India to dispose off his property here, Gurinder Virk, the NRI, realised that rules and regulations detailed by the Union Ministry of External Affairs for NRIs to dispose their properties here were not acceptable to the babus of the Punjab government.

“While trying to sell my industrial plot in Mohali, I got a general power of attorney (GPA) from my wife and it is complete in all respects and attested by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. The GPA was prepared as per the rules of the Indian High Commission”, said Gurinder while explaining that he was at his wits end to convince the babus.

Quoting the official website of the Indian High Commission, he said the High Commission of India (London) will not re-authenticate a public document that has been apostil led (legally attested, authenticated) by the authorities of the UK government. It further says that “an affidavit, declaration of power of attorney to be used in India which has not been authenticated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can be attested at the Consular counter of the High Commission”, he added.

But when I went to the office of the financial commissioner and met a superintendent in the stamp branch for registering the GPA and getting it embossed as required, the concerned superintendent refused to entertain us saying the attestation by the Indian High Commission, London, was missing. A deputy secretary in the office also refused to entertain saying that there were instructions not to accept any GPA without the attestation by the High Commission.

“It is very disappointing to see that the state government is not adhering to the notifications of the Government of India and is formulating its own rules thereby harassing the NRIs who are advised otherwise by the Indian High Commission London.”, said Virk. 

Bathinda, August 15
Bathinda is declared first in implementing the ‘Parho’ Punjab project started by the state government last year. To felicitate schools that made this project achieve its purpose, state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal was in the city yesterday.

The project was started in July last year in all government primary schools of the state. Its main objective has been to upgrade the standard of education during the primary years. The project has managed to bring 25 per cent progress in languages and 28 per cent in maths in around 390 government primary schools. More than 6,000 children have benefited in Bathinda.

Manpreet admitted that due to the state’s physical infrastructure, a lot of investment had been done in various projects and education was lagging behind.

“With many projects taking place in both primary and secondary segments in the state, some projects have started yielding results now. I think this is a great achievement,” he added.

“This is just the first step as the fight is not limited to Bathinda alone. We have to march ahead in all aspects,” Manpreet quoted. The Education Department demanded that 6 per cent of the total budget be dedicated to the primary education in the state.

DEO (Secondary) Surinder Pal Kaur said, “After the plan’s success, it is high time that we should think about cultivating interest in maths among secondary students with a similar project”. 

Sangrur, August 15
The local Municipal Council, despite earmarking an amount of Rs 11 lakh and Rs 10 lakh in its annual budgets for 2006-07 and 2008-09, respectively, to spend on the development of greenery in the town, has failed to spend even a single rupee during the two financial years.

In a letter sent to the MC on June 26, 2008, the Deputy Controller (Finance and Accounts), Local Government, Punjab, had imposed a condition on the council to spend 1 per cent on developing greenery in the town from the development fund of the council of 2008-09. As the council had not spent even a single rupee during 2008-09 for the development of greenery in the town, nobody knew what the council had done with that money.

According to information provided to an RTI activist, Kamal Anand, by the MC some days ago, the council stated that it had earmarked Rs 11 lakh in its 2006-07 budget for developing greenery, but its expenditure on plantation in the town was nil. While in the 2007-08 budget of the MC, it had kept Rs 11 lakh, it spent only Rs 3.5 lakh on plantation.

In the 2008-09 budget, though the MC kept Rs 10 lakh for greenery, it had not spent even a single rupee on plantation. During the current financial year (2009-10) the MC has spent Rs 15,000 on plantation till now.

A local NGO, People for Transparency, has asked the Minister for Local Government, Punjab, Manoranjan Kalia, to order an inquiry as to why the local MC had ignored the department’s instructions regarding development of greenery in the town. 

Patiala, August 15
Rulda Singh (60), president of the Punjab Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, a wing of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, died this morning in the PGI at Chandigarh after battling for life for over a fortnight.

Two unidentified clean-shaven men attacked him at his residence at New Grain Market, Sirhind Road, on July 29 when they opened fire on him injuring him critically. He was under treatment in the ICU at PGI, Chandigarh.

The police is still to make headway in the case of attack on Rulda Singh. Sources in the police told The Tribune here today that the police was scanning lists of contract killer to probe the angle of “supari killing”. These sources said the police decided to had sketches of the alleged attackers made on the basis of details given by NRI Dalbir Kaur and Rulda’s family members. Rulda had dropped Dalbir Kaur at Ragho Majra in the evening before he was attacked.

A soft spoken, Rulda Singh, was born in a village near Patiala and joined the RSS in 1976 and rose to become president of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. He was also general secretary of the NRI wing of the BJP.

A familiar face in the city social life, Rulda Singh remained a man of the masses. He was always around to lend a helping hand for anybody in distress. He was associated with a large number of social and voluntary organisations. Rulda settled down as arhtiya in the New Grain Market on the Sirhind road here about two decades back.

A mail had been received in some newspaper offices wherein a group of Jagtar Singh Tara had claimed responsibility for the attack. Tara is one of the accused in the Beant Singh murder case. The mail reportedly said Rulda was medalling in the Sikhs’ affairs.

Patiala, August 15
The move of the Punjabi University, Patiala, to grant permission to five “selected” private colleges to start “extended-campus” MBA courses in the name of “revenue generation”, has stirred a hornet’s nest with un-aided colleges crying foul and accusing the top university authorities of showering “favours” on certain “well-connected” private colleges.

Ironically, though the university’s top authorities, particularly the finance department officials, tried to project the move as the university’s effort to bail itself out of the existing financial crisis, the extension of a major portion of MBA fees to the extent of 65 per cent to the selected private colleges has itself deflated the extended logic.

Moreover, the university was already having 120 MBA seats in its campus and at its regional centre at Talwandi Sabo and extension of another 300 seats to five private institutes has raised many eyebrows.

Punjab has over 125 private colleges which have over 7,000 MBA seats, each of Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University was running with 120 seats prior to allocation of over 300 seats by the Punjabi University to five private colleges at Anandpur Sahib, Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib.

“The private colleges, most of them affiliated with Punjab Technical University (PTU), have been left high and dry as they have got lesser students this time due to the unprecedented step taken by the Punjabi University, Patiala. We have already made huge investment on our well-equipped colleges by taking huge loans. Moreover, our main objection is that the private colleges were selected through “back door” on the basis of whims and fancies of university officials and not by open invitation. It was for the first time that the university has dished out affiliation in the name of opening of its “off campuses,” rued the director of a private un-aided college.

Vice-chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh was not available for the comment. Finance department in charge-cum-HoD of the Punjabi University’s Business Department AS Chawla, however, defended the university move. “As the university is facing financial crisis and in view of the present circumstances, we have to generate resources on our own and opening of our “extended campuses” is part of our effort towards this direction. We have taken the buildings and infrastructure from these colleges and we will be paying them 65 per cent of the fees to them,” said Chawla admitting that the university step could affect admissions to private colleges.

Chandigarh, August 15
With the completion of the recording of evidence in the high-profile murder case of Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Singh, Patiala, in October 2005, the case might see a verdict soon, provided the decks are cleared for the examination of two prime witnesses who presently have a stay order from the apex court.

The examination of two prime witnesses, including investigating officer Sewa Singh, then SHO at Patiala and a nodal officer of Airtel, has been held up following a stay order from the Supreme Court.

This came up as their names, besides few others, were included in the supplementary challan that was filed later.

The defence had then challenged the examination as their names had figured in the additional challan. The prosecution had moved an application under section 311 CrPC for additional evidence.

Earlier the HC had shifted the trial to Chandigarh from Patiala on a petition filed by Ravdeep Kaur, an accused in the case.

In her petition, Ravdeep Kaur had claimed that she could not expect a fair trial in Patiala. She had pointed out how even a single lawyer had not accepted her case after her arrest.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has examined 55 witnesses so far. But the SC’s verdict on the stay on August 21 will have a direct bearing on the speedy trial of the case on its next hearing on August 29.

Vijay Singh, who held the rank of Additional District and Sessions Judge and son of former Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, was found dead in the polo fields, Patiala, by his friends. His body had over 20 stab wounds.

The Patiala police had arrested two persons — Ravdeep Kaur and Manjeet Singh — for having planned and committed the murder. Ravdeep had allegedly a ransom amount of Rs 5 lakh to Manjeet, a resident of Shiekhupura village of Patiala district, for the murder.