Chandigarh, August 28
Leader of the SAD Surjit Singh Rakhra has emerged as the president of the newly formed Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Society, which is set to take over the medical institution in Jalandhar following the signing of a concession agreement here today.

Earlier, a consortium of NRI Academy of Sciences and St Joseph’s Health Care System, US, had submitted a request for proposal (RPF) of Rs 131 crore to run PIMS for a 99-year period under private-public-participation (PPP) in January this year. The consortium had failed to submit Rs 65.50 crore, that is 50 per cent of the lease money within three weeks of the agreement, but no punitive action was initiated against it by the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB).

The Director of PIMS, Dr A S Padda, when asked as to how an Akali leader had emerged as the president of the PIMS society, said Rakhra could have been coopted as member of the society. However, when it was pointed out that an official release here had listed him as the president of the society, he said Rakhra could have been authorised to sign on behalf of the promoters. “The promoters remain the same that is Rakesh Mahajan and Raja Sekhar”, he said.

However, an official release issued here today indicates that the Rakhra or the Patiala-based Dhaliwal family, as it is more known as, was represented on the occasion by Rakhra’s brother Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal as well as another representative Ravi Dhaliwal.

Surjit Singh Rakhra said the consortium had involved him in the project. “The economy in the US has been on the downswing in the recent past and moreover since I am the president of the NRI Sabha in the state, the promoters wanted me to be associated with the project”, he added. The Akali leader claimed he had no interest in the project as it was not his field but had become involved in the interest of the state. Rakhra claimed he now had nearly an equal share in the project.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman said the medical college with a minimum 100 seats and 500-bedded hospital was nearing completion and would be managed and operationalised under PPP by a charitable society. The hospital would be made functional within this year and the admissions to the first batch of MBBS students would commence from 2010.

The medical college, situated on 54 acres in Jalandhar, has been lying incomplete since years. As much as Rs 115 crore has been spent to establish the present building. Its land, then measuring around 120 acres, was taken over by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land scheme.

Amritsar, August 28
Efforts of Sikhs from all over the world have yielded a positive outcome with decks being cleared for the establishment of proposed world-class Baba Guru Nanak International University at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. The government of that country has formed a governing body for the supervision and management of the project.

The university is being set up at the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev to perpetuate his memory and impart education about Sikhism, Sikh rituals and Sikh culture not only to Pakistan-based Sikh students, but also to Sikh students from rest of the world. The project is likely to be inaugurated in November, said USA-based Dr Pritpal Singh, who has been made a member of the governing board.

The demand for the university had gained momentum in 2006-07 when a number of Sikh leaders from across the world met then Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and prevailed upon him to initiate the project. SGPC chief Avtar Singh is said to have pleaded for setting up the university at that time.

Though the Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan has nominated the president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) as member of the government body, the name of Avtar Singh has not found its way into the list.

The orders issued by the board project director, Col Azhar Ul Haq Adeeb (retd), on August 26 said the chairman of the Evacuee Trust would also be the chairman of the governing committee. Other members of the governing board included Mian Imran Masood (executive director), Zafer Saeed Padhiar, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Rai Shah Jehan Bhatti, president of the PSGPC, Dr Pritpal Singh from California, US, Manmohan Singh Khalsa from the UK, Azhar Ehsaan Advocate, Faqir Syed Saif Uddin, Sardar Sham Singh, Sardar Bishan Singh, and Sardar Mastaan Singh.

“The university is being set up on 2,500 acres being provided by the Pakistan government at Nankana Sahib. The Gurmat Sangeet faculty is being set up at the proposed university and its entire expences will be borne by the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. The university will be set up on the lines of Oxford or Cambridge universities,” said Dr Pritpal Singh while talking to The Tribune over the phone from the US.

Mehta (Amritsar), August 28
Dispelling apprehensions of Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said there is no possibility for terrorism to resurface in Punjab. The Congress was trying to scare people of Punjab without any reason, he added.

Bhattal had said in Amritsar yesterday that terrorism was staging a comeback in Punjab and had supported her contention by citing recent arrest of terrorists at the Ludhiana railway station.

Badal was here to participate in a series of akhand paths being organised by his party at the Golden Temple to express gratitude for the victory of the SAD in the three byelections. Badal also initiated a series of sangat darshan programmes in the Majha area by holding two such programmes at Butala and Mehta where he disbursed cheques worth Rs 3 crore among representatives of 65 panchayats.

Badal also inaugurated a Rs 16.5-crore four-lane approach project, a Rs 10.13-crore Beas-Dera Baba Jaimal Singh-Butala-Kartarpur link road project and a Rs 218.79-lakh project for the expansion of the Mehta grain market.

Badal said: “Unscrupulous elements were trying to damage hard-earned peace in Punjab but they will not be allowed to carry out their designs. The recent arrest of militants is not an indicator towards the return of terrorism in Punjab. No movement can get proliferated without support of people and people of Punjab have no sympathy with terrorists as they were dedicated to communal harmony”.

He criticised Bhattal for opposing the state government’s move to seek financial help for Punjab. “There is no harm in seeking special package or relief from the Centre as Punjab has been a major contributor to central revenue. We have already discussed the issue of drought-like conditions in Punjab, which has received 70 per cent deficient rainfall this time. Still farmers of state tried to save their crops by making extra use of inputs like diesel. The Centre should not hesitate to extend relief for Punjab,” said Badal.

Jalandhar, August 28
The Punjab government has resolved to develop the existing Mohali-Ropar Balachaur-Nawanshahr-Phagwara road into an expressway and not to go ahead “with the proposed new alignment of the expressway” between Mohali-Phagwara via the Chamkaur Sahib-Machhiwara-Nawanshahr area.

The decision to drop the proposed expressway from Mohali to Phagwara via Chamkaur Sahib and Machhiwara area had been taken keeping in view the wishes of farmers whose lands fell en route the proposed artery, said Harcharan Bains, Chief Minister’s media adviser. Bains said a high-level meeting to develop the existing highway into an express highway was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Among others, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, PWD Minister, also attended the meeting.

The Tribune had done a number of stories highlighting the opposition on the part of farmers against the new proposed alignment of the expressway. Bains said the expressway along the alignment of the old state highway would have all features which were planned for the Lalru-Dera Bassi-Mohali-Machhiwara-Phagwara new expressway.

Farmers and even experts on infrastructure had strongly opposed the new expressway via Mohali-Machhiwara-Phagwara and termed it as sheer waste of money. They had argued that when there was already a scope for converting the existing highway between Mohali-Ropar-Nawanshahr-Phagwara into a world-class expressway, where was the need to construct a new highway acquiring several hundred acres of high-value agriculture land and displacing hundreds of farmers in the process. Farmers had also raised questions that when several alternative routes were available to Phagwara from Mohali, where was the need for a new expressway.

For acquiring the land for the new expressway, about Rs 3,000 crore was required. However, the state government is already facing a critical situation on the financial front.

Meanwhile, Bains said other state roads, viz Sirhind-Morinda-Ropar with Morinda-Kurali section, Batala-Mehta-Beas, Tanda-Sri Hargobindpur-Mehta-Amritsar, Muktsar-Kotkapura, Dhanaula-Bhiki-Budhlada and Boha-Rattia (up to Haryana border) would be upgraded into world-class surface transport arteries having bypasses at all major congestion points, elevated flyovers and underbridges through large towns en route. Work on the first phase of this premier infrastructure asset would begin early next year and the whole project would be completed within two years. Besides it, Ropar-Chamkaur Sahib-Neelon-Doraha along Sirhind Canal with the Neelon-Doraha section, Doraha to Jagraon-Raikot road along Abohar Branch, Rayya on NH-1 to Khara on NH-15 along Sabhraon Branch and Nidampur-Lehra along Ghaggar Branch would also be upgraded.

Sukhbir also directed the PWD (B&R) to explore the possibility for the construction of a new high-level bridge across the Sutlej near Ropar Headworks as the old bridge was too narrow and in a dilapidated condition. Moreover, the cost of maintenance was also too high and was not financially viable.

Ludhiana, August 28
Shivering on bed this youth made one mistake that he went to a civil hospital to get his feet treated for fungus infection and, shockingly, doctors instead of curing his feet conducted a sterilisation operation.

Harbilas (28), a resident of Mattewara village, who is still unmarried and the only hope of a good future for his ailing parents, has got himself bedridden due to his badly swollen feet.

The incident came to light yesterday, when Sarpanch of Mattewara village Gurdeep Singh reported the matter to the police. Narrating the incident, he said on August 18, Harvilas, along with a lab technician in a dispensary in Mattewara, Vijay Kumar, went for the treatment of fungus infection on his feet at a medical camp in the civil hospital in Kumkala.

According to Harbilas, he was given anesthesia and when he regained consciousness he found stitches on his groin area. When he returned home, he narrated the entire incident to his parents, who informed the sarpanch and panchayat member Ramesh Bagga, who further reported the matter to Deputy Commissioner Vikas Garg on May 24. The DC further sent the matter to the civil surgeon for conducting a thorough probe in the entire incident. Since then, the family has been awaiting the government to act.

In the meantime, Vijay has been threatening the family of dire consequences and pressurising them to affect a compromise, alleged Gurdeep.

Harbilas’s father Laxman Das rued that, “I was pinning all hope on Harbilas, as I am bed ridden for last three years. My wife cannot work due to some problems with muscles of her hands”.

Chandigarh, August 28
The Punjab government has decided that the sale deeds will be made at the original sale price and the time period of such registries has been extended to December, 2009. Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia disclosed this after a meeting of chairmen of various improvement trusts here yesterday.

The minister also announced that compoundable deviation in case of violations would be allowed up to 85 per cent subject to the condition that householders had not violated the front houseline.

Kalia assured that all registries should be done on a campaign basis in September. The case, where violations had made and which were not compoundable, a period of two months would be given to the house owners for undoing the violation. But the registry of such plots and houses would not be stopped after getting the full price of the plot at the time of sale.

The minister said valuable property of various municipal bodies had been encroached upon by unscrupulous elements. These small plots and properties would be transferred to the trusts for their use as source of revenue. He said local bodies would transfer such properties to the improvement trusts at the collector rate.

Kalia said the trust chairmen also wanted an increase in the limit for expenditure on office establishment and the same was increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. Similarly, the chairmen could spend Rs 2 lakh on development activities on their own from the earlier Rs 40,000.

Kalia also said the Amritsar Improvement Trust would construct1, 880 houses for economically weaker sections and low income groups. Similarly Jalandhar, Bathinda, Patiala and Ludhiana Improvement Trusts would construct affordable EWS/LIG houses numbering 880, 1,272, 340, 1,110, respectively.

Anandpur Sahib, August 28
The proposed maiden thermal power plant of Himachal Pradesh, coming up at Tikri village (near Bagheri) in Nalagarh tehsil, will have serious implications for Himachal and Punjab in terms of environmental pollution and water crisis.

According to the Him Parivesh Environment Protection Society, an NGO spearheading movement against setting up of thermal power plants in Himachal Pradesh, the proposed plant will spell doom for water table in the region. The Changar area already faces severe water crisis in summer and with the proposed power plant guzzling around 1,075 cubic metres of water daily, the situation is bound to worsen.

“In his speeches, HP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has time and again mentioned that hydropower projects are enough to meet state’s power requirements,” said Bal Krishan Sharma, general secretary of the NGO. He said the plant would burn around 650 tonne coal, 200 tonne solid waste and 600 tonne rice husk daily, leading to heavy blanket of pollution over 15 villages of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab each.

“Situated at a distance of barely a km from the Punjab boarder, the plant may have similar detrimental effects on the health of the people living nearby as the Bathinda thermal plant has had on the health of the people living in and around Bathinda,” he said.

NGO office-bearers said Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JP), which was to set up the 30-MW project, had got Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared from a Hyderabad-based company, which had reported false findings.

“The report is not based on facts. It states that there is no forest land within 10-km radius of the upcoming plant, whereas Nalagarh and Bilaspur areas lie in the demarcated protected forest land,” Sharma said.

He said the report mentioned that there was no historical place within 10-km radius of the proposed plant site, whereas there were places like Patalpuri Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib and many historical gurdwaras in its vicinity.

Sharma said the government had called a public hearing on September 7 in connection with environmental clearance, which was expected to evoke response from a large number of people, especially villagers who would be at the receiving end when the plant came up.

Amritsar, August 28
Bollywood is once again in the grip of a scenic and green Punjab landscape. Producers of “Kissan” have strived hard to project the problems of farmers of Punjab and those from other parts of the country, particularly the debt-ridden lot, often committing suicide, sometimes along with their family members.

“Farms here are so green that Punjab can offer a perfect background for any movie. We are upbeat to be here,” said actors Jackie Shroff and Arbaaz Khan, who play lead roles in “Kissan”. They were here to pay obescience at the Golden Temple, along with other actors and crew members of the film, Sohail Khan, Diya Mirza, Romeo and director Punit Issar.

“I have been yearning to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and this long-held wish has materialised today,” said Shroff, adding that it was for the first time that he had got an opportunity to play the role of a farmer in any film.

Sohail and Arbaaz said the film depicted problems faced by the farming community. They said people of Punjab were very warm. “The land here is so fertile. But it is sad that some farmers are neck-deep in debt and forced to commit suicide,” said the duo.

Sangrur, August 28
An eight-year-old boy of Longowal village, about 20 km from here, today died of diarrhoea. He was suffering from the disease for the past couple of days. In the Sunami Patti area, around 24 persons have been suffering from the disease. They have reportedly not visited the Longowal health centre and are taking treatment from private medical practitioners.

Around 55 persons from Dhadrian village, near Longowal, who were suffering from diarrhoea, have visited the government subsidiary health centre (SHC), Longowal, in four days.

The SMO of the SHC, Dr OP Khangwal, said today that the boy had been taking treatment for diarrhoea from private medical practitioners for the two-three days. He died this morning.

Dr Khangwal said he today sent a medical team to the Sunami Patti area. According to a report of the team, around 25 persons have been suffering from diarrhoea there, but no body turned up at the SHC. They have been taking treatment from private medical practitioners. The SMO said all patients in Dhadrian and Sunami Patti were recovering at a fast pace.

Chandigarh, August 28
The state government has reserved 10 per cent seats for the poor, backward and meritorious students in all private engineering colleges of the state. These seats will be over and above the sanctioned strength of the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The government will bear all expenses, including costs of hostel, transport and tuition fees, etc.

Stating this here yesterday, Swarna Ram, Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister, Punjab, said this scheme would help poor meritorious students with a rural background and provide them opportunities to pursue technical education.

The minister further said the government had decided to introduce plus two science stream in all technical institutes, which will be a boon for the availability of science students in the state particularly in rural areas.

Patiala, August 28
Over 1,200 delegates from 25 states including Punjab are expected to attend the second All-India Punjabi Conference that is being organised here by Punjabi University from September 1 to 2. Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar will preside over the inaugural function, to be inaugurated by Punjab Governor and the varsity’s chancellor Gen (retd) SF Rodrigues.

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur have been invited as the special guests of honour. After vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh’s welcome speech, Sidhu Damdami, a former editor of Punjabi Tribune, will deliver the keynote address.

While one of the country’s most accomplished movie actors, Om Puri, will be honoured with a special award for his outstanding contribution to the Bollywood film industry as a Punjabi, HK Dua, editor-in-chief of The Tribune, will be conferred with the same honour for his exceptional contribution in the field of journalism. MPs Naresh Gujral and Tarlochan Singh will also share the august podium.

Among those who will chair various literary sessions at the meet are Punjabi Tribune editor Varinder Walia,Ajit executive editor Ajit Satnam Manak, noted litterateurs Deepak Manmohan Singh and Gulzar Singh Sandhu, ex-MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and former Guru Nanak Dev University pro vice-chancellor Prithipal Singh Kapoor.

Patiala, August 28
The national eye donation fortnight got off to a start at Asse Majra village with a lecture by chief consultant of the Patiala Eye Hospital and Lasik Laser Centre Sukhdip Singh Boparai.

Speaking on the occasion Boparai said the eye donation fortnight being observed nationwide had been seeking to renew the old battle against a social dogma that denies millions of patients, with corneal blindness, the gift of sight.

He said corneal blindness, which may be caused due to Vitamin A deficiency, injuries during farm operations, malnutrition, congenital disease and chemical burns, could be cured by replacing the defective cornea with a normal one. But this could only be possible if people pledge to donate their eyes after their death, as their cornea could be transplanted bringing sight to a blind person.

An eye check-up camp had also been organised on the occasion, in which 175 patients were examined.

Mohali, August 28
The district court here witnessed high drama when Vijay Pal Singh Dimpy, a co-accused in the case against former Punjab DGP SS Virk, filed an application alleged he had been threatened by “supporters” of the principal suspects to sign on blank papers. Both he and Virk were present at today’s hearing on the disproportionate assets case.

Soon after Dimpy appeared in the court he moved the application through his counsel. “I called up the investigating officer in the case, DIG (vigilance) AS Asthana, who agreed to provide me security cover”, he told The Tribune.

On the other hand, counsel for Virk AS Sukhija said, “It was all preplanned as police personnel were already present in the court. Dimpy has been won over by the prosecution and the stage is being set for him to turn an approver.”

Dimpy, however, claimed he had been repeatedly threatened by Virk’s “supporters.” Till now the vigilance had maintained that Dimpy had been buying real estate property on behalf of the ex-DGP.

Earlier, during the hearing of the case, the defense counsel sought more time for the next hearing as Virk had to come from Maharashtra. However, public prosecutor Pradeep Mehta demanded the date be fixed earlier. “In the eyes of the court the ex-DGP is an accused in the case”, he stated.

The defence lawyer has already challenged the content of the supplementary ‘challan’ in the vigilance case filed in the court by the investigating agency, which had claimed to have unearthed assets worth Rs 29.54 crore disproportionate to Virk’s known sources of income. According to Asthana, the ex-DGP had spent Rs 45.65 crore against an accounted income of Rs 16.1 crore from different sources.

The court has fixed September 10 for the next hearing in the case.

Ludhiana, August 28
The police today arrested SAD (Panch Pardhani) chief Daljit Singh Bittu and four others under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

According to police sources, Bittu was instrumental in instigating people for the revival of militancy in the state.

Meanwhile, top police sources said Balbir had admitted he had worked with Bittu as a driver for two years. The police has also admitted to have recovered police uniforms and Pakistani currency from Balbir.

Bittu, a former militant, had launched a protest against Dera Sacha Sauda and other Dera organisations in the state.