Jalandhar, August 29
A proposal to set up a Punjab Infrastructure Regulatory Authority (PIRA) has been sent to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal by the Finance Department.

The setting up of the authority had been delayed by eight years. It is being set up to comply with the directions given in this regard to the government by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. A retired IAS officer will most likely be appointed chairman of the authority.

Like the State Electricity Regulatory Authority, PIRA would play the role of a watchdog with regard to the infrastructure being created in the state especially toll roads, bridges, expressways, etc, determining tariffs, performances and standards. People having suspicion that the cost of a project has been inflated by the private builders in connivance with officials, would now have the opportunity to raise the issue before the authority.

There is a provision in the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulations) Act-2002 to set up the authority. However, the popular government at the time of passing the Act ignored to set up the authority. At that time the Congress was in power in the state.

Later, the Congress government amended the Act to enable it skip the provision of setting up the authority. In the original Act, there was a clause requiring the setting up of the authority within three months of the passing the Act but the Congress government had removed the words “three months” from the clause. The removal of this crucial part from the clause had freed the Congress government from the legal responsibility to set up the authority.

The Tribune had highlighted this issue in its columns a number of times. Following the filing of a PIL in the court. The government gave the undertaking to the court to set up the authority. In all developed countries where private players have entered in the field of infrastructure, education, health and other services sectors, the regulatory authorities have been set up to provide people a platform to raise their voice against irregularities.

Amritsar, August 29
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal heard problems of 41 panchayats and distributed Rs 2.5 crore cheques among panchayats for development projects in villages.

Badal also inaugurated Rs 8.50-lakh project to connect Baba Bakala town with the 66 KV Beas feeder to bring the town within the ambit of Beas urban feeder, which will result in more power supply to residents of Baba Bakala so far linked to the rural feeder.

At a sangat darshan in Kaleke and Khilchian, Badal distributed cheques for Rs 2.5 crore for development of 41 villages and gave Rs 10,000 each to four handicapped persons who had come at Kaleke village.

Acting on complaints of people of the area, the Chief Minister transferred two doctors posted at the Baba Bakala Civil Hospital. The doctors were not attending duty regularly. “At sangat darshans I get direct feedback from people and know about the success or failure of government schemes,” said Badal justifying the programme.

On the viability of agriculture in the state, Badal said to break the wheat-paddy cycle, the government had earmarked Rs 60 crore under the National Horticulture Mission programme. “The amount will be spent in this year. Besides, Rs 10 crore has been reserved for the plantation of citrus family plants. Another Rs 22 crore has been reserved to induce diversity in the crop cycle. It has been decided to provide Rs 8 crore for strengthening the Punjab Dairy Development Board and a special grant of Rs 10 crore will be given to encourage research at the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University,” said Badal.

He was accompanied by MP Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, MLA Manjinder Singh Kang, MLA Malkit Singh and MLA Manjit Singh Manna.

Ferozepur, August 29
After getting elected as MLA from the border constituency of Jalalabad with a record margin of over 80,000 votes, Sukhbir Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, made his maiden thanksgiving visit to the segment today. He laid foundation stones relating to link roads, girls college, schools, water supply projects and RO system schemes and promised much more to develop this hitherto backward area on a par with the best towns of the state.

Sukhbir was accompanied by Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Irrigation Minister, Sher Singh Ghubaya, MP, Sukhpal Singh Nannu, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, and Surjit Kumar Jyani, MLA, besides a galaxy of SAD-BJP leaders and district officials.

Reiterating his commitment to usher an era of overall development and thanking the Jalalabad residents for their overwhelming support, Sukhbir inaugurated over 30 projects worth Rs 30 crore. The Deputy CM’s visit saw bounties galore for Jalalabad, as the town got the much-awaited Government Girls College, besides a Suvidha Centre. He also laid the foundation stone for a government school in the villages of Dhandi Qadim and Ghubaya. A water supply project was inaugurated in Dhandi Khurd.

Laying the road map for development of this border area, Sukhbir laid the foundation stone of links roads in Jhangar Bhaini, Mahatam Nagar, Shama Khan Ka, Hauj Gandhar, Sohna Sandar, Mohkam Araian and Tiwana.

Keeping the promise of providing safe water in every village of the Jalalabad constituency, which he made during the election process, Sukhbir laid the foundation stone of a water supply scheme in Jamna Basti. Thereafter, he laid the foundation stone for sewerage system for the Gobind Nagari locality.

Addressing a reception rally organised by local residents, Sukhbir said in the next 21 months, besides improving the basic infrastructure of this region, which included a scheme for providing safe water to all villages, 24-hour power supply and opening of new schools and colleges, his government would bring the industrial revolution in this area to generate employment avenues for the youth.

Sukhbir directed Deputy Commissioner Kamal Yadav to divide the Jalalabad constituency in 10 segments and organise multi-departmental camps to provide old-age pension cards, blue cards for the Atta-Dal scheme and distribute Shagun scheme cheques to the beneficiaries on the spot.

Chandigarh, August 29
Search has begun for a new president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

To galvanise support and broaden the party base, the party high command, sources say, wants someone energetic who can lead the Punjab unit till the next assembly elections in the state.

Though the elections to the state assembly are more than two years away, the Congress wants that a new chief should be given enough time to bring warring factions together and expand the party base here so as to ensure a repeat of success of the Lok Sabha elections.

Mohsina Kidwai, general secretary, All-India Congress Committee, and who looks after Punjab, has reportedly recommended three names for the coveted post. The recommended names are Capt Amarinder Singh, Jagmeet Singh Brar and Partap Singh Bajwa, all three Jat Sikh leaders. Bajwa was elected to the Lok Sabha from Gurdaspur.

At present, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, MP, heads the PPCC. Though Kaypee was appointed the PPCC chief less than a year ago, the party high command had named Lal Singh, former minister, as officiating PPCC chief for the Lok Sabha elections. After Kaypee successfully contested the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, he was again given the charge of the president of the committee.

Now, there is a thinking in the Congress high command that an enviable leader who can build mass support and convert the party’s base into votes be made the president of the committee till the assembly elections are held.

Chandigarh, August 29
Responding to the issue raised yesterday by The Tribune with regard to several incomplete railway over bridges (ROBs) and railway under bridges ( RUBs) in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has said he will take up the matter with Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Chairman of the Railway Board in Delhi.

Sukhbir, who held a meeting in this regard with PWD Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and senior officers, including DS Guru, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, in Chandigarh on Friday morning, will ask the Railway Minister for an early completion of these bridges.

A huge expenditure made by the Punjab government in these bridges has been of no use in the absence of efforts by the Railways to complete work on its portion of these bridges.

The state government has said there are bottlenecks and delays in the completion of 27 ROBs. Sukhbir will also ask the Railway Minister to implement the Tamil Nadu pattern in Punjab in case of other 18 ROBs and RUBs, the work on which will start soon. In Tamil Nadu, one agency is engaged to handle the construction work on each bridge, whereas in Punjab two agencies, one of the state government and the other of the Railways, have been doing the construction work. The Railways authorities have been handling their task in a most leisurely manner.

Dhindsa said the bridges over rail lines were constructed by the Railway Engineering Department whereas the approach road to the ROBs on both sides were constructed by the state government. He said delay was caused due to the divided responsibility on every bridge. Often approach roads are ready in time, but the construction of the main bridge portion gets delayed due to tendering disputes, design finalisation and clearance of estimates, etc, at the Railway Department level. Till the time the bridge is completed, the approach roads have worn off.

Sukhbir said at presently 27 ROBs were under various stages of construction and new arrangement could not be implemented for the existing projects. For the newly sanctioned 18 ROBs, an agreement with the Railways could be made on the Tamil Nadu pattern where total work of 60 per cent on ROBs, including approach road and bridge structure, would be completed as an integrated unit by the Punjab government and the rest 40 per cent could be completed by the Railways on the same pattern.

The Deputy CM also asked the PWD to designate one senior officer as liaison officer in Delhi who would coordinate with various union ministries to get the sanction and clearances of various road projects.

Sangrur, August 29
Member of the national executive of the Communist Party of India (CPI) Dr Joginder Dayal today made it clear to the state government that the party would not allow unbundling of the PSEB at any cost.

He also warned the government to be ready to face a strong agitation throughout the state if it went ahead with the unbundling process.

Expressing his concerns over the PSEB’s increasing losses due to uncontrolled power theft and corruption at the higher level, he said the board could be made a profitable organisation by associating the experienced technocrats. However, the government had not been accepting this idea and this was one of the main reasons for the PSEB turning into a loss making unit, he added.

Dr Dayal also said the unbundling of the board was not an answer to check the losses of the PSEB and redress other problems being faced by it. He emphasised on the inclusion of eminent technocrats in board’s management to check the power theft and enhance its efficiency.

Dr Dayal also asked the government to generate power from other sources, besides the thermal plants. He feared if the PSEB was privatised forcibly, then unemployment would also increase in the state. Besides, the people would have to pay more (per unit) for the electricity, he added.

Anandpur Sahib, August 29
The ISI pockets are becoming active in the state, Ludhiana range DIG Sharad Satya Chauhan said here today.

On his visit to Nurpur Bedi to lay foundation stone of children’s traffic park, Chauhan said that ISI agency had been active in Punjab and was trying to disturb peace in the state. “But we are closely watching all such nefarious designs of promoting terrorism,” he said.

Talking about the arrest of Daljit Singh Bittu, Chauhan said that Bittu had been arrested after getting vital clues and evidences from Bhootna, who was arrested on Ludhiana railway station. “The religious bodies need not bother about Bittu’s arrest. The police has got all evidences and proofs that incriminate him in certain unlawful activities against state,” he said.

The police has also decided to withdraw 3,000 to 4,000 security personnel deployed for security of VIPs. “Very soon a large number of cops deployed on VIP duties will be called back to their postings. This is being done to deal with lack of manpower the department is under,” he said.

Bassi Pathana, August 29
All wings of the government, including the legislature and the judiciary along with NGOs should come together on common platform to wage a relentless war to eradicate social evils like drug addiction, female foeticide and dowry, the government is ever ready to co-operate and collaborate, Darbara Singh Guru, Principal Secretary. to the Chief Minister said while addressing a function at Lala Lajpat Rai School here after inaugurating a library set up by veteran journalist Gobind Thukral to commemorate the memory of his Late father Jai Dayal Thukral. The library has been constructed at the cost of Rs 6 lakh.

Making a fervent plea to students, Guru said they are the future of the nation and they must take oath to eradicate social evils. He said it was the need of the hour that they must develop character, personality and honesty. Taking the cause of girl child, he criticised those traditional songs, which depict the pitiable condition of girls. He said in present era the girls had dominated boys in every field. He said in studies too they had dominated boys. He said it was a good sign that the government was showing concern and the Judiciary had helped in improving the sex ratio of the state from earlier 798 girls for 1,000 boys to 838.

Appreciating the efforts of Gobind Thukral, he said Library was a light house and great source of knowledge and inspiration. He urged the students to make full use of the library.

Later addressing mediapersons he said that it was a good sign that the judiciary had also shown its keenness to curb female foeticide by organising a seminar, which was presided over by the Chief Justice. Answering a query, he said that all genuine demands of the government- Aided teachers and schools would be considered sympathetically.

Chandigarh, August 29
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the higher pay scale obtained by workmen cannot be reduced.

The ruling by Justice K Kannan came in connection with a petition filed by Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Limited against the presiding officer of the UT Labour Court.

The corporation, a state government undertaking, had challenged the award passed by the labour court acceding to a reference that was a sequel to a demand notice on behalf of 35 fertiliser clerks-cum-clerk typists complaining against the order of reversion without notice and fixing them on lower scales of pay.

The main opposition to the labour court award was the alleged inherent lack of jurisdiction for a court to accord sanction for restructuring of cadre and fixing a scale of pay, which was exclusively in the domain of the employer.

The petitioner’s contention was reorganisation took effect only from assistants upwards; and no decision had been taken for providing for any promotion for clerks, fertiliser clerks or senior clerks.

Counsel appearing for the workmen contended that it was decided to revert all workmen without affording any notice to them and to put them on lower scales, even while stating their pays were protected.

Management counsel, on the other hand, contended no notice or opportunity of hearing was required, while reverting a person wrongly promoted. A reversion, which arises on account of rectification of mistake, does not attract Article 311 (2) and principles of natural justice are not required to be followed.

Justice Kannan concluded: “The increase in scales of pay that the workmen have obtained by the upgradation or promotion, in whatever manner they have obtained a higher scale, cannot, in any way, be reduced and the decision of the board reverting them without any notice was against law.”

“The labour court was, therefore, perfectly justified in upholding the claim of the workmen… The award of the labour court is, under the circumstances, perfectly justified and confirmed. The writ petition is dismissed,” it said.