Chandigarh, September 3
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh accused the Congress of trying to divide the Sikhs in Haryana and rest of the country for political gains. He said the All- India Gurdwara Act would be not enacted till Congress was in power at the Centre.

Accusing the Haryana government of trying to divide the Sikhs by move on separate SGPC for Haryana, Avtar Singh who was addressing reporters at the Chandigarh Press club said neither Sikhs or Haryana nor anyone else, other than the Congress wanted a separate Sikh body in Haryana.

He said the Congress initially claimed to have received three lakh affidavits favouring separate SGPC for Haryana, and then the number was reduced to two lakh and now it stands at 1.28 lakh . In population of 19 lakh, this is insignificant number.

He said the SGPC mooted Rs 125- crore medical college and hospital in Shahabad in Haryana, but for years, the SGPC had not received NOC to start work. “We want to have schools and colleges in Haryana but the state government creates hurdles he said.

He added during his four years as president of the SGPC special attention was paid to start educational institutions in the state. The SGPC signed MOU with Cambridge University under which five Sikh students would be sent to the UK for M Phil and PhD programmes in England. The SGPC will bear 50 per cent of the cost of the scholarship, remaining will be borne by the Cambridge University.

He disclosed Guru Granth Sahib World University would be functional by next March, in Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab and translation of Guru Granth Sahib into other languages will begin ..

Denying the SGPC was controlled by the SAD, he said " There is no political interference by the SAD. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal interfere in administrative matters only to improve the system "

To a question on the SGPC issuing an edict asking Dera Sacha Sauda followers not to hold 'naam charcha' (prayers), he said Akal Takht had only issued one directing people for social boycott of its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for "hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs.

Chandigarh, September 3
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today expressed shock and sorrow over the death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a chopper crash.

Badal described Reddy as “a gentleman politician, a decent human being and a people’s man”. He conveyed condolences to the family of Reddy and others who died in the crash.

Badal has declared a two-day state mourning and the national flag will fly half mast at all government buildings. Government offices, boards, corporations and educational institutions would remain closed for the day as a mark of respect to the departed leader. 

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal would represent the Chief Minister and the Punjab government at the funeral of Reddy.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also expressed grief and said Reddy would be remembered for his gentle way of persuasion and his commitment for the welfare of downtrodden.

Bikram Singh Majithia, MLA and Patron, Youth Akali Dal, also mourned the death of Reddy.

Mohinder Singh KayPee, president, Punjab Pradesh Congress, said Reddy was a great visionary, an ardent Congressman and a great leader who led his party successfully in the last Assembly elections.

Chandigarh, September 3
Punjab may re-examine its policy for leasing of aircraft for VIPs in the light of the glitches, which led to the emergency landing of a private helicopter flying Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal recently, but is otherwise in an expansionist mode with the ground being cleared for the acquisition of a helicopter for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

According to sources, the accident that claimed the life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy is likely to further spur efforts to cross-check airworthiness of the aircraft taken on lease.

The sources said the Civil Aviation Department did not re-examine the aircraft taken on lease as private operators running them have constantly claimed that certificate of airworthiness issued by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the only thing they need to be concerned about. However, the recent incidents have made the government think to reopen the leasing process for discussion.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had at a recent meeting asked Civil Aviation Secretary Visvajit Khanna to discuss the viability of purchasing a Rs 50 or Rs 60 crore helicopter with the Finance Secretary. Though parameters like ability to operate under day and night conditions have been approved, the government has still not decided as to whether it should go for a medium lift helicopter with a four passenger capacity or a heavier machine with higher passenger capacity.

The sources said among the medium lift helicopters under discussion include Bell-430 chopper, which was involved in the crash killing the Andhra CM, Augusta 109 as well as the Dauphin N-3 which is being used for the CM’s travel on lease from Pawan Hans. However, the sources said the government might veer around to purchasing the Eurocopter 145, which has a capacity of carrying seven or eight passengers. Haryana has also purchased this machine for its CM’s use.

The government will have to hire pilots again. Pilots M S Khokhar and Dalip Kataria were killed in the crash of its only fixed wing King Air C-90 aircraft in October last year.

Punjab civil aviation has a chequered history with the state losing its other fixed wing aircraft B 200 Super King in 1994 when it crashed along with then Governor Surendra Nath in Himachal Pradesh. Besides pilots RDS Sandhu and Pargat Singh, who were killed in the accident, other state pilots have also died in crashes outside the state. 

Jalandhar, September 3
Recent spell of rain will prove good for paddy and other kharif crops in 
the state. Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Director, Agriculture, Punjab, said: “Though there is overall deficit of 31 per cent of rain till date, current spell of rain has given boost to the late-sown paddy and other crops”.

Paddy was sown late in Punjab as due to insufficient rain in second fortnight of June and even in the first fortnight of July.

“Rain may hit the early sown paddy but farmers, by and large, had delayed sowing of various kharif crops, including paddy, owing to dry spell in second half of June”, said Sidhu.

Ferozepur and Fatehgarh Sahib are the districts where rain deficit is 75 per cent deficit. However, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Ludhiana and Kapurthala had almost normal rain till date. In fact, Kapurthala received excess rain.

Amritsar, Muktsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Faridkot districts had scanty rain . In Bathinda, Sangrur and Patiala, it has been below normal.

“The average rainfall in Punjab has been recorded 279.8 mm, whereas it should have been 408 mm till the end of last month”, Sidhu added.

Attack of blight (fungal disease) on paddy crop has ben reported in a few pockets. Sidhu advised farmers not to use nitrogen and drain out water from paddy fields.

Ludhiana, September 3
Delay to renew contracts of the doctors working in village dispensaries under the Department of Rural Development, Punjab has forced them to plan shutdown of dispensaries from September 15 if the government did not take up their cause on priority. A doctor working in a nearby dispensary said, "The government is compelling us to resign for reason to give the rural health into private hands."

The three-year contract of the 1,193 doctors appointed in 2006 ended on May 31, this year. The Department of Rural Development instead of renewing the contract extended it for one month with promise of renewal in July. But the government reneged on its promise as the rural doctors were again given extension of two months followed by a promise by Jagpal Singh Sandhu, Financial Commissioner, Punjab.

Fed up with the government's attitude more than 200 doctors left jobs in two years.

Another batch of 250 rural doctors have been selected against regular posts of medical officers in Haryana who will resign after getting appointment letters .

A rural doctor from Sangrur district selected in Haryana referred to the statement of Jagpal Singh Sandhu in June lauding rural doctors . The doctor said deliberations over "salary" and discussion on "regularisation" of posts were the causes cited behind delay in renewing of the contract by the Financial Commissioner but nothing has been done. " Extension in bits and pieces has only added to the humiliation of the doctors," the doctor rued.

Dr Aslam Parvez , state president, Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA) Punjab stated in three years, the attitude of the Department of Rural Develoment towards rural doctors is disheartening. "We don't want villagers to suffer on account of discontinuation of service by the doctors in dispensaries but will be forced to agitate if government failed to renew the contracts.

Moga, September 3
India-born Canadian citizen Jagdev Singh, who faces charges for the murder former MLA Nachattar Singh Gill, father of Paramdeep Singh Gill, DGP, was today granted supplementary bail in the case of fraud though his plea for bail in a case of corruption was disallowed by another court.

He walked out of jail after he was granted in the fraud case. The police could not complete formalities to arrest him in the corruption case as the file was reportedly lying in the Sessions court where a decision on his bail application was pending till evening.

Earlier, the police had added Section 467 of the IPC during the course of investigation in the fraud case registered against Jagdev on August 4 under Sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Karunesh Kumar Kakkar had granted him bail in this case but rejected his bail application with regard to the addition of charge under Section 467 of the IPC as it was not under the jurisdiction of his court. Jagdev had already got bail in the murder case.

The defence counsel, had filed his bail application with regard to Section 467 of the IPC before the Sessions court here early this week. Additional Sessions Judge Amarjot Kaur Bhatti, while agreeing to the arguments of the defence counsel, granted him bail this afternoon.

However, in another case registered against him under Sections 7, 13 (2), 88 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-1988, SK Aggarwal, Additional Sessions Judge declined him bail while two co-accused Hakam Singh, a retired cop and Bittu, a travel agent, were granted anticipatory bail.

It was learnt the police launched a hunt to nab Jagdev, who was declined bail in the corruption case.

Sangrur, September 3
Jasbir Singh, BDPO, Andana at Moonak, was acquitted of corruption by Sessions Judge D R Arora who also passed strictures against DSP Jaspal Singh for violating rules for getting the FIR registered against the accused within the area of police station, Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, instead of police station, Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda.

Jasbir Singh was booked on the complaint of Gurjant Singh, panchayat secretary, Moonak on November 10, 2004 at police station, Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, under Section 7, 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act. Jasbir Singh has been acquitted as prosecution failed to prove the charge .

Gurjant Singh was panchayat secretary at Moonak (Sangrur district). On November 9, 2004 Jasbir Singh, BDPO, Andana at Moonak, went to the house of Gurjant at Bareta (District Mansa) and showed him photocopy of a complaint against him saying if he wanted the enquiry in his favour he would have to pay Rs 20,000 him. The BDPO asked Gurjant Singh to come to his office at Moonak on November 10, 2004 with Rs 10,000 and he would record probe in his favour. Gurjant Singh contacted the DSP, Vigilance Bureau, Mansa, who later laid trap and caught Jasbir Singh in his office at Moonak accepting bribe from Gurjant. 

Bamial (Gurdaspur), September 3
The BSF authorities today acted swiftly to bring back to the Indian waters a boat carrying 32 Indians that entered into the Pakistan waters in the Ujh river flowing between India and Pakistan. The boat was dragged back to the Indian waters before the Pakistan Rangers could reach it.

However, Sudesh Kumari, resident of Nanial village, was feared dead in the incident. The BSF authorities have contacted the Rangers for launching a search operation for her.

Karamjit Singh Sra, Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur, has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Muthukrishnan, Commandant, 109 BSF Battalion, said boat nakas had been put up in the river to trace the missing woman.

The government boat, which ferries passenger from Indian villages situated on both sides of the river, drifted towards the Pakistan territory around 2.40 pm due to strong current in the river and fast winds. It was going to Khoj Ki Chak.

When the boat entered Pakistan’s territory, passengers jumped into the water and tried to drag it back to the Indian territory. Hearing the hue and cry raised by them, BSF personnel reached there and brought the boat with ropes to the Indian territory.

The boat makes rounds between Bamial and Khoj Ki Chak points 15 times a day. The service caters to the around 25 villages situated on the both sides of the river. Sources said the Punjab government had failed to equip the boat with a motor engine despite repeated demands of the residents.

Amritsar, September 3
Medical fraternity and various organisations, which were till now supporting the agitation of junior doctors, today criticised the donkey march taken out by them to express their anguish against the Medical Superintendent of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) recently.

The Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association (PSMDTA), led by Dr Karamjit Singh, general secretary, said though they supported the demands of the JDA, it condemned that indecent method of agitation against one of the senior professors, Dr RPS Boparai, Medical Superintendent.

The Senior Punjab Civil Medical Service Association (Senior PCMSA), led by Dr DC Sharma, said being a respected and educated class, the junior doctors should have adopted a civilised way of agitation to express their grudge against Dr Boparai. Shamsher Singh Kori, president of the Punjab State Pharmacist Association, also criticised the donkey march by the doctors. 

Chandigarh, September 3
Yadavindra Public School Association, Patiala, is certain that the municipal corporation will change its stand and proceed with the auction of the main campus.

Apprehending the worse, the association today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for directions to the state of Punjab, the municipal corporation and the divisional commissioner against “coercive steps to recover more than Rs 15 crore as alleged house tax”.

Taking up the petition filed through secretary-cum-school principal Stanley Vinod Kumar, Justice Permod Kohli this morning issued notice of motion to the respondents. The notice on behalf of the state and the commissioner was accepted in the court itself. The petition will now come up for further hearing on September 11.

In the petition, the association asserted the prestigious educational institute was founded in 1948, but now the career of over 3,000 students was at stake.

Going into the background of the matter, the petitioner contended the school was being run solely for educational purposes, and not for making profit or commercial use. Due to non-commercial nature of activities, the school has been granted exemption from payment of Income Tax, but the school has been regularly paying house tax at the rate of Rs 3,30,516 per annum for the main campus property.

The corporation had also sent a notice asking the school to make the payment within seven days, “failing which the corporation shall recover the amount by way of auction of property”. 

Mohali, September 3
Punjab Transport Minister, Master Mohan Lal, today turned ‘master’ while handing down mantra of corruption-free and passenger friendly approach to newly recruited drivers and conductor in Punjab Roadways and Punbus.

The occasion was a function organised by the Punjab Transport Department to handover appointment letters to 123 young drivers, conductors and clerks on compassionate ground.

Virtually turning the podium into a classroom, the master told his pupils that corruption would not be tolerated in the department. Striking a note with his pupils, the he reminded them of the sacrifices made by their parents for the department.

Citing specific cases the minister was candid in admitting that drivers and conductors, especially those taken on minimum wages, resorted to evasion of revenue by not disclosing the actual sale of tickets. “Some bold one even to sell few litres of diesel. But, we are working hard to reduce the loss in the roadways”, he added.

While he was candid about accepting corruption and the manner in which political bosses shielded the corrupt employees, he was cautious in naming the influential private bus operators, who ensure that the state-owned roadways run into losses.

After the briefing, the minister took an oath from the appointed candidates and took a resolve that they would strive hard to pull the roadways out of the financial crisis.