The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Govt to implement Punjabi in institutions
Kapurthala, October 19
The Punjabi language will be implemented in all government and private institutions strictly. This was stated by Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Swarna Ram.

Vehicle registration to be hassle-free
Catching Up With Computerisation
Jalandhar, October 19
The Punjab government plans to computerise all the district transport offices with a provision of wide area network (WAN) by December to make vehicle registration smooth for people.

Pro-Cong man elected Sarpanch of Soos village
Hoshiarpur, October 19
Finally, on the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the district administration, Hoshiarpur, conducted the election of Sarpanch of Soos village at the office of Block Development and Panchayat Officer here today. Pro-Congress panch Harbhajan Singh was elected as Sarpanch.

CM grants Rs 11 lakh for community hall
Jalandhar, October 19
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that the government would establish a chair in the name of Bhagat Sain in one of the universities of Punjab. He was speaking at a function to mark the 651th birth anniversary of the saint at Partabpura village today.
CM Parkash Singh Badal at a function at Partabpura village on Monday. Photo: Ashok Kaura

Bereft of benefits, pensioners demand policy revision
Jalandhar, October 19
The pensioners who retired a month or two prior to January 1, 2006, are up in arms against the state government for not fixing their pension on the basis of notional pay like other employees.

Kewal Dhaliwal Indo-Pak theatre fest from October 21
Amritsar, October 19
In an endeavour to revive friendliness gesture between India and Pakistan, the Virsa Vihar Society in association with Manch Rangmanch, Amritsar, and Ajoka Theatre, Lahore, would conduct six-day Hind-Pak Sadbhawna Panj Paani Natak Utsav here from October 21.

Minor, scooterist killed in mishaps
Phillaur, October 19
Minor child Vikas was killed on the spot, while his mother, one brother and father Naresh Kumar sustained serious injuries when the motorcycle on which they were returning to Ludhiana overturned near Phillaur last night.

	Slow lifting of paddy worries farmers Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, October 19 As much as 1,05,884 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy have been procured at the various mandis in the district, out of which 33,970 MT of paddy is lying in the mandis for lifting. The arhtiyas and farmers have by and large expressed satisfaction over the paddy procurement arrangements except problems of slow lifting and payment by Pungrain. Bakhtawar Singh, president of the District Arhtiyas Association, attributed the problem of payment by Pungrain to the unsuccessful efforts of the procurement agency to go high-tech. Earlier, Pungrain has tried to make online payments directly to bank accounts of farmers and arhtiyas, but the step could not materialise. From October 13, the procurement agency resorted to the traditional system of issuing cheques. Pungrain has also started releasing pending payments in parts against the procurement made by it during September 29 to October 12, he added. “The lifting of paddy is quite slow due to the problem of labour being faced by certain contractors,” said Bhuvandeep Sharda, an arhtiya, adding that the lying stock of wheat in the Dana Mandi was also causing inconvenience. Farmers Surinder Singh of Mallpur village, Santokh Singh of Bhangal Kalan village, Kehar Singh of Dharamkot village, who have brought their produce at the local Grain Market on Monday, when contacted, expressed their satisfaction over the arrangements. They also expressed their satisfaction over the ‘middle path’ adopted by the state government in resolving the row over the issue of payment through cheques to the farmers. “Both the Arhtiyas and farmers can not do without each other, hence it is the best solution in the present situation”, said the farmers adding that they have not been facing any problem in selling their produce.
	Robbers strike at Khalsa college Decamp with Rs 25,000 Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 19 Robbers struck at the Khalsa College for Boys falling under Police Division No 4 and decamped with Rs 25,000 from the principal’s office after tying the two watchmen on Sunday night. The police came to know about the robbery in the wee hours on Monday when caretaker Moni Ram came to the college at 5 am and found the two watchmen Ram Singh and Santu tied in a room. The watchmen narrated the entire incident to him. According to the information, the watchmen informed the caretaker that nearly eight masked and armed men forcibly entered the college. They took them to a room near the principal’s office and tied them there. The caretaker informed the principal who, in turn, brought the matter to the notice of the police. A large number of police personnel reached the spot immediately. Though the police registered a first information report (FIR) under sections 457, 380 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code, it failed to get any clue to the robbers. According to the caretaker, the robbers entered the principal’s room after tying the watchmen. Subsequently they entered the clerk’s room and decamped with Rs 25,000 from there. The two watchmen told the caretaker that the robbers were speaking in Hindi.
	Govt to implement Punjabi in institutions Tribune News Service Kapurthala, October 19 The Punjabi language will be implemented in all government and private institutions strictly. This was stated by Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Swarna Ram. Swarna Ram said there was need to enrich the vocabulary of the Punjabi language by adding more legal, medical and technical words for its implementation in these institutions. The Languages Department was working on it and several new legal, medical and technical words had been included in the Punjabi vocabulary. Deputy Commissioner-cum-vice-chairman of the committee Raj Kamal Chaudhary said that the district administration was doing its best to implement Punjabi in the government offices of the district. Directions had been issued to prepare certificates of residence and castes in Punjabi, he added.
	Vehicle registration to be hassle-free Catching Up With Computerisation Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 19 The Punjab government plans to computerise all the district transport offices with a provision of wide area network (WAN) by December to make vehicle registration smooth for people. Directions have been issued to computerise all the district transport offices, authorise vehicle sale agencies to issue registration of the vehicles along with sale letters of vehicles and outsource the driving licence work to professionally competent agencies. Required funds had been allocated and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the implementing agency to computerise the offices, sources in the Transport Department said. There was inordinate delay in registration of new commercial vehicles, thereby their owners have to suffer losses despite heavy investments. It is hoped that with the computerisation of offices and authorisation of agencies for registration, the applicants could register their vehicles in a single day after completion of required documentary formalities. The sources said a proposal to introduce spot collection of traffic challans by designated officials was also under active consideration. Each designated officer would be equipped with hand-held computerised device so that the official could issue spot receipts and challan information entered into the centralised server, they added. A five-member committee under the chairmanship of the State Transport Commissioner has been set up to make recommendations for the redress of problems being faced by transporters. The other members are the RTA of Patiala and three representatives of transporters. The committee would also explore the possibility of tatkal registration of vehicles and submit its detailed report within two weeks.
	Pro-Cong man elected Sarpanch of Soos village Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, October 19 Finally, on the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the district administration, Hoshiarpur, conducted the election of Sarpanch of Soos village at the office of Block Development and Panchayat Officer here today. Pro-Congress panch Harbhajan Singh was elected as Sarpanch. Heavy police force was deployed to avert any mishap in the area. It is worth mentioning here that previously this election was postponed by the officers concerned on September 4, September 8, September 15, September 24 and October 1, 2009, due to alleged influence by the local leaders of the ruling party to avoid the formation of pro-Congress Panchayat. But later Harbhajan Singh, Sohan Singh, Kanwaljit Kaur and Satwinder Kaur, all panchs of the village filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this connection in which the court directed the authorities concerned to conduct the election today. Out of the total seven members of the Panchayat, the members viz Avtar Singh Sooch, Avtar Singh and Surinder Pal Singh were aligned to SAD did not participate in the election whereas four of the Congress --- Harbhajan Singh, Sohan Singh, Kanwaljit Kaur and Satwinder Singh --- were present in the election meeting and elected Harbhajan Singh as Sarpanch of the village.
	CM grants Rs 11 lakh for community hall Tribune Reporters Jalandhar, October 19 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that the government would establish a chair in the name of Bhagat Sain in one of the universities of Punjab. He was speaking at a function to mark the 651th birth anniversary of the saint at Partabpura village today. The CM announced a grant of Rs 11 lakh for a community hall in the village, besides accepting other long-pending demands of the organising committee and the village panchayat. The CM eulogised Bhagat and his bani and said that Guru Arjan Dev had incorporated many of the verses in Guru Granth Sahib. The community was an unalienable part of the Sikhs and had made many sacrifices for the poor and the downtrodden, he added. Badal announced that more members from the community would be appointed members of the various boards and corporations of the state. The Chief Minister also announced to upgrade power grids of Dosanjh Kalan and Rurrka-Kalan villages from 33KV to 66KV to facilitate the people and Rs 1.26 crore for water disposal problem of Gannapind village and Nangal of Phillaur sub-division. Badal also announced to construct road over-bridges on railway lines near Phillaur and Nurmahal to prevent mishaps. The others present on the occasion included Nurmahal MLA Rajwinder Kaur, Divisional Commissioner S.R. Ladhar, Deputy Commissioner A.S. Pannu, DIG Ishwar Singh and SC/ST Corporation Chairman Pawan Tinnu.
	Bereft of benefits, pensioners demand policy revision Tribune News Service Jalandhar, October 19 The pensioners who retired a month or two prior to January 1, 2006, are up in arms against the state government for not fixing their pension on the basis of notional pay like other employees. The senior citizens have demanded a revision in the policy of the Finance Ministry. In a letter issued by the Punjab Fifth Pay Commission (copy available with The Tribune), the officials of the Finance Department have stated, “The fixation of pension will be subjected to the provision that the revised pension in no case shall be lower than 50 per cent of the ‘minimum of pay’ in the pay band plus the grade pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale, from which the pensioner had retired.” Talking to The Tribune, Charanjit Singh Purewal, retired executive engineer, said this was gross injustice to the pensioners and senior citizens who had been excluded from this benefit. “The decision of the Finance Department is a big blow to the pensioners who were drawing the maximum of the pay in their pre-revised scale and their fixation would be done at the minimum of the pay in the corresponding revised scale,” he added. Purewal lambasted the government for its policy and said the fixation of pay in the revised scale from January 1, 2006, for all the employees would be done on the basis of notional pay (increased grade and pay band) while the pensioners and senior citizens had not been brought under this ambit. “The government should reconsider this harsh financial decision against pensioners and senior citizens,” he added. Pensioners awarded Jalandhar: Five veteran pensioners and senior citizens were awarded with the Golden Age award on attaining the age of 80, by monthly journal Pensioner’s Friend at a function held here today. The recipients are Chand Rani Malhotra, Hans Raj Kataria, Gurbachan Singh Sidhu, Jaswant Rai Arora and Jaswant Singh. The award was an initiative to honour the veteran pensioners for their efforts towards making the association a success during all these years. — TNS

Indo-Pak theatre fest from October 21
G.S. Paul
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 19
In an endeavour to revive friendliness gesture between India and Pakistan, the Virsa Vihar Society in association with Manch Rangmanch, Amritsar, and Ajoka Theatre, Lahore, would conduct six-day Hind-Pak Sadbhawna Panj Paani Natak Utsav here from October 21.

The programme would see three plays to be presented by actors from Pakistan and equal number of plays to be staged by Indian actors.

Elaborating further, Kewal Dhaliwal, president of the Virsa Vihar Society, said as many as 40 actors from Pakistan would be the part of this six-day theatre festival, which is the first time ever initiative of the society since its inception.

“Our idea is to revive the hundred years old precedent of holding the plays jointly by both the countries on one stage. I have learnt that before Partition the plays used to be staged in Pakistan during the day time while the same plays used to be staged during night hours in India. It is still my dream to make this possible in these trying times of friction,” said Dhaliwal.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s renowned playwright Madiha Gohar’s plays would be staged. According to the schedule chalked out for the programme, the play “Savi”, directed by Jagdish Sachdeva, would be staged on the opening day which would be inaugurated by Amritsar Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu.

On October 22, play “Man de Haani”, directed by Dr Sahib Singh, is scheduled followed by “Kaala Menda Vais”, directed by Madiha Gohar, on October 23; two plays “Toba Tek Singh”, directed by Malik Aslam, and “Dekh Tamasha Chalta Ban”, directed by Madiha Gohar, would be held on October 24. On October 25, “Bulla” would be staged. On the concluding day ie on October 26, play “Rutt Malman Di Aayee Ai” directed by Kewal Dhaliwal would be staged.

Meanwhile, on October 25, a seminar would be held as part of the programme to commemorate noted Sikh scholar Jatinderpal Singh Jolly, who died recently.

General Secretary Parminderjeet Singh said this attempt would help in maintaining cordial relations between the neighbours. “Our culture, traditions, language is alike on the other side of border where another Punjab is flourishing. This would be our effort to sustain goodwill gestures which got extinct due to friction between two neighbouring nations,” he said.

Baljeet Johal, the promoter also opined that efforts should be made to start Rang Manch Bus between Amritsar and Lahore just on the lines of Sada-e-Sarhad Bus service.

Play Schedule

October 21: Play “Savi”, directed by Jagdish Sachdeva.

October 22: Play “Man de Haani”, directed by Dr Sahib Singh,

October 23: “Kaala Menda Vais”, directed by Madiha Gohar

October 24: Plays “Toba Tek Singh”, directed by Malik Aslam, and “Dekh Tamasha Chalta Ban”, directed by Madiha Gohar

October 25: “Bulla”

October 26: “Rutt Malman Di Aayee Ai” directed by Kewal Dhaliwal.