Chandigarh, November 1
A deputation of 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, escorted to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence by a team of the Chandigarh police, had to return disappointed as it could neither meet the Chief Minister nor anyone in his Secretariat could acknowledge its memorandum.

“Last week, when we approached the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, we were given an appointment for today at 11 am,” says Harvinder Singh Kohli, a victim and now a resident of Dera Bassi. “Accordingly, a group of 15 riots victims gathered at the Sector 11 gurdwara from where a Deputy Superintendent and an Inspector of the Chandigarh police took four of us to the Chief Minister’s residence.

“While the Chandigarh police officials went inside with our memorandum, we were asked to wait outside in the sun. After 45 minutes, they came out and a DSP from the Chief Minister’s security accompanied them. He told us that since the Chief Minister was not available, we could leave the memorandum with him. We offered to meet the OSD to the Chief Minister, but were again told that he was also not available.

“When we asked for an acknowledgement or receipt of our memorandum, he refused, saying he could only take the memorandum from us for onward transmission to the Chief Minister. We even offered to paste a copy on the wall of the Chief Minister’s residence. But were again refused. Ultimately, the Chandigarh police drove us back to Sector 11. We are greatly disappointed that the SAD-BJP government, claiming itself to be sympathetic to the riot victims, refused to spare a few minutes to accept our memorandum,” said Harvinder Singh Kohli.

The riot victims assail the SAD-BJP government for doing nothing to assuage the hurt feelings of the riots victims. “The government may have been making tall claims or making a number of promises; in reality it has done nothing. In fact, it hurts when your own Chief Minister tells you that he cannot do anything and we have to fight our cases on our own against the Delhi Durbar,” lament some of the victims.

Chandigarh, November 1
The Punjab Police has chalked out an ambitious programme to train the youth in security training and English-speaking to make them employable in western countries as security guards.

Presiding over a meeting of national security agencies under the umbrella association, the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal floated the idea and shared the information about the state police having created training facilities for the youth to be sent abroad at the Punjab Security Training Institute (PSTI) at Jahankhelan in Hoshiarpur.

Aiming to train and organise employment of one lakh youth every year, Sukhbir said Rs 9.2 crore would be spent to expand and modernise training facilities at the institute.

He added that at present 5.5 million people were working as security guards in the country with 25 per cent growth per annum witnessed by this sector. Keeping this in view, the state government was starting short-term courses for the youth and would offer a pool of talented and well-trained youth to security agencies.

A delegation of the CAPSI has sought certain changes in training programme, increasing new courses for middle management level security supervisor and the implementation of the Private Security Agencies Rules, 2007.

Sukhbir informed them that in view of their suggestions, the PSTI was introducing new six months diploma course for employment as security supervisors from December.

He said the youth was not getting attracted towards the job of security guards in agencies, as their wages were too low. He said he had requested the Labour Department to consider them as a special category while fixing their minimum wages, as physical hazards of this job should also be taken into account.

Laying stress on increasing employability of the youth trained by the PSTI, he said the state PSUs were being asked to give preference in hiring private security guards trained by the institute. To meet increasing requirement of women guards especially by malls, multiplexes, health institutes, airports, the Deputy CM said the PSTI would start a special course for women candidates.

Jalandhar, November 1
Rail and road traffic will not be exempted from the proposed Tuesday bandh in Punjab by several radical Sikh organisations to lodge their protest against injustice to the victims of the 1984 Sikh pogrom on its 25th anniversary.

After presiding over the three-hour meeting of representatives of various Sikh groups in Jalandhar on Sunday, the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) chairman, Bhai Mohkam Singh, and Dal Khalsa head HS Dhami announced that it had been decided at the meeting to block rail and road traffic in Punjab during the bandh.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Dal Khalsa Kanwarpal Singh urged the people to support the bandh for the larger humanitarian cause of justice for those innocents who were killed in the communal carnage. The representatives of various Sikh organisations asked the Director, State Transport, and General Manager, Northern Railways, to cancel bus-rail traffic in Punjab for one day in view of the bandh.

Under the aegis of the KAC, the Dal Khalsa has given a call for a complete bandh. 

Chandigarh, November 1
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is not only focusing on different departments every fortnight, but also identifying officers who are not able to match his expectations. Even as the government is in the process of coming out with a major plan to reduce pollution levels, the first casualty of this exercise was the erstwhile chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). He was removed from his post two days ago.

According to sources, former chairman Yogesh Goyal, who has been repatriated to his parent department - PSIDC, failed to bring in responsive administration and did not fit in the plan of bringing in larger reforms both in the department and its public dealings.

The Chief Minister’s office is currently conducting an exercise on cleaning up the Ghaggar river water system for which the PPCB will have to work in coordination with various local bodies. It is also working on a separate plan to tackle sewerage waste of Nangal and Ropar, which is coming into canals, and looking into the Sutlej river system.

According to sources, the industrialists were also not happy with the PPCB that they claim was not coming up with consumer-friendly schemes and failing to bring them on board while taking various decisions. The sources said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was in consonance with the decision to remove Goyal from his post.

This is the second instance where the government has tried to come out with what it calls corrective steps to tone up the administration. Earlier, it had transferred Ludhiana District Transport Officer Chander Gaind on similar grounds.

Meanwhile, Sukhbir has directed the Home Ministry to keep in mind a list of officers who have not been given field postings due to adverse public perception.

Amritsar, November 1
A 50-member delegation of Pakistan psychiatrists, which today visited the Dr Vidya Sagar Institute of Mental Health, was impressed with the facilities provided there.The delegation, led by Dr Haroon Rashid Chaudhry, head of the Department of Psychiatry, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, was on its way back after participating in an annual conference of the Indo-Pak Punjab Psychiatrist’s Society held in Jalandhar.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the governments of both countries should sign “no-war pact” for the development and peace in the region. He said intellectuals, political leaders, psychiatrists and social organisations should pressurise the governments in their respective countries in this regard.

He said the society had decided to hold the fifth annual conference in Amritsar, but the date was yet to be finalised.

The former Professor of psychiatry, Dr Mohammad Sharif Chaudhry, said the Pakistan youth was facing stress due to the prevailing situation there. He said there were about 350 psychiatrists there, which was far less than the actual requirement. He said there was also shortage of staff at medical colleges in Pakistan.

Mirrat Gul, a psychologist, said in India there were a lot of journals and books available on psychology and other medical fields, but not in Pakistan. She urged the authorities to make such arrangements that these could be made available to aspiring doctors and psychologists there. She said medicines were also costly in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, state Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said doctors on both sides of the border should continue their endeavor in organising such conferences so that more interaction between the natives of both countries could take place.

Sangrur, November 1
The Sangrur Municipal Council is slow in carrying out civic works. This was revealed by information sought by Kamal Anand under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Of the 72 projects, related to construction of roads, installation of streetlights and improvement of drainage system and costing Rs 3 crore, for which orders were issued by the MC authorities on February 17, the MC is yet to start working on 17 projects costing over Rs 65 lakh and work on eight other projects costing Rs 30.84 lakh is yet to be completed.

Sources in the MC said the authorities, which should have blacklisted these contractors for not starting work, had failed to take action against them. The MC had issued notices to only six contractors in this regard, they added.

Executive officer (EO) of the MC Surjit Singh admitted that contractors were yet to start work on some projects.

“I admit that in some cases, the contractors are yet to start work, but majority of works have been completed and some are about to complete. We have asked the contractors to complete the work soon,” the EO said.

There are 21 wards in the MC wherein civic works were to be executed within a time limit ranging from a month to six months. As per the rules, if a contractor is not able to complete the work within time, the MC authorities can blacklist him.

Chandigarh, November 1
Former minister and senior BJP leader Balramji Das Tandon today urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to issue directions to the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) to subsidise hike in power tariff.

In a statement here, Tandon said the government had become a laughing stock in the eyes of the public due to its inability to get the application to subsidise power hike processed by the PSERC. He said it was strange that the power commission had postponed the matter despite the fact that the people had already started paying enhanced tariff on the assurance that it would be adjusted against subsequent bills.

The BJP leader said in such a situation the government was left with no other option but use the power vested to it under the Electricity Act. Simultaneously, the government should direct the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to give credit to the consumers who had paid the enhanced tariff so that they did not have to bear an additional burden.

Tandon also called upon the regulatory commission to realise the precarious position of the consumers who were being made to pay higher bills with retrospective effect due to no fault of theirs.

The BJP leader also appealed to the Chief Minister to request the two-member sub committee of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and Local Bodies and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia to expedite its report on ways to mobilise resources so that suitable action could be taken to ease the financial position of the state.

Gurdaspur, November 1
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here yesterday said that there was absolute peace in the state and nobody would be allowed to disturb it.

He accused successive Congress governments at the Centre and in various states of giving birth to different kinds of terrorism. Badal, who was here to distribute prizes to winners of various sports events of a three-day festival organised in memory of Baba Bhurewala of Jaura Chattran village in the district, alleged that Congress governments at the Centre and in various states had failed to maintain law and order and different kinds of terrorist attacks had been taking place there.

“Punjab is a peace-loving state with its people observing total communal harmony. The people are celebrating all festivals connected with different religions and saints with fervour and zeal, and this is the main reason that no one can disturb its peace,” pointed out the Chief Minister.

Lashing out at the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for its “anti-farmer
 attitude”, Badal said Rs 50, which the Centre had declared as bonus on per quintal paddy procured during the current season, was an insult to the farmers.

He said the amount of the bonus must be worked out by the Centre by taking into consideration all factors which go into paddy cultivation. He added that he had made an appeal to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to enhance the amount of bonus on paddy.

Bathinda, November 1
Raining ash of thermal power station and smoke created from burning of paddy stubble by farmers these days has resulted in a high level of pollution here and in the surrounding areas. This has been causing problems not only for those suffering from respiratory diseases, but also for others.

The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), which had earlier announced to initiate the modernisation of the two leftover units of the thermal station in September to prevent the air pollution in the town, has not yet started the work. The Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) was assigned the job in 2006.

However, the blend of ash and stubble smoke has been causing smog, particularly in the evening when visibility on the highway is low. The farmers have been indulging in stubble burning, despite orders of the respective district magistrates against the practice.

A senior functionary of the thermal station said the BHEL has now given an assurance to undertake the modernisation work from 1st December, when the Unit-4 would be shut down and work on the Unit-3 would start after its stabilisation. The BHEL has been delaying the work, but the recent letter shot by local Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal to Union Minister for Heavy Industries Vilasrao Deshmukh, pointing out the delay by BHEL in handling the fly-ash problem seems to have somewhat moved the things.

The PSEB chairman and other senior functionaries held a meeting with the BHEL authorities at Hyderabad on October 10 to finalise the modalities. Local residents, who were facing the fly-ash problem for the past several years are taking the announcement of PSEB with a pinch of salt. They point out that the PSEB has in the past fixed many deadlines, but the chimneys of the thermal station continue to puff out fly ash.

In her letter to Deshmukh, Harsimrat has said, “We have to brave scenes of public outrage because of inordinate delay in rectifying the menace of fly ash.” She said the BHEL has not even finalised the contract for the civil works.

Electrostatic precipitators had been installed in two of the four units of the thermal station a few years back and this did not solve the problem of air pollution. It has been expected that it would take at least nine months each to modernise the two leftover units.

Suspended Particular Matter (SPM) level of the air in the town has been on the higher side because of the thermal station.

Chandigarh, November 1
An informal survey conducted by the RTI Users Association has pointed out that 20 per cent of RTI users feel that the information commissioners are “biased” in favour of the government. Another 16 per cent, however, categorically stated that they have no problems from the information commissioners at all.

HC Arora, advocate and convener of the association, today released the data that emerged from a survey involving opinions of RTI users in Punjab. The association had circulated enrolment forms among RTI users after taking down their particulars from the website of the Punjab State Information Commission, and appealed to them to become members of the association. There was a specific column in the enrolment form against which the RTI users were to mention the problems faced by them in the information commission or before public information officers.

“So far 205 persons have responded by submitting their enrolment forms. A perusal of the views and problems indicates that 20 per cent RTI users have a strong feeling that some information commissioners are pro-government with users openly alleging that the commissioners support the PIOs; some others say that being ex-bureaucrats, they protect bureaucrats and are hesitant to impose penalty of fine,” said Arora.

Another 5 per cent of the complainants had grievances against repeated adjournments. “Illiterate and senior citizens are not extended courteous treatment,” complained two RTI users. “Another five per cent of the RTI users have the grievance that the information commissioners either dispose of the complaints without ensuring the supply of information to them and close the appeals arbitrarily,” added Arora.

Three RTI users openly named the information commissioners who were creating “problem” for the RTI users. Another 20 per cent of the users had complaints against the PIOs and the first appellate authorities; they alleged that the PIOs did not give correct information or deliberately delayed the information.

Chandigarh, November 1
Punjab Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla yesterday chaired a conference of all civil surgeons of the state and the programme officers of the Health Department. She reviewed functioning of Jan Aushadi stores in various districts.

Principal secretary (health) Satish Chandra, Managing director PHSC Raji P Srivastava, Director health services SPS Sohal were also present.

During the conference, Chawla along with Chandra reviewed the performance indicators with regard to implementation of various health programmes and activities with the civil surgeons and the state programme officers. Important health issues like promotion of institutional deliveries, maternal and child health services, immunisation, TB control, the PNDT Act, National Rural Health Mission, AIDS Control etc. were discussed during the meeting.

Chawla emphasised upon the need to check absenteeism of the medical and para-medical staff and asked the officers to initiate stern measures to ensure the presence of staff during duty hours. She further disclosed that the department would celebrate Children’s Day in a noble way by holding special medical check-up camps for the children.

During the conference, civil surgeon, Sangur, GS Nagi, who superannuated yesterday from the Health Department, was honoured by Chawla for his contribution towards providing good health-care services to the people.