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Badal seeks more power from Centre
Malpractices Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act
Reimbursement of medical expenses incurred abroad |
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Obituary
Disparaging References to Women
Breast, ovarian cancer incidence up in northern India
Ayurveda research centre to be set up
Ailing passenger forces Toronto-bound flight to return
LBP to launch drive against female foeticide
Lok Bhalai Party President Balwant Singh Ramoowalia addresses party workers
in Ludhiana on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
FCI urged to accept rice prepared from PAU 201
18-year-old dies of swine flu
City Centre Case
17-year-old Pak intruder held on border
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Badal seeks more power from Centre
Chandigarh, November 7 In a letter to Shinde, the Chief Minister said Punjab farmers were now preparing for the sowing of wheat but they were not getting adequate water so far because the state was unable to ensure the requisite eight-hour power supply nor was there sufficient water in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar reservoirs. He said to ensure eight-hour uninterrupted power for wheat sowing, the state needed 500 MW of additional power. The Chief Minister impressed upon Shinde the need to accede this request and also brought to his notice that the PSEB was supplying 380 MW for border fencing lighting, defence needs and agricultural pump sets which were located within 16 km of the border with Pakistan.He said the state was also apprehending a decline in hydro power generation during the wheat-sowing season because of the reduced availability of water in the reservoirs. There was a shortfall of about 20 and 50 per cent at BBMB and RSD generation units, respectively, he added. Punjab was allocated 303 MW from the unallocated pool of Central sector plants to meet the electricity requirement of farmers during the paddy season from June to September 2009. In addition 136 MW was allocated to overcome electricity shortage as a result of drought last summer. This allocation helped the state ensure a bumper paddy crop despite scanty rain.
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Malpractices
Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act
Amritsar, November 7 While holding the third executive meeting of the AIOCD here for the first time ever, the unanimous demand was to consider a druggist as a ‘witness’ and not a ‘culprit’ until his guilt was proved. Parsan K Singh, general secretary of the AIOCD, said a memorandum to this effect was being sent to the central ministry. “Though we endorse making strict provisions in the law, the punishment has been described in a vague manner. Further, reasonable provisions should be made in the Act for those chemists, who get their stock from the drug companies on authorised purchase bills under the prescribed route, tallying the batch no. of the medicines,” he said. The Lok Sabha has endorsed the recent notification with some substitutions in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of the central government, which recommends enhancement in the imprisonment term from five to 10 years. It may extend to imprisonment for life. The fine has been fixed as not less than Rs 10 lakh or three times the value of the drugs confiscated, whereas the earlier amount of fine was Rs 10,000. Nevertheless, the organisation with an annual turnover of Rs 50,000 crore comprising over five lakh retailers and around 60,000 wholesalers all over the country is also gearing up to meet the changing trends of medicine-selling trade with the inception of multinational drug stores run by Reliance, Walmart and Subhiksha. The organisation is chalking out specialised training programmes for its member druggists, which includes patient counselling, self-dependent programmes and programme on handling patients.
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Reimbursement
of medical expenses incurred abroad Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 7 The ruling came on a petition filed by Dr Surjit Singh Sandhu through his legal representatives. After retiring as Professor of Radiology from Rajindra Government Hospital, Patiala, he suffered from “a complicated heart ailment requiring immediate replacement of Aortic valve and also coronary bypass surgery”. In the petitioner’s case, sophisticated facility for such a surgery was not available in the country. As such, the authorised medical officer-cum-director, Health and Family Welfare being the medical board’s chairman, referred him to undergo treatment at Houston, USA. But the sanction was not accorded for reimbursement of the medical claim. The petition was filed in 1993. During the petition’s pendency, the petitioner expired on April 10, 1999, and his legal representatives were brought on record. Taking up the matter, Justice MM Kumar asserted: “After hearing the counsel for the parties and perusing the paper book with their assistance, I am of the firm view that this petition deserves to be accepted. Self-preservation of one's life is the necessary concomitant of the Right to Live as defined in Article 21 of the Constitution.” “The state of Punjab issued a policy/instructions regarding reimbursement of medical expenses on January 25, 1991, which governs this case. The policy clearly shows that all the categories of employees, whether retired or serving, were covered and governed by the policy. The policy required that a person, who needed medical treatment outside India to make an application for availing such a treatment abroad to the director, Health and Family Welfare two months in advance.” “It also appears to be correct that such a treatment in 1991 was not available in this country and there was high risk involved to the life of such a patient. “This petition succeeds. The petitioner is held to be entitled to the payment of Rs 11,75,000 as medical reimbursement in lieu of the expenses incurred by him in USA.”
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Obituary Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 7 Born and brought up in Rampur village, near Doraha in Ludhiana, Giani Harinder Singh, who missed a berth in the Rajya Sabha by a whisker in the early 70s, belonged to a rare band of politicians who remained a member of both the Vidhan Sabha and the Vidhan Council of Uttar Pradesh. He represented not only the Sikh farmers settled in the Terrai area of Uttar Pradesh and later Uttarakhand but also spearheaded several campaigns, including the tracking down of persons behind the 1991 Pilibhit massacre, and agitated peacefully to keep Rampur and Swar tehsils of Rampur district out of Uttaranchal at the time of the reorganisation of Uttar Pradesh. He was imprisoned under the National Security Act in 1992. In 1980 he was also in the forefront of the Meerut gurdwara agitation. In 1978 Chaudhary Charan Singh wanted him in the Rajya Sabha but owing to opposition from within the Janata Party, he had to contend with membership of the Upper House of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature. In 1977 he started a newspaper, Sikh Darpan, that closed down after five years because of economic reasons. He remained the President of the Uttar Pradesh Sikh Pratinidhi Board. Between 1985 and 1994 he contested the Assembly elections thrice. In his third attempt he won by a handsome margin. But unfortunately that Assembly was dissolved after 18 months. He did not contest again. In July 2003 the then SGPC chief, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, forced him to accept the presidentship of the Kendriya Singh Sabha. In June last year he was re-elected President of the Sabha without a contest. Giani Harinder Singh never took financial help or assistance from any government in his 77-year-old career in public, political, social and religious life. A science graduate, he was a progressive farmer and credited with developing a number of pieces of barren land not only in the Terrai in Uttar Pradesh but also in Ludhiana district.
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Disparaging References to Women Sarbjit Dhaliwal Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, November 7 A deputation of the Punjab Sabhiachar Academy, Punjabi Geetkar Association and Punjabi writers at a meeting with adviser to the Chief Minister Daljeet Singh Cheema urged him to form a screening committee to remove derogatory references to women in a number of audio and video cassettes. Gurbhajan Gill, president of the academy, said the deputation drew the attention of Cheema towards a comedian’s cassette in which derogatory remarks to women had allegedly been used. “We will not allow such things at any cost,” Gill said. He alleged that, “The Punjab culture is being polluted by certain singers, comedians and others involved in the entertainment business.” He said Gurcharan Kaur Kochhar, president, Istri Wing of the SAD, had also urged Cheema to take steps in this regard. He said there were some singers and lyricists, who were allegedly promoting drinking, violence and feuds through their folk songs. “A bad image of Punjabis is being projected all over the world by such lyricists and singers,” he added. He demanded that the screening of an audio and videocassette should be done by a panel formed at the government level.
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Breast, ovarian cancer incidence up in northern India
Ludhiana, November 7 Dr Satish Jain and Dr Veena Jain, leading surgeons and gynaecology oncologists at Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, vouched for the above facts, adding, "Young women in urban areas are career-oriented, who prefer to get married in their thirties, thereby resulting in late maternity, which is a major cause of breast and ovarian cancers." Similarly, fatty diets and genetic factors contribute to the cause of these cancers. The duo has been elemental in organising XVIII Annual Conference of the Association of Gynaecological Oncologists of India that started yesterday and will conclude tomorrow. More than 500 delegates from across the country along with some noted oncologists from overseas are in the city deliberating on various aspects of breast, ovarian and cervical cancers in women. Breast and ovarian cancers are "asymptomatic" which is why the patients do not approach the physicians/gynaecologists at earlier stages and the diagnosis made at later stages (stage III and IV) reduces the chances of survival to 50 per cent, observed Dr Veena Jain. On the contrary, the survival rate of the cancer patients is more than 80 per cent when detected at an early stage. Dr Satish Jain pointed towards the multi-modality treatment, which he said was available at the leading hospitals.
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Ayurveda research centre to be set up
Daudhar (Moga), November 7 He was addressing ayurvedic experts and students at a national seminar on ayurveda that began on the campus of Babe Ke Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital in Daudhar village in Moga district today. As many as 300 delegates and 50 professors and scholars had been invited to participate in the seminar. Dr S.S. Gill, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, after inaugurating the seminar said private institutes had developed huge infrastructure with modern facilities. He said, “Resources should have the maximum utilisation in academic excellence and promotion of research”. Dr M.C. Sharma, Director of the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, presented his paper expressing the view that the message of ayurveda should be spread all over the world. Earlier, Prof M.R. Popli, Director of Babe Ke Group of Institutes, and Dr Rohin Sachdeva, general secretary of the management committee, welcomed the guests.
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Ailing passenger forces Toronto-bound flight to return
Amritsar, November 7 The problem surfaced in the flight, which had taken off for Toronto around 9 am, when Gurdip Singh Dhaliwal (28) a resident of
Jagraon, started feeling a severe pain in his chest after the flight attained its normal height. Immediately after the development of the searing pain was announced by the flight crew, a doctor and other airline staff tried to make things smoother for
Gurdip, but nothing worked on him as his condition continued to deteriorate. At this moment, the flight commander decided to take the plane back to Raja Sansi to get medical help for
Gurdip. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital and his luggage was deplaned. He was discharged from the hospital in the evening. The flight left for its destination around 12 noon.
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LBP to launch drive against female foeticide
Ludhiana, November 7 Passing a resolution to this effect during a meeting of the LBP here today, party activists said they would work to help women live a life of dignity. They said demand for dowry and ill-treatment of women were responsible for the menace. President of the party Balwant Singh Ramoowalia claimed that, “If the same treatment continued, there will be a five-fold increase in the number of cases.” Meanwhile, Ramoowalia announced a 15-point programme of the party that would be taken up in
the future. He said they would also help NRIs to get their “occupied” property freed. Talking about the inflation, he said due to the “failure” of Central government policies, the prices of essential commodities had gone up and the common man was suffering.
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FCI urged to accept rice prepared from PAU 201
Jalandhar, November 7 The committee has given a report that PAU 201 is fit for human consumption. The FCI had rejected rice prepared from this variety. About 8 lakh tonnes of levy rice prepared from this variety is lying with millers as the FCI had refused to accept it for the Central pool. President of the BKU Balbir Singh Rajewal today urged Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to give instructions to the Food Corporation of India authorities to start accepting the rejected rice. The president of the Rice Millers Association said millers would feel relieved only when the rejected rice was accepted.
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18-year-old dies of swine flu
Ludhiana, November 7 The youth identified as Kunal Karan was admitted to the hospital on Thursday evening. He had sore throat, congestion of the chest and high-grade fever when he was brought in. According to Dr Sandeep Puri, Medical Superintendent, DMC, the boy was treated for swine flu. The doctor said the boy did not have any history of travel nor had he come in contact with any swine flu patient.
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City Centre Case Rajneesh Lakhanpal
Ludhiana, November 7 Stressing hard for framing charges against the accused, Special Public Prosecutor Mitter Sain Goel alleged that the All-India Congress Committee had asked the then LIT chairman Ashok Singh Garcha to generate Rs 100 crore in order to partially meet the expenses to be incurred on the elections by the Congress. Jagjit Singh, the then Local Bodies Minister, Punjab, had also made a telephone call to Garcha in this connection, he added. Thereafter, in a DO letter, Garcha had expressed LIT's inability to take up the City Centre project. He had written that LIT officials were not competent enough to handle such a huge project. He had suggested setting up a high-power committee to handle the project. Special Public Prosecutor further stated that instead of agreeing with LIT chairman, the then Punjab Chief Minister had terminated the services of Ashok Garcha as chairman and in the same orders appointed PS Sibia as the new chairman (a proclaimed offender in this case) of the LIT. Sibia had started the proceedings in respect of the City Centre project and who was now a proclaimed offender, stated Special Public Prosecutor. Meanwhile, the court asked Vigilance Bureau to lead evidence on January 11, 2010, if any, in the application filed by them for seeking action against the former Chief Minister for producing a false medical certificate to get exemption on a hearing. Whereas January 12 was fixed for producing evidence by the former Chief Minister in the application, demanding to initiate contempt proceedings against Vigilance Bureau officials. Capt Amarinder Singh, his son Ranninder Singh, former Additonal Advocate-General Harpreet Sandhu, Davinder Anand, Gurdial Kaur (ex-LIT trustee) did not appear in the court citing different reasons. Their personal presence was exempted by the court for today. A defence lawyer informed the court that accused Vijay Parti, a former trustee of the LIT, had expired.
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17-year-old Pak intruder held on border
Ferozepur, November 7 BSF personnel sighted a youth coming towards this side near pillar number 228 in Gatti Rajoke village, about 7 km from Mamdot, and warned him to stop there. The BSF men nabbed him as he did not resist or tried to Jagir Singh, DIG (G) and person in charge of the intelligence wing of the BSF, said interrogation was on under his supervision. He said during preliminary investigations, the youth disclosed that there was no proper demarcation on the border due to which he unknowingly slipped into the Indian side. “We will look into every aspect of the intrusion before registering a case and handing him over to the police”, the BSF officer added. Further investigations by the BSF intelligence revealed that the Pakistani youth was a new recruit in the Pakistan Rangers and had joined duty on Friday. Late in the evening, the senior authorities of the Pakistan Rangers approached officials of the BSF apprising the facts related to this case. Officials of both sides have agreed to hold a flag meeting on the border on this issue, but the time has not yet been decided. Sources said the meeting could be held late in the night or early Sunday morning. The BSF authorities were yet to lodge an FIR when the report was filed. In another incident, the BSF seized Rs 9 lakh fake currency notes from the Pakori Joginder border observation post across the fencing in the Mamdot area yesterday. RK Gupta, DIG, BSF, said 16 packets of fake currency notes of 500 denomination and one packet of 1,000 denomination were found near the international border during a search operation in the area. The fake currency notes were believed to have been brought from across the border with Pakistan, he said. No arrests had been made so far.
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Giani Harinder Singh, President, Kendriya Singh Sabha, who succumbed to his injuries suffered in a road accident last week, was perhaps one of towering Sikh personalities of Uttar
Pradesh. His antim ardas was held in his native village, Rampur, today. Born and brought up in Rampur village, near Doraha in Ludhiana, Giani Harinder Singh, who missed a berth in the Rajya Sabha by a whisker in the early 70s, belonged to a rare band of politicians who remained a member of both the Vidhan Sabha and the Vidhan Council of Uttar
Pradesh. He represented not only the Sikh farmers settled in the Terrai area of
Uttar Pradesh and later Uttarakhand but also spearheaded several campaigns,
including the tracking down of persons behind the 1991 Pilibhit massacre, and
agitated peacefully to keep Rampur and Swar tehsils of Rampur district out of
Uttaranchal at the time of the reorganisation of Uttar Pradesh.
The Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) has decided to launch a coordinated campaign against the menace of female
foeticide. Passing a resolution to this effect during a meeting of the LBP here today, party activists said they would work to help women live a life of dignity. They said demand for dowry and ill-treatment of women were responsible for the menace.
