Chandigarh, November 14
An integrated multi-thousand crore plan to put the historic city of Amritsar on the international tourist circuit was approved today by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria.

The plan will involve construction of heritage village, preservation and beautification of Ram Bagh Gardens, preservation of the historic Town Hall building, setting up of food street, development of pedestrian plaza opposite the Golden Temple, restoration and preservation of historic gates and massive restoration of Gobindgarh Fort, besides strengthening the infrastructure of Amritsar to make it tourist-friendly.

Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Punjab Heritage Board here in which senior officials of various implementation agencies, including that of the Tourism, the Local Government, the Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, the Punjab Police, the transport department and international consultants involved in the planning process, participated, Badal said: “Amritsar has a potential to emerge as No.1 international tourist hub, if we are able to prolong the stay of religious tourists by a few days and attract more international tourists”.

He said he was chairing this meeting so that all participating agencies moved with a collective agenda rather than to work at cross-purpose.

Unveiling the vision, Badal said the Archeological Survey of India would put up their conceptual plan for the development of Ram Bagh and after that the Municipal Corporation would hand over the possession of Ram Bagh to the ASI. It was approved at the meeting to develop historic Town Hall and adjoining area as place of heritage importance. Offices in Town Hall would be shifted to alternate location and Town Hall be developed by the tourism department in association with the PIDB.

Emphasizing on attracting additional tourists to Amritsar, Badal approved the plan of Heritage Village to be set up on the G.T.Road on the area provided by GND University. Badal said the management and construction of Heritage Village would be outsourced to private specialised agency.

It was also approved to ply eco-friendly Hop-on Hop-off buses connecting various religious places. The Sulabh International would construct and maintain 33 toilets in the city for the convenience of tourists.

Badal asked the transport department to tie up with the tourism department to start conducting tours on religious circuits, including Chandigarh-Fatehgarh Sahib-Sirhind-Chamkaur Sahib-Ropar-Anandpur Sahib-Nangal-Chandigarh, Chandigarh-Patiala, Damdama Sahib-Talwandi Sabon, Muktsar-Chandigarh and third on Chandigarh-Amritsar-Khadoor Sahib-Baba Bakala-Sultanpur Lodhi-Kartarpur-Chandigarh routes.

Amritsar, November 14
Defending the Nanakshahi calendar, the Canada-based Sikh scholar and designer of the calendar, Pal Singh Purewal, has asserted that there was no need to effect any changes in the calendar as it was based on 30-year-long research and astronomical, astrological and historical calculations.

He said instead of making any changes in the calendar, the SGPC should change the dates of three important and historical religious events --- the Bandi Chhod Divas, Hola Mohalla and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev --- and observe these days as suggested in the calendar. These dates were left out at the time of introduction of the calendar by the Sikh clergy on the assurance that these would be incorporated later on.

Trying to clear the air on the calendar, Purewal said the controversy around the calendar defied logic as well as science. “The SGPC should not bow to any pressure being exerted by the deras to protect their vested interests. The then Akal Takht Jathedar, Joginder Singh Vedanti, had assured him that these three important days, which were still being observed as per the old Bikrami calendar, would be observed later as per the dates suggested in the Nanakshahi calendar. If they (SGPC) want to change anything, they should change the three dates,” said Purewal, who was accompanied by an SGPC member and veteran Akali leader, Manjit Singh Calcutta, and the Dal Khalsa general secretary, Kanwarpal Singh.

“All dates have been explained. If the derawalas say that there is some ambiguity about the observation of Sangrand, their dilemma will come to an end the moment they stop seeing elsewhere and start following the new calendar. In fact, the derawalas are neither ready to listen to any logic nor they were ready to come out with any objections based on logic. There is no confusion as the calendar is based purely on science and not on hypothesis,” said Purewal. He said there was no question of any compromise as “experts never compromise and the calendar is not a saleable commodity.”

“I have been explaining everything time and again. Even now I am ready to go to the SGPC, if invited by the Sikh body,” said Purewal, who was not invited by the SGPC during its recent meeting on the calendar.

“There are political reasons behind this controversy and there should be no tinkering with the calendar’s framework. More than 90 per cent of the Sikhs have already adopted the calendar. All flaws of Bikrami calendar were removed when this calendar was designed by me. Clashing of certain dates or events was a normal phenomena in any of the calendars and the derawalas are raking up the issue without any basis,” said Purewal.

Patiala, November 14
Scores of ETT teachers, who were threatened with cane charge before they were whisked away by the police, demanded re-employment from the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, at Punjabi Mah-2009 at the State Languages Department.

Senior leaders of the ETT Teachers Union claimed that the state government was backtracking on the its promise of granting them re-employment. Later the teachers were let off in the evening.

Dr Upinderjit Kaur, after inaugurating the function, said 21,000 teachers had already been employed in Punjab while 11,000 more were likely to be recruited. She added that the state government was making all-out efforts to ensure the use of the Punjabi language in offices across the state.

The minister urged the MPs to take up the matter in Parliament, adding that when Chandigarh was created, there were as many as 28 Punjabi-speaking villages here. She said representatives from these areas should also take up the matter in various forums. She urged Punjabis across the board to make sincere efforts to ensure the use of the language in their respective places.

When questioned about the threat of cane charge to ETT teachers, the minister said she was not aware of any such police action and added that instead of a confrontation, the teachers could have met her and sorted out their problems.

Dr Upinderjit Kaur asked the State Languages Department officials to get printed the books authored by Principal Sujan Singh at the earliest, so that his works could be read by others too.

She also felicitated writers, poets and litterateurs on the occasion. Gurmeet Singh Brar was given the Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir Award while nine other writers were also given awards under the Sarvotam Sahitic Puraskar (Punjabi)-2008.

Giani Sant Singh Puraskar was given to Dr Jatinder Jain, for writing a story. Four others have also bagged awards under the Sarvotam Sahitik Puraskar (Hindi)-2008.

Mohhamad Baseer was given the Sarvotam Sahitik Puraskar (Urdu)-2008.

Chandigarh, November 14
The cottage industry in Punjab seems to have been consistently ignored by the state government. The only government scheme that is helping out the industry is the Centrally-sponsored Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

Though the state government has come out with an elaborate industrial policy recently, it has nothing to offer for the cottage industry - be it the Malerkotla badge making, phulkari or the Punjabi ‘jutti’ industry of Muktsar.

Officials of the state Industries Department say that new policy offers sops for sports goods, shawl units and leather industry, but since small units are not registered, they have not been extended help in this policy.

“But we are trying to give financial aid and also offer skill development to these workers by starting cluster development programmes for these small cottage industries. Already, a proposal to set up a cottage industry cluster for phulkari is being considered at Dera Bassi,” said a top official in the department.

The only government aid, coming towards these cottage industries, is in the form of financial aid offered under the PMEGP. Under this scheme, a maximum aid up to Rs 25 lakh is given to those wanting to start a manufacturing unit and aid of up to Rs 10 lakh is given for those wanting to start a service unit. The scheme is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board and the district industries centres.

Officials in Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Punjab, informed TNS that this scheme had done quite well in Punjab. “In 2007-08, we disbursed subsidies worth Rs 30 crore to set up 1,500 units, which in turn provided employment to 40,000 persons, under the Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (REGP). Last year, the PMEGP was launched and we did not do well. But this year, again we are getting a good response,” says AK Garg, Assistant Director, KVIC, Punjab and Chandigarh.

Information available from the state-level bankers’ committee, Punjab, shows that till August, a total of 1,042 cases have been sanctioned for assistance worth Rs 14.68 crore. An amount of Rs 9.10 crore has already been disbursed.

(Concluded)

Chandigarh, November 14
The Centre should discontinue its practice of naming only retired Army generals or retired police chiefs as Governor of Punjab, says Simranjit Singh Mann, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar).

Since the present incumbent, Gen SF Rodriguez (retd), has completed his conventional five-year term in office, Mann wants that he should be immediately replaced and Punjab should be spared the agony of another Governor from the forces. He was talking to The Tribune here today.

He alleged that the Governor hardly visited Punjab. His visits to different parts of the state could be counted on fingertips, Mann said.

Besides enjoying Constitutional sanctity, the gubernatorial positions should go to eminent personalities with spotless credentials. Unfortunately, the developments during the past couple of years, including allegations and counter-allegations, have not only lowered the prestige of this top post in the state administration but have also left serious questions unanswered.

“Punjab has a long history of having retired Army chiefs or retired bureaucrats, including police officers, as its Governor. The experiment has been far from successful. No other state had so many Army generals as Governor than what Punjab had in the past 25 years.

“If a retired General is made the Governor and he fails to reach the venue of a sacred function like Republic Day Parade in time, there could not be a bigger disgrace to the nation than this. It was unfortunate that the then Chief Secretary, Ramesh Inder Singh, took control of the situation and unfurled the National Flag as scheduled to avoid any national embarrassment. In my opinion, the Governor should have been sacked on that day itself,” adds Mann.

Former MP and head of a state-level political party, Mann wants that the Prime Minister, who has been declaring at all public forums to fight and end corruption in the civil governance, should order an inquiry by the CBI into allegations made against the Punjab Governor by none other than the Congress, his own party.

He said Punjab should not be singled out so far as appointing Governors from the armed forces or civil services was concerned. Punjab had three Army generals -- General Malhotra, General Chhibber and General Jacob -- before General Rodriguez as Governor besides Surinder Nath, a retired police officer.

Mann says it will be in the interest of the state and the nation that all allegations made against a Constitutional head by the ruling party and others should be thoroughly probed in the interest of transparency and fair play in the civil administration.

He hoped that an eminent statesman with flawless record would be made the next Governor of Punjab so that he or she can give the state administration a correct, democratic and progressive direction.

Mohali, November 14
Thirteen new degree colleges would be set up in educationally backward districts of Punjab. The colleges would be set up in Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Nawanshahr, Patiala and Sangrur districts at a cost of Rs 104 crore, said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The colleges would be set up on the recommendations of the University Grants Commission, said the CM while presiding over a silver jubilee function of Mohali Government College.

The Central University at Bathinda had already started its academic session and a world class university was being set up in an area of in 700 acre at Amritsar. Besides, classes at the prestigious IIT, Ropar, had already started and the state government had already transferred 501 acres of land to the IIT for the construction of its own building, he said.

For the Indian Institute of Information Technology, the state had already secured clearance in principle and it would be developed as a tripartite venture in public-private partnership (PPP) mode over an area of 100 acre with equal share of the Centre, the Punjab Government and private industrial houses.

The CM further said the state government would set up seven new polytechnic colleges, 17 ITIs and nine adarsh schools during the current fiscal. The places where new polytechnics would be set up include Mansa, Faridkot and Muktsar. “The government has also sanctioned Rs10 lakh each for upgrading infrastructure at Batala and Ferozepur government polytechnic colleges, during 2009-10,” he added.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the silver jubilee celebrations of the college by lighting a lamp. He also released a souvenir on the occasion. Principal of the college Vipin Sobti read out the annual report of the college.

Banur, November 14
Dr AS Sekhon, Principal and Dean of the Gian Sagar Group of Institutions, lamented that preventive medicine experts were not being consulted in the formulation of medical programmes although they were experts in suggesting ways and means for prevention of diseases.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the 13th annual North Zone Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine Conference at Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital here today.

Dr Manmohan Singh, President of the Punjab Medical Council, said Rs 1 spent on preventive medicine was worth thousands spent on treatment of diseases. He said as a cardiologist, he had spent 40 per cent of his time counselling his patients about the need for taking preventive steps to ward off cardiovascular diseases.

Kamalendra Kanwar, Senior Associate Editor of The Tribune, emphasised on the need to effect a major change in the lifestyle of the people so that they could lead a healthy and tension-free life. With increasing consumerism and materialism in today’s scenario, the tensions had increased manifolds, he added. He underlined the need to educate people about weaning away from sedentary lifestyle to stay away from ailments.

Earlier, Dr BP Gupta, organising secretary of the conference and head of the Community Medicine Department, welcomed the delegates and said eminent public health experts from all over north India were participating in the conference.

Chandigarh, November 14
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said diabetes prevention and care would soon be integrated into the state health care delivery system and accorded highest priority on the government’s health agenda.

In an address on the World Diabetes Day at his residence here, he reiterated government’s firm resolve to enhance quality and health services to fight the menace of diabetes, besides generating awareness about its causes and consequences. Efforts would be intensified to motivate people, especially children, to follow healthy lifestyle, including balanced nutrition and exercise.

Sharing national and global concern regarding increasing prevalence of diabetes, he asked Prof JS Bajaj to chalk out a comprehensive programme to stamp out diabetes apart from bringing awareness among the people to follow healthy lifestyle to stay fit and active.

Honorary president of the International Diabetes Federation, former professor and Head of the Department of Medicine, AIIMS, and Vice-Chairman of the Punjab State Planning Board Prof JS Bajaj underscored the need to observe strict discipline in day-to-day life to prevent diabetes. He highlighted the importance of periodic eye check-ups, estimation of blood lipids (fats) and regular urine test for albumin.

Earlier, the Chief Minister released a booklet in Punjabi “Garb Awastha Ate Shakar Rog” (pregnancy and diabetes) to bring awareness among the diabetic pregnant women about the treatment of the disease and its effects on the foetus.

He also released a report on “Current concepts in the diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus” for which a national symposium has been organised at Chandigarh jointly by the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) and the PGI. Dr KK Talwar, PGI Director, was also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, November 14
The importance of energy-efficient buildings was stressed at a conference organised by the Indo-Global College of Architecture in association with the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Chandigarh-Punjab chapter, at Abhipur, about 30 km from here, recently.

Geetika Kalha, Principal Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Department of Cultural Affairs and Archaeology, was the chief guest on the occasion. She called upon planners to design energy-efficient building to save energy. Punjab Chief Architect Balvinder Saini, who was the guest of honour, also highlighted the importance of energy conservation.

Former Principal of the Chandigarh College of Architecture SS Bhatti and chairman of the Chandigarh-Punjab chapter of the IIA Surinder Bahga gave presentations on energy-efficient buildings.

Gaurav Shorey, an expert from The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), gave a presentation on energy-efficient building code and the importance of GRIHA and LEED systems for rating such buildings. JK Gupta, director of the IET, Bhaddal, spoke on energy-efficient urban settlements.

Kapurthala, November 14
Trivial matters should be solved at the level of the government department concerned in order to reduce the huge pendency of cases in the courts. Punjab Advocate-General Hardev Singh Mattewal stated this while talking to a group of journalists on the sidelines of the 48th annual meeting of the old students of Sainik School Kapurthala on Saturday.

Mattewal said government departments should avoid filing cases pertaining to trivial matters that might easily be solved at their level.

Also the president of the Old Students’ Association of Sainik School, Mattewal said the school produced a number of meritorious students who were serving the nation, holding prestigious posts in the civil areas and the Army. This might easily be construed from the fact that 28 officers of the rank of a General in the Army, Navy and Air Force had studied from this school.

Mattewal handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to the Principal, Col Satbir Singh, from the Chief Minister’s discretionary funds. As much grant for the school was also sanctioned by local MP Rattan Singh Ajnala, he said, adding that the Badal government had already released a grant of Rs 1 crore for the construction of the boundary wall of the school.

Two minutes’ silence was also observed to pay homage to Wing Commander SK Bhatia, an old student of the school. Bhatia was killed in a helicopter crash in Andhra Pradesh.

Besides the alumni of the school, Lt-Gen Gurdeep Singh, Major-Gen MP Singh, Major-Gen JS Kaunda and an old teacher Jatinder Singh were honoured for their exemplary services. Flying Officer Ranbir’s parents, Tara Singh Riar and Gurmeet Kaur, were also honoured. An alumnus of the school, Ranbir had been killed in an air crash on September 5, 1995.

Jalandhar, November 14
The development of neighbouring states should not be at the cost of Punjab and the Centre should revise its policy of giving long-term concessions to such states.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, who was in the city to attend a programme organised by the Sainik Wefare Board, said the state was suffering economically on account of subsidies to the neighbouring states. In fact, the Centre should do away with giving such tax holidays and give cash incentives instead, he added.

Punjab was suffering industrially as the taxes were higher here and entrepreneurs find it a better proposition to invest in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. “All this had an adverse effect on the industrial sector, leading us to believe that the Centre was meting a step-motherly treatment to us”, he pointed out.

Badal said one of the main reasons behind the poor fiscal health of the state was the stagnation in the industrial sector. No state could make significant progress without a solid industrial base, he added.

He said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) regime would be implemented in the country from April and this would go a long way in filling the coffers of the state.

Commenting on the waiver of the debt incurred in battling militancy, he said they were hopeful of some relief but would only come to know after the recommendations of the 13 Finance Commission report would be out in December.

Expressing concern on the decline in the number of Punjabis serving in the armed forces, he said they would initiate steps to reverse the trend. “I will take up the issue with the CM and urge him to announce a grant of Rs 1 lakh per year for every Punjabi, who makes it to the National Defence Academy”, he said.

Nawanshahr, November 14
While lauding the “enterprising spirit” of the Punjab farmers in combating the drought as well as the scarcity of power due to the low level of water in dam reservoirs, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal lamented that though the farmers bravely tackled adverse situations and had to spend more to save their crops in the larger interest of the country, the Centre had not recognised the hard work and contribution of the farming community.

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering here today after inaugurating a state-level function to mark the 56th Cooperative Week on the ITI grounds. Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of the Rs 7-crore new complex of the Cooperative Bank here.

Badal lauded the contribution of the cooperative movement in strengthening the rural economy of the state. Terming the recent announcement of Rs 50 as bonus by the Central Government as a “cruel joke” with the farmers, the Chief Minister said it was a paradox that the power to fix the MSP of crops as well as the prices of the agricultural implements, pesticides and seeds, etc, needed for agriculture, lay with the Centre.

Since agriculture has come to a saturation point, hence the farmers should come forward to evolve methods to minimise the cost of agriculture inputs and adopt subsidiary occupations, the Chief Minister said, adding that to help the farmers, especially marginal farmers, the SAD-BJP government had launched a scheme to set up “agro centres” , from where marginal farmers could get agricultural machines and implements on rent. Thus, they can save investment on machinery and implements needed for sowing and harvesting crops. Besides, the agricultural implements are being made available to them on 33 per cent subsidy, added Badal.

Moreover, to encourage dairy farming, a loan facility for setting up cattle sheds had been started and insurance facility for cattle had also been provided to the farmers.

“Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme” and “Bhai Ghanayia Sehat Scheme” had also been launched for the economic empowerment of rural women through self-help groups and to provide better healthcare services to the rural people respectively, said the Chief Minister.

Lauding the achievements of the local Central Cooperative Bank as well as its initiative to construct an ultramodern complex, Badal asked the Board of Directors of the bank to construct a “cooperative community hall” also. He promised to grant a sum of Rs 20 lakh for the purpose.

Later, the Chief Minister also inaugurated a water supply scheme at Kariha village.