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...refuses prasad, langar; lensmen roughed up
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No invites for Bhattal, Sidhu
Bridge over Upper Bari Doab Canal collapses
Poor exam results: 565 teachers chargesheeted
Social Welfare Dept adjusts midwives as supervisors
Doaba potato seed growers face crisis
Punjab seeks more power
Thousands of fish found dead
Komagata Maru Tragedy
Henry in dock on son’s complaint
No teacher to get non-teaching duty
Relatives can also get minor’s custody
Two cops dismissed on graft charge
BKU (K) leader held
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We owe Punjabis a debt: Harper
Sukhbir for Punjabi academy in Canada Stephen Harper said that the Canadian Government was committed to preserving and promoting Punjabi culture and language. Canada has already announced that Punjabi will become one of its officially recognised languages in 2011. Sukhbir offered to set up a Punjabi language academy in Canada and send teachers. He said first generation Punjabis were worried about decreasing interest in Punjabi among youngsters. “The Punjab Government is committed to preserving the purity and richness of Punjabi and would like to associate with the Canadian Government for the same,” the Deputy CM said. He also sought the Canadian Government’s help to launch joint venture programmes with a state university to promote Punjabi, research and development of English-Punjabi dictionary, thesaurus, websites and search engines in Punjabi.
Amritsar, November 18 Harper was accorded a warm red-carpet welcome by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh and religious leaders at the Golden Temple complex just around 1 p.m. and remained there for almost 50 minutes. Dressed in a black suit and a blue tie, Harper kept his head covered with a white cloth-scarf. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was with him all through the visit. Though Harper did not talk to the Indian media, he posed for photographs from pre-determined points in the Parkarma with the Harmandar Sahab in the backdrop. He described his experience by writing a few words in the visitor’s book of the information office of the Golden Temple. “Thanks for the great honour of taking me through the beautiful and sacred place, an experience I will not forget,” he wrote. A Punjab Public Relations Department press note quoted the Canadian premier as saying that his country owed its development and prosperity to the hardwork and grit of 1.2 million Punjabis. Harper said that as per the latest population figures, over eight lakh Punjabis from India were settled in Canada and were making significant contribution in strengthening the economy. Badal told the premier that Punjab was an agrarian state spread over 1.3 per cent geographical area of the country and contributed 50 per cent foodgrains to the national kitty. He also impressed upon Harper to explore the possibility of transfer of technical know-how from Canadian agro-based industries and power plants to provide value addition to Punjabi farmers. “Canada is known for its expertise in power generation and Punjab needs more power. Such an exercise, would help the state attain self-sufficiency,” he said. Evincing keen interest in collaboration in agri and power sectors, Harper, according to Sukhbir, extended a positive response and assured that his government would explore the feasibility of setting up joint ventures. Harper was accompanied by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, International Trade and Asia-Pacific Gateway Minister Stockwell Day and MPs Nina Grewal, Tim Uppal, Devinder Shory, Davinder Singh Sohi, Deepak Obhrai, Patrick Brown and former MP Gurmant Grewal. They were also honoured for their contribution to the Indo-Canadian community.
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...refuses prasad, langar; lensmen roughed up
Amritsar, November 18 Harper refused to partake of prasad at Darshani Deodi after being dissuaded by his aide, Alisa Mohammed. He also declined langar. SGPC officials said she also made them vacate their information office prior to the premier’s arrival. “When we objected, she said she had already spoken to the SGPC secretary on the matter. It is for the first time that we have suffered such humiliation at hands of a foreigner in our own office,” said a senior SGPC official, expressing resentment over the behaviour of the Canadian PM’s staff. Multi-tier security provided by officials of intelligence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Punjab Police, CID and the overzealous Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee task force converted the complex into a fortress. Perhaps for the first time, movement of devotees came to a halt during a VVIP’s visit. Members of SGPC’s task force allegedly snatched cameras of photojournalists and misbehaved with them. Even Canadian journalists were jostled around and manhandled. The video camera of a CBC journalist fell during the melee. “It seemed that everyone was policing and there were more securitymen in the complex,” a Canadian journalist told this correspondent. Though Indian photojournalists were restricted to three pre-determined points in the Parkarma, their Canadian counterparts were allowed to perch on veranda roofs along the Parkarma. SGPC chief Avtar Singh assured action against erring task force officials.
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No invites for Bhattal, Sidhu
Chandigarh/Amritsar, November 18 Sidhu has resolved to introduce a privilege motion against the district administration in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament. “Despite several reminders, I was not sent an invitation. I even spoke to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner K.S. Pannu but he said I could not be allowed inside the airport. It is insulting and a deliberate attempt to push me aside,” he said. It is not the first time that Sidhu has not been invited by the administration. “It is not an insult to Sidhu but to over 15 lakh people of Amritsar whom I represent,” he said. Meanwhile, Qila Raipur legislator Jassi Khangura, in a strongly worded letter to Chief Secretary S.C. Agarwal, said not inviting Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was a breach of protocol and precedent. “It reflects the partisan mindset with which the state government is working. The lapse is quite unacceptable and those responsible need to be brought to book,” he said. “A politician does not represent a party but the nation. Ms Bhattal would have been there as a representative of the people of Punjab and not just the Congress,” he added.
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Bridge over Upper Bari Doab Canal collapses
Gurdaspur, November 18 Traffic on Gurdaspur-Hargobindpur-Jalandhar road came to halt after the bridge collapsed during the wee hours here this morning. The bridge was constructed in 1912 over the UBDC, which originated from Madhopur headworks and headed to Pakistan through Khalra region. Notably, Punjab government had been using this bridge even for heavy vehicles despite the fact that it had been declared unsafe in 2002. Officials concerned had been writing to the government for renovations since long. A police party and officials of Building and Roads Department, led by Parminder Singh Tiwana, XEN, later reached the spot and took necessary steps to keep the flow of water in the UBDC free of obstacles. PP Chaudhary, Superintendent Engineer (SE), PWD, Punjab, said there was no need for a formal inquiry as the 125 feet long and 20 feet wide bridge was well past its life span of 50 years. He said a tender for constructing of a new bridge would be floated within three to four days and work would be completed within six months. Meanwhile, traffic would be diverted through the link roads. Tiwana, XEN, said carriageway of the bridge had been closed by erecting temporary walls. He informed that a minor hydroelectric power plant that was set up at the same point where the bridge caved in was running smoothly. He said apart from this bridge there were four others that were very old and needed renovations, and the state government had been informed about it. Karamjit Singh Sra, Deputy Commissioner, said possibilities of repairing the bridge were being worked out and a proposal for setting up a belly bridge was also being studied.
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Poor exam results: 565 teachers chargesheeted
Chandigarh, November 18 As many as 700 other teachers who registered a 10 to 20 per cent pass percentage have been issued showcause notices. The move comes in wake of a Punjab and Haryana High Court order demanding an affidavit from the state about what action the government had taken against non-performing government teachers. In many cases these teachers have zero percent result in their subjects, where not a single student has passed. In Government Middle School Kakrali, in Mohali, there are 14 students in class eight who are being taught by seven teachers and all have failed. In a middle school in village Taliwallan Jattan in Ferozepur out of 11 students only three passed. There were six teachers in the school. In Government Senior Secondary School Amnala in Mohali district, there are 57 students out of whom 54 failed and three got a supplementary. Similarly, in a school in village Sooj Patti in Barnala, the entire class VIII failed, while in another school in village Nangad Kotra in Bathinda the whole class failed in Maths. In villages Pipli Mehraj and Peerkot, both in Bathinda, all students failed. In the government schools in villages Chand Bhan and Bahmanwalla, Faridkot, none of the students passed. Similarly in Rehlon in Faridkot all students failed in Maths. Interestingly, the worst teachers are from some of the most developed districts of the state. As many as 119 teachers from Jalandhar alone have been chargesheeted, while 77 from Ludhiana, 74 from Hoshiarpur and 66 from Patiala are facing the music. However, only five teachers from Gurdaspur, two from Barnala and three from Mansa are in the list. The teachers who have been chargesheeted have been asked to give a valid explanation for the low results of their students, following which further action would be initiated. They were evaluated on the basis of the annual results of March 2009 of class VIII. The state is facing a PIL in the High Court in which the petitioner has pointed out that the Punjab government had not identified non-performing teachers and initiated action against them.
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Social Welfare Dept adjusts midwives as supervisors
Chandigarh, November 18 However, the postings, ordered on November 6, have not gone down well with anganwadi workers in the Social Welfare Department. The workers protested against the move at the Secretariat here besides submitting a memorandum to Social Welfare Minister Swarna Ram. Association president Usha Rani demanded the department orders be amended immediately failing which they would launch a statewide agitation. As many as 65 women, who were earlier part of the border area development project being run by the central Women and Child Development Department, were adjusted in the Social Welfare Department recently. The women had no work to do after the termination of the central project. Though the state department directed that they be adjusted in the department without giving them any deputation allowance, it erred in giving them appointments. At least 23 of them were made supervisors, superseding their present colleagues in the parent department. The anganwadi workers’ association, while protesting against this, has demanded that in the case of posts of supervisor, there should be a reservation of 75 per cent from within the department and those coming in from outside should vie for the remaining posts. Social Welfare Minister Swarna Ram said according to preliminary findings it had been revealed that the midwives as well as bal sewakis had been adjusted against vacant posts. He said this decision would, however, be reviewed. The Minister said some of those who had been posted as supervisors would be retiring in a short time and therefore would not affect the career prospects of those belonging to the Social Welfare Department. Swarna Ram said he had, however, ordered an inquiry to find out whether the issue of seniority was taken into consideration while making the appointments. He said the issue of quota, which was to be taken into consideration while making appointments, would also be taken up for consideration.
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Doaba potato seed growers face crisis
Jalandhar, November 18 “Earlier seed was selling in the range of Rs 900 to Rs 1,100 per 50 kg bag but the price has come down to Rs 200-250 now,” said Ramanjit Singh, a leading potato seed grower of the region. “Whatever price is offered by the buyer, we have to accept it because the sowing season of potato will last only three weeks more”, Ramanjit Singh added. “In fact, the West Bengal Government played smart with us to bring down the price of potato seed”, said another grower. Farmers of West Bengal procure most of the seed from Punjab. Other big buyers are farmers of Karnataka and Maharashtra. A few months ago the price of potato had hit the roof. The West Bengal Government procured several rakes of potato from Punjab to bring down the price. Though in retail, potato was selling at Rs 20 per kg, the Government of West Bengal provided it at a subsidised rate of Rs 13-14 per kg to people. However, West Bengal continued to saturate the local market by procuring more potato from Punjab to bring down the price further. With the fall in the price of potato in the retail market, the seed price also fell there. Another reason for the fall in the price was that some Punjab-based traders procured small-sized potatoes from Uttar Pradesh and supplied the same as seed to West Bengal allegedly under some popular brand names. “ Some traders printed the names of leading seed firms on bags to supply the same to West Bengal. Farmers in West Bengal were cheated by some traders”, said a seed grower. Punjab’s potato seed market was being destroyed by some vested interests.“There are firms which are trading under the cover of farmer firms. Such firms should be checked by the authorities”, said another grower. The government should intervene to protect the seed market from vested interests, he added.
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Punjab seeks more power
Patiala, November 18 Kairon said Punjab shares its international border with Pakistan, and the Punjab State Electricity Board has been supplying power from its own resources for special lighting system, defence connections and agricultural tubewells between the fencing and international border. These provisions have to be made by imposing power cuts on other sectors or buying power. He said for this, Punjab needs a compensation of over 380 MW from Central sector projects on continuous basis. He added the state government was committed to make Punjab a power-surplus state by the end of the 11th Plan. Keeping this in view four thermal plants of 6480 MW capacity have been set up in the state. While two plants have already been allotted to private builders on BOO (build, own and operate) basis, a letter of intent for the Rajpura Thermal Plant will be issued in a few days. However, bidding for the Gidderbaha Project had to be deferred a number of times for want of finalisation of coal linkages by the Ministry of Coal. Kairon requested the Union Power Minister for early allocation of coal blocks to avoid any further delay. To ensure fuel security for the thermal plants, he also demanded an increase in coal allocation from Coal India Limited from the present 6.6 million tonnes to 8 million tonnes per annum, at least till another coal block is allocated to Punjab. He also put up the case for having at least two Central sector power plants of 1,000 - 1,200 MW capacity each, in Punjab so that the state could get additional power allocation or free power as admissible to home states. He also made a suggestion of a light water reactor-based nuclear power plant in the state. He reminded the Union Minister of the 1,500-MW power allocation to Punjab from the 4,000-MW integrated coal pit head thermal plant to be set up by the NTPC at Lara in Chhattisgarh. He also demanded that the special allocation of 270 MW of power from the east during the summer months to Punjab should be continued till 2012, as the state faces power shortage throughout the year. The additional power so allocated is provided to agricultural sector which largely contributes to the Central food stocks.
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Thousands of fish found dead
Nangal, November 18 The dead fish were spotted downstream the Nangal dam, near Bela Dhyani village this morning. Many villagers were found filling the dead fish in bags for consumption and sale purpose. Volunteers of NGO Jagriti said they tried to dissuade people from eating those fish, but nobody bothered. They added that the fish were found dead in an area of over 3-km radius. “The bigger fish were seen writhing with pain on coming to the water surface,” they told. It is important to mention here that areas around Bela Dhyani are major resting ground for migratory birds that flock the Nangal wetland. A team of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), headed by SDO Ramji Dass, collected water samples as well as samples of the dead fish for detailed testing. This is the fifth such incidence of a large number of fish dying in the Nangal waters since 2001. Earlier, fish deaths were reported from the same area in January this year, and later in July from the Sirsa-Nangal canal system in Ropar. Poisonous discharge from the industrial area of Himachal Pradesh is believed to be the main culprit behind the repeated fish deaths. The villagers have demanded a detailed inquiry from the
PPCB.
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Komagata Maru Tragedy
Amritsar November 18 Candles were lit in memory of those killed by British troops at Bajbaj Ghat in Canada from where Komagata Maru was forced to return. Led by the Surrey-based Prof Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation president Sahib Thind, protesters displaying banners and protesters - including children - gathered in Jallianwala Bagh. Thind told mediapersons that the Canadian Prime Minister had apologised for the ship tragedy at a public gathering. “Prime Minister Stephen Harper had apologised in Surrey before 8,000 people in August last. It was not an apology but a sheer political statement,” he said. The PM should apologise in the House of Commons, as he had done to the Chinese and Japanese for wrongful confinement. “It would enable us to feel the same sense of equality while living in Canada,” Thind said. Alami Punjabi Virasat Foundation president Bhupinder Singh Sandhu said the Komagata Maru tragedy was a very sensitive issue for the Indo-Canadian community on the basis of principles of human rights, freedom, fairness and equality. “Only an apology from the floor of Canadian Parliament could heel wounds,” he said. The Komagata Maru had sailed into Vancouver on May 23, 1914 but its 376 passengers were not allowed to disembark due to racist immigration laws. The vessel remained docked at the harbor for two months and was then forcibly sent back to India. The British India police shot dead many passengers on the ship’s arrival in Calcutta.
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Henry in dock on son’s complaint
Jalandhar, November 18 Gurjit, a Ludhiana-based transporter, has levelled allegations against his father of having two passports on forged documents and fake residential addresses. He also alleged that Henry violated the Hindu Marriage Act by marrying Harinder Kaur and that too without giving
divorce to his first wife Surinder Kaur. Jalandhar SSP RK Jaiswal said though the case was old, they would contact the British High Commission for seeking details of documents on which Avtar Singh Sanghera, alias Avtar Singh Henry, managed to get a British passport. The police has also initiated proceedings for obtaining details of supporting documents produced by Henry for getting a passport from the Delhi Passport Office. “I have asked SP (headquarters) Satinder Singh to investigate the matter personally and submit a report soon,” the
SSP added. The SP said efforts were being made to contact the officials concerned in the British High Commission and passport officials in New Delhi to get details of passports and other documents produced
by Henry. Meanwhile, district BJP-SAD leaders have demanded a CBI probe into the issue.
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No teacher to get non-teaching duty
Chandigarh, November 18 This was stated by state Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur here today. In a statement, she clarified that it had came to her notice that Deputy Commissioners-cum-District Electoral Officers (DEOs) of various districts were deputing teachers as block-level officers (BLOs) for revision of voter lists despite orders of the state Chief Secretary issued in this regard last year. “I brought the matter into the notice of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard and he has given his consent not to depute teachers for the revision of voter lists or non-teaching duties,” she added.
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Relatives can also get minor’s custody
Chandigarh, November 18 The significant ruling came on a habeas corpus petition filed by a mother for the release of her two minor children from the custody of their paternal grandparents. The Jalandhar-based petitioner had alleged that after her husband’s cremation, the children were forcibly taken away from her. Responding to the petition, the grandparents had claimed the petition was not maintainable; and they had already filed a petition under the Guardian and Wards Act for appointment as guardians of the two children. Counsel for the petitioner G.K. Mann, had, on the other hand, contended writ of habeas corpus was maintainable; and the welfare of the minors was in the custody of the petitioner, as she was mother and natural guardian. After hearing the arguments, Justice K.C. Puri asserted: “The first controversy raised in the present writ petition is whether the writ of habeas corpus is maintainable to hand over the custody of minor children to the mother. The answer to the question is in positive. Where the custody of the children has been taken by the other party by force or not in a legal manner, in that case writ of habeas corpus is maintainable and the custody should be restored to the guardian, keeping in view the welfare of the minors…. “While awarding the custody of children, the welfare of the minors is of paramount consideration. According to the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, the custody can even be handed over to relatives who are not natural guardians,” he said. Justice Puri concluded: “I am of the view that for the welfare of the minors, the custody should be handed over to the mother till the decision of the application under Section 25 of the Act…. So, the writ of habeas corpus is maintainable for restoring the custody of the minors to the lawful guardian, who happened to the mother of both the minor…. “The minors are stated to be admitted in the school. Therefore, the respondents shall arrange for the school leaving certificate of these minors and the petitioner shall admit them in a school of her choice at her place of residence”.
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Two cops dismissed on graft charge
Moga, November 18 Earlier, they were suspended by the SSP, but state DGP PS Gill dismissed both of them under Article 311(2)(b) of the Constitution late last evening. However, they were yet to be arrested when the report was filed. As per details available, an FIR was registered against the SHO on the directions of SSP Ashok Bath under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the Kot-ise-Khan police station last evening. Investigations have been handed over to DSP of the Dharamkot area Gurdarshan Singh. As per the FIR, the SHO had allegedly taken a bribe from Chuhar Singh and Karaj Singh of Daulewala village for helping them to run away from the spot on September 5 when he stopped a truck during a naka and seized 32 bags of poppy husk. The owner and the driver of the truck were arrested while two others managed to escape. However, the SSP claimed that Hastir had seized 40 bags of poppy husk instead of 32 and allegedly took a bribe from them to run away from the spot. Refuting the allegations, the SHO said the DSP was also present on the spot and had even signed all papers related to the seizure from the truck. “I had merely assisted the DSP in the naka”, he added. “The owner and the driver of the truck were also interrogated in Amritsar where also 32 bags of poppy husk were shown in an official record”, he said. The SHO added that he had been framed in a fabricated case on the complaint of the two accused, who were already wanted by the police. Meanwhile, Additional SHO of the police station Sajjan Singh has been asked to officiate as SHO till further orders.
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BKU (K) leader held
Bathinda, November 18 Producing him in the district courts today, the police secured his remand till November 26. Soon after receiving the remand orders, the accused was reportedly sent to the Joint Investigation Centre, Amritsar. Senior police officers said Surjit Singh was allegedly involved in various unlawful activities. A large number of documents and “anti-state” literature were also recovered from his possession. “We had been trying to nab him in the past couple of days,” said SP (D) Ajay Maluja. Surjit Singh has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.
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