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Rs 23 crore sanctioned for new schools
Capt, Sarna disturbing peace in state, says Harsimrat
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Advani recalls legacy of sacrifice of Sikhs
Amarinder hits out at Sukhbir
Shiv Sainiks clash with police
Colonel Sidhu cremated
Govt-aided pvt schools tick off education board
ETT teachers to gherao Badal village
Scourge of Drugs-II
Simplicity, courage of conviction define Laxmi Kanta
New flight timings from Dec 23
Science education not a priority with govt
Mobile vet vans to boost dairy farming
Ex-servicemen blame babus for their plight
SMO promotions: DPC meets today
Grown in Samana, relished in Australia
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Rs 23 crore sanctioned for new schools
Chandigarh, December 20 Stating this here today, the Education Minister, Dr Upinderjit
Kaur, said the Education Department had declared the current academic year 2009-10 as a “qualitative year” to bring out revolutionary educational reforms in the schools in the state. She further said that these 21 model schools would be set up on the pattern of the Kendriya Vidyalayas in 21 educationally backward blocks spread across seven districts, which included
Bathinda, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala and Mansa. The minister said the model schools would have infrastructure and facilities equivalent to that of Kendriya
Vidyalayas. “The pupil-teacher ratio and the curriculum would also match the standards of the Central Schools,” she added. Dr Upinderjit Kaur further said that the Central Government also approved the proposal for setting up 21 hostels for girls in these blocks. “The Centre will give Rs 21 lakh to set up each hostel and will share the costs with the state government in the ratio of 90:10,” she said.
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Capt, Sarna disturbing peace in state, says Harsimrat
Naruana (Bathinda), December 20 Talking to TNS in Naruana village here today, Harsimrat said: “Sarna is not a true Sikh. He can never tolerate peace and harmony in Punjab. In the recent Ludhiana violence, he was exposed for playing tricky games.” “After enticing people to commit anti-social activities, Sarna has started making a hue and cry in the public to malign the impression of the SAD (B), which is in fact determined to maintain law and order at any cost,” she added. Training her guns at the former CM, Harsimrat said, “Amarinder has also been campaigning for the Sarna group, whose members are bent upon making things go against the interests of the state. They all have decided to do so at the cost of public interest.” Refuting the allegations Amarinder levelled upon the Badal family of poaching upon all profitable trade in Punjab, Harsimrat said, “These are his gimmicks for publicity. After witnessing the all-round development, he has no issue to get publicity other than targeting our family members.” Replying about the delay in starting various mega projects Harsimrat cited recession as an excuse. “Despite this, we have been pressing hard the companies that have been allotted the projects, to start the construction,” she said. Talking about her social drive Nanhi
Chhan, the Bathinda MP said she had again written to the President to get a fresh date to hold a state-level programme which was earlier deferred due to her
(Harsimrat’s) illness.
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Advani recalls legacy of sacrifice of Sikhs
Ludhiana, December 20 The leader of the saffron party left no stone unturned to express his admiration for the Sikhs when he said the the legacy of sacrifices of Sikh Gurus was carried forward not only by freedom fighters and revolutionaries but also SAD leaders during the Emergency in 1977. Advani was in the city today to participate in the state-level martyrdom day of Baba Jiwan Singh, popularly known as Bhai Jaita ji here today. Recalling his visit to the Cellular Jail in the Andamans when he was a Home Minister, Advani said he was touched to find that the jails inmates who underwent torture at that time were mostly Sikhs. While remembering Bhagat Singh as the strongest revolutionary of his times, the BJP leader even equated the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with the martyrs when he recalled how Badal remained behind bars during the Emergency. ‘‘It is largely because of SAD heroes that we are breathing in fresh air today,’’ remarked Advani. During his first public appearance after handing over the baton to the new BJP team, the elderly leader was caught napping on the stage while CM Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal were seen sitting by his side. Advani spoke for a few minutes and left the venue soon after as his chopper pilot expressed concern over an overcast sky. Later CM Badal appealed to the people of Punjab not to be carried away by the ‘‘divisive forces’’ that were at work in the state. He cautioned that Punjab had already seen bloodshed in the past and suffered immensely, adding that the state could not afford yet another disturbance. ‘‘Sikhism teaches religious harmony and oneness of God. We should allow people of all religions to practise their faith freely,’’ he said.
Bhai Jaita ji Chair
The Chief Minster today announced to set up a chair in the memory of Sikh martyr Baba Jiwan Singh, popularly known as Bhai Jaita ji, in one of the universities of Punjab to perpetuate the rich legacy of sacrifice. The Chief Minister also announced that the government would soon construct a bhawan in the memory of Baba Jiwan Singh. After a suggestion from Advani, the CM said from next year, a function would be organised every year at Anandpur Sahib to commemorate his sacrifice. A march would start from Gurdwara Sheesh Ganj, Delhi, where Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded, and reach Anadpur Sahib.
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Amarinder hits out at Sukhbir
Chandigarh, December 20 Reacting to the statement of the Deputy Chief Minister that there was not a single case of vendetta, Capt Amarinder Singh pointed out that he and his party had already listed hundreds of cases in which the party workers were victimised by the Akali-BJP government led by the father-son duo. “Just before the last Parliament elections, bags full of the copies of the various FIRs registered against the Congress workers were submitted to the Election Commission as well as the Union Home Minister,” he said. Ridiculing Sukhbir’s charges that the Congress and Capt Amarinder Singh had no agenda, the former Chief Minister remarked, just because the father-son duo had adopted an ostrich-like attitude towards the state does not mean others, too, will turn a blind eye to the developments around. He pointed out that the law and order situation was at its worst while the economy was in a shambles. The former Chief Minister said the ruling family had just two agendas: one to amass wealth and create personal fortune by robbing the state and its people and the second to victimise and implicate their political opponents. “Truth always comes out no matter how many efforts are made to hush it up,” he said, adding “Not only the Badals but all those officials from the police and administration will have to account for
all their omissions and commissions.” JALANDHAR: The Congress has dared the SAD- BJP alliance to
order an inquiry into vendetta cases registered against Congressmen. Terming the statement of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal that FIRs registered against Congressmen by the government were “bundle of lies”, the party has asked junior Badal to standby his words and order a judicial probe into this context. Senior Congress leader from the Majha region Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said former CM Capt Amarinder Singh had highlighted the politics of vendetta being pursed by the government to the PM in which over 14,000 false cases had been registered against party workers across the state. He alleged that “inaction” of the government in view of the recent violent incidents had proved that the law and order situation in the state had collapsed. Ridiculing the statement of Sukhbir Badal in which he has asked the Captain to produce a single FIR to prove the vendetta cases, Randhawa dared junior Badal to order a judicial probe into the matter in any constituency of the Majha region.
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Shiv Sainiks clash with police Patiala, December 20 Under the leadership of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackrey) state president Yograj Sharma and vice-president Harish Singla, activists were marching towards Preneet’s residence to lodge their protest . The protestors were raising slogans against the Congress and announced to gherao the Moti Bagh Palace. Thus, the police near Modi College stopped all protestors and the situation was brought under control. Sharma accused the Congress of “overlooking” the interests of the Hindu community.
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Colonel Sidhu cremated
Patiala, December 20 Besides armed force personnel, cops, bureaucrats, representatives of various political parties and religious institutions, people from all walks of life were present at the funeral. Col
(retd) Sidhu’s son-in-law IG Guriqbal Singh Bhullar lit the pyre. Notably, Colonel
Sidhu, maternal grandfather of Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, had died, following a prolonged illness in Patiala at the age of 95. Colonel Sidhu had raised the 18th Punjab Infantry in the Indian Army at the time of war against China. For his bravery and meritorious services, Colonel Sidhu was bestowed with Vir Chakra by the union government. Among those who paid tributes to the departed soul include chairman of District Planning Committee, Patiala and officer-bearers of the Ex-Servicemen Association.
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Govt-aided pvt schools tick off education board
Jalandhar, December 20 The board has issued notices asking some aided schools, where prescribed number of students did not appear at the centres set up to conduct board examinations, to pay penalty. Bhupindra Senior Secondary Khalsa School, Moga, an SGPC-run school, has been asked to deposit Rs 13,250 as penalty because only 47 students of that school appeared in the matric examination centre set up in that school during the last board exams. The board has fixed 100 as number of students for setting up an examination centre in any urban school. In case the number of students remains less, the board charges penalty. This year, the penalty is Rs 300 per head. The same school has been asked to deposit Rs 3,000 penalty because the number of students, who will appear in the coming middle-standard annual board examination in that centre, is 90 against the prescribed 100 students from that school. Reacting to notices with regard to the penalty, Adviser of the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and other Employees Union Manohar Lal Chopra today alleged that the board had become a shop. He said private aided schools would not provide their premises in case notices to pay penalty were not withdrawn immediately. In fact, the board should provide money to aided schools for using their infrastructure to conduct examinations. Chopra said the board had been charging Rs 400 per student as examination fee besides practical fee ranging between Rs 120 to Rs 180 per student. “The board uses laboratories of aided schools without paying any money though it charge money from students,” said Chopra. He said he had appealed the Chief Minister to provide funds to the board to conduct examinations and no examination fee burden should be put on students. As private aided schools had no resources, the burden of penalty imposed on them would also have to be borne by students, he added.
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ETT teachers to gherao Badal village
Ludhiana, December 20 The teachers are protesting against the state government for its alleged failure to fulfil their long-pending demands of incorporating schools, presently under the district parishads and nagar councils, back into the state Education Department. They are also insisting on the implementation of the grades proposed by the Fifth Pay Commission and the formation of a promotion and transfer policy as promised by the Badal government at the time of the elections. Enraged at the “gross injustice being done to the teaching community”, the members have vowed to carry out their protest at the CM’s village in spite of the tight security arrangements made by the administration and the police. “Even after three years in power, the Badal government has failed to keep its poll promise to include the district parishad and nagar council schools back into the Education Department. However, we will not accept this step-motherly treatment being meted out to us,” said Amanpreet Singh, vice-president, ETT Teachers Union, Ludhiana. He said in spite of the government’s plan to curb the protest, the union was adamant to carry it out, and “maximum number of members will be roped in for this,” he added. Last month also, the union had held a protest at Jalandhar in which Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia’s house was gheraoed for over four hours. That time, the union had voiced its further plan of action of gheroaing the CM’s house in case the government failed to fulfil their demands. Keeping in view the union’s threat, the administration and the police has made elaborate security arrangements in Badal village to curb the protest.
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Southwest Punjab: High on dope, false hope
Ravi Dhaliwal
Muktsar, December 20 Some raids were conducted by the previous Muktsar DC, Rajat Aggarwal, in August but now things are back to square one with chemists, both legal and illegal, supplying addicts with their quota of dope and false hope. Muktsar DC Varun Roojam said: “It is really a tough fight against drugs. We have two de-addiction centres in Muktsar and Badal village but both are virtually non-functional. We intend to open a new 15-bedded de-addiction centre on the civil hospital premises. Drug abuse has led to an increase in the crime rate. Addicts resort to crime to pay for drugs. Drugs remove reservations and damage decision-making to commit offences. We will fight this scourge with the help of local NGOs. The setting up of a new de-addiction centre is a step in the right direction in our battle against drugs.” It is not that the police is not making efforts to catch smugglers. A couple of years ago when LK Yadav was Muktsar district police chief, he managed to reign in cops who were part of the police-smuggler nexus. Police insiders say that when Yadav was the SSP, smuggling was minimised and lower level cops were so disgruntled that they broke off their contacts with Rajasthan-based smugglers. “The story of drug addiction begins out of an adventure and soon turns into a scary experience,” disclosed RK Bansal, a clinical psychologist working with a local hospital and research centre. “A fallacy about de-addiction is being spread in the region. Some advertisements are outrageously promising de-addiction treatment within 48 hours. Parents of rural youth who are addicted to poppy husk fall in the trap and end up paying money to these private de-addiction centres without getting the desired results,” said Ranjeet Singh Maan, a multi-purpose health worker. For many years Muktsar has been the transit point for drugs from neighbouring Rajasthan. Muktsar SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said: “We are making all efforts in an attempt to nip the evil in the bud. I am personally supervising the anti-drug operations in the district”. (Concluded)
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Simplicity, courage of conviction define Laxmi Kanta
Chandigarh, December 20 Never mind the fact that she had been made a Cabinet minister and was entitled to a huge ‘kothi’. “Residing in a bungalow would have felt like being a burden on the state exchequer,” says Laxmi Kanta while talking to The Tribune in her home in the hostel. “I was allotted a ministerial bungalow in Sector 39 but gave it up,” she says, while sitting on a simple hostel cot, surrounded by images of Durga, Shiv-Parvati and Radha-Krishan, which, besides two easy chairs and a computer table and office chair, fill up her ‘home’. The minister has made only one change in recent times. “I faced problems in meeting people as well as doing official work in one room so I asked for and was allotted another room after great difficulty, which I now use as my sleeping quarters as well as a kitchenette. The minister makes tea and cooks food, if need be, on a hot plate placed on a side table. She partakes her food in the hostel mess and took this reporter along with her grand niece Neha and her friends who had come visiting for lunch. “Neha stays in the college hostel due to lack of space here, she says by way of explanation.” The food is the same dal-vegetable fare with an exception -- Amritsar-style ‘chanas’ cooked for the visiting girls. Chawla herself has food cooked without the use of onions or garlic. Walking back to the room, the minister showcases her small world including the two tulsi plants that she has planted in the flowerbed outside her room as well as a creeper known for its ayurvedic properties. “This is my home and the people here are like family,” she says, content in her surroundings, which even MLAs seldom visit nowadays, with changing lifestyles making the hostel accommodation seem very ordinary. The spartan life led by the minister is not confined to her living quarters only. She wears white khadi sarees with a little coloured border. While stepping out of her room, she is careful to take along a ‘chana’ packet, which she buys from Amritsar and it is her favourite snack while travelling or even sometimes in the office. The minister, who still has half her term left, is also preparing to renounce active politics. “I had announced earlier that I would not stand for re-election and I aim to keep my word,” she says, adding that she was still fine tuning a department, which had been so politicised that there were virtually no doctors in rural areas when she took over. The change is already showing. Ministers and legislators have almost stopped asking Laxmi Kanta to transfer doctors to more preferred places of posting. “Initially everyone felt bad but now they have got used to it,” she says, adding that her aim is to establish systems that can continue even after she is no longer in office. It may seem like a tall order but then politics is the art of the impossible. Only this is something everyone would look forward to in Punjab.
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New flight timings from Dec 23
Amritsar, December 20 On the international route, Mahan Air’s flight between Dubai-Amritsar would reach Amritsar at 17.15 hours and fly back at 1845 hours on Monday. On Thursday, it would land here at 1130 hours and leave at 1300 hours the same day. On Friday, it would reach here at 1430 hours and leave back for Dubai at 1600 hours. On Saturday, it would reach at 11.30 hours and leave back at 1300 hours. On Sunday, the arrival time would be 1430 hours and the departure time would be 1600 hours. For Abu Dhabi, the Mahan Air flight (Monday, Thursday and Saturday) would reach here 1635 hours and leave for Abu Dhabi at 1735 hours. Qatar Airways (Amritsar-Doha) flight would touch the Amritsar runway at 1339 hours and fly back at 17.30 hours. This flight has been scheduled for three days in a week (from Monday to Wednesday). The Turkmenistan Airlines (Amritsar-Asgabad) would reach here on Monday at 9.30 and leave at 1100 hours; on Tuesday it would reach here at 10.40 hours and 1310 hours; on Wednesday the arrival time is 1310 hours and departure 1440 hours; on Thursday arrival is at 1435 hours and fly back the next day at 0500 hours; on Saturday, 0550 would be the arrival time, whereas the departure time would be 0750 hours; on Sunday it would arrive at 0740 hours and would leave back at 0910 hours. Except for Saturday, the Air India Express flight for Dubai would arrive at Amritsar Airport at 0300 hours and leave at 0400 hours. The Air India flight no 187-188, from Amritsar to Toronto would now touch the Amritsar runway at 0950 hours and leave at 1245 hours. This flight has been scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. Similarly, the new domestic flight timings would be - Kingfisher Airlines (Amritsar-New Delhi) twice a day flight, would touch Amritsar at 1300 hours leave for New Delhi at 1700 hours and next flight would appear here at 2000 hours and leave back to New Delhi at 2030 hours. The Jet Airways’ flight, also twice a day on same route, would arrive here at 0915 hours and leave back at 0945 hours. In the afternoon, it would reach here at 1400 hours and leave for New Delhi half an hour later. Maiden arrival of Boeing 747
This for the first time that the flight Boeing 747 touched the Amritsar runway at about 0330 hours today. With a passenger capacity of over 400, this
Tashkant-bound flight was brought in by Mahan Air, a first private airlines based in Tehran, Iran. Airport director Chinson VSP confirmed that it is for the first time that Jumbo jet is coming to airport from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. One of the common large commercial aircraft of the 1960s, the four-engine 747’s hump-like upper deck serves as a first-class lounge and could easily be converted to a cargo carrier by removing seats and installing a front-cargo door. The 747 can accommodate 416 passengers in a typical three-class layout or 524 passengers in a typical two-class layout.
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Science education not a priority with govt
Jalandhar, December 20 And money has been released at the fag end of the academic year. In a few weeks from now, examinations would start and many of the students would prefer to prepare for the examination instead of visiting
the science city. The science city is popular not only with students but also with commoners. Last year, about 3.50 lakh people visited the science city and among them were 50,000 students, whose visit was funded by the state government. The management of the city has fixed a target of 4 lakh people for the current fiscal year. Already, about 2.5 lakh people have visited the city till last week. Even students from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other states have visited the city in recent weeks. The J and K government has also been approached to sponsor the visit of students of that state. Sources said the Haryana Government had kept Rs 10 crore for the current fiscal year for giving exposure to students to various places such as the science city. With Rs 25 lakh released by the state government, only 10,000 students would be able to visit the city where each one has to pay the entry fee. The science city is run by a self-sustaining society and it does not take grant from the government. Entry fee is not waived in any case. Meanwhile, the management of the city is all set to make some interesting additions in its existing set up. A railway gallery would be set up where models of metro and bullet trains will be displayed. Another gallery planned by the management is “life through ages”. One more gallery will be set up about emerging technologies such as nano technology. There will be another gallery on global warming.
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Mobile vet vans to boost dairy farming
Chandigarh, December 20 The minister also asked the VC of the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) to finalise the modalities in consultation with the Veterinary Council of India for relaxation of norms for opening up of the new veterinary colleges in private sector. He also asked the principal secretary Animal Husbandry to immediately recruit at least 100 qualified veterinarians to provide instant services at the doorsteps of the farmers. —
TNS
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Ex-servicemen blame babus for their plight Patiala, December 20 State president of the association Col (retd) Kuldip Singh Grewal said after retirement at an early age, soldiers are put in category of unskilled workers in the government, semi-government and private establishments. He rued that in order to produce a soldier, who could fight with enemy in battlefield, besides undergoing refresher courses, intensive training has been imparted to the soldiers. “Hence, the state government should look into it and issue orders that the retired soldiers will be given status of skilled worker,” he demanded. Taking up another issue, Grewal claimed that during the recent recruitment drive initiated by the Punjab police for recruiting constables, the candidature of those ex-servicemen, who had not passed Punjabi at matriculation level and had overstepped two years stipulation after date of retirement, was rejected. “Our association demands that condition of two years stipulation after retirement should be abolished and the ex-servicemen candidates must be given stipulated period to pass Punjabi examination,” he said. Grewal further rued that in sheer defiance of the government instructions, retired soldiers are being “harassed” in the government offices. “The ex-servicemen are not being given due respect, particularly by the officials of the police and revenue departments,” he alleged, while adding that the government must issue strict directions to the various government departments, not to harass the ex-servicemen. Grewal said various memorials are raised in honour of the soldiers, who have sacrificed their lives for the nation. “The memorials must bear all names of the martyrs belonging to the district or the area where the memorial has been brought up. Memorial pillar must be updated after every war. Presently, names of some of the martyrs have not found place in the lists engraved on the pillars of some memorials,” he disclosed. |
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SMO promotions: DPC meets today Patiala, December 20 A meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee will be held tomorrow in which cases of about 60 SMOs will be considered for promotions to the posts of
the SMO. Earlier also, the DPCs were held in 2006, 2008 and on December 7 for the same purpose, but were abandoned due to some objections raised by the Personnel Department. The Punjab Civil Medical Service Class-I Association has described this move of the state government, as a “conspiracy” to delay the process of promotions to the posts of Deputy Director, Civil Surgeon and to other vacant post of Director and Additional Director. Already, nine out of 20 Civil Surgeons are officiating without being promoted to the rank of Deputy Director-cum-Civil Surgeon. Some other posts of Deputy Director will fall vacant on December 31. In fact, half of the 40 promotional posts of Deputy Director, Joint Director, Additional Directors and Directors will also fall vacant by December-end. The association has demanded that all those PCMS-I doctors, who are already functioning as SMOs, should be declared to have been promoted in terms of service rules with effect from the dates they are working as SMOs and by giving them promotion increment from that date. There are over 300 PCMS-I doctors working as SMOs in the state. Association general secretary DC Sharma said today that a meeting of the DPC for promotion to the posts of Deputy Directors was held on March 25 in which cases of 18 SMOs were put up before the panel. All these doctors were functioning as SMOs for the past 10-15 years. However, the proceedings were not finalised due to some objections. Sharma said no such objection was raised earlier when several of PCMS-I doctors, were recently promoted as Deputy Directors-cum-Civil Surgeons.
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Grown in Samana, relished in Australia Patiala, December 20 Kamaljit Singh and Prabhjot Singh have been exporting peas grown in their farms spread in 50 acres. The popular varieties include snow peas and sugar snap. Air-conditioned containers and other equipment are in place to ensure that the crop does not perish or gets damaged when it is packed for airlifting to the foreign markets. A regular certificate of quality is obtained by these progressive farmers from Punjab Agricultural University to ensure that quality standards of the peas are adhered to. The manager of the farm, Manpreet Singh Grewal, said: “Sowing of the crop begins in October and the crop ripens in two months. Experts from foreign countries often visit these farms to keep tabs on the quality of the product.” Farm manager Manpreet Singh Grewal said: About 200 men and women have been engaged as farm workers to look after the crop.” Grewal said, “Once the crop is ripe, the produce is packed in special containers and transported in air-conditioned vehicles to the Delhi airport from where it is airlifted to foreign countries. This involves quite a lot of expenditure, but it is worth the effort.” He said the promoters of the farm were now keen on exporting lady’s finger and bittergourd to foreign countries. They want that young men and small farmers should emulate their example and earn lucrative profits.
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Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today accused DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of creating disturbance in
Punjab.
Chandigarh, December 20
