Chandigarh, December 23
The deras-induced crises mode threatens to become a way of life in Punjab that has been struggling to maintain its hard-earned peace and tranquility. Besides scary phases of fiscal collapse because of economic meltdown, flu and cancer pandemics, aggravated by environmental catastrophe, may describe the helpless anxiety of this border state underlined by unforeseen fears beyond its control.

Major incidents of violence and arson in the state cannot be viewed in isolation as some deras, irrespective of their identity, had deep complicity in them. It was like an escalation of emotions of people shouting loudly in reaction not only to government actions but also because of misdemeanour of others, including an event that took place outside the shores of the country. After burning its fingers in the deras fire, Punjab is still to learn many lessons the hard way for sustenance of law and order, peace and communal harmony in the coming year.

Though Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has been on a high for his three-point development agenda -- self-sufficiency in power generation, connectivity and infrastructure development -- yet several grey areas, including poor fiscal health, may continue to be the major impediments in achieving the end product -- desired results.

As the year is coming to a close, besides moves to reinvigorate fiscal health and put financial recovery in place, the swine-flu hysteria is again assuming worrisome proportions in the state. Incidentally, Punjab was among the first few to report swine flu cases when a group of students who returned from a tour of the US tested positive. Healthcare and medical services besides power supply will also continue to be major areas concerning the aam aadmi.

Things appear to be quite horrific on pollution and environmental degradation fronts. It may be complacency or the calm before the storm, as the reactive response that remained switched off for years, has been finally activated with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal issuing a directive to clean polluted rivers of the state. Non-stop fear of the growing incidence of cancer will wear anyone out, especially in the Malwa belt, the home turf of the Chief Minister. And polluted water, if nothing else, is considered the root cause of this fatal disease threatening to become the single largest killer in the state.

Fear destroys finance, and this is what has exactly happened in Punjab. Something happened to public confidence, people lost their footing and fears became bottomless. Mired in controversies, the government was forced to reconsider its policies and schemes, including subsidies. Mounting debt, implementation of recommendations of the Pay Commission, rising prices of essential commodities and the escalating cost of agricultural production turned the legitimate, responsible concerns of a common man into panic. And it is this panic that the state now wants to use as an instant motivator, a method of forcing through cuts that people would resist in less urgent times or overcoming partisan differences among politicians in favour of a common cause.

On political front, the ruling SAD-BJP alliance may have improved its tally in the Vidhan Sabha by annexing an additional seat from Congress - Kahnuwan - yet it ended on the defensive with complete boycott of the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha by the Congress. The Shiromani Akali Dal has a major political battle -- retaining its supremacy over the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, elections to which are long overdue -- in the offing. It also faces an arduous task of defending Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon even after permission to prosecute him sought by the CBI has been denied by the Cabinet. 

Chandigarh, December 23
The Punjab BJP today asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to direct the PSEB not to issue revised electricity bills incorporating the power hike from January 1 onwards besides calling for a delinking of this issue from that of free power given to the agricultural sector in the state.

A delegation of BJP leaders, including Balramji Das Tandon, state president Rajinder Bhandari, Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia, MP Navjot Sidhu and Madan Mohan Mittal, called on the Chief Minister today and insisted that he honour his commitment to waive the power hike by subsidising the same.

According to sources, after a 50-minute meeting, the Chief Minister decided to call a bigger meeting tomorrow which will include Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, PSEB Chairman H. S. Brar and Irrigation and Power Secretary Suresh Kumar.

The sources said once the BJP delegation put forward its demand for an immediate withdrawal of the power hike, the Chief Minister said Kalia, who was part of a two- member committee formed to examine the entire gamut of subsidies as well as try to find ways and means to mobilise resources, could better answer the question.

Delegation members then insisted that the two-member committee, which also includes Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, was taking a lot of time. They maintained that the committee had to examine a number of issues while the issue of withdrawal of the 12 per cent electricity charges on domestic, commercial and industrial consumers was something that had already been decided earlier. “You (Chief Minister) yourself gave a commitment on the issue and people are asking us why it is not being honoured”, the BJP leaders claimed.

The BJP delegation also insisted that the issue of agricultural subsidy had become complicated with divergent views on the same in the SAD itself. The delegation said the issue of subsidies for the agricultural sector could wait for a final settlement for some time but the withdrawal of the power hike should be addressed immediately. This, the BJP leaders said, would reduce the hardship of people, who were already battling to make a living due to a sharp increase in the prices of all essential commodities.

Balramji Das Tandon, when questioned about the meeting, said it was held in a cordial atmosphere and that the Chief Minister’s decision to call a wider meeting to discuss the issue in detail was a positive step. He said subsidising the power hike would help all electricity consumers in the state, including rural consumers. 

Chandigarh, December 23
The Punjab Congress today maintained that the state Cabinet’s decision to deny sanction to the CBI to prosecute Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon was an unconstitutional step and also violative of the oath taken by the Chief Minister and his ministers.

In a statement here, party spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira claimed the action was a classic case of the corrupt protecting the corrupt. He said instead of punishing the then Deputy Director, Panchayats, Joginder Singh Dayal, who had turned approver in the Special CBI Court in the cash-for-job scam of recruitment of 909 panchayat secretaries, the Badal government had chosen to deny sanction to prosecute the Speaker. He said it was for the record that Dayal had recorded his statement before the Special CBI Court under Section 164 of the CrPC and had now resiled from the statement under pressure from the present government.

The Congress leader said his party demanded a high-level judicial probe into the matter while alleging that the office of the Advocate-General had connived with the government to allow the corrupt and guilty to scot-free.

Khaira claimed this last unlawful decision by the Badal Cabinet was a ploy to save himself and his family in the matter of corruption pending against the Badal family in a Mohali Court. “Therefore, the Congress urges the state Governor not to give sanction to this illegal, unconstitutional and biased decision of the Punjab Cabinet and instead seek suitable punishment for Joginder Singh and the Advocate-General for giving wrongful legal opinion to the state government,” he added. 

Bathinda, December 23
Out of a total of 51 sanctioned posts in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Bathinda, which mainly implements and monitors various centrally sponsored schemes, 32 have been lying vacant for more than 10 years, as these posts have not been filled by the state government so far.

These posts are reportedly vacant from April 1, 1999. Sources said due to the non-filling of such a large number of posts in the DRDA by the state government, the district could not get full benefits of various centrally sponsored schemes.

All three sanctioned posts of project officer (PO), one post each of executive engineer and senior accounts officer have been lying vacant in the DRDA. Besides out of three sanctioned posts of the assistant project officer (APO), only one is filled by the government so far. A sanctioned post of project economist and two posts of assistant engineer are also vacant.

Interestingly, all seven sanctioned posts of technical assistant (TA) have also been lying vacant for the past more than 10 years, as the state government has not filled the same. Out of two sanctioned posts of statistical investigator, one is also vacant till now. Likewise, a post of stenographer has also not been filled so far. Three posts of assistant have also been lying vacant since April 1999. Out of total nine sanctioned posts of clerk, seven posts are also still vacant, while a post of accountant/ account clerk has also been lying vacant. The filled 19 posts include a post of project director (chief executive officer), a post of stenographer, two posts of accountant/account clerk, five posts of gram sewika, two posts of driver and four posts of attendant/ watchman/ daftari/ sewadar.

Amritsar, December 23
Thousands of elected women members of various departments of rural development and panchayat will be trained in community radio and e-education, said deputy director of the Rural Development and Panchayat Raminder Kaur Buttar during state-level Panchayat Mahila Shakti Sammelan here today.

She said a proposal of Rs 4 crore to impart training and education to members of these committees has been forwarded to the Centre. “Women empowerment programme will be taken to grassroots level by forming state, division, district and block-level committees and subsequently, they will be turned into women federations.”

“For this, the state government has formed a state-level 21-member executive Panchayat Mahila Shakti Association. Quarterly meeting of the Panchayat Mahila Shakti Association (PMSA) would be organised to enhance interaction among members,” she added.

Earlier, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura stressed on the need to make elected women representatives aware of their power and working of various panchayat departments. He said move to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions as per the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution has been aimed at empowering half of the country’s population to ensure the more active role of women in progress of the country.

“These women representatives with adequate knowledge of legal services, basic medical aids and hygienic conditions could bring about revolutionary changes in their surrounding rural areas,” he added. He also honoured head Sewak Nirmal Kaur and Block Development Officer Verka Subeg Singh for their dedicated service.

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 23
Specially trained cops would be deployed during the three-day Jor Mela, beginning from December 24, at Fatehgarh Sahib. This was stated here today by IG Patiala Zone, Paramjit Singh Gill.

He said the number of women constables had also been doubled as compared to last year.

The trained cops would keep an eye on unscrupulous elements besides terrorist activities.

Besides deployment of 2,400 police officials, including senior police officers, closed-circuit cameras have also been installed at various key points.

The entire area has been divided into five zones and police officers of the rank of SP have been assigned the task of managing each sector.

These sectors have been further divided into sub-sectors and a DSP- level officer would look after the area with the help of Inspector and Sub-Inspector- level officials.

Entry of all private vehicles has been banned towards the gurdwara and trolleys carrying langar would be allowed between 10 pm and 6 am.

Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Kaustubh Sharma said a police control room has also been set up during the Jor Mela and people facing any problem related with law and order could contact on 01763-233936.

Meanwhile, fairs held in the memory of the Sahibzadas at Fatehgarh Sahib and Chamkaur Sahib have attained a political colour during the past many years.

With the passage of time, cries and tears of losing young sons of Guru Gobind Singh have given way to fun and frolic. People display games and modes of entertainment for the devotees.

Now, the fairs have become more of a festive occasion especially for youngsters who seek enjoyment while soaking in the festivity.

Earlier devotees thronged gurdwaras in Fatehgarh Sahib to pay obeisance to the great martyrs of Sikh history and shed tears for innocent children of Guru Gobind Singh, who died for the cause of humanity.

These days hundreds of temporary roadside vends, exhibitions by multinational companies and other fairs have changed the mindset of people.

“Though people pay obeisance, before entering the gurdwara they enjoy the fair on their vehicles,” said Manjit Kaur, a resident of Khamano.

She said earlier people walked up to gurdwaras, crying all the way and never slept on beds and instead stayed on ground during the three days of the mela to pay obeisance and condole deaths of the young

sahibzadas. Neither did they enjoy fairs, nor ate sweet dishes or fixed marriages in these three days. Even purchasing new goods was avoided.

It was a kind of mourning for the entire month including the three days of jor mela.

The political parties that organise road shows and the administration that allows roadside vends and eateries have changed the meaning of jor mela. 

Chandigarh, December 23
The Punjab government is in a bind with over 13,000 elementary teachers is the state announcing to adopt path of agitation, including fast unto death and gherao of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s residence in his native Badal village.

In a last bid effort to prevent any such action, the state government has made an appeal to the primary and elementary teachers working in 5,752 schools to come back to the negotiating table rather than resorting to agitation.

The teachers have announced that it would start sending small squads of teachers from tonight, who would camp in various villages of the Lambi constituency and re-group to gherao the CM’s native village.

“Volunteers have given names to start a fast unto death in Badal village and even resort to other means of agitation after two days of negotiation with the government yesterday and today failed”, ETT Teachers Association president Jaswinder Sidhu told The Tribune.

On other hand the state government today claimed that it had met all demands of the ETT Teachers Association and the decision of the association announcing to resort to an agitation path was unfair and uncalled for. Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Harcharn Bains said nearly 5 lakh students would suffer if these teachers, who are working in the rural schools, strike work.

The teachers are protesting against the failure of the government to move them from the rural development to the Education Department. The SAD had made a promise to teachers in its election manifesto and in February 2009 accepted most of the demands, including bringing them under the Civil Services rules making them the government employees.

The government has, however, told the teachers that it could only accommodate 5,000 teachers against sanctioned posts in the Education Department now and the rest only when there are vacancies, but the teachers want all 13,000 to be moved to the Education Department right away.

“We walked away from a meeting with the CM because this is simply a move to divide the teachers, on what basis can the government reject the induction of 8,000 teachers into the Education Department,” Sidhu questioned.

These teachers were recruited to strengthen the rural education in the Rural Development Department by the previous Congress government and are paid salaries by the Zila Parishads. Bains said all demands of these teachers had been met and they were being unfair in not understating “how the hands of the government were tied”. The teacher refuted this by saying, “If Haryana can do it why not Punjab?”

Sidhu said a detailed plan has been chalked out and “jathas” of teachers were proceeding towards Badal village. “The state has blocked all roads and some of the teachers, who tried to sneak in, were also thrashed by the police. But this time we have worked out a detailed strategy and we are willing to go to any extent to make our voice heard, even if it means risking our lives”.

Patiala, December 23
With only two months left for board exams, it’s high time for teachers and students to work hard for better results. But, the off-season transfers by the state government have left them in a fix in December.

On one hand, where the government claims to be working hard for improving the educational standards, these last minute transfers are sure to affect the teaching process. Around 200 teachers have already been transferred and this has raised the brows of students and teachers as well.

“It’s not whether my child’s teacher has been transferred or not, but the point is that the government must not have done this at this crucial time. How can you expect the students to cope up without their teachers? Moreover, even the teachers, too, could not be held accountable for bad results in the new school because they will join really late and could not teach everything just in two months,” said one of the parents.

District Education Officer Surinder Kaur Verma, on being questioned about these transfers, said, “You should better ask higher authorities because these transfers are not in my jurisdiction.”

Secretary education of the state government GS Grewal said, “These transfers were done against vacancies. Certain schools needed more teachers and these transfers have been done to supplement the teaching staff.” He said, “The transfers have been done with the orders of the Chief Minister and I do not think it will lead to any confusion of the sorts because these have been done keeping in mind benefits of the students.”

Patiala, December 23
The Punjab Education Department has been facing an acute shortage of staff at the senior level. The situation can well be imagined from the fact that against 1,700 posts of deputy district education officers (DEOs) and principals of schools in the state, there are only about 125 officers working on regular basis.

Sources in the department revealed that out of a total of 26 posts of deputy directors, 25 posts have been lying vacant. There is only one regular deputy director Sadhu Singh Randhawa, who is presently officiating as DPI (elementary education).

These sources said in half of the districts in the state there are no regular school principals. In the remaining districts also, there are only a few principals to head the schools. The situation is worse in case of deputy DEOs and science supervisors. In this case, there are almost 90 per cent of the posts lying vacant. These sources said under a NABARD scheme, the state has got 150 additional posts of principals in schools, but owing to shortage of staff, these posts have not been filled up. There are already 1,400 posts of principals in schools in the state and then there are about 140 posts of deputy DEOs.

It is pertinent to point out that no promotions of deputy directors in the School Education Department have been made since 1995. The posts of deputy directors are filled up from amongst DEOs, deputy DEOs and school principals.

Now, Punjab is facing a grim situation. There are no candidates eligible for promotion to the three posts of director of public instructions. A candidate, who has worked for at least two years as deputy director is eligible for promotion as DPI.

The crisis has resulted because of a ban put on direct recruitment of school principals in 2004. According to earlier rules, 75 per cent of the posts of school principals were filled up by promotion, while 25 per cent posts were filled by direct recruitment. According to the sources, the situation could be remedied only if meetings of departmental promotion committee are held and new promotions of deputy directors and principals are made.

Anandpur Sahib, December 23
Krishna Karmarkar, wife of Anup Karmarkar from Guwahati, succumbed to her injuries at the PGI, Chandigarh, today raising the death toll in the accident near Ananpdur Sahib to six.

Krishna had sustained serious head injuries and was not able to come out of coma after the accident. She breathed her last this morning. Meanwhile, the relatives of the deceased Firdaus from Ahmedabad buried her at Anandpur Sahib itself instead of taking her body to Ahmedabad.

Her relative Arif said it was not possible to take the body all the way to Ahmedabad and hence the family decided to bury Firdaus here. Her body was taken to Jama Masjid at Tarapur village, where Maulvi Mohmmad Iqbal performed the namaz. The funeral procession was taken to the burial ground near Baba Buddhan Shah dargah in Kiratpur Sahib and the deceased was buried late in the evening.

Firdaus’ relatives Arif, Moim, Zubir and his wife had reached Anandpur Sahib late on Tuesday night. Her year-old daughter Rozvin is being taken care of by local philanthropist Baba Jarnail Singh, while the deceased’s husband Moin is battling for life at the PGI, Chandigarh.

Some family friends from Chandigarh had gone to fetch the child on Tuesday but she refused to part from her caretaker Baba Jarnail Singh. As soon as she was handed over to the relatives, the child started crying bitterly. Today, too, she did not go to her relatives and stayed with Baba Jarnail Singh and his sewadars, who fed her and took care of her.

Firdaus’ relatives said by tomorrow they would take over the custody of the child and take her to her father at PGI, Chandigarh.

The victim was among the five killed near Garha Mora village of Himachal Pradesh on the Punjab border on Tuesday morning, when the tourist luxury bus they were travelling in rolled down into a gorge.