Jagraon, January 5
It seems that Nitin Garg’s family will have to wait for few more days to see his body for the last time.

At present, the Australian government is posing legal glitches to rub salt on the wounds of Nitin’s mother Parveen Garg, who is longing to see her son for the last time.

Family members said the Australian court had asked Nitin’s friends to complete formalities, which would delay the process of bringing back the body.

Nitin’s elder brother Hanish said the court had demanded a power of attorney from the family members in favour of Amanjeet Singh, who is in Australia and is completing the formalities to bring back Nitin’s body to India.

Nitin’s friend Amanjeet Singh Dhillon, a resident of Samrala, who is helping getting the body sent back home, said the authorities concerned had refused to hand over the body to him since he is not in blood relation with Nitin.

Thus, Nitin’s mother had today executed the power of attorney in favour of Amanjeet and faxed it to the authorities and sent an e-mail of the scanned copy to them as well. Now, the family is waiting for the authorities to accept the document.

The family rued that although the External Affairs Ministry had mounted pressure on the Australian authorities to send the body at the earliest, they had not taken any step in this regard.

Nitin’s relative Ashok Kumar said after completing all the formalities, it would take at least 24 hours to coat the body with anti-decay solution so that it should not get decomposed by bacterial infection. Further, it would be covered in coffin in order to be flown back to India.

It would then take another 20 hours to reach Raja Sansi airport, Amritsar.

He demanded the Indian authorities should take up the matter with the Australian authorities so that they assert minimum documentation and formalities to speed up the process.

According to a PTI report from Melbourne, acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean said the Australian authorities would cooperate with Nitin’s family and expedite the process, terming any delay as “unfortunate”.

“We are going to try and cooperate with the family as expeditiously as we can to return the remains, the body, to his home,” Crean said.

Asked why it took almost two days after Garg’s murder for officials to contact his family in India, Crean said: “I think it’s unfortunate if it did take that length of time”.

The Indian mission in Canberra said they are extending all possible assistance to the bereaved family. 

Jalandhar, January 5
Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) Deepak Kumar Panwar will hold a meeting with officials of the Punjab Food and Supplies Department to resolve the issue of taking wheat from the state to other parts of the country.

Sources said the meeting might be held on January 6. Punjab has a wheat stock of 80 lakh tonnes. “We want that before the arrival of the new crop, the entire wheat stock should be moved to other states,” said Dharamvir Singh Grewal, Director, Food and Supplies Department.

Sources said the issue of taking the wheat stock to other states would dominate the meeting with the CMD. At present, the wheat stock was moving at a snail’s pace.

About 6 lakh tonnes of wheat was sent to other states from Punjab, which means only 18 lakh tonnes of wheat would be shifted to other states in the next three months against the state government’s demand to shift 80 lakh tonnes.

Punjab is moving fast to create enough space before April for the storage of about 110 lakh tonnes of fresh wheat, which is procured for the Central pool. At present, the state has no space available for the storage of any foodgrain.

It is learnt that the Union government had planned to selll 1 million tonnes of wheat under the open market sales scheme (OMSS) in the wholesale market to quicken the off-take of wheat from the state.

Besides it, the wheat has been allocated at a reduced rate of Rs 200 per quintal to various states under the OMSS for further allotting to retail outlets such as small and medium flour mills to supply to it the people at reduced rates. However, some of the states are reluctant to lift the stock which is to be given to retail outlets at the reduced rate because it could lead to problems later.

“If we allot the wheat stock to flour mills at a reduced rate, what is guarantee that mills will supply the same to the people at a reduced rate. We have no mechanism to keep tabs on flour mills”, said an official of the Food and Supplies Department. “ There was also possibility that some of the flour mills sell the stock, allotted to them at the reduced rate, at a market price in some other states,” he said.

Chandigarh, January 5
The Centre’s decision to strip police officers convicted of “moral turpitude” off medals and awards fuelled a demand by an ex-woman IAS officer today that the Padma Shri award be taken back from Punjab’s former “supercop” KPS Gill convicted for outraging her modesty.

Gill, who is credited with retrieving Punjab from insurgency, dismissed the demand as “nonsense.”

Rupan Deol Bajaj wanted the Centre to move against Gill in the same manner as it was proceeding against ex-Haryana top cop SPS Rathore to strip him off his police medal in the aftermath of the Ruchika molestation cae.

“Gill’s case is also one of moral turpitude. All his medals and the Padma Shri should be taken away,” said Bajaj, who is currently a Information Commissioner in Punjab.

“It is very necessary that some kind of message should go out to society that such persons do not deserve to have these high decoration,” Bajaj said.

“I think Ruchika would not have been molested had KPS Gill not be given Padma Shri. Because(Rathore) knew that if such things happen even to IAS officer,they can get away, a top cop can get away with it,” she said.

Gill said retrospective punishment for award and medal recipients for services rendered by them was “against the law”. Gill, a recipient of several police medals, also appeared to suggest that he was not unduly bothered if the medals given to him were taken away by the government.

“Who is bothered about that medal. I never asked for it. They gave it to me. They can take away all 20 medals,” Gill said.

He was in 1996 found guilty of outraging modesty of Bajaj by a trial court after she complained in 1988 that the police officer “pinched” her “posterior” at a party where he was alleged to be drunk.

Talking to the media, Gill said he had not asked for the Padma Shri and so he did not care whether the government took it away from him.

Gill was the DGP of Punjab and Bajaj a senior IAS officer at the time of the incident. He was sentenced by a trial court to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh, be imprisoned rigorously for 3 months and simply for 2 months.

With a precedent being set for the withdrawal of medals awarded to Rathore, questions are being asked whether this would mean Gill could lose his awards. 
— PTI 

Chandigarh, January 5
Seniority alone does not matter any more in many of the state cadres of the central civil services. And Punjab has been one example.

Last week, Gurjit Singh Cheema, the seniormost civil servant of the state, belonging to the 1972 batch of IAS, superannuated. Though he had been in the Chief Secretary’s scale and had held various important positions in the state administration, still that coveted post that every civil servant hopes to occupy at the fag end of his or her career eluded him.

Gurjit Singh Cheema not only served as Chief Electoral Officer of the state but also held the important office of the Financial Commissioner(Development).

He had, among other important assignments, been the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner.

Cheema was not alone not to become the Chief Secretary in spite of his seniority and good track record. Others to miss the coveted post in recent years had been Bharat Raj Bajaj, Amitabh Pande, Harsimrat, Tejinder Kaur, Jivtesh Singh Maini, Vijay Kain and Rabindra Nath Gupta.

Another officer to retire in four months time and who also missed the bus to the top spot is P. Ram.

He shall be superannuating on April 30 and belongs to the 1974 batch against the 1975 batch of the present Chief Secretary, Subodh Aggarwal. Other civil servant to retire on December 31 was Narinderjit Singh who belonged to the 1993 batch.

Some members of the personal staff of civil servants have certain firsts and distinctions to their credit. Naresh Kapur, Secretary to the MD, Markfed, for example had been one who had the distinction of working with at least 15 senior civil servants as their secretary. They included KD Vasudeva, Jai Singh Gill, Rajan Kashyap and R.I. Singh.

Besides, he also worked with a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge in a special case during his 40-year association with Asia’s biggest cooperative. He also retired on December 31.

Naresh Kapur, who believed in an approach to work positively with innovative thoughts with a special ability, adept himself to different work environments remained secretary to the MD of Markfed for a record 24 years.

Ludhiana, January 5
Courtesy good pay packages; youths from the region are increasingly turning towards the Army, especially the non-commissioned ranks.

It was witnessed at the ongoing Army Recruitment Rally at Guru Nanak Stadium, where many youths from the state came to try their luck.

Almost 80 per cent of the youths, who came from various parts of the state to participate in the rally, said handsome salary draws them towards the Army.

Gurjeet Singh, who came from Moga to participate in the rally, said:“My family is poor and cannot afford to send me for higher education. For a class XII student, the Army is a great option as it pays better, offers wonderful perks and there is a great deal of social security attached to it.”

Another candidate, Daljit Singh, said: “With the salary of a soldier touching Rs 15,000, besides perks, including residence, transportation and medical facilities, what else does one want? A class XII student cannot find a better deal elsewhere.” Nearly 9,000 candidates had reported last year for the eight-day-long recruitment rally here, breaking the previous year’s record. And Brig KD Malhotra, Deputy Director, Recruiting, Punjab and J&K, attributed the reason for a massive turn out to revised pay scales.

While lucrative pay packages and attractive perks seem to have done what years of a glorious tradition and history of gallantry could not do for the Army; materialistic pursuits have failed to take away the pride of serving one’s nation from the youth. But unfortunately, the sentiment ranks much lower on the priority list of youths.

Ludhiana, January 5
The Federation of Association of Small Industries of India (FASII) has condemned the recent recommendation made by the Ministry of Commerce to extend the industrial package to Himachal Pradesh up to 2013.

Terming this move to be "politically motivated", FASII said due to the decision, the industry in Punjab had suffered huge losses and the extension would further aggravate the problem.

Talking to The Tribune, chairman of the Punjab Chapter of FASII Badish K.Jindal said the exemptions to HP were going to end in March, 2010, and the industry in Punjab was hopeful of getting relief but the recent recommendation for extension by Minister of Commerce Anand Sharma, who belongs to HP, had come as a jolt to the small and medium industry here.

"The GDP rate of Punjab is already below national average of 8.49 per cent and its per capita, which was more than Haryana in 2000 is now 30 per cent below Haryana. No big industrial project has come to Punjab for the past seven years since the sops provided to other states. Punjab has been made to satisfy itself with just a few housing projects", rued Jindal.

The industrialists further added that in the past 5-6 years, Himachal Pradesh had succeeded in attracting the outside investment of Rs 40,130 crore. In the draft provisions of GST, the industries of the exempted states would claim the cash benefits, whereas the industry in Punjab would be in losses.

FASII members have threatened if the Central Government extended the package to HP, the industry in Punjab will boycott central tax in Punjab.

Meanwhile, president of Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry P.D.Sharma added that extension of concessions would affect the industry in Punjab both in direct and indirect manner. Some industries had presence in Himachal only for its peripheral operations, the main operations were done in Punjab. "But they are getting concessions for the entire product. This affects other industries which fail to compete with them", said Sharma, further adding that there was 100 per cent exemption on excise duty for 10 years and 100 per cent income tax exemption for the first 5 years in HP. 

Nangal, January 5
Industrial pollutants flowing down Sutlej from Himachal Pradesh have jeopardised the lives of thousands of winged visitors to the Nangal national wetland.

Residents complain of the colour of the river water, which has changed to black, near Brahmla Khad. Even the area contractor for fishing, Vijay Kumar, accepted that the water had changed its colour since Monday afternoon.

Villagers said this water was coming from the Golthai industrial area that often diverts its industrial pollutants into the Sutlej waters.

Last year, too, three similar incidents with high rate of fish mortality were reported.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) would be visiting the site tomorrow to collect water samples. However, such exercises of the PPCB have done little to deter HP units from polluting Punjab waters.

This water flows down into the national Nangal wetland, which currently has around 20, 000 migratory birds. Nangal wetland is the winter destination for migratory birds like Indian cormorants, ruddy shell ducks, greylag geese, mallad, red crested pochard and crested grey, common pochard , tufted duck, common teal, eurasian wigeons, gadwals , northern shoveler and pintails.

Rajatal (Atari), January 5
Foiling the smuggling bid, Border Security Force (BSF) jawans shot an unidentified Pakistani smuggler here on the intervening night of January 4 and 5 while his accomplice escaped taking advantage of dense fog.

Huge quantity of narcotics, including five-and-a-half kg Afghani heroin worth over Rs 25 crore in international market, fake currency worth about Rs 20 lakh, a Chinese pistol and eight live cartridges were seized.

The escaped smuggler retaliated and fired at the BSF squad when they went to the site during the search operation. The BSF officials said the Pakistani smugglers had retaliated and arms were seized from their possession.

The officials further said such attempts increase on the Indo-Pak border due to foggy conditions, particularly in December and January.

However, Mohammad Auqil, DIG, BSF, said the force had prior information. Thus, the BSF jawans hatched the conspiracy.

“The smugglers were well equipped with weapons and their modus operandi was that they had a 12-foot-long plastic pipe having 6-inch diameter. They were to slip in the contraband through this pipe placed within the knots of barbed wire fence. This was chosen to counter the running current in the barbed wire,” he said.

The officials said the two were hiding on a ground full of dense weeds, which was estimated to be around 200 m away from barbed fence on the borderline.

Meanwhile, a flag meeting was held where the BSF had lodged their protest with Pakistan’s Sutlej Rangers. GS Saran, Additional DIG, BSF, said the Pakistan Rangers clarified their stand by stating that it was the smugglers, who fired at the BSF squad. 

Anandpur Sahib, January 5
The amendments made in Nanakshahi calendar are applicable to gurdwaras of Punjab and Delhi alike, said SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, while addressing mediapersons here today. He was here to attend the celebrations of birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

Makkar said the SGPC has rightly made necessary amendments in the Nanakshahi calendar “No one has authority to stop the SGPC from implementing the calendar,” he said.

The SGPC chief said in future all religious occasions like birth and death anniversaries of Sikh Masters would be observed as per the amended calendar.

“Now even Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has given a green signal to the amended calendar. The amendments have ruffled feathers in political circles only. Organisations working for the cause of religion and humanity have welcomed the new calendar,” he added.

Makkar claimed that the amendments were made after a long debate and taking consensus of the Sikh clergy.

On temporary ragis being shown the door, Makkar said a policy is being charted out to accommodate them in the SGPC.

Hussainiwala, January 5
The BSF authorities have started contemplating to change the time of the Beating the Retreat ceremony due to foggy weather.

Official sources said as the sun had started setting early due to the prevailing foggy conditions, the time of the ceremony would be advanced by half an hour soon. At present, the ceremony started at 4.30 pm daily.

A senior functionary of the BSF said during the peak summer season, the ceremony would start at 6.30 pm.

Sources said the ceremony was being held at the Wagah, Hussainiwala and Sadiqi joint checkposts every day.

They said a decision in connection with the date on which the time of the ceremony was to be changed would be taken formally by those who had been handling the ceremony at the Wagah joint checkpost.

Patiala, January 5
The Punjab Civil Medical Service-Class I Association (PCMSA) has expressed its strong resentment over the controversies being created by the accounts officers working in the health department and the treasury officers in the state over the status of the Non-Practising Allowance (NPA) admissible to the Punjab Government doctors and has demanded that the government should issue necessary instructions to clarify the status of the NPA immediately, failing which the government doctors will be compelled to adopt the path of agitation.

Dr Y C Markan, president, Dr DC Sharma, general secretary of association, Dr.B.S.Sahota, central committee member, Dr Harish Bhardwaj, president of Jalandhar district unit, and Dr Harpreet Singh, president of Ludhiana district unit of the PCMSA said here yesterday that the NPA of the doctors has always been treated as pay for all intents and purposes including the retirement benefits.

It has been taken into account for calculation of all allowances including the House Rent Allowance (HRA), additional the HRA in lieu of rent free accommodation and rural area allowance. Its status has been clearly defined in rule 2.52 of Punjab Civil Services Rules Vol I, Part I. The association alleged that the treasury officers are not clearing the salary bills of the doctors at several places are insisting that the NPA should not be taken into consideration while calculating the HRA which is contrary to the CSR as well as the earlier notification of the Punjab Government.

The association maintained that the Punjab Government is following the pattern of the Union government in granting the NPA to its doctors. Both the Union Government and the Punjab Government are paying the NPA to the doctors at the rate of 25 per cent of the basic pay. The Union Government is also granting all allowances including the HRA and Additional HRA, on the NPA component of pay. The denial of some of the allowances on the NPA is causing a financial loss of up to Rs 3,000 per month to doctors.

As per the notification of the Union Government the NPA will be treated as pay for the purpose of computing dearness allowance, entitlement of travelling allowance and other allowances as well as calculation of retirement benefits. But certain other allowances including the HRA, are being denied to punjab doctors now. The association has demanded that the Punjab Government should immediately re-notify its earlier notification of June 2, 2,000 to clear the controversies being created by the treasury officers for treating the NPA as pay for commuting all other allowances. 

Mallanwala, January 5
The local police today arrested one resident of Ferozepur district and seized fake Indian currency worth Rs 49, 200 from his possession.

On a tip-off, the police arrested the accused, identified as Gurbhej Singh, alias Bheja. The 27-year-old accused took fake Indian currency worth Rs 65, 000 from a Pakistan-based shepherd in lieu of the original currency of Rs 30, 000, which was to be paid later to the supplier.

Palwinder Singh, SHO, local police station, said out of fake currency worth Rs 65,000, the accused managed to circulate notes worth Rs 15, 800 in various markets .

The fake Indian currency notes that had been sized included 16 notes of Rs 1,000 denomination, nine notes of Rs 500 denomination and 287 notes of Rs 100 denomination.

He said the accused came in contact with the Pakistan-based supplier when he used to go to till his nine-acre land situated across the cobra fencing erected on Indo-Pak border at Muthianwala village of Ferozepur district. The accused struck a deal with him and took fake currency notes of Rs 65,000 from him. Thereafter, the accused had buried the bundles on his land about two months ago.

Few days ago, the accused who used to go to his land after passing the security gates set up by the BSF personnel guarding the Indo-Pak border, near Tapo Chowki, brought the bundles and circulated them in various markets.

The accused confessed that he had taken fake Indian currency notes for the first time from the Pakistan-based shepherd. A case under Sections 489-A, 489-B, 489-C and 420 of the IPC had been registered against the accused. He would be produced in the court tomorrow.