New Delhi, January 12
Panjab University, Chandigarh, has reasons to cheer despite resistance by the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine in the state to its conversion into a central university.

Continuing to be what it is — inter-state body corporate — the institute might well find itself in a win-win situation, with the Union government considering extending assistance to it on a par with other central universities. Most importantly, the government is thinking of meeting the university’s financial deficit, estimated to be about Rs 45 crore annually.

And also under consideration is improvement in the service conditions of PU faculty, mainly raising the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, as applicable to all centrally-funded institutes and central universities.

Notably, the push for above-mentioned developments is said to have come from none other than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an alumnus of the institute who even went on to teach there later. It is learnt that the PM, who visited Chandigarh on November 3 last to accept a Doctor of Laws (degree), the highest honour awarded to any alumnus by PU, was uncomfortable about the level of existing infrastructure at the university. He is said to have felt that actual investments were not coming through to enable a university of PU’s standard to achieve its real potential, given the good faculty and academic scope.

Sources in the HRD Ministry today confirmed the development to The Tribune, saying the idea was to share the university’s liability and help it improve its academic blocks and hostels, which were in bad shape.

In fact, the ministry had recently constituted a committee for the purpose under Prof AM Khan, former Vice-Chancellor of Maulana Azad Urdu University, Hyderabad. “The committee visited PU on December 29 and 30 last and has given its recommendations. It will meet again on January 16 to take a final view on the issue of central assistance to PU and better service conditions for its faculty,” said HRD ministry officials.

The committee is said to have studied books of account of PU and pegged the annual deficit at around Rs 45 crore (the figures were earlier uncertain). “The shortfall is proposed to be met by the Centre and we would want to have our representation on the university’s executive councils (senate or syndicate) and financial committee. The point is simple. If we increase maintenance grant to PU on lines with central universities, we would want its accounts audited and tabled in Parliament, on the lines with the practice. How things work out remains to be seen,” ministry officials said.

As for the Punjab government, it will continue to contribute Rs 16 crore annually to PU, which is just 10 per cent of the state’s actual obligation of 40 per cent of the budget.

New Delhi, January 12
The Army today initiated disciplinary action against a senior Lieutenant General which could lead to a court martial, while separately administrative action has been initiated against three other top officers for their role in a land scam in West Bengal.

Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor had directed Adjutant General Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal to issue notices for taking action against Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash, Lt Gen PK Rath, Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Major General P Sen, after a probe had reportedly held them culpable in the land scam.

The scope of the administrative action will be as wide as warning to termination from service. This means the Military Secretary will be saved from the ignominy of facing a sack.

Senior Army officers said here that disciplinary action had been initiated against Lt Gen Rath, who had a major role to play in the issuance of signing of a memorandum of understanding with a private realtor for a 70-acre plot adjacent to the Sukna military station near Darjeeling.

Rath during the court of inquiry had blamed the Military Secretary. However, officials explained that this was not enough for Rath to escape as he was the one who ultimately signed the papers in his previous capacity as GOC 33 corps. Lt Gen PK Rath was the deputy chief-designate, however, his appointment had been put on hold. Lt Gen GM Nair, who is the outgoing GOC 9 corps Yol Camp, is tipped to the deputy chief.

Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash and two other generals have been served a show-cause notice.

The Army chief submitted his recommendation to the Ministry of Defence after going through the findings of the court of inquiry which was held in eastern command headquarters in Kolkata.

The Army chief’s ruling is in contrast to the recommendation of the eastern Army commander Lt Gen V K Singh, who had claimed that there was enough ground for the termination of Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash’s service. Gen Singh had sought administrative action against the three other officers, Lt Gen PK Rath, corps commander Lt Gen Ramesh Halgali and Maj Gen P Sen.

But Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash has only been served a show-cause notice asking him to explain why administrative action should not be taken against him. He is due to retire on January 31. The show-cause notice will allow him to retire without getting punished while in service. He gets 30 days to respond. 

Chandigarh, January 12
The Central Bureau of Investigation today told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Haryana’s former director-general of police SPS Rathore had - on the face of it - “unleashed reign of terror” on Ruchika Girhotra’s family.

The assertion came a day after the Haryana Government entrusted the investigations in the fresh cases against Rathore to the CBI. So far, the premier investigating agency has registered three cases against Rathore, including one of abetment to suicide.

As of now, the former IPS officer has not received any relief from the high court, expect the issuance of “notice regarding stay” to the CBI on three of his petitions against arrest and further proceedings in the abetment to suicide case. It means the court has only asked the CBI to argue why the arrest and the proceedings should not be stayed in the three cases against Rathore. It is also clear that Rathore has no protection against arrest till date; and he can be taken in custody, if the CBI deems it fit.

Just before Justice Sabina adjourned till Monday the hearing on his pleas, assistant solicitor-general-cum-CBI’s special public prosecutor Anmol Rattan Sidhu said, “The perusal of the FIRs prima facie shows it was a reign of terror.” Sidhu asserted terror was let loose on Ruchika’s family, forcing them to stay away. It largely explained the delay in the registration of fresh cases.

Seeking time for further looking into the matter, another counsel representing the CBI, Ajay Kaushik, said they had registered the FIRs just a day back on the basis of the ones registered by the Haryana Police and were looking into it. He added it was premature to comment on the issue as of now, but they would be filing formal replies. Haryana’s Advocate-General Hawa Singh Hooda said the special investigating team constituted for looking into the cases was in the process of handing over the record to the CBI.

Rathore’s counsel and wife, Abha Rathore, insisted terror had been let loose by the media. She reiterated her stand that the cases against the former top cop were a fallout of media pressure. "Let them bring the SIT report with the statements recorded so far. If anything is against the petitioner, he is ready to face the charges," she exclaimed. The cases were initially taken up at about 10.05 am. But the matter was adjourned till after lunch, as Abha Rathore said she required at least two hours to argue. In the afternoon, the matter was wound up in about 15 minutes with the issuance of the notices regarding stay on the pleas.

Chandigarh, January 12
The appeal filed by the former Haryana Director General of Police SPS Rathore yesterday challenging his conviction and subsequent imprisonment (6 months) in the Ruchika molestation case will now come up for hearing tomorrow in the court of additional district and sessions judge, Raj Shekhar Attri.

The Sessions Court today admitted Rathore’s plea and served a notice to the CBI to appear in the case.

Rathore, who was convicted by a CBI court on December 21, 2009, for molesting 13-year-old Ruchika Girhotra in 1990, has challenged the orders of the trial court on the grounds that it has not considered the evidence and point of defence. Also, the prosecution was not able to prove its contentions, said the appeal.

Bangalore, January 12
In an escalation of war of words, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa today accused JD-S chief HD Deve Gowda of instigating farmers to create law and order problem even as the former Prime Minister, whose abusive language against the former raised a political storm, vowed to take the fight for the farmers' cause to the entire state.

Stepping up the attack against Gowda, who had called him “bloody bastard” over the Bangalore-Mysore Express Highway project issue, Yeddyurappa asked the JD-S chief: “What is your intention? Do you want to vitiate the law and order situation? …Why are you losing your balance.” Speaking to reporters, he said: “I have not heard in the post-Independence era a former Prime Minister calling a Chief Minister a “bloody bastard” and using other invectives. People of Karnataka are known for the decent, dignified and courteous behaviour.”

As BJP workers continued their statewide protest against Gowda, including burning his effigies and demanding an apology for his remarks, Yeddyurappa counselled the people, particularly his partymen, to end the stir.

Launching a counter-attack against the BJP, which had charged that the highway project was his baby, Gowda demanded a white paper on it to "let people know what all deviations occurred since 1995 when he signed the MoU…”

Gowda, who has been accusing the BJP government of granting more land than required for the project, also vowed to fight for the farmers’ cause in the “entire state”. The JD-S chief declared he could not remain a mute spectator watching the plight of farmers “facing torture”. — PTI