Amritsar, February 19
It may sound strange, but it is true that the Union Ministry of Finance, which controls annual budget of Rs 10 lakh crore, is not in possession of any mechanism to track record of detected black money from over its 500 offices at the national level.

The Department of Revenue, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance, has replied in response to a RTI query that there is no mechanism to annually maintain data of recovered unaccounted money (black money) at the national level.

An RTI activist, Naresh Johar, had sought an information pertaining to the black money recovered across the country in the past two decades, especially collected through informers in the same period besides reward paid to them (informers). He had demanded the statistics regarding the money spent on advertisement to disseminate information of reward to informers in lieu of seizure of black money. He had also sought the number of persons held for keeping black money in the past 20 years.

However, all his queries did not elicit any satisfactory reply. He found the reply that the department did not have any method to collect the data of recovered unaccounted money at the national level. He remarked that the money seized was actually the net income of the department.

Dissatisfied, Johar again approached the Appellate Authority in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). It brought him a lengthy reply from the Appellate Authority, Director (Inv. II and III), CBDT, D. Srinivas. However, he remained unconvinced.

Srinivas stated that detection of evasion of income tax and recovery of unaccounted money by the Income Tax (IT) Department was a continuous and ongoing process.

“Various measures under the direct tax laws, such as search, survey, collection of information, scrutiny of income, etc, are undertaken to detect evasion of income tax.”

He added that the findings of the Income Tax Department in this regard were subject to appeal before various appellate authorities and courts. The amount of tax evasion detected could be finally known when all the appeals were finalised.

In view of these facts, it was not possible to exactly quantify and tabulate the amount of tax evasion and recovery of unaccounted money detected as there were over 500 income tax offices in the country, he stated.

Quoting the Central Information Commission judgement in the case of Kishur J. Aggarwal dated April 10, 2006, Srinivas stated that it held that information seeker ought to keep in mind that the expected benefits from the disclosure of information should invariably outweigh the cost of providing it.

Johar wondered that the department could not evolve a system to keep account of recovered unaccounted money and said the reply indirectly discouraged him.

Amritsar, February 19
The Senior Medical Officers of the district seem to be going soft on quacks as they have miserably failed to take any action against them till now, in defiance of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Orders.

They have failed to register any case against quacks operating in their respective areas.

Civil Surgeon, Dr. Lehmbar Singh today served a reminder to all the SMOs who come under his jurisdiction. These include Verka, Majitha, Ajnala, Ramdass, Lopoke and Amritsar.

The High Court had directed the Health Department to take stringent measures against quacks who were playing with the lives of innocent people and were mushrooming manifold in the absence of any check.

The Health Department had enlisted more than a thousand quacks operating in the district about two years ago and had registered a number of cases against them.

However, about two months back, Director, Health Services has again written to the Civil Surgeons to direct SMOs in this regard. Even after one-and-a-half month, SMOs have not taken necessary action against quacks operating in their areas.

Dr. Singh said the matter would be taken up in the next meeting of SMOs, which would be held soon. He said he would ensure that stringent possible action is taken against them (quacks).

A senior physician, preferring not to be named, said a number of quacks have mushroomed in the region in absence of proper checks. He said the health authorities had turned a blind eye for the reasons best known to them.

IMA members are also authorised to report cases against quacks but there seems to be unwillingness on their part to fight for the cause, which has allowed this menace to spread, he added.

Amritsar, February 19
Tension prevailed in the Majitha constituency here in the evening today as a protesting mob of a community turned violent and damaged several shops.

While retaliating, the shopkeepers burned down the motorcycles of the protestors in order to disperse them.

One opinion was that the situation got worse owing to the absence of adequate police force, which apparently might be busy taking care of the arrangements of the home minister’s visit to the city tomorrow.

According to information, the members of the particular community were aroused over an objectionable poster defaming their religion. The armed mob which gathered in Naag village turned violent after reaching Majitha, where they damaged many shops.

Meanwhile, the police administration reached the spot after getting the information. A senior police official said the situation was tense but under control.

Deputy Commissioner, Kahan Singh Pannu said the situation was under control and security had been tightened up with a heavy posse of police deployed in the area. He said action would be taken against erring persons.

The Station House Officer of the Majitha police station said investigations were on and a case would be registered in this regard after identifying the accused. 

Amritsar, February 19
A number of activists of the Aanganwari Workers Union, Punjab, staged a dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today. They submitted a memorandum of their demands to the DC to be forwarded to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 

They raised slogans against the Central and state governments for their failure to fulfil the demands that include recognition to the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) as government department, besides granting grades at par with class III and IV government employees to anganwari workers and helpers, respectively.

They also urged the government to recruit supervisors as per the seniority list, gratuity and pension schemes for workers and helpers, besides providing LPG cylinders and stoves for preparing meals. Aanganwari Workers Union chairperson Dharamjit Kaur said the state government had promised to implement the Haryana government’s pattern for the aanganwari workers which was never met. She said they would intensify the stir if the government failed to fulfil their demands soon.

 In the memorandum they demanded medical and health facilities at par with government employees, starting welfare funds and grant Rs 1,500 and Rs 500 as pension for the workers and helpers, respectively, besides implementing the provident fund scheme.

Amritsar, February 19
The Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Mumbai, a premier R&D organisation under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, has sanctioned a major research project titled “Study of uranium in different environmental matrices in the state of Punjab” to the Physics Department of Guru Nanak Dev University.

The project would be executed under the supervision of Prof B.S. Bajwa, Head of the Physics Department, with a total cost of Rs 78 lakh.Bajwa said under the project major equipment would be installed in the Department for Environmental Radioactivity Analysis of Punjab. 

The main objective of this project would be to study the uranium contents in different environmental matrices in the state.He said the department had ample expertise and capability to undertake research and development activities in the field of environmental sampling and analysis for various conventional and radioactive constituents in various matrices of environment.

Bajwa said the project had been granted after successful completion of an earlier project with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for analysis of uranium in the water samples in the south-west region of Punjab. The study of radio-toxic elements in environmental samples of Punjab would be significant from health hazards and environmental pollution point of view, he added.

Amritsar, February 19 
A 90-member strong Sikh jatha, led by member SGPC Master Jagir Singh, to observe ‘Saka Nankana Sahib’, went to Pakistan by train from the Attari international railway station, on Thursday (February 18). 

The leader of the jatha said earlier Sikh pilgrims used to go over to the neighbouring country to pay obeisance at historic gurdwaras on four occasions, including the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, birth of the Khalsa Panth on Vaisakhi, martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He said this fifth pilgrimage was added following the efforts of the team headed by Shiromani Committee Chief Avtar Singh.

He informed that pilgrims would reach Lahore today and would pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Janam Asthan to commemorate the sacrifices of martyrs of the Nanakana Sahib Morcha, in which many Sikhs had laid down their lives while agitating peacefully for securing the shrine from the clutches of Mahant Narain Dass.

The group of Sikh pilgrims would return on February 25 after paying obeisance at the revered shrines associated with the Gurus like Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Gurdwara Panja Sahib and Gurdwara Sri Dehra Sahib.Secretary, SGPC, Joginder Singh Adliwal, before flagging off the Jatha, as per the established tradition, from the premises of the Golden Temple, said he thanked the governments of India and Pakistan for allowing the community members to observe the sacrifices of the community members to liberate the historic shrines.

Amritsar, February 19
The road leading to Shivala Bhaiya from the GT Road and passing through Ward 27 is crying for urgent repair. The potholed road has not been carpeted for years although the councillors of the ward have taken up the matter with the Mayor a number of times. This is one the busiest roads that leads to the holy shrine.Another problem the ward is facing is that of often-chocked sewerage. 

The ward consists of Hussainpura, Sharifpura and Tehsilpura, the three localities that were established much before Partition.“The garbage and filth after desilting sewer pipes is left on the narrow lanes for days together. The garbage again spreads in the lanes with every passing vehicle,” said Malkiat Singh of the Sharifpura area.The sewerage was laid in the area in mid-seventies. 

However, with the population explosion the pressure on the sewerage increased manifold while the authorities did nothing to improve the disposal system, rued another resident. 

The Tribune team spotted cows that were tied outside some residences while the dairies were moved out of the MC limits several years ago by the administration following directions by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.The absence or faulty streetlights at several points have facilitated anti-social elements and has created law and order problems. Several instances of snatching and petty crimes have been reported in the Tehsilpura area, said Sandeep Sharma.

BJP councillor Rajesh Honey said he had completed works worth Rs 75 lakh in the area that included construction of about 25 sewerage tanks. About the road, he said he had taken up the issue of carpeting and urgent repair with the Mayor about four months back. The work could not be initiated due to winter. He said the carpetting of the road would start within a few days. He said he had hired persons for registering the complaints of residents. About the garbage and filth scattered on the road, he said he called the MC officials whenever he came to know about this.

Amritsar, February 19
Cheerleaders would applaud every boundary in their own way, the drum beats would be there in between the overs, but the venue would be different. Instead of a cricket stadium, the cricket lovers would have the charm of Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 matches on the giant screen at Cinepolis on the Batala road.The 56-match tournament, starting on March 12, will run through April 25 and will include screening of the semi-finals and the finals in the 3-D format.Cinepolis would be the first movie multiplex in the city to offer a larger-than-life live T-20 experience on the big screen. 

The innovative first-of-its-kind experience would include wide-angle high-definition video with stunning clarity and a wider frame that will capture an extra 33 per cent of the action than what can be seen on a TV screen. In addition, there will be no commercial breaks between the overs.

To ensure that IPL fans get a fun and high energy stadium-like experience, Cinépolis will create a carnival-like atmosphere which will include cheerleaders in the auditorium, flags, balloons, posters, decorations, whistles to blow and scream, lots of contests with many prizes, including IPL-team merchandise to be won and a cinema jockey coordinating the entire event and adding to the fun.

 Ashish Shukla, head exhibition, Cinepolis India, said, “This IPL season, Cinépolis will transform itself into a cricket stadium, showing all the 60 IPL matches in a high quality picture with state-of-the-art sound effects. This will include screening of the semi-finals and finals in 3D, providing all Amritsar sports and cricket fans a unique experience.”The IPL season starts on March 12 with two league matches screened live almost every day starting 4 pm and/or 8 pm.

 Individual match ticket is priced at Rs 200 for each game. In addition, Cinépolis will offer several attractive packages. Cinépolis has set up an IPL festivity desk at Celebration Mall (Batala Road, Amritsar). It will remain open every day from 11 am to 8 pm, starting February 19.

Amritsar, February 19
Pawandeep Kaur secured the first place in the 80-metre race on the 41st annual sports day of the BBK DAV College for Women held here today. Supreet and Harjit Kaur jointly won the three-leg race, while Manmeet Kaur was declared first in the blind race.

 Sapna was first in sack race and Rajwinder Kaur won the one-leg race. Principal Dr Neelam Kamra read the annual report of the college. Raj Mohinder Singh Majithia, MP, Rajya Sabha, was the chief guest, while NRI V.N. Sharma, President, Kamco Plaza, Canada, presided over the sports day meet. 

Amritsar, February 19 
Around 150 sugar and alcohol industrialists across the country would participate in a two-day national conference on “New Trends in Sugar and Alcohol Industries” being organised by the Guru Nanak Dev University under its Department of Applied Chemical Science on February 22 and 23 here. Stating this, Prof. Satindar Kaur, seminar coordinator said Dr. GSC Rao, President, Sugar Technologists Association of India, would deliver the keynote address.SeminarNamdhari Guru Ram Singh, Chair of Guru Nanak Dev University, is organising a one-day seminar on "Namdhari Sikh of 20th Century" on February 22 at 10 am in the Conference Hall of Guru Nanak Bhawan of the University. 

Dr. Joginder Singh, Head of the Namdhari Guru Ram Singh Chair said Vice-Chancellor, Prof AS Brar would preside over, while eminent scholar, Dr. Satinder Singh Noor would deliver the inaugural address and Dr. Sukhdev Singh from Punjabi University, Patiala, would deliver the keynote address on the occasion. He said there would be two academic sessions in which research papers on Namdhari Sikh of 20th Century would be presented.

Amritsar, February 19
Former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Prof. J.S Grewal, also a distinguished historian, advocated the need of a new perspective and a new biography of Guru Gobind Singh on the premise that the writings of WH Mcleod, Louis Fenech, Harjot Oberoi and Gurinder Singh Mann were based on certain assumptions which do not entirely fit into the ethos of the tenth Sikh Guru.

He was delivering Sardar Mahan Singh Dhesi Annual Lecture on “Guru Gobind Singh: Need of a New Perspective” organised by the Department of History, Guru Nanak Dev University here today.

Grewal said most of the ‘Rahitnamas’, which were earlier considered to have been written during the late 18th century, were actually written during the period of Guru Gobind Singh.He said the Khalsa identity became more visible and emphatic than the earlier Sikh identity. 

Tarn Taran, February 19
District Education Officer (Secondary) D.K. Mahia has sought cooperation from the public, particularly the social organisations, to eliminate copying in examinations.

The DEO was addressing the annual prize distribution function of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Khalsa Senior Secondary School here today. Principal Narinder Singh read out the annual report. — OC