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Farmers blame PSEB for farm fires
Breach of Privilege |
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MLA arrested
Daudpur, April 11 
Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and several party workers were today arrested for defying prohibitory orders after they tried to stop the inauguration of a water work by ruling SAD leader Bibi Jagir Kaur in Kapurthala district.
PSEB Unbundling: April 15
World Sikh Convention ‘backed by Cong’
One Rank, One Pension
‘How can they bear a child after snatching someone’s
son?'
Pak women relish fresh challenges
Never-ending wait for braveheart?
Jatha to celebrate Baisakhi in Pak
AIDS workers asked to go, hold silent protest
Protesting ITI staff set April 15 deadline
Volunteers to help Ropar police check drug menace
‘Right to Education Act vital’
Leech therapy ‘re-introduced’
MC clerks, peons to don firemen’s cap
Sangrur youth killed in Oz
Rs 45 crore afforestation fund in jeopardy
Youth ‘beaten to death’ by beloved’s kin
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Farmers blame PSEB for farm fires
Patiala, April 11 Though the PSEB authorities cite many reasons behind the outbreak of fires, most farmers claim that it is due to sparks emanating from electricity poles and transformers standing in fields. In the past couple of days, in Patiala alone, there have been two major fires in which wheat crop spread over 15 acres of land in Roorkee (Ghanaur) and Banur villages was reduced to ashes. As April progresses, fire incidents in fields will witness a spurt. Furthermore, in case fire broke out, rescue measures take long time as it takes at least half an hour for fire tenders to reach the spot. Talking to TNS, Jagtar Singh, Ranbir Bahadur and Satwinder Singh - all farmers - accused the PSEB of not repairing loose wires to prevent
fire incidents. Chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board Ajmer Singh Lakhowal also squarely blamed the PSEB. “Because of loose wires, sparks from electricity poles standing in fields lead to the fire. The board has failed to take corrective measures,” he said. Lakhowal further said the compensation given to farmers by the government, in case the damage caused due to fire was over 80 per cent, was also meagre. “We demand that affected farmers must be compensated by the PSEB, which is at fault,”
he maintained. However, a senior official of the board said: “Sparks from a combine also leads to fire and it will be wrong to blame the PSEB only.” Meanwhile, the PSEB has issued an advisory for precautionary measures to be initiated to save crops from fire. Board chairman HS Brar has appealed to farmers to take adequate precautions against the crop catching fire and avoid the mishandling of distribution transformers; avoid hitting poles or stay wires with combines and tractor trailers and not to stack wheat crop under 11KV lines.
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Khaira complains against DC, SSP
Naveen S Garewal Tribune News service
Chandigarh, April 11 Khaira has written to the Speaker saying that he had got initiated 33 water works supply schemes sponsored by Nabard in his constituency during the previous Congress government in 2004-2005. The scheme, he said, was now ready to supply safe drinking water. The elected gram panchayat led by Darshan Singh, Sarpanch, had invited him to the village to inaugurate the said scheme and a foundation stone was laid at the site of the water works. Just as he left, acting under political pressure, the XEN Public Health along with the DSP, Bolath, and SHO, Dhilwan, went to the site of the water works along with 15 policemen and publicly uprooted, destroyed and broke the foundation stone laid by Khaira. On inquiry by me, the Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, told me that your foundation stone, got laid by the elected gram panchayat, was illegal and that he had given instructions to the administration to get a new foundation stone in the name of Bibi Jagir Kaur, former MLA and Akali leader, laid. It was laid today. Khaira has protested and asked for action against the officials concerned.
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PSEB Unbundling: April 15
Ferozepur, April 11 The police authorities have also started using public address systems installed at religious places to caution people to keep a strict watch on movements of such elements in their respective areas and to thwart their any activity to cause damage to power transmission lines during a two-day strike (April 15 and April 16) by PSEB employees’ unions. Meanwhile, a major section of leaders of various unions of PSEB employees have gone into hiding fearing their arrest by the police to sabotage their agitation. On the other hand, lists of names of those leaders, who were expected to create law and order problem during the strike, had been supplied to the police stations concerned. It is learnt that security personnel belonging to the IRB and PAP have been deployed at vital installations, including power generating units and distribution grids. Each district had been given five to seven companies of commandos. The PSEB authorities have also prepared lists of its retired employees of the technical wing so that their services could be used for keeping power supply uninterrupted in case agitating workers caused any damage to transmission lines. More technical hands were being called from the National Thermal Power Corporation, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and the
PWD.
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World Sikh Convention ‘backed by Cong’
Amritsar, April 11 Avtar Singh said a section of the Sikh leaders were raising questions over the supremacy of the Akal Takht and that the Sikhs will not tolerate it at any cost.” Those participating in the convention are not only challenging the authority of the Akal Takht by violating the Akal Takht edicts; rather, they are also trying to undermine the long-standing Sikh traditions,” said Avtar Singh in a statement issued here today. “They are supporting a person like Prof Darshan Singh, who had uttered blasphemous remarks against Guru Gobind Singh. Is it not a violation of the Akal Takht edict? They are giving calls to “liberate” the SGPC from the hold of the SAD, but they forget to apprise people that the SAD candidates have been elected to the SGPC by the Sikh masses from 1926 onwards,” said Avtar Singh.
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Ex-servicemen oppose implementation delay
Varinder Singh Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 11 The retired Army officials have initiated a programme to create awareness among people and particularly families, dependents and widows of ex-servicemen at the district level about the issue with an objective to subsequently launch a state-level programme about what they describe as “gross apathy” towards their genuine demands. At the national level, nearly 5,000 ex-servicemen have already returned their medals to the President of India and have written letters to her with their blood 15-20 days ago to register their protest against the allegedly indifferent attitude of authorities towards them. “Though the Sixth Pay Commission has brought some relief to us, but the issue remains the same. For example, I retired in 1995 and now I am getting a monthly pension of Rs 27,500 after the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission report. Any Colonel retiring now will be getting more pension than me,”rued Col HS Sangha (retired), a senior office-bearer of the Indian Ex-Servicemen League (Punjab and Chandigarh). The league has planned to hold workshops and meetings of the affected ex-servicemen and their families at the district level throughout Punjab. While the league had already organised one such meeting at Kapurthala on Wednesday, a joint panel of citizens and ex-servicemen staged a demonstration in front of the Amritsar district courts on Friday, seeking grant of “one rank, one pension”. “If the formula is not implemented, we will be forced to resort to other forms of protest like stopping of trains, but such a programme will be held with minimum inconvenience to the general public,” said Sangha, adding that the league was supported by prominent ex-servicemen, including Brig Sukhjit Singh (retd) and Major-Gen Satbir Singh (retd).
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‘How can they bear a child after snatching someone’s
son?'
Hoshiarpur, April 11 Jasbir Singh and Sonia were sentenced to death, along with their accomplice Vikram Walia, by the district and sessions court here in December 2006 for the cold-blooded murder of Abhi Verma. Jasbir and Vikram face the gallows as capital punishment against them was upheld by the high court and the Supreme Court. But the apex court reduced the sentence of Sonia, who had been tutor of the victim, to life imprisonment. Jasbir and Sonia had been married for eight months when they committed the crime. They have approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek conjugal rights in order to have a child. Abhi's mother Anita said: “This is shameful and a rude shock for us. How can they think of bearing a child after snatching someone else's son?” “We have come to know that the culprits have filed a petition in the high court through their father, seeking conjugal rights to have a child. We will fight it tooth and nail,” Ravi Verma, Abhi's father said. Jasbir Singh's father, Jarnail Singh, submitted a plea before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the first week of April, seeking conjugal rights for his son and daughter-in-law, lodged in the Patiala central prison. The petition said giving conjugal rights to the convicted couple would give the family a heir since he (Jarnail Singh) did not have any other son except Jasbir. But Abhi's father said: “Abhi too was our only son. They killed the innocent boy. Now they want their family tree to continue. They deserve no mercy”. The sensational kidnapping and subsequent murder of Abhi, nicknamed Harry, in February 2005 had shocked the town and resulted in violence. He was kidnapped on his way to school. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from his family and even as negotiations were on, his body was dumped near Adampur town, 20 km from Hoshiarpur. —
IANS
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Pak women relish fresh challenges
Ludhiana, April 11 Kokab Parveen, executive member of the Central and North Punjab Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says 50 per cent women in Pakistan today are working in the service as well as the product sectors. Many of them are also engaged in working with the cottage industries and self-employment groups. Parveen was in Ludhiana with a group from Pakistan that has displayed its creations during "Baisakhi Dhamaka". Giving a striking example of women managing a slaughter house, she said one of the members of the chamber, Dr Azmat Safi, was managing a slaughter house. "Even the employees working in her slaughter house are women. Another woman, Qaisra Sheikh, is making gensets while Dr Shela Zawed is running a pharmaceutical firm," she said. Women today are very enterprising and taking up fresh challenges in their lives. Besides, women in large numbers are engaged in cottage industry, embroidery, textile industry, shoe-making and jewellery. "Our chamber visits rural areas regularly to impart information on being self-reliant. "Five women are chosen by the chamber and their skill is modernised to make them self-reliant," she added. Parveen was very happy over the response they got from Ludhiana residents to their products. "People here are really crazy for Pakistani suits, jewellery and traditional Punjabi juttis. I was exploring whether we can open showrooms to sell specialised Pakistani products," she added. Adding further, she said no doubt China was giving a tough competition to them. "It will take another 15 years for us to compete with China. The Chinese Government's people-friendly policies and the free power and gas supply to new entrepreneurs are some of the mantras behind the Chinese success," she added.
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Never-ending wait for braveheart?
Ludhiana, April 11 Lakhbir, a messenger in the office of the PAU vice-chancellor, was cycling to office on a sultry July morning when he saw two minor, migrant boys using a stick to retrieve a coconut from the brimming Sidhwan Canal. Suddenly, one of them toppled into the canal and the other fell in while trying to save his friend. Lakhbir jumped into the canal and after great struggle, brought the two out alive. Vice-chancellor Manjit Singh Kang immediately honoured Lakhbir for his bravery. He also wrote to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on August 8, 2008 recommending, “Lakhbir’s selfless act of bravery be suitably recognised as the state level with a cash reward (say Rs 1 lakh). This gesture on part of the Punjab Government under your esteemed leadership will provide financial help to Lakhbir and inspire others to do selfless acts of bravery.” An anonymous donor also rewarded Rs 5,000 to Lakhbir. The V-C’s letter was sent to the state personnel department by the home department on August 24, 2008. But so far no action has been taken. Mr Chief Minister, please look into the matter!
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Jatha to celebrate Baisakhi in Pak
Amritsar, April 11 A large number of Sikhs from across the globe have already converged at Lahore and Nankana Sahib to participate in the festivities. The jatha will be reaching Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal on Monday morning and the pilgrims will pay obesience at the shrine, said SGPC secretary Joginder Singh Adliwal. The jatha is being accompanied by the Panj Piaras and the Hazoori Raagi of the Golden Temple, Bhai Arjan Singh Bala. “The pilgrims will be celebrating Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib on April 14. The same evening they would be leaving for Nankana
Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev. They will also be paying obeisance at Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, Gurdwara Dehra Sahib and Gurdwara Rori Sahib in Lahore,” said SGPC publicity in-charge Ram Singh.
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AIDS workers asked to go, hold silent protest
Ludhiana, April 11 Workers from the integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTC) of Ludhiana, Samrala, Khanna, Payal and Jagraon today staged a silent protest in Ludhiana against their ouster from jobs on March 31. The outreach workers were working on contractual jobs against a monthly remuneration of Rs 2,500 and a conveyance allowance of Rs 500. The termination of the outreach workers has defeated the campaign against HIV/AIDS as these posts were created for the HIV/AIDS-infected persons who were serving as the link between the Punjab State Aids Control Society (PSACS) and society. Their direct association with the HIV/AIDS patients was what had kept the campaign alive in the most remote areas of the state. Registering protest against the decision of the PSACS, Mehar Singh, an outreach worker from Jagraon, said, ”How can we expect the PSACS to work for the cause of HIV/AIDS patients when it has denied the outreach workers their right to work?” Why is step-motherly treatment meted out to the outreach workers as the lab technicians and counsellors appointed with the outreach workers have been retained by PSACS? questioned the workers. Emphasising upon their role in the follow-up treatment of the HIV+ patients, Jagjit Singh Mann, the founder-chairman of the Punjab Networking of Positive People’s Society, stated that these workers were not only counselling patients, but also keeping an account of patients, including pregnant women. They would administer Neverapine tablet to the woman as she went into labour followed by administering of Neverapine drops to a newborn within 72 hours to prevent infection. Satwinder Kaur, an outreach worker at the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), Ludhiana, said, “We, in our capacity as outreach workers, can personally feel the anxiety, apprehension, fear and pain of HIV/AIDS patients and can compassionately handle the patients to coax the affected patients for doing away with their mental block. The termination will be a setback for our respective cases in terms of their follow-ups and effective treatments,” added Satwinder Kaur. Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS in Ludhiana, which has been rated second in the state after Amritsar, Mann said, “The PSACS and the department of health are not taking the situation seriously as now Ludhiana is under grade A. If a proper plan is not followed, the entire Punjab would be under grade A.” PSACS additional project director Dr NM Sharma, said the decision of termination has been teken by
NACO.
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Protesting ITI staff set April 15 deadline
Phagwara: Hundreds of the activists of the state ITI Instructors Union held a noisy demonstration at the Town Hall here in support of their long- pending demands. The protest rally was addressed by several union leaders, including its state president Jarnail Singh, who threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands were not accepted by April 15.
Later, demonstrators marched towards the Hadiabad residence of Technical Education Minister Swarana Ram but were stopped by the police. —
OC
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Volunteers to help Ropar police check drug menace
Anandpur Sahib, April 11 Authorities of the Ropar police said Majari remained the main line supply centre catering to the areas of Punjab and HP. The anti-drug warden is an initiative of the Ropar police’ year-long project on waging war against drugs. Most volunteers are from Majari and nearby areas, and feel that drug trafficking should be controlled. During the harvesting season, peddlers grow active and volunteers feel that this is the time to pitch in support for the police. Besides, the volunteers also create awareness against the drug usage by influencing their peers. The village has been reeling under this problem for about 50 years. Due to less involvement of the police and piquant location, the smugglers cared two hoots for the law and had even shot down a cop 20 years ago. There are certain trafficking points in the village that fall under jurisdiction of the HP police while upper portion falls under the Punjab police. One such vulnerable point is the siphon canal of BBMB that runs from Debit to Majari village. Though an unmotorable terrain, the bed of this canal is always pock marked with imprints of tyres of vehicles. A survey conducted by the Punjab police indicated that while 35 per cent of the villagers work with departments of the HP and Punjab government, 10 per cent deal in transport. Another 30 per cent are into nefarious trade of sale and purchase of drugs and illicit liquor. Many transporters double up as smugglers, smuggling raw material opium from other states to the village and supplying them further. Villagers mainly get raw material for opium (known as milk of poppy) from Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh. The drugs are transported through trucks, tankers and scooters.
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‘Right to Education Act vital’
Patiala, April 11 The department, which has made many changes in their policies for the effective functioning of government schools, sees it as an opportunity to improve their standards. Sources said the higher authorities were working hard for framing a further course of action. Apart from issuing guidelines and framing policies to attract more children, they were planning to fill about 4,000 posts in primary schools. When asked about the preparations, DEO (Secondary) Surrender Kaur Verma said the department was keen to implement all instructions of the Centre within this woking year. “The teacher-student ratio in primary schools of Punjab is already 1:30 according to the Act. For classes VI to X, and classes XI and XII, ratio is 1:40 and 1:60, respectively, with a variation of 10 per cent. District president of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan Rajinder Singh Channi said the government had framed various programmes that were underway throughout the ‘Parho Punjab’ scheme. He further said this had already shown remarkable changes and the things would certainly improve with the new Act. With more funds coming in, the department is hopeful that the strength of students will increase remarkably.
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Leech therapy ‘re-introduced’
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 11 In the past, leeches were used to cure various diseases in Punjab and other adjoining areas. With the advent of allopathic medicines at a large level, people gradually stopped using this organism to treat themselves without the use of any medicine. However, “realising the importance of leeches and its natural way of treatment, we have hired services of professionals involved in treating patients using these crawlies,” said Loveleen Kaur, principal of Desh Bhagat Ayurvedic Institute in Mandi Gobindgarh. She said many people had shown interest in this newly “re-introduced” therapy that hardly uses any medicine for treatment. “Leeches of a particular variety have been purchased at a price of Rs 50 per leech from Ambala for the purpose. It is used for cleaning the blood in various artery diseases,” she said. Doctors said the leeches found in village ponds and at other places are not used in medication. “The commonly found leech which is usually stuck to some animal, does not serve medicinal purpose. Out of 600 kinds of leeches found, only 15 are used for medicinal purposes for reducing pain in the body,” doctors added. They added that leech therapy was effective in curing diabetic patients suffering with joint pains, leg pains and skin diseases. The leech sucks impure blood from the patient’s body and releases its saliva which helps in improving blood circulation. They claimed that they were the first in the state to re-introduce leech therapy at this level. For hygienic purpose, every patient has a separate leech which is kept in a different jar with the name of patient displayed on it.
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MC clerks, peons to don firemen’s cap
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 11 They have not been trained as firemen. There is only one fireman in Sirhind who accomplishes tasks of a driver, fireman, clerk and office in charge. Confirming the development, fireman Devinder Singh said
the officials had verbally told him to take services of peons and clerks of the council as firemen to combat fire this season. “We have got the vehicles checked before the harvesting season as many fire incidents are being reported nowadays”, he said. He said the Sirhind Fire Department
catered to 82 villages of the district and three major fire incidents had been reported during the
last three days and a detailed report was submitted to the authorities concerned, demanding more manpower.” The matter was brought to the notice of the council president who assured to take services of peons and clerks in the office as firemen. Interestingly, there is no direct phone facility in the Sirhind Fire Department and only mobile number of the fireman is there. The villagers rued
that at times fire was already doused by them before the fire tenders reached. If the lone fireman fails, he then contacts the fire station at Mandi Gobindgarh, Khanna or Patiala that takes over two hours for fire tenders to reach, they added. The Fatehgarh Sahib district came into
being around 18 years ago but its headquarters is still bereft of a fire station. Demanding an immediate solution, the villagers said firemen should be properly deployed and more fire tenders should be included.
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Sangrur youth killed in Oz Sangrur, April 11 As soon as the parents of Dharminder Singh of Nadampur in Bhawanigarh area here as well as their neighbours heard the tragic news, a pall of gloom descended on them. Dharminder Singh had gone abroad in search of greener pastures for himself and his family. Uncle of the deceased Lal Singh and the younger brother of the victim, Veer Devinder Singh, told mediapersons that Dharminder Singh had gone to Sydney on September 11, 2008, with the hope that he would change the fate of his family. They added that after few months, the wife of Dharminder Singh, Manjinder Kaur, also went to Australia in November 2008 after securing a study visa. They further said that after some initial struggle, Dharminder Singh managed to get a job in an industrial concern. “The couple was living a peaceful life and they were sending money to their parents back home. They had even left their only daughter, Memon, in India with her grand parents. This morning at around 8 am, the family received a phone call from Pawan Kumar, a close friend of Dharminder Singh, who informed them about Dharminder Singh’s death with his body having multiple injuries,” said former village Sarpanch Labh Singh and uncle of the deceased. “After getting the phone call, the family members of the deceased called up Manjinder Kaur who cried uncontrollably, thereby confirming the bad news.” The former Sarpanch also said that Dharminder Singh along with some friends had gone to attend a party and never returned home. Shocked over the tragic incident, family members, relatives and villagers have demanded that the authorities should arrange for the return of the Manjinder Kaur along with the mortal remains of the deceased.
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Rs 45 crore afforestation fund in jeopardy Ludhiana, April 11 According to documents available with The Tribune, if the Forest Department does not take action, chances are that they might lose Rs 45 crore given as funds for afforestation by the Union Ministry of Forests. Though the department transferred 713.911 hectares of land to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), it has not got back an inch for reforestation. The NHAI thus transferred Rs 45 crore in lieu of the land, but the state has not been able to acquire any land so far. The Forest Department proposed several areas for new plantation, but perusal of records revealed that these are already dense forests. Sources in the department said no space was available in the proposed sites as a minimum gap of 8 ft was required for plantation of another tree. When the proposal was mooted out to widen the NH-1, it was decided that an equal number of trees and plants would be planted in other forest areas as well. District Forest Officer Ludhiana division Vishal Chauhan said, "There is no space constraint and the problem is of formulating a plan. In a meeting held on Friday, the DFOs of all division participated and it was decided that the plantation drive will be launched soon".
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Youth ‘beaten to death’ by beloved’s kin Sangrur, April 11 Local sources said Gagandeep Sharma, 22, was helping his father Bal Krishan in running a dhaba near the Dhuri truck union’s office. They added that during the course of his job, Gagandeep fell in love with a girl studying in plus one and belonging to Jat Sikh family. The sources further added that on Friday night, Gagandeep had gone to his beloved Malwinder Kaur’s (name changed) house to meet her where the father of the girl, Balwinder Singh, and his brother, Balbir Singh, spotted him and allegedly beat him up mercilessly. They added that the youth was allegedly brought dead at Dhuri hospital. The father of Gagandeep, Bal Krishan, said that his son after getting a phone call left for some undisclosed destination, saying that he would return home later. He added that when his son didn’t turn up till late in the night, they started enquiring about his whereabouts and later they got to know about his murder. Police sources, meanwhile, maintained that a case under the relevant sections of the IPC had been registered against the father and brother of the girl, following a complaint by the family of the deceased.
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Fire incidents in fields across the state are a common affair in summers. Every year, the wheat crop in various parts of the state are gutted, but no concrete solution to the problem has been devised so far.
From managing slaughter houses to making gensets, they do it all
PAU employee’s case with CM’s office since 2008
Anandpur Sahib, April 11
Chandigarh:
