Chandigarh, May 6
Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily has put the ball back in the court of the Punjab Government asking it not only to pass a resolution but also give an undertaking to support the revival of the Upper House, the State Legislative Council.

Responding to Tarlochan Singh, Moily said that though the Punjab Assembly had passed a resolution in 1975 and again some time later, a letter written in September 2002 conveyed the inability of the state to support the Legislative Council primarily because of the small size of the state.

Only yesterday the issue of the revival of the Legislative Council in Tamil Nadu had come up in the Rajya Sabha. Joining the debate, Tarlochan Singh said that when this Bill was moved in the Lok Sabha, it was for Tamil Nadu and for Punjab. “What is the reason for deleting Punjab? Why have you detached Punjab? After all, in the Punjab Assembly, both the Congress government and the Akali Dal government have thrice passed the resolution unanimously. It is pending with the Government of India,” Tarlochan Singh said, maintaining that there was always discrimination against Punjab.

“The UPA government is doing this discrimination. If you want to pass the Bill for Tamil Nadu, you should also pass the Bill for creating the Legislative Council in Punjab also,” he added. He was joined by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in support. Dhindsa also held that the Punjab Legislative Assembly had thrice passed the resolution and still it was not included. He wanted an assurance from the Union Law Minister that a Bill for the Punjab Legislative Council would be brought before the House in the next session. He also maintained that there was discrimination against Punjab on the subject.

Moily said there was a demand from Assam also. But the present Punjab Assembly had not passed any resolution to demand the Legislative Council.

Tarlochan Singh held that the first resolution was passed in 1975 when Zail Singh was the Chief Minister. Again a resolution was passed when Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister. “What is the purpose of doing it again and again?” he asked, maintaining that even in pre-Partition days, Punjab had a Legislative Council in Lahore. There had been a tradition to have both Houses in the state.

Moily, however, insisted that the Government of Punjab, vide its letter of September 18,2002, stated that in view of the small area of the state and the involvement of financial implications there was no need for the revival of the council in the state. After that there has been no resolution.Tarlochan Singh insisted that there was no need for any fresh resolution.

Moily held that since the entire expenditure on the infrastructural arrangements for the Legislative Council had to be borne by the respective states, a resolution alone was not enough. Besides the resolution, the commitment of the respective state governments would also be required.It was only thereafter that it would be moved. The Bill on the Tamil Nadi Legislative Council was later passed by voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.

Ludhiana, May 6
Manjit Singh’s hard work of two months is all set to bear fruit when his creation - a life-size statue of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur - will be installed at the memorial named after the Sikh hero on Fateh Diwas at Chappar Chiri.

The statue will be a key feature of the monument named after Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, who led his men to victory over the Mughals at Chappar Chiri almost 300 years ago.

“The decision of the state Cultural Affairs Department to install my statue of the Sikh legend at his memorial is a big honour for me 
and I am overwhelmed,” remarked Manjit Singh of Ghall Kalan village, Moga.

Talking to The Tribune, Manjit Singh, who was in the city today, said the 9-ft-high fibre glass statue of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur took him two months to complete and cost him over Rs 1.75 lakh.

“However, with support from the chief patrons of Banda Singh Bahadur International Foundation, Jagdev Singh Jassowal and Dr Jasmel Singh Dhaliwal, I have managed to win the great honour,” said Manjit, who has been actively working as an artist with the foundation since 1991.

Manjit added that he intended to pass on a strong message to the people of Punjab through his art. “My aim is to make people aware of great sacrifices our heroes and freedom fighters have made. I want every living being to respect the great leaders, without whom our lives would not have been the same,” he added.

He has to his credit numerous awards, including the first prize during the Indo-Swiss Friendship seminar; first prize from the Indian Academy of Fine Arts; first prize from Lalit Kala Academy; Prof Mohan Singh Award; and a special award from former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh for his exceptional contribution to art and culture.

Kapurthala, May 6
Army Capt Anand N belonging to Coimbatore was burnt alive whereas Major Sudhir Parmar sustained serious burn injuries in an accidental fire which broke out in their tent in the Mand area of Miani Bhagupuri
an village during an Army exercise last night.

Defence spokesperson Naresh Vig said a mock exercise was being carried out in the area for the past 48 hours. A court of inquiry had already been ordered in this regard, he added.

Meanwhile, according to sources, there was power blackout due to this exercise. Capt Anand N and Major Sudhir Parmar were sleeping in the tent when the fire broke out due to high velocity winds. However, later the fire was put out by Army men. It is suspected that the tent caught fire due to mosquito repellent. The entire tent was reduced to ashes.

Major Parmar has been admitted to a military hospital and is stated to be out of danger. He managed to come out of the tent in the burning condition.

Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC had been initiated in this regard.

Dasuya (Hoshiarpur), May 6
An industrial unit located on the Chandigarh-Hoshiarpur-Jammu highway in Randhawa village, near here, has been openly polluting the environment for the past many years.Owned by a known liquor baron of the region, Chadha Estate is not only causing air pollution but the underground water has also been polluted to a great extent.

The pollution caused by the industrial unit has been endangering vegetation besides posing a threat to human life and livestock.

The problem is severe in Randhawa, Daffar, Maangarh, Bhana, Bodlan, Bersha, Jhingar-Kalan, Takhipur and certain other villages. Up in arms against the management of the industrial unit, residents of these villages have knocked at every door, but the authorities concerned have failed to redress their grievances.

A visit by The Tribune to the villages revealed that hand-pumps sunk surrounding the factory have been drawing orange-coloured contaminated water. The chimneys of the industrial unit spew fly ash.

Santokh Singh, a resident of Takhipur village, claimed that the hazardous waste, air and water pollution had been endangering flora and fauna of the area. Besides, crops in the adjoining fields were affected and the yield had gone down, he lamented.

Jasbir Singh of Bodlan village claimed that stench emitted from the factory often filled the nostrils which made life miserable in villages in the surrounding area.

Umrao Singh, president of the Sugar Division of Chadha Estate, denied the allegations. He claimed that certain local leaders had been creating a hue and cry unnecessarily for their vested interests. He claimed that the Punjab Pollution Control Board had collected water samples from the area, which were found fit for use. The hazardous waste and air pollution are being managed as per the directions of the board, he claimed. 

Amritsar, May 6
Amritsar is all set to lose its five-decade-old tag of disrepute and its name will no more be associated with its widely known “naqal academies”, examination centres ill-famed for mass copying, owing to a crackdown by the administration.

This association of the city with mass copying has been bringing discredit to the district. To grab the “pie” from profits from this illegal activity, there was a mushrooming growth of private educational institutions. Even government schools were not behind and indulged in this practice to improve their results. And influential operatives at these “naqal centres” were armed with a good dose of political backing.

Most of these institutions, which were also doubling as examination centres of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), had acquired notoriety as these had got converted into “centres for copying”.

These institutions had become a “first choice” of those spoilt brats of influential politicians and bureaucrats who did not want to study, but at the same time wished to score “good marks” in their Class X or XII examinations by choosing such examination centres.

Interestingly, people running the show were allegedly charging huge amounts ranging between Rs 20,000-30,000 per student to enable them to copy with impunity.

“Mass copying was a very old practice in certain examination centres. We had identified 35 of such notorious centres during Classes X and XII examinations this time. These had turned so ill- famed during the past five decades for mass copying that we had to declare these as super sensitive examination centres. It was for the first time that as many as 16 invigilators were suspended for their misconduct. A police force was also deployed at these centres each of which was handed over to a gazetted officer. The situation demanded stern action this time,” said DC Kahan Singh Pannu.

He said many Class X and XII students of Amritsar might not get good marks this time due to the strict measures taken in respect of notorious examination centres, including those which are set up in certain government schools.

Chandigarh, May 6
Dreaded militant Balwant Singh’s father and uncle were killed by terrorists, yet he took to terror campaign.

The CBI made the startling revelation this morning during the hearing of appeals filed by the assassins against their conviction and sentence in Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case.

The former Chief Minister was killed along with 12 others in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat on August 31, 1995. Balwant Singh and another assassin, Jagtar Singh Hawara, face the gallows. Three other convicts, Shamsher Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

As the appeals came up for hearing before the Division Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar, CBI counsel SK Saxena and RK Handa did not specify why Balwant Singh took to militancy. But it is believed that Punjab police constable Balwant Singh took to killing under the influence of his close friend Dilawar Singh - human bomb killed in the explosion that left Beant Singh and 11 others dead.

It is also believed that Balwant Singh confessed his hand in the killing, as he had promised to Dilawar Singh that he would not plead innocence. The promise was made just before Dilawar Singh was to act as the human bomb. Balwant Singh was among the first ones to confess his hand in the assassination case.

The CBI said a day after the killing, a visibly perplexed and nervous Balwant Singh confessed his hand in the assassination before his school-time friend-cum-colleague Kuljit Singh. He told the premier investigating agency that they had studied together in a high school in Heran village in Ludhiana district. Balwant Singh joined the Punjab police, while he got himself enrolled with the GRP, Patiala, in 1989.

Elaborating on Balwant Singh’s extra judicial confession, Kuljit Singh said he came to visit him in Ludhiana at about 9.05 am on September 1995. Balwant Singh confessed that he and his companions had murdered Beant Singh. He also told Kuljit Singh that Dilawar Singh had tied around his body a belt containing RDX before acting as a human bomb.

Balwant Singh’s confessional statement also confirmed the fact that the act had its roots in Pakistan. He told Kuljit Singh that the RDX used in the blast was procured by Jagtar Singh Tara from Pakistan.

Amritsar, May 6
Supporters of Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla held a protest here today and burnt an effigy of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagdish Sahni.Raising slogans against Sahni, who is a BJP MLA from Batala, Chawla’s supporters alleged that Sahni in order to conceal his “wrongdoings” had been issuing statements to “misguide” public.

Before burning the effigy, they carried out a protest march from Bhandari Bridge to Hall Gate. The agitators alleged that Sahni had a past full of “misdeeds” while Chawla was an upright lady with no criminal record.

Meanwhile, the executive committee of the Punjab Ayurvedic Medical Services Association held an urgent meeting here today. President of the association Atamjit Singh Basra condemned the allegations of the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. He said Sahni in order to exert pressure on the minister to save a person was issuing objectionable statements against her. He said credit went to the Health Minister for reviving Ayurvedic treatment in the state and introducing several health schemes for the underprivileged. 

Chandigarh, May 6
The Punjab government, it seems, is all set to do another PIMS. Facing heat from the opposition over the selling of the Punjab Institute of Medical sciences (PIMS), Jalandhar, allegedly at very low rates to a private body, the Akalis-led government, it seems, has not learnt any lesson.

Highly placed sources in the government have said it is actively considering “selling” the land on which the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium is constructed to the association at the rate which was prevalent when the stadium land was leased out by the government in 1992.

Sources added that the PCA was “very keen” to own the land and selling it to them would “once and for all sort out the various issues between the PCA and the government.” The sources added that the PCA would, however, have to pay the various fees, charges and taxes due from them to the Punjab government.

These charges, sources added, could also be a fixed annual amount. “Like the security charges can be fixed for the whole year and not charged match wise. Similarly, the other taxes, etc can be paid by the PCA as fixed amounts,” he added.

In 1992, IS Bindra, President of the PCA, had as sports secretary, Punjab, leased 13.56 acres of government land meant for the construction of a cyclodrome to his own body at a laughable lease amount.

In 1997, the then Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, ordered a CBI inquiry relating to the allotment of land. The CBI recommended departmental action against Bindra and another former IAS officer for illegally allotting prime public land for the cricket stadium. Nothing was, however, done by the successive governments.

An order passed by the Income Tax Department against the PCA last year held that the PCA was a commercial body and was earning huge profits from the organisation of matches. The department went on to cancel the PCA’s exemption from income tax.

Instead of taking action against those who have been taking the state government for a ride all these years, the state is all set to “reward” the association by selling it prime property at throwaway rates.

“The land on which the PCA was built was not prime property in 1992. That time it was a barren piece of undulating land that no one wanted. It is because of the stadium that the property has become prime,” added a government official who is also among those running the show at the PCA.

(concluded)

Ferozepur, May 6
Twentyone Sikh soldiers of 36 Sikh Regiment of British India took just six hours to lay down their lives to protect Fort Lockhart at Saragarhi post in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan on September 12, 1897, in undivided India.

The foundation stone which was laid by the Punjab Chief Minister for setting up a school in memory of the martyrs of the battle of Saragarhi.

The unparalleled valour exhibited by these martyrs became a part of the school curriculum in France and one of the eight stories published by Unesco for children. When news of the battle reached London, both Houses of Parliament gave a rare standing ovation in honour of the 21 Sikhs who preferred to die while defending the post instead of surrendering before the enemy. A Saragarhi gurdwara was declared open in 1904 by Sir Charles Pevz, the then Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, in memory of the martyrs in this town.

Unfortunately, the SAD-BJP combine could not complete a school at Hakumat Singh Wala village of this district in the memory of Saragarhi martyrs for the past 13 years. “Is it a befitting honour or dishonour to the martyrs of the battle of Saragarhi?” asked a section of the Army personnel who spoke to TNS yesterday.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal made an announcement on September 12, 1997, at a function organised here to celebrate the centenary of the battle of Saragarhi that there must be a good school near this town to serve as a befitting memorial to the martyrs.

A meeting was held on September 19, 1997, under the chairmanship of the then Governor of Punjab where it was decided to establish the school at Hakumat Singh Wala village under the name Saragarhi Dashmesh Public School. A trust donated about 22 acres of land for the purpose.

The foundation stone of the school building was laid by Badal on May 16, 2000. Though about 13 years have passed ever since this project was conceived, it is yet to be completed.

KK Yadav, Deputy Commissioner and Vice- Chairman of the society, who held a meeting of the officials concerned to review the school’s progress yesterday, said about Rs 15 lakh was still needed to complete the building and set up other infrastructure.

Ludhiana, May 6
Taken in hand with much fanfare in 1999, the 112-km-long Ludhiana-Chandigarh rail link may not see the light of the day even by the end of 2011, the projected completion time of the rail link between the industrial hub of the state and its capital.

Marred by delay, the cost of the project has also gone up from Rs 570 crore to Rs 1,100 crore and may even move up by the time it becomes operational.

In fact, the 45-km stretch between Chandigarh and Morinda was completed in 2006 and work for laying the third track between Sahnewal and Ludhiana, a distance of 15 km, is also near completion.

But it is the 52-km section between Morinda and Sahnewal, falling in the Ambala division of the Northern Railway, which poses many problems and is still giving the officials concerned sleepless nights. Senior officials of the engineering wing of the Northern Railway maintain that acquisition of 143 hectares of land, needed for laying the rail track between Morinda and Sahnewal, has turned out to be a big hassle which has delayed the project.

"The land was finally handed over to us by the state government in June last year and we started work at the war footing. Sub-structure for railway overbridge on the Sirhind canal at Neelon is nearly half done while the one on the SYL canal near Khant Manpur (Morinda) is already completed and tenders for the super structure have also been invited," the officials said.

A senior railway official based at divisional headquarters at Ambala said several high tension wires and tower lines needed to be shifted, or else pushed up to a greater height to pave the way for laying the railway track.

"We have identified almost 50 sites on the Morinda-Sahnewal section where tower lines of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board or the Punjab State Power Corporation are obstructing the work of laying rail track. But things are either not moving at all, or the pace is very slow which might further delay the project even beyond 2011," the official stated.

Ludhiana, May 6
While the state is grappling with the depletion of underground water, Reverse Osmosis (ROs) - water purifying systems- are being mindlessly used to treat water even though these waste 60 to 70 per cent of water.

This was stated by the chairman of the Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, here while appealing city residents not to waste water.

Lashing out at companies making these purifiers, Chawla said water was being wasted in households, offices and institutions where RO systems were installed. He said on one side, combined efforts were being made to save water while on the other, water was being wasted through ROs.

He called upon companies to come forward with a novel design that would save water. “Company technicians should come forward and devise the machine in such a way that water is not wasted,” he said.

Chawla said if things were not improved in the future, people would be asked to pay for monthly-metered water bills.

He said the state was already reeling under an acute water shortage. “Already 105 blocks out of 137 had become “dark zones” where underground water level had gone more than 60 ft deeper. Each year, water was going 2-3 ft deeper,” he added.

He said the state government was spending about Rs 4,400 crore on sewerage and water works, which were expected to be completed by 2011. He said, “Nearly 86 per cent of water works and 59 per cent of sewerage works in the state had been completed. These projects were being funded by the Centre (50 per cent share), state government (20 per cent) and municipal corporation/council (30 per cent). In Ludhiana alone, sewerage plants worth Rs 92.87 crore were coming up at Balloke, Bhattiyan and Jamalpur.” 

Patiala, May 6
Funds amounting to Rs 58 crore will be utilised under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for Patiala district for 2010-11.

Patiala DC Deepinder Singh said this to mediapersons after kickstarting the Rs 6.5 lakh project for the drainage of the sewage of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Women College and Gurdwara Neem Sahib in Aakdi village here today.

He said in2009-10, funds amounting to Rs 6.98 crore was spent on various works undertaken under MGNREGA. The DC announced that work of clearing the stagnant water on the main road of Aakdi to the nearby pond would also be done under MGNREGA. He also appealed the villagers to avail the maximum benefit of various development schemes being initiated by the government.

He announced that he would be reviewing the project every week and strict action would be initiated against the officials found guilty of not paying attention towards the implementation of the MGNREGA.

Meanwhile, interacting with the DC, the Managing Committee of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur College for Women and Gurdwara Neem Sahib informed him that some unscrupulous elements were indulging in supplying drugs. Deepinder assured it that he would apprise the district police about the matter.

Patiala, May 6
Representatives of the Bharti Kissan Union (Rajewal) have demanded 10-hour power supply to farmers during the paddy season.

At a meeting with officials of the Powercom and the Transco, held at the Powercom headquarters here, union president Balbir Singh Rajewal said it would be beneficial for farmers if they get 10-hour power supply. Responding to the demand, chairman of the Powercom and the Transco Managing Committee Anurag Agarwal stated that there had been directions from the Punjab Government to provide adequate power to paddy farmers and the department was working in this direction.

He assured him of 8-hour power supply during the season. Agarwal further stated that in case the system became overloaded or low frequency was observed, there could be some variation in hours of power supply.

“At present, six-hour power is being supplied to cotton-growing areas, four hours to sugarcane/vegetable-growing areas, four hours alternate to other agricultural crops and two hours in the border areas”, he said.

He further stated that the Powercom had also got good response of VDS from Sangrur and Patiala districts with applications for 40 per cent increase in loads coming from these districts.

Member/Distribution KD Chaudhry said all arrangements for power supply during the paddy season were complete and 70 per cent more power than the previous year would be provided.

“Efforts are being made to deload the system before the paddy season by purchasing new transformers/conductors”, he added. Chaudhry assured the union that in case of tubewell connections, where test reports have been submitted, the connections would be released at the earliest. He also assured the union that in case any fault occured in a feeder, proper compensatory power supply would be provided.

Responding to the demand of the farmers union to provide separate switch for HVDS transformers so that if any fault occurs in any transformer, then only that transformer is disconnected, he said necessary steps would be taken in this regard. He appealed famers to report to him directly in any case of harassment by any official.

Chandigarh, May 6
Acting on an application filed by Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) chief Sanjit Kumar Sinha, the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday took on record a previous order on Punjab vigilance chief Sumedh Singh Saini’s alleged way of functioning. Saini is a respondent in the petition filed by Sinha for an independent probe into the allegations against the PPSC in the selection of medical officers.

Sinha’s application says the order shows “the modus operandi adopted by Sumedh Singh Saini, IPS, at present Chief Director Vigilance, Punjab, and presently charge-sheeted and a respondent, has been to create fear psychosis”.

He has quoted the order by the high court judge, Justice VK Jhanji. The order dated December 22, 1995, says: “The application appears to suggest that judicial independence must bow before blackmail. The applicant cannot be permitted to misuse the process of law.” The present application appears to be another bid to get the case out of my board.

“When I have said another, I mean to say that in the past, too, such attempts had been made. One such attempt was when a retinue of Nihangs who are stated to be close to one of the police officials swarmed the courtroom, leaving no space for lawyers and parties concerned. They vacated the courtroom when services of CRPF personnel posted in the High Court were requisitioned….”

The order further says: Not only this, after the assassination of S. Beant Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, two three articles written by Anupam Gupta, advocate for SS Saini, had appeared in The Tribune and one had to read between the lines to find that it was a crude and brazen attempt to overawe this Court as it had ordered investigation by the CBI.

During this time, I had also been receiving anonymous telephone calls threatening to wash my hands from this case and one such caller had gone to the extent of saying that I would be picked up and thrown in a furnace like the three had been thrown along with their car and scooter. I had brought all these facts to the notice of My Lord the Chief Justice in presence of my brother Judges. The modus operandi thus, had been to create a fear psychosis. The present application has come to be filed only when this Court did not deter from proceeding with the case.”