Rotting of Foodgrains
Cong for CBI probe
Chandigarh, July 28 Punjab Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee today demanded a CBI inquiry into the rotting of thousands of tonnes of foodgrains in the state.

COMMUNITY

Amritsar, July 28
The police has arrested five Babbar Khalsa International terrorists with arms and ammunition, including cartridges that could even penetrate bulletproof vehicles. The police said all five had links with dreaded ultras Narain Singh alias Chaura and Sukhdev Singh Chira.

The five have been identified as Pal Singh of Dhandowal village in Shahkot, Kulwant Singh alias Raju of Verpal, Gurmukh Singh alias Gana of Pandori Mehma, Jagtar Singh of Thoba and Darshan Singh Dhadi of Jalandhar. Two AK-47 rifles with five magazines and 420 live cartridges were also seized from them.

Officials of the State Special Operations Cell of the intelligence wing said that it all began with the arrest of Gurmukh Singh and Kulwant Singh on the Amritsar-Jalandhar bypass on July 25. They were travelling in a Bolero jeep belonging to Pal Singh. During interrogation, Kulwant Singh revealed Narain Singh alias Chaura and Pal Singh’s plans to revive terrorism in the state.

According to SP Counter Intelligence Mandeep Singh, the five have links with Sukhdev Singh Chira, arrested in mid-June for stationing an RDX-laden vehicle in a busy market opposite the Amritsar Railway Station.

The SP also said that the arrested had links with terror group Akal Federation’s Narain Singh alias Chaura, who is still at large. He also provided the RDX used in the Amritsar car bomb and weapons recovered from Chhira, an accused in the case.

More than a dozen cases are registered against Chhira in Punjab. He was instrumental in the Burail jailbreak and escape of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassins -- Tara, Hawara and Bheora. Only yesterday, the Punjab Police had announced an award of Rs 5 lakh for anyone giving information about Chhira.

Pal Singh is a foreign national and stayed in France from 1978-99. Officials said he had hardly any anti-national activity against his name during his stay overseas but he came under the scanner after he established contact with Chaura. “Pal Singh came under the lens when he repeatedly visited Pakistan with jathas in 1989, 1998 and 2002 during his stay in France. Pal Singh used to look out for unemployed youth on the pretext of religious preaching and ultimately involved them in terrorist activities,” said the SP.

Meanwhile, Kulwant Singh has confessed during interrogation that he and Pal Singh went to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan in 2009 to conduct a recce of places from where explosives used in marble mining could be looted to carry out explosions in Punjab. 

New Delhi, July 28
Reeling under debt that largely accumulated during the militancy period in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought waiver of debt or suggested rescheduling the same.

The state had asked for the rescheduling of debt and had made several pleas to the Finance Minister, the Planning Commission and also to the 13th Finance Commission, but to no avail. Punjab wants either a one-time complete debt waiver or rescheduling for 30 years.

Badal said the state was still reeling under severe financial crisis due to this staggering debt. He said the total accumulated debt was of nearly Rs 65,000 crore mainly due to the decade-long militancy and the net borrowings of the state would be a frightening Rs 6,586 crore alone during the current fiscal. Nearly Rs 5,700 crore were spent annually on returning the loan.

Punjab has suggested three options: a partial waiver of the loan; its rescheduling to make it payable over a longer period and thirdly by swapping the high-interest loan with low interest ones.

State officials have been saying “…It makes no fiscal sense for the Centre to keep pressing us under that burden”.

Punjab has maintained that the war against militancy in the 1980s and 1990s was an anti-India proxy war faced by the state. The source of revenue had dried up under the shadow of the gun and the state was largely under the Central rule during this period. Badal today again made the demand to channelise the Ghaggar as a national project. Accompanied by Dy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Chief Minister also sought the revision of the Calamity Relief Fund for the damaged crop. He also sought hike in compensation to Rs 10,000 per acre for the entire land holding of farmers.

Abohar, July 28
The supply of canal water to thousands of acres in this region has been hit as officials of the Irrigation Department were forced to reduce the flow of water into the Abohar canal system after it came under threat due to its choking by hyacinth late last night.

What has aggravated the problem is that contactors hired by department officials to remove hyacinths have stopped doing the same, as they have not been reportedly paid for their work by the authorities concerned for the past many months.

The Abohar canal system has been supplying irrigation water to the Lambi Assembly segment represented by CM Parkash Singh Badal, Gidderbaha Assembly segment represented by state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Malout, Balluana, Abohar and Fazilka Assembly segments.

Officials fear that the situation would trigger off an agitation by farmers as they had stopped getting water when its demand was at its peak for irrigating paddy and cotton fields.

“As hyacinths have chocked the Abohar canal system, irrigating over 4 lakh acres of land, we are left with no other option than to reduce the flow of water into the same to save structures of irrigation channels,” said Baljeet Singh Sandhu, Superintendent Engineer (Irrigation), adding that only about 900 cusecs of water was flowing into the Abohar canal against its capacity of 1,915 cusecs.

Though enough water was available in the Harike pond and areas located at the tail end of different channels originating from the Abohar canal system could be supplied required quantity of water, the channels choked by hyacinths did not allow water to flow to its ultimate destination. “If we will allow these channels to run at their respective sanctioned capacities, they will overflow and breach,” he added.

Sandhu said as the DCs of some districts had not released funds to the Irrigation Department from the head natural calamity fund to remove hyacinths as decided by the Punjab Government a few days ago, he had urged the Chief Engineer (Irrigation) to take up the matter with the state Financial Commissioner (Revenue) so that funds could be made available to them at the earliest.

Ropar, July 28
Government hospitals in Punjab will have dialysis machines for patients with kidney problems by August 15.Announcing this here today, Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla said eight government hospitals, including the Ropar Civil Hospital, had been identified to extend this facility. These machines would start operating from August 15. The patients would be charged Rs 750 per dialysis.

She was speaking at a district-level function of the Punjab Ayurveda Department in collaboration with the National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Research (NIAPR), Patiala.

Talking about the initiative of the Ayurveda Department to provide treatment for anaemia, Chawla said a three-day campaign would be organised at Ropar till July 30. Out of 507 ayurveda dispensaries in Punjab, 463 were in rural areas, she added.

On August 8, Panjab University and the PGIMER would conduct exam for recruiting 450 doctors, she said. “With the induction of the new batch, health services will get a major boost. If this batch does not suffice needs of people, we may recall the retired specialists to work in rural pockets,” she said.

Deputy Commissioner AS Miglani said the people should adopt ayurveda as a way of life to get maximum benefit out of it.

Dr Rakesh Sharma, Director, Ayurveda, Punjab, said five areas had been identified to give treatment for anaemia to women. These included the Civil Hospital, Ropar, the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Bharatgarh, the PHC, Kathera, the Government Ayurvedic Dispensary, Bajrur, and the Government Ayurvedic Dispensary, Bhattha Sahib.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were: Director NIAPR Dr MM Rao, Dr Rakesh Sandh, Dr Medha Patel from Surat, SDM Anindita Mitra and others.

Rotting of Foodgrains
Cong for CBI probe

Chandigarh, July 28
Punjab Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee today demanded a CBI inquiry into the rotting of thousands of tonnes of foodgrains in the state.

In a statement issued here today, he attributed this shocking state of affairs to the “unholy nexus of corrupt people” in the foodgrains trade, including the political leadership, along with criminal bureaucratic neglect.

He said what was all the more shocking was this was within the knowledge of the political leadership which adopted ambivalent attitude rather than taking the remedial measures, both long term as well as short term.

Kaypee said the state government must answer the people as to why huge stocks were being allowed to rot in the open and not being distributed to the poor in case the procurement agencies lacked facilities to handle the same. — TNS

Ludhiana, July 28
An NRI Sikh settled in the USA has offered a prime piece of land in Washington DC to the SGPC for the establishment of a Sikh cultural embassy. The piece of land has close proximity to the White House and is worth hundred crores.

A gurdwara is already existing on this piece of land. Avtar Singh Makkar, president, SGPC, who visited the US, told The Tribune on his return that NRI Shamsher Singh was settled in the US some 50 years ago and had worked with World Bank.

Shamsher had visited Punjab some time ago and met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Finance Minister and offered them the piece of land with him in Washington. It was the Chief Minister who asked Makkar to discuss the matter with Shamsher and take 
necessary steps.

Makkar had gone to the US, along with some officials of the SGPC, and discussed the issue with Shamsher.

Shamsher was keen that the SGPC should set up a Sikh cultural centre where the wards of Sikhs living in the US and other countries should have links with their cultural heritage.

Makkar said they would set up a Sikh mission of the SGPC in Washington at the land offered by Shamsher. This would be for the first time that the SGPC would be having a mission out of the country.

He claimed that many Sikhs settled in the US and other countries had offered to provide land to the SGPC for the establishment of Sikh missions.

Makkar said they were completing the legalities for taking possession of the land and only after that they would initiate further steps.

The SGPC chief said a committee of Sikh intellectuals would be set up to start work on the mission.

Makkar said during his stay in the US he had discussed with Sikhs the fact that the SGPC was finding it difficult to send Guru Granth Sahib in a respectful manner to foreign countries.

He said if they offer land for a printing press then the SGPC could print Guru Granth Sahib in the US. He added that many Sikhs offered to help him in the venture.

Rajpura, July 28
The police today claimed to have recovered more fake detailed marks cards (DMC) of several universities and some fake Class X certificates of the Punjab State Education Board.

Officials investigating the source of the fake degrees and marksheets said they had seized some computers, printers and other modern electronic devices and rounded up some mediators. “These mediators sold fake degrees for Rs 30-35,000 and took a similar amount to enroll students in universities and colleges. During investigation, we found out that fake degrees of Class X, BEd, graduation and even higher studies were in circulation,” said Rajpura DSP Manmohan Sharma. Police parties have been dispatched to find out the people behind fake registrations in college and university records, he said.

The police have already arrested Patiala residents Taranjeet Singh and Manpreet Singh in this connection and sent them in 14-day judicial remand. Thirteen fake DMCs were recovered from them and more recoveries were made on the basis of information provided by the duo. More arrests are likely in the coming days, the police said.

Patiala SSP Ranbir Khattra said that police parties had been sent to university and colleges to look into the matter. “But it will take some time for a clear picture to emerge as the police is scrutinising seized electronic gadgets and probing the role of university and college insiders,” he said.

Chandigarh, July 28
Today was supposed to be just another normal day for Punjab Director, Health Services, JP Singh. Only it did not turn out to be so with contractual doctors filing into his office one hour after opening time and choosing to squat on the floor.

The 50 to 60 doctors, who were still in “control” of the office till this evening, are demanding the withdrawal of the Punjab Government’s decision to re-employ retired specialist doctors. The young doctors want that the government should instead regularise their services.

Efforts were on to bring the squatting doctors, including women, to the negotiating table since morning. The contractual doctors want the government to first rescind its order on re-employing retired doctors. Unable to given any such assurance, a deadlock has ensued.

The contractual doctors, numbering 1,100, who have formed the Rural Medical Services Association, claim the Health Department wants to favour a few “favourites” by choosing to re-employ retired doctors. Association president Aslam Parvez said many of those who were opting for re-employment had not done any surgery in years as they had occupied administrative positions. “These retired doctors are being offered their last salary of Rs 1 lakh per month”. Dr Parvez said the government could re-employ retired doctors on a contractual basis at Rs 25,000 per month, the amount it was offering to new specialists on contract.

The 1,100-odd contractual doctors were given appointment in 2006 at Rs 21,000 per month. This was increased to Rs 27,000 per month in January this year. The Rural Development Department pays the salaries of the doctors.

Contractual doctors claim they are being discriminated against with the Health Department not taking them into consideration while filling 314 posts in 2009 and now again when the process to fill 214 more posts has been started.

Meanwhile, Dr JP Singh, whose office was taken over by the doctors today, said the Health Department had nothing to do with the grievance of the young doctors as it was the Health Systems Corporation which was interviewing retired doctors.

Following late evening negotiations, the Secretary, Health, Satish Chandra assured the agitating doctors that the process of re-employing retired doctors would be put on hold. Interviews fixed for Thursday have been postponed. The association has also been assured that it would be given a chance to present its views before the Chief Minister. The doctors have, in turn, decided to suspend their agitation. 

Jalandhar, July 28
The ambitious Balri Rakshak Yojna has fallen flat on its face five years after its inception.

Aimed at improving the skewed sex ratio, reducing mother-infant mortality rate and controlling population, only 306 families have benefitted from the scheme since 2005 as against its target of a 1,000 families a year.

The state government had set aside an annual allocation of approximately Rs 50 lakh when Balri Rakshak Yojna was launched. Largely for poor families, the scheme envisaged a monthly benefit of Rs 500 to the girl child till she turned 18. The amount was to be raised to Rs 700 a month if there were two girl children in a family. The catch: one of the parents had to undergo sterilization.

As per information gathered by TNS, no family was enrolled under the scheme in 2005-06. Only 140 cases were registered in 2006-2008 and 112 families availed the benefit in 2008-2009.

In response to the poor response to the Balri Rakshak Yojna, Health Services and Family Welfare Director Dr Ashok Nayyar admitted that the department had failed to create awareness about the scheme among the masses. “The major stumbling block is the innate desire among Punjabis for a son. Even if poor couples have two or more daughters, they do not want to undergo sterilization in the hope of having a son,” he said.

Jalandhar, July 28
The Board for the Reconstruction of the Public Sector Enterprises (BPRSE) has given approval for the revival of the century old New Egerton Woolen Mill, Dhariwal, near Batala.

The mill, having 970 employees on its rolls, has been on the verge of closure. Famed in the international market for its woolen fabrics, including tweeds, the mill functioned under the control of British India Corporation Limited till 1981. Later, it was handed over to the Ministry of Textiles.

The Tribune had highlighted the issue in its columns a few days ago.

Congress MP from Gurdaspur Partap Singh Bajwa, who had taken up the issue of the revival of the mill with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also with Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran, said a meeting of the board was held today in New Delhi. The board had not only approved the revival of the mill but also ordered to clear the pending dues and salaries of 970 mill employees. Since March 15 this year, employees were not given salary.

Bajwa said there was a similar mill in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The board had approved the rehabilitation of both mills and it would cost Rs 315 crore.

“The issue would no go to the Cabinet for final nod,” he added.

Jalandhar, July 28
The Centre will send a high-level team of medical experts to examine cancer-related cases and to find the reasons behind its (cancer) high incidence in the state.Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad has directed the authorities concerned in his ministry to constitute a high- level team in this regard.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Ram Pal Dhaipi said former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today met Azad in Delhi. Bhattal submitted a detailed memorandum to Azad with regard to the growing incidence of cancer in the state and urged the minister to take necessary steps.

Dhaipi, who had drafted the memorandum, said Azad immediately ordered the authorities concerned in his department to first study the problem and to identify the reasons behind such a high incidence of cancer in the state especially in the Malwa region.

Earlier, conceding to the request of Dhaipi, Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had sent a team of scientists of the Central Ground Water Board to examine the quality of potable water in the areas where incidence of cancer is high. The board team, which collected 105 samples, had found the level of arsenic matter beyond permissible limit in potable water at certain places. 

Ludhiana, July 28
Members of the Sikh community have strongly condemned an animated video of Guru Nanak Dev on YouTube and demanded its immediate withdrawal along with an apology from its producers.

Followers of the religion and many others have termed the video as derogatory and hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. A brainchild of film and television studio Rajshri Productions, the video is online under the Rajshri Kids Channel banner. The channel mentions on YouTube: Guru Nanak was a man of God who loved people and taught them the path of true faith and worship. Millions follow his teachings in their lives. This animated video will help children imbibe the sublime values that the great Guru taught.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said that the film had hurt the religious sentiments of the community. “Nobody has the right to portray the Sikh Guru non-seriously and hence they should withdraw the film immediately,” he said, adding that they would initiate legal action against Rajshri Productions. “We will constitute a committee to look into the matter and submit its report. The company will be asked to seek forgiveness from the SGPC,” Makkar said.

The video has also created a global furore and a widespread condemnation campaign has kicked off on various social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter.

Patiala, July 28
Punjab Civil Medical Service-I (PCMS-I) Association has served an ultimatum of two weeks on the state government to issue a clarification regarding the Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) of doctors being taken into account for calculation of the pension or not.

While threatening to cripple the state health services if the NPA is not included in pension calculation, general secretary of the body Dr DC Sharma claimed that doctors will suffer a loss of Rs 10,000 to 15,000 per month in their pensions if the state government fails to meet their demand.

Elaborating the matter, Sharma stated that the case of doctors has not been properly interpreted by the office of the Accountant General of Punjab while calculating pension.

“The NPA cannot be excluded while calculating pension of the doctors, as it is had always been treated as “pay” for intents and purposes, including retirement benefits. The Finance Department should immediately issue a clarification in this regard,” he said. Sharma alleged that the state government is targeting doctors in a concerted and systematic way.

The association members threatened that in case the government fails to watch the interests of the doctors, they would be compelled to adopt path of agitation. “If the Badal government fails to concede our genuine demand within two weeks, we would be on roads, fighting for our rights”, they warned.

Ropar, July 28
Under a national programme for anaemia control about 1lakh women in Punjab are being given ayurvedic treatment through ayurveda. Talking to TNS, Dr M M Rao, Director of the National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Research (NAIPR), Patiala, said Punjab is among the six states selected for the first phase of this project in the country. Other states include Orissa, Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. “The selection has been made on the basis of national family health surveys that focus on states where women have poor health indicators,” he said. Rao was here to participate at the district level-function for the launch of the project in Ropar.

Punjab has already received Rs 76 lakh for the project, which covers areas of Sangrur, Moga, Muktsar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ropar and Mansa. “When Punjab was included under phase I of the project, the government ensured that these five districts have complete manpower. We have roped in NGOs, GNMs and other health workers to make the programme a complete success. Any patient, missing her dosage, finds health workers on her doorsteps to ensure that she takes medicine regularly,” he said.

From women above 15 years of age (puberty) to those who are in the menopausal (or even beyond) stages are being covered under this project. Every chosen district has five centres, including three ayurvedic dispensaries and two primary healthcare centers. Women are first screened at the onset of the treatment for their haemoglobin content. Further screeing is done four times to ensure that they are not anaemic. Rao said ther districts of the state would also be included in the second phase of the project.

Ludhiana, July 28
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Manjinder Singh has framed charges against Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) president Daljit Singh Bittu, Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balbir Singh Bhootna and three others.

All five have been charged with indulging in unlawful activities and trying to revive militancy to create a separate state.

The court has directed the prosecution to produce its evidence on August 4. Others against whom charges were framed are Jaspal Singh Manjpur alias Pali of Dashmesh Nagar, Dasuya, Palwinder Singh Shatrana of Patiala and Gurdeep Singh of Mundian Kalan, Ludhiana. All accused were booked under sections 13, 15, 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act at the Sarabha Nagar police station on August 27 last year.

The accused have also been charged with receiving funds from foreign nationals and then diversifying the same for militancy. Bittu is also facing charges of paying legal fee to lawyers of terrorists lodged in different states of the country.

Bittu and his accomplices were arrested on August 26 last year after revelations made by Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balbir Singh Bhootna during his interrogation. The police had claimed that Bhootna was working as Bittu’s gunman.

As per the charge sheet, Bhootna even tried to involve girls in the militancy movement on Bittu’s instructions.

Bittu had allegedly tried to offer Rs 5 lakh to the prime witness in the Shingar Cinema bomb blast case for not deposing against the accused in court. He was also accused of providing Rs 1.4 lakh to Gurber Singh, one of the main accused in the killing Lilly Sharma, a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.