Chandigarh, August 6
The Punjab government has decided to write to the Centre to allow grant of bail in cases of petty crime at the police station level in the Police Commissionerate cities of Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar as a first step to solve the problem of overcrowding in its jails.

There are increased incidents of clashes in jails in Punjab due to severe overcrowding as well as increased collusion of criminals with jail staff that results in drugs, mobile phones and other contraband entering the jail premises.

Even as the Jails Department has ordered a inquiry which will be held by DIG, Jails, Jagjit Singh into yesterday’s incident of a gang war between the two groups of inmates at the Ludhiana central jail, Jail Minister Hira Singh Gabria told TNS that the Home Ministry would be approached to allow grant of bail in petty cases at police stations only.

“Undertrials are mainly responsible for overcrowding in Punjab jails,” the Jail Minister said, adding that more than half the inmates in jails in the state were undertrials. He said due to this against a capacity of 12,000 inmates, the state’s jails were packed with more than 17,000 inmates.

Besides the problem of undertrials, jails get packed whenever there is any agitation in the state as was seen during the agitation seeking to prevent dismantling of the state electricity utility some months back. The state had recently started video conferencing from the jail premises in order to reduce avenues of clashes that occur when inmates are taken to court. The clash yesterday at Ludhiana also happened after two groups were returning from court and argued over who would enter the jail first.

There is also the issue of collusion of jail staff with inmates that has resulted in mobile phone and drugs entering the jails on a regular basis. The minister when questioned said this was a problem but said corrective action was being taken against jail staff wherever needed.

Meanwhile, the Jail Minister said work was underway to increase the capacity of jails with the establishment of two new central jails at Kapurthala and Faridkot and one district jail at Nabha. Both the Kapurthala and Faridkot jails would have half portions of 1,100 capacities each ready by March 31. In Nabha a capacity for housing 600 inmates has been created and the facility is likely to be operational soon.

In another development, the Jail Department is promoting installation of printing presses in jails so that inmates can be gainfully employed. 

Fatehgarh Sahib, August 6
Over 1.11 lakh trees previously dotting the Rajpura-Jalandhar National Highway in Shambhu were sold at a whopping cost of Rs 25 crores last year, but not even a single new sapling has been planted in lieu of the axed trees.

The trees, many of them as old as 70 to 100 years, were axed to widen the existing NH-1. The road-widening project got underway began this year. As per forest rules, double the area of axed trees should be planted with new saplings.

Manoj Banda, general secretary of the Hindu Organization - a Fatehgarh Sahib based NGO - who procured the information under the Right to Information Act (RTI) said the planting of saplings should had been completed before the cutting of trees began.

“The government was apprised of the option of constructing a road parallel to the GT Road without axing of trees, as most of these trees, including eucalyptus, sheesham, mulberry, rajain (used for making cricket wickets), ornamental trees like amaltas, jamun, gulmohar, burma dek, neem and others, were planted during the construction of Sher Shah Suri Marg years ago and we all know that such trees could never be planted again despite government claims,” he said.

The axed-down trees were spread over an area of 714 hectares on this stretch dotting the Shambhu-Jalandhar Road and formed around 0.2 per cent of the total forest area of the state. Despite clear instructions of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Forest Department has not been provided with funds to initiate the plantation programme. Officials revealed no funds allocated for such plantations had been released since the past five years.

The cost of tree-cutting incurred by the state has increased to Rs 330 crore over these five years. This includes Rs 102 crore, the cost of the trees axed on the Shambhu-Jalandhar Road.

The amount includes the trees’ net present value (NPV) and compensatory afforestation charges.

The NPV includes loss of nesting for birds, oxygen, biodiversity, soil conservation and other environmental losses, while compensatory afforestation charges include the cost of planting new saplings and its maintenance for five years.

“Though user agencies - like the NHAI, PWD, builders, oil companies and other private and government contractors have deposited Rs 330 crore, the Centre will release this amount in installments,” said Chief Conservator of Forests cum Nodal Officer Kuldeep Kumar. He said the first installment of Rs 33 crore was received in January this year and plantation drive has been launched in 1500 hectares area in Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and its adjoining areas.

However, the compensatory tree plantation for the 287-km long Shambhu-Jalandhar Road would be done after the clearance of backlog in the next two-three years. The forest officials said there could be no compensation for the axing of the huge trees, some of which had girth of over 4 to 6 ft. The new saplings will be planted in forest areas of Mattewara and other degraded forest areas of the state, they added.

Chandigarh, August 6
The state of Punjab has constituted a committee of four Additional Advocates-General to manage affairs of the Advocate-General’s office, an action dubbed “unconstitutional” by legal experts. Resentful, a section of lawyers is gearing up to meet the Chief Minister against the “undemocratic” move.

The Advocate-General’s office has practically been functioning without a head ever since state Advocate-General Hardev Singh Mattewal suffered a massive heart attack and was hospitalised on May 13. Though Mattewal is stated to be on the fast track of recovery, his health apparently does not permit him to resume work; and it may take a few more months for him to get into his stride.

It is believed the government made a detour by constituting a committee, as it in no mood to find a substitute for Mattewal because of “services rendered by him to the state”.

Mattewal has also been supporting the Badals throughout. Prior to his appointment as the Advocate-General, Mattewal was counsel for now Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in an ongoing corruption matter pending before a special court in Mohali.

An order passed by the Government of Punjab, Department of Home Affairs and Justice (Judicial-I branch) says: “In view of the non-availability of state Advocate-General HS Mattewal on account of his illness, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to form the committee of Additional Advocates-General to manage day-to-day functioning of the Advocate-General’s office”.

“The Additional Advocates-General are: Rupinder Khosla, Chetan Mittal, HS Sidhu and Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder. “Financial and administrative powers exercised by the Advocate-General shall now be exercised by Rupinder Khosla as an interim measure…”, the order adds. Singed by the Principal Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Department of Home Affairs and Justice NS Kang, the order has come into immediate effect. This is, perhaps, for the first time in the country’s history that a committee has been constituted. The action has already assumed the shades of a controversy.

It is also being insisted that Article 165 of the Constitution provides for the appointment of an Advocate-General for advising the courts or the government on legal matters; and there is no provision for having a committee to manage “day-to-day affairs”.

Chandigarh, August 6
Unwilling to indulge in a blame game with the Centre over responsibility for nearly 48,315 metric tonnes (MT) of damaged wheat that could feed over seven million people, the Punjab Government has drawn an ambitious project to review storage facilities in the state before the next procurement season. It has also decided to build additional storage for the safe keeping of around 71 lakh MT of grain.

Sources in the Department of Food and Supplies said Food and Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon had given standing instructions that the review process must be completed and additional storage provided before paddy crop started arriving in state mandis.

It is learnt that Kairon, who has been visiting New Delhi on a weekly basis to seek more railway rakes for improving foodgrain mobility out of the state, had laid the state’s blueprint before the Union Agriculture Ministry and sought help.

He maintained that: “Since we conduct the procurement process for the nation, the Centre must help us create more storage in the state and provide technical and monetary help to implement our storage plan.”

Over 48,315 MT of wheat procured by the state has been rendered unfit for human consumption after remaining in the open and facing vagaries of weather. The state has sought permission to auction this spoilt wheat grain as feed for animals. Officials of the FCI, who declared the wheat unfit for human consumption, also blamed the Punjab Government for not providing proper storage and move the grain out of the state so as to replace the newly procured grain with old stocks.

As part of the newly devised strategy to safeguard national food security and to store and preserve the procured foodgrain, the state has decided to review its current storage capacity and give good incentives to farmers and other people for building godowns. Designs for godowns have been sent to the FCI for its approval and it has been decided that it will now be taken on lease for seven years instead of earlier terms of three years. The state is trying to persuade the FCI to make this lease for at least 10 years.

Once the review exercise is completed, the state will get to know how much storage is short from the expected arrival, as it is expecting the arrival of around 130 lakh MT of paddy this season.

Chandigarh, August 6
If all goes as expected, sighting turbaned Sikh farmers driving around on tractors on vast farmlands will not remain confined to Africa. Several Indians, with many from Punjab could be headed for Brazil.

But for now, Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is going on an exploratory visit to Brazil at the end of this month to explore the possibilities of cooperation in the field of agriculture and allies sectors between the two nations. He will accompany a delegation, led by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

The Central delegation is specifically looking at better collaboration between the two countries in the area of sugar production where Brazil has achieved high yields, reduced the cost of production and is using sugarcane waste to produce ethanol, making it the world’s largest bio-fuel producer from sugarcane.

The delegation will also look at the possibility of providing Brazil with skilled agriculture farm hands.

Backed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the delegation will talk to the Brazilian Government about the possibilities of sending Indian farmers to work there.

Brazil and India share many commonalities in the field of agriculture with Brazil being the world’s largest producer of sugar and India being the second highest. Brazil produces around 36 million tonnes which is expected to go up to 41 million metric tonnes in the 2010-2011. India produces around 19 million tonnes and hope these figures would touch 25 million tonnes.

Sources in the Punjab Government said earlier, Sukhbir was to leave with the delegation in the first week of August, but since many members of the delegation, including its leader Sharad Pawar, have to be return to India for the Independence Day celebrations, the trip has been postponed to the last week of August. The week-long trip is now likely to commence from August 23.

Pawar had gone to Brazil in the last week of March this year to attend the Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) Agriculture Ministers meeting where they explored the possibilities of cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. The current visit is a follow-up visit with a specific agenda.

The BRIC countries have formed a lobby as these not only boast to be the world’s fastest growing economies, but together command 25.9 per cent of the total geographic area. The Chinese economy is the world's fourth largest with a GDP of 3.2 trillion dollars, while Russia, Brazil and India having a GDP of over a trillion dollars each.

Bathinda, August 6
A youth, who had allegedly fled from police custody a few days, today surrendered before the district courts and charged the Rampura (Sadar) police with torturing him brutally during detention.

Showing burn marks over his body, Deepak Kumar of Rampura, the youth in question, complained before CJM AS Virk that some cops of Bathinda police wanted to push him in the trade of drug pedalling, which he had shun a long time back.

In a statement in the court, he said cops of Rampura (Sadar) police station intercepted him near Gill Kalan village, when he was riding his motorcycle along with a pillion rider, Binder Singh, on last Sunday.

“They took us to the police station and after some time, they released Binder Singh but asked me to carry on drug pedalling for them on a commission basis, which I refused. Irked, they took me to a quarter and beat me up with lathis and belts. They crushed my finger and then branded me with hot iron rods,” he alleged.

He claimed, “Getting a chance, I fled from the illegal detention of the police on Monday night and reported the incident to my kin, who hid me in a secluded place. Meanwhile, the police slapped another case of fleeing from police custody on me.”

Seeing the injuries on his body, the CJM directed the cops to get him medically examined to ascertain the injuries. The CJM said if doctors found it necessary, they could hospitalise him.

Meanwhile, the CJM ordered that after the medico-legal examination, the accused would be sent to jail and would remain in judicial custody till August 20.

On the other hand, the SHO, Rampura police station, Harwinder Singh, refuted the allegations. He termed the statement of Deepak as a cooked up story to avoid criminal proceedings initiated against him for selling drugs and fleeing from police custody.

“He was intercepted on a tip-off. During the search, we found about 2,400 habit- forming capsules from him and lodged a case under the NDPS Act. Before we could produce him in the court, he fled from custody.” The SHO said the accused had earlier been facing charges under the NDPS Act in Moga.

Ludhiana, August 6
Operations of an organic vegetables farm, Field Fresh, set up by a telecommunication company on 300 acres of government land in Laddowal, near here, during the previous Congress regime led by Capt Amarinder Singh is under scanner with the Vidhan Sabha constituting a committee of four MLAs to look into the issue.

The farm was set up nearly five years ago after leasing a piece of land belonging to the Central Seed Farm with a precondition that the farm would be distributing organic seeds to farmers and also get developed seeds checked from Punjab Agricultural University.

A team comprising four MLAs, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Makhan Singh Bathinda, Ujagar Singh and Darshan Singh Shivalik, today visited the farm and prepared a detailed report to find out whether the telecom company was following preconditions in letter and in spirit.

Though none of the four MLAs refused to comment on their findings, they said they would submit their report to the Vidhan Sabha for further action.

Meanwhile, the MLAs asked officials of the company about why they had constructed pucca buildings though it was in violation of the land rent agreement. They also asked whether the farm had ever sought an approval from PAU regarding seeds.

The team also verified the average rent of the land in the area and found out that every acre was leased for Rs 25,000 per annum at the time of the allotment but the company was paying Rs 2,000 per annum.

It is learnt that no tenders were invited to give the land on lease so that other companies too could apply for it.

Patiala, August 6
The proceedings for voice testing of Kamaljit Singh, the main witness in the former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur’s daughter Harpreet Kaur’s murder case were initiated, as the hearing in the case resumed at the CBI Special Court, here today.

The CBI counsel accompanied with the CBI forensic expert gave the text of the interviews given by Kamaljit to various news channels after Harpreet’s alleged murder. Kamaljit was asked to read the text and his voice was recorded.

Now, the recorded tapes would be sent to the CBI Forensic Lab for the voice testing to ascertain whether it matches with that of the interviews given to the news channels. Notably, Kamaljit had turned hostile few months back. During today’s court proceedings, Bibi Jagir Kaur was also present. The next date of hearing has been fixed for August 13. 

Ludhiana, August 6
Taking preventive measures, the jail authorities today shifted inmates, who were involved in a gang war that look place on the premises of the local Central Jail last evening, to Nabha and Sangrur jails.

According to information, a group led by Baljit Singh Rangi, Sukhdarshan Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Ajit and Balraj Singh has been shifted to the Nabha jail while the other group led by Charanjit Singh Badungar and his accomplice Dinesh Kumar has been sent to the Sangrur jail.

Five undertrials, Rana Ghundiwind, Kaka Mehatpuria, Sanju, Inderjit of Nawanshahr and Sita of Ladhowal, have been booked for their involvement in the clash for supremacy on the basis of a complaint of Sukhdarshan Singh of Raikot.

Jail Superintendent SP Khanna said they were also probing the involvement of other untertrials in the clash. Some more inmates would also be shifted to other jails for preventive measures, he added.

He said the situation was under control.

Jalandhar, August 6
The General Court Martial (GCM) of Lt Gen SK Sahni (retd), indicted for the ration scam, formally began at 11 Corps headquarters here today.

A five-member committee trying the indicted officer is headed by a senior officer of the rank of Lt Gen, who was the presiding officer, along with other senior Army officers. The Army authorities remained tight-lipped about the proceedings of the GCM.

While the court proceedings started in the morning, they continued for more than five hours with reports of General Sahni not keeping “physically fit”. The indicted officer “faced the court martial in a wheelchair” as he is reportedly suffering from some spine-related ailment.

Earlier on Thursday, the officer had got himself admitted to the Military Hospital (MH), Jalandhar, on health grounds. Sources at the 11 Corps headquarters maintained that as General Sahni was not keeping well, the court proceedings could have been adjourned in view of his poor health. “The officer had been repeatedly visiting the MH for his treatment in the past,” said an official, requesting anonymity.

The officer was indicted in the alleged irregularities in the supply of huge quantities of substandard meat, dry ration and animal feed to the troops stationed at Siachen and in other high-altitude areas. He is the highest-ranking Army officer ever to face a GCM.

Amritsar, August 6
Just a day prior to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh Sarna’s appearance before Akal Takht, a 1984 riot victims’ delegation today met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh.

The victims’ families, under the banner of the Danga Peerat Welfare Society, Punjab, also submitted a memorandum to the Akal Takht Jathedar urging him to take stern action against the Sarna brothers.

Sarna brothers were summoned by the highest Sikh temporal seat in view of the allegations made by them against Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolka, who, in retaliation, had offered to quit the 26-year-long legal battle for justice to victims of the 1984 riots.

Giani Gurbachan Singh said the memorandum would be tabled before the meeting of the five high priests tomorrow for further action.

Gurdeep Kaur, president (ladies wing) of the society, alleged that after taking over the reigns of the DSGMC, Paramjit Singh Sarna had, allegedly, discontinued the widows’ pension. “About 700 widows living in Delhi Widhwa Colony were benefited under the scheme. We urge the Akal Takht Jathedar to intervene in the matter and re-start the scheme,” she said.

The members of Danga Peerat Society demanded to form an 11-member committee on the global level to generate funds for the welfare of 30,000 families of the 1984 
riot victims.

Meanwhile, Surjit Singh, president of the society, said they demanded reservation of seats and full fee concession for the deserving children of the victims’ families in all medical and non-medical colleges run by the SGPC and DSGMC. 

Chandigarh, August 6
Punjab today landed itself in an embarrassing situation, when its failure to provide potable water to Ludhiana residents evoked scathing observations from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In an apparent attempt to drive home the message against providing contaminated water, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari asked the state how would it feel if the officers in the Civil Secretariat were made to drink arsenic laden water drawn from the hand pumps.

As a petition filed by Rulda Singh Chauhan of Baba Deep Singh Nagar in Ludhiana, Justice Mudgal verbally observed that the possibility of the hand pump water containing arsenic could not be ruled out and in case of delay the Bench would not hesitate in ordering a test of the water samples.

“If the hand pump water is so potable, let it be drawn from Ludhiana and served in the Secretariat for a week,” Justice Mudgal remarked. The observations were made orally by the Bench and cannot be taken as an expression of final opinion in the matter or directions to the state of Punjab. At the most the observations could be construed as Bench’s attempts to make the state realise the gravity of the problem.

The observations followed the state government’s assertion that funds have been sanctioned for the supply of the potable water. Taking exception to the assertion, the Bench said it was concerned with the supply of pure drinking water to the residents and not with the sanction of funds. Fixing August 27 as the next date of hearing in the matter, the Bench directed the state to ensure supply of drinking water and not mere sanction of the funds. In his petition against the state of Haryana, the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, director rural development and panchayat, along with other respondents, Chauhan had sought directions to the respondents to provide basic facilities to the residents, including safe drinking water, along with proper drainage system and roads. 

Chandigarh, August 6
Less than a month after a “black list of non-resident Indians” surfaced, an advocate today labelled it as “vague” and sought its quashing. Any NRI with a name similar to the one mentioned in the list can be hauled up because of the vagueness, the petitioner said.

In a petition placed this morning before Justice Surya Kant, advocate Hari Singh Nagra asserted the list issued by the Union of India and secretly communicated to the Punjab chief secretary was “unconstitutional, illegal, void, arbitrary, vague and against the principles of natural justice and fair play.” Directions have also been sought to the Union of India “to disclose any other black list of NRI”.

Also the vice-president of the All-India Lawyers Union, Nagra asserted: “The names of 169 persons have been mentioned, out of which seven are living in Punjab, 39 persons have no criminal cases registered against them and the identity of 84 persons is not established.

“Only 28 persons are these, who are wanted in criminal pending cases in India. Eleven persons are also mentioned from other states. It is evident that the identity of 84 persons is not established. Therefore, this list is vague, uncertain and lacks application of mind and prepared arbitrarily”.

The petition filed through advocate Sarbjit Singh Khaira adds: “In this situation, any NRI having the same name can be hauled up and restrained from visiting India at the entry point because his name is blacklisted. This gives unbridled and blanket powers to the authorities to harass and detain any person having the same name. So, in this way this blacklist is non-existent in the eye of the law and likely to be set aside by this court on this score alone”.

As the petition was filed in public interest, Justice Surya Kant referred the petition to the appropriate Bench. It is likely to be placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari next week. 

Moga, August 6
Additional District and Sessions Judge of Moga SK Aggarwal has sentenced a drug peddler to 11-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and also imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on him. If the accused fails to deposit the fine, he would have to spend another three years in jail.

As per the case file, 25 bags of poppy husk, each containing 35 kg, were recovered from the main accused Sonu and his associate Jand Singh, both residents of Daulewala village, on March 15, 2007. An FIR under Sections 15/25 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, was registered against them in the Kot-ise-Khan police station.

The court after going through the facts and circumstances of the case and evidences brought on record against Sonu, sentenced him to 11-year RI.

As many as 10 witnesses recorded their statements during the course of trial.

However, Jand Singh has been acquitted of the charges as no clear evidence of his involvement in drugs smuggling was produced by the prosecution in the court.