Ferozepur, September 16
The authorities have shown that the incidence of cancer in Punjab is much less than its national average in the data supplied to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Delhi.

The state authorities have shown that there are 10 to 40 persons per lakh, who have been found suffering from carcinogenic diseases in the state against the national average of 90 to 100 persons per lakh.

Stating this, GK Rath, Professor and Head, Department of Radiation and Oncology, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and Chairman of the nine-member team sent by the ICMR to Punjab in connection with a cancer control programme, said data in connection with the incidence of cancer in Punjab had created confusion among them.

“On the one hand, everyone has been claiming that cancer has become rampant in Punjab, where agriculture is intensive and fertiliser and pesticides are used excessively. On the other, the data made available to us reflects that Punjab is in a much better state in the country as far as the incidence of cancer is concerned,” he pointed out.

“I think the data in connection with Punjab is incomplete and I expect that it will be rectified by the authorities so that our team could arrive at a concrete decision,” he said, adding that the basic purpose of the visit was to teach the doctors so that data in connection with the cancer cases could be documented in Punjab and arrangements made to detect cancer at an early stage.

A Nanda Kumar, deputy director-general, ICMR, Bengalaru, said the other purpose of the visit was to bring maximum areas of Punjab under the national cancer registry programme so that all patients could be indentified and treated.

The other members of the team are: SC Sharma, Vinod K Patno, (PGI, Chandigarh), K Chaudhary, Tanvir Kaur (ICMR, Delhi), Manoranjan (AIIMS) and Manjit Singh Bal from Government Medical College, Patiala. The team was accompanied by senior functionaries of the Punjab Health Department.

The team, which interacted with the people of rural and urban areas of the district, will visit Faridkot, Bathinda and Mansa districts besides other areas of the Malwa region, where cancer cases have been rising every year.

PK Jaiswar adds from Amritsar: Due to absence of authentic statistics available on cancer cases in Punjab with the health authorities, the ICMR has planned to initiate three projects to gather data.

Under these projects, population-based registration of cancer patients will be done at Government Medical College, Patiala, while the hospital-level registration of patients will be conducted at PGI, Chandigarh.

The team led by Dr Kishore Chaudhry, Deputy Director-General, ICMR, has said that cancer specialists, including pathologists and radiotherapists involved in treating cancer patients, will have to register themselves with the national website. They could upload the status and details of cancer patients in the performa concerned after downloading it from the website, said Dr Chaudhry.

He was leading the eight-member delegation of doctors that visited Amritsar on Thursday and interacted with the local health authorities regarding the prevalence of cancer cases in the region.

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 16
Claiming that they faced political pressure during procurement seasons, officials of various procurement agencies today demanded that their inspectors be extended security cover during the approaching paddy procurement season.

Akshar Kumar, general secretary of the Food Grains Agencies Coordination Committee and state president of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation (PSWC) said political leaders, senior government functionaries and deputy commissioners forced inspectors of procurement agencies to lift produce from the grain markets instantly.

“This is done to express solidarity with farmers, even if the produce does not match the set standards of procurement,” he said.

Officials of procurement agencies of Punjab like PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, PSWC, Punsup and the Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation (PAFC) said double standards of the government were the main reason behind rotting of tonnes of wheat and paddy in the state.

Baljit Gill, state president of the PAFC, Vidhu Shekhar Bhardwaj of Punsup and procurement inspectors of other agencies lamented that just one inspector was deployed to take care of procurement at more than three grain markets.

“As one inspector cannot effectively keep a check on the quality or quantity of foodgrains lying in more than two markets, standards are set aside and only lifting is done, without looking into the quality of foodgrains,” said Devinder Singh Suri, Inspector, Procurement and Storage.

Inspectors alleged that officials of procurement agencies were forced to lift foodgrains by every means.

Besides using political influence, officials go to the extent of threatening procurement inspectors with dire consequences. An inspector was even brutally beaten up by some unscrupulous elements near Jalandhar last year.

They pointed out that wheat or paddy so lifted from the market was generally refused by the Central agencies and ultimately left to rot in open godowns.

Expressing concern over the alarming situation of rotten wheat and paddy due to chaos during the procurement season, Balvir Singh Rajewal, state president of the BKU (Rajewal), admitted that procurement agencies were forced to lift poor quality foodgrains due to political interference.

Similar chaos was also likely to be witnessed during the coming paddy procurement season, he added. Since October 15 to November 22 was ideal period to sow wheat, farmers would try their best to sell off their entire paddy lot before that.

“Paddy procurement is likely to begin after the first week of October. Farmers are trying their best to sell off their entire stock by hook or crook. Procurement is supported by government that send secretaries, deputy commissioner and other officials to ensure immediate lifting of stock in the name of smooth lifting,” said Rajewal.

This year, there was even a greater possibility of paddy with high moisture content being dumped into the markets due to late arrival. “Despite this, the state government would order immediate lifting of paddy, which the Central agencies will ultimately not accept,” said another inspector.

Chandigarh, September 16
In another attempt to splinter the prosecution theory of human bomb killing Punjab’s then CM Beant Singh, the defence today claimed that Beant Singh was sitting in the car when the explosion took place. The assertion, hinting at the bomb being inside the vehicle, marks a clear departure from the prosecution story that Beant Singh was about to enter the car when the human bomb triggered off the blast.

As the appeals filed in the assassination case came up for hearing before Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar this morning, senor advocate Baldev Singh said it was clear from the statements of the prosecution witnesses that on August 31, 1995, around 5.10 pm, Beant Singh was sitting on the car’s rear seat and was killed in the blast not triggered by the “human bomb”.

Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in the explosion outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The RDX, stuffed in a belt, was used by “human bomb” Dilawar Singh to cause the explosion. Convicts Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh are facing death sentence. Three other convicts, Shamsher Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Baldev Singh added that even the prosecution, in its version, had claimed that Beant Singh was talking to Dr Anil Duggal on the car’s rear seat while ASI Jagdish Singh was holding the door.

Referring to the trial court judgment, he said the findings that Beant Singh was about to enter the car was “illegal and manifestly wrong”.

The senior advocate reiterated that the prosecution had failed to prove that the legs and skull were of Dilawar Singh. Even if it was established that the body parts were his, the prosecution had not been able to prove that he was the human bomb. At the most, one could presume that he was also a blast victim.

Baldev Singh added that Shamsher Singh’s confessional statement could not be said to be voluntary and was procured in police custody. In fact, he was in Punjab Police’s custody before being handed over to the CBI.

Chandigarh, September 16
There will be five sittings during the eight-day monsoon session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha starting here on September 24.A tentative programme released by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretariat indicates that besides obituaries on the opening day, the penultimate day will be dedicated to non-official business thus leaving three sittings to transact all legislative business.

Since the State Vidhan Sabha is scheduled to hold three sessions in a year -- winter, budget and monsoon -- the maximum gap between two sittings of the House can be six months. And since the last Budget session ended in the last week of March, the SAD-BJP government had no choice but to convene the session in the last week of this month.

Though details of legislative business are still being worked out, the coming session has assumed a special significance as former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, whose expulsion from the House has been set aside by the Supreme Court, will return to the floor of the House.

Since the North Zone session of the Congress that was scheduled to be held at Mohali from September 27 has been postponed, Congress Legislature Party has virtually given up its demand for rescheduling of the monsoon sittings of the House.

The revision of salaries and perks of legislators, ministers and Chief Minister that could not be approved by the House during its last Budget session has already been approved by the Punjab Council of Ministers.

The tentative schedule says that on September 24 there will be obituary references before the House is adjourned for two holidays. When it reassembles on September 27, it will undertake legislative business. September 28 is a again a holiday. On September 29, legislative business will be taken up again followed by a day of non-official business on September 30.

On October 1, the last day of the session, the remaining legislative business will be taken up.

Patiala, September 16
State BJP president Ashwani Sharma today asserted that the alliance between the SAD and BJP is going well and the leaders of both the parties enjoy good relations with each other.

Ashwani Sharma, who was in the city to review the party’s organisational set-up as part of the preparations for the next Assembly elections in the state slated to be held in 2012, told the mediapersons that minor differences between the alliance partners was a routine affair and could not be taken seriously.

“But so far, there has been no such incident that can be a threat to our alliance in near future,” he asserted. When asked that despite being in the government, the BJP has time and again accused that they were not being treated well, Sharma tried to play down the issue stating, “We have never asked anything for an individual. Whatever our demands have been, are aimed at welfare of the state and betterment of general masses. But what has happened is that these demands have been projected in a different way.”

Regarding the party’s preparations for the 2012 state Punjab Assembly elections, he said now party unit in the state is framing all policies keeping the next Assembly elections in mind.

“We are reviewing the existing organisational set-up in the state and by October 16, camps of the party’s executive committee will be organised in all districts of the state in order to identify the weak areas (if any),” he said, while adding that subsequently requisite steps would be taken to strengthen the party organisation in the state.

He further said after this exercise, the state would be divided into three zones and training camps for the party activists would be organised in these zones till December 31 this year.

Jalandhar, September 16
A meeting of delegates of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) will be held at the Congress Bhavan on September 18, where a resolution will be passed to empower Congress President Sonia Gandhi to name the next PPCC President.

“All party MPs, MLAs from the state, former PPCC Presidents, leaders of the Mahila wing and other frontal organisations will also attend the meeting,” said Usha Thakkar, who has been asked to conduct the organisational elections in the state.

AICC Secretary RC Khuntia will also attend the meeting. There are 234 newly elected party delegates in Punjab.

Among the front runners for the office of the party President are Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, both former CMs, Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress MP from Gurdaspur, and Jagmeet Singh Brar, a senior party leader. The incumbent PPCC President Mohinder Singh Kaypee is also keen to retain the presidentship.

For the past several weeks, senior leaders are lobbying hard in Delhi for the PPCC presidentship. Sources said in case Kaypee was asked to make way for another party leader, he (Kaypee) would be mostly likely accommodated in the Union Cabinet, the reshuffling of which is expected to take place shortly. The Prime Minister had recently indicated that he was keen to induct young faces into his Cabinet. Kaypee belonged to a community, which has a sizeable vote bank in the state. His induction into the Union Cabinet could prove beneficial for the party in the next Assembly elections, they added.

Chandigarh, September 16
Punjab would run “student-special” buses from various parts of the state to Delhi to facilitate students to watch the Commonwealth Games. The students would be charged only half the normal cost of traveling in the bus.

Cabinet Minister for Transport Master Mohan Lal said the Punjab Roadways would begin service from October 1 and will run till the Games end in mid-October.

Master Mohan Lal said he is writing to the Vice-Chancellors of various universities in the state about the scheme. “The VCs can ask the students in their campuses to form groups who will want to travel together to Delhi to see the Games. The VC can then get in touch with the department and Punjab roadways buses can be made available for the travel. The buses will pick up the student groups from the nearest possible point across the state,” said the minister.

He added that the V-Cs would also be asked to write to the colleges affiliated to their university. “The college students, too, can form their groups and the principals can get in touch with the department to finalise the schedule. These colleges would include the various engineering and medical colleges in the state,” added the minister.

He said he would be writing to the School Education Department as well to encourage the students to watch the Games and make use of this facility being provided by the Punjab roadways. “It is an event that happens very rarely in India and the youth should make the most of it. It is our duty to provide facilities to the students if they wish to go to watch the Games,” said the minister.

The cost of travel to Delhi for these students would be half of the normal rates. “Depending on which bus is chosen, the students would be charged half,” he added.

Patiala, September 16
Heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla are likely to visit the city next month when they will be in India for the Commonwealth Games. They will visit New Moti Bagh Palace of former state CM Amarinder Singh after the inauguration ceremony of the Games in Delhi.

Sources said here today that the royal couple would be on a private visit and be hosted by Amarinder Singh, who himself was from the erstwhile royal family of Patiala, and his wife Preneet Kaur, who is Minister of State for External Affairs. Arrangements were already underway in view of their visit, they added.

Though it is yet to be confirmed by the British High Commission in Delhi, a team of British officials was in the city recently to prepare for his visit scheduled for October 4, a day after he attends the Games opening ceremony.

A team headed by the private secretary to Prince Charles, Clive Alderton, visited New Moti Bagh Palace here. An exquisite royal banquet was being planned, where the menu would include centuries-old recipes once reserved only for royalty, sources said.

The Prince of Wales first visited the city in March 2006, when Amarinder Singh was the state CM.

Prince Charles is expected to stay for a night here. The royal couple would visit Jodhpur the next day, the sources added. — PTI

Patiala, September 16
Eminent agricultural scientist and breeder Dr KV Prabhu, who secured “basmati” status for PUSA 1121 variety of rice, will be honoured with the “Best Scientist Award” by the Punjab Young Farmers’ Association (PYFA) at the Kisan Mela at Rakhra near here, on September 18.

Dr Prabhu, along with his team of scientists, is credited with the development of 14 varieties of various crops. The latest high-yielding variety of wheat HD 2967, which was identified at the Wheat Barley Breeders’ Meet in New Delhi last year, is in race for being released under the name of PUSA Barlog. The variety, promising a yield of 6.6 tonne per hectare, is likely to replace PBW 343 variety. The latest variety is suitable for sowing over a wide area in the Indo-Gangetic plains and northeastern plains zones, which account for 72 per cent of the total area under wheat cultivation. Prabhu’s other contributions are PUSA Basmati-6 (PUSA 1401) variety of rice and HD 2985 variety of wheat.

PYFA secretary general Bhagwan Dass Gupta said Dr Prabhu had been spearheading genetics programmes at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute since 2006. He said Prabhu had successfully fought for redefining the term “basmati rice” in the country so that Indian farmers could compete effectively in the international market.

Gupta said the scientist was also instrumental in establishing the sole National Phytotron Facility in the country.

Patiala, September 16
A delegation of doctors led by chairman of the in-service doctors’ wing of the IMA, Punjab, DS Bhullar and president of the PCMS Association Dr Jatinder Kansal met Minister of Medical Education and Research, Punjab, Tikshan Sud at Chandigarh yesterday to discuss the demands of medical teachers and PCMS doctors, who are protesting the department’s move to fill more than 80 vacant posts of medical teachers under direct quota.

Stating that the posts have been taken out of the preview of the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), the association leaders demanded to fill all these posts by promotion of doctors, already serving under the state government and waiting for promotions since long, while demanding the abolition of the direct quota posts altogether.

Dr Bhullar and Dr Jatinder Kansal urged the minister to protect the seniority of medical teachers already working on ad hoc basis, as the PPSC had failed to fill these posts in time, thereby leading to ad hocism in the teaching cadre. “Now the doctors working on ad hoc basis are not eligible to apply for the vacant posts of medical teachers because of the condition of minimum age limits fixed under the direct quota,” he said.

Delegation leaders claimed that the minister assured them that he would look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the association leaders also met Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to apprise him of their demands, who promised to take up the issue with the CM.

Patiala, September 16
The Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA) has accused the Punjab Government of adopting discriminatory attitude towards doctors working in rural areas in the state.

Accusing the government of adopting double standards in the regularisation of doctors working in dispensaries in rural areas, coming under zila parishads, state president of the RMSA Dr Aslam Parvez said doctors serving on contractual basis in rural areas for the past over four years had not been regularised.

“On one hand, the government is claiming that it wants to strengthen rural health care, on the other the doctors serving in rural areas are being paid meagre salaries. The pay package being given to rural medical officers must be equivalent to that of PCMS doctors,” Dr Parvez demanded.

He said they did not want to adopt the path of agitation, as it might affect rural health care services. “In case, our demand of regularisation is not conceded to, we would be forced to launch a protest across the state,” he said.

RMSA adviser Dr JP Narula said around 600 doctors serving in rural areas had left Punjab because of low salary and job insecurity over the past four years. “At present, rural doctors on contract are being paid Rs 27,000 per month, whereas the regular PCMS cadre doctors are getting Rs 40,000 monthly salary at the entry level,” he said.

RMSA, Punjab, spokesman Dr Rajesh Sharma said doctors based in urban and semi-urban areas had been given all facilities and hefty salaries, whereas those working in rural areas were being completely ignored and not being given even the basic salary package. “The state government is receiving huge funds from the Union Government for the purpose of rural development and hence motivating rural doctors should have been its priority,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Parvez has urged Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to consider their genuine demands and accept them without any delay.

Tarn Taran, September 16
A large number of farmers staged dharna here today in front of the local civil hospital protesting against the alleged negligence that led to death of a farmer, Gurjant Singh (18).

Gurjant had come here to take part in the dharna of the 17 farmer-worker organisations yesterday, when he felt some uneasiness and went away from the dharna site. He fainted and remained unconscious for more than two hours, after which the police admitted him to the hospital. But he died in the late evening.

The farmers had been alleging that Gurjant died due to the “negligence” on part of doctors, as they failed to give him proper treatment. Gurjant’s parents kept waiting for him the whole night. Partap Singh, father of the deceased, came to know about the death of his son this morning from the city police.

He brought the matter to the farmer leaders. State president of the Kisan Sangarash Committee Satnam Singh Pannu and Pargat Singh Jamarai of Zamhoori Kisan Sabha alleged that the doctors failed to give him proper treatment, which led to his death. The farmers were staging dharna till the filing of this news item.

The farmer leaders told that their main demand include inquiry into the Gurjant’s death and compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the young farmer, including job for one member of the family of the deceased farmer. — OC

Chandigarh, September 16
Taking cognisance of Ferozepur resident Varun Sharma’s complaint alleging issuance of threats of implication and other offences, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission has recommended an inquiry by “an officer not below the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)”.

Varun Sharma, a government contractor in Ferozepur, has alleged that one Ravi Kant entered into a contract for the construction of an engineering college at the Zira Road, Ferozepur. The complainant submitted bills worth Rs 6 crore, but payment of only little more than Rs 4 crore was made. When the complainant asked for payment, he was told by Kant that the payment would be made shortly as loan had been sanctioned by the Saian Wali Kothi Branch of Punjab National Bank at Ferozepur. Since the payments were not cleared, it was told continuation of construction for want of funds would not be possible.

Varun alleged when he demanded money, he was “abused and intimidated”. The complainant also alleged that Kant threatened him with implication in false cases with the help of his cousin RP Mittal, IPS, presently posted as Inspector General (IG) of Police at Amritsar.

“On consideration of the allegations made in the complaint, a prima facie case of violation of human rights is made out for proceeding under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The complaint be registered as a case. A report be called from the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, who may submit his report to the commission before November 3. The matter be enquired into by an officer not below the rank of SSP. Before finalising the report, the statement of the complainant be recorded” reads the order of the commission.

Morinda, September 16
Taking advantage of potholed road near Morinda, an undertrial escaped while being taken from Ropar session courts to Nabha jail. The undertrial, Karamjit Singh, a resident of Doom Chheri village, was being brought to Ropar sessions court in a murder case of Kurali along with his seven accomplices.

Besides eight undertrials, the police vehicle had an ASI, one head constable, four constables and the driver. When the vehicle (PB 65 9083) reached near Punjab National Bank, it slowed down due to potholed road. Taking advantage of the slow speed of vehicle, accused Karamjit Singh jumped off the vehicle. Police sources said a man on motorcycle was following the police vehicle, who later on turned out to be an accomplice of Karamjit Singh.

After jumping off the vehicle, Karamjit fled away with his friend on motorcycle. Till the filing of this report, police parties were on trail of accused who was said to be in Morinda city. On the statements of police party in-charge ASI Gian Singh, one head constable and four constables have been booked under Section 223, 224 and 225 IPC.

DSP Morinda Manminder Singh said head constable Lakhvir Singh and constables Surjit Singh, Dilbagh, Singh, Balvir Singh and Baldev Singh (all posted at Mohali) have been booked for negligence.