Mauran (Sangrur) September 27
Finally after a month-long ordeal, the poor truck driver from Mauran village in Sangrur, who was charged with attempting to kill Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, got united with his family a few days back. Though after getting a nod from the West Bengal police, Gurjant returned to Sangrur on September 18, he was in deep shock and did not meet anyone. It was only today that Gurjant finally returned to his normal life.

As a TNS team reached his village, Gurjant’s house was abuzz with activity, as a religious programme was on to thank God for his safe return. “The media saved my life,” was Gurjant’s initial reaction when this correspondent spoke to him. Recalling the mishap, he said, the moment the accident took place, Banerjee herself spoke to him and he explained the matter.

“After listening to my argument, Banerjee asked the cops to let me off but still the authorities took me to the police station,” Gurjant said. But he is happy that the West Bengal police treated him very well. “The cops never used abusive language with me. In fact I was served food which the cops would have themselves. That gave me confidence that I will get justice,” he said, while adding that he was lodged in 
Tamluk Jail in Kolkata for two days.

Gurjant was arrested and booked for rash driving initially on August 9 but was let off on August 11. Immediately afterwards, he was charged with conspiracy and attempt to murder Banerji and re-arrested and sent in 12-day police remand. On August 25, Gurjant got interim bail till September 8 from Tamluk court in East Midnapore district against a bail bond of Rs 5,000. Later extending Singh’s bail plea till November 30, the Tamluk court in East Midnapore district allowed the truck driver to return to his home in Punjab.

”Sri Guru Singh Sabha of Rashbehari Avenue, an organisation of the Sikh community in Kolkata, threw its weight behind me. They supported me and after bail I stayed in a gurdwara in Kolkata. I am overwhelmed with the gesture of the Sikh community in Kolkata”, Gurjant said, while adding that the way politicians from Punjab helped him to get out of jail had changed his opinion about politicians.

When asked whether he was ready to face a long legal battle, Gurjant said, “The authorities in the West Bengal police have told me that most likely charges against me will be dropped and I will be a free man on November 30, the next date of hearing.” After being re-united with his family, Gurjant was extremely happy and the truck that was impounded after the accident has also been released. Gurjant’s family got monetary help from various quarters.

Hussainiwala, September 27
All 29 gates of Hussainiwala barrage were opened today after 22 years to divert the flood water of a swollen Sutlej to Pakistan. The Irrigation and Drainage Department authorities opened the gates of the barrage, located at a stone’s throw from the Radcliffe line, when the level of water rose high into the Hussainiwala pond.

Official sources said the total discharge of water from the local barrage touched a high of 56,565 cusecs. The level of water in the Hussainiwala pond was expected to go up further as discharge from the Harike downstream was around 58,000 cusecs and this water would reach Hussainiwala tonight.

“We have opened all gates of the Hussainiwala barrage so that maximum water could be allowed to pass from it in the shortest possible time to avoid flooding of areas in its pocket,” pointed out Jaswant Singh Sandhu, Executive Engineer (Xen), Drainage, Ferozepur, adding that earlier all gates were opened in 1988, when Ferozepur district witnessed devastating floods.

It is learnt that the level of opening of gates ranged from one foot to three and a half feet. The level would be adjusted according to the quantum of water received here from Harike headworks.

Meanwhile, in the Fazilka sector, where the water level has gone high in the old creek of the Sutlej, Army personnel have been working round the clock to save the defence bundh, erected during the Kargil war.

Meanwhile, gushing water has also inundated the cobra wire fencing for a few kilometres in the DT Mal sector. 

Jalandhar, September 27
The Health Department today placed an order to procure 100 folding beds for the local Civil Hospital to cope with the heavy rush of patients. Dengue and viral fever has tightened its grip over this city for the past few days. “We have placed an order for beds and these would reach the hospital in the next two days,” said a senior official of the Civil Hospital.

Four more dengue patients were added today to the earlier list of 141 patients in the city. The number of dengue patients in the state has gone up to 245. There is also a heavy rush of patients in the private hospitals.

Adopting another measure to cope with the rush, the local ESI hospital has also been attached to the Civil Hospital. Patients admitted to the local Civil Hospital would also be accommodated in the building of the ESI hospital.

Earlier, patients and their attendants were bringing their own beds. However, in case of shortage even after procuring 100 new beds, the attendants of patients will be told to bring their own beds.

A platelets counting machine has been requisitioned from the Nabha Civil Hospital to quicken the pace of sample testing. Another apheresis machine, which is used to separate blood platelets, has been requisitioned from the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, keeping in view the growing number of patients. The number of such machines has gone up to three in the Civil Hospital and these can now separate the platelets of 72 persons in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, RL Bhatia, state nodal officer for vector diseases, contagious viral diseases, etc today visited the Civil Hospital. Blood samples of all patients admitted to the hospital were collected.

Chandigarh, September 27
Punjab Irrigation Department engineers are all set to pass a resolution against Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Arun Goel on September 29 and in case no action is taken in the matter relating to his actions, they will proceed on leave.

The engineers will also resort to a public protest against the bureaucrat on September 29 after holding a meeting of their general house to protest against Goel’s “autocratic, egoistic and arrogant” behaviour.

The engineers allege that the Principal Secretary is not only “hot headed” and passed derogatory comments against them but that he is fond of issuing charge sheets. They claim in a case pertaining to non-completion of work at Banur 57 persons have been chargesheeted. Similarly, they claim 65 engineers have been chargesheeted for failing to collect “abiana” (tax on canal water) despite the fact that this collection is the responsibility of the district magistrate.

The latest provocation is the transfer of six executive engineers and two superintending engineers two days ago. The senior officers have been accused of collaborating with contractors to ensure only single tenders were filled for as much as 50 per cent of tenders worth 
Rs 53 crore.

Association general secretary Rachhpal Singh Buttar claims the officers have been accused of mala fide without any proof and without even opening the technical bids of the tenders. Buttar alleges this as well as other cases in which Goel has needlessly targeted engineers has resulted in an atmosphere of distrust in the department.

However, it is a fact that e-tendering, which has been introduced in the state in the last six months, has saved money for the state with the value of work tenders going down. Under the present system all estimates are sent to the Technical Adviser to the Chief Minister, which has also resulted in further savings.

The Principal Secretary, Irrigation, when questioned on the issue, said he had recently received a report that some engineers had collaborated with contractors, which resulted in only single tenders for a large number of works. Goel claimed this was not possible if the tendering process was transparent and that action had been taken against officers due to this.

Goel also said that he was working as per government norms and that he was not a fool to pass any derogatory remark against any engineer. “In fact I have issued a letter of appreciation to an executive engineer who has brought this bungling to our notice,” he said, adding much more delegation of powers had been given to chief engineers now than ever before.

Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, when questioned on the issue, said he had just returned from abroad and would like to find out about the entire issue before giving his comments. 

Nurpur Bedi, September 27
In a bid to give tough opposition to the toll plaza coming over Saran ke Pattan bridge, Congress leaders here have decided to start a chain of agitation.Congress leader Romesh Dutt Sharma stated that on October 2 people from several nearby villages would meet at gurdwara in Bassi village to discuss the issue.

“Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had claimed that the bridge was a gift to poor people of Nurpur Bedi. Now the government was all set to tax its own gift and dig into pockets of the common man,” he said.

The government had already floated tenders for setting up the toll plaza, which would initially collect toll for a period of one year.

Sources in the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) said collection of toll tax after a year might be decided later.

The toll for three-wheelers has been fixed at Rs 36 for one side and Rs 56 for up and down. Similarly, tractors and trolleys will be charged Rs 120 and vehicles carrying construction material will be charged Rs 260 for one side and Rs 320 for up and down.

“Most of the beneficiaries of the bridge are poor farmers, many of whom have half of their landholdings on one side of river and half on the other side,” Dutt added.

However, the PIDB has spent around Rs 55 crore on the project and plans to collect funds from over 80 villages that will be using the bridge over the Sutlej.

Not only the Congress leaders, but also SAD leaders from Anandpur Sahib, including MLA Sant Ajit Singh, are not happy with the government’s move to collect toll on a project that has been pending for the past six decades.

Chandigarh, September 27
The cash-strapped state government has announced a largesse for its retired and retiring employees. Those who have retired since January 1, 2006, will now get arrears towards leave encashment for 10 months.

The announcement came in the form of a notification issued by the Governor on Friday last as part of the recommendations by the Fifth Pay Commission. This largesse comes at a time when the state is running into a huge fiscal deficit and is raising Rs 6,500 crore as external commercial borrowings. The deficit on revenue account for this financial year alone is estimated at over Rs 3,700 crore.

Time and again, the state has been pleading with the Centre to increase its limit for borrowing money from the market. In fact, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal today said state government officials would approach the Government of India next week so that the borrowing limit of the state could be increased.

The move comes at a time when the SAD-BJP alliance is preparing itself to face the next general election due in February 2012. Incidentally, with the BJP crying foul about ignoring the urban voters (BJP’s core vote bank), this move seemingly appears to be aimed at wooing them.

The notification issued last Friday says the state government has decided to, “Make payment of arrears on account of enhanced leave encashment on the basis of revised basic pay under the Punjab Civil Servants (Revised Pay) Rules, 2009, to those employees who retired during the period January 1, 2006, to July 31, 2009, shall become payable with effect from and shall be paid forthwith”.

Meanwhile, the state government has also approved employees’ demand for rural area allowance, calculated at six per cent of revised basic pay. This will be effective from from April 1, 2011. The demand for ex-gratia payment has also been accepted and the enhanced rate would be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2006.

Sangrur, September 27
Angered by the “shame” brought by the organisers of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) to the nation, President of the Cycling Federation of India and MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today said that he would raise the issue of the alleged corruption in organising the CWG strongly after the games were over.

“I am quite upset by bunglings in organising the CWG and will raise the issue after the completion of the games,” Dhindsa told mediapersons on the sidelines of the foundation stone-laying cerermony of a sub-yard to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore on 51 bighas of land in Rampur village near Bhawanigarh. “Since more than a thousand players from across the world have come to India for participating in the CWG, it becomes our duty to lend a helping hand at this point of time for the successful completion of games,” Dhindsa said.

He said the state government had also given its approval for the completion of sewerage work in Bhawanigarh. This would cost an estimated Rs 34 lakh.

The biggest upset for the organisers of the function was the absence of Chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal. 

Amritsar, September 27
Residents of the holy city have welcomed the approval of the master plan for Amritsar and expect that it would herald its planned growth. The establishment of the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) in 2007 had made it mandatory for the government to prepare a master plan envisaging planned growth of the city.

A meeting of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Board chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was held today at Chandigarh to discuss the issue.

Burgeoning commercial activity concentrated in few areas like Mall Road, Lawrence Road, Madan Mohan Malvia Road, Albert Road, Ranjit Avenue and Court Road is adding to the woes of the residents, said Naresh Johar, a citizen.

Recently, an attempt by the district administration to decongest surroundings of the Golden Temple received a jolt as the residents, especially traders, protested against it.

The ongoing haphazard expansion of residential areas has seen the city bursting at the seams. Hence, it was imperative to have a master plan so that civic amenities could reach every nook and corner.

Punjab Urban Development Authority had detected 343 illegal colonies in the city, which was reported by these columns on April 24.

A resident of Circular Road, Rupinder Kaur, said since the trend of turning the residential areas into commercial ones set in, many had sought an approval through land use change that had worsened traffic scenario in the city.

A progressive agriculturist of Majitha, Sukhwinder Singh, welcomed the master plan for incorporating the adjoining towns of Jandila, Rayya, Rajasansi and Majitha. He said Manawala and Daburji village on Amritsar-Jalandhar Road and villages around Rajasansi International Airport had seen a turnaround during the recent phase of development and prices of real estate had skyrocketed. However, this growth eluded the residents of these towns.

Earlier, district chapter of the Punjab Rice Millers Exporters’ Association had taken umbrage at the plan. They said the draft did not include rice industries situated along both sides of the Tarn Taran road. They had submitted a memorandum to the government in this regard.

Associate Professor, Guru Ramdas School of Planning of Guru Nanak Dev University, Balvinder Singh greeted the acceptance of heritage and religio-cultural importance of the city, and granting of special status to the walled city as a heritage zone. 

Amritsar, September 27
Wasil Khan (43), who had been languishing in various jails of Punjab for the past one decade, is all set to return to his native place in Bihar with the district administration receiving orders from Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Mehtab Singh Gill for his release.

Branded as a Pakistani, Khan was slapped as many as 11 cases, including that of illegal border crossing. Besides, his name was also dragged in Sirhind bomb blast case. While he was released from other charges, Khan was convicted for illegal crossing over. He served an eight-year term in Nabha jail for illegal trespassing on this side of the border and was recently shifted to Amritsar.

“We have informed Khan’s family members in Bihar. He will be reaching there today evening or by tomorrow,” Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said, adding that Khan would be handed over to his family in a day or two.

Originally hailing from Nekerdehi village in East Champaran (formerly Motihari district) of Bihar, Khan’s real identity came to light when his sister Mohzara Khatoon and brother-in-law Shahid Raza Khan met him in jail and also handed over the documents pertaining his Indian nationality to the Deputy Commissioner and jail authorities. Pannu took up his matter with Justice Gill, who was on a visit to Amritsar Central Jail recently.

Wasil Khan was caught by the Border Security Force in 2000 near Indo-Pak border in Gurdaspur district. He was handed over to the police as he failed to explain his identity. He was later branded as a Pakistan national.

Punjab State Human Rights Commission had also taken cognisance of the case and sought report from the administration.

Meanwhile, Khan’s family has demanded a high-level probe into his branding as a Pakistani national and later slapping charges of a bomb blast. “What compensation the government would give for the sentence he has served for crime he never committed?” they said. 

Kapurthala, September 27
The state government today announced that it would soon issue appointment letters to over 7,000 teachers in the state.The Education Department will appoint 7,654 master cadre lecturers and vocational teachers within 15 days, Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur said here.

She announced that the department would recruit 3,624 elementary-trained teachers and said an advertisement in this regard would be published soon in the newspapers. Following the vacation of stay orders on recruitment of the teachers by the Punjab and Haryana High court on September 23, the Education Department will be issuing appointment letters, she said. — PTI

Dera Bassi, September 27
All India Youth Federation would hold its national conference at Jalandhar from September 28 to October 1 to mark the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. This was said by Dr Joginder Dyal, former president of the federation here today.

Nearly 1,000 delegates representing various states and Union Territories would take part in the conference. Apart from it, some foreign delegates would also be part of the event, said Dyal.

A huge rally on September 28 would mark the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The rally would be addressed by CPI general secretary AB Bardhan.

Criticising the anti-people policies of the Punjab government and the Centre, Dyal claimed that over 15 crore youth are jobless in the country. Education had become commercialised and the poor cannot afford it, he said.

The price rise and unemployment were the direct result of ‘wrong’ economic policies of the UPA government, he alleged.

Adviser of Rozgar Prapti Chetna movement Jagroop Singh and former president of the federation Prithipal Marimegha said the youth should get inspired from the ideology of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The conference would discuss problems related to youth and economic and political situation of country, they added.

Patiala, September 27
Faculty members of Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, staged a dharna in front of the hospital here today. They were protesting against the non-acceptance of demands of medical and dental teachers. Besides senior and junior residents, students of the institute also participated in the protest.

Dr JPS Walia, president of the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association, Dr Gurmeet Singh Bhagowalia, Dr AS Sidhu, ex-convener of the association, Dr Jatiner Kansal, president of the PCMS Association, and Dr DS Bhullar of the IMA addressed the gathering and demanded immediate acceptance of their pending demands.

After the rally, the executive committee of the association held a meeting to review the situation and formed a joint action committee to decide on future course of action. The committee comprised Dr Jatinder Kansal, president, PCMS Association, Dr Neelam Kumar, vice-president, and Dr Dinesh Passi, PCMS Association general secretary, Dr DS Bhullar from ISDW-IMA, Punjab, Dr Baljeet Singh Dhillon, ex-president of the association and convener of the Retired Medical and Dental Teachers, Amritsar, and Dr Dalbir Singh of the Retired Medical and Dental Teachers Association of Medical College, Patiala.

The joint action committee demanded immediate acceptance of their demands. The committee also regretted the inconvenience caused to the patients and the public due to the protest rally.

They demanded that a meeting of the departmental promotion committee (DPC) should be immediately convened and the vacant posts filled through promotion, besides regularising ad hoc medical and dental teachers of government medical and dental colleges of the state.

They said time-bound promotions should be granted to all medical and dental teachers as assured by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the past, besides abolishing the direct recruitment notification (dated September 3) to stop entry of doctors from other states so that serving and unemployed eligible doctors of Punjab could be adjusted, they added.