Chandigarh, November 9
Haryana’s success story in sports seems to have buoyed Punjab to do better to retain the big brother status. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today released a sports policy that not only targets the young but also speaks about giving them a modern sporting atmosphere and incentivising sportspersons.

While the Deputy CM claimed that Haryana’s success in the CWG had not forced Punjab’s hand, the state has tried to better Haryana to write a success story of its own. Sukhbir said the state had come up with a five-nation international hockey tournament besides organising a world cup in Kabaddi.

The Deputy CM also claimed that Haryana’s success was due to its “akharas” that had promoted wrestlers rather than any effort from the state government. “In fact neither the Centre or the states have given priority to sports and the emerging sportsmen have excelled on their own,” he said.

The sports policy envisages opening of 4-5 sports schools that will enrol talented children from Class VI onwards. These schools would provide world-class infrastructure besides sporting knowledge to the budding sportspersons. Sukhbir said an equal number of colleges would also come up in the state. These sporting bodies will be looked after by the proposed Punjab Institute of Sports, which will be managed by prominent sportspersons and will be financially independent to chart out its own course.

The award money for Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award has been enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh and the backlog of awards will be cleared this year. Monthly pension to Olympic and world cup medallists has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 and that for Asiad and CWG has been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 2,500.

Coaches also stand to gain under the new policy. Coaches whose wards get medals in Olympics or World Cups will be awarded Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. Coaches whose wards score in the Asiad or CWGwill get Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively.

An incentive of Rs 51 lakh will also be given to the university in the state that will win the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad trophy while the universities coming second or third will get Rs 31 lakh and Rs 21 lakh, respectively. Ten group A posts have also been created for sportspersons winning international laurels, according to Secretary (Sports) PS Aujla and Director (Sports) Pargat Singh.

Chandigarh, November 9
Punjab is set to have its own state-level games to encourage sporting excellence with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announcing that first edition of Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games from December 4-12.

The games will involve competitions in 10 disciplines to promote athletics, basketball, football, hockey, kabaddi, shooting, volleyball, boxing, weight lifting and wrestling and will be held at Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali and Jalandhar.

The games will also mean a financial bonanza for the winning teams with the government earmarking award money of Rs 21 lakh for each game. Gold, silver and bronze medal winners in each discipline will be given cash awards of Rs 9 lakh, 7 lakh and 5 lakh, respectively.

Deputy CM and Sports Minister Sukhbir Badal said the basic idea of the championship was to provide a unique platform to sportspersons of the state to inculcate a higher level of competitive spirit.

Based upon the results of the games, sportspersons would be ranked that would help the state in selecting sportspersons for advanced training at national and international levels.

The Deputy CM also announced that the government would organise Indo-Pak games. “Talks are on. If everything goes smooth, we will host Indo-Pak games in next year,” said Badal.

Sukhbir also announced that the Cabinet had recently increased prize money for sportspersons winning laurels for the state. He said Olympic gold medallists stand to earn Rs 2.25 crore while silver and bronze medallists will get Rs 1 crore and Rs 51 lakh, respectively. Commonwealth Games winners will get Rs 16 lakh, Rs 11 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, respectively, while Asiad medallists will get Rs 26 lakh, Rs 16 lakh and Rs11 lakh.

Chandigarh, November 9
Government school teachers in Punjab will have to put in more hours at work. The state Education Department is in the process of issuing a notification that increases the number of working hours for such teachers from the current 36 a week to almost 45 a week.

This notification comes in the wake of preparations for the implementation of the Right to Education Act in the state. While the number of hours that a teacher will have to spend in school has increased, for the students the school hours will remain the same.

The working hours of primary school teachers have been increased by an hour per day. The summer timings for primary government school teachers will now be 8 am to 3 pm. In the winter, their working time will be 9 pm to 4 pm.

Teachers working in upper primary schools (middle schools and senior secondary schools) will have to work one and half hours more every day. The summer timings for these teachers will be 8 am to 3.30 pm and the winter timings for teachers will be 9 am to 4.30 pm.

“The Right to Education Act aims to ensure that teachers have some time to spend in school after the students have left so that they can prepare for next day’s classes, check notebooks or attend to pending paper work,” said a highly placed source in the Education Department.

Sources add that the move to increase the working hours has been cleared by the Minister for Education as well as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The notification is expected to be issued shortly. However, a decision on whether the new timings will be made effective from the current session or the coming one is yet to be taken.

Members of the project approval board (PAB) of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development had at a recent meeting with Punjab officials asked the state to expedite the notification that lays down the minimum number of working hours per week for teachers.

The state had recently notified the minimum number of working days in an academic year in schools. The number of working days for primary classes has now been fixed at 200 and the number of working days for upper primary classes at 220.

In Punjab, with an average of over 30 public holidays in a year, the total number of working days for schools is less than 280. Sources say that in order to meet the requirement of the minimum number of working days, the state will have to probably reduce the length of the summer vacation in middle and senior secondary schools.

Jalandhar, November 9
Jagbir Singh Brar, SAD MLA, today said he would continue to support ousted Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and was not bothered about the action to be taken against him by the party’s disciplinary committee.

The committee, headed by Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, had told Brar to submit a reply to the show-cause notice issued to him for “anti-party” activities by November 10 otherwise action would be taken against him. “Neither will I respond in writing with regard to the notice nor will I appear before the disciplinary committee in person to explain my position,” said Brar. It is expected that the committee will meet tomorrow in Chandigarh to decide on action against Brar and another SAD MLA, Manjinder Singh Kang.

“I feel proud that I am supporting Manpreet Singh Badal, who enjoys wide support and respect among people of the state because of his principled politics and stand on vital issues related to the state,” said Brar. He said Manpreet had been removed from the party for speaking the truth.

Brar said he was mobilising people to visit Amritsar on November 14, the day Manpreet Badal would announce his next course of action after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Temple and after paying tributes as Jallianwala Bagh.

Chandigarh, November 9
Punjab may have to look after the security of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal itself with the Centre making it clear that the security cover of over 100 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel given to the leader would withdrawn after December 31 this year.

Earlier following a review of the threat perception to various politicians, the Union Home Ministry had last month withdrawn over 20 NSG commandos deployed with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal besides the 100 CISF men with Sukhbir. However, the directions were reviewed after the state reacted on the issue.

Now while the NSG commandos will stay with the CM, the Union Home Ministry has made it clear that it would withdraw the CISF men doing duty with Sukhbir after December 31 and has asked the state to make its own arrangements.

The Deputy CM while confirming the development, said he had been provided security based upon the threat perception when he was MP earlier and that the security had been continuing since then. Sukhbir’s aides claim that the threat perception had increased after Sukhbir took over as the Deputy CM and that the central move seemed to lack any logic.

It is a fact that Sukhbir remains high on the target of militant groups who have been trying to regroup in Punjab for the last one year and have even carried out subversive activities in the state recently.

Meanwhile, the state will have to press the newly formed Special Security Group (SSG) into service to cover Sukhbir once the CISF men are withdrawn. SSG Director Sanjeev Kalra, when questioned, said he was confident that the state would be able to look after the Deputy CM’s security in case the central cover was withdrawn.

The SSG Director, when asked whether the SSG men would be adequately trained to take on the responsibility, said training of the men was under way.

Chandigarh, November 9
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today verbally warned the State of Punjab of possible contempt of court proceedings in case apex court directives on installing speed governors in vehicles were not complied with.

As the case came up for hearing before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ajay Tewari, the Bench verbally asked the state of Punjab to tell why the speed governors had not been installed in sync with the Supreme Court guidelines in the matter.

Replying to the query, the state told the court it had approached the Supreme Court and was awaiting further directions. Apparently not convinced, the Bench orally warned that the state could find itself in the contempt loop if the apex court directives on the issue were not complied with. The case will again come up for hearing on November 23.

The observations were made orally by the court and cannot be construed as directions by the Bench. The assertion came during the resumed hearing of a petition filed by an NGO, Suraksha Foundation. It is seeking directions to the states of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to prepare an implementation plan for the installation of electronic speed governors within a specific timeframe for reducing road accidents.

The Bench, only recently, had asserted: “No request for extension of time would be granted by this court in view of the time limit settled by the Supreme Court.”

Ludhiana, November 9
In a startling revelation the newly appointed vice-chairman of the National Commission for Schedule Castes (NCSC) has alleged that the state government had diverted funds meant for providing water treatment and sewerage facility to weaker sections of the society for paying arrears of Powercom. The state government has refuted the allegations.

Rajkumar Verka, who was in the city today, has alleged that the government was ignoring the interests of the Dalits and other weaker sections of society. He asserted that even the funds meant for providing treated water and sewerage facilities to the areas inhabited by them under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission were also misused by the state government for which the commission is going to summon the Chief Secretary.

Verka also alleged that the state government had also misused funds meant for providing jobs to the poor under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. “I have called a meeting of the Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh to monitor complaints,” he added.

On the other hand, refuting the allegations Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia asserted that the funds had been utilised properly. However, he expressed ignorance about any funds being diverted. “Funds come first to the Finance Department, so I can not comment on it,” he added.

Ludhiana, November 9
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has instructed against the use of mercury in hospitals across Delhi and Punjab. It has also asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to take necessary measures to eliminate hazardous medical waste from hospitals across the state.

However, the PPCB instead of issuing orders to hospitals against the use of mercury-based gadgets has written a letter to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Punjab, asking for suggestions. The PPCB is authorised to ensure the implementation of bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules.

Mercury-based equipment includes thermometers, sphygmomanometers, nasogastric tubes, esophageal dilators and dental amalgams. Mercury vapours are colourless and odourless and are toxic. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, a global priority pollutant and a persistent bio-accumulative (it is a process by which a toxic gets accumulated in animal tissues). It persists in the environment for a long time and it is extremely toxic in small amounts.

Exposure to mercury can damage brain, spinal cord, kidneys, eyes and liver. But what is more alarming is that it crosses from placenta, passing from mother to unborn child where it can impact neurological development of the foetus.

Despite the availability of non-mercurial alternatives for the bio-medical equipment, almost all medical institutions in Punjab are using mercury-based equipment.

Civil hospitals, health centres and dispensaries, which function under the Department of Health And Family Welfare, and are already under the scanner of the PPCB for the violation of bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules have also failed to take any measures for the safe disposal of mercury.

However, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Satish Chadra said he would soon get in touch with the Director (Health) so as to ensure the replacement of mercurial equipment with non-mercurial ones. PPCB chairman Rajat Aggarwal was not available for comment.

Patiala, November 9
Irked over the dilly-dallying approach of the Punjab government towards the demand of Rural Medical Officers (RMO) working in rural dispensaries across the state under the jurisdiction of the Zila Parishads, many RMOs today announced that in case the government failed to regularise their service by November 24, they would resort to fast unto death. According to the RMOs, they were forced to take such an extreme decision because of the governments indifference towards their genuine demands.

Speaking to The Tribune, three RMOs posted in different dispensaries in Patiala - Dr Neeru Bedi, Dr Poonam Syal and Dr Sonia were of the opinion that for the past four years, they had been struggling to get their genuine demands conceded, but to no avail.

“During the past four years, around 600 doctors serving in rural areas had left Punjab because of low salary and job insecurity. Presently, rural doctors on contract, are being paid Rs 27,000 monthly, whereas the fresh recruits in regular PCMS cadre are getting Rs 42,000 monthly salary at the entry level, which is injustice with RMOs,” they said.

Accusing the state government of discrimination against the doctors working in the rural areas, Dr Jaswinder Kaur and Dr Shivdeep, both RMOs posted in Sangrur alleged that the government was not concerned with the state of rural healthcare. “While the PCMS doctors, mainly based in urban and semi urban areas, had been given all the facilities and hefty salaries, the rural doctors, who are mainly taking care of the rural populace are being completely ignored and are not being given even the basic salary package", she claimed.

When contacted, state president of the Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA) Dr Aslam Parvez said they were now gearing up for the do or die battle. “It is strange that Punjab CM, Deputy CM and Punjab's Rural Development and Panchayat Minister have time and again appreciated services being provided by RMOs, but our services are not being regularised,” he said.

Rajpura, November 9
Intensifying their agitation, farmers sitting on dharna against setting up of an IT Park on agricultural fertile land of six villages today burnt effigy of Rajpura MLA and Parliamentary Secretary, Raj Khurana.

Raising slogans against the MLA, the farmers alleged that the politicians were trying to encroach upon their precious land for further selling to some businessmen, who were hand-in-glove with some senior politicians.

Farmers said the health of three of the farmers sitting on hunger strike is deteriorating. They said leaders of various Farmers unions had been visiting them and had assured them of full support.

Farmers from Aakar, Aakri, Sehra, Sehri Pabra, and Tahktumajra had been protesting against the setting up of IT Park in 1,369 acres of panchayat land as the marginal and poor farmers would be bereft of their land they had been cultivating for a long time.

Dera Bassi, November 9
Due to lack of forest land along both sides, the Ambala- Chandigarh National highway could not get a single tree till now after losing over 24,000 trees at the time of four lane construction. Now the Forest Department has started the plantation of saplings on other forest lands.

The Forest department officials informed that under the compensatory afforestation scheme, the work of sapling plantation was started at other forest places because the department could not get proper land along this national highway.

The district Forest Officer, Patiala, S K Sagar , who has the additional charge of Dera Bassi sub-division said the Central Forest Department had provided funds to the state Forest Department under the compensatory afforestation scheme for the plantation of saplings along the national highway, but the department could not receive proper land for this purpose.

Under this project, the district Forest Department had received Rs 5 crore and 11 lakh and sapling plantation work was started at Bakarpur forest and Barouli forest near Dera Bassi.

Nearly 20,000 saplings are being planted at these places and 38,000 saplings would be planted at Meerpura Bhogpura forest near Patiala.

Nearly 24,000 trees were axed on both sides of 35-km-long road in 2006, when the national highway was widened. Income from the axed trees had gone in the account of the Central Forest Department.

According to the rules, trees should be planted twice the numbers axed. Though the Centre had transferred the money to the state government under compensatory afforestation scheme, but the lack of land for plantation on both sides of the national highway would result in absence of trees.

Mohali, November 9
For violations under the Pre Natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT), at least 1,321 cases had been registered against the ultrasound centers across the state and licences of 437 centers have either been suspended or cancelled.

In case of another 110 centres, court cases had been lodged, said Laxmi Kant Chawla, Punjab’s Health Minister, while speaking at a state level sensitisation workshop on ‘pre conception and pre natal Diagnostic Technique Act’ held at State Institute of Health and Family Welfare here today.

She said punitive action was part of multifaceted efforts being taken by the government to check the skewed sex-ratio in the state. She further said the department had launched a massive awareness drive in the shape of workshops, seminars, focused group discussions and other mutimedia interventions to highlight the plight of girl child and to motivate society to change its mindset towards the fairer sex.

Justice Hemant Gupta of Punjab and Haryana High Court who was the special guest during the workshop said even if the PNDT act was being implemented thoroughly, yet cent per cent success could not be achieved unless the society plays a pro-active role by changing its psyche towards the girl child.

He said each day nearly 1,800 girl children fall victim to social evils like foeticide or infanticide. Justice Gupta also stressed that the officers should take extra care while filing cases in the courts. Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary Health, elaborated about the multi-pronged strategy adopted by the department to check the menace of female foeticide. He said strict enforcement of PNDT act was being ensured to prevent misuse of technology as also an intensive awareness drive was being undertaken to change the psyche of society towards the girls.

B Purushartha, Mission Director NRHM, Dr J P Singh, Director, Health Services and Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Family Welfare, were also present in the workshop.

During the workshop, different technical sessions like provisions and enforcement of PNDT Act, legal guidance etc, were held by leading experts. Health Department officials from across the state participated in the seminar.

Ferozepur, November 9
It was a pledge taken by Paramjit Kaur that led to the murder of her daughter Pooja and her paramour Rakesh in Kotwal village of this district yesterday. Both teenagers belonging to Scheduled Caste community eloped from their village Nurpur Sethan about one and half months ago as their families disapproved of their relationship.

With the intention of killing them, Paramjit made managed to persuade both Pooja and Rakesh to come back with a promise that they would be married. However, when the two returned, Pooja was sent to Kotwal village to her cousin’s place. Her cousin’s husband Billa was known to Rakesh. He called Rakesh to Kotwal village on the pretext that he would be allowed to meet Pooja. When Rakesh reached at the there, he was taken to the house of one Gurbhej, who was a friend of Billa.

At nightfall, Billa and Bheja brought Rakesh to the fields on the pretext that they must take a stroll. Paramjit was already hiding there. Rakesh was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon by Billa, Bheja and Paramjit. Later, Pooja was also brought there and murdered. SP Harjit Singh Pannu said a case had been registered against Billa, Gurbhej and Paramjit Kaur.