Dy CM meets Delhi Metro team
Chandigarh, November 16
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with a high-level team of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to discuss the proposed metro rail project for Ludhiana.

SS Gill endorses issues raised by Manpreet
Jalandhar, November 16
Eminent economist Sucha Singh Gill today said former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s agenda would be of huge attraction to people, especially the middle class, youth and educated persons, in the state. 

Chandigarh, November 16
Faced with the rising popularity of his nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has decided to “woo” disgruntled leaders back into the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) fold.

Sources said the Chief Minister would visit the house of former All-India Youth Akali Dal president Kiranbir Kang at Mohali tomorrow for breakfast.

Kang had resigned from the post in February last following differences with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and patron of the Youth Akali Dal Bikramjit Singh Majithia. His resignation letter had stated: “I understood that the party did not need genuine principled leaders, but weaklings.”

The sources added that last year when Kang had aired his grievances, Sukhbir was dismissive of all problems that Kang had put forth. Kang, who had earlier been the vice- president of the Youth Akali Dal, was made its president in April 2008.

Just before his resignation, he had also objected to the growing “interference” of Majithia in his affairs.

The sources said Sukhbir had send messages to Kang sometime last month following which the ice was broken between the two. It is said Sukhbir had asked Kang to “forget and forgive and move ahead as a devoted soldier of the party”. It is learnt that Kang told Sukhbir that he could too have behaved the way Manpreet had done 
but he had continued to remain within the party and decided not to betray his leaders.

Kang was a SAD candidate for the Kharar Assembly segment in 2002 but had lost to Congress candidate Bir Devinder Singh. It remains to be seen what the Chief Minister has now offered Kang in order to woo him back into the mainstream Akali politics.

Chandigarh, November 16
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal held a meeting with a high-level team of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to discuss the proposed metro rail project for Ludhiana.

An official release said the state had earlier requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to conduct a feasibility study for a mass rapid transport system in Ludhiana. It said the cost of the metro project was estimated at Rs 6,600 crore. According to a detailed project report, the first corridor of the Ludhiana Metro will be 15.7-km long, with 14 stations while the second corridor would be 13-km long, with 13 stations.

A team of the DMRC gave a detailed presentation to Sukhbir and discussed various financial models for the scheme. The Deputy CM asked officials to explore various alternatives and expedite the processing of detailed project report.

Sukhbir Badal, on assuming charge in January 2009, had promised for Mass Rapid Transport System including, a metro for Ludhiana. The DMRC took one and half year to conduct detailed feasibility study of the project.

Jalandhar, November 16
Eminent economist Sucha Singh Gill today said former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s agenda would be of huge attraction to people, especially the middle class, youth and educated persons, in the state. “Obviously, Manpreet Singh has brought a waft of fresh air to the polluted political atmosphere of the state,” said Dr Gill endorsing some of the issues raised by the former FM.

Elimination of the “VIP culture” was one of the most significant issues taken up by Manpreet Singh. The middle class would be pleased because it had been feeling harassed and bothered by the “VIP culture”. “Going back to people to get feedback from them appeared to be a wise decision,” said Dr Gill commenting on Manpreet’s programme to speak to people in each constituency in the next six months.

More points on Manpreet’s agenda would unfold in due course when he would move in the countryside and make his views known on several other issues bothering people. What he had announced about corruption, unemployment, drugs, health, education and the economy seemed to be the preliminary agenda, said Dr Gill.

Not to use religion to secure votes and to keep it a personal affair was a step in the right direction, Dr Gill added.

Dr Ranjit Singh Ghuman, another eminent economist, said corruption had become the biggest problem in the state. “In fact, black money earned through corruption was almost equal to 50 per cent of the GSDP in the state”, said Dr Ghuman.

Manpreet Singh’s declaration on zero tolerance for corruption was a most important issue. Talking about not more than two successive terms for a Minister, Dr Ghuman said it would be difficult to implement. Instead, a performance index should be fixed for Ministers and those not performing to that level should not be given a second term as Minister. He said he was all for the elimination of the “VIP culture”. He said elected representatives, especially Ministers, were no more accountable to people in the state because they won elections by using money and muscle power and rode roughshod over people.

The CPI leader, Dr Joginder Dayal, said Manpreet Singh had raised some vital issues. But there were several other issues. “Let us all join hands to remove the ills faced by the political and administrative system in the state”, he said, adding that it appeared that Manpreet might emerge as a leader of the “third alternative” in the state.

Hari Ke (Ferozepur),November 16
After many years, the Hari Ke wetland - which came into existence after the construction of a barrage over the confluence of the Sutlej and the Beas here and is spread over Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala districts - has started providing best environment for migratory birds, which has started arriving here in a large number.

It is learnt that the number of birds that have been arriving from Siberia and Central Asia to this wetland now a days, is more than the number of birds that were arriving to this one of the biggest bird sanctuaries of the country during the corresponding period last year.

What has made this lake, which is spread over 41 km, to attract a large number of migratory birds is the fact that after many years, the water of the lake is clean as compared to the status of water in the past few years. The surface of the lake is less covered by hyacinths as compared to the last year.

“So far, the number of birds that have arrived here is around 20,000. They have been coming in hordes from different parts of the globe daily,” said Malkit Singh, a guide-cum-boat driver of the sanctuary. He added that last year, the number of birds, which had arrived here till November 15, was less as the winter got delayed and the level of water in the lake was less.

“What has made bird lovers happy this year is the fact that a bird named great adjutant, which is under great threat and has become a rare species, was also seen in the sanctuary during the initial days of migration. The total number of such birds was eight,” he said, adding that these birds, which had come from Central Asia, had further gone to wetlands situated in Gujarat.

It is learnt that the birds that had descended on this lake so far included coots, widgeon, gadwall, great egret, Siberian gulls,white eye duck, pintail duck, brown headed gulls, yellow legged gulls, slender billed gulls, greater crested grebe, marsh harrier, merlin, green shank, common red shank, spotted red shank, common sand piper, green sand piper, wood sand piper and snipe.

Officials deployed at the sanctuary said they had been taking care of the fact that winged guests, which had started providing a colourful life to the wetland, were not disturbed by anyone. Unscrupulous elements, who indulged in catching fishes from the lake, were being dealt with strictly.

Bathinda, November 16
The announcement of the new date of the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2009, on December 19 has evoked mixed response from thousands of applicants.

The exam that was being rescheduled for the past one year has resulted in dilemma for a few hundred students, who are also taking the National Eligibility Test (NET) to be conducted by the Council of Industrial and Scientific Research (CSIR) as it will clash with the PCS exam.

Following this, job aspirants are in a fix as they are left with no alternative but to leave one of the two exams.

“Earlier, the authorities kept on delaying the exam now, when they have now finally agreed to conduct it, we are being victimised. They should consider the other exam schedules before finalising their date sheet,” rued Deepak Monga, who claims to have prepared for both the tests and even deposited the fee for taking them.

Despite repeated attempts, PPSC chairman SK Sinha could not be contacted and the secretary (examination) Inderjit Sandhu refused to comment on the issue.

However speaking over the phone, Dalbir Singh Mahal, a PPSC member, said, “The matter has come to our notice but it is now impossible to postpone the test further as it had already been delayed for a long period. Still, I will put up the matter at the meeting of the commission on November 19.”

Chandigarh: The state Government appointed Suresh Kumar as the Financial Commissioner, Cooperation against a vacant post here on Tuesday. He will also hold the additional charge of Principal Secretary Technical Education. SK Sandhu has beenappointed as the new Secretary PWD (B&R) and Vikas Garg as Managing Director Punjab Agro. Garg will also hold additional charge of Additional Registrar (Admin) Cooperative Societies.

Romila Dubey has been appointed Chairperson of the Anomalies Committee with CS Talwar as secretary of the committee. — TNS

Ferozepur, November 16
The Railway authorities will be counselling 2,000 drivers, of the electrical and loco diesel engines, to increase awareness regarding safety norms and minimising the chances of accidents.

The Ferozepur Railway Division is one of the biggest, in terms of area and length of track in the country. In the past four years this division has got maximum number of unmanned railway crossings and has witnessed 13 fatel accidents.

Official sources said the division has started the counselling exercise today and will conclude on November 25. During the counselling session, 2,000 drivers and co-drivers will be informed on the rules of crossing signals. They will also be advised to not drive the trains under the influence of intoxicants. Information regarding speed restrictions during foggy days will also be imparted to combat the problem of low visibility.

The Ferozepur Railway Division authorities have previously organised a series of counselling classes in the government run and private schools, the panchayat ghar, sarpanches and members of panchayats located in various districts of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pardesh to educate the masses. These areas are dotted with unmanned level crossings with several fatal accidents taking place.

Mohali, November 16
Punjab will soon have emergency medical response services under which 240 state-of-the-art ambulances will be put on roads through out the state, said Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Health Minister, Punjab, while speaking at a one-day state-level advocacy workshop on National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) organised here today.

He said an agreement in that regard had already been signed and the project would be implemented in a phased manner. Under the first phase, 90 ambulances would be made operational by March next year. The first few ambulances were likely to reach in December itself.

Chawla, who inaugurated a workshop on the premises of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC), said an important objective of the NRHM, which was launched by Government of India in 2005 to strengthen the health care services across the nation, especially to provide need-based medical facilities in rural areas, was to bring down infant and maternal mortality rates. A sum of Rs 800 crore had been spent on improving infrastructure at health centres in order to provide better medical facilities to the people living in rural areas.

Speaking about the good progress made under institutional deliveries component, the minister said 96,000 deliveries took place at government hospitals last year. The figure had gone up to 1.2 lakh deliveries this year. Citing an example of Gujarat, Chawla said religious bodies and panchayats there were giving special diet to pregnant women and there was need to adopt the same system in Punjab as well.

B Purushartha, Mission Director, NRHM, Punjab, said health institutions from village to district level had been strengthened under the NRHM.

He said village health and sanitation committees had been formed and funds were being provided to them for better functioning.

Among those who spoke on the occasion included Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Raji P Srivastava, Managing Director, PHSC, Dr JP Singh, Director, Health Services, Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Family Welfare, and Dr Rakesh Kumar, Director, Ayurveda. 

Jalandhar, November 16
The Punjab Phacotigers Team, which was lead by renowned ophthalmologist and professor Jagat Ram, from the Advanced Eye Centre, PGI, Chandigarh, has done proud to the region by winning the Ophthalmic Premier League Trophy at the Annual conference of North Zone Opthalmological Society (NZOS-Uttara Eyecon-2010) held at Mussoorie.

The team comprising Dr JS Thind from Jalandhar, Dr GS Brar from Chandigarh and Dr Vikas Mittal from Ambala, were adjudged the best for presenting surgical video of innovative and challenging cases.

The Punjab Phacotigers took lead from three other teams from Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai under the captainship of Dr D Ramamurthy, Dr Keiki Mehta and Dr S Natarajan, respectively.

Dr Jagat Ram said over 700 eye specialists from across the country participated in the conference and shared their experiences and views. More than 80 presentations were made by them. Dr Anupam Banger from the Advanced Eye Centre, the PGIMER, Chandigarh won the Dr Prem Chandra Award for her presentation on Ahmed Glaucoma Valve for glaucoma cases resistant to medical therapy, he added.

Dr Ram, chairman Scientific Committee, North Zone Ophthalmological Society, revealed that over 30 young ophthalmologists competed for this award. Prof Indu Khurana from the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, the PGIMS, Rohtak, won the best poster award for her original work on “Experimental study of extraocular muscle sensitivity to occulo-depressor reflex.” Dr Jaspreet Sukhija from the Advanced Eye Centre, the PGI, Chandigarh, won best video on use of Silicone band in squint surgery.

A team of ophthalmologists from the Government Medical College, Chandigarh, won the quiz contest on Uvea.

Chandigarh, November 16
Nearly three years have lapsed since the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notice of motion on a petition filed by PPSC Chairman Sanjit Kumar Sinha, but CM Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal have still not filed their replies in the matter.

As the case came up for hearing before Justice K.C. Puri today, Sinha’s counsel Jasjit Singh Bedi again brought the fact to the court’s notice. Bedi asserted the allegations of mala fide levelled in the petition against the father and the son would stand admitted, as they had chosen not to file their replies.

Taking note of the assertion, Punjab’s Additional Advocate-General Naresh Kumar Sanghi was asked by the high court to seek instructions whether the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister wanted to file their replies to the issues raised in the petition.

The high court, during the initial hearings, had directed the state against initiating steps to arrest Sinha without intimating it. So far, Vigilance chief Sumedh Singh Saini is among the ones who have filed a reply to controvert the allegations. Appearing on the state’s behalf, Sanghi had earlier told the high court that in view of the affidavit, additional affidavits by the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister would only add to the burden.

Sanghi had also told the court that the apprehensions of arrest expressed by the petitioner were misconceived and the directions to the police to inform the court before proceeding against Sinha in “any case” would amount to blanket orders.

Taking up Sinha’s petition against the state CM and five other respondents, Justice Mahesh Grover in 2008 had observed: “Advocate for the petitioner contends the petitioner is sought to be victimised on account of political vendetta with the change of guard in the state of Punjab.”

Patiala, November 16
The Patiala police today claimed to have achieved a major breakthrough with the arrest of seven members of an Inter-State Malkhan gang of Madhya Pradesh that were behind several cases of loot, snatching and theft incidents. The kingpin of the gang Malkhan Singh figures among those arrested. The main target of this gang was the marriage palaces and banks. Besides, arresting seven members of the gang, including two kids, two women and three men, the police has recovered gold ornaments worth ` 2.25 lakhs, ` 75,000 in cash and weapons.

Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said preliminary investigations showed that the gang is basically from MP and used to commit crime in other states also, including Punjab. “The accused have confessed that they had committed more than 18 crime incidents in New Delhi, Meerut, Bulandshehar, Yamunanagar, Kapurthala and Rajpura. They have been involved in theft incidents at marriage palaces of Rajpura, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP,” he said. Some of the gang members are already facing trial in various courts and some of them are proclaimed offenders.

When asked about the involvement of the kids in the crime, SSP said, “The kids, identified as Aman and Dhanraj, working with the gang were given specialised training. They used to wear good clothes in order to get entry into the marriage palace. And on getting right opportunity, they used to take away the bag of the jewellery and cash of families of bride and groom.”

Gill said acting on a tip-off, Rajpura SHO Manmohan Sharma along with other cops nabbed the accused, who had been identified as gang head Malkhan Singh, Hari Prasad, alias Gulab Singh, Bikram Singh, alias Majnu, Chhano, alias Guddi, Soram Bai, alias Meena, Aman and Dhanraj. During the checking, the police also recovered one .315 bore country-made pistol and sharp-edge weapon. A case under Section 399/402 of the IPC and Section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused.