Jodhpur Romana (Bathinda), November 24
The police today resorted to lathi-charge on a large number of protesting rural veterinary officers (doctors), working under various zila parishads on contract basis, when they tried to block the Bathinda-Dabwali road this afternoon near a village, about 6 km from Bathinda, with an “intention” to gherao state Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike’s vehicle.

However, the minister’s driver succeeded in getting the vehicle away from the protest site. Later, when the protesters did not relent to give up their agitation, the police fearing road blockade bundled them into some police vehicles and took them away to different police stations.

The protesters were led by state president of the Rural Veterinary Officers Association, Punjab, Navdeep Singh Khinda. Earlier, the minister met them at the site of protest and also received memorandum from them. But the protesters wanted from him to get their meeting fixed with Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal in connection with regularisation of their services.

However, the minister declined to do so by saying that as they had been working under the Rural Development and Panchayat Department, so this could only be done by the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayats. After that he sat in his vehicle that provoked the veterinary doctors.

The rural veterinary doctors said they have been working under zila parishads on a meagre monthly salary of Rs 22,500 for the past some years. The civil officers tried to convince the protesters, but they were not ready to give up their protest till the administration fixed their meeting with the Deputy CM. Meanwhile, Bathinda Tehsildar Avtar Singh said all protesters had been let off at about 5 pm after the written assurance given by them to the administration that they would not breach peace in future.

In an emergent meeting of the state executive held here today, Punjab State Veterinary Officers Association strongly condemned the brutal lathi-charge on veterinary service providers.

PSVOA president Ashok Kumar Sharma said, “It is highly inappropriate on part of the state government to react to the genuine demands of the employees in such a brutal way. Hence, the PSVOA strongly criticises the cane-charge, in which even women were not spared.”

Sharma said PSVOA would stand by their brethren working on contract basis in the Rural Development Department and would not hesitate to take any drastic action against such baseless and unjustified violence meted out by the government.

Jalandhar, November 24
The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), a largest body of truck operators in the country, today said toll scandal was bigger than that of the 2G-spectrum scam. The AIMTC said the Centre should order a CBI inquiry in the toll scam.

AIMTC leader Charan Singh Lohara, who was sent to jail during the last strike of the truckers, today said to press the Centre to order CBI probe in toll scam, else the truckers across the country would resort to “chakka jam” agitation on December 5.

Lohara said AIMTC had sought information with regard to the daily collection of toll at various national highways from the Union Surface Transport Ministry, but it had denied the same taking the plea that it had no mechanism to collect such information.

Lohara said he had raised the issue of toll scandal at meetings with top officials of the Union Surface Transport Ministry, but they continued to dodge the issue under one pretext or the other. Lohara said ignoring the Toll Act, which was enacted in later 1990s, the Union Surface Transport Ministry allotted various highways to big companies under Minimum Concessional Agreements (MCAs). Road construction cost in case of most of the national highways was inflated to Rs 12 crore per km to benefit big companies. He said the Centre officials concerned under-assessed the revenue from the toll to benefit the companies.

Though the six-laning of some of the highways had not been completed yet, charging of toll on such highways had already started. Lohara added that per km road construction should not be more than Rs eight crore in any case. The Planning Commission had admitted even this fact. He said as the toll collection would continue for years, it would be big loot of people. Even the increase in the toll rates had been linked to price index. With the huge increased in the number of vehicles on the national highways every year, the rate of toll should come down, but it was increased every year and in some cases twice in a year. He said the Opposition should take up the issue of the toll scam in a manner they had taken up the 2G-spectrum scam.

Faridkot, November 24
Sacked Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today said that he would not resign his Assembly seat even after having been expelled from the SAD as he had been elected by the people of his Gidderbaha constituency.

Manpreet told the TNS that he was not power hungry and was holding the seat as he was trusted by his electors and it was not his personal choice to continue or resign as a member of the House.

He said the first thing he did after being expelled from the SAD was that he offered to resign the Assembly seat while addressing a public meeting in his home constituency. However, the offer was rejected by the electorate who had sent him to the Assembly.

He stressed that he would continue to function as an unattached member of the House and vote according to his conscience as the whip of the SAD was not binding upon him. The recent ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of Amar Singh versus Jayalalitha has said that an unattached member was free to vote according to his conscience and was also free to form a separate political party.

“I don’t have any guilty conscience that I was elected on the SAD ticket,” he said.

Manpreet said he would not indulge in mud-slinging so far as the SAD or Congress were concerned. The people will give their verdict when the state goes to the polls about 14 months later.

The people would decide whether I or my agenda was relevant or not.

He said there was necessity for a third front in the state as it had become a game of “musical chairs” between the two parties, but it would have been arrogant of me to have formed a political party when I visited the Golden Temple at Amritsar.

“I want the people of Punjab to listen to me and if they get satisfied with my agenda, they can form the third front.” He did not rule out taking along various splinter groups but stressed the need for support from the masses.

He made it clear that he was not a puppet of either the Congress or any other party. The current developments were sufficient to indicate that who was supporting whom. “My rallies were being stopped, whereas there were no such restrictions on the Congress. The SAD-led government has withdrawn criminal and corruption cases against Congress leaders who have in return announced that they would not indulge in witch-hunting if they came to power.

Chandigarh, November 24
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has laid down the parameters for quashing criminal complaints pending trial before the subordinate courts.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi has made it clear that the courts have to see whether an offence is made out, if the allegations are taken to be true. If no offence is made out, the proceedings have to be quashed.

Justice Gogoi has asserted: “While considering an application for quashing of a criminal complaint, the crucial test that is to be applied by the court is whether accepting the allegations to be correct the offence as alleged or any other offence is made out.

“If any offence is made out, the same must go for trial. However, if by adopting the said test no offence, prima facie, is made out the proceedings must be quashed on the principle that an accused should not be asked to face a prosecution which is bound to fail.”

The assertion came on a petition filed by Mukand Singh against respondent Baldev Singh. Petitioner Mukand Singh was seeking the quashing of a complaint petition pending in the court of the Fatehgarh Sahib Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Directions had also been sought for quashing the order dated October 30, 2006, summoning the accused-petitioner in the case.

Going into the background, Justice Gogoi said: In the complaint petition, it was stated the petitioner-accused filed a complaint dated September 10, 2003, before the Director, Vigilance, Punjab, by levelling false and concocted allegations against the respondent-complainant.

“In the course of inquiry, the house of the complainant was raided/searched several times by the investigating agency. However, at the conclusion of the investigation, the complaint of the accused-petitioner was found to be false and accordingly it was suggested that a case be registered against the accused-petitioner under Section 182, IPC. “According to the complainant, the illegal acts on the part of the petitioner had lowered his position in society and on account of the raids conducted at his residence by the police the complainant is being shunned by other members of society. Consequently, on the facts stated, commission of an offence under Section 499, IPC, was alleged.

Justice Gogoi concluded: “Applying the test to the present case, it cannot be said that no offence is made out against the accused-petitioner on the basis of allegations made in the complaint petition. The petition for quashing of the complaint is liable to be dismissed”.

Chandigarh, November 24
Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Punjab Congress would meet Bihar fate in Punjab as electorate have rejected “tamasha and road-show politics”, putting a stamp of approval on development agenda.

In his congratulatory message to Bihra CM Nitish Kumar for electoral victory of Janata Dal-BJP combine, Sukhbir said, it was a firm endorsement of development initiatives of Nitish’s government and total rejection of multi-billion scam tainted Congress that was responsible for unprecedented price hike of essential commodities during last three years.

Punjab’s Local Bodies and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia said, “The victory in Gujarat and Bihar are an ensemble of development and pro-masses policies. It was Nitish Government that ensured excellent road network in earlier backward state like Bihar. Receding trend of migration from the state is yet another evidence how the BJP-led government has opened doors of opportunities for people,” said Kalia. Sukhbir said the people of Punjab would also reject ‘road-show and yatra politics’ of the Punjab Congress and its newfound allies and re-elect the SAD-BJP government for its visionary development initiatives for the state.

He said Bihar elections have also proved one thing that the Congress’s propaganda of the Central funds has fallen flat, as vigilant electorate was well aware that there was no Central fund, but it was the share of states in the taxes collected from the particular state.

Kalia, too, further added that the BJP was all set to repeat its performance in Punjab’s forthcoming Assembly elections in February 2012. “Our government has created new avenues of power generation in state with four thermal plants in offing, brought revolution in IT sector, have set up the IIT at Ropar, strengthened road network and given two airports to the state. Added to this, the procurement of farmers’ crops has had excellent track record during our tenure,” he said. — TNS

Chandigarh, November 24
Results in the just concluded state Assembly elections in Bihar may not have a direct link to Punjab politics, but it certainly has conveyed an important lesson if the Congress is willing to listen. The main reasons attributed to the Congress rout in Bihar is said to be lack of stable and strong leadership there. This has been prevalent in Punjab, too, for about past four years.

Now, with the appointment of Amarinder Singh as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, things may start to look different. It is felt that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, there is a tendency in the party not to allow emergence of strong leadership in the states. This was despite the fact that it was mainly strong leaders who delivered states to the party, as in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan where Shiela Dixit, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and CP Joshi scripted victories for the Congress.

After Bihar, the Congress leaders in the state have started feeling that Sonia-Rahul magic may not work in Punjab either, until it is matched with a strong local leadership. Though, Amarinder Singh has in the past proved his mantle, the party high command must realise that for any success in the states, the party must encourage regional leadership, instead of clipping the wings of the state leaders like it did in cases of Shiela Dixit and Hooda. Despite all his shortcomings, Amarinder is still possibly the strongest of all leaders the party can have in Punjab. There is a general perception among people in the state that only he can take on the Akalis. This can, however, be possible only if he gets unambiguous support from the rank and file of the party, besides the high command.

Khamano, November 24
Farmers from more than a dozen villages are up in arms against the illegal parking of trucks outside a rice mill situated on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road, which has led to in increase in number of accidents on the stretch.

Local politicians and Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders had also blocked the highway on Monday in protest against the parking of trucks.

They have threatened to intensify their agitation if the district administration and police failed to find a solution to the problem.

“Five to 10 persons lose their lives every paddy season due to the wrong parking of hundreds of trucks. The consequent traffic jam leads to chaos up to Samrala,” said the district president of BKU (Rajewal) Kashmir Singh Jatana.

He alleged that the queues of trucks could be seen up to more than 10 km during the paddy season.

Villagers, especially the school going children, elderly and patients are the worst hit, as they have to wait to clear blockade of trucks.

Villages affected due to chaos include Ucha Jatana, Neewan Jatana, Pharaur, Nanowal Kalan, Nanowal Khurd, Kakrala Khurd, Kakrala Kalan, Manderan, Barwali Baddi, Barwali Kalan, Barwali Khurd and Lakhanpur.

In a recent accident two youth, reportedly deployed in the Indian Air Force, have lost their lives on the busy stretch due to the chaotic condition.

“We have taken up the matter with deputy commissioner, Khamano SDM and the police but to no avail,” said Kashmira Singh.

The BKU leaders and area residents said driving on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana would remain a risky affair till the illegal parking of trucks was not removed.

Former Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Dr Kaustubh Sharma had once assured that the rice mill owner had been told to purchase extra space on contract during the paddy season but nothing had materialised till date.

Many people continue to risk their lives on the busy stretch of Chandigarh-Ludhiana road in Khamano.

Patiala, November 24
The Punjab Transport Department has directed the District Transport Officers (DTOs) of the state to ensure complete compliance with the instructions on the installation of speed governors (speed controlling device) in all commercial vehicles by January 31, 2011.

The letter issued by the State Transport Commissioner (STC) to the DTOs clearly mentioned that all old and new private service vehicles (school, college, institute and factory buses) and tourist buses must have the speed governors by the specified date in the notification issued by the department on September 6, 2010.

Speed governor is a device used to measure and regulate the speed of a machine. The vehicles, which do not have the speed governor installed by January 31, 2011 will not be registered by the department.

Though the department has not issued any specific policy but it has directed, in the notification, that the commercial vehicles, including school and colleges buses, trucks belonging to factories and corporate houses and all other vehicles being used for commercial purposes be equipped with the speed governors.

The copy of the letter, issued by STC, reads, “The Speed Governor’s to be installed in the vehicles must be in accordance with the Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.” DTO’s have been instructed to ensure that only those will vehicles be registered if they comply with the Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, pertaining to the speed governor.

The notification issued by the department mentions that in case the vehicles are not found complying with the directions regarding the Speed Governors after January 31, 2011, authorities would take appropriate action against the violators.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Tribune, officials of the department have said instructions have been passed that the new vehicles, falling in the category of the government notification, should be registered only if they are fitted with the Speed Governors.

Jalandhar, November 24
The United Sikhs, a global organisation of Sikhs, yesterday announced that the 3rd Annual Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference would be held in Surrey (Canada) from December 17 to 19. The theme of the conference is to “Protect Our Identity”. The community leaders and members will engage in a dialogue with experts, advocates, authors, and academics on topics of Sikh civil and human rights.

The enforcement of the new rules with regard to the search of turbans at the airports in the US will dominate the conference. Last month, the Transport Security Administration (TSA), an agency responsible for guarding and securing the airports in the US, had told the representatives of the United Sikhs that Sikhs should now expect that turbans would always be searched at American airports. They were told that “while the procedures which allow Sikhs to pat down their own turbans and have their hands swabbed by a TSA screener (a chemical) shall remain in place, what has changed is that Sikhs must go through an additional hand wand scan of the turban as an extra screening procedure”. The United Sikhs had opposed the policy and had questioned its necessity.

This year's speakers include renowned human rights academic Cynthia Mahmood and representatives from national civil rights advocacy organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), as well as lawyers, United Sikhs volunteers, and members of the Sikh community.

Jalandhar, November 24
The Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) today said the state government was not showing desired urgency in taking up important issues of farmers with the Centre. BKU president Balbir Singh Rajewal said the state government did not lodge protest against the non-revision of the MSP of the paddy by the Centre this year. The paddy was procured this year at Rs 1,030 per quintal, the MSP, which was fixed last year, said Rajewal.

There was a fall of about 14.5 lakh tonne in paddy yield this year. The farmers had suffered a loss of about Rs 1,500 crore owing to fall in the yield. “However the state government has failed to take any concrete step to make the Centre to compensate the farmers for the loss, they have suffered because of the low yield of paddy this year,” said Rajewal.

From a package of Rs 800 crore that was given by the Centre, the state government had promised to distribute Rs 300 crore among the farmers by September 25, but it had not been given to the farmers though even November was about to end, said Rajewal. He said the BKU would be forced to revive its agitation in case the state government continued to dither in issues related to the farmers. — TNS

Amritsar, November 24
The SGPC will send a three-member delegation to the US and Canada on December 10 to zero in on land for setting up a printing facility for Guru Granth Sahib.

The delegation, comprising SGPC secretary Joginder Singh, senior vice-president Raghujeet Singh Virk and executive member RS Mehta, will return to the country on December 23.

Talking to The Tribune, Joginder Singh said they would be exploring the possibility of establishing the facility at Charlotte in North Carolina (US) and Vancouver in Canada. The offers are 2.5 acres by Gurdwara Sahib,

Charlotte, and 16.5 acres by a Sikh education trust in Vancouver. The land in Charlotte had a structure on it and the SGPC would see whether it could use the building in its present form.

Joginder Singh said the machinery required for the facility would cost Rs 6 crore. He said they would study the legal aspects for the acquisition of land apart from the viability of transporting Guru Granth Sahib to different countries.

They would also be looking into the possibility of hiring staff for the printing facility. Initially, the staff would be sent from here.

The SGPC has the exclusive and legal rights for the publication of Guru Granth Sahib worldwide.

Chandigarh, November 24
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday held a meeting with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath to discuss strategies to put various ongoing national highways projects on fast track and improve road connectivity in the state by launching new road network schemes.

The high-level meeting, which was also attended by Secretary, Road Transport and National Highways, RS Gujral, saw the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal impressing upon the Centre to grant approval to 16 works amounting to Rs 373 crore under the Central Road Funds Schemes submitted by the state government.

They also urged the Centre to release an unspent balance of Rs 93 crore of last years and Rs 49 crore allocated during the current year. The Union Minister directed the senior officers of the ministry to take steps for release of these funds and also to call the meeting of the Standing Committee shortly to expedite the issues.

The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister requested the ministry to expedite the approval of the Zirakpur- Patiala Section of NH-64 by the Cabinet meeting on infrastructure as the state government had already completed all formalities. The Union Minister assured the Badals of early action in the matter. Similarly Badal stressed the need for speedy completion of the construction work of the left-out portion of 20 km on the Jalandhar-Dhilwan section as this is a crucial road and prone to increasing number of accidents. The Union Minister directed the ministry officials to complete this left-out portion without any delay.

The Chief Minister also requested the Union Minister to clear the road project from Bhatinda to newly set up Central University near Ghudda village in the district to ensure smooth flow of traffic. The Union Minister assured him of early steps in this direction.

Chandigarh, November 24
Punjab’s National Agri-Biotechnology Institute (NABI) today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Canada’s National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, University of Saskatchewan, committing themselves to mutual research in the fields of agri food, biotechnology and engineering.

The MoU, signed at Counsul-General of Canada’s residence, resolved to encourage both long and short-term exchanges of faculty for purposes of research.

The MoU follows the visit of 11-member team from Saskatchewan to the NABI centre in Mohali. It also resolved to recognise the value of research experiences that integrate theory and practice.

The MoU, signed by Dr Venkatesh Meda of the University of Saskatchewan and Dr Rakesh Tuli, Executive Director of NABI, also asserted that the two institutions would engage in collaborative research, development in areas of common interest, explore mutual projects and find means to support them.

Two other MoUs were also signed on the occasion. Genome Prairie of Canada signed an MoU with NABI for partnership in genomic sciences aimed at achieving better health, cleaner environment and economic prosperity.

A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the 8th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority here recently. — TNS

Barnala, November 24
A group of seven or eight youths vandalised two shops in the Bhadaur area at gunpoint here this evening. The youths, who came in an Innova, attacked two shops, a sweet shop near Bhadaur bus stand and an STD booth-cum-mobile store in Tinkoni Bazar, destroyed property and looted some old and new cellphones and Rs 2,500 in broad daylight in the Bhadaur market here at around 4.30 pm.

Giving details, Dharminder, owner of Bikaner Mishthan Bhandar whose shop was damaged by the attackers, said at around 4.15 pm, seven or eight youths came in a Innova without any registration number and attacked his shop. He said two of the gang members stood outside his shop and others went inside, damaged a window, door panes, the reception counter and other property in the shop. He added that he suffered a loss of about Rs 2.5 lakh in today’s attack on his shop.

Meanwhile, local sources said the gang later entered an STD booth-cum-mobile shop at Tinkoni Bazar, damaged the property and fled after looting old and new cellphones and also Rs 2,500 in cash from the shop. The sources added that as the news spread, panic gripped the entire area. Meanwhile, a police team led by DSP, Tappa, Mukhtiyar Singh, and SHO, Bhadaur, Baljeet Singh, reached the spot after getting the information about these two incidents. — TNS