Moga, December 6
A Moga court today sentenced two rice millers to three-year imprisonment in a paddy scam, which had rocked the state in 1997-1998 and caused a loss of Rs 78.42 lakh to PUNSUP. It also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on them.

During the checking of Kalra Rice and General Mill situated on the Moga-Ludhiana road on September 30, 1997, the PUNSUP authorities had found 30, 918 bags of paddy missing.

The authorities suspected that the paddy stock was sold on the black market. Later, as per the internal audits of PUNSUP, the company’s hypothesised stocks of paddy did not match with the outstanding cash credit resulting in the payment of penal interest. There was no proper control over the milling of paddy stored in own/joint custody that facilitated the misappropriation of paddy by mill owners.

The authorities of PUNSUP lodged an FIR under Sections 406 of the IPC and Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act against Balwinder Singh and Santokh Singh, both partners of the rice mill, on the same day of the checking on September 30, 1997.

The local Judicial Magistrate, Kewal Krishan, after going through the facts and other documentary evidences of the case, today awarded three-year imprisonment to both accused.

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 6
Officials of three procurement agencies demanding legal action against dislocation of paddy by some unidentified people have written to their respective district managers demanding legal action for damaging the stored paddy.

In their letter to the inspector of Punsup, senior branch officer of Markfed and warehouse manager of PSWC (Punjab State Warehouse Corporation) said that nearly 1050 metric tonne of paddy, wooden crates and polythene bags were damaged using JCB machines, tractor trolleys and other heavy machinery. The paddy stocks belong to three state agencies, including Punsup, Markfed and PSWC. Dislocation has lead to mixture of mud with paddy grains and other unwanted material, which will further rot the paddy grains.

Officials said that the paddy was displaced without any prior intimation or notice during the construction of polytechnic college nearby. The paddy was stored near the construction site of the polytechnic college. The procurement agency officials expressed their concerns over further rotting of fresh paddy stock, which stored near the rotten paddy bags.

Besides they also fear theft of the paddy, which is now dumped haphazardly using heavy machines without manpower. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has laid the foundation stone of the polytechnic college and had claimed that its construction would begin the very next day but even after many months nothing could be done to initiate its construction. The paddy is reportedly removed from near the construction site on the orders of some district administration officials so that construction work of the college should not delay any more. 

Chandigarh, December 6
The PPCC president, Capt Amarinder Singh, today said there was no scope or space for a third political force in Punjab. He maintained that it would always be a direct fight between the Congress and the Akalis.

In an informal interaction with the reporters at the party office here today, Capt Amarinder Singh, while replying to a question about Manpreet Badal, asserted that “anyone was free to join the Congress as long as he subscribed to the ideology and policies of the Congress”.

He, however, went on to add that the interests of the Congress workers could not be sacrificed by allowing the induction of Manpreet into the Congress as the largest number of cases of political vendetta against Congress workers had been registered in Gidderbaha.

He said if Manpreet formed a third front, at best he may have a limited influence in one or two constituencies and that is all.

To a question about Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal having hinted at holding midterm poll, Capt Amarinder remarked, “We are ready anytime and if somebody thinks we would be taken off guard, he is mistaken.” He said, “We will welcome the midterm poll and people will welcome it also as sooner they (the Akalis) go, the better it will be for everyone.”

He pointed out that there was an overwhelming response from people particularly the educated youth, who were driven towards the Congress. He said the recently concluded elections of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in the state were keenly contested. “The students are getting involved so much with the Congress as they see hope with us,” he said.

The PPCC president called for major policy changes in agriculture particularly diversification which he had initiated during his tenure as the Chief Minister. He did not favour the idea of not paying bonus to the farmers. He said while farmers need to be discouraged from the paddy-wheat routine, it can be done in a phased manner only and not by stopping their bonus instantly.

On the issue of nuclear power, he said, he was only opposed to setting these up in Punjab as it was quite thickly populated. 

Chandigarh, December 6
The PPCC president, Capt Amarinder Singh, today said he would be taking up the case of Sarbjit Singh, who is facing death sentence in Pakistan, with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. Capt Amarinder was talking to reporters after Sarbjit’s sister, Dalbir Kaur, accompanied by his lawyer from Pakistan, Awais Sheikh, met him at the PCC office today.

The PPCC president said the Prime Minister had already taken up the case with the Pakistan Government at the highest level, but he would request him to bring it up once again and hoped that Sarbjit would get justice.

Capt Amarinder Singh asserted that Sarbjit’s case was clearly that of mistaken identity. This was corroborated by Awais also, who said the original FIR was registered against Manjit Singh and not Sarbjit Singh.

The PPCC president observed that the death sentence was unjustified. “Never do they award death sentence when there is any doubt in any case,” he pointed out, adding that in Sarbjit’s case everything was doubtful and he should not be given death sentence.

Awais Sheikh said Sarbjit was well; however, he still remained in solitary confinement. He said even the Pakistani media and people were no longer hostile towards him. “Earlier they would describe him as an Indian terrorist and now they call him an Indian prisoner,” he said, while hoping to get him released soon.

Amritsar, December 6
Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today ruled out any possibility of a compromise with the ousted state Finance Minister, Manpreet Badal.

Talking to mediapersons after a SAD workers’ meeting here, Sukhbir said: “The question of reaching a compromise with Manpreet doesn’t arise.”

Sukhbir said he had no family or business issues with Manpreet, adding that it was a battle of principles. “Our party’s principle is to fulfil promises we make to the people in our manifesto. However, the Congress misled Manpreet to prompt us to discontinue sops being offered to the common man, hoping that the masses will turn against us. While we stand firm on extending subsidies to the common man, Manpreet is against it,” he said.

Sukhbir said there was no truth in the Centre offering to waive Rs 35,000-crore debt of Punjab as the state owed Rs 3,500 crore only to it while they owed the remaining amount to other financial institutions.

The Deputy CM also lashed out at the Congress stating that the Opposition had no issues. “Congress leaders have only one thing to say that the SAD registered false cases against 20,000 Congress workers, which is nothing but a white lie.”

He alleged that the Congress would again jump into the poll fray in the forthcoming SGPC poll through proxy candidates as it had done in the past, but the people would not support the party due to its role in Operation Bluestar and the 1984 riots. He said unlike Congress leaders, he would not attack them as his only agenda was development.

Meanwhile, the Deputy CM announced that the state government would rejuvenate Amritsar by spending over Rs 600 crore for its overall development within the next one year. He further said Punjab would become the first state in the country that would have its all land records on the Internet by March 31 next year.

Jalandhar, December 6
Infighting between the state Congress continues unabatedly as former Finance Minister Surinder Singla has hit back at Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa. Stating that Bajwa was unsuccessfully trying to become a Majha-Doaba region leader by sending a list of office bearers to party high command, Singla alleged that the former had lost base in his own Kahnuwan Assembly segment as he could not even ensure his brother Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa’s victory during the by-election last year.

The Kahnuwan Assembly seat fell vacant as Bajwa resigned as MLA after he was elected as MP from Gurdaspur parliamentary seat. His brother Fateh lost this seat to Sewa Singh Sekhwan with a margin of over 12,000 votes whereas Bajwa had got lead of over 4,700 votes in the elections.

Singla, whose constituency falls under Malwa region, further said Bajwa was concerned over his brother’s fate and had requested former CM Amarinder Singh to campaign for Fateh. Interestingly, when Amarinder expressed his inability to participate in the electioneering due to his busy schedule, Bajwa requested veteran Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai to ask Amarinder to address election rallies at that time.

Further stating that Bajwa himself had trailed at most of the nine Assembly segments falling under Gurdaspur parliamentary seat, Singla said he should concentrate on his district to regain lost base.

Patiala, December 6
Under the banner of the Joint Forum, a conglomerate of various unions of non-gazetted employees, working with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), have announced their decision to remain on a two-day statewide strike on December 8 and 9. The strike call has been given in protest against the non-fulfillment of various long-pending demands of the employees. Though the Joint Forum representatives have made it clear that strike would be peaceful but they have announced that all the cash counters and complaint centres would remain closed in the entire state during the strike.

Speaking to The Tribune, spokesman of the Employees Joint Forum, Manjit Singh Chahal said that protest demonstrations would also be staged at the sub-division level in all the districts of Punjab. “The PSPCL/PSTCL management’s and the government attitude towards the non-implementation of recommendations of Wage Formulation Committee (WFC) is really unfortunate. The rate of increment has still been kept as 3 per cent, instead of increasing it to 3.5 percent, as recommended by the WFC”, he rued. Chahal added that they want perks and wages as per recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission.

The employees further said that government must understand that they will not stop their agitations until all their demands are accepted. “Signing of the tripartite agreement was just one matter. There are several other issues and government had assured us that within 30 days of unbundling of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), the all matters related with promotional increments, emoluments and many other long pending demands of the employees would be resolved. But seven months have passed and neither Management’s of Power Corporation, nor government, seems concerned with our demands,” said a senior Employees Joint Forum leader Surinder Singh Pehalwan.

As per information, around half dozen employees unions including Technical Service Union (TSU), Employees Federation AITUC, Bijli Mulazim Front and Workers Federation INTUC, would be supporting the strike call. Meanwhile, PSEB Engineers Association president H.S.Bedi has informed that they have decided not to perform any extra duties during the two-day strike period. “We would be doing only our duty and would not perform any duty of our subordinate”, which clearly implies that in case of any breakdown during strike days, engineers would not make any efforts to rectify the snag. 

Patiala, December 6
Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), Tihar Jail, CR Garg today said that drug de-addiction centers would be opened in all jails across India. He was speaking to mediapersons after the passing out parade of jail wardens from Delhi and Punjab, at Jail Training School, here.

Garg said a special three-week training takes place inside inside Tihar Jail to ensure that new inmates don’t fall prey to drugs. “A special team of 90 doctors monitor the entire proceedings during the training period,” he said.

He said the newly appointed wardens should act as agents of change and work for jail reforms.

Chandigarh, December 6
Eleven years after the Pakistan government offered to build a 2-km corridor to enable Sikh pilgrims to visit the historic Gurdwara Dera Sahib without a visa and a passport, the United Sikh Mission, a US-based NGO, wants Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to get the project going.

“Sikhs the world over were jubilant when the Pakistan Government during the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Lahore Bus Yatra, agreed in principle to the Kartarpur Sahib Marg. But since then, the proposal has been caught in bureaucratic wranglings,” says Rashpal Singh Dhindsa, President of the United Sikh Mission.“We have been keen on getting this project commissioned. We met Rahul Gandhi last month who wanted us to meet the PPCC chief, Capt Amarinder Singh, to carry forward the proposal to the Centre. We also want to meet the Prime Minister to expedite all clearances,” adds Dhindsa, who has been here for the past several weeks to pursue the longstanding demand of the Sikhs.

Dhindsa says that even the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and the SGPC have also already adopted resolutions unanimously for the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. These resolutions have been forwarded to the Union Government for further action.

A delegation of the United Sikhs Mission also met the Union Surface Transport Minister in the union capital recently. An assurance was given to the delegation that sufficient funds would be made available for the construction of the Indian stretch of the corridor after it was cleared by the Union Government, Dhindsa said.

There is a historic gurdwara at Kothay village on the bank of the Ravi. The original abode of Guru Nanak Dev was reportedly washed away by floods. The present gurdwara at Kartarpur Sahib can be seen from the historic Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side of the border.

The distance between the historic gurdwara at Dera Baba Nanak and Gurdwara Dera Sahib at Kothay village in Pakistan is about 4.5 km. Though Sikhs are allowed to visit other historic shrines at Nankana Sahib, Lahore, and Hassan Abdal (Panja Sahib), no provision has been made for a visit to Gurdwara Dera Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib.

The other organisation that has been actively involved for this project is Darshan Abhilashi Sanstha led by Kuldip Singh Wadala.

In June 2008, Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee also came to Dera Baba Nanak to see for himself the possibility of providing a free corridor for the devout. He reportedly promised to get a feasibility study done.

It was in June 2008 that American diplomat John W. McDonald, Chairman and CEO of the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, accompanied by then then Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Jai Rup Singh, visited the site and decided to initiate the process for building an international peace corridor to link historic Sikh gurdwaras between Dera Baba Nanak and Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.

Amritsar, December 6
The state government’s objective to give a thrust to the animal husbandry sector seems to have hit a roadblock, if the acute shortage of staff in the department is anything to go by. Consequently, the livestock wealth that plays a vital role in the rural economy of the state and contributes 13 per cent to the net domestic product is a neglected lot.

The vacant posts in the Punjab Animal Husbandry Department speak volumes about the “couldn’t-care-less” attitude of the authorities concerned towards this department, which boasts of creating self-employment opportunities. At present, five out of seven posts of Fodder Development Officer have been lying vacant and 48 out of 132 posts of Agriculture Development Officer (feed and fodder), have not been filled despite qualified officers being in queue.

Moreover, a single post of Joint Director (feed and fodder) in Chandigarh, which has been lying vacant for years, is being looked after by a Fodder Development Officer in Patiala, who has been entrusted with this additional charge.

Hazara Singh Cheema, national president of the Punjab Animal Husbandry Services Association, says there is a dire need for technical know-how about balanced and poisonless green fodder, feed, silage, mineral mixture and TMR (total mixed ration).

Despite the livestock sector being plagued by poor productivity, Punjab with livestock of around 71 lakh (cows and buffaloes), out of which about 51 lakh are milch animals, has got the potential to produce around 270 lakh litres of milk daily. If the feed and fodder wing is managed properly, this yield can be increased, the experts believe.

A dairy farmer from Bhaktanwala rued that he had not been getting desired results from his high-yield cross-breed cows because out of ignorance, he had been feeding them with green fodder that contained nitrates, oxalates and cyanide poison.

Meanwhile, farmers, who lack awareness about government schemes and insurance for cattle, too, know little about covering their cattle under the centrally sponsored livestock insurance scheme since 2006.

Gulzar Singh Ranike, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, said, “The matter has already been taken up with the CM. Posts in the feed and fodder wing will be filled up within six months. Apart from this, we are also recruiting 400 veterinary officers, 25 polyclinic specialists and about 100 other officers. 

Chandigarh, December 6
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the State of Punjab and other respondents to decide within three months the issue of filling 244 posts of up-vaidya lying vacant for almost a decade now.

The deadline was fixed on a petition filed by Mohit Rishi and other petitioners. In their petition placed before the Bench of Justice Ajai Lamba, the petitioners had sought directions to the state and other respondents to fill the posts of up-vaidya or pharmacist.

Counsel for the petitioners contended that Rishi and others were eligible to be appointed up-vaidya. Going into the technicalities, he argued “the services of up-vaidya are governed by the Punjab Ayurvedic Department (Class III - Technical) Service Rules, 1963”.

Quoting the rules, counsel said the instructions “provide for sanctioned posts of up-vaidya to be filled to 50 per cent by way of direct recruitment”. Justice Lamba, after hearing the arguments and going through the documents, asserted: “It has been specifically pleaded in para four of the petition that 244 posts of up-vaidya have been lying vacant for the last about 10 years.

“Counsel for the petitioners contends that it is the duty of the executive to fill the posts…. The purpose of having the posts is defeated, if the same are not filled. Other than this, the posts are filled to the extent of 50 per cent by way of promotion; however, the posts to be filled by way of direct recruitment are lying”.

In his detailed order, Justice Lamba added: “Counsel for the state says that instructions have been taken from the director, ayurveda, and he has been given to understand by the officer that the matter is under active consideration”.

Before parting with the order, Justice Lamba ruled: “The petition is disposed of with a direction to the state and another respondent to take a decision on the issue within a period of three months of receipt of certified copy of this order”.

Fatehgarh Sahib, December 6
The Fatehgarh Sahib police today arrested a woman with 500 gm of smack from near Nasrali village here. The accused has been identified as 50-year-old Sukho of Sunam.

A mother of two boys and a married girl, Sukho had been into illegal trade of selling banned contrabands for the past over 10 years. Sukho is already facing 31 criminal cases registered against her at different police stations of Punjab.

“Her husband, also facing criminal cases, had parted ways with her a few years ago. Her family, including son-in-law, sell liquor, smack and other drugs across the state,” said Mandi Gobindgarh SHO Bikramjeet Brar.

He said the woman was arrested on a tip-off by Ranjit Singh, an ITI student from Budhlada in Mansa.

The police had arrested Ranjit last week while he was supplying narcotics to schoolchildren and college students in Fatehgarh Sahib and Chandigarh. Ranjit, now in jail, had given clues about the woman during interrogation.

The police today managed to procure two days police remand for Sukho. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had been supplying smack, opium and liquor in parts of the Khanna, Ludhiana, Bhadson and Sangrur areas.

The accused purchase liquor at cheaper price from Chandigarh, opium and poppy husk from Haryana and Rajasthan and smack from Delhi for further sale in Punjab at higher costs.

Sukho and all the other family members have been jailed umpteen times but manage to come out on bail to start this business afresh, said the police officials.