Chandigarh, December 20
Within hours of his returning to India, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal spent the day putting the house in order and reactivating the government machinery. He cracked the whip and sent out signals to all “absentee” officers and politicians to get back to work.

He himself conducted several important meetings throughout the day, including one on cleaning of Punjab river waters, enquired about the status of water supply and sewerage projects under execution in various towns of the state.

Taking a cue from The Tribune report on how the bureaucrats and politicians were vacationing in the absence of the Chief Minister and his deputy, leaving the state to its fate, the Chief Minister issued instructions that all officers, unless on leave, must remain present in their offices.

In the afternoon, the Chief Minister chaired a meeting for the setting up of a sports school at Bathinda and for the establishment of National Cadet Corps (NCC) centres at Ropar and Malout. He also cleared a file that has promoted his Principal Secretary DS Guru and three other officers, Kusumjit Sidhu, AR Talwar and Himmat Singh, to the Chief Secretary grade.

Once Badal was told about the delay in the release of funds for development by the Centre, he immediately called up Montek Singh Ahlluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, and requested for the release of funds under Additional Central Assistance (ACA).

Perturbed over the lethargy that has crept into the government in his absence, he has convened a meeting on December 23, where he has asked for the attendance of MLAs, Chairmen and officers of Municipal Corporations/Improvement Trust of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Moga, Hoshiarpur and Pathankot. At this meeting, he will review the situation concerning the availability of funds and status of the projects.

So far the Chief Minister has not moved out of his house, except for travelling abroad. All meetings, even today, took place at his Sector 2 official residence. After a series of meetings tomorrow morning, the Chief Minister is scheduled to leave for Lambi (his own constituency) that he will be visiting for the first time after he fell and broke his ribs in October this year.

So far, his brother and father of Manpreet Badal was managing the Lambi constituency, but after Manpreet and the Badals fell apart, the Chief Minister and his brother have not met or spoken to each other. Though unlikely, but there is a slight possibility that the two may meet during this visit.

Sangrur, December 20
Over a month after The Tribune carried a report in these columns titled “TB plays havoc in Malerkotla” wherein it highlighted the problems of TB patients of this town because of government failures to check the disease, the Health Department has announced to organise camps for TB patients to treat them and also to provide free medicines.

Dr Mushtaq, member of the district advisory of the Health Department, Sangrur, said the department had announced to hold camps for patients twice a month and to provide medicines free of cost.

He added that as part of the exercise, the health authorities had organised one such camp for patients suffering from TB about 15 days ago.

“Though the Health Department organised a camp for TB patients about 15 days ago, it did not get good response. More awareness needs to be created among the people. Till now, the authorities had not done much in this regard,” Dr Mushtaq added.

The Tribune had highlighted that the government’s scheme for the welfare of minorities does not seem to be yielding results, as a sizeable population in Malerkotla was grappling with the disease.

Sources in the Health Department said congested areas and unhygienic conditions in the town, particularly in the old town, had resulted in the large-scale prevalence of the disease.

Sources said in 2008 and 2009, the number of fresh TB cases at the local civil hospital was 583 and 571, respectively.

They added that before 2008, the number of fresh TB cases at the local civil hospital was never less than 500.

Chandigarh, December 20
Punjab will soon notify rules for the welfare of its elderly citizens.

Available information suggests certain objections raised by the state Legal Remembrancer have been removed, paving the way for the notification of the rules under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

In fact, a statement to this effect was made by Punjab Additional Advocate-General Madhu Dayal before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed by a non-government organisation, Resurgence India. In its petition filed in the public interest through counsel Anil Pal Singh Shergill, Resurgence had sought directions to the State of Punjab through its Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Department of Social Security, Women & Child Development) to notify the rules under the Act.

Shergill had asserted: In the present-day scenario, the plight of many unsupported and deserted parents and senior citizens, who are forced to live as destitutes, is widely known.The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, is aimed at providing relief to such elderly citizens.

Shergill had added that the petition seeks the “intervention of the court for the removal of bottlenecks to ensure the effective enforcement of the Act so that the needy and suffering senior citizens are able to reap the benefits intended by the Act for the remaining parts of their lives”.

Quoting some of the intended benefits, Shergill had asserted: “The Act provides for payment of monthly maintenance allowance by children/legal heirs to parents/senior citizens, who are unable to support themselves out of their earnings, establishment of old age homes in each district for indigent senior citizens and preferred medical facilities in government and government-aided medical establishments”.

As the petition came up for hearing before Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Dayal stated “certain objections raised by Legal Remembrancer to draft rules under the Act have been removed; and the rules are expected to be notified not later than eight weeks”.

Taking note of the assertion, the Bench added: In view of the statement, nothing survives in the writ petition and the same stands disposed of as having become infructuous with liberty to the petitioners to revive the same in case the Rules are not notified shortly… We hope and trust that the state shall adhere to the time frame for notifying the Rules.

Jalandhar, December 20
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will discuss in detail tomorrow with Punjab party delegates the issue of the state’s debt of Rs 71,000 crore.

Sonia Gandhi will meet the Punjab delegates at 11 am in Delhi. Speaking to The Tribune in this regard on the phone today, Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Singh Brar said he discussed the debt issue with Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

“As a member of the Working Committee of the AICC, I was on the stage and got an opportunity to take up the issue of debt with Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister, the FM and Rahul Gandhi”, said Jagmeet Singh, adding that the four leaders showed their concern with regard to the debt and promised to look into the matter.

He said when he took up this issue with Sonia Gandhi, she said a meeting of the party delegates from the state should be held tomorrow to discuss it in detail.Though Sonia Gandhi would meet delegates of all other states also, at her meeting with the Punjab delegates the debt issue and other matters related to the state would be discussed.

Jagmeet Singh said when he spoke to the Prime Minister in this regard, he “told me to discuss it” with Pranab Mukherjee, who was sitting along with the PM. “All three of us deliberated on the issue for a while and then Pranab Mukherjee said he would convene a meeting of all senior Congress leaders, including MPs, from the state to reopen the issue”, said Jagmeet Singh.

Earlier,as Punjab Finance Minister, Manpreet Singh Badal had held several meetings with Mukherjee on this issue. However, when the issue was about to be clinched and the state was asked to respond to a letter written in this regard, political developments took place fast leading to the resignation of Manpreet Singh on this issue.

Because of the debt burden, Punjab was facing a serious fiscal crisis. Its development process had been derailed. It was the slowest developing state in the country, said Jagmeet Singh.

“I told the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi that Punjab needs the help of the Centre. The issue of debt should be reopened.The Congress should take the initiative in this regard”, said Jagmeet Singh.

Chandigarh, December 20
Former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today informed the DGP that he was under constant surveillance from Punjab intelligence officials and that people close to him were being intimidated constantly.

Urging the DGP to put an end to this in a letter addressed to the DGP, which was released to the media here, Manpreet said two teams of the CID had been deployed close to his residence here to track all visitors entering and leaving his house.

Giving instances of intimidation, the former Finance Minister said shortly after resigning his post he had stated that he would visit Gurdwara Gupatsar Sahib in Chhateana village in the Gidderbaha constituency. He said a concerted effort was made by many police personnel posted at chowkis and police stations around Gidderbaha to restrain people from assembling. He has also named the police officials who indulged in such activity.

Manpreet said intelligence personnel had tailed him during his visit to Amritsar on November 14 and even contacted his well-wishers to “persuade” them not to attend his public meetings. He said similarly during his “Jago Punjab yatra” intelligence cops noted down the numbers of vehicles which were in the yatra. He said in another incident he was shocked to know that CIG sleuths were present in the dining hall of one of his supporters when he visited him. — TNS

Chandigarh, December 20
Right to Information Act (RTI) activists from different parts of Punjab staged a dharna against lacunae in implementation of the Act here today.

Led by Advocate HC Arora, president, and Anil Vashisht, secretary of the RTI Activists Federation, the dharna was staged in front of the Punjab State Information Commission office.

Arora said, “This was the first phase of the agitation by the federation as the charter of demands submitted by the federation on November 16 had not evoked any response from the State Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh.”

He said the Commissioner was derailing the act by deliberately protecting the PIOs by not imposing penalties despite deliberate delay on their part in furnishing information to the applicants.

Vashisht levelled a serious allegation against certain Information Commissioners saying they were manipulating the logbooks of official cars. Showing to be travelling 50-60 km to and fro from the Information Commission, even on Saturdays or Sundays and other close days was questionable.

Arora demanded that the retired IAS and police officers should not be appointed as the Information Commissioners; rather the RTI or human rights activists, and some other prominent persons of high integrity should be appointed as the Information Commissioners. The protesters raised slogans against the Information Commission. The gathering, which converted itself into an extended Executive Committee of the Federation, and passed an unanimous resolution to publish a booklet of 100 ridiculous decisions of the Punjab State Information Commission and to present it to the Governor through memorandums to be sent to the Governor through the respective Deputy Commissioners. The booklet will also be sent to all Information Commissioners as well as the High Court Judges across the country, to impress upon them the need or desirability of appointment of right and competent persons as the Information Commissioners. Arora declared that the booklet should be released in a press conference in the last week of January. 

Dera Bassi, December 20
A protest March by the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) reached Dera Bassi this weekend. The protest started from Hussainiwala on December 14 and aims to highlight anti-labour laws passed by the Punjab Government during the last Assembly session. The CITU workers held a rally and marched in the town in favour of their demands.

Addressing the rally, the state general secretary of CITU Raghunath singh said the new laws passed by the Assembly during the monsoon session made it compulsory for any party and organisation to get the permission of Deputy Commissioner or Police Commissioner for holding rally and demonstration.

In the absence of this permission there is a provision of punishment and fine. He alleged that these laws would be used to crush the peaceful agitations of labourers and farmers. The rally was also addressed by Dev Raj Verma, Rattan Singh, Shyam Lal and Baijnath. Other demands of labourers were also raised during this campaign. One of these is that Anganwari workers and Asha workers should be promoted as government employees.

Patiala, December 20
The department of historical studies of Punjabi University, bestowed a fellowship on Nikki Guninder Kaur Singh, chair and crawford family, professor of the department of religious study, Colby College Waterville, USA.

Guninder’s father, Harbans Singh, had earlier taught at the same university in the department of religious studies.

She also presented a lecture on the relevance of Guru Granth Sahib in the modern society at the university. She said historical scriptures were valuable in today’s society. Stressing on the fact that all religions taught humanity, Guninder said Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagwad Gita, Bible, Quran and Buddhism taught the same thing in different dialects.

According to her, they taught the universal truth of life. “All these scriptures change our values and how we look at everything. It is important to interpret them,” she said.

She said Sikhism was a powerful medium of teaching right things in life and her main focus was to bridge the gap between Indians and Americans. Kaur said many Americans were interested in Sikhsim. “I am working to translate Sikh religious works into English,” she said.

Guninder stressed on the five themes that had vital contemporary relevance, Historical Reality (Guru Granth Ji Manio Pargat Guran Ki Deh), the infinite one (ikk onkar), egalitarian ethics (khatri Brahman sud vais updes cahu varna ko sajha), a magical planetarium: worlds beyond worlds (patala patal lakh agasa agas), a feminist text: the divine is both male and female (ape purakh ape hi nar).

Chief guest at the function, former MP Tarlochan Singh, lauded the work done by late Prof Harbans. 

Bathinda/Kotkapura, December 20
A pall of gloom descended in Kotkapura town of Faridkot district today as seven among nine, who were killed in a road accident at Bathinda late last night belonged to a poor family of the town.

Tragedy struck when a Bolero jeep and a school van of Rajindra Public School, Panjuwana in Sirsa, had a head-on collision. The crash was so forceful that the upper part of the jeep was fully damaged.

In the accident, 24 schoolchildren also sustained injuries. After first aid at the civil hospital, Bathinda, they were discharged in the morning.

On the other hand, all nine persons, including a nearly two-and-a-half-year-old girl, travelling in the jeep succumbed to their injuries. After completing the legal formalities, doctors conducted the autopsy and handed over the bodies to the bereaved kin today.

The deceased were identified as Roshni Devi (45), her sister Tara Vati (65), Tara Vati’s son Kuldeep (28), Roshani’s sister-in-law Ram Kali (48), Ramkali’s son Rajesh Kumar (31), daughter-in-law Santosh Rani (28) and granddaughter Deepu (3). Further, two of Kuldeep’s friends Pankaj and Rakesh (both in their mid-twenties) also killed in the accident.

A large number of wailing relatives and residents of the town participated in the last rites at the Ram Bagh cremation ground in Kotkapura, in the afternoon.

A sobbing Ved Parkash, husband of deceased Ram Kali, said: “Six members of our family were returning after attending a bhog ceremony of a relative at Sirsa last evening. As the train they were travelling in arrived late at the Bathinda railway station, they missed the connecting train for Kotkapura. With no other option to reach home, Tarawati phoned her son, Kuldeep, who was at home, to come and pick them up from Bathinda.”

As Kuldeep was a driver, he was in the possession of a Bolero jeep of his master. He asked his friends Pankaj and Rakesh to accompany him, when they agreed, the trio left for Bathinda.

While returning they met with the mishap and all occupants of the vehicle lost their lives,” said Ved Prakash, whose throat chocked and tears started rolling down.

The bereaved kin said the deceased, Rajesh and Santosh, had two children, while one daughter Deepu was also killed in the accident, they were survived by their nine-year-old son Prince.

Speaking to the TNS, Prince said: “Though they all are saying that my parents and sister will come back, I know it well they are no more.”

“Had I got up in time, I too would have left with them on Saturday morning, when they were leaving for Sirsa…,” he said and started crying.

The pyres of eight adults were lit while the two-and-a-half-year-old child was buried at the cremation ground.

A pensive manager of the Ram Bagh cremation ground, Hem Raj Sharma, said: “It is the first tragedy in the decade old history of the town, when eight pyres have been put on fire at the same time.”

GS Randhawa, SSP, Faridkot, and Mantar Singh Brar, former MLA of SAD (B), were prominent among those who attended the cremation. Consoling the bereaved family members, they assured to provide the best possible support.

Amritsar, December 20
At a time when onion prices are soaring across the country, Punjab may look forward to some respite from unexpected quarters as 13 truckloads of onion today crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah land route.

Confirming the development, Assistant Commissioner of Customs RK Duggal said 13 small trucks laden with 200 bags of onions each had crossed over to India. He said it had cost the importers around Rs 20 per kg after paying custom duty etc.

Rajdeep Uppal, the managing director of Narain Exim, a leading Amritsar firm, said they had received 120 tonnes of onion from Pakistan today.

He hoped that as the import would increase, it would take care of the prevailing shortage here. He said they were expecting import of at least 30-40 trucks of onion from Pakistan daily for the next one week.

He, however, added that the demand from India had also affected the onion prices in Pakistan. According to him, Pakistan, too, did not have extra onion crop and in fact India had been exporting onions to them in March-April this year.

Ferozepur, December 20
An unidentified Pakistan national, who attempted to enter India, was shot dead by alert jawans of the BSF in the Shame Ke border observation post (BOP) area late last evening.

Official sources said the unidentified Pakistan national, who appeared to be around in his mid twenties, was shot dead while he was trying to cross over to the Indian territory by climbing over the cobra fencing wire erected in the area located close to Indo-Pak border zero line. The spot, where the incident took place, was located close to the gate No 186 of the cobra fencing.

Sources said jawans of the BSF, who were manning the security, first asked the intruder to halt while he (intruder) was running towards the Indian side.

Instead of listening to the warning given by the jawans, the intruder continued to run towards the cobra fencing.

The intruder was shot dead when he refused to listen to the warning given by the jawans and tried to enter India’s land forcibly. A few Pakistani currency notes worth Rs 50 and some clothes were recovered from his possession. After the intruder was shot dead, his body was shifted to the local civil hospital for autopsy.

Police sources said the body had been taken by BSF officials to handover the same to the Pakistan Rangers. If the body was not accepted by the Pakistan Rangers, then the police would carry out the last rites of the same as per its religious traditions.

A case had been registered in this connection under different sections of the Indian Passport Act and the Foreigners Act on the complaint lodged by the BSF authorities.

Chandigarh, December 20
Just over 16 years after her own teachers raped a Class X student, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the 10-year sentence awarded to them. Justice Jitendra Chauhan of the high court refused to place reliance on the “compromise” made under “duress” to uphold the sentence.

A student of government high school at Madhopur, the victim was raped after she was enrolled for a sports meet, even though she was not into games.

The accused teachers ---Balbir Singh, Amarjit Singh, Ranjit Singh and Mohan Lal Verma --- were booked on November 2, 1994. The victim had alleged the sister of an accused forced her into a room at her residence. The victim added she passed out soon after Ranjit Singh raped her. At the time of the incident, Balbir Singh, Amarjit Singh and Mohan Lal were present.

Going into the background, the victim had alleged the accused compelled her to go to Fatehgarh Sahib for a sports meet, along with 15-16 other girls, on October 24, 1994. There, Balbir Singh threatened her and forced her to take a lift from Mohan Lal on a scooter. She was later made to sit on Ranjit Singh’s cycle. The accused asked her to accompany him to his sister’s house; and was pushed inside a room by Jasbir Kaur before bolting the door from outside. She has been let off by the High Court.

Justice Chauhan ruled: “The appellant in the instant case are the teachers and the victim is their student…. The state of mind of prosecutrix can well be imagined, having been raped by her own teachers, who are otherwise in our social set-up put on a pedestal, which accords them an even higher status, respect and position than which is attached to one’s own parents.

Justice Chauhan added: It is made out the victim comes from the poorest strata of society. The appellants are well placed and, therefore, the change in the statement of the victim and her mother was certainly made under duress, which is very evident and which subsequently resulted in some sort of a compromise between the parties.

“I have no hesitation in recording the fact the alleged compromise is a manifestation of subjugation on account of unequal placement at social and economic pedestal. The testimony of prosecution was consistent till the time her father was alive”.