Nanakshahi Calendar
Panels’ members favour original version
Amritsar, February 3
Even as the SGPC has implemented the amended Nanakshahi Calendar, experts who were part of different panels formed during the making of the calendar in the early 2000, support the original that came into being in 2003. They maintain that the proper procedure was not followed while making amendments to it.

Jalandhar, February 3
Keeping in view the Vidhan Sabha elections, due to be held early next year, the BJP and the (SAD) have started an informal discussion on swapping certain Assembly constituencies. After entering into a pre-election pact, the SAD-BJP coalition had jointly contested the Assembly elections last time. While the BJP had put up candidates in 23 constituencies, in the remaining constituencies, the SAD had fielded its candidates.

Sources said that the SAD and the BJP had reached an understanding to contest the same number of constituencies, which they did last time.

However, a discussion has been held to swap certain constituencies between the two parties. Sources said that the BJP was keen to hand over the SAD those constituencies which its candidates had been losing for the past several years. For instance, in the Amritsar (West) constituency, the BJP had been performing poorly for the past three decades. The BJP is interested to swap this seat with the SAD. Besides, the BJP candidates had been suffering defeats often in the Garhshankar and Nangal constituencies. Abohar is another seat where the BJP has been doing partially well in the past. Last time, Dr Ram Kumar Goel of the BJP had lost to Sunil Jakhar of the Congress.

Sources said that the BJP wanted two seats in Malwa’s Bathinda belt. Earlier, the late Hit Abhilashi was a prominent leader of the BJP in the Malwa region. He was from Budhlada. However, terrorists in Chandigarh killed him in the 1990s. His son Neeraj Tayal is keen to contest from Bathinda, it is learnt. Besides, the BJP is interested in one more seat in the Bathinda-Sangrur belt. The BJP is also eyeing Mohali, Dera Bassi and Kharar constituencies. These seats have now a good urban base. Jalandhar (Cantonment) is also on the list of the BJP, it is learnt. The SAD MLA, Jagbir Singh, who was elected from Jalandhar (Cantonment), has turned rebel and has joined hands with Manpreet Singh Badal.

Sources said that there could be a swapping of three to four seats between the BJP and the SAD. The BJP, party insiders said, would be having no problem in surrendering the Amritsar (West), Garhshankar and Abohar to the SAD. It may also hand over one constituency in Ropar district to the SAD. In lieu of these constituencies, the BJP is likely to ask for four constituencies -- two in Malwa’s Bathinda-Sangrur region, one in SAS Nagar district and one in the Majha-Doaba region.

Jalandhar, February 3
In a case of negligence on the part of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), the accounts answersheets of nearly 50 students of Class XII (commerce) have gone missing after the same were sent to the board for evaluation. The exams were held in September last year. Ironically, instead of devising any alternative evaluation criterion for such students, the board has directed them to reappear in the exam.

Besides 11 students from Jalandhar district alone, students from other districts also suffered due to the laxity of the board. The results of the accounts subject of these students were also withheld on account of this negligence for nearly three months. Since the declaration of the results in November last year, the board kept on giving an assurance to their parents that the results would be declared in a day or two. However, much to their surprise, the board has recently asked them to appear in the exam, along with other subjects in the second semester exams scheduled to start from March 11.

PSEB chairman DS Dhillon said the inquiry revealed that a government school lecturer had allegedly misplaced the bundle of answersheets and the board had recommended a department inquiry against the teacher. He said the board had sent a letter directing such students to reappear in the exam.

Chandigarh, February 3
The state has the largest Scheduled Castes population in the country (29 per cent), but it has chosen to dilute a scheme -Rajiv Gandhi Jan Sehat Yojna - which provides toilets to the SCs in their houses by opening it to beneficiaries under the general category.

The scheme, launched in 2003, has been non-functional during the SAD-BJP rule. The government had been making provisions for the scheme since 2007-08 but funds were never allotted for it. In 2010, when it received an additional Central assistance (ACA) of Rs 250 crore, nearly Rs 100 crore was earmarked for the scheme.

However, the scheme was thrown open for beneficiaries under the general category after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal proposed the same on the file when the Rural Development Department put up a case for the release of Rs 45 crore for the construction of toilets for the SC beneficiaries before him.

The Chief Minister proposed that expect for Bathinda and Mansa, which have been covered under a total sanitation project, the grant be distributed evenly without reservation to all districts. The Rural Development Department subsequently asked the Finance, Welfare and Planning Department to give its permission to change the guidelines of the scheme.

Financial Commissioner (Rural Development and Panchayats) Jagpal Singh Sandhu said as far as his department was concerned, the scheme was changed after a due approval from the departments and that it was up to the departments to disclose why they had changed the nature of the scheme.

The Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan Department, which monitors a special component plan and allowed the U-turn, expressed helplessness for the same. SC Sub-Plan Director Chaman Lal Wason when asked why his department had itself allowed money meant for the welfare of the SCs be diverted to the general category, said his department was only following a broad policy decision.

The SC department while recommending that the money be allowed to be used for the general category beneficiaries, has even contradicted its own order by inserting a line “advising” that the SC-dominated areas should get full advantage of the scheme.

Rural Development Joint Director Shivdev Singh, when approached for details, said while acceding to the changes, his department made it clear in its sanction order that a due coverage should be given to the SCs and information about the same should be sent to the department.

Meanwhile, the Secretary (Rural Development) said the planning department had approved the revised outlay saying the money had earlier been kept as part of the special component plan which was to be used on the welfare of the SCs.

Secretary (Planning) Satish Chandra said the money had been booked “wrongly” as part of the special component plan and that the department had now been asked to spend it “as per its guidelines” and give the details of money spent on the SCs.

The Rural Development Department conveniently changed the guidelines of the scheme for 2010-11 by making it applicable to economically weaker sections and not 95 per cent for the SCs only as per the previous guidelines.

(To be concluded)

Amritsar, February 3
Even as the SGPC has implemented the amended Nanakshahi Calendar, experts who were part of different panels formed during the making of the calendar in the early 2000, support the original that came into being in 2003. They maintain that the proper procedure was not followed while making amendments to it.

Talking to The Tribune, SGPC member Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, who was a member of an 11-member committee formed by the SGPC, said following the amendments, the Nanakshahi Calendar had lost its solar base. “The amended calendar is neither based on solar charts nor lunar charts, ” she said.

She said those who amended the calendar should either find a way out to fix the dates of major gurpurbs or let the original calendar be implemented.

Bibi Kiranjot Kaur said she had recently been to Canada and found resentment among the Sikh Sangat over the amendments made to the calendar, adding that she had sent her suggestions on the issue to the Jathedar of Akal Takht.

Another member of the committee, Prof Kirpal Singh from Chandigarh, said the SGPC had undone the hard work put in by them in preparing the calendar. “They have practically finished off the solar base of the calendar. We had fixed the dates of five major gurpurbs while leaving out the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and Divali. However, the SGPC made the amendments to the calendar without consulting anybody,” he said.

According to him, if there were any shortcomings in the calendar, they could have been removed after consulting the experts.

Dr Suba Singh, a member of another committee formed over the issue, said the amended calendar was wrong. He alleged that the Sikh code of conduct was flouted by making amendments to it, adding that the changes were made in the calendar due to “votebank politics”.

Regarding clashing of dates of gurpurbs, he said, “It is a natural phenomenon. There is nothing unusual about it,” he added.

On the other hand, SGPC president Avtar Singh said they had made the changes in the Nanakshahi Calendar for the unity of the community and it had been accepted by the Sikh Sangat across the world.

Chandigarh, February 3
The Congress seems to be losing the sheen it had acquired after Amarinder Singh was appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president. For months now, the party high command has kept its state leadership guessing about leaders who will be appointed to various party posts in the state.

Although the PPCC president has already started a “mass mobilisation” programme, in the absence of the party structure at the grassroots, there is hardly any post-rally activity. It is more than three months since Amarinder was appointed PCC president on October 26 last year. The first thing he is learnt to have done was to prepare a list of the PCC office-bearers and the District Congress Committee presidents and send it to the party high command for an approval. However, the failure of the high command to respond to it has caused a political vacuum with leaders adopting a ‘wait-and-watch’ policy.

A Delhi-based senior party leader said Punjab was not the only state awaiting the nod from the Congress President, many other states were in the same situation. He added that it was only a routine matter for the Central high command, as it had given the nod to the list in principle, but was yet to announce the same.

“The list is getting delayed as the AICC is to be reconstituted and only after that, the states PCCs will be approved,” the leader said. No matter what the reason may be for the delay, it may not go well for the party in Punjab that is to fight an aggressive SAD led by Sukhbir Badal, who has already sounded his election war cry.

Jalandhar, February 3
Differently-abled persons have demanded establishment of a separate ministry to deal with the problems faced by them. The demand was raised at a meeting held at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here today.

The proposed ministry should be responsible for implementing welfare schemes.

Physically-challenged athletes of international repute also attended the meeting.

The meeting was held to launch a campaign to persuade differently-abled persons to get registered as “disabled” in the Census 2011 beginning February 9.

President, Organisation of the parents of Mentally Retarded Children, Amarjit Singh Anand said, “There is a sizeable population of the disabled in the state to demand a separate ministry. The state cannot deliver with the present ministry, which is entangled in other cumbersome affairs like pension disbursement.”

Dr Ravi Sharma, a representative of the Spinal Cord Injury Association, demanded that the Centre or the state should develop a centre in Punjab to treat and rehabilitate such patients. “There is no exclusive government- run facility in the entire North India and we have to go to Delhi for treatment. The cost of treatment is beyond the reach of the poor,” he added. Dr Ravi is a paraplegic after he met with an accident.

About the campaign, Anand said the goal was to make the “invisible minority of disabled” visible through the Census 2011.

“The future of the differently-abled depends on the correct data. Census 2011 projected disability rate in Punjab as 1.76 per cent of the total population but the actual figure is much more,” he said.

Patiala, February 3
The Punjab Police has decided to set up new police stations across many districts and has also ordered a change in the area of jurisdiction of various police stations as per the constituency. A notification in this regard has already been issued to various police districts of the state.

Sources confirmed that the Home Department had given the nod for the setting up of new police stations following proposals forwarded by many police district chiefs to the police headquarters. “Over 12 police stations will be set up following these orders and the respective police chiefs have been informed about it,” they said.

According to the notification, Patiala will have five new police stations and the area of jurisdiction of seven other police stations will be changed with immediate effect.

“New police stations will come up at Shambhu, Kherha Gandian, Bakhsiwala, City Samana and Urban Estate”, reads the notification received by the Patiala police.

Sources said the headquarters was now receiving requests for the sanctioning of new buildings to house these police stations as a dearth of government buildings was causing problems.

Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said: “Though the notification has been made, we have requested the head office to sanction the requisite facilities.”

The area of jurisdiction has further been changed for police stations of the Civil Lines, Kotwali, Sadar, Julka, Ghagga, Patran and Sadar Rajpura in Patiala.

Staff shortage is already affecting the work of the existing police stations where the staff usually works overtime. And with the setting up of new police stations, work will suffer further.

Patiala IG Paramjit Singh Gill said an ample force would be deployed at these police stations and adjustments would be made accordingly.

Ludhiana, February 3
Having failed to get a “hike” in salaries, the employees working under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Punjab have decided to commence a statewide stir against the “inadequate salaries” being given to them ever since their inception in various ranks.

The state president of the NRHM Employees Union, Sarabjit Singh Kalakh, at a meeting organised in Ludhiana today pointed out the conspicuous difference in the salaries given to the NRHM employees in other states, including Bihar and Rajasthan.

Said the president, the Central Government was releasing an approximate amount of Rs 1,200 crore every year for the execution of various schemes under the NRHM in Punjab. “The officials at the helm of affairs of the state chapter of the NRHM are using their discretion to disburse salaries to the 5,048 employees working under the NRHM irrespective of the growing inflation,” alleged Sarabjit Singh Kalakh.

The NRHM commenced in Punjab in 2007 and the employees are recruited on one-year contract , which is renewed every year. But there has been no significant hike in the salaries of the employees.

Fatehgarh Sahib, February 3
The agriculture department, Fatehgarh Sahib, is facing an acute shortage of Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs), as against the 33 sanctioned posts, there are only four officers. Besides affecting the official work, the shortage has also stalled the process of delivering seeds, pesticides and other things on controlled prices to farmers. One of the four ADOs said they had to perform so many works assigned to them at one time. They had to implement the orders of the DC, answer queries of senior officers sitting in Chandigarh, be a part of the Jor Mela and also organise camps and interaction programmes for farmers, he added.

“With so many works assigned to us at one time, we are unable to perform even one task effectively,” said another ADO. Every year some of the material that is to be distributed at controlled prices remains undistributed. This year also, the quantity of the undistributed lot has increased incredibly.

The officials said one of their colleagues retired on Monday and others are about to retire. At present, two ADOs are working in the field and two at the district headquarters.

Interestingly, the post of Chief Agriculture Officer is also lying vacant for the past few months.

Chief Agriculture Officer SC Khurana, who looks after both Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala districts, said: “A few days ago, I had come to Fatehgarh Sahib and during a surprise check in Patiala, I was marked absent. This is just one of the problems we are facing due to a lack of manpower.

Dera Bassi, February 3
The Minister of state for external Affairs Preneet Kaur is hopeful of positive outcome from the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan at Thimpu in Bhutan at the two-day meeting of the foreign ministers of SAARC countries from February 5.

She said this while talking to mediapersons at Bhankarpur village here today. She was here to extend support to the agitation launched by the farmers of Bhankarpur village for ownership of the land measuring 5,200 kanal, which they have been cultivating for past 50 years. Director panchyat has declared the land as common land.

She said the direction of the talks between the foreign secretaries would fix the agenda for future dialogue between the foreign ministers of both countries to be held in India soon.

She condemned the radio tagging of Indian students in America and said India would continue to lodge its protest on various platforms till the students get justice.

Chandigarh, February 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today gave the state of Punjab a week’s time to file a vigilance report in the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) medical officers’ selection case.

The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih also fixed February 17 as the next date of hearing in the case. As the matter came up for hearing, the state counsel asserted that the report was ready and asked for three days to file the same, but the Bench gave a week’s time to the state.

The move to hand over the report comes just more than three months after the PPSC handed over to the advocate-general’s office a truckload of original record on selection of medical officers.

The State of Punjab had initially sought three weeks’ time to completely examine it. Appearing before the high court, the state had taken the plea that the record was being examined.

Chandigarh, February 3
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state of Punjab to release timely scholarships to girls enrolled under the Kanya Jagrit Joti Scheme.

The development is significant as the amount had not been disbursed after March 2009. The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih has also directed the state to release latest by February 15 the scholarships up to January 31.

The directions came on a petition filed in the public interest by Bhagwant Singh against the state of Punjab and other respondents.

The Bench observed: This PIL has been filed seeking directions to the respondents to release the pending scholarship amount to the female children enrolled under the Kanya Jagrit Joti Scheme. According to the petitioner such benefit, though due under the scheme, has not been disbursed and therefore appropriate directions may be issued.

After going through the arguments and the documents, the Bench asserted: “An affidavit filed by the Director, Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development, Government of Punjab, has been filed wherein it has been stated that payments up to March 2009 have been disbursed to the beneficiaries and the same have been received.

“For the subsequent period, according to the respondents, Life Insurance Company (LIC) who has to release the funds to the field officers for payment after due verification of the beneficiaries, has issued a letter dated January 31, 2011.

“In the letter, it is mentioned that scholarship due up to January 31, 2011, will be released by the LIC latest by February 15, 2011, to bring the status of the payments up to date”.

The Bench concluded: In view of the stand taken by the Director in the affidavit filed, we are of the view that this PIL should be disposed of with a direction for release of the scholarship up to January 31 latest by February 15 and thereafter timely release such scholarship to enable the beneficiaries to receive the amount due under the scheme.