Chandigarh, March 8
Two members’ question on the number of cancer patients in Punjab and relief provided to them by the government had the state Assembly engrossed in a brief but meaningful debate on the subject, which prompted Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to order a census of cancer patients and create a fund to be utilised for the treatment of the patients.

Interestingly, when the Chief Minister proposed that all members of the House, including ministers, should donate their one month salary for the special cancer fund, all legislators present in the House assented to it.

Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, both from the Congress, wanted to know from state Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla a subdivision-wise break up of cancer patients and deaths due to this deadly disease in the state. They also wanted to know how many of these patients got complete treatment besides the total relief provided to them.

Chawla maintained that though there was no provision for the registration of cancer patients in the state, she had on her own asked the department to conduct a count of the total number of cancer patients and deaths caused due to it.

She said between 2001 and 2009, the total number of cancer patients detected in the rural areas numbered 23, 427, of which 16,730 died. At present, as many as 6,000 cancer patients were under treatment.

When Congress members insisted to know about the growing incidence in the Malwa belt, especially in the Mansa area to which Ajit Inder Singh Mofar belongs, and facilities being created there for the treatment of the poor cancer patients, Badal said doctors treating his wife abroad told him that cancer was one of the biggest killers in the US and as such blaming water or increasing toxicity of soil because of the use of peticides and fertilisers could not be the reason for the high incidence of cancer in the Malwa belt. Scientists were still trying to find the cause of cancer.

He agreed that the treatment of cancer was expensive. Setting up special diagnostic and treatment hospitals in Bathinda and Mohali besides creating a fund to provide fixed financial relief for the treatment of cancer patients were the immediate initiatives of his government, he said, adding that let there be a society that should govern these funds and disburse them in a free and fair manner to the needy patients.

He said though the Centre has asked for the registry of cancer patients through the PGI and a couple of government hospitals in the state, he had already ordered the Department of Health and Family Welfare to conduct a census of cancer patients in the state.

Khaira said deaths due to cancer in his constituency, Bholath, were high as every third or fourth person dying in the area was reported to be suffering from the disease. Both Khaira and Mofar wanted that big diagnostic and treatment centres were beyond the reach of the common man and as such, the state must take steps to ensure that they also get proper and timely treatment.

Chandigarh, March 8
When the state Finance Minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, delivers her first ever Budget speech in Vidhan Sabha on March 14, she will enter history books for several firsts to her credit.

She will become the first woman Finance Minister to make a budgetary speech in the recent history of the Assembly. The timing of the Budget presentation, according to the revised schedule for the remainder of the session, has now been changed from 2 pm to 11 am.

The House after the Zero Hour adopted the recommendations of the Business Committee that had made certain changes in the original schedule of the sittings of the House.

Instead of double sittings on three days, the House will have double sitting only once on March 11. Even the second sitting scheduled for today was cancelled because of the amended schedule.

Though the number of sittings will remain 14, the duration of the Session now stands extended as it will now conclude on March 26, a Saturday. After a day off on Wednesday, the House will resume discussion on the Governor’s Address on Thursday. The discussion will continue in the morning session on Friday (March 11) while in the afternoon sitting on the same day, it will take up CAG report of 2009-10 and the Appropriation Accounts for 2009-10.

Also in the second sitting on March 11, supplementary estimates for 2010-11 would be presented. Discussion and voting on these estimates would also follow in the same sitting. The House will also take up the Appropriation Bill for supplementary estimates for 2010-11.

After the presentation of Budget on March 14, a debate on the budgetary proposals will begin on March 16.

The House today approved time schedule allotted to different political parties for the debate. In all, it will be a nine-hour discussion with the ruling Akali Dal getting a maximum of three hours and 55 minutes.

On March 15, the House will take up legislative business as well as non-official business. Debate on Budgetary proposals will continue on March 17 and 18. From March 19 to 24, there will be no sitting because of holidays and off days.

On March 26, the last day of the sitting, the House will have some non- official business.

Chandigarh, March 8
Using International Women’s Day as a tool, members of the Congress Legislature Party today staged a walkout from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal “ignored” their demand for an apology for the alleged lathi charge on women employees of the Health Department in Badal village.

Maintaining that based on a report which he has sought from the authorities concerned, the CM told an enraged Opposition that action would be taken against those found guilty of beating up agitators, including women employees. However, the assurance failed to pacify Congress legislators.

The issue was raised by Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira during the zero hour. He said though the CM had announced on the floor of the House that no woman would be summoned to a police station in the state, the police went on a rampage in the CM’s home town by “beating up women employees”. Khaira said either the police was not obeying the CM’s command or no follow-up action was taken against the erring policemen.

He also quoted the case of a woman from his constituency who was allegedly raped in her own house by an official, saying she had been running from pillar to post to get justice. More than one inquiry conducted to verify the allegations levelled by the woman had established the rape charge and an FIR was also registered, but nothing had been done so far, he added.

Khaira also referred to a news report published in these columns recently regarding 781 Punjab girls and women who had gone missing since 2001. He said some of these girls and women might have been forced into flesh trade.

“This was against the CM’s own declaration about the restoration of honour of women made on the floor of the House soon after assuming the charge of his office,” Khaira said. He was subsequently joined by Leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and senior Congress leader Avtar Singh Brar in soliciting a statement from the CM on the issue.

Though the Speaker ruled that it was not necessary for the Treasury benches to respond to each and every issue raised during the zero hour, Congress legislators were up on their legs before the CM got up to make a statement.

The CM held that after reading newspapers, it was a routine for him to call the officials concerned to ask for reports on various incidents reported by the media. “On the same day, I asked for a report about the Badal incident. I am available to everyone. I do not know why they had to go to Badal. No one lives there. They could have come to me,” he said,” maintaining that based on the report, action would be taken against those found guilty.

While Congress men were not satisfied with his response, they wanted him to apologise to those women who became victims of lathi charge. In absence of any response from the Treasury benches, Congress legislators walked out raising slogans against the government. Later, they returned to the House before a discussion on the Governor’s Address started.

Chandigarh, March 8
The Punjab Assembly today witnessed the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) opening itself to charges of spreading religious acrimony with a member commenting on the circumstances which led to the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on the first day of the debate on the Governor’s Address in the Vidhan Sabha today.

The SAD, which has a lot to take credit for including the recruitment of more than 51,000 teachers besides increase in the revenue and tax collections, frittered away the opportunity by adopting a strident attitude.

The selection of Virsa Singh Valtoha, who was jailed during the era of militancy, to lead the debate on the Governor’s Address puzzled many as Valtoha chose to spew venom against the Congress, in direct contrast to his leader and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s recent attempts to foster reconciliation with the Opposition.

Congress legislators were on the verge of a walkout before Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon expunged the remarks. Congress legislator Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi urged the latter to speak in a responsible manner and sought an apology from him, which the Speaker ruled out. The Speaker did tell Valtoha to control himself.

The CM intervened when Amarjit Singh Sahi from the BJP began speaking about Sharad Pawar’s facial expressions during a discussion on inflation. The CM requested that members should not insult senior leaders and urged Sahi to take his words back.

Sunil Jakhar while opening debate on the Governor’s Address on behalf of the Congress said it was unfortunate that the SAD was caught in a generational clash. He sought a white paper on the Bathinda refinery. He also highlighted how prime land was “gifted” to a private society in Jalandhar to establish the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences.

Chandigarh, March 8
Fourteen Bills passed by the 12th and the 13th Vidhan Sabha have got the formal assent of the President/Governor to become Acts. A list tabled by Local Bodies and Industries Minister Manoranjan Kalia in the Punjab Assembly today contained a Bill, the Punjab Self-Supporting Cooperative Societies, that was passed in 2006. It perhaps took the longest before getting the assent.

Interestingly, many of the Bills passed by the 13th Vidhan Sabha last year have already got the assent of the President/Governor. These include the Chitkara University Bill. After Lovely, Chitkara has now the legislative sanction as the second private university of the state.

Interestingly, five of the 14 Bills to get the assent relate to salaries, allowances, medical facilities and pension of legislators, deputy ministers and ministers. The Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) besides the Punjab State Legislature Members (Salaries and Allowances) Amendment Bill too have got the formal assent. The third and the fourth amendments to the Punjab Value Added Tax Bill and the Punjab Entertainment Duty (Amendment) Bill, too, have become Acts now.

Other Bills that have become Acts include the Punjab Medical Registration (Amendment) 2010 and the Pepsu Township Development Board (Amendment) 2010. The Punjab Advocates Welfare Fund (second amendment), too, got the assent.

Jalandhar, March 8
The failure of the authorities of “Parho Punjab” project to conduct “post-test” meant to evaluate lakhs of primary students for promotion to the next class, has exposed a vacuum that exists at the top echelons of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan after the recent change of guard.

This has resulted in utter confusion down the line with the first casualty being these tests that had been conducted with clock-work precision ever since the project started in Punjab. It has also cast a shadow on the future of lakhs of students, especially, those belonging to the poor strata.

The tests, equivalent to the final academic examinations, are conducted for students of Classes I to V at the end of each academic session either in the last week of February or the first half of March.

Regrettably, besides the test, the authorities have also failed to send the testing tools-a questionnaire- to the district coordinators of the project. It is used to test the knowledge of the students at the end of each academic session.

The district coordinators further distribute such tools to the Block Master Trainers and Cluster Master Trainers, who, along with school teachers concerned, conduct the tests at the school level.

The level of confusion can well be gauged from the fact the even after the first week of March, teachers deputed in over 13,000 primary schools are still not sure that whether the post-tests would be conducted this year or not.

Sources said during meetings presided over by former project director Krishan Kumar it had been decided that the post-tests would be held and completed in February 25 - March 19.

However, the ill-timed transfer of a few senior officials supervising the project at this crucial juncture had orphaned an ambitious project of the state, a senior officer supervising the project said.

Another casualty of the transfers was a complete breakdown of the communication between the head office and the workers at block level after Krishan Kumar and the other officers,” he added.

The conduct of the tests seem a bleak possibility since a meeting between the authorities and the district coordinators is yet to take place after the transfers, said another officer.

The new Project Director, B Purushartha, could not be contacted for comments.

Lok Sabha MP from Hoshiarpur Santosh Chaudhary said she had taken up the issue of indiscriminate firing on the two Sikhs with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today and urged him to take up the issue with the US government to ensure the safety of Indians, particularly Sikhs, living there. Dr Manmohan Singh assured her to take up the issue with the Obama government soon to ensure the security and safety of the Indians living there.

Sangrur, March 8
As many as three members of the Improvement Trust are at loggerheads with the chairperson of the Trust over the acquisition of a colony. The members have demanded that the decision on acquisition of land belonging to a private coloniser be kept pending till an enquiry is conducted into the matter.

The Trust chairperson Enu Singla is in the dock for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh and demanding a plot in the colony being constructed by a coloniser Pradeep Kumar near the colony being constructed by the Trust. He has alleged that she tried to get a resolution passed in the Trust meeting on March 7 to acquire the land of the colony being developed by him.

Suspecting foul play behind her move, three members of the Trust demanded that the matter be kept pending till the next meeting and an enquiry be conducted into the same.

A local coloniser Pradeep Kumar who is constructing a colony at Uppli road, next to the Improvement Trust, had in an affidavit submitted to the SDM, Sangrur, alleging that the Trust chairperson Enu Singla had blackmailed him of acquiring the land of the colony he is developing through the Trust and also took Rs 10 lakh as bribe through her so called brother Ashok Kumar Rajja for not doing so. He alleged she had also demanded a plot measuring 200 gaz in the front portion of the colony spread over 4.36 acre.

Singla alleged that the three members of the Trust are municipal councillors who are hand in glove with the coloniser and had thus ensured that the acquisition of the land of the colony is kept pending.

Patiala, March 8
Gurmeet Kaur from Nabha, who was allegedly thrown out of her house by her husband and has been fighting for her rights for the past 11 years, has no reason to celebrate International Women’s Day today.

Another girl Rajbir Kaur, who got married in 2009 in Samana, was allegedly thrown out of her in-laws house when her husband went to England and did not return. She is ever since fighting for her rights to live in her in-laws house.

Numerous such women were present in Patiala today to meet and take up their issues with Lok Bhalai Party president BS Ramoowalia. The majority of the Punjab women came here to celebrate the Women’ Day in a unique way, discussing their problems and urging Ramoowalia to take up their matter for speedy justice.

Criticising the both the Congress and the ruling SAD-BJP government, Ramoowalia said over 50,000 Punjab girls were fighting for their rights after their greedy in-laws had turned them out of the house for dowry. “Their children have been kept by them and the girls have been told to return to their paternal house. In many cases, despite court orders, in-laws have refused to take them back,” he added.

Neetu Rani from Bharatgarh village said she was thrown out of the house with her five-year-old son, as her in-laws were demanding more dowry. “I have been going to police stations, but the police also does not bother to understand me on humanitarian grounds and now my in-laws are threatening me further to withdraw the complain or get ready for consequences,” she said.

Blaming the justice delivery system, Ramoowalia said the politicians in the state were least bothered to act and raise the issue and ask the police to speed up such cases. “Instead they give lectures on women empowerment and release advertisements in newspapers. The real Women’s Day will be celebrated only when these women get justice and their legitimate right,” he added.

Due to inordinate delays in justice and police attitude, despite numerous complaints, more than 8,000 Punjabi girls and women were forced into flesh trade across the world by unscrupulous travel agents, Ramoowalia claimed.

Nangal, March 8
The Red Cross Society, Ropar, is not paying lease amount to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for its 12 shops constructed over the latter’s land. Shopkeepers of 11 shops of the society are charged Rs 1,200 per month, while the 12th shop (which is smaller as compared to 11 others) is charged Rs 400 per month. The smaller shop was rented in December 2009. The rent of all these shops is raised by Rs 100 per year.

The land belongs to the BBMB and in other instances, the BBMB has given its land on lease for development and construction purposes. As per the market rate, the lease rate for this piece of land is Rs 2,400 per square yard per year.

These shops were constructed in the year 2008. With an aim to provide livelihood to shopkeepers and generate revenue for the society, the shops were given on rent. In gross violation of norms, the allottees of these shops have sublet it further on rent.

“In many cases, the actual shopkeepers have given their shops on rent and themselves have made make shift arrangement on the pavement outside these shops,” said the shopkeepers.

While the BBMB’s chief engineer BD Singh was not available for comments, sources said the board administration had taken up the matter of paying lease amount with the district administration. “The BBMB authorities claim that as per market rates, the Red Cross Society should pay them Rs 2.57 lakh arrear of last two years. They have also mentioned rates for further 33 years at different rates,” the sources added.

Lakhmir Singh, SDM, Nangal, agreed that the Red Cross Society did not pay the BBMB. “The Red Cross funds collected are meant for development of poor,” he said. He added that the matter had been forwarded to the government through the district administration.

Chhat (Banur), March 8
An Indian great horned owl, which was missing from its cage in the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park from the past two days, was found dead near the deer safari on the zoo premises today.

The zoo housed two Indian great horned owls and two barn owls. The Central Zoo Authority’s inventory reveals that the zoo authorities were yet to identify gender of any of its owls and had kept them in separate enclosures.

Zoo Field Director Churchil Kumar said a mischief by some visitor could not ruled out. “The bird died of starvation and dehydration. Since he was bred in the zoo, he failed to survive in the wild. The entire body of the bird was intact and photographs had also been taken. A board of veterinary doctors conducted the postmortem and it was cremated as per the rules,” Kumar said.

Nikhil Sangar, an animal lover from Nawanshahr said owls were always in a demand by superstitious people.

Patiala, March 8
Perturbed over the slow pace of investigation and failure of the police to recover the missing girl from Patiala, despite the recovery of pistol, love letters and porn clips of some Punjab girls from the accused, the investigations into the infamous sex scandal spread in many cities of Punjab has been transferred to the Crime Investigating Agency (CIA).

Sources in the Police Department confirmed that police teams and raid parties had been despatched to various parts of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to arrest the other accused in the case.

The accused were running a sex racket from a beauty parlour in Bathinda where the parlour caretaker Sarbjeet Kaur lured girls to befriend Maninder and Vajinder, who then blackmailed them to join flesh trade.

Sources confirmed the Passiana police failed to make a major breakthrough in the case despite arresting two accused and numerous VIP duties that hampered investigations, the probe was handed over to the CIA for further investigations. “The case was given to the CIA almost a few days back and they are constantly working on it under the direct supervision of Patiala SP (Detective),” they added.

Those booked in the case include dismissed DSP Gurjit Singh - PO in a murder case; his two sons Vajinder, Maninder and wife Jaspal Kaur. Gurjit was dismissed some years back after the registration of a murder case

Meanwhile, the police is also investigating the role of certain police officers from Bathinda, who allegedly help the accused procure a quarter in the Bathinda police lines, despite the fact that Gurjit Singh was dismissed from service.

CIA in charge Sukminder Chauhan said efforts were on to nab the accused. In her statement to the police, a Ludhiana-based girl has narrated, how she was sent to Dubai and was also sent to customers in and outside Punjab, after being forced into this profession.

Amritsar, March 8
Giving a call for pollution-free Hola Mohalla, EcoSikh, a US-based Sikh organisation working for the environment, has urged the state government to declare Anandpur Sahib plastic free before March 14, the Gurta Gaddi Diwas of Guru Har Rai.

In a statement released from the US, Dr Rajwant Singh, convener of the EcoSikh, said: “People throw garbage and plastic material on roads and in parks during the Hola Mohalla celebrations, which needs to be checked. We have also written a letter to Takht Keshgarh Sahib Jathedar Tarlochan Singh to convey to the Sikh sangat a message on environment conservation prior to the start of Hola Mohalla. We will also appeal deras and other people putting up langar during the celebrations to serve the same in biodegradable products such as ‘pattal’ or paper and not use plastic.”

Dr Rajwant said Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib should be conserved as natural heritage and their original and tranquil atmosphere should be preserved for the coming generations. This could only happen if this appeal and persuasion came from the Takht authority along with the SGPC, he added. “The Jathedar of Akal Takht has already declared March 14 as Sikh Environment Day and if Hola Mohalla is starting on the same day, it makes sense to start preaching on this concept and have it implemented,” he said.

Chandigarh, March 8
Demanding a raise in honorarium, hundreds of anganwadi workers from Punjab today held a protest in Sector 34 here .The Chandigarh Police had a tough time managing the workers, who were adamant to march towards the Vidhan Sabha.

Led by the president of the Anganwadi Employees Union, Punjab, Usha Rani, the workers amassed outside the office of the Punjab Social Welfare Secretary in Sector 34 and then marched to Aroma Hotel traffic lights in Sector 22, where they staged a dharna and raised slogans. They also blcked traffic.

The protesting workers demanded the handing over of a memorandum to the Social Welfare Minister. Later, they lifted the dharna after a representative took the memorandum from them. — TNS

Moga, March 8
A 17-year-old Dalit girl was strangled allegedly by her father after she planned to run away with her lover belonging to the same community in Mallke village in the Baghapurana subdivision of Moga district yesterday.

Some local villagers informed the police that Pal Singh, the father of the deceased, revealed to his relatives and neighbours that his daughter Kamaljeet Kaur had committed suicide. He claimed that Kamaljeet had consumed some poisonous substance due to which she had died and announced that she would be cremated in the evening.

DSP (Baghapurana subdivision) Surjit Singh Khosa said a police party was immediately sent to the place and the body was taken into custody. A post-mortem examination report confirmed that she was strangled. During interrogation, the deceased’s father confessed to the crime, said the DSP.

The DSP said a criminal case has been registered against Pal Singh. He had been taken into the custody by the police for further investigations. Khosa said during preliminary investigations it had come to light that Kamaljeet was in relationship with a boy but her family did not approved the relationship. The family had tried to persuade her against the relationship but she was adamant to marry him.

Yesterday, Kamaljeet left her home. She told her mother that she was going with her lover and would marry him. She told that she would not return home. She also boarded a bus to the boy’s village but Pal Singh followed her on his motorcycle and stopped the bus. She forcibly took out her daughter and brought her back at home. After sometime, he allegedly her strangled daughter.