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KHALSA COLLEGE ROW
Gurdwara Baba Atal on way to regaining its glory
Move to beef up security at Badals’ homes
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Wheat procurement sluggish at Rajpura
 Rajpura, April 6
Besides extended cold conditions, strike by the officials of the procurement agencies is delaying process of wheat procurement this season. As compared to 50, 600 quintals procured till April 6 last year, not even one quintal has been procured this season at the Rajpura grain market. A farmer dries wheat for sale at the Rajpura grain market. Tribune photo:JS Virdi
Baisakhi Battle: Cong flays SGPC decision
PPP’s elections in June
Manpreet Badal and his father Gurdas Singh Badal wave to their supporters after making announcement about PPP’s election, in Bathinda on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma
State-run medical colleges
Janjua finds fault with FIR
‘Global standards’ needed in community policing
Barnala may quit as Tamil Nadu Governor
Yuvraj’s village waits for him
Colleges to do away with convocations
Tribune Impact
Farmers switch over to moong for better returns
Today is World Health Day
SC notice to state on judges’ plea on promotion
Education cess not reaching designated fund: PIL
Two killed in mishap
70 kg of heroin seized
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KHALSA COLLEGE ROW GS Paul Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 6 The teachers were booked on March 31 on the basis of a complaint submitted by Dr Daljit Singh, Principal of Khalsa College, and Jaswinder Singh Dhillon, Principal of Khalsa College of Education. A case under various sections of the IPC was registered with the police station cantonment for allegedly trespassing and creating a ruckus in their (principals’) residential premises, located inside the college on March 17. However, after failing to obtain anticipatory bail instantly from the district court, Amritsar, which deferred the hearing in the matter till April 8, the teachers moved the high court to evade arrest. Nevertheless, directing on the petition filed by SS Rangi and 19 other teachers, the bench headed by Justice KC Puri, yesterday, granted them interim bail. Dr Daljit Singh maintained that the teachers’ attitude and undesirable language they used was against the moral principles of the teaching profession. “I and my counterpart have been hurt. The matter is subjudice and I have full faith in judiciary,” he said. On the other hand, the visibly relaxed teachers said they did not violate any law but held their protest in a democratic manner and now the matter was with the district court. “Let the law take its course. We are hopeful of getting heard in a sympathetic manner in the hearing at the district court, too. At present, according to the norms stipulated by the PCCTU, we will be busy holding the annual general elections of the Khalsa College Teachers’ Union for two days. The next course of action will be decided after the court’s ruling,” said SS Rangi, lecturer, Khalsa College.
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Gurdwara Baba Atal on way to regaining its glory
Amritsar, April 6 The work is being carried out by the Noida-based Heritage Conservation Management Services (HCMS), roped in by the district administration, along with the SGPC. The gold work in the sanctum sanctorum has been completed and it is ready to be handed over to the SGPC, while ‘gachkari’ (traditional art conservation work) and mirror work on the roof of the ground floor is under progress. Artists from Kerala, MP, Orissa and New Delhi are in the city for cleaning and retouching work to be done on frescoes on the first floor of the gurdwara. The building boasts of rare frescoes depicting the scenes from the life of Guru Nanak Dev and his portraits in the form of panels with distinctive borders. Apart from it, there are floral and geometric designs and motifs surrounding the panels. An internal drainage system is also being laid and a canopy erected around the shrine to ensure that there is no seepage of water as it may cause damage to the structure. The historic gurdwara also had frescoes on its outer walls, but that had been damaged during the dismantling of marble and tiles, which were put up during the kar sewa earlier. HCMS official Rakesh Kumar, who is looking after the project, confirmed that over 90 per cent of the paintings on the exterior walls had got damaged. He said they would now ensure that the artwork was preserved in a way that it could withstand vagaries of weather. While the HCMS is focusing on the restoration of traditional artwork, the SGPC will be doing the flooring work in and around the building. Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu said the conservation of Baba Atal hads been a dream project for him and they would make all efforts to revive traditional paintings and artwork in the building as much as possible. The building’s fabric had witnessed moisture penetration over the years due to unsealed window openings, penetration through hairline cracks in the cement render and washing of the interiors with liberal quantities of water or milk. The structure of Baba Atal had undergone renovation in the past and new, mostly undesirable, materials added on. Gurdwara Baba Atal is a 40-metre high octagonal tower. It was built in the last quarter of the 18th century to commemorate Atal Rai, son of Guru Hargobind, who died at the age of nine. The tower has nine storeys one for each year of Atal Rai’s life.
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Move to beef up security at Badals’ homes
Badal (Muktsar), April 6 While additional deployment of police personnel is being made in and around the two private residences of Badals in this village, the concept of multi-layered security will be brought in place whenever these VIPs will hold their Sangat Darshan functions and party rallies. Official sources said that senior officials of the Punjab Police, including the special security group (SSG), was likely to make a round of the village to personally supervise the security arrangements. Chief Minister Badal and his family members remained on the hit list of different militant organisations ever since terrorism started in the border state of Punjab. Even the Union Home Ministry declined the suggestion of the Congress, made in 2002, in connection with the scaling down of the security of Chief Minister Badal, who has been enjoying Z category security for the past more than a decade. The agitating activists of different unions would have to be kept away from this village in view of providing foolproof security to the Badals, a senior functionary of the Punjab police said on condition of anonymity.
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Wheat procurement sluggish at Rajpura
Rajpura, April 6 Some farmers waiting to sell off their produce at the grain market today said sluggish procurement was witnessed in all the grain markets of Fatehgarh Sahib and Rajpura area due to inclement weather conditions for the past few days. “Now, procurement of wheat depends upon clear weather and end of strike by the officials of all the five procurement agencies,” said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer. Farmers said though the minimum support price of wheat set by the government is Rs 1,120 per quintal, some of the farmers were eager to sell off their produce below Rs 1,100 per quintal. “I want to immediately sell off my entire produce as the weather is still not clear and rain or high-speed wind may further damage the crop,” said a farmer, Sant Singh. Some farmers rued that despite drying of their crop, nobody has turned up to purchase their produce. “We have to shell out extra money to dry up the crop as labourers are charging exorbitantly,” said another farmer Gurcharan Singh. He said the sluggish purchase was due to high-level moisture content because of low temperature followed by rain. “Only today we have seen some movement in the grain market with six or seven tractor-trolleys of wheat being brought here for sale even as the procurement had officially begun on April 1,” Paramjit Singh said, adding that most of the farmers were yet to harvest their crop. Those who have sown early varieties were coming to the grain market. Meanwhile, state president of Punsup Employees Union, Vidhu Shekhar Bhardwaj said food inspectors across Punjab were on strike in view of the government’s arbitrary decisions. He said the government expected an increase in weight of stored wheat grains to one kg per quintal from the covered godowns and 700 gram in open godowns. Stored wheat gains some weight due to moisture content. However, if the grains already have excessive moisture, then the weight will reduce after sometime. “The weight of wheat never increases every time, but even then government forces us to give increased weight which is not possible,” Bhardwaj said. Moreover, the procurement agencies across the state were forced to purchase wheat with high moisture content ahead of 2009-2010 elections. This was apparently done to please the farmer community.
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Baisakhi Battle: Cong flays SGPC decision
Bathinda, April 6 Many opposition parties have also flayed the SGPC decision by accusing it of trying to help the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by keeping others out of the arena. The SGPC in the past had been earmarking space around the Takht for various parties to hold their political conferences but this time it has upset their applecart by not allowing them to do so. However, the decision taken last evening has surprised the opposition parties. SAD (A) chief Simranjeet Singh Mann has said his supporters would forcibly hold their political rally if the SGPC did not relent. The Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Balwant Singh Nandgarh, said the land around the Takht is managed by the SGPC and the decision of not allowing political conferences on it was taken by them. Congress legislator Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu, who represents the Talwandi Sabo Assembly segment, accused the SGPC of “playing dirty game” by deciding to not allow political rallies near the Tahkt. “In view of the decision of the SGPC, we have hired a private piece of land on the Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road to hold the rally that would be more impressive than the one by the ruling SAD,” Sidhu said. He described the decision of the SGPC as “pre-planned” as it was taken only after Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced that the SAD would hold its rally in the grain market instead of the Diwan Hall in the premises of the gurdwara. Balwandt Singh Ramoowalia, chief of the Lok Bhalai Party, has said in case the SGPC did not provide suitable land to the party for holding the rally, then he would hold rallies in 100 villages around Talwandi Sabo from April 9 till Baisakhi. Simranjeet Singh Mann was more vocal in criticising the SGPC and warned that the SAD(A) would hold its rally near the gurdwara only.
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PPP’s elections in June Bathinda, April 6 Manpreet said there were 1.64 crore voters in Punjab and his partymen should enroll members in the PPP in large numbers to ensure a good show by his party in the ensuing Assembly elections. He also clarified that though people called him the president of the PPP but he was only the acting president. The party president would be elected by the delegates later, he added. Manpreet was here today in connection with a district-level meeting of his party, in which a large number of people took part. Manpreet’s father Gurdas Singh Badal also attended the meeting. Manpreet said he had been receiving phone calls daily from leaders and prominent persons to join his party but with the rider that he (Manpreet) should first announce party tickets for them. He said he did not want such persons in his party. He required persons with a good background and a patriotic spirit, he added. Manpreet said he had come to invite them to become the members of his party as his party represented all the Punjabis. He said as the battle against debt and the social evils like illiteracy, unemployment, drug abuse, poverty and corruption, did not affect only him, “so we have to fight these jointly for the sake of our future generations”. To a question about the recent outburst of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal against him , Manpreet said, “He (Badal) is rattled after the successful organisation of my Khatkar Kalan rally.” About the PPP’s alliance with any party during the ensuing Assembly elections, he said it was pre-mature to say anything in this regard. However, Gurdas Singh Badal said like on the previous occasions, this time also he was not inclined to enter the poll fray as even in the past, he had contested under compulsion. He was also of the view that perhaps CM Parkash Singh Badal would also not contest the elections this time. Meanwhile, Manpreet said his party would not contest the SGPC elections but would support candidates with a good and clean image on individual basis. He also supported social activist Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death regarding greater public participation in formulating a stronger Lokpal Bill. About the case against his OSD Charanjit Singh’s father by the Gidderbaha police, Manpreet termed it as “politics of vendetta”. He also said that in the last 16 years, he had never let the SAD down.
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State-run medical colleges
Jalandhar, April 6 Currently, there are 150 MBBS seats each at the Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), Patiala and Amritsar, and the government is planning to increase these seats to 200. The State Directorate of Education and Research has shot off a letter in this regard recently to the Heads of Department of all clinical and non-clinical departments of these medical colleges. Confirming the move, Dr Jaikishen, Director, Medical Education and Research, said the directorate had directed all HoDs of GMC, Patiala and Amristar to submit information regarding the additional faculty required in their respective departments in case of increase in the capacity. Information regarding infrastructure, as per the MCInorms, is also sought,” he added. He said the move was to improve the poor doctor-to-patient ratio in the state. Dr Jaikishen claimed that the MBBS seats could easily be increased to 200 at each government college with the existing number of sanctioned posts and minor infrastructural additions. Interviews to recruit specialist doctors against vacant posts had already been conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot. The idea to increase the intake capacity at the GMCs would soon materialise once the selected doctors join against vacant posts.
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Janjua finds fault with FIR
Chandigarh, April 6 Janjua is facing the allegations of accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a Ludhiana-based trader to facilitate allotment of a plot. Acting on a complaint filed by Tulsi Ram Mishra of Mishra Boilers Pvt Ltd, the vigilance sleuths had laid an trap and arrested him. In a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Janjua has claimed a false FIR was registered at a “non-existent police station with a fictitious name of vigilance bureau Flying Squad-I, Punjab, at Mohali” and the address was that of a residential quarter No. 65, police station Phase VIII, Mohali, while the Flying Squad-I was actually situated in Chandigarh, Janjua has stated. In an apparent attempt to substantiate his contentions, the former Director (Industries) has relied upon an order of allotment of quarter No 65 issued by the Mohali SSP on March 4, 2008, to show it was the residential quarter of C-II Sukhwinder Singh. Bringing the facts to the high court’s notice, Janjua has now sought directions to the Mohali special Judge to return the police report, along with all the documents, to the Vigilance Bureau “on account of lack of jurisdiction”. Directions for ordering his discharge in the case have also
been sought. Claiming to be implicated, Janjua has added the FIR was registered as he did not succumb to pressure for the allotment of the land belonging to the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation Limited. Acting on the petition, Justice Daya Chaudhary today issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab and the Vigilance Bureau. Justice Chaudhary also fixed May 24 as the next date of hearing in the case.
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‘Global standards’ needed in community policing
Amritsar, April 6 Chief Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh chaired the concluding session of the three-day conference here today. The conference that was organised by the Institute for Development and Communication, Altus Global Alliance and the Punjab Police emphasised the need to shift from institutionalising to internalise police functioning Julita Lemgruber, Director, Brazil’s Centre for Studies on Public Security and Citizenship, said community policing was being reintroduced in one of her country’s states Rio de Janerio to ensure successful organisation of the World Cup Soccer and Olympics in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The Chairman of the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission, Pramod Kumar, cautioned the authorities against using community policing as an instrument to use public to merely draw information or control traffic. Dr Rainuka Dagar, Director, Gender Studies, Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), felt that women groups and human rights activities would have to be made stakeholders in police station reforms.
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Barnala may quit as Tamil Nadu Governor
Ludhiana, April 6 This has also been confirmed by his wife Surjit Kaur Barnala and son Jasjit Singh Barnala, who, along with some of their supporters, were in the city to mobilise old loyalists as well as disgruntled supporters of CM Parkash Singh Badal for the second political innings of Surjit Singh Barnala. Talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House, Surjit Kaur made it clear that a massive rally would be organised at Barnala under the banner of the SAD (Longowal) sometime in May this year, which would also be attended by the incumbent Tamil Nadu Governor. While she refused to elaborate further, one of the close supporters of Barnala, Baldev Singh Mann, a former minister, indicated that their leader (Barnala) would not wait for his term to expire in November and resign. The former CM’s wife left nobody in doubt about their party raising a banner of revolt against Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal both in the state politics and the gurdwara affairs. “We have got our party, the SAD (Longowal), registered with the Gurdwara Election Commission and parleys are on with Ravi Inder Singh of the Akali Dal (1920) and Paramjit Singh Sarna of the DSGMC to contest the next SGPC poll on a joint platform,” she said. Keeping the option of joining hands with Manpreet Badal open, she said their party would not hesitate to work with all those groups and parties that were committed to ridding Panthic politics and gurdwara affairs of the Badal family. In the wake of members of Barnala’s family taking a clear “anti-Badal” stand, their visit to the residence of former SAD president Jagdev Singh Talwandi and a meeting with him for over half an hour, assumes greater political significance. Although what transpired at the meeting was not known, Talwandi, at present the senior Vice-President of the SAD, had recently launched a verbal attack against Badal at a state-level function held to observe the death anniversary of Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
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Yuvraj’s village waits for him
Kanech (Ludhiana), April 6 “The World Cup semifinal and then the final was a big event for all of us because our son was seen in action,” said Rajpal Singh Bhandal, a relative of Yuvraj Singh. “We relished every moment of the semifinal and the final, but the ultimate moment came when Yuvraj was declared ‘Man of the Tournament’. We all felt on the top of the world,” Rajpal said. He has made arrangement for a wet party at his home to celebrate the occasion. Though villagers are proud of Yuvraj Singh, but no one remembers when was the last time the cricketer had visited his ancestral village, where his grandfather’s haveli still stands. “His father, Yograj Singh, often comes to the village, but Yuvraj has not come here as far I remember,” said a villager. “This time we believe that Yograj will bring Yuvraj to the village. We want to meet him and honour him,” said Rajpal Singh. The village has many NRIs. With their efforts, a project worth Rs 2.78 crore has been initiated to lay new water supply and sewer system in the village. Of the total amount, Rs 72 lakh will be contributed by the village and remaining amount will be paid by the government. “We are facing no dearth of money. About 70 per cent work of laying water supply system has been completed. After it, the work to lay sewer line would be taken up,” said Rajpal Singh, who has come from Canada to help in the execution of the project.
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Colleges to do away with convocations
Chandigarh, April 6 He said the government was committed to improving the education standard. At a meeting with the principals, the minister emphasised the need for introducing more vocational courses in the colleges. He said colleges would do away with convocations. The minister said a seniority list of lecturers was being finalised and within the next two months, all eligible lecturers would be promoted as principals. A major rationalisation exercise was underway and surplus staff would be posted in deficient colleges. Principal Secretary (Higher Education) AR Talwar said the Punjab Public Service Commission had also scheduled interviews in the second week of May to recruit principals in the direct quota. A three-phased policy for the regularisation of the services of ad hoc lecturers had been approved. Under this policy, teachers who have qualified the NET would be regularised in the first phase. In the second phase, lecturers having MPhil degree on a particular date would be considered for the regularisation and in the third phase, the guest faculty filling minimum conditions would be regularised. Addressing the principals, Karamjit Kaur (DPI Colleges), Punjab, said the academic standards of all government colleges, especially in the rural areas, would be improved by implementing a 11-point programme chalked out by the government.
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Students with cancer Pollution control board Secy told to submit report Aman Sood Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 6 Taking up the case, the PSHRC has called for a detailed report from the Secretary, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). A copy of the orders has been dispatched to the PPCB head office. The Secretary, PPCB, has been asked to present the report on the next date of hearing on May 5. The Patiala district administration has detected 10 students suffering from cancer and studying in rural government schools following medical camps held in various schools here. More than 2.35 lakh schoolchildren had been medically examined in the past nine months. At a meeting held here, Patiala DC Dipinder Singh said out of 2, 35, 964 students examined in the district, 42 were diagnosed with heart ailments, 10 had cancer and 16 were suffering from thalassaemia.
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Farmers switch over to moong for better returns
Ludhiana, April 6 Chief Agriculture Officer RS Pandher told The Tribune that as there was an acute shortage of the pulse (moong), the farmers were being motivated by the government to sow the crop. “There is a shortage of about 30 lakh tonnes of moong in the country and the same is being imported to meet the demand. Since it is a short-rotation crop (time period of 60-70 days), the farmers can expect good returns,” Pandher said, adding that in Jagraon block alone moong would be sown in 1,400 hectare area covering about 25 villages. The government has given 50 per cent subsidy to the farmers. The minimum support price for the crop has been fixed at Rs 3,200 per quintal. In Ludhiana district alone, about 1,000 quintal of moong seed has been purchased by the Agriculture Department on subsidised rates. “Besides, the farmers have been procuring seeds on their own. The trend is very different from the past,” Pandher stated. PS Pangli, president of the PAU Kisan Club, said moong was a profit-making crop and thousands of farmers had shown interest in sowing the crop this season. “The farmer gets returns within 70 days and the yield is around 3.5-4 quintal per acre. It is weed-control crop and harvesting is done through combines. Besides, the crop enriches the soil by adding nitrogen to it,” Pangli said.
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Today is World Health Day
Ludhiana, April 6 "It is a vicious circle wherein the pharmaceuticals lure the qualified medical practitioners to prescribe new-generation antibiotics in lieu of attractive commissions or overseas tours and the poor patients are the worst sufferers as the cost of treatment escalates manifold," said Dr Hardeep. He also called upon the Punjab Medical Council (PMC) for strict implementation of the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations against sponsored tours and commissions to the doctors by the pharmaceuticals. The leading multinational pharmaceuticals charge five times more for the same antibiotic that costs less under the generic names. The slogan given by World Health Organisation (WHO), "Antibiotic resistance: No action today, no cure tomorrow," for the World Health Day tomorrow is meaningless in the wake of 90 per cent chemists dispensing antibiotics as over the counter (OTC) product, observed the Rural Medical Service Association (RMSA) president, Dr Aslam Parvez. Infections caused by resistant micro organisms often fail to respond to conventional treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. Resistant organisms are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial medicines, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist. Speaking on behalf of the PCMS doctors, the PCMS association today pledged to organise awareness meeting to motivate the medical fraternity for rational use of antibiotics.
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SC notice to state on judges’ plea on promotion
New Delhi, April 6 A Bench comprising Justices JM Panchal and HL Gokhale has sought the response of the state government and the HC within two weeks. The Bench, however, refused to immediately stay the notification or restrain the declaration of results of the written examination. The question of interim relief “does not arise at this stage,” the judges remarked. Appearing for the FTC judges, senior counsel Chetan Sharma and Ravinder Singh contended that their clients had been working in the state judicial cadre for about 18 years and were found suitable for promotion without any test. The HC notification of March 14, 2011 could not be applicable to them mid-way in their career as their suitability “already stood decided” in terms of Rules 7(3)(a) at the time of promotion as ad hoc district and sessions judges in accordance with the Brij Mohan Lal case. Subjecting them to the written examination amounted to trampling upon the “morale of the serving judicial officers.” Further, most of their batch mates had already been promoted on pure seniority without any written test or viva voce. Also, the petitioners appeared for the examination along with their juniors and as such the present seniority would go topsy-turvy in the event of the junior judges getting appointed, the petitioners contended.
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Education cess not reaching designated fund: PIL
Chandigarh, April 6 Taking judicial note of the petition, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab and other respondents. The Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia also fixed July 6 as the next date of hearing on a petition filed by the Government Teachers Union and former coordinator of the National Students Union of India Dinesh Chadha. The petitioners claimed “not a single penny has been spent for the improvement of the education; and the Punjab Education Development Bill, 1998, is a mere paper transaction. Though the respondents are realising the cess, the same is not being utilised for the purpose it is being collected for and the general public at large is being cheated by the respondents”. — TNS
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Two killed in mishap
Jagraon, April 6 The deceased have been identified as Honey Verma (19) and his cousin Sunil Verma alias Vicky (26), both residents of Shastri Nagar locality, Jagraon, while the injured are Sanju of Jagraon and Kala of Dalla village, bothe who divers of the ill-fated vehicles.
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70 kg of heroin seized
Amritsar, April 6 Though the DRI is tight-lipped on the issue, sources said the agency had arrested one person in this connection. The consignment worth Rs 350 crore was allegedly smuggled from Pakistan. Sleuths had seized about 54 kg of heroin last year and this is being considered as the biggest seizure by the DRI this year.
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The historic Gurdwara Baba Atal in the Golden Temple complex, which had lost precious artwork and frescoes due to unscientific renovations in the past, is on its way to regain its pristine glory
Bathinda, April 6
Likely to re-enter politics in Punjab
Their excitement knows no bounds. The day India won the World Cup, they danced, bursted firecrackers and raised toast in honour of one of their own who had played a pivotal role in winning the cup for the country after a gap of 28 years. The man, who has brought glory to this otherwise sleepy village, is Yuvraj Singh, who won the man of the tournament award owing to his rocking performance at the world cup.
Prior to paddy sowing that begins in June, farmers in the state are all set to sow short-rotation crop - moong - for getting good returns. Under the Accelerated Pulse Production Programme (A-3P), farmers sowing traditional crops like wheat and rice have purchased moong seeds in bulk from several government agencies. The state government, on the other hand, has chosen Jagraon block in the state for maximum sowing of the crop.
