Mohali, April 7
A scheme for door-to-door collection of garbage in urban areas of Punjab will kick off in August this year. Under a scheme to be operated under the public-private partnership mode, the garbage collected from every urban house will be segregated, processed at a central place, turned into fuel for power generation or compost for agricultural use and the residue will be disposed of scientifically.

Stating this here today, Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia said the entire state had been divided into eight clusters and each would be developed into a viable solid-waste management project to be operated in a public-private partnership mode. Under the project, all urban local bodies of Punjab, including five municipal corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Bathinda have been clubbed into eight clusters.

These clusters are Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Pathankot, Patiala and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). The work in all clusters will be awarded by July and the collection and transportation of garbage will begin by August 2011. The government has geared up to implement the project on top priority.

According to official figures, urban areas of Punjab generate a solid waste of approximately 4,200 tonnes a day. This waste is usually thrown in any available vacant place leading to unhygienic conditions in the urban areas. In the new project at hand, all solid waste will be utilised for producing power, compost or other useful products, and the remaining residue will be disposed of scientifically.

The door-to-door collection segregation, processing and disposal will be undertaken by private parties against a nominal tipping fee. It will be the endeavour of the government to make this free once the project begins to generate money. 

Jalandhar, April 7
A number of organisations have come forward to actively support prominent social activist Anna Hazare in his fight to get drafted Jan Lokpal Bill to eradicate the menace of corruption.

Journalists from both print and electronic media carried out a protest march from Press Club near Namdev Chowk to Punjab State War Memorial near the bus stand in the morning to put pressure on the Union Government to include equal members from the civil society for drafting the proposed Lokpal Bill.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, senior journalists said that the public at large should also come forward to support Hazare’s NGO India Against Corruption to fulfil the dream of freedom fighters to make India corruption free.

Similarly several students of DAV College also took out a protest march from Nehru Garden Chowk in the afternoon to spread awareness about the country’s fight to weed out corruption.

They said the government should also include members from the civil society to draft the Lokpal Bill.

Similarly in Kapurthala, members of various organisations, including the Kapurthala Development Society, the District Bar Association and the Hindu Jagran Manch took out a candlelight march from the Press Club in support of Anna Hazare.

Meanwhile, the RTI Activists Federation, Punjab, has also decided to stage a dharna outside the DC’s office on Friday morning.

In the meantime, several persons have started sending SMSes to spread awareness about the recent developments.

Kulwinder Sandhu adds from Moga: Social activists in the Malwa belt of Punjab have come forward in the support of veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare who has launched an anti-corruption campaign by observing a fast-unto-death at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Hazare is demanding a more stringent anti-corruption law. His fast-unto-death entered its third day today.

A Moga-based social activist, Ajay Sood, who actively participated in the socialist movement along with George Fernandes in the 1970s and the 1980s, has come out with a poster likely to be circulated in Punjab tomorrow, highlighting the menace of corruption.

Former Finance Minister of Punjab Manpreet Singh Badal, who has recently floated a new political party, People's Party of Punjab (PPP), has also announced his support to Hazare.

There were also reports of social activists coming out in favour of Hazare in Faridkot, and Ferozepur districts.

Dr KS Gill, former president of the Moga municipal council, and noted advocate, Narinder Singh Chahal, have also supported the cause of Hazare, saying that they demand Jan Lokpal Bill. Jaswant Singh Kanwal, a noted Punjabi novelist, has also supported Hazare.

Dr Pawan Thapar, president of the Punjab Pardesh Harijan Sewak Sangh and a Congress leader, has also come out in favour of Hazare, announcing that he would also sit on a fast. 

Patiala, April 7
Former MP and SAD General Secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra has launched a scathing attack on PPCC President Amarinder Singh, accusing him of ignoring interests of the state.

Addressing mediapersons at the office of the Patiala Market Committee here this evening, Chandumajra said, “During the tenure of Amarinder Singh, the government had failed to initiate developmental projects for Punjab. The condition of the the education and health sectors was in a shambles.”

He claimed that ever since the SAD-BJP government had taken over the reins of Punjab, the state was progressing at a fast pace. “Development projects, including the construction of flyovers, roads and railway overbridges, has been initiated by the present government. The requisite infrastructure is being provided to government schools so that students of rural areas can get quality education,” he added.

Samana (Patiala), April 7
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh today termed the former Finance Minister, Punjab, Manpreet Singh Badal, as a “big liar”. Addressing the gathering at a programme organised here today to mark the death anniversary of former SAD MLA from Samana, Hardial Singh Rajla, who was killed in a terrorist attack, Amarinder said, “Like Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, Manpreet is also very good at befooling the masses.”

Amarinder further said that on the one side Manpreet Badal claims that his party will bring forward the youth of the state to play a more responsible role in politics, and on the other hand, he has announced election ticket for his father, Gurdass Badal, who is 80 plus. Making a jibe at the former FM, Amarinder said, “The fate of Manpreet’s recently floated People’s Party of Punjab will be the same as that of the Pakistan People’s Party.”

Coming down heavily on the SAD-BJP government, Amarinder said the expenditure of the state was increasing with every passing day, whereas the government had miserably failed to ensure that earnings of Punjab go up. “The economy of the state is at present in doldrums. Industry is shifting to Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, which is matter of serious concern,” he said, while adding that the Punjab Government must come up with a White Paper on the fiscal health of the state.

The PPCC chief further accused the government of misguiding the masses by making false claims about the development works being initiated in the state. “Akalis are only busy in capturing the liquor trade and the transport. They have no concern for the problems of the commoners,” he added. 

Chandigarh, April 7
It was once again a lucky day for Punjab Industries and Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia, who escaped unscathed from a faulty lift in which he and other senior BJP leaders got trapped this morning. Only recently, a Punjab Government helicopter that was to carry Kalia had crashed just after refuelling, before Kalia could board it.

The incident took place this morning when Kalia along with Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Arunesh Shakar and some other BJP leaders had gone to the Punjab Forest Corporation office in Mohali. The BJP leaders had gone there to participate in the taking over ceremony of R. Bitta, who has recently been appointed Vice-Chairman of the corporation.

The minister and other leaders got into the lift on the first floor along with 11 others. The lift that has a capacity of 14 people, however, malfunctioned after starting and did not reach the first floor of the corporation building. Panicked after being stuck, the entrapped persons in the lift started shouting for help.

It was after 32 minutes that the lift was lowered down manually and the BJP leaders were taken out of the lift. Later talking to the people gathered at the spot, Kalia and Sharma said that they felt very claustrophobic, but tried to maintain their cool despite feeling nervous, so that there was no panic in the lift.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and the lift has been put out of service for the time being.

Bathinda, April 7
The SAD(A) chief, Simranjit Singh Mann, today threatened to capture the SGPC stage if his party was not provided with a space near Takht Damdama Sahib for holding a Baisakhi conference on April 14 at Talwandi Sabo.

Stating his action plan, Mann, who was here to mobilise his party rank and file, claimed that they were all determined to reach the Diwan Hall of Takht Sahib, where the SGPC would hold its programme, at any cost.

“It is going to be a tough time for the ruling Akali Dal as well as the Congress on the big day as hundreds of our party men would reach there, boarding the buses and trucks engaged by the two parties to ferry crowds for their rallies,” he mentioned.

Mann said it was for the first time that the SGPC had imposed an “illegal and unconstitutional” ban upon the political outfits to hold their rallies near Takht Sahib, mentioning that the SAD(A) was committed to challenge it.

Bathinda, April 7
In a bid to give a “befitting reply” to Punjab People’s Party (PPP) leader Manpreet Singh Badal and his father Gurdass Badal and also mobilise the masses for the Baisakhi rally of the ruling SAD, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal flew in here today to extensively tour Bathinda and Muktsar districts.

Parkash Singh Badal will tomorrow and on April 12 confine his tour to the Gidderbaha Assembly segment from where Manpreet had recently resigned before floating his PPP. He will address a series of rallies and hold sangat darshan in several villages in a bid to revive his old contacts of the period when he represented the constituency several years ago before installing Manpreet there.

The Chief Minister was apparently trying to further consolidate his position by earmarking two days for holding rallies and sangat darshan in his Lambi Assembly constituency on April 9 and 13. His estranged brother, Gurdass Badal, has been announced as the PPP’s candidate in the Lambi segment for the coming Assembly elections.

Sukhbir Singh is scheduled to make a whirlwind tour of Bathinda district tomorrow when he will address five rallies of SAD activists at Kaljharani, Bathinda, Bhucho, Rampura and Maur Mandi. Besides, he will also lay the foundation stones of a couple of projects.

Sukhbir will also mobilise SAD supporters for the rally of the party at Talwandi Sabo on April 14 on the occasion of Baisakhi. The rally has become an issue of prestige for him as the Opposition Congress is also asking its activists to turn out in large numbers at Talwandi Sabo on that day. Their tour is also being considered a damage-control exercise against the outbursts of Manpreet and Gurdass Badal.

Interestingly, Manpreet accompanied by his father, Gurdass Badal, had last week made a round of the Gidderbaha constituency and was here yesterday to make scathing remarks against his uncle, Parkash Singh, and cousin, Sukhbir.

Gurdass Badal had so far refrained from commenting on the functioning of his elder brother and CM Parkash Singh, but during his visit here yesterday he was sarcastic about him, saying that this time instead of contesting the election from Lambi, Parkash Singh should support “me as I had all these years wholeheartedly been campaigning for him in the area.”

On the other hand, Parkash Singh has so far not uttered even a single word against his younger brother but had brought specially designed diabetes control shoes for him from the USA even after the split in the family.

Manpreet Singh said that Parkash Singh was rattled by the successful rally of the PPP at Khatkar Kalan on March 27.

Patiala, April 7
With the auction of freehold shop-cum-office sites in PDA Omaxe City receiving an overwhelming response from bidders, the realty sector in Patiala seems to be back on the track.

Besides the presence of 300 bidders during the two-day auction held on April 5 and April 6, as many as 52 SCOs were auctioned and that too at much higher price than the reserve price. Against the total reserve price of Rs 32 crore for 52 SCOs, the amount fetched from the auction was Rs 52 crore, a considerable increase of Rs 20 crore.

Recently, the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) had received a good response during the auction of 25 SCOs on Jail Road. Against the total reserve price of Rs 19.63 crore, PUDA pocketed a whopping Rs 55.11 crore. According to a majority of those dealing in the real estate sector have asserted that now the sale and purchase of property in Patiala is back to normal and the real estate business will further improve in the near future.

Joint managing director, Omaxe Limited, Sunil Goel said, “After an overwhelming response to the first auction last year, we brought another opportunity to reserve business spaces for those who missed out on the first time. Getting once again an overwhelming response to this second auction shows the eagerness and trust that the people of Patiala have in Omaxe Limited”, adding that response to the auction clearly indicate the increasing demand of the commercial property in Patiala.

Expressing similar views, the chairman of Sara Group, Satish Goyal, who also deals in the real estate sector, said though Patiala had never witnessed unusual property boom like that of other cities, including Ludhiana and Amritsar, the present market scenario indicated that commercial properties in the city would be in great demand and the realty sector would flourish in the days to come.

Bhaini Mian Khan (Gurdaspur), April 7
Bhaini Mian Khan, a non-descript village here, today came alive when Gopal Dass, who remained in a Pakistan jail for 27 years on the espionage charge, returned to his home nestled behind a furniture shop run by his nephew on the Tugalwal road.

Nearly 2,000 persons had brought drums, sweets and flowers to welcome their “hero”. The decibel level of the drums kept on increasing till Gopal Dass finally managed to make his way to the gate of his house.

His nephew, Kewal Krishan, who took over the shop when Gopal Dass was captured by the Pakistan Rangers in 1984, said meeting his uncle was like a dream come true. Similar sentiments were expressed by other members of his family.

Joga Singh, an old friend of Gopal Dass, said his family never lost hope and acting on advice of some friends, they decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court.

Gopal’s brother Sansuri, who travelled all the way from Chandigarh to be at the Wagah border, said Gopal used to run the family’s furniture business before he went missing. Flanked by his elder sister Krishna Devi and brother Charan Das, Gopal Dass made his way into a room where he heaved a sigh of relief.

There were many in the village who could not believe that Gopal Dass was back. Said Mittar Singh, “I still remember how a hush descended on the village 27 years ago when we received the news that Gopal had been captured by Pakistani forces. The family did feel lonely but never lost hope. For days together, Krishan Devi wept like a child till she finally came to terms with herself. Once I shake hands with Gopal, I will visit the village gurdwara to pay obeisance. My prayers have finally been answered.”

Chandigarh, April 7
The implementation of the high-security number plate project is a non-starter in Punjab as there is no consensus on how to go about with the project in league with Haryana and this Union Territory.

Sources here said though there was a feeling that there should be uniformity in the implementation of security number plates with the neighbouring state and the UT, nothing had been done further on the issue. Punjab is yet to issue a tender document.

Earlier the state had engaged a Mumbai consultant for the project even as it had asked the Centre to frame uniform guidelines for all states to implement the project for the introduction of tamper-proof number plates. The issue had then gone to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Hussan Lal, when contacted, said the state was yet to receive the Supreme Court order on the issue and that action could be taken once the order had been studied. He said the state on its part had hired consultants for the project and “we are moving ahead” on the issue.

Chandigarh, April 7
The Punjab Government has agreed to reimburse Rs 55 crore to the Army as its share of additional excise duty collected on account of goods sold through CSD canteens located in the state.

This was among the state government’s decision announced by CM Parkash Singh Badal at the annual Civil Military Liaison Conference held here today. Top civilian and police officers from Punjab and officers from the Headquarters, Western Command, attended the meet.

The CM also announced that Rs 12 crore would be provided for the water supply scheme at Fazilka and handed over a cheque of Rs 5 crore to the Army for commencing the work. Another Rs 84 lakh was granted to complete the sewage disposal scheme at the Air Force Station, Pathankot.

The road between the Air Force Station, Chandigarh, and the Air Force Station High Grounds adjoining Zirakpur would be metalled by the PWD, Punjab, within two months. The government has also agreed to provide an integrated drainage plan for rain and storm water from the Chandigarh airbase.

The government will also consider the option of providing land at Bir Sarangwal near Phagwara to establish a service selection centre for preparing candidates aspiring to join armed forces. Earlier, lauding the role of the armed forces, the CM assured all possible assistance to services from the state government. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen SR Gosh, appreciated welfare measures initiated by the state government for soldiers and their families. 

The CM also felicitated 27 Army personnel, who participated in Operation Saiyam.— TNS

Amritsar, April 7
A delegation of Khalsa College teachers today approached the Deputy Commissioner, KS Pannu, to quash the FIR registered against their colleagues.

The teachers submitted a detailed sequence of happenings on the college premises on March 16 and 17.

Terming the case as frivolous, the teachers stressed that on March 17, the colleges were closed.

Finding the Principals’ offices closed, the teachers approached their residences, located on the college campus, to submit their memorandum of demands under the leadership of HS Walia, Secretary, Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU).

The main gates of their houses were locked from inside and police personnel were deployed outside to guard them. It was impossible for us to gain entry. In such circumstances, the allegation of trespassing their residences was unjustified. Secondly, one day before, the protests by the teachers were staged within the precincts of the democratic demeanour,” said Walia.

“We did use the public address system on March 17 to raise our voice against the whims and fancies of the management, yet we refrained from using any abusive language, as alleged in the complaint, submitted by the two principals of Khalsa College Society-run institutions. The basis of the complaint is false. The video footage or photographs did not pertain to their residential premises, but the lanes inside the college,” said SS Rangi, one of the teachers who was booked for creating ruckus on the campus.

On the other hand, Pannu said that an inquiry would be conducted to gauge what exactly had happened on the day of the demonstration. “A report will be prepared after hearing both the sides,” he said. Pannu was directed by the CM recently to intervene in the ongoing tussle between the teachers and the management.

However, the District Court, Amritsar, will pronounce the fate of the bail sought by the teachers tomorrow.

Nevertheless, the teachers under the banner of the PCCTU, held a meeting at Rani Ka Bagh, here today. Terming it as “Save Khalsa College campaign”, Walia said this issue would be extended to the state level. “In the first phase, a rally will be held in Jalandhar (from Desh Bhagat Hall to Pandit Kishori Lal statue) on April 9. We will conduct a candlelight march on April 10 at Ranjit Avenue here to gain the attention of the general public,” he said.

Supporting them, the GNDU Teachers’ association, too, demanded the unconditional withdrawal of the cases.

New Delhi, April 7
The Supreme Court today summoned Punjab’s Transport Secretary/Commissioner and the State Transport Authority for the state’s failure to comply with the SC’s 2001 order for ensuring that all vehicles had high- security registration plates (HSRP) as stipulated under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia also threatened to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Justices KS Panicker Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar are the other members of the Bench.

“It is not only desirable but an essential requirement of law that the concerned authorities/executive should carry out their statutory functions and comply with the orders of the Court within the stipulated time.

“Such course attains greater significance where the statutory law is coupled with the directions issued by a Court of law in relation to attainment of a public purpose and public interest,” the Bench pointed out.

The HSRP scheme was aimed at ensuring citizens’ safety and facilitating investigations in the event of vehicles being stolen and in the case of commitment of crimes involving the use of vehicles, the apex court further explained. The issue was all the more important these days as the “safety of the citizens is of paramount concern for the State and all its authorities,” the Bench observed.

In fact, most of the states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, have not taken any step in this regard. The Bench clarified that “at the first instance, we would restrict this direction only to defaulting states of Delhi, Punjab and UP.” Notwithstanding the summons to top officials of these three states, the SC ordered them to implement the HSRP scheme.

The SC appreciated Meghalaya, Sikkim and Goa for successfully implementing the scheme. It “cautioned” the states where the implementation is partial. These states are Tripura, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala.

According to the apex court, the “most disobedient” states are Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, HP, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and UP.

The Bench would hear the case again after six weeks when Punjab officials would have to explain why the state should not be subjected to contempt proceedings. The apex court would not only initiate contempt proceedings, “but may also impose costs, exemplary or otherwise, recoverable from the defaulting officers personally,” the Bench warned.

New Delhi, April 7
Justice P Sathasivam today opted out of hearing a Punjab Government’s petition challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order directing a CBI probe against Vigilance Bureau chief Sumedh Singh Saini in an alleged false encounter case.

A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Sathasivam and BS Chauhan has almost completed hearing the arguments in the case, listed as “part heard” which meant final hearing.

With Justice Sathasivam opting out, the case will have to go to a new Bench and this will delay the disposal of the case filed in 2009. The Judge recused himself after one of the parties to the case pointed out that as Acting Chief Justice of the HC he had allotted the case to the Bench which ordered the CBI probe and also passed adverse remarks against Saini.

After the HC order, the CBI registered a case against Saini and other police officials for their alleged involvement in an encounter in 1991, involving Balwant Singh Multani, reportedly an accomplice of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a death row convict in a case relating to a bomb attack on Congress leader MS Bitta.

Phagwara, April 7
The Phagwara police has solved the mystery regarding the brutal murder of a UK-based Phagwara resident, NRI Surjit Kaur, and arrested two of her distant relatives, identified as Harbhaghan Singh of Dhodhian village in district Taran Taran and Gurwinder Singh of Shakhtra village, Kapurthala district, under Sections 302, 201, 364, IPC, on the charge of killing their relative, the NRI woman, and attempt to hide the body.

This was confirmed by Phagwara DSP Sandip Sharma while talking to The Tribune here today. He said the arrested accused had confessed to their crime and disclosed that they had borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh from the deceased, who had already given lakhs of rupees on interest to several persons.

They said that now she was insisting that they returned the full balance amount of more than Rs 1.5 lakh. The DSP said the accused told the police that they convinced her to meet a tantrik who could solve her problems. They took her in a car and drove towards Saharanpur. They first strangled her near Guggal Kherra village in Saharanpur district, then cut her head with a sharp-edged weapon and threw it in a nearby river and the body in the fields of the village in the dark and returned to Punjab.

DSP Sharma said Amrik Singh, caretaker of the house of the deceased, Surjit Kaur, who came from the UK only two months ago, lodged a camplaint with the local police about the mysterious disappearance of Surjit Kaur on April 2. Both killers were today produced before the local judicial magistrate who remanded them in police custody. 

Gidderbaha, April 7
The local police today included Charanjit Singh, former officer on special duty (OSD), and Jagtar Singh, personal assistant (PA) to Manpreet Badal, in a criminal case that was registered against Charanjit’s father, Sukhdev Singh, at the local police station for his alleged involvement in misappropriating paddy worth about Rs 1.5 crore of Pungrain.

A case against Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh, his partner in Sidhu Agro Industries, was registered a few days ago on the complaint of the DFSC, Muktsar, Kaushal Rao Singla. Sukhdev was arrested by the police a few days ago.

The local police has also included Surjeet Singh, brother of Charanjit Singh, Malkit Singh, who is a partner of Surjeet Singh in Sidhu Rice Mill, in this case. While Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh are running Sidhu Agro Industries, Surjeet Singh and Malkit Singh are running Sidhu Rice Mills.

Bhupinder Singh, DSP, Gidderbaha, said that it came to the notice of the police during investigation of the case that permission to run Sidhu Agro Industries, which was illegally set up on the premises of Sidhu Rice Mills, was given due to wrong reasons by a section of officials of the DFSC

He said when the officials concerned, who were identified as Gulwant Singh, Assistant Food and Supply Officer, and Krishan Singh Brar, Inspector, were questioned about their role in the case, they alleged that they were pressured by Charanjit Singh and Jagtar Singh to ‘arrange’ permission for the new rice mill under the name of Sidhu Agro Industries or face dire consequences.