Chandigarh, May 6
The much-touted and flagship industrial project of the Punjab Government, Global Industrial and Knowledge City (GIKC) at Rajpura, may not see the light of the day.

Highly placed sources in the government told The Tribune that the government is considering scrapping the project because of refusal of the Industries Department to offer compensation to land tillers at the rates promised to them by the Chief Minister. Citing unavailability of upfront funds, the department has said that the project would become financially unviable if it was to pay a compensation of Rs 30 lakh per acre.

The issue was discussed at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal recently. Officials of the Industries Department reportedly said that they could not pay the compensation that the Chief Minister had committed to the farmers for their land. At this rate, the cost of land acquisition alone would go up to Rs 435 crore (for 1450 acres of land earmarked for the project), they pointed out.

Over and above this cost, the state government would have to invest Rs 1,150 crore on development of external infrastructure. This would make it financially unviable, especially when the state did not have any upfront money for the park, the department officials said.

The state government had proposed to set up an integrated industrial park here, attracting big names in the IT, textile, food processing and auto and light engineering sectors.

Though the state government had announced setting up this Global Industrial and Knowledge City in November 2009, the project was delayed because of opposition by villagers to land acquisition. Following an agitation by farmers against the acquisition for GIKC, the Chief Minister had said that the panchayat of each of the six villages where land was being acquired would get Rs 12 lakh per acre. In addition, the farmers tilling the village common land for decades would get Rs 18 lakh per acre as compensation.

The state government has already deposited Rs 150 crore with the land acquisition collector for acquiring the village common land in six villages near Rajpura - Sehra, Pabra, Sehri, Takhtu Majra, Akri and Akar.

Anganwari workers were barred from meeting the Chief Minister during sangat darshan. They were detained near the court premises and released later in the evening when the CM had left. They raised slogans against the government and decided to show black flags to all ministers who visited Fatehgarh

The conviction of SS Thandal shows a deep rot within the Shiromani Akali Dal. Now the arrest of CPS Raj Khurana and allegations of bribery against the No 3 in the Punjab Cabinet Manoranjan Kalia suggests that none is clean in the Prakash Singh Badal-led government. — PS Bajwa, Cong MP from Gurdaspur

Fatehgarh Sahib, May 6
Shifting his stance, Chief Minister Parkash Singh today said that money was recovered from the car of an outsider and not CPS Raj Khurana’s house. Khurana was arrested by the CBI yesterday.

During his two-day sangat darshan, that concluded at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College here today, he said: “The entire exercise is politically motivated... If anyone is caught with money outside my residence it doesn’t mean that I am guilty. Money has not been recovered from Khurana’s possession. The matter is under investigation and the truth will surely be out soon,” he said.

Instructions were reportedly issued to the administration not to allow media to ask any questions, particularly in connection with the Khurana case. Later in the evening, while the stone for lawyers’ chambers, he

evaded queries over the names of two others ministers in the case.

Meanwhile, a section of anganwari workers were barred from meeting the Chief Minister during sangat darshan.

The workers, numbering 35, wanted to apprise Badal of their problems. They were detained near the court premises and released later in the evening when the CM had left.

The workers raised slogans against the government and announced that they would show black flags to every minister who visited Fatehgarh Sahib. They condemned sangat darshan as a mere cheque distribution function.

Pakke Kale Wala (Ferozepur), May 6
Suspecting foul play in the arrest of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Raj Khurana by the CBI in a “corruption” case, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today said that the state government was examining all related aspects.

“The question that Khurana was arrested by the CBI despite the fact that no money was recovered from his house is to be answered by it (CBI),” Sukhbir Badal said while talking to mediapersons after laying the stone of a power sub-station here. Accusing the CBI of acting as an “agent” of the ruling Congress at the Centre, the Deputy CM demanded an explanation from the Union Government on why the premier investigating agency had so far failed to make any arrest relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Chandigarh, May 6
If the Union Food Ministry and the FCI are to be believed, there is little or no rotting of wheat in Punjab. Minister of State for Food KV Thomas today claimed that only 0.2 per cent of the total wheat stored in the open in the state mandis had rotted and that this figure was on the decrease.

This despite the state government’s claim that 20 lakh MT of wheat stacked on ‘kutcha’ plinths was susceptible to being damaged. Wheat has rotted at scores of places where it has been stored for more than a year.

Thomas countered the claim that lakhs of tonnes of wheat was rotting in Punjab. He said the damage was only 0.2 per cent of the total procurement of around 100 lakh MT this season compared to 2.5 per cent five years back.

He said last season only 8,000 tonnes of wheat had been damaged. Efforts were on to reduce the damage percentage even further. The FCI had decided to move wheat directly from procurement centres to other parts of the country to reduce unscientific storage.

Apparently, the claims on rotting and grain movement by the state and the FCI do not tally. While the state claims that the FCI had been moving out only 8 lakh MT of foodgrain per month, Thomas said the agency was moving out 13 lakh MT every month. The minister also claimed that against 155 lakh MTof foodgrain moved out in 2009-10, the FCI had moved out 165 lakh MT in 2010-11.

It seems Thomas was in Chandigarh not only to tour the mandis to gauge the situation at the ground level, but to also dispel claims made by the state government in the past one month.

Thomas said all issues raised by the state, including that of creating additional storage space were being addressed. Since tenders for only 13 lakh MT of covered space had been finalised earlier, entrepreneurs ready to construct godowns to store foodgrain at the rate of Rs 5 per quintal per month would be considered.

He said fresh tenders were being issued and that this would create covered storage for an additional 22 lakh MT of foodgrain.

The minister told the CM to take advantage of the National Horticulture Mission and other schemes to increase diversification.

Dagru (Moga), May 6
The Union Government is considering lifting the four-year ban on wheat export keeping in view the bumper crop this season. However, a cautious approach would have to be adopted because it could lead to a rise in the prices of wheat in the domestic market said Food and Consumer Affairs Minister KV Thomas while talking to a section of the media here yesterday. He visited the state-of-the-art silo at Dagru village and reviewed the wheat procurement process.

The Union Government had banned the export of wheat in February 2007 but a bumper crop this year has triggered a demand for lifting the ban. To a question, Thomas hinted that a decision in this regard could be taken after the assembly elections in five states. — TNS

Amritsar, May 6
Even as the district court is yet to give its verdict over the ‘house evacuation notices’ served on four Khalsa College teachers, the management today went ahead and deducted 10 times the house rent as penalty from their current salary packages.

Those who had to face the fresh wrath of the management were Prof SS Rangi (Economics wing), who is also the president of Khalsa College Teachers’ Union, Prof Amrit Kaur from Mathematics, Prof Narinderdeep Singh and Prof Satnam Singh, both from Agricultural wing.

Prof Rangi said the management had charged between Rs 15,000 and Rs 27,500 from the current salaries of the four teachers. “An amount of Rs 27,500 has been deducted from my salary whereas normally Rs 2,750 used to be cut as house rent,” he rued.

Notably, infuriated by the teachers’ protest march conducted inside the college campus and allegedly trespassing the principals’ residential complex on March 17, the honorary Secretary of the Khalsa College Society, Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, had issued house evacuation notices to these teachers.

The teachers had moved the local court against this decision, the hearing of which has been scheduled for May 16.

While justifying the move, Chhina said that these teachers faced action as they had violated the discipline of the campus. “It has been clearly mentioned in their house allotment letter that if they indulge in any activity which disturbs the peace of the college campus, they would lose their right to own official accommodation inside the campus. Since they did not vacate the houses, they were liable to bear the penalty for occupying the houses illegally,” he said.

Meanwhile, activists from Manpreet Badal-led Peoples’ Party of Punjab along with those from other political organisations, too, joined the teachers in their protest.

Rampura, May 6
A team of the Mohali district police accompanied by sleuths of intelligence agencies and the local police recovered a computer and copies of printed literature from the house of Harbinder Singh Jalal, Maoist leader, at Sarabha Nagar here this afternoon.

Jalal was arrested by the Mohali police on Tuesday while he was travelling from Ludhiana to Chandigarh. A case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act was registered against him. An unlicensed weapon, banned literature and other incriminating documents were recovered from his possession.

Sources said the house, where his wife and other family members lived, was found locked. It was opened by the police in the presence of some municipal councillors.

Jalal was working as general secretary of the Punjab unit of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

If the printed literature recovered from his house was banned literature could not be ascertained. The police authorities remained tight-lipped about the development.

Faridkot, May 6
Barely hours after the district administration had rescued 24 youths being kept in an unauthorised de-addiction centre on the outskirts of the town, 13 of them fled home by breaking a window grill of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital here late last night.

District Magistrate Balwinder Singh conducting an inquiry about the incident in connection with the escape of 13 youth from the GGS Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Balwinder Singh Multani, District Magistrate of Faridkot, said he had ordered a magisterial probe by SDM Bhupinder Singh against the illegal de-addiction centre.

A team of health officials led by Dr Gurmail Singh Chahal, CMO, raided an illegal drug de-addiction centre in New Harindra Nagar Colony last evening. As many as 24 youths were found living under miserable conditions, he said. A scrutiny of the records revealed that the centre was being run without permission and had no qualified staff.

All the 24 youths at the centre were in a lock-up. They were admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital for treatment and the centre was sealed from where 13 of them escaped late last night.

A case under Sections 420, 353 of the IPC and relevant Sections of the Indian Medical Council Act was registered against one Lalit Mohan Sharma running the de-addiction centre. Two persons, including the proprietor, have been arrested.

Multani said the administration would try to persuade their family members to bring them back to the hospital for treatment.

Kharar, May 6
The Sarv Shikasha Abhiyaan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan and Teachers’ Union Punjab today held a rally at Gharuan village’s stadium.

The teachers laid their demands and sought an audience with Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal. The agitating teachers raised slogans against the Punjab Government and blocked the Ludhiana-Chandigarh National Highway for half an hour.

President of the union Didar Singh said the CM had asked the union members to meet him on May 15 at his residence in Chandigarh at 10 am. He added that if the government does not yield to their demands, the agitation would continue. There are 13,500 teachers in the entire state. These teachers have been recruited in three recruitment drives held in 2008, 2009 and 2011 under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan on basis of the merit. In the first two phases, 7,000 teachers were recruited and in third phase, 6,500 teachers were recruited.

“The SSA gives us salaries, wherein the state government contributes 35 per cent and the Centre contributes 65 per cent. While the governments of Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Chandigarh have regularised teachers under the SSA, the Punjab Government is lying in slumber,” said Didar while addressing the gathering.

The teacher union members said no civil services rules were applicable on them and instead they were being paid consolidated salary of Rs 16,500 per month. They demanded that they be brought under the Education Department and be given the requisite benefits. Presently these teachers do not have any promotion channel, do not get medical leave or earned leave, their EPF is not deducted and there is no maternity leave as well.

“The women teachers are allowed maternity leave without pay, which is unfair,” said the female teachers. Teachers also raised issue of their being posted far away from their home districts. Didar added that more than 50 per cent teachers were posted at least 300 km away from their hometowns and that they should be posted at the places possible nearest to their homes.

Patiala, May 6
In the wake of carrying out various development works in villages, the Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 28 crore for Patiala district under the 'Rural Development Fund' for 2011-12.

Presiding a meeting of officials of different departments of the district at the Mini Secretariat, chairman of the District Planning Committee Surjit Singh Rakhra instructed the officials to complete the planned development work on time and said in case of delay, they would be held responsible.

Supervising various projects, he said, “It is the duty of the departments to complete the projects on time, as delay in work increases cost of development projects and causes inconvenience to people.” He also instructed them to prepare a report of all the development works that had been carried out in the last four years within a week and submit it with the Vice Economic and Statistical Adviser.

Member Gulshan Kaur threw light on the fact that as per the record, there were 1,800 anganwari centres in the district, in which 8,60,000 kids in the age group of 3 to 6 years, pregnant ladies and nursing mothers were enrolled. She said in reality, the number of kids and ladies actually coming to these centres was very less, but when the amount was collected as per records only. Rakhra instructed the SDMs to review Anganwari centres in their respective areas and submit the report with the committee at the earliest.

Rakhra directed the officers of Public Works Department, Panchayat and Rural Development Department and Mandi Board to start the widening of link roads before the starting of paddy season. He also directed the officers for the removal of illegal constructions on the roads.

Sewarage Board officials were asked to wind up their work by November 30 this year. Rakhra further informed that an amount of Rs 2.53 crore would be spent on the construction of loos for the weaker section. Around 72 more villages would be provided potable water by December this year. He also directed the departments concerned to solve the grievances of people raise by various members of the committee.

Deputy Commissioner Dipinder Singh and Additional Deputy Commissioner (D) Anandita Mitra informed the members that under the MNREGA Scheme, Rs 9.85 crore would be spent in 2011-12. As many as 35,752 job cards would be provided under this scheme. They further said under the 'Indira Awaas Yojna, an amount of Rs 937.85 lakh would be spent on the construction of new houses and reconstruction of old ones.

Ropar, May 6
The colony of fruit bats in Sadavart forest area of Ropar is under threat from the power cables in their vicinity. A number of bats get electrocuted with these cables while on their flight to have water from the nearby Sirhind canal and their bodies are often found hanging from the wires.

The bats migrate locally. They are found in the Sadavart forest area mostly in the summers. The bird watchers suggest that wires carrying electricity around the wetland area should be insulated. The year 2011 is being observed as Bat Conservation Year and during such time it becomes all the more important to safeguard these fruit bats, says bird watcher Jaspreet Singh from Ropar.

“In fact, if government earmarks some special funds, the entire network of power cables should be made underground. This will not only prevent bats mortality, but also save a number of migratory birds that visit the Ropar International Wetland every winter,” added a Forest Department official.

Bats are the only flying mammals and the colony at the Sadavart forest has around 500 bats. Keeping this colony in view, the Sadavart forest nature trail was designed in such a manner that visitors could see several bats resting upside down on the mangoes and other fruit-bearing trees. District forest officer (wildlife) Balvir Singh added that he would look into the matter.

Patiala, May 6
Representatives of the Doctors Federation of India (Docsfed) have accused the Punjab Government, especially the Health and Family Welfare Department, of “miserably failing” to check the sale of habit-forming drugs.

Docsfed president Dr DC Sharma said the raids being conducted by the Health Department would serve no purpose until there was conviction in the cases of drug stores found guilty of selling habit-forming drugs.

Supporting the demand of Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu for the constitution of a drug addiction prevention board, Dr Sharma said the establishment of an autonomous and independent authority was a must to check the illegal sale of such drugs. “If the authorities ensure a strict ban on the sale of drugs without the prescription of a doctor, the menace will end.”

Dr Sharma said in several southern parts of the country, one cannot get even a single tablet of crocin, which contains only paracetamol, without the prescription of a doctor.

Mohali, May 6
Nearly seven months after the acquittal of the Badals in the high-profile disproportionate assets case by Mohali Special Court, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau now wants the court to discharge five aides of the Badals declared proclaimed offenders (PO). Seeking discharge of the POs, the Vigilance has moved an application before the court.

Acquitting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his wife Surinder Kaur Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, along with seven other accused, in October 2010 for lack of evidence, Special Judge Rajinder Aggarwal has directed that the case against the POs shall be dealt with as and when they are brought before the court.

The proclaimed offenders are Kanwaljit Singh of Wimpy International, a personal friend of the Badals; Hardeep Singh, a former OSD to Parkash Singh Badal; Krishan Kumar, personal assistant to Sukhbir, and Ashism Kapoor and Pinky Grover.

Though the VB officials are mum on the contents of the application, sources reveal the discharge of the PO’s has been requested based on the facts of the case relating to acquittal of the Badals.

The court has fixed the case for May 21. The court is likely to summon complainant Balwant Singh who had alleged that the Chief Minister had amassed huge assets in connivance with family members and friends.

The court while pronouncing the order to acquit the Badals had observed that it was an exceptional case wherein not only the complaint and the material evidence but even senior Vigilance officers who had investigated the case did not support the prosecution. Investigating officer SSP Surinder Pal Singh had deviated from the contents of the challan presented in the court. None of the material witnesses had supported the case of the prosecution.

Pronouncing the order, the court had ordered prosecution of the investigating officer and supervisory officer DIG BK Uppal for perjury and for fabricating false evidence and harassing officers while recording their statements.

New Delhi, May 6
A man hailing from Kapurthala was arrested here for allegedly misbehaving with an airhostess while on an Air India flight, the police said today. Kuldeep Singh Barm was apprehended at Indira Gandhi International Airport here after the airhostess lodged a formal complaint with the police, a senior police official said.

Barm was flying from Amritsar to Delhi when the incident took place. The airhostess alleged that he was drunk and he caught her hand and uttered obscene words while she was serving passengers. He was handed over to the police at the airport and a case was registered. Barm was arrested and later released on bail. — PTI