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Political mud-slinging in high gear
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Nod to interchanging of posts under disability quota
Ropar division awaits notification on districts
Plot allotted for Valmiki Bhawan
Unit II of GNDTP shut again
60 youths rescued from illegal de-addiction centre
City Centre case adjourned till May 14
One held for priest’s murder
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Political mud-slinging in high gear
Ludhiana, May 7 Amarinder was in the city today to appear in a court in connection with the City Centre Scam. While commenting on Badal’s change in stand on Khurana, Amarinder rubbished the allegations that it was a Congress conspiracy. “One day, Badal says Khurana should resign and the next day, he says it is a Congress conspiracy. It is clear that he is trying to shield him.” Alleging that all this was happening with Badal’s consent, he said, “Can anything happen without his consent?” He said that with two Chief Parliamentary Secretaries found guilty of corruption, two MLAs involved in murder and several other ministers, besides the Speaker, facing corruption charges, this was a fit case for the dissolution of the Assembly and for holding fresh elections under Governor’s rule. The PCC president pointed out that the Khurana episode was one in a long series of scandals like the sale of prime land of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Jalandhar, the cotton research farm in Bathinda, Apeejay land in Jalandhar.
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PPCC chief should first check own track record on corruption, says CM
CPI joins chorus, demands CM’s resignation Jalandhar: Urging Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to resign immediately, the CPI on Saturday said that it was a matter of great concern that the CM was defending BJP ministers against whom the CBI was probing corruption charges. CPI’s national executive member Joginder Dayal said that the Governor should immediately sack the two BJP ministers in question. “Had Badal acted immediately against the two BJP ministers, it would have sent the right signal to all corrupt people,” said
Dayal. — TNS
Patiala, May 7 Expressing “shock” over the statement of Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur that corruption cases against the Badals would be re-opened once the Congress came to power in the state, Badal said “she had also got involved in political vendetta, which earlier used to be Amarinder Singh’s domain”. Addressing a function organised by the Adi Dharam Samaj to commemorate the belated 120th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar (it occurs on April 14) at Punjabi University here, the Chief Minister said an inquiry was on into the charges levelled against Chief Parliamentary Secretary Raj Khurana. About the letter which the Punjab chief secretary had written to the CBI in this connection, he said it was not done with an aim to interfere with the probe. “We have never favoured corruption. The only problem in this case is that no motive behind the bribery has come to light and that is why the letter has been written.” Regarding Khurana’s resignation, he said let the case develop and only then anything could be said. “The inquiry is pending but in case he is found guilty, then he should resign on moral grounds.”
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‘SAD adopting double standards on graft’
Bathinda, May 7 Congress MLAs Makhan Singh, Gurpreet Kangar, Ajaib Singh and a local party leader Narender Bhaleria quoted Badal of having suggested during the anti-graft agitation by Anna Hazare that corrupt persons should be hanged. They said that Badal was now taking a U-turn on the issue by coming out openly to protect Khurana against whom the CBI had collected enough documentary evidence. They criticised Badal and the Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal for calling the CBI an agent of the Congress. “The CBI is a prestigious investigating agency and enjoys a good reputation, irrespective of the party that rules at the Centre,” they said. The Congress legislators said that Badal had lost the right to rule Punjab as his ministerial colleagues, one by one, were getting involved in corruption cases. A sessions court last Monday held former minister and CPS Sohan Singh Thandal guilty in a disproportionate assets case and sentenced him to three-year imprisonment. They accused the police of torturing innocent residents of Selbrah village who were protesting against an illegal liquor vend being set up by an activist of the ruling SAD.
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What Red Cross does now, Bhai Kanhaiya used to do 200 years ago
The preacher of philanthropy
Chandigarh, May 7 Besides, all the three have independently written to the ICRC, which celebrates the International Red Cross Day on May 8, to recognise and register the services of Bhai Kanhaiya who initiated the concept of first aid and medical assistance and protection to the wounded in the battlefield 200 years ago. He served water and provided first aid not only to the wounded Sikh soldiers, but also to the enemy. The same concept was later adopted by Sir Henry Dunant during the war of Solferino in 1859 and it became the basis for the Red Cross movement. The SGPC wrote in a letter to the Secretary General of ICRC: "The philanthropic principles of the great hero are being followed by various missionary organisations in India. The SGPC, which is an apex body of the Sikhs, requests you to introduce the Bhai Kanhaiya Ji Mission to the ICRC and also to register Bhai Kanhaiya's selfless service to humanity in the ICRC literature." The SGPC letter reads that the values and ideals followed by Bhai Kanhaiya, which are being observed and followed till date by the Bhai Kanhaiya Mission, should find mention in the ICRC charter and the international body should include this information of the Guru's disciple in literature of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and have it incorporated in the International Humanitarian Law. According to Prof Bahadur Singh Sunet, president of the Bhai Kanhaiya Mission, the body is involved in spreading the principals followed by the devout Sikh who served under both Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. It runs day care centres, dispensaries, diagnostic centres, old age homes and holds blood donation camps. Besides bringing honour to all Indians living across the globe, the recognition of Bhai Kanhaiya would help strengthen the concept of serving the humanity, international brotherhood, love and peace, Prof Sunet says. As Dunant's ideas led to the creation of world's greatest voluntary relief organisation in 1863, which was also incorporated in various international humanitarian laws, Bhai Kanhaiya services, who brought this concept some 200 years before Dunant, should also be recognised, he feels. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government, too, has written to the Geneva-based ICRC that the Red Cross and the basic tenets of Sikhism were the same: service to humanity, equality, brotherhood, love and peace. It has also pointed out that a decade ago the Punjab Health Department had directed all civil surgeons to ensure that the portraits of Bhai Kanhaiya were hung in all emergency wards of civil hospitals and emergency wards be named after him.
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HC pulls up Punjab for harassing transporters
Chandigarh, May 7 Its Division Bench has said the power is being abused “frequently” and has asked the head of the department concerned to prevent the same. A cost of Rs 50,000 has also been imposed on the detaining authority. The stringent observations by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal came on a bunch of three petitions by Rohit Cargo Movers Private Limited. The Bench observed: “We find that abuse is taking place frequently without any let or hindrance and the head of the department concerned has failed to check the abuse which calls for interference by this court…. “The detaining authority is expected to act responsibly and pass appropriate orders to the extent required for checking evasion of tax. This has not been done…. “The head of the department must ensure that the power to detain vehicles and goods at the checkpost is not abused... “The case of the petitioner is that it is a transporter and was carrying goods with relevant documents when the vehicle was detained at the checkpost. “The reason for detention was that the goods to be transported appeared to the detaining authority to be in excess of the quantity mentioned in the documents, which implied that there was attempt at evasion of tax”. The Bench asserted: “We are of the view the case is an instance of abuse of authority at the check post. No basis for suspicion of under-valuation has been shown”. Taking on record an undertaking by counsel for the petitioners to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 50,000 to take care of the alleged tax evasion, the Bench concluded: “The detaining authority will pay costs quantified at Rs 50,000 in all the three cases together to be deposited with the High Court Legal Aid Committee within a month. “The amount may be recovered from the person who is responsible for acting illegally. The state will also be at liberty to initiate disciplinary proceedings against persons responsible for the misconduct”.
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Nod to interchanging of posts under disability quota
Chandigarh, May 7 Allowing a bunch of writ petitions filed by Jagjit Kaur and 13 others, Justice Permod Kohli directed the state of Punjab to consider the petitoners for appointment against unfilled physically challenged vacancies of teaching fellows on the basis of their merit in the selection within a month. It was submitted by counsel for the petitioners, Kapil Kakkar and Hema Kakkar, that in response to advertisement issued on September 5, 2007, the petitioners applied for the posts
of teaching fellow against the seats reserved for physically challenged persons. All the petitioners belong to orthopaedically challenged category. They were not given appointment on the ground that as per the Disability Act, one per cent vacancies in the physically challenged quota were reserved for each category of disability — blindness, hearing impairment and orthopaedically challenged candidates. As the one per cent vacancies of orthopaedic quota had already been filled, they could not be appointed. It was contended by the counsel that no candidate was selected under the other two categories. In view of the instructions issued by
the State of Punjab on May 2, 1997, the vacant posts of physically challenged quota were interchangeable. But, the claim of interchangeability was vehemently opposed by the state. It was asserted the vacant vacancies are to be carried forward for three recruitment years. Only, thereafter, the vacancies could be interchanged. It was held by the Bench that the contention of the state does not seem to be based upon correct and logical interpretation of the circular of May 2, 1997. The unfilled posts are to be carried forward only in case no candidate belonging to any of the physically challenged category is available. As vacancies are available under the physically challenged category and no other candidate under blindness or hearing impairment is available, the petitioners are to be considered against unfilled vacancies.
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Encroachments removed from grain market
Muktsar, May 7 The JCB machines were pressed into service early in this morning by Punjab Mandi Board officials, who were accompanied by policemen in a large number and senior functionaries of the district administration, to pull down the illegal structures, which have come up in the past more than 10 years. The occupants, who raised slogans against the Punjab Government and the district administration, also set the agriculture waste on fire besides pelting stones on the civil and police officials involved in a demolition drive. However, no one suffered any injury due to pelting of stones. A section of women protestors, who tried to hamper the demolition drive, were dragged away from the spot by women police personnel, who were deployed in a large number too. The protestors alleged that authorities concerned had not issued any notice to them before carrying out demolition of their dwellings. They added that even their household goods were also damaged in the demolition. Activists of the Jhuggi Jhopri Bachao Front, who also reached the spot, while alleging that the Punjab Government had uprooted poor people from their dwellings today without issuing any notice to them in this connection, demanded that an alternative land must be given to them so that they could set up their hutments over the same. They said these occupants had become shelterless and would have to spend a day under scorching sun and night under open sky. Amrik Singh, secretary of the market committee, said demolition of illegal structures had been carried out on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said about one-acre land, which was under illegal occupation of encroachers, had been got vacated today. He said encroachers had been asked a number of times to vacate it. The authorities had to carry out a demolition drive when the encroachers failed to move out from same on their own.
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Ropar division awaits notification on districts
Ropar, May 7 In the past two months, the government has not been able to decide as to which other districts should be included under Ropar division. Sources said a file had been pending with the Chief Minister’s office over the issue. According to the proposal, the districts of Nawanshahr, Ropar, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib are to be included under the division. “However, there has been resistance from politicians of Amloh, who feel that their current division - Patiala is nearer and Ropar would be far off,” the sources said. Similarly, the SAD-BJP leaders have objection over inclusion on Banga in Ropar division. Divisional commissioner SK Sandhu was supposed to sit at his Ropar office on every Tuesday and Thursday, but he does not. When contacted Sandhu confirmed that the government is yet to include other districts in the division. “The process is under way,” he said. Advisor to the CM Dr Daljit Singh Cheema asserted that the government would notify all other districts very soon. Not only the present divisional commissioner looks after one district only, the Excise and Taxation Department is yet to notify that the deputy excise and taxation commissioner (DETC) division be deployed at Ropar. According to the rules, the state government simultaneously issues notice of the DETC when it notifies a division. In absence of the DETC at Ropar, people still have to rush to Patiala for administrative works, says advocate Gurpreet Singh. The DETC is in charge of all districts notified under division and is conferred with administrative powers of positing, transfers and allocations of internal staff. Besides this, he or she also looks into the excise matters pertaining to all liquor vends, issues permits of opening bars, restaurants and licences to marriage palaces. The DETC is also appellate authority to issue notices to violations of excise contractors and penalties levied by the ETO and the AETC making day-to-day monitoring easier.
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Plot allotted for Valmiki Bhawan
Patiala, May 7 He also announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh for its construction besides Rs 2 lakh for the construction of the Valmiki Memorial Gate near the Lahori Gate. The CM also assured the samaj that he would soon take up the matter with the Deputy Commissioner (Amritsar) to find a suitable plot of 4-5 acres for the annual celebration of Yogima Parv on December 31. Badal also said he would soon visit the holy site of Ram Tirath to review the progress of on going work at the Parikarma site being renovated with
marble flooring at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Expressing gratitude to the samaj for reposing full faith in the policies and programmes of the SAD-BJP alliance, Badal said the basic ideology of our government was to safeguard the rights of the less privileged sections of the society. On the occasion, the CM released a book on the Adi Dharam Samaj authored by national chief patron Darshan Rattan Ravan. In his address, Darshan Rattan Ravan thanked the CM for always showing magnanimity in accepting the demands of the samaj. He said the Adi Dharam Samaj would be indebted to the SAD-BJP government for paving a way for 12.5 per cent reservation to the Valmiki/Majhbi Sikhs in the government jobs and also demanded reservation for this community in the educational institutions. Speaking on the occasion, Raj Kumar Atkiay sought personal intervention of the CM to hike the emoluments of safai sewaks working in Punjabi University on the pattern of GNDU, Amritsar. Earlier, the CM visited the residence of chairman NRI wing of SAD and chairman District Planning Board (Patiala) Surjit Singh Rakhra to pay tributes to his mother Mata Jaswant Kaur on her third death anniversary. The CM also visited the residence of late Harpal Tiwana, a legendary theater artist, and met his wife Neena Tiwana and his son Manpal Tiwana. He urged both of them to direct a light and sound programme depicting the saga of Wadda and Chotta Galughara on the life of Maharaja Dalip Singh to apprise our younger generation about Punjab’s rich cultural heritage. He also launched the official logo of the upcoming Harpal Tiwana Centre for performing arts and personally reviewed the progress at the site.
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Reptilian passion
Nawanshahr, May 7 “They are all members of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Nanwanshahr”, says Nikhil. His latest venture is rejuvenating dried up water holes in the forest land of the kandi area, not far away from his native town. Most of the natural and man-made waters holes dry up with the onset of the summer season. “Wild animals, including reptiles, are forced to move to human habitats in search of water. Some of these are killed out of sheer fear ”, says Nikhil. Many wild animals die because of dehydration in the scorching summer heat. The Wildlife Department has no arrangements to fill water holes, both natural and man-made, in the forest area. To make water available to the animals in their natural habitat, Nikhil has come out with a plan. “We buy water tanks from the market to fill the water holes in the forest area. During the past few days, we have purchased 40 water tanks for the task. The cost of each water tank is about Rs 500. We collect money from acquaintances”, he says. The sambhar, barking deer, blue bull, leopard, wild cat, red fowl and rock python are some of the animals found in the kandi forests, Nikhil claims.
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Unit II of GNDTP shut again
Bathinda, May 7 It may be noted that various parts of the generating transformer were changed at the cost of lakhs after it developed a snag in the third week of April 2011. Interestingly, the generating transformer kept developing snags despite the fact that it remained shut for a full month of March, 2011 on the account of annual maintenance. Information gathered by TNS revealed that the repeated shutting down of the unit-II in the past two months had caused huge financial loss to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). A senior functionary of the PSPCL, seeking anonymity, said the organisation had been suffering a loss to the tune of about Rs one crore daily on account of non-production of electricity. He said the market value of the generating transformer runs into crores. He said a probe by an independent agency could reveal the reasons behind the repeated shutting down of the unit-II in the past few months. Meanwhile, K Lal, chief engineer, GNDTP denied that the generating transformer had got burnt. He claimed that as the life span of the generating transformer had expired, therefore it was being replaced. He said the authorities concerned had already purchased a generating transformer for the unit-II few years ago. He said the work of replacing the old generating transformer would be completed within a week and the unit would start producing electricity soon. However, the chief engineer refused to answer the queries as to why the generating transformer was not replaced when the unit was shut for its annual maintenance and why was it being replaced now when the demand of power was increasing in agriculture and domestic sectors. It is learnt that the unit-II had been troubling the authorities concerned even as crores had been spent on its renovation and modernisation (R and M) carried out in 2006.
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60 youths rescued from illegal de-addiction centre
Amritsar, May 7 They were allegedly being tortured by musclemen and were kept in chains and inhuman conditions in the centre. The raiding team was led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Baljit Singh and district immunisation officer Dr Pawan Verma. Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said a case has been registered under Sections 43, 343, 344 and 420 of the IPC against the owner of the centre, Gurdevinder Singh Cheema. The manager of the centre was also held. — TNS
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City Centre case adjourned till May 14
Ludhiana, May 7
Referring to judgements of different High Courts and the Supreme Court, the defence lawyer claimed that there was no evidence against his client for framing charges.
Naqvi was booked in the case by Vigilance Bureau (VB) on the charge of demanding money in black while striking a deal with a customer on behalf of his company. PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh, Today Homes company's managing director GK Gambhir, ex-AAG Harpreet Sandhu, former MLA's Arvind Khanna, Surinder Dawar, Kila Raipur MLA Jassi Khangura, Pawan Diwan were present during the court hearing. Former minister Chowdhary Jagjit Singh's personal presence was exempted for today. His counsel informed the court that he was unable to attend due to illness.
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One held for priest’s murder
Amritsar, May 7 The priest’s throat had been slit by a sharp-edged weapon and his mobile could not be found. The suspect has confessed to the crime. He said that he had entered the premises by climbing the wall with the intention of theft. “The priest, on hearing some noise, woke up. Sensing danger, the miscreant killed him. The police team has seized the weapon, mobile phone and gas cylinder stolen from the priest. The suspect had also stolen Rs 30,000 from the room,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Amar Singh Chahal.
— TNS
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