Congress, BJP spar over Baba Ramdev’s protest
Jalandhar, June 9
BJP national secretary and three-time MP Navjot Singh Sidhu today invited civil rights activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev to the state to start their campaign against corruption and black money from the Jallianwala Bagh. 

Govt dilly-dallying on Ghaggar project
Chandigarh, June 9
Despite several meetings with the Planning Commission, the Punjab Government is yet to give its response to the inter-state project to tame the Ghaggar.

POLITICS

Bathinda, June 9
The Malwa region has made its presence felt in this year’s Punjab Medical Entrance Test (PMET), results of which were declared today by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

Rajat Khurana of Abohar, student of LRS DAV Senior Secondary School, bagged the first position by securing 704/800 marks.

Manjeet Goyal of Bathinda (692/800), of Star Plus Convent School, Raman Mandi, stood second while the third slot was secured by Amanpreet Singh (688/800) of Faridkot, student of DAV Public School, Kotkapura.

Success in the PMET proved to be a double delight for the trio, each of them having cleared at least one entrance earlier too, including the CBSE-PMT, Armed Forces Medical College (Pune) examination and Manipal Medical College test. Also, majority of the candidates whose names figured on the first 50 positions are from the Malwa region — earlier considered an educationally backward pocket of Punjab.

Notably, a sizeable section of candidates who have made it to the merit list are the wards of medical professionals. Akash Khurana, father of Rajat, has been serving as a doctor at the government dispensary at Seeto Guno village while his mother Kanchan is a private medical practitioner in Abohar town. Jugraj Singh, father of Amanpreet Singh, is a medical specialist at the Civil Hospital, Faridkot.

Ashwani Kumar, father of Eesha who bagged the sixth position, belongs to Lehra Mohabbat village of Bathinda and is serving as a doctor in a government dispensary. Jagjit Singh and Surinder Kaur, father and mother of Simrat of Bathinda who secured the ninth position, are doctors too, both running a private clinic. Attributing his success to a blend of regular study and relaxation, Rajat said: “I want to be a cardiologist after completing my post-graduation either from the PGI, Chandigarh, or the AIIMS. I want to serve people in remote areas where medical care is not easily accessible.”

Second topper Manjeet Goyal’s success mantra was a “disciplined life along with hard work and constant focus on the goal”. He, too, wants to be a cardiologist but is willing to have a shot at the Indian Administrative Service.

Amanpreet Singh, meanwhile, said he had achieved one of his goals in life today. He said he wanted to serve the poor. A 10-hour study routine, said he, was his success secret. 

Chandigarh, June 9
Farmers are bound to face labour woes with mechanised paddy transplanters a failure in the state. They will have to depend on manual transplantation on 27.5 lakh hectares of land.

The transplantation will start tomorrow. There are 450 transplanters in the state and with each machine transplanting only three to four acres per day, these are not expected to have any impact. Farmers are camping at railway stations in Rajpura, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Rampura Phul, Bathinda and Ferozepur in search of labour, according to reports reaching here. Though the labour rate per acre for manual transplantation is yet to firm up, there are reports that labourers are demanding around Rs 2,000 per acre. The rate was Rs 800 per acre two years back.

Despite the labour shortage and high transplantation rates, the farmers remain reluctant to opt for mechanised transplantation due to indifferent results during the past three seasons. Though much of problem stemmed from the inefficient handling of the specialised nursery needed for the transplanters, farmers are no longer gung ho about the new technology.

Farmers Gurmail and Ranjit from Ghanaur, who have been camping in Rajpura since the past two days, say the labour coming into the state is a trickle and that most of it has been hired on contract already. They say most farmers are ready to pay for the labourers’ board and lodging as well as food. In case the arrival of migrant labour does not pick up, the farmers will be forced to go in for basmati transplantation, which is done in early July.

Meanwhile, the state government has promised to ensure a minimum of eight hours of power during the next two months with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal having given directions to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in this regard. The PSPCL has purchased 1000 MW of power from five states to meet the peak-load demand during the paddy season.

Agriculture Director Dr BS Sidhu said there would be a slight decrease in paddy acreage by one lakh hectares with more farmers opting for cotton this season due to good yield and high rates.

Jalandhar, June 9
BJP national secretary and three-time MP Navjot Singh Sidhu today invited civil rights activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev to the state to start their campaign against corruption and black money from the Jallianwala Bagh. Accompanied by BJP state president Ashwani Sharma, Sidhu said: “Jallianwala is a symbol of peoples’ struggle for freedom and democratic rights. For Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, it will be the right place to launch such a campaign.”

Targeting UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the cricketer-turned-politician said the Congress-led Union Government was allegedly using “an honest prime minister as a mascot to conceal corruption”. Sidhu alleged that the Congress was trying to divert the attention from the campaign against corruption launched by the duo to trivial issues such as RSS backing the agitations. He said the Congress, which has been “wiped out from almost all large states”, was now using dictatorial tactics to suppress democratic campaigns against corruption.

Though the baba was a yoga guru, the MP held, he had every right to make political speeches against the government and express his views on national issues.

Union ministers like Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram, said he, were “nobody to question Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare” in this connection. He alleged that political vendetta launched through various state organs against the baba was the most reprehensible act of the Congress-led government at the Centre. “The ruthlessness with which the Delhi police went about suppressing the protest at the Ramlila Ground reveals the mindset of vendetta guiding the entire process.” 

Chandigarh, June 9
Despite several meetings with the Planning Commission, the Punjab Government is yet to give its response to the inter-state project to tame the Ghaggar.

Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have already assured the Centre that they will participate in the project. In April, the Union Government has offered to help Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh from the fury of the Ghaggar by sanctioning a Rs 1,150 crore national project.

The objective of the project was to use the flood water for groundwater recharging. But before releasing any funds, the Centre wants the three states to give an undertaking that they will not link this project with the existing inter-state water disputes.

On May 30, reveal the documents available with The Tribune, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) of Himachal Pradesh wrote to Dr JS Samra, Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, saying that in principle the state approved the memorandum of understanding de-linking the Ghaggar project from other issues.

The Haryana Government, too, has told the Planning Commission that it acknowledges the need for re-charging groundwater and controlling floods in the Ghaggar basin. Though it has approved the project in principle, it is yet to sign an MoU.

Punjab Chief secretary SC Aggarwal had met Dr JS Samra, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), in April to discuss the issue. According to Dr Samra, if Punjab approves the project, it will get Rs 485 crore, Haryana Rs 475 crore and Himachal Pradesh Rs 145 crore from the Centre. These states will have to contribute 10 per cent of the remaining amount as per the guidelines of the Centre. This money will not be part of the money sanctioned to the states as part of Annual Plan.

Chandigarh, June 9
It seems to be a case of once bitten twice shy for the BJP. The party, which had gone in for a “clean up” when the names of two of its ministers cropped up in a CBI investigation, is in no mood to sacrifice any more ministers in the Punjab Cabinet.

Despite the fact that allegations against Local Bodies and Industries Minister Tikshan Sud have reached the High Court, which has asked the government to update it on the action taken in the matter, the BJP feels any further “sacrifices” would virtually write off the party in the state.

The sacking of Manoranjan Kalia, Swarna Ram and Master Mohan Lal is already being seen as unproductive and the party wants to stem the tide with assembly elections only eight months away. BJP general secretary and party spokesman JP Nadda when questioned on the allegations against Tikshan Sud and the scam in the Ayurveda Department headed by Laxmi Kanta Chawla earlier, said it would not be right to punish anyone on the basis of allegations alone.

He said Kalia and Swarna Ram had been removed as part of organisational restructuring aimed at involving new persons in governance.

However, sources said the party could be on a sticky wicket in case an independent agency was given charge to probe the allegations against Sud. Though Laxmi Kanta is not directly involved in the scam being probed by the CBI in the Ayurveda Department, it could cast aspersions on her.

Nadda indicated that Kalia was on the rehabilitation path. He referred to him as Manoranjan Kalia ji. He said the latter had been appointed as member on the party’s national executive. Kalia and others would be given a role in the party organisation and their services used appropriately.

Asked whether they would be denied the party ticket, he said he did not think so though a decision that would be taken by the BJP election committee.

Party sources said with the the sacking of the ministers, any ‘anger’ against them among the party cadres had been eliminated and that they had been indirectly strengthened in their constituencies because of the sympathy factor.

Keeping these facts in view, Kalia and Swarna Ram were strong contenders for the party ticket. Master Mohan Lal was, however, not on the same footing because BJP state president Ashwani Sharma was a contender for the Pathankot seat held by the former.

Patiala, June 9
Former president of the Punjab Youth Congress and Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu today came down heavily on the SAD-BJP Government. He was in the city to launch the membership drive of the Youth Congress.

Bittu, while speaking to the mediapersons, said, “The Badal Government has failed utterly on all the fronts. As far as the welfare of the youth is concerned, the state government has not been able to do anything good for the youngsters,” he said, adding that during its four years’ tenure, the government has only made claims and nothing was done on the ground for the betterment of the state.

Bittu said, “By constituting a Youth Development Board, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has only befooled the masses. The Youth Development Board has neither any funds, nor any office. We demand that the government should issue a white paper on the functioning of the Youth Development Board. Everyone in the state has the right to know what the Youth Development Board has done for the youth of the state during the past four years,” he said.

Bittu claimed that it was only the Congress and especially AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was committed for the welfare of the youth.

Earlier, presiding over a meeting of the Youth Congress activists, Bittu told the Youth Congress activists to work hard towards strengthening the party. “Since membership drive is being directly monitored by Rahul Gandhi, the Youth Congress activists should make efforts to make maximum members,” said Bittu.

Jalandhar, June 9
Environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal has adopted traditional techniques to remove the toxic sludge from the Kala Sanghia drain.

He, along with the villagers residing along the drain, has raised several bundhs along a 40-km course of the drain at Nahlaan and Chamiara village in Jalandhar district.

Terming the initiative as a stopgap arrangement till the administration comes out with a concrete plan to clean the drain, the baba said such bundhs would make the water fit for irrigation.

“The principle behind these bundhs is similar to that of the sewerage treatment plants. Such bundhs raised by piling sand bags will block the sludge and permit only the upper layer of water to flow downstream,” said Baba Seechewal. He said the bundhs would be raised at a distance of every two km.

“Now, it is the responsibility of the administration to remove the sludge from the drain. Otherwise the bundhs will fail to serve any purpose,” urged Seechewal.

The environmentalist said the villagers of the area were ready to give the land for the proposed treatment plant. It was up to the authorities concerned to construct the plant at the earliest, he added.

Amritsar, June 9
Octogenarian Gajan Singh broke into tears when a committee constituted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today confirmed that his son was among those killed and cremated en masse 
two decades ago.

He was one of those attending the first hearing by the committee formed to establish the identities of 657 persons killed and cremated during militancy. The committee is headed by Principal Secretary (Home) DS Bains.

Gajan Singh of Harshachhina Ucha Kila village, said: “ My 25-year-old son Sukhdev Singh Sukha was a daily-wage earner. In 1991, he went with one Balwinder Singh of Lallian village to be recruited in the police. He never returned home. Later, we learnt the two were picked up by the police from Thande village and killed in an encounter.”

Veero of Guru Arjan Dev Nagar, Chheharta, said her husband Baldev Singh went missing in 1991 after he boarded a bus for Attari. One of their neighbours, who was in the bus, told her that the police had took him off the bus near Khasa area. “Two years later a policeman, who had quit his job, told me that my husband was among the three persons killed in an encounter at Khurmania village on November 20, 1991,” she recalled, her voice breaking with emotion.

Deputy Commissioner KS Pannu, convener of the committee, said a total of 2,057 unidentified bodies were cremated in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Majitha during 1984-94. Out of these, 1388 were identified by the Bhalla Commission.

He said this committee had been set up by the NHRC as a last-ditch effort to identify the remaining bodies. In all, 60 cases would be heard by the committee in two days (June 9-10) and the entire process completed by August.

A monetary relief of Rs 1.75 lakh each is being given to the next of kin of the deceased. 

Kurali, June 9
The forest check posts constructed with aid from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) are now being used to store implements and other material by the Forest Department.

Under the Rs 400 crore JBIC project, these check posts were created in different forest ranges in the Kandi belt in Punjab.

“The money spent on these posts was minuscule when compared to the entire project. However, these posts played an important role during night vigil in the forests,” said forest officers at the Siswan range.

The Siswan range check post is situated at Pallanpur village, en route to Abhipur and Kubbaheri villages. The post wears a deserted look bearing testimony to its occasional usage. Implements of a nursery of the Forest Department, situated in the vicinity, are locked up in the post.

Similar posts exist in Dugri and Bhangala villages of Ropar district as well as in parts of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur. There are four posts in each forest division.

“These posts were meant to check wrongful activities in the forest area such as illegal tree felling and smuggling. These were an integral part of the forest protection scheme. As most employees leave their respective stations by the evening, the very purpose of setting up these posts gets defeated,” rued Siswan villagers. Despite repeated attempts, Divisional Forest Officer Vishal Chauhan could not be contacted.

Mohali, June 9
Punjab Health Minister Satpal Gosain today ordered upgradation of the food analysis laboratories with modern equipment to bring these on a par with the international standards.

While chairing a meeting of the district health officers and food inspectors here today, the minister disclosed that the state would introduce the new bylaws for the frozen food and similar items soon.

The minister, along with Principal Secretary (Health) Satish Chandra and Director (Health and Family Welfare) Dr Ashok Nayyar, held meetings on the food sampling issue.

Gosain stressed upon streamlining the sampling procedures and directed the officers concerned to ensure proper sampling, especially of milk and milk products strictly in accordance with the laws.

He passed instructions to these officers not to harass the small-time shopkeepers and vendors unnecessarily. He said, “It is unfortunate that Punjab is having the highest number of drug addicts next to Nagaland.”

The Health Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to curb the menace of the drug abuse and said regular raids should be carried out at the chemist shops and other suspected outlets, for which inter-district teams, comprising officials from other districts, must be formed. He added that special teams must be dispatched from the state headquarters to conduct surprise raids in the districts.

He further stressed upon taking full advantage of secret informers and said they should be rewarded if the information given by them was found to be correct. Health Minister emphasised to utilise the proposed ‘Helpline’, which would be opened to public soon.

He said information like feedback and complaints in terms of the availability, storage and sale of drugs etc could be made available on this helpline.

He gave instructions for timely completion of the formalities for issuing drug licences and rationalisation of procedures as per the local requirements.

Chandigarh, June 9
The Save Khalsa College Amritsar Action Committee and the Khalsa College Old Boys Association today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the conversion of the historical institute into a private university by the governing council, allegedly under political influence.

In their petition filed in public interest during the High Court vacations, the petitioners sought directions to establish Khalsa College as a central university on a par with Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.

The petition came up for hearing this morning. The vacation Division Bench headed by JusticeKS Ahluwalia fixed July 14 as the next date. The petition claimed Khalsa College was part of the Sikh heritage. As such, directions should be issued to the State of Punjab and other respondents to restrain its conversion into a private institution. — TNS