Doaba gets its first medical college
Jalandhar, June 10
Fifteen years after its foundation stone was laid, the Punjab Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), Jalandhar, has received a final nod from the Medical Council of India (MCI) to start MBBS classes from the current academic session. The final permission to start classes was given through a Letter of Permission (LoP), received by the management of PIMS yesterday.

Chandigarh, June 10
The state Health Department is set to recruit 1,214 doctors, including specialists and dental doctors, besides 2,363 para-medical staff for primary health centres and 42 new hospitals.

The department, seeking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s immediate approval for the recruitment drive, has urged that the matter be put up before the Cabinet later. It has requested that the recruitment be taken out of the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission and Panjab University, Chandigarh, be asked to conduct the exercise instead.

The department has made out a case for recruitment of 574 medical specialists, 500 medical officers (MBBS) and 140 dental doctors. It acknowledges that there is a shortage of specialists and in case they are not available, the posts be offered to MBBS doctors.

The department has also proposed the recruitment of 2,612 para medical staff, including 1,087 staff nurses, 390 laboratory technicians and 207 operation theatre assistants. The recruitment will still not cover all the vacancies available in the department. “We have taken care to recommend recruitment on essential posts immediately The other posts can be taken care of later”, Health Secretary Satish Chandra said.

The department has as many as 1,300 vacant posts in primary health centres. It also has a vacancy of 1,371 posts in its 35 community health centres that are nearing construction, eight new sub-divisional level hospitals and three district hospitals.

The new recruitments include both vacant posts as well as posts which need to be revived. The department had earlier made out a case for revival of 1,548 posts including that of 655 doctors. Around 200 posts have been identified for revival in offices of the District Health Officer and Civil Surgeon.

At least 150 doctors who have been identified as surplus in primary centres will be shifted to community health centres. The new posts identified for future recruitment include 115 posts in the Punjab Aids Society and Trauma Centre.

The earlier Congress government did not recruit any doctor during (2002-07) though it appointed 452 staff nurses and 220 other personnel, including 92 radiographers. The SAD-BJP government has recruited 526 MBBS doctors, 44 dental doctors, 98 medical specialists and 356 staff nurses so far.

Chandigarh, June 10
The Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP today rejected the Rs 80 hike in the maximum support price of paddy announced by the Centre, terming it as a cruel joke on the farming community. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal welcomed the hike.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD president Sukhbir Badal said the seven per cent hike in the MSP was non-remunerative and did not make up for the increase in agricultural input costs.

The government had even disregarded the recommendations of the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), they said.

Sukhbir said the Punjab Government was giving free power worth Rs 400 crore per annum to farmers besides overdrawing precious ground water resources. The SAD demanded an MSP of Rs 1,500 per quintal for paddy for the current kharif and acceptance of the Swaminathan Commission report linking the MSP with the wholesale price index.

“Had the Centre any genuine concern for the farmers, it would have at least consulted the agrarian states like Punjab, before finalising the MSP”, the Chief Minister said.

The BJP Kisan Morcha president, Om Prakash Dhankar, said the MSP should be increased by at least Rs 500 per quintal. “The government has not followed the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission which had said that the farmers should be ensured of a 50 per cent profit after taking into account the input costs.

Punjab Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal welcomed the MSP hike for paddy and cotton, besides that of pulses.

She said the Congress governments at the Centre had always taken steps to ameliorate the lot of the farming community.

Bhattal challenged the SAD-BJP government to announce a similar hike to benefit the farmers.

The MSP for paddy in 2009 was Rs 950 and in 2010, it was Rs 1,000.

Bathinda, June 10
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited is in a piquant situation. Forced to use power purchased at high rates from outside the state, it has shut its thermal plant units producing power at lesser costs.

The corporation closed seven units of its three thermal plants yesterday on account of reduced demand by consumers of all the categories.

Official sources said if the corporation wanted to use cheaper power from its own sources by surrendering the power purchased from outer sources, it would have to pay a penalty of 70 paisa - 80 paisa per unit to the companies with which it had made the power purchase agreement.

The sources said the average production cost of each unit of electricity at the three thermal plants was half the price at which the corporation had purchased power from the Power Trading Corporation and the National Thermal Power Corporation.

Arun Verma, Director (Distribution), PSPCL, said as per the agreement with these companies, the corporation could surrender 10 per cent of the total power purchased without penalty after a two-day notice.

He said the power demand had crashed following rains in the state. The corporation had, hence, decided to shut its thermal units and save the fuel cost.

He said the corporation had purchased 1,000 MW of power for June from outer sources. However, it had already surrendered about 100 MW with rains expected in the state in less than a fortnight.

He said the corporation had decided to purchase power worth Rs 1,200 crore in the current year to ensure uninterrupted supply to the consumers during the summer season and beyond.

It had purchased power to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore last year.

However, after heavy rains in the region, it had surrendered power worth Rs 400 crore, paying a Rs 35-crore penalty.

“In case the power demand goes down in the state, to surrender power by paying the penalty to outer companies is not a bad option,” he remarked.

Jalandhar, June 10
Fifteen years after its foundation stone was laid, the Punjab Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), Jalandhar, has received a final nod from the Medical Council of India (MCI) to start MBBS classes from the current academic session. The final permission to start classes was given through a Letter of Permission (LoP), received by the management of PIMS yesterday.

Earlier, the MCI had granted a Letter of Intent (LoI) on May 19, said the PIMS management. The intake capacity of the institute would be 150 students per year.

The development is important for the Doaba region as the PIMS will be the first medical college in the region.

The brainchild of the then Chief Minister Beant Singh, a project to develop a world-class medical institute, was launched in 1994. It became operational only in June 2010, when it was handed over to the PIMS Medical and Education Charitable Society (PMECS) to be run on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis.

Rajshekhar C, Chief Operating Officer, PIMS, said that the seat distribution would be same as other private medical colleges in the state.

“Half of the total seats will be filled under the state government quota. The rest will fall under the management quota, including 15 per cent seats under the NRI quota,” he added.

Patiala, June 10
The main examination of the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Exam has been put off. It was scheduled to be held on June 23.

Most PPSC members remained tightlipped on the matter. “The exam has been postponed on account of certain administrative exigencies. The new schedule will be intimated later”, reads a notice issued by the PPSC.

On June 3, 2011, the PPSC had postponed interviews for nine posts of Principal (Government College) in the Higher Education Department.

A total of 2,140 candidates were to appear in the main exam for 180 posts (PCS, PCS-allied and DSP). The recruitment process for the posts got underway in 2009, but the PPSC has been able to conduct only the preliminary exam so far.

In another announcement, the PPSC authorities have informed that the screening test for 70 posts of SDE in the civil, mechanical and electrical wings has also been postponed.

“Due to certain administrative problems, the screening test scheduled to be held on June 18 has been postponed. The new date and time for the test will be announced later”, says a notice issued by the commission.

Chandigarh June 10
The Punjab Government today transferred eight police officers with immediate effect.

A spokesman of the Home Department said three officers-Manjit Singh, Barjinder Singh and Raminder Singh- had been transferred and posted as SP, Chief Minister's Security, Chandigarh.

Lakhbir Singh had been posted as SP, Intelligence Bureau, Chandigarh. Parmpal Singh had been posted as SP, Intelligence Bureau, Chandigarh, Jasdeep Singh Assistant Inspector General of Police, Information Technology, Chandigarh, and Simrat Pal Singh, SP, Information Technology, Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, as per the orders of the Finance Commissioner, Taxation, SS Brar, the services of KK Bhatia, ETO, Jalandhar Division II, have been place under suspension with immediate effect.

He will be at the Training School in the office of the Assistance Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Patiala, during his suspension period. He will, however, get subsistence allowance.

Amritsar, June 10
The Khalsa College management today deducted the wages of the 41 teachers who had availed casual leave to take part in the ongoing chain hunger strike against the proposed move of converting the college into a private university.

These teachers, 31 from Khalsa College, six from Khalsa College for Women and four from Khalsa College of Education, were served show-cause notices by the management on May 21 stating that their act was a ‘violation of the conduct rules, besides being an anti-establishment activity’.

RS Chhina, Honorary Secretary of college management, said that the teachers lost wages because they did not get their leave sanctioned.

“A circular had already been released which specifically stated that the teachers who were supposed to go on leave are required to obtain prior sanction for it. These teachers might have submitted the application, but the same were not sanctioned. So they were considered absent on those particular days,” he said.

Later, an emergency meeting of the teachers was called. They resented the pressure tactics of the management. “These tactics are being adopted to terrorise the teachers and prevent them from going against the management,” said Daljit Singh, general secretary of the teachers union. Meanwhile, at the venue of chain hunger strike which entered its 41st day, Prof HS Walia, general secretary, PCCTU, said that they will seek legal opinion on the deduction of salary of the teachers.

Batala, June 10
The Gurdaspur Food Corporation of India (FCI) authorities have castigated the Railways for sending a rake, meant for transporting fertilisers, to carry foodgrain.

The rake, comprising 58 wagons and sent to the local railway station today, is not even designed for carrying foodgrain.

The FCI officials have refused to load foodgrain in the rake claiming that it was “faulty” and not fit for carrying food stock.

Nahar Singh, Area Manager, Gurdaspur FCI, said that the corporation had placed a demand for a rake yesterday for transportation of wheat stock from Batala railway station.

However, he claimed that the Railways provided the FCI with a BCHNL rake, which is designed for the transportation of fertilisers.

He added that as the wagons carried a heavy dose of chemicals, it would be hazardous to transport foodgrain in these.

He added that for the transportation of foodgrain, the Railways should send BCN and BCXT rakes which were designed for this purpose. “But all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The common man is suffering because he has to consume foodgrain unfit for human consumption.”

Health Department officials added that the usage of such rakes for carrying wheat, paddy and rice stocks was one big reason for people getting inflicted with cancer.

Nahar Singh said that on many occasions, the Railways had provided the FCI with rakes meant for transporting coal.

Kishan Chand, Station Superintendent, Batala, said, “The FCI is unnecessarily making a mountain out of a molehill. All the wagons are properly cleaned and no traces of fertilisers or coal are left in these.”

Ropar, June 10
Sarpanch and panchayat members of the Shyampura village today alleged that the officials of district administration, including Ropar Deputy Commissioner, DDPO, BDPO and ADC, had been repeatedly calling them to their offices and pressurising them to donate a major chunk of the shamlat land in the name of the Sant Baba Maan Singh Charitable Trust.

Alleging this at a media briefing here today, village sarpanch Harbant Kaur Bhullar said, “While the Punjab Government claims to empower the village panchayats, the district officers are bullying and pressurising us to part with our land. The DDPO had summoned us to his office today and pressurised us again to handover the land or else face the music.”

She said the gram panchayat had 149 canal 5 marlas of the shamlat (common village) land, including 32 canals of Mata Rani Tobba (village pond), Hadda Rori (animal carcass dumping centre), panchayat ghar, school and community hall. In 1999, the panchayat had donated 80 marlas 11 canal of its land to the Sant Baba Maan Singh Charitable Trust.

“As per the Punjab Village Common Land Act, more than 50 per cent of the shamlat land cannot be donated, whereas we have already donated a large portion of our land. This was a sheer violation of the Act and the people dealing with this transaction played truant with the law. The panchayat can give the land on lease and that, too, after notifying the same through newspapers,” she said.

She added that during recently held annual religious programme of the Sant Karam Singh Academy held in May, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal had asked the village panchayat to donate its playground land to the charitable trust. “While the CM passed these orders publicly, he did not deem it fit to listen to what the village has to say over the issue,” added panchayat members Jagtar Singh, Kuldip Singh, Kulwant Singh and Gurnam Singh.

The village youth had leveled the land of the playground and for the past 12 years, the village youth club has been holding its annual tournaments.

“On the Rajpura IT Park issue, the government has been saying that no piece of land will be taken away and given further forcefully. But for our village, the same rules do not apply,” added president of the village youth club Amarjit Singh. Villagers said if they were threatened, the panchayat would knock the doors of Human Rights Commission and would also start an agitation.

Meanwhile, DC GK Singh said, “The villagers cannot donate their land, but just give it on lease. We have not pressurised anyone. I have not got any complaints against the DDPO. There is an internal conflict in the villagers themselves. Someone wants to give the land and others do not. I met the village sarpanch about a month back and since then no one from the village has met me on the issue,” he claimed.

Patiala, June 10
With the Patiala MC and District Health Department failing to check the practice of illegal slaughtering of the animals, the unlicensed slaughterhouses are fast mushrooming in the city.

The situation has acquired such an alarming proportion that animals like goat and sheep are being butchered under unhygienic conditions, posing threat to the residents’ health. Despite the instructions of Patiala DC Dipinder Singh, the health authorities have not taken concrete steps to check mushrooming of illegal slaughterhouses.

More than 12 illegal slaughterhouses are operational from the kiosks located alongside the boundary wall of the bus stand. “Animals are butchered under the unhygienic conditions in violation of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act- 1976. Foul smell emanates from these illegal slaughterhouses,” alleged Ramandeep Singh and Jaswinder Ghuman, who have a shop located near the bus stand.

Notably in July last year, a Patiala-based NGO, Patiala Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA), had taken up the matter with the district administration. Subsequently, the DC had issued instructions to the officials of the MC and the Health Department to conduct raids and initiate strict action against the illegal slaughterhouses. Though almost an year has passed, no action has been taken so far.

“In the wake of the fact that the illegal slaughtering of the animals is going on in several city areas, including Tripri, Rajpura Road and Sirhind Road, there is immediate need to enforce the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act-1976,” demanded some of the city residents. The DC assured that not even a single illegal slaughterhouse would be allowed to operate in the area. “I will direct the Patiala Civil Surgeon office to submit a report pertaining to steps taken in this regard,” said the DC. 

Ludhiana, June 10
Fast-track courts abolished around two months back have again come in existence with the financial assistance of the Punjab Government. Around 15 judges have been posted in the fast-track courts established in the nine districts of the state.

The notification issued by the Punjab Governor says that these courts will continue functioning till March 31, 2016. Those promoted and appointed in the fast-track courts as Additional District and Sessions Judges (adhoc) includes Lachhman Singh and Harbans Singh Lekhi are posted at Bathinda, Anshul Berry and Manjot Kaur at Ropar, Jatinder Kaur at Ludhiana. Judges Lalit Kumar Singla and Jaswinder Sheemar are posted at Hoshiarpur, Neelam Arora and Dr Rakesh Kumar at Amritsar, Gurnam Singh-II, Sant Parkash Sood and Rajiv Kalra at Gurdaspur, Sanjay Agnihotri and Sandeep Kumar Singla at Jallandhar and Balwinder Singh Deol at Patiala.

The Centre had stopped funding the fast-track courts, with the result that the system of putting up the cases on a fast track has come to a standstill on April 1 this year. As many as 14 additional District and Sessions Judges in the state were “repatriated” to their substantive ranks.

Chandigarh, June 10
The entire literary fraternity of the region has plunged into gloomy despair after learning about the demise of the city-based scholar of international eminence, Dr Harnam Singh Shan (88), at his sector 16 residence here yesterday after a brief illness. He had returned after an eight-month tour of the US last month.

Born at Dhamal (Pakistan), Shan did his post graduation in English and Punjabi before studying at London for his Phd and was later awarded DLitt from PU, Chandigarh.

Shan had 88 books, mainly on Sufi and Sikh philosophy to his credit, besides seven more awaiting publications. “So Says Guru Granth Sahib- An Analytical and Comprehensive Dictionary of the Thought of the Sacred Sikh Scripture” running into 1,428 pages (For Punjabi University, Patiala) is the apex of his genius.

Universally adored with 11 national and international awards, having held 110 positions in literary organisations, participation in 200 conferences in India and abroad, Dr Shan elicited appreciation for his address at the Parliament of World religion in Melbourne (Australia) in December 2009. It was indeed a salutation to his spiritually enlightened vision and literary prominence.

Dr Shan presented his paper and deliberations on the “Universality of Sri Guru Granth Sahib” to the 8,000 religious scholars of the world, besides participating in the panel discussions on different religions.

Incidentally one is reminded of the illustrious Swami Vivekanand who created history at the September 1893 session of this parliament by glorifying the grandeur of the Indian cultural heritage and philosophy of the religion.

Dr Harnam Singh Shan leaves behind his son and three daughters. As per Maj Gen Gaganjit Singh (retd), the funeral of Dr Shan will take place tomorrow at 2 pm at sector 25 crematorium.

Chandigarh, June 10
Three years and scores of directions later, runaway couples fleeing persecution are still being compelled to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for protection of “life and liberty”.

Even as the High Court is observing summer vacations, on an average five petitions for protection by such “victims of hate” are being placed before the vacation Benches. The number is significant as the states of Punjab and Haryana have already been asked to put in place a mechanism for protecting the runaway couples from persecution.

On day one of the vacations, protection petitions by five couples from different parts of the region were placed before the Bench of Justice Alok Singh. Again on June 8, three petitions were placed before Justice Alok Singh.

In almost all the petitions, the couples expressed apprehensions regarding their safety, while seeking directions to the police authorities to safeguard their interests.

The petitions saw directions being issued to the police chiefs of Jalandhar, Ferozepur, and Amritsar.

Leaving nothing to chance, Justice Alok Singh disposed of the petitions with directions to the police heads “to take an appropriate action on their representation”. But, before deciding on the representation, the police heads have been asked to “record their satisfaction on the age of the petitioners as well as on the question of validity and legality of the alleged marriage of the parties”.

The High Court has already issued a slew of directions, including granting couples the liberty “to approach the district and sessions judges in Punjab, Haryana and the UT, Chandigarh, for grant of protection”.

The courts have also asked the police officers to “deal sternly with parents, relatives and other members of the society, who threaten such couples”.

The states have been directed “to ensure protection centres indicated by them are properly run,” mediation cells are set up in the offices of commissioners and SSPs to guide the parents, relatives and such couples to live in peace and that “false rape and abduction cases” are not registered.

The High Court had first taken cognizance of the matter during the vacations in 2008. On June 24, 2008. Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia had asked the states to evolve a "compassionate" mechanism for redressing the grievances of runaway couples and their parents.

Not divorced from the reality of suicide pacts and honour killings, it has asked the Home Secretaries of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to inform the court on the system they intend to develop for preventing the couples from being chased by their kin.

Chandigarh, June 10
Acting on a petition filed in public interest by Sangrur-based Atta Chakki Welfare Society challenging the enhanced power bills issued to flour mills, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to the State of Punjab and other respondents. The petitioner has challenged the bills enhanced on account of sundry charges for installation of new electricity meters by the state government.

The vacation Bench of Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia and Justice Augustine George Masih fixed July 18 for the next hearing. The society claimed the govt was using “sundry charges” as a pretext to recover “illegal charges” for the enhanced meter rent and increased security deposit. — TNS