27 govt employees found absent during inspection 
Patiala, July 7
As many as 27 officials/employees, including two doctors and one assistant town planner, were found absent from the office during an inspection conducted by Commissioner, Patiala Division, Anurag Verma here today.



Vacant chairs greet Commissioner (Patiala division) Anurag Verma at the civil surgeon’s office in Patiala on Thursday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Chandigarh, July 7
A plan is in place to take Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) out of the red by going in for a two-part tariff which will do away with the need of imposing a tariff hike in the near future.

The PSPCL hopes to come out of the red in three years by introducing fixed and variable rates. The fixed rates are being introduced mainly to cater to the problem of industries buying power from outside at a time when the state has surplus power. Variable rates are aimed to benefit consumers.

“This is a win-win solution for both the consumers and the power utility”, said

PSPCL Chairman-cum -MD KD Choudhari. He said under the plan, still being fine- tuned, consumers switching on their geysers or washing machines in the early morning would be charged less as they would be reducing the load during the peak hours.

Chaudhari said the industry drawing power from the grid at a time when the state was surplus had hurt the utility this season. “Fixed tariff is being mooted to ensure the utility is not left high and dry.” He clarified that the industry was free to buy power from the grid but only when the state was deficit.

Choudhari said there was a realisation that the power utility had to be competitive and drawing up a tariff structure charging consumers depending on the time of the day would help it compete with other private players.

On the steps taken by the power utility to bring in efficiency, Chaudhari said the state had saved Rs 600 crore by purchasing more power than last year but at a lower cost. Similarly, reducing losses had saved Rs 500 crore.

This had been achieved by shifting meters out of houses and deloading 1,800 feeders. The PSPCL is planning to make bill collection, meter replacement and complaint servicing time-bound. 

This is a win-win solution for both the consumers and the power utility...consumers switching on their geysers or washing machines in the early morning would be charged less as they would be reducing the load during the peak hours

— PSPCL Chairman-cum -MD KD Choudhari

Amritsar, July 7
Taking cognizance of the news report appearing in The Tribune highlighting the plight of 60 BDS students being made to pay fee for the fifth year of the course, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal yesterday directed the management of SGPC-run Guru Ram Dass Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Amritsar, not to charge these students any tuition fee.

At a meeting in Chandigarh yesterday, the CM asked the Vice-Chancellor of Baba Faid University, Dr SS Gill, to ensure the guidelines of the Government of India as well as the Dental Council of India were strictly adhered to.

A delegation of parents today met principal CS Bal who agreed to the exemption (Rs 63,250 per student under the government quota and Rs 2.3 lakh under the management quota).

However, the former would have to pay usage charges of Rs 25,000 and the latter Rs 50,000 per annum. Dr Gill said: “No college can raise the fee structure because the institutes ave already benefited by not paying the monthly internship allowance (amounting to Rs 3000-Rs 4000) to the fifth-year students. Those who flout the prescribed guidelines are liable to face action.” On the usage charges, Dr Gill said in the absence of a uniform policy, the institutes tend to charge as they like. ”But some policy should be framed in this regard,” he added. 

Patiala, July 7
In order to make the registration of vehicles simpler, the Transport Department will start an e-governance project soon.

Under this project, vehicle dealers will allot numbers on the spot and the registration certificate (RC) will reach the address given by the buyer within three days of purchase.

Anurag Agarwal, Principal Secretary, Transport Department, said this during a workshop on “Learning Driving Licence and Registration” at the Mini-Secretariat today.

He also held a meeting with college principals and vehicle dealers in this regard. He said that this would not only save the effort of going to the District Transport Office, but would also make the entire process faster.

He said, “After completing all documents and depositing the tax, the dealer will submit the form online and issue the vehicle number on the spot. Then, the dealer will prepare the documents of newly bought vehicle and send it to the District Transport Office.

“After the signatures of the DTO, the RC will be sent through courier at the buyer’s house. No extra money would be charged.”

He said the department had worked out all necessary details and the project would be functional by the month-end.

He added that the government has decided to give the authority to college principals of government and private colleges to issue learner’s licence to their students.

After collecting all necessary documents from the students and taking their medical test and oral test regarding driving rules, government college principals will issue students a learner’s licence. Private college principals will send the documents to the DTO and the office will send the licence to the principals, he added.

He said though the permanent licence would only be made by DTO office, government industrial training institutes and government engineering colleges would take the driving test.

Through e-governance project, register vehicle online and get RC at residence in three days. Vehicle dealer to do the needful

College principals authorised to issue learner’s licence

For permanent licence, govt industrial training institutes and govt engg colleges to take driving test

Patiala, July 7
As many as 27 officials/employees, including two doctors and one assistant town planner, were found absent from the office during an inspection conducted by Commissioner, Patiala Division, Anurag Verma here today.

Continuing the ongoing drive, Verma inspected various government offices. During the inspection of the civil surgeon's office , the latecomers were spotted writing their leave applications from outside the complex. Interestingly, some of the employees informed Verma that absentees have gone on a tour, but on the contrary, there was no such entry in the register.

Assistant town planner Harinder Singh, along with 19 other officers, was found absent. The other absentees include Renu, Sukhwinder Kaur and Makhan Lal (senior planning draftsman); Planning Draftsman Manjit Kaur; Jagdeep Singh and Gurmit Kaur (junior draftsman); senior assistant Rajinder Kaur; junior assistant Sukhvir Kaur; Veena Rani, Sukhwinder Singh, Surmukh Singh and Davinder Singh (all clerk); Rajinder Kaur (steno); Hari Ram (peon); Nawal Khanna and Sanjay Kumar (assistant engineers); Swarn Singh and Karnail Singh (area investigators). In the civil surgeon's office, seven officers were found missing from the duty. The absentees include district dental health officer Rashmi Aggarwal, district leprosy officer Karamjit Kaur, steno Karan Vashisht, chief pharmacist Nanak Chand, computer operator Binder Singh; Parkash and Bhola Singh (peon).

The entire staff of the District Education Office (Secondary) was found present, whereas clerk Santokh Singh was absent from the District Education Office (Primary).

Recommending necessary action against the absentees of the respective departments, Verma has shot off letters to the Principal Secretary (Health), Secretary (Housing and Urban Development) and Secretary (Education). Verma said, “The main objective behind the surprise checks is to ensure proper working at the government offices .” 

Jamsher (Jalandhar), July 7
After the stir against the pollution of the Kala Sanghian drain, villagers are now gearing up for another eco battle, this time against the proposed Rs 133 crore solid waste management plant at Jamsher village, near here.

Representatives from more than 12 villages today gathered at the project site under the banner of the People’s Party of Punjab.

Jagbir Singh Brar, former MLA, Jalandhar Cantonment, under whose constituency these villages fall, alleged that the mandatory villagers’ consent had been deliberately ignored for setting up the mega project.

He demanded that either the Ministry of Environment and Forests or the Pollution Board hold public hearings at these villages before giving the green signal to the project.

He said if the project came about, residents of Chananpur, Nanak Pindi, Jamsher, Khera, Divali, Dheena, Sansarpur, Folarhiwal, Chiteani, Kadiawali, Bhode Saprai, Shahpur and Partapura would be at the receiving end as tonnes of garbage lying in the open would make them vulnerable to disease and epidemics.

Thousands of tonnes of domestic waste from 27 towns of Doaba would be dumped at Jamsher village everyday for processing. The plant would come up on 25 acres for which tenders were passed by the Municpal Corporation, Jalandhar, yesterday.

“The villages are already living in a highly polluted environment. The Garha drain, which carries domestic sewage from Jalandhar city, passes through these villages. Southwards, the polluted Chitti Bein encircles these villages. Besides, they have to tolerate the stench emanating from the sewerage treatment plant at Folariwal”, said Sukhwinder Singh, sarpanch of Bhode Saprai.

The MC authorities, however, maintain that the project has unique features as it would generate composite refuse dry fuel (RDF), bio-methane gas and 6 MW of power.

However, the villagers are not impressed. They say they neither want composite RDF or electricity. “We are already surrounded by the filth generated by the urban populace. Let such plants come up in towns. Why should we be forced to live amid garbage heaps,” asks Satnam Singh, sarpanch of Chanapur.

We are already surrounded by the filth generated by the urban populace. Let such plants come up in towns. Why should we be forced to live amid garbage heaps

— Satnam Singh, sarpanch of Chanapur

Chandigarh, July 7
The Punjab Police wants to provide protection to runaway couples. But, the problem is they are nowhere to be found. That’s right! Contrary to their image of being “ruthless” and “insensitive”, Punjab Police personnel are acting like big daddies, eager to help the “victims of hate”.

The cops have, in fact, been looking around for runaway couples to safeguard their lives. But even after moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and obtaining the protection orders from the Bench, the couples are just not traceable. A testimony to this effect is provided by the fact that in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur, protection orders were issued in approximately 900 cases during the past one-and-a-half years. Actual protection was availed by couples only in one or two cases.

The data has been compiled by advocate Tanu Bedi. Asked by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to assist the Bench in safeguarding the runaway couples, Bedi carried out a detailed survey.

She asserted: “On many occasions, the police could not even trace a couple to provide them protection as ordered by the High Court, as it was stated by the officials that the couples were not found living at the place of residence mentioned in the court order.”

The findings have led her to believe the protection is sought by the couples not for the perceived purpose. In her report placed before the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice AK Mittal, she asserted: “It needs to be deeply probed whether the petitions on the behalf of the runaway couples legitimately raise the plea of grim danger or the course is being adopted, the same being an easy passage for certification of a marriage against parental consent.”

Bedi elaborated: “It is found that whereas a large number of couples rush to the High Court and obtain protection orders, a very less percentage actually approaches the police. This is paradoxical…” Urging the High Court to analyse the paradox, she asserted: “It is possible that the very factum of the order of security being issued by the high court acts as a protective insulation in some of the cases. It is also possible that there is some change in the mindset of the parents as a large number of them do not pursue their erring children for retribution.”

Moga, July 7
Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and president of the SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal said today that DGP Paramdip Singh Gill would remain in office till retirement on September 30 this year.There is talk of the DGP being considered for the Akali ticket for the Moga seat.

Talking to media after sangat darshan at Ajitwal village in the district, the SAD chief said: “I have asked the DGP to move out in the public and listen to the grievances of the people. It has nothing to do with politics.”

Manpreet Singh Badal, PPP chief, had given a memorandum to the Governor demanding the removal of the DGP. Former CM Capt Amarinder Singh too had criticised the DGP for trying to “influence” voters in the Moga assembly segment.

On the directions of the Election Commission to transfer all officials in their home districts for the past over three years, he said the government would follow the EC directions.

“The transfers are a routine exercise a few months before the elections,” he remarked.

He said that Congress-led UPA government had raised the interest on loans 10 times during past nine months on the plea of controlling inflation. This had adversely affected industrial growth.

Sukhbir distributed Rs 8.35 crore among 46 panchayats of Badhni Kalan and Ajitwal for various development works. He was accompanied by former minister Tota Singh.

Moga, July 7
The Punjab Government today suspended Bhag Singh, state Drug Controller, following detection of irregularities in the purchase of medicines from Japson Pharmaceutical Limited, a Sangrur-based company owned by Jasjit Singh Dhaliwal, Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala’s son.

Principal Secretary, Health, Satish Chandra said the Drug Controller was already facing charges for alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines in April this year.

The Tribune had carried a report on April 30, 2011, on the matter. “The government is reviewing the licence of Japson Pharmaceuticals and carrying out a high-level probe into the alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines,” another official of the department said.

It may be mentioned that apart from Bhag Singh, the government had issued chargesheets to Ajay Singla and Vijay Mattu working in the Drug Controller’s office, SPS Sohal, former director of Health Rakesh Gupta and the Deputy Director, Health.

It is learnt that the company continued to supply medicines to the government in connivance with these officials even after its licence was not renewed in 2006. The company was set up at Sangrur in 1986 with assistance from the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC).

When contacted on the phone, Bhag Singh said he was not aware of the government’s decision to suspend him from service.

Charges: He continued to buy drugs from the Sangrur-based pharma company owned by Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala’s son even after its licence was not reviewed in 2006

Chandigarh, July 7
Petroleum dealers tonight decided to call off their agitation on being assured by the state- level oil coordinator that the Punjab Government would look into their demands.

The three day stir launched by the dealers, under the aegis of Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association, started today, with the dealers refusing to buy any stocks of petrol and diesel. But by the evening, office bearers of the association were convinced by officials of oil marketing companies to begin dialogue afresh with the government officials.

J P Khanna, president of association, said that they had decided to defer the strike by a month. “Our strike was successful today. With 95 per cent of the dealers not buying fuel from the companies, the state exchequer suffered a loss of over Rs 2.50 crore.” 

Ludhiana, July 7
Taking cognizance of the news report pertaining to the allegation of atrocities on children levelled by Social Security and Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla on the police, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission today sought a detailed report on the issue from the DGP.

PSHRC chairman Justice Jagdish Bhalla took a serious mote of the allegations in the demi-official letter of the Minister wherein it was mentioned that the "police officials give merciless beating to the young children and treat them as hardened criminals". The commission has asked for a report from the state government and the Home Department, through DGP, by July 26.

Notably, The Tribune had highlighted in the report "Chawla comes to aid of 3 siblings" (in July 8 edition) how three siblings, including an eight-year-old girl, had been booked in a tractor-trailer theft case. — TNS

Chandigarh, July 7
The Supreme Court has set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders constituting a five-member committee to look into the controversial Bhav Sagar Samunder Amarbani Granth by Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara.

The committee had been asked to carry out a study of the controversial ‘granth’ and submit a report. The directions were issued as the state earlier could not give a definite answer about the credentials of those who had dubbed the manuscript as objectionable. The State of Punjab, on September 27, 2001, had issued a notification banning the publication of the book and forfeiting it. Bhaniara filed a petition, challenging the notification in the High Court and the government was asked to pass fresh orders.

The government issued a fresh notification on December 15, 2008, again banning the book. Bhaniara filed an application challenging the second notification. Acting on the plea, the High Court directed the setting up of the committee comprising two experts on Sikhism and two on Hinduism. Another member was to be nominated by Bhaniara. The state then filed an application to modify the order as the SGPC refused to recommend Sikh experts.

The High Court refused to modify its order and reiterated the directions contained in the order dated August 20, 2010. The Punjab Government challenged both the orders in the Supreme Court. As the case came up today, state standing counsel Aprajita Singh and Kuldip Singh appeared before the Bench, which set aside the orders. 

Kapurthala, July 7
Kuldeep Singh (22) of a nearby Khusropur village was allegedly beaten to death by his beloved’s relatives at Nathu Chahal village last night.

The investigating officer, Sadar SHO Lakhwinder Singh, said the youth’s body was found in the fields around midnight. It bore injury marks on the head and other parts. The police said Kuldeep had eloped with a girl of Nathu Chahal village two years ago. A case of kidnapping was registered against him on the complaint of the girl’s parents and he remained in jail for about a year.

He was acquitted four months ago. Kuldeep’s family migrated to UP after selling their property at Khusropur village

sometime ago. Kuldeep had come from UP to meet his beloved. The girl’s relatives spotted him in the village and allegedly thrashed him to death, the SHO said.

They later informed the police that a thief who had tried to break into a house, had been beaten to death.

The body was sent to the local civil hospital for autopsy. 

Ropar, July 7
The Ropar police today challaned Baljit Singh, a conductor with the Punjab roadways posted at the Shambhu barrier on deputation, for fixing blue beacon atop his vehicle. Baljit’s black Endeavor (CH 03 W 3232) was intercepted after crossing a bridge in Sirhind.

According to the police, Baljit was on the way to Amritsar and was earlier working as an office assistant at the Madhopur toll tax barrier. He was shifted to the Shambhu barrier on June 23 on the orders of the State Transport Commissioner.

According to the police, Baljit agreed that he had installed the blue beacon atop his vehicle without permission.

He also told the police that he had been using the blue beacon to evade the toll taxes on the Chandigarh to Amritsar highway. Baljit also told the police that someone was tried to frame him.

According to sources, the secret complainant to the police had claimed that Baljit used to pose as additional district transport officer (ADTO), but the police could not verify these allegations.

The police also went through his documents to ascertain his identity as a Punjab Government employee and was let off after being challaned.