Jalandhar, July 29
Jalandhar MP Mahinder Singh Kaypee today virtually lambasted the district administration for its “irresponsible and callous attitude” towards the implementation of the MPLAD scheme.

The mild-mannered MP took the officials to task for keeping him in the dark about the progress of various projects being executed under the scheme at the Vigilance Monitoring Committee meeting, chaired by him, this afternoon. The general impression was that he somehow felt that being an opposition MP, he was being deliberately sidelined on the instructions of the ruling alliance.

Kaypee lambasted the BDPOs and officials of the various agencies for using the funds at their whims and fancies without even bothering to inform him of the status of the ongoing projects. Things came to such a pass that DC Shruti Singh had to intervene and direct the erring officials to keep the MP informed at every stage.

Earlier, the MP said being discretionary funds, even he did not know where the money was being diverted. “Everyone is walking away with the cheques, which should have ideally been routed through me. Ever since I became an MP, I have only seen just one cheque under the scheme and it is only today that I have come to know in this meeting that works to the tune of Rs 2.53 crore are underway,” he expressed his dissatisfaction.

He called all BDPOs one by one and inquired about the funds allocated in the past two years and the status of the works going on in each block. “Did you not ever feel like apprising me of the inauguration of a new work in your block? You should have had some courtesy of getting at least one foundation stone laid by me there or tagging me along for a formal opening,” he pointed out.

While some BDPOs tried to get away by saying that they had joined very recently, there were others who just kept mum and could not come up with any reply.

The MP then turned towards the administrators saying, “A responsibility has to be fixed. Where is the money being diverted, without my will or discretion, I really wonder,” he observed angrily.

Jalandhar, July 29
The issue of the disrespect shown to an elected representative at a public function has been brought to the notice of President Pratibha Patil.

In his petition, Sandeep Sharma, president of the Organisation for Protection of Human Rights, a local NGO, has drawn the attention of the President towards the shabby treatment meted out to senior BJP leader, former Industries minister and Jalandhar Central MLA Manoranjan Kalia at the state-level function in which he was not offered a seat for over an hour.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal was the chief guest at the function held on July 22. He said it was the duty of the local administration to make seating arrangements for all elected representatives as per protocol and had also violated the spirit of decency. We demand an inquiry against the erring officials so that the erring persons could be awarded punishment, he added.

In not offering a chair to the MLA for over an hour, the organisers hurt the sentiments of the Brahmin Hindu community and discriminated against the legislator by violating Section 23 of the Constitution (Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour), Section 14 (Equality before Law) and Section 15 (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth), he pointed out.

Even though all arrangements had been made for all the dignitaries and the public but Kalia was deliberately slighted on the occasion. While chairs were earmarked for the Deputy CM, Mayor, MPs, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and senior officers of the administration and the civic body, no one offered a seat to the senior BJP leader, he added. 

Phagwara, July 29
Efforts of the police and medical staff could not save the life of a newborn male baby, who was found crying in a deep well in a haveli of NRI Sansar Singh near Bhaghana village in the subdivision yesterday.

The SHO, Rawalpindi, Yogesh Kumar, said the police had registered a case under Section 315 of the IPC.

The SHO said a villager after hearing the cries of the baby from the 45-ft deep well informed the police station. The police with the help of some villagers pulled out the baby placed in a bag from the well and brought him to the Civil Hospital, but the baby died after a few hours. — OC