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All set for trial run at Bathinda oil refinery
Govt to seek economic package on WB pattern
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No regular XEN in Patiala since June
Gadkari to visit Fazilka today
Alliance with Sant Samaj aimed at Assembly poll
Poll code delays opening of suvidha centres
Amarinder seeks relief for flood-hit
Kanwaljit’s daughter-in-law denied SGPC ticket from Banur
Fatehgarh Sahib health services hit
Principal Secy to CM surveys flood-hit areas
PPCB orders closure of pharma factory
HC tells SSP to evict MLA from rest house
HC may hold screening test for re-designating judges
Body found, murder case registered
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All set for trial run at Bathinda oil refinery
Bathinda, August 10 tonight. Water was released ahead of the crude oil to check any leakage. The process of storing crude oil has begun, say unofficial sources. Sources said the refinery would be commissioned in the next four months or so. The prestigious project is spread over nearly 2,000 acres in Phulo Khari village near Rama Mandi. The foundation stone of the refinery was laid by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on November 13, 1998. Even though refinery officials refused to comment, sources confirmed that the process of storing crude oil had begun. Oil will be processed to bifurcate solid and liquid products, including high-value petroleum products like the LPG, aviation fuel, pet coke used in the cement industry, naphtha, petrol and diesel. Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said the refinery was likely to be made operational in a few days. "It is a very profitable venture for Punjab as many supplementary units will come up and thousands will get employment," he said. The refinery is a joint venture of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Mittal Energy Investment Private Limited. Both the partners hold a 49 per cent stake each. Work on the refinery began on a war footing after July 2007 when Hindustan Petroleum and Mittal Energy Investment took up the venture jointly. The refinery will produce polypropylene that is used for manufacturing plastic goods. Experts say this will give a further boost to ancillary units in the industrial towns of Ludhiana, Banur and Lalru. Oil will be processed to bifurcate solid and liquid products These will include high-value petroleum products like the LPG, aviation fuel, pet coke used in the cement industry, naphtha, petrol and diesel The refinery will produce polypropylene that is used for manufacturing plastic goods. This will give a further boost to ancillary units in the state The refinery is a joint venture of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and Mittal Energy Investment Private Limited Both hold a 49 per cent stake each in the project
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Govt to seek economic package on WB pattern
Jalandhar, August 10 The Centre has announced a package of Rs 21,614 crore for West Bengal. It includes a grant-in-aid of Rs 9,240 crore and Rs 8,750 crore for development of backward areas. The package also includes Rs 300 corre for development of agriculture and Rs 100 crore for green power projects. As a part of the package, the Centre has increased the state’s borrowing limit by Rs 2,706 crore. “Like West Bengal, we have a strong case for an economic package,” said SC Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Punjab. “I have discussed the issue with the officials concerned. Another meeting will be held soon. I am hopeful that a meeting with Central Government officials in this regard will be held in the next few days,” Aggarwal said. The Centre has not yet rejected Punjab’s earlier plea for a package. When Manpreet Singh Badal was Finance Minister, he had urged Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for a special package for Punjab to decrease its debt burden. He had asked for waiving debt to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore. The Centre had set up a committee under the the Secretary (Expenditure) to look into the matter. The Committee had shortlisted Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal for extending financial assistance. The committee had asked these states to submit a report on steps to be initiated to avoid a fiscal crisis in future and to put the state on the road to recovery. “We are now in a better position to claim the package from the Centre because we have improved our revenue,” said a senior official of the Punjab Government. “Last year, our revenue growth was better than those of several other states,” the official said. “Our big problem is management of expenditure because of subsidies. We need to bring these down.” “As we are a border state like West Bengal, we can claim funds from the Centre under the Backward Area Development Programme. Our entire border belt is backward,” he added.
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No regular XEN in Patiala since June
Patiala, August 10 There has been no regular XEN (Drainage) in Patiala after Ashwani Kansal was shunted out by the Irrigation Minister in June.The charge was temporarily with XEN BPS Brar till last week. Brar is XEN (Bhakhra Main Line). “Not posting a regular XEN at the vital stretch where Punjab is fighting Haryana may cost the state dear”, said a retired Chief Engineer. Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon said he had posted a new XEN. Asked why not a regular XEN, he replied: “There is an acute shortage of XENs in the department ”. Contrary to the claims of the minister, senior officers said three XENs in the lining branch in Patiala, Sangrur and Ludhiana were sans work since the past couple of months. When contacted, Brar said he no longer held the charge of XEN, Drainage. “The charge has been taken away from me”, he said. Former Deputy Chief Minister (who held the Irrigation portfolio in the previous Congress government) Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, said: “Not posting a regular XEN in the sensitive circle shows how serious the government is to tackle the issue”.
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Gadkari to visit Fazilka today
Bathinda, August 10 Disturbed over the reports of falling image of the party in Punjab after change of leadership in the last two to three months and two petitions filed against former Forest Minister and BJP leader Tikshan Sud by the officials of the Forest Department, Gadkari called for need of image-building exercise in the state. He directed leaders to put up a united front and maintain harmonious and cordial relations. — TNS
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Langah blows poll bugle from Dera Baba Nanak
Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur), August 10 After the delimitation exercise, there are now 10 assembly segments in the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency instead of 11 and a major part of Langah’s former segment of Dhariwal has been merged with the newly formed Dera Baba Nanak seat.Ravi Kiran, who is also Chairman of the Punjab State Tubewell Corporation, has been working in the Dera Baba Nanak area for the past few years, regularly holding meetings with social organisations and influential area jathedars. He has been eyeing this seat since long even as his father is preparing the turf in neighbouring Fatehgarh Churian. All the plans of the Kahlons have gone awry with Langah announcing that he would be contesting the seat. What will work to his advantage is the fact that nearly 85 villages in the erstwhile Dhariwal assembly segment have been shifted to Dera Baba Nanak. Sources reveal that the district administration mandarins have been asked to extend support to Langah although nobody is willing to go on record.
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Alliance with Sant Samaj aimed at Assembly poll
Chandigarh, August 10 Till now the SAD would ask all candidates to fill a performa giving details as to when they were baptised and whether they followed theSsikh ‘rehat maryada’ besides queries about their contribution to the propagation of Sikhism. Akali sources said this time the party has relied only on those designated incharge of assembly constituencies, whether sitting legislators or former legislators, to recommend the ideal candidate. The idea is to use the SGPC elections as a springboard for the assembly elections and ensure the SGPC candidate and the future assembly constituency candidate work towards a common goal. This strategy has created a piquant situation. The party has selected few candidates who are not baptised. The manager of the Damdama Sahib gurdwara at Talwandi Sabo says four SGPC candidates have opted for baptism in the last two days. The Akal Takth jathedar has also come out with a statement that all those who have been allocated ticket should undergo baptism immediately. Party sources said besides selecting candidates as per the wishes of local political leaders, the SAD has reached a pact with the Sant Samaj, that has been offered 30 seats, with an eye to the assembly elections. The Sant Samaj consists of heads of various dera’s including the Damdami Taksal seminary, once headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. This community of ‘sants’ has always been at loggerheads with the SGPC and aligning with them would ensure their support in the assembly elections too. SAD sources claim the Chief Minister has brought the Sant Samaj, including hardliners like the Damdami Taksal, back into the mainstream by agreeing to share power with them. PACT invites criticism It is a political agreement not based on principles — Joginder Singh Vedanti, former Akal Takht chief The Sant Samaj doesn't follow the Sikh code of conduct — MS Calcutta,
former SGPC secretary It is an unholy and unprincipled alliance — Kanwarpal Singh, Dal Khalsa chief The alliance will have dangerous repercussions in the days ahead — Gursharanjeet Singh, GNDU scholar Panthic Morcha fields 49 more candidates August 11 is the last day of filing the nominations. This is in addition to the 83 Panthic Morcha candidates already in the fray for the polls. With this, the Morcha has now fielded a total of 132 candidates. On the remaining 38 seats, candidates from the alliance have filed their papers, but a final decision on whom to allot the party symbol would be taken mutually at a later date, said the SAD (1920) president Ravi Inder Singh here today.
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Poll code delays opening of suvidha centres
Patiala, August 10 Patiala is one of the first few districts in the state to implement and start the community police suvidha centres. The district police was earlier awaiting a nod from the Deputy CM to inaugurate the same, but following a delay and later the election code in place, it could not be done. According to the police, the centres will help integrate community policing and save time of the common man. In Patiala, two such centres have been completed at Sadar police station, Rajpura, and police station, Samana. People would get details like FIR copies, passport forms, police verification and other minute details from these centres. Trained staff has been appointed at these centres to serve the people through a single window with a complete corporate look, the police said. — TNS
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Amarinder seeks relief for flood-hit
Chandigarh, August 10 He demanded setting up of relief camps for the flood-hit people where they could get food and shelter. In a statement issued here today, Capt Amarinder also called for immediate girdawari to assess the losses caused to the people in general and the farmers in particular by these floods. He disclosed, he had deputed the senior party leaders including Rana Gurjit Singh, Sukh Sarkaria and Tarn Taran District Congress president, Dharampal Agnihotri to visit the flood hit areas and meet the people there.
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Kanwaljit’s daughter-in-law denied SGPC ticket from Banur
Chandigarh, August 10 The party also indicated through its nomination from Anandpur Sahib that sitting legislator Sant Ajit Singh, who had sided with Peoples Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal earlier before coming back to the party fold, was on the way out. The party also denied the party ticket from Samrala to sitting member and legislator Kirpal Singh Khirnia, who had been, however, adjusted in the party’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC). Party sources said here that Banur legislator Jasjit Singh Bunny tried in vain to persuade the party high command to allot the Banur seat to his wife Sanjit Kaur. The sources added that Bunny pleaded with the party that both claimants from the seat - sitting SGPC member Nirmail Singh Jaula and the other hopeful Amrik Singh Malikpur - should agree to his wife’s candidature, but the party was not convinced. It went in for an adjustment by re-nominating Jaula and appointing Malikpur as the members of its working committee.
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Fatehgarh Sahib health services hit
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 10 Dr Garg was suspended for alleged negligence in treating Vice-Chancellor of Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia when he was brought to the hospital with a bullet injury on August 1. The strike caused inconvenience to hundreds of patients who visited various hospitals and dispensaries for treatment. Meanwhile, following a meeting with the doctors, the Punjab Health Department promised to revoke the suspension orders of Dr Ravinder Kumar Garg by tomorrow morning. Earlier in the day, following a call given by the government medical staffers and the PCMS Association, Fatehgarh Sahib, OPD services were discontinued at almost all government-run dispensaries and hospitals in the district. "It is wrong to suspend a doctor who failed to extend VIP service to a patient but did all he could to save crucial time," claimed the agitated doctors who sat on a dharna at the Civil Hospital here. Dr Garg was suspended following an inquiry that claimed that Dr Garg did not summon any specialist to treat Dr Ahluwalia brought to the hospital in a serious condition. It further said that Dr Garg did not inform his superiors, the Civil Surgeon and the Senior Medical Officer, who were at a meeting when the VC was brought to the hospital. Patients had a tough time today getting treatment as the staff refused to entertain anyone, except those injured in accidents. Meanwhile, general secretary of the PCMS Association, Fatehgarh Sahib, Dr Sanjeev Kumar today lead a delegation to the Health and Family Welfare Minister Satpal Gosain and urged him to revoke the suspension orders of Dr Garg. "We elaborated on the fact that the suspended doctor was not guilty and had done his best while dealing with the emergency situation. If he had tried to contact his seniors or arrange a doctor for shifting the patient out of the Civil Hospital, vital minutes would have been wasted," Dr Kumar said after the meeting. "We have taken back our strike and would wait for the new orders pertaining to Dr Ravinder Garg. Health services would be normal now," he promised. When contacted, Satpal Gosain told The Tribune that he had met doctors and they had promised to call back their strike as the suspension orders would be revoked tomorrow morning. "I have heard them and their justification looks genuine," he stated. The ALLEGATIONS Dr RK Garg allegedly negligence in treating VC of Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia Not summoning any specialist to treat Dr Ahluwalia Not informing his superiors, the Civil Surgeon and the Senior Medical Officer, who were at a meeting when the VC was brought to the hospital Doctors' viewpoint It is wrong to suspend a doctor who failed to extend VIP service to a patient He had done his best while dealing with the emergency situation If he had tried to contact his seniors, vital minutes would have been wasted
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Principal Secy to CM surveys flood-hit areas
Tarn Taran, August 10 Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Darbara Singh Guru, along with other officials, visited the area today. Guru also conducted an aerial survey of the affected villages, along with Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Waziralingam and Financial Commissioner (Revenue) AR Talwar. However, MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha informed the high-level team that the 20 km-long Kasur drain near Dhollan Thathi village, 45 kms from here, be revamped on priority basis. Meanwhile, the situation is heading towards normal as the accumulated water has been settling down. Deputy Commissioner Satwant Singh Johal, who along with other administrative officials, supervised the affected areas and has appealed to the residents not to panic. “The teams of health, animal, food and civil supply, revenue and others departments have been dispatched to the affected villages to provide relief,” he said. The DC told that the affected residents of Sarai Amanat Khan, Lehian, Chahal, Swaragapuri and other villages have been taking shelter in the camps put up at safer place in Sarai Amanat Khan village, 35 kms from here.
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PPCB orders closure of pharma factory
Dera Bassi, August 10 RK Rattra, environment engineer from Mohali, said the factory failed to take adequate pollution control measures. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, while granting environmental clearance to the industry, had stipulated that the industry would install multiple-effect-evaporator (MEE) as well as incinerator for treatment of its toxic effluent. But the industry failed to install the aforesaid equipments and started storing its effluent into storage tanks to act as solar evaporation ponds. It was observed by the board that this was not a proper method of managing the highly-toxic wastewater and it should install the necessary multiple-effect-evaporator and incinerator to take care of the effluent. Besides, there was every possibility of discharge of the effluent by the industry into an adjoining drain. However, the board during various visits to the industry confirmed the fact regarding the discharge of effluent into the adjoining drain. Moreover, the highly-toxic effluent stored in the tanks posed a potential threat to groundwater also. Therefore, the industry was asked by the board to take all the necessary steps to phase out the solar evaporation ponds by thermally treating the wastewater in the multiple-effect-evaporator followed by incineration in the incinerator. The industry was given ample time to put up the aforesaid facilities, but the industry failed to do the needful within the stipulated timelines fixed by the board. It was also observed during various visits to the industry that it was also not properly treating its other effluent streams. Empty chemical drums containing spent solvents and MEE concentrate were found stored in the open despite being covered under the category of hazardous wastes and the industry had not provided covered sheds for storage of aforesaid drums. Violations Galore The factory failed to take adequate pollution-control measures Did not install multiple-effect evaporator as well as incinerator for treatment of toxic effluent Discharged effluents into a drain Toxic effluent in storage tanks pose a threat to groundwater
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PRTC staff resume stir
Patiala, August 10 While on the one hand, many buses are standing in the PRTC workshop since long due to the lack of money for their repair, on the other employee unions are time and again protesting against the management for the fulfilment of their long-pending demands. After the PRTC Retired Employees Union staged a dharna yesterday in front of the PRTC headquarters, as many retired employees had not been paid their gratuity, a one-month strike by the Contractual PRTC Employees Union (Azaad), which ended last month, had been resumed today. The employees felt that the state government and the PRTC management had misled them. Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, President of the All-India Trade Union Congress, Punjab, said, “The PRTC is running in a huge loss due to the policies of the state government. Time and again the government is making policies that are beneficial for private transporters and cause major loss to the PRTC. Earlier, the ratio of the PRTC and private buses was 40:60, but now it is more than 60 per cent. Secondly, in order to save its income, there were a few monopoly routes, but the private transporters are overlapping here also and no action is being taken in this regard,” he added. He said whenever the PRTC talked of increasing fare due to a hike in the diesel prices, salary of employees or for spare parts, it became a political issue and no one was ready to cooperate. Moreover, after 1993, the government had not provided any aid to the PRTC. The government had issued permits to private transporters for monopoly routes also, which was another blow to the PRTC, Dhaliwal added. Earlier, Ranjit Singh Balian, chairman, PRTC, had said the PRTC buses sometimes had problems, as they do not have enough money to purchase spare parts, new tyres and batteries. “However, the problem is that despite generating a good revenue, we are not made payments on time. Moreover, we have no financial aid either from the Centre or the state government as a result of which, we have to make payments for pension from our pockets. We have to take 44 crore from the government for free and concessional travelling provided to various departments and once the payments are cleared, we will be totally in control of the situation. In fact, our revenue has increased in past year,” Balian added. “The state government has released Rs 16.25 crore out of which we will receive Rs 10 crore within a week. We will pay arrears to our employees as soon as we get the money,” Manvesh Sidhu, Managing Director, PRTC, said.
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Missing child recovered
Fatehgarh Sahib, August 10 According to Mandi Gobindgarh SHO Bikramjit
Brar, following a complaint lodged by Pappu Yadav, cops started investigations. “On August 6, migrant driver Pappu Yadav had complained that his son Manish Kumar was missing from his house in Shastri
Nagar,” said the police. “On receiving a tip-off today, we rounded up a person, who was seen with a child of the same age and recovered the child from him. Initially he told us that he found the child roaming on a street and bought him new clothes and food,” said
Brar. However, the person failed to give any valid reason as to why he did not tell the police despite having the child with him from the past four days. Meanwhile, further investigation is on in the case.
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Kapurthala man shot dead in Philippines
Maheru (Kapurthala), August 10 Major Singh’s elder brother Ranjit Singh called up their mother Gurdev Kaur to inform her about the unfortunate incident. He told his mother that some unidentified assailants fired 10 shot at Major Singh while he was on his way to his office. He was killed on the spot. Major Singh’s two other brothers Balbir Singh and Baljit Singh said he had not visited his native place even once after going to Manila. He had, however, told his mother a few days ago that he would visit Maheru in January 2012, they added. Over 100 Punjabis have been killed in Philippines over the past eight years. Most of them belonged to Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur in Doaba region.
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HC tells SSP to evict MLA from rest house
Chandigarh, August 10 The directions by Bench of Acting Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice AK Mittal came in connection with a PIL alleging that the ex-MLA has been in illegal possession of the rest house since 2005. Iqbal Singh of Patiala district had earlier sought directions to the state and other respondents to take back possession of the rest house from Gurdev Singh.The petitioner had claimed that the Department of Irrigation auctioned the canal rest house on July 1, 1998. As much as 25 per cent of the amount was deposited, but the remaining 75 per cent was yet to be deposited.
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HC may hold screening test for re-designating judges
Chandigarh, August 10 Available information suggests that the Full Court of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has already held discussions on laying down the criteria that will spell a clear-cut departure from the century-old tradition. Further discussions on the issue are in the offing. The current procedure prescribes the re-designation of the Additional Sessions Judges as Sessions Judges on the basis of the annual confidential reports (ACRs). But, the ACRs will cease to be the criteria for re-designating the officials, if the Full Court gives its nod to the procedure of holding the screening process. In all, 13 posts of Sessions Judges are expected to be filled up. For the purpose, three times the number of Additional Sessions Judges will be called for the screening process. It is believed that the move so far does not enjoy the full support of all the High Court Judges. Some of the Judges are apparently of the opinion that the ACRs - prepared by the administrative judges - are the benchmarks for judging the performance of the judicial officers. Elaborating on the pitfalls of the proposed system, some of the Judges believe an officer having excellent ACRs over the years by different administrative Judges may not make it in the screening test. Another officer with not so good ACRs may, on the other hand, emerge successful. Moreover, the administrative judge, after going through the judgments of a judicial officer, may be of the view that the orders are well reasoned. But the committee holding the screening test may not be of the same opinion and find the candidate unsuitable. Even the lower judiciary is not too enthusiastic on the prospect of holding the screening test. Some of the Judges in the subordinate judiciary insist merit will be given the go-by in the process. They add screening process otherwise also cannot be held as the Judges are not to be promoted, but re-designated. Benchmark The current procedure prescribes the re-designation of the Additional Sessions Judges as Sessions Judges on the basis of the ACRs The ACRs will cease to be the criteria, if the Full Court gives its nod to the screening process Reactions An official having excellent ACRs over the years by different administrative Judges may not make it to the screening test. Another official with not so good ACRs may, on the other hand, emerge successful, say some of the Judges Moreover, the administrative judge, after going through the judgments of a judicial officer, may be of the view that the orders are well reasoned. But the committee holding the screening test may not be of the same opinion and find the candidate unsuitable
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Body found, murder case registered
Patiala, August 10 According to the complaint filed with the police by Ajaib Singh, the body of his son Hardeep Singh was recovered on August 7 from near their village. According to the police, Hardeep was working as a munshi with an advocate at the Mini Secretariat, Patiala, and was recuperating from his injuries at his house following an accident almost a week back. “On August 7 evening, he went out following a call on his mobile phone and did not return. His family searched for him for hours. His relatives found his body near the sewer outlet of the village late evening,” said the cops. “Prima facie it appears that the victim was strangulated to death,” said the police. An FIR under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered against the unknown accused and the investigation is on in the case.
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Bathinda, August 10
