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SGPC Poll: Battle lines drawn as nominations end
Riot victim files papers against Makkar
SAD, Cong ready for show of strength at Rakhar Punia fair
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Change norms for state's share in central taxes, says Badal
Ticket race: Patiala leaders take to billboards to woo party bosses
NON-DISBURSAL OF ARREARS
Govt to give Innovas to SSPs
‘Selling’ youths lucrative trade in Iraq: Victims
UT orders probe into role of travel agents
Screening of ‘Aarakshan’ banned
Ashok Nayar is Director, ESI Corp
HC asks Sessions Judge to keep tabs on lawyers
High Court approves promotion of ETOs
Excise team attacked by smugglers; 20 booked
4 booked for removing organs
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SGPC Poll: Battle lines drawn as nominations end
Chandigarh, August 11 The stalwarts in the fray include SGPC president Avtar Singh
(Ludhiana West), SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur (Bholath), Education Minister Sewa Singh
Sekhwan, Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah, Gobind Singh Longowal
(Longowal), Randhir Singh Cheema (Bassi Pathana), Rajinder Singh Mehta (Amritsar Central), Tota Singh
(Moga).
Justice HS Brar, Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, said all the details would be available by tomorrow. A close check was being maintained to ensure that there was no election-related activity within the premises of
gurdwaras. The list of applicants would be displayed tomorrow and the scrutiny would be on August 16. In the SGPC house of 190, besides the 170 seats that would see a direct contest, 15 members would be co-opted. The remaining five seats are reserved for the head priests of the
five Takhts. Owing to reservation of seats for women and SCs, several SGPC stalwarts are no longer in the race, but have had seats allotted to their kin. Veteran Akali leader Jagdev Singh Talwandi has got the Raikot ticket for his son
Jagjit. SGPC member Santok Singh Samra has given up his Guru Ka Bagh seat for his son Jodh Singh. Former MLA Harwant Singh Datewar has secured the SAD ticket for his wife Jasbir Kaur from Budlada and Akali leaders Hari Singh Zira for his daughter-in-law Jaswinder Kaur from Talwandi
Bhai. Other than Sukhdev Singh Bhaur (Nawanshahr) and Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s daughter Kuldip Kaur
(Dakala), no important leader from the Tohra faction has been given the SAD ticket. The SAD will see a triangular contest on most seats with the SAD
(Amritsar) fielding 140 candidates and the Panthic Morcha 169. Unconfirmed reports say in Bhikhiwind in Tarn
Taran, SAD candidate Bhai Manjit Singh will be declared winner unopposed, provided his nomination papers are in order. The objections will be accepted on August 18 and all DCs have been asked to decide on the objections by August 23. The withdrawals will take place on August 26 and the final list of candidates displayed on August 29. The election will take place on September 18 and the results declared on September 22. Dr Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Washington-based Sikh Council on Religion and Education, has appealed to all parties to select “well-qualified and spiritually oriented” candidates. Kulwinder Sandhu adds from
Moga: The SAD received a blow in Dharamkot area of Moga district with local leader Sukhjeet Singh Kaka of Lohgarh village filing his papers for the SGPC poll as an Independent after the party high command cancelled his ticket at the last moment. There is talk that former SAd minister Tota Singh, who is contesting the SGPC poll from
Moga, may be made the next president of the SGPC and then denied the ticket for the assembly poll. In that case, Kaka could be asked to return to the party fold to contest the assembly poll.
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Riot victim files papers against Makkar
He will fight against Makkar from the constituency. Surinder Singh (60) is backed by the Danga
Peerat Welfare Society known for being close to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. ‘‘I am not against Badal. He has done a lot for us. But I am against his presidential candidate. Makkar misbehaved with us during a protest against the government in October last year. He directed the management of a gurdwara in Sector 11 in Chandigarh not to give us even water,’’ alleged Surinder Singh, after filing his papers. He said Makkar had helped his associates and relatives but had done nothing for the riot victims. ‘‘He played games with us. We want to teach him a lesson,’’ he said. Surinder Singh, who does menial jobs to make both ends meet and faces threat to his life (the state government has provided him with guards), claimed he enjoyed the support of 10,000 riot victims residing in Dugri area that fell in the constituency.
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SAD, Cong ready for show of strength at Rakhar Punia fair
Amritsar, August 11 Youth Akali Dal chief Bikramjit Singh Majithia, who is putting in great effort for the SAD rally, stated that “theirs would be a massive show of strength”. “Our pandal is almost double the size than that of the Congress and we are expecting a minimum turnout of anywhere between 70,000 and 80,000. Our supporters will come from only Amritsar district while the Congress is mobilising support from three districts,” he said. According to him, they would expose the “true face of the Congress” before the people and tell them as to how it “has tried to finish off Punjab, religiously, socially and politically”. “The Congress may have changed its strategy but its designs are the same. It is now indirectly trying to break the SGPC and weaken Sikhs through people like Paramjit Singh Sarna and Ravi Inder Singh,” he added. Former Congress MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa, who is playing a key role in organising the Congress rally, said they have put up a water-proof pandal spread over an area of 17 acres, including parking, and they expect around 1 lakh people to attend their meeting at Baba Bakala. “We have also made proper arrangements for langar and drinking water for the public,” he added. Regarding the issues, he said: “We will hit out at the ruling SAD-BJP combine on law and order situation and corruption at every level in their regime, besides alleged misuse of official machinery and resorting to muscle power and drugs in the SGPC elections.”
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Cong lacks conviction to fight graft: Gadkari
Fazilka, August 11 Gadkari did not spare Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too saying “he was in a permanent silent mode as his control was in the hands of Sonia, due to which he did not initiate action against the corrupt”. “The name of the Congress should have been ‘Lakshmi Darshan Party’ as the UPA government is looting the wealth of the country and no one is concerned about the miseries of the farmers, poor persons and terrorism in the country,” he said. Notably, Fazilka is now a full-fledged revenue district while earlier it was part of Ferozepur district. Granting district status to Fazilka, said he, was a “historical decision”, which would propel development in the district. Not only Gadkari, almost all the speakers at the rally lashed out at the Congress over “rampant corruption and scams” that took place under the UPA government. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said Fazilka had come into existence 167 years ago when 32 acres of land had been purchased from one Fazal Khan Battu for setting up a town here. So the town was named after Fazal Khan. He also criticised the Congress for allegedly interfering in the SGPC elections. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal listed the achievements of the SAD-BJP government and condemned the previous Congress regimes on account of corruption and other fronts. Punjab BJP affairs in-charge Shanta Kumar termed the Congress as the “mother of corruption”. He asked the people not to allow the Congress to continue in power as its policies were “anti-people”. Fazilka MLA and Transport Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani, Cabinet Minister Tikshan Sud, MP Sher Singh Ghubhaya, former minister Manoranjan Kalia, Punjab BJP election in-charge JP Nadda, BJP state president Ashwani Sharma and MP Avinash Rai Khanna were also present on the occasion.
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Change norms for state's share in central taxes, says Badal
Chandigarh, August 11 The state government has asserted that the Gadgil formula adopted by the Centre was "biased" against the developed states because significant weightage was given to those poor and backward. The developed states like Punjab, which first spend huge money on creating infrastructure such as road network, total electrification and were now spending major chunk of money on its maintenance, should be given fiscal assistance from the central revenue under some special category, it has demanded.
Revealing that Punjab's share in central taxes had gone down from 2.45 per cent to 1.389 per cent during the last 25 years, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in the matter. In a letter addressed to the PM, Badal stated that under the performance section of the formula, 7.5 per cent weightage should be given to the contribution of the states towards the national pool of foodgrain. Making another plea, Badal urged the PM that states like Punjab having large proportion of SC and ST population should be helped to address issues related to the development of underprivileged sections of the society. Seeking to divide the population factor in the formula in two parts, Badal suggested making 40 per cent allocation on the basis of total population and 20 per cent on the basis of SC and ST population from the central taxes. Drawing the attention of the PM towards the decline in the percentage of central plan assistance, the state government said that it had been happening because the Centre had allocated major share to the additional central assistance, for the allocation of which it uses its discretion. The normal central assistance should constitute at least 70 per cent of the total central plan assistance to a state. Now, the normal central assistance is only 30 per cent of the total central plan assistance. Badal has urged the PM to bring the issue of proposed changes in the formula at the next meeting of the National Development Council for implementation during the 12th five year plan.
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Ticket race: Patiala leaders take to billboards to woo party bosses
Patiala, August 11 In the process, aspirants for tickets have defaced every nook and corner of Patiala by putting up illegal hoardings of political personalities. These hoardings are also causing a financial loss to the Patiala Municipal Corporation as they have been put up without paying mandatory fee to the civic body. The TNS team toured the different city areas and busy roads, including the Bus Stand road, Fountain Chowk, Leela Bhawan, Mall Road, Lower Mall, Bhupindra road, Chhoti Baradari, Passey road, Sirhind road, Rajpura road and the railway station. Numerous political hoardings were spotted at these spots. Hoardings put up by Akali leaders have messages thanking the party leadership for appointing Bikramjit Singh Majthia as president of the Youth Akali Dal. Likewise, hoardings put up by Congress leaders too carry a message thanking the leadership for inducting leaders from Patiala into different organisational committees. “This is just to appease the party leadership in order to brighten the prospects for getting a party ticket to contest the Punjab Assembly elections”, according to municipal councillors of different political parties, on the condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, the residents are clueless as to why the local civic functionaries have not removed the hoardings so far. “Since the Patiala MC authorities have failed to act against violators, it clearly reflects that they are deliberately not removing the hoardings under pressure from various political quarters”, rued Rohit Sharma and Jaskaran Singh, both residents of Chhoti Baradari. When contacted, Patiala Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli said, “We will not allow anyone to deface the city. Cutting across party lines, I appeal to all political leaders not to spoil the aesthetic look of the city by putting up illegal hoardings. The Patiala civic body will not spare anyone violating the prescribed norms.” He gave the assurance that in the next 24 hours, the civic body would get all illegal hoardings removed.
Hoarding trouble
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NON-DISBURSAL OF ARREARS
Patiala, August 11 While giving information that in pursuance of recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC), on September 4, 2009, the Punjab Government had revised the pay scales of teachers and equivalent cadres in universities and colleges in the state with effect from January 1, 2006, Prof Jaipal told The Tribune, “It was unfortunate that the state government has failed to disburse the arrears of the revised pay scales of teachers and other academic staff of universities, government colleges and government-aided private colleges of the state.” Prof Jaipal further said on account of the inordinate delay on the part of the Union Government in releasing the Centre’s share of 80 per cent of the funds to states, the state governments are not disbursing the payment of arrears to university and college teachers. “To lodge a protest in this regard, the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) has given a call to attend the dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and march to Parliament on August 26. The PGCTA has decided to support the AIFUCTO and, hence, the government college teachers from the state would be participating in the dharna,” he added. Prof Jaipal also announced that on September 5 on the occasion of Teachers Day, the government college teachers from across the state would stage a protest demonstration against the state government in Chandigarh.
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Govt to give Innovas to SSPs
Chandigarh, August 11 The move is aimed at improving efficiency in the movement and functioning of the officers and is a part of the ongoing modernisation drive. The department had earlier purchased 50 Scorpio vehicles for Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) posted at subdivisions. The force needs another 50 vehicles to cover all the subdivisions in the state but the lack of funds is preventing purchase of more vehicles. The force is however keen to give Scorpio Getaways to all SHOs in the state. Police sources said there is a feedback that equipping SHOs with around 200 vehicles has enhanced the morale of the force. The force is in the process of finalising the purchase of 100 more Getaways to cover all the 315 police stations in the state. The traffic police in the Commissionerate cities of Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar are also scheduled to get Hero Honda Karizma motorcycles. The force has given an order for the purchase of 43 bikes and will purchase another 34 in a few months time. The motorcycles have been chosen because they are light and speedy and are expected to be handier for traffic operations than the earlier choice of Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had flagged off 50 Royal Enfield bikes for traffic functions last year. The department is also focusing on overhauling the uniform of the constable and also equipping him with modern gadgets.
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Making rozas memorable for prisoners
Amritsar, August 11 The team of Al Habib Charitable Trust, led by Maulana Habib-ur-Rehman Sani, the Shahi Imam of Ludhiana, offered dry milk, sugar, sewaiyan (vermicilli), besides caps, handkerchiefs, copies of Kuran Sharif to as many as 150 jail inmates, including 30 children and 17 women. Mohammed Mushtkeen, a member of the trust, said that for the last five years they have been extending this gesture during Ramzan to the Muslim jail inmates, a majority of whom are from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Burma, lodged in various Punjab jails. “This time, at least 600 Muslim inmates would be on our itinerary during the 30-day Ramzan month that will be ending on August 30. At least 85 per cent of jail inmates are foreign nationals. Amritsar has the maximum number of prisoners in the lock-up. Besides distributing eatables to all, we give hijab (Islamic dress) to women and biscuits and chocolates to the children. We distribute fresh fruits among all inmates every evening during this month”, he said. Besides Amritsar, the trust has already visited inmates at Jalandhar (40) Gurdaspur (30), Ferozepore (20), Bathinda (10), Malerkotla (70) and juvenile homes in Ropar (10) and Hoshiarpur (10). “We would be visiting inmates at Patiala (50), Nabha (40) and Sangrur (24) next”, he said. To explain the reason for this gesture, Mushtkeen says that a few years ago he had to spend a few days behind bars after being booked in a dispute. It was then that he realised the apathy faced by Muslim jail inmates who had no one to show them affection during the Ramzaan month. As he puts it: “It was this missing that helped me to conceptualise the idea to do something for them. That’s how an emotional bond came into being. They might be put behind the bars for their misdeed but they too have emotions and it has also been inscribed in holy Kuran to help the helpless, so why should we discriminate against them?”
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‘Selling’ youths lucrative trade in Iraq: Victims
Jalandhar, August 11 “Selling youths from India and other south Asian countries is a lucrative business in Iraq. Agents in India have numerous conduits in Iraq who sell the unsuspecting youths to sub-agents, who in turn sell them to owners of big agricultural farms and private construction companies,” he said. “We first landed at Dubai and after a few days’ stay there, a conduit took us to Iraq. There, a woman agent purchased us and further sold us to a contractor for 600 US dollars,” he said. The exploitation does not end here. Those who want to return home have to go through the vicious circle again. Money is charged at every stage, he said. Another youth Kamwaljit Singh of Khurlapur village near Mehatpur said: “ As Iraqi agents demand money for helping the youths to return home, most remain stranded there. Their families back home are unable to pay money for their release.”As the trapped youths belonged to poor families, there was “dim hope of any contractor letting them off,” he
said.
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UT orders probe into role of travel agents
Chandigarh, August 11 “ The antecedents of all the three travel agencies operating in city will be verified. We will verify if they are registered with the Labour Ministry and if they are legally entitled to send skilled labour to foreign countries.,” the SSP said . JM Overseas, has been operating from Sector 41 since 2005. Jay Prakash, director of agency, denied his company’s involvement in sending youths abroad fraudulently. He said it was a year ago that one of their clients was sent to Iraq and he was “ well-settled there.
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Screening of ‘Aarakshan’ banned
Chandigarh, August 11 The government has constituted a seven-member committee consisting of Samir Kumar, Secretary, Home, Raj Kumar Atihai, Chairman, Safai Karamchari Board, Punjab, Vijay Danav, Chairman, Scheduled Caste Welfare Board, Punjab, a member of the Punjab Scheduled Caste Commission, VK Bhawra, IG, Intelligence, and the VCs of Patiala’s Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar to view the movie and take a decision. The Chamar Mahan Sabha said in a statement that the film must be allowed to be released countrywide. Sabha’s president PS Kainth said Jha was known for his commitment to social causes and his ability to handle sensitive issues “to bare the truth before the public.”
— TNS
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Ashok Nayar is Director, ESI Corp
Ludhiana, August 11 Stating this, Health and Family Welfare Minister Satpal Gosain said: “We have replaced Ashok Nayar from the post of Director, Health Services, as there were allegations against him that he had misbehaved with employees of the Health Department at Jalandhar and Chandigarh.” Nayar denied the allegations levelled against him saying, “I think I was on the right track and did nothing wrong.” When asked as if he thinks that the Health Minister had not done justice to him, he said: “I am an employee of the Health Dept and serving the department. The Health Minister is our guide.” It was on July 31 when some employees of Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, alleged “misbehaviour” by Nayar, following which there were protests across the state. On August 1, the minister asked him either to go on a long leave of three months or get suspended.
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Judge for contempt proceedings against DBA chief
Ludhiana, August 11 Sources in the judiciary stated that the Judge has written that the DBA president had shown utter disregard to the court and made an attempt to lower its dignity. The controversy erupted when the DBA president was seeking adjournment in a case titled Guru Nanak Education Trust versus Jagat Singh, which was fixed for rebuttal and arguments. Meanwhile, the DBA president accompanied by its supporters staged a dharna outside the court of Sessions Judge S P Bangarh. Several lawyers raised slogans expressing solidarity with the legal fraternity and showing annoyance over the incident. They alleged that the Judge misbehaved with their president, which was not tolerable. Mittal said that initiating of contempt proceedings was an act of "oppression" but he will not bow under any pressure. Staging of the dharna outside the Sessions Court has divided the executive body of the DBA. The Vice President J S Miglani and Secretary Gurkirpal Singh Virk stated that in the executive body meeting held today in the morning, it was decided to observe a strike peacefully. It was also decided not to stage a dharna outside the Sessions Court. Despite this, the DBA president sat on dharna there. Sessions Judge Bangarh said, “I have brought the entire episode in writing to the HighCourt and now it was up to the High Court to decide as to what action is required to be taken”. Former Bar Council Chairman B K Goel, Naginder Gora, Narinder Adya, Sanjiv Malhotra, Sham Sunder Ahuja, Rakesh Sharda, Rajesh Rai, G S Sekhon, Ankur Ghai adressed the lawyers sitting on dharna.
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HC asks Sessions Judge to keep tabs on lawyers
Chandigarh, August 11 The Sessions Judge was also asked to take up the matter with the police in future to ensure peace and security. Taking a tough stand, Justice Chauhan asserted: “The District and Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, is directed to keep a strict vigil on the lawyers involved in this unsavoury incident and should take up the matter in future with the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, for ensuring maintenance of peace and security in the court premises of the Judicial Court Complex, Ludhiana. The Court on July 11 had taken suo motu cognisance of a communication dated May 6 received from the Ludhiana District and Sessions Judge. It was stated that a civil suit - Mandeep Singh and others versus president of the Ludhiana District Bar Association - was filed in the court of a civil judge regarding lawyers’ chambers in the precincts of the district courts. On May 6, an application was moved by Gagandeep Singh in the case. “While he was coming out of the court, advocates Harish Narang and Davinder Saini threatened him not to do so. Thereafter, while he was on the way to report the matter to the District and Sessions Judge, Ludhiana, he was attacked by the advocates in front of the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate,” Justice Chauhan observed, while referring to the circumstances leading to the suo motu notice. Justice Chauhan added since the matter was prima facie serious, Haryana Deputy Advocate-General Ajay Gulati was appointed amicus curiae to assist the court. Gulati asserted transfer of the civil suit solely on the basis of the facts disclosed in Sessions Judge’s report would set a wrong precedent. “It would not only undermine the district police administration, but also seriously reflect on the judicial administration”. Dismissing the plea to transfer the matter, Justice Chauhan concluded keeping in view the compromise arrived at between the feuding parties, no further action is required but the Sessions Judge is directed to keep tabs.
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High Court approves promotion of ETOs
Chandigarh, August 11 Issuing notice of motion on July 26, Justice Ritu Bahri had directed that the result of the interview of Excise and Taxation Officers and AETCs be kept in sealed cover. An “urgent” application was subsequently moved by the State of Punjab seeking permission to declare the result of departmental promotion committee regarding the promotions of ETOs and AETCs. The State had contended that the result could be subject to the decision of the writ petition. Appearing on behalf of the State in the petition filed by Sudesh Vikas and other petitioners against the State and other respondents, Additional Advocate-General MC Berry asserted that the posts of Assistant Excise and Taxation Officers were lying vacant and there was a loss of state revenue in their absence. After hearing the arguments, the High Court vacated the stay and made it clear that the Government may make promotions of Excise and Taxation Officers to AETCs on the basis of the meeting of the
DPC.
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Excise team attacked by smugglers; 20 booked
Patiala, August 11
While the police has registered a case yesterday following a complaint by the Excise Department they are yet to identify and arrest the accused. According to the Police Department, the mobile wing of the Excise Department had laid a naka and stopped a truck loaded with iron scrap. After the team found that the truck driver had no bills with him, they booked him under the VAT Act, 2005, and confiscated the truck which was being escorted to the excise headquarters in Patiala. “However some 20 men in a car and motorcycles armed with rods and sticks attacked the team and escaped with the truck,” reads the complaint submitted to the Sadar police station. While the accused allegedly hit the official vehicle of the excise team with an intention to kill them, the city police did not book them for attempt to murder. In the recent past, numerous excise officers and policemen have been attacked and chased by armed smugglers.
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4 booked for removing organs
Patiala, August 11 The police said it appears a case of possible black magic performed on the body. They were yet to make any arrests in the case so far which was registered yesterday. As per information provided by investigating officer Baldev Singh, the family members of Nagar Singh left for their homes after lighting the pyre of the deceased on July 30. “On July 31, when they returned to the cremation ground for the last rites, they found some parts of the skull missing in the ashes and reported the matter to the police,” he said. Later during investigations, the police found that villagers had allegedly seen Gurmeet Singh, Jagdish Singh, Mewa Singh and Balkar Singh roaming in the village during midnight the same day. “Their movements were suspicious as they had gone to the cremation ground with an oil lamp in their hands and had returned with something carried on their heads,” said Baldev, adding that the accused would be arrested soon. The police said prima facie it appears that the accused had resorted to black magic of some sort, but more could be said only after the accused are arrested and questioned. A case under Sections 297, 298 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against the accused.
— TNS
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