The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	PSEB textbook scam Two of three guilty officials still working on same posts Rajmeet Singh Tribune News Service Mohali, November 11 An inquiry conducted by a retired District and Sessions Judge, OP Garg, has held at least three officials in the publication branch of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) responsible for grave anomalies in the publication of textbooks of 48 different subjects, running into lakhs of copies. The officials, Ashok Puri, Assistant Publication Officer (Paper), JS Chunni, Assistant Publication Officer (Allotment) and Om Parkash Soni, Joint Secretary (Publication) have been held responsible for the anomalies. The officials had allegedly released printing paper worth about Rs 6 crore to 26 publishers without taking the required security amount of Rs 1.5 crore. Instead, a security of around Rs 70 lakh was taken from the publishers. The entire paper lot, worth about Rs 17 crore, was yet to be dispatched to the publishers when the anomaly came to light. The publishers had started publishing the books without getting assignment letter from the board. Incidentally, the anomaly surfaced when the then Joint Secretary (Publication) Om Parkash Soni had refused to sign the assignment letters as the publishers had not deposited the security amount and job security. When the irregularity was detected, Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon, Chairman, PSEB, had indicated appropriate action against the officials who were found guilty in the inquiry. It is learnt that two of the officials are still working on the same posts and are in the process of issuing another major order of books to private publishers. The textbooks are being published for the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan Authority and Punjab Welfare Department. In one specific case, a printing press of Jalandhar had to deposit Rs 4 lakh as job security and Rs 50 lakh as paper security but the publication officer of PSEB allowed the publisher to lift the paper and other material by depositing Rs 50,000 as job security and Rs 5 lakh as paper security. Sources said the practice of allowing the publishers to lift the paper without getting adequate security was prevailing in the board for the past few years. The Joint Secretary (Publication), Varinder Kumar, was not available for comments. It may be mentioned that in the previous Rs 65 lakh textbook scam that was detected by the board authorities two years ago, Dr Dhillon, following report of inquiry officer OP Garg, had got a criminal case registered against the board officials concerned who had released payment of lakhs of rupees to two publishers, Bharat Offset Printers, Noida, and SB Printers, Noida, without getting the required number of textbooks of different classes.
	CCTV cameras to ensure transparency at constable recruitment camp Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, November 11 Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure transparency during the physical fitness test for recruiting women constables, currently underway here at ITI Sports Stadium. To ensure transparency, the SSP, Dr Narinder Bhargav, has installed CCTV cameras at all point that would capture the activities such as measurement of height, race, long jump and high jump. Besides, constituting teams headed by SPs and DSPs to monitor the accuracy and transparency in the conduct of various activities, Bhargav himself has been camping in the stadium office to keep a close watch of all the activities. Not only this, the CCTV cameras have also been installed outside the stadium to keep a watch on the activities of unscrupulous elements. Bhargav said to ensure fairness and transparency the candidates are given a chance to appeal if they have any grouse. "The candidates having any complaint with regard to height measurement have been asked to file their appeals by personally appearing at the ITI Sports Stadium at 7 am on November 12," said the SSP. About 4,000 girls, who aspire to join Punjab Police, are participating in the Physical Fitness Test here. Out of the total, as many as 1,654 belong to Sangrur, 765 to SBS Nagar, 597 to Ropar and 465 to Mohali district. They are competing for 400 vacancies in these districts.
	SSA teachers demand pay on par with regular staff Gagan K. Teja Tribune News Service Patiala, November 11 Infuriated with the Punjab Government for delaying their long-pending demands, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and CSS teachers started a Pol Khol campaign in Patiala yesterday. They distributed thousands of pamphlets in Patiala and nearby villages questioning the Punjab Government as to why they were delaying their long-pending demands. Talking to The Tribune, district vice-president of SSA/RMSA/CSS Teachers Union Vikram Dev Singh said while the Central Government has sanctioned Employees Provident Fund for all employees, the Punjab Government has not sanctioned it for us. Demanding equal pay for equal work, president of the union, Jai Singh said our counterparts have been regularised in few states already and we are also demanding regular jobs. “Moreover, we want that our salaries should be on par with the Education Department teachers because we do the same amount of work as them. The master cadre teachers among us get a salary of Rs 18,000 only and there is no provision of PF and GPF whereas the master cadre teachers in the Education Department get a salary of at least Rs 25,000 along with PF and GPF facility,” he added. He further informed that women employees under the SSA and RMSA face great difficulty as they get maternity leave for three months only and that too without pay. He said, “Since women employees working in the Education Department get six months leave with pay, even these teachers should get the same as discriminating with these employees over this sensitive issue is morally unjust. Moreover, we get only 10-day casual leave and medical leave also can be sought only if we apply in advance. The government must apply the same leave policy on us as other Education Department teachers.”
	HC quashes approval to multiplex Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 11 The ambitious plans of a builder to raise a multiplex and a shopping mall in Jalandhar Cantonment were today razed to the ground, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing the approval granted for its construction. The directions by the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih came on a petition filed in public interest by Defence Colony Residents Society, Jalandhar. In its petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents, the Society had earlier contended that the sanction granted to Radhy Buildwell Private Limited to construct the multiplex and the mall on the Cantonment road in Jalandhar was not permissible, as it was a residential area. After hearing the arguments, the High Court Bench asserted: “By now, it is established and accepted norm of planning and planned development that residence, commercial, institutional and industrial sector/areas should be separately culled out and situated in such a manner that one does not interfere with the other, rather each complimenting the other in a manner which would create an atmosphere conducive to the growth and systematic progress of society, which would be hampered, if action of authority, as in the present case, is approved”.
	Sekhwan launches Right to Education Act Tribune News Service Patiala, November 11 Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan launched the Right to Education Act during a state-level function at Government Senior Secondary School, Tripri, here today. He also announced that students would take oath related to moral values in the morning assembly from tomorrow in every school. This is compulsory not only for government schools but for aided and affiliated school also. Addressing the students, Sekhwan said we don’t want to produce doctors and engineers but good citizens also. To fulfil this purpose, we should provide moral education to all students. He also advised the parents to spend some time with their children and inculcate moral values in them. He also distributed 12 bicycles to girl students from city schools. Meanwhile, infuriated with the Punjab government for delaying their long-pending demands, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and CSS teachers welcomed the Education Minister with black flags at Government Senior Secondary School, Tripri, today. They had also distributed thousands of pamphlets in Patiala and nearby villages questioning the Punjab government as to why they were delaying their long-pending demands.
	Youth commits suicide, four booked Phagwara, November 11 A youth, identified as Rohit, reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Urban Estate locality last night. On the complaint of Mohit, the deceased’s brother, police has booked four persons under Section 306 of the IPC. The accused are neighbourers, including Dharam Pal, his wife, Harbans Kaur, and Rajni and Kaushaliya on the charges of harassing the deceased, which caused abatement to suicide. DSP Sandip Sharma said police has arrested the accused couple Dharam Pal and Harbans Kaur while the other two are at large. DSP said property dispute between the two families was said to be the cause of deep mental stress which forced the deceased to commit suicide. — OC
	They are born ‘lucky’ Parmod Bharti Nawanshahr, November 11 Today being 11/11/11 carries an astro-numerological importance which gave rise to the craze among the expected mothers to give birth on this auspicious day. As many as four babies were born here today-two each at the Civil Hospital and Ashirvaad Hospital. Rekha Rani (20), wife of Rupinderjit of Barwa, and Hardip Kaur (29), wife of Ravi Kumar of Chakli Sujat, gave birth to a female and male baby at around 4.05 am and 5.12 am respectively here at the Civil Hospital. Pinki (32), wife of Davinder of Mahalon, and Paramjit Kaur (21), wife of Amarjit Singh of Chhokeran, gave birth to a male and female baby at 2.26 am and 2.57 pm respectively at the Ashirvaad Hospital here. Dr Balraj Chaudhary said the mothers and infants are healthy.
	Accidents claim two lives Our Correspondents Phillaur, November 11 Jaspal Singh, resident of Phillaur, was run over by a train at the railway station on Thursday. The deceased was going to board a train, but skidded and fell on the rail track and was crushed under the wheels of the same train. Police has sent the body to the local Civil Hospitals for postmortem. In Khangurra village, a woman identified as Gurdip Kaur was killed when a speeding vehicle hit her here on Thursday.