The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	SAD leader joins Cong Ex-MLA Gora Singh Tungwali switches side SP Sharma Tribune News Service Mehraj (Bathinda), November 14 The ruling SAD suffered a setback today when in a surprise development, the party's former MLA Gora Singh Tungwali joined the Congress during a rally here in the presence of the PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh and the general secretary of the AICC Gulchain Singh Charak. Gora Singh described the SAD-BJP combine as a “corrupt” government and hoped that the democratic rights of the common people would be restored when the Congress returns to power in the state. He was MLA of the SAD between 2002 and 2007 and was defeated in the last assembly election. Welcoming him in the Congress, Amarinder said it was good that Gora Singh had now realized that the SAD leadership was indulging in corruption and nepotism. Addressing a large public meeting of three assembly segments in his ancestral village, Amarinder tried to strike a chord with the people by recalling how his ancestors were blessed by Guru Gobind Singh. He said, he always felt at home in Mehraj. “A person may go and settle down anywhere in the world but he can never forget his roots. Even though I live in Patiala but Mehraj keeps beckoning me,” he said in a nostalgic tone to the accompaniment of cheers and applause from the audience. He said that after coming to power, the Congress has plans to undertake several projects for betterment of the farming community and diversification of crops. He stressed upon the need for diversifying towards vegetables and citrus fruit from paddy that was not suitable for cultivation in Punjab as its cultivation has resulted in the decline of the underground water table. Amarinder accused CM Parkash Singh Badal of not taking any steps for the benefit of the farming community and said that the juice bottling plants that were set up in Abohar and Ferozepur during the Congress regime to encourage cultivation of kinnow have been shut down. They have destroyed agriculture, industry and trade and the only thing they have done is victimization of their political opponents. He said that the law and order situation in Punjab was deteriorating as the SAD government has failed to take steps to boost the economy of the state. Punjab has been made "bankrupt" due to the faulty policies of the present government. Addressing the rally, the party in-charge for Punjab, Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak asked the party activists to gear up for the final and decisive battle. He expressed satisfaction over the massive turnout at the rallies and said it was indicative of the mood for change in Punjab. Charak said, the party president Sonia Gandhi and the general secretary Rahul Gandhi were looking forward to Punjab with great expectations. The Congress candidates for the assembly election might be announced by mid-December, he said. Prominent among others present on the occasion included Raninder Singh, MLAs Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Joginderpal Jain, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, Makhan Singh, former minister Surinder Singla, Narender Bhaleria, Rupinder Bindra and Surinderjit Singh Sahni.
	Amarinder hungry for power, says Harsimrat SP Sharma Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 14 Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal today said that the PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh has no right to teach morality to the BJP leader LK Advani on the issue of the Operation Blue Star as he (Amarinder) had himself first quit the Congress to protest against the army operation and later rejoined the party just to satisfy his hunger for power. While inaugurating a 66 kva power sub-station at Bhucho near here, Harismrat accused Amarinder of having committed treachery with the Sikh panth by rejoining the Congress party for the sake of power by ignoring the genocide of Sikhs during the riots in 1984. She wondered that how could a Sikh breathe in a political party that was working day and night to protect those who instigated the riots. She asked Amarinder to explain to the people that how could he attend the meetings of the Congress party which were attended by Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler who were accused of instigating the anti-Sikh riots. Harsimrat said that when she raised the issue in the Parliament on the 26th anniversary of the 1984 riots, the leader of the house gave an assurance to give exemplary punishment to the perpetuators of the crime but the very next day the party made Tytler incharge of the Congress Sewa Dal. She said that the fact is that Amarinder enacted the drama of resigning from the Congress as a part of larger game of his party to divide Panthic Akali Dal so that splinter Akali Dals could be created to divide the Sikhs. She said that Amarinder again exposed his anti-Sikh sentiments when he recently persuaded the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to visit Punjab to inaugurate the Khalsa Heritage complex.
	Doctors’ posts lying vacant for months Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, November 14 While the state government is spending crores on the construction of the new paediatrics and maternity wards on the premises of the Civil Hospital here, the posts of the doctors for these two departments are lying vacant for the last several months. Not only this, there are no doctors available to discharge the duties of the emergency medical officers (EMO) following which the specialists posted here have to double up as EMOs also due to which their own work gets hampered. Besides, the work related to the issuing of medico-legal reports (MLR), allocation of patients to various specialists, conduct of post-mortem and manning the trauma ward to deal with emergency cases is also suffering, which adds to the workload of the specialists available in the hospital. An official in the health department, while pleading anonymity, said, "What is the point in spending huge sums on the new children and maternity wards when the doctors are not available?" Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC) Dr Renu Garg, said an estimated amount of Rs 202.73 lakhs will be spent on the construction of a new maternity and children wards, the foundation stone of which was laid by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on August 14, 2010. "The work on this complex is likely to be completed soon," she said, adding that the centre for the reproductive tract infection (RTI) and sexually transmitted infection (STI) will also be shifted in this new block. When contacted, Dr Rakesh Sikri, Civil Surgeon, said that the post of the gynaecologist was filled up yesterday only, while that of the paediatrician was still lying vacant, which will also be filled up in due course of time, he said. Apart than this, the post of the radiologist was also vacant, he said, adding that the matter has been brought to the notice of the senior officials in the department who have promised to fill the posts of the vacant specialists soon. Sources in the health department said that there was an acute shortage of paramedical and nursing staff also in the hospital.
	Badal opposes bailout plan for Kingfisher Airlines Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Lambi (Muktsar), November 14 Even as a section of the Congress party still appears to be dithering on the PM's comment that the government would consider ways to help the Kingfisher Airlines, the issue has already got a political hue in Punjab with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal opposing the bail-out plan. Speaking at various Sangat Darshan programs in Lambi constituency today, the CM seemed to have diverted his attention from the local issues as he mainly delved into details of the SAD (B) not being in favour of bailing out the beleaguered airlines. Most of the audience at the CM’s Sangat Darshan at Panniwala Fatta, Mauhala, Ratta Tibba, Karampatti, Raniwala, Middha, Aspal, Sarawan Bodla and Kabarwala villages of the Lambi constituency struggled to understand the issue but the CM was seeking to strike a comparison between the Aam Adami' and Kingfisher. Badal said it was unfortunate that the government which had assumed power in the name of the common man was doing nothing for their welfare but was extending largesse to the private companies (Kingfisher), at the cost of the common man. He said the state government was committed to support the anti-graft Yatra of LK Advani and no one would be allowed to disturb the law and order. The CM said the SAD(B)-BJP alliance was against the rampant corruption in the country and would welcome any such yatra against it.
	Rail link yet to become operational CPI launches stir against delay Raj Sadosh Abohar, November 14 Smelling a nexus between the all powerful “road transport lobby” and senior railway officials, the Communist Party of India (CPI) today launched a stir by organising demonstration at the railway station here. Representatives of some NGOs also extended support as an effigy of the railway minister was set on fire amidst shouting of slogans. The organisers said such demonstrations will be held at Fazilka, Jalalabad, Guru Harsahai railway stations besides the divisional office at Ferozepur soon. The protesters blamed transporters for the delaying tactics adopted by the Railways in laying rail lines and construction of small and large over-bridges. A passenger who pays Rs 25 to the transporters will have to pay only Rs eight for traveling by the train from Abohar to Fazilka, they said. The transporters’ lobby has always been in a dominating position and influenced the railway officials also to delay the project. The foundation of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link was laid by the then Railway minister Nitish Kumar in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2004. It took seven years to lay 42 km of track. The last railway overbridge on Abohar-Fazilka road has been completed by the state government after about three years. Even when Mamta Banerjee as railway minister had announced in the budget speech that trains will start running during the year and Bathinda-Abohar-Fazilka passenger train was listed in the July 2011 time table, the general manager of Northern Railway has recently said that the link might become operational after a safety check-up in March next year, Naujwan Sabha state vice-president Sarabjit Singh Banwala regretted. Railway Passenger Welfare Association, vice-president Hanuman Dass Goyal said instead of enlarging the ambit of rail facilities, the authorities had decided to suspend two important express trains for New Delhi and Haridwar on flimsy grounds next month. The Sarai Rohilla-Sriganganagar superfast AC train has not been converted into a daily train so far and the Nanded Sahib-Sriganganagar weekly train remains parked for five days at Sriganganagar. Its rake should have been used to run a train for Amritsar, Goyal said.