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Capt vows to wean away youth from drugs
Advani: It’s a battle for the common man
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SAD (A) activists rounded up
Commuters harassed
Congress leader of Sangur murdered
Congress leader Arvind Khanna consoles the mother of the victim ( inset) Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar
Khaira seeks apology from govt
Leaders discard propriety
EC issues guidelines on proxy voting
Student stabbed during clash with bus operators
Bath appeals to NRIs to invest in state
Mittal to be appointed vice-president of SAD
30-year fight for 3 marks
Punjabi University to conduct research on wetlands
Jor Mela: DC issues guidelines
Govt staff to step up agitation
Painting contest held
HC directs monitoring of Budha Nullah
Approval for multiplex quashed
No PTU appointments without court’s approval
Rs 7 lakh snatched from bank employees
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Capt vows to wean away youth from drugs
Moga, November 14
Scoffing at CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal, the Congress leader said they had no development agenda. “Facing an uncertain future, lakhs of youths have taken to drugs, which is an alarming signal for the state”, he said. Accusing the ruling coalition of doing little to check the drug mafia, he said: “After coming to power, I will take stern action against drug traffickers.” Capt Amarinder said the Akalis had “sold police stations and revenue offices to local jathedars who were forcing the police and revenue authorities to make money.” Local MLAs Darshan Singh Brar, Ajit Singh Shant, Joginder Singh Panjgraian, president of Punjab Mahila Congress Dr Malti Thapar, senior party leaders Surinder Singla, Arvind Khanna, district president Jagdarshan Kaur, former MLA Vijay Sathi, youth leaders Dr Harjot Kamal and Gursharanveer Singh Paggy were present at the rally. Senior party leader Jagmeet Singh Brar, CLP Leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and local MLA Joginder Pal Jain were not at the rally. Brar was said to be in Goa and Bhattal was in Delhi on some personal work while Jain was at Mehraj (Bathinda) to monitor preparations for the party rally. ‘Sukhbir pursuing Goebbels’ propoganda’ Chandigarh: PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh today said Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was resorting to ‘Goebbelsian propaganda’ by repeating lies a hundred times so that these sounded like the truth. Condemning Sukhbir’s unsubstantiated allegations on Swiss bank accounts, he asked him to come out with facts and figures. — TNS SAD leader joins congress Bathinda: A former SAD MLA, Gora Singh Tungwali, today joined the Congress during a rally here. Gora Singh described the coalition as a "corrupt" government and hoped that the rights of the common people would be restored if the Congress returned to power in the state. He was a SAD MLA between 2002 and 2007.— TNS
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Advani: It’s a battle for the common man
Jalandhar, November 14 Advani addressed rallies at Pathankot and Chowgitti bypass after his Jan Chetna Yatra arrived here today. “The Prime Minister has added to the woes of the common man by stating that inflation was caused due to the rising prosperity of the people of the country. The BJP will force the PM and Sonia Gandhi to explain the rising inflation, corruption and the huge black money stashed by Indians in foreign banks,” Advani said. “It is unfortunate that the issue of black money has not been discussed in detail in Parliament so far despite the fact that a couple of countries have revealed the names of Indians having money in their banks. The names of three Indian MPs also figured among them,” said Advani, claiming that he knew the names of those MPs. “The financial position of India will undergo a sea change in case the money was brought back and utilised in development here," said
Advani.
SAD (A) activists rounded up
Amritsar, November 14 SAD (A) activists gathered at Dharam Singh Market and raised slogans against Advani and the BJP. The police detained some of them. However, two activists who managed to get close to the stage were bundled into a police vehicle parked close by. At several places in the city, banned terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa had pasted posters against Advani’s visit. Addressing the rally, Advani said his party MPs would put pressure on the UPA Government to reveal names of leaders with banbk accounts in other countries. He said the Centre had done little to retrieve the black money from these banks. Without naming the Prime Minister, Advani said earlier PMs had set an example by giving up their seat on issues of public interest.
Commuters harassed
Jalandhar, November 14 Since all rally sites including those at Phillaur, Goraya, Phagwara, Jalandhar and Kartarpur were either on the highway or just nearby, it tool a heavy toll on the traffic. Very few vehicles were allowed to use the highway with most of the motorists diverted to other routes. The situation was the worst near Kartarpur where the traffic was blocked for over two hours between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. Hundreds of vehicles were seen lined up near the Amritsar bypass.
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Badal opposes bailout for Kingfisher Lambi (Muktsar), November 14 Speaking at various Sangat Darshan programmes in Lambi constituency today, he said it was unfortunate that the government which had assumed power in the name of the common man was doing nothing for the latter's welfare. Instead it was mulling a largesse to private companies (Kingfisher), at the cost of the poor. He said there was no case for a government bailout of Kingfisher and such a step should be opposed. "It's surprising that the government is worried about the prospects of Kingfisher Airlines but is indifferent to the woes of the common man on account of the soaring prices of essential commodities", the CM said.
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Congress leader of Sangur murdered
Patiala, November 14 Amarinder Singh, alias Riki Dullet (33), was shot dead at his ancestral property in Sangrur late last night following an altercation with Sukhwinder and Sultan Singh. Dullet, a Congress leader from Sangrur, was close to Capt Amarinder Singh’s confidant Arvind Khanna. Charging the police with being hand in glove with the accused, Dullet’s mother Upinderjit Kaur alleged that Sangrur DSP Kuldeep Sharma, additional SHO, Sangrur city, Surinder Bhalla and a SAD worker closely associated with a Cabinet Minister, had connived to eliminate her son. “Last night at about 11 pm, Sultan Singh and Sukwinder Singh turned up at our property and started firing indiscriminately. My son fired a couple of rounds in self-defence. He was first shot at and then mercilessly stabbed to death”, Upinderjit said. She also alleged that despite her statement, the police was initially reluctant to initiate action against the “killers” who were influential persons. Senior Congress leader Arvind Khanna, who hails from Sangrur, visited the family of the deceased. Speaking to mediapersons, he criticised the police functioning and lambasted the ruling SAD-BJP government for the “deteriorating” law and order
situation. “If the police fails to arrest the accused in 24 hours, we will begin a dharna in front of the police station”, he warned. SSP, Sangrur, HS Bhullar said that they had formed a special investigating team (SIT) under the SP (Detective) to probe the crime and submit a report “Acting on the allegations by the victim’s mother, we have added the names of the DSP (Detective), Sangrur, Kuldeep Sharma, additional SHO, Sangrur city, Surinder Bhalla, and a Shiromani Akali Dal worker close to Cabinet Minister Amanvir Singh Cherry in the FIR,” claimed Bhullar. “However their names have been added under Section 120-B,” Bhullar added. Meanwhile Sukhwinder Singh and Sultan Singh named in the FIR have been admitted to hospital with gunshot injuries.
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Khaira seeks apology from govt
Jalandhar, November 14 “The conspiracy was hatched on the instructions of Sukhbir Badal, who picked up one of his blue-eyed police officers, Rajpura SP Manmohan Sharma, to defame me. For this purpose, a TV channel was grossly misused. Former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur was also a party to the conspiracy ,” said Khaira. He asserted he would file a criminal complaint against five persons under Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC for defaming him. “The SSP Patiala has issued a clean chit to me. Similarly, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
has stated that it was a case of mistaken identity. This is not enough to make up for the mental agony I have gone through,”
said Khaira. “If the apology is not tendered within 24 hours, I will be left with no option but to file a criminal complaint,” Khaira added.
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Leaders discard propriety
Chandigarh, November 14 Senior leaders have been publicly called “alcoholic”, “retarded”, “Insane” etc. The media too seems to be playing into the hands of political parties, reporting statements “verbatim”, without restraint. The parties have kickstarted their campaigns for the elections scheduled for February 2012. Even as the Congress is holding the Punjab Bachao Yatra, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are on an inauguration spree. The SAD and the Congress are in a bitter verbal duel. Taking a cue from the political leadership in the state, other leaders have begun to bad-mouth about their opponents too. The SGPC president, Avtar Singh Makkar, has called PCC president Amarinder Singh a “madcap”. Youth Akali Dal president Bikram Singh Majithia has demanded that a breath analyser test be conducted on Amarinder each time he gets off the dais as his speeches and conduct resembled that of an “alcoholic”. The Congress has retaliated, calling the Badals “liars” and “thieves” who were involved in the “theft of SGPC funds”. Similarly the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal has suggested that the Chief Minister be renamed the “chief traitor”. Besides personal comments, the politicians have begun a blame game with Amarinder accusing the Badals of “looting” the SGPC funds and Deputy CM Sukhbir alleging that Amarinder had Rs 400 crore stashed in a Swiss Bank. The SAD has been calling the Congress leaders as “anti-Punjab”, accusing them of thwarting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Punjab. Manpreet had accused the CM of betraying Punjab’s interest by agreeing to the construction of the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal by accepting money from Haryana. It was earlier felt that the elections would be fought on the issue of development. It now appears that the elections will be a bitter, malicious campaign against political
opponents.
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EC issues guidelines on proxy voting
Chandigarh November 14 By virtue of provisions under the RP Act, 1950, a member of the armed forces and his wife, if residing with him, can be registered as service voters in the last part of the electoral of the constituency in which his native place is located. She said members of the armed forces registered as service voters could vote either by postal ballot or by proxy. A service voter, who opts to vote through proxy, is required to appoint a person who is resident of the area covered by the constituency, where he/she is registered as service elector, as his proxy. She clarified that the proxy should be of at least 18 years of age and should not be disqualified for registration as an elector, but need not be a registered voter. The appointment is to be made in Form 13F. An appointment for a proxy, once made, will be valid for all future elections so long as the person making the appointment continues to be a service voter or till the appointment is revoked by the service voter or the proxy dies. Giving the details of appointing proxy, she said the service voter, who was in field, had the option to put his signature on Form 13F before the commanding officer of the unit and then send the form to his proxy for affixing his/her signature before notary/first class magistrate. Thereafter, the proxy can submit the form to the returning officer concerned. She said when the service voter was in his native place he along with his proxy could both sign the form before notary/first class magistrate. Giving the procedure of revocation of proxy, she added that the service voter had the option to revoke the appointment at any time and appoint a new proxy on the death of earlier proxy or for other reasons. Such revocation of the appointment is to be done in Form 13G. The process n Members of the armed forces can vote either by postal ballot or by proxy n
A service voter is required to appoint a person who is resident of the area covered by the constituency, where he/she is registered as service elector, as his proxy n
The proxy should be at least 18 and should not be disqualified for registration as an elector, but need not be a registered voter n
The appointment as proxy voter is to be made through Form 13F
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Student stabbed during clash with bus operators
Lambi (Muktsar), November 14 A large number of residents blocked the national highway on the Malout-Lambi road for over three hours, demanding the arrest of the bus driver, conductor and other employees of the transport company that is owned by an Akali leader of Lambi. The incident occurred in the morning when 20-year-old college student Sumandeep Singh boarded the bus for Bathinda. He entered into an argument with the bus conductor who demanded that he paid for the ticket. ” Sumandeep was brutally beaten up in the presence of passengers”, said another student in the bus. “During the brawl, my son was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon, leaving him seriously injured”, alleged Iqbal Singh, the victim’s father. While the bus operators fled after the incident, local residents assembled at the site and blocked the highway, demanding that the culprits be arrested. After three hours, SHO Gurpreet Singh Bains reached the spot and assured the protesters that the suspects would be arrested at the earliest. When the incident occurred, most of the police force was deployed for various Sangat Darshan functions of CM Parkash Singh Badal in Lambi. The CM today held Sangat Darshan programmes at Panniwala Fatta, Mauhala, Ratta Tibba, Karampatti, Raniwala, Middha, Aspal, Sarawan Bodla and Kabarwala villages. Clashes between private bus operators and students are common in this area. While the students have bus passes, most private bus operators refuse to recognise these. The students are not allowed a seat in private buses as bus employees say these are only for those paying the full charge, allege students. "We are not against students, but when they come in groups, we are forced to restrict their entry," explained Karam Singh, a private bus operator.
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Bath appeals to NRIs to invest in state
Chandigarh, November 14 He said the state was laying special emphasis on education and health services. Major steps had been taken to streamline the education system. Apart from upgrading the school education structure, Punjab had set up four new universities. He said the state had declared the hospitality sector as an industry as it had a tremendous potential for tourism. He said to check harassment of the common man as well as the NRIs, the state had set into motion governance reforms. “This will not only speed up the delivery system but will also considerably reduce harassment that the common man has to face at government offices,” he added.
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Mittal to be appointed vice-president of SAD
Chandigarh, November 14 The SAD is considered to be a Sikh party with a rural base. The party has been putting up Hindu candidates in the urban constituencies. Harish Rai Dhanda was given the party ticket from Ludhiana (West). Other Hindus who made it to the 13th Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the SAD ticket include Avinash Chander from Kartarpur, Mohan Lal from Banga, Nand Lal from Balachaur and Desh Raj Dhugga from Gardhiwala. This time too among the frontrunners for the SAD ticket are NK Sharma from Mohali, unless Sukhbir chooses to contest from here. This time more than 12 Hindus are expected to be allotted the SAD ticket.
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30-year fight for 3 marks
New Delhi, November 14 Prem Parkash Pahwa had been fighting for the three marks by virtue of holding a ‘post-graduate diploma’ recognised by the Academic Council of Panjab University. Pahwa had joined the bank in 1973 as a stenographer and passed his graduation the same year from Panjab University. He obtained the PG diploma in 1979 and appeared for an exam conducted by the bank for the officer’s grade. The bank granted him three additional marks for the diploma, but he could not clear the exam for promotion. He again appeared for a exam in January 1982, but was denied the three marks, and he decided to seek a legal remedy.
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Punjabi University to conduct research on wetlands
Patiala, November 14 Punjab is bestowed with three internationally important wetlands i.e. Harike, Ropar and Kanjli wetlands and two national wetlands i.e. Ranjit Sagar and Nangal wetland. Wetlands are very important ecosystems that consist of valuable plants and animals, helps in ground water recharging, protects from floods during rainy season, sediment retention, water purification and provide habitat for a diverse number of threatened plants and animals, attract lakhs of migratory birds every year during the winter season. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Onkar said: “Wetlands now a days are losing its vigour due to pollution from various industries and agricultural fields, loss of habitat, reclamation of wetland areas for agricultural as well as developmental purposes, deforestation, illegal poaching of threatened animals, introduction of exotic species and diversion of wetland water for irrigation purposes. Many natural wetlands in Punjab are completely reclaimed for agricultural purposes. There is a lack of awareness among the general masses about the important functions of wetlands. There is a dire need to initiate conservation activities for wetlands. This research project is step in this direction," he added. He further said Ranjit Sagar wetland was new to any research. "No research data is available on this wetland right from its inception. So it is a privilege for the Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, to take up research activities on this wetland. The efforts of generation of data during the course of study would be very helpful to designate this wetland as Ramsar Site," added Dr
Onkar.
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Jor Mela: DC issues guidelines
Fatehgarh Sahib, Nov 14 According to the Deputy Commissioner:There would be a complete ban on plying of swings, circus, skill games, amusement games, gambling stalls and sale of intoxicants. Shops of meat, fish and other non-vegetarian stalls, have been strictly banned around the 3 km of the gurdwara. There would be no sale of liquor and wine shops would remain closed during the event. Also, to control the crowd, shops, stalls, conference or community kitchens would not be allowed on both sides of the roads from gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib and towards Roza Sharif. The carrying of weapons, playing of loudspeakers has been banned even on langar stalls. Special parking sites have been earmarked and to control the flow of traffic.
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Govt staff to step up agitation
Chandigarh, November 14 Employee leader Gurmail Singh Sidhu said the government had discriminated against government employees while granting them a pay increment of 3 per cent after the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission even though the yearly increment had been fixed at 4 per cent earlier. Sidhu said discrimination had also been meted out to government personnel vis a vis officers as far as pay fixation was concerned. He said this anomaly should be removed immediately. The union leader said fixed allowances of employees had also not been increased even though this was part of the SAD-BJP manifesto. He said the government had been promising to implement the genuine demands of the employees since months now and endless meetings had been held to present issues, including unjust implementation of the assured career advancement scheme. Sidhu said the meetings had not yielded any result and now the employees would launch a direct action to make the government see reason.
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Painting contest held
Chandigarh, November 14 A.B. Agrawal, Chairman, BBMB, was the Chief Guest. While addressing the audience he said that children by the way of participating in this competition have become the part of National Awareness campaign to promote energy conservation in the country started by Union Ministry of Power. Cash prizes of Rs 10,000, Rs 8000 and Rs 5,000 were given to winners. Dhanvi Nair, Mount Carmel School, Lavish Neoliya of Government Model High School, Sector 28-D, and Srishti Joshi Of Strawberry Fields World School, Sector 26, won the first, second and third prizes, respectively.
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Docsfed against increase in retirement age Patiala, November 14 "During a meeting of some select retired doctors two weeks back, the state government functionaries have assured them that retirement age of PCMS doctors will be increased from 58 to 60 years and the medical teachers from 60 to 62. Any further increase in retirement age would be detrimental for the prospects of the young unemployed doctors aspiring to opt for medical teaching", said Docsfed president Dr. D.C.Sharma. He further said that there is reliable information that in order to accommodate some "select PCMS doctors", who are on the verge of retirement, there is a move in at the government level to increase the retirement age of the PCMS doctors by two years. Dr. Sharma said that already about one thousand specialist doctors in the state, aspiring to join the medical colleges in the Punjab as teachers, are waiting. "The increase in the retirement age would be extremely bad for the young unemployed professionals. Hence, we would strongly oppose any further increase in the retirement age", he said. On the condition of anonymity, some senior officers in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, said that with elections in the state round the corner, some of the senior faculty members of the state medical colleges, have been trying to manipulate things, just to ensure that young medical teachers are not inducted into the Government Medical Colleges. "Besides adversely affecting the career of young doctors, who will lose job opportunities of Government service, any increase in retirement age will also burden the state exchequer. On the verge of retirement, the PCMS doctor gets salary of about Rs 1.50 lakh per month. Since, the retired doctors gets pension of about Rs 61000 per month, which is about Rs 90000 less than what the salary is - the increase in the retirement age is bound to increase financial burden on the government", said many retired PCMS doctors.
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HC directs monitoring of Budha Nullah
Chandigarh, November 14 The Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia asserted: “We dispose of these five writ petitions by directing that the high-powered committee, already constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, concerning Budha Nullah shall continue to meet periodically and shall also monitor actively, protection and preservation of Budha Nullah, its environment and ecology and that of Ludhiana city. “To ensure probity and transparency in the affairs of the committee, we direct it to publish the action taken report quarterly so that in case any citizen or a well-meaning group is aggrieved, he can again approach this Court for the redressal of the grievance. “We do hope and expect that in the light of what has been noticed in this judgment and the observations made, the above committee shall perform its part and achieve desired results”. In a detailed judgment, the Bench asserted: “The committee of the Chief Secretary has taken note of the suggestions and necessity of initiating immediate preventive and future remedial measures. “We are also aware that it is not a part of our job to run the day-today affairs of the state. Neither do we have the necessary expertise nor specialisation, nor are we even aware of the constraints of the state government and its resource limitation. “We have no reason to doubt that the State Government spends each penny wisely and that too, to take care of the immediate concerns of the citizens. Thus, it is not for us to say in what particular manner and as to how the State should tackle the problem which has been caused due to neglect of Budha Nullah…. “We shall refrain from giving our advisory opinion while exercising jurisdiction in a public interest litigation. However, we shall expect that the state government, Municipal Corporation, PPCB and the District Administration in consultation, in tandem and in harmony with the CPCB and Ministry of Environment Union of India, shall take all active steps for resolving the problem faced by Budha Nullah and Ludhiana city. News reports The High Court had taken suo-motu cognisance of the news items published in The Tribune on August 28, 2006; August 29, 2006, and August 30, 2006. The Bench observed: “The most prosperous town of the state is on the verge of a huge human tragedy, and thus, the intervention of the court was called for to take immediate and radical remedial measures”.
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Approval for multiplex quashed
Chandigarh, November 14 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 Cantt road in Jalandhar was not permissible, as it was a residential area.
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No PTU appointments without court’s approval
Chandigarh, November 14 Challenging the notification, Jalandhar-based Anti-Corruption Society has asserted that it is in complete violation of the provisions of the Punjab Technical University Act, 1996. Directions were also sought for setting aside all decisions taken by the newly notified 5th Board of Governors in its meeting “including the decision to recommend extension to Dr Rajneesh Arora for appointment as the PTU Vice Chancellor” In the petition filed through counsel Sartej Singh Narula, the Society had also sought directions to the state of Punjab and the PTU to nominate members of the Board of governors in accordance with the provisions of Punjab Technical University Act 1996. Narula asserted: “The PTU is the only university in the country which has more that 27 Assistant Registrars, no other university in the country has employed more than seven Assistant Registrars and that too from candidates having five years mandatory experience as Superintendent or equivalent post”. “In the case of PTU, not only has requisite experience been dropped, indiscriminate appointments have been made to adjust favourites”. The petitioner added that already 400 appointments have been made by Dr Arora within a span of one year. “The endeavour is only to provide political benefit to the powers that be, by making more appointments in the university and has burdened the university in such a manner that it can never survive the burden”. What the petition says n
Jalandhar-based Anti-Corruption Society files petition n
Challenges the newly notified 5th Board of Governors on September 29 n
Says it is in complete violation of the provisions of the PTU Act, 1996 n
Requisite experience ignored, appointments made to adjust favourites
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Highway Robbery
Malout (Muktsar),
November 14 In a complaint lodged with the police, Field Officer Sarabjit Singh alleged that the incident took place when he along with two assistants was going to the Axis Bank to deposit
the amount. Riding in a car, when the bank employees reached near the Powercom office on the national highway, three youths on a bike, their faces covered, intercepted the car and snatched the cash bag at gunpoint.
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Punjab needs to make a new beginning to usher in an era of development by taking a firm stand against corruption, president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Capt Amarinder Singh said at a public rally at Baghapurana today.
Attracting investment in the industrial sector, improving the socio-economic status of the poor and marginal farmers and creating job avenues was a must.
Two police officers, including a DSP, and a Shiromani Akali Dal worker from Sangrur have been booked for the murder of Congress organising secretary Riki Dullet late last night.
Amarinder Singh, alias Riki Dullet (33), was shot dead at his ancestral property in Sangrur late last night following an altercation with Sukhwinder and Sultan Singh.
Dullet, a Congress leader from Sangrur, was close to Capt Amarinder Singh’s confidant Arvind
Khanna.
A student was allegedly stabbed with a sharp-edged weapon during a clash with employees of a private bus near Mahuana village in Lambi area of Muktsar today. The seriously injured student has been referred to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital,
Faridkot. A large number of residents blocked the national highway on the Malout-Lambi road for over three
hours
Attracting investment in the industrial sector, improving the socio-economic status of the poor and marginal farmers and creating job avenues was a must.