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Sukhbir dares Amarinder
Projecting Capt as CM earns displeasure of Cong leadership
Tribune Impact |
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Closure of rehab centre leaves needy in the lurch
Police with the protesters in Mansa on Thursday.
A Tribune photograph
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Sukhbir dares Amarinder
Jalalabad (Fazilka), November 17 Sukhbir, while speaking at a sangat darshan in the village Arniwala, said that Amarinder was facing decimation in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections and as such was crying hoarse and in frustration showering abuses on the political opponents. He said that the SAD-BJP government does not believe in vendetta or negative politics and has concentrated on accelerating development works in the state. Resultantly the development projects initiated by the SAD-BJP
government in the first two years, have started fructifying thereby increasing the frustration of Amarinder. He said that Amarinder during his five years term hardly went to office, what to talk of venturing deep into remote villages. He said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and he himself have been monitoring the progress of every project and ensuring their time bound
completion. Dwelling on the development initiatives and governance reforms of the SAD-BJP government, Sukhbir said that the state government has completed the computerization of land records that could not be achieved during the last 64 years. He said that the Suwidha Kendras, Right to Service Act, Police Sanjh Kendras have made civil servants accountable to the people. Reiterating to bring back every single penny stashed by Captain in Swiss bank accounts, Sukhbir said that Captain despite his repeated pleadings to Prime Minister has failed to get a clean chit from him. He said that bringing back black money from Swiss account would be the first task of the NDA Government. Besides distributing sports kits to 30 villages and a grant of Rs 8 Lakh to each of these villages, Sukhbir distributed cheques worth Rs 6.27 crores for development works of the area. |
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Projecting Capt as CM earns displeasure of Cong leadership
Moga, November 17 This politically sensitive issue went to the ears of the party high command at New Delhi following which this ‘deliberated’ campaign by loyal men of the ‘Maharaja’ has been nipped in the bud amid sharp reactions from within the party. It started from Moga on November 2, this year. The local MLA Joginder Pal Jain projected Amarinder as the coming CM of the state. He reiterated this on November 14 at Mehraj (Bathinda) again and again saying in his speech that Amarinder would take over the reins of the state after the elections. On November 9 at Nadala, the Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa, in the absence of Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, also fired the salvo declaring that the people of Punjab wanted to see Amarinder as the next CM of the state. At Patiala rally on November 11, Lal Singh, the blue-eyed man of the PPCC president joined the Bajwa chorus of declaring Amarinder the next Chief Minister and similar views were expressed by another party MLA Darshan Singh Brar in the absence of Jagmeet Singh Brar, CWC member, and Bhattal also the former CM of the state on November 14 at Baghapurana in the Moga district. Interestingly, the in-charge of the party affairs of the state Gulchain Singh Charak, Bhattal and Brar all have reacted sharply to such campaigns, which projected Amarinder as the CM’s candidate. Talking to The Tribune today, Bhattal said that the CM’s post rested on the central leadership. “It is the high command under the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi that will ultimately decide who will lead the Congress government in Punjab,” she said. She maintained that it could have been some leaders’ personal views but it was certainly not the tradition of the Congress to announce the name of CM before or during the elections. Gulchain Singh Charak has also categorically stated that this issue falls in the domain of Sonia Gandhi who would decide on the name after listening to elected MLAs of the party. He said that it was wrong to make such announcements or express personal views, which could harm the interests of the party. “We need to unite together and strengthen the party to come in power without indulging into such gimmicks that can create confusion in the minds of the people,” Charak said at Baghapurana, a couple of days back. Jagmeet Brar while expressing that the party was united in the state said that the foremost duty of the party leaders and workers was to work together and win the elections. “Let the party high command decide on the name of the CM once we come to power,” he added. On November 13, the All-India Congress Committee Spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi who came to attend the North Zone Lawyers’ Conference at Chandigarh also stated that the Congress would decide on the CM’s name only after the poll results were out. He said in unequivocal terms that no one could be projected as the future CM and all those trying to project the names of their leaders should stop this practice. Political observers say that the ‘Maharaja’ likes those who praise him and this ‘deliberated’ campaign of projecting his name as future CM appears to be for expressing loyalty and securing party ticket. The Tribune tried to contact Captain Amarinder for his version but he did not pick up the phone. Even his media in-charge Vimal Sumbly did not respond to get his version. |
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Tribune Impact
Faridkot, November 17 As the principal secretary detected many anomalies in the jail functioning and found poor quality of food was being served to the prisoners, he ordered the suspension of the jail superintendent and the store keeper. "Besides the jail superintendent and the store keeper being apathetic towards prisoners, there was no attempt by them to replace the worm-infested food stock even days after the two doctors in the jail reported the matter to the jail authorities", said Bains. After reading about the jail prisoners strike in The Tribune on Thursday morning, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal ordered the inspection of the jail and asked to take remedial steps, said Bains. During his inspection, Bains visited the jail kitchen and tasted the food and examined the stock of the foodgrain. He found that the food being served to the prisoners was of poor quality and even the cooking arrangements in the kitchen were not hygienic enough. Bains said as per the jail record, two doctors in the jail on November 9 reported the jail superintendent about the worm-infested food being cooked in the jail but there were no corrective measures on the part of the superintendent and the store keeper. Again, some days back the doctors informed the superintendent about the poor quality of jaggery, being used in the jail and unhygienic condition of the kitchen but this time also, there were no remedial measures. Ordering the suspension of Raj Mohinder Singh Dhaliwal, jail superintendent and Darshan Kumar, store-keeper, Bains instructed that henceforth, the jail’s notice board must carry information about the food stock everyday. After his interaction with the prisoners, Bains found that they have complaints of inordinate delay in acceptance of their leaves.
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Closure of rehab centre leaves needy in the lurch
Ferozepur, November 17 The centre was set up here in 2000 with the assistance of the Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), Kanpur, under a centrally-sponsored scheme. Now, in the absence of the artificial limb facility which was available here at the district headquarters earlier, the poor handicapped persons are in doldrums as they are now dependent on the external resources outside the district for getting limb implant or else, they have to wait for financial help from donors to get the limbs at their own expense from private establishments. Ashok Behl, secretary, district Red Cross Society, under whose aegis the DDRC was functioning, said the centre remained operational till October 2009. It was closed due to lack of financial resources. Behl said that initially, the central government through ALIMCO, used to fund the centre till 2004. However, later on, the entire monetary burden was put on the local Red Cross Society with an assurance of providing direct grant for its operation and maintenance. However, no grant was received by the Red Cross, he added, due to which the centre had to be closed as the society was unable to meet the recurring expenses, which included salaries of the technicians, besides maintenance of the centre and its facilities. Now, the building of DRDC has also been demolished after the land on which it was situated was handed over to the PUDA for commercial use under the Optimum Utilisation of Vacant Government Land (OUVGL) scheme to mobilise funds for other developmental activities. “Earlier, the DDRC was providing free limbs, tri-cycles, clutches, wheel chairs besides visual and hearing aids to the needy. However, following its closure these people have no idea where to go for their requirement,” said Pyare Lal, a retired statistical assistant with the health department. During the time that the DDRC was operational, thousands of handicapped persons were benefitted as besides the limbs and medical aids which were provided free of cost here, the technical and medical guidance was also available under a single roof. Last year, the National Institute of Visually Handicapped, Dehradun, had provided grant of Rs 5 lakh to the Red Cross to provide aid to the handicapped, but no funds were received from any quarters to meet the recurring expenses of this centre, hence it was discontinued, said Behl. Dr Jajbir Singh Sandhu, SMO, Civil Hospital, who was earlier posted at the DDRC, said that it was a wonderful facility for the deprived lot as the department could help thousands of with free medical aids. He went on to add that its closure has certainly affected the poor handicapped persons in the area.
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Linemen thrashed, SHO suspended
Jhunir (Mansa), November 17 While addressing a rally after the inaugurations, several unemployed linemen union members raised slogans against the CM and the Punjab government. While the media rushed to take pictures of the members of linemen union, some SAD workers stopped the photographers from taking pictures of the protesters. The SAD workers entered into heated arguments with the media and threatened them of dire consequences. The journalists raised slogans against the government and did not allow the Chief Minister to leave the venue. The police officials tried to take away the CM after tearing apart the tent, but journalists sat in the way of the CM. The drama continued for more than an hour and MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar intervened and assured the protesting journalists of takingh stringent action against the erring policemen and the SAD workers. In a written complaint to Mansa SSP Suresh Pilot, members of the Mansa Press Club alleged high-handedness of the police and the SAD party workers. Suresh demanded stringent action against the policemen who did not act to stop SAD workers at the behest of senior police functionaries of the district. The photographers alleged that the SAD workers manhandled them while they were taking pictures. Later, Jhunir SHO Satnam Singh was suspended for dereliction of duty. Various
journalist associations demanded strict action against the erring SAD workers and police officials. |
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