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CM dares Pranab to act on black money
Doctors being 'forced' to donate for election fund
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SAD may now field former DGP from Baghapurana
More students to get visa: Uppal
SAD taking to bullying tactics, says Amarinder
Sukhbir lashes out at cousin Manpreet
PPP can play spoiler, says Cong survey
SAD leaders spar at public function
Unaided technical institutes slam govt policies
Facility for kids in distress
Kangaroo Mother Care decreases infant mortality rate, say experts
Candidates allege
bungling in PSSSB examination
Challenges posed by cyber crime
PIL: Govt ad money going to CM’s cos
Govt fined Rs 20,000
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CM dares Pranab to act on black money
Kot Buddha (Tarn Taran), November 18 Addressing a public rally after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 102-crore bridge over the Sutlej, Badal said the SAD-BJP government had been demanding the Congress-led UPA government to immediately bring back the ill-gotten money hidden in the foreign banks so that it could be judiciously utilised for funding welfare schemes for millions of poor across the country. He warned that if the Centre did not initiate any action in this regard soon, the SAD MPs will be forced to take up this matter in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament to seek its intervention in the larger public interest. Once materialised, the bridge will immensely benefit the people of the border areas. There is no direct rail link between Ferozepur and Amritsar and the people of both districts have to cover a distance of 120 km via Zira-Makhu- Harike-Tarn Taran. With this new link, the road distance between Amritsar and Ferozepur would be reduced by 30 km. People, who have to travel from Ferozepur to border towns of Tarn Taran, namely Khalra, Patti, Bhikhiwind and Khemkaran, would also get a relief in the form of 30 km less journey. The distance between Ferozepur and Patti would be reduced from 78.1 km to 45.6 km while that between Ferozepur and Khemkaran would come down to half from current 101 km to 50.3 km. Later, the Chief Minister announced to set up an ultra modern silo at a cost of Rs 100 crore at Patti for the storage of food grain on the scientific lines to enhance its shelf life, besides saving it from rotting due to vagaries of weather. Badal also announced that Patti-Khemkaran Road would be widened and strengthened soon at a cost of Rs 5 crore. While Badal was addressing the gathering, some unemployed linemen, who somehow made it to the venue, got up and started raising slogans against the government. However, they were soon taken away by the police. Prominent among those present on the occasion were Cabinet Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon and MLA Virsa Singh Valtoha.
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Doctors being 'forced' to donate for election fund
According to sources, donations ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 each were being collected from them in a secretive manner through official channels since the past few weeks. Though none of the doctors agreed to come on record, a number of medical officers posted at government hospitals and primary health centers, on anonymity, revealed that the alleged contribution was being collected and routed through civil surgeons and senior medical officers. Health and Family Welfare Minister Satpal Gosain said he had not received any such complaint so far but assured of stern action against the guilty in case he received one. “It is a baseless allegation. There is no such collection. It is a ploy by the Congress,” he said. In Mohali, each doctor had allegedly been told to contribute Rs 2,000 each. Though officials at the Phase 6 Civil Hospital denied any such collection, sources said a number of doctors had already made the contribution. In Ropar district, the contribution amount was Rs 3,000 each, sources said. However, Mohali Civil Surgeon Usha Bansal and Ropar Civil Surgeon Rajesh Gupta denied having knowledge about any collection in the name of election fund. Such collections, it has been learnt, were reported from Ludhiana and some other districts of the state as well. “It is nothing new. During the last elections held in 2007, funds were collected from doctors. Apart from the sword of transfer to remote areas, doctors not staying at their headquarters and doing private practice are sitting ducks for fund collectors,” a doctor said.
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SAD may now field former DGP from Baghapurana
Led by veteran Akali leader Dr KS Gill, 25 SAD-BJP councillors and some influential Akalis of the area met Sukhbir Badal in Badal village (Muktsar) last night and told him that they would not support the former DGP who had been ‘imported’ from a Congress family. Dr Gill contended that the party should nominate an Akali leader from Moga instead of “blindly placing trust” in the former DGP whose father, the late Nachattar Singh Gill, had “ditched” the Akali Dal twice and joined the Congress. During the 30-minute meeting, Sukhbir gave a patient hearing to the deputation. Talking to The Tribune, Dr Gill said the councillors believed that Gill was not in a position to give a fight to Joginder Pal Jain, sitting Congress MLA. Now Tota Singh or his son Barjinder Brar, popularly known as Makhan Brar, president of the Moga MC, may be asked to contest from Moga, paving the way for rebel SAD leader Sukhjit Singh Kaka, who won the SGPC elections as an Independent, to return to the party. Insiders feel that Kaka had good chances of winning the Dharamkot seat. Significantly, Sukhbir has asked Tota Singh and his son to decide as to who would be entering the poll arena. “Sukhbir clearly said that he would allot only one ticket to Tota Singh’s family”, said a source. It is believed that former DGP Gill could now be asked to contest from the nearby Baghapurana constituency. Local Akali leaders Mahesh Inder Singh and Jagtar Singh Rajeana have been vying with each other for this seat. Sources close to Sukhbir revealed that fearing revolt by one group or the other, Sukhbir had been in a dilemma over the party candidate for this seat. Now he could field Gill from Baghapurana and ask both the groups to work collectively for the SAD victory against the “energetic” MLA, Darshan Singh Brar, of the Congress. Another option could be to make Tota Singh SGPC chief and allot the party ticket to his son from Moga. This could take care of the intra-party problems in the area.
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More students to get visa: Uppal
Amritsar, November 18 Canada’s Minister of State for Democratic Reforms Tim Uppal, after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here, told mediapersons that he was in India on the invitation of Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. He would be the chief guest at the semifinals of the Kabaddi World Cup being held in Bathinda. Talking to mediapersons, Uppal said because of visa restrictions, there was a huge backlog of applications of parents and grandparents keen to reunite with their wards. “The Canadian Government has taken the initiative of ‘Canada 10 years Super-Visa for Parents’ to clear all such pending applications.” He said no new applications would be entertained for the next two years till the pending applications were cleared. He expressed the possibility of long-term cooperation in tourism, medical education, industry and sports between Canada and Punjab. Answering a question on rigid visa conditions for students as compared with Australia, the minister said the Canadian Government would now on give visas to Indian students more than any other country . He also indicated the possibility of a tie-up with Khalsa College, Amritsar. Uppal was honoured with a siropa at the SGPC office. Earlier, he was accorded a warm welcome at Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport , Amritsar,by the Youth Akali Dal president, Bikram Singh Majithia, Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Inderbir Singh Bularia, District Planning Committee chairman Veer Singh Lopoke and SAD leader Ram Singh.
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SAD taking to bullying tactics, says Amarinder
Kotkapura (Faridkot), November 18 Addressing a rally here, Amarinder said several recent incidents, including the murder of Sangrur Congress leader Ricky Duleet, booking of his mother in an attempt to murder case and Rs 2,500 loot case against Moga Congress MLA’s son, showed how “frustrated” the Akalis were. The ruling party, said he, was trying to build pressure on the Congress rank and file. Akalis, the PPCC chief alleged, were not even sparing the media. Citing certain incidents where mediapersons, who were covering incidents that did not show the government in good light, were roughed up by the police allegedly at the ruling regime’s instance, the PPCC chief said, “They are using stick and carrot methodology to gag the media…force is even being used to disperse peaceful protesters at CM’s Sangat Darshan programmes.” Meanwhile, ticket aspirants from the three assembly constituencies of Faridkot, Jaitu and Kotkapura could be seen vying with each other to meet Amarinder at the rally. In order to outshine his rivals in the race for party ticket, former Education Minister and Faridkot MLA Avtar Singh Brar at one time told his supporters to raise their hands apparently to show how much hold he enjoyed in the constituency. Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Singh Brar, who is seeking ticket for his brother and Kotkapura MLA Ripjeet Singh Brar, reiterated that Amarinder was the “best chief ministerial candidate”. Also, Jagmeet said the party needed to be wary of dissidents as “they had dented the party’s prospects in Punjab during the last General Election”. “We need to be wary of such defectors as they are more dangerous and a bigger threat than the Akalis,” added Jagmeet.
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Sukhbir lashes out at cousin Manpreet
Addressing a gathering at a Sangat Darshan function in Harike Kalan village in Gidderbaha, he accused the PPP leader of ditching the people of Gidderbaha for his lust for power. Sukhbir said Manpreet, desperate to become Chief Minister, had entered into a secret understanding with Mukherjee at a time when the CM, who had initiated him into politics and made him Finance Minister, was bed-ridden and hospitalised. But committed Akali MLAs saw through Manpreet’s treacherous gameplan and refused to walk along. As the coup plan collapsed, the Congress withdrew from the scene, leaving Manpreet in the lurch, Sukhbir alleged. Striking an emotional cord with the people of Gidderbaha, Sukhbir said his father had begun his political career from this constituency. He promised that development would not suffer even though the area was left without an MLA after Manpreet’s resignation. Ridiculing the Congress election survey, he said PCC chief Amarinder was relying on these surveys as he did not know the pulse of people. “On the other hand, we ( Sukhbir and his father) have been constantly moving in villages, listening to people’s grievances and holding Sangat Darshan programmes to solve their problems,” he added.
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PPP can play spoiler, says Cong survey
Chandigarh, November 18 The survey maintains that the PPP vote bank is concentrated in the Malwa belt, particularly
Muktsar, Faridkot, Bathinda and Mansa districts. Here the PPP will eat into the votes of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). It says the PPP is particularly strong in Faridkot where it commands 29 per cent of the vote share, Maur 19 per cent, Lambi and Gidderbaha 16 per cent, Kotkapura and Jaito 14 per cent and Muktsar 10 per cent of the vote share. The survey claims the high PPP vote bank will work to the advantage of the Congress. In the Doaba belt, the PPP vote share is less than 7 per cent, according to the survey. Party sources feel the PPP is being under-estimated in Doaba where it has made inroads recently. Besides Nawanshahr and
Samrala, the PPP is likely to do well in constituencies with a high percentage of NRI votes. Party sources say the Congress will have to go in for man management (this is what SAD is doing) to avert Congress hopefuls from walking across to
Manpreet. They claim that Punjab intelligence has in a recent exercise indicated that the PPP could win four seats and has a strong presence in 15 seats.
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PollPost
Harsimrat wants NEW Shatabdi Amritsar: Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan has said that the new Punjab Education Policy-2025, which would be implemented in state-run educational institutes before the imposition of model code of conduct, would ensure quality education. He said a pact had also been inked with British Columbia for educational exchange programme. — TNS
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SAD leaders spar at public function
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 18 Both, the MLA and the chairman, entered into verbal duel, while the students and the people remained mute spectators. Satnam Singh Brass snatched the mike from the school principal and started criticising the MLA for humiliating him by denying him a seat on the stage. While talking to The Tribune, Satnam Singh Brass, the chairman of the block samiti said that though the bicycles to the students of the school were distributed by the school principal and panchayat members 15 days ago, Bhatti pressurised the principal and the bicycles were called back from the students to be distributed again and a function was organised in the school for this purpose and neither he nor his supporters were invited. Brass said that he is a contender for the SAD ticket from Fatehgarh Sahib as a senior member of the SAD and chairman of the block samiti Khera and panchayat member. He alleged that as he reached the school, the supporters of the MLA removed the two vacant chairs from the stage and when he objected, he was humiliated. He said then he snatched the mike from the school principal and highlighted the highhandedness of the MLA. He said he also brought the matter to the notice of the party high command. Local MLA Bhatti said the function was arranged by the school principal and he was invited as a chief guest. It was the duty of the village panchayat or principal to invite people and he was not involved in the exercise.
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Unaided technical institutes slam govt policies
Mohali, November 18 GPC Nayar, president, All-India Unaided Technical Institutions, was the keynote speaker and Dr
J.S. Dhaliwal, president, PUTIA, presided over the event. It was further decided that if the state government did not take enough steps within a week to protect the education sector, the PUTIA would meet again on November 25 to announce the next plan of action Earlier, many educationists, including Ashok Mittal, Dr Anshu Kataria, J.S.Bedi, Manjit Singh, Manmohan Garg and Satnam Singh Sandhu made presentations on the deteriorating health of education sector of Punjab. The various speakers covered different problems related to the Punjab government, PTU and the AICTE. Manjit Singh, Chairman, Doaba Group of Colleges, while addressing the conference, said that the various commercial charges, including change of land use (CLU), external development charges (EDC), commercial electricity charges, commercial transport charges, stamp duty etc. had burdened these institutes. Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chairman, Chandigarh Group of Colleges added that the Punjab government, instead of supporting the institutes, was charging commercial charges of various types. He demanded that the educational institutes should be exempted from all type of taxes so that they can survive and maintain high educational standards. Dr Anshu Kataria, Chairman, Aryans Group said that the PTU corpus fund should be used for the betterment of technical education in Punjab, instead of starting new engineering and technical colleges.
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Facility for kids in distress
Patiala, November 18 Also, the Police Department has been told to work in close coordination with the Childline facility to rescue the children caught in distress. According to an official letter issued by the Punjab Police top brass, the helpline has been active in Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar districts where people can call at helpline number 1098 to report about a child caught in distress.
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Kangaroo Mother Care decreases infant mortality rate, say experts
Ludhiana, November 18 Talking to The Tribune, Dr Udani said,"It is a proven fact that if a normal baby is kept close to the mother for 12 hours, with skin contact with the mother, he is saved from various diseases and infections and also develops very good immune system. If a baby is underweight, then he should be kept in contact with mother for some days together, so that the child may get warmth and the environment which he gets inside the womb." She further said that she had done research on it. She said,"From 1999 to the year 2010, we found that we could accommodate more children in the Intensive Care Unit. In 1999, we could accommodate about 700 kids. In our hospital we started to follow the KMC concept in 2000. In the year 2010 we could accommodate 1600 kids in ICU in one year. This showed that kids who needed care of the ICU due to less weight started recovering soon after they were exposed to KMC. However earlier these kids used to stay in ICU for many days together, so only 700 kids could be accommodated in the year 1999. But later on such kids, after getting exposed to KMC, started getting relieved soon. More kids could be treated at the same ICU. This way the mortality rate among neonatal kids improved by 89 per cent due to following KMC." While Dr Suman Rao, another neonatal expert from St John’s Medical College, Bengaluru, said, "This cocept is working one of the best methods to decrease mortality rates among newborns. All the medical institutes should adopt it." Rajinder Gulati, convenor of the conference, said:"Very rarely do hospitals follow this concept but it is very useful." Dr Rupinder Deol of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital also favoured this concept. Dr T S Gambhir of Ludhana Academy of Pediatricians also participated in the conference.
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Candidates allege
bungling in PSSSB examination
Mohali,
November 18 The candidates, who had gathered at the office of the SSB in the Forest Complex, Sector 68, claimed that those figuring in the top positions in the preliminary test were placed much below after the final test. Chairman
of the SSB, Santa Singh Umedpur, said no wrongdoings had been done as
the written tests were conducted by the Panjab University in a fair
manner. The entire proceedings of the written test were
video-recorded. “It’s very much possible that a candidate faring
well in the preliminary could not fare well in the finals. It does not
mean that the selection process is not right”, he said. The
counselling for the short-listed candidates would be done on Monday.
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Challenges posed by cyber crime
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 18 More than 500 students from different schools and colleges of the vicinity took part in it . He said that such techno-festivals should be organised in order to spread awareness about the dangers of advanced technology. — OC
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PIL: Govt ad money going to CM’s cos
Chandigarh, November 18 Based on the information downloaded from the Internet, Barrister-at-Law Himmat Singh Shergill has asserted that the “money spent by the state exchequer on advertisements is going into the pockets of the companies in which Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal have substantial interests”. Shergill has already filed a petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, based on The Tribune exposé on how the transport policy has been manipulated to benefit private players. Shergill is seeking a probe into the matter by the CBI or a High Court Judge. His latest assertion comes in the form of an application submitted before the High Court. As the case came up for hearing this morning, the Bench of Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina took the application on record. The case also saw senior advocate Sanjeev Sharma put in an appearance on behalf of the Badals. Directing the counsel to file a reply on the PIL within three weeks, the Bench fixed December 14 as the next date of hearing. Shergill has claimed: “In addition to Orbit Transporters, Baaz Transporters Private Limited, Dabwali Transport and Real Estate Private Limited, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia, his father-in-law Satyajit Singh Majithia, his mother-in-law Sukhmanjus Majithia, his sister Praneet Kaur Kairon have been shareholders in Orbit Resorts Private Limited at some time or at all times. “Gur-Baz Media Private Limited is a subsidiary company of Orbit Resorts Private Limited. It is further submitted that G-Next Media Private Limited is a subsidiary company of Gur-Baz Media Private Limited and it is further submitted that PTC channels are under the aegis of the company G-Next Media Private Limited.” Elaborating, Shergill has gone on to add: “It is pertinent to bring to the notice of the court that the Government of Punjab gives advertisements to the PTC channel worth huge amounts of money, which is under the aegis of G-Next Media Private Limited; and further G-Next Media Private Limited is a subsidiary company of Gur-Baz Media Private Limited, which is further a subsidiary company of Orbit Resorts Pvt Limited. “It is further submitted that as per the documents of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, is the Managing Director of Orbit Resorts Private Limited on a remuneration of Rs 3, 60, 00000. Shergill has concluded: “Only investigation by an independent investigating agency not under the control of the CM or the Deputy CM, who is also the Home Minister, can bring out the truth before the public”. On Record Another news report carried by The Tribune has been taken on record by the High Court in the transport scam. The report, “Lokpal IG probing Badals’ transport business shifted; transfer set to delay investigation”, was placed before the Bench. Shergill asserted: “It is pertinent to bring to the notice of this court that the subject matter of the probe is illegal plying (running without permits) of air-conditioned buses owned by theCM and the Deputy Chief Minister
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Govt fined Rs 20,000
Chandigarh, November 18 The matter pertains to the alleged implication of small-time cable operators in Punjab. Already, a number of petitions have been filed before the High Court in this connection. Acting on some of the petitions, seeking a probe by an independent agency into the allegations of the cable business in Punjab having been taken over by a topnotch politician, the High Court has already issued a notice of motion to the Punjab Home Secretary and other respondents.
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Mohali, November 18
Ludhiana, November 18
Mohali, November 18
Moga, November 18
Gidderbaha, November 18
Ludhiana: Local BJP leaders blame the low turnout at senior BJP leader LK Advani’s November 13 rally here on Advani’s late arrival at the venue. Advani reached the Daresi Ground at around 8.30 pm instead of 6 pm. By that time, most people had left the venue and when Advani began his speech, many chairs were vacant. A local BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said : “It is difficult to make people from urban areas attend political rallies. You can’t expect the people to stay back till 8.30 pm.” District president Rajiv Katna said the rally had actually been successful. “Advani was late because his Jan Chetna Yatra got a tumultuous response and had to halt at several places,” he explained.
Bathinda: MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has demanded early introduction of a daily Shatabdi Express on the Delhi-Bathinda-Ferozepur route. She also demanded early implementation of other developmental schemes of the Railways in Bathinda region. She raised these issues at a meeting with the Railway Board Chairman. — TNS 