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Badal village abuzz with activity
Vehicles lined outside Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's residence in Badal village in Muktsar district. A file photo
Flurry of activity at Amarinder’s palace
Patiala florists prepare for the big day. A Tribune photograph |
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Both Capt, Sukhbir claim conquest of Malwa
PPP: We’ll surprise pollsters
Some turn to Almighty, others to poll arithmetic
No remuneration for officials guarding EVMs
Main contenders exude confidence
PPCB raids 16 units in Mandi Gobindgarh
Confusion prevails over duration of school exams
Sports Dept seeks detailed report
College teachers to hold protest in Delhi
Army to hold mock drill on March 7
Industrialists rely on private guards to prevent robberies
Area under wheat, rice cultivation up: Study
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Badal village abuzz with activity
Muktsar, March 4
The family had gone on a holiday after spending a few days in Delhi. Sources said senior party workers of Lambi and nearby areas were calling on the CM’s residence to discuss political matters. Unwilling to go by the exit polls that give the Congress an edge to form the next government, the Chief Minister claimed that the results would go in favour of the SAD-BJP alliance. Talking to reporters at his residence at Badal village in the evening, an upbeat senior Badal said, “The exit poll results last time had gone for a toss. The Akali Dal will create history in Punjab by coming to power for the second consecutive term”. On reports showing BJP’s drastic downfall, he said, “Note down my words, the results will be different”. Parrying further queries, Badal said, “It is better to wait for March 6. Everything will be in front of the state. We will win comfortably”. Tejinder Singh Middukhera, closely associated with the Badals, said the family held akhand path at their residence. Asked if the religious ceremony was being performed for the family’s victory in the elections, Middukhera replied: “There is no special reason for it. A priest is present at the CM’s residence all the time. Yet everyone asks the Almighty for his blessings.” He said the senior Badal had paid obeisance at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district yesterday. “Badal Sahib met a few people. His supporters are in an upbeat mood. The Chief Minister is sure to retain the seat,” claimed Middukhera, adding that the CM would be in his home constituency on the day the results were announced. Amarinder Singh, Punjab Congress chief , the party's chief ministerial candidate, is also back from Uttar Pradesh where he had been campaigning for party candidates. "He has been in Chandigarh for the past few days. A lot of people have been meeting him. He has been planning strategies as the Congress is confident of wresting power from the Akalis," his aide said.
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Flurry of activity at Amarinder’s palace
Patiala, March 4
Akali candidate from Samana Surjit Singh Rakhra, pitted against Raninder Singh Tikku, said he had spent the day at his native village relaxing as he was sure of his win. The mood in the Congress camp is upbeat. “We have ordered flowers and booked dholis. We are ready to party”, said Congress leader Ved Parkash Gupta. Congress candidate from Patiala Rural Brahm Mohindra said: "I called up party loyalists to thank them for their support. They organised small tea parties to celebrate victory even before the declaration of results". "This time the people had an alternative to both the Congress and the SAD in the form of Manpreet Badal’s PPP. I am keeping fingers crossed", said housewife Reena Malhotra. Despite orders against processions and crackers, the police will have a tough job controlling the crowds. “We will depute our officers’ at strategic points and ensure that the situation does not go out of hand," said a senior police officer.
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Both Capt, Sukhbir claim conquest of Malwa
Chandigarh, March 4 Capt Amarinder will leave Chandiarh for Patiala tomorrow but will be back in the evening. He will tune in to the election results at his Sector 10 residence here. He has authorised his election agent KP Pandove to oversee the results at Patiala. Amarinder’s daughter Jai Inder will remain at Patiala for this purpose. Confident of a win and predicting at least 70 seats for the Congress, Capt Amarinder Singh is scheduled to leave for Delhi immediately after the announcement of the results to meet party president Sonia Gandhi. “Hopefully we will be celebrating by evening”, he said, sticking to his stand that the Congress could win 41 of the 68 seats in the Malwa region and 16 seats each in Majha and Doaba regions. Though this would take the party tally to 73, the PCC chief said he was confident the party would win 70 seats. The Congress will monitor the election results from its war room at the Pradesh Congress Bhawan here said Capt Sandeep Sandhu.
Sukhbir is also confident of a verdict in favour of the SAD-BJP coalition. “I am most relaxed. I feel we are ahead in every aspect”. He claimed the surveys had not taken into account the dissident and the BSP factors. He claimed the SAD would cross the 40-figure mark in Malwa and lead in Doaba. The SAD president claimed the BJP would surprise all. The saffron party could get between 8 - 12 seats. “This will change all permutations”, he said. “I was talking to Congress men. They are looking at seven out of nine seats in Bathinda. I told them they will get nothing with Harminder Jassi being the most prominent loser”. People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal will also camp at his home in Badal village on March 6. After the results are out, he is scheduled to address a press conference at Gidderbaha. With all senior BJP leaders in the fray (including state president Ashwani Sharma), the BJP war room here will be headed by party general secretary Ajay Jamwal.
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PPP: We’ll surprise pollsters
Chandigarh, March 4
PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal said the results would be widely different from what had been predicted by the exit polls. “I am confident that the Sanjha Morcha will do better than what has been predicted,” he said. He said the Sanjha Morcha leaders today met at the residence of former Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala.
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Some turn to Almighty, others to poll arithmetic
Ludhiana, March 4 Sanjha Morcha candidate from Khanna Gurpreet Singh Bhatti, back from Chandigarh after attending a meeting of the constituent parties of the Sanjha Morcha, said the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) at Khanna would organise a meeting of its workers tomorrow to chalk out the duty plan for March 6. “Whatever be the poll results, we are satisfied that we stood for a change for better,” he said, adding, “After the results are out, we will pay obeisance at a gurdwara and a temple”. Referring to the pre-result speculations as an exercise in futility, Congress candidate from Ludhiana West Bharat Bhushan Ashu said: “Whatever will happen, happen for the good. I don’t believe in any hypothetical discussions.” “Though I don’t have any plans to visit any religious place as such, I will not disappoint my supporters. Many of them have taken vows on my behalf to visit some religious and spiritual places. I’ll go by their wishes after the results are declared,” he added. SAD candidate from Dakha Manpreet Singh Ayali, while claiming that the poll results would be the logical conclusion of his “10 years of work at the grass-roots level”, said on the day of counting, he would visit Gurdwara Thara Sahib.
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CONSTITUENCIES TO WATCH OUT FOR TOMORROW Television exit polls have predicted a touch-and-go result for both the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine in the Punjab Assembly elections, the results for which would be out tomorrow. To make sense of the factors at work, and what to watch out for as the results begin to trickle in around 11 am, The Tribune charts out the deciding constituencies and their significance.
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No remuneration for officials guarding EVMs
Patiala/Sangrur, March 4 As of now, only those on duty on the election day inside polling stations are paid the remuneration from the consolidated fund of the state treasury. Even police officials complain that their colleagues at polling stations got richer by a few hundreds while those on general law and order duty got nothing. Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Rajkamal Chaudhari said the EC was seized of the matter and next time onwards everyone deputed on poll duty would be paid an honorarium.
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Muktsar MLA dies of cancer
Muktsar, March 4 He was undergoing treatment at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon. He had also visited Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at New York, US. He leaves behind his wife Karan Kaur Brar, Congress candidate from Muktsar, and three sons. Sunny was elected MLA twice, once In 1977 when he defeated Gurmeet Brar, and then in 2007 against SAD’s Sukhdarshan Singh Marar. He was president of the Punjab Youth Congress for a few years. Sunny did BSc (Agriculture) from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. His special interests were dairy farming and horse-riding. Known as the Sarainaga family (as it comes from Sarainaga village, 15 km from Muktsar), the Brars have considerable influence in the area. As news of Sunny’s death reached here, grief-stricken traders of Sarainaga village and the nearby Bariwala town down their shutters. Gurdas Girdhar, president, Muktsar District Congress, said Sunny’s body would be brought to Sarainaga for the last rites tomorrow. In his condolence message to the bereaved family, PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh said Sunny Brar’s death was a “great loss to the party that had lost a committed and dedicated leader.” Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal also expressed grief over the death.
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Main contenders exude confidence
Their supporters are, however, more tense as their stakes are high too for they link their future with their candidate. “I am not tense at all. There has been no change in my schedule. Election is not a new thing for me as I have been in politics for over 30 years. I am just enjoying my life and anxiety is not a word in my dictionary,” said Avtar Henry, Congress candidate from Jalandhar (North). SAD candidate from Jalandhar Cantonment and Olympian Pargat Singh said he had been passing his time listening to Nustrat Fateh Ali Khan’s “qawallis”. “I believe destiny has a role to play in everyone’s life. I don’t believe in any calculations. This (assembly poll) is not a big event than Olympics as far as anxiety is concerned. If I could go through that phase smoothly than I can handle this situation with much ease,” said Pargat Singh, former Director of Sports, Punjab. For Sham Sunder Arora, Congress candidate from Hoshiarpur, who contested against BJP heavy-weight Tikshan Sud, said though he was sure about the poll outcome, some anxiety was there. “There is no anxiety or fear. This is my fourth consecutive assembly election. Earlier as a lawyer, I had handled high-profile cases and tense moments in courtrooms. Things are decided by God and we have to accept His decisions,” said Tikshan Sud, Punjab Local Bodies’ Minister and BJP candidate from Hoshiarpur.
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PPCB raids 16 units in Mandi Gobindgarh
Patiala, March 4 Senior board officers said out of 16 industries raided, as many as nine were found violating the various provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Recently, The Tribune had highlighted that industries in all parts of the state were violating the pollution control norms, notwithstanding the claims of the PPCB that a majority of the industries were complying with the prescribed norms. Subsequently, the board came under fire not only from environmentalists, but the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) took suo moto cognisance of the matter and sought a report from the state government through secretary, PPCB. About the Saturday raids, board chairman Ravinder Singh said that four teams headed by environmental engineers, drawn from various regional offices, were directed to conduct raids at 16 industries, mainly induction furnaces operating from Mandi Gobindgarh, to check whether or not the pollution control norms had complied. "During the raids, major violations pertaining to the air pollution norms were detected," said the board chairman. An official of the board said out of nine erring industries, five industries were indulging in violations like less suction through suction hood and unsafe sampling arrangements for the collection of air sample. Ravinder said, "The air samples of six industries have been collected and sent to the Central Laboratory of the board for analysis. On receiving the reports, appropriate action will be initiated against the defaulting industries."
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Confusion prevails over duration of school exams
Ludhiana, March 4 A few days ago, the Director General, School Education office released date sheet of second semester of Class IX. Teachers of government school were surprised to see the duration of examination mentioned in the instructions. Teachers have been preparing the students for three-hour examination as per the instructions of the PSEB. The board uploaded the structure of question paper on its website with all details in which duration of the first semester exam of Class IX will of 2.30 hours and of second semester will of three hours. "Releasing contradictory instructions is a regular affair of the Education Department. Now, teachers are in a fix whether to follow the DGSE office or the PSEB instructions. Moreover, the state project director, SSA, did not mention anything about the Class XI examinations in the recent date sheet", rued a teacher. "Teachers will adjust the timings on their own because they know the requirements of different subjects," said state project officer, SSA, Soma Sablok. Director General, School Education, Ashok Singla said, "I am not clear about it. Let me see the things. I will let you know after checking the document."
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‘Disparity’ in diet money
Patiala, March 4 SL Lotey, Deputy Director, Sports, said: “Since Yograj has demanded an action against the university’s sports department, we have sought a detailed report in this regard”. Yograj said: “During the checking of both university wings, the residential wing under which each player gets Rs 120 per day and the day scholar wing under which a player gets Rs 60 per day, I found that the mess contractor was giving them a simple diet worth Rs 51 per day and essential food items that are part of the diet chart prepared by the Sports Department were missing. He had admitted that he only gave a daily diet of Rs 51 and the remaining amount was deposited with the university’s sports department”. On the other hand, Dr Rajkumar Sharma, Director, Sports, Punjabi University, claimed that things were being misinterpreted. He said: “The contractor gives a diet of Rs 51 only as it is a common mess and he does not cook especially for players. Therefore, he gives the remaining money to coaches who provide milk and fruits to the players”.
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College teachers to hold protest in Delhi
Patiala, March 4 Prof Jaipal Singh, general secretary of the Government College Teachers' Association (GCTA), said government college teachers from all the states would hold a three-day protest at the Jantar Mantar from March 14 to 16. "Punjab teachers will be going on March 14. We are also demanding removal of anomalies in the PhD and career progression. Despite the fact that we have highlighted these anomalies time and again, the government has not taken any notice in this regard yet," he added. He said that they had also filed a writ petition against the state government in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for discriminating between college teachers and other government employees. "While the state government has distributed its share amongst all government employees, it had ignored the interests of government college teachers, which is unjust. The next hearing in this regard is on April 2," he added.
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Army to hold mock drill on March 7
Jalandhar, March 4 Sources said that it was perhaps for the first time that the Army would hold such a mock drill in a busy urban area of the state. Usually such exercises are organised within the cantonments or in open fields away from inhabited areas. Since Ansal Plaza at is located in Kapurthala, the drill will be organised by the Vajra Corps in collaboration with the district police and the civil administration. A contingent of about 50 experts from the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare Cell of the Vajra Corps would display their skills to effectively thwart any possible NBC attack on an urban or semi-urban area particularly, in a busy place like a mall, a stretch of a highway, bus stand or a railway station. "The contingent will consist of officers, JCOs and jawans and they will be showcasing their prowess to deal with nuclear, biological or chemical attack in full dress. What will differentiate this drill from previous mock exercises is that it is going to take place in a fully inhabited area, "said Defence PRO Naresh Vig.
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Industrialists rely on private guards to prevent robberies
Jalandhar, March 4 Some of the factory owners on the periphery of Jalandhar have also asked their labourers to leave early in the evening so that they can reach their homes safely. The violent robbers attack labourers during night hours with sharp-edged weapons. "We have asked our labourers to leave workplace between 5 and 7 pm. We can't compromise on their security. So, we have deployed security guards on three motorcycles to conduct night patrol around industries in Raowali, Bulandpur and Gadaipur areas," said Shant Gupta, a hand-tool manufacturer and office-bearer of the Jalandhar Chamber of Commerce and Industries. Gangs of robbers snatch mobile phones and cash of labourers. In a case, they chopped-off hands of Chandan, a labourer, in a bid to snatch his mobile phone last week. "Mostly robbers strike at night. Police personnel are ill-equipped to an extent that they don't even have sufficient patrol motorcycles," said Shant Gupta, adding that five armed robberies had taken place in a short span of 10 days. "We have just one patrol motorcycle. We have urged our seniors for more logistics support. DSP Harpreet Singh Benipal has assured all support to industrialists," said Maqsudan SHO Dharampal. Labourers also feel insecure in the Industrial Focal Point area with over 500 factories. "Nearly 15 such cases were earlier reported every month. Now, the crime graph has witnessed a slight dip as the police has started regular night patrol in the area," said Narinder Singh Saggu, president of the Jalandhar Industrial Focal Point Extension Association. He said owners of more than 300 industrial units in the Focal Point area had already installed CCTV cameras in front of their factories to ensure round-the-clock vigil of arterial roads in the area. "CCTV cameras can at least help the police in identifying the culprits," he said. SP (Operations) Rajinder Singh said night patrol was being increased in vulnerable areas. "We are also getting feedback on gangs active in the industrial area. An SIT has also been formed to investigate the Chandan incident," he said.
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Area under wheat, rice cultivation up: Study
Chandigarh, March 4 The study conducted by agro-economist HS Shergill for the Institute for Development and Communication (IDC). The study titled “Strategy for Sustainable Expansion of Foodgrain Production in Punjab” says it was widely believed that the saturation point in the area under rice in Punjab had been reached. The results suggest that this is not true. Shergill said, “We tested this hypothesis where the growth rate of the area under rice during the past five years (2005-06 to 2009-10) was compared with that in the preceding period of 1991-92 to 2004-05. The results indicated that the trend growth of the area under rice during 2005-06 to 2009-10 was not significantly different from the trend growth of the area under rice during 1991-92 to 2004-05 period”. Results clearly suggest that the growth rate of the area under rice in the recent years did not decline compared to the earlier period, thus the saturation point is not yet reached. The area under rice from 1991 to 2010 increased at the rate of 1.62 per cent per year. The area under rice cover for this period increased from 20,69,000 hectares to 28,02,000 hectares, up 7,33,000 hectares. However, the expansion was not uniform. The area under rice increased in all the regions, but at different rates. The southwestern zone saw a growth of 3.21 per cent per year from 1997 to 2010 due to waterlogging in the area. There was a sharp shift from cotton to rice cultivation. In the northern Malwa zone, the growth was 1.57 per cent during the same period. Even in central Punjab, the area under rice expanded at the annual rate of 1.49 per cent despite the fact that rice yield per hectare is lower in this zone compared to northern Malwa and eastern Malwa zone. In eastern Malwa, the growth in cultivation of rice was much lower at 0.98 per cent per year. The foothills in Punjab also saw a growth of rice cultivation at 0.78 per cent per year. The study has shown that the area under wheat cultivation has also grown, but at a slower rate. By 1991-92, wheat was already being cultivated over more than three-fourth of the net sown area of the state and consequently, the scope of further expansion was lower. Despite that, the area under wheat grew at the rate of 0.48 per cent per year. From 1991 to 2010, an additional 2,85,000 hectares was put under wheat. By 2009-10, wheat was sown on 84.47 per cent of the net sown area of the state. The upward trend, of course, was punctuated by dips in some of the years. The report concludes that the area under rice and wheat has continuously expanded over the last about two decades; and this expansion is widespread over all the regions of Punjab.
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With all eyes on March 6 when the election results will be declared, the native village of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is once again abuzz with activity.
With election results to be declared on March 6, florists, sweet meat shops and those selling crackers hope to do brisk business.
Confusion prevailed over the duration of examinations in government schools. The Education Department released a date sheet in which duration of semester examination of Class IX will be of 2.30 hours. Contrary to this, the Punjab School Education Board
(PSEB) instructions say, the duration of second semester should be of three hours.
Parkash Singh Badal, his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Bathinda MP, are camping at their palatial house in Badal village.
There is a flurry of activity at Moti Bagh Palace, PCC chief Amarinder Singh’s residence, and Congress activists anticipating the party’s victory have already ordered flowers and
laddoos.
Both Punjab Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal claim to have won Malwa and, hence, the state elections. Both debunk television surveys predicting a close contest.
Meanwhile, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who arrived in Chandigarh from Delhi this evening, left for Badal village. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir and his wife Bathinda MP Harsimrat will monitor the results in Badal and Sukhbir’s aide Nippy Dhanoa will do so at Jalalabad.
He said there was a sharp variation in the results of various exit polls. “As different polls have projected different results, it puts a question mark on the credibility of the entire exercise,” said Raghunath Singh. Sanjha Morcha leaders are hoping that there would be a hung assembly and no party would be able to get majority.
Jalandhar, March 4