|
|
|
|
|
Govt trims security cover of VIPs
Ministerspeak: Looking ahead
Op Bluestar Memorial’s ‘kar sewa’ starts
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shock treatment for power thieves
Acid attack on Moga woman, 3 daughters
Punjab sees rise in cases of waterborne diseases
Speed governors fail to discipline motorists
Shortage of specialists ails Rajindra Hospital
issuing a warning
Jails to be named as ‘Sudhar Ghar’
Canada-based NRI’s death
Institutional preference only for Punjab students, says HC
Khanna police seizes 365 bags of poppy husk
|
Govt trims security cover of VIPs
Chandigarh, May 20 Nine Gypsy escort vehicles being used mostly by retired Director Generals of Police have also been withdrawn.
As many as 197 guards have been withdrawn from former police officers, 255 from former MLAs, 68 from civil officers, 60 from judicial officers and 224 from other persons. A security assessment by the police revealed that 473 policemen were deputed as guards without due authorisation. More than 11 per cent (8,000) of the state police force of 70,000 has been deputed on security duty with VIPs and those close to them.Those protected have fiercely resisted any move to dilute their security in the past. Sukhbir said this was the first round of assessment aimed at making more personnel available for policing. He said personnel allocated beyond norms had been axed. The police assessment has revealed that retired police officers, including former DGPs, have more security than is warranted. Former DGPs whose security has been pruned include AP Pandey, who will have six guards. SM Sharma’s security has been pruned from 14 guards to eight; RS Gill’s from 19 to 13; MPS Aulakh’s from 17 to 11; KK Attri’s from 17 to eight; MS Bhullar’s from 19 to seven and PC Dogra from eight to two. Former ADGPs whose security has been reduced include Chander Shekhar from 15 to nine and HR Chadha from nine to six. Former DIG Harinder Singh Chahal will now have 12 guards. SS Brar and Kanwarjit Singh, former SPs, will now have 12 and five guards, respectively. The escort vehicles of former DGPs RS Gill, KK Attri, SM Sharma and AP Pandey and former ADGPs Chander Shekhar and HR Chaddha have been withdrawn. Among politicians, former BJP minister Tikshan Sud will have nine guards less and former Akali MLA Sarabjit Makkar eight. Former Speaker and Congress leaders Harnam Das Johar will have six guards less. Akali leader Bikramjit Khalsa will have six guards less. Four guards attached with former minister DS Verka will be withdrawn. Former legislatorJagdish Sahni, former BJP minister Swarna Ram and former Congress MLA KP Rana will each have three guards less. One or two guards will be withdrawn from the security cover provided to former BJP minister Master Mohan Lal, former Congress MLAs Darbari Lal, Kanwarjit Lalli, Avtar Henry, Lakhmir Singh Randhawa, Raj Kumar Gupta, Sukhpal Khaira, Madan Lal Thekedar and SS Sibia, and Congress leaders Jagbir Brar, Gurbinder Atwal and Raman Behl. Security provided to former Akali MLAs Gobind Kanjla, Ranjit Singh, Vir Singh Lopoke and Ujagar Singh Badali will also be trimmed. As many as 72 police personnel attached with bureaucrats, including Secretary, Power, Secretary, Education, and Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal have been withdrawn. Six gunmen attached with Amritsar Corporation Commissioner Dharampal Gupta have been recalled.
|
|
Ministerspeak: Looking ahead
What is your view about the Public Works Department? We have been grappling with complaints on poor quality material used for carpeting roads and on delayed projects. I will ensure that the staff and contractors work honestly. I plan to make new bridges so that no part of Punjab remains disconnected. This will be the biggest challenge for me. What tops your agenda? It is quality and timely completion of work. Anybody found guilty for poor quality of work will not be spared. We will soon recruit more junior engineers and sub-divisional officers for greater efficiency. The quality control wing of the department needs a rejig to make it more accountable. Any plans to improve department functioning? My first task is to make roads better. I will not allow any laxity in this regard. I have issued instructions on the time span of roads. If a road is damaged before the stipulated life span, I will initiate strict action against the officers and contractors concerned. How will you tackle the official-contractor nexus? I have just taken over the reins of the department. But I can assure you that there is no space for black sheep. The PWD is often called a corruption den. What do you have to say? I will not tolerate corruption. Anybody found guilty will face the music. I will recommend the strongest possible action against the guilty. On the other hand, honest and hardworking department officials will be encouraged. What are the major challenges before you? Most works are not completed in time, resulting in a sharp rise in project costs. Another issue is that of non-utilisation of Union Government funds. Do you have enough funds to keep going? We have enough funds to carry out the promised projects. There will be no hindrance to development works on account of shortage of funds. Any timeline for meeting poll promises? All promises made in our poll manifesto will be honoured in five years. Most of these will be met in the first three years of our tenure. What are the major projects in the offing? Four-laning of the Zirakpur-Patiala and Patiala-Bathinda (217.145 km long) roads, flyovers, 11 under-passes for vehicles and 21 for pedestrians and a bridge on the Bhakra main line are some key projects. We plan to build roads alongside canals and rivers. Constructed property is getting devalued because of the rising plinth level of roads. Your comments. We have called a departmental meeting and will take a decision on the matter soon. What is your agenda for the next three months? Work on widening the Patiala-Chandigarh road will start this September. Land for four laning the Patiala-Chandigarh road has been acquired and clearance from the forest and environment departments received. The bridge on the Morinda-Chandigarh road will be completed soon.
|
||
|
Op Bluestar Memorial’s ‘kar sewa’ starts
Amritsar, May 20 Thousands of activists of various Sikh organisations as well as devotees converged in the Golden Temple Complex for the launch of "kar sewa" of the memorial in the morning. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the memorial had been a long pending demand of the Sikhs and the Sikh leadership was well aware of the community's sentiments. Reacting to various organisations' resentment against handing over "kar sewa" to the Damdami Taksal, he said it was always easy to point fingers but difficult to accomplish a task. He said various Sikh organisations and personalities engaged in "kar sewa" were supporting Baba Harnam Singh in his effort. He appealed to the Sikh Sangat to donate generously for the construction of the memorial. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh also justified the SGPC move to give "kar sewa" to Baba Harnam Singh. He cautioned the community to donate funds for the memorial only to Baba Harnam Singh and to no one else. "We have neither set up any 'golak' nor authorised anyone to collect funds for the purpose," he said. Later, Makkar and Sikh high priests presented a 'siropa' to Baba Harnam Singh. The Sikh clergy, Makkar and Baba Harnam Singh laid the foundation stone of the memorial around 10 am. The funds for the memorial started flowing in even before the foundation stone was laid. A list of donors was read out at the ceremony. Kamaldeep Kaur, whose brother Balwant Singh Rajoana is on death row in the Beant Singh assassination case, also donated Rs 1
lakh. How the monument will look
How things shaped February 20, 2002:
The SGPC passes a resolution to build Operation Bluestar Memorial May 27, 2005: A special SGPC executive meeting, held at Anandpur Sahib, unanimously resolves to build the memorial June 6, 2011: The SGPC constitutes a five-member committee to prepare the blueprint of the memorial May 3, 2012: SGPC gives its final consent to the memorial, hands over "kar sewa" to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa cm skips function CM Parkash S Badal was conspicuous by his absence at the ceremony. In fact, there was no representative from the state government.
|
||
|
Shock treatment for power thieves
Patiala, May 20 The Power Corp authorities said from the total power generation annually, about 4 to 5 per cent power is being stolen by various categories of consumers. “In the domestic/commercial sectors, we are using electronic meters whereas in industrial units, meters with much better tamperproof specifications are being used. Even if one manages to tamper with the meters, we can detect the same because electronic meters keep record of 70 days,” he said. In an appeal to the masses to come forward to expose power theft cases, Chaudhri said, “The identity of the complainant will be kept secret”.
|
||
|
Acid attack on Moga woman, 3 daughters
Moga, May 20 Kulwant Kaur, in her statement to the police, said the husband of her elder daughter Jaspreet could be behind the attack. She said Jaspreet was married to Jagtar Singh of Mahesri village five years back. The couple had strained ties. “Five days back, Jaspreet fell ill and came to me. She was hospitalised for two days. Jaspreet’s husband asked her to return home but Jaspreet wanted to stay with me for a few more days. This may have provoked him to attack us,” said a distressed Kulwant Kaur. Surjit Singh Grewal, SSP, said he had asked the SHO concerned to record the statements of the victims and register a case.
|
|
Punjab sees rise in cases of waterborne diseases
Several cases of hepatitis-A and hepatitis-E were reported from
Jalandhar, Amritsar and Pathankot districts while Nawanshahr district saw the outbreak of jaundice in December last and January. The Punjab nodal officer for Integrated Diseases Surveillance Project, Dr Deepak Bhatia, said: “In 2011, as many as 2,12,459 cases of diarrhoea were reported in the state as compared to 1,09,781 cases in 2010.” In 2010, 27,767 cases of enteric fever were reported, the count of which rose to 32,721 the next year. However, the count of people affected with hepatitis-A and E came down from 1,562 cases in 2010 to 1,258 cases a year later. Dr Bhatia said the main precautions to keep waterborne diseases at bay include washing hands properly before eating food, consuming clean water and maintaining hygiene.
|
|
|
Speed governors fail to discipline motorists
Moga, May 20 To escape the law, drivers and owners of most trucks and canters disconnect the speed governing system. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the state government to install speed governors in all commercial vehicles registered in Punjab in the wake of increasing road mishaps. Subsequently, the equipment was installed in more than 3,000 commercial vehicles in Moga, but in more than 90 per cent of the vehicles, these are non-functional. A survey by The Tribune revealed that the speed governor was found functioning only in one out of 10 vehicles in the district. A speed governor reduces the supply of fuel to the fuel pump to limit vehicle’s speed, but once its connection is cut off, the vehicle can run at a high speed as per the engine capacity. Speed governors were also non-functional in the two vehicles involved in an accident on the Moga-Ferozepur highway on May 7 which claimed 18 lives. Jaswant Singh Dhillon, officiating District Transport Officer, claimed that the MVI did not pass any commercial vehicle without a working speed governor.
|
|
|
Shortage of specialists ails Rajindra Hospital
Patiala, May 20 Though Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had recently approved a comprehensive plan worth Rs 122 crore for the overall development of Government Medical College (GMC) and Rajindra Hospital, it will be a challenge for the authorities to chalk out a plan for a complete makeover of the institute. There has been some improvement in the hospital in the recent past, but a lot needs to be done to bring it on par with an institute like PGIMER, Chandigarh. Making the emergency ward air-conditioned, setting up of a neonatal intensive care unit and paediatrics intensive care units along with the opening of a cancer care centre equipped with a simulator and mammography machine have been some of the constructive steps. But nothing has been done to overcome the shortage of specialists. The hospital has the latest equipment, but there is no one to operate these. Besides, the authorities have failed to check the intervention of private laboratories in the hospital who take samples of most of the patients. One can see reports of private labs attached with most of the files, which clearly reflects the seriousness of the problem. There are a few departments where immediate steps are needed to improve their working. Due to a heavy inflow of patients, the gynaeocology department remains cramped most of the time. Sometimes even two patients have to share one bed. The hospital's eye department was in the news a couple of months ago due to improper upkeep of sophisticated machinery worth crores. The machinery, donated by a London-based NGO, has been locked in a dingy room for months now. Despite repeated requests by doctors and patients to use the machinery, no action has been initiated. Perturbed over this, around 20 organisations have formed the Rajindra Hospital Bachao Action Committee, which regularly holds meetings with the administration. Dr KD Singh, principal, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, said a lot of works had been completed and they had planned to spend the grant in a proper manner. “Rajindra Hospital will soon be a model hospital,” he added. In Need of cure
|
|
|
issuing a warning
Chandigarh, May 20 Joshi has directed the Technical Education Department to issue instructions to Punjab Technical University, other deemed universities, technical educational institutions, polytechnics and ITIs to follow the Supreme Court guidelines in this regard. He said strict action would be taken against the institution found violating the norms. The minister has also asked the institutes to take a written undertaking from students and their parents that they would not indulge in ragging. He said parents should be told that involvement of their wards in any form of ragging would invite expulsion from the institute, besides registration of a criminal case against them.
|
|
|
Jails to be named as ‘Sudhar Ghar’
Patiala, May 20 Interestingly, the opening ceremony was held in the presence of
mediapersons, but jail officials closed the door of the jail for the media during the concluding function. Earlier, the DGP (Jails) had announced two months waiver in their sentence for all the participating players. Inmates had given up on drugs and trained hard to compete in the inter-Punjab jail competition.
|
|
|
Canada-based NRI’s death
Ludhiana, May 20 Tajinder had recently contradicted the police theory of suicide by his brother and claimed that the latter was murdered and his body was thrown into a canal. He said he was facing a tough time for getting magisterial permission for DNA sample. He alleged that Jagraon police officials kept asking him about his return to Canada. “I think the police is in a hurry to close the case. Such queries are very discouraging. I am here to seek justice, but I am disillusioned due to the negative attitude of the police,” said
Tajinder.
|
|
Institutional preference only for Punjab students, says HC
Chandigarh, May 19 In a significant judgment affecting the prospects of Panjab University students aspiring to study in the universities of Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that they cannot be treated on a par with their counterparts in Punjab in the matter of admissions; and they form a class apart. The judgment signifies that institutional preference can be given to the students passing their qualifying examinations from Punjab while keeping at bay Panjab University students. Justice K. Kannan of the High Court also upheld institutional preference of 50 per cent in the general category for admission to MDS, MD, MS and PG diploma courses for students passing their qualifying examination from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University and Punjabi University. The Case
The issue of keeping Panjab University students at bay was raised by PU student Raj Sandeep Singh. The BDS student seeking admission to a postgraduate course had thrown a challenge to an advertisement-notification issued by Baba Farid University providing 50 per cent institutional preference to the students of the three universities. His argument was that institutional preference has been provided to exclude PU students in an unconstitutional manner. His counsel had argued that Chandigarh was Punjab’s capital; and there were “decisions that hold there is no difference between the University of Punjab and other universities established in the state of Punjab”. Further argument was that otherwise also institutional preference, aimed at ensuring institutional continuity, must be confined to Baba Farid University and could not be extended to Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University students. The Verdict
After hearing the arguments, Justice Kannan asserted: “A student of Panjab University, Chandigarh, forms a distinct class and he cannot vie for an equal treatment as students from other universities established in Punjab, for whom the preference is given through the notifications, which fall within the constitutional boundaries”. Dismissing the petition, Justice Kannan added: “The Central Government took away the districts of Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda and Ropar in the state of Punjab from Panjab University and the whole territory of Himachal Pradesh subsequently. “As a result, Panjab University ceased to operate and function in those core districts of the state of Punjab and entire state of Himachal Pradesh…. The government of Punjab, in providing through its notification a preference to students of the three universities, was literally providing promotion of a state interest….” Justice Kannan concluded that historically speaking Panjab University and the other three universities in Punjab formed “two different classes”. As such, “the question of allowing the extension of institutional preference to the universities outside the state of Punjab by including Panjab University does not arise at all…. “The institutional preference is constitutionally permissible…. Such distinction has an object to fulfill, namely giving a preferential edge to the students within the state of Punjab to secure admission to the university for serving its state”.
|
|
Khanna police seizes 365 bags of poppy husk
Ludhiana/Khanna, May 20 The police arrested five drug peddlers and unearthed an illegal poppy husk manufacturing unit being operated from the dhaba. Ludhiana Range DIG MF Farooqui claimed that with the crackdown, the police had managed to snap the supply line of poppy husk, which was making its way into rural areas of the state. About the operation, Farooqui said on May 16, SSP Inderbir Singh directed the Khanna police to set up a naka near Ramgarh village and during checking, the police arrested two persons travelling in a Scorpio vehicle and recovered opium and poppy husk from their possession. During investigation, the police found that Amandeep Singh, a resident of Harion Kalan village, and Avtar Singh Raji, a resident of Lalheri village, were mere peddlers and the real kingpin of the gang was Lakhwinder Singh. It further came to light that Lakhwinder was operating a poppy husk unit at a dhaba near Meergunj village in Bareilly district. After getting a search warrant of the unit, a police team led by Sadar Police Station SHO Waryam Singh, reached Bareilly and contacted the local police. During the raid, they recovered 365 bags of poppy husk from a godown and unearthed an illegal poppy husk manufacturing unit run by Lakhwinder Singh Lucky. However, Lakhwinder managed to escape from the spot, but his three accomplices identified as Babblu, Nanne Lal and Ganesh, all residents of Uttar Pradesh, were arrested from the spot. The police got a case registered under Section 8,15,18, 22 of the NDPS Act at Meerganj and handed over the recovered contraband and arrested persons to the local police.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, May 20
Committed to put Punjab on the fast lane with a network of world-class roads and bridges, Punjab’s Public Works Minister, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, says there will be zero tolerance to sloppy works and those jumping deadlines will be taken to task. In an interview with Kanchan Vasdev, the minister says stern action will be taken against erring officials.
Twenty eight years after the Army stormed into the Golden Temple Complex and 10 years after the SGPC first passed a resolution supporting it, the foundation stone of Operation Bluestar Memorial was today finally laid by Sikh high priests in the presence of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh.
Making a concerted effort to check power theft in the state, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited
(PSPCL) detected 82,454 theft cases and imposed a penalty of Rs 110.48 crore during 2011-12.
While the enforcement wing of the PSPCL detected 11,140 cases and imposed Rs 35.31-crore penalty, the operation wing came across 71,314 cases of power theft and recovered Rs 75.17 crore as fine from violators.
Kundi connections
Kulwant Kaur and her three daughters were attacked with acid while they were sleeping on the courtyard of their house at Saleena village late last night. The victims were rushed to a private hospital by their
neighbours. They were shifted to the district hospital here this afternoon. Kulwant Kaur, in her statement to the police, said the husband of her elder daughter Jaspreet could be behind the attack. She said Jaspreet was married to Jagtar Singh of Mahesri village five years back.
All jails in Punjab would soon be named as “Sudhar
Ghar” (rehabilitation house) and the capacity of the open-air jail at Nabha would be doubled to accommodate inmates from other jails, said DGP (Jails) Shashi Kant during the concluding ceremony of the Jail Mini Olympics held at the Central Jail here. Patiala bagged the over all first trophy followed by
Amritsar.
Committed to put Punjab on the fast lane with a network of world-class roads and bridges, Punjab’s Public Works Minister, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, says there will be zero tolerance to sloppy works and those jumping deadlines will be taken to task. In an interview with Kanchan Vasdev, the minister says stern action will be taken against erring officials
The two places that were projected as the memorial site over the last few days will actually be integrated to form one complete structure
While the enforcement wing of the PSPCL detected 11,140 cases and imposed Rs 35.31-crore penalty, the operation wing came across 71,314 cases of power theft and recovered Rs 75.17 crore as fine from violators. The corporation’s enforcement wing is solely entrusted with the work of detecting power theft, wrong metering, irregularities in connections and detecting violations of instructions of the corporation by its employees and consumers.
PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) KD Chaudhri said as compared to states like UP, Bihar and Odisha, Punjab is better placed as far as power theft is concerned. “Power is being stolen through kundi connections and tempering of meters. From 4-5 per cent of energy loss in the form of power theft, we hope to bring it down to 1-2 per cent in the next two years”. “There are 32 lakh power consumers in rural areas and 15-16 lakh in urban and semi-urban areas. So far, 20-25 per cent electricity meters have been shifted outside the premises of consumers and the remaining will be shifted by March 2014,” said Chaudhri. The CMD said the number of applicants for new connections was going up, “which means that PSPCL’s efforts have started yielding desired results”.
Ludhiana, May 20
Once considered a prestigious medical institute in this part of the state, Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala no longer enjoys the same reputation, thanks to the negligent attitude of the authorities.
Punjab Technical Education Minister Anil Joshi today issued instructions to all engineering colleges, polytechnics and ITIs to take preventive steps to ensure that students in fresh batches were not subjected to any harassment and ragging by their seniors.
