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Staff shortage hits Shagun Scheme
Two more booked in Ferozepur
Punjab Budget Session from June 19
21 held with illegal arms in Barnala
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PTU scraps third round of counselling
Rape convict sentenced to seven yrs in jail
Suspension of Anganwari workers’ leader triggers protest
Nath Samparday chief killed in road mishap
Survey ordered for Bathinda, Ldh rail sections
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Staff shortage hits Shagun Scheme
Muktsar, June 8 As per the records, nearly 3,000-3,500 persons apply for the benefit of Rs 15,000 under the Shagun Scheme in the district every year. There is no district welfare officer here and the situation is almost the same ever since the district was carved out in 1995. At the other two tehsils falling in the district, Malout and Gidderbaha, not even a single employee has been engaged and the public has to come to Muktsar office, which is also facing staff crunch. It may be mentioned here that in other districts, a tehsil welfare officer, a clerk and a sevadar are employed at tehsil level. It adds to nine officials for the three tehsils (Malout, Muktsar and Gidderbaha) falling in Muktsar district and six employees for the district welfare office, including a district welfare officer, a senior assistant, a steno, a clerk, a computer operator and a sevadar. But, here the department is functioning with just three employees and the work is drastically affected. A visit to the office at the Ambedkar Bhavan revealed that the files were being dumped in a corner and public was waiting to get their work done. Not only this, the beneficiaries who applied under the scheme between November 1, 2009, and March 31, 2011, are still waiting to avail of the benefit. A number of them are now even having children, but the cheques meant to be given immediately after the marriage, are still awaited. Jagroop Singh, a resident of Rahurianwali village, who had come to enquire about the status of his daughter’s case, said, “My daughter Amrit Pal Kaur applied for the benefit under the Shagun Scheme on March 13, 2011, but has not got the benefit yet.” Virtually, a one-man army Gurmeet Singh Karyalvi, who is the tehsil welfare officer and also holds an additional charge of the district welfare officer, said, “More staff is required and the matter is in the notice of the higher-ups.” He admitted that there was not even a single official engaged in Malout and Gidderbaha sub-divisions and people have to come to Muktsar to get their works done. About the delay in issuing cheques to beneficiaries, who had applied between November 2009 and March 2011, he said, “The department has not allocated budget for this period, as yet.” Gurmeet Singh further informed that besides the Shagun Scheme, the department was also performing various other duties like distribution of books to schools under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, scholarships to students, award money of Rs 50,000 on inter-caste marriages (if either of the bridegroom or bride belongs to scheduled caste). |
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Two more booked in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, June 8 In the first case, the police has booked a person identified as Anant Ram Chopra for allegedly raising a colony on 3.4 acres in Shanti Nagar locality of the city under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act-1995. In the second case, Pushpinder Singh, a resident of Jalandhar, has been booked for yet another unauthorised colony which had come up on 5.28 acres near Dera Radha Swami on the Ichewala road in the city. Both the cases were registered on the basis of the complaint lodged by Surjit Singh, the Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Ferozepur. It may be recalled that earlier, the police had booked 18 persons for allegedly constructing unauthorised colonies in Ferozepur and surrounding areas. Sources in the urban development authority said there were specific instructions from the government to go tough on the illegal colonisers. An official said the government had sought reports on the number of unauthorised colonies in the respective areas of the executive officers of various municipalities and the officials concerned of the urban development department. “All the officials have been asked to prepare such lists and certify that action has been taken against all unauthorised colonies in the area under their jurisdiction,” said another official. |
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Punjab Budget Session from June 19
Chandigarh, June 8 A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s office said the session would commence in the afternoon with obituary references. Budget estimates for 2012-13 would be presented on June 20 and the general discussion on the estimates held on June 22, 25 and 26. The Cabinet also approved guidelines for partnership with private training providers (PTPs) for vocational training and skill development aimed to expand and strengthen skill development facilities. The Cabinet approved a breeding policy to improve the quality of cows and buffaloes through artificial insemination in a planned manner. It also decided to notify the Punjab State Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animal Rules, 2012, under the Central Act of Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animal Rules, 2009, to check the spread of infectious diseases among animals. This initiative will help implement Phase-I of the National Dairy Plan in the state aimed at revitalising village-level societies engaged in collection of milk besides improving the breed of milch cattle. In a bid to attract the best doctors in government hospitals, the Cabinet approved higher education allowance for PCMS doctors equivalent to five annual increments i.e. 15 per cent of the basic pay. Doctors who obtained a postgraduate degree would be entitled to higher education allowance equivalent to four increments i.e. 12 % of their basic pay. The Cabinet gave the nod to removing 137 posts in the Town and Country Planning wing out of the purview of the PPSC and the State Services Selection Board and approved filling of these posts on the basis of a written exam through an external agency. The Cabinet approved the filling of 30 posts of junior engineers in Rural Development & Panchayats wing from the direct recruitment quota by taking these out of the purview of the PPSC and SSSB. The Cabinet also approved the Punjab Prosecution and Litigation (Group-B) Service Rules, 2012, regulating the recruitment and conditions or service of those appointed to the Punjab Prosecution & Litigation (Group ‘B’) service by including Assistant District Attorney in Group ‘B’. The Cabinet also decided to amend the Punjab Excise & Taxation Department (State Service Class-III A) Rules, 1956, to abolish (12.5%) ministerial staff quota for promotion as ETOs. Now 50 % promotions will be from among the department inspectors. The Cabinet also approved the creation of requisite staff in the newly created Sahnewal sub-tehsil in Ludhiana district. In another important decision, the Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to ensure that all blocks/sub-tehsils sanctioned recently were provided requisite staff. In order to cut expenditure, the Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to formulate a policy on official vehicles within a month, whereby the vehicles could be replaced with a monthly transport allowance. |
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21 held with illegal arms in Barnala
Bathinda, June 8 |
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PTU scraps third round of counselling
Jalandhar, June 8 The university has decided to limit the counselling to just two rounds and subsequently handover the vacant seats to the respective colleges where the chance of fair and transparent conduct of admission is unlikely. Till the last year, the university had been conducting third round after putting all reserved category seats in the general pool. Majority of such seats reserved for SC/BC category, physically handicapped and tsunami-hit candidates that remained vacant in top engineering colleges even after two rounds were filled up through common online counselling that facilitated the candidates to get admission in more sought-after colleges or streams in a transparent manner. Certain middle-rung colleges, however, were against this round as it led to movement of students to upper colleges creating vacancies in their colleges. Without online counselling, candidates who would be trying for improving their admission prospects would not be able to go to more than two colleges to seek upgradation. Even as the result of AIEEE, on the basis of which the counselling is to be done for four universities of the state, is expected tomorrow. The university has already started the process of fee deposition. Online registration and choice filling for the first round is scheduled from June 22 onwards. The result of allotment of seats is expected around July 4. There are over 40,000 seats in various colleges in the state, including those of PTU, Punjabi University, Patiala, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to which admission is to be conducted through counselling. Dr AP Singh, Dean, PTU, said the admission was being conducted on the basis of the directions of the Punjab Government. “We are bound to follow the orders,” he pointed out while adding that the decision had been taken to squeeze the admission schedule and start classes in the first week of August. |
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Rape convict sentenced to seven yrs in jail
Muktsar, June 8 According to the details available, Surinder Kumar had taken a rented accommodation in the victim's house in the Aggarwal Colony. On March 25, 2009, the accused called his landlord's daughter, whom he used to give tuitions, on the pretext of ill-health of his wife and raped her. He also threatened the girl of dire consequences if she told anyone. |
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Suspension of Anganwari workers’ leader triggers protest
Fazilka, June 8 Reshma Rani said she had lodged a complaint with the vigilance department some three months back, regarding embezzlement in the local office, adding that she was suspended out of ill will and on false allegations. Child Development and Project Officer Amrish Jain said being accountant, Reshma Rani had released the salaries to two employees without completing the formalities. |
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Nath Samparday chief killed in road mishap
Abohar, June 8 The Swami had organised scores of religious congregation couples with activities aimed at welfare of children and needy women. Loonkaransar-based police officer Jitender Swami said over the phone that the accident occurred in between village Hansera and Dulmera. The driver and cleaner of the truck fled after the mishap. The vehicle has been impounded and a case has been registered. Hundreds of followers of the sage reached the site of the accident. The police assisted them in shifting the bodies to Swami's palatial dera at Jakhranwali village today. Thousands more converged as Swami was laid to rest; other bodies were cremated by their respective kin at Jakhranwali and Abohar. |
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Survey ordered for Bathinda, Ldh rail sections
Sriganganagar, June 8 Speaking during a function organised to flag off new trains on the Sriganganagar-Suratgarh section, he informed that the initial cost of gauge conversion on this section was estimated at Rs 168.8 crore but with the escalation in costs due to delay in completion of the project, it rose to Rs 279.58 crore. He added that the North Western Railways had got 48 per cent share in the project for providing railway under bridges at 1,247 unmanned railway crossings across the country. —
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The Barnala police has arrested 21 members of a gang and seized 25 illegal weapons besides ammunition from their possession.
