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Dhillon will help SAD strengthen base: Badal
SAD is eyeing Patiala LS seat |
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Sukhbir sets fresh targets to overcome fiscal crisis
MBBS seats reduced; students jittery
Cong leader in trouble
power from Northern Grid
Award for villages with single gurdwara
Harassment case
Mining mafia thwarts govt efforts to bring down prices
20 more gastro cases reported in Patiala
Abohar- Fazilka rail link to open on
July 16, finally
Punjabi University
Dera property vandalised in Samana
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Dhillon will help SAD strengthen base: Badal
Chandigarh, July 12 Welcoming him to the party fold, Badal said today was a "red letter" day for the SAD as a committed leader like Dhillon had joined the party. He said the party would now get a fresh vigour and its base would be further strengthened. Training his guns against the Congress, Badal said it had always worked on the policy of "divide and rule" to capture power in the state whereas the SAD had remained a votary of communal harmony and peace. He said Dhillon’s father had served as Attorney-General during the government headed by Justice Gurnam Singh due to which they had cordial relations with each other. The Chief Minister hoped that Dhillon would continue to serve the people with utmost commitment and sincerity. Sukhbir said Deepinder had joined the party unconditionally. Lashing out at the Congress, he said the party was in ruins because its leadership was insensitive towards the woes of the common man. Dhillon said he had parted ways with the Congress because its leadership had grossly ignored his commitment and concern for the common party workers. He said for more than two decades he had served the Congress, but his work was not acknowledged by the party leadership.
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SAD is eyeing Patiala LS seat
Chandigarh, July 12 While the SAD struck a psychological blow to PCC chief Amarinder Singh by winning over his brother Raja Malvinder Singh in the runup to the assembly elections early this year, it has weakened Preneet Kaur, with one of her loyalists, Deepinder Singh Dhillon, switching sides. Sources say though the odds are still in Preneet’s favour, she now has only one loyalist in Rajpura MLA Hardyal Kamboj. Also, there is also uncertain if her husband Amarinder will continue to be the PCC chief till 2014. In such a scenario the negative attitude of some senior Congress leaders from the Patiala parliamentary constituency towards the royal family could cost Preneet dear. Senior leader and Sanaur MLA Laal Singh, a claimant for the PCC chief’s post, will, at best, be ambivalent towards her. The party’s Ghanaur candidate Madal Lal is Laal Singh’s relative and will toe the latter’s line. Patiala Rural MLA Brahm Mohindra has never enjoyed good ties with Patiala’s royal family. The Congress cannot bank on the Samana seat from where Preneet’s son Raninder was defeated by SAD’s Surjit Singh Rakhra. The Congress has also lost the Shatrana and Ghanaur seats to the SAD. Preneet, however, is assured of a huge lead from Patiala and Rajpura if one is to go by the assembly election trends with Capt Amarinder winning Patiala with a margin of 42,000 votes. However, here too the SAD is fomenting dissensions as evident from the near revolt by former Mayor Vishnu Sharma during the municipal corporation elections. The Patiala MP may find solace in the fact that the Akalis are yet to identify a candidate against her. Rakhra is pushing the case of his brother Charanjit Rakhra while Deepinder is being projected as a candidate from Patiala by his supporters, even as former minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh’s son Jasjit Singh ‘Bunny’ nurses hopes of getting the party nomination.
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Sukhbir sets fresh targets to overcome fiscal crisis
Chandigarh, July 12 Source said the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) had been told to generate an additional revenue of Rs 350 crore over and above a revenue of Rs 3,375 crore to be generated from stamp duty and registration of deeds, as mentioned in the Budget. He had been asked to deal strictly with cases of stamp duty evasion. The Excise and Taxation Department had been told to generate a revenue of Rs 1,000 crore in addition to Rs 14,213 crore to be collected through value-added tax (VAT). The Local Bodies and Urban Development and Housing Departments had been told to generate an additional Rs 1,000 crore. The Local Bodies Department, it was pointed out, could generate revenue from properties developed by improvement trusts in various cities. The Home Department had been told to mop up an additional revenue of Rs 200 crore. The department is likely to substantially increase the arms licence fee to meet the target. The Transport Department has been directed to contribute Rs 200 crore more. Sukhbir had told the officials that a meeting would be held with senior BJP leaders next week to discuss issues such as property tax, the sources said. Officials had also been told to study the professional tax levied by various states and put up a proposal in this regard for consideration at the next meeting.
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MBBS seats reduced; students jittery
Faridkot, July 12 At the time when the test was conducted, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) had offered 1,070 MBBS seats in nine medical colleges of the state. But a week before the start of counselling (scheduled to commence on July 17) for admissions, the number of seats has been reduced to 770. There are two reasons behind this move. First, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has denied permission to Chintpurni Medical College, Pathankot, to fill its 150 seats for 2012-13. Second, the BFUHS is indecisive about holding counselling for 150 seats of the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, as the latter recently got the status of a private university. Though the BFUHS is yet to get any official communication on university status to Adesh, the state Cabinet gave its nod to the draft Bill for setting up this university last month, said Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, BFUHS. Since a university has the right to conduct its own counselling, the BFUHS is undecided on Adesh's 150 MBBS seats. Meanwhile, the Adesh University authorities have claimed that they will hold counselling for admissions in all Adesh group colleges. With only a couple of days left for the start of counselling for MBBS seats, the BFUHS authorities and students are not yet clear on the total number of available medical seats. "We are hopeful that the situation will become clear in the next two days," said Dr Gill. Besides, the MCI denial of fresh admissions to Chintpurni Medical College for this academic session has left 150 students of the previous batch in the lurch. While denying permission, the MCI orders read that Chintpurni Medical College is not permitted for renewal of permission u/s 10(A) for the year 2012-13.
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Cong leader in trouble
Jalandhar, July 12 Henry, who is said to have UK citizenship, reportedly appeared before SM Garg, Secretary, Government of India, on July 10. In November 2009, Henry’s son Gurjit Singh Sanghera had accused him of possessing two passports with fake residential addresses. Seeking action against his father, he had made written complaints to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Punjab DGP. Sanghera had alleged that Henry had visited England on an Indian passport that was issued by the Passport Office, Delhi. He had identified himself as son of Lakhbir Singh Sanghera, who was, in fact, his elder brother. The complainant had further alleged that Henry had made a false averment in his British passport that his “father” Lakhbir Singh Sanghera had died in 1905. The latter had in fact died in November 2006. Sanghera alleged that Avtar Henry obtained the British citizenship on the basis of the old passport issued by the Indian Government. On his return to India in September 1969, he again got a passport made from the Passport Office, Jalandhar, identifying himself as son of Joginder Singh. Gurjit Singh alleged that his father, violating the Hindu Marriage Act, married Harinder Kaur without divorcing his first wife Surinder Kaur, whom he had married in 1964. The Jalandhar police initially looked into Sanghera’s complaint. Later, the case file was left to gather dust at the SSP’s office. The case was reopened by the police after Sanghera, with the help of his friend Ajay Sehgal, an RTI activist, approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court directed the Union Home Ministry, the Punjab Chief Secretary and the state DGP to complete the probe against the former state minister within four months. Talking to the Tribune, Gaurav Yadav, Police Commissioner, said: “We have complied with the court directions and a comprehensive report, prepared by Navjot Singh Mahal, Additional DCP, has been submitted to the DGP. Efforts to contact Henry proved futile.
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power from Northern Grid
Patiala, July 12 Representatives from Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh are participating in the meeting. Speaking to The Tribune, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) Director (Distribution) Arun Verma said, “We have taken up the matter with the NRPC that the 5,400-MW capacity for Punjab should be increased. Because of the restriction of the TTC, power cuts have to be imposed in Punjab despite the fact that the Power Corporation has sufficient resources to purchase power from private players.” Meanwhile, PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director KD Chaudhri said the Power Corporation was being criticised for imposing power cuts, whereas the ground situation was different. Chaudhri said, “The PSPCL has done everything possible to ensure that maximum power flows through the system and there are no power cuts.” He said last year in the months of May, June and till July 10, the power purchased from short-term agreements and unscheduled interchange (UI) was 29,453 lakh units (LUs), whereas this year the figure stands at 47,874 LUs, marking a steep increase of 18,421 LUs. The CMD said the PSPCL was forced to impose cuts after the demand inceased drastically. “Though, we have resources to purchase power to meet the demand but because of the TTC limit of 5,400-MW, we are helpless,” he said.
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Award for villages with single gurdwara
The Sikh high priests met today and discussed ways to counter the threat posed by casteism. Talking to the mediapersons, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said: “The Sikh gurus had put an end to discrimination on caste lines. The Akal Takht has already issued an edict on June 13, directing the community not to construct gurdwaras on the basis of castes. It is not in the interest of society to create a divide in the name of castes”. He said the panchayats which would put an end to the practice of having gurdwaras on caste lines and retain a single gurdwara for the entire village would be honoured by the Akal Takht, besides being awarded with a certificate of commendation. He said the villages having various gurdwaras should maintain only one while using others for religious or community works. In another significant decision, the Jathedar issued directions that no gurdwara should be constructed at a place illegally encroached upon. “Anyone building such a gurdwara will face strict action,” he warned. He said anybody constructing a gurdwara should first seek permission from the Akal Takht, besides getting the land for the gurdwara registered in the name of Guru Granth Sahib. In a related development, the Sikh clergy has directed SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar to order a probe by a senior SGPC official into the incident in which a gurdwara was allegedly demolished by supporters of a dera at Waraich village in Amritsar. They have sought the report from the SGPC within five days, after which they will decide the future course of action. On film actor Amitabh Bachchan's letter to the Akal Takht, pleading innocence in 1984 riots, the Jathedar said the All-India Sikh Students Federation, led by Karnail Singh Peermohammed and others, who were claiming that Bachchan was involved, were yet to produce any evidence. "We will deliberate on the issue once the proof is presented before us," he said. In another key decision, the Sikh clergy withdrew its decision of excommunicating Nihang Dharam Singh while stating that one of his cases is pending in a court. They said they would take a decision on the issue once the court proceedings are completed. On the issue of Gurdwara Bala Sahib in Delhi, the priests directed both sides not to resort to statements against each other.
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Harassment case
Jalandhar, July 12 In her complaint to the commission, Harminder Pal's wife Harmanjeet Kaur, a resident of Khera Jatta village in Patiala distirct, had alleged that she had been harassed by her husband and in-laws even as her parents gave them Rs 10 lakh as dowry. Her husband took her to Paraguay after their wedding in 2007, but she was forced to return to India even as she was pregnant. Now, she has a three-year-old daughter. Harmanjit alleged that she was subjected to regular beating by her husband at the instance of her in-laws. Her brother-in-law Gurpreet Ram also abused her whenever he was in India, she alleged. Directing the IG (NRI Affairs) to take an appropriate action in the case, commission chairperson Justice Arvind Kumar (retd) said: "This is a fit case for action. The complainant is entitled for alimony for herself and her daughter". He also directed the RPO to take action against the NRI possessing passport no. F-8819018, issued in 2006. "Harmanjeet was subjected to torture and harassment from day one by her husband and his family members even during her brief stay abroad. She was even forced to return to India when she was pregnant. The commission feels it is a fit case for intervention," said Justice Arvind Kumar. "The practice of women being abandoned by their NRI husbands is not new. The problem is not that women are being abandoned, but they are being subjected to face harassment at hands of their in-laws, forced to bring dowry to settle in the families and are even subjected to cruelty," said the order.
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Mining mafia thwarts govt efforts to bring down prices
Chandigarh, July 12 As of now, sand is being sold at Rs 2,600 per 100 cubic feet and bajri Rs 3,500 per 100 cubic feet. Simply put, a truckload of sand (750 cubic feet) costs Rs 19,500 and a truckload of bajri Rs 26,250. The stone crusher owners are selling sand to retailers at Rs 1,600 per 100 cubic feet and bajri at Rs 2,700 per 100 cubic feet. During the Budget session, the government had said it would bring down the prices of sand and gravel. Accordingly, it allowed the stone crushers to begin operations and sell their “pending stocks” after giving an indemnity bond to the district authorities concerned regarding the stock available with them. However, it is learnt that it is with the overt and covert support of the district authorities in Ropar and Nawanshahr that the sand mining mafia has agreed to allow the stone crushers to operate, only after they agree to pay the mafia bosses a royalty (an illegal tax) of Rs 260 per 100 cubic feet. Sources say the rate of royalty was determined four days ago at a meeting between representatives of the mining mafia and stone crusher owners, allegedly facilitated by district administration officials. Government officials, however, contend that the rates will fall eventually, when a majority of stone crushers become operational. “As of now, only 40 stone crushers are operational. By tomorrow, we expect 46 more crushers to become operational. As the gap between demand and supply shrinks, the prices will come down. “Moreover, we have received environmental clearance for allowing quarrying in 25 more quarries across Punjab,” said a top government official.
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20 more gastro cases reported in Patiala
Patiala, July 12 Investigations by The Tribune reveal that faulty sewerage system and illegal water supply connections are the cause of the spread of this disease. Many houses are using plastic pipes to draw water from water sources, which is illegal. Putting the onus on the MC, Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr Virinder Singh Mohi stated that water supply was not their domain. “There are many illegal connections in the area as a result of which water stagnates there. One can also see heaps of garbage at many places. All these things have led to the outbreak of this epidemic. Still, we are doing our bit. We are distributing chlorine tablets among people and have also given them ORS sachets,” he said. The Civil Surgeon said they had collected five more water samples from the area and sent the same to a laboratory for testing. “We will get the report tomorrow morning,” he added. Denying the charges, Patiala Municipal Commissioner GS Sidhu said the MC was nowhere involved in the issue. “I have visited the site and there is no contamination of water. There were a few illegal connections which we have disconnected and my team is still there,” he added. When asked what else could be the reason behind this outbreak, he said he could not comment on that as he was unaware of the cause but it certainly was not contaminated water.
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Abohar- Fazilka rail link to open on
July 16, finally
Abohar, July 12 Railways officials today ran a special train on the track for a final inspection. Former MP Virendra Kataria said he had talked to Railway Minister Mukul Roy over the phone regarding the inauguration. The Abohar-Fazilka rail link will pave the way for linking the two remotely located cantonments at Udhampur (J&K) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan). Kataria had moved a proposal in the Rajya Sabha to connect Abohar and Fazilka by rail in 1994. The proposal was okayed by the Planning Commission in 1995. It took almost two decades for the project to become a reality.
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Punjabi University
Chandigarh, July 12 The High Court has also turned down the plea for quashing an advertisement issued on May 14 for filling up 200 posts of clerk on regular and contract basis. In his petition, Jagdev Singh had contended that the advertisement for recruiting teaching and non-teaching staff was issued on June 20. His argument was that the respondents have tried to favour backdoor entrants by giving preference to candidates earning experience from varsities. His arguments failed to find favour with the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain. The Bench ruled the prayer could not be granted as “in service jurisprudence, appointment was an individual right of a candidate”. The Bench added that a challenge to the recruitment process could be thrown by a candidate whose right was affected by the conditions or qualification prescribed in the advertisement.
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Dera property vandalised in Samana
Patiala , July 12 Sources said more than 12 unidentified persons trespassed into the dera premises and broke chairs and mirrors. The dera has a huge following in several states of the country. “The attackers’ obvious aim was to create social tension. They indulged in vandalism and left immediately”, the sources said. “What we have gathered from our investigation so far is that at least 12 men wearing masks attacked the dera premises on Wednesday night. “The numberplates of the two vehicles in which they came were covered. They were at the dera for 10 minutes, breaking chairs and mirrors”, a police official said. Local residents said it could be the handiwork of some drunk youths. But Intelligence inputs point a finger at Sikh hardliners. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said they were looking into the matter. “Efforts are on to nab the culprits”, he added. Meanwhile, areas that fall along the state’s boundary with Haryana have been sealed as a precautionary measure.
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Punjab Power Corporation has taken up the matter of increasing the Total Transfer Capacity
(TTC) of power from the Northern Grid from the existing limit of 5,400-MW to at least 5,800-MW at a two-day meeting of the Northern Regional Power Committee
(NRPC) and the Technical Sub-Committee.
Patiala, July 12
Amritsar, July 12