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Orders on use of official vehicles flouted
Rakhra okays Rs 176-cr water treatment plant
Rahul lends ear to grass-roots leaders
(From right) AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Pradesh Congress chief Amarinder Singh and CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar in Amritsar on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph
Paddy glut in mandis as millers refuse to relent
Farmers block highway over delay in lifting paddy
Staff use loudspeakers in Patiala hospital
Direct DSGMC chief’s poll will empower Sikhs: Sarna
Paramjit S Sarna in Amritsar
Another gastro death in Batala
Crime on the rise in Muktsar
Court summons Omaxe MD
Gang of snatchers busted; 8 arrested
Undertrial attacked in courts complex
School dropouts take to crime, nabbed
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Customs officials rely on manual checking
Amritsar, October 10 Days after more than 100 kg of heroin was seized in the cargo from Pakistan, The Tribune team took stock of the procedure followed by the Customs Department to carry out security checks once a goods train from Pakistan arrives at the Attari railway station. The officials first check the seals of the wagons and then inspect the wagons physically.Thereafter, the goods train leaves the Attari station and moves towards the Amritsar rail cargo facility.The movement between Attari and Amritsar is usually slow. The train takes about 90 minutes to traverse a distance of 25 km. A section of traders claim this may take three or four hours at times. From Attari to Amritsar, there is no security personnel escorting the train. Customs officials say provinding security is the responsibility of the Railway authorities till the train reaches the Amritsar rail cargo facility. The scenario is equally dismal at the rail cargo facility that is open on all sides. Anybody can access it without impediment. There is no security arrangements for either a loaded train or the goods unloaded there.The Customs officials again check the seals of the rail wagons as it reaches the rail cargo facility. The entire procedure brings to the fore the need for a security overhaul at Attari. An x-ray machine for the rail cargo in Amritsar has been lying defunct for quite some time now. The process to get a new machine is underway, say sources. Investigations into the seizure of 105 kg of heroin from a goods train reveal that the train reached the Amritsar rail cargo facility at 11 pm on Sunday. But it was handed over by the Railways to the Customs at 7 am on Monday.This means nobody kept a watch on the train for the entire night. Heroin slipped into cargo between Attari and Amritsar, claims Pakistan The Controller, Customs, Lahore, Fazal Yazdani, said today that the possibility of heroin being slipped into the rail cargo between Attari and Amritsar could not be ruled out. Talking to the media before returning to Pakistan, he said: “I have learnt that the seal of the wagon was intact at Attari and that it had been broken on the way from Attari to the Amritsar rail cargo.” He stressed on the need for an escort on the Attari-Amritsar stretch. The Procedure Officials check the seals of wagons and inspect the wagons physically The train leaves the Attari station and moves towards Amritsar rail cargo facility It takes 90 minutes to traverse a distance of 25 km; traders claim this could take 4 hours There is no security personnel escorting the train on this stretch Officials check the seals of the rail wagons again as it reaches the rail cargo facility
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Orders on use of official vehicles flouted
Chandigarh, October 10 A circular was issued in line with instructions of the Motor Vehicle Board,1999, asking the Principal and Administrative Secretaries as well as department/board/corporation heads to use only one official vehicle. With no impact on the ground, in 2007 the office of the Chief Minister sent a communication to officers, asking them to adhere to instructions on using only one car. This year, the government sent letters on April 3, April 17 and September 25 on the issue, asking the officers to provide a certificate authenticating that they were using only one staff car. At least two Principal Secretaries admitted that certain officers were keeping more than one vehicle at their disposal. Vehicles meant for boards and corporations are being used by senior officers unofficially, say sources. Junior officers not entitled to an official car are learnt to be using these from the “common pool” for personal use. Among those to have responded to the government communication are Financial Commissioner, Animal Husbandry, Secretary, Transport, Chief Secretary, Home and Forests, Secretary, Home, and Secretary, Taxation. In an effort to curb administrative expenditure, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has already downsized security of VIPs in the state. Having a free run Certain officers have more than one vehicle at their disposal Vehicles meant for boards and corporations are being used by senior officers unofficially Junior officers not entitled to an official car are learnt to be using these from the "common pool" for personal use The government has asked the officers to provide a certificate authenticating that they are using only one staff car
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Rakhra okays Rs 176-cr water treatment plant
Patiala, October 10 Cabinet Minister and Chairman of the District Planning Committee Surjit Singh Rakhra cleared a project of Rs 176 crore for a canal-based water treatment plant. The plant will be set up in two phases. It would solve the problem of scarcity of drinking water in the city. Patiala XEN Water and Sewage Board, B L Ranga, said the project would be completed in association with the irrigation department. “Once we get the water supply inside Rajindra Lake, our focus would be to treat it and make it fit for human consumption,” Ranga added. The first phase of the project would be completed in a year’s time. It would solve the problem of drinking water in the old city. The district would use the five acre land inside the Rajindra Lake to set up the treatment plant. “We will further spend Rs 1 crore for the development of the lake as a tourist place,” said Rakhra. “We will draw water from the Bhakra main Line that originates from Nangal Dam and passes through the boundaries of the city. We will also install underground pipelines to transfer water into the Rajindra Lake”, he stated. A total of 30 acres of land, at cost of Rs 135 crore, would be allotted in Jassowal village for the second phase of the project. After completion, the project would supply clean drinking water to the city population for the next over 30 years. It would also ensure optimum utilisation of the water supply. Earlier majority of this water flowed to Khanauri and passed on to Haryana while some of it was diverted to Talwandi Sabo via Sangrur. For the project, the government will use Punjab’s share of 5 cusecs. The population of Patiala has been hit hard by severe scarcity of drinking water for several months now. “The project is aimed to end all such problems by the end of next year,” said Patiala Mayor Jaspal Singh
Pardhan.
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Rahul lends ear to grass-roots leaders
Amritsar, October 10 Interacting with partymen here, Rahul said: "I have come here to find out as to what were the shortcomings in your state," amply hinting that he meant business. During his first interaction with Congress workers in Punjab, Rahul reportedly chose to lend an ear to block-level leaders despite the fact that senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and PCC members were present there.The media was kept at bay during the programme. Among the major factors listed by party activists for the poll debacle were wrong and delayed distribution of the party ticket, inaccessibility of the state leadership, the rebel factor and party infighting. Some Congress workers complained that new entrants into the party fold were allotted the party ticket and party loyalists ignored. Others spoke of sabotage by those leaders who were denied the ticket. At the end of the interaction, Rahul concluded that ticket allotment by senior leaders without taking grassroots workers like block presidents into confidence, delay in distribution of the party ticket and allotment of the ticket to the kith and kin of senior leaders were the main reasons for the party defeat. He said he would convey the sentiments of the party workers to the party high command and submit a report in this regard. He also sought suggestions for strengthening the party organisation. The interaction was an open house with MPs, MLAs, both sitting and former, district Congress chiefs and block party presidents in attendance. After Pradesh Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh welcomed the AICC general secretary, the latter threw the house open for any suggestions. Rahul picked the participants at random to take their suggestion or question. Only one MLA got the chance to interact with him, the rest being all block-level leaders. Later, the participants expressed satisfaction at the way the entire exercise was conducted. "It has come as a huge morale booster for us. Rahul gave us a chance to speak up, leaving out senior leaders present there," said a worker. Prominent among those present were Union Ministers Ambika Soni and Preneet Kaur, Punjab Congress affairs in charge Gulchain Singh Charak, CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar, Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa, MP Vijay Inder Singla and CWC members Jagmeet Brar and Mohinder Singh Kaypee. Later, Rahul held an interaction with Youth Congress activists. He asked them to build a strong cadre to meet future challenges. Congress MP Deepender Hooda gave his views on the FDI issue while Krishna Bairaguda spoke about the Congress' flagship programmes.
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Paddy glut in mandis as millers refuse to relent
Moga, October 10 There are two groups of rice millers, each led by Rakesh Jain of Jalandhar and Tarsem Singh Saini hailing from Patiala. Though rice millers having affiliation with the Saini group have started lifting the paddy, those with the Jain group are adamant on their demand. Rakesh Jain said: “We are against the new policy. We will not lift paddy unless the government makes an amendment to it”. “Why should we give a bank guarantee or security? We are providing space to the agencies to store their paddy. We do not even charge any rent from them,” Jain said. He said: “The state-owned agencies can store the produce in their own storehouses. We will deliver rice in advance by milling the paddy purchased by us as per the FCI policy”. Jain has called a meeting of his association at Mullanpur on Thursday to chalk out a strategy after the Saini group allegedly patched up with the government and began lifting paddy. A senior official of the Food and Civil Supplies Department said 9,53,084 tonnes of paddy was procured across the state, but not even 10 per cent of it was lifted for storage in rice mills. In Khanna, the largest grain market of the state, out of 18,924 lakh tones, as much as 7,160 tonnes have been procured by private players and the remaining by government agencies. The grain procured by the government agencies is yet to be lifted. In Muktsar, out of 1,07,067 tonnes of paddy arrival, 48,237 tonnes have been procured while 23,640 tonnes have been lifted and the remaining is lying in the markets.
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Farmers block highway over delay in lifting paddy
Muktsar, October 10 A large number of farmers blocked the Malout-Abohar national highway at Kabarwala village today in protest against a delay in the lifting of their produce. The farmers alleged officials of the government agencies had not yet started the purchase of paddy citing one reason or the other. The farmers along with their families today came out on the highway to lodge their protest and blocked the road for nearly an hour. Manjeet Singh, an agitating farmer, said: “As many as 10 days have passed since the procurement of paddy officially started in the state. But the officials have not yet initiated the process in our village”. The blockade led to a huge traffic jam. Though Naib Tehsildar Lakhwinder Singh reached the spot to pacify the protesters, the farmers did not relent. It was only after the Naib Tehsildar announced the start of paddy procurement the farmers gave up their protest.
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Staff use loudspeakers in Patiala hospital
Patiala, October 10 Mayor gave a miss to the function but his son Preetinder Singh, president of district Youth Akali Dal, attended it on his behalf. Various employee leaders and supporters continued to address the gathering in open for about one hour without paying heed to the inconvenience being caused to patients and their attendants. Moreover, the hospital authorities did not even ask the organisers of the function to refrain from using loudspeakers. According to the Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules 2000, 100 m area around any hospital was declared as a silence-zone. These zones can allow only 50 decibel as the permissible limit of the noise tolerance. As per other rules, a loudspeaker or the public address system shall not be used except after obtaining written permission from the authorities. Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr VK Sharda, said: “I was aware of the function. I had not given any permission to organisers to use loudspeakers. They have violated the rules, so we have marked an enquiry into this regard.” State president of the Class IV Employees Union, Darshan Singh Lubana, said: they had held the function in open as permission was denied to organise it indoors. He did not make any comment on the issue of noise pollution. Meanwhile, during the function, many employees alleged that their leaders had forced them to shell out money from their pockets to organise the function. However, Darshan Singh denied all such allegations stating that the employees had made such contributions on their own.
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Experts for research on FDI
Gharuan (Mohali), October 10 Speaking at a panel discussion on "FDI in multi-brand retail" at Chandigarh University campus here today, he said: "It has become more of a political issue than an academic debate as is evident from the content of arguments being floated without any reasoning. FDI is already here. There are stores like EasyWay and others in Mohali, Patiala, Bathinda and Ludhiana. Reliance is a multi-national company. Even with 26 per cent share, foreign players are in commanding position", Dr Gill said. Dr Gill said the only research paper worth mentioning was carried out on a miniscule data size of a little over 1,300 by a national council in 2008. "There is no other mentionable research submission so as to correctly weigh the pros and cons of the subject". "The advantages of FDI cannot be reaped till a parallel system of public processing, public marketing and public regulation is put in place by the government. In fact, co-operatives is another option that has not been explored fully in India," he added. Balbir Singh Rajewal, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), said: "FDI means nothing for state farmers. We have not forgotten the failed experiment of Pepsi. The units were started in 1988 and closed down by 1992. Farmers were promised huge returns for new varieties of vegetables and value addition to crops. However, the units closed down and the company even disposed of its fruit processing plant in Hoshiarpur". "Foreign players will open their outlets only in four or five cities in Punjab, which will not cater to more than 500 farmers. So the entire exercise means nothing for more than 14 lakh farmers of the state. It is important that a mechanism is put in place to ensure a standard price for farm produce," he said. Others who participated in the discussion included Dr Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor, Chandigarh University; Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, president, Chandigarh Management Association; and RS Ghuman, an economist.
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Direct DSGMC chief’s poll will empower Sikhs: Sarna
Amritsar, October 10 Addressing mediapersons here today, DSGMC (Delhi Shiromani Gurdwara Management Parbandhak Committee) president Paramjit Singh Sarna said the step will make the president more accountable. “Apart from this, each member of the community will feel empowered as he will have the right to elect the president of his choice…. The Badals (Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son-Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal) want to manipulate the support of members through money power and elect president of their choice,” he said. Sarna said he was hopeful that once the new system was “successful” in Delhi, the community members in Punjab too would raise a similar demand. Already approved by Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit and her Cabinet, the proposed amendment may have wider political implications than perceived at present. A similar demand could gain voice in Punjab as well, especially from factions opposed to the Badals. Such a development, feel political observers, will end the monopoly of the Badals over the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. “In case that situation arises, Badals will no longer have the power to choose the president of their choice. Instead, it will then be the Sikh Sangat (community) who will elect the head to the ‘Mini Parliament of Sikhs’,” an observer said. For its part, the Shiromani Akali Dal has dubbed the proposed amendment as “interference in the internal affairs of the Sikh community”. It claimed the move would further delay the DSGMC elections. Sarna’s brother Harvinder Singh Sarna said they will, in their manifesto for the Delhi elections, include ‘kar seva’ of Sikh shrines in Pakistan. “We have urged the Pakistan Government to grant us permission for performing ‘kar seva’ at Babey-di-Beri,” he said.
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Another gastro death in Batala
Batala, October 10 With the Civil Hospital here facing a staff crunch, the district administration has pressed into service doctors of the Rural Development Department. Deputy Commissioner Dr Abhinav Trikha has asked 14 Rural Medical Officers (RMOs) to join duty at the hospital in view of the rising number of patients from the Gandhi Camp area where more than 70 per cent sewerage pipes are defunct. Former Union Minister Vinod Khanna, a three-time Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, today rang up the Deputy Commissioner. Moga: With two confirmed cases of cholera, the Health Department and the Municipal Corporation have stepped up surveillance to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic. Two specialists have been put on duty in the district hospital round the clock. The MC authorities have collected water samples from different sources in the new grain market for examination.— TNS
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Crime on the rise in Muktsar
Muktsar, October 10 It means more than three thefts take place every week, one murder takes place every two weeks, more than one case of cheating occurs every week and one case of rape is reported every three weeks in the district on an average.
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Court summons Omaxe MD
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 10 However, the court has dismissed the case against other two accused, Nandan Piramal, MD Piramal Enterprises and Col HK Bhutani MD Shanvi Estate management Services. The court has dropped the charges under Section 467/468/467 against but summoned Sunil Goel under Section 420 and 406 of the IPC. The next date of hearing has been fixed for November 14. The complainant Pradeep Kumar had alleged that he was allotted a commercial place, measuring 499 sq. feet, on the first floor of the mall. He agreed to pay 95 per cent of the basis price of the unit to the company at the time of purchase and rest to be paid after possession of the site. However, the accused had already leased out the said unit to Nandan Piramal. Sunil Goel had agreed to pay Rs 1,93,806 per month to complainant. Pradeep had paid rest of the amount to the firm and he had received monthly return up to August 31, 2008. Meanwhile, Sunil created another company headed by Col Bhutani for managing and maintaining the mall. The two accused told the complainant that conveyance deed could not be executed unless he deposits the electricity and maintenance charges worth several
lakhs.
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Gang of snatchers busted; 8 arrested
Mansa, October 10 All school or college dropouts, the gang members allegedly scripted over a hundred snatchings and robberies across Punjab. Their journey, however, was cut short by the police today. Addressing mediapersons here, Inspector General (Bathinda Zone) Nirmal Singh Dhillon said with the busting of the gang, the police had “cured a major headache”. “As none of the gang members had criminal records, their victims would not recognise them when the police would show file pictures of habitual criminals,” he said. Dhillon claimed that each time before striking, the youths would pay obeisance at a shrine. “They mostly chose late evening hours to snatch jewellery, mobile phones or even cash, he said. Though they had struck in Ludhiana, Mansa, Muktsar and Faridkot, their favourite spots of operation were Bathinda and Bhucho Mandi,” he said. Among those arrested are Mandeep Singh (of Bhucho Kalan), Bhola Singh, Rajan, Bunty and Manga Khan (Bhucho Khurd), Gurpreet Singh (Pathrala), Rajwinder Singh (Gobindpura) and Sandeep Singh Gaggi (Bodhiwala in Muktsar). Cash amounting to Rs 1.20 lakh, 54 mobile phones, two country-made pistols, a car and three motorcycles have also been recovered. Two goldsmiths of Bhucho Mandi in Bathinda, Rajkumar and Sonu, were also booked for allegedly buying stolen jewellery.
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Undertrial attacked in courts complex
Jalandhar, October 10 Bobby and several other prisoners were brought to the courts by the district police from the Kapurthala jail for court hearing. Bobby was reportedly attacked by Jassa and his gang inside a toilet. Bobby’s nephew Bunti, also an undertrial, tried to save him but in vain. Bobby was admitted to the prisoners’ ward at the local Civil Hospital. The doctors said he was not fit enough to give a statement to the police. Assistant Commissioner of Police Naresh Dogra said no FIR had been registered so far. — TNS
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School dropouts take to crime, nabbed Mansa, October
10 All school or college dropouts, the gang members allegedly scripted over a hundred snatchings and robberies across Punjab. Their journey, however, was cut short by the police today.
Addressing mediapersons here, Inspector General (Bathinda Zone) Nirmal Singh Dhillon said with the busting of the gang, the police had “cured a major headache”. “As none of the gang members had criminal records, their victims would not recognise them when the police would show file pictures of habitual criminals,” he said.
Dhillon claimed that each time before striking, the youths would pay obeisance at a shrine. “They mostly chose late evening hours to snatch jewellery, mobile phones or even cash, he said. Though they had struck in Ludhiana, Mansa, Muktsar and Faridkot, their favourite spots of operation were Bathinda and Bhucho Mandi,” he
said. Among those arrested are Mandeep Singh (of Bhucho Kalan), Bhola Singh, Rajan, Bunty and Manga Khan (Bhucho Khurd), Gurpreet Singh (Pathrala), Rajwinder Singh (Gobindpura) and Sandeep Singh Gaggi (Bodhiwala in Muktsar). Cash amounting to Rs 1.20 lakh, 54 mobile phones, two country-made pistols, a car and three motorcycles have also been
recovered. Two goldsmiths of Bhucho Mandi in Bathinda, Rajkumar and Sonu, were also booked for allegedly buying stolen
jewellery.
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Certain officers of the Punjab Government are keeping more than one vehicle at their disposal, contrary to the instructions issued by the Chief Minister. The state government has sought information from Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries and Administrative Secretaries in this regard at least thrice since April this year.
Stating that the Congress defeat in the state assembly elections had taken him by surprise, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said there was a need to introspect as to what had gone wrong.
A sizable section of rice millers have refused to lift the paddy procured by the state-owned agencies even as the Punjab Government has stepped up efforts to resolve the issue. The rice millers are at loggerheads with the government over the new milling policy, which has made it mandatory for them to give a bank guarantee or a security of Rs 30 lakh against the stock stored in their mills.
Amritsar, October 10
