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Beggar dies of cold in Amritsar
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NABARD to fund Rs 464-cr dairy, irrigation projects
PGI exam scandal
Misuse Of Funds
Bumper paddy crop despite poor rainfall
To cut smoke, fewer fireworks at Golden Temple
Release pending funds, Centre told
Muktsar realtors promoting illegal colonies as approved
Badal: Nation’s economy not safe with UPA Govt
Inspector’s arrest may spell trouble for tainted DSP
SGPC college in Fatehgarh Sahib
B Ed students to be charged for training
Ropar clothes shop gutted in fire
Nankana Sahib pilgrims to get security cover
Leave encashment to retiring employee facing probe can't be withheld: HC
Heroin seized
Woman gangraped in Moga
Man kills cousin for property
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Beggar dies of cold in Amritsar
Amritsar, November 14 A number of religious organisations organise ‘langar’ (free food) and provide blankets and other daily articles of daily use to poor migrants found in the vicinity of the Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple and Shivala Temple. As most of these migrants were drug addicts, they shunned taking shelter at the "Karam Singh ward", claimed an official. He said a proposal had been submitted through the District Red Cross Society to the Ministry of Social Welfare in Chandigarh on jobs for the physically fit in factories, there had been no response so far. Rehabilitation Steps
Official Word The destitute are unwilling to stay at the night shelter despite the sanitary conditions and provision of regular meals. Those who want to return to their their families are provided rail and bus tickets Deputy Commissioner Most of these needy persons are found mentally unstable and addicted to drugs. So, they prefer to stay out in the open. At present, we are sheltering 60 persons mostly from states like UP and Bihar
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NABARD to fund Rs 464-cr dairy, irrigation projects
Top on the agenda of the bank are projects for upgrading and modernising of the milk plant at Verka in Amritsar district and upgrading of all 1,365 veterinary hospitals and 1,400 veterinary poly clinics across the state. NABARD will also help the government in relining the Sirhind feeder canal and installing micro-irrigation systems in kandi areas. Milkfed officials said they had sought the help of NABARD for a complete modernisation of its milk plant at Verka in Amritsar district. "This is one of the oldest milk plants in the state and requires to be upgraded. As dairying in Majha region has become popular, we also need to upgrade the milk processing capacity of this plant. We will require Rs 150 crore for the project and the bank has accepted our demand for funding it through three annual instalments," said BS Sidhu, Managing Director. Milkfed. "In the first phase, we will receive Rs 60 crore for this project. After its complete overhaul, we hope that the milk procession capacity of this plant will increase from 20,000 litres per day to 1.50 lakh litres per day," he said. NABARD officials said they would also sanction Rs 185 crore to the Punjab Government for the second phase of construction of the kandi canal that would bring water to the parched area. Funds are being advanced to the state for the construction work to be carried on the canal between Hoshiarpur and Balachaur. An amount of Rs 243 crore is being sanctioned for the relining of Sirhind feeder canal and for the installation of micro-irrigation systems in kandi areas. Top on agenda
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PGI exam scandal
Faridkot, November 14 After two scandals of cheating in PMET (pre-medical entrance test) in the last seven years, the university had adopted new ways to check irregularities. But the authorities will now have to brace themselves to check use of innovative and hi-tech gadgets by unscrupulous elements in the exams. After the 2005 question paper leak and arrest of imposters from UP, Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand who appeared on behalf of Punjab students in PMET-2008, the BFUHS had adopted various security checks to curb the malpractice. Besides using biometric machines for identification of students entering the examination hall, the BFUHS had started setting question papers more specific to syllabus in Punjab so that impersonators from other states face difficulties in the solving the questions. In January this year, three students were caught cheating in the AIIMS postgraduate entrance exam. They had used a bluetooth device to scan the question paper and send it via email to get the answers. The modus operandi of those caught for copying in the PGI exam last week was similar, said a senior officer of the BFUHS. An apparent lack of frisking at the examination centre was to be blamed, but with cameras and hi-tech mobile phones coming in small sizes, it became difficult to locate such devices, he added. Besides, poor conviction rate in the two earlier scandals failed to act as a deterrent. While all the accused in the 2005 paper leak scandal have already been acquitted, the 57 accused in the 2008 scandal are on bail. A probe into the 2008 scandal by a special investigation team (SIT) revealed that many medical students from UP, Bihar, Delhi and other states prefer to work as imposters to make a quick buck. LK Yadav, an IPS officer who heads the SIT, said these gangs had been operating for the last many years, helping hundreds of non-deserving students get seats in highly competitive courses at the cost of meritorious students.
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Misuse Of Funds
Chandigarh, November 14 Sources said that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had directed the Finance Department to approach topnotch companies with a proposal to conduct audit of grants and funds given to panchayats and municipal committees for development projects. There are more than 12,000 village panchayats in the state besides 140 municipal committees. Sources said the Deputy Chief Minister wanted that physical verification and evaluation of works should also be undertaken by the audit company to ascertain whether the estimates were genuine or inflated and if the material used conformed to the details mentioned in the estimate or not. A senior official of the Finance Department said that already one or two top-level audit companies had been approached. “We have given these companies the profile of the work to be handled by them. The companies have been told to send the estimate of the fee to be charged to conduct the audit and handle other related work”, said the official. The audit of accounts of most municipal committees and corporation has not been undertaken for the past several years, say sources. There is no adequate staff with the Examiner Local Fund, an institution that handles the audit of municipal committees. In absence of the audit, there is no report available to indicate whether the funds meant for development project in urban areas have been properly utilised or not. Likewise, there is no effective audit system to check the utilisation of grants and funds given to villages by various government organisations. There have recently been reports of pilferage of development and social welfare funds in Amritsar district. Some years ago, several hundred crores were given to villages under the Punjab Nirman Fund. However, during the inspection of works, it was found that only 10 per cent to 20 per cent funds had been spent and remaining were pocketed by those involved in the execution of works. Fact File
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Bumper paddy crop despite poor rainfall
Chandigarh, November 14 Official sources said that by the end of the procurement season (in a week or so from now), they expected the total arrivals to touch the 130 lakh tonnes figure. They said the arrival of paddy had almost stopped in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts. But mandis in Mansa, Bathinda, Barnala, Muktsar and Moga districts continued to get more paddy. “However, paddy arrivals in these districts has now come down to a few thousand tonnes whereas during the peak perioid it was in lakhs”, said DS Grewal, Secretary, Food and Supplies Department, Punjab. “During the corresponding period last year, about 113 lakh tonnes of paddy had arrived in the state. However, the total procurement during the season was 118 lakh tonnes”, said Mangal Singh Sandhu, Director, Agriculture, Punjab. He said that the production this year was higher than it was in 2011. The area under paddy too was more this year, he said. Interestingly, Punjab was the only state in the region that saw its area under paddy increase this year. Farmers growing paddy faced a hard time nursing their young crop with the state witnessing long dry spells during transplantation in June and July. The monsoon in the region was deficient by 45 per cent till the last week of July. The farmers had to depend by and large on tubewells and canal irrigation to save their crop. They had to spend a tidy sum on diesel to operate their tubewells. The rains in August and September provided some relief to the farming community. However, the monsoon remained deficient by more than 10 per cent till the end of the rainy season.
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To cut smoke, fewer fireworks at Golden Temple
Amritsar, November 14 Golden Temple manager Harbans Singh Malhi said the SGPC incurred Rs 1.60 lakh on the fireworks, the actual cost of which was much higher. He said four city-based dealers supplied the fireworks every year. They were given Rs 35,000 each last year, but due to high inflationary trend, they were given a hike of Rs 5,000 each this year, he said. The fireworks took place at four spots in the Golden Temple complex, two locations close to Ghanta Ghar and one each near Sikh Reference Library and Darshani Deodhi. Last Divali, the Golden Temple had witnessed fireworks for 15 minutes, which was half as compared to previous years. Earlier, there used to be a half-an-hour show of fireworks on occasions like Guru Ram Das's birth anniversary and Bandi Chhod Diwas. Malhi said: "We have gradually reduced the duration from 30 minutes to 10 minutes". He said they had been looking for an alternative to high-altitude fireworks. "We are in touch with various Sikh organisations abroad and they are helping us explore options that will ensure minimum pollution," he said. The Punjab Pollution Control Board had last year advised the SGPC to ban bursting of firecrackers at the Golden Temple complex. However, the SGPC had said it could not discontinue fireworks altogether as it was the traditional way to celebrate the occasion and the sentiments of devotees were attached to it. The move to reduce the duration of fireworks was hailed by environmentalists and concerned citizens. Maj Mahinder Singh Sarkaria (retd), a local resident, welcomed the move and said it was an exemplary way to tell the people to celebrate pollution-free Divali. Mission Aggaaz, Earth and Resources Care group, general secretary Gurbhej also welcomed the move. An illuminated Golden Temple complex was a cynosure of all eyes. A large number of people from the country and abroad visited the shrine. The SGPC used to foot a bill of Rs 20 lakh per annum to illuminate the holy complex with fancy electric bulbs on auspicious occasions. "With the contribution from sangat, the management procured the entire electric illuminating apparatus for Rs 35 lakh last year. Now, barring the electricity consumption, no other expense was incurred on illumination, he added. Though the local administration in the past had initiated various measures like banning coal-run hearths used by goldsmiths around the Golden Temple, a lot still needs to be done to make the vicinity of the shrine smoke-free.
Step in right direction
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Release pending funds, Centre told
Chandigarh, November 14 The state government has also prepared the draft of the Punjab Rent Act-2012. The Rent Act was enacted in 1995 but the mandatory notification for its implementation was not issued by the successive state governments. The issuance of the ordinance with regard to the property tax had been delayed because an influential section of the BJP was opposed to it for political reasons, sources said. Now, the officials concerned have been told to start realising property tax on a flat rate basis. From those owning properties measuring more than 100 yards, the tax would be charged on the basis of a formula prescribed by the Local Bodies Department. Sources said a sum of Rs 400 crore was pending with the Centre. The Centre had released Rs 100 crore some months ago. However, the state government had not further released Rs 100 crore to its municipal committees. For getting the remaining amount of Rs 300 crore from the Centre, the state government needed to submit a utilisation certificate of this sum of Rs 100
crore. Course Correction
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Muktsar realtors promoting illegal colonies as approved
Muktsar, November 14 Colonisers are blatantly misusing PUDA's name to befool the public by claiming their projects as approved. Hardly any action has been taken against such persons. It also raises a question mark over the role of the officials concerned. Some colonisers have put up huge billboards on the roadsides promoting their illegal colonies as PUDA approved. One such board has been put up on the Guru Harsahai road which promotes a colony named NHI Harmony as PUDA-approved upcoming township. There is no demarcation at the site where burnt residue of paddy stubble can be seen. Promoters of the colony admit that they have started selling the plots, although the project is yet to get a licence from PUDA. "We have applied for the licence. It will take nearly six months. That is why we are selling the plots at a discount. Nearly 40 per cent of the plots have already been sold," said, Gautam, project in charge of NHI Harmony, a unit of Nature Farms and Real Estates Pvt Ltd. Similarly, another residential colony Star City was launched on the Bathinda road in Malout about a month ago. Its promoter has also put up huge hoardings at several places that mention the colony as PUDA approved. PUDA officials said the colony had not been approved as yet. An action would be taken against the promoter if he was found misleading the public, the officials said. Uma Shankar Gupta, Chief Administrator, Bathinda Development Authority (BDA), said: "I will send my staff to visit the site and take an appropriate action in this regard". In its survey last year, the BDA had identified 132 of the total 136 residential colonies as unapproved in Muktsar district.
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Badal: Nation’s economy not safe with UPA Govt
Ludhiana, November 14 Badal was the chief guest at Vishvakarma Day celebrations at Ramgarhia Girls College here today. Badal said it was unfortunate that the states had to depend on the Central Government for development funds. The states had to seek the permission of the Centre for small development projects like construction of link roads in villages, he said. Badal categorically blamed the UPA Government for the steep rise in the prices of sand and gravel. He said the Supreme Court had imposed restrictions on the mining of sand and had asked the Central Government to set up a committee to resolve the issue expeditiously. But no such committee had been formed so far even though several months had passed. The Chief Minister said that he had written several letters to the Central Minister concerned, but in vain. "Owing to the callous attitude of Central Government in constituting the committee, the prices of sand and bajri have skyrocketed and development works in the state have come to a standstill," he said. Badal asked the Central Government to provide a special package to Punjab as it "filled the stomach of the nation." Development hit: CM The Supreme Court has imposed restrictions on the mining of sand and asked the Central Government to set up a committee to resolve the issue expeditiously. But no such committee has been formed so far 'Sekhon should have refused post’ Chandigarh: Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said Justice JS Sekhon should have refused to be the Punjab Lokpal on moral grounds as his brother Janmeja Singh Sekhon was a minister in the Punjab Government. Besides, he was also related to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said, adding the manner in which Justice Sekhon was appointed as the Lokpal had raised doubts about the government's intentions. — TNS
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Inspector’s arrest may spell trouble for tainted DSP
Ludhiana, November 14 Sources said the DSP had taken the money to give a clean chit to Gupta, who was facing a Vigilance probe in a disproportionate assets case and to issue fitness certificates to worn-out vehicle. The DSP had also allegedly taken money from Gupta's aides for not taking action against them. Sources in the Vigilance Bureau said the DSP had amassed a huge wealth, including farmland in Sidhwan Bet area. It is learnt that DSP Gurcharan Singh had purchased this property along with another police officer. "Joining the police force proved to be a money spinner for DSP Gurcharan Singh. The family that once used to live in a small house on land provided by the government to below poverty line (BPO) families in a village near Mullahpur, now owns huge property. The DSP's brother lives in the village while the former has constructed a house in the upscale Rajguru Nagar," said Vigilance officials. The Vigilance Bureau had recently booked Aman Kumar, reader of tainted DSP Gurcharn Singh, for illegally possessing the house of an NRI in Barewal area. Aman is yet to be arrested. Gupta, who was on the run since July 18, was arrested from Model Town on November 9. He was subsequently sent in judicial custody.
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SGPC college in Fatehgarh Sahib
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 14 The foundation stone of the college would be laid by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in December. SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra said this after holding a meeting with farmers belonging to Jeonpura, Harna, Cholti Kheri, Sahpur and surrounding villages, whose land had been acquired to lay the railway track for Nilas Thermal Plant being set up by L&T Group. He said that professional courses offered at the college would help youths get better jobs. When asked about the problems faced by the farmers whose land had been acquired, Chandumajra said the Chief Minister had convened a meeting on November 16 in Chandigarh to discuss the issue. Besides the affected farmers, officials from Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib would participate in the meeting. Chandumajra also visited the site at which the thermal plant was being constructed and found that its drainage system was not equipped to deal with floods. He said the company had backtracked on the promise it had made earlier to provide jobs to a family member of farmers, whose land had been acquired. Chandumajra said that the modern cattle market, set up at Nabipur village at a cost of Rs 7.60 crore, would be inaugurated by Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra on November 25. Proper arrangements had been made at the new market so that people wouldn’t face any problems in selling or purchasing cattle, he added. Move to help landless farmers
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B Ed students to be charged for training
Bathinda, November 14 In this period, they are supposed to teach at different government schools. The DGSE has ordered that the students will be charged Rs 500 for every 40-day period. The amount charged from the students will be deposited as school development fund and the principals of the respective schools will maintain the records in this regard. Already government schools have not been charging girl students and children belonging to the minority communities any fees for the last two years, which leaves them with practically no funds to spare. In many cases, it is the old funds of the schools that have helped them in times of need. "At least the funds collected can be used in one form or the other. At times, we do not even have enough money to pay for the power bills or for miscellaneous expenses," revealed a school incharge in Nathana block.
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Ropar clothes shop gutted in fire
Ropar, November 14 Kumar, a resident of Chaunta village, said he left the shop located in Sra Pattan market in the evening the previous day. A priest at the nearby temple informed him about the incident early morning. He said that upon reaching the shop, he found that the entire stock lying there had been destroyed. The garments belonged to six families who were preparing for an upcoming wedding, he added. The police has not been able to ascertain the cause of the fire till now. Further investigation is on. — TNS
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Nankana Sahib pilgrims to get security cover
Bathinda, November 14 Singla said that the Punjab government would soon chalk out a strategy to help businessmen from both the countries boost their business. “At present, nearly 6,000 goods can only be transported to Pakistan via Dubai and vice versa,” Singla said. He said efforts would be made by the government of India to open Ferozepur-Hussainiwala border to increase trade. Singla said the issue of drug smuggling from Pakistan to India was also discussed with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab (Pakistan) at the meetings. — TNS
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Leave encashment to retiring employee facing probe can't be withheld: HC
Chandigarh, November 14 With this, a Full Bench of the High Court, comprising three Judges, has cleared the air on the contentious issue of holding back the retirement benefits of alleged “delinquent” employees. The Ruling
Taking up an appeal filed by Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd and other appellants, the three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, Justice Ranjit Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain ruled: “ Only gratuity or death-cum-retirement gratuity can be withheld… We are, therefore, in agreement with the view (earlier) taken by the Division Benchof this court in BS Gupta’s case, holding that amount of leave encashment is payable to the retiring employee notwithstanding the pendency of the departmental inquiry or criminal proceedings”. The Case
An employee of the Civil Supplies Corporation, Pyare Lal was served with two charge sheets. He attainted the age of superannuation during the pendency of the inquiry in April 2006. He was allowed to retire, but retirement benefits were withheld till the decision of the pending charge sheets. An appeal was filed by the corporation, after a Single Judge of the High Court directed the release of retirement benefits, except gratuity. The Issue
Before reaching the conclusion, the Bench asserted that the corporation’s appeal against employee Pyare Lal gave rise to a vital question of law, which was required to be decided. “The question is as to whether retiral benefits of an employee, who at the time of his superannuation was facing departmental action, can be withheld and, if so, which of those retiral benefits the employer is entitled to withhold”. The Bench observed at the outset that the parties were unanimous that the gratuity of such employees could be withheld during the pendency of the disciplinary proceedings. But, the issue was whether encashment of earned leave could also be withheld, “or was it the right of an employee to get his earned leave encashed on the date of his superannuation, as retiral benefit, notwithstanding the disciplinary action which he is facing”. The Bench added: " What is to be seen in the present case is as to whether there is any rule which empowers the appellants to withhold the benefit of encashment of leave. Referring to rule 2.2(c) of the Punjab Civil Services Rules, the Bench concluded that except for gratuity or death-cum-retirement gratuity, the withholding of other retirement benefit was not stipulated. “Counsel for the appellants also could not point out any other rule authorising the appellants to withhold the benefit of encashment of leave”. We are in agreement with the view (earlier) taken by the Division Bench of this court, holding that leave encashment is payable to the retiring employee notwithstanding the pendency of a departmental inquiry or criminal proceedings
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Heroin seized
Ferozepur, November 14 Just over a week ago, the Punjab Police in a joint operation with Counter Intelligence sleuths had seized heroin worth over Rs 60 crore. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varinder Pal Singh said a special team led by Inspector Gurbehj Singh, incharge CIA staff, had apprehended a person identified as Jagwinder Singh, resident of Tarn Taran, from an area between Madhre village and Ghulam Hussainwala. The team was on patrol when it seized 4 kg of heroin that was smuggled into the country from Pakistan. The SSP said the consignment was to be handed over to another drug peddler. They were making enquiries to nab the persons who were to receive the delivery. — OC
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Woman gangraped in Moga
Moga, November 14 Investigating officer ASI Avneet Singh told mediapersons that the victim, a resident of Zira town of Ferozepur district, had come to meet her relatives at Kot-ise-Khan town on Monday night. The accused allegedly abducted her and her children from outside her relatives' house. The victim said she was taken to a makeshift room in the village where she was gangraped by the three youths. Her children were also roughed up by the culprits, she alleged. A case has been registered against Sandip Singh, Hardip Singh and Tara Singh.
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Man kills cousin for property
Lambi, November 14 Sources said Harjit had called Jagmeet to his house to celebrate Diwali and burst crackers along with his son. The sources said Harjit was once adopted by his uncle (chacha) Sukha Singh as the latter was childless. But after two years, Harjit reunited with his parents. Later, Sukha married another woman, who had a son (Jagmeet, then aged six) from her first marriage. The accused planned to eliminate Jagmeet, who he feared might inherit his uncle's property. A case has been registered.
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Chandigarh, November 14
Amritsar, November 14
Chandigarh, November 14
