|
|
|
|
|
NRI sammelan
Demand for say in NRI Commission |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
From luxury cars to 5-star stay, red carpet out for diaspora
Tribune Analysis
Disrespect to National Emblem
In poll mode, Congress asks Moga electorate to teach Jain a lesson
Ludhiana DC selected for best election practices award
Finally, govt recognition for Jallianwala Bagh martyrs
Area under wheat unlikely to exceed 33 lakh hectares
500 arms licences may be fake in Amritsar
Rapists deserve toughest
punishment, says Bardhan
Tension over Bathinda gurdwara escalates
Self defence camps for girls in Patiala
7,650 suspected cancer cases detected in Sangrur
Former SGPC Secretary Giani Mohinder Singh dead
PSPCL official caught taking bribe
Allot letter of intent carefully, HC to Punjab
ANTI-SIKH RIOTS
|
NRI sammelan Chandigarh, January 4 During his 90-minute presentation to elected representatives of various countries with Punjab roots on the first day of the NRI Sammelan here, Sukhbir said the state was poised to become power surplus this year and that it would soon have the best air and road connectivity. Hard-selling the state, Sukhbir said three mega thermal plants with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore were coming up in Punjab which would make the state power surplus by December this year. Also, the government had decided to improve air connectivity as it had no ports. The Amritsar international airport was already functional while international airports were coming up in Mohali and Machhiwara. On the road network, he said in the next three years, all important roads would be four-lane or six-lane expressways and that Rs 7,600 crore was being spent on this job. Sukhbir highlighted the new transport systems with work on the Rs 7,500 crore Ludhiana Metro starting soon and the Rs 200 crore Pods system slated to come up in Amritsar. He said the government had empowered its residents through governance reforms, including the Right to Service Act that covered 67 services. Sukhbir said in the past five years, the state had attracted an investment of Rs 24,000 crore and that 359 mega projects and 114 manufacturing projects were in the pipeline with an investment of Rs 11,3503 crore. He said Punjab, during the Congress rule, had a growth rate of 4.5 per cent against the target of 6.4 per cent whereas during the SAD-BJP rule, the growth was 8.1 per cent against the target of 5.9 per cent set by the Planning Commission. Sukhbir said Punjab had improved its debt (Gross State Domestic Product) ratio to 33.4 per cent from 43.2 per cent during the Congress rule. Boosting infrastructure
On the sidelines of the sammelan Majithia earns praise NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Majithia won accolades for successfully hosting the Pravasi Punjab conference today. Speakers said as the conference was so close to the New Year celebrations, it was Majithia’s persuasion that won them over. Alberta MP Peter Sandhu even asked the Chief Minister to give a recognition reward to Majithia and his team of Manpreet Ayali and Rinku Atwal who, he said, had made the sammelan a success. Majithia also announced that the Punjab Government would give due recognition and even accreditation to the NRI media so that they felt part of the Punjab Government set up. Punjabis and ‘aloos’ Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s quip that Punjabis and “aloos” could be found all over the world had everyone in splits. He went on to claim that he had even found a Punjabi during a trip to Mongolia who had settled there after being dropped off by a travel agent ostensibly taking him to the United States. Born leaders Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal claimed that Punjabis were born leaders and that he had once come across a Punjabi who was the President of the Muslim League in Uttarakhand. US Mayor Gurpreet Dhaliwal went on to prove this by saying that he was the Mayor of a town which only had 10 Punjabis. Ugandan MP Parminder Singh Marwaha said he represented a constituency that did not have a single Punjabi.
|
|
Demand for say in NRI Commission
Chandigarh, January 4 They also want better coordination between their representatives and the Punjab Government. Elected NRI representatives claimed that members of the community were harassed through registration of false dowry cases and even false FIRs. Calgary MLA Darshan Singh Kang said FIRs were registered against NRIs to allegedly harass them and discourage them from returning to Punjab. "Cases against NRIs should be decided in NRI courts and a judicial commission should be appointed to look into all NRI cases," he said. He also called for de-listing of NRIs who had been declared proclaimed offenders on the basis of "frivolous" or "false" cases. Alberta MLA Peter Sandhu said, "The NRI commission is not representative-enough and it should also have a NRI representative." Former Canada MP Gurwant Grewal said, "There is need for having a single-window kind of system in the NRI Commission so that all complaints as well as inquiries can be addressed quickly." Canadian MP Param Gill touched upon the issue of fraud marriages but stressed that NRIs were also victims in many cases. He said, "Compulsory registration of marriages at the grassroots level will help NRIs as well as the government to trace the antecedents of the applicants." Canadian Minister Tim Uppal said, "Several NRIs want to give back something to their country of origin. For this, the government needs to create a support mechanism." He said there could be a designated office also for this purpose. Youth leader and UK councillor Sachin Gupta said there was also a problem among the youth born abroad who were not very interested in their roots. He said, "The government should showcase to the youth the rich Indian heritage and culture. This is important because if NRI youth lose interest in the state, their parents will also eventually stop coming back." There was also a suggestion that seats in educational institutions, particularly medical colleges could be reserved for NRIs. Both Uganda MP Parminder Singh Marwaha as well as Malyasian Senator Daljit Dosanjh said if top educational facilities were available to NRIs in Punjab, the families could continue to retain their bonds with their motherland. Canadian minister Manmeet Singh Bhullar said, "There is need for more academic collaboration between the youth from Punjab and foreign countries." Voicing concern
|
||
|
From luxury cars to 5-star stay, red carpet out for diaspora
Chandigarh, January 4 The 80-odd special invitees at the sammelan are getting a royal treatment from the SAD-BJP government, in a bid to woo them and in turn create a positive feedback for the Akali government amongst the Punjabi diaspora in their adopted countries. With non-resident Indians (NRIs) continuing to be an integral part of state politics and influencing not just the NRI community but also the fortunes of political leaders here (mainly because of their money power), the government is going all out for an “image makeover” with these Punjabis settled abroad. Opinion leaders, be it the elected representatives from the Punjabi community or the Punjabi media in Canada, USA and UK, are being wooed by the government. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal admits as much: “Most of the NRIs tell us that because of the propaganda against us (the Akali-BJP government) by our political opponents, they were under the impression that Punjab was in a state of lawlessness and in dire financial straits. But after interacting with the elected Punjabi representatives from other countries, we have been able to dispel this false notion,” he says. With an aim to showcase the development in the state, the government had decided to bring the opinion leaders amongst the NRI community to Punjab and showcase the infrastructure development and tell them about the positive growth rate in the state’s gross domestic product. Each of the special invitees who have come here are being treated as state guests. The state has opened its coffers for them to extend “Punjabi hospitality”. Along with other facilities, a special liaison officer (PCS officer) has been attached to each of them. Even the NRI media is getting similar privileges, though on a shared basis. Interestingly, there is little talk of what these NRIs can do in Punjab in terms of investment. “We are listening to their problems and trying to sort these out. We have already decided to set up fast-track NRI courts for them in Jalandhar, Moga and Hoshiarpur, offer them NRI privilege cards, reserve 10 per cent plots for them in residential and industrial zones and set up NRI Bhavans at Mohali and Jalandhar, as a single window platform to route any NRI investment and sort out any problems related to them,” adds the Deputy Chief Minister. In for royal treatment
Treat awaits in Jalandhar Jalandhar: The government has set up 26 stalls at Cabbana Resorts on the city outskirts for the NRI Sammelan tomorrow. The Kapurthala district administration has made arrangements for over 1,200 delegates at the venue who would be served 'sarson da saag' and 'makki di roti'. The police has chalked out a parking plan for the delegates. — TNS
|
||
|
Tribune Analysis Chandigarh, January 4 The SAD has not been a favourite with the NRI community with hardliners ruling the roost abroad for decades after Operation Bluestar. The NRI media, which is quite vocal on Sikh issues, has also not given the best of coverage to the SAD. Sources said after the SAD returned to power this March, it began encouraging the creation of party cells abroad. There is an understanding that though NRIs don't have a vote, they command a lot of votes because they are opinion-makers. Similarly, the NRI media is influential in building public opinion, especially through radio programmes. SAD president Sukhbir Badal made a pitch for his party as well as the government at the NRI Sammelan today by urging NRIs to recognise the fact that those who did not have any base in Punjab were given respect abroad. He said a perception had been built by persons like his cousin Manpreet Badal of the PPP that Punjab had become bankrupt. He claimed it was people like Manpreet and "the maharaja" (Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh) who were the biggest enemies of the state. "Please stay away from such people," he pleaded with the delegates. Dressed as a CEO, Sukhbir used a power-point presentation to compare the revenue growth during the SAD-BJP government with that during the previous Congress governments. He took the NRIs through the steps taken by the government on various fronts and the way ahead. This was aimed at convincing the NRI community that a responsible government, which had the vision to take Punjab forward, was in place in the state. The NRI community responded positively to Sukhbir's presentation. Canadian MP Param Gill said he was touched by the Deputy CM's presentation and felt proud to be a Punjabi. Three-time Canadian MP Gurwant Grewal said: "We will share with everyone what we have learnt today and put an end to the misinformation being spread about the government abroad." The SAD president will be visiting the US and Canada this summer to further cement the party's bonds with the NRI community.
|
||
|
Disrespect to National Emblem
Punjab Congress secretary Virendra Sharma, district Congress president Arun Walia and district Congress senior vice-president Kanwal Sachdeva had alleged that the minister and his son had violated the law by issuing identity cards to BJP workers with the national emblem. The Congress leaders demanded that they be booked for violating the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act 2005 for showing disrespect to the national emblem. They attached copies of the identity card with their complaint. The BJP state vice-president, Mohinder Bhagat, said he did not think any wrong had been committed. Nevertheless, they were ready to make amends. The BJP state president, Ashwani Sharma, told The Tribune: “I am not aware of any details but the issuance of identity cards with the national emblem should have been avoided.”
|
||
In poll mode, Congress asks Moga electorate to teach Jain a lesson
Faridkot, January 4 Addressing the rally, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) general secretary Harminder Singh Gill said the voters in Moga would teach a lesson to the ruling alliance for "unleashing terror on the common man." The party may join hands with the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), the CPI and the CPM to ensure the defeat of the Akali Dal, Gill hinted. He called for unity among various parties to fight the ‘anti-people’ policies of the state government. However, PPP president Manpreet Badal said the party had yet to take a decision on the Moga byelection. Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh said the Punjab Congress would organise a political rally at Moga on January 9 which would be addressed by Capt Amarinder Singh. “With hooligans ruling the roost in Punjab under SAD shelter, the Congress will highlight the involvement of Akali leaders in the anarchy in the state,” he said. Former minister GS Bhullar, MS Dakha, PPCC secretary Harpal Singh Brar, former MLA Vijay Sathi, Mohammad Sadiq, Tara Singh Sandhu and other prominent leaders also spoke on the occasion.
|
||
|
Ludhiana DC selected for best election practices award Ludhiana: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has selected the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana Rahul Tiwari and 12 other DCs/SSPs from all over the country for the Best Election Practices Award 2012. This award is given every year by the ECI to 3 DCs/SSPs chosen from all the districts of the country. These DCs/SSPs are chosen for performing exceptionally well during the elections and undertaking best election practices in their districts. — TNS
|
|
Finally, govt recognition for Jallianwala Bagh martyrs
Chandigarh, January 4 The Amritsar Civil Surgeon at that time reported that the causalities numbered 1,000. A file has the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner’s statement recorded on November 12, 1919, describing the particulars of the victims under sub-heads ‘killed’, ‘injured’, ‘ not traced’ and ‘ disposal of corpse not known'. There is overlapping of names in various lists, but all carry the names of 350 persons. Finally, 94 years after the tragedy, an initiative has been taken by the Badal Government to identify the martyrs and trace their descendants and to prepare a policy to express "proper gratitude" to the families. The state government today issued a notification setting up a committee to handle this task. Besides the Chief Secretary, who heads the committee, the other members are the Principal Secretary, Freedom Fighters, the Financial Commissioner (Revenue), the Principal Secretary (Finance), and the Joint Secretary, Freedom Fighters, Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked the committee to submit a report within three months. The Principal Secretary, Department of Freedom Fighters, Sarvesh Kaushal, the brain behind the exercise, said he had contacted the Indian Council of Historical Research, the Director-General of Archives, New Delhi, Vice Chancellors of various universities and the Jallianwala Bagh Trust for obtaining authentic certified documents to prepare a list of martyrs. No genuine attempt was made to reward the descendants of Jallianwala Bagh martyrs by declaring them freedom fighters after Independence. Panel Members
|
|
|
Area under wheat unlikely to exceed 33 lakh hectares
Chandigarh, January 4 A senior official said that considering various factors, the area under wheat was not likely to exceed 33 lakh hectares. The Director, Agriculture, Mangal Singh Sandhu, said he would meet the Revenue Department authorities and request them to properly record the area under wheat. The Agriculture Department says the total area under various crops in the state is 41.58 lakh hectares. If wheat is grown on 35 lakh hectares, the remaining crops stand on 6.58 lakh hectares. However, an estimated 4 lakh hectares is under green fodder, 2 lakh hectares under horticulture, 1 lakh hectare under sugarcane, mustard and some other crops and 1 lakh hectare under pisciculture, dairy farming and poultry. “Keeping in view these figures, it is estimated that the area under wheat has never been more than 33 lakh hectares. “But the official figure has remained more than 35 lakh hectares in the past some years,” said an official. “A higher figure affects the calculation of per acre wheat yield with some states showing per acre yield more than that of Punjab's,” the official said. Last year, the total production in the state was 181 lakh tonnes of which 130 lakh tonnes was procured by government agencies for the central pool. Meanwhile, yellow rust attack has been noticed at certain places of the kandi belt. Farmers have been told to spray pesticides and not to irrigate their fields to protect the wheat crop from frost. Over-all, the prevailing cold weather is considered good for the crop. Official Word A higher figure affects the calculation of per acre wheat yield. Some states are showing per acre yield more than that of Punjab
|
|
|
500 arms licences may be fake in Amritsar
Amritsar, January 4 The count of suspicious arms licences has been found to be over 500. The Patiala police, which had busted the fake arms licence racket in mid-October last year, had put the figures in Amritsar alone at 291. The probe team also found that officials posted in the arms licence branch located in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office were allegedly involved in the issuance of fake licences to two Delhi residents, Parveen Kumar and Prem Mohan. Both of them have already been arrested. Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal said, “During the over two-month-long probe, the investigation team found about 500 suspicious arm licences, which require physical verification.” About the nature of discrepancies, he said several arms licences had been issued by preparing duplicate files of the existing licences. In a few cases, signatures of the authorities concerned had been forged, he said. “All suspicious cases need a thorough probe. The Patiala police had provided us a list of 291 fake licences, but we have found over 500 of them… A separate case has to be registered in Amritsar,” he said. Agarwal himself had written a letter to the police authorities seeking registration of a separate FIR in Amritsar and formation of a special investigation team for a probe into the case. During the probe, the investigation team scrutinised around 20,000 arms licences issued by the district administration before 2010 when the Police Commissionerate system was introduced in the city. The investigation took a long time as the team, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Supreet Singh Gulati, had to go through all the records. Earlier, the Patiala police had arrested Gaurav Arora, owner of Amritsar-based Arora Gun House, and recovered 17 weapons, including guns and pistols, from his possession. The police had claimed that Arora in alleged connivance with a few officials in the arms licence branch had prepared fake licences of persons belonging to Delhi, Haryana and other states. All these persons were shown residents of Amritsar. The Patiala police had also arrested three officials of the arms licence branch for allegedly issuing fake licences. Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Kaustubh Sharma said he had received the letter from the Deputy Commissioner and forwarded it to the Police Commissioner for further action.
|
|
|
Rapists deserve toughest
punishment, says Bardhan
Amritsar, January 4 Bardhan also stressed on the need for forming new stringent laws for the security of women. The veteran Communist leader was here to participate in the centenary celebrations of the birth anniversary of Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, the founder president of Gadar party, at his native Bhakna Kalan village today. “The dignity of the common masses, especially women, is at risk, something that is evident from the Delhi gang-rape case,” he said. The prices of essential commodities are sky-rocketing, education is being commercialised and health services are being privatised, he pointed out. Bardhan said the CPI would strive to fulfill the dreams of the Gadarities and other freedom fighters by projecting a political alternative to both the Congress and BJP-led factions. He said the CPI would also fight for the passage of the food security Bill and strengthening the public distribution system with a guarantee of 35 kg of food grain to all ration card holders. Among others who addressed the gathering were CPI state secretary Bant Singh Brar and CPI national council members Jagroop Singh and Harbhajan Singh.
|
|
|
Tension over Bathinda gurdwara escalates
Rampura Phul, January 4 The protesters, who claimed that the ‘samadhs’ (tombs) of their ancestors stood on the gurdwara land, blocked the highway for over an hour, forcing Bathinda Member of parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal to take an alternative route. Surjit Singh, president of the Bhullar Community Action Committee, said the Bhullars had been paying obeisance at the gurdwara since generations. The SGPC, he said, wanted to wrest control of the shrine with an eye on acres of prime land owned by the gurdwara. Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav said the issue was sub-judice, “We have imposed Section 145 in the area. Anyone who breaks the law is liable to be prosecuted.”
|
|
|
Self defence camps for girls in Patiala
Patiala, January 4 Hundreds of schoolgirls will be taught Martial Arts, Judo, Karate and Taekwondo. The schools have been sanctioned a grant of Rs 8,000 each for these camps, out of which Rs 5,000 would be paid to the trainer and the remaining Rs 3,000 would be spent on students' refreshment. The camps are for girl students from Class VI to VIII and 45 schools have been sanctioned the grant so far. The District Education Department has hired professional Martial Arts trainers to run the camps that would be held at government schools in Pheel Khana, Gandhi Nagar, Power House Colony on Rajpura Road, Victoria School, Civil Lines School, Noor Kherian, Daun Kalan, Bakshi Wala on Bhadson Road, Kauli and Behlin Sanaur. Chief Taekwondo coach Satwinder Singh said he had already begun training the girls in various schools of Patiala and the response was good. "Though this is an old project, it has become more relevant in the wake of recent incidents of crime against women. Earlier, parents were not very enthusiastic about such camps but their mindsets have changed. They want their girls to be strong," he said. —– TNS
|
|
|
7,650 suspected cancer cases detected in Sangrur
Sangrur, January 4 The surveyors have collected this data on the basis of 12 symptoms of various types of cancer. The surveyors also detected over 1,460 confirmed cases that are already being treated at various hospitals in the state. The suspected cancer cases were detected from the 2.78 lakh houses that have been surveyed in the district since December 1. The teams recorded over 2,250 deaths that took place in the district in the past five years. However, thousands of people are yet to be surveyed in the Moonak block. The health officials said the strike called by the ASHA workers last year led to the delay in the completion of the survey in the district. District health officer (DHO)-cum-project coordinator of the cancer awareness and survey campaign Dr Surinder Singla, here today, said the teams had also educated the people about the factors that could cause cancer. Dr Singla said the people were also informed about the Chief Minister’s Cancer Relief Fund Scheme under which a cancer patient was entitled to an amount of Rs 1.50 lakh. Disturbing facts
|
|
|
Former SGPC Secretary Giani Mohinder Singh dead
Giani Mohinder Singh occupied the key post of the SGPC Secretary from January 1959 to June 1979. The Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) paid rich tributes to Giani Mohinder Singh, who was also the former Joint Secretary (Administration) of the Council. He remained Council's joint secretary from 1970 to 1996. KCGC Chief Satyajit Singh Majithia, Vice President Charanjit Singh Chadha, honourary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, Joint Secretaries Gunbir Singh, Nirmal Singh, Dr HS Soch and Members Anup Singh and SS Sethi paid homage to him. It was during his tenure the SGPC first witnessed modernisation of its administration. — TNS
|
|
|
PSPCL official caught taking bribe
Patiala, January 4 The VB officials said Nirmal Singh, a resident of Chanarthal Kalan village, had approached the local office after he received an inflated bill. “When Nirmal reached the office at Tohra village, the accused RTM Rajiv Verma allegedly asked for a bribe of Rs 2,500 to settle the matter and the deal was struck at Rs 2,100 ,” the officials said.
|
|
Allot letter of intent carefully, HC to Punjab
Chandigarh, January 4 “We direct that suitable measures be taken to ensure that no letter of intent shall hitherto be issued in favour of an allottee unless the eligibility certificates are produced and scrutinised. We direct so for the reason that when the letter of intent is a transferrable document, there is every likelihood that a bona fide purchaser is duped to pay hefty consideration and then to face undue harassment…,” Justice Surya Kant and Justice RP Nagrath asserted. Acting on a bunch of petitions filed by Natha Singh and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, the Bench also directed the Principal Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, to issue necessary instructions, “since more than one statutory authority in the State of Punjab has been assigned development and allotment works”. The controversy dates back to November 2000, when a residential scheme was floated for allotment of residential plots in Sector 76-80 of Mohali. Initially, a letter of intent for a residential plot was issued to one Babu Lal on March 22, 2001. But, he sold off the letter to one Pawan Sood. After the letter was issued in his favour, Pawan Sood entered into a sale agreement with petitioner Natha Singh in June 2004. But, the GMADA Estate Officer, while scrutinising the application for transfer of the letter in Natha Singh’s favour, found that original allottee Babu Lal had not submitted a certificate that he was a Punjab resident. Holding that the very issuance of the letter to the original allottee was illegal, the Officer in October 2007 cancelled it. Taking up the matter, an Additional Secretary accepted Natha Singh’s plea and directed the Estate Officer to transfer the letter in his name and “to initiate disciplinary action against the guilty officials, responsible for this lapse”. Natha Singh then moved the High Court for the order’s implementation, while GMADA challenged it primarily on the ground that the issuance of letter of intent does not amount to allotment. Accepting Natha Singh’s plea, the Bench directed the Estate Officer to do the needful, while observing: “If there was some inadvertent negligence at the initial stage, we fail to understand as to why such an infirmity or deficiency was not detected at the time when Pawan Sood applied for transfer of letter of intent and the authorities issued the revised letter in his favour”.
|
|
|
ANTI-SIKH RIOTS
New Delhi, January 4 A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and Gyan Sudha Misra, however, clarified that the riot-hit families were free to seek appropriate remedy for their grievances. Arguing for the organisation, senior counsel Colin Gonsalves said these families were given Rs 3 lakh as relief and nothing more. The petition sought jobs and free ration for the victims on the lines of the rehabilitation package offered to migrant Kashmiri pandits affected by militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. “Those affected are certainly entitled to seek redress. You are a foreign body altogether as even your members are not Indians,” the Bench noted. Gonsalves said his client had taken up a number of similar cases at the international level and that was why he had agreed to appear for the organisation. During arguments, the Bench asked as to whether the organisation was involved in terrorist activities in Punjab in the 1980s.
|
|
| 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 | |
Patiala, January 4
The government should showcase to the youth the rich Indian heritage and culture
The NRI commission is not representative enough and it should also have a NRI representative
There is need for having a single-window kind of system in the NRI Commission so that all complaints as well as inquiries can be addressed quickly
If top educational facilities are available to NRIs in Punjab, the families could continue to retain their bonds with their motherland
Jalandhar, January 4
Amritsar, January 4