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Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll results
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Sarna toppled by Sirsa man
moga bypoll
Marginal rise in Annual Plan
Patiala Govt College seeks 250 more MBBS seats
Manitoba Premier in Punjab to promote people-to-people contact
I-T sleuths raid two factories, detect evasion
Decide on illegal marriage palaces in 3 months: HC
HC orders relief for discharged Armyman
Amritsar man kills wife for filing dowry case against him
5 prisoners found using cell phones, booked
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Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll results
The aim was twofold- to confine Sarna to Punjabi Bagh and to demoralise his party rank and file by announcing that Sarna was sure to lose to SAD youth candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a multi-millionaire who had already represented the area as a councillor. In keeping with this strategy, Majithia camped exclusively in Punjabi Bagh for the entire length of the election campaign. With him was his youth team as well as legislators from Majha, including Virsa Singh Valtoha, Inderbir Bolaria and Baljit Jalalusma. Sources said Punjabi Bagh had affluent and extremely poor areas. Sarna traditionally held sway in the affluent areas and the poor Sikhs had no alternative but to support him. However, this time with a formidable local candidate, the equation changed. The SAD was able to reach out and convince the relatively poor Sikhs that it would provide a viable alternative to Sarna in the constituency. SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal addressed a mammoth public meeting in Punjabi Bagh on the last day of electioneering. This helped create an impression that Sarna was on a losing wicket.This hampered the chances of several other SAD (Delhi) candidates and gave a boost to the SAD campaign days before the polling. The SAD youth team in Delhi did not have an easy time. Efforts were reportedly made to dislodge them. Majithia loyalist Rosy Barkandi said: " We were threatened by the police and at least 50 to 60 of our youth workers were arrested on one pretext or the other." Barkandi said house searches were conducted to discourage those hosting SAD workers.
He claimed that the election results would serve as a lesson to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Capt Amarinder Singh who had openly supported Sarna in the elections. “The Sikh voters of Delhi understood the Congress game plan and punished Sarna accordingly,” he said, adding that the SAD would win the Moga bypoll too.
We had a tough task but with the support of the people of Delhi, the youth team and leaders from the Majha region, we managed the biggest lead of 4,500 votes for our candidate against Sarna — Bikram Singh Majithia, Revenue Minister Will ensure justice to riot-hit: Sukhbir The SAD will ensure early conviction of the accused in the 1984 Sikh massacre. We will fight till every accused is given exemplary punishment. Sarna was acting as a proxy for the Congress by pressuring witnesses to protect Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar — Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD president
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Celebrations at SGPC headquarters in Amritsar
Amritsar, January 30 Riding high on the SGPC and assembly elections victories, the had been eying the DSGMC, the second most important gurdwara body after the SGPC.The SAD smelled an opportunity in Delhi with an anti-incumbency sentiment building against the SAD (Delhi) led by Paramjit Singh Sarna.The party led by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal played its cards well and devised an election strategy to fashion its win. The SAD now controls gurdwaras not only in Punjab and Haryana, but the national Capital too. In the past six years, Sarna had managed to restrict the SAD to Punjab and Haryana. He had also wrested the control of Takht Shri Patna Sahib Management Board from the SAD in July last. The SAD (Delhi), which had the support of 10 of the 15 board members, got Ranjit Singh Gandhi elected board president unopposed. Prior to Sarna, the SAD was challenged by Jagdish Singh Jhinda and Deedar Singh Nalvi in the neighbouring state of Haryana. However, the two leaders subsequently parted ways and faced the rout in the last SGPC elections. The DSGMC results have paved the way for implementing the amended Nanakshahi Calendar in Delhi gurdwaras. The SAD (Delhi) had been following the original version for celebrating Gurpurabs in Delhi gurdwaras. The SGPC has already been following the amended calendar with approval from the Akal Takht. The SAD had made it an electoral issue, alleging that the SAD (Delhi) was “undermining the authority and supremacy of the Akal Takht” by refusing to implement the amended calendar. CM thanks voters
— Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister ‘Victory of sikh Sangat’
— Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president
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SAD’s aggressive campaign paid off
New Delhi, January 30 the SAD painted Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh as a ‘threat to the Panth” and took the help of influential religious leaders to drive home the point. Also, Manjit Singh GK, 54, was chosen to lead the challenge against Sarna, who is in his sixties. A South Delhi man, Manjit Singh GK' father Santokh Singh was killed in 1981. He was the architect of the DSGMC. After the SAD victory today, Sukhbir Badal said the Sarnas had not learnt from history that “any person who plays a game to undermine the authority and supremacy of Sri Akal Takht will have to bite the dust”. He was mentioning the non-implementation of the amended Nanakshahi calendar by the DSGMC under Sarna. In the run-up to the elections, Sarna’s charge that Punjab Sikhs had nothing in common with the Delhi Sikhs, was countered by Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma and Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode. They alleged this was an attempt to divide the Sikhs on the basis of caste. This too worked against the Sarnas. The declining standards in the DSGMC-run schools was the most talked about issue during the campaign. Thanking the voters, Sukhbir today announced: “The SAD will ensure early conviction of the accused in the 1984 Sikh massacre. We will fight till every accused is given exemplary punishment. Sarna was acting as a proxy for the Congress by pressurizing witnesses to protect Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar." 4-pronged attack
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Sarna toppled by Sirsa man
Sirsa came to limelight in Delhi politics when he became the richest candidate contesting the Delhi assembly elections in November 2008. Though he lost the Jangpura assembly seat as the SAD-BJP candidate, he never looked back. He later won the MCD elections from the Punjabi Bagh constituency and in the subsequent elections held in April, 2012, his wife Satvinder Kaur Sirsa emerged victorious.
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moga bypoll
Moga, January 30 Talking to mediapersons here today, PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh said the party would write to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking deployment of security forces not just during polling but for the entire period of the election process. He said the state police was under tremendous pressure and demoralised by the "arm-twisting" attitude of the Akalis. "Hence, it may not be possible for them to act in a fair and impartial manner," he said. He alleged the incidents of Amritsar ASI's murder and attack on an AIG in Ludhiana by SAD workers reflected humiliation of police officers by Akalis and their kin. "It is thus very difficult to expect them (police personnel) not to submit to the Akalis diktats," he said. Later addressing party leaders from across the state who had come to attend the meeting in wake of the Moga byelection, Capt Amarinder said the local people were feeling cheated by Joginder Pal Jain who had struck a business deal with the Akalis. He claimed that the people would teach him a lesson. "We have provided the best alternative to the electorate in Vijay Sathi, who has a clean image throughout his political career," he said. Local party leaders, including Dr Malti Thapar, Darshan Singh Brar, Ajit Singh Shant, Sukhjit Singh Kaka, Jagdarshan Kaur, Jagroop Singh Takhtupura, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Dr Tara Singh Sandhu, Vinod Bansal and Vijay Dheer, were present on the occasion.
Rahul to discuss bypoll
Vice-President of the All India Congress Committee Rahul Gandhi has called a meeting of senior party leaders in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss party's strategy for the ensuing Moga assembly byelection. A leader said Rahul had called CWC member Jagmeet Singh Brar and PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh for the meeting.
No rationale, says SAD
Chandigarh: The SAD has said by demanding the deployment of central forces without any rationale, the Punjab Congress chief has conceded defeat in the Moga byelection. The demand has been made only to make a ground for justification of the defeat which the Congress will face in the byelection, it said. In a press statement issued today, party secretary and spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said the demand for deployment of central forces in Moga was immature, illogical and uncalled for. "It is an insult to the highly distinguished police force of the state which is known for its efficiency throughout the country," he stated.
49 cases of liquor seized
Moga: Hours after the notification for Moga Assembly bypoll by the Election Commission, the Excise and Taxation department today seized 49 liquor cases from a dharamsala (community centre) in Moga city and took into custody a mahant (religious leader) for further investigations. Rajwinder Kaur, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC), who is also additional returning officer for the Moga bypoll, said on a tip-off, an excise department team raided the community centre premises in the old town area in the afternoon. During a search, 49 cases of liquor were seized from there.
— TNS
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Marginal rise in Annual Plan
Chandigarh, January 30 While the neighbouring state of Haryana has pegged its Annual Plan at Rs 17,650 crore for 2013-14, a jump of 21.7 per cent over this financial year's Annual Plan, Punjab has made a bid for a marginal increase in the Annual Plan. The marginal increase in Punjab's Annual Plan is attributed to the poor growth in the state's revenues. Sources in the state Finance Department told The Tribune that the plan expenditure was dependent on the state's financial resources and how much money the state could spare for development expenditure. However, considering the precarious state of Punjab's finances and its dwindling revenue receipts, the plan approval for the state could not have exceeded the mandatory 10 per cent. Data available with The Tribune shows the total revenue receipts till December 2012 (first nine months of the fiscal) is Rs 29,973.42 crore. In the coming three months, the state is expected to earn Rs 8,069 crore, if it expects to reach the estimated revenue receipt of Rs 38,043.36 crore. This would mean mopping up all resources to earn revenue. But with the slowdown in the real estate sector and VAT collections showing no growth, there seems to be little likelihood of the state meeting its revenue target of over Rs 38,000 crore this year. Officials in the Finance Department said the reason for the state having a small Annual Plan was that Punjab continued to have marginally low revenue expenditure (30 per cent) as compared to the capital expenditure (70 per cent). Though the revenue expenditure should be very less, most states having a large Annual Plan tend to have revenue expenditure of over 70 per cent and capital expenditure of less than 25 per cent, they said. It is also learnt that during the current fiscal, Punjab has been able to utilise just 50 per cent of its plan expenditure till date. By the end of March, the state will have spent 70 per cent of its total plan outlay for the financial year.
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Patiala Govt College seeks 250 more MBBS seats
Patiala, January 30 Having already submitted the preliminary report, this final draft includes the details of the land that has been earmarked for the construction of various labs, library, wards and operation theatres as per the requirements of Medical Council of India. The authorities will soon send it to the Punjab Government which would then take it up with the Central Government. While the Central Government has increased 3,595 MBBS seats throughout India in 2012, not even a single seat has been increased in government medical colleges of Punjab for the last 35 years. To add to the woes of the state, the Medical Council of India had banned admission on 150 seats in Chintpurni Medical College, Pathankot, which decreased the total number of medical seats in the state by 150. College principal Dr KD Singh said currently the college has 150 undergraduate seats and have sought an increase of 150 to 250 seats keeping in mind the increasing demands of students and parents. “Building, machinery and equipment are the three main requirements. We have already begun purchasing latest machinery and other equipment from the Rs 30-crore grant that was recently given by the Punjab Government. We have also identified land for the construction of the building in the hospital as well as the medical college,” he said. He said the college would require six new lecture halls, 5-6 new wards, a library, side-rooms attached with the wards and an operation theatre for this purpose. “We have the requisite space and are just waiting for the clearance. We will ensure that everything is done as per the guidelines of the MCI so that there is no problem in getting further approval,” he added.
In a tight spot
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Manitoba Premier in Punjab to promote people-to-people contact
He called on top political leadership of Haryana and met leaders of trade and industry at the regional headquarters of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here last evening. This morning, Greg Selinger and other members of his entourage, have embarked upon a tour of various villages of Punjab to accomplish the goal. “I want to see for myself the areas, social settings and environment of Punjab which is a major source of manpower for my state. Though the total size of my province is less than that of Chandigarh, we have over 25,000 Punjabis there. Punjabi is the eighth major language spoken in Manitoba,” he revealed in an informal chat with the Tribune. It is relatively simpler to immigrate to Manitoba as all one needs is to have the ability to converse in English. It is his first ever visit to India. Fascinated by the city’s Rock Garden, he finds Chandigarh to be a beautiful city. Greg Selinger has in his entourage Mohinder Saran, the only Indo-Canadian of Punjab origin in the Manitoba assembly, and some prominent members of the ruling New Democratic Party, including Kulwinder Toor. “I am going to visit Kulwinder Toor’s village Sawaddi and Mohinder Saran’s village on the Moga-Kotkapura road. In a Ludhiana village, Winnipeg University is setting up a library besides developing a centre to recruit students for its various courses. “I shall also be going to Amritsar where I plan to pay obeisance at the Golden temple and Durgiana Mandir. In Amritsar, I also want to spend some time in Pingalwara to get a first-hand account of the unprecedented service rendered by late Bhagat Puran Singh,” he said. Greg Selinger also wants to pay tributes at the historic Jallianwala Bagh and watch the retreat ceremony at the Wagah border. Apart from exploring people- to-people contacts, Greg Selinger is also here with a specific agenda. “We are twice the size of Rajasthan but our total population is a little less than that of Chandigarh. We have room for more people and Punjab has a long historic connectivity with Manitoba that is strategically located in the center of Canada. “We have a simple immigration procedure and have a great education system which is also economically viable. We provide total health care cover to our students the moment they land in Manitoba. We are liberal in granting work permit to our international students,” he says.
On a mission
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Water treatment plant to be on Patiala MC’s agenda
Patiala, January 30 The project was proposed some years ago but no headway was made due to lack of interest by the MC functionaries. However, it is learnt that after senior functionaries of the district administration pulled up the Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pradhan on the issue, the project was inducted in the meeting agenda. Patiala has been receiving 35 cusecs from the Bhakra Main Line but this water is not fit for consumption as the water channels in the city have been covered due to various renovation works. A report on the matter has been prepared jointly by various government departments under the guidance of the Patiala Divisional Commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu. “Now, water works at Rajindra Lake and water works along Bhadson Road, have been proposed for the project. Besides, the proposals have also been given to implement the project in a phased manner,” reads the agenda, a copy of which is with The Tribune. Drinking water in the 50 municipal wards of Patiala is provided through a network of 130 tube wells and 14 Over Head Water Reservoirs. If the canal-based water treatment project becomes a reality, the water woes of the city during summers would end. The house will also discuss the amendments in the 36 Town Planning schemes. These amendments pertain to regularising the 3,271 unauthorised commercial establishments falling under these schemes. Apart from this, a resolution to implement e-governance system in the Urban Local Bodies is expected to be passed by the house tomorrow.
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I-T sleuths raid two factories, detect evasion
Patiala, January 30 According to information received, income tax teams comprising over 150 officials headed by Deputy Director (Investigations) Raman Garg raided the premises of Preet Group, Nabha, and Standard Combines Group, Barnala. “A detailed recovery report will be prepared after the completion of proceedings,” said Garg. Sources confirmed that the income tax sleuths reached both the venues in the morning and it would take two more days to complete the raid proceedings. Computers, bills and sale of product details were confiscated by the officials. Officials said some evasion had been detected and the total evasion would be evaluated in another couple of days as documents were under the scanner. Both the units manufacture agriculture-related equipment, including combines and tractors.
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Decide on illegal marriage palaces in 3 months: HC
Chandigarh, January 30 A Division Bench of the High Court made this clear while dealing with a petition filed in public interest by Jagjit Singh against the state of Punjab and other respondents. In his petition placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, Jagjit Singh had earlier sought directions to the respondents to close marriage palaces not having no-objection certificates from the Punjab Pollution Control Board, District Town Planner, Fire Department and the Forest Department within the limits of Patiala district. Directions were also sought for shutdown of palaces which had not deposited the requisite fee. During the hearing of the petition, the state government passed a notification dated November 16, 2011, laying down policy guidelines and building norms for regularisation of existing palaces and setting up new ones. An amendment to the policy guidelines was made on January 7. Taking up the matter, the Bench asserted, “Since the government has now framed the policy guidelines for regularisation of existing marriage palaces and also for setting up of new ones in the state of Punjab, the present petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents to deal with the cases in terms of the policy." “Since many marriage palaces are shut down and their cases are to be considered under the policy, those cases be considered and orders passed within a period of three months….” The new policy focuses on public convenience, public safety and smooth parking arrangements by the marriage palaces. The policy mandates that each marriage palace would meet fire safety norms as public security cannot be compromised. The policy has also created a new category for marriage palaces. Earlier, it was clubbed under commercial category. The owners too are required to ensure that the marriage palaces do not have entry or exit on the main roads.
Can't find experienced principals: State to HC
The Punjab Government has expressed its inability to fill 459 vacant posts of principal of senior secondary schools, citing "lack of eligible headmasters with seven years' experience" as the reason. Responding to a PIL, the state government filed a written statement before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain. It stated that the principal's post was vital. As such, the condition of minimum seven years' experience could not be relaxed.
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HC orders relief for discharged Armyman
Chandigarh, January 30 There is a system of authorising discharge of military personnel without stigma on incurring four minor penalties, known as red-ink entries. But, a policy promulgated by the Government provides that such discharge would be initiated after following a particular procedure so that personnel are not discharged when they are about to reach pensionable service. In a case filed by one such discharged person, Parshotam Das, the High Court allowed the petition and held the individual was entitled to relief and set aside the AFT’s
orders. — TNS
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Amritsar man kills wife for filing dowry case against him
Amritsar, January 30 She was on her way to the Ajnala court for the hearing of the case along with her five-year-old child when Parkash allegedly shot her dead. The accused also kidnapped the child from the spot. Ranjeet's sister Baljinder Kaur was also married to Parkash Singh in 2005. A member of the victim's family alleged Parkash had solemnised the second marriage without giving divorce to Ranjeet. Preet Paul Singh Virk, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar rural police, said the accused fired five shots from his licenced revolver killing the victim on the spot. He said raids were being conducted to nab him. A case under Section 302 and 364 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.
Rickshaw puller hacks wife to death
In another incident, a rickshaw puller, Kuldip Singh of Nangali Kalan village, allegedly hacked his wife Randhir Kaur to death who had been objecting to his drinking habit. Bikramjit Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Mehta police station, said the incident took place last night and the accused was absconding.
In-laws murder NRI woman in Batala
Batala: An Italy-based NRI woman was allegedly murder by her in-laws at Nandeyian village, falling under the jurisdiction of Fatehgarh Churian police station, after the deceased declined to share her Italy-based husband's income with them. Batala SSP Tulsi Ram said Savrain Singh, deceased’s father, lodged a complaint that his daughter Kuldeep Kaur’s husband Tegbir Singh used to send money from Italy to his brother's wife Paramjeet Kaur, a widow. But after his marriage, he stopped doing so which ultimately led to Kuldeep’s murder allegedly by her in-laws. The police has registered a case against Paramjeet Kaur, her son, Taranpreet Singh and Ranjeet Singh.
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5 prisoners found using cell phones, booked
Patiala, January 30 The Patiala jail superintendent had shot a complaint to the Patiala police. Thereafter, the Tripuri police, under whose jurisdiction the jail is located, registered an FIR. Police said the inmates would be questioned as to how they managed to procure mobile phones inside the jail.
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Chandigarh, January 30
Majithia all praise for his young team
The victory has filled us with a huge sense of responsibility towards the Sikh masses who have placed their faith in the SAD. The verdict will serve as a lesson to the Congress and its stooges that the Sikhs will not tolerate interference in their religious affairs.The victory has proved that the SAD is the sole representative of the religious and political aspirations of the Sikhs all over the world
The SAD victory is the triumph of the entire Sikh Sangat. The mandate will help make the gurdwara affairs in Delhi more transparent. The verdict shows that the Sikhs give the right to manage gurdwara affairs to those who follow the directions of the Akal Takht
Sirsa, January 30
Chandigarh, January 30