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Land grab on Chd periphery
Budget session faces risk of being washed out
Cong MLAs mock assembly with parallel
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Cabinet approves Budget proposals
Cabinet decides against remission to rape convicts
New state Cong chief to visit holy city today
Abide by norms or face closure: private schools told
SGPC clears Rs
806-cr budget
Thai catfish, bane for Punjab fish farmers
Demolition notices
Man gets death penalty for killing six of family
ASI murder: Key farmer leader held
Two students die as truck rams into school wall
Woman dies, 3 injured as roof collapses in Sangrur
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Land grab on Chd periphery
Chandigarh, March 15 It transpires from the probe report that Saini, Sonam Kumar, who is son of Punjab’s former Governor Lt Gen BKN Chhibbar, SS Brar, Darshan Kumar, Harjinder Singh and JS Brar got “themselves recorded” in joint cultivation of 229 kanals and two marlas. This was about seven months before the mutation of land was sanctioned. Adding a twist to the issue is the fact that the panel has held illegal both the mutation and the order on the basis of which the mutation was sanctioned. The report shows 15 years after a contentious order was passed by then Additional Director, Consolidation, nothing really happened. Things began to change after Sonam Kumar and others arrived on the scene. Based on the 1984 order, mutation number 2378 was sanctioned in November 1999. Seven months before that, Saini and others got themselves recorded in joint cultivation. In 1998 and early 1999, Harjinder Singh, Saini, SS Brar and JS Brar purchased shares. Gen Chhibbar was Punjab Governor from September 18, 1994 till November 27, 1999. The issue pertains to almost the same period. A1982-batch IPS officer, Saini, too was as powerful as ever. In fact, in 1987, Saini won the country's highest award for gallantry, in recognition of his leadership in operations against insurgents. In 1991, he was posted as senior superintendent of police at Chandigarh before moving out for better assignments. The probe report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday, in fact, clearly shows that six persons got separate Khasra Girdawaris vide order dated April 10, 2003. While Khasra is a number assigned to a block of land, Girdawari is the record of land cultivation. It records the crop, and ownership of the crop. In the entries, Darshan Kumar and Soman Kumar’s names were not mentioned. The case files June 1984: Then Additional Director, Consolidation, KS Minhas passes an order on Kansal land 1998: Sonam Kumar, Harinder Singh and Darshan Kumar obtain GPA 1998-1999: Harjinder Singh,
Saini, SS Brar and JS Brar purchase shares Nov 1999: Based on order, mutation number 2378 is sanctioned. Seven months before that, Saini and others get themselves recorded in joint cultivation of land March 2013: The panel holds illegal both the mutation and the order on the basis of which the mutation was sanctioned
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Budget session faces risk of being washed out
Chandigarh, March 15 The last session saw the Congress boycotting House proceedings after Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia hurled abuses against Rana Gurjit of the Congress. This time round, it is the suspension of nine Congress legislators that is keeping the Congress MLAs out of the assembly. No solution appears to be in sight with two days already being wasted after Congress legislators threw booklets at the Chairman of the House and manhandled the watch and ward staff and even took over the chair of the assembly Speaker. The issue has boiled down to the fact whether the Congress legislators as well as their CLP leader Sunil Jakhar, who has been accused of bringing a person unauthorisedly into the assembly, will apologise for their actions or not. Jakhar today termed the disruptions as "unfortunate" but refused to tender an apology. The SAD has taken a stand that the House cannot function unless the Congress MLAs feel sorry for their mistake. SAD president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal told The Tribune that it was unfortunate that rather than feeling any remorse for their actions, the Congress MLAs had held a "sham assembly" outside the office of the CLP leader. Sukhbir said what was even more galling was that legislator Jagmohan Singh Kang, who had earlier taken over the chair of the Speaker on Wednesday, had presided over the sham assembly. "It means they want to convey they are not bothered about the assembly or any rules and regulations," he said. The CLP leader said even though the ruckus should not have taken place, this was not the first time it had happened. He maintained he had not done any wrong by taking an assault victim inside the House without permission but that if the authorities felt so, he was ready to face any action. Jakhar claimed the "raid" on his office to check the whereabouts of the assault victim as well as action against the MLAs was an attempt to strangulate democracy in the state.
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Cong MLAs mock assembly with parallel session
Chandigarh, March 15 In a theatrical display of the assembly, a Speaker’s chair (occupied by Jagmohan Kang) was put on a pedestal and was flanked by a “DSP”
(Ajit Inder Singh Mofer) and “registrar” (Rana Gurjeet Singh). The discussion was only an extension of the allegations against the SAD “highhandedness” inside the House.
Before occupying the chair, Kang announced that “we will carry out the role of the Assembly in bringing out the problems of the public. Entire world is watching the worthless exercise that goes on inside the House. We will list the issues of the state regarding education, health and particularly the totally collapsed financial system in the state. Public wants answers”. Senior Congress leader Lal Singh began the session saying the recent Moga
byelection, won by a leader who defected from the Congress, was a joke of democracy as a byelection was usually held when a leader died or the high court quashed an election. Garhshanker MLA Sunder Sham Arora was probably the only one to speak about issues concerning the common man. He highlighted the fact that the 200-bed hospital in his constituency had no gynaecologist. The beginning looked impressive with an announcement for an agenda. Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar “proposed” that the session be continued, like the assembly, till March 26. The “assembly” accepted the proposal. The “house” also moved a “breach of privilege” motion for not allowing them to be heard and passed it. The “house” adopted another motion “condemning” the “power group” in evading the question of brutality with a Dalit girl and shifting it to “baseless” Congress brutality against a “watch and ward” employee without any truth. However, the remaining speakers, including Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Sadhu Singh, Charanjit
Channi, Balbir Sidhu, Ashwani Sekhri, Karan Brar and Kuljit Nagra, talked about how the victim of police brutality from Tarn Taran was not given a fair deal in the assembly and that the government had acted unconstitutionally. The “speaker” attempted to paint the real picture of the House by repeatedly asking “members” to sit down and maintain order. Raja Warring said: “Ongoing issues took
centre-stage on the first day today. We just wanted to tell people the issues that were being neglected in the House where public money was being wasted on a single session. Wait till the next working day and you will see the difference.” The proceedings Jagmohan Kang takes ‘chair’ with vow to raise issues concerning public Lal Singh calls Moga byelection a joke CLP leader Sunil Jakhar ‘proposes’ to continue the ‘session’' till March 26 ‘House’ adopts motion condemning the ‘power group’ for evading the question of brutality with a Dalit girl
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Cabinet approves Budget proposals
Chandigarh, March 15 The Cabinet also approved the Budget proposals for the year 2013-14 to be presented by Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa in the assembly on March 20. It allowed a Bill in the ongoing budget session for amending the Punjab Lokpal Act 1996 for appointing an Up-Lokpal in the state for assisting the Lokpal. The Cabinet will also introduce a Bill in the current session of the state assembly to effectively check the menace of ragging in educational institutions. It gave a green signal for enacting "Punjab Personal Rapid Transit System Regulatory Act 2013" for providing localised pollution-free, safe and congestion-free public transport system in the state. The Cabinet approved enacting a new Act, "The Punjab Ancient, Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Cultural Heritage Maintenance Board Act 2013". It was decided to increase rate of VAT on cigarettes and cigars from 20.5% to 50% along with 10% surcharge. In order to provide autonomy to co-operative societies in the state and for ensuring transparency and better management in them, the Cabinet also gave its approval for amending the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act 1961.
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assembly
in session
Chandigarh, March 15 The Chief Minister ribbed newly elected Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa, called former PCC president Capt Amarinder “Dharminder” and even had a simile for the current state of the Congress Legislature Party - but all in his inimitable style. Badal, who ostensibly got up to make it clear that the nine Congress legislators who had disrupted the House would have to apologise for their actions, went freewheeling taking the entire Congress and its leadership under his attack. The veteran leader indicated that the Congress changed even those people who were essentially good at heart. He said “Chaudhary Sahab” (CLP leader Sunil Jakhar) was not the same person who had taken over the post nearly a year ago. “Similarly, PPC president Partap Singh Bajwa, son of former SAD legislature party leader Satnam Singh Bajwa who was a good man, is trying to sing a different tune after taking over his new post,” Badal said. Badal did not spare his bête noire Amarinder either. He conveniently forgot his name calling the latter “Dharminder” and saying the name was apt because the former Pradesh Congress Committee president was essentially an actor. He went to say he wanted to know where Amarinder was as he wanted to do console him for being toppled from his chair. The Akali patriarch also had a take on the changing politics in the state, saying there was a time that no Hindu would vote for the SAD. “Even the family of our money lender would not vote for us,” he said, adding history had witnessed a sea change and now there were numerous Hindu and Dalit legislators in the party. Badal also had praise for the political sagacity of his son and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal. “One Congress legislator is said to have claimed that the party has fallen into the trap set by Sukhbir. If Sukhbir has thrown the trap it is very difficult to get out of it,” he said adding “even a lion can be downed by sticks alone if he is trapped in a net”. In his parting shot, he referred to three English words “please”, “thank you” and “sorry”. “You can get away with anything by using these words appropriately. There is nothing wrong in asking for forgiveness. It makes you a bigger man.”
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Cabinet decides against remission to rape convicts Chandigarh, March 15 In another significant development, the Cabinet gave its approval to promulgate a Bill in the ongoing budget session for amending Punjab Lokpal Act to appoint deputy Lokpal. Approval was also given for introducing a Bill in the current session to effectively check the menace of ragging in educational institutions. The Cabinet also gave a green signal for enacting “Punjab Personal Rapid Transit System Regulatory Act” for providing localised a pollution-free, safe and congestion-free public transport system in Punjab. The Cabinet approved Budget proposals for the next financial year, which will be presented by Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa in the assembly on March 20. It also gave nod for enacting “The Punjab Ancient, Historical Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Cultural Heritage Maintenance Board Act”. The government also increased VAT on cigarettes and cigars from 20.5% to 50% along with 10% surcharge. It also approved amendments to the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act 1961.
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New state Cong chief to visit holy city today
Amritsar, March 15 The Congress leaders are leaving no stone unturned to accord a rousing reception to their new boss on his arrival here. As per the programme, Bajwa will reach Amritsar through New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi at 1.25 pm. He will be received by the Congress leaders and workers at the railway station from where he will walk his way up to the Golden Temple. After paying obeisance at the holy shrine, he will pay tributes to martyrs at Jallianwalla Bagh. He will then visit Durgiana Temple and Shri Ram Tirath Mandir in the city before winding up his one-day tour. Senior Congress leaders from the Majha region were busy throughout the day today in giving final touches to the preparations for his visit. Amritsar (Rural) Congress chief Harpartap Singh Ajnala said they had roped in the party units from Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts to plan the new PPCC chief’s Amritsar visit. He said the party workers from these districts had been assigned duties at different points. “The Congress leaders from Gurdaspur will receive Bajwa at the railway station, following which he will be greeted by workers from Rajasansi, Attari, Ajnala, Majitha, Patti, Tarn Taran, Jandiala and Baba Bakala, at different points en route the Golden Temple. Amritsar urban unit led by Jugal Kishore Sharma and MLA OP Soni will welcome him at the Hall Gate,” he said. Meanwhile, the local Municipal Corporation has denied permission to the Congress leaders to put up hoardings to greet Bajwa, contending it was a violation of the High Court order. The Congress had sought the permission on the ground that the ruling alliance too had put up hoardings to welcome their leaders in the holy city in the past. Maiden visit Partap Singh Bajwa will reach Amritsar by the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi at 1.25 pm He will be received by Congress leaders and workers at the railway station from where he will walk his way up to the Golden Temple
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Abide by norms or face closure: private schools told
Mohali, March 15 This could put the future of over 10 lakh students and thousands of teachers in jeopardy. The government has sent registered letters to unrecognised private middle schools in this regard. It has categorically stated that schools would be shut down if they do not comply before the deadline. The state government has also constituted teams, consisting of District Education Officers, to inspect the schools. Sources said, there are more than 10,000 unrecognised private schools across the state. Earlier, officials had inspected non-recognised schools and those that did not fulfil the terms and conditions were directed to do so. Tejpal Singh, secretary general, Punjab Private School Organisation, said the decision would adversely affect the education scenario in the state. He said government should give schools time till 2020 to fulfil all the conditions. The set terms and conditions under the RTE Act stipulate that state teachers should be paid according to government pay scales; only qualified teachers be recruited; playgrounds, libraries be set up; and infrastructure should be up to the mark. The Norms The set terms and conditions under the RTE Act state teachers should be paid according to government pay scales Schools should only recruit qualified teachers and set up playgrounds and libraries
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SGPC clears Rs
806-cr budget
Amritsar, March 15 The budget could not be presented and approved in the SGPC general house for the second successive year, as the fate of the new House continues to hang in the balance over the Sehajdhari row.
The allocation for the Dharam Parchar Committee, which primarily works for the propagation of Sikhism, has witnessed an increase of Rs 9 crore i.e. from Rs 43 crore to Rs 52 crore. The General Board Fund has been increased from Rs 43.40 crore to Rs 48.40 crore, while the Trust Fund has gone up from Rs 23.61 crore to Rs 31.23 crore. Another Rs 6.09 crore has been allocated for the printing press. Further, Rs 7 crore has been allocated for “kar sewa” of gurdwaras and Rs 1.46 crore for promotion of hockey and kabaddi in SGPC-run institutions. There is also a plan to make hockey compulsory in SGPC-run schools and colleges. Makkar said the SGPC had already given a financial aid of Rs 3.27 crore to 1,605 cancer patients and the budget allocation for this had been increased further. Over Rs 58 lakh had been spent on the education for poor, besides another Rs 25 lakh on higher education of children from the 1984 riot-hit families, he added. It has also been decided to reserve seats for Sikh girls from strife-torn Kashmir valley in SGPC-run educational institutions. Besides, an aid of Rs 70 lakh has been extended for the education of children from the Shikligar community in Vijaywada. Displaced Sikh families from Afghanistan have also been given a financial aid of Rs 5 lakh. Makkar said a number of “sarais” (inns) were being constructed to provide accommodation to devotees. “While three ‘sarais’ are coming up in Amritsar, one each is ready at Anandpur Sahib and Damdama Sahib.” He said a coaching centre for IAS/IPS examination would also come up in Mohali soon. TV channel warned The SGPC has warned a private TV channel against naming its soon-to-be-launched soap as
“Gurbani”, contending that the move has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikhs. The committee has written to the channel as well as the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister in this regard.
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Thai catfish, bane for Punjab fish farmers
(Raungla) Patiala, March 15 There have been many instances in the state where a single magur has consumed the entire produce of farmers. Landlord Jashanjit Singh from Raungla village had to empty his entire fish pond as a magur had entered it and was fast killing his fish produce. The variety is a notorious glutton that devours on fish of every kind. It is usually fed waste intestines of chickens so it grows fast. The magur can gain one kg in less than six months compared to local fish that gains only 300 grams in the same period. “Many contractors still cultivate this fish illegally in village ponds to make a quick buck. The fish can be produced cheaply in a short span of time,” said a local farmer Kulwant Singh. “Last season, one fish destroyed my entire fish pond. I suffered a loss worth several thousand rupees,” he said. Jashanjit Singh said, “Two magur fish ate almost all of my fish in just over a week. They killed more than they could consume.” The Health Department of the Municipal Corporation has been conducting raids to check the illegal breeding of the fish. “While a local fish is available for anywhere between Rs 300 to 400 per kg, magur is available for less than Rs 100 per kg,” said an official. Asha Dhawan, Dean, College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, said this variety was banned in Punjab as it was a disease carrier and bad for the eco system. “It can travel long distances in the rainy season and spread to other areas quickly,” said
Dhawan. Worrying facts The fish has been banned by the Central government because of its negative impact on the eco system It is also considered unsafe for human consumption as it can breed in the dirtiest of waters
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Demolition notices
Chandigarh, March 15 The directions came on a petition filed by Ramesh Kumar Chabbra and other petitioners against the state of Punjab and other respondents. In their petition before the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice RP Nagrath, Chabbra and other Ludhiana residents had sought directions to restrain the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation and others authorities of the district administration from demolishing their properties. Describing themselves as “owners in possession of residences-cum-shops” in Gobind Colony on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road, near Power House in Jamalpur, the petitioners had claimed that the properties were constructed prior to 1994, although they purchased the same in 1999. Taking up the matter, the Bench observed it appeared from the averments in the writ petition that the municipal and district authorities have initiated action against the petitioners under the Punjab Regional & Town Planning and Development Act, 1995. The action has been initiated as their houses-cum-shops, abutting the scheduled road/national highway have allegedly been constructed in violation of the Act. “It also appears that the buildings, which were constructed before the Act came into force on November 22, 1995, are exempted from the rigors of the Act. “The question which requires to be determined by the respondent authorities is whether the buildings owned by the petitioners were constructed before the subject Act came into force? Suffice it to observe that if the buildings have been constructed after the Act came into force, the norms prescribed by the statute will have to be complied with…. “We deem it appropriate to dispose of this writ petition, without expressing any views on merits, with a direction to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, and the District Administration, Ludhiana, to look into the above stated factual plea taken by the petitioners and decide their representation after ascertaining the correct facts, in accordance with law, as early as possible but not later than two months….”
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Man gets death penalty for killing six of family Fatehgarh Sahib, March 15 He had pushed seven members of a family, including two children into the Bhakra canal to grab their money. However, Jasmine (33) had survived the incident. She had reported to the police that Khushwinder had killed her father Gurmail Singh, her mother Paramjit Kaur (60), her brother Gurinder Singh (34), her husband Rupinder Singh (35) and two children Jaskirat Singh (7) and Prabh Simran Kaur (5). The police then nabbed the accused and recovered Rs 36.70 lakh from his custody.
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ASI murder: Key farmer leader held
Tarn Taran, March 15 Chutala was produced in a local court, which remanded him in 14-day judicial custody. Tarn Taran SSP KS Dhillon said the farmer leader had conspired to kill the police officer. The arrest comes ahead of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee’s proposed dharna at the district headquarters over the ASI’s death and other issues on March 18. The move has drawn flak from various farmer organizations, which are demanding withdrawal of cases against farmer leaders. Certain farmer leaders associated with the committee have already been arrested in the case. The number of those arrested in this case has now gone up to 11. Committee president Satnam Singh Pannu said the state government was apparently baffled by the farmer agitation and conducting raids to arrest their leaders. Over 2,500 farmers were already lodged in jails, he added. He said the government would have to face “serious consequences” if it linked Chutala’s arrest with the ASI case. They would go ahead with the dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office on March 18, he added. The ASI was found dead after a raid on a village farmhouse in Tarn Taran. The police had initially booked the farmers under Section 304 of the IPC. But after the interrogation of the accused, it converted the FIR into Section 302 of the
IPC.
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Two students die as truck rams into school wall
Ludhiana, March 15 The truck was on its way from Moga to Nawanshahr when the incident occurred around 8:30 am. Students were reportedly leaning against the wall while waiting for the morning prayers to begin as the vehicle knocked into the structure. Eyewitnesses said both girls were crushed under the wheels of the truck. The truck driver, Lakhvir Singh, who tried to escape after the incident, was overpowered by a security guard working at a nearby filling station. The truck cleaner, Thana Singh, also suffered serious injures. The driver and his cleaner have been booked under Sections 302 and 304-A of the IPC. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the deceased and free treatment for the injured students.
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Woman dies, 3 injured as roof collapses in Sangrur
Sangrur, March 15 The roof of two rooms of Balwinder Singh’s house collapsed when lightning struck Duggan village. They were reportedly buried under the debris and were rescued by the villagers who took them to civil hospital, Sangrur, for treatment. However, Gurmail Kaur (57), Balwinder Singh’s wife, succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital. The doctor at the civil hospital declared her brought dead. Keeping in view the serious condition of Balwinder, his daughter Karanbir Kaur and son Amarinder Singh, the doctor on duty referred them to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. The Longowal police said it had initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC as the mishap was a result of a natural calamity. — TNS
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The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today passed its annual budget of Rs 806 crore for 2013-14, registering a 21.13 per cent increase over last year’s budget of Rs 665.46
crore. The SGPC executive passed the budget unanimously with primary focus on maintenance of
gurdwaras, spread of education and propagation of Sikhism.
Two children were killed while five others sustained injuries, two of them critical, after an over-speeding truck rammed into the boundary wall of a primary school in Jandiali village here today. The deceased have been identified as Kulvir Kaur (10) and Sukhdeep Kaur (11), both belonging to Jandiali village. The condition of two of the injured, Anmol and
Priyanka, was stated to be critical. While Anmol has suffered a serious head injury due to the collapsing of the wall, Priyanka has suffered burn injuries as engine oil fell on her.
The Chief Minister said the “chhota miyan” (Bajwa) had surpassed the “bada miyan” (Amarinder) in trying to confront the Akalis. It was ironical that Bajwa had tried to drum up support for his cause by urging the legislature party leaders to take a pledge at the Darbar Sahab to boycott Akali ministers.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the major chunk of the budget had gone into maintenance of gurdwaras for which Rs 510.78 crore had been set aside as compared to Rs 421.26 crore last fiscal. In a boost for the education sector, the Education Fund has been increased from Rs 18.40 crore to Rs 23.90
crore. Similarly, the allocation for SGPC-run educational institutions has been raised from Rs 109.29 crore to Rs 133.64
crore.