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Controversy
Over Operation Bluestar Memorial
SGPC asks Akal Takht chief to resolve issue with Taksal
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Govt agrees to re-open land fraud cases
HC: Further hearing on Sultanpuri killings on May 15
The Talwandi Sabo plant under construction. Tribune file photo
Bajwa wins political victory on wealth tax
Varsities for decentralised counselling for MBA/MCA
Re-employing officers creates admn issues: Personnel Dept
Govt mulls absorbing teachers of aided schools
Security up for bus to Lahore
Punjabi University to house former PM IK Gujral’s books
Doctors’ delegation inspects Rajindra hospital
Police to start helpline to curb drug menace
Panchayat poll: HC relief to govt on uploading delimitation details
Heroin worth Rs 12 cr seized
Man booked for dowry death
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Controversy Over Operation Bluestar Memorial
Chandigarh, April 29 The memorial has been dedicated to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Sources said the BJP leaders, including its state president Kamal Sharma, minister Madan Mohan Mittal, former minister Balramji Dass Tandon and general secretary (organisation) Ajay Jamwal held a meeting with the Chief Minister on the issue. Expressing their unhappiness over the development, the leaders reportedly reminded Badal of his assurance in the assembly that the memorial would be a gurdwara in the Golden Temple complex. Expressing apprehension that some radical elements may take advantage of the development and disturb peace in the state, they asked Badal to ensure that any attempt to vitiate communal harmony in the state should be foiled. The BJP leaders demanded that the party be allocated at least 50 zila parishad seats for which polling is to be held on May 19 in the state. The BJP leaders sought seats in Bathinda, Sangrur, Mansa, Moga, Barnala and Muktsar districts from where the BJP has no representation in the assembly. The BJP also sought seats in Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ropar, Ferozepur districts where it has a significant vote bank. The SAD and the BJP have decided to jointly contest the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections. A committee of SAD leader DS Cheema and BJP leader Tikshan Sud has been constituted to decide on seat allotment. The BJP leaders reportedly told Badal that they would want more than 25 seats and that seats in the Malwa belt would help the party keep its cadre intact.
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SGPC asks Akal Takht chief to resolve issue with Taksal
Amritsar, April 29 As part of damage control, the SGPC has turned around the ‘golak’ kept inside the memorial which had Bhindranwale's name on it. However, there are five more spots where Bhindranwale's name has been inscribed- two marble plaques atop the memorial entrance, two aluminum plaques on either side of the staircase and a board mentioning the history of Operation Bluestar on the left side of the entrance. The Dal Khalsa today ridiculed the SGPC president's claim that the Taksal had kept him in the dark on the issue of dedicating the memorial to Bhindranwale. Quoting from the resolution passed at the SGPC executive committee meeting on May 3, 2012, party chief HS Dhami said it clearly stated that the “meeting authorises Damdami Taksal head Baba Harnam Singh to raise the memorial near Akal Takht in memory of Sant Bhindranwale" and others killed in the Army operation.
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Govt agrees to re-open land fraud cases
Chandigarh, April 29 The government has also agreed to the suggestion of constituting a Special Bench in the High Court to monitor such cases. The government has said that it was examining another suggestion on dispossessing grabbers of land illegally occupied by them and charging mesne profits. It also claimed that action would be taken against erring revenue and consolidation department functionaries. The assertion came just over a month after the panel suggested that land from grabbers “must be dispossessed” and they must be “ordered to pay mesne profits for all the period during which they were illegally occupying the public land”. Mesne earnings denote profits which accrue during dispute over land ownership. The development is significant. The ongoing probe into land grab cases by the Justice Kuldip Singh panel has already found fault with certain mutations in Kansal and Karoran villages on Chandigarh’s periphery. The number of faulty sale deeds is between 30,000 and 35,000 in Karoran village alone. In its affidavit, the Punjab Government asserted: “The government agrees that cases involving fraud etc, as identified by the tribunal, may be re-opened and heard by the High Court. The government also agrees to the suggestion regarding constitution of a Special Bench in the High Court to monitor such cases”. It said the recommendations made by the Special Tribunal in its interim report had been considered. Special officers would be appointed for each district to deal with cases related to illegal occupation, acquisition and alienation of mushtarka malkan land and shamlat panchayat land. Petitions already pending or filed in future would be heard by these officers. But, the government did not feel the necessity of appointing special commissioners to hear appeals and revisions against the orders of the special officers.
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Verdict in Sajjan Kumar case today
New Delhi, April 29 Arguments by the prosecution as well as the defence were completed on April 3. District Sessions Judge JR Aryan had on April 16 called for any clarification, if needed. As no clarification was sought by either of the parties, the court declared to pronounce the verdict on April 30. The case pertains to the killing of Kehar Singh and Gurpreet Singh, husband and son of Jagdish Kaur, Raghuvender Singh, Narender Pal Singh and Kuldeep Singh in the Raj Nagar area that comes under the Delhi Cantonment police station. The killings took place on November 1 and 2 after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. A case was registered by the CBI in October 2005 on the recommendations of Nanawati Commission. The CBI filed a charge sheet in the court on February 1, 2010. The trial court framed charges against Sajjan Kumar and the five others under Sections 302 (murder), 427 (damage to property), 153-A (promoting enmity between different communities) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). Seventeen witnesses each were produced by the prosecution and the defence. After recording of evidence ended in March 2012, arguments in the case were concluded on April 3, 2013.
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HC: Further hearing on Sultanpuri killings on May 15
New Delhi, April 29 The court fixed May 15 as the date for further hearing. The High Court was to pronounce the order on the plea challenging the trial court order, which in July 2010 had framed charges against five accused, including Sajjan Kumar, for the murder of six persons after the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. Sajjan Kumar and two other accused had moved the Delhi High Court in 2010. Complainant Sheela Kaur had filed a cross-appeal in the HC seeking to invoke the charges of criminal conspiracy against Sajjan Kumar and the others. She also opposed the plea for dropping charges against Sajjan Kumar. — IANS
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Upcoming power plants unlikely to bail out state
As many as six thermal plants with a combined generation capacity of 9,200 MW were to be commissioned in Punjab. But, the work is in progress for three thermal plants (1,980 MW Talwandi Sabo, 1,400 MW Rajpura and 540 MW Goindwal Sahib) whereas not even a brick has been laid for the remaining projects (1,320 MW Gobindpura, 2,640 MW Gidderbaha and 1,320 MW Kot Shamir Thermal Plant). Moreover, even if the Talwandi Sabo, Rajpura and Goindwal Sahib power projects get operational by 2015, Punjab will still remain power deficient. The present gap between demand and supply of power during summer season is about 3,500 MW. With the power demand in the state expected to go up by 4,000 MW in the next two years, the capacity addition of 3,920 MW will not be enough. Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that an MoU signed between the PSPCL and Lanco Infratech to set up 1,320 MW thermal plant at Kot Shamir in Bhatinda had expired last year. The developer has so far not approached the PSPCL for an extension of the MoU. This raises doubts about the viability of the project. Likewise, with no end to the deadlock between the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the PSPCL over amendments to the terms and conditions mentioned in the MoU signed for setting up of a 2,640 MW power project in Gidderbaha, the fate of the power project seems uncertain. The plant was to start generation by 2015, but till date not even a brick has been laid at the site. Work on the Gobindpura thermal plant in Mansa is also yet to start. The sources said a committee of PSPCL technocrats had recommended that the corporation would require power from this project for just four months in a year. “The developer will not be interested in setting up the plant if the PSPCL is to procure power for just four months a year,” said a PSPCL officer. GS Chhabra, PSPCL Director (Generation), said coal linkage was a crucial issue. "From investment point of view, the developer will want assured coal linkage,” he said. Chhabra said: “Following news reports that work at the Talwandi Sabo project had been stopped, we sent a PSPCL team at the site. The team officials said the work was stopped for a while on account of some issues between workers and the developer”.
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Bajwa wins political victory on wealth tax
Chandigarh, April 29 The victory has been primarily that of Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa who not only laid the ground work for the withdrawal of wealth tax on agricultural land, as promised by the Finance Minister today, but also created a broad-based alliance of political leaders to make the party high command take notice. Bajwa was able to get an audience with Chidambaram hours before the SAD core committee was to meet and chalk out its strategy. He also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and stressed the need to withdraw the proposal in the interest of the farming community. Bajwa notched up another political victory today by persuading the Finance Minister to take a U-turn on the issue. He was successful in his endeavour by not only ensuring a consensus on the issue within the Punjab Congress, but also getting Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and party leaders from other states on his side. Bajwa was helped by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who announced that he would do his utmost to ensure the proposed legislation was withdrawn. Bajwa claimed the "so-called" Akali agitation on the issue had fallen flat on its face. He said the Akalis from the very start were not interested in approaching the Centre to find a solution to the issue but had adopted a confrontational stance to “play politics” on the issue. State Congress legal cell co-chairperson Jaiveer Shergill clarified that no demand notice had been issued to any farmer in Punjab on the basis of the proposed Finance Bill: 2013 as was being made out by the Akalis. Shergill advised the SAD to play “fair” and not twist facts. Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar said he had got a call from Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal , requesting him to attend the special assembly session being held to discuss wealth tax. Jakhar said though the session had been rendered redundant now, the party was keen to discuss other ‘burning’ issues pertaining to the farming community. Badal: Victory claims hollow Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal claimed that the “victory claims” were a drama and that it was the SAD which had taken up the issue most forcefully. Badal said the SAD would continue with its agenda and the special House session would be held as scheduled on May 3. Badal, who met senior leader Sharad Yadav this evening, said the party would “not give up its agitation” until it was made clear that wealth tax on agricultural land had been withdrawn. He said he had rung up senior Congress leaders, including Jakhar and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, to request them to pass a unanimous resolution on the issue in the Vidhan
Sabha.
Properties of two farmers attached
Jalandhar, April 29 The order came after the Nagra brothers lost their case in the apex court. Another farmer Harvinder Singh sold his six acres of land in Basti Peer Dad village in Jalandhar only because of imposition of wealth tax. His father paid over Rs 15 lakh as wealth tax on the agricultural land from 1999 to 2009. Jalandhar Income Tax Commissioner-I Rakesh Suri said notices for depositing wealth tax had so far been issued to 15 farmers having urban agriculture land. Notices to more farmers would be sent after an assessment of their land.
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Varsities for decentralised counselling for MBA/MCA
Jalandhar, April 29 All the universities had been conducting admissions on a rotational basis for the past two years, as per which the PTU held a common counseling. This year, all the participating universities have sought permission to conduct counselling for their campus and affiliated colleges on their own. The vice chancellors of these universities had held a meeting in this regard a month ago. Dr Ajaib Singh Brar, Vice Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, said: “A centralised counselling makes the process lengthy. We tend to lose good students. Besides, the PTU levies Rs 3,000 as counselling fee for which most parents are unwilling. We have a credit-based system at the university and during online counselling, we sometimes get students who are not interested in studies. We intend to personally interview the students to check if they are actually interested”. Brar said he wanted segregated admission for B.Tech as well. But the demand has been rejected at least for this year as the state government has already released its notification for a centralised counselling for engineering colleges. The notification for MBA and MCA, however, has been kept on hold. Dr Rajneesh Arora, Vice Chancellor, PTU, said a discussion on the issue was on. “We are yet to get a notification on the admission process. In case, we are told to conduct admissions, we have decided to curtail the counselling schedule in the interest of all participants”, he said. The MBA admission is to be held this year on the basis of CMAT while that of MCA on the basis of merit at the graduate level. AR Talwar, Principal Secretary, Technical Education, said a decision on the issue was yet to be taken.
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Re-employing officers creates admn issues: Personnel Dept
Chandigarh, April 29 “This has led to several procedural difficulties for the administrative wing, besides creating problems in legal handling of the cases,” the department said in a communication to the financial commissioners, principal secretaries and additional secretaries. It said no extension in services be allowed to IAS, PCS and other Group “A” officers after their retirement without a due communication followed by an official sanction from the Personnel Department. The move is important in the context that a sizable number of officers who were re-employed continued to draw the same salary as they did during a regular job. The department has pointed out that the government was facing a lot of administrative problems because certain officers continued to serve without informing the department. This has also led to problems in settling their financial claims.
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Govt mulls absorbing teachers of aided schools
It would be of dual advantage: aided schoolteachers, who have been demanding regular pay and promotions, would get various benefits and the acute shortage of teachers would also be redressed to a large extent. Yet another advantage would be the provident fund of these teachers, amounting to around Rs 250 crore, would be credited to the state exchequer. Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka said, “The move has been discussed with the Chief Minister, who gave a positive response. Before drafting a proposal, we are working out the technicalities associated with the process.” The step will benefit around 5,000 teachers working with 484 aided schools. At present, the government bears 95 per cent of their salaries through grant-in-aid while the rest is contributed by the respective school managements. As a majority of the aided schools have been passing through a financial crunch, the managements of some schools find it tough to even generate 5 per cent share. As such, there have been complaints by these teachers that at times their salaries get delayed by months together. Since 2003, a blanket ban was imposed on appointing teachers in aided schools. About 5,000 employees have since retired while no new recruitments have been made. Of the sanctioned 9,468 (teaching and non-teaching) posts in aided schools, 5,068 have been lying vacant. These comprise posts of school heads. On the other hand, government schools have been facing a shortage of around 10,000 teachers. After absorbing the 5,000-odd aided schoolteachers by bearing an additional salary burden of a mere 5 per cent (currently being paid by the managements of these schools), the Education Department would take care of at least half of its vacancies. The concept of aided schools dates back to the Partition days. After 1967, these schools started getting grants on the Delhi pattern. With the passage of time, the Delhi Government introduced amendments in the policy matters and placed the aided schoolteachers on a par with their counterparts in the government sector.
English exam leak: 5 grace marks for students Muktsar: The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has decided to give five grace marks to the students of Class X in Muktsar and Banur in their English exam, which was leaked a day before the examination on March 24. The students of Muktsar and Banur had to face a lot of difficulty as the Board officials had changed the question paper and provided two fresh sets of handwritten photostat question paper to them. The entire process had caused a delay of almost two hours and the students were not even allowed to go out of the classes during that period. PSEB chairperson Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal confirmed the development. Asked whether any action had been taken against those who leaked the paper, she said, "Last week, we asked the police to speed up the investigations.”
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Security up for bus to Lahore
Amritsar, April 29 Amritsar Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) Manmohan Singh said an additional vehicle would escort the bus. Station House Officers of the areas through which the bus passed had been asked told to make similar arrangements. There were reports that some organisations planned to stop the bus on the Amritsar-Attari route today. But nothing of the sort happened.
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Punjabi University to house former PM IK Gujral’s books
Patiala, April 29 These books were brought to Patiala two days ago from New Delhi as the late former Prime Minister's family is vacating their Janpath House. The books are based on varied topics such as foreign policies, bilateral relations of various countries, world affairs, Partition of India and religion. Apart from English and Hindi books, the collection includes books in Urdu and Persion languages. Punjabi University Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Jaspal Singh said the university had offered to adopt Gujral's collection of books, which was accepted by his son Naresh Gujral. He said he was happy that the university had received the honour of treasuring his books. The VC said, "I got a chance to visit Gujral's personal library a couple of times. I know that he was a thorough reader and was keen on reading almost all books related to social and economical health of countries. So, when I got to know that his family was shifting, I thought it would be great if the family could lend us his books so that it could be of some help to youth, specially because some of these books are very rare,” he said. IK Gujral’s son Naresh Gujral said, "My father's library includes books not only about India but also about other countries since he was always into studying policies that could be implemented in India for its betterment. “I am glad that the university has formed a special corner for his collection and hope that they preserve his books." In 2010, the university had conferred the Degree of Doctorate (Honoris Causa) on Gujral at his Delhi residence following his illness.
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Doctors’ delegation inspects Rajindra hospital
Patiala, April 29 College principal Dr KD Singh said as Government Medical College, Patiala, was among five medical colleges of India which had been chosen to integrate health services in their peripheries, the team had come here to study the facilities being provided here. He said the team would prepare a list of problems which need to be addressed. — TNS
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Police to start helpline to curb drug menace
Patiala, April 29 Senior police officials have warned that any police official who registers a false case of drug peddling against a person would be punished. Orders have also been issued for policemen to ensure that first-time drug offenders attend a de-addiction programme. Addressing mediapersons at Police Lines today, Patiala Zone IG Paramjit Singh Gill said with the arrest of 367 persons in six districts located in Patiala Zone, petty crimes such as snatching and thefts would register a decline. "Usually drug addicts resort to snatching and robbing people to raise money for drugs. However, with our drive against drug peddlers, such crimes have seen a dip," Gill said. The police in Sangrur, Patiala, Barnala, Roopnagar, SBS Nagar and Mohali districts has registered 330 cases and arrested 368 persons with drugs. "Instead of going after drug peddlers, efforts are being made to arrest the kingpin so that the supply chain can be broken," said the IG. "We started the drive on April 1, following instructions from the Deputy CM to act tough against drug peddlers as it would check other crimes too," said the IG. — TNS
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Panchayat poll: HC relief to govt on uploading delimitation details
Chandigarh, April 29 The refusal to issue the directions came after a Division Bench noticed that nothing on record suggested attempts by the petitioners to approach the authorities concerned for the supply of notifications. Taking up the petition filed by Amrik Singh and another petitioner, the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain observed that the petition has been filed for seeking directions to the respondents to upload or display “all the notifications relating to the proposed final wardbandi in the villages for the purpose of gram panchayat elections”. The Bench added: “It is a grievance of the petitioners that notifications are not available. There is nothing on record to show that at any point of time, the petitioners have approached the authorities concerned for supply of copies of the requisite documents. “It is only stated that the authorities are not accepting the application for the purpose, which is not believable. If the authorities are not accepting the applications at the desk, it could be sent through registered post or by other means like email etc”. Dismissing the petition, the Bench added: “Before coming to this court, the petitioners have also not served demand notice upon the respondents to do the needful”. The order comes at a time when another petition on the issue of gram panchayat elections is pending adjudication before the Bench. In its pending petition, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has contended final notifications of wardbandi, as per information available to it, had already been issued in almost all the districts. “However, the respondents are still not providing/supplying the copies of the final notifications to the voters/general public”. The list of final notifications is not even available on internet despite a public statement by the minister concerned to this effect. Moreover, the wardbandi of the gram sabha area has to be undertaken and finalised in a totally transparent, fair and democratic manner. But, it “has been done in the most undemocratic, illegal, arbitrary and malafide manner, keeping the whole process a top secret from the voters/electors who are required to be kept in the loop and informed as per law. The entire process has taken place behind the closed doors at the behest of the political masters of the day.”
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Heroin worth Rs 12 cr seized
Phillaur, April 29 Superintendent of Police (Detective) Rajinder Singh said the accused, Surjit Lal of Chuheki village, was arrested on April 25 in the rape case registered against him a year ago in Nurmahal. The police officer claimed the recovery was made after the accused revealed he was a drug smuggler. The contraband was hidden in his car. Cash amounting to Rs 24 lakh was also seized. In another case, the police arrested a woman, Kulwinder Kaur, after recovering a kg of opium from her possession in nearby Ramgarh village. — OC
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Sangrur, April 29 Station House Officer of Moonak police station Baljit Singh said a post-mortem examination of the body had been conducted at the Civil Hospital, Sangrur. Its report was yet to be received. The accused was absconding, he added. The SHO said the complainant had alleged Balkar Singh had been harassing his sister for seeking more dowry since they got married in November 2007. — TNS
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Patiala, April 29
Jalandhar, April 29
Aggressive campaign
Amritsar, April 29