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Badal lauds Modi, says ‘lead nation’
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal and BJP leader and Punjab affairs in charge Shanta Kumar near Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's statue in Madhopur on Sunday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Ticket aspirants bury hatchet, share stage
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Govt wakes up to strengthen emergency services in
state
Ludhiana authorities undertake desilting work at Budha nullah. A Tribune file photo
Ropar plant workers exposed to health hazards, finds panel
Prima facie, it appears that the plant polluted the surrounding areas. However, we will know the extent of pollution after the samples are tested
Restoration work of centuries old Bunga Ramgarhia to be
expedited
Investment promotion campaign on the
anvil
Two UGC officials held for misusing grants
Merely 3% candidates clear TET
Private schools charging
inflated fee under scanner
Seven hurt as traditional, Cong-turned Akalis clash
Scholarship portal to be launched
Survey finds 804 cancer cases in Sangrur
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Ticket aspirants bury hatchet, share stage
Madhopur, June 23 The main ticket aspirants for the Gurdaspur parliamentary seat, always at loggerheads, took their prearranged seats on the stage even as Modi heaped praises on Jana Sangh founder Shyama Parsad Mukherjee for 20 minutes. Cine star and three-time Gurdaspur MP Vinod Khanna, who was accompanied by his wife Kavita Khanna, sat in the front row with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Modi and a host of other dignitaries, which included the top BJP leadership. However, due to time constraints, he was not given a chance to speak. Khanna’s proximity with Modi is well-known. In the Gujarat Assembly elections, he had campaigned for the BJP candidate in Vadodra. On the other hand, industrialist and another ticket aspirant Swaran Salaria was allowed to speak by the organisers. However, much to his chagrin, he was not accommodated in the much-vaunted front row and after delivering his extempore speech, he had to beat a hasty retreat in the second row — the same row where Kavita Khanna and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu were allotted seats. Master Mohan Lal, also in the race for the ticket, has found himself sidelined ever since the rally was taken over by senior leaders. He quietly made his presence felt at the event by sitting silently in the last row. Master Mohan Lal, who till yesterday used to delight the residents by playing a pivotal role in the Ramayana, was said to be sidelined by a powerful Pathankot-based senior BJP leader. An unfazed Mohal Lal said, “Some people are out to finish my political career. But, they should know they simply cannot cold-shoulder me. I will make my move when the opportune time comes.” SK Punj, an educationist and an aspirant, was not even adjusted on the dais. He was assigned a duty in the VIP enclosure. Where they all sat
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No
to Punjabi food
Madhopur, June 23 Khanna’s mother-in-law Sharayu Daftari is a noted Mumbai-based industrialist but has her roots in Gujarat. She and Khanna’s wife, Kavita Khanna, who till recently was on the BJP national executive, flew in without creating much of a flutter on Friday. Once in the town, both went on an overdrive to secretly locate a suitable kitchen where they could prepare the dish. After a long search, they decided to cook the food at the Indira colony residence of Samrender Sharma, a long-time loyalist of the Khanna family. Sharma has been associated with the family ever since the actor contested his first election from Gurdaspur in 1998. Apart from being the principal of the local SD College, he is an office-bearer of the Pathankot BJP. The Khannas enjoy a good rapport with Modi and their association dates back to 2000 when an earthquake had hit Bhuj in Gujarat. Modi had asked the actor to work for him on a rehabilitation programme. The location of the kitchen was kept a closely guarded secret for the last few days with only a few of Khanna’s friends being privy to what was cooking. Sharma said a dish called ‘Fafla’ was prepared. Kavita said, “Gujarati food remains relatively unknown outside the state despite the Gujaratis being a major community in the Indian
diaspora.”
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BJP trying to fan communal tension: Bajwa
Chandigarh, June 23 Bajwa said Modi was “desperate” to become the prime minister “even at the cost of the country’s integrity”. He alleged both the SAD and the BJP, the alliance partners in Punjab, were two sides of the same coin. “They have a common agenda: to grab power by hook or crook. If Modi is a true friend, he should give his ‘magic wand of development’ to Punjab, which has fallen from the first to the 12th place on the national economic chart. “The NDA has lost its relevance as most of its partners have left the alliance. Only the BJP, the SAD and the Shiv Sena are together now and all of these have a communal agenda to serve,” he said.
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Tewari: Rally will mark NDA’s end
Chandigarh: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari today said Madhopur, where Narendra Modi held his first public rally after becoming the chairman of the BJP’'s campaign committee, will mark the beginning of the final end of the NDA. “While the process of the NDA’s decline started the day Modi took over, the final end will begin from Madhopur.”
— TNS
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Govt wakes up to strengthen emergency services in
state
Chandigarh, June 23 Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, an epidemiologist, said: "Of the identified flood-prone areas, as many as 385 are located in Patiala district. All these areas are in the vicinity of the Ghaggar. Approximately 200 villages in Gurdaspur were flood prone besides smaller areas in other districts mainly Budhlada in Mansa and Sangrur." The Health Department is working in tandem with the district administrations under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioners concerned. The district administrations have submitted reports regarding completed works with the office of the Chief Secretary, it has been learnt. In case of Patiala, for instance, the district administration is undertaking 22 projects for preventing stoppage of the natural flow of water. Of these, six works are on the Ghaggar. Deputy Commissioner GK Singh claimed: "We have done our homework and are ready to face any eventuality." In 2011, several areas in Ferozepur, Fazilka and Abohar had witnessed a flood-like situation. In 2010, parts of Mohali, Patiala, Budhlada and Maachiwara in Ludhiana had faced the fury of rains. While the district administrations are handling the overall disaster management plan in their areas, the Health Department has appointed nodal officers to coordinate the activities. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said the department was carrying out special projects of the National Disaster Management Authority particularly with respect to preparedness to handle emergency situations. A senior doctor said: "The Uttarakhand tragedy has given a wake-up call to our state as well. We are well aware of illegal constructions adjoining flood prone and fragile embankments at certain places in the state. We are also aware of certain surveys done to this regard. We will inform the authorities concerned and ask them to take timely action to prevent an unwanted disaster".
Taking stock
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Ropar plant workers exposed to health hazards, finds panel
Ropar, June 23 They observed that the coal unloading platform was not covered which is why coal dust spread in the air. They also found that the management didn’t ensure that employees wore safety gear such as face masks and shoes. Sangeetha Suresh, one of the team members, said these factors exposed the workers to the risks of contracting dermatological and pulmonary diseases. The team would visit 48 such thermal plants in the country under the Green Rating Project of the
NGO and submit its report to the Central Government, she said. The team comprises N Sai Sidharth, Sangeetha Suresh and Sanjeev Kanchan and is led by ex-member secretary of Central Pollution Control Board B Sen Gupta. It will also collect samples of fly ash from the villages affected by
the pollution emanating from the plant. Kanchan said in modern thermal plants the coal unloading plant is built underground so that the dust generated while unloading coal does not fly away to adjoining areas. He said the coal unloading platform at the Ropar plant needs to be covered and a suction system needed to be set up to prevent the coal dust from spreading in the air. The team members said the management needed to ensure that the workers wore safety gear. “Prima facie it appears that the plant polluted the surrounding areas. However, we will know the extent of pollution after the samples are tested,” said a member of the team.
Disaster in making
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Restoration work of centuries old Bunga Ramgarhia to be expedited
Amritsar, June 23 SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar admitted that the work on the project had slowed down in the past one year. He said steps would be initiated to expedite the work. Dalmegh Singh, SGPC secretary, the plan to have a museum inside the bunga had been changed following the proposal for a new museum at the Akali Market. Bunga Ramgarhia, to be now preserved as a heritage building, would be thrown open to devotees once the restoration work is complete. At the bunga's basement is a hall (Diwan-e-Khas) where Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia would hold court. The basement also has a prison, a treasury room and a well. The middle basement and the lower basement have a room each. The left wing of the bunga has suffered some damage. A few years ago, its roof was built anew by a baba heading the kar sewa. Those engaged in the kar sewa built walls under the arches on the ground floor and converted the verandahs into rooms. The brickwork was plastered and painted at several places. However, the restoration work now is being carried out in consultation with experts. The work was started on April 18, 2008. Those associated with it attribute the delay to intricate work involved in restoring the structure. About the tower
Built by Sikh warrior Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia in 1794, Bunga Ramgarhia is a fine piece of architectural marvel and civil engineering expertise. It is structurally supported on parabolic arches decorated with cornices. The projections are supported by architraves and brackets. Two minarets of 156- ft each, constructed for surveillance in and around the Golden Temple, are a part of it.
Royal prisoner
A Sikh army, known as Dal
Khalsa, comprising forces of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Baghel Singh, attacked the Mughal ruler in Delhi and occupied the Red Fort in 1783. During the brief occupation by the Khalsa army, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia removed the royal throne. He fettered it with chains and ropes and brought it to Amritsar. The throne seat measuring 6 ft in length, four ft in breadth and nine inches in thickness is placed in a tilted position, symbolising its surrender before the Golden Temple.
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Survivors credit Army, flay govt for delayed rescue
Muktsar, June 23 "Though some of them managed to rush out safely, several others were washed away in gushing flood water along with their vehicles. I still remember the owner an Innova, who was sleeping inside the vehicle along with his four family members, tired to start the vehicle. But, before he could do that, the vehicle was swept away," he said. Bohad, who is vice-president of the local Langar Sewa Society, said the next day about 4:30 am, they started their 11-km journey from Govind Ghat to Joshi Math after leaving all their belongings in the inn. He said the Armymen did not even care for their own lives and rescued the stranded people. "It is only because of the Army that we are alive. At places where roads have been completely damaged, the Armymen made bridges with bamboo sticks". “The Army jawans were even seen offering their uniforms to some stranded people,” he said. He, however, expressed his resentment against the Uttarakhand Government and said no one from the government was seen at any of the disaster site. Meanwhile, the district police last evening opened a help centre at the local bus stand for the pilgrims reaching Muktsar to drop them further to their homes. Senior Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh said: "Twelve policemen have been deployed to drop all those reaching the town to their homes." He said four vehicles had been put into service for this purpose and six persons who reached the local bus stand last night were further sent to their hometown Guruharsahai. A langar was organised in Gidderbaha town by relatives of rescued pilgrims.
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Still can’t believe we are
alive: Jalandhar family
Jalandhar, June 23 Sanjeev Sharma narrated the traumatic experience to The Tribune team over the phone from Rishikesh. “We still can’t believe that we are alive. We saw so much death around us in three days in Gaurikund. We couldn’t get to eat anything there,” he said. Sanjeev along with his father Baldev Raj Sharma, mother Vijay, sisters Kanchan, Bharti and Seema were on their way to Kedarnath from Badrinath, when the disaster struck. “The locals there helped us but the shopkeepers stole the food and water that was air dropped for the stranded pilgrims. They also sold biscuits and water bottles at hefty rates,” he said. Sanjeev said the Army lifted only women and elderly to safer places and asked the youth to go on foot. “I covered several kilometres of tough terrain on foot before reaching Rishikesh,” he said. Meanwhile, 26 more stranded pilgrims reached Jalandhar today while six had arrived yesterday. The pilgrims who reached Jalandhar today are natives of Jandu Singha and
Bhogpur.
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Couple trekked for 22 hours to escape death
Fazilka, June 23 “There was scarcity of food and drinking water. A helicopter reached Gobind Dham one day and around 12 people were evacuated. Thereafter, no efforts were made to evacuate the pilgrims for three days,” said Sandeep. They finally walked towards Joshi Math. They trekked for 22 hours through a tough terrain to reach Rishikesh. Due to difficult and damaged mountainous terrain following flashfloods and landslips, they came across several death traps. All along the way, Army personnel helped them cross rivers and drains with the support of rafts and rope. The couple said there had been no help from the Uttarakhand or the Punjab governments.
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4,700 pilgrims rescued so far, claims govt
Chandigarh, June 23 The spokesperson said 95 buses (71 of the Punjab Roadways and 24 of the Punjab Police) had been used for the rescue operation. The government said it had decided to send two more platoons to evacuate the pilgrims stranded beyond
Joshimath.
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Three Barnala couples missing
Barnala: The fate of three couples from Barnala, who had gone to Kedarnath on June 9, is unknown as there is no information about their whereabouts so far. The missing persons are: Rajesh Jindal and his wife Bandana Jindal, Mukesh Garg and his wife Neena Garg, and Pawan Garg and his wife Sheetla Devi. Barnala Deputy Commissioner Indu Malhotra said a group of 14 pilgrims from Barnala returned from Uttarakhand on Sunday. Nachhattar Singh (59), a resident of Hassanpur village (Dhuri), who returned from Hemkund Sahib, said they could not forget the scenes of destruction caused by flash floods in Uttarakhand.
— Sushil Goyal Memorial staff to give one day's pay
Ropar: The employees of Virasat-e-Khalsa will donate their one day's salary for the help of victims of Uttarakhand tragedy. This was announced by Virasat-e-Khalsa's executive officer Karamjit Singh Sra. He said a donation box would also be kept on the premises and the money thus collected would be sent to Uttarakhad through the state government.
— TNS 12 Fazilka pilgrims still stranded
Fazilka: The plight of local resident Arvinder Kaur, whose son Ravinder Singh is reportedly trapped in Uttarakhand, is miserable. Similarly the relatives of 11 more persons who are still stranded in Uttarakhand are anxiously awaiting their return. Additional Deputy Commissioner Charandev Singh Maan said the stranded pilgrims were Ravinder Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Vicky Midha, Narinder Singh Baba, Gaurav, Sheri, Gulshan Kumar, Kanwaljit Singh and five family members of Gurdialjit Singh.
— OC
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Investment promotion campaign on the
anvil
Chandigarh, June 23 Going all out to woo investors, the state government will start an investment promotion campaign by organising road shows, mega events and conferences at the national and international levels. The government is already in talks with top multinational knowledge companies to engage them for promoting new investment and tracking the investment made. Tenders have been floated to appoint the knowledge partner, which will be finalised by July 15. An Industries Department official said: "To promote and publicise the new industrial policy and the list of fiscal incentives, we need to chart out a vigorous investment promotion campaign and contact global and big ticket investors for investing in the state". "The knowledge partner will chalk out an action plan for Punjab; recommend reforms in the policy, institutional and regulatory framework in the state; support the implementation of policy reforms and initiatives of the state government; and undertake institutional strengthening and capacity building of Bureau of Investment Promotion
(Udyog Sahayak)," he said. It may be noted that the state government has announced fiscal incentives for attracting investments in manufacturing, integrated textile, agro-processing and information technology and hardware manufacturing sectors. It is yet to announce policy decisions like setting up a venture capital fund for start-ups; setting up of incubators and common facilitation centres for helping new companies and small and medium enterprises cut costs; tying up with public sector financial institutions for helping the new investors get easy access to finance; and simplifying the procedure of labour reforms.
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Two UGC officials held for misusing grants
Rajpura, June 23 Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) HS Mann said, “We will question them and find
out if similar grants were released to other colleges too.” Five months ago, the Rajpura police had registered a case against Sanjeev Kalia, former principal of Patel Memorial National College, Rajpura, and his associate Gaurav Trivedi, son of a former IPS officer, for misusing grants released by the UGC. Gaurav was arrested last week and is presently in police remand while Sanjeev is on the run. Sanjeev had first got a grant of Rs 45 lakh in November 2010 and Rs 54 lakh in January 2012 even though the college did not have a College with Potential for Excellence status, which is a must to receive such UGC grants.
The Scam
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Merely 3% candidates clear TET
Ludhiana, June 23 The candidates feel cheated and say the government passed so few candidates because of the limited number of vacancies in government schools. Over 8,500 candidates cleared the TET in July 2011 when 2.75 lakh candidates had taken the test while the same number passed the test this year when 2 lakh candidates appeared. For primary teachers, candidates need to have studied till Class XII and finish the Elementary Teachers’ Training course and for upper primary teachers, candidates need to have a BA or a B.Ed. However, majority of the candidates who appeared for the test were highly qualified with MA, MPhil and PhD degrees. Deep Raja, president of TET Unemployed Union, said there were very few vacancies in government schools which was why the authorities passed so few candidates. KK Sabharwal has been training candidates for the UGC and TET and feels the government took the right step in selecting so few candidates. He says teachers are the mentors of future generations and therefore the government should select only the best candidates. Sabharwal further said as several private institutes had sprung up in the state, the quality of candidates with B.Ed degrees had come down. Whereas, it was very difficult to get a B.Ed degree earlier, he said, adding that the TET was the best way to test the candidates.
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Private schools charging
inflated fee under scanner
Mohali, June 23 They were directed to answer the 43 questions on the questionnaire by
July 20. The committee has sought details about fee hikes, funds collection, admission fee and available facilities in the schools. Parents of the students present at the meeting alleged these schools
were flouting rules with impunity and charged exorbitant fee. Justice Ranjit Singh said that the process of inquiry had begun following the directions of former Punjab and Haryana High Court chief justice AK Sikri in this regard. He said the inquiry would be completed soon. After petitions were filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by All India Crime Provision Society and Anti Corruption and Crime Investigation against the schools in this regard, three different special inquiry committees were formed by the court to investigate the issue in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
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Seven hurt as traditional, Cong-turned Akalis clash
Tarn Taran, June 23 The trigger is learnt to have been a disagreement between the traditional Akalis and the new entrants (to the SAD) over the fielding of a candidate for the post of sarpanch. While the traditional wing wanted Jaswinder Pal Singh as the nominee, the new group was backing the candidature of Subeg Singh. As both the groups were canvassing for their candidates yesterday, an argument erupted over the alleged use of money for luring voters. The activists soon turned violent, attacking their rivals with sharp-edged weapons. Sources said a similar situation was being witnessed in other villages, with a clash of interests between the traditional and the new Akali cadre resulting in conflict. Even as several ruling SAD legislators have managed to convince rival Congress activists to switch over to their party, the latter are struggling to find acceptability among the Akali grassroots workers. The simmering tension, therefore, could lead to more clashes in the days to come, said sources.
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Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today termed the electoral battle for the 2014 Lok Sabha poll as the “second freedom struggle to be fought under the leadership of his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi”.
Taking a cue from the Uttarakhand flashfloods, the Punjab Government is carrying out groundwork for strengthening the emergency services in 2,399 flood-prone areas (mostly villages) in the state.
Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, an epidemiologist, said: "Of the identified flood-prone areas, as many as 385 are located in Patiala district. All these areas are in the vicinity of the
Ghaggar.
Ropar, June 23
Pilgrims rescued from different parts of flood-hit Uttarakhand are all praise for the Army.
Bohad Singh, who along with his wife, sister-in-law and a neighbour, had gone to Hemkund Sahib and returned yesterday, said: "On June 17, we were at an inn at Govind Ghat when suddenly an alarm sounded at 11 pm. On coming out, we saw a nearby road being washed away in flashflood.
