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Sidhu calls off fast after CM’s assurance
Charge of ‘biased’ progress vindicated, says Congress
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Pak agencies target jatha members
HC: Delay in salary unjustified
Joshi rallies behind Amritsar MP
Criminals in politics: Cong dares Sukhbir for debate
Truce after damage on both sides
Patriotic fervour swamps Khatkar Kalan
Sangrur, Faridkot, Barnala get new DCs
11,000 visit cancer screening camps
New film policy on cards
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Sidhu calls off fast after CM’s assurance
Amritsar, September 28 Badal also assured restoration of the funds “diverted” from the Amritsar Improvement Trust. Sidhu, however, said he was not happy but was satisfied. Talking to mediapersons here this morning, Sidhu said he received a letter from the Chief Minister last night in which the latter had given him details about each issue raised by him. A “visibly shaken” Sidhu said, “I am not happy, but I’m satisfied. I welcome it. I am not happy because despite being the MP from Amritsar, I had to announce that I will sit on fast-unto-death to get the government to concede to my demands. I am satisfied because it wasn’t my personal fight or ego.” He said whatever he did it was for the holy city of Amritsar. “I support anybody who is for the development of Amritsar but if anyone is against it, I have the right to question him on behalf of 15 lakh residents of Amritsar.” He said it was regretful that whatever he said was dismissed as ‘Sidhu’s issue’. He averred it wasn’t his issue but that of Amritsar. Referring to cold-shouldering from the government, Sidhu said, “The elected representatives should be involved in decision making as they have the mandate of the people. If the public representatives are not kept in the loop and those having no existence are given priority, it is tantamount to stifling democracy. So, it is my request to the government to involve them in future.” Sidhu demanded that the Punjab Government should call an Assembly session and grant special status to Amritsar while recommending the same to the Centre. “If the Centre denies it to Amritsar, the state government should give it a status higher than other cities and grant more funds to it as it is the spiritual centre of the Sikhs,” he said. Dwelling on Badal’s assurance, Sidhu said, “I have been told that the tender for the Solid Waste Management Project will be floated on October 7. The city buses will start plying in Amritsar from November this year. The CCTV cameras will be installed in nine months, a timeframe which I think is more, but still it is okay. The tender bids for sports complex too will be invited soon.” He said the Bhandari Bridge expansion project will cost Rs 100 crore now, though earlier the pre-fabricated bridge was costing the government mere Rs 8 crore. He said he would discuss the issue with the Chief Minister to see if the old one could be revived. The MP said the government had also given a go-ahead to the flyovers sought by him. He said the funds diverted from the Amritsar Improvement Trust would also be restored and a part of it had already been done. “These were my genuine demands, which were met by the government and, therefore, I call off my fast,” he said while concluding with a remark on the 'delayed' government intervention, 'Bahut der kardi meharban aate aate’ (The government has intervened, finally). Asked if the government didn’t fulfil its promises, Sidhu said he had full faith in Badal and his deputy Sukhbir and they would certainly complete his projects in time. On the BJP not backing him, he said he had full support of the party and that was why the BJP leaders led by president Rajnath Singh talked to the SAD about his issues and also gave his letter to the Chief Minister. On re-contesting from Amritsar, he said he had never sought anything from the party and he only strived for the development of the holy city. He said the party would decide about his Lok Sabha poll candidature. On whether he still felt suffocated in politics, he said he didn’t share his sorrows with anybody and preferred to carry the burden on his own shoulders. Sidhu’s demands CM’s assurance
Top leaders involved in negotiations The breakthrough in Sidhu-state government face-off came following negotiations between the top leadership of the SAD and the BJP on Thursday. Sources said BJP president Rajnath Singh was also involved in the talks to find out an amicable solution to the issue, which had become a major cause of embarrassment for the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.
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Charge of ‘biased’ progress vindicated, says Congress
Amritsar, September 28 In a joint statement issued here, PPCC vice-president OP Soni, MLAs Ashwani Sekhri, Charanjit Kaur Bajwa, Aruna Chaudhary, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Ramanjit Singh Sikki said even though Sidhu had withdrawn his decision to go on fast-unto-death, the issue of "discrimination" against Amritsar and other Majha districts still persisted. "The Congress had time and again raised the issue that the SAD-BJP government was ignoring Majha and diverting all funds to Bathinda Lok Sabha seat where the prestige of the Badal family was at stake." The Congress leaders alleged that it was unprecedented in Punjab's political history and "shameful" for the SAD-BJP alliance that a MP of the ruling party was forced to take such an extreme step. They said it was unfortunate that an elected representative of people was dealt with such contempt and it reflected the "arrogant and undemocratic attitude" of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. The Congress leaders said they supported the issues raised by Sidhu. They also said it was "shameful" that the BJP remained a mute spectator in the entire episode.
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Pak agencies target jatha members
Amritsar, September 28 The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) and the counter intelligence wing of the Punjab Police had arrested local resident Tarwinder Singh from the Army Cantonment area on the Amritsar-Attari road. He was carrying a Pakistani SIM, photographs of restricted areas, Army manuals and handmade sketches of military installations. Sources said several anti-social elements had visited Pakistan as part of a religious jatha in the recent past where they were contacted by officials of intelligence agencies who lured them into spying by promising them huge monetary rewards. In March 2009, the cell arrested five Pakistani spies, including an Army jawan. “At least four of them had visited Pakistan as part of a Sikh jatha. All of them were promised handsome financial rewards through Hawala transactions,” said a source. As per the pact between the Indian and Pakistani governments, four religious jathas visit Pakistan every year on Baisakhi, martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Over 60 per cent of the Sikh jathas comprise SGPC members while the remaining are from other Sikh organisations. SGPC secretary Tarlochan Singh said members of Sikh jathas who were to leave for Pakistan were scrutinised several times. “First, our constituency in charge attests the identification of the devotees, then the Punjab and the Union Governments scrutinise every individual before one leaves for Pakistan,” he said. Spies arrested since 2009 March 18, 2009: Naib Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Baldev Singh, Army jawan Manjinder Singh, all residents of Faridkot, and Randhir Singh of Bathinda July 7, 2009: Dilbagh Singh of Amritsar and Gurjit Singh of Ferozepur August 20, 2009: Sabir Bakshi of Malerkotla September 28, 2012: Sukhpreet Kaur and her husband Surajpal Singh September 25, 2013: Tarwinder Singh of Kakkar Tarin village
(Lopoke)
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HC: Delay in salary unjustified
Chandigarh, September 28 The ruling came on a petition filed by Raj Karni against the Punjab Government and other respondents. She was seeking the grant of interest on delayed payments for arrears of salary, increment etc. The petition is just one of the two lakh cases pending before the High Court; and it is suspected that many of the petitioners are no more there to pursue their grievances. When some of these cases are suddenly listed, the counsels are often at a loss in the absence of complete records or instructions. Attribute it to the shortage of judges or filing of frivolous petitions, the fact remains that the delay also tends to change the course of the outcome. At present, the High Court has a shortage of 21 judges. It has 47 judges against the sanctioned strength of 68. Her petition, filed in 1995, was been directed to be posted after the disposal of another similar case, which was disposed of the same year after recording the counsel's statement that the government had paid Rs 11,637 by way of interest on delayed payment. The delay had apparently occurred in view of the stand taken by the state that JBT qualification obtained from Rajasthan University was not recognised. In Karni's case, Justice Kannan observed that the petitioner had worked the entire period from January 1992 till December 1994 without salary. It was released after the disposal of an earlier writ petition filed by her that culminated in a judgment by the Supreme Court approving the qualification obtained by her. Taking up the matter, Justice Kannan asserted: "The delay in disbursing salary after securing the service of the petitioner was unjustified". Considering the fact that the petitioner was paid the amounts due by way of salary on December 29, 1994, the petitioner shall be entitled to 9 per cent simple interest for the amount due and payable from January 31, 1992, (38 months before the institution of writ petition) to December 28, 1994, (the date when arrears were paid)".
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Joshi rallies behind Amritsar MP
Jalandhar, September 28 The Minister could not give any satisfactory reply when asked as to why the party leaders did not support him on the issue. During an interaction with the media here, Joshi was asked, “Do you think Sidhu’s protest was justified or was it only a political gimmick?” The Minister chose the first option while refusing to further reply any query related to the recent controversy within the party. Joshi faced a volley of questions on the mining mafia becoming more active in the state and the department’s inability to control it. He did not deny it: “We made quite a few initiatives by introducing e-auction. We have registered 18 to 19 FIRs and suspended four general managers.”
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Criminals in politics: Cong dares Sukhbir for debate
Jalandhar/Chandigarh, September 28 Addressing mediapersons here today, PPCC spokesman Sukhpal Khaira said Sukhbir had recently attacked the Congress for bringing an ordinance to shield criminals in politics. “The Congress welcomes the SAD president’s indulgence on a vital issue like criminalisation of politics. But, it exposes the double standards of Badal
Junior.” Khaira alleged that SAD Bholath MLA Bibi Jagir Kaur had been convicted in a criminal case but she still continued to be a member of the party’s political affairs committee. Similarly, he said, Akali Dal MLAs Tota Singh and Joginderpal Jain and party leaders Mangat Rai Bansal and Veer Singh Lopoke continued to hold important posts despite facing indictment under serious offences.
PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa has complimented Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his bold stand to cleanse the political system. In a statement, Bajwa said Rahul’s stand on trashing the ordinance allowing convicted politicians to contest elections reflect the viewpoint of the Indian youth.
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Truce after damage on both sides
Amritsar, September 28 When Sidhu first came out in the open on September 5, saying he felt like an opposition MP while accusing the government of scuttling his development projects, it was nothing less than a jolt to the SAD-BJP alliance which rode to power for the second successive term on the plank of development. The embarrassment for the state government didn't end here as the MP went ahead to take on Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, asking him to learn to own up discredits and accusing him of "building castles in the air". Sidhu continued his tirade against the government despite the BJP issuing a gag order and didn't even spare Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal asking him to reply to his pointed queries instead of deflecting the issue. Sidhu's attack on the SAD patriarch also put the BJP in a spot which was evident from the fact that BJP President Rajnath Singh chose not to take him along while meeting Badal in Chandigarh on September 23. The government resorted to damage control only after Sidhu threatened to sit on a fast-unto-death as it knew that if he went ahead with his plan it would be nothing less than severe indictment of the government's functioning. On the other hand, Sidhu may have succeeded in getting the government "concede" to his demands as of now, but in achieving it he has done himself a lot of political damage. Firstly, he has got completely isolated in his own party as none of the Punjab BJP leaders came out in his support. All along these days he was seen waging a lone battle. Besides, he seems to have burnt the bridges with alliance partner SAD as his utterances have antagonised the Chief Minister as well as the Deputy Chief Minister, both of whom reportedly refused to meet him during his Chandigarh visit. This doesn't augur well for Sidhu in case he intends to re-contest the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat as the SAD support is crucial in the constituency having more of a rural backdrop. However, it would not matter if he chooses to contest from some other seat or goes for the Rajya
Sabha.
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Patriotic fervour swamps Khatkar Kalan
Nawanshahr, September 28 Activists of DYFI, Aam Admi Party and other organisations, dressed like Bhagat Singh, raised patriotic slogans. Manpreet Badal, president of the People's Party of Punjab (PPP), who had constituted his party at Khatkar Kalan two years ago, paid tributes to the martyr. Interacting with mediapersons, he stressed the need to exhort the youth to come forward to realise the martyr's dream of a great nation. Anandita Mitra, Deputy Commissioner, also paid floral tributes to the martyr. She said Bhagat Singh's martyrdom was a landmark event in the Indian freedom struggle which resulted in the emancipation of the country from the yoke of British imperialism. On the issue of lack of transport raised by Sukhwinder Singh, Khatkar Kalan sarpanch, the Deputy Commissioner assured him that she would take up the matter with the Transport Commissioner to ensure that all buses passing through the village picked passengers from here. She also said efforts would be made to ensure maintenance of the ancestral house of the martyr. The expansion work of the museum dedicated to the martyr would also be completed soon, she added.
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Sangrur, Faridkot, Barnala get new DCs
Chandigarh, September 28 Indu Malhotra has been made Sangrur Deputy Commissioner, Gurlovleen Singh Sidhu of Barnala and Mohammad Tayyab of Faridkot. Joram Beda has been posted the ADC, Mansa, and Sonali Giri the ADC (D), Bathinda. The services of Vipul Ujwal have been placed at the disposal of the Department of Local Government for posting as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bathinda. Other postings are: Baldev Singh, ADC (D), Ludhiana; Rajeev Prashar, ADC, Bathinda, and Secretary, RTA, Bathinda and Ferozepur; Gurpreet Singh Khaira, ADC, Kapurthala and Secretary, RTA, Jalandhar; GPS Sahota, SDM, Patran; Poonamdeep Kaur, SDM, Sangrur; Gurpreet Singh Thind, DTO, Patiala; Damanjit Singh Mann, SDM, Bathinda, in addition to DTO, Bathinda, and SDM, Maur; Sikha Bhagat, AC (General), Jalandhar, and Amarjit, AC (General),
Ajitgarh.
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11,000 visit cancer screening camps
Chandigarh, September 28 The two-day event was inaugurated by Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani at the Civil Hospital in Fazilka. Jyani supervised the arrangements and interacted with the public and medical specialists from Punjab and other states. He said the patients were being examined by a team of specialists from the country and even abroad, and that treatment was being provided free of cost. Ludhiana: A large number of people turned up at the cancer screening camp organised across all the districts by the state government in collaboration with Max India Foundation and Max Healthcare. Dr Jai Singh, state programme officer, cancer, said: “In five districts, we registered as many as 1,664 patients on the first day of the camp. At least 410 turned up in Ludhiana, 252 Hoshiarpur, 398 Ropar, 257 Mohali and 347 Moga.” Patiala: As many as 730 persons got themselves registered on the first day of the camp held at Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital. GK Singh, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the camp. Specialists from Rajindra and Max hospitals examined the patients. Various tests were done free of cost. Sangrur: As many as 78 suspected cancer cases were detected at a camp at the Civil Hospital here. Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director, Health Services, inaugurated the camp.
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New film policy on cards
New Delhi, September 28 Aimed at providing entertainment facilities to villagers, the state proposes to set up cinema halls in villages having one or two screens with a capacity of 100 seats. "It will help entertainment of rural masses at low costs and provide impetus to production of more Punjabi and other languages films in the state," said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal while deliberating on the film policy for Punjab drafted by the National Film Development Corporation. Chaired by Sukhbir, the meeting was attended by Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur and Principal Secretary (Tourism) Geetika Kalha, besides corporation chairman Ramesh Sippy and its Managing Director Nina Lath Gupta.
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