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Punjab Diaspora Special
Badal proposes All-India Punjabi Sammelan
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Cong distances itself from Capt’s remarks
Unfazed Amarinder stands his ground on police probe
Sidhu again hits out at govt
over slow pace of projects
Patna Sahib Jathedar backtracks
Clerk demands bribe from
NRI couple, suspended
Legal notice to CM, Chief Secy on Jain’s appointment
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Punjab Diaspora Special
Jalandhar, January 11 Jaswinder Kaur, an England-based NRI, said: "I came here thinking of having an open session with the Chief Minister and his team. We were not even allowed to voice our opinion. The Chief Minister and his ministers who were at the dais patted themselves for the works which have not even started". She said she kept standing next to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and waiting to have a word with him while he was having lunch with his team. She said the NRI police wing had failed to get her property in Jalandhar vacated from illegal occupants. Another NRI Jatinder Singh from Canada said the Chief Minister did not hold Sangat Darshan for the NRI community. "He knew that things will get out of control, so he avoided holding Sangat Darshan at the venue," he said. It was only after some visitors got impatient that Sukhbir gave a brief hearing to a lucky few who managed to dodge the security and reached near him. Most NRIs wanting to put forward their grievances pertaining to police and revenue matters were dejected. They could only submit their complaints at the stalls put up by various government departments. The Home Affairs Department received 35 complaints while the Revenue Department staff collected nearly 20 such representations. Sukhdev Singh, an NRI from New York, said: "I had sent Rs 3 crore to my father and brother in Ferozepur out of my savings. When I returned, they returned half the amount and threw me out of my house. A fraud case was registered against them in June 2010, but there is no headway". Maninder Sandhu, another NRI from Toronto, complained that revenue officials had been dilly-dallying demarcation her deceased husband's ancestral property. "We had not come here to listen to 'sarkari' speeches and to see a cultural show. I only am seeking my rightful dues," she said. The NRIs also complained of poor arrangements at the venue. The sitting arrangement was inadequate. Most women kept standing due to inadequate chairs. Many complained of shortage of drinking water and refreshments. Visitors hassled
Fuming voices I came here thinking of having an open session with the Chief Minister. We were not allowed to voice our opinion. The ministers patted themselves for the works which have not even
started. Jaswinder Kaur, England-based nri It was only after some visitors got impatient that Sukhbir gave a brief hearing to a lucky
few. Jatinder Singh, Canadian citizen The Tribune Web TV To watch a special video report on the NRI Sammelan and to know how Canadian Ministers, Tim
Uppal, Bal Gosal and other NRIs feel about coming back to their homeland, log on to www.tribuneindia.com
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Badal proposes All-India Punjabi Sammelan
Jalandhar, January 11 The event, he said, would provide a platform to the Punjabi community settled across the country to participate in the state’s progress. Addressing a gathering on the second day of the NRI Sammelan at Bath Castle here, Badal said, “Such meetings provide an opportunity to Punjab-origin people to connect with their home state. Since Punjabis have been occupying important posts in various countries, there is need for greater partnership in sectors like education, trade, industry and agriculture.” The CM emphasised on constituting joint committees comprising experts from Punjab and other countries, including Canada, US and Australia, in various sectors for implementing joint ventures. Badal assured the visitors that whatever had been discussed at the sammelan would be taken care of by NRI Department as well as his own office. He also said the sammelan should be extended from two to three days so that everyone was given a chance to express views. Urging the NRIs to enroll their children in Punjab schools till Class II, he said the practice would ensure that the next generations of the NRIs remained associated with the rich cultural heritage of Punjab. The holding of the event in Jalandhar is being construed as an attempt by the SAD-BJP government to woo the NRIs — the community has a considerable influence in Doaba — ahead of the Lok Sabha poll. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal claimed that Punjab would witness drastic improvement over the next three years. “Once you all (NRIs) left Punjab for better avenues abroad. Soon, similar opportunities will be available in your home state. I appeal to you to explore all those opportunities,” he said. NRI Affairs Minister Bikram Majithia claimed the government had fulfilled 90 per cent of its promises made to the
NRIs.
Chief Minister heaps praise on son Appreciating Sukhbir, Badal said, “I feel satisfied as a father when I see Sukhbir working to serve the people of Punjab with dedication.” Unlike last year’s NRI Sammelan when Badal had ticked off Majithia saying he had “got everything on a platter without making any sacrifice”, the CM said: “A majority of those sitting in the first row are Akalis who struggled and remained behind bars for the interests of Punjab. But, time has changed. ‘Hun ta Sukhbir-Majithia da raaj hai’ (It’s the turn of Sukhbir and Majithia to rule now)
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Cong distances itself from Capt’s remarks
New Delhi, January 11 The party’s central leadership distanced itself from Amarinder’s remarks and backed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Partap Bajwa’s call for a CBI probe into the racket. Arrested druglord Jagdish Bhola had claimed the alleged involvement of three Akali ministers, including Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s brother-in-law Bikramjit Majithia. “What Amarinder said is his personal view. The Congress has decided to stick to its demand for a CBI probe. We stand behind the Punjab Congress president,” All-India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Punjab Shakeel Ahmed told The Tribune. Asked how the party saw Amarinder’s remarks which gave political leeway to the Akali Dal just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Ahmed said, “Our reiteration for a CBI probe will clear the entire misunderstanding.” Embarrassed by Amarinder’s anti-Congress public posturing in a case that the party hoped to blow up into a poll issue ahead of the General Election, the Congress has decided to adopt a wait-and-watch approach. It is learnt the central leadership today prevailed on the PPCC chief to issue a balanced statement. He was reportedly told to reiterate the party view rather than openly accuse Amarinder of siding with the Akalis. But privately, the Congress is agitated over the fact that Amarinder’s remarks were indirectly helping the Akalis. “How can the party be happy when our seniormost leader in Punjab, a former CM and PPCC ex-chief, is saying something to help the Akalis? His statement hasn’t gone down well even among the Congress cadres who are loyal to him. There is a feeling that his remarks were aimed at clearing his name in court cases that he is facing in Punjab,” top Congress sources said. They said the party would wait and watch Amarinder’s reactions and if he continued to defy the Congress stand, “the high command would take a serious note”. “So far, we don’t see his statement as a matter of indiscipline. He has voiced a personal view and justified it on some ground,” said a senior Congress leader, issuing a veiled warning to Amarinder. It was also learnt that Shakeel had asked some senior Punjab leaders to speak to Amarinder on the issue.
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Unfazed Amarinder stands his ground on police probe
Chandigarh, January 11 Though several senior leaders in the party pooh-poohed his stand, the former Chief Minister said the rationale behind his demand for allowing the police to investigate the case, instead of handing it over to the CBI, was to ensure that the probe was not derailed at a stage when it was about to complete. “In case the probe is handed over to the CBI, it will start investigating all over again and the result will be out only after 10 to 15 years. This will mean that yet another generation of Punjabis will be lost to drug menace.” He said currently not only the Punjab Police but even the Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Intelligence Bureau and Military Intelligence were jointly involved in the investigation. “Because of this multi-plurality of investigation agencies, no person, howsoever powerful he be, can get away if he is involved," he told The Tribune. He also said the PPCC had never passed a resolution demanding that the probe be handed over to the CBI. “It, in fact, was Bajwa's personal opinion that the CBI should investigate the racket.” Anti-Majithia protests continue The Congress held protests in various parts of the state on Saturdas as well. In Hoshiarpur, one such protest was led by Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikramjit
Chaudhary.
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Sidhu again hits out at govt
over slow pace of projects
Amritsar, January 11 Talking to The Tribune, Sidhu confirmed he had been officially invited to an event after almost two years. He said he was never called to any such function after the Assembly elections. But, he complained he got the invite at the eleventh hour, and that he would not have been able to make it to the city had he been somewhere else. "I am the MP of the constituency and I should be intimated well in advance," he said. Sidhu also said he was not satisfied with the pace of his pet projects that were made time-bound by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself in September last following his outburst. "Nothing seems to be moving on the ground. They had promised to start the city bus service by November 15, but it is yet to take off. Similarly, nothing has been done to install the CCTV cameras in the city, a project which will hardly take a week's time," he said. He said the solid waste management project continued to hang fire despite the government's assurance and same was the fate of the sports academy.
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Patna Sahib Jathedar backtracks
Amritsar, January 11 Takht Sri Patna Sahib management committee president Dr RS Gandhi said the Jathedar had not demanded the cancellation of Giani Partap Singh's appointment when the agreement was signed yesterday. Giani Iqbal Singh could not be contacted.
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Clerk demands bribe from
NRI couple, suspended
Jalandhar, January 11 The couple, Sharan of London and Mandeep Singh of Madali village in Nawanshahr, said they had been doing the rounds of the Tehsildar’s office since their marriage on December 19. “When the clerk persistently found fault with our files and demanded the bribe, we took up the matter with the Nawanshahr Deputy Commissioner,” said the distraught couple at the NRI Sammelan. Deputy Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “After hearing the couple’s grievance, I asked them to submit an affidavit. When they gave me the affidavit on Friday, I suspended the clerk.”
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Legal notice to CM, Chief Secy on Jain’s appointment
Chandigarh, January 11 Advocate HC Arora has shot off a legal notice to the Punjab Chief Secretary alleging that Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain's appointment as Punjab State Warehousing Corporation chairman without any change in circumstances amounted to contempt of court. Arora has also put Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on notice through the Chief Secretary. He had earlier also challenged Jain's appointment by filing a petition in public interest. Acting on the PIL, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had quashed his appointment on the same post. In his notice, Arora asserted he was putting the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister on notice that “in case the Punjab Government proceeds further in this matter, and issues notification of appointment of Jain again as Chairman of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, and allows him to take over the charge of above post, in that event, I would have to file a contempt petition against you, as well as the Chief Minister”.
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Calling it a closed session, most NRIs at the second and last day of the NRI Sammelan here today accused the Punjab Government of not giving them an opportunity to raise their concerns.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the state government would organise “All-India Punjabi Sammelan” on the lines of the NRI Sammelan.
Unfazed by the criticism from within the party over his statement against a CBI probe into the drug racket, senior Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh today said he stood his ground.
Though several senior leaders in the party pooh-poohed his stand, the former Chief Minister said the rationale behind his demand for allowing the police to investigate the case, instead of handing it over to the CBI, was to ensure that the probe was not derailed at a stage when it was about to complete.
