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Political conferences at Maghi Mela
SAD, BJP target Bajwa, spare Manpreet-led PPP
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Manpreet: Space for political alternatives
High drama as Bhola produced in court
Yellow rust spreads tentacles beyond kandi
Sher Shah Suri’s birthplace falls prey to official apathy
Project for thalassaemia patients soon: Jyani
Govt assures Patiala MC
Rs 4.5 cr for road repair
Ganda nullah to be covered in Sangrur
On first day as DPI, officer shifted to another post
NRI Sammelan served no purpose: NAPA
Makkar flays UK’s role in Operation Bluestar
undervalued sale deeds
Now, Verka opposes CBI probe into drug racket
SGPC panel to submit report today
Capt ready with book on WW-I
Armyman killed in grenade blast
25 hurt as school bus hits tree
HC: Build flats for Ludhiana colony dwellers
Panel formed to retrieve encroached land, HC told
Principal Secy out of contempt loop
in
mining case
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Political conferences at Maghi Mela
Muktsar, January 14 Shakeel Ahmed, AICC general secretary and in charge of party affairs in Punjab, said the AICC supported the PPCC demand for a CBI probe into the drug racket in the state. An aggressive Partap Singh Bajwa announced that once back in power, he would set the Akalis right, sounding much like his predecessor (Amarinder). “Tumbiyan urra dawaan ge”, he declared. He asked party workers to unite not only against the Akalis, but also the “black sheep” within the party. Talking to mediapersons, he said his demand for a CBI inquiry into the drug racket had the backing of AICC president Sonia Gandhi. “There has been opposition to the demand by one gentleman (Amarinder) alone,” he pointed out. Later in the evening, former MP Jagmeet Brar, who did not turn up at the rally, urged Capt Amarinder Singh and the PPCC chief not to air their differences in the open. Brar, who has filed a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a CBI inquiry into the drug scam, claimed the scandal involved not just politicians but international smugglers abroad. He said it was strange that Capt Amarinder Singh was supporting the Punjab Police when he as PPCC chief had himself taken up the issue of false FIRs registered by it against Congress workers. Brar claimed that druglord Jagdish Bhola had also named a senior Congress leader from Malwa in the racket. Capt Amarinder Singh said he could not attend the rally as his mother was unwell. Among the other absentees were CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar. He is out of the country. Bajwa asked those present at the rally to raise their hands to show they backed the PPCC demand for a CBI inquiry to which he received an enthusiastic response. Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said unlike the Gujarat Government, his government had renewed the land lease of Sikh farmers. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal blamed the Akalis for lack of development in the state. She left the rally soon after her speech. Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, MLA and organiser of the rally, said the SAD-BJP Government had played cruel joke on the flood-hit farmers by disbursing relief cheques for as little as Rs 3. Gidderbaha MLA Raja Warring sought an inquiry into the “misuse” of funds at Sangat Darshan functions. JS Punjgrain, Parminder Singh Pinki, Malkit Singh Dakha, Hans Raj Josan, GS Kangar, SS Khaira, Fatehjung Bajwa, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Harminder Singh Jassi, Inderjit Singh Zira, KS Dhillon, Chiranji Lal Garg, JS Abulkhurana, GS Khudian, DS Brar and Dr Malti Thapar were among those to attend the rally. CM raises Chandigarh issue Badal refers to 1984 secret pact Youth Akali Dal steals show 20 detained outside SAD rally Sukhbir arrives before CM — Archit Watts
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SAD, BJP target Bajwa, spare Manpreet-led PPP
Muktsar, January 14 Both SAD and BJP leaders said Bajwa’s days as PPCC chief were numbered. “Bajwa will not be able to save his men or himself from the fallout of the illegal activities”, they claimed. The leaders spoke about the Congress infighting but did not target the Manpreet Badal-led People’s Party of Punjab (PPP). They attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and termed the Congress and AAP as two sides of the coin. Criticising the UPA-led Central Government for its “step-motherly” treatment of the state, they appealed to the gathering to vote for the NDA. Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar spoke about the farmers’ problems. Kamal Sharma, state BJP chief, also spoke. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal described Bajwa as the “biggest smuggler” involved in a number of scams. Anti-Bajwa slogans rant the air. “Bajwa is trying to shield smugglers and drug peddlers. His close association with terrorist outfits is no longer a secret, exposed by none other than former PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh,” Sukhbir said. On the Congress infighting, he remarked: “One can understand the PPCC functioning from the fact that its senior leader Jagmeet Brar and his brother Ripjit Brar held a press conference in the town today but skipped the Congress conference.” He assured the public that once the NDA came to power at the Centre, the problem of water-logging in the Malwa region would be solved. Sukhbir said the programmes and policies being framed by AAP had already been implemented by the state government. “AAP’s Delhi CM got tired of holding people’s darbar in just a day, but our CM has been holding Sangat Darshan since long.” Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, targeting Congress leaders, said: “Earlier, there was one leader (Amarinder) who would motivate his workers to thrash Akalis with ‘khundas’. Now, Bajwa as opted for the same.” He described AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi as a driver with no experience. He alleged that Congress leaders had befooled the people with hollow slogans for decades and “ now AAP leader Kejriwal is walking in the footsteps of the Congress.” Not many senior Akali leaders turned up at the rally. Among those who attended the conference were Cabinet Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, Bathinda Rural MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta, Joginder Singh Jindu, SAD Muktsar district president Manjeet Singh Barkandi and Muktsar constituency in charge Kanwarjeet Singh ‘Rozy’
Barkandi.
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Manpreet: Space for political alternatives
Muktsar, January 14 Unfazed by denial of support by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Morcha, Manpreet said: " The third front can continue the battle against the Akalis and the Congress on its own." He said the recent developments had shown that there was space for viable political alternatives in the country and " Punjab will take the lead since the PPP has already set the ball rolling.” Addressing the gathering, Bhagwant Mann hinted that Manpreet would prove to be another Kejriwal in the Bathinda Lok Sabha elections. However, talking to mediapersons later, Manpreet said it was too early to comment on the issue. The PPP leader called for a CBI probe into the drug mafia operating in Punjab. He said it was not possible for the state government to investigate the scandal in a fair manner since a member of the Cabinet had been accused of being involved in the drug trade. Manpreet claimed the Sanjha Morcha had received a response better than that by the Akalis or the Congress at the Maghi Mela and earlier at the Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib. He appealed for unity among all secular forces to form a formidable alliance to take on established parties in the country. " The recent political developments have confirmed that the people are fed up of the established parties and are looking for a clean setup," he said. Manpreet called for abolition of royalty on sand mining as this step would "eliminate the sand mafia in a single stroke." He called for a 50 per cent cut in bus fares in the state. "This is required to ensure that the bus transport service is affordable and available to all people in the state," he said. Others who spoke were CPI leaders Raghunath Singh, Charan Singh Virdi and Bant Singh Brar (CPI). Demand list
Thinning crowds at mela
— Amarjit Thind
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High drama as Bhola produced in court
Jalandhar January 14 To prevent Bhola from talking to mediapersons, the police reportedly kept on roaming near the court complex for 30 minutes, looking for an opportunity to bypass the media. They finally opted for a backdoor entry. Police sources said fearing more disclosures by Bhola, the authorities had given strict instructions to the Jalandhar rural police to not let Bhola interact with the media. Bhola was brought on production warrant on January 7 in connection with a case of heroin seizure. He was produced in the court of Amrish Kumar, Civil Judge (Junior Division), which extended his police remand for a day. The mediapersons, who reached the court complex at 9 am, kept waiting to have a glimpse of Bhola, but were left disappointed. The sources said the police brought Bhola to the court at 3 pm in a Mahindra Trax vehicle accompanied by another police vehicle. He was reportedly covered with a blanket. After producing him in the court, the police whisked him away in no time.
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Yellow rust spreads tentacles beyond kandi
Chandigarh/Jalandhar, January 14 It is a fungal disease that holds the potential to devastate the crop, thus considerably affecting its yield. Besides wheat, it can attack barley. The disease has surfaced in patches in the crop standing on over 30,000 acres. Punjab grows wheat on 87 lakh acres, of which over 8 lakh acres lies in the kandi belt. The disease-prone areas are in Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Ropar, Mohali and Gurdaspur districts. The spores of the disease travel to the plains of Punjab, particularly along the Shivalik foothills, from Una, Kangra and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh. In the hill state, the spores survive on wild plants even during the summer season. These fly down to the lower hills from the upper Himalayas, say farm experts. Last year, an estimated 10 lakh tonnes (worth Rs 1,400 crore) of wheat was lost. Earlier, it was believed that yellow rust spores would only surface and survive when the mercury rose a bit during winters. But a latest research has shown that the fungus has strains that can even survive in extreme cold weather. The Punjab Government has directed its officials to monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis, though the disease is yet to acquire an alarming proportion. Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary (Agriculture), said: “In a latest survey, the disease has been detected in certain fields in a village near Chamkaur Sahib in Ropar district. The earlier affected areas were in Hoshiarpur and Nurpur Bedi belts.” Pannu said the prevailing weather conditions were highly conducive for the quick spread of the disease to new areas. The government has arranged 2.32 lakh litres of agro-chemicals for the affected farmers on 50 per cent subsidy. Officials have been told to use all available means of communication, including loud speakers, to spread awareness among villagers. Teams from Punjab Agricultural University had also surveyed the areas prone to the disease recently. Though the spread of the disease can be checked by spraying fungicides, experts say farmers need to keep a close watch on the crop. Whenever any symptoms are noticed, these must be reported to the Agriculture Department officials at the block and district level, they say. “Farmers need to spray 200 millilitres of propiconazole fungicide by mixing it with water. It costs about Rs 60 per acre. If the fungus persists, another spray is recommended after 15 days,” said Kulbir Singh Deol, Chief Agriculture Officer,
Hoshiarpur. All about yellow rust
The remedy
Cause for concern
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Sher Shah Suri’s birthplace falls prey to official apathy
Hoshiarpur, January 14 The Chandrabansi Rajput Kings of Kangra (now in Himachal Pradesh) had built the fort in the 12th century. It was considered to be the epitome of power of the hill kings and the entrance to the mighty state of Kangra. For a long time, the fort was occupied by the hill regimes. Ahmed Shah Abdali annexed the throne later. According to a book titled “A Comprehensive History of India: Medieval India” by BN Puri and MN Das, Sher Shah was born here in 1486. He stayed here till the age of seven. Later, he moved to Jaunpur in Bihar with his father Hasan, who later became jagirdar of Sasaram. After Abdali’s reign weakened, the Kangra dynasty took hold of the fort again. The fort was captured by Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh during his battle with the hill kings. Then the British rulers got hold of it after Ranjit Singh’s downfall, but they had to fight hard to capture it. The British rulers had decided to demolish the fort as it was difficult for them to manage it. People living nearby have used the bricks from the fort to build their houses. The two ‘burjs’ and the wall are on the verge of collapse. In 2010, then Union Minister for Tourism Ambika Soni, who belongs to Bajwara, sanctioned Rs 1-crore grant for the conserving the fort. After the release of grant, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) attempted to restore the old glory of the fort, but due to the apathy of official agencies it was back to the square one. The Punjab Department of Tourism has marked the fort on the sign boards on the roadside. On the highway, there are directions to the fort, but nothing else than this.
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Project for thalassaemia patients soon: Jyani
Fazilka, January 14 Sukhi, who is on 40-day tour of the state to help the patients, narrated their woes to the Minister. She said the patients had to bear huge expenses on medicines and blood transfusion on a regular basis. She demanded free medicines and blood for patients on the pattern of Rajasthan. She sought free laboratory tests at civil hospitals for early detection of the disease. The Minister said a plan to help the patients would be chalked out after meeting officers of the department. Sukhi started the ‘Thalassaemia Walk’ on January 1 from her native village Hari Nau village in Faridkot district and reached Fazilka today after covering Muktsar, Malout and Abohar. Her journey across the state is focused on creating awareness about thalassaemia. “After my friend Disha faced discrimination in spite of being professionally qualified, I decided to dispel the notions about thalassaemia and help those who are unable to afford the treatment,” Sukhi said. “A child born with thalassaemia syndrome requires monthly blood transfusion and adequate iron intake that cost more than Rs 1.5 lakh per year,” she said. So besides collecting money during her walk, she urges people to donate blood.
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Govt assures Patiala MC
Rs 4.5 cr for road repair
Patiala, January 14 The civic body had earlier failed to complete many development works due to shortage of funds. The fate of four important projects still hangs in balance. This issue also assumes significance due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Patiala MC had on January 10 submitted a list of pending works in different wards falling in Patiala (rural) and Patiala (city) constituencies. These works include repair of roads, laying of floorings, strengthening of roads and patch work in various colonies, especially where new sewerage work has been done. “We had submitted an estimate of Rs 6.87 crore, out of which of which we have been assured of Rs 4.5 crore from the government. Once the weather is favourable for laying and repair of roads, we will start the work immediately,” said Patiala Mayor Amrinder Singh Bazaz. “Moreover, we have collected about Rs 6 crore from property tax and that money is also with us. We will soon start more works in Patiala for beautification and urgent improvement in civic amenities,” he said. Sources said work on four big projects was yet to begin. These projects include solid waste management, dairy shifting, canal-based water system and beautification of Rajindra Lake. “The lack of political will among the ones who matter in Patiala and the lackadaisical attitude of the Municipal Corporation are to be blamed for this negligence,” a source said. Work on shifting of dairy farm from the city to the outskirts has not been started despite announcements by former Mayors. As a result, the city is full of stray cattle and faces the problem of choked sewage. Moreover, the city has acute shortage of drinking water, specially during the summer season, when the demand rises. Bazaz claimed they would soon complete the projects and that the MC was in touch with various departments to find a solution in a couple of months. “However, for the stray cattle menace, the MC has no solution in sight as of now,” he said. Stalled works The civic projects which are yet take off are those pertaining to solid waste management, dairy shifting, canal-based water system and beautification of Rajindra Lake
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Ganda nullah to be covered in Sangrur
Sangrur, January 14 The nullah will be covered from Hargobindpura Gurdwara Sahib to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk. A sum of Rs 1.08 crore will be spent on covering this portion of the nullah. Former municipal councillor and BJP state secretary Jatinder Kalra told reporters here today that the council would invite tenders in February to get the work done. He said the work would likely begin in March. Kalra said the work would be done with the third installment of the amount earned from the sale of plots on the covered portion of the nullah. This 14-feet-wide uncovered nullah, which passes along the Nurpura locality outside Sunami Gate, is seen as major health hazard for the residents of the locality and shopkeepers in the vicinity. Half of the nullah, from Partap Nagar's turn of the road to Hargobindpura Gurdwara Sahib, was covered about three years ago at a cost of Rs 1
crore.
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On first day as DPI, officer shifted to another post
Chandigarh, January 14 In his petition placed before Justice Rajesh Bindal, Gurpal Singh asserted he did not possess the essential qualification of MA in Punjabi and he had done M.Sc. and M.Phil in Physics. Taking up the matter, Justice Bindal issued a notice for January 17. Challenging the order dated January 10, Gurpal added he was illegally and without jurisdiction posted from the college cadre post of Director Public Instructions to the post of Textbook Board director. The new posting, he added, was outside college cadre service and “in a non-government office”. Gurpal added he had never applied for the post of the board's director. His appointment was made without request or consent and also without any complaint against his work and conduct. “The order has been passed without jurisdiction by an incompetent authority, without any decision being taken by the board to appoint him as its director. The petitioner, in any case, cannot be appointed the board director even as per the Article of Association of the Board and the duties of this post are absolutely different from that of DPI (Colleges),” it was insisted. Going into the background of the issue, he said the departmental promotion committee met on July 22 last year and a panel of five was considered for promotion to the post of DPI. Only the petitioner was found eligible for promotion and so only his name was recommended for the post. Gurpal said he was promoted as DPI vide order dated January 8 and submitted his joining report on January 10 and assumed charge the same day. “To his utter shock and surprise, on the same day, he was posted from the post of DPI as the board director in public interest without the grant of travelling and dearness allowance," the petition stated.
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NRI Sammelan served no purpose: NAPA
Phagwara, January 14 “It turned out to be a function of NRI politicians who do not face any problem in India or abroad owing to their influence. No ordinary NRIs were given time at the sammelan to speak about their problems,” Chahal said. He said those NRIs who were critical of the increasing VIP culture in Punjab chose to be a part of it as they enjoyed rides on official vehicles fitted with red beacons. He said he had served the SAD for a long time. “Although I sacrificed my comforts for the party, it did not allow me near the dais. Now, other NRIs like me are going back dejected,” Chahal added.
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Makkar flays UK’s role in Operation Bluestar
Amritsar, January 14 He accused the Indian Government of painting the Sikhs as terrorists, "the price for which they are still paying in the form of racist attacks abroad." He said the Sikhs were a peace-loving community that had contributed a lot to the country's Independence. Meanwhile, Dal Khalsa has written to UK Prime Minister David Cameron, expressing concern and anguish over the startling revelations. The letter written by party spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh has been sent through the High Commissioner, British Embassy, New Delhi. Moga: With British Liberal MP Tom Watson claiming that UK's Special Air Service (SAS) was involved in planning Operation Bluestar, the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) has announced a protest rally outside the British High Commissioner’s office at New Delhi on January 17. Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, AISSF president, said they would demand that the British Parliament pass a resolution, stating it was wrong on the part of then UK Premier Margaret Thatcher to collude with her Indian counterpart.They would also seek an apology from the Cameron Government. He said a memorandum would be handed over to the British High Commissioner at New Delhi in this regard. “We demand that the British Parliament apologises for Thatcher's action ", Peer Mohammad said.
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undervalued sale deeds
Chandigarh, January 14 This has been revealed through the initial audit report of sale deeds of properties registered in the state. The audit of over 1.50 lakh sale deeds of properties is presently being conducted by two international audit firms, KPMG and
PricewaterhouseCoopers. The initial audit findings have reportedly shown that almost 30 per cent of the sale deeds are either undervalued (where land just next to the main roads is shown as a few kilometers inside) or misclassified (commercial being shown as residential or residential as agricultural land). Sources in the Revenue Department told The Tribune that though the audit was being conducted in 12 tehsils across the state, the findings revealed that the problem existed almost everywhere. “Though the two audit firms are to submit their final reports by March 31, the initial findings reveal that the total revenue lost on the registration of sale deeds is around Rs 100
crore. Once the formal report is submitted, we will initiate action and recover the dues from those who misclassified or undervalued their property while getting the sale deeds registered,” said a senior Revenue Department official. The government had selected 12 tehsils where more than 50 per cent of the sale deeds were registered for the audit. Three tehsils were selected in
Ludhiana, two each in Mohali, Amritsar and Jalandhar, one in Patiala, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur were selected. Officials said as against an average of three lakh sale deeds being registered across the state, over 1.50 lakh sale deeds are registered in these 12
tehsils. The sale deeds that are being audited were all registered in 2012-13. The sources said a number of property transactions were also being done using a power of attorney. This was leading to a huge revenue loss to the state. Though some district magistrates had tried to put a ban on these transactions earlier, these were later allowed by the government under political pressure. Detecting anomalies
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Now, Verka opposes CBI probe into drug racket
Amritsar, January 14 Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the commission's hearing here today, Verka said, “Seeking a CBI inquiry into the drug racket is not fair as it may lead the entire case to cold storage. Making such a demand is also tantamount to expressing doubt on the police functioning.” He said he saw a conspiracy to sabotage the action being initiated by the Punjab Police in connection with the drug racket. “The police has done a commendable job in arresting Bhola and his aides, besides making the recovery of a huge quantity of drugs. It is capable of dealing with the case and we must remember that it was the Punjab Police that wiped out terrorism from Punjab,” he
said. Verka said it was not right to suspect the intentions of the police. He said political will was required to root out any problem, and that the then Chief Minister Beant Singh exhibited the same during the dark days of terrorism. He also felt that the political parties should not interfere in the functioning of the police. About the name of Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia cropping up in the case, he said it was a matter of investigation. He said nobody should be spared, irrespective of his post. He, however, also stated that no innocent person should be targeted in the case.
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SGPC panel to submit report today
Amritsar, January 14 Talking to The Tribune, SGPC secretary Manjeet Singh said a copy of the report would be sent to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh.
SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, who is heading the probe team, said they had met Giani Iqbal Singh and the management committee leaders, besides the devotees present at the spot to collect details of the incident. He said, “We have recorded the statements of the people and had even made an attempt to broker peace between the two sides.” But, Giani Iqbal Singh backtracked from the compromise, bringing the situation to square one. He said they had handed over the probe report to Dharam Parchar Committee secretary Satbir Singh who would submit it to the SGPC president. Sources said the probe report might spell trouble for Giani Iqbal Singh as he was likely to face the charge of violating
“maryada”. Meanwhile, a delegation of Takht Sri Patna Sahib management committee leaders led by SAD (Delhi) president Paramjeet Singh Sarna met the district magistrate of
Patna, seeking a high-level probe into the incident. Sarna had also met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in this connection on Monday night.
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Capt ready with book on WW-I
Chandigarh, January 14 “My latest book, which I have planned to release on August 5, is a coffee table book with lot of action pictures of Indian soldiers, who took part in the World War-I (1914-1918),” said Capt Amarinder Singh. His earlier books are A Ridge Too Far, Lest We Forget and The Last Sunset. This is a centenary year of the WW-1, in which millions of soldiers and civilians were killed. A large number of Indian soldiers, especially from Punjab region, took part in the war that broke out on August 5, 1914. At that time, India was under the British rule. More than 60,000 Indian soldiers were killed and an almost equal number were wounded. “As the war began on August 5, I wish to release the book on that date,” he said. Capt said there were some rare pictures. “The text part of the book will be about 40,000 words. All the chapters are ready. I am revising the content,” he added. Amarinder believes in typing his manuscript on his own.
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Armyman killed in grenade blast
Abohar, January 14 The police said the Armymen were defusing the misfired grenades when one of these exploded. The injured were rushed to the Military Hospital at Suratgarh but doctors referred them to Chandigarh as their condition was stated to be critical. The deceased belonged to Vaishali district in Bihar. The Army has ordered a court of inquiry.
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25 hurt as school bus hits tree
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 14 The injured students were taken to a private hospital where some were discharged after first-aid. Witnesses said bus windows had to be broken to let the students out. The bus driver fled after the accident. Anxious parents rushed to the accident site. Some took their wards to private hospitals. The parents, rather than the school authorities, informed the Deputy Commissioner about the mishap. Parents alleged that the bus driver was an elderly man in his seventies. Also, the condition of the bus was rather poor, they said. They also alleged indifference by the school chairman, who visited the injured students but offered no help. "Supreme Court instructions are not being followed. There was neither an attendant or a first-aid box," complained the parent of an injured child. Devinder Bhatt, a member of the District Child Welfare Committee, said it was unfortunate that the school management had "tried to hush up" the issue. He said schools were charging exorbitant fee but not providing the requisite facilities. Deputy Commissioner Arun Sekhri said he had directed the District Transport Office (DTO) to ensure that the Supreme Court guidelines were implemented by all schools and safety measures taken.
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HC: Build flats for Ludhiana colony dwellers
Chandigarh, January 14 The Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Amol Rattan Singh also directed that employees shall not be dispossessed of the official residential quarters till May 31. The development is significant as families of around 600 PSPCL employees are residing on rent in the colony. The Punjab Government’s decision to transfer land under Ludhiana Power Colony from PSPCL to Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority for the construction of a residential-cum-commercial complex had earlier come under the High Court scanner. Taking up a petition against the transfer, the High Court had put on notice the state of Punjab, GLADA and PSPCL. In their petition, PSEB Employees Joint Forum and two other petitioners had earlier challenged the decision dated August 13, 2013, taken by a committee headed by the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister directing the PSPCL to transfer around 100 acres to GLADA. The petitioners had stated that the decision stipulated that the PSPCL would handover the land to GLADA by December 31 last year. No arrangements were, however, made for the construction of residential houses for 600 families of PSPCL employees in the residential-cum-commercial complex. Rather, it was stipulated that PSPCL employees residing in this colony may shift to rented accommodations.
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Panel formed to retrieve encroached land, HC told
Chandigarh, January 14 In an affidavit submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government said the second report of Justice Kuldip Singh panel had mentioned illegal transfer and possession of public land in more than 30 villages in Chandigarh’s periphery, including large chunks being used for commercial purposes. The affidavit added further scrutiny of revenue record was necessary to arrive at the precise particulars of lands encroached upon and to suggest a strategy for its retrieval. “It was also felt desirable to prepare an inventory of public land in other villages of Mohali and ascertain the status regarding ownership, possession etc. to take measures for the retrieval of public land that might have been distributed through illegal transactions. “Accordingly, after considering the matter at various levels, it was decided to constitute a committee of officers headed by the Director, Rural Development and Panchayats,” the affidavit read. The affidavit by the Punjab Financial Commissioner, Revenue, added that the Supreme Court had not stayed the tribunal’s constitution, indicating that the government was bound to implement its recommendations. The case will now come up for hearing on January 27. The High Court on the previous date of hearing had admonished the government for its double standards. The government made anxious attempts to wriggle out of the awkward situation by claiming that a committee had indeed been set up to probe what had already been looked into by Justice Kuldip Singh panel. But the motive was not to frustrate the recommendations of the panel. The explanation The Justice Kuldip panel had mentioned illegal possession of public land in more than 30 villages in Chandigarh's periphery... A scrutiny of revenue records is necessary to arrive at the precise particulars of land encroached upon and to suggest a strategy for its
retrieval Court not convinced The Punjab Government has on one hand filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the setting up of Justice Kuldip Singh panel to look into the land grab issue. On the other, it has appointed a committee to implement the
recommendations
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Principal Secy out of contempt loop
in
mining case
Chandigarh,
January 14 The order came after the High Court
was informed that the issue of mining in the state was being followed
diligently. Reference was also made to a notification dated December
24 last year, which brought about a change in the way permissions were
granted for mining. As per the previous notification, it was
mandatory to take lease permission from the Union Ministry of
Environment and Forests even for mining of areas less than five
hectares. But the ministry issued a revised notification on December
24, allowing the state to give environment clearances to the mines
spread up to 25 hectares of lease area. As per the revised
notification, mines having less than five hectares of lease area were
not required to take environmental clearance. However, mines having
lease area between five and 25 hectares would have to seek environment
clearance from the state instead of the Centre. Earlier, the Division
Bench of Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice GS Sandhawalia had disposed
of the mining petition, but made it clear that contempt proceedings
against Karan Avtar Singh would continue for non-compliance of court
orders.
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Jalandhar January 14
Hoshiarpur, January 14
Fazilka, January 14
Sangrur, January 14
