|
|
|
|
|
Another drug racket busted; 2 held
Probe auction of Dalit land: SC panel
State govt doubles aid to Op Bluestar deserters
Gandhi meets Union Ministers over woes of Patiala residents
Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar and Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi in Delhi. Tribune photo
Congress bid to gherao Badal in Sangrur foiled
The protesting Congress workers who were taken into preventive custody ahead of the Chief Minister's visit, in Sangrur on Sunday. Tribune Photo
NBCC tasked to set up 22 de-addiction centres
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal interacts with inmates at a de-addiction centre in Patiala on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar
Badal says free treatment only for BPL patients
Teenagers under treatment at Faridkot rehab
All de-addiction centres to have ACs
Govt mulls separate waste management department
State Education Dept to adopt Gujarat model
burundi national Yannick's death
Rommy Uppal in police custody. A file Photograph
Vets say BDPOs junior to them, can’t raid clinics
Veterinary dispensaries in poor shape in Bathinda. Tribune photos
Election of sarpanch set aside
Change of guard at Gurdwara Buddha Johad Baldev Singh Brar and other trustees of Gurdwara Buddha Johad address mediapersons at Sriganganagar on Sunday. A Tribune photograph
Tribune impact
Diarrhoea claims three lives in Ludhiana village
Passport facilitators to help rural applicants
Govt initiates
steps to check hoarding
Couple dies as roof collapses in Sriganganagar
Cops flayed for poor traffic mgmt
26 rural dispensaries in Sangrur without a doctor
Midday meal workers to protest in Ropar today
Workers of the midday meal scheme protest in Fazilka
on Sunday. Tribune photo
Ease norms for MBBS seats, demand NRIs
Man gets 10-year RI
4 engineers held for ATM robberies
Man killed, wife hurt in mishap
|
State needs better rail link, more trains
Chandigarh, July 6 Years ago, Punjab had deposited money with the Centre for a survey to lay a track for bullet trains between Amritsar and New Delhi. But there appears to have been little progress in this regard. Lakhs of people, mostly pilgrims, visit Amritsar every year from various parts of the country. Hence, the holy city should be the first in the state to be linked with Delhi via a bullet train. Punjab’s political leadership has not taken up the issue of expanding the rail network in the state seriously. It is alleged that the powerful bus transport lobby is against any such move. The AAP Member of Parliament, Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, presented Punjab’s case before Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda a few days ago. Dr Gandhi told the minister that Malwa comprises 14 of the 22 districts in Punjab. Of these 14 districts, 10 have no rail connectivity with the state capital. Gandhi told Gowda that with the laying of the 30-km track between Mohali and Rajpura, not only the Malwa region, but a substantial part of Rajasthan (up to Bikaner) and parts of Haryana (Sirsa) would also be linked with Chandigarh. Gandhi said there were only 10 trains for the Malwa region, which had thermal plants, an oil refinery, a central university and several historic places. Dr Gandhi demanded a Patiala-Jakhal rail link. After the 14.2 per cent hike in the rail fares, railway passengers expect the Centre to upgrade facilities and ensure funds for greater hygiene. They want the number of seats in trains to be increased. Shiv Prasun Rai, a frequent rail commuter said: “Nobody will grudge the hike in rail fares if the government provides better facilities to passengers. Also, the frequency of trains should be increased” Another commuter Sambhu Shankar Gupta said: “The trains are overcrowded. There is no safety. Yet people opt to travel by rail as other modes of transport are relatively expensive. Most railway stations are ill-equipped and have few facilities for passengers. We expect more facilities and a simpler reservation process.” Usha Verma said that hygiene should be the Railway Minister’s top priority. Rohit Sehgal said: “The hike in rail fares is justified. We must be ready for such harsh decisions if the government has to bring about infrastructural changes. The government will have to provide better facilities to passengers.” He also said that corruption in the Railways should be tackled first. “If this is done, there will be no need to hike the fares in future,” he added. Transport lobby an impediment?
Nobody will grudge the hike in rail fares if the government provides better facilities to passengers. Also, the frequency of trains should be
increased. Trains are overcrowded. There is no safety. Most stations are ill-equipped and have few facilities for passengers. We expect more facilities and an easier booking
system. Hygiene should be the Railway Minister's top priority, on trains as well as the railway stations. Since rail fares have gone up, we need better facilities
. We must be ready for such harsh decisions. But corruption in the Railways should be tackled first. If this is done, there will be no need to hike the
fares.
|
|
LeT threatens to blow up Bathinda railway station
Bathinda, July 6 Karim Ansari, Karachi-based commander of LeT, in a letter has threatened to blow up all major railway stations, including Bathinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Sri Ganganagar, Jodhpur and Bikaner. He said he would also attack Hindu pilgrimages held in the state from July 9 to July 11. Government Railway Police (GRP) have increased security and intensified checking at railway stations in the city. Even the Punjab Police have deployed commandoes at various points in the city. Narinder Pal Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP), City, said in view of the threat, security in the city has been increased. He said they had also erected barricades in and around the city. Bant Singh, Station House Officer, GRP, said they would frisk commuters on a regular basis now. The police face an uphill task as there are no metal detectors at the Bathinda Railway Station and the CCTV cameras installed are out of order. With several entry and exit points to the station, it has become a Herculean task to secure the station. Earlier, the LeT had also written a letter to Station Superintendent of Pathankot, threatening to kill both Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Uphill task
Previous threats
|
||
|
Another drug racket busted; 2 held
The police have also nabbed the end recipient, identified as Raman Pandit of Lok Vihar in Delhi. With their arrest, the police claims to have busted another drug racket operating in the state. While Bhajan was nabbed from
Amritsar-Tarn Taran road, Pandit was arrested from near Imperial Cinema in
Paharganj, Delhi. Inspector General (border range) Ishwar Chander said the police had recovered two .30 bore China-made pistols, as many magazines and 12 live cartridges. The contraband was sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir by a Pakistani smuggler, Akram Dayal and then routed to
Punjab. Bhajan was held late last night while he was heading to Goindwal on his motorcycle. From there, he was to go to Kapurthala and
Jalandhar, and then was to board a train to Delhi. From the Capital, the consignment was to be sent to international smugglers and various parts of the
country. Chander said during the weeklong police operation, a team headed by PS
Grewal, Inspector General, IRB (Indian Reserve Battalion), was stationed in Delhi. He said Akram was in touvh with Bhajan and Pandit through telephone and their conversation was intercepted by intelligence
agencies. Pandit was to contact Bhajan after instructions from their counterparts in Pakistan for the delivery of the
consignment. Chander said preliminary investigations found out that the consignment was collected from near the border in Jammu and Kashmir by Gurjit Singh, who was deputed for this purpose by
Bhajan. He said police parties had been dispatched for arresting
Gurjit. Investigations showed that Pandit was in touch with Akram for the last five years, he said. The police said Bhajan had been remanded in police custody till July 11. Lid off illegal trade
|
||
|
Probe auction of Dalit land: SC panel
Sangrur, July 6 Commission Chairman Rajesh Bagha today said an inquiry by the ADGP (Crime) was a must as Dalits of Balad Kalan village were alleging that the auction had not been held in a transparent manner. He said in case any discrepancy was found in the auction, it would be cancelled. Following police action against Dalits during the auction of panchayat land at Balad Kalan village in Bhawanigarh on June 27, 41 Dalits were arrested and sent to jail. Since then, there is resentment among members of the Dalit community, who demand that the auction be cancelled; the 41 arrested persons be released; and the “erring” police officials be
booked. Bagha also visited Dalits in Baopur, Matoi and Balad Kalan villages, where they staged dharnas against the auction of land to “dummy” cultivators. They have been demanding that the land be allotted to genuine cultivators at low rates. However, Bagha praised the police and the civil administration for resolving the land dispute at Baopur village
(Moonak). The auction for the land there was held peacefully a few days ago. He said all 105 Dalit families were happy with the auction.
Bagha also appreciated the girls, who had formed Ekta Club in Matoi village, and had been demanding that the land be allotted to genuine Dalit cultivators. He said such clubs should be formed in other districts also. The matter at hand
|
||
|
State govt doubles aid to Op Bluestar deserters
Chandigarh, July 6 The assistance to soldiers has been raised from Rs 3,000 per month to Rs 6,000, while that for widows has been hiked from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. A total of 121 persons, including 25 widows, are receiving this assistance. In addition, the grandchildren of these individuals would also be entitled to free education in government-run institutes, including professional colleges. These benefits were introduced for the deserters, referred to in some sections as “dharmi faujis”, on the grounds that they had served in the armed forces but had been swayed by religious sentiments and emotions and were not in receipt of any pension or service benefits. The impact of Operation Bluestar within the armed forces was highly disturbing, with collective insubordination and acts of violence erupting in some army units comprising Sikh troops. According to reports, about 3,000 Sikh soldiers had left their units or barracks on hearing about the attack on the Golden Temple, though many returned soon after. Scores of soldiers who had perpetuated such acts were tried by court martial and dismissed from service. An entire battalion, 9 Sikh, was disbanded in 1984 owing to such incidents. Command failure, media blackout and troops not being appropriately briefed about the impending operation are among reasons cited for collective insubordination. In fact, after the incidents, the Army had experimented with the concept of “mixed class composition” of Army battalions where an infantry battalion, based on caste or religion, had companies from other ethnic groups or religions. For example, a Sikh battalion would also have a company of troops from the Madras Regiment. This was later done away with, and battalions reverted to their original “pure-class” or “fixed class” composition.
|
||
Gandhi meets Union Ministers over woes of Patiala residents
Patiala, July 6 Recently, he met Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar and sought a grant of around Rs 30 crore for fencing reserved forest areas to avoid man-animal conflict. He informed the minister that Patiala division had six of 11 wildlife sanctuaries of the state. Five of these were in the Patiala constituency and there was a need to raise 91282.64 m fencing around them, he added. He said he decided to meet the Union minister as the cash-starved Punjab Government was not able to sanction requisite funds for the purpose. Demanding enhancement of railway accessibility to the people of Malwa region, Gandhi had also recently met Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gawda and explained in detail as to how better connectivity could prove to be a boon for the region. This would promote trade, create jobs and facilitate easy travel to various areas, he had said. He told the minister that the Malwa region comprised 14 of the 22 districts of the state. Ten of these 14 districts had poor railway connectivity with the capital, he said. AAP MP also demanded a Shatabdi train between Fazilka and Delhi (via Muktsar and Patiala) for at least three days a week.
|
|
Congress bid to gherao Badal in Sangrur foiled
Sangrur, July 6 The Congress workers wanted to gherao the Chief Minister to lodge their protest against the police action on the Dalits of Balad Kalan village at Bhawanigarh on June 27. Their other demands were unconditional release of the 41 arrested Dalits and withdrawal of the police case registered against them. Station House Officer Harinder Singh said the protesters were taken into preventive custody and let off only after the departure of the Chief Minister from the city.
|
|||||
|
|
NBCC tasked to set up 22 de-addiction centres
Ferozepur, July 6 During his visit to the border town, Badal spelt out the details of the blueprint drafted by the government to deal with the drug menace. He said the 22 centres, to come up in each district of Punjab, would function under the aegis of apolitical and independent societies funded by the government. “The NBCC will initially use prefabricated structures to start the centres in next three months,” he said. BJP state chief Kamal Sharma and Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, besides Akali and BJP MLAs, were present on the occasion. Accompanied by Principal Secretary (Health) Vinni Mahjan and Inspector General (anti-drugs campaign) Ishwar Singh, Badal earlier visited the drug de-addiction centre functioning on the premises of local Civil Hospital. He said all 10-bedded de-addiction centres in the state were being upgraded to 20-bedded facilities. The Chief Minister said the private de-addiction centres doing a noble job would be appreciated but if these were being run for profit and to fleece the people, the practice would be stopped. While interacting with youths undergoing treatment at the centre, Badal justified the fee being charged from them. He said the health officials had been told to provide free treatment to those who could not afford the fee. Admitting that there was a shortage of trained doctors, especially psychiatrists, in Punjab, Badal said efforts were being made with the help of the Union Health Ministry to facilitate direct appointment of psychiatrists in the state. “We will shortly begin the recruitment process for the staff to be posted at the rehabilitation centres, all of whom will undergo two months training before induction,” he said. About the multiplicity of intelligence and security agencies working in border areas to check drug peddling, Badal said there was little the state could do as most of these came under the Centre. “But, the police and other state agencies are working in unison to check the drug menace,” he said. Drug issue: Media warned
To a query by a mediapersons regarding the alleged involvement of Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia and other SAD leaders in drug peddling, the Chief Minister, who appeared offended, said, “The media should not point accusing fingers without any substantial evidence lest they might invite defamation proceedings.” After a section of the media raised questions about the working of the Vigilance Department in the state alleging it was overstaffed but not proactive, Badal said he would ask the Chief Secretary to analyse the functioning of all departments to ensure optimum utilisation of human resources. A fruitful exercise: CM
Patiala: Terming his two-day visit to drug de-addiction centres across the state a fruitful exercise, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said it would give a major boost to the state government’s crusade against drugs, besides helping in de-addiction and rehabilitation of addicts.
|
|||
|
Badal says free treatment only for BPL patients
Mansa, July 6 The Chief Minister today visited a de-addiction centre at Khyala Kalan in Mansa district. He said talks were on with the Centre and the Rajasthan government to curb the supply of poppy husk from Rajasthan to Punjab. He claimed that de-addiction and rehabilitation centres would be opened in every district. Following complaints of shortage of medicines at the
centre, Badal issued instructions to the authorities concerned to ensure sufficient drugs to treat patients. Facilities added ahead of CM’s visit
Five patients were admitted to Khyala drug de-addiction centre just a day before the Chief Minister’s visit. Besides, facilities such as air coolers and a television set were added only yesterday.
|
|||
|
Teenagers under treatment at Faridkot rehab
Faridkot, July 6 Belonging to poor families and addicted to a variety of drugs, the drug abuse since early age has rendered the teenagers weak. Already struggling with high number of drug addicts, Faridkot is exposed to murky world of drug habits, which are no longer restricted to cocaine, heroin and liquor. After the local Red Cross Society caught some children, all below 13 years of age, inhaling adhesive substances to get a ‘high’, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab issued directions to various shops against selling these products to children below 18 years of age. There are reports of some children in slum-like areas and downtrodden localities using correction fluid, nail polish remover, shoe polish, cooking spray and enamels to get a kick. So there was urgent need to ban the sale of products that contained intoxicating chemicals amidst reports of widespread abuse of whitener ink and adhesives by school students, said officials. Selling these substances to a person below 18 years of age is a crime in Faridkot now, said Tayyab. The Red Cross Society came to know about this habit among the poor children after one of them collapsed due to high dose of a volatile inhalant. The child was admitted to the Red Cross De-addiction Centre for treatment. Questioned about the history of his habit, the child said there were many others like him addicted to these inhalants. Most of the children who are addicted to adhesives and thinners are in the 13-18 age group. These substances are easily available to children in small grocery shops in their localities. These users never know what effect these gases, glues and aerosols would have on them in the future. Sniffing these volatile substances was dangerous and it could kill more young children aged 10 to 15 years than any other drug, said Dr Harish Arora, a psychiatrist in
Faridkot.
|
|||
|
All de-addiction centres to have ACs
Sangrur, July 6 The Chief Minister said this during his visit to the newly built drug de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital here. Badal interacted with the addicts under treatment and advised them not to take to drugs again. He said the Union Government had assured all possible help in checking cross-border smuggling of drugs. The Chief Minister also visited the drug de-addiction centre at
Barnala. 50-kg poppy husk seized
Abohar: The police have arrested five persons after recovering 50 kg of poppy husk from their possession. The contraband was being smuggled from neighbouring Rajasthan. Those arrested are Khushal Singh and Kuldeep Singh of Dalmirkhera village, Nanak Singh and Dharam Pal of Dangarkhera and Harpal Singh of Lambi. In separate incidents, the police seized 250 drug tablets and 25 bottles of intoxicants by arresting Kamal, Rohit and Himanshu of
Kotkapura. Five drug peddlers held
Muktsar: The Muktsar police today claimed to have caught five drug smugglers, including two brothers, and seized 10 kg opium, 910 gm narcotic powder, two cars, a pistol and four live cartridges. An official said the Muktsar CIA staff had yesterday nabbed three accused, Ramandeep, Rachpal Singh and Thana Singh, with 10 kg opium, a car, a pistol and four live cartridges. In another case, two brothers, Gurmeet Singh and Charanjit Singh, of Lohara village were held while 910 gm narcotic powder. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered.
|
|||
|
Govt mulls separate waste management department
Chandigarh, July 6 It has been proposed that while the primary task of cleaning of cities and collection of waste could remain with the local government institutions, the secondary and tertiary tasks of collection, aggregation and processing of waste be done by qualified professionals, who have to be backed by requisite financial and legal empowerment. In this regard, the government would have to frame a comprehensive policy on development of solid and liquid waste management infrastructure. The recommendations have been submitted by Financial Commissioner (Development) Suresh Kumar to the Chief Minister. Sources said the proposal was being examined before being submitted to Chief Minister. As the local bodies are hardly doing any work and urban and rural habitations are facing health and hygiene issues, the new steps could actually solve one of the biggest problems faced in the burgeoning towns and cities of the state. According to the “Status Report on Municipal Solid Waste Management of the Central Pollution Control Board”, Punjab has only two waste processing plants (as on 2010-11), there is just one sanitary land fill in Adampur and the total municipal solid waste generated in the state is 2,793.5 tonnes per day. The solid waste generated in Ludhiana is 850 tonnes per day, the highest in Punjab, followed by Amritsar at 550 tonnes. The proposal calls for a fresh assessment of solid and liquid waste by qualified technology consultants, who can also identify appropriate technology and end use of this waste so as to make the cities green and clean. For a cleaner set-up
|
|||
|
State Education Dept to adopt Gujarat model
Chandigarh, July 6 A three-member team comprising Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema and former minister Tikshan Sud visited Gujarat to study the education pattern adopted by the state. The team, which returned impressed over the system of governance there, is to submit a report to CM Parkash Singh Badal. Finding faults with the national education policy, former Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka had also insisted on conducting examinations for Class VIII. He had written to the Centre to review the existing policy. In Gujarat, the annual examinations are held for Class VIII at the district level. Special classes are held for the students who fail to clear the examinations. They are again told to appear for the examinations. The process is repeated for those who fail for the second time. Gujarat has perhaps the best transfer system for schoolteachers. The choice of station is offered as per seniority. Information on vacant stations and seniority list of the teachers is posted on the website. The district education officer is authorised to order the transfers. The system is likely to be introduced in Punjab from the next year. The team says the panchayati raj institutions enjoy vast powers in Gujarat. To run dispensaries and hospitals, these institutions take employees from the parent department on deputation. Transfers within the district are ordered by a senior-level officer and inter-district transfers are done by the parent department. "All schools and hospitals controlled by panchayati raj institutions are working smoothly without any administrative problems," Tikshan Sud said, adding panchayats even have powers to levy and collect taxes at the village level. Villages have e-gram system from where people can get records pertaining to their land, birth and death certificates and other services. "We will request the CM to introduce this system in Punjab," said Sud. The ministers often are asked what they have planned to improve the functioning of their departments, he added. On cards
|
|||
|
burundi national Yannick's death
Jalandhar, July 6 The Jalandhar Police Commissioner today formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe how Rommy had managed to leave India despite being convicted in an attempt to murder case. Rommy, who was on a 28-day parole, was to return to jail on April 4. He jumped parole and a case was registered with the New Baradari police station on May 7. Jaskaran, another accused in the case (who has been declared a proclaimed offender) had escaped to Australia a day after the assault on Yannick. He was arrested in Jersey, Horsbey, New South Wales, Australia, on May 7, 2014 under the Extradition Act, 1988. Jaskaran, who plied a taxi, reportedly confessed to the Australian police that he was involved in the attack. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Jalandhar Police Commissioner, said the SIT would comprise three members. It would work under DCP Naveen Singla. “The SIT will inquire if Rommy fled on a fake passport and if yes, from where did he get one. Passport officials will be contacted to inquire if his original passport had been impounded. The team will also find out whether a circular was issued against Rommy or not,” Pratap Singh said. He said Rommy's family members would also be questioned to inquire about his whereabouts. On Jaskaran’s arrest in Australia, the Police Commissioner said he would get in touch with the Punjab Police Headquarters for further action. Jaskaran and Rantaj were declared proclaimed offenders in the Yannick assault case. The police are yet to trace Rantaj who absconded after the crime. With Yannick's death in Burundi on July 1, all the convicted persons are likely to face a fresh trial for murder.
|
|||
|
Vets say BDPOs junior to them, can’t raid clinics
Bathinda, July 6 The veterinary doctors, who alleged that they were being harassed for speaking about the mismanagement in the department, have not been participating in the various programmes of the Animal Husbandry Department for the past more than six months. The chairmen of zila parishad and panchayat samitis, joint secretaries, divisional deputy directors, ADCs and BDPOs have been instructed to raid/inspect offices of Rural Medical Officers and Veterinary officers at least once a week. Veterinary doctors, in a representation to Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Sikander Singh Maluka, have said that additional deputy commissioners do not have the time to visit the clinics. Maluka said the move was aimed at checking absenteeism in the department. He said: “The doctors' contention that the BPDOs are junior to them is misleading. The BDPOs may be drawing lesser salaries, but keeping in view the nature of their job at the block level, they are in no way junior to the veterinary doctors.” These doctors grudge not being treated on a par with doctors in the Animal Husbandry Department. “We worked on major projects in coordination with the Animal Husbandry Department. But we were not given any credit because of which we could not get grants from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Our job is confined to working in the OPD”. Another doctor said they did not get wages on time. There are 592 hospitals under the Department of Rural Development. A sizeable number do not have any building or infrastructure. A large number of these hospitals are in a shambles. Rural Development Minister Maluka disagrees We are being cheated, allege vets
|
|||
|
Election of sarpanch set aside
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 6 Initially, the polling staff had declared Bhupinder Singh (156 votes) elected and Sarbjit Singh (148 votes) defeated, said advocate KS Khera. Two votes were shown as cancelled, he added. An election petition was filed on behalf of Sarbjit Singh. In recounting, Sarbjit got 146 votes while Bhupinder Singh got 143 votes. Seventeen votes were declared cancelled. So, Sarbjit Singh was declared elected, he added.
|
|||
|
Change of guard at Gurdwara Buddha Johad
Abohar, July 6 Baldev Singh Brar, a trustee and son of BJP former state minister Gurjant Singh Brar, claimed at a meet-the-press programme at Sriganganagar that he had been "wrongfully" excommunicated since no letter to appear before Akal Takht was ever delivered to him. "How can you condemn someone without giving him a proper hearing?” he said. Describing the verdicts as "politically motivated and biased" he said the detractors of the trust had vested interests. One of them had allegedly collected more than Rs 30 crore from NRIs on the pretext of renovation of the historic gurdwara, he alleged. Trust president Gurpartap Singh, secretary Malkiat Singh Nanda, trustee Hakam Singh Gill and Rajasthan Dharam Prachar Committee spokesman Surat Singh were also present at the meeting. Brar claimed that nine out of 13 trustees had appeared at Akal Takht and explained the factual position. Regretfully, Akal Takht had not taken any action against the Sikhs who staged dharna at Gurdwara Buddha Johad last year to press for their demands although the dharna was in violation of high Panthic ethics, he said. Admitting that Akal Takht was supreme, the trustees said the Buddha Johad Trust was founded in 1972 and enjoyed recognition under the Indian Trust Act and the Rajasthan Devsthan Board. Some disputes over the gurdwara land were pending in the court and their fate might be affected adversely if the trust was dissolved by Akal Takht. They recalled that the historic gurdwaras at Patna and Nanded were also managed by separate trusts. They urged Akal Takht representatives to visit Buddha Johad and convene open congregation of Sikhs to resolve the dispute, if any. Akal Takht had formed two sub-committees for the Buddha Johad gurdwara and directed that account statements be displayed on the notice board every month, besides constituting a new managing committee within 6 months. SAD (A) chief and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann visited Sriganganagar district recently. While interacting with the media at Abohar, he blamed the SGPC for the mess and urged Akal Takht to be impartial. Mann had appreciated the zeal with which the trust at Buddha Johad had been functioning.
|
|||
|
Tribune impact
Ropar, July 6 It is proposed to make arrangements for the storage of extra water for at least one day. The one-day storage will be rationed into two days for maintaining consistency of drinking water services in terms of continuance and reliability. A survey conducted by Water Supply Department officials last month revealed that 33 villages in the area, including 30 in Changar, were not getting sufficient drinking water supply. People in these villages get water supply twice or thrice a week and that too for just one hour. Majority of the families in these villages are involved in dairy farming. Due to shortage of water, they have to leave their houses and camp near the Sutlej in Anandpur Sahib with their cattle during the summers. The Tribune highlighted their problems in these columns on June 13 and on the same day Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal ordered the Ropar Deputy Commissioner to take remedial measures in that regard. According to the report regarding the status of drinking water supply in the said area, habitants of the 33 villages, including Dhanera, Lakher, Midwan, Paharpur and Samlah, meet their drinking, cooking and other water demands from 14 water supply schemes. The villages at the tail ends do not get enough water at proper pressure. The power situation in the Changar area worsens during the summer season due to lack of maintenance in the forest area. This hits the water supply. Augmentation of canal water supply schemes is badly needed in terms of improved peak factors, storage of water in cases of breakdown of machinery and pipe damage. Ropar DC Tanu Kashyap said the report had been sent to the CM and remedial measures were expected soon. The problem
|
|||
|
Diarrhoea claims three lives in Ludhiana village
Malaudh, July 6 Health Department officials, however, claimed that only one person had died due to diarrhoea. Water contamination due to leaking water supply pipelines is said to be the reason behind the outbreak of the disease. Sources said at least 200 residents of Ravidass Basti of Sehora village were affected by diarrhoea in the last few days. An infant and two women, Amarjit Kaur and Bhano, were reported to have died due to excessive dehydration. Following reports of high number of patients admitted to the Civil Dispensary, Sehora, and Primary Health Centre, Payal, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal directed Health Department officials to ensure proper treatment of patients and check further spread of the disease. District Revenue Officer Mukesh Kumar Sharma, who is monitoring the situation, said Civil Surgeon Subash Batta had deployed extra teams of doctors and paramedical staff at Sehora and Payal to ensure better medical care to the residents.
|
|||
|
Passport facilitators to help rural applicants
Regional Passport Officer (RPO) Rakesh Aggarwal said the move would prevent non-computer savvy applicants from approaching touts, who charged between Rs 500 and 1,000 from villagers for filing their passport applications online. Aggarwal said this while addressing a workshop for village-level entrepreneurs in Chandigarh. During the workshop, the VLEs, who have been authorised by the Ministry of External Affairs, were trained to assist passport applicants in filling and uploading passport applications online, payment of fee and scheduling of appointment at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK). "We are confident that after regular training sessions, the VLEs would be able to play a significant role in delivering passport services in a timely, transparent and reliable manner. This is a progressive step towards establishing a more transparent system in which there will be no role of agents, who often misguide non-IT savvy rural population," said RPO Rakesh Aggarwal. More than 3.2 lakh passports are issued every year by the RPO, Chandigarh, and the demand is increasing by 10 per cent every year.
|
|||
|
Govt initiates
steps to check hoarding
Chandigarh, July 6 Coal linkage
The Government of India has enhanced coal linkage for the Talwandi Sabo and the Rajpura thermal plants. The issue was pending with the Union Ministry of Coal since April, 2011. In another significant decision the Union Minister has agreed to grant two lakh tonnes of coal per month for the Goindwal Sahib thermal project. The 540-MW capacity plant had been non-functional because of want of coal. The Ministry of Coal has also agreed to ramp upcoal supplies to PSPCL's own thermal plants by converting one million tonnes of coal from the road mode to the rail mode during the remaining paddy season (from July to September). The Chief Minister has urged the Union Minister that a policy be framed to minimise coal transportation costs for states like Punjab that are landlocked and far away from the pithead. He has emphasised the need for a cent per cent domestic coal linkage for power plants in Punjab. Amritsar museum
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Affairs to give substantial financial assistancefor the upcoming state-of-the-art War Heroes' Memorial-cum- Museum at Amritsar on seven acres of land on the Amritsar-Attari road. The foundation stone of this Rs 100 crore project was laid on February 12 this year. The Chief Minister said though the state government had made adequate arrangement for funds for the completion of the project by imposing cultural cess, it would not be able to bear the entire cost for setting up the memorial, which was likely to be completed by October, 2015. Training in skills
To impart quality training to the youth in various skills, the Chief Minister has impressed upon the Union Labour and Employment Minister ,Narendra Singh Tomar ,to re-allocate 43 ITIs to the state. In a letter to Tomar, the Chief Minister said the Government of India had earlier allocated to Punjab 43 ITIs in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode under the Kaushal Vikas Yojana (KVY). He said the state government had accordingly identified sites for setting up of these institutes and was ready to comply with other requirements. Site for AIIMS
The Chief Minister has urged Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harshvardhan to depute a team to select a site for the proposed AIIMS near Jalandhar. In a letter to the minister, the Chief Minister said the state government had identified four sites in Kapurthala district.
|
|||
|
Couple dies as roof collapses in Sriganganagar
Abohar, July 6 The roof collapse alerted neighbours, who had to jump in through the collapsed roof to rescue the victims. The couple got trapped under two feet of debris and it took about twenty minutes for the rescuers to extricate the couple. The victims died at the hospital.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the victims could not see if the roof was in a poor state since it was covered with a false ceiling. Tragic end
|
|||
|
Cops flayed for poor traffic mgmt
Abohar, July 6 They alleged there was no check on miscreants in the old walled city. The SSP assured they would soon crack down on anti-social elements. Complaints galore
|
|||
|
26 rural dispensaries in Sangrur without a doctor
Sangrur, July 6 Sources said in the backward areas of Lehragaga and Andana, there were 10 dispensaries without a doctor. These dispensaries are situated at Gullarri, Banga, Bhulan, Dudian and Andana villages in Andana block and Ghorrenab, Lehal Kalan, Gidarriani, Lehal Khurd and Daska villages in Lehragaga block. The posts of doctor have also been lying vacant at Bhullarherri and Hathan villages (Dhuri block), Kamalpur, Khanal Khurd and Dayalpura villages (Sunam block), Sahoke and Buggar villages (Sangrur block), Katron, Herrike, Tibba and Ballian villages (Sherpur block), Lasoi (Malerkotla-1 block), and Mohali Kalan, Sandaur and Sherwani Kot villages (Malerkotla-2 block). Sources said these posts had been lying vacant for a while. Some have been vacant for five months, while others a couple of years. Most of the posts fall vacant, when doctors posted there get jobs at other places. Rural Medical Services Association state president Dr Aslam Parvez said rural medical officers had been quitting jobs because they have been denied a quota in postgraduate courses in various state medical colleges. Dr Parvez said about 300 doctors, even after the regularisation of their services in 2011, had quit. He said while some had joined the state Health Department, others have joined the Haryana Government’s Health Department or taken up administrative jobs. Many others were studying, he said.
|
|||
|
Midday meal workers to protest in Ropar today
Fazilka, July 6 The ABMs were recruited in 2009 on a contract basis. They have been drawing a monthly salary of Rs 7,500 along with a travel allowance of Rs 2,000. Each ASM is supposed to visit three schools daily and submit a weekly report of 15 schools. It is mandatory for him to visit 60 schools a month. They distribute funds for midday meals and collect the data on a daily basis and check if the school managements were adhering to the rules. Union leaders said the Ministry of Human Resource Development, had recommended that the salary of Rs 7,500 per month being paid to ASMs was not enough to subsist, but the government did not pay heed to the recommendations.
|
|||
Ease norms for MBBS seats, demand NRIs
Faridkot, July 6 Earlier, all NRI quota seats in medical colleges of Punjab were filled on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in exams equivalent to Class XII of the PSEB or CBSE. Under the new rules, it is mandatory for every candidate to appear in the AIPMET and get a minimum 50 per cent marks to be eligible for MBBS and BDS courses. The seven state medical colleges have 72 NRI quota seats, but the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) could find only two eligible candidates. A number of other applications were rejected as the candidates had scored less than 50 per cent marks in AIPMET. Several others did not even appear in the AIPMET. In their representation to Minister, Medical Education and Research Department, Punjab, the NRI students said they had passed their qualifying examination (equivalent to Class XII) from the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other countries. They maintained that they had different curriculum than the one taught in India, so they had no exposure to the Indian examination system. Dyal Sharma, father of Akanksha Sharma, an NRI student, said: "Since the academic period in India and in several foreign countries is different, it is not practical for NRI students to travel to India and appear in the AIPMET." These conditions must be relaxed else all NRI seats will remain vacant in the state, the students said in their representation. Bone of contention
|
|
Man gets 10-year RI
Abohar, July 6 The police said Shanker’s wife Kaushalya Devi was found hanging from a ceiling fan in their house on July 19 last year. The court had yesterday rejected the bail plea of the accused. — OC
|
|
|
4 engineers held for ATM robberies
Barnala, July 6 Upinderjit Singh Ghumman, Senior Superintendent of Police, said the accused had been identified as Lakhwinder Singh, Sanpreet Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Gurinder Singh. They were employed in private organisations in Ludhiana. He said with their arrest, several cases of looting of ATMs had been solved. He said the police had seized equipment used in breaking open the ATMs, a Swift car, a Bolero jeep and Rs 40,000 from the accused. The role of these youths in several other crimes would be probed, he added.
|
|
Man killed, wife hurt in mishap
Hoshiarpur, July 6 The car driver, Sunil Kumar of Paldi village has been arrested. — OC
|
||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, July 6
Patiala, July 6
Sangrur, July 6
Ferozepur, July 6
Jalandhar, July 6
Bathinda, July 6
Abohar, July 6
Fazilka, July 6
Amritsar, July 6
Chandigarh, July 6
