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12 yrs on, govt abandons NRI conclave
2 Dalits with Punjab ties in Modi Cabinet
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Hit by waterlogging, three Mansa farmers end life in two months
Ayurvedic
doctors booked for practising allopathy
Cong leader framed in terror plot: Bajwa
Six leaders from Patiala quit AAP
State’s social fabric beyond politics, says Preneet
local body elections
Asiad, CWG medallists to be honoured today
Golden Temple repair work nears completion
Govt to promote fish farming with help of Chinese experts
Despite crunch, govt splurges on foreign tours
Probe begins into sale of dialysis kits to college
Process for widow pension to be made simpler
Man attempts suicide outside DC’s office
Woman jumps into canal, dies
Vigilance probe begins into hostel construction
Punjab parties also want voting made mandatory
Medical body objects to PMC Registrar’s statement
Set up ponds for stray cattle, DCs told
IMA opposes proposed amendments to MTP
Senior citizens honoured in Sriganganagar
1984
anti-sikh riots
Court raps Centre for not taking up BSF man’s plea
Zira lawyers to go on strike on November 12
SAD leader's murder
Sangrur farmer commits suicide, arhtiya booked
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12 yrs on, govt abandons NRI conclave
Jalandhar, November 10 The government would instead organise NRI Sangat Darshan twice a year to address the grievances of the community. The opposition parties too had been targeting the government for allegedly reducing the event to a show of extravaganza aimed at wooing a section of the prominent Punjabis settled abroad. Confirming the decision, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Tota Singh said the convention would pave the way for two meetings, one each in Malwa and Doaba, to be held under Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2015. “The Chief Minister will hold the Sangat Darshan from October to January. The NRIs will get an opportunity to raise their problems with the top government machinery,” said Tota Singh. The Minister said the first Malwa meeting would be held on December 28 in Moga whereas the Doaba convention would be organised in Jalandhar on January 18. The government had been drawing flak from the NRI community for allegedly failing to address their problems, mainly related to land grab, property dispute and registration of false cases. The opposition had been criticising the Akalis for “failing” to attract any investment from the NRIs, who were provided VIP treatment during the annual convention. Among the announcements made over the years, the single window system for NRI affairs still remained a distant reality, an NRI said. The government also had failed to establish adequate NRI fast-track courts in the state, he said. Avtaar Singh Johl, Jalandhar-based NRI and general secretary of the Indian Workers Association, Great Britain, alleged the government had only made announcements in these conventions. He alleged fearing possible boycott of this “futile exercise” by the Punjabi diaspora, the government seemed to have called of this event too. Dates for new events Malwa Sangat Darshan: December 28, Moga Doaba Sangat Darshan: January 18, Jalandhar Govt under attack
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2 Dalits with Punjab ties in Modi Cabinet
New Delhi, November 10 The induction of Hoshiarpur Member of Parliament (MP) Vijay Sampla, a Dalit, as Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and Agra MP Ram Shanker Katheria, also a Dalit, as junior HRD Minister, is being seen as a red signal to the Akalis. Katheria is in charge of the party affairs in Punjab. Dalits constitute16.6 per cent of the country’s population, the highest concentration being in Punjab (31.9%). Interpreted in the context of caste politics, Modi may have managed a masterstroke in Punjab. Also, SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who holds the not-so important Food Processing Ministry, was expecting to be given some important additional work. Let alone additional work or a portfolio for one of her party colleagues (there are seven Akali MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha), Modi strategically placed Fatehpur MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti as a junior minister in her ministry. The Sadhvi had played a crucial role in winning over Dalits and Backward Classes in Uttar Pradesh. She enjoys the support of the Kashyap and Nishad communities. During the previous UPA government, the Food Processing Ministry was a part of the Agriculture Ministry. That former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar spared little time to look after it is a known fact. The bottom line is that by no standards can the Food Processing Ministry be considered a full-fledged department. And to top it all, Harsimrat will now have a deputy breathing down her neck. Neither Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal nor Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal was present at the swearing-in ceremony. Tension has been brewing between the SAD and the BJP ever since Arun Jaitley was defeated from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. Also, The SAD decision to align itself with the INLD in Haryana has antagonised the BJP leadership in Haryana and Punjab. “The senior leadership is aware of the sentiments of BJP workers in Punjab. An appropriate decision regarding the betterment of the party will be taken at the appropriate time,” say BJP leaders from Punjab. BJP discriminatory: Cong
Chandigarh: Pradesh Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira today criticised the Modi government for not inducting a Sikh in his newly expanded Union Cabinet. “It’s a matter of shame for the BJP to have discriminated against one of the most progressive minorities with a glorious past. Needless to mention, the Sikhs have not only played a vital role in India’s freedom struggle, but have also immensely contributed to its inclusive growth and development,” Khaira said. “It appears that Modi has intentionally ignored the Sikh community to send out a clear message that there is no honorable place for them in the BJP scheme of things,” Khaira said in a statement. He said if the BJP thought that by inducting Harsimrat Kaur Badal as minister it had met the aspirations of the Sikh community, it would be a political blunder on its part. He claimed that Harsimrat represented the Badal clan alone. The right moves
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Hit by waterlogging, three Mansa farmers end life in two months
Mansa, November 10 The exercise was undertaken after 20,000 acres of land was left waterlogged in more than 30 villages in Sardulgarh and Mansa sub-divisions following rain and breach in canal. Though both the Agriculture and the Revenue departments had conducted separate surveys, farmer bodies —- which conducted own surveys —- alleged the losses had been underestimated. Another factor that troubled the farmers was low prices for their produce. The quantity too was checked due to waterlogging. Rajwinder Singh Raj (40) of Musa village in Mansa ended his life by allegedly consuming poison on November 6. The cotton crop on his six-acre plot was completely damaged. Another farmer of the same village, Gurdeep Singh (44), allegedly hanged himself to death in his house after losing his cotton crop on his four-acre plot. The third farmer who took the step (on September 7) was Roop Singh of Chehlanwala village. The names of Gurdeep and Roop Singh did not find mention on the ‘girdawari’ list prepared by the Mansa Agriculture and Revenue departments. In Musa village, the government survey showed crop on 1 acre was completely damaged while that on 53 acres saw 50 per cent damage. But, the village sarpanch claimed that crop on 400 acres was damaged, of which 200 acres saw complete damage. The Agriculture Department, in its survey, recorded that 6,587 acres of agriculture land in all 14 villages of Mansa sub-division and 18 villages of Sardulgarh sub-division had been affected due to waterlogging. The Revenue Department recorded damage on 6,602 acres, including 2,428 acres in 22 Mansa villages and 4,174 acres in 10 Sardulgarh villages. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugraha), in its survey, found that more than 1,000 cases had not been reported in 52 villages in Mansa district. Ram Singh Bhenibagha, Mansa president of BKU (Ekta Ugraha), said, “Two farmers of Hassanpur village in Mansa committed suicide in May. They could not repay their debt. More than 100 farmers committed suicide since January in Bathinda and Mansa districts.” The farmer leaders also alleged that the government had failed to keep its promise of providing compensation within a week to the families of those farmers who committed suicide due to debt burden. Mansa Deputy Commissioner Parveen Kumar Thind did not respond to repeated calls. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rakesh Kumar said, “We have conducted an extensive survey, covering all the affected areas. The claims by various farmer bodies are a farce.” 'Maharashtra relief model lacking' Jalandhar: A team from Punjab that had been to Maharashtra to study the relief package provided to the families of debt-ridden farmers who committed suicide has returned "dissatisfied". A member of the team alleged that victim families in Maharashtra were not being provided adequate compensation. As such, it would not be wise to follow the model in Punjab, he said. The team included senior officials from the Punjab Agriculture Department and teachers from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana. The team member said Maharashtra only gave Rs 1 lakh each to the family of those farmers who committed suicide. TNS
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Ayurvedic
doctors booked for practising allopathy
Ludhiana,
November 10 Kalyan as registrar of
the PMC wrote to Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, on October 31,
demanding a case under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 23 of the Medical
Registration Act (MRA) be registered against the two accused doctors. But later
Kalyan backtracked, saying that the PMC cannot take action against Ayurvedic
doctors as they are not registered under the PMC. “When I signed the
notice, I wasn’t aware of the facts. But now I will forward the matter to the
Registrar, BAUSMP, and also inform the Patiala SSP.” He said he wasn’t
clear about the jurisdiction of the PMC. The BAUSMP looks into cases related to
Ayurveda and the PMC investigates cases against doctors. Since Ayurvedic
doctors are not registered under the PMC, it could not take action against
them. On resigning from one of the posts, Kalyan said, “Why should I resign
when I have been appointed by the government.” Dr OPS Kande, chairman, Legal
Cell Committee of the PMC, said “Vaids and homeopaths practising allopathy is
violation of Section 15(3) of the MCI Act, 1956 and Section 23 of the Punjab
Medical Registration Act, 1916 (amended 2010). Kalyan’s view that the PMC
cannot take action against vaids and homeopaths is wrong. The PMC has the power
to act against unqualified persons practising allopathy. They will face action
under Section 23 of the PMR Act.” Dr Sanjeev Goyal, Registrar, BAUSMP,
said, “The PMC should act within its purview and take action against
allopathic doctors. If Ayurvedic or homeopathic doctors break the law, the
BAUSMP will act against them.”
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Cong leader framed in terror plot: Bajwa
Tarn Taran, November 10 He alleged that Jasbir had been implicated in a “forged” terror plot. The police had nabbed Jasbir on Saturday for his alleged links with Khalistani outfits. Bajwa said he failed to understand what the Chandigarh Police wished to achieve by arresting the 71-year-old Congress leader from his farmhouse at Khair Dinke village in Tarn Taran. He said Burj was a popular leader in the border belt who had contributed to various development works in the border villages. He said Jasbir was to be shifted to New Delhi for surgery. He sought a probe into his arrest. “ The party will give all possible help to Jasbir’s family in their hour of crisis,” he said.
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Six leaders from Patiala quit AAP
Patiala, November 10 Kundan Gogia, Captain Rajpreet Singh Aulakh, Jaswant Poonia, Pradeep Josan, BS Saini and Balbir Chandi, who resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party, claimed around 200 party volunteers had also resigned with them. "AAP senior leaders have started working in a dictatorial manner and we have lost faith in them. It is no more a party of the commoners, it has become a party of Khaas Aadmi now," they alleged. Convener of the party's Patiala unit Jarnail Singh Manu said the party had already expelled Kundan Gogia and Captain Rajpreet Singh Aulakh and that they were misguiding the people on the issue. "They have been telling the people that the party has broken down and that we are not taking them seriously. We are only working towards our goal of overall development and clean politics," he added. The party expelled former district convener Kundan Gogia and Captain Rajpreet Singh Aulakh for their alleged anti-party activities.
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State’s social fabric beyond politics, says Preneet
Ludhiana, November 10 She was reacting to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal remark that the Akali-BJP alliance was in the interest of communal harmony in Punjab. Preneet was the chief guest at a function organised by Nehru Sidhant Kendra to mark the 125th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Addressing mediapersons, she said, “We have a strong tradition of communal harmony and brotherhood.” She alleged the rift between the SAD and the BJP seemed to be widening with each passing day. On her name cropping up in black money case, she said she has already denied having any accounts in foreign banks. “I don’t know how my name has appeared in the list,” she said. Alliance has outlived its life: Capt
Patiala: Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today said the Akali-BJP alliance in Punjab had outlived its life. “Survival, and not performance, is the pressing priority of this government,” he said in a statement. The former CM alleged the state government was begging from the Centre for finances to run its day to day affairs instead of formulating policies and implementing these.
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local body elections
Abohar, November 10 Several protesting workers gathered at the house of Radheyshyam, former Sriganganagar MLA of the BJP, who came from Jaipur. They complained that the names of some talented and loyal workers had been dropped from the list. Amarjit Singh Gill, vice president, Block Congress Committee (rural), got the BJP ticket from ward number 40. He will contest against Block Congress Committee (Urban) president Lalit Behal. District Congress Committee president Kuldeep Indora announced Gill had been expelled from the party for 6 years. In Hanumangarh, hundreds of Congress workers protested as applicants from Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minorities had been nominated from some wards that fall in the general category. The workers raised slogans against the party observers. In Suratgarh, scores of Congress workers marched to former legislator Gangajal Meel’s house. They protested over the fact that Tony Bhat, who had reportedly supported BJP candidate Rajinder Bhadoo in Assembly elections last year, was given a ticket. Even as main political parties released the lists, several independent candidates filed nomination papers. The last day for submitting papers is November 11. The workers’ complaints
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Asiad, CWG medallists to be honoured today
Chandigarh, November 10 An official spokesman said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also holds sports portfolio, would preside over the function. He said Rs 4.29 crore would be distributed as prize money among 28 players from various events. Thirteen Asiad winners would be awarded with prize money worth Rs 2.79 crore, of which a gold medallist would get Rs 26 lakh, silver medallist Rs 16 lakh and bronze medallist Rs 11 lakh. The 15 players who have won medals in the Glasgow games would get cash prizes worth Rs 1.5 crore — Rs 16 lakh to a gold medallist, Rs 11 lakh for a silver and Rs 6 lakh to a bronze winner. Transport dept implements e-governance
The Punjab Government has implemented the e-governance system in the Transport Department to provide related services in an electronic medium. Among other services under the system, work related to the registration of vehicles has been fully computerised. A spokesperson said the department had uploaded information with regard to all registered vehicles on its website punjabtransport.org. He said the people could check particulars related to their vehicles by clicking on the link ‘Registration Data Verification’ on the website.
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Golden Temple repair work nears completion
Amritsar, November 10 There are a total of three staircases, which take pilgrims from the first to the second floor. The restoration is to be carried out in two of these as there is hardly any artwork left in the third one due to 'kar sewa' carried out in the past. However, the work on the wall paintings as well as the gold work in the area where Guru Granth Sahib is installed on the first floor is yet to start. There are reports that the restoration work on the entire first floor is most likely to be over by December-end. The work had slowed down a bit in the festive season as there was a huge rush of devotees. At present, a team of seven conservators led by Chandigarh-based Namita Jaspal is working on the project. A special gold paint manufactured by a European firm is being used in the conservation work. It is 22 carat gold and 10 gm of this paint costs around Rs 1 lakh. The gold work inside the shrine had suffered damage with passage of time as well as pollution. It witnessed flaking and tarnishing at various spots. Besides, the gold work had also been painted with brown colour in a few areas probably during a 'sewa' performed in the past. The gold work is primarily on the roof and the arches of the holy shrine. In the first phase of restoration, the conservation experts had restored the precious art work on the walls of the first floor, which had infused a fresh lease of life into the wall paintings that regained their pristine grandeur. The paintings involved the most intricate work and it took the team almost six months for restoration. There was considerable flaking in some areas and artists were engaged to "reconstruct" the lost part of the wall paintings while taking a clue from the existing pattern.
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Govt to promote fish farming with help of Chinese experts
Chandigarh, November 10 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is on a visit to China, met the Governor of Jiangsu, Li Xueyong, today. He told him about Punjab’s potential in fish farming and his aim to develop fresh water fisheries to bail out Punjab’s farmers from fiscal crisis. The current production of fish in Punjab is six tonnes per hectare whereas the state government’s target is to double the production in three years. The state government also wants to double the area under pisciculture which at present is 14,400 hectares. There are 21 hatcheries in Punjab. Soliciting the help of Jiangsu province for promoting fish farming, the Chief Minister told the Governor that Punjab’s production from fish reservoirs was 100 kg-150 kg per hectare, which could be enhanced with the help of experts from Jiangsu. Governor Xueyong reporedly asked the Director-General, Jiangsu Oceanic and Fishery Bureau, Tang Jianming, and the president of the Jiangsu Academy of Agri Sciences, Yi Zhongyi, to forge an alliance with Punjab, said official sources. He also assured Badal that he would visit Punjab later. Among the progressive fish farmers who accompanied the Chief Minister to China were Gurjatinder Singh Virk from Kandola (Ropar) village, Manwinder Singh from Jhurar village (Muktsar), Harinderpal Singh Bajwa from Warring village (TarnTaran), Bir Inder Singh Guron from Samrala, Khushwant Singh from Chhangal village (Hoshiarpur), Abhijinder Singh from Nanokee village (Patiala), Azadwinder Singh from Kandhola village (Ropar) and Paramjit Singh Bhullar from Nagra village (Sangrur). Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister KJS Cheema, Raj Kumar, Assistant Director, Fisheries, Kapurthala, Dr KaleKattu Gopalapillai Padma Kumar, and Dr Asha Dhawan, Dean, College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana, were also part of the official delegation. Fishing for gains
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Despite crunch, govt splurges on foreign tours
Chandigarh, November 10 He will be accompanied by Local Government Minister Anil Joshi, Principal Secretary PS Aujla and Secretaries Ashok Gupta, A Venu Prasad. Aujla has been made part of the delegation against convention. He will be retiring in less than a month. Sources say in order to circumvent government guidelines on foreign tours, the cost of the tours will be borne by the Greater Mohali Development Authority (GMADA) and the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation. Sources in the government claimed that it was the Centre that had suggested that such an exercise be undertaken since smart cities were slated to come up in the state. Some of the areas of interest for the state were water treatment, urban innovation centres, city transport mobility and urban solar energy, the sources said. Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal is on a tour to Macau. Only last month Agriculture Minister Tota Singh had returned from Canada. He had gone there with a large delegation. The expenditure on these tours runs into lakhs of rupees. Also, the government spent a lot of money on the aircraft it hired to ferry industry captains to Ranjit Sagar Dam to promote it as a tourist destination. A senior officer with the Chief Minister’s office said though the state was facing a severe finance crunch, it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister to sanction such tours. The government had issued a circular imposing restrictions on ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats. There is a ban on the creation or upgradation of posts this fiscal year. The employees have been told they cannot get leave travel concession
(LTC). Circumventing rules
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Probe begins into sale of dialysis kits to college
Amritsar, November 10 Sources said it was the head of the Medicine Department who had suggested the rates to the college principal before quotations were invited and the process for the same was put on the fast track. The medical college had purchased 1,000 kits at the rate of Rs 1,750 per kit, making a payment of Rs 18,55,875, including VAT. However, it was found that the company that had supplied kits to the college had quoted a rate of Rs 606 per kit to a private buyer and sold the kits to a private hospital at Rs 460 per kit plus VAT. Documents procured by RTI activist Ravinder Sultanwind, a local resident who had filed a complaint last year, reveal that the purchase process began with the department head writing a letter to the college principal on August 7, 2012. An order was placed with the company on August 31, 2012, showing unusual haste. The vigilance wing of the Research and Medical Education Department has already recorded the activist’s statement. The latter has been asked to submit records in this regard.
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Process for widow pension to be made simpler
Chandigarh, November 10 The Union Ministry for Rural Development, at the instance of the PMO, has asked all state governments to simplify the procedure for obtaining a widow certificate. In an advisory sent to all Principal Secretaries, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), it has said that the death certificate of a married person should mention the name of his widow so that the latter is spared harassment in getting a certificate to be able to get widow pension. Under the NSAP, widows in the age group of 40-59 get a pension of Rs 300 per month. This pension is raised to Rs 500 per month in case the widow is over 80. Under the Punjab government scheme, widows in the age group of 18-58 are given Rs 250 per month. However, officials in the state’s Social Security Department told The Tribune that the number of widow pensioners is much less than the population of widows. Of the total female population in Punjab, 7.1 per cent of the women fall in the "widow, destitute and separated" category. To get a pension, the certificate of the widow is signed by the sarpanch, gram sewak, patwari, sub-inspector (Civil Supplies), block development officer and finally the tehsildar. "Since it is such a tedious process, most widows are not able to avail of the benefit. Often, sarpanches get fake certificates made and pocket the pension, as has been revealed during audits of social security schemes,” said Vijay Setia. Chaman Lal Setia, who has been supporting 400 widows in Amritsar, said after he realised how cumbersome it was for a widow to get pension, he decided to approach politicians across political parties for help. "However, politicians and ministers in both Punjab and Haryana were unwilling to change the procedure and remove the multi-step verification procedure as they did not want to upset the sarpanches, who are vote-fetchers, said Vijay Setia. After the new government took over, he approached the PMO, which has directed the Ministry of Rural Development to intervene and ensure that the procedures are simplified. The order
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Man attempts suicide outside DC’s office
Ropar, November 10 Surprisingly, no official from the Deputy Commissioner's office tried to pacify rickshaw-puller Pal Singh although he had been sitting there for quite some time before sprinkling kerosene on himself. Pal Singh is a resident of Laudhpur village. He reached the district administration complex around 3 pm and stood in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office with a bottle of kerosene in his hands. He alleged that he purchased about one kanal land at nearby Mehandli Khurd village two years ago. Though he had got the demarcation of the land done from revenue officials, another resident of the village got the demarcation done again in connivance with revenue officials to usurp his land, he alleged. Now the revenue officials were saying that his land was in Raipur Sahni village, he said. He alleged a senior BJP leader was helping the other party and they had even attacked him thrice. Deputy Commissioner Tanu Kashyap reached her office when Pal Singh sprinkled kerosene on his body. A journalist present there, however, snatched the matchbox from his hands. The DC asked the officials concerned to get the demarcation of the land done again by two revenue officials on Tuesday.
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Woman jumps into canal, dies
Fatehgarh Sahib, November 10 Victim's husband Subhash Chand said he was married to Kanta Rani of Tohra village. He said his wife had financial transactions with her sister Soniya Rani of Samrala. Instead of returning her money, Soniya and her daughter Nikita used to threaten Kanta to defame her in society, he said. Due to that, Kanta had been in depression for the past some months, he said.
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Vigilance probe begins into hostel construction
Muktsar, November 10 It was highlighted in the report that a girls' hostel, constructed at a cost of Rs 47 lakh under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, for students of Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, Rupana, had started crumbling even before its inauguration. The building was constructed in 2011, but it was not put to use. Cracks have developed in its walls and the floor is damaged. Left abandoned, it is proving to be a safe haven for unscrupulous elements. Makhan Singh, DSP, Vigilance, Muktsar, said, "A technical team from Chandigarh gathered samples to check the quality of construction material used." He said the report was awaited. Officials of the Education Department have reportedly declined to take possession of the building, terming it unsafe. Officials of the PWD (B&R) Department, who had entrusted a private firm with the construction work under a contract, said the building was repairable as there was no major fault in the structure.
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Punjab parties also want voting made mandatory
Chandigarh, November 10 Manpreet said there should be other electoral reforms too. For instance, Assembly elections should be held under the supervision of a caretaker government to prevent misuse of official machinery and government resources. “In Pakistan, elections are conducted under a caretaker government comprising persons of high integrity, credibility and political neutrality,” Manpreet pointed out. He said that Punjab should follow the Gujarat pattern and make voting for the coming municipal elections mandatory. Former Deputy Speaker and Congress leader Bir Devinder Singh said Parliament should pass a law making voting mandatory. He suggested that certain entitlements should be linked with voting. “Not taking part in elections should be treated as an act against the democratic system,” he said. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and eminent advocate HS Phoolka said: “A provision should be made to help voters cast their ballot even if they are away from their polling booths.” He said amendments needed to be made in the Representation of the People Act,1950, if voting was to be made must for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
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Medical body objects to PMC Registrar’s statement
Ludhiana, November 10 At a meeting convened by Dr RK Sharma, president of IMA, Ludhiana, members of the body criticised Kalyan’s statement. “We think medical professionals should stick to practices that they are trained for. Flouting this norm leads to quackery. IMA supports the efforts of the PMC to crack down on quackery in the state.” Sharma read out the Supreme Court judgement in Martin F D’souza case delivered in 2009: “The professional is one who professes to have some special skill. A professional impliedly assures the person dealing with him (i) that he has the skill which he professes to possess, (ii) that skill shall be exercised with reasonable care and caution. Judged by this standard, the professional may be held liable for negligence on the ground that he was not possessed of the requisite skill which he professes to have. Thus a doctor who has a qualification in Ayurvedic or homeopathic medicine will be liable if he prescribes allopathic treatment that causes some harm vide Poonam Verma vs Ashwin Patel & Ors (1996) 4 SCC 332)”. Dr GS Grewal, PMC president, supported the IMA stand. He requested the IMA to help the PMC in controlling the menace of cuts and commissions. “We are aware that surgeons are paying 40 per cent to quacks, while urologists and neurosurgeons are paying them up to 50 per cent. The practice needs to be stopped. Our objective is that health care facilities for the masses should be affordable,” said Dr Grewal.
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Set up ponds for stray cattle, DCs told
Muktsar, November 10 Jaskiran Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, said, “The district animal welfare society has to be formed in each district so that a cattle pond on 25 acres could be managed. Nearly 2,000 heads of cattle will be kept there.” “A Deputy Commissioner will be the chairman of the society, while the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) will be the secretary. Ten others will also be nominated,” he said.
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IMA opposes proposed amendments to MTP
Muktsar, November 10 Dr Sudhir Raj, president of state chapter of IMA, said, “The decision has been taken on the basis of an unscientific study conducted by the Population Council in 2012. It showed that trained nurses and Ayurveda physicians can perform medical abortion as safely as doctors. This is unreasonable. The move can endanger the lives of thousands of innocent people.” Dr Navjot Dahiya, honorary state secretary, said, “The move is retrograde. The lives of women can be at risk if untrained people are allowed to conduct MTPs.” Dr Amandeep Aggarwal, state joint secretary, said, “Letting paramedical staff conduct MTPs is also against the provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act.” He further said the MTP should be conducted only by doctors. Paramedical staff members were not equipped to handle critical medical conditions arising out of excessive bleeding during incomplete abortions, he added.
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Senior citizens honoured in Sriganganagar
Abohar, November 10 Sanjay Mahipal, former president, traders’ association, said, “We need to learn how to respect our elders.”
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1984 anti-sikh riots
A prominent British Sikh has used a House of Commons ceremony in London to call for a truth and reconciliation commission in India to “identify the guilty and bring a measure of dignity and closure to thousands of grieving families” who remember the killing of Sikhs in 1984.
Rawalpindi-born Lord Indarjit Singh, who came to the UK in 1933 to study engineering at Birmingham University, was a keynote speaker at a glittering function hosted by Wolverhampton South-West Conservative MP Paul Uppal to commemorate Sikh sacrifices during World War I. Other speakers at the Churchill Room of the House of Commons included British Secretary of State for Culture Sajid Javid and Amandeep Madra, Chair of the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA). Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi “for sympathising with the suffering of the Sikhs”, Lord Indarjit Singh noted how by the end of World War I, some 1,30,000 Sikhs had seen active service, fighting from the Somme to Gallipoli and across Africa.” Over 138,000 Indian troops fought in Belgium and France, many of them Sikhs,” he said. “Sikhs fought with great distinction in the freezing mud-soaked battlefields of Europe and with equal distinction in the Middle East. In the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign, the 14th Sikh regiment sustained very heavy casualties. “Many plaudits were showered on Sikh soldiers by the British and their allies, and rightly so. Their courage and record in battle is second to none and we should remember them with pride. They have set the bar high and we, succeeding generations, must show we are equal to the challenge.” Madra, who helped to organise the function, said by the end of the World War, one in six men in the British Empire forces were from India. “And India’s war, and that of the Sikhs, was not confined to Europe and Basra – it extended to East Africa, Palestine, Egypt, the North West Frontier Province and as far as China… This is at the heart of commemoration – to create a change in the collective memory of Britons to recognise, acknowledge and commemorate the role of India in the World War.” The UKPHA is engaging with the Sikh community throughout the UK to collect and document the history of their families.
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Court raps Centre for not taking up BSF man’s plea
Chandigarh, November 10 The rap by Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Deepak Sibal came on the appeal against N. Saravanan. A resident of Tamil Nadu, he had joined the BSF as a constable. On August 5, 2005, he was accused of causing the death of a fellow constable, Phurba Yalmo. At that time, he was posted on the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. As a result, a General Security Force Court was convened and he was tried for murder under Section 302 of the IPC. The respondent pleaded that he be allowed to engage a civil counsel from Tamil Nadu as he could only communicate with him. The respondent also informed the court that he had contacted a lawyer. But “shockingly”, the prosecutor objected to the request. The court then granted just two days to him to engage a counsel. The Bench observed that the respondent, pushed to the wall, was “apparently coerced to give up his claim to engage a counsel”. The court also did not make attempts to provide free legal aid. Even the defending office provided to him was a Punjabi with no knowledge of his language. “Predictably, the trial ended in conviction of the respondent and as a result of such conviction, the respondent was sentenced to life. He was taken in custody. We are told that till date, he has served a sentence of about nine years and is lodged in Central Prison at Madurai, Tamil Nadu”, the Bench observed. Drawing flak
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Zira lawyers to go on strike on November 12
Zira, November 10 Amrik Singh Virk, president of the Zira Bar Association, said the building committee of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 21, 2014 sanctioned the construction of 30 chambers for lawyers on the ground floor. He said the Chief Architect of Punjab was asked to prepare and submit the site plan, but it had not yet been sent to the local Bar. “At present, lawyers work in small rooms. It has become difficult for us to work efficiently,” he said. There has also been a dispute over setting up the canteen at the space allotted to the lawyers. Virk alleged the canteen was being auctioned by the District and Sessions’ Judge of Ferozepur. He said this was against the practice adopted in other court complexes. “The canteen should be handed over to the Bar association for auction to raise funds for the welfare of lawyers,” he added. Early this year, the lawyers of Zira carried out a series of protests over the inadequate space allotted to them. There are at least 55 practicing lawyers at the sub-divisional headquarters in the town, but the space for chambers has been allotted to 30 lawyers. The dispute between the district administration and the lawyers has adversely affected the functioning of the court. Meanwhile, Ramesh Grover, president of the Moga Bar Association, has extended his support to the protesting lawyers of Zira. He said the lawyers in Moga too would go on strike on November 12. Bone of contention
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SAD leader's murder
Moga, November 10 Harjit Singh Pannu, SP (Detective), said the CJM had fixed November 17 as the next date of hearing. Sidhu is an influential person. His brother Gurlovleen Singh Sidhu is posted as Deputy Commissioner, Barnala. The Akali leader was shot at by two unidentified assailants in July this year while he was on a morning walk. He reportedly had strained ties with his nephew because of a property dispute. Preliminary investigations reveal that Sidhu was in Canada when the crime was committed.
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Sangrur farmer commits suicide, arhtiya booked
Sangrur, November 10 The case was registered on the complaint of Satgur Singh, the son of the deceased. He claimed his father was allegedly being harassed by the trader for money. Satgur alleged that in 2008, his father sold his entire crop to Vinod for Rs 33,000. “But the arhtiya did not pay us the entire amount. The next year, we changed the agent and sold the crop to another arhtiya,” he said. The complainant alleged that on November 7, his father received a letter from Vinod through his lawyer demanding Rs 4 lakh. “As my father was uneducated, I read the letter before him. He was extremely upset. On Sunday, he went to the fields and consumed poison. He died on the way to a hospital,” he said. In police net
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Mansa, November 10
Abohar, November 10
Amritsar, November 10
Chandigarh, November 10
Ropar, November 10
