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Bhola drug
racket: Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia’s name re-surfaces in ED probe
Face investigation if done no wrong, says Manpreet
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news analysis
Radical Sikh groups close ranks
Rako Cancer to hold 1,500 camps in 3 yrs
Jyani must resign: Congress
Confusion ends, Gurpurb on Dec 28, says Akal Takht
Sales falling, govt may cut VAT on heavy machinery
Hope shines on drug-affected Ganna village
District status yet to elevate Pathankot
Gurdwara row: Sikh bodies challenge edict
Breached road dividers in Gurdaspur claim many lives
AAP MP seeks Smriti’s intervention to tackle crisis at Punjabi University
51 lakh tourists visit Virasat-e-Khalsa
Police constitute SIT to trace eyewitness in Tarn Taran case
Library closure triggers protest
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Bhola drug
racket: Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia’s name re-surfaces in ED probe
Chandigarh, November 24 The PPCC chief has also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. Addressing the media here, Bajwa alleged a senior BJP leader had confirmed him about the meetings. Refusing to name the leader, Bajwa said the BJP leader was a "friend who confided that taking action against Majithia would end the SAD-BJP coalition". Showing newspaper advertisements issued by the BJP detailing the poll promises by them before the Lok Sabha elections in April this year, the state Congress president said the first promise was to end the drug trade in Punjab. Terming it as an admission of the prevailing drug racket by the BJP, Bajwa said he was waiting for almost six months for Modi to take some action on the issue. Bajwa also today reopened the controversial chapter of seeking a CBI inquiry about the role of Majithia in the racket. He said he had written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Rajnath Singh and Modi for a CBI inquiry. On why the previous UPA Government did not order a CBI inquiry, Bajwa said at that time the allegations were restricted to a statement made by one of the arrested smuggler (Bhola). Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded the removal of Majithia from the Cabinet. He has also urged the ED to summon him for a “fair and impartial conclusion of drug-related investigations”. Khaira, in a statement, alleged the police had under political pressure purposely omitted these facts in its challan presented in the court.
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Face investigation if done no wrong, says Manpreet
Chandigarh, November 24 In a statement, Manpreet said Majithia’s name was first taken by Jagdish Singh Bhola, former police officer-turned-drug lord, after his arrest. The chain of arrests following that and the interrogation of the accused once again led to Majithia, he said. The PPP chief said as per law, the confessions made by the accused were admissible as evidence in the court in this case. He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was allegedly dragging its feet in summoning Majitha due to political reasons as the Akali Dal was in an alliance with the BJP at the Centre as well as Punjab. He said Majithia should cooperate because if there was no case against him, he would get a clean chit, and that it would be in his interests as well. Manpreet said when his name had first surfaced during the UPA regime, the state government had rejected the demand for a CBI inquiry in the case. It had then claimed that the functioning of the agency was being “influenced” by the ruling Congress. “The situation is different currently and the Akali Dal is part of the BJP government at the Centre. The investigation, as such, cannot be influenced,” he said. The PPP chief asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP were rightly concerned about the gravity of the drug menace in Punjab, which was affecting the future of the state as the youth were getting ruined. He said the interests of the state and the country were above political considerations and, therefore, the investigation in this case should be taken to a logical conclusion.
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news analysis
Jalandhar/Chandigarh, November 24 The central agency has summoned or questioned an array of politicians named by Bhola and others and whose names had figured in the name of a diary seized by the Income Tax department from Goraya-based businessman Chuni Lal Gaba. But so far, Majithia has not been summoned
by the agency despite a hue and cry created by a section of the opposition, the Congress. Those questioned included senior SAD leader and former Punjab Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, another senior SAD leader and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Chander, Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary and Phillaur's son Damanbir Singh. The Congress, too, had remained divided over the issue. While PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa has been seeking a CBI probe into the drug trade, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh is in favour of the ongoing simultaneous probe by the Punjab Police. The SAD alliance partner (BJP) of late, too, has started raking up the drug issue, probably to squeeze some political mileage amidst speculations that the saffron party was working hard towards going it all alone in the 2017 Assembly elections. Sources said the ED was prepared to summon Majithia and had almost completed all formalities like recording of statements of all of the accused, some of their relatives and questioned other people suspected to be linked to the racket. It is reportedly awaiting a green
signal from the Union Ministry of Finance. Baseless charges: Revenue Minister Revenue Minister and senior SAD leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia has rubbished the allegations as “a systematic campaign to malign him”. Claiming innocence, he said, “Bhola earlier said in the court that he neither ever met me nor spoke to me over phone… I have nothing to do with any of the accused or the drug trade. Moreover, it was our government that had busted the racket.” About his alleged links with Satta, Chahal and Bittu, Majithia said, “As a politician, and particularly as an NRI Minister (he no more holds the portfolio), I come across so many people daily. Satta is also close to a Canadian minister. But does that mean the foreign minister too is involved? How do I know what business they do in their private life? If anybody, including the ED or any other agency, has any evidence, they should come out with it and place it on the table. Mischievous people are everywhere, including in the agency.”
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All-powerful minister Majithia & his 3 NRI musketeers
Some of those questioned have allegedly linked the minister to the NRIs, Satpreet Singh alias Satta, Amarinder Singh Laadi and Parminder Singh Pindi, all based in Edmonton (Canada). The trio was booked by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Laadi is also an accused in a drugs case (FIR No. 45/3013) registered in Fatehgarh Sahib. Jagdish Singh Bhola, dismissed Punjab Deputy Superintendent of Police who is the alleged kingpin in the Rs 6,000 crore synthetic drug racket, was the first to name Majithia before mediapersons while he was being produced in court. Bhola was arrested by the Fatehgarh Sahib police in November last. Trouble second time Majithia’s name reportedly surfaced again when the ED grilled some other accused as well as suspects. The minister has held “mischievous elements, including in the ED, responsible for the malicious campaign”. He has denied any role in the racket. Other accused in the racket, including Maninder Singh alias Bittu Aulakh, Jagjit Singh Chahal, Aulakh’s father Partap Singh Aulakh and Bittu’s wife Jagminder Kaur, alleged before the ED that Majithia was in touch with the NRIs. Bittu, who is the main accused along with Bhola, is lodged in Nabha jail whereas Chahal is out on bail. Bittu alleged that Satta was introduced to Chahal by Majithia. He also alleged that Satta introduced him to Pindi at Majithia’s wedding on November 25, 2009, near Chandigarh. He said “Satta and Chahal discussed export of human and veterinary medicines from India to Canada”. Drug link During interrogation, Bhola alleged that Chahal provided pseudoephedrine (a synthetic drug) to Pindi and Satta on Majithia’s directions. Bittu even alleged that Satta used to stay at Majithia’s residence (House No. 43, Green Avenue) in Amritsar. Bittu’s father Partap Singh, in his written statement to the ED, also alleged that Satta used to stay at Majithia’s house. He claimed his son even went to Canada with Majithia. Jagminder Kaur (Bittu’s wife) alleged before the agency that Satta visited their house several times along with Majithia. Chahal alleged that the Punjab Police had recovered pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, metformine (synthetic drugs and raw material) and waste material from him. He too alleged that Satta used to stay at Majithia’s house. “Laadi and Pindi along with Bittu used to meet Majithia and stay at the minister’s house in Amritsar as well as his official residence in Sector 39, Chandigarh. Majithia even provided his security personnel and a car to Satta. The minister told me to provide pseudoephedrine to the NRIs, who used to carry it to Canada,” Chahal alleged in his statement. Police report The ED records also mention the interrogation report dated November 21, 2013, received from the Banur police station. It mentioned that Satta allegedly acted as Majithia’s election agent in 2007, and that he was then staying at the minister’s house. The report, ED sources said, revealed that Bittu and Chahal had been “supplying pseudoephidrine to Laadi, Pindi and Satta. Foreign connection
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Radical Sikh groups close ranks
Chandigarh, November 24 The Delhi Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna and Sikhs for Human Rights have decided to back the radicals. Representatives of these groups held a meeting here last week. Former IAS officer Gurtej Singh, who had resigned in protest against Operation Bluestar, said the rise in the RSS activities in Punjab had alarmed various Sikh groups as the RSS did not believe that the Sikhs had a separate identity and that Sikhism was a separate religion. “We are opposed to the RSS propagating that the Sikhs are a part of the Hindu stream and that Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism,” he said. Gurtej Singh, a part of the three-member panel set up to formulate a plan to counter the RSS influence, said the panel would come out with a paper in 20 days. He said various Sikh groups had decided to unite as the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had failed to take up Sikh issues and demands. “Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has completely surrendered to the BJP and is not prepared to raise Sikh issues and matters related to Punjab at the national level,” Gurtej Singh said. He claimed Badal’s clout at the national level had diminished. “Punjab’s economic and political decline is of concern for all us and we are keen to come out with a strategy to ensure Punjab reclaims the top spot in the country,” he said. Radical groups are unhappy at the BJP’s persistent efforts to win the support of religious deras. Radical Sikhs have serious differences with heads of several dears. There have been violent clashes between dera supporters and Sikh groups in the past.
Why the alarm
Dal Khalsa rally on Dec 10 Hoshiarpur: To commemorate the 66th World Human Rights Day, Dal Khalsa will hold march against “fake encounters, illegal detentions and torture in Punjab since 1984.” At a press conference here, Dal president HS Dhami and spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh claimed that thousands of Sikh youths were missing. They were suspected to have been abducted by government agencies, said Kanwar Pal. He said they planned to hold a rally at Amritsar on December 10 on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day.
— OC
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20 cancer deaths in a month stun Moga village
Moga, November 24 Paramjit's grandfather, grandmother and an aunt also died of similar symptoms that were visible in his son, the symptoms of stomach cancer. Jaswant Singh, another small farmer of Mari Mustafa, too knows how severely cancer hits one emotionally, financially and physically. On October 13, he lost his 10-year-old son Jai Parkash Singh to brain cancer. "Despite spending over Rs 13 lakh on my son's treatment, I could not save him," said Jaswant holding back his tears. The village has seen several deaths between October 20 and November 19. Some of these are Surjit Kaur, Gurdev Kaur, Geetan Singh, Gurdeep Kaur, Manjit Kaur and Saudagar Singh. They died of liver, breast, stomach and throat cancer. Gurtej Singh, an attendant at a private laboratory in the village, who has lost four members of his family to cancer, said the situation in Mari Mustafa and the adjoining Smalsar village was alarming. Diseases such as cancer and hepatitis C and B were spreading at a face pace, he said. Raj Dular Singh, a registered medical practitioner in Smalsar village, said the two villages were doomed. "These diseases neither spare the old nor the newborn. Poor farmers and labourers are trapped in the vicious circle of cancer and hepatitis," he said. "There is hardly a day when I don't came across a new cancer or hepatitis B or C patient at my laboratory," he added. At least 160 persons have died due to cancer and hepatitis B or C in Mari Mustafa village in the last five years, but the health authorities are yet to wake up to the reality. Dr Renu Mangla, Civil Surgeon, Moga, said of the total 75 deaths reported in the village in one year, 12 deaths were due to cancer and two due to hepatitis. There are 12 cancer patients in the village. Four of them are getting relief from the Chief Minister's Cancer Relief Fund, she said. "We are conducting a door-to-door survey to collect accurate date on the number of cancer and hepatitis patients in the village," she said. Darshan Singh, village sarpanch, attributed the diseases to highly polluted groundwater that the villagers were forced to drink in absence of any other water source. Sources said the health authorities were not convinced that water pollution had been causing dreaded diseases in the village. The local authorities had taken water samples and declared that water pollution had nothing to do with the causes of cancer and hepatitis, said Dr Raj Dular Singh.
Grim scenario
Groundwater pollution With no supply of drinking water in the village, residents rely on groundwater which has high concentration of heavy metals and uranium. Even the supply of groundwater is scarce as one of the two water works in the village is not functional for the last six years owing to non-payment of power bills ‘12 deaths in a year’ “Of the total 75 deaths reported in the village in one year, 12 were due to cancer and two due to hepatitis. There are at present 12 cancer patients in the village. Four of them are getting relief from the Chief Minister's Cancer Relief Fund,” said Dr Renu Mangla, Civil Surgeon Political rivalry Villagers allege Mari Mustafa has been neglected due to political rivalry between two Akali leaders of the village. They say they have time and again raised the demand for drinking water and sewerage, but to no avail
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Rako Cancer to hold 1,500 camps in 3 yrs
Fazilka, November 24 As many as 250 patients were examined. During the camp, mammography, ECG, blood pressure, endoscopy, diabetes tests were conducted on patients. Dhaliwal said 6,600 such camps had already been held in the state. He said Punjab was the worst-affected state in the country. He blamed bad eating habits and unhygienic conditions for rising cancer cases in the state. A state Health Department report said at least 18 persons died of the cancer everyday in the state. Dhaliwal said a survey found that most of the affected women were suffering from breast and uterus cancer and men from prostrate cancer.
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New Akali party has no future: CM
Amritsar, November 24 Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the convocation function at the Government Medical College here, Badal claimed that the newly formed United Akali Dal would prove to be a non-entity with the people of the state totally rejecting it. He said such organisations were bereft of any ideological commitment and, hence, would have no impact on Punjab politics. The Chief Minister said the people had reposed their faith in the pragmatic and pro-people policies of the SAD time and again. “The fact that they reposed faith in the SAD for serving two Sikh premier institutions, the SGPC and the DSGMC, shows that people recognise the SAD as the sole representative of Punjab and the Khalsa Panth,” he said. To a query regarding the VAT hike on diesel prices, the Chief Minister said all decisions were taken by the SAD and the BJP jointly. “ The Cabinet consists of both SAD and BJP ministers. All decisions are taken by the ministers jointly,” he said. Asked to comment on the Bhagatanwala garbage dump row in Amritsar, the Chief Minister said the issue would be solved amicably. He said he had already asked the officers concerned to find a way out. Later, the Chief Minister inspected the construction work at the Punjab State Heroes War Memorial on the outskirts of the city.
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Chandigarh, November 24 “The Punjab Congress demands the immediate resignation of the state Health Minister for the death of four newborns at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital yesterday,” Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa said here today. “Ludhiana is the economic capital of Punjab. If such incidents can occur here, you can well imagine what could be the state of affairs in other parts of the state,” Bajwa said. Accusing the SAD-BJP government of gross mismanagement, he said there was complete lawlessness in the state. He demanded imposition of President’s rule in Punjab, accusing the SAD-BJP government of failing to discharge its responsibilities. Expressing grief at the death of four newborns at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said he had ordered an inquiry into the matter. He said he had asked the officers concerned to ascertain the causes and circumstances leading to the deaths. “No public servantfound guilty would be spared,” he told mediapersons in Amritsar. — PTI
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Confusion ends, Gurpurb on Dec 28, says Akal Takht
Amritsar, November 24 “We have received a number of e-mails, saying preparations for celebrating the event on December 28 had already been made,” he said, clarifying that he was in favour of making the necessary amendments in the calendar so as to clear all confusion once and for all. He said he had already suggested setting up a panel comprising experts and Sikh intellectuals to resolve the issue. Last week, the Sikh clergy had decided to change the Guprurb’ date from December 28 to January 7 in view of the fact that it coincided with the Martyrdom Day of the Sahibzadas (Tenth Guru’s sons). The clergy’s move had drawn flak from various quarters. Sources said the SGPC too had suggested January 5 as the alternative date for celebrating Gurpurab, but the Sikh high priests had opted for January 7. The rift in the Sikh community came to the fore after the Sikh clergy at Takht Shri Patna Sahib made it clear that they would celebrate Gurpurab on December 28. Even the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara
Management Committee (DSGMC), which is also ruled by the SAD, decided to celebrate Gurpurb on December 28, saying they had already booked Lakhi Shah Vanjara Hall for
the purpose.
About the calendar controversy
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Fund crunch hits deliveries under NRHM
Ludhiana, November 24 To encourage deliveries in government hospitals, the Centre gives an incentive of Rs 1,000 to a gynaecologist, Rs 700 each to a paediatrician and an anesthetist, Rs 250 to a staff nurse, Rs 150 to an operation theatre assistant and Rs 100 each to Class IV employees. For normal deliveries, a gynaecologist gets Rs 150, the assisting staff Rs 100 Class and a Class IV employee Rs 25. Sources say since no such payment has been made since months, doctors are under the impression that the scheme has been scrapped. But the Director, Family Welfare, Dr Jatinder Kaur, said: “The centrally sponsored scheme has not been scrapped. Only we have not received funds owing to which we have not been able to pay ou staff.” To make matters worse, Mata Kaushalya Kalyan Scheme too has come to a standstill. The scheme started by the Punjab government is aimed at promoting safe deliveries and minimising child and mother mortality rate. Under the scheme, a woman who has delivered a child is given Rs 1,000 and Rs 200 as transportation charges. Women belonging to BPL families and those from the reserved categories are paid more. Approximately, 20-25 deliveries are conducted at the Civil Hospital everday. In October, 490 deliveries were performed but payment was paid to none. Senior Medical Officer Dr RK Karkara said a sum of Rs 5 lakh was yet to be disbursed under the scheme.
Asha workers in spot
After the death of four newborns at the newly built Mother and Child Hospital on Sunday, the task of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) has become harder. These workers bring pregnant women from surrounding areas to hospital . “Our task includes motivating women to deliver in hospitals, bring children to immunisation clinics and encourage family planning. If doctors at government hospitals do not perform their duties efficiently, people will not trust us and follow our advice,” said Amarjit Kaur, president of the Punjab chapter of Asha workers.
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four-day cii agro tech in chandigarh
Chandigarh, November 24 The CII Agro Tech 2014, being organised here, has come up with perfect solutions to some of the raging problems faced by farmers in the state. The balers and hydraulic ploughs on offer at the agri fair, which can solve one of the biggest problems of paddy straw disposal, are attracting huge crowds. But as the experts and farmers, who gathered at the Parade Grounds here, where the equipment is on display, pointed out that the industry has come up with solutions, but these are too expensive for them to adopt. The balers on display, which can cut and roll the paddy residue in the fields, after the paddy is harvested, cost Rs 11 lakh. The hydraulic reversible plough, which uproots and digs the paddy residue 12 inch deep in the earth, costs Rs 2.07 lakh. Farmers from the region, who were impressed with these machines, however, say that they would not be able to adopt these methods of paddy straw disposal as these were too expensive. “Why would I buy such an expensive machine, when its use is for just 10 days in a year. I would rather pay Rs 250 per acre for getting a reaper on lease to shred all the straw, spread it in the fields to dry and then just burn it. If the industry wants farmers to adopt these, then it will have to bring more cost effective solutions,” said Amarjit Singh of village Sadraur near Patiala. Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Panjgraian Kalan in Faridkot, said that the small and marginal farmers, with less than 25 acres of land, could not afford these machines. “The concept of cooperative societies owning these machines and then leasing them to all members is unviable as the cost of operating these machines is high. The industry must come up with cost effective machinery,” he said. Another farmer from his village, Hari Singh, while agreeing that digging the paddy straw was environment friendly and also improved soil health and in turn productivity of the next crop, said that though the state government was giving subsidy to farmers for these machines, these were still too expensive. “In this era of rising input costs and plateauing farm incomes, we cannot afford to invest in machinery, which will remain unused for 350 days of a year,” he said. Punjab government gives a Rs 35,000 subsidy on hydraulic reversible ploughs and a Rs 4.5 lakh subsidy on balers. Earlier, the Secretary Irrigation, Punjab, KS Pannu, while chairing a session on Innovations in Agriculture, too, pointed out that practical and localised innovations in farm mechanisation can maximise farm incomes by increasing productivity and lowering input costs.
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Sales falling, govt may cut VAT on heavy machinery
Chandigarh, November 24 With the sale of cranes and earth movers coming to a zilch in Punjab because of a 3 per cent higher VAT on them as compared to Rajasthan or Delhi, the state government is now looking at reducing VAT on heavy construction equipment. The matter is to be brought up for approval before the Punjab Council of Ministers during the Cabinet meeting scheduled for November 26. Official sources told The Tribune that the government was concerned over the negligible sale of this heavy construction equipment in the past one year. The Excise and Taxation Department found that most of the buyers were showing the purchases made in Rajasthan and other states where VAT is 5 per cent as compared to 8 per cent in Punjab. It is estimated that heavy construction equipment worth Rs 100 crore is bought in Punjab each year. With the buyers getting them from other states, the state is losing VAT worth Rs 5 crore per annum. VAT is one of the biggest sources of revenue for the state government. This year, the state hopes to earn Rs 17,760 crore as VAT. But so far, the growth is not commensurate with this target and thus the government is trying to plug in all loopholes. Other than widening its tax base, the government is trying to remove regional anomalies in VAT to ensure its collections are not hit. Recently, the government had increased VAT on diesel from 9.75 per cent to 11.25 per cent. This decision too has not gone down well with the diesel retailers as well as the consumers. Most neighbouring states - Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh - have a VAT of around 9.5 per cent on diesel. The high rate has led to diversion of sale, especially in the border districts of Punjab, to these states. Though the Excise Department officials had unofficially also asked Haryana to increase VAT on diesel and Chandigarh to not decrease it this month (before Punjab increased VAT on November 15) so that VAT remains uniform in the region, the other two states did not agree, and Punjab, to ensure that it recovers VAT loss on diesel with its prices coming down, went ahead with a higher VAT rate.
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Hope shines on drug-affected Ganna village
Phillaur, November 24 There seems to be some hope for this SC-dominated village as it has come under the Centre's village adoption scheme. The village has been adopted by Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh. The residents say 500 of over 2,000 youths in this village are jobless and hooked to drugs. The village is located near the Mand area along the Sutlej. It thus has an easy access to illicit liquor. Addressing a gathering in the village, Chaudhary Santokh Singh said: "The residents must aspire to improve the image of the village. Job opportunities will be provided to the youth by opening a gram suvidha centre, skill development centre, computer centre, bank, post office, modern gym and a petrol pump in the village. The middle school will be upgraded. Village youths will be given preference for jobs in factories nearby. Self-help group schemes for women will be started. But at the same time, your cooperation is a must." A SAD activist, Ramji Dass, said: "In an earlier initiative, the then DGP, KPS Gill, had given jobs to 17 youths of the village to wean them away from the drug menace. I see a similar resolve now." A village youth, Akash, said: "I have studied till Class X and have taken training in AC repair and fitting, but I have no job. There are many jobless youth like me who due to lack of opportunities fell prey to drugs. A few of them have now started taking treatment." Romila Kumari, a panch, said: "The women are suffering the most. Most houses are without toilets. There is no sewerage system. The waste water thus flows onto the streets". Certain women residents said it had been 10 years since they got work under the MGNREGA scheme. "We used to get Rs 85 as daily wages for filling up a pond. But that work got stuck up," a resident said. They lamented that they had to hire an auto-rickshaw for Rs 100 every time they had to get ration under the Atta-Dal Scheme. Another resident Usha Rani complained that it had been four years since she married her two daughters, but she was yet to get grant under the Shagun Scheme. Sarpanch Gulzari Lal also raised the issue of setting up a community centre and construction of a verandah at the cremation
ground.
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District status yet to elevate Pathankot
Pathankot, November 24 Residents had hoped that with the big move, things would brighten up for them and their standard of living would improve. However, three years down the line, Pathankot city finds itself in a relegated state from its former position, when it used to thrive on timber, tourism and transport industries. The work on the judicial complex started even before the town was declared a district, but the multi-storied Mini-Secretariat building is still incomplete. The Secretariat is being built to ensure that all government offices — presently scattered all over the town, some of them located in narrow lanes — will come under one roof for the convenience of residents. However, the slow pace of work has left residents fuming. Keeping in view the ever-expanding population, the state government had in 2011, converted the local Municipal Committee into Municipal Corporation, with the promise to pump in more funds for developmental works. However, as of now, ‘Municipal Corporation’ remains a misnomer as the body is yet to get requisite funds. “These funds will flow in only after the elections to the local bodies are over. Norms state that the minimum budget for a Corporation should be Rs 50 crore. However, this remains in the realms of speculation as several villages which have been included after the new delimitation process are all set to move the court against their inclusion in the Corporation,” said Anil Vij, former MC president. In an attempt to boost the economy, in 2004, the then Member Parliament (MP) Vinod Khanna had managed to convince the authorities to construct an airport. The airport was built but owing to technical reasons, flights have yet to take off. Tax payers are also fuming at the way the Improvement Trust has disbanded its plans to construct the popular auditorium project. However, what has really pushed the economy on the back foot is the failure of the state government to give wings to the much-hyped Industrial Growth Centre. Despite having more than 400 acres of land in its possession, the Centre boasts of just two industrial units against the capacity of 254 units, as was once envisaged by the State Industries Department. Residents see a ray of hope in the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s plan to turn the Ranjit Sagar Dam lake into a tourist hub.
Yet to make strides
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Gurdwara row: Sikh bodies challenge edict
Abohar, November 24 Taking exception to the way they were forced out of historic gurdwara Buddha Johad, the outgoing trustees submitted a memorandum to the district police chief. They sought legal action against the “erring” persons. They threatened to launch an agitation in the near future. Akal Takht had constituted a 15-member ad hoc committee to manage the gurdwara. At a meeting held on November 17, the Takht authorised Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh and Jathedar Mal Singh of Keshgarh to announce the members of the ad hoc committee at the gurdwara. The panel members yesterday took charge of the
gurdwara.
The matter at hand
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Breached road dividers in Gurdaspur claim many lives
Gurdaspur, November 24 Traffic policemen admit that the number of accidents has increased manifold in the recent past. Six bypasses have been newly constructed on the road and the dividers on these too have been breached. Commuters, who break the dividers to take short cuts, are unaware that these lead to several mishaps. Even shopkeepers or business owners break the dividers to attract customers. Pankaj Dua, a spokesman of IRB Infrastructure Private Limited, the agency engaged to widen the National Highway and bypasses, admits they are faced with a serious problem. “We have complained to the Pathankot police, who will book people for breaking the dividers. We have also complained to the Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner,” he said. Traffic policemen said road contractors were to blame as they often leave gaps in the dividers as per the demand of villagers and commercial establishments. “Dividers should have openings near hospitals, offices or petrol pumps. Median breaks (breaks in dividers) are made after studying traffic flow. Permission from traffic police is a must for breaking medians,” said a senior officer. Another traffic officer said, “Driving on the wrong side and taking a detour through damaged road dividers has become the norm rather than the exception. This has
resulted in the rise in casualties in the region in the recent past.”
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Hit by waterlogging, farmers uproot orchards in Abohar
Abohar, November 24 The villages hit by waterlogging include Alamgarh, Bahawalbasi, Bahadurkhera, Bhangala, Dangarkhera, Dhaba Kokrian, Dharangwala, Dutaranwali, Ghallu, Gaddandob, Jodhpur, Khubban, Kuharianwali, Malukpura, Raipura and Ramgarh. The Revenue Department officials on October 15 submitted a detailed report, which stated the compensation for farmers was Rs 2.5 crore. However, the funds have not been released so far. Due to incessant rain in September, farmers suffered losses in Muktsar. Narayan Chaudhary and Naurang Lal of Dangarkhera village, 8 km from here, said they had bought kinnow plants from certified nurseries and followed the instructions of horticulture experts in letter and spirit, but to no avail. They both are now uprooting their orchards. The state government had set Citrus Estate here under a centrally funded programme, but it didn’t turn out to be of any use due to lack of staff. The Market Committee has no funds to provide a separate kinnow mandi. Fruit growers have also complained of exploitation at the hands of buyers. Moreover, farmers’ appeals to the Chief Minister to stop the diversion of rainwater from waterlogged areas of Lambi and Malout segments to their area have fallen on deaf ears. They alleged that drains originating from Badal’s home turf often overflowed near Bahadurkhera village and had damaged crops in 18 villages in the past three years. Leader of the Opposition Sunil Jakhar has blamed the state government for waterlogging. Jakhar alleged that the state had failed to utilise Rs 1,000 crore earmarked by the Centre to tackle waterlogging. He alleged bureaucrats and politicians siphoned off the
funds. Why farmers took the step
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AAP MP seeks Smriti’s intervention to tackle crisis at Punjabi University
New Delhi, November 24 In a letter to the minister, he also sought financial aid from the central government and the Union Grants Commission (UGC) in view of the special status of the varsity being the country’s only language university and second in the world along with Hebrew University in Israel. “The university started with the aim to preserve, enrich and enhance the Punjabi language, culture, literature, heritage and religion. But due to inadequate funds the university has not been uphold its prime objective,” Dr Gandhi told The Tribune. He asserted that the Centre should release contingency funds immediately. He said like technical universities in Karnataka and Maharashtra, even the Punjabi University is facing the heat of privatisation and commercialisation of education and under its pressure the varsity is increasing intake of students every year through NRI and management quota even as the hostel, staff and other infrastructure remain to be the same. :What is worse is that while the admission fees have been hiked increasing the woes of the poor students the scholarships for M. Phil and Ph.D students are not being given by the university,” he pointed. “The university that started on the name of language is now witnessing students’ agitation and harassment faced by them due to the police high-handedness. We demand strict action against the erring officials. Students are raising genuine issues,” Dr Gandhi said.
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51 lakh tourists visit Virasat-e-Khalsa
Chandigarh, November 24 Sohan Singh Thandal, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, said this. He said that the 350 years of foundation of Anandpur Sahib would be commemorated next year by the state government. He said that everyday approximate 7,000 tourists come to see the Virasat-e-Khalsa. He said that due to the influx of tourists to this Sikh monument it has made a unique place in the universal tourist map. The Minister said that there is no dearth of funds for the construction of the second phase of this Virasat-e-Khalsa. He said that he had already reviewed the progress on the second phase of
Virasat-e-Khalsa.
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Police constitute SIT to trace eyewitness in Tarn Taran case
Tarn Taran, November 24 The police are clueless about the whereabouts of Jagjit Singh who has been missing since the past four days. Jagjit Singh had taped the beating up of a Dalit girl by a policeman in Tarn Taran last year. He was provided security on the directions of the Supreme Court, including a security guard with the Chandigarh Police. Ramandeep Kaur said that Jagjit Singh had written several times to the authorities that his security be withdrawn as it had affected his livelihood with none ready to hire him because of the guards. Jagjit Singh, a Dalit, had no accommodation for the security personnel. — OC
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Patchwork on road falls apart,
contractor’s payment withheld
Patiala, November 24 The administration has decided to stop the payment of the erring contractor, besides collecting samples of the material. Sources said the tender worth lakhs of rupees for the repair of roads in the town was allotted after the tendering process. The local municipal council officials were hand-in-glove with the contractor, they alleged. "The roads were repaired last week and the material used to fill potholes has come off which speaks volumes of the quality of work done," a source said. The matter was brought to the notice of Rajpura MLA Hardyal Kambhoj. He threatened to hold a protest alleging that the role of MC officials should be probed for allowing the contractor complete the work using poor material. "We will not misuse of government funds meant for roads. Most of the roads in Rajpura are already in poor shape," he said. In a letter to MC officials, Rajpura Sub-Divisional Magistrate JK Jain has told them to stop the payment to the contractor. "An inquiry has been ordered following allegations of substandard material being used in the road repair work," said.
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Library closure triggers protest
Hoshiarpur, November 24 The district administration had shut the library as most of the staff members had retired. Members demanded that required staff be appointed and the library be reopened. Dhiman said, “The government that should set up libraries at the block level is shutting these down.” He threatened to intensify the protest if the library wasn’t reopened by December 1.
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