Monday, October 18, 1999
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Monday, October 18, 1999 |
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Tournament
becomes bone of contention
Mann condemns ‘Hindu’
parties Induct Sikh into Cabinet: PPCC
34 fresh dengue cases reported Manhunt for rifle snatchers PRTC staff plea on demands PCMS doctors’ strike today Employees’ dharna on Oct 28 Badal warns road transport
authorities |
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Exclusive interview after poll debacle CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — It was, by and large, a low-key campaign in the just-held Lok Sabha poll. But excitement mounted in Punjab once the votes were polled. There was intense speculation, coupled with a betting-game, on the future of the SAD-BJP combine. It was, perhaps, for the first time political betting, even among the bureaucrats, became common as to the number of seats the combine would win. Such ‘satta’ is, however, not uncommon in Haryana. Inside reports indicate that the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was all along misled by his sycophants into believing that the SAD-BJP alliance will bag between 6 seats and 8 seats. The final result came as a rude shock to the SAD president, whose son, Mr Sukhbir Singh, also lost. TNS spoke to Mr Parkash Singh today when he is engaged in a churning process of political developments, deeply absorbed in "introspection" as to how to restructure the "system", resuscitate the "economy" and "serve" the people with "redoubled zeal and dedication", as he put it. Excerpts from the interview: Q: Are you surprised with the results that have emerged from Lok Sabha elections? Do these show a gap between performance and promises? A: I think the people’s, expectations from my party far exceeded those from the Congress, which gives much lower priority to local aspirations and has remote-controlled activities manned by people sitting miles away in New Delhi. Q: Why this debacle when the SAD-BJP combine has been claiming it has fulfilled 95 per cent of the February, 1997, poll promises? A: It is indeed a fact my government has fulfilled nearly all promises. I have often been criticised for being too liberal while keeping my promises even at the cost of facing difficulties in financial management. The demands of Punjabis and their expectations from the SAD are unending. Fulfilment of one expectation leads to another. Nevertheless, I take the verdict of the Lok Sabha as people spurring my government to serve them with redoubled zeal and dedication. Q: Where will all the money come from for development? Blaming it all on pay and pensions and debt-servicing alone will not help? A: Financial crisis is not confined to Punjab alone. It is a difficult task to tide over. While the state will cough up its own resources, the Centre will also have to step in. It is only a propaganda that development is at a standstill in Punjab. It takes time for results to become visible like the link roads, four-laning, upgradation of market infrastructure, development of focal points, improvement in hospitals, etc. I have been successful in getting major benefits from the non-Congress governments in New Delhi. Work on various projects has started. The outcome will be a vindication of enormous groundwork I have undertaken. (he lists several projects). Q: Was it poor performance, lack of political will or unresponsive bureaucracy responsible for the setback in poll? A: No, I think it was primarily because of the unholy alliance between splinter Akali Dals with the Congress and the Left parties, despite their being instrumental in the gravest sacrilege of Sri Harmandir Sahib, the most heinous massacre of thousands of Sikhs in 1984 besides historic discrimination against Punjab also caused this temporary setback. People have purged such unprincipled opportunists from the political map of Punjab because all their candidates lost their security deposits. The people will certainly analyse these people as destructive forces in Punjab’s political history. Q: Are you absolving the state governance of its poor performance? A: In fact the political executive and all other organs of the government worked like a well-oiled machine to perform their respective duties. I do not find any wing particularly responsible for a slight decrease in the percentage of votes polled by the SAD-BJP candidates. As I have mentioned earlier, there are overbearing factors like unending expectations from the people-oriented regional party. Q: Would you consider reconciliation with Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra? A: There is absolutely no question of shaking hands with those who are in league with the Congress, the party responsible for bleeding Punjab, hurting religious sentiments and causing thousands of us massacred in 1984. Q: But in the past you have repeatedly joined hands with him? A: Mr Tohra, right from the beginning, due to his lust for power, tended to be in league with the Congress and the Left. He always tried to embarrass the party with his irresponsible, inconsistent and motivated utterances. He was shown the door when the party was convinced that his presence would wreck the boat from within. Q: How about overwhelming allegations that your family blatantly interferes in your governance? A: The standard of politics has degenerated in the country to the extent that in the absence of other issues, family is made a soft-target for unwarranted criticism, not only in respect of me but also every senior leader all over the country. There is absolutely no truth in the fact that there is any one who interferes in my functioning or for that matter any unwarranted influences. These are baseless allegations. Q: It is observed that the SAD has failed to groom any future leadership? A: Why, our party has a bright future. There are mature leaders of all age groups and experience. At no point of time in the next 50 years my party will face any vacuum of leadership. Let me assure you that my party will not import leaders from Europe or America as is the case of the Congress. Ours is a party of a strong youth wing and equally formidable women and students’ wings. Q: Has not your ruling party adopted an attitude of indifference to criticism? A: It is incorrect that we are immune to criticism. We appreciate constructive criticism, though, we do not often waste time and energy in rejoinders to motivated mud-slinging. Q: Don’t you think the state suffers from a top-heavy bureaucracy and loss making public sector undertakings? A: It is correct that the police and administration have become top- heavy because officers do not opt to go on deputation to the Centre on one pretext or the other. I think I shall have to discourage such requests. As you know, I have started the process of consultations with economists. Besides I have also appointed a committee under the Chief Secretary to scrutinise every aspect of functioning of loss-making PSUs. The message is clear: show results or wind up. No government can afford to allow them to bleed the exchequer endlessly. Anybody responsible for causing avoidable losses in the PSUs with mala fide intent will certainly have to explain his culpability. Q: People are surprised that your son, Sukhbir, lost in Faridkot, despite that being a pampered constituency of the state? A: No this is not true. What is true of the Faridkot constituency. Development and relief funds are apportioned in a need-based manner, according to the natural exigencies and indices of underdeveloped poverty, illiteracy and development. The allegations of heavy investments in Faridkot are false. Faridkot is no exception to the general trends of events all around in the state. Q: What is your personal realisation of the grassroots reality, vis-a-vis, the people and the government? A: I realise that the knowledge of good results of policies being followed had not percolated down to the people at the grassroots level. There seems an information gap between the government and the people. I am very sure that some of the prestigious development projects, which are still in the pipeline and still not visible to the people, will have their visible impact in another six months and, thereafter, results shall be appreciated. I would like to assure the people they can bank upon us. The SAD’s sincere leaders best represent peoples’ emotions. I assure the people to measure up to their expectations. I would also like to caution them to beware of the unprincipled, opportunistic and motivated splinter formations, which are joining hands to remind us of the atrocities committed against Punjabis by the Congress governments at the Centre Q: What next in Punjab on politico-economic front? A: We are working on tapping the financial resources. Departmentwise and districtwise meetings are in progress. Key points, 15-20, are being shortlisted for focus. Efforts are being made to improve tax compliance and collection Investments will ultimately absorb 20 per cent surplus unemployed section of youth from the farming sector. Decongestion of Punjab is on the anvil by improving the road network. Telephone facilities shall have to be improved. We want to ensure liquidity to both primary and secondary sectors of the state economy. I am taking up with the Prime Minister the issue of constituting a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore over and above the funds operated through the Gadgil formula for helping states, which are committed to bringing about credible reforms. It takes time for benefits of reforms to flow. We have to tread
cautiously in our efforts to bring in sweeping changes in
order to avoid hardship to weaker sections of society,
the old, the invalid and other deserving people of the
state. |
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Bickering in SAD comes to fore UMRANANGAL (Amritsar), Oct 17 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, addressed a congregation on the occasion of the death anniversary of veteran Akali leader Jiwan Singh Umranangal, who fought and championed the cause of Hindu-Sikh unity throughout his life, at his native village here today. Bickering in the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal came to the fore when Mr Manmohan Singh Sathiala, MLA, openly alleged that he had won the assembly elections even though the "Umranangal family" had opposed him. At this point Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, chairman of the disciplinary action committee of the SAD, said Akali leaders should not mention internal matters at public fora. "Enough is enough", he chided. In another incident, a family member of Balwant Singh Nagoke, who was an SGPC member, asked Mr Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi, Akali MLA, to "go back" when he went to his village along with the Chief Minister to condole Nagoke’s death. Lashing out at the "ill conceived political games" of Mr G.S. Tohra and his coterie by ensuring Congress victory in the recent elections, Mr Badal said the "treachery" of Mr Tohra and his men had been exposed. All Tohra loyalists who had fought the elections had lost their security deposit. This showed the people had rejected them. The Chief Minister gave a clean chit to his government and blamed the previous Congress regimes for the financial crisis that had gripped the state. In the past two years of
his rule, a number of developmental projects had been
launched, Mr Badal claimed.Prominent among those who paid
tributes to Umranangal were Jathedar Jagdev Singh
Talwandi, Dr Baldev Raj Chawla, Deputy Speaker, Punjab
Vidhan Sabha, Mr Balramji Das Tandon, Minister for Local
Government, Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Minister for
Information, Public Relations and Revenue, Mr Tarlochan
Singh Tur, MP, Mr Manmohan Singh Sathiala, Mr Ranjit
Singh Chajjalwadi, Mr Gulzar Singh Ranike, Mrs Laxmi
Kanta Chawla, Mr Ajay Pal Singh Mirankot (all MLAs), Mr
Surinder Singh Kairon, Baba Ajit Singh Poohla, chief of
Taruna Dal, and Master Jagir Singh, former minister of
Punjab. |
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Move to bring Akalis together AMRITSAR, Oct 17 — Saner elements in the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra have initiated a move to unite the two factions in the wake of the humiliating defeat of Panthic candidates in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections. "United we stand and divided we fall", cautions Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former Akali minister and a close confidant of Mr Tohra. He said Panthic unity was the need of the hour. Talking to The Tribune here today, Mr Calcutta said that he had already conveyed his feelings to both Mr Tohra and Mr Badal that they should learn a lesson from the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. "The mandate was neither against Akali candidates nor in favour of the Congress", said Mr Calcutta. He said the verdict was against the ‘disunity’ in the Akali Dal. Had the SAD and the SHSAD fielded common candidates, the Congress would have lost all the seats, he claimed. Mr Calcutta offered his services to facilitate the meeting of Mr Badal and Mr Tohra. He, however, said he could not become a mediator between the two as he was too junior to them. "I can arrange a meeting of the two leaders for the overall benefit of the Panth", he said. The Sikh leaders said the Akalis had lost elections whenever there was a split in the party. He said the other reasons for the defeat of the SAD candidates was that Mr Badal wanted to promote his own family at the cost of the senior leaders. The stand taken by Mr Tohra was vindicated. Mr Tohra had only suggested that the common worker was being ignored and bureaucracy was ruling the roost in Punjab. Same feelings were now being expressed at the meetings of the SAD after the poll debacle. Mr Calcutta said the Akali Dal could give an excellent governance if Mr Badal and Mr Tohra joined hands. "Voter did not like the split in party", he said. He said it was only the
Akali Dal which could fulfil the expectations of the
Punjabis. He said the leadership would be
‘betraying’ the voter if it failed to forge
unity. He said the voter was totally
‘disillusioned’ and ‘indifferent’ due
to the disunity in the Panth. |
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Tournament becomes bone of
contention FATEHGARH SAHIB, Oct 17 — The traditional Dasehra tournament at Chanarthan Kalan village has become a bone of contention between the two warring factions of the Akali Dal. Chanarthal is a big village adjoining the native place of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and considered to be his stronghold. The Badal faction is bent upon organising the tournament which is to be inaugurated by the MLA. Prizes would be distributed by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister. The other tournament is to be inaugurated by Mr Tohra. Tension prevails in the area as armed supporters of both the factions are bent on asserting their supremacy. The administration is in a predicament and has deployed paramilitary forces to avert any untoward incident. The Tohra faction has got a stay order from the court of the Judicial Magistrate, Fatehgarh Sahib, preventing the other group from interfering in the tournament. Meanwhile, the Tohra faction has started an akhand path at the venue of the tournament and the other group is waiting for the bhog of the akhand path to take place to take possession of the stadium. According to Mr Harbhajan Singh, Sarpanch of the village and president of the Ram Lila Committee they have been holding this tournament for the last many years but now certain misguided elements at the behest of Capt Kanwaljit Singh were creating problems. He said the stadium belonged to the panchayat which was holding the tournament. He said the akhand path was performed every year and after the bhog. Mr Tohra would inaugurate the tournament. He urged the district administration to take preventive measures. He alleged that Mr Dilbag Singh Pannu, DSP, was helping the other group. He said the panchayat had also intimated the DC and the SSP. When contacted, Mr Lall Singh Rajwara, a member of the panchayat, Mr Avtar Singh, president of the Nojwan Sports Club, and Mr Surinder Pal Singh Tiwana, leader of the Badal faction said the stadium belonged to the government and a minister was supposed to inaugurate the tournament. They alleged the Tohra group had organised the akhand path just to take possession of the venue. They said they did not want to disturb the religious ceremonies but would take possession after the bhog. They had also informed the district administration about the tension. The district
administration is also vigilant. Mr V.K. Janjua, Deputy
Commissioner, and Mr Paramraj Singh Umranangal, SSP, said
law and order would be maintained at all costs. The SP(D)
and the SDM, Fatehgarh Sahib, along with the DSP were
camping at the venue. |
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False cases AMRITSAR, Oct 17 (UNI) — The Punjab Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mr A.P. Bhatnagar, who is posted with the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) as member has sought action against those state police officers who were responsible for registering false criminal cases against seven former militants of the district in July last year in three police stations of the city. In a recent report sent to the PSHRC secretary, Mr Bhatnagar stated that on the basis of an inquiry conducted under his supervision it was found that the seven former militants named in the criminal cases were not involved in any terrorist activity and were making genuine efforts to lead a dignified life of a law abiding citizen. Though the report sent by the ADGP to the commission did not name any police officer it sought a CBI inquiry into reasons for registering the false criminal cases against the seven former militants who were described by the police as members of the ‘Tigers of Sikh Land’, a militant outfit which was founded by them with an objective of reviving militancy in Punjab. Mr Bhatnagar had been directed by the PSHRC to conduct an inquiry into this case following the submission of a written complaint before the commission by Kultar Singh a resident of Chawinda Devi village in the district whose son Akaljit Singh Okan was one of the seven named in the criminal cases. The inquiry was conducted by Inspector V.P. Sharma under the supervision of Mr Bhatnagar. According to Mr Bhatnagar’s report the inquiry by Inspector Sharma revealed that the police apparently under supervision of unidentified senior district police officers of Amritsar, got cases registered against seven innocent former militants. Those against whom the cases were registered were Akaljit Singh, Upkar Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Padarath Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Rachpal Singh and Rajiv Randhawa whom the police claimed to be the head of the ‘Tigers of Sikh Land’ outfit. The inquiry by Inspector Sharma, which was sent to the commission said the motive behind the registration of the cases by the police at the behest of a senior police officer was just to prove that the border belt was not free from the menace of terrorism as was being claimed by certain political leaders. Thus the outfit ‘Tigers of Sikh Land’ was the brain child of such officers, the inquiry said. The ADGP had recommended
that the criminal cases against the seven former
militants should be withdrawn and the truth should be
established through an impartial inquiry by the CBI. |
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Farmers threaten to burn paddy MOGA, Oct 17 — Farmers of Moga district today threatened to burn their paddy crop in case the government did not make immediate and proper arrangements for its procurement. A number of farmers bringing their produce to markets said today although the government had earlier assured to make purchase of paddy immediately after its arrival in the market the go-Slow policy of the government procuring agencies, particularly the Food Corporation of India, in almost all 60 purchasing centres in this district has made the situation worse. The farmers said at present nearly 50,000 bags of paddy were lying in the open in the Moga market alone for the last month and almost 30,000 bags were arriving here almost daily. The agencies had never bothered to make speedy procurement, they said. Similar was the position in grain markets in Dharamkot, Jalalabad, Ramuwala Charik and at several other places in Moga and Ferozepore districts where thousands of quintals of paddy were lying unsold. They also alleged certain representatives of agencies making paddy procurement refused to make purchases unless they were bribed with Rs 5 per bag. Even paddy containing 23 per cent moisture was purchased if they were bribed. They rejected paddy containing 18 per cent moisture if no money was paid to them, they alleged. The farmers said there was a glut of paddy in the purchasing centres in Moga, Ferozepore, Muktsar and Faridkot districts and the harassed farmers had to stay put there to sell their crop for weeks together. The farmers were thus forced to indulge in distress sale as FCI officials go out of the way to reject the different varieties by overenthusiastic adherence to specifications. It was also found that paddy in certain mandis was being rejected but when argued and threatened the officials of these agencies agreed and bought the same at its due price, the farmers said. The farmers further said they had suffered heavy losses in several villages due to inclement weather conditions. Rain had discoloured paddy and the agencies had refused to buy such stocks. They further said there would be a loss of crores of rupees in these four district’s if it rains again. Paddy worth crores of rupees was still lying in the open, they said. On the other hand, nearly three lakh bags of paddy belonging to the government procuring agencies were still lying in Moga market. These agencies had purchased it last fortnight. A spokesman of Moga Foodgrain Traders Association said here today if these stocks were not lifted they would face the same fate as last year when paddy valued at crores of rupees had been damaged while lying in the open during rains. Last year, paddy stocks worth Rs 250 crore had been lying in the open and also in the government godowns belonging to government agencies in different grain markets in Punjab. These were damaged totally and had been rendered unfit for human consumption. Traders were too annoyed and said the platforms in front of their respective shops in grain markets in the district had been stacked with bags of paddy belonging to government procuring agencies and thus blocking their way. No arrangements had so far been made by these agencies to lift them. These bags were stacked last month, they said. The traders said
agencies demanded money for lifting these stocks.
Whenever the traders fulfilled their demands the
platforms were cleared and paddy transported to other
places, they said. |
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Mann condemns
‘Hindu’ parties LUDHIANA, Oct 17 — Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, MP from Sangrur, addressing a press conference here today, expressed support for Christians and said Hindu fundamentalist parties — VHP, BJP, Bajrang Dal, Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and RSS — were a threat to secularism. He said attacks on minorities during the BJP government at the Centre and the BJP-SAD government in Punjab were on the rise. As many as 29 incidents of attack on Christians had been made in Punjab alone, Mr Mann said on his first visit to Ludhiana after being elected to Parliament. He regretted that the 70-member Vajpayee ministry had no Sikh or Christian representative and only two Muslim members. This was enough proof that the BJP’s hidden agenda of Hindu nation was being implemented. The Akali Dal (Amritsar) President demanded a ban on death penalty for those behind the killing of political figures. He said conspirators behind the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi should not awarded the death penalty and urged Mrs Sonia Gandhi to rise above personal vendetta and appeal to the President in this regard. Mr Mann ridiculed the Prime Minister for justifying the increase in petrol and diesel prices on account of the oil pool deficit. Mr Mann also demanded
amnesty for Sikh prisoners in jails. |
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Induct Sikh into Cabinet:PPCC JALANDHAR,Oct 17 — The latest move of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab to obstruct the induction of Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, MP into the Vajpayee Cabinet smacks of inner-party jealousy and a narrow approach according to Mr Sukhpal Singh Khaira, secretary, Punjab Pradesh, Congress Committee (PPCC). He told reporters here yesterday that the actual reason behind the obstruction is Mr Badal fear of creating a potential rival for his son Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal. He urged the central government to roll back the prices of the diesel since the major burden of the increase is already being felt on the declining economic situation of the farmers. He also urged Mr
Vajpayee to induct a Sikh with a clean image into the
cabinet so that the minority feels represented. |
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34 fresh dengue cases
reported LUDHIANA, Oct 17 — As many as 34 fresh cases of dengue, confirmed as well as suspected, have been reported from the various city hospitals in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 540. While CMC received 20 dengue patients, 10 of them with haemorrhage DMC received 10 patients and Bhagwan Ram Charitable Hospital received four suspected dengue cases. Christian Medical College and Hospital was a scene of chaos today with 113 dengue patients and one out of every three patients requiring IV fluids or platelet transfusion. According to Dr Alex Zachariah, coordinator of the rapid response team, never before in its 107 years old history, had CMC witnessed such a thing. Meanwhile, serology kits which confirm dengue fever are out of supply not only in Punjab but in the entire northern region. "No one had
anticipated that dengue fever could take such overtones.
Now the serology kits are being rushed here all the way
form Mumbai, " informed a senior member of the
dengue rapid response team. |
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Manhunt for rifle snatchers JALANDHAR, Oct 17 (UNI) — The police has launched a manhunt to catch two youths who snatched a self-loading rifle along with 10 bullets from a Punjab police constable here yesterday. Karni Singh, a constable posted at Nurmahal police station, told senior police officers that he was going to Palsa village along with Major Singh, son of sarpanch, on a tractor. Around 1.15 p.m, two youths parked their scooter across the tractor, saying the vehicle had broken down. One of the youths demanded the tractor keys from Major Singh. As Major Singh stopped to get the keys, one of the youths caught the rifle of the cop while his accomplice pointed a pistol at him. "While snatching my rifle, the youths said they wanted to avenge their harassment by Inderjit Singh and Sucha Singh, who had earlier worked as Station House Officers at Nurmahal police station", Karni Singh told UNI. The constable said they later deprived him of his uniform along with his belt and also took away his identity card before driving away towards Sagarpur village on a scooter. Meanwhile, the police has sounded an alert and launched a manhunt for the suspects. Security was also tightened around the house of Mr Pasla in view of the visit of the Chief Minister here. The Nurmahal police has
registered a case under Section 392/34 of the IPC and
sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act. |
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PRTC staff plea on demands PATIALA, Oct 17 — The PRTC Workers Union has demanded immediate acceptance of its long-pending demands and called upon all unions to jointly fight for their rights. Mr Tejinder Singh Giani, president and Mr Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary of the union said here yesterday that there was resentment among the PRTC employees against the failure of the management to release the DA instalment and deposit the arrears in the GP fund of the employees. The other demands are the promotion of workers, 6 per cent rural allowance for the Budhlada depot staff, new pay scales for the XEN cell employees and holidays on a par with the Punjab Roadways staff. The union leaders
condemned the anti-employee attitude of the management
which had banned their gate rallies and dharnas. |
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PCMS doctors’ strike
today LUDHIANA, Oct 17 — The PCMS doctors, paramedical staff and ministerial staff of Ludhiana district will go on strike on tomorrow in protest against the victimisation of four senior medical officers and a pharmacist in the district by the police crime branch. An emergency meeting of all associations of the Health Department of Ludhiana district was held today where various speakers expressed resentment against the "irrational" arrest of key functionaries of the pulse polio programme, including the District Immunisation Officer. A joint committee was formed to chalk out the future line of action. It was unanimously decided to observe a strike in all government health institutions and organise a protest rally in the Civil Surgeon’s office tomorrow. Health services, including medico-legal services, will remain paralysed during the strike. In a press statement, members of the joint action committee, Dr J.S. Bhullar, Dr Gurbachan Singh Gill, Dr Hardeep Singh Dr Sukhdev Singh Roomi Mr Kulbhushan Singh and Mr Sukhwinder Singh demanded immediate release of doctors and pharmacist arrested and withdrawal of "false " cases against them. A high-level probe by a
sitting high court judge was also demanded so
"real" culprits were brought to book. |
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Employees’ dharna on Oct 28 PATIALA, Oct 17 — The Punjab and UT Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) will stage a dharna in Chandigarh on October 28 in protest against the sales tax hike on petrol, diesel and rising prices of essential commodities. The JAC will also call upon the government to curb the rising expenditure on ministers and bureaucrats. Mr Darshan Singh Lubana, general secretary of the JAC, Mr Lajja Ram Sidhu, district president, SC/BC Employees Union, Mr Manjit Singh Majithia, president, Punjab B and R Employees Association, Mr Ramasra Rahi, president, Paramedical Union, and Mrs Gurbax Kaur, president, Working Women’s Association in a statement here yesterday demanded that the Punjab Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues should cut the number of security personnel attached to them and abolish the unnecessarily created posts of OSD (Litigation) in various departments. The JAC also demanded
cash payment of D.A. instalment with effect from January
1,1999, the withdrawal of a circular effecting 10 per
cent recovery on government accommodation and payment of
bonus since 1996. |
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Badal warns road transport
authorities CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — In continuation of the endeavour to radically tone up tax compliance regime, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, today issued instructions to the Secretary Transport, and the state transport Commissioner to ensure 100 per cent realisation of road tax and special road tax from private bus operators, who are running buses on stage carriage permits. The Chief Minister issued a warning to the secretaries, regional transport authorities and district transport officers that they would be held personally responsible if any bus was found plying without a valid permit or making double trips on a single permit within their jurisdiction. Similarly, in case a vehicle was found without a valid tax permit stationed at any taxi stand, the district transport officer concerned would be held personally responsible, for this. The Transport department is to launch a special campaign for impounding buses and taxis found plying without valid permits. At present, as many as
2,428 private buses ply in the state on stage carriage
permits, logging 539,000 km daily. In last financial
year, the state had realised Rs 57 crore from road tax
and Rs 168 crore from special road tax from checking on
roads and compounding of case. A sum of Rs 11 crore was
realised in 1998-99. |
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Delegation from Utah call on Badal CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — A three-member delegation from the USA, led by Lieut-Governor of State of Utah, Madam Olene Walker, called on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here last evening. They held discussions on various issues aiming at promoting business and trade relations between the two states. Madam Walker informed the Chief Minister that the state of Utah was a centre of banking and electronic industry with a large mining output, including petroleum, coal and natural gas. There was a big scope of collaboration for setting up agro-based ventures and information technology-based Industries. The State of Utah also had a strong infrastructure in education and agriculture. And exchange of students, doctors and agricultural scientists between both the states could prove beneficial. The Chief Minister
presented 'Phulkaris' to her and members of the
delegation. |
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Social aid for suicide prone
advocated MOGA, Oct 17 — Two days of the annual conference of the Punjab and Chandigarh Psychiatric Society concluded here today. At least 200 doctors from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan participated. Justice Iqbal Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was of the view that a person who attempts suicide should be treated like a patient and given psychiatric and social help instead of being treated like a criminal. Dr Satnam Singh said primary health centres could play an important role in early identification and treatment of drug addicts. He favoured greater discussion on patients suffering from mental diseases, particularly depression. Chairman of the organising committee Sumesh Khanna said as incidents of suicide were increasing in India, it was the duty of the government, the Health Department and the Psychiatric Society to extend a helping hand in curbing this tendency. He stressed the need for opening more mental hospitals in the state so as to deal with the situation. Others who participated
were Dr B.L. Goel from Amritsar, Dr P. Kulhara from PGI,
Chandigarh, Dr A.K. Kala from Ludhiana and Dr Rajiv Gupta
from Ludhiana. |
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Govt ‘ignoring’
millers’ demands PATIALA, Oct 17 — The Punjab Rice Millers Association has accused the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, of ignoring the demands of the millers. In a press statement issued here today, Mr Tarsem Saini, president of the association, said that despite the wrong policies of the Union Government the millers’ cooperated with the state government on several issues but still the government had not fulfilled the demands of the milling industry. He said the association
had met the Chief Minister at least three times in the
recent past but the demands of the millers which included
the enhancement of milling charges, the fixation of
outturn ratio of custom milled rice and the rice
specifications according to the quality of the paddy. Mr
Saini claimed that though the Chief Minister had assured
them about accepting the demands yet none of them had
been accepted. |
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Move to hike water, sewer
charges AMRITSAR, Oct 17 — The municipal corporation has initiated a move to hike sewer and water connection charges. An Assistant Engineer of the municipal corporation, said the Mayor and the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, had already given their consent for the proposed hike. The proposals read that water connection charges should be hiked from Rs 10 to Rs 50 at par with Ludhiana and Jalandhar Corporations. The sewer connection charges are likely to be hiked from Rs 30 to Rs 50. Mrs Laxmi Kanta Chawla, a BJP MLA said she would oppose the hike in the water and sewer connections as proposed by Mayor and the Commissioner. However, Mr Subash
Sharma, Mayor, corporation, denied that there was any
proposal to hike the charges. He, said Ms Chawla had
adopted "double standards" so far as the
development of the city was concerned. On one hand Mrs
Chawla was demanding that there should be overall
development of the city while on the other hand she was
criticising the proposed hike. He said without revenue,
nobody could think of overall development of the city. |
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Vivekananda worked for uplift of
poor BATHINDA, Oct 17 — Prof Gurdial Singh, a renowned Punjabi novelist, today said that Swami Vivekananda worked for the uplift of the down-trodden. Addressing a function organised in connection with Chicago address anniversary celebrations organised by the Swami Vivekananda study circle, Bathinda, he said Swami was more concerned about the plight of poor, the have nots of the society and the down-trodden. He added that the Swami always preached that service to the mankind, particularly those who were neglected by the society, was the best religion. Prof Gurdial Singh suggested that all those who were concerned about the corrupt system in the country should come on a single platform and make the world where all could live with dignity. Mr J.B. Goyal, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, said, Swami Vivekananda tried to get people deliverance from poverty, hunger and ailments. He added that Swami tried to tell people that humanity was the best religion. Mr Chander S. Talwar, founder patron of the circle said that need of the hour was to fight against the social evils which had gripped the society. Swami Vivekananda award
for 1999 was given to Mrs Pritpal Kaur, Principal,
Government Girls School, Bathinda, for her exemplary
contribution in the field of education and character
building. |
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Banda Bahadur’s birth
anniversary celebrated LUDHIANA, Oct 17 —The 329th birth anniversary of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was celebrated with great enthusiasm here yesterday by the Bairagi Mahan Mandal, Punjab. Representatives of the Bairagi community from Haryana and Delhi also participated. Mr Bal Kavi Bairagi, an MP from Madhya Pradesh, was the chief guest while Mr Gurcharan Singh Galib, MP, presided over the function. The Baba Banda Bahadur Award was given to late Gen Mohan Singh’s widow Ms Jaswant Kaur. Dr Rajinderpal Singh
Bairagi was honoured with Master Chainn Singh Award while
Mr Hari Dass Bawa was given the Mahant Lachhmandass
Award. |
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