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Has Amarinder been ditched?
Ludhiana, March 25 And when the state Vigilance Department registered an FIR against him and 17 others for their alleged involvement in the Ludhiana City Centre scam, not many people came forward to his defence, except for the loyal workers in Patiala, who converged on his residence after the rumours about a vigilance raid. Even Leader of the Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal virtually distanced herself from him ahead of the registration of the case by the bureau. It may be just a coincidence that while the bureau was giving finishing touches to the FIR against the former Chief Minister and others, Bhattal was telling the media in Ludhiana itself that the party had nothing to do with those who would be found guilty by the government. Bhattal is now claiming that she was being misquoted by the media on the issue. Surprisingly, the party has remained quiet so far over the registration of an FIR against the former Chief Minister. Not a single legislator so far has questioned the motives behind it. The speed at which the new government registered the FIR has certainly raised many questions among the people. However, the party leaders and legislators have preferred a mysterious silence for reasons best known to them. Sources close to the former Chief Minister said he was not afraid of facing criminal cases. But the indifference of the party leaders and former colleagues had certainly upset him. That was the reason he preferred to spend some time in London. At the same time he is keeping a close watch on the developments taking place back home. Amarinder may be upset, but he has the capacity to bounce back. For the time being he might have beaten a retreat only to return to lead from the front. He had already said it on several occasions that he should be held responsible for whatever he did during his reign as the Chief Minister and none of his colleagues or subordinates.
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Tohra’s death anniversary to be state function
Patiala, March 25 He made an announcement in this regard at a function organised to observe the third death anniversary of the leader at his native village Tohra today. Though the entire leadership of the SAD was present today at the village to pay homage, his wife Mata Joginder Kaur failed to turn up at the function venue. Hira Singh Gabbaria, a family confidant, tried to persuade Tohra’s wife to come at the function but she did not oblige. Security personnel maintained a cordon around the house of the late leader, not allowing mediapersons to interact with the wife of Tohra. After the function president of the SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal went to the house of Tohra and met his wife for about five minutes. Sources here said Mata Joginder Kaur would hold a separate religious function on April 1 to pay homage to the late leader. The Chief Minister announced that the proposed institute of advanced studies on Sikhism would be named after the leader. He also announced the establishment of an Adarsh School, upgradation of the hospital and power substation at Tohra village. Various senior SAD leaders including, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Gurdev Singh Badal, Charanjit Singh Atwal Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha, Prem Singh Chandu Majra and Baldev Singh Bhundar were among other SAD leaders present on the occasion. The BJP MLA from Rajpura, Raj Khurana, was the only person representing his party at the function.
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‘Keeping Sikh faith Punjab-centric not wise step’
Ludhiana, March 25 The jurisdiction of the act extended to areas then forming the Punjab province which included the Pakistan Punjab, the Indian Punjab and territories now in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Chandigarh. The important shrines which are situated in other states of India are Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Delhi. In Delhi, a typical situation came when a large section of the sikh community migrated from Pakistan to settle in Delhi. Since they had known democratic control of the gurdwaras under the state regulations, they agitated to dislodge the nominated or Government controlled administration. In this, they were supported by the SGPC and the akali dal. It was then that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee came into being under the parliament’s Act. The claim of the SGPC to be representative of all sikhs is provision contained in the Gurdwara act 1925 regarding the cooption of the members from outside Punjab and even outside India.There was a time when even members drawn from South East countries like Singapore and Thailand or from the rest of India including Delhi, Patna, Kolkatta (Calcutta), Nanded and Bombay (Mumbai). But since quite a few decades these cooptions have been used as a tool for political expediency to accommodate some people, curtailing the representation for the rest of India and abroad. At present, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta a senior rebel akali leader represents Kolkatta as a coopted member. when separate acts were enacted for Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, the Government gave representation to the SGPC as apex body for the Sikh Gurdwaras administration. It was sequel to this that late Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra remained President of the Nanded. The SGPC sends one representative to Delhi and one to Patna Sahib Board in Bihar as well. The demand for the separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, originated with political considerations. The SGPC has setup a Haryana Sikh Mission at Kurukshetra. The SGPC is also supporting a college at Panjokra in Ambala District. The Sikh Educational Institution at Karnal as well as Yamunanagar have also been receiving grants from the SGPC in the past. It was when the Akali Dal in Punjab started issuing writs to the Sikhs in Haryana to support particular parties in the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections that a section of the Sikhs thought of having a separate Haryana Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. The Haryana Akali Dal which was quite active about a quarter century ago with Jathedar Kartar Singh Takkar and Jathedar Avtar Singh Khalsa as its leaders, is no longer active. Perhaps, the Akali Dal has shed its All India character after they have engaged themselves in Punjab affairs. Another irritant is the sharing of river waters and even Chandigarh and some Punjabi speaking areas on the borders of the two states. The Sikhs in Haryana at onetime were not prepared to snap ties with their brethern in Punjab. But the political overtones compelled them to think otherwise. Jathedar Tohra tried to retrieve the position by taking a decision to raise a medical college and a big hospital at Shahbad Markanda where the Sikh population is settled in quite a good number. But the project has been delayed and building has since come up. The starting of the medical college is still not in sight. Mr Parkash Singh Badal finds himself in a difficult situation. He has ties in Haryana and has to take a position regarding the waters issue and Chandigarh. But he made a shrewed move to give representation to Haryana Sikhs in the SGPC in a significant way. He has picked up one of his relations Mr Raghujit Singh Virk and made him the senior vice- president of the SGPC. To placate the Sikhs of Haryana, there is a serious move to make Mr Virk as the acting president of the SGPC. One of the major demands of the Akali Dal during the Dharam yudh Morcha in 1982 was the enactment of the All-India Gurdwara Act. Justice Harbans Singh, a retired Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana Court and former Chief Gurdwara Commissioner of Punjab was asked to prepare the draft for the proposed act. He came out with a draft which was federal in nature with provisions for representations to the Sikhs settled abroad and regulations for the appointment of the jathedar of Akal Takht and other chiefs of the Sikh takhts. The draft was examined by the Union Home Ministry and sent to the Punjab government and the SGPC. The akalis thought that this was a move to deprive the SGPC of its powers and their status despite the fact that Justice Harbans Singh was careful to make a provision that the region and the state boards will be autonomous in all respects. The move to enact the All India legislation for the gurdwaras was torpedoed by the Akali Dal which brought in some Sikh intellectuals to raise a hue and cry. Response of the All India Parties to the demands of the Sikhs earlier has been negative. But more than 30 lakh Sikhs spread over in other states and exercising political influence in the elections, these parties have now softened stand towards the enactment of the All India Gurdwara Act. The congress party in Haryana made a promise in its election manifesto for the vidhan sabha elections for the enactment of a gurdwara act to have a separate Haryana Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. a committee was also set up under the chairmanship of Mr H.S. Chatha, Agriculture Minister to give its recommendations on the issue. The committee is yet to submit its report. But a non-official resolution to this effect was moved in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha which was talked out. The Sikh leadership in Punjab is peevish on this issue because they find their position challenged as supreme leaders of the faith. But keeping the Sikh faith Punjab-centric cannot be called a wise step because the circumstances have changed and the Sikhs have spread all over the country and abroad. They have brought distinct social versions of the Sikh faith and needless to say that they have developed ties with the lands of their adoption.
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State Cabinet nod to vote-on-account
Chandigarh, March 25 A spokesperson of the Punjab Government said the state would lay more emphasis on the strategy for the development of Punjab for which the existing plan, programmes and schemes needed to be reoriented and new plan, programmes and schemes be included in the Annual Plan for 2007-08. The government would also mobilise greater resources through better management and streamlining of the collection of taxes and non-tax receipts and adopting corrective measures to reduce non-productive expenditure. Adding further,he said with a view to meeting the urgent requirements of expenditure of the departments which is likely to be incurred during the next few months of the financial year 2007-08, it had also been decided to obtain a vote-on- account on the basis of the estimated expenditure for the first three months of the financial year 2007-08. The detailed budget for the year 2007-08 would, however, be presented to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in June. The vote-on-account and the supplementary demands will be presented in the Vidhan Sabha on March 29.
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Graft will go: Sukhbir
Rajpura, March 25 Speaking to reporters after a felicitation ceremony here, Badal said the government would come down heavily on government officials indulging in irregularities and malpractices. Recently, a Ropar court had framed charges against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his wife Surinder Kaur Badal and Sukhbir Badal in a disproportionate assets case. Sukhbir Badal also used the opportunity to assure the residents of the Rajpura assembly segment that the government was committed to the overall development of the area, allegedly neglected during the last five years. Raj Khurana, who won on the SAD-BJP ticket in the recent assembly elections, had been alleging that the Amarinder Singh government had meted out a “step-motherly” treatment to the area. Raj Khurana was a Congress MLA in 2002-2007 and joined the BJP just before the February 2007 elections. Earlier, addressing the felicitation function, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, cooperation minister, assured the residents that their aspirations would be fulfilled by the government. The SAD-BJP rule was the beginning of the people's rule as during the Congress regime direct contact between the rulers and the people had snapped, the minister asserted. Meanwhile, a delegation, led by Khurana, presented a memorandum demanding the shifting of the liquor factory from Devi Nagar. Sukhbir Badal assured the delegation that the government would keep residents' reservations about the liquor project in mind while taking a final decision.
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Sukhbir hints at action against Boparai
Patiala, March 25 While responding to queries of newsmen at Tohra village today, Sukhbir said the delegation of students and faculty members of the university had met him with complaints against vice-chancellor Swaran Singh Boparai. The complaints had been forwarded to the government, he said. About the complaints of the alleged atrocities committed by the previous government on SAD workers, he said complaints in this regard were being forwarded to the government for necessary action.
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SGPC sewadar, among two arrested for looting banks
Muktsar, March 25 Addressing a press conference, Parmod Ban, SSP, Muktsar, said the police nabbed Paramjit Singh, an SGPC sewadar at Sri Hargobind Niwas, Darbar Sahib, and Rajinder Singh, both of whom, according to the SSP, involved in 12 bank
dacoities. On interrogation, Paramjit Singh and Rajinder Singh disclosed they were planning to commit another robbery in Kahi village in Ferozepore district. The police recovered .32 bore and .12 bore pistols and the vehicles they used in the crimes. The SSP also disclosed a case under the NDPS act had also been registered at Lambi police station against Rajinder Singh. At that time he had fled after leaving his Esteem car. However, his accomplice Gulab Singh was apprehended by the police. Parmod Ban disclosed while posted at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, Paramjit Singh came into contact with Rajinder Singh who used to visit the shrine to pay obeisance after which both of them conspired to loot banks. However, Parmod Ban added two of the accomplices of Rajinder Singh and Paramjit Singh were still at large. Three cases have been registered against Paramjit Singh and Rajinder Singh at Tarn Taran police district, one in Majitha, two in Ferozepore one in Muktsar and four in Bathinda district. In Muktsar, the duo had allegedly looted Rs 40,857/- from the Khetri Gramin bank at Mallan village and a case under Section 392 of the IPC, 25 of the Arms act had been registered against Paramjit Singh and Rajinder Singh at Kotbhai police station In Majitha, the duo had looted nearly Rs 3.26 lakh from the Punjab national bank in Dhoolka village and a case made out against them at Jandiala Guru police station. According to the SSP, the biggest dacoity by the duo was when they looted Rs 9.39 lakh from State Bank of Patiala from the Jalal village branch following which a case was registered at Dayalpura police station.
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Boy figures in sleaze CD; family goes in hiding
Tarn Taran, March 25 The accused boy had acted the role of a Nihang in a religious Punjabi film, which recently hit the theatre screens. The CD, which has already rocked the town, has come as a great shock for the producer of the film, who belongs to Amritsar, since the picture of the alleged accused was displayed on the film posters. It has also been sent to Jathedar, Akal Takht, for taking appropriate action. The members of the family, parents (both baptised), their three sons, have gone underground. One of the brothers of the boy is a journalist with a Hindi newspaper. The family claimed that the police was unnecessarily harassing them though they had already disowned the boy. “Let the residents of Tarn Taran resort to social boycott of my brother for the shameful act he committed but the police should not harass us,” the family said. Though the police had registered an FIR against unknown persons under Sections 292 of the Indian Penal Code and 67 of the Information Technology at the city police station, the police identified the “poster boy” later.
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SAD workers hold dharna outside ex-CM’s residence
Patiala March 25 They demanded the resignation from Perneet Kaur, Patiala MP and wife of the former Chief
Minister. They said the Patiala MP should take the onus of the alleged misdeeds of her husband. Capt Amarinder Singh had himself been implicating SAD leaders in false corruption cases. Now his name had figured in a vigilance inquiry that he had himself ordered, they alleged. The SAD workers also raised slogans against the former Chief Minister.
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World TB Day
Amritsar, March 25 Addressing the gathering, Chawla said one untreated patient creates 10 to 15 other patients by spreading the infection. She said medical research had helped in controlling the disease and the medicines were now being distributed free of cost by the government. She further urged the youth to abstain from drug addiction as it aggravated the disease, which had already affected 20 per cent of the world’s total population. She said people of Amritsar had a tradition of social service and this was one reason why the district topped in controlling the disease in the state. District TB officer Naresh Chawla said this years slogan ‘TB anywhere is TB everywhere’ could not be considered a cure till it was completely eradicated. Civil surgeon Rajinder Singh informed that in Amritsar district alone, four TB units were presently functioning, besides 981 DOT centres, out of which 158 were located in the city. Steps had been taken to make sure that TB patients do not have to travel long distances to get treatment, he added. Civil surgeon S.K. Bansal while addressing a gathering on the occasion of World TB Day at the Civil Hospital in Sangrur said since the inception of a revised national TB control programme (RNTCP) in January 2003 in the district, more than 45,000 persons suspected to be suffering from tuberculosis had availed the benefit of free sputum examination. Besides this, 10,000 persons had taken advantage of free treatment during the past four years in the district.
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Farmers oppose shifting of Land Reclamation Dept HQ
Amritsar, March 25 In a statement issued here, Pannu said the department was established here even before the partition and working from the Canal office here. He said it was unfair to farmers to shift headquarter without valid reason. He said the land of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and border villages of Patti in the Majha region had been under the effect of salinity and the department was helping farmers remove salinity. He said the transfer of headquarter would affect farmers. He urged the government not to move the department out of Amritsar. The farmers would not allow it, he added.
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Dalbir threatens fast-unto-death
Amritsar, March 25 Kaur said she was “fed up with the attitude of the
Centre which seemed hardly willing to save” Sarabjit. “Sarabjit had written to me, a few months ago, that he was suffering vision impairment and the Pakistan government was reluctant to provide necessary treatment,” she said. “I am still quite optimistic that the top leadership of the two neighbouring countries will try to save the life of my brother. I understand that President Pervez Musharraf will be kind enough to find out the way for his safe home coming..,” she said. — PTI
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Seven to donate bodies after death
Tarn Taran, March 25 The body donors are Harbans Singh (81), his three sons Gian Singh (52), Gurnam Singh (50) and Bhagwan Singh (48), grand-daughter Amanpreet Kaur(25) and Kartar Singh and his wife Paramjit Kaur,a couple residing near them.They will donate their bodies to Dayanand Medical College ,Ludhiana. After the announcement, the donors told newsmen that they were doing so for the benefit of medical students. Dr Dharamveer Agnihotri, village sarpanch, appreciating their progressive step honoured them. The members of the society presented a progressive cultural programme on the occasion.It is the only such type of programme in the area.
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Dyslexic kids need special care: experts
Pathankot, March 25 At the seminar parents of the children with learning disabilities were advised to give more attention to their wards who needed love and respect from them and teachers. Mrs Angela Sisson, an expert on special education needs, urged the parents and teachers at the workshop to take special care of such children so that they did not feel ignored. She urged parents and teachers to shun giving punishment to dyslexia afflicted children as they were already at their mercy. Mrs Dupam Kaur, Dean of the school, regretted most of the Indian parents were ignorant and refused to acknowledge that their child could have been victim of dyslexia. The condition being mostly congenital lack of awareness or refusal to admit its existence results in parents and teachers giving harsh treatment to the child.
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HC should appoint lower court judges: CJ
Fazilka, March 25 While addressing the advocates, Justice Jain said the Haryana Government had agreed in principle to give appointment rights to the high court and the Punjab Government should also do the same. The Chief Justice said due to vacant posts of judicial officers in the courts the cases were not being disposed of quickly and litigants had to suffer. He disclosed that more than 2.5 crore cases were admitted for trial in courts but only 2.5 lakh cases were disposed of due to insufficient magistrates. On the demand of Ranjit Singh Dhaliwal, president, Bar Association, Fazilka, to set up the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge in Fazilka for the convenience of people, Jain said the court would be set up either in Fazilka or in Abohar after taking up the matter with the state government. The Chief Justice was accompanied by Surya Kant, J.S. Randhawa, Pritam Pal Jain, Ajit Singh Bhall, Mehtab Singh Gill, Mahesh Grover, V.K. Sharma, Ranjit Singh, all high court judges, Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu, president, Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association. Surjit Kumar Jyani, MLA, Fazilka, Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, MLA, Balluana, Bhagwant Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepore, were also present.
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Cong leaders booked
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 25 Former sarpanch of Kotla Ajaib Singh village complained to the police that the leaders had formed a youth club. They sold lucky draw tickets worth lakhs of rupees to people of the area. They had mentioned on the tickets that the draw would be held publically on March 21. On that day hundreds of people gathered at the venue. However, the organisers fled the spot without completing the draw when a section of the gathering started raising slogans against them.
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1.5 kg black powder recovered
Sangrur, March 25 Talking to The Tribune on the phone this evening the Dhuri SHO said Sukhdeep Singh of Bhojowali village today informed the police about the explosive material and cartridges in two plastic containers in the field when they were cutting sugarcane there. After getting the information, the police registered a case under Sections 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act and 4/5 of the Explosive Act against unknown persons and recovered the material from the field of Sukhdeep Singh, the SHO added. Regarding black powder whether it was RDX, the SHO said it might be RDX, but it could not be confirmed. He added the police would send the black and brown powder for chemical examination.
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Hoshiarpur, March 25 Darshan Masih was killed on the spot when the scooter which he and his family was riding was hit by a car near Tanda last evening. His wife and son were admitted to a hospital. — PTI
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PTU centres in rural areas soon
Pathankot, March 25 The free-of-cost coaching for two weeks will help the students prepare for combined entrance tests (CET) to be conducted by the PTU for admission to different courses offered by various technical institutes affiliated to the university. Talking to The Tribune yesterday, vice-chancellor of the PTU S.K. Salwan claimed that rural segment was the main area of focus for the university. The students after their classes X and XII examinations could get coaching at these centres. The university has also chalked out plans that the students undergoing coaching may not have to travel more than 10 km to attend the same. University registrar V.K. Arora claimed that the distant education programme launched by the university had been revamped up to a large extent. Over 60,000 students were registered with it through this programme. Owing to complaints against institutions running the program, the university had closed 76 such institutions found indulging in malpractices, he admitted. The university had also introduced a scholarship scheme for benefiting 20 brilliant students of poor families, he added.
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Shun punishing dyslexic children, parents and teachers advised
Pathankot, March 25 At the seminar parents of the children with learning disabilities were advised to give more attention to their wards who needed love and respect from them and teachers. Mrs Angela Sisson, an expert on special education needs, urged the parents and teachers at the workshop to take special care of such children so that they did not feel ignored. She urged parents and teachers to shun giving punishment to dyslexia afflicted children as they were already at their mercy. Mrs Dupam Kaur, Dean of the school, regretted most of the Indian parents were ignorant and refused to acknowledge that their child could have been victim of dyslexia. The condition being mostly congenital lack of awareness or refusal to admit its existence results in parents and teachers giving harsh treatment to the child. She said it was pathetic at the initial stage parents denied to accept their children suffering from learning disabilities and were reluctant to attend the workshop but after attending it they were promising to become aware of their child’s special needs and efforts were being made to help them overcome learning disabilities.
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Drug menace, foeticide a challenge: Jain
Abohar, March 25 Speaking at a seminar on “Eradication of Female Foeticide and Drug Addiction” at the DAV College auditorium here this afternoon Justice Jain said Punjab figured in the first few lines of the National Song and had gained fame because of teachings of scores of gurus and saints. But it now faced serious challenge due to drug menace and female foeticide. The seminar was organised by the Punjab Legal Services Authority and inaugurated by the Chief Justice by lighting a lamp. Justices M.S. Gill, Rajiv Bhalla, Surya Kant, Pritam Pal, Ranjit Singh Randhawa, Vinod Kumar Sharma, Mahesh Grover and Rajesh Bindal of the high court were also present. The students of LRS DAV Senior Secondary Model School presented a group song to welcome the judges.
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Vacant posts of teacher to be filled
Gurdaspur, March 25 Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating a new building of the SPS, Garden Valley School, Qadian, he claimed that the SAD-BJP government was committed to providing quality education in rural areas.
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Minister accused of protecting BJP councillor, brother
Pathankot, March 25 Mr Dalbir Singh and Mr Subhash Sharma, president and joint secretary of the union, respectively said here today responsibility of the agitation would be with Punjab Transport Minister Mohan Lal allegedly for protecting the ‘erring’ brothers.
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Children display talent
Patiala, March 25 Shomie Ranjan Das, an eminent educationist from The Doon School, Dehra Dun, was the chief guest. Principal R.P. Devgan lamented the erosion of cultural and social values with the new generation adopting negative standards of life. The day was marked by a musical presentation of scenes from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The children displayed their versatility by adept handling of musical instruments as they played and sang popular numbers.
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Campaign on environment
Patiala, March 25
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