Jalandhar, August 3
Acting SAD president Sukhbir Badal today not only announced a whopping Rs 5125.5 crore development plan for Jalandhar for the next five years but added that a Metro and mono-rail service across four major cities would also be started.

Just five days ahead of the MC poll, Sukhbir today seemed to be promising the moon to the residents who are even deprived of the basic civic facilities. He talked of mega projects at almost all 10 public rallies he addressed in the city in support of Akali candidates from various wards. “You will soon get AC buses plying on all routes at the same fare. Even the bus stands will be made air-conditioned. Shopping malls will be constructed there and the commuters will get a feel of being in an airport,” he said.

Talking to mediapersons at a press conference, the acting president said a proposal to set up new development authorities in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Bathinda and Patiala had already been cleared. Handouts of the city development plan for Jalandhar were distributed during the conference in which Rs 3,800 crore have been allocated for the Metro alone. Asked how such a huge amount of funds would be managed, he said all projects would be undertaken on BOT or PPP basis.

He rubbished the statements of former Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, saying that there was no financial crunch at all. “They all are frustrated. They are saying that Rs 4,600 crore have gone in four months. If it has gone, it has gone for some development project”, he said while laughing.

Chandigarh, August 3
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced the setting up of a high-level panel of experts to prepare a report on the losses suffered in the past 30 years by the state’s farmers due to non-linking by the Centre of the procurement price of wheat and paddy with the price index. The panel will be headed by eminent economist R.S. Ghuman of Punjabi University.

The panel was set up by Badal in response to a demand made in this regard by BKU national president Balbir Singh Rajewal at a seminar here. The seminar, at which the top brass of the state bureaucracy was also present to hear the problems faced by Punjab’s farm sector, was organised by Rajewal and his associates. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, former union minister, and Capt Kanwaljit Singh, cooperation minister, Punjab, were also present. Hundreds of farmers attended the seminar.

Dr Ghuman, Parminder Singh Chalaki, Rajewal and Ranjit Singh Pannu read out papers listing the problems faced by rural Punjab on the agricultural, education, health, sanitation, drinking water and other fronts.

Badal said the panel headed by Dr Ghuman, who spoke on the crisis in the farm sector at the seminar, would also prepare a report on other matters related to rural Punjab and the farm economy. He said there was no doubt that Punjab farmers had suffered a huge financial loss because of the anti-farmer policies pursued by the union government in the past 60 years. Badal said that agriculture had been like “ slow poisoning” for the farmers of Punjab and now they were passing through bad times.

Another committee would be set up to prepare a report on social sector issues and solutions, he added. He said the first adarsh school had been set up in Khatkar Kalan and the second would become functional in Tohra village. In each assembly segment three schools would be set up with the science and commerce streams. The biggest problem facing Punjab at the moment was of unemployment, he added. In the job market, there was a huge demand for plumbers, welders, carpenters and electricians and the state government had decided to provide training to semi-literate youth in these fields.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh said the new cooperative act, which would almost free the cooperative sector from bureaucratic control, had been sent to the President of India for giving her assent. Earlier, Rajewal said Punjab farmers had suffered a loss of Rs 1 lakh crore over the years due to the non-linking of the procurement price with the price index by the union government.

Rajewal said the existing marketing system supported by commission agents should continue as its dismantling could lead to serious consequences. However, the system of moneylending should be legally regulated by fixing the upper limit of the rate of interest, etc.

Chalaki highlighted the problems faced by the cooperative sector and Pannu talked about the collapsed education system in the countryside.

Dhinsa said he had invited the ambassdors of certain Latin American countries to dinner on August 9 at his residence in Delhi to discuss the scope of allotment of land to Punjab farmers in those countries. Countries like Argentina required farmers, he added. Likewise, British Columbia in Canada required 3.5 lakh youth for various skilled jobs.

Patiala, August 3
The wildlife articles declared by VIPs of the state can now land them and officials of the Department of Wildlife in trouble.

Many of them under the policy declared by the Union Government had moved applications in 2003 before the department for getting ownership certificates for wildlife articles in their possession.

However, as per the information provided under the RTI Act by the DFO, wildlife, Patiala, on July 10 many of the articles declared by VIPs and files regarding these had gone missing.

As per the list provided by the chief wildlife warden in March under serial No. 147 an application was moved by Sonika, daughter of a DFO, for ownership certificate of a stuffed pangolin, an animal protected under schedule-I of the Wildlife Act. However, in another list provided by the DFO in July there was no mention of the same.

In the chief wildlife warden’s list applications were also moved by certain families for ownership of a black buck skin and large Indian parakeet. However, the latest list makes no mention of these.

In the list provided by the chief warden it was stated that Balbir Singh of new Moti Bagh Palace, Patiala, had moved an application for ownership of wild birds. However, his name does not figure in the latest list provided by the DFO, Patiala.

The DFO himself has admitted that the file containing application for ownership of two shahtoosh shawls by Gurvinder Chahal of Patiala is also missing.

A comparison of the lists provided by the chief warden and the DFO shows many stark dis-similarities. Many of the wildlife articles declared by Malwinder Singh, brother of Amarinder Singh, in the first list are missing from the second list provided by the DFO.

Satinder Kaur Nabha, a member of the royal family there, had applied for the ownership of 5 chital horns and one skin. In is the latest list it has been stated that 3 chital horns and a skin are now not in possession of the owner and two of them were found to be that of a sambar.

As per law, the owner of wildlife articles cannot sell these. If the owner had declared the articles at one time, it is his/her responsibility to produce them now or get an FIR registered in this connection.

Babita Sidhu of Patiala had moved an application for ownership of some ivory articles. While she had declared that these were of ivory, the department had now declared that these were not of ivory.

Wildlife activist Sandeep Jain alleged that department officials were now trying to run away from the responsibility of issuing ownership certificates of wildlife articles as most of these were possessed illegally through poaching.

For issuing the certificates it would have to verify if the animals were killed before 1972, when the Wildlife Protection Act came into force.

Hotipur (Khanauri)/Sangrur, August 3
The fall of a meteorite on Tuesday night in the fields of a farmer at Hotipur village (near Khanauri) has not only created curiosity about it in the minds of masses throughout the state and in other parts of the country, it has also attracted the attention of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) as the GSI has decided to send a team of experts to Sangrur and Hotipur to examine the meteorite.

In a fax message, the GSI has today informed the district administration that as the GSI is custodian of all meteorite falls, so it is sending its three-member team, comprising Joginder Singh and R.S. Rana, both directors, and Baldev Singh, a senior geologist, to Sangrur tomorrow.

Sangrur SSP Arun Pal Singh today said that after reaching here, the GSI team would take the meteorite in its custody for scientific research and assess its size, shape and other properties. An entry, with regard to the felling of a meteorite in Hotipur village, had been made in the DDR at Khanauri police station as it was a must to take the meteorite in custody, the SSP added.

This reporter today visited Hotipur village and met Pargat Singh, in whose field the meteorite had fallen. Pargat Singh (known in the village as ‘doctor’ as he along with farming also works as a salesman at a medical store at Patran) said on the night of August 1 at about 8.45 pm, he visited the field to run the tube well motor. Then he saw a fireball coming from the sky at a fast speed towards his field, which extinguished on its own before falling in his field. On seeing this, he was frightened and rushed back to his house.

Pargat Singh further said the next morning he went to the field and found a light grey stone (meteorite), about 9 cms in length, 6 cms in width, about 150 gm in weight with a large number of small holes on it. He came back to his house with the stone and informed the villagers. Today the village elders along with the police took the stone to the Moonak DSP for handing over the same to the administration, he added.

Chandigarh, August 3
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today attacked the economic policies of the ruling SAD-BJP combine saying the state was heading for a " financial crisis".

The treasuries were shut, collections from VAT and stamp duty were dwindling and municipal bodies had no funds. He warned employees that "the government will be unable to pay their salaries after this month.”

Addressing a press conference Amarinder Singh alleged that the government was back to the system of borrowing to survive, adding that the outgoing Congress regime had left Rs 1,200 crore in the kitty when it demitted office in February last and the amount had been squandered away.

The former Chief Minister noted that due to the free power facility to farmers, the PSEB required Rs 4,680 crore “just to be functional".

Claiming that all development schemes had come to a halt in the state due to the unavailability of funds, he said only the World Bank-sponsored water and sanitation scheme, which his government had cleared, had been launched by the present government.

Investors had fled the state due to the policies of the government and land prices had crashed, he said while claiming that during his tenure he had brought in large investments.Now projects were being cleared after “saudebaazi.”

Revenue collection fell in the first quarter of the current fiscal year and the collections from VAT had shown a dismal 4-5 per cent increase. VAT collections during Congress rule had registered a 11-12 per cent increase in the first quarter last year, he added.

People of Punjab had realised that the state needed stability and peace for its development. The Congress brought about political stability during its five-year rule and investments started flowing in, Amarinder Singh added

Even as Parkash Singh Badal was engaged in sangat darshan, his son was busy interfering in the government and running a “revenge” campaign.

Speaking on the issue of the recent chargesheet against the Dera Sacha Sauda head, the former Chief Minister said a chargesheet by an agency does not imply he was guilty. But he refused comment on the dera-Sikh organisation flare-up. “I will not comment till peace is restored in Punjab”.

Patiala, August 3
The cable war in Patiala took political overtones here today. Congress MPs, including Parneet Kaur and Rana Gurjeet Singh, went to the house of Naresh Mittal, the head of the CCO cable network, to express solidarity with him.

The MPs were also accompanied by Congress MLA from Shatrana Nirmal Singh and other local leaders.

Parneet, while talking to mediapersons at Mittal’s residence, alleged that the SAD-BJP government was trying to taking over the cable network business across the state. The cable operators in various cities across the state have been put behind bars after flimsy cases were registered against them, she said.

Mittal is a classic example. A case was registered against him on March 1. After three months, Mittal was picked up and put behind bars. He has now been released on bail.

While Mittal was in jail, the entire cable network was hijacked. All his equipment and wires are now being used for relaying the alternative network being operated by a supporter of the ruling party.

Parneet said the matter would be taken up with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Mittal’s wife told the visiting Congress leaders that they were threatened both by the police and henchmen of the ruling party.

The CCO cable network, which has the maximum connections in Patiala, had been off air for the past 15 days. A large numbers of residents of the city are thus being deprived of cable services.

Congress MLA from Samana Brahm Mohindra alleged that the ruling party was threatening Congress candidates who were standing for the elections. They were being told to withdraw their nomination papers or face consequences, he said.

Bathinda, August 3
The SAD-BJP alliance’s Atta-Dal scheme, to be launched from August 15, seems to have become a major source of tension for the district administration.

The authorities concerned have started the distribution of blue cards to the identified beneficiaries of the scheme.

Today, a large number of residents of Kothe Natha Singh Wala village raised slogans against the Punjab government at the mini secretariat here as they also were denied the benefits of the scheme.

Official sources said about 7,000 complaints had been received in all three subdivisions of the district. The complainants had alleged that they were denied the benefit of the scheme on flimsy grounds while those well off had been included.

Rahul Tiwari, deputy commissioner, said every day he had been receiving five to six complaints from people who complained that though eligible they were left out of the scheme.

Sources said so far 1,000 complaints had been received in Bathinda subdivision, 4,500 in Talwandi Sabo and 1,500 in Rampura Phul subdivision.

Hoshiarpur, August 3
The Punjab government has formulated a plan of Rs 70 crore to make Kali Bein pollution free. This was stated by principal secretary, technical education and industrial training, Punjab, P. Ram after inspecting it at Prempur and Thakri villages in Hoshiarpur district today.

He said the sewage of 43 villages and seven towns located on either sides of the Kali Bein was being drained into it. To stop this, alternative arrangements were being made by digging ponds in the respective villages where these were not available, either by exchanging lands of the owners with panchayat lands or by providing compensation according to market rates.

P. Ram said arrangements had been done to divert the sewage of 22 villages from Kali Bein. Hoshiarpur DC D.K. Tiwari said Rs 5.65 crore would be spent on the 32 km of Kali Bein passing through this district for making it pollution free.

Ajnala, August 3
The country is celebrating the 150th year of the Gadar movement of 1857, but Ajnala’s old haveli once used by the British as tehsil office, where soldiers lost their lives in the movement lies in a state of neglect.

Despite the recent decision of the Punjab government to convert old havelis and monuments as tourist destinations, the condition of the heritage building is deteriorating due to lack of plan to preserve it.

The bricks from outer walls of the haveli have come off, cracks have appeared at various places and shopkeepers in the ‘kachehri’ have encroached on the land around the historic landmark.

And this despite the fact that the state government has declared it a protected monument under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964.

A well was got filled with the bodies of jawans who had revolted against the British Army in 1857 on Mangal Pandey’s call to Indian soldiers to liberate the country by revolting. A platoon of more than 300 soldiers stationed at the Lahore garrison rebelled against the British government by fleeing from their barracks.

History reveals that the soldiers swam across the nearby flooded Ravi and reached the adjoining Ajnala town.

However, acting on a tip-off, Fredric Cooper, then deputy commissioner of Amritsar, ordered all of them be put in a cage-like room of the Old Tehsil (Ajnala) where almost 200 soldiers died of asphyxia.

The rest of them were shot dead the next morning and their bodies thrown into the well, known as the Kalianwala Khuh.

However,despite several attempts,DC Kahan Singh Pannu could not be contacted for his views on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha, Punjab, organised a Pratigya Divas to pay tributes to the Kalianwala Khuh martyrs here today.

Chandigarh, August 3
The Punjab government has decided to incorporate a system of signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) between the managing directors of public sector undertakings and the administrative secretary of the department concerned.

This will ensure efficiency and accountability in the functioning of the PSUs, boards and corporations of the state government, a spokesperson for the government said today.

A decision to this effect was taken by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on dis-investment here this morning. Badal asked the chief secretary to immediately initiate this process thereby stipulating the broad guidelines to be incorporated in the MoU.

Amritsar, August 3
The police here has arrested four persons, including a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) of the Shatabadi Express, in connection with the attack on a senior officers of the Panchayat and Rural Development at Dera Baba Nanak even as the prime accused, Block Development and Panchayat Officer(BDPO) has fled.

The inquiry of the case has been handed over to Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SSP, Amritsar (Urban). Inspector-general (Border), R.P. Meena, said the preliminary inquiry had indicted BDPO Harjinder Singh as the main conspirator who had engaged the assailants to attack his seniors, including deputy director, Panchayat Raj, Jalandhar, Jaspal Singh and DDPO, Gurdaspur, Ranbir Singh, who had reached Dera Baba Nanak to supervise the auction of panchayat common land at Khawaja Wardag village.

The IG (Border) said the four arrested were Jodh Singh of Kotli Surat Mallian, Param Sunil of Mamman village, Gurpreet Singh of Kotli Surat Mallian village and Ranjit Singh of New Mohni Park, Amritsar, who works as a TTE on Amritsar Delhi Shatabdi Express.

The other accused are Sucha Singh of Dhilwan, Amanpreet Singh of Basantkot, Satnam Singh and Gurdial Singh of Shikar village and Gurjit Singh of Bhikhiwind and two more unknown persons arranged by Gurdial Singh from Amritsar.

The arrested persons confessed that there was a meeting held at the residence of Satnam Singh at Shikar village in which he gave directions at the behest of the BDPO as to how to assault the DDPO.

Chandigarh, August 3
Justice S.D. Anand has issued contempt notice for October 4 to the IG, Patna, over a petition filed by Kuldeep Singh and others.

The court also restrained the IG not to alienate the property situated in Phagwara Gardi. The counsel for the petitioners, Vikram Jain, contended that Ashok Seth, IG, Patna, had forcibly taken possession of the property of the petitioner and now wanted to alienate the property.

It was further contended that the IG was interfering in the matter in spite of the order passed by the Additional Civil Judge (senior division), Phagwara, vide which stay was granted.

The high court decided the matter and directed that the parties could raise constructions on their respective areas but they could not sell the land. In spite of the above-stated position, an FIR was registered wherein it was mentioned that one Ram Gopal, through Ashok Seth, IG, Patna, in connivance with the unidentified persons had demolished a wall and raised a new wall.

Ropar, August 3
The court of additional district and session judge M.S. Randhawa awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) to Khushal Singh and Gurmeet Singh for raping a seven-year-old girl.

The incident took place on October 21, 2004, when the victim and her family had gone to attend a wedding in Harsabela (Nangal) village.

The child went missing during marriage ceremony. She was later found half-dead in the nearby fields.

The court of additional district and session judge Govinder Singh Matharu awarded the sentence. Gurpreet was caught on May 4, 2006, with four quintals of poppy husk.

Amritsar, August 3
The counselling for the MBBS seats in government and private colleges of the state, held by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and Research, has been postponed till further orders.

Stating this here today, Dr J.S. Dalal, director, Research and Medical Education, and chairman, Counselling Committee, said instructions in this regard were issued by Jagjit Puri, secretary, Health and Medical Education.

Dr Dalal further advised the parents and students not to come for counselling tomorrow at Government Medical College.

Earlier, the counselling was cancelled on the second day here today by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

They said the university should have filled the government-category seats in the private colleges adding private colleges should be de-recognised if they were not participating in the counselling.

They further alleged that the counselling committee had failed to display the list of successful candidates along with their rank and marks on the notice board.

It was also alleged that Dr J. S. Dalal, Director, Research, Medical Education, was making money as he was hand in glove with the managements of the private colleges. However, Dr Dalal denied the allegations as baseless and said it was up to the government to increase the fee or not.

He said if any private institute participated in counselling, it would be rescheduled and advertised in he newspapers so that meritorious students did not suffer.

Some of the aggrieved parents said the university should have allotted seats to their wards according to merit as they were ready to pay the additional amount demanded by the private medical institutions.

Dr Kewal Krishan Goel from Barnala, who had come along with her daughter for the counselling, alleged that the minister for medical education and other ministers were hand in glove with the managements of private medical institutions as they were issuing anti-people statements for increasing the fee up to Rs 3 lakh for the management quota seats while the government had rejected the demand for a hike in the fee for the management quota.