Poor students surrender seats in private medical colleges
Badal relents, to review the new fee structure
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
Facing anger from various quarters, especially the academic circles for making an unprecedented increase in the fee for private medical, dental, ayurvedic colleges in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today agreed to review the hike.

A few days ago, the state government had increased fee for various courses, allegedly under pressure from the managements of private colleges, to such a level that it had become impossible for several students, who were otherwise eligible for admission, to get themselves enrolled in private colleges because of financial constraints.

In fact, the Badal government had first issued the notification hiking the fees by 15 per cent. However, later it issued the second notification superseding the previous one to effecting a hefty hike in the fee structure. The second notification was issued after managements of private colleges threatened to boycott the counseling for admission in medical colleges.

In fact increasing the fee in private medical and dental colleges is diametrically opposite to the Badal claims that he is keen to set up adarsh schools to provide free of cost quality education to bright poor students.

“On the one hand the Badal government says it wants to give free education to brilliant students and on the other hand it has approved such a hefty hike in fees for private medical, dental etc colleges”, said a senior teacher of a medical college.

Sources in the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences said as many as 195 Scheduled Caste and backward class students had surrendered their MBBS seats because of their inability to pay fee in private colleges. And likewise about 94 students of the general category had surrendered their seats. Some of the students, who were unable to pay fee for the MBBS course, have opted for the BDS course, it is learnt. And still 62 seats in the BDS course in private colleges are said to be vacant. There are 770 MBBS and 860 dental seats in Punjab. Of these 80 seats are of the SGPC quota.

Earlier, the fee structure for the government quota and management quota seats was same. However, now government has raised the fee for 50 per cent government quota MBBS seats to Rs 1.15 lakh from Rs 1 lakh per annum and for 35 per cent management quota seats to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1 lakh per annum. For 15 per cent NRI seats fee had been raised to Rs 38 lakh for full course.

For BDS course, the fee has been raised from Rs 55,000 to Rs 63,500 per annum for 50 per cent government quota seats and to Rs 2.30 lakh per annum from Rs 55,000 for 35 per cent management quota seats. For the NRI students fee has been raised to Rs 15 lakh for full course.

Teachers’ Day
Protests mar functions
Tribune Reporters

Bathinda, September 5
Activists of the Punjab State Recognised School Teachers and Other Employees Union held a rally in the town in protest against apathetic attitude of the government towards their problems .Members of the DIET Students Welfare Association marched in the city to press the authorities to stop recruitment of teachers on contract.

Teachers of private aided schools wore black badges today in protest against stopping of pension of the teachers since 2003, non-payment of provident fund to the teachers and banning recruitment of teachers in the private schools.

Karnail Singh president of the union said teachers, who had retired from private aided schools, had been facing starvation, as they were not being given pension by the Punjab government. Apart from it, the state government had also used their provident fund for other purposes.

TARN TARAN: A large number of teachers organised a protest rally against the state government for its anti-teacher policies.

The leaders condemned the government for not implementing the promises made during the Assembly elections.

The leaders demanded filling of all 70,000 vacant posts of teacher in schools of the state with full pay scale. They condemned recruitment on contractual basis.

Chandigarh, September 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice to Ludhiana Improvement Trust and the state of Punjab on an application by Delhi-based Today Homes and Infrastructure Private Limited seeking directions for the appointment of an arbitrator in the Ludhiana city centre project.

The project was allotted to the firm by the previous government, but was cancelled following allegations of irregularities in the allotment.

The application, moved under the provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996, claimed that the company was suffering huge losses due to inaction of the government with regard to the appointment of an arbitrator.

The application added that the respondents were trying to avoid resolving the pending disputes. It has resulted in total freeze of he Ludhiana city centre project since September 2006, in which Rs 125 crore, including about Rs 70 crore of the petitioner company, has been locked up, along with the advances collected from 300 customers like Tata, Birla and ITC. This has resulted in irreparable loss of reputation and monetary losses.

Taking up the application, Chief Justice Vijender Jain issued notice to the Ludhiana Improvement Trust and State of Punjab for September 24.

Patiala September 5
The inquiry conducted by additional registrar, cooperative societies, R.L. Mehta, has established scam in the purchase of computers and software for cooperative banks.

The inquiry into the scam was ordered by cooperatives minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh following a news item in The Tribune on June 8.

On the recommendation of the inquiry officer DGM (Systems) of the cooperative department A.K. Batta has been suspended and issued a charge sheet.

Sources told The Tribune that in the inquiry report it had been alleged that the poor quality and outdated computers were purchased for cooperative banks which resulted in a loss worth crores of rupees to the department besides affecting the efficiency.

Tenders for computerisation of the cooperative banks were called in just two English newspapers. As per rules, the tenders for the purchase of material above Rs 50 lakh should have been put in one Punjabi and a regional paper. Besides, they should have been put on the website of the department of information technology. However, the officials concerned did not take care to do the same.

As per the government rules at least three companies were required for competitive bidding. However, in the present case the bids of just two companies the TCS and Flexcel were considered.

The cooperative department in March to April 2006 purchased Pentium-4 computers for Rs 33,500 per piece. Later the price came down to Rs 32,000 per piece.

The 20 computers purchased for installation at the cooperative training institute at Jalandhar were also not installed.

Though Rs 15 lakh was spent on the training the staff many were still not acquainted with the computers.

The inquiry officer has taken the views of bank officials operating the computer systems. Most of them have complained that the systems installed in their banks were very slow.

Gurdaspur, September 5
Taking advantage of the tussle between the Revenue Department and the Pathankot Improvement Trust over the identification of encroachments on government land, a number of illegal constructions have once again come up along the congested roads of Pathankot.

These encroachments have come up after a demolition drive launched by the improvement trust authorities with the local administration following the Punjab and High Court orders could not succeed due to political intervention.The administration failed to implement the court orders as the leaders belonging to the Congress, the BJP, the SAD came in the support of the protesting encroachers who forced the administration to suspend the drive.

Backed by the Punjab transport minister who is also the MLA of the area, the Pathankot Beopar Mandal demanded a fresh survey of the illegal structures by the revenue department and the improvement trust before the demolition drive. Variations in surveys conducted by the trust and the revenue department separately gave the encroachers a chance to reappear at their previous locations thus aggravating the problem again.

Inquiries by The Tribune revealed that the encroachments mushroomed against in connivance with the junior level staff of the trust and the revenue department.

Parminder Singh, executive officer of the Pathankot Improvement Trust said a list of encroachments, including the ones which had come up again had been prepared. Criminal cases and FIRs would be registered against the encroachers. He said the SDM, Pathankot, would submit his report on September 13.

Amritsar, September 5
The district administration today early morning demolished century-old three shops and two houses to widen entry points to the passage leading to the Jallianwala Bagh memorial.

Deputy commissioner K. S. Pannu said the occupants had lost the case a few months back and the demolition was stopped due to political intervention. Finally, the occupants agreed to shift their belongings However, historians felt the government should have kept the old buildings intact which were witness to the massacre in which hundreds of Indians died facing the bullets of General O’ Dyre.

The shops and houses to the left side of the main entrance were demolished to clear an area of 1000 sq yards to be utilised for the parking of the vehicles during the visit of dignitaries.

Amritsar, September 5
SAD councillors here today authorised Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal to name the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation. The resolution was passed at a meeting of the SAD councillors.

The three Independents, who later extended support to the SAD, also gave their consent to the resolution. Information and public relations minister Bikram Singh Majithia was also present.

Meanwhile, three councillors are in close race for the mayor’s post. A decision is likely to be taken tomorrow after the oath-taking ceremony, along with the election of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

The hot contenders include district BJP chief Bakshi Ram Arora, a three-time councillor Shwet Malik and senior BJP leader Rakesh Gill.

When contacted, Arora confirmed, “The real fight was between the three of us but a final decision would be taken by the party leadership. Punjab BJP chief Rajinder Bhandari and minister Manoranjan Kalia are expected to be in Amritsar to take part in the decision making.”

Fatehgarh Sahib, September 5
Succumbing to the pressure mounted by Akali councillors, the president of the Sirhind-Fatehgarh Sahib Municipal Council today resigned from his post.

It is the second instance in the district when the Akalis managed to topple Congress president of a municipal council after Bassi Pathana.

It is learnt that MC president Charanjit Singh had gone abroad for a month and a half and in his absence the Akali councillors moved a no-confidence motion against him.

However, on his return, the Akalis withdrew the motion only after mounting pressure on the president to resign.

The Akalis managed to gain support from some Congress councillors to oust the MC chief.

Speaking to Chandigarh Tribune, Charanjit Singh said on his return, he found that some Congress councillors had switched loyalties following which he decided to step down.

Before submitting his resignation, Charanjit Singh held a meeting with Congress councillors and later called an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing circumstances.

The president had to put in his papers despite the fact that 10 of the 17 councillors belonged to the Congress.

With his having resigned, political activities within the Akali faction picked up momentum. Two Akali leaders are vying for the presidentship of the local MC - Sher Singh and Ashok Kumar Sood.

Both aspirants reportedly held closed-door meeting with councillors this evening after the resignation of Charanjit Singh seeking support from themselves. 

COMMUNITY

Wheat Import
SAD to raise it in Parliament

Jalandhar, September 5
Terming import of wheat as direct assault on Punjabi farmers, the SAD said it would raise the issue in Parliament.

Party’s acting chief Sukhbir Badal, who was here to ascertain the views of the party councillors on the nominee for the post of mayor here today, said it would discourage the farmers from opting for other cash crops and lead to wheat shortage in the coming years making the state deficit in grains, he alleged. Criticising the UPA government, he said instead of importing wheat at Rs 1600 a quintal, the government should pay the farmers Rs 1500. — TNS

Breach in distributary bundh

Hoshiarpur, September 5
More than 20-foot-wide breach took place in the guide bundh of Hajipur distributary of Shah Nehar canal near Sibo Chack village of this district last night.

According to official sources, after the breach, canal water entered adjoining fields. Paddy crop of Charan Singh of Sibo Chack was submerged.

Sources said the breach was caused due by erosion of soil by canal water.The Canal Department had put sand/earth-filled bags for temporary strengthening.

Deputy commissioner, Hoshiarpur D. K. Tiwari said this evening he had instructed the executive engineer of the Irrigation Department to start plugging and submit a report to him. — OC

Amritsar, September 5
At a function organised in Red Cross bhawan here Navjot Singh Sidhu, BJP member of Parliament handed over cheques worth Rs 50 lakh to deputy commissioner K.S.Pannu under the ‘go green-clean’ campaign He already has given Rs 50 lakh for this.

Sidhu was informed by NGOs participating in the campaign that about one lakh saplings had already been planted in the city while about two lakh were planted in rural areas. 

Amritsar, September 5
A meeting of Sikh clergy at Akal Takht here today took serious note of the blasphemous portions of the Hindi version of , “Sikh History” , published on behalf of the SGPC’s Dharm Parchar Committee and directed the secretary, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to submit written report within a week.

The SGPC constituted a six- member committee to go through the controversial book .Describing the controversy over book , as “ most unfortunate” SGPC chief Avtar Singh said suitable action would be taken against those who failed to point out blasphemous portion of the book . He said the committee had been asked to go through other books on Sikh history , published by private publishers so that controversial facts could be deleted . He alleged the controversy was being raised under some “conspiracy” .

In another development, the meeting of the Sikh high priests at Akal Takht today accepted the authority of outside Takhts (Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib) to take major decisions , pertaining to the Sikh Panth .

All five Sikh high priests endorsed the decision of Takht Patna Sahib to dissolve the Sikh Paritinidhi Sabha , Orissa.

Ropar, September 5
The relatives of Darshan Kumar (51), who has been missing for a week, have been running from pillar to post to find him. They allege that the police is being inactive in helping them.

Vijay Juneja, a relative of the missing man, said Darshan had gone missing on August 31 and a DDR pertaining to the same had been lodged in the Rupnagar city police station. Darshan, an employee of the Rupnagar municipal council, had been ill since a few years. On the evening of August 30, when Darshan did not return, his family started hunting for him.

Later, his shirt was found lying on the bank of a canal near the bus stand. “Since then, our family has been scanning the area, hunting for any signs of him. But we cannot do anything without the help of the police,” said Juneja.

He added that the police took Darshan's photograph from the family, got copies of it made, and asked them to circulate these on their own.

When contacted, SSP Parveen Kumar Sinha said he would look into the matter.

Patiala, September 5
In an emergency meeting held here today, the Punjab Scheduled Castes’ Welfare Association (PSCWA) demanded the suspension of Punjabi University vice-chancellor Swarn Singh Boparai for overstepping powers and reinstating officiating registrar Dr B.S. Sandhu. Dr Sandhu, who is now out on bail, had been arrested in a corruption case.

In a press release issued here today, state president of the association Paramjit Singh Sodh said the vice- chancellor had no powers to reinstate an officiating registrar who had been released on bail after spending 20 days in police and judicial custody. He added that only the university syndicate was competent enough to take such a decision. “This is a serious act of indiscipline on the part of the vice-chancellor,” Sodh reiterated.

On November 21, 2003, Boparai had suspended Dr Karamjit Singh Sidhu, a former senior teacher of the university, for confirming the services of Harminder Singh Khokhar, a Dalit Assistant Public Relations Officer (APRO). In his suspension orders, it was stated that Dr Sidhu had overstepped his authority and this was a serious act of indiscipline.

Sodh demanded that the Punjab Governor, who is also the chancellor of the university, immediately suspend Boparai on the same grounds under which he suspended Dr Sidhu. 

Patiala, September 5
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Patiala, in collaboration with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), organised a camp for the registration and authorisation of lifting of bio-medical waste by common treatment from various hospitals in and around Patiala at the Rajindra Gymkhana Club here yesterday.

Dr D.S. Bhullar, president of the IMA, said more than 150 doctors from the IMA, Patiala, took part in the camp and got themselves registered.

Dr Jagbir Singh, chairman, bio-medical waste, IMA, Punjab, disclosed that the main aim of the camp was to spread awareness that bio-medical waste being generated by various hospitals and nursing homes, clinics and laboratories in the form of needles, syringes, blades, blood soaked linen and swabs be properly packed and disposed of in the proper manner so that they did not cause any threat to environment and society.

D.K. Dua, SE, PPCB, applauded the efforts of the doctors to organise the camp. He further said the Punjab government was serious about implementing bio-medical waste laws.

S.K. Goyal, Xen, and Rajeev Goyal, SDO, PPCB, also participated in the camp.

Patiala, September 5
A local court today adjourned the human trafficking case against Daler Mehndi till November 3.

A case under Sections 420, 406, 465, 466, 467, 468 and 471 had been registered by the Patiala police against him at the Sadar police station on September 19, 2003.

Charges were to be framed against Daler Mehndi today, but since his co-accused Bulbul Mehta failed to show up, the case was adjourned.

Advocate Gurpreet Singh appeared on behalf of Bakshish Singh, the complainant in the case.

Nakodar, September 4
The progressive farmers in the fertile Doaba belt of Punjab are shifting to Baby Corn farming, considering the crop's greater market potential. Baby corn, the tender de-husked young ear of the female inflorescence of maize plant, harvested before fertilization, is sweet in taste and crisp.

It is used for preparing soups, vegetable biryani, mixed vegetable, Chinese food etc., besides crispy salad and pickle. Sawtantar Kumar, chief Agriculture officer in Jalandhar said that only in this area farmers have grown maize in over 12,000 hectares and nearly 200 acres of Baby corn.

While admitting to difficulties faced in directly marketing the crop, Kumar said that the government should soon come forward to help farmers in marketing the baby corn.

"We are encouraging farmers to grow diversified crops like baby corn. It requires less water and it yields good profits. The export value of the crop is good and its demand is high in foreign countries," said Swatantra Kumar.

The adoptions of new crops are not only helping farmers to yield more monetary benefits but local customers are getting fresh vegetables on lesser price.

It is possible to have three or more crops from the same piece of land as this crop matures in less than 60 days and staggered sowing should be done to maintain the supply as per market requirements.

Surinder Singh Chawla, a farmer, who has harvested baby corn in 20 acres, is planning to harvest 100 acres of land under the crop in future.

"This is the very first year of baby corn production here. Initially, we had a bit of difficulties. However, the net profit of the crop is much higher than other crops. I hope it will grow well and yield profit in future," he added.

Pardeep Vaid, General Manager of Ritz's Plaza said that people in Punjab are now also relishing the Chinese dishes, which use baby corn as an ingredient.

The availability of baby corn from the local market not only makes it cost effective but also the sellers to sell fresh product to the customers "Around 20 years ago baby corn was produced only in foreign countries. Still we are using canned corn but now we have come to know that Punjab farmers are producing baby corn," said Vaid.

This high nutritive crop is grown in very less water as compared to the traditional crops of rice and wheat. The Punjab Agriculture Department has also recommended farmers for the adoption of such vital crops under the crop diversification scheme.

However the farmers want to oust the mediators who come in between them and direct buyer. They are of the opinion that if they are able to sell their crop to the direct buyer they would make profit. — ANI

Sangrur, September 5
The local police has registered a case against head constable (HC) Kuldeep Singh, posted at Barnala, under Section 354, IPC, for allegedly misbehaving with a woman.

The police said Singh’s son had solemnised a love marriage some time ago with the daughter of the aggrieved woman, Kamlesh Rani, on whose complaint it had registered the case. It further said as per the complaint Singh met the woman here and “misbehaved” with her.

Meanwhile, the police today also registered a case against a woman and her two alleged accomplices for “murdering” her husband at Koonran village, about 10 km from here. The police has registered a case against the three under Section 302, IPC. — TNS

Patiala, September 5
The Red Cross Society, Patiala, organised a health awareness training camp at Bhari Panecha in which 254 students from eight local schools participated.

On completing the five-day training in first-aid, drug de-addiction, traffic and health awareness, the participants were awarded prizes and certificates by Charanjit Kaur Cheema, circle education officer, Patiala division.

She also distributed prizes to heads of schools, sarpanches of five villages and K.R. Verma, DTS (Red Cross).

Charanjit appreciated the training work and urged the Red Cross Society to organise more camps so that valuable life-saving knowledge could be disseminated to the youth in villages.

As many as 300 saplings were planted by students on the school premises and roadside on this occasion.