Amritsar, September 26
The SGPC executive today banned recruitments/promotions till the annual election of office-bearers, due to be held before November 30. The recruitment of surplus staff in the SGPC has been receiving flak from the Sikh circles.

However, the proposal to appoint chief secretary and five directors of different wings would be excluded from the ban. A number of cases were filed in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.

The SGPC executive has also sacked seven employees on charges of attempt to rape, consuming liquor and corruption. They were found guilty in inquiries conducted by senior SGPC officials.

Jathedar Avtar Singh, president, SGPC, said by removing employees from their respective posts a clear signal had been sent across the SGPC that the management wants clean administration. He, however, claimed the proposal to appoint chief secretary and five directors would be instrumental in streamlining the functioning of the SGPC.

The SGPC has also decided to install the portrait of Kanwaljit Singh , who was killed in the firing by followers of Dera Sacha Sauda in Sunam.

The committee has also decided to constitute a panel of historians to vet the books on Sikh history of the Dharam Parchar Committee before publication. The SGPC has also mooted an idea to post manuscripts of Sikh history on its website which would be open to suggestions before publication of books. The executive has also given its nod to establish a martial art academy to promote “gatka”, fencing and archery.

It has also decided to approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for clemency to Devinder Singh Bhullar, who is awaiting death sentence. The meeting also passed Rs 11 lakh grant for a sports stadium being raised in the memory of Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra at his native village. Rupees 10 lakh had been earmarked for the school at Guru Ka Bagh. The executive has also accepted the report which proposed to renovate Sikh shrines in Pakistan. 

Amritsar, September 26
Working of the Department of Medical Education and the office of the Director Research and Medical Education (DRME) is mired in a controversy following allegations and counter-allegations in the case of suspension of principal Government Medical College due to personal rivalry.

This controversy has hit working of the Medical Education Department as doctors from different factions were taking opposite stands allegedly to settle personal scores with 
each other.

Entire medical fraternity, including top surgeons of the country have lent support to beleaguered principal Dr J.P.K. Shergill who had allegedly been embroiled in the removal of kidney of four- year- old girl Sonia, who passed away yesterday.

Levelling serious charges against Dr J.S. Dalal, DRME, husband of the suspended principal, Dr Inderjit Singh Shergill told reporers the former was nursing a grudge against his wife as she had not accommodated his (Dalal’s) son in the final examinations of the MBBS. Dr Shergill said according to records his wife had given him sufficient marks in internal assessment but in spite of that he failed to clear the examinations. He alleged Dr Dalal had even got changed his examination centres to CMC Ludhiana but that too did not help as his son could not clear practical and theory papers of the MBBS.

Dr Shergill questioned the wisdom of Dr Dalal why he had sought the original file of the case which was being investigated by deputy commissioner Amritsar Kahan Singh Pannu as directed by minister Tikshan Sood. He alleged Dr Dalal was pressurising the doctors involved in this case to give statements and affidavits against his wife to defame her. He said he did not know why and under whose pressure Dr Sudesh K Gulati, a senior surgeon who had operated on Sonia, had submitted a false affidavit that he was not involved in the surgery.

Dr Gulati at previous press conference held by Dr Shergill in the presence of other senior doctors had accepted he had operated on the child for Wilm’s tumour and had obtained written permission (in Hindi language) from the mother of the child before the surgery.

However, Dr Dalal said Dr Shergill was levelling baseless allegations against him though as a senior officer of the department he could seek any records from any hospital of the state for investigating the case. He said the suspended principal was committing mistakes one after the other and he could not ignore these.

Fearing tampering of official records Dr Shergill urged the state government for a probe by a premier investigation agency of the state.

Meanwhile, Shiv Dhar Dubey, father of Sonia, has demanded arrest of Dr Shergill and other doctors responsible for removing the kidney during the surgery besides seeking high-level probe by an independent agency.

Chandigarh, September 26
A division bench, comprising Justice A.K. Goel and Justice Ajai Lamba, yesterday quashed the memo and show-cause notice issued to Punjab College of Education, located in Patiala district, by Punjabi University, Patiala, and allowed it to make admissions for the BEd course.

The facts of the case, according to the petition filed by Baba Dhall Education Society of India and the Punjab College of Education, that the university had issued a memo, dated October 23, 2006, and a show-cause notice, dated June 18, 2007, pointing out some deficiencies in the college and asking it as to why the affiliation of the college should not be cancelled.

The petitioners then moved the High Court. They averred that the deficiencies as pointed out by the university to them had been removed. It was only after proper inspection that recognition was granted by the National College for Teachers Education (NCTE).

Chandigarh, September 26
The Punjab Education Commission has remained non-starter. It was set up at the fag end of its tenure by the Capt Amarinder Singh government to revamp the education system at school, college and university level in the state.

Eminent educationist and former vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, J.S. Grewal, was made its chairperson. Other members were former vice-chancellor of Punjab University K.N. Pathak and agriculture economist P.S. Rangi.

Besides it, secretary for higher education and secretary for school education were also taken as members.

However, no meeting of the commission has been held so far. The chairman was to be given Rs 3,000 per meeting as honorarium with a maximum monthly limit of Rs 30,000 and members were to be given Rs 2,000 per month with a maximum limit of Rs 20,000 per month.

In fact, the commission was set up following observations made by senior academics and administrators regarding the non-acceptability of Punjabi youth in the modern job market. Dr G.S. Kalkat, chairman of the Farmers' Commission, had observed that most of the students passing out from various technical and other professional institutions in Punjab were not employable in the modern job market because of poor standard of education in the state.

Asked about the fate of the commission, one of its appointees said "we are not aware whether the present government is interested in the commission or not. Whether it is keen for any reform in the education system or satisfied with the existing academic level in various institutions." 

Pathankot, September 26
The foundation stone-laying ceremony of the trauma ward at the civil hospital here has become a bone of contention for the coalition government in view of the ongoing infighting among the BJP leaders for the past couple of days.

Fissures in the BJP have come to the fore going by the objections raised by the Punjab transport minister Mohan Lal Sharma that his name has not been mentioned on the foundation stone to be laid by Punjab health minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla. Moreover, the name of the minister, also the local MLA, has also gone missing from the invitation cards.

Sources said Sharma pulled up the senior health officers of the district, including the civil surgeon, for not mentioning his name on the invitation cards. The minister has also objected to not being invited for the government-organised function in his hometown.

The sources said the invitation cards, without the name of Sharma, had been dumped by the health authorities. The officers concerned were tight-lipped about the stone-laying ceremony of the trauma ward, to be built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

Punjab BJP chief Rajindra Bhandari said the invitation card would be sent to the minister. He said he would talk over the issue to the health minister.

Efforts to contact Sharma proved futile till late this evening.

Coming down heavily on the transport minister, former Congress MLA Ashok Sharma said Mohan Lal Sharma had not only lost his identity in his hometown and in the BJP but has also been given a back seat in the SAD-BJP government.

Talking to The Tribune, Ashok Kumar Sharma said the state government had been taking credit for the schemes introduced by the UPA government. He claimed that the trauma ward in the local civil hospital was fully aided by the central government and the state government was only the executing agency for it.

Health minster Luxmi Kanta Chawla was not available for comments.

Sangrur, September 26
During a surprise checking of various government departments here this morning by deputy commissioner V. K. Ohri along with additional deputy commissioner Indu Malhotra, as many as 45 employees were found absent from duty in different departments. Besides, eight officers, including two PCS officers, were also not available in their respective offices when the deputy commissioner conducted the checking in their offices.

The DC confirmed that during the checking of the offices, he had found about 45 employees absent from duty. Regarding the absence of officers from their respective offices, the deputy commissioner said he had come to know that all of them had been performing their official duties at one place or the other at the time of checking of offices.

According to official information, the breakdown of employees, who were found absent from duty during checking, is as follows: Office of XEN PWD B&R construction division (eight employees), office of XEN PWD B&R provincial division (nine employees), district food and supply office (four), district town planner’s office (two), XEN water supply and sewerage board’s office (three), district transport office (two), deputy commissioner’s office (one), SDM’s office (eight), DEO secondary (six), civil surgeon’s office (one) and ADC (development) office (one).

The officers, who could not be available to the deputy commissioner at the time of checking in their offices, were additional deputy commissioner (development), district transport officer, assistant commissioner (general), district development and panchayats officer, district revenue officer, civil surgeon, XEN PWD B&R (provincial division), and XEN PWD B&R (construction division).

ADC Indu Malhotra said the administration was now sending show-cause notices to all officials found absent. 

Toronto, September 26
A Canadian police officer who travelled to India to interrogate Lal Singh, one of the prime suspects in the 1985 Air India bombing, has testified before an inquiry commission that he came away believing that the man was not part of the conspiracy.

Lal Singh, who was suspected of checking bags containing bombs on Air India flight 182, which blew up off the coast of Ireland in June 1985, killing 329 persons, had been taken into custody in India in 1992.

Lal, also known as Manjit Singh, was wanted by the FBI for the attempted assassination of an Indian diplomat in New Orleans. Moreover, he was a high-ranking member of a Sikh organisation carrying out militant activities in Punjab.

Lal had tried to consume a cyanide tablet after being arrested, tried to commit suicide by banging his head against a wall and had tried to bite off his tongue, causing such damage that much of it had to be cut by doctors.

Inspector Jim Cunningham of the RCMP submitted before the inquiry that the interview of Lal he conducted at an Indian police station in 1992 left him believing that he was not involved in the bombing of the plane. Nor did a police line-up viewed by the clerk who checked the bags - who was flown to India for the purpose - yield positive identification.

“I would have to say that he was in a position that, knowing or suspecting what he may have provided to the Indian authorities and what not, that he had nothing to lose by admitting to it, if he had been involved in Air India,” Cunningham said.

Lal Singh may have been facing even greater penalties in India for his activities there than he would have been facing in Canada for the bombing of the Air India flight, he said. — PTI

Patiala, September 26
More than 45,000 bank employees of all associate banks including State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Indore, State Bank of Mysore and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur will observe a daylong strike tomorrow, general secretary of the State Sector Bank Employees Association N.K. Gaur said here today.

On a call of the association the employees have decided to go on strike against the decision of the State Bank of India management to merge all these associate banks with SBI. N.K. Gaur said the merger would lead to monopolisation and also these banks will lose their regional identity.

According to sources, a rally will also be organised in front of the State Bank of Patiala Head Office on the Mall on September 26.

Kharar, September 26
A proposal has been floated to bring Balongi under the Mohali Municipal Council for better development of area.

Cabinet minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh claimed this at sangat darshan function held here today. He said with an aim to impart more facilities it has been planned to include Balongi under Mohali Municipal Council. He added that Kharar bypass and bus stand projects are on anvil and will soon come up in a big way.

While talking about the adequate DAP supply, he added that Markfed has recently purchased 3 lakh quintal DAP so that farmers do not face shortage in the later months. He added that the IFFCO has reduced its production of DAP which may lead to shortage later. “But we are already equipped to deal with any kind of shortage,” he claimed.

He assured the farming community that 24-hour uninterrupted power supply would be provided for the tube well connections. He distributed cheques worth Rs 25,000 to various panchayats in area. He said that the first phase of sangat darshan in all 125 villages of constituency has been completed.

AGRICULTURE

Lakhowal for paddy MSP hike

Jalandhar, September 26
Punjab Mandi Board chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal has asked the Union Government to raise the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy from Rs 675 to Rs 916 per quintal.

Talking to mediapersons at the new grain market here today, Lakhowal, who is also the president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), said a five-member delegation of farmer organisations from different states had met the Prime Minister on September 12 and asked him to increase the MSP. He was here to inaugurate the procurement of paddy at the new grain market. — TNS

Pul Kanjri (Indo-Pak border), September 26
Pul Kanjri village, where dance and melodious voice of Moran (a nautch girl) used to ring out during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, has failed to convey to the authorities its voice on compensation for land to be acquired for building a heritage site here.

Though the district administration has ordered acquisition of land owned by three families, including the pond in the area, the farmers are up in arms against the administration for giving them remuneration far lower than the market price for their eight acres. The farmers have decided to move court if the administration failed to pay adequate compensation.

Ffarmer Shiv Singh, told The Tribune the district administration had announced only Rs 11 lakh per acre as compensation for the land to be acquired while they wanted at least Rs 21 lakh per acre though their land fell in A category which fetches around Rs 40 lakh per acre in the market. He said the meeting was presided over by deputy commissioner Kahn Singh Pannu in the matter.

Pannu said there would be no discrimination in awarding compensation to the farmers for the land acquired and they would be paid as per the rules and regulations of the state.

The government headed by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had declared Pul Kanjri a heritage site and decided to develop it as a tourist destination last year. However, the project is yet to see the light of the day as the government has failed to acquire the land.

However, the Army authorities, has renovated the war memorial at Pul Kanjri established in the memory of the nine soldiers, who sacrificed their lives during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, in three months of the government declaring Pul Kanjri a heritage site last year.

Shiv Singh rued even their representatives, including Gulzar Singh Ranike, minister of sports, and Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, MP, had failed to plead their case with the authorities. 

Chandigarh, September 26
Bowing to the wishes of education volunteers, some of whom threatened to commit suicide by jumping from a 400 feet high water tank at Kapurthala yesterday, the Punjab Government has promised to train them for appointment as regular teachers.

Representatives of these education volunteers held a meeting with education minister Upinderjit Kaur here today. Education secretary K.B.S. Sidhu and other senior officer of the education department, Seema Jain, was also present.

There are about 3,000 volunteers who were appointed four years ago under the education guarantee scheme at various places to teach students from class I to V. They are paid Rs 1,000 per month as honorarium. "We were promised that the honorarium will be enhanced every year and later we will be absorbed in the department," said Kulwant Kaur, who is a postgraduate in Punjabi. However, neither our honorarium was enhanced nor were we absorbed as teachers, she added.