Fatehgarh Sahib, September 1
The stage has been set for the establishment of the first-ever university in the name of a holy book, with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today laying the foundation stone of Guru Granth Sahib World University here.

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib Fourth Centenary Memorial Trust will manage the university, which will come up near the historic Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara. The 11-member trust is headed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar and includes Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, state Advocate-General H.S. Mattewal, former chief secretary R.S.Mann, four SGPC members, including Bibi Kiranjot Kaur and Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia (as its secretary), besides others.

Contrary to popular perception, the university will be in keeping with modern times and trends, and besides a school of religious and civilisation studies, the institution will also have a school of emerging technologies, school of basic sciences, school of management, school of social sciences, school of arts, school of languages, school of engineering, school of architecture and planning and school of law and social justice.

Talking to TNS, university vice-chancellor Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia said the varsity would neither be religion-based or religion-dominated. The university would take up the teaching of emerging technologies like information technology (IT), biotechnology (BT) and nano-technology, besides other emerging disciplines like ecology, human rights, feminism and empowerment of downtrodden, he said.

Ahluwalia said it would not be possible to give reservation to rural students in the new university under the present UGC norms. The university would, however, hold orientation courses of four to five months duration to ensure that rural students were eligible to take admission in the institution on merit. He also disclosed that only SGPC colleges would be affiliated to the new university.

The university will come up on 84 acres given to the Trust managing it by the SGPC. The work is expected to start soon and presently only the foundational monument - Minar-e-Ekonkar has come up on the site.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said the varsity would collaborate with other universities worldwide. He said the first academic session would start from September 2009 and that the SGPC would spend Rs 50 crore in the first phase of the Rs 450-crore project. The university proposed to have 2,500 students on its roll in three years.

Later, the Chief Minister said the establishment of the university would be a boon to students of the area who would be able to get education in the most recent emerging fields. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the government was laying stress on education and that the Granth Sahib University was part of a wider plan to establish world-class learning centres in Punjab.

Jalandhar, September 1
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal might have snubbed his nephew and finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on the vital issue of economic reforms, including review of freebies such as power subsidy, but in reality the Punjab government is facing an embarrassing situation as far as paying of subsidy to the PSEB is concerned.

Sources said the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission has written what in official circles is being described as a “hard hitting” letter to the state government, asking it why it had not been paying the subsidy dues to the PSEB on time.

The commission has stated in its letter that by July 21, only Rs 667 crore of subsidy was paid to the PSEB, whereas the state government was to pay Rs 1,300 crore by July 15. Why was the government defaulting on making the payment of subsidy on time when it has given a written undertaking to the Commission in this regard?

Manpreet Singh Badal, who is said to be against providing freebies, has been saying that there is need to provide funds to important sectors such as education and health. As the state government has been facing a crisis on raising enough funds to meet its various fiscal social responsibilities, Manpreet had stated that there was a need to review the decisions like giving subsidy on power and other freebies.

The outgo of Rs 2,601 crore to the power sector as subsidy in lieu of providing free power to the farm sector is considered a major fiscal liability on the state exchequer. As the state government produces foodgrains, mainly for the national pool, the Union government has not extended any financial help to the state government in this regard in the interest of national food security.

Sources said the Commission had asked the government to indicate what steps it had taken to ensure the payment of subsidy instalments to the PSEB on due date.

The Commission has told it that by not making the subsidy instalments on time, the government was not only violating the tariff order but also putting additional burden on itself by way of interest which it had to pay on delayed payment of instalments.

The Commission has fixed an instalment of Rs 650 crore that is to be paid by the state government on a quarterly basis.

The Commission has told the state government to reply by September 5 on the questions raised by it in the letter. The state government has been told to fix a clear time frame to pay the subsidy and to inform the Commission in this regard.

Chowk Mehta, September 1
Was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a creation of Giani Zail Singh, former President of India, to weaken the Shiromani Akali Dal after Emergency, as many Indians, especially Sikhs, believed ?

Addressing a function of the Damdami Taksal, at one time headed by Bhindranwale, Tarlochan Singh, a Rajya Sabha member and former secretary to late President of India, said Giani Zail Singh and Bhindranwale had never met, except briefly at a public function in New Delhi.

He said much had been written about the former President bringing Bhindranwale on the centre-stage of Sikh politics. This was the first-ever visit of Tarlochan Singh to the Damdami Taksal where he was honoured by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, Taksal chief.

For the first time Tarlochan disclosed that after the death of Jathedar Santokh Singh of Delhi and “great friend” of Bhindranwale and confidant of Indira Gandhi on December 21, 1981, Giani Zail Singh and Bhindranwale shared the stage to mourn the death. But they did not exchange even a word in his (Tarlochan’s) presence though both were sitting in the front row at the bhog ceremony of Jathedar Santokh Singh. “On way back, Gianiji told me he had seen Bhindranwale for the first time”. Tarlochan told Gianiji that it was believed he (Giani) had built him in politics, so how come he had not seen him earlier ? On this, Gianiji told him it was all a canard spread by Darbara Singh, then Chief Minister of Punjab, to malign him in the eyes of the Congress high command.

The Rajya Sabha member said Giani Zail Singh desired that Bhindranwale should confine himself to religious and social spheres. However, Gianiji told Tarlochan that Bhindranwale had a large following among Sikhs and his influence could be utilised to embarrass the Akalis. He, however, said during the SGPC general elections in late ’70s, the Congress decided to embarrass the Akali-Janta government by entering the election arena by proxy. Sanjay Gandhi was advised by his advisers, especially by Vishavjit Singh, to take advantage of Bhindranwale’s rift with the Akalis. A meeting was called and services of Gurbir Singh, son of late Justice Gurnam Singh, Chief Minister, were commissioned. They had meetings with Bhai Amrik Singh, then AISSF chief and confidant of Bhindranwale, and promised him full support. Sanjay Gandhi instructed all Congress leaders, especially Giani Zail Singh, Darbara Singh and Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, to help the Bhindranwale group. Despite all this, the Akalis won the SGPC elections, while only six candidates put up by Bhindranwale could be elected to the Shiromani Committee.

Lambi, September 1
Capt Amarinder Singh, former Chief Minister and Congress campaign committee chairman, today warned the SAD-BJP government that if any of the Congress workers were ever harassed or beaten up by the police, it would gherao the police station of the area concerned.

He was addressing a rally at Lambi here to kick off the poll campaign of the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections from the home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He claimed that the party would win all 13 parliamentary seats in the state, which, he said, would be fought on issues like corruption, non-governance and political vendetta. The Akali government would fall under its own weight, he added.

The response to the rally was overwhelming with an estimated 50,000 Congress supporters turning up at the venue.

“The unprecedented response I have received from the people in today’s rally indicates the simmering resentment against the present government,” a beaming Capt Amarinder Singh said.

The former Chief Minister said the SAD government even did not spare the judiciary and it had been tapping the phones of High Court judges since it come to power.

On the power front in the state, he said the PSEB was under a burden of Rs 12,000 crore and nuclear deal was the need of the hour.

Earlier, Congress Legislative Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said the Congress was united as ever and would stay together. Later, speakers at the public meeting, including Ambika Soni and Mohinder Singh Kaypee, echoed the same sentiments in their speeches.

Among other prominent persons were Jagmeet Singh Brar, Tehal Singh Sandhu, Sunil Jakhar, Abohar MLA Mahesh Inder Singh and Kanwaljit Singh Brar.

Chandigarh, September 1
The Department of Health and Family Welfare Punjab will launch specialised emergency response service. It will be available through single Punjab emergency number to deal with emergencies of road accidents, medical emergencies, farm accidents etc.

More than 200 ambulances equipped with state of the art medical facilities would be made available in two years to cater to the emergency response system. The ambulances will reach the spot of medical emergency in 15 minutes. “These will provide immediate medical aid and shift the patient to the tertiary hospital after consulting the control room. Once a call is received on a centralised number, the Emergency Response unit will also inform the police and other agencies about the spot and nature of injury or ailment. These units will be networked with each other and the central control room,” said Punjab health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla.

More than half the state will be covered in first year. In first phase in the year 74 ambulances will be purchased for Rs 10 crore. Each ambulance will have driver and emergency medical technician. The project will cost Rs 44 crore and recurring expenditure per year will be Rs 32 crore. According to sources, the National Rural Health Mission Punjab has already called for expression of interest to run the project in the state. More than six companies have submitted proposals to manage Emergency Response Services. The department will shortlist the most suitable player for the job.

The Punjab traffic police in December 2005 launched the all- Punjab road accident emergency number (1111). Almost 60 highway patrol vehicles stationed on various highways and state roads were connected to this numbe to ensure the highway is covered in 30 km on both sides of the point where the patrol vehicle is stationed. The patrol vehicles were equipped with first aid kits and the traffic police had also asked the Health Department to provide trained persons to form part of the emergency response team.

Amritsar, September 1
Devotees participated in a nagar kirtan here today to mark the 404th parkash utsav of Guru Granth Sahib here. Starting from Ramsar Gurdwara, the procession passed through bazaars, including Ramsar Road, Chowk Krori, Chowk Baba Sahib and Baba Atal Gurdwara, and was led by the Panj Piaras. The kirtan concluded at the Golden Temple.

Devotees were standing on sides of the road to pay obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib place in a golden palanquin decorated with flowers. They chanted “Guru Maneyo Granth”.

Religious organisations, gatka parties, bands, besides Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee members took part in the procession.

In the evening, the Golden Temple complex was illuminated and crackers were burst to celebrate the occasion.

Moga, September 1
The plight of over 10,000 flood-hit people seems to be ending as water from residential areas in Moga district has started to recede and all people, who had shifted to camps, have returned to their homes.

Schools have re-opened and the children are now busy recovering the loss of studies they had suffered during the past fortnight.

No matter, the fields still had not been able to come completely out of the watery grave, but the flood water is draining out. It would take less than a week’s time to get out of water-logging.

Officiating district magistrate V.K. Meena, who presided over a meeting of the district heads of various departments here this evening, revealed that power supply in the flood-affected villages had been restored and schools re-opened.

According to a survey conducted by the revenue authorities, crops on 5,675 acres situated close to the embankment of the Sutlej had been damaged. Of this, crop on 4,824 acres had been damaged completely while the loss on 215 acres was 51 per cent to 75 per cent. On 600 acres, it was 26 per cent to 50 per cent. The total loss of crops had been estimated at Rs 2.6 crore in line with the relief norms of the state government, he said.

He said the district administration would provide Rs 5,000 per acre financial relief for 100 per cent loss, Rs 3,000 per acre for 51 per cent to 75 per cent loss and Rs 2,000 for 26 per cent to 50 per cent loss of crops.

Similarly, 402 pucca and kutcha houses were damaged in the floods, causing an estimated loss of Rs 20.94 lakh. “We will distribute compensation worth this amount as per the norms of the state government within 48 hours”, claimed the district magistrate.

The administration had already released Rs 50 lakh to the Irrigation Department for plugging the breaches and strengthening of the 30.2-km stretch of the river embankment in this district.

The district administration has demanded from the state government Rs 2 crore for the repair of roads and Rs 31 lakh for the repair of damaged public buildings.

Meanwhile, the chief medical officer, Dr Adarsh Sood, told The Tribune that not even a single case of malaria, dengue, gastroenteritis, cholera and hepatitis had been reported from the flood-hit villages where 9,088 people were examined by 20 health teams.

She said 402 people had suffered from diarrhoea, 2,334 from skin infections, 240 from wounds, 147 abdominal pain, 749 eye infections, 2,030 respiratory problems, 251 hypertension, 1,061 anaemia, 62 diabetes, 511 unreported fever and 843 from other kinds of infections and diseases.