The

P U N J A B

Wednesday July 8, 1998

weather n spotlight
today's calendar

Ex-Chief Secy's plea against harassment
CHANDIGARH, July 7 — Mr V.K. Khanna, Presiding Officer of the Punjab Sales Tax Tribunal, today filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, praying for restraining the state government from harassing him and victimising him in a mala fide manner and with vengeance...

Mobile squad to check eve-teasing
PATIALA, July 7 — The police has instituted a mobile squad to check eve-teasing in front of various colleges as well as in markets in the city...

A village teeming with cataract patients
ABOHAR: Nearly 90 per cent of the residents in the 55-65 age group in Bareka village suffer from cataract. The same is the condition in the adjoining villages of Rupnagar, Kheowali Dhaab and Muradwala Bhomgarh...

Rejected candidates
await orders
BATHINDA, July 7 — Even 15 days after the gram panchayat elections the candidates whose nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer concerned are still making rounds of the office of the District Electoral Officer to get copy of order of rejection...

Unauthorised tubewell motors worry PSEB
PATIALA, July 7 — Electricity board officials are having a trying time in controlling the menace of unauthorised running of tubewell motors on single-phase connections by farmers who want the maximum water possible for their paddy crop...

Doctor held for giving fake medico-legal report
GURDASPUR, July 7 — The police has detected a case of preparation of a fake medico-legal result (MLR) and its misuse in getting a false case registered...

Management indicted for worker's death
BATHINDA, July 7 — Management of Bathinda Integrated Cooperative Ginning and Spinning Mill (Bacospin) was held responsible for the death of its worker, Krishan Chand in a probe held by the sub-divisional magistrate, Mr Gurtej Singh...

Civic body cuts cable TV lines
AMRITSAR, July 7 — The director of Siti Cable, Mr Hari Om Dhanuka, has alleged that the municipal corporation authorities have cut its cables without any provocation, causing a loss...
CPI conference from Aug 29
LUDHIANA, July 7 — The Punjab state council of the CPI will hold a three-day state conference here from August 29...

Solving problem of waterlogging
CHANDIGARH, July 7 — The magnitude of the problem of waterlogging in the south-west districts in Punjab is vast and deep. It has adversely affected the economy and social life of the people, resulting in growing joblessness and poverty.
Flood control measures inadequate
JALALABAD, July 7 — Comprehensive plans chalked out at the District and Subdivision level to check floods, seem to be inadequate...
Job scheme off target?
ROPAR, July 7 — Violation of several guidelines of the employment assurance scheme (EAS) of the Central Government, launched in this district during the previous financial year, still continues

Unauthorised tubewell motors
worry PSEB
Tribune News Service
PATIALA, July 7 — Electricity board officials are having a trying time in controlling the menace of unauthorised running of tubewell motors on single-phase connections by farmers who want the maximum water possible for their paddy crop.
There have been various cases of board officials being "gheraoed" and forced to return motors confiscated while being run on single phase. Recently a flashpoint was reached when Board Executive Engineer H.L.

Garg, subdivisional officer Narinder Jindal, junior engineer Tarsem Lal and their driver were beaten up at Khang village near Patran in Khanauri block after they seized motors running on single-phase connections there. The board officials were kept locked up in a room for some time before being released.
Following this on the demand of the officials, Patran police has registered a case of kidnapping and un-lawful detention against Charanjit Singh, Shamsher Singh and Gurbaksh Singh of the village.
Talking to The Tribune, senior PSEB officials disclosed that the field staff was having a lot of problems in seizing motors being run on single-phase. They said the field staff was usually playing a cat and mouse game, adding that the farmers removed jumpers on seeing them and insisted that no action could be taken against them. He said even when the motors were seized, the field staff had to counter political pressure to let the erring

farmers go scot free without paying any fine.
An executive engineer disclosed that many times after conducting a raid he was surprised to come back and find that the load on the system was as much as that when he had gone to conduct the raid in the morning, "this is how effective we are", he said adding that farmers got around to running motors on single-phase immediately after their raids itself.
Senior PSEB officials disclosed that following the incident of beating up of its officials at Khang village, another team from the headquarters had raided the village and seized five motors. He said the team had however gone to raid the village with adequate security adding many times it was not possible for the field staff to take security alongwith it.
They said the board had received various representations from farmers to reduce the charge to increase their motor horse power. He said at present farmers had to pay Rs 5000/- per horse power increase. They said the representations were being considered and the charge could be reduced in the near future.

Meanwhile many farmers claim that the board does not supply uninterrupted power supply to them, adding that power keeps tripping due to which their fields not get irrigated well. Though the villagers are by and large, against the running of motors on single phase as their domestic supply has been curtailed due to it, those with larger land holdings say they are forced to run their motors on single-phase to meet their irrigation demands.

Doctor held for giving fake
medico-legal report
Tribune News Service
GURDASPUR, July 7 — The police has detected a case of preparation of a fake medico-legal result (MLR) and its misuse in getting a false case registered.
Dr Harash Mahajan, a medical officer at Pathankot Civil Hospital, has been arrested in this connection.
The SSP, Mr Gaurav Yadav, said here today that on April 23, a fight had taken place in Kothe Nangal village under Taragarh police station between Rattan Chand and Mohinder Pal Singh. Rattan Chand sustained injuries and was admitted to the Civil Hospital at Pathankot where he was

medically examined and a case was registered under Sections 324, 325 and 323, IPC, against Mohinder Pal Singh and others.
It was later revealed in a confidential inquiry that after the fight, Mohinder Pal Singh and his brother Joginder Pal Singh decided to obtain a fake MLR so that they could get a case registered against Rattan Chand.
They contacted Maltish Kumar and asked him to help them in obtaining a fake MLR from the Civil Hospital at Pathankot. Later, they went to Pathankot and met radiologist Harash Mahajan.
According to the inquiry, Dr Mahajan asked Kartar Masih, a class IV employee of the hospital, to help them in "inflicting" injuries on Mohinder Pal Singh.
A deal for Rs 14,000 was struck and the money was handed over to Dr Mahajan. Subsequently, Mohinder Pal Singh was admitted to the Civil Hospital, almost 14 hours after the incident. He was examined by Dr Ashok Sharma who referred the case to Dr Mahajan. He then declared one of the injuries as grievous and sent an MLR to the police.
The SSP said Mohinder Pal Singh was arrested on May 15 and facts came to light during his interrogation.
The bribe money has been recovered from the doctor.

Civic body cuts cable TV lines
Tribune News Service
AMRITSAR, July 7 — The director of Siti Cable, Mr Hari Om Dhanuka, has alleged that the municipal corporation authorities have cut its cables without any provocation, causing a loss of about Rs 25 lakh to him and paralysing the cable network in the city.
Addressing a press conference here today, he said that Siti Cable had entered an agreement with the municipal corporation on April 1 last year according to which Rs 8 were to be paid for using a pole. The payment was being made regularly.
Though the Cable has the exclusive right for using the poles, some other

cable operators were allowed to use these poles. Siti Cable stopped making payment and got a stay from the local court against the cutting of the cables upto July 17. Without issuing any prior notice, the municipal authorities today cut cables in Kabir Park, Putlighar, Islamabad, Bhandari Bridge, Old Jail Road and Hall Gate areas, he said.
The Cable, he said, had nearly 760,000 connections through 160 cable operators. As a result of the today's development, these operator would be rendered jobless.
He alleged that the cables had been cut at the orders of the city Mayor, Mr Subhash Sharma.
However, the Mayor denied the charge and said that he had nothing to do with the matter. The cables were cut on account of non-payment of the rent on the orders of the Commissioner, he added.

Management indicted for worker's death
Tribune News Service
BATHINDA, July 7 — Management of Bathinda Integrated Cooperative Ginning and Spinning Mill (Bacospin) was held responsible for the death of its worker, Krishan Chand in a probe held by the sub-divisional magistrate, Mr Gurtej Singh.
Mr S.R. Ladhar district magistrate had ordered a probe into the death of Krishan Chand who was brought dead to civil hospital from Bacospin on May 12, 1998 with his right hand amputated. Krishan Chand died in the

mill's premises after his right hand got into a machine while he was working in the blow room.
In his report, the SDM held that according to the post-mortem report, Krishan Chand met with an accident in the mill at about 4.15 pm and he was brought to the civil hospital at 5.45 pm.
Life of Krishan Chand could not be saved due to negligence of the management of Bacospin as lot of time was wasted to shift the injured Krishan Chand to the hospital immediately after the accident.
Mr Krishan Chand who met with an accident in the blow room entered in the mill at about 3.05 pm. He also took payment for the overtime from the cashier between 3pm to 4 pm. He met with an accident at about 4.15 pm,

the report said.
The report said that from the statements of various persons it could not be ascertained whether Krishan Chand was brought from his house at 8 am on the day of accident by the management officials. It could also not be ascertained whether Krishan Chand went to the mill or not at 8 am.
It may be mentioned that Mrs Jagmit Kaur, a neighbour of the deceased Krishan Chand in her statement made to the SDM had alleged that Krishan Chand was taken by some persons in a vehicle on May 12, the day of accident at 8 am. She also produced the identity card of one of the persons of management named Mr Kalra to the SDM. The identity card fell on the ground when Krishan Chand was struggling with the management officials while he was being taken away forcibly.
The report of the SDM, however, is silent over this point. In the report it was not mentioned whether Krishan Chand was kidnapped by the management officials or not. The report failed to elaborate this aspect.
Mr Ladhar, when contacted said that he had sent a copy of report to the higher authorities of the Spinfed, Punjab for necessary action.

CPI conference from Aug 29
Tribune News Service
LUDHIANA, July 7 — The Punjab state council of the CPI will hold a three-day state conference here from August 29.
Announcing this at a press conference here today Dr Joginder Dayal, secretary of the state council of the party, said the conference, which would discuss a number of issues facing the state, was also in preparation of the week-long 17th national congress of the CPI to be held at Chennai from September 14.
The election of the delegates, state council, executive and other

office-bearers of the party for the next term would also take place during the state conference. Dr Dayal indicated that he would not be averse to another term as secretary of the party.
The main issue to be debated at the conference would be ways and means of defeating communal forces ruling at the Centre by mobilising Left and democratic forces.
He said the real issues facing the people were poverty, unemployment, stagnation on the agricultural front and not the issues like Ram Temple. The country needed a mixed economy dominated by the public sector.
Another issue to be discussed would be strengthening of the Left unity. The Left might be weak numerically, but ideologically it was on a sound footing.
The party was against nuclear arms race in the subcontinent and was of the view that all issues should be settled through bilateral talks. It also wanted that the secular and democratic character of the Constitution must be

retained.
In Punjab, the party would strive to strengthen unity among the secular and democratic forces. A four-party front comprising the Congress, the CPI, the CPM and the BSP had already been formed. Dr Dayal was of the view that unity among these four parties alone could pose a challenge to the ruling Akali-BJP alliance and offer a credible alternative.
The CPI leader wanted the state government to reduce the top heavy bureaucracy, speed up industrialisation of the state, cut down expenses on unnecessary security and take steps to solve the long-standing disputes over Chandigarh and inter-state river waters. He also wanted a judicial commission to look into the growth of terrorism in Punjab.

A village teeming with cataract patients
From Raj Sadosh
ABOHAR: Nearly 90 per cent of the residents in the 55-65 age group in Bareka village suffer from cataract. The same is the condition in the adjoining villages of Rupnagar, Kheowali Dhaab and Muradwala Bhomgarh.
This was revealed during a medical check-up of the residents by a BSF medical team recently. The team was led by Dr S. Mallick, CMO. The village folk told this correspondent that since Independence no government agency or social organisation had bothered to organise any medical camp in these villages. For check-up only quacks and registered medical practitioners were available and none of them knew how to treat eye

ailments.
This correspondent found there were pucca streets and drains but maintenance was not adequate. The classrooms of the government primary schools were not properly constructed and its boundary wall too was in a poor condition. Besides the total number of students was 40 only. "The only teacher prefers to leave the school by 11.30 a.m.", a source said.
The department of Animal Husbandry had fixed the visit of mobile vet. Unit three times for these border villages but the unit rarely visited the area. Neither was the panchayat ghar nor the Harijan dharamshala maintained well.
The farmers got canal water for irrigation from Azamwala sub canal, some got it from the eastern canal which ran for six months in a year. They had installed 100 tubewells also to ensure proper sowing of paddy also. The residents of Bareka village had to depent on the telephone exchange of Kheowali Dhaab village. There were 35 subscribers but they complained that telephone lines generally remained out of order.

No bus service was available for Bareka, Muradwala Bhomgarh and Roopnagar villages. A transport company had been running two buses earlier but the villagers regretted the service was discontinued for several months reportedly due to family dispute among company partners. Now only three-wheelers were available but there was no certainty about them.
Mr Inder Sain Rinwa (72), Nambardar of the village, said the literacy campaign was on paper only. The office of the Block Development Officer claimed classes were held in the village to make elderly persons literate but these were described as bogus by young boys. The boys complained that they had no play ground.
The officers had allegedly asked the Nambardar to attest only a few application forms. The farmers faced no problem in cultivating their land across the fence but regretted they had to walk four kilometres to reach their field as the entry gate was located at Rupnagar only. One gate was reportedly sanctioned near Bareka village but the same had not been

provided so far.
Villages on the other side of the border wore a deserted look. Elders explained farmers on the Pakistan side had been getting canal water from Khuikhera Canal but as there was no agreement on the sharing of water between the two countries, the supply was discontinued. The Pakistan government had not been able to make alternative arrangements for irrigating 36 villages so far. These villages fell in the Bahawalpur estate area.
Even as the residents of these villages were alert in all spheres, they had not been able to get an electricity connection sanctioned for the Government Primary School, at Bareka. There is a middle school at Roopnagar village whereas Jandwala, Meerasangla and Kheowali Dhaab villages were having government schools up to the plus two level but girls residing at Bareka found it difficult to study after completing primary education as most of the parents could not afford to send them to other villages.
After examining hundreds of patients, Dr S. Mallick told this correspondent there was no case of high blood pressure, the disease citizens generally suffer from.

Ex-Chief Secy's plea against harassment
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 7 — Mr V.K. Khanna, Presiding Officer of the Punjab Sales Tax Tribunal, today filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, praying for restraining the state government from harassing him and victimising him in a mala fide manner and with vengeance.
Mr Khanna, who also held the post of Chief Secretary during the Harcharan Singh Brar and Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal regimes, also prayed that the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) dismissing his application, seeking quashing of the charge-sheet served on him be reversed.

Mr Justice J.L. Gupta and Mr Justice N.C. Khichi, before whom the petition came up for hearing, issued notice to the Punjab Government for July 27.
Mr Khanna in his petition stated that the Punjab Government was harassing him by denying him the record to reply to the charge-sheet served on him. In the absence of the record, he was unable to reply to the charge-sheet. In reply to a series of letter he had sent to the government, requesting for supplying him the record, he wass told that he would be shown only that record which was declared relevant by the enquiry authority.
He claimed that an enquiry against him could be ordered only if he had replied to the charge-sheet and that too only after the government had found that his reply was unsatisfactory. However, the government had ordered the enquiry even when his application for quashing the charge-sheet was pending before the CAT.
Mr Khanna alleged that the Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Mann, Mr I.S.

Bindra and Mr Bikramjit Singh, two other senior IAS officers, were against him simply because he had, in compliance with the orders of the then Chief Minister, made a reference to the CBI for conducting an enquiry into the allegations of these officers.
Mr Bindra had ordered the transfer of prime urban government land at Mohali worth crores in favour of the Punjab Cricket Association of which he was the president without the approval of the Cabinet or the Governor-in-Council. The land was transferred through a leasedeed based only on one-sided terms and conditions. Mr Bindra was then the Principal Secretary of the Department of Punjab Urban Development.

The orders of the Chief Minister were that there were several complaints against Mr Bindra about payment of huge amounts by government organisations to the Punjab Cricket Association by misusing his position. This matter, too, was entrusted to the CBI for investigation.
The allegation against Mr Bikramjit Singh were that he possessed assets beyond his known sources of income. The CBI had registered a case against Mr Bikramjit Singh. However, the other FIR registered did not name the officers specifically.
On February 12, 1997, the new government headed by Mr Parkash Singh Badal was installed in Punjab. On February 14, 1997, Mr Khanna was directed to issue the appointment orders of Mr R.S. Mann as Chief Secretary and Mr Bikramjit Singh as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Mr Khanna claimed that he suggested to the Chief Minister that he should reconsider his decision about the appointment of Mr Bikramjit Singh in view of several vigilane enquiries going on against him. As for Mr Mann, he was too junior to be appointed as Chief Secretary and there were as many as 14 officers who were senior to him.
Mr Badal, however, turned down the suggestion of Mr Khanna, and asked him to comply with his orders for appointing Mr Bikramjit Singh as Principal Secretary and Mr Mann as Chief Secretary.

Mobile squad to check eve-teasing
Tribune News Service
PATIALA, July 7 — The police has instituted a mobile squad to check eve-teasing in front of various colleges as well as in markets in the city.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Parampal Singh Sidhu, said the squad had also been formed keeping in view the beginning of the admission process in various colleges. Complaints of eve-teasing had been received during this period last year also, he said.
Mr Sidhu said earlier anti-hooligan staff officials used to sit opposite the Modi College chowk in civil clothes. As educational institutions like Yadvindra Public School, Government College for Girls, Mohindra College, the Ayurvedic College and Gurmat College were near it.
However, it was felt that the team suffered from logistical problems as it did not have any vehicle with it. Their place was also without any facility. It was also found that the girls did not come up to the staff to lodge complaints as men manned it, he said.
Mr Sidhu said it was because of this that the newly formed mobile was led by woman Sub-Inspector Sukhdev Kaur. He said the squad would have two lady constables besides four to five constables. The sadar police station staff had also been directed to coordinate and assist the squad.
He said complaints of eve teasing from 22 number Phatak Market, Foundation Chowk and the bus stand had been received by the police.

Rejected candidates await orders
Tribune News Service
BATHINDA, July 7 — Even 15 days after the gram panchayat elections the candidates whose nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer concerned are still making rounds of the office of the District Electoral Officer to get copy of order of rejection.
Official sources said that though the rejection of nomination papers of 413 candidates for the posts of sarpanch and panchayat members in this district was done on June 10, they could not be supplied with a copy of the order as no such instruction was given by the state Election Commission then.
The state Election Commission issued the instruction to all District Electoral Officers of Punjab to issue a copy of judgement to those candidates whose nomination papers have been rejected for various grounds on June 13.

Official sources said that before June 13, no application by the candidate for procuring the copy of judgement of rejection of nomination papers was entertained by the authorities concerned.
Official sources said that so far, the local district electoral officer had received more than 100 applications seeking copies of judgement on rejection of nomination papers and more applications were still pouring in.
On the other hand, the officials attached with the holding of gram panchayat elections, told The Tribune that elections were held in a haste. The state Election Commission did not give enough time for holding the elections without any fault.
They said that each returning officer scrutinised about 1000 nomination papers for the post of sarpanch and panchayat members just in four hours and in such a short time a mistake could not be ruled out. They admitted that in some of the cases, the nomination papers were wrongly rejected while in some cases, the technical mistakes in the papers were overlooked due to shortage of time.
They said that as the employees detailed for election duty could not apply for the election duty certificate due to cut in the election time so they could not cast their votes.
Official sources said that some of the disputes in the gram panchayats had also arisen due to defective ballot papers. The ballot papers for the gram panchayat elections for this district were printed from the Okhla-based private printing press and except Rampura block, the ballot papers in all other blocks of the district were found defective.

Solving problem of waterlogging
By P.P.S Gill
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 7 — The magnitude of the problem of waterlogging in the south-west districts in Punjab is vast and deep. It has adversely affected the economy and social life of the people, resulting in growing joblessness and poverty.
The affected districts include Ferozepore, Faridkot, Muktsar and Mansa. Similar problem persists in Gurdaspur, Nawanshahr and along the Nangal hydel channel.
The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, made a pointed reference to the menace of waterlogging in his speech on the Governor's address in the Vidhan Sabha on Monday. Given the abject poverty of the people a lot of money has been given to the people in the affected villages out of the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The National Bank for Agricultural

and Rural development (Nabard) and the State Government have pumped in a lot of money to tackle the problem.
The major focus is on digging of "surface" drains. The people are assured that by March 31, 2000, there will not be an inch of waterlogged patch. It is proposed to dig 241 km of "surface" drains covering 2,500 sq km area in 1998-99. Nabard has sanctioned a Rs 126.47 crore project for it. The current year's Budget provision is Rs 98.53 crore. Another project valued at Rs 72 crore for construction of another 272 km "surface" drains, for "re-sectioning" and "re-modelling" of existing drains is on the cards.
Moved by the plight of the people, the government has changed rules for payment of compensation in case of crop damage or failure. Earlier the compensation was given only when either sown crop or standing crop was damaged. Now compensation is to be paid even when no crop has been sown. The compensation slabs are different for the number of years a

farmer has not sown or has not been able to sow the crop due to waterlogging.
In the south-west districts alone approximately four lakh acres is affected. Nearly two lakh is "critically" affected.
The damage caused in those districts in 1997 and the relief given makes shocking reading. A relief of Rs 33 crore, approximately, has been disbursed with the money coming from the Centre as well as the state's own sources. Besides crop even infrastructure, in terms of roads, bridges and buildings, has been damaged.
An experts group had presented "causative factors" and "remedial measures" to the Chief Minister in August, 1997. One of the suggestions was to adopt the same model as had been done by Haryana regarding "sub-surface drainage." The technique has been developed by the Centre Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal. "Agro-forestry" and "bio-drains' were two other measures; the latter meant constant "monitoring" of the water-table and ground water quality.
The stress on "surface" drains alone is not enough. There is a technical snag. Already the existing drains close to some of the worst affected villages like Jhabelwali, Dodanwali, Sangrana, Lubanianwali and Budda-Gujjar are choked with weeds, silted up and show signs of sloghing. The money for operation and maintenance is around 1 per cent of the capital cost of digging the drains, it is not important how many draglines are deployed or what length has been dug up, but a composite system has to be developed, including cross-drains, bridges and curls.

Experts stress that "surfrace" drains are only a "preventive measure". What the south-west districts need is a "curative measure". The "surface" drains will fall into the Sutlej above Sulemanki headworks in Pakistan. The sand dunes area through which these proposed drains are being dug have a "flat, natural" slope of less than 0.5 metres per km. so the obtained "flow veloicty" will be very low. This low velcoity will result in silt up, choking by weeds and wild growth and slough.
Though the government envisaged to drain out all water by June 1998, this has not happened. As in all other government projects, overrun in cost and time is a normal practice.
Therefore, experts say that for practical purposes, the stress should be on "curative" measures, which need "sub-surface" drainage (horizontal drainage) and "tubewell" (vertical drainage). The latter is not recommended nor it is appropriate for the districts in distress due to their "hydrogeology". The groundwater or sub-soil water is also "saline and toxic", unfit for crops and humans.
The south-west districts are dubly unblessed. Besides being hit by

waterlogging and floods, pest attack has ruined the cotton crop. The estimated loss of cotton in 1997 is Rs 1400 crore. Those who could have switched to paddy cultivation. There are other farmers, who had over 20 acres, but are now working as daily wage earners to eke out a living:
The State Government submitted a project for special assistance or grant to the Centre on February 20, 1998. It sought Rs 172 crore from the Natural Calamity Relief Fund for payment of compensation due to cotton loss caused by pest attack. Despite reminders nothing tangible has come out. This, in fact, is one of the issues pending with the Centre which the state MPs have failed to follow up.
Lot of data and studies are available on fighting waterlogging. Even a 10-member state-level Drainage and Flood Management Advisory committee was constituted on Octoberr 9, 1997. Its terms of reference were also decided. It is another story that the committee has not met even once.

Flood control measures inadequate
From Our Correspondent
JALALABAD, July 7 — Comprehensive plans chalked out at the District and Subdivision level to check floods, seem to be inadequate.
Though geographically located in the semi-arid zone, the periphery of Jalalabad has been witnessing recurrent floods for the past few years. Ferozepore, too is a flood-prone district as Sutlej passes through it. The length of the river in this district is about 200 kms and protection and advance bundhs have been constructed up to a length of 212 kms.
Jalalabad and Guruharsahai witness floods on account of heavy rain. Recently, the construction of Sadiqui barrage in Pakistan aggravated the situation of floods here and in Fazilka tehsils. As many as 131 villages of Jalalabad were affected by floods in 1997.
A flood control room has been set up in the office of the tehsildar here and the DRO is also the District Flood Control Officer. As per records, five boats and 15 life jackets are at the disposal of the tehsildar.
The flood-prone area have been divided into six sectors and class-I officer has been deputed in each sector.
However, the control room is without any telephone facility and the phone in the office of the tehsildar has been disconnected due to the non-payment of bills. Drains which are meant for draining the excess water have not been reconstructed for the past several years.

Job scheme off target?
From Sushil Goyal
ROPAR, July 7 — Violation of several guidelines of the employment assurance scheme (EAS) of the Central Government, launched in this district during the previous financial year, still continues.
The scheme was launched without identifying the members of the families living below the poverty line or having yellow cards, although it was directed by the state government to take two members of each such family from villages of the district who wanted employment on daily wage.
Under the scheme, assured wage employment for 100 days had to be provided to the members of families living below the poverty line. For this purpose it was asked to prepare lists of such families after identification at the village level. The lists were also to be made available at the block and district levels.

It is reported that the ADC (D) had written to the BDPOs of all seven blocks of the district in December, 1997, to conduct a survey in two months for identifying the members, but no survey has so far been conducted. Interestingly, the registers purchased for conducting the survey are still lying in the office of the ADC(D).
Violating another guideline, the work is being got done at focal points for constructing community centres, shopping complexes, veterinary dispensaries, etc, whereas the Central Government has neither allotted funds under the scheme for these works nor for setting up focal points. As per the priority list of the works given in the EAS, it seems the purpose of the scheme is being defeated.
Talking to this correspondent, Mr Jagwant Singh Brar, ADC (D), has also confirmed that the works at the focal points had been got done by the Panchayati Raj authorities from unidentified labourers.
The district, under the EAS, has so far received Rs 1.75 crore which include Rs 1.40 crore from the Centre. Funds are being released by the Centre and the state at a ratio of 80:20.
According to official information, funds to the tune of Rs 1.17 crore have so far been released to the Panchayati Raj office here for executing the work at focal points.
Regarding the violations, the authorities concerned had no specific answer when contacted by this correspondent.
On the other hand, Mr K.S. Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the District Rural Development Agency, Ropar, said if any violation in terms of use of money was detected the erring officials would not be spared.
It may be mentioned here that the employment assurance scheme was introduced in 16 districts, except Moga, of the state in 1996-97.