Saturday, July 11, 1998
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Saturday, July 11, 1998 |
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Tohra's
warning to BJP leadership CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said here today that the stand-off between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the leadership of the BJP on the issue of Udham Singh Nagar district would have serious political repercussions... Who will be V-C of Baba Farid varsity? CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed the Bill on establishment of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences on Thursday. It is to come up at Faridkot... Helmets: SGPC to move Supreme Court CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The SGPC president, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said here today that the Shiromani Akali Dal would press the BJP Government to make an amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act to... Medical colleges to have NRI seats CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The three government medical colleges in Punjab will now have, for the first time, seats reserved for non-resident Indian (NRI) students, effective from the current academic session... CAG flays pollution control board CHANDIGARH, July 10 — While on the one side the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has failed to implement its action plan formulated to bring improvement in the environment of eight highly-polluted industrial towns in the state, on the other it had been consistently under utilising the available funds... HC notice to 8 Punjab officers CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to eight former and present officers of Punjab for... |
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 Teachers to have say in PAU matters LUDHIANA, July 10 — Teachers of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have got representation on the decision-making bodies of the university... 11 IAS officers shifted CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab Government has started the process of postings and transfers... Sangrur's sole public library ailing SANGRUR: The District Public Library here has been functioning under unsatisfactory conditions for over two decades... Rs 126 cr for better health care in Punjab FEROZEPORE, July 10 — The state government was making all-out efforts to provide better and improved services to the people of Punjab and for this purpose Rs 126 crore had been earmarked... Sainik Board's new plan JALANDHAR, July 10 — The District Sainik Welfare Board here has diversified pre-recruitment training to cover entry into paramilitary forces and other disciplines... More trains sought from Batala BATALA, July 10 — Mr Suresh Goel, president, ABP Passengers Union, along with other members met Mr Ram Naik, Railway State Minister, at New Delhi on Wednesday and... Krishna Ashtami celebrations AMRITSAR, July 10 — Mr Ramesh Talwar, secretary, Shree Durgiana Committee, yesterday said this year Krishna Janam Ashtami... |
| Tohra's warning to BJP leadership Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said here today that the stand-off between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the leadership of the BJP on the issue of Udham Singh Nagar district would have serious political repercussions. Talking to mediapersons at the SGPC office this morning, Mr Tohra said that the making and breaking of political ties may be a time consuming process but in this case the obstinate stand of the BJP was tantamount to oppression of regional aspirations. When asked to elaborate, Mr Tohra said that the Vidhan Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan were not far away and in these elections the Akali leadership would not be in a position to ask the Sikhs to vote for the BJP if it persisted with its stand with regard to Udham Singh Nagar. Unable to advance any solid argument and logic, the BJP leadership was now only resorting to "dhakka" on this issue which used to be the hallmark of the Congress party earlier. Refuting the claim made by Mr Madan Lal Khurana that there was a technical and legal problem in keeping Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Tohra said that when Haryana or  Himachal Pradesh
were carved out on Punjab after Independence, Lok Sabha
constituencies like Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur and Ambala had
to be bifurcated. But candidates elected from these
constituencies to the Lok Sabha did not lose their
membership of Parliament.He said that there was no truth in reports that Akali leaders owned big farms in Udham Singh Nagar district. Mr Parkash Singh Badal had some land there but he had sold the land about a decade ago. Mr Tohra said that Mr Gobind Ballab Pant, a top leader of Uttar Pradesh, had invited Sikh farmers to the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh about four decades ago and he had allotted them land more than what they had asked for. By clearing dense forests, Sikh farmers had made the land cultivable, he added. He said that apart from Sikhs, other communities living in Udham Singh Nagar had also nothing culturally common with the hill people and merging of this district in the proposed state of Uttaranchal would be great injustice with these people. He said that almost all inhabitants of the district were opposed to their exclusion from Uttar Pradesh. He said that due to the indifferent attitude of the BJP and Congess towards regional parties, the third about was emerging on the political horizon of the country. He said that regional parties like Telugu Desam, Trinamool Congress and the AIADMK had a common approach towards various national issues. When asked whether he was giving practical shape to his idea of forming a front of BJP allies within the BJP-led set-up, Mr Tohra said that the SAD had contacted some leaders for getting their help on the Udham Singh Nagar issue. |
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Teachers to have say in PAU matters From Our Correspondent LUDHIANA, July 10 — Teachers of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have got representation on the decision-making bodies of the university. Following a decision to this effect by the Board of Management a few days ago, the Registrar of the university has issued a notification saying that "the president of the PAU Teachers' Association (PAUTA) will be invited as a special invitee in the meetings of the Board of Management and the Academic Council" of the university. The teachers hope that with this decision, the functioning of the university administration will become more transparent and they will get an opportunity to place their point of view before the university authorities more effectively. The university's managing body has also formulated a new policy for the transfer of scientists working on out-station farms, research centres and College of Home Science, Kauni, to the main campus of Ludhiana. According to this policy, all those scientists who have completed five years of service at the out-stations will be eligible for the transfer subject to the availability of equivalent vacant posts. The vacancies created at the out-stations by the transfer of such scientists be filled by new entrants to the university service. Apart from the above-mentioned decisions, the board of management has also amended the university's statues regarding the appointment of heads of departments. In accordance with the board's latest decision, seniority will be an important determining factor in the appointment of heads. Besides, no teacher will be appointed head for more than one term of four years. In addition, the procedure for the selection of heads has also been modified. The selection committee headed by the Vice-Chancellor will comprise deans and directors of the university without any external experts. Likewise, the rules regarding the selection and appointment of deans/ directors and additional directors of research have also been amended. These posts will be filled by open selection through advertisements in newspapers and the selection committee will consist of only external experts as members and the Vice-Chancellor as it chairman. There shall be no internal experts on the selection committee. The procedure for the selection of associate professor posts in the open category has also been modified. The committee shall evaluate the qualifications, experience, publication etc of the candidates. However, the weightage of interview will not be more than 15 per cent of the total marks. Dr R.K. Batra, president of PAUTA, said these important decisions which had been possible due to the personal intervention of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, would not only infuse greater confidence in the faculty, but also reduce litigation and foster a healthy relationship between the teachers and the university authorities. Consequently, it would give rise to a more congenial academic atmosphere in the university. |
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Who will be V-C of Baba Farid varsity? |
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| Wearing
of helmets:
SGPC to move Supreme Court Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The SGPC president, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, said here today that the Shiromani Akali Dal would press the BJP Government to make an amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act to exempt Sikh women from wearing helmets. He said as per Sikh religious traditions, Sikh women could not wear helmets. He said that after studying the judgement delivered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court yesterday with regard to wearing helmets while driving scooters etc, the SGPC might file a petition in the Supreme Court for stopping the operation of the judgement in case of Sikh women. He supported the edict issued by Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, asking the Sikhs living abroad, especially in western countries, to follow the basic Sikh tenets while serving langar. Bhai Ranjit Singh has asked the Sikhs in Western countries not to make use of chairs and tables while serving langar at gurdwaras. Mr Tohra said that the tradition of "pangat" was one of the basic tenets of Sikhism and it could not be changed anywhere in the world by anyone. He said that if Sikhs in the West could listen to Gurbani in Gurdwaras while sitting on the floor why could they not take langar sitting on the floor. When told that leaders of management committees of gurdwaras had defied the edict issued by the Jathedar and had also refused to appear at Akal Takht, Mr Tohra said that at the initial stage many persons dared to defy the edict but ultimately even those who considered themselves very powerful men surrendered at Akal Takht. He said that the day would come when those defying the edict in the West would come and submit at Akal Takht. When his attention was drawn towards the statement made by the Congress party spokesman supporting the inclusion of Udham Singh Nagar in the proposed new state, Mr Tohra said that Capt Amarinder Singh, president of the PPCC, should explain what his party was doing. He said that Capt Amarinder Singh had said that he would meet the President and the Prime Minister on this issue but his own party was going against his stand. Mr Tohra said the Congress had always worked against the interests of Sikhs and Punjabis and no one could expect justice from it on the Udham Singh Nagar issue. When asked whether his party would vote against the Bill brought in Parliament with regard to creating of Uttaranchal, Mr Tohra said that when the time would come the party take the decision according to the prevailing circumstances. He said that it was too early to comment in this regard at this stage. Mr Tohra said that what he had said today to newspersons had already been conveyed to the leadership of the BJP at Delhi during a meeting of Akali leaders with top leaders of the BJP recently. In other words, The BJP leadership was aware about the viewpoint of the Akali leaders on the issue of Udham Singh Nagar. |
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| Medical colleges to have NRI seats By P.P.S. Gill Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The three government medical colleges in Punjab will now have, for the first time, seats reserved for non-resident Indian (NRI) students, effective from the current academic session. These seats have been carved out (5 per cent) of the existing 50 per cent "reserved" quota. As per this decision, while there will be five NRI seats each in the medical colleges at Amritsar and Patiala, there will be two NRI MBBS seats at Faridkot. Normally, 50 per cent seats in a medical college are under the "open merit" category and the remaining 50 per cent are "reserved" for various categories, identified by the State Government. As per the earlier notification, any seats left vacant out of 50 per cent "reserved" quota would have been reverted to "open" quota. Now, an amended notification has been issued, whereby, 5 per cent seats remaining from the 50 per cent "reserved" quota stand "reserved" for the NRI students. According to the Principal Secretary, Medical Education and Research, Mr K.K. Bhatnagar, this is an important policy decision approved by the Chief Minister. As per the decision, the money which will accrue in the form of fee shall remain with the respective medical colleges for ploughing back on "infrastructural" development of the college as well as the hospitals attached to the three medical colleges. The prescribed fee for NRI seats for the entire MBBS course is $ 75,000. Going by the number of seats, 12 in the present academic session, the colleges will net around Rs 2.05 crore. The new, amended notification, dated July 9, says that "NRI seats left vacant due to non-availability of eligible NRI, NRI-sponsored and Indian paying NRI fee candidates, shall be filled from the general category candidates on the basis of the PMET merit". The PMET result was declared on June 11. The admission process, called "counselling", begins on July 14-15 for selection of candidates to different medical colleges. Mr Bhatnagar said the creation of 12 seats in the three colleges is part of a bigger proposal submitted to the Medical Council of India. It was, he said, to increase the number of seats at Faridkot (where the intake is 50 at present) to 100; the intake is 150 each for Amritsar and Patiala. The proposal was that of the total 50 seats to be increased, at least 40 will be for NRIs which will be distributed among the three government medical colleges in the ratio of 15:15:10 for Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot, respectively. This number of seats would mean around Rs 12 crore, which will be additional finance available to the three medical colleges for "staff, bed-strength and equipment". It is an open fact that the medical colleges and hospitals attached to the three colleges are cash-starved. It was with great difficulty that the Finance and Planning Departments of Punjab agreed to the proposal to allow "retention" of NRI fee money by the colleges. Even now, it is learnt, some conditions have been imposed whereby the colleges will pay back a part of the fee money to the government exchequer. The department, Mr Bhatnagar said, is writing to the Ministry of External Affairs to inform all embassies of the provision which has been made in the state's medical colleges for admission into MBBS course. The matter for increasing seats to 40 is being separately pursued with the MCI. Clearance is expected on that also. Hopefully, from the next academic year there will be 40 seats for NRI students in the three colleges. The private medical colleges in the state already have the reservation for NRI students. Notwithstanding the coming up of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences at Jalandhar or the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences at Faridkot, the fact is that the physical condition of the government medical colleges and dental colleges is "pathetic". The requisite equipment is not only short but even the existing one is in total disrepair; there is a financial crunch too. To tide over this situation and give medical education an update, a Rs 490-crore project was submitted to the Union Ministry of Health for international financial assistance last year. Even though the Director-General, Health Services, cleared the same, the project was lost somewhere between the Ministry of Health and the Department of Economic Affairs. |
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| 11
IAS officers
shifted Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab Government has started the process of postings and transfers. In the first list released today, 11 IAS officers have been reshuffled, including four Deputy Commissioners and Commissioners of the three Municipal Corporations in the state. The Deputy Commissioner shifted are those of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr. Mr Narinderjit Singh is the new Deputy Commissioner, Amritsar, in place of Mr Amarjit Singh, posted Special Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development. Mr Som Parkash has been shifted from Hoshiarpur to Jalandhar as Deputy Commissioner in place of Mr M.P. Singh, who is posted as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu takes over from Mr Som Parkash as Deputy Commissioner, Hoshiarpur. The new Deputy Commissioner, Nawanshahr, is Dr Roshan Sunkaria, who has replaced Mr B.R. Banga, who is now Additional Secretary, Irrigation and Power. Mr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu is the new Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, in place of Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, who has been appointed Director, Cultural Affairs, Archieve, Archaeology and Museums and Executive Director, Anandpur Sahib Foundation. Mr Satinderpal Singh is Special Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, in place of Mr S.S. Rajput, who goes as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amritsar. Meanwhile, Mr Satish Chandra, Special Secretary, Vigilance has been sent on deputation to the Chandigarh Administration for appointment as Managing Director, CITCO — Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation; his deputation is for a period of two years. |
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| Sangrur's sole public library ailing |From Prem Goyal SANGRUR: The District Public Library here has been functioning under unsatisfactory conditions for over two decades. This is the only public library in the district. The library has over 3,000 permanent members from various parts of the district such as Barnala, Sunam, Dhuri, Malerkotla besides Sangrur town. The library has nearly 5,000 old but valuable books. Several of them record the history of erstwhile Maharajas of Jind state and their relations with British rulers. On an average, about 100 people come to the library daily for widening their knowledge. Established in 1912 by the erstwhile Jind state ruler, the library is now managed by the State Education Departament, through the D.P.I. (Colleges). The library was shifted to a newly constructed building opposite the Government Senior Secondary School outside Patiala Gate in 1991. The magnificent building was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh. The new building has of a reference section, a reading room, a children's section and a meeting room, besides the administrative block. The building is spread over an area of 3.7 acres. However, despite a spacious building and valuable books, acute shortage of staff and an inadequate budget have affected the functioning of the library. The annual budget for the purchase of new books is a mere Rs 2,500, while the contingency fund is just Rs
20,000. The library has to meet the electricity bills,
bills for newspapers and periodicals, besides repair of
old furniture out of this fund.According to the librarian at least Rs 50,000 as contingency fund and 10,000 for the purchase of books annually should be provided to meet the needs of the readers. At present, the library is manned by one librarian, a peon and an attendant. The post of a second librarian has been vacant for over a decade. The lone librarian is running the entire show and whenever he proceeds on leave, the library stops working causing inconvenience to readers. According to sources, at least three librarians, three restorers and four attendants, besides a chowkidar and a clerk, are required for the proper functioning of the library. Besides, a mali is urgently required to keep the library surroundings neat and clean be- cause in the absence of a mali, congress grass around the building complex mars the surroundings and keeps people away from the library. The librarian laments that the present staff is the same as it was since its inception in 1912 when the library started with a mere 5,000 books. A former Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.S. Bains, in a letter to the then Education Secretary in July, 1991, stressed the need for more staff, but nothing has been done in this regard so far. The furniture is worn out and has not been replaced for nearly two decades, admit sources in the library. |
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| Rs
126 cr for
better health care in Punjab From Our Correspondent FEROZEPORE, July 10 — The state government was making all-out efforts to provide better and improved services to the people of Punjab and for this purpose Rs 126 crore had been earmarked. This was stated here today by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, at Zira, 35 km from here, where he laid the foundation stone of Rs 2 crore 50-bed subdivisional civil hospital which is 30-bed at present. He said, after the formation of the SAD-BJP government, 300 vacant posts of doctors had been filled. Still, 500 more doctor were to be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission, he added. Mr Kalia said, besides health services, the state government was laying special emphasis on providing better education facilities to people. He added that prevailing social evils could be eliminated only if people were educated. He assured that the 50-bed building of civil hospital at Zira would be completed within a year. The new building would be equipped with a modern laboratory, ECG, X-ray, ultrasound, dental care and other facilities, he added. Mr Kalia reiterated that 150 civil hospitals taken under the control of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation, would be given a face-lift at a cost of about Rs 421 crore, in a phased manner. Under the first phase 70 civil hospitals and under the second phase 80 civil hospitals would be given a face-lift, he added and said, funds had been arranged from the World Bank. Among others, the Minister of State for Health and Family Weflare Punjab, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, Mr S.S. Channy, Managing Director, PHSC and the Ferozepore Civil Surgeon, Dr V.K. Bassi spoke on the occasion. |
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| Sainik
Board's new
plan Tribune News Service JALANDHAR, July 10 — The District Sainik Welfare Board here has diversified pre-recruitment training to cover entry into paramilitary forces and other disciplines. This step has been specially taken since entry into the Punjab Police/ the Punjab Armed Police had been stopped sometime back. Training would also be run to cover entry into armed forces. Lt-Col Manmohan Singh, Deputy Director Sainik Welfare, said that pre-recruitment training cadre would impart training to the wards of ex-servicemen. Next cadre will commence on July 20 on the District Sainik Welfare office complex here. Eligible and desirous (male) candidates should report here on July 20 for screening. He said only medically fit candidates would be admitted in this cadre. The cadre will be run for a period of six weeks. The candidates should bring with them their educational certificates and proof of age, photocopy of discharge book of their parents in case wards of ex-servicemen. He said that hostel accommodation facility free of cost to few deserving candidates would be provided. Free food will also be provided to the wards of ex-servicemen and said that this training is on freeship basis. |
| More
trains sought
from Batala From Our Correspondent BATALA, July 10 — Mr Suresh Goel, president, ABP Passengers Union, along with other members met Mr Ram Naik, Railway State Minister, at New Delhi on Wednesday and submitted a letter listing problems being faced by the railway passengers on the Amritsar-Pathankot and Amritsar-Jammu routes. The other demands include that industrial town of Batala should be linked with Jalandhar via Qadian, giving representation to passengers unions in the passenger amenities committee and the railway users consultative committee, and to allot more reserved seats from here to destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Hardwar, Mathura, and Kashi. |
| CAG
flays
pollution control board Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — While on the one side the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has failed to implement its action plan formulated to bring improvement in the environment of eight highly-polluted industrial towns in the state, on the other it had been consistently under utilising the available funds. This has been revealed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India following review of the board's records for the period between 1991-92 to 1995-96. The review was made from October 1996 to January 1997. According to the CAG report, an action plan was formulated by the board in August 1990, which sought to bring about improvement in environment of eight highly-polluted industrial towns in the state by 1995. Optimal results could not be achieved as upto March 1997 action plan was initiated in two towns only. A plan prepared in September 1992 to control noise pollution in the state upto September 1997 was yet to take off. Even essential equipment to measure noise level had not been procured despite availability of funds. It has been revealed by CAG that board had been consistently under utilising the available funds — the shortfall in utilisation ranging from 52 to 83 per cent. As a result, the board had a cumulative unspent balance of Rs 13.84 crore at the end of March 1996. This included water cess grant of Rs 9.58 crore from the Central Government out of which Rs 8.36 crore was meant for pollution control measures and assisting the industrial units in adoption of clean process technologies and sewage treatment systems. Even an assistance of Rs 26.50 lakh received by the board from the Central and state governments for research and other projects during 1991-92 to 95-96 had not been fully utilised. As on March 31, 1996, the board had 291 persons in position against the sanctioned staff strength of 436. Such a big number of vacancies in the board hampered its smooth functioning. The report says that one of the major functions entrusted to the board was to plan and execute programmes for the prevention and control of pollution caused by factories by way of discharge of effluents. It was noticed that board had not prepared any comprehensive programme for concrete action co-ordinating the prevention and control of pollution caused by units. According to the report, out of 1.92 lakh factories and industries running in the state, 1.80 lakh units were surveyed. The board had identified only 16676 industries for enforcing the provisions of Water Act 1974 and Air Act 1981. But board granted consents to 10350 units which means that 6326 units were running without consent though these were identified for pollution control. |
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| HC notice to 8 Punjab officers Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, July 10 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to eight former and present officers of Punjab for showing cause who a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act should not be registered against them for making illegal allotment of industrial plots to six industrial houses at Ludhiana. This order was handed down by Mr Justice V.K. Jhanji on an application moved by International Cycles and Strips Ltd. The industrial houses which have been allotted industrial plots by the Punjab Government under its Off-the-shelf scheme are Oswal Oil and Fats (100 acres), Vardhman Spinning and General Mills (60 acres), A-One Cycles (20 acres), Hero Cycles (100 acres), Ritesh Industries (40 acres) and Royal Industries (25 acres). The officers on whom the show cause notice has been ordered to be served are Mr A.S. Chatha, former Chief Secretary; Mr R.S. Mann, now Chief Secretary; Mr I.S. Bindra, Mrs Romila Dubey, both senior IAS officers; Mr H.S. Bhogal, Chief Town Planner; Mr Gurcharan Singh, Executive Director PSIDC; Mr B.K. Bassi, Chief Engineer of Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation; and Mr D.S. Kalha, former Director of Industries. The petitioner-company quoted a paragraph from a judgement delivered earlier by Mr Justice Jhanji. This paragraph says: "Files relating to allotment of land to the respondents No 6 to 11 show that allotments were made either on account of political and bureaucratic patronage or some extraneous considerations." The petitioner asserted that the exercise of power vested in the officers named in the petition who were members of the allotment committee amounted to an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act. |
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| Krishna Ashtami celebrations Tribune News Service AMRITSAR, July 10 — Mr Ramesh Talwar, secretary, Shree Durgiana Committee, yesterday said this year Krishna Janam Ashtami would be celebrated at Durgiana Temple here on August 14. This year, he said, Ashtami was divided into two dates on the Christian calendar. It would, commence from 2 p.m. on August 14 and last up to 2 p.m. on August 15. Since Lord Krishna was born at midnight and that Ashtami midnight fell on August 14, the Hindus had unanimously decided to celebrate Krishna Ashtami on August 14, he added. |
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