Saturday, December 4, 1999
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Saturday, December 4, 1999 |
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New farm policy must:
Kanwaljit LUDHIANA, Dec 3 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, today urged the Union Government to formulate a comprehensive agriculture policy to improve the financial position of farmers as the agriculture sector, which formed the basis of economy, was no more profitable. Don’t look down on disabled: FM LUDHIANA, Dec 3 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh today pleaded for giving due status to the physically handicapped in society. |
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ADGP: Rlys to privatise unmanned crossings LUDHIANA, Dec 3 — The Railway Ministry has decided to rope in the services of private industrial houses to install gates at unmanned railway crossings in the country with a view to checking mishaps. Sukhjinder wants CM to
step down 2000
govt primary teachers promoted SSP
told to register FIR against 2 SIs 26
FCI employees suspended SHSAD
forms probe panel SGPC
“justified” in not sending jathas to Pak Seats
for winners of youth festivals Bail
granted to bank chairman Mamta
case: HC rejects bail plea BKU
to gherao SDM offices on Dec 8 Disability
I-cards for handicapped Moga
residents remain without water Suicide
by ADC’s daughter? Punjab
holiday list DRME
hints at hike in tuition fee Probe
issuance of inflated bills: SDP Secretariat
staff hold rally Punjab
to implement notification 9,863
found eligible for pension in dist No
fund shortage, asserts FM Move
to shift bus stand opposed |
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New farm policy must:
Kanwaljit LUDHIANA, Dec 3 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, today urged the Union Government to formulate a comprehensive agriculture policy to improve the financial position of farmers as the agriculture sector, which formed the basis of economy, was no more profitable. Addressing the concluding function of a 12-day training programme on "intensive vegetable growth" organised by Punjab Agro-industrial Corporation at PAU, the minister said concrete steps were required to make agriculture profitable. The state government had chalked out a programme to set up more agriculture processing units so that only value-added food and vegetables products could be sold outside the state to earn more profit. Profit at present was being cornered by processing units in other states. Opposing the demand for withdrawing subsidy to the agriculture sector, the Finance Minister said every country in the world was providing subsidy to the farm sector. Even the USA was giving 30 per cent subsidy on agriculture. The Union Government’s claim of self-sufficiency in foodgrain was not correct as most countrymen were not able to afford food as per the UNO standards. The Finance Minister asked the participants to adept the latest Israeli farming techniques to enhance production. Mr Jagjit Singh Ghungrana said 70 farmers were imparted training during the programme in the latest Israeli techniques in enhancing vegetable production so that the per acre income of farmers could be raised. Dr G.S. Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said in order to accelerate development and raise agriculture production in the state, the government should frame a favourable policy for strengthening infrastructural facilities and introduce the latest technology in agriculture. Serious steps needed to be taken to preserve natural resources like ground water and to diversify by taking to cash crops, horticulture and floriculture. The Finance Minister
presented certificates to the trainees. |
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Don’t look down on
disabled: FM LUDHIANA, Dec 3 — The Punjab Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh today pleaded for giving due status to the physically handicapped in society. Speaking at a function organised here by Ek Prayaas, an institute for children with special needs being run by an NGO, to mark World Disabled Day, the minister decried the general tendency among people to look down on the disabled. He noted that even parents of such unfortunate children tended to ignore the disabled. In this connection, he praised the services being rendered by Ek Prayaas and said serving the needy was like serving god. He also announced a grant of Rs 51,000 to the institute out of his discretionary funds. Mr Jagjit Singh Ghungrana, Chairman, Punjab Agro Industries Corporation, Mr Balbir Singh, a municipal councillor, and Prof Manjit Singh also spoke. Mrs Sameera Bector, president of Ek Prayaas, highlighted the activities of the institute and said it had made a humble beginning but she had no doubt that in due course, it would become a big institution. Meanwhile, Ludhiana district is all set to become the first handicap-free district of the country with the completion of a special six-month-long programme launched by the district Red Cross Society and Bharat Vikas Prishad. This was stated by Mr Arun Goel, Deputy Commissioner and president of the district Red Cross Society, after launching a new mobile workshop van for the handicapped which is fully equipped with the latest techniques for measurement, manufacturing, fitting and maintenance of artificial limbs and audio-meters to provide service at the doorstep of beneficiaries in every nook and corner of the district. The required funds of Rs 7 lakh for this mobile workshop were provided by Lala Lajpat Rai, MP, from his constituency quota. Elaborating on this unique and noble programme, the first of its kind to be taken up in the country, the Deputy Commissioner said the programme was chalked out by the Red Cross Society in May this year and launched from June with the holding of a camp to identify the handicapped and take measurements of the required limbs. Since then, he claimed a total of 136 camps had been organised in the whole district out of which 108 were in the rural areas, covering 860 villages, 18 in towns and 10 in Ludhiana city. During these camps 4,560
handicapped were provided with artificial limbs and
hearing aids at a cost of Rs 46 lakh. Mr Goel said the
camps were organised by preparing separate teams in each
subdivision where technical staff of Bharat Vikas
Parishad and doctors of the Red Cross Society first take
measurements of the limbs and then at the next camp the
required limbs are fitted to the beneficiaries. |
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Punjab’s wonder dream goes
awry ANANDPUR SAHIB: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s dream of making this holy city “ajooba” has gone awry. Various tercentenary projects, started with worldwide publicity and fanfare several months ago, are in the doldrums. Non-release of funds is by and large responsible for certain projects being stuck. Besides, indecisiveness with regard to certain projects has led to delays. According to an information available with TNS here, on account of the non-release of funds, work could not be started so far on an ambitious project, Guru Gobind Singh Nature Reserve, near here. About Rs 2.80 crore is required to set up three dams, 15 to 20 km of walking trails, chain link fences, habitat improvement for animals, and resting places. It is learnt that the state government had sanctioned Rs 1.50 crore for various projects for this fiscal year but due to the financial crisis no money has been released. Likewise at the Guru Gobind Singh Nature Reserve, no funds have been provided by the government to set up a sewerage treatment plant. Out of the much-publicised five entrance gates to be set up after Panj Piaras on roads leading to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, only two have been constructed while the government is silent on construction of the remaining three gates. Fund shortage has also adversely affected the construction of an ITI for women and a polytechnic. Besides, a high-level bridge on the Sirsa and realignment of the Sirsa-Ghanauli road have also been held up due to shortage of funds. The slow pace of work can be judged from the proposed Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, a prestigious project, where 11 projects including Nishan-e-Khalsa have been planned at a cost of Rs 160 crore, but construction has started only on a bridge which would connect the two main buildings of the complex. The Dasmesh Academy of Martial Sports cannot be ready before April 2000 in the wake of a final decision on the air-conditioning of the 70,000-sq ft main hall. Besides, works to the tune of Rs 4 crore are yet to be carried out which include air-conditioning of the hall, landscaping, archery arena, pistol shooting range, etc. A three-star hotel, scheduled to come up by January, will also not be completed before Baisakhi. Widening of the road between Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib is another project which was to have been completed before the start of the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. But no one knows the deadline for completion of this project. Landscaping and beautification of two entry gates on the Kiratpur Sahib and Nangal sides are yet to be done even seven months after the celebrations. A new police station in conformity with gurdwara architecture is now expected to completed by next February as against the deadline of March this year. The ITI and polytechnic buildings will have to wait for their completion till more funds are released. Cracks in the Kisan Haveli, built in a record period of 10 months at a cost of about Rs 2 crore have put a question mark on the quality of all works executed as part of the Khalsa tercentenary projects. Not only parts of the main Haveli but also six Kisan Huts in the complex have developed cracks within six months. However, the authorities claim that cracks have developed due to rains and the soil settling down. On the other hand, some residents of the town have demanded that the state government should order an inquiry to check the quality of all works, including the Kisan Haveli. Nobody knows how much money has been actually spent on the Khalsa tercentenary projects till date though Rs 300 crore has been earmarked for the works. The Centre provided only Rs 19 crore out of the Rs 50 crore announced by national implementation committee of the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations on December 31, 1998. Mr Shivdular Singh Dhillon, Anandpur Sahib SDM and Additional Chief Administrator of ASUDA, talking to TNS said plans to acquire about 700 acres for setting up a military cantonment and a military academy had been sent for a no-objection certificate from the government. (Both these projects were announced during celebrations). He said a sewerage treatment plant would be set up near Tarapur choe after getting funds. A landscaping plan for the road connecting Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib would be finalised in consultation with local residents. Mr Dhillon said under
the Khalsa tercentenary projects plan, works like the
Panj Piara Park, railway station, a 100-bed hospital,
four-laning of the Kiratpur Sahib-Anandpur Sahib road,
bridges on different roads, Kisan Haveli, water treatment
plant, Charan Ganga Stadium and upgradation of power
station (from 33 kv to 132 kv) have been completed. |
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ADGP: Rlys to privatise unmanned crossings LUDHIANA, Dec 3 (UNI) — The Railway Ministry has decided to rope in the services of private industrial houses to install gates at unmanned railway crossings in the country with a view to checking mishaps. Stating this here today, the Additional Director-General Police (Railways), Punjab region, Mr Jarnail Singh Chahal, said that 500 unmanned railway crossings in the state would become manned crossings this way and industrial houses bearing the cost would be allowed to advertise their products in lieu at such crossings as decided by the ministry. He said that the Railway Police was inadequate to cop with security and required three times the estimated 2400 personnel available with it. Of the total personnel, about 1400 were of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and remaining 1000 comprised Home Guards and special police officers (SPOs). However, he said that no replacement of retiring or dying Home Guards or SPOs were made available, leading to manpower shortage. “We have no woman cop of our own but have got 40 women cops from various district police forces to check and frisk women passengers’’, he added. Mr Chahal said that all suggestions of the Railway Police to revamp and improve security system were being met with a stock reply of “resource crunch” from the Railway Ministry, therefore, they were hard-pressed to undertake adequate security measures. He said their suggestion to install close circuit televisions on important railway stations and regulation of entry and exit of passengers of others on platforms have not yet been implemented. He said that open platforms and multiple regular and irregular entry and exit points at the railway stations were a security risk. He said that though Puja express bomb blast occurred in Himachal Pradesh yet the Railway Police of the Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were working in close coordination to work out the crime. He said that they had
heightened vigil in military coaches which had become
target of terrorists. He said that these coaches were
checked by sniffer dogs who were also being used to check
tracks but Mr Chahal regretted that heavy load of traffic
did not allow time for repair and maintenance of tracks. |
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Sukhjinder wants CM to step down CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 — The Sarab Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) has urged Mr Parkash Singh Badal to resign from the Chief Ministership of Punjab and make way for some other Akali leader. Without naming Mr Badal’s successor, Senior Vice-President of the SHSAD, Mr Sukhjinder Singh said let the Akali legislators elect a new leader (Chief Minister) of their choice. He said that his party would support the move. Addressing a press conference here at his residence along with two other SHSAD leaders — Mr Jasmer Singh Bala and Mr Bharpur Singh — Mr Sukhjinder Singh said Mr Badal had failed to provide dynamic leadership to Akali activists and also to satisfy their political aspirations and urges. Asked to elaborate on political ambitions and urges, Mr Sukhjinder Singh said these included the transfer of Punjabi-speaking areas, promotion of Punjabi language, transfer of Chandigarh to the State. What had Mr Badal achieved on these issues though he has a friendly government at the Centre for the past two years or so? Mr Sukhjinder Singh asked. Alleging that Mr Badal lacked will to take decisions and to implement the same, Mr Sukhjinder Singh said though his day-dreaming days went over, yet he was "under seize." Mr Badal was trying hard by changing relevant laws and rules to capture zila parishads and panchayat samitis, he said. Even the late Beant Singh had captured such grassroots bodies, but his party lost Assembly elections decisively. As the Badal Government’s popularity graph has gone down, it was now taking the support of rules and regulations to win the elections, he alleged. Mr Badal has suffocated the party leaders by not allowing inner-party democracy. Under the garb of discipline, action had been initiated even against very senior party leaders. Suffocating the voice of dissent and snatching of right of expression was against the democratic functioning of recognised political parties, Mr Sukhjinder Singh asserted. Punjab was in a financial mess. The government’s credibility had been eroded. Populist schemes have created problems. District administrations have been made sub-servient to politicians, the SHSAD leader asserted. All this has led to chaos in the state. Supporting the provision of free power to farmers, Mr Sukhjinder Singh said only certain anti-farmer vested interests were making hue and cry with regard to giving free power to farmers. He said the farming community in the State was passing through a worst phase. Mr Sukhjinder Singh said
there was a despair in the rank and file of the SAD and
party MLAs were in a mood to revolt. He said all stories
regarding patch up with Mr Badal by the SHSAD were
baseless. |
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2000 govt primary teachers
promoted ANANDPUR SAHIB, Dec 3 — Lists to promote about 2000 primary teachers (JBT) as head teachers in government primary schools in the state have been finalised. Promotion orders to these teachers will be issued soon. This was disclosed here today by Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, Punjab, while talking to newsmen after inaugurating a three-day Punjabi University Zonal Youth Festival of the Ropar zone dedicated to the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations at Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College. Earlier, these promotions along with the promotions of other categories of the teachers in the Education Department could not be made due to a ban imposed on promotions in August, 1997. Mr Tota Singh said promotions of other categories of the teachers would also be made in due course. He said he had yet to give time to the organisation of Scheduled Castes teachers to hear its view point on the promotions. The Education Minister also said that he would hold a meeting with teachers’ organisations during this month or the next month to take a final decision on the issue of holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month in the government schools. He said he would also take steps to ensure 195 study days before the introduction of five-day week twice a month. Earlier, inaugurating the youth festival, Mr Tota Singh exhorted the students to bring changes in the society for the eradication of drug-addiction, dowry and killings of the female babies. He also said that a campaign in this direction should be launched during this youth festival. The minister also announced a grant of Rs 25,000 for Khalsa College. He also assured that he would persuade the CM and the SGPC Chief to issue liberal grants to the college. About 500 students, drawn from 15 colleges of Ropar zone, are participating in the youth festival. Among others who addressed the inaugural function were Mr Chanan Singh, Principal of the Khalsa College, and Mr Daljit Singh, Director, Youth Welfare, Punjabi University, Patiala. In the morning session
today, gidha, bhangra and classical dance competitions
were held. |
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SSP told to register FIR
against 2 SIs CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 — Mr Justice T.H.B. Chalapathi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the SSP of Ropar to register a case against Sub Inspectors Ajay Kumar and Baldev Singh at Ropar and Dhanraj Mehta (alias Sweety Mehta), a stamp vendor of Ludhiana, and their companions, on a petition filed by Mr Surinder Mohan, a resident of Chandigarh. The petitioner contended that he had leased out his house in Mohali to SI Ajay Kumar in October 1989 through a written agreement. However, it transpired later that the house had been occupied by another SI, Baldev Singh. He filed a suit against them for eviction, in which Baldev Singh took a stand, on the basis of a forged agreement, Mr Surinder Mohan had agreed to sell the house to his deceased father. The petitioner alleged that he never executed the said agreement to sell and in fact the document had been forged by SI Baldev Singh with the connivance of Ajay Kumar, a stamp vendor, by ante-dating the stamp paper. All these persons had thus cheated the petitioner in this manner by transferring possession of his house to SI Baldev Singh in a fraudulent manner to deprive him of its use and benefits thereof. Thus he contended, Baldev Singh was a trespasser in his house. On an earlier complaint of the petitioner, the High Court had seized the stamp vendor’s records and found that the stamp vendor had committed quite a few irregularities. Dhanraj Mehta used to keep bogus registers which contained blank entries and he maintained a secret diary containing the names of the prospective buyers. His licence was also cancelled by the state government for this reason. After hearing counsel for the petitioner and the Punjab DAG, the Judge ordered the SSP to entrust the investigation to an officer not below the rank of a DSP and to take such course of action as mentioned in law. Notice to Punjab on tinted glasses On a petition filed by Baba Farid Transport Company Malerkotla, seeking a clarification on the direction of the High Court on use of black films in light and heavy vehicles, Mr Justice Swatantar Kumar issued notice to the state of Punjab. The petitioner-company, which has three buses, in the application stated that the applicant’s buses which have been fabricated by Amar Body Builders of Jalandhar had tinted glasses but was within the permissible limit of light transmission as provided under Rule 100 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules. This court vide its earlier order has ordered that no heavy or light vehicle should use black film on its windows. While the Central Government has prescribed the permissible limit of light transmission, their vehicles were being challaned for using such tinted glasses and they were being harassed. The case was fixed for December 13. The state counsel has been directed to place on record the Supreme Court’s directions on the next date. SSP told to submit medicine scam report TNS adds: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the SSP of Ludhiana to submit report into the investigation of the alleged Rs 1.5 crore medicine scam. Mr Justice T.H.B. Chalapathi, who passed this order on a writ petition filed by Mr Harmohinder Singh, Secretary of the World Human Rights Protection Commission, adjourned the case to December 22. The Ludhiana police had registered an FIR into this scam on the basis of a letter that the principal Secretary of the Punjab Health Department wrote to the Ludhiana SSP on April 30 this year. The FIR alleges that senior officers of the Health Department purchased medicines at those prices higher than prevailing in the market. For example, ciprofassein was purchased at the rate of Rs 7.85 per piece against the prevailing price of Rs 3.10. Similarly, brufen was purchased at 84 paise per tablet against the market price of 43 paise, tetracyclin at Rs 1.22 paise as against the market price of 45 paise per tablet and B.P. apparatus at Rs 850 against the prevailing price of Rs 375. The FIR was registered
under Sections 409 and 120-B of the IPC and under
Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act
against Dr P.K. Narang, Additional Director of the Punjab
Health Systems Corporation; Dr G.P. Chander, Civil
Surgeon, Ludhiana (now retired); Mr Budh Sungh, Chief
Pharmacist; Dr Harcharan Singh, SMO, Phagwara; Mr R.K.
Thaman, Accounts Officer' Mr Satish Kumar, Senior
Assistant; and Mr Gurnam Singh, Pharmacist. |
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26 FCI employees suspended BATHINDA, Dec 3 — As many as 26 employees, including Assistant Managers (Quality Control) and Technical Assistants of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) posted at Talwandi Bhain station in Ferozepore district have been placed under suspension for accepting rice of substandard quality from the millers. Official sources said that these officials accepted rice which was beyond rejection limit (BRL) and not conforming to the specification in the current year. The total quantity of the rice accepted by the these officials was 2000 metric tonnes (MT). The sources said that bungling in acceptance of rice by these officials come to light when a complaint in this regard from Orissa where the rice was sent before the supercyclone hit that state. The rice has been lying in that state and is yet to be auctioned at lower rates. Mr D.P. Reddy, Senior Regional Manager (SRM), FCI, when contacted, said the financial loss to the FCI due to acceptance of the BRL rice by these officials was being worked out. He added that according to the rough estimates, the loss would run into lakhs of rupees. He pointed out that the FCI authorities, which were exercising strict control on the acceptance of rice of better quality, had constituted flying squads to make random checking at its various centres to keep a vigil on the staff members so that rice of good quality could be procured from the millers. He said he had asked the millers of Mansa district, who had given 25 consignments of BRL rice to the FCI to replace it at their own cost and substitute it with rice of better quality. He added that no rice from the millers of Mansa would be accepted till they replaced the bad quality rice supplied by them earlier. He said in Jaitu town he had asked the millers to replace about 2000 MT of rice which was BRL and had been accepted by FCI officials last year. He said action would be taken against those officials who had accepted the BRL rice. He said the rice accepted by FCI officials in this town was not even fit for human consumption. He pointed out that the FCI authorities would not allow the officials to accept the substandard quality of rice when the paddy supplied to millers for milling was of best quality. He added the FCI authorities bad identified the notorious centres and a special vigil was being kept to check any irregularities there. He said that he had
covered four districts in first phase to check the
quality. The other districts would be covered in the next
phase. He added that some complaints were also received
regarding the acceptance of bad quality rice from the
millers by FCI officials at Moga. |
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SHSAD forms probe panel PATIALA, Dec 3 — The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal today constituted a five-member fact-finding committee to report within 48 hours the real story behind yesterday’s attack on Dera Dhakki Sahib in Ludhiana. The party’s president, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, today said in a press note the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, could not escape responsibility about the attack by suspending five police personnel and condemning the incident. Calling these acts as a mere eyewash, Mr Tohra accused Mr Badal of being behind the attack. He said the Chief Minister was supporting two of his MLAs who had been striving to grab the dera land. Mr Tohra also alleged the attackers did not even show mercy to innocent animals who were stabbed with spears. He said even holy scriptures were damaged in the attack. LUDHIANA (TNS): The Gurmat Sidhant Parchar Sant Samaj on Friday set up a five-member committee consisting of Sikh sants to look into the incident of attack by villagers on the dera of Baba Darshan Singh of Dhakki Sahib at Maksudran village, near here, on Thursday. This was announced here by Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi, president of the samaj. The five members of the committee include Sant Hari Singh, Sant Paramjit Singh Mahalpur, Sant Chamkaur Singh, Sant Sukhchain Singh and Bhai Mohkam Singh. Meanwhile, three leaders of the SHSAD, namely Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, Mr Hira Singh Gabria and Mr Bikramjit Singh, MLAs, have strongly condemned the sacrilegious incident at the dera and demanded a judicial inquiry into the whole episode. They also demanded
immediate transfer of the SSP, Khanna, who, according to
them, had failed to prevent the incident. |
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SGPC “justified” in
not sending jathas to Pak SANGRUR, Dec 3 — Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Union Cabinet Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Elevation, in a reply to a question justified the decision of the SGPC not to send jathas to Pakistan in protest against the constitution of the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PGPC). The constitution of the PGPC was a wrong decision, stated Mr Dhindsa. Mr Dhindsa was talking to mediapersons here this evening on his first visit to the town after being inducted in the Cabinet. Mr Dhindsa said that the Vajpayee regime was much better than the previous Congress regimes as the Congress governments only created communal disharmony and harmed the interests of the minorities, while during the Vajpayee regime communal harmony flourished and respect for minorities increased. Regarding his differences with the former Union Minister, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Mr Dhindsa said that now he had no ill will against anybody and wanted to see the party united in the district forgetting the past but he hastened to add that it was for the other side also to reciprocate in this regard. Regarding the allocation
of unimportant portfolio, Mr Dhindsa said that his party
wanted a portfolio which was beneficial to the interests
of the people of Punjab, adding that it was the
prerogative of the Prime Minister to allocate the
portfolios. |
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Seats for winners of youth
festivals ANANDPUR SAHIB, Dec 3 — Punjabi University, Patiala, has reserved 15 seats in various courses for winners of competitions in youth festivals at the national and inter-varsity level. Stating this here today, Mr Daljit Singh, Director, Youth Welfare, Punjabi University, said the seats would be available from the 2000-2001 academic session. He said it would help promote cultural activities at the college level. Mr Daljit Singh said the university had decided to introduce three cultural items at the university level youth festival from this academic session. Kavisari, a cultural folk tradition, and two dances-sammi and jhumar-would be introduced at the Punjabi University Youth Festival for the first time this year. The Director said Punjabi University had set a tradition by appointing on its staff a three-time national winner of youth festivals without any interview. He said, Shameem Iqbal, a ghazal singer and a grandson of renowned Qawwal Rehmat Iqbal of Malerkotla, had been appointed in the university’s Theatre Department as music composer. He said the university’s Youth Welfare Department would honour its old students who were now renowned artistes. He said Punjabi
University was among the first four at the national level
in cultural activities. |
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Bail granted to bank chairman KAPURTHALA, Dec 3 — Mr Nirmal Singh, Sessions Judge, today granted bail to Mr S.D. Sharma, Chairman of the Ferozepur-Kapurthala Kshetriya Gramin Bank in a bribery case. The Sessions Judge ordered the release of Mr Sharma on his furnishing a bail bond of Rs 20,000 with a surety of the same amount. Mr Sharma was arrested by the vigilance police on the charge of accepting bribe of Rs 5,000 from Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Tongawala village, for clearing his case for the purchase of a truck. Meanwhile, employees of the bank and all nationalised banks of the town called off their agitation following the order of a probe into the case by the DIG (Vigilance). The banks functioned normally. According to reliable
police sources, the DIG (Vigilance) is expected to visit
Kapurthala on Monday to start the probe. |
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Mamta case: HC rejects bail plea CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 (PTI) — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today rejected an anticipatory bail plea by Kamal Sharma, son of a BJP councillor from Ludhiana, in the case relating to the alleged attempt to abduct film actress Mamta Kulkarni in Ludhiana recently. Ms Justice Bakshish Kaur rejected the bail after prosecution counsel Inderpal Singh Sidhu argued that the accused had tried to kidnap the actress by wearing the uniform of a DIG and he was accompanied by four others. "There is enough evidence on the file to connect the accused to the crime and custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary to ascertain the identity of others who had accompanied him," Mr Sidhu submitted. Sharma’s counsel contended that a fax message and an affidavit had been given by Mamta Kulkarni that she did not want to pursue the matter against the accused and, hence he should be allowed bail. Opposing the plea, Mr Sidhu said the very fact of procuring the affidavit amounted to tampering of the prosecution evidence by the accused. Some persons had
allegedly attempted to abduct Mamta Kulkarni from a hotel
at Ludhiana on October 30, where she had gone to attend a
"star night". |
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BKU to gherao SDM offices on
Dec 8 BATHINDA, Dec 3 — The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) has decided to launch an agitation and gherao SDM offices in Punjab on December 8, in protest against the action of co-operative bank authorities to continue arresting the farmers, who had not repayed the loans advanced to them by the bank due to crop failure. This was declared by the BKU (Ekta group) President Punjab Pishoura Singh Sidhupur, Senior Vice-President Ruldu Singh Mansa and Vice-President Sukhdev Singh, Kokari Kalan in a joint statement issued here today. They farther said it had been decided to gherao the arresting authorities and to organise flag marches in order to bring awareness among farmers in villages. Further plan of action regarding this would be finalised in the meeting of the state executive to be held on December 10, they added. While condemning the government's action they alleged that many farmers had fled their homes due to the fear of raiding teams. They disclosed that the authorities had already arrested many farmers of this district. The leaders demanded that the "so-called" farmer friendly SAD-BJP government should be lenient as far as the recovery of loans from the farmers of this belt was concerned. The farmers had suffered heavy losses and were yet to recover the losses suffered due consecutive drop failures. They alleged instead of giving relief to the farmers the state government had started harassing the farmers. They also criticised the state government's move to implement Sections 63-C and 67-A of the Co-operative Act which were anti-farmer and discriminating. Leaders of the BKU also
urged the farmers not to resort to suicide in frustration
and asked them to prepare themselves for fight against
government atrocities. |
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Disability I-cards for handicapped NAWANSHAHR, Dec 3 — The state government is committed to work for the welfare of the disabled and has launched special schemes for their social and economic security. This was stated today by the Health Minister, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, while presiding over a state-level function, organised jointly by the Health Department, Social Security Department and the Physically Handicapped Association, Punjab to mark the World Disabled Day here at Baradari Garden. Mr Kalia said the government had decided to issue disability identity cards which would be issued on every Monday at district headquarters jointly by the Health and Social Security Departments to enable the handicapped persons to avail of various facilities being provided by the government. Two hospital at Bathinda and SAS Nagar would be set up for disabled persons, he added. Mr R.L. Kalsia, Director, Social Security Department, said that 27,000 disabled persons were getting pensions. Mr Manoranjan Kalia also distributed identity cards to the disabled persons besides distributing 10 tricycles and 20 sets of crutches. Mr G.S. Preet, Director,
Health Services, Mr Ajit Sailani, Chairman, Physically
Handicapped Association, also spoke on the occasion. |
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Moga residents remain without
water MOGA, Dec 3 —
Certain areas of the town remained without drinking water
for the past two days due to a power breakdown, which
paralysed not only the water supply system but also
business activities. Similar reports were also received
from certain villages in this district where villagers
here today urged the officials of the Punjab State
Electricity Board to make immediate and proper
arrangements for uninterrupted supply of drinking water
to them. |
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Suicide by ADC’s daughter? FARIDKOT, Dec 3 — Parveen, a daughter of Mr H.L. Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Ferozepore, has allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a canal. Police sources said Parveen, who was married to Mr Sanjeev Kumar, a factory manager, five years ago had come here from Ludhiana yesterday. Mr Raghubir Singh Chahal, DSP, when contacted said the body of Parveen was taken out of the canal by labourers working in the fields and shifted to hospital. She died on way to the hospital. He said the body was
handed over to her parents after a post-mortem. A case
under Section 174 of the Cr P.C. had been registered. |
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Punjab holiday list CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 — The Punjab Government today calendar released the following list of public holidays for the year 2000. All Saturdays and all Sundays will be public holidays. Other holidays are: Birthday of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji (January 5), Id-ul-Fitr (January 9), Republic Day (January 26), Birthday of Sri Guru Ravi Das Ji (February 19 ), Mahashivratri (March 4), International Women’s Day (March 8), Id-ul-Zuha (March 17), Holi (March 20), Hola Mohalla(March 21), Shahidi Day of Bhagat Singh (March 23), Ram Naumi (April 12), Baisakhi(April 13), Birthday of Dr B.R. Ambedkar (April 14), Mahavir Jayanti (April 16), Good Friday( April 21), May Day (May 1), Sri Parushuram Jayanti (May 6), Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (June 5), Birthday of Prophet Mohammad Sahib (Id-e-Milad) (June 15), Kabir Jayanti (June 16), Martyrdom Day of Shahid Udham Singh Ji (July 31), Independence Day (August 15), Janamashtami (August 23), Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2), Dasehra (October 7), Birthday of Maharshi Valmiki (October 13), Divali (October 26), Vishwakarma Day (October 27), New Punjab Day (November 1), Birthday of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (November 11), Martyrdom day of Sri Guru Teg Bahadar Ji (November 24), Christmas (December 25), Id-ul-Fitr (December 28). New Year Day on January
1, and Lohri on January 13 and Basant Panchami and
Birthday of Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji on February 10 and
Muharram on April 16 and Budh Purnima on May 18 will be
restricted holidays. Employees can avail two holidays out
of these. |
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DRME hints at hike in tuition
fee AMRITSAR, Dec 3 — Junior doctors working in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, who have been on a warpath for the past several months over the steep hike in tuition fee for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses expressed their resentment the Director Research and Medical Education (DRME), Dr S.S. Sidhu. The DRME, who visited the local medical college to listen to the grievances of the junior doctors, said the government was planning to raise the tuition from Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000 annually as there was a serious financial crunch. The president of the Junior Doctors Association, Dr Rajnish Sharma, told Dr Sidhu that while the salary of junior residents in the state was the lowest in comparison to other states in north India the fee was the highest. The doctors complained about lack of security in the medical colleges and the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital. Dr Sidhu assured that the government was planning to appoint ex-servicemen for round-the-clock security and vigil at the hospital and the in college campus. Dr Sidhu announced that
the government had sanctioned the building of a boundary
wall to separate the hospital from the college complex to
stop the entry of undesirable elements. |
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Probe issuance of inflated
bills: SDP JALANDHAR, Dec 3 — The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has demanded a probe into “irregularities” committed by the Punjab State Electricity Board authorities in electricity bills issued to residents of Hoshiarpur town. In a press note issued here today, Mr Jai Gopal Dhiman, president of the party, said a large number of consumers in the city and surrounding areas were at the receiving end as they had been issued inflated bills. “Whenever somebody points out this to authorities, they try to shift the buck by saying that it might have been due to computer error.” The party demanded that
meter rent should be abolished as it was the property of
the board and not of the consumer. He said the practice
of charging a tariff for a minimum of 30 units should
also be abolished and consumers should be made to pay the
bill according to actual consumption. |
||
Secretariat staff hold rally CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 — On a call given by the Punjab Civil Secretariat Staff Association, hundreds of secretariat employees here today held a rally to protest against the non-disbursement of salary to them for the month of November. While addressing the rally, Mr Jaswant Singh Randhawa, Chairman, and Mr Oma Kant Tewari, President of the Association said that the failure of the secretariat administration to take timely action was responsible for the delay in the payments of salaries. They said the
administration should have taken appropriate steps as the
court had attached the particular salary head of the
secretariat. |
||
Punjab to implement
notification CHANDIGARH, Dec 3 —
The Punjab Government today agreed to implement the
Ministry of Human Resources Development notification in
respect of the pay scales etc of the teaching staff in
the Government-aided engineering colleges. Dr Upinderjit
Kaur, Technical Education Minister, Punjab in a statement
said here today that the revised pay scales would be
implemented with effect from January 1, 1996 as notified
by the Union Ministry. In the light of this decision, she
has appealed to the teaching staff not to boycott the
examinations. |
||
9,863 found eligible for
pension in dist FARIDKOT, Dec 3 — As many as 9,863 pensioners of this district were found eligible for this facility following a survey conducted by the district administration last month. In a press note issued here today, Mr A Venu Parsad, Deputy Commissioner, said there were 17,645 pensioners in the district before the survey and after the survey the number had come down to 9,863. He added that 15 teams, which conducted a comprehensive survey in association with various panchayats, found that 403 pension beneficiaries had died while 3,522 beneficiaries were found to be not eligible for pension. He said that about 3,857
pension beneficiaries were found absent during the survey
and directions had been issued to district social
security officer to identify the eligible beneficiaries
from these persons. He added that out of a total 3,522
beneficiaries, who were found ineligible 2,236 were
women. |
||
No fund shortage, asserts
FM FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 3 — Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Finance Minister, while talking to The Tribune at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib today said the government would plead before the court for lifting the seal of treasury head of the civil secretariat. He said bills of the contractor were ready and so was the amount. He said there was no shortage of funds in the state but there could be delay of some bills due to some queries. He said the Constitution
of the country should be amended to give more financial
powers to the states. He said people had high hopes but
the state government had very limited resources. He said
he had raised the matter at various platforms and even
with 11th Finance Commission. He said without the
amendment the financial condition of the states could not
be strengthened. He said at present other states were
facing a deeper financial crisis than Punjab. |
||
Move to shift bus stand
opposed BATHINDA, Dec 3 — Activists of the bus stand bachao sangharsh committee today held a rally in the district courts complex in protest against the move of the district administration to shift the local bus stand. Mr Chaman Lal, Municipal
councillor, who is president of the committee, said a
memorandum was also submitted to Mr Ajaib Singh Bhatti,
ADC, in this connection. |
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