Tuesday, February 2, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Tuesday, February 2, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Course
affiliation fee Lapse
cost Forest Department 4 crore |
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Loudspeakers
banned at night |
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‘White
city’ work begins Single
window system on cards 8-member
gang arrested More
ayurvedic hospitals on anvil Morcha
gives 7-day ultimatum to SAD Gujral
flays Punjab's policy on electricity |
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Tohra’s
broadside at Hamdard AMRITSAR, Feb 1 — SGPC President, Gurcharan Singh Tohra has accused Mr Barjindar Singh Hamdard, Managing Editor, Ajit, of unleashing a "vilification" campaign against him to tarnish his political reputation and in the process throwing Press laws, norms and ethics of journalism to the wind. He also accused him of practising yellow journalism. In an "open letter" addressed to Mr Hamdard, released to the press here today, Mr Tohra alleged that Mr Hamdard had denigrated Akal Takht — the supreme religious-cum-temporal seat of the Sikhs — the institution of hukamnama (religious edict), Sikh code of conduct and convention and Sikh philosophy and was trying to create fissures in the rank and file of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the representative body of the Sikhs, with a view to sabotaging the tercentenary celebrations of ordaining of the Khalsa. He said Mrs Indira Gandhi
demolished the Akal Takht building, whereas Mr Hamdard
has been trying to demolish the concept and institution
of Akal Takht itself, an act for which he would never be
pardoned by the Sikh-Panth. He said though Mr Hamdard had not given his name as Managing Editor on the paper's masthead, he had been writing signed editorials which are totally biased against him. He also charged the paper with distorting his statements if they were published in the first place. He said its readers would themselves decide who was right and who was wrong. Ajit, he said, which was once the voice of Punjab and the Panth, had been reduced to a mouthpiece of Mr Hamdard, who had joined politics recently. He contested the claim that Ajit had been working for the promotion of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat, and said every Punjabi newspaper and magazine had been working for the promotion of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat. Pointing out that the Shiromani Akali Dal had nominated Mr Hamdard for a Rajya Sabha seat in March 1998 as reward for singing 'paens' in flattery of "one person". But rather than contest on the ticket Mr Hamdard was silent on the issue for a week. Then on the last day of filing of nomination papers he filed his papers as an "Independent" so that party discipline of the SAD may not be imposed on him. Mr Tohra charged him with betraying the Shiromani Akali Dal through this deceit and of misleading the entire nation by posing as an "Independent" member of the Rajya Sabha. "How can one expect a healthy attitude" from a leader who started his political career with deception. It is the tragedy of the Sikh Panth that a person who disliked being called an "Akali" has been running the affairs of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Akali government through back-seat driving and was now trying to run the Akal Takht as well, he said. And when the Jathedar refused to toe his line, Mr Hamdard launched a vilification campaign in his newspapers against him as well even though. Bhai Ranjit Singh represented the Sikh psyche and had been following in the footsteps of Akali Phoola Singh. He said Mr Hamdard had not spared even Guru Gobind Singh, his mother Mata Gujri or his four sons and denigrated them by getting a news item written by one of his journalists published citing blasphemous and derogatory remarks against the Guru, his mother and his four sons taken from a book banned by the Punjab Government on the very first day of its release. The SGPC and a number of
Sikh organisations had lodged a complaint with Akal Takht
on this issue.
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Produce
copy of restraint order: HC CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the state counsel to produce by tomorrow a copy of the order passed by the Sikh Judicial Commission on January 29 restraining Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta from functioning as SGPC Secretary. Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Iqbal Singh delivered this order on an application preferred by Mr Dara Singh, a former member of the commission, praying for a stay on the operation of this order. The Bench directed that this application be listed for hearing tomorrow at 1.45 p.m. when the state would produce before the court a copy of the commission's order. In his application, Mr Dara Singh stated that he had filed a writ petition in the High Court questioning the notification issued by the state government dissolving the commission. He had also contested the fresh government notification constituting the new commission. The petition was adjourned to February 23 for arguments. Mr Dara Singh's contention was that the state government did not have any jurisdiction either to dissolve or constitute the commission. In his application, Mr Dara Singh had urged the High Court to stay the operation of the commission's order restraining Mr Calcutta from functioning as SGPC Secretary. He had also alleged that the commission was not conducting itself according to the law and had passed the illegal order. Therefore, it should be stayed. He told the court that the SGPC counsel had moved an application before the commission praying that he should be allowed to inspect the file so that he could jot down the order. The applicant was directed to inspect the file only on February 1. Mr Dara Singh in his application stated that the judicial commission had turned down this request of the SGPC counsel at 4.30 p.m. on January 29, although the office remained open till 5 p.m. Another appeal filed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President of the SGPC seeking a stay of the commission's order of January 29 came up for hearing before Mr Justice N.K. Sodhi. In his order Mr Justice Sodhi observed "Copy of the order impugned in the appeal is not on the record. In the absence of the order, no direction can be issued. Learned counsel for the applicant states that copy of the order in another case would be placed tomorrow before the writ court." The Judge adjourned Mr
Tohra's appeal to February 3. |
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AISSF
flays Badal for defying edict AMRITSAR, Feb 1 — The AISSF has condemned the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for denigrating the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Akal Takht. The President of the federation, Mr Harminder Singh Gill, in a press statement issued here today said that instead of taking guidance from Akal Takht and enforcing the hukamnama of the highest seat, Mr Badal was conspiring to remove its Jathedar, Prof Ranjit Singh, and instigating his SGPC loyalists to defy the edict. Mr Gill criticised Mr Badal for defying the hukamnama issued by Akal Takht on December 31, asking both the warring factions to maintain truce till April 15. He pointed that the Chief Minister was using all ploys through his henchmen, the official machinery and the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission to oust Mr Tohra and challenge the hukamnama. The AISSF leaders felt that the government was working on a one-point programme to perpetuate family rule over Punjab, thus harming the interest of the party and the Panth. Mr Gill clarified that the
hukamnama issued by Akal Takht was a gospel truth and it
was the duty of every Sikh to obey it without any
reservation. |
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Site for Mohali railway station
selected SAS NAGAR, Feb 1 — In a significant step forward in the Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link project, the final selection of the site of the local railway station at Kambala village has been made, with the Prime Minister or the Minister for Railways likely to lay the foundation stone of the project soon. Although the date for the ceremony has not yet been officially confirmed, reports say that it may be fixed for February 12. Officials, including Ropar Additional Deputy Commissioner Khushi Ram, local SDM, O.P. Popli and Tehsildar Jagdeep Singh visited Kambala village, near the Phase IX industrial area here, on January 30 to settle matters, including the amount to be paid with the owners whose land falls under the project. Sources said the location of the 15-km track from Chandigarh railway station to Kambala has also been finalised, apart from the alignment of the railway line from Morinda to Kharar. The first phase of the Chandigarh-Ludhiana link project will be up to Morinda. According to the plan, the station at Kambala will be around 300 metres from the inhabited area of the village, behind the Swaraj Engines factory. The rail line, sources said, would start from Chandigarh station, pass through Phases I and II of the Industrial Area of Chandigarh, Ram Darbar, the Base Repair Depot (BRD), along Sector 47, Jagatpura village and then reach Kambala. It is learnt that there will be no level-crossings in the Chandigarh-SAS Nagar. At points there will be railway bridges over roads so that road traffic is not affected. According to the plan, certain roads will have to be diverted to join major roads. It will be a high-speed track which will be electrified. Mostly trains like Shatabdi will run on it. A larger team of officials, including the Ropar Deputy Commissioner, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, besides local officials, visited Kambala again this evening. Dr Jasmer Singh, whose land falls under the project, opposed the authorities categorising the village land as agricultural in the revenue records. As the village land touched the Phase IX industrial area, its potential commercially was no less and the compensation should, therefore, be given accordingly. He said land in the village could not be sold because of the Periphery Act. Registration of sale deeds had been done in terms of marlas as the cost per acre was high. He said the proper land acquisition procedure, which was lengthy, was not being followed. He said the authorities were at present indulging in bargaining and wanted the land owners to give possession at the earliest. Residents said about 40 acres of their land would come under the project. They demanded at least Rs 30 lakh per acre as compensation for "open land" and separate assessments in the case of land with structures, trees, etc. They feared that the compensation would be inordinately delayed. Another village resident,
Mr Karam Singh, said a rail line passing through any
piece of land would adversely affect agricultural
activity. He demanded adequate compensation for the land
owners concerned.
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Course
affiliation fee prescribed PATIALA, Feb 1 — The Academic Council of Punjabi University today decided to prescribe a fee of Rs 15,000 for affiliation of a new course and Rs 8,000 for affiliation of a new subject in a college affiliated with it. A university release here said the council meeting, which was presided over by Vice-Chancellor, Dr Joginder Singh Puar, also decided to amend the eligibility conditions for admission to M. Tech course. The release said the committee, while approving the inspection committee report regarding various colleges also approved provisional affiliation to eight affiliated colleges for starting bachelor of business administration, bachelor of computer application and post-graduate diploma in computer application. It said the university also decided to make Punjabi a compulsory subject for diploma in physical education besides creating five extra seats for the employees of Punjabi University in the course of diploma in computer applications so as to train university employees in computers. The meeting decided to create 25 per cent extra seats in various regular courses for NRI-sponsored and industry-sponsored candidates. It raised the rates for photocopying in the university library. It also approved the proposal of abolishing the entrance test for those seeking admission to various post-graduate and honour's school courses in colleges affiliated to the university. It announced the starting
of UGC-sponsored courses and subjects such as functional
English, advertisement sales, promotion and sales
management. |
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Lapse
cost Forest Department 4 crore GURDASPUR, Feb 1 — The Forest Department may have been deprived of Rs 4 crore in compensation due to the ignorance of district forest officials. According to official sources 3761 acres of land was acquired for Ranjit Sagar Dam several years ago. Of this 850 hectares was marked as undemarcated forest. The award of Alexender Anderson settlement of the nineteenth century and revenue records show that while the land was the property of the private individuals the trees on it were the property of the Forest Department. These sources said that the land had 51,000 non-fruit bearing trees before its acquisition. The divisional forest officer who acquired the land sent the proceeds of the sale of the trees to the land acquisition officer of Ranjit Sagar Dam for payment to the land owners. The lapse came to light when Mr Sat Pal Saini moved a call attention motion on the issue in the Punjab Assembly in June 1998. Whereupon the divisional forest officer wrote a letter to the land acquisition officer demanding payment. But by then the entire compensation amount had been paid to private individuals. According to official sources 75 per cent of the compensation amount of trees in undemarcated protected forests/demarcated forest had to be deposited with Shahpur Kandi Development Fund for the development of the Shahpur Kandi area. Official sources said the forest corporation has been felling trees from undemarcated and demarcated forests and selling them in the open market without depositing the required percentage with the Shahpur Kandi Development Fund adversely affecting the development of the area. Official sources said the
Chief Minister has taken the matter seriously and ordered
demarcation and numbering of trees to prevent further
malpractices. The land acquisition officer Ranjit Sagar
Dam has written to the divisional forest officer to
produce proof of ownership of the said trees and the
felling of trees has been banned for the time being. |
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Loudspeakers
banned at night LUDHIANA, Feb 1 — In order to completely check the public nuisance by way of use of loudspeakers, violation of traffic rules, putting up banners and dumping building material on roads in Ludhiana city, the district administration, traffic police and municipal corporation have jointly decided to launch a sustained campaign in response to a large number of complaints from public and social organisations. To monitor the progress of the drive, a high-level meeting of the officers concerned would be held every Monday. This decision was taken at a meeting of the representatives of voluntary and social organisations and officers here today under the chairmanship of Mr Arun Goel, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana. Mr Goel said that a complete ban on the playing of loudspeakers from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. has been imposed keeping inview the approach of examinations of students. The ban orders would be strictly implemented and criminal cases registered against the violators. In the remaining period, loudspeakers could be used only with the permission of the competent authority. He called upon the managements of religious places to cooperate voluntarily and not to use the loudspeakers within the restricted period. In case of a complaint by anyone against the use of loudspeakers by any marriage palace after 10 p.m., a criminal case would be registered against the owner. Regarding the action against traffic rules violators, Mr Kuldip Singh, SSP said that during the campaign, the traffic police would strictly deal with the violators and no under aged person would be allowed to drive vehicles. The police would also not allow the violation of red lights and wrong side driving on the divided roads. Wrongly parked vehicles would be impounded and challaned. He disclosed that the police had acquired two radars to check overspeeding and breath analyser to check drunken driving. Mr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, said that the corporation had banned the putting up of banners on roads and warned that the violators would be challaned. He informed that the corporation had also stopped permitting anyone to stack building material on the road. Material lying on the roads would be confiscated by the corporation and heavy penalty imposed on the owner. He said that the
corporation had also decided to take action against the
persons who damage roads by putting up pipes for
installation of welcome gates and shamiana for any
purpose, including social and religious gatherings or
processions. |
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‘White
city’ work begins ROPAR, Feb 1 — As part of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa Panth, a project to paint the entire Anandpur Sahib town white began today following an ardas in Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib by Giani Surinder Singh, Principal of Sikh Missionary College, Anandpur Sahib. The first building to be painted is situated near the gurdwara where the head of ninth Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib was cremated. The head was brought from Delhi after the martyrdom of the Guru by Bhai Jaita Ji. About 5,000 houses of the town will be painted white to accord the town a status of "white city". The work is being done by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGPC). Mr Tanwant Singh and Mr Mangal Singh, both members of DSGPC, claimed that the project of painting the city would be finished by February 28 by the 400 workers pressed into service. Mr Mangal Singh said the town had been divided into 13 zones for the work to be covered in a phased manner. He said since this work was being done with spiritual and religious feelings they had not faced any resistance from the owner of any house or shop. Rather, the residents were happy. On this important occasion, no top Akali or SGPC leader was present. Among the civil
authorities were Mr K.S. Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner,
Ropar, Mr Tejvir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner,
Anandpur Sahib, Mrs Jaspreet Talwar, Additional Chief
Administrator of Anandpur Sahib Urban Development
Authority (ASUDA), Mr Amrit Bansal, E.O. of the Municipal
Council, Anandpur Sahib and officials of the PWD. |
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Single
window system on cards ROPAR, Feb 1 — The Punjab Government will soon introduce the single window system in the state for the preparation of ration cards to ensure its delivery to the applicant in a date-bound time frame. This was stated by Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Punjab, here today. Mr Mittal said he had received several complaints regarding the delay in the preparation of ration cards. To redress such complaints he would hold special meetings with the secretary, directors and other officers of the Food and Civil Supplies Department tomorrow. The minister denied that the preparation of temporary ration cards was stopped in the state and said there was no such move. He said the migrants were only asked to produce surrender certificate of the ration card of their respective states, failing which no ration cards would be issued. He said despite this a lenient approach was being adopted. Mr Mittal said instructions had been issued to all depot holders in the state to hang a photograph of the owner at the depot for discouraging "benami" depots. He also warned that the depot holders who would violate this direction would not be spared. Mr Mittal, who is a member of a subcommittee on fiscal management set up by the state government, disclosed that all deliberations on financial issues had already been completed at various meetings held by the committee, only a final shape was yet to be given to the report for preparing a draft. He said this draft, consisting of suggestions regarding financial matters, would be submitted in a fortnight to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. He claimed that due to the Badal-Tohra feud no adverse affect on the development of the state was visible as development works had not been stopped. He added that with the resignations of five ministers work had not suffered in those departments which were held by them. Mr Mittal was of the view that after the formation of the BJP government, the Centre-states relations had improved a lot. This was despite the fact that there were governments of opposition parties in several states. He said relations with Pakistan had also improved recently as a bus service between Pakistan and India had commenced, he added. Regarding the religion conversion issue, Mr Mittal said the state government would take action against those found offering such temptations to the poor sections. The minister said that
some forces were working to complicate our domestic
matters as the same did not want to see our country
strong on economic front, scientific front and defence
front. He cautioned the people not to follow those
forces. |
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8-member
gang arrested JALANDHAR, Feb 1 — The Jalandhar police has arrested an eight-member gang of robbers following their attempt to rob Mr Roshan Lal's house in Helran village on January 24. Mr Gaurav Yadav, SSP, said in the wee hours of January 24, the gang broke into the house of Mr Roshan Lal. They broke open the door of the room in which Roshan Lal and his family were asleep. However, when the family grappled with the robbers, one of them hit Roshan Lal's wife on head. The family members raised an alarm and the robbers fled. In this connection FIR No 23 dated 25.1.99 U/S 382/511 of the IPC was registered at Sadar police station here. Two migrant labourers
Arjan and Sagar, who used to work for Roshan Lal, were
interrogated by the police. They admitted they were part
of the gang. The confession of the two labourers led to
the arrest of Shankar, Davinder, Heera Lal, Uttam, Pramod
and Nand Kishore, all migrant labourers from Bihar. |
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More
ayurvedic hospitals on anvil HOSHIARPUR, Feb 1 — The ayurvedic system of medicine is a part of the Indian culture and for its development, the Punjab Government has decided to open one ayurvedic hospital at each subdivision in the State. As many as 17 ayurvedic hospitals are already functioning in state and Rs 15 lakh has been spent on medicine during the current financial year. Mr Manoranjan Kalia Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab, while addressing the closing session of the 29th conference of the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) branch Punjab here last evening, he said private clinics were not covered under the Punjab Nursing Home Act. Mr Kalia said the vacant posts of ayurvedic director and other doctors would soon be filled. He said that it had recommended to the Pay Anomaly Committee to provide ayurvedic doctors the same pay as their allopathic counterparts. He appealed to the integrated medical practitioners to help the government identify doctors who were practising with fake degrees. Dr Satinder Kakkar,
President, and Dr Navneet Sagar General Secretary of NIMA
unit Punjab, demanded a separate directorate for the
ayurvedic system of medicine in state. They also
highlighted the problems of the integrated medical
practitioners. |
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Morcha
gives 7-day ultimatum to SAD JALANDHAR, Feb 1 — The Masihi Dharam Yudh Morcha has given a seven-day ultimatum to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to urge the central government to assure protection to religious institutions. The President of the morcha, Mr Hamid Masih held an emergency meeting here today to deliberate the "crucial times and the victimisation faced by the Christian community in the country". A resolution was passed that SAD should come forward to open a dialogue and initiate constructive steps to assure the protection of Christians and their institutions. SAD should withdraw its support to the BJP-led coalition government, a spokesman of the morcha, Mr Freddi Joseph, said. Christians of the state
will not tolerate the silence of SAD over the tragic
episodes of Gujarat and Orrisa and a dharna at the CM's
residence will be staged on February 22, he added.
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Gujral
flays Punjab's policy on electricity KAPURTHALA, Feb 1 — Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral today criticised the policy of the Punjab Government for providing free electricity and subsidies on other commodities which would ultimately ruin the economy of the state. He cautioned if these concessions continued, the economy of the state would be lower than that of Bihar in the next 20 years. Addressing the annual convocation of the local Hindu Kanya College, Mr Gujral said Punjab would not be able to get a share from power which the Government of India was planning to buy from Pakistan because of their policy to provide free electricity. He expressed his dismay over the failure of the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and the SGPC President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, to fulfil their promise of achieving 100 per cent literacy in Punjab. They had made this promise when they had met him during his tenure of prime ministership for the acceptance of 16 demands of Punjab, which he had conceded, but lamented that nothing concrete had been initiated so far. He stressed the need of educating women which would help in building the nation. He added that states which had achieved 100 per cent literacy, particularly among women, the population growth had stopped The Punjab Transport
Minister, Mr Raghbir Singh, and the Technical Education
Minister, Mr Upinderjit Kaur, were also present on the
occasion. |
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