Saturday, February 20, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Saturday, February 20, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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A nostalgic
trip for Badal Rules
amended on sexual harassment |
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Tohra
loyalists to meet tomorrow Teachers
seek probe into police action Mittal
clarifies stand on function Ex-servicemen
Cong secy named Ferozepore’s
sole library school Rajya
Sainik Board revamped |
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A nostalgic trip for Badal CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — There was a day when Mr Parkash Singh Badal was unable to board a train from Lahore station. The same Mr Badal, Punjab Chief Minister, will accompany the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, during his historic visit to Lahore starting tomorrow. This story is related to 1947 when India's partition took place. The violence was at its peak. There was bloodshed all around the Lahore station where Mr Badal had come to catch a train to his native place. But as he saw violence going on at the station, he dropped the idea of boarding a train. He marched on foot to nearby Walton Military Training Station. From there he boarded the special train which brought him home. Mr Badal remained a student of F.C. College, Lahore, till 1947. He did his graduation from that college. His batch was the last to pass out from the college in undivided India. He stayed in the college for four years. For him a trip to Lahore in the company of Mr Vajpayee will really be a trip down the memory lane. He had only once been to Pakistan after partition. "I had gone once along with an SGPC jatha to Nankana Sahib", said Mr Badal. He will stay in Lahore only for a day. "I will return on February 21 as I have very pressing engagements back home. "Mr Vajpayee's visit to Lahore will open a new chapter of love and mutual understanding between the two countries", Mr Badal said today. Mr Badal has requested the Prime Minister to put various issues as regards Punjab on his agenda. One of the issues is facilitating the visit of a jatha invited from Lahore, the native place of Bhai Daya Singh, one of the first 'Panj Piaras' baptised by Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib in 1699. The other issues are the handover of the day-to-day services of the historic gurdwaras in Pakistan to the SGPC on a permanent basis by entering into an agreement at the government level and a request for granting visas to a group of 10 or more Sikhs to visit the holy shrines in that country. Mr Badal would also make a request to Mr Vajpayee to take up the issue of extending the cooking gas-pipeline from Pakistan to India. Cooking gas is surplus in
Pakistan and it would be a lot of cheaper if an agreement
were to be signed with Pakistan for the supply of the
same to India. |
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Indo-Pak ties Jakhar: time for
breakthrough ABOHAR, Feb 19 — A former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms Benazir Bhutto has said that she would not create any hurdles if the Lahore bus journey by Indian Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee makes any headway in normalising relations. This was revealed by Mr Balram Jakhar, former Lok Sabha Speaker, who had led 25-member parliamentary delegation to Pakistan on the invitation fo the Jung group of newspaper. Mr Jakhar met Ms Bhutto and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit. Talking to newspersons at his residence at Panj Kosi village early this morning, Mr Jakhar said Mr Sharif stressed the need for result-oriented negotiations. Mr Jakhar said the MPs were of the opinion that in any negotiations each side will have to adjust without which no compromise was possible. If left to the bureaucracy result would come out. This was the time to break the impasse and make a breakthrough. The Prime Ministers were getting unprecedented opportunity when a consensus was emerging to resolve the disputes. Mr Sharif had agreed with Mr Jakhar views that they should compete in progress and industrial development rather than wasting resources on an unending arms race. Mr Nawaz Sharif, Mr Jakhar said, encouraged by the positive atmosphere created by the parliamentary confrerence and wider consensus over the need to resolve disputes, had gone a step ahead while reciprocating Mr Vajpayee’s step and hoped to settle 50 per cent of the issues. Mr Nawaz Sharif had agreed for the free flow of newspapers and to simplify visa formalities. Mr Kakhar said people of both the countries were sick of poverty, unemployment and prolonged tension. Despite differences one could not deny the historic social and cultural links between the neighbours. Let minor irritants in the relations be solved first. This would be followed by solution of major problems, he added. Mr Jakhar said both countries should liberalise export by identifying more items. Traders should not be harassed by officers. Parliamentarians, artistes, poets, scribes should have no problem in getting visas. These steps would lead to a new era in the sub-continent. "We have started trade with China without solving border disputes, why not this attitude towards with Pakistan", he added. On his personal
experience, Mr Jakhar said he was pained to see students
holding demonstration at F.C. College, Lahore where he
studied in a peaceful atmosphere. |
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Migrants euphoric at PM's visit JALANDHAR, Feb 19 — "The greatest gift Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee can give to Indian people is friendship with our neighbours. These words are not from a 'diplomat' or an expert on foreign affairs, but from common man living here. When TNS spoke to a cross-section of people about their views on the Pakistan visit of the Prime Minister tomorrow, who will travel on bus, most were 'certain' that the commitment on improving the ties on both sides, was not a gimmick but genuine. Migrants from West Punjab (Pakistan) a large segment settled, here are more euphoric and emotional. A misty eyed Rabinder Singh Sandhu (68) who migrated from Dhaliwali village in Gujranwala said "we should forget the partition trauma and go on with time". Dr Gurinder Kaur Bhinder
(72) the first woman from her Lohiawala village in
Gujranwala, to be admitted by the Principal to the
Medical College Amritsar, Mr Sher Mohmmad Khan Mallick,
remembers how she visited the Mallicks in 1982 during the
cricket matches in Lahore. |
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Rules amended on sexual
harassment CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — The Punjab Government has amended the Government Employee (Conduct) Rules, 1966, to check "sexual harassment of women employees at their workplace". Under the new rules, "no government employee shall indulge in any act of sexual harassment of any woman at her workplace." Further, under the amended conduct rules, "every government employee, who is in charge of a work place shall take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment to any woman at such a workplace." The necessity to amend the conduct rules was felt in the wake of increasing incidents of "sexual harassment of women employees". In most cases, complaints are hushed up or departmental enquiries ordered into such complaints continue endlessly and in the absence of any rules, the guilty go scot free. The amended rules also explain what constitutes "sexual harassment". For example, physical contact and advances; demand or request for sexual favours, sexually coloured remarks, showing any pornography material or any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature shall be deemed to be a case of sexual harassment. Punjab is perhaps one of the first few States in this part of the country to have a specific rule to prevent sexual harassment of women employees at workplace. As Chandigarh follows the Punjab Civil Service Rules and Conduct Rules, the Administration is also likely to incorporate this rule into its Conduct Rules for employees. Though the amended rules do not specify any punishment for those who violate these provisions, but it is presumed that any such violation would be deemed as "misconduct" and would be dealt with accordingly as per the existing provisions for punishment of those who breach other conduct rules. The percentage of women employees both in Punjab and Chandigarh is quite substantial. In the past, some serious
complaints of sexual harassment of women at their
workplaces in government offices were referred to the
police for registration of regular criminal cases. But
other complaints where women employees are continuously
harassed by their colleagues or superiors with an intent
of sexual overtures usually get lost in official
redtapism. |
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IPS officer's plea on
reversion dismissed CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Dr Rajwant Singh, an IPS officer of the 1985 batch, for quashing the Union Government's order rejecting further extension of his deputation to Punjab, besides the Punjab Government's order reverting him to his parent state of Andhra Pradesh and the CAT order dismissing his earlier petition. Mr Justice G.C. Garg and Mr Justice N.C. Khichi, who constituted the Bench, observed that the Union Government in refusing to grant the request of the petitioner for inter-cadre transfer had not, in any way, acted arbitrarily or against the principles of natural justice. The Bench held that there was an all-out effort on the part of the petitioner to stay in Punjab on one pretext or the other by getting orders from one source or the other. The Judges observed that the petitioner had already overstayed the minimum period of his deputation, as per the policy, by over three and a half years. "Even if it be taken that his case still requires to be reconsidered," the Bench held, "it is open to him to make a representation to the Union Government in that behalf but he cannot prolong his stay in the state of Punjab, especially when the Union Government has finally declined to extend his period of deputation beyond December, 1996". The Judges held that he
should immediately join his parent cadre on his reversion
to Andhra Pradesh and make a representation or request,
if any, thereafter. |
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Tohra loyalists to meet tomorrow MOGA, Feb 19 (UNI) — Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gurcharan Singh Tohra has convened a meeting of his supporters, including Akali Members of Parliament, MLAs and SGPC members, at Fatehgarh Sahib on February 21 to review the ongoing political "turmoil". According to a confidant of Mr Tohra, the meeting has been called to chalk out a strategy to counter the no-confidence move against him by loyalists of Punjab Chief Minister and SAD president Parkash Singh Badal. It may be recalled that the party's disciplinary action committee had served a 15-day show-cause notice to Mr Tohra seeking an explanation for his "anti-party" attitude. Moreover, the 10 SGPC executive members had moved the Gurdwara Judicial Commission demanding the suspension of Mr Tohra from the post of SGPC presidentship. The meeting would also take stock of the situation following the installation of Giani Puran Singh as Akal Takht Jathedar. Akali sources said the Badal-dominated SGPC would prefer surgical ouster of Mr Tohra and his four loyalists in the SGPC executive by arguing for a favourable decision in this regard from the judicial commission, instead of the no-confidence motion against him in the general house which could turn out to be a sticky affair as there are six contenders for the office of the president of the SGPC. The Tohra camp seems to be
a worried lot because it has so far got no legal relief
from either the commission, whose all three members had
been appointed by the Akali government headed by Mr
Badal, or the Punjab and Haryana High Court. |
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Teachers seek probe into police
action RORAR, Feb 19 — The Punjab State-Aided School Teachers and Other Employees' Union today demanded a judicial inquiry into the lathi charge on the teachers by the police at Khanna, yesterday. Mr Manohar Lal Chopra, General Secretary of the Union, said the Khanna police resorted to the lathi charge on the teachers of aided schools when they were rallying against the government for not implementing the recommendations of the Fourth Pay Commission. Mr Chopra demanded that stern action should be taken against the 'erring' police officials. Condemning the lathi charge, he expressed resentment over the manhandling of teachers, especially women teachers, by the male police officials. He said he was visiting Khanna today to assess the situation on the spot. Meanwhile, the indenfinite stay-in-strike in the aided schools of the state entered fifth day today. Mr Chopra claimed that the teachers, other employees and pensioners today held demonstrations, rallies and relay fast at all district headquarters in the state. He also said that he, along with some members of the state action committee, had held an informal meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and the Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, at Chandigarh. During the meeting, the Chief Minister had shown a sympathetic attitude towards the demands, but no concrete solution could emerge. He said they had told the Chief Minister that mere assurances would not satisfy the teaching community. For this to happen the state government should issue a notification regarding the demands. Mr Chopra reiterated that the on-going agitation would not be called off till the demands were met to the satisfaction of the action committee of the Union. Meanwhile, the managing committee of the local G.M.N. Senior Secondary School, an aided school, has supported the demands of the teachers, other employees and pensioners of the aided schools. In a press note issued here today Dr R.S. Parmar, President of the G.M.N. Senior Secondary School's managing committee, said it should not be difficult for the state government to implement the decisions already agreed upon between the government and the employees. Expressing anxiety over
the studies of the students, Dr Parmar said the present
strike was harming the interest of lakhs of school
children in the state at this crucial time of the
academic session. He also appealed to the Punjab Chief
Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, to personally intervene
and settle the issue with the teachers and other
employees without any further delay. |
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Mittal clarifies stand on
function JALANDHAR, Feb 19 — Senior BJP Minister Madan Mohan Mittal has clarified that the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa are not just government-sponsored programmes but being organised by a committee, comprising all segments of society, while the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is just giving guidance and patronage. The Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal dubbed the allegations terming the tercentenary celebrations as wholly government-sponsored as baseless. Due representation has been given to all segments, and society, as a whole is participating, in this historic event, he said. The minister denied allegations that the SAD-BJP government had failed to secure compensation for farmers. The state government is seriously pursuing the matter with the Centre, he said. He blamed Communists, for generating "false propaganda", against the SAD-BJP government in the farming community. 'We have always been a farmer-friendly party," he claimed. The state government has
already recommended the demand of rice millers, for a
relaxation in milling specifications to the Centre, while
a central team has already given positive recommendation
on the proposal, he said. |
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Ex-servicemen Cong secy named LUDHIANA, Feb 19 — Wg Cdr Paramjit Singh Sibia (retd), member executive, Punjab PCC, has been appointed Secretary, Ex-servicemen Congress, AICC. Talking to newsmen here today he said ex-servicemen formed a significant segment of voters (approximately 8 per cent) in the northern states. There was a need to organise, motivate and impress upon them to join the Indian National Congress. The ex-servicemen were nationalistic, secular and disciplined people. They should, therefore, be natural allies of the Congress party. He said it would be his
endeavour to mobilise ex-servicemen in Punjab, Himachal
and J and K of which he has been made in charge. Public
rallies would be organised starting with Punjab by the
end of March this year. Mr K.K. Bawa, organising
secretary, PPCC and Mr Pawan Divan, ex-general secretary,
Punjab Youth Congress congratulated Mrs Sonia Gandhi and
Mr Rajesh Pilot for making the appointment. |
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Ferozepore’s sole library school FEROZEPORE: Of the 53 government senior secondary schools in this border district, the local Government Girls Senior Secondary School is the only school where there is a spacious hall to serve as library-cum-reading room. On May 25 the foundation stone of the building was laid by the then MP, Mr Virendra Kataria, who also released a grant of Rs 5 lakh out of his fund for its construction. The Punjab Education Minister, Mr Tota Singh, inaugurated it on January 30. The building is 70 ft long and 30 ft wide. A gallery has also been built inside it. Separate arrangements have been made for seating students and teachers. Sixty students and 25 teachers can sit together at a time. A provision for installing 24 fans and 20 tubelights has been made available. But, these have not been installed now as the school is short of funds. Refurnished old furniture has been placed there. The library has over 17,000 books on different subjects. Besides, two magazines, five newspapers — three in Punjabi and one each in English and Hindi — are also provided. The expenses on them are borne out of the Amalgamated Fund. According to the school principal, Mr Vijay Kumar Monga, about 1,200 students of the institute are inspired to utilise their free time in reading books and other material which can improve their knowledge and studies. No fee is charged for the books issued for a fortnight. But, in case of any delay, a late fee is charged. Books on the syllabi for the academic session are issued free to poor students. The books are supplied directly by the DPI (Schools), Punjab. Sometimes, the school gets a special grant to buy books. In order to run the library smoothly a librarian and an assistant librarian have been appointed. Talking to The Tribune, Mr
Monga said he was looking for donors who could provide
new furniture, ceiling fans and tubelights for the
library, which had been set up with the efforts of his
predecessor, Ms Paramjit Kaur and the PTA president, Ms
Chand Rani Sharma. |
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Rajya Sainik Board revamped CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — The Punjab Government has reconstituted the Rajya Sainik Board under the chairmanship of the Governor, Lieut-Gen BKN Chhibber (retd). The board will have two vice-presidents — the Finance Minister and the Minister of State for Defence Services Welfare — besides 12 ex-officio members, six non-official members and six special invitees. The Director, Sainik Welfare, Punjab, will be its Member-Secretary. The ex-officio members are the Chief-Secretary, the GOC-in-C of Western Command, the Financial commissioners Taxation and Revenue, the Principal Secretaries of departments of Finance, Home Affairs and Justice, Housing and Urban development, and Defence Services Welfare; the Director-General of Police; the Commander of Punjab, Haryana and HP area; the Chairman of Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation and the Director, Resettlement of Western Zone. The non-official members are Air Marshal Randhir Singh (retd), Hony Capt Ajit Singh (retd), Major-Gen Himmat Singh Gill, Gp Capt AJS Grewal, Mr Baldev Singh Kang and Mrs Gurdev Kaur Sangha. The special invitees are the Director-General, Resettlement; the Secretary Kendriya Sainik Board; all vice-presidents of Zila Sainik boards in Punjab; and Brig Sukhjit (Maharaja of Kapurthala). The term of the board will be two years. The objectives of the
board will be to promote measures for the welfare and
resettlement of ex-servicemen, their families and
families of serving or deceased personnel of the armed
forces personnel besides disseminating information to the
public regarding the armed forces in the country and for
taking measures to raise an intelligent interest in armed
forces among the public. |
Ceremony was not needed, says Mohan
Singh AMRITSAR, Feb 19 — The Head Priest of the Golden Temple, Giani Mohan Singh, who met the ailing acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh, here last night said today there was no need for an "installation" ceremony for those already working as priests in the temple. Talking to TNS on the phone, he said he had acted as "officiating" Jathedar of Akal Takht for two months without any ceremony. He cited the examples of Giani Chet Singh and Giani Achchar Singh in this regard. He, however, evaded a reply when asked if he accepted Giani Puran Singh as the Jathedar of Akal Takht. Meanwhile, the condition
of Giani Puran Singh continues to be stable. |
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Tercentenary celebrations CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 —The Punjab Chief Minister and Chairman of the Central Committee for Tercentenary Celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa, Mr Parkash Singh Badal has called a meeting of all political parties here at Punjab Bhavan on February 23 to discuss the arrangements in connection with celebrations. He has also invited the 'Sant Samaj' and various other religious organisations for a meeting on March 4 at Gurdwara Sahib, Model Town Extension, Ludhiana, to seek their involvement and participation in the celebrations. Presiding over a meeting of the central committee here today, Mr Badal mentioned that the association of every devotee of 'Guru Ghar' had been sought for the elaborate programmes being chalked out for the historic event. Various committees for organising the celebrations has also been constituted to ensure the successful conduct of the global event. Prominent among others who
attended today's meeting were Bhai Manjit Singh,
Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Bhai Kewal Singh,
Jathedar Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh,
Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder
(both members of the Rajya Sabha), Mr Jasbir Singh
Ahluwalia, Chairman, Punjab School Education Board, Mr
R.S Mann, Chief Secretary and Mr Ramesh Inder Singh,
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. |
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12 patients forcibly
discharged BATHINDA, Feb 19 — Dr Ajitpal Singh, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Children Hospital and President, PCMS Association, today alleged that 12 patients were discharged from the hospital forcibly following an order of the Civil Surgeon that no patient above 14 years should be admitted to the hospital. In a press note issued here today, Dr Ajitpal alleged that out of 12 patients discharged from the hospital forcibly yesterday, one patient was to undergo blood transfusion. He added that the patients were crying when they were discharged. Dr Bawa Ram, Civil Surgeon, Civil Hospital, said according to rules laid down for admission to the Children Hospital by the state health authorities, only patients below 14 years could be admitted to the hospital. He said he had taken up the matter with higher authorities for necessary permission for treating other patients in the hospital also. He pointed out that
patients above 14 years could be admitted to the Town
Dispensary at the Children Hospital complex. |
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Callousness costs life NANGAL, Feb 19 — Kashmira Singh, a storekeeper with the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMS) died at the BBMB Canal Hospital as he could not be administered blood in time. As blood was not available in the hospital, his family members were told to contact an independent organisation with regular blood donors. Two Shiv Sena volunteers agreed to donate two bottles of blood at the hospital. However, when the relatives of the patient asked for the blood bottles from the hospital laboratory, they were told by Harbaksh Singh, a worker there, they would have to pay Rs 1800 for the bottles as the donors charged Rs 900 per bottle. As the relatives were trying to arrange for the said sum, the patient died in the hospital. Surinder Singh, one of the donors and an aquaintance of the deceased, went to mourn his death. He was chided for having charged money for the blood donated by him. Surinder Singh then told the relatives of Kashmira Singh that he and his friend had not charged any money for the blood. One of the relatives of the deceased, Mr Raj Kumar, then filed a complaint in the local police station against Harbaksh Singh. The Chief Engineer, BBMB,
who has ordered an inquiry into the incident, said if
found guilty, strict action would be taken against the
accused and steps taken to prevent recurrence of such
incidence. |
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LIC officers take leave AMRITSAR, Feb 19 — All class-one officers of the local divisional office took mass leave today on the call of the Federation of LIC Class-I Officers in protest against the "adamant attitude" of the management towards their demands. LUDHIANA: The Class
I officers of the LIC went on leave today. The call for
leave was given by the federation. |
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