Wednesday, June 9, 1999
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Wednesday, June 9, 1999 |
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Agitating nurses
manhandled CHANDIGARH, June 8 — Agitating nurses from Punjab were allegedly manhandled by the police while trying to break the barricades near the Housing Board roundabout during which many protesters received injuries here today.
50
p.c. concession for war widows in IA |
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Minister joins issue with teachers BATHINDA, June 8 — Punjab Education Minister, Tota Singh today absolved officials being accused of copying charges in the matric and plus two examination held by Punjab School Education Board recently by various teachers unions. All
sitting MPs to be fielded: Soni Govt
not to allow direct purchase Dashmesh
Canal to benefit 8 tehsils Contest
from Ludhiana, Priyanka urged |
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Agitating nurses manhandled CHANDIGARH, June 8 — Agitating nurses from Punjab were allegedly manhandled by the police while trying to break the barricades near the Housing Board roundabout during which many protesters received injuries here today. The protesters from various parts of the state held a rally in Sector 34 before marching towards the Chief Minister's residence for presenting a memorandum to highlight their demands. The state-level rally would be held at Jalandhar, the home town of the state Health Minister, on July 10. It was also decided that in case their demands were not met till then they would resort to mass casual leave for two days besides paralysing medical services in the state from July 11. According to Ms Jeevanpreet Kaur, president of the Punjab Nurses Association, the scales announced by the government sometime back had been withdrawn suddenly. The staff nurses were given the scale of Rs 5,800 - Rs 9,000 on a par with those of junior engineers in the state. They hailed the decision of the government. Then they were told they had been placed in the pay scale of Rs 5,000 - Rs 8,100 and that the new scales had been wrongly announced. She alleged this instance coupled with the withdrawal of the 5 per cent HRA and various allowances continuing since Independence reflected the anti-women employee bias of the present government. Ms G.K. Khurana,
president of the All-India Nurses Association, demanded
that the Punjab nurses should be given Rs 2,000 as
special nursing allowance on the central pattern besides
upgradation of posts and bringing their salary on a par
with that of JEs. |
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Senior Cong leaders hold secret
meeting PATIALA, June 8 — Absence of senior leaders in the election committee of the state Congress party and importance being given to former minister Lal Singh has come into sharp focus with senior leaders deciding today to submit a memorandum to party President Sonia Gandhi in this regard tomorrow. A secret meeting of Congress leaders, including a former MP, Mr Sant Ram Singla, former ministers Brahm Mohindra, Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Raj Khurana, Hamir Singh Ghagga and Prem Gupta, party General-Secretary Birdevinder Singh and kisan cell Chairman Harinderpal Singh Mann took place today at the residence of Mr Sant Ram Singla. Though some leaders who were approached acknowledged attending the meeting but refused to go on record on the issue. However, sources said the leaders had decided to demand the reconstitution of the election committee, besides demanding the dropping of Mr Lal Singh from all committees as he had been allegedly indicted by the Lok Pal. While most of the leaders had met here yesterday to discuss the issues, a formal meeting was held in the forenoon today. The sources said the main aim of the meeting was to isolate Mr Lal Singh, who is presently perceived to be very close to the Punjab Pradesh Congress President, Capt Amarinder Singh. Speakers voiced their concern at the fact that while Mr Lal Singh was a Vice-President of the party, the latter's son had been made a Vice-President of the Youth Congress and the daughter-in-law, General-Secretary of the Mahila Congress. The meeting also expressed concern that members of the Beant Singh family, former PPCC Presidents Santokh Singh Randhawa and Virender Kataria and senior leaders like Mr Umrao Singh, Choudhary Darshan Singh, Mr Kewal Krishan, and Mr Brahm Mohindra were not made member of the election committee. They added that former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and senior leader Mohinder Singh Gill did not attend the first meeting of the election committee held at Chandigarh yesterday. The leaders had also met Congress observer Yagdutt Sharma at Chandigarh yesterday and urged him to visit all district headquarters to know the ground reality before submitting his report to the high command. They also recommended that those who had been indicted by the Lok Pal should not be fielded for the parliamentary elections, besides not being nominated on important committees. Following the meeting, former minister and prominent dissident Brahm Mohindra left for Delhi. While other leaders are expected to leave tomorrow. With this new political equations are likely to change in the Patiala parliamentary constituency. Mr Brahm Mohindra, Mr Birdevinder Singh and Mr Brij Lal Goel are known critics of the PPCC President, Capt Amarinder Singh, while Mr Raj Khurana and Mr Hamir Singh Ghagga are perceived to be close confidants of Mrs Bhattal, though they had refrained from coming out in the open. However, what is
surprising is the holding of the meeting at the residence
of Mr Sant Ram Singla, who was earlier a general
secretary of the party in charge of its office and has
now been made the Vice-President. |
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Justice at doorstep FATEHGARH SAHIB: To ensure speedy justice and redress public grievances at the doorstep, mobile courts and Lok darbars have been introduced in the district. Mr V.K. Janjua, Deputy Commissioner, said during the sangat darshan programme, a large number of people came forward with complaints regarding revenue disputes. He said the system had been started to save time, money and energy of people as well as officials. He said now the people would not have to visit district offices and revenue courts for the redressal of their grievances but their problems would be solved at the doorstep. Elaborating, Mr Janjua said the revenue officials would visit the villages every Friday and would hold court which would primarily deal with disposal and uncontested mutations, corrections of girdawaris and demarcations. He said till now people used to appear before the revenue courts of collectors (grade-I and II) to seek justice. Repeated adjournments were given on one or the other ground, thus making the dispensation of justice costly and time-consuming. He said a large number of people had encroached upon government land on both sides of roads and rural ponds. There were also complaints about unauthorised occupation of government land in the urban areas. He warned that the visiting officials would also decide about the encroachments and cases would be registered against the offenders. Mr Janjua inaugurated
the scheme at Himmatgarh Channa village. While addressing
the gathering, he said every Monday, district officials
would be present in their offices for the public and
every Friday they would visit the villages. |
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50 p.c. concession for war
widows in IA CHANDIGARH, June 8 — While the Central Government has revised the monetary allowance of all decorated soldiers, Indian Airlines has allowed a 50 per cent discount in fares on the domestic flights for war widows and recipients of highest gallantry awards. The Ministry of Defence in a circular sent to the chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force has stated that the upward revision in the allowance have been made to maintain relativity of the monetary allowance attached to various gallantry awards. The revised rates of allowance have been implemented with effect from February 1999. The recipient of the Ashok Chakra will get Rs 1400 a month as allowance and the Mahavir Chakra winners will get Rs 1200 a month. For the Kirti Chakra recipients the monthly allowance will be Rs 1050 and for the Vir Chakra holders Rs 850 a month. For the Shaurya Chakra winners the allowance will be Rs 750 a month. The government has also decided to grant a monetary allowance of Rs 250 a month to the Sena, Nav Sena and Vayu Sena medal awardees with the condition that these awards must have been won for gallantry. This allowance will be payable to those who have been given awards on January 26 and thereafter this year. In a circular with regard to discount in IA fares it has been stated that apart from war widows, the discount entitlement will also be for recipients of Paramvir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Mahavir Chakra and Kirti Chakra. There will be no need for the signatures of unit commanders for availing of such a discount . It could be obtained through the Kendriya Sainik Board and the Ministry of Defence and through Zila Sainik Boards. Apart from this the Punjab Government also gives a monthly as well as a cash award for the recipients of gallantry awards. Mr Janmeja Singh Sekhon,
Punjab Sainik Welfare Minister, said the state government
had decided to make payment of the ex gratia amount,
which was raised to Rs 2 lakh in case of all ranks, at
the bhog ceremony of the soldiers killed in action. He
said the minister of area concerned would be deputed by
the government to take the cheque for payment at the bhog
ceremony. There would be no delay in payment, he added. |
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Minister joins issue with
teachers BATHINDA, June 8 — Punjab Education Minister, Tota Singh today absolved officials being accused of copying charges in the matric and plus two examination held by Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) recently by various teachers unions. Reacting to the allegations of involvement of officials of the local education department in selective copying in the matric and plus two examination, the minister claimed that there was no cheating in the exams in Bathinda district and unions which were raising the issue comprised of teachers who did not teach. When asked if he had held any probe into the allegations including issuing of two roll numbers to certain students he doggedly continued to insist that there was absolutely no cheating in Bathinda district. He even said that results of certain classes were not so good this year because copying in examinations had been checked to a large extent. He added that teachers whose students had shown poor results had been warned that if results did not improve next year action would be taken against them. The minister said the large number of vacancies of lecturers, head teachers and principals was because of legal disputes pending before the Supreme Court on the promotion policy of the Education Department. He added that department had filed a petition for early hearing of the petition. He said six cases of fake enrolment in government schools in the rural areas by certain students to get admission in the engineering colleges under the rural quota had been detected. He said the Punjab
Government had no proposal to introduce English as medium
of instruction in government schools and English would
continue to be taught as a subject only. |
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All sitting MPs to be
fielded: Soni HOSHIARPUR, June 8 — The popularity graph of the Congress among the masses has increased in the country following the withdrawal of resignation by Mrs Sonia Gandhi from the presidentship of the AICC. That the Congress has become stronger has been proved by the recent results of the Goa Assembly elections. This was stated by Mrs Ambika Soni, General Secretary, AICC, while talking to mediapersons at the PWD Rest House here today. She said the expulsion of Mr Sharad Pawar, Mr Sangma and Mr Tariq Anwar had not harmed the Congress in any manner. None of the leaders of the AICC had sided with them in Bihar and the Northeast. However, there was a minor impact in Maharashtra. Referring to the allotment of party tickets in the ensuing elections of the Lok Sabha she said it had been decided to provide party tickets to all 146 sitting MPs. Candidatures for the remaining seats would be selected in a democratic process. The recommendations of the District Congress Committees and Pradesh Congress Committees would be considered. Replying to a question she said the Congress would not form an alliance with any party at the national level. However, alliances at the state level could be possible with secular and like-minded parties. Capt Amarinder Singh,
president, PPCC and Mr Jagjit Chaudhry, Leader of the
Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, addressed meetings
at Jaijon Doaba, Mahilpur and Garhshankar and in the
town. |
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Govt not to allow direct
purchase PATIALA, June 8 — President of the Federation of Arhtias Associations of Punjab Bal Krishan Singla has claimed that the Punjab Government will not allow the direct purchase of agriculture produce from farmers. Mr Singla said in a press statement here yesterday that the policy of direct purchase, in which the buyer bought the produce directly from the farmers, was neither good for the government nor the farmer and the arhtia. He claimed that under such a system for farmers would be subjected to exploitation by the purchaser who would not give them the actual rate for their produce. He said a delegation of
the federation met the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, and the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh,
and apprised them about the "pitfalls" of the
system. Mr Singla claimed that the delegation was
successful in convincing the ministers about the problems
of the policy and was assured that the direct purchase
would not be followed. |
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Dashmesh Canal to benefit 8
tehsils FATEHGARH SAHIB, June 8 — The Punjab Government will construct the Dashmesh Canal at a cost of Rs 270 crore to provide irrigation facilities to dry land falling the districts of Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala. With this farmers of eight tehsils would get benefit and it will lessen the shortage of drinking water in these areas. This was stated by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Minister for Finance, while addressing a gathering at Bhagatpur village after laying the foundation stone of a panchyat ghar in the village to be constructed at the cost of Rs 3 lakh. On the demands of the farmers, he declared that keeping in mind the shortage of water in this area a sugar mill will be set up near Banur in the private sector so that farmers may sow sugarcane and could improve their financial position. The minister announced grants of Rs 2 lakh for various panchyats. R.S. Cheema, a former
minister, Mr Kirpal Singh Sethi, Akali leader and Mr
Sarwan Singh Suhavi also addressed the gathering. |
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Contest from Ludhiana, Priyanka
urged PATIALA, June 8 — The Punjab Pradesh Congress Organising Secretary, Dr Satwant Singh Mohi, yesterday urged Mrs Priyanka Gandhi to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana. In a statement here, Dr Mohi said the Congress party would gain through the move as Mrs Priyanka Gandhi’s participation in the elections would encourage youth, women and Dalits to fight the reactionary, communal and anti-national forces. Dr Mohi also urged Dr
Manmohan Singh, former Finance Minister, to contest the
Lok Sabha elections from Jalandhar. He said a win from
Jalandhar would be a slap on the face of those calling
him a rootless leader. |
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S.K. Sethi appointed DG,
Prisons CHANDIGARH, June 8 — Mr S.K. Sethi, IPS, who had proceeded on long leave from the post of Director-General of Haryana Police, following differences with the powers that be, has been appointed as Director-General, Prisons, on return from leave. Mr B.R. Lall, IPS, on
return from Central deputation, has been posted as
Managing Director of the Haryana Police Housing
Corporation. |
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Punjab decision hailed CHANDIGARH, June 8 — Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, Secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal, has hailed the Punjab Government's decision to enhance various allowances and financial assistance for the dependants of soldiers who laid down their lives protecting Indian borders. He said soldiers were
making the supreme sacrifice to protect the country's
territorial integrity and it was a right decision to
extend a helping hand to them at this stage. Other states
should also follow , suit, he added. |
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PTV still viewed along
border AMRITSAR, June 8 — While the Centre has imposed a blanket ban on cable operators distributing Pakistan Television signals (PTV) the channel is still widely viewed in the border belt. PTV can be viewed without a cable connection here due to geographical contiguity of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepore districts with Pakistan. Pakistan TV and Pakistan Radio, broadcasts related to the Kargil incident have been especially provocative and malicious with Programmes like Sawere Sawere, compered by Khalil Malik spreading misinformation on Kargil through panel of experts, Pakistan Radio too broadcasts a daily propaganda programme each evening. The programme Dilli
Darbar, aired at seven p.m. daily includes misinformation
on Sikhism and is reportedly produced with the help of
Dal Khalsa and other militants who have taken shelter in
Pakistan. |
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Journalist cremated ROPAR, June 8 — Anandpur Sahib-based Dainik Tribune correspondent Dev Rattan Chaudhary, who died on June 4 at the PGI in Chandigarh, was cremated today at his native village, Takhtgarh, 20 km from here. His son, Harish Chaudhary, lit the pyre. The cremation was
attended by a large number of people including
journalists, advocates and politicians. The bhog ceremony
will be held on June 16 at the village. |
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Khadi board staff fast from
today CHANDIGARH, June 8 — The New Punjab Khadi and Village Industries Board Employees' Union here today decided to start a hunger strike from June 9 to protest against non-acceptance of their long-pending demands. Addressing a rally in front of their main office, leaders of the union said the employees of the board were agitating peacefully for the acceptance of their demands and made several requests to the management to get the same implemented but nothing had been done. The indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned has forced the union to stage a fast to get their demands accepted by the management. Other unions have also decided to give support to them. Prominent among those
who addressed today's rally were Mr Raghubir Singh
Dhaliwal, president; Sathi Amrik Singh and Mr Param
Singh, secretary, Mr K.K. Sharda, press secretary, and Mr
Azmer Singh, finance secretary. |
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Govt urged to take control of
gaushala PATIALA, June 8 — The Public Interest Litigation Aid Forum has urged the Punjab Government to take control of the management of the gaushala here as it has failed to control the menace of stray animals in the city. Mr S.S. Salooja, President, and Mr A.S. Nirmal, Secretary of the forum, said in a press statement that incidents of accidents on roads due to stray animals were increasing. In May alone an 11-year-old boy was killed when knocked down by a stray cow. The forum claimed that
the gaushala was set up in the erstwhile princely state
of Patiala to take care of the aged, wounded and invalid
cows and buffaloes and their calves and also to control
the menace caused by them on the roads. However, the
Gaushala Trust Management has not been able to deliver
the goods and the government should intervene to avoid
the menace caused by the stray animals. |
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