Monday, March 8, 1999
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P U N J A B | |
Monday, March 8, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Barnala
denies favouring Ranjit Singh |
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Top
economists for GND Varsity conference Punjab
not to send teachers on deputation Rabri
has lost 'moral right' to govern Tributes
paid to Justice Gurnam Singh Traders
greet Tandon with black flags |
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Barnala denies favouring Ranjit
Singh LUDHIANA, March 7 — The Shiromani Akali Dal is not for any individual, but the people are for the party. This was stated by Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Union Food Minister, while talking to reporters here today. The Union Minister said that he would participate in the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa, irrespective of the fact that whether it was being organised by the state government or by the Akal Takht. Mr Barnala, however, declined to comment on the ongoing tussle between the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal and the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. He denied ever having issued a statement to the press in favour of Bhai Ranjit Singh. He said that he had tried to intervene and sort out the differences between Mr Badal and Jathedar Tohra, but could not succeed and then kept quiet. He informed that of the Rs 100 crore allocated for the tercentenary celebrations, Rs 50 crore would be utilised for celebrations in Punjab and the remaining sum would be used for the schemes to be launched by the Central government on this occasion, like exhibitions and inter-faith seminars in various states. When questioned about the
SAD supporting President’s rule in Bihar he said
that although the party still advocated the scrapping of
Article 356, it had to support the Union government on
the issue, because they did not want to give a free hand
to the Congress. The killing of innocent Dalits in Bihar
demanded that the government be sacked and
President’s rule imposed, he said. When asked to
comment on the allegation against the BJP-led Union
government that it was anti-farmers. Mr Barnala refuted
this charge and said that this year’s Budget was
ample proof that the government was pro-farmer. He
informed that a meeting with rice shellers was scheduled
for tomorrow where their demands would be taken up and
discussed. |
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Ranjit Singh calls special
meeting PHAGWARA March 7 — The "suspended" Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh, has declared that a special meeting will be held on March 12 at Gurdwara Alamgir (Ludhiana) to discuss the constitution of a committee for celebrating the tercentenary of the Khalsa as per Panthic spirit and Sikh ethos. 'Addressing' congregation at Jagpalpur village, yesterday, Bhai Ranjit Singh alleged that Mr Parkash Singh Badal and his aides were keeping him in the dark about tercentenary programmes. He said that people like Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Ajit Editor Barjinder Singh who were not even baptised were heading and guiding the "sarkari’’ celebrations and thus sabotaging the Panth and lowering Sikh prestige. The trio of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Barjinder Singh were spreading canards against him by calling him a peril to the peace, he alleged. Questioning the locus
standi of 10 persons to suspend him, Bhai Ranjit Singh
asserted he "is and will be Akal Takht
Jathedar". |
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Teachers’ stir CHANDIGARH, March 7 — Who will conduct the annual examinations of 4 lakh students in government-aided private schools of Punjab? This question has assumed significance as the teaching and non-teaching staff in these schools is on strike since February 5. Already the annual examinations in government schools have started. While the examinations of Classes VIII, X, XI and XII is conducted by the Punjab School Education Board authorities, the examinations of other classes are held internally by the respective schools. There are about 474 government-aided schools in the state having about 10,000 teaching and non-teaching staff on their rolls. These schools are mostly named as Khalsa, DAV and SD schools in the urban and semi-urban areas. The parents of students studying in these schools are a worried lot. They say that the delay in holding the examinations will affect their wards adversely. The results will come late and the next academic session will also start late. Above all when the examinations will be held is not certain. No end is in sight to the agitation started by the teaching and non-teaching staff under the banner of the Punjab State Aided School Teachers and other Employees union. The authorities concerned appear to be least bothered about the agitation. Already, an offer made to the aided schools by the Punjab Government has been rejected by the Union on the ground that it is inadequate. After proceeding on an indefinite strike, the staff of these educational institutions has also started a ‘jail bharo andolan’. About 700 teachers have courted arrest and are behind bars, most of them in Burail Jail. Justifying the agitation, a spokesman for the union said that Mr Parkash Singh Badal was the first politician who had included their demands in the manifesto of his party released on the eve of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha election. But now Mr Badal was dodging them, he alleged. There are at least 14 states in the country which treat aided private schools on a par with government schools. An equal treatment was being given by the Punjab Government to these schools for the past about 30 years. But now, all of a sudden the Punjab Government has done a volte face regarding 95 per cent grant and revised grades for teaching and non-teaching staff. States like Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat are treating aided schools on a par with the government schools in their respective areas. The spokesman said that while on the one hand the state government was talking about quality schools and education for all, on the other hand, it was ‘running away’ from providing power and proper funds to these schools. The standard of education in aided schools was far better than that in government schools, he claimed. When asked why the union had rejected the offer of revised scales made by the government, the spokesman said the government was offering them these scales from January 1, 1999, while in the case of other employees the scales had been implemented from January 1,1996. Secondly, the Government had a fixed grant with a 5 per cent cut in the 95 per cent grant which was earlier given to these institutions. This was not acceptable as Dearness Allowance continued to be revised and apart from this, increments had to be given to the staff every year. So, the grant should be 95 per cent of the salary. The parents, on their
part, allege that the Punjab Government is not concerned
about these schools as the common man’s wards study
in these institutions. |
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Top economists for GND Varsity
conference AMRITSAR, March 7 — Guru Nanak Dev University will host the 82nd annual conference of the Indian Economic Association from December 27 to 29. Giving this information to The Tribune, Dr H.S. Soch, Vice-Chancellor, said this was the first time such a prestigious conference was being held in northern India. At least 1000 members were expected to participate. Dr Soch said the award for distinguished economists would also be presented on this occasion. The Vice-Chancellor said eminent economists who had served or were serving the country as Finance Minister, members of the Planning Commission, Finance Commission and other such commissions, Governors of the Reserve Bank, Governors of states, Secretaries of various departments of the Central/state governments, Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors and chairmen/members of various government committees were expected to participate. He said a special session would be devoted to Punjab economy. In addition, he said CK Vakil, Gautam Mathur and Babatosh Dutta memorial lectures would also be delivered by noted economists. Dr Satish Verma, Professor
and Head of Punjab School of Economics, had been
appointed honorary local secretary of the conference. |
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Punjab
not
to send teachers on deputation BATHINDA, March 7 — Punjab Education Minister, Tota Singh said today that state government had decided not to transfer any teacher with post from one place to another. Addressing a press conference after laying the foundation stone of a meeting hall in the Deputy Commissioner's office complex here today Mr Tota Singh said that the Punjab government had also decided not to shift any teacher from one place to another on deputation. He said that the Punjab government had taken these decisions to rationalise distribution of teachers in schools and to raise the standard of education. The minister said that the government had decided to transfer surplus posts of teacher from one school to the schools where these posts were needed. He said that under this scheme 200 posts of teacher had been shifted while 1100 more would be shifted further. He disclosed that the Punjab government was trying to bring Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur and Muktsar districts, Bet area, Kandi area and other educationally backward areas of state under the District Primary Education Programme being run by the central government for creating required infrastructure of education in these areas. He added that the central government would sanction this scheme in Punjab shortly. He added that at a recent meeting of Education Ministers of seven states including Punjab with Union HRD Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi held at Delhi, it was proposed that every children should be imparted education up to eighth standard compulsorily. He said that final decision in this regard would be taken at the next meeting. He claimed that in Punjab, per student expenses of the state government on imparting education was higher as compared to other states of India and state government was evolving methods to reduce the expenses by providing better education. He added that drop-out rate in Punjab had come down to 29 per cent from 46 per cent in the past two years. He said that a proposal to
appoint one teacher for 50 students was also being
considered by the Punjab government. He added that about
1800 schools had been identified which needed buildings. |
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Rabri has lost 'moral right' to
govern LUDHIANA, March 7 — The Rabri Devi government in Bihar has lost the moral right to govern after its failure to prevent the killing of innocent Dalits by the Ranvir Sena. However, the imposition of President's rule on the state is an "abuse" of the Constitution. This was stated by Mr Ajit Jogi, AICC spokesman, while talking to newspersons here today. He was in town to participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Justice Gurnam Singh, the first Akali Chief Minister of Punjab. Mr Jogi, while criticising the imposition of President's rule, said the Congress could not be a party to the abuse of the Constitution by the BJP-led government. When asked whether Ms Rabri Devi should have continued as Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr Jogi said the Congress stood for the welfare of the masses and it was not concerned with who continued as Chief Minister. Answering queries about the misuse of Article 356 by previous Congress governments, the AICC spokesman defended the Congress and said that although various Congress governments had used Article 356 more than a 100 times, it was after understanding its implications. The President had never felt the need to intervene and reverse the government's decision. Commenting on the SAD-BJP government in Punjab, the Congress leader said corruption was rampant and financial management in the state was bad. He said the party high command agreed with the PPCC's reports on the financial crisis in Punjab, but was not thinking of resorting to any constitutional remedy. Regarding the ongoing
tussle between the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, and the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Mr
Jogi said it was the party's internal matter. He feared
that it could lead to the return of terrorism to the
state. |
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Tributes paid to Justice Gurnam
Singh LUDHIANA, March 7 — Cutting across political and social barriers, people from all walks of life thronged Narangwal village to pay tributes to late Justice Gurnam Singh, a former Chief Minister, Punjab, on the occasion of his birth centenary celebrations. Lt-Gen (retd) B.K.N. Chhibber, Governor, Punjab, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, Union Minister of Food Supply, Chemical and Fertilisers,, Mr Ajit Jogi, spokesman of the AICC, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Senior Vice-President of the SAD and Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, a former Chief Minister, Punjab, were among the prominent dignitaries participated in the function. Paying his tributes, Lt-Gen Chhibber described Justice Gurnam Singh as the founder of modernisation in Punjab who prepared ambitious plan to create basic infrastructural facilities of power, roads, education system to make Punjab a number one state in the country. Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, speaking on the occasion, said Justice Gurnam Singh had laid the strong foundation of the infrastructural development of the state on which the state had made substantial development in the fields of Green Revolution, power generaton and strengthening of higher education system. Remembering his days as Education Minister in his Cabinet, Mr Barnala said Justice Gurnam Singh had the qualities of a far-sighted politician, who initiated a large number of welfare and developmental schemes for each section of society. Mr Ajit Jogi, spokesman of the AICC, described Justice Gurnam Singh as a leader of the masses and said he had always arisen above politics and created an environment of cooperation and confidence among the state and the centre. Earlier, the leader
visited "samadhi" of Justice Gurnam Singh and
paid floral tributes. |
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Traders greet Tandon with black
flags FEROZEPORE, March 7 — More than 100 members of the local Beopar Mandal, today, greeted the Minister for Local Government, Labour and Employment, Punjab, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon with black flags when he came here to attend the annual convocation and prize distribution function of the RSD College here. Agitated traders gheraoed the car of the minister near Chowk Makhu Gate, raised slogans against him and urged him to withdraw hike in tax on commercial properties within Municipal limits. They forced the minister to come out of the car and hear their grievance. When the minister failed to pacify the agitated "mob", he along with five representatives of the Beopar Mandal headed by its president, Mr Ashwani Mehta went to the nearby blinds home and held a closed-door meeting to discuss the issue. The meeting lasted half an hour. Briefing about the agreement reached between the minister and representatives of the Beopar Mandal, Mr Ashwani Mehta told the "mob" that Mr Tendon had directed the Deputy Director, Local Government here, Mr G.K. Singh to levy 25 per cent tax in addition to property tax being charged from the people presently. Mr Mehta said that regarding tax to be imposed on the new commercial properties, assessment for the same would be done on the value of land fixed by the DC and value of building assessed as per norms of the PWD. This briefing was done by Mr Mehta in the presence of the minister. This drama lasted about 45 minutes after which the "mob" allowed Mr Tandon to go his destination. Earlier, he met pro-president and anti-president Municipal Councillors (MCs) of the local Municipality who apprised him of their grievances and versions on the issue of ongoing "infighting" between them. Mr Tandon assured both factions that he would soon find out a solution to the matter so that development work should not suffer in the municipal area. Talking to reporters at the PWD Rest House, the minister said that there were many complaints of inflated assessment of tax on commercial properties in Punjab. Addressing the convocation and prize distribution function of the RSD College here, he asked youth to be aware of their duty towards the country. There was a need to bring forward those who had high moral values so that we should not ask for excuse form the new generation, he added. Laying stress on women's education, he said no society could rise if women were illiterate. He regretted increasing trend of drug addiction among youth who he said, were future of the country. He asked youth not to follow blindly the western culture. The minister announced a
grant of Rs 1.50 lakh for the college. The principal of
the college, Mr Amrik Arora read the annual report. Mr
Tandon gave away degrees and prizes to the students. Mr
Keerti Vardhan Madahar, an old student of the college was
also honoured on the occasion. |
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Badal calls for women's
empowerment CHANDIGARH, March 7 — The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal has called for empowerment of women and their economic independence to enhance their social status and respect in society. Extending greetings on the eve of Women's Day, the Chief Minister said today that there was need of launching a movement for bringing about an awakening among womenfolk about their rights and role in the society, besides ensuring their active participation in every field. Mr Badal said the present government had launched multifarious schemes for improving the quality of life of women. The attendance scholarship for SC girl students, the shagun scheme of Rs 5,100 on the marriage of a daughter of a Dalit family, financial assistance to widows and destitute women, Kanya Jagriti Jyoti Scheme and free travel facility to women above the age of 60 were among the schemes which had benefited thousands of women in the state. He said that 74236 widows had been given pension up to December, 1997. Similarly, he said 6000 women were covered under the Kanya Jagriti Scheme during 1998-99. As many as 10,000 beneficiaries had been given incentive under the Shagun Scheme and Rs 40 crore were spent on it. As many as 3.50 lakh SC girl students had been given attendance scholarship. With a view to ensuring
active involvement of women in the democratic system, 33
per cent seats had been reserved for women in village
panchayats and at grassroots-level bodies. |
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PCCTU deputation meets Speaker LUDHIANA, March 7 — A deputation of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) met Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha, urging him to get a fair deal for private college teachers. The deputation was led by
Prof KBS Sodhi, Secretary, PCCTU, Prof Kanwaljit Singh,
President, Distt Council, Ludhiana, and Prof Davinder
Joshi, Member, Executive Committee, PCCTU. The leaders
urged the Speaker to negotiate between the government and
teachers unions so that the ensuing university exams
could be conducted smoothly. |
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Tohra ‘misleading’
masses: Talwandi LUDHIANA, March 7 — The Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Senior Vice-President of SAD, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, has accused the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, of misleading the masses about the general house meeting of the Shiromani Committee to be held on March 22. In a statement released to
the Press here yesterday, Mr Talwandi said on the one
hand Mr Tohra had issued a statement to the Press and had
also announced at Anandpur Sahib that this general house
meeting was being called to discuss the no-confidence
motion against him and on the other hand the letter
issued to the SGPC members did not mention this issue.
Reiterating his support for Mr Badal, Mr Talwandi said he
supported the stand taken by Mr Badal against Mr Tohra. |
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PM's assurance to rice millers PHAGWARA, March 7 — Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee has assured agitating rice millers of Punjab that relaxation in rice specification would be announced by March 8, according to Mr Joginder Paul Vij of Phagwara who is Chairman, Legal Cell of the Punjab Rice Millers Association. The association president represented the millers when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met the Prime Minister in Delhi on Friday. Mr Vij said the issue of
rice yield had been referred to C.E.T., Mysore, and two
representatives of millers would leave for Mysore on
March 11, along with the Director, Food. |
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Punjab move on Army men’s
land, houses PATIALA, March 7 — A scheme is on the anvil to ensure that Army personnel did not have any problem in getting their land or house vacated after retirement or even during service. Disclosing this here today to reporters after attending the annual function of the Central Model School here, Principal Secretary, Sainik Welfare, Punjab, Gurvinder Kaur Chahal said the proposal had been sent to the Chief Minister and was likely to be approved soon. She said this was being done as rules had already been made in this regard to protect the rights of the non-resident Indians. "There was a demand from Army personnel to frame similar rules for them which has been done now", she said. Speaking on the run-down condition of several sainik rest houses in the state, Mrs Chahal said though funds had not been allocated for them last year, there was a proposal to renovate them this year. She said it had been decided that the rest houses be made viable by letting them be hired for marriages and other social functions. Earlier, Mrs Chahal gave
away prizes to children where school chairman Sohan Singh
also spoke. |
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Technical services union conference JALANDHAR, March 7— Mr E. Balanadan, Electricity Employees Federation chief and Member of Parliament, held the state governments responsible for the "financial crisis" facing the electricity boards, while alleging that "privatisation" would have serious ramifications making the consumer pay much higher power tariff. Mr Balanadan, prior to inaugurating the 33rd State Conference of Technical Services Union, PSEB said here yesterday that the electricity boards in the country had enough resources to meet the national power demands. The nation is self-reliant in hydel, thermal, nuclear power generation sectors. In the fifties the power generating capacity was 13,000 MW which now stood at 90,000. Reasoning that the main factor responsible for the electricity boards facing bankruptcy was the direct control of the state governments, even though the "boards" are autonomous bodies. To revive them state control should go. In the Power Supplies Act,
1948, the stipulation of profit is 3 per cent. Now with
subsidy the electricity boards could not maintain their
economic viability. The profit margin should be enhanced
to 8 per cent. A 16 per cent guaranteed profit was being
allowed to the private sector, which would burden the
consumers. |
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Lecturers to go on leave on March 12 AMRITSAR, March 7 — Dr Ajit Singh Shahi, zonal secretary, Government College Teachers Association, said that majority of the government college teachers would go on mass casual leave on March 12 to participate in the protest rally proposed to be held at Chandigarh by the university and private college teachers. In a press release issued
here today, Dr Shahi said that the government should take
immediate steps to implement the amended notification as
per the direction of the Human Resource Development
Ministry. The incomplete notification regarding their pay
scales won’t be accepted by the teachers, Dr Shahi
said. |
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Punjab to have more cultural
centres PATIALA, March 7 — Punjab Finance Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh today said that more cultural centres would be opened in the state. He was presiding over a cultural mela at Banur, 50 km from here, which was organised by the Shaheed Udham Singh Foundation. Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board Chairman Jasdev Singh Sandhu and foundation chairman Sukhdev Singh Changra also spoke. Earlier, the foundation
arranged a free medical check-up camp in which
homeopathic medicines free of cost were distributed among
the patients. |
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