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SAD names Ghubaiya for Ferozepur
Ghubaiya (Ferozepur),
January 22 Sitting MP Zora Singh Mann, who has won from this constituency for the past three consecutive terms, did not turn up at the rally. However, all other local leaders of the SAD were present.
Although sources close to the Chief Minister claimed that they had taken the sitting MP in confidence regarding the candidature of Ghubaiya, political observers were of the view that ignoring Mann could cost a bit to the party. The turnout at the rally was impressive. The Chief Minister asked the District Magistrate to give proprietary rights to the left-out tillers in the border belt who had been cultivating the land alongside the Sutlej for the past several years. He also announced to open government women colleges in all districts and to begin classes exclusively for girls in one of every 10 government schools in the morning session and for boys in the afternoon session. He accepted few long demands of the local people including clean potable water supply and proper sewage system for Jalalabad town, a bypass to ease out traffic in Jalalabad, initiate construction work on Government College in Guru Har Sashay within three months and construction of a road between Jalalabad and Guru Har Sashay. Sukhbir promised the gathering of a clean, transparent and fully accountable administration. “I will focus my attention on strengthening infrastructure of roads, increasing the generation of power, besides all socio-economic issues concerning the common people,” he said. Sher Singh Ghaghara highlighted the problems of the area. Earlier, the both father and son, along with chief parliamentary secretary Sukhpal Singh Nannu, visited villages across the Sutlej along the border and announced to transfer vacant land lying across the fencing at a rate of Rs 25,000 per acre in six instalments and inside the fencing at the rate of Rs 75,000 per and near the cantonment area at the rate of Rs 1.5 lakh per acre in the names of the tillers. Meanwhile, Badal rubbished the rumours that he was likely to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections in order to pave way for his son to become the Chief Minister of Punjab. “I will fight the assembly elections only”, he said.
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IT raids 18 premises of Malhotra Book Depot
Jalandhar, January 22 Sources said the raid was made after the department found the publishing house was evading tax in crores by not showing actual income. Raids were made at 10 establishments of the group in Jalandhar and eight in Delhi. The MBD group has its own publishing house and offset printing wing. The group has also diversified into hotel industry and owns malls and multiplexes. Besides Jalandhar, the groups has branches in Srinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ernakulam, Patna, Lucknow, Cuttack, Raipur, Nagpur, Jabalpur, Guwahati, Goa, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Pune, Dehradun, Agra, Bhopal, Delhi and certain other cities. IT officials virtually sealed the establishments of the group in the morning restricting entry and exit from the premises. Important documents relating to the income of the MBD group were seized at these places. Officials of the IT Department collected documents relating to the business of the group till late in the evening. Additional Director of Income Tax, Jalandhar, Abha Rani Singh, said tax evasion would be clear only after final assessment and evaluation of the income of the MBD group.
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State increases plan outlay to Rs 8,400 cr
Chandigarh, January 22 The first set of meetings of officers from the state and members of the commission was held in New Delhi yesterday. Led by Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh and Secretary (Planning) Satish Chandra, over 20 administrative secretaries of the state representing various departments are in Delhi to meet the commission’s working groups. Punjab’s plan size has increased from last year’s Rs 6,224 crore to over Rs 8,000 crore. “The final figure is likely to be between Rs 8,000 and 8,400 crore,” said Satish Chandra. He added that the state would have to borrow almost Rs 5,000 crore to justify its plan size. Since last year, the plan size swell is the highest in infrastructure with the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) increasing the plan size from the Rs 350 crore to a whopping Rs 1,500 crore
this year. Similarly in the power sector, the state has planned to spend 25 per cent more than what it spent last year. Another 10 per cent increase has been planned for education and health each. The other thrust areas of the state where the plan size has increased from last year is agriculture, irrigation and social security. The state is registering an increase in its plan outlay each year. In 2007-08, Punjab’s plan outlay was of Rs 5,111 crore. In 2005-2006, the annual outlay approved was Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 4,000 crore in 2006-2007. Earlier, the state had put forth an annual plan size of Rs 7,500 crore for this year.
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Quash HC order, Punjab plea to SC
R. Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, January 22 Punjab and Haryana High Court, on September 30 last year, ruled lecturers working on regular basis be not discriminated against vis- a vis ad hoc or part-time appointees in the matter of transfers. The state government has, however, maintained in the appeal in the apex court that the HC had failed to appreciate the fact that part-time lecturers were recruited by the principal of the college concerned and their appointment was not governed by Punjab Educational Service Rules, 1976. They could not be transferred from one college to another and this had been made clear by the apex court in the Civil Appeal No. 8745 of 2003, it has been contended in the petition, mentioned by counsel Mahavir Singh before a Bench of Justices B.N. Agrawal and G.S. Singhvi. The petition would be heard on February 2. Twenty -seven regular lecturers, who had partly won their case in the HC, have been named respondents in the appeal by the government. The HC, while asking the government to review the transfers ordered on July 2, 2008, had, however, upheld its powers to effect transfers. The petitioner also contended the HC had also did not appreciate the fact the Department of Higher Education had restructured the teaching posts as per norms recommended by the University Grants Commission and on the basis information provided by principals about the actual teaching workload. Further, the workload, especially for science subjects, was considerably reduced because of shifting of plus one and two science classes from colleges to schools in 2005.
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SSP in dock over land case
Chandigarh, January 22 Taking up a petition filed in the matter through counsel Sameer Sachdeva, Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia of the high court observed: “Despite stay order in favour of the petitioner under the orders of the district magistrate to make demarcation of land, police officials had gone to the spot and had dispossessed the petitioner and handed over the possession to a respondent, Balkar Singh”. Justice Ahluwalia asserted: “To controvert this, PS Hundal, counsel for the respondent, has stated that Balkar Singh had sale deed in his favour. Therefore, as per the demarcation, the possession has been given to him by the police”. After going through the rival contentions and the documents placed before the court, Justice Ahluwalia took a serious view of the matter before ruling: “In which capacity and under which provision of law, the police has exercised jurisdiction to dispossess the petitioner and deliver possession to the respondent needs to be explained by the SSP.” Before parting with the order, Justice Ahluwalia directed: “Ferozepur SSP shall file his affidavit to explain this”. Fixing January 31 as the next date for taking up the matter, Justice Ahluwalia directed the handing over of the order’s copy to Punjab AAG Mehardeep Singh “for onward transmission to the quarters concerned for compliance”.
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Ranike pays homage to slain militant
Amritsar, January 22 To mark Gursahib’s 18th death anniversary, a political conference was held. It was attended by leaders of radical groups like the Khalsa Action Committee, the Dal Khalsa and the Akal Federation. The leaders “eulogised” the “contribution” of the slain militant to the Sikh “struggle”. Gursahib was an active member of the Sikh Students Federation during militancy. He was shot by ‘police cats’ on January 22 , 18 years ago. Addressing the gathering, the Minister for Animal Husbandry praised the militant for “contributing” to the cause of the Sikh Panth. " Infiltration of anti-social elements led to derailment of the struggle and the Sikhs failed to achieve their goals,” he said. It is believed with an
eye on Lok Sabha elections, Akalis have reverted to playing the Sikh card again.
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Kaushik on Centre’s panel for ADGPs
Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 22 While Raju belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Sinha is from Haryana. They all belong to the 1975 batch. Kaushik’s name figures in the latest list of four IPS officers of the 1975 batch who have been put on the offer list for any further vacancies in the Central Police Organisations or equivalent posts in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Incidentally, Kaushik is the only 1975 batch officer in Punjab. Others whose names have been cleared along with Kaushik are VN Rai, VC Goel and BC Nayak, all from Uttar Pradesh. As of now, none of Punjab officers is heading any central police organisation though AP Pandey of the 1974 batch is already on the offer list. Senior-most Punjab officer KK Attri is the 1971 batch and is holding the rank of Director-General. He is due for superannuation in June this year. Pandey is on deputation with the Punjab State Electricity Board. Going by the present position, Punjab has five officers of the rank of the DGP. The first among them to retire will be Mohd Izhar Alam who will be superannuating in April, followed by KK Attri. Besides, Punjab has nine ADGPs. The 1982 batch is awaiting its promotion as ADGPs. Meanwhile, the Central Industrial Security Force, looking after security of all international airports as well as the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat, may witness a spate of appointments at the middle level. The force has 12 vacancies of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police.
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Vaghela urges Badal to slash cotton tax
Amritsar, January 22 He was here today to attend the meetings for the Hindi Salahkar Samiti and the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Textiles. He said the commission agents gobbled Rs 30-crore share of farmers. In no other state mediators played role in procurement, he added. He said the Ministry of Finance would soon announce Rs 2,600-crore relief package for handloom, weaving and handicraft industries. The minister said the textiles sector has witnessed a spurt in investment during the last four and a half years. It was Rs 1,08,531 crore in 2004-2008 and was expected to touch Rs 1,50,600 crore by 2012. This enhanced investment will generate 17.37 million jobs by 2012. In Punjab, the government under the TUFS had sanctioned Rs 10,655 crore against 1,904 applications for modernisation and technology upgrade, which constituted about 17.4 per cent and 9 per cent of all-India share. Vaghela said global recession had caused 24 per cent loss to the Indian textile export in the third quarter this fiscal since 80 per cent of the export were ordered by the USA. Two stimulus packages announced to help the textile industry, especially export-oriented sector, could lead to at least 15 per cent growth in textiles and clothing export at the end of this fiscal. The minister said three parks, out of total 40 textile parks being set up across the country under the Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP), would come up in Punjab at Barnala, Nawanshahr and Ludhiana. According to him, cotton production had increased from 31.15 million bales in the previous financial year to 32.20 million bales in the present financial year with Punjab’s contribution 2.2 million bales.
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Govt offices to open for 180 days in 2009
Jalandhar, January 22 Employees exhaust casual leave. Employees are entitled to 40 days of privilege and medical leaves in a year. “ An employee deciding to avail medical and privilege leave in the year will have to attend office for 180 days,” says an officer. Besides, these the government orders half-day holidays four or five times for “shoba yatras” and religious processions etc. Most of the holidays either fall on Fridays and Mondays. Owing to this government offices will remain closed for three days continuously for a number of times in 2009 . In January offices earlier remained closed from January 3 to 5 and will remain closed from January 24 to 26. In February the offices will remain closed from February 7 to 9 and from February 21 to 23. In March for three days from March 21 to March 23. In April, the offices will remain closed for 13 days because of government holidays, making employees work for 17 days. In June, July and December, there will be nine holidays whereas in other months, the number of holidays will be either 10 or 11. Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal talks of administrative reforms. The biggest reform to be made is to enhance the number of working days in government offices for progress . He will have to reduce the number of holidays for efficiency in government offices. Amarinder Singh’s government had cut the number of holidays. But, Badal government not only restored all those holidays but was liberal in declaring holidays at the time of death of former ministers and other important persons.
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Ashish Kumar rebuffs counsel’s charges
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 22 “Moreover, if Vinod Kumar owed money to others then why would our sister’s husband Ashok or driver Mukhtiar Singh go into hiding for 15 years? This story has been fabricated,” he said. “My brother had filed a writ in the high court where his arrest was stayed and he was permitted to perform last rites of our father under the security cover of the Chandigarh police. My brother and driver were leaving the high court when Sukh Mohinder Singh, SP, Ludhiana, now an accused, asked for lift up to Ludhiana. Later, the SP reached Ludhiana but the others did not reach home. The case was obstructed by the accused at every step. It was with great difficulty that a special Judge of CBI Delhi Court framed charges. But 15 years have passed and the case has not properly started,” Ashish added.
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Gurdwara flooring to be restored
Amritsar, January 22 The small portion of the marble flooring excavated during restoration work found Nanakshahi brick- laden flooring underneath. The flooring has unique pattern depicting it was laid during rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Many historical buildings constructed during that period had similar type of flooring pattern. Deputy Commissioner, Kahan Singh Pannu along with Dalmegh Singh and Kiranjot Kaur, secretary and member Shiromani Committee, respectively, along with team of conservationists heritage buildings today visited the gurdwara to oversee the restoration. Pannu said taking the opinions of the restoration team including Maninder Gill, Ajaydeep Jamwal and Tushar Chakarvarty, it was decided to the whole area in the periphery around the six-storeyed structure be given original flooring.
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Rural docs examine patients on mats
Mallewal (Patiala), January 22 The rural doctors, recruited on a contract basis, are agitated over non-extension of benefits like medical leave, earned leave, dearness allowance, contributory pension, rural allowance, increments, promotions and postgraduate courses admission quota to them. Pre-poll assurances of the SAD-BJP leaders. The doctors would continue to shun chair till January 27. While rural doctors of Patiala sat on ground to treat their patients, their counterparts in other parts of the state wore black badges as part of the agitation. “We have never seen such a scene,” said Preet, a resident. Dr Aslam Parvez and Dr Rajesh Sharma, president and spokesperson for doctors’ association, said the protest would culminate in a rally at Anandpur Sahib on January 27. They said services of the rural doctors should be regularised.
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Teachers observe strike
Nabha, January 22 GCTA secretary Harvinder Singh said to press acceptance of their demands, under the aegis of the Punjab Federation of University and Colleges Teachers Association (PFUCTO), a state-level rally would be organised in Sector 25, Chandigarh, on January 28.
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