An Armyman lost his life due to a fault in a mortar fired during a field firing exercise north of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh today.Sources confirmed that one soldier died and three seriously injured were airlifted to a military hospital in Kolkata. Two other injured are being treated at Tezpur. The blast had such an impact that four trucks and signals equipment were destroyed completely.The location of the firing range is just 10 km short of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The range is used by Army to practice firing at altitudes more than 9,000 feet.The mortar shell did not travel its entire mandated distance, it changed its trajectory and landed on the four vehicles, killing one person on the spot.Normally, a mortar shell travels on a parabolic trajectory and hits at targets up to 5 km. A source said this occurs when there is fault in the charge of the mortar.
Two years after the practice of the Army headquarters modifying and moderating the annual confidential reports (ACR) of officers after those had been duly finalised by the appropriate chain of command was struck down by the Ministry of Defence, it is now being re-introduced. The policy was done away with earlier following a legal opinion rendered upon it by the Solicitor General. Assessments in ACRs are the basis of promotion.Following deliberations in the Army Commanders Conference held in April, Army headquarters — in a letter sent to all Commands last week — highlighted the salient features of the policy. The headquarters maintains it will curb the “inflationary” trend of commanders awarding high grades to assessees in routine.Under this policy, the Military Secretary’s Branch will filter all ACRs by adopting a computer-assisted mathematical formula to identify assessment inconsistencies.Individual cases will then be identified for further analysis by a board of officers, which will give specific recommendations — requiring the Army Chief’s final approval — of corrective action to be carried out in each case. The changes will be subject to review if an individual feels aggrieved.The policy, according to the letter, will act as a precise tool to handle inflationary and deflationary assessments when warranted, control violation of NPN norms and assist in balancing assessments.The present tools, the letter added, suffer from certain limitations and have failed to arrest inflationary trends.Some officers, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the policy of moderating ACRs at Army headquarters amounts to questioning the credibility and judgement of senior reporting officers within a well-established hierarchical system assessment.It also runs the risk of promoting favouritism by targeting officers who have been otherwise found meritorious in original ACRs.The implementation of the policy could also lead to more litigation involving service matters. A large portion of cases concerning the armed forces are associated with ACRs, promotions and distribution of vacancies amongst various arms and services at the higher echelons.There have been several judgments in the recent past where the courts have come down heavily on the Army in the manner in which promotion matters have been handled. Also under scrutiny is the “value judgement” component of ACRs which accounts for 5 per cent of the marks awarded and is the discretion of the assessing officer.
Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) chairman Balbir Singh Dhol has resigned from his post, an official spokesman said here today.Dhol, who was appointed as chairman of PSEB in December last year immediately after his retirement as Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer by the previous Parkash Singh Badal government, quit, a board spokesman said without divulging the reason behind Dhol’s resignation.”Yesterday, sleuths of Punjab vigilance bureau raided the premises of the board and house of Dhol at Mohali,” he said.The raids were conducted in connection with the alleged irregularities in recruitment to various posts in cooperative banks when Dhol was registrar in 2010, he said.Recently, taking an extremely serious view of the poor Class X board examination results conducted by PSEB, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh issued strict instructions to the education minister to prepare a blueprint for raising the standards of education in the state.The chief minister has also directed the finance department to make available all necessary funds to the education department for undertaking urgent measures to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in government schools.
Amarinder had spoken to Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary to express dismay over the shocking 15-point dip in students’ performance in the PSEB Class X exam, in which over 40 per cent of the students have failed, an official spokesman said.
Around 57 per cent students of class 10 passed the board exam conducted by PSEB, the result of which was declared recently.The chief minister had said he was very disturbed at the deteriorating standards of education in Punjab, as a result of which “our children are falling by the wayside in the race for good jobs and professional career growth, with most of them even failing to clear the necessary exams for getting into the armed forces”.The fact that only 24 students from government schools had made it to the merit list was a serious cause for concern, said the chief minister, pinning the liability for the poor performance on the education department, which is responsible for maintaining the standards of government schools, as well as the overall quality of education in the state.
Amarinder had earlier ordered several sweeping policy changes to raise the bar of education in Punjab.After the appalling performance of the students in the Class X Boards, Amarinder had asked the concerned officials to expedite the process of working out the necessary modalities for taking the improvement agenda forward on a war footing. — PTI
PSEB chairman quits after marching orders from CM
Interim charge of board given to additional chief secretary, school education; search panel to find a new chairperson within 30 days
From page 01 CHANDIGARH/SAS NAGAR: Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) chairman Balbir Singh Dhol resigned from his post on Thursday.
Dhol, a retired Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officer, quit after being directed by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to tender his resignation from the post for “failing to meet the due diligence standards” of appointment. “The resignation will pave the way for a major shake-up of the education department in the light of the poor Class 10 board exam results,” said an official spokesman.
The chief minister’s directive was conveyed to Dhol by education minister Aruna Chaudhary. The minister obtained his resignation, which was immediately accepted. “He was a political appointee and had to go,” Chaudhary told Hindustan Times.
However, Dhol said he had tendered his resignation due to “personal reasons”. On his short stint as board chairman, the retired PCS officer said he had been working for almost 40 years. His exit came just days after poor results of government school students in Classes 10 and 12 in board exams disappointed the state top brass. In Class 12, the overall pass percentage slipped to 62 this year from 77 in 2016.
Similarly, there was a dip in Class 10 pass percentage to 57 from last year’s 72.
Amarinder, who was upset over the “shockingly poor” board exam results, had asked for overhaul, telling the minister to prepare a blueprint for education standards in the state. The CM has sent out a strong message that nobody will be allowed to play with the future of the children of the state, said the spokesman.
The interim charge of PSEB has been handed over to additional chief secretary, school education, and instructions issued for setting up a search committee for selection of chairperson in the next 30 days, said the spokesperson.
The committee headed by the chief secretary will have additional chief secretary, school education, and vice-chancellor, Panjab University, as members.
Dhol’s controversial appointment to post
CHANDIGARH: Balbir Singh Dhol, whose tenure has been cut short by the Congress government, was appointed chairman of the PSEB by the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government in a controversial manner.
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court in January this year, seeking quashing of his appointment. The controversy over his appointment erupted, as the state government had made an amendment in the Punjab School Education Board Act, 1969, to “accommodate” him. The amendment enabled the government to appoint an IAS or Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officer having administrative experience of 10 years to the post.
A PCS officer, Dhol was on the verge of retirement when he was made the PSEB chairman. In his PIL, petitioner-advocate HC Arora had stated that till December 23, 2016, Section 6 of the PSEB Act provided that “no person shall be appointed as chairman of the PSEB unless he has served the central government or the state government or both on a gazetted post for a period of not less than 15 years”.
The court was informed that the state government did not invite applications from eligible persons for considering their competitive claims for the post. Also, Dhol had only nine years and eight months’ service as a PCS (executive branch) officer till he superannuated on December 23, 2014, he said. Prior to becoming chairman, Dhol was serving as director public instructions (DPI secondary) and had got an extension for two years. The PIL is pending with the high court.
The Opposition parties in Punjab today demanded the sacking of Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh in response to The Tribune report on how sand mining contracts of at least four sites during the recent e-auction were bagged by employees of the minister’s company.Related stories:
Rana Gurjit, on his part, claimed that neither he nor his company, Rana Sugars Limited, had any direct or indirect stake in the sand mining business, and denied links of his family or employees with the sand mining business. He claimed that the employees in question had left their jobs a long time ago.
While Leader of Opposition HS Phoolka asked CM Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against ministers “indulging in wrong practices and acquiring benami contracts”, AAP MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira said if no action was taken, a dharna would be organised in front of the residence of either the CM or Rana Gurjit. He said the Punjab Government should make public the source of income of the minister’s cook, who had bagged a Rs 26-crore contract.Khaira said AAP will also file a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate and urge it to keep tabs on the “mafia that has been looting the natural resources”. He also called upon the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo motu cognisance.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The Akali Dal sought action against the minister under the Income Tax Act and a probe by the Enforcement Directorate.Meanwhile, High Court advocate HC Arora has written to the Enforcement Directorate seeking a probe against all four who bagged the mining contracts. He demanded that they be investigated under The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016. In a letter to Joint Director (Administration), ED, Arora said the news report indicates investment of huge benami amounts, and/or hawala money for getting sand and gravel contracts.He said, “It does not need any argument that the money invested is benami property. It may involve hawala transactions also. This is a serious matter which requires an ED probe.”
Oppn urges ED to probe ‘benami’ transactions
Parties ask Capt Amarinder to explain stand
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 25
Opposition parties today demanded that Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh be sacked from the Cabinet over the mine auction controversy allegedly involving four of his employees.Leader of the Opposition HS Phoolka asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against the ministers acquiring ‘benami’ contracts. “Captain should explain what is stopping him from taking action against Rana Gurjit?” he asked.Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar, AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said if the CM failed to act against Rana Gurjit, the party would hold a dharna in front of the residence of the CM or the minister in order to make him quit. He said the state government should make public the source of income of Rana Gurjit’s cook Amit Bahadur.He said AAP would also file a complaint with the Chief Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and urge the agency to keep tabs on the mafia that had been looting the state’s natural resources.Khaira also asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue.In a press release, SAD demanded immediate sacking of Rana Gurjit for acquiring sand and gravel mines through ‘benami’ transactions in the name of his cook and office staff. In a statement here, party MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said action should be taken against the minister under the Income Tax Act.“The case should also be handed over to the ED for an investigation,” he said, adding that the party would also raise the issue in Parliament.Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a press conference in Ludhiana, former state BJP president Manoranjan Kalia dared the CM to make his position clear or order a CBI probe into the entire process of e-bidding of sand mining.Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh said the case brazenly established conflict of interest in the auction of mines in Punjab and warranted Rana’s immediate dismissal.
Poor results? School board chairman Dhol calls it quits
BS Dhol while releasing Class X results. File photo
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service
Mohali, May 25
Appointed at the fag end of the SAD-BJP’s tenure, Balbir Singh Dhol, chairperson of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), today resigned from his post.The move followed Vigilance raids at his residence and office on the PSEB premises yesterday. The VB team examined certain files in the DPI office regarding the appointment and promotion of education officials. Before his appointment as PSEB chairperson, he was serving as DPI, Schools. Sources claimed that during the raid, the Vigilance officials were seeking record related to Dhol’s appointment.Dhol was continuing to hold on to the post after the formation of the Congress government even as his appointment was marred by controversies as norms were reportedly tweaked by the previous government to favour him.The government first issued a press release, saying that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has asked Dhol to resign, pinning responsibility for the poor results of Class X. Later, it was withdrawn and a new press release said the CM ordered him to resign after his appointment was found lacking in due diligence.The interim charge of the chairman has been given to Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, and a three-member committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, has been formed to appoint a new chairperson.Sources say Dhol handed over his resignation to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, this morning. They said he had resigned on “moral grounds”, without giving any explanation. He was summoned to the Civil Secretariat last evening, and sources say the issue was of his resignation.Dhol, a former PCS officer, had joined the office on December 24 last year, after his retirement.
Govt flip-flopThe state government on Thursday first issued a press release, saying that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has asked PSEB chairman Balbir Singh Dhol to resign, pinning responsibility for poor results of Class X. Later, it was withdrawn and a new press release said the CM ordered him to resign after his appointment was found lacking in due diligence.
No teachers, villagers lock school
Villagers stage a dharna in front of a government school at Maniana in Sangrur. Tribune Photo
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, May 25
The residents of Maniana village, the last village of Punjab on border with Haryana, today locked their government senior secondary school and started an indefinite protest in front of the school.Last year the government had approved its upgradation to senior secondary level, but no new teacher was posted nor was there any information when admissions to the senior classes were to be held.“The school was upgraded on October 21, 2016. We thought admissions will start after the class 10 result, but the school authorities refused to admit our wards in the senior secondary classes two days ago,” said Balwinder Singh, member of the village education reforms committee while sitting on protest.As per the letter issued, the approval was granted to upgrade school and he had sought a detailed report about the financial position of the school. The authorities sent the report last year, but till today nothing has been done. The then Finance Minister Parminder Dhindsa laid the inaugural stone on December 14, 2016, he added.Today, when teachers reached the school, they found its main gate locked and villagers sitting on protest in a tent outside.“Our school caters to three villages and in the absence of a senior secondary school our children are compelled to go to Moonak, a distance of 12 km without any proper transport facility. We request the CM to look into the matter,” said Najar Singh, sarpanch of the village.DEO (Senior secondary) Balwinder Aulakh, said that the Finance Department had not approved any posts for the upgraded school so far.“We are in touch with the authorities on the issue and trying to resolve it at the earliest,” he said.
Probe Capt’s claim on ‘fake’ encounters: DSGMCto CBI
Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 25The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has sought a CBI inquiry and an FIR against Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on the charge of concealing information about the killing of 21 Khalistani militants for over two decades.Addressing a press conference, DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the CM had tweeted recently, “I felt betrayed by then PM Chandra Shekhar after 21 Khalistani militants I arranged to surrender were killed. Never spoke to him after that.”“This is a confession by the CM, but who will take action?” they asked.The duo said they would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek a CBI inquiry against the CM. They also announced to approach the National Human Rights Commission for getting an FIR registered against the CM.GK and Sirsa said the 21 Khalistani militants were lodged in a jail after they had surrendered. Later, they were killed in a fake encounter. Their killing was a murder of the judicial system, the Akali leaders added.“If our appeal for a CBI inquiry is not accepted, the DSGMC will go to court,” GK and Sirsa said.
CM refuses more security
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 25
In wake of open threats by Canadian pro-Khalistan elements and intelligence inputs, CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday dared the former to come to Punjab and face his government’s wrath.In a hard-hitting reaction to the reported video threats against him and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu, the CM said he was not intimidated by such acts and was more than ready to take on such forces in order to protect the state and its people.Elements like these are trying hard to disrupt the peace and harmony of Punjab, he said.Vowing to stop them from realising their nefarious designs, he said, “If they have the guts, they should come to Punjab and my government will take suitable action to ensure that they do not get away with their cowardly threats and attempts to revive terrorism in the state,” he added.Stating that he would not seek enhanced security for him and Bittu, the CM said the state police was more than capable of providing protection to the people, including Congress leaders.
The CM told his colleagues and officials that there should be no move on their part to scale up his security cover in view of the video threats, said a spokesperson.Says he trusts policeChief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh says the state police are more than capable of providing protection to the people, including political leaders
Threat To Captain Amrinder Singh And Ravneet Bittu – ਕੈਪਟਨ ਅਮਰਿੰਦਰ ਅਤੇ ਰਵਨੀਤ ਬਿੱਟੂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲੀ ਧਮਕੀ
The Congress government has finally accepted the resignation of “blue-eyed” man of the Badals, Harmel Singh Sra, who was appointed CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society for five years by the previous SAD-BJP government.Sra is neither an IAS nor a PCS officer. After serving two extensions post-retirement, he remained the acting State Transport Commissioner — a cadre post reserved for IAS officers — during the SAD-BJP rule. Before the Assembly elections, he was “rewarded” with the post of CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society in October last year. The post was created to adjust him.Congress MLAs and private transporters had been seeking his removal.Welcoming the move, Jaswinder Grewal, president, Mini Bus Operators Association, said the government should fix the responsibility for the grant of illegal permits, extension of routes and other anomalies that had been struck down by the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Badals’ blue-eyed man
Harmel Singh Sra is neither an IAS nor a PCS officer. After serving two extensions post-retirement, he remained acting State Transport Commissioner
He was later given the post of CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society
4 Sikhs thrashed in Ajmer, panel seeks report
Our Correspondent
Jaipur, May 25
The Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities today summoned the state police after a video showing four Sikh men beaten up by local residents of Chainpura in Ajmer district on April 24 has gone viral.The 51-second shows the four men being abused and thrashed by a mob as people witnessing the incident filmed the entire episode, the police said.After reviewing the video on WhatsApp and other links, commission chairman Jasbir Singh issued letters seeking personal appearance of the four victims, Nasirabad police, and people who lodged a complaint against the Sikhs in the next 10 days before the commission.“The location is unidentified. In fact, I got a vehicle number traced and found that the incident happened somewhere in Ajmer. A factual report has been sought within 10 days,” Jasbir Singh said.Additional Director General of Police (law and order) N Ravindra Kumar Reddy said the incident had occurred nearly a month-and-a-half ago in Chainpura village falling under Nasirabad Sadar police station of Ajmer district. He said three-four sewadars (Sikh members) of a gurdwara from Alwar district had visited the village to collect donation. Some local residents had then beaten them up alleging that they molested their women. They were arrested and released on bail.However, according to the police, the Sikh men were not found involved in molestation and were asked to file a cross FIR against those who thrashed them but they did not lodge any complaint.Laxman Ram, SHO, Nasirabad Sadar, said the sarpanch of Chainpura had lodged a complaint following which four accused were arrested. They were released on bail.
Father of a candidate says those with less marks than that scored by his son got jobs
Rajinder Singh Brar interacts with mediapersons in Bathinda on Thursday. Photo: Vijay Kumar
Nikhila Pant Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, May 25
Father of a candidate who applied for a job for the post of patwari today alleged that the recruitment process was flawed and that candidates with marks less than that scored by his son in the ex-serviceman quota was chosen while his son was not selected.Levelling allegations, Rajinder Singh Brar of Lal Singh Basti said the Director Land Record, Government of Punjab, had advertised on September 10, 2016, regarding recruitment for 1,227 vacant posts of patwari in the Revenue Department and 857 posts of patwari in the Canal Department.Of these, he stated, 226 posts had to be filled from the ex-servicemen quota.He said his son Manpreet Singh Brar had also applied for the post in this category and appeared for the examination.The result was declared on November 29 and Manpreet scored 35.25 marks.“On December 21, the shortlisted candidates were called for counseling and my son’s name was kept in the waiting list. Later, we got to know that all posts had been filled and the chosen candidates had even been allotted places of posting. Through an RTI query, I got to know that as many as 142 candidates who had scored less than 35.25 marks were given jobs and allotted posting, which is a clear violation as per the merit list,” Brar said.He demanded that the state government must look into the alleged recruitment scam, take action against the culprits and give jobs to the deserving candidates.Rajinder Singh Brar said he had already filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the recruitment procedure and demanded that it should be scrapped.“It’s not only about my son, it’s a matter concerning the misuse of power by some government officials. It is because of some corrupt officials that the public is losing faith in the functioning of the government. If deserving candidates are not to be given jobs, then the government should not hold recruitment procedure,” he said.
MLA inspects administrative complex
MLA Sushil Rinku takes feedback from visitors; finds record room in poor condition
Jalandhar (West) MLA Sushil Rinku made a surprise visit to the tehsil complex in Jalandhar on Thursday. Photo: Sarabjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 25
Congress MLA from Jalandhar West Sushil Rinku today held an inspection of the various branches of the administrative complex and personally took feedback from the visitors at the various branches.The councillor-turned-legislator first went to the tehsil complex and checked its functioning.He interacted with the tehsildars, deed writers and clerical staff and cautioned them against accepting bribes for getting any work done. He talked to the visitors and asked them not to pay any extra amount and report it if there were any such instances.He then took a round of the room for storing land records and found it in bad condition.Rinku’s next stop was at the Sewa Kendra where the public told him that the server worked too slowly or for only one to two hours and that their whole day was wasted in getting a simple work done.He questioned the DM and the Additional DM of the Sewa Kendras about it who, he said, did not have an answer to the problem.He then asked the coordinator of the Sewa Kendra, Anand Mohan, to lodge a complaint in the matter with Secretary, Governance Reforms. The MLA spent about 1.45 hours at the complex.
City gives rousing reception to its ‘sprint king’ Gurinderveer Singh
Jubilant parents and friends of Gurinderveer Singh with him at the Jalandhar railway station on Thursday.
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, May 22
The city today gave a rousing reception to its 16-year-old sprint king Gurinderveer Singh who won two gold medals in the 100 m event and 400 m relay race, respectively, at Asian Youth Athletics Championship held in Bangkok from May 20 to 22, 2017.Gurinderveer Singh created his best international record with the timing of 10.69 seconds in the semi-final heat of the 100m race. He also created history by grabbing the first gold medal for India in the 100m event. With this, Gurinderveer Singh has been declared the Asia’s fastest sprinter. Another feather in the golden cap of Gurinderveer was his achievement of gold medal (team event) in the 400m relay race in Athletics Championship 2017 held in Bangkok on May 23.Gurinderveer arrived at the railway station in the morning and was welcomed by family, coach, his relatives and staff of Cambridge International School. Though he was asked to move to Cambridge School for a press conference, he urged to be first taken to the Gurdwara Sahib to pay his obeisance to the almighty and to touch the “sacred ground” at Lyallpur Khalsa College where he used to practise before the event.The young star went to Khalsa College and after offering prayers at the gurdwara inside, he went to the ground and bowed there in respect.Later, addressing the press, Gurinderveer Singh gave the credit of his success to his parents, teachers and his coach Sarabjeet Singh Happy. He added that in order to accomplish his dreams he had worked hard and completely abstained from the use of smart phones. He shared how the rules set by his coach helped him to achieve his goal. He outlined his dream of representing India in Olympics and getting a gold medal in the same.Exalted at his prodigy’s wonderful achievement, his coach Happy said he was proud to be his mentor. He acknowledged the hard work put in by Gurinderveer and expressed with conviction that he would go a long way in international sports. He wished him luck in all his future endeavours.Gurpreet Singh Dhesi, OSD to the Punjab CM, Capt Amarinder Singh, honoured the upcoming international star by being present in person to receive him and congratulated him for his prestigious achievement. AS Sikand, sports coordinator, LWES, congratulated Gurinderveer on his glorious victory and gave the credit of his victory to his hard work and determination, his parents, his coach and his teachers.On this occasion, chairman, LWES, Ajay Bhatia, vice-chairman, LWES, Nitin Kohli, president, LWES, Deepak Bhatia, also congratulated him and announced Rs 1 lakh cash prize for him.Wants to don police capThe young athlete shared many incidents during the press conference. Talking about his idol, Gurinderveer said he held his father as his idol and wanted to be a police officer like him.An elated Gurinderveer has already begun preparations for the World Youth Athletics championship to be held in Kenya from July 12 to 16 this year.Speaking about the do’s and don’ts he followed while preparing for the event, the ace sprinter said he had completely stopped the use of the two-wheeler and used to travel by bus to avoid any accident on road. Also, he had stopped going out with his friends to follow his strict diet regime.Promising star Gurinderveer Singh created his best international record with a timing of 10.69 seconds in the semi-final heat of the 100m race. He also created history by grabbing the first gold medal for India in the 100m event. With this, Gurinderveer Singh has been declared Asia’s fastest sprinter. Another feather in the golden cap of Gurinderveer was his achievement of gold medal (team event) in the 400m relay race in Athletics Championship 2017 held in Bangkok on May 23
Weeds at Harike Lake pose fresh trouble for amphibious bus project
IN TROUBLED WATERS Inordinate delay in making the bus operational has put a question mark on viability of the ₹10crore project
A net wall is being installed to tackle the weed menace. The work will be finished within 2 to 3 days. Officials will examine the arrangements and the bus will be made operational after undergoing a couple of trials. AMARJIT SINGH, staffer, Krishna Tour Company
TARN TARAN: The inordinate delay in making the amphibious bus project operational at Harike Lake in the district has put a question mark on the viability of the ₹10-crore project.
HT PHOTOThe weed growth at Harike lake; and (below) a nonoperational amphibious bus in Tarn Taran district.Weeds in the lake, the confluence of Sutlej and Beas rivers, are posing a fresh trouble to the much-hyped project inaugurated by the then Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on December 10, 2016 amid much fanfare.
The project has often drawn flak, especially on social media. To begin with, its inauguration was postponed as the water level in lake was not sufficient. After Sukhbir’s short ride on the day of inauguration, the bus was locked away.
It was later sent back to Goa in February and replaced with a new “better-looking” bus as promised by former deputy chief minister.
Opposition leaders had then alleged that the first bus was brought only to inaugurate the project before the state assembly elections.
Repair of gates of Harike head works posed another challenge as the water flow was obstructed.
Now, the project has to overcome the challenge of excessive weeds spread across the lake area, fixed as the route for the bus. The lake area from where the bus begins its journey is also blocked by weeds.
“A net wall is being installed to tackle the weed menace. The work will be finished within 2 to 3 days,” said Amarjit Singh, a staffer of Krishna Tour Company, which has bagged the contract for the project.
“After the installation of net, the officials concerned will examine the arrangements and the bus will be made operational after undergoing a couple of trials,” he added.
On Tuesday, Navjotpal Singh Randhawa, director, tourism, also visited the lake to examine the fresh challenge faced by the project.
However, keeping the lake clear of weeds is proving to be a tough task for the company employees as they are massive and widespread, sources said.
Notably, officials of the company as well as the tourism department have been making tall claims since the inauguration of the project but they have failed so far to run it smoothly.
Principal secretary (tourism) Jaspal Singh said, “Earlier, the irrigation department was repairing the gates of Harike head works due to which the flow of water in the lake reduced. It was the main hurdle. Now the weed menace has halted the project, but we are working on these problems.”
Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing director of the company, said, “We were facing a few problems which have been resolved and the bus will be operational within a couple of days.”
Kashmir is not appropriating any blame to itself for the mess in which it is today. It lives in a denial mode, as usual. Rather it is watching helplessly streets becoming new classrooms, where degrees are earned by stone-throwing. The medium is hate.Kashmir encompasses far more than its beauty and hosting of tourists or terrorising the genuine learners. It represents an ethos, a heritage and culture of its own. In fact, it is the microcosm of many cultures – Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Mughal and Afghan.Kashmir lost some parts of its physical territory in 1947-1948 following Pakistan-sponsored tribesmen’s invasion of the state, and now it is watching itself losing its grip on its traditions. A mindset of conflict has replaced the yearning for learning, career advancement and preservation of culture and respect for elders. The psychological map of Kashmir is changing, and changing for the worse.All the blame for killings, bloodshed, street protests and human rights abuses is conveniently laid at the doors of Delhi. That is true in a wider sense. Over the decades, Delhi has made Kashmir a laboratory of political experiments with bags of money. It virtually outsourced Kashmir. Now, it is paying the price for that political idiocy.It was a poor copy of the Pakistani style. Pakistan was funding anti-India elements for it always wanted to create trouble in the state, which it is eyeing for its natural resources. Twin objectives are at work. Politically, it wants to showcase that the unrest in Kashmir is for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Secondly, it wants to grab the water resources.And it had the favourite tool of training, arming and infiltrating terrorists into the Indian side of the Line of Control. The most shameless act, apart from the wars of 1947-48, 1965 and 1971, was the Kargil war of 1999 when it sent its regulars to cross the LoC and sit in bunkers on the Indian side.Pakistan was flush with dollars after the “mujahideen” fought the Soviet troops in Afghanistan at the behest of America. And again, during its role in war against terror (9/11 onwards) it diverted arms, ammunition and money to set up the pillars of terrorism, call it militancy, if you may prefer so.India forgot that its stakes were far higher in Kashmir. This was not a cloak-and-dagger game, which had to be played with money and hollow promises. Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India, not Pakistan. But it copied Pakistan in a poor fashion without applying the logic dictated by history, geography and urge for genuine democracy in Kashmir. Kashmir was seen through the prism of currency. That is where India failed.Kashmiri Muslims flaunt a justification for the unrest – they want “freedom from the occupation of India”. That’s why they are engaged in “freedom struggle”, the definition of which is not known to them even. History has been twisted to suit their version. Textbooks have become secondary to the parallel version of events and consequences.Kashmiri Muslims have lost thousands of lives and they’re in pursuit of what they call a “struggle” without scaling even a single milestone. Our struggle is in a “decisive phase” is a favourite sentence often heard from certain quarters. But this decisive phase seems to be landing nowhere. Let me sound as blunt as the reality on the ground is. India may be in a tight corner in Kashmir, but the Valley is in a tighter one.It is bizarre that India is investing billions of rupees in development, raising the level of human resources and making direct and indirect efforts to seal a deal for itself in Kashmir, still it has no one in the Valley to stand for it.This irony is particularly striking when Kashmiris come to see through Pakistani designs. But Pakistan’s fear and Rawalpindi’s killing power is so much that they take refuge in anti-India slogans to keep themselves safe from any reprisal.Whether or not India is losing Kashmir is a question before the nation. But Kashmiris are certainly losing Kashmir to violence and darkness.
Kargil residents take part in an archery competition organised by the Army on Thursday. Tribune Photo
Tribune News Service
Jammu, May 18
Nine teams took part in the Tiger Hill archery competition organised by the Army for several villages of the Kargil region.Giving details, PRO Northern Command NN Joshi said nine teams comprising five players each, participated in the event held at Tiger Hill in Kargil from May 15-17. Twelve archers were selected to take part in this year’s Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations, he said.Archery is a popular traditional sport among the locals of the Kargil region. The sport is conducted even during cultural and social events in the region. The villagers have natural talent for archery and enjoy it as a recreational activity as well as competitive sport.The winning teams and individuals were felicitated by the Army. The villagers appreciated the efforts of Army in promoting archery in the region and help in preserving the local culture and tradition.The Army will celebrate victory over Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil war in July this year.
Liquor, Army ration seized from forest guard’s house
The police have recovered a large quantity of liquor and Army ration in a raid on the house of a forest guard at Budhal on Tuesday. These had been stored for black marketing in the area.The raid was conducted at the house of forest guard Sadiq Hussain after getting a tip-off.“A police party, headed by Sub-Inspector Jahangir Ahmed, faced resistance from the family members of Sadiq as they resorted to stone-throwing. Later, more forces were called but the accused fled the spot, “ said SSP Yougal Manhas, who supervised the raid.“The store room was unlocked in the presence of a magistrate. The police recovered a large quantity of rum, beer and Army ration, including refined oil, rice and channa dal,” said the SSP.He added that Sadiq’s sons Azaz Ahmed and Amzad Hussain had been booked under Sections 109 and 409 of the RPC and Section 48 of the Excise Act.Giving details, the SSP said they recovered 87 bottles of rum and 96 cans of beer.The seized ration included eight bags of rice (4 quintals), five tins of refined coconut oil (16-litre each), 18 packets of tea (9 kg) and two bags of channa dal (60 kg). — OC
Respect for the flag and standing up for the anthem should be driven by emotion, not law
Ilove my country, right or wrong, is an attribute of nationalism. But is it patriotism to stand up and be counted when my country led by the government navigates a path which is inconsistent with our constitutional values. Was it unpatriotic to be a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War? Was the ‘Arab Spring’ at Tahrir Square unpatriotic? Was it patriotic for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to have attempted to disrupt the national movement and support a colonial power? Was it patriotic for the Sangh not to have participated in the Satyagraha?
We must not confuse our love for the country in protecting her identity with our right to dissent. It is not unpatriotic to oppose the government when it is behaving dishonestly, foolishly or viciously.
Patriotism is an emotive response, which manifests itself in action to protect an identity of which we are an integral part. That identity is the result of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic affinity shared historically over a period of time. Within the contours of territory, shared experiences of people identifying with each other become the foundation of nationalism. The symbol of that identity, and every Nation has one, is its national flag. When unfurled, people identify themselves with it. Their patriotism does not depend on externalities. People should not be forced to demonstrate that they love their country and respect their national flag. I do not wear my patriotism on my sleeves. Others should also not be required to do so.
I am a patriot as long as I respect the rights and sensibilities of others, pay my taxes, inculcate the right values in my kids. I should not have to carry my mother’s photograph in my wallet to prove to her that I love her. Today, the flag has been made a logo – the “trademark of a monopoly on patriotism”. I do not doubt the patriotism of those in government; I only question their policies. Those who pin the national flag on their lapels are no greater patriots than those who don’t.
Now, our patriotism may be questioned if we do not stand up in a cinema hall when the national anthem is played. I wonder how many of us stand up in our homes watching the national anthem on television. If we don’t, are we to be regarded as unpatriotic?
My problem with this mandating prescription is that it is fundamentally wrong for people to have to demonstrate that they are patriotic. The act of standing up in a cinema hall is not an act of volition. Patriotism reflects in my response to protect the identity of not just myself but of millions of which I am a part. Only in situations which should evoke such a response is true patriotism tested.
Patriotism and nationalism are two different concepts. We must not confuse the two.
Is it then patriotic for vigilantes who in a show of patriotism for the sacred cow insult, beleaguer and not hesitate to kill ordinary folk? Vigilantes do it to protect their misplaced cultural identity. Their response is not emotive qua the sacred animal. It is in fact motivated to demonstrate and propagate that identity with which the victims of violence have no emotive affinity. The victims may be dealing with the sacred animal to trade or nourish it for their livelihood. Yet to do such acts under the present dispensation is considered patriotic and thus justified.
Instead such acts of violence create fissures in an identity which is historically shared by people, who together have fought wars and shed their blood to assert their identity. They together challenged the supremacy of the white man and humbled a colonial empire. They together forged a permanent identity based on cultural, linguistic, religious diversity coalescing because of shared values and a shared history. That is what we need to protect. True patriots are those who protect diversity – linguistic, cultural and ethnic.
The State and Institutions including courts should not test patriotism. Our patriotism is tested on a daily basis by our activities in the way we live and the way we deal with each other. A soldier’s patriotism is tested when he is confronted with the enemy and is willing to risk his life to save the identity of which he is an integral part.
The patriotism of a lawyer is tested when he is, despite opposition, prepared to protect the victims of injustice. A doctor will emotively demonstrate his patriotism when he goes out of the way to save lives though in the process he might endanger his own. A patriotic businessman will not participate in transactions that are dishonest . Smugglers, terrorists and perpetrators of violence who kill for partisan ends cannot be patriots.
It is possible that Courts wish to instill a sense of patriotism by having audiences stand up in a cinema hall. We cannot doubt the intention of the Court. But standing up in a movie hall for the National Anthem is not necessarily an emotive response. The audience must stand up because otherwise under the law, they will be prosecuted for insulting the flag. The mandate of the law does not make true patriots.
Playing Chinese checkers in Nepal by Maj Gen Ashok K. Mehta (retd)
China and India are now politicking for diplomatic space in Nepal. For the moment, New Delhi has the upper hand but the contest will continue even as the pro-India Prachanda-led Maoist and Nepali Congress government may survive till January 2018.
Pamper your Neighbour:Nepal”s Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi and China”s Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong (2nd L) exchange documents during a signing ceremony relating to the One Belt One Road initiative in Kathmandu recently. AFP
Nepalese students protest against India. Nepal’s youth leaning towards China is the unintended consequence of the Madhesi blockade of 2015 which India tacitly supported.
CHINA’s semi-official mouthpiece, the belligerent Gl
obal Times recently warned that it would punish India for allowing the “splittist” Dalai Lama to visit Tawang. The threat needs to be taken seriously. Where can retribution be delivered? Along the 4,000 km LAC is the first place that comes to mind. But it has the potential to blow up into a local war which Beijing does not want. Its hands are full with Kim Jong-un’s shenanigans in North Korea and the US challenge to its claims in the South China Sea. It is already punishing India by raising Pakistan’s military and economic profile, blocking New Delhi’s entry to NSG and refusing to endorse Jaish-e-Mohammad’s Masood Azhar as a UN-sanctioned terrorist. It has opened a new diplomatic front in Nepal where it could puncture India’s boast of unique and special relations with Kathmandu. China has abandoned its policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries. Last year, for the first time, it prevented the collapse of the Left Alliance KP Oli government which was blamed on India. When the Oli government finally fell a few months later, it was not without Beijing giving a good fight to save it. Both in Nepal and Sri Lanka, the two regional rivals are jockeying for space to have in place, a government of their choice. For the moment, New Delhi has the upper hand but the contest will continue even as the pro-India Prachanda-led Maoist and Nepali Congress government may survive the full life of the second Constituent Assembly till January 2018.The once pro-China Prachanda who became the Prime Minister after the 10-year-long civil war in 2008 and was removed through Indian intervention in less than a year never succeeded in returning to office till last year after he had publicly admitted that India was more important for Nepal than China. Beijing expressed anger by cancelling President Xi Jinping’s visit last year and delaying an invitation to Prachanda as he had put on hold, the 10 agreements his predecessor Oli had signed with China with which India was unhappy. Prachanda did go to China for the Boao Forum and not on a state visit. The converted Prachanda’s sense of a balanced foreign policy is realigning Nepal to a special relationship with India from Oli’s push to China. Egged on by China, Oli is waiting for his moment to topple the Left-Centre coalition in a country that has seen eight Prime Ministers in nine years.With long view, founder of modern Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah had said Nepal is a yam between two boulders — China and India. China has bent with the wind from once calling Maoists as miscreants who had hijacked the fair name of Mao Tse Tung to later hailing the Maoist election victory as “rediscovery of ideological similarities”. Nepal is afraid of China and accepts its diktat on Tibet, one-China policy and the taboo on its legislators meeting the Dalai Lama. China has sought parity with India in political, economic and military domains. For long, China has asked to do joint exercises with the Nepal army. This happened after the visit of Defence Minister and State Councillor Gen Chang Wanquan last month. Global Times’ loaded comment that “holding joint military exercise with China can contribute to deterring ethnic separatism in Nepal” was a veiled reference to Madhesis who have been demanding an inclusive constitution.China has increased military assistance for the Nepal army from a mere $3 mn to $33 mn, invoking the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Programme. China’s FDI has overtaken India’s and its ODA is second only to the US. During Nepal’s Investment Conclave 2017, China committed $8.3 bn and floated big ideas of connectivity in Nepal with Deputy Prime Minister KB Mahara visiting China to sign the agreement on a railway line from Kyirong to Kathmandu. China’s soft power is also at work. Numerous Confucius institutions and China study centres have mushroomed in Nepal. More than 100 Nepali schools offer free Mandarin courses, with maximum youth joining Chinese universities wearing Mandarin tattoos and using Chinese mobiles. Strangely, large number of Nepalese believe China does not interfere in their internal affairs. Nepal’s youth leaning towards China is the unintended consequence of the Madhesi blockade of 2015 which India tacitly supported and has cost it dear — especially in people-to-people relations. Chinese presence and activity has multiplied several times over in the last decade and is no longer benign.Three elections — panchayat, provincial and Parliamentary — have to be held within the remaining nine months before the expiry of the term of the Constituent Assembly. Prachanda has announced a two-phase local election on May 14 and June 14, being held after 20 years. China was the first country to provide monetary and material assistance for local elections. Prime Minister Modi’s promise of India’s assistance for local elections signals that it is not insisting on the constitutional amendments regarding residual Madhesi demands, including provincial boundaries as it did in 2015. The political situation is dynamic. The Chief Justice was removed for impeachment and restored, exacerbating conflict between executive and judiciary. New political alignments are in play. Significantly, Prachanda is required to hand over the Prime Minister’s office to Nepali Congress’s Sher Bahadur Deupa after the first phase of elections for the remaining life of the Constituent Assembly. This is where trouble could arise. Oli with new allies, and China, are waiting in the wings to return to power. In 2015, India crusaded Madhesi cause demanding constitutional amendments. Initially, Oli refused which led to the five-month long blockade, rupture in India-Nepal ties and Oli turning to China. New Delhi is silent over the revised constitutional amendment, so as not to endanger the ruling coalition. Oli will give his left arm to return to government to hold crucial provincial and parliamentary elections which will decide the fate of Nepal’s democratic polity. Can China, using its money power, punish India by orchestrating the return of a UML-led Left Alliance or another coalition to challenge the time-tested India-Nepal relations?The writer is the erstwhile convener of an India-Nepal Track II dialogue
Only three flights a week to Delhi GROUNDED Opened with much fanfare, domestic airports in Bathinda, Ludhiana and Pathankot have failed to live up to their early promise. They have remained nonfunctional for long periods with no domestic flights or have
BATHINDA: The small domestic airport in Bathinda remained nonfunctional for three years, but has finally got three flights a week to Delhi.
SANJEEV KUMAR//HTThe security at Bathinda airport has been handed to Punjab Police.
AAI OFFICIALS REMAIN TIGHTLIPPED OVER THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF RUNNING OPERATIONS WITH A THRICEAWEEK FLIGHT ONLY
Air India’s regional arm Alliance Air started the Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi flight in December 2016, barely months before the state assembly elections, and has sustained 50-55% occupancy. Set up in 2012 at a cost of ₹25 crore, the airport shares the runway of the adjoining Indian Air Force base for the 70-seater ATR-72 aircraft thrice a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Air Alliance manager Ramesh Ram gives credit to the Centre’s “regional connectivity scheme” which has helped reduce the air fare from ₹2,800 to ₹1,700 for the Delhi-Bathinda-Delhi flight. “The subsidy is paid by the government and may help introduce more flights from here” he said.
However, officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) were tight-lipped over the financial viability of running the operations with a thrice-a-week flight only. The airport does not have a single tuck shop, whereas the airport security has been handed to Punjab Police who are paid by the AAI. The airport still awaits its own dedicated road. The travellers have to cover a distance of 8 kilometres on the existing link road to reach the airport that is just 1.5km off the Bathinda-Malout state highway. A dedicated road was proposed in 2012, but the idea was dropped in absence of any flight for three years.
Non-operational since 2014, waiting for ‘Udan’
LUDHIANA : It was almost three years ago that the last domestic flight landed at the Sahnewal airport which is being currently used only for operating chartered flights.
But the airport authorities have now pinned hopes on the regional air connectivity scheme, UDAN, for revival of the domestic flight operations. Airlines have already started surveying the airport and domestic flights are expected to commence by September this year, according to airport officials. The repair work at the airport has started and the contractor has been asked to complete it by August.
The airport, which has a runaway of 1,463 metres feasible for a 42-seater aircraft, has turned into a white elephant. There is hardly any revenue, as no flight was operated since 2014. Business houses have been using the airport to park their chartered planes. The airport authorities have been charging only ₹72 per night, which is even lower than the car parking charges at a shopping mall.
Amardeep Nehra, officiating airport director, said the airport is fully functional and Doppler VHR omni-directional radio range (DVOR) has been installed. The airport has antihijacking staff, besides its own security force and fire brigade personnel. Scanning machines are also expected to be installed shortly.
6 years on, not a single flight
PATHANKOT: With not a single domestic flight in the past six years, the airport in Pathankot wears a deserted look.
HT PHOTORunway at Pathankot airport is being used by army to transports goods, personnel off and on.
Built at a cost of ₹37 crore almost 11 years ago, the airport, which has a “ready to use” airstrip and proper infrastructure, had domestic flight operations for the initial two-and-a-half years. Air Deccan, a private airline, ran its service, but suspended its operations due to poor occupancy on its flights.
Later, Air India also agreed to operate on this sector and started its flights in 2010, thanks to concerted efforts of then MP from Gurdaspur and former Union minister Vinod Khanna. But it did not carry on for long. The airline halted its operations from the airport a year later, citing losses. And, there has not been any domestic flight since then.
The runway of the airport is being used by the army to transports goods and personnel off and on. There is also an occasional chartered flight carrying VIPs and film actors, especially during the poll season.
Rajesh Pushkarna, a local businessman, blames the flight schedules for the failure of airlines to do well on this sector. “The flight timings were not suitable for business travellers and others who wanted to reach Delhi and return in the evening the same day,” he said.
SIDHU GIVES ₹5 LAKH FOR FIREFIGHTERS’ TREATMENT
LUDHIANA: Minister of local government, tourism and cultural affairs Navjot Singh Sidhu visited the injured firefighters admitted to the Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in Ludhiana on Friday evening and apologised on the behalf of the government for not providing them safety gear.Sidhu said Ludhiana municipal corporation commissioner has already issued a cheque for ₹4 lakh to the hospital for treatment of the injured firefighters, who suffered burn injuries while dousing flames in a textile mill on Thursday. He also announced ₹5 lakh from his pocket for their treatment. Sidhu said if the hospital bill doesn’t exceed ₹4 lakh, which have been already paid by MC, he will give ₹1 lakh to each to the firefighters admitted to the hospital.
‘State in deeper financial mess than what we initially thought’
Lots of revenue was kept out of the consolidated fund of the state, though it accrued out of cess, surcharge and taxes levied by the state. KR LAKHANPAL, chairman, Punjab expenditure and governance reforms commission
CHANDIGARH:Punjab expenditure and governance reforms commission chairman KR Lakhanpal said the fiscal mess in the state is far deeper than it was originally thought.
The commission chairman said the state government is in the process of gathering information to ascertain its full scale and status of the mess, as many things were done off the books. “Lots of revenue was kept out of the consolidated fund of the state even though it accrued out of cess, surcharge and taxes that were levied by the state exercising its sovereign power. Similarly, lots of expenditure was made in this manner,” he told Hindustan Times, citing revenues and expenditure related to rural development fund and infrastructure development fund as examples.
Lakhanpal, handpicked by the chief minister to head the commission, said loans were being raised with government guarantee, future revenues of public sector undertakings mortgaged without even being sure whether these revenue streams are going to continue or not and liabilities deferred. “All of this is not reflected in government books and has to be quantified. A forensic audit is needed to find out where this money was spent,” he said.
Dwelling on the solution, the former chief secretary said this is structural imbalance, not a cyclical imbalance. “You need structural correctives. As they say, economy is not in sparing the expenditure, but spending the money wisely. Whatever we have needs to be spent wisely on the felt needs of people. With resources being limited, prioritisation is important. There is a need to be careful about new projects,” he said.
The commission chairman said his suggestion to the state government would be to make the already made investments productive, whether it is drinking water, sanitation etc.
Capt seeks fresh analysis of Punjab river waters
SYL ROW Amarinder Singh says most watersharing agreements with neighbouring states were annulled by Punjab government in 2004
From page 01 CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, on Friday, suggested a fresh analysis of Sutlej, Ravi and Beas waters and requested the neighbouring states to cooperate.
The chief minister was speaking during the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held here, which was attended by representatives of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory, Chandigarh and New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh.
“There is a consensus building up among the states for a reanalysis (of waters in the Sutlej). Haryana CM has accepted the proposal for reassessment under the supervision of the Centre,” chief secretary (CS) of Punjab Karan A Singh told mediapersons after the meeting. The secretary in the interstate secretariat (of the home department) at the Centre Sanjeevani Kutty also attended the meeting.
Punjab and Haryana are on a warpath on waters, as Haryana is seeking the construction of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal to take water from Punjab, while the latter is objecting to the canal on the plea that the quantity of water has reduced drastically over the past three decades since the SYL canal proposal was put forth. A case is pending in the Supreme Court.
“Punjab CM requested Haryana for an out-of-court settlement on the dispute,” said Punjab chief secretary.
However, the CM did not make a direct reference to the SYL, said the CS. “The officials of the union water resources ministry met officers from the states (separately) on the SYL issue on April 20,” he said, answering a query, adding that the Centre had to convey to both the states whether the meeting was open-ended or discussions had closed.
He also informed the media that Amarinder Singh also told the meeting that most watersharing agreements (with neighbouring states), signed in 1980s, were annulled by the Punjab government in 2004. Things now have changed drastically, so there was need to reanalyse the quantity of water.
Besides Union home minister Rajnath Singh, the others, who attended the meeting, included Punjab governor and UT administrator VP Singh Badnore, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Delhi lt governor Anil Baijal, J&K deputy chief minister Nirmal Kumar Singh, Himachal Pradesh health minister Thakur Kaul Singh and Rajasthan water resources minister Ram Pratap.
‘SHOW COMPASSION FOR J&K YOUTH’
Home minister Rajnath Singh also asked all northern states to deal with the youth from Jammu and Kashmir, who have come to these states to work or study with compassion and soft hand. “We need to extend warmth to them, the home minister said,” informed Sanjeevani Kutty.
Cong MLAs express displeasure over police functioning in state
I will not interfere in the government functioning, but no one can deny the oversight SUNIL JAKHAR, Punjab Congress chief
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has come under fire yet again from the Congress quarters with many legislators expressing their displeasure before chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, alleging interference from Akali Dal in the functioning of police.
During a lunch meeting hosted by the CM on Wednesday for an interaction with the MLAs from Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa and Ferozepur, the issue was raised by the legislators.
“While raking up the issue, some of the leaders alleged that senior police officers were still getting directions from former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal,” said an MLA on the condition of anonymity.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, a minister said: “Since chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh is not directly involved in postings, senior cops are adjusting their favourites on the key posts. When a politician recommends an official, it becomes controversial.”
“But when he manages things through his sources in the department, it is deemed upright.” added the minister.
A Congress MLA cited an “example” of Ferozepur when a SAD leader sitting on a dharna against attack on Akali workers allegedly by the Congress, “with complete authority called up senior police officials and they were heard taking directions from Sukhbir”.
Another MLA cited example of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rampura Phull Gurjit Singh Romana, who had worked closely with former minister Sikander Singh Malooka. “When Congress formed the government, Romana was transferred as DSP Bhucho.
Later, he was transferred as DSP (City) Bathinda in the third list of transfers, when a few Congress MLAs raised the issue,” he said.
This is not the first delegation that has expressed resentment over police postings in the state.
“A few days back, I met former SAD MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar in a function where he had come with an assistant sub-inspector and six commandoes of the Punjab Police,” said a Jalandhar MLA
“I called up additional director general of police (security), who forwarded my complaint to a senior official in Jalandhar Police Commissoinerate. Within five minutes, the senior officer called up Makkar to inform him about the complaint,” added the Jalandhar MLA.
A senior party leader rued, “Punjab Police Service officer Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, who was assistant commissioner of police (Jalandhar West) during the SAD-BJP regime and had allegedly slapped cases against Sushil Rinku (now Congress MLA from West), was posted as SP Phagwara- a key posting,”
KK Sharma is new PRTC chief
PATIALA :KK Sharma, a close confidant of chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh, took over the charge as chairman of Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), in the presence of former Union minister Preneet Kaur, on Friday.
BHARAT BHUSHAN/HTFormer Union minister Preneet Kaur blessing KK Sharma after he took over the charge as the PRTC chairman in Patiala on Friday.
Soon after his joining, Sharma listed his top priorities including adding 100 new buses in the present fleet of 1,045 buses.
He also announced addition of 25 new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) buses to the fleet of the PRTC while bus connectivity to Chandigarh from every district of Punjab is also on the cards.
“The poor policies and ignorant attitude towards the corporation by the SAD-BJP government has pushed the institution into acute financial crisis,” he said, adding, “The required steps will be taken to improve public transport facility across the state, besides uplifting its financial conditions.”
Sharma added that strict action will be taken against illegal buses plying on the roads. Besides, unemployed youth would be provided permits of mini buses so as to generate employment for them.
Contractual workers to boycott 300 new buses under kilometre scheme
LUDHIANA: In an all out defiance of the state transport department’s proposal to introduce 300 new buses under the kilometer scheme, around 4,000 employees of Punjab Roadways state contract workers’ union have decided not to serve in buses under this scheme.
JS GREWAL/HT FILE4,000 employees of Punjab Roadways take decision.Calling it “a breeding ground for corruption”, they said buses under this scheme directly benefited private bus operators. The state transport department lost out on crores of revenue “deliberately”.
The state transport policy states that 40% routes will be given to private players while 60% will be retained by state transport. However, the scenario during Akali rule (19972002, 2007-2012 and 2012-2017) was inverse as the lion’s share between 60 and 70 % went to private players, weakening the financial health of the state transport department. For routes to rural areas, the ratio was 20:80 (20 roadways and 80 private) but to favour the private players, mini buses were allowed to ply on almost all profitable routes in the rural belt across the state.
Union president Bhagat Singh said, “Framing a transport policy that favours private bus operators has become a norm in the state, thanks to the previous Akali government. The new Congress government, instead of introducing government buses under Punjab Roadways, is busy holding deliberations to introduce 300 new buses under the kilometer scheme which will be run by private players while conductors will be hired from state transport.”
“If buses under this scheme hit the roads, contractual employees will not work in these buses. It will be a complete boycott from our side. The scheme is an all-out attack against job regularisation and will further delay it.”
REGULAR EMPLOYEES OPPOSED TO SCHEME
Even regular employees of Punjab Roadways have vehemently opposed the kilometre scheme. But they have ruled out any possibility of a boycott.
All India Trade Union Congress member Jagdeesh Chahal said, “Though we strongly oppose the kilometre scheme, we will take a final decision on whether to render services or not in our next meeting.”
There are more than 4,000 contract workers in Punjab Roadways who have decided to not render services to the buses under the kilometre scheme.
Sources said things had barely changed after the new government assumed charge and the state transport department still continued to bear the onslaught of a monopoly by private players that was prevalent during the SAD-BJP regime.
They added that private bus operators under the kilometre scheme were barely concerned about passenger base as they were paid according to kilometres travelled, causing a huge loss to public transport.
Running buses directly under its umbrella rather than roping in private players will garner maximum revenue to the state transport and will discourage corruption which was inherent during previous government’s rule, said union members.
Capt for 60:40 ratio in govt posts of UT
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 12
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today took up the issue of the share of the state in government posts in Chandigarh. Taking up the issue at the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) here today, he sought instructions to the UT to implement the 60:40 ratio decided during the re-organisation of the state. Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh said the CM requested the Union Home Minister to look into the matter.It was pointed out that as per the spirit of the Punjab Re-organisation Act, all posts were to be filled according to the 60:40 ratio from states of Punjab and Haryana but, without consulting the states, the UT was filling posts from its own cadre.
Drugs: CM seeks help from other states
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh welcomes Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Chandigarh on Friday as Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore looks on. Tribune photo
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 12
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today sought Centre’s help in increasing vigilance by central forces to check cross-border drug smuggling, and asked for greater cooperation with Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir to destroy the cultivation of poppy and cannabis.At the 28th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council meeting here, he underlined the need to combat the drug menace in an organised manner.The Chief Minister sought to put an end to smuggling of narcotic substances from areas, where poppy and cannabis are being cultivated legally for pharmaceutical and related purposes. Sharing of information and initiating criminal action against smugglers should be promoted, he said. The CMurged Rajasthan to shift poppy husk vends situated near border villages of Punjab.Seeks more share in Central fundsCapt Amarinder called for greater operational freedom to states cutting across party lines. He demanded an increase of at least 50 per cent share in central funds.Wants concession under border state statusReferring to the border status of Punjab, the Chief Minister reiterated his demand for Central concessions on the lines of the fiscal and industrial concessions given to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Ensure safety of Kashmiri students: Rajnath to CMs Chandigarh: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the Chief Ministers of the northern states to ensure the safety of Kashmiri students. The Union Minister, while referring to the attacks on Kashmiri students in different states, asked the participating states to take care of the students and provide them proper environment. Sanjeevani Kutty, Secretary in the Home Ministry, in a briefing after the meeting said while drawing attention of the states to the issue, they have been asked to implement the advisory. TNS
Capt orders recruitment of 4,000 cops
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 12
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today ordered filling of 4,000 police vacancies across ranks, while directing the department to ensure that 2,000 police personnel are recruited every year to fill the vacancies arising annually out of the routine retirement of cops.Chairing a meeting of Home and Police Department officials here, the Chief Minister said recruitment would carry forward the sweeping reforms being undertaken in the Police Department such as diversion of personnel from VIP duty.His government, said Capt Amarinder, was committed to providing jobs to the unemployed youth, with at least one job in each household, as promised in the run-up to the Assembly elections.The Chief Minister also directed the officials to ensure that police officials were allowed a free hand to work within the ambit of law, while also taking care to ensure that no vindictive action was resorted to by the cops at any level, right from the lowest rung at the police stations.
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