Bajwas play host to Capt, bypoll in mind?
Keen on Charanjit Kaur as Gurdaspur candidate
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 13
With Capt Amarinder Singh now the undisputed “maharaja” of Punjab Congress, his bete noir and former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa seems keen on a truce.No wonder that Bajwa’s younger brother and Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa hosted a dinner for Capt Amarinder here last night. Partap Singh Bajwa was also present, while his wife and former Qadian MLA Charanjit Kaur, had withdrawn from the contest in favour of her brother-in-law, was not present.With the election to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection round the corner following the demise of actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, Bajwa is reportedly keen on his wife contesting the bypoll.Capt Amarinder Singh, when contacted, said he did attend the dinner, but there was no political talk. There were around 30 people at the dinner, but it was a social gathering, he added, while insisting that a decision on the party candidate would be taken by the Congress high command.Sources said the Bajwas would not have lost sight of the free hand given to Capt Amarinder by the Congress high command after the party’s emphatic victory in Punjab — whether having his way on the choice of Cabinet, or appointment of confidant Sunil Jakhar as PPCC chief.Sources say that Partap Singh Bajwa being a strong Congress leader of Majha, barring a few, most MLAs are likely to help Charanjit Kaur in case the party zeroes in on her. But he would still need the “blessings” of Capt Amarinder Singh to not just secure a ticket for his wife, but also manage a win at the hustings.
Dharamsot exhorts youths to loans under govt’s welfare schemes
SC Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot
Chandigarh, May 14
Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot today exhorted youths to avail loans under the state government’s welfare schemes to be able to find avenues of self-employment.He said Punjab Backward Classes Land Development and Finance Corporation (BACKFINCO) was running several schemes aimed at providing loans to the youth at low interest rates.Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Welfare Minister Dharamsot said these schemes would act as a catalyst for the skilled and enterprising youths to be well-off financially by initiating their own ventures.He said BACKFINCO also provides loans for pursuing higher education.In a statement, the minister said as per the direct loan scheme, BACKFINCO provides loan ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh at an interest rate of 6 per cent. Loans can be availed to start ventures such as dairy farming and poultry.Apart from this, under the schemes run with assistance from other corporations, students hailing from backward classes and minorities are provided loans at an annual interest rate of 3 per cent and 4.5 per cent respectively, he said. — PTI
Pranab: Indira was convinced of Op Bluestar
Pranab Mukherjee
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 13
Thirty-three years after Operation Bluestar, President Pranab Mukherjee today recalled how late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was convinced of the unavoidability of her decision to send the Army to clear the Golden Temple of militants in 1984.Speaking at the launch of a centennial commemorative volume on Indira Gandhi, Mukherjee said he had told the late PM that it was the most dangerous decision. “As a student of history, I was afraid to do anything with the Golden Temple… I recalled (at Cabinet committee meeting) how Ahmed Shah Abdali had to face serious consequences after the Third Battle of Panipat when he did something wrong with the Golden Temple,” the President said.
He then narrated what Indira Gandhi told him: “Sometimes history demands some action to be taken which may not prove correct later on but perhaps is most relevant at that time. This decision cannot be avoided.”
SAD-BJP govt siphoned off ₹1,400 crore, says Sidhu
BATALA: The previous SAD-BJP government siphoned off more than ₹1,400 crore sanctioned by the Centre to promote tourism in the state, said local government, tourism and cultural affairs minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
SAYS THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT FAILED TO UTILISE ₹400 CRORE FOR PROVIDING DRINKING WATER TO AMRITSAR RESIDENTS
“I have documents to prove that former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Badal misused crores of rupees sanctioned by the Union government under the centrallysponsored schemes,” said Sidhu at a press conference here on Saturday.
The minister was here to participate in a cultural programme in the memory of noted poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi.
He said during its last term, the SAD-BJP government also siphoned off ₹400 crore released by the Centre under smart city project. “Not only the Badals, some other ministers were also involved in this scam and I will soon make a disclosure in this regard,” he added.
“Besides this, the previous government failed to utilise ₹400 crore it released for providing clean drinking water to residents of Amritsar through the Upper Bari Doab Canal,” the minister alleged.
“I have already ordered audit of all records of the local bodies department and once it is completed, we are going to issue a white paper on all frauds committed by the Badals and their ministers in the past 10 years,” said Sidhu.
Sidhu announced that the department would mark an international event to celebrate the marriage anniversary of Guru Nanak and birth anniversary of Shiv Kumar Batalvi. He also promised to hold an international literary festival in November in the memory of the poet.
After govt’s anti-drug drive, ‘chitta’ rates double in state
HANDIGARH: The drive launched against drugs by Punjab’s Congress government has had visible effect at least on one count — the black economy of chitta (white powder/heroin). Bulk market rates of the deadly intoxicant have nearly doubled from Rs 10 lakh a kg to Rs 19 lakh, say ground reports from the Special Task Force (STF) of the police formed by chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to curb the menace. And that’s not all.
Addicts in Amritsar — where the rates are usually the lowest due to proximity to smuggling routes from the border — are getting the dose for up to ₹3,600 a gram, which is also double the earlier rate. In Ludhiana, too, the retail rates have doubled since February, to ₹4,500-5,500 a gram. In other places such as Ferozepur, Mansa, Bathinda and Barnala, rates range from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a gram.
A usual addict consumes about half a gram in a day, generally divided into in three doses, say de-addiction experts. But chronic addicts consume up to a gram a day.
Information with the Border Security Force (BSF) says rates in Pakistan, from where much of it is smuggled into the Indian Punjab, remain at ₹8-10 lakh per kg. But, because the suppliers here are reluctant to receive the consignments now, big suppliers are now selling their current lot at higher prices.
“Drug dealers active in the border area have, for the time being, only kept their fingers crossed. That’s why they are not hyperactive on the borders as they were earlier,” added a senior BSF official posted at Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar, who did not want to be named for not being authorised to speak to the media on the matter.
HT talked to various other sources too in the know of the trade, in Bathinda, Mansa, Patiala and Kapurthala, who underlined the rate hike.
A superintendent of police (SP) posted in the counter-intelligence wing in a border region said, “In many cases, older customers are being given the dose on a comparatively lower rate, but the newer ones are charged the current retail rate.”
The STF in-charge, additional director general of police (ADGP) Harpreet Singh Sidhu, sees this as the first positive sign in the fight against drugs. “In coming days, the drive will be given more momentum, and we are sure the prices will further soar, making drug availability more difficult for addicts,” he said.
But is it all that simple? Dr Sandeep Bhola, a psychiatrist and de-addiction expert at the civil hospital in Kapurthala, said the price hike could be a good sign “only if the family or someone else motivates the addict to now quit the habit by joining a de-addiction centre”. “Otherwise, if addicts are unable to afford their dose, they might start using cheaper injections or even indulge in criminal activities to get quick money,” he said.
The STF head acknowledged this: “The strategy of the government is aimed at de-addiction as well as prevention of more people becoming addicts. Reduction in availability, coupled with the steps that the government is taking in the near future, will encourage addicts to go for de-addiction.”
Change of guard, Badals’ man has change of heart?
Harmel Singh Sra
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 14
The Congress government’s attempt to rid departments of the “Akali influence” seems to have no bearing on the office of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cash-rich Punjab State Transport Society.A loyalist of the Badal family, Harmel Singh Sra continues to enjoy the “patronage” of the government as the CEO of the society.Private transporters have accused him of watching over the business interests of the Badal family in the transport sector during the previous SAD-BJP government.Several outfits of transporters have demanded his removal in vain. Now, two senior Congress leaders have sought his ouster and a probe into his alleged role in deciding and awarding route permits and finalising previous transport policies.State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said, “Officials in the previous Akali government, who colluded with their political masters at the cost of the state exchequer, have no place in a government that is committed to fair and transparent administration.”Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa said there was a need to probe Sra’s role in causing loss to transport undertakings. “The government should fix responsibility for the grant of illegal permits, wrong extension of routes and other anomalies that have been struck down by the Supreme Court and the High Court,” he added.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. The post was created to adjust him.At a time when political appointees of the previous government are either putting in their papers or are being asked to resign, Sra continues to work as the CEO.With the change of guard, the official is reported to have changed loyalties as a senior political appointee has interests in the operations of private buses, raising question marks on the intention of the government.
Finding ‘favours’
- Harmel Singh Sra remained the acting State Transport Commissioner — a post reserved for IAS officers — during the Akali rule
- Before the Assembly elections, he was ‘rewarded’ with the post of CEO of the Punjab State Transport Society. The post was created to adjust him
Dalit who raised voice against fund misuse now fears for life
Dalit labourer Sarbjit Singh was sacked four years ago. Tribune photo
He was fired from job four years ago
Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, May 14
Justice comes at a cost and 42-year-old Dalit labourer Sarbjit Singh knows it well. His temporary service as helper under the incharge of the Persons-with-Disabilities scheme at Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology (SLIET), Longowal, was terminated in 2013.He lost his job after he raised his voice against the alleged misuse of funds meant for persons with disabilities. Then, he procured information through the RTI Act and wrote to many authorities, but justice continues to elude him.Fearing that their “wrongs” would be exposed, SLIET authorities are allegedly threatening Sarbjit with dire consequences. But he has refused to compromise.With a bag of documents that Sarbjit has procured under the RTI Act, he has been visiting various villages of the district to trace the students whose money has been misused.“Despite having grants, SLIET authorities did not give financial aid to enrolled persons-with-disabilities students for vocational courses under the scheme from 2007 to 2015. The authorities should pay Rs 5,700 to each student. I have detailed information that lakhs have been misappropriated by the authorities concerned. My services were terminated in 2013 after I raised my voice against it,” said Sarbjit. He has written to SSP Sangrur for action against SLIET employees.He alleged that on his complaint to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in August 2016, SLIET authorities – despite having the grant — gave wrong information to the PMO that a large number of students were waiting for the grant as funds were not available.“First, they offered me money. When I refused, they started threatening me. These days, I am being pressured to withdraw my complaints. I fear that I may be killed and SLIET authorities will be responsible for it,” he said.Today, he was in Sangrur to board a bus to New Delhi to meet authorities of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.The scheme for integrating persons with disabilities in the mainstream of technical and vocational education was launched in 1999-2000 with an objective to upgrade the skills of physically challenged persons.Mahesh Arora, incharge of PWD scheme, SLIET, has denied the allegations. “No one is issuing threats from our side. It is a baseless allegation,” said Arora.SHO Longowal Jugraj Singh confirmed that Sarbjit has lodged a complaint and said that he would look into it.
Absent for over a year? Employees to lose job
State govt to crack down on unauthorised leave
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, May 14
Cracking the whip on absentee employees, the Finance Department has conveyed to all departments on Friday to treat employees on unauthorised leave for more than one year as “deemed to have resigned.” In a letter to the heads of all departments, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, High Court and district and session judges, the department said that a member of the service shall be deemed to have resigned if he is absent from duty for a continuous period exceeding one year.Such employees would not be allowed to join duty if and when they report back. The competent authority will be responsible to start the process to relieve such employees from government service. In case there is any delay or negligence in initiating this process, the officer concerned will be responsible, read the instructions sent by the department.At the time of getting the salary budget, every department will give a certificate about the steps being taken to relieve such employees who were not only affecting the delivery of services to the people, but also creating indiscipline.Such absenteeism shows irresponsible attitude among the errant staff and was against the spirit of state service, reads the letter.Sources said the move was aimed at reining in the absent-for-long and foreign-crazy employees in various departments, particularly teachers, who are settled in foreign countries without resigning from posts in Punjab.Earlier the School Education Department had directed all employees to submit details of their permanent residence (PR) visa, green cards and immigration status in their annual confidential report (ACR)/annual performance assessment report (APAR). Initially, most of these employees take six-month no-pay leave to go abroad. But they don’t return. They just keep extending their leave on one pretext or the other citing “poor health,” the sources added.
Will not be allowed to join back
- Employees absent from duty for a continuous period exceeding one year will not be allowed to join duty if and when they report back, says the letter
- The competent authority will be responsible to start the process to relieve such employees from govt service
- In case there is any delay or negligence in initiating this process, the officer concerned will be responsible, read the instructions sent by the Finance Department
Sidhu plans revamp of several city projects
Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu (right) and Finance Minister Manpreet Badal (second from left) address mediapersons in Amritsar on Sunday while MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla (left) looks on. Photo: Vishal Kumar
GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 14
With a view to revamp the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) and other stalled projects in the city, a review meeting was held under the tutelage of Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and in the presence of local Congress MLAs and concerned officials at the MC office here today.As the BRTS project, worth Rs 580 crore, could not be implemented on all the routes for want of infrastructure, the common commuters use its dedicated lanes to reach their destinations. Some even do not refrain from using these lanes as a parking lot. Now, this project would be redesigned to make it viable.Since the BRTS project had resulted in a major loss of the green belt, MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, in collaboration with the local MLAs, has announced to spare funds to the tune of Rs 50 lakh to plant trees on key routes of the holy city. The aim is to plant at least 1 million trees. A special panel will be constituted for the same which will be headed by Deputy Commissioner.It was collectively decided in the meeting to shift the existing Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) to the outskirts of the city. The present one would only cater to the city buses. All long-route buses would be operated from the new bus stand.Various tracks were identified where infrastructure would be raised to address the traffic snarls. An underbridge has been proposed at Gurdwara Shaheedan Sahib and Jorah Phatak and Hall Gate to Khazana gate. Similarly, modalities would be worked out to ease the traffic flow from Hall Gate to Khazana Gate and extension of Chabaal Road to Vallah road.Sidhu said under the new policy, it would be mandatory to set up a rainwater harvesting plant in new constructions. Before getting the map sanctioned, the applicant would commit to plant at least two trees in the surrounding.For healthy environment, solid waste management would also be implemented. The project had been in limbo for long. “We aim to set up this project in Amritsar, Bhatinda and Jalandhar in the first phase. The state government will identify 100 to 200 acres of land for the project to address the problem of garbage disposal for the next 50 years,” the minister said.He assured that along with the implementation of BRTS and City Bus Service projects, the plying of auto rickshaws would continue but with a new policy under which environment-friendly autos would be introduced.A new advertisement policy was also underway which would fetch at least Rs 200 crore to Amritsar, Sidhu added.Graft charges against BRTS project officialsDuring the review meeting, a social activist, Suresh Kumar Sharma, alleged that crores of public money had been siphoned off by officials, in connivance with the then SAD-BJP leaders, in the BRTS project. Showing supporting documents which he had procured through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, Sharma said he could only get documents that speak about misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 15 crore. He would submit the documents with the offices of Chief Vigilance Bureau and the Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. Sharma said, “From the documents I got, it is clear that four inches (100 mm) of bituminous macadam was supposed to be spread on the BRTS track but only a 2-3 inches bed was laid. At many places, it was done just by placing a fresh track over the old dilapidated track,” he claimed. Gross misappropriation was done while engaging underweight grills which resulted in draining of around Rs 1.04 crore. Further, fixing 150 mm PCC below grill divider on the road on the same tracks constituted of misappropriation of another Rs 1.44 crore. By fixing flexi sheets in place of acrylic sheets, an amount of Rs 43 lakh was embezzled, Sharma added.