The Tribune – Release Bhullar forthwith, say SGPC, Takht chief

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 24. With the medical board constituted by the government concluding that death row convict Devinderpal Singh Bhullar is suffering from severe depression with psychotic symptoms and suicidal tendencies, various Sikh organisations today urged the Union Government to release Bhullar without further delay.

The jail manual clearly states that a death row convict has to be declared physically and mentally fit before the sentence is carried out.

Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president said, they had been highlighting Bhullar’s medical condition from the beginning but “there was a conspiracy against Bhullar which is why his medical reports were not brought to the notice of the Supreme Court and the President when his petitions were under consideration.”

Makkar alleged that the Central Government intended to hang Bhullar. “Now, that his medical condition has been made public, it should release him from jail immediately.” He said it was a known fact that Bhullar was undergoing treatment for at least a year.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said Bhullar should be released on humanitarian grounds in view of the medical board’s report.

Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh said Bhullar had undergone torture, mental stress and prolonged detention due to which his health had deteriorated.

“Despite being aware of his medical condition, if the government hangs him, it will be a political murder,” he said, adding that Bhullar should be released unconditionally and allowed to lead a normal life with his family.

All-India Sikh Students Federation chief Karnail Singh Peermohammed said the government should release Bhullar at once on humanitarian grounds as he had already served the life sentence.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130525/punjab.htm#5

The Tribune – Farmers fail to pay for canal water

Sarbjit Dhaliwal, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23. Canal water for irrigation is not free yet most farmers who were issued bills for using the canal water have yet to pay the charges.

A senior official of the Irrigation Department said that bills worth Rs 250 crore had been issued to farmers over the past three years, but a sum of only Rs 3 crore had been realised so far. Deputy Commissioners have been assigned the task to recover the dues with the help of revenue officials such as tehsildars and patwaris.

A notification levying Rs 150 per acre per annum for canal water was issued by the state government in January 2010. Farmers were to pay Rs 75 per acre twice a year for land under canal irrigation.

When Parkash Singh Badal took over as Chief Minister in 1997, his first Cabinet decision was to give free power and free canal water to farmers. Following this decision, the post of “nehri (canal) patwari” was merged with the revenue patwari cadre.

However, the Congress government in 2002 decided to levy canal water charges again. Most farmers did not pay the charges and these continued to accumulate.

In January 2010, the Parkash Singh Badal-led government waived the accumulated charges and decided to levy water charges at Rs 150 per acre per annum.

Now, the farmers have been issued hefty bills. A BKU leader,Ghuman Singh Rajgarh, claimed that a farmer who owned 22 acres near Nabha had got a bill of Rs 34,000. At Sangatpura village, some farmers had been charged at Rs 500 per acre.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, BKU president, said farmers in Hansro village near Nawahshahr had been charged at Rs 3,310 per acre. A senior official said that bills had been prepared on the actual use of canal water supplied through various outlets. For instance, if water meant for 500 acres was actually used for 100 acres, the farmer concerned would have to pay the bill for the water which otherwise would have gone to other farmers.

Contradicting the official, farmers say if water meant for 500 acres is used for 100 acres, it will cause water-logging.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130524/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – State to High Court: Won’t allow groundwater for construction

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23. Underground water will not be allowed for construction purposes in Punjab. Affidavits to this effect were submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the state government and the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority.

The affidavit said only surface or treated water from the nearby sewage treatment plant would be allowed for construction work. Water meters would also be installed on borewells or tubewells within a month.

The claims came on a petition filed in public interest on the issue by advocate HC Arora. He was seeking directions to the Punjab Government for ensuring strict implementation of notifications issued by the Central Ground Water Authority.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130524/punjab.htm#12

The Tribune – SAD’s poaching strategy paid off

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22. Poaching of effective workers and leaders by the SAD proved dear for the Punjab Congress in the panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections with Congress defectors “rising to the occasion” and showing their worth to their new bosses.

The SAD has been poaching Congress workers and leaders for more than a year now ever since the 2012 assembly victory. The objective is to take on board anybody who is effective in his or her area.

While this strategy saw senior Congress leaders, including Joginderpal Jain, Mangat Rai Bansal and Deepinder Dhillon, entering the Akali fold, at the junior level, the exodus from the Congress has been even more.

The poaching of Congress workers has been the most in the Malwa and Majha belts. Hundreds of local Jat leaders have opted to go with the ruling party.

Sources said this exodus of the Congress grassroots cadre to the SAD demoralised senior Congress leaders who realised they had lost their base in the traditional pocket boroughs. Even the parliamentary seat of Patiala, which has always looked safe for the Congress, appears no longer so following the massive win registered by the SAD there.

Another reason for the poor Congress showing was that though Punjab Congress president Partap Bajwa led an aggressive campaign and took on the Akalis fearlessly, he failed to understand that the Congress cadre was not ready to take on the Akalis in a similar manner.

With four years to go for the next assembly elections and already facing the wrath of Akali workers at the village level, even committed Congress cadres seem to be biding their time.

Besides tackling the demoralised cadre, the Congress needs to reckon with some legislators who at the best offered a “friendly” opposition to the Akalis in the rural elections.

These MLAs are more concerned about getting works done in their constituencies by “cooperating” with the Akalis.

With Bajwa opting for competitive politics with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, senior leaders close to the latter took little interest in the elections. This did not send the right message to the cadre.

Bajwa’s aggressive posturing would have paid off against SAD president Sukhbir Badal. But the latter kept away from the poll, pitting Bajwa against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The latter focused on peace and communal harmony to offset the Congress attempts to make “repression” of Akali workers a mass movement.

How it worked

The SAD has been poaching Congress workers and leaders ever since the 2012 assembly victory

The objective is to take on board anybody who is effective in his or her area

This strategy saw senior Congress leaders deserting the party and joining the SAD

The exodus of the Congress grassroots cadre to the SAD has been even more

Punjab Congress chief Partap Bajwa took on the Akalis fearlessly but the Congress cadre did not

Some Cong MLAs offered only a “friendly” opposition to the SAD

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130523/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – Authorities told to register runaway couple’s marriage

Saurabh Malik, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21. When Gagandeep Kaur walked down the aisle with the man of her choice, little did she realise that legal hurdles were far from over. The registering officer refused to register the runaway couple’s marriage in the absence or concurrence of her parents.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has now directed the officer concerned to do the needful after observing that the “insistence for adopting such a course by the registering officer is not in accordance with law”. In their petition, Gagandeep Kaur and the groom had earlier claimed that the registering officer “requires the concurrence of the parents of both the parties for purposes of registration”. The couple claimed since they got married against the wishes of the bride’s parents, it would not be possible to secure their presence or concurrence.

Justice Rajiv Narain Raina observed that the petitioners tied the knot on December 12 last year at a gurdwara in Sangrur. Justice Raina observed they fulfilled all the legal requirements for the registration of marriage. But, their marriage registration file had not been accepted by the officer on the pretext that presence of the bride’s parents was also required.

Justice Raina also referred to comprehensive directions by the Supreme Court for taking necessary steps to make marriage registration a compulsory step for persons belonging to all religions. The directions have been issued to the states and Central Government in the case of Seema versus Ashwani Kumar.

Justice Raina added: “The reasoning adopted by the respondents that the presence of parents of the wife is a must for registration of marriage, if accepted, would just defeat the very intent of the intended benefit of the directions given by the Supreme Court. But this court hastens to add that it does not imply that the statutory provisions of law have to be given a go by”.

Justice Raina added: “The registering authority is merely to see that there is a valid subsisting marriage and the parties have completed the age of 21 years and the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship and neither of the party is an idiot or lunatic and further none of the parties has more than one living spouse”. The instant petition is allowed with a direction to the respondents to register the marriage of the petitioners if there is no other legal impediment”.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130522/punjab.htm#22

The Tribune – Bajwa routed in Qadian, Manpreet in Gidderbaha

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21. Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa and People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal have both been routed in their respective strongholds of Qadian and Gidderbaha, even as the Badal family has swept the poll in Bathinda, Muktsar, Lambi and Jalalabad.

Sources say the Congress has been routed in the Patiala parliamentary constituency represented by Union Minister Preneet Kaur.

In Qadian, the Congress has been able to win only three of the 15 block samiti seats. The SAD has won 12.

In Gidderbaha, from where Manpreet Badal has been elected to the assembly in the past, the PPP has been able to win only one of the 25 block samiti seats. The SAD has won 23 seats. The Congress won one seat.

In the Patiala parliamentary constituency, of the 21 zila parishad zones, the SAD has won 19. The Congress has been able to win only two.

The Badal family has done extremely well in its traditional strongholds as well as the new constituency of Jalalabad, represented by the Deputy Chief Minister.

The SAD has won all 16 zila parishad zones in the Bathinda parliamentary constituency, represented by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal. It has won all 12 zila parishad and 86 of the 91 block samiti seats in Muktsar district.

In the Lambi assembly constituency held by the Chief Minister, the party has won all 21 block samiti seats.

The SAD-BJP has won all 24 block samiti seats in Jalalabad. In case of the Majitha assembly constituency held by Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, the SAD has won the two zila parishad zones with the highest margin as well as all 25 block samiti seats.

Results sourced from the district headquarters but yet to be confirmed by the State Election Commission (SEC) indicate that the SAD-BJP alliance has swept the samiti and parishad elections.

Of the 331 zila parishad seats, results of 217 are available at the district level. Of these, the SAD has won 182 seats, the BJP 17, the Congress 15, the PPP 2 and Independents 2.

Of the 2,731 block samitis, candidates in 270 samitis were declared elected unopposed. Out of the 2,461 samitis going to the polls, a breakup of 1,602 samitis is available. The SAD has won 1,137 seats, the Congress 279, the BSP 103, the PPP 16, the CPI 6 and others 49.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130522/punjab.htm#1

The Tribune – After route change, Personal Rapid Transport System (PRTS) tenders open today

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 20. Fresh tender bids for the state government’s ambitious personal rapid transport system (PRTS) project will be opened tomorrow.

The Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) had invited fresh bids in view of the alterations in the PRTS route following apprehensions by heritage lovers that the then design may take a toll on the walled city’s architecture and its historic landmarks.

Sources said the PIDB had invited bids for the project through an advertisement dated February 22, 2013.

They said the last date for receiving the bids was April 26, which was later extended till May 21. This means it may take another few months for the work to begin on the ground.

Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal said the tenders will be opened tomorrow and the work will be awarded after a comparative analysis of the bids, which may take a month or so. He said the due process had to be followed once the PRTS route was changed.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had laid the foundation stone of the project amid much fanfare in December 2011, but the project has made a little headway ever since.

In July last, The Tribune had highlighted the concerns of the heritage lovers that the project will eclipse the view of the holy city’s landmarks like the Jallianwalla Bagh and the Golden Temple. The government later changed the route plan from the railway station to the Golden Temple.

Altered route

Under the new plan, the guideway for the PRTS will not enter the walled city through Hall Gate. Instead, it will take a left turn towards Chitra Cinema and get into the city through Rambagh Chowk

From there, it will pass through Bijliwala Chowk to reach Katra Jaimal Singh before heading towards the Golden Temple

There is also a plan that the guideway will span across the approach road to the Jallianwalla Bagh and the Golden Temple to facilitate the clear view of these landmarks

The height of the guideway will be raised to 30 feet on both these stretches, as against the height of 20 feet in other sections of the route

Similarly, the other route from the Inter State Bus Terminal to the Golden Temple will pass through Maha Singh Gate to reach the Saragarhi Parking before heading towards the Golden Temple

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130521/punjab.htm#6

The Tribune – Police pats itself for ‘peaceful’ polling

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20. The Punjab Police today claimed it had been able to conduct the panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections “successfully” and that it was a “great achievement” that there was not a single case of use of firearms or fatality.

C S R Reddy, Additional DGP, Election Cell, made this claim at a press conference, chaired by state police chief Sumedh Singh Saini, here today. Reddy claimed that elections to panchayati raj institutions held in the state in 2005 and 2008 had witnessed incidents of murder, attempt to murder and use of weapons.

He said only 18 incidents of violence had been reported yesterday and that re-polling had been ordered in just nine booths. Reddy claimed the police had been successful in curtailing violence because it had set up election cells in all districts, deputed personnel at the booth level, created 638 mobile parties and had a reserve force in place as part of its second response team.

On the Lambi violence, Saini said Congress activists had set some vehicles ablaze and that action was being taken in this regard.

He indicated that cases of violence during electioneering were a result of personal feuds. He said PPP’s Jaspreet Singh Jassa, who was killed in Adampur, Bathinda, became a victim of a gang war between “habitual criminals.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130521/punjab.htm#2

The Tribune – Pranab voices concern over India lagging behind in higher education; Confers doctorate on Afghan President Karzai at LPU

Vibha Sharma, Tribune News Service

Phagwara, May 20. President Pranab Mukherjee today voiced deep concern over the flight of bright young minds from India for “better quality higher education” abroad and the country’s lost position in the field.

Pitching for the revival of India’s “lost glory” in the area of higher education, Mukherjee urged academic institutions to take the lead in providing education conforming to international standards.

Speaking at the third convocation ceremony of Lovely Professional University, a function which was also attended by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Mukherjee regretted the fact that there was not a single Indian university among the top universities in the world even though there was a time when the country was known as a hub of world-class universities with the likes of Nalanda and Takshashila that attracted scholars from all over the world.

The President said these famed universities continued to function as an outstanding system until about 1200 AD and from there on, India lost its position to other countries.

“And today, we do not have any top-ranked university. The ancient Indian universities attracted students from all over the world but today, many bright young minds from India go abroad for better quality higher education.

It will be our undoing if we cannot draw our students to seek higher education in their own country. How we can revive the lost glory of our higher education system is a matter of deep introspection,” he said.

He urged Indian universities to create at least one centre of excellence with some out-of-box thinking and innovative research that can turn theoretical knowledge into a marketable product. Underlining the need of vocationalisation of education, he said: “There cannot be progress without innovation, research and development.”

Mukherjee also conferred an honorary degree on Afghanistan President at the convocation – the first honoris causa degree awarded by the Punjab-based private university with nearly 30,000 on-campus students.

He also awarded gold medals and degrees to qualified students.

Terming education as a tool that can significantly shape the minds of the youth, the President also urged universities and other institutes of higher learning to take the lead to start a sustained programme for meeting contemporary moral challenges.

“The recent rise in crimes against women and children is a cause for deep concern. It not only calls for effective measures for their safety and security but also underlines the need in us to sit back and introspect and find ways to arrest the moral degradation in our society,” he said.

He also pointed out that the shortage of faculty had hampered India’s efforts to improve the standard of education and urged for immediate corrective steps.

Meanwhile, Karzai, who was the chief guest at the convocation, praised India for its help in the betterment of Afghanistan. India, as a friend of Afghanistan, had made immense contribution in the uplift of its youths, he said adding that the country had “contributed $ 2 billion from the hard-earned money of its tax-payers for the betterment of Afghanistan.”

He also lauded India’s fast growth in industry, technology and economy. “India is on the path of progress and prosperity. It is one of the greatest civilisations on earth. The power and energy you (students and youths) generate is good for India and beyond,” Karzai, who is here on a three-day visit, said.

Highlighting the need for development of education, especially higher education, in Afghanistan, he said India had 2,000 Afghan students studying in its various universities. Karzai also apologised to Mukherjee, the Government of Punjab and LPU students for having come late. “My plane broke down, thankfully on the ground,” he said, evoking peals of laughter.

The Punjab CM urged the LPU management to open an institute for talented, poor students of border areas.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130521/main4.htm

The Tribune – Violence rocks Badal turf as 65% vote in panchayat polls; Re-poll at 8 booths; Highest polling in Mansa; Lowest in Gurdaspur

Sanjeev Singh Bariana, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 19. Burning of vehicles in the constituency of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday was one of the scores of sporadic incidents of violence across the state during elections to 22 Zila Parishads and 146 Panchayat Samitis.

The state recorded 65 per cent voter turnout amid rampant incidents of alleged booth capturing and skirmishes in Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Gidderbaha, Patiala and some other places. Highest polling in the state was recorded in Mansa (72 per cent) and lowest in Gurdaspur (52.81 per cent).

The Election Commission has ordered re-polling at eight booths that witnessed booth capturing. State Election Commissioner SS Brar, said “Re-polling will take place at eight booths of six polling stations, which witnessed booth capturing. These are Ropana (Muktsar), Kothe Maluk Patti (Faridkot), Churriwal Chisti, Ojhanwali and Kanha Ram (all in Fazilka) and Indergarh (Moga). Re-polling will be held on May 20 and counting is scheduled for May 21.”

Five cars and a motorcycle were torched in Mann village during a clash between Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers in the CM’s home constituency, Lambi. A mob led by Pawanpreet Singh ‘Bobby’ Badal, ex-OSD to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, entered a polling booth in the Government School in Mann village and allegedly “captured” it after locking the door from inside. Furious Opposition workers burnt cars outside.

Booth capturing by SAD activists was also reported at Jheurheri village.

In one of the major incidents of poll-related violence in Ferozepur, a group of Akali workers allegedly beat up Congress candidate Harbachan Singh (60) and his son Punjab Singh in a school in Mohan ke Uttar village. The Congress alleged the Akalis captured five polling stations set up in the school.

Stones were also pelted by some persons. Over 18 persons were injured in minor clashes in Patiala district.

Booth capturing was reported from over a dozen villages in Samana, the home constituency of Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra.

In Fatehpur, villagers boycotted the polls following police inaction over the death of a local youth. In Nabha, three persons were injured, one of them seriously, after SAD and Congress supporters locked horns.

Polling in all 23 zones of the Zila Parishad and 201 Block Samitis in Gurdaspur district was reported to be peaceful, although Congress leaders claimed politicians of the ruling SAD-BJP combine indulged in electoral malpractices in several zones.

Elections for 21 Zila Parishad and 176 Block Samitis in Amritsar and 13 Zila Parishad zones and 128 Block Samiti zones in Tarn Taran concluded with minor scuffles and verbal duels in several villages in the border districts. A scuffle was reported between SAD factions from Bhagwanpur village near Bhikhiwind.

Barring stray incidents of violence at a village in Khanna Block in which five persons sustained injuries and another incident at Seekhan village in Malaudh where an Akali Panch was attacked, polling for 25 Zila Parishad zones and 12 Blocks in Ludhiana remained peaceful.

Polls in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr remained peaceful with no reports of violence.

Stray cases of violation of the poll code were reported from certain places, including Wariana village where BSP and SAD workers got into a verbal duel. The presiding officer at Lalian Kalan village in Kartarpur, Shinderpal Singh, was found to be working in an inebriated condition in the morning.

Polling also remained largely peaceful in Bathinda and Mansa districts where 71 per cent and 72 per cent voting was reported. Minor trouble was reported from Teona village in Bathinda district where a PPP candidate raised objections when he was stopped from moving near a booth by the police in the morning.

Bathinda village boycotts poll

Continuing their boycott of the state government in protest against the pollution caused by Bathinda refinery, over 1,300 voters of Kanakwal village here did not exercise their franchise on Sunday.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130520/main2.htm