Surjeet Singh returned home after 30 years

After more than 30 years of incarceration in Pakistan, Surjeet Singh returned home Thursday to a tumultuous and teary welcome from family and friends and promptly admitted that he had indeed been sent to spy for India. 

Held in Pakistan on spying charges in the early 1980s, Surjeet, 69, was released from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail early Thursday and made the road journey to Wagah, on the Pakistan side of the border, before entering his homeland. 

"I was a RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent. No one bothered about me after I got arrested. Don't ask me too much...," Surjeet told reporters soon after stepping on Indian soil.

He was garlanded and hugged by family members and fellow villagers from Phidde in Ferozepur district. Dozens of camera crews and media persons jostled with each other to capture the moment.

The crowds were so frenetic that Surjeet, who completed his life term in 2005, couldn't even meet his wife Harbans Kaur. They were taken to Amritsar, where the family offered prayers at Harmandar Sahib, the holiest of Sikh shrines, in separate vehicles.

Smiling and waving to family members, friends and supporters, a tired but beaming Surjeet thanked Pakistani border officials as he walked across the zero line at the international border. 

"I am very happy to return after 30 years and meet my children and family," he said. 

"Indian prisoners are treated well in Pakistan jails. Sarabjit Singh is also doing well there. I met him recently though I couldn't meet him today before leaving. He has sent no message with me. Leave it to me, I will get him released... Please don't ask anything more," Surjeet said, referring to Sarabjit Singh, also from Punjab who has been in Kot Lakhpat jail.

Downplaying the confusion over the release, he said: "In Urdu, the way they write Sarabjit and Surjeet is almost the same. This led to the confusion. Otherwise, everyone knew that the matter was regarding my release only.

"I will never return to Pakistan again," Surjeet, with a grey flowing beard, told reporters in Punjabi, his head and finger indicating a firm "no" gesture.

"I was arrested earlier for spying charges. If I return again, the security agencies might suspect that I have come for spying again." 

Surjeet said prisoners on both sides of the border should be released by the respective governments.

"I was treated well by prison officials and I am thankful to them," he said.

Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama and black turban and carrying two bags, Surjeet had been brought to the Wagah border on the Pakistan side in a prison van. 

Though he had been freed, his left hand was in handcuffs. The accompanying policemen got down with him but did not open the handcuffs immediately even as he smiled and hugged his lawyer. 

Once the formalities were completed, he crossed to the Attari side of the joint border checkpost, about 30 km from Amritsar, where his family and friends waited excitedly to meet him. 

His son Kulwinder, holding a box of sweets, couldn't hold back his tears. The family had given up hope of seeing him again, presuming him to be dead after he went missing near the border in Ferozepur sector in 1982. 

"I was only two-three years old when he went missing. This is the biggest day of my life," said Kulwinder.

Surjeet's release came in the midst of the controversy and flip-flop over the release of Sarabjit Singh. 

The Pakistan side was Tuesday widely reported to have announced that Sarabjit, who is facing death penalty on terrorism charges, would be released after his death sentence was commuted by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari. 

In an apparent flip, this was retracted later at night with the government clarifying that it was not Sarabjit but Surjeet who was being freed.

NRI Kidnap Case

Charge sheet against six accused filed in court
Police adds sections of robbery, wrongful confinement, forgery in NRI kidnap caseChandigarh, June 27
The UT police today filed a charge sheet in the NRI kidnapping-for-ransom case, that was registered on April 10. The charge sheet was filed against six accused and the police added sections of robbery, wrongful confinement, receiving stolen property and forgery in the charge sheet after completing investigations.
The charge sheet was been filed in court under Sections 364-A, 341, 342, 397, 411, 468, 471, 473 and 474 of the IPC.
Navneet Singh Chatha, a Canada-based NRI, was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 1 crore on April 10. A team of the crime branch of the UT police had rescued him following an extensive operation at Darua village in Kurukshetra.
The NRI's brother in Canada had received a ransom call, demanding Rs 1 crore. The police laid a trap and arrested the six accused who kidnapped the NRI.
The kidnappers fired shots at the police and the police had to open fire. The charge sheet was filed against Pradeep Malik, Nitin, Sanjeev Kumar, alias Soni, Sukhdev, Anil Kumar and Ajit Singh. While Pradeep fired shots at the police, Soni was the owner of the farmhouse where the victim was confined.
Of the six accused, Anil Kumar had three cases of murder registered against him and was a proclaimed offender with the Haryana Police. As per the charge sheet, the police had recovered Rs 12.5 lakh, 300 Canadian dollars, the Honda Accord car of the victim, a Swift Desire car robbed from a person in Panchkula and two mobile phones.
An investigating officer said the NRI was robbed of his purse and belongings at gunpoint in confinement, following which the police added sections of robbery with attempt-to-murder under Section 397 of the IPC.
The Swift Desire car used in the crime was stolen from Panchkula and an FIR in this regard had been registered there. The police had recovered a fake registration certificate of the car and added sections of forgery in the charge sheet.

the caseNavneet Singh Chatha was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 1 crore on April 10. A police team rescued him following an extensive operation.

Relative throws 7 of family into canal; 6 feared drowned



A police official and villagers at the crime spot

Khamano June 27
In a shocking incident, a relative allegedly pushed seven members of a family into the Bhakra canal near Thablan village at different times since yesterday to grab the money the family got after the sale of their land in Sangrur district. While six of them are feared drowned, 35-year-old Jasmin Kaur managed to save herself and brought the matter to light.
The victims have been identified as Gurmel Singh (65), his wife Paramjit Kaur, son Gurinder Singh (33), son-in law Rupinder Singh (36), and grandchildren Jaskirat Singh(4) and Simarpreet Kaur (6). The family belonged to Mukandpur village in Ludhiana district.
The accused, Khushwinder Singh, is a close relative of former police havildar Gurmel Singh. He is a resident of Suhavi village in the subdivision and runs a photocopy business at the Fatehgarh Sahib court.
In her statement to the police, Jasmin alleged: "Khushwinder had promised to send Gurmel and his family members abroad. He first brought four family members on the banks of the canal yesterday morning to please divine powers. When they sat near the canal on his directions, he pushed them into the water body.
"Last night, Khushwinder picked up the remaining members and reached the canal bridge. He pushed them into the canal and escaped at around 9 pm. I managed to swim out".
Kuldip Singh, a nephew of Gurmel, who was present at the site with other villagers, said they were looking for the bodies. Several police officials and fingerprint experts reached at the site.
SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the accused had been arrested. The police had recovered the car used in the crime and Rs 36.70 lakh from his custody, he said, adding that divers had been pressed into service to locate the victims.

Pak confusion: Sarabjit stays in jail

Islamabad/Chandigarh, June 26
Hours after reports emerged that Pakistan was to free Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman clarified that authorities had taken steps for the release of another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh who has been jailed for three decades.
“I think there is some confusion. First, it is not a case of pardon. More importantly, it is not Sarabjit. It is Surjeet Singh, son of Sucha Singh. His death sentence was commuted in 1989 by President (Ghulam) Ishaq (Khan) on the advice of (then premier) Benazir Bhutto,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Law Minister Farooq Naek today conveyed to the Interior Ministry that Surjeet Singh had completed his life term in jail and ought to be released and sent back to India, Babar said. “Keeping him in jail any longer will be illegal confinement,” he added.
Any references to President Asif Ali Zardari in the entire matter were “out of context,” the presidential spokesman said.
Surjeet Singh, currently being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, has been in Pakistani captivity for over 30 years.
He was captured near the border with India on charges of spying during the era of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani news channels had reported that President Zardari had converted Sarabjit Singh's death sentence to life imprisonment and directed authorities to release him if he had completed his prison term.
Sarabjit was sentenced to death on September 15, 1991 on charge of involvement in three blasts in Lahore and one in Multan in which 14 persons were killed. As the news of the presidential order became known, the media in Lahore flocked to the jail, hoping to see Sarabjit walk a free man.
Four of Sarabjit’s clemency petitions had been turned down earlier. Determined to see her brother walk free, Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur had sent an appeal to President Zardari during his visit to India in April. Official sources too had said that steps had been initiated for Sarabjit's release.
In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had thanked Zardari for the steps purportedly taken for Sarabjit's release.
Sarabjit, 49, too is currently being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore and has been on death row for over 20 years.
Though Sarabjit was set to be hanged in 2008, Pakistani authorities put off his execution indefinitely after former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani intervened.
His family maintains he wandered across the border in an inebriated condition and was arrested by Pakistani authorities.

22-year ordeal continues
August 1990: Sarabjit crosses over to Pak near Kasur. Arrested, charged with involvement in serial blasts in Lahore & Multan in 1990 that left 14 dead

1991: Awarded death sentence by anti-terror court

March 2006: Pak Supreme Court rejects Sarabjit's mercy petition, upholds death sentence

March 2008: Ex-president Pervez Musharraf rejects Sarabjit's mercy petition May 2012 Sarabjit files fresh mercy plea, accepted by President Zardari

June 26: News reports emerge that Sarabjit Singh's death sentence has been commuted, to be freed. Past midnight, Pak clarifies that prisoner to be released is Surjeet Singh, who was pardoned in 1989, not Sarabjit.

Another corruption case against Congress minister

 Virbhadra Singh

Union Minster Virbhadra quits as a corruption charges framed by a Shimla Court

New Delhi, June 26
A day after a Shimla court ordered that charges be framed against him in a corruption case, Union minister Virbhadra Singh resigned from the Cabinet today, putting a question mark on his political future in his home state Himachal Pradesh where he is seeking a sixth term as chief minister in the year-end assembly polls.

Virbhadra Singh is the third minister in the UPA II government to have quit on corruption charges, the other two being A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran.

The 78-year-old veteran Congress leader submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence this afternoon. “I have resigned on moral grounds. Nobody asked me to quit, but I did not want to embarrass my party, the PM or the government,” Virbhadra said after his meeting with the PM. He had also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi last evening. The PM accepted the minister’s resignation and forwarded it to President Pratibha Patil shortly after it was submitted.

Congress sources said since Virbhadra had moved the High Court, the party leadership had decided to wait for the judicial process to be completed before taking a view on his resignation. It also did not want any controversy to mar the ongoing Presidential election.

Virbhadra’s aides maintained it was the senior leader’s personal decision to put in his papers. Since Himachal Pradesh is headed for Assembly polls later this year, the former CM felt it was a better option to pitch his tent there to focus his energies on waging a political battle against the BJP-led government.

The resignation was also meant to take the sting out of the opposition’s campaign against the senior Congress leader. Virbhadra has repeatedly refuted the charges framed against him, describing them as “concocted” and a conspiracy by the BJP Chief Minister P K Dhumal who, according to him, “was the biggest liar in Himachal Pradesh.” The former CM was also at pains to state that his resignation should not be taken as an admission of guilt. On the contrary, he was preparing to battle it out till the bitter end.

“I have handled several portfolios in the last 50 years but nobody has questioned my integrity,” Virbhadra said. Congress leaders admitted the court decision and Virbhadra’s Singh’s resignation had pushed the party on the defensive on the issue of corruption.

Dr Cheema on Punjab Budget:Centre colluding with oil companies to loot common man

Debate on Punjab Budget:SAD includes small & marginal farmers in MNREGA

Chandigarh, June 25 : The Shiromani Akali Dal demanded recasting of the much publicized MNREGA scheme to help the small and marginal farmers to cover wages for labour on their own farms and urged the Centre government to adopt a pro farmer approach while formulating farm policies and promote agro based industry in the state to help the farmers in the state who have struggled a lot to make the country self sufficient in food grains.
The party also demanded a complete restructuring of the agricultural cost and price process by linking the MSP to the market forces or accepting Dr. Swaminathan formula of giving 50 percent profit over and above the investment incurred by the farmers. Initiating the discussion on the budget in Punjab Vidhan Sabha today, the SAD Secretary and Spokesman Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that to give more push to the much publicized MNREGA scheme in the states like Punjab it would be appropriate to increase the wages paid to the laborers and there is urgent need to cover the small and marginal farmers in the scheme as they are the worst sufferers of the wrong farm policies of the Centre. He said that the scheme could prove helpful to these poor farmers if they be included in the scheme and
provided monetary help to work in their own fields. This is must because the cost of labour is never counted while fixing MSP for various food grains. Demanding recasting of the system to decide the MSP of the food grains, he said that the hands of the Commission for Agriculture and Price are tied before empowering it to decide on the MSP of the
agriculture produce. He said that the Centre was hell bent on curtailing the subsidies on the DAP and other manures knowing well that this will further burden the debt ridden peasantry in the whole country. He pointed out that with the new policy of nutrient based subsidy started by the UPA government the cost of DAP has reached about Rs. 1230 per bag which was earlier less than Rs. 500. Similarly, he added that the unprecedented hike in the price of diesel has further added to escalation of input costs which are not being compensated with the present MSP. He said that new scheme of giving Rs. 2 lacs to the families of the farmers who committed suicide because of mounting debts will go a long way in soothing the wounds of the aggrieved families but to stop this practice the Union government will have to change its anti farmer policies. Lashing out at the Centre for colluding with the oil companies in looting the common man, Dr. Cheema said that the government is directly helping the oil companies in plundering the common man and skipping the review on June 16 for lowering the price of the petrol in light of reduction in the international prices was a clear evidence in the matter. He said that the government must lower the price of the petrol by Rs 5.46 per litre in as the price of the crude oil has fallen from $115.81 to $ 99.75 per barrel.

V. P. Sharma unanimously elected Vice President (North) PRSI

Chandigarh, 25 June : Sh. V.P. Sharma, Chairman, Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), Chandigarh Chapter and Joint Director, Public Relations, Bhakra Beas Management Board has been unanimously elected Vice President (North) for National Council of PRSI. He remained Chairman of PRSI Chandigarh Chapter for 4 years.
Elections for All India National Council of PRSI were held at Delhi on 24th June 2012. The committee will function at all India level for two years. There are four zones of PRSI named East, West, North and South. Dr. Ajit Pathak, Dy. General Manager (Corporate Communications) of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Delhi was re-elected as National President defeating Mr. R K Dharan of Chennai. Others who were also elected includes Mrs. Anu Mazumdar from Guwahati, Vice President (East); Mr. Unmesh Dixit from Ahmedabad, Vice President (West) and Mr. Y. Babji from Chennai, Vice President (South). There are 25 regional chapters throughout the country with a membership base of 3000. 
Set up in 1958, Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), is the apex body of Public Relations practitioners and communication specialists with four fold objectives:- Providing a platform for professionals to understand, interpret & expand in the area of Public Relations; attracting new entrants to the profession through educational initiatives; widening the horizons of Public Relations to provide strategic counsel & creative solutions and fostering the spirit of brotherhood amongst professionals. 
Mr. V P Sharma has more than 30 years of reach experience in the field of Public Relations. As Chairman of PRSI Chandigarh Chapter he was consecutively conferred BEST CHAIRMAN AWARD OF PRSI NATIONAL AWARD for two times in All India PR Conferences held in Kolkata 2010 and Nagpur 2011. 
This year, the 34th All India Public Relations Conference will be held at Shimla under the leadership of Sh. B D Sharma, Chairman, PRSI Shimla Chapter and Director, Information and Public Relations, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh. 

Punjabi folk singer Karnail Gill passes away

Badal mourns demise of Punjabi folk singer Karnail Gill
Chandigarh 25 June : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today expressed profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of the noted Punjabi folk singer Karnail Gill, who passed away on Sunday at his native village Jamalpur in Ludhiana, after a prolonged illness. In a condolence message, the Chief Minister described Gill as a legendary Punjabi folk singer, who regaled the millions of Punjabi music lovers with his melodious voice. He said that Gill's death has created a void in the arena of Punjabi folk music, which would be difficult to be filled in the near future. Mr Karnail Gill would ever remain a heartthrob through his enchanting songs amongst his fans. He was instrumental in giving a new dimension to the duet Punjabi singing, added Badal. Sharing his heart-felt sympathies with the members of the bereaved family, the Chief Minister prayed to the Almighty to give them courage and strength to bear this irreparable loss and grant peace to the departed soul. 

Sarabjit's death sentence commuted

Chandigarh, June 26 : In a significant development, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari changed the sentence of Sarabjit Singh to life in prison on Tuesday. The Law Ministry of Pakistan Govt. has sent a summary to the Interior Ministry for the immediate release of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh. 

Sarabjit Singh had been sentenced to death after he was convicted for his involvement in the 1990 Multan and Lahore bomb attacks. He is currently imprisoned in the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. 
The family of Singh had appealed to President Zardari for his release during the president's visit to India. 

Badal hails release of Sarbjit Singh from Pak jail

Badal congratulates family of Sarbjit Singh
Chandigarh 26 June : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today hailed the release of Indian convict on death row Sarbjit Singh by the Pakistan Government. In a statement the Chief Minister profusely thanked the President of Pakistan for allowing his mercy petition. Badal said that this goodwill gesture would further boost the congenial ties between the two countries. He said the release of Sarbjit Singh would give further impetus to the on going Confidence Building measures between India and Pakistan for strengthening the bonds of friendship, amity, peace and brotherhood amongst the people of India and Pakistan. The Chief Minister also congratulated the family members especially the sister of Sarbjit Singh Sarbjit Kaur for mobilizing support for the release of her brother not within the country but in Pakistan also through making use of diplomatic channels besides people to people contact.

Arrest Capt. Amarinder in Power theft case:PPP

Manpreet Singh Badal

The Punjab Peoples Party (PPP) today demanded that the state government should register a case of power theft against former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and arrest him in this case. The chief spokesperson of the party Bir Devinder Singh said here in a release that if news published in the various newspapers regarding RTI information was correct suggested than it was very serious matter and a non- bailable offence. He said Capt Singh should live such life which was ane example for others as he remained Chief Minister of the state fro full five years and now he was a MLA. It was astonishing matter to note that the seals of power meters were allegedly broken and some meters were dead, he added.

He also lashed upon the officials of Powercom and questioned that why they have not sent bills on teh basis of load and average. It was very serious matter and a high level inquiry should be initiated by the powercom officials, he demanded.

Arrest Amarinder for power theft: Bir Devinder Singh

Offenders of power theft should not go scot free: Bir Devinder

Patiala 25 June : Former deputy speaker of Punjab Bir Devinder Singh today demanded immediate arrest of former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh for alleged gigantic power theft and blatant irregularities committed at Moti Bag, Patiala the residence of Amarinder Singh. In a statement issued here today Singh said, If the information obtained under the Right to Information Act, which appeared in the Punjabi Daily, is factually correct then a serious offence is made out against the offender the law of the land. He said that Amarinder Singh, who happened to be the Chief Minister of Punjab once and now MLA from Patiala besides being the President of the principal opposition party of Punjab, the congress, is expected to live by example. Such a colossal misuse of authority and committing grave offence of gigantic power theft should not go unobserved and unpunished. Offenders should not go scot free, no matter what public status or official authority they enjoy. They must be booked under the relevant provisions of the law, that deals with the power theft and other enormous irregularity they had committed, in utter disregard of the law of the land, sans their political position in the Indian polity, he added. He further added that the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd apparently follow the dictates of the legendary Proverb, Law grinds the poor and the rich rule the law in latter and spirit. Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. should either take immediate explicit action or supply domestic power free of cost, to all the consumers of the State, forthwith, he demanded . I wonder as to why Capt. Amarinder Singh has not responded to the media reports, so far and conspicuously refrained from joining the issue, who is otherwise in the habit of joining issues on the gaudy-gaudy things of no consequence, he said adding the general public of the state of Punjab is impatient to know his version of the alleged massive power theft being committed at his Patiala Moti Bag residence, as per the information supplied by the POWERCOM under the Right to Information Act.

Pic of the Day

Passengers travel on the rooftop of an overcrowded bus in Patiala. 

Literacy rate doubles in 40 years in State

From 34.1% in 1971, it rose to 76.7% in 2011

Ludhiana, June 24
In a positive step, the literacy rate in Punjab has almost doubled in the past about 40 years. Though four decades seem to be a long time to make improvements in the education system, the latest data with the Census Department show that the literacy rate in the state has increased to 76.7 per cent from 34.1 per cent in 1971.

The previous survey on literacy was conducted in 1971. Almost 75 per cent of the total population of Punjab is now literate. The literacy rate among men is 81.5 per cent while it is 71.3 per cent among women.

Hoshiarpur district with 85.4 per cent has the highest literacy rate. The district having least literacy rate is Mansa with just 62.8 per cent literate population.

In Hoshiarpur, maximum urban women (85.4 per cent) are literate while the most literate urban men are in Mohali district (92.2 per cent), reveals the survey report.

10 booked for illegal mining in Ferozepur

Ferozepur, June 22

Deputy Commissioner S Karuna Raju, accompanied by Hardial Singh Mann, SSP, and officials of the Industry Department, raided various places where mining was being carried on in a clandestine fashion.

Raju said there were specific instructions from the Chief Minister to check illegal mining of minerals and sand. Hence, 10 persons had been booked following raids at various sites.

The DC said there were 57 authorised sand mines in the district. He instructed officials to provide basic facilities like shelter and drinking water to labourers working at places where mining was permitted.

He asked locals to pay contractors only at the rates approved by the government. “Fleecing will not be tolerated,” he warned.

SpiceJet to fly on Amritsar-Delhi route

Amritsar, June 22
Budget airline carrier SpiceJet is all set to start its flights from the Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport on the Amritsar-Delhi route from next month. Already, the national carrier Air India and Jet Airways are flying 38 flights a week on this route. SpiceJet would fill the gap left by the exit of Kingfisher Airlines that had wound up its entire operations from Amritsar, with the withdrawal of its last Amritsar-Delhi flight on March 24.

Amritsar Airport Director Sunil Dutt said the Airports Authority of India (AAI) held a number of meetings with officials of the SpiceJet about the availability of this lucrative route.

Cash-strapped Kingfisher’s exit was a gain for the hapless Air India and Jet Airways as they recorded a rise of about 10 per cent in their occupancy.

SpiceJet supervisor Dhiraj Dua said though no date had been fixed, flights on the Amritsar-Delhi route would begin from next month. He said office space had been acquired at the Amritsar Airport.

At present, the national carrier is running two daily flights to Delhi besides four days a week Amritsar - Sharjah service with a halt in Delhi. Jet Airways is running two flights daily except Sunday.

Badal defends Operation Bluestar Memorial

Says Cong objections could jeopardise peace in state

Chandigarh, June 22
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has made it clear that he will maintain law and order at all costs, even if his party is accused of sowing seeds of discord.

In a statement in the House yesterday, Badal said the demand to raise the Operation Bluestar Memorial had been a long-pending one. His government had only given tacit approval to something which the Sikh community and the SGPC had finalised between themselves.

The fact that the CM placed a letter from the SGPC president on the floor of the House, stating what kind of memorial would be built in the Golden Temple complex, indicates he could have been instrumental in giving the final shape to the Bluestar Memorial.

The middle path followed by the CM (the memorial will come up in the form of a gurdwara and not a museum or gallery) has been grudgingly accepted by the BJP which understands the SAD’s compulsions.

The memorial controversy might die down, but on the issue of honouring Beant Singh’s assassin, Balwant Singh Rajoana, the SAD will have to do a tightrope walking. The BJP has made its clear that it will not recognise a murderer as a martyr. The Congress too is targeting the government on the issue although some Sikh legislators in the Congress do not want the party to make it a political issue.

Badal has in a deft political move capitalised on this sentiment. In his statement to the House yesterday, he said he was “deeply pained” by the dangerous controversy created by the Congress over a religious monument and accused the party of trying to disturb the hard-won peace and communal harmony in the state.

The statement said “most painfully and shockingly, the Congress government at the Centre in 1984 ordered and carried out a brutal Army assault on this house of God.” Badal said it was felt that this “saka” needed to be commemorated through a symbol to carry forward the Gurus’ message of peace and harmony. He said it was after deliberations with eminent scholars that it was decided that the memorial should come up in the form of a gurdwara.

Badal said: “The period of SAD-BJP governments in Punjab has been one of peace and harmony. I am proud to say that even today, when the rest of the country is afflicted with violence and anarchy, Punjab remains the most peaceful state and an oasis of human brotherhood.”

The Chief Minister said he considered restoration of peace and communal harmony in Punjab as his greatest achievement.

“Its preservation in future also is my most cherished goal and mission. Peace and harmony in Punjab is a matter of sacred faith for me and I am committed to defend it with my life.

“Even if I have to shed the last drop of my blood for peace and communal harmony in Punjab, I will consider that to be a part of my religious duty and will be proud of it. This is my sacred commitment to the people of Punjab”, the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar, who is incharge of Punjab affairs, told mediapersons in Jalandhar on Friday that his party was opposed to a memorial at the Golden Temple.

BJP workers court arrest statewide

Chandigarh, June 22
Thousands of BJP leaders and workers courted arrest in different parts of the state today to protest against the fuel hike by the Union Government. The call for ‘Jail Bharo’ was given by the party high command.

Reports from different parts of the state said the protests were massive, but peaceful. Senior state BJP leaders courted arrest in different parts of the state. According to BJP’s state media in charge, Vineet Joshi, party’s national vice-president and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar courted arrest in Jalandhar with party’s spokesman Manoranjan Kalia, 19 municipal councillors and thousands of party workers.

Similarly, BJPs national leader and MP Balbir Punj courted arrest with MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, district president Anand Sharma, 24 municipal councillors, Yuva Morcha’s state president Rajesh Honey and workers at Amritsar, while BJP’s state president Ashwani Sharma was arrested with about 5,000 workers at Pathankot.

Joshi stated that before the arrest, while addressing the workers, Shanta Kumar said the Central government was claiming that fuel hike was due to hike in crude oil prices globally. “India is not the only country which imports crude oil. Rather, all countries in the world get crude oil supply. Despite this, petrol costs Rs 59 per litre in Pakistan, Rs 61.70 in Sri Lanka, Rs 43.40 in Bangladesh, Rs 53.70 in the USA and Rs 50.20 in Russia. In such a situation, only India is the country where petrol is priced at Rs 76.53. This means the fuel prices are not dependent on international market,” he said.

In Amritsar, Balbir Punj said after petrol, the Union government was planning to increase the prices of diesel, LPG and kerosene.

Addressing the workers before courting arrest, state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said, “It is true that prices of crude oil have increased in the international market. However, the burden can be reduced by adjusting import duty and excise duty. Instead of doing this, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee appears to be interested in getting more revenue because of the price hike in crude oil. The government can adopt a 'revenue-neutral' policy and pass on the additional revenue to consumers by reducing the prices. We had done accordingly during the regime of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee."

Others who courted arrested included state general secretary Kamal Sharma in Ludhiana, state general secretary Manjit Singh Rai in Bathinda, Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna in Sangrur, former minister Balramji Dass Tandon in Patiala, former minister Tikshan Sud in Hoshiarpur, former state president Prof Brij Lal Rinwa in Ferozepur, former minister Arunesh Shakar in Gurdaspur and former minister Master Mohan Lal in Kapurthala.

1,320-MW thermal plant proposed at Mukerian

Patiala
Punjab Government is committed to set up 1320 MW Mukerian thermal project in state sector and will review the decision to give Gidderwaha thermal to NTPC , Badal said..
Parkash Singh Badal Chief Minister Punjab was addressing the gathering of over 1000 power engineers at the general body meeting of PSEB Engineers association. He lauded the efforts of Association towards making Punjab a power surplus state. He was aware of the fact that the Association first watches the interest of state, then interest of state electricity board and lastly their own interest .He specially lauded the selfless efforts of Padamjit Singh for his efforts to improve the power sector in Punjab.
Badal assured that his Government was serious to improve the financial condition of the PSPCL . Punjab had obtained an additional plan assistance of Rs. 500 crore, out of which Rs 300 crores would be earmarked for the electricity sector. Further Government has sanctioned a sum of Rs.200 crore for the PSPCL.
H S Bedi in his presidential address welcomed the decision of the state government to give top priority to capacity addition so that Punjab becomes power surplus. He suggested that thermal projects should be executed not only through private companies selected through competitive bidding but should be constructed under state sector and through joint ventures.
The financial situation of PSPCL is alarming with cumulative commercial loss of more than Rs. 11,000 Cr. and subsidy burden likely to touch Rs. 5,500 crore. The working capital loan which was just Rs. 600 crore in 2002-03 crossed Rs. 10,000 crore mark ending 2010-11. A bankrupt PSPCL will lead to destruction of the economy of the state
For optimum utilization of generating capacity, integrated operation of distribution & generation functions is a must so that generation wing operates its plants according to the needs of distribution wing. Bedi warned that it would be a step backward if generation is separated from distribution. Association is totally opposed to separation of generation from distribution business and he requested Chief Minister to shelve such proposal in case it is under the consideration of the government.
The pay structure of PSEB Engineers has been historically higher than their counter parts in the state and the central government. The reason for better pay scales was working conditions in power sector are much more arduous and stringent. Bedi demanded the pay scales given to newly recruited engineers be made higher than government scales and pay anomalies of senior engineers removed.

Rs 5,000 cr tax fraud detected in Punjab

Mandi Gobindgarh/Patiala, June 22
The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), the newly created wing of the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department (PETD), has unearthed tax evasion to the tune of nearly Rs 5,000 crore, involving Hawala and bogus dealers operating in many parts of the state. Following the groundwork of a few months, the department detected the fraud, which revealed how bogus Input Tax Credit (ITC) was claimed year after year.

Sources said bogus firms had been operating in the state for the past three years through Hawala transactions.

“The total amount could be over Rs 10,000 crore. But initial assessment points towards a fraud of nearly Rs 5,000 crore,” they stated.

“The department will soon open all such cases for scrutiny and summon these dealers and firms. The fraud is considered to be one of the biggest detected in the past many years,” they said.

Officials stated that the modus operandi of the dealers was also very precise, wherein Hawala dealers, majority of them operating from Mandi Gobindgarh and Ludhiana, would start fake firms dealing in iron and steel, yarns and other items and then issue fake bills and make unaccounted transactions. “Later, these firms in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and some other parts of the state would defraud the state government revenue through incorrect VAT claim of Input Tax Credit by their beneficiaries,” said a senior officer attached with the case.

Hawala entails making bogus invoices to allow a trader to claim tax credits. In this racket, a hawala operator, posing as a ‘seller’, exists only on paper and gets a cut in return.

A document of one such firm revealed while the firm was registered for iron and steel, all its past one-year billings were made in plastic scrap and acrylic. The same firm had issued cheques above Rs 25 lakh per cheque to unknown beneficiaries.

An officer of the department said earlier Punjab industrialists used this practice to compete with other states, which enjoyed the tax benefits. “Of late, this has become a flourishing trade where bogus firms are minting money and the government is losing precious taxable income,” he said.

“We conducted surveys and over 100 firms are under our lens. These firms will soon be summoned to explain their deals. As the tax amount is high, the case file will soon be sent to the Excise and Taxation Commissioner for necessary action,” said KVS Sidhu, head of the Economic Intelligence Unit.

“The fake firms have been operating for the past few years and have been changing names often”, he stated.

An officer said the defaulters were mainly dealing in fake iron and steel firms, dyes and chemicals, yarn trade, sanitary and plastic goods, food grains with private dealers and electrical goods.

Passport offices in seven cities to stay open this weekend

New Delhi, June 22
Stung by reports of delays in processing online passport applications, the government today announced that passport offices in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Amritsar will function normally tomorrow and on Sunday.
“In order to address the unprecedented demand for passport services during these months, the MEA has decided to open regional passport offices, including passport seva kendras (PSKs) under their jurisdiction on June 23 and 24” at these seven centres, an official statement here said.
At a media briefing, senior MEA officials said that 25,000 to 30,000 passport applications were proposed to be handled over the next two days at the PSKs in these seven centres.
The MEA also defended what it called the citizen-centric online application system and said it has successfully completed the setting up and operationalisation of 77 PSKs in the country.
The applications for all passport-related services “other than tatkal” shall be accepted during the 'Passport Mela', the officials said.
Based on its success, such ‘melas’ will be organised on a regular basis not only at these seven centres but at other places too.
Taking note of reports in the media about applicants being fleeced by touts and middlemen for uploading applications and arranging appointments, the ministry clarified that the appointment system has been introduced in keeping with the objective of making government services accessible to the common man through common service delivery outlets.
The process is aimed at ensuring efficiency, transparency and reliability of such services at affordable costs.
The MEA is also improving governance in passport offices by focusing on citizen-centricity, service orientation and transparency.
Clearing Backlog
* Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Amritsar passport offices to have working weekend

* 25,000 to 30,000 passport applications will be handled in these two days at the passport seva kendras in seven centres

Punjab to levy property tax, up electricity duty

Chandigarh, June 22
Soon after a tax-free Budget, the Punjab Government is set to impose three new taxes to reduce the state’s massive Rs 6,838 revenue deficit. The state must bring down its deficit by 100 per cent to Rs 3,123 crore for an Rs 1,482 crore grant from the 13th Finance Commission.

The state government will soon tax mobile phone operators for installing towers while the common man could have to pay enhanced electricity duty and property tax.

Though the final call would be taken after a meeting of the SAD and BJP, government sources said the exercise to impose the levies had begun.

The Punjab Government hopes to rake in Rs 100 crore by taxing cellphone operators Rs 1 lakh a year for each tower they erect in the state. There are an estimated 10,000 mobile towers in the state.

The state would generate an additional Rs 140 crore by increasing electricity duty from the present 13 per cent to 17 per cent. Currently, Punjab earns Rs 1,400 crore every year as electricity duty.

Property tax is proposed to be imposed on the Haryana pattern. This is essential to fulfill the criteria for getting grants under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Haryana has imposed property tax of Re 1 per square yard on houses up to 250 square yards and offers a 50 per cent concession to owners of self- occupied property.

Imposition of property tax will help urban local bodies become financially self-reliant. The 10 per cent of VAT collections given to local bodies will then be available with the state government for carrying out other development activities.

Even after Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa presented the Budget proposals for 2012-13, he had made it clear that it was not a tax-free Budget. He had said that the state needed to bring down its revenue deficit from the present 2.75 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (in 2011-12) to 1.2 per cent of GSDP by the end of this financial year. 

Three new taxes * Punjab proposes to levy property tax on the Haryana pattern — Rs 1 per square yard on houses up to 250 square yards and 50% concession to owners of self-occupied property * It is working to increase electricity duty from 13 per cent to 17 per cent, generating an additional `140 crore * Mobile phone operators would have to pay Rs 1 lakh a year for each tower they erect in the state, bringing in Rs 100 crore for the government.

Kalam says ‘no’,BJP may turn to Sangma

Shiv Sena set to back Pranab, JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar calls him a capable leader

New Delhi, June 18 - In a major embarrassment to the BJP-led NDA and the Trinamool Congress, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, politely turned down vociferous appeals from these parties and sections of the non-political class to stand against the UPA Presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee.

In a brief statement, Mr. Kalam referred to the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and other political parties' demand that he be their Presidential nominee and observed that he had “considered the totality of the matter and the present political situation, and decided not to contest.”

Though hopes of prevailing upon Mr. Kalam to enter the fray for another term in Rashtrapati Bhavan faded after the Samajwadi Party, which originally mooted the idea along with the Trinamool, threw its weight behind Mr. Mukherjee, constituents of the NDA, particularly the BJP, tried till the last minute to convince the “Missile Man.”

After vain efforts by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy to persuade Mr. Kalam to contest, NDA Working Chairman and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani got into the act. Mr. Kalam conveyed to Mr. Advani his inability to accept their offer before issuing a public statement.

The decisive ‘no' from Mr. Kalam leaves an already divided NDA in the lurch.

The only option before the BJP at the moment is to line up behind the BJD and the AIADMK and back the former Lok Sabha Speaker, P.A. Sangma, for President. BJP leaders believe that it is a politically prudent option for a party which is on the lookout for potential allies in the 2014 general elections. The moot question is whether it can sell the idea to the other constituents in the NDA.

The Big Snub 

n Kalam said he didn’t aspire to serve another term though Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee and other political parties wanted him to be their candidate

n Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Monday called up Kalam thrice to persuade him to contest while his emissary Sudheendra Kulkarni called on the ex-President twice but to no avail

n The BJP is now likely to support Sangma whose candidature has been proposed by Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to reach out to potential allies with an eye on the 20

4 Lok Sabha polls
I have considered the totality of the matter and decided not to contest the Presidential election
— APJ Abdul Kalam

WHO to collect sewage samples for polio virus

Patiala, June 18
Despite the fact that no polio case has been reported in India in the last one-and-a-half-year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) will collect sewage samples in all the states to ensure that India is completely free of polio virus and there are no chances of it’s re-surfacing in the country. The WHO has already collected samples from Bihar, Delhi and Mumbai and the next in line is Punjab.

Dr Virinder Singh Mohi said, “Soon after the migratory pulse polio round, which is going on in the state, teams of the WHO will start collecting sewage samples that will be tested for the presence of wild polio virus.” “During a recent meeting in Patiala, we have been informed that they will be focusing on Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Mohali because these are the cities with maximum migratory population,” he said.

Dr Vikal Goyal says after vaccination, polio virus is flushed out of the body but there are chances that the wild virus stays in the sewage. “Therefore, the sewage samples are taken to check presence of polio virus. Apart from testing the presence of wild polio virus, these samples are also an indication of sanitation and hygiene status of the area. If the sample is tested positive for the virus, there are chances that the disease can re-surface any time. Therefore, it is important that besides no reporting of clinical cases, the sewage samples also test negative” he added. A senior functionary in the Health and Family Welfare Department said though India had been struck off the endemic list of polio affected countries as the last case of polio was reported almost one-and-a-half-year ago -- Ruksana in West Bengal in January 2011. “We will still have to wait to complete three years before terming India a polio free nation. If there is no clinical reporting of polio and all sewage samples are tested negative in that period, our mission would be accomplished,” he added.

MPs’ panel to visit cancer-hit village

Bathinda June 18

The standing parliamentary committee on agriculture headed by MP Basudev Acharia will visit Jajjal, a cancer-hit village in Talwandi Sabo, to obtain a first-hand account of the lives of those afflicted by the disease.

Nachhattar Singh, member of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said the residents had decided to speak about the “injustice” meted out to them. “Jajjal, Malkana and Laleana villages were the first to raise the issue of the alarming rise in the number of cancer cases about a decade ago. We don’t need just a hospital. The government should tell us what has led to the spread of the disease in the area, that has not even spared our children,” he said.

The committee members would also visit Mehma Sarja village in Goniana where they will interact with a group of 15 big, marginal and small farmers on the impact of fertilisers and pesticides on agriculture. Shingara Singh Mann, BKU district (Ugraha), said he would talk of Punjab’s agricultural crisis.

“The Punjab Government has neither given relief to cancer victims, nor families of debt-ridden farmers pushed to suicide,” he claimed. He said he would discuss excessive use of fertilisers, suicide by farmers and rehabilitation of families of suicide victims with the committee members.

Kheti Virasat Mission’s executive director Umendra Dutt said the committee should hold public hearings to know of the devastation caused by pesticides. Dutt said Punjabis faced a serious threat from environmental toxicity.

In an earlier study, scientists from PAU, Ludhiana, had said the rapid spread of cancer in Punjab was owing to arsenic in water that led to abnormal cell growth in human body.

BJP to protest petrol price hike on June 22

Chandigarh, June 18

On a call given by the BJP on the issue of steep fuel price hike, the Punjab unit has decided to stage dharnas and court arrest at all the 22 district headquarters.

Punjab BJP president and MLA Ashwani Sharma said the petrol price hike of Rs 7.50 per litre was unprecedented and had led to financial anarchy in the country. He said after the successful Bharat Bandh, the BJP has decided to intensify the agitation in the form of 'Jail Bharo' on June 22 with the slogan of “Petrol ki kimata wapis lo, yaa phir jail do”.

Damdami Taksal wants Sikh as Amritsar Mayor

Amritsar, June 18

The Damdami Taksal today urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to have a Sikh as Mayor of the holy city. In a statement here today, Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said Amritsar was known as the spiritual centre of the Sikhs across the world. Therefore, it should have a Sikh mayor.

He said the Shiromani Akali Dal had seen a historic victory in Amritsar in the recent municipal elections, capturing 24 seats.

He said this demand should not be seen as that of a particular organisation or a political group. “ It is the desire of the entire Sikh community that a Sikh owing allegiance to the SAD should be appointed Mayor of Amritsar".

He urged the SAD leadership to consider this demand seriously.

Rs 3,300 crore plan to set up 43 more ITIs

Chandigarh, June 18
The Punjab Government today approved a Rs 3,300 crore plan for expansion and upgradation of the Technical Education Department under which 43 ITIs and 2,500 skill development centres would be established in the state.

Technical Education Minister Anil Joshi said the newly approved plan included setting up of 43 new ITIs in uncovered blocks at the cost of Rs 1200 crore. With these ITIs, the number of seats in ITIs would increase from 50,000 to four lakh.

The new ITIs would focus on emerging technologies according to the changing needs of industry.

The Minister said 2,500 skill development centres had been approved at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore. He said that he had approved a number of short-term courses under the public-private partnership mode.

Emphasising the need for a proper followup of projects under various centrally sponsored schemes, Joshi said all officers would ensure that the utilisation certificate required for release of Central funds was issued without delay. He said a lot of funds had not been released for want of this certificate.

Cabinet approves Budget proposals

Chandigarh, June 18
Punjab Cabinet, at a meeting this morning, today approved the Budget proposals for the year 2012-13 to be presented by Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa in the assembly on June 20.

A spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s office said the Cabinet gave approval to carrying out a massive plantation drive under the name of “Greening Punjab Project” on vacant land in rural and urban areas for which a corpus named “Greening Punjab Fund” had been created. The effort was to make the state clean, green and pollution-free in a phased manner.

Trees and plants of different species would be planted across the state and the programme funded through the corpus created with funds contributed by boards and corporations. The private and corporate sectors would also contribute to the scheme under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) clause of the Companies Act.

The Cabinet passed a resolution expressing grief and anguish over the recent incident of “cow slaughter” in Joga village of Mansa. The Cabinet expressed satisfaction over the action initiated by the administration against the culprits. It assured the people of the ‘severest of the severe’ punishment to those involved directly or indirectly in the heinous crime.

The Cabinet gave consent to setting up Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority to oversee implementation of traffic rules and mobility projects undertaken by various agencies in the Municipal Corporations besides ensuring an effective public transport system in the urban sector.

The Cabinet approved the conversion of the Punjab Municipal (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012, Punjab Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Ordinance , 2012 and Punjab Municipal Fund (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012, into Bills for enactment in the coming Budget session of the assembly to legislate the abolition of octroi on petrol and diesel within the municipal limits.

Likewise, it approved the draft of the Punjab Common Infrastructure (Regulation and Maintenance) Bill, 2012, for enactment in the Budget session. The Bill aims at creating of special purpose vehicles for maintenance of infrastructure at Focal Points.

The Cabinet gave approval to renaming the Directorate, Sainik Welfare, Punjab, as Directorate, Defence Services Welfare, Punjab. It gave the nod to draft Bills for setting up of two private universities “Adesh University” at Bathinda by the Adesh Foundation, Muktsar, and “Chandigarh University” at Gharuan in SAS Nagar (Mohali) by the Chandigarh Educational Trust.

Approval was given to remitting stamp duty on urban agriculture land on its transfer to the Class-I heirs during the lifetime of the owner as was done for residential and commercial property.

SAD-BJP win in Punjab civic polls comes with a rider

Chandigarh, June 11
There is euphoria in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance about the results of the municipal corporation elections that were declared yesterday. The alliance has swept the poll in the four largest cities of the state - Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala.
But a close look at the number of seats that the alliance has won should be a sign of worry rather than jubilation. Barring Amritsar, the number of seats retained by the alliance has actually dipped.
Losing seats in three municipal corporations, barely four months after the alliance won the Assembly seats here, can at best be seen as early warning signs for the alliance.
Compared to the 2007 results, the share of the SAD-BJP seats has gone down. Coming at a time when the main Opposition Congress is fragmented and in disarray, the result shows that the people are beginning to get disillusioned with the delay in implementation of promises made before the Assembly elections.
The slight gain for the alliance in the Amritsar MC is perhaps because the Congress is the weakest in the Majha region. In Amritsar, the SAD seats have gone up marginally from 15 in 2007 to 24 now.
Similarly, the BJP has won 24 seats in this elections. It had 17 in the 2007 edition.
The alliance went in for the civic poll soon after the Assembly elections to take advantage of its preparedness. Though it has managed to retain its hold in all four cities, it needs to be cautious.
The reason for the decrease in the number of seats for the alliance could be its diversion from the citizen-centric announcements in the form of reforms it has announced prior to the Assembly poll.
In the four months since the alliance formed the government in Punjab for the historic second successive term, the work on reforms has slowed down. The police reforms remain on paper, the ‘suvidha kendras’ are non-functional at many places and the ‘fard kendras’ have also not delivered according to expectations. This perhaps has got reflected in the results.
The dip in the number of seats for the alliance could also be due to the shaking of the people’s confidence in the government due to events like honouring of Balwant Singh Rajoana, the assassin of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, with the title of living martyr. This coupled with the Blue Star Memorial in the Golden Temple complex also does not appear to have gone down well with the urban voters as these might be reminding them of the days of terrorism in the state.
Even a tussle for supremacy has begun between the SAD and BJP. In Amritsar, the BJP and the SAD have won 24 seats each, but now the state Election Commission has ordered a re-poll in ward 3.
Here Raj Kumar Jolly of the SAD is pitted against Surinder Chaudhary of the Congress. If after the re-poll the SAD candidate wins, the party will have one more seat than the BJP. It then could stake a claim for the Mayor’s position which was earlier with the BJP.
Party sources in the BJP said that the EC has ordered the re-poll on a very flimsy ground that someone, sitting outside the polling booth, was trying to hack the EVMs with a laptop — something which is not only improbable, but highly questionable as the ground for a re-poll. The BJP claimed that it has performed better than the SAD as it has managed to hold its ground in Jalandhar and Patiala, improved in Amritsar and suffered a marginal setback in Ludhiana.
Meanwhile, other smaller parties like the PPP, BSP and CPI have managed to mark a token presence by winning one seat each. In Ludhiana, SAD had won 33 seats in 2007 which is down to 29 this time. The SAD’s candidate for the Mayor’s position has lost. Even the seats for the BJP have come down from 17 to 13. In Patiala, the SAD has lost three seats. Now, it has 32 victories as compared to 35 last time. The BJP has just managed to retain its seven seats.

In Jalandhar too, both the SAD and BJP have seen a drop in seats. SAD is down from 12 to 11 and the BJP from 21 to 19. The Congress too has lost in terms of the number of seats, but the Congress was not expected to dominate these polls.

Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) chief suspended over Tatra

CBI to question him in truck ‘deal’; Natarajan says he will come out clean

New Delhi/Bangalore, June 11
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) suspended Chairman-cum-Managing-Director of the government-run defence equipment manufacturer Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) VRS Natarajan this morning. The move came following a request from the CBI seeking permission to probe him besides removing him from the post.

Natarajan faces a probe in the purchase of Tatra trucks which the BEML supplies to the Army. The CBI is of the view that Natarajan, who has been the CMD of the BEML for more than 10 years, is in position to influence the probe.

Sources in the MoD said the CBI would now have easier access to Natarajan and other BEML officials suspected to be involved in the Tatra truck deal.

Natarajan is the second senior official of a defence manufacturing unit to be under the CBI scanner. In 2009, the CBI had booked Sudipto Ghosh, Director-General of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), for illegal gratification.

Natarajan today said he respected the government’s decision and maintained he would come out clean. He arrived at his office in Bangalore and left soon after the MoD announced his suspension. Senior-most functional BEML Director P Dwarkanath has been handed over the charge.

The CBI registered a case after Defence Minister AK Antony asked it to look into the Tatra case. NRI Ravi Rishi has been booked. He is the person supplying the trucks to the BEML for further supply to the Army.

The CBI is probing if the BEML based in Bangalore violated guidelines in buying and supplying Tatra trucks to the Army. The alleged violations include allowing a middleman to broker the deal - defence equipment has to be bought directly from the manufacturer. The trucks were also allegedly overpriced and cost the Army around 60 per cent more than what the Tatra, the manufacturer, sells it to the middleman.

Before he retired in May, then Army Chief General VK Singh said he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear the purchase of 600 substandard Tatra trucks for the Army.

Natarajan said the General’s assessment of the trucks was incorrect and he sought an apology from the General otherwise he would sue him for defamation.

Cow slaughter: SSP suspended for dereliction of duty in Punjab

JOGA/MANSA: After Punjab village situated on Barnala-Mansa road went on rampage over the killing of large number of cows at a factory, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal suspended Mansa senior superintendent of police(SSP) Sukhdev Singh Chahal under suspension for dereliction of duty. THe chief minister has ordered inquiry into the incident. 

"SSP has been placed under suspension for failing to control the situation and dereliction in duty", confirmed Bathinda Inspector general of police(IG) Nirmal Singh Dhillon. 

IG talking to Times of India over phone said chief minister, who was personally monitoring the developments in the aftermath of killing of cows at a factory, has ordered the suspension of SSP Chahal for dereliction of duty. 

Police had failed to contain the unruly mob even after clamping of curfew and angry residents keep on damaging factory and putting articles of one of the factory owner' house on fire. 

Curfew has been clamped to contain the enraging crowd but people kept on defying the prohibitory orders. The police had to resort to cane-charge to control the unruly mob. Four persons got injured in the cane charging and stone pelting. 

Joga resident Sukhwinder Dass, who was working in the fields around Saturday midnight, saw a canter getting large number of cows to the factory and then heard shrieking of cows. "I apprised the villagers about the cows being transported to the factory with suspected intention of killing. When we reached the factory in the wee hours, we found many cows having been killed already and few waiting to be killed", said Sukhwinder. 

Seeing the heads of cows, the villagers got agitated. As the news spread, the activists of Hindu organizations started converging at the village and in no time, the activists started damaging the factory, said a villager. 

The irate activists of Hindu organizations along with Gowshala sangh members pulled down a part of factory owned by Joga residents Ajaib Singh, Narinder Singh and Bhushan Singh. VHP leader Lalit Kumar demanding stern action against guilty said, "We are shocked to see the killing of cows and the guilty need to be given exemplary punishment." 

Going by the agitated activists, district administration clamped curfew but when people kept on rampaging and indulged in stone pelting, police resorted to cane-charge wherein four persons got injured. 

Bathinda Inspector general of police(IG) Nirmal Singh, DC Mansa Amit Dhaka, Mansa MLA Prem Mittal visited the place and assured stern action. DC Amit Dhaka said district administration is keeping strict vigil over the situation and trying to put situation under control. 

Police have booked three partners of the factory under hurting the religious sentiments, cruelty to animals under cow protection act. 

The owners, however, succeeded in fleeing with family members to escape arrests.