CM Parkash Singh Badal inaugurates the Vikas Bhawan in Sector 62, Mohali on Sunday.To generate revenue and to make village panchayats self-sustaining and financially viable,Punjab government is exploring the option of renting out shops on panchayat land where commercial activity is viable.

CM Parkash Singh Badal said this on Sunday while addressing at the inauguration ceremony of Vikas Bhawan in Sector 62, Mohali.

Pointing out that the newly-constructed complex would house all offices of the department located at various places in Chandigarh and Mohali, Badal said this would help officers increase efficiency in day-to-day functioning, and save people time, energy and money.

He also called upon farmers, especially small and marginal ones, to cut wasteful expenditure on buying costly agricultural machinery and tractors by taking loans at high rate of interest which is unproductive and unviable.

Instead of taking loans, he advised farmers to make optimum use of agro-centres scheme aimed at providing all agricultural implements and equipment, including laser levellers and zero-tilling machines, at nominal rent. He urged the cooperative societies to come forward to run these centres as government was giving 30% subsidy on the purchase of equipment and machinery besides raising 70% amount through loans on easy interest.

Speaking on the occasion, rural development and panchayats minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura said that Vikas Bhawan and State Institute of Rural Development would prove to be a milestone for the overall progress of the rural sector in Punjab.

Patiala police has recovered 2-1/2 KG RDX with detonator and two more detonators have been recovered from one Raj Singh of Mansa district . SSP Arpit Shukla said on Friday that Patiala police has brought Makhan Singh and Raj Singh on production warrants from Mansa police for questioning in the killing of Rulda Singh, head of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Rulda Singh was shot at on July 28 and later succumbed to his injuries on August 15 at PGI Chandigarh.

They had earlier been arrested by Mansa Police in connection with murder of one Lilly Kumar Patwari. Regarding who provide the RDX and where it was to be used by them is being ascertained through questioning. Further more developments are likely to be made in this case, said SSP.

When asked about from where Police have recovered the RDX, SSP said we can only say that it was recovered from Sadar police station and u/s 4/5 Explosive Act No. 6 of 1908 PS Sadar Patiala has been registered.

He said that they have to plans to use the RDX in Patiala and yet to decide the target.

He further disclosed that RDX was superior quality and was brought here from Pakistan. He said that it was the part of consignment and other part was used in Karnal on the unsuccessful attempt on the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim, came under a bomb attack on February 2, 2008.

he Punjab Government in pursuance of recommendations of the University Grants Commission, has revised the pay scales of teachers and equivalent cadres in universities and colleges in the state with effect from 1st  January, 2006.

Disclosing this here Friday Dr. upinderjit Kaur Education Minister Punjab said that he pay in the revised scale would be payable in cash with effect from 1st August, 2009. The arrears for the period from 1st January, 2006 to 31st July, 2009 would be released in installments in due course. The revised pay scales were applicable to the teachers and equivalent cadres of the universities including Punjab University, Chandigarh, Government colleges, aided private colleges, directorate of colleges and equivalent positions in the library and physical education cadres only, she said.

The Minister further added that a committee has also been constituted to consider the other recommendations/benefits/allowances mentioned in notification of 6th pay commission issued by Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development vide no. 1-32/2006FUII/UI (i) dated 31.12.08. The necessary action would be taken as and when the recommendations of this committee would be received, she said.

She further clarified that the revised pay scales were not applicable in the case of Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, Guru Angad Dev University of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Sciences Ludhiana and other Medical, Veterinary Science, Technical and Engineering Universities and Colleges in the State. The allowances admissible to Punjab Govt. employees as applicable to the personnel covered under this notification would be payable at rates notified by State Govt. from time to time and with effect from the dates applicable to other employees, she said.

The Punjab Government has transferred and posted three ADCs including three Deputy Directors, eight District Development & Panchayats Officers (DDPOs) and twenty three Block Development & Panchayats Officers (BDPOs) of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department.

Disclosing this here Friday, a spokesman of the Rural Development and Panchayats Department Punjab said that  JP Singh Dy Dir (E.P) Punjab, Chandigarh has been transferred as Divisional Director Ferozpur vice Jaspal Singh who has been shifted to Chandigarh headquarter as Deputy Director Panchayats replacing  Sukhwant Singh Sarao who has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sangrur vice  Harpreet Singh Garcha.  Davinderpal Singh Walia Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Tarn Tarn has been transferred to Chandigarh headquarter as Deputy Director.

He further added that Gurwinder Singh Sarao Secretary Zila Parishad (ZP) Bathinda has been posted as DDPO Mansa replacing Rajinder Batra. Baljit Singh Sandhu Secretary ZP Mansa would swap places with Balraj Singh DDPO Kapurthala. Kirpal Singh Secretary ZP Patiala has been transferred as Secretary ZP Kapurthala vice Mr Rakesh Kumar who has been shifted as Secretary ZP Amritsar.  Mohinder Singh DDPO Faridkot transferred as Secretary ZP Patiala and Amrik Singh Sidhu Secretary ZP Muktsar has been shifted as DDPO Faridkot.

n a bid to revamp the health care system in the state, the Punjab Government would prepare an integrated district health plan in a time bound manner to provide efficient health care services to the masses. 

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal to review the functioning of Health & Family Welfare department here Friday morning.  Badal categorically said that the state would ensure 24 hour health services in all the Community Health Centers (CHCs).  He directed the health department to prepare a detailed inventory  of unutilized/obsolete equipment lying in these CHCs to replace it with new one to enhance the quality of health services provided to the public round the clock. 

Taking a serious view of the trend of absenteeism among the doctors and other para-medical staff in the various district hospitals, community health centers, primary health centers and dispensaries, Mr. Badal directed the health department to conduct regular inspections, minimum twice a week, by the senior most officers of the health directorate to inculcate a sense of discipline, commitment and responsibility amongst them.   He also asked the health department to chalk out a comprehensive plan to start a massive drive against the drug abuse in the state. 

To avail assistance from the Indian Council of Medical Research for the treatment of cancer, the Chairman of Punjab Planning Board Mr.JS Bajaj advised to launch a Cancer Registry at district level, in the absence of which the cancer control programmes could not be implemented in true spirit.    The cases of cancer patients might be much higher than the available data because most of such patients were being treated in other states outside Punjab, added Mr. Bajaj.    He suggested that hospitals in the state should update their secondary data regarding cancer patients in a proper manner and asked the department to prepare a primary data by conducting door to door survey so that requisite treatment could be given to cancer patients.  He also emphasized the need for special efforts for obtaining adequate funds from the Centre to fight the menace of cancer. 

On this occasion, Health Minister Mrs.Laxmi Kanta Chawla suggested to form district wise cadres for the doctors to ensure their cent percent presence at their stations of posting. The Health Minister suggested the enactment of a regulatory act in the state to bring about 3500 nursing homes and drug de-addiction centers with in the ambit of specific rules and regulations to ensure their proper functioning in a result-oriented manner. 

The Secretary Health & Family Welfare  Satish Chandera presented a detailed presentation on the achievements, policies, programmes and future projections of the department.

Member Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal Friday called on Union Minister for Social Justice Empowerment  Mukul Wasnik and requested the immediate release of special grants to two Drug De-addiction Centres being run by Indian Red Cross Society at Bathinda and Mansa in Malwa area, keeping in view increasing number of inmates in these two centres.

Badal demanded setting up of Super Speciality Drug de-addiction center in Punjab and Union Minister agreed to this demeand. She also demanded immediate sanctioning of funds for setting up a School for the Mentally Challenged Children for Bathinda parliamentary constituency and an Old Age Home.

Badal pointed out that Punjab needed a special consideration as far as the problem of drug de-adiction was concerned. The MP informed the Union Minister that Punjab being strategically located on the transit route of illegal narcotic trade from Afghanistan and Pakistan, was becoming the innocent victim of the menace of drug addiction. He said that though Punjab Police was keeping strict vigile on the narcotic traders, despite that more and more youth from Punjab were falling pray to this menace. She said that gravity of the problem could be judged from the fact that Bathinda Centre has last year treated 24317 inmates whereas over 21 thousand people were rehabilitated by Mansa Centre. She said that due to paltry and irregular sanction of grants, these centres were not being able to discharge their functions properly, causing problem to the families of drug addiction victims. Mrs. Badal saught immediate intervention of Union Minister in ensuring early and enhanced release of grants for these centre.

Apprising the Minister of the dreadful menace of drugs that is engulfing the entire state of Punjab Mrs. Badal requested the Minister to provide adequate funds for setting up Super Speciality Drug De-Addiction Centres in the state. Mr. Wasnik assured Smt. Badal that he would provide special focus to the state of Punjab and would look at reviewing the schemes so that provisions for setting up Super Speciality Drug De-Addiction Centres could be made.
 
The Minister assured Mrs. Badal that his ministry would launch special Awareness campaign in the state of Punjab and he would personally visit Punjab to launch the campaign.

Badal also requested for supply of adequate number of tricycles, hearing aids and crutches for physically handicapped persons and children of Bathinda constituency.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal today filed his nomination papers for by-election from the Jalalabad Vidhan Sabha constituency in the office of SDM of Jalalabad Rajiv Prashar.Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his wife and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubhaya and senior SAD-BJP leaders accompanied Sukhbir. Ghubhaya’s wife Krishna Rani filed her papers as a covering candidate.

Later, while addressing a large gathering, Sukhbir promised to usher in a new era of development and prosperity in this backward border region, which he said had remained neglected till date due to erroneous policies of the Congress.About the water woes and sewage disposal problems of the Jalalabad area, Sukhbir said the Irrigation Department had already approved a plan to check the canal water shortage of this area within next 18 months. “Every village of Jalalabad has already been included in the ambitious Reverse Osmosis Programme of the state government, in which 5,000 villages will be covered to supply potable drinking water,” he added.He further said the state government had already sanctioned Rs 19 crore for laying sewage network in the Jalalabad area out of which Rs 9 crore had already been disbursed.Expressing determination to complete the unfinished task of providing P-rights to tillers of the border belt, the SAD president said the government had already extended the date to submit claims keeping in view the difficulties faced by the people.The CM, while trying to establish an emotional chord with the local audience, congratulated them for defeating the self- proclaimed Awaz-e-Punjab Jagmeet Brar with the power of ballot during the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.Badal assured that he would make concerted efforts for the opening of a trade link between India and Pakistan through the Hussaniwala border, adding that the matter would be taken up with the Centre at priority.Badal also lambasted the Congress for power woes and poor fiscal condition of the state. “The Congress left the state’s economy with huge debt burden of Rs 45,000 crore and left the SAD-BJP government to service this unmanageable burden,” he added.

There was an air of festivity at the residence of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) stalwart the late Captain Kanwaljit Singh, three months after he passed away, with his son Jasjit Singh Bunny finally being cleared for the party ticket from Banur today.Though the SAD core committee that met at Ferozepur today reportedly left the decision on nominating the party candidate from Banur, which faces byelection on August 3 along with Kahnuwan and Jalalabad, to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, it was conveyed to the Captain’s family today that Bunny would be the party candidate from Banur.Bunny himself admitted saying the party had conveyed its decision to him today. He was also seen accepting congratulations with supporters of the late Capt Kanwaljit Singh flocking to his house in Sector 9 in large numbers.The way was paved for Bunny being nominated from Banur after his mother Sarabjit Kaur refused to take the party ticket offered to her by the SAD leadership. Sources said the family conveyed to the party leadership that it would rather not participate in the elections process if the party chose to ignore Bunny’s claim due to his “emotional outburst” following the death of Capt Kanwaljit.The sources said though there was a feeling in the SAD to deny the ticket to Bunny, it was felt that it would send a wrong message if the son of a senior party leader was ignored.Bunny has since his outburst, which saw him resigning from the party leadership, reformed his behaviour, which the sources said was also responsible for his rehabilitation.However, with Bunny adjusted, it is the turn of Capt Kanwaljit’s supporter-turned-bete noire NK Sharma to feel “used” by the SAD.During Bunny’s revolt, the party had re-inducted Sharma into the party and had also reportedly assured him that he would be the party candidate from Banur.Sharma’s spokesman Krishan Pal Sharma said the announcement of Bunny’s name had come like a bolt from the blue.

He said Sharma had decided to hold a meeting of his supporters tomorrow to chalk out the next plan of action.Sources claim Sharma could revolt and fight the byelections as an independent as he does not have any future in the SAD with the ticket being given to Bunny.This would make the contest triangular and also result in a nail biting finish with Congress candidate Deepinder Singh Dhillon likely to benefit in such a scenario.

The Supreme Court is considering Justice Nirmal Yadav’s transfer from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Calcutta High Court, following the surfacing of her name in the “cash-for-judge scam”.Indications from the Union Law Ministry are that Justice Yadav is not too keen to be transferred to Calcutta High Court, but to some other high court.Information available from Delhi suggests that the matter regarding her prosecution has so far not been placed before Attorney-General of India Goolam E Vahanvati for his advice. “I have not expressed my opinion on the matter; even the file has not been placed before me,” Vahanvati said.His assertion is significant as wrong and unsubstantiated speculation on Justice Yadav being given a clean chit by the Attorney-General was rife.Justice Yadav is on leave ever since her name surfaced in the “scam”. It is believed her decision to recuse from judicial work was not voluntary, after all.

The “scam” had come to light after Rs 15 lakh was mis-delivered at the house of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur of the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the clerk of a Haryana law officer. A case was registered at the instance of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur after she called in the police; and handed over the clerk.Initially, the Chandigarh police investigated the case, but the matter was later handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation for carrying out the probe. Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan also appointed a three-judge committee for looking into the matter. A show-cause notice was, subsequently, issued to Justice Yadav.In its report, the CBI had reportedly stated it had evidence to prosecute Justice Yadav. But, the Union government, it seems, turned down the permission.In any case, Justice Yadav had denied before the three-judge committee, as well as the CBI, that she had received any cash at any stage. Justice Yadav, still on leave, had sent her reply to the show-cause notice; and is believed to have questioned not only the findings of the committee, but also the three-judge committee.