Congress election panel takes along all

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 4

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today approved a 34-member Punjab Election Committee (PEC) to look at candidatures for 117 segments for 2017 state elections and forward panels to the state election screening committee announced a few days ago.

The panel will be led by state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh with senior leaders Charanjit Singh Channi, Ambika Soni, Partap Singh Bajwa, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Sunil Jakhar and HS Hanspal among members.

Also on the panel, representing a mix of young and old leaders will be Rajya Sabha MP SS Dullo, former Puducherry LG Virender Kataria, former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former state Congress chief Lal Singh, sitting Lok Sabha MPs Choudhry Santokh Singh and Ravneet Bittu, MLAs Ashwani Sekhri and Kuljit Nagra; KL Sharma; former Union ministers Manish Tewari and Preneet Kaur, ex-Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and senior SC leader Raj Kumar Verka have also been included in the committee along with Surinder Singla, Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, Youth Congress president and Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Raja Warring, Gurpreet Kanger, Rana Gurjeet and AS Bhatti.

Also in the list of members are Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Navtej Singh Cheema, and Punjab SC cell head Raj Kumar Chabbewal. Presidents of all Congress frontal organisations in Punjab, including Mahila Congress, Youth Congress, NSUI and Seva Dal, will be in the panel which will look at the list of candidates for the elections.

The PEC will send the panels to the Punjab Congress Screening Committee which will shortlist candidates and send the panel for a final decision to the Sonia-led central poll panel.

Akali leader rejoins Cong

Chandigarh: Ranjit Singh Rana, an Akali leader from Kapurthala, on Friday rejoined the Congress. Rana, who had joined the SAD in 2004, quit the party after being "completely disillusioned with its brand of criminal politics". A press statement issued by the PPCC said Rana, senior vice-president and press secretary of the Punjab Truck Operators' Union, felt the Congress was "the only viable alternative to the ruling party." — TNS

Bhattal heads manifesto committee

Former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal will head the Punjab Congress manifesto committee which party president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi approved on Friday. The committee will be co-chaired by former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and will have OP Soni, Amar Singh, Rana Kanwar Pal Singh, Sunder Sham Arora, Sangat Singh Gilzian,
Dilbar Khan, Rajnish Sahota, Malkiat Singh Dhaka, Mohinder Rinwa, Arun Wadhawan, Ashok Gupta, Emanual Nahar, Bishop Karamchand, Gurjit Singh Jawanda and Gurpartap Mann as members.

Manpreet is drafting panel chief

Former Finance Minister Manpreet Badal will head the Punjab Congress manifesto drafting committee, which will also consist of Amar Singh, Ashok Gupta and Dilbar Khan as members.

Congress, BJP in war of words over fund ‘embezzlement’

College under lens for alleged bungling of scholarship fund for SC students

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, November 4

Even as the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has begun a probe against the local VMS College for alleged misappropriation of post-matric scholarship funds meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) students, institute owner Ashwani Sekhri, who is the Congress MLA from Batala, has claimed that that his political opponents are raking up a controversy where none exists.

His political rival and BJP leader Jagdeesh Sahni, who is a former MLA, said that he had urged his party to initiate a comprehensive probe into the alleged bungling.

“The misappropriation of SC grants, running into lakhs of rupees, occurred in the 2010-11 academic session. The records of the succeeding years should also be checked. I have asked the Ministry of Social Empowerment and Justice to probe the matter. The students had to pay their fees because the scholarship amount was pocketed by the management,” alleged Sahni.

Scheduled Caste students of VMS College today held a press conference on the college premises to give their side of the story.

They said that they were being given free education by the college and added that they were not aware of any bungling.

Sekhri claimed that reports stating that the CBI had investigated the case were frivolous.

“No CBI official has contacted me or any staff member. Somebody had submitted an anonymous complaint during the 2010-11 session following which the state Vigilance Bureau started an investigation. There is a lobby within the local Congress which is trying to defame me and my college,” he said.

Refund fee collected for police job: Cong

Chandigarh: The youth wing of the state Congress on Friday announced to launch a major offensive against the state government, especially Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal, to force them to refund Rs 25 crore collected as application money from 6.5 lakh job seekers during the recruitment drive in the police department. Punjab Congress chief spokesman Sunil Jakhar termed the police recruitment as a “sham”, alleging that many eligible and genuine candidates had been left out. He said the party would run a helpline number on which the affected youths would be asked to make a missed call and the complaint and details of the caller would be registered. TNS

Atta-Dal Scheme: Villagers complain of rotten wheat supply

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 3

The people in the district, who get wheat under the Atta-Dal Scheme, have been receiving sub-standard grains. Depot holders at Chappa Ram Singh and Lalka Nagar villages on Mehta Road have been distributing rotten grains under the scheme. During a visit to the village, The Tribune team found that wheat delivered to beneficiaries of the scheme had turned black and was of poor quality. Grains were stinking and not fit for consumption. A number of Dalit families in the village complained that they received rotten food grains.

When they complained to the depot holder, Ranjit Kaur, she refused to take back the stock. She said, “The government has sent grains. So, no one can return it.”

Kameshwer Kumar, a resident of Lalka Nagar village, complained to the depot holder about sub-standard grains. Jaspal Singh Arora, husband of the depot holder allegedly misbehaved with complainants. Residents said the matter was brought to the notice of a social worker, Parmod Bali, who further raised the issue for beneficiaries.

One of the beneficiaries Kameshwer Kumar said, “I have complained to the inspector concerned of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, but he did not pay any heed to our problem.”

When contacted, Nimit Mahajan, Inspector, Food and Civil Supplies Department, said, “I did not receive any complaint from the village. We have sent standardised food. We deliver truck loads of grains to beneficiaries. If five to seven bags from a truck are rotten, then it is not a big issue.”

Bali said, “There should be a quality check on food grains before it is supplied to beneficiaries. Grains distributed in several villages are not fit for consumption. It can’t be used even as cattle feed. Depot holders and inspectors are hand in glove. The authorities should take action against officials concerned.”

“The government distributes rotten food grains to poor beneficiaries. It is not fit for human consumption. We want to return it. The depot holder threatens us that she will cancel our Atta-Dal Scheme beneficiary card. We feel cheated when we receive sub-standard food grains,” said a beneficiary.

Sartaj Singh, District Food Supply Controller (DFSC), said, “I am not aware about the issue. I will check the matter and take action in this regard. It is our duty to provide quality food to beneficiaries. If the people find that grain is sub standard, they can return it.”

Meanwhile, officials said as per the National Food Security Act depot holders had to deliver food grains to beneficiaries in the presence of observing committee, constituted at the village level. But, most beneficiaries were not aware about provisions and rules, they added.

Congress protests against Rahul’s arrest

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 3

The District Congress Committee, headed by Jugal Kishore Sharma, burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in protest here today against arrest of the All India Congress Committee vice-president, Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi.

Rahul was arrested when he went to meet family members of Ram Kishan Grewal, an ex-serviceman who ended his life.

The Army veteran committed suicide by consuming sulphas over One Rank One Pension (OROP) row yesterday, which led to a massive political showdown by the Congress and AAP, who accused the Narendra Modi government of betraying soldiers on its promise.

Sharma, who was also accompanied by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Om Parkash Soni, staged the protest outside the busy Hall Gate area. Earlier, they carried out a march from Congress Bhawan and reached Hall Gate. Congress leaders raised slogans against Modi-led BJP government.

Speaking on the occasion, Soni and Sharma said the Modi government had betrayed soldiers, who laid down their lives for the country at the international border.

They said the incident has exposed the autocratic face of Modi, who ordered arrest of Rahul Gandhi. The incident should be condemned in strongest possible words, they added.

Meanwhile, Congress workers of the Amritsar East Assembly constituency, led by PPCC vice-president Jasbir Singh Dimpa, blocked the traffic on GT Road, near Taarawala Pul, to protest against detention of Gandhi and ill treatment meted out to family members of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal in Delhi. They raised slogans against Modi and burned his effigy.

While lambasting Modi, Dimpa claimed, “The PM is high on theatricals and low on action. In Indian history, he has become the first PM, who has politicised Indian military. He has used senior officers to sing his paeans and do political manoeuvring for him, by which he is pushing Indian Army on footsteps of their Pakistani counterparts, who always have open political appends, which is a threat to democratic polity of our nation.”

Cong leaders protest against Rahul Gandhi’s detention

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 4

A day after SAD-BJP workers burnt effigies of Congress leaders in relation to the 1984 riots, members of the District Congress Committee today burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Delhi police for the alleged ‘detention’ of All-India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

The protest was organised at Fire Brigade Chowk under the leadership of Narender Bhuleria and Mohan Lal Jhumba.

Rahul Gandhi was allegedly ‘detained’ by the Delhi police last evening and taken around the city for a few hours, before letting him off.

The police detained the Congress vice president to prevent him from moving towards Jantar Mantar from India Gate during a protest in favour of ‘One Rank One Pension’.

Congress leader Ajaib Singh Bhatti took a jibe at the BJP’s ‘Acche Din’ refrain and said, “These are the real ache din when Army veterans are committing suicides to put pressure on the government to approve their ‘One Rank One Pension’ demand. The suicide by an Army veteran has brought shame to the country and this has happened due to the BJP’s anti-people policies.”

“This unfortunate incident will be written in the history books in black letters and the BJP-led government at the Centre is to be blamed for it. Soldiers who didn’t think about their own lives while safeguarding the country’s borders are left with no choice but to commit suicide. Owing to this, the Prime Minister must submit his resignation on moral grounds since it has happened during his tenure,” Kangar said.

The Congress leaders also alleged that the BJP had brainwashed the voters during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 by making hollow promises.

They said the BJP’s alliance with SAD in Punjab was a bane for the residents of the state.

“Leaders of the ruling alliance are favouring privatisation in all fields, including education and power. After bringing the farmers on the road to suicide in the state, the government is now testing the patience of contractual employees working in several departments of the government,” they said.

GMADA floats scheme sans forms!

27 days on, applicants a harassed lot

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, November 4

Twenty-seven days have passed since GMADA floated an affordable housing scheme for Punjab Government employees, but not a single person has applied for the flats so far!

Reason: GMADA has not issued any brochure or application form, resulting in harassment to applicants at selected associated banks, including Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank, IDBI, Punjab State Cooperative Bank, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, and at the GMADA office.

Call it shortsightedness, carelessness or a faux pas, the authorities floated the scheme for allotment of 2,000 multi-storeyed flats of four types in Sector 66 and 67, and Sector 11, Eco City II, New Chandigarh, on October 8 with November 11 as the closing date but without releasing any application form till date.

A senior official of GMADA claimed that no application forms had been printed so far. “There was some issue with the eligibility criteria, which is being changed. After these changes, the brochures/application forms will be sent for printing”, said the official.

He said the scheme would be extended. Meanwhile, applicants are facing harassment at bank branches due to GMADA’s faux pas.

“I have made rounds of almost all associated banks to get a form, but to no avail. I got to know about the faux pas when I visited the GMADA office. Like me, many others are facing harassment,” said Kulwant Singh, a Punjab Government employee.

Officialspeak

Some amendments are being made to the policy in the larger interests of employees. The brochures/application forms will be released soon. In all probability, the scheme will be extended.— Sukhjit Pal Singh, GMADA additional chief administrator

Age ceiling: Ministers Chunni Lal, Mittal set to pass baton to sons

CHANDIGARH: Two ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state cabinet–Bhagat Chunni Lal (83) and Madan Mohan Mittal (77)— will not contest the forthcoming assembly polls due in February next year, it is learnt.

Sources said both the leaders were projecting their sons as the party had set 75 years as the maximum age for fighting elections. Industries minister Mittal comparatively is still agile, but Bhagat, who holds forests and wildlife portfolio, appears physically weak and his mental faculties have also slowed down. Though he remained BJP’s legislature party leader, but he played a negligible role.

“This principle laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is for every state. I am sure all will abide by it,” said state BJP president Vijay Sampla.

“I am ready to move on,” said Mittal, a MLA from Anandpur Sahib, who has decided to hand over the baton to his elder son Arvind Mittal (48), a lawyer. “My son has risen through the ranks in the party, he has worked in the party’s student wing and had also attended shakhas of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for many years. My party has also made him in-charge of Anandpur Sahib halqa,” the minister said.These days, Mittal is camping in Nangal, garnering support for his son and Arvind has opened an office in Anandpur Sahib.

Jalandhar-west MLA Bhagat Chunni Lal’s son Mahinder Bhagat (59), who has been functioning as the de facto minister for five years, is active in the constituency. “I am working hard in the constituency by meeting people door to door and am pollready,” Mahinder said.

However, the decision on their political aspirations will be decided by the party high command.