CAG picks holes in states forest fund management

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 10

While there has been an increase of about seven per cent in the forest cover in Punjab, a number of irregularities in the utilisation of funds and land management have come to the fore. The total forest cover in Punjab is 1,76,400 hectare, amounting to 3.5 per cent of its total geographical area. The forest cover, according to the latest assessment by the Forest Survey of India had increased by 10,000 hectare. While the increase in forest cover over a two-year period may be welcome news for environmentalists, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in is report tabled in Parliament a few days ago has revealed that while about 2,190 hectare land was diverted for non-forestry purposes, non-forest land was received in lieu thereof was zero per cent. Further, the Punjab Government had framed a policy for purchase of non-forest land for compensatory plantation on behalf of the Forest Department through Punjab State Forest Development Corporation (PSFDC), which received Rs 51.59 crore from user agencies for purchase of non-forest land in lieu of land diverted for non-forestry use. PSFDC, however, incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.44 crore only on purchase of non-forest land, resulting in short utilisation of funds of which Rs 50.15 crore was not credited to the states Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and. Planning Authority (CAMPA) account. In Amritsar forest division, over 558 kanals of forest land was unauthorisedly occupied by private parties and was being used for non-forest purposes. CAG also revealed that Patiala forest division purchased materials valuing Rs 1.65 crore for construction of fences out of which materials worth only about Rs 56.40 lakh were used as the balance materials valuing Rs 1.1 crore were still lying unutilised. Hoshiarpur forest division spent Rs 35 lakh on the construction of a live hedge against the estimated cost of Rs 7 lakh, resulting not only in grossly excess expenditure, but also under achieving physical targets. In Ropar forest division, advance work of enrichment planting and rehabilitation of degraded forest of 575 hectares was done at a cost of Rs 56 lakh, but actual plantation was done only on 395 hectares, with the remaining 180 hectare was left unplanted. While CAMPA funds cannot be used for creating infrastructure at state forest headquarters or for ecotourism, test checks by CAG revealed that lakhs of rupees were spent on purchase of vehicles, etc by diversion of funds from other heads. Shoddy utilisation of funds CAG revealed no non-forest land was bought in return for 2,190 hectare land diverted for non-forestry purposes PSFDC spent `1.44 crore only on purchase of non-forest land, not utilising Rs 50.15 crore of its funds In Amritsar forest division, over 558 kanals of forest land was unauthorisedly occupied by private parties In Patiala forest division, materials worth `1.1 crore had been lying unutilised In Ropar forest division, only 395 hectares of the 575 hectacres had been rehabilitated at a cost of `56 lakh

PIMS allowed to appoint new directors

Congress sees plot to hand over management to a private hospital chain, demands probe

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service Patiala, September 10

The Punjab Government has provided another breather to Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra-led charitable society that has failed to raise the mandatory infrastructure to run the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The institute has been allowed to appoint seven new members as directors. This move will help the PIMS society to appoint members, most of them associated with a private hospital chain, who will pump in than Rs 100 crore into the institute. The Congress has demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Highly placed sources said that instead of initiating punitive measures, the society had been allowed to induct new members who would be given a free hand to run the institute. At a meeting held on September 4, the Chief Minister in principle gave us the nod to get new members as directors. We hope to rope in over Rs 100 crore to run the PIMS, a source said. A senior PIMS functionary said: The governing body meeting presided over by the CM ignored violations by the Rakhra-led society and instead gave respite in the form of allowing seven new directors. The PIMS was allotted to the Rakhra-headed society on a 99-years lease in the public, private partnership (PPP) mode. It is a 500-bed hospital and runs a medical college with 100 MBBS seats. We are holding talks with two hospital groups but at this point of time, I cannot elaborate further,said Rakhra. The rules of agreement signed with the government state it is mandatory for the PIMS society to construct a multi-storeyed accommodation for the hospital faculty, student hostels, at least a 500-bed hospital and a guest house for a minimum of 250 persons. Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal, one of the PIMS directors and Rakhra's younger brother, told The Tribune that the society was facing losses running into crores and with the CM giving the nod to new members as directors, "some money will be pumped in." Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira alleged that the SAD Government had ignored repeated violations by the society. It is a deep-rooted conspiracy. A CBI probe should be ordered to determine the profit the society will make by handing over control to a private hospital chain. About the institute The PIMS was allotted to the Rakhra-headed society on a 99-years lease in the public, private partnership (PPP) mode It is a 500-bed hospital and runs a medical college The college has 100 MBBS seats

Punjabi singer Preet Brar remanded to police custody

Accused of committing fraud of Rs 1 crore

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service Mohali, September 10

Noted Punjabi singer, Preet Brar, who was brought back by a Mohali police team from Mumbai today, has been sent to a three-day police remand. He was produced in the court after being examined at the local Civil Hospital. The singer, who is also an estate agent and has been fighting a cheating case and two-three other criminal cases, said he had recently packed up his shooting schedule at Kathmandu (Nepal) and was returning to Mohali to surrender. I did not run away. I am innocent. I did not defraud anyone, said Brar to the police. Brar, who was nabbed by Mumbai Police at Mumbai airport on Friday, was brought back by Mohali police today afternoon. Brars wife Kamaljit Kaur, a constable in Mohali police, and his 10-year-old daughter Gurllen Kaur was with him at the time of his arrest. Ajinder Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), City II, claimed during preliminary investigation, it had come to light that Brar had committed a fraud of over Rs 1 crore here. A case under Section 406, 420 has been registered against the singer at Phase 8 police station on the complaint of Ramandeep Singh. Apart from that two or three more criminal cases have been registered against him at Kharar police stations, said DSP Ajinder Singh. In his complaint, Ramandeep had alleged that Brar had taken Rs 51 lakh from him for a plot in Kharar. But Preet Brar neither bought a plot for me nor did he return my money, alleged the complainant who had filed an FIR in this regard on July 31, 2013. The Punjabi singers bail application has already been turned down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Minorities panel seeks report on Amloh attack

Sanjay Bumbroo/TNS Fatehgarh Sahib, September 10

The Punjab State Minorities Commission (PSMC) has directed the district administration to submit its report on the alleged attack on a family of a minority community in Amloh. PSMC has also directed the district police to add section 295-A (injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the IPC in the assault case wherein members of the family that had been taking care of the community cremation ground for the past eight years. Members of the commission, led by Abdul Shakur Mangat and Albert Dua, visited the said site, where the family was attacked and thereafter, met the injured victims at the Civil Hospital there. Complainant Mohammad Rafiq of Aabad Bugga, Amloh, alleged that the 14 accused accompanied with 200 to 300 persons had tried to grab the crematorium land that belonged to a minority community. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Spray insecticide sparingly to tackle bug attack: PAU Ludhiana, September 10

The Department of Entomology of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today advised farmers to spray insecticide only on those rice/basmati fields which have been damaged by up to 10 per cent. The department just received reports of the leaf folder bug attack on crops from farmers and field staff of the university Dr Balwinder Singh, Head of the Entomology Department, said, Spray with 350 ml Sutathion 40 EC or 1 litre Coroban/Durmet/Force 20EC or 560 ml Monocil 36 SL using 100 litres of water per acre." Coragen 20 SC @ 60 ml/acre could also be sprayed using 100 litres of water on basmati rice, suggested Dr Singh. The PAU experts can be contacted on 0161-2401960/Ext (320).TNS

To keep safe, rape victims sister turns boy

Kanchan Vasdev

Tribune News Service Bhagta Bhai Ke (Bathinda), September 10

Seven-year-old Chamanpreet Kaur (not her real name) has been dressing up as a boy ever since her 14-year-old sister was raped on October 15 last year. She perceives it to be the only way for girls to stay safe. With fear writ large on her innocent face, the girl, whose braids have given way to a bun atop her head, discloses her plans for the future: I will grow up as a baptised Sikh youth. I will then see who dares to touch me. A Bathinda fast-track court had yesterday awarded life imprisonment to two of the seven accused in the rape case at Bhagta Bhai Ke village. The girls father says the incident changed the familys life for the worse: We were forced to sell our land and desert the village. We shifted to Mansa for good two months ago. We were hoping all the accused will be convicted but that didnt happen My elder daughter has turned into an emotional wreck. The case had hogged headlines ever since the incident took place. First, the case was registered only after the media highlighted the plight of the girl. The girl had also written an emotional letter to the Punjab Women Rights Commission, seeking permission to take law into her own hands to take revenge. The much-awaited judgement may not have fulfilled all the hopes of the victim family, but the acquitted persons claim they were the ones who were victimised: Who will compensate us? We had been crying innocent since day one. How can anybody construe the allegation that I along with my brother and son together raped the girl? says Gurjeet Singh. He claims a property dispute between the two families is the reason behind the allegation. The incident took place on the intervening night of October 14-15. When the victim's mother woke up at 4 am, she was horrified to find her daughter lying outside their house in a semi-unconscious state, bleeding and writhing in pain. Her hair too was shorn. She brought her daughter inside only to learn that the victim was allegedly kidnapped the previous night and gang-raped by seven persons, including 56-year-old Charanjit Singh Mithu, his brother Gurjeet Singh (54) and the latters 21-year-old son Manpreet Singh alias Mani, living in the neighbourhood. Gurpreet Singh Gopi (24), Sukhdev Singh alias Kala (32), Harbans Singh alias Raju (23) and Balbir Singh (20) were the other persons booked in the case. Manpreet and Harbans were sentenced for life imprisonment.

Song CDs sent for forensic test in Honey Singh case

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service Chandigarh, September 10

It may not sound music to Yo Yo Honey Singhs ears, but the Punjab Police has refused to dance to his tunes. Muting his claims of innocence, the police has sent CDs of the song Main han balatkari to the Central Forensic Laboratory to find out whether it was sung by him. Taking up the matter, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Forensic Science Laboratory Director to ensure submission of the forensic report by September 26. As Honey Singhs petition for quashing the FIR registered against him came up for hearing, the affidavit of IPS officer Dhanpreet Kaur was placed before Justice Amol Rattan Singh, stating that the case was filed after conducting initial investigation. During the course of investigation, Honey Singhs application claiming innocence was marked to the SP (Detective) for an inquiry. The affidavit added that the inquiry was on and the audio-video compact discs containing songs Main han balatkari, Brown rang, and Pachiyan pindan ne had been sent to the laboratory at Chandigarh for a forensic examination. The report was awaited. He was booked by the Nawanshahar police for obscene acts and songs under Section 294 of the IPC in May. The case was registered after an NGO, HELP (Human Empowerment League of Punjab), moved the High Court. The High Court had earlier refused to interfere in the FIR registered by the Punjab Police against Honey Singh. His counsel had then referred to the singers written statement to say he has fallen victim to his own celebrity status. The counsel had contended controversial song Main han balatkari was not sung by him, and apparently some other Honey Singh or another person impersonating him had sung that song.

Regulatory body for state varsities soon: CM

Jupinderjit Singh/TNS Bathinda, September 10

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today presided over the foundation day function of Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo. He announced the setting up of a regulatory body for streamlining the functioning of state universities. He said nine universities had come up on the initiative of the SAD-BJP Government. All the universities would run vocational course and a blueprint for the same was being prepared. The Chief Minister honoured eminent personalities, including Sant Baba Sewa Singh Ji Khadoor Sahib Wale, Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University Dr Baldev Singh Maan, Babu Singh Maan, Harbhajan Maan and the Deputy Director-General, Doordarshan Kendra, Jalandhar, Om Gouri Dutt Sharma. The CM inaugurated a memorial dedicated to his wife Surinder Kaur Badal. Dr JS Dhaliwal, Chancellor of the university and Dr NS Malhi, Vice-Chancellor, also spoke. Dr Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Director , Planning and Development, anchored the function Later, the Chief Minister accompanied by Bathinda MP Harimrat Kaur Badal and Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia paid tributes to Sant Meetha Singh at a samaroh at Damdama Sahib. CM to monitor relief work in Muktsar dist Muktsar: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday said the state government was extending all possible help to the flood-affected people. For the next few days, he would stay in the district himself to monitor the relief and drainage operation, he said. The Chief Minister would visit flood-affected villages of the district in the next few days, sources said. Addressing a gathering at Harike Kalan village, Badal alleged that he had raised the issue of relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people with the Centre, but to no avail. I had called on Home Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde asking him to enhance the relief amount for the farmers, but the demand was not met, he said.  TNS