DELHI MEET BADAL DRAWS EXTRAORDINARY ATTENTION


New August 16, 2009

The towering yet amiable figure of the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal remained the centre of extraordinary attention during the course of the day long All India Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief justices of High Courts at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh specially greeted Mr. Badal with folded hands when the former took his seat at the opening of the session.

Then, the Chief Justice of India Mr K.G. Balakrishanan broke with protocol to single out Mr. Badal in his opening remarks. This took the distinguished gathering a little by surprise as the Chief Justice had simply referred to Mr. Badal’s counterparts as “ all the other honourable Chief Ministers from different states.”

The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia walked all the way from the extreme row on the left flank to reach Mr. badal and greet him with singular warmth. Mr. Badal was the only Chief Minister extended this courtesy by the Deputy Chairman. Almost all the Chief Ministers who were present before Mr. Badal stood up to greet him as he entered the hall. Many like the Gujrat Chief Minister Mr. Narinder Modi and Delhi CM Mrs. Shiela Dixit actually described the Punjab Chief Minister as the elder statesman of the country. Mr. Modi in fact walked across during the tea break to have along chat with Mr. Badal, especially on the issue of the farmers’ problems and the status of the monsoon in Punjab, according to Chief Minsite's Media advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains.

All India Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of States & Chief Justices of High Courts

DRASTIC INITIATIVE NEEDED TO BRING JUSTICE WITHIN COMMON MAN’S REACH: BADAL
CALLS FOR A RE-LOOK AT THE PIL MECHANISM

New Delhi July 16, 2009

The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called for a drastic joint initiative by governments and the judiciary for “meaningful legal and constitutional streamlining of the system to ensure that justice was brought within the reach of the poor and the down trodden.”

He also underlined the need for sweeping administrative and judicial reforms to make the delivery of justice and services easy and simple for the common man.

“There is a widespread and fairly justified perception in the country that our legal processes are too cumbersome and too costly for the common man to secure timely justice. This is a dangerous thing as it leads to a sense of alienation and encourages the tendency among the aggrieved to take resort to illegal, uncivilized and even violent means to secure justice. Steps must be taken to address the problem immediately,” said Mr. Badal in his written address at the All India Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of States & Chief Justices of High Courts here today. The Conference was presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Mr. Badal referred to the common impression that justice under the present dispensation was not only delayed and denied but had actually gone out of reckoning as a civilized option. This, he said, called for a ‘drastic recasting of attitudes, re-working of constitutional mechanisms as well as strengthening of the judicial infrastructure especially in the form of enhanced manpower strength.’ He said that the government of India must help the states financially to help them widen the network of judicial services. “We all must resolve to work jointly to ensure that justice is made available to everyone, especially the poor”.

In another significant observation, the Chief Minister also appealed to the judiciary to “discourage the tendency for filing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to stall important governmental projects for development and economic growth of the region. Mr. Badal lauded the lead taken by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur.

Outlining the steps taken by the Punjab government to streamline the Justice Delivery System as a follow up measure to the resolutions adopted at the last meeting, Mr. Badal said that 36 Additional Districts & Sessions Judges and 50 Civil Judges of Junior Division had been appointed besides creating 18 posts of Superior Judicial Officers. The Chief Minister also pointed out eight new Judicial Court Complexes for Sessions Divisions had been constructed and 14 new court complexes were under construction. The State government had spent Rs.35 crore for the up-gradation of judicial infrastructure during 2008-09 and a provision for an equal amount had been made for the current fiscal. But unfortunately, the Government of India released just Rs.1.34 crore out of its share of Rs.35 crore for 2008-09.

Referring to the Alternate Dispute Redressal Mechanism (ADR), the Chief Minister mentioned that District Level Lok Adalats were functioning in the state and 473 Lok Adalats had been held so far in which over 5 lac cases have been taken up, out of which more than 4 lac have been disposed of. Mr. Badal also said that the Punjab Government fully supported the Scheme of Gram Niyalayas and urged the Government of India to financially support the states to implement the scheme for the first five years. He also said the state government had approved constitution of four evening courts and the rules for the same were being framed. He also urged the Government of India to expedite the process of filling up of 22 vacant posts of Judges in Punjab & Haryana High Court out of the sanctioned strength of 68 posts. He also emphasized the need for change in the norms for setting up Judicial Complexes to allow vertical construction in view of paucity of land, especially in states like Punjab. The Chief Minister also mentioned that a state-of-the-art building of Judicial Academy at Chandigarh had been constructed by contributions from states of Punjab & Haryana and U.T. Chandigarh, but the facilities available there were not being put to optimal use.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by the Advocate General Punjab Mr. H.S. Mattewal, Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. D.S. Guru, Principal Secretary Home Mr. A.R Talwar and Principal Resident Commissioner Mr. Sudhir Mittal.

PUNJAB TO ADVISE PUDUCHERRY FOR POWER GENERATION THROUGH BIOGAS BASED POWER PLANT

Chandigarh, August 16, 2009

Shri M. Kandasami, Hon'ble Minister for Welfare and Co¬operation, Govt. of Puducherry visited Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA)'s office to discuss about the High Rate Bio-methanation Power Plant to be installed in Puducherry of same capacity, type and technology which have been installed by PEDA at Haibowal Dairy Complex, Ludhiana. This project of PEDA has already been awarded 'Asian Power Award'- 2007 as best "Green Power Plant in Asia" by Asian Power. A meeting between Shri M. Kandasami, Hon'ble Minister for Welfare and Co¬operation, Govt. of Puducherry and Shri T.P.S.Sidhu, Chief Executive, PEDA was held on 13.8.2009 for providing such technology back-up for this power project to be installed in Puducherry. The Minister requested PEDA to help the Govt. of Puducherry in putting up 1 MW project there, which has more than 30,000 cattle population in a cluster. Chief Executive, PEDA described that the total cost of the project is approximately RS.12.00 crore out of which RS.3.00 crore is the subsidy from Govt. of India and also good amount of funds through the Carbon Credits under CDM root can also be generated. Shri T.P.S. Sidhu assured the Minister for providing all technical help required for early execution of this project. Minister also visited the High Rate Bio-methanation Power Plant at Haibowal (Ludhiana) and appreciated the working of project in successful manner in this sector.

SPEAKER STOPS MEETINGS OF VIDHAN SABHA COMMITTEES
Chandigarh August 16:-
Mr. Nirmal Singh Kahlon, Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha has ordered to stop immediately all meetings of different Punjab Vidhan Sabha Committees scheduled to be held out of Punjab. The step has been taken with a view to Swine Flu danger.
He further said that whenever the situation would become normal he would thought to permit these meetings.