OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, PUNJAB CAST VOTE FEARLESSLY – CEO PUNJAB
Chandigarh July 31, 2009

Ms. Kusumjit Sidhu, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab today made an appeal to all the voters of the three Assembly bye-elections to be held on 3rd of August, 2009 to go out in full strength to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives without fear or favour. She cautioned the voters not to accept any kind of inducement including transport offered by candidates or their agents to cast their votes. With a view to facilitate the voters, 3rd August, 2009, the poll day, has already been declared public holiday in all the three constituencies. It is clarified that where a State Govt. employee is a resident of the constituency & registered as an elector may be serving/employed in an industrial undertaking or an establishment located out side the constituency having a General/Bye-election would be entitled to the benefit of a paid holiday extended under the Section 135B (1) of R.P. Act 1951. All necessary arrangements for free, fair and smooth polling have already been made, she added.

All the voters, who have been issued photo identity cards are advised to carry these along with them and those who do not have these cards should carry one of the other document prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) like Passport, Driving license, PAN Card, Service Identity Cards issued to its employees by State/Central Govt., Public sector undertakings, Local Bodies or Public Limited Companies with photographs, Ration Card, Passbooks issued by Public Sector Banks/Post offices and Kissan Passbooks with photographs (Accounts opened upto 31.05.2009), property documents such as Pattas, Registered Deeds with photographs, SC/ST/OBC certificates issued by competent authority with photographs issued upto 31.05.2009, pension documents, freedom fighters I. Cards, Arms license, physical handicapped I. Cards, Job Cards issued under NAREGA, Health Insurance Scheme I. Cards issued by Govt. of India.
The Election Commission has warned the political parties, contesting candidates and their activists in particular and public in general to abstain from the corrupt & malpractices or electoral offences as bribery, undue influence, intimidation of voters, impersonation, canvassing with 100 meters of polling stations, conveyance to voters for polling stations. ECI directed that any body indulging in intimidation or any other electoral malpractice would be liable for punishment under the provisions of Representation of people Act 1951.

ECI has also directed that no booth shall be set up in a distance of 200 meters from the Polling Station. ECI further directed that each candidate wishing to set up such booth shall intimate in writing in advance to the Returning Officer regarding the names of Polling Stations where such booths are proposed to be set up by him. No person other than authorized election agents and police officials shall be allowed to either carry or use cellular phones/ wireless sets etc. in the 100 meters parameter of the Polling Stations as per the instructions of the ECI.

As per the information available with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, polling parties including security forces would be dispatched on 2nd of August, 2009 to their respective duty places.

SUPPORT GREENING PUNJAB---TIKSHAN SUD

Chandigarh 31 July 2009: The Public Sector oil companies would extend their full support to the Punjab government in executing its initiatives and programmes to plant a large number of trees and shrubs around petrol pumps, oil depots etc. with a view to ensure eco-friendly environs in the state.

Stating this here today Mr. Tikshan Sud, Forest and Wildlife Minister Punjab said that the Forest Department Punjab was making all out efforts to extend green cover of the state by seeking cooperation from all the stakeholders. Frequent meetings have been convened with the regional representatives of public sector oil corporations to finalize the strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of petroleum products by planting maximum number of tree seedlings around petrol pumps, oil depots and residential colonies of oil companies. The seedlings would be supplied free of cost for planting to the oil companies, said the Minister. Around 50,000 plants would be planted by the oil companies in this monsoon season and this greening initiative would be continued by them in the years to come, added Mr. Sud.

The Forest Department assured full cooperation to the oil companies by helping them in setting the Petrol Pumps and speedy processing of their proposals for the diversion of forest land to provide approach roads to petrol pumps etc. As corporate social responsibility, the oil companies committed their full support to the department in carbon sequestration activities and mitigation of adverse effects of emission of gases from burning of fossil fuels.

MAJOR RELIEF TO SECURITY GUARDS AS PRE-FABRICATED STRUCTURES TO REPLACE POLICE TENTS

Chandigarh, August 2, 2009

Security Guards performing their arduous duties 24x7 in the extreme weathers of North India have a reason to cheer as Punjab Police has decided to replace all tents being used by Police Guards with Pre-fabricated Structures in a Phased manner.

According to spokesman of Police department it was felt that Police men performing guarding duty was compelled to live in tentage accommodation under extremely harsh weather and these kinds of accommodation were not having toilet ,Kitchen and dining facilities . He said that due to lack of these facilities, the efficiency of Police Personal goes down besides affecting their morale also.

The spokesman said that DGP Mr. P.S.Gill has issued orders that Police should identify the tentage accommodation that can be replaced by Pre-fabricated Structures in a phased manner. He said that 217 Pre-fabricated Structures have already replaced archaic police tents and orders have been placed for 121 more such Pre-fabricated Structures. He said that these Pre-fabricated Structures would also have facilities of toilets and kitchen and dining facilities.

MODEL RURAL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS TO BE
SETUP IN 21 BACKWARD BLOCKS-UPINDERJIT KAUR

Chandigarh 2 August: The Punjab Government would setup 21 English medium model senior secondary rural schools in educationally backward blocks of seven districts in the state to impart quality education to the under privileged rural students.

Disclosing this here today Education Minister Dr. Upinderjit Kaur said that these 21 blocks were from Malwa region where this centrally sponsored project would be initially started. Giving details the Minister said that the Punjab government had chalked out a plan to setup three such schools in Bathinda, two in Muktsar, five in Mansa, one in Patiala, three in Sangrur, six in Ferozepur and one in Tarn Taran. "Our effort is to expand access to quality secondary education as there is a dire need to have schools with high standards of education for talented rural children, who may not be in a position to access quality schools in urban areas", she added.

Describing education as the sole foundation on which a progressive and prosperous society could be built, the Minister asserted that promoting affordable, modern and quality education was the need of the hour. "Moreover, education is the first step towards overall progress of a nation and good school education provides a strong base for a student in further achieving a bigger goal of higher education. Without quality school education, there can’t be quality higher studies", she stressed.

Dr. Upinderjit Kaur, who is also an economist, further added that the level of development of a nation is directly proportional to its literacy rate. And since the formative years of the child are spent in the schools, foremost attention will be given to the quality of education. Also as universalisation of elementary education had become a Constitutional mandate, it is absolutely essential to push this vision forward to move towards universalisation of secondary education also, she said.
She added that the Centre would provide Rs 3.00 crore to develop infrastructure in a model school in addition to a Rs 75 lakh annual fund to cover the recurring expenses. The Central government would bear 75 per cent of the recurring and non-recurring expenditure, and the remaining amount would be borne by the state. However, land for the schools would be provided by the state government, she said.

Education Minister said that the schools with English language as medium of instruction including compulsory Punjabi, would run classes from VI to XII and would be affiliated to the Centre Board of School Education (CBSE). She clarified that a proposal in this regard had already been cleared by the Union Government and hoped that such schools would improve the standard of education in the state.

In order to supervise the functioning of these schools, the Minister added that the State Government would set up District level and State level monitoring Committees. These model schools would be provided adequate infrastructure and required facilities, at least of the standard with stipulations on pupil-teacher ratio, ICT usage, congenial educational environment, appropriate curriculum and emphasis on output and outcome, she said.

She emphasised that education provided in the Model school would be holistic and integral touching upon physical, emotional and aesthetic development in addition to academics. Necessary infrastructure would be provided in such schools not only for satisfying teaching needs, but for the sports, recreation and co-curricular activities also and these schools would set standards of excellence for other schools in the area, she added further.
The Minister added that the schools would be setup on Kendriya Vidayalaya template and would also have board and lodging facilities for girl students. The admissions to these schools would be through a common selection test to take in 1,000 students in each unit, she said.

Dr. Upinderjit Kaur further clarified that another objective of these schools would be to provide a secondary school within radius of 5 KMs and a higher secondary school within a distance of 7-8 KMs of every habitation. The access to secondary education would be universalised. Not only universal enrolment, but universal retention and satisfactory quality of learning would be the priority, she asserted.

Draft of the maintenance of Parents and Senior citizens Welfare Act 2007

Chandigarh, August 1, 2009

With the concerted efforts of Advocate General Punjab Mr. H.S.Mattewal in preparation of the draft of the maintenance of Parents and Senior citizens Welfare Act 2007 and subsequent adoption by the state Government in July 2008, Court of Tribunal under Maintenance & welfare of parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 (Sub Divisional Magistrate) Jalandhar-I has pronounced a land mark judgment.

Mr. Mattewal informed that the Hon'ble Judge of the tribunal has ordered Mr. Kamaljeet Singh s/o Sukhinder Singh r/o Jalandhar to deposit Rs. 10,000/- per month as maintenance allowance in the account of his mother Mrs. Gurcharn Kaur through Cheque/Demand Draft.

Hon'ble Judge also directed Mr. kanwaljeet Singh to allow his parents to reside in their residential house at Jalandhar and not restrain their entry. It may be recalled that Kanwaljeet Singh had ousted his parents from the house and they were forced to stay with their daughter at Amritsar.

Mr. Mattewal informed that this historic act adopted by the state Government would proved to be a boon for such parents who were rendered shelter less in the old age. This act would also safe guard the interest of such hapless old parents in providing them security in the evening of their life to live with honour and dignity.

UNPRECEDENTED ROAD SHOW LEAD BY HARSIMRAT PLEDGE TO ENSURE SUKHBIR’S RECORD VICTORY


Heaving sentiments of the supporters of Shiromani Akali Dal–BJP today virtually flowed on the streets of Jalalabad town, as more than 8 thousand supporters gathered to witness the largest ever road show in Jalalabad history lead by Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal to call for record victory of S. Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal and SAD-BJP nominee for Jalalabad Vidhan Sabha bi-election.

Supporters of SAD-BJP started throng on the streets of Jalalabad town since afternoon and by 5.00 P.M more than 8 thousand supporters gathered to participate in the road show. As Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal reached the starting point, she was overwhelmed with the love, affection and support shown by the people from every corner of constituency, who were present in strength to become part of this historic event.

Later speaking to the media, Mrs. Badal said that if the love and affection shown by the people of this Constituency today was any indicator, the Congress should think of quitting the electoral battle. Thanking the workers for their support, love and affection Bibi Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the love of people of this Constituency would ensure record victory of SAD President S. Sukhbir Singh Badal. She said that SAD-BJP is committed for overall development of Punjab in general and its border region in specific.