CONG CALLS FOR MARCH TO GOBINDPURA ON SEPT 2

 Punjab Congress president Capt. Amarinder Singh said his party would continue to agitate in support of the farmers of Mansa, and would march to Gobindpura on September 2. The coming SGPC elections would not be a referendum on the performance of the Akalis, he said; that would be in February 2012.

At a joint press conference, Amarinder, along with Congress in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak and legislative party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, said the SAD-led government had betrayed the people on land acquisition. The “only solution”, Amarinder said, would be for the government to give compensation of Rs 50 lakh per acre to the farmers, jobs to two members of the family, and a Rs 45,000 per year annuity for 33 years.

Punjab, Amarinder said, must go by the Haryana Land Acquisition Policy until the National Land Acquisition Policy is in place. “The government gave only Rs 23 lakh per acre, and armtwisted farmers to accept the deal. “On September 2, we will go to Gobindpura, and face arrest if needed. From that day onward, 100 volunteers from all over the state will march to the village every day,” Amarinder said.

Read More:http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#52676

PUNJAB POLICE ‘KEEPING TABS’ ON GOVT RIVALS

Vspb2010@gmail.com is the email ID that the Punjab Police is using to gather intelligence inputs on the political opponents of the ruling alliance, just as Punjab gears up for the SGPC and Assembly elections.

The techno-savvy Punjab Police has relegated to the trash can the system of compiling hard copies of reports gathered from its “agents” in different towns and areas and has logged on to the new programme. However, this move can land the government in trouble with the Election Commission. Under the rules, the police cannot work in tandem with its political bosses for furthering its interests in the elections by providing them with intelligence inputs.

At the most, the intelligence wing of the police can maintain a vigil to pre-empt violence or booth-capturing during the elections. Available information suggests that the Punjab Police has established an “election cell” on the fifth floor of the police headquarters in Sector 9. It is believed that another cell, manned by three senior Punjab Police officers, has been functioning from the same floor for keeping telephones of political opponents and their supporters under surveillance.

Read More:http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#52679

BRAR: NEW VOTERS TO BE REGISTERED TILL SEPT 2

The Gurdwara Election Commission has announced that new voters for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections will now be registers till September 2.

Earlier, the commission had announced that the new votes would be made till a day before the elections (September 18). Chief Commissioner of the Gurdwara Election Commission, Justice HS Brar, said the date has been advanced due to administrative reasons.

In a circular to the returning officers, the commission has said that anyone trying to cast a bogus vote or found to have given a wrong declaration on being a “keshdhari Sikh”should be arrested at the polling booth. This, he said, would send out a strong message and prevent “non-keshdhari” voters from trying to cast their vote.

Justice Brar said the commission had appointed 28 secretary-level IAS officers from Punjab and Haryana as poll observers. Punjab had 19 observers from Haryana, Haryana would have seven and both Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh one observer each. Officers from Punjab had been deputed out of the state and those from Haryana in Punjab.

Read More:http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#52534

Busy in SGPC polls, SAD overlooking flood crisis, allege Cong leaders

The Congress has alleged that the ruling SAD leadership is busy in the SGPC elections while the people living in flood affected villages along the Sutlej river are facing a tough situation.

After visiting the flood affected areas in the Ferozepur and Moga districts, former health minister and senior Congress leader Dr Malti Thapar said the SAD leadership should take care of the residents affected by the floods rather than drawing strategies to win over the religious sentiments of Sikh masses in the ensuing SGPC elections.

She said many villages in the Dharamkot tehsil of the Moga district and other adjoining villages of the Ferozepur district are surrounded by the flood waters.

"The local administration has not provided any help to the affected people," she claimed.

She said the local people of flood affected villages have informed her that the administration has not provided them with boats, fodder for cattle and medicines.

She met the sarpanches and panches of a few villages and inquired about their problems. "I would send a detailed report of your problems to the Union Government through a proper channel for immediate relief," she assured the people. Dr Thapar said the state government should deploy medical veterinary and officers for 24 hours in the flood affected areas with regular supply of medicines to check the spread of dreadful diseases.

Adding that the people were suffering from many kinds of skin ailments and viral fever, she alleged that the state government has not provided adequate medicines for them. She also demanded the government to order a special 'girdawari' for evaluating losses to the crops.

Read More:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110823/bathinda.htm

AKAL TAKHT'S JATEHDAR ISSUES DIRECTIVE TO SGPC CANDIDATES

Jatehdar of the Akal Takht (Highest Sikh Temporal Seat) Gyani Gurbachan Singh has issued directions to all the SGPC candidates contesting elections and their family members to come at Akal Takht to become baptised Sikh by August 25th.

The Jatehdar on Tuesday said that if candidate and his/her family members were not baptised, he or she could be declared ineligible candidate besides religious action from Akal Takht. He said that SGPC was a religious body since it manages Sikh Gurdwaras (Sikh shrines) and related religious affairs and here it was mandatory for the all candidate belonging to all political parties and its family members to be baptised Sikh besides following the Sikh religious tenets strictly in letter and sprit.

Gurbachan Singh said that elections of SGPC were meant to run the Sikh religious body (SGPC) with Sikh customs and to take the message of Sikhism across the world. On Monday, senior Sikh advocate practicing in the supreme court, H.S. Phoolka along with 40 Sikh organisations, held a marathon meeting with Jatehdar Akal Takht in this regard wherein the baptisation of family members of contesting SGPC candidates was discussed seriously and thereafter, the Jatehdar had made up his mind to issue directions for all candidates and their family members to adopt Sikhism as per the Sikh tenets before they contest elections.

Read More:http://www.punjabmailonline.com/Punjab%20News_news2.aspx#52408

SAD APPOINTS DISTRICT OBSERVERS FOR SGPC POLLS

Shiromani Akali Dal President and Deputy Chief Minister S. Sukhbir Singh Badal today appointed the District Observers of the party for the September 18, SGPC polls to smoothly run the election campaign with full enthusiasm.

In a statement issued here today party Secretary and Spokesman Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema disclosed that the senior leaders who have been appointed observers included S. Ranjit Singh Brahmpura for Tarntaran, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa for Sangrur, Gurdev Singh Badal Faridkot, Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar Faterhgarh Sahib, Balwinder Singh Bhunder Mansa, Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra for Patiala, Maheshinder Singh Grewal Ludhiana, Dr. Ratan Singh Ajanala for Amritsar, Ajit Singh Kohar Jallandhar, Bibi Parmjit Kaur Gulshan Moga, Varinder Singh Bajwa Hoshiarpur, Janmeja Singh Sekhon for Ferozepur and Fazilka, Sucha Singh Langah Gurdaspur and Pathankot, Jarnail Singh Wahad Nawanshehr and Kapurthala, Sikander Singh Maluka Bathinda, Parminder Singh Dhindsa Barnala, Chaudhary Nand Lal Ropar and Jathedar Ujagar Singh Badali for district Mohali.

Dr. Cheema said that these District Observers would coordinate with the leaders of their respective districts and work for ensuring the victory of the SAD-Sant Samaj Candidates.

Src.http://www.punjabmailonline.com/Punjab%20News_news2.aspx#52385

SAD, CONG READY FOR SHOW OF STRENGTH AT RAKHAR PUNIA FAIR

Ahead of the crucial SGPC elections on September 18, the ruling SAD would be sounding the poll bugle during the Rakhar Punia fair at Baba Bakala, around 30 km from here, on Saturday. The Congress, on the other hand, would also utilise the occasion to put up a show of strength.

Youth Akali Dal chief Bikramjit Singh Majithia, who is putting in great effort for the SAD rally, stated that “theirs would be a massive show of strength”. “Our pandal is almost double the size than that of the Congress and we are expecting a minimum turnout of anywhere between 70,000 and 80,000. Our supporters will come from only Amritsar district while the Congress is mobilising support from three districts,” he said.

According to him, they would expose the “true face of the Congress” before the people and tell them as to how it “has tried to finish off Punjab, religiously, socially and politically”. “The Congress may have changed its strategy but its designs are the same. It is now indirectly trying to break the SGPC and weaken Sikhs through people like Paramjit Singh Sarna and Ravi Inder Singh,” he added.

Src.http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#52301

Mini Parliament of Sikhs

n The SGPC manages most gurdwaras in Punjab, Haryana, HP and Chandigarh

n With an annual budget of Rs 580 crore, its main tasks are maintenance of gurdwaras, running educational institutions and propagating religion

n For the SGPC poll, there are 120 constituencies; 110 in Punjab, eight in Haryana and one each in HP and Chandigarh

n 50 are double-member constituencies, reserved either for women or SC candidates

n In the existing SGPC House, there are 30 women members from double-member seats and three from single-member seats (33 in all)

n The double-member constituency system was first implemented in 1996

n The SGPC elections were first conducted on June 18, 1926, after the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, came into effect

n The House comprises 170 members, of which 100 come from 50 double-member constituencies

n There are 15 nominated members as well. Six slots are for five high priests and the head granthi of the Golden Temple, taking the total number of members to 191

READ MORE :http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110730/punjab.htm#12