CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Finance Minister, Kewal Krisha, announced in the Vidhan Sabha, On March 2, that an inquiry would be instituted into the misappropriation of the planning board funds by the deputy commissioners.

Replying to a question raised by Vimla Dang, (CPI), he admitted violation by the deputy commissioners in utilizing the funds for furnishing their residences.

Describing this expenditure as unjustified, he said that the government had issued instructions against the misappropriation and the expenditures had been brought was Rs 24 lakh in 199091, Rs 33 lakh in 199192 and Rs 10,92,000 in 199293.

The deputy commissioner of Hoshgiarpur spent the highest amount of Rs 12, 36,986 in 199091 and Rs 20, 59,120 in 199192 on renovations of his office and residences. The Gurdaspur deputy commissioner spent Rs 4, 64,196 in 199091 and Rs 1, 87,400 in 199192, the expenditure in Faridkot was Rs2, 78,900 in 199091 and in Amritsar was Rs 1,94, 465 in 199091.

In reply to a question from Hardey Arshi, (CPI), the Minister for Health and Family Welfare Lal Singh maintained that nominations to the MBBS and BDS courses were not in violation of the Supreme Court judgment. The nominations against the Central Board of Secondary Education Union Health Minister into confidence. The candidate nominated, need not qualify any entrance test but should have minimum 50% marks in the medical subjects in the plus two classes.

According to the conditions disclosed by him, the candidates selected by the government should be fit for eligibility of nomination. Besides, others who are considered eligible include those belonging to such families which are related to political workers, public men, officers bearing responsibility of dealing with the law and order problem directly or indirectly; those for whom it is difficult or impossible to go out of the state because of security reasons; those who are connected with families affected by militant violence and those whose families are unable to send them out of the state for education because of the financial problems.

Arshi had earlier said that the nominations were in violation of the Supreme Court ruling and were made on the basis of nepotism.

In response to a question from Minister, Beant Singh, admitted that Jagjiwan Singh, former Sarpanch of Kabangarh village, who was arrested by the Chandigarh Police under TADA and other Acts for harboring KLF president of the Dirba Block Congress ({) Committee, He said, action against a person who indulges in such activities would be taken irrespective of the party to which he belonged, Hargopal Singh said, it proved the nexus between the Congress(I) leaders and the militants.

Education Minister, Hamam Dass Johar, told Ramesh Dutt Sharma, (BJP), that 200 primary schools would be upgraded to middle level in 199394.

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 5, 1993