Nodal authority to check complaints against
Punjab Private Medical Institutions constituted
Authority to have powers of Civil Court
Chandigarh August 28, 2008
The Punjab Government today by notification in the official gazette
constituted an authority to be known as Nodal Authority consisting
of three members namely Mr. Justice (Retd.) Amarbir Singh Gill,
Dr. R.P. Bambah, Former Vice Chancellor, Panjab University and
Former Member, Punjab State Planning Board and Dr. K.K. Talwar,
Director, PGI, Chandigarh for entertaining complaints with regard
to the violations of the provisions of The Punjab Private Health
Sciences Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission, Fixation
of Fee and Making of Reservation) Act, 2006 or any direction or
notification issued there under.
Mr. Tikshan Sud, Medical Education Minister Punjab explained
that this independent authority has been constituted keeping in
view the numerous complaints being received against private medical
institutions and also to address grievances of medical institutions.
He said that this authority would provide an objective forum to
the public and the institutions to redress their grievances
The Nodal Authority would also take a suo moto notice of the
violations of the provisions of this Act or any direction or notification
issued there under. He said that the Nodal Authority would cause
an enquiry to be made by appointing an Inquiry Officer into the
allegations leveled by the complainant or at its suo moto initiative.
It would also take action filing the complaint, if in its opinion;
it is a vexatious, anonymous or pseudonymous complaint. The Minister
said that the authority could also direct the complainant to furnish
additional information or an affidavit in support of his allegations.
He said that the authority has been authorized take such actions,
as it may deem appropriate, keeping in view the facts and circumstances
of the case.
The Minister clarified that for making an enquiry under sub-section
(3), a summary procedure would be followed and the enquiry be
completed within a period of sixty days. He said that the Nodal
Authority constituted under sub-section (1) or the inquiry officer,
appointed under sub-section (3), would have the powers of a civil
court to access, obtain and scrutinize the records of the private
health sciences educational institutions as well as summoning
of any person or any relevant official record, which he may deem
necessary. The Nodal Authority shall forward its report to the
State Government and may recommend any of the actions as mentioned
in sub-section (1) of the section 9 of The Punjab Private Health
Sciences Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission, Fixation
of Fee and Making of Reservation) Act, 2006.
He said that the Sate Government would later by notification;
fix the terms and conditions of appointment, qualifications and
conditions of service of the members of the Nodal Authority
PUNJAB TO ACHIEVE HUNDRED PERCENT CFL EFFICIENT LIGHTING
BY MARCH 2009
CHANDIGARH, AUGUST 28, 2008
In a significant move towards the conservation of electric energy,
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here today directed
Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA) and Punjab State Electricity
Board (PSEB) to initiate a joint campaign on war-footing to achieve
hundred percent efficient lighting in the domestic sector by the
end of March, 2009.
Disclosing this here today a spokesman of the Punjab Government
said that Chief Minister had asked PEDA to issue a directive immediately
to ban use of incandescent bulbs and normal tubes lights with
magnetic choke in government/boards/corporation offices' buildings,
hospitals and other institutions so that all bulbs and tubes could
be replaced with CFL and T-8 efficient tube lights with electronic
choke. PEDA has also been authorized to invite competitive rates
from approved manufacturers/supplies of efficient lighting fixtures
for rate contract for different wattages CFLs and energy efficient
tube lights.
The rate contract with specifications would be circulated to
the various government departments/boards/corporations for direct
procurement from the approved manufacturers/suppliers and to achieve
hundred percent efficient lighting in government offices by March
31,2009.
The Chief Minister has also directed to Punjab State Electricity
Board (PSEB) to launch an awareness and publicity campaign to
educate domestic consumers to use CFLs and other efficient lighting
fixtures in place of incandescent bulbs and normal tubes with
magnetic chokes. This exercise would be done to convince consumers
to switchover to efficient lighting for saving in energy bills
on voluntary basis, said the spokesman.
It may be recalled that the Punjab Government had constituted
a committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Mr. RI Singh
to jointly implement energy conservation/efficiency Punjab in
the state on fast tract basis with Mr. T.P.Sidhu, Chief Executive
PEDA, Mr. M.R.Garg, Additional Secretary Power, Mr. M.S.Dua Chief
Engineer PSEB and Mr. P.K.Bansal Director (Energy Conservation
PSEB as the members.
PUNJAB TO UPGRADE 31 EDUCATION GUARANTEE SCHEME
CENTERS TO REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Chandigarh August 28, 2008
The Punjab Government would upgrade 31 Education Guarantee Scheme
(EGS) centers to Regular Primary Schools for which the funds have
been released.
Disclosing this here today Dr. Upinderjit Kaur Education and
Languages Minister Punjab said that all the Deputy Commissioners
have been asked to provide land for these EGS centers without
any delay for up-gradation as primary schools.
Giving Details she added that in Amritsar district six EGS centers
established at Bohrupul Sangna, Varpal Kalan, Awan Wassua, Khilchian,
Burj and Chajjalwadi would be upgraded. In Barnala district seven
EGS centers namely Barnala city Zero Point, Prem Nagar Barnala,
Kothe Gobindpura, Bazigar Basti Cheema, Bazigar Basti Tapa, Kothe
Bhan Singh Bhadaur, Kothe Basti Dhilwan Nabha, three in Fatehgarh
Sahib district namely Brahmanmajra, Jyoti Saroop Chowk and Raipur,
One each in Ferozepur district namely Gol Baag Sukad Nehar, ward
no. 6, Phulra in Gurdaspur district, Tibbian in Hoshiarpur district,
Kalu Mundi in Jalandhar district, Kanoun in Nawan Shehar district
and Toti in Kapurthala district would also be upgraded as primary
schools.
Five EGS centers in Ludhiana district namely Sherpur Kalan, Parjian
Kalan, Bhatthe Nandi Village Rakba, Mand Udowal and Mand Jodhwal,
four in Mansa district namely Bajewala, Jherianwali, Beant Nagar
and Khaira Kainchia (Sardulgarh) would also be upgraded as primary
schools. The minister also informed that construction work had
already been started in these EGS centers and DEOs were directed
to ensure that the funds released to the Village Education Development
Committees (VEDCs) concerned must comes up without any delay for
necessary constructions as Regular Primary Schools.
