Info Commissioners’ Issue

High Court notice to Punjab, Haryana

Chandigarh, August 6
The Punjab and Haryana HC yesterday issued notice of motion on a petition filed in public interest for quashing the appointments of Bidhi Chand and Chander Parkash as Punjab State Information Commissioners. The Division Bench issued notices for December 1 to the States of Punjab and Haryana on a PIL filed by advocate HC Arora.
He was also seeking appropriate directions to the two states to lay down procedure for selection and appointment of State Information Commissioners, which should contain provision for advertisement of vacancies, setting up of an empanelment committee, and calling for intelligence reports about antecedents of candidates before clearing their appointments. The petitioner alleged that the states were not advertising posts of State Information Commissioners; applications sent by interested and eligible persons for appointment as Information Commissioners were not put up before the Selection Committee, comprising the CM, a minister and the leader of opposition. Empanelment committees had not been set up, and intelligence reports on the antecedents of selected candidates were not sought before giving them appointment.

ACQUISITION OF LAND IN CHANDIGARH’S PERIPHERY

Punjab seeks more time to submit status report

Chandigarh, August 5
Four months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court was informed that the inquiry into the acquisition of properties by the high-ups in Chandigarh’s periphery has gone to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Mohali, the State today sought more time for submitting the status report.
As the case came up for hearing before the special Division Bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Nirmaljit Kaur, the State asked for three months time to complete the probe.
This is the second time the State has sought three months extension after handing over the probe to the EOW. In April also, on the previous date of hearing, the State had sought three months time.
Granting the extension, the Bench fixed November 18 as the next date of hearing.
The matter was brought to the high court's notice by Nayagaon resident Kuldip Singh. Accusing a senior police functionary in a land grab bid in Nayagaon, he had sought protection, while pleading for registration of an FIR and a CBI probe into the dealings. The inquiry was entrusted to the ADGP, after Justice Ranjit Singh of the high court took cognisance of the matter. Justice Ranjit Singh had asked the ADGP to lay emphasis on Nayagaon, Zirakpur, Mohali, Kansal and Karoran area. The judge had added: "It would also need investigation to see as to what is the source of acquisition".
The state has already informed the high court that it has constituted a special investigation team to look into the case.
The case is being supervised by Additional Director-General of Police Hardeep Dhillon and monitored by Punjab Chief Secretary.
Dhillon had replaced Chander Shekhar as the investigating officer in the case after his retirement as the DGP of Railways. Chander Shekhar, before relinquishing the office, had recommended a CBI probe into the acquisition of properties by the high-ups.

The Case
The State has asked for three months time to complete the probe

This is the second time that the State has sought extension

A Nayagaon resident had accused a senior police functionary of land grab bid in Nayagaon and demanded a CBI probe

Punjab has formed a special investigation team under the ADGP to look into the case

November 18 is the next date of hearing

Indians, Chinese high on Oz border control list

Melbourne, August 6
Indians and Chinese comprise a bulk of individuals that figure in Australia's border control watch list, the secret database to keep a tab on persons deemed a risk to national security.
With 34,189 citizens from China or more than 10 per cent of the total on the database, Chinese dominate the Movement Alert List (MAL), while Indians are the next largest national group with 21,643 citizens on the list, the Australian newspaper said in a report based on the data released under Freedom of Information laws.
The MAL is used for visa processing, border control and investigative purposes and is administered by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
The data compiled by intelligence, law enforcement and other government agencies had 314,462 names in June, but the paper said the number is falling.
The list, which stores biographic details of identities and travel documents of concern to immigration authorities, reveals that while criminal concerns have gone down in recent times, health and criminal concerns have risen, the paper said.
National security classifications cover the largest proportion of people on the MAL — 49.2 per cent in March, but this proportion has fallen since June 2009 when it was 58.27 per cent.
Those considered a health risk, has meanwhile, grown in proportion, from 9.09 per cent in June 2009 to 11.08 per cent in March, with tuberculosis being a key factor.