28112022-TT-03.qxd 11/27/2022 11:23 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 142 NO. 328 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH PREPAID POWER METERS AT GOVT OFFICES SOON PUNJAB LEGENDARY PT USHA SET TO BE ELECTED FIRST WOMAN IOA PRESIDENT SPORT /thetribunechd HARYANA TO HELP UT DIGITISE SERVICES, SAYS KHATTAR J&K JAGANNATH EXPRESS TO BE ON TRACK NEXT YEAR: VAISHNAW BACK PAGE monday | 28 november 2022 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com No violation of privacy, personal data access in exceptional cases: Govt BIGGEST CROWD IN 28 YEARS SEES MESSI PLAY Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 27 Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar today said the government would not be able to violate the privacy of citizens under the proposed data protection law as it would get access to personal data only in exceptional circumstances like national security, pandemic and natural disasters. Speaking during an online discussion, he elaborated how the National Data Governance Framework Policy had the provision for handling data. While responding to questions around privacy on Twitter Live, the minister rephrased the question of a participant to clarify the stand of the government and provisions in the draft Lusail: Lionel Messi played in front of 88,966 spectators on Sunday when Argentina beat Mexico 2-0, the largest attendance at a World Cup match in 28 years. The Lusail Stadium north of Doha hosted the most people at the World Cup since the 1994 final in the US PROPOSED DATA LAW ■ The proposed data protection law exempts certain entities notified as data fiduciaries from various compliances ■ The provisions from which government-notified entities will be exempted deal with informing an individual about the purpose for data collection ■ The draft Bill also bars individuals from sharing unverifiable and wrong information Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022. “Let’s say the government wants to essentially violate the privacy of citizens with continued on page 9 91,194 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, saw Brazil beat Italy in that penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Saturday’s attendance was several hundred more than the figure for the two previous games at Lusail Stadium when Brazil beat Serbia and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia ARGENTINA BEAT MEXICO Argentina’s Lionel Messi celebrates team’s 1st goal at the World Cup. REUTERS 2-0 For votes, UPAgovt went soft on terror:PM in Guj Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 27 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched his sharpest offensive so far on rival Congress in pollbound Gujarat, saying the erstwhile UPA government at the Centre “would let off terrorists while the BJP government in Gujarat would invest energy in nabbing them”. Accusing the Congress and newer parties (read AAP) of practising politics of appeasement and viewing terrorism from the prism of vote bank, the Prime Minister said: “The ideology of terror has not disappeared. Dangers of terrorism will last as long as vote bank politics lasts. The country and Gujarat need to be cautious of parties practising vote bank politics.” He was addressing an elec- ANTI-NATIONAL IDEOLOGY ❝ The Congress views terrorism from the prism of vote bank. Not only the Congress, but many likeminded parties have come up now which view terrorism as a shortcut to success. Narendra Modi, PM tion rally in Gujarat today. Terming 26/11 Mumbai attack the “biggest terror attack” on India, the PM said “only BJP’s double-engine government can handle terrorists”. Mentioning the recent Ahmedabad court verdict sentencing 38 persons to death for serial blasts in the city in 2008, the PM said, “Gujarat wanted to end the game of terror. The BJP government in Gujarat dealt strongly with terror. In Gujarat, we would nab terrorists and act against them, but no one can forget how the Congress government in Delhi invested its energy in letting off terrorists.” The PM said the BJP government at the time “kept telling the Congress at the Centre to target terror. But it kept targeting Modi and the result was terror attacks in all major Indian cities”. Recalling the Batla House encounter, PM Modi attacked continued on page 9 Cong hints at tough 3 yrs on, no chargesheet in case of 12 kids’ death in J&K decisions in R’sthan Police blame unavailability of all death certificates for delay | All five accused on bail Tribune News Service Dragged by truck, Haryana student dies in Canada Toronto, November 27 A 20-year-old Indian student was killed after being hit and dragged by a pickup truck while crossing a road on a cycle here, according to a media report. News website cbc.ca in a report published on Friday quoted the victim’s cousin Parveen Saini as saying that Kartik Saini came to Canada from India in August 2021. Parveen spoke from Karnal, Haryana, the state they belonged to, the report said. DRAGGED BY TRUCK WHILE CROSSING ROAD ON CYCLE The family is hoping that Kartik’s body would be sent to India as soon as possible for last rites, Parveen said. Sheridan College confirmed that Kartik was its student, the report said. “Our community is deeply saddened by the sudden death. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, peers and professors,” the college said. The collision happened at about 4.30 pm on Wednesday. The cyclist died after being struck and dragged by the pickup truck in midtown. Emergency services tried to free the cyclist and revive him, but he was pronounced continued on page 9 New Delhi, November 27 The Congress on Sunday sounded positive about its capacity to resolve the ongoing Rajasthan Congress crisis and said tough decisions would be taken to strengthen the party organisation in the state. Commenting on the power tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot in the state that goes to the polls in late 2023, AICC general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in Indore, “The organisation is most important for us. On the issue of Rajasthan, we will decide on a solution that will strengthen our organisation. For this, if we have to take tough decisions, we will take. If a compromise has to be made (between the fac- GEHLOT VS PILOT ❝ If we have to take tough decisions, we will take. If a compromise has to be made (between the factions of Gehlot and Pilot), then it will be done. Jairam Ramesh, CONG GEN SECY tions of Gehlot and Pilot), then it will be done.” Jairam said Gehlot should not have used harsh words and noted that “no time frame can be fixed for a solution, and only the Congress leadership could decide the time frame for the same”. Meanwhile, Gehlot has opened Budget discussions in the state ahead of scheduled time in signs that he had dug continued on page 9 IN BRIEF Assam lifts curbs 6 days after border tension GUWAHATI: Assam on Sunday lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya, six days after being imposed in the aftermath of violence in a disputed area along the inter-state border, the police said. PTI Jamia violence: Poser to police for ‘delay’ in probe NEW DELHI: A court hearing the Jamia Milia Islamia violence case has asked Delhi Police to explain why the case file wasn’t brought to the Special Public Prosecutor’s notice for a year after his appointment. PTI 22 IAS, 10 PCS officers transferred in Punjab CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government on Sunday shifted 22 IAS officers and 10 PCS officers. Among senior IAS officers, Ravneet Kaur has been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Food Processing. TNS SPURIOUS DRUGS THE CASE RECALL ■ 12 kids of Ramnagar, Udhampur, died between Dec 2019 and Jan 2020 after consuming cough syrup Coldbest-PC ■ Deaths took place at hospitals in Udhampur, Jammu & Chandigarh Arjun Sharma Jammu, November 27 Nearly three years have passed since 12 children died due to a spurious cough syrup in the Ramnagar area of Udhampur district, but the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the case is yet to file a chargesheet. ■ Syrup was manufactured by Kala Amb-based Digital Vision ■ SIT formed on March 4, 2020, after pressure from activists ■ Syrup was allegedly found contaminated with diethylene glycol The police claim that the filing of the chargesheet has been delayed as they are yet to lay their hands on all 12 death certificates. Apparently, the death certificates of Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 27 Even as the degrees of more than 5,000 “fake” pharmacists are under the scanner, the Punjab State Pharmacy Council has decided to do away with the process of verifying the basic qualification before registering new pharmacists. In 2015, information obtained through the RTI revealed that the council had registered unusually high number of pharmacists between 2000 and 2013. WON’T VERIFY DEGREES ■ Punjab State Pharmacy Council decided not to verify qualification of new pharmacists ■ Move amid ongoing investigation into the credibility of degrees of over 5,000 pharmacists ■ These pharmacists registered with council between 2000 and 2013; VB probe underway Before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, one needs to pass Class XII in science subjects. It was found that 40 per cent of the registered pharmacists had obtained Class X and XII certificates from dubious and unrecognised boards located outside the state. Many candidates were above 40 years of age and some even 50 when they obtained pharmacy degrees. It was alleged pharmacy colleges in connivance with council officials provided licences to unqualified pharmacists in lieu of money. continued on page 9 The case had gone into cold storage after Covid-19 but has again drawn attention with the recent Gambia deaths allegedly linked to a spurious cough syrup made by an Indian company cough syrup manufacturing company, are on bail. Twelve children between 11 months and 4 years had died between December 2019 and January 2020 after they consumed a cough syrup called Coldbest-PC manufactured by the Kala Amb-based Digital Vision. SSP Udhampur, Vinod , Kumar while talking to The Tribune said he had initiated the process to speed up the filing of the chargesheet by sorting out the issue of the death certificates. “I have deployed some police officials specifically to know why the death certificates were not issued to some continued on page 9 All eyes on Independents in Peddler held with heroin, Haryana for picking ZP chiefs guns ‘delivered via drone’ Tribune News Service Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 27 With most political parties shying away from contesting the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections on party symbols in Haryana, all eyes are now on the over 250 Independents who have won from the 411 zila parishad wards. The elections to 143 panchayat samitis and 22 zila parishads were held in three phases. The 22 zila parishads comprise 411 members, who will further elect the 22 zila parishad chiefs. The 143 panchayat samitis comprise 3,081 members, who will elect their respective presidents. While the ruling BJP claims to have a “majority” Over 250 Independents win from 411 wards; BJP wiped out in Panchkula BJP’S LOSSES ■ BJP MP Naib Saini’s wife lost from Naraingarh ■ Youth wing leader Sandeep Gangwa’s wife lost in Hisar GAINERS ■ INLD leader Abhay Chautala’s son wins in Sirsa ■ JJP’s Shahbad MLA Ramkaran Kala’s son won from Kurukshetra ■ Cong MLA Mamman Khan’s niece among winners in Nuh among the Independents, the Congress, too, has staked claim on them even as they remain mum on their leanings, willing to open their 5,000 ‘fake’ pharmacists under lens, yet Punjab eases licensing norms Vishav Bharti three of the 12 victims have not been issued. While the chargesheet is still awaited, the five accused, including the chemist, supplier and three owners of the POST-GAMBIA DEATHS, SPOTLIGHT ON CASE AAP CLAIMS 15 SEATS, MAKES PRESENCE FELT Aam Aadmi Party, which has performed poorly in the past elections, finally made its presence felt, claiming 15 of 114 seats it contested on the party symbol. CIVIC ELECTIONS 22 zila parishads comprise 411 members, who will further elect the 22 zila parishad chiefs. cards only once the election of the chairmen of the zila parishads is announced. The BJP which contested on its continued on page 9 Amritsar, November 27 A special task force of the Punjab Police here today arrested an alleged smuggler, Paramjit Singh, alias Pamma, after recovering eight hi-tech pistols and 2 kg heroin, suspected to have been delivered through a drone from Pakistan. A resident of Hawelian village of border Tarn Taran district, Pamma was arrested from Meerakot-Kherbad road following intelligence inputs. The illegal consignment was collected from the border by another smuggler and then handed over to Pamma, it is alleged. The weapons, including two of Glock brand manufactured in Turkey and six HI-TECH WEAPONS ■ Pamma is a cousin of Iqbal Shera, prime suspect in the 532-kg heroin smuggling case ■ Of the 8 guns, two are of Glock brand made in Turkey, seized for first time in the border belt ■ The pistols are capable of firing a burst of 30 bullets in one go, causing extensive damage made in China, are believed to have been dropped through a drone on the intervening night of November 25-26. The Glock brand pistols have been seized for the first time from the border belt. The pistols are capable of firing a burst of 30 bullets in one go, causing extensive damage. continued on page 9 Shoddy work, bridge in Manali dismantled AbhinavVashisht The dismantled bridge at Solang nullah in Manali on Sunday. PTI NHAI yet to pay ~1.17 cr fine, HP to move court Kullu, November 27 The Forest Department has decided to take legal recourse as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not deposited a fine of Rs 1.17 crore imposed on it in 2020-21 for allegedly illegally dumping debris along the Beas. The debris was dumped during the construction of the 40-km highway between Ramshila (Kullu) and Manali and the 10-km highway between Jia (Bhuntar) and Ramshila, said the state Forest Department. INSIDE Kullu, November 27 An under-construction bridge over Solang nullah in Manali, which had been hanging fire for the past seven years, was dismantled after the Public Works Department (PWD) flagged its substandard work. Its contractor was earlier penalised for delaying the work. Anup Sharma, Executive Engineer, PWD, Manali, said the department inspected the bridge, a crucial link to Solang Contractor fined ~29L | Fresh tender awarded village, twice in August and September and found its construction substandard. The contract was cancelled in September and a penalty of Rs 29.18 lakh was imposed on the contractor, who was directed to dismantle the bridge and clear the site. Sharma said a new tender was awarded in October. The bridge would be constructed continued on page 9