Thursday, December 10, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Thursday, December 10, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Panel to
probe bungling in paddy procurement Punjab
overdraft Rs 420 crore 'Industrial
plots used for other purposes' |
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Child
protection cells favoured Rosario
adjudged best cartoonist |
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Foundation
sets up panel Fee
increase: students go on strike |
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Panel to probe bungling in paddy
procurement CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — At long last the Punjab Cabinet today got together to address itself to the large-scale bungling in the procurement of paddy this year. There was lot of pressure that this issue should be investigated and ever since the Akali defeat in the Adampur byelection, it has haunted many of the Ministers and the Chief Minister. The Cabinet, taking cognisance of the serious issue, today constituted a three-member high-level committee to probe into the allegations and submit its report within one month. The committee is headed by Financial Commissioner, Development, Mr R N Gupta, and has Mr Jai Singh Gill, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Mr P. Ram, Secretary, Food and Supply Department, as members. Informed sources pointed out that the issue was raised at the fag end of the Cabinet meeting this evening by the Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljit Singh. He said that there had been allegations of large-scale bungling in the procurement of paddy. At some places, the procurement agencies entered the market quite late like in Ferozepore. At other places, the commission agents purchased paddy at Rs 300 per quintal or so and sold it to the agencies in other markets at Rs 470 per quintal, thus making a big kill at the cost of the farmers. There was also distress sale of paddy. The Akali-BJP Government suffered humiliation. It was also pointed out that certain officers did a good job and but for them, the situation would have been worse. The Food and Supply Minister, Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, who was caught unaware by the demand, pleaded that this enquiry should be conducted by his department. But this was not agreed upon. It was pointed out that the department may not be able to know the truth in detail and this should be handled by more experienced officers. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, finally agreed and said that there should be a thorough probe. The Chief Secretary, Mr Rupinder Singh Mann, was asked to prepare the terms of reference for the committee. "Let this be an open enquiry and the results should satisfy the public, particularly the farmers," it was stated. Mr Mittal and his officers have been maintaining that but for the untimely heavy rains, there was no slackness on the part of the department or the procurement agencies. "There was foolproof arrangement this year and it would have satisfied the farmers . We were drenched by the rains. Our officers toured and did a big job," he told TNS. But the impressions which
newspersons had was different. For weeks, the issue
occupied the front pages of major newspapers and this
compelled the government to act fast. The Centre also
dilly dallied over several issues like announcing
relaxation in specifications of rice that was to be
procured from the millers. There were also allegations of
corruption against many officers. According to the
Minister of State for Food and Supply, Mr Chiranji Lal,
at least two dozen officers of various procurement
agencies were suspended. This followed reports of
irregularities and malpractices in the procurement of
paddy. Also, the licenses of 148 commission agents were
suspended. Reports about bungling currently engaging the
attention of the Food and Supply Department concerns at
least 40 more officials. |
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Punjab
overdraft Rs 420 crore CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — Punjab is facing an acute financial crisis. Its overdraft is said to be in the vicinity of Rs 420 crore at present. Going by the existing Reserve Bank of India norms, since the state will be entering the 11th day of its overdraft, all treasury transactions stand stopped from midnight tonight, unless the state improves its position, it is learnt. The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today reviewed the financial situation and discussed ways and means to tide over the crisis. The meeting was explained what steps were required to be taken to ensure fiscal and administrative management. These steps are both short and long-term. Highly placed sources revealed that the Chief Minister was apprised of a "strategy" reportedly drawn by a committee constituted some time back, which has based its recommendations on the pattern of "economic reforms" adopted at the national level.There is, however, no denying the fact that the economy of Punjab has consistently shown a high growth rate after Independence. But there has been a gradual decline since 1986. The present economic growth is even below the national average, as has been established by some of the recent studies the state had commissioned. This shows Punjab is gradually slipping from its position of eminence, which should be a cause of serious concern, say sources. Among the reasons why the State is in a financial mess the SAD-BJP Government attributes it to having inherited a "legacy" from the Congress Government in February, 1997. That government in its five-year term, served by three Chief Ministers, is now being held responsible for the financial crisis because in its term Congress had followed a "scorched-earth policy". Nevertheless the
"populist" policies followed by successive
governments in the past 15 years or so are equally to
blame for the acute financial situation. The State is a
victim of slow down in infrastructure investment. It has
also been depending on direct investment by New Delhi for
even its own capital formation. Direct, indirect or
concealed subsidies have also played a part. Collection
of taxes etc is poor. In respect of some goods, even
local taxes have been done away with. |
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Dismiss
Badal government for financial mess : Congress PATIALA, Dec 9 — The Punjab Pradesh Congress has urged the President to dismiss the Punjab Government by invoking the financial emergency clause. A resolution to this effect was passed at a meeting of the executive, office-bearers, district Congress presidents and front organisations of the Pradesh Congress here yesterday under the presidentship of Capt Amarinder Singh. It was said at the meeting that the financial crisis being faced by the state was clear from a note of the Finance Secretary to the Punjab Government in which he had said that the state was sustaining itself on overdrafts from the public sector undertakings and other financial institutions. Releasing the proceedings of the meeting to the Press, party general secretary Sant Ram Singla said the meeting also passed six economic resolutions which highlighted the failure of the Akali-BJP government in this sphere. The resolutions include the failure of the government in maintaining the procurement price of paddy and the acceptance of a support price of wheat which would lead to more "suicides" in the state. The resolutions also highlighted the failure of the cotton crop in the state which it said was because of the sale of spurious insecticides which were unable to control bollworm infestation. It demanded an inquiry into this. Another party resolution accused the government of failing to provide DAP to farmers for the sowing of rabi crop in time and the non payment by government agencies for the paddy procured by it. Mr Singla said the meeting also decided to presume the mass contact programme which was suspended due to Adampur byelection and complete it by February 15. He said it was also decided to organise village-level committees by March 31 so that the party was revamped at the grassroots level. The Congress General Secretary said the pradesh Congress also discussed the report submitted by party Vice President Jagmeet Brar regarding the party programme to celebrate the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa. He said committees would be set up at different levels to celebrate the tercentenary besides organisation of the Jor Mela at Chamkaur Sahib and Maghi Mela at Muktsar. He said the date for the proposed Khalsa march in which weapons and relics associated with Guru Gobind Singh would be taken out in a procession from Anandpur Sahib to Damdama Sahib would be decided soon. Mr Singla said the meeting also expressed concern over the state of industry in Punjab which it alleged was facing recession due to faulty power tariff and taxation structure. The Congress leader said the meeting "noted with deep concern" the rampant corruption in the Council of ministers and legislators "if the poor man has to pay for everything at every level it is due to the fact that there is rampant corruption at the ministerial level from top to bottom", the meeting noted. The meeting also
congratulated Congress President Sonia Gandhi for
rejuvenating and galvanising the Congress and the PPCC
chief Capt Amarinder Singh for demolishing the Akali Dal
citadel of Adampur. Earlier in the evening senior
Congress leader Rajesh Pilot also came to Patiala. Capt
Amarinder Singh when contacted on the nature of Mr
Pilot's visit said the latter had come to attend a dinner
held to thank party leaders for the work put in by them
to ensure Congress victory in the Adampur byelection. |
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5
arrested in murder case JALANDHAR, Dec 9 — The police today claimed to have solved the case of disappearance of Pritpal Singh of nearby Adampur by arresting of five persons, including a Naib Tehsildar, Mr Amrik Singh. In a press conference here today, Mr P.S. Gill, SSP, said that four other suspects arrested on the charge of the murder of Pritpal Singh, were Surinder Kaur, alias Chhindo, Girdhar Singh, Ranjit Singh and Jasbir Singh. Girdhar Singh had unsuccessfully contested the recent Adampur Assembly byelection on the Samajwadi Party ticket. The SSP said that DSP Chanchal Singh, who was SHO of Adampur police station in December, 1995, when Pritpal Singh was murdered, was also wanted in the case, but he was yet to be arrested. Mr Gill, however, alleged that the DSP Chanchal Singh was transferred from here to Chandigarh two days ago because he was allegedly trying to interfere in the investigation of the case. The case of murder under Sections 320,201,506, 120-B, 148 and 149, IPC, had been registered by the Adampur police on the complaint of the victim’s brother Sukhbir Singh. A special investigation
team of four officers headed by SP (Operation), Mr Balkar
Singh Sandhu, had been set up to probe the case further. |
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'Industrial
plots used for other purposes' SAS NAGAR, Dec 9 — Industrialists here are a disappointed lot. A cross-section of them contacted by the TNS today said the Punjab Government had promised to provide conducive atmosphere for the development of the industry in the state but nothing had been done. An industrialist said about 500 acres of land was developed by the government here for the allotment to industrialists for setting up of new units and expanding the existing ones. While they are waiting the start of the allotment process, the government was dilly-dallying on the issue. He said he read in newspapers statements of senior officials of the Industry Department with regard to "off the shelf" allotment of plots to industrialists but when this policy would be implemented had not been made clear. The government should immediately invite applications from "genuine" industrialists for plots allotment, he said. Talking about the old developed industrial plots another industrialist said that about 50 per cent of the plots allotted earlier had not been used for industrial purpose. Either some of these were lying vacant or were being used for some other purposes. Local industrialists had urged the government authorities to resume the plots which had not been used for the purpose for which they were allotted. Instead of resuming these, the government had given an extension of two years for making the "desired" use of these plots to the owners. An industrialist alleged
that most of the vacant plots either belonged to
bureaucrats or some of their close relations. That is why
these were not being resumed. He said few years ago the
allotment of industrial or other commercial plots by
bureaucrats to themselves had become a common feature. |
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Child
protection cells favoured PHILLAUR, Dec 9 — Mr Justice Jawahar Lal Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today called for concerted efforts to raise resources for educating children who held the future of the country. Speaking at the valedictory function of a three-day workshop on child protection organised jointly by the British Council Division and the Punjab State Human Rights Organisation at the Punjab Police Academy here, he emphasised that wasteful expense should be avoided to save money to educate children. The Constitution provided that "no child below the age of 14 shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment. There was a conscious effort to protect children from any kind of harm to their body and mind. But mere enactments were not enough. "We must recognise that love is a beautiful necessity of life. Everyone, even a child, needs it. Consequently, we must provide the child with a caring mother, a happy home, a healthy environment and good education. We must help him acquire the qualities of head and heart. We must create a sense of security in his mind. We must convince him that
he is important. The future of the country depends on
him. And above all we must by our conduct provide him
with an example worth emulation. Then and only then our
desire to protect the child can become a reality,"
he said. |
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Paddy
stocks to be lifted CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — The entire stock of paddy procured during the current season by various Punjab Government agencies will be lifted and payments made to producers by December 17. This decision was taken today at a meeting of various procurement agencies, chaired by Mr Madan Mittal, Food and Supplies Minister. Paddy milling has not yet picked up. He directed the agencies to make efforts to speed up milling. The Minister has asked the
Secretary, Food and Supplies, to hold fortnightly
meetings to review the milling progress. |
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Foundation
sets up panel CHANDIGARH, Dec 9-- The Anandpur Sahib Foundation has constituted a Planning and Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, to ensure prompt execution of various projects as part of tercentenary celebration of the birth of the Khalsa in April 1999. This was decided at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Foundation, presided over by its Chairman, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. The other members of the Committee will be Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Dr Prem Singh, advocate. Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia will be special invitees. The Planning and Implementation Committee will also monitor the progress of the Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex on which the construction work will actually start in January, 1999. It was also decided that the Foundation will organise various programmes, in addition to the construction of the Memorial Complex, in coordination with the SGPC and with active involvement of the Sangat. The meeting also decided
to paint Anandpur Sahib white. Various organisations and
individuals have also come forward to make donations for
the Foundation to carry out various works as per
traditions of the sangat.
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Jethmalani
coming CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 —
The Union Minister of Urban Affairs and Employment, Mr
Ram Jethmalani, will visit Chandigarh on December 11. He
will be the chief guest at the national conference on
sustainable urban housing being organised by the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on December
11 and 12. |
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30,000
participate in Khalsa march PHAGWARA, Dec 9 — Over 30,000 persons took part in the Khalsa chetna march that was organised from the local historic Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib to Gurdwara Tham Sahib, Domeli, 20 km from here, yesterday. The march was taken out in connection with the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa, according to Mr Jagat Singh Palahi, a convener of the local committee that organised the procession. A fleet of about 400
vehicles covered four historic gurdwaras, including
Palahoi and Babeli. The participants were served fruits,
tea and langar by villagers. |
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Punjab
staff rally on December 11 CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — The Punjab Board Corporation Employees Mahasangh has decided to hold rally in front of Udyog Bhavan, Sector 17, here on December 11 in protest against inflation and the privatisation policy of the government. This decision was taken in
view of the countrywide strike on that day a call for
which was given by central trade unions. |
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No
work, no pay for strike: government CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — The Punjab Government has made it clear to PRTC employees who have given a call for strike on December 11 that no work no pay rule would be applied in case of those employees who will participate in the strike. A spokesman for the PRTC
said today that negotiations were going on with the
employees unions which had given a call for the strike.
Employees unions had been told that most of the demands
of employees had been accepted. He said that some of the
unions had told the PRTC management that they would not
participate in the strike. |
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PSEB
staff to boycott strike AMRITSAR, Dec 9 — The PSEB Employees Federation, in a meeting held under the presidentship of Mr Tehal Singh, has unanimously decided not to participate in the proposed strike of PSEB employees on December 11. In a written press note
issued by Mr Surinder Singh Dosanjh, Press Secretary, the
federation leaders alleged that the proposed strike was
politically motivated. The meeting, however, endorsed the
genuine demands of the PSEB employees, including the
release of bonus and removal anomalies in the pay scales,
apart from condemning the move of privatisation of
certain projects by the state government and the PSEB
authorities. |
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INTUC
calls for strike boycott LUDHIANA, Dec 9 — The Punjab Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) president, Mr Balwant Rai Kapoor, secretary, Mr Swaran Singh, president of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation (INTUC), Mr Shiv Kumar Gupta, general secretary of the Indian National Council of Young Workers (youth wing of INTUC), in a joint statement here today appealed to government employees not to participate in the strike on December 11 as the call had been given by the CPI and its affiliated trade unions on "political grounds". The INTUC leaders called
the strike "politically motivated, unwarranted and
without any justified cause". |
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Rosario
adjudged best cartoonist CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — CA Rosario was adjudged the best cartoonist in the "Mahaul Theek Hai police cartoon contest". Satwant Singh and Hardeep Singh got the second and third prizes, respectively. The prizes will be given to winners at the premier show of "Mahaul Theek Hai" here on December 18. The contest was judged by the Director-Generals of Police of Punjab and Haryana, Mr PC Dogra, and Mr S.K. Sethi, and the Inspector-General of Police, Chandigarh, Mr RP Singh. Mr Sandeep Joshi of The Tribune was the observer. The selected cartoons will
be displayed at an exhibition to be held at Government
Museum and Art Gallery on December 11, 12 and 13. |
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Fee
increase: students go on strike PATIALA, Dec 9 — On a call given by the joint students' action committee of students in most of the colleges of Punjabi University went on strike today. An official release of the joint students' action committee, formed by coming together of various students' organisations over the issue of fee hike, claimed that the strike call got a tremendous response from 60 colleges under the university. Students from various college collected at Polo Ground here and marched towards the Deputy Commissioner's office raising slogans against the university and the Punjab Government. Later they staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to the Assistant Commissioner. The memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, demanded the immediate withdrawal of fee hike and urged the Punjab Government to increase the budgetary grant to the universities and colleges so that the students were not made to pay more fee. It also criticised the university for issuing a warning to the students going on strike. The statement said the strike would continue and the students were undeterred by the university threats. Students in the university
campus also joined the strike. Activists of the Students
Federation of India staged a dharna in front of the
Vice-Chancellor's office. Mr Harpal Singh Cheema,
president, SFI said in a statement that the students
would retaliate if the university took disciplinary
action against any student for taking part in the strike. |
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GNDUTA
threatens agitation AMRITSAR, Dec 9 — The forthcoming meeting of the Guru Nanak Dev University Syndicate scheduled to be held here on December 15 would accord sanction for setting up a sub-committee headed by Dr H.S. Soch Vice-Chancellor on rationalisation of posts, thus paving the way for lifting the ban on various teaching and non-teaching posts imposed by the state government four months ago. After a lot of hue and cry, the state government has allowed Punjabi University, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev University to constitute sub-committees headed by respective Vice-Chancellors to fill the vacant posts. The Director, Public Instructions (DPI), Punjab, will be the members. The committees will submit their reports to the state government for filling the vacancies. The Guru Nanak Dev University Teachers Association has threatened to launch a statewide agitation in January if the posts are not filled by then. Dr R.K. Bedi, president, GNDUTA, talking to TNS said that teaching work had suffered due to the ban on various posts by the state government. He said the GNDUTA would
take up the issue at the proposed meeting of the Punjab
Federation of University Teachers (PFUT) to be held at
Chandigarh on December 29 and 30. The matter would also
be taken up at the meeting of the All India Federation of
University Teachers at Chandigarh his month. Dr Bedi said
if the state government failed to fill the posts in the
universities by month-end, an ultimatum would be served
on the government. |
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Additional
AG resigns CHANDIGARH, Dec 9 — Mr Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, Additional Advocate-General of Punjab, resigned today. In his resignation letter sent to the Punjab Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Mann, Mr Ahluwalia stated: "With the appointment of three more Additional Advocates-General the strength of Additional Advocates-General has risen to nine, which is an all-time high record. I find that the office of the Advocate-General has become much too choking and crowded. I, therefore, deem it appropriate to quit and make room for fresh appointees. My conscience does not permit me to be a hanger on." He added: "I hereby
tender my resignation as Additional Advocate-General of
Punjab with immediate effect and request you to place
this letter of resignation before the Chief Minister for
acceptance." |
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Flower
exhibition inaugurated LUDHIANA, Dec 9 — An exhibition of flowers, ornamentals, landscape material and flower arrangements organised on the Punjab Agricultural University campus was inaugurated by Dr Gurcharan Singh Kalkat, Vice-Chancellor. More than 1,500 pots raised by PAU nursery were displayed. Dr Kalkat said that there was a great demand for dried flowers in the international market. Appreciating the flower show, he emphasised the need for diversification and going in for high value crops. The Vice-Chancellor also suggested holding of a Ludhiana flower show on a larger scale. According to Dr J.S. Arora, Head, Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, a new hybrid of 15 cm pot chrysanthemum, namely Punjab Gold, which has been approved for adaptive trials, was also displayed for the first time during this show. Emphasis was laid on chrysanthemum where three varieties, viz Baggi, Birbal Sahni and Ratlam Selection released by PAU for loose flower production were displayed. Mr A. Venu Parshad,
Registrar, PAU, proposed a vote of thanks. Dr H.S.
Grewal, Assistant Landscape Officer, said that nearly 33
varieties of roses, 10 of gladilous, five each of pot
mums and dry flowers and 15 flower arrangements were
displayed. |
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