Thursday, December 31, 1998
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P U N J A B | |
Thursday, December 31, 1998 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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'Jathedar
must bring warring camps together'
Historians
decry changes in ICHR |
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 Problems of rice exporters Set
up rural varsity: Badal Police
vigil intensified |
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Crop
damage estimated at Rs 2,000 crore Panel
to fix prices of essential items Plan
to reduce bureaucratic expenditure |
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Jathedar must bring warring camps together: AISSF JALANDHAR, Dec 30 (PTI) — All-India Sikh Students Federation (Gill faction) said yesterday Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh should immediately ask sparring Akali Dal leaders to sink differences as any disunity in the party would only vindicate the Opposition's contention that it could not run a government for more than two years. "Though SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra has extended a hand for unity at the Fatehgarh Sahib Jor Mela rally the other day, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has not responded positively to the move," AISSF President Harminder Singh Gill said here. The appeal already made by the Akal Takht Jathedar earlier to both warring camps had chastened them enough to stop their open conflict. But efforts were afoot now to effect a shift in loyalities among the ranks, he said, adding that such petty strategies must be stopped at once". He said the AISSF had written to the Jathedar to bring the feuding Akali leaders together to prevent the atmosphere from being vitiated at a time when the community was preparing itself for the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations. Akal Takht, the highest
temporal authority of the Sikhs, had every right to
intervene in the political affairs of the Akali Dal, Mr
Gill said. |
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Historians
decry changes in ICHR PATIALA, Dec 30 — "Saffron brigade" was hopelessly outclassed at the annual business meeting of the 59th session of the Indian History Congress on its final day here today with the delegates passing resolutions against the controversial measures being taken by the Central government, including "attempts to impose a disturbingly one-sided view of Indian history". The resolutions decried the Central government for recomposing the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), decline in the number of grants being awarded by the ICHR and introduction of text books and syllabi by certain state governments, which tended to impose unhistorical cults and concepts through official fiats. The resolutions called upon the authorities to refrain from acts of interference and so conduct themselves that the study and teaching of history was pursued on objective and scientific lines. They also urged the authorities concerned with the running of the ICHR to take remedial measures so as to enable the number of ICHR-funded fellowships and projects to be restored to the scale prevailing earlier. While the resolution pertaining to the Central government was moved by Prof Ratneshwar Mishra of Patna University, the resolution speaking about the decline in grants was moved by Prof Satish Chandra. The resolutions were approved after much acrimony and noisy scenes with the general president Prof Partha Sarathi Gupta even admonishing the delegates for "weeping like children". There was a concerted attempt by rightists to water down the resolutions by raising objections regarding the interpretation of the word "secular" besides "uncalled" for criticism of the newly constituted ICHR. However, the resolutions were passed overwhelmingly with only about 15 delegates of the 250 present raising their hands against them. Dr B.R. Grover took up the gauntlet on behalf of the rightists after the resolution on decline in ICHR grants was read out. He asked whether the decline had occurred this year only or whether it had been happening since "of late" as stated in the resolution. He said if the decline had occurred since the past few years why was it not discussed earlier. He was taken head on by Prof Irfan Habib, who said while the decline had occurred since the past three years it had also happened after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the Centre. Prof Habib said the grants started decreasing four years back to now. After the resolution regarding interference by the Central government and reconstitution of the ICHR was read out, Prof S.K. Gupta of the Himachal University objected to the manner in which the word "secular" had been used in the resolution and demanded that it be replaced by the word "rational". He also argued that there were many eminent historians in the ICHR and aspersions could not be cast on them by alleging they were helping in imposing a "disturbing view of history". Prof Bipin Chandra, replying to the issues taken up by Prof Gupta, said though he was a Marxist he would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi on secularism. He said Gandhi was of the view that secularism meant separation of religion from public domain and equal respect for all religions. He also called upon for maintaining a scientific approach to history and said whether the Aryans came from outside or were original inhabitants of the country as claimed by some should not become a political question. Prof Chandra taking up the case of the NCERT panel, said communal interpretation was being given by it. He said it had been noticed that this communal interpretation increased when the BJP governments came to power. Earlier a speaker even cast aspersions on general president of the Congress — Prof Partha Sarathi Gupta. The speaker after being allowed 30 seconds to present his view point said "does this house represent one monolithic view which is represented by its chairman". A few speakers said if the resolutions were going to be debated in this manner there was bound to be a controversy. Two other resolutions urging the Central government to allocate more funds for research in the field of human sciences and restoration of 50 per cent concession in rail fare to delegates were also passed. Congress secretary Prof
Shireen Moosvi while reading her report disclosed that
329 papers were received. Prof M.K. Dhavalikar was
elected the general president of the next history
congress is scheduled to be held at Calicut. |
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'Consensus
on foreign policy fractured' PATIALA, Dec 30 — Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral today said that the overwhelming consensus which traditionally marked the Indian foreign policy since the past 50 years had been fractured. Delivering a special lecture on the "Evolution of free India's foreign policy" on the final day of the 59th session of the Indian History Congress at Punjabi University here, he said there had been a consensus on the key aspects of the country's foreign policy in the past 50 years as there was consensus on the character and outlook of the Indian nation as a progressive, secular and law-based society. The former Prime Minister said in recent months along with a sharpening debate over national goals and priorities, there had been mounting dissensions over the contours of the country's foreign policy. "Our foreign policy never had to serve a chauvinistic agenda earlier as idealism and pragmatism combined to produce an approach that served the country's interests and also the common good of the world community", he said. Mr Gujral said India had built-up a policy of pursuit of peace through an independent approach to disputed issues, maintenance of freedom of the nation and the individual and elimination of racial discrimination after Independence. "This is a glorious tradition which will be recalled long after those who speak the language of real politick have come and gone". Speaking on global nuclear disarmament, he said the threats to Indian security were greater now than earlier and the hazards and contingencies which needed to be addressed were complex and varied. "Unless these functions are attained to with a greater level of competence than are on display so far it will be difficult to escape the allegations that the May tests, have diminished and not enhanced our national security". Speaking about the initiatives taken by him former Prime Minister said the time had come for regional cooperation in South Asia and that it would benefit the sub-continent once it took off. He said the latter half of the 20th century would be remembered as the age of regional cooperation. He said such cooperation had been the impulse behind the contemporary world’s most striking miracles. He said a unified Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia, and South Africa were witness to similar economic transformations. "Is it not time that we in South-East Asia also try and look ahead instead of remaining trapped in the past". Mr Gujral said as and when South-Asia decided to take control of its destiny, India would be called upon to walk the extra mile as had been enunciated by the neighbourhood foreign policy put into practice by him which had been now called the Gujral Doctrine. The former Prime Minister said once the idea of regional cooperation took off in South-Asia it would benefit all countries. He said opening of trade transportation and communication links in the sub-continent would greatly reduce costs in all SAARC countries. There was a need to commercially access the surpluses existing in the sub-continent and gave the example of Nepal which was sitting on an unutilised hydroelectric potential of nearly 1000,000 MW of energy which was flowing untapped into the sea. He said similarly in Bangladesh, large reservoirs of gas were being discovered daily which could not be consumed internally. "We can make use of these resources once the investors are sure a vast Indian market will be open to them", he said. Mr Gujral said a step in
this direction had been taken with India and Sri Lanka
signing a treaty on bilateral trade, adding that, for the
first time India and the South-Asian region as a whole
came to be seen by the world as a dynamic development
frontier endowed with all attributes of a major global
player. |
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Problems
of rice exporters JALALABAD: The authorities talk about promotion of exports to keep the pace of economy but ironically when the opportunity comes almost everytime the basic infrastructure of the country fails to fulfil the need of the hour. This year there is tremendous demand in Bangladesh for parboiled rice produced in the area. Almost the entire stocks of this variety so far produced here has been contracted for export to Bangladesh by millers. There are also instances where the millers have even contracted the rice yet to be produced. Goods trains carry the stocks from India up to terminal points in Bangladesh. It is the cheapest available mode of transportation at present. But the Northern Railway has failed to meet the demand effectively. Out of the 66-rake demand made for carrying 1440-MT of rice to Bangladesh at Jalalabad railway office only six rakes have been provided during the past two months. If the Railways keeps supplying rakes at this pace it will take yet another 30 months to clear the pending stocks. The same is the situation at all the adjoining centres like Guru Harsahai, Ferozepore, Fazilka and Ladhuka. The millers used to despatch their stocks to Bangladesh by road also. But this year there is a huge difference between road and rail freights. A ban on overloading of trucks by Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which are on the way to Bangladesh, is stated to be a cause of such a difference in the freights. At present the millers are also hesitant to supply levy rice to the central pool as they are awaiting relaxation in specification of rice because paddy got damaged in rains during the procurement season. The decision is still pending. Even the Punjab Chief Minister has taken up the matter with the Centre. However, the maximum stocks purchased by millers are free from levy. According to Mr Om Parkash
Aggarwal, a rice miller of the area, this is the first
instance in the rice milling history of Jalalabad that
the stocks of milled rice in such a huge quantity are
forced to be kept in the open compounds. He suggested
that APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Exports Development Authority) should intervene to chalk
out a policy for the movement of rice, particularly to
Bangladesh. |
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Crop
damage estimated at Rs 2,000 crore CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — In a detailed report submitted to the Central Punjab Government for seeking financial assistance and relief, the Punjab Government has stated that the untimely rain and other natural calamities caused a loss of more than Rs 2000 crore in the state. Although roads, drainage and lined water courses also suffered a considerable loss, the major victim was the agriculture sector, according to the report. Disclosing the contents of the report, the authorities concerned said that the report had already been discussed in detail with officials of the Central Government and their response was awaited. So far, the Central Government had not announced any relief for Punjab farmers. This issue was also raised by opposition members in the recently concluded session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The officials concerned said that loss to the paddy crop due to unprecedented rain was near Rs 1140 crore. The loss to the cotton crop was about Rs 700 crore and pulses Rs 32 crore. The report says that rains in the second week of September caused a damage to desi cotton and the October rains caused a severe damage to American cotton popularly called as "narma" in local parlance. The loss varied from 40 to 50 per cent in different parts of the state. Among pulses, mainly the moong crop was affected. The authorities said the loss had been calculated on the basis of the minimum support price prevailing in the market. The damage to the vegetable crops like potato, peas, carrot, raddish and turnip had been calculated at Rs 21 crore. The potato crop was mainly affected in Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts. The sowing of potato was also delayed due to rains, according to the report. The Punjab Food and Supplies Department in its report on the damage to paddy has stated that farmers had to sell their paddy well below the minimum support price as the harvested as well as the standing paddy crop was damaged by the rains. The relaxation in the specifications allowed by the Union Government with effect from October 27 did not cover a large quantity of paddy. According to the report, about 38,191 tonnes of paddy was sold by farmers at about Rs 200 below the minimum support price and about 1,28,448 tonnes was sold at about Rs 100 below the minimum support price. As many as 4,26396 tonnes was sold at about Rs 50 below the minimum support price and about 5,68,142 tonnes at Rs 20 below the MSP. Thus farmers suffered a loss of Rs 62 crore, while disposing of their paddy, according to the report. The damage to drainage, flood protection works, canals and lined water courses has been estimated at Rs 65.06 crore. The PWD authorities have pegged the loss caused to roads, etc at Rs 125 crore. The report says as many as
22 persons lost their lives during rains, 34 head of
cattle perished and 39 houses damaged. A team of the
Central Government officials had also visited the state
with regard to make an on-the-spot assessment of the
damage, it is learnt. |
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Panel
to fix prices of essential items BATHINDA, Dec 30 — Punjab Food Minister Chiranji Lal Garg today said that a state-level committee had been constituted to fix the prices of essential commodities to be supplied to the weaker section by Punsup for next year. Talking to TNS here, he said he himself would head the three-member committee. The other members were Director, Food Supply, and Managing Director, Punsup. He said the committee would finalise the rates within a fortnight after listening to the people belonging to different stratas of society. He said there were 4.3 lakh yellow card holders in Punjab and for catering to their needs, the Punsup was running 301 wholesale points, an Apna Bazaar and 22 retail counters. There was a proposal to introduce mobile fair price shops to provide facilities at their doorsteps. The minister said in 1998, Punsup distributed 88,739 metric tonnes of sugar, 1,251 metric tonnes of rice, 8,523 metric tonnes of wheat and 9,14,073 litres of kerosene among consumers. He said home delivery of
LPG gas had been started here. |
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PAN
for provident fund contributors soon AMRITSAR, Dec 30 — The Central Provident Fund (CPF) will soon provide permanent account numbers (PAN) for its 2.18 crore contributors in the country. The Commissioner of the CPF, Mr R.S. Kaushik, talking to this correspondent last evening, said that the process of complete computerisation would begin soon, which would enable organisations throughout the country to get monthly statements, along with the balances, of its staff. The CPF was handling accounts of over 2.99 lakh organisations worth Rs 61,000 crore, which it had invested in government securities. The CPF was giving an average return of over 12 per cent annually to its contributors. Mr Kaushik said under the employees pension fund, which was set up in 1995, the total amount collected had crossed Rs 16,000 crore. Talking about the progress of the EPF in Punjab, he said the state had over 12 lakh contributors, both in the private and government sectors, which were being looked after by regional centres at Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Bathinda. The EPF would soon open its accounts office at Jalandhar and an inspectorate office at Sangrur. With the establishment of
lok adalats in April to redress grievances of the
contributors, the number of complaints had been reduced.
The Commissioner pointed out that almost all death claims
were settled within a month and there were very little
arrears. |
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Drugs
being sold openly in Mohali SAS NAGAR, Dec 30 — Narcotic drugs are being "sold openly" at various spots in the town and though the police is aware of this, no action is being taken against the offenders. Addicts can be seen in different parks, mostly in the evening, "using smack and other drugs". In Sector 70, here, persons can be seen "selling" drugs openly. Further, in front of Government Senior Secondary School, Phase III B1, drugs are being "supplied" to students by a pan and beedi seller. This was brought to the notice of the SDM, Mr M.P. Arora, here today by those attending a meeting called by him to discuss the problems of drugs and noise pollution. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Education Department, the Gurdwara Coordination Committee, the Civil Hospital, the Municipal Council, and the police, besides a BDO. Mr Arora directed the Municipal Council Executive Officer, Mr K.S. Brar, to immediately evict the pan seller from near the government school on grounds of encroachment. The meeting decided to restrict entry to the institution through the use of a visitors' register kept with a chowkidar. Children would be made aware of the ill-effects of drugs at the morning prayer in the school. The SHO, Mr Avtar Singh, claimed that the current anti-drug laws were difficult to implement. It was decided to persuade the managements of gurdwaras and temples to remove loudspeakers on top of their buildings. The meeting set up a three-member committee comprising Mr Amrik Singh Mohali, municipal councillor and representatives of the Lions Club, Mr K.S. Bindra, and Mr Dalip Singh Malhi, convener and general secretary respectively, of the Gurdwara Coordination Committee, to impress upon the managements of the places of worship to restrict the use of loudspeakers on their premises, except on religious festivals, so that the nearby residents were not disturbed. The SDM directed the
police to take strict action against all others,
including shopkeepers, creating noise pollution through
loudspeakers. The BDO concerned was asked to organise
meetings in villages to spread the message in this
regard. |
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NAWANSHAHR, Dec 30 (UNI) — Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called for establishing a "rural university" in the state to give new impetus to rural education. The state government will earmark Rs 1 crore for this venture which must be accomplished with bold initiative by the people especially the non-resident Indians (NRIs). While inaugurating Rs 4 crore Amandeep Singh Shergill Memorial College complex at Mukandpur village, 15 km from here, Mr Badal said that education was a vital component of human resource development, in which, our country, especially the rural areas lagged behind. Special emphasis on this significant social sector was very essential as it formed the foundation of total development of the nation, Mr Badal said. The Chief Minister said in
the fast changing global scenario and competitive world
vocationalisation of education should be given top
priority so that the students leaving portals of
educational institutions were equipped with skills and
get absorbed in gainful employment.
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Police
vigil intensified GURDASPUR, 30 — The district police has intensifed vigil to maintaining law and order. In a special drive launched to nab criminals, Raj Kumar of Sujanpur, Sohanjit Singh of Ghangrana in Ludhiana district, Suneel Kumar of Nadaun in Hamirpur district in H.P. and Subhash Sharma of Hira Nagar in Kathua district of J&K, has been arrested and stolen property worth more than Rs 1 lakh recovered from them. District police chief
Varinder Kumar claimed that the police had recovered
contraband khair wood worth over Rs 1.5 lakh being
smuggled from Jammu & Kashmir. |
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Sainik
School staff plea to minister JALANDHAR, Dec 30 — The All-India Central Government Pensioners Association has sought the intervention of Union Defence Minister George Fernandes to secure justice for a large number of central government employees and teachers of Sainik Schools at Kapurthala (Punjab), Sujanpur Tihra (Himachal), Kunjpura (Haryana), Nagrota (Jammu) and Ajmer (Rajasthan), who retired after January, 1996, who have been denied the arrears of enhanced pension/pensionary benefits such as gratuity, commutation, leave salary and dearness relief wef January, 1996, the authorisation issued on March 8, 1998, by Ministry of Defence notwithstanding. Mr V.S. Jolly, general
secretary of the All-India Central Government Pensioners
Association, said in a press statement here yesterday
that these hapless pensioners were being subjected to
unnecessary harassment, mental torture and financial
loss. Mr Jolly said that as per rules, pensioners were
entitled to interest on the delayed payment of pensionary
benefits if the delay exceeded three months. |
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Punjab
exempts Bhatti's film from tax CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 —
The Punjab Government has exempted Jaspal Bhatti's
Punjabi comedy film "Mahaul Theek Hai" from the
payment of entertainment tax for 10 weeks. The exemption
is for 100 per cent of entertainment tax. The film is
being screened in Punjab and Chandigarh. |
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Plan
to reduce bureaucratic expenditure PATIALA, Dec 30 — The Punjab Government is formulating a long-term plan to reduce the expenditure on bureaucracy in government offices. Diclosing this here today, Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, said a Cabinet sub-committee formed to prepare the draft of the plan would submit its scheme to the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, next week. He said the government offices were reeling under bureaucratic pressure which was telling on the state exchequer. The expenditure on salaries and allowances and official spendings had reached up to 62 to 65 per cent of the state exchequer. The plan would be implemented in phases. Another feature of this plan would be investment in private sector of Rs 2000 crore for the development of roads, bridges etc. Capt Kanwaljit Singh said talks were on between the Punjab Government and the Centre for a uniform rate of sales tax in the Union Territory and adjoining states. In order to revitalise the
economy, the state government had set up an
infrastructure and development board under the
chairmanship of the Chief Minister. The Finance Minister
would be its Deputy Chairman. |
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