News Headings

N E W S
I N ..D E T A I L

Sunday, July 19, 1998

weather n spotlight
today's calendar

Power to cost more in Punjab
By P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 18 — An upward revision of tariff on electricity in Punjab is on the anvil.
The proposal of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to effect a 33 per cent, across the board, hike in the power rates in all sectors, except agriculture, was approved in principle by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday.
A board meeting of the PSEB scheduled for Monday will formally notify the revised power tariff, it is learnt. It will come into effect immediately.
The proposed hike is expected to fetch the PSEB Rs 1,000 crore, approximately, in the remaining eight months of the current financial year enabling it, probably, to reach a "breakeven" point. The last hike was made two years ago; in July 1996.
This decision of the government comes at a crucial point when the PSEB is facing a critical financial crisis. The government is also seriously considering to appoint a full-time chairman of the PSEB who can pull the organisation out of the financial and administrative quagmire. The new incumbent should be in office in a day or two, the PSEB's credibility is being eroded because of the ills which afflict its functioning.
The crisis which the PSEB faces, at present, are multidimensional. If, on the one hand, even operation of the existing power generation plants has become difficult, on the other hand, Himachal Pradesh has threatened ( a notice has been received by the PSEB from it) to stop the supply of power for non-payment of dues to the HPSEB.
There are pending bills amounting to Rs 200 crore. The suppliers are reluctant to make further supplies unless the dues are cleared. There is an undercurrent of "unrest" in the PSEB's one lakh odd employees for non-payment of arrears of revised pay scales. If the present financial crunch persists, it may not be possible to pay salaries for the current month, July.
The PSEB's efforts to raise money from external resources through issue of bonds have also failed. The bond issue for Rs 250 crore, with the scheduled last date of July 6, failed to get the PSEB more than a meagre sum of Rs 27 crore. The past bond issues have been a success. In view of the estimated net deficit of Rs 805.35 crore in the internal resources, 1998-99, the PSEB is unable to get the bond issue rated. Thus, the possibility of mobilisation of finance in future is limited.
The Chief Minister, besides being apprised of the financial crisis, was given the board reasons for the continuing losses incurred by the PSEB. The existing power tariff was not commensurate with the cost of power generation and supply. Subsidised supply of power to the domestic sector and free supply of power to the agriculture sector and up to 30 units to weaker sections of society were among the listed main reasons.
Besides these, after 1995-96 the PSEB has not received "full" budgetary support from the government either for Plan projects or to off-set losses (cash). The PSEB has more financial liabilities than assets. Even the promised Rs 300 crore to make up for the loss due to free power supply to the agriculture sector has not been paid. The PSEB wants cash reimbursement, not adjustment in accounts.
The PSEB continues to cross its overdraft limit. At present the overdraft is Rs 20.59 crore; as on June 30. Out of Rs 205 crore pending bills, Rs 197 crore pending bills are one month old. The cheques issued by the board and not presented to the banks account for another Rs 100 crore. The payment for coal supply is also held up.
The "gross deficit" faced by the PSEB is Rs 242 crore. The cumulative losses till 1997-98 are Rs 907 crore; the estimated cumulative losses by the end of 1998-99 will be Rs 1954.30 crore. All this is despite the PSEB having sold 19,962 million units of power in the current year against 18,342 million units in 1997-98.
How the tariff will go up can be estimated from the present tariff rate, since the revision is to be across the board by 33 per cent on the existing rate; rate is in paise per unit):-
Domestic supply
1st 25 units : 115
Next 75 units: 150
Next 400 units: 185
Above 500 units: 225
Non-residential supply: 273
Small supply (load factor 20 per cent): 199
Medium supply (load factor 30 per cent): 214
Large supply: 237
Street lighting: 273
Power intensive: 252
(load factor 55 per cent)
Bulk supply: 253
Railway traction: 290.
All these existing tariff rates are lower than the ones in neighbouring Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Crucial Indo-US talks on Monday
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 18 — The third round of the ongoing Indo-US talks between US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Jaswant Singh, scheduled for July 20-21, is expected to result in some "forward movement" with the two sides being hopeful of narrowing down differences on issues of disarmament and non-proliferation.
Mr Talbott and Mr Jaswant Singh, who met in Frankfurt on July 9-10, had agreed on the agenda for the talks in New Delhi. Mr Jaswant Singh, who is tipped to be the next External Affairs Minister, has already discussed the broad parameters of the Indo-US talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Mr Talbott is arriving on Sunday, but talks would begin only on Monday.
New Delhi’s hopes for a "forward movement" are resulting from some positive developments in the Capitol Hill where the US Administration is reportedly coming under pressure from the Senate, the House of Representatives and opinion makers which have strongly underlined the futility of economic sanctions.
An intense debate within the USA has been raging on the issue of economic sanctions. On July 14 US President Bill Clinton signed a Bill lifting sanctions on the export of the US agricultural products to Pakistan and India. The Bill was the outcome of the pressure applied by the powerful agriculturist lobby whose interests were being affected. The Bill was passed on the eve of a tender offer by Pakistan for wheat. And Islamabad immediately obliged the US agriculturist lobby by agreeing to place an order for 300,000 tonnes of wheat.
Another legislation has been moved in the House of Representatives to empower the US President for waiving trade sanctions against India and Pakistan, imposed after their nuclear tests and for paving the way for financial institutions to resume loans to the two countries. This legislation too is the direct result of Islamabad’s inability to pay international debts on schedule. The US Administration would not like Pakistan to collapse economically as it would have direct bearing on the security scenario of the South Asian region.
On the other hand, India’s rationale behind the nuclear tests is being increasingly understood in the USA, official sources confirmed. The US Senator, Mr Joseph R. Biden, Jr, succinctly explained the issue in his lecture on July 9 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace appealing the USA for "a new approach" to South Asia.
"The perceived US preoccupation with China generates deep concern in New Delhi. Remember China defeated India in 1962 war and occupied several thousand kilometers of territory, a humiliation from which India has yet to recover", Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden’s view is not an isolated development as similar views have been expressed by many US and European experts and analysts. Even European countries like France and Germany have expressed their reservations on the issue of economic sanctions. Russia has also diplomatically conveyed to Washington that sanctions were not useful instruments in dealing with India and Pakistan.
New Delhi’s declaration of unilateral moratorium on further nuclear testing and its readiness to turn into a de jure commitment has already struck a positive note with the US public opinion and influential sections in the USA. New Delhi is also ready to enter into negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). This has created the Necessary framework for the Indo-US talks, sources said.
Some more time and few more meetings would be needed before the Indo-US ties are brought back to an even keel but the two sides are moving in the right direction, the sources said.

Ravi threatens border fencing
From Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
RANIAN (Indo-Pak border , Amritsar), July 18 — The Ravi has once again changed its course. This time the river has turned around 100 metres towards its left bank (Indian side) to wash away large portions of the protective border fencing. Besides, the water is threatening to break through the man-made earthen embankments and enter the adjoining villages.
At present no more than a metre wide embankment separates the defence land and the villages of Ranian and Kakkar from the waters of the Ravi. Both these villages are located at a unique place. Pakistani territory forms a semi-circle around their lands. Defence officers at the Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir are concerned and say if the embankment gives away large tracts of land in that area would be inundated.
The largest breach is just 500 metres away from the cluster of houses of Kakkar village. Downstream, the fencing has been washed away at a few places and Ranian village which is literally at a stone's throw from the place is threatened. Meanwhile, Border Security Force (BSF) jawans continue to keep vigil for across the border infiltrators.
As The Tribune team visited this place, a team of the Indian Army under its Border Roads Organisation (BRO) wing was busy carrying out repair work as the Ravi flowed past at moderate 20,000 cusecs. Damage control exercise was going on around the clock to set the banks in order before another major rainfall.
Working on the most sensitive border on earth, passion and emotion — besides the daily wag — is a motivation factor for the labour. While working in hot and humid conditions the labourers periodically raise slogans "Bharat mata ki jai" as they lay sand bags and carry out stone pitching. At present the flow is not alarming and is around the lowest point of the fixed flood level. However , the situation demands caution , said an officer of the BRO.
The river that zig-zags along the Indo-Pak border changes its course often and has been the source of concern. However, this time things are different as the river had been changing its course in the past two seasons but the repair work could not hold. Though the Army was called in for action only on July 1 the rearguard action may be just too late.
The BRO officers explain rain in the catchment area can also wreak havoc. The Army authorities are also keeping tabs on the water discharge at Madhopur headworks . At present, the discharge is maintained at 7000 cusecs. Any rise in it could cause further damage as various rain-fed rivulets also join the river at many places in India and Pakistan. " We can handle a flow of anything upto 20,000 cusecs , but more than that could hamper the damage control exercise," BRO officers added.
A local resident , Mr Gurbax Singh, in his 60's , of Ranian village, said this was the most dangerous scenario he had seen since 1955. Then the waters of the river had inundated the villages. Later an embankment was built. He suggested that a channel be constructed on the right bank of the river to divert the water from its present point of impact. He expressed hope that the Army had been called in while adding in the same breath " This caution should have come earlier ." Meanwhile, Western Command officials said that the flow of water in the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej , Ghaggar and the Yamuna was being closely monitored. Direct communication channels with troops doing duty along the rivers have been established. The feedback from the civil authorities was also monitored.
By the end of last month the Army had placed its equipment at the threatened locations to control the situation at short notice. Arrangements have been made to evacuate marooned people and save property. "All we need is the nod of the civil authorities. The Army will step in only when civil administration requests", the Army officials said.

Sant Longowal murder case:
1 convicted, six acquitted
From Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service
NABHA, (Patiala) July 18 — The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr B.C. Rajput, today convicted Gian Singh in the Sant Harchand Singh Longowal murder case while acquitting six others accused of being involved in the conspiracy, 13 years after he was shot dead at Akal Parkash Gurdwara at Sherpur in Sangrur district on August 20, 1985.
Pronouncing the judgement in the designated court in high security jail here, Mr Rajput while convicting Gian Singh set July 25 for hearing arguments to decide the quantum of punishment.
Six others — Barinder Singh of Saholi village in Ludhiana, Charanjit Singh and Gurmail Singh of Halwara village in Ludhiana, Darshan Singh and Jasbir Singh of Thuliwal village in Sangrur and Nirmal Singh of Leelan village in Ludhiana, who were accused of being involved in the conspiracy to murder the Sant — were acquitted of all charges.
Arguing the case, CBI special public prosecutor S.C. Saxena, said Sant Longowal had been murdered following a conspiracy by some sections of the United Akali Dal (UAD) of Baba Joginder Singh. Mr Saxena claimed Gian Singh and others had come under the spell of the propaganda unleashed by the UAD against the Sant for arriving at an agreement with the late Rajiv Gandhi.
Gian Singh was arrested from the spot. Jarnail Singh Halwara, who was killed in a police encounter later, and Harinder Singh Billa, who was shot dead by a body guard of the Sant, were also involved in the murder. The other accused had conspired in the case.
Appearing in favour of the defence, Mr Rajdev Singh Khalsa said while the United Akali Dal was responsible for spreading poisonous propaganda against Sant Longowal, the accused were not associated with the UAD. The prosecution had not been able to link the accused with the UAD, thus failing to establish any motive for the crime.
Mr Khalsa also claimed that though the main accused Gian Singh was shown to have been arrested on the spot at Sherpur at 3 p.m. on the fateful day, his name was not recorded in the DDR of Sherpur police station nor was he shown to have been kept there that night. The prosecution, however, claimed that this discrepancy might have occurred due to shock. As many as 125 witnesses were examined by the CBI in the case.

Godse play banned
MUMBAI, July 18 (PTI) — The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government in Maharashtra tonight decided to prohibit further performances of the controversial Marathi play "Mee Nathuram Godsey Boltoy" (I Am Nathuram Godse Speaking) for an indefinite period.
The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting here. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi told reporters his government took the decision in view of apprehensions about law and order problem on the issue.
The decision was also in compliance with the Central government’s advice, he said.
Protesting alleged glorification of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse in the play, Congress activists yesterday staged a militant demonstration outside the Shivaji Mandir Hall at Dadar in Central Mumbai leading to police lathi-charge.
Mr Joshi said he met Sena chief Bal Thackeray at the latter’s residence yesterday and discussed the issue with him.
"I informed Balasaheb about the state government’s intention to prohibit performances of the play," he said.
The staging of the play, said to be derogatory to the Father of the Nation, rocked Parliament this week and the Vajpayee government yesterday said it had advised the Maharashtra Government to stop its staging.
Reacting to the Centre’s advice, the Sena chief, in an interview to Doordarshan, suggested instead of prohibiting the play, "its objectionable portions can be censored".
In a statement in party mouthpiece "Saamna", Thackeray said merely because Congress MPs raised hue and cry over the issue, the Centre took the decision to advise the Maharashtra Government to ban staging of the play.
"Why the play was not prohibited when it was enacted in Gujarat about 60 times?’’ he asked.
Earlier today, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, in an informal chat with reporters, said "as the ideology of the Mahatma could not be stifled with his assassination, likewise the thoughts of Nathuram Godse cannot be wished away by any action against the play."