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Omar Abdullah's
visit fails to enthuse exporters LUDHIANA The exporters were expecting from Mr Abdullah awards for their performance in enhancing the engineering exports from the country and the announcement more of a government’s plan regarding the development of a free economic zone on the outskirts of the city. The proposal to set up a free economic zone here is said to be pending with the Commerce Ministry. This is supposed to be built on a single-window concept, including all the export- related facilities. Mr Omar Abdullah, however, disappointed the exporters, saying that at present there was no proposal in the ministry to declare a free economic zone in Ludhiana. He asked the exporters to diversify and concentrate on the unexploited markets of Latin America and African countries. He was speaking at a function organised by the Engineering Export Promotion Council to award the exporters of the northern region for their performance in engineering exports. Fiftythree firms were awarded by the council for their performance. Saw Pipes had been selected for the award of regional trophy for top exporters under the large-scale category. Gripwell Fasteners, which manufactures and exports tractor linkage parts, hardware and PTO adopters, was awarded the trophy under the small-scale category. Eastman Impex had been selected under the star category. Out of the selected exporters, a number of them belonged to Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Chandigarh and New Delhi. Majestic Auto Limited, Hero Exports and Eastman Impex of Ludhiana were selected for the regional trophy. While elaborating the progress of the engineering exports from the region, Mr S.C. Rahlan, Chairman of the EEPC, urged the minister to impress upon the Finance Ministry not to cut the incentives for the exporters which were quite in compliance with the WTO provisions. Mr Satish Dhanda, Vice-Chairman stressed the need for the development for proper infrastructure facilities by the state governments. He expressed his satisfaction over the measures taken by the Central Government to enhance the exports. On the other hand, the state government was imposing more and more tax burden on these units in the form of octroi or enhanced power tariff. Consequently, the rates of export items were increasing, he added. Mr Omar asked the exporters to redouble their efforts to increase the exports in the coming years while giving due emphasis on the quality of their products. He opined the engineering industry should monitor the shift in the product mix and try to continuously orient itself to meet the changing demands of the international market. Later he visited three export units, Freemans Measures Limited, Jangilal Oswal and R.K. Machine Tools. He appreciated the works of these units. He was told by the directors of Freemans. that they were being forced by the European buyers not to mention their brand. Mr Omar stressed the need to make united efforts to sell their products by Indian brand names. |
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Flower girl murder: police gets vital
clues LUDHIANA It may be recalled that Rajni, who allegedly also worked as a sex worker by night, was reportedly murdered by her self-professed brother, while in an inebriated condition. The girl was murdered for speaking ill about the wife of the accused. Sikandar Kaur, alias Rajni, learnt to be in her mid-twenties, was allegedly strangled at her residence after an altercation with Ravi Kumar, who claimed to be her brother, and his cousin, Gurwinder Singh Laddi. Her body was thrown in a plot of land, 100 metres from the place of crime. She was staying in a rented accommodation with another girl, Meenu, at Mohar Singh Nagar and the two were into prostitution. Initially, the police had booked only Ravi Kumar and Laddi under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. But later the police investigation found that the wife of the accused, Ravi Kumar, Poonam, was also involved in the murder. Poonam was also later named as one of the accused. It is learnt that Poonam had recently also applied for anticipatory bail, but her bail plea was rejected. She is currently in hiding and the police is learnt to be making allout efforts to arrest her. It is now being alleged that Poonam was reportedly cheating Ravi Kumar and was having an affair with Sonu. It is learnt that Poonam and Rajni being good friends — Rajni was aware of this aspect of her friend's life. She is also reported to have blackmailed Poonam a number of times by threatening to spill the beans in front of Ravi Kumar. Sources inform that Poonam got fed up with being blackmailed and she hatched a conspiracy to get rid of Rajni. She reportedly began poisoning Ravi Kumar against Rajni. On the fateful day, the two women were supposed to go for a performance, but Rajni along with her room-mate had been expecting a customer at 10.30 p.m. at their residence, so the deceased refused to come for the performance. She asked Ravi Kumar to drop her back home, but he promised to do so after a while and both the accused went to the Dasehra mela. There they got late and while coming back home, they also met an old friend and stopped for a few drinks. When the two reached home, it was past 11 p.m. and the deceased began grumbling. It is alleged that Poonam instigated her husband against the deceased and asked him to teach her a lesson for her misbehaviour. The two then took her away on a scooter in order to drop her back home. Once the trio reached home, Rajni found that Meena had already left with the customer. There she once again took up a verbal dual with the accused. Ravi reportedly got angry and slapped Rajni two to three times. He, too, began rebuking him and demanding back the money that he had lent her. She decided to get back to him and began speaking ill of his wife, Poonam, by alleging that she was also into prostitution. She also threatened to teach them a lesson with the help of a few contacts she claimed to have. After this the two men beat up the deceased till she became unconscious. Thinking that they had invited the wrath upon themselves, they decided to kill her. |
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MC to shift Sarabha’s
statue LUDHIANA The oft-debated question — have the national heroes been given a raw deal by this rich industrial city? — is in discussion once again. Gauging the condition of the statues and their history of constant shifting from one place to another, it seems true that the ''acclaimed heroes'' have not been properly treated. It is common feeling among freedom fighters, ex-servicemen and concerned social workers that the district administration and the Municipal Corporation have been ''tossing around'' the statues of their heroes time and again on the plea of making way for a smooth traffic flow. With the shifting of another statue looking imminent, the question being asked now is that will the heroes be given any final resting place once and for all? Mr Subash Rajasthani, President, All-India Human Rights Organisation, is such an aggrieved person. Deeply hurt at the regular shifting of the statues, he had even shot off letters to the Deputy Commissioner, the Commissioner MC, and the Chief Minister,Mr Parkash Singh Badal, stating that the sentiments of the people like him were being hurt constantly by such moves. In his detailed memorandum, he traces the history of the statues, their shifting and the shabby treatment. On top of the list is a bust made of black marble of Mahatma Gandhi. Presently installed near the MC building towards Mata Rani Chowk, the statue was earlier put up in a park in front of the MC building, but it was shifted as the place was selected for the construction of a large car parking building. Then there was the case of the statue of Flying Officer Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, Paramvir Chakra winner war hero of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Initially this statue was installed at Samrala Chowk on the Jalandhar bypass road. From there it was shifted to some place in the city and then finally to its present resting place in the Mini Secretariat. The statue of Major Bhupinder Singh, Mahavir Chakra winner in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, was also shifted a couple of times. First, it was installed at Bharat Nagar Chowk, but when traffic lights were installed there the statue was uprooted and is now ''sidelined'' in a makeshift park near the Jagraon overbridge. The statue of Kartar Singh Sarabha facing shifting was earlier in a museum. At that time a small statue (some say, made of bronze) was installed here. However, the relatives of the martyr alleged that the statue was not given proper care and maintenance and, thus, they got it shifted first to the DC office and then ultimately to Sarabha's native village where it stands today. Even the present location of the statues is dirty, besides being temporary. Drug addicts, beggars and card players are what one sees at the Mahatma Gandhi statue , while at the Major Bhupinder Singh's statue and tank one sees labourers dozing off. They even hang their clothes on the tank for drying. The statue of Flying Officer Sekhon is also in worst circumstances. Only two months back, a drunkard somehow entered the artificial plane installed along with the statue and was ejected out with much difficulty. A proposal to erect fencing around the statue and the plane to prevent such adventurers is hanging fire for the past three years. The Deputy Director, Sainik Welfare, Wg Cdr M.S. Randhawa (retd), shares the feeling of the people concerned with the alleged shabby treatment of the statues of our heroes, ''Ex-servicemen have been airing their feelings to me but one also has to understand the traffic problems also due to which the statues had to be shifted.'' He commented that at the same time some respect to the statues was also necessary. ''It is high time that a permanent resting place is given to the statues at such a place where they get due respect and can be maintained properly.'' |
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Police accused of bribing Dalit leader LUDHIANA In a press note issued here today, Dr D.P. Khosla has alleged that an ASI posted in the CIA Staff had given 70 notes of the Rs 100 denomination to Mr R.P. Gill at his residence last night and another 14 notes of the Rs 500 denomination to the said leader at his residence this morning. He has also given the numbers of the currency bills that were offered as bribe. Dr Khosla informed that a delegation of the BSP met the DIG, Ludhiana Range, Mr P.S. Sandhu. today and lodged a complaint with him. They demanded that the police register a case against the erring officials and said that police officials were
continuously harassing Ramesh Kumar, victim of police torture, and asking him to take the money and not make any noise. It may be recalled that Ramesh Kumar and 13 others were picked up by the local police on the morning of October 13 in order to ascertain the exact amount seized during a raid on gamblers by a police party on the night of October 11. It was alleged that three of the accused, Raju (now deceased), Ramesh Kumar and Babbu, were tortured after being singled out. |
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Farmers to gherao officers, ministers LUDHIANA A joint meeting of the Kirti Kisan Union, the BKU (Ekta), kisan sabhas and others farmers' organisations held here last evening observed that even after relaxation of specifications, the paddy procurement was not being made at the desired speed and farmers were still made to wait in mandis for days together. Moreover, the shortage of empty gunny bags was also being reported from a large number of mandis which was a major constraint in the smooth procurement and lifting of paddy. Giving details of the deliberations, the state President of the Kirti Kisan Union, Mr Hardev Singh Sandhu, told that a lathi charge on agitating farmers in Ajitwal, near Moga, was strongly condemned and it was demanded that false cases against the farmers be withdrawn and strong action taken against the erring officials. The meeting called upon the Union Government to ensure a minimum support price of Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500 per quintal for cotton, announce a remunerative price for sugarcane, announce purchase price for rabi crops before sowing and make adequate arrangements for procurement of wheat crop. Emphasising the need to free the majority of farmers from the debt trap, the meeting asked the government to formulate and implement such policies under which the farmers could avail liberal financial assistance at a concessional rate of interest, get remunerative prices for their produce, the procurement process was streamlined and necessary legislation was enacted for grant of adequate compensation to farmers for natural calamities. The farmers' bodies resolved to carry on the fight till the genuine demands of the farming community were conceded. |
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SPEAKING OUT LUDHIANA Residents of the city have also criticised the proposed move of the MC to shift the statue early next year to a place near Clock Tower. Mr Ramesh Kumar, owner of a shop near the chowk, said reducing the circumference of the roundabout would destroy the ambience of the place where the statue of a hero is installed. “I understand that the roundabout causing traffic problems and has to be removed, but the MC should also take into account public sentiments,” he said. He said, two years ago, shopkeepers and social workers had opposed the MC move to shift the statue. “People are emotionally attached to the statue. It inspires all who pass by it. The purpose of installing it will be defeated if it is shifted to a corner,” he said. Mr Mansa Ram, a senior citizen who lives in Chaura Bazaar resented the constant shifting of statues. “This game of
continuous shifting should end now,” he said. He said statues of heroes, once installed, should not be removed. He also criticised the MC for not maintaining the statues properly. “Residents of the martyr’s native village, Sarabha, near here, come here sometimes every year to clean up the statue. Besides them, no one takes care of it,” he said. Mr Shamsher Gill, an ex-serviceman, said shifting the statue would be a bad move. “We cannot toss around our heroes like this. The statues were installed to inspire generations. If we treat statues of our heroes like this, it will only discourage others,” he said. However, there were some
persons who supported the move to shift the statue. Mr Raj, a hairdresser, said, in order to ensure smooth traffic and save persons from accidents, there was no harm in removing the statue. “The MC is not throwing it away. It will be installed on another high pedestal near Clock Tower that is not a bad place,” he said. |
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A PAGE FROM HISTORY LUDHIANA With the mushrooming of the hosiery industry here in the mid 19th century, residents prospered. When money is in, can criminals be far behind. Gangs of cheats mushroomed quickly after this. The Thugee Office was set up to check the menace. This was a move that gave birth to the police network in the city. According to the Ludhiana Gazatteer, after the decline of the Mughal empire in the second half of the 18th century and regular invasions by Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Sikh Misls had developed a rakhi (protection) system here. These Misls ruled the area before Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The misldars maintained law and order at that time, though there were no written laws like the Indian Penal Code. Often the Sardar used to squat on the ground with his subjects and decide the cases on the spot. Later, panchayats assumed power. The system continued during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. After his death, anarchy prevailed and dacoits flourished in the state. This was the time when the Thugee Office was set up. However, in 1853, the administration felt the need for a well-organised police force. To establish such a force, a board comprising two wings was set up. The Preventive Wing was a military organisation and the second one was a detective police squad of civil nature. The system continued for some years, but after the Indian Penal Code Act of 1861 was enforced, a regular Police Department was established as a wing of the government. The most important changes in the organisation of the Police Department were made in 1894. A decision to recruit some Assistant District Superintendents of Police was taken in that year. In view of the growing population, in 1938, the administration felt that SHOs could not handle all the pressures of the work. At a high-level police conference, officials recommended that a Central Investigation Agency should be set up. That is how the CIA came into being. The
pressure on the police grew with the Partition when a large number of criminals and criminal tribes migrated to the city. Measures were taken to make up for the staff shortage in the Police Department. A Superintendent of Police, with three DSPs under him, used to be the super boss of the department here at that time. The city had six police stations at the Independence. These included those at Divisions 1 to 5 and the Sadar police station. Today, the scene is different. There are 14 police
stations in the Ludhiana police district and almost 100 police posts and pickets at various strategic points in the city. About 2,500 personnel are serving in the police district. While the strength of the officers has been increased (there are six SPs and eight DSPs), that of the personnel has not increased much. |
Localities sans civic amenities LUDHIANA Many residents in these localities say that taps remain mostly dry because at present, entire colonies were being fed by a single tubewell, which also functioned in an erratic manner. People had difficulty in meeting their daily requirement of water, more so, in view of the fact that the water drawn through hand pumps, was yellowish in colour and unfit for drinking. A resident of Punjab Mata Nagar, Mr Satish Kumar Sachdeva, rued that work on at least three deep-bore tubewells had been taken in hand by the municipal corporation but these have not been commissioned so far. Similarly, the ongoing sewerage project in these colonies was also taking a long time to be come operational. While the residents in some colonies have been given water connections, the absence of adequate facilities for proper disposal of water creates many problems and health hazards. Inordinate delay in laying the main sewer on Pakhowal Road had virtually cut off many of these colonies from the main city and residents had to take detours through streets and bylanes to reach their houses or places of work. Even now, the main sewer having been laid out, the stretch of road, providing main entry to these colonies, starting from Feroze Gandhi Market to Sarabha Nagar crossing, is yet to be relaid. Another resident of Vishal Nagar, Mrs Ritu, was quite upset over the indifferent and partisan attitude of the civic administration. “The MC authorities concentrate their efforts on dressing up posh localities and repeatedly carpeting already well -laid roads, while the areas which are in immediate need of basic amenities were totally ignored. Are we (the residents) destined to live with dust and dirt, poor water supply, inadequate sewerage facilities and bad roads?” she asked in an angry tone. However, the Superintending Engineer (O and M), Mr S.S. Jandu claims that these localities were not being neglected and further said that the residents were being impatient. The work on the Rs 6.28 crore sewerage project was in progress and the main sewer line had already been laid. Work on branch lines to connect the colonies with the main line had also been taken up. Similarly, two new tubewells and one overhead reservoir in these areas were nearing completion, which would drastically improve the water supply. The area councillor, Giani Baldev Singh, also appeared to be in total agreement with the assertion of the SE in charge of water supply and sewerage. He said these colonies were totally neglected and no civic amenities, worth the name were available to the residents. But once the plans for sewerage and water supply schemes were finalised and work commenced, the residents wanted the results overnight. Many localities, he added, had been covered under the sewerage and water supply schemes and the rest of the area would also come under the network soon. Not only this, under a government scheme, the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board was providing sewerage and water supply connections to the residents in these localities on 50 per cent subsidised rates. Even in the face of claims by the civic administration, the residents remain unconvinced and feel that as far as the MC authorities were concerned, the problems of residents of these localities were low on their priority list. Nothing less than immediate commissioning of all the four tubewells to meet the demand for water, completion of sewerage project on a war-footing and relaying the entire stretch of roads and streets in the area would satisfy them, that being the general consensus. |
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Woman alleges harassment
by husband, in-laws LUDHIANA Jasbir Kaur (26) has been thrown out of her house allegedly by her husband, Gurbachan Singh, and her in-laws after she could not manage enough work to support the family. She has alleged that her in-laws have threatened her with dire consequences if she tried to go back to their house or tried to meet with her paraplegic daughter. Narrating her sordid tale, Jasbir Kaur says: "I was married almost 10 years ago and since then have not lived a steady life. At the time of our marriage, Gurbachan Singh had a good business, but later he got addicted to drugs and slowly suffered losses in his business. In the meantime, I gave birth to a baby girl who was paraplegic. This further deteriorated my equation with him and other members of his family. ''Later, keeping in view the deteriorating family conditions, I decided to take up a job in order to support the family. I began working in a hosiery unit for doing embroidery and could pitch in my bit towards the meagre earnings of the family. Then my husband decided to shift from our house in Jammu Colony and to a hutment he had built on a plot in Simlapuri so that he could start his dhaba there,'' she says. Jasbir Kaur says that slowly with the slump in the hosiery business, she could not find much work and this led to friction at home. "I was mentally and physically tortured for not adding to the family earnings and for giving birth to a paraplegic daughter. It was a few days ago, when I could no longer bear with the degradation that I decided to walk out of the relationship. I was told that I could not take my six-year-old daughter with me. I went to my mother's house in Jalandhar for support, but they too turned me out on the plea that they had given me my share at the time of marriage. I again came back to Ludhiana and was told of a social worker, Ms Surinder Kaur Gill, who helped destitute women. I approached her and she took me to her residence. But later, when she was unable to find a suitable place for me, she asked me to leave. "Its been five days now that I was turned out of the social worker's house and since then I have been living on the roads. I fear for my safety, but with nowhere to go, I have to be on the roads at night. I have approached the police authorities and the district administration for help." |
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‘Corruption holding back India’ LUDHIANA He was delivering the third Joginder Pandey Memorial Lecture here today. The senior Judge said the decline in moral values in the country was sad. He said, India had the potential to become a great power with its huge manpower and mineral resources. He said, human resource, India’s strength, was proving to be a liability. He said most of Japan was devastated in World War II and India had achieved Independence soon after in 1947. Justice Gupta said, today, the two countries presented a contrasting picture. He said Japan had no mines or minerals and had less than one tenth of India’s manpower. It had still become a great economic power. He regretted that corruption was rampant in the country. Justice Gupta said, “While small frys like patwaris and peons are being targeted, big fishes are being let off. Unless corruption is removed, it is difficult for the nation to progress.” Justice Gupta said, “People pray in the morning and search for preys afterwards. They worship God, but torture people.” He called for following the Constitution of the country in letter and spirit. He also paid tributes to Joginder Pal Pandey who was assassinated by militants in 1987. Justice Gupta said Joginder Pal Pandey had sacrificed his life for his principles. Justice Gupta thanked the organisers for organising the lecture. He did not accept Rs 50,000 that are given to the guest speaker. Mr Rakesh Pandey, a local MLA and son of Joginder Pandey, was also present on the occasion. |
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Neglect of a rare green
spot LUDHIANA Tall trees and a century-old chimney are the first things that strike a person who visits Rose Garden. The entrance to this place is fairly well-maintained. One of the workers of this garden said the head was particular about keeping the whole place clean. The head made it a point to see that the leaves that fell were swept away regularly. Usually, semi-circular rose-beds greet the eye in the garden. However, most of these are now overlaid with weeds and roses can be seen only at a few spots. When the gardener was asked the reason for this, he said pruning had been done recently and the next few weeks would see the roses blooming again. The children’s corner in the garden is not much alluring. Only one swing is in working condition. The grass, too, is badly singed at some places and almost non-existent at other. There is hardly a picnic spot for youngsters. Some children who were in the garden said the litter at the place was a Sunday syndrome. Ludhianvis throng this place on Sundays and litter it with polythene bags, paper bits and leftover food items. Mr Bilga Singh, technical head of Rose Garden, said he, too, was worried about the Sunday syndrome. Children liked to dump polythene bags into fountains. He also said “educating the educated” about civic sense was tough. The backside of the garden is in bad shape. Mounds of refuge mingled with sun-baked leaves make this place look like a dumping ground. Mr Bilga Singh, however, said there were plans to redesign this portion within a few months. Rose Garden of Ludhiana may not have roses in full bloom and may not be an epitome of cleanliness, but for many regular visitors, especially morning walkers, it is an oasis of fresh air in a polluted city. Mr A.C. Tandon, a former body-building champion, said the garden was better maintained than Rose Gardens in the other cities of Punjab. The garden may not be beautiful enough, nevertheless, it is one of the greenest spots of Ludhiana. |
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Where there is a will, there is a
way LUDHIANA Satish has been actively assisting his father in his business. If you have a strong will-power, no body can stop you from accomplishing your targets and goals,” said an optimistic Satish who cannot walk because of his disabled legs. But Satish who seems to be quite content and happy with his life, said, “My disability is not by birth, I suffered from polio when I was just three and a half years old. I was taken to a number of doctors who tried to cure me, but you
can not fight with God”. Satish did his schooling at S.N., Jain Senior Secondary School and graduated from Government College for Boys. He said his relatives and friends used to take pity on him for being physically disabled. It was at that stage he took the decision of being independent. In 1996, he dared to learn driving. His mother, as any other protective mother, tried to convince him, but he was adamant on his decision and the result is in front of all his well wishers. He controls gears, brakes, steering, clutch and accelerator of his car, with his hands. It has been more than five years now that he is labeled as a ‘trained driver’ by his family members. Now his mother also accompanies him in his driving. “It gives me immense pleasure that for being an independent, people respect me and I am not looked down upon by society. I feel the people like me should not feel left out and hurt, because they are their own ‘creator’. |
Truck stolen from
Sherpur Chowk LUDHIANA According to the FIR registered at Focal Point police station under Section 379 of the IPC, the driver of the truck, Nachhattar Singh, has alleged that the truck was stolen by Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Chussewala village, near Patti, some time between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. It is learnt that the stolen truck belonged to Kulwinder Singh, brother-in-law of the complainant. Woman injured According to an FIR registered at Sadar police station, Harpreet Kaur has alleged that on the night of October 27 she was hit by Baljinder Singh, Bhola Singh and his wife, brothers, Jagdev Singh and Bachan Singh, with the back side of a dattar. A case under Sections 325, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered. |
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Murder case solved KHANNA According to Mr R.N. Dhoke, SSP, a police party led by Mr Gurkmail Singh Sidhu, SP, arrested the main suspect yesterday. The other suspects identified in the case are Swaran Singh of Payal, Mewa Singh of Fatehgarh Sahib and Rani of Khanna. They reportedly conspired and killed Mr Prem Singh, an NRI from Nottingham, England. The deceased along with his wife had come to meet his brothers, Nirmal Singh and Baldev Singh. He had come to his house in Model Town, Ludhiana, on the night of May 3. Mr Prem Singh was a heart patient and was about to go back to England after treatment. The Khanna police also claimed to have busted five different gangs of robbers and smugglers. According to the police, as many as 25 persons were arrested and a Maruti car, two television sets, two VCRs, a deck, three scooters, three watches, 20 truck tyres, Rs 52,000 and gold ornaments and clothes were recovered from them. In another case, a couple residing at Jargari were arrested for selling girls from West Bengal for Rs 15,000. |
‘Industrialists should fight for their rights’ LUDHIANA These observations were made by Mr Satpal Gosain, Deputy Speaker, Punjab Legislative Assembly. He was speaking at a function organised here by the Oil Mill Machinery Manufacturers Association. He reminded the industrialists that mere presentation of memorandum to politicians was not sufficient. They should rather
continuously follow them till their demands are met. The members of the organisation earlier asked him to impress upon the Chief Minister to implement his election promises, such as removal of octroi, to make the industry more competitive at the national-level. They demanded allotment of plots at concessional rates and to raise the limit of summary assessment of sales tax from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. Mr Balbir Kumar Aggarwal, press secretary of the association raised the issue of wide spread corruption in the Income Tax and State Electricity Departments. Mr Naresh K. Goel, general secretary of the association, asked Mr Lajpat Rai, member of Rajya Sabha, to make efforts to save oil expellers manufacturers from the onslaught of unrestricted import of palm oil as it was badly affecting the local industry and lakhs of oil seed growers and oil extraction units. Mr Goel claimed the country was heading towards a crisis as the oil seed growers were giving up the sowing of all seeds and units were closing down and days were not far when the country will have to face the monopoly of imported oil. Mr Laj Pat Rai while expressing concerns about the impact of imports on trade, said the country was forced to import oil because of inadequate production in the country. Further, the industry was supposed to compete at the international-level, and should not expect subsidies every time. He assured his full support to raise the issue of dumping of palm oil at the central level. He agreed that in short term the only possible way to save the industry was by imposing anti-dumping duty on palm oil. However, in the long term the industry would have to increase its efficiency and production through emphasis on higher production of oil seeds. Investment in research and development of oil seed production and oil extraction techniques was the only way to survive for the trade. |
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‘Subsidise freight charges for exporters’ LUDHIANA Speaking at a press conference here yesterday on the eve of the award presentation function to award the topmost exporters of the region, Mr Ralhan disclosed that total exports of engineering goods from the northern region had reached $ 1280.27 million during 1999-2000, about 29 per cent of the total engineering export from India. While the performance of certain products like aluminium, iron and steel, tractors and other agricultural equipments, two/three wheelers, auto parts, hand tools and sewing machines were extremely good, the exports of bicycle and its parts, food processing machinery, mechanical pumps, machine tools, mica showed a declining trend in the year 1999-2000. It required immediate attention of the government, he added. Mr Satish Dhanda, vice-president of the council revealed that the award presentation function was being organised for the first time in the state, as the council regarded the state as one of the major players in the engineering exports. He requested the state government to subsidise the transportation cost of the exporters. Mr Ralhan urged the central government to introduce duty exemption pass book scheme (DPEB) rates for all items not covered in the DPEB list for product Group Engineering, including that of capital goods and machineries which contributed more than 30 per cent of total engineering exports. He expressed his concern over the incentives being withdrawn from the exporters like 80 HHC, withdrawal of DPEB scheme from the year 2002. Though these incentives were quite compatible with WTO
norms. As the per capita income in India was less than $1000 and share in the world market was less than 3.5 per cent. Even the amount disbursed under DPEB scheme was less than 1.5 per cent of total exports, again compatible with WTO norms, the government should continue the scheme. In case the government had given an undertaking to the WTO regarding the withdrawal of incentives, it should seek an amendment at the next WTO meeting as the government had done in the agriculture sector, he added. Mr Rahlan further informed that in the changed scenario, the council was emphasising on promotional activities with special focus on small and medium scale sectors whose contribution was quite significant. The activities were aimed at creating awareness of Indian engineering products in the international market. He said the council would organise INDIATECH in Australia, Brazil and UK in 2001 to project the country’s expertise and capabilities as an alternative source of supply of superior and appropriate technology. |
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