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| Thursday,
March 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Kashmiri Pandits resent rehabilitation move Ludhiana, March 26 A number of Kashmiri Pandits living in Ludhiana and other parts of the state told the Ludhiana Tribune that it was regretful that their community was being made a show piece of Indian secularism in Kashmir. “It is like putting unarmed lambs at the threshold of the den of a hungry tiger”, said Dr M.K. Mam, president of the Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Ludhiana. They pointed out that the Kashmiri Pandits were being made a scapegoat for the failure of the government's policies in Kashmir. Other Pandits like Mr Swarup Kaul, a business executive working here, have also been shocked and outraged over the incident. Mr Kaul observed “had the Mufti not tried to initiate the move of return of the Pandits to the valley, this would not have happened”. He also criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, who had said the process of the return of the Kashmiri Pandits would not be derailed by the Nadimarg incident. Some Pandit students, who are studying in various institutions here, said it (the process of return) was too futile an exercise to be taken up now. “It will only provoke the Islamic extremists who do not want us back in Kashmir...rather they want the remaining community also to leave”, remarked Ashish Pandit, a management student from Kashmir. He said he was too young when he had to leave Kashmir along with his family in 1990. The Pandits have appealed to the countrymen to rise in their support as they have been victimised just because they did not side with the secessionists. In an impassionate appeal to the nation, a resolution passed at a condolence meeting here said “had we sided with the separatists and betrayed the nation, we would not have been annihilated like we are being by the extremist forces...we only want that we should be provided with due security and that is the least we expect from the country”. |
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Mixed response to Punjab Budget Ludhiana, March 26 The general secretary of the Chamber of Commercial and Industrial Undertakings (CICU) expressed doubts as to how the government would provide sops to the industry. He observed while there were some provisions in the Budget, but the industrial policy announced by the government before the introduction of the budget did not carry any such provisions. He sought comprehensive clarifications on the issue. He maintained that by and large the Budget was neither too harsh, nor so much industry friendly, although some relief had been provided to the exporters. Mr Satish K. Dhanda, Chairman, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) complimented the Punjab Government for the exemption of payment of sales tax on the sale of DEPB, DFRC licences. The chairman pointed out that this was a long-standing demand of the engineering industry based in Punjab and would help in competitiveness among engineering exporters. Mr Dhanda also lauded the Punjab Government for its decision to reimburse freight subsidy at the rate of one per cent export value. This would definitely help to neutralise the disadvantages faced by the exporters of Punjab on account of the location of the industry in the state. The freight differentials between the exporters in Punjab and the units located near the gateway ports have in the past severely eroded the competitiveness of the Punjab exporters. He said he was already in touch with the authorities concerned in order to ensure hassle free implementation of the Value Added Tax for the exporters. He said, he was hopeful that the teething problems, which are being envisaged to be faced by the exporters, would be resolved so as to make it less cumbersome for the exporting community at the time of the implementation of VAT. Meanwhile, the Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has criticised the government for introducing the “anti-people budget”. |
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MC restores DMCH sewerage connection Ludhiana, March 26 According to sources, the DMCH management had to pay the sewerage charges of approximately Rs 85 lakh to the corporation. Representatives of the administration and the managing society of the DMCH met the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Mr S.K.Sharma, on the issue on March 24. The Commissioner agreed to accept the part payment and told the members to deposit Rs 21 lakh with the MC on March 24 itself. It may be mentioned here that now when the elections of the managing society of the DMCH were round the corner (on March 28) and the rival factions were busy in election campaigning, differences among members belonging to rival groups had affected the hospital working. One of the members of the managing society said, “The cheque was to be signed by two office-bearers out of the three authorised for this purpose, but one of the members told the accounts branch of the hospital to withhold the cheque for a while as he was out of Ludhiana. The cheque was not sent to the corporation as per the commitment, and the MC ordered to disconnect the sewerage connection of the hospital on March 24”. One of the employees of the DMCH said, “All of us were scared that the blocked sewerage line might overflow, so with the help of a pump the accumulated water was drained this morning. Finally the MC men came in the afternoon to restore the disconnected sewerage line”. It may be mentioned here that the hospital authorities had even approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court saying since the DMCH was a public institution it should be exempted from the corporation tax, but their plea was rejected. |
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Businessmen’s conviction upheld Chandigarh, March 26 The three businessmen, Om Parkash, Surinder Kumar and Vipan Kumar, along with another accused, were earlier booked under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act for ‘a series of fraudulent transactions leading to huge loss to the bank’. During the investigation, the CBI had claimed that Manon had received illegal gratification from the firms owned by these businessmen. After hearing arguments in the case, the judge ruled, “There is no doubt that Om Parkash, Surinder Kumar and Vipan Kumar had conspired with each other to draw illegal benefit of the cheque discounting scheme of the bank.... N.K. Manon had been completely absolved of any liability in the case by the bank itself, since he had followed proper procedure while implementing the scheme. Consequently, his appeal deserves to be accepted and he is acquitted of the charges.” |
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Bush’s effigy
burnt Ahmedgarh, March 26 Mr Mohammad Yaseen, Councillor, said the coalition forces should be forced to withdraw from Iraq immediately. Mr Jaswinder Sodhi, another Councillor, also made a similar appeal. Mr
Jatinder Laddi, block president of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front,
said the state government in Jammu and Kashmir had completely failed
to safeguard the life and property of Hindus. Mr Sham Sunder,
Councillor, demanded President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Raj
Paul Garg, unit president of the BJP, Mr Des Raj Sharma, president of
the Bharat Vikas Parishad, Mr Inderjit Sharma president of the Brahmin
Sabha, Mr Bimal Sharma, president of the Sri Ram Mandir Committee, and
Mr Ravi Sharma, president of the Mahavir Dal, also spoke on the
occasion. |
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People outraged over Iraq war Ludhiana, March 26 The Ludhiana Tribune spoke to a cross-section of people, who all felt that the USA had no right to invade a country separated by miles eyeing its oil resources. Mr Harish Sethi, who runs a restaurant in the city, said,” What Bush has done is totally against humanity. He has no justification for such a mass scale destruction. We feel horrible at the killing of an animal, how can he order the killing of hundreds of innocent people and even his own soldiers to suit his greed for oil. He is justifying ‘might is right’ when everyone knows how wrong it is. This war is inhumane and totally unjustified. He has no right to bring immense suffering on humanity. We condemn it strongly.” Mr Raman Sood, a wholesale chemist, is also of the opinion that this war is killing a large number of innocent people. Why has he taken to bombarding using latest planes? Even India has felt the ramifications of the war as oil prices have gone up already and so have the air fares. Everything is going to cost more and definitely it is going to cause a lot of hardships to people of India and all round the world.” “Our country believes in non-violence so we cannot ever support America for taking to violence of worst sorts. All peace loving countries should have persuaded Bush not to have started a war and now that it has started, these nations should exert pressure on Bush to stop the war immediately. America wants to dominate the world as it is a super-power and is dominating weaker nations by showing its latest superiority in technology. It is neither just nor fair by any
standards, "said Mr Suresh Khanna. Many others were of the view that the so-called democratic USA, pioneering human rights, is violating rights of people by wiping them out. Both Mr Bush and Mr Tony Blair should be punished for war crimes. Mr Rajesh Rawat said,” It is pure personal vengeance on part of junior Bush. His father tried to vanquish Saddam but could not finish the job and now the son has
started. They tried to wipe off Laden also, but failed. They are trying to make the world unipolar and hence exercising force to show that they are world policemen. People are protesting all over, including Americans, but Bush is continuing with his nefarious designs,. It is shocking and he must stop butchering innocent people.” |
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Protests
by PSEB employees Ludhiana, March 26 Functioning at Aggar Nagar, Model Town, Sunder Nagar, Focal Point, CMC, city centre and city west offices remained affected since midnight when officials moved out of compliant offices and substations. Today, the staff in various offices also joined their colleagues and raised slogans against the privatisation policy being mooted for the board. They said the government was not keen on reviving the board and wanted to wash its hands off the entire matter. There was no check on the bureaucrats running the show, who, they alleged, had followed faulty policies over the past decades that brought the board into the red. Now the government was taking refuge in the recommendations made by the Haldea Committee, which envisaged radical changes in the functioning of the board, besides large-scale retrenchment of staff members. They said the new model being planned for Punjab had already failed in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. |
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DMCH poll: residents want consensus Ludhiana, March 26 Dr Livtar Singh Chawla, founder Vice-Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and a former Principal of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital maintains that the DMCH is an institution of service. Regretting that the election of office-bearers is taking place through a secret ballot Dr Chawla said this was happening for the first time. Dr S.B. Khurana, a former Medical Superintendent, also expressed concern over the emerging situation in the managing society of the DMCH and appealed for unanimity in running the institution. Dr G.S. Grewal said it was unfortunate that differences had cropped up among members of the managing society. There should be no election in the medical education institutions. Mr Madan Lal Nayar, a leading industrialist, was sore that the members of the society were busy electioneering as if they were contesting elections to Parliament or the Vidhan Sabha. Mr S.P. Oswal, Chairman, Vardhman Group of Industries, was also unhappy at the turn of events and felt that groupism in such institutions was not a good sign and should be curbed. |
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READERS WRITE THESE days excise officers are personally visiting small, medium and big units to ask the units to pay excise duty in cash and not to avail the Cenvat Credit. They are also kind enough to bargain the ratio of Cenvat credit and cash deposit, depending upon the capacity of unit, if the Cenvat credit is available and cash duty is not payable. They are doing this to meet their revenue collection targets. Though their behaviour is different when they visit the assessee in the unit and when the assessee visits them in their office, cannot hide their originality and blow hot and cold in the same breath. A sample: “We are making a request but if you do not accept it, our officers will come and check your all records and you know if we are to find fault there will be hundreds and you will be unnecessarily in trouble.” While big units have appointed experts in excise law and feel less threatened, smaller units know their weaknesses and have no option but to meekly follow the advice and buy peace. One can appreciate the change of the mindset of government functionaries and zeal of these officers for revenue collection to meet targets, but is the principle of ‘unjust enrichment’ not applicable to the government. Central Excise is the biggest source of revenue for the Central government. In 1980-81, the revenue collection was Rs 6,506 crore which has been targeted at Rs 96,791 crore in the Budget for 2003-2004. Every citizen can appreciate that the government needs funds for various purposes like maintenance of law and order, defence, social, health services etc., but the government should also not forget the fundamental principles of natural justice in collection of taxes from the people. Under Rule 8 of the Central Excise Rules, 2001, excise duty is payable by 20th for the goods removed in the first fortnight and by 5th of following month for the goods removed in second fortnight. Under this rule, if an assessee fails to pay the amount of duty by due date, he is liable to pay the outstanding amount along with interest at the rate of 24% p.a. on the outstanding amount for the period starting with the first day after due date till the date of actual payment. Secondly,
penalty is levied if an assessee defaults in payment of one installment by more than 30 days or delays payment of installments for the third time in a financial year, the assessee forfeits the facility to pay the dues in installments for a period of two months. During this period the assessee is required to pay excise duty for each consignment in cash and Cenvat Credit is also not allowed. This rule has been amended in the recent Budget with effect from April 1, 2003. Now duty will be payable on a monthly basis, by fifth of the following month. However, in the month of March, duty will be payable by March 31. Penalty for late payment is interest @ 2% or Rs 1,000/- per day, whichever is higher. However, penalty cannot exceed the total amount of duty payable. Ludhiana is dominated by small and medium-scale units. Suppose the excise officers are able to lure minimum of 100 units to pay duty in cash at an average rate of Rs 1 lakh per unit from the units which have earned Cenvat credit and duty is not payble, the total amount comes to Rs 1 crore. This duty shall accrue in April and become payable by May 5, 2003. V.P. Chhabra
DPDO clarification Col. R.S. Sohi (retd.), president, and executive members of the Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Society took a serious note of the information published in Ludhiana Tribune through a letter by Capt. P.L. Malhotra on March 21, 2003. The members of the society met the DPDO on March 24 and obtained an clarification on implementation of one rank one pension issue for ex-servicemen. The DPDO has clarified that neither has such an order on the subject been received nor any commitment on this issue has given by his office. In view of this, ex-servicemen are requested not to take cognisance of his letter. The press release has been issued by the president and executive members of the committee to put the facts straight and to avoid inconvenience to ex-servicemen, which is likely to arise due to the said misinformation. J.S. Garcha
Bumpy ride for Model Town
residents This is in reference to our news item on the subject published in the Ludhiana Tribune on February 19, 2003. In this respect it is also brought to the notice of Municipal Corporation that there is no proper drainage system in Model Town area, particularly on the road mentioned in the news item i.e. from Lal Kothi, Char Khamba and upto Tikona Park. Before starting the work on the road it should be checked whether the drainage or storm gullies for carrying rainy water have been provided, otherwise carpeting will serve no purpose. Prabhjot Singh Bal
Frequent poll a national wastage Democracy is the best form of government. It is the most representative and popular form. Plurality of political parties ensures a fair representation of different political, social, cultural, lingual and regional groups. However, frequent general
elections in India, three in the last there years, have raised serious doubts about the
smooth functioning of democracy in the country. The people are genuinely concerned about wastage of money and manpower due to frequent elections. Can a poor developing country like ours afford such a colossal waste of money and manpower in these rituals every year ? There has emerged a consensus among the people that only a stable and strong government can lead India on the path of progress and prosperity in the new millennium. Economic factor has always been a major consideration for our country. A general election costs hundreds of crores to the nation. It is a huge waste of money at the cost of national development and progress. The enormous cost of frequent general elections will certainly be ruinous to the economic health of India. It makes a mockery of recent gains achieved due to
liberalisation in our economy. Over ambitious leaders of splinter political groups like Jayalalitha cannot be allowed to hold the stability of the nation to ransom for their selfish and partisan ends. A stable strong government that can last full five years is the need of the hour and of course, of the nation. Rahul Trehan
Railway pensioners The Northern Railway Pensioners Welfare Association, at a meeting held under the presidentship of Mr Sher Singh, flayed the government for further reducing the interest rates effecting adversely the only income of the pensioners, who after hard and meritorious service of about 36/40 years, augment their pension with the interest so earned on their savings. This is a great blow to them at this vulnerable age, when they are mostly ignored by their near and dear ones. The members said the Railway Minister, while reducing the age limit of senior citizens to 60 years, should have enhanced the concession in railway fares to 50 per cent against 30 per cent only in the second sleeper class only for senior citizens. K.L. Chitkara
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Rs 50 lakh ‘surrendered’ Ludhiana, March 26 |
Imposition of VAT opposed Ludhiana, March 26 Mr Ahuja said, while in the draft it had been shown as a simple process, but the erratic implementation policy and procedures had created havoc in the minds of the industrialists and traders. He said, although small scale industry and trade had been exempted, they will be paying more tax in the long run.
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