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No power tariff hike
Chandigarh, May 10 However, the actual payment of subsidy from the Punjab Government to the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) will be Rs 1486.82 crore, which is Rs 160 crore more than the figure last year. In the last couple of years the state government has given Rs 113 crore in excess as subsidy for the Scheduled Castes to the PSEB, which will be adjusted in the total subsidy bill for the current financial year. The PSEB had proposed a uniform increase of over 17 per cent in the power tariff for all categories of consumers for the current financial year. This has been turned down, said the Chairman of the PSERC, Mr Jai Singh Gill, while talking to reporters here today. He released the tariff order for the year 2006-07. The combined average cost of power supply for 2006-07 worked out to 329.94 paise per unit as against 329.42 paise per unit last year. Thus there would be no increase, Mr Gill added. Mr Gill, who retired as the Punjab Chief Secretary in January, said there was no apparent reason for hiking the power tariff. He side-stepped direct questions on whether this seemed like an election year announcement. Last year, the PSERC had hiked the power tariff by 10.27 per cent. Despite the hike in subsidy for the current year, the PSERC's tariff order is expected to leave the PSEB in the red. The PSEB will need financial help from the Punjab Government to survive because the gap between the estimated cost of power fixed by the PSERC and the actual buying cost of the PSEB during this summer is about Rs 2 per unit. The PSERC has said the highest price should be Rs 3.50 per unit while sources in the PSEB said new power purchase agreements for this summer were signed at a rate which was more than Rs 5.50 per unit. When asked about this gap, or if the PSERC could carry out a mid-year review, Mr Gill said: "We have gone by the projections made by the PSEB in its demands". The sources in the PSEB said these demands were sent last November and since then the power scenario had changed and the rates had gone up. Mr Gill said the revenue gap of the PSEB for 2006-07 was Rs 281.05 crore as against Rs 1,336 crore projected by the power board. The overall revenue deficit of the PSEB, however, stood at Rs 8.81 crore, after the adjustment of excess government subsidy of Rs 113 crore and the revenue gap of Rs 281.05 crore for 2006-07. The Annual Revenue Requirement of the PSEB for 2006-07 was fixed at Rs 8,871.87 crore by the PSERC. The PSEB had demanded Rs 9,820 crore. The agricultural tariff would continue at Rs 2.14 per unit. "The total amount of government subsidy for free supply to agricultural consumers for the current year works out to Rs 1,522.61 crore. This has been committed by the Punjab Government," he added. Also, the PSERC said that the rental for single-phase static meters would be reduced from Rs 20 to Rs 5. This was the most common meter used in Punjab, Mr Gill said. Mr Gill added that the "supply code" that would define the quality of power supply would be announced soon.
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PSEB slammed
for line losses
Chandigarh, May 10 The PSEB had demanded Rs 1803 crore as expenses of employees during the current financial year. This was a hike of a whopping Rs 323 crore over the last year's expenses of Rs 1480 crore. The PSERC has pruned down the demand of the PSEB to Rs 1559 crore while being candid on the issue of overstaffing saying that the “employee cost were one of the highest in the country”. The PSERC Chairman, Mr Jai Singh Gill, released the tariff order for the current year here today and the comments of the PSERC are documented in it. The PSEB, in its demands, had said that downsizing of cadres was not possible due to prevalent labour policies in the country and the introduction of voluntary retirement scheme was not possible as the board did not have enough money. The commission said the PSEB did not use the specified performance indicators which could be used to devise a formula to determine employee costs and improved efficiency levels, hence the wholesale price index had been used to fix employee-costs. Also the PSERC has said that by stopping fresh recruitments, the PSEB has saved some money, however, this cannot be adopted in the long run. The commission has said the PSEB's claim that line losses cannot be brought down was “ill-conceived”. Quoting examples of good performance, the commission says line losses in Khanna were just 11.14 per cent, in Ludhiana East 11.64 per cent and at Ropar 13.92 per cent. On the other hand, Ferozepore, Muktsar and Amritsar had line losses of 42 per cent, 39 per cent and 37 per cent, respectively. There was a huge scope of reducing these line losses. Speaking up for the welfare of PSEB employees, the commission said it has observed with “serious concern” that the PSEB had not opened a separate GPF account where all accruals of employees should be deposited.
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PSEB empowered to buy power
Chandigarh, May 10 The PSEB had demanded Rs 3,256 crore to buy 13225 million units. A cut of nearly 900 million units has been imposed. A part of the cut stems from the fact that the Central Electricity Regulatory Authority has put a cap on profiteering in power trading by states while selling to power-deficit states like Punjab and Haryana.
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Service providers willing to work in rural areas
Bathinda, May 10 Talking to The Tribune, Dr Aslam Parvez, president, Rural Medical Service Providers Association, Punjab, said yesterday that it was untrue that the doctors did not want to serve in the rural dispensaries due to which hundreds of dispensaries failed to attract the service providers. He said a large number of doctors were still on the waiting lists in various districts. If these doctors were called for recounselling, all vacant posts in rural dispensaries would be filled. Giving details about the doctors on the waiting list in the state, he said out of 275 applicants in Ludhiana district the merit list of only 105 doctors had been released. He said the same was the case in Ropar, Bathinda, Patiala and Jalandhar districts. Dr Parvez said the selected service providers wanted that the state government should allow them to join at the rural dispensaries at the earliest. Due to the postponement of the service contracts signed between the service providers and the Zila Parishads many of the service providers were in a state of dilemma. Meanwhile, the Rural Medical Service Providers Association was formed at a meeting held at Barnala on Monday. Dr Parvez was elected as president, while Dr Ravi Kant from Muktsar as vice-president and Dr Gurpreet Singh Badal from Bathinda as joint secretary. Dr Navjot Kaur (Ropar), Dr Seema Soni (Ludhiana) and Dr Dinesh (Patiala) were elected executive members of the
association.
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Vedanti for joint nagar kirtan to Lahore
Amritsar, May 10 Jathedar Vedanti has already conveyed his feelings to Mr Harwinder Singh Sarna, president, DSGMC, to join hands with the SGPC so that it should send positive message to the Sikh community all over the world. Talking to TNS, Mr Sarna admitted that Jathedar Vedanti had told him that parallel nagar kirtan will not send right message from the community, especially at the time of centenaries of the Sikh Panth. He, however, said that the DSGMC would accept any directive issued by Jathedar Akal Takht in this regard. However, in absence of clear directive by the Sikh clergy, the parallel nagar kirtan are likely to mark the occasion , according to Sikh circles. The tough postures taken by the DSGMC and the SGPC on taking parallel nagar kirtan from New Delhi to Lahore and Amritsar to Lahore, respectively, had already pained the hearts of a common Sikh. On the other hand, rival factions in Delhi have already joined hands to organise parallel functions by staying away from the stage proposed to be held by the DSGMC. Meanwhile, Mr Avtar Singh, president, SGPC, has said that Shiromani Committee had sought 10,000 visas to visit Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore, so that martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev could be observed in a fitting manner. He said there was a lot of enthusiasm to participate in the nagar kirtans . As per the past record, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), Pakistan Evacuee Property Trust Boar and American Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee headed by Dr Pritpal Singh have given their consent to join hands with the DSGMC to receive the nagar kirtan at Wagah border on June 12. They would participate in the proposed seminar on the life and teachings of Guru Arjan Dev and his contribution to the humanity at Hotel Pearl Continental, Lahore. The seminar is likely to be presided over by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Such treatment is unlikely to be given to the SGPC. The DSGMC has planned to take out nagar kirtan from New Delhi on June 10, which would be received by Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister at Patiala. The nagar kirtan would enter Pakistan on May 12 after a night's halt at Amritsar. Mr Sarna said that officials of Dharm Parchar Committee of the DSGMC have been mobilising Sikh masses to participate in the nagar kirtan in a big way.
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Top fashion choreographer comes calling for male models in Punjab
Chandigarh, May 10 In town today, fashion choreographer Rashmi Virmani, who discovered supermodels Aparna Kumar, Mehar Bhasin and Rajnessh Duggal, now male supermodel-in-making Kanwal Gill (from Amritsar), said Punjabi males were h(o)aute on the Indian fashion scene. “They have a great physique and a perfectly chiselled face, that can showcase a host of styles. After Inder Mohan moved to Mumbai there is no male supermodel on the Delhi fashion circuit. We are thus hunting fresh talent , and realising the potential of Punjab, we have come here, “she said. Her company, the Ramp School of Fashion Modelling, will be holding auditions for wannabe models - both males and females - at Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh from May 12- 14. “Though the girls in Punjab are beautiful, they are not very keen on a career in modelling,” she added. Ms Virmani said this was her agency’s third model hunt trip to Punjab, and has signed in four male models in her earlier auditions. Her recent find, Kanwal Gill, has hit big time, having walked the ramp for top designers, during the Wills India Fashion Week and Marks and Spencer fashion show. So what is she looking for as she hunts for models? “The model has to be polished, have an attitude and a great body language. The metrosexual image is now passe for males, and in is the retro look. Similarly, the dusky look in females is out and fair models are being preferred,” she said. Ms
Virmani, who also discovered actor Udita Goswami in Dehradun, is also into production. Her shows on style and fashion - Maximum Style and Gizmo Freak on Zoom TV have been quite a hit. Her show on male talk- Man’s World on
AXN, though drawing flak from the women for being ‘sexist’, is getting quite popular with the men. She is also producing a cookery show, Mirch Masala for Zee TV, while a seven-episode serial on successful Indians is under production for Sony TV. But how does she manage the pressure of her three diversified careers of choreographer, training models to production, we asked. “Choreogrpahy remains my first love. But in order to grow professionally, I have diversified into my other interests,” she said.
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70-year-old shoots one, injures three
Pathankot, May 10 SSP Gurdaspur P.S. Umranangal said Kartar Chand was cultivating a piece of village common land. On the request of the sarpanch of the village, the local authorities dispossessed him of the common land. The land in dispute was to be auctioned by the panchayat. Yesterday, late in the evening the sarpanch of the village, Kewal Krishan, was standing at a village STD booth along with other persons. Kartar Chand came to the spot and threatened the sarpanch that he would teach him a lesson for dispossessing of the land. Soon his son Kuldeep Raj and grandson Shinda also came to the spot. They handed Kartar Chand their licensed single-barrel 12 bore gun, and he started firing at the sarpanch and those standing near him. The bullets hit one Raman Kumar in the chest, who later died in
hospital. Kewal Kishan received bullet injuries in his arm. A four-year-old girl Neha and another person Kashmir Chand were also injured. After firing, the son and grandson of the accused fled from the spot. The old man went to his house after the incident. The police reached the spot but failed to capture the septuagenarian killer, as he kept them at bay by firing in the air. The police then fired teargas shells in the house that forced him out ,resulting in his arrest. A case under Sections 302 and 307 of the IPC and the Arms Act has been registered against the accused and his son.
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Badal for probe into land proposals to RIL
Chandigarh, May 10 “Punjab is not up for grabs. If the deal goes through, then every village and town in Punjab would lose all its prime land to this industrial house, reducing the state virtually to an economic colony of the Reliance Industries.” Mr Badal told the Chief Minister to stop treating the state as his personal property. “ Capt Amarinder cannot be allowed to barter away the entire state for promoting his personal and political interests. The land belonging to panchayats, boards and corporations is the property of the people of Punjab and is a buffer for long-term development projects. Decisions regarding these have to taken in a transparent manner and not on the basis of personal whims of the Chief Minister.” Mr Badal said it was a fit case for investigation by an independent central agency. Mr Badal asked a series of questions from the Chief Minister about the proposed deal. These included : “What are the fiscal calculations behind shortlisting Reliance as the only business house to be considered for the project? What experience does Reliance have in vegetable or other farm product retailing in the country? What are the reciprocal guarantees received by the Punjab Government in return for the massive favours to be extended to Reliance? What compulsions the RIL has for its unwillingness to buy land through open auction ?
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Release of khair wood due to ‘communication gap’
Hoshiarpur, May 10 In response to a question under the Right to Information by former wildlife Warden Gunraj Singh, Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur D.K. Tiwari said that the SSP had been asked to clarify the matter. As per the reply of the SSP forwarded under the Right to Information query, the SDM Hoshiarpur told the DSP concerned to look for the transit of illegally felled trees. Following the information four trucks loaded with wood were seized. The SDM was to verify papers of the trucks in the morning but the ASI concerned released the trucks on his own. The SSP has claimed that the ASI informed the SDM on phone that he had verified the papers and found the wood to be legal. After consulting the SDM he released the trucks on his own. He has added a show-cause notice had been issued to the ASI and departmental action was being taken against the police officer. The reply of the SSP has, however, left many questions unanswered. The day the trucks were released, the Deputy Commissioner had told The Tribune to enquire into the matter. Nakas were also laid to stop the truck on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner but the vehicles were never located. A highly-placed official who was part of the inquiry also expressed surprise at the truck being released. The question of material loaded in trucks being legal was very remote as this year no permits for felling were given by Forest officials due to high court’s orders. Despite this the claim of police officials that they checked the papers and released the trucks before the officials deputed by the Deputy Commissioner could reach the spot seems to unfounded. Sources here told The Tribune that the trucks were actually released at the intervention of a high-ranking police official who had close links with
some Forest officials posted here. The entire follow-up operation that has now been termed as ‘communication gap’ is just a
cover-up.
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Railways to launch common timetable
Phillaur, May 10 Railway sources said the timings of the train to reach their destinations would be reduced by accelerating the speed to save the time of the passengers. The sources said though several new trains would be introduced on several sections, additional coaches would also be attached with the important existing trains on several important rail sections When asked about the shortage of platforms at a few railway stations, the sources said efforts were being made to solve the passengers’ demands and no specific shortage of platforms was being noticed at important railway stations. Answering a question about security measures being taken by the Railway after receiving threats at some railway stations, including Phagwara, Ambala, Jalandhar, Jammu and Amritsar, the sources said joint search operations of the Government Railway Police, the Railway Protection Force and the police were being carried out at several sensitive railway stations.
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Hottest day in Patiala
Patiala, May 10 Not only this, the rise in temperature is also affecting the business of shopkeepers as they have been finding a few customers during the peak hours. The city today experienced the hottest day after the summers set in as the mercury touched 40.7° C. The situation reached such a point where the rickshaw-pullers preferred to take rest under the shady trees dotting various gardens of the city. A round of the city revealed that people had been using all types of modes to beat the heat. The city had been witnessing a great rush of people at the roadside stalls and handcarts selling watermelons, "sharbats", ice shakes and ice candies. Not only this, the sale of desert coolers and airconditioners had also started picking up. A significant number of people, especially youths, could be seen having a splash in the dangerous Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal passing on the Patiala-Sangrur road and the Patiala-Nabha road braving all risks to their lives. A section of schoolchildren said their school timings should also be changed so that they could save themselves from the scorching sun by reaching to their respective dwellings before noon. The residents pointed out that on one hand, they had been trying to remain indoors to save themselves from the blistering sun, on the other they had been feeling harassed due to unscheduled and unannounced power cuts being imposed by the PSEB.
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Road travel facility to jatha to Pak favoured
Jalandhar, May 10 Meanwhile, rising above party affiliations, the SGPC has also decided to invite all political parties to the three-day ‘Shatabdi Samagam’, being held at Tarn Taran on May 14, 15 and 16 in connection with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Avtaar Singh said the SGPC had decided to seek permission from the Union Home Ministry for the extension of road travel facility to devotees through Wagah.
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42 donate blood on Red Cross Day
Mansa, May 10 A blood donation camp was organised on the occasion in which 42 volunteers donated blood. Some volunteers could not donate blood due to small storage capacity of the blood bank. The donors were given appreciation certificates. A cultural programme was also presented by students of various schools of the district. The Deputy Commissioner said construction of the Oldage Home at a cost of Rs 30 lakh would start soon.
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Khalsa Dal chief granted bail
Barnala, May 10 The court of Additional Sessions Judge Mr Fatehdeep Singh granted bail for two securities and Rs 50,000 bail bond each. Mr Bittu will be released from high-security Nabha jail. Mr Bittu was arrested on sedition charges on the night of April 19 by the Barnala police from his Ludhiana residence. He was charged for making inflammatory speeches before the farmers on the Trident land acquisition case at Fatehgarh Channa village . ASI Paramjeet Singh was the complainant in this case and he was also the inquiry officer in the case.
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Beating up of Dalits: PSHRC orders probe
Amritsar, May 10 Mr Tarsem Peter, president, Pendu Mazdoor Union, in a press release issued here today said the commission directed the DM to send a report on the matter before the next date of hearing on July 19. The PMU had alleged that persons belonging to Dalit families were beaten up upon refusing to work as bonded labourers.
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Clash over control of DAV schools
Batala, May 10 The trouble started when Ms Veena Watni principal of the local RR Bawa DAV College for Girls, along with some of her staff members, Ms Shabnam Handa, principal Dr Daulat Ram Bhalla DAV Centenary Public School, Batala, and some other persons forcibly entered the office of Dr MRS Bhalla DAV Girls School Kila Mandi and pushed away Mrs. Kanta Mahajan out of office and herself occupied the chair of the principal. On receiving this information, Mr Jagdish Sahni ex-MLA, Batala, chairman of the local management committee, along with his supporters arrived at the scene which led to an altercation and unruly scenes. The intruders were made to leave the place by the local chairman, Mr Sahni. Simultaneously, another group, led by Ms J Kakaria, principal, BBK DAV College for girls, Amritsar, along with Dr Aruna Anand, principal DAV College of Education, Amritsar and many others entered Agya Wanti Marwaha DAV senior Secondary school, Murgi Mohalla, Batala and occupied the office of the Principal. Ms Shanta Oberoi, local principal, was made to sign some papers under duress. She made a written complaint, which was signed by 20 other staff members of the school to the local police regarding the high-handedness of the aforesaid alleged representatives of the DAV Management Committee, New Delhi. Mr Jagdish Sahni, ex-MLA, and chairman of the LMC of this school, along with Mr JS Nayyar, manager, LMC, along with many others arrived on the scene. Another group, led by Mr Inder Sekhri brother of the local MLA and Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ashwani Sekhri, arrived on the spot along with his supporters. Mr A.C. Preet, principal, DAV School for boys, Batala, had a tiff with Mr Sahni and his supporters. Both the groups openly had heated arguments. Both groups raised slogans against each other, at which a police contingent present on the spot removed Mr Sahni from the scene. Later Mr Sahni was released by the police at the Rangar Nangal police station. The bone of contention behind this hooliganism was to control the local DAV schools by Congress loyalists, while these are managed and controlled by Mr Jagdish Sahni, belonging to the BJP.
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Diploma in hospital management started
Amritsar, May 10 Dr S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor, said the university would also introduce diploma in medical jurisprudence and diploma in hospital IT solutions shortly. He said that PG diploma in hospital management would be a joint academic programme with practical training in Escorts hospitals and basic course in Department of Sports Medicine and Physiotherapy of the university. On this newly introduced course, the Vice-Chancellor said this discipline was the first of its type in this part of the country. He said admission to this course is open to MBBS, BDS, BPT, B.Sc (Genetics), Nursing, Human Biology, Biotechnology, B.Pharmacy, B.E., M.Tech, B.Arch, M.Sc in Life Sciences candidates. He said this diploma course would produce trained professionals for manning administrative wings of hospitals and nursing homes. Dr S.P. Singh said the healthcare was a major industry in India where international standard treatment procedures were conducted. This has led to mushrooming of hospitals in the country but the essence was the international standard, treatment for which hospital management was a very important part. The Vice-Chancellor said the opening of Indo-Pakistan border would especially give boost to the healthcare industry. Keeping this requirement in mind, Guru Nanak Dev university has taken the initiative to introduce this course. He informed Guru Nanak Dev university would also introduce diploma in medical jurisprudence from academic year 2007 for which the syllabus and ordinances had already been designed. The Vice-Chancellor said the university was also starting a diploma in Hospital IT Solutions in its affiliated colleges. Role of computers in hospital data management, drug inventory, human resource management, epidemiology had necessitated the introduction of this course.
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DC orders school principal’s transfer
Bathinda, May 10 The DC made surprise checking of the schools in the villages. He was accompanied by the Bathinda SDM, the Bathinda BDPO, the DEO (Secondary), Deputy DEO (Primary) and officers of the Anganwarri and the Public Health Department. The DC said during checking of the school of Gillpatti village, near here, he found students roaming on the road outside the school building and several rooms of the school filled with waste material. The incharge of the school had been asked to dispose of waste material in a week and stop students from roaming outside the school building, he added. The DC also found mismanagement of Bhokhra village, school near here. He had found some teachers sitting idle in the staff room of the school. The cooler of the school was also found out of order. During checking of the primary school of Bhokhra village he also found students sitting in classes without teachers. Some students were found without school uniforms, due to which he ordered the Secretary, District Red Cross Society, to provide school uniforms to the students. He also found employees of the joint water works of Bhokhra and Gillpatti villages absent from duty. He also checked the Anganwarri centre of Gillpatti village and directed the ADC (D) to start the supply of ration to the Anganwarri centres.
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School summer vacations from today
Chandigarh, May 10 The School Education Minister, Mr Harnam Dass Johar, said today that the summer vacations had been preponed keeping in view the persisting heat wave in the state. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the department said the transfers in the JBT/ETT and master cadre would be completed by June 30. He said as per the policy of the state government, transfers would be bare minimum and would be made against sanctioned vacant posts. The transfers at the district level would be made by the District Education Officers (DEOs) and applications could be submitted till May 25. For inter-district and inter-circle transfers, application would be entertained till May 31. The DEOs (Elementary and Secondary) would process the applications from May 26 to May 31 and transfer orders would be issued from June 1 to June 7. The transferred teachers could join at new stations till June 14. The circle and district-level transfers of the master cadre would be completed till June 20 while inter-district and inter-circle transfers would be made by the DPIs till June 30. He further added that those teachers who were due to retire within two years, would not be transferred without their consent. In this case, no mutual transfer application would be entertained.
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B.Com (professional) Part-I results today
Amritsar, May 10 Dr R.S. Bawa, Registrar, said the results would also be available on the university website, www.gnduonline.org, in the afternoon. — OC
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