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On Right Track!
Won’t allow peace to be disrupted in state: Tandon
Balramji Dass Tandon |
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Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness
Project
Sikhiya Karmis hold protest march, block road
Bus adda fee, taxes
Seminar on transforming rural Punjab held
Rally against social evils
RoB will be functional by Dec end: Badal
Workshop on teen troubles
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Ferozepur emerging as major exporter of rice
Chander Parkash Tribune News Service
Fazilka/Jalalabad December 12 Over the past two years, Ferozepur has started contributing major share in 18 lakh MT rice, being exported from India to many nook and corner of the globe. Not only this, the rice processing plants including export units, which have come up in Fazilka, Jalalabad, Guruharsahai, Zira, Mandi Ladhu Ka, Makhu and Ferozepur towns, have been fetching foreign exchange running into hundreds of crores of rupees for the country. The area has also been witnessing the Iranian citizens dressed in their traditional attire moving from one place to another in the district for placing orders of the rice as per their requirement. "The export of PUSA-1121 variety of rice, being sown in this area, to Iran, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, is expected to range between Rs 1000 crores to Rs 1500 crores in this current season as compared to Rs 100 crores during the last year," pointed out Anupam Jain, general manager, Olam Export India Limited, a Singapore-based export house. Jain while claiming that his company was a pioneer in processing the PUSA-1121 rice for export in Jalalabad region said that this variety had replaced Jasmine rice, which was being sent to Iran from Thailand. He added about nine to ten lakh tonnes of rice was being exported to Iran by India every year and major share of it was being contributed by Ferozepur based units. The increase in demand of PUSA-1121 rice for gulf countries under Basmati category has also led to attracting of various national and multinational companies to set up their export house in this region apart from running the rice processing units by taking the existing units from the local owners on rent or lease. "The character of the region has gone under sea change. The export oriented units and export houses have generated employment for thousands of people. The new avenues have opened up in foreign lands for the local industrialists and traders," claimed Subash Aggarwal, a rice mill owner, who for the first time exported rice to Dubai last year. He added that 15000 containers of rice were expected to be exported from this area in the current season. Ashok Grover, another industrialist, said that if the Punjab government sets up rice export hub at Jalalabad as promised by the deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the business would increase manifold within one to two years. Shushil Mittal, an industrialist of Ferozepur town, said that Punjab government would have to keep the tax structure on the paddy and rice comfortable for the businessmen so that this industry could grow positively. He added that Madhya Pardesh (MP) had already started attracting entrepreneurs from Punjab to set up their rice units in that state by introducing friendly tax structure for them.
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Won’t allow peace to be disrupted in state: Tandon
Bathinda, December 12 In reply to a question regarding distribution of photographs of a radical Sikh leader on a large scale, a senior leader of the BJP and former Punjab minister Balramji Dass Tandon said here today the BJP was committed to peace in the state and nobody would be allowed to spoil the peaceful atmosphere. When his attention was drawn towards the problem of fly ash being faced by the locals and residents of surrounding areas, Tandon said that on behalf of the Bathinda people, he would strongly ask the Chief Minister to solve the problem on priority basis even if it called for an expenditure running into hundreds of
crores. With regard to arrears of the hiked power tariff being added in the electricity bills sent to the consumers by the Punjab State Electricity Board
(PSEB), Tandon said it had already been decided that the government would subsidise the hiked power tariff while the arrears would be adjusted in future electricity bills. Commenting on the violent incidents occurred in Ludhiana recently, Tandon said the industry and the agriculture depend on migrant labour in the state, so the state government should ensure their safety and security. He also asked the state government to initiate strong action against the “erring persons” responsible for the incidents. Regarding a programme of Ashutosh Maharaj at Ludhiana recently and the violence erupted at that time, Tandon said the situation could have been tackled in a better way if the government had taken timely steps. |
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Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness
Project Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service
Bathinda, December 12 The project has a support of the USAID through International Federation of Red Cross so that it is implemented in letter and spirit. To run the affairs of the project in a proper manner, three posts have been sanctioned under the project for each district. These are district project coordinator, district communication and reporting officer, and district finance and administration officer. The posts would carry fixed salary every month. Under the project, district-level preparedness plans will be made. Besides, training programmes for the volunteers, health workers and community members will be conducted for the proper implementation of the project. Secretary of Bathinda District Red Cross Society JR Goyal said the project would also deal with the menace of swine flu disease. He said implementation of the project would be started in the district as and when the posts were filled by the authorities concerned. When contacted on phone, project director of the Punjab State Red Cross Society RP Verma said the interviews for the posts would be conducted soon. He said it was yet to be decided whether the interviews would be held at the state headquarters or in respective districts, but the process to fill up the posts would be completed in a fortnight.
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Sikhiya Karmis hold protest march, block road
Bathinda, December 12 The protesters also blocked the road for some time near the Mini Secretariat here and held a rally there. The memorandum was received from the protesters by the local Tehsildar. He reportedly promised to the protesters that the memorandum would be sent to the Punjab Chief Minister. The demands include regularisation of services on priority basis, security of service, reinstatement of terminated Sikhiya Karmis, implementation of six percent annual increment, shifting of Sikhiya Karmis into Sarva Sikhiya Abhiyan (SSA) teachers’ category, and appointment of Sikhiya Karmis at the time of new appointments of teachers under the SSA during future recruitments. The protesters were addressed among others by district president of the union Amarinder Singh, state press secretary Gursewak Singh Ballo, district vice-president of the union Rajwinder Kaur, a leader of the Democratic Teachers’ Front Krishan Menon and a leader of the Government Teachers’ Union Lachhman Singh Maluka. |
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Auction cancelled
Our Correspondent
Abohar, December 12 As per available information, the contract for collection of advertisement tax etc had expired on October 31, 2009. The MC had not earned more than Rs 10 lakh as advertisement tax last year while auction of adda fee and stalls made major part of its income after abolition of octroi tax. A few days back the MC staff had reportedly intercepted a canter that was loaded with publicity hoardings of a leading oil mill of the state but the same was let off later under the pretext that the hoardings were not to be fixed here. Surprisingly scores of hoardings were found on the retail shops today. The MC authorities refused to reveal whether tax at the rate Rs 45 sq feet, as applicable, had been charged or not? MC president Shivraj Goyal while addressing newsmen last Saturday had admitted that the cash strapped council owes liabilities worth Rs 11 crore and the state government had been requested to allow auction of immovable properties to pay the debts. What prompted the council to cancel the scheduled annual contractual auction for recovery of some taxes and fee, none was available to explain. Arch-rival Congress leaders have been alleging that some senior workers of the ruling BJP had underhand financial interest in such contracts.
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Seminar on transforming rural Punjab held
Bathinda, December 12 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was the chief guest on the occasion. Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, director, World Punjabi Centre, welcomed the guests and delivered the introductory speech. The keynote address was given by Satya Paul Gautam, VC, Rohilkhund University, Bareilly. Presidential remarks were given by RC Sobti, VC, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The CM announced that to promote rural education, the government is opening 13 degree colleges and two world-class universities in rural areas, one at village Ghuda and other at Amritsar. On the occassion, guests of honour were Prof Jaspal Singh, VC, Panjabi University, Patiala and others.
— TNS |
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Rally against social evils
Moga, December 12 The rally was flagged off by Harcharan Singh Sandhu, the SDM of the Moga sub-division. The SDM expressed concern over the degrading values among the youth, which was affecting the social set-up in the society. He said the skewed sex ratio was a major concern for society today. He called upon the younger generations to fight these social evils that were damaging the social fabric of the society. PS Gill, a noted health specialist and TB eradication programme officer of the district, gave details of some common diseases affecting the health of human beings due to the intake of drugs, besides, explaining the need to respect the girl child by ending female foeticide. Prithi Singh Luhaniwal, state executive member of the federation, who led the awareness rally, called upon the youth to give up drug addiction and stress on studies to develop a better career for themselves. "The youth should indulge in nation-building rather than plaguing the society with bad habits," he said. The activists carried placards bearing slogans against these social evils. They also raised slogans against homosexuality and lesbianism, which according to them were against the basic principles of nature. The youths stressed upon the need to respect all human beings irrespective of their sex, colour or creed and develop the brotherhood among them to build a strong society, state and nation. |
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RoB will be functional by Dec end: Badal
Abohar, December 12 Badal arrived here along with his wife Surinder Kaur Badal to attend a marriage ceremony today. He was received by BSF DIG Vimal Satyarthi, Lok Sabha member Sher Singh Ghubaya, former BJP MLA Dr Ram Kumar Goyal and Shivraj Goyal president of the municipal council besides senior civil and police officials. Dr Goyal informed the CM that over 1.5 lakh citizens who had been facing problems due to suspension of traffic owing to construction of the RoB were eagerly waiting for its inauguration. Badal said the railway engineers as well as the state PWD were expected to complete testing/inspection of the RoB by December 20 and may fix formal inauguration ceremony during the last week of the month. He assured that development schemes for this town would be discussed during his next visit. |
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Workshop on teen troubles
Bathinda, December 12 At the workshop, the problems related to adolescents were discussed. A rally was also organised on the occasion. Under the programme, chart making and lecture competitions were also organised. Participants of the competitions expressed their views on various problems of the adolescents. Later, prizes were distributed among the winner students.
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Traders’ board to check corruption Bathinda: The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal has constituted an anti-corruption board, which will be headed by Bimal Gupta of Faridkot. The other office-bearers of the Board are chairman: Meghna Ram; vice-chairman: Shaym Sundar, members: Dr Praveen, Prem Gupta, Rajan Thakur and Avinash Gupta. — OC
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Bathinda, December 12
