Chandigarh, May 20
A cash-starved Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is now trying to generate revenue by seeking advanced consumption deposits (ACD) from its consumers even as it has failed to compensate them for charging enhanced rates which were rolled back later with retrospective effect.

Both domestic and industrial consumers have started receiving demands for deposition of ACD. The PSPCL has taken a decision to charge domestic consumers two and a half times their average two-month bill and industrial units one and a half times their average one-month bill.

The move is being seen as a step to bridge the revenue gap after the State Electricity Regulatory Commission allowed PSPCL an additional tariff compensation of only Rs 2,651 crore against Rs 9,656 crore demanded by it.

This will have a telling effect on domestic consumers, particularly the poor who are getting 100 units of power free per month but are now receiving demands for a security deposit of around Rs 3,000.

Congress legislator Sunil Jakhar, who has filed a PIL on the issue, claimed PSPCL was passing on its inefficiency to the people.

Jakhar said PSPCL aimed to collect Rs 1,304 crore through this scheme, which was no more than backdoor taxation. He claimed this was being done as banks were now refusing loans to the electricity utility.

Jakhar claimed that the government was responsible to this state of affairs. He said despite claiming that the state was flush with funds for development, the government had not taken on the liability of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) after it was split into two corporations in June last year.

Jakhar also claimed that consumers who had paid nearly Rs 1,600 crore in enhanced bills for one and a half years had only been partially adjusted for the same till now despite the rollback in the power tariff hike.

PSPCL Director Distribution Anil Verma said the Electricity Regulatory Commission had approved the levying of ACD last year. He said though notices had been issued to all consumers as per an “old circular”, the charges were presently being levied on large industrial units only.

Verma said no decision had been taken on levying ACD charges on domestic and small and medium industrial units.

He said PSPCL would give 12 per cent interest of all money collected in advance under this scheme and that the deposit would be reviewed every year on the basis of the previous years’ average consumption.

Patiala, May 20
Chairman-cum-managing director of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) KD Chaudhri today rubbished the claims made by some of the farmers’ associations that the notification for the restoration of the free power, being given to the agricultural tubewells, has not been issued.

Chaudhri said one of the farmers’ unions today met him and stated that notification under question has not been issued. “This is absolutely wrong. The notification has already been issued and the PSPCL was not asking the agricultural consumers to pay the power bill of Rs 50 per brake horsepower (Brake Horsepower is capacity of the motor of the agricultural tubewell) per month,” said Chaudhri.

Notably, the Sukhbir-Kalia committee had recommended Rs 50 BHP to be collected on biannual basis for power supply to farm sector last year. It was also stated that the actual power would be reimbursed as productivity bonus in recognition of the farmers’ contribution to the national foodgrains pool.

However, during the end 2010, the state government had made an announcement to restore the free power being given to the agricultural tubewells. The government had announced that practice of levying the Rs 50 BHP per month being billed to farmers would discontinue.

Interestingly, leaders of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Punjab, claimed that government was yet to issue a notification and they were facing harassment as the PSPCL was issuing the power bills to them. “We have urged the PSPCL CMD to get the notification issued so that the practice of levying Rs 50 BHP to agricultural tubewells should be discontinued,” claimed committee president Satnam Singh Pannu after meeting Chaudhri.

Chaudhri said he has categorically told the delegation that the notification under question has already been issued. “We had not even asked the agricultural power consumers to deposit the bills at the rate of Rs 50 BHP to agricultural tubewells, before the announcement of restoration of the free power made by the state government,” added CMD.

Barnala, May 20
Taking note of the inability of Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) to provide a power connection for a tubewell to an applicant, the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Barnala, has slapped a compensation of Rs 25,000 on the corporation.

Dharampal of Sekha village had filed a complaint before the forum that his grandfather had applied for the connection on February 21, 1990. Seventeen years later, the power corporation had asked his father, through a demand notice, to deposit Rs 29,705 which he did so on March 14, 2007.

The complainant said that even after the passage of four years, PSPCL had failed to provide the connection after which he approached the redressal forum.

The forum ordered the PSPCL to pay 9 per cent interest on the Rs 29705 from March 14, 2007, till the installation of the connection. In addition, it ordered PSPCL to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation and also directed the power corporation to recover it from the erring officials in the department.

Snail’s pace

* Application filed on February 21, 1990

* Rs 29,705 deposited on March 14, 2007

Jalandhar, May 20
Worried at the growing rift among senior leaders of the party in the state months before the assembly elections, the Congress high command is believed to have decided to tighten its control over the affairs of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Party insiders said that Rahul Gandhi, who met senior leaders of the Congress from the state during the past few days, had assured them that he would take corrective measures to do justice to all concerned. In fact, he said the exercise was already on.

The recent appointment of the PPCC office-bearers, including vice-presidents, general secretaries, district presidents and others has created much discontentment among senior leaders, whose supporters were ignored. The list of the office-bearers does not have anyone from the the late Chief Minister Beant Singh’s family. Beant Singh had single-handedly revived the Congress in the state in the early nineties. During the past few days, several leaders have rushed to the party high command to convey their feelings in this regard.

At present, the Congress is divided into several camps. One camp is led by Jagmeet Singh Brar and the other by Partap Singh Bajwa. Though, as of now, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is moving along PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh, she maintains a separate group within the party.

Mohinder Singh Kay Pee has his own group. There are reports that young Congress leaders such as Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Surinder Pal Singh Sibia have formed a separate group.

Sources said that leaders of these camps, who at the moment function individually, are trying to get together and form a formidable group against Capt Amarinder Singh. Party insiders said that high command was surprised to find some leaders holding more than one office in the organisational setup. They have become party officer-bearers and members of the manifesto committee.

The high command is reportedly considering that those on the All-India Congress Committee( AICC) should not be given offices in the PPCC because they are already member of the apex body ( AICC) of the party. The one man, one office rule should be strictly enforced to accommodate the maximum number of senior leaders in the organisation.

Chandigarh, May 20
To stem indiscipline, the Punjab BJP today issued a show-cause notice to former Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal besides suspending three of his supporters. But the party may find it difficult to stop the rumblings in the party with leaders demanding that allegations against Local Bodies Minister Tikshan Sud be judged too.

Mohan Lal, who was dropped from the Cabinet recently, has been issued a notice for openly criticising party president Ashwani Sharma and encouraging his voters to revolt against the party.

The party’s disciplinary committee, which met here this evening, also suspended three councillors from Pathankot , Vikram Mahajan, Raj Kumar Gupta and Narinder Nindu, besides issuing show-cause notices to four other party workers. All of them are accused of orchestrating protests against the state party president at Pathankot in the past two days.

Disciplinary committee chairman Shakti Sharma and other members viewed a compact disc showcasing the protests before taking a decision on the issue.The committee was briefed by Pathankot district chief Satish Sharma.

Meanwhile, the party continues to be faced with the problem of applying the same yardstick to Local Bodies and Industries Minister Tikshan Sud as done in case of Manoranjan Kalia and Swarna Ram while dropping them as Ministers. Additional Chief Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RR Kakkar has accused the minister of corruption. The officer has in a written complaint to the CM accused Sud of receiving bribes for departmental transfers and forcing officers to collect funds for the BJP. In a another complaint received by TNS today, an engineer, MR Dubey, has written to Governor Shivraj Patil claiming Sud had transferred 13 professors from the Government Medical College, Patiala, to the medical college at Amritsar in July 2010 only to transfer them back to Patiala 10 days later.

The officer has claimed a large amount of money changed hands in the transfers and that offices attached to the minister were also guilty of corruption.

Sud remained unavailable for comment despite several calls to his private secretary. Sources said the party seems in a self-destruct mode with the the Manoranjan Kalia and Tikshan Sud group arraigned against each other. Earlier, Kalia as Minister had embarrassed Sud by uncovering a scam in the Hoshiarpur Municipal Committee and suspending a few of Sud’s men.

BJP sources are perturbed that the ongoing internal war has already damaged the party severely and now threatens to paint all senior leaders as corrupt.

Chandigarh, May 20
The Punjab Government today announced travel and special allowance to ministerial staff. The government accepted this demand following discussions over demands made by the representatives of the Punjab Ministerial Staff Union here today.

Disclosing this, Chief Secretary SS Brar said senior assistant, junior auditor/auditor, senior scale stenographers, junior assistant, junior scale stenographers, steno typist and clerical categories had been granted the travel and special allowance. A notification has already been issued in this regard, he added.

Adding further, he said the state government has accepted in principal to grant special and travel allowance to Supt. Grade 1 and 11 and Cashier/Accountant and other categories also.

Ludhiana, May 20
Rural medicare in the state is all set to suffer as Rural Medical Officers are planning to quit en masse in protest against drastic decrease in their salaries after implementation of the Punjab Civil Service Regularisation (Rationalisation of certain condition of services) Act-2011. 

Ten RMOs working in the subsidiary health centres of the state have already resigned from their posts within a fortnight. Many more are planning to put in their papers, as their salaries have been reduced to Rs 15,600 per month from Rs 27,000.

The 1,186 doctors, who were appointed as Rural Medical Officers in 2006 in 1,186 rural dispensaries of the state catering to more than 15,000 villages, have been forced to take the extreme step. ‘‘We will not be able to run our families. It is a cruel joke. The inflation has gone up and our salaries have decreased,’’ said an RMO requesting anonymity. 

Another doctor said, “The present government took a decision in the Cabinet on March 9 this year that the services of these doctors will be regularised from May 1 and thus, these doctors will be able to get Rs 43,000 per month salary. The notification was also issued in this regard on April 25 by the state government. But simultaneously, it passed the Punjab Civil Service Regularisation Act (Rationalisation of certain condition of services)-2011,” said state president of RMSA Dr Aslam Parvez.

* 10 RMOs in the subsidiary health centres have already resigned
* Salaries reduced to `15,600 per month from `27,000 per month
* 1,186 doctors are working in 1,186 dispensaries and are catering to 15,000 villages

Chandigarh, May 21
Punjab has broken all previous wheat procurement records. Not only has the state achieved the highest-ever productivity figure of 163.34 lakh metric tonnes, but also equalled the highest-ever average production of 46.51 quintals per hectare. 

Not only this, the state is set to achieve a record procurement of 110 lakh MT of wheat during the ongoing procurement season.

These stellar figures have been achieved on account of a prolonged winter which resulted in ideal maturity of the crop after years. The provision of quality seed and timely supply of DAP by the State Agriculture department helped the farmers too.

Wheat production in Punjab has overshot the figure of 160 lakh MT for the first time ever. It is estimated to be 163.34 lakh MT this season. The previous high was 159 lakh MT in 1999-2000. 

Last year’s production was 151.69 lakh MT. As far as the average yield is concerned, the state has equalled the 1999-2000 figures of 46.5 quintals per hectare.

The state agencies are set to purchase 110 lakh MT of wheat for the first time. They have already purchased 109.19 lakh MT as of now. Despite market arrivals getting slow, the 110-lakh MT tonne figure will be achieved in a few days.

The area under wheat cultivation has also gone up to 35.22 lakh hectares this season. It was 34 lakh hectares in 1999-2000 when Punjab had its last bumper crop.
Agriculture Department Director Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu told TNS today that Sangrur district had recorded the highest wheat productivity of 51.25 quintals per hectare closely followed by 50 quintals per hectare in Moga district. Ropar and Jalandhar had the lowest productivity of 39 quintals per hectare. He said wheat productivity was comparatively less than last year in Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdaspur districts. Experts say intense cold wave conditions during December and January had led to multiplication of crop shoots. This had led to development of more ears and finally more grain per plant. Sources said the cold wave had also saved the crop from any pest attack. The crop got a further boost with winter rains and clearing up of the weather in March.

Warm weather during the winter months has led to a decline in the average yield in the state in the past few years.

* The highest-ever productivity figure of 163.34 lakh metric tonnes
* Equals the highest-ever average production of 46.51 quintals per hectare

Chandigarh, May 20
Translated into English and sealed, the report on the controversial “Bhav Sagar Samunder Amarbani Granth” by Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara will be placed before a three-Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 3.

The Bench had asked the State of Punjab to compile and place the report before it by May 20. As the case came up for hearing before the Bench of Justice MM Kumar, Justice MMS Bedi and Justice Jitendra Chauhan, the State of Punjab placed before it the report scripted in Gurmukhi.

Directing its translation by June 1, the Bench fixed June 3 as the next date of hearing.

The five-member committee comprises Prof Balwant Singh Dhillon of Amritsar’s GNDU, Jodh Singh of Patiala’s Punjabi university, Naresh Saini, Thakur Das Ranjan of Ludhiana and Darshan Singh of Ram Darbar in Chandigarh.

The committee was earlier asked to carry out a thorough study of the controversial ‘granth’ and submit the report by March 31.

The directions were issued as the state earlier could not give a definite answer about the credentials of those who had dubbed the manuscript as objectionable.

After going through the text on the previous date of hearing, Justice Kumar had asked the state to disclose the identity of those who had pointed out objectionable parts in the book, resulting in the imposition of a ban.

In the absence of any information on the status of those who had examined the disputed granth, it was not possible to furnish an opinion as to whether they were competent to undertake such a task, the Bench had observed.

Baba has challenged the Punjab Government’s notification issued on December 15, 2008, banning the granth.

Zira (Ferozepur), May 20
Five armed youths, their faces covered, struck at the local branch of Allahabad Bank on the Ferozepur-Zira road this afternoon, and took away more than Rs 12 lakh.

The youths came on motorcycles and entered into bank at around 1.30 pm.They took away the keys of the strong room from terrified officials at gunpoint.

The accused left after taking away Rs 12 lakh from the strong room and Rs 45,000 from the cashier and other customers. They also deprived a bank employee of his mobile phone.Panic gripped this small town as news of the dacoity spread with a large number of people assembling at the crime spot. A few days ago, the residents had organised an agitation to lodge their protest against the rising incidence of crime in this subdivisional town. Police sources said the bank branch that was looted was opened in September 2010 and the authorities had not deployed any security guard or a watchman.

Kaustab Sharma, SSP, Harjit Singh Pannu, SP(D) and other senior functionaries have begun investigations. Despite a dog squad and a team of fingerprint experts inspecting the crime site, no clue on the identity of the robbers could be found. The district police has sounded an alert in Ferozepur andneighbouring districts.

The SSP said that images captured by a CCTV installed in the bank 
had revealed that the robbers were young and two of them did not have a beard.

A case has been registered.

Jalandhar, May 20
An unidentified man gunned down a Sikh businessman, Balbir Singh Dhami, at his house in North Laguna Creek, California, US. The condition of his wife, who also sustained bullet injuries, is critical. Dhami belongs to Kala Bakra village in Jalandhar. The incident occurred at 10.20 am (IST) Thursday morning.

Dhami received two bullets and died on the spot. His wife Kuldeep Kaur tried to resist the attacker but a bullet fired by him pierced her abdomen.

The couple’s two daughters and a son were asleep on the first floor of the house when the incident occurred. His elder daughter Kiran Deep phoned the police for help.

The Sacramento police, claimed that the assailant was dark, short, thin with short hair and wore a yellow sweatshirt. He fled the crime scene in a gold-coloured vehicle. While the Punjabi community in California termed it a hate crime, Dhami’s family members claimed it was the handiwork of a contract killer.

A pall of gloom descended on Kala Bakra village, near here , following the news of Dhami’s death this morning. Relatives and neighbours began pouring into Dhami’s house to console his grief-stricken mother Resham Kaur who lost her elder son, Harbhajan Singh Dhami, barely 10 days ago.

She had applied for a visa to attend his last rites in the US. She had lost her husband last year.

Jarnail Singh , talking to The Tribune, said his cousins Balbir Singh and Harbhajan Singh , who were hardworking, had shifted to California 30 years ago and now had a flourishing business there.

They owned gas stations and were well-known transporters. “ Their deaths are shocking,” he added.

* His wife shot in the abdomen; struggling for life in hospital

* The couple belonged to Kala Bakra village near Jalandhar

* Their three kids sleeping on the first floor of the house escape unhurt

* Indian community terms it as hate crime

* Dhami’s family feels it is a case of contract killing

Patiala, May 20
The excise and taxation police has registered a case pertaining to bogus billing and smuggling of iron scrap against a known excise smuggler Vishavnath Sarpanch, who tried to kill an on-duty police sub inspector.

The Ghanaur police has registered a case and are conducting raids to nab the accused known to be a top smuggler involved in many such cases in Punjab.

According to the police, they had laid a naka near Sone Majra village, along with the excise officers, including DSP (Excise) GS Dhanoa, when a car being driven at fast speed did not stop at the naka and tried to crush SI Mohan Lal, who was heading the police party at the naka.

“Following this, the truck coming from behind the car was forcibly stopped and its documents were confiscated as the car managed to escape,” said the police. “After checking, the documents were found to be duplicate and the truck was loaded with iron scrap that was being smuggled through escape route,” he added.

The police registered a case pertaining to attempt to murder, forgery and assault on officer on duty against Vishavnath Sarpanch, his brother Maini, Ranjit Kumar, Karam Singh, Gurbachan Singh, Kala Saini, truck driver Rajesh Kumar and Sajjan Singh, in addition to truck owner and the transport company. An FIR under Sections 307, 463, 467, 468, 471, 353 and 186 of the IPC has been registered at the Ghanaur police station.

The police records revealed that Vishwanath is a smuggler and operates a mafia of tax evasion. Despite the Supreme Court issuing directions to the Patiala SSP to arrest Vishwanath in May 2010, the state police failed to arrest him. Interestingly, DSP Rajpura Manmohan Sharma was also pulled up by the Supreme Court for giving a report in favour of Vishwanath and the DIG Patiala range was then directed to look into the matter.

“He is a known smuggler and has been arrested and bailed many a times, but despite the fact that he is wanted, he escapes every time and indulges in this smuggling racket,” said a senior police officer.

“Vishwanath shares close proximity with some police officers and therefore, escapes law most of the times, despite being wanted in many cases,” he added.

* According to police records, Vishwanath is a smuggler and operates tax evasion mafia

* Despite SC order in May 2010, the state police failed to arrest him

He has been arrested and bailed many a times. He shares close proximity with some police officers and therefore, escapes law most of the times and indulges in smuggling rackets, despite being wanted in many cases

— A senior police officer

Ropar, May 20
Ropar district police has busted the gang that committed robbery at the Tanishq jewellery showroom in sector 17, Chandigarh, on November 4 last year.

Pradeep Sharma, son of head constable at Burail jail, was the mastermind behind the heist that involved five other youngsters from Chandigarh and neighbouring districts of Punjab.

SSP Jatinder Singh Aulakh said the Tanishq robbery was solved with the arrest of proclaimed offender Pradeep Sharma, alias Mota, a resident of the Burail area of Chandigarh. The Nurpur Bedi police had arrested him and registered cases against him under Sections 307, 365, 382, 342, 323, 504, 120 B, 148, 149 of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act dated January 24 for kidnapping and attempt to murder.

During investigation, the police found that Pradeep had committed robbery at the Tanishq jewellery shop in Chandigarh. He accepted committing the crime, along with Hardeep Singh from Bassi Pathana, Ashok Kumar and Pankaj from Nirvana, Bhagwan Singh from Mirgarh and Parminder Singh from Peer Mohalla Ropar.

The police has arrested Hardeep Singh and recovered 315 bore revolver and a live cartridge. On November 5 last year, the accused had snatched a bag from Tanishq employees in Sector 17 after firing three rounds at a female employee of the showroom. The victim, Santosh, a resident of Baltana, was injured when a bullet whizzed past her left foot. The accused had come in a Sedan car that accused Hardeep drove. Both the accused were sent to police remand for a day.

* Pradeep Sharma, son of head constable at Burail jail, was mastermind behind the heist

* On Nov 5 last year, the accused had snatched a bag from Tanishq employees in Sector 17 after firing 3 rounds at a female employee of the showroom