Amritsar, July 8
Exporters of fresh farm produce look forward to the resumption of export from Sri Guru Ramdas Ji (SGRJ) International Airport once the British Midland International (BMI) Airways starts its proposed London-Almaty-Amritsar flight from October 13.

The Aviation Ministry approved the licence of the BMI, a part of the Lufthansa Airlines, on June 30. The ministry stated that the designated airline could now operate services on the London-Almaty-Amritsar v.v sector as per the existing bilateral and services arrangement between India and the UK.

The new flight has raised the hopes for the revival of export of perishable cargo at the Amritsar airport. R.P.S. Dhaliwal of Field Fresh Food Private Limited said the flight was a welcome step and they looked forward to the resumption of their supply from the Amritsar airport. He said the flight was a connecting flight, but in the present scenario it was the better option.

He said his company was exporting nearly 3.5 tonnes of fresh farm produce, like green chilly, to Europe through the Delhi international airport. The company packaged its entire fresh produce at its Ludhiana office. He said the recent hike in fuel had raised the transportation cost. He hoped that exporting through the Amritsar airport would curtail their fuel cost and make their fresh produce price competitive in the international market.

Senior Manager of Field Fresh Food Private Limited Upindra Kumar said his company would certainly like to resume its export through the Amritsar international airport. He said apart from the minimum distance from its farms near Ludhiana and Himachal Pradesh, the Amritsar airport offered hassle-free and swift cargo clearance.

He said the Delhi airport was extremely busy and sometimes consignments have to wait for clearance, which could prove costly for perishable commodities like vegetables. Besides, Delhi roads were extremely busy and traffic blockades were frequent.

The BMI would initially operate thrice-a-week flight on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. As per the schedule, the flight would take off from London at 4:40 hours and arrive at Almaty in Kazakhstan at 12:10 hours. From Almaty it would depart at 13:30 hours and land at Amritsar at 16:05 hours.

The return flights from Amritsar will again be via Almaty. The BMI had initiated the sale of tickets. The flights would be operated on a wide-bodied Airbus A330 aircraft, which returned into service for the BMI this week after its lease to Turkish Airlines. The refurbished aircraft would offer 36 business class and 196 economy class seats.

The aircraft has 44 tonnes cargo capacity, which could easily accommodate export consignments of fresh vegetables. The export of perishable cargo had been lying defunct since the Air India discontinued its direct Amritsar-London-Toronto flight in October last.

The discontinuation of the Air India’s direct flight from Amritsar to London had created a hue and cry among the NRIs of the Punjabi origin settled in England. They reasoned that the convenient and financially lucrative link between Amritsar and London had been snapped without a valid reason. A sizeable number of Punjabis are settled in the UK.

The British Midland International (BMI) Airways starts its proposed London-Almaty-Amritsar flight from October 13

The aircraft has 44 tonnes cargo capacity, which could easily accommodate export consignments of fresh vegetables.

The export of perishable cargo had been lying defunct since the Air India discontinued its direct Amritsar-London-Toronto flight in October last

The traders hope that exporting through the Amritsar airport would curtail cost and make their fresh produce price competitive in the international market

Amritsar, July 8
A number of restaurants and hotels in the city are allegedly serving beer and liquor on their premises without possessing requisite licences for these.

The owners of these restaurants and hotels are depriving the Excise and Taxation Department of lakhs of rupees.

Besides, the proprietors of restaurants and hotels with proper licences feel that these illegally running bars took away their customers. Some of them on anonymity alleged the involvement of black sheep in the Excise Department with unauthorised liquor and beer retailers.

The Excise and Taxation Department charged Rs 3 lakh annual licence fee for hard liquor and Rs 1.60 lakh for beer bar.

Hotel Grand Legacy’s General Manager Jaswinder Singh said his hotel apart from a banquet hall offered its customers liquor and beer bars. He said his establishment had to deposit recently increased tax of Rs 40,000.

According to him, heavy taxes shot up the cost. “Already cutthroat competition is being seen in the hospitality industry following establishment of a number of hotels and restaurants,” he added. Besides, they had to procure various liquor and beer brands with bills. Hence, the profit margin was very thin.

Upon all these, illegal players without paying licence fee and having unknown sources for procurement of liquor and beer offer these to customers at less cost. He said the legal players could not do this. Hotel and restaurants running illegal bars tempted the customers with less price.

Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association’s general secretary A.P.S. Chatha said the existence of multiple taxes was already weighing down over the nascent hospitality industry in the city.

He said the Union Government levied the service tax on AC restaurants and 10 per cent on rooms. These taxes were collected by the Central Excise Department.

The state government charged 4 per cent luxury tax, 13-75 per cent VAT on food being served in restaurants and hotel rooms, he said. He elaborated that another 4 per cent service tax was charged if the restaurant was AC. As majority of the hotels have restaurants many of these had to pay 17.75 per cent VAT. He said with the central excise tax majority of these hotels and restaurants had to pay nearly 21 per cent taxes.

Divisional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Ram Lal said his department kept a check on the serving of liquor and beer at unauthorised locations and took strict action. He accepted that his department received many complaints of unauthorisedly serving of liquor. He said majority of the inquiries revealed that the complaints were personally motivated and they did not hold any truth.

Amritsar, July 8
After the Sant Nagar locality in Verka, it was the turn of another slum area of the city - Maqboolpura - that become the victim of water-borne diseases. As many as 15 cases of suspected jaundice were reported in the area and a health team visited the locality and collected water and blood samples.

The patients are getting treatment from private clinics. The health team, led by District Epidemiologist, visited the area and distributed chlorine tablets.

Dr Charanjit Singh, District Epidemiologist, said the team found 15 patients of jaundice in street number 5, 9 and 10 in Maqboolpura.

“The hygienic conditions in the area were found to be very pathetic. The drains carrying dirty water were overflowing while the corporation water supply pipeline pass through these drains,” said Dr Charanjit, while adding that at several points the taps were removed and people were taking water directly from these points situated just a few feet above of the drains. The water supply was also found to be contaminated, said Dr Charanjit.

He said water and blood samples taken from various parts of the area had been sent to the Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, for testing. He said Dr Ramesh Kumar, Medical Officer of Kangra Colony, was called along with the staff and directed to hold camps in the affected areas.

Deputy Commissioner Rajat Agarwal also directed the health authorities to visit the affected areas and took necessary steps to check the problems.

Harpal Singh Bhatia, Congress delegate from east constituency of the city, strongly criticised the SAD-BJP combine and alleged that it had miserably failed to provide basic amenities to the east constituency consisting of a number of slum areas like Maqboolpura, Rasulpur Kalar, C-block of East Mohan Nagar, Sant Nagar Verka. He said the inhabitants of these areas were becoming victims of different diseases due to poor sanitary conditions.

Amritsar, July 8
The Amritsar solid waste management plan ‘gathering dust’ for the last two years due to official rigmarole has finally got a green signal after stern directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation is all set to implement the Solid Waste Management Project as per the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, framed as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

This has raised new hopes among the residents, especially those living around the Bhagtanwala area, where this plant has been conceptualised, as this development would help vanishing the hoards of garbage which remained piled up around their vicinity.

The Rs 80-crore project, under the JNNURM was launched by hoards of politicians, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, in charge of the BJP affairs in Punjab Balbir Punj, was actually the brain child of BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu.

It was a comprehensive plan for the state which was divided into eight clusters and each was to be developed into a viable solid waste management project to be operated in a public-private partnership mode. The eight clusters were: Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Pathankot, Patiala and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). After Ludhiana and Jalandhar, now it was the turn of Amritsar to initiate the matter.

However, in Amritsar, the processing job of this project was partially completed in 2009 but it got delayed due to disagreement prevailed in the local bodies ministry. The state government had already released Rs 16 crore out of its 20 per cent share and the Antony Waste Handlings Cell Private Ltd, Mumbai has been entrusted with the task to lift 300 metric tonne garbage of the city but excluding the walled city.

The company had provided latest equipment worth Rs 10 crore, including about 50 mini tipper for door-to-door collection, 10 dumper placer for transporting 4.5 cu.mtr capacity closed containers. The garbage would be lifted from door to door by these vehicles before segregating it and transporting it to waste processing unit and landfill at Bhagtanwala located on the outskirts of the city.

Nevertheless, once fully operational, this project would cater to the needs of more than 12 lakh residents of the holy city living in 65 wards by lifting the garbage.

The plant would have a capacity to handle about 600-700 metric tonnes of garbage being generated daily by the residents and small scale industry while at present 500 metric tonne of garbage is produced in the city daily.

DPS Kharbanda, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, said under the comprehensive plan of the state the meeting of pre-bid tenders have been finalised and the next financial bid meet has been scheduled for July 15. “The processing of the garbage would produce fuel cakes or residue derived fuel, commonly known as green coal in European countries, and eco-bricks for civil construction,” he said.

Amritsar, July 8
An alleged thrashing of two advocates by cops on Tuesday has left the Amritsar Bar Association fuming which has demanded the arrest of ‘guilty’ policemen.

A meeting, among senior police officials, district session judge and Amritsar Bar Association representatives on Thursday, to diffuse the matter too failed to yield any result.

Pardeep Saini, president, Amritsar Bar Association, said though we have decided to approach the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court against regular incidents of cops attacking lawyers, we at least expect senior police officials to arrest those policemen without any delay.

It is to mention here that two advocates - Vicky Mehra and Varun Mehra - were allegedly thrashed by two cops posted at Durgiana police chowki. The incident started when the policemen insisted to challan the lawyers who were without helmets. An altercation took place followed by heated arguments that led to thrashing of advocates by policemen.

The two victim advocates said they were not opposed to challan, but they against the selective approach of policemen who left a motorcyclist also without helmet as he was a relative of a cop.

After the incident, the association protested outside the Durgiana police post and a case of attempt to murder was registered against the accused cops.

Saini said this is not the only case. Recently, two advocates were brutally beaten by an IPS officer while they were returning from a function.

“This is the fourth incident in four months in involving policemen thrashing lawyers. This is highly condemnable and intolerable. If the police failed to arrest the culprit policemen we will start agitation and responsibility would lie with the police administration. The decision on next course of action would be taken in the tomorrow’s meeting of the association,” said Saini.

Amar Singh Chahal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, said investigations were under progress and law would take its course.

Amritsar, July 8
The mandatory quality control task for manure, insecticides and seeds has been affected in the state as the agriculture technocrats are on strike in protest against the faulty recruitment policy and anomalies in their pay packages.

The general secretary of the Punjab Agriculture Technocrats Action Committee, Dr Avtaar Singh, said the quality control service has been boycotted in the state for the last two months.

“Not a single sample of seeds, insecticides or manure is being taken by the technocrats at any centre in the state. Apart from this, the staff has also boycotted the inspection of any dealer too,” he said.

The technocrats resented that the state government has been recruiting the less qualified staff, thereby playing with the future of the fresh graduates. “The requisite qualification for being an Agricultural Development Officer is BSc in agriculture whereas the government has been recruiting the agriculture sub-inspectors against these posts, who were just diploma holders,” told Dr Mangal Singh Sandhu, chairman of the committee.

According to an estimate, the Khalsa College produces over 100 graduates in agriculture annually, the GND University 120 and Government Brijinder College, Faridkot, over 80 graduates. “There remained scant place for these qualified graduates because due to the faulty policy matters, the incompetent and less qualified people were already there to steal their opportunities,” he said. — TNS

Amritsar, July 8
Around 58 quintals of gur (jaggery) and other food material was found to be unfit for human consumption in the Amritsar Central Jail. This was revealed during an inspection conducted by the health officer’s team led by Civil Surgeon Dr Avtaar Singh on Thursday.

The team observed unhygienic conditions prevailing in the kitchen. According to information, the team collected samples of sugar, spices, tea, flour and gur (jaggery) to test them in laboratory. The team also instructed the warden to adopt steps for maintaining cleanliness.

Confirming this, Dr Avtaar Singh said a report has been prepared in this regard a copy of which would be sent to the Sessions Judge and the Jail Superintendent each.

“We observed unhygienic conditions in the kitchen. The meal was found to be prepared with dirty hands. We recommended jail warden to install chapatti making machines and to make elaborate arrangement to keep flies away at least from the kitchen area,” he said.

Amritsar, July 8
It’s a dream come true, says Harleen Kaur, a Class VII student of the Senior Study School Putlighar. Harleen and 26 other students of the school, accompanied by four teachers, will go on a 12-day educational tour to the US starting July 11.

The tour is being organised by New Delhi-based Atlantis Reaserch. The students will visit the NASA, Disney Land, New York and Niagra Falls. They will also stop at Amsterdam and Paris.

“The trip will be educational plus fun for students,” says Dr Shravan Mehra who will accompany the group. The group will spend four days at NASA in Orlando, Florida, where they will visit the Kennedy Space Centre, have first hand astronaut training experience and even have lunch with an astronaut. In Disney Land, Florida, they will visit Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney’s EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studio.

Amritsar, July 8
After staying six months with Punjabi University, Patiala, the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2009-2010 yesterday changed its destination to GND University campus.

GND University can now boasts of possessing this highest sports emblem at the inter-varsity level sports for the 21st time. The trophy received rousing welcome before being handed over to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor A.S. Brar, by the Director (Sports) of the university, Dr Kanwaljit Singh, who brought it from the Union Ministry of Sports, New Delhi.

In this rare instance since the inception of the MAKA Trophy in 1956-57, two universities - GND University and Punjabi University - shared the trophy in the same year on account of Punjabi University being winner for session 2008-2009 and GND University for 2009-2010.

According to Dr Kanwaljit Singh, the trophy was to reach the university in February only. “But, Punjabi University, Patiala, contested the decision in the Delhi High Court. The court finally pronounced its decision in favour of GND University and Punjabi University had to deliver back the trophy to the Sports Ministry, only to be handed over to us,” he said.

During the year 2009-2010, the GND University won 12 championships, remained runners-up in 11, third in five and fourth in four championships. Apart from it, the university has produced 28 Arjuna Awardees, 6 Padmashrees, one Dronacharya Awardee, and one Dhyan Chand Awardee.

“No other university of India has achieved this feet. Out of 38 years of its actual participation in inter-university and other tournaments, Guru Nanak Dev University has been winning one or the other positions for the trophy since 1971-72,” said Dr Kanwaljit Singh.

Meanwhile, Prof A.S. Brar, speaking on the occasion expressed his happiness and congratulated the Sports Department and sportspersons of the university for their achievements. President of the GND University Women Sports Committee (for the year 2009-10) Dr Sukhbir Kaur Mahal, Dean (Academic Affairs) Dr Rajinderjit Kaur Pawar and Registrar Dr Inderjit Singh, besides a large number of sportspersons, coaches, faculty members and officials of the university were present.