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After Bhakra shock, clouds
of uncertainty over thermal plant
Anomalies in Publication of textbooks |
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DGP Kaushik stresses on community
policing
Amarinder calls on Sonia
Faridkot co ducks road tax arrears running into lakhs
Information procured under the RTI Act reveals that no action has been initiated against a transport company blacklisted for not paying tax arrears amounting to Rs 68.85 lakh because of its owner’s political connections.
State refuses to act against ‘ghosts & co’
Nod to wheat research institute at Ludhiana
On verge of retirement, masters await promotions
Yet another hike in Verka milk rates
Six new High Court Judges sworn in
HC upholds govt decision declaring Fazilka a district
No quota for rhythmic gymnasts in PMET
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After Bhakra shock, clouds
of uncertainty over thermal plant
Patiala, September 30
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had recently put forward the proposals pertaining to the setting up of the 2,640-MW project. However, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) turned them down as the proposals "violated" the terms and conditions as mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed earlier. The disagreement, it is learnt, was over certain issues, including land acquisition and capacity of power generating units. Officials claim that the PSPCL had conveyed it to the NTPC that their proposal regarding the implementation of the two units of the 660-MW capacity each, against the earlier envisaged capacity of four units of 660-MW each, was a deviation from the terms and condition of the MoU. Besides, the officials objected to the demand by the NTPC for bringing down the quantum of the land to be acquired from the original requisition of 1,999.12 acres to 1,000 acres. This, claimed PSPCL officials, would hinder the land acquisition process. Confidential departmental documents (The Tribune has its copy) reveal NTPC chairman Arup Roy Choudhury had sent the proposals through a letter, dated August 5, 2011, to Punjab Chief Secretary SC Agarwal. At a recent meeting of the PSPCL Board of Directors (BOD), the letter was discussed threadbare. “The BOD unanimously decided that the NTPC will have to follow all the terms and conditions as mentioned in the MoU as well as the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA),” reads the extracts of the minutes of the BOD meeting.
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Anomalies in Publication of textbooks
Mohali, September 30 Rather than probing the role of the officials of the publication branch who released the printing papers worth Rs 6 crore to 26 publishers without taking the required security amount of Rs 1.5 crore and without issuing the assignment letters, the authorities have deputed District and Sessions Judge OP Garg (retd) to probe the delay in printing of the textbooks. Instead of probing serious irregularities for which senior board officials could have landed in serious trouble, the authorities have skillfully diverted the focus of the investigation. — A PSEB official In the official orders issued by the vice-chairman on behalf of the chairman of the PSEB, it has been mentioned that despite the completion of formalities regarding the publication of the textbooks on time, the work on printing of the books has been delayed. However, an inquiry had been marked to probe the role of the officials who deliberately delayed the printing of the textbooks. “Instead of probing serious irregularities for which senior board officials could have landed in serious trouble, the authorities have skillfully diverted the focus of the investigation,” a board official said. The valuable printing papers were released to the publishers without taking the required security amount of Rs 1.5 crore. Instead, an amount of Rs 70 lakh was taken from them. The publishers started publishing the books without getting assignment letter from the board, indicating connivance of certain board officials. The textbooks are being published for the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan Authority and the Punjab Welfare Department.
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DGP Kaushik stresses on community
policing
Chandigarh, September 30 At a brief ceremony, the outgoing DGP formally handed over charge to Kaushik. Kaushik, in his address to the officers, said they should be accessible to the people and be more responsive to their grievances. “Community policing should be a tool to bridge the divide between the police and the public,” he said. Meanwhile, highly placed sources in the government said that Gill had been appointed Adviser on his asking since he was keen to contest the assembly elections on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket.
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Amarinder calls on Sonia
New Delhi/Chandigarh, September 30 The meeting lasted for half an hour. Amarinder held a detailed discussion with the AICC chief on the political situation in Punjab, particularly in the backdrop of the assembly elections. He brought to her notice “the lawlessness prevailing in the state”. He also took up the issue of “rampant corruption”. Meanwhile, in a statement, Amarinder Singh said there was nothing unusual in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal backing out on the proposal to bring in a House resolution on clemency for Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar. “Badal has always played politics on every issue for his own advantage”, he said. Had he been sincere about the issue, he could have convinced his alliance partner (BJP) to support the resolution, he pointed out. “Badal needs to explain as to how he went public on the issue without taking his alliance partner into confidence”, he observed. He described outgoing DGP Gill’s appointment as Adviser, Home, as unprecedented. He said this was for the first time that a Home Minister had appointed a proxy for himself and outsourced his job. “So far, we had heard of teachers and doctors in remote areas outsourcing their jobs. But it is for the first time that a Home Minister, who is the Deputy Chief Minister, has done so too”, he remarked. He said it was unethical on the part of the government to “rehabilitate” Gill, already under the scanner of the election authorities for his political activities. “Since they could not give him any extension, they got him back through the back door for the obvious intent”, he remarked.
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Faridkot co ducks road tax arrears running into lakhs
The company was declared a defaulter 10 years back in February 2002 and the the circle revenue officers directed to recover the dues. Despite hundreds of notings on the recovery file, nothing has been done so far. In the past over nine years, there was no concrete effort to recover the road tax from Harbans Singh Romana, an Akali leader and owner of Benezir Transport Company, Faridkot, owing to his political connections. A dossier on the recovery process in the District Transport Office (DTO) shows several letters from the State Transport Department, the DC and the District Revenue Office (DRO). The Transport Department issued 37 notices to Romana since February 1998 . This tax amount was declared “to be recovered as arrear of land revenue” on February 28, 2001. Under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, once an amount is declared as “arrear of land revenue,” the administration can use coercive methods to recover the dues. It can arrest the defaulter and auction his properties. Twice, on January 5, 2001, and September 18, 2001, the Transport Department allowed Romana to deposit the tax amount in monthly installments, but both times he failed to do so. He challenged the recovery, filing a civil suit in 2002, but the court dismissed the case in December 2006. Hargobind Singh, district revenue assistant, said his office sent Romana’s file back to the DTO in December 2009 after a letter from the Transport Minister. The DTO, Faridkot, said the file was with the Revenue Department. In reply to the RTI application, the Faridkot DC said the matter was with the DTO. Romana maintained that the due amount had been “exaggerated” and this was a “disputed amount” case.
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State refuses to act against ‘ghosts & co’
Chandigarh, September 30 The scrutiny of beneficiaries who began receiving pension after September 2002 revealed that as many as 15,000 of them were actually no longer alive. But their pension, paid through the panchayat, continues to be collected by the Sarpanch concerned. But, with elections round the corner, the government appears reluctant to take action against the officials. Punjab apparently spends Rs 49 crore every month on social security pensions, paid at the rate of Rs 250 to the old, the widows and the disabled, who are eligible and have applied for support. The number of beneficiaries is said to be 19.70 lakh but the scrutiny covered only 5.88 lakh beneficiaries, as per information made available under the RTI. Besides the ghosts, the scrutiny identified 22,880 beneficiaries as ineligible while over 9,100 failed to appear for physical verification. In August, the department forwarded the file to the CM but on September 19, the CMO sent it back saying scrutiny in the remaining districts be completed before taking any action. The Principal Secretary of the department, TR Sarangal, acknowledged that Tarn Taran district had recorded the highest number of ghosts at 2,942, followed by Jalandhar, Sangrur, Bathinda and Mohali. Similarly, Sangrur (4,037) topped the list of ineligible beneficiaries, followed by Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran and Bathinda. The government, he claimed, would take appropriate action.
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Nod to wheat research institute at Ludhiana
Ludhiana, September 30 Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) had submitted a proposal for setting up this institute.The proposal was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, today. The main centre of the institute would be located at Ladhowal (Ludhiana) while two satellite centres would come up at Pusa (Bihar) and Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). Named after Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, also known as the father of the Green Revolution, the institute will help the country to meet food security challenges. Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, said: “The institute will benefit our state to a large extent. Wheat is our main crop and maize can help check the depleting ground water table because it is a good alternative for paddy.” Former VC Dr Manjit Singh Kang said: “The delegation came in August last year and we showed them the land in Ladhowal. They had some issues concerning pollution in Ludhiana, but I was able to remove all their doubts.” The institute will come up on the Punjab Government land adjoining the PAU Research Station at Ladhowal.
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On verge of retirement, masters await promotions
Patiala, September 30 Despite the fact that the department had convened a meeting of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) on August 13 for the promotion of around 900 masters, it has yet not issued any notification in this regard. Due to the delay, many masters are suffering. Sources said ever since the process started in July 2010, over 20 masters, who were hoping for a promotion, had already retired on August 31. At least 20 more masters retired today.
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Yet another hike in Verka milk rates
Mohali, September 30 The General Manager of the Mohali Verka plant, Balbir Singh, said while the price of the full cream milk had been increased by Rs 2 per litre, that of skimmed milk had been increased by Re 1 per
litre. Full cream: Up Rs 2/litre The prices have gone up by Rs 5 per litre since Jan.
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Six new High Court Judges sworn in
Chandigarh, September 30 At a ceremony attended by sitting and retired Judges of the High Court, bureaucrats, relatives and advocates, the Judges swore to "bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established". The Judges also swore to "uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India" and "duly and faithfully and to the best of ability, knowledge and judgment, perform the duties of the office without fear or favour, affection and ill will". The ceremony started with the warrants of appointment being read out. Even after their elevation, the number of Judges in the High Court remains short, as the sanctioned strength is 68.
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HC upholds govt decision declaring Fazilka a district
Chandigarh, September 30 A Division Bench has dismissed a petition filed by the District Bar Association, Ferozepur, challenging the notification, after holding that the Government was well within its rights to carve out districts or altering the limits of the existing ones. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh asserted: “The District Bar Association, Ferozepur, has approached this Court with a prayer for quashing notification dated July 27, issued by the State of Punjab, declaring that Fazilka — consisting of six kanungo circles, 60 patwar circles and 148 revenue villages — is to form a part of a separate district to be known as Fazilka district with headquarters at Fazilka.” “The principal ground of challenge before us is that the notification has been issued only under Section 5 of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887, and there is no reference to Section 5 of the Registration Act, 1908”. Referring to the apex court judgments on the issue, the Bench added: “It has been held that the Courts cannot sit in appeal over the Government decision and carving of a new district is the result of exercise of discretionary power conferred by statute on the Government.” The Bench added: “As a sequel to the discussion, the writ petition does not merit admission and the same is hereby dismissed.”
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No quota for rhythmic gymnasts in PMET
Chandigarh, September 30 In the petitions filed through counsel Kapil Kakkar, Amar Vivek and Mansur Ali, the petitioners had sought directions to the respondents to consider them for admission to the MBBS against seats reserved for sports category candidates after including rhythmic gymnastics in the sports policy and issuing a gradation certificate.
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Punjab is set to get its first international research institute for wheat and maize. Named as Borlaug Institute for South Asia, the institute would come up at Ladhowal village in Ludhiana district.
Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre had submitted a proposal for setting up this institute.The proposal was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, today. The main centre of the institute would be located at Ladhowal
(Ludhiana) while two satellite centres would come up at Pusa (Bihar) and Jabalpur (Madhya
Pradesh).
The
much-publicised Rs 15,000 crore project assumes significance in view of the fact that Gidderbaha is the stronghold of People's Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal and the Shiromani Akali Dal would be looking forward to wrest the seat in the coming assembly elections. 
Faridkot, September 30