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EC keeps tab on sale of liquor, CCTV installed in distillery
Another blow to Congress
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Josan launches election campaign
Sukhbir to file papers today
Electioneering
picks up
BJP stalwarts, film stars to campaign
Dera Sacha Sauda may opt for please-all formula
Kinnow cultivators, contractors in trouble
Two Sardulgarh MC staff killed in road mishap
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EC keeps tab on sale of liquor, CCTV installed in distillery
Faridkot, January 8 While almost all the sub-branches of liquor vends in the rural and slum areas have been closed, the retailers and distributors have started maintaining and displaying the daily stocks, opening and closing. As per the Punjab Excise Policy, though there is no provision for opening of a branch of a liquor vend but thanks to the political influence of the liquor shop owners, many illegal branches were working in the area with impunity, despite stiff opposition by the residents. After the directions of the EC, the retailers and distributors are under the close vigil of a specially deputed excise and taxation officer (ETO) in every assembly constituency. Putting in place a special mechanism to detect lifting of abnormal quantities of liquor from distilleries, special close circuit cameras (CCTV) have been installed at every distillery. Moreover, three micro observers from the Central Government departments have been deputed at every distillery, said A. Venu Prasad, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab. The EC has asked the excise department in Punjab to keep a tab on daily basis on the details of production of liquor in distilleries, its sale and supply to liquor shops across the state. Police stations have been asked to raid illicit liquor dens. These reports of seizure of illicit liquor and arrests will also be submitted to the EC. To check the import of liquor from the other states, the number of mobile wings has been increased and the nakas on the inter-state borders have been enlarged and intensified for the proper checking of every vehicle entering Punjab, said A. Venu Prasad. Also, the distributors and retailers have been asked to maintain and display the daily stocks opening and closing. The liquor sellers are miffed over these measures. All this time, there was no stock register at the liquor shops in Punjab but now bogged down by the daily rigorous book-keeping work, distributors have already started skipping several retail outlets. In Faridkot Assembly constituency, the excise department is more vigilant as a famous liquor baron, Deep Malhotra, is contesting the election on SAD ticket from here. Deep Malhotra has almost a monopoly on the liquor business in the area and he owns a liquor distillery also. This liquor distillery is situated in the neighbouring constituency of Zira in Ferozepur district.
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Another blow to Congress
Bathinda, January 8 Chahal was a claimant for the Congress ticket for the constituency but the party nominated the sitting MLA Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu from there as a result of which the former yesterday joined the PPP. Chahal was a former vice-president of the PPCC and is an industrialist of the area. With Chahal jumping in the fray, the Talwandi Sabo segment is set to witness a keen triangular contest between him, Sidhu (Cong) and Amarjeet Singh sidhu (SAD). |
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Josan launches election campaign
Bathinda, January 8 Josan, a former minister, launched his election campaign this morning and addressed rallies in eight villages. He alleged that the real Congress activists have been ignored and tickets given to moneybags. Josan said that denial of ticket to him would badly affect the prospects of the Congress in atleast three neighbouring assembly constituencies where electorate belonging to the Kamboj community was
concentrated. He was annoyed over the allocation of party ticket to Malkeet Singh. Josan said that he had remained loyal to the Congress and there was no reason to deny the ticket to him. |
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Sukhbir to file papers today
Bathinda, January 8 Sukhbir is seeking re-election from Jalalabad as a candidate of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). |
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Electioneering
picks up
Moga, January 8 The Jathedar who is known for his untiring stamina is getting up in the morning at 3.30 am despite the chilly weather conditions. After taking a bath and offering morning prayers, he leaves home for the campaign after having a glass of milk and light
breakfast. Then, his son Barjinder Singh Brar, President of the Moga Municipal Council, following in the footsteps of his father, leaves to campaign for his father along with a few youth leaders trying to pacify the 'disappointed' party leaders and workers who helped Kaka win the SGPC elections. Not only this, the Jathedar's wife Mukhtiar Kaur also leaves home as the day sets in to campaign for her husband. The entire family goes out to reach to the maximum number of people in a door-to-door campaign till 11 pm in the night. Then, they sit together, prepare schedule and chalk out the strategy and plans for the next day. On the other hand, Kaka too gets up early in the morning and moves out of his home from Lohgarh village with a handful of supporters to the villages of the Dharamkot constituency. Unfortunately, the local leaders of the Congress had so far not fallen in line and are not accompanying him in his poll campaign. There is resentment against Kaka's party nomination, prevailing among the Punjab Mahila Congress President Dr Malti Thapar, former district president Dr Tara Singh Sandhu and youth leader Harpreet Singh Hero, who all were aspirants for the Congress ticket. No matter, the sitting Congress MLA from Moga, Joginder Pal Jain is helping Kaka openly but he himself is pitted against SAD nominee former DGP Paramdeep Singh Gill and is finding it difficult to spare time for Kaka's campaign. Although, Kaka says that he alone is strong enough to take on Jathedar Tota Singh and his family members but he seems to be tightlipped on the time management for his campaign giving an advantage to the Akalis in the area. Local observers say that if the sympathy factor that he got in the SGPC elections after having been denied the party ticket aounts for, he would sail through easily but the impact could be ascertained only in the next
few days. There are as many as 160 villages apart from the two towns, Dharamkot and Kot-ise-Khan, that fall in this constituency making it very difficult for the candidates to manage the electioneering process. |
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BJP stalwarts, film stars to campaign
Ferozepur, January 8 Kamal said that both Navjot Sidhu MP and Vinod Khanna, ex-MP, have been given the command to manage the party campaign in the state, adding that the party was hopeful of coming back to power alongwith its coalition partner, SAD. Kamal said that the bartering of seats for four assembly seats with SAD will help both the alliance parties, adding that on earlier occasions also, during the assembly elections in Bihar and Gujarat, the formula of inducting fresh faces has yielded positive dividends. Kamal said that the infighting amidst the Congress leaders will also benefit the SAD-BJP. "The Congress cannot put its own house in order. How can they manage the state?" Kamal said, adding that the development works initiated by the SAD-BJP government will ensure that the coalition government comes back to power in the state. About the Ferozepur (Urban) seat, Kamal said that the BJP will make a hat-trick as the rebellion within the Congress will pave way for an easy victory for the BJP candidate Sukhpal Singh
Nannu. |
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Dera Sacha Sauda may opt for please-all formula
Muktsar, January 8 During the last assembly elections, the Dera had come as a major factor for the Congress to win a majority of seats in the Malwa region, where Dera followers (premis) are present in huge number. But this time, if go by the words of Dera's political wing members, they are not sure about lending their support to just one political party. "Though Maharaj (Dera head, Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh) is a close relative of Bathinda MLA Harminder Singh Jassi of Congress (whose daughter is married to the Dera chief's son), yet the political wing of Dera has sought an opinion of its members in all blocks and districts across the state to take a unanimous decision over the issue of supporting one or more political parties,” said Ram Singh, a member of the Dera's political wing, adding that they were not in a mood to take any step in a hurry. Talking over the phone, he added, “Maharaj never interferes in the issue. Only the seven-member political wing takes the decision, which is only for the betterment of Dera followers.” About the politicians’ visits to meet the Dera chief, he said that a number of politicians had asked for an appointment, but the Dera chief was out of state, so a number of leaders could not meet him in the past couple of days. “Those who have met the Dera chief included PCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh and PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal,” stated Ram Singh. However, he did not comment about the rumours doing the rounds of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or his son SAD chief Sukhbir Badal's visit to Dera. “The elections are about to take place on January 30 and the Dera will announce its final decision close to it,” added Ram Singh. In the past few years, the Dera has courted a few controversies. Still, it is a common perception here that whichever party would get Dera's support that would definitely get an edge over the others. |
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Kinnow cultivators, contractors in trouble
Fazilka, January 8 The main reason is that there has been a bumper crop of the popular “Ambia Bahar” variety of Nagpur orange. It is available at the wholesale rate of Rs 15 to 20 per kg. The wholesale rate of another popular citrus fruit of quality “mausami” of Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Pune is around Rs 10 per kg. The wholesale price of kinnow is around Rs 12 per kg. “The horticulturist and contractor do not consider this price as economically viable as they are not able to realise the cost of input. The cost price of kinnow is Rs 15 per kg,” says Raj Kumar of village Tahliwala who taken five acres of orchard on lease. Since the total span and shelf life of orange and mausami is longer than the kinnow, it offers a better competition to the kinnow growers. “As this year, there has been a bumper crop of these two citrus fruits, hence, the rate is relatively low as compared to previous years. So, they have overshadowed the kinnow in the citrus fruit market,” said kinnow king Prem Babbar who has been awarded many a times by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) for growing quality kinnow. He said due to these reasons, kinnow is not being exported in abundance to other markets. “The only hope which sustains the kinnow growers is that there are reports of lesser crop of “Mrig Bahar”, the second popular variety of Nagpur orange. This crop comes in the market in February. By this time, the kinnow crop is in full bloom because the fog and frost sweeten the kinnow fruit,” hoped Babbar. Even as the National Horticulture Mission, the nodal government agency, promotes the cultivation of kinnow, the government on its part failed to make the multi fruit and vegetable processing units at Abohar in Fazilka district and Hoshiarpur operational. Large areas come under kinnow cultivation surrounding these processing units. “If the government makes these processing units operational, they can prove to be a big boon to the citrus growers, particularly kinnow cultivators,” says Babbar. Notably, these units had been installed at the cost of crores four years back but have been lying defunct due to the alleged callousness and official wrangles. Traditional kinow grower Sushil Periwal suggests that the PAU should come forward with some additional citrus fruit varieties to promote its cultivation. This shall enable horticulturists to make a choice between kinnow or the other varieties, he said. |
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Two Sardulgarh MC staff killed in road mishap
Mansa, January 8 The victims have been identified as Vipin Kumar, deployed as Inspector and accountant Rajiv Kumar, both residents of Sardulgarh. They were returning to Sardulgarh in a Swift car from Mansa where they underwent rehearsal for the elections. Their car, bearing the registration number of Sardulgarh, went beneath a private bus which was driven parallel to a PRTC bus. Bus passengers said that both the bus drivers and conductors entered into heated arguments just two kilometres before the place of the accident. They fought over the issue of picking passengers first. In a bid to overtake the PRTC bus, the private bus driver tried to overtake and failed to provide space to the approaching car on road. “The car got so badly pressed under the bus that the passengers and onlookers overturned the bus to remove the car. Both the occupants could have died during the rescue and were taken to Mansa Civil Hospital where they were declared dead,” said the police officials who reached the spot. Jhunir SHO Gurcharan Singh said that the driver of Raman Bus Service has been booked in this connection. The driver, identified as, Bhola Singh of Chhapianwali in Muktsar, failed to control his vehicle while trying to overtake the PRTC bus. It took more than one and a half hours to extricate the people caught inside the car. The bodies have been kept in the mortuary at the Mansa Civil Hospital for postmortem. The colleagues of the deceased said both the employees were around 35 years old and had been deployed in the Municipal Council for 8 to 10 years. |
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