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Power cuts imminent; demand may touch 12,000 MW
State to shift to demand-driven agriculture
Patiala ayurvedic college in dire straits
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Convicted ex-MLA Bansal’s wife alleges frame-up by CBI
Police probes Maoist link in sandalwood smuggling case
Harsimrat seeks Rs 3,500 cr package to help farmers
Bajwa: Badal govt burdening people with power tariff hike
Decade on, no major repairs on Mukerian channel
Exams next month, Faridkot dist school students yet to get books
Car dealers want installation of auto-dippers halted
ASI’s death: 43 farmers named accused so far
Major political outfits forget Ghadar Party’s centenary
Customs Dept to dispose of garbage consignment
Strange illness kills 2 in Moga village
Head constable dies as his SLR goes off
After years, relief for Central Excise officers
Sangrur to have five RO plants
One killed in road mishap
Patiala trust on mission to educate poor girls
'Harassed' over dowry, woman sets herself ablaze
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Power cuts imminent; demand may touch 12,000 MW
Jalandhar, April 21 Sources say the peak power demand this summer is likely to be 12,000 MW-12,500 MW whereas power availability from all sources, including purchased power, would not be more than 9,400 MW. Hence, power cuts throughout the state seem imminent. The PSPCL authorities claim to have initiated several steps to ensure that there are no cuts or breakdowns in the transmission network. "With the first unit of 270 MW capacity Goindwal Sahib Thermal Plant expected to be operational on May 31, de-loading of transmission network, increase in power availability from the Central sector, the BBMB and banking, the power scenario in the state will be better than it was last year," claims the PSPCL Chief MD, KD Chaudhri. Last year, Punjab saw a severe power crisis. Things turned worse because of weak monsoon. The industries had to face a four-day weekly off and the domestic sector saw long power cuts.The magnitude of the problem in the region can be gauged from the fact that the Northern Grid tripped twice during the last week of July 2012. Chaudhri said that peak power demand this summer was expected to be about 12,000 MW. "The PSPCL has erected 1,341 new 11-KV feeders, de-loaded 54,500 distribution transformers and augmented/replaced 11,000 conductors to ensure better supply. For an eight-hour supply to farmers, an additional 600 MW of power will be made available starting June 10. The power availability from the BBMB and the central sector will also increase this year." Chaudhri said they expected a power demand of 8,500 MW-9,000 MW this summer. With arrangements in place, the PSPCL would impose power cuts only in case of poor monsoons, he said. However, contrary to power corporation claims, sources say that the demand is likely to shoot beyond 10,000 MW and that peak power demand may be more than 12,500 MW. While power cuts may have to be imposed on the industrial and domestic sector, the duration will certainly be less than it was last year.
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State to shift to demand-driven agriculture
Chandigarh, April 21 Winding up a two-day intensive discussion with a central team of experts and progressive farmers here today, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that the state would submit details of the proposals to the Union Agriculture Ministry by April 30. Badal said the state had chalked out a strategy to reduce the area under paddy and use the same for alternative crops to make a shift from supply-driven to demand-driven agriculture. He said 5.5 lakh hectares would be shifted to maize, seven lakh hectares to cotton, 2.6 lakh hectares to sugarcane, 5.5 lakh hectares to fodder, 1.2 lakh hectares to pulses, 3 lakh hectares to forestry and 1 lakh hectares to fruit, including kinnow. The Chief Minster said that the APMC Act:1961 was being amended to provide direct marketing and to set up private markets. He said the Contract Farming Act had been enacted and a notification issued to regulate contracts and make mutual obligations enforceable. To promote the cultivation of basmati, infrastructure cess had been abolished. This would give a boost to basmati exports. The state government was contemplating to review the tax structure on the marketing of alternative crops to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. Effective steps were afoot to encourage the cultivation of maize, cotton, sugarcane, fruit and vegetables by ensuring subsidised supply of hybrid seed, weedicides and capital assistance at the rate of 50 per cent for purchase of maize planters and harvesters and cotton pickers. Four modern wood timber markets were being established in Dasuya, Hoshiarpur, Balachaur and Ludhiana to promote agro-forestry in a big way. Likewise, a network of centres was being established for aggregation of horticultural produce with facilities like washing, cooling and packaging to provide forward linkages with the organised retail market. Responding to issues relating to food processing, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing, Anuradha Prasad, asked the state government to send a detailed proposal for a National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) in the state's border area. Taking part in the deliberations, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mukesh Khullar, said Punjab was likely to get Rs 200 crore of the total Rs 500 crore package for agriculture diversification allotted to Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the Union Budget 2013-14. State Farmer’s Commission Chairman Dr GS Kalkat asked the Centre to provide adequate technical and financial support to farmers for cultivating oilseeds and pulses as the Centre had imported oil worth Rs 56,000 crore and pulses worth Rs 10,000 crore last year. Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University Dr BS Dhillon said despite the state grant, research programmes in the university were constrained because of the huge expenditure on salaries and pensions. He urged for central support. Punjab Agriculture Marketing Board Chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal said minimum support price (MSP) should be announced for all alternative crops. He called for support rice for basmati. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal urged the Chief Minister to strictly enforce rainwater harvesting in urban areas besides constructing small check dams and water recharge wells across the state to check the depleting water table.
from paddy to other crops
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Patiala ayurvedic college in dire straits
The college was once considered a prestigious ayurvedic institute of the country. On the recommendations of the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of AYUSH, had barred the college from admitting new students due to non-fulfillment of eligibility conditions two years ago. The ministry had found that the college had 24 teachers against the required number of 36 teachers (32 for graduation and four for post-graduation). The college also did not fulfill the condition of availability of one teacher in each department. The ministry also found that the college did not have a genuinely functional ayurvedic hospital having the required patient load of 50 per cent bed occupancy in indoor patient department. The average bed occupancy was only 20.75 per cent. The ministry had last year directed the college to fulfill the conditions till October 31, 2012. But it failed to do so. The college has not yet filled the vacant posts and the bed occupancy, too, has not improved. Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Ved Prakash Tyagi, CCIM president, said while ayurveda was getting popular in other parts of the country with several new colleges coming up, this college had been witnessing a constant downfall due to the "wrong policies" of the Punjab Government. "There are many teachers in the college who are teaching subjects other than their specialisation and the government has approved them. For the betterment of the college and the hospital, the government should implement the CCIM norms in totality," he said. Dr Pardeep Kapil, college principal, said they would soon recruit eight teachers so that the college qualified for new admissions. He said they had already held the interviews and the government would soon make the appointments.
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Convicted ex-MLA Bansal’s wife alleges frame-up by CBI
Bathinda, April 21 She added Bansal had yet not resigned from the post of chairman of the District Planning Committee but would do so if asked by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Cong takes a dig at SAD Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress today said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal should be “congratulated” for the conviction of Mansa Planning Board Chairman Mangat Rai Bansal, a former Congress MLA who had defected to the SAD. In a statement here, Punjab Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira said Bansal’s conviction had proved “Sukhbir’s expertise in selecting gems”. Khaira said while encouraging defections from amongst the Congress leadership, Sukhbir had claimed having special qualities of picking up “valuable diamonds from amongst useless stones”. The Congress leader said several SAD leaders had been convicted in the recent past. These included Bibi Jagir Kaur and Jathedar Tota Singh. Besides, there were several leaders like Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain who had been embroiled in many cases. Khaira said the Deputy CM should not only apologise for encouraging the culture of defections in Punjab politics but also show the door to opportunist leaders.
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Police probes Maoist link in sandalwood smuggling case
Ludhiana, April 21 Sources claimed the intelligence agencies were suspecting that Maoists in south India had connived with Dubai-based smugglers for sending the wood through a new route to China. The axing of red sandalwood trees is banned in India. The wood is in high demand in China. The Ludhiana route is usually not used for smuggling red sandalwood, though such consignments have been several times confiscated on the India-Nepal border. Deputy Inspector-General (Ludhiana Range) MF Farooqui said, “I have ordered a probe into the matter and summoned the owner of the Jalandhar-based nut-bolt manufacturing company in whose container the wood was being smuggled. Our purpose is to get detailed information about the Dubai man who is suspected to have masterminded the smuggling.” Farooqui said the shed from where the sandalwood was recovered was taken on rent just 20 days ago. The police is suspecting that the smugglers may have managed to smuggle one consignment of sandalwood. When the police raided the shed, it also recovered containers of adhesives. Officials suspect the smugglers may have sent the sandalwood in a truck carrying adhesives. In a related incident on April 5, the special cell of the Delhi Police along with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had arrested a fugitive businessman, Deepak, in connection with a red sandalwood smuggling case. Deepak, who owns a restaurant in Indonesia and three warehouses in Gurgaon, was part of a sandalwood smuggling racket that was busted in Kerala last year.
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Harsimrat seeks Rs 3,500 cr package to help farmers
Bathinda, April 21 Harsimrat, wife of the Deputy Chief Minister, who was laying the foundation stones for water supply schemes worth Rs 10 crore in 10 villages of Mansa district, expressed concern at the plight of the farming community in the state and the depleting water table, particularly in the Malwa belt. She said because of the "wrong policies" of the Central Government, the farmers in the state, who had played a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in foodgrain, were now on the verge of a fiscal catastrophe. The industry in the state had also been ruined owing to "faulty" central policies. She expressed the need to review the cancer relief fund policy so that the benefit could reach a majority of patients.
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Bajwa: Badal govt burdening people with power tariff hike
Amritsar, April 21 He was here to attend a district-level dharna at the Circuit House Chowk organised by the district president of the youth wing, Vikas Soni. Bajwa said the power rate hike was the first blow inflicted on the people of the state after the SAD-BJP Government's Chintan Sammelan in Goa. Comparing Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal with “Mungeri Lal”
(the main character of a TV serial telecast some years ago), Bajwa said the “47 promises” comprising the SAD-BJP manifesto were nothing but “white lies” and the state had fallen to the 12th slot in terms of growth and economy. Bajwa said it was a stark reality that power projects had been delayed and over 80 per cent hike in power rates during the SAD-BJP regime had forced industry to flee. “The high power tariff has sounded the death knell of industry, which has shifted its base to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.” He said the Badal government had been fooling people by claiming to present a "tax-free" Budget and later burdening them with Rs 1,800 crore in the shape of hike in power tariff. “Their manifesto in 2007 had promised to turn Punjab into a power surplus state by 2010. Badal Junior had even boasted of exporting power to Pakistan. The high power tariff has spelled ruin for the small-scale industry. The knitwear industry of Ludhiana has decided to shift its base to Himachal Pradesh owing to the unbearable power tariff,” Bajwa claimed. He said an emergency meeting of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, to be attended by all party MLAs, former MLAs, district presidents and senior party leaders, at Chandigarh tomorrow would decide the future course of action to counter the “arbitrary demarcation of wards, clandestine notification for Block Samiti and Zila Parishad elections and other related issues.” He alleged the SAD was trying to grab the panchayats by illegal means. He asked the 2,816 unanimously elected panchayats in Punjab to declare whether they had been given Rs 3 lakh promised to them by the SAD during the previous elections. Legislator OP Soni said the SAD-BJP alliance had in its 2012 election manifesto claimed it would increase the Shagun Scheme amount from Rs 15,000 to Rs 31,000. Far from it, it had not been able to disburse even the original amount. Similarly, no pension was being paid to the elderly and widows. “The government has stopped supplies under its Atta-Dal Scheme for those living below the poverty line,” Soni said. Punjab Youth Congress president Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary said besides the power tariff hike, issues like property tax, poor law and order and and gravel scam would be raised in days to come. “We have started our protest from Amritsar and we will intensify it by launching a rigorous campaign against the SAD-BJP Government in other districts too," he said.
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Decade on, no major repairs on Mukerian channel
Khatigarh (Hoshiarpur), April 21 With no major repair work undertaken on this 36-km-long canal, being used to carry irrigation water to Rajasthan, almost 2,000 slabs on its banks have been damaged. Any breach at sites along the filling zones can lead to a major destruction to human life and livestock. Sources say no major repair work has been carried out since 2000. Almost 21,000 sq metres of cemented embankment have been damaged and the openings plugged with sand bags. At several places, wild growth has damaged the slope of the canal wall. Experts warn that strong currents can cause destruction in almost 15 villages (Khatigarh, Nikku Chack, Terkiana, Sadarpur, Kaulpur and Mehatpur) located along the canal. When contacted, the Chief Engineer (Projects), Powercom, VK Jain, said no major repair work had been undertaken as no serious bidder had turned up for the task even though the department had floated tenders thrice. A tour by the Tribune team from Mukerian to Terkeiana revealed wild growth on the canal banks impeding the water flow at several places. At some places cement slabs had peeled off. Villagers of the area, led by Sulakhan Singh Jaggi, state president of the Bhartiya Kashatriya Youth Sabha, have demanded an inquiry into the matter and suspension of the erring officials.
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Exams next month, Faridkot dist school students yet to get books
Faridkot, April 21 The students in the government elementary schools have to appear in an examination, held every two months under the Right to Education Act to evaluate the students’ progress, in May. The books are provided free of cost to all the students in government elementary schools and Adarsh schools. The reason for non-availability of books for elementary school students is that the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is lagging behind in getting the text books printed. Students of the three Adarsh schools have not got the books as the managements of the schools, operating under a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) mode, have surrendered these schools. Adarsh schools is a project of the state government launched two years ago. But the students are without books, teachers have not got their salaries for the last four months after the school managements surrendered the schools. The government pays for 70 per cent of the monthly expenses while the management contributes the remaining 30 per cent. Thirty nine teachers and two clerical staff members in the Adarsh School Middumann in Faridkot have not been paid after December 2012. Even for the period from April to December 2012, these teachers had got only 70 per cent of their salaries, which is the government's share . The management has yet to pay its share of 30 per cent. Similar is the fate of teaching and non-teaching staff in the Adarsh schools at Pacca and Mallan. In Mallan, the teachers were last paid in September 2012. Teachers of Middumann and Pacca schools met the Deputy Commissioner and Faridkot MLA this week asking them to raise the matter with the state government. “I have raised the matter with the Director General School Education. I am hopeful of new managements taking control of the Adarsh Schools," said Faridkot MLA Deep Malhotra. After the Balaji Educational Trust surrendered the school in Mallan village on April 12, Educomp Solutions Ltd has taken over this school, said the MLA.
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Car dealers want installation of auto-dippers halted
Moga, April 21 The government has made it mandatory to install auto-dippers for the registration of new vehicles whereas the owners of old vehicles have been told to get the gadgets fitted by the year-end. The manufacturers claim the decision was against the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, while the dealers contend the order had almost halted the process of registration of new vehicles, thereby, leading to “widespread corruption” in the Transport Department at the district and sub-division level. Moreover, it has put an extra financial burden on the consumers: Rs 2,000 for two-wheeler and Rs 4,000 for four-wheelers. “It has also affected the sales of motor vehicles in the state. The registration of new vehicles has almost come to a halt with more than 50,000 files pending in the offices of the Transport Department,” a dealer said. The executive director of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, KK Gandhi, in a letter to Mandeep Singh, Secretary of the Punjab Transport Department, has claimed that under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, there was a provision of installing dippers but there was no mention of the term “auto-dipper”. He said the installation of such a device in vehicles had been opposed by road safety experts as well. The Union Government had issued a similar order in 1998 but it could not be implemented due to safety concerns. Finally, the Centre withdrew its decision in 2001. The society argues, “After extensive studies and demonstrations, it has been found that fitting auto-dippers was impractical and may even prove dangerous." No matter, the Punjab Government claims installing auto-dippers would reduce the occurrence of accidents on highways. But, it has not conducted any survey to ascertain the efficacy of this device to reduce accidents in the prevailing road conditions in the state. Dwarka Bansal, a leading dealer of Maruti cars and Bajaj autos in the Malwa region, said the order should imply on manufacturers rather than dealers as all liabilities of risk and warranty lied with vehicle manufacturers.
An auto-dipper
On the lane to confrontation
Punjab Govt’s stand The Punjab Government has ordered installation of auto-dippers in all motor vehicles, excluding 50 cc two-wheelers The order has come into force from April 1 The government has made it mandatory to install auto-dippers for registration of new vehicles The owners of old vehicles have been told to get the device fitted by the year-end Installing auto-dippers, the government claims, would reduce the occurrence of accidents on highways
Why the opposition
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ASI’s death: 43 farmers named accused so far
Tarn
Taran, April 21 In a latest development, the police has named more farmers as accused in the case, thereby, taking their number to 43 so far. Kulbir Singh was found dead on March 6 while he had led a police party to raid a farmhouse for making preemptive arrests on the eve of ‘Rail Roko’ by farmers. The occupants of the farmhouse had refused to open the door to the ASI claiming he was drunk. A confrontation started between the farmers when the latter forced its way inside. The ASI’s body was later recovered from a field. In another development, the Sadar police has, in its report submitted to the local court, declared a farmer, Sawinder Singh Chutala, who is general secretary of Kisan Sangharsh Committee, as innocent. On the other hand, it has named 24 other suspects, including Satnam Singh Pannu, former sarpanch Jasbir Singh Piddi, Tejinder Singh Raju and Nirvail Singh Dalake, as accused in the case. These 24 accused are in addition to the 19 farmers named initially. Meanwhile, Satnam Singh Pannu, Kisan Sangharsh Committee state president, in a statement, has condemned the state government for “waging repression” on the farmers. He claimed the 17 protesting farmer-worker organisations had since long been demanding a judicial probe into the matter, but the government was “dilly-dallying” on the issue. He said the farmers would intensify their stir in case the government failed to provide them “justice”.
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Major political outfits forget Ghadar Party’s centenary
Jalandhar, April 21 In Jalandhar, the occasion was marked by a Ghadar flag hoisting ceremony and a seminar conducted by Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee. The committee has been instrumental in conserving Ghadar ideology as well as the rare literature associated with the movement and the Indian freedom struggle procured from various foreign libraries and other agencies. Shiromani Akali Dal district (urban) president Charanjeeet Singh Channi said, “We have not forgotten the event, though the party failed to organise any function to commemorate the occasion today. We will be holding a function next week.” Congress’ district (urban) chief Arun Walia said, “We did not celebrate the occasion or hold any event today. I do agree that it was an occasion which should have been given due importance. For, those who ensured us freedom have to be remembered. We will ensure such events are not missed in future.” At the function organised by Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee, the participants, including farmer-labourer activists, intellectuals, historians and scholars (from India and abroad), discussed the ideology of the Ghadar Party in the present context. Two books were also released on the occasion.
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Customs Dept to dispose of garbage consignment
Ludhiana, April 21 A total of 40 containers containing waste paper, sand, plastic bottles and some toxic plastic waste, had arrived at the Dhandari dry port in Ludhiana a few days ago. After none came to collect the consignment, city Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria shot off a letter to customs officials urging them not to dump the consignment in Ludhiana. The city already generates more than 900 tonnes of garbage daily. In a reply to the Mayor’s letter, Lakshay
Kum.ar, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, wrote: “The garbage will be dealt with strictly as per the norms applicable to such material.” Recently, the local textile factory owner to whom the consignment of garbage was addressed to refused to take the delivery, saying he had ordered waste plastic bottles and not garbage.
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Strange illness kills 2 in Moga village
Moga, April 21 Residents claimed that more than 50 persons were suffering from a "strange" fever. A 55-year-old woman, Harmeet Kaur, had died on Sunday. The Chief medical officer (CMO), Dr Subodh Gupta, claimed that she had died of kidney failure. Asked whether she had been suffering from fever, the CMO said she may have had fever because of an infection. The second victim, a 21-year-old college girl, Simarjit Kaur, reportedly died on April 19. Dr Gupta claimed that she had died of high blood sugar level that had crossed 270. However, village folk rejected the doctor's claim. The Health Department is yet to ascertain the cause of the fever or the nature of illness. Dr Gupta said teams of doctors were regularly visiting the village. "We have collected 13 blood samples. We have found at least 19 persons suffering from fever," he said. The blood samples had been sent to Government Medical College, Faridkot, for examination.
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Head constable dies as his SLR goes off
Muktsar, April 21 Sangrur: The body of 50-year-old Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), Vigilance, Patiala, Paramjit Singh, was found at the railway tracks near Sunam. The deceased was a resident of Sunam. The Station House Officer of the Government Railway Police (GRP), Sangrur, Gurcharan Singh, said no suicide note had been found. The GRP had initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.
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After years, relief for Central Excise officers
Chandigarh, April 21 Announcing this here today, Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers (Chandigarh Zone) president AK Sharma said the issue was now likely to be taken up by the DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) before being presented before a Cabinet sub-committee. Excise officers in several states, including Punjab, as well as in Chandigarh had been agitating for years against stagnation with several officers retiring without a single promotion in their career. Many others had got only one promotion in 25 - 30 years of service. In contrast, gazetted officers in the Income Tax Department were given four or five promotions in the same time frame. Sharma said the association had been told that Finance Minister P Chidambaram had given his approval to their key demands. This would result in speedy promotions and hopefully remove disparities in the pay of gazetted Central Excise officers and their counterparts in the Enforcement Directorate. The move could mean a promotion to the IRS and the rank of Assistant Commissioner for officers working as superintendents. It would also mean quicker promotions for entry-level Inspectors in the department, said Inspectors' Association general secretary Bhagwan Singh. However, superintendent-level officers waiting for a promotion to the IRS cadre for several years, said they wanted speedy restructuring of the department as hundreds of superintendents had retired awaiting promotion.
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Sangrur to have five RO plants
Sangrur, April 21 The RO plants will be set up near Santpura gurdwara (Patiala Gate); opposite the main bus stand; Government Primary School, Haripura Basti; Government Primary School, Ram Nagar Basti; and Karkhana Basti on the Ubhawal road. Sources said a Delhi-based company had been roped in for the purpose. Two plants are likely to be set up by the end of the month in Haripura Basti and near Santpura gurdwara. Each RO plant will be set up at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. The company will invest Rs 5 lakh on the machinery while the council will construct the required premises and provide for the power connection. Iqbaljit Singh Punia, MC president, said the residents would be able to get safe drinking water at the rate of 12.50 paisa per litre. He said two RO plants would start functioning in the first week of next month.
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One killed in road mishap
Sangrur, April 21 In another road accident, six persons were injured when a private bus overturned allegedly due to a technical fault near Longowal village. The bus was going to Sunam from Barnala. Four victims were admitted to Longowal hospital while one was taken to the Sangrur Civil Hospital. — TNS
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Patiala trust on mission to educate poor girls
Patiala, April 21 Surinder Kaur gives the credit to the Dr Harsh Charitable Trust which has taken up the responsibility of providing education to both her daughters. Thirty-year-old Surinder Kaur's husband Hardeep Singh, who was the only son of his parents, lost his life in Kargil three years ago. Since then, she has been struggling to sustain her family with the limited pension. Sending her daughters to a good school was the last thing she could do with her meagre resources. Surinder Kaur met city-based Dr Harshinder Kaur, president of the trust, two years ago during a function in Mohali where she had gone to receive a medal for her husband's sacrifice. The trust decided to adopt Surinder's daughters who are now studying in Bhai Nand Lal School in Anandpur Sahib. The trust is providing education to 328 girls belonging to poor families. With 180 of these girls having appeared their matriculation exams this year, the trust will adopt 200 more girls. Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Harshinder Kaur said she along with her husband Dr Gurpal Singh had been working with an aim to checking female foeticide. "During our research, we realised that educating girls could bring about a positive change in this regard. We found that parents do not wish to spend on the education of their daughters due to poverty. We then decided to help the needy girls pursue their education in good schools," she said. "Around 10 years ago, we saved some money and adopted 20 needy girl students. In 2008, we along with our friends and well-wishers formed the Dr Harsh Charitable Trust. The rules of the trust are such that no cash withdrawal is allowed for any type of expense. A major portion of the corpus has been contributed by us. Some of our NRI friends also adopt girls and contribute towards their education. The monthly tuition fee of these girls is sent to the schools concerned on a quarterly or half-yearly basis," Dr Harshinder added.
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'Harassed' over dowry, woman sets herself ablaze
Tarn Taran, April 21 On April 5, the victim was allegedly beaten up and thrown out of the house. Subsequently, she was putting up in a shanty near her house. The police has registered a case under various sections of the IPC against four members of the family. The victim has been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar where her condition was stated to be critical. The case against the accused was registered on the victim’s complaint. Assistant Sub-Inspector Amarjit Singh said no arrests had been made so far.
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With the first unit of the 660-MW capacity Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant unlikely to be operational in the next six months and no increase in the total transfer capacity (TTC) of power from the Northern Grid from the existing limit of 5,400 MW, it will be a daunting task for Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to meet the power demand this summer.
Established in 1952 by Raj Vaidya Ram Parsad Sharma, Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital is struggling to stay afloat due to the callous attitude of the Punjab Government and the college administration.
Former MLA Mangat Rai Bansal, who has been convicted in the paddy scam case, will move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the judgment of the CBI court.
Talking to mediapersons here today, Mangat’s wife Manju Bansal alleged there was no scam and instead figures were juggled to frame Bansal. She claimed her husband was paying the price for deserting the Congress.
Amritsar, April 21
Punjab PowerCom has virtually abandoned the Mukerian hydel channel with no repair work carried out for the past more than 10 years.
The channel, that carries 11,500 cusecs of water and generates 207 MW power at the Mukerain hydel power plant daily, has four power houses. Despite generating power worth over Rs 2 crore per day, the state government has turned a blind eye to maintenance of the channel that is crying for care.
Govt move challenged
With the first unit of 270 MW capacity Goindwal Sahib Thermal Plant expected to be operational on May 31, de-loading of transmission network, increase in power availability from the central sector, the BBMB and banking, the power scenario in the state will be better than what it was last
year
Patiala, April 21
It is an electronic device that switches headlights of a motor vehicle to dipper mode (low beam) automatically when the sharp high beam lights of an on-coming vehicle fall on its windscreen