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Deliver custom milled rice or face action, warns govt
Cong workers protest against Maluka
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Badal seeks Tata Centre’s help for training doctors
in oncology
Online applications for power connection soon
Not getting promised power, say farmers
Labourers transplant paddy in a Jalandhar village on Tuesday. Photo: Sarabjit Singh
Corporation towns to have robotic car parking system
Construction material worth crores missing, 10 booked
Our men not involved in drug smuggling: BSF IG
OPDs back to normal as doctors join duty
Cell phones recovered from jail inmates in Gurdaspur
30 prisoners booked
Police helps couples to sink differences
Power demand falls, 4 units shut
At Pbi varsity, info official hearing appeal against self
14 new PCR bikes for Rajpura
SLIET exams may begin on June 28
Two killed, two injured in mishap
Defamation case: Shergill, 3 others surrender in court
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Deliver custom milled rice or face action, warns govt
Chandigarh, June 11 This decision has not gone down well with the 3,300 rice millers across Punjab. Claiming that the decision is arbitrary, the millers say that the government itself was unable to handle the storage of custom milled rice till May as it was busy with wheat procurement. Officials in the Food and Supplies Department, however, are unwilling to relent.They claim that they want to break the cycle of giving extension to millers so that unscrupulous millers who siphon milled rice and adjust the stock against the stock next season are caught. A government official said after an audit of stocks and accounts of almost 4,000 rice shellers across Punjab last year revealed the trend to siphon milled rice, action had been initiated against 700 mill owners who had been debarred from getting any government business in future. So far, of the 85 lakh tonnes of rice that the millers were to return to the government till June 30, only 74 lakh tonnes have been returned. “We are now pressurising the millers to return the custom milled rice by the month-end. We have announced to recover Rs 2,600 per quintal as cost of the rice not returned to the government by then,” said DS Grewal, Secretary, Food and Supplies Department. Only those rice millers who had delivered cent per cent custom milled paddy from last years’ stock would be given paddy for milling in the coming season, Grewal added.
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Cong workers protest against Maluka
Chandigarh, June 11 The protestors marched from Congress Bhawan in Sector 15, Chandigarh, to General Hospital chowk. They were stopped by the Chandigarh Police when they began walking towards the Chief Minister’s residence. Party leaders, including Vice-Presidents Charanjit Singh Channi and Tarlochan Soond and Hardyal Kamboj, MLA, led the march. Channi said Maluka was morally and financially corrupt and accused him of promoting his daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur in the Education Department. He claimed Director General School Education (DGSE) KS Pannu was sidetracked to make way for Parampal. Channi also accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of shielding the corrupt minister. In the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister by Hardayal Kamboj and Madal Lal Jalalpur, they said Maluka had embezzled central funds and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.
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Badal seeks Tata Centre’s help for training doctors
in oncology
Chandigarh, June 11 During an interactive session with the doctors there, the Chief Minister sought cooperation for a six-month oncology training programme for staff of government medical colleges and hospitals and the state’s Health Department. To motivate the nursing and technical staff to undergo special training, a TMC team would soon visit the state. The Chief Minister said the state government had sanctioned new posts for specialists. Underlining the need for imparting cost-effective healthcare facilities to the people, the Chief Minister said to provide uniform health services, human resource development should be given paramount importance. Badal urged the TMC to adopt the Bathinda hospital, which was well-equipped. He impressed upon the doctors to also develop a radio-therapy institute at Patiala. Dr RA Badwe, TMC Director, assured the Chief Minister that he would depute a high-level team to Bathinda and Patiala for chalking out a programme. He apprised the Chief Minister that the TMC would soon open a state-of-the-art radiotherapy hospital at a cost of Rs 22 crore in Sangrur. It had already started the process for setting up the hospital but the requisite permission from the Centre was awaited, Dr Badwe said.
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Online applications for power connection soon
Patiala, June 11 At present, the consumers have to personally monitor the progress of their application. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) will now start a consumer-friendly service of accepting online applications for new power connections and approval of electrical schemes of residential and commercial complexes under a single-window system. The PSPCL will also ensure the delivery of service in a time-bound manner. KD Chaudhri, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, PSPCL, said applications for a no objection certificate and approval of electrical schemes would be processed under a single-window system and disposed of within specific timeframe. "The service will benefit applicants as they will no longer be required to submit applications in sub-divisions and track the progress," he stated. A senior PSPCL official said: "The aim is to reduce paper work, bring more transparency, prevent delay caused due to shifting of files from one office to other and prompt issue of NOC and approval to the electrical schemes". The applications can be submitted on PSPCL website www.pspcl.in along with requisite documents which will be checked by the officials concerned. A final approval will be given by the chief engineer. The entire process will be online. Chaudhri said software developed for the purpose would also send automated SMS/e-mail to the consumers on the status of their application.
welcome move *
From July 15, the PSPCL will start accepting online applications for power connections and approval of electrical schemes of residential and commercial complexes *
The entire process of getting various clearances will be done under a single-window system *
The PSPCL will also ensure the delivery of service in a time-bound manner
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Not getting promised power, say farmers
Chandigarh, June 11 Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had announced eight hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers during the paddy season. KD Chaudhri, PSPCL Chairman, said the power supply was short by 1,350 MW yesterday because of silting at the Nathpa-Jhakri project in Himachal. Similarly, the state had lost 450 mw of power due to overloading on the Gwalior-Agra line. Chaudhri said the situation had improved today because of widespread rain in the state. He said with the supply exceeding demand, four units of two thermal plants had been shut today. He said the situation would stabilise soon and the power utility would be able to give eight hours of regular supply to the farmers. He said the utility had gone in for short-term purchase as well as long-term tieups. But if the system was overloaded, there could be cuts in urban areas and reduced domestic supply to rural areas. Gurmukh Singh of Himmatpura village in Fatehgarh Sahib, who belongs to the government-backed BKU (Lakhowal), said the Gharuan grid supplied only four hours of power for agricultural pump sets yesterday. Harinder Singh of Kot Fateh village in Bathinda said most parts of the district got only five to six hours of power supply yesterday. He said the supply was not more than six hours even today despite the PSPCL’s claims of excess power. Sources said the PSPCL was able to generate a little more than 3,200 MW per day. It had been allowed a short-term purchase of 1950 MW by the Northern Grid and had got around 2,700 MW from the central pool. They said against this supply of around 8,000 MW, the demand during the paddy season had increased to 10,000 MW, making power cuts inevitable. The load from the agricultural sector alone was 2000 MW to 2,500 MW during the paddy season. Besides the fact the state has failed to add to the existing power generation in the past six years, it has a transmission capacity of only 8,500 MW, limiting further purchases.
Official word * The power supply was short by 1,350 MW on Monday because of silting at the Nathpa-Jhakri project in Himachal *
The state also lost 450 MW of power due to overloading on the Gwalior-Agra line *
The situation has improved now because of widespread rain in the state, says PSPCL Chairman KD Chaudhri
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Corporation towns to have robotic car parking system
Chandigarh, June 11 He said the parking problem was peculiar to Punjab with the state having the distinction of maximum vehicle density on roads. He said to cater to the growing state economy, infrastructure upgradation such as a scientific parking system was the need of the hour. Issuing instructions to all Commissioners to identify suitable sites for setting up the robotic car parking, Sukhbir asked the Secretary, Local government, to submit a proposal by next Monday. He said the Commissioners, besides working out the robotic car system, should also look into variable parking systems as per the vehicle density in the area. Taking serious note of vehicles parked illegally on roads and in commercial areas, the Deputy CM issued instructions to the Director-General of police (DGP) to tow away vehicles wrongly parked. He said nobody could be allowed to hinder the smooth flow of traffic. Asking the Local Bodies Secretary to make sufficient parking area as a mandatory part of a building plan, Sukhbir said it was imperative for the Local Bodies and Housing Departments to ensure compliance of these instructions. Earlier, international consultancy IILF&S gave a presentation on robotic car parking.
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widening of
Ludhiana-Talwandi Bhai road
Moga, June 11 The police has registered a case against 10 persons comprising local suppliers, contractors, owners of transport companies and security men. Arvind Puri, Station House Officer of the Ajitwal police station said no arrest had been made so far, but investigations were in progress. Balbir Singh, liaison officer, Bara Infra, said tonnes of bitumen and crusher were missing from a 40-acre dumping ground of the company located on the outskirts of Chuhar Chak village in the district. He said the crusher was being transported from Pathankot, but the transporters or drivers failed to deliver it at the dumping ground. "Some of the security men and supervisors of the company appear to be hand in glove with the transporters as fake slips of entry and weight of vehicles were issued," he said. Similarly, the actual quantity of bitumen brought from other states in containers did not reach the depot and the supervisors failed to check the anomaly. The official said the company was in the process of assessing the total loss due to the fraud. "We have started checking our records. So far we have found that 25 truckloads of crusher and at least 50 tonnes of bitumen were missing from the store," he said. Balbir Singh said the loss could run into crores of rupees, but the exact figure would be available only after assessing the total stock. There could also be a possibility of pilferage of cement and other material, he added. Kamlesh Shukla, project manager, Essel Infrastructure Limited, said his company was only engaged in supervisory work.
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Our men not involved in drug smuggling: BSF IG
Amritsar, June 11 Talking to mediapersons after holding a meeting with a team of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today, Mishra said: "Though there were some instances of involvement of BSF men in the past, nothing of the sort has been reported in the last couple of years. We have been keeping a close watch and even transferring BSF staff more often. We had shifted 15 of our men on the basis of suspicion, but there was no proof against them." He said various agencies had seized 253 kg of heroin from the border belt till now this year, of which the BSF had recovered 148 kg. "These figures are enough to prove our stand," he said. The IG claimed the involvement of officials of other agencies had come to the fore. In one such instance, a Customs official posted in Attari was held for drug smuggling, he said. Mishra said the BSF would boost the security along the border. "We will soon take up a pilot project in the Khemkaran sector under which we will install CCTV cameras and high-mast lights". On the expansion of the spectators' gallery at the Wagah border for the retreat ceremony, he said the process was on and it would take around two years to complete.
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OPDs back to normal as doctors join duty
Chandigarh, June 11 The decision of the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association to call off the strike came after an assurance by Health Minister Madan Mohan Mittal to review the recent 523 transfers of doctors. The minister held a meeting with representatives of the PCMS Association, led by its president Hardeep Singh. This meeting was also attended by Husan Lal, Managing Director, Punjab Health System Corporation, Dr Ashok Nayar, Director, Health Services, Dr HS Bali, Director, ESI, and Dr Karanjeet Singh, Director, Family Planning. Dr Nishan Singh, working president of the PCMS Association, said the transfers of specialist doctors and the policy of rationalisation for upgrading 100 referral hospitals of the state were discussed in detail. The issue of deficient number of specialist doctors in the government sector was also brought up for discussion. The Health Minister has also said a separate specialist cadre with separate pay scale would be announced soon.
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Cell phones recovered from jail inmates in Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur, June 11 An official said the recovery of cell phones had shocked the jail authorities that had made almost foolproof arrangements to ensure that no such gadget was smuggled inside the jail. Sources say the prison is plagued by several problems, including staff crunch. “While we are short of officials, the jail that has the capacity to house 700 inmates has 1,450 prisoners,” said an official.
30 prisoners booked
Hoshiarpur, June 11 Jail Superintendent BS Gill said some prisoners were found supplying drugs to inmates in connivance with members of the jail staff. So he ordered that those behind the racket be shifted to the Kapurthala jail. This provoked the other inmates who took to violence. Varun Roojam, Deputy Commissioner, has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. Jagjit Singh, Inspector-General, conducted checking of the jail today.
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Police helps couples to sink differences
Bathinda, June 11 Several more estranged couples from
Moga, Ferozepore, Faridkot, Fazilka, Muktsar, Mansa and Bathinda were assisted in ironing out their differences so that they could give their relationship another chance. At least 80 per cent of the over 300 cases were settled amicably, claimed the police. A woman from Abohar was among those who did not see a happy ending. Married to a man in
Muktsar, she returned home with her parents disappointed. Her husband failed to turn up at the camp despite being summoned by the police. NS
Dhillon, Inspector-General (IG), Bathinda Zone, said he had marked an inquiry into the case. Some cases shocked even the police. A 60-year-old woman from Jhunir in Mansa came seeking divorce and alimony from her estranged husband. Talking to The Tribune, she said her first husband died within four years of her marriage and she was married to his elder brother. “Today, my second husband doesn’t support me. My two sons from the first marriage have their own families to look after. I heard about the police camp on the radio and came here for help. I want a divorce, property on my name and a monthly allowance.” The woman claimed she was weaved and sold mats that fetched her between Rs 200 to Rs 400 per piece. There were a few who refused to discuss their personal issues in front of a gathering. A couple from Muktsar married for over a year could not consummate the marriage. The man wanted a divorce but the young girl wished to give the relationship another try. She burst into tears, saying she could not think of a divorce. The board of counsellors decided to hear their case individually at a later date. Another girl from Bathinda also sought a personal hearing. She objected to the presence of press photographers, saying she had come to the camp to resolve differences with her spouse and not to appear in the media. The Bathinda IG said an SP-rank officer in each district would henceforth act as a nodal officer for all such cases in future.
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Stone for Delhi memorial now to be laid outside gurdwara premises
New Delhi, June 11 The DSGMC president, Manjit Singh (GK), and general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a joint statement today, said the site for the foundation stone had been cleared. In his reply to the NDMC, Sirsa said the stone was not to be laid on the premises of Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib but at the site where the earlier DSGMC office-bearers planned to construct a parking lot.The stone for the parking lot was laid by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. A senior DSGMC official said BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj as well as CPM leader Brinda Karat had consented to attend the stone-laying function. Sirsa said they had accepted the government’s appeal to raise the memorial outside Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib. “Now the authorities concerned should have no objection. It will not be a building but a monument,” Sirsa said.
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Power demand falls, 4 units shut
Jalandhar, June 11 Sources said the power demand was varying between 6,900 MW to 7,500 MW. The PSPCL Director (Generation), GS Chhabra, said a 210 MW capacity unit of the Ropar Thermal Plant and a 110 MW capacity unit of the Bathinda Thermal Plant had been closed because of low power demand. "The option of closing another unit of the Ropar plant is under consideration," he said, adding that PSPCL had surrendered about 1,000 MW power to the central pool.
Water level in dams up Owing to rain in various parts of Himachal Pradesh in the past few days, the water level in the Bhakra Dam and Pong dam reservoirs has gone up. The water level in the Bhakra dam on June 10 was 1,584 ft as against 1536 ft on the same day last year. Likewise, the water level in the Pong dam was recorded at 1,313 ft as compared to 1,307 ft on June 10 last year, said a BBMB official. — TNS
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At Pbi varsity, info official hearing appeal against self
Mohali, June 11 Local resident TS Chhabra had filed the appeal after he was dissatisfied with the information (sought under the RTI Act) provided by the Registrar-cum-Public Information Officer of the university on March 9. The complainant was shocked to see that his appeal was handled by none other than the PIO himself against whom he had filed the appeal in question. “To my dismay and astonishment, the PIO-cum-registrar replied to my appeal. The PIO had acted as a judge for the appellate authority and flouted the rules under the Act,” alleged Chabbra while talking to The Tribune. Chhabra said he had sought some information from the university through his application under the RTI Act on December 4, 2012. “I had received a reply from the PIO on February 5, in which he had asked me to deposit charges for pages and postal expense. This is against the rules as the information has to be provided within a stipulated period of 30 days after it has been sought under the Act,” alleged Chhabra, adding that the university had not only supplied incomplete information but also flouted rules by not having the PIO sign the pages of information supplied. The pages were signed by the university Librarian, who is unauthorised for the job, he alleged. Chhabra said he had made an appeal on March 9 to the Vice Chancellor-cum-Appellate Authority against the PIO and also sent a reminder in this regard on April 18. Thereafter, he had received a reply from the PIO-cum-registrar instead of the VC-cum-Appellate Authority, he said. When contacted, Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, said, “We deal with RTI queries efficiently. If somebody has any complaint, he can come to me and I will look into the matter. In this particular case, I will check the facts.”
Case File
* Complainant seeks information from Punjabi University on December 4 *
Gets incomplete information over two months after filing the application *
Appeals to the Vice Chancellor on March 9 * The PIO concerned replies to his appeal instead of VC
To my dismay and astonishment, the PIO-cum-registrar replied to my appeal. The PIO had acted as a judge for the appellate authority and flouted the rules under the RTI Act
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Rajpura, June 11 Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) HS Mann today flagged off the PCR vehicles and said the latest additions will help the police in curbing crime in the area. “Two armed officials will ride the PCR vehicles that will be stationed at key places in the town. With this move, the response time of the police will be reduced,” said Mann. — TNS
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SLIET exams may begin on June 28
Sangrur, June 11 Sources said the authorities had now decided to hold the examinations which were earlier scheduled to begin on May 9. These were postponed for an indefinite period after students went on the rampage on SLIET campus on May 6. Dr AS Dhaliwal, Acting Registrar, SLIET, said over 1,500 final year students would appear in the first phase of the examinations.
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Two killed, two injured in mishap
Fatehgarh Sahib, June 11 The victim has been identified as Jasvir Singh and Ranvir Singh, residents of Babiyal village near Ambala Cantt and Nangal village, respectively. The injured Shammi Kapoor and Harish Kumar have been referred to the Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, where their condition is said to be serious. Eyewitnesses said the impact of the collision was such that both the drivers Jasvir and Ranvir died on the spot. It took about 5 hours for the police to extricate the body of Jasvir from the badly damaged pick-up van. Sukhvir Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Mullepur police station, said a case had been registered and the bodies of the victims handed over to their respective families after conducting the postmortem at the civil hospital.
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Defamation case: Shergill, 3 others surrender in court
Sangrur, June 11 Apart from Shergill, the other three persons were John Cherain, executive producer of the film, Dheeraj Rattan, writer, and Navaniat Singh, director. On May 28, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against them and eight others by Harsimranjit Singh, SDJM, Moonak, on a complaint filed by Arpinder Singh Sidhu against 12 persons in September 2012. Sidhu had alleged that defamatory dialogues had been used against lawyers in the film ‘Taur Mittran Di’. Complainant Harinder Lally’s counsel said the court also directed Shergill and others to appear in the court on every hearing, otherwise their bail bonds would be forfeited. — TNS
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The paddy transplantation season has got off to a bad start with farmers complaining they had received only six hours of regular power supply against the promised eight hours even as Punjab State Power Corporation Limited
(PSPCL) claimed that things would get better by tomorrow.
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today approved a multi-level robotic car parking system in congested commercial areas of all corporation towns.
Accompanied by Chuni Lal Bhagat, Local Bodies Minister, the Deputy CM today reviewed the infrastructure requirements of various local bodies, especially cities with corporations.
