|
|
|
|
|
BJP asks CM to shelve e-trip initiative
Dried-up canals bane of Ajnala farmers
|
|
|
Fee in medical colleges may be hiked by 33%
After Amritsar, Nanded joins green pilgrimage club
Road safety plan shifted, Harsimrat accuses Union Govt of prejudice
Freedom in lock-up!
Shun factionalism, SAD leader tells sarpanches
Ropar women’s cell disposes of 283 cases
Tarn Taran police assault victim alleges pressure by her cousin
Villagers gherao police station, free 2 women
Schools ignore former DGSE’s proposal
Ropar’s women cell disposes of 283 cases
NABARD clears Rs 120 cr projects
Flour mill owner held
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BJP asks CM to shelve e-trip initiative
Chandigarh, July 28 Escorted by ministers Chuni Lal Bhagat and Anil Joshi, state president Kamal Sharma and senior leader Balramji Das Tandon, Shanta Kumar went to the Chief Minister’s residence this evening. Accompanying the delegation were representatives of various trading associations. The Chief Minister and Shanta Kumar both talked to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on the phone. Sukhbir is the architect of the e-trip initiative. It was decided that senior leaders of both parties would hear the misgivings of the traders and resolve the matter amicably. Tandon, when questioned, said the Punjab BJP understood that the e-trip initiative was not a new tax. However, since the traders had some genuine problems regarding implementation of the initiative, the same could be amended, if needed. Party sources said the BJP felt that in order to remove apprehensions that small traders without access to computers would find it difficult to adopt the new system, the ceiling for enforcement of the initiative for movement of goods worth more than Rs 50,000 could be increased to Rs 1 lakh. The government has asked manufacturers to register the movement of goods in advance on six items, including cotton, yarn, mustard, plywood, vegetable oil and iron and steel (excluding scrap). There had been reports that manufacturers were not paying tax on goods transported to retailers. But the end-user, that is the consumer, had to pay tax on the same. Sources said the SAD and particularly the Deputy CM had discussed the issue threadbare with the BJP leadership before ordering its implementation. The BJP leadership was briefed that the state was losing a revenue of about Rs 250 crore to Rs 300 crore owing to tax evasion on these six items. The BJP understands the need to mobilise revenue, keeping in view the state’s poor financial condition but is under pressure from its constituents to get the move shelved. The BJP delegation urged the Chief Minister to remove misgivings of colonisers as well as the general public on issues relating to regularising illegal colonies. Tandon said the delegation requested the CM to ask the four-member committee formed to study the issue to expedite a resolution in view of widespread protests against the same. The delegation also stressed the need for making money available to municipal councils and corporations for development works. A Tight-rope walk
|
|
Dried-up canals bane of Ajnala farmers
Amritsar, July 28 The irrigation network in Ajnala and neighbouring villages is in a shambles as a number of minors are completely blocked due to growth of wild vegetation and the alleged laxity of the Irrigation Department in cleaning them. Talking to The Tribune, Gurnam Singh, a farmer who owns 13 acres of land in Umarpura village, said he had not seen water in the Chhina minor, which ran along their village, for the last two decades. “Once it used to have such a strong flow of water that people would fear drowning in it. Now, there is nothing but weeds in it as if it never supplied water to our village,” he said, adding that the minor catered to Chhina, Umarpura, Jasrotwal, and Bohlia villages. Similarly, Saran minor in Ajnala lies completely blocked. It passes through a BSF premises where its officials say it doesn’t really exist beyond their campus as the people have constructed houses on it. Saran minor used to supply canal water to Panj Garaian and Pakhe Tara Singh villages. The situation is no better for Ajnala distributary. Though there was no wild growth in it, it was lying dry as the farmers said the flow of water in it “depends on the wish of irrigation officials”. Gurpreet Singh, a farmer of Bohlian village, lamented that they did not receive adequate water despite the fact that their fields were adjoining the distributary. Besides, the Irrigation Department did not bother whenever there was a breach in the canal. He said: “I have been using a generator which guzzles 3.25 litres of diesel every hour. I end up spending Rs 18,000 a month on diesel to irrigate my paddy fields as the power supply is restricted to only four to five hours”. He said a number of farmers in the area, having tractors and other agriculture equipment, had preferred to lease their fields due to power and water crunch that had escalated the cost of farming. Water in Ajnala distributary flows up to a particular point. Charanjit Singh of Umarpura village said he had not got canal water supply for the last 10 years as the department never took up de-silting and cleaning work of the canals. Gurnam Singh said had the government paid proper attention towards the upkeep of irrigation network, it would have saved precious groundwater and scarce electricity. He felt that the canal water also added to the fertility of the soil. The farmers rued that even the villages having proper canals were affected as sufficient water was not released. And even if it was released, big farmers with political affiliations divert a major part of it to their fields. Farmer leader Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala said Sarchuri distributary, Adliwal minor and Naserke minor were also lying blocked while faulty design of Mannawala distributary had denied canal water to tail-end villages. He demanded that the capacity of Upper Badi Doab canal should be increased to cater to the farmers' demand. On the other hand, Irrigation Department Executive Engineer P Kalia said the demand for canal water had been less in Ajnala and nearby villages for the past few years. Besides, there was also a paucity of funds for carrying out cleaning work of the canal system, he said, but added they had restored the canal water supply to many areas and further efforts were on. running dry
Affected villages Chhina minor (dry for the last over two decades): Chhina, Umarpura, Jasrotwal and Bohlia among affected villages Saran minor: Panj Garaian and Pakhe Tara Singh among affected villages Ajnala & Sarchuri distributaries, Adliwal & Naserke minors also running dry
|
||
|
Area under paddy may rise: Study
Chandigarh, July 28 The study, instituted by the Institute of Development and Communication (IDC) here and authored by its Director, Research, Dr HS Shergill, claims that there is no suitable alternative to paddy. Nor can any kharif crop compete with paddy in the near future, despite the efforts of the government. The study claims it is wrong to claim that paddy cultivation is responsible for the decline in the water table. It says out of the four main kharif crops in Punjab, water consumption requirement by only maize (460 mm) is lower than of paddy (730 mm) while that of sugarcane is more (800 mm) and cotton almost the same (715 mm). Dr Shergill maintains that only a major shift from paddy to maize can arrest the falling water table but that this would come at a heavy price because Dr Shergill says another step which will reduce dependence on ground water is advancing paddy transplantation from June 11 to June 20. He says the next step could be determining region-wise transplantation depending on the ground water level. The study criticises the state government’s free power policy to the farm sector. It maintains there is excessive and wasteful use of tubewell water for paddy cultivation because of the free power provision. Moreover, the state is releasing new tubewell connections liberally and allowing power load upgradation at a nominal cost. Hence, the farmers have no reason to move away from paddy, it says. Contrary to the claims by the Punjab Government that it expects to reduce the area under paddy (28 lakh hectares) with the measures being undertaken by it, the study says the area under paddy is likely to increase in South Punjab at the cost of cotton and other kharif crops. It says the rising water table on account of waterlogging is forcing farmers in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, and Ferozepur districts to take to paddy. Dr Shergill maintains that economic parameters also indicate that rice is here to stay and that there is no alternative replacement for it as of now. He says the net return per hectare from rice was Rs 19,826 compared to Rs 16,700 for cotton, Rs 13,331 for sugarcane (calculated on a half yearly basis) and Rs 7,136 for maize. He says in a few years, sugarcane and maize will be wiped out and cotton will lose to paddy in South Punjab. The study says trends indicate the per hectare yield of paddy is on the rise and compares favourably to the best in the world. Other factors are also in its favour, including the fact that it has the lowest yield risk among the kharif crops and is the only kharif crop with assured purchase at a remunerative minimum support price (MSP). Dr Shergill maintains that fears that the rest of the country will become rice surplus in the coming years are baseless. He maintains that Punjab has the first mover advantage compared to other states and that its mechanisation levels are on a par with those in developed countries. He says paddy is the only crop whose harvesting is completely mechanised and that too at a low cost because the same machine is used to harvest the wheat crop too. The paddy lure
The paddy cure
|
|
Patiala MC’s flop show
irks residents
Patiala, July 28 One can see heaps of garbage strewn around on various roads in the city even though the MC authorities have repeatedly claimed that they have been doing the needful. Garbage dumps have been increasing in size and the smell emanating from them has become unbearable. Roads near the bus stand flyover, State College Road, New Officers Colony and Charan Bagh are filled with litter. “We have complained several times to the MC about the filth on the roads but to no avail,” said students residing near state college. Over a dozen localities in the royal city are facing water shortage. The water supply has reduced from five hours to only an hour everyday. Ghumman Nagar, Sewak Colony, Desi Mehmandari, Punjabi Bagh, Lehal Colony, Model Town, Officers Colony, Chotti Baradari, areas inside the walled city, New Lal Bagh and Guru Nanak Nagar, Tripuri are some of the colonies that are not supplied with enough water. Even though the MC authorities had razed a few illegal buildings recently, they have failed to deter people from constructing illegal buildings. Several illegal commercial buildings are mushrooming in the city. Shopkeepers and dhaba owners on the Mall Road have encroached on the pathway that was built for pedestrians. Large puddles of water dot the roads of the city as the MC failed to repair potholes before the start of the monsoon season. It has become dangerous for anyone to even walk on the roads. Potholes on roads leading to Fountain Chowk, Mall Road, Model Town, the Polo Ground and the Rajindra Hospital have led to several accidents. “It is a shame that the cash-strapped MC cannot even offer basic amenities to local residents,” said former Mayor Vishnu Sharma. When contacted, Patiala Mayor Amrinder Singh Bazaz said they were struggling to find space to dump garbage. “As far as illegal buildings are concerned, the ones that have come to my notice will be demolished and we will make sure that no such buildings are allowed to come up in the future either,” he said.
|
|
Fee in medical colleges may be hiked by 33%
Reliable sources said a final decision on the fee hike would be taken by the Punjab Government. The committee had recommended that seats to be filled under the management quota should pay Rs 6 lakh annually against the current charges of Rs 4 lakh. It had recommended no fee hike for the seats in the NRI quota. The committee, comprising Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Tejveer Singh, Director, Medical Education and Research, and Dr SS Gill, Vice Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, are learnt to have suggested no change in the annual fee for seats in the state’s dental colleges. When contacted, Chunni Lal Bhagat, Minister for Medical Education and Research, said: “The matter is under consideration. I cannot comment on the issue at this juncture.” The committee was formed on the demand of private medical colleges that wanted that the fee for each seat be raised to Rs 7.5 lakh per year from the existing Rs 2.75 lakh. Adesh Foundation chairman Dr HS Gill said: “We had sought that either the fee structure be revised or we be allowed a 50 per cent quota for which we could determine the fee on our own. “We had also suggested that we kept the fee low and the government compensated us for the same, as it did in case of government medical colleges.” Medical colleges, as per a 2006 notification, were allowed a fee hike every three years, he claimed.
Other suggestions
|
|
After Amritsar, Nanded joins green pilgrimage club
Amritsar, July 28 The development came at a meeting held at Trondheim in Norway on Saturday, which brought together delegates from all over the world. Representatives of several cities belonging to various faiths took a pledge towards augmenting green cover. Nanded would focus on a five-point agenda, including sewage and waste management, saving river Godawari and water conservation, green energy (solar and bio-gas), green transport/pollution control and organic agriculture/tree plantation. US-based EcoSikh also aims to create key partnerships between Nanded municipality and various international NGOs working on the issues of sustainability and city planning. “Hazur Sahib Committee has always welcomed all that is good for the holy city and we promise to put all our efforts towards greening and eco-friendliness,” said Sri Hazur Sahib Gurdwara Board chief executive officer DP Singh Chawla. EcoSikh president Dr Rajwant Singh said, “We are excited to see Hazur Sahib, a revered shrine of the Sikhs, on the path of becoming an international destination working towards the preservation of the planet.” Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), a secular body that helps the world’s major faiths develop their own environmental programmes based on their core teachings, beliefs and practices, had launched the Green Pilgrimage Network in November 2011 in Assisi, Italy. The aim was to bring eight faith cities, including Amritsar, on a common platform and make them the founding members. Martin Palmer, ARC secretary general, said, “Sikhs are showing their commitment towards nature preservation by bringing Amritsar and now Nanded on the Green Pilgrimage Network.”
Golden Temple repair ‘kar sewa’ from Aug 18 Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar has said the 'kar sewa' for repair and replacement of the damaged gold-plating and artwork inside the Golden Temple will begin from August 18. Makkar, in a statement released here, said the 'kar sewa' had been entrusted to Baba Kashmir Singh Bhuriwale and all efforts would be made to maintain the originality and uniformity of the artwork. He said the ‘Gurbani Kirtan’ inside the sanctum sanctorum will continue as usual during the 'kar sewa'.
|
People fed up with Congress regime at Centre, says Badal
Mohali, July 28 Badal was in the town today to attend a function to mark the death anniversary of local leader Maan Singh Manhera. The Chief Minister said: “Rampant corruption coupled with an unprecedented hike in the prices of essential commodities has hit the common man. Now they (the people) are waiting to show them (the UPA government) the door.” The NDA, of which the Shiromani Akali Dal was a key ally, would emerge as the ultimate choice of electorate in the next Lok Sabha elections, he claimed. On the claim of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Chandigarh, Badal said only Punjab had the legitimate right over the City Beautiful. “Only the parent state has claim over the capital. Any state that has been carved out from the parent state has to build its own capital,” he said. He said Hooda must stop from making such “frivolous” statements about Chandigarh. Taking a dig at the Centre’s food security ordinance, Badal said it was a replica the state government’s atta-dal scheme. “We have been providing food security to the poor through this scheme for the past several years,” the Chief Minister said, adding the government would not hesitate in implementing any scheme that was in the larger interest of the poor.
|
|
Amid property tussle, Faridkot lost precious forest on 1,500 acres
Faridkot, July 28 Several varieties of trees used to be found in the area earlier. But over time, the jungles were cleared by the forest mafia. The high-selling varieties have now been replaced by low-grade firewood or wild grass. The forest was spread in Bir Chahal, Bir Ghugiana and Bir Sikhawala villages and it once even used to host several species of birds. That Maharaja Harinder Singh and his forefathers were fond of plantation could be gauged from the fact that the names of all these villages begin with ‘Bir’, a tree variety. But after the Maharaja’s death around 30 years ago, the precious forest wealth, worth crores of rupees, was illegally chopped off. The forest area that once used to be a ‘no-man’s zone’ was plundered mercilessly even as the legal heirs were making rounds of the court to inherit it. Maharaja Harinder Singh’s property recently came in focus after his two daughters, Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur, won a two-decade-old legal battle over the inheritance of his properties. The properties and assets are valued around Rs 20,000 crore. District Forest Officer Baljit Singh Sidhu confirmed there once used to be a dense forest cover in these three villages, which are the personal properties of the late Maharaja. “As it was a private forest, our department had limited power to interfere to check illegal felling,” he said.
|
|
Road safety plan shifted, Harsimrat accuses Union Govt of prejudice
Chandigarh, July 28 She said this once again revealed the Centre’s “bias” against Punjab. Harsimrat said the decision was shocking. She said the Union Surface Transport Ministry had already given its approval for launching the project on the Amritsar-Pathankot national highway(NH-15). She said Punjab had highest mortality rate in road accidents. More than 4,500 lives had been lost in over 6,400 accidents in 2012 across the state.The casualty figure in Rajasthan was half of that in Punjab. She said despite a survey of the Amritsar-Pathankot highway, the Union Government had shifted the scheme to the Congress-ruled Rajasthan.
Congress rebuttal
Jalandhar: The Badal Government is not serious in saving valuable lives lost in road accidents everyday, alleged the newly appointed Mahila Congress spokesperson, Nimisha Mehta. Justifying the shifting of the ‘cashless treatment of road accident victims scheme’ from Punjab to Rajasthan, she said had the Badal Government been serious to save lives, it would have provided an officer to the Road Safety Council. Alleging rampant corruption, Nimisha said the Congress would “expose” the corruption in district transport offices of Punjab.
|
|
Freedom in lock-up!
The prison staff has caught an inmate operating internet on a mobile phone, which deceptively looked like a watch and was even tied on the prisoner’s wrist. The gadget was gifted to the prisoner by a visitor last week. A jail official said it was after a long battle of wits that they discovered the “watch” was indeed a mobile phone. Though the recovery of one cell phone is not that alarming when compared to the seizure of 60 devices from Patiala jail in four months, the incident highlights the alleged laxity on the part of the officials in conducting checks inside prison cells. Insiders say with easy internet accessibility, there were chances of jail-related information being leaked, something that was also admitted by Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Rajpal Meena. This way, they fear, the prisoners could get in touch with their counterparts behind bars, or even their aides outside jail, for creating any kind of disturbance. The recent incidents of violence at the Ferozepur jail, which left three inmates dead, could also be attributed to social media connectivity, an official said. Meanwhile, the Hoshiarpur police has registered a complaint to look into the incident of jail inmates accessing a social networking site behind bars on Friday. The inmates of Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala jail were reported engaged in Facebook chats with their friends outside who were interested in knowing their status and expected release from the cells. Additional Director General of Police (Prisons) Rajpal Meena said, “The police is trying to identify the people who were behind the internet episode. Those in touch with the inmate from outside too are under scanner.”
|
|
This Sangrur school helps make lives of special kids colourful
Sangrur, July 28 The school was started by a local NGO, Scientific Awareness and Social Welfare Forum, in August 2006. It has come a long was since 2006, when the total strength of students in the school was just six. The students enrolled in the school are anywhere between 6 to 15 years old and attend school from 9 am to 2 pm. Dr AS Mann, president of the NGO, said the children came from several villages, including Ballian, Thales, Akoi Sahib, Badrukhan, Ubhawal, Kila Bharian, Bhamma Baddi and Namol. He said the school had five teachers on its rolls, including an art and craft teacher. The annual expenditure of the school is about Rs 6 lakh which the NGO meets through monthly donations. The institute which started functioning in a room at Saraswati Public School has finally got its own building. It is now being run from a new building located on 1,900 square yards. An amount of Rs 42 lakh has been spent on the construction of the building so far. The land was donated by an NRI, Prabhu Parmatama. The NGO is now planning to construct a hostel for the students.
|
|
Shun factionalism, SAD leader tells sarpanches
Sangrur, July 28 Dhindsa said this at a function, organised at Gurdwara Nankiana Sahib here today to congratulate the newly elected sarpanches and panches of 73 villages of the Sunam assembly constituency. Dhindsa said in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the SAD-BJP alliance would defeat the Congress convincingly. He asked sarpanches and panches to chalk out programmes to execute development works in their respective villages. Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa accused the Congress-led UPA Government of
failing to handle the financial crisis. He said the country was facing problems such as price rise, corruption and unemployment. The Finance Minister also said the panchayats played a vital role in the development of the villages and the policies of the government could not be implemented without the cooperation of the
panchayats.
|
|
Ropar women’s cell disposes of 283 cases
Ropar, July 28 Ropar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Inder Mohan Singh Bhatti said the district police officers, counselling professionals and volunteers worked jointly to run the cell. He said any woman, who was a victim of violence, physical and mental torture, etc, was interviewed by the members of a counselling panel. During the first couple of counselling sessions, the complainant’s family members, including husband, in-laws, her parents or kin were interviewed and the complainant’s problems were evaluated. In the ensuing counselling sessions, the victim was given assistance in dealing with her problems, he said. Finally, efforts were made to improve her marital and familial relationships, if the victim was suffering from family discord. The victim was provided with police assistance whenever needed, Bhatti said. A majority of such complaints received by the police were an outcome of lack of trust between couples, added Bhatti.
|
|
Tarn Taran police assault victim alleges pressure by her cousin
Jalandhar, July 28 During their visit to the city, the girl alleged that Jagjit Singh, who had shot the video of her beating up by policemen, visited her and gave her a typed statement. Providing copies of the same, she alleged Jagjit had asked her to give statements in favour of suspended Sub-Inspector Gurmeet Singh and some taxi drivers at proper forums. The Sub-Inspector was suspended in June after Jagjit alleged the former had pressured him to turn hostile. Jagjit said he had given his cousin a handwritten statement in which he asked her not to implicate the taxi drivers and the policeman in the case. On his earlier statement on the basis of which the police officer was suspended, he failed to give any satisfactory reply. Nimisha Mehta, Punjab Mahila Congress vice-president, has demanded a CBI or a judicial probe into the case.
|
|
Villagers gherao police station, free 2 women
Tarn Taran, July 28 Reliable sources said Gurinder Kaur and her niece Mandeep Kaur were among eight named in a case registered by the Chohla Sahib police station a few days ago. Even as the authorities deputed Harpal Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Goindwal Sahib, to investigate the matter, Sub-Inspector Harjinder Singh, Station House officer (SHO), Chohla Sahib, visited Gharka village and put the two women to a police lock-up. Pargat Singh Chamba of the Kisan Sangarsh Committee (KSC) and his co-workers reached the police station and objected to the detention. They laid a siege to the police station with the help of village residents for more than three hours. Bowing to pressure, the police released the detained women without any
condition. The SHO, when contacted, said he released the women after he was told that an inquiry into the case was pending with the DSP. Meanwhile, three members of a family have been booked for abducting a teenaged girl in Thatha village, 35 km from Tarn Taran, under Sections 363 and 366 of the IPC. The accused were identified as Daljit Singh, his father Ram Singh and mother Harbhajan Kaur alias Bhajno . The girl’s father told the police that Bhajano left for an undisclosed destination along with his daughter a few days ago on the plea that she would get her married to her son Daljit Singh. The girl remains untraced.
|
|
Schools ignore former DGSE’s proposal
Faridkot, July 28 Pannu had written to all Circle Education Officers and District Education Officers to display the letter in school libraries. In the letter, Lincoln describes a teacher as a nation builder. Pannu believed that the letter would inspire the teachers to perform better and inculcate greater regard for the teachers in students’ mind. The district education office said the suggestion had been forwarded to all schools that were at liberty to display the letter. But teachers in most schools felt the letter would accomplish nothing. “It’s an Easter egg with no candy,” said a school principal. The Government Senior Secondary School in Pakhi Kalan, Faridkot, known for its high educational standards, had displayed the letter prominently on a signboard much before the DGCE’s suggestion.
|
|
Ropar’s women cell disposes of 283 cases
Ropar, July 28 Ropar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Inder Mohan Singh Bhatti said the district police officers, counselling professionals and volunteers worked jointly to run the cell. He said any woman, who was a victim of violence, physical and mental torture, etc, was interviewed by the members of a counselling panel. During the first couple of counselling sessions, the complainant’s family members, including husband, in-laws, her parents or kin were interviewed and the complainant’s problems were evaluated. In the ensuing counselling sessions, the victim was given assistance in dealing with her problems, he said. Finally, efforts were made to improve her marital and familial relationships, if the victim was suffering from family discord. The victim was also provided with police assist ance whenever needed, Bhatti said. A majority of such complaints received by the police were an outcome of lack of trust between couples, added Bhatti.
|
|
|
NABARD clears Rs 120 cr projects
Chandigarh, July 28 A team of the NABARD called on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here, an official release said. The NABARD has sanctioned Rs 75 crore for installation of RO system in 17 districts to provide potable drinking water and Rs 45 crore for upgradation of three milk plants at
Mohali, Jalandhar and Amritsar. — PTI
|
|
Flour mill owner held
Phagwara, July 28 Acting on a tip-off, two vehicles were intercepted on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. The vehicles were found carrying 200 bags (100 quintals) of wheat. The vehicles were impounded, said the Phagwara Superintendent of Police (SP) HPS Khakh.
— OC
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, July 28
Chandigarh, July 28