The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Slash interest rates: exporters
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — The exporters of the country are suffering in the international markets because of high interest rates and transaction costs. Though the harsh FERA-1973 has been replaced by the FEMA-1999 in June, but most of the bank employees are not conversant with the changed provisions. Consequently, the exporters and importers have to suffer the age-old formalities. The near monopoly of the public sector banks in the foreign exchange is causing difficulties to the exporters and importers.

These views were expressed by the exporters in the ‘Exporters Meet 2000’ organised by the IndusInd Bank here today. Mr Rajinder Jindal, president, Engineering Exporters Association of India, while expressing the problems faced by the exporters, said: ‘‘The exporters in India have to pay high interest rates between 10-12 per cent as compared to the international interest rates, 6 — 6.5 per cent, prevailing in the market. It results in increase in the cost of the exported products.’’

Mr Arun Goel, Assistant Vice-President and head of the city branch, informed the aim of the meet was to listen to the exporter community and understand their needs and expectations so that bank could provide them better services. Presentations were also made on forex risk management and FEMA on this occasion.

Mr Fali Forbes, Executive President of the bank, informed about the bank’s plan in mobile and Internet banking, and launching of the global credit card in association with HSBC and master card. Bank was also venturing into e-commerce and e-banking for facilitating business transactions.

He disclosed the bank was planning to open more branches and ATM facilities. The total number of branches was likely to go up to 50 by March 2001 and ATMs would be 150 in the next over two years.

Mr Goel informed the bank’s networth of Rs 573.68 crore as on September 30 and registered a 25.57 per cent increase in net profit of Rs 46.11 crore for the current half year as compared to Rs 36.72 crore for the corresponding period in the previous year.

Mr Shahrukh Wadia, head forex treasury, explained the mechanism of foreign exchange risk hedging and why it was important for the exporters-importers to hedge their risks, especially in the present uncertainty in the foreign exchange market. Mr A.K.Trivedi, head, global banking discussed the implications of FEMA Act for exporters and importers.

About 25 exporters were present at the meet. Mr J.L. Bagadi, manager, RBI listened to the various problems faced by them and promised to look into them. Mr Ravesh Gupta, Manager Finance, Safari Bikes Limited wanted the banks to reduce the transaction costs. He alleged for a simple courier of one page, the banks were charging as high as Rs 2000.

The majority of exporters felt the private banks were providing better services though charging a little extra amount for the services. However, there was a further need to minimise the procedural formalities. The banks should provide running account facilities for the post shipment loans. While appreciating the ‘meet’ Mr Jindal urged the bankers to conduct such meets more frequently and provide in-service training to the bank employees.

NRI woman’s death: husband, in-laws exonerated
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — The police has absolved all accused in the case of culpable homicide of an NRI woman at the house of her in laws here in February this year.

According to information available from police sources, the police inquiry into the case had exonerated the husband of the deceased, Harjinder Singh, brothers-in-law, Gurdial Singh and Gurcharan Singh, their wives, Tajinder Kaur and Surinder Kaur and mother-in-law, Parkash Kaur of charges of forcing Sweden-based Paramjit Kaur, alias Amanpreet Kaur, to suicide by mentally and physically harassing her.

In its inquiry report, the police has submitted that the FIR registered against the above mentioned persons under Section 306 of the IPC be cancelled as the woman had committed suicide under a state of depression. The report also says that the charge of culpable homicide or harassment for dowry could not be established.

When contacted, the DSP City I, Mr Sandeep Goel told Ludhiana Tribune that after an inquiry, the police had found that Paramjit Kaur had been happily married to Harjinder Singh for the past eight years He said all their married life had been spent in Sweden and that no complaint of harassment had ever been made by the deceased to the police there.

It may be noted that the body of the woman was found hanging in one of the rooms in her in-laws house here in Sukhram Nagar on February 26 this year. It was then alleged that her in- laws were harassing her continuously, while she was here on a visit to India. They had allegedly seized her passport and were not arranging for her return ticket after almost a fortnight of her husband and kids leaving the country without her. She had taken the extreme step after undergoing a lot of frustration at being separated from her children.

In the FIR registered at Police Station Division No. 2, the brother of the deceased, Kirpal Singh had alleged that his sister was married to Harjinder Singh on August 2, 1992. A few months after the wedding, the couple had reportedly left for Sweden. Kirpal Singh had, however, alleged that though they had given enough dowry at the time of marriage, his sister was harassed by her in-laws here and later by her husband in Sweden.

It is learnt that the couple had two children. It was towards the end of 1999 that Paramjit came to know of her elder brother, Parwinder Singh’s ill health. The latter was a resident of Australia and was suffering from blood cancer. It was then that the deceased decided to make a programme to visit him in Australia and obtained a visa on January 26, 2000 for three months.

She went to Australia and came back to India on February 16, 2000, where she joined her husband, Harjinder Singh and her two children. The four stayed in a hotel in Delhi for two days and then Harjinder Singh reportedly left the country on the pretext that his and the kids visa had expired. He allegedly asked his wife to stay for a couple of days with her own family and in-laws for a few days and join them in Sweden later.

It is alleged that before leaving Harjinder Singh had also handed over his wife’s passport to his elder brother, Madanjit Singh and asked him to arrange for her ticket whenever she wanted to return to Sweden.

It is further alleged in the FIR that this was a well thought out plan of the accused in order to separate her from her children and husband. Mr Kirpal Singh had also accused his sister’s in laws of harassing her by refusing to hand over her passport and not arranging for a ticket to Sweden. He had said that he was informed of his sister’s death by a few well meaning neighbours of her in laws.

With the police now absolving the accused, the family members of the deceased are alleging a partisan role on the part of the police.

Two held for taking bribe
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — The Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana range, has nabbed the mandi supervisor and a clerk of Market Committee, Chamkaur Sahib, while accepting a bribe of Rs 1100 from a commission agent.

Giving details, Mr R.P.S. Bajwa, SP Vigilance, Ludhiana Range said that on the complaint of Mr Raghbir Singh Chahal, a commission agent of Chamkaur Sahib, Mr Malwinder Singh, DSP Vigilance Bureau, Ropar, laid a trap and caught the culprits red handed. He said the mandi supervisor, Ramindar Singh demanded Rs 1100 to pass the bills of the firm, which he claimed were having cuttings and showing less weight of 4 kgs. per bag and the clerk asked for Rs 100 to put a stamp on the J-form of the commission agent.

He further informed that the agent handed over Rs 1100 to the clerk, who further transferred Rs 1000 to the mandi supervisor, The raiding party arrested Randhir Singh on the spot and taking advantage of a large number of people gathered there, the mandi supervisor ran away. A case under Section 43 (2) 88 PC Act had been registered.

Mr Bajwa informed that the Vigilance Bureau had launched a campaign against corrupt employees on the direction of Mr S.K. Verma, Chief Director-cum-Additional DGP, Vigilance, Punjab. He called upon the people to immediately inform the vigilance bureau, in case any government official was demanding bribe for any official work.

Blind murder case solved, one arrested
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 9 — The police has succeeded in solving the blind murder case of Ashok Kumar here on October 3 and found that he was murdered by two youth for unsuccessfully trying to sodomise them.

While briefing mediapersons here today, the SP City II, Mr Pramod Ban said that Ashok Kumar had been killed by two friends- Kuldeep Chand and Sanjiv Kumar alias Sonu. The accused are residents of Anihar village in the Goraya sub division and while Kuldeep Chand was working as a carpenter in Phagwara, Sanjiv Kumar is a student of Government College, Moga.

He informed that on the evening of October 3, the two friends decided to go to Moga together. They reportedly reached Ludhiana around 10 pm and were looking for a means of commuting to Moga.

It was while they were discussing about what means of transportation to take to resume their journey at a cigarette kiosk near Bharat Nagar Chowk, that Ashok Kumar who was also standing near by offered them a lift on his scooter till Mullanpur. Mr Ban said the deceased was a bi sexual and he was now known to have several such unnatural affairs.

“He probably thought of the two youths as prospective partners and while they were going towards Mullanpur, he sent several feelers. The two youths got offended and when Ashok Kumar pulled off the road and tried to sodomise Sanjiv Kumar, the other accused, Kuldeep Chand, took hold of a brick lying near by and beat him up. Later, they fled away on his scooter,” he said.

The police had found an unidentified body of a youth just off the Ferozepur Road on the morning of October 4 near Baddowal village. The police had claimed that the deceased had been hit on the head by some blunt object and this led to his death. The scooter on which the deceased was travelling was also missing.

Later, the police succeeded in identifying the deceased as Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bhamian Khurd village . However, the police could not make much headway in the case and this remained a blind murder till a few days back . It was then that the Investigating Officer, Inspector Mukhwinder Singh, also the Station House Officer of the Sadar Police Station received secret information that the scooter of the deceased was seen in Anihar village in the Goraya sub division in Jalandhar district.

The police then laid a trap and was able to arrest one of the accused, Kuldeep Chand. Mr Ban said the other accused Sanjiv Kumar alias Sonu had escaped.

Trying to win TV, man loses Rs 400
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — Numerous cases of people getting duped by companies have come to notice. These companies issue pamphlets with newspapers, promising fabulous prizes. The gullible and unsuspecting people fall prey and lose their money.

Like any other curious person, Mr H.L. Chopra, a retired divisional manager of the New India Assurance Corporation, filled up a quiz form of International Marketing and Leasing Corporation and answered all questions, which were simple. He dispatched it to the corporation at the given address.

After a few days, Mr Chopra received a congratulatory letter from the company, intimating him that he had won the quiz. He would soon get a colour television, for which he would need to pay just Rs 1,000. This was supposed to be done on a special marketing scheme of the company. He was asked to send a demand draft for Rs 400 in advance. He was to pay the rest to the delivery man at the time of receiving his prize, which would reach him within 15 days.

Over one and a half months have passed since Mr Chopra sent the company the DD for Rs 400. He sent them a letter under postal certificate, enquiring about the delay in receiving the prize. Getting no response, he sent a registered letter with acknowledgement card. But that letter returned undelivered, with a note from the postal officials that no such address as was mentioned on the letter could be found.

Punjabi movies in doldrums

DO you remember the last time you saw a Punjabi movie in a cinema hall? Years ago, right! Punjabi films are not been screened in theatres, at least not for long.

In the current year, four Punjabi movies have been released so far. Only Shaheed Udham Singh, a historical drama starring Raj Babbar, Juhi Chawla and Shatrughan Sinha, got average collections at the box office in India and was a hit overseas. The other three — Door Nahin Nankana, Dard Pardesan De and Nadiya Vichhre Neer — were washouts and had to be removed on the second day.

Superhits like Yaari Jatt Di, Jatt Jiona Maur and Chann Pardesi are all more than a decade old. Now one watches satellite channels for regional language movies and programmes. The government had announced a subsidy, but only some got it through their push and pull.

Compound and lump sum tax is levied on cinema halls, irrespective of whether there are any sales of tickets or not. In other states like West Bengal, it is compulsory for all cinema halls to run at least one regional language movie every month. Theatres are not charged any compound taxes. These states have been granted government subsidies.

There are hardly any regular or genuine producers left. The average cost of a movie is Rs 30 lakh. Out of this, the music is sold for Rs 4 lakh and the overseas market is worth Rs 6 to 9 lakh. The producers and distributors have to pay advance to the cinema hall owners and exhibitors.

“Many Punjabi movies are being made, but most do not reach the theatres. No exhibitor is ready to give advance for Punjabi movies. The printing cost of these movies is generally not recovered,” said Mr Ashok Grover, a distributor of Punjabi movies.

The last hit one has heard of is Shaheed-e-Mohabbat. It was released last year and did business of Rs 20 to 25 lakh. The cost of movies, inflation and financial aspects have gone up. The movie Sarv Sanjhi Guru Gobind Singh, which was released in 1998, did business worth Rs 1 crore overseas, while it was a washout in Punjab.

The only producers of Punjabi movies are filthy rich NRIs. They have no experience in the movie line. Many of them are starry-eyed dreamers who wish to appear in a movie.

Fifteen years ago, Punjabi movies were ruling the roost. About 8 to 10 films were released in a year. After the death of Varinder Singh, the industry seems to have folded up, with 3 to 4 movies being released annually.

“There is a lot more vulgarity and offensive language in these movies. These are made in Pakistani style and not in the contemporary Punjabi style,” said Mr Satnam Khurana, a producer of Punjabi movies.

The industry is in such a slump that hackers do not want any part of it. There is no piracy at all. The film Khalsa Mera Roop Hai Khas is expected to be released this year. Punjabi movies are awaiting a revival.
— Kiran Jyot Narula

COMMUNITY

Are employment exchanges losing relevance?
By Manoj Kumar
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — Employment exchanges were established at the district level at the time of Independence to play the role of coordinator between employers and job-seekers. In addition, these were supposed to guide the youth for the changing market. With liberalisation and privatisation their job has been reduced to collect data.

Vacancies in public and private sectors are filled mainly through advertisements in newspapers or through placement agencies. The different websites on the Internet have recently entered the field.

There are four employment exchanges, working in Ludhiana, Khanna, Samrala and Jagraon. Each registers the names of the unemployed youths in their respective tehsils and surrounding areas.

Commenting on the visiting youth, Ms Daljeet Inder, District Employment Officer, says, “Everyone knows that few posts are filled in the public or private sector through employment exchanges. But persons carry on visiting even after 10 to 15 years. Most of the registered unemployed youth are working somewhere, mostly in the private sector. They are underemployed, not unemployed.”

Majority of industrialists as well as government departments do not employ the registered youth. According to the Employment Exchange Compulsory Notification Act, 1959, it is mandatory for them to report the number of employed and the number of vacancies created to the exchange concerned. Otherwise they can be prosecuted. However, most of them openly flout these provisions. Moreover, they prefer the migrant labour, which is cheap and works without any payment for overtime. According to the Punjab Government instructions, only those persons can be registered with the exchange who are residents of Punjab.

About 40 to 50 boys and girls come daily to the exchange office to register or to renew their names. Mr Satwinder Singh, coming to renew the registration of his wife, says, “We had registered her name two years back. Though she is working in a private school, we hope that she may be able to get a government job through the exchange some day.”

Interestingly, the mushrooming of private placement agencies is proof of declining interest of the youth in the government exchange. Mr Raminder Kumar, who has failed to get any job through this office in three years, says, “I paid Rs 1500, half month’s salary, and Rs 100 as registration to the agency and got a job within a month. Which is the better agency to provide jobs?”

A decision of the Supreme Court has further affected the role of employment exchanges. It has relieved the employers from recruiting skilled labour through exchanges, which used to be mandatory. Now they have to inform them, but they have an option to recruit through other means, like advertisements.

The unemployed youth also hope to get some employment allowance by registering their names. According to government provisions, after three years of registration, graduates and more qualified persons in the age group of 18 to 40 years can get employment allowance of Rs 200 per month. The matriculates will get allowance of Rs 150 per month, but the most difficult condition to fulfil is that the family income should be less than Rs 10,000 per annum.

The financial crunch of the state government has resulted in the decline of grants for this purpose. In the Ludhiana employment exchange, employment allowance was given only to 148 persons in 1999-2000, amounting Rs 12,9519, as compared to Rs 38,0751 in 1997-98, disbursed among 203 persons. The number of unemployed youth with the exchange on October 30 was more than 42,000. It has increased manifold in the past decade, says Ms Daljeet.

Pension given to widows
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — Sri Gian Sthal Mandir organised its 39th widow pension disbursement function in which about 350 widows were provided with essential items and financial assistance.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Som Nath Maini, chairman and Mr Jagdish Bajaj, president of the sabha informed in detail about the activities of the sabha. In addition to disbursement of monthly pension to a large number of widows and destitute women, the sabha is running a free sewing and embroidery training school, a free homoeopathic dispensary and an ambulance service.

The chief guest of the function, Mr Parminder Mehta, president of district Youth Congress lauded the social work being done by the mandir sabha. He observed that service to fellow human beings was, in the real sense, service to God. Mr S.P. Malik, secretary, district Red Cross Society and Mr Nirmaljit Singh Kohli exhorted people to make contributions to the mandir sabha, so that it could carry on with its philanthropic work.

Prominent among those present at the function were Mr Suresh Kumar, Mr Vipan Mittal, Mr Bhushan Abhi, Mr Rajinder Ajmani, Mr Sat Pal Singla, Mr Parveen Kumar Singla, Mr Vijay Kumar Gupta, Mr Krishan Lal Nauhria, Mr Baldev Raj, Mr Shankar Lal Patodia, Mr Amar Chand Jain, Mr Rajinder Batra and Mr Rajinder Garg.

The sabha president presented mementos to the distinguished guests.

WOMAN POWER
When stumbling blocks become stepping stones
By Minna Zutshi

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — "Never give up even if the odds are staked against you. Be a fighter. Look at the oak tree, it weathers all storms and remains unperturbed." This was the message given decades ago to young Razia Begum by her father. Today, Razia is a 70-year- old grandmother but her father's message still remains close to her heart.

Razia's life is the success story of a survivor. Married at the young age of 15 to Noor Mohammad, Razia's early life was a struggle against penury. But instead of wallowing in self pity, she decided to take charge of her life and make the best of her circumstances.

It was at young Razia's insistence that her husband shifted from Malerkotla to Ludhiana. The times were tough; making ends meet was not an easy job. Moreover, Razia had to look after her children, too. She wanted her children to be given the best possible education.

Razia knew she had to act fast, otherwise time was slipping out. She suggested her husband to take a senior official's house on contract. She thought that they could cultivate vegetables there and sell them in the market. Everything turned out exactly as she had planned. Though selling vegetables was not a lucrative business but it did give them enough money to run their household.

To rest contended was not Razia's cup of tea. She had a dream and a part of that dream was not to let circumstances smother it. Even as a young child she had fantasised about owning a beautiful nursery. Plants and trees had always delighted her. She decided to give a concrete shape to her dreams. Thus started her tryst with Noor Nursery.

The land on which Noor Nursery is located was an old graveyard. This did not deter Razia. The first step was of reclaiming the land.

Her unflinching courage and back breaking hard work paid off. Not once did she think that she was doing anything extraordinary. Did the prospect of living in the company of the dead ever frighten her? "Dead persons seldom hurt anyone. If at all, fear the living, not the dead," is her cryptic reply.

The fledgling Noor Nursery was just beginning to take off when death snatched away her husband. It was a harrowing experience but she knew that she had to overcome her grief and steel herself, at least for her children. She became all the more devoted to her nursery.

Razia believes that just like human beings, plants too are sensitive to human touch. They wilt in the absence of a caring hand. Only a sensitive soul can nurture plants. Tending plants is more like bringing up small children, she says.

Razia's sons are all well placed. However, she regrets that she did not educate her daughters. Surprisingly, she has a very liberal attitude towards her daughters-in-law. She did not take even a single penny in dowry from them. Razia is slightly skeptical of the new generation. She feels that the youngsters have got all their priorities skewed.

The trauma of partition is still green in her memory. She still fails to understand how friends could become strangers in one night. Razia feels that a shared past implicates us all, so bitterness is of no use. It goes with her sense of justice to give the entire credit for the success of her plant nursery to Mr Ram Prasad, who has been working with her for the last three decades.

A firm believer in God, Razia has already been to Ajmer, Sirhind and other sacred spots. Five years ago she went for a Haj pilgrimage. The Haj pilgrimage was the culmination of her desire to explore her religious self.

Razia's life has been speckled with hardships, but ever time she made stepping stones out of stumbling blocks. Perhaps, herein lies the secret of this feisty woman's survival and success!

‘Migrants deprived of civic amenities’
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — The District Youth Congress (DYC) has charged the SAD-BJP government with pursuing discriminatory policies which had led to deliberate denial of basic civic amenities to migrant population.

The DYC president, Mr Parminder Mehta, after listening grievances of public during a mass contact programme in different city localities said the partisan attitude of the civic administration and the district authorities towards migrant population and those belonging to weaker sections was causing a strong unrest and resentment. He said there were an estimated 8 lakh migrants, mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and many of them were settled in the city for more than a decade.

During an interaction with aggrieved members of public, Mr Mehta was told that they were being denied the facility of ration card and were forced to buy all essential items of daily need on the black market. The Food and Civil Supplies Department had started making temporary cards for the migrants sometimes back but the scheme turned out to be ineffective and genuine persons did not benefit from it.

The DYC president said residents of the Harbanspura locality had been facing acute scarcity of water since the submersible pump installed in the area was out of order for the past one year, while residents in New Madho Puri, Sunder Nagar and Shiv Puri had complained of erratic power supply and faulty telephone lines.

In many city localities, residents brought to the notice of Mr Mehta various instances of police excesses.

He urged the district administration and the civic officials to act in a responsive manner to redress the problems of the residents irrespective of their social or economic status. According to him, the party would also make efforts at its own level to take up the grievances of the public at appropriate quarters and soon present a memorandum to senior government functionaries highlighting problems of residents.

‘Left-democratic front needed’
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — The Punjab state committee of the Marxist Communist Party of India (MCPI) has strongly reacted to overtures of the CPI-M leadership towards the Congress in the name of building a secular front and has observed that need of the hour was to forge a front of Left and democratic forces in the country, which could prove to be a real alternative to both the BJP and the Congress.

The meeting of the state committee was held here last evening with Mr Prem Singh of Rajpura in the chair. Mr Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, national general secretary of the party, who specially attended the meeting, remarked that the policies of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation had led to the major crop of the state, paddy, rotting in the mandis. The faulty and pro-trader policies of the state government in this regard had resulted in the ruination of farmers, while the rice millers had reaped massive profits through exploitation of paddy growers.

The party noted with concern that taking advantage of the indifference of the government, the brick-kiln owners in the state were also holding people to ransom. They had stopped production of bricks and had raised the rates exorbitantly, thereby hampering all development works in the state.

According to Mr Kuldip Singh, state secretary of the party, the meeting criticised the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Life and property of the people was becoming insecure day by day and the police, rather than providing security to the people, was encouraging criminal and anti-social elements. The most unfortunate part was that the members of the ruling party and higher echelons of bureaucracy were hand in glove with each other.

The MCPI cautioned the state government to take timely remedial measures in preparation for the coming wheat crop, lest it should meet the same fate as paddy. It called for formulation of a consistent policy to protect the interests of the farming community in Punjab to sustain the agriculture economy on a long term basis.

Police launches search operations
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 — In its efforts to curb the spurt in the heinous crimes in the city, the local police has launched a massive manhunt for the gang of armed robbers and started cordon and search operations. The SP City II, Mr Pramod Ban said the police had been searching various areas like Tajpur Road, Simlapuri, Subhash Nagar, Jodhewal Basti, Transport Nagar, Rahon Road, Malerkotla Road and Gill Road.

He informed that the intensified checking would ward off the unscrupulous elements from the city. He also said that the police was also receiving information about several suspected persons.

Posts lying vacant
From Our Correspondent

KHAMANO, Nov 8 — Nearly 300 teacher's posts are lying vacant in the primary schools that come under the sub-division of Khamano. Many local organisations and political parties have demanded the filling up of these post at the earliest so that the studies of children are not affected.

CRIME

Man held on adulteration charge
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Nov 8 —The police has arrested one Ravinder Pal Singh on charges of cheating, fraud, impersonation and for selling adulterated Alkali heavy oil. It is alleged that the accused was mixing diesel with kerosene oil and selling it in the market at costly rates. It is also alleged that he was cheating the public by preparing duplicate bills of the Indian Oil Company without the licence of the company.

The police has registered a case under Sections 42, 467,468, 471 of the IPC and 7 of the EC Act.

Scooter stolen
A scooter bearing registration number PB 10R-1449 was reportedly stolen from in front of a shoe shop at the Maharani Jhansi Road recently. The police has regisered a case under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code.

Car stolen
An Indica car belonging to Indervir Singh of Model Gram bearing registration number PB 10 AN 0976 has reportedly been stolen from Pin Plaza complex in Model Town area. The police has registered a case under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code.