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| Saturday,
November 11, 2000, Chandigarh, India    |
Riverbed
encroachments ‘caused’ floods Widow’s
unending search for son Sukhbir sees
early end to factionalism PSEB staff
lament stagnation Scheme’s
name changed with eye on poll: MLA |
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HC
show-cause notice to 2 police officers Kalia pays lip
service; hospital in doldrums
SGPC chief’s
election on Nov 30 Congress meeting
on Nov 12
Water
quality in Harike improves House crows
replace vultures An encounter with
nature Collapse of
panchayats is responsible for rise in litigation
Scheme to clear ST
cases Badal to
inaugurate sugar mill on Nov 16 5 lakh
brick-kiln workers jobless 10.38 cr to
be spent on kandi areas
No
breakthrough in robbery case Man robbed
of Rs 4.95 lakh 5 kg opium
seized Father
demands arrest of in-laws
PSU dharnas
from Nov 15 ‘Adopt
Japanese management style’
Fresh Honey Farm
shines at agro exhibition
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Riverbed
encroachments ‘caused’ floods ROPAR, Nov 10 — The riverbed encroachments on the downstream of the
Siswan caused floods that inundated nine villages of the area and
rendered about 1000 villagers homeless, in July this year.
According to an inquiry report submitted recently to the Deputy
Commissioner, Ropar, Mr G.S. Grewal, the encroachments in the Siswan
riverbed has considerably reduced the 500 feet natural width of the
river is some areas. Due to it when the river got flooded in monsoons,
it changed its course and caused floods in the Chaunta, Bara Surtapur,
Chota Surtapur, Bhani, Bhauwal, Chalian Khurd, Taprian, Malah and Ispur
villages.
Earlier, after the aforesaid villages were flooded, an inquiry was
constituted under the SDM, Ropar, Mr Sarabjit Singh, to look into the
cause of the floods. Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab, who
had visited the flooded villages, had also directed the district
administration to remove the encroachments which had reportedly caused
floods.
In the inquiry report officials of the Drainage Department, Ropar,
said that floods in the two seasonal rivers in the district viz. the
Siswan and the Budki were caused due to the encroachments in their
riverbeds. The department had also identified a number of cases of
dispute of the riverbed land, including those that had been pending
since long in various courts.
The affected villagers had been alleging that the riverbed lands had
been encroached upon by certain influential officers of the Agriculture
Department of the state. The officers had resorted to plantations in the
riverbeds which changed the natural course of the river and caused
floods in the agricultural lands, the villagers alleged.
The SDM, Ropar, Mr Sarabjit Singh, told that now that the enquiry had
been completed, the work to demarcate the disputed lands in the
riverbeds would be started by revenue officials, within a week. After
the demarcation, the encroachments in the riverbed would be removed
immediately. He, however, added that a status quo would be maintained on
those dispute which were under the preview of the court. |
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Widow’s
unending search for son GURDASPUR, Nov 10 — Mrs Narinjan Kaur, a local resident and widow
of an Army official, has tried in vain to ascertain the whereabouts of
her son, Jasbir Singh, who has been missing since 1997. She suspects her
neighbours may have killed him.
Mrs Narinjan Kaur has made several complaints to the police in this
regard but she says, the police in connivance with the suspects had
often harassed her.
Mrs Narinjan Kaur complained to the Army chief on May 6, 1999, Home
Minister L.K. Advani on May 29, 1999, and the Human Rights Commission on
November 27, 1999. She also met the Prime Minister on July 13 this year
to seek justice but the district police failed to act.
Mrs Narinjan Kaur says she and her son, Daljit Singh, were implicated
in a case on the charge of attacking and injuring Mr Ashwani Kumar one
of the suspects. She was kept in jail for two months before she was
released on bail.
Mrs Narinjan Kaur, in a statement before the Additional Deputy
Commissioner on November 8 complained that the suspects had beaten up
her son Daljit Singh and her daughter-in-law Rosy in the presence of the
SHO and cut the hair of her daughter-in-law.
An inquiry has been ordered at the instance of the Chief Secretary
with directions to the Deputy Commissioner to look into the matter. |
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Sukhbir
sees early end to factionalism BATHINDA, Nov 10 — Mr Sukhbir Singh, general secretary of the
Shiromani Akali Dal, today said factionalism and other crises in the
Youth Akali Dal (YAD) would end shortly. However, discipline in the
party would be maintained at all costs, he added.
Addressing a press conference here, he said all matters regarding
various crises in YAD were in the notice of party president, Mr Parkash
Singh Badal, and would be solved immediately after he came back from his
foreign tour.
When asked whether there would be any change in the state leadership
of YAD, he said only the party president could take a decision on it.
When asked whether the alleged role of the SGPC president, Bibi Jagir
Kaur, in the death of her daughter, Harpreet Kaur, would affect the
party’s prospects in the coming elections, he said the matter was in
the court and he would not comment on it.
When asked that whether Bibi Jagir Kaur should stay as president of
the SGPC or should she resign on moral grounds, he again said he would
give no comments on this.
He said the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party would
decide the candidate for the presidentship of the SGPC, election for
which was to be held in the near future.
He pointed out that for securing massive mandate coordination between
SAD and BJP workers would be enhanced. People would be made aware of the
Punjab Government’s achievements in the past more than three years.
He said the state government played no role in the harassment of
members of Sikh jathas heading towards Pakistan for visiting the Sikh
religious places.
He said compensation would be given to those farmers whose land had
been acquired for digging drains to put an end to water logging in
Muktsar district and other parts of the state shortly. |
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PSEB
staff lament stagnation BATHINDA, Nov 10 — The Employees Federation of Punjab State
Electricity Board (EFPSEB) held its state-level conference at the local
sports stadium. Thousands of PSEB employees, took part in the
conference, hoping in vain that their ‘genuine’ demands would be
accepted.
The meeting was attended by Mr Sikander Singh Maluka, Power Minister,
Punjab, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, General Secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal
(Badal), and Mr Baldev Singh, Administrative Member, PSEB.
Representatives of the three PSEB unions from all over the state were
also present.
Mr Surinder Singh, president of the federation, alleged that the PSEB
was losing Rs 200 crore annually owing to the scams in the purchase of
coal and tools.
On the promotions for Industrial Training Institute (ITIs)
diploma-holders, he said there were practically no promotions for them
and the vacant posts for junior staff were being ‘abolished’ instead
of being filled.
Mr B.S. Sekhon, General Secretary of the organisation, that out of
the seven members who were ‘running’ the PSEB, a majority were
technocrats and, thereby, allegedly biased against non-technocrats.
Mr Maluka told the employees to adopt a good work culture and not be
‘misled’ by Left parties.
He promised that a ‘sympathetic’ attitude would be adopted
towards employees, but the workers who had gathered from all over the
state, virtually returned ‘empty-handed’. |
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Scheme’s
name changed with eye on poll: MLA TALWANDI SABO, Nov 10 — The change in the name of a central scheme
from “Integrated Wastelands Development Project” (IWDP) to “Chief
Minister Wastelands Development Project” by the authorities concerned
without any official notification has created a controversy in this
district.
Mr Harminder Singh Jassi, local MLA, alleged that the state Chief
Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had deliberately done so as he (Mr
Badal) was trying to befool the people when the elections in Punjab
could be held any time. He added that a high level CBI probe could
expose scandals committed by state government.
He further alleged that previous the Congress government had got more
Rs 4 crore from the central government for levelling sand-dunes in the
Talwandi Sabo area but Mr Badal had succeeded in diverting the money to
the sangat area to punish the people of Talwandi Sabo as it was
represented by him (Mr Jassi).
He said that funds released by the Central Government under the IWDP
were diverted in violation of guidelines of the scheme.
He alleged the funds were also being wasted on the erection of cement
boards carrying photos of Mr Badal in those villages of the sangat area.
On the board were claiming that the project had been an achievement of
Mr Badal. Apart from it, a three-page folder carrying the coloured photo
of Mr Badal and details of the scheme with a message from Mr Badal was
also being distributed to the public.
He pointed out that a major portion of the Talwandi Sabo area was yet
to be developed but the Punjab Government had taken the entire money to
villages falling in the Pakka Kalan Assembly segment and the sangat
block.
Mr Vivek Aggarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), when
contacted, said that at first stage the IWDP was for Talwandi Sabo only
and the Central Government had sanctioned more than Rs 4 crore for it.
However, the previous Congress government could not complete the project
as it had launched a vigilance inquiry against those who were
implementing the project and ultimately, the project implementation was
stopped.
He added recently the project was redesigned with the efforts of Mr
Badal and the Central Government had revived it for whole of Bathinda
district. The then Union Rural Development Minister, Mr Sunder Lal
Patwa, had announced the money would be released for this project again.
He pointed out that the word Chief Minister was added with the name
of project because a number of state government agencies were involved
in its implementation and Mr Badal was himself monitoring the progress
of the project. Moreover, the project was again sanctioned for Punjab
only on the intervention of Mr Badal, he added.
He further pointed out that only that portion of project money was
being used on publicity which was meant for the same purpose and a clear
provision in this connection had been made in the guidelines given for
the implementation of project.
He claimed that Mr Jassi, who was objecting to the implementation of
project in the sangat area, was not aware of the fact that almost all
panchayats of villages falling under Talwandi Sabo, where the project
was to be implemented, had passed a resolution saying that the project
had been implemented in their respective areas.
He said that at present work of wasteland development was in progress
in more than 40 villages and village-level and project implementation
committees had been implementing the project. The IWDP was an open-ended
scheme and it could be implemented in other areas also, he added. |
|
HC show-cause
notice to 2 police officers CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — On a petition making sensational allegations
of kidnapping and extraction of money against Rajwinder Singh S.H.O. of
Patiala Sadar police station, ASI, Karam Chand and seeking cancellation
of their bail, Mr Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court
issued notice to SHO Rajwinder Singh and SI Karam Chand to show cause
why the bail granted to them in the circumstances highlighted in the
petition should not be cancelled?
The Judge also issued notice to the Chandigarh SSP for answering the
allegation mentioned in an affidavit that a city police officer had come
their house in Patiala at the instance of the respondents.
The Judge also directed the Patiala SSP to provide protection to the
petitioners in consultation with S.P. (Vigilance) to ensure that the
petitioners are not harassed on account of any covert or overt act
undertaken by SHO Rajwinder Singh, SI Karam Chand and ASI Karam Chand by
themselves or at their behest.
The Judge also directed the state counsel to obtain instructions from
the state government on how much time it would take to sanction the
prosecution of the accused, sought by the Vigilance Bureau.
The directions were issued on a petition moved by Mr Ashok Kumar and
others belonging to Patiala.
According to the petitioners, when Mr Ashok Kumar and Om Parkash had
gone to their native place, the farmer’s wife and the latter’s two
sons were picked up by SHO Rajwinder Singh the two other police
officers. When they came to know of it they went to the police station.
The police, freed the wife and the children but detained the two
petitioners and demanded Rs 50,000 from them or otherwise they would be
involved in a false case.
It was alleged that they arranged Rs 10,000 through Mr Harbans Singh,
a prominent citizen, and promised to pay Rs 30,000 by August 21. On that
date, the Vigilance Bureau, Patiala, which was informed by the
petitioners in advance, caught the respondents red-handed.
SI Karam Chand absconded and Rajwinder Singh and Karam Chand ASI,
were released on bail by the High Court and Court at Patiala. It is
alleged that soon after, they are released, the respondents started
threatening the complainants and the witnesses. The petitioners moved
the High Court for giving them protection and for cancellation of the
bail of the accused.
The petitioners alleged that during the pendency of the application,
the respondents tried to run over by a car Mr Harbans Singh, a witness,
and tried to get Ashok Kumar and Om Parkash kidnapped by a police party
allegedly from Chandigarh. |
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Kalia pays lip
service; hospital in doldrums PATIALA Lack of funds
seem to be the main reason for the steady deterioration of both the
Medical College and Hospital. While the college is hit by an acute
shortage of staff, the hospital has to do without life saving drugs and
necessary equipment like CT Scan and cardiac monitors. Both institutions
do not have funds for maintenance of buildings and other infrastructure.
Besides this, the medical college and hospital are crippled because of
the government not releasing the NRI funds collected by it. The
minister, who took an extensive tour of the college and hospital,
accompanied by the Public Works Minister, Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, the
Director, Research and Medical Education, Dr S.S. Sidhu and College
Principal, Dr Ravinder Singh, had little to offer except homilies to the
faculty and various unions. Addressing the faculty members, Mr Kalia
said they should not resign from the institution to work privately.
However, when asked by newsmen what the government was doing to prevent
the shift, he asked what could the government do. The minister seemed
oblivious of the situation, saying the last government had not done
anything in the field of medical education, without specifying, however,
what the Akali-BJP government was doing in this regard. Mr Kalia tried
to promise resolution of most of the pending issues. He said the
government would soon release Rs 18 crore collected by the medical and
dental colleges in the state from non-resident Indians. He said
committees would be constituted in each medical college on way to spend
this amount. He said besides this, money would be provided for repair of
essential equipment and steps would also be taken to remove the problem
of paucity of staff. The Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers
Association tried to keep the minister abreast of the situation by
handing him a hard-hitting representation which claimed that the state
medical colleges had not been able to keep pace with technological
advances, due to the apathetic attitude of the government. It said the hospital facilities in various medical colleges had become primitive
with patients feeling cheated when told something as basic as the CT
Scan was out of order, the dialysis machines were not working or X-ray
films were in short supply. It said in spite of paying charges, patients
had to buy items like cotton, needles, thread and soap. The
association Secretary, Dr Ravinder Singh, also demanded that the money
generated from the admission of NRI students and hike in hospital
charges be used exclusively for the hospital. It said the hospital had
earned Rs 3 crore from NRIs in the last two years, but had not received
a single paisa. Similarly, money earned by the hospital through an
increase in charges, was being allowed to lapse and was not being given
for the upkeep of the hospital. Public Works Minister, Ajaib Singh
Mukhmailpur, also did not have anything concrete to offer, even though
the hospital needs urgent help of the PWD department to maintain its
infrastructure. He was seen dozing off when representations were being
given by various associations. Doctors working in the hospital said they
understood that the Medical Education Minister could do precious little
to release any funds unless the case was passed at the highest level.
The only offshoot of the visit was that the hospital got a thorough
cleaning. |
SGPC chief’s
election on Nov 30 AMRITSAR, Nov 10 — Notices for the annual general house meeting of
the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), to be held on
November 30, have been mailed to 190 members. The meeting has been
convened to elect the president and the executive committee members of
the SGPC.
It is reliably learnt that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Chief, Mr
Parkash Singh Badal, may spring a surprise by opting to bring Bibi Jagir
Kaur back as SGPC President as she has already applied for an
anticipatory bail. However, the opponents of Bibi Jagir Kaur have been
seeking resignation in view of the murder charge. |
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Congress meeting
on Nov 12 CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — The state election authority appointed by the All-India Congress Committee to conduct the organisational poll has convened a meeting of the delegates of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee on November 12 in the local Punjab Congress
Bhavan. Mr Chakravrty Sharma, member of the election authority for Punjab, said here today that the meeting had been called to hold polling to elect the President of the
AICC. The polling would be held the same day between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., he added. |
Water quality in
Harike improves FEROZEPORE, Nov 10 — The quality of water at the Harike wetland
lake, near here, showing signs of improvement. A Punjab Pollution
Control Bard (PPCB) report has indicated an overall improvement in the
“biological” quality of the water that was polluted by industrial
effluents.
Experts attribute it to the removal of the hyacinth cover from the
lake by the Army. The hyacinth had earlier grown on industrial effluents
finding their way to the Sutlej and the lake from Ropar, Ludhiana and
Moga.
The PPCB report, available with TNS, indicates an overall improvement
in the water quality at four of the seven spots where sampling was done.
Besides, the chemical quality of the water also improved with
reduction in phosphates, sulphates and chlorides during the sampling
period.
However, the report indicates fresh contamination at two spots —
the south-end of the sarovar and the water channel.
The arrival of more than 30,000 migratory birds at the lake is being
attributed to the improvement in the water quality. The population of
underwater wildlife and fish is expected to grow. The Harike lake is a
source of drinking and irrigation water in parts of Punjab and
Rajasthan. |
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House
crows replace vultures LUDHIANA, Nov 10 — Mystery shrouds the disappearance of vultures
from Punjab, baffling scientists and environmentalists.
Their disappearance causing of concern to the people, particulars
scientists.
The vultures are natural scavengers and thus contribute a great deal
to a clean and healthy environment. However, with their disappearance,
the environment is facing grave danger. Although their place has been
taken by some other carrion-eating birds but they are unable to do the
job adequately.
The disappearance of vultures was first noticed in Punjab in 1998,
when foot and mouth disease broke out in the state leading to the death
of thousands of animals. Since there were no vultures, the disposal of
the dead animals became a problem and scientists and conservationists
realised that vultures were vanishing. However, the scientists believe
that the process of disappearance might have started at least two years
earlier.
The scientists of Punjab Agricultural University have been conducting
research on the disappearance of vultures from the state. Only last
year, Dr C.S. Malli, ornithologist in the Department of Zoology , and
his team conducted a survey in four districts of Punjab, including
Ludhiana, Moga, Jalandhar and Kapurthala.
In each district, they selected five animal disposal and flaying
centres. They observed, during their study, that these centres, which
were earlier flocked by vultures, were now largely frequented by house
crows, cattle, egret, pied myna, common myna, bank myna, crow pheasant
and eagle. They also found stray dogs in these centres. The complete
absence of vultures from these centres motivated them to identify the
causes which could have led to their disappearance.
Although Dr Malli and his team were not able to pinpoint any one
reason for their disappearance, they felt that it could be the
cumulative effect of factors like habitat destruction, poaching and the
excessive use of insecticides and pesticides by the farmers. They noted
that because of urbanisation and increasing area under crop cultivation,
the population of vultures had diminished. Pesticides used on crops had
led to huge mortality among vultures.
They were also of the view that the decreasing number of huge trees
like peepal, banyan, kikar, etc, which were a natural habitat for
vultures, was also a major reason for their disappearance. Besides, in
Punjab, farmers had been using a medicine for activating the posterior
pituitary hormones of milch cattle for instant milching and this was
also supposed to be responsible for the near-extinction of vultures. The
medicine had the potential of suppressing reproductive hormones and
totally impeding procreation. When the cattle died, this medicine gots
transferred into the bodies of vultures’ which feed on carcasses.
The PAU scientists do not agree with the theory that the vultures,
which have the capacity to fly high, may have crossed the mountains and
flown out of the country. Dr Malli and his team think that there is no
reason why the vultures should have crossed the borders.
The scientists have observed that the disappearance of vultures
remains a mystery, Posing a challenge to conservationists, wildlife
activists, ornithologists and others. |
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An encounter with
nature PATIALA All the paintings have been inspired by nature. About ten paintings
were painted by the artist en route to Amarnath cave last year. These
were originally captured on smaller canvases, but were later enlarged in
the studio. The rest of the paintings were done during a trip to Manali.
All 31 paintings on display are new and have not been displayed anywhere
previously.
Ashwani says he is more interested in painting nature as its
different facets fascinate him . He said painting nature is also
soothing in itself and provides a person with a cool temperament.
The paintings have been done on handmade paper using water colours.
The colour scheme has been selected keeping in view the atmosphere and
theme. The colours blend into each other very finely creating misty
scenes. The two paintings ‘Poetic Morning’ and ‘Water Fall II’
are exceptionally good having scenes of water fall and flora which no
camera could capture.
This is his ninth individual painting exhibition. His earlier
exhibitions were held in cities like Chandigarh, Shimla, Mumbai. He also
holds occasional workshops and camps. The exhibition will continue till
November 16. |
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Collapse of
panchayats is responsible for rise in litigation PATIALA Speaking at a seminar on “Free Legal Aid and Lok Adalats”,
organised by the District Legal Services Authority and the Nabha Bar
Association at Nabha yesterday, Mr Aggarwal said though the concept of
free legal aid was started last year, people were still not fully aware
of it .
He said awareness about the concept of free legal aid should be
spread at the grass root level, so that the have-nots could be rendered
legal aid . He said people falling in the fixed categories could avail
of legal help in their respective subdivision or district headquarter.
Giving details of the cases received under this scheme, he said 1869
applications had been received by the authority, out of which 1076
persons had been given free legal aid. He said the rest of the
applications had been disposed off after reconciliation.
Speaking of the system of Lok Adalats, he said they had been
instituted to provide speedy justice to the people. He said the Lok
Adalat was an effective means of getting justice, as its decision could
not be challenged in any other court of law. The Lok Adalats had awarded
compensation of Rs 7.93 crore to effected persons under the Motor
Vehicle Act.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner, Jasbir Singh Bir, said
the panchayats were failing as an institution and were unfortunately not
able to fulfill their obligations. He said an improvement was needed in
the panchayat system, so that local issues could be sorted out at the
village level itself.
Nabha Bar Association President S.P. Chopra, assured that the lawyers
would provide utmost help in the implementation of the free legal aid
scheme. |
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More
cops deployed to check spurt in crime CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — Fifteen additional companies have been deployed in 10 police districts following a spurt in violent activities in Punjab. The crime has increased in spite of the introduction of “theekri pehra” and “reintroduction of nakas” in most of the important towns in Punjab. Only yesterday, a commission agent was robbed of Rs 4.95 lakh at Dharamkot in Moga police district. The additional police force has been deployed at most of the new police districts with the exception of Jalandhar, Bathinda and Gurdaspur. While Jalandhar and Bathinda have been given two companies each, Gurdaspur has got one. Among the new districts Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga and Muktsar have got two companies each while Nawanshahr, Jagraon, Khanna and Faridkot have one company each. The additional force has been provided to improve patrolling and supplement the local police in carrying out investigations and check incidence of violent crime. The major area of concern for the police has been increase in the incidence of snatching, armed robberies, burglaries and murder of victims before their houses are burgled. Until the end of September, the number of burglaries reported from various parts of Punjab aggregated a whopping 1,349 with Patiala at top with 337 cases followed by Jalandhar with 170 burglaries. Ludhiana was third with 92 cases. Ludhiana, however, was at the top of the list in snatchings with 46 cases followed closely by Jalandhar 45 cases, with Patiala at number three with 34 cases and Amritsar fourth with 33 snatchings until November 9. In all 309 snatchings have been reported from all over Punjab between January 1 and November 9 this year. Dacoities, according to official sources, have been not that alarming. There have been 24 dacoities in the state during the current year while robberies have been showing an upward trend. Nearly 1,900 thefts and 47 robberies present a disturbing trend. Beginning October, the incidence of snatching, thefts and robberies leading to death or murder of victims has shown an alarming increase. On the night of October 9 and 10, a group of persons entered the house of Mr Jagdish Singh and decamped with some cash, one VCR, one mobile phone, a car and gold ornaments. They also attacked all members of the household and left Mr Jagdish Singh, his wife Gurpreet, sister Inderjit, father Gurcharan Singh, brother Sukhbir Singh, and uncle Kulwant Singh seriously injured. Only three days earlier, three persons, including a businessman and his guard were robbed of Rs 9.05 lakh on a gun point near Dhandari Kalan in Ludhiana. On October 22, two persons were arrested after they snatched a gold ring from a woman and attacked two policemen on duty in Naudharni village in Malerkotla. In another incident, a group of robbers stuck at a farmhouse of Mr Sunder Singh at Gurthali village in Sangrur and took away with them 13 buffaloes. On the same day, a group of armed persons entered the house of Mr Ajay Bajaj in Ferozepore and took away Rs 2.7 lakh in cash, 5.7 kg of gold ornaments, 4.1 kg of silver coins, a .32 bore revolver and seven cartridges. The total loss was worth Rs 30
lakh. |
|
Scheme to clear ST
cases CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — For clearing thousands of pending cases of sales tax assessment involving crores of rupees, the Punjab Government has decided to dispose of the cases by charging a fixed fee. Mr Tikshan Sood, Minister of State for Excise and Taxation, told TNS today that a notification in this connection would be issued in a day or so. The draft of the notification had already been approved at the government level. Giving details, Mr Sood said that thousands of cases of sales tax assessment were pending with the authorities in each district in the state for want of certain documents to be submitted by the registered dealers. He said that dealers had argued that it was difficult for them to submit the documents as they were unable to collect these from the parties concerned because of disturbed conditions in various areas, especially Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Sood said the registered dealers were supposed to submit C forms against goods brought to the state by them from other states. These forms were counter-signed by the dealers who supplied the goods. In most of the cases, the suppliers did not send such forms to the receiving parties. For want of C forms, assessments could not be made. As a way out, the registered dealers would be allowed to file declarations before the assessing authority and tax would be charged at the rate of Rs 100 per Rs 1,00,000 on the total turnover of the dealers. Pending cases up to the financial year 1997-98 would be allowed to be assessed by following this process. However, cases pertaining the later period (after 1997-98) would not be covered under the notification. Officials who deal with such cases said this step would help the government recover lakhs of rupees from the registered dealers who were dodging the assessing authorities for one reason or the other. Mr Sood said the registered dealers would either have to submit the requisite documents to get their cases assessed or they would have to make a declaration under the notification to be issued by the government. Mr Sood said according to his information about 75,000 cases were pending with the authorities. |
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Badal
to inaugurate sugar mill on Nov 16 PHAGWARA, Nov 10 — The local sugar mill will now commence
functioning from November 16, instead of November 14, as scheduled
earlier. The cane-crushing operations will be inaugurated by the Punjab
Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.
This was stated here today by Mr Jarnail Singh Wahid,
Chairman-cum-Managing Director and Mr Gian Singh Sandhar, Joint Managing
Director of Wahid-Sandhar Sugar Ltd here today. |
|
5 lakh
brick-kiln workers jobless BATALA, Nov 10 — Mr Kulwant Singh Bawa, general secretary, Bhatha
Mazdoor Sabha, Punjab, alongwith Mr Ykoob Masih and Mr Panna Lal,
president and vice-president respectively, of its Gurdaspur unit, told
mediapersons here today that for the past four months, all 2700
brickkilns in the state had been closed due to indifferent attitude of
the Punjab government and kiln owners. As a result about 5 lakh
labourers working in the kilns have been rendered jobless. The actual
number of those affected is more than twice this number.
He said the situation arose when the government had raised the rate
of royalty on kutcha bricks from Rs 3 to Rs 45 per 1000 bricks giving an
excuse to kiln owners to shut down units and earn profits by selling
their stocks. |
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10.38
cr to be spent on kandi areas ROPAR, Nov 10 — The Punjab Government has decided to spend Rs 10.38
crore for the development of the kandi areas in the state. This
information was given by Mr Tara Singh Ladal, Minister for Education,
Punjab, after he presided over a meeting of the Kandi Area Vikas Project
held here yesterday.
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr G.S. Grewal, who also attended the
meeting, said the Soil Conservation Department had decided to spend Rs
2.51 crore to build check dams and take other measures to prevent soil
erosion in the kandi areas of the district. Besides this, the Forest
Department would also spend Rs 1.24 crore on the forestation in the
district, he added. |
|
Boota
Singh is ADRM CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — Mr Boota Singh, an Indian Railway Traffic
Service official of the 1981 batch took over as Additional Divisional
Railway Manager (ADRM), Ferozepore Railway Division, yesterday. Mr Boota
Singh has served in Ambala Railway Division as Senior Divisional
Commercial Manager. He was earlier posted as General Manager, Rail Coach
Factory, Kapurthala. |
|
No breakthrough in
robbery case FEROZEPORE, Nov 10 — No breakthrough has been achieved by the local
police in the robbery at the Chatti Gali locality here on the night of
October 29, forcing the authorities to take the help of the Delhi-based
National Crime Record Bureau.
A team of the bureau that came here for investigation is learnt to
have prepared computerised sketches of the suspects. Disclosing this to
TNS, the SP, (Headquarters), Mr N.P.S. Sidhu, said these sketches might
help them in arresting the dacoits, as the interrogation of local
suspects had yielded no results.
Four unidentified robbers had decamped with Rs 3.70 lakh in cash,
jewellery and 5 kg of gold from the house of a Bajaj family. The family
deals in money-lending business and had stored these valuables in the
house at the time of the incident.
A part of the stolen jewellery is said to be the one belonging to
residents, who were advanced loans by the Bajaj family.
Although the police had rounded up several suspects named by the
family, their interrogation had reached a dead end. |
|
Man robbed of Rs 4.95 lakh MOGA, Nov 10 (UNI) — Three unidentified car-borne youths waylaid a commission agent of Chak Kamia Kera near Kishanpura under Dharamkot police station on the Zira-Dharamkot road last evening and robbed him of Rs 4.95 lakh at gunpoint. The police said Gurjit Singh, a
commission agent, after withdrawing Rs 5 lakh from the State Bank of
Patiala at Zira, was going back to his village on a scooter when three
youths driving a Maruti car rammed it into his scooter. The robbers then
snatched the bag carrying cash from him and managed to escape. The
police has registered a case. |
|
5 kg opium
seized BATHINDA, Nov 10 — The police has arrested two persons, allegedly
involved in smuggling of narcotics and seized 5 kg of opium from their
possession. The police has also arrested four persons engaged in illicit
liquor trade.
Dr Jatinder Kumar Jain, SSP, in a press note issued here today said,
Shankar Lal of Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan was arrested near
Bhucho Khurd village in the district and 3 kg of opium was seized from
his possession. Jeet Singh of Kotfatta village was nabbed with 2 kg of
opium. Cases under the NDPS Act have been registered in this regard. |
|
Father
demands arrest of in-laws KHANNA, Nov 10 — Dharm Singh, a local resident, has demanded
immediate arrest of the in-laws of her daughter who died on the eve of
Divali.
He has alleged in an affidavit that his daughter, Kuldeep Kaur, was
married to Surinder Singh of Bilaspur village in 1991. She was regularly
tortured by her in-laws for more dowry.
About six months ago they had send her home for bringing money to
purchase a scooter.
Mr Dharm Singh said he had given Rs 5000 a few days before Divali to
the mother-in-law, Mrs Pritam Kaur, and promised to give the remaining
sum on Divali. But he could not arrange the amount.
He alleged his daughter was burnt alive in the presence of his nephew
who had gone to meet her. |
PSU dharnas from Nov
15 NAWANSHAHR, Nov 10 — The Punjab Students Union will hold
district-level dharnas in front of the offices of the Deputy
Commissioners from November 15 to 30 to protest against the hike in the
fee and funds and withdrawal of concessional bus travel facility in the
buses run under the kilometre scheme informed Mr Kulwinder Singh Chahal,
state general secretary, in a press statement here on Wednesday.
The PSU will hold dharnas at Patiala on November 15, Mansa on
November 17, Sangrur on November 22, Bathinda on November 23,
Garhshankar Hoshiarpur on November 24, Ropar on November 28, Nawanshahr
on November 29 and Kapurthala on November 30, the statement added. |
|
‘Adopt
Japanese management style’ SANGRUR, Nov 10 — Stressing upon the adoption of Japanese style of
management, Prof B.S. Bhatia, Registrar of Punjabi University, Patiala,
who is also an expert in management education advocated the concepts of
quality circle and total quality management.
Prof Bhatia was delivering a lecture on different management aspects;
especially the Japanese style of management at Bhai Gurdas College of
Engineering and Technology here yesterday.
Making a comparative evaluation of different styles of management,
Prof Bhatia said in the age of global competition, the managers should
think and act globally.” He also stressed on the need of innovation in
the field of management and proper development of human resources.
Prof K.C. Mittal, Director of the college, highlighted the
achievements of the college in introducing IT specialisation in MBA
stream and starting BCA course. Mr R.S. Jawanda, Chairman of the college
trust, announced that from next session, the college would start MCA
programme. |
Fresh Honey Farm
shines at agro exhibition PATIALA This exhibition was inaugurated by Mr J.S. Mahal, Joint Director,
Agriculture, and more than 500 agro-producers participated in it.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr P.D. Rishi, Agriculture Officer, Marketing,
Patiala, explained the steps being taken by the government to encourage
farmers to take to agro-production, besides the incentives being given
in the field. |
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