Amritsar, February 25
Union Aviation Minister Praful Patel today pleaded with the Punjab government to set in motion a congenial tax regime to be part of an aviation boom.

He was here to inaugurate a Rs 145-crore integrated arrival terminal building at Amritsar International Airport.

Making a strong case for the lowering of VAT to 4 per cent from the existing 12 per cent on the aviation turbine fuel to attract more flights, he said during the present economic meltdown taxation structure played an important part on the plying of domestic and international flights.

Patel said he would initiate steps to launch Air India flights to fill the void created by the withdrawal of several international flights by domestic and international airlines.

He had a dream that all airports in the country should become big commercial and cargo hubs to facilitate the sale of our products in world markets.

The minister told the gathering that his ministry would restore previous flight schedule and frequency of flights in view of a large number of pilgrims and tourists visiting the holy city.

He urged the government to take steps to transfer 44 acres to the department concerned for the expansion of the airport.

The open sky policy and deregulation of the aviation sector have led to a major growth in air traffic since 2004 after the UPA government came to power at the Centre. Now, more than 500 aircraft fly across the Indian skies.

Tarlochan Singh, Rajya Sabha member and member of the civil aviation panel on Amritsar, said the government should have a vision plan for the expansion of the airport. He urged the Chief Minister to acquire 500 or 1,000 acres for the expansion plans.

Chandigarh, February 25
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) today decided to approach the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) to seek permission to award the 1320-MW Rajpura thermal plant project to Lanco Infratech Limited.

A decision to this effect was taken at a board meeting presided over by its Chairman HS Brar here.

Sources said this was a mandatory requirement after the cabinet decided to clear the project. Earlier, the special purpose vehicle formed by the PSEB had opened the lone bid submitted by Lanco after taking the permission of the commission. However, the commission had stipulated that the board must come back to it after deciding the case.

The PSEB is likely to submit a report on the issue detailing the fact that a negotiation committee headed by Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh had conducted negotiations with Lanco and succeeded in bringing down the levelised tariff of Rs 3.38 per unit to Rs 3.30 per unit.

With a difference of one paise working out to a difference of Rs 10 crore per annum, PSEB sources said the negotiations with Lanco had made a substantial difference in the long term pricing over a span of around 30 years. The board had earlier ruled that it was difficult to go in for a rebid, which would take nine months as per Ministry of Power’s stipulations, and that there was no guarantee of a lower bid being received for the project due to the changed market conditions.

The commission on its part is likely to examine the fixed costs, which include money spent on establishment of the plant. With variable costs, that the money to be spent on running the plant being same for everyone, there might be objections regarding the high fixed costs of the company vis a vis Sterlite, which has recently bagged the 1980 MW Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant project. Sterlite’s fixed costs are said to be 52 paise lower than that of Lanco.

Chandigarh, February 25
Help thyself. This was the message conveyed to the power-starved industry of Punjab by top officials of power department, as they said the era of power shortages would continue in the state.

Already facing a shortage of about 3,000 MWs, Punjab is in for a bad time as the power demand shoots up by another 12 per cent this year. To make matters worse, the state electricity board does not have enough funds at its disposal to trade for electricity on the power exchange at three times the normal price, or buy power through uninterrupted interchange (UI) at almost double the price.

Suresh Kumar, secretary, power and irrigation, tried to bring things “in the right perspective” for the industry seeking some relief. “We cannot help you in any way as the power situation will only get worse in the coming summers. You will have to deal with power shortage for another three years till the time the new power generation projects are commissioned,” he said, even as the dismayed industry asked him how they were expected to continue production without power.

Kumar, who was addressing industrialists at PHD Chamber, said the government was trying its best to improve the power situation. “The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has a financial burden of Rs 7,334 crore. Since 2006, all debt has been raised for purchasing power. We have also managed to get a state government guarantee of Rs 6,000 crore to banks, so that we can borrow money and purchase power. But only when I have sufficient power availability, I can help you,” he said.

Contending that the power department was against any power subsidy, he said the power subsidy of Rs 2,602 crore to agriculture sector and for BPL and SC consumers was not sustainable. As the industry demanded some relief in form of subsidy, Kumar said they could not put up any proposal which sacrificed the revenue of the cash-strapped PSEB further.

“Denying power to industry is also causing us discomfort as we lose revenue,” he added.

Kumar said the state government knew there were shortcuts available and they were now commissioning new projects for additional generation at Gidderbaha, Goindwal Sahib and Rajpura.

Chandigarh, February 25
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today assured a delegation of BJP leaders that pension to families of terrorist victims would be increased from Rs 2,500 per month to Rs 5,000 at the earliest.

According to a BJP statement here, former minister Balramji Dass Tandon led a delegation of BJP leaders, including Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal and Water and Sewerage Board Chairman Baldev Raj Chawla, to discuss problems of terrorist-hit families.

The statement said the Chief Minister assured the delegation to take up the case for more financial assistance to terrorist-hit families with the Centre. Badal said the state government had already taken up the issue of financial assistance of Rs 781 crore with the Centre and he would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pursue this case.

The BJP claimed that the Chief Minister was informed that terrorist-hit migrant families were being paid rent allowance of only Rs 300 per month. It said even this rent amount had been stopped by the earlier Congress government in 1996. It demanded that this rate be revised and arrears be paid to the families immediately. 

Chandigarh, February 25
There are both prized and sideline postings in the civil services. Repeated reminders by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs seeking proposals from the state governments to nominate mid-career civil servants for appointment as Director, Census Operations, have been either ignored or regret letters follow.

Some of the states, including Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, have expressed their inability to suggest name of willing officers to take up the assignment.

A recent communiqué from the ministry has painted a very grim picture, saying that because of unavailability of suitable officers for appointment as Director, Census Operations of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and Uttarkhand, these positions will be filled from among officers of other cadres.

These sensitive though sideline posts are required to be filled on central deputation under the central staffing scheme. Since it is a tenure posting and the period of posting is considered central deputation, some officers opt for this assignment as they could continue to be in their home state as well as meet the central deputation condition.

Director, Census Operations, is a key position as the duties assigned to the head of the team include effective supervision, coordination and liaison with the district collectors for the work of the census taking. The next Census is to be completed by 2011.

It is, in fact, shocking that 14 states could not recommend a name to their respective state Census units.

The Home Ministry now wants to seek options afresh from among selection grade and junior grade IAS officers in case they are willing to take up these assignments in any of the available 14 states.

Meanwhile, the suspense over the clearance of appointment of Punjab DGP NPS Aulakh as DGP, National Security Guards, continued. Sources reveal that the proposal was in the final stages of clearance.

At the latest meeting of the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, the name of SK Saxena, an IPS officer of the 1987 batch belonging to the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was cleared for elevation as Joint Director, Central Bureau of Investigation. Till now, he was Deputy Inspector-General in the CBI.

Sangrur, February 25
President of Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) and candidate of his party for the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency Balwant Singh Ramoowalia today promised people that if he won as member of Parliament he would table a private member Bill in the Lok Sabha to provide either guaranteed job/self-employment or unemployment allowance to unemployed youths between 18 and 40 years.

Besides this, he also made several other promises, including free education up to degree level to youth, setting up of pre-job coaching centres for obtaining jobs in foreign countries, creation of drug-free society, stoppage of harassment to students in buses, support to the demands of ETT teachers, removal of unemployment and development of Barnala as an industrial hub on the pattern of Ludhiana.

Ramoowalia was addressing a rally organised by the youth wing of the LBP here today. Ramoowalia was honoured by patron, youth wing, LBP, Happy Gill and president, youth wing, Amandeep Singh Manakmajra with a shawl and sword.

He said he would make arrangements for providing jobs to 15 lakh youth as he had a formula to end unemployment. Senior vice-president of party Avtar Singh Mullanpuri criticised SAD candidate from Sangrur and local MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa by saying that he was now luring voters by distributing water tanks in villages.

Among others who were present on the occasion included youth wing leaders of the party Parminder Ghagga and Navdeep Singh Gill, Mandi Kalan, and senior leaders of the party Sukhwinder Brar, Janak Raj Kalwanoo, Sardar Ali, Ramandeep Singh Bharowal, Jasbir Kaur Bhinder, Baldev Singh Narike, Ajay Kumar Bhadaur, Jodha Singh Mann and Amrik Singh Varpal.

Amritsar, February 25
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation to rename Amritsar International Airport after Sri Guru Ram Dass, founder of this holy city, and Mohali International Airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh in view of the sentiments of the people of Punjab.

Addressing a gathering at the Rajasansi airport here today, Badal raised this issue in the presence of Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel, who was here for the inauguration of an integrated terminal building.

However, member of the Rajya Sabha and former Chairman of the National Minorities’ Commission Tarlochan Singh said the Punjab government would have to pass a resolution to change the names of the two airports.

The Chief Minister also urged Patel to get a “no-objection certificate” issued from the Ministry of Civil Aviation for setting up an international airport through the public-private-participation mode near Ludhiana. The Ministry of Defence had already given its approval for the airport, he added. He also requested the union minister to give clearances expeditiously for the upgrade and modernisation of the Shanewal airport.

Badal sought financial and technical support from the Ministry of Civil Aviation to establish a world-class university of civil aviation in Punjab.

Patel said he would soon take up the issue of renaming the Amritsar and Mohali international airports with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also promised that he would soon restore all cancelled international flights of Air India from the Amritsar international airport. The no-objection certificate would be issued soon for setting up an international airport near Ludhiana, he added.

Prominent among others who spoke on the occasion were MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rajya Sabha member Tarlochan Singh and Chairman, AAI, Vijay Parkash Aggarwal.

The function was also attended by Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, former cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Anil Joshi, Inderbir Singh Bularia, Amarpal Singh, Dr Dalbir Singh (all MLAs), Chairman, Planning and Development Board Vir Singh Lopoke and Director, AAI, Amritsar, Arun Talwar.

Jalandhar, February 25
Apprehending mischief with the Bhakra canal in the Patiala-Samana area, the government today ordered round- the- clock police patrolling on canal banks up to Khanauri starting from Rajpura.

Confirming instructions from the top on round -the -clock watch on the Rajpura-Samana-Khanauri section of the Bhakra Mainline , official sources said beldars, junior engineers, sub- divisional engineers and executive engineers posted in canal’s divisions in Patiala district along with the police have been ordered to keep watch on all sensitive points.

Sources said Punjab government had information someone might try to breach the canal so steps were taken to keep watch on its banks, it is learnt. Sources said some cops from Patiala had been deployed on the canal banks. More force will be deployed tomorrow, it is learnt. This canal flows from Ropar to Tohana via Patiala and Samana area. It enters Haryana at Khanauri, which is 15 km from Patran, 60 km from Patiala.

Punjab has litigation with Haryana over the linking of Hansi-Butana canal with it near Samana.Along with Rajasthan, Punjab has opposed the linking of the canal.

Ludhiana, February 25
Militant Ranjit Singh Gill, alias Kuki, who had returned to the mainstream is a bitter man today. With the Delhi High Court upholding his life-term, Kuki is unhappy with the Punjab and Delhi governments for not taking up his case properly.

Kuki said he would move the Supreme Court (SC) as he had spent 16 years in jail.

Stating he was a law-abiding citizen and would surrender before the court, Kuki lamented that the pardon committee headed by New Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit did not give him a hearing.

“My application was put up to her twice. But it was deferred though Additional Sessions Judge, RK Jain, who heard my case, had complimented me on my good behaviour,” said Kuki.

He is the son of eminent agriculture scientist Dr Khem Singh Gill, a Padma Bhushan awardee and former Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University.

Kuki said the Punjab government too did not try to take up the matter with Dikshit. “Had anyone helped me, I would have contributed a lot to society by staying out and helping people in need,” said Kuki, who is pursuing his MSc in Plant Breeding and Genetics at PAU.

For the past five years, when he was out on parole, he had been taking out peace marches condemning terror attacks worldwide. Of late he had even started delivering lectures to different schoolchildren on the importance of peace and human values in life.

Kuki had married Sarabjit Kaur five years ago. The couple has not planned children. They are waiting decision on the appeal.

His wife, almost in tears after getting the news, said they had faith in judiciary. She urged politicians to have time to help a person trying to return to the mainstream.

Chandigarh, February 25
Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh reviewed the implementation of new initiatives taken by the Punjab State Farmers Commission at a meeting of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) here today.

Member secretary of the commission KS Pannu highlighted the various new schemes initiated by the commission with a view to improving the income level of the farmers and to introducing new technology for increasing agricultural production.

The Chief Secretary laid emphasis on the scheme of propagation of the net house technology in vegetable production under which small and marginal farmers can reap good returns from just one kanal of land. The commercial dairy farming schemes, which have been quite successful with the farmers and for which the government is giving subsidy, was also reviewed. Through a scheme called Agriculture Service Centres, the Punjab State Farmers Commission has been providing subsidy up to Rs 3.30 lakh. Officers were asked to send genuine cases for setting up of service centres in the villages where all latest machinery for agriculture should be made available.

He said the banana cultivation would be taken up on a large scale. The scheme of supply of laser land levelers both to cooperative sector and to the individual farmers was also reviewed.

Chandigarh, February 25
Punjab has paid dearly for apparently not performing its duty to assist the court. It has deposited Rs 10,000 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for not complying with the orders on the production of documents in a criminal case. Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Patiala range too has been asked to remain present in the courtroom. The case is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.

Taking a serious view of non-production of the papers in a bail matter, Justice Ranjit Singh had earlier observed: “Despite directions, the documents have not been placed on record. It appears that the state is not performing its responsibility to assist the court and is not complying with the orders.

“The query about the person responsible for filing the documents on record received no response and is met with silence only. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)is being made to answer the allegations against him. Let the DIG, Patiala range, appear in person before the court. He will ensure the documents, as directed by the court, are placed on record before the adjourned date.

Complying with the directions a bit too late, the amount has been paid. The documents, including the result of an inquiry conducted by an additional director-general of police, have also been placed on record, eventually. The report says allegations levelled in the petition are not proved.

Taking up the petition levelling serious allegations of issuing threats and slapping a woman, Justice Ranjit Singh had earlier observed the court was not satisfied with the officer’s conduct.

The petition for anticipatory bail was filed by Raman Kanta and another of Patiala. She was on August 10, last year, booked for cheating, forgery and other offences on a complaint by her son.

The petitioner had alleged on June 4, 2008, she and the co-petitioner were produced before the Patiala SSP in his office. He not only abused them, but also slapped her.