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Panel to identify units polluting Buddha Nullah
Hike in Rent of Land
A farmer and his labourers prepare field for paddy at Sayan village near Mandi Ahmedgarh on Saturday. Photo by writer |
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New Paddy Plantation Season
Row over paddy 201: BKU urges CM to intervene
Who controls prices of drugs?
Murder of Cong Man
Golden Temple Lookalike Row
Shardhanjali Samaroh at Dera Sachkhand
Lack of regular power leaves farmers worried
Proposed Unbundling of PSEB
Youth’s Visit to China
Auction of commercial plots put off
PSEB Unbundling
Rauni to be developed as model village
Akali MLA tests negative for swine flu
Illegal Detention
Objectionable text against Bhagwan Balmiki: Raids on to nab culprits
Youth found dead
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Panel to identify units polluting Buddha Nullah
Ludhiana, June 13 The monitoring committee will be headed by SP Karkara, former commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, and Director, Local Bodies, Punjab, RL Mahajan, former Engineer-in-Chief, Punjab State Electricity Board, Ludhiana, and Dr BD Kansal, former Professor, Soil Department, Punjab Agricultural University. VK Goel, general secretary of the association, said the monitoring committee could visit any unit any time to assess performance, draw samples of the treated effluents and get these tested from a laboratory of choice. All members of the federation shall submit no-objection letters to the federation for the surprise visits of the monitoring committee of their units and drawal of samples for testing and reporting of cases of violation to the PPCB. “The expenses of the Independent Monitoring Committee shall be borne by the federation. If efforts are made by people we will achieve our target (cleaning of the Buddha Nullah),” added Goel. Karkara said the committee members had been taken from outside the industry so that they could work in an unbiased and fair manner. Any citizen wishing to give feedback/suggestion in this regard to the committee may write to: e-mail mc.federation@gmail.com, added Karkara.
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Farmers start cutting labour cost
Mahesh Sharma
Mandi Ahmedgarh, June 13 Hike in wheat and rice prices was cited to be behind the hike in rent by landlords. A majority of the farmers have started cutting labour cost to meet the hike in the rent (chakota) of land in this belt of Malwa. According to Baldev Singh Latala, senior vice-president, Punjab Kissan Union, the rent of land had increased by 25 to 40 per cent in the area. Hike in the prices of farm produce and acquisition of farm land by the government were cited as reasons for the increase. “Hoping to get higher prices for paddy and wheat, many farmers had shown inclination to hire land of choice. The land that used to fetch Rs 18,000 an acre earlier was hired for Rs 19,000 this time. “Labour cost will also increase manifold,” said Latala claiming that many farmers had started cutting labour cost. Harinder Singh, young farmer of Sayan village, said he, like many others of the area, had decided to engage minimum labour to prepare fields for paddy. “We used to hire labour for preparing fields for paddy earlier. We will try not to employ extra labour, except for transplantation. If we do not do so we can not expect profit after paying an extra rent of Rs 6,000 per acre,” argued Harinder Singh. He added that the landlord had increased the rent from Rs 19,000 to Rs 25,000 this year.
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Dependence on labourers will decline: Patiala Commissioner
Rajnish Sharma
Nabha, June 13 These views were expressed by Jasbir Singh Bir, Divisional Commissioner, Patiala, at Gadiaya village, 10 km from here, today. He was here in connection with the formal inauguration of the paddy plantation season as well as the inauguration of an imported paddy transplanter. He was accompanied by Chief Agriculture Officer, Punjab, Dr Balwinder Singh Sohal, SDM Balraj Singh Sekhon, DSP Arshdeep Singh and Agriculture Officer Varinder Singh Joshan. Bir expressed satisfaction over the desired impact of the Punjab Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act, 2009, on farmers. Under the Act, farmers sowing paddy before June 10 are liable to be fined or they are compelled to plough their transplantation. He said the farmers had easily accepted the fact and started paddy transplantation only after the set date. Elaborating the use of imported paddy transplanter, the Divisional Commissioner said it was being imported from China, Japan and Germany and cost Rs 2.25 lakh, but the government was providing it on a subsidised rate of Rs 1.13 lakh to the farmers. He said the machine would solve the problem of heavy reliance on labourers from other states. He told the farmers that machine could perform the work of 64 persons and plant 34 saplings per square metre while only 17 saplings could be planted manually and this proper planting increased per hectare production. He said a subsidy of Rs 4,000 would be provided to farmers sowing paddy with the transplanter. He said the Agriculture Department was assigned the work of imparting training to the farmers to run the transplanter as special saplings were required for it. He said the state government had purchased 700 such transplanters and Patiala district owned 17 of them. Sohal said the last year 27.74 lakh hectare area was under paddy transplantation after June 10 and produce was 111.50 lakh metric tonnes. This year, 26 lakh hectare area was under plantation and the output of 103 lakh metric tonne was expected.
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Row over paddy 201: BKU urges CM to intervene
Jalandhar, June 13 Sources said test milling of the variety was done in the presence of
officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the Punjab Food and
Supplies Department and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) at five
places, Morinda, Bilga, Kharar, Bathinda and Tanda, to find out the
percentage of damage. The percentage of damaged grains was in the range
of seven and nine. A report of test milling of the variety has been
submitted to the government, it is learnt. However, it has not been made
public. President, Bharti Kisan Union, Balbir Singh Rajewal said he had
met Badal to urge him for remedial measures regarding this variety. “There
will be problem in paddy procurement season because it will be bought
neither by rice millers nor the rice prepared will be accepted by the
FCI for the Central pool,” said Rajewal. Farmers were transplanting
this variety paddy as it is high-yielding and less susceptible to
diseases. “Next week I will request Union Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar to find a solution of pin dark damage,” said Rajewal. “I have
also urged Badal to meet Pawar for a solution because non-procurement of
this variety of paddy by government agencies could lead to problem on
farmers’ front,” he added. President, Rice Shellers Association,
Tarsem Saini said as 201 variety had become serious issue it would be in
the interest of all to resolve the issue. He said already country had
become “rice surplus”. In some states paddy was selling at Rs 200
to Rs 250 lower than the minimum support price fixed by the Union
government, he said. Owing to the “surplus” factor, the FCI would
adopt a hard posture at the time of accepting rice with a high
percentage of pin dark damage, he added.
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Who controls prices of drugs?
Chandigarh, June 13 How come the price of this medicine has gone up by more than 300 per cent in less than two months?
Neropenem, a life-saving drug, is now quoted at Rs 2,400 against normal price of Rs 400 some months ago. Same is the case with another life-saving drug Ceftriaxone now available for Rs 150 against early this year price of Rs 75. “Sir, you have been a regular customer. I have some strips of Rs 13 each. They are good till 2011. Since you have to take this tablet regularly, take all I am left with in stock. Next time it will be Rs 28 a strip,” was the apologetic offer of the chemist. Paramjit’s is not an isolated case. Those in the pharmaceutical trade blame the centre’a apathy and new excise policy for rise in prices of common medicines. The worst hit are the old and retired persons taking tablets and capsules every day. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Agency controls prices of 74 scheduled drugs. It does not allow increase beyond 10 per cent in the price of a drug under its control. However, new drugs and non-schedule drugs do not come under its purview. Further, this agency has limited manpower and cannot, even if it wants, exercise control over drug pricing in the country. A few fair-price drug stores opened by the UPA government are not enough to mitigate sufferings of the sick. “Unprecedented hike in some of the common schedule H drug prices has been shocking. Though the Fifth Pay Commission has promised some relief to pensioners like me, but I fear it will be lost in medicines only,” says 70-year-old Ujagar Singh, a retired school teacher who takes daily six tablets and two capsules for blood pressure, thyroid and arthritis problems.. Because of the faults in the excise policy, the pharmaceutical companies are making full use of it Seventy per cent of the pharmaceutical companies are in the duty -free zone. To make up for excise loses, the companies tend to hike the maximum retail prices. Insiders point out of Rs 2,000 crore excise duty evasion, one major company alone was facing trial for evading Rs 1400 crore alone. Unfortunately, excise concessions and other tax-free havens created by the centre to promote industry in hill states have not benefited the consumers at any level. Rather, for five years, the pharmaceutical sector has landed in a mess. Only national drug price control order with uniform excise policy can pull the industry out of this mess, say the insiders.
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Akali MLA ready to face CBI probe
Chander Parkash Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, June 13 Expressing satisfaction over the investigations being carried out by the state police, he said if anyone was not satisfied with the police, he could seek for a CBI probe. Balwinder was found dead on a bank of a drain passing near Parha village of this district a few days ago. Gurmeet Singh, father of the deceased, in a complaint lodged to the police has alleged that his son had been murdered by MLA Babbehali, his son Amarjot and others to settle political scores with him. Reacting to the allegations levelled against him by Congress Member of Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa and his brother Fathejung Singh Bajwa (Congress leader) yesterday, Babbehali said the Bajwa brothers had been trying to derive political mileage out of the death of Balwinder, who had died due to heavy intoxication. He also added they were indulging in these kinds of mischief to demoralise him and his party workers so that they could work to their full capacity in the coming byelection of the Kahnuwan Assembly segment, as Fathejung Singh Bajwa was a strong contender for that seat from the Congress party. Levelling counter-allegations, he asked Fathejung to explain to people why he supported terrorism during the black days in Punjab and why a senior functionary of the state police of that period had interrogated him for his involvement in terrorism-related activities. He added that a leading English magazine had also carried a big story in that connection. He added that if injustice would be done to him in this case, he would approach Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Fathejung said Babbehali was misleading people by raising the issue connected with his past. He added that the leading English magazine had apologised for carrying the defamatory story against him.
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Golden Temple Lookalike Row
Amritsar, June 13 Led by Sant Surjit Singh Dugga, vice-president, Mastuana Angitha Sahib Gurdwara, members presented a memorandum to officials at the Akal Takht Secretariat. Sant Dugga claimed that his was the original management committee with Sant Sadhu Singh its president and added that all transactions of bank accounts of the gurdwara were also being conducted in their names. A five-member committee of the Sachkhand Angitha Sahib Mastuana Gurdwara had appeared at Akal Takht to present its stand on June 11. Names of senior office-bearers of both managements have a resemblance. Sant Dugga stated in the memorandum that the Sachkhand gurdwara was not a recognised body and its head Sant Sadhu Singh had been immovable and speechless following a paralytic attack. He added that the Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur, had ordered an inquiry into this after prominent persons from the area submitted a complaint. He also claimed that the opposite group’s Sant Surjit Singh, who had submitted a sealed letter at Akal Takht on June 11, was originally a Nihang from a Changal village. He alleged that de-silting of the holy tank was initiated by this so-called management to encroach on the land of the gurdwara. Sant Dugga requested Jathedar, Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh to call members of the opposite group at the Takht. He said status quo was being maintained in the matter of construction of a gurdwara resembling Harmandar Sahib following intervention of Akal Takht in 1994. Meanwhile, a Sikh conclave will be held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall here on June 20 to discuss the issue. |
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Shardhanjali Samaroh at Dera Sachkhand Amarjit Thind Tribune News Service
Ballan, June 13 Notably, no holy book had been placed on the dais, but for a huge portrait of Sant Sarwan Dass and a smaller one of the departed soul. The devotees recited 40 shabads composed by Guru Ravidass. These compositions are also part of Guru Granth Sahib. Dera head Sant Niranjan Dass watched the entire proceedings from his room in the main building. Meanwhile, hundreds of people made a beeline for the dera since morning and the entire route from Jalandhar to Ballan village was dotted with people serving langar and offering cold water to the devotees. Hundreds of volunteers had been pressed into service to regulate traffic and facilitate the movement of people to and from the dera. Traffic plied as usual and no untoward incident was reported the entire day. The dera management too had made elaborate arrangements in anticipation of the huge rush. Volunteers could be seen serving water to the congregation inside the satsang bhavan where the function was held.
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Lack of regular power leaves farmers worried
Ludhiana, June 13 According to sources in the PSEB, the total supply available is 1,400 lakh units per day, whereas the demand of the state is over 1,640 lakh units per day. To cover the gap between demand and supply, the PSEB is forced to resort to power cuts. Although the PSEB is claiming to be providing 8-hour power supply per day to farmers , frequent power breakdowns are hampering the smooth transplantation operations thereby causing a lot of inconvenience and losses of resources and labour, to farmers. Sharanjit Singh, general secretary, BKU, said, “Though we are getting 8-hour supply, it is marred by frequent power cuts”. Sikander Singh, Ludhiana president, Punjab Kisan Sabha, said, “The average requirement of power during the paddy transplantation season is 12 hours. But the PSEB had agreed to provide 8 hours of supply to farmers. However, even the assured power supply is interrupted by a number of breakdowns and the quality of the power supply is poor, with low voltage throughout.” Maninderpal Singh Dhindsa, a paddy grower from Kila Raipur, said, “We have to use generators to complete the day’s work in fields, which imposes an extra burden of Rs 900-1,200 per day as fuel charges”. Farmers say the PSEB supplies only 8-hour power daily to them, which means only 300 lakh units are consumed of the total 1,400 lakh units available. This came to a little over 20 per cent, which is too nominal when compared to the contribution of agriculture towards economy.
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State told to take clear stand
Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service
Sangrur, June 13 Leader of the Technical Services Union, PSEB, Narayan Dutt, today said though the Badal government had now sought one more extension of one year from the Centre for unbundling the PSEB, it was just a time-pass policy of the state government. So the government should tell the Centre clearly that it could not go ahead with the unbundling of the PSEB in the larger interest of the people and the employees, he added. Dutt said whereas the unbundling of the electricity boards had been done, the situation had worsened there in power generation and distribution. He alleged that due to the outsourcing in the PSEB, in several cases the contractors were doing sub-standard work, as they were not answerable to the local PSEB officers, like executive engineers. He said in place of heading towards the unbundling of the PSEB, the government should move towards filling of vacant posts as thousands of posts of JE, SDO, clerk, accountant, cashier and technical staff were lying vacant, due to which the existing employees were feeling over-burdened. He also demanded the scrapping of the Central Electricity Act, 2003, as early as possible.
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Mosque at Pul Kanjri to be restored
Pul Kanjri (Indo-Pak Border), June 13 Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said though no Muslim family lived at Pul Kanjri, damaged structures and shrines of the village associated with Maharaja Ranjit Singh would be restored, so that future generations could be in touch with their culture and heritage. The restoration work of Pul Kanjri, situated a few hundred metres from the border with Pakistan, was being undertaken by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) spending Rs 70 lakh. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had declared Pul Kanjri a heritage site and decided to develop it as tourism destination a few years ago. Pannu said steps would also be taken to restore the “Baradari”, built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who used to stay there for the night while travelling from Amritsar to Lahore. The restoration of the temple would be completed in three months, he added. The DC said the district administration wanted to hand over the heritage site to the panchayat committee of the village or to the Border Security Force for maintenance.
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CM urged to explain criteria for selection
Sarbjit Dhaliwal Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, June 13 Were youth from other regions, Malwa and Doaba, not capable enough to be a part of the visit to China? Posing this question to Badal, social activist Bogh Singh said such discrimination on the part of the directorate would certainly leave heartburn among deserving youth of the Malwa and Doaba regions. Bogh Singh said the state government should not have kept the programme, sent to it by the Union government, to visit China secret. It should sought applications from youth after fixing a benchmark for all of them. In Malwa and Doaba, there are several youth who have achieved distinction in the academic and cultural arena. They should have been given the opportunity to visit China. As a part of the youth exchange programme, the Union government has planned to send a delegation of 100 persons, mostly youth to China for a 10-day visit, out of which 16 have been chosen from the state. It is learnt that the delegation will leave for China from Delhi on June 15.
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Auction of commercial plots put off
Sangrur, June 13 Women municipal councillors Aarti Kalra, Bhagwanti Devi and Roop Kaur wrote to the DC yesterday that the municipal authorities were going to auction the plots by way of changing the size and number of the plots (shops). In the complaint, it was mentioned that the auction of 12 commercial plots, for constructing shops, had to be done there, but the municipal authorities changed the size and number of plots to six on an area of 135 sq yd. The councillors also alleged that the municipal authorities neither took approval from the House of the local MC nor from any higher authority of the Local Government Department, Punjab, for changing the size and number of plots to six from 12. Thus, this auction was being done against the rules and allegedly in connivance of the municipal authorities, so this auction should be cancelled, besides initiating strict action against all those employees and officers of the council who had violated the rules. While postponing the auction of the plots, the DC asked the executive officer (EO) of the local MC to give clarification in a week.
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Engineers seek open debate
Attar Singh Tribune News service
Patiala, June 13 Out of 30 states, 16 states have so far unbundled their state electricity boards (SEBs). However, even after 8 to 12 years of unbundling, except for Andhra Pradesh, all of the unbundled utilities in other states are still operating with heavy losses. HS Bedi, president and Bhupinder Singh, general secretary of the association, in a joint statement said the deterioration in performance of most of the utilities after unbundling has been well documented in a study carried out by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) on behalf of ministry of power. The association has reminded the CM regarding commitment made by him during general body meet held in October last that the government would discuss the issue in detail with the association before taking a final decision. It has sought an open debate and consultation with all stakeholders.
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Rauni to be developed as model village
Patiala, June 13 District Planning Committee chairman Surjit Singh Rakhra has directed the district administration to send its officials to the village and prepare a report within a week. “It is the only village of Patiala district to be selected under the scheme in the first phase. Other villages would be selected in a phased manner thereafter,” said Rakhra. DC Deepinder Singh said of a grant of Rs 6.37 crore for the district, only Rs 3.68 crore was used by different departments. “Those officials found to be not making proper utilisation of the grants would face the music,” he said.
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Akali MLA tests negative for swine flu
Amritsar, June 13 He was not keeping well since his return from London last week and after a week-long illness he was tested for suspected swine flu and admitted to the hospital. Superintendent of the hospital Dr RPS Boparai said the report of the second sample reached late and was tested negative. He was immediately discharged from hospital after completing the formalities. Kang said his condition was improving and he was discharged from hospital today morning.
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Result of medical officers declared
Patiala, June 13
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Illegal Detention Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 13 The Division Bench of Justice KS Garewal and Justice Nawab Singh asserted this was “because human rights of citizens are to be protected. If the warrant officers neglect their duty, rights of citizens will be at stake and the relief which they come to this court to claim under Article 226 of the Constitution of India shall remain illusory”. The ruling came on a suo motu contempt case against SI Hardeep Singh, posted as SHO of Patti police station in Tarn Taran district in September 2007. Going into the background, the Bench observed: Deep Kumar of Patti filed a habeas corpus petition to direct SI Hardeep Singh to release his father Raj Pal Singh and brother-in-law Raj Kumar from his illegal custody…. It was pleaded the respondent demanded Rs 1 lakh from the petitioner and his brother-in-law…. “A Single Judge appointed a warrant officer to search detainee Raj Pal Singh and Raj Kumar at police station city, Patti, or at any other place pointed out by the petitioner....” After going through the warrant officer’s report and other documents, the Bench asserted: “We are unable to appreciate how SI Hardeep Singh has committed criminal contempt of the court…. Apparently, an inquiry had been marked to CJM, Tarn Taran, who returned a finding against SI Hardeep Singh that a criminal case registered vide report 33 was false and ante-timed. But the events as unfolded in the warrant officer's report also cast a poor light on what happened at Patti on the night of September 30. “In any event, a police officer can detain any individual for 24 hours. It is only thereafter that the detention would become illegal. In the present case, the period of detention was less than 24 hours. Therefore, even if CJM found against the respondent, 24 hours have to pass before a detention case be labelled wrongful or contumacious.... We do not find any reason to proceed with the petition. Rule is discharged”.
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Objectionable text against Bhagwan Balmiki: Raids on to nab culprits
Kapurthala, June 13 Talking to The Tribune, SSP Ram Singh said an FIR under Section 295, IPC, was registered in this regard after protests by the Balmiki community on Monday. While initially the FIR was lodged only against writer of the book Manisha Sharma, reportedly the Principal of Delhi Public School at Noida, later the names of chairman of the management committee of Sacred Heart School Sunil Chopra and its Principal Ashu Khurana were also included in the FIR. Meanwhile, Chopra said the book “Parag” was prescribed by the school management for standard VII from this academic session only. He said the book had been withdrawn as soon as the issue of objectionable remarks was brought to the notice of the school management by the father of a student. He said: “The book was not prescribed by the CBSE, but the school can prescribe any book covering the syllabus set by the CBSE”. Denying any delay in banning the book, DC Raj Kamal Chaudhary said the administration had received a complaint from representatives of the Balmiki community on May 23. He said he had no power to ban any book, so he marked an inquiry to SDM Anupam Kler. He sent a recommendation for banning the book to the state government on May 29 after he received the inquiry report. After the protest by the Balmiki community, he talked to Principal Secretary (Home) NS Kang on the phone. Subsequently, a notification to ban the book was issued by the state government.
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Youth found dead
Bassi Pathana, June 13 Gurmeet’s family told the police that he was mentally upset and his sister took him to Bhagrana village for the treatment. As they reached the village, they started having langar at a community kitchen. Meanwhile, Gurmeet disappeared and his sister, along with other villagers, started searching for him. One of the villagers saw the body in the well this morning. Later, the police called the brother of Gurmeet, who identified the dead body.
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Small farmers cultivating land on lease have started visiting commission agents and moneylenders for loan as landlords, besides increasing rents, were insisting on advance payment.
Ballan, June 13
