Amritsar, July 1
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reportedly cleared the name of Prof Ajayab Singh Brar (62) for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev (GND) University.

Earlier, Professor Brar was appointed VC of Lucknow University in 2007 for a period of three years and his term is to be completed in December, 2010.

The Governor, Gen SF Rodrigues (retd), who is also the Chancellor of the university, is likely to issue formal orders in this regard soon. Professor Brar has had stint as professor of chemistry, IIT, New Delhi. His name had figured on the top of the panel prepared by a search committee of the government, headed by Prof JS Bajaj, Vice-Chairman, Punjab State Planning Board.

A scientist of international repute and expert of polymer chemistry, Professor Brar is expected to take charge of his new assignment shortly. The former VC, Dr Jai Rup Singh (now the VC of Central University, Bathinda) had also recommended his name.

Professor Brar’s priorities will be to promote research, bring transparency in the administration, maintain discipline and reform examination system.

He enjoys the reputation of an honest, straightforward and tough task master. He hails from Nathewala in Moga district of Punjab. His wife, Sharadeep Brar, has had a stint as a principal in a school in Delhi, daughter Supreet is a doctor based in the US and son Anantpreet Brar is an engineer in a multinational company.

Described by his friends as a firm believer of “simple living and high thinking”, Professor Brar did his MSc from Punjabi University, Patiala, and his PhD from IIT-Delhi. He got a UNESCO fellowship in 1974 and served abroad for sometime. He also taught for a brief period at GND University, Amritsar, and joined IIT-Delhi as an associate professor in 1981. He has over 200 publications in national and international journals. He has also been the organising chairman of Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, organised for admissions in IIT.

At present, Secretary, Higher Education, Anjali Bhawra is acting VC of the university, and she functions from Chandigarh.

Apart from the vacancy of a VC, the university is also without a regular registrar, dean (colleges), director, research and finance and development, controller of examination, director, press and publication, and director, PRO. 

Patiala, July 1
A comparative study by the Economics Department at Punjabi University, Patiala, has revealed that Punjab is lagging behind for providing employment to its educated and skilled people in the last two decades.

This is the result of a drastic fall of growth rate in the manufacturing sector of Punjab during the post-reform period in comparison to pre-reform period in terms of value of output and value addition, as a result of slow capacity growth and failure to improve the productivity growth in various manufacturing sectors.

Dr Manjit Sharma, under the supervision of Prof Sucha Singh Gill, carry out in-depth study of manufacturing industry from the organised sector deals with four manufacturing industries, including food, textiles, basic metal and alloy, transport equipment and parts along with the unorganised manufacturing sector, with focus on fiscal years 1980-81 (pre-reform period) to 2002-03 (post-reform period).

The study revealed that the food industry had seen marginal hike in its share in the manufacturing sector of the state from 17 per cent in 1980-81 to 23 per cent in 2002-03, thus maintained its dominance in providing employment and its status as labour intensive industry. Whereas, basic metal and alloy industry suffered a major setback on employment front, as its share declined from 14 per cent in 1980-81 to 6 per cent in 2002-03. As expected, the downfall in number of units led to reduction in share of employment.

The percentage share of transport equipment and parts industry doubled during the study period, providing a major relief to organised manufacturing sector.

The political turmoil, inefficient bureaucracy and militancy in the 1980s led to flight of capital to neighbouring states. The introduction of high fiscal incentives during Vajpayee’s regime in the neighbouring hill states further led to fall in capital accumulation in the state after 2002-03.

Negligible employment elasticity, lack of adequate finance and poor infrastructure were the other core issues. These reasons failed to increase the rate of employment in the post-reform period.

Meanwhile, the unorganised manufacturing sector witnessed higher growth rate as compared to organised sector in terms of fixed capital, input-output, gross value added, number of units, level of employment and emoluments, during the study period. “But the problem with the unorganised manufacturing sector in Punjab - they are tiny units and not under the control of state government and are incapable of providing basic benefits to employees,” says Sucha Singh Gill, eminent economist, HoD, Economics Department, Punjabi University.

Dr Sucha Singh Gill said in year 2003, during the BJP government at Centre the neighbouring states, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, got special package and concession on setting up industrial unit, that alternatively effected the manufacturing units of Punjab, then later on, the concessions were extended for further five years by the Congress. “Either government should withdraw benefits given to other states or the benefits should be extended to Punjab as well, this would eventually help bring in back the shifted manufacturing sector, increasing employment opportunity in Punjab,” added Gill.

Chandigarh, July 1
Before farmers could rejoice over the arrival of the southwest monsoon, the hike in diesel prices has shocked them.

“It is the peak time for paddy transplantation and our demand for diesel is highest at this time of the farming operations,” says Lakhwinder Singh, a farmer from Samrala, assailing both the timing and the hike in diesel prices.

“It is unfortunate that the government instead of mitigating our problems has been adding to our miseries,” he says asking the Prime Minister to put the hike in diesel prices on hold at least till the paddy transplantation operations are over.

Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, president and general secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta), also assailed the hike in diesel prices.

“By coinciding the hike in diesel prices at the peak of paddy transplantation operations, the Congress-led UPA government has reiterated its anti-farmer bias. The UPA government is only bothered to announce a series of concessions for industry and trade. Its apathy towards farm sector is highly condemnable,” they said.

They also reiterated their earlier demand that the government should revert to the earlier policy of pricing petroleum products and de-link it from the present policy of fluctuating global prices.

A cross-section of farm leaders owing allegiance to various organisations of farmers, including the Bharti Kisan Union and Kirti Kisan Union, have also questioned the wisdom of the government in hiking the diesel prices after the Agriculture Costs and Price Commission had made recommendations about the MSP of paddy.

“It is high time for the commission to withdraw its earlier recommendations and submit the revised MSP for various kharif crops,” they said holding that even earlier recommendations were “unsatisfactory and inadequate because of steep increases in the price of various inputs and rising labour costs.”

Diesel, farm experts maintain, is the most crucial input for both rabi and kharif operations as the entire farm machinery, including water-pumping sets, tractors, threshers, harvesters, planters, reapers and binders need this fuel.

Surjit Singh, a farmer from Khamanon, says hike in diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre means the cost of production of a quintal of paddy will go up by a minimum of Rs 20. “Can the government compensate us to offload this additional cost of production?” he asks.

Amritsar, July 1
The restoration work of Darshani Deodi of the Golden Temple was started by Jathedar, Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh and SGPC chief Avtar Singh here today.

The SGPC president on the occasion announced that all heritage buildings relating to Sikhism would be preserved through experts and Sikh Babas would not be allowed to carry out conservation works through kar sewa.

Earlier, the Babas of Kar Sewa Wale had put marble stones on one of the oldest structures of the holiest Sikh shrine. Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannuwas also present on the occasion.

Conservation expert Munish Pandit, Director, Sanrakshan, said the conservation of the building would be done in a traditional way and cement would not be used.

Talking to mediapersons, SGPC president said he was shocked to see that heritage buildings like Chamkaur Di Garhi were demolished to pave way for constructing modern buildings made of marble.

He said a Sikh, who did not want to identified, had promised to bear the entire cost of the renovation work of the Darshani Deodi. More than Rs 51 lakh would be spent on the work. Earlier too, an unidentified Sikh promised to bear the entire cost of the ongoing conservation of Baba Atal.

Bathinda, July 1
Cotton and paddy crop on hundreds of acres was inundated after a breach occurred in the Kot Bhai canal distributary at Mehma Bhagwana village last evening. No initiative was taken by the department concerned to plug it till evening, leading to a protest by farmers.

The breach took place at around 8 pm and it widened to nearly 50 feet. When villagers failed to plug it, they informed officials of the Irrigation Department about it.

However, no officials from the Irrigation Department and the district administration had reached the spot till morning. It was only in the afternoon that an SDO reached the spot.

Gurcharan Singh of Mehma Bhagwana village and Gurdev Singh of Mehma Sarkari village blamed the department for poor upkeep of the irrigation system due to which breaches had been frequently taking place.

Agitating farmers also sought compensation for the loss of crops due to breach. ML Mangla, SDO, Bathinda Canal Division, got the work on plugging the breach started. This was the fourth time that this distributary had developed a breach.

Chandigarh, July 1
The Punjab State Board for Wildlife today gave in principle approval for the payment of compensation to farmers for the damage caused to crops by wild animals in the state.

A decision to this effect was taken at the second meeting of the board under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. It was decided to give relief at a rate of Rs 4,000 per acre to the owner of land where the damage to agriculture crops by wild animals was full and non-recoverable. In case of partial damage to crops, relief of the above said rates would be paid in proportion to the extent of damage assessed by the assessing officer.

The crops would include all crops cultivated in private lands, including sugarcane, cash crops, medicinal herbs, horticulture, ornamental crops, fodder and non-fodder crops. As per estimates, nearly 2,500 acre land was normally affected by wild animals every year which entails a financial liability of Rs 1 crore.

The board also decided to declare Nangal Wetland as Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary to attract a large number of migratory birds. The board also approved the setting up of Punjab Zoos Development Society to promote, support, assist and mobilise resources for management of the MC Zoological Park, Chhatbir, and other zoos/deer parks.

To replenish the existing lion safari at Chhatbir, the board approved a grant of Rs 30 lakh to procure a pair of Indian lions from either Junagarh Zoo or African and Asiatic lions so that it could be further bred and put in the lion safari. The board also decided to set up a Vulture Restaurant for the conservation of vultures at Niari village of Dhar block and Narot Jaimal Singh, Pathankot Tehsil, Gurdaspur district.

It was decided to establish a monkey rehabilitation centre at Patiala for which a proposal for Rs 102.68 lakh had been submitted to the Central Zoo Authority.

Ludhiana, July 1
Toll tax on the Ludhiana-Jalandhar highway is taking a heavy toll on pilgrims visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar so much so that national highway users have appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remove the highway toll tax.

They have termed the toll tax as illegal as motor vehicle users are already paying road tax, cess on petrol and diesel and other levies.

The National Highway Users Association (NHUA), the apex body of motor vehicle users on various national highways in the country, in a letter to the PM have demanded the immediate removal of highway toll plaza at Phillaur on National Highway No. 1 between Ludhiana and Jalandhar, as it is more like jazia (minority/weaker group tax) for pilgrims visiting Amritsar to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple or the Durgiana Temple as well as lakhs of Radha Soami sect followers visiting Beas. Even Hindu pilgrims visiting Holy shrines of Mata Vaishno Devi and Amar Nath pass through this highway.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone from New Delhi, Varinder Arora, secretary, NHUA, said, “The heavy toll tax of Rs 73 for one way for small four-wheelers is too much. It is also affecting daily users travelling between Phillaur/Phagwara and Jalandhar-Ludhiana. A daily passenger on four-wheeler has to shell out Rs 113 for two-way travel, which is too heavy on the pockets of commuters. This toll plaza is like jazia being extracted by Taliban in Pakistan from the Sikhs and Hindus”.

“The toll between the Ludhiana and Jalandhar stretch being charged is more than Re 1 per km which is illegal and more than double the national toll fee of 50 paise per km fixed by the Central government for car/jeep/van. The rates for commercial vehicles are higher. Similarly, a highway user between Delhi and Amritsar is presently paying more than Rs 225. This is higher than the national rates fixed by the government,” Arora added.

“The introduction of multiple toll barriers on highways apart from financially burdening the commuters, are further increasing the traveling time due to heavy cues on toll plazas, thus totally eliminating the benefit of using the highway. The parliamentary standing committee on transport, in its recommendations, has demanded rationalisation of toll on roads,” said Sanjeev Sharma, a daily commuter between Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

Patiala, July 1
While the historic Fern House, set up by the then Maharaja of Patiala Rajinder Singh in 1876 and boasting of 40 rare species of fern and other shade-loving plants, has apparently fallen no bad days for absence of proper care, Patiala DC Jasbir Singh Bir has directed the Punjab Horticulture Department to restore the glory of the tiny garden.

Meanwhile, Bir has also asked the department authorities to restore the sheen of the historic Baradari gardens by equipping the place with computerised irrigation system and ensuring its regular maintenance. In his effort to wean the kids of from computer-aided games and cartoons and to make them appreciate the nature, Bir has also directed the authorities concerned to arrange holding of special games and yoga classes in the Baradari gardens.

The unique fern house was a centre of attraction for tourists in yesteryears as it not only housed a large collection of ferns from different parts of the world, but also had 46 small and large pillars, 54 fountains and 32 ornamental hedges. But now the place was in a sad state as a large number of fern species had got vanished in course of time due to lack of care and most of the fountains and mist-creating sprinklers were lying out of order. The work on the fern house was so exhaustive and enormous that it had started in 1876 and was completed and subsequently opened for public in the year 1900.

Moved at the indifference of the authorities towards the place, Bir, who inspected the fern house directed the director of the horticulture, Punjab, Baldev Singh and others officials present on the occasion that immediate action should be taken to restore the historic Fern House to its former glory. Bir said the coming generations would never forgive us if we continued to ignore the upkeep of our historical places.

“The Baradari gardens also need a computerised irrigation system for rare plants and trees in the gardens, and special arrangements were needed for cleanliness of the gardens,” said Bir.

Patiala, July 1
Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Punjab Health Minister, said a yoga and naturopathy centre would be set up in Mata Kaushalaya Hospital here.

Speaking at a function after inaugurating the Jan Aushadhi Centre at Mata Kaushalaya Hospital, Chawla said while the land for the proposed yoga centre would be made available by the Punjab government, the rest of the cost of setting up the centre would be borne by the central government.

Chawla said the Punjab government had implemented a new scheme under which children suffering from terminal diseases like cancer and thalassaemia were being treated free of cost. She said the Punjab government had also implemented a new scheme on January 9 under which expecting mothers were being hospitalised and treated for delivery free of cost in the government hospitals. Some private hospitals had also been empanelled under the scheme.

Chawla had a dig at the previous Congress government saying that the Capt Amarinder Singh government had done previous little to check sale of intoxicants and spurious medicines.

She said nine Jan Aushadhi centres had already been opened in Punjab, where medicines of all three main systems of medicine, including allopathy, ayurvedic and homoeopathic were available. She said these stores sold medicines manufactures in the government owned pharmacies and the medicines were cheaper from the open market.

Chandigarh, July 1
If Indian students are feeling the heat of racial discrimination in Australia, so do migrant labourers working in Punjab. They detest being derisively called “bhaiya”, “Ramu”, “Shamu” and other names by the locals and half of them are dissatisfied with their present jobs. In spite of this, over half of them, like most of the Indian students in Australia, would like to settle down permanently in Punjab as they are convinced they have a much better future here than in their villages back home.

A sample survey of migrant labourers by Punjabi University, Patiala, has dispelled many myths. Though many people arrive from outside the state to work as labourers during the wheat and paddy harvesting seasons, an increasing number of them are staying on more or less permanently.

The survey revealed almost three-fourth (73 per cent) of the migrant labourers had been residing in Punjab for over five years. These people visit their homes once every nine to 12 months, but are keen to stay on with most, if not all, eventually opting to settle down here.

Researcher Saurabh Sethi of Punjabi University, who conducted the survey, noted that migrant labourers have to undertake tiresome jobs with four to six of them, all single, living in one room and sharing the rent. Tough almost half (49 per cent) of them are dissatisfied with their present jobs 55 per cent of the labourers wish to settle down permanently in the state.

Explaining this dichotomy, migrant Sohan Lal, who comes from near Patna, says when he thinks about satisfaction it is always relative vis-a-vis the situation of his friends and relatives back home in Bihar. “I feel I’m better off than them and so am satisfied, never mind if I have to deal with rude behaviour and know I cannot be assimilated into the Punjabi community”.

Sethi said 54 per cent of the labourers from Bihar and UP were unemployed before coming to Punjab. He added 58 per cent of them belonged to BCs and another 38 per cent to Scheduled Castes, which indicated social unrest was also responsible for migration.

Besides this, he said nearly two-fifths of the migrants who travel outside their villages or towns for the first time belong to the 20-25 age group. However, at the time of the survey nearly one-third of the respondents were aged between 30 and 35 years, indicating many labourers stay on in Punjab for long periods.

Migrants primarily comprise male individuals rather than families. As many as 91 per cent of the labourers were found to be married with 77 per cent of these were living in the state without their spouses. Their average monthly earnings were Rs 3,100 per month, one-fourth of which are remitted back home and spent on purchase of tractors, bullocks and farm implements.

Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman of Punjabi University, who supervised the survey, says the state could improve the lot of migrant labourers by making quality education available to them, besides creating job opportunities for them back home.

Chandigarh, July 1
Director-General of Punjab Police KK Attri, an IPS officer of 1971 batch, superannuated from service yesterday. But the new incumbent PS Gill, whose name has been cleared for appointment as Attri’s successor, could not join due to delay in receiving approval for his appointment from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Meanwhile, RS Gill has been given charge as Acting DGP.

PS Gill said. “I am waiting for my appointment orders from the Punjab government. The moment I get them, I will join”.

Sources in the Punjab’s Home Department have, however, not yet received the “go-ahead” from the Centre till evening. “In principal, the file has been cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, but is yet to be cleared by the cabinet branch. Once it is done, an official intimation will be sent to us. It is expected anytime, could even be tomorrow,” the source said.

Punjab Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal confirmed that the delay in Gill’s taking over was on account of the required clearance from the Centre.

On the other hand, Attri who retired after 38-year-long career was given a warm send-off by his colleagues. He remained DGP for four months, during which time he oversaw the security arrangements relating to the conduct of Parliamentary elections. During his career Attri worked as District Superintendent of Police at several places before proceeding on deputation to the CBI as SP, where he investigated difficult cases, including terrorist offences.

After return to Punjab, Attri raised the Special Wing of the Punjab police in 1990. The Special Wing is responsible for technological upgradation and innovations. It developed bullet-proofing of vehicles, bullet-proof mobile morcha, IR torches, robot to handle live explosives and mobile elevated police posts.

Meanwhile, shortly before relinquishing charge, he presented to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, a highly sophisticated security vehicle developed by the Punjab police that has adjustable bullet-proof picket fitted with two light machine-guns, aimed at effectively neutralising the impact of insurgents / terrorists.

Attri told Badal that this Low Carrier Vehicle had been designed to enable the police forces to have a facility of hydraulically raised bullet-proof chamber with two machine-guns rising 16 to 20 ft above the ground level for deterrence and domination in terrorism-affected areas.

Chandigarh, July 1
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today placed Excise and Taxation Officer (ETO), Patiala, Gurcharan Singh Dhaliwal under suspension with immediate effect for attending office in a drunken state on June 17 and also ordered initiation of disciplinary proceedings against him.

Disclosing this here today, a spokesman of the Chief Minister Office said the erring official had been suspended on the recommendations of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Patiala, for gross violation of Government Employees Conduct Rules. He said a medical examination of Dhaliwal had confirmed that he was drunk during office hours.

During the period of suspension, his headquarters had been fixed at the office of the Assistant Commissioner Excise and Taxation, Bathinda, the spokesman added.

Chandigarh, July 1
Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Jitendra Chauhan have dismissed the plea for shifting to some other place Baddowal ammunition depot from the outskirts of Ludhiana. It has also turned down a bunch of petition against notices for demolition of buildings within 1,000 yards from the depot.

The Bench also held the constructions raised before enforcement of the notification, under the provisions of the Work of Defence Act, 1973, issued on January 31, 1983, could not be demolished without compensation. But, the constructions raised after the notification could be demolished without payment of any compensation.

The notification imposes restriction on the use of land in the vicinity of ammunition sub depot to keep the land free from building or other obstructions within 1,000 yards from the crest of outer perimeter of the works of defence.