Bathinda, July 6
There has been mixed response from the people to the Budget presented by the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, in Parliament today. While the farmers have a reason to feel happy over the credit incentives, most of the businessmen feel that the budget has been below their expectations.

“When the government had a clear mandate, we expected the budget to be revolutionary given the expectations the Congress-led UPA government had raised. But unfortunately, we are quite disappointed,” said Bhushan Garg, a prominent businessman of the city.

The employees are feeling no better. They maintain that the meagre relief in the income tax limit from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.6 lakh is too little, rather negligible. Leading trade and employees’ unions said the basic exemption limit must have been enhanced to Rs 2 lakh at least. They pointed out that the employees remain the worst hit since they cannot conceal or downplay their income.

Meanwhile, the farmers seem to be relatively happy saying the government seemed to have taken the issue of agriculture seriously. However, the farmers in the region rued that the Finance Minister had provided incentive to the debt-ridden farmers of Maharashtra only while the farmers in rest of the country, including Punjab were left out. They said the loan waiver without involving the private moneylenders would hardly serve any purpose. “If they could do it for the farmers of Maharashtra why not for the farmers in other parts of the country,” asked Shingara Singh, president, BKU unit of Bathinda.

The common refrain from the people is that this government, which had assumed power with so many great expectations, has not been able to do much. “People wanted a good budget like income tax relief and massive investments in the infrastructure development, but the Finance Minister seems to have only fiddled with the figures,” remarked Ajay Sharma, a senior executive in a multinational bank.

The investors were also worried in the region as the Bombay Stock Exchange sensitive index came down by a huge 869 points. “This was the worst that could happen in the recent months particularly when the new government had raised so many hopes,” remarked Jugal Kishore Jindal, an investor, who hoped for a good budget. He said given the situation when the government had no pressure, it was expected to be an investor-friendly budget, but it has not been like that.

And last but not the least, even the lawyers and doctors are also upset as their services have been brought under the ambit of the service tax. “Ours is too noble a profession and medical profession should never have been taxed,” said Dr G.S. Nagpal, a renowned physician of the city.

He said that medicine was not like any other service and it should certainly have been exempted from the service tax, as the ultimate burden would fall on the patients only.

Fazilka, July 6
With the visit of deputy chief minister and the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to adjoining Jalalabad town on Sunday after his returning from foreign tour, the speculation of junior Badal contesting election from Jalalabad assembly constituency has further enhanced notwithstanding any formal announcement of his candidature at any time in near future. The Jalalabad assembly constituency fell vacant after the election of Sher Singh Ghubaya as MP from Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat.

Ghubaya, who had defeated then Congress cabinet MLA Jalalabad and Forest Minister of Punjab Hans Raj Josan in February 2007 assembly elections with a thumping majority of more than 42,000 votes from Jalalabad. 

In view of the landslide victory of Sher Singh and his being an influential leader in Rai Sikh community, which has about 50 per cent voters in Jalalabad constituency, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had granted the ticket to Sher Singh from Ferozepur Lok Sabha. Coming up to the expectations of Badal family, Sher Singh defeated the Congress stalwart Jagmeet Singh Brar in this Rai Sikh dominating Lok Sabha constituency with margin of more than 23,000 votes.

Sukhbir Singh Badal during his visit to Jalalabad, while addressing the party workers, has announced that he would change the entire scenario of constituency by way of development of this border area. He also promised to set up a government college for girls there.

Besides, he also announced numerous soaps for the constituency. While the Congress seems to be in dilemma over the selection of its candidate for this constituency. Though the Congress party has an option of fielding Hans Raj Josan as a probable candidate, yet the two major factors are likely to go against him.

Firstly, he lost with a huge margin and secondly he does not belong to the dominating Rai Sikh community. The positive factor in favour of Josan is that of the four elections contested by him, he won two elections. He has a mass base in this constituency.

Some Congress leaders belonging to Rai Sikh community are also staking their claim for the ticket. They include two times former MLA Mehtab Singh of CPI, Dayal Singh, Puran Singh Sarpanch and others applied for the ticket from the high command. Mehtab Singh joined Congress a decade back.

As per sources, the Congress high command has sought recommendation from sitting MPs or defeated Congress candidates of Lok Sabha constituencies.

In case of Jalalabad, Jagmeet Singh Brar, who had unsuccessfully contested from Ferozepur has reportedly recommended the name of Hans Raj Josan for the ticket.

It is stated that Brar has in his report to high command said that Josan is the candidate to give a suitable fight to the SAD nominee. 

Licence holders to deposit arms 

Ferozepur: In view of the ensuing by-election in Jalalabad assembly segment, DC Kamal Kishore Yadav on Monday issued orders under section 144, in which all the arms licence holders of the district have been asked to deposit their weapons with the nearest police station by July 15. SPS Parmar, SSP, said that those weapon holders, who do not deposit it by stipulated date, will face stringent action by the police. — OC

Abohar, July 6
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of different officers/employees unions of the Excise and Taxation Department during an emergency meeting held at the Canal Rest House here resolved to call off the indefinite strike that was going on in protest against the attack on ETO (VAT) Harminder Singh Sidhu.

The JAC has also agreed not to press the demand for suspension of city police SHO Harjeet Singh for inaction in the case, sources said. Meanwhile, the city police have arrested three more persons those were named in the FIR.

Earlier, Shavinder S. Brar FinancialCommissioner (Excise and Taxation) along with ADGP Rajan Gupta, deputy commissioner KK Yadav, SSP Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner Vijay Jade, DETCs Neelam Chaudhary and TL Jindal, AETCs TS Randhawa and Lajpal Singh Jakhar visited the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital, where ETO Sidhu was under treatment.

Also present were JAC convener DS Garcha and other senior trade unionists including Tarsem Grover, Rajesh Bhandari, Inderjit Singh, Malkiat Singh, Baldev Singh, Ravinder Singh, Avtar Singh and Amreek Singh (all members of the JAC).

Financial Commissioner Brar conveyed to the ETO Sidhu that CM Parkash Singh Badal while taking a serious view of the attack had expressed sympathies.

The persons responsible for such incidents will not be spared. Brar also assured to take up alleged denial to seniority to Sidhu.

The latter reportedly told the visiting officers that he was suffering because of his honesty and uprightness not only at the hands of tax evaders but also administrative officers.

The JAC members during interaction with the media inside the hospital wondered how the culprits had escaped from the hospital when police men were on duty. Why the local police allowed the traders to mob the emergency ward where ETO Sidhu was hospitalised, they questioned.

The JAC demanded that section 307 be added to the FIR as the culprits had allegedly sprinkled kerosene also while thrashing him for sealing the godowns that stacked goods.

The JAC also urged the government to cancel licence of the fair price shop owner who had supplied kerosene oil without making entry in the ration card.

Financial Commissioner Brar and senior leaders of the JAC said after the important meeting that campaign against the VAT evasion would be intensified and security of the officers/employees would be ensured. No high-handedness will be tolerated, the officials added.

The police sources said later that three more culprits identified as Parveen, Pardeep and Lachhman Dass have been arrested. Earlier, Parmod Garg and Kaushalya Devi had been arrested and were remanded in judicial custody by a court here. 

Bathinda, July 6
The Blood Bank at the Civil Hospital here is running short of staff, particularly lab technicians, for many years now but the authorities concerned are turning a blind eye to the woes of those working at the blood bank and patients alike.

With the shortage showing a bearing on its functioning, the blood bank apparently does not match the required standards. The situation becomes worse in the evening and night shifts when only a single person handles all the functions of the bank.

Sources in the blood bank said a single lab technician was taking care of all the jobs, including collection, issuance, testing and cross-matching of the blood besides maintaining records. The lab technicians on evening and night shifts also have to do the jobs meant for a class IV employee, the sources added.

The attendants of patients requiring blood for an operation or otherwise have to wait, at times for hours, before they get the required units of blood or blood components. Attendants, who are already upset, sometimes get irked due to the delay and in turn, become a cause of trouble for the blood bank officials.

It is noteworthy that the testing of blood and cross-matching requires a lot of concentration and decides the fate of the patient receiving the blood. A single error could prove fatal for the patient. Significantly, the staff foregoes the mandatory formalities most of the time due to less time and more work, the sources said.

“A lab technician hired on a contract basis is provided with a meagre salary of Rs 4,000 without any compensation for the extra work done. Besides, doing a job of a class IV employee has an adverse effect on the working of a science graduate,” said a lab technician in the hospital seeking anonymity.

Assistant Civil Surgeon Indu Bhushan Aggarwal, when contacted, said he was aware of the problem, which ought to be removed for the smooth functioning of the blood bank. They had written about it to the Director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, the relevant authority to grant permission, but there was a delay on their part for reasons best known to them, he added.

Bathinda, July 6
After a year-long investigation, the Bathinda police today booked two doctors and a compounder of a local hospital for negligence in giving treatment to a patient, which resulted in his death.

As per the information available, Manjeet Kaur of Bathinda accused the staff of Pragma Hospital, located on Bhatti road here, of killing her husband Darshan Singh, a patient at the hospital in September, 2008.

In a complaint lodged with the deputy commissioner, Bathinda, she had alleged that doctors could not diagnose the disease but kept on treating him. She accused doctors Akhilesh and Surinder Kansal along with compounder Sanjeev Kumar of killing her husband.

The DC marked the inquiry to the Civil Surgeon, who got the case thoroughly investigated after constituting a board of doctors.

The board found the accused guilty of negligence resulting in the patient's death.

The case was passed on to the district attorney for legal opinion, who suggested the case be registered under section 304-A of the IPC.

On receiving the report in the last week of June, the DC marked the report to the SSP, Bathinda, with a recommendation to register a criminal case. Acting upon the orders, the Kotwali police today booked the accused trio.

Confirming the facts, Ravinder Singh, SHO Kotwali police station, said, "A case has been registered but none of the accused has been arrested yet."

Abohar, July 6
The ensuing rainy season is likely to play a spoilsport for the lacklustre implementation on NAREGA scheme in the region, experts said. A senior officer was quoted on Friday telling sub-divisional officers here that Rs 93 crore NREGA project was finalised for the Ferozepur district, out of which Rs 3.56 crore had been released. Nearly 50 per cent of the funds are to be utilised for renovating the village ponds to develop these as rain water sheds.

But sources pointed out that most of the ponds had recently been filled to capacity by the downpour and rains were expected to lash the region regularly during the next few days also.

The administration was yet to make up its mind to initiate move to remove encroachments over the ponds even when the chief secretary had issued time bound programme for this two months back. Interestingly, the NREGA gram sewaks regretted that they had not been paid salary for the last six months. The authorities were required to appoint 25 gram sewaks in each block but could recruit 4-5 only for each.

They were told that emoluments will be based on their actual work whereas the administration had promised Rs 2500 per month. Information gathered from different sources indicate that 5.25 lakh NAREGA workers were listed during the past financial year all over Punjab, but only 3970 of them could complete 100 days work. Rs 300 crore was sanctioned for the projects prepared by the state government but only Rs 158 crore was released as the state government failed to finalise the modalities.

Intriguingly, the state had Rs 86 crore in its treasury as unused money at the end of the financial year. Now, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had demanded Rs 1000 crore during his recent meeting with the Planning Commission chief Montek Singh Ahluwalia but could get sanctioned Rs 200 crore owning to poor track record, sources said.

As per the information, SDO Canal Division had vide letter number 487-99 dated June 22 informed the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) Khuiyansarwar that Panjawa distributary, Azamwala, Jandwala and Bakayanwala sub-canals have been closed for a week. The period can be used for desilting by NREGA workers to enhance flow of water. However, the BDPO could not arrange 600 workers to carry the job.

Rules require deployment of 50 per cent women to carry the work but they could not be expected to remove silt from the lined sub-canals, which were 10 feet deep, officials pointed out. Most of the sarpanches too were not taking much interest. Only 6 of the 70 sarpanches were found present during the training camp on NREGA that was organised by a private contractor’s firm here recently.

Abohar, July 6
None of the BJP stalwarts in the region remembered Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jan Sangh on his birth anniversary but most of the urban units of the saffron party organised functions in the neighbouring areas of Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar today.

Interestingly, the BJP unit in Hanumangarh preferred to celebrate the day with special children by organising a function at the Viklang Sewa Ashram.

Speaking on the occasion, local unit president Dr Bharat Bhushan Sharma and Mahila Morcha activist Renu Chaudhary said Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee inherited a rich tradition of erudite scholarship, fervent nationalism and fearlessness from his illustrious father, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee.

Shyama Prasad had a brilliant academic record. Though called to the Bar in 1927 from Lincoln's Inn, he never practiced law.

He became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1934 and continued till 1938. Calcutta University conferred on him D.Litt. and Banaras Hindu University LL.D. in the year 1938.

He began his political career in 1929 when he was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council. He became acting President of the All India Hindu Mahasabha in 1939 and the Finance Minister of Bengal in 1941. He actively opposed the British government when the Congress leaders were arrested. In 1942, he resigned from the Bengal cabinet in protest against the British government policies.

The Bengal famine of 1943 brought the humanitarian in Shyama Prasad to the forefront and he organised relief work on a massive scale. He was against the partition of India but when that became inevitable, he was largely instrumental in retaining parts of Bengal and Punjab in the country. On the invitation of Mahatma Gandhi, Shyama Prasad joined the first national government in August 1947.

He disagreed with the policy of the government towards Pakistan as indicated by the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 and resigned from the central cabinet in April of that year.

After the attainment of Independence, he was not in favour of the Hindu Mahasabha to continue in politics but when his views were not accepted, he resigned from the Executive of the party.

In October, 1951, he organised a new political party, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, and became its founder president.

The rest of his life was spent in actively building up this party. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee championed the cause of integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India. He was arrested in Srinagar and died on 23rd June, 1953, while in custody.

Bathinda, July 6
The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has imposed a restriction over the use of the subsidised domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for purposes other than cooking. In a letter, the ministry directed all oil marketing companies to advise their distributors to issue a notice to all consumers in this regard.

A consumer found using LPG for operating appliances like geysers, ACs, generators or running vehicles is liable for disqualification and the connection liable to be cancelled, the letter mentions.

Suresh Sharma, assistant manager, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), who is also the district coordinator for the three companies — IOCL, BPCL and HPCL — termed the ministerial decision as very important. “As of the initial stage, we have been urging all to mend their ways. In the later stage, harsh steps would be taken and even criminal cases would be registered against those found guilty,” he said.

Sharma said at present, only in Bathinda district, there were about one lakh connections of domestic LPG while there were only 200 commercial connections. “All are aware of the misuse of subsidised LPG for commercial purposes, but there is no check on it.”

Expressing unhappiness, he accused the district administration of not cooperating well in this regard. Many a times, the district officials concerned were asked to lend support in checking the menace but they express their political complications, Sharma added.

When contacted, Sukhminder Singh Laddi, a local LPG distributor of the IOCL, said, “People have been using multiple connections taken from different companies. Soon, mischievous consumers will be traced and their connections will be cancelled. We have been urging all consumers to get their verification done.”

Moga, July 6
Leaking drains and garbage piling up at many places in Moga town pose serious health hazards to thousands of residents living here. One could see garbage dumped along the roadsides and vacant plots in the town.

A survey conducted by The Tribune revealed that most of the locations in the town lack garbage collection bins, therefore, people are forced to dump waste material on the roadsides or in the vacant plots. Sometimes, garbage lies uncleared on the roadsides for several days.

It may be mentioned that the Municipal Council lacks systematic disposal or treatment of solid waste in the absence of a solid waste management treatment plant for garbage disposal.

As a result of this, poor garbage clearance has worsened sanitary conditions in the town. Mounting garbage on streets and roads poses a serious health hazard to the residents. Stray animals litter garbage for days till it is cleared by the local body authorities.

There has been a rise in cases of viral infections and skin diseases during the past couple of weeks in the town, particularly, due to biting of small mosquito-like flies that breed on open garbage dumps.

The district administration has already invoked epidemic diseases act throughout the district but no particular directions have so far been issued to any department to keep a check on open garbage dumps. The locals say that open garbage dumps should be cleared daily in a routine manner and insecticides should be sprayed so as to prevent the breeding of dangerous flies and mosquitoes keeping in view the onset of monsoons.

The recent rains have increased the humidity level which is likely to increase during the coming days in the rains. The lives of people are at stake due to the prevailing insanitary conditions.

During the survey, it has also been found that many drainage pipes are leaking at various places in the town releasing foul-smell in and around the residential areas.

The waste water released from the industrial area falling under the municipal limit is discharged in the low lying areas along the national highway causing a foul smell on the entrance of the town.

As per many surveys conducted at the national level, on an average 500 grams of solid waste is generated by a single person in a day.

With a population of around 1.5 lakh people, as much as 75 tonnes of solid waste is generated in the township per day. The district administration and the Municipal Council authorities need to wake up for managing the solid waste and prevent health hazard in waiting. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 6
Falsifying the notion that only Bihari labourers can undertake the strenuous work of paddy transplantation, women from families of small and marginal farmers and local labourers have taken up the job to overcome the problem of manpower shortage in Malwa.

Paddy growers of this part of Malwa, which is facing an acute shortage of Bihari labourers, have started engaging Punjabi labourers in paddy transplantation.

As traditional farm labourers are busy with other agricultural chores and a majority of men folk are not ready to take the risk of losing jobs by staying away from their normal duty for many days, women folk from these families have taken to the paddy fields.

Investigations by the The Tribune revealed that a number of Punjabi labourers, predominantly women, had undertaken paddy transplantation in fields of small farmers, who could not afford to engage traditional Bihari labourers specializing 
in the job.

Though groups of Punjabi labourers did not receive labour charges equal to those being quoted by Bihari and UP labourers, they could earn about Rs 400 per head per day by working longer in the day. While Bihari groups of paddy transplanters demand from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per acre of land on pretext of higher viability of saplings, their Punjabis counterparts get Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 for transplanting paddy on one acre.

Suraj of Jandali Kalan village said he, along with his brother and five women of their clan, earned about Rs 2,700 by transplanting paddy on 1.5 acre in one day. Claiming that their work was in no way inferior to that of migrant labourers, Suraj questioned: “Have they done some diploma in paddy transplantation which we do not have. Rather we have more knowledge about agricultural chores.”

Besides women labourers, women of small and marginal farmers of Chhanna, Jandali Khurad, Kanganwal, Rohira, Baurhai, Dehliz and Maherna were seen transplanting saplings in their fields.