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Coal fails to power Gidderbaha plant
Hotel Management Institute inaugurated
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IHM offers diploma,
degree courses
Undertrials to have brief stay with family in jail: Gabria
Sangat Darshan programme
Paddy arrival begins on slow note
Campaign against polythene use
International Girl Child Day observed
Adesh hospital to install linear accelerator
Ministerial staff to stage dharna from Oct 1
Sports tourney declared open
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Coal fails to power Gidderbaha plant
Gidderbaha (Muktsar), September 24 Senior Patiala based engineers confirmed this development. However, the PSEB chairman HS Brar could not be contacted. Earlier, the RFQ documents were to be submitted by interested bidders till September 16 and the deadline has now been extended by yet another month. This is the sixth time, Gidderbaha Power Limited, a company floated especially by the PSEB to oversee the project, has extended the cut- off date. On the surface, top brass of the PSEB maintain that the date for submission of RTQs has been extended because they needed more firms for “competitive bidding”. However, after scratching the surface a little, it has come to light that Coal India Limited has yet to provide proper allocation of coal, which is proving to be the main impediment in starting the crucial bidding process. It is pertinent to mention here that more than 2,000 acres of land is in the process of being acquired by Gidderbaha Power Limited. Once the picture on coal allocation clears, the land will then be handed over to the successful bidder at a price to be decided once the process of submission of RFQs is over. The Rs 13,000 crore project, which will be operated on a build, own and operate (BOO) basis, has evinced keen interest from firms like Larsen and
Toubro, Reliance Power, Adani infrastructure, India Bulls Power Services and the Bangalore based GMR energy which, interestingly, has stakes in Indonesian coal fields. Sources disclose that bidders will be finalised through tariff based International Competitive Bidding
(ICB), the guidelines of which have been issued by the Union Ministry of Power. There will be two stages of bidding, first the RFQ and later the Request For Proposal (RFP) part will be gone through before the bids are
finalised. Water allocation for the mega project is being made by the Irrigation department while Railways have already given clearance for the transportation of coal at the site. The project, coming up in the Chief Minister's home district, will take final shape once the coal allocations are made by the coal Ministry. |
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Hotel Management Institute inaugurated Sudhanshu Verma Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 24 Calling upon parents to get their wards enrolled in hotel management courses, the deputy chief minister said the hospitality industry provides global job opportunities besides ensuring handsome salary. Sukhbir said job avenues in hospitality sector were tremendous and it would increase with the global economic development. The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, inaugurated today is an autonomous institute, sponsored by the Department of Tourism, Punjab, and the Union Tourism Ministry. The IHM is the second such institute in Punjab after Gurdaspur. Situated on the Bathinda-Mansa road, the institute has been set up at the cost of Rs 22 crore and is spread on seven acres. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of the institute last year. Sukhbir said that as the hospitality and hotel industries had been facing talent and manpower crunch, there would be ample job opportunities for trained professionals. He said, “Only 10,000 persons were being trained every year at different institutes against the demand of one lakh professionals.” The deputy CM exhorted Punjabi youths to go for the booming hospitality industry. Sukhbir said that faculty members of the IHM, Bathinda, had been recruited from the five star hotels like the Taj and Hotel Oberoi. Sukhbir said that 11 ITIs, five colleges and two schools in the state had been short-listed to provide vocational courses in hospitality and hotel management and the Punjab Government had provided a grant of Rs 2 crore to each institute. Addressing the gathering, Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria said that the IHM would help hastening the socio-economic development of the region as well as the state besides setting a mark in hospitality education. He said efforts to prepare a cultural policy were on and the tourism department had prepared a plan to put Punjab on the world tourist map. Earlier, Sukhbir inaugurated the institute by unveiling a plaque. Principal of the IHM S.K.Banerjee, while delivering a welcome address, explained about the courses and the institute. Geetika Kalha, Principal Secretary, Tourism, D.P. Reddy, Director, Tourism, Sikander Singh Maluka, Chairman, District Planning Committee, and Bathinda Mayor Baljeet Singh Bir Behman were also present at the inaugural function.
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IHM offers diploma,
degree courses
Bathinda: The IHM is offering 18-month diploma courses in five
different streams related to Hospitality and Hotel Administration in its
first academic session 2009-10. The Institute will start a three-year
degree course (BSc) from its second academic session (2010-11) onwards.
The
IHM, Bathinda, is affiliated to the National Council for Hotel
Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Noida, an apex
body under the Ministry of Tourism. — TNS |
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Undertrials to have brief stay with family in jail: Gabria
Bathinda, September 24 After inspecting the Central jail, here, Gabria said, “The step is aimed at reducing mental depression among the undertrials, which remains the main cause of violence and illegal activities.” Gabria said that initially, the facility would be tried at the under-construction jails in Faridkot and Kapurthala. For this purpose, each of these jails would have 48 family quarters where the undertrials would be allowed to live with their families for 8-10 days. As per the scheme, only those undertrials awaiting court’s decision for a long time would be facilitated, as they did not fall under the purview of leave entitlement. When asked about the non-completion of jail manual, he said the draft of the manual had been compiled but was under scrutiny. He assured that it would be presented in the next budget session of the Vidhan Sabha. He added that earlier, the manual was notified in 1894. So, changes are being considered to keep up with the present day’s requirements. Gabria said the present capacity of state jails would be raised from 12,000 to 20,000, and for the cause, new barracks in existing jails and some new jails in Faridkot, Kapurthala, Mansa and Nabha were under construction. He said that in the decades-old jails, new lavatories, electric fittings and other renovation projects had also been initiated. Replying a query about the frequent incidents of undertrials escaping from police custody during court hearings, he said, “We have been taking the incidents seriously. To check it further, Barnala, Patiala, Ludhiana and Ropar jails would be equipped with video conferencing system so that the court proceedings could be done from inside the jail only. About the deficiency of doctors in jails, he hinted that the jail department would recruit medical officers directly. Speaking about the telephone facility to the jail inmates, he said, “We are checking the pros and cons of launching an intercom facility where all their conversation would be recorded.” When asked about the complaints regarding the poor quality of construction material in the 400-capacity barrack in Central jail, Bathinda, he said, “A probe has been ordered in this regard.”
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Cultivate commercial crops, CM to farmers
Our Correspondent
Mansa, September 24 Addressing public meetings during the sangat darshan programmes in four villages of Mansa on Thursday, Badal said it was necessary for the farmers to adopt horticulture, vegetable crops and dairy farming as this way they can add to their income. He announced that the government would provide subsidy on agriculture machinery and other allied workers. Farmers should bring down the expenditure on agriculture, he added. Speaking on the law and order issue, the CM appealed to the people to avoid unnecessary protests. He also announced that a polytechnic college would be opened at Budhlada to give a boost to professional education. He appealed to the people not to indulge in electricity or canal water theft. He listened to the problems and complaints of people during the sangat darshan programs. Addressing the gatherings, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP Bathinda, said there would be no lack of funds for the development works in Mansa. The CM distributed Rs 2.11 crore to 20 panchyats for development works during the sangat darshan. Among others, who were present, included district president of SAD Harbant Singh Datewas , ex-MLA Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, ex-MP Chetan Singh Sammaon, deputy commissioner Kumar Rahul and SSP Manwinder Singh. Meanwhile, some members of B.Ed Teachers Front Punjab had organised protest at Matti village during the CM's meeting in favour of their demands. Gurdeep Singh, district secretary of front, said they were demanding old criteria for the selection of teachers. He said police had arrested 13 members of the front when they were protesting at Matti village.
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Paddy arrival begins on slow note
Bathinda, September 24 In the absence of any government procurement agency, farmers are forced to hand over their crop only to the private buyers. The 120 MT of paddy that arrived in Goniana has been procured by private buyers at two rates-- Rs 911 per quintal and Rs 960 per quintal while the 10 MT in Ghudda market is still lying there waiting for buyers. According to the official statement, this year, the farmers are assured of getting Rs 980 per quintal as the minimum support price (MSP), which is a hike of Rs 100 over the previous year. It may be mentioned that due to deficit rains this year, the crop is said to be late. Moreover, the power cuts added the worries of the farmers as they burnt diesel worth crores to water their fields which would otherwise have been done free of cost with free power supply to the tube wells. Farmers are waiting for the government agencies to enter the market with immediate effect from day one of the arrival of paddy. However, according to information available, there are six government agencies, PUNSUP, Warehouse Corporation, Pungrain, Punjab Agro and FCI, all would start purchasing paddy from the first week of October. About the arrangements for paddy procurement this season, senior officials of the Food and Civil Supplies department, Punjab, in a recent statement, claimed that all the procuring agencies have been directed to make all necessary arrangements for linking the proposed procurement centres and mandis with the storage points and milling centres in such a way so as to incur bare minimum expenditure on transportation. |
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Campaign against polythene use Our Correspondent
Abohar, September 24 Members of the NGO, led by its convener Pramil Kalani, knocked at Lala Lajpat Rai vegetable market early morning to distribute the especially designed bags, bearing slogans against the use of polythene, among the customers, who had been daily thronging the market to carry vegetables and fruits. SDM Amit Dhaka, launching the campaign, said the administration might ban the use of polythene bags by November 1, after making alternate arrangements. Pramil Kalani and Consumer Movement, chairman Sat Pal Khariwal, said polythene bags had virtually choked the sewerage system that had been renovated at a cost of Rs 17.63 crore here. The veterinary surgeons after conducting post-mortem of dead stray cattle had opined that consumption of polythene waste was the major cause of deaths. The citizens must carry cloth made bags during shopping. The NGO hopes to distribute several thousand eco-friendly bags, which would be sponsored by business houses.
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International Girl Child Day observed
Bathinda, September 24 An NGO Beti Bachao Manch and the Rural Youth Club Association that work against female foeticide here took a pledge today to protest against everyone found aborting a female foetus. The Rural Youth Club Association and the Beti Bachao Manch said that five years back there were only 735 girls per 1,000 boys and the figure has now come up to 854 now. But the government is showing no interest as the monthly meetings have been put off and no meeting of the NGOs and the government authorities have taken place for the last two years. |
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Adesh hospital to install linear accelerator
Muktsar, September 24 This is a significant development keeping in view the fact that hundreds of patients in the nearby villages of
Harisinghwala, Bhuttiwala and Balluana have been afflicted by cancer due to contaminated water. It is pertinent to mention here that total dissolved solids
(TDS) is as high as 1400 units in these villages while the normal rate is 50 to In experts’ opinion, the main cause of cancer in this area is high TDS content in the water. Dr A.
Sukhija, chief administrative officer of the Muktsar-based AdeshGroup of Institutions, disclosed that the linear accelerator will go a long way in treating cancer patients, who come to this city from far away places. |
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Ministerial staff to stage dharna from Oct 1
Bathinda, September 24 The PSMSU would stage dharnas at the district headquarters for eight days, starting from October 1. On October 9, they would hold a statewide pen-down strike in all offices, followed by an hour-long ‘chakka jam’. Their demands include, sanctioning of new pay scales and releasing of the installment of dearness allowance. Darshan Singh Bajaj, general secretary of the union, said, “The government has not fulfilled promises made to us during the previous assembly elections so far. The Chief Minister gave us a positive response to our demands during a meeting held on July 30 but no action had been taken yet.” — TNS
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Sports tourney declared open
Bathinda, September 24 Around 15 participating teams marched in the inaugural parade which was followed by the symbolic torch lighting. A computer lab,
gymnasium, a new pre-primary block and utility block were also inaugurated. — TNS |
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