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1.5 lakh quintals of seized sugar to
Hike in salary, perks of MLAs
CM not aware of Finance Dept’s nod
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Paddy Procurement
Selection of PCMS doctors
Two held in Rulda Singh murder case
Khangura questions Sukhbir’s frequent trips abroad
Youth Akali Dal plans meeting
‘Substandard’ Rice
Hotel management institute opened
Employees’ delegation meets minister
Army forgets martyr’s memorial
GMADA Auction
Firing in Dhuri court complex
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1.5 lakh quintals of seized sugar to be auctioned
Amritsar, September 24 The suppliers and wholesalers have started lowering prices of sugar by Rs 200-300 per quintal. The retailers are allegedly not passing on the benefit to the consumer as they want to make money by selling sugar at a higher price in the wake of the festival season. The food and supplies department is in possession of the old stock of about 16,000 quintals of sugar, which was seized from alleged Rajpura-based hoarders last month. Besides, subsequent statewide raids on sugar hoarders by officials of the food and supplies department had yielded more than 1.5 lakh bags from across the state --- more than 1.15 lakh quintals from Ludhiana in three different raids, more than 25,000 quintals from Jalandhar and more than 6,500 quintals from Amritsar. While the raids and checking are on across the state by the food and supplies officials, the department has decided to go in for an open auction of seized sugar stocks. “We have already moved an application in the court in the Rajpura seizure case. Similarly, we are going to file applications in different courts and with respective district magistrates across the state to get permission to sell sugar in the open market. The raids have yielded a positive result in the shape of lowering of prices by suppliers and wholesalers. The problem is that we are getting complaints that the retailers were not extending the margin benefit to the consumers,” said the food and supplies director, DS Grewal. It is learnt that though the suppliers and wholesalers have started clearing the stocks at a price ranging between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,100 a quintal of good quality sugar, the retailers were still selling it at a minimum price ranging between Rs 33-35 a kg, owing to soaring demand due to the forthcoming festive season. “We are going to increase the intensity of raids,” said Grewal.
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File cleared on Sept 14, says Manpreet
Sarbjit Dhaliwal Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, September 24 Manpreet Singh said on the telephone after dealing with the file on the hike, the Finance Department had sent it back to the Department of Parliamentary Affairs on September 18. “ Agreeing to proposals, I had cleared the file on September 14 and marked it for sending it back to the Department of Parliamentary Affairs”, he said. He added the Department of Parliamentary Affairs had sent the file to the Finance Department on August 27. some minor points needed to be clarified on the file. The officials concerned dealt with those points on September 3 and September 9. “ On September 10 I went to Shimla and returned from there next day. On next working day, September 14 I cleared the file”, asserted Manpreet Singh. “ There was no delay on the Finance Department or my part in clearing the file . I did not block the file at any stage ”, he said. “ Also I did not make any statement or comment to media against proposed hike in pay and perks of the MLAs. Where is the question of seeking publicity on this issue when I did not comment against the hike ”, said Manpreet Singh. “ I had deferred only hike proposed in pay and perks of ministers and parliamentary secretaries to the next year keeping in view fiscal situation of the state. It had nothing to do with pay and perks of MLAs”, said Manpreet Singh adding it appeared some “ persons” were unable to understand the difference between pay and perks of MLAs and Ministers. Thanking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for defending him on this issue yesterday, Manpreet Badal said it would have been better if my political “friends” had talked to me on this issue. “ I would have made the things clear to them in this regard”, he said. “ I was just phone call away and if any one had spoken to me in this regard I would have definitely clarified the issue to them”, he said.
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CM not aware of Finance Dept’s nod
Chandigarh, September 24 On July 11 this year the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Budget session took up the report of the General- Purpose Committee that recommended revision of salary, allowances and other facilities for MLAs. Finance Minister Manpreet Badal requested that matter be taken to the Cabinet first but the House overruling his request unanimously approved the hike, seeking immediate implementation of the recommendations The Department of Parliamentary Affairs took six weeks to write to the Finance Department conveying the decision of the House. The Finance Department received a note on August 27, 2009 with the proposal to hike the perks and salaries of all legislators to about Rs 40,000 per month, an additional liability of Rs 6 to Rs 7 crore a year . On August 31, the Finance Minister returned the note with some query and he file shuttled for 10 days between the Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Departments . On September 10, the Finance Minister went to Shimla “ Vichar Sammelan” and cleared the file on September 14.
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Centre advances date to Sept 29
Naveen S Garewal Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 24 The state wanted the procurement to start at the earliest and had suggested September 25 as the date. However, the Union Food Secretary told Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal that though procurement could be advanced to tomorrow, it would be advanced by two days. The Centre has assured Punjab of all help for clearing food stocks from mandis. The Chief Secretary said: “The Centre has assured all help. There were certain issues that were brought to the notice of the Centre and it has assured full cooperation.” The state has faced draught-like conditions this year, but it hopes to overcome the handicap and is hoping to match last year’s yields. Concerned about the lifting of paddy by government agencies, the state has approached the Centre for directing the procurement agencies to arrive at mandis at the earliest. This year, the total anticipated paddy procurement is around 137 lakh tonnes, of which the FCI and four other state government agencies will procure 127 lakh tonnes. The FCI hopes to procure about 26 lakh tonnes, a little less than a fifth of the total paddy yield in Punjab. The state has a storage capacity of over nearly 19 million tonnes and its major concern is that the procured paddy is moved out of the state at the earliest.
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Candidates quizzed on Laxmi Kanta Chawla
Anshu Seth Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, September 24 The PPSC was conducting the interviews of the doctors against the 212 PCMS posts. Dr Sonia, who had appeared for the interview in the evening session yesterday, stated that a total of 36 candidates were interviewed by the panel between 1.15 pm and 2.30 pm. “Out of the total time spent by the panel on the interviews, more than 45 minutes went into checking the credentials of the candidates. I was asked just one question and was told to leave immediately. I begged before the interview board to ask more questions but was asked to leave.” The irked candidate while registering her protest accused the PPSC of adopting unfair means, adding that she despite her “good credentials” was not selected in the last interview for the 100 PCMS posts in the state. “The time spent on the interview of each candidate makes it obvious that the whole procedure was just a formality,” further accused the candidate. Unable to bear the humiliation, a doctor when asked irrelevant questions about the Punjab Health Minister walked out of the interview. Requesting not to be identified, the doctor listed the questions put to him in the interview: “Who is the Health Minister of Punjab? Where does she belong to? Which school did she attend and what is her qualification? to which he said, “The questions have got nothing to do with the rural health programme which every selected candidate has to carry out.” Dr Vikas had put up an application under the RTI Act asking the information officer of the PPSC to give the details of the selection process, marks of the candidates selected and the profession of their parents. Following the refusal of the PPSC to disclose the selection criteria, Dr Vikas plans to file a case in the RTI Commission. The public information officer at the PPSC in the reply given to Dr Vikas had stated that there was no provision of conducting screening tests under the service rules. At the same time, the PPSC refused to give information about the “criteria of selection” as the letter stated: “The criteria of selection are confidential and can’t be disclosed till the results of the interviews are declared.” PPSC chairman SK Sinha and secretary Gurpreet Kaur Sapra were not available for comments. When contacted on the phone, the personal secretary of Sinha picked up his mobile phone stating that he was busy in the interviews and could not take the call. Similarly, the secretary of Sapra said that she was busy in a meeting and could not take the call.
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Two held in Rulda Singh murder case
Patiala, September 24 Two unidentified persons had allegedly shot at and injured Rulda Singh at his residence on July 28. Later, he succumbed to his injuries at the PGI, Chandigarh. Addressing a press conference here today, District Police Chief Arpit Shukla said a police party arrested them during a naka from T-junction at Kalba to Reedkheri around 12 noon. They were travelling in an Indica and during a search, the police seized a 32-bore pistol. DIG SK Asthana said preliminary interrogation of the arrested persons revealed that the killing of Rulda Singh was masterminded by Paramjit Singh Pamma, bases in the UK, on the behest of Jagtar Singh Tara and other leaders of the Babbar Khalsa International.
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Khangura questions Sukhbir’s frequent trips abroad
Chandigarh, September 24 Khangura said yesterday a Special Court sanctioned another overseas trip for Sukhbir Badal although the state remained in the dark as to why he needed to travel overseas. “Everyone recalls his one-month world tour after the parliamentary elections - when Sukhbir headed for the skies, ignoring the power problems, farmer suicides and the families denied their atta-dal”. “Why does our Deputy Chief Minister spend so much time overseas? What does he do there? His family is here. His heart is allegedly here. His work is most definitely here. Yet, time and again, he trots off to Dubai (and other places) without explanation. Is he an ardent collector of frequent flier miles?” Khangura has asked. Again Khangura has asked, “Does he take his private jet? Why is he so secretive? Why are his trips not official and scheduled? I demand that in future Sukbir announce his detailed travel agenda and file his report publicly on return.” He has also asked, “Why does Sukhbir not use his trips to engage with the NRI community? In the USA last year he failed to attend a single Punjabi community function. As Minister for NRI Affairs he should use these trips to engage with the NRI community, but instead he hides from it. And why does he refuse to visit Canada? Why has he not announced his NRI agenda? What has he achieved for Punjab with these numerous overseas visits? He said he challenged Sukhbir Badal to publish his travel details for last year.
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Youth Akali Dal plans meeting
Anandpur Sahib, September 24 State spokesperson of the Youth Akali Dal Bubby Badal said this while interacting with mediapersons. He was here to preside over a sports function. At the Shimla meeting of SAD, no youth party worker was called, he said. “The Youth Akali Dal has decided to hold its own meeting. It will be held under the leadership of our young MLA Bikramjit Singh Majithia,” he added. The issue of drug addiction among youth in the state would form part of the discussions, he added.
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‘Substandard’ Rice Tribune News Service
Moga, September 24 Stating this, Kuljinder Singh, SHO of the city police station, said he had registered an FIR under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act. “We are in the process of sending these samples for testing in a government laboratory at Chandigarh,” he said. In reply to a question, he said the special train transporting the milled rice was being loaded from the storehouse with rice from 15 stacks, each having the capacity of 3,000 bags. Since one bogey of the train was already loaded, the police could not take samples. Interestingly, when the police was collecting the samples many local rice mill owners gathered inside the storehouse and raised slogans against the police action. There were also reports of heated exchange of words between the millers and the police officials. The rice millers alleged that the police had no power to collect samples. Chairman of the District Planning Board Tarsem Singh Rattian also reached there and protested against the police action, but the SHO maintained that he was doing his work within the limits of the law. Meanwhile, a telephonic complaint about the police action was lodged before district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal who sent an executive magistrate to the spot but by that time the police team had left the venue. The rice millers then went to the office of the DM and gave a written complaint to him against the “unilateral” action of the police maintaining that the police should have called competent authorities of the food and supplies department.
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Hotel management institute opened
Bathinda, September 24 Calling upon parents to get their wards enrolled in hotel management courses, the Deputy Chief Minister said the hospitality industry provided global job opportunities besides ensuring a handsome salary. The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition 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 a cost of Rs 22 crore and is spread over 7 acres. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of the institute last year. Sukhbir Badal said as the hospitality and hotel industries had been facing a 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.” Sukhbir Badal said 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. Tourism Minister Hira Singh Gabria 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. Principal of the IHM S.K.Banerjee, while delivering the welcome address, gave details of the courses and the institute.
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Employees’ delegation meets minister
Chandigarh, September 24 Sekhon reportedly assured them that jobs would be given on priority to the next of kin on compassionate grounds. He also assured them that some posts of work-charge employees would be regularised and the remaining would be filled after getting required sanction from the Finance Department. He said required budget would also be released for seasonal uniforms and GPF statements would be issued on time. He said employees’ genuine demands would be considered sympathetically and redressed at the earliest. The delegation assured the minister that the employees would discharge their duties with full devotion and dedication.
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Army forgets martyr’s memorial
Abohar, September 24 Till last year, Army men had been giving a fresh coat of paint to the memorial besides unfolding the red carpet before paying homage at the maiden memorial. In the “Pay homage to your martyrs” website of the Indian Army, the name of Major Surinder Prasad figures at the top of the list of the two war heroes from Maratha Light Infantry who sacrificed their lives during Operation Riddle. He was awarded Veer Chakra and promoted as Major posthumously.
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Showroom site for Rs 6.5 crore
Tribune News Service
Mohali, September 24 A showroom site in Sector 70 fetched record Rs 6.50 crore against reserved price of Rs 4.56 crore. Through sale of 14 of the total 44 sites put under the hammer, the GMADA earned Rs 47.37 crore. Officials in the estate office of GMADA said after the auction, average reserve price of commercial property has gone up to Rs 3.37 lakh per sq yard, 33 per cent rise in average reserve price.
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Firing in Dhuri court complex
Sangrur, September 24 SHO Dhuri police station Parminder Singh said this evening due to enmity between two groups the firing incident took place in the court complex . He added Tejinder Singh Goldy and others had come to the court in connection with a case when a member of the other group opened fire on them with a revolver, but no one was hurt.
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