Khanna, October 19
A good spell of sunshine is helping dry the PAU 201 variety of paddy in this mandi as well as others in the region even as the government has decided to stack it separately and in case it is not completely picked up by millers, offload it to other states.

A Pungain inspector at the Peer Jain village mandi, near Morinda, sums up the problem with the variety, saying its heavier grain contains more moisture entailing more drying. “Compared to any other variety it has 3 to 4 per cent more moisture due to which we want stacks of the variety to dry before they are purchased”.

Along with the problem of moisture is the issue of breakage of the pins of this variety when milled. Rice millers had requested the government to discourage farmers from transplanting the variety this year but due to the good yields obtained last year, the area under this variety has increased this year. State Rice Millers Association president Tarsem Saini says millers need to be compensated for milling this variety by giving further concessions in breakage or else it will be difficult to mill it.

Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, when questioned, said it was the responsibility of the state to purchase PAU 201 as it had been given the go-ahead by the Centre. “We will, however, stack it separately and wherever required will give it to other states in case millers do not show keenness to mill it”. When questioned about complaints of excess breakage, he said the problem could be more in the case of millers who had old machines.

Farmers, however, while happy with the yield of the new variety, say selling it is a problem due to reluctance on the part of state agencies to procure it. Avtar Singh Mehmadpur, who had brought this variety to a mandi in Morinda, says he has been waiting to sell this produce for two days. “I am repeatedly told there is more moisture in the foodgrain,” he added.

State Agriculture Director B. S. Sidhu says the variety has been good for the farmers. “A little more drying in the mandi will cost the farmer little compared to the gains in yield”, he said. Sidhu said compared to the average yield of 24 quintals per acre, PAU 201 yielded 32 to 35 quintals per acre. With four lakh hectares under this variety it has compensated for the lower yield due to an increase in basmati cultivation to around 5.5 lakh hectares in the state.

Meanwhile, an official release stated that government agencies and private millers had procured more than 44.72 lakh tonnes of paddy till last evening. Out of the total procurement of 44.72 lakh tonnes, government agencies have procured 43.42 lakh tonnes while private traders have procured only 1.30 lakh tonnes. Ferozepur district is leading with 6.52 lakh tonnes being procured till now even as 4.18 lakh tonnes have been procured in Muktsar district and 3.65 lakh tonnes in Faridkot district. 

Chandigarh, October 19
With filmmakers demanding firm action against audio and video piracy in Punjab, the state government has launched a concerted drive to check the menace. The authorities concerned have not only reconstituted the ‘state-level intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement cell’, but are also coming out with legislation to prevent piracy.

The development is significant as the Indian film industry loses a whopping Rs 17 billion annually due to piracy. In Punjab, the problem is well pronounced in some of the major cities, Ludhiana and Jalandhar included. Intellectual property is considered valuable and vulnerable, and the entertainment industry has all along been demanding its protection from theft and abuse.

Available information suggests the enforcement cell has been reconstituted by the government to “coordinate the concerted drive against various forms of piracy including audio and video”; and comprises three members. Punjab advocate-general Hardev Singh Mattewal has been appointed the committee’s chairman, while the members include the home secretary and the state director-general of police.

A notification to this effect has been issued by AR Talwar, principal secretary to the Punjab home affairs & justice department. The government is also working out the modalities for coming out with an anti-piracy law, as the issue is being viewed as not just a social but also an economic, problem. It is believed the Act aimed at enforcement of IPR will provide teeth to the law enforcement agencies for clamping down on those engaging in the illegal conduct. The decision to come out with the law to prevent piracy was only recently conveyed to Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra, who had apprised the government of the grim scenario the industry was facing due to the threat of piracy. He was of the view that “there could be no greater tragedy for a creative person than seeing his labour debased in poor quality reproductions where hardly 10 per cent of the creative thought came across in the manner it was intended”. Chopra has been at the forefront of the anti-piracy movement in the industry for some time now. 

Bhura Kona (Tarn Taran), October 19
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has directed the Punjab State Electricity Board to provide farmers having land beyond the border fencing with on-the-spot power connections under the Tatkal scheme.

At the same time, the Chief Minister announced that the power load enhancement charges in the case of tubewell connections had been reduced from Rs 3,600 per hp to Rs 1,200 per hp. The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission had enhanced the charges from Rs 1,200 per hp to Rs 3,600, resulting in widespread resentment among farmers who had even resorted to protests at several places in Punjab.

Conceding the demand of border farmers, Badal, who was here to participate in a function related to the birth anniversary of the late Damdami Taksal chief Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, said the PSEB had been directed to give on-the-spot power connections to those farmers who had their land across the barbed wire on the Indo-Pak border. The issue was highlighted by The Tribune in August. “Panchayats have also been brought under the Tatkal scheme for power connections. Now panchayats will be able to avail themselves of power connections without any delay for community use,” said Badal, who lauded the services rendered by Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale to the Sikh Panth and humanity during his lifetime.

Badal said he was fully aware of the problems faced by farmers of the border areas of Punjab.“ Since we are deeply concerned, we will be taking up the issue of non-payment of compensation to farmers for their land acquired by the BSF and the Army with the Central Government,” said Badal. Senior BSF officials had already stated that the issue had been taken up with the Centre by the state government authorities.

Badal announced that a degree college would be opened in Chung village while a model school and an Adarsh School would be opened at Valtoha and Baler villages. He gave an assurance that the state government would do everything possible to get the issue of spread of cancer in the Valtoha belt examined by experts.

Referring to the diversification of farming, Badal asked farmers to adopt dairy farming, fisheries and vegetable farming along with the traditional wheat-paddy cycle. He said the state government was already extending subsidies at the rate of 33 per cent to farmers making use of greenhouses and for the development of farm equipment for collective use. “All villages in the area will get RO plants for the supply of clean drinking water. Besides, an effort is being made to ensure the disposal of sewer water from the area,” said Badal, adding that the Bhikhiwind-Khemkaran road would be renamed Sant Kartar Singh Marg.

Chandigarh, October 19
The Congress has accepted the challenge of state Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal for a debate on the issue of the development of Punjab.

Reacting to a statement made by Sukhbir today, Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira said in principle, the party had agreed to accept the challenge of the Deputy Chief Minister, adding that the ball was now in his court to decide the date and venue.

Khaira said no one in the party had any objection to the debate on the development between the ruling party and the opposition. “In fact, the party wants to widen the scope of the debate to include political vendetta, mal-administration, family misrule, forcible take over of transport, cable network, sand quarrying, liquor and all other issues related to the state,” he added.

In an open letter sent to Sukhbir today, Khaira said, “My credentials cannot be used as an excuse for running away from the debate by Sukhbir, as the Deputy CM was in no way senior to me in politics. You are a first time MLA so am I, in so far being the president of the SAD and MP before, I wish to remind you that all your political achievements are due to your father Parkash Singh Badal and not your’s.”

He has further said that as far as the state development was concerned, it was for the sixth time that a SAD government was in power and therefore it could not absolve itself of the responsibility of Rs 63,000 crore debt on the state, Rs 4233 crore revenue deficit, Rs 35,000 crores debt on farmers, etc.

Further talking of development he has written that in Punjab 2890 farmer have committed suicide suicides (as reported in a sample survey conducted by Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana in only two district of Sangrur and Bathinda). Again, 18397 government schools with over 34 lakh poor students in a state are in shambles without teachers and infrastructure. Also, 229 hospital and government dispensaries are unable to provide health service for want of doctors, medicines etc.

Khaira further pointed out that eight-10 hour power cuts in Punjab in the domestic sector, only four hours of erratic power for agriculture and more than three days of complete blackout for industry did not show the government in good light.

He said all talk about proposed thermal plants were a merely political gimmick.

Further, he has questioned what the government has done to check over 3,500 deaths in road accidents.

Amritsar, October 19
BJP MLA from Amritsar (North) constituency Anil Joshi has threatened to go on fast if the police refused to withdraw what he described as “false cases” against 100 residents of his constituency.

However, SSP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said over 100 persons detained by the police were either gamblers or were those who indulged in an illegal sale of crackers.

Demanding the transfer of the SSP, the BJP MLA said if the state government failed to do so within a week, he would go on fast along with his supporters.

On the other hand, the SSP said nobody was above the law.

He alleged that the MLA had earlier tried to pressurise the area SHO to secure the release of the detained offenders, but got annoyed when the SHO refused to do so. Anil Joshi alleged that he was being harassed by the SSP and 100 residents of his constituency were arrested on basis of false cases.

He further alleged that police commandos had staged a flag march to scare shopkeepers and even signboards put up to congratulate political leaders on Diwali were either torn away or removed at the instance of the SSP.

Refuting the allegations, the SSP said hoardings were removed in the light of the 2002 directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and on orders of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

“Nobody will be allowed to go against the law. The persons who were arrested from Vijay Nagar and adjoining areas were involved in gambling and an illegal sale of crackers,” the SSP said.

He added that the Chief Minister had directed that even his posters should be removed in case these were against the the HC directions.

Meanwhile, social activist Brij Bedi has urged the state government to initiate a movement for the removal of hoardings and billboards that violated the HC orders.

Jalandhar, October 19
Neither Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal nor his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal or any other senior minister made it to the religious function held here today by the new management of the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences.

Only some local Akali leaders, including Jagbir Singh Brar, Sarabjit Singh Makkar and former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, were seen at the function.

Asked about the absence of the Badals and other senior ministers at the function, a member of the PIMS management said only local leaders were invited at the function.

However, party insiders said the Badals and other senior ministers didn’t attend the function because they wanted to avoid further controversy on the PIMS issue.

The Badals are close to Surjit Singh Rakhra, president of the PIMS Charitable Society. Usually they attend almost every function organised by the family of Rakhra, who is also the president of the NRI wing of the SAD.

Meanwhile, asked about the non-signing of the lease with regard to the taking over the control of the PIMS, Rakhra said the whole deal with regard to the PIMS was transparent. He said the lease would be signed in due course as the PIMS society had already deposited the requisite money with the authorities concerned.

He said Dr Kiranjit Kaur, former director of research and medical education, had been appointed as principal of the PIMS.

The institute would start outdoor patient service in the first week of November and indoor patient service in January. The move has generated murmurs from some quarters.

“Though the society enjoys every right to recruit staff independently, it sounds unethical to announce the future principal at a public gathering when the present director-cum- principal of PIMS is still on the rolls,” said a former official of the institute. The announcement with regard to the appointment of the new principal should have been made only after assuming full control of the PIMS by the new management, he added.

Patiala, October 19
The Union Ministry of Rural Development has reconstituted the district-level vigilance and monitoring committees (VMC) for proper implementation of the central schemes pertaining to its own department.

Though the VMC existed earlier as well, these committees were dissolved on June 15 in wake of the general election.

However, these committees were, post the constitution of the 15th Lok Sabha, reconstituted by the Union ministry vide a notification dated August 26, 2009.

As per the notification, the MPs who have been appointed as chairpersons of the vigilance and monitoring committees for various districts of Punjab include Navjot Singh Sidhu (Amritsar), Preneet Kaur (Patiala and Sangrur), Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Bathinda and Mansa), Paramjit Kaur Gulshan (Faridkot and Moga), Sukhdev Singh Libra (Fatehgarh Sahib), Rattan Singh Ajnala (Ferozepur), Pratap Singh Bajwa (Gurdaspur), Mohinder Singh Kaypee (Jalandhar), Santosh Chaudhary (Kapurthala), Manish Tewari (Ludhiana), Sher Singh Ghubaya (Muktsar) and Ravneet Singh (Nawanshahr and Rupnagar).

The need to reconstitute VMC was felt as these committees could perform the useful function of monitoring implementation of various programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development.

“It has now been decided to reconstitute VMC with members of the 15th Lok Sabha nominated as chairman and co-chairman of these committees,” reads the notification.

The guidelines for the VMC mentioned that primary responsibility of these committees is to effectively monitor the implementation of the schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and to ensure that the funds are used for the purpose they are meant for.

The district-level VMC would undertake continuous internal assessment of project implementation in relation to agreed schedules, and of the use of inputs, infrastructure and services by project beneficiaries.

The other responsibility of these committees includes looking into the complaints/alleged irregularities received by them in respect of the implementation of the programmes, including complaints of wrong selection of beneficiaries, misappropriation/ diversion of funds of various schemes of the ministry.

The committee will exercise preventive vigilance, so as to ensure that irregularities, diversion and misappropriation of funds is avoided and the selection of beneficiaries is strictly in accordance with the guidelines of the programmes.

Speaking to The Tribune, ADC (Development), Patiala, HS Pabla, said some of the members were to be nominated by the Patiala VMC chairperson Preneet Kaur. “Once the members are nominated, we will call the first meeting of the committee,” he added.

Jalandhar, October 19
Condemning the SAD-BJP government for not making any increase in the price of sugarcane for the current crushing season ( 2009-10), Bharti Kisan Union president Balbir Singh Rajewal said here today that the Badal government had played into the hands of the owners of private sugar mills and worked against the farmers’ interests.

The sugarcane price for the current cane-crushing season was announced last year.“ However, keeping in the view the drought-like situation faced by the state from May to July and a substantial increase in input costs, the cane price should have been raised to Rs 240 per quintal,” said Rajewal.

At a meeting of the Sugarcane Control Board held today in Chandigarh, the state government announced the cane price for the next crushing season ( 2010-11) whereas no increase was made in the price for the current season though the government was well aware that a lot of additional expenditure was made by farmers during the summer to save the cane crop.

For the advance-maturing variety the government has fixed Rs 200 per quintal for the next season and for medium and late-maturing varieties Rs 195 and Rs 190 per quintal, respectively.

For the current season, the cane price for the advance-maturing variety would be Rs 180 and for medium and late- maturing varieties Rs 175 and Rs 170 per quintal. Sugar was selling at Rs 3,000-3,200 per quintal and its production cost was not above Rs 1,400 per quintal. In such a situation, the sugar mills, which would make huge profits from the sugar trade, could easily give a cane price of even up to Rs 250 per quintal to farmers.

“ I was expecting that at today’s meeting, the board members would announce a substantial increase in the cane price for the current season because it was fixed last year expecting normal conditions. However, farmers faced an abnormal situation this summer”, said Rajewal. “ In fact, at a meeting of the board held last time to fix the price for the current season, I had sought Rs 225 per quintal as the price of the advance-maturing variety. At that time members of the private mills on the board had strongly opposed my views on the price”, said Rajewal, who was a member of the board last year but was dropped from it this year.

Rajewal has sought an appointment with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar next week to discuss the paddy issue and other matters related to farmers.

Amritsar, October 19
Even as the concept of common currency has been mooted for the the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries on the lines of developed nations of Europe, the participants at the South Asia Foundation (SAF) Peace Festival felt that a lot more needed to be done before actualising the concept.

A four-day film festival on the theme of peace, a multimedia production, Kafis by Sain Zahoor and a puppet show were presented at the ongoing SAF Peace Festival here today.

Goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Oranisation (Unesco) Madanjit Singh mooted the mantra to boost trade and commerce between SAARC nations during his recent visit to the town.

Ranjit Singh, a viewer at the film festival, said the common currency would be a significant step only after the countries in the South Asian region resolved bilateral differences.

The film festival was held in collaboration with Saanjh, Punarjyot and Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop at Thakur Singh Art Gallery to promote accord between India and Pakistan in general and South Asia on the whole through films based on art and culture.

Saiyda Hamid, co-chairperson, SAF, and Member, Planning Commission, said there was a dire need to forget the past to forge new and better relations between neighbours.

“Oral and Intangible Heritage of South Asia”, a SAF production on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Unesco, and “Khamosh Pani”, directed by Sahiba Sumar, a Pakistani woman director, were also screened today.

In the evening Sain Zahoor rendered Kafis at Preet Nagar.

Amritsar, October 19
Students of colleges, affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, who failed to qualify their examinations, have a reason to smile. The university has announced a special chance for them to reappear in annual or semester examinations. Nevertheless, this chance will be a one-time opportunity.

Students, who had appeared in the final examination in 2000 or thereafter and had obtained compartment, will be given this chance and a special fee structure has been planned for this.

According to information, Rs 10,000 will be charged as a special fee for clearing one paper and Rs 1,000 for each additional paper in addition to the normal fee.

Confirming this, the Registrar, Dr Raghbir Singh, said the decision was finalised at a syndicate meeting held recently under the chairmanship of Prof AS Brar.

“This one-time chance will be for those who had appeared in the final examinations in 2000 or thereafter. The students can avail this opportunity in April 2010,” he clarified.

“As far as semester cases are concerned, it will be given in December this for “odd” semester and May 2010 for “even” semester examinations”, he added.

All those students who have failed in the internal assessment may be given one special chance to reappear with a special fee of Rs 5,000. The Registrar said papers would be set out of the current syllabus of the respective courses. 

Muktsar, October 19
Expressing anguish over lakhs of pending cases in the lower courts, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur today said that to dispose of the cases quickly, evening courts would soon be established.

Justice Thakur said that after inaugurating a new state-of-the-art judicial court complex here today. The complex, which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 20.80 crore, is a three-storeyed building from where 12 courts will function.

Justice Thakur claimed that there were nearly seven lakh cases pending in the lower courts, following which the government had now decided to set up evening courts. As a pilot project, evening courts would be established in major cities and the concept would later be broadened to take in other cities too.“However, in the first phase, Muktsar city may miss the bus but if advocates and judges of the city felt that an evening court was a necessity in the town, then their demand will be given due consideration,” the Chief Justice said.

“The biggest problem is the delay in disposing of the cases. Due to the huge pendency, cases take years to settle. The arrears cause delay and delay means negating the process of justice for the lay man,” the Chief Justice said.

On the Central Government’s newly floated scheme — Gramin Nyayala Act — Justice Thakur said courts would also be established at the block level so that the benefits of justice filter down to the rural masses.

Justice Thakur announced that Muktsar would be granted the status of a Sessions Court by the time the historical Maghi mela is held in the city on January 14 next year. He added, “I am amazed as to why a full- fledged Sessions Court was not established in the city till now and this despite the fact that Muktsar was the home town of the Punjab Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and the Finance Minister.”

Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Mehtab Singh Gill, who is also the chairman of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Building Committee, said, “We had demanded Rs 102 crore from the Punjab government to build the new judicial court complexes in the state but till now we have received just Rs 35 crore due to which the work on setting up new complexes was suffering. The Punjab Finance Minister should see to it that the remaining amount is also sanctioned and released.”

The Muktsar District Bar Association led by its president Gurbinder Singh Rupana felicitated Justice Thakur.

Earlier, the Chef Justice, accompanied by other judges and officials of the district administration, paid obeisance at Muktsar’s historic Darbar Sahib Gurdwara.

Gurdaspur, October 19
Registrar of the Beant Singh College of Engineering and Technology Inderpal Singh was today caught by the state Vigilance Bureau here while allegedly accepting a bribe from an employee of the same college for regularising his services.

This is perhaps for the first time in the state when such a high-rank official of a prestigious educational institution was caught “red-handed” while taking a bribe.

Official sources said he was arrested by a team of the bureau, led by DSP Ravcharan Singh, after he allegedly accepted Rs 90,000 from Rakesh Kumar, a laboratory attendant, for regularising his services.

Ravcharan said the money was recovered from a drawer of the office of Inderpal Singh.

He said when the hands of the accused were washed, they turned pink.

He added that Inderpal had demanded Rs 1.20 lakh from Rakesh Kumar as a bribe to make him a permanent employee of the college.

As per the deal struck between them, Rs 90,000 was to be given in advance and rest of the amount was to be given to Inderpal after the work was done.

Two senior scientists of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) accompanied the raiding team as official witnesses, while the shadow witnesses were taken from the college itself. The DSP said a case was registered. Inderpal would be produced in a court tomorrow.