 |
|
|
Fiscal mess: It’s borrowings, not salaries
UT excise policy has harmed state: Manpreet to PC
Sukhbir demands fast-track court
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Party above personal lives of leaders: Jagmeet
Ramoowalia demands jobs for youth
ADC (D) detects irregularities in two more schools
Naib Tehsildar seeks security
Sugar price dips by Rs 5 a kg
Sunshine brings relief to potato growers
Nanhi Chhan campaign gains momentum
SGPC urges PM to ensure protection of gurdwaras abroad
Red card for Rs 30k!
Animal adoption yet to take off
Pbi varsity to set up centre for Sufi studies
Gurmukhi software presented
Principal gets jail for molesting student
Reward eludes man for 23 years
Concessional bus passes for students on anvil
Pak national arrested
|
Fiscal mess: It’s borrowings, not salaries
Chandigarh, January 14 The report has stated that increasing dependence on borrowing for funding state expenditure and increasing borrowing costs is the most significant source of the fiscal problem, even more than the burden of salaries. Supporting the need for agricultural subsidies, the commission has said that subsidies are an important part of the expenditure, the bulk of which are power subsidies in Punjab (in 2009-10, out of the estimated Rs 3,072 crore worth of subsidies, Rs 2,600 crore constitutes subsidies in the power sector). This needs to be rationalised in the context of challenges that the agricultural sector is facing as a result of the adverse impact of larger macro-economic management in the country, the environmental challenges from the rice-wheat crop cycles and pressures from global institutions for the agricultural sector.But the commission has questioned whether power subsidies was the best way to support agriculture. The commission has said that in 2009-10, the State Plan is of Rs 8,625 crore. Out of this, central assistance is for Rs 967.94 crore, leaving the state with the task of mobilising Rs 7,657 crore. Unfortunately, the government is in deficit in its own funds (Rs 2376.94 crore, and PSUs are in losses to the tune of Rs 2,707 crore). This means the state has to find resources to pay for the deficit, losses and fund the Plan. This funding is being met through borrowings. A sum of Rs 5,441 crore is the budgetary borrowing; this includes all sources like the LIC, NABARD, Provident Fund, small savings, bonds, debentures, etc. An additional Rs 6,500 crore is being raised by the PSEB (even though it is in losses on its own and, therefore, can generate these resources only by leveraging its assets). An additional Rs 800 crore is being raised by the PIDB. This means that all plan resources, except what is coming through the Centre, are being funded through borrowings, thereby increasing the interest and repayment burden for the future and bloating the revenue expenditure further. Delineating some areas of concern which require immediate intervention from the government, Dr Pramod Kumar, Chairman of the commission, has written in the introduction that the report “aims at working out the modalities for putting in place the institutional structure, back-end reforms through simplification of the procedures and institutionalisation of the complaints and grievance redressal systems”. The report has pointed out that the impression that the increasing wage bill is the main reason for Punjab’s fiscal crisis is in fact misplaced. At the same time the report has pointed out that the inefficiency of the government is a problem and “it requires a governance fix not a mere fiscal correction” to reduce the ills facing the state. Quoting a senior government official, the report reads, “There are departments and a large number of employees whose output is exactly zero in the best of times and they contribute negatively occasionally.” The present status report has focused on capacity building of the institutions. Within this, the detailed focus has been on institutional framework for the citizen-centric delivery of services. Increasing spending towards interest payments has raised serious concern about rising debt. The report says a review of fiscal management in Punjab clearly shows that populist politics dominates over good governance. The reforms panel says... l
Improve governance by introducing accountability
l
Replace affidavits with self-declaration for public utilities l
Reduce political interference in administration l
Fixi terms of police officials as per the Police Act
|
|
UT excise policy has harmed state: Manpreet to PC
Jalandhar, January 14 Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal told this today to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. Manpreet, who held a lengthy meeting with the Home Minister, conveyed to him that as compared to Punjab, the UT administration had been charging less taxes on liquor. Owing to this factor, the availability of liquor at a lesser rate in Chandigarh as compared to the neighbouring state had been resulting into large-scale smuggling to the surrounding areas, said Manpreet, speaking on the phone to The Tribune from Delhi. “I have told the Home Minister that the consumption of liquor in Punjab was 2.35 bottles per head per year whereas it was 41.6 bottles in Chandigarh. As such a high consumption was not possible, it was clearly being smuggled to other parts of this region,” said Manpreet. Several persons had been arrested in Punjab in cases related to smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh. Not only smuggling, but it also leads some other vices and crimes. The Finance Minister has told the Home Minister that the officials concerned in Chandigarh should keep the tax rates and other charges on a par with Punjab and other neighbouring states. As the new excise policy is being framed by the UT officials for the next fiscal year, Manpreet has met the Home Minister before an announcement with regard to the policy is made. In fact, the UT has been harming Punjab in many other ways also. The price of petrol is cheaper in the UT as compared to Punjab and most of the people visiting Chandigarh prefer to buy petrol from there. Manpreet said the UT should not be allowed to harm the interest of neighbouring states. Besides, Manpreet has told the Home Minister that a full-fledged dry port with modern infrastructure should be set up near the Wagah border. The existing arrangement at the border post from where goods were exported to Pakistan was not adequate, said Manpreet. The Home Minister was also asked to resume the payment of compensation to farmers owning land across the fence on the Indo-Pak border. The compensation was stopped when the UPA came to power in Delhi. Earlier, when LK Advani was the Home Minister, the compensation used to be given to farmers.
|
Sukhbir demands fast-track court
Takhtupura (Moga), January 14 He said the trial of the culprits involved in the anti-Sikh riots should be completed within six months. He also criticised the incidents of burning of a gurdwara in Melbourne and other incidents of attacks on Punjabi youths in Australia and said that he would be writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting him to express strong resentment with the Australian Government over its failure to check violence against Indians. Sukhbir also lashed out at the Congress over its alleged interference in the religious affairs of the community. He said Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, was an agent of the Congress and he was being pushed into the state to interfere indirectly in the coming SGPC elections. The local MP, Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, CPS Sital Singh and former minister Tota Singh also addressed the rally.
|
|
Party above personal lives of leaders: Jagmeet
Moga, January 14 He was addressing a public gathering today on the eve of the Maghi mela at Takhtupura village in Moga district. The former Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal did not attend the public rally. The turnout in the rally was much less than the expectations of political observers --- probably due to the absence of both Amarinder and Bhattal. Without naming Amarinder, Brar said there should not be any personal life of political leaders; rather, they should devote their life to the cause of the public. He expressed concern over the rising debt of the farming community and said that the Badal family was not taking any steps to bring the state out of this crisis. The President of the PPCC and MP, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, alleged that the public money meant for creating infrastructure in the state was being misused by the state government for their vested interests.
|
|
Ramoowalia demands jobs for youth
Takhtupura (Moga), January 14 He was addressing a public rally at Takhtupura in the district on Thursday. Rejecting the Nanakshahi calendar, he said after the expiry of the five-year term, the SGPC has no legal right to interfere into the affairs of the Sikhs. The Lok Bhalai Party also organised its separate rally. The party President, former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, flayed the Akalis and Congress men blaming them for doing nothing for the youth of Punjab, who were being exploited by travel agents on the pretext of sending them abroad in search of jobs. Adding that the state government should take adequate steps to provide opportunities of jobs for the youth so that they do not go outside the country in search of jobs, he said there was a need to boost the morale of the youth instead of leaving them in trouble at the hands of the travel agents. The CPI also held its own conference under party leader Jagroop Singh and Randhir Singh Gill. The party leadership demanded minimum wages of the labour class to be enhanced by implementing the NREGA scheme in the state seriously.
|
|
ADC (D) detects irregularities in two more schools
Bathinda, January 14 Even in a case after getting their statement recorded, with regard to their complaint, the complainants had later asked the inquiry officer that they did not have any complaint against the authorities of Government Senior Secondary School, Talwandi Sabo, so they did not want to continue the holding of inquiry into their complaint. But the ADC (D) rejected the plea of the complainants by saying that this step had been taken by them after getting their statement recorded. So he presented his findings on the basis of statements and other documents. In his findings, he detected some irregularities in the midday meal programme of the school. Members of Chetna Self Help Group (SHG), Talwandi Sabo, had made a complaint against Government Senior Secondary School, Talwandi Sabo, on November 19, 2009, that the school authorities had asked them not to supply midday meals to the children without giving any reason and demanded an inquiry into it. In his findings, the ADC (D) concluded that though there was no complaint against the Chetna SHG regarding the supply of midday meals, when the head of the school proceeded on leave the acting principal stopped to take midday meals from the group and engaged three persons on daily wage for preparing food and showed these three persons as Guru Kashi SHG, though these persons did not fulfil primary conditions of the SHG. The head of the school was also making payment in cash. Though the DEO (elementary) had earlier stated that the payment would be made through crossed cheques. The school head had also stated that they did not have any instructions with regard to making payment through crossed cheques. The ADC (D) observed thus the DEO (elementary) was responsible for making wrong statement while the cash payment created suspicion of corruption. In the case of Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Talwandi Sabo, the Chetna SHG, Talwandi Sabo, also made a complaint against the school authorities by saying that the school stopped taking meals from it, handed over the work to two persons, and demanded inquiry into it. In this case the ADC (D) mentioned that the new Shan-e-Punjab SHG did not fulfil primary conditions of the SHG as two members of a family were its members while four women were daily wage employees. Besides this, in the light of the statement of the contractor and the food grains’ record of the school of three days, there was a possibility of irregularities in the distribution of food grains, received under the midday meal scheme for children.
|
|
Naib Tehsildar seeks security
Patiala, January 14 Expressing dissatisfaction over the manner in which the police was dealing with the matter, Walia said it was really shocking that the accused were still roaming around freely. Elaborating on the matter, Walia, who was discharged from the hospital today, said, “While I was posted in Patiala, I refused to extend undue favours to Punia. After that, he started nurturing grudge against me. I am currently posted at Ludhiana. On January 10, I went to the Gymkhana Club in connection with some work. Spotting me there, Punia and his friends started abusing me.” When he reacted, Punia and his men badly thrashed him, inflicting injuries on him, he added. Though the Civil Lines police registered a case under Section 307 of the IPC against Punia and others, investigations into the matter were progressing at a snail’s pace. “It is beyond understanding why the accused are not being arrested. Because of the casual attitude of the policemen, the accused are threatening me of dire consequences in case I do not withdraw my complaint,” he alleged. Claiming that the accused were exerting pressure on policemen for the cancellation of the FIR, Walia said he apprehend threat to life and hence the police administration should provide him security cover, besides arresting all accused without any delay. Patiala SSP Ranbir Singh Khattra said the DSP City-I was already conducting an inquiry into the matter and a suitable action would be initiated once the report came. “As far as security is concerned, it does not come under the Patiala police jurisdiction because the complainant is posted in Ludhiana,” he said, while adding that still they would ensure that no one caused any harm to Walia.
|
|
|
Jalandhar, January 14 Local traders maintained that the sugar price was expected to decline further in the coming days. “At present, we are bringing sugar from Khattoli in Uttar Pradesh. And looking at measures taken by the Centre, the price may decline even more,” said a retailer. — TNS
|
|
Sunshine brings relief to potato growers
Ludhiana, January 14 Farmers feel that if the weather remained like this and there was no frost, this would certainly be a good season for potato growers as compared to the last year. Nek Singh of Khokh village, near Patiala, who has been into the profession for the past 45 years, said bright sunny days had raised hopes of potato growers to get a disease-free crop. “Overall area under cultivation has decreased this time, but on the other hand, the area under contract farming by private companies has increased in the state,” he added. BKU (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said private companies had taken keen interest in the state this year, which was an indication that rates of the potato crop would be on higher side. Farmers were expected to get their crop ready in the next 20 days. “If the weather does not turn to be frosty, foggy and icy in coming days, the crop will be excellent. In the potato cultivation, Punjab comes at number three after the states of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Besides, the crop is sent to several neighbouring states,” Rajewal claimed.
|
|
Nanhi Chhan campaign gains momentum
Talwandi Sabo, January 14 Manpreet Singh, who was issuing saplings, said a large number of people visited the booth to have saplings of their choice that were issued free of cost. Iqbal Singh from Amritsar said he had taken three saplings of different varieties that he would plant outside his house. Over 56 saplings were issued to the devotees by the noon. As many as 102 saplings were issued yesterday when the Maghi Mela started here. The Nanhi Chhan project, an initiative of Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, was launched in the state last year to create an awareness against female foeticide and dwindling number of trees. Meanwhile, despite braving cold weather conditions, a large number of people from various parts of the state thronged Takht Damdama Sahib and took a dip in the sarovar. However, no “VIP” visited here and only BSP activists were seen holding their political conferences. This place owes its importance to the literary work of Guru Gobind Singh during his stay in 1706. It was at Damdama Sahib that Guru Gobind Singh prepared the authentic version of Guru Granth Sahib. Makkar Sankranti was celebrated with fervour at other religious places in and around Bathinda. Haji Rattan Gurdwara at Bathinda also witnessed a rush of devotees.
|
|
SGPC urges PM to ensure protection of gurdwaras abroad
Amritsar, January 14 In communiqués to the PM and Home Minister P. Chidambaram, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the country could convey views of its religious minority community by using diplomatic channels. Some unidentified persons had pelted stones on a gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur while an under-construction gurdwara in southeast suburb of Melbourne got damaged in a fire. He requested the Australia and Malaysia Governments to conduct probes into the incidents and brought to book the people responsible for this. The SGPC chief said he would head a delegation of the committee to hand over memorandums to the High Commissions of both countries in New Delhi.
— TNS
|
|
Red card for Rs 30k!
Ropar, January 14 The issue came to light on Wednesday when Ropar SDM Anandita Mishra got some anonymous phone calls from a woman who claimed that the victims were being duped. The alleged people are “charging” Rs 30,000 for making red cards and claim themselves to be touts of officials involved in making the list of beneficiaries. “We have forwarded the complaint to the SSP
Ropar. After investigations, a criminal case will be registered,” he said. The SDM said the complainant got a call on her mobile phone, wherein the caller claimed himself to be a “tout” of senior district administrative officials and demanded Rs 30,000 for clearing her case. “The caller tried to exploit the complainant. We have forwarded phone numbers to the DC with the complaint,” Mishra added. The SDM’s office had prepared a list of red identity card beneficiaries and submitted it at the DC office. It seems that the caller was well-versed with the fact that the complainant’s name was present on the list.
|
|
|
Animal adoption yet to take off
Chhat (Banur), January 14 While prompt advertisements, banners and boards dot the zoo premises, the scheme is yet to be launched in real spirit. The scheme awaits a committee that is to be constituted for its launching and consequent functioning. Zoo field director Tushar Kanti Bahera said the department was making efforts to launch the scheme as soon as possible. “It may take another few days to complete the formalities and give animal lovers a chance to adopt the animal they desire,” he said. Boards have been put up in zoo displaying cost of adopting an animal, but no animal could be adopted due to incomplete paper work. “We have had visitors making enquiries for adoption procedure. We are encouraging them but at the same time asking them to postpone their adoption a little later,” zoo officials said. Bahera said those adopting animals would also get income tax rebate. The cost of adopting a tiger is Rs 84,000 per year, a hippopotamus is Rs 12,000 per year, an elephant is Rs 1.2 lakh and the cost of small birds is Rs 200 per month. Any individual, trust or an organisation could adopt animals or birds and pay for their maintenance, medical costs and fees. One could also enquire about the health, behaviour of the adopted animal on a daily basis from the zoo under this scheme. The name of the person or organisation would be displayed on a board. Free passes would be provided to the family members of the donors and five persons, who visit the zoo four times a year. People opined that this initiative may also revive waning interest of people in the zoo. Visitors said the reducing number of animals have also reduced interest of people in the animals. “The number of animals is reducing every year. Earlier, there was a good number of animals in the zoo, including the tigers and deer, however, one has to stare really hard to spot a tiger in safari,” said Harmesh from Chandigarh, a visitor at the zoo. There are nearly 1,000 animals and birds in the zoo.
|
|
Pbi varsity to set up centre for Sufi studies
Patiala, January 14 This was stated by varsity’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh here today while presiding over a two-day national seminar on “Sufism and Sufi literature”. The seminar is being organised by the varisity’s Department of Persian, Urdu and Arabic studies at the Senate Hall. Dr Jaspal Singh said the centre would come up by the end of this year and it would be devoted to creating a treasure house of knowledge available in the discipline, carrying out research and starting courses related to Sufism. He said there was a deep symbiotic relationship between preachings of Sufism and Guru Granth Sahib. Both theses spiritual traditions vehemently denounced discrimination among human beings and duplicitous practices. “Banis of Sikh Gurus and Baba Farid, as contained in Guru Granth Sahib, have many common undertones, aimed at promoting a composite culture and a pluralistic society, imbibed with a spirit of brotherhood among mankind, he said. Dr AA Siddiqui, a former DGP of Punjab and Chairman of the Sufi Foundation of India (SFI), said, “We are living in extremely difficult times with nations busy in acquiring deadliest weapons, religious bigots working overtime to spread hatred and violence and human beings engaged in excessive exploitation of natural resources. Teachings of Sufi masters, in such a dismal scenario, can go a long way in building bridges of understanding between different ethnic groups and restoring communal harmony.” Rating Sufism as a reactionary movement against organised religions, Siddiqui said literature of Sufi poets like Bulle Shah, Shah Hussein, Sultan Bahu, Waris Shah, Qadir Yaar Dara Shikoh and Amir Khusro helped in spiritual transformation of its readers. Punjabi University Registrar Dr SS Khehra highlighted the role of Sufi literature in promoting secularism and dispelling communal hatred among different communities. Dr Nashir Naqvi, Head of the Department, said Sufism was a lifestyle more than a religion and constituted a pathway between humans and God. Three sets of books published by Punjabi University and the SFI were released on the occasion.
|
|
Gurmukhi software presented
Chandigarh, January 14 Organised by the Punjab State IAS Officers’ Association, the presentation focussed on the use of ‘Akhar’ to write in the Gurumukhi script while using an English keyboard. Chief Secretary Punjab SC Agarwal and association president Sarvesh Kaushal stated that the association was committed to endeavour for capacity building in the cadre officers for an efficient and result-oriented discharge of the duties. The chief secretary expressed his appreciation of the efforts of the association towards ensuring an efficient professional delivery system and assured of cooperation of the government to pursue the association’s strive for professional excellence.
|
|
Principal gets jail for molesting student
Khanna, January 14 The victim’s father said his daughter was studying in a school in Kalalmajra village in Khanna in 2000 and the accused, Gurbaksh Singh, was posted as Principal. The accused asked the victim and her friend, both students of class X then, to sweep the school laboratory after school hours. He went to the lab after a few minutes on the pretext of passing certain instructions. He told the victim’s friend to bring a piece of cloth from his office and molested the victim. However, the girl managed to flee from the lab and brought the matter to the notice of a teacher. Later, the matter was brought to the notice of the police and a case under Sections 354, 506 and 120-B of the IPC was registered against him on October 23, 2000. The court has sentenced one-year imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine under Section 354 of the IPC and six months of imprisonment under Section 506 of the IPC and a
|
|
Reward eludes man for 23 years
Chandigarh, January 14 At least, it has made a Haryana resident literally run from pillar to post for almost 23 years to get the reward money before eventually moving the high court. His name is not being disclosed to protect his identity. In his petition against the Union of India and other respondents, the petitioner has sought directions for “grant of compensation to the petitioner for providing information about unaccounted money”. The petitioner has asserted that “he gave some information which led to recovery of undisclosed money”. As such, he was “entitled to reward in accordance with the scheme adopted by the Income Tax Department”. But “the matter was kept pending on the ground that proceedings have still not been finalised”. Taking up the petition, a Division Bench, comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Alok Singh, has observed: “The petitioner has not been able to get information as to whether proceedings have now been finalised and if so, result thereof. This has resulted in the denial of right of the petitioner”. In its detailed order, the Bench has added: “Reliance has also been placed on order of this court dated March 31, 2009, in a civil writ petition number 17242 of 2008 in the case of the petitioner himself. Without expressing any opinion on merits, at this stage, we direct respondent (Income Tax Department) to respond to the petitioner in pursuance of request letter dated October 20, 2009, which is said to have been made by the petitioner, in accordance with law, within three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order”. Another case of “unfulfilled promise” is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where prime witness in Punjab’s former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case Surinder Sharma is seeking reward for the information he provided to the investigating agency. According to the prosecution, Sharma had painted a grey Ambassador car, allegedly purchased from New Delhi by an accused in the case, for the commission of the offence. The car was recovered from the spot soon after the explosion in which the former Chief Minister was killed.
|
|
Concessional bus passes for students on anvil
Chandigarh, January 14 In an affidavit placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Jasbir Singh, secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Bhupinder Singh, asserted that a committee had recommended the extension of the facility to private buses also. The assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed by Narottam Lal Puri, president Private Bus Operators’ Union, Moga. The petitioner stated the passes were not valid in private buses, yet the students were travelling in them forcibly and without paying the fare. Trial court record sought
The state of Punjab has moved an application for returning to the trial court the record of the Amritsar Improvement Trust case allegedly involving Punjab’s former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and others. The state has asserted that summoning the record of the trial court amounted to stay on proceedings of the case and cited a Supreme Court judgment holding that proceedings could not be stayed in a case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The state counsel said the case was now fixed on January 23 at the trail court for framing of charges and the state was willing for arguing the case on that date. Justice MMS Bedi has fixed the hearing for January 19.
|
|
Pak national arrested
Ferozepur, January 14 BSF sources said the apprehended person, aged around 50 years, was going from Kasur to Lahore and probably lost direction, though he seems to be in a normal state of mind. BSF officials further said that the Pak national was roaming under suspicious circumstances in the area near border pillar 212 close to BOP New Gajniwala when he was arrested. Although no incriminating documents have been recovered from him, he has been taken into custody for interrogation, said officials here.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
The Nanhi Chhan campaign to save environment and the girl child has started picking up, as devotees, who had come to pay obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib on the occasion of Makkar Sankranti today, made a beeline to a booth that has been set up for providing saplings. Those from rural areas were anxious to have the saplings of ‘jamun, neem and ber’.
Animal Adoption Program of the Punjab government is still to take off at Mahinder Choudhary Zoological Park
(Chhat Bir). While prompt advertisements, banners and boards dot the zoo premises, the scheme is yet to be launched in real spirit. The scheme awaits a committee that is to be constituted for its launching and consequent functioning.
Zoo field director Tushar Kanti Bahera said the department was making efforts to launch the scheme as soon as possible.
Punjabi University has decided to set up a centre for Sufi studies on the varsity campus. The centre would be called the Baba Farid Centre for Sufi Studies.
This was stated by varsity’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh here today while presiding over a two-day national seminar on “Sufism and Sufi literature”.
