NEIGHBOURHOOD

Boxing Workshop
Emphasis on planning
Tribune News Service

Ropar, March 25
SAD (Amritsar) had demanded that the Punjabi potato be exported to Pakistan and creation of South and Central Asian free trade zone so that potato glut and shortage have a larger market to absorb such shocks.

In a memorandum to the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann has stated that last year’s potato glut led to farmers dumping their crop on roadside. Markfed, the state agriculture-marketing agency, was unable to export this glut to Pakistan trade market due to a 25 per cent import duty levied on the Indian potato.

This year again there is a glut as there has been two per cent increase in potato planting across the country and it is expected that the crop size will increase by 15 per cent. Area under potato has increased in UP, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP and Andhra Pradesh and almost all states have got good crop due to favourable weather conditions. West Bengal, which was the largest importer of potato from Punjab, has produced potato excess of demand by 50 lakh tonnes.

Prices in domestic potato market have fallen to a point that may cause distress to potato growers. Mann has demanded arrangements for export of current crop of potato so that farmers who are currently harvesting crop should not have to dump their crops in a manner that further erodes their already tenuous livelihood.

Also the seed supplied to Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and other Central and South Asian countries comes from Holland. Mann has appealed Pawar to negotiate with these countries so that seed from Punjab may be sold to these regions.

“We have also demanded refrigerated railway wagons be made available to Punjabi farmers so that potato stock may be exported all over Central and South Asia,” he said.

Ropar, March 25
The 31 master trainers undergoing training for census work at Ropar would complete their education by March 27.

Chief census officer-cum-deputy commissioner, Ropar, Priyank Bharti stated this here today. He said these master trainers would train those supervising under them.

Post training, those deputed for counting and supervising would go from door-to-door from May 1 to June 15 for conducting census.

Bharti said besides census, National Population Register was also being created this time. He added that it was for the first time in the world that a country was preparing its National Population Register whose work would be completed by 2012.

Those deputed on census duty would collect personal details of people from door-to-door and issue a receipt. Besides, a photo of the person would be taken showing the receipt issued.

Every adult of the country would get this receipt in form of a card that would carry complete detail of the individual and act as an identity card. Children below 18 years of age can use I-card of their parents.

Assistant commissioner (under training) Rupanjali said for population of every 600 people or 150 households, a person for counting would be deployed and every supervisor would take charge of six such counters.

She called upon people to give correct information to these counters and supervisors and avoid any kind of mistake as another census would be conducted after 10 years.

She asked people to take receipt from counters and supervisors as the photo could be clicked only after showing this receipt.

Ambala, March 25
Nearly 50,000 pensioners have been at the receiving end as orders issued by the department of telecommunications about their pension have created a piquant situation where they are being denied their due.

Purshotam Sharma, secretary of the pensioners’ association, said here today that the BSNL retirees were victims of indifferent and step-motherly treatment of the Union Government.

They were suffering and feeling harassed mentally and financially due to wrong policies of the Central Government, he added.

He said the BSNL issued orders under the directions of the department of public enterprises (DEP), conveyed by the DOT, regarding the merger of 50 per cent IDA with basic pay of the employees effecting from January 1, 2007, without mentioning the pensioners and family pensioners.

The orders were so cumbersome that some banks, and even head post office, Ambala, merged the 50 per cent IDA into basic pension. But later on being clarified the banks and head post office stopped paying and even recovered the arrears. There seems to be some omission in incorporating the words ‘pensioners’ and ‘family pensioners’, which needed amendments, Sharma added.

In a meeting on November 24, 2008, the board of directors approved the merger of dearness relief with the basic pension to BSNL retirees who retired between October 1, 2000 and December 31, 2006 mentioning no further liability of pension contribution on the part of the BSNL.

He urged the Central Government to order to allow the 50 per cent IDA merger into basic pension of the affected retirees.

Chandigarh, March 25
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s move to amend the promotion policy for giving merit precedence over seniority has not found favour with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Little less than a year after it came into force, Justice K. Kannan has directed the setting aside of impugned amendment to promotion policy, while allowing a writ petition against the alteration with cost assessed at Rs 10,000.

In their petition, the NHPC’s Officers’ Association had sought the quashing of the order dated March 27 last.

By the impugned order, the criterion for promotion was changed from seniority-cum-merit to merit-cum-seniority, the petitioners had alleged. Their challenge was grounded on the fact that the authority passing the order was not competent to issue such modifications.

The petitioner had added “the weight for seniority, which was previously 30 marks, was reduced to 10 marks…. The change seriously impacted the consideration of seniority-cum-merit and it made a wholesale reversal of the promotion criteria into merit-cum-seniority”.

Justice Kannan asserted: “In this case, the reduction of marks for seniority to 10 from 30 and befitting a minimum of 28 marks for general candidates and 26 marks in SC/ST in performance appraisals plus grade of service puts a heavy slant on merit vis-a-vis seniority”.

The Judge added: “A policy which had been declared after mutual discussions, could not have been even withdrawn or altered without a fuller participation of all persons affected or at least considered by the Board of Directors before it was given effect to.

“The change in the policy without conferring with engineer executives, who are affected by the decision and even without a full-fledged resolution passed by the Board of Directors is an irregular exercise of powers that had caused significant prejudice to a large section of people”.

Justice Kannan added: “The impugned amendment to promotion policy dated March 27, 2009, is set aside and the writ petition is allowed with cost assessed at Rs 10,000. The departmental promotion committee will still consider the issue of promotion in the light of policy that existed immediately earlier and the promotions will be given effect to after a review DPC is held on the promotion policy as it stood before the impugned amendment hereinbefore set aside. The respondents shall be at liberty to re-formulate the promotion policy for future promotions by keeping in view the distinction between seniority-cum-merit and merit-cum-seniority…”

Chandigarh, March 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice of motion to the Union of India, Chandigarh Administration and other respondents on a petition for reconstituting an “independent and separate” Haj committee for the city.

Justice Mehinder Singh Sullar also fixed April 6 as the next date of hearing. In its petition, the Alfarid Educational Society said rules provided for the constitution of Haj committees separately for each state and Union Territory. The basic aim was to provide proper facilities and sort out the problems faced by the pilgrims every year.

Going into the background, the petitioner said the Central government had formed the Haj Committee Act, 2002, since the pilgrims were facing problems in obtaining visas, proper guidance and assistance. The Chandigarh Haj Committee was constituted, vide notification dated January 22, 1993.

After the term’s expiry, the Haj committee for Chandigarh was reconstituted, vide notification dated July 13, 2000. Again after a while, the Union of India requested Chandigarh to initiate steps to constitute state Haj committee in the city.

The deputy commissioner later requested the home secretary to ensure the formation of independent Haj committee for Chandigarh vide letter dated September 28, 2005.

But instead of constituting a separate and independent Haj committee for the city, a joint one of Haryana and Chandigarh was constituted for “reasons best known”.

Quoting the legal provisions, the petitioner said even the joint committee’s tenure had come to an end, as Section 6 of the Haj Committee Act has fixed a three-year term. Otherwise also, the constitution of joint Haj committee for Haryana and Chandigarh was totally unwarranted.

The petitioner added: “Chandigarh has completed the process of Haj-2008 and Haj-2009 independently without any Haj committee.”

Chandigarh, March 25
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal forum has directed a city-based construction company to hand over the possession of flats to its owners within six months, failing which the company would be liable to refund the total amount paid by complainants along with an interest of 18 per cent per annum from the date of deposit till its realisation.

Karunesh Sharma, a resident of Sunrise Complex, Lohgarh, Zirakpur, and Vijay Kumar Bedi, a resident of Chandigarh, have filed a complaint with the forum stating that they had booked two-bed room flats costing Rs 17 lakh and 18.5 lakh, respectively, in Green Field Towers at Zirakpur with PH Houses Pvt Ltd by depositing Rs 50,000 each as the booking amount. In response of their application, they were allotted an apartment. According to the complainants, as per the clause of the allotment letter, the physical possession of the flat was to be delivered after two years of the booking (on or before September 4, 2008), but the company failed to do so despite repeated requests.

In his complaint, Sharma said that he availed a loan of Rs 7 lakhs from the State Bank of India for the purchase the flat and deposited total cost of the flat (Rs 17 lakh) by availing 5 per cent discount of Rs 85,000 for down payment offered by the company.

While Bedi availed a loan of Rs 14 lakh from the LIC Housing Finance and deposited Rs 12.02 lakh against the total price of Rs 18.5 lakh. However, the flats have not been completely constructed so far.

“Only 40 per cent construction has been completed so far,” he maintained, adding that he wrote a letter to the company mentioning that there was no sign of any construction work going on at the site and therefore, how could the finance company release the funds.

In its reply, the company admitted that the complainant had booked a two-bed room flat and had deposited the total cost of the flat. It maintained that the construction of one of the flats had been delayed due to recession and non-cooperation of the bank from where the complainant had raised the loan.

“The construction of the flats has not been completed so far and possession of the flats has not been delivered to the complainant. The complainants cannot be forced to wait for the possession for an unlimited period. So, there is deficiency in service and unfair trade practice on the part of the company,” the order read.

Chandigarh, March 25
Investigations into the murder of a watchman, who was done to death in a factory in industrial area a few days back, has hinted towards the role of the a woman behind the incident.

Analysis of the mobile phone call details of the victim, Ram Singh, and questioning of his acquaintances indicated that he was having a “relationship” with a widow, identified as Anguri, a resident of Colony No. 4. The police has launched a hunt to nab her, who switched off her mobile phone after having a brief talk with the police yesterday.

The UT Police has also transferred the case to the crime branch and formed a special investigation team for it. The calls details of Ram Singh’s mobile revealed that Anguri used to make frequent and long calls on his mobile phone. It is learnt that she used to visit him during the night and also bring food for him. She had stayed with him in the factory during nights, said a police official.

As per the call details, Ram Singh’s mobile phone was switched off since March 19 and his sim card was found in his wallet. It appeared that his mobile phone might have been taken by the accused under some pretext before they killed him.

The circumstances of the crime scene also pointed towards friendly entry, said sources.

The police said it had put the IMEI number of the victim as well as of the suspects under surveillance, believing that they had been changing their sim cards.

The police also managed to contacted one of the four siblings of Anguri, Parkash of Rohtak, on his phone. She also hailed from Rohtak. Yesterday, she told the police that she was calling from Ropar, while her mobile phone tower location pointed that she was in Rohtak.

The police said Parkash also switched off his mobile phone. The police also raided Anguri’s residence in Colony No. 4, but it was found locked. 

Mohali, March 25
When it comes to Bombay Dyeing heir Ness Wadia, the PCA stadium here has definitely not proved to be propitious for him. A closer look at the two IPL editions (2008 and 2010) played here reveals he kept on bumping into various controversies and ruffling feathers.

The Rs 200 fine slapped recently on Ness for smoking inside the stadium and a case filed against his team franchise by a lawyer representing the Global Human Rights Commission, Arvind Thakur, for using pictures of an Indian martyr in its advertisement are not the only instances of trouble the co-owner of the local team has faced here.

In 2008, during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ness had a tough time dealing with the Punjab police and some social organisations based here.

His row with the police began on the issue of paying the latter for providing security during the IPL matches. The spat reached a boiling point when Ness and then SSP RS Khatra engaged in a verbal duel in the lobby of the PCA pavilion. Ness accused the cops of stealing his team’s t-shirts as well as liquor, whereas Khatra filed a complaint against him for using derogatory language against him and the local administration as well.

However, Khatra was later transferred and no one now wants to talk about what happened to the complaint.

On May 26, 2008 members of the Kalgidhar Sewak Jatha and other quasi religious bodies burnt an effigy of Ness outside the stadium to protest against the alleged drinking and smoking in the ‘corporate’ boxes during the IPL matches.

As if all of f this was not enough, this week the grandson of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Abhey Singh Sandhu, filed a written complaint to the local police against the use of the martyr’s photographs to promote Ness’ team.

Chandigarh, March 25
France Romain Sichez will lock horns with Virali Mugugesan in the singles’ semifinals after ousting strong opponent Indian Davis Cupper Vivek Shokeen 6-2, 6-7 (5) 6-3 with ease in the quarterfinal match of the $ 10,000 India F2 Futures ITF Men’s Circuit at the CLTA Stadium in Sector 10 here today.

While the local lad and only tennis probable for the Commonwealth Games 2010 from the city, Vijayant Malik lived up to the expectations by storming into the doubles’ final with Ashutosh Singh after defeating Srirambalaji Narayanaswamy and V Peranamallur Chandrasekhar by 6-4, 4-6 (10-8) in the semifinals.

They will meet fourth seeded Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson (US) in the final.

Other winners in today’s matches were Karan Rastogi, who defeated sixth seeded Nathan Thompson of the US (6-3, 6-3) to move into the semifinals (singles), Slovakia’a Adrian Sikora, who drubbed Ruben Gonzales (6-4, 6-2) and Virali Murugesan, who upset Patrik Brydolf of Sweden 7-6 (5), 3-1.

Brydolf, who was awarded a penalty point for misbehaving, conceded the match due to shoulder injury in the second.

The results:

Men’s singles’ quarterfinals: Romain Sichez (Fra) bt Vivek Shokeen (Ind) 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3; Virali Murugesan (Ind) bt Patrik Brydolf (Swe) 7-6 (5), 3-1 retired; Adrian Sikora (Svk) bt Ruben Gonzales (US) 6-4, 6-2; Karan Rastogi (Ind) bt Nathan Thompson (US) 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles’ semifinals: Ruben Gonzales and Nathan Thompson (US) bt Mithun Murali and N Vijay Sundar Prashanth (Ind) 6-2, 6-3; Vijayant Malik and Ashutosh Singh (Ind) bt Srirambalaji and R Pernamallur Chandrasekhar 6-4, 4-6, 10-8.