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Substandard rice sent to other states, 1 held
No proof of rocket firing from Pak: Rangers
Pest attack, rise in mercury threaten wheat crop
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April 13 Cong Rally
Don’t sow PAU-201: Langah to farmers
Private Aided Schools
Probe into fake bone fracture cases begins
No industry shifting base to HP: Thakur Kaul
Area under mustard crop declines
Give total autonomy to varsities: Prof Yash Pal
Assembly Review
World Sikh Convention to take up major issues facing Sikhs
Chhatbir Zoo sweats without power
Africa offers insurance cover to Punjabi
agri-investors
A new in heart-valve replacement
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Substandard rice sent to other states, 1 held
Moga, March 28 Poor quality rice was seized here yesterday as it was being loaded on a train. A complaint has been lodged by the FCI authorities at Dharamkot police station and investigations are on. According to the details available, the rice was directly coming from a mill instead of FCI store houses. As per the guidelines laid down by the Centre, no mill can directly load rice on a train. It has to first supply its custom-milled rice to the FCI and after a quality check the FCI authorities send it to other states. FCI district manager DK Jain said he had reached the spot as soon as he had heard of the substandard rice being loaded onto the train. He said prima facie it has been established that the rice was being loaded by a transporter and a report has been lodged with the police. Jain did not rule out the possibility of some rice millers and FCI officials to be hand in glove, but he also said nothing could be ascertained at the moment till a proper inquiry was conducted by the police. FCI senior regional manager Neelkanth Awahad stated: “I have ordered a departmental probe into the incident. We will not spare anybody involved in this illegal practice.” Meanwhile, when the reports last came in it was learnt that the police had arrested the driver of the truck in which the rice was being taken to the trains. A hunt has also been launched to nab the contractor.
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No proof of rocket firing from Pak: Rangers
Attari, March 28 Director-General of the Pakistan Satluj Rangers, Punjab, Mohammad Yakub Khan said the Pakistan government had found no conclusive evidence suggesting that rockets were fired from its territory towards the Indian side last year. He claimed the Pakistan Rangers had acted patiently by not responding to the firing of the BSF at its pot following the third rocket attack that targeted the Indian side in September. Notably, all three rocket strikes into the Indian territory had taken place in the Attari sector and the BSF was compelled to retaliate for the first time at the third attempt. He said he would take up the issue of firing on the Pakistan Rangers post at the meeting. He said a thorough investigation into the case was carried out after the Indian government and the BSF lodged protests. Khan said the two sides would take up concerns related to the international border and other bilateral topics at the meeting. He said his side would insist to continue discipline and harmonious environment along the border, joint maintenance and repair of pillars marking it and illegal crossing from the Indian side to the Pakistan territory. The BSF will be represented by an 18-member delegation headed by Special Director-General, BSF (West) PPS
Sidhu.
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Pest attack, rise in mercury threaten wheat crop
Bathinda, March 28 The experts apprised: “Due to rise in temperature, the colour of crops has started changing. We term it as a part of forcible ripening.” “This untimely early ripening will thwart the grain to come in its proper size that will finally reduce the yield than the expected figurers,” they feared. Besides the rise in mercury, the farmers have another worry to take care. Despite adopting all precautionary measures, they have now been facing the pest attack. “Once the pest starts attacking the plant, its growth suffers and size of the grain also gets confined,” said Taj Pal Singh of Chak Ram Singh Wala village of the district. During a visit to some villages of the district, it was found that the farmers were busy in spraying pesticides. Joga Singh at Kotfatta village said: “About 12-acre chunk has been infected with the pest. I am spraying the pesticide for the second time and I do not know how many times more we will have to do it.” The situation was similar in Dhan Singh Khana village. Chief agriculture officer (Bathinda) Paramjit Singh Sandhu said the district had about 2.5 lakh hectare covered under the wheat sowing. He confirmed that the rise in mercury was untimely and it would affect the overall yield, which was expected 11.62 lakh tonnes for this year. “If the temperature does not come down in required limits, we fear the production may show a major downfall,” Sandhu feared. About the pest attack, he said though such incidents had been reported, the situation was still under control. To avoid a loss later on, the farmers can spray pesticide, but in consultation with the experts, he advised.
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April 13 Cong Rally
Chandigarh, March 28
Even as PPCC president Mohinder Singh Kaypee is going to Delhi tomorrow to seek the High Command’s approval for the proposed committee, Congress legislators from the Majha belt comprising Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran have gone ahead and formed a committee under former CM Capt Amarinder Singh. A majority of legislators and leaders of the Majha region held a meeting at Mohali today to make arrangements for the rally that will be attended by party president Sonia Gandhi. Party spokesperson Ashwani Sekhri said Capt Amarinder Singh had deputed him to coordinate with other leaders for the smooth conduct of the rally. He said the leaders had also decided to divide responsibilities and accordingly Sukhjinder Randhawa had been given charge of Gurdaspur, Rana Gurjit Singh - Tarn Taran, Jagjit Singh Sahdev - Amritsar (Urban) and Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli - Amritsar (Rural). Capt Amarinder Singh’s loyalists have also chalked out a programme whereby he will address a meeting at Amritsar on April 5 and three at Amritsar (Rural), Batala and Tarn Taran on April 6 as part of the preparations for the rally. The leaders also resolved that they would not ask the PPCC for funds to arrange for vehicles for party workers. Those present at the meeting included legislators Sukh Sarkaria, Jeet Mohinder Sidhu, OP Soni and Balbir Singh Sidhu, former ministers Gurchet Singh Bhullar and Surinder Singla, former legislators SS Kathunangal, Jugal Kishore, Harpartap Ajnala, Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Jasbir Dimpa, Kanwaljit Lalli and Ranjit Singh Chajjalwadi, former Mayor Sunil Datti, Raman Behl, Harminder Singh Patti, Naresh Puri and Arvind Khanna. Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa and his camp members were conspicuous by their absence. Today’s meeting was held despite the fact that a similar meeting was held at the PPCC office here yesterday on the same issue. The PPCC meeting, which was presided over by PPCC chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee and included CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. It did not evoke much response from party leaders. The PPCC chief, when questioned about today’s meeting, said he was not aware of it. On party’s programme for the rally, he said the AICC would release the same through the PPCC.
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Don’t sow PAU-201: Langah to farmers
Patiala, March 28 Langah said the Centre has turned down the requests made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal regarding giving relaxations for the acceptance of rice manufactured from PAU-201 variety. He also advised the farmers to adopt new technologies and abandon rice-wheat rotation to restore fertility of the soil and save water. During the mela, state Chief Information Commissioner Ramesh Inder Singh was honoured with a gold medal for his excellent services during his tenure as the Chief Secretary. Besides, Indian Agricultural Research Institute director HS Gupta was conferring with Dr Amrik Singh Cheema award, comprising a silver plaque, citation, shawl and Rs 51,000 cash. Farmers from across the region, including Haryana and Rajasthan, thronged the
mela.
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Private Aided Schools 3,197 posts vacant in 399 schools
Principals 64 Jalandhar, March 28 The startling fact has come to light following a disclosure of the Director Public Instructions (DPI), Schools, Punjab, while providing information in this regard to Sanjiv Kumar, president of Awakening Civic Consciousness among Common Citizens (A4C), a Dasuya-based NGO. Kumar had sought information from the DPI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about the ban imposed by the government on recruitment in private aided schools in Punjab, numbers of posts lying vacant in these schools and posts that will be vacant in the next five years. Providing information till December 31, 2008, the DPI replied that the government had banned recruitment in private aided schools since May 13, 2002, and the ban still continued. It is learnt that 3,197 posts are lying vacant in 399 private aided schools. The vacant posts included principals (64); headmasters (141); lecturers (47); masters (780); C and V teachers (375); JBT (1,320); clerks (77); Class IV (316); Lab attendants (35); and part-timers (42). The state government has been saving nearly Rs 50 crore (as salary against the vacant posts) per annum. Talking to The Tribune, ML Chopra, chief adviser to Government Aided Schools Union, Punjab, claimed that the posts sanctioned in 1967 were 9,668. The government had not increased the posts even as the population had multiplied manifold during the past 43 years, he added.
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Probe into fake bone fracture cases begins
Ferozepur, March 28 Official sources said deputy director, State Health Services, Shashi Bhushan Pandhi had been deputed to conduct the probe by director, State Health Services, Punjab, SPS Sohal. Pandhi had also been asked to submit his report at the earliest by Sohal. The scam connected with the infliction of fake bone fracture by a section of class IV-category staff members came to light when a contractual employee Vinod Kumar exposed it before mediapersons few months ago. Vinod Kumar had categorically stated that he alongwith some other staff members where breaking bones of arm and leg and making cut injuries on the same of their customers in lieu of money to enable them to implicate their enemies into false criminal cases on the basis of medico-legal reports. Civil surgeon Duleep Kumar, while taking immediate action after this scam came to light, had ordered that medico-legal examination of any patient having cut injuries would be done by a panel of doctors and not by any individual doctor.
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No industry shifting base to HP: Thakur Kaul
Ludhiana, March 28 Thakur Kaul Singh was invited as a chief guest at the annual function of the Himachal Prantiya Sabha at Prabhat Nagar here today. He said there was no doubt that many new industrial units had come up in Himachal, adding, “Punjab should not demand discontinuation of industrial package to HP as the latter can never compete with the Punjab industry. They should instead encourage us to grow.” On differences among Congressmen in Punjab, Kaul said difference of opinion among members could be there, but the vision of all Congressmen was same. He alleged that the SAD-BJP government was trying to defame Congressmen by registering false cases against the latter.
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Area under mustard crop declines
Ludhiana, March 28 But in Punjab, the area under rapeseed and mustard crop has declined drastically from about 66,000 hectare in 2002-03 to nearly 27,000 hectare during 2008-09, stated in charge of Agricultural Market Intelligence Centre (AMIC) in the Department of Economics and Sociology, PAU, Dr JS Sidhu. Sidhu, having carried out the study on the prices of mustard, revealed that the major area, where the production of mustard and rapeseed crop had declined, fell in district Ferozepur, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Mansa. During 2008-09, the total production of rapeseed and mustard in the state was about 33,000 ton with an average yield of about 12 quintals per hectare, observed Sidhu. Citing the zero-import tariffs on edible oils and sufficient imports of edible oils in country as the reason behind decline of the mustard production and stagnant prices, Sidhu stated that the area under mustard in state during the current season is expected to decline marginally. The price of the mustard is affected by supply and demand of its oil, international prices of edible oils and the government import policy. He observed that if there is no significant change in the import export policy of the government on edible oils in the coming days, then based on the current and past market sentiments, the mustard prices were expected to prevail in the range of Rs 2,100 to 2,500 per quintal during April-May and may increase by Rs 100 to 200 per quintal during the months of June to August. Sidhu called upon the farmers to keep the above information in mind, while taking decision for selling and storage of their mustard output, adding that peak marketing season for this crop is from April to mid May.
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Give total autonomy to varsities: Prof Yash Pal
Bathinda, March 28 He also sought disbanding of the UGC and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and no interference in functioning of the universities by government agencies and politicians. In reply to a question regarding foreign universities’ entry to India through a proposed Foreign Educational Institutions (Entry and Operation) Regulation Bill, 2010, that aims to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India and offer degrees independently, Prof Yash Pal said, “I have not seen the Bill yet. But I don’t think that it will harm much as India is a vast country and can absorb a number of such institutions.” The former UGC chairman was here yesterday to deliver the first foundation day lecture on “education tomorrow” at the city campus of Central University of Punjab, situated on the Bathinda-Mansa road, about 4 km from here. Prof Yash Pal said the bodies like the UGC and the AICTE were interfering in the autonomy and academic activities of the universities, so the same should be disbanded. He said in place of these bodies, a constitutional body should be formed to ensure autonomy for the universities.
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Project to promote Net use in border areas
Fazilka, March 28 The project is likely to be launched on April 3 to promote the Internet usage in localities bordering Pakistan and make it accessible to each segment of society without financial barriers. “The Internet usage is very low in the suburban areas of Fazilka due the non-availability of a cyber café within reach and no knowledge of the Internet,” says Navdeep Asija, secretary (administration), GWAF. Talking to TNS here today, Asija said initially one Internet centre within the premises of a school that was most accessible to people would be established. It would cater to the needs of residents of four areas — Dhingra Colony, Basti Chandora, Teachers’ Colony and Nai Abadi. Due to its location in the Nai Abadi area, this centre had been named “Cyber Abadi”. “This will be a first of its kind Internet café in the country, where open source and free softwares will be used to encourage the use of open source software and also to discourage piracy. This centre has been established with technical inputs from SVIMTECH, PULPRIX and Thakral Info systems”, said Rajneesh Kamra, in charge, Project Education, GWAF. “Girl students, housewives and senior citizens shall be provided free Internet training at this centre. Free computer courses and other relevant IT awareness campaigns will also be organized. Depending upon response, more centres will be opened in various sub-urban localities of Fazilka”, he added. He said separate awareness campaigns had been launched to make citizens aware of this project and to motivate them to donate old keyboard, mouse, cabinet, mother board, CPU, UPS or monitors, which had become outdated and were of no use for them. Kamra said after repair, the same would be installed at various sub-urban localities of this town. “This will be a unique way to handle e-waste management”, said Gautam Chaudhary, iIn charge IT Wing, GWAF. The GWAF has already carved a niche for itself in the country after starting projects like Fazilka Eco Club (which included Dial a Rickshaw), ‘Car-Free Zone’, ‘Sanjha Chulha, ‘Anand Utsav’ and Heritage Festival in this city.
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Budget session skips crucial issues as bonhomie dominates
Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 28 Interestingly, while Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was deputed for his ailing father for most of the Budget session, it was Senior Badal who took the command on the last two days. And it was during these two days that resolutions praising the then Home Minister and now state Governor, Shivraj Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar were passed. Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who left untouched a huge revenue deficit of Rs 3,783 crore in his budgetary proposals, maintained both during his Budget speech and also while wrapping up the debate on budgetary proposals that the “worst was over”. The only resource mobilisation proposed by him had been 3 per cent hike in electricity duty to generate an additional Rs 270 crore. He devoted a small paragraph to the additional resource mobilisation suggested by the Sukhbir-Kalia Committee saying that against anticipated additional revenue of Rs 4,000 crore, new measures were good for Rs 1,900 crore only. The Finance Minister targeted the Centre for “discriminating” against Punjab. Quoting the 13th Finance Commission report, he said allocations made to Punjab were either negligible or too meagre to be of any substantive use for reviving the fiscal health of the state. “It may take a few generations for Punjab to clear its debt that will touch 64,924 crore by the end of the current fiscal. Every morning, the state gets an additional burden of Rs 16 crore as interest on its debt. Besides refusing to reschedule payment of the debt, the Finance Commission did not give any revenue deficit grant as had been done by the previous commission. The Centre also refused to share additional burden of Rs 3,600 crore incurred on account of implementation of the Pay Commission report. Marginal increase in devolution of taxes was of a little help,” he added. He said since Punjab had the highest percentage of population of the SCs and STs, the Finance Commission refused to release any special grants. Interestingly, while debates in the Vidhan Sabha, both on the Governor’s address and the budgetary proposals, witnessed bonhomie between the Opposition and Treasury Benches, an incident of the alleged police highhandedness led to a discord, ending bonhomie abruptly on the last day of the session. Intriguingly, issues agitating farmers, especially those related to repayment of debt; suicides by farmers and compensation to families of victims in accordance with the guidelines of a policy; withdrawal of police cases registered against farmer leaders and direct payment for their produce did not figure in the Budget session. Though there were some references over the imposition of abiana and restructuring of subsidy on the supply of power to farm sector, there was no serious debate on the Sukhbir-Kalia committee report that had a closer look at these issues while making its recommendations. Other important issue about the quality of drinking water and the rapidly growing cancer belt in the state again evaded the attention of the state legislature. The silver lining of the session has been allocation of some funds as an incentive for those keen to join defence forces through the NDA and IMA. Besides starting an academy in Mohali for training youngsters for the NDA and IMA, it was also announced on the last day that a naval training academy would also be set up in the state. Education, health care and power got much higher allocations than in the previous Budgets of Manpreet Singh Badal. Though employees were looking with hopeful eyes for government’s decision on payment of arrears of the implementation of the Pay Commission report, Manpreet Badal wanted some more time before deciding how and when the employees would get their dues.
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World Sikh Convention to take up major issues facing Sikhs
Chandigarh, March 28 Talking to TNS here last evening, Harvinder Singh Sarna of the DSGMC said efforts made to resolve some of the major issues, including ex-communication of former Akal Takht Jathedar Darshan Singh, have been futile. “There is confusion and a general mood of despondency in the Panth over the recent developments, including the amendments to the Nanakshahi calendar. After years of hard struggle, this calendar was prepared and implemented but in less than a decade, it has been amended to appease a section of Deras,” says
Sarna. Various important issues, including appointment of Jathedars of various Takhts, their retirement, defining their duties and responsibilities besides taking action against those who commit sacrilege by equating Guru Granth Sahib with their own religious books, need to be thrashed out. Other important issues, he said, include appointment of a panel for a complete probe into the incidents that took place in a place of worship in Vienna and closing of various deras also needed to be discussed so that the future line of action could be decided. Sarna said while there would be delegates’ conference on April 10, a public convention would be held on the second and last day on April 11.
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Chhatbir Zoo sweats without power Chhat (Banur), March 28 Apart from this, daily power disruption is witnessed for three to four times a day. “Despite getting the hotline connection, we face routine cuts. At times, we have to wait for the power to return in the middle of doing any electricity-related work,” said a zookeeper. The matter was brought into the notice of senior functionaries , but to no avail. Zoo officials said animals like lion, Himalayan bear, elephants and hippopotamus were the worst sufferers. None of these animals can survive without adequate supply of water. Lion, being a carnivorous animal, does not readily adjust to summers, hippopotamus, too, requires constant supply of water in pond to keep itself cool. In the absence of power, the zoo officials fill a small pond with water for hippos, using generators. Zoo director Tushar Kanti Bahera admitted that the power trips twice or thrice a day due to some technical problem and the matter was brought into the notice of electricity department officials. “The PSEB officials said they were yet to install a gadget, which supplies uninterrupted supply. Whenever a power cut is imposed in near vicinity, the zoo is provided power diverted from other stations. While making this switchover, the line gets tripped,” he said and added that the PSEB officials had assured of fixing this problem as soon as possible. The zoo officials said the hotline connection was resumed after about a decade. There are around 20 desert coolers for zoo animals that do not work during power cut. The hotline connection was provided to the zoo in September last year.
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Africa offers insurance cover to Punjabi
agri-investors Patiala, March 28 He said this at a conference organised by Assocham on ‘Opportunities for Agriculture in Africa: With focus on Punjab’ at Palm Courts resort in Patiala yesterday. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur was the chief guest and other dignitaries who were present on the occasion were Gennet Zewide, Ambassador of Ethiopia; Jose Jose Maria Morais, High Commissioner of Mozambique; John WJ Kijazi, High Commissioner of Tanzania; Nimisha J Madhvani, High Commissioner Uganda and SK Walubita, High Commissioner of Zambia. The conference was held with an aim to apprise Punjab farmers about the farming opportunities available in Africa with an aim to provide mutually beneficial food security to both Punjab farmers and the African countries. Wutawunahse said the proposed risk insurance would be covered by leading African banks, besides multilateral bodies like the World Bank. The entire African continent has already struck agreement with the World Bank for the purpose and also issued directives to the banks in the continent, he said. Preneet said Africa could become a major export market for agricultural commodities, therefore, encouraging Punjab's investors to set up projects in the continent by identifying potential areas. The Ministry would also actively facilitate the interested Punjab’s farmers in the African continent and at the same time, investors of equipment and machineries would be protected from bilateral investment, she said. Asked whether the state would support the project, Preneet said it was directly between the farmers and the African government. Punjab had nothing to do with it. Gurjit Singh, joint secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, and Arun K Agarwal, chairman of Assocham Africa Committee, also addressed the conference.
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A new in heart-valve replacement Patiala, March 28 “Through the technique, a synthetic valve is transported to the heart through a small hole made in groin. Though as of now, patients prefer surgical valve replacement, but with constant improvement in the non-surgical valve replacement technique, the day is not far when this technique would be the first choice of patients,” he said. Notably, Kapoor, who hails from Patiala, is presently in core team of renowned cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, present chairman of Medanta, The Medicity. “Even our neighbouring countries and many African countries look towards India for cardiac treatment at affordable cost,” he added.
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Attari, March 28
The “untimely” rise in mercury and attack of pests has left wheat farmers and officials of the Agriculture Department a worried lot.
Ludhiana, March 28
