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Scholarship Scheme
Families perform ardas at Akal Takht |
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PSEB Unbundling Kaypee seeks all-party meeting Chandigarh, April 12 Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Mohinder Singh Kaypee has urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to immediately summon an all-party meeting in view of the confrontation building up between the people and the state machinery on the issue of unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).
Agitators firm on strike
Tribune Impact
GMCH-32 Principal’s Post
Wheat Procurement Strategy
Canadian firm to set up potable water station
27 lakh hectares to be brought under paddy
Extension of police post on school’s land
opposed
Paucity of migrant labourers delays harvesting
Water level in Hari Ke drops
Land Acquisition for Bypass
18 years on, Fatehgarh Sahib cries for basic amenities
Banks misusing cash credit limit: Dayal
Eight bureaucrats shifted
Residents seek district status for Nabha
Minor raped for six days, 4 booked
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Scholarship Scheme
Jalandhar, April 12 The minority students under the Scholarships and Means-cum-Merit Scheme of the Minority Affairs in the state were to receive the amount as scholarship. However, red-tapism coupled with the indifferent attitude of the state authorities left scores of students waiting for the benefits. Tarsem Peter, president of Pendu Mazdoor Union (PMU), who created awareness among the minority students about the scheme last year, said it had been a year since the applicants applied for the scheme. “As per the scheme, it is mandatory that the scholarships should reach the beneficiaries before the commencement of the next academic session. The scheme is aimed at the welfare of minority students but if the funds are not disbursed well on time it would leave score of students helpless”, he added. Considering this as a major flaw on the part of the state functionaries, Peter also sent an application under the RTI Act to Secretary, SC/BC Welfare, Chandigarh, seeking to know the likely issuance of scholarships to minority students in the district. “We will raise our voice against the state government for their slackness in providing the scholarship to them,” he rued. “What is the fun of applying for a centrally sponsored scholarship if we are not getting the due benefit well on time, said Manish Masih, a minority student. An official from the Social Welfare Department said the Centre had released an amount of Rs 35 crore for the beneficiaries under the scheme. “ At present, the funds are lying with the state Finance Department. Even the scholarship amount for 2007-08 was released a year later in 2009. Now it is up to the department to release the money”, said another official.
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Families perform ardas at Akal Takht
Amritsar, April 12 They were accompanied by president of the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) Balwant Singh Ramoowalia. Paramjit Kaur said her husband Kashmir Singh was among the 17 Indians held by the Dubai police. She said the news had devastated her entire family. The Lok Bhalai Party supreme informed that a five-member party delegation would leave for the UAE on April 17 to take stock of the situation and to render help. He said the delegates would also consult legal experts to find for ways for relaxation of their sentence and eventually secure their release. Ramoowalia said they would also contact family members of the deceased in Pakistan to seek their help in the release of the 17 Indians. He said as per the Shariat law the accused could be released if the family of the deceased pardoned them. He quoted the verse of Koran that stated that the aggrieved family could pardon the Indians after taking an amount.
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PSEB Unbundling
Chandigarh, April 12 He said the government was “playing with fire” and the confrontation could have very serious repercussions triggering violence as the law and order situation was already very fragile. He said the state government was pushing the state Kaypee said the failure of the state government to remove apprehensions in the minds of various sections of society, who are going to be directly affected by this move, the common people in the state are left with no other option but to opt for the path of agitation. He said the all-party meeting should be convened before April 15, the date from which the unbundling is to come into effect, so that the confrontation between the people and the security forces is avoided. Parminder Singh, PPCC, media in charge, said the Parkash Singh Badal-led government should explain various aspects of unbundling at the meeting with the assurance that no section of the population in the state would be adversely affected as that was the only way to resolve the situation which was getting tense with each passing day. Parminder said there were apprehensions that the state government would bill farmers for the power supply to the tube wells and reduction in the number of units of free power supplied to Dalit households on the recommendation of the Sukhbir-Kalia committee on fiscal management.
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Agitators firm on strike
Bathinda, April 12 The agitators are adament over their two-day strike (April 15-16). Assembling at PSEB grid here, the employees today announced that their families were with them in the agitation and the state would be able to deter them from their stand. Speaking in the reference to the news reports regarding the administration’s preparation to thwart any unlikely situation during protest, the agitators claimed that the strike would be peaceful one, but if the government did not pay heed to their demands, they would be left with no other choice but to adopt strict measures. “We will intensify the protest against the government tactics to hand over the PSEB to some private players,” they claimed. “Political leaders have been misguiding people and employees and issuing false statement in media. Their claim that unbundling would hardly make any difference to the employees is totally false,” said Nikka Ram, president of the Bathinda division of the Technical Services Union. Addressing the gathering, the union leaders alleged the unbundling would mean the end of concession to farmers and farm labourers. Besides, it would also end permanent job security for the employees. The staff is demanding that instead of going for the unbundling, the state government should pass a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha and suspend the Power Act, 2003, as it would give impetus to privatisation and entire working would be affected. The protesters, who had assembled under the banner of PSEB Employees Federation, Punjab, and Technical Services Union and supported by the Bharti Kisan Union EKTA (Ugrahan), also held a protest march in the city and handed over a memorandum to the SDM Bathinda, urging him to forward it to the Chief Minister.
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Tribune Impact
Anandpur Sahib, April 12 He visited the villages of Kotlan, Mehndli, Samlab, Dabur, Raipur and Baddal with Ropar Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti, SDM Anandpur Sahib APS Sandhu, XEN PWD Inderjit Singh and BDO Gurnettar Singh. Cheema, on the orders of Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, surveyed basic amenities like power supply, water supply, roads and bridges in the villages. “The state government has proposals to initiate a special project in all drought-hit villages in order to bail villagers out of penury,” he said. Cheema added that Badal would take up issue of water for irrigation in the area with the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the Union Minister for Water Resources. Officials in soil conservation department have been directed to survey the area and work out possibilities of constructing dams and providing water through lift irrigation to these villages. The Tribune had highlighted the pitiable condition of villagers through its news reports “Four years on, rain eludes 26 villages” and “No farm income, villages turn to dairy business” mentioning the drought-like conditions prevailing in these villages. At many places, villagers have no option but to feed their livestock with shrivelled and dried-out wheat stubbles.
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GMCH-32 Principal’s Post
Chandigarh, April 12 The letter, part of judicial record, prescribes to Gen Rodrigues a review of the Union Public Service Commission’s decision to appoint Dr HM Swami, so that Dr Raj Bahadur could be selected in his place as the principal of Sector-32 Government Medical College and Hospital. The issue of political interference in the appointment of doctors was only recently raised by Punjab Public Service Commission chairman Sanjit Kumar Sinha. In a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Sinha alleged both Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had “sent many emissaries to him during the selection of the medical officers, who requested and intimidated him to favour certain candidates, but he refused them”. Bhattal’s letter, in possession of The Tribune, forms a part of a petition filed by a voluntary human rights organisation Lawyers Initiative through member Ranjan Lakhanpal for removing Dr Bahadur from the “public post”. In the letter, the then deputy chief minister has sturdily prescribed Dr Bahadur for the post, after describing him as the strongest candidate. Passing judgments on the competence of the doctors, she has even drawn a detailed comparison while dubbing Dr Swami’s appointment as “wrong”. The letter says: “It has come to my notice that the Union Public Service Commission had taken an interview on December 8, 2004, for the post of principal of government medical college, Chandigarh. Dr HM Swami was selected as principal during “I was struck to know the results of this interview, because another applicant i.e. Prof. Raj Bahadur, professor and head, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Government Medical College and Hospital, was the strongest candidate for the post…. “I am enclosing herewith a brief comparison of both the candidates - Dr HM Swami and Prof. Raj Bahadur - for your kind consideration and request you to forward the same to Union Public Service Commission to reconsider the wrong appointment on this prominent chair…. “I personally feel that a person like Prof Raj Bahadur is the right person to be the principal of government medical college, Chandigarh, which is among the best medical colleges in India. I request you to kindly review this case so that a judicious justice may be given to the right person”. As of now, it is not clear why Bhattal wrote the letter. The effect the letter had on the appointment is a matter of judicial adjudication.
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Wheat Procurement Strategy
Deon (Bathinda), April 12 Throwing wheat bags in the middle of the road, a large number of farmers staged a dharna and disrupted the traffic. The situation turned so vulnerable that police from various posts and Nehianwala police station had to rush to the spot. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Bathinda DC Gurkirat Kirpal Singh also came to the spot. According to information available, the government had issued directions to start procurement from April 1 but till date the whole arrival (about 250 MT) at Deon grain market was lying unsold. Agitating farmers said earlier there were three purchase agencies (Punjab Agro, PUSUP and Warehouse) but due to some Claiming for being in the mandi with their crop since April 3-4, the farmers alleged that officials of the Warehouse were delaying the procurement floating an excuse of unavailability of the bags. They alleged that the PUSUP purchase inspector had been waiting for Warehouse to start the purchase. However, deputy district mandi officer, Bathinda, Gursewak Singh said there was no written order about the withdrawal of Punjab Agro from the market. Admitting the delay in procurement, he said: “Taking notice of the problem we have initiated the purchase and about 100 MT wheat was purchased today. We will do our best.”
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Canadian firm to set up potable water station
Chandigarh, April 12 As a pilot project, the company would soon establish a demonstration project in one of the saline-prone villages of Muktsar district in the cotton belt, which had a high incidence of salinity in the water. Making a presentation to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Jennifer Beresford, director of International Business Development of the Quest Water Solutions, and Gurdev Gill of the Indo-Canadian Friendship Society apprised him about the viability and the modalities involved in the implementation of the project. The project would be completed with partnership with the Indo-Canadian Friendship Society, a registered Charitable Society in Canada, which has undertaken 14 water supplies and integrated comprehensive infrastructure projects for various communities in the region in collaboration with the Punjab Government.
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27 lakh hectares to be brought under paddy
Moga, April 12 This was announced here today by the state government's Joint Director for Agriculture, Gursewak Singh, while addressing a district-level kharif crop training camp for farmers here. More than 2,000 farmers attended the camp. The joint director urged the farmers to give more attention to crops other than paddy and also asked them to conserve natural resources. Addressing the farmers, PAU experts said such training camps kept farmers abreast of the latest developments in agriculture. By adopting PAU recommendations, farmers could increase their profits. The recommendations included following resource conservation technologies, engaging in proper marketing and maintaining links with farm experts. — PTI
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Extension of police post on school’s land
opposed
Kiratpur Sahib, April 12 Girja Shankar, a member of this committee, said, “Players of national repute and state-level volleyball champions had played on this ground. Presently, many athletes practise here.” The Kiratpur Sahib police post has been recently upgraded as a police station. Already, some area had come under the ongoing extension work of national highway and was demolished by the Central Works Division authorities. Girja Shankar said the panchayat of Kalyanpur had decided to hand over 2.5 acre of its prime land for construction of the police station. “But, we want that the place where our children play should be spared,” he added. However, DSP Ananpdur Sahib SS Dhaliwal said since 1982, the land belonged to the police. “During recent demarcation, as per the NHAI rules, it was noticed that large portion of the land has come under the proposed widening work,” he said, adding that there was no need to panic as the department was already looking for land at an alternate place.
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Paucity of migrant labourers delays harvesting
Sirhind/Rajpura, April 12 Hike in prices of wheat husk, too, has delayed the harvesting this time. A visit to Sirhind and Rajpura districts revealed that there were hardly any migrant labourers working at the fields. Instead, labourers from villages had to harvest the wheat crop. “There is not even a single migrant labourer working in our village. Our labourers are not as skilled as the migrants ones who tend to work at a very fast pace and stack up the produce within no time,” said Darshan Singh of Kamarpur village in Rajpura. Owner of 7 acres, Darshan said people from the economically weaker sections in villages agreed to harvest crop only after a lot of persuasion. Farmers said besides offering extra bucks, the labourers demand their choicest liquor and other kinds of intoxicants that keeps them on a high while harvesting fields. Due to lack of labourers, most of the farmers had to harvest their crop with combine machines instead of threshers that produce wheat husk. The prices of wheat husk have increased many folds this year. Mangat Singh, farmer from Sirhind, said last year price of labourers for harvesting crop per an acre was Rs 2,000-2,200. However, this year, the same has shot to Rs 3,000-3,300. Even the rates of using mechanised harvesting tools have increased from Rs 1,400 per acre to Rs 1,600 per acre. The rate of ropes used for tying bundles of wheat has increased from Rs 600 per quintal to Rs 1,200 per quintal. Migrant labourers manufacture these ropes using dry wheat stubbles and dry grass. Similarly, price of wheat husk, too, has increased from Rs 300 per quintal to Rs 700 per quintal. Farmers said the prices of using combine machines had remained the same as this season. “This is due to the fact that combine-machines do not yield wheat husk,” added another farmer. Last year, cost to use combine machine was Rs 700 per acre and its the same this year. Use of combine machines has reduced this season as farmers complained of increase in moisture content with the use of this machine.
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Tributes paid to martyrs
Amritsar, April 12 Bitta said the AIATF had been working in various states affected by terrorism, but they would now start its operations in the Naxal-affected areas. He said the government was taking various steps to stem the problem being faced by the country. Earlier, activists of the front raised patriotic slogans and pledged to fight the terrorism.
Antony to pay homage today
Amritsar, April 12 He is said to participate in a hour-long light and sound show to be held in the same venue. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has lent his voice as narrator for the show. —
TNS
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Water level in Hari Ke drops
Hari Ke Pattan (Ferozepur), April 12 For the first time, the water level in Hari Ke touched 686 ft in the last week of March, the lowest in the past one decade. Hence, the gates of the Hari Ke barrage became fully visible. Official sources said the situation which had developed in the Hari Ke lake now had made it prone to encroachments. The lake (wetland) came into existence in 1952 after the construction of a barrage on the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers and was subsequently declared a bird sanctuary in 1982. Sources said the district Wildlife Department authorities today arrested four persons who had encroached upon a piece of land by ploughing it with the help of a tractor. About a week ago another person was arrested who had burnt elephant grass which had grown over a piece of land and subsequently tried to occupy the same. Already the growth of hyacinth and siltation have eaten up about 30 per cent of the wetland area. Harbans Singh Dhillon, district wildlife officer, Ferozepur, when contacted, said unscrupulous elements had been trying to encroach upon pieces of land as the water level in the lake had receded drastically. Cases had been registered against the five encroachers, he added. He said about 900 acres of the Hari Ke wetland was already under encroachment and the department had been contesting civil suits for many years to get the same removed in various courts located in Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran districts. He said patrolling had been intensified in the area to curb the activities of the unscrupulous elements who would resort to illegal fishing also after succeeding in encroaching upon the land of the lake.
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Land Acquisition for Bypass
Bathinda, April 12 Indefinite dharna by the protesters, belonging to Mehna Basti and Amarpura Basti, entered 15th day today while it was the 13th day of the indefinite hunger strike by Malkiat Kaur. The protesters, led by founder of General Samaj Party Suresh Goyal, took out a protest march around the mini secretariat here. They also raised slogans against the government and the administration. Goyal said a tehsildar and SHO took the protesting leaders along with them for talks with the DC. But instead, they were told to talk to the ADC as the DC was not available. Goyal claimed after hearing them, the ADC said the issue could not be resolved at his level so he would have to talk to the DC. He said this showed that the administration was not serious to resolve the issue as it had been adopting dilly-dallying tactics on one pretext or the other to demoralise the protesters. He said the administration should not think that it would succeed in getting their agitation failed by their behaviour.
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18 years on, Fatehgarh Sahib cries for basic amenities
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 12 Though the district came into being on April 13, 1992, yet the government has not provided it ‘district-level’ facilities so far. Crores of rupees have been spent upon constructing the multi-specialty children’s hospital, Sirhind community hall and various other public buildings, but these are yet to get functional. Similarly, even though cabinet ministers and chief ministers have laid foundation stones of various developmental works, they are yet to be completed. Even the historical building of the Aam-Khaas-Baag constructed by the Mughals is in a dilapidating condition. For treatment of serious ailments, people still have to rush to Patiala, Ludhiana or Chandigarh. Also, lack of advanced equipment in hospitals has increased the number of accident-related deaths. Major accidents have been reported during the past few months near Madhopur Chowk, Chandigarh-Ludhiana road in Khamano and GT Road from Sirhind to Mandi Gobindgarh. Also, there is no facility of fire brigade in the district. Fire tenders have to be called in from Patiala, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh and Rajpura towns in case of major fire incidents. There is only one fireman in the district fire department who accomplishes the task of a driver, clerk, office in charge and fireman altogether. Lack of maintenance on roads and traffic lights has also increased number of accidents many folds during past years. Problems exist abound in the district that comprises of Mandi Gobindgarh, which is one of the most polluted cities of the country, and Bassi Pathana, Amloh and Khamano, where people still lack sewerage connections. Despite repeated requests by residents, the condition of railway stations in the district has still not improved. But for the construction of district administrative complex, a railway over-bridge-with an accident-prone narrow path- engineering college, World Sikh University and few other educational institutes, nothing has been done to equip the district with better facilities.
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Banks misusing cash credit limit: Dayal
Jalandhar, April 12 He said sources in the banking industry have told him that bank officials were directed by the higher authorities to temporary manipulate cash credit limits and to use other means to show better results. This was done twice in a fiscal year- first in the last week of September and later in the last week of March- by various gramin banks, when they take a stock of their overall performance with regard to advancing of loans, cash credit limits and recovery etc to prepare balance sheets. Insiders say that some of the bank officials transfer money from the cash credit limit of farmers to their saving accounts a few days before September 30 and March 31. It is done to show that loan has been advanced to farmers from the limit and the same money is retained in his saving account to show better level deposit with the bank. Later, reverse entries, to transfer the amount from the saving to the limit, are made, which means the money is transferred back to cash credit limits from the saving accounts. That is shown as recovery made from the farmer. However, farmers have to pay the interest on the money drawn from the credit limit and they suffer owing to this reason. He said he had got the information that several crores of rupees were transferred from limits to saving accounts in the last week of March and earlier in September. Besides, banks also showed demand loan taken against the fixed deposits. Bank officials, it has been alleged, show demand loan against the fixed deposit and transfer it to the saving account of the fixed deposit holder. That also helps the bank to show better deposit level. Dr Dayal said during a special inspection, it should be found that how much money was drawn from credit limits during the last week of September and March and how much money was transferred back to limits in the first week of October and April, respectively. What was the amount of interest on the money, which was transferred from limits to the saving accounts. Whether the demand loan shown by banks against the fixed deposit was actually withdrawn by the deposit holder or was it retained in the saving account. He said it was obvious that any one who asked for the demand loan would not like to retain the same in the saving account. What is cash credit limit? This is a provision made under the Kisan Credit Card Scheme to enable farmers to withdraw money instantly from their limit account to meet their immediate cash needs
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Eight bureaucrats shifted
Chandigarh, April 12 Ajit Singh Pannu becomes Managing Director, Markfed; Arunjit Singh Miglani will be the new Deputy Commissioner, Ropar; Priyank Bharti goes as Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar; and Prithi Chand has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur. Dharam Dutt Ternach is the new Additional Secretary, Power; Karamjit Singh will be the new Secretary, Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board; and Manisha Trighatia becomes Project Director, National Rural Health Mission, relieving Raji P. Shrivastava of this additional charge. She will also hold additional charge of Managing Director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, during the period of training of Raji Shrivastava. Bhupinder Mohan Singh becomes AC (General), Muktsar, and in addition to DTO, Muktsar.
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Residents seek district status for Nabha
Nabha, April 12 A 13-page memorandum was handed over to the President and Governor of Punjab Shivraj Patil urging them to granting the city a district status. Signed by leaders of all major political parties and leaders of various social and religious groups, the memorandum was handed over to the President by MLA Nabha Randeep Singh. Randeep claimed that the President had asked the Governor to take up the matter with the top leadership of the state. Randeep said while all princely states had already been given the status of district, Nabha was still awaiting for the same. He said Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, founder of the Anand Marriage Act, was forced to abdicate due to his support to sikh patriots during the freedom movement.
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Minor raped for six days, 4 booked
Amritsar, April 12 Jatinder Singh, according to the complaint lodged by the victim with the Chohla Sahib police station authorities, had allured and misled her on the grounds that he will drop her at the school. “After making her sit on his scooter, Jatinder forcibly took Bholi to nearby Sarhali township where he was joined by his cousin Sonu (22) and the duo took her to Sonu’s place in Ludhiana. She was confined and raped by the duo repeatedly for over six days,” said a police official. The girl alleged that Sonu’s family kept mum over her ordeal. “Somehow I managed to flee from the place and reached my home yesterday,” alleged the girl. A medical examination has established that she was subjected to rape. A case under Sections 363, 366, 376 and 120 of the IPC has been registered against Jatinder, Sonu, Sonu’s father Baldev Singh and mother Bholi. Jatinder, Sonu and other accused were still at large. Meanwhile, Kiran (name changed), a Naushehra Pannuan-based minor Dalit girl, was gang-raped by nine Jat boys of the same township in Tarn Taran in broad daylight on March 18. The police had managed to nab the main accused Manpreet Sona apparently under public pressure but, the latter had managed to escape on March 21 when a police party was taking him to suspected hideouts of his co-accused. The police is yet to nab the accused.
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Indians of Punjabi origin facing the gallows for allegedly killing a Pakistani national in the UAE today performed ardas at Akal Takht for the early release of their loved ones and also prayed at the Golden Temple.
At one hand the government is close to unbundle the Punjab State Electricity Board
(PSEB), on the other agitation launched by the employees to foil the government’s attempt is gaining momentum with various
organisations, including unions of farmers, labourers and Municipal employees, joining the protest.
Political interference in the appointment of doctors may not be an epidemic, but it sure is a diagnosable reality.And if you have any doubts about the malady inflicting the system, go through the letter written by Punjab’s former Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to then Governor-cum-UT Administrator Gen SF
Rodrigues.
Fatehgarh Sahib District will complete 18 years of its existence tomorrow. However, it is still in need of basic amenities like sewerage connections, pure drinking water supply, fully equipped hospitals, bus stand and a fire station at the district headquarters.
