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New Power Utilities
State heads for rice trouble
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Sexually abused girl declared minor
PRTC to add 150 buses
State residents to get RO water
Chandar is new IG
Mealy bug attacks kinnow orchards
Minimum wages denied to 20,000 liquor vend salesmen
Trucker to get Ist national permit today
After wheat, cotton crop bears heat brunt
Adulteration of Food Items
Census: First phase to end by June 15 in Patiala
Recruitment of 376 medical officers
Attack on Teacher
Pension Dues
PCS exams: Age limit for govt employees relaxed to 45 years
Man preparing ‘fake’ PSEB certificates held
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New Power Utilities
Chandigarh, May 25 According to sources the services of 77 substation attendants who have been working on a contract basis for some time have been regularised as part of an agreement with the joint employees’ forum of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board before the restructuring of the board. This was also done to end litigation as these employees had gone to court challenging the fresh recruitment of substation attendants. However, there are reservations that the interim committee has moved inordinately quickly to regularise the services of seven other employees. A special effort was made to regularise the services of these employees by moving a memorandum and the process has been completed just days before the end of the tenure of the interim committee. The new electricity utilities are expected to have separate chief managing directors for both Powercom and Transcom from June 1 onwards. The interim committee was formed as a stopgap arrangement only. The committee had regularised the services of three employees who have been working in the IT section for more than two and a half years on a contractual basis. It has also regularised the services of three law officers and one doctor. While interim committee chairman Anurag Aggarwal maintains that this is in order as proper norms were followed while recruiting these employees on a contractual basis, there is the question of both hurry and why more deserving candidates were not given a chance of competing for these posts. Moreover, while moving a memorandum and passing the same, the committee has left itself open as to why it did not consider the regularisation of the services of sportsmen who have also put in years in contractual service. Sportsmen have protested to the interim committee as well as to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal saying they should also be considered for permanent absorption under similar rules. Around 60 sportsmen work on a contractual basis in the state electricity utility. After protests, the interim committee chairman maintains that their case for permanent absorption is also being considered. Sportsmen, who have the requisite qualifications, want their services to be regularised as lower division clerks.
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State heads for rice trouble
Jalandhar, May 25 About 141 lakh tonne of paddy was procured during the last season. Of it about 94 lakh tonne rice was to be prepared for delivery to the central pool. About 57 lakh tonne has been delivered till date. The remaining 37 lakh tonne rice worth Rs 6,000 crore is to be delivered till July 11 or say in the next 6 weeks which will not be possible in any case. Earlier, the rice was to be delivered by March 31, but on the state government’s request, the date was extended to July 11.
In October, the new crop will arrive. “The big worry is that most of the paddy remained to be milled is of the PAU 201 variety which was transplanted mostly in the Malwa belt especially in Bathinda-Mansa-Sangrur-Barnala belt”, said an official. Of the total stock of paddy, only 31 per cent in
Mansa, 35 per cent in Bathinda, 51 per cent in Moga, 61 per cent in
Ferozepur, 51 per cent in Muktsar and 56 per cent in Barnala have been milled. In other districts, except
Ropar, about 80 per cent or more stock of paddy has been milled. The real trouble spot is the core Malwa belt comprising
Mansa, Bathinda, Barnala, Muktsar, Moga and Sangrur districts. Interestingly, the Punjab Government could not sell the rice rejected by the FCI in the open market because it is covered under the levy regulations. “Neither the Punjab government could sell it in the open market, nor it could export it”, said the official. “By using overriding powers of its agencies, the Central Government continues to trouble Punjab on issues related to foodgrains such as rice,” added the official.
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Sexually abused girl declared minor
Moga, May 25 The civil and police authorities of Moga district have been claiming that the girl was major and did not want legal action against the alleged accused on the basis of which the police stopped the investigation and filed an application in a court to close the case. Headmistress of Government Primary School Pritpal Kaur has stated that the date of birth of the victim is October 7, 1993, which means she was sexually abused at the tender age of 14 years and gave birth to a baby at the age of 15 years. Later, she was married off to a youth in Jalandhar in violation of the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act, 2006. Now, the authorities are unaware of her whereabouts. Her parents have also gone missing from their village and no body knows whether the recently born baby girl is alive or not. An FIR was lodged against six persons under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC, but when the incident was highlighted in The Tribune on April 17, 2009, the police added the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. On July 16, 2009, the then DSP (D) Gurmeet Singh stated that the father of the girl had filed an affidavit that his daughter was a “major” and that she willingly developed relations with the youths and gave birth to a baby. On July 17, sub-inspector Darshan Singh recommended the closure of the case. On August 14, the said DSP granted his approval on the basis of which, on November 25, 2009, the then SSP Ashok Bath field an application through the prosecution before Additional Sessions Judge SK Aggarwal to stop further proceedings and close the case. Since then, the legal status of this case is not yet known.
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PRTC to add 150 buses
Patiala, May 25 He claimed that after he took charge, the PRTC earned a profit of Rs 7.63 crore. At a meeting with general managers of the PRTC, he instructed them to continue better work and try to make an additional profit of 10 per cent, which would enable them to provide better facilities to passengers. He said the ministry had decided to construct new bus stands at Faridkot, Kapurthala, Sangrur and Bathinda. About the construction of an AC bus stand in Patiala, he said the company - Spirit Global - which was given a contract earlier, had shown reluctance in the project. But the ministry would soon float new tenders and the work would begin at the earliest, he added. He said the ministry had also decided to begin minibus service throughout the state for which any person who was a graduate could take the permit.
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State residents to get RO water
Amritsar, May 25 The five corporation towns will be covered with installation of the RO Systems to provide safe and bottled water to people at a nominal price tag of 10 paise per litre in the first phase of the scheme under which 400 villages of Malwa , Doaba and Majha have already been covered so far. Promising to change the face of Amritsar within one year, the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said besides witnessing the completion of projects worth Rs 523 crore, Amritsar would get a gift of Rs 600 crore under the urban renewal package in the next one year. Sukhbir was talking to mediapersons after dedicating the first phase of the Elevated Road project and laying the foundation stone of covering the Ganda Nala. Accompanied by Punjab Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia, MP Navjot Sidhu and a number of SAD-BJP leaders, Sukhbir said the 3,23-km long elevated road from Makhmulpura to Bhandari bridge had been thrown open to the traffic today. The remaining 0.9-km long stretch from Ramtalai Chowk to the Golden Temple would be completed by December at a cost of Rs 50 crore. “Amritsar is going to get 80 air-conditioned buses by December making commuting in the city comfortable for residents and more than two lakh tourists who visit the city daily,”said Sukhbir.
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Chandar is new IG
Chandigarh, May 25 Ishwar Chandar, who is of the 1991 IPS batch, had earlier been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry for his role in fighting terrorism in the state. He had also been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service.The posting orders of the officer are awaited. —
TNS
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Mealy bug attacks kinnow orchards
Abohar, May 25 Officials of the Horticulture Department said the mealy bug had attacked kinnow plants, as the temperature in the Abohar region was always higher than that of other regions of the state. Moreover, it was located adjacent to the desert area of Sriganganagar district, Rajasthan. The problem is so severe that local horticulture development officer Surinder Dogra has been receiving calls from about 15 to 20 orchardists of this area daily. “The attack of mealy bug is generally restricted to the cotton crop. However, it has now started affecting kinnow plants adversely. We may face economic problems on account of less production of the fruit this season,” said Jasvir Inder Singh Jakhar, an orchardist of Patre Wali village here. “Last year, we confronted with problems on account of drying up of kinnow plants in a large number. Then we faced problem due to the reduction of fruit buds on the plants this year and now we have another problem connected with the attack of mealy bug,” said RD Garg, another orchardist. JS Joshan, director, local research centre, PAU, said orchardists should not panic, as the problem was curable with one or two sprays of insecticides over the affected plants. He added the mealy bug attack was restricted to those orchards that were old and where the growth of plants was thick.
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Minimum wages denied to 20,000 liquor vend salesmen
Jalandhar, May 25 The salesman told The Tribune that the salary paid to him was far too less to live within his income as the prices of all essential commodities were so high. He had to ask his father in Himachal Pradesh to send some money every month to make both ends meet, he added. His case is not an isolated one. As many as 20,000 salesmen working in nearly 6,800 liquor vends across Punjab are sailing in the same boat. Talking to The Tribune, the president of the Jalandhar Wine and Beer Salesmen Employees Union, Vishal Sharma, and its general secretary, Ravinder Singh Ravi, said none of the persons working in the liquor vends was paid a minimum wage of Rs 4,295. What to talk of minimum wages, most of the provisions of labour laws are also not implemented by the liquor vend owners, he added. Sharma and Ravi said the salesmen were forced to work for 17 hours a day from 7 am to 12 pm in violation of the Excise Act and Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. The president and general secretary of the union further said the liquor vend salesmen were not paid any overtime, bonus and provident fund. Both of them said they had been pursuing the case of salesmen with ministers concerned and labour commissioners for the past 15 years but to no avail so far. The president and general secretary of the union met Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti for ensuring implementation of labour laws for 655 salesmen, working at 436 liquor vends in Jalandhar. Bharti assured them to get the laws implemented within a week. Meanwhile, Assistant Labour Commissioner Inderjeet Singh told TNS that his department raided 20 liquor vends last week and challaned all of them for violating labour laws.
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Trucker to get Ist national permit today
Jalandhar, May 25 Following an extended strike by the All-India National Motor Transport Congress headed by Charan Singh Lohara, the Union Government had agreed to issue a single national permit to truckers on payment of Rs 15,000. Earlier, truckers were issued a permit for a limited number of states and they had to pay additional Rs 5,000 for entry in each state not covered under the permit. However, now they would get the right to enter all states by paying Rs 15,000 per annum.
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After wheat, cotton crop bears heat brunt
Chandigarh, May 25 Several farmers said they were contemplating ploughing their cotton crop and going in for paddy if they get adequate water. Gurbir Singh, a progressive farmer from Kot Kapura said: “With two hours of power and no canal water during the last week of April and the first week of May when cotton was to be planted, many farmers could not do the plantation.” Now, with the heat burning leaves of cotton plants, their growth is likely to be hit. The first signs of cotton in the form of bud “tindas” will become visible sometime in July. Though the area under cotton cultivation was expected to rise by about 40,000 hectares from 4.90 lakh hectares to 5.30 lakh hectares, yields of cotton (90 per cent being Bt cotton) is likely to drop. The same happened in the case of wheat where the final yield arriving in various mandis of Punjab is yet to touch 103 lakh tonnes mark against preparations for estimated procurement of around 115 lakh tonnes. Nearly 67 per cent of the wheat produced in the state finds its way to the mandis. According to sources in the Agriculture Department, the wilting of cotton crop has been seen in many parts of the Malwa region, including Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Abohar, Moga, Mansa, Barnala and Sangrur. The current temperature in the region is about 5°C higher than normal. The heat has hit the germination process that could delay maturing and reduce yields. Last year, Punjab produced 18.19 lakh bales and was hoping to touch 22.76 lakh bales this year. The availability of water has somewhat improved over the past few days and is likely to improve further over the next three weeks when the paddy plantation starts. Sources in the government said efforts were being made to procure power for an uninterrupted supply to farmers from June 10, when the paddy plantation starts officially.
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Adulteration of Food Items
Chandigarh, May 25 In a letter to the CM, Khaira said there was a sudden increase in cancer deaths in the state and also water-borne diseases. He said gross adulteration was taking place in milk products. He said similarly, unscrupulous farmers were using toxic injections on vegetables to increase their size and weight overnight. — TNS
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Census: First phase to end by June 15 in Patiala
Patiala, May 25 Issuing these directions, while presiding over the meeting of officials of the district administration, which was attended by Patiala Deputy Commissioner Deepinder Singh, all SDMs, tehsildars, BDPOs and executive officers of municipal councils, Jain said, the district administration in the first phase had to prepare lists of all existing houses in the district, including those outside the jurisdiction of villages and in slum colonies. They have to ensure that during data collection, the occupant must be residing in the house from the past six months. She appealed the people to keep the receipt being given to them by the officials on census duty, after they visit their houses. During data collection, the National Population Register must have two lists - one of the houses and the other of details about household goods. Lists of villages and the houses in which the couple is childless are to be prepared separately. “In case there is scarcity of the staff, the administration should seek services of retired officers/employees of the Punjab Government,” she added.
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Recruitment of 376 medical officers
Ludhiana, May 25 The medical fraternity in the state has shown dissent to the criteria formulated by the Department of Health and Family Welfare wherein 90 per cent marks have been reserved for academic qualifications followed by 10 marks for interview. Official spokesperson of the Rural Medical Services Association (RMSA), Punjab, Satvir Singh said, “In order to bring transparency in academics, it was made mandatory to get pass percentage for theory and practical separately in 1998. The department should apply the same criteria in recruitments also so as to provide the best professionals in the public healthcare system.” Satvir also demanded additional 10 marks for one-year rural service, adding that the doctors working under Zila Parishads were carrying out preventive projects under national health programmes. A senior doctor alleged that the department had criticised the Punjab Public Service Commission for having missed out on formulating a “transparent criteria” for the recruitment of doctors in 2009, adding, “What is hindering the health department to conduct an entrance exam for the doctors? If the health department can have an entrance exam for the recruitment of nurses, why can’t they have one for the doctors also,” questioned the doctor. At the same time, Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) members, while criticising the health department’s emphasis on “academic qualifications” for appointments pointed towards the recent “MCI goof-up” which has brought the working of private medical colleges under scanner. “The standard of education in private medical and dental colleges is different which makes it all the more relevant to have an entrance test to select the right candidates,” said Hardeep Singh, PCMSA president.
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Attack on Teacher
Chandigarh, May 25 The Panjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) have even threatened to boycott the ongoing evaluation of answersheets at various centres in Punjab if their demand was not met. The anticipatory bail sought by this student of Thakur Dawara village near Mukerian has further angered the teachers, who appear to be in no mood to compromise. However, Panjab University Vice-Chancellor RC Sobti said any negligence in the evaluation process would not be tolerated. “The examination and evaluation process must be considered sacrosanct since the students put in a year of hard work. Action will be taken against those who create hindrance in the process,” said Sobti via Director Public Relations, PU. Although a committee has been recommended by the Controller of Examination (COE) to visit the college and review the case, the University is yet to take action against the student. “Both COE, and PU registrar Prof SS Bari assured justice to the teacher who received serious head injuries after the attack. But the police is mum on the issue after an anticipatory bail was sought by the student. A strict action by the University is the only hope for teachers. If the University fails in its task, we would not hesitate to boycott evaluation of answersheets,” said Iqbal Singh Sandhu, president, PCCTU. Following the incident at Talwara, several teachers had boycotted the evaluation at Dasua centre for over an hour a few days back. Subsequently, the PU registrar wrote a letter to the local Superintendent Police (Hoshiarpur) on May 18, following which the teachers have now resumed work. “Whatever action the committee recommends, it would be seriously considered and acted upon. As per rules of the University, a strict possible punishment would be awarded after a report is submitted by the committee,” said PU registrar.
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Pension Dues
Chandigarh, May 25 Virtually passing strictures on the bank, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: The appellant bank appears to be acting unreasonably towards its employee. An employee, who had served the bank for 25 years with honesty and sincerity is still fighting for the grant of his rightful dues of pension in terms of the scheme itself introduced by the bank. “Having failed before two layers of judicial hierarchy, the bank has come up before this court. A poor employee is no match before the financial might of the bank and will have to stretch his resources to defend this onslaught.” Going into the background of the matter, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted the employee, an ex-serviceman, was serving the bank as an armed guard and retired on June 30, 1986. All employees retiring after January 1, 1986, were held eligible for a pension scheme. The employee, Resham Singh, was also given an option, provided he was “ready to deposit the contributory fund with interest”. Even though he submitted representations, he was not granted pension, compelling him to move the court. As the matter reached the high court, Justice Ranjit Singh ruled: “As it would emerge from the pleadings, there is no serious dispute about the right of Resham Singh to get the pension…. Can the right to pension be defeated merely on technical pleas, which can be termed specious in nature? It was found as a matter of fact that the bank had not informed Resham Singh to deposit the contributory fund along with interest within seven days of the receipt of intimation. The plea is that he was so told orally…. The right to pension cannot be defeated on these technical pleas.
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PCS exams: Age limit for govt employees relaxed to 45 years
Chandigarh, May 25 The Division Bench of Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Alok Singh issued the directions after advocate HC Arora produced the copies of noting sheets in this regard obtained under the provisions of Right to Information Act. Referring to the noting sheets dated November 9, 2008, he said a decision was taken by the state Government that the
“upper age limit may be relaxed in the case of persons already in the employment of Punjab
Government or other state Government or the Government of India and in the case of persons appointed on ad hoc basis and who are later retrenched after having rendered continuous
service for a period of not less than six months under the Punjab Government, to the extent
the period of their service rendered under the Government, subject to a maximum of 45 years
of age”.
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Man preparing ‘fake’ PSEB certificates held
Ferozepur, May 25 Sources said three fake certificates and one that he had sold in the recent past had been recovered from him. Baljit, who owned a big chunk of agricultural land, joined this illegal business about six months ago. He had been contacting the needy people for certificates himself. The accused was being helped in his business allegedly by an official of the rank of an assistant working in the office of the PSEB, Mohali. Sources said certificates recovered from his possession were prepared in such a manner that it was not easy to detect whether they were fake or genuine. However, during questioning, the accused claimed that he had not prepared these certificates. He added that he had been fetching these certificates from an official of the board at the rate of Rs 10,000 per certificate and subsequently would sell the same at Rs 14,000 per certificate. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 of the IPC has been registered against him at the Zira police station. The official of the PSEB, who was also allegedly involved in this racket, was yet to be arrested. Baljit has been remanded in police custody till May 27.
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Patiala, May 25
Chandigarh, May 25
Abohar, May 25
