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Batala foundries in a shambles PTU fee waiver scheme gets good response Docs prescribing costly drugs: PHSC chief 66-kv substation inaugurated |
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Batala foundries in a shambles People in the know tout the abolition of the freight equalisation policy by the NDA government as a big factor in the closure of foundries, forcing industrialists to siphon off their money to safer places like Ludhiana, Faridabad, Agra, Secunderabad and even cities in south India. Freight equalisation policy was adopted in 1948 by the Central Government to facilitate the equal growth of industry all over the country. This meant a factory could be set up anywhere in India and the transportation of minerals would be subsidised by the Central Government. The policy resulted in the growth of heavy and middle-level industry in the post-Independence years, outside the mineral-rich regions of the country. The coastal states of Maharsahtra and Gujarat became the greatest beneficiaries and so were Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. Foundry owners interested in setting up plants anywhere in the country would get pig iron, coal, iron ore, aluminum and coke at the same price as they used to get in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chattisgarh or Orissa. Rakesh Goel, President of the Association of Batala Small Industries, said, “The utter negligence on the part of both the state and Central governments was enough to kill the industry here. Then came militancy. And now the abolition of freight equalisation policy has come as the last nail in the coffin. Actually, the abolition of this policy has put the industrialists of the region at a great loss financially, as compared to their counterparts in other parts of the country.” Adds Bharat Bhushan, a foundry owner and Secretary of the Batala Small Industries Association, “Batala was one of the biggest manufacturers of cast iron and machine tools. The machinery produced here was of a very high quality. There was a time when 750 cast iron and nearly 1,300 machine tool manufacturing units used to function in Batala.” However, militancy and the abolition of the freight equalisation policy have ensured that just 25 per cent of the units are operational. Famous units, which had earned a name and respect in the country, but have closed down are Khalsa Foundry, Macro Foundry, Agriculture Industries, Janaki Steel Rolling Mills, Kumar Engineering, Sarabjot Machine Tools, Hind Foundry and Neelam Iron Foundry.” Foundry owners have come up with numerous plans to revive the foundry industry on many occasions but nobody seems to listen to them. “If this keeps on happening, lights will go out on the remaining foundries once and for all, leaving thousands of people without work,” remarked Vijay Chanday of Avia Foundry. Gurdaspur Member Parliament Partap Singh Bajwa says he is doing his best to revive the fortunes of the beleaguered foundries. He added that he will be taking a delegation of industrialists to Delhi, where he will set up meetings with the Prime Minister, the industries minister and the railway minister to ensure that the decision on the abolition of freight equalisation policy is taken back as soon as possible. |
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PTU fee waiver scheme gets good response Jalandhar, July 10 The university authorities claimed that they had been flooded with queries with regard to the scheme. The online registration would continue till July 16 and manual counselling would start from July 19. Since 10 per cent additional seats to that filled in the last year are being given to each college, nearly 2,400 students are likely to benefit out of it. The university has already displayed a detailed streamwise matrix of the seats to be filled under the scheme in each college on the website. The PTU seat matrix mentions that there are five government colleges, one aided college and five private colleges where AICTE approval for additional seats is already in place. But there are 70 private colleges for which approval is yet to come. Dean Students Affairs Dr Anirudh Partap Singh said that the a blanket approval for additional seats in 70 colleges had already been asked for from AICTE in the month of May and it was likely to come anytime now. While PTU did not play any major role in ensuring the implementation of the Punjab Government scheme which started about three years ago, it has rather been following a pro-active approach this year. The approach has changed ever since Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar has shown his seriousness over the matter and made certain amendments to the fresh notification after holding meetings with the private college authorities. According to the updated notification, the candidates who have already taken admission will also be able to apply under the scheme but they will not be able to change the college. The college, in turn, will get an extra seat to be filled at its own discretion in lieu of that seat. Under the scheme, 10 per cent of the total seats filled in the previous academic session would be filled with a bifurcation of 50 per cent for women candidates, 33 per cent for economically weaker section and 17 per cent for the physically challenged. Candidates whose parents have an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh per annum from all sources are also eligible to apply. |
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Docs prescribing costly drugs: PHSC chief Jalandhar, July 10 Thiara, who yesterday conducted a surprise inspection at the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, said due to the prevailing culture, patients are forced to get expensive drugs from chemist shops instead of Janaushadhi stores. He said to provide rapid and quality care to patients suffering from kidney diseases, the corporation had decided to install dialysis machines in
all major government hospitals of the state. Specialist doctors and nurses will be recruited to overcome staff shortage in all the three recently established trauma centres of the state, he added. He also promised that
supply of medicines would be enhanced. |
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66-kv substation inaugurated Pathankot, July 10 Kalia said power shortage in the state would be met with the setting up of more projects in the years to come. He also appealed to the people not to indulge in electricity theft. The local Bodies Minister thanked sarpanch Tarsem Lal for donating his land for the construction of grid
substation. |
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Batala, July 10