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Petroleum dealers put off strike
Cement containing fly ash can cause lung cancer: Scientists
Millers reject new paddy policy
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Soon, NRIs will be able to access land records online
Death
due to Negligence
Make Indo-Pak border peaceful: Badal
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal releases the book “Economic Cooperation and Linkages Between Two Punjabs: Way Ahead”
at Chandigarh on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
Jobless linemen cane-charged at SAD conference
District Status for Abohar
Cultivation of Paddy
Avinash Rai Khanna, MP, addresses inmates and staff members of the Central Jail, Amritsar, on Saturday. Photo: Vishal Kumar
RTI activists rue delay in getting info
CIC urged to protect RTI activist
Farmers’ leaders to meet today
‘Methods of administration of justice differ in India, Germany’
Pbi varsity to host seminar on diaspora literature
Vets’ Demand for NPA
Ex-Addl AG Daljit Rajput bereaved
Ex Parte Award to Contractor
Custodial Death Case
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Petroleum dealers put off strike
Ludhiana, September 18 Spokesperson of FAIPT Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal while talking to The Tribune said the minister had appealed to the dealers to withdraw the strike considering the upcoming Commonwealth Games and promised to consider their demands sympathetically. “We have decided to defer the strike. We will reconsider it after the games,” Grewal said. They had announced to go on an indefinite strike from September 20 stating that despite their hard struggle they had failed to convince the government to raise commission to five per cent of the invoice value instead of two per cent per litre given at present. At present, petrol pump dealers get a commission of 73 paise per litre on diesel and Rs 1.14 per litre on petrol. Petroleum dealers putting forward their point said a lot of petrol was lost in evaporation in petrol pumps, as a result, petrol pump dealers get only 50 per cent commission and they pay minimum wages, power tariffs and bank charges out of the remaining amount. He further said in the present times when the rates of every commodity is sky rocketing, it had become impossible to continue with the same percentage. “The percentage of the commission had been two per cent from the past many years. Many petrol pumps have also faced closure,” he said. “Some petrol pumps were allotted to Kargil martyrs. These families have failed to sustain the business and have shut down the pumps as they are not generating profit any more,” Grewal added.
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Cement containing fly ash can cause lung cancer: Scientists
Jalandhar, September 18 The scientists have analysed that this cement contained radioactive radium, thorium and potassium. They have claimed that during the process of decaying, radioactive radium releases a gas called radon which could be inhaled. They said a higher volume of the gas breathed in by sitting for a longer period within the confines of home or workplace could prove dangerous. The team has rather suggested the government to replace thermal power plants with nuclear power plants. They have opined that the disposal of nuclear waste is far more easier to handle because of less radioactivity in it than fly ash. Dr Rohit Mehra, assistant professor of the Department of Physics, NIT, and his team have recently conducted a study on the “Comparison of natural radioactivity levels in OPC and PPC cements of various companies”. The OPC is the Ordinary Portland Cement, which does not contain any fly ash and is being used only by government departments like the CPWD and the BRO. The PPC is the commercially available Poslanic Portland Cement with fly ash content varying from 15 to 35 per cent. Fly ash is replaced by clay as strengthening agent, thereby solving the dumping problem. The physicists collected the OPC and the PPC samples of five cement companies, including JK, Jay Pee, Shree Ultra, JK Laxmi and Binani. All samples were analysed for the measurement of radioactive radium, thorium and potassium. The analysis was done using the high-resolution gamma spectrometry system available at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. The study said the samples of radioactive content was higher in case of the PPC than the OPC. They also found that the radioactive exposure was highest in case of the JayPee cement and least in the case of the JK Laxmi cement. Dr Mehra said the team had planned to extend the study for measurement of building materials like granite, marble and bricks. The team had been taking a keen interest in the Pusham area in Bhiwani district of Haryana where people have been falling sick because of higher content of granatic rock.
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Millers reject new paddy policy
Jalandhar, September 18 Office bearers of the association’s Jalandhar and Ropar divisions met here today to discuss the new rice policy. “It is not acceptable to us in its existing form,” said Jaipal Goyal, a spokesperson of the association. Finding several faults in the new policy, he said it was completely loaded against the rice millers and had been framed with a mind to punish them (the rice millers). “Neither we will allow the stacking of paddy in the premises our mills, nor we will do milling. If the government can do it itself, let it do it,” said Goyal. Under the new policy, the state government has issued directive that the millers would have to complete the paddy-milling process by March 31 and deposit the rice in the central pool accordingly. Interest on the value of the pending paddy would be charged from the defaulting millers in this regard. Goyal said the state government’s March 31 deadline was illogical because there would be no space available with the FCI to stack the new rice. “If one goes by March 31 deadline, the FCI will have to make space available to stack 99 lakh tonne of rice by that date. However, the FCI will be having roofed space to stack only 25 lakh tonne of rice,” said Goyal, adding that there was also no adequate technical staff available with the FCI to accept rice. Already about 19 lakh tonne rice prepared during the just ended paddy season was lying with millers.
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Soon, NRIs will be able to access land records online
Patiala, September 18 “It is really cumbersome for the NRIs to get the details of their land records, but now the process of computerisation of all 156 tehsils and sub-tehsils of Punjab is underway. So far, 56 tehsils and sub-tehsils have been computerised and the rest would be made fully computerised by March 31 next year,” he said. Speaking to The Tribune after inaugurating the Kisan Mela organised by the Young Farmers Association in coordination with the Agriculture Department at Rakhra village, here today, Kohar said, “Once the computerisation process is over, we will immediately start the project for providing online land records and the project is likely to be completed by mid 2011”. He added that in order to make the process simple, the powers to give the copy of ‘Fard’ (revenue sheet) had been bestowed with the employees lower than the rank of patwari. “However, the authority to attest the Fard will remain with patwari only,” he said, adding that now tehsildars had been empowered to make changes in the Fard, as earlier, such powers were with the SDM only. “In order to provide speedy services to the masses, we have decided on the project and directions have been issued. After the land registry is executed, the copy of the same can be procured the very next day. Also, for subsequent demand for the copy of the land registry, the applicant has to pay a fee of Rs 20 per page,” he added.
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Two docs ordered to pay Rs 1 lakh compensation
Chitleen K Sethi Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 18 Holding two government doctors guilty of gross negligence, the commission has ordered that the compensation amount be paid equally by the two to the father of the deceased patient. The patient, a 19-year-old boy, Atesh Chawla, had allegedly died due to the negligence of Dr Rakesh Arora and Dr Baldev Raj while they were posted in the Civil Hospital, Abohar. Atesh had met with an accident on November 2005 and sustained an injury on his leg. In his complaint to the PSHRC, Atesh’s father, Kewal Krishan, stated that Atesh was taken to the Civil Hospital at Abohar where Dr Rakesh Arora, an orthopeadician, was on emergency duty. He further told the commission members that his son was fully conscious and was talking. Several relatives of the family were also present in the hospital. Dr Arora told them that the boy was all right but had suffered multiple fractures in one leg. Dr Baldev Raj, who is a general surgeon, was also called to the hospital. Atesh was bleeding profusely but Dr Arora and Dr Baldev Raj allegedly wasted three hours in wrapping a bandage on the wound due to which his condition deteriorated. The doctors then went away after referring the patient to another hospital. The family took Atesh to a private hospital where despite the efforts made by the doctor, they could not save the boy. Taking up the complaint filed by Kewal Krishan in 2005, the commission initially entrusted an inquiry into the incident to the Director, Health Services, Punjab. The DHS gave his report in October 2006 which was not accepted by the commission. Another inquiry was marked to the ADGP (IVC) who gave his report in March 2009. Giving its final orders in the case yesterday a Bench of the commission comprising Justice Baldev Singh, L.R. Roojam and K.K. Bhatnagar stated, “The commission has considered the entirety of the matter and is of the view that due to their (the doctors) laxity, the injured died due to profuse bleeding which they could not control. It was their faux pas to refer him to the Medical College and Hospital, Amritsar, when he was in a precarious condition and was not capable of being taken to such a distant hospital. It was sting in the tail. All the equipment, devices and medicines were available in the Civil Hospital, Abohar. The injured did not also require any immediate surgical operation. Lack of interest on the part of both these doctors reflects their tainted conduct.” The case will come up for consideration of action taken report on December 2, 2010.
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Make Indo-Pak border peaceful: Badal
Chandigarh, September 18 Delivering his inaugural address at an interactive session on “Infrastructure linkages between the two Punjabs” organised by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) here today, Badal said it was, therefore, imperative that linkages, particularly infrastructural, were established between the two Punjabs. He said it was a high time Indian Punjab and Pakistan Punjab should come closer for mutual socio-economic development as these were geographically proximate, culturally integrated and economically interdependent, besides sharing a common language and dialect. Badal called upon economists, academicians, political analysts and Intellectuals to come forward for creating such atmosphere that could further boost the people-to-people contact as a confidence building exercise. He added that developing and strengthening linkages was possible only if India and Pakistan jointly decided to come closer and convert the hot border into a soft border based on common understanding of peace and prosperity in south and central Asia. He said the linkages between the two Punjabs should not in any way be understood as weakening the two independent sovereign countries, but should be looked upon as strengthening both India and Pakistan by bringing them together. Badal also released a book, “Economic Cooperation and Infrastructure Linkages Between two Punjabs : Way Ahead”. Earlier, Director General, RRID, Dr Sucha Singh Gill said India and Pakistan should draw a lesson from the experience of European countries, which joined hands with their erstwhile enemies to from the European Union to reap benefits of a common market, avoiding expenditure on defence and involving a common strategy for inter-country projects and problems. He also emphasised the need for direct trade between India and Pakistan, which was now taking place via Dubai, to avoid indirect costs, including transport expenses. CRRID principal adviser PS Sahai, Prof Bhupinder Singh Brar and Prof RP Bambah spoke about the scope of infrastructural linkages between the two Punjabs to give a fillip to trade and commerce activities in the region.
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Jobless linemen cane-charged at SAD conference
Khadoor Sahib (Tarn Taran), September 18 The workers started shouting slogans in favour of their demand to release advertisement to recruit them. They started protesting when Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat, Punjab, Ranjit Singh Brahmpura was addressing the conference. The policemen brought them out of the conference site and cane-charged them. The workers later took out a protest march in the town and blocked traffic. Meanwhile, the Congress and the CPI also organised political conferences on the occasion. More than two lakh devotees from different parts of the country came here to express their gratitude to Guru Angad Dev Ji. It was for the first time in the last more than 20 years that SAD patron Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal remained absent from this conference. On the other hand, former Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, too, was absent in his party conference. Minister Brahmpura, while addressing the SAD conference on the occasion highlighted different welfare schemes and said the state government was releasing Rs 12 crore for each Vidhan Sabha constituency for different schemes. Lok Sabha member Rattan Singh Ajnala alleged that the Centre had failed to protect the interests of the Sikhs living in J&K and other states. PPCC president Mohinder Singh Kaypee, while lashing out at the SAD-BJP government, said it had failed on all fronts. Leader of the Opposition in the state Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal condemned the state government for its vindictive attitude towards the Congress workers.
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Bar Assn members stage dharna
Chander Parkash Tribune News Service
Abohar, September 18 Members of the Bar Association, Abohar, today observed strike as they did not attend courts and staged a dharna in front of the office of subdivisional magistrate (SDM) to press the state government to accept their demand of according district status to this subdivision. Different organisations, Bar Association and activists of various political parties have been observing fast on rotation basis for the past over one month in the neighbouring Fazilka town. Rajneet Singh Phore, secretary, Bar Association, Abohar, said it was a formal beginning of agitation, which would be intensified in coming days if the state government failed to accept the demand, which had been hanging fire for the past many decades. He added that various farmers’ organisations, social, educational and business associations had been urged to join the Bar Association in their next agitation. Narinder Garg, president, Bar Association, said when the previous state government could accord district status to Moga, Muktsar and Faridkot after carving the same out of old Ferozepur district, then why the same honour was being denied to Abohar, which was a big town as per population and had got the necessary infrastructure eligible for the district-level status. He added that the Bar Association had already submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in connection with their demands.
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Drip irrigation can ‘check drop in underground water’
Parmod Bharti
Nawanshahr, September 18 This has been proved by an experiment conducted by the District Soil and Water Conservation Department. Giving details, Krishan Duggal, Soil Conservation Officer, told this correspondent that the department motivated two farmers, Ajit Singh Mann of Bheen village and Didar Singh Dhillon of Mahalon village to adopt the drip irrigation system for paddy cultivation in one acre each as an experiment. The Arize 6129 hybrid variety was sown with drill by direct- sowing technique and as many as 35 sprinklers were installed having a capacity of discharging 520 litres of water each for the purpose of irrigation. "After sowing, the first irrigation by using sprinklers was done after two days and approximately just 36,000 litres of water was used and more than 90 per cent germination was recorded," said Duggal, adding that as per the recommendations of the PAU, Ludhiana, 30-35 irrigations of three inches each were needed for the paddy crop. About three lakh litres of water for one irrigation was needed in one acre. But with the sprinkler system, only 60,000 litres of water was used for one irrigation in one acre. Hence, more than 50 per cent irrigation water was saved. Besides, only 90 kg of urea was used. Insecticides and pesticides were also administered through the sprinkler system. Puddling and labour charges were saved besides electricity, said Duggal, adding that at the tillering stage, sprinkler hours were extended to meet the water requirement of the plant and at the fruition stage, one flood irrigation of three inches was given to the crop.
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Jail to have rainwater harvesting facility
Amritsar, September 18 While addressing jail inmates and staff, Khanna cited the importance of recharging underground water keeping in view the depleting water level. He emphasised to save and conserve at least one litre of water every day. “Through a campaign, ‘Save Water Punjab’, we have initiated our bit by spreading awareness about water conservation and utilisation of rainwater through jails, schools and even households. I have visited 11 Punjab jails till date and I would spend MP funds for installing rainwater harvesting plants in the state’s jails,” he said. “Every year, the water level in the state goes down by 1 metre and the civic authorities concerned did not pay due attention to this clarion call. If this continues, the state will soon turn into a desert,” Khanna said. Citing the Central Ground Water Board’s water level graph of the state, he stressed that out of the 138 blocks of Punjab, 84 had already been declared dark zones, which indicated gross water-deprived areas. In 1980, 3,712 villages in the state were spotted as water-deprived, the number increased to 6,287 in 1990, in 2000, the number was 8,518 and in 2006, it shot up to 11,849.
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RTI activists rue delay in getting info
Fatehgarh Sahib, September 18 HC Arora, state president of the RTI Activists Federation, Punjab, said the information seekers were also getting threats and faced pressure tactics. He added that an RTI activist, who had sought information in connection with the encroachment on land of a municipal corporation, not only was threatened a few days ago, but also was pressurised to withdraw his application. He said he had written a letter to the Chief Information Commissioner in this regard, adding that there had been various instances in Punjab wherein information providers devised ways to force applicant to withdraw application. The most adamant were the Revenue Departments, municipal councils and corporations and gram panchayats, besides a few other government departments, he said. Manoj Banda, another frequent information seeker under the RTI, alleged that more than 12 applications filed by him and a few others were pending with the Forest Department, municipal council and a medical college and hospital near Banur for the past few months, but to no avail despite repeated reminders. He said Forest Department officials even refused to inform him about the reason behind the delay, adding that the government and political parties of the state must initiate action for the smooth-seeking of information under the Act.
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CIC urged to protect RTI activist
Chandigarh, September 18 Arora stated that he had received e-mail from RTI activist Mohinder Singh who had sought information from the Patiala Municipal Corporation regarding encroachment on MC’s land. In retaliation, Municipal Commissioner Manjit Singh
Narang, Superintendent JK Sud and Ward No. 8 councillor Surinder Singh Saddo have filed a complaint against him in the Tripri Police Station, Patiala.
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Farmers’ leaders to meet today
Chandigarh, September 18 It is, indeed, unfortunate that divisive self-demolishing forces from within and parochial forces from outside have breached a secular farmers’ movement in a free economy, said former MP and president of All-India Kisan Coordination Committee Bhupinder Singh Mann. Issue of payments of the farm produce, being made through the commission agents for deliberately putting the farmers at the mercy of the neo-moneylenders, and forcible acquisition of lands, which is neither legal nor moral, will also come up for discussions in the meet, said
Bhupinder, holding that diversification of the farming and problems of dairy farmers and milk processors would also be discussed at the day-long convention. Farm leaders maintain that the suicides of debt-ridden farmers are still continuing and issue of deliberate squeeze of toilers goes on adding to their woes. Increasing debt burden is also a matter of serious concern for farm leadership. “Deliberately kept low prices of agriculture produce and high-priced low-quality adulterated inputs benefiting industry at the cost of agriculture, lower educational opportunities, burden of the unfair loans has become unbearable for the farmers,” added
Bhupinder.
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‘Methods of administration of justice differ in India, Germany’
Chandigarh, September 18 His book ‘German-Indian Law - a comparative study’ was recently released in Germany. Chief Criminal Prosecutor at the Regional Court in Frankfurt, Germany, Manfred Stotz released the book. Based on research carried out by
Sandhu, the book contains valuable information on the legal systems, the structure and the functioning of courts in Germany and
India. Sandhu says: “In countries that observe the rule of law, including Germany and India, it naturally follows that justice has to be administered independently and impartially in accordance with the law. But there are startling differences in the methodology adopted for the administration of justice by the two countries.” Elaborating, Sandhu says: “In Germany, the courts look up to a comprehensive system of legal codes, based on legal principles or basic ideas. Each case is decided by comparing the facts of the matter to these principles, not to what other judges have decided earlier.” On the other hand, in India the cases decided by the high courts and the apex court are taken as precedents for adjudicating upon the matters.
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Pbi varsity to host seminar on diaspora literature
Patiala, September 18 The highlight of the seminar would be renowned Canadian scholar and critic Sukhinder, who will express his views on diasporic Canadian Punjabi Literature. Renowned Pakistani writer, scholar and poetess Kishwar Naheed will explore various poles of Urdu poetry in Pakistan. Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Jaspal Singh will be the chief guest while the seminar will be presided over by Punjabi poet Surjeet Patar. Various scholars like Sutinder Singh Noor, Jagbir Singh, Tejwant Singh Maan, Jaswinder Singh and Ratan Singh Dhillon will also share their views during the seminar. “All these scholars are catalysts of change and new experimentalists in literary, cultural and social fields,” said Deepak Manmohan Singh, the director of World Punjabi Centre. He said this seminar would indeed be an interesting and enriching experience, which will provide an opportunity to young writers to showcase their work.
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Finance Dept to give final approval
Our Correspondent
Hoshiarpur, September 18 He had already discussed the issue with the Chief Minister who had also agreed to provide the NPA to the agitating veterinary doctors. Their counterparts of the Health Department had already been getting the NPA. Their case had been sent to the Finance Department for final approval. Talking to mediapersons here this afternoon, Gulzar Singh Ranike appealed to veterinary doctors to shun the path of agitation and perform their duties with dedication and honesty. Referring to the shortage of doctors in the veterinary department, he said 400 veterinary inspectors, 100 doctors and 25 expert doctors in various ailments were being recruited for which the Punjab Subordinate Board had already advertised in a section of the print media. After the said recruitment, there would be no shortage of staff in the department.
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Ex-Addl AG
Daljit Rajput bereaved Moga, September 18 The octogenarian was not feeling well for the past few months. He had retired from the state police services two decades back. The cremation ceremony would be organised at the cremation ground at Nanak Nagri camp area in Moga. MLA Joginder Pal Jain and many other local leaders have condoled the death.
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Ex Parte Award to Contractor Sarbjit Dhaliwal/TNS
Jalandhar, September 18 Passing an order in this regard, Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the CMD to complete the inquiry in six months from the date of the receipt of the certified copy of the court order. A report regarding the action taken against the officials concerned should also be brought to the notice of the court and should be placed on the court record. The HC has questioned that who is responsible for suffering an ex parte award in favour of a contractor before the arbitrator and for not filing objections on time under the relevant section of the Act in the court of the District Judge and the HC. The court has observed: “Is it or not a handiwork of some officials of the appellant who are conniving with the contractor in getting him an undue advantage by way of an ex parte award because on August 29, 2002, the representative of the department had appeared before the arbitrator but did not wait for attending the proceedings, as recorded in the arbitral award, and since then no one appeared before the arbitrator, who had passed the award on April 30, 2003?” The Mukerian Hydel Channel (O and M) division of the corporation at Talwara had filed an appeal in the HC against the order passed by the District Judge, Hoshiarpur, on August 13, 2008, by which the objection field by the appellant under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, against the ex parte arbitral award dated April 30, 2003, were dismissed on the ground of limitation. There was a dispute between the corporation and the contractor in respect of work contract, which was referred to the sole arbitrator for adjudication. After appearing before the arbitrator for a few dates, the corporation officials concerned stopped appearing and the arbitrator carried out ex parte proceedings and announced his award in favour of the contractor.
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Analyse cop’s call details, directs HC
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 18 As the case came up for hearing, the Bench observed Superintendent of Police (women cell) PS Khaira had filed an affidavit giving details of the calls made from the mobile and its location. The Bench asked the officer to analyse the details and give a specific conclusion whether the allegations of issuing threatening calls to the victim’s family were correct. The amicus curiae in the case was also asked to place on record the details of the judicial inquiry against Gurmukh Singh. Roor Singh of Nurpur Jattan village had died in the Dhilwan police station in Kapurthala district allegedly due to poisoning during his illegal detention on September 4 and 5, 2009. After the incident, the irate villagers had also blocked the NH-1 demanding immediate action against the guilty police officials. The arrest was made allegedly for possessing over Rs 92, 000 in fake currency. Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira, representing Bholath state Assembly constituency, had alleged the accused were being shielded by the district administration at behest of the Badal-led ruling Shiromani Akali Dal.
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Chandigarh, September 18
