Jalandhar, December 3
Long queues of trucks at the excise and taxation barriers in Punjab will be a thing of the past with the introduction of ‘virtual barriers’ where the truckers and traders will attest self-generated forms to pay their taxes.

At present, it takes three to five hours for a trucker or consignee to get the needful entries done manually at the 36 barriers across the state, leading to huge losses in terms of fuel and time, not to mention harassment. Every day, 30,000-40,000 manual entries are recorded by data entry operators at these barriers.

A Venu Prasad, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, who was in the city to meet entrepreneurs today, said bulk customers like couriers, cement and petroleum companies were already availing of the scheme for the past fortnight and the results were excellent. This would be made mandatory for all big firms from December 31 and no manual entries would be made for them after this date, he added.

He said big companies were already submitting detailed computerised bills to them and they just had to download and fill the VAT 35-36 forms and attach them with their statements. These bills would be stamped at the tax barriers and the whole exercise would be over in just minutes, he added.

As of today, 1,200 big companies had reaped the benefits of the scheme today itself. There were 1.90 lakh registered dealers in Punjab and one could imagine the merits of the project in terms of time and efforts saved. Moreover, it would also result in less clerical errors, he pointed out.

Commenting on tax collection, he said they had set a target of Rs 11,000 crore as compared to just Rs 5,000 crore the previous year. To prevent leakage of taxes, more mobile wings would be stationed across the state once ‘virtual barriers’ were in place by January 2012, he revealed.

On VAT refunds, he said Rs 1,100 crore had been cleared and there was a pendency of just Rs 260 crore. This was on account of discrepancy in accounts or statements submitted by the dealers when compared with those of the department. They were also in the process of deploying more staff to clear the backlog at the earliest, he said.

On the imposition of the General Sales Tax (GST) regime across the country, he said several states, including Punjab, were opposing it since they stood to lose taxes on foodgrains and other agricultural products. “Though the Centre had assured us of compensating this loss, we want that it should be linked to the MSP, productivity and inflation among other parameters,” he said.

Punjab earns between Rs 1,400-1,600 crore in taxes from foodgrain purchase alone which is meant for other states in the country, he added.

Hoshiarpur, December 3
The Kandi belt has been losing its forest cover gradually for the past many years, courtesy the Punjab government that has allegedly turned a blind eye to the politician-bureaucrat-businessman mafia. The mafia is virtually wreaking havoc with the ecology of this sub-mountainous region of the state.

Conversion of forest land for agricultural use on a large scale has significantly reduced the forest cover in the Kandi belt that contributes a major share to the state’s green area. The massive land conversion is being done here in violation of the Indian Forest Act and the Punjab Land Preservation Act allegedly in connivance with the foresters. Moreover, illegal felling on a large scale and construction of sprawling farmhouses is being done in violation of the norms.

Sinking of deep borewells for irrigation purpose by farmhouse owners and landlords has further worsened the power pangs in the belt. he high-capacity submersible pumps installed at these farmhouses and in agricultural fields have been affecting domestic power supply adversely, thus putting villagers to great hardship.

A visit by the TNS to more than a dozen villages, falling in the Kandi area, of Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr districts found six earth-movers apart from men and machinery pressed in excavation service. The owners of the landholdings were levelling small hillocks to make them cultivable. A major part of the work was going on in and around the forests.

The Forest Department had placed five forest officials, including a divisional forest officer (DFO), Dasuya, under suspension for their alleged connivance with the mafia for excavation work on the forest land in Puhari village in August.

Jagmohan Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer, Powercom, Hoshiarpur, said a majority of the farmhouse owners had installed heavy-duty submersible pumps on their deep bore tube wells, which have created the problem of low voltage in this area particularly.

The Divisional Forest Officer, Dasuya, Surjit Singh Sahota, said the excavation work going on on cultivable land (as per revenue records) was genuine. He, however, said that deployment of machinery on barren and forest land was punishable.

He said the department had called certain suspects (under the Indian Forest Act and for the PLPA violation) to prove their claims with revenue records after The Tribune brought the issue to light. 

Chandigarh,December 3
Putting to rest contrary reports about the “disturbed area” status of Punjab, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has clarified that no part of the state is currently a disturbed area.

“It may be informed that as per available information, the whole of Punjab or certain revenue districts of Punjab were declared as disturbed areas at different times depending upon the prevailing law and order situation.The notifications were issued by the state government and such notifications were issued on the basis of the prevailing law and order situation, including the situation created by militancy.The denotification has also been done by the state government,” the MHA 
says in response to an RTI application filed by Dr Jasdeepak Singh, general secretary of the doctors’ cell of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

The MHA clarification, Dr Jasdeepak Singh claimed, should put to rest the conflicting media reports about the “disturbed area’ status of Punjab. These reports had done a lot of damage to tourism and industry in the state, he alleged.

The state government’s stand on the issue has always been ambivalent. In fact, several prominent Sikh leaders,including Union Minister for Sports MS Gill, Amritsar MP Navjot Sidhu and former Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh had earlier raised the issue at the central and state levels.

In fact, several Sikh leaders wondered if Punjab was not a disturbed area, then why visas were being denied to certain visitors, including poets, from Pakistan to Punjab.

Moreover, there was a “black list” of Sikh leaders, who were being denied a visa to visit Punjab by various embassies on the plea that the state was a “disturbed area”.

Meanwhile, Dr Jasdeepak Singh claimed there was no need for the Punjab Special Security Group Bill, 2010, in the backdrop of the MHA’s clarification. The Punjab Government’s claims of threat perceptions from across border as justification for the passage of the Bill are “ill-founded” as there had always been threats from across the border in the past 63 years, he asserted. 

Chandigarh, December 3
The SAD-BJP government is betting on the completion of the Bathinda refinery to bolster its development plank in the coming Assembly elections and has decided to showcase the refinery at a pre-launch function on December 11.

The government has scheduled a programme to “sensitise” the media about the achievement. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal will make a presentation on the refinery at the function.

In an interaction here today, the Deputy CM said the refinery was an apt example of the determinaton of his government to undertake groundbreaking projects at all costs.

“The Congress government stopped the project but we not only got it going again but have managed to coax its promoters, HMEL Limited, to complete the project ahead of schedule”. Sukhbir said the refinery would start functioning in February and start running to full capacity by September 2011.

He said nearly 30,000 people were working in shifts round the clock to make this happen.

Earlier refinery chief executing officer Prabh Dass briefed the Deputy CM on the refinery stating 92 per cent of the work had already been completed. Dass said the 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) refinery had a 165-megawatt captive power plant and that a 1,009 km long pipeline from Mundra to Bathinda was near completion. The refinery, which is being set up at the cost of Rs 18,919 crore, would produce LPG, petrol, diesel, ATF, coke, food grade hexane, mineral turpentine oil and polypropylene.

The Deputy CM said the refinery would have a propelling effect in attracting industrial investment, especially in downstream industries like fertilisers and other allied industries. Sources said some companies had already submitted proposals in this regard and that a cluster of industries would come up near the refinery.

Sukhbir said besides this, the government would be showcasing other development works in the months to come.

He said power plants worth Rs 20,000 crore were coming up in the state.

The Deputy CM said similarly work would start on Bathinda airport on December 20 and that the Mohali terminal of Chandigarh International Airport was also progressing steadily towards completion. 

Batala, December 3
Factionalism came to the fore when two groups of the Congress today exchanged blows during the roadshow of state Youth Congress president Ravneet Bittu.

Former MLA Ashwani Sekhri and his supporters welcomed Bittu and later the former along with Bittu started the yatra.

The trouble started at Puli, where Sekhri's opponents, former Youth Congress president Manjeet Singh Hanspal and city Congress president Kasturi Lal Seth, had organised a function to welcome Bittu.

Welcoming the Youth Congress president on stage, Hanspal and Youth Congress workers started shouting slogans in favour of Bittu much to the dismay of Sekhri's supporters.

Sekhri tried to move away from the venue along with Bittu, but Hanspal supporters started raising slogans against Sekhri, which turned into a verbal dispute between the two leaders.

It soon turned out into a free-for-all between the supporters of these two leaders.

Demanding action against Sekhri, Hanspal alleged that the former MLA was promoting nepotism in the party. He said he would bring the matter to the knowledge of the party high command. — PTI 

Patiala, December 3
Former Punjab Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh has shot off a letter to Akal Takht Sahib Giani Jathedar Gurbhachan Singh seeking punitive action, as per the code of conduct of the Sikh religion, against the SAD president and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, for allowing to put up BJP and Akali party flags in a large number, in the holy precincts of the Gurdwara Dukhnivaran Sahib, during Sukhbir’s recent party meeting held at the gurdwara on November 29.

In his letter, Bir Devinder, who had recently quit the SAD, said the holy precincts of the gurdwara can only be used for religious congregations for preaching spiritual discourses, that too strictly, in consonance with the Sikh ethos and thought as enshrined by the Sikh Gurus and by the Shabad Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

“Though Sukhbir has already politicised all gurdwaras under the SGPC control, this recent act of putting up of BJP party flags in the Gurdwara Dukhnivaran Sahib has started the process of safronisation of the historic gurdwaras for achieving their parochial political ends,” he alleged in the letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune.

Devinder further said this was certainly an act of “sacrilege” of the Gurdwara. Interestingly, when The Tribune lensman went to click the photographs of Akali hoardings and flags of the SAD-BJP, the gurdwara sewadar immediately started removing them. Meanwhile, Bir Devinder claimed that the alleged misuse of the sanctorum of this historic Gurdwara Dukhnivaran Sahib by the Akalis, under the leadership of Sukhbir, has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community.

“It is a matter of shame that many members of the SGPC from Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, including former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, were present during Sukhbir’s meeting on November 29 and but no one dared to objected to this and hence they should also be punished accordingly,” urged Devinder.

Devinder has urged the Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Gurbhachan Singh to direct the SGPC to get the SAD/BJP flags removed from the gurdwara premises, besides summoning Sukhbir to the Sri Akal Takht Sahib. 

Padhri Kalan (Tarn Taran), December 3
At a time when agriculture is no more economically viable for a large section of farmers and youth are falling prey to the drug menace in rural areas, a major unit for agriculture and allied professions, started with Israeli technology over 65 acres here, is in a state of disused for many years.

The project was set up by the previous SAD government (1997-2002) at Padhri Kalan in Tarn Taran as well as in Kaljharani village, near Bathinda, in the late 1990s as an experiment on integrated rural development and self-employment. It was dubbed first-of-its-kind self-employment centre in the state.

The project had various features like dairy farming, fish farming, bee keeping, orchards and drip irrigation, besides a vocational training centre for women. Each project was allocated a specific area on which villagers worked on assigned projects. Dairy farming was promoted with an Israeli technique in 12 cowsheds raised under the scheme while 3 acres was allocated for fish farming.

Similarly, orchards with guava and pear trees having the drip irrigation facility were spread over 9 acres. The government had also raised a building to open a bank apart from about 12 shops. However, the project could not sustain for long.

Nirmal Singh, a farmer from the village, laments: “Fish farming could never take off and the land allotted for it is now of no use. Submersible pumps and motors installed at cowsheds were taken away by those who occupied them during the project’s initial days. Some of the sheds are now illegally occupied by villagers. People did not even spare doors and windows of the vocational training centre for women. The deserted building is now a safe haven for drug addicts.”

Another villager Mangal Singh said budding entrepreneurs had also purchased shops in the area, but it did not turn out to be economically viable. A building meant for the bank facility never housed a bank and was today used for dumping fodder.

Jagir Singh, a farmer, rued that many of those who opted for dairy farming or shops had started the venture with loans but ended up as defaulters.

The village panchayat also suffered heavy losses as the fertile land was handed over to the authorities for the project. The land used to fetch about Rs 6 lakh annually to the panchayat. The government had spent around Rs 2 crore on the project. Some villagers attribute the failure of the project to lack of motivation and interest among the government agencies concerned and the entrepreneurs who became a part of it. The only area functional in the project is the Grain Market and the veterinary dispensary, though these too don’t have proper approach road.

Zira (Ferozepur), December 3
The subdivision, known as the paddy bowl of Ferozepur border district, seems to have come under a threat again as a section of the landlords have received letters from suspected activists of different wings of an underground Naxalite organisation, asking them to fund them for achieving their goals.

In the past about one year, three active members of different outfits subscribing to Naxal ideology, namely Harnek Singh, Dilbagh Singh and Harbans Singh have been arrested in the district. Harnek Singh was arrested with a .32-bore revolver. Harbans Singh, who belonged to Gurdaspur, was working in a workshop in Ferozepur town under the name of Jai Parkash Dubey.

What is worrying the local police authorities this time is the fact that one of the recipients of these letters has been cautioned that if he failed to fulfil their (Naxalites’) demand, he would have to face dire consequences.

The other factor that has become a cause for concern is that unidentified Naxal activists have sent letters to landlords this time instead of businessmen as in May 2010.

It is learnt that landlords who had received letters belonged to Saner and Sukhewala villages of the subdivision. Most of these landlords own landholdings ranging from 15 to 25 acres.

On some of the letters, ‘Lal Jhanda’ was written. On certain letters, ‘Maowadi Party Zindabad’ had been written. One of the letters was written in Punjabi and Hindi. Another letter was hand written and typed as well. Almost all letters had been sent to the landlords in postal envelopes.

In the letter, it was mentioned that the country was facing rampant corruption, looting, rapes, atrocities and harassment at the hands of officials. The youths got lathis instead of getting employment. ‘Lal Jhanda’ was trying to get rid of it and hence every recipient must pay Rs 5 lakh to fund the party.

Kaustab Sharma, SSP, said it was being verified whether such letters had been written to the recipients by unknown persons due to some personal enmity or by activists of underground organisations of Maoists.

He said a case in this connection had been registered at Zira police station. Police officials had also been asked to question Dilbagh Singh, who was arrested from this area a few months ago, to find some clue in this regard.

Meanwhile, the local police authorities have been trying to cultivate informers in rural areas to know whether migrant labourers, who have been working in the agriculture sector in this area, are involved in this case or not. 

Ludhiana, December 3
The country’s only agricultural university, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), which helped the state become the Food Bowl of India, today came in for a sharp criticism from environmentalists at the Kisan Swaraj Yatra here.

Experts slammed the university for lacking the vision and being unable to help state farmers out of the agricultural crisis. Activists even raised slogans against the university and demanded its closure. After the sloganeering, a noted poet and a Professor in PAU, Surjit Patar, walked out of the rally.

Environmentalist Kavitha Kuruganti, who is leading a crusade against the use of pesticides in farming, said the university lacked foresight.

Rather than initiating projects in collaboration with pesticide manufacturing companies, it should encourage farmers to opt for organic farming. She was followed by other environmentalists, Umendra Dutt and Inderjeet Kaur. Kavitha also advocated the need of a kisan income commission to uplift the standard of farmers. “Why farmers will opt for organic farming in the absence of government support?” she asked.

Umendra Dutt demanded that the government should rethink its approach towards agriculture and farmers’ livelihood. “It should be driven by the realisation that the nation’s food security and the rural economy depend on making agriculture profitable for all farmers. The farmer should be self-reliant. The government should improve soil fertility,” said Umendra Dutt.

Expressing her agendas, Kavitha said the use of agricultural resources like seed, land and water should be banned for the benefit of business corporations.

Jalandhar, December 3
The Lok Bhalai Party president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia today urged the Union and Punjab Governments to act fast to bring back about 50 youths trapped in Bahrain and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Ramoowalia, who came here along with the parents and other members of the family of most of the youth trapped in both the places, said both the governments should also arrest the travel agents who sent the youth to Bahrain and Riyadh. He said a Chandigarh-based travelling agent had sent 12 youths to Bahrain.

“Now all these youths have sent letters home narrating their tale of woes. They have stated that how the companies, which had engaged them for some work, had gone back on the written agreements signed with them,” he said.

Among the youths facing trouble in Baharain include Amandeep Singh, Vikram Singh, Harsimerjit Sing, Lakhvir Singh, Mandeep Singh, Amardeep, Ravi Kumar and Sukhwant Singh.

“It is unfortunate that neither the Union Government nor the Punjab Government have clarified their policy on travelling agents, who were looting youth and making them suffer in various countries,” said Ramoowalia. 

Patiala, December 3
Making it clear that they will not buckle under the pressure of the management of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and the Punjab Government, hundreds of protesting unemployed linemen demanding jobs in the corporation have announced to intensify their agitation in the coming days.

“We were assured that on October 27, as many as 5,000 unemployed linemen would be recruited on a contract basis at a lump sum salary of Rs 10,000, per month, within 10 days, but so far nothing has been done,” said union representatives Jagdeep Singh Bajwa and Jaswinder Singh.

Meanwhile, the chain hunger strike by protesting union members today entered the eighth day.

As per information, union members have staged a protest dharna outside the headquarters of the PSPCL office and are not ready to lift the dharna until their demands are accepted. “Even after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal issued instructions to recruit 5,000 linemen within 10 days, the orders by the PSPCL management have not been complied with”, said Bhola Singh, treasurer of the union.

The union members stated that now, they have called a meeting to chalk out future course of strategy on December 5 in Jalandhar.

“One thing is clear that our union is committed to get its demands fulfilled. We are ready for a do-or-die situation and would not allow the government and the power corporation management to further befool us by giving us false assurances,” said Rajinder Singh, another union representative.

The union leaders announced that they are all prepared to intensify the ongoing agitation, in case they fail to get any positive response from the government soon.

Amritsar, December 3
The Punjab Government plans to introduce changes in the syllabi of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB).

A 21-member advisory board is proposed to be constituted to introduce changes in the present syllabi at the elementary, secondary and senior secondary levels.

Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, while presiding over the concluding day of the 39th State Science Exhibition here today, said the advisory board members would be from the field of education at different levels. Amendments would be made in the pattern of studies.

“The 21 members, who have vast experience at the elementary and higher education levels have already been shortlisted, and the notification regarding this board would be made shortly,” he said.

While ensuring a prime position to the subject of Punjabi in the proposed new syllabi, the minister said due attention would be given to the language.

About vacant posts in state schools, the minister said nearly 11,000 teachers would soon be recruited for elementary and secondary classes under the Sarv Shikhiya Abhiyan programme.

While reacting to the news item “Teachers, kids pay expenses in absence of funds”, published in these columns yesterday, about the ill-treatment meted out to schoolchildren participating in the state science exhibition, the minister said that such a lapse would be avoided in future.

Nabha, December 3
Santokh Singh, a marginal farmer of Chhintanwala village, 11 km from here, died under mysterious circumstances at his home today. He was under debt and his family alleged that the pressure from commission agents compelled him to commit “suicide”.

According to family sources, Santokh Singh and his three brothers were small farmers of Chhintanwala village and they have three acres of land. They used to sell their produce through a Nabha-based commission agent. Gurcharn Singh, a brother of the deceased said they had taken a loan for Rs 2 lakh from commission agents and each brother had to return Rs 49,000 to them. He added the commission agents had taken away Santokh Singh’s two buffaloes worth Rs 30,000 and he had to return Rs 19,000 only to them.

He said the commission agents pressurised Santokh Singh to get his land registered in their names and he did so. But on November 22, they threatened Santokh Singh at the cattle fair that they were going to take possession of his land and nobody could stop them.

This disturbed Santokh Singh and he committed “suicide”.

The families of the commission agents fled from the town after locking their house. About 50 villagers held a demonstration in front of Nabha police station. Harbhajan Singh, SHO, said he had registered a case under Section 174, IPC, and that Santokh Singh’s body had been sent for postmortem.