Chandigarh, December 11
Distilleries and bottling plants in Punjab are getting cameras as “gifts” from the Excise Department this New Year. The “gifts”, for which the establishments have to pay themselves, are apparently for their own good. The department wants a foolproof method to record the movement of trucks and liquor in and out of the distilleries and installation of CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras seems to be the only way out.

CCTV cameras are expected to be in place at all 10 distilleries and 13 bottling plants in the state by January 1. They will be monitored from the Excise and Taxation Commissioner’s office at Patiala.

According to sources, the move, which had attracted some opposition from distillery owners, is expected to bring in much-needed efficiency in excise collection. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal told TNS that this would end tax evasion, if any, and also give a first-hand account of distillery operations to the Excise Department.

Excise and Taxation Commissioner A Venu Prasad says it is difficult to monitor all distilleries and bottling plants by posting officials at the spot.

Besides CCTV cameras, the department is also bringing in intaglio labels as well as holograms. The Excise Commissioner said both intaglio labels as well as holograms would be pasted on liquor bottled in the state from January onwards. He said it was difficult for the department to judge the origin of the spirit and that a lot of whisky was being smuggled into the state from Chandigarh due to the difference in excise duty. The department also hopes to check the use of smuggled liquor at parties and social functions once the distinctive marks are in place on all bottles.

The distilleries will pay for both innovations. While CCTV cameras will cost the liquor establishments Rs 1.40 per case of 12 bottles, intaglio and holograms will cost the distilleries 15 paise per bottle. While the CCTV cameras are in the process of installation, the department is expected to put out tenders for the distinctive marks soon.

Both steps are likely to have an impact on excise revenue in the state. While excise revenue is growing at around 10 per cent each year, the department has fixed a 20 per cent growth figure this year. The projected revenue for this year is Rs 2,500 crore. The state consumes 50 lakh cases of IMFL (Indian made foreign liqour) and 1.75 crore cases of country liquor per annum.

Ludhiana, December 11
In the past one decade, global wheat production has dipped by 3.6 per cent due to drought-like situations in several wheat-growing regions of the world. Wheat production in the future is also threatened by increase in temperature due to climate change, less availability of water, adaptation of new plant pathogens (diseases) and insects at higher temperatures and reduced soil fertility. Besides, the micronutrient content, especially iron and zinc, in grains is lower than the required, which has resulted in a widespread anaemia among the rural population.

Keeping this in mind, the International Wheat Genome Consortium comprising 16 countries, including India, has come forward at decoding the wheat genome, which is about 17,000 million base pairs (letters). The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Union Ministry of Science and Technology, has recently entrusted this responsibility to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) to lead this project from India. Two other institutes, National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, and the University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, are the partners in the project.

Welcoming the mega project for which the PAU will be given Rs 18 crore (in four years), the PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr Manjit Singh Kang, said India would decode the genome of one of the 21 wheat chromosomes and would have access to information about other 20 chromosomes generated by consortium partners. “Other countries involved in this global initiative are the USA, the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, Norway, Israel, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, Australia and Argentina,” he added.

The project, which has been sanctioned by the DBT, has an overall outlay of Rs 34.5 crore for a period of four years starting from December. The PAU is the lead centre entrusted with an additional responsibility of coordination. It has been allotted a major share of Rs 18.33 crore out of the total budgetary amount.

The project at the PAU will be run by a team of scientists, including Dr Kuldeep Singh as principal investigator and Dr Parveen Chhuneja, Dr NS Bains, Dr Yogesh Vikal, Dr OP Gupta as co-investigators”, said Kang. Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, a World Food Laureate, who was present on the occasion, said the output from the project would benefit the Indian wheat programme to a great extent.

“The output of the project with relevance to enhancing wheat production and food security will put the PAU on the world map,” said Dr Khush.

Ludhiana, December 11
Punjab DGP PS Gill said today that the top terrorists arrested from various districts of the state, in their interrogation have revealed that besides Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, several dera heads were also on their hit list. But the Punjab Police was all ready to meet any threat, claimed the DGP.

Gill was in the city to inaugurate a newly constructed Police Mess at the Police Lines here today. Six residential rooms at the cost of Rs 45 lakh have been constructed in this new mess, meant for police officials.

Admitting crunch in the state police force, the DGP said 5,000 vacancies would be filled soon out of which 600 posts would be filled in Ludhiana alone. “In all recent recruitments, we have tried to get more and more educated constables. In the previous recruitment, about 200 selected candidates were graduates. If they are educated, their approach towards the public is different. The educated are more soft and public-friendly,” he said.

Talking to mediapersons, Gill added that in the recent past, about nine Naxalites in their third phase had been arrested from the state.

Elaborating the Naxal stages, Gill said in the first and second stages, Naxalites study the problems and distribute their literature etc, while in the third stage, they set up state and zonal committees and raise front organisations.

On the newly constructed Police Official Mess in city, Gill said more such police messes were needed in the state.

After Amritsar and Ludhiana, another mess will be opened for Police Officials in Chandigarh, he added.

Jalandhar, December 11
The state government is contemplating amendments to the Societies Registration Act, 1860, to arm the additional registrars of societies to take stern action against non-government organisations (NGO) and registered welfare and charitable societies if any of them is found guilty of violation of the Act.

The General Managers (GM) of the Industry Department also act as the additional registrars, societies, at the district headquarters.

Sources said the government was also planning to bring such societies under the direct scrutiny of such registrars (GMs) by enabling them to conduct routine audit and micro monitoring of such NGOs and societies, on the pattern of routine monitoring conducted of cooperative societies in the state.

These are part of the proposed amended version of the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

As of now, the office of the GM, Industry, has the authority to register such societies and NGOs at the district level. However, it cannot take any action or de-register such societies in case of the violation of the said Act or in case of fund embezzlement committed by the office-bearers of such societies.

Moreover, the GMs are not empowered to ask about the utilisation of funds given to such societies and welfare organisations by the government under various flagship programmes or donations made by philanthropists.

“The draft of the proposed amendments to the Act has been finalised by the department. Now the file is pending clearance with the Chief Minister’s office,” said a senior officer of the department on condition of anonymity.

He added that an increase in the registration fee from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 has also been proposed in the draft.

Chandigarh, December 11
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amarinder Singh today warned against providing any special concessions to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited-Mittal Energy Limited (HPMEL), which jointly owns the Bathinda oil refinery, as hinted by the state government.

In a statement issued here today, Amarinder Singh said it seemed that the government was planning to negotiate further concessions to HPMEL as demanded by Lakshmi Niwas Mittal. He warned against bargaining the interests of Punjab to oblige one industrial house.

The former Chief Minister said it was wrong on the part of the government even to consider enhancing concessions and incentives at this stage particularly when the project was already complete and was supposed to start functioning in the next few months. “This is clearly aimed at providing undue favours to the company at the cost of state exchequer”, he observed.

Amarinder Singh said the state government appeared to be prepared to consider the demand of exemption from VAT to the company for another 15 years. This would mean a recurring loss of Rs 2,000 crore to the state exchequer every year, which the state could ill-afford.

The PCC President maintained that even during the tenure of his government similar demands were made which he declined because of the massive loss it would bring to the state. The former Chief Minister said the concessions demanded by HPMEL must be compared with those in other states where similar projects were set up along the same lines.

Rajpura, December 11
Rajpura police claims to have arrested two persons for tax evasion on diamonds to the tune of Rs 71 lakh. They were travelling in a bus with diamond jewellery worth Rs 1.42 crore.

Police officials said a naka was laid on the GT Road and passengers’ luggage was frisked. During the search of a bus, they recovered 421 ornaments from the bag of the accused. The men carrying diamonds have been identified as Chetan Jain of Uttar Pradesh and Chirag Bhandari of Jaipur.

Police officials said preliminary investigations reveal that the accused purchased diamonds from Vara Jewels in Mumbai. They were going to sell it to jewellers in Patiala and Ludhiana.

Officials of the Eexcise and Taxation Department, who too reached the police station, said the accused had evaded one per cent tax duty at the entry point of Punjab. They would be required to pay a penalty of 50 per cent of the total amount of jewelry, amounting to Rs 71 lakhs.

The department officials said apart from the 50 per cent penalty, one per cent tax would also be levied.

The cops said the accused have admitted transporting jewellery thrice in the past, also from Surat (Gujarat), to Punjab. Director (investigation) Excise and Taxation Department KVS Sidhu said the matter would be investigated.

The policemen said jewellers should also be aware of tax evasion and not purchase such jewellery. They said vouchers and other documents pertaining to the jewelry, appearing to be fake, were also being scrutinised. If the papers are found to be fake, a case would also be registered against the accused.

Senior police officials said the police team, which caught the tax evaders, would be awarded with a cash prize of 10 per cent of the total penalty amount, amounting to Rs 7.1 lakh.

Mamdot (Ferozepur), December 11
SS Chatrath, DIG, BSF, Punjab Frontiers, said everyone, who had been serving this force, was always ready to make any sacrifice for the sake of the country.

Addressing a function organised here to pay tributes to those personnel, including assistant commandant RK Wadhwa, who laid down their lives during the 1971 Indo-Pak war while recapturing Raja Mohtam Border Observation Post (BOP) from the Pakistan army, this had already been proved true in 1971 as there were two cooks of the BSF who attained martyrdom.

The function, which was organised at headquarters of the 43 battalion of the BSF in this sector, was attended by Rajesh Gupta, DIG, Ferozepur sector; KK Yadav, DC; and a large number of Army officers, BSF officials and officials from various departments of the Punjab Government.

A guard of honour was given to BSF martyrs and later a wreath-laying ceremony was performed at the memorial erected over the same spot.

Subash Chander Wadhwa, elder brother of RK Wadhwa, also attended the function. He also presented a cheque to the principal of RK Wadhwa Senior Secondary School.

Yadav also announced financial help for the memorial and the school.

The BSF personnel, who attained martyrdom while repulsing the heavy and accurate attack of enemy while recapturing the post, were Assistant Commandant RK Wadhwa, inspector Bhagwant Singh, SI Iqbal Singh, constables Ram Singh, Sukha Singh, Ram Parkash, Om Parkash and cooks Tehal Singh and Sardul Singh.

While Wadhwa was awarded the Maha Veer Chakra - the highest military award conferred on a BSF officer - constable Sukha Singh was given the president police gallantry medal. SI Iqbal Singh and constable Ram Singh were awarded Sena Medals. All these awards were conferred posthumously.

Family members of the martyrs, who descended on this town from across the country, were also honoured.

Hoshiarpur, December 11
In a tragic incident, Colonel DC Dube, his wife Anamika, daughter Samriti and driver Balwinder Singh died on the spot while former’s second daughter Samridhi and his gunman Ravinder Kumar were seriously injured when the Army Gypsy in which they were travelling collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction between Tuto Mazara and Saila Khurd, near Garhshankar, about 35 km from here, on the Hoshiarpur-Chandigarh road today.

Samridhi and the gunman were admitted to Civil Hospital, Garhshankar, from where they were referred to Army Hospital, Jalandhar Cantt.

According to police sources, Colonel Dube, along with his family, was going to Chandigarh from Pathankot. The accident occurred around 8.15 am due to poor visibility caused by dense fog.

After the accident, the truck driver fled from the scene leaving his vehicle there. The bodies were sent to Civil Hospital, Garhshankar, for autopsy. A case has been registered against the truck driver.

Chandigarh, December 11
On the fast track of recruitment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided to hold the viva voce examination for PCS (Judicial) this month only. The written test was held in October and the results were declared the previous month.

In all, 85 vacancies are to be filled. For the viva voce examination, as many as 102 candidates have qualified.

Efforts are also on to declare the results this month so that from Republic Day the training of judicial officers from both Punjab and Haryana can commence at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy.

At least 950 candidates initially took the PCS (Judicial)) 2010 main examination, conducted under the direct supervision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In all, approximately 200 posts of judicial officer in both Punjab and Haryana are expected to be filled. A committee, comprising Justice SK Mittal, Justice Ranjit Singh and Justice Mahesh Grover, are overseeing the entire process.

Nabha, December 11
Despite repeated requests by welfare organisations of the town to the government regarding the setting up of a fire station here, the authorities concerned have failed to do anything so far. The thickly populated town, which has congested markets, is fire-prone.

During fire incidences, help is sought from Patiala or Gobindgarh, and precious time is lost before fire brigades from there reach the town.

The town is surrounded by thick forests and in summers, fire incidents are common.

An LPG bottling plant is also set up by Indane on the Nabha-Bhawanigarh road. Though the plant has its own ‘sprinkler system’ to control fire, tankers carrying LPG to this plant pose risk to the town in absence of fire brigades.

The town is a hub of a large-scale production of agriculture implements that use oils, oil-paints and other combustible materials. The town boasts of having a record number of rice shellers and tonnes of rice husk and grains are stored in these shellers, which have no fire-fighting mechanism of their own.

Residents maintained that the administration was waiting for something serious to happen before acting.

Amritsar, December 11
The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) and the Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management (IITTM), a premier guide training institute of the Ministry of Tourism, have entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prepare city guides for promoting tourism in the state.

From the PHTPB its Chief Executive Officer, Geetika Kalha, also the Principal Secretary, state Tourism; and from the IITTM, its Director Prof Manjula Chowdhary, signed the MoU at the Circuit House today.

Chowdhary said the IITTM would carry out an admission test to shortlist candidates for a three-week training programme. The programme would be completed after passing a written test followed by a viva. Successful candidates would then be issued with a regional-level guide license to operate as guides across the state. The licenses would be issued by the PHTPB, she added.

Since the holy city is credited among the highest visited place in the world, it is necessary to train people to realise its tourism potential, said Kalha. She said it was important that the state created a pool of guides to present its history, heritage and culture authentically to make the visit to Punjab a memorable one.

KS Pannu, Deputy Commissioner, said the formation of the Amritsar Tourism Development Council was a move to coordinate various activities related to tourism in the city.

Ferozepur, December 11
Hundreds of members of the Christian community today staged a dharna and jammed traffic at Udham Singh chowk in this city for hours to lodge their protest against the removal of a Christmas board, put up there by the Samson Brigade Christian Youth, allegedly by the municipal council authorities on the order of its president Devinder Kapur.

Led by community leaders, including Alvin Bhatti, state general secretary, Punjab Christian Welfare Association; Darbara Singh, president, Church of North India (CNI), Ferozepur unit; and Rakesh Paul, president, Samson Brigade Christian Youth, Punjab, protesters demanded registration of a criminal case against those who were involved in the removal of the board.

They also held out a threat that if the authorities concerned failed to take action, they would intensify their agitation from Monday. Today, their agitation, where they also set tyres afire, was supported by members of a few non-Christian communities. A section of shopkeepers also downed shutters of their establishments when the agitation started.

Bhatti alleged that the Christmas board, on which a congratulatory message was written, was deliberately removed by the authorities with the aim to fulfill the hidden agenda of the BJP to curb the activities of minority communities.

He added that members of the Christian community were angry over the fact that when the authorities did not remove other boards put by various politicians at the same chowk then why the board put by them was removed.

He said members of the community had made it clear to Gurjit Singh, SDM, who along with senior police officials, reached the spot, that unless and until a case was registered against those, who were involved in the incident, they would hold a protest on Monday.

SDM Gurjit Singh said members of the Christian community had been assured that the board would be put up at the same place by tomorrow and action would be taken against the guilty.

He said he had also asked members of the community to use restraint and not make it a communal issue.

Devinder Kapur, however, denied the allegations.

Patiala, December 11
Almost a month after the Patiala police created an entire new wing to check the rising incidence of snatching and hooliganism in the city, the anti-goonda staff (AGS) wing has limited its functioning to conducting raids at city gardens and punishing teenagers just for hanging out together.

In the past month, the wing has failed to do much in terms of checking crime but regularly terrorises boys and girls relaxing at public places. The brainchild of SSP Patiala, AGS was formed to work independently and given full authority to check the rising incidence of crime in the city and register FIRs in their respective police stations.

Headed by Sub-Inspector Hemant Sharma, as AGS chief, in the raids conducted in the past fortnight in the Baradari Gardens, Deer Park Patiala and other public joints where youngsters hang out the staff did moral policing and harassed youngsters.

“We were sitting in the garden the other day after we decided to miss college and sit in the sun, when suddenly dressed in civil clothes some people identified themselves as policemen and punished two of our friends on the spot”, said one of the affected students. “We are unaware of a ban on sitting at public places” she added.

Off late, many gangs had been active in the city that have been involved in crimes like snatching, robberies, thefts and even drug trade. However, the AGS was punishing boys caught sitting with girls in parks by punishing them at the spot and warning them not to repeat the mistake again. Almost everyday snatching incidents were reported in the city, but the AGS has failed to check that and is busy in moral policing.

“I cannot understand what wrong have we done that the police has to step in,” asked a college student whose friend had to hold his ears in full public view. “As per my knowledge the police cannot indulge in punishment”, he claimed.

Talking to TNS, Hemant Sharma claimed that they raid gardens and parks whenever they get information that boys and girls were sitting there together. On being asked if it was wrong, Sharma added that the AGS was there to check if the couples were involved in any kind of nuisance.

SSP Patiala Gurpreet Singh Gill accepted that there were complaints pouring in against the AGS and their moral policing. “However,I would personally ensure that no one faces any inconvenience and the prime responsibility of the AGS remains to check crime, not teenagers”, he stated.

Sultanpur Lodhi (Kapurthala), December 11
The eminent environmentalist, Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, yesterday announced a Nirmal Media Award which will be given for environmental and constructive journalism.

This annual award will carry a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh apart from a memento, a shawl and a citation. Naam Yug, a spiritual magazine published from Canada, will sponsor the award. “There is a need to draw the attention of people to issues related to the environment and other issues related to society. Hence, I have decided to institute the award which will be given for highlighting issues related to Punjab ”, said Baba Seechewal.

“Every year, a function will be held here or at Seechewal to present the award in February. Entries will be received till December-end. A committee comprising prominent persons representing the media, academics, literature and other fields has been constituted to select the winner.” Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal will be the head of the committee.

Patiala, December 11
The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) today signed a power purchase agreement with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for 2,640-MW coal-based thermal power project at Gidderbaha.

The agreement was signed by executive director (commercial) of NTPC MKV Rao and PSPCL director distribution Arun K Verma at PSPCL headquarters here.

The project is coming up at a cost of Rs 15,000 crore. The tariff for sale of power will be as determined by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The PSPCL management informed that the state government has agreed to facilitate acquisition of land and allocation of water for the project. The clearance has been given in principle for acquisition of 2,316 acres land and 125 cusecs of water.

According to the government, the Gidderbaha power plant will be the biggest thermal power project in Punjab, which will help in developing ancillary industries and generate employment.

The state government has already issued notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act for land for the project. The plant consists of four units, each having a capacity of 660 MW. At least 50 per cent of the power from the plant would be allocated to Punjab. The NTPC has sought long-term coal linkage from the Ministry of Coal. The state government will extend cooperation in obtaining the coal linkage for the project, said a government spokesman. Government authorities further informed that the PSPCL would provide to the NTPC all the reports for specific investigations, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies, conducted at site for preparation of a feasibility report. “The cost incurred on all such reports shall be reimbursed by the NTPC,”said officials.

Meanwhile, the PSEB Engineers' Association has criticised the move. “The state government has completely overlooked several critical aspects related to the project and has also ignored the interest of Punjab. The performance of the NTPC has recently been criticised by the Power Ministry,” claimed association president HS Bedi.

Moga, December 11
A local court of Rakesh Gupta has sentenced a former branch manager of Punjab National Bank to a three-year imprisonment for fraudulently withdrawing lakhs of rupees by advancing loans to 27 fictitious persons on fake addresses. It also imposed a fine of Rs 7,000 on him.

Brij Mohan Gupta, the then manager (PNB), Buttar Kalan, had sanctioned and disbursed crop loans in the fictitious names of 27 persons in 1987-88. When the bank realised that the recovery was not forthcoming in the said accounts, the authorities marked an inquiry into it.

In probe reports dated June 19, 1990, and July 31, 1990, it came to light that Gupta had sanctioned and disbursed loans without the recommendation of the authorities concerned, estimated bills/quotations were not signed by borrowers, references of assets/liabilities of borrowers were not given in documents; borrowers were not traceable, “pucca” bills were not signed by borrowers regarding the purchase of agriculture implements with the loan amount, names of borrowers were fictitious and the certificate of patwari and his signature were also fictitious and forged by him. An FIR was registered against Gupta on November 20, 1997.

Considering the oral and documentary evidences put forth by the public prosecutor, A Syal, the court of Rakesh Gupta stated in its orders that “the court is of the considered opinion that prosecution, in the present case, has been able to bring home guilt of the accused by proving, beyond any shadow of reasonable doubt or suspicion, that the branch manager forged loan files of 27 persons and embezzled the money”.

Mandi Gobindgarh, December 11
The Mandi Gobindgarh police claimed to have busted a gang of SUV thieves. Among the three arrested are a dismissed Punjab police commando Joga Singh, proclaimed offender of the Army Rinderjit Sjingh, and financer Bimal Kumar. Eight stolen SUVs have also been recovered. This inter-state gang stole recovered vehicles from parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Police has also identified three stolen vehicles, sold in Uttar Pradesh, with fake documents.

Three Tata Winger, one Tavera, two Tata Indigo, one Mahindra Bolero and one Alto have been recovered from them. The total cost of all these vehicles is around Rs 40 lakh.

Rinderjit was posted at Meerut with 175 RT Regiment. Bimal has a case registered against him the by the Customs Department, Delhi. He was arrested with fake American currency. He was also found to be in contact with some Malaysian woman. “This woman is said to have relations with Dawood Ibrahim,” DIG said. He said the relations of the accused, Bimal and Dawood group, were under scan.

The gang was active in various parts of Jalandhar, Patiala, Ambala and Sirsa where the gang stole vehicles with duplicate keys. The vehicles were sold on finance basis, fake documents and fake numbers. Police has also recovered stamps of the RTO office from their possession.

Addressing mediapersons, DIG Ludhiana range Paramraj Singh said accused were arrested from the focal point area. Their accomplice, fourth accused, Inderjit Singh has managed to flee.

The four, including Inderjit Singh, had come in each other’s contact while serving sentence in the jail. They started stealing vehicles soon after release.