Chandigarh, February 6
Things seem to be back to square one after the unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) and formation of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The latter entity, like the earlier one, is facing commercial losses and possible financial collapse.

Unbundling of the PSEB was aimed at forming two viable separate generation and distribution companies but with the Punjab government not backing these companies financially, things look bleak for PSPCL.

According to a document shared in-house by the finance department of PSPCL, the company cannot survive financially by continuing to borrow loans for its revenue expenditure on a month-to-month basis. The document also says that the company may not be able to raise further loans for its working capital requirements as most banks have reached their exposure limits and may not lend it further money.

Claiming the situation was serious and the company might even default on committed payments, the document says there is an immediate need to provide financial support to PSPCL by the Punjab government. This it says could be by way of additional equity of about Rs 2,000 crore in cash. It said similarly the borrowing limit of the company needed to be enhanced to Rs 20,000 crore as the limit of Rs 18,000 crore was almost exhausted.

Meanwhile, the document touches on a sour note that explains how much the PSPCL is still under government control. The document points out to the need to reduce expenditure on power purchase.

Power purchase forms the biggest component of the annual revenue requirement (ARR) of the PSPCL. Actual power purchase in 2009-10 was Rs 4,653 crores, in 2010-11 it is estimated to be at Rs 5,427 crores and projected power purchase for 2011-12 is Rs 6,350 crore. The total revenue for 2009-10 was Rs 13586 crore, estimated revenue for 2010-11 is Rs 16,188 crores and projected revenue for 2011-12 is 18448 crores.

The big gap in the revenue and the cost of supply is resulting in heavy losses for the PSPCL. The report projects that PSPCL is likely to suffer a loss of Rs 1,507 crores in 2010-11 and that of Rs 2,996 crore in 2011-12.

As regarding loans, a separate report, ‘Power Scenario of Punjab’ prepared by PSPCL also presents a grim picture. It says loans from commercial banks ending August 2010 stood increased to Rs 10,618 crores and that it might not be possible to raise further loans with banks downgrading PSPCL due to increasing gap between its income and expenditure. PSPCL has been downgraded from ‘A’ category to ‘B’ category and now funds were being provided at higher interest rates by financial institutions.

The report had urged that the Punjab government give an immediate guarantee to raise short as well as long term loans to the electricity utility. It also calls for reducing expenditure on power purchase.

Chandigarh, February 6
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave in principle approval to evolve a comprehensive and uniform policy to regularise the services of all employees working on daily wages, ad hoc and contract basis in various departments against the posts sanctioned by the state government.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Chief Minister at two separate meetings with the deputations of ITI Instructors Union (contract basis) and the PWD Coordination Sangharsh Committee led by its president Jarnail Singh Patti and convener Kulbir Singh Saidkheri respectively here.

Badal directed the Chief Secretary to work out the modalities for the regularisation of the services of daily, ad hoc and contract employees in all the departments against the sanctioned posts who had been working for past several years. He also asked the Personnel Department to compile the entire data pertaining to such employees who had been recruited as per the prescribed qualifications and experience in accordance with strict merit so that this long-pending issue of regularisation raised by various associations from time to time could be amicably resolved permanently. He assured both the deputations that the entire matter would be resolved within the next 25 days to the satisfaction of all the employees' unions.

Besides Harvinder Singh Khalsa, Balbir Singh Kathgarh (both conveners) president Mohinder Singh Dhaliwal of PWD Coordination Sangharsh 

Jalandhar, February 6
Going by a proposal of the PSPCL, consumers may have to pay more for electricity from April 1. In a petition filed before Punjab State Regulatory Commission on November 30, PSPCL has sought an increase in power tariff by 63 per cent.

The Commission will take a final decision on the PSPCL petition after hearing objections from the representatives of the consumers belonging to various categories, including domestic, commercial and industrial.

The hike is based on an estimate of the expenses incurred by the corporation in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

The PSPCL will have to bear the extra burden of Rs 975 crore in paying hiked salaries of its nearly 66,000 employees in 2010-11 due to implementation of the recommendations of the Fifth pay Commission, sources said.

Increase in the cost of power generation due to hike in coal rates is one of the reasons for the hike, sources add.

Laghu Udyog Bharti (LUB) has suggested that the state government must exempt PSPCL from all kinds of taxes, including 4 to 13.75 per cent in VAT as well as the entry tax of Rs 50 per ton imposed on coal, to cut down on losses.

Suggesting ways to cut down on losses, LUB state vice-president Vijay Talwar demanded that the state government should reduce burden of taxes on consumers as they are already paying 13 per cent electricity duty.

He said the PSPCL should also strengthen its network to reduce transmission losses which stand at 19.5 per cent. He said the PSPCL should get its encroached land vacated, which could fetch Rs 1,500 crores in the market, he added.

PSPCL may sell its prime land located in various cities to repay its loan and use its idle premises located in the outskirts instead.

Talwar said LUB would submit a detailed objection before the Commission during a visit of its newly appointed chairperson Romila Dubey and members GS Ghuman and Varinder Singh to Jalandhar on February 22.

Kila Raipur, February 6
Alleging that the Centre was discriminating against Punjab, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has said Government of India owed money to the state as it had not given state’s share of taxes to it. Talking to mediapersons, on the sidelines of Kila Raipur games, Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Union Government was not bothered to pay the appropriate share of taxes to the state government.

He said though Punjab was meeting the wheat and rice requirement of the country, the Union government was exploiting Punjab’s resources. “We produce more then 60% of wheat and 55% of rice in the country, still we are discriminated against. This is unfair,” he said.

When asked to comment on the statement of the PPCC chief that the development of state was not visible, he said Congress leaders did live in state so they were making false allegations. “He does not move on roads and is not aware that where Bucho Mandi is in the state,” he said.

Making a scathing attack on the Congress leadership, he said they did not have an agenda due to which they were levying false allegations. He also accused the Congress leaders of being insensitive towards state as they did not raise the demands for the state.

Amritsar, February 6
Double bonanza is in store for ETT (elementary teachers training) teachers. The Punjab Government has conceptualised a move that will be suited to both employed as well as unemployed ETT teachers.

After Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s intervention, it has been decided that a separate directorate for ETT teachers of zila parishads (district council) should be set up on the pattern of the School Education Department’s Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan campaign. Nevertheless, it will be controlled by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats only.

It has also been decided in principle to transfer ETT teachers working under zila parishads against the posts lying vacant in the School Education Department. The posts that will fell vacant in zila parishad schools will be filled by recruiting unemployed ETT teachers.

There are 5,700 schools running under zila parishads in the state’s rural belt and nearly 13,000 teachers teach there. Nevertheless, this arrangement will be made strictly on a merit basis in the ratio of 70:30 (70 per cent posts for state teachers and 30 percent for teachers from other states, including J&K).

Confirming this development, state Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan said: “This move has been taken keeping in view the smooth functioning of the schools run by the zila parishads. Moreover, it will be beneficial for both groups of ETT teachers.”

It is now being viewed that rules and regulations related to seniority and promotional benefits would be on the same pattern as applicable to teachers governed under the School Education Department. This implies that all ETT teachers, who were earlier paid salaries through grant-in-aid, will now be entitled to get salaries directly from the salary head of the directorate of the rural development and panchayats and their contributory provident fund will also be governed under the new pension scheme of the government.

The minister said 32,000 posts under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan had already been filled and another lot of 20,000 would be absorbed shortly. 

Jalvehri (Fatehgarh Sahib), February 6
Strong protests by members of his family have turned into pats for Paramjit Singh of this village. Paramjit always desired to grow everything edible in his 10-acre farm.

Besides growing wheat, paddy and cereals in abundance organically, Paramjit also grows all seasonal vegetables and pulses besides turmeric, lemon, mango, guava, ‘sund’, ‘mulathi’ and ‘alsi’ for sale in the open market and for use of his family members.

Winner of a state-level award for diversification in agriculture wherein he was given Rs 50,000 in cash, a commendation certificate and books on modern agriculture techniques last December, the farmer has set an example for many farmers.

“Besides lack of farm hands, the governments are not keen to look into the basic problems of the farming community. If I am earning Rs 65,000 by selling pulses grown in 65 to 70 days in just two acres then it is my sheer hard work and perseverance,” said Paramjit Singh.

Basking in the reflected glory of his father, two sons of Paramjit, with graduate degrees, are also rubbing shoulders with him.

Paramjit said that by growing wheat or paddy, farmers may earn Rs 10,000 to 15,000 from an acre or may be a little more but organic pulses, vegetables, fruits and others give them handsome earnings.

He has grown moong, masur, urad, alsi and grams without using any pesticides or insecticides. “We only require to use the long-handled khurpi (spade) in irregular and curved crop rows; it is very laborious,” said his sons, Yadvinder and Pavitterjit Singh.

They added that the monthly meeting of PAU Kisan Club in Ludhiana proved fruitful for them from where they learnt techniques to grow 
organic crops.

His sons said that even the problem of unscheduled power cuts had not been solved. “If a farmer has to water his one- acre field, he requires uninterrupted power supply. But once the power goes off,

the entire process of watering restarts and fields never get water,” said Paramjit. He added that the Electricity Department must stick to the power-cut schedule and inform farmers through newspapers.

Paramjit has adopted all the innovative techniques, including watering fields with the sprinkling method and gobar gas plant.

Jalandhar, February 6
After reaching in its last leg, the ongoing General Court Martial (GCM) of Lt Gen Surendra K. Sahni has been adjourned again, as the evidence for both the prosecution and the defence closed on February 5. General Sahni is facing nine charges in the GCM.

The court will now assemble on February 8 with the prosecution address while the defence address will take place on February 12.

Earlier, the GCM resumed on February 4 and proceeded till Saturday. Maj Alok (retd), the defence counsel of General Sahni, said on February 4, the court resumed with the last witness, a senior civil officer.

“As the evidences are over, the court will now proceed further on February 8 for the prosecution address. Even General Sahni has also given his statement before the GCM panel in January end,” he added.

Ever since the GCM has begun, as many as 23 witnesses have appeared for the prosecution while one witness appeared for the defence side. Meanwhile, Army sources said the GCM was expected to be over within a fortnight.

“The court was adjourned many times during the past couple of months, thereby delaying the proceedings,” said an Army officer.

General Sahni, who retired in 2006, is the highest-ranking Army officer ever to face a GCM.

He has been facing an inquiry by the Army into the expired rations purchased during his tenure as Director-General, Army Service Corps (ASC). 

Ludhiana, February 6
The number of people sleeping on empty stomachs will swell up to double within four decades owing to an acute shortage of wheat and rice grains due to global warming. Wheat yields in 2050 will be reduced by 30 per cent and irrigated rice yields by 15 per cent. The basic necessity of food will be a far cry for a large population, one third of which does’nt even get two square meals a day.

This disturbing concern came up at a three-day international conference on “Preparing agriculture for climate change” at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) here today, where eminent scientists from across the world gathered to discuss the impact of climate change.

Talking to The Tribune, Daniel Hillel, Professor Emeritus and senior research scientist, Columbia University, said it was about 7 billion population in the world and within a few years, it would reach 10 billions. With the depletion of natural resources, the soil would lose its fertility and hence the yield would be affected, he added.

“One third of the total population of the world is already hungry. The way the environment is being degraded for vested interests, the number will be doubled in coming years. There is an emergent need to protect the environment,” he said.

For farm scientists, to maintain energy efficiency is of the utmost importance. Land contained soil and soil emitted carbon is responsible for environmental degradation. “We need to build soil and not destroy in order to get food security for our future generations,” said Daniel Hillel.

Stating that the developing countries were more at risk of draughts and floods due to climate change, scientists, one after the other, expressed their concern over this and called for a need to manage the natural resources wisely.

At the same time, experts from Australia, Netherlands, Behrain etc stressed that improved crop, proper soil and water management practices and stress-tolerant varieties could overcome the detrimental impacts of climate change and these would also lead to benefits like improved food security, livelihood and healthy environment.

Chandigarh, February 6
Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla today challenged the SAD-BJP government to a debate on the present social sector in Punjab. He alleged the state government had not only diverted money meant for this sector to its party workers, but had also mismanaged all social welfare schemes.

In a statement here, Singla said instead of trumpeting development on the basis of a few projects, including the Bathinda refinery, which had been started during the Congress rule, the SAD-BJP should be ready for a debate on the state of the social sector in Punjab.

He said he would appeal the PPCC president to lead the debate on behalf of the Congress.

He said the government had since the beginning of its tenure in 2007, treated the welfare schemes as a means to favouring ‘jathedars’ at the village level. He alleged the government had allowed its party workers to loot the State exchequer through these schemes and even when these discrepancies had been highlighted in the media, no punitive action was taken against anyone.

Singla alleged the state government had diverted money received from the Centre for various schemes, including provision of toilets under the Rajiv Gandhi Jan Sehat Yojna, provision of scholarships to dalit students, construction of hostels for such students and provision of computer education to other heads.

Chandigarh, February 6
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that sports wings dedicated to hockey, football, basketball and athletics would be established in all 11 Adarsh Schools run by Punjab School education Board (PSEB).

Presiding over a meeting of Principals of these schools, the Chief Minister directed the Chairman of Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to immediately release liberal grant to develop state-of-the-art sports infrastructure in the upcoming sports wings in these schools.

Badal also agreed to provide two buses to each school for the transportation of the students from the nearby villages to the schools. He also asked the Chairman PSEB to immediately initiate the procedure to fill up the vacant posts of teachers in various schools. To this the Chairman assured Badal that the teachers would be recruited in all the schools against the vacant post within a fortnight by the approved selection committee.

Badal also asked the board chairman to start professional and vocational courses in the school especially in the subjects of computers and spoken English on a priority. He also asked the principals to upgrade their English language labs to facilitate the students to speak English fluently and also train them for the International English Examination Language Testing System (IELTS).

Punjab Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gagandip Singh Brar, Director General School Education Krishan Kumar and Chairman PSEB Dr Dalbir Singh Dhillon were present.

Jalandhar, February 6
Scientists have not been able to make use of the anti-cancer properties of Taxol compound produced by the bark of conifer tree, Taxus Baccata, as the trees have vanished. The substance can only be extracted from trees which are more than a hundred years old. Research in the area is also suffering because these trees no longer exist in India.

These observations were made by Dr SS Gosal, Director of Research, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, at the national seminar on ‘Genetic Modified Crops: Challenges and Opportunities’, organised by Doaba College, Jalandhar.

Dr Gosal said as the tree was found in abundance in countries like Japan, the scientists there had identified the Taxol producing gene in the bark cells of the tree and efforts are underway to extract and clone (multiply the gene in millions units) the gene.

“By using the tools of genetic engineering, the extracted Taxol producing genes can be incorporated into the chromosomes of various edible fruits and other food items. Consumption of such edible items by humans would ultimately led to the micro-level production of anti-cancer substance in the human body, hence, protect the mankind form the killer disease,” said Gosal.

Faridkot, February 6
The Faridkot Regional Seed Testing Laboratory of the Agriculture Department has been lying unused for the past 14 years allegedly due to government laxity. The laboratory could have proved to be a boon for the farmers of the Malwa belt of Punjab.

A sum of Rs 3 crore was spent on the construction of this laboratory in April 1997. In order to ensure that the money allocated was spent, the state had procured laboratory-testing instruments worth crores of rupees but failed to appoint required staff members. This is one of the prime reasons, due to which the laboratory is non-operational for the past 14 years.

Darshan Singh, a farmer from Moga said the farmers of the Malwa belt faced a lot of problems while purchasing seeds from the market as there was no facility to test the quality of seeds before sowing them. “All successive governments in the state, since independence, talk about providing facilities to farmers but the basic need for a healthy crop is being ignored in the Malwa belt,” he said.

It may be mentioned that the Malwa belt of Punjab, comprising Faridkot, Moga, Ferozepur, Mansa, Muktsar and Bathinda districts, produce a variety of crops, including cotton, rice, wheat, maize etc.

A senior official of the Agriculture Department said the government had purchased modern machinery required for testing the quality and germination of seeds and DNA testing.

The Agriculture Department has only one machine for DNA testing of the seeds, which was purchased at a cost of about Rs 10-lakh but has not been used by the department.

Director Agriculture Department Dr Balwinder Singh Sidhu said he had already sent a proposal to the Chief Minister’s office for seeking permission to sanction the required posts to run this laboratory.

Chief agriculture official of Faridkot, Dr Paramjit Singh Sandhu, said, “We have latest machinery in the laboratory and just need the staff to make it operational. I have asked the department to provide a sum of Rs 10-lakh to purchase machinery for testing BT cotton seeds, which will be the only of its kind in the state”.

Patiala, February 6
The media guidelines issued to the Punjab Police officials in 2010, urges the police to confine their media briefings to “the essential facts and not rush to the press with half baked speculative or unconfirmed information”.

According to Punjab DGP PS Gill, who has issued these instructions, the police has been warned to follow the new guidelines or face strict action.

A communique, sent to all police chiefs in Punjab, defines guidelines on the relationship between the media and the Punjab Police. The letter highlights the fact about “improper perception of police about media, giving a feeling that media is working counter to the purpose of police functioning”.

The DGP said the police should limit their media briefings in cases including “registration, arrest of the accused, charge sheeting of the case and final outcome of the case”.

“In a case that attracts media, a specific time may be fixed everyday when the designated officer would make appropriate statement on the investigation”, it reads on.

Sources in the police department said earlier there was no policy on the police interaction with media.

“An old convention was being followed by all District SSPs. but with these guidelines many things will be clear and the media facing harassment for lack of information will also be solved,” they added.

The DGP has directed the cops not to release any unnecessary information, except facts, in first 48 hours of the case. He has also directed to no parade the accused in front of the media.

“All caution must be taken to ensure that the criminals do not take advantage of police briefings and no human rights are violated when information is being shared with the media,” reads the letter.

A senior officer said the new guidelines were the first to have come in a written format and would help the cops in districts.

“Usually the help of the media is needed in many cases and the new set of instructions will make the job of the policemen more convenient,” he said. He said policemen needed to be educated in this regard. 

Ropar, February 6
The contracts of sand mining at different places in Mohali and Ropar expired on February 3, following which the Chief Secretary, Punjab, has ordered a survey of all the mining areas.

Through his demi-official letter, the Chief Secretary has ordered the committees to conduct the survey. The contracts of all mining pockets in Punjab will expire in a phased manner by February 6.

Committees have been formed under the respective areas subdivisional magistrates that will conduct an extensive survey and submit a report to the government in two weeks. The committee will include officials of PWD B and R, irrigation, drainage, forest, agriculture, block development panchayat officers concerned, tehsildars and GM district industries-cum-mining officers.

“The basic concern is to keep in mind that environment and the ambience of the mining areas are not disturbed.

The government’s main aim is to ensure that mining is done in only those specified areas where the natural resources could be replenished as well as mining could be regulated in an environmental-friendly way,” said Deputy Commissioner AS Miglani.

The committees will report and suggest whether mining should be continued in present pockets with environmental clearance being the main issue.

At Mohali, a preliminary meeting has been conducted and another meeting will be convened on Monday.

In Ropar district, a total of 73 mining sites were auctioned. Dinesh Chadha, an RTI activist who has raised queries with the Mining Department, said that the new survey should recommend fixing particular depth allowed for mining. “There are no specific guidelines as to how much of the earth can be dug up in the allotted area,” he said.

The issue was also raised during the meeting of the district planning board held today. Chairperson of the board Madan Mohan Mittal said the survey details be soon submitted to the government.

He directed the district administration to remove encroachments from the village ponds. District panchayat and block development officer said that action had been taken against 12 sarpanches in the district who had not paid the tax imposed on the panchayat land. These include eight sarpanches of Anandpur Sahib and four from Nurpur Bedi.

Nurpur Bedi, February 6
Balwinder Singh, a soldier from the 4 Sikh Regiment, was found murdered near the fields of Jatpur village here today. Balwinder, alias Laddi, was posted at Leh Ladakh and was supposed to return tomorrow.

On Saturday night, he was at a wedding in the village and had an altercation with youngsters. Today morning, his mutilated body was found in the village fields. Police officials said there were deep wounds on his chest, hands and face. He had died of multiple injuries.

Police officials said it seemed that Balwinder had given his assailants a tough fight before dying. His hair were found strewn round along with blood spots.