|
|
|
|
|
On Baisakhi, prisoners get remission of sentences
WHEAT SEED SUBSIDY ‘SCAM’
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Amarinder shocked at CM’s statement
Manpreet to contest from Gidderbaha
Shortage of officials hits work at Lok Pal office
Takht Damdama Sahib getting new look
Strike by NHRM, AYUSH staff enters sixth day
Revival of sports in villages ‘must to check drug menace’
Association opposes move on recruitment of asst engineers
PSTCL has shown encouraging results: Agarwal
A changed mindset can curb graft: Subba Rao
Need to open Indo-Pak border for trade: Bajwa
sex determination
Baba Farid varsity postpones PMET
PCCTU against conversion of Khalsa College
HC: State cannot charge permit fee on denatured spirit
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On Baisakhi, prisoners get remission of sentences
Chandigarh, April 11 The decision was taken by the CM at a meeting held at his residence here today to review various ongoing activities and initiatives for the development of jails to ensure a congenial atmosphere to inmates. The remission of one year would be granted to those who were awarded 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment. Likewise, the remission of nine months would be granted to those prisoners, who were sentenced for seven to 10 years and six months to those serving jail terms of five to seven years, three months to those who had been sentenced for a jail term of three to five years and two months to those with less than three years. The CM was also apprised that newly constructed jails at Faridkot, Nabha, Mansa and Kapurthala would be handed over to the jail department by the PWD by May 31. Badal further directed Principal Secretary (Home) DS Bains to visit all these jails personally and submit a detailed report intimating the status of the ongoing project. In another significant decision, the CM also gave the nod to undertake recruitment in a transparent manner to fill 910 posts of head warden, warden and other miscellaneous staff within two months for the upcoming new jails. The CM also asked the Health Department to provide adequate medical and paramedical staff in hospitals at the Faridkot and Nabha jails besides opening up a drug de-addiction centre for prisoners.
|
|
WHEAT SEED SUBSIDY ‘SCAM’
Bathinda, April 11 The committee, headed by Virsa Singh Valtoha, an SAD member, with Sunil Jakhar of the Congress as its member, reached here and started investigating the “scam”, which was highlighted by the latter in the Vidhan Sabha during the recent session. The subsidy amounting to Rs 27 crore was released to farmers in the state for purchasing 5.42 lakh quintals of wheat seed for the current crop. A subsidy of Rs 500 was paid for each quintal of seed. The committee examined the record and questioned top officers of the agriculture and other departments connected with the distribution of subsidised seed. Financial Commissioner NS Kang did not appear before the committee and had expressed his inability to come here. Valtoha said the panel was not satisfied with the procedure adopted by the department and it would be examined whether the seed reached the genuine beneficiaries. The scam had come to light when the subsidised wheat seed was seized from a flour mill. He said there was a need to rectify the system and it was also being examined whether the seed was issued to farmers in time or not. Jakhar said that the committee would suggest to the government measures to streamline the distribution of subsidised seed and prevent it from going in the hands of unscrupulous elements. During spot investigations, the committee also met seed traders and beneficiaries.
|
|
Weather hits wheat arrival in markets
Chandigarh, April 11 Both firm experts and meteorologists hold the chill in the air and the failure of day temperature to rise sufficiently as the main reason for a slow start to the wheat procurement season. A quick survey of major grain markets in the state by The Tribune reveals that only at a few places, slow arrivals are expected to pride up after April 15. Though state agencies, both Central and provincial, are all geared up for the procurement, the failure of farmers to market their produce is keeping them idle. Patiala: Only 1, 963 MT of wheat has been purchased by Pungrain, Punsup, Markfed, Punjab Agro, the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, the FCI and private players. Till April 10 last year, 3,31,796 MT of wheat was procured. The boycott of wheat procurement by employees of various agencies could be the reason for a slow start to the new season. It is learnt that a majority of purchase agencies were purchasing wheat at the MSP of Rs 1,120 per quintal. “Some private companies have offered us Rs 1,125 per quintal,” say Rattan Singh and Ajaib Singh, both farmers. They further said farmers were mainly facing problem on account of the bad weather. Bathinda: Hardly any grain has arrived at any of the 171 purchase centres in Bathinda district. Agriculture experts expect the harvesting of the crop to start after Baisakhi. Gurdaspur: District Manager (Punsup) Manjit Singh Malhotra said even private traders were yet to procure wheat stocks. He said the fresh crop would start arriving at all 104 purchase centres by April 15. The main factors responsible for the non-arrival of the produce were the cold weather and cloudy conditions because of which the ripening of wheat was taking longer. Fatehgarh Sahib: Wheat procurement is yet to pick up in various grain markets here. While most of the farmers have already harvested their crop in view of inclement weather and extended cold conditions, procuring agencies are yet to start purchase. “Even as officials at the Sirhind grain market have given an assurance that employees on a strike will soon return to work, the stalled procurement is taking toll on farmers,” said Pavittarjit Singh, a farmer. Moga/Faridkot: Apart from seven main grain centres, 19 sub-yards and 73 purchase centres have been set up in the rural areas of the district for the smooth procurement of foodgrains. All the nodal officers of purchase agencies have been made in charge of their respective procurement process,” says Raminder Singh, Commissioner of the Ferozepur division. He says that the FCI will purchase 20 per cent, Pungrain 17 per cent, Markfed 22 per cent, Punsup 19 per cent, the Punjab Warehouse Corporation 12 per cent and Punjab Agro 10 per cent. Raminder Singh said 6.65 lakh MT of wheat was expected to arrive in grain markets of Moga district while in Faridkot, it was expected to be 4.36 lakh MT, an increase of 62,000 MT and 70,000 MT, respectively. Meanwhile, the District Magistrate, Moga, Dr VN Zade, said the procurement would take place daily from 10 am to 6 pm and no procurement would take place at night. Sirhind/Rajpura: Farmers here also maintained that the wheat procurement was yet to pick up. They added that despite reducing the moisture level up to 12 percent by drying the crop, nobody turned up to purchase their wheat crop. Some farmers at the Sirhind grain market were told in the morning that their crop would be purchased in the evening at 4 pm. “We waited till 4 pm, but nobody turned up. Now, officials have told us to come tomorrow. We have been making rounds for many days to sell the crop,” said Yadvinder Singh, a farmer from Jalvehri village. Secretary of the market committee Harvinder Singh Riar said except officials of Pungrain, who have extended their strike, all other procurement agencies have begun procurement in
Rajpura. With inputs from Umesh Dewan, Rajay Deep, Ravi Dhaliwal, Gurdeep Singh Mann and Kulwinder Sandhu
|
|
|
1,400 pilgrims leave for Pak
Amritsar, April 11 However, there was a sense of disappointment among several devotees who were denied visa to Pakistan for the pilgrimage. Initially, 922 members were supposed to travel to Pakistan as a part of the SGPC-led jatha, but 341 members were denied visa by the Pakistan Embassy. This included SGPC executive member Rampal Singh Behniwal who was to lead the jatha. President of the SGPC, Avtar Singh Makkar, blamed the Centre for denial of visas to the devotees. He alleged that the Centre had not forwarded the list of the pilgrims to the Pakistan Embassy on time. He dubbed it as a “conspiracy to tarnish the image of the SGPC”, stating that visa denial has caused widespread resentment among Sikh Sangat. The pilgrims, who are not a part of 581-member SGPC jatha, have been sent by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and other religious organisations. SGPC Secretary Dalmegh Singh Khatra flagged off the jatha in the morning. According to him, the jatha will reach Gurdwara Panja Sahib tomorrow morning through special trains. After celebrating Baisakhi on April 14 it will reach Gurdwara Nankana Sahib on April 15. The jatha would then head to Lahore on April 17 where it would visit historic shrines like Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Gurdwara Rori Sahib, Emanabad and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib before returning to India on April 20. As per reports from Pakistan, the pilgrims, on entering into the Pakistan territory, were accorded a warm welcome by Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) President Sham Singh and Auqaf Board officials. Meanwhile, the SGPC has urged the devotees, who wish to observe martyrdom day of fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, and death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh at Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore to submit their passports with its concerned department before April 20.
|
|
39 Pak prisoners released
Attari, April 11 The released persons urged the governments of both countries to free the prisoners who had completed their jail terms. Razia Begam, a resident of Sialkot, returned with a heavy heart as her two children went missing during her visit. She along with her son Shakeel and daughter Naseer had come by the Samjhauta Express to meet her mother in Delhi. She claimed that she also lost her passport, related documents and belongings. She searched for her two children but in vain. In the meantime she was caught by Indian agencies who handed her over to the police. She is returning after 16 months. “I don’t know where my children are,” she said. Mohammad Kasim revealed that he had illegally crossed over to India to participate in “jihad” in Kashmir in 1995, but was caught by the paramilitary forces. He was sentenced and was returning to Pakistan after spending 16 years in various jails here. Mohammad Shaukat, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir who had come with the same motive, said he was caught in Pune by the Maharashtra police in 2000 and a court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment.
|
Amarinder shocked at CM’s statement
He wondered how Badal could demand the death penalty for corruption when he himself “admitted” to the use of black money in elections in the same speech. In a statement issued here, Amarinder Singh said the Income Tax Department should also have taken note of his “admission” of the use of black money in elections. The former Chief Minister criticised Badal for saying that it was difficult to get rid of political corruption and the use of black money in elections. He maintained that it only betrayed Badal’s lack of will to fight corruption.
|
|
Manpreet to contest from Gidderbaha
Earlier he had announced that his father Gurdass Badal would contest as the PPP nominee from the Lambi Assembly segment. Manpreet Badal was talking to mediapersons in Chandigarh today, where a former Congress Minister, Harnek Singh Gharuan, announced that he was joining the PPP. A former DIG of the CRPF, Paramjit Singh, also announced his joining Manpreet’s party today.
|
|
Trust playing vital role for greener state
Khadoor Sahib, April 11 Headed by Baba Sewa Singh Kar Sewa Wale here, the trust has recently built a centre for excellence that will be a boon for students, teachers and professionals in this backward area of the state. Explaining the rationale behind the afforestation drive, the Baba said fresh air and water were essential for human beings. The increasing amount of pollution was a subject of concern at the national and international levels. Trees not only selflessly provided oxygen but also were an ideal shelter for birds and food for animals. “We started the drive on the occasion of the quincentenary Gurpurb of Sri Guru Angad Dev in 1999 and so far over 2.08 lakh trees have been planted on 232 km of roadsides and thousands of households. We are different from state-run campaigns as 30 volunteers are engaged round-the-clock looking after the saplings. Hundreds of tree guards and 12 water tankers are also being used these activities. No sapling is allowed to wilt for want of care otherwise the very purpose of doing so is defeated,” he said. To cope with the huge requirement of trees, a self-managed nursery with advanced techniques has been established on the land of the gurdwara with active cooperation of the sangat. Our aim is to see a green Punjab in the coming years so that the generations to come do not face the grim reality of living in an arid and environmentally degraded state,” he said.
|
|
Shortage of officials hits work at Lok Pal office
Jalandhar, April 11 At present, the police staff is headed by an IG. There was no SP, a DSP, an inspector and other officials working under him to conduct investigations into sensitive cases. Interestingly, the investigation work was being carried out by head constables and constables. At one stage, the Lok Pal office had a DGP besides an SP and other supporting staff, including inspectors and sub-inspectors, to carry out investigations. But when the office remained without a Lok Pal for three years before 2006, a large number of posts were cancelled and a number of police officials transferred elsewhere. Since 2006, Justice DS Dhaliwal had been working as a Lok Pal. Sources said there was a need to post middle-level officials to hold investigations into complaints against VIPs. “ Due to lack of police officials at the desired level, the investigation work has been suffering,” said an official. Justice Dhaliwal, however, refused to speak on the issue. The sources said the Lok Pal office had taken up the issue with the Punjab Governor to whom it submits its administrative report. Though the matter was also taken up with the top brass of the Punjab Police, to no avail. There were 107 complaints with the Lok Pal. Of these, 50 had been forwarded to the competent authority while the remaining 57 were under investigation. The Punjab Lok Pal has power to investigate and report findings to the competent authority and can recommend action. But it has no power to convict or punish anyone at its own level.
|
|
Takht Damdama Sahib getting new look
Talwandi Sabo, April 11 The historical old building of Bir Singh-Dhir Singh Gurdwara has also been replaced with a new building, which is bigger. The halls of these two historical gurdwaras have also been made big. All these changes have been made to give an attractive look to Takht Damdama Sahib. Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, said even the main hall of Takht Damdama Sahib was being made air-conditioned. Its roof was also being beautified. he added. The facade of the Damdama Sahib complex is being changed for the first time after it was accorded the status of Takht. Besides, to make a large chunk of open space available in the front of Takht Damdama Sahib, the residence of the Jathedar has been shifted to a new building. ‘Zora ghar’ and the office of the SGPC have also been shifted to other places. Jaspal Singh, manager of Takht Damdama Sahib, said sanctity was being maintained while constructing new buildings in place of the old religious buildings.
|
|
Strike by NHRM, AYUSH staff enters sixth day
Ludhiana, April 11 The strike is in protest against the government for its failure to regularise the posts and give stipulated salaries as recommended by the Centre, entered the sixth day today. The agitating employees include the Ayurveda and Homeopathy doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses, supervisors and clerical staff of the RNTCP. In the NHRM, the employees are recruited on one-year contract basis, which is renewed every year. But there has been no significant hike in the salaries of the employees. The state president of the NRHM Employees Union, Sarabjit Singh Kalakh, said the Centre was releasing Rs 1,200 crore every year for the execution of various schemes under the NRHM in Punjab. “The officials at the helm of affairs of the state chapter of the NRHM are using their discretion to disburse salaries to the 5,048 employees working under the NRHM irrespective of the growing inflation,” alleged Kalakh. RNTCP worker Gurpreet Singh, who was sitting on strike outside the civil surgeon office, said the Centre had launched the RNTCP to control the incidence of tuberculosis in the state and country but the workers in Punjab were demoralised. Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said the CM Parkash Singh Badal today met the NRHM employees in Chandigarh, who has given them assurance in terms of job security. “It is not possible to regularise the jobs but the CM has promised that the NRHM employees in Punjab will be absorbed by the Health Department after the completion of the mission. Also, we have revised the salaries of the computer operators and ANMs. Every employee working under national health programs will get a minimum salary of Rs 7,500 per month,” Chandra said.
|
|
Revival of sports in villages ‘must to check drug menace’
Patiala, April 11 Maken’s revelations hold significance as he had earlier served as a Minister of State for Home Affairs, and said reports further suggested that the problem of drug addiction in Punjab was rising, which was a dangerous trend in itself. “We will hold drug awareness camps and also open de addiction centres under the Nehru Yuva Kendras to protect the youth from the clutches of drugs in Punjab,” he said. Maken, who was in Patiala today on a visit to the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports (NIS), said 3,000 villages in Punjab would be chosen where door to door surveys would be conducted, and parents and teachers of the drug addicts would be involved. On being asked why Punjab was chosen for such a survey, Maken said reports by various agencies suggested that Punjab had a serious drug menace and to control the alarming rise sports was one of the options. Talking to TNS on the issue of corruption and its impact on the Congress party, Maken said the Congress leaders had some answers to give to the public. Maken said the Congress would always be known for doing justice and removing Suresh Kalmadi, despite his being a senior leader, which speaks volumes about the stand of the party. “The Shunglu Committee Report is already with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and it would clear the air on the entire allegations of irregularities during the CWG games,” the minister said. Meanwhile, the government has decided to make NIS Patiala as the National Institute of Importance following a proposal by the Mool Chand Sharma Committee in 2007. “This will help raise the level of sports in this institute and a special Parliamentary act would be brought for the same,” Maken said.
|
|
Tribune Impact
Kharar, April 11 The coloniser had prepared the side of road for landscaping without seeking an approval for access from the Forest Department or the national
highway authorities. This was highlighted in a news report carried in these columns Following the report, the coloniser removed some portion of the raised platform meant for landscaping purposes. However, it has left entrance wide enough for vehicles to enter into the project site. The Forest Department has decided to close the entrance by installing barbed wires and pillars. Divisional Forest Officer Vishal Chauhan said by Tuesday the department would close the entrance. “No permission has been sought from us accessing the project site from the national highway,” he pointed out. Forest officials said the importance of seeking permission from the national highway was essential as several accidents were being reported due to unplanned openings. “Widening the roads is not the only solution to stop road accidents. Much depends on the roadside encroachments and illegal accesses. The government should consider that not only colonisers but also dhaba owners, petrol pump station owners or anyone else seeking entrance from the national highway, does not operate without seeking permissions,” he said. Meanwhile, the department of central works division has written to the Forest Department suggesting that barbed wires and pillars should be installed in front of the housing project and trenches should be dug. “We have also put offer for a joint operation, if needed, to the Forest Department. We are ready to chip in,” the PWD officials said.
|
|
Increase in School Fees
Nangal, April 11 The work was stalled for two hours at the Chief Engineer’s office. Volunteers from the Association of Parents of Wards of non-BBMB said BBMB’s decision of fee hike had dented the pockets of parents. “The BBMB has arbitrarily increased fees of non-BBMB children making education unaffordable for them,” they said. They said while the Central Government had made 25 per cent seats mandatory for the economically weaker sections of society in public schools, the government-run BBMB had taken a contrary decision. They demanded that the fee structure of their children be at par with that of children of BBMB employees. The agitating parents threatened that if BBMB did not roll back the hike, they would intensify agitation against the school. “The BBMB will be responsible for the outcome of this agitation,” said committee members Prem Kapoor, Kuldip Chand and others.
|
|
Association opposes move on recruitment of asst engineers
Patiala, April 11 Opposing the move, representatives of the PSEB Engineers’ Association said recruiting engineering graduates on a contract basis was not only against the interests of the power utilities, but also against the guidelines of the Central Electricity Authority. Association president and general secretary HS Bedi and Bhupinder Singh, respectively, said the power sector required trained and competent engineering cadre. “The knowledge acquired in academic institutions is not sufficient for the operation and maintenance requirements of the power sector. These fresh engineers require grooming to take up the challenging tasks of manning the power industry. Hence, training is a must to orient their knowledge as per the power sector’s requirements,” they added. They further said according to Section 3 [(2A) (a) of the Electricity Rules, 2005, no person should be authorised to operate or undertake the maintenance of any part or the whole of a generating station of capacity 100-MW and above together with associated grid substations unless he/she was adequately qualified and had successfully underwent the type of training specified. “For thermal and transmission engineers, one-year training and for distribution engineers, six-month training has been specified in the rules”, they added. Representatives of the association have announced that they will oppose this move to protect the long-term interests of the power sector in the state. Association leaders have also appealed to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to intervene and direct the power companies to recruit engineers on a regular basis.
|
|
|
PSTCL has shown encouraging results: Agarwal
Patiala, April 11 According to Agarwal, during the past three years, from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2010, the transformer capacity of 3,854 mega volt amperes (MVA) was added in the system with an average capacity of 1,285 MVA per year. “But during the year 2010-11, a capacity of 4,041 MVA has been added, which is relatively much higher than the previous years,” he claimed. After the unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board in April last year, two power utilities, the PSPCL and the PSTCL, came into existence. “The construction work of 400 kilo volt ampere (KVA) ring, costing Rs 1,800 crore, involving 1,675 circuit kilometer transmission lines and five 400 KVA grids at Nakodar, Makhu, Dhuri, Rajpura and Muktsar has already been started, which will facilitate the withdrawal of power from the upcoming thermal plants at Goindwal Sahib, Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Mansa and Gidderbaha”, he said. He added that this work would be completed by August 2012.
|
|
|
A changed mindset can curb graft: Subba Rao
While interacting with mediapersons at the local press club yesterday, Rao said that to eradicate corruption, people would have to change. “Tolerating corrupt practises is a sign of slavery. Grass root Indian will have to rise against it to let himself free from the malpractices prevalent in government and society,” he said. He suggested that village-level mass programmes should be initiated to create awareness among people. Rao appreciated the people who supported Anna Hazare around the nation for the good cause. Earlier, he presided over a meeting of the state unit of the National Youth Project wherein 40 youths from 13 districts participated. He motivated them to be the voice against corruption and take oath to neither indulge in corrupt practises nor support corruption. It was decided that a national integration camp would be held in Punjab in the month of November wherein 350 youths from all over the country would participate.
|
|
Need to open Indo-Pak border for trade: Bajwa
Jalandhar, April 11 Bajwa said he accompanied by PPCC spokesman Fateh Singh Bajwa had also discussed the issue of opening of the Indo-Pak border with Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gilani in an informal chat at the Air Force Airport in Chandigarh during his recent visit. Gilani’s response was positive, he added. If the border is opened, Punjab will become a trade hub as Amritsar, Lahore and Afghanistan has been considered as the traditional trade route. Bajwa said he had also talked about the construction of an open corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in India to Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan to facilitate Sikh pilgrims to pay obeisance at the holy place. At this, Gilani said bilateral talks between India and Pakistan on constructing the corridor were already on.
|
|
sex determination Moga, April 11 Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla led a state delegation, including the Principal Secretary of the Health Department, Satish Chandra, director of the Family Welfare Department, Ashok Nayyar, and managing director of the National Rural Health Mission, Krishna Kumar to Kolhapur on April 8. They held discussions with Kolhapur district collector, Laxmikant Deshmukh and civil surgeon, Ravindra Nitturkar on the achievements made with the implementation of ‘silent observer’ model. The ‘silent observer’, also called as ‘active tracker’, records sonography images and links it to an online portal called “Save the baby girl”. This portal, where it is mandatory for all doctors to file details of each and every pregnancy case that comes to them, then traces ultrasound details throughout the duration of the pregnancy.
|
|
|
Baba Farid varsity postpones PMET
Faridkot, April 11 The earlier date of May 8 was clashing with several other entrance tests across the country and students were demanding postponement of the test. An official spokesman of the university said the fresh date of the examination would be notified soon.
|
|
PCCTU against conversion of Khalsa College
Chandigarh, April 11 Addressing a press conference on behalf of Dr Jagwant Singh, President, PCCTU, said the proposal betrayed the expectations of those who were involved in the movement of setting up of the college.
— TNS
|
|
HC: State cannot charge permit fee on denatured spirit
Chandigarh, April 11 Arguing on behalf of IOL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, counsel Vikram Jain asserted that denatured spirit was not an excisable article in terms of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, read with entry 51 of the State List. Also Haryana Additional Advocate-General Jain said that the state under the constitutional provisions had no power to impose fee or levy on industrial alcohol unfit for human consumption. Jain further contended tha the levy, under the garb of regulatory fee, as claimed by the State of Punjab, was not justified. In fact, no control whatsoever was called for in the case of denatured spirit, which is an industrial alcohol. Relying upon judgments of the Supreme Court, the Bench allowed the petition and held “Industrial alcohol cannot be subject matter of any regulation or control by a State, it being not alcoholic liquor for human consumption.”
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Chandigarh, April 11
Chandigarh, April 11
Ropar, April 11