Amritsar, June 28
Now, people have to take prior permission for organising langars and chhabeels in the city.

This may sound a good step on the part of the Municipal Corporation but whether it’s implemented in letter and spirit will be a big question as it involves public sentiments as far as organising langars and chhabeels on many occasions is concerned.

“But we are not against the sentiments of the people. Cleanliness in next to godliness and therefore we just want to make sure that people become more responsible and clear the rubbish which were left after langars and chhabeels,” said DPS Kharbanda, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation.

According to MC orders, any organisation wanted to hold langar/chhabeel would have to get a prior written permission from the estate officer of the MC. Prior information is this regard would also be mandatory to be given to the health officer of the corporation.

It is pertinent to mention here that during langar/chhabeels, the tents were erected by digging roads and after their completion, the heaps of rubbish are scattered all over the place.

“That was a set back to the efforts of the MC to construct roads as well as to ensure cleanliness in the city,” said Kharbanda. He said while giving the permission, the estate officer would mention therein that the organization holding langar/chabeel would ensure that no damage is caused to the pucca road and proper arrangements would be made to collect the garbage in a place and later lifted from the site.

The corporation has left open the option of penalising the erring persons as well as the tent houses.

“Instructions have been passed on to the tent houses that if the roads were damaged while erecting tents, then the tents would be confiscated for at least 15 days and later on would be returned after paying a hefty fine,” said the Commissioner. He said the corporation could even go on to the extent of cancelling the trading license of the tent house.

Kharbanda appealed to the people and organisations to cooperate with the MC for keeping the city clean.

Amritsar, June 28
The hospitality industry and restaurants are all set to increase room tariffs and eatables by nearly 20 per cent following hike in LPG and diesel prices.

Hospitality players felt that the hike would hit the nascent industry in the holy city hard. They apprehended that it would have cascading impact on room occupancy, number of visitors and small restaurants would resort to tax evasion.

Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRA) general secretary APS Chatha said that the hospitality industrialists had no alternative but to pass on the hike to customers. He said the industry was heavily dependent on diesel to run generator sets and cooking fuel.

He said rates of vegetables, coal and other widely used products in hotels and restaurants would be more expensive. He said coal was expected to increase by nearly 15 per cent and its use was more to run Tandoor.

He said once the rate was increased they would have to give a hike to the salary of employees.

He added that the industry would have to effect second hike within four months. Earlier, the hospitality industry had to hike room tariff and eatable prices after the Powercom increased over nine per cent per unit rate, increased VAT to 13.75 per cent and the Union government imposed service tax on rooms and AC restaurant.

Chatha said the hospitality was already reeling under multi-tax, including, luxury tax four per cent, VAT restaurant (food) 13.75 per cent, VAT on AC restaurant 17.75 per cent. 

Amritsar, June 28
The Guru Nanak Dev Hospital kitchen meant for poor patients has been lying closed for the last 15 days thus forcing the patients to procure unhygienic food from outside the hospital.

The reason is non-availability of ration at the kitchen.

It is pertinent to mention here that the kitchen was opened to supply free and nutritious food to the patients as per the requirement. Earlier, too it remained closed due to various reasons and it was re-opened by former medical superintendent Dr R P S Boparai.

The government spent Rs 50 lakh under which automatic machines for making Chapati and boiling vegetables besides a cold storage room.

The kitchen used to provide food to accident patients, yellow card holders, cancer patients and poor people admitted in the hospital. The hospital witness admission of at least 250-300 patients at a time while about over 50 patients used to bring food from the kitchen at very nominal prices.

The hospital sources claimed that the kitchen had been lying closed since June 8 as there was no stock for preparing food.

Dr Karnail Singh, who was recently appointed as Medical Superintendent of the Hospital visited the kitchen said that the situation arose as Dr S S Shergill, Principal of Government Medical College who was officiating as Medical superintendent of the hospital had gone on leave for 15 days. In his absence the bills of kitchen could not be cleared.

He said that now cheques have been cleared and kitchen would again start working within couple of days. 

Amritsar, June 28
Former Congress MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa alleged that the state government diverted NRHM funds meant to set up a centre of excellence to hold sangat darshan programmes.

Speaking at a rally, organised by the Congress workers in Amritsar East Assembly constituency, he lashed out at the government for its “anti-people policies” and “stepmother treatment” to Amritsar city.

He said the previous Congress government, led by Capt Amarinder Singh, started a number of development projects such as elevated road, water supply and sewage scheme, four-laning of Attari-Beas highway. And now the people feel cheated by the current government as it miserably failed to start any new development project in the holy city.

He said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who belongs to the city, sanctioned a number of projects for the uplift of the city but the Punjab Government was more interested in developing Bathinda region at the cost of the city.

He said that central government sanctioned Rs 130 crore for a centre of excellence which was to be set up in the border district so that the poor and downtrodden students can prepare for competitive exams, but the state government diverted the funds into sangat darshan thus playing with the future of border youth. 

Amritsar, June 28
The credit deposit (CD) ratio of the district has been going down and needs special attention, said Parneet Bhardwaj, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), while presiding over the District Consultative committee meeting of Amritsar district for the quarter ending March 2011.

The meeting was organised to review the progress of all the banks and government agencies in the district. While appreciating, he said it is commendable that the bankers of Amritsar district have achieved all the quarterly targets allocated for the quarter ending March 2011 but sincere efforts should also be made by all the banks and government agencies to increase the CD ratio.

He added that economic development of the district will be possible only when below poverty line group would be up lifted through micro financing e.g. self help groups and government-sponsored schemes such as Swarn Jyanti Gramin Swai Rogzar Yojna (SGSY), Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) etc.

Harpal Singh, Deputy General Manager, Circle Head, Punjab National Bank, Amritsar, Jatinder Mankotia, Chief Lead District Manager, Anita Kalra, AGM, RBI, Surinder Singh, AGM NABARD and Senior Officers from different Banks, Govt. departments/agencies attended the meeting.

In a keynote address, Harpal Singh informed that disbursement/credit flow under annual credit plan during the 4th quarter ended March 2011 had been to the tune of Rs 3,999.15 crore against the target of the Rs. 2900.40 crores, showing achievement of 137.88 per cent.

Disbursement in agriculture sector, during the period touched the figure of Rs 1768.36 crore against the proportionate target of Rs 1593.49 crore showing achievement of 110.97 percent.

Aggregate deposits of banks in Amritsar District have increased from Rs. 13369.70 crores as at March, 2010 to Rs. 16813.38 crores as at end of March, 2011, registering a yearly growth of Rs. 3443.68 crores (25.76 per cent)

Credit growth in the district has been from Rs. 7049.79 crore as at March 2010 to Rs. 7887.19 as at March 2011 showing yearly growth of Rs. 837.40 crore (11.88%).

To boost agriculture credit in the district the banks have issued KCCs to 6538 farmers amounting to Rs. 180.27 crores during the period from 1.4.2010 to 31.3.2011 and on accumulated basis 152096 KCCs have been issued amounting to Rs. 1440.16 crores. Under SSI Sector, credit flow up to 31.3.2011, had been to the tune of Rs. 1083.45 crores against target of Rs. 671.01 crores showing achievement of 161.46%.

He informed that the district has achieved all other National goals such as Agriculture advances, advances to weaker sector and advances to women beneficiaries but the performance in respect of DRI advances is however, not up to the desired level. The performance under government-sponsored schemes is satisfactory, while the disbursement process needs to be expedited, he said.

Mankotia also urged that bankers should take keen interest in micro financing through self-help groups, DRI and other schemes for BPL families. The bankers should make sincere efforts to make improvement in the deposits & advances in the district and also to achieve al budgets in respect of government-sponsored programmes allocated for the current financial year 2011-12. 

Amritsar, June 28
The Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences of Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, has sanctioned a major research project of Rs 27 lakh on radon/thoron and progeny measurements in the dwellings of Himachal Pradesh and high heat producing granitic regions of Tosham falling under Bhiwani district of Haryana to Prof Surinder Singh, Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University as the principal investigator and Dr B.S. Bajwa as co-investigator, a university press release said.

Prof Surinder Singh is the senior most professor of physics in the university and has served in the position of Head of Department of Physics and Dean, science faculty and dean, academic affairs of the university. The Co-investigator Dr B.S. Bajwa is also a senior professor of physics at the university and has been the head of the same department.

A scientist of eminence in the field of radiation physics, nuclear geophysics and material science including nanotechnology, Prof Singh is already supervising a number of major research projects in the field of environmental radioactivity, siesmotectonic and earthquake studies, material science and nanotechnology sanctioned by various agencies including the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi; Ministry of Earth Sciences; Inter University Accelerator Centre (UGC) and Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences of BARC.

Prof Singh is the pioneer scientist in reporting high uranium values in drinking water samples of south-west Malwa belt of Punjab, which is known for high cancer rate in the region both at national and international level.

Prof Surinder Singh said, “In the sanctioned project the radon/thoron and progeny studies will be carried out in about 200 dwellings each of some areas of Himachal Pradesh known for uranium mineralisation and Tosham area of Haryana consisting of high heat producing granites, in collaboration with Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. Soil samples will also be analysed for analysis of radio-nuclides viz uranium, thorium and potassium using gamma-ray spectroscopy. Analysis of air samples for environmental radioactivity will also be carried out. These studies are significant from the heath risk assessments point of view.”

Amritsar, June 28
The Punjab Draughtsman Association, led by its district president Ravinder Singh Athwal, held a rally near the railway station and submitted a memorandum to the Additional Deputy Commissioner pertaining to their demands.

The association demanded abolishing the age bar of 12 years for next promotional avenues, designating junior draftsman as draftsman and DM as senior DM according to fourth pay commission, reinstating the decision of quota system for the SDO and ADE posts in all wings. Likewise, the head draftsman to be designating as planning officer and recommending amendments in the fifth pay commission for pay scales.

The association also recommended to regularise the services of junior draftsmen associated with the sewerage board.