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Govt launches own bus on Amritsar-Lahore route
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Nine electroplating units ordered to shut
Abolish ‘ornamental’ post of lambardar: HC
Rs 480-crore loan for agriculture sector
One held with 110g heroin
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Govt launches own bus on Amritsar-Lahore route
Amritsar, August 30 Ferrying just one passenger, a 45-seater golden-colour Volvo bus, left for Lahore from the Amritsar International Bus Terminus (AIBT), here at 9.30 am today. This bus, having a price tag of Rs 78 lakh, was purchased by the Punjab Roadways Transport Corporation (PRTC) a month back but was not put on the route for want of mandatory formalities, countersigned from the Pakistan side. Nevertheless, this bus service, which runs twice a week from AIBT on every Tuesday and Friday to Lahore and Nankana Sahib, respectively, and comes back the next corresponding day, was conceptualised in 2005. The state government had hired a Volvo bus from a Ludhiana-based Libra company for Rs 1.7 lakh per month. Five years down the line, the state exchequer has suffered a financial dent of around Rs 1.5 crore. The total expenditure made on this bus service (including bus rent and diesel cost), had been calculated to be around Rs 2.5 crore, whereas it could generate an income of approximately Rs 75 lakh only, till date, the officials said. This 45-seater luxury bus would normally carry not more than 10 passengers, except on some special occasions. With such a low occupancy rate, it appeared quite unviable to run a luxury bus which commanded such a hefty rent. The officials of state transport wing and in charge, AIBT, viewed the government move as a cost-effective venture. In charge, AIBT, Sri Kanth said, "As per old pattern, irrespective of whether the bus is on-road or off-road, we had to pay the bus rent for whole month. Now, with our own bus, the expense would be only for those 16 days when the bus would be in operation. This saving would make difference," he said. General Manager, Punjab Roadways-I, Amritsar, Makhan Singh said the present infrastructure to operate the service would further make it cost effective. Meanwhile, it has been reliably learnt that the bus which was taken off the road on this route, has been granted special permission to run on the Amritsar-Delhi route. |
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Nine electroplating units ordered to shut
Jalandhar, August 30 Of the total 27 industries, hearing of which in this regard conducted today, 16 electroplating units agreed upon transporting their effluent to CETP, Ludhiana. One industry has installed the system to achieve zero liquid discharge, while one more industry has dismantled its electroplating plan, said Birinderjit Singh, Chief Environmental Engineer, PPCB. It is pertinent to mention here that in the absence of any common effluent treatment facility for electroplating units in Jalandhar, the PPCB has persuaded the Jalandhar-based electroplating units to become members of CETP, Ludhiana, to avail of the facility, until setting up of such facility at Jalandhar. “The units, closed down today, were discharging their untreated effluent into Kala Sanghian drain, which merges with East Bein and ultimately pollutes Sutlej. With this achievement, the heavy metal contents in Kala Sanghian drain will come down substantially,” added PPCB official. He further said the process of identification and procurement of land for CETP for electroplating industries of Jalandhar would be shortly completed and would be further allocated to the electroplating industries for installation of CETP. |
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Abolish ‘ornamental’ post of lambardar: HC
Chandigarh, August 30 “It has come to the notice of this court that nowadays lambardars are involved in different criminal cases for identifying imposters for the dead or the real landowners to grab their valuable land. Remuneration paid to the lambardars from the state exchequer seems to be unnecessary financial burden on the state, while the lambardars have no active duties/functions to perform,” the court held. This is high time when the government should consider the desirability to abolish the posts of lambardars within the states of Punjab and Haryana, Justice Singh observed. The directions came on a petition challenging the appointment of a lambardar of Tharu village in Sonepat district. Justice Alok Singh took note of the fact that the duties of a lambardar or headman, among other things, include collection of “all land revenue”, “collect the rents and other income of the common land”. Justice Alok Singh added prima facie after the 73rd amendment in the Constitution of India, enactment of Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act and Registration of Births and Deaths Act, “lambardar hardly has any duty or function to perform, which he used to perform in the pre-Independence era. Prima facie, in the opinion of this court, the post of lambardar has become ornamental”. Before parting with the order, Justice Alok Singh observed the courts were flooded with litigations challenging the appointment of lambardars; and directed the filing of an affidavit by a responsible officer not below the joint secretary’s rank in the department of finance in Punjab and Haryana. The officer has been asked to specify the exact duties or functions being discharged by the lambardars; whether the functions could be delegated to the panchayats and how many lambardars in Punjab and Haryana are facing criminal cases since January 1, 2009, for identifying imposters for dead or real landowners”. The case will now come up for hearing on September 19. |
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More students join school that ‘rose from the ashes’
Amritsar, August 30 Amritsar Diocese Bishop Pardeep Kumar Samantaroy, who recently returned from Srinagar after heading a motorcycle rally from Amritsar to Kashmir valley, said that the total strength of students shot up from close to 450 to 500 this academic session. The school at Tangmarg falls under the Amritsar Diocese. At present, the school is being run in pre-fabricated huts installed on the place where once a three-storied wooden structure stood. He said during his recent interaction with the students and their parents, they asked questions as to why the school was targeted. The bishop said that the Tangmarg Police had apprehended nine people for burning the school and all of them were found to be outsiders. At that time, an emotional spur misguided people resorted to the inhuman act as they believed that a priest in the USA had burnt the copy of the holy Kuran. However, they were unaware of the fact that seven copies of the Kuran were in the school when it was burnt. Socio-Economic Development Project (SEDP) President Daniel B Das is also a member of the Amritsar Diocese. He said earlier they had thought of withdrawing from Tangmarg which is a rural area. However, he said, it would have given a wrong message to the forces which were inimical to the pluralistic character of the country. Instead, the Amritsar Diocese had now decided to build a grand structure at the place. He said the Diocese had forwarded a claim of Rs eight crore to the Jammu and Kashmir government. In return, the state government had handed over a grant of Rs one crore and more money was expected to be released soon. He added that besides the school was insured for nearly Rs two crore. |
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Rs 480-crore loan for agriculture sector
Hoshiarpur, August 30 He said a loan of Rs 480 crore in the agriculture sector, Rs 41 crore in the non-agriculture sector and the remaining Rs 149 crore in the priority sector had been given. Kisan Cards of Rs 1,742 crore to 1,13,697 card holders had been issued in the district up to June 30. More than 2,600 self-help groups had been formed in the district, of which loans to 1990 had got been released through banks for starting trades. The total deposit of Rs 10,034 crore in banks had increased to 11,174 crore up to June 30. Similarly, loan money of Rs 3,096 crore had increased to 3,433 crore by various banks.
— OC |
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One held with 110g heroin
Amritsar, August 30 The police has registered a case under the NDPS Act. Jagbir Singh, SHO, Hakima Gate police station, said a patrolling party got suspicious when the accused tried to flee away after seeing it. He said Mukesh was caught by the police party, while his accomplice, identified as Rinku, a resident of Akhara Kullu, managed to escape.
— TNS
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