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Day 1: No procurement in Jalandhar
FCI to give agents a miss, will procure paddy directly from farmers
In Amritsar, 10,000 MT procured by Pungrain |
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Stormy assembly session likely
Capt: Govt stands exposed over Gidderbaha project ‘imbroglio’
Worrying rise in dengue cases in state
Plaza staff illegally block link roads
Telecom services remain affected
Secret no more, ex-DGP Gill holds his first poll road show in Moga today
Board formed for drug prevention
Voluntary blood donation up in Punjab
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Day 1: No procurement in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, October 1 The sole exception being Pungrain that is not taking part in the boycott and is procuring small quantities of paddy at the mandis allotted to them in the region. The seriousness of the government in this regard could be gauged from the fact that no effective measures had been taken by the state on time even though the staff had reiterated their resolve that they would boycott the procurement process if their demands were not met. A quick visit to the mandis in Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Sultanpur Lodhi revealed that the initial arrivals had flooded the mandis, but the farmers were complaining that no one came for procurement till late this evening. Although everyone knew about the boycott, they were hopeful that the impasse between the agitators and the government would end today, Mohan Singh of Nangal Manohar, who brought two trolley loads of paddy in the morning. Surmukh Singh Nawanpind, an elderly farmer, recalled the days when they had to spend days in the open while waiting for the procurement staff. “It had been all right for the past many seasons, but things are back to square one,” he said. Similarly, farmers at the Sultanpur Lodhi mandi too have been anxiously waiting for the procurement staff since early morning. Satnam Singh of Darewal said he brought his produce last night in the hope that he would be free by noon, but nobody came. The same sentiments were echoed by Jarnail Singh of Pandori, who, too, has been looking around for the staff that remained elusive to sell his produce. “The arhtiyas, too, are unable to answer my queries as they also do not know what is going on,” he said. Jalandhar Grain Market Association president Kashmiri Lal said of the total produce that came in the mandi, only 2,000 to 3,000 bags had been procured by Pungrain. A smaller quantity had been procured at Partapra sub- yard, he said. Asked about the filled bags in the mandi, he said they were doing so in anticipation that the strike would end in the next few days. “We have to keep the mandi free for more arrivals,” he explained. Veeru Shekhar, president of the Punsup Employees Union and senior vice-president of the Coordination Committee of Procurement Agencies, said: “In spite of the veiled threat by the government that the procurement will be done forcibly, we will stick to our demands”. He said the government had reneged on their word and had failed to implement the agreement executed between their representatives and the Food and Supplies Department on April 5. The agencies boycotting the procurement process are Markfed, Warehousing Corporation, Punsup and Punjab Agro.
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FCI to give agents a miss, will procure paddy directly from farmers
Gurdaspur, October 1 Also, the FCI, for the first time, will be crediting payments accruing to farmers directly to their bank accounts. Although paddy procurement by various state government agencies commenced today, sources disclosed that because of the high moisture content of paddy, which will be brought to the markets in the few days, the FCI will not be procuring the stocks as of now. However, when moisture comes down to 17 per cent after a fortnight, the FCI will start its process of procurement. The Punjab Government’s Agriculture Produce Marketing Act states that paddy will be procured from farmers only through commission agents. However, the FCI authorities claim that they will be procuring paddy directly from farmers in an attempt to ensure that these farmers do no fall into the “vicious trap of commission agents”. Last year too, the FCI had made such arrangements but the Union Agriculture Minister, apparently acting under pressure from the state government, kept the circular under abeyance for one year. As many as 15 grain markets have been allocated to the Gurdaspur FCI unit by the Director, Food and Civil Supplies. All these 15 markets have been linked to storage points located at Gurdaspur, Batala, Dhariwal, Dinanagar and Pathankot. Arrangements have been made at each of these markets to ensure that procurement through direct payment mode is a hassle-free process. Nahar Singh, area manager, Gurdaspur FCI, said, “It is for the first time in the state that paddy will be procured directly. That is why we have to ensure that farmers do not face any problems. We have decided to pay directly to farmers within 48 hours of buying the crop. Under the new payment system, the FCI has roped in several banks and farmers have been told to open accounts in these banks.” Mandi Labour Contractors (MLC), who are responsible for loading paddy stocks into trucks, and Mandi Transport Contractors (MTC), who will be transporting stocks from grain markets to various storage points in the district, have been stationed at all the 15 markets. A quality inspector would oversee purchase paddy at each of the markets. Nearly 80,000 tonnes is expected to be procured by the FCI from all the 15 mandis allotted to it at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,080 for common variety and Rs 1,110 for grade A variety.
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In Amritsar, 10,000 MT procured by Pungrain
Amritsar, October 1 According to Rakesh Singla, District Food and Supplies Controller, around 10,000 MT of paddy was procured by the PUNGRAIN, the lone agency which came forward to lift the crop from here. The Food grain Agency Mulazim Talmel Committee, Punjab, has given a state-wide protest call against the irregular procurement practices adopted by the government. The activists of the Amritsar and Tarn Taran chapter of the committee today assembled at Company Bagh here and observed chain hunger strike. —
TNS
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Stormy assembly session likely
As the session is expected to be stormy, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is making all preparations to take on the attacks from the opposition. In the last Vidhan Sabha Session, the focus of most legislators would be make their presence felt rather than be involved in serious legislative business. Badal has summoned a Cabinet meeting on the morning of February 3 where a number of Bills are expected to be passed. So far, only the Right to Services Bill has the nod of Punjab Cabinet after which the government promulgated an ordinance. The other Bills likely to come up in the Vidhan Sabha include bills on private universities, special economic zones and amendments in the VAT Act. Badal, it is learnt, has also held a meeting with most principal secretaries in his government and asked them to supply him with figures of the amount of money spent during the SAD-BJP government's current term. These figures will be compared with the money spent during the Congress regime. Badal is updating himself on the works of his government to leave a lasting impression on the house with the achievements of his government. This would be the 13th session of the 13th Vidhan Sabha that would end on the first day with obituary references, but on October 4 and 5, the House will see two sessions before being adjourned sine die on the eve of Dusehra. The Vidhan Sabha will see a series of Bills that would be tabled. This includes the Right to Services Act that the SAD-BJP Government is touting as one of its major achievements. The Congress is preparing itself to take on the government on the issue of an "engineered transport policy, made to benefit a few politicians running transport business". A senior Congress leader said that the government would also be put on a back foot on the issue of corruption, Hansi Butana Canal issue and some issues where the government failed to live up to promises made in the last manifesto. The Chief Minister is also reportedly preparing a detailed reply to the allegations levelled against him and his family about the manipulation of transport policy and reduction on tax for luxury buses. A majority of these luxury buses are reportedly owned by the Badal family. The opposition is likely to ask for a CBI inquiry into the issue while the treasury benches are expected to shout down the opposition to deflect from the issue. The opposition is also expected to raise other issues like government taking huge loans at the fag end of its tenure, leaving the repayment to the next elected government. The Congress will also take up the issue of continuing political vendetta and appointment of former DGP PS Gill as Adviser, Home Department. The House will also mourn its sitting member Jatinder Singh Kariha's death, besides the demise of a few other former MLAs and MPs.
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Capt: Govt stands exposed over Gidderbaha project ‘imbroglio’
Stating that the SAD-BJP government stood exposed on the Gidderbaha Thermal Project imbroglio, Amarinder said, “The reports over the differences between the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) over certain conditions of the MoU signed for the Gidderbaha thermal project clearly vindicates the Congress stand that the Akali-BJP government had rushed through the MoUs with various power companies without taking ground realities into consideration.” He said, “There may be a few political reasons also for the Akalis to get the Gidderbaha project cancelled.” Notably, Gidderbaha is the home turf of People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal. The former Chief Minister said Sukhbir’s power dreams had come crashing like a house of cards. “The latest controversy over the likelihood of the Gidderbaha project getting cancelled has further exposed the SAD-BJP government,” he said. Amarinder said quite contrary to Sukhbir’s claims of making the state power surplus, the power scenario was miserable in the state.“The agriculture sector is not given more than three hours power a day against the promised eight hours power supply,” he added.
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Worrying rise in dengue cases in state
Ludhiana, October 1 Already, over 120 deaths have been reported in the neighbouring nation, most of them in Lahore. An alert has also been issued at Attari to keep tabs on passengers entering India from Pakistan. Blood tests of suspected cases were also being conducted, officials said. According to the Principal Secretary, Health Department, Satish Chandra, "Till now, as many as 532 dengue cases have been reported in the state, though no deaths have occurred." Health and Family Welfare Minister Satpal Gosain said he had issued “strict instructions” to the officials concerned, including in various municipal corporations, to remain alert and do the needful to check the spread of the disease. Gosain met dengue patients at Mohan Devi Oswal Hospital here yesterday. Dr Gurvinderjeet Singh, medical superintendent at Oswal Hospital, said, "Of the 120 people tested for dengue in the hospital in the past three months, the report of the 70 per cent of them has come out to be positive. At present, 20 patients are receiving treatment here.” Meanwhile, the government has ordered the Amritsar health authorities to fumigate the trains coming from Pakistan and thoroughly screen the passengers entering India from land or rail route in order to prevent the disease from penetrating into the country.
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Plaza staff illegally block link roads
While the two toll plazas, near Samana and Bhadson, are using muscle power by putting up “illegal hurdles” to block the link roads to nearby villages, ensuring a strict compliance that everyone should pay toll, the authorities concerned turned a blind eye towards it. While the Samana toll plaza is managed by Rohan Rajdeep Tollways limited, TCIL manages the toll plaza near Bhadson in Chehel village. The toll plazas were handed over to private companies on build-operate-transfer basis by the state government. A to-and-fro visit through a toll barrier costs Rs 100, while it could have been free if link roads were to be used. “What is your purpose of going to the village?” henchmen of the toll plaza in Samana asked and forcibly tried to stop The Tribune team from using the nearby link road via Chuppki village and Asarpur. “No one is allowed, except the villagers. If you have to go, you will have to pay the tax,” they said. The scene is the same at the toll plaza in Bhadson. “This road is blocked,” said security personnel of the toll company. “A few days back, my relatives were allowed to go only after a toll slip was issued,” said a villager from Asarpur. However, the officials of the PWD, that oversees the entire working of the plazas, feigned ignorance. “They (plazas) are authorised as per the contract to block all the link roads in the five-km area,” said XEN, PWD, Patiala. He said the department and the government framed the contract. Meanwhile, the residents questioned the logic behind the toll roads and why there was no option for them to use an alternate route instead. “I pay road and vehicle tax to the state government, so there should be an alternate route. The government cannot just allow these companies to loot people like this,” said Deepinder Singh Sekhon, a local resident. However, staff from the toll plaza companies refused to entertain any media query, claiming that the PWD is the appellate authority to answer. Punjab PWD Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa said he was unaware of the issue. “I will look into the matter,” he said. Patiala DC Vikas Garg and SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill also feigned ignorance on the issue, promising stern action.
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Telecom services remain affected
Chandigarh, October 1 "We are awaiting instructions from our headquarter ... the services to private telecom operators have not been restored so far," a senior official of BSNL said today. Due to disconnection of Points of Interconnect (PoI) telephone calls between private company mobiles and BSNL landline telephones are not taking place. However, mobile to mobile services among telecom operators remained unaffected. BSNL Punjab circle is expecting instructions only on Monday as Sunday being holiday which means telecom services will remain out of order tomorrow as well. Taking up the petition of Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices, telecom tribunal TDSAT yesterday stayed BSNL form disconnecting services of private operators on account of inter-connectivity user charges. —
PTI
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Secret no more, ex-DGP Gill holds his first poll road show in Moga today
Moga, October 1 After his retirement and his subsequent elevation to the post of Advisor to the Home and Justice Department, Gill is reaching Moga tomorrow where he will meet people at a large gathering and take part in a ‘road show’. And to ‘welcome’ him, over 5,000 people (nay voters) of the Moga assembly constituency are expected to gather in an open ground, situated behind a private hospital that is owned by Mickey Gill, a cousin of the former DGP. With such a large gathering of supporters, the former DGP is scheduled to lead the road show. On Saturday, a large number of Gill’s supporters in Moga were seen gearing up for Sunday’s show of strength. Many policemen were also on their toes in assisting Gill’s supporters in mobilizing more and more Akali workers from various villages of the Moga assembly constituency. Sources revealed that Gill’s ‘welcome visit’ to Moga is a show of political strength but Mickey Gill, his cousin and confidant, denied that there was any programme or arrangements for a ‘road show’. Mickey Gill, however, said that as PS Gill is coming to his home town after retirement, so, no doubt, he would receive a grand welcome. “Ours is a Moga-based big family and our family has a political history in Moga. So the gathering in the welcome visit would definitely be huge,” said Mickey. Nachattar Singh Gill, the father of Paramjit Singh Gill was an MLA and was gunned down by the militants during turbulent times of terrorism in Punjab. Sources revealed that as per the scheduled programme, the Akali workers and supporters would walk on foot behind the vehicles of the former DGP and would declare their support for him. The road show would begin from the hospital and would move to the bazaars of the city before finally concluding at the Gurudwara Sahib Akalsar Sahib. The former DGP would pay obeisance at the Gurudwara Sahib and then all the supporters would reach an open ground behind the hospital for lunch and narrate their grievances to Gill. “It is a brazen misuse of state power and the police force to horde more and more people for this road show,” alleged Joginder Pal Jain, Congress MLA from Moga. Snehdeep Sharma, SSP Moga, denied that the police had anything to do with any political rally or road show. “The police would be on law and order duty, nothing else,” he claimed. However, Jain alleged that it was the Moga police which was mainly making arrangements for this political function and a large number of police men were put on duty to bring and mobilize people for the show.
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Board formed for drug prevention
Chandigarh, October 1 Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Punjab government said the other members of the board would comprise the Principal Secretary of Social Security and Women & Child Development, Home and Justice, Health and Family Welfare, Youth Services, Medical Education and Research and Higher Education. Additional Director General of Police (crime), Excise and Taxation Commissioner, besides the Director of Social Security and Child Development will also be the members.
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Voluntary blood donation up in Punjab
Ludhiana, October 1 In 2007-08, the percentage of people donating blood voluntarily was 41.55 per cent, which increased to 74 per cent in 2011-12.” Appealing the state people to donate blood at regular intervals, he said last year Punjab even surpassed its target of 2.1 lakh units of blood. “We collected 2,24,212 units. Besides, all district hospitals as well as government medical colleges now have the Gosain said the state government was in the process of filling the 4,200 vacant posts at various levels in the Health Department. Also present on the occasion was Principal Secretary (Health) Satish Chandra, who claimed Punjab was on the Number 1 position in the country in terms of providing basic facilities at hospitals. The civil hospitals Ludhiana and Khanna in collaboration with the Red Cross Society collected more than 400 units of blood today. Donors who had given blood over 40 times were also honoured. Meanwhile, the National Rural Health Mission employees who are on strike for the past 25 days also donated 40 units of blood.
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Reminiscent of the past days, farmers have once again been forced to spend their first nights out in the open as no official turned out for the paddy procurement process that began across the state today.
Moga, October 1
Chandigarh, October 1
Patiala, October 1
Patiala, October 1