|
|
|
|
|
Amritsar Pingalwara assumes a dual role
Sharma, Fahim inspect international checkpost
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PUDA allottees made to pay higher stamp duty
Cops destroy ammunition in Malout
EC raj helped check crime too
PPP candidates against post-poll pact
Rights panel seeks report by April 11
Property trade takes a hit
Patiala civic body fails to initiate sterilisation drive despite pleas
Farmhand bitten to death by dogs
Uneasy calm in Balachaur
Canadian group on awareness campaign against social evils
Snag in power supply after shifting of metres
One arrested in murder case
|
Amritsar Pingalwara assumes a dual role
Amritsar, February 13 Spread over 32 acres, the farm is being looked after by society member Rajbir Singh. Talking to The Tribune, he said: “At our farm, we use cattle urine/dung, pulses, jaggery, garlic and green chilli in different combinations to prepare fertilisers which we mix with water.” He said only 15 per cent insects were harmful to crops. “When the farmers use chemical fertilisers, they end up killing also the insects that are beneficial to the crop. However, this does not happen in case of natural fertilisers.” Rajbir Singh said they had adopted bed farming as “crops need moisture and not a lot of water.” In this way, they could save water up to 60 per cent as compared to other kinds of farming. He said the indiscriminate use of pesticides by farmers had had dangerous repercussions for human life. “It is unfortunate that a country like Israel, which doesn’t have water fit for irrigation, has turned farming into a profitable venture, why is our country, which have everything required to make it a flourishing endeavour, finding it economically unviable.” The farm has produced some ground-breaking results in sugarcane production. Highlighting the feat, Rajbir said spending not more than Rs 30,000 per acre as input cost on cane, the first-year production was an impressive 400 quintals per acre. This was expected to go up to 600 quintals in the second year. Rajbir Singh said various sugar mill owners, along with farmers, had visited the farm to “learn our technique and replicate the same.” He said they had provided sugarcane seeds to the farmers. “The quantity of seeds used by us per acre is much less than normally used by farmers,” he said. The farm boasts of a research centre where peasants from other states come to learn farming practices sans chemical fertilisers while also saving on water. Talking of the crops grown at the farm, Rajbir Singh said they sowed almost all seasonal vegetables, apart from wheat, basmati rice, maize, and sugarcane. “We are probably the only one producing broccoli in the state. Nutrients in broccoli help in fighting cancer and heart ailments. We also produce cauliflower, peas and tomatoes.” Jaggery is also produced at the farm. Rajbir Singh said a part of the produce was consumed by 1,500 inmates of the Pingalwara and the rest donated to the Golden Temple for langar (community kitchen). He said a huge quantity of animal fodder was produced, which fed their own cattle as well as those of farmers of nearby villages. He said they conscientiously followed the guidelines of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to achieve the desired results. He lauded the help extended by Subhash Palekar, an agricultural expert from Amravati, for starting the farm in 2005. Society president Dr Inderjeet Kaur said the aim behind establishing this model farm was to set an example for the state’s farmers in organic farming. She said they had published literature on environment conservation, which they distributed at the Golden Temple and other religious places free of cost. “We have planted at least 10 lakh saplings,” she added. About the project n
The society has convincingly shown that farming can be done without the use of fertilisers that are injurious to health n
Spread over 32 acres, the farm is being looked after by society member Rajbir Singh n
The farm has produced some ground-breaking results in sugarcane production n
Spending not more than Rs 30,000 an acre as input cost on cane, the first-year production was an impressive 400 quintals per acre n
The production is expected to go up to 600 quintals in second year n
The farm boasts of a research centre where peasants from other states come to learn farming practices. All seasonal vegetables are grown
|
|
Sharma, Fahim inspect international checkpost
Attari (Amritsar), February 13 Sharma and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim inspected the newly constructed Integrated Check Post (ICP) in Attari as they stood at the Zero Line. Sharma had stated last evening that he would take stock of the work at the ICP and announce when it would become operational. In a brief interaction with the media while inspecting the ICP, Fahim claimed that Pakistan had infrastructure that matched India’s and the trade between the two countries would witness a manifold increase once the dedicated gates for trade were opened and the ICP became operational. He sounded confident that the bonhomie between India and Pakistan would translate into sound business partnership. Sharma, along with a 120-member delegation, reached the border at 11 am. Talking to the media before stepping into Pakistan, he said the two sides were looking forward to taking bilateral ties to a new level based on trust. He was hopeful that parleys with his Pakistani counterpart would prove beneficial for the economies of both the countries. Admitting delay in the execution of works on the ICP, he said it would become functional by April-end. On the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India, he said the two countries were moving towards it in a sequential manner. “ We are already holding discussions on all such issues that are integral to our economic ties. Our visit will further deepen and diversify these ties.” Admitting that there were high expectations on both sides of the border, he said their aim was to boost people-to-people contact and increase trade between the two neighbours. On Pakistan’s strategic ties with China, he said these had no impact on the India-Pakistan ties. FICCI president RV Kanoria was hopeful that the announcement of ‘negative list’ by Pakistan for doing trade with India would help give the right impetus to bilateral trade between the two nations. He said the two governments should ease visa restrictions, besides allowing traders multiple visa facility. From Lahore, the delegation will head for Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital, for interaction with the trading community there. The delegation will then leave for Islamabad on Wednesday . One step too many While inspecting the International Check Post from the Zero Line, Pakistan Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim stepped out into the Indian territory. Though watchful Pakistani officials accompanying him were seen gesturing him about the faux pas, he seemed too engrossed in the inspection to take note of it.
Open trade ‘boon’ for Amritsar
Amritsar: The CII Zonal Council Chairman, Suneet Kochhar, said open trade with Pakistan would immensely benefit local traders. “Lahore is merely 40 km from Amritsar and traders will find sending goods to Lahore more economically viable than transporting these to Delhi. It will be a boon for Amritsar,” he said.
Being a border area, the city could never become a favoured destination for the industry. But an open trade with Pakistan would certainly boost the trading activity, he said, adding that it would also generate employment opportunities and push up real estate prices. He demanded that the ICP be connected to the dedicated freight corridor. Gunbir Singh, member, CII National Council on Public Policy, said the face of Attari had already changed with the coming up of the ICP. He said trade between the two countries through Wagah stood at $2 billion and could be increased to $10 billion. He described the Commerce Minister’s visit to Pakistan as a giant leap forward. “Earlier, traders would visit the two countries on a chamber-to-chamber level. But this is the first such effort at the government level,”he said.
|
||
|
PUDA allottees made to pay higher stamp duty
The government had taken a decision that all PUDA allottees would have to pay stamp duty under Section 47-A of the relevant Act at market rate irrespective of the cost at which the allotment was made. The decision was contested and Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation Ajit Singh Kohar got a circular (No 24103/08) dated June 3, 2008 issued, allowing allottees to pay stamp duty at allotment rate. However, the order was withdrawn on June 26, 2008. In the meantime, a considerable number of people got their properties registered at those rates. However, the sub-registrars impounded such conveyance deeds (CDs)/registrations and ordered recovery of stamp duty. Many had to shell out extra money. This led to an agitation and the Association of Aggrieved PUDA Allottees, SAS Nagar, was formed under the chairmanship of Lt-Col Bachittar Singh. The affected people met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. This, coupled with mounting pre-poll pressure, forced the government to issue a notification on September 30, 2011, making an amendment to the Rule 3-B of the Punjab Stamp Rules 1983. The notification read, “Rule 3-B notwithstanding, anything contained in Rule 3-A, the rate fixed for allotment at the fixed price or the price accepted after public auction of an immovable property by the government or public sector undertaking or local body shall be the collector’s rate and the stamp duty shall be charged at the rate so fixed at the time of the execution of that conveyance deed of such property”. But the notification added a rider that read, “Provided the conveyance deed has been registered on or after June 3, 2008, or is registered up to March 31, 2012, after making full payment of the price …” In fact, all the original PUDA allottees who have paid stamp duty as per market value should be entitled to refund, but those who got their property registered before June 3, 2008 are not covered by this notification. Since the government passed the above notification on September 30, 2011, and allowed applicants to pay stamp duty as per the allotment price, cases where orders for recovery had been passed are not being set aside on the plea that these are quasi-judicial orders and the allottees must appeal the recovery order or pay full amount, putting allottees to undue harassment simply on account of red tape.
|
||
|
Cops destroy ammunition in Malout
Malout DSP Jaswant Singh said, "A bomb disposal squad from the 7th Battalion of Punjab Armed Police in Jalandhar reached here in the morning. They first tested the ammunition, including a grenade, around 250 cartridges and three bomb sticks, and then destroyed it in an open area.” The whole ammunition was found to be "dead", as it was badly rusted, he said. Though investigations were on, the police said it appeared the ammunition had been buried by militants during the militancy period in the 1980s."
|
||
EC raj helped check crime too
Chandigarh, February 13 While crimes like murders, thefts, robberies and forgeries witnessed a downtrend in December and January compared to previous months before the model code of conduct was implemented, more cases under the Excise and NDPS Act were registered, hinting at the fact that smuggling of liquor and drugs was checked effectively. Since the state was guarded by the police and 225 companies of paramilitary forces, the criminals preferred to remain inactive. A perusal of crime data of January 2012 revealed that 34 less cases of murders were registered as compared to the previous month. Besides, 25 per cent reduction was recorded in the cases relating to rape, burglary and robbery. The data provided by the Police Department to the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, revealed that compared to December last year, the number of murders was reduced by 34, attempt to murder by 20, theft cases by 132, rape by 26 and cheating by 175. Compared to January 2011, when as many as 2,571 cases were registered, 2,296 cases were registered in January this year, a difference of 275 cases. A senior functionary of the state police said a decline in the crime graph was forcing the authorities to think about the way the system should work. “It is an interesting observation. Otherwise, the crime rate is always expected to rise during the elections,” he said. He said only the crime rate was down and almost double the cases were registered under the Excise Act from 665 in January 2011 to 1,282 in January this year.
|
||
|
PPP candidates against post-poll pact
Chandigarh, February 13 PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal had convened a meeting of party candidates and office-bearers here today. Even as the candidates hoped to win at least 20 seats, they conveyed to Manpreet that a delay in raising party’s organisational structure proved a dampener for the party. Some of the candidates also spoke about the role of the media and criticised the “package culture” introduced by a section of media. Candidates told the PPP leadership that “some mediapersons had approached us to buy an advertisement package to get positive stories published”. The party has decided to launch its own fortnightly magazine to propagate its ideology. “We will soon come out with a news magazine,” said Bhagwant Mann. Manpreet said what was most liked about the PPP was its resolve to eliminate the VIP culture. “People do not like politicians and VIPs roaming around with scores of bodyguards,” said Manpreet, adding, “We set an agenda for the elections and other parties followed it. We were the first to put economic and development issues on the political centrestage. Other parties followed these issues. Our secular approach made other parties to drop emotive issues and talk about improving the state’s economy. It was a big achievement of a new party like ours”. The party has also decided to set up its front organisations such as a youth wing, farmers’ wing and a women wing. The party appreciated the help extended to it by NRIs. Manpreet said many NRIs had come to Punjab on their own and worked hard for PPP candidates. The PPP today circulated a questionnaire carrying 12 questions among the party candidates and office-bearers asking them to fill the same and assured them that it will be kept confidential.
|
|
Rights panel seeks report by April 11
A team of district officials today visited Guru Nanak Anth Ashram at Budhiana village here. The officials promised funds for the construction of a building, besides ambulance facility and psychiatric help for the inmates. As word spread about the plight of the inmates, a constant stream of visitors trickled into the ashram. The chains were off, woollens were out and beds were moved away from a stinking ditch. Blankets were laid on all the beds and inmates provided woollen clothes. Those who could not be provided with woollens were draped in blankets. The team, comprising SDM Iqbal Singh Sandhu, SMO GS Pawar and psychiatrist Sanjay Khanna, visited the ashram on the directions of Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti. The SDM said he could not take any action regarding chaining of inmates because none of them was in chains when the team reached there. However, directions had been issued to the ashram authorities that the practice should not be repeated, he added. Surprisingly, even as none of the inmates was chained today, there was not a single instance of violent behaviour or attempt to run away by any of the inmates. Talking about the lack of funds for the construction of a room for the inmates, Sandhu said, “We will ask the Deputy Commissioner that funds should be provided for completing work of the under-construction site. We will also talk to the civil hospital authorities regarding regular psychiatric help for the inmates”. When asked whether the administration will make arrangements for the regular inflow of funds to the ashram, he said, “We can arrange funds for the construction purpose, but the ashram will continue to remain a private body”. Pawar said, “We plan to post doctors from Adampur dispensary at the ashram on rotation”. Course Correction n
A team of district officials visited Guru Nanak Anth Ashram at Budhiana village on Monday (See
pic) n The inmates have been freed, given woollens and their beds have been moved away from a stinking ditch n The officials promised funds for the completion of an under-construction building, besides the ambulance facility and psychiatric help for the patients
|
|
|
Property trade takes a hit
Chandigarh, February 13 Highly placed sources informed The Tribune that with property related transactions coming to a halt since the elections to the state assembly were announced, collections from stamp duty and registration charges had almost dried out. As a result, the revenue department is not sure of being able to meet the target of collecting Rs 2,900 crore from stamp duty and registration fee. It is learnt that till December 31, 2011, the total stamp duty and registration fee collected by the department was Rs 2014.39 crore. This means that the revenue department is facing a shortfall of Rs 885.61 crore in order to meet its target. Considering the fact that real estate agents as well as developers have been putting off the decision to buy/sell property till results to the state assembly elections are announced, it seems an uphill task that the revenue department will be able to meet the target between March 6 (date of results) and March 31. It may be noted that Punjab levies a stamp duty of 8 per cent (7 per cent in case the property is in the name of a woman) and registration charges of 1 per cent, subject to a maximum of Rs 35,000. With the real estate sector booming, the state government had hoped that the revenue collections from this head would remain buoyant and show a growth of over 10 per cent over the last fiscal.
|
|
|
Patiala civic body fails to initiate sterilisation drive despite pleas
Worst still, Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli has refused to pay any heed to pleas of NGOs and local residents to initiate a sterilisation drive to control the stray dog population. A 55-year-old labourer of Bursat village in Patiala Mahinder Singh was bitten by dogs last month. After treatment for rabies at Government Rajindra Hospital here, he died two weeks back. Inquiries by The Tribune have led to startling revelations. A total of 6,573 dog bite cases have been reported in the district in the past three years-Rajindra Hospital 2,899 and civil dispensaries 3,674. Representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) blame the authorities for failing to deal with the problem. Dr DS Bhullar, secretary, Indian Medical Association, Patiala, and secretary-general of the Society for People’s Welfare and Awareness Patiala (SPWAP) said: "The number of dog bite cases in Punjab during 2008-09 were 11,092. The number increased to 12,823 during 2009-10. The maximum cases came from Patiala district followed by
Ludhiana. “Although, the Animal Welfare Board under the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) 2001 Act has tried to control the number of stray dogs by sterilisation, unfortunately in Patiala the drive has failed to take off." Ravee S Ahluwalia, president of the Patiala Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA), said despite repeated pleas for an animal rescue centre, the civic body had done little in this regard. “I fail to understand why the civic authorities are indifferent to the problem. The situation has become so bad that parents don't allow kids to play out, fearing that they may be attacked by dogs", he said. Residents of several city areas, including Sewak Colony, Sant Nagar, New Mehar Singh Colony, Adarsh Nagar, Chhoti Baradari, Bagichi Het Ram and Adarsh Nagar, said that stray dogs frequently attack passersby. To make matters worse, the anti-rabies vaccine remains out of stock at Rajindra Government Hospital and civil dispensaries, forcing the patients to purchase the vaccine at higher rates in the open market.
|
|
|
Farmhand bitten to death by dogs
Khamano, February 13 Police officials said they were informed by passersby about a mobike abandoned on the roadside. When a police party reached there, it noticed bloodstains. On closer inspection, the policemen saw a pack of dogs devouring a body. A Mandi Gobindgarh police van took the body to the Khamano Civil Hospital Khamano past midnight. The police party contacted the employer of the deceased, Varinder Pal Singh, who identified the victim. Varinder said Prince was not a good driver and despite a warning had sneaked out of the house on the motorcycle at about 10 pm last night.
|
|
|
Uneasy calm in Balachaur
Balachaur, February 13 Shopkeepers kept their establishments closed for the second consecutive day, though a few budged after Nawanshahr SSP Narinder Bhargava and ADC Kanwar Pal Singh assured action against the accused, Shingara Ram, who was still at large. Tension had gripped Balachaur on Saturday when Shingara Ram, a local resident, tried to get the poster printed, which led to an altercation between him and an employee, Jaspal Singh, at the printing press. The brawl soon snowballed into a controversy as supporters from both the sides converged at different locations seeking action against their rivals. For its part, the police booked both Shingara Ram and Jaspal Singh under Section 295 of the
IPC.
|
|
|
Canadian group on awareness campaign against social evils
Patiala, February 13 More than 300 students of the college participated in this international anti-dowry campaign that was initiated by Dr Harshinder Kaur in Canada. She, along with her husband, was present in the college and addressed the gathering. She said that all such petitions would be sent to the UN. Sumeet Gill, a graduate from Carleton University, Canada, who formed this dance group after being inspired by Dr Harshinder Kaur's fact-based speech about the evil at her university, said they had decided to come to an Indian college to deliver the message that this menace was prevalent on an international level and needed to be immediately dealt with. "Our aim is just to tell them that we have already initiated the battle against this evil in our country. Now it is their turn if they want the Indian society to get rid of it," added Neeru Gill and Kiran Rai from Toronto. Appreciating the endeavour of Dr Harshinder Kaur and Nach Baliye team, college principal Dr Dharminder Singh Ubha said female foeticide was an extreme form of violence against women and he was glad that these girls were raising their voice against this practice. "Everyone knows that giving and taking dowry is an offence. But people still indulge in this practice. Therefore, it is really important that youngsters should take a pledge against dowry" he added. Dr Gurdish Kaur, convener of the Nanhi Chaan Cell of the college, said it was a matter of great pride for them to be part of this international campaign and they would continue to work on these lines. She said the dowry system was one of the greatest evils in India and was the major cause of female foeticide. She stressed the need for such initiatives for educating girls and spreading awareness among the youth.
|
|
|
Snag in power supply after shifting of metres
Patiala, February 13 The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has outsourced the work of shifting of electricity metres to private contractors in the state. Affected families allege that the staff hired for shifting of the metres had done their job in a casual manner and committed 'technical faults' because of which the entire electricity wiring in some houses has melted. Besides the power failure, in some houses even home appliances, including TV sets, have gone on the blink. Gulbir Singh, a resident of the colony, said the employees who came to shift power metres outside the boundary wall of the houses had not only been unskilled but had also misbehaved as well. "After they shifted the metre, our TV and some other electrical appliances went dead. A complaint lodged by us has been of no avail," he said. He said that the entire family suffered because of no power for almost a day. Another affected area resident, Rajinder Kaur, said that the electricity wiring of her house got melted after the metre was shifted. "We have to get new wiring done for the house from a private electrician. We have been sitting in the dark ever since yesterday evening and the work to replace the wiring is still on", she said. Rajinder said the people hired by the contractor were only interested in shifting the metres as quickly as possible without ensuring that there was no technical snag, she said. In the past also, there had been several cases wherein power metres were shifted by unskilled persons resulting in technical snags. Arun Verma, Director Distribution, PSPCL, said, "So far my office has not received any such complaint. If at all there has been any problem on account of shifting of the metre, I will ask the power corporation staff looking after the New Mehar Colony to look into the matter. If the complaints are found to be genuine, we will ask the contractor to compensate the affected families."
|
|
One arrested in murder case
Patiala, February 13 Police said the main accused has been identified as Gurpreet Singh, who has accepted in his preliminary interrogation that he along with his two relatives, Banti and Kulwinder Singh, caught Mangal Singh alias Manga near Sher Majra village. "The accused has confessed that he strangulated the victim near a vacant plot and later stabbed him to death", said the police. "We are looking for the other two absconding accused and special teams have been formed to nab them at the earliest", police said. The police has recovered the skeletal remains and clothes of the victim from the spot on information provided by the accused.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Patiala, February 13
n
The Amritsar chapter of All-India Pingalwara Charitable Society has set up a farm at Dhirakot village near the holy city 
Chandigarh, February 13
Muktsar, February 13
Jalandhar, February 13
Patiala, February 13