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TOP STORIES

Another storm brewing over acquisition
Amritsar, April 30
After Gobindpura, another proposal to acquire land has brought various farmer organisations out on the streets against the state government’s move.

Farmers hold a protest against the proposed land acquisition in Amritsar on Monday.
Farmers hold a protest against the proposed land acquisition in Amritsar on Monday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Rent for harvesters up, farmers alarmed
Chandigarh, April 30
A steep rise in the demand for combine harvesters, high diesel cost and a sharp hike in labour prices have led to an increase in the hiring cost of combine harvesters across Punjab.



YOUR TOWN
Amritsar
Chandigarh





EARLIER STORIES



Tota Singh for Rs 500 bonus on wheat

UPA to blame for Power Corp’s heavy debt: CM
Patiala, April 30
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said the UPA government has failed to play a constructive role to bring back on track the economy of the agrarian state. Speaking to The Tribune here today, Badal said despite Punjab having suffered a lot during the days of terrorism, the state did not get any support from the Centre.

Eminent Punjabi personalities honoured
Patiala, April 30
Punjabi play writer Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Khalid Khan, Kewal Singh Dhaliwal and Surjeet Kaur Chahal after being honoured during the 5th All-India Punjabi Conference in Patiala on Monday. Chief Minister Parksh Singh Badal today called upon the intellectuals, writers and experts working in universities of the state to come forward and play a proactive role in ensuring all-round development of the state.




Punjabi play writer Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Khalid Khan, Kewal Singh Dhaliwal and Surjeet Kaur Chahal after being honoured during the 5th All-India Punjabi Conference in Patiala on Monday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Marginal fall in petrol, diesel prices in Punjab
Chandigarh, April 30
Petrol in Punjab will be cheaper by 72 paisa per litre and diesel will now cost 83 paisa less. With the Punjab Cabinet today approving the abolition of octroi on petrol and diesel - a promise made by the Akali- BJP government in the last leg of their previous tenure - the common man will get some relief.

 






 


COMMUNITY

Rainfall may hit quality of grain
Amritsar, April 30
Strong winds accompanied by rain that lashed the region in the past few days has hampered the wheat harvesting process. Experts say rain at this point of time is harmful for the wheat crop as it will result in shattered grain as well as loss of quantity.

Pojewal college told to shut shop
Jalandhar, April 30
Acting tough, the All-India Council for Technical Education has directed the Punjab Technical University not to hold fresh admissions for B.Tech in IITT College of Engineering at Pojewal in Nawanshahr and shift nearly 300 students of second, third and fourth years to other affiliated and approved colleges.

Aarti and Reena Kaur ( in pic) displayed unusual valour in gunning down two Pakistani intruders, one of them 50 metres from the border fencing in the Dera Baba Nanak Sector, on Sunday evening BSF women constables awarded for valour
Gurdaspur, April 30
Aarti and Reena , BSF constables, have become the talk of the town. They displayed unusual valour in gunning down two Pakistani intruders, one of them 50 metres from the border fencing in the Dera Baba Nanak Sector, last evening.


Aarti and Reena Kaur ( in pic) displayed unusual valour in gunning down two Pakistani intruders, one of them 50 metres from the border fencing in the Dera Baba Nanak Sector, on Sunday evening

Badal all praise for the duo
Chandigarh, April 30
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has lauded BSF constables Reena Kumari and Aarti who shot dead two Pakistani intruders on Sunday night.

Zero calorie sweetener from stevia leaves
A stevia farm at Pojewal in Nawanshahr district.Nawanshahr, April 30
This small district is set to take a big leap into diversification with the setting up of an agro-based unit for commercial extraction of stevia to produce zero calorie natural sweetener from stevia leaves at Pojewal village, the first of its kind in the country.



A stevia farm at Pojewal in Nawanshahr district. Tribune photo

Info panel issues bailable warrant against MC chief
Ludhiana, April 30
For not taking the Right to Information (RTI) Act seriously, the State Information Commission (SIC) has issued bailable warrant against Municipal Corporation Commissioner MS Jaggi. In a case, Jaggi had failed to appear before the Commission and produce the record sought under the RTI Act despite getting notices and summons.

De-addiction centre to come up in Faridkot
Faridkot, April 30
The Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5-crore for the construction of a high-tech de-addiction centre in Faridkot. The facilities would include diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

SSA teachers to gherao Minister’s house today
Patiala, April 30
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and CSS teachers have decided to gherao the house of Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra tomorrow to protest the delay in issuing notification regarding their revised pay scales.

Industrialists flout labour laws: Activists
Jalandhar, April 30
Migrant labourers in a factory and (right) two women labourers work at a construction site in Jalandhar on Monday. The recent Jalandhar blanket factory building collapse incident has reportedly exposed that most of the industrialists are using various tactics allegedly in connivance with officials of the Labour Department to exploit workers in violation of various labour laws.


Migrant labourers in a factory  on Monday. Tribune photos: Malkiat Singh and Sarabjit Singh

Mahila Congress gears up for civic body polls
Jalandhar, April 30
The Punjab Mahila Congress has started mobilising workers for the coming civic body elections in the state. The All-India Mahila Congress general secretary, Anita Babbar, and state unit president Malti Thapar today organised a one-on-one meeting with the organisation’s office-bearers.


COURTS

Nishan Singh wants sentence suspended
Chandigarh, April 30
Convicted in the Harpreet abduction case along with Bibi Jagir Kaur, her personal security officer and relative Nishan Singh has sought suspension of sentence on medical grounds.



CRIME

Inter-state gang busted; bikes, cars recovered
Phillaur, April 30
The police has busted an inter-state gang of vehicle thieves and seized 10 motorcycles, four luxury cars, two country-made pistols, five live cartridges and 60-kg poppy husk from their possession.

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Another storm brewing over acquisition
Farmer bodies, who opposed a similar move in Gobindpura, protest proposal to shift Amritsar Central Jail to Bhalapind
Perneet Singh/TNS

Amritsar, April 30
After Gobindpura, another proposal to acquire land has brought various farmer organisations out on the streets against the state government’s move. This time, they are up in arms against the proposed acquisition of around 80 acres of land in Bhalapind, 17 km from Amritsar, for building a new jail.

Leading a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office today, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha Punjab chief Satnam Singh Ajnala announced they would not allow forcible acquisition of even an inch of farmers’ land at Bhalapind. They warned any such bid would be strongly resisted.

Farmers up in arms against state government

Claim the government wants to sell the prime land worth hundreds of crores where currently the jail is located to tide over the financial crisis  Accuse the local SAD leaders of pressuring the farmers to give away their land at Rs 30 lakh an acre against the market price of Rs 1 crore per acre  Wonder as to why the state government is keen on shifting the jail to a smaller area as compared to the existing premises of the Amritsar Central Jail  Remind Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of his promise made to the farming community that their land would not be acquired forcibly by the government

Reminding Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of his promise that the farmers’ land would not be acquired forcibly, he said there was no rationale in shifting the existing Central Jail in Amritsar to Bhalapind. “At present, the Central Jail is spread over 89 acres of land and only half of it is constructed area. It offers adequate scope for further expansion. It is also not very far from the court complex, which facilitates easy movement of undertrials to court. Moreover, it is easily accessible for the kin of prisoners who want to meet them,” he said.

Of the total land that the government intends to acquire in Bhalapind, 50 to 55 acres belongs to sugarcane seed farm of the village’s cooperative sugar mill while the rest is owned by around 15 small farmers.

Kirti Kisan Union leader Datar Singh said the land for the seed farm was acquired from the farmers at the rate of Rs 40,000 per acre around two decades back. “However, it was never used for the purpose for which it was acquired. The mill had given this land on lease to the farmers for sowing wheat,” he said. He drew a parallel with Bhatta Parsaul in Uttar Pradesh and demanded that the seed farm land too should be restored to the farmers, as it was never used for the purpose it had been acquired for.

The farmer leaders accused the government of wanting to sell off the prime land worth hundreds of crores where currently the Central Jail is located here for tiding over the prevailing fiscal crisis. They also wondered as to why the government is keen on shifting the jail to a smaller area as compared to the existing premises of the Central Jail. They also accused the local SAD leaders of pressuring the farmers to give away their land at the rate of Rs 30 lakh per acre as compared to the prevailing market price of Rs 1 crore per acre.

Daljeet Singh, who owns three acres of land at the proposed site, said they didn’t want to part with their land as it was their only source of income. The affected farmers alleged that they never got what was promised to them at the time of land acquisition for the sugar mill.

At present, the local Central Jail is grappling with the problem of overcrowding, as there are over 2,500 prisoners in it against the capacity of 1,000.

The farmer leaders also alleged that the cultivable land is also being acquired at very less prices under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana in villages. For widening of road from Bandala to GT Road, the farmers are being offered a meagre Rs 8.46 lakh an acre against government price of Rs 21.6 lakh and market prices of Rs 80 lakh, they alleged. 

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Rent for harvesters up, farmers alarmed
From Rs 600- Rs 650 per acre till last year to Rs 750- Rs900 per acre now
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30
A steep rise in the demand for combine harvesters, high diesel cost and a sharp hike in labour prices have led to an increase in the hiring cost of combine harvesters across Punjab.

With the number of combine harvesters in the state failing to meet the current demand (as farmers are in a rush to harvest their crop in view of the inclement weather), the cost of hiring these machines has gone up by over Rs 100-Rs 200 per acre. While farmers were paying anything between Rs 600-Rs 650 per acre as hiring charges till last year, they are now being forced to pay Rs 750-Rs 900 per acre for the harvesters.

Talking to The Tribune, Gurpreet Singh from Ghumana village near Patiala, said: “The main reasons for the spiralling hiring cost of these harvesters are a hike in the cost of diesel and spare parts and an upward revision of labour prices.”

He said last year they had paid Rs 650 per acre as rent for harvesters supplied by a businessman. “This year, with the wheat crop maturing late and the demand escalating because of unseasonal rain, the rent for these machines has gone up and this businessman is now demanding Rs 300 per acre if one wants to jump the queue,” he said. Almost 90 per cent of paddy and over 95 per cent of wheat in Punjab is harvested with combines.

It means the entire harvesting operations are over within 10 days. Since the bulk of harvesting is done on a custom-hiring basis, not everyone can afford to buy these combines, which cost more than Rs 10 lakh. Thus, it is more economical for a farmer to hire a combine rather than own one. As a result, an industry of combine operators has come into being, which offers services in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and areas surrounding Jammu. A worried Ajmer Singh of Sehra village near Rajpura said. “In our village, the rent for hiring harvesters has gone up to Rs 850- 900 per acre. This is causing a dent in our earnings since the MSP for wheat has not increased as much as the input costs.” 

Tota Singh for Rs 500 bonus on wheat

Chandigarh: Punjab Agriculture Minister Tota Singh has demanded Rs 500 bonus on wheat from the Union Government. He said farmers of the state were incurring losses due to bad weather. He claimed that since 1967, prices of foodgrain had gone up by a meagre 16 per cent while those of farm inputs had increased by up to 100 to 250 per cent.

Tota Singh said the farmers of Punjab had been reeling under a huge debt of Rs 35,000 crore and the Centre should provide a relief package to the state on the pattern of Kerala and West Bengal. The Minister demanded construction of silos or godowns through the public-private partnership mode for storage of wheat and paddy. He said this would help save tonnes of grain from rotting every year due to lack of storage space. On the issue of linking of rivers, he said groundwater table in the state had gone down significantly. So linking of rivers would not be in state’s interest. 

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UPA to blame for Power Corp’s heavy debt: CM
Umesh Dewan and Gagan K Teja
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 30
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said the UPA government has failed to play a constructive role to bring back on track the economy of the agrarian state.
Speaking to The Tribune here today, Badal said despite Punjab having suffered a lot during the days of terrorism, the state did not get any support from the Centre.

He blamed the UPA government for poor fiscal health of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). He, however, did not specify how the Centre was responsible for the bad fiscal health of the power utility.

“There are many other states in the country whose power utilities are under massive debt. Their liabilities are even twice or thrice as compared to Punjab”, he argued, while assuring that the state government was doing its best to bail out the power corporation.

Taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Badal said the Union Government always buckled under pressure exerted by Mamata. “Since, our MPs are disciplined and do not resort to pressure tactics, we are made to suffer. This kind of conduct is not only detrimental to the overall development of the country but also sets a wrong precedent,” he said.

On scrapping of quota for Punjab students by Thapar University, the Chief Minister said talks were on with the university management. Badal said: “The university had got land from the state. It cannot take a decision which is against the interests of students of the state. We strongly condemn this”. 

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Eminent Punjabi personalities honoured
Tribune News Service

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal honours Punjabi singer and actor Harbhajan Mann in Patiala on Monday.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal honours Punjabi singer and actor Harbhajan Mann in Patiala on Monday. Tribune photo: Rajesh Sachar

Patiala, April 30
Chief Minister Parksh Singh Badal today called upon the intellectuals, writers and experts working in universities of the state to come forward and play a proactive role in ensuring all-round development of the state.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the fifth All India Punjabi Conference dedicated to the Golden Jubilee Year of Punjabi University here today along with Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, the Chief Minister said as the development of Punjabi language, literature and culture was directly related to the fate of the Punjab so, if the state would progress, it would directly affect all of them.

He appealed to the teachers and experts imparting education in the universities to come out of these institutions and make efforts for giving new direction and education to students at the village-level.

The Chief Minister said, “Quality education is the key element for ensuring all-round development of the state due to which the government has been laying thrust on providing quality education to the students of Punjab.”

He said in their previous tenure they had opened seven new universities along with 17 colleges. Badal said as a result of these concerted efforts made by the state government, Punjab, which earlier ranked 14th in the field of education, now ranks third in the country.

He honoured eminent singer Harbhajan Mann, Padam Shri Sant Seva Singh, Giani Balwant Singh, noted dramatist Ajmer Aulakh, Kewal Dhaliwal, Khalid Hussain from Jammu and Kashmir, Surjit Kaur Chahal, Pune, CR Moudgil, Haryana, Dr Joginder Singh J&K, Punjabi Sahit Sabha, Delhi, and Punjabi Sahit Academy, Ludhiana.

He also inaugurated the Golden Jubilee Complex comprising extension of the engineering college, hospitality department, business management and girls hostel.

Meanwhile, a student delegation handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding restoration of 50 per cent quota for Punjab students in Thapar University. 

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Marginal fall in petrol, diesel prices in Punjab
Naveen S. Garewal and Ruchika M. Khanna/TNS

Chandigarh, April 30
Petrol in Punjab will be cheaper by 72 paisa per litre and diesel will now cost 83 paisa less. With the Punjab Cabinet today approving the abolition of octroi on petrol and diesel - a promise made by the Akali- BJP government in the last leg of their previous tenure - the common man will get some relief.

Though the relief could still take a few days to come by, the Cabinet has today assured that an ordinance to this effect will be issued shortly. The delay in implementation of this decision is mainly because the state government needs to amend three acts - the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 and Punjab Municipal Fund Act, 2006 - which will finally pave the way for the abolition of octroi on the two fuels.

The decision to abolish the octroi was taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. It was also decided that in order to compensate the local bodies for the abolition of octroi, an additional one per cent of Value Added Tax (VAT) collections, will be given to these local bodies.

The local bodies department earns an average of Rs 10 crore per month as octroi from these two fuels (Rs 120 crore per annum). Sources in the Finance department informed The Tribune that an amount of Rs 110 crore per annum will be given to the Local Bodies department from the VAT collections of the state. “We are already giving 10 per cent of the VAT collections to the local Bodies department, which amounts to Rs 1100 crore per annum,” said the official.

The state government had already abolished octroi on all items except electricity, petrol and diesel with effect from September 1, 2006. Since the levy of octroi of petrol and diesel had made the rates of diesel and petrol more than in neighbouring states, it has, therefore, been decided to abolish octroi of 1 per cent and 2 per cent on petrol and diesel, respectively.

The state taxes imposed on fuel are amongst the highest in Punjab. The main tax that the state collects on petrol and diesel is in the form of VAT, followed by octroi and cess (only for petrol). VAT collection from petrol (VAT is charged at 27.5 per cent and a surcharge of 10 per cent on VAT is imposed) and diesel (VAT is charged at 8.8 per cent and a surcharge of 10 per cent on VAT) contributed almost Rs 2100 crore to the state’s kitty in the last financial year. Being a major source of revenue for the state government, it had remained unwilling to slash the VAT or the surcharge on fuel.

In another significant decision, the Cabinet has also decided to amend Section 5 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961 enabling panchayats to give land to government departments, boards and corporations for implementation of projects of public importance. Earlier, panchayats were required to to retain 50 per cent of the cultivable land available with it. An Ordinance is expected to be issued soon.

 

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Rainfall may hit quality of grain
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 30
Strong winds accompanied by rain that lashed the region in the past few days has hampered the wheat harvesting process.
Experts say rain at this point of time is harmful for the wheat crop as it will result in shattered grain as well as loss of quantity.

The main cause of worry for the farmers is that delayed harvesting will add to their financial woes. Also, combine harvesters cannot be operated upon flattened crop and manual harvesting would further delay the harvesting process.The farmers will also need more time to dry up the grain to meet the permissible limit (12 per cent) of moisture content before taking their produce to the mandis. The moisture in grains has reportedly gone up to 20 per cent.

Besides, in the absence of a mechanism to preserve the moist seed for the next season, the farmers will have to buy a new lot.

Chief Agriculture Officer Balwinder Singh Sohal said in Amritsar and surrounding areas, 50 per cent of harvesting had been done so far.

He said the damage reported was between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent.

“Harvesting is already behind schedule by over 17 days and weather continues to be far from normal. The most affected part is the Majitha belt where combines cannot function for the next three days. Jandiala and Rayya areas, too, have reported some damage,” he said.

Last year, wheat was sown over 1.85 lakh hectares of land and the average yield in Amritsar and surrounding areas was 42.8 quintal per hectare. “Despite adverse weather conditions, I hope that the average yield will be more than 43 quintal per hectare,” the officer said.

Teams led by Deputy Commissioner Rajat Aggarwal today visited the Harsha Chhina and Rajasansi grain markets . He assured the farmers that due compensation would be paid to those who had suffered losses due to inclement weather.

“About 40 per cent wheat has arrived in the mandis so far. Our major worry is high moisture content in grains. We have tried to provide sufficient fans and tarpauline to protect the grains from further damage,” an official said. 

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Pojewal college told to shut shop
AICTE had detected irregularities during a surprise check last year
Deepkamal Kaur/TNS

Jalandhar, April 30
Acting tough, the All-India Council for Technical Education has directed the Punjab Technical University not to hold fresh admissions for B.Tech in IITT College of Engineering at Pojewal in Nawanshahr and shift nearly 300 students of second, third and fourth years to other affiliated and approved colleges.

Punjab Technical University (PTU) Vice-Chancellor Rajneesh Arora confirmed having received an order on the college’s closure. He said he would report the matter to the Punjab Government and take directions before proceeding with the order.

Arora said he received a communiqué regarding the college from the AICTE a week ago with no reason cited on it for the action. “It, however, had been mentioned that during a surprise inspection last year, the council team found certain irregularities owing to which the orders were being passed,” he said.

After due clearance from the Punjab Government, the Vice-Chancellor said, the PTU would seek preferences from students regarding the college they wanted to take further admission in and then shift them in accordance with the government policy. The V-C had discussed the issue during an open session with Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who was in Jalandhar on Saturday. The college has students enrolled in six streams, including biotechnology, chemical engineering, computer science engineering, electronics and instrumentation engineering, electronics and communication engineering and information technology.

Located on the Garhshankar-Anandpur Sahib road, the college was opened in 1997 and is being run by the IITT Society. It runs another college in Himachal Pradesh.

College principal Dr KK Goel, however, claimed that he was expecting an inspection for review of the report from the AICTE in a few days.

“I am sure the issue will be resolved. The matter is pending with the AICTE. Neither me nor my head office has received any final orders of the sort as yet,” he said.

Asked as to what irregularities had been pointed out by the AICTE team, he replied, “There were some technical glitches. I cannot divulge more details. It is not just there for us, but for 37 other colleges as well.”

PTU Dean (Academics) Dr Buta Singh said, “So far, we have received closure orders only for the Pojewal college. But, alarm bells have started ringing for other colleges as well due to which we have already started an academic audit. The colleges need to appoint requisite number of qualified faculty members and have infrastructure as per set norms.” The college in question has not even put on its official website any detail regarding faculty members and infrastructure through a column, “mandatory disclosure”, as directed by the AICTE and PTU. 

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BSF women constables awarded for valour
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, April 30
Aarti and Reena , BSF constables, have become the talk of the town. They displayed unusual valour in gunning down two Pakistani intruders, one of them 50 metres from the border fencing in the Dera Baba Nanak Sector, last evening.

A Pakistani cell phone and a SIM card were recovered from the encounter site.

Almost 24 hours after the incident, BSF officials here are cock-a-hoop over the feat of their women colleagues. The DIG, PS Bains, who was quick to reach the encounter site and hand over cash awards to the women constables yesterday, has written to the Director-General, BSF, New Delhi, urging him to felicitate the brave duo.

A senior BSF officer, pleading anonymity, said considering that it was the first incident of its kind, a gallantry award may be conferred upon the women constables by the President.

An elated Bains said: “These women showed exemplary courage. I salute my brave daughters as they did not panic at the sight of the intruders. On the contrary, they displayed nerves of steel. Aarti and Reena displayed both wisdom and strength.

“I am sure their feat will motivate other women working with the BSF at difficult terrains where no quarters are given and 
none asked for.” Talking of one of the intruders, Aarti said he was well-built. “We asked him to surrender but he charged at us. We pumped four bullets into his body,” she recalled. Aarti hails from Tanda in Hoshiarpur district while Reena is a native of Baghapurana in Moga district. Both joined the BSF in 2008 and after 36 months of rigorous training, which included both tactical and weapon training, they were inducted into the 74th Battalion and given charge of the difficult border outpost in the Dera Baba Nanak Sector.

Badal all praise for the duo
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has lauded BSF constables Reena Kumari and Aarti who shot dead two Pakistani intruders on Sunday night.

Lauding the courage and bravery of “ these two daughters of the soil”, the Chief Minister said they had not only done the country proud, but their “valour and professional commitment will be a source of inspiration for other women personnel in the defence and paramilitary forces.” 





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Zero calorie sweetener from stevia leaves
Parmod Bharti

Nawanshahr, April 30
This small district is set to take a big leap into diversification with the setting up of an agro-based unit for commercial extraction of stevia to produce zero calorie natural sweetener from stevia leaves at Pojewal village, the first of its kind in the country.

Rajpal Singh Gandhi, a pioneer in stevia farming, succeeded in getting the nod of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology for the project after four years of relentless effort.

He said the project would be a boon for farmers willing to adopt stevia cultivation in Nawanshahr, Ropar, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts.

Gandhi, founder of Green Valley Stevia Biotech Private Limited, has not only been cultivating stevia at Pojewal village but has also set up a nursery, a tissue culture lab and a reseach and development lab in his attempt to encourage farmers to adopt stevia cultivation. "Stevia is a cash crop and will make agriculture a lucrative occupation. Its a natural sweetener and has medicinal

values. It is also used as a tonic and digestive supplement and is beneficial for reducing hypertension," Gandhi explained.

Its cultivation would help farmers to come out of the traditional wheat-rice crop cycle and provide raw material to pharmaceutical units.

"Stevia cultivation does not need much technical knowhow or fertilisers and pesticides. It is an eco-friendly and economical cash crop"said Gandhi.

He said they intended to grow stevia in about 1,000 acres. To mobilise farmers, saplings would be given to farmers at concessional rates. Besides providing the technical knowhow, a written agreement on buy-back guarantee would be signed with the farmers. With the commissioning of the project, 100 youths, including 40 skilled ones educated in chemistry, biotechnology and food technology would be given employment

Gandhi said his next extraction unit would be in Malwa.

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Info panel issues bailable warrant against MC chief
Puneet Pal Singh Gill
Tribune News Service
MS Jaggi
MS Jaggi

Ludhiana, April 30
For not taking the Right to Information (RTI) Act seriously, the State Information Commission (SIC) has issued bailable warrant against Municipal Corporation Commissioner MS Jaggi. In a case, Jaggi had failed to appear before the Commission and produce the record sought under the RTI Act despite getting notices and summons.

Jaggi has been directed to appear before the bench consisting Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners on July 2 and produce the aforesaid record.

HL Bhandari, a resident of Tagore Nagar-A here, had sought information from the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation in January last year.

On two consecutive dates, the SIC had issued notices to the MC Commissioner to file a report or produce documents whether Safai Karamcharis working in the area of Tagore Nagar-A Welfare Society were employees of the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana or they were employees of the Tagore Nagar-A Welfare Society. Information further sought from the MC: “Who maintains the attendance record in respect of these Safai Karamcharis and in case they are employees of the society, whether the salary of these Karamcharis is reimbursed to the society and if so what procedure is being followed in this regard.”

Copies of the relevant instructions were also sought. The information on the above issues relates from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

The SIC’s order of April 26 reads, “However, none has appeared on behalf of the Corporation and no record has been produced before the Commission in spite of two consecutive opportunities. This Commission is, therefore, constrained to issue bailable warrant against MS Jaggi, the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana in exercise of powers conferred on me under Section 18(3) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 read with the relevant provisions of the Civil Procedure Code with the direction that the Commissioner shall produce the relevant records and copies of the instructions issued on this subject before the Commission on the next date of hearing, which is fixed for July 2.”

The order further reads, “So far as the respondent-Tagore Nagar-A Welfare Society is concerned, the only information which yet remains to be furnished pertains to certified copies of the utilisation certificates furnished by the respondent society to the Punjab Government and Local Bodies Department in respect of funds received by it from the government during the period January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. The counsel for the respondent-society undertakes to file a reply on this issue. In case these certificates have not been furnished so far, the respondent will ensure that certified copies of the same are handed over to the information-seeker before the next date of hearing.”

The SIC has also written to the Police Commissioner, Ludhiana and has ordered him to serve the bailable warrant on M S Jaggi to appear before the Bench consisting of the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners, Punjab on July 2 at 1 pm and produce the relevant records/instructions.

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De-addiction centre to come up in Faridkot
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, April 30
The Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5-crore for the construction of a high-tech de-addiction centre in Faridkot. The facilities would include diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor SS Gill said the centre would include advanced diagnostic support services and recruit specialised staff.

Gill said the state government would provide Rs 1.6 crore annual aid to the centre, being established next to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital. The centre would also impart training to medical and paramedical staff in dispensaries and health centres in rural area to treat addicts, he said.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had last week convened a meeting of medical experts, ministers and senior officials of the health and medical education department at his residence. During the meeting, Badal okayed five tertiary de-addiction centres to be established at Faridkot, Patiala, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Bathinda, Gill said. 

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SSA teachers to gherao Minister’s house today
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 30
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and CSS teachers have decided to gherao the house of Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra tomorrow to protest the delay in issuing notification regarding their revised pay scales.

The district vice-president of the SSA/RMSA/CSS Teachers’ Union, Vikramdev Singh, said the decision had been taken in view of the unnecessary delay caused by the Punjab Government.

He said the Punjab Government had sent a detailed project report to the SSA, Government of India regarding revision of their pay scales.

“The government had fixed our pay at Rs 29,625 in the proposal. But the SSA raised an objection during the project approval board meeting in New Delhi and asked the Punjab Government to notify its share of 35 per cent for paying the salaries.”

The Central Government would pay the remaining 65 per cent. But even after almost two months, the state government had not issued any notification in this regard, the union leader informed.

“Even after submitting memorandums to senior functionaries, the government has not yet initiated any action in this regard. Therefore, we have decided to gherao the houses of various ministers in the coming days,” said Vikramdev Singh.

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Industrialists flout labour laws: Activists
Dharmendra Joshi
Tribune News Service
Two women labourers work at a construction site in Jalandhar on Monday.
Two women labourers work at a construction site in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune photos: Malkiat Singh and Sarabjit Singh

Jalandhar, April 30
The recent Jalandhar blanket factory building collapse incident has reportedly exposed that most of the industrialists are using various tactics allegedly in connivance with officials of the Labour Department to exploit workers in violation of various labour laws.

Some migrant labourers, including Manoj Bhagat of Suriya village in Vaishali district of Bihar, were reportedly getting Rs 3,800 (Rs 468 less than the minimum wages of Rs. 4,268 for unskilled labour) per month as wages from the ill-fated Shital Fibres, which collapsed on April 15, resulting in the death of 23 workers.

Talking to The Tribune, Punjab Pravasi Bhalai Board chairman RC Yadav admitted, “Nearly 10 lakh migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal working in nearly 1.61 lakh small scale and nearly 400 large and medium scale industrial units in Punjab are paid much lower and owners of these industries get their signatures done against the amount much higher than the stipulated minimum wage.”

About various tactics adopted by industrialists, former president of the Bar Association Labour Court, Jalandhar, Ravi Wadhawan said, “Most of the industrialists keep two salary registers. One for themselves, wherein the actual amount paid to labourers is mentioned, and the second for the authorities on which signatures of the labourers against the amount much higher than the minimum wage are taken.”

Further, Pramod Yadav, district president of the Purvanchal Vikas Mahasabha (PVM), said, “At least half of the migrant labourers are not even allowed to mark their attendance in order to keep them away from giving the benefit of Employee’s State Insurance (ESI), Provident Fund (PF) and gratuity.”

Corroborating their statements, the Punjab Pravasi Bhalai Board chairman said, “Less than half of the migrant labourers are shown as actual employees by industrialists, while others are not even allowed to mark their presence in the attendance register.”

Wadhawan further said, “No minor can work in any factory but several underage children can be seen working in industries in violation of various rules.”

Pramod and Wadhawan alleged, “Several officials of the Labour Department are hand in glove with a majority of the industrialists and that’s why violation of labour laws continues.”

Rubbishing the charges, Additional Labour Commissioner Harish Nayyar said, “Action is taken under Rule 110 of the Factory Act against the industrialist if it is found during inspection that the number of employees shown in the attendance register is less than those actually working.”

To a query, he said, “Officials of the Labour Department ask labourers during inspection (at their own or after getting a complaint) regarding how much salary in actual is paid to him. A worker can also file his claim in this regard before the Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC). If any discrepancy is found, the industry is directed to pay according to the rules.”

Additional Director, Factories, Sodhi Mal said, “If a minor child is found working in any industry, action is initiated against the owner under Section 67 of the Factories Act.”

However, both Nayyar and Sodhi Mal failed to provide even rough data about the action taken so far against industrialists for flouting labour laws.

Narinder Saggoo, president of the Focal Point Extension Association, said, “Migrant labourers are the backbone of the industry and they are paid much more than the minimum wages as the industry is facing shortage of workers.”

However, Saggoo admitted, “Nearly 25 per cent of the total migrants are “irregular” (kacha) workers. Some workers come for a few months and do not want to be a regular. Earlier, there was a law where PF was to be deducted after six months of regularsing a worker. But now, it is required to be deducted from the first day of his permanent job. The deduction of PF should be made after six months as it will benefit the migrant labourers.” 

Chief Minister felicitates workers 

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal today greeted the labour and working class on the occasion of May Day that symbolises the struggle of labour class globally.

In a message on the eve of May Day, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister called upon the working and labour class to join hands to usher in an era of overall development, peace and prosperity in the State. The Chief Minister also paid tributes to those who had sacrificed their lives for the struggle to secure genuine service conditions at Chicago in 1886.

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Mahila Congress gears up for civic body polls
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 30
The Punjab Mahila Congress has started mobilising workers for the coming civic body elections in the state.
The All-India Mahila Congress general secretary, Anita Babbar, and state unit president Malti Thapar today organised a one-on-one meeting with the organisation’s office-bearers.

Anita Babbar said her organisation leadership would try to get maximum tickets for its workers in the forthcoming civic body polls even as, it could not do so in the assembly elections.

“We are chalking out a strategy to strengthen the organisation at block and booth levels. Our main aim is to boost the morale of workers at grassroots level,” she said.

“We will try to secure ticket for women aspirants on the concept of 33 per cent reservation. We will ensure no leader indulges in nepotism this time,” said Malti Thapar.

She said the Mahila Congress had also submitted a report to the high command detailing reasons for the party’s debacle in the Punjab Assembly elections. “Inordinate delay in ticket distribution, fielding of candidates by BSP on all seats and overconfidence among the Congress leaders were a few factors responsible for the party’s defeat,” she said. 

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Nishan Singh wants sentence suspended
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 30
Convicted in the Harpreet abduction case along with Bibi Jagir Kaur, her personal security officer and relative Nishan Singh has sought suspension of sentence on medical grounds.

Taking up his petition, Justice RK Garg of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation for May 29.

Nishan Singh and others were sentenced to five years for offences ranging from “causing miscarriage without the woman's consent” to criminal conspiracy.

His petition comes about a month after a trial court held: “The prosecution has been able to prove that accused Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur and Nishan Singh abducted Harpreet Kaur, who was a major, by deceitful means?.”

Dhesi was Bibi’s “trusted friend” and related to Paramjit Singh Raipur, Bibi’s political confidant.

The trial court had also held: “A conspiracy was hatched with accused Bibi Jagir Kaur for terminating Harpreet’s pregnancy. However, because the Bibi’s status, political and social, was to be safeguarded at all costs, the latter distanced herself from the process of executing the conspiracy and accused Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur and Nishan Singh, along with approver Dr Balwinder Singh Sohal, took upon themselves to accomplish the object of conspiracy by keeping Bibi Jagir Kaur informed of developments from time to time”.

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Inter-state gang busted; bikes, cars recovered
Ashok Kaura

Phillaur, April 30
The police has busted an inter-state gang of vehicle thieves and seized 10 motorcycles, four luxury cars, two country-made pistols, five live cartridges and 60-kg poppy husk from their possession.

Superintendent of Police (Operations) Rajinder Singh here today said on getting information about the movement of an interstate gang involved in dacoities, snatchings, highway robberies, attempt to murder, lifting of vehicles and smuggling of drugs in the area, police teams comprising CIA and Special Staff wings cornered the gang near Sangowal village in Phillaur Sub-Division.

The police managed to nab three members of the gang, including its kingpin Rasal Singh alias Shaloo, a resident of Gadra village under Bilga police station, Lovepreet Singh of Sarih village under PS Nakodar, and Raj Kumar of Karnal district in Haryana, and recovered 10 motorcycles, four cars, two country-made pistols and five live cartridges from their possession.

However, three other members of the gang identified as Onkar Singh, a resident of Rawalpindi village in Kapurthala, Jagdish Paul and Mangat Ram, both brothers and residents of Hussainpur under Lambra Police Station, managed to escape.

The SP said the gang was involved in more than 28 criminal cases registered at various police stations in Jalandhar, Moga, Kapurthala, Jagraon and Ferozepur.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused had confessed that they had looted three cars from Bathinda, Ludhiana and Phagwara each whereas the fourth Tata Safari belonged to them.

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