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Ministerspeak: Looking ahead
Dairy farmers left high and dry
Tribune special |
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Stubble burning rampant despite ban
Power purchase bill up 4 times in 2 yrs
Legislators may get area development funds
Need to discourage basmati cultivation, say PAU experts
childhood lost
VAT collection in Moga up by 21%
Khalsa College principal proposes ‘Sikh Marriage Act, 2012’
Govt directs boards not to publish own stationery
Help us in
development: Majithia to US diplomat
Canadian police to join probe: Victim’s brother
A (w)hole lot of problems with blackboards
Manto’s 100th birth anniversary
PPP leader shot at in Bathinda
Molestation charge on hostel warden
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Ministerspeak: Looking ahead
Animal Husbandry and SC and BC Welfare minister Gulzar Singh Ranike is being touted as the man of the moment. As the state has achieved near saturation in agriculture yield, dairy development and fisheries are being considered as the most viable alternatives to uplift rural economy. With Dalits voting en masse for the SAD in the recent assembly elections because of various welfare schemes initiated by the SAD-BJP alliance, these schemes will now be consolidated, Ranike tells Jangveer Singh in an interview.
How does it feel to be assigned the same ministry you were holding in the last government? I feel honoured. We will now have an opportunity to fast-track the works initiated in the dairy sector. Animal husbandry and diary farming have the capacity to change the face of rural economy in Punjab with the two having a 5.9 per cent share in the gross domestic production (GDP). It is a matter of pride that Punjab with only 2 per cent of the cattle population in the country is contributing more than 8 per cent to the total milk production, besides leading in per capita availability of milk. I want to build upon these strengths in the next five years. How will you go about doing this? We will build upon the work done in the past five years by taking up successful concepts and multiplying these across the state at a fast pace. As many as 2,000 modern dairy sheds will be set up in the state annually. The CM has assured me that funds will not be a problem. Last year we got Rs 50 crore for development works. This year we expect Rs 106 crore. What are your immediate priorities? I want to expand infrastructure. This means we will go from the present 10 polyclinics, which have X-ray and surgery facilities, to 80 polyclinics within a span of three years. Similarly, from 19 veterinary hospitals, I want to establish 200 vet hospitals in the next five years. Training centres to encourage jobless youth to take up dairy farming will be increased from 10 to 22 to cover all districts. Four modern mandis have been established to encourage animal trade and more will be set up depending upon the demand from dairy farmers. The scope and prize money for dairy animals will be increased and the state semen bank strengthened. How do you propose to regulate and streamline the dairy sector? We will establish a herd registration authority to compile a data on all animals in the state. This is a must because of the growing demand for quality milch cattle. Any plans for other animal husbandry activities? We plan to establish a Rs 400 crore fisheries project in Fazilka where fish farming will be done in saline water. We have allocated Rs 5 crore for goat-rearing besides encouraging piggeries. What reforms have you envisaged during your second term in office? I want reporting from the block to the district level and the headquarters to be done online. We are focused on improving our extension services. Veterinarians have been directed to spend only two days in a week in their offices. In case of the Welfare Department, we have decided to create a single window for all welfare schemes in each district headquarters for the convenience of beneficiaries. What steps are you initiating to improve buffalo and cow breeds? We have approached the Centre to allow the export of “Neeli Ravi” calves from Pakistan that produce 30 litres of milk per day compared to “Neeli Ravi” breeds in Punjab which yield only 15 to 16 litres per day. Similarly we want to import Sahiwal bulls from Pakistan as they have a better gene pool. As far as Holstein Freisian cows are concerned, we have conducted a pilot project and imported 5,000 doses of sexed semen that will ensure the birth of calves only. This experiment will be enlarged this year. Similarly, embryo transfer technology to ensure quick improvement in quality of calves is also being done. Lakhs of doses of high-quality semen have been imported. Any special scheme for small farmers who cannot afford costly breeds? We have decided to initiate a scheme for small farmers by encouraging them to keep two to five animals for which they will be given a 25 per cent subsidy. The units will be established with the help of bank loans. What new steps are being taken in the SC and BC Welfare Department? We are making the shagun scheme, that ensures a grant of Rs 15,000 at the time of marriage of girls belonging to economically weaker sections, online. Similarly old- age pension will be given directly to beneficiaries. There have been complaints that sarpanches do not distribute pensions expeditiously. Similarly, students can apply for pre and post-matric scholarships online and money will be transferred directly into their accounts. There have been complaints that beneficiaries are not using rural latrines because of faulty construction.Your comments? Different agencies, including the PWD, Mandi Board and Public Health, are constructing latrines in villages. We aim to make a common model and give the contract to a single company. The quality of new toilets will improve with more money being sanctioned per toilet. Any other challenges? There is an urgent need to create an Animal Welfare Board to tackle the menace of stray cattle and dogs in the state.
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Dairy farmers left high and dry
As a result, most private players in the industry are not ready to buy milk from dairy farmers. This, in turn, has burdened Milkfed, Punjab’s dairy cooperative, which can’t say no to milk procurement. The Milkfed and two other big companies have been forced to buy excess milk. Sources in Milkfed said because of the flush-like situation, they were now procuring 30 per cent more milk as compared to the concurring period last year. As against their daily packaged milk supply of 8.5 lakh litres, the cooperative was now purchasing 13.5 lakh litres a day. Though the excess milk procured was at present being converted into milk products like ghee, SMP (skimmed milk powder), butter and buttermilk (lassi), Milkfed now had excess of all these milk products as well. “The demand has remained static whereas the availability of milk products has gone up. In order to clear our inventory, we have started offering discount on the ghee price so as to increase its sale. As a state dairy cooperative, we cannot refuse to procure milk from dairy farmers. But if the supply remains the same and the demand static, we will be forced to offer price incentives on other dairy products too. This year, we have converted a huge quantity of milk into SMP. Our SMP inventory is now 40 per cent more than what it was last year,” a senior Milkfed official said. Those in the dairy business Said another reason for the increased milk supply was that summers had not really set in. The relatively low temperature has not slowed down milk production this May as is generally the case every year. Tajpur Dairy Association (Ludhiana) president DS Oberoi said private producers had stopped buying milk because they had enough stock of SMP. “As a result, we are not getting good prices for milk. On the other hand, rates of fodder and cattle feed areconstantly rising,” he said. Claiming that dairy farmers in the state were facing a crisis-like situation, Daljeet Singh Sadarpura, who is president of the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association, said Milkfed had not increased milk prices even though the rate of cattle feed had gone up by 20 per cent in the past one month. “Though the state cooperative is still procuring milk at Rs 390 - Rs 410 per kg fat, private milk producers, wherever they are buying in limited quantity, have cut down the rates,” he said.
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Tribune
special
Moonak (Sangrur), May 13 The Tribune team travelled to dozens of villages in the Moonak subdivision of Sangrur district and found that the fiscal condition of most farmers was dismal. Unable to repay loans taken from arhtiyas (commission agents), the farmers are resorting to suicide. There have been cases where more than one person in a family has committed suicide. The book “Debt and Death in Rural India —the Punjab Story” says that there have been 1,774 cases of suicide in Moonak from 1988 to 2008. Nothing much has changed since then with Meghnath (45) of Chotian village in Moonak committing suicide on April 29, 2012, by consuming poison. “Because of water scarcity, the crop yield was never good. Also, the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Centre is low. In order to meet household expenses, Meghnath, who owned two acres of land, took Village residents say 35 farmers in Chotian have committed suicide in the past few years. Malkit Kaur of Bakhora Kalan narrated a heart-rending story. “Under a Rs 4 lakh debt, my husband Ramphal committed suicide seven years ago. Thereafter, his younger brother’s wife, Gurmeet, also committed suicide because of the family’s poor economic condition. Till date, none from the government has approached us for any assistance on humanitarian grounds.” During interaction with residents of Balran, Phulad, Hamirgarh and Karail, it came to light that every third family in these villages had seen a family member commit suicide. “The state government must help those in a debt-trap. Also, the MSP should be raised and marginal farmers be provided assistance on a lower interest rate through financial institutions. Only then can the poor farmers be saved,” said sarpanch of Bakhora Kalan, Sant Joga Singh.
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Stubble burning rampant despite ban
In a recent incident, Sardara Singh, a middle-aged farmer, along with his wife and two children, was going towards Sri Hargobindpur on a motorcycle when fire from a nearby field aided by strong winds trapped the family. The panic-stricken farmer managed to take his family to safety, but not before fire ravaged his motorcycle. District Commissioner Abhinav Trikha had announced a series of measures to check the menace of stubble burning, including registration of criminal cases and disconnecting power supply to farms, but the results are not forthcoming. Officials of the PAU regional centre here maintain that filing criminal cases is not a solution. They said: “Bringing in special legislations or enacting special laws to deal with the problem will be of no use till the farmers are educated about the ill-effects of residue burning”. The situation is particularly bad in Dera Baba Nanak area which has seen a surge in the number of people suffering from respiratory problems. MLA Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa claimed that in the past one week, he had visited the residences of nearly 12 victims who suffered minor heart attacks after they faced respiratory problems due to rising air pollution. “Sucha Singh from my native Dharowali village of died of heart attack yesterday. The lax administration is not taking action against erring farmers, particularly those owing allegiance to the SAD,” said Randhawa. Burning of stubble also poses a grave risk to filling stations and godowns of gas agencies located near agriculture fields. Manjit Dala, a petrol pump owner, said: “Filling stations and gas agencies stock highly inflammable material and one spark can spell doom for them. Despite this, the menace goes on unchecked”.
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Power purchase bill up 4 times in 2 yrs
Patiala, May 13 Power sector expert Padamjit Singh says a thermal plant in a state sector is of paramount importance and in the overall interest of the consumers and the state. Power projects being awarded to private players would lead to costlier power and put additional financial burden on the consumers, he added. After commissioning of the 420-MW Lehra Mohabbat Thermal plant in 1998, the Punjab Government managed to add power generation capacity of just 500-MW in the past 10 years in the form of commissioning of the Lehra Mohabbat Stage-II in 2008. Since the peak demand of power in the state has increased from 7,100-MW to 10,471-MW, to bridge the gap between the demand and availability, the Punjab Power Corporation had resorted to heavy power purchase at exorbitant rates (see table). Documents in possession of The Tribune show that the short-term power purchase bill has increased from Rs 542 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 2,285 crore in 2007-08 - a four-fold increase in just two years. The average rate of power also went up from Rs 3.24 per unit to Rs 7.12 per unit in just three years. “Precious funds, which could have been utilised for setting up new generation capacity, were, instead, utilised to buy high cost power from the market that resulted in putting the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) - now the power corporation into a debt-trap,” said a senior officer of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). Meanwhile, a survey of the capacity addition projects in various states shows that hardly any state (except Punjab) has adopted the policy of ignoring the capacity addition in the state sector and depending totally on the private sector by awarding new thermal power projects through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) route. During the past couple of years, the state government was on a thermal power projects awarding spree to private players. The government had awarded projects with a combined generation capacity of 5,320-MW to different private players and the estimated cost of these projects was approximately Rs 26,600 crore. However, when the PSEB Engineers’ Association made efforts, the state government announced to set up a 1,320-MW thermal plant in the state sector at Mukerian near Hoshiarpur in June last year. Now, almost a year has passed but there is no headway as far as the Mukerian plant is concerned. Underlining the importance of setting up thermal power plants under the state sector, PSEB Engineers’ Association president HS Bedi said private sector thermal plants would tend to operate at the maximum capacity, irrespective of the grid or state power requirements, which would lead to dumping of unwanted high-cost private sector power on to the PSPCL during low demand periods, which would cause heavy financial loss to the state and would also increase the burden on the power consumers of Punjab in terms of increase in power tariff. “We strongly demand that 1,320-MW thermal plant at Mukerian be executed without further delay,” he added. Senior officers of the two power utilities are also of the opinion that capacity of existing thermal plants should be augmented by adopting super-critical technology. “Since lower power tariff are achieved by awarding new power projects through competitive bidding as compared to the MoU route, the Punjab power generation policy needs to be reviewed and the MoU signed with the private players should be scrapped,” are some of the resolutions, passed unanimously by the Association.
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Legislators may get area development funds
Chandigarh, May 13 Though the issue has been debated for some time, Congress MLA from Ferozepur Parminder Singh Pinky raised it again during a seminar on Saturday where Union Rural Development, Sanitation and Drinking Water Minister Jairam Ramesh addressed a joint delegation of all Punjab MLAs. Responding to Ramesh’s suggestion for strengthening the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and focusing on urban development, Parminder Singh pleaded the case, saying that the Planning Commission must grant MLAs Rs 40 lakh to be spent at their discretion. Even Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD and BJP MLAs are not averse to the suggestion, as it will be a win-win situation for all legislators. Besides, the ruling alliance will get credit for development works done with the special legislator funds. A Punjab delegation will meet Planning Commission officials in Delhi tomorrow where Punjab is expected to raise the demand for approval of an annual plan of Rs 13,000 crore. Some Congress legislators have already written to Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, to integrate such a grant in the state’s annual plan. The Planning Commission, in its letter to the Punjab Government in June 2011, had indicated that it had approved the sectoral break-up of the plan outlay for 2011-12 at Rs 11,520 crore. But since Punjab went to the polls and the SAD-BJP alliance government was formed in March 2012, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a vote on account and the annual budget is yet to be passed. Initially, the annual plan was approved for Rs 11,400 crore, but after the Chief Minister had a discussion with Montek Singh, an additional Rs 120 crore was sanctioned. Out of this, Rs 20 crore was meant for foodgrain storage based on new technology and Rs 100 crore for other projects of special importance which when used under OTACA scheme can help undertake projects worth Rs 400 crore. In the already approved annual plan of Rs 11,520 crore, government’s own resources amount to Rs 6,804 crore, state’s budgetary borrowings Rs 8,308 crore and Central assistance Rs 1,499 crore. But when the Chief Minister meets the planning commission team tomorrow, he will insist that the plan outlay be increased by about Rs 130 crore. The Punjab MLAs are citing the example of states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where all legislators have special funds to cater to the needs of their constituencies without going to the government for funds. There are at least six Congress legislators who have debated this issue amongst themselves and decided to use their good offices with the UPA government to get the proposal implemented.
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Need to discourage basmati cultivation, say PAU experts
The jump in the prices of basmati in the domestic market due to the sudden increase in the export demand during 2008-09 resulted in an increase in the prices of basmati in the international market. This induced farmers to shift from non-basmati paddy to basmati paddy, particularly the Pusa 1121 which is a high-yielding variety. As a result, production of basmati in India doubled. Market experts from PAU say the demand for basmati rice stabilised during 2009-12 but production continued to be far more than the demand. This supply and demand gap got further widened because of the carryover stocks. The supply increased to about 6 million tonnes against the demand for three million tonnes. Consequently, the prices of basmati fell from Rs 2,950 in 2008 to Rs 1,600 in 2011 and basmati cultivation in the state become non-viable as compared to the non-basmati variety. With returns on variable costs in case of basmati and non-basmati paddy pegged at Rs 13,404 and Rs 21,304, respectively, the farmers started incurring losses. The international price of basmati has declined from $1,000 per tonne to $700 per tonne in the past two years. Talking about an alternative strategy, Dr Jagroop Singh, PAU, said: "If the farmers in the state still want to grow basmati, they should reduce the area under cultivation by 50 per cent, from about 6 lakh hectares to 3 lakh hectares. Subsequently, the production of basmati will decline from 20 lakh tonnes to 10 lakh tonnes. He said basmati cultivation was viable only if its domestic price remained above Rs 2,100 per quintal. “In general, farmers in the state should not grow basmati in more than 10 per cent of their cultivatableland,” he added.
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childhood lost
Jiyani said 1,802 persons had been booked for their involvement in child labour in various districts of Punjab. He said as per government rules, a person booked under this Act had to deposit Rs 20,000 in Child labour Rehabilitation Fund and in addition the state government also deposited Rs 5,000 per child. The Minister said the state government would be providing jobs in government or semi-government sectors to one person from the family of the rescued child labourer. He said the state government would be launching new schemes to rescue child labourers across the state. He said 152 persons had deposited requisite fine in the Child Labour Rehabilitation Fund whereas 895 are still to deposit the money. He said a total amount of Rs 30.80 lakh had been deposited for rescued 616 child laborers. The district collectors concerned would collect fine from remaining 895 defaulter employees in lieu of land revenue. The Minster said the Punjab Government in collaboration with the Central Labour and Employment Ministry (under the National Child Labour Project Scheme) and several NGOs was running 27, 20 and 40 special schools in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar districts, respectively. He said rescued child labourers are given admission in these schools and their primary education is completed in three years.
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VAT collection in Moga up by 21%
Hardeep Bhamra, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, said during 2010-11, VAT collections were Rs 151.17 crore, which increased to Rs 182 crore in the last financial year. Similarly, liquor vends in the district were auctioned for Rs 79.86 crore in 2011-12. These are likely to fetch Rs 89 crore in the current fiscal year, she said. Bhamra said Rs 47 lakh was pending against a liquor contractor of Samalsar village and the department had attached his properties for recovering the amount. The department had also directed its officials to keep a strict vigil on local traders and firms, she said, adding that the officials had been asked to take action against all those trying to evade tax. “We had detected several cases of tax evasion last year and added lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer by recovering tax and penalty,” she added. Bhamra said she had told liquor contractors to follow the state excise policy and sell liquor and beer at the prescribed rates.
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Khalsa College principal proposes ‘Sikh Marriage Act, 2012’
Amritsar, May 13 Talking to The Tribune, Daljeet Singh said he was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the draft of a marriage Act for Sikhs during a meeting of the Chief Khalsa Diwan in September last year. He said he had already apprised Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh of the need for the Sikhs to have a ‘complete’ marriage Act. Dwelling on the draft, Daljeet said it had all the provisions, which made it a ‘complete’. He said the draft had been prepared keeping in view the Sikh maryada (code of conduct). It thoroughly dealt with issues like the definition of Sikh and ‘Anand Karaj’, divorce, alimony and property rights. The draft did not provide for gay marriages. Daljeet Singh said a separate marriage Act for Sikhs was not a political demand but a legal one as also a constitutional right of the community. He said other already minorities had separate laws: "The Muslims have the Muslim Personal Law and the Christians the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, and the Christian Divorce Act." On the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, he said the Act came into being at a time when there was a lot of confusion regarding the rituals performed during Anand Karaj. The Act gave recognition to the ‘Anand Karaj’ ceremony being performed in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. However, Sikh marriages continued to be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act. “The Anand Marriage Act has been force since then and the amendment being made now will facilitate registration of Sikh marriages under the Act. However, this is not a complete Act and shortcomings will remain even after the amendment,” Daljeet Singh maintained. The draft prepared by him will be presented at the Chief Khalsa Diwan meeting on May 15 and then sent to the Prime Minister after due deliberations. A Bill granting validity to Sikh marriages solemnised under the Anand Marriage Act was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on May 7 by Minister of Law and Justice Salman
Khurshid.
It thoroughly deals with issues like divorce and alimony The draft has been prepared keeping in view the Sikh ‘maryada’ (code of conduct) Draft to be sent to Prime Minister by Chief Khalsa Diwan
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Govt directs boards not to publish own stationery
Ludhiana, May 13 A letter issued by the General Administrative Branch, Chandigarh, to chairmen, managing directors and commissioners states that from 2012 onwards, no board or corporation will get their own diaries and calendars published separately. By forbidding them to publish their separate stationery, as had been the practice in the past, the state government has asked the boards and corporations to send their requirement list to the Controller, Printing and Stationery, Punjab, by November 10. But within 10 days of receiving these orders, boards or corporations must inform about their requirement to the Controller, states the letter. Further, the Administrative Branch says if any board or corporation intends to include an important information or telephone number in the state government’s diary, its detail should also be sent along with the requisition. The money for printing and publishing of diaries and calendars must be deposited by the boards and corporations with the Controller, Printing and Stationery. An official said the step was taken by the state government to cut down expenses as different corporations, boards, cooperative societies etc used to get their own diaries and calendars published, on which crores of rupees were spent separately by the departments. Now, everyone will use the same diaries and calendars and unnecessary expenses could be reduced to an extent, he says.
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Help us in
development: Majithia to US diplomat
Chandigarh, May 13 Herro Muspha, Political Consulate General, US, today called on Punjab NRI Affairs, Revenue and Renewal Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia at his residence here. Majithia sought mutual exchange programme based on agriculture, industry and education. He said the state government was ready to follow the required procedures to initiate such a programme for making Punjab a more prosperous state. Majithia informed Muspha that Punjab was on track of development and this pace could be doubled by enhancing cooperation with the US. He said Punjab required America’s coordination in key development sectors like agriculture, health, education, power, IT, business and renewal energy. The minister said Punjab had set up an IIT near Mohali to produce scores of IT professionals every year, who would contribute towards the development not only of Punjab but also other states of India and foreign countries. Muspha, extending thanks to the minister, promised that the US would always be with Punjab on the issue of development and provide necessary coordination for its welfare. She also invited a delegation of the Punjab government to the US to survey the systems there that could be replicated in Punjab.
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Canadian police to join probe: Victim’s brother
Ludhiana, May 13 Amanpal’s brother, Tajinder Singh, said: “I have spoken to Canadian High Commission officials and they have assured me that the RCMP would also probe the case along with the Jagraon police. Further, the officials have assured me that strict action would be taken again Robin alias Rob of Brampton in Canada, an agent who offers a large sum of money to jobless youth of Indian origin in Canada for fake marriages.” Tajinder, who slammed the police theory of suicide and claimed that his brother was murdered, said the Jagraon police would take his blood sample for DNA profiling. “The police will match my DNA samples with bodies and remains found in the canal. I strongly believe that the accused are taking the police for a ride. They have killed my brother and dumped his body somewhere else.” The Jagraon police said Canadian resident Amanpal, who was here to formulate a contract marriage, committed suicide in a hotel room located in Mullahpur on the intervening night of January 24-25. The accused, including Kulwant Singh, his relative Aman, Karamjit Kaur alias Kammo and hotel owner Gulshan Rai, packed Amanpal’s body in a suitcase and threw it in the Sirhind Feeder Canal on January 26. The matter was kept under wraps for nearly three months and when Tajinder Singh brought the issue to the notice of DIG MF Farooqui, a probe was started and the accused were nabbed.
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A (w)hole lot of problems with blackboards
Ludhiana, May 13 The blackboard is considered an essential tool of education but the trend of using a blackboard is dwindling in government schools of the state. The condition of these boards is pitiable as neither the school authorities nor the government is doing anything worthwhile to improve the situation. Ironically, even school teachers who often block roads on issues relating to their salaries and arrears, seldom utter a word of complaint about the lack of infrastructure and pathetic condition of blackboards. Most government teachers here claim that blackboards in schools are not in a condition to have anything written on them. Faded colours and broken surfaces are the common feature of these teaching tools due to which teachers as well as students are losing their interest in the use of blackboards for studies. In many schools across the district, school authorities get a part of a wall in classrooms painted black so as to use the same as a blackboard. But even this work is done in a shoddy manner. As the surface of the painted portion of the wall is uneven and rough, it is difficult to write on it. The Director General School Education rules stipulate that a wallboard in a classroom should be of a minimum dimension of 4ft x 6ft while the height from ground should be 2.5 ft. But most of the schools ignore these dimensions and masons working on construction of classrooms do the job as per their own will. Many school authorities complain that the state government does not allocate any grant for wooden blackboards. "The schools receive grants under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) for maintenance of school infrastructure once in a year. So, we have to get painted the boards black once in year with the SSA grant," said a teacher. Harjit Singh Balari, an educationalist, said, "Most subjects cannot be taught without using a blackboard in a classroom. But government school teachers are making compromises with studies without using blackboards. The teachers ask one of the students to read out a lesson while the others listen. The lecturers also adopt the same method." However, the Government Senior Secondary School at Alamgir village in this district is apparently an exception where classrooms are equipped with green boards donated by an NRI. Gurbeer Singh, a school mathematics teacher, claimed that green chalkboards and dust free chalks were being used in the classrooms in this school.
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Manto’s 100th birth anniversary
Samrala, May 13 He said efforts would be made to collect writing materials of Manto and to publish them in the proposed Granth. He said Manto was the most sensitive writer of the 20th Century. He said Manto had expressed the grief of Partition through his writings. Balvir Kaur, Director, Languages Department, Punjab, appreciated the work done by Manto and said he was still alive through his poetry. She said the Language Department would support the construction of a library in the native village of Manto, Paproudi. She said the department would also provide help in building a memorial of Manto at his native village. Other writers and poets present on the occasion included Dr Ratan Singh Delhi, Bir Devinder Singh, Gulzar Singh Sandhu, Rawel Singh Delhi, Kashmiri Lal Zakir, Narinder, Mohan Bhandari, Surjit Patar, Gurbhajan Gill and Sardar Panchi. Later, a play written by Kewal Dhaliwal "Ek Si Manto" was staged.
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PPP leader shot at in Bathinda
Bathinda, May 13 The police said Lakhvir received two bullet injuries on his chest and back. The incident took place at 6.30 pm when Lakhvir was coming out of a gym at his Sadhana village, near Rampura. Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said five police teams had been formed to investigate the matter. “Preliminary reports reveal that one person named Lambardar was behind the attack,” he said. “The matter is under investigation and the police has been put on alert in the district”. Lakhvir, whose mother was a sarpanch, got nearly 20,000 votes in the elections. He was a popular leader who championed various social causes. The attack on Lakhvir has caused a sense of fear among the residents.
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Molestation charge on hostel warden
Faridkot, May 13 Though the police has registered a criminal case under Section 354 of IPC against the 58-year-old warden, the medical examination report of the victim is awaited for further action, said Station House Officer Balwinder Singh Basi. Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat, who is also president of Red Cross Society Faridkot, got a complaint from some Red Cross employees, who stated that the warden of a hostel of the Red Cross School for Mentally Retarded tried to molest an inmate. The girl belongs to Tarn Taran area and she was admitted to the school about a month ago. Bhagat has asked the District Child Development and Project Officer to investigate the matter.
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Animal Husbandry and SC and BC Welfare minister Gulzar Singh Ranike is being touted as the man of the moment. As the state has achieved near saturation in agriculture yield, dairy development and fisheries are being considered as the most viable alternatives to uplift rural economy.
Despite cases of suicide among debt-trapped farmers in the state, the state and central governments have till date not found a solution to the problem which is assuming alarming proportions.
Despite the fact that many states in the country are enhancing their power generation capacity by following the mixed approach of setting up new thermal plants under the state and private sector, Punjab is mainly focusing on awarding power generation projects to private players.
Even as the debate over the absence of divorce clause in the Anand Marriage Amendment Bill 2012 continues, Khalsa College principal and legal luminary Daljeet Singh has prepared the draft of a ‘Sikh Marriage Act, 2012’.
The Chief Khalsa Diwan intends to send this draft to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for "further action".
Talking to The Tribune, Daljeet Singh said he was entrusted with the responsibility of preparing the draft of a marriage Act for Sikhs during a meeting of the Chief Khalsa Diwan in September last year.
Ludhiana, May 13
Punjabi University, Patiala, will publish “Sahitik Simrti Granth” about the writings of Manto, announced Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh while speaking at a seminar organised by the Lekhak Manch, Samrala, in memory of famous Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto.
Chandigarh, May 13
Gurdaspur, May 13
Ludhiana May 13
Chandigarh, May 13
Moga, May 13