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State retains top slot in wheat production
Ready to resolve Nanakshahi calendar row: Pak Sikhs
Tackling Water Contamination
Raise paddy MSP to Rs 2,025: BJP
Junior docs go on strike in Faridkot
Rescue service plan for Amritsar-Pathankot highway
Chief Minister assures BJP of lasting bond
2-day weekly power off imposed on industry
Bathinda to have home for cancer patients
Punjab Budget 2012-13
Don’t harass drug racket kingpin’s parents, HC tells police
Heroin worth Rs 85 cr seized
Illegal detention case
Cong man rescued from kidnappers
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Rising input costs worry farmers
Patiala, June 16 Similar is the plight of a majority of the farmers in this agrarian state. The Centre has raised the MSP of paddy by Rs 170 per quintal for the 2012-13 kharif season, but farmers say this is not sufficient given a substantial rise in input costs. "The rates of diesel, fertilisers, labour etc have gone up substantially. Besides, there is constant pressure from landlords to increase the annual contract rate," said Sanaur farmer Harbir Singh. "For small and marginal farmers, it is getting harder to survive in this occupation. We are into farming for generations, but are looking for some other lucrative vocation," he added. The cost of labour, estimated to account for 40 per cent of the total input costs, has gone up tremendously mainly due to a shortage of workforce. Farmers have been scouting for labourers even at railway stations. They have to offer them several incentives besides higher wages. Besides, reports of a weak monsoon is adding to the worries of the farmers who will have to spend more on diesel to run generator sets to irrigate fields as paddy requires constant water for initial months. Though agricultural experts foresee a bumper paddy production in Punjab, the crop is expected to take a heavy toll on the already depleting water table. Even in case of a failed monsoon, agronomists hope for an increase in paddy output as had happened in drought-like conditions in 2002 when there was an average 50 per cent deficient rainfall, but farmers are worried. "Bumper crop only means we will be able to meet our expenditures and not that we will go home richer," said Jagdish Singh Garcha, who owns more than 100 acres in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The rising debt on Punjab farmers is a cause of concern for the state government, with the MSP hikes failing to cover the ever increasing input costs. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has flayed the Centre for declaring an "unreasonable" hike in the MSP of paddy. Problems galore n
A major input in farming is fertiliser. Prices of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) have increased by Rs 18,350 per tonne from Rs 9,950 the previous year n
The cost of urea has also been increased although prices have yet to be decontrolled. Big landlords hoard fertiliser due
to which small farmers face price rise due to its shortage n
Seed prices have been going up steadily with private players controlling the market n
With water table declining every year, more power is required to access water. Since power supply is irregular, farmers have to rely on diesel generators Agricultural experts foresee a bumper paddy production in Punjab. Even in case of a failed monsoon, agronomists hope for an increase in paddy output as had happened in drought-like conditions in 2002 when there was an average 50% deficient rainfall
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State retains top slot in wheat production
Chandigarh, June 16 The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) authorities have said that apart from other factors, some improved varieties of wheat played a major role in the record production of wheat in Punjab. Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said it was a matter of great satisfaction that some wheat varieties released by the university in recent years had produced tremendous results. However, the PAU, which has played a crucial role in the Green Revolution and later to maintain food security in the country, is starved of funds for research purposes. The state government and the Centre have not provided it financial help to carry out various researches. It is facing even problems to pay salaries to its staff and clear their dues. “The Punjab Government should set up a corpus of Rs 250 crore for the PAU in five years by contributing Rs 50 crore each year. The interest on that fund should be utilised only for research purposes in the PAU,” said Dr SS Johl, former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, and eminent agriculture economist. The Director of Research, PAU, Dr SS Gosal, said the new high yielding varieties, PBW-621 (21.1 quintal per acre) and HD-2967 (21.4 quintal per acre), had greatly contributed towards enhancing wheat production in the country. Dr MS Sidhu, Head, Department of Economics and Sociology, said the PAU had recommended to bring about 68 per cent of the total area under wheat varieties such as PBW-550, PBW-343, PBW-621 and HD-2967. “The enhanced production of wheat has made the state farmers richer by Rs 2,570 crore,” he said. Punjab’s initial target was to contribute 108 lakh tonne of wheat to the Central pool this year. The PAU is working to develop some more improved varieties of wheat. “Our scientists are working at Keylong in Himachal Pradesh to develop some new varieties of wheat,” said a senior official of the PAU. “We expect to give good news in this regard in 2013,” he said. Pau efforts yield results n Punjab contributes 130 lakh tonne of wheat to the Central pool this year n
State farmers richer by Rs 2,570 crore n
PAU new varieties behind the success n
Varsity to release more new varieties next year
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Ready to resolve Nanakshahi calendar row: Pak Sikhs
Amritsar, June 16 Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) member Swaran Singh offered a platform to resolve the differences among the community members over the calendar issue. "We are ready to host a gathering of Sikhs from around the world in Pakistan so that misunderstandings can be removed and a strong appeal can be made to the Akal Takht to implement the original calendar in letter and spirit," he said. PSGPC chief Sham Singh, who was also present, endorsed his views. Pleading to the Akal Takht to implement the original calendar, released by the Sikhs' highest temporal seat in 2003, American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) coordinator Pritpal Singh said if there was any amendment to be made, it should be done after holding consultations with Sikh leaders from across the world and calendar's architect Pal Singh Purewal. PSGPC members said there had been a lot of confusion relating to gurpurabs, martyrdom days and other important dates due to certain amendments made by the SGPC in the original calendar "without evolving a consensus within the community". A large number of Sikhs had gathered from all over the world to observe the martyrdom day of the Guru at Gurdwara Shaheed Asthan inside Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore. Meanwhile, the DSGMC, headed by Paramjit Singh Sarna, also observed the martyrdom day today as per the original calendar. The main programme was organised at Lakhi Shah Wanjara Hall in Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib. Though the Akal Takht has endorsed the amended Nanakshahi calendar and directed all to follow it, the PSGPC and the DSGMC continue to stick to its original version while observing various events.
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Tackling Water Contamination
New Delhi, June 16 Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said yesterday that he had asked Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to come up with a proposal on the basis of which the Centre would assess the damage and come out with a corrective plan. But so far he had not received any such document from the state. Notably, a parliamentary panel had slammed the Centre for not showing the “desired level of urgency and seriousness” on the issue of detection of uranium contamination in drinking water in Punjab’s rural areas. The committee had warned that if the issue remained unaddressed, it “may cause incalculable damage to the health of human beings, livestock, environment and bio-safety” and asked the ministry to work in tandem with Punjab in this regard. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre had found traces of uranium in groundwater in new regions beyond Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot and Ferozepur. Confirming this in the Parliament during the just-concluded Budget session, the government had said that traces of radioactive elements had been detected in samples collected from 13 new districts, including Tarn Taran, Moga, Barnala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Ropar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Pathankot. The uranium content in these samples varied between 0.1 and 153 ppb (parts per billion), Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy had said, urging Punjab to conduct studies to ascertain whether the presence of uranium in the sub-soil could be a cause for high prevalence of cancer in the region. Expressing concern over the issue, the Standing Committee on Rural Development had recommended to the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to ask the BARC to give its views and take remedial measures without loss of time. Chaired by Sumitra Mahajan, the panel had said: “The committee is constrained to mention that on the issue of taking remedial measures to curb the serious problem of uranium contamination, the ministry has not shown the desired level of urgency and seriousness”. Taking stock n A parliamentary panel had slammed the Centre for not showing the "desired level of urgency and seriousness" on traces of uranium in drinking water in Punjab's rural areas n
It had warned that if the issue remained unaddressed, it "may cause incalculable damage to the health of human beings, livestock, environment and bio-safety" n
Besides the Bathinda belt, traces of radioactive elements have been detected in samples collected from 13 new districts: Tarn Taran, Moga, Barnala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Ropar, Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Pathankot
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Raise paddy MSP to Rs 2,025: BJP
Chandigarh, June 16 Talking to media persons here today Dhankar, said the Union Government had declared the MSP of usual paddy at Rs 1,250 per quintal whereas per quintal input cost of paddy was Rs 1,350. Even several state governments had requested the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) to fix the MSP between Rs 1,800 per quintal and Rs 2,200 per quintal. Even the BJP Kisan Morcha had calculated the paddy MSP at Rs 2,025 keeping in view the cost plus 50 per cent profit as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and had asked the Centre to fix the MSP accordingly. "We do not accept this MSP and will hold protests across the country," Dhankar said. He said farmers' micro economy had staggered due to the MSP being less than the input costs. This had compelled every two farmers to commit suicide in an hour in the country, he said, adding that the MSP calculation method should be changed and farmers be given a profitable price. The Kisan Morcha leader, however, welcomed the decision to fix jowar's MSP at Rs 1,500 per quintal, but condemned fixing bajra and maize MSP at a mere Rs 1,175 per quintal. He urged the Centre to fix cotton MSP at Rs 5,000, and that of long fibre cotton at Rs 5,500. "These prices have been deflated to benefit the cotton industry," he said. Those present on the occasion were MLA and state BJP president Ashwani Sharma, party leaders Kamal Sharma and Manjit Singh Rai, and Kissan Morcha leaders Vineet Joshi, Major Datewal and Sukhminder
Grewal.
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Junior docs go on strike in Faridkot
Faridkot, June 16 Demanding an increase in their monthly stipend and cut in their working hours, the junior doctors met the Vice-Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Dr SS Gill, before starting their strike, and apprised him of their plight. “The amount we are getting for our job is less than the minimum wages fixed for unskilled labour. So it is a violation of human rights and international labour laws,” said Arvind Bansal and Rohit Sharma, spokesmen for the Forum for Welfare of Interns of Faridkot Medical College. While the intern doctors of Central Government medical college and hospitals are getting Rs 13,500 as stipend and even the private medical colleges in Punjab are paying them up to Rs 9,000 as stipend, we are getting just Rs 150 daily, said Arvind. If our stipend is not revised before June 30, then we will go on an indefinite strike, he said. While a similar situation prevails at the Patiala and Amritsar government medical colleges, the doctors at Faridkot feel they are disadvantaged for the higher workload. Dr Gill said the university had written to the government to revise the stipend paid to the junior doctors.
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Rescue service plan for Amritsar-Pathankot highway
New Delhi, June 16 The pilot project has been prepared by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangthan vice-chairman Amardeep Singh Cheema told The Tribune that 186 youth clubs had been identified and volunteers from villages located on either side of the highway, who would undergo paramedical training at AIIMS, would work for the project. The project aims at providing cashless medical facility to victims who will be taken to hospitals identified with insurance companies associated with it. Discussion about the project on the city administration level and other authorities concerned has been conducted. This area has been selected for the pilot project as this is one of the busiest stretches on the highway for catering traffic from Amritsar to Jammu. The Rs 22-crore project will run for one year and, if successful, it will be replicated in other parts of the country. The expenditure on the treatment of victims, training of volunteers, mobile sets etc would be funded from the project cost, Cheema said. The volunteers will be trained to upload the photograph of the scene to medical call centre, to contact police control room and insurance companies so that all necessary arrangements are in place when the victim is transported to the hospital for complete cashless medical treatment, he said. Contact number and addresses of the volunteers will be put on sign board prominently displayed along the highway. The volunteers will provide medical services through seven ambulances, two rescue vehicles and one crash vehicle (super specialty vehicle for accident victims), he said. Helping victims of road accidents n
The Rs 22-crore project aims at providing cashless medical facility to mishap victims n
Around 186 youth clubs have been identified and volunteers from villages near the highway will be roped in n
Volunteers will be trained to upload a photo of the mishap scene, call medical centre, contact police control room and insurance companies n The project will run for one year and will be replicated at other places
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Chief Minister assures BJP of lasting bond
Chandigarh, June 16 Badal said the SAD had strong bonds with the BJP, and that this relationship based on mutual trust and congenial ties was ever lasting. In a statement issued here today, Badal categorically stated that there was hardly any difference of opinion on this issue and both the allies would amicably elect the new executives of the Municipal Corporations, Councils and Nagar Panchayats, thereby respecting the historic mandate of the people on the plank of overall development and prosperity. — TNS
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2-day weekly power off imposed on industry
Patiala, June 16 Presently, several districts of the state are facing power crisis and many residential areas and numerous villages in Barnala district plunged into darkness following a major technical snag in the 100-MVA transformer. In a circular issued by the Power Corporation, the authorities stated that in order to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of power, there was no option but to impose weekly offs on the industry. Meanwhile, residents in Barnala district continue to sweat on account of a major snag in the 100-MVA transformer at Barnala. Power Corporation authorities said it would take another three to four days for the transformer to become functional. In Ludhiana, 100-MVA transformer at the 220-KV Ferozepur Road sub-station has developed a technical snag, thereby disrupting power supply in several areas. Reports from Amritsar district have also brought to light that the power scenario in the Majha region is bad. Power cuts in the domestic sector in various areas of Patiala, Mohali, Sangrur and several other districts are being imposed on a daily basis for the past few days. Figures states that apart from power failure on account of technical snags, a shortfall of about 150 lakh units of power was recorded yesterday, because of which unscheduled cuts have been imposed. Director, Generation, PSPCL, GS Chhabra said one unit of 210-MW of the Ropar Thermal Plant, which was shut down on Thursday morning on account of leakage in a boiler, was now functional, which would help in improving the power situation. Arun Verma, Director, Distribution, PSPCL, has said the frequency of the Northern Grid is low (fluctuating between 49.2 and 49.8) and overdrawal of power at this frequency means purchase of power at a very high cost besides paying penalty on account of overdrawal at the low frequency. He said overdrawal of power would endanger the security of the grid. Verma said, “As the hydro power generation has increased and Punjab has also started getting 300-MW power from banking, the power scenario is likely to improve and subsequently, the regulatory measures will be relaxed.” Industrial associations condemn PSPCL’s move The decision to impose power regulatory measures has come as a big shock for the industry. Federation of Punjab Small Industries Association president Badish K Jindal and president of the Induction Furnaces Association, Mandi Gobindgarh, Mahinder Gupta, said, "With two-day weekly off, Punjab industry, which is already passing through recession, is bound to further suffer. Also, not only category-2 and 3 industry but PSPCL is imposing four-hour power cut on the small scale industry as well."
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Bathinda to have home for cancer patients
Bathinda, June 16 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of the home on December 20, 2011. This is a joint venture between the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and the District Red Cross Society (DRCS). After constructing the building, the BDA will hand it over to the DRCS to manage its affairs. The proposed home will be able to accommodate 100 patients or their attendants and it will have 27 rooms with attached bathrooms, besides 14 dormitories. Chief Administrator of the BDA Uma Shanker Gupta said the construction work had been delayed due to some reasons, including the Assembly elections in the state. Gupta said the home would be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.15 crore by the BDA and the construction work would start in the second week of July.
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Punjab Budget 2012-13
Go for additional resource mobilisation and shun populism — this is the message that economists in the region have for Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, as he gets ready to present his maiden budget in the state assembly on June 20, Ruchika M. Khanna reports.
Economists in the region want the Finance Minister to present a development-oriented budget. They feel that this can happen only if the budget proposals have some direction for generating additional revenue, which in turn can be used on infrastructure and social development in Punjab. With the state having amongst the lowest tax to gross state domestic product ratio, experts say time has now come to take hard decisions, if Punjab has to get on a growth trajectory. Need of the hour is to improve state's own resource mobilisation. This can be done through increasing some service/user charges, plugging loopholes in tax collection and by drastically cutting down administrative expenditure. Tax to GSDP ratio in the state is amongst the lowest at a little over 7 per cent. This should be brought up to at least 12 per cent. The government should cut down on non-development expenditure by adopting austerity measures The budget should strongly outline drastic cut down on administrative expenditure. The government should first do away with the posts of chief parliamentary secretary. Administrative expenditure by all government officials should also be cut substantially. Besides, the FM should give special focus on the education and health sectors which have remained neglected. The budget should have a thrust on improving this farm sector While the budget should have a thrust on agriculture and diversification from the wheat-paddy crop cycle, the other sectors that the FM needs to deal with immediately in the budget is to improve the power sector. The direct tax collection in the state needs to be enhanced, if we want more development in the state. In Punjab, the direct tax paid by a person is just Rs 6.25 per annum. Comparatively, in Rajasthan it is Rs 55.16 and in Karnataka it is RS 114.13 per annum. We have to impose more taxes, if we want to have more funds at our disposal for carrying out development activities
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Don’t harass drug racket kingpin’s parents, HC tells police
Chandigarh, June 16 Justice Sat Paul Bangarh directed the IGP to ensure that the petitioners, Kewal Singh and Surinder Kaur, are not harassed at the instance of Senior Superintendents of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur police. Justice Bangarh also issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab and other respondents, while fixing July 15 as the next date of hearing. The development is significant, as the petition and the directions by the High Court give credence of sorts to what has all along been alleged and apprehended - the Punjab Police does not hesitate from harassing the families of those accused in criminal cases. In their petition, the elderly couple contended that on May 2, between 20 and 25 police officials of Hoshiarpur district raided their house, asking about their son in connection with the investigation of some drugs case. Counsel for the petitioners GK Mann added the petitioners were then brought to the Banga police station and were allowed to go back after about three hours when the health of Kandola’s father started to “deteriorate”. Mann added the petitioners were unaware about any activity of their son, and were under the impression that he was initially living abroad, but entered into real estate business upon his return. She added Kandola was living separately. “And if he has committed any offence, the petitioners could not be harassed and humiliated for the same,” she said. Mann indicted that there was no stopping the incorrigible police. “The petitioners made an application to the IGP, Jalandhar Zone. But no action has been taken by him and the police is still acting in the same way. To make the matters worse, the police was threatening the petitioners to either produce their son or face implication in a false criminal case, instead of proceeding as per law. As a result, their life was in “grave danger”, Mann said.
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Heroin worth Rs 85 cr seized
Dera Baba Nanak, June 16 BSF constables of the 38th Battalion noticed some suspicious movement near the Sandhawali outpost in the Dera Baba Nanak sector in the wee hours today. On being challenged, two smugglers opened fire. Around 100 rounds of ammunition were exchanged in the shootout. The smugglers escaped to Pakistani territory taking advantage of the thick congress grass and bushes. Trespassers had adopted a unique modus operandi to smuggle contraband into the Indian side of the border. They had passed a 10-foot long plastic pipe through the barbed wire, which had high voltage electricity running through it. Once the pipe was in place, they slithered down 17 packets of heroin (weighing a kg each) from the Pakistan side. The quality of heroin was tested by using local testing kits. The contraband would be sent to Chandigarh for further lab tests. Senior officers claimed that the seizure was worth Rs 85 crore in the international market. Four cartridges and one magazine were recovered from the spot. Officiating DIG Gurpal Singh addressed a hurriedly convened press conference at Shikar Maachian village, in the border area. Commandant of the 38th Battalion SK Mishra was also present at the press conference. The officers claimed that it was the biggest-ever seizure of heroin by the security forces.
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Illegal detention case
Chandigarh, June 16 The association, at a meeting held here today, said the state government was yet to react to the inquiry report against these officers, so if there was no action till July 8, the Patwaris all over the state would stage dharnas at the district headquarters on July 9. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has assured the association that based on the findings of the inquiry into the arrest and use of third degree methods to force Mohan Singh commit illegal manipulation of revenue records, strict action would be taken against former SSP Shiv Kumar Sharma and five other senior police officers. The association had alleged that the former Vigilance SSP had kept Mohan in illegal confinement for refusing to mutate 14 Biswas of “usurped land” by Sharma, adjoining his Garden Estate Marriage Palace on the Patiala - Sirhind Road. Special Principal Secretary of the Chief Minister KS Pannu submitted the inquiry report in which Sharma and five other officers have been indicted. The inquiry has recommended registering of an FIR against Sharma (since retired), Jaspal Singh former SSP Vigilance (Ferozepur), Banasri Dass, former SP Vigilance (Ferozpeur), and Inspector Issar Singh. The inquiry has recommended legal action against Surinderpal Singh for tempering with record and departmental probe against Surjit Singh Grewal, SSP, Jagraon (then SSP Vigilance
Jalandhar).
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Cong man rescued from kidnappers
Atul, along with one of his friends, was going towards the city area on a motorcycle when some unidentified persons intercepted their bike near Baba Shershahwali chowk. The assailants allegedly hit Atul with a sharp-edged weapon and then bundled him into the SUV. Meanwhile, his friend ran towards the SSP’s residence, which was located nearby, and informed the police about the incident. Gurdeep Singh, SHO, who was passing through that area, followed the SUV. When they saw the SHO’s vehicle following them, they drove the SUV into the residence of former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sukhpal Singh Nannu. The police raided Nannu’s bungalow and rescued the Congress worker. The police officials said Nannu was not present at his residence when the incident took place. However, the assailants escaped. Meanwhile, the Congress worker was admitted to the local civil hospital where his statement was recorded by the SSP Hardial Singh Mann. The SHO of the Ferozepur Cantonment police station, Dalbir Singh, said the police has registered a case under section 364, 324 of IPC against Rajesh, alias Bobby, Ravi, Lally and Manoj besides some other unidentified persons. Meanwhile, Sukhpal Singh Nannu said he had no knowledge about the incident..
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Amritsar, June 16
Ferozepur, June 16