|
|
|
|
|
CII: Need to focus on infrastructure
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Assembly in session
Gau Sewa Board to be upgraded
Farmers clash with cops over shamlat land in Patiala village
Bypoll
Operation Bluestar memorial
Water scarcity hits border villages
Waiting for land possession since 1981
Gurdaspur on alert as radicals plan protest
Teachers to play doctor
|
Chandigarh, June 19 When the SAD-BJP alliance came to power in 2007, Punjab's revenue receipts were a mere Rs 19,237 crore as against a committed expenditure of Rs 23,060 crore, causing a deficit of Rs 3,823 crore (19.87 per cent). Matters did not look any better during the next financial year (2008-09) when the revenue receipts got marginally better at Rs 20,712 core, but the expenditure increased to Rs 24,568 crore, bringing with it a deficit of Rs 3,856 crore (18.62 per cent). The third budget of the SAD-BJP alliance in 2009-10 showed similar trends, with both income and expenditure increasing in the same proportion. Revenue receipts jumped to Rs 22,156 crore offsetting the gains with expenditure too rising to Rs 27,407 crore. This brought in a deficit of Rs 5,251 crore (19.16 per cent). All this while, Manpreet Singh Badal was the Finance Minister. He proposed taxation and withdrawal of subsidies, but the suggestions were summarily dismissed keeping in mind the elections that were then just two years away. But various initiatives to boost income yielded some results in the fourth year. This time (2010-11), income jumped to Rs 30,475 crore and expenditure was restricted to Rs 34,180 crore, a deficit of Rs 3,705 crore (12 per cent). Punjab's economy was beginning to look up when Manpreet Badal raised the issue of debt waiver by the Central Government if Punjab did away with sops. This created a political flutter in the state, eventually leading to the ouster of Manpreet from the SAD. He was replaced by Dr Upinderjit Kaur, an economist, who despite the burden of continuing to pay increased salaries and arrears on account of recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission managed to reduce the fiscal deficit. The year 2011-12 saw a rise in revenue receipts to Rs 32,026 crore and curtailment of expenditure despite unavoidable liabilities to Rs 35,405 crore, causing a deficit of Rs 3,378 crore (10.55 per cent), the lowest during the SAD-BJP's tenure. The five years of the SAD-BJP alliance saw the Budget size grow. In 2007-08, the total size of the state’s Budget was Rs 29,890 crore, which became Rs 31,635 crore in 2008-09, going further up to Rs 40,262 crore in 2009-10, touching Rs 43,925 in 2010-11 and finally ending at Rs 43,925 crore in 2010-11. The fiscal deficit too has grown proportionally and is expected to rise by over Rs 2,500 crore from last year's Rs 3,700 crore to over Rs 6,000 crore in the Budget to be presented tomorrow.
|
|
CII: Need to focus on infrastructure
Chandigarh, June 19 Deepak Mittal, Chairman, CII Punjab State Council, and MD, International Tractors, said: "The government should take a judicious view of subsidies to reduce deficit". This would help improve the state's economy to a great extent and reduce burden on the exchequer. DL Sharma, vice-chairman, CII Punjab State Council, and Director, Vardhman Textiles Ltd, was of the view that "allocation of funds for maintenance of industrial infrastructure is imperative for industrial growth without which the industry can't grow". JBS Sangha, co-convener, CII Punjab Agri and Water Panel, hoped that the government would come up with schemes for food processing and cold chain to prevent wastage of agriculture produce. Pikender Pal, Singh, Regional Director, CII Northern Region, said: "Besides adequate funding for timely execution of power projects, allocation is also needed for strengthening the transmission and distribution system to reduce T&D losses". This would help alleviate power crisis in the state, he added. Gunbir Singh, former Chairman, CII Punjab State Council, said: "Inviting investment and generating jobs should be the focus of the Punjab Budget. The government needs to look at ways to find new revenue sources, make employment opportunities available to graduates and employable dropouts. Human resource available in the state should be given skill-enhancement training". "The service sector is the most promising growth area. A well-coordinated and empowered fast-track channel needs to be created for bringing in investors in this sector," he added.
|
|||||
|
People from a cross-section of society say while the Budget should act as a stimulant to economic growth, it should not burden the common man with additional taxes, The Tribune correspondents report: ‘Concessions for small industries’ — Ashwani Kohli, sr vice-president, Chamber
of Small Exporters, Punjab — Nimisha Mehta, social activist, Jalandhar — Ankur Sethi, businessman,Jalandhar — Badish Jindal, president, Fed of Punjab Small
Industries Association — Priyanka, student , Ludhiana — Parmjit Budhiraja, vice-president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of North India — Ramesh Kuku, president, District Association of
Rice and Pulses Dealers —
Ravinder Pal Singh Rattian, advocate — Dr KS Gill, ex-president, Moga Municipal Council (Text:
Varinder Singh, Manav Mander & Kulwinder
Sandhu)
|
|||||
|
Jajjal residents pour their hearts out to visiting MPs
Jajjal (Bathinda), June 19 Led by officiating chairman Shashi Bhusan Behera, the seven-member team interacted with villagers on the possible causes of cancer taking root in the area. The committee will submit its report to its chairman Basudev Acharia who will submit the same to the Government of India. Retired teacher Jarnail Singh, who has lost four members of his family to the disease, told the visiting MPs that 41 village residents had died of cancer so far while seven were undergoing treatment for the same. Most residents were of the opinion that Punjabis were paying the price of the Green Revolution with excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers leading to cancer. “Fighting the American Bollworm, farmers sprayed a cocktail of pesticides that led to cancer,” said one of them. “For 200 years, the residents drank water from the village well that went dry 15 years ago and we took to the canal water. It’s the polluted canal that is killing us,” said Ram Karan Rama. Septuagenarian Mukhtiar Singh, who has been battling cancer for the past 15 years, told the committee members: “The village is dying a slow death. It is very painful to see friends and children afflicted by cancer.” While Sukhdev Singh and Balwinder Singh talked about cancer deaths in their families, women showed their health records to the MPs. Rajpal Saini, MP, said: “It was Punjab’s farmers that brought the country out of the food crisis. It is sad you are paying the price of making the country food surplus. We promise to take up your cause before the Union Government.” About Jajjal village... It has 700 households and a population of 3,500. Its 80 per land is canal-irrigated. Reported among farm workers earlier, cancer has also afflicted village labourers in the past five years
|
|||||
|
Assembly in session
Chandigarh, June 19 Immediately after Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal read out the names of 14 eminent persons, including former legislators Amarjit Singh Sahi and JS Randhawa, eminent journalist Ratnesh Singh Sodhi and freedom fighters Bhajan Singh, Balwant Rai Uppal, Ujagar Singh, Saudagar Singh, Karm Singh, Jarnail Singh, Parbhat Singh, Wassan Singh, Sulakhan Singh, Harsha Singh and Jagbir Singh Chhina, the CM got up from his seat and suggested that obituary references be also paid to cows slaughtered at Joga village. Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar urged that obituary references also be made to the migrant labourers killed in the Jalandhar factory building collapse in April this year. Jakhar said although he had not interrupted the CM, obituary references to cows amounted to making a mockery of the Vidhan Sabha. Claiming that Badal had been wrongly advised on the issue, Jakhar said the CM’s announcement earlier to turn the premises of the factory at Joga village into a memorial for cows was a farce.
|
|||||
|
Gau Sewa Board to be upgraded
Joga (Mansa), June 19 During his visit to Joga village, where villagers razed a bone crushing factory last week, the CM said the commission would help rehabilitate stray cows. He said the Director-General of Police (DGP) had already been instructed to arrest those suspected to be behind the incidents of cow slaughter in the village and to put up a strong case in court against them so that they were awarded exemplary punishment. The CM announced to honour Sukhwinder Dass on Independence Day for informing residents about cows being slaughtered in the factory. The CM said the government had initiated the process for acquiring the factory land. A notice for acquiring the land had been issued and it was up to the residents to decide how best to utilise the land. Badal brushed aside queries on the inauguration of the factory by a local Akali leader a few years ago. Interacting with the CM, members of the peace committee requested the CM to reinstate Joga SHO Rajinderpal and Mansa SSP Sukhdev Chahal. Badal said this could be done only after the probe into cow slaughter was completed. He said he had directed the Local Government Department to ask all municipal corporations to sign a memorandum of understanding with local gaushalas (shelter for cows) for protection and proper upkeep of cows as was being done by the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Local Government Minister Chunni Lal Bhagat, MLAs Chatin Singh Samao and Prem Mittal and, Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh
Bhunder.
|
|||||
|
Farmers clash with cops over shamlat land in Patiala village
Balberha (Patiala), June 19 At least 17 persons, including eight policemen and two women, were injured. They were hospitalised. Escorted by a police team, officials from the Rural Development and Panchayat Department reached Balberha and Charason this morning to claim possession of more than 100 acres of agricultural land being tilled by farmers for the past many years. As the officials reached Balberha to take possession of the land, they were confronted by farmers armed with sticks and stones who resisted the move. “The situation turned ugly when the BDPO drove her vehicle to the vacated piece of land to prove that it was now in possession of the authorities. “Provoked, the farmers started throwing stones at us. Water canons and tear gas shells were used to disperse them, but in vain. We had to use mild force to shoo them away,” police sources said. Two police vehicles and five motorcycles were damaged. An FIR was lodged against some
farmers. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill, who rushed to the site, claimed that the farmers had opened fire at the police team. The farmers alleged that they were protesting peacefully when “the police descended on the village to forcibly take possession of the land of poor peasants without informing the village
panchayat.” Bone of contention
|
|||||
Bypoll
Chandigarh, June 19 All three parties announced their candidates today. The byelection is scheduled for July 11. There was much speculation on the BJP’s choice for the party ticket with former ministers Tikshan Sud and Arunesh Shakir, who had lost the assembly poll from Hoshiarpur and Mukerian, respectively, jumping into the fray. Sahi’s son, Dr Harsimrat Singh, had expressed his desire to contest the byelection and announced that he would go to the people to seek their support. The BJP decided to play safe and give the ticket to Sahi’s widow Sukhjit (52). Dr Harsimrat, when questioned on the issue, said the decision to field his mother was that of the family as well as the party. The Congress has chosen to give the party ticket to Arun ‘Micky’ Dogra, son of former minister Ramesh Chander Dogra. The latter lost the last two assembly elections to Sahi. Announcing Micky’s candidature here, Punjab Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh said he was confident the party would win the byelection as the people were disillusioned with the SAD-BJP government. Sources said the party had chosen Micky Dogra as his father was in poor health. Micky (44) is a former Youth Congress activist who headed the Hoshiarpur unit for 11 years. He is Director of the Hoshiarpur Cooperative Bank. The PPP has renominated advocate Bhupinder Singh Ghuman for the contest.
|
|||||
|
Operation Bluestar memorial
Jagraon, June 19 State Youth Congress chief Bikram Choudhry had declared to hold a protest on June 20 against the construction of the memorial. But the announcement has not gone down well with some Youth Congress leaders who have openly declared to boycott the protest. Raising his voice against the protest, Kamaljit Singh Brar, Punjab Youth Congress general secretary and son of former Congress MLA from Baghapurana Darshan Singh Brar, said, “This issue is connected to the religious sentiments of the Sikh community and therefore, the state Youth Congress should not appose the construction of the memorial.” Brar said, “No political party should mix politics with religious issues as this could disturb the communal harmony and peace in the state. He added that the Youth Congress should raise its voice against injustice being done to people and other social evils prevailing in the state.
|
|
Union Power Secy reviews reforms project
Patiala, June 19 Secretary Power (Punjab) Anirudh Tiwari said P. Uma Shankar was happy to note that Punjab had taken a lead in the implementation of the programme. He said: "Punjab is the first among northern states to roll out the programme at a fast pace. At present, out of 47 towns, seven have been covered under part A and seven more are ready to be covered". PSPCL CMD KD Chaudhri said: "Part A mainly deals with IT, which includes preparation of baseline data for consumer indexing, GIS mapping, metering of distribution transformers and feeders and automatic data logging for all distribution transformers and feeders, besides all consumer related services". Chaudhri said Shankar was also satisfied with the last year's overall performance of the power corporation. Meanwhile, during the meeting, deliberations were also held regarding part B of R-APDRP. The part B mainly deals with renovation, modernisation and strengthening of the existing infrastructure, including transformers, substations, fixing of pillar boxes etc. Accelerated Power development reforms project The R-APDRP project has been initiated to bring down the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses by upgrading power infrastructure and introduction of information technology in the distribution sector. The programme is divided into two parts. For part A, funds to the tune of Rs 282 crore were sanctioned for Punjab and 47 towns of the state are being covered under it
|
|
|
Water scarcity hits border villages
Abohar, June 19 The villagers, mostly farmers, shouted slogans against the state government for “not paying any heed” to their problems. They also regretted that the RO systems in most of the villages had become non-functional due to water shortage and long power cuts. Leading the demonstration, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti convener Kulwant Singh Sandhu said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had promised last year that farmers at the tail-end villages would be provided adequate supply of water. However, these villages had not been getting any supply for the past fortnight. This had adversely affected Bt cotton crop and fruit orchards in the area, he added. SGPC member Kaur Singh, after talking to the officials concerned, said the authorities had assured that water would be released soon and its availability at the tail-end fields would also be ensured.
|
|
|
Waiting for land possession since 1981
Ludhiana, June 19 In 1981, five landless Dalit families were allotted 25 acres of land, five acres each, for farming under the Punjab Utilisation of Surplus Area Scheme at the government rate of Rs 2,000 per acre at Dhandra village. Even after three decades, these Dalits could not step on their land, which is now considered a hot property in the real estate market. Despite making the full payment, these Dalits are waging a lone battle against a strong lobby of colonisers, bureaucrats and police officials. A perusal of record shows how Kanungo Talwinder Kumar played a crucial role in validating the registry of 32 acres of land located at Dhandra, which estimated to be worth over Rs 125 crore in favour of colonisers. During an inquiry conducted by the then SDM in 2003, the Kanungo had stated that the Dalits were not in possession of the land. The statement further led to the cancellation of registry of the colonisers. Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari also prepared a report based on the previous inquiry conducted by the SDM and further cancelled the ownership of colonisers last year. However, Talwinder Kumar gave a verbal statement before the then Divisional Commissioner, Patiala, GS Grewal during a hearing last year that the five Dalits were in possession of the land since 1981. The Divisional Commissioner further ordered that colonisers should be allowed to formulate a registry of the land. The Punjab Utilisation of Surplus Area Scheme stipulates that Dalits, who have been allotted the land, cannot further sell it for 15 years. “The government has played a cruel joke on us. When we were allotted the land, the revenue department employees did not tell us that an influential landlord had already encroached upon the land. Whenever we used to visit the place, the landlord used to fire shots to scare us away. Not even once have we been able to plough the fields. Nearly a decade ago, some colonisers in connivance with police officials usurped our land by formulating fake sale deeds. The landlord was paid a huge sum for vacating the land. But we were not paid even a single rupee. We are fighting a long and tedious battle against the system,” said Swarn Singh, one of Dalits, who was allotted the land. They brought the matter to the notice of the Financial Commission Revenue (FCR) and the SC/ ST Commission. Both the departments had directed the local administration to produce files and the documents related to the land and report of the DC, who had cancelled the allotment of the land in favour of the coloniser. “We will not mind if the government takes back the land allotted to us three decades ago, but we will not let the coloniser usurp our land to build skyscrapers,” said Teja Singh, another Dalit, who was allotted the land. DC Tiwari said, “The matter is pending before the FCR for consideration.” Kanungo’s stand Slamming the allegations, Kanungo Talwinder Kumar said, "I have never stated in any report that the five allottees were not in possession of the land. The allottees are misleading everyone. Each allottee received a sum of Rs 25 lakh at the time of execution of the sale deed from the colonisers. Since the land prices have jacked up many folds, these allottees are seeking more money."
|
|
|
Gurdaspur on alert as radicals plan protest
Gurdaspur, June 19 Security has been tightened. Ravcharan Singh Brar, SSP, and Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Trikha are monitoring the situation even as a three-tier security apparatus has been put in place. Former Khalistan Commando Force chief Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, will not participate in the protest. He was taken into preventive custody just before violence rocked the city in March this year. What is unnerving the police are intelligence reports that suggest that known Sikh radicals may join the protest march from the victim’s native village Chor Sidhwan to the DC’s office in the heart of the town. Those likely to be part of the protest are Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD (Amritsar) chief, Daljit Singh, SAD (Panch Pardhani), Harcharanjit Singh Dhammi, Dal Khalsa chief, Lakhwinder Singh of the Damdami Taksal, Baljit Singh Daduwal and Ram Singh Sangrawa.
|
|
|
Teachers to play doctor
Patiala, June 19 Patiala ADC Anandita Mitra was the chief guest on the occasion. Under this programme, the Health Department will provide training to teachers of government and affiliated schools so that they could identify symptoms of basic diseases and report it to the department. District School Health Medical Officer Dr Sarita said doctors under the School Health Programme carry medical check-up of students from Classes I to V twice a year and from Classes VI to XII once a year. Yet there were many cases that might go unattended due to a long gap between the check-ups. Therefore, the department had decided to train schoolteachers so that they could report an ailment in case of emergency, she added. She further said apart from the general health check-up, including height and weight, the government has tied-up with many reputed hospitals, which offer free treatment of major diseases. Giving details of the patients who were availing free services, Dr Sarita said last year as many as 10 cancer and 14 heart patients were given free treatment.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Punjab has been struggling to get its act together for the past five years. Blame game not withstanding, the state's finances have been showing signs of hope and despair at the same time, depending on which political party was pleading the case. But the fact is that the last five years have seen the revenue deficit drop, rise and then drop again during the previous 2007-12 term of the SAD-BJP government.
Punjab has been struggling to get its act together for the past five years. Blame game not withstanding, the state's finances have been showing signs of hope and despair at the same time, depending on which political party was pleading the case. But the fact is that the last five years have seen the revenue deficit drop, rise and then drop again during the previous 2007-12 term of the SAD-BJP government.
Small-scale industry needs concessions like transport fare concession, electricity duty consumption, exemption from VAT on new machinery, cutting and measuring tools, dairy development machinery, farm equipment, diesel pumping sets, solar panel units and pollution control systems. To promote industrialisation, better infrastructure like roads and uninterrupted power supply etc should be in place
Adequate funds should be allocated for improving water supply and roads in the state. Cities are expanding at an enormous scale, but civic amenities are not matching the growth. Most of the expanded areas are turning into urban slums. Special efforts should be made for equal development of cities 
People are already finding it difficult to cope with a rise in the prices of essential commodities. They thus expect a soft Budget from the state. The government understands the importance of subsidies to the poor. Schemes like atta-dal, free power and scholarships for students belonging to the SC/BC categories should be continued 
Being a cottage industry, bicycle units should be exempted from VAT. PSPCL is unable to provide us power so we are left with no other option but to buy generator sets that attract 12.5 per cent VAT. This should be waived. Besides, pollution control devises should also be exempted from VAT 
The government should initiate welfare measures like Mai Bhago Scheme. More funds should be allocated for the mid-day meal scheme since it has come to light that at many places children are not properly fed or served pest-infected food. Infrastructure and standard of education in government schools need to be improved.
High VAT in Punjab is a cause of concern for hoteliers. VAT on sale of food and beverages at 13.25 per cent is high compared to states like Himachal Pradesh where it is 5 per cent. Moreover, the tax is levied on the total bill amount, which includes service charges also 
VAT on rice, tea, edible oils and other essential food items should be reduced from 5.5 per cent to 1 per cent as in the case of pulses. Common minimum tax on food items will not only check tax evasion by traders who will ensure proper billing, but will also benefit the common man
The Punjab Government should look to cater to the basic needs of the lower and middle-class people. State taxes on fuel should be reduced to bring its prices on a par with those in the neighbouring states. This will provide relief to the people to some extent 
The government should not burden the common man. Instead taxes on essential commodities should be rationalised. Tax evasion should be checked at all levels and those evading tax should be strictly dealt with. The government should stop spending public funds in an irrational way to save money that can be used for welfare schemes
Tiwari said it was noteworthy that Punjab had given a meticulous and authentic demonstration to Shankar that what had been done for the implementation of the programme. He added that most likely Punjab would be through with Part A of the programme by the end of October this year. "As far as Part B is concerned, the PSPCL has already initiated the process of inviting tenders," Tiwari said.