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Power-starved industry in for more shock
State govt bans ACs in offices
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Despite scanty rains, paddy grown on 27.5 lakh hectares
Akal Takht gives clean chit to dera followers
Patwari Mohan Singh’s fight for justice lasted more than two years
Pension stopped at sarpanch’s ‘behest’
CM orders probe into Mansa clash 2 new Vigilance courts on anvil
Organic farming catches fancy of Samrala growers
Gastroenteritis outbreak at Bhootgarh village
Shooting range falls prey to govt apathy
Snatching incidents on the rise as gold prices soar
Aid for ailing Punjabi poet sought
Drug addict dies in scuffle with wife
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Power-starved industry in for more shock
Patiala, July 29 A fresh circular issued by the Power Corporation said the general industry would now have to face three power offs a week against the two it used to witness earlier. The weekly offs for arc/induction furnaces and rolling mills have now been increased from three to four. While the fresh power regulatory measures have left the entire Punjab industry fuming, the PSPCL functionaries blame it on deficient rain resulting in less generation. Minutes after the new circular was uploaded on the PSPCL's website, the Mandi Gobindgarh Induction Furnaces Association decided to close associated units for an indefinite period from August 2. Association president Mahinder Gupta said: "We will protest the apathetic attitude of the PSPCL. If the government cannot provide power for even four days a week, it has no right to impose heavy taxes on the industry. Where will we adjust out labour if furnaces remain closed for four days?" he said. Patiala Industries Association chief Naresh Gupta, "The regulatory orders are nothing but a message to the Punjab industry to move out of the state." Corporation Director (Distribution) Arun Verma said the power demand on Saturday stood at 2,164 Lakh Unit (LU) against the available 1,905 LU. "As there was a shortfall of 259 LU, we had no option but to impose power cuts," he said. When asked to explain the logic behind increasing weekly offs when the demand (2,164 LU) was less than that recorded a week ago, an official said cuts on the industry had been increased to provide relief to the domestic consumers. Though Power Corporation Director (Generation) GS Chhabra was not available for comment, it has been learnt that two units of the Ropar Thermal Plant, shut due to a technical snag, have started functioning. Patiala: Demanding a roll back in power tariff hike, industrialists are planning to raise the matter with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. A senior representative of the Punjab industry said: “We will apprise the Chief Minister of the industry’s plight, which is passing through a rough phase. In case the hike is not withdrawn, many industrial units may shift to other states which are offering round-the-clock power at cheaper rates”. — TNS
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CM blames it on deficit rain...
Alampur (Dasuya), July 29 Addressing his third sangat darshan programme here today, Badal said the state would have sufficient power after commissioning of the three upcoming thermal power plants at Goindwal Sahib, Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo. “Deficit rainfall and non-melting of snow in higher mountains are to be blamed for the current crisis. The government has no control over the forces of nature so people should cooperate with the administration in the matters of regulatory measures adopted to streamline the power supply,” he said.
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...and Majithia on Capt
Jansua (Rajpura), July 29 Hitting out at the Congress for raising a hue and cry over the recent hike in power tariff, the Minister said: “During its rule from 2002 to 2007, the Amarinder government failed to add even a single unit to the state’s power generation capacity.”Majithia was speaking to mediapersons after paying tribute to martyr Udham Singh at Shaheed Udham Singh Foundation in Jansua near Rajpura. Udham Singh’s martyrdom day falls on July 31. “The Congress government spent thousands of crores on purchasing power from private sellers at exorbitant rates. They never took any steps to even send a proposal to the Union Power Ministry for setting up new plants,” he said. Crediting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal with envisioning several mega thermal plants, he said: “Three under-construction thermal plants are nearing completion and will start generation by next year.” About Amarinder’s appeal to consumers asking them not to pay enhanced power bills, Majithia claimed such statements could only vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state. Regarding the steep hike in sand prices, the Minister said following court orders, 301 of the total 542 sand mines in the state had to shut. “The rise in prices has been due to the demand-supply mismatch. But, Punjab has already approached the Union Government seeking relaxation in mining norms to tackle the crisis,” he said. He also put to rest speculations that he or his wife may contest the next parliamentary elections from Patiala. “There is no such possibility,” he affirmed. Around 200 Congress activists, including a few leaders, also joined teh SAD today in the presence of Majithia.
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State govt bans ACs in offices
Chandigarh, July 29 An official press release here said the measure was being taken due to acute power shortage in the state due to a deficient monsoon. Offices in Punjab will function from 8 am to 2 pm till further orders from August 1. ACs in government offices as well as those of boards and corporations have been banned with immediate effect till further orders. The ban would also be applicable to camp offices of divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and SSPs, besides commissioners of municipal corporations. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has been unable to bridge the demand-supply gap despite purchasing power at more than Rs 9 a unit. This has already resulted in power cuts of six to eight hours in towns and cities. The PSPCL has also been unable to meet the promised eight-hour uninterrupted power supply to tubewell motors and is enforcing a three-day weekly off on the industry. A spokesman said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had asked the Chief Secretary to issue detailed instructions to the district administration to take steps to curtail power consumption.
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Despite scanty rains, paddy grown on 27.5 lakh hectares
Chandigarh, July 29 The Director of Agriculture, Mangal Singh Sandhu, said: “We have 20,000 hectares under guar this year”. The crop had fetched a high price in Rajasthan and some other parts of the country last year. Gum prepared from guar beans is used as a coolant for deep drilling. Till date, paddy has been transplanted on about 27.50 lakh hectares against the target of 27.80 lakh hectares. “We hope to achieve the target in the next few days,” he said. Punjab is a rice surplus state. Almost 80 per cent of the rice produced in the state goes to the central pool for the national public distribution system. In the country, the area under paddy has come down by 9 lakh hectares. “Punjab has been able to meet its target because it has a sound irrigation system. Besides canal irrigation, the state has a strong network of 13 lakh tubewells”, said Sandhu. However, Punjab’s production cost had gone up by about Rs 4,000 per acre this year owing to heavy spending on diesel to operate tubewells and other inputs, Sandhu said. The state government has written to the Centre to compensate Punjab farmers for the higher input costs this year. Sandhu said the area under sugarcane had gone up to about 80,000 hectares, about 4,000 hectares more than it was last year. The area under maize had also gone up. It had been sown on about 1.40 lakh hectares. However, the area under cotton had declined from 5.18 lakh hectares last year to about 5 lakh hectares this year. It seemed that in view of the sliding cotton prices in the global market, farmers in the Malwa belt had opted to grow guar. Thumbs Up
Thumbs down
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Akal Takht gives clean chit to dera followers
Amritsar, July 29 Members of the Sikh community had alleged that dera followers had demolished an old gurdwara on a plot owned by them at Waraich village in Beas following which the SGPC had set up a three-member probe panel. The committee members visited the site and held deliberations with local residents. It found that hardly any Sikh family was residing near the gurdwara in question. Hence, it decided to shift the two “birs” of Guru Granth Sahib to Gurdwara Ramsar in Chhamb village according to the Sikh “maryada”. The report said: “As residents of Waraich village have sold their properties and shifted to other places, it is not possible to manage the gurdwara affairs. Under the circumstances, shifting the gurdwara is the right thing to do”. The Jathedar said no act of sacrilege had been committed in the village. The disputed land belonging to the Warrach panchayat was allegedly sold to Dera Radhasoami without the mandatory approval from the Director, Panchayats.
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Patwari Mohan Singh’s fight for justice lasted more than two years Chandigarh, July 29 Mohan Singh won the battle against the senior Vigilance official who was indicted in an inquiry conducted by Kahan Singh Pannu, former Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. His misery revolved around two complaints: one of them anonymous and the other by a resident belonging to the maternal village of one of the six indicted officials. These "manipulated" complaints were enough to harass the patwari. The first complaint was received by Sharma, then the Vigilance SSP in Patiala, in October 2010. It was filed by Kaka Singh of Bhat Majra village in Fatehgarh Sahib, who complained hat a "false" mutation was done by Mohan Singh 14 years ago. Following the complaint, Mohan Singh faced harassment until an affidavit was given by Kaka's son Amrik Singh that their father, who had passed away in October 2011, had not filed any complaint against the patwari. The second complaint was made in February this year by Ravinder Kumar of Talwandi Bhai village in Ferozepur, alleging that he had seen Mohan Singh accepting a sum of Rs 2 lakh in a PUNSUP scam. Talwandi Bhai happens to be the maternal village of former SP Banarsi Dass, one of the officials indicted in the case. Later, Ravinder submitted an affidavit, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity and that Mohan Singh was innocent. The affidavit was submitted to Vigilance SSP Ravcharan Brar, who was assigned the task of looking into Mohan Singh's arrest in February this year. This affidavit proved vital for Mohan Singh's release thereafter.
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BJP plans panels to sort out differences with SAD
Bathinda, July 29 Sharma, who was in the city to oversee a membership drive, said such disputes, though petty, at the grassroots level could mar prospects of the coalition partners in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. “Complaints, suggestions and root causes of such disputes, as received from these committees, will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Important issues will then be taken up with the SAD,” he said. About the membership drive, he said focus was on recruiting youngsters and women. He said there were around 8,500 BJP workers in the district and the target was to enroll 10,000 new members by August 15. On the hike in power tariff and implementation of VAT on sugar, he said the step was imperative for additional revenue generation. “The neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh earn extra revenue from tourism. But Punjab, being an agriculture-intrinsic state, does not have any such additional source. Our revenue can only go up through new taxes,” he said. Despite the hike, he said, subsidy was being provided on power to the state people. “The government is buying power at Rs 14 a unit and making it available to the farmers at Rs 4.70 per unit… It is the deficit rain that is causing power woes. Had monsoon been normal, we would have had adequate supply,” he said. The BJP president also targeted the Union Government. “It is for the first time in the country’s history that the central Cabinet comprises 15 ministers who have been facing graft charges,” he said.
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Nation’s biggest solar plant gets going in Ludhiana
Chandigarh, July 29 Revenue and Non-Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said one lakh litres of effluent water would be discharged by evaporation through the solar plant, which had been set up at Kaech village, near Sahnewal. Majithia said Kangaroo Industries Limited had installed the solar plant. It manufactured staplers and staple pins that involved cleaning and galvanizing steals strips and wires. During the process, 12,000 to 15,000 litres of water was produced that was unfit for consumption and could cause air and soil pollution if discharged in the open. The minister said besides this plant, the Punjab Energy Development Agency had installed nine solar plants at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Army Institute of Law, SAS Nagar, Indo Global College of Education, Abhipur (Mohali), North India Hotel and Industries, Jalandhar, Hotel City Heart, Ludhiana, DSM Anti-Infectives India Ltd, Toansa (Nawanshahr), Ranbaxy Industries Ltd, Ropar, Punjab Bhawan, New Delhi, and Dashmesh Academy, Anandpur Sahib.
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Pension stopped at sarpanch’s ‘behest’
Muktsar, July 29 The villagers recently visited the District Administrative Complex (DAC) along with their voter cards as a proof of age, but they were shocked to see that their names no longer appear in the list of beneficiaries. “We are also Akalis. But we are against our sarpanch. We did not cast votes in his favour in the recently held panchayat elections. He has now turned revengeful. He not only got our pensions blocked but also got our names deleted from the list of beneficiaries,” alleged 74-year-old Gurnam Singh. Similarly, Surender Singh, who is 71 years old as per his voter card, said: “We were earlier getting the benefit. But this month, we were told that our names have been deleted from the list of pensioners to rectify some discrepancies.” Similarly, several others, including some women, showed passbooks of their savings bank accounts as a proof of getting pension in the past. They demanded that the department must conduct a fresh survey to verify genuine beneficiaries. They alleged some undeserving people in the village were being given the benefit. District Social Security Officer Rajwinder Singh Gill said: “I will check the records. If some genuine beneficiaries have been deprived of the benefit, their names will be added to the list”. Earlier, the department had deleted names of 9,345 pensioners after a survey by declaring them disqualified.
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CM orders probe into Mansa clash Chandigarh, July 29 Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister Office said the Chief Minister had directed the Faridkot Divisional Commissioner, Raminder Singh, to investigate the matter thoroughly to ascertain the causes and circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.
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2 new Vigilance courts on anvil Chandigarh: Aiming to curb corruption and fast-track pending cases, the Punjab Government has decided to set up two special courts in Ludhiana and Faridkot for speedy disposal of Vigilance Bureau cases. Vigilance Bureau DGP-cum-Chief Director Suresh Arora said earlier the courts were to be set up at Jalandhar and Patiala. He said the state government had already sent its approval to the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court for appointing judicial officers in these courts. — TNS MP gives sewing machines to girls Mansa: Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday distributed sewing machines among girls who had successfully completed their training at various centres under the Nanhi Chaan programme. — TNS
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Probe panel set up by DC finds hospital staff guilty
Jalandhar, July 29 The committee comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Perneet Bhardwaj and Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nakodar submitted its report to the DC today. The report has confirmed that the hospital records had been tampered with. It has held staff nurse Harjit Kaur Oberoi guilty, stating she had asked the child’s parents to deposit Rs 200 with the authorities. The report also states that a sum of Rs 1,000 awarded to the couple under the Janani Shishu Surakhsa Yojna was claimed by staff members as “token money”. Though the report claims that removing the infant from the photo-therapy unit could not have led to the child’s death, it says the child did not die of asphyxiation. The report says that the time of the child’s death had been changed from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Even as the DC called it an interim report, sources claimed this was more or less the final report. Meanwhile, Health and Family Welfare Minister Madan Mohan Mittal today dodged queries on the issue, saying it would all depend on the government inquiry committee report. The report was to be submitted yesterday. The minister said it was now expected on Monday. Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a seminar on drug de-addiction here, Mittal said he would comment on the issue only after he had read the report. To queries if staff nurse Harjit Kaur Oberoi would be reinstated, he said the committee constituted to look into the matter had found her guilty. Hence, she had been suspended. Accompanied by members of the Joint Action Committee, Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, Oberoi met the minister and pleaded her case. Mittal announced that de-addiction centres would be set up in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Faridkot and Patiala districts where the patients would be treated by specialised. The existing de-addiction centre at the Jalandhar Civil Hospital is in dire straits. It has only one psychiatrist. Infant’s death
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Organic farming catches fancy of Samrala growers
Ludhiana/Samrala, July 29 Braving insufficient rains, his seven-acre farm at Ghulal village, near Samrala, has a lineup of almost all seasonal vegetables, interspersed with medicinal herbs, spices and fruit trees. Surprisingly, instead of even-shaped vegetables lush with colour, the vegetables in his field are rather irregularly shaped and some of them even seem bleached of colour. "This itself is the USP of the organic produce. Unlike the vegetables that scream out their uniformity and strong colours, the organic produce allows for uniqueness that's natural," says the farmer who, in 2004, started with the protected cultivation of crops under low-cost net-house structure. His foray into the organic farming was in 2005 when his sick wife was advised a pesticide-free diet. He took up the membership of the Punjab Organic Council and his interest in the organic farming was whetted up. A regular training from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and meetings with farmers from other states provided him an impetus to take up this farming commercially. Apart from experimenting with rice and wheat, he has cultivated fruit trees like litchi, mango, berries, orange, amla and apple at his farm. This year, he plans to grow strawberries. He uses readily available items like bitter lassi, turmeric, garlic pods, cow dung cakes, jaggery to prepare chemical-free insect repellents. The vermicompost unit at his farm caters not only to his needs, but also to those of privately owned nurseries that buy vermicompost and vermiwash from his farm. "We have to dig deep into our wealth of traditional knowledge. Neem leaves that have insect-repelling properties may be boiled in water. Sprinkling this water on plants drives away the pests," he says. Jasbir believes that the organic farming is a viable option, though the input costs are high and a rigorous procedure has to be followed to get the "organic certification". "The soil has to be prepared in advance. It has to be cleared of all residues of pesticides and fertilisers. Initially, for a couple of years, the yield may be less as compared to that from the non-organic farming. However, later the quantity of produce improves significantly." Those who are into the organic farming can benefit from teaming up with like-minded farmers, he says. "An exchange of the technical know-how helps in improving the produce. Besides, if after every three years the farmers exchange with one another the organic seeds from their farms, there's an increase in the yield." His suggestion to amateur horticulturists: "Cultivate a pesticide-free kitchen garden. Grow green chillies, coriander, mint, spinach, tomato."
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Gastroenteritis outbreak at Bhootgarh village
Patiala, July 29 A few days ago, about 36 cases of gastroenteritis were reported from the village. During investigations, it had come to light that consumption of contaminated water was the main reason behind the outbreak of gastroenteritis. Patiala Civil Surgeon Dr VS Mohi said he along with other officers of his department visited the village yesterday. “The drainage system in the village was found blocked. Illegal water connections led to the mixing of sewage with drinking water leading to the outbreak of gastroenteritis. Apart from the illegal water connections, there were six other houses wherein one or the other family members were suffering from gastroenteritis. But the situation is under control,” he said. Officials of the Health Department distributed chlorine tablets in the village and medical aid was being given to the affected families. Patiala Deputy Commissioner GK Singh also went to the village yesterday and convened a meeting with the local administrative to take stock of the situation. He issued strict instructions to the staff to disconnect all illegal water connections. The DC warned the staff that any laxity would not be tolerated. Sources have stated that administration may levy penalty on villagers, who took illegal water connections.
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Shooting range falls prey to govt apathy
Ferozepur, July 29 The shooting range, which has produced numerous shooters of national and international repute including Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Ronjan Sodhi, Birendeep, Malwinder Sodhi, Gurbir Sandhu and Punitpal Singh, is a victim of the government’s apathy. Lying deserted amongst the fields of village Khane Ke Ahl, the range exists sans facilities and equipment needed to attract the younger lot so that they can follow in the footsteps of shooting icons of the likes of Ronjan Sodhi who is currently ranked No 1 in the world in double trap event and is one of the India’s best bet at the London Olympics. Malwinder Sodhi, Ronjan’s father, said his son used to practice at this range with him during the early days of his career. Ahead of the recent Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, Ronjan practised at these ranges only, said Malwinder, adding that all requests to the authorities for allocation of funds for buying equipment besides upkeep and renovation of this range fell on deaf ears. The land for this range was arranged by local industrialist Vinod Murghai who was also the sarpanch of village Khane Ke Ahl. Later, with the efforts of the then Deputy Commissioner SS Boparai, the range was set up here. Presently, there is only one gatekeeper posted here. “It’s been almost two months when people had come to practice here,” he said. District Sports Officer Sunil Sharma said the shooting range has three imported machines for double trap and skeet while 12 more machines were needed for trap facility, for which trenches have been laid. But there were no funds to buy the equipment.
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Snatching incidents on the rise as gold prices soar
Bathinda, July 29 In most of the cases, it has been observed that the snatchers aimed for gold earrings and chains as these are easy to be sold in the open market without anyone suspecting any foul play. Usually, two persons are involved in such cases. While one focuses on snatching the ornament, the other remains seated on the bike with ignition on, ready to speed away after executing the plan. The snatchers prefer secluded areas of the city and strike during the early morning hours or late in the night. Rajesh Laddi, owner of a watch shop on the Railway Road, said two persons came on a bike and sped away after snatching his gold chain, worth `40,000 at around 6.15 am today. Narrating the incident, Laddi said two poorly-dressed young boys, who looked like rag pickers stopped at his shop. “While one of them came to me and asked for a battery, the other remained seated on the bike and kept the ignition on. Since I didn’t have change for the `500 note that he gave me, he started checking out the clocks and pointed at one of them. The moment I turned, he snatched my gold chain, ran out and the two boys sped away,” said Laddi. “I chased them barefoot and threw a scissor at them but they managed to flee,” he added. Laddi immediately went to the Kotwali police station. A policeman intimated the control room but to no avail. A complaint was lodged at the police station. Investigating officer in the case, ASI Surinder Singh, said the appearance of the snatchers had been noted down and efforts were on to trace them. He said it was impossible to track the snatchers down immediately after a crime since they managed to escape by driving fast. “They execute their plan well and manage to escape most of the times", the officer said. Recalling a 2010 snatching incident, the ASI said he had managed to catch a snatcher by chasing him down the streets of Parasram Nagar. After the arrest and registration of the case, the snatcher managed to come out of the jail within a few months, the ASI added.
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Aid for ailing Punjabi poet sought
Patiala, July 29 In a letter to the CM, Bir Devinder has stated that Zakhmi is getting pension of Rs 800 per month. Zakhmi has no other source of income to meet the heavy expenditure of his treatment for the dreaded disease of cancer. “The family of Zakhmi falls in the category of small farmers having land holding of less than three acres at Kherri Fattan village, Samana, Patiala. It is beyond the means of the family to bear the heavy expenses of the treatment of the ailing poet,” reads the letter.
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Drug addict dies in scuffle with wife
Moga, July 29 The wife, Hardip Kaur, alleged that her husband Harmesh Singh was a drug addict and used to abuse her. For the last few days, he was not at home and had gone without informing her. When he returned home this morning, he started beating her up. When she went to the kitchen to make tea, he attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon. When she tried to run away from the spot, he followed her. In the scuffle, he fell on the floor and died of a head injury. The in-charge of the police post (focal point) sub-inspector Ved Parkash said it appeared that the man had tried to kill his wife before his death. Further probe was on. — TNS
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The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has decided to increase weekly offs implemented on various categories of industry by a day.
A fresh circular issued by the Power Corporation said the general industry would now have to face three power offs a week against the two it used to witness earlier.
Farming in our country is monsoon-driven, but there's no reason why it should be pesticide-driven. Taking an initiative in this direction, a number of farmers in Ludhiana district have taken to organic farming in a big way. Jasbir Singh is one such farmer, who has scripted a success story in this field.
Patiala, July 29
Notwithstanding scanty rainfall, Punjab has almost achieved its target as far as sowing of kharif crops is concerned. Guar, a leguminous crop, that Punjab farmers had almost stopped growing for the last 25-30 years, has staged a comeback in the Malwa region.
The area under cotton has declined from 5.18 lakh hectares last year to about
5 lakh hectares this year