|
|
|
|
|
Govt mulls minimum wages for managerial jobs
BJP gives nod to new taxes
infant’s death |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Farmers demand land ownership rights, hold protest
Will honour Olympic medal winners: CM
After SAD, Cong seeks fiscal package from Centre
PPCB raids
ACs in Muktsar admn offices still on
Saanjh Kendra starved of funds
State to launch card for NRIs
Rapid rural police response system to be set up
Clear encroachments to make way for road: HC
Docs move HC against stay on appointments
Clear stand on generic
drugs, court tells MCI
|
Govt mulls minimum wages for managerial jobs
Chandigarh, July 30
The Punjab Government has already placed these jobs under the purview of minimum wages. The Labour Department had issued a notification seeking objections and suggestions in this regard. Managers who are definitely in the bracket of the top paid salaried class are trying to get themselves registered in the category where government could ensure they were paid minimum averages in Punjab because of collapsed market scene. However, the government’s move to fix minimum wages for management professionals on the lines of daily wagers is being stiffly resisted by prospective employers. Hundreds of management graduates in the state are being hired at salaries less than those of skilled labour. Naina, a fresh graduate from a college in Chandigarh’s periphery who was recently hired for Rs 8,000 a month, said: “Our driver Chunni is also paid Rs 8,000 a month and he never went to school!” However, management graduates rue the proposed minimum salary of Rs 10,370 was lesser than the actual monthly income (not the notified amount) of skilled labour in the state. Among those in category-A would be post-graduates/MBA in marketing, finance or human resource development or company secretary. The notification also made minimum wage recommendations for graduates in any discipline with a diploma in stenography, accountancy or computer applications (Rs 8,700) under category-B and a recommendation for Rs 7,200 to category-C employees for matriculates with a certificate in steno-typing, data entry, accountancy and sales. Labour Department Commissioner Prabhjot Mand said: “The department has received objections and comments from different quarters. We are in the process of compiling data and making a recommendation to the government.” Gaurav Dhawan, an MBA student, said, “As not many managerial jobs are available locally, fresh passouts have to compromise on low salaries. The government’s interference in the matter is appreciable.” The industry, however, appears averse to the idea. Amit Sharma, a manager at a hosiery factory in Ludhiana, said, “The new breed of managers passing out from colleges that have mushroomed in the state of late is not that talented. Moreover, first job should be regarded as training. Once they gain experience, good jobs will come their way.”
|
|
BJP gives nod to new taxes
Chandigarh, July 30
The saffron party, however, has conveyed its reservations on the increasing power subsidy bill and expressed apprehensions that transmission losses were being included in the power subsidy bill. The BJP discussed the proposals mooted by the SAD to mop up additional resources at a meeting here this afternoon. Later in the evening, senior BJP leaders, including party president Ashwani Sharma, Cabinet Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and veteran leader Balramji Das Tandon, met SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa to convey the party’s stand on the proposed taxes. The BJP delegation agreed with Sukhbir that it was necessary to impose property tax to meet norms for availing funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM). The leaders said that all bottlenecks in the way of release of JNURM funds should be cleared. Property tax is proposed to be imposed on vacant plots too. Earlier, this tax was called house tax. It was applicable to built-up houses only. The BJP delegation also agreed to levying professional tax. However, it was agreed that this tax should not be applicable on those not paying income tax. The maximum tax allowed under this head would be Rs 2,500 annually. The BJP approved the restructuring of the excise department to plug tax evasion, impose tax on cotton fabric, allow money collected under change of land use (CLU) to be deposited in the consolidated fund and the municipal bodies to frame their own advertisement policies. When told that 1.24 lakh registered dealers (56 per cent) were not paying VAT, the BJP agreed that a fixed amount be charged from the dealers annually. Sources claimed that it was decided to constitute a committee to study the issue of power subsidy and come up with recommendations to cut the same. They claimed that the BJP told the Deputy CM that free power should be given to only those farmers owning less than five acres of land.
|
||
|
infant’s death
Jalandhar, July 30 It also held staff nurse Harjit Kaur Oberoi guilty of demanding Rs 200 from the victim's parents for availing neo-natal services. Two members of the committee, however, disagreed with the findings. They also wrote a dissenting note claiming the hospital employees were not to be blamed for the five-day-old girl’s death. The committee members today submitted its report to the Punjab Health Services and Family Welfare Director, Dr Karanjit Singh, who said Principal Secretary (Health) Vinni Mahajan would make it public on Wednesday. The report also states the hospital record was tampered with (dates were changed and the time of the child’s death was changed from 4:30 pm to 7 pm) to cover the negligence. The initial panel was formed by Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Priyank Bharti and it comprised Jalandhar Additional Deputy Commissioner Parneet Bhardwaj, Nakodar SDM Sumit Kumar and Civil Hospital Medical Surgeon Dr Iqbal Singh Hothi. The panel formed following the Chief Minister’s instructions comprised Additional Deputy Commissioner Parneet Bhardwaj, SDM Sumit Kumar, Civil Surgeon Dr RL Bassan, Senior Medical Officer Dr Sangeeta Kapoor and Medical Officer Dr Jaswinder Kaur. |
||
|
Farmers demand land ownership rights, hold protest
Amritsar, July 30 Kisan Sangharsh Committee chief Satnam Singh Pannu said the government's move to uproot farmers, who had been cultivating land in border area for decades, was unjust. He said the government should give ownership rights to the farmers. It should also provide relief to the farmers who were facing losses due to deficit rainfall, besides redressing power supply related problems. Various farmer leaders demanded the farmers be given ownership rights of this land and false cases registered against them be withdrawn. They also sought a relief of Rs 5,000 per acre for the farmers on account of drought-like conditions. Their other demands included 10 marla plots for farmers, waiver of power bills for farm labourers, 16-hour uninterrupted power supply, introduction of VDS scheme for increasing load of motors, replacement of damaged transformers and tubewell connections to farmers with less than five acres of land.
|
||
|
Will honour Olympic medal winners: CM
Dasuya, July 30 He said the Centre had exorbitantly hiked the prices of fuel to benefit petroleum companies at the cost of the common man. The Chief Minister sanctioned a grant of nearly Rs 5 crore for carrying out development works in 41 villages of the Dasuya assembly segment. Those present on the occasion included MLA Sukhjeet Kaur Sahi, Rajya Sabha MP Avinash Rai Khanna and Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Gurkirat Kirpal Singh.
|
||
After SAD, Cong seeks fiscal package from Centre
Chandigarh, July 30 In a statement here today, Jakhar said the package should have clearly marked subheads so that the money reached the beneficiaries directly and was not “misappropriated” by the state government. The CLP leader said the Rs 800 crore package demanded by the state government to purchase power for paddy season was inadequate. He claimed the state government had forgotten to include the amount spent by farmers from their own pockets on diesel to run tubewells and by the industrialists to purchase inputs, costs of which spiralled due to lack of rains. Jakhar said in 2010, the Centre had given a package of Rs 800 crore to Punjab, but only Rs 300 crore reached the farmers. In a separate statement, a few Congress MLAs demanded that a special bonus of Rs 600 per quintal on the minimum support price (MSP) should be given to farmers in Punjab, cost of which should be shared equally by the Centre and the state government. Congress MLAs Laal Singh, Parminder Singh, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Navtej Singh Cheema, Sangat Singh Ghilchia, Sham Sunder Arora, Tarlochan Singh Soond, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Harchand Kaur urged the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene in the matter immediately.
|
|
PPCB raids
Mandi Gobindgarh, July 30 Mohinder Pal Gupta, president, Mandi Gobindgarh Induction Furnace Association, said their main demands included imposition of billing charges of Rs 1 from the date of notification instead of April 1 and a halt on the raids by the PPCB. He said the furnaces were already on strike till August 1, and if their demands were not met, they would extend the strike for an indefinite period. Earlier, the PPCB had ordered locking of four steel plants, Mehak Steel Industries, CR Casting Pvt Ltd, Deep Steel Industries and Karan Industries, while seven units were given time to follow the norms. PPCB Chairman Ravinderpal Singh Sharma said raids were conducted on steel industries to ensure a pollution-free environment in the town. He said about 50 industries were raided by the board and power supply to 11 units was disconnected after these were found violating norms. He said their main aim was to bring down the pollution level to the bare minimum so that health of the general public as well as those working in these units was not affected. Sharma alleged the furnace owners were resisting regulatory measures instead of ensuring proper functioning of anti-pollution control devices in their units. Sources said the PPCB had stepped up its campaign against the polluting industries after the PMO office directed the Chief Secretary, Punjab, to take action on the complaint of RTI activist Sunder Paul Goyal who had alleged the PPCB had not taken any action against polluting industries in the town in the past 11 years.
|
|
|
ACs in Muktsar admn offices still on
Muktsar, July 30 Facing acute shortage of power, the government had passed an order yesterday in which all government offices, corporation and boards were directed not to use ACs till further orders. But, a visit to the DAC in the afternoon revealed that some officers, including a magistrate, had kept their ACs on. A senior officer of the district administration said since there was a power cut for almost 10 hours, he turned the AC on when the supply resumed. “I am aware about the ban and will switch off AC as soon as the office gets cool,” said the officer. Similarly, a messenger sitting outside an office, said, “The power supply resumed about an hour ago and that’s why the AC is working. I will switch it off within a few minutes.” However, ACs in the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and the Additional Deputy Commissioner were found switched off. PSPCL Deputy Chief Engineer, Muktsar Circle, Dilawar Singh said, “We have not been informed by the higher authorities to conduct raids in any government office. The officers must understand the situation, as the state is suffering from acute power shortage. They must switch the ACs off in their offices till further orders.”
|
|
|
Saanjh Kendra starved of funds
Bathinda, July 30 A brainchield of the SAD-BJP Government, the Saanjh Kendras were set up to help residents with online FIRs, provide services under the Right to Service Act, passport verification, payment of traffic challans, verification of tenants, character verification for service registration, verification of servants, police clearance certificate, verification of vehicles and permission for use of a public address system. Out of the total 115 such kendras in Punjab, 14 are in Bathinda. “These kendras have proved to be a white elephant. At times we have to ask people to bring with them paper sheets for a printout of an FIR”, said a police official deployed at one of the kendras. He was busy writing letters to prominent businessmen and doctors for donation. “The committee formed to run these kendras is dragging feet on several matters.We are always running out of stationery and ink.We require a plumber, a carpenter and a gardner. And above all, we need funds to run the kendras”, he said. A committee member said 10 more members had been placed on the committee. It had been suggested that each member should contribute at least Rs 500 every month. SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said that funds had now been allocated for these kendras and a written communiqué in this regard would be sent to the committees within a week.
|
|
|
State to launch card for NRIs
Chandigarh, July 30 Sukhbir said Punjab had to involve NRIs in the process of development by assuring them support of the state government and offering them legal support in their cases. The Deputy Chief Minister gave in-principle approval for a unique NRI card to be offered to every NRI who would be able to apply for this card on the website of the NRI Department. The card besides giving identity to the NRIs for all official purposes, would assure quality medicare to them, besides offering them attractive discounts on shopping in Punjab.
|
|
|
Rapid rural police response system to be set up
Chandigarh, July 30 Sukhbir said a rapid rural police response system on the pattern of urban areas would be established. He issued directions to the Finance Department to provide resources for this purpose. ADGP (Human Resoruce) SK Sharma was made the nodal officer for this project and was instructed to finalise the proposal in consultation with state police chief Sumedh Singh Saini. Badal said the rapid rural police response system would reduce police response time to distress calls in rural areas by providing state-of-the-art networking of GPS-fitted fully equipped and manned vehicles with district control rooms. He said the main objectives of the system included immediate and timely response of the police to any situation, especially crime, law and order, women in distress, emergency needs of senior citizens, maintaining high visibility of police force and providing comprehensive and round-the-clock security cover in rural areas by strengthening area security. Reviewing working of saanjh kendras, Sukhbir said a community affairs division at the police headquarters in Chandigarh needed to be strengthened with additional human resource and technology. It was decided that a dedicated wing for community policing would be set up and the police personnel opting for this would be given additional allowances and promotional avenues. Sukhbir also suggested that a decentralised police complaint system should be set up. He said any complaint received from the public should be investigated by the police and the action taken report should be submitted to the citizen committees at the district level.
|
|
Clear encroachments to make way for road: HC
Chandigarh, July 30 For the purpose, a Division Bench of the High Court has directed Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner to hand over a copy of the demarcation report to the Sirhind Municipal Committee’s Executive Officer. He would, in turn, “take action to remove the encroachments indicated in the report, as per law”. In all fairness, the Bench also directed that an opportunity of hearing would be given to alleged encroachers “wishing to raise claims contrary to the position shown in the demarcation report”. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also set a 15-day deadline for the Executive Officer to act. The 15-day period will begin from the day he receives the demarcation report. “If need be, for removal of encroachment, the Executive Officer may seek police help, as per law,” the Bench added. The directions came on a petition filed in public interest by Kabil Singh and other petitioners against the State of Punjab and other respondents. Responding to the allegations of encroachments, the State of Punjab, in its reply, categorically stated efforts would be made to remove the encroachments, “so far as the area falling outside the municipal limits is concerned”. During the course of hearing, the Bench was given the impression that the dispute was only with regard to the area falling within the municipal limit. It was added that the encroachments could not be removed unless it is demarcated, as the road belongs to the Public Works Department. Taking a note of the averments, the Bench on May 11 had directed the Deputy Commissioner to ensure that a demarcation report was prepared by the Public Works Department within two weeks. The Bench was then told that demarcation has been carried out on the request of the Public Works Department. The petition now stands disposed of.
|
||
|
Docs move HC against stay on appointments
Chandigarh, July 30 Dr Arunpreet Kaur and 16 other doctors had initially filed a petition against the Punjab Health Systems Corporation’s Managing Director, the Medical Council of India and the Director of Health and Family Welfare. Their grievance in the main case was that they were on the merit list of the competitive examination conducted for selecting medical officers. But, their names did not appear on the ground that they had not completed their internship. Their counsel had referred to a document to state that the internship of the petitioners too had been completed since then. Acting on their plea, Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa of the High Court had directed the corporation and other respondents against issuing appointment letters to candidates lower on merit than the petitioner-doctors. The counselling for the allocation of stations to the medical officers and issuance of appointment letters was scheduled to be held from July 4 to July 7. Claiming to be directly affected by the interim restrain orders issued by the High Court, the seven doctors, in their application, have asserted that they were not being permitted to join “even though they would not be affected in case the writ petition is finally allowed, as even the induction of 17 writ petitioners in the selected list would not affect them”. They have now sought “indulgence of the High Court for impleading them” as necessary party in the writ petition. The case will now come up on August 3 for further hearing.
|
||
|
Clear stand on generic
drugs, court tells MCI
Chandigarh, July 30 The significant directions from the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain came on a petition filed by Vinod Kumar Sood and another petition against the State of Punjab and other respondents. The directions are significant as generic drugs cost much less. Yet, prescription and sale of drugs by their generic name is estimated to be less than 40 per cent in India, as branded drugs largely find a mention on medicine slips. Popular brands of paracetamol cost Rs 10 a strip of 10 tablets. On the other hand, its non-branded, generic equivalent costs only Rs 2.45 per strip. In the US, almost 80 per cent prescriptions use generic names. In the UK, the generic prescription rate is still higher at 82 per cent. But back home, it’s altogether different. Only recently, a study by a pharmacology department indicted that only 35 per cent prescriptions mentioned drugs by their generic name. The rest advised costlier, branded versions. In their petition argued through counsel Ashwinie Kumar Bansal, the petitioners sought the enforcement of MCI directions on the issue. The MCI, in its Code of Ethics Regulations, 2002, issued from New Delhi on March, 11, 2002, had directed: “Every physician should, as far as possible, prescribe drugs with generic names and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs”. The Bench said: “If any representation is made, the MCI shall pass an appropriate order within three weeks from the date of its receipt”.
|
|
| 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 | |
Management graduates employed in Punjab who complain of being paid paltry salary are in for good news: the state government may soon fix minimum wages for those falling in managerial category. The proposed minimum salary for ‘category-A’ would be Rs 10,370.
Amritsar, July 30
Dasuya, July 30
Mandi Gobindgarh, July 30
