|
|
|
|
|
Reduce curbs on medicine brands, state told
600 rice millers in line of fire
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Mandi Board forms flying squads
Farmers facing harassment at mandis: MP
Centre begins to move wheat stock from state
Congress wants for CBI probe into Shruti case
State police must get its act together
The incident signifies that the Punjab Police needs to be jump-started into action by its political masters
7 of marriage party killed in road accident
Akali leader faces probe over bigamy
Two-day festival celebrates spirit of Sufism
Now, serving langar to cost more
Power corp staff on warpath
Police Commemoration Day
Need to curb drug inflow: Patiala IG
Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway to be 8-laned
5 booked for clash at village gurdwara
2 ex-cricketers held on kidnapping charge
|
Reduce curbs on medicine brands, state told
Chandigarh, October 21 Permission shall henceforth be granted only under generic name/combination once and manufacturer can produce the product under various brand names. With these new directions, the pharmaceutical units will save time and effort in getting approvals to manufacture drugs. Manufacturers will also save fee as each time they had to pay a fee to get permission to produce the same formulation under a different brand name. This new decision will also save time spent in getting the approvals. Explaining the new directions, Jagdeep Singh, secretary of SME Pharma Industries Confederation, said that any manufacturer making paracetamol tablets can now get the product approved under the generic name, and then they need not approach the State Licencing Authorities (SLA) again for approval when it decides to manufacture the same product under a different brand name. “The same principle will apply to combination of different formulations also. For example, vitamins, minerals and anti oxidant capsules will be approved under this name by SLA but manufacturer will use his own brand name,” he said. While producing medicines under different brand names, the drug manufacturer will now have to simply intimate various brand names under which it will be producing the drugs or combination. Sources said earlier the SLAs were approving brand names of any manufacturer, even if it was an infringement on the trademark of a particular manufacturer. With these directions, the SLA will stay clear of any involvement in war over trademark infringement. The Health Ministry has also directed the SLAs to cancel licences (permissions) of drugs which are not approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). For some years, it has been a practice that the state licencing authorities granted approval of certain additional items, not approved by the DCGI. These consisted of drugs which are either unapproved single drugs or combinations not approved by DCGI (for example Cefixime + Azithromycin tablets). Such combinations were approved as a chain reaction when a manufacturer had brought to the SLA a similar combination allowed in another state and sought approval from the state licencing authority. move to help small & medium firms
|
|
600 rice millers in line of fire
Chandigarh, October 21 Estimated around Rs 2,400 crore, the produce was to be deposited in the central pool by October 15, the third deadline. The original deadline was June 30. As was the old practice, the authorities concerned extended the first deadline till August 31 and then again till October 15. Now, about 600 millers are in the line of fire of various procurement agencies for having failed to deposit their share of the rice. They may not be allotted paddy in the current procurement season in case they fail to deposit their share. A senior official said delayed submission of rice was not something new despite the fact that the practice invited penalty. Of the total defaulters, 45 are associated with Punsup (Punjab Civil Supplies Corporation) alone. There are over 3,450 rice mills in the state and a majority of them complied with the deadline. This kharif season, the state Food and Civil Supplies Department has made arrangements to procure 150 LT of paddy against expected arrival of 130 LT. The state government has allotted 37.50 LT to Pungrain, 33 LT to Markfed, 25.40 LT to Punsup, 16.50 LT to the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, 13.50 LT to Punjab Agro Industries and 15 LT to the Food Corporation of India. In an altered arrangement, the entire paddy stock would this time be kept in the custody of millers. But, the staff of the procurement agency concerned would conduct verification of the stock at regular intervals and report shortage, if any. A mill with a tonne of milling capacity would be allocated 3,000 tonnes paddy against a bank guarantee of Rs 30 lakh. The guarantee has been enhanced to prevent pilferage. Procurement agencies would procure paddy at the minimum support price of Rs 1,250 per quintal for common grade rice and Rs 1,280 per quintal for grade ‘A’.
*
Punjab has made arrangements to procure 150 lakh tonnes (LT) of paddy
|
|
|
Mandi Board forms flying squads
Barnala, October 21 Lakhowal said he would speak to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for early release of payment to paddy farmers. He said the Mandi Board had formed flying squads to check irregularities in the grain markets. The government was committed to providing better marketing facilities. There was also a proposal to abolish the market fee on vegetables and fruit so that farmers got remunerative prices, he said. The Mandi Board had approved a scheme for direct relief to farmers in case of damage to crop at the maturity stage or while being transported to grain markets, he added.
|
|
|
Farmers facing harassment at
mandis: MP
Sangrur, October 21 Singla said he visited the grain markets of Sangrur and Barnala today. The market committee authorities were not allowing the farmers to unload their produce if it contained even a little more moisture content than the permissible limit of 17 per cent, he said, adding the government had restricted the farmers from selling their crop even to private traders and rice millers at mutually negotiated rates. He said the government should immediately direct the market committee authorities to be a little lenient in following the 17 per cent moisture rule. "If the government wants to keep the paddy with high moisture content out of mandis, it should provide yards to the farmers to unload their produce near grain markets," he added.
|
|
|
Centre begins to move wheat stock from state
Chandigarh, October 21 The state has a huge stock of wheat. During the last procurement season, about 130 lakh tonnes of wheat was procured. "We have about 150 lakh tonnes of wheat stacked at various places. We want it to be moved to other places before the next wheat procurement season," said a senior official of the Food and Supplies Department. As paddy arrival has also started picking up, the state is virtually choked with foodgrain stacks, he added. Sources said the Centre would export 20 lakh tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and some other countries. Most of the stock to these countries would be moved from Punjab and Haryana. Wheat would also be exported to Iran, but it would be sent from Madhya Pradesh. The price of wheat in the international market has gone up to $316 per tonne in the past few weeks,. "As we have surplus buffer stock of wheat, an increase in its price is proving beneficial for us", an FCI official said, adding some years ago, the country had to sell surplus wheat stock in the international market at half the cost. Most of the wheat stock is being moved from Ferozepur, Sangrur and Bathinda belt. "Wheat from these places has been found fit for export", said the official.
* The state has 150 lakh tonnes of wheat stacked at various places, which has to be moved before the next procurement season * The Centre will export 20 lakh tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and some other countries * Most of the stock to these countries would be moved from Punjab and Haryana
|
|
Congress wants for CBI probe into Shruti case
Faridkot, October 21 The protest saw Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal burying their differences and coming on a common platform after a long time. Both Amarinder and Bhattal along with Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar and around 20 other MLAs attacked the ruling regime. Minutes before Amarinder was to start his address, police personnel on duty at the protest venue started whispering amongst themselves that Shruti had been recovered and the main accused, Nishan Singh, arrested. The news spread like wildfire, with the Congress construing it as an attempt allegedly by the ruling Akali Dal to deflate its protest. But, Amarinder was in no mood to relent. He demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. Launching an attack at Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, he said, "The state government is harbouring criminals. The case has exposed a nexus between the ruling party, criminals and the police. The incident is just a tip of the iceberg." Bhattal said if the government did not have faith in the CBI, it could hand over the probe to a sitting judge. Jakhar said, "Instead of promising free laptops to the youth, the government should provide 'burqas' (veils) to girls so that they can escape the sight of criminals. The Shruti case smacks of Talibanisation of Punjab with the law and order situation getting from bad to worse." The Congress leaders alleged that SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal's Nanhi Chaan campaign against foeticide held no meaning when girls in the state were unsafe. history-sheeter lands behind bars
|
||
|
News Analysis
Chandigarh, October 21 The manner in which the Punjab Police acted in the case indicates the force moves decisively only when it receives a clear signal from its political bosses. The Punjab Police acted as a comatose force for nearly a month. It was not sensitive to the emotions of the people of Faridkot who went on protest after Shruti was abducted for the second time from her residence in broad daylight by Nishan Singh and three others on September 24. Most of the senior officers in Faridkot treated the citizens who were pouring out their anger at the armed abduction as a group being supported by the Congress. The officers even tried to change the direction of the investigation and the case registered by their force by releasing photographs of Shruti and Nishan and proclaiming they had entered into matrimony. The Punjab Government also did not give the case the importance it needed. However, things took a different turn when the Punjab Congress brought Shruti's parents to Chandigarh and presented them to the media, besides handing over a memorandum on the issue to the Governor. The Congress also alleged that the SAD senior leadership was shielding the accused and that the main accused was also a member of the former Akali student body, the Students Organisation of India. The government tried to present its side of the story by fielding Chief Minister's adviser Maheshinder Singh Grewal before the media. Though Maheshinder put a spirited defence, he scurried for replies when asked why Nishan had not been arrested the first time he abducted Shruti on June 25 this year even though a case of rape had been registered against him. His answer why the State had not reacted to the issue earlier and assured justice to Shruti's parents was even more ludicrous: "Better late than never." Things, however, finally moved in favour of Shruti's family two days back when Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal declared that the government was committed to recovering Shruti and returning her to her parents. He also made it clear that all the culprits, including main accused Nishan, would be brought to book and even offered a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone facilitating Nishan's arrest. Two days after Sukhbir's assurance, Shruti has been recovered and Nishan arrested. Though this is laudatory, it brings into mind whether a politicised force was waiting for directions from the very top to get into action.
|
||
|
7 of marriage party killed in road accident
Gurdaspur, October 21 Subash Chander, SHO, Bhaini Mian Khan police station, said among the deceased, six belonged to Bhushan village near Chak Sharif hamlet. He said a case had been registered against the driver of the truck, who was absconding. The police was conducting raids to nab him, he added. All the victims are between the age of 18 years and 24 years. They were returning from a wedding party. Five die in mishaps
|
||
|
Akali leader faces probe over bigamy
Barnala, October 21 So far, the police was dilly dallying action against the accused, Rajesh Kumar, a deed writer at the local courts. He had lost the recent civic body elections from Rahi Basti. Both his wives had been making rounds of the city police and administrative offices seeking justice through separate complaints against him. Without any bitterness towards each other, both abandoned the man and accused him of fraud and cheating. While the first wife, married to him nine years ago, accused him of bigamy, the second girl, who claimed she was 17 years old, accused him of fraudulent marriage. In her complaint to the police and District Magistrate, the girl alleged that the accused even changed her date of birth in her Class V certificate to pass her off as a major. SSP Snehdeep Sharma said a probe had been ordered. Additional Deputy Commissioner Zora Singh Thind had asked the police to take action on the complaints a week ago. Earlier, the police was not registering a case on the pretext that various events related to the case had taken place in other cities. SHO (city) HP Singh said Rajesh brought the girl from her maternal grandparents' house in Ganganagar on the pretext of marrying her off to another youth. The accused's sister, however, claimed Rajesh was innocent and was being implicated at the behest of his political rivals.
|
||
|
Two-day festival celebrates spirit of Sufism
Amritsar, October 21 If day one was all about celebrating Sufism and its principles, day two was about educating and inculcating its principles in our socio-cultural existence. The festival celebrated the spirit of Sufism by bringing together its followers from across the world. As many as 13 countries, including Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan participated. Most scholars and performers emphasized on spreading the message of humanism, spirituality and oneness of god based on the principles of love, compassion, equality, humility, brotherhood and freedom which were very similar to the tenets of Sikhism. The evening started with a poetry session. Surjit Patar, Mohanjit, Ayesha Zee khan, Jahan Ara Tabbassum, Manmohan Singh Mitwa, Harris Khalique and many more shared a common platform and recited peoms from Rumi, Khusro and Waris Shah besides their own. Artist Arpana Kaur presented her painting specifically made for the festival. College students presented a colourful presentation using traditional instruments like tumbi, dhol, chimta etc. Vocal performances by Wahid Baksh from Pakistan and Mustafa Zaman Abbasi from Bangladesh garnered a lot of appreciation. The powerful performers of the evening were Jodhpuri ji group from Rajasthan with their soulful Sufi recitals. A recital of Rumi's poetry by Madan Gopal Singh too made the environment mystical. The festival was organised by SAARC Writers and Literature Council in association with Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who inaugurated the festival, announced that the government would establish a state-of-the-art international centre for research in Sufism in Amritsar. The Chief Minister also announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh for the organisers.
|
||
|
Now, serving langar to cost more
Chandigarh, October 21 Categorised as "non-domestic exempt" LPG consumers, these institutions will have to pay excise and customs duty on the LPG cylinders. This will cost them a minimum Rs 1,170.50 per cylinder (weighing 14.2 kg). Till September 15, these bulk consumers were paying Rs 405-Rs 420 per cylinder (rates vary in different cities because of local taxes). Following the government's decision to cap the number of subsidised cylinders for each household to six, the government has also decided that these buyers will have to pay new non-subsidised rates of LPG, besides paying excise and customs duty. Religious, educational and health institutions had been demanding that they be exempted from the customs and excise duty. However, the government had declined to accept The state-run oil marketing companies, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, are in the process of identifying households that have multiple LPG connections. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has mandated these companies to disconnect multiple LPG connections. An official said that the process would be completed by the month-end. "Though we had initiated the process of blocking additional connections last month, some connections have been restored with consumers submitting affidavits that different households reside at the same address," said an Indian Oil Corporation official. Costly
Affair * But now, they will have to pay excise and customs duty on the LPG cylinders, which will cost them Rs 1,170.50 each (weighing 14.2 kg). * Till September 15, these consumers were paying Rs 405-Rs 420 per cylinder
|
||
|
Power corp staff on warpath
Patiala, October 21 This time, the issue has taken serious proportions with the management deciding to take disciplinary action against the employees who went on a strike a few days ago. Refusing to buckle under any pressure, the PSEB Employees Joint Forum has stated that they will not allow the management to suppress their voice. The employees said they would intensify their agitation by showing black flags to the chairmen of the two power utilities - Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) - during their field visits from October 23 to November 7. A large number of non-gazetted employees had struck work on October 18 against the “violation” of the tripartite agreement signed during the bifurcation of the PSEB and the non-acceptance of their long pending demands. Secretary of the forum said they had given a prior notice to the management regarding the strike and hence any action against the employees would be undemocratic. “The management has not increased the salary and grade pay as was accepted by the government and the power utilities in the tripartite agreement. Besides, the fiscal health of the corporation has been deteriorating and there is no financial restructuring plan in place,” said Surinder Pehalwan, an employee leader.
|
||
|
Police Commemoration Day
Jalandhar, October 21 Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini said this during his visit to PAP headquarters here on Police Commemoration Day. He laid a wreath on the memorial in PAP complex to pay homage to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives fighting militants and criminals. Saini said the Punjab Police would take effective steps to tackle the propaganda spread on social networking sites. While he refused to divulge the details of the plan, sources in the Punjab Police said the matter might be taken up with the state government to regulate the social networking sites. On a query, Saini said a system was being formulated to ensure instant response by the police in rural areas. "Rural Police Response Teams (RPRTs) are being constituted at Zila level comprising 10 to 15 villages on the directions of state government. The team members will be provided with motorcycles and in some cases four wheelers to reach the crime spot within 15 minutes of getting a call. Two numbers including a state number and a Zila number will be made public for RPRTs within a month," he added.
|
||
|
Need to curb drug inflow: Patiala IG
Patiala, October 21 “Only then can we save our youth from drug addiction. Narco-terrorism is more serious a threat than border intrusion,” he said. While lauding the police personnel for the role they played in eliminating terrorism from the state, he said the Punjab Police needed to adopt a similar approach toward narcotics. “Anti-India forces want to see the Punjabi youth trapped in drug addiction. This new threat has to be dealt in a strong manner and the police must make all efforts to foil the designs of those trying to push narcotics into the state”, he said. Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh Gill also paid tributes to the police personnel killed during militancy. Deputy Commissioner GK Singh was also present on the occasion.
|
||
|
Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway to be 8-laned
Chandigarh, October 21 This was stated by the representatives of National Highways Authority of India, who called on Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, to review the progress of the ongoing development of the National Highways in the state. They said Union Surface Transport Ministry has given in-principle approval to this project and final decision would be taken on the detailed project report submitted by the state government. Earlier, the Deputy CM put the highway projects on fast track, fixing the timelines for the completion of each project and clearing hurdles coming in the way of their expeditious completion. In a high level meeting, in which regional heads of National Highways Authority of India, Western Command Representatives, Deputy Commissioners of all districts concerned besides Principal Secretaries of PWD (B&R), Forest, Environment and other ministries participated, Sukhbir reviewed the progress of ongoing National Highway projects. He went into the details of six laning of NH-1, Jalandhar-Dhilwan section NH-1, 4 laning of Jalandhar-Pathankot NH-1A, Pathankot-Amritsar NH-15, Ludhiana-Talwandi NH-95, Kurali-Zirakpur NH-21 and Ambala-Chandigarh section of NH-152. The Deputy CM said he would coordinate with the Army for acquisition of 400 kilometers of land in Jalandhar for 6 laning of NH-1. Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar was also asked to remove encroachment near PAP Chowk for early completion of railway over bridge, he added. It was decided to have an additional entry and exit point in Ludhiana on NH-1. Instructions were issued to SDMs of Rajpura, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana East, Payal, Phagwara and Phillaur to complete the disbursal of money within 10 days.
|
||
|
Exhibition on ‘84
anti-sikh riots
* To draw the nation's attention to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and put pressure on the government to deliver justice to the affected families, a mobile photograph exhibition (see pic) was opened in Amritsar on Sunday * After the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust disallowed the exhibition at the historic place, the organisers decided to hold a mobile exhibition at the nearby Dharam Singh market chowk * The exhibition, comprising 80 photographs and paintings, was part of awareness campaign "Forgotten Citizen's" launched by Supreme Court counsel HS Phoolka in collaboration with various human rights organisations * The exhibition will remain in the city for three days and after visiting various cities of Punjab, it will reach Delhi on October 30 — TNS, Photo: Vishal Kumar
|
|
5 booked for clash at village gurdwara
Shahkot, October 21 An "akand path" was held at Dera Icchadhari amidst high security. The Shahkot police has booked five members of Panthak Sewa Lehar (led by Baljit Singh Daduwal) for yesterday's clash. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mukhwinder Singh said a case under section 323, 324, 307, 295A, 148 and 149 of IPC had been registered against the accused on the complaint of Paramjit Singh of the
dera.
|
|
|
2 ex-cricketers held on kidnapping charge Jalandhar, October 21 The accused have been identified as Raj Singh Choudhary of Dehradun, Rocky Rattu of Shahbad village (near Ambala), Gurlal Singh of Mohali and Mahinder Singh alias Kella of Hardev Nagar here. Three of their accomplices, Pankaj and Sourab of Delhi and Varun of Dehradun, are still at large. Raj and Rocky are former Ranji players. Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) Balkar Singh said the victim, Ajay Suman, who was kidnapped from his house in Gurdev Nagar on October 18, had also claimed that he was a former Ranji cricketer. Preliminary investigations suggested that the accused cricketers had paid Rs 5 lakh to the victim after he promised them an entry into the Indian Premier League, he said. When Ajay failed to keep his promise and even refused to return the money, the accused kidnapped him from his house, the police official claimed.
|
|
| 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 | |
It was after 27 days of her abduction that the Punjab Police today claimed to have recovered Faridkot girl Shruti Sachdeva in Goa. Incidentally, the recovery coincided with a major protest by the Congress leadership in the town.
The protest saw Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal burying their differences and coming on a common platform after a long time.
The recovery of Faridkot girl Shruti and her abductor Nishan Singh today provided the much-awaited relief to the Punjab Government. The incident also signifies that the Punjab Police needs to be jump-started into action by its political masters.
Religious institutions serving ‘langar’ will now have to pay more for an LPG connection. Ditto for educational institutions and hospitals.
Categorised as "non-domestic exempt" LPG consumers, these institutions will have to pay excise and customs duty on the LPG cylinders. This will cost them a minimum Rs 1,170.50 per cylinder (weighing 14.2 kg).
Punjab Police has made a special plan to stop various militant groups from misguiding the youth of the state on social networking sites including Twitter and
Facebook. Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini said this during his visit to PAP headquarters here on Police Commemoration Day. He laid a wreath on the memorial in PAP complex to pay homage to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives fighting militants and criminals.
Paddy allotment
problem of plenty
