|
|
|
|
|
PUNJAB BUDGET EXPECTATIOns 2013
State fails to set up industrial clusters
Record files damaged in fire at Civil Secretariat
500 panchayats offer land for pvt schools
|
|
|
Manpreet Badal to restructure party
Police gears up for farmers’ stir today
A novel way to tackle problem of water hyacinth at Harike
Forest official Atma Singh imparts training to womenfolk from villages adjoining Harike in making handicraft items from water hyacinth. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Power corp directed to withdraw circular
Meeting called to discuss shortage of gunny bags
Alliance MLAs to meet before House session
Few takers in Punjab for highly beneficial organic produce
Bikkar Singh, an organic farmer, shows his crop in Badrukhan village. A Tribune photograph
New technology to revolutionise farming
Ludhiana sewing machine industry in dire straits
Govt to clear up pending payment of arhtiyas
Kharar Congress leader shot at
|
PUNJAB BUDGET EXPECTATIOns 2013
|
|||||||||||
|
State fails to set up industrial clusters
Ludhiana, March 17 Even after more than six months, the state government has not even appointed advisers to prepare the diagnostic studies report. Three clusters approved for Ludhiana are wire drawing, hand tools and tractor parts while agriculture clusters have been approved for Muktsar and Ferozepur districts. Tractor parts cluster is to be developed at Hoshiarpur and Kaputhala has got foundry and general engineering goods cluster. The documentation and release of funds have to be channelised through the state government. Industrialists allege the government is not taking any interest in this regard which had led to a delay in setting up clusters. “All the documentation and other procedures should be handled directly by the Centre through its MSME institutes,” said Badish Jindal, president, Federation of Association of Small-Scale Industries. “The government has unnecessarily delayed sending relevant documents and proposals forwarded by the industry to the Centre. Due to this, the industry in many cases cannot get funds from the Centre till the clusters are set up,” added industrialist Kulwant Singh. Under the programme, the Centre provides Rs 2.50 lakh for diagnostic study, Rs 25 lakh (75%) for soft interventions and Rs 15 crore (70%) for hard interventions, including common facility
centres.
|
||
|
Record files damaged in fire at Civil Secretariat
Chandigarh, March 17 The incident occured around 4.5o pm. Four fire-tenders were pressed into service. The room houses offices of the Punjab Mandi Board, Forest, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Departments. Officials said record files, 24 computers, six photostat machines, 16 fans, tables and chairs were destroyed. Roshan Sunkaria, Administrative Secretary (General Administration and Parliamentary Affairs) has been directed by the Chief Minister to probe the matter.
|
||
|
500 panchayats offer land for pvt schools
Chandigarh, March 17 When approached, Sikandar Singh Maluka, Education Minister, said: "We are pruning the list of applicants. Only the junior-most class will be allowed to commence in the first phase." These schools will be affiliated to either the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the Indian Council for Secondary Education (ICSE), say sources. Land will be given to organisations managing the schools on a 30-year lease. “We have also received applications from parties interested in setting up schools. These are mainly social, religious and business organisations. They have offered to set up 15-20 schools each. The area SDM will be in charge of a committee that will oversee the functioning of the school," the minister said.
Unanswered queries *
Does the government accept that its project for opening Adarsh Schools in collaboration with private parties has failed altogether *
Will poor children be given education in the same class as others or will there be special sections What ails the system *
There are more than 16,500 vacancies in schools. This is affecting teaching work *
There are schools where senior classes have to go without a teacher for a full academic session *
Teachers complain about being put on duties other than academic, such as census, taking up their precious time
|
||
Manpreet Badal to restructure party
Moga, March 17 He has called a meeting of senior office-bearers here tomorrow. The PPP had dissolved its working committee after the Moga assembly byelection. Talking to The Tribune, Manpreet Badal and his confidant Bhagwant Mann said that from March 20, the PPP would hold district-wise meetings. Manpreet said the party leadership would renew its people contact programme, covering at least 100 big villages in a month. Referring to the outcome of the Moga byelection, Mann said they would now re-draw their strategy for the parliamentary elections. He said the PPP would stress upon booth-level management. "We will have a dedicated team of workers at every booth," he said. Also, the PPP would launch a special membership drive to rope in more youths and constitute a seven-member coordination committee to chalk out a strategy for the Lok Sabha elections, Mann added.
* From March 20, PPP to hold district-wise meetings
|
|
Police gears up for farmers’ stir today
Tarn Taran , March 17 Kamaljit Singh Dhillon, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), said the police would not allow any dharna here. The farmers are protesting against the cases filed against 20 farmers following the death of ASI Kulbir Singh under mysterious circumstances at Jeobala village on March 6. Ten of the accused farmers, including Sawinder Singh Chutala, general secretary of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee (KSC), have been arrested so far and sent to judicial custody. Most of the other leaders have gone underground. The District administration has already imposed a ban on holding dharnas and rallies. However, Satnam Singh Pannu, state president of the KSC, Pargat Singh Jamarai of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha and Datar Singh of the Kirti Kisan Union, in separate statements today, said that they were determined to hold a dharna here despite the restrictions imposed by the administration. Tejinderpal Singh of the KSC said they would put facts regarding the death of the ASI before the public at the dharnas tomorrow. He claimed the policeman had died of heart failure and the farmers could not be held responsible for his death.
|
||
|
A novel way to tackle problem of water hyacinth at Harike
Harike, March 17 The department has formed self-help groups in Sudhian and Churian of Ferozepur. These groups are being trained by department employee Atma Singh. “The problem of water hyacinth is common to all water bodies in the world. Kerala is the only state in India which has controlled it by putting it to use,” says Atma Singh, who is teaching women of the two villages to make doormats, file covers, purses, baskets and items for interior decoration. “A wide variety of items, including furniture, cushions and hats can be made from the weed,” he says. The water hyacinth handicraft industry in Kerala has earned handsome foreign exchange for the country. This has also helped eliminate the weed from the state's backwaters," says WWF field researcher Gitanjali Kanwar. Gitanjali has been at Harike for more than two years. Studying aquatic life and biodiversity in Punjab rivers, she has motivated womenfolk to learn the handicraft. At present, 26 women are learning the craft, hoping that some day it will help them earn money and support their families. Says Rajwant Kaur: “Local people have started showing interest in our products though we are not allowed to sell the items as of now." Gitanjali says that before marketing the items, they want to ensure that these women have learnt all the tricks of the trade. “When they are able to make good quality products, we will surely sell these. We have started working on the marketing plan,” she explains. Water hyacinth, if not controlled, can cover lakes and ponds entirely. At Harike, a military programme, Operation Sahyog, was initiated in 1999 to clear the wetland of hyacinth after it had covered 90 per cent of the lake area. The weed, apart from obstructing the water flow, poses a threat to the aquatic life as it blocks sunlight.
|
||
|
Folk singer Aujla dies in accident
Batala, March 17 Batala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tulsi Ram said Aujla, who was at the wheel, lost control of his car and the vehicle rammed into a roadside tree. Aujla and his wife Ranjit Kaur were returning to their native village in Gurdaspur district from Marid-ke village. The couple was taken to a private Amritsar hospital where the singer succumbed to his injuries. His wife's condition is said to be serious. Among those who expressed sympathies with the bereaved family were Gurdaspur MP and PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa, Chief Parliamentary Secretary GS Babbehali, former Akali minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and former MLA LS
Lodhinangal.
|
||
|
Power corp directed to withdraw circular
Jalandhar, March 17 In its order dated March 13, the PSERC had mentioned that prior approval of PSERC for making amendments in the conditions of supply and general conditions of power tariff was a must. It asked the PSPCL to file a petition with the Regulatory Commission to seek approval for the same. The PSPCL on March 11 had issued the circular which was aimed at promoting industry in Punjab under the Mega Projects policy. It reads: “It has come to light that industry in the state is facing difficulties in acquiring industrial connections for mega projects at a specified voltage. This is hampering the growth of the industry in the state and Punjab is losing business to other states.” After the Whole Time Directors (WTD) of the PSPCL discussed the matter in detail, it was decided that electricity connections up to 4,000-kilo volt ampere (KVA) be released temporarily at 11-KV voltage to all such mega
projects. The WTD had also decided that voltage surcharge would not be levied on prospective consumers, who had already deposited the full amount for a 66-KV sub-station transmission line, but had not yet got access to the same. The power corporation would wait till their line was converted from 11-KV to 66-KV. Sources said the power corporation had taken this step as it had been facing strong resistance from farmers in laying transmission lines for 66-KV sub-station. Farmers did not want the lines to be laid in their fields. PSPCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director KD Chaudhri confirmed they had received the orders from the PSERC. “We have withdrawn the circular and have filed the petition seeking the approval of Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission,” Chaudhri added.
|
||
|
Procurement Pangs
Ludhiana, March 17 It will discuss preparations for wheat procurement, which is to begin on April 1, purchase of gunny bags, steps to prevent floods (from July 1-September 30), urban infrastructure and health services. One of the Deputy Commissioners said that Punjab had been facing a shortage of gunny bags for the past two years. "The second major problem is storage of wheat grain. As compared with demand, wheat production has increased manifold. So the lifting process has become slow. And when the stocks are not lifted, there is no space for fresh arrivals," he said. With more than a dozen districts situated along the Sutlej, Beas and Ghaggar, "the DCs will be given instructions on measures to prevent floods during the rainy season," he added.
|
||
|
Alliance MLAs to meet before House session
Chandigarh, March 17 “We want the Congress MLAs to participate in the Budget session because the state is going through tough times. They can join us in the discussions and help us draft fresh initiatives besides pointing out lacuna in the existing system,” said a SAD leader. He also pointed out that Congress leaders who had been suspended needed to apologise to the House for their unparliamentary behaviour before being allowed back. Sources in the Congress said the party had not taken a decision whether or not to attend tomorrow’s session. — TNS
|
||
|
Few takers in Punjab for highly beneficial organic produce
Sangrur, March 17 Some organic farmers in the state include Bikkar Singh (60) from Badrukhan village, who grows organic vegetables on six bighas; Jarnail Singh Majhi, who farms on one acre in Majhi village (near Bhawanigarh). The Sangrur branch of All India Pingalwara Charitable Society, Amritsar, also grows organic vegetables on 18 bighas at Bangawali village and at Changal village (near Mastana Sahib) on 20 bighas. Bikkar Singh grows garlic, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, tomato, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, okra, brinjal, chilli, turnip and radish etc in different seasons. He uses natural elements to improve the fertility of the soil. He spreads cow dung, gur (jaggery), gram flour, guava leaves and brinjal on the field. Bikkar prepares an organic insecticide that he sprays on the vegetables. The insecticide is a mixture of cow urine, calotropis leaves, belladonna leaves, neem leaves, lemon and chilli leaves. Bikkar said farmers found organic farming labour intensive and therefore preferred sticking to the traditional method of farming. He further said selling organic vegetables was very difficult as customers were ignorant about the benefits of these. They preferred shiny, big vegetables that were produced using chemical fertilisers. He said more farmers would adopt organic farming if there was a demand for these vegetables in the market. Dr AS Mann, a social activist and a promoter of natural farming, said organic farming needs to be promoted as we had already seen the harmful effects of chemical pesticides on underground water. The situation in Punjab has deteriorated so much that arsenic and other toxic elements have been detected in the underground water of the state, he added.
need of the hour *
Natural elements are used as pesticides and fertilisers in this form of farming, thereby not harming the soil and underground water *
Farmers from the state need to adopt organic farming as toxic elements have been detected in underground water here the challenges *
Organic farming is labour intensive * Consumers aren't aware of the benefits of this produce and do not buy organic vegetables
|
||
|
New technology to revolutionise farming
Ropar, March 17 The technology will let farmers produce bio oil and bio char which will help farmers reduce their expenditure on fuel and artificial fertilisers. In 2012, nearly 200 million tonnes of rice and wheat-based residue produced in Punjab was burnt in the open, causing air pollution on a large scale. The technology which was successfully tested on the IIT campus will be demonstrated at Laadal, Khwaspura and Hussainpur villages of Ropar district early June. A mobile unit containing a reactor and an engine will be taken to villages to explain the benefits of using straw for energy generation to farmers. The project, funded by Oglesby Charitable Trust, UK, was started one-and-a-half years ago. The technology patented by Aston University is an intermediate pyrolysis that is supported by a specially designed reactor. The straw is pyrolysed in the reactor at around 375 degrees Celsius. Through pyrolysis, solid residue that is called bio char and a vapour product are obtained. The vapour product is brought in contact with bio diesel or diesel in a quenching unit where bio diesel is used as a medium to condense the vapours. The vapour after condensation becomes bio oil. It is then collected in small cans. While bio oil can be used to run pump sets or engines at farms, bio char can be used for co-combustion in thermal power plants or as a
fertiliser.
|
||
|
Ludhiana sewing machine industry in dire straits
Ludhiana, March 17 More than three quarters of the total number of sewing manufacturers in the country are based in Ludhiana, Batala, Bassi Pathana and other small towns of Punjab. The other units are in Delhi, Kolkata and Jammu. The industry in the city alone provides employment to more than 25,000 persons. The local industry has been unable to compete with its foreign counterparts as costs of raw material and labour have been rising. Gurcharan Singh, a sewing part manufacturer from Ludhiana said, “While big brands have a market share of around 40 per cent, the Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers also have captured a market share of 40 per cent. The local industry is left with only 20 per cent. We mainly get orders from people who want to donate sewing machines to the needy.” The industry seems to be in dire straits as cut-throat competition has forced the manufacturers to reduce their profit margins while the input costs have been going up. Moreover, the industry has failed to modernise itself over the past decade. “We need to modernise our units by importing latest technology and produce quality machines. The experts in the readymade garment industry say there is a lot of scope for high quality stitching machines as more and more readymade garments have been exported,” said Harish Chawla, a sewing machine manufacturer from Bassi Pathana.
|
||
|
Govt to clear up pending payment of arhtiyas
Fatehgarh Sahib, March 17 Rajesh Singla, Press Secretary, Arhtiya Association, Punjab, said a delegation led by Ravinder Singh Cheema, vice chairman, Punjab Mandi Board, had met Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Minister for Food & Civil Supply, to discuss the issue. The delegation highlighted the difficulties they faced in installing computer kandas at grain markets. They said long power cuts shut down the computers and delayed the procurement process. Kairon agreed with them and said it wouldn't be mandatory to install computer kandas at grain markets. Kairon allowed the commission agents to get the procured paddy lifted from their own labour instead of depending upon the government contractor. The arhtiyas complained contractors would not provide them labour, ehich caused them losses.The minister directed the agencies to take action against the labour contractor if he does not lift the procured produce within 72 hours and cancel his contract after serving him notice.
|
||
|
|
Kharar Congress leader shot at
Ropar, March 17 The injured, Rajwant Singh Shergill, is office in charge of the farmers' wing of the Congress at Chandigarh. In his statement to the police, he said he was under threat from terrorists. Chamkaur Sahib Station House Officer (SHO) Palwinder Singh said Rajwant, a resident of Kharar, had told the police that he had left his house at 3 am for Gurdwara Jhar Sahib, located 11 km from Chamkaur Sahib. At around 6 am when he was returning home in his car, two persons on a motorcycle opened fire at him. He was hit in his left arm. Rajwant sped away even as the assailants fired another bullet that missed the target and hit the car. Rajwant rushed to a hospital in Chamkaur Sahib from where he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. A case under Sections 307 and 34 of the IPC and the Arms Act had been registered against unidentified persons, the SHO said. Rajwant Singh was provided a security guard but the latter allegedly opened fire on Jasdev Singh, Superintendent of Police, at a marriage function in Kharar on September 22 last year. Hence, he was withdrawn.
|
|
| 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 | |
To check the problem of water hyacinth, that poses a threat to aquatic life at the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary, the Forest Department, in association with the Tourism Department and World Wide Fund
(WWF) for Nature, has initiated a training programme for local residents in making handicraft items of this weed.
These days Punjab farmers are often blamed for using excessive pesticides and fertilisers to maximise their produce inadvertently poisoning the underground water. There are, however, some far-sighted farmers who are growing organic vegetables despite finding it tough to sell their produce.
*
Which category of poor children among the existing categories will qualify for the new schools