SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI



THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
punjab
P U N J A B
Top stories | Community

TOP STORIES

PPP Conclave
Debt biggest issue facing state: Manpreet

Jalandhar, April 15
People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal today said the overall debt of the state was likely to touch Rs 1,00,000 crore by the year-end. Manpreet said successive state governments, led by the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress, were to blame for pushing the state to the brink of financial collapse.
Manpreet Badal addresses the PPP conclave in Jalandhar on Monday Manpreet Badal addresses the PPP conclave in Jalandhar on Monday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Party roadmap on development today
Jalandhar, April 15
While the opening day of the PPP conclave was dedicated to delving upon various issues plaguing Punjab, the concluding day would witness the party presenting a “roadmap” for the state’s progress. Experts from various sectors today discussed threadbare issues that “needed an immediate solution”.



YOUR TOWN
Amritsar
Chandigarh
Ludhiana


EARLIER STORIES



Construction work at Talwandi Sabo plant stops
Bathinda, April 15
Belying the claim of the SAD-BJP Government of turning Punjab into a power surplus state, construction on the 1980 MW Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant has come to a standstill.


The Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant under construction.

The Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant under construction

Panthic bodies oppose voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs
Amritsar, April 15
Even as the Sehajdhari Sikh Party claims to be in talks with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal over the fate of the new SGPC House and the Sehajdharis' voting rights, the SGPC and other Sikh organisations have opposed any move to give voting rights to the Sehajdharis.

State govt rejects Centre’s poplar proposal
Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab Government has rejected the Central Government’s proposal to plant poplar over 2 lakh hectares of land to reduce at least 7 per cent area under paddy this year that is transplanted over 27-28 lakh hectares in the state.

SGPC to file mercy plea to save Bhullar
Amritsar, April 15
With the Supreme Court turning down Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s mercy plea, the SGPC has decided to file a clemency petition with President Pranab Mukherjee, citing his poor mental health.





COMMUNITY

Post-complaints, govt re-allots 8 Adarsh schools
Chandigarh, April 15
Opening up the way for more changes in school management on account of poor results and “exploitation” of students and teachers, the Punjab Government has withdrawn eight Adarsh schools from their current administrators. Of these, seven have been re-allotted to the New Delhi-based Educomp Solutions Limited and one to the Khalsa Divan.

Judicial officer gets justice after 20 yrs
Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given justice to its own judicial officer nearly two decades after he knocked at its door. Taking up a petition filed in 1994 by judicial officer OP Garg, a Division Bench of the High Court has given him relief of an annual increment from 1973.

Knitting losses?
Power tariff hike leaves knitwear units in the cold
Ludhiana, April 15
The recent power tariff hike, the maximum of which was imposed on the industrial sector, seems to have dealt the final blow on the already-struggling knitwear industry of Ludhiana. So much so that the local knitwear business houses have been mulling shifting their base to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh where power charges were quite less as compared to Punjab.

Higher liquor prices in UT to check smuggling
Patiala, April 15
With the Union Territory of Chandigarh all set to increase the prices of the Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer so that these are on a par with liquor prices in Punjab — the neighbouring states have heaved a sigh of relief.

3 wagons of goods train derail

Traffic on the Ambala-Amritsar rail line remained disrupted on Monday morning after three wagons of a goods train derailed at the Sirhind railway station
Traffic on the Ambala-Amritsar rail line remained disrupted on Monday morning after three wagons of a goods train derailed at the Sirhind railway station. The train was carrying a cement consignment from Kiratpur Sahib to Jwalapur in Uttarakhand. A Tribune photograph

200, not 700, schools to be merged in Punjab: Maluka
Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab Government has clarified today that it would merge 200 government primary schools instead of 700. This is the second such clarification issued by the government after it had incorrectly stated that all the panchayats of the state would be dissolved.

Few biologists hired even as state fails to check dengue
Ludhiana, April 15
The first case of dengue in Punjab was reported in 1996. Since then more and more cases of dengue have been reported across the state. To check the disease, preventive measures need to be taken and to do so one needs to understand the type of mosquitoes present in the region.

Tardy lifting of wheat worries farmers
Rajpura, April 15
Farmers coming to mandis in Patiala are up in arms against government officials.They allege that tardy lifting of wheat has left the mandis choking. Weighing, cleaning and filling of wheat in gunny bags is being done on roads. With the weather turning cloudy, the farmers are keen that their wheat is lifted well in time.
Labourers drying wheat at the Rajpura grain market on Monday. Photo: JS Virdi
Labourers drying wheat at the Rajpura grain market on Monday

Rakhra charge-sheets Deputy Director for goof-up
Patiala, April 15
Rural Development Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, who had to face embarrassment for announcing the dissolution of all 12,775 village panchayats in the state to pave the way for fresh elections, has held a Deputy Director posted in the Rural Development and Panchayats Department in Chandigarh responsible for the goof-up.

60 proclaimed offenders on the run: VB
Muktsar, April 15
As per official figures of the Vigilance Bureau, as many as 60 proclaimed offenders (POs), including 22 government employees and one elected representative of the state local bodies, are on the run in cases relating to corruption and fraud.

Will motivate dairy farming: Ranike
Chandigarh, April 15
Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike has said the state government has chalked out an ambitious plan to motivate rural youth to adopt dairy farming as a career option.
Top








 

PPP Conclave
Debt biggest issue facing state: Manpreet
Says deteriorating law and order and corruption follow next
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 15
People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal today said the overall debt of the state was likely to touch Rs 1,00,000 crore by the year-end. Manpreet said successive state governments, led by the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress, were to blame for pushing the state to the brink of financial collapse.

The PPP chief was addressing party leaders, activists and experts from various sectors on the opening day of the PPP’s ‘chintan shivir’ here.

“More worrisome is the fact that the coalition government appears least concerned about the issue. The Akali Dal’s recent extravagant Goa 'Chintan Shivir' even failed to raise it. As such, the beach conclave only benefited the hoteliers,” he said.

About the panchayat poll, the PPP chief alleged there was every possibility that the ruling regime would not allow a free and fair electoral process. “It is sad that just 300 strong political families are ruling the entire state having a population of three crore. The policies are only framed for the rich whereas the poor are left to fend for themselves,” he said.

Manpreet said on the first day of the two-day conference, the PPP leaders had identified 10 key areas of concern for the state and the issue of debt was regarded by all participants as one of paramount importance.

The “deteriorating” law and order and “rising corruption” were identified as the other problems that needed to be redressed with utmost urgency. “The safety and honour of women in Punjab has come under attack during the SAD-BJP rule. Anti-social elements associated with the Akali Dal have been prime accused in most criminal cases. When they haven’t even spared policemen, how can the common man feel secure,” he questioned.

After Congress, PPP woos Navjot Sidhu

Two days after senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said BJP’s Amritsar MP Navjot Sidhu was “a right man in a wrong party” and that he should join them (the Congress), Manpreet Badal too made a similar statement. On the recent controversy over Sidhu being “sidelined” in the BJP, Manpreet said, “He (Sidhu) is an intelligent and good politician and his right place was in the PPP.”

A scam in purchase of power from pvt firms?

The PPP chief alleged that the state government was indulging in gross irregularities while purchasing power. “Power is purchased at a rate much higher than the actual cost. This summer, Rs 7,000 crore will be spent on buying power from private producers. But in reality, 50 per cent of the money will be paid back by the producers to the ruling party. Eventually, this money will be used to buy votes.”

‘Transport policy has benefited Sukhbir most’

Hitting out at Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, Manpreet Badal alleged that after the announcement of the transport policy for Punjab, the fleet of Orbit buses (owned by Sukhbir) had gone up from four to 200. "Likewise, the cable, sand and land mafia are working at the behest of SAD-BJP government and plundering the state's wealth," Manpreet said.

Top

 

Party roadmap on development today
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 15
While the opening day of the PPP conclave was dedicated to delving upon various issues plaguing Punjab, the concluding day would witness the party presenting a “roadmap” for the state’s progress.

Experts from various sectors today discussed threadbare issues that “needed an immediate solution”. Among the key topics were industry shifting base from the state, unemployment and “failure” to attract investment in critical sectors like agriculture, education and health.

Addressing the gathering, PPP farmer wing leader Kuldeep Singh said the ruling government had “failed” to come up with a policy to tackle the agrarian crisis.

"Debt-affected farmers have been committing suicide but the state government has preferred to overlook the issue," said Indian Farmers Association leader Satnam Singh Behru.

PPP’s Jalandhar district women wing president Balwinder Kaur Khusropur raked up the issue of women safety. "The SAD-BJP government has miserably failed to ensure the protection of women," she said.

A representative of the Sheller Association, Ashok Sood, alleged that following the instructions of the state government, the police was implicating sheller owners in false cases.

Another leader, Dr Navjot Dahiya, expressed concern over Punjab emerging as a “corridor for drug trade”. “This illegal activity is impossible to be carried out until the land mafia has the support of the ruling party,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CPI, CPM and Akali Dal (Longowal), all allies of the PPP in Sanjha Morcha, would not be attending the Punjab Chintan Conference on Tuesday. Manpreet said the conclave was an internal brainstorming exercise of the PPP and that they would convene a separate meeting of the Sanjha Morcha allies in Jalandhar on April 20.

Also, the PPP president has said that the Congress' announcement to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking e-filing of nomination papers and counting of votes at a common centre in each district was completely justified.

Top

 

Construction work at Talwandi Sabo plant stops
Company officials blame it on a ‘non-conducive’ atmosphere and bureaucratic wrangling
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 15
Belying the claim of the SAD-BJP Government of turning Punjab into a power surplus state, construction on the 1980 MW Talwandi Sabo thermal power plant has come to a standstill.

Owing to the standoff between the construction company, Sterling limited, belonging to the Vedanta Group, and Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) over coal supply, construction work at the plant has been stopped just three months ahead of the commissioning of the plant.

Company officials blame it on a "non-conducive" atmosphere and bureaucratic wrangling. They claim that 50 per cent workers have left the plant site already. The company had installed the necessary equipment and finished work on a chimney and a cooling tower.

The construction company was embroiled in a protracted legal battle with the government and the PSPCL with neither the CM or the Deputy Chief Minister able to bring the sparring parties together.

The company has already invested Rs 7,000 crore on the Rs 10,000 crore project, envisaged in 2008, and completed more than 80 per cent of the construction.

The plant is expected to generate 1,980 MW of power from its three units of 660 MW each. Unit II is ready to roll and may be commissioned within three months if the coal supply is resumed.

This can happen only when a fuel supply agreement (FSA) is signed. Initially, the PSPCL was to supply coal and sign the agreement. But it backed off, asking the company to arrange for the fuel on its own.

The matter was taken to the Punjab State Energy Regulatory Commission (PSERC), which after several months of deliberation, asked the company to sign the agreement directly with Coal India Limited. The company's review petition was rejected in December last.

The company has gone into appeal now, saying it had bid for the project only when assured of level playing field with state-run plants and regular coal supply. A senior PSPCL official said the changes came after Coal India Limited, hit by a coal scam, introduced stricter norms.

The regulatory commission had already ordered that the company should deal directly with Coal India, he said.

Company officials say that even if the company signs a pact with Coal India, it will only get 40 per cent of the (8 million tonnes) coal required every year for running the plant. They fear the government may backtrack on its transportation commitment and the company may suffer delays and financial losses again.

Also, with Coal India supplying only 80 per cent of the coal required per annum (to prevent stocking and black-marketing), the company will receive less than 5 million tonnes of coal per annum, the officials say. Hence, the plant will clearly be run below capacity. This will render the project 'unviable'.

Genesis of the problem

  • Company has already invested Rs 7,000 crore on the Rs 10,000 crore project, envisaged in 2008
  • It has completed more than 80 per cent of construction
  • The plant is expected to generate 1,980 MW of power from its three units of 660 MW each
  • Unit II is ready to roll and may be commissioned within three months, if coal supply is resumed
  • The supply can resume only when a fuel supply agreement is signed
  • The PSPCL was to supply coal and sign the agreement but it backed off, asking the company to arrange for fuel
  • The matter was then taken to the Punjab State Energy Regulatory Commission

Top

 

Panthic bodies oppose voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs
Perneet Singh/TNS

Amritsar, April 15
Even as the Sehajdhari Sikh Party claims to be in talks with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal over the fate of the new SGPC House and the Sehajdharis' voting rights, the SGPC and other Sikh organisations have opposed any move to give voting rights to the Sehajdharis.

Talking to The Tribune, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the SGPC was against voting rights being given to the Sehajdharis as there was no concept of a 'Sehajdhari Sikh' in Sikhism.

Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh accused Sehajdhari Sikh Party president PS Ranu of bluffing, alleging that he made had made his meetings with the Deputy Chief Minister public as he had not been able to "strike a deal with him."

He alleged that Ranu was deliberately spreading misinformation to trigger 'disintegration' in the Sikh rank and file. He said Sukhbir should come clean on Ranu’s claims.

He warned that no Sikh organisation should think about recognising the concept of Sehajdhari Sikhs. All-India Sikh Students' Federation (AISSF) chief Karnail Singh Peermohammed said the ruling SAD should not enter into any "unholy agreement" with the Sehajdhari Sikh Party, merely to save the new SGPC House. “Today they are seeking voting rights, tomorrow they will be eying the SGPC management.”

Shiromani Panthic Council chairman MS Calcutta said the reported move to give voting rights to Sehajdharis did not seem logical as the SAD-ruled SGPC had itself got the Sehajdharis Sikhs disenfranchised through a 2003 notification. He said those projecting themselves as Sehajdharis were actually ‘patits’ (apostates).

Noted Sikh scholar Bhai Ashok Singh Bagarian said: “The Sehajdharis want to infiltrate the gurdwara management through politics”. Former SGPC general secretary Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, in whose tenure the Sehajdharis were disenfranchised, said: “the SGPC is neither business, nor politics. Therefore, whatever has to be done must be based on Sikh principles.”

Panthic prganisations fear that by giving voting rights to Sehajdharis, the r SAD will not only show the SGPC in a bad light but will also end up according recognition to the concept of Sehajdhari Sikhs.

Top

 

State govt rejects Centre’s poplar proposal
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab Government has rejected the Central Government’s proposal to plant poplar over 2 lakh hectares of land to reduce at least 7 per cent area under paddy this year that is transplanted over 27-28 lakh hectares in the state. The state government had been told that the Centre would bear the expenditure on the plantation of poplar saplings.

The Centre had suggested inter-cropping of pulses and wheat between poplar plantations to ensure handsome return to farmers. It had said that poplar plantation should be promoted in 16 districts of central Punjab where the subsoil water level had declined to 20 meters or beyond.

However, the state government has told the Centre that about 12.50 crore saplings would be required to cover 2 lakh hectares. Such a vast number of saplings was not available in the entire country. The returns from intercropping would progressively decrease and there would be no assured returns for the farmers. Hence, the proposal could not be implemented.

Sources said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in Delhi to discuss the issue. Accepting Badal's request, Pawar told the officials concerned that they should go by the diversification proposal to be submitted by the state government, the souces claimed.

The Centre has made a provision of Rs 500 crore in the Union Budget to promote diversification to reduce area under paddy in Punjab, Haryana and western UP. It had told Punjab to submit its plan on the issue. As the state government did not do so, the Centre suggested poplar plantation.

Badal will meet senior officials of the Agriculture Department on April 20 to prepare a proposal on diversification for this fiscal year. It would focus on increasing area under sugarcane, especially in the border belt, maize and pulses. It would also focus on horticulture.

What government says

  • About 12.50 crore saplings will be required to cover 2 lakh hectares
  • Such a vast number of saplings is not available in the country
  • The returns from intercropping will progressively decrease
  • Hence, the farmers cannot be assured of handsome returns

Bonus on maize?

There are reports that the Punjab Government may announce a bonus of Rs 250 per quintal on maize as the state is keen to bring 50, 000 hectares more under maize this year. The bonus may be given from the state’s share in Central funds for diversification.

Top

 

SGPC to file mercy plea to save Bhullar
Former DSGMC chief meets President
Perneet Singh
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 15
With the Supreme Court turning down Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar’s mercy plea, the SGPC has decided to file a clemency petition with President Pranab Mukherjee, citing his poor mental health.

Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC chief, said they had consulted legal experts on the issue and would soon file a clemency petition to save Bhullar from the gallows. He said they had had a word with doctors treating Bhullar and had been told that his condition was 'not good'.

He said the SGPC would seek an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee. All SGPC members would together approach the President for clemency for Bhullar.

He alleged there were several loopholes in the case from the legal point of view. Yet his death sentence had been upheld.

He said the government would be breaking its word to Germany if it hanged Bhullar. "India had promised Germany not to hang him when he was deported from there," he claimed.

“Bhullar has already been in jail for almost two decades. He is mentally ill. In view of the Sikh sentiments, the President should pardon him,” Makkar said.

The Sant Samaj is also making efforts to meet the President on the Bhullar case. Meanwhile, the SAD (Delhi) president, Paramjit Singh Sarna, today filed a clemency petition before the President.

Sarna released a copy of the plea to the media. He said Bhullar had been convicted solely on his confession obtained under ‘coercion and torture’ while not a single witness had identified him. Also, this could well be the only case in the country in which the death sentence had been awarded on a split verdict.

“The judgment is erroneous and it has resulted in blatant violation of the fundamental right of the accused to have a fair and impartial trial,” reads the petition.

It also dwells on the delay in the disposal of Bhullar's mercy petition and his mental health.

“The inhumane suffering of more than 10 years, waiting for death each day for more than 6,065 days, has inflicted grave mental torture on Bhullar, who has not only developed severe depression, hypertension, cervical spondylitis, pain in the joints, but has also become mentally retarded,” it states.

Top

 
 

Post-complaints, govt re-allots 8 Adarsh schools
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 15
Opening up the way for more changes in school management on account of poor results and “exploitation” of students and teachers, the Punjab Government has withdrawn eight Adarsh schools from their current administrators. Of these, seven have been re-allotted to the New Delhi-based Educomp Solutions Limited and one to the Khalsa Divan.

Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said the decision to withdraw work from earlier parties was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal.

The schools which have been handed over to Educomp are located in Bhopal and Boha (Mansa district), Malla (Faridkot), Hardasa (Ferozepur), Daulatpura Neevan and Ranseeh (Moga) and Chauke (Bathinda). Adarsh school in Uccha Pind of Kapurthala district has been handed over to Amritsar-based Khalsa Divan.

In a meeting held in December 2012, it was decided to effect a change in managements of those Adarsh schools which were not delivering. The government had spent crores in building state-of-the-art campuses of these schools with a view to provide quality education to children in rural areas.

Established in 2011, each Adarsh school is expected to cater to at least 1,000 children. Panchayats of the respective villages had given land free of cost to set up these schools. While the School Development Board contributes 70 per cent of the funds, the rest is contributed by the institution running the school. Badal, after his elections in 2007, had announced that each parliamentary constituency would have at least one Adarsh school.

Following a series of complaints, it was found that many institutions were not contributing their share of money. A Chandigarh-based chartered accountancy firm has been appointed to look into financial details of all the Adarsh schools. A preliminary enquiry has revealed that children are being charged illegally and teachers underpaid at several places.

Acting tough

  • Many institutions running Adarsh schools were not contributing their share of money
  • A Chandigarh-based chartered accountancy firm has been appointed to look into financial details of all the schools
  • A preliminary inquiry has revealed that children are being charged illegally and teachers underpaid at several places

Top

 

Judicial officer gets justice after 20 yrs
Saurabh Malik/TNS

Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has given justice to its own judicial officer nearly two decades after he knocked at its door. Taking up a petition filed in 1994 by judicial officer OP Garg, a Division Bench of the High Court has given him relief of an annual increment from 1973.

Directions have also been issued to the state to re-fix his pay. The court has also dubbed as discriminatory the rules framed by the state of Punjab way back in 1951.

The case is just one of the two lakh cases pending before the High Court; and it is suspected that many of the cases turn infructuous over a period of time as the relief sought by the petitioner is either granted or the petition loses its relevance or significance.

In some of the cases, the petitioners or even the respondents are no more there to pursue their grievances. When some of these cases are suddenly listed, the counsels are often at a loss in the absence of complete records or instructions. Attribute it to the shortage of judges or filing of frivolous petitions, the fact remains that the delay tends to change the course of the outcome in some cases.

In his petition filed while he was still in service, Garg had sought the grant of first annual increment with effect from June 2, 1973. Directions were also sought to re-fix his salary and pay arrears after re-fixation.

Garg had told the court that he joined the Civil Service (Judicial Branch) as sub judge-cum-judicial magistrate in 1972. After he passed departmental examination in 1975, he was granted the first annual increment from that year.

But his grievance hovered around the difference in rules on grant of annual increment to PCS judicial and executive branch officers. He claimed their pay scales were similar. But the executive branch rules provided for the grant of annual increment from due date (back date) after passing the departmental examination. In case of judicial branch officers, the first increment was to be drawn on the completion of the departmental examination and not from the date it was due.

The Bench asserted: “Apparently, Rule 9 of the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules, 1951, is discriminatory in nature as counterparts of the petitioner working in the executive branch would get increment from due date after passing the examination whereas the petitioner serving in the judicial branch would not get the same treatment and would get the increment from the date of passing the departmental examination”.

The Bench concluded: “The petitioner is held entitled to the first annual increment with effect from June 2, 1973, and it is directed that his pay be re-fixed and he be paid arrears on account of revision of pay with effect from the said date”.

Pendency issue

  • Over two lakh cases are pending before the High Court
  • It is suspected that many cases lose significance over a period of time
  • In some cases, the petitioners or even the respondents are no more there to pursue their grievances
  • When such cases are suddenly listed, the counsels are often at a loss in the absence of complete records
  • Attribute it to the shortage of judges or frivolous petitions, the fact remains that the delay tends to change the course of the outcome in some cases

Top

 

Knitting losses?
Power tariff hike leaves knitwear units in the cold
Manav Mander
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 15
The recent power tariff hike, the maximum of which was imposed on the industrial sector, seems to have dealt the final blow on the already-struggling knitwear industry of Ludhiana.

So much so that the local knitwear business houses have been mulling shifting their base to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh where power charges were quite less as compared to Punjab.

Moreover, the hill state has offered a slew of other incentives as well for companies setting up their base in Himachal.

Knitwear Club chairman Vinod Thapar said, “We have received a proposal from the Himachal government and it will be providing us round-the-clock power at Rs 4.05 per unit. They are also offering us 1 per cent relief on Central Sales Tax and the facility of single window clearance. In addition, we will be given 75 per cent subsidy on transportation of raw material."

Club general secretary Narinder Miglani said Himachal had also set up a common effluent treatment plant, hazardous water management unit and a technical upgradation centre, “which will be very helpful for our industry”. “Even after increasing the tariff, there is no guarantee of uninterrupted power supply,” he said.

Thapar alleged that the Punjab Government’s entire focus was on providing free power to farmers. “This time as well, a provision of Rs 5,800 crore has been made for power subsidy to the farm sector. The government may continue with that, but even the industry should get its due. After all, the sector is a major contributor to the state’s economy,” he quipped.

Miglani claimed the industry was already struggling for survival as the prices of raw material had risen sharply. “In such circumstances, we will have little option but to increase our product rates. But this too does not appear that good an idea as we have been facing stiff competition from producers in other countries,” he said.

Top

 

Higher liquor prices in UT to check smuggling
Liquor worth Rs 12 crore was confiscated in various districts of Punjab last fiscal, claim police sources
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 15
With the Union Territory of Chandigarh all set to increase the prices of the Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer so that these are on a par with liquor prices in Punjab — the neighbouring states have heaved a sigh of relief.

The decision will curb the growing menace of liquor smuggling. Liquor worth over several hundred crore was being smuggled out of Chandigarh per annum into Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab.

Officials in the Punjab Excise Department said they had to work overtime to keep a check on liquor smuggling. “We have to post Excise officials to catch hold of these smugglers who usually operate late at night,” they said.

As per the new excise policy in Chandigarh, which will come into force from May 1, the prices of IMFL and beer will be brought at par with those in Punjab. The UT has increased the excise duty by 20 per cent per proof litre (PL) to 400 per cent per PL and the assessment fee by 33 per cent. As compared to cheap brands, consuming expensive brands such as scotch will go up by around Rs 300 per bottle. Usually bottles of scotch in Chandigarh were cheaper by almost Rs 300 to 400 than in Punjab.

Neelam Choudhary, Joint Excise and Tax Commissioner, said due to such a huge difference in prices, they had to urge the liquor contractors to lift their stocks as soon as possible. “We are sure the smuggling mafia will be ousted as their profits will dip,” she said.

The UT’s policy is apparently more oriented towards watching the interests of the powerful liquor lobby in Punjab.

The minimum retail price of the IMFL has been enhanced by 10 per cent to 25 per cent. A bottle of liquor will now cost Rs 70 to 100 more while a bottle of beer will be costlier by around Rs 15. Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anurag Verma confirmed that the decision to hike rates of liquor in Chandigarh would help Punjab.

The low rates of liquor in Chandigarh has been a cause for concern for the strong liquor lobby in Punjab for the past almost a decade. The liquor mafia in Punjab has been holding illegal nakas to ensure that Chandigarh liquor does not find its way into the Punjab market.

They have even cooperated with the Punjab Excise officials and the Punjab police to hold such nakas. Despite this, liquor from Chandigarh has been available in Punjab because of the strong nexus between officials and smugglers.

The liquor traders would hold illegal nakas where they forcibly checked personal vehicles near Rajpura, Shambhu and Samana. Local police played a crucial role in providing backup to the liquor lobby.

The Punjab liquor lobby has been suffering losses due to sale of UT liquor.

As per official figures, over 1,000 boxes of IMFL meant to be sold in Chandigarh has been confiscated in Rajpura alone, in less than a year. Liquor worth Rs 12 crore has been confiscated in various districts of Punjab.

The mafia operating from Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab would buy Chandigarh liquor and transport it through the streets of Rajpura and take it as far as Rajasthan via the Banur-Kala Amb route.

Top

 

200, not 700, schools to be merged in Punjab: Maluka
Tribune News Service

— Sikander Singh Maluka, Punjab Education Minister Chandigarh, April 15
The Punjab Government has clarified today that it would merge 200 government primary schools instead of 700. This is the second such clarification issued by the government after it had incorrectly stated that all the panchayats of the state would be dissolved.

Reports that 700 schools were to be merged in the state had been circulating in the media for the past two weeks.

Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka categorically said “the media should rely on information provided by his office or the Principal Secretary’s office”.

Maluka further said, “We don’t know who is spreading this misinformation that 700 schools are being merged. Firstly, no school is being merged immediately. Secondly, the merger will have to be approved by the MLAs concerned, panchayats or the municipal bodies, as the case may be.

“Only villages which have two or more schools face the merger. In case a school was being merged, the department will make arrangements for the students’ travel.

“Each school under consideration for a merger will be studied separately in collaboration with the village sarpanch, the council president and the school teachers concerned. The merger is being initiated wherein two neighbouring schools have two or more teachers and less than 10 students,” Maluka said

Maluka clarified that schools were being merged for administrative purposes and not because of any financial reasons. He said the vacant school buildings would be left at the disposal of the panchayats or the local bodies concerned.

The Education Department handles the affairs of at least 6,643 primary schools while the panchayats run over 5,720 schools.

When asked about the state government’s commitment to clamp down on those providing illegal and substandard transport to school children, Maluka said he had not received any information in this regard.

However, it is alarming that ‘peter rehdas’ (locally made travel autos) and poorly maintained vans still ran on the state roads.

Panel on private schools

Makluka said today he had ordered the constitution of a committee to look into arbitrary fees being charged by private schools; what procedure they followed in conducting admissions; and that these schools were paying their teachers very low salaries.

Top

 

Few biologists hired even as state fails to check dengue
Anupam Bhagria/TNS

Ludhiana, April 15
The first case of dengue in Punjab was reported in 1996. Since then more and more cases of dengue have been reported across the state. To check the disease, preventive measures need to be taken and to do so one needs to understand the type of mosquitoes present in the region.

And to understand the fauna of any area, one needs to understand the ecological changes taking place. However, for more than 30 years, the posts of district entomologists/biologists, who are qualified to undertake the research to find out about the fauna of an area, have been lying vacant in Punjab.

Moreover, since 1970, the ecology of the state has changed dramatically after the green revolution. Diseases like dengue, malaria, brain malaria etc. have spread since then.

Experts say if the state fills up the district-level posts of entomologists/biologists, they will be able to inform the Health Department about the species of mosquito prevalent. Thereafter, the state can take preventive measures accordingly.

Dr Jagbir Singh, Head of Zoology and Environmental Science, Punjabi University, Patiala, who has been doing research on different species of mosquito for many years, said, “It was in 1933 when two British scientists Christophers and Barraud studied the type of mosquitoes present in India. Since then, no other study on this subject has ever been conducted. Moreover, over time the government did not recruit new district entomologists/biologists as the older ones continued to retire.

“Malaria has temporarily receded for the last seven to eight years as ecological succession (ecological succession means whenever environmental conditions are not appropriate for a particular species, it disappears and is replaced by a new one) takes place among anopheles species, particularly stephensi (causes urban malaria) and culifacies (causes brain malaria).”

He said that some more species are yet to be found from different pockets, for which work was still in process. “We have also discovered dengue pockets in the state, including Fatehgarh Sahib district, Hari ke Pattan wetlands, Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Mohali,” said Dr Jagbir.

Dr Deepak Bhatia, State Surveillance officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance project, said, “The institute doing research in this field should bring it to our notice so we can improve public health.”

Dr Ashok Nayyar, Director Health services, Punjab, said, “We have started the process of filling up the posts of district entomologists.”

Top

 

Tardy lifting of wheat worries farmers
Aman Sood/TNS

Rajpura, April 15
Farmers coming to mandis in Patiala are up in arms against government officials.They allege that tardy lifting of wheat has left the mandis choking. Weighing, cleaning and filling of wheat in gunny bags is being done on roads. With the weather turning cloudy, the farmers are keen that their wheat is lifted well in time.

A number of farmers at the local grain market complained that they had been waiting for their stock to be lifted for the past two to four days so that they could bring in more stock. An anxious Harpreet Singh said: "The weather is unfavourable and the lifting of wheat is slow, despite the administration assurance that they would speed up work."

When contacted, the Rajpura Market Committee secretary, Som Pal, admitted some delay in the lifting process. "The tendering for trucks that carry the wheat was again done today after the earlier bidder refused to lift wheat. We are hopeful that things will soon be sorted out," he said.

Sangrur: In protest against non-procurement of wheat, farmers blocked Sangrur-Barnala road for more than an hour at Duggan village on Monday. They also blocked the Sangrur-Patiala road at Kala Jhar village near Nidampur. At Duggan village, the farmers, led by the Kirti Kisan Union, blocked traffic and raised slogans. . They lifted the dharna on the intervention of a district official. At Kala Jhar village, the farmers, led by the block president of the BKU (Ugrahan), Ajaib Singh, blocked the main road. They demanded that wheat procurement be started immediately.

Top

 

Rakhra charge-sheets Deputy Director for goof-up
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service

— SS Rakhra, MinisterPatiala, April 15
Rural Development Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, who had to face embarrassment for announcing the dissolution of all 12,775 village panchayats in the state to pave the way for fresh elections, has held a Deputy Director posted in the Rural Development and Panchayats Department in Chandigarh responsible for the goof-up.

The minister reportedly did not bother to check with the Election Commission on the matter and took it upon himself to dissolve the panchayats.

The state government had to issue a clarification, leaving Rakhra red-faced.

The minister was reportedly advised by certain officials to hold a press conference and announce the dissolution of panchayats.

When contacted, Rakhra told The Tribune today that the panchayats would continue to function normally till the Election Commission issued a notification.

“I have issued a charge sheet to Deputy Director Jaspal Singh for briefing me with wrong information,” the minister said.

Rakhra had on Friday announced that the panchayats stood dissolved and that the powers of the panchayats had been given to certain officials to carry out development projects.

The minister had even announced that the election process for the new panchayats would be completed before May 31.

Top

 

60 proclaimed offenders on the run: VB
Archit Watts/TNS

Muktsar, April 15
As per official figures of the Vigilance Bureau, as many as 60 proclaimed offenders (POs), including 22 government employees and one elected representative of the state local bodies, are on the run in cases relating to corruption and fraud.

The maximum number of 19 proclaimed offenders is from the Ludhiana range, followed 18 from Amritsar, 10 from Ferozepur, nine from Jalandhar, and two POs are from the Patiala range. The Bathinda range is an exception where no person has been declared a PO. However, two persons have been declared POs in the area falling under the flying squad of the bureau in Chandigarh. A perusal of the record revealed an interesting case where a doctor was declared a PO on August 13, 1987. He has not been arrested even after 26 years. In another instance, seven persons were declared PO in a single case registered in Ludhiana in February 2008. Of them, four are government employees. All were declared POs in April 2009.

Dinesh Partap Singh, Joint Director, Vigilance Bureau, said: “We have updated the information about all the POs on our website so that people can inform us about their whereabouts.”

Top

 

Will motivate dairy farming: Ranike

Chandigarh, April 15
Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike has said the state government has chalked out an ambitious plan to motivate rural youth to adopt dairy farming as a career option.

Presiding over a meeting of the Animal Husbandry Department here today, Ranike directed veterinary officers to visit their respective areas at least thrice a week. He directed the field officers to keep a close watch on the outbreak of common animal diseases and apprise dairymen of precautionary measures to be taken in this regard. — TNS

Top

 





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 |