Bathinda, march 3
How effectively the government schemes actually benefits the poor could be gauged from the fact that only 40 to 50 per cent Below Poverty Line (BPL) families enrolled themselves under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) out of which a mere 2 to 4 per cent got the benefit in 2013.

As per the data procured from the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC), the actual benefit in the scheme is availed by the insurance companies and not by the poor.

The scheme was launched in 2009 under which five members of a BPL family were provided smart card of the RSBY to avail cashless medical facility up to Rs 30,000.

Out of 14,305 BPL families in Bathinda, 6,699 families (47 per cent) got themselves enrolled under the scheme of which only 315 families (4.70 per cent) benefitted.

Sources in the department revealed that lack of basic infrastructure as well as doctors in the private or the government empanelled hospitals under the scheme lead to a steep decline in the number of actual beneficiaries.

“There are many hospitals where there is no computer or Internet to check patient’s claims. And where the facility is present, there is no doctor,” said a senior official pleading anonymity.

He said the insurance companies continue to get premium from the government but due to low turnout of patients availing of the scheme, the refund by the insurance companies is quite low.

Last year’s premium paid to the insurance company was Rs 399 in Bathinda and out of 6,700 beneficiaries, merely 315 availed the benefit for which the insurance firm refund the claims to private and government hospitals of the district.

Twenty five per cent share in the scheme is contributed by the state government and 75 per cent is contributed by the Central government and the nodal agency in Punjab is the Punjab Health Systems Corporation.

Managing Director of the PHSC Hussan Lal, expressing satisfaction over the ‘number’ of patients receiving benefit under the scheme, said: “We never wish more people should fall sick and turn up. The overall figure of patients turning up to avail benefits has improved this year so far.” Moreover, the premium paid to the insurance companies drastically fell this year as compared to the previous year. The issue of dismal turnout of the BPL families in government hospitals has been taken up and new schemes are on the anvil to improve facilities at government hospitals, he added.

Bathinda, March 3
The ever rising number of road accidents on the Malout-Bathinda-Barnala road has once again exposed the government’s claims of tackling the menace in an effective manner.

City residents and volunteers of the NGOs said the high speed of the vehicles, miscalculated overtaking on the narrow roads have become the death trap for many commuters plying on the road. It is pertinent to mention here that the death of three kanwarias also occurred on the same stretch, which led to unruly protest by the residents of Rampura.

Four Sriganganagar residents, including newlywed Sandeep Singh, his wife Mandeep Kaur, Amritpal and Gurwinder lost their lives today when their high-speed SUV (Nissan Terrano) collided head-on with a rashly driven truck on the Bathinda-Malout road. The accident occurred near the bus stand of Behman Diwana village.

“This is not for the first time that such an accident took place at this stretch. Earlier, too, six or seven mishaps occurred at the same point in the past few years,” said Jagga, a resident of Behman Diwana village.

Jagga was on a morning walk on the link road connecting with the Malout-Bathinda road when he heard the unprecedented loud thud. “The SUV’s parts were flung away up to 30 to 40 feet away when I rushed to the accident spot. The moment I reached there, vehicles started piling up leading to commotion and people called up the NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa,” Jagga said.

He added that more people from his village came over as the sound reached there as well. The village is situated around two and a-half-kilometer away away from the 
accident spot.

“Since the truck was loaded with something in packed boxes, which are yet not opened by the police, it failed to move aside after the collision and was jammed on the spot after its front wheels were detached. The SUV, appeared like a small hatchback due to the impact of the collision,” said another Gurpreet Singh.

Gurpreet said that wife of a police inspector had died on this stretch, occupants of an ambulance were killed and two young boys working in a factory had also died on the same stretch.

NGO president Vijay Goyal said the terrible accident has led to panic among the area residents. The entire road up to Bathinda comprising Balluana and Karamgarh Sattran villages is dangerous where most of the accidents take place.

“People should learn to drive vehicles within a speed limit under which their vehicle can be controlled. Miscalculation and risky overtaking will surely end up in serious injury, which should be avoided at any cost,” Goyal said.

Also, the government needs to carry out the widening of roads in a more efficient manner so that the vehicles passing through the stretch should not pay the price with the lives of the people.

Bathinda, march 3
The aim to check tax evasion with the introduction of VAT seems to have boomeranged in Punjab, as the lacunae in the system has led to a loss of Rs 5,800 crore to the state exchequer in the last four years. The liability of the government to reimburse the money to traders is on the rise since 2009.

The officials of the department term bogus sale-purchase and non-existent inter-state sale as the chief reason behind the huge amount of liability in the last four years. The department has now woken up from deep slumber to take ‘stringent’ measures by registering cases of cheating against the traders and their own department officials.

From Rs 16,700 crore profit between the year 2006 to 2009, Punjab now owes Rs 5,800 crore to the traders and business houses who claims reimbursement under the Input Tax Credit.

After initial refusal to divulge data under the Right to Information Act (RTI) but disclosing figures after first appeal filed by The Tribune, the details provided by the Punjab Excise and Taxation department reveals that the first three years of the introduction of VAT in 2005, the government has earned Rs 3,900 crore in 2005-06, Rs 3,840 crore in 2006-07, Rs 4,460 crore in 2007-08 and Rs 4,500 crore in 2008-09.

The government, however, came under the Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims of Rs 250 crore towards business houses in 2009-10, Rs 2,660 crore in 2010-11, Rs 2,260 crore in 2011-12 and nearly Rs 600 crore in the year 2012-13.

The officials of the department that huge losses incurred following the unchecked mushrooming of the Input Tax Credit (ITC) with bogus sale-purchase and non-existent goods and exports.

What is ITC? ITC is a tax which is paid on the purchase of goods. For instance, if A purchase goods worth Rs 10,000 by paying a VAT of 13 per cent which is Rs 1,300 (totaling Rs 11,300) and sells the same goods for Rs 12,000 by receiving a VAT of 13 per cent which is Rs 1,560 (totaling Rs 13,560), then the Input Tax Credit is Rs 1,300 and output tax is Rs 1,560 Net VAT Payable is Rs 1,560-1,300 = 260.

Lacuna-I: Distributor A purchases goods, sells the same to retailer-B without bills (retailer B purchases goods and sell goods directly to customers). Distributor A sells non-existent goods with a bogus bill to distributor C. Distributor C claims Input Tax Credit from the government and further sells the bill to someone else (D). D claims reimbursement-in lieu of the bill someone else (E).

Lacuna-II: Purchaser (A) purchase goods from Punjab by paying 13 per cent VAT and show bogus sale outside Punjab by paying CST 1 per cent but claims 13 per cent reimbursement under the ITC.

Bathinda, March 3
Employees of the Deputy Commissioner’s office today announces they would go on strike till March 5.

In a press release issued by the state general secretary, Gurnam Singh Virk, here today, it was stated that a decision in this regard was taken during a meeting presided over by the state president of Punjab State District (Deputy Commissioner) Office Employees Union, Vijay Kumar.

It was stated that earlier, the strike was till March 3, but it was extended in protest against the misbehavior during a protest by their union members in outside the residence of the Punjab Finance Minister in Sangrur.

Under the strike, all the employees in the offices of Deputy Commissioners, SDMs, Tehsil and sub-tehsils will stay away from their routine work till March 5.

On March 5, the union members will take out a protest march on motorcycles and highlight the sorry state of affairs in the government offices by distributing pamphlets in Bathinda.

The press release stated that the union would also press the government to fulfill the long-pending demands related to the employees. 

Bathinda, March 3
The students of Gian Zail Singh PTU campus won top positions in various technical fests held at IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and Baba Farid Group of Institutes.

In the event held at IIT Delhi, 13 teams participated from various colleges, IITs, NITs and Delhi University. The team of GZS PTU campus, including Brinder Singh, Amandeep Singh, Arjun Kashyap, Sandeep Sharma and Laraib Quamar bagged the first position at the robotic event ‘Arjun’. Another team, including Lovepreet, Bhupinder, Sapna, Amandeep and Shobum, got selected among top 40 out of 400 teams across India participating in ROBOTRYST-14.

In the national robotics championship held at IIT Bombay, the team with Mandeep, Rajat, Brinder and Yuvraj, were selected among top eight teams out of 72 in the MAGNETO competition. — TNS

Bathinda, March 3
Like all other public places, the stations too need to have better hygiene. Railways can enter into a public-private partnership for maintaining toilets and cleanliness on the premises. The station needs better facility for drinking water. When the Railway Department has enough income from goods train, it should be generous enough to spare some for essential infrastructure. The city also needs halt stations near the TV Tower and the Thermal Plant so that passengers can alight and board the train as per their convenience.

Bathinda, March 3
Jagmel Singh Jathol, principal of a government school, Selbrah village, has written his second book of short essays, “Pehlan Sehat Zaroori Ae”.

The book will be released at a book fair of the National Book Trust (NBT) in Jalandhar that will be held from March 15 to 23. The book is a compilation of 28 essays, which deals with all aspects of health. From the importance of a healthy mind and body to the significance of having a balanced and healthy diet, the book covers all facets of human body.

City-based bibliophile and publisher Attarjit Singh has published this book at his publication house, Balraj Sahni Yaadgari Prakashan. A renowned Punjabi writer Baldev Singh, best known for his works ‘Saraknama’, has written the preface to the book describing it as a guiding lamp for the young generation, which is caught in the web of modernisation.

The book talks about health issues at the young age of 25 to 35 years, the water therapy, remaining happy for a healthy life, the madness at work and fear of death and falling ill.

Jathol’s first book, ‘Zindagi Zindabad’, talked about the ways of life. It was written to dispel the seriousness, life brings with waft of lighter vein. With ‘Pehlan Sehat Zaroori Ae’, Jathol has graduated on a serious note. His ‘Zindagi Zindabad’ has already occupied a place in the educational institutes’ libraries and ‘Pehlan Sehat Zaroori Ae’ is expected to follow the same.

He has, earlier, edited Abhinandan Granth of 77-year-old Roop Singh Rupa, an NRI from the USA. The book will be released on March 20 by the NBT chairman Baldev Singh Baddan, author Baldev Singh Saraknama and publisher Attarjit Singh.

Bathinda, March 3
Guru Kashi University today held Gyan-Vigyan Khetibari Mela wherein two progressive farmers were honoured and 55 stalls related to agriculture practices were displayed.

Chief guest chairman, PUNSEED, Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, inaugurated the event.

Farmers from the surrounding villages had thronged the event. The stalls displayed significant creations of all colleges of the university, agricultural machinery of prominent manufactures, PAU and PUNSEED stalls selling certified seed of kharif crops and two stalls of food crops selling eatables.

Agriculturists Sukhpal Singh Bhullar and Gurcharan Singh Mann were awarded for their progressive farming practices. Eminent agricultural scientists of different subjects enlightened farmers about latest techniques of agriculture.

There was a question-answer session wherein the experts answered queries of the farmers. The panel of experts included agriculture scientist Dr Daljit Singh for vegetables, Dr Jatinder Singh Brar for soils, Dr Joginder Singh for cotton, kharif expert Dr JS Brar, insecticide and pesticide expert Dr Ajmer Singh Sidhu, animal scientist Dr RS Sahota and Dr Bhagwant Singh Chahal.

Chancellor Dr JS Dhaliwal said event aimed at enhancing knowledge of farmers through seminars. Amarjeet Singh Sidhu also supplemented advice of scientists and urged upon farmers to visit this university as and when they find any problem in agriculture.

Vice-Chancellor Dr NS Malhi dwelt upon problems which farmers are confronted with and challenges posed to scientists to tackle the same effectively. Chairman Gurlabh Singh Sidhu thanked everybody.

Offer letters were also handed over to eight engineering students who were selected by Air Soft Infoysys. A colorful cultural programme was held and prizes were given to the winners of Lok-Kalawan and the gatka team.

Famous environmentalist and singer Ram Singh Albela presented songs about ecology and gave message of friendly environment for coming generation. Apart from the others dean, directors, staff, students, panches and sarpanches of surroundings villages were also present.