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assembly in session
Not allowed to discuss power scenario, Cong MLAs walk out
Wrong minister stands up to address query
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It is unfair to point finger at Majithia: Capt
Fiscal consolidation main focus: Finance Minister
Worrying signs: Share of primary sector in GSDP on the decline
Figures reveal the stark reality
Akal Takht move draws flak from various quarters
Rs 310 cr for PAU
Rs 18-crore paddy scam unearthed in Moga
Rehabilitate Iraq evacuees: NRI Sabha
Amogh division celebrates 43rd Raising Day
Probe wheat distribution: BJP ex-minister
Bajwa wants better deal for paramilitary
Lambi projects flawed, allege residents; demand probe
75% posts of teacher vacant in 3 Sangrur govt colleges
Dowry case: Suicide bid by victim’s brother
Rs 2-crore cotton gutted in Sriganganagar
Govt pensioners to hold protest today
5 get life term in kidnapping case
Two held with 5 kg heroin
4 held for helping proclaimed offender
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Chandigarh, July 16
The tertiary sector, including trade, hotels, transport, banking, real estate and public administration, too showed a decline in growth of 7.95 per cent from 11.82 per cent last year. The survey figures state that even the per capita income has shown a growth of 3.26 per cent, compared to 3.48 per cent the previous year. The per capita income in the state was Rs 47,834 in last financial year, above from Rs 46,325 a year earlier. Punjab is ranked eighth in the country now, as per the income of each of its resident. The survey report noted that the agriculture sector, the lifeline of the economy, has shown signs of a serious slowdown over the past few years. The growth rate has been negative since 2007-08. The sector recorded a negative growth of -.05 per cent in the last financial year. It argued that the growth is slowing down as cropping intensity and irrigation potential have already been fully exploited and has reached a saturation point. The report claims the industry sector performed little better with exports increasing to Rs 24,000 crore during 2012-13 from Rs 21,302 cr earlier. The sector has 450 large and medium-scale industrial units with a turnover of Rs 10,500 crore. In the power sector, the report reiterated the state’s promise of increasing generation with the commissioning of new plants. Employment sector was also a big worry as youth unemployment remained a big challenge to the government.
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Cong dubs Budget ‘directionless’
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Not allowed to discuss power scenario, Cong MLAs walk out
Chandigarh, July 16 Carrying placards on the "poor" power and water supply in the state, the MLAs, who were led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Sunil Jakhar, gathered in the well of the House, raised slogans and walked out. They were demanding an explanation from the SAD-BJP government over its claims of making the state power surplus. They returned after 10 minutes. They were in the House when the Budget proposals were being read out by Finance Minister PS Dhindsa. Jakhar said the Chief Minister had claimed on December 8 last year that the state would become power surplus once the Rajpura thermal plant and the Talwandi Sabo power plant became functional. Yet the state continued to see power cuts. The SAD-BJP legislators who defended the government faced embarrassment when power in the Assembly went off later during the session. Trouble began after Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal presented the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) report, giving only an hour to the MLAs to raise issues. The Congress MLAs insisted that a discussion on power supply, drug smuggling and other issues be held first and the Budget presented later. They argued that the Budget was a mere formality as a vote-on-account had already been passed. Jakhar argued that nothing was more important than a discussion on the power cuts, drinking water supply, sand prices and the drug mafia. The Speaker maintained that rules did not permit any other discussion on the day the Budget was to be presented. He reminded the Opposition MLAs that they had discussed these issues in the past. To this, Jakhar responded that the issues had become even more grave and needed to be addressed. The Speaker said the MLAs should have given a notice on the points they wanted to raise well in time for the government to respond.
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question hour
Chandigarh, July 16 Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal reminded the members to maintain the dignity of the House and to address the Chair rather than one another. Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema had a hard time replying to supplementary queries by Congress MLA Tarlochan Singh on how many among the 108 meritorious students in Ludhiana belonged to the Scheduled Caste category. While the MLA wanted to know if the students were given scholarship or free admission, the Education Minister started giving details on the government’s free education scheme. The Speaker intervened to say that the schools mentioned in the reply fell in the urban category. He asked the minister to ask his staff to check the facts. Public Works Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon started reading out a reply to a question by MLA Surinder Singh Bhulewal that was addressed to Agriculture Minister Tota Singh. The Speaker pointed out the "misunderstanding", much to the amusement of the Opposition MLAs. Welfare pension cases As many as 5,264 welfare pension cases are pending in the state, Surjit Kumar Jayani, Social Security and Women and Child Development Minister, told the House. He was replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Laal Singh. The highest numbers of such cases were in Sangrur (2326) followed by Amritsar (1125). The minister said the pending cases were likely to be disposed of by the month-end. On collector rate Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia assured the House that the deputy commissioners would consult the MLA of their area before finalising the collector rates. He was responding to a query by Akali MLA Iqbal Singh Jhundan. He wanted to know if there was any proposal to reduce the collector rate for land in rural and urban areas. Majithia said there was no such proposal. Congress MLA Jagmohan Kang asked Majithia to check the rules as the government, and not the DCs, were empowered to take a decision on the matter. On vacant posts Sikander Singh Maluka, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, said the government would soon fill vacant posts in Block Development Offices in Raikot, Sudhar and Pakhowal, either by fresh recruitment or through transfers. He was responding to a question by MLA Gurcharan Singh Boparai. Facilities for Batala Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi told the House that the Batala Municipal Council would soon start the process to provide basic facilities to certain areas of the town under the Integrated Housing Slum Development Project of the central government.
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Synthetic drug racket
New Delhi, July 16 Amarinder’s statement comes at a time when voices within the Congress for a transparent inquiry into the alleged role of Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the racket are growing. Capt Amarinder, Congress’ Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, said it was unfair to point the finger at the minister merely on the basis of the statements of drug lord Jagdish Bhola. “However, if the state police indict Majithia in its probe, the law should take its course. Till then, political witch hunting should stop,” Amarinder said justifying his stand on a probe by the Punjab Police as against the CBI which the Congress has been seeking. “The CBI is overworked. We can’t wait for 10 years for the case to be probed. If the Punjab Police probe is not found satisfactory, we can have another inquiry,” Amarinder said. Amarinder has meanwhile received a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a letter he earlier wrote to him seeking a national drug policy. The PM’s response dated July 9 is non-committal on the policy and merely acknowledges Amarinder’s missive.
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Fiscal consolidation main focus: Finance Minister
Chandigarh, July 16 Q Considering the high revenue deficit and no new taxes, how will you go for additional resource mobilisation? We will focus on better tax compliance and plugging loopholes in tax collection. With the economic sentiment improving, we are targeting a higher growth in tax revenues this year. We will spend more on capital expenditure rather than revenue expenditure and create more infrastructure to boost the economic sentiment. Our share from the central taxes and grant-in-in aidwill also be higher this year. Over the past two years, we have curtailed administrative expenses, which have led to savings. But this year, need-based expenses will have to be made. Q Can you specify two new things you have introduced in your Budget proposals? We have allocated funds for drug de-addiaction centres (Rs 100 crore) and for skill development (Rs 550 crore). This will benefit three lakh people this year itself. A skill development policy is on the cards as well. Q What are the reasons for the slow revenue growth in 2013-14? The growth figures projected in the Budget last year were realistic, but our VAT and stamp duty collections, that constitute a major part of the revenue receipts, have been less than what we had anticipated. The VAT collections were Rs 16,749.60 crore as against a target of Rs 17,760 crore while the stamp duty collections weare Rs 2,510 crore against the target of Rs 3,450 crore. The negative economic sentiment is now over and the growth will be much higher this year. Q Which sectors have got the maximum allocation? I have ensured that education, health and agriculture continue to get the maximum allocation. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. Q Do you agree that subsidies and sops are the bane of Punjab's economy? No, I don’t think so. Neither our power subsidy bill nor the social security spending is as high as that of neighbouring states. As a welfare state, we cannot deprive the under-privileged of certain concessions. We must help them. "We have allocated Rs 100 crore for drug de-addiction centres and Rs 550 crore for skill development. This will benefit three lakh people this year itself. A skill development policy is on the cards too" — Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister "We will spend more on capital expenditure rather than revenue expenditure and create more infrastructure to boost the economic sentiment. The negative sentiment is now over " —Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister "We have not imposed fresh taxes. Higher taxes do not yield higher revenue. The aim of the SAD-BJP government is to increase revenue through better tax compliance." —Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Finance Minister
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Worrying signs: Share of primary sector in GSDP on the decline
Chandigarh, July 16 The Budget proposals indicate that the share of agriculture and allied sectors in the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) came down to 20.84 per cent in 2013-2014 from 32.67 per cent in 2004-05 and that of the secondary sector, that includes the manufacturing and construction, declined to 28.30 per cent in 2013-14 from 30.86 per cent in 2009-10. “Both primary and secondary sectors are productive sectors and a decline in their share in the economy is a bad sign. This means that the economy is no more dynamic. Consequently, there is fall in the income and living standards of the people dependent on these sectors. Suicide by farmers is clearly linked to the falling share of the farm sector in the GSDP,” says Lakhwinder Singh Gill, Director, Centre for Development Economics and Innovations Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala. The share of the tertiary sector in the GSDP went up to 50.86 per cent in 2013-14 from 42.59 per cent in 2004-05. The state government had held high-profile summits to promote the agriculture and manufacturing sectors a few months ago. Slow growth rate Punjab’s growth rate vis-a-vis several states is relatively low. Whereas Madhya Pradesh’s growth rate was 11.08 per cent in 2013-14, in Punjab it was 5.30 per cent. Likewise, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Bihar are also ahead Punjab. During the Tenth Plan and the Eleventh Plan, Punjab was one of the slowest growing states in the country. In the last fiscal year, the growth rate of the primary sector was 0.44 per cent and that of agriculture was in the negative (0.37%). The state government in its Budget today neither announced any concrete proposal nor a commission to address issues related to a slowdown in the economic growth, especially the decreasing share of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors in the GSDP that has resulted in increased unemployment in the villages. Surveys conducted by universities indicate that more and more people are exiting the primary sector and turning to casual labour. Some relief However, what should come as some comfort the state government is that the devolution of resources from the Centre during this fiscal would be Rs 13,588 crore against last year’s figure of Rs 9,932 crore. Punjab has been constantly urging the Centre to increase the state's share from 39 per cent to 50 per cent.
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Figures reveal the stark reality Brazilian lyricist Paulo Coelho has written that when you want something desperately, the entire universe conspires to help you achieve it. I have always felt that there is an obverse to this observation, that the universe frequently conspires to cruelly show us our reality and weaknesses. The load-shedding during the Finance Minister’s speech is a cruel instance of the latter. The government has been claiming that the power-surplus state will turn into an electricity exporter. But the brief power failure is a sign of the actual situation. Verbal exactitudes It is unfortunate that despite the Punjab’s precarious situation, the government continues to fib with gay abandon. The Budget is yet another instance of what Winston Churchill would have described as “verbal inexactitudes”. The chasms between the budgetary estimates and the revised estimates are big enough to be called grand canyons of falsehood. To give a few examples, as per the Budget estimates last year, the receipts expected from stamp and revenue collections were Rs 3,450 crore. But as per the revised estimates, these are estimated at Rs 2,510 crore. The budgetary estimates for VAT collections were Rs 17,760 crore while the actual figure is Rs16,749 crore. The urban receipts were overestimated by over Rs 500 crore while the income from mining and irrigation was overestimated by Rs 140 crore and Rs 130 crore, respectively. The actual receipts from lottery are Rs 81 crore whereas the government expected these to be about Rs 362 crore. And finally the grant-in-aid from the Centre! For the better part of its tenure, the SAD-BJP government has vilified the UPA government for not acceding to Punjab’s requests and for callously disregarding the state’s fiscal needs. No help from NDA govt The Akali government would pontificate that if its ruling partner in Punjab were to be at the helm of affairs at the Centre, the UPA’s unfair parsimony in case of Punjab would give away to a fiscal benevolence. The reality, however, is rather underwhelming. Punjab expected a grant-in-aid worth Rs 6,573 crore while the actual grant was to the tune of Rs 5,365 crore. In the NDA government’s first Budget, Punjab barely found a mention. What to talk of the long-pending loan waiver, the state did not find a place in any of the flagship schemes launched by the NDA government! It is clear that the state government has inflated its income by Rs 6,000 crore. But this is only half the story. When it comes to expenses, the malaise of overestimation gives way to conservatism! To take two instances, the government estimated the expenses from pension and retirement at Rs 5,168 crore. In reality, these exceed Rs 6,000 crore. Likewise, the money spent on devolution to local bodies has been underestimated by Rs 140 crore. The honorable FM in his last Budget speech had said the revenue deficit would be Rs 1,746 crore. Sadly, it turned out to be Rs 5,259 crore. If the revised estimates are so off the mark from the budgetary numbers, the very thought of how sordid the actual numbers would be staggers one’s imagination. Unconscionable expenses Successive governments have so blatantly peddled in the business of lies, that the reality has been buried under thickets of window-dressing. The state is enveloped in a darkness from where there seems to be no escape. We excel in self-pity, blaming others for our misfortune and worse, expecting others to save us from our decrepitude. Isn’t it disgraceful that we fail to pay salaries on time, are not averse to mortgage public properties to fund our own expenses, shamelessly burden the exchequer by increasing our unconscionable expenditures and creating parasitical sinecures and then present a monstrous revenue deficit of over Rs 5,000 crore with no compunction? For any student of history, Edward Gibbon’s epic work on the rise and the fall of the Roman empire makes a cathartic reading. If someone were to document the plummet of Punjab, it would be an epic tragedy in its own right. In the decades after Independence, Punjab was the prima donna among the Indian provinces. Jawaharlal Nehru would take visiting dignitaries to Punjab to showcase all that was good about India. Sadly, Punjab today epitomises all that is wrong about India. Yes, even the most miserable situations can be turned around, but such transformations begin with honest acceptance and some tough actions. If Punjab has to turn a corner for the better, we need to accept that we are in darkness. Candid admissions in the first state Budget under the new government in New Delhi would have been a good way to start that. Regrettably, we continue to be doomed to false bravados. (The writer is former Finance Minister of Punjab and PPP president)
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Excommunication of HSGPC members
Amritsar, July 16 Among the prominent faces who resented the move are SGPC member Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, the granddaughter of SGPC founder Master Tara Singh. She raised the voice of dissent in a meeting of the SGPC members chaired by its president Avtar Singh Makkar here this morning. She contended that Akal Takht should not be dragged into the issue, which should be resolved politically and legally. Talking to The Tribune, Bibi Kiranjot Kaur said it was wrong to take the issue to Akal Takht. She also felt that proper procedure was not followed while ex-communicating these leaders. “The meeting of the SGPC members at 11 am was followed by a meeting of the SGPC executive whose resolution was quickly handed over to the Sikh high priests and by 4 pm Haryana Sikh leaders were ex-communicated. What was the hurry,” she wondered. She also took exception to the fact that the meeting of the SGPC members was held without installing Guru Granth Sahib at the meeting hall. “Whenever a religious issue is discussed by the SGPC members, Guru Granth Sahib is installed at the meeting venue.” She said it would send a wrong message because if “we ourselves would not follow the ‘maryada’ what we will tell others”. Kiranjot Kaur also posted on social networking site Facebook, “I am totally opposed to fragmentation of the SGPC but now that Haryana has initiated legal procedure for a Haryana Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, we need to rethink our strategy. Using Akal Takht to de-recognise it is a bad option. I do not agree with the resolution passed in today’s meeting at Teja Singh Samundari Hall that Akal Takht be asked to ex-communicate Sikhs from Haryana who facilitated this separate committee. Many members supported me after the meeting. If Akal Takht is seen to be acting in a partial manner, there is likelihood of revolt! Let us not diminish the authority of Akal Takht, where all Sikhs bow, by using it to crush political dissent. Noted Sikh scholar Ashok Singh Bagrian said, “The Akal Takht edict is not in the overall interest of the Sikh Panth. It will widen the chasm between the two groups and strengthen the divide between them. It is unfortunate.” Former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) SP Singh said “it is purely a political issue, which has been turned into a religious one while terming the decision to ex-communicate these leaders as the one taken in haste. With this move, the prestige of the Akal Takht has taken a hit.” Former DSGMC chief Harvinder Singh Sarna termed it “a black day” in the Sikh history while demanding that the decision be immediately withdrawn. “I would like to know as to which religious disobedience these Haryana leaders have resorted to that they have been ex-communicated.” He said the ruling SAD is “frustrated” as the Centre has not come to its rescue over the Haryana gurdwara panel issue. Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa also dubbed the Akal Takht edict as “unprincipled and unacceptable”. Dal Khalsa Chief HS Dhami and spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh felt the three Sikh leaders have been ex-communicated arbitrarily and with no fault of them. “Asking for their right to manage gurdwaras independent of Badals was no way a sin. The Badals are unable to digest their moral defeat and in the desperation they are all set to destroy the supremacy and sanctity of august seat of the Akal Takht Jathedar and the credibility of the SGPC,” they said. The duo alleged that the edict released from the Akal Takht was drafted and finalised by the ruling SAD’s core committee in Chandigarh yesterday. They charged that the resolution passed in the SGPC executive meet was also “prepared on the instructions of Badal and the executive members were compelled to sign on dotted lines”. They blamed CM Badal and his Deputy CM son Sukhbir for “blatantly misusing the seat and seal of the Akal Takht to fix their adversaries”.
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Rs 310 cr for PAU
Ludhiana, July 16 BS Dhillon, Vice Chancellor, PAU, said this was the third budget since he took over as VC and he was happy with the quantum of grant. "It was Rs 183 crore last year. The same has now been increased to Rs 310 crore. The major area which needs research is technology for sustainable development of agriculture," he said. "Due to challenges such as climate change, energy, water and land shortage, high demand for food, farm production is likely to be affected. In this context, sustainable agriculture is highly recommended as an eco-system approach where soil, water, plants, environment and living organisms live in harmony. Innovative technologies should be developed to ensure sustainable agriculture and productivity using modern irrigation systems, improved varieties, and improved soil quality," said Dr Dhillon. The other research area PAU aimed to focus this year was to develop new varieties that could sustain climatic conditions while agro processing would be the other thrust areas, he said. Vice Chancellor VK Taneja said: “The sum announced for GADVASU is insufficient. Sometimes we do not even get the entire amount of the grant. Large dairy farms are coming up in the region and need of the hour is the work on technology for making these farms modernised requiring less manpower. Everything will be done automatically, from the amount of feed to be given to milking.”
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Rs 18-crore paddy scam unearthed in Moga
Moga, July 16 Investigating officer ASI Ved Parkash said paddy worth Rs 7.7 crore and Rs 10.53 crore went missing from Mahadev and Mahaveer rice mills, respectively. A formal complaint in that regard was lodged by the district manager of the Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation, a state-owned procurement agency. The missing paddy was stored at these rice mills in 2012-2013 by the agency. The discrepancy came to light during a physical verification earlier this year. “We asked the rice mill authorities to complete the paddy stock and deliver the custom milled rice to the FCI for the Central pool, but they failed to deliver the foodgrains to the agency,” a senior official of the corporation said. After the owners of these rice mills failed to deliver the custom milled rice to the FCI despite several reminders, a formal police complaint was lodged on July 2. After conducting a preliminary inquiry, the economic offences wing registered criminal cases against the mills last night. The rice millers who had committed the fraud would be arrested soon, a police official said. The agro-corporation has also decided to initiate legal proceedings in a competent court against these rice mills for the recovery of losses. }We asked the rice mill authorities to complete the paddy stock and deliver the custom milled rice to the FCI for the Central pool, but they failed to deliver the foodgrains to the agency.~ Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation official Another case * Paddy worth more than Rs 1 crore was has gone missing from a rice mill near Noormahal in Jalandhar district * The matter came to light during an inquiry by district manager of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation Pallavi Chhabra on June 24 * Pallavi Chhabra has written to the SSP, Jalandhar, to register a case * Around 12,000 bags containing 6,114 quintals of paddy have gone missing.
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Rehabilitate Iraq evacuees: NRI Sabha
Jalandhar, July 16 Addressing the mediapersons here today, sabha president Jasbir Singh Gill said they would take up these issues with the state government. There was a need to initiate a rehabilitation programme for the youths who recently returned from Iraq as most of them belonged to weaker sections of society and majority of them had debt to repay. The government should provide them financial aid as they had no source of income, he said. Gill said the sabha had started gathering information about the Punjabis who were still trapped in war-torn Iraq. The information was being shared with the district administration. He said no case had been registered against any unauthorised travel agent so far. "We will approach the district administration and the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to help us get cases registered against unauthorised travel agents involved in illegal migration of Punjabi youths," he added. The sabha claimed to have helped in evacuation of 26 Punjabi youths. Most of them had got only 10-day visa to Iraq. However, they stayed back in the war-torn country and worked illegally there. Gill said the sabha would set up a help desk for NRIs. "We want everyone who goes abroad to register with us so that we can
help them out in times of crisis," he added. Sarabjit Singh of Raipur Rasul village, who recently returned from Iraq, said he worked with construction company Fourth Dimension in Iraq. The company had not paid him his wages of around Rs 2 lakh for five months. "I want the government to help me get my salary so that I can repay my debt," he said. Gurdeep Singh of Garhdiwala said he went to Iraq through a Batala-based agent. He paid the agent Rs 1.2 lakh before getting the visa. "He made me sign a blank cheque in his name so that he could deduct the rest of the amount from my wages. I want my money back from the agent," he said.
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Amogh division celebrates 43rd Raising Day
Abohar, July 16 The division traces its glorious history to Foxtrot Sector that was raised on April 15, 1971, at Ambala Cantonment. The sector was re-christened as an Infantry Division on July 15, 1972. Over decades, the division has endeared itself with the local populace and continues to work in harmony with the civil authorities. Besides assisting the civil authorities in providing relief and conducting rescue operations during floods, the division has also been performing service like adopting schools in border areas with a view to provide computer education to the children.
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Probe wheat distribution: BJP ex-minister
Phagwara, July 16 He alleged wheat being provided to the poor from the ration depots was not fit for human consumption. Despite several representation to the officers concerned, no corrective measure had been taken so far, he said. Talking to reports this evening, he said the wheat was being sold on the black market for Rs 8 to Rs 15 per kg. Several irregularities were also found in weighing. Around 27 kg wheat was found in a bag of 30 kg.
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Bajwa wants better deal for paramilitary
Chandigarh, July 16 Welcoming the allocation of Rs 1,000 crore under the scheme for ex-servicemen, he said it was good that the NDA government had implemented the decision taken by the UPA government earlier. He said that the allocation should be hiked to Rs 3,000 crore. “It’s the para-military forces that have to deal with internal strife, be it fighting the Maoists in central India, the ultras in the North-East or those in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Lambi projects flawed, allege residents; demand probe
Lambi, July 16 In July last, water started seeping into the waterworks that was yet to be inaugurated at Mann village, near Badal village. It was built at a cost of Rs 1.6 crore, which was provided by the World Bank. In May this year, the road opposite the house of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, caved in because of faulty installation of sewerage pipes in Badal village. The road caved within a month of its construction. This month, the road linking Badal village to the Malout-Delhi national highway at Kheowali village caved in because the drainage pipes had not been laid properly at Kheowali village, near Badal village. These are just a few cases, which speak volumes about the shoddy work of the government. The local residents have been demanding a probe in the matter. “The Chief Minister brings a number of development projects in his constituency, but the officials concerned are least bothered to ensure quality material is used in the construction. All the recently completed or ongoing development works in Lambi assembly segment should be probed,” they said. A resident of Badal village said, “Akali jathedars rule the roost. The officials try to complete the project within the stipulated time period, but often compromise with the quality.” Raja Ram, sarpanch, Kheowali village, said, “The drain pipes for the village pond was laid about two years ago in our village, but the road caved in last week because the contractor had used sub-standard material. The entire pipe is leaking, but the authorities are only fixing the portion of the pipe that is beneath the national highway.” Darshan Singh, a private contractor, engaged to lay drainage pipes at Kheowali village, said, “The drainage pipe will be laid in three weeks and will cost Rs 2.55 lakh. The work has been allotted by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department.” District Development and Panchayat Officer Nawal Kumar said, “None of the projects completed in the recent past have developed any defects.”
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75% posts of teacher vacant in 3 Sangrur govt colleges
Sangrur, July 16 Government College, Sunam, has just four regular teachers against the sanctioned staff strength of 32. Besides, the college has eight part-time lecturers and 20 guest lecturers. The four regular teachers teach history, mathematics, chemistry and physical education. A college teacher said the Sunam Government College was established about 40 years ago with a total of 32 teachers. Nearly 350 students were enrolled in the college at the time. Over time, the number of students increased about 10 times, while the number of teaching staff remained the same, he said. The Malerkotla Government College has 69 sanctioned posts of teacher. However, the college has 16 regular teachers, nine part-time teachers and 42 guest faculty teachers. There are only four regular Punjabi teachers against the 11 sanctioned posts; one English teacher against the eight sanctioned posts; one economics teacher against the five sanctioned posts; and no regular Hindi teacher against the two sanctioned posts. At Government Ranbir College, Sangrur, there are only 20 regular teachers against the 61 sanctioned posts. The college has 14 part-time teachers and 27 guest teachers. The students complained that their studies suffered due to the shortage of regular teaching staff. They said the guest teachers, who were paid low wages, were not sincere towards their job.
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Dowry case: Suicide bid by victim’s brother
Abohar, July 16 Balwinder said the police failed to act against his sister’s in-laws, when they tried to strangle her on July 2. He said though Kuldeep Kaur (25) was rescued, the police did not round up her in-laws. Her father Bachan Singh, a rickshaw puller, claimed that Kuldeep was rescued by her elder sister, who had incidentally visited her. Bachan Singh alleged Kuldeep’s in-laws were harassing her when he could not buy an LCD and a motorcycle for them. Balwinder Singh accused the police of his parents to reach a compromise instead of taking action. The police admitted that they were aiming to help the two families reach a compromise, but denied other allegations.
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Rs 2-crore cotton gutted in Sriganganagar
Abohar, July 16 Bhanwer Lal Sharma, the owner of Bal Chand Cotton Industries, said he was informed about the fire at 12.30 pm. City police in charge Ranveer Sai said fire tenders were called from the Air Force base station, the local Municipal Council and Peelibanga town. The fire was doused by 5 pm and JCB machines were used in the operation. Short circuit was said to be the cause of the fire. Preliminary estimates stated that 900 bales of processed cotton and 1,600 bags of cotton seed were damaged in the fire.
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Govt pensioners to hold protest today
Sangrur, July 16 State vice-president of the Punjab Government Pensioners Confederation Raj Kumar Arora said the state government had not released the instalment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears to the pensioners since July 2013. It had also not given them DA instalment of 10 per cent from January 2014. Due to this, there was resentment among the pensioners, he added. There were over 3 lakh government pensioners in the state who were waiting for the arrears. Besides, the medical bills of the pensioners were also not being cleared by the treasuries for the past some months. The pensioners had also been demanding an increase in their monthly medical allowance from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500, besides the merger of 50 per cent DA with basic pension. By not issuing notifications with regard to already accepted demands of the pensioners, the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister had back-tracked on their promises, he said. He asked the Chief Minister to implement their accepted demands as soon as possible so that the pensioners could lead a smooth life.
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5 get life term in kidnapping case
Bathinda, July 16 The convicted persons are identified as Mandip Kaur, her husband Daljit Singh, Kampal Singh, Jasvir Singh and Pavittar Singh, all residents of Muktsar. The victim said Mandip Kaur befriended him over the phone and met him near Malout on June 17 in 2010. She along with her accomplices then kidnapped him. Advocate BS Dhillon said the boy’s family had considerable landholding in Muktsar and a hotel in Sector 35. After the five accused released the victim, they were arrested. The victim was found lying on the roadside near
Malout.
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Two held with 5 kg heroin
Amritsar, July 16 The police seized around 5 kg of heroin worth Rs 25 crore in the international market and counterfeit currency to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh from Dalbir Singh of Mutthawala village in Patti and Nishan Singh of Noor Mohammad village in Tarn Taran. The initial probe revealed that the accused had been working on the instructions of their kingpin who is running the racket through his mobile phone from a jail in Ferozepur. The accused were produced in a local court which sent them to four-day police remand. Sources said the police were trying to identify the kingpin and bring him on police remand from the Ferozepur jail.
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4 held for helping proclaimed offender
Fatehgarh Sahib, July 16 Those arrested were proclaimed offender Shinderpal Singh’s wife Manjit Kaur, a resident of Bhadson, his father-in-law Mukha Singh, brothers-in-law Krishan Kumar and Gorkha Ram, all residents of Nabipur village in the district. Nabipur police station in charge Kamaljit Singh said the CIA staff of the Patiala police had information that Shinderpal Singh, who was declared a proclaimed offender in a murder case of November 17, 2011, was residing at his in-laws’ house in Nabipur village. A raid was conducted to arrest him, but Shinderpal managed to flee. The arrested accused allegedly engaged the police party in an altercation so that the police could not follow Shinderpal. The accused were arrested and produced in a court to seek their police remand for further investigation.
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The Economic Survey Report of the last financial year released during the Budget Session in the Assembly today does not point out encouraging signs for the state’s economy. While the state government’s debt has increased to Rs 86,453 (as per revised estimates), and is likely to touch Rs 95,670 (as per the Budget estimates), the survey stated there was another Rs 35,000 crore debt on farmers.
It's growth-oriented: CM
The primary sector, including the agriculture and livestock, saw a decline in growth rate of 0.14 per cent compared to 1.81 per cent the previous year. The secondary sector of manufacturing, power and construction witnessed a marginal increase to 2.75 per cent from 2.38 per cent the previous year. The main sectors of manufacturing and electricity, gas and water supply saw a decline in growth from 3.08 per cent to 2.95 per cent and 3.14 to 2.81 per cent, respectively.
"The Budget is
lacklustre, listless and nothing short of betrayal with people of Punjab. Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa seems to have done only accounting work rather than coming out with a cohesive approach to mend the state economy. The absence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Assembly today is unprecedented and reflects the importance given to this exercise by him. The government is unsure of the budget size, which it claimed was Rs 73,593 crore while the effective size was Rs 58,593 crore due to a provision of Rs 15,000 crore towards ways and means transactions. The government should come out with the details of resource mobilisation which is missing in the Budget
speech" —Partap
Bajwa,
"The budget has failed to address the expectations of the people, be it the unemployed, farmers or industry, which have just got passing references. Any schemes mentioned in the budget were central schemes launched by the previous Congress-led UPA government. The government has neither the will nor resources to offer anything to anyone. The budget is a statement of admission of fiscal failure. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal abstained from the budget presentation in the Vidhan
Sabha, which only reflects his lack of sincerity towards Punjab."—Capt Amarinder Singh,
