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ED detects ‘hawala’ deals worth
Rs 15 cr
Fireworks likely during Rahul’s visit today
Cops round up protesting ETT teachers in Jalalabad
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Automated meter reading scheme fails to take off
Against service norms, JE puts up hoardings to thank Badals
Cong questions VAT panel chief’s appointment
Sukhbir’s claims on central aid false: Cong
Duped by pvt seed firm, Mansa farmers protest
Doctors' panel flays govt action
Revision of poll rolls begins
Pages missing from Supriya’s diary: Kin
Tribunal overturns poll outcome
Solar power plant commissioned five months ahead of deadline
CM asks rice exporters to adopt villages
Abohar residents protest
non-payment of pension
U-turn over support to colleges triggers stir
Murder convict flees from hospital
Govt staff found absent during inspection
Ailing Samridhi dead
Seniority of teachers
4 Ludhiana doctors booked for fraud
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ED detects ‘hawala’ deals worth
Rs 15 cr
Chandigarh, October 15 About 40-50 export houses and firms in Punjab, particularly those in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, are under the ED lens for claiming “bogus” duty incentive drawback by sending empty containers or by submitting exaggerated bills or by “under-valuing” imports to avoid customs duty. The growing practice is not limited to one trade. It is widely prevalent among exporters of garments and machinery parts. Two ED teams led by Assistant Directors Manoj Sharma and PK Bharal conducted simultaneous raids on the residence and business premises of Ludhiana-based cycle exporter and owner of Nice Exports Sanjiv Gupta. The raids, that started at 2 pm, continued till late in the night. Gupta was away to New Delhi. The raiding team recovered cash worth over Rs 55 lakh from Gupta’s residence. It also detected a ‘hawala’ and export incentive duty drawback scam worth Rs 15 crore. Sources said Gupta was allegedly showing export of bicycle parts (under the names of different brands) to Europe and Dubai “only on paper” and was involved in bogus drawing of central export duty incentives running into crores. The Centre’s export duty drawback incentives range between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of the export value. A perusal of the seized documents revealed Gupta’s modus operandi. His firm made “bogus” exports and received cheques from countries of export to comply with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) requirements. The “ill-gotten” money was routed back to foreign countries through “hawala” transactions against cheques and multiple traveller cheques with the help of Jalandhar-based owners of Happy Forex. In 2012, the ED had seized cash worth Rs 1.25 crore from the premises of Happy Forex as well as documents pertaining to ‘hawala’ transaction beneficiaries across Punjab and neighbouring states. Karimpuri seeks probe Phagwara: The Bahujan Samaj Party has demanded a probe by a Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge into the drug racket in the state. Party president Avtar Singh Karimpuri said it should be ensured that the state government did not influence the course of inquiry. He claimed that the police was going only after the small fish. He alleged that atrocities on Dalits in the state was on the rise. Condemning the killing of two Dalit brothers in a fake encounter near Jamalpur in Ludhiana, he demanded a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the aggrieved family. Karimpuri described the government decision to transfer 125 MBBS seats reserved for SCs to students in the general category as "anti-Dalit." — Ashok Kaura Modus operandi About export duty drawback It is an incentive to exporters to promote exports and to neutralise the impact of duties such as excise and customs to help them compete in the international market. The central government re-imburses export duty up to 10 per cent of the export value.
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Fireworks likely during Rahul’s visit today
Chandigarh, October 15 The Capt Amarinder Singh camp is also gearing up to rally around him after a confirmation was received in the evening that he would attend a meeting with Rahul as the condition of his mother has improved. Bajwa has directed district and block presidents to conduct periodical meetings and pulled some district units, including Patiala, for delayed organisation of a meeting. Rahul would meet district and block presidents at the Congress Bhawan immediately after addressing a function of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) at Panjab University, Chandigarh. However, fireworks are expected in the post-lunch session where Rahul would meet MLAs and MPs. All eyes are on the Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh on whether he and his supporter MLAs would take up the issue of change of leadership of the state unit. Bajwa told mediapersons that he had the backing of Rahul Gandhi. "After he took over as the party vice-president, I was among the first leaders appointed by him. I have his backing. I don't indulge in groupism. My aim is to galvanise the party for forthcoming elections," he said. Bajwa also announced a schedule of monthly meetings to be followed by district and block units. He announced that the party would launch agitations over issues concerning the masses and abuse of power by the Akalis. An MLA who is a close confidant of Bajwa said that Rahul's visit was quite significant as it would make a statement on whose writ ran in the state unit. "We are pitching for unity and for a leader who stays in the state, not one who remains away most of the time," he said. An MLA in the Amarinder Singh camp said they had their points ready to question the leadership of
Bajwa. "We have a simple and straight point to make that how can someone who regularly needs the high command's support to run the party can fight with the
Akalis," he said.
The stage is set
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Cops round up protesting ETT teachers in Jalalabad
Fazilka, October 15 The teachers alleged the government after completing the process of recruiting 4,901 TET-pass ETT teachers, cancelled the recruitment on October 2. Jaswinder Singh, district president, 4,901 TET-pass Unemployed ETT Teachers Union, demanded that the recruitment process be resumed. The teachers were detained in Jalalabad city and sadar police stations till evening. Jaswinder alleged the police rounded up nearly 10 women and 26 men. He alleged the teachers were roughed up. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swapan Sharma and other officers reached Jalalabad to take stock of the situation. Ajmer Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jalalabad, denied any teacher was harassed. He clarified they were detained to prevent any inconvenience to the commuters on the highway. The police officers said their demands had been conveyed to the Deputy Chief Minister. The police had made elaborate arrangements to foil the teachers’ attempt to block the highway. A large number of police personnel were deployed on the Fazilka-Ferozepur highway, Muktsar Road, Shaheed Udham Singh Park and other sensitive areas. Non-teaching employees demand arrears Patiala: The local unit of Non-Teaching Employees Union of Multani Mal Modi College, Patiala, protested the state government’s bias against non-teaching employees of private-aided colleges today. The non-teaching employees of the college staged a dharna on the college gate from 10 am to 2 pm. Vinod Sharma, secretary of the union, said the state government should issue the notification to release the arrears of the revised pay scale from 1.1.2006 according to the recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission. He claimed their income was at par with that of government employees. He said the government had released the arrears of government employees, whereas the non-teaching employees of private-aided-colleges had not received their arrears. DN Yadav, president of the union, said the ban on holding fresh recruitment should be lifted as many posts had been lying vacant for several years.
Teachers allege govt cancelled recruitment arbitrarily
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Automated meter reading scheme fails to take off
Jalandhar, October 15 The project aimed at checking the misuse of free power to farmers was proposed two years ago. There are approximately 12 lakh AP consumers in the state. As per the scheme, AMRs are to be installed on all APs to ascertain the units consumed by each pumpset. There have been reports that some farmers are misusing free power for purposes other than agriculture such as selling water, building farmhouses in fields and running home appliances. The BJP has a number of times raised objections on the matter, alleging that the state exchequer is being burdened because of misuse of free power. A senior Punjab State Power Corporation Limited official said: “Since AP consumers get power supply for a fixed duration during the paddy and wheat season, the AMR system will help check any misuse of the power. But because of lack of funds, the project could not be initiated.” KD Chaudhri, Chairman and Managing Director, PSPCL, could not
be contacted. Sources in the power corporation said at least Rs 1,200 crore was required for the project. PSPCL officials said besides fund shortage, there were some practical obstacles. The AMRs had been installed on all 11 KV feeders supplying power to AP consumers in the state. The corporation would install such readers at all APs in the near future, they added.
Fund crunch hits project
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Against service norms, JE puts up hoardings to thank Badals
Malout/Muktsar, October 15 The hoardings on the Malout-Delhi national highway also carry the pictures of Gill and his son. Sources in the PWD (B&R) said Gill was “very close” to Dyal Singh Kolianwali and to prove his loyalty to his “political boss”, he had installed the hoardings, unmindful of the service rules. Repeated attempts to contact Gill proved futile. He did not respond to an SMS sent on his phone in this regard. Ashok Goyal, Superintending Engineer, PWD (B&R), said, “If any official of our department has installed a hoarding to thank any politician, he has disobeyed the norms.” He however passed the buck on the Executive Engineer for failing to check such a practice.
The hoarding It expresses gratitude towards the ruling Badals for the appointment of an SGPC member as SAD Muktsar chief
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Sukhbir’s claims on central aid false: Cong
Jalandhar, October 15 In a statement issued today, PPCC spokesman and AICC national media panelist Jaiveer Shergill alleged Sukhbir had misled the electorate but was exposed when Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley snubbed the state government on seeking financial aid. Shergill said information obtained through the RTI revealed that the state had failed to utilise Rs 90 crore under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). “A sum of Rs 62.65 crore for housing remained unutilised. In the farm sector, Rs 111.33 crore remained unspent till March 31, 2013. Later, the Centre stopped the release of another Rs 221 crore. These facts belie claims of the government that Punjab had been getting step-motherly treatment from the UPA government,” he added.
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Duped by pvt seed firm, Mansa farmers protest
Bathinda, October 15 A few months ago, the firm provided farmers with basmati seeds (mostly PUSA 1509 variety) at Rs 150 per kg. The farmers were promised that the produce would be purchased by the firm at the rate of Rs 3,200 per quintal under a contract. The firm also told farmers that they would be free to sell their produce to anyone giving them more than Rs 3,200 per quintal. However, basmati prices witnessed a steep fall over the past some time. Ram Singh Bhenibaga of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugraha) said, “Drought and erratic monsoon adversely affected the cotton crop in the Malwa region. There has been over 20 per cent damage to cotton crop. Many farmers have lost their entire cotton crop due to waterlogging. The affected farmers should be given compensation.” “A firm has duped farmers in Mansa district. We have submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and will also lodge a complaint with the SSP tomorrow,” he added. Agricultural Officer Gurditta Singh Sidhu said, “We have not received any written complaint. I have directed block agriculture officers to get details of the case.” SSP Bhupinder Singh Khatra said there was no complaint so far.
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Doctors' panel flays govt action
Chandigarh, October 15 President of the Punjab IMA, Dr DS Bhullar, said Dr Harpoonam had been made a scape goat. The Docsfed said the doctor had worked beyond her duty hours to perform five major surgeries on the day she was suspended. "It is strange that the Health Minister did not check facts before ordering her suspension," the Docsfed added.
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Revision of poll rolls begins
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 15 The new voter has to submit form No. 6 with the booth-level officer of the polling station concerned along with two photographs. To delete the names of deceased persons, married girls and those who have shifted to other places, form No. 7 will have to be submitted. Similarly, form No.8 A has to be submitted if any voter wants to get any mistake rectified in the voter card. He said the draft of electoral rolls would be available at the gram sabha or council from October 17 to October 30. He said the claims and objections would be accepted between October 19 and November
2. Sekhri said the final list would be ready by January 5.
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Pages missing from Supriya’s diary: Kin
Jalandhar, October 15 They also demanded the arrest of some students of DMC, Ludhiana. The parents of the final year student of DMC alleged due to shoddy investigation, the police had failed to arrest anyone in the case. “We are also planning to ask the police to check the CCTV footage at DMC for clues. The entire premises have cameras. There must be some footage that could give us some clues,” said Jalandhar DHO Dr Balwinder Singh, victim’s father. The police had formally named the two DMC professors in an FIR filed on Tuesday evening after several days of struggle by the victim’s family. The family has also been demanding a CBI probe into the case. Dr. Supriya had committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan of the Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana on September 29. Her parents had alleged that she was being harassed by professors for the past six months.
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Tribunal overturns poll outcome
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 15 Inderjeet Kaur then filed a petition with the election tribunal and demanded that the votes be recounted. The tribunal then ordered the recounting of votes in the presence of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pooja Syal Grewal. Saini said during recounting, it was found that the election team had counted two cancelled votes in favour of Gurmeet Kaur, resulting in a draw. But the tribunal cancelled the votes and declared Inderjeet Kaur as the winner. — TNS
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Solar power plant commissioned five months ahead of deadline
Boha (Mansa), October 15 The Rs 33.75-crore plant has been set up on 21 acres along the Boha distributory. It is expected to generate 6 million units annually. The state government aims to produce 1,250 MW solar power in three years. At least two more such projects, including a 7.5-MW project at Radhaswami Satsang Beas and 30-MW project at Fazilka, are ready for a formal launch. The total production of power from non-conventional sources in the state has increased to 66 MW. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is expected to inaugurate the world's biggest rooftop solar project set up at a cost around Rs 200 crore at Beas shortly. The power will be shifted to the main supply line at a cost of Rs 7.67 per unit from two power generating installations and Rs 7.20 per unit from the other two. Addressing a press conference, Majithia said, "The government has identified all available panchayati and non-cultivable land chunks for setting up solar power plants. All these plants spread across the state will have a combined capacity of 1,000 MW. The Union Ministry of Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy has in principle agreed for setting up an ultra mega solar power park." The state has also submitted a project report for setting up 100-MW solar power plants on all major canals flowing through the state. More than 90 per cent work on the 34 sanctioned projects was in line with the action plan, Majithia said.
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CM asks rice exporters to adopt villages
Chandigarh, October 15 The CM told association members, who called on him in his office, that he would take up with the Union Ministry of Commerce the issue of recognition of 1121 variety of basmati in Europe. It has not been so far approved as an export variety in the European market. He also assured association members that the issue of entry tax on basmati varieties of PUSA and Sugandha purchased from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states would be thoroughly examined.
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Abohar residents protest
non-payment of pension
Abohar, October 15 They assembled at Nehru Park here. Samaj Sudhar Sabha president Rajesh Gupta spoke to some sub-divisional officers, one of whom agreed to visit the park to accept the memorandum of demands. Consumer Movement chairman Satpal Khariwal and senior councillor Vimal Thatai, who led the protest, said the state government had not kept the word given to them during the last Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections that pension money would be raised. The government had not even been able to ensure regular payment of Rs 250 per month, they said. Thatai said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured payment of Rs 1,000 as monthly pension under social welfare schemes but the state government had maintained a “studied silence” over this. Hundreds of files submitted by new applicants had been gathering dust in government offices but ministers and officials continued to make false claims over their disposal, he said. As none of the officials turned up even after half an hour, the women held a protest march, passing through busy roads, raising anti-government slogans. They finally submitted the memorandum to Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajpal Singh at his office. “We could not afford to even hire a rickshaw to reach Nehru Park and had to traverse a long distance to reach the sub-divisional complex,” rued an elderly woman.
Awaiting their due
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U-turn over support to colleges triggers stir
Abohar, October 15 The Vasundhra Raje-led BJP government had drawn flak by revoking former Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government’s decision on taking over six privately run colleges in August this year. Following protests, the state government withdrew the de-notification orders but clarified that teaching and non-teaching staff would be recruited on contract basis and the managements will be governed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrates of the respective areas. Now, the government has once again expressed reservations over running these colleges. In protest, students of Nehru Memorial Post Graduate College, Hanumangarh, locked the institution today. They resented that only four teachers had been recruited against the requirement of 19 teachers. Meanwhile, students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Raisinghnagar, and Gyan Jyoti College, Srikaranpur, protested in Raisinghnagar, the home town of Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, and burnt his effigy. Members of the National Students Union threatened that a call for indefinite strike would be given if the state government did not undertake the complete takeover of these colleges. In Sangria (Hanumangarh), students of Meera Girls College held a protest march. — OC
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Murder convict flees from hospital
Faridkot, October 15 He gave two police guards, who were on duty to keep a check on his movements, the slip this morning. A resident of Jassi Bagh village of Bathinda, Mewa Singh was arrested by the Lambi police on July 31 in a murder case. A case has been registered against Mewa Singh and a hunt is on to nab him, the police said. Meanwhile, two other prisoners of the jail died today. Deputy Jail Superintendent, Faridkot, Baljit Singh said one of them, Mangal Singh (32) of Doda village in Muktsar district, was undergoing life imprisonment in the Faridkot jail for the past two years after he was held guilty in a murder case. Mangal was suffering from tuberculosis and he was getting treatment from Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital. Dharminder Singh (30), another prisoner in Faridkot, died at the PGIMER, Chandigarh. He had been in the Faridkot jail for the past six months after he was arrested by the Muktsar police in a theft case.
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Govt staff found absent during inspection
Abohar, October 15 Moreover, five doctors and some other employees were not on duty when the SDM visited Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital at 9.15 am. He also detected some discrepancies in the record maintained by staff at the maternity ward. The SDM said a report would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner. — OC
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Ailing Samridhi dead
“It is unfortunate that the child could not survive. I tried my best to get her help. Despite the case being highlighted in the media, none from the state government or the state's corporate houses came forward to help the ailing child,” said Khanna. Samridhi's father Harsh Verma is an Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESI) beneficiary. But 60 days short of the mandatory ESI contribution period for super speciality treatment, he could not get Samridhi treated right away. “The ESI hospital told me to wait till November 30. I approached the State Medical Commissioner of Punjab and the Punjab government for help, but none came to my rescue,” said the grieving father. He did not have the money (Rs 10-Rs 15 lakh) to pay a private hospital for Samridhi's liver transplant. None of the government hospitals, including the PGIMER, Chandigarh, provide the facility. Dr Arun Gupta, Senior State Medical Commissioner, Punjab, could not be contacted. A few days ago he had told The Tribune that although he had the authority to amend the ESI guidelines, he would not go against the government policy in this regard.
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Seniority of teachers
Chandigarh, October 15 The ruling by Justice Rajiv Narain Raina has already resulted in the retrospective promotion of a master as a lecturer from 2001. He was promoted 11 years after his women colleagues were promoted, though they had “much shorter length of service”. The genesis of the issue lies in the initial preparation of separate gender-based seniority lists. The male and female cadres were separate and seniority was cast accordingly. The promotions too were ordered cadre-wise. As a result, a junior in one cadre would overtake the senior in another. But the two separate seniority lists maintained earlier under the Punjab State Education Class III (School Cadre) Service Rules, 1978, were merged in 2010, the day orders were pronounced in Neelam Rani’s case. The judgment expected to flood the department concerned with representations for promotions came on a petition filed by Jasman Singh against the State of Punjab and other respondents through counsel Saurabh Arora. He contended that the petitioner was appointed as a master in school cadre in 1992 while two respondent-mistresses were appointed in March and April 1994. At that time, male and female cadres were separate. The two were promoted as lecturers in August 2001, while the petitioner was promoted in May 2012. Arora claimed the petitioner came to know about the promotions only in 2010, when the seniority list of teachers in school cadre was circulated. Ignored, he served a legal notice on the respondents, which remained undecided compelling him to move the High Court for directing the state to promote him from the date women juniors were elevated.
Setting things right
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4 Ludhiana doctors booked for fraud
Ludhiana, October 15 The action was taken nearly a week after Dr Gurdeep Singh, on behalf of the PMC, lodged a complaint with the police, seeking Dr Meenu and Dr Rama Sofat be booked. He demanded that the case be registered under Section 420, 120B of the Anti-Quackery Act. Those booked are identified as Dr Meenu Chibber, Dr Rama Sofat, Dr Amit Sofat and Dr Ruchika Sofat. Gurdev Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Division No. 8 police station, confirmed the registration of the case. Thereafter, the PMC suspended the registration of the four accused doctors. Dr Gurdeep Singh in the complaint had stated that Dr Rama Sofat, Dr Amit Sofat and Dr Ruchika Sofat of Rama Sofat Hospital were served notices by the PMC, Mohali, for unethical activities. He alleged that they advertised on the electronic and print media in violation of the Indian Medical Council (Professional, Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) regulation, 2002 and 2004. But they refused to mend their ways. He alleged these
medical professionals then invented a novel method of advertising.
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In violation of service rules, a Junior Engineer (JE) of the PWD (B&R), who has the additional charge of Sub-Divisional Officer
(SDO), Malout, Sukhmandar Singh Gill, has installed huge hoardings thanking the ruling Badals for making SGPC member Dyal Singh Kolianwali Muktsar SAD district (rural) president.
The hoardings on the Malout-Delhi national highway also carry the pictures of Gill and his son.
The 4-MW solar power plant of Madhav Solar Private Limited, Vadodra, commissioned here today beat its March deadline by five months. The plant is the first in the chain of 34 such projects announced by Non-Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Majithia in June 2013. It forms part of the 250-MW Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Mission scheduled to be completed by March 2015.
Hundreds of residents today held a protest against the non-payment of pension for six months to widows, differently abled persons and senior citizens under various social welfare schemes.
They assembled at Nehru Park here. Samaj Sudhar Sabha president Rajesh Gupta spoke to some sub-divisional officers, one of whom agreed to visit the park to accept the memorandum of demands.
Jalandhar, October 15