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Wait for cheap sand far from over
Petty outbursts won’t affect SAD-BJP alliance: Sukhbir
Poll pact with SAD in 2017 too, says BJP secy
Badal in China to study fish farming
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Mintoo learnt bomb-making from ISI in Thailand: Police
Narrow escape for 17 kids as school bus catches fire
BSF restricts entry at Retreat
Sikh pilgrim dies in Pak
HC raps state for meddling in tubewell corp’s working
Nephew booked for Akali leader’s murder
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Wait for cheap sand far from over
The delay in transferring environmental clearances in the name of Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and removing glitches in the loading of these minor minerals and transportation are the other hiccups. The scheme, approved by the Punjab Cabinet in September, was rolled out with much fanfare by the government on November 5. As of now, the PSIEC has been handed over only one sand quarry — at Digana Khurd in Hoshiarpur. Sources said though the PSIEC had started mining sand at the 119-hectare Hoshiarpur quarry, the authorities were facing some glitches. Some local politicians, with vested interests in mining, had allegedly tried to stall the process by creating a rift with the loading contractor at the site. Top government functionaries have now intervened and a solution is expected soon. The new mining policy states that the government would be transferring 40 quarries to the PSIEC, which would get the sand extracted and loaded. Consumers can either buy it at the pithead or use the Punjab Mandi Board services to get the sand transferred to the construction site. The rate at the pithead would be Rs 800 per 100 cubic feet. Those opting for transportation would have to pay Rs 350 to Rs 400 per tonne per km. In case of the sand being sold from quarries allotted to the PSIEC, the government would get Rs 120 per 100 cubic feet as royalty. The land owners would get Rs 200 per 100 cubic feet as lease amount while Rs 12 would be deducted as environment fund. The remaining Rs 468 (of the Rs 800 per 100 cubic feet) would be extracting, loading and service charges to be paid to the PSIEC. Officials in the Mandi Board said they had identified 151 offices of the Board where an official had been specially deputed to book sand and ensure its delivery to consumers. “As and when the PSIEC starts mining operations, we will simultaneously make the sale points at these 151 offices operational. All Mandi Board offices in Hoshiarpur have already been made operational,” they said. Rate at private mines
Rate at govt mines
11 more get green nod
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Petty outbursts won’t affect SAD-BJP alliance: Sukhbir
Amritsar, November 8 Talking to the media after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Sukhbir said the alliance between the two parties was a historic union that was unaffected by remarks by individual leaders. He said they had met the BJP top brass and they too held similar views. On Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's recent remarks linking the SAD-BJP alliance with communal harmony in the state, he said his statement was misinterpreted. On regulating petrol and diesel prices in the state with the corresponding hike or dip at the national level, he said the prices were not altered with every change at the national level, rather they were regulated on a quarterly basis through a set mechanism. Rubbishing the allegations that the state was in no position to pay salaries to its employees due to rising debt, he said it was a false propaganda. Instead, the state’s debt-to-GDP ratio had declined to 32 per cent as against 48 per cent in the Congress’ tenure, he claimed. The Deputy CM reiterated the government’s resolve to develop Amritsar as “one of the best cities in the world by 2017”. He said development projects in the city were being monitored by him. He attributed the delay in launching the solid waste management project to technical issues, but said the project would formally commence by December 15. Sukhbir said the passage from the Hall Gate to the Golden Temple would be revamped in a phased manner for which the groundwork had been done. After creating infrastructure, a special plantation drive would be launched to augment the green cover in the city, he said, adding it would be followed by a massive awareness campaign by roping in international agencies to project Amritsar as an international tourist destination. He said to prolong the stay of tourists, a project to develop the Harike bird sanctuary was on cards.
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Poll pact with SAD in 2017 too, says BJP secy
Jalandhar, November 8 The New Delhi MLA, who was in the city to meet the 1984 riot victims, said, "Both the parties will face the rivals together." On the outbursts of his party's senior leader and three-time Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu against the Akalis during the Haryana Assembly elections, he said, "Those can be his personal views." RP Singh repeatedly showered praises on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, calling him 'Panth Rattan'. The 1984 Sikh Katle-Aam Peerat Welfare Society, led by its president Surjit Singh, submitted a memorandum to the MLA to be further presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The victims sought implementation of the High Court's 2012 decision of providing plots and houses to the victims. They also sought enhancement in the compensation and a settlement grant of Rs 10 lakh each for the 30,000 riot-hit families in Punjab. The members also demanded setting up of a special investigation team for punishing the culprits in a time-bound manner. Asked if he felt the BJP government had failed to implement the court orders of providing relief to the victims, RP Singh said there were some bottlenecks, which would be cleared soon.
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Badal in China to study fish farming
Chandigarh, November 8 Punjab has around 7,500 fish farmers and the highest average production of 6,000 kg per hectare, against the national average of 3,000 kg. At present, 10,856.60 hectares is under fish culture. With river length of 868 km, reservoirs spread over 4,370 hectares and canals running a length of 16,585 km, there is a lot of scope for fish farming in the state. The government is also actively promoting pisciculture in areas affected by waterlogging. Badal is leading a team of nine progressive farmers and fishing experts to China. During his visit, he will be meeting Chinese pisciculturists and fishery experts at Agricultural University and Academy of Agricultural Sciences at Nanjing. This will be followed by a visit to EFRC and a field visit in Wuxi and then Shanghai Ocean University. The government, as part of its crop diversification programme, released Rs 4 crore during 2013-14 to bring 600 acres of saline and waterlogged areas under fish culture by providing 90 per cent subsidy to farmers. This year, the government proposes to bring 1,000 acres more under fish culture. A retail-cum-wholesale fish market is also being developed in
Ludhiana. Testing new waters
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Mintoo learnt bomb-making from ISI in Thailand: Police
Jalandhar, November 8 Mintoo, who was today produced before the duty magistrate amid heavy security, was remanded in police custody for eight days. The police would question him on sleeper cells he was in touch with and his other plans to disturb peace in Punjab. He was wanted by the Jalandhar rural police in two cases. Narinder Bhargav, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar, who led the special team to the Delhi IGI airport to arrest Mintoo yesterday, told The Tribune that the ISI camp, which lasted 10 days, was held about three months ago at Mae Sot district in western Thailand, near its international border with Burma. Two ISI men, a handler and a special trainer, had supervised the camp. With these disclosures, the police have alerted the intelligence agencies to further apprise their Thailand counterparts about the development. The SSP said besides Mintoo, five militants based in European countries also took part in the camp. Mintoo had earlier held a meeting with ISI agents in Thailand, requesting them to hold a camp there to avoid coming under the scanner of any international security agency, the SSP said. The Jalandhar rural police had busted a pro-Khalistan terror module in August by arresting KLF militants Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma and Sarwan Singh Shabba from Jammu. “These terrorists were arrested on August 4. They were also planning to reach Thailand to attend the camp,” the SSP added. Startling revelations
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Narrow escape for 17 kids as school bus catches fire
Sangrur, November 8 All 17 students in the age group of three to six years escaped unhurt as they were evacuated from the bus by two policemen and some villagers working in the nearby fields. The bus was going towards Sunam to drop the students. Sukhdev Singh Virk, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sunam, said preliminary investigations revealed that the bus driver was trying to overtake a small four-wheeler (chhota haathi) when he lost control over the vehicle and rammed it into an electricity pole. The electricity wires fell on the bus which caught fire due to short circuit, he said. The DSP said all students were swiftly evacuated by two policemen and farmers even as the bus was reduced to ashes. He said the Sunam police had arrested the driver, Chand Singh, for negligence and rash driving. Headmistress of the school Poonam Sood said an inquiry into the incident had been ordered by the school management. Departmental action would be initiated against the erring person, she added.
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BSF restricts entry at Retreat
Amritsar, November 8 MF Farooqui, BSF DIG, said they had implemented the system of keeping extra people out with an aim to ensure safety and security of the tourists attending the ceremony. He said though the capacity of the spectators' gallery was 3,000 to 4,000, it accommodated around 5,000 people. "Now, once the seats are occupied in these galleries, we are not allowing anybody to enter inside. We stop the tourists outside the Customs Gate as soon as we get an indication from our personnel that the gallery is packed to capacity," he said. He said allowing more people would serve no purpose as they would not be able to witness the ceremony, and that it would also lead to unnecessary harassment to them. He said the move may also prove dangerous in case there was a blast on the other side, which could trigger a stampede on the Indian side. The BSF is already contemplating to introduce an online booking system for the Retreat in which tourists can get themselves registered online.
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Sikh pilgrim dies in Pak
Amritsar, November 8 The deceased has been identified as 63-year-old Malkiat Singh from Delhi. The officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Pakistan, have already sent his body to India through the Attari border, a statement said.
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HC raps state for meddling in tubewell corp’s working
Chandigarh, November 8 The rap by Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Deepak Sibal came on a bunch of seven appeals by the State of Punjab and Punjab Water Resources Management and Development Corporation against Amarjit Singh and other respondent-employees of Punjab State Tubewell Corporation Limited. The petitioners had claimed that sufficient number of corporation employees was fit for promotion. Still, they were denied the opportunity as promotional posts were filled on deputation from the State Irrigation Department. This was being done as per directions issued from time to time by the State of Punjab. The respondents also questioned the power of the state to issue such directions to the corporation. Their argument was that the corporation was an autonomous body and capable of taking its own decisions under its Memorandum and Articles of Association. As the matter came up for hearing, a Single Judge quashed the directions to fill posts in the corporation on deputation basis. Dismissing the appeal, the Bench asserted the state government has powers to issue directives to the corporation, but only in matters of broad policy. “What needs to be considered by us is whether directions given by the State of Punjab to the corporation to fill posts in different cadres of the corporation from the officers of the Irrigation Department, Government of Punjab can be termed as directives in matters of broad policy? “Matters of broad policy are matters when the state, after considering issues in detail and after correction of some data, issues directions keeping in view the objectives of the corporation….. In our opinion, the present directions cannot be considered to be directives in matters of broad policy. “According to us, these directives amount to interference in the day to day working of the corporation,” the Bench said About the case
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Nephew booked for Akali leader’s murder
Moga, November 8 The deceased’s son, Col MPS Gill, told the police that his cousin Gurpreet Singh Sidhu had given “supari” to kill his father owing to a property dispute. Harjit Singh Pannu, Superintendent of Police (D), said Gill alleged the Akali leader’s nephew did not have good relations with him for the past many years due to the property dispute, which could have led to the murder. Police investigations revealed that Sidhu was in Canada when the crime was committed. Sidhu, a law graduate, ran a renowned school in Moga. The SP said the investigating officer of the case would procure Sidhu’s arrest warrants from a local court on Monday. A lookout notice would also be issued against him at all international airports, said
Pannu.
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Sangrur, November 8
Chandigarh, November 8