The Tribune – Free electricity bankrupting power corporation

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5. Free power bankrupted the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). It may well do the same to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). In the race for competitive populism, the power subsidy in the state net continues to rise. With landless labourers also covered under subsidised power, nearly 35 per cent consumers are being given subsidised power in Punjab.

The Cabinet has approved 100 units per month free power to landless labourers, bringing another five lakh persons under this facility. Nine lakh SC and below poverty line (BPL) families are being provided 100 units of power free per month. Ten lakh agriculture consumers enjoy free power for their agricultural pump sets.

This has resulted in a huge subsidy bill that the government has to pay each month to the electricity utility. Free power to the agriculture sector and to SC and BPL families costs the state Rs 349 crore per month. Free power to landless labourers will cost it Rs 150 crore per annum.

The state is virtually robbing its own electricity utility by refusing to pay it full subsidy in cash as decreed by the State Power Regulatory Commission. The government has made paper adjustments of more than Rs 4,000 crore against outstanding loans in the past four years. The liability of bonds worth Rs 980 crore issued by the government has also been placed on the power utility.

While the government paid PSPCL Rs 249 crore on account of subsidy after deducting electricity duty for the subsidy due for October, it took back Rs 140 crore from the corporation on account of electricity duty.

Paper adjustment of subsidy as well as irregular payments are leading to a financial crisis in the PSPCL which is forced to go in for short-term borrowings to purchase power. These borrowings are invariably disallowed by the regulatory commission, leading it into a debt trap. The PSPCL faces a cumulative loss of Rs 11,000 crore and is finding it increasingly difficult to borrow money with public sector banks refusing loans.

Despite the situation, there is no recovery plan in sight. There is a feeling that the free power facility started by the SAD-BJP government in 1997 is here to stay. Even the previous Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh  succumbed to populism and resumed the free power facility after doing away with it on assuming power in 2002. The BJP and former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal had spoken out against free power, but to no avail.

In this race for populist schemes, the government seems to be impervious to the environmental crisis looming over the state. Free power has led to an increase in the number of pump sets (11.5 lakh). In 2000 there were only 7.7 lakh pump sets. As many as 105 of the 140 blocks in Punjab are in the red zone with the ground water going down steadily.

The government has failed to come out with any incentive for the optimum use of tube wells or create conditions to make its oft-repeated call for diversification succeed.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111206/punjab.htm#7

The Tribune – Opposition comes to rescue of assaulted teacher

Archit Watts, Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, December 5. Both the PPP and the Congress today came out in support of the EGS Teachers’ Union and sought an apology from Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal at whose Sangat Darshan programme at Daula village in Gidderbaha yesterday a teacher was slapped by Akali sarpanch Balwinder Singh ‘Toti’.

Leaders of both the parties said the incident proved there was “jungle raj” in the state. Vinu Badal, PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal’s wife, along with Bhagwant Mann and other party leaders, met activists of the Teachers’ Union. She said:

“On the one hand she (Harsimrat) has launched a campaign to save the girl child under the Nanhi Chhaan programme and on the other male activists of her party are slapping women.”

She said Harsimrat must own moral responsibility and apologise on behalf of the SAD sarpanch. Vinu demanded that the local DSP and the SHO should be transferred and a case registered against them for failure to perform their duty.

Bhagwant Mann lashed out at the police for being a mute spectator as the sarpanch hit the teacher. Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira also criticised the sarpanch’s “shameful” behaviour and demanded that a case be registered against him.

Meanwhile, the EGS Teachers’ Union burnt the effigy of the sarpanch at Husnar Chowk here. Pritpal Singh, President, EGS Teachers’ Union said: “We are being pressurised into reaching a compromise with the sarpanch but we will stick to our stand.”

Harsimrat, in a written statement, has condemned the incident. “The assault on a woman by any functionary is not acceptable, whatever may be the provocation. Necessary action will be taken against the guilty,” she said.

When contacted, Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Chairperson, Punjab State Commission for Women, she said: “So far we have not received any complaint. But in case a complaint is filed, we will definitely investigate the matter.” The EGS teachers had gone to Daula village yesterday to hand over a memorandum to Harsimrat. The teachers, who are demanding regular jobs, have been holding protest demonstrations since November 29.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111206/punjab.htm#4

The Asian Age – Teacher slapped by Akali sarpanch

Asian Age Corespondent

Chandigarh, 6 December 2011. The slapping of a protesting teacher by an Akali sarpanch on Sunday in a sangat darshan (Public Interaction) programme of Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has spiralled into a major controversy in poll-bound Punjab.

In a programme attended by Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who happens to be the wife of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, at Gidderbaha, a delegation of 40 protesting teachers wanted to hand over the memorandum of their demands to the MP. However, as the activists reached the venue, they were told by Akali workers to leave. But adamant delegation members decided to wait for the MP outside the venue. At this, a few policemen thrashed their leader Jarnail Jalandhari.

After this, when angry teachers raised slogans against the government, a village sarpanch, Balwinder Singh Toti, slapped a teacher named Varinder Kaur several times and also pulled her hair. When the delegation tried to stage a protest march, senior officials, including the local police, reportedly intervened to hush up the matter.

However, the incident turned into an embarrassment for the Shiromani Akali Dal, which tried to distance itself from the incident. Ms Harsimrat Kaur Badal clarified that she had already left the venue when the incident occurred. “The incident is condemnable and guilty would be punished.” Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that action would be taken as per the law and the guilty will not be spared.

The Congress has taken a dig at the SAD and former CM Amarinder Singh has described it as a testimony to the “mess” in Punjab. He said that it is shameful that teachers pressing for demands are thrashed in front of senior Akali leaders.

However, the police said that it had not received any complaint in the matter and will take action if the matter is reported.

http://www.asianage.com/india/teacher-slapped-akali-sarpanch-434

Sint-Truiden Guru Nanak Nagar Kirtan 23 October 2011

Tiensesteenweg

Stapelstraat, Japjeet Kaur making great strides  

Stapelstraat, streetsweepers 

Stapelstraat, Panj Piare 

To see more Sint-Truiden Gurdwara related pictures go to :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157624495772533/  

More Nagar Kirtan pictures to follow  
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – SAD co-opts 15 members of SGPC General House

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 5 After sweeping the SGPC elections, the ruling SAD further strengthened its position by co-opting candidates on all 15 seats at the first meeting of the newly formed House at Teja Singh Samundari Hall here today. The SAD already has 157 of the 170 elected members in the House. The Opposition with only 13 members presented a name for co-option, but it was rejected on technical grounds.

Those who made it to the new SGPC House through co-option include former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, former executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli, Ram Singh, Jagtar Singh Rode (all from Punjab) former SGPC senior vice-president Raghujeet Singh Virk from Haryana, Surjeet Singh Kang from Rajasthan, Sharanjeet Singh, Charanjeet Singh, Sukhmeet Singh (all from UP), Harbhajan Singh Cheema from Uttarakhand, Harmanjeet Singh, Bhupinder Singh Anand, Gurminder Singh Matharu (all from New Delhi), Gurinder Singh Bawa from Mumbai and Sukhwinder Kaur from MP.

Badungar and Virk have made it to the SGPC House through co-option for the third consecutive time. Similarly, Bawa and Anand have got another chance from Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. The SAD gave one seat to its alliance partner, the Sant Samaj, by co-opting Jagtar Singh Rode, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode’s brother, a confidant of Damdami Taksal Chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa.

The meeting was presided over by Tarn Taran DC Satwant Singh Johal. When the meeting began at 1 pm, the elected members were asked to choose the chairman to run the House proceedings. Rajinder Singh Mehta proposed the name of Avtar Singh Makkar, which was seconded by Amarjeet Singh Chawla. Makkar then led the proceedings to co-opt 15 members to the House.

There was chaos for a brief period when Opposition members Kulbir Singh Barapind, Surjeet Singh and Gurpreet Singh Chhabar insisted that one of their members be co-opted. The suggestion was turned down by the SAD. As the Opposition members charged towards the dais, the DC intervened and asked them to name their candidate. They moved the name of Bhai Isher Singh from Hyderabad but could not furnish the required documents.

Sikh Gurdwara Election Commissioner HS Brar, who was also present at the meeting, said the names of the co-opted members would be sent to the Centre which would issue a notification.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111206/punjab.htm#1

Dawn – Pakistan wants to rebuild ties with US, says Gilani

Lahore: Pakistan wants to rebuild its ties with the United States despite ongoing retaliation over deadly Nato air strikes on its troops along the Afghan border, the country’s prime minister said on Monday, stressing that he believes “it won’t take long” to achieve a new relationship with its uneasy ally.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s remarks indicate that Pakistan is looking for a way to restore some normalcy to ties with Washington following the November 26 air strikes by the US-led coalition in Afghanistan, but wants to leverage the situation to try and reset the relationship in ways more beneficial to Pakistan.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Gilani also said the country remained committed to working with Afghanistan to bring insurgent leaders – many of whom are believed to be on Pakistani soil and to enjoy close relations with Islamabad’s security forces – into talks with the government and allow the US to begin withdrawing its troops as it is committed to doing.

“I think we have evolved some mechanisms, and we are ready to cooperate,” he said, referring to meetings with Afghanistan’s military and intelligence chiefs on a framework for talks. “We are committed (to reconciliation), despite that we are not attending” the conference on Afghanistan, he said.

That may offer some reassurance to international leaders meeting in Bonn, Germany, to discuss the future of Afghanistan.

Islamabad boycotted the talks because of the air strikes along the Pakistan-Afghan border that killed 24 Pakistani troops. The decision disappointed Afghan and Western leaders, who realize the vital role Pakistan has in any future stability in neighbouring Afghanistan even as they complain that it tolerates, or even supports, insurgents along the border.

Pakistan refused pleas by Afghan and US leaders to attend the Bonn conference. Gilani said he did not regret skipping the meeting, saying “since the soil of Afghanistan was used against Pakistan in the Nato raids, there was a tremendous protest in my country and people were putting pressure that we not attend.”

Speaking in Germany, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the deaths of the Pakistani soldiers tragic and reiterated a pledge for a thorough investigation. “No one is more interested than the United States in getting to the bottom of what happened in the border incident,” she said.

President Barack Obama called Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday to offer his condolences. No one from either Nato or the US has formally apologised, but they have disputed comments by Pakistan’s army that the act was a deliberate act of aggression.

Gilani said new ties being negotiated with the US would ensure that the two countries “respected each other’s red lines” regarding sovereignty and rules of engagement along the border. While he gave few details, he made it clear he thought this was both desirable and possible.

“We really want to have good relations with the US based on mutual respect and clearly defined parameters,” he said in an interview at his residence. “I think that is doable. I think that it won’t take long.”

Washington and Islamabad have given differing accounts of what led to the air strikes on the Pakistan army posts last month, in what is at least the third such incident along the porous and poorly defined border since 2008.

US officials have said the incident occurred when a joint US and Afghan patrol requested air support after coming under fire. The US checked with the Pakistan military to see if there were friendly troops in the area and were told there were not, they said.

Pakistan has said the coordinates given by the Americans were wrong — an allegation denied by US defence officials.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/05/pakistan-wants-to-rebuild-ties-with-us-says-gilani.html