50% merit holders fail to clear meritorious schools’ exam

Muktsar lad gets first position

• Rohit Kumar, a student of Government High School, Danewala village in Muktsar district, has topped the entrance exam conducted for admission to meritorious schools. Jaspal Monga, Deputy District Education Officer, Muktsar, said, “Our student has got the first position in results declared on Tuesday.”

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 6

The maiden results of the entrance exam conducted for admission to meritorious schools in the state have raised eyebrows as only 50.3 per cent students could qualify it.

A total of 6,547 students had applied for the exam that was conducted on June 12 in all districts. As many as 531 of them remained absent. Of the 6,016 students who took the exam, only 3,028 could qualify it.

All these students of government schools had scored above 80 per cent marks in the PSEB class X results declared recently.

A total of 4,500 seats are available in the nine meritorious schools in the state. But going by these results, it seems a large number of seats will remain vacant or some relaxation will have to be given to the students.

The Education Department has already announced its counselling schedule, which will begin from Thursday (July 7) for both boys and girls.

The entrance exam results have raised doubt over the credibility of PSEB’s class X results declared recently.

Some educationists wonder how a student scoring above 80 per cent marks has failed to clear a much easier entrance test from the same syllabus.

Even the officials in the Education Department are worried over the results and most of them remained mum over it.

A government teacher from Muktsar, who has been serving for 25 years, said, “The entrance exam results have definitely raised questions about the credibility of the PSEB result. The entrance exam of total 150 marks was conducted at the class X level in three subjects — English, Maths and Science. To qualify for admission, candidates had to just score 16.5 marks in each part and overall 50 per cent marks.”

Similarly, another teacher compared the state’s education system with Bihar.

Pradeep Kumar Aggarwal, Director General of School Education (DGSE), Punjab, said, “I am not aware of the results and the syllabus. The project director for meritorious schools can comment better on it.”

Repeated attempts to contact KAS Bhullar, Project Director for Meritorious Schools, proved futile. Even Education Minister Dr Daljit Singh Cheema was not available for his comments.

Courtesy: The Tribune

PADDY SOWING SEASON

Irrigation staff told not to leave place of posting till Sept-end

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 30

Facing flak from all corners over the shortage of canal water in the paddy sowing season, the Irrigation Department has directed all Superintending Engineers and Executive Engineers not to leave their place of posting till September-end.

A letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, issued by Satish Kumar, Under Secretary (Irrigation), reads, “It is learnt that officers deputed in field offices come to Chandigarh on weekends and other gazetted holidays, leaving their allotted station. Besides, they also visit the headquarters in Chandigarh on working days. Due to this, the irrigation works and anti-flood activities are getting affected. Thus, it is directed that before leaving the station, officials take approval of the Secretary (Irrigation).”

Notably, farmers have been lodging protests over the shortage of water in canals due to which their fields were turning dry.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Job scam: VB hunts for Gidderbaha man

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 28

A day after the arrest of Malout Akali councillor Sham Lal Gupta alias Daddi in the recruitment scam, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) is on the lookout for another resident of Muktsar district.

The man (whose name has been withheld by the police) belongs to Daula village (Gidderbaha). He is an alleged conduit of Manjit Singh, alias Bittu, an Akali sarpanch of Kothe Chet Singh Wala village in Bathinda district, who is also evading arrest.

Sources said Daddi had admitted that he, along with Amit Sagar (SDO in the Water Supply and Sanitation Department), got Rs 15-30 lakh each from nine persons to get them recruited in various departments.

These persons are: Gaurav Sharma of Sangrur, Sunit Jindal of Dabwali (son of Daddi’s maternal aunt), Khushwant of Abohar, Ajay Sharma, Gaurav Bansal of Bathinda, Gursewak of Bathinda, Dilpreet of Malout, Happy Gupta of Malout and Sandeep of Mansa.

Courtesy: The Tribune

SSP in VVIP mode

SSP in VVIP mode

Muktsar: In the Badals’ home district, it’s not only the politicians who enjoy VVIP status. Whenever SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill travels in his official Innova along with an escort Gypsy, the traffic cops at the Kotkapura chowk here use barricades to ‘clear the way’ for the officer. The chowk is located en route the SSP’s office and residence. Recently, when the traffic cops asked the commuters to stop, they were heard saying, “An officer should not forget that he is a public servant.”

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

State to ensure water at canal tail-end in Fazilka, Abohar

Work begins to refill track between Rajasthan canal and Sirhind feeder

‘Linking canals sans permission illegal’

• The present situation has arisen after the state government failed to clean and de-silt the Sirhind feeder in April this year
• Raj Kumar Chaudhary, CE (North), Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP), said, “The preparation to link both canals without getting permission from the Rajasthan government is illegal.”Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 26

The Punjab government has now started making efforts to supply water at tail end of canals in Abohar, Fazilka areas without taking any help from Rajasthan.

The neighouring state had refused Punjab’s proposal to divert water from Rajasthan canal to Sirhind feeder by reopening a diversion near Bhullar village.

The Punjab Government has even started the work to refill the track, which was dug up to link both canals.

Meanwhile, the CM has now sent Secretary (Irrigation), KS Pannu, to the Harike barrage to take all possible steps to make water available at the tail end of canals in Abohar and Fazilka areas.

Pannu said, “I am at Harike barrage and looking at all options to ensure water to the farmers.”

RK Gupta, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, Muktsar, said, “The water supply has been increased in Sirhind Feeder from Harike barrage. A number of machines have been installed at the barrage to increase the water carrying capacity of this canal. As a result, the present supply of water at RD 156 in Faridkot has touched 3,600 cusecs. Apart from two-three canals, the water supply in all others is normal.”

“The CM has also assured the Rajasthan government that we won’t use a single drop of water from Rajasthan feeder. We will also refill the channel that was dug up to link Rajasthan feeder with Sirhind Feeder,” he added.

The present situation has arisen after the state government failed to clean and de-silt the Sirhind feeder in April this year.

Raj Kumar Chaudhary, CE (North), Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP), said, “The preparation to link both canals without getting permission from the Rajasthan government is illegal. We are camping here until the state refills the channel.”

Irrigation experts are of the view that both the canals have huge water carrying capacity and if there was any breach in the channel it would be hard to plug and a large number of villages will be flooded.

Meanwhile, Pannu yesterday met RK Chaudhary at Harike barrage. The latter was shown the bad condition of headworks, including the gates, and was requested to release their share of Rs 39 crore for repair and desilting Harike headworks and canals emanating from there.

Pannu said Punjab had already released its share of Rs 17 crore for the works.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Millers oppose misuse of basmati tag in Rajasthan

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 26

Seeking a ban on the illegal use of ‘basmati’ by rice millers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Punjab Basmati Rice Millers’ Association has lodged a complaint to the Assistant Registrar of Trademarks and Geographical Indication Registry, Chennai.

They have further appealed the authorities concerned to investigate and verify the records of exporters who buy this rice.

The affected rice millers of the state had last month complained to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) saying that the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had not given the geographical indication (GI) tag to basmati in these states.

The APEDA had, however, asked the millers to pursue their case with the Trademarks and Geographical Indication Registry.

Notably, the rice millers here are in a fix over falling prices of basmati and have suffered huge losses in the past.

Ashish Kathuria, general secretary of the association, said, “The IPAB has given the GI tag to basmati in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, western UP, Uttarakhand and two districts of J and Kashmir. MP and Rajasthan do not have the GI recognition for basmati.

Nevertheless, rice millers in these states are using GI of basmati on their bills, letter heads, websites, advertisements, web advertisements and SH code in the international market,” he added.

“Almost every merchant and retailer is selling the products of rice manufactured by the millers of Rajasthan and MP mentioning the basmati GI tag. This is clear case of infringement of registered GI,” he pointed out.

The association has even attached a list of some rice millers, sellers and exporters who are allegedly violating the norms. “With this illegal use of the GI tag, the millers and farmers of Punjab and Haryana have suffered an estimated loss of Rs 2,500 crore which should be levied on these culprits,” he said.

Geographical Indication tag

The geographical indication (GI) is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a particular place which gives that product a special quality or reputation or other characteristic, like Darjeeling (tea).

Courtesy: The Tribune

R’sthan officials thwart Punjab’s bid to ‘divert’ water

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 24

A fresh controversy over water has erupted between Punjab and Rajasthan even when the river water dispute between Punjab and Haryana is yet to settle.

Both the states have even held CM-level talks on the issue concerning the farmers of both sides, but a row has begun over the diversion of water from the Rajasthan Feeder canal, also known as Indira Gandhi canal, that traverses Punjab and irrigates most parts of Rajasthan.

The Punjab Government — in an attempt to provide water for irrigational purposes to farmers of Muktsar, Fazilka and Abohar areas — had recently tried to create a diversion from Rajasthan Feeder canal to Sirhind Feeder canal near Bhullar village here.

However, alert officials of the Rajasthan Government came to know about this development, reached the spot and forced Punjab officials to stop the work.

They said that Irrigation Department officials of Punjab had not even waited to get the nod of the Rajasthan Government. As a result, a team of officials of Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP), Rajasthan, comprising Chief Engineer (North), Additional Chief Engineer (Regulation) and a Superintending Engineer are camping here to monitor the situation.

Vinod Mittal, Additional Chief Engineer (Regulation), IGNP, Rajasthan, said, “Farmers in Rajasthan are facing acute shortage of water, but the Punjab Government tried to create a diversion in Rajasthan Feeder canal to supply water to its farmers through the Sirhind Feeder canal. This is an illegal way of diverting water. Even if the Punjab Government is facing water shortage, they should have waited for correspondence of the Rajasthan Government.”

He said, “The Punjab Government had created a diversion at the same spot in 2010 as well and that too without obtaining any permission. So this time, we reached here on time. We will stay here until the track between the two canals is refilled. The water supply in Rajasthan Feeder canal presently is 8,945 cusecs, which is much below its capacity.”

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Government officials held a meeting with their Punjab counterparts today, wherein they decided to refill the land excavated for the diversion of water.

On the other hand, RK Gupta, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, Muktsar, said, “Our Secretary (Irrigation) KS Pannu is very serious about the problems being faced by the farmers at the tail end of the water channels. He had even written a letter to his counterpart in Rajasthan about the diversion in Rajasthan Feeder canal and that too only after increasing the water supply from Harike barrage. There is nothing illegal in it. The situation had arisen because the Sirhind Feeder canal could not be de-silted this season and has less water-carrying capacity.

“Presently, we have stopped the work of creating diversion from Rajasthan Feeder canal. It will be resumed only after getting permission from the Rajasthan Government. Rajasthan will continue getting its assured share of water and they will not have to face any problem,” said Gupta.

Till the filing of this report, the refilling work on the excavated land had not started.

Courtesy: The Tribune