Kullu Deputy Commissioner Younus Khan (right) and his wife Anjum Ara (third from left) with the family members of martyr Paramjit Singh in Tarn Taran on Saturday. Tribune Photo
Our Correspondent
Tarn Taran, May 6
A young bureaucrat couple from Himachal Pradesh today visited Vein Puin, the native village of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, who was recently killed during ceasefire violation by the Pakistani army at LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.Kullu Deputy Commissioner Younus Khan and his wife Anjum Ara, an IPS officer and Solan SSP, offered to bear all expenses on the education and marriage of Khushdeep Kaur, 10-year-old daughter of the martyr.Paramjit Singh is survived by his wife and three children. Simrandeep Kaur (15) is the eldest, while Sahildeep and Khushdeep are twins. Both are studying in Class VI. The couple consoled Paramjit’s wife and assured help to the family. They also gave Rs 51,000 cash to Khushdeep Kaur. They said they would bear the expenditure on her education wherever she wanted to study. Meanwhile, Paramraj Singh Umranangal, IG, Law and Order, also visited the family and handed over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the family on behalf of the charitable trust being run by him. The Commandant of 5th Indian Reserve Battalion also gave Rs 21,000 to the family.
Reduce fee, 40 schools told
Pvt schools get 10 days to comply with norms or face action
Several protests have been held against the high fee being charged by private schools in Amritsar. File photo
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 6
The Education Department today directed about 40 private schools to reduce their fee and other charges, which were raised by more than eight per cent compared to the last year.District Education Officer (DEO) Amardeep Singh Saini said the schools were asked to refund the hiked fee to the parents within 10 days. He said following auditing of accounts of these schools, it was found that the difference of their fee last year and this year was more than eight per cent. It is a violation of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Education Institutions Bill, 2016.Saini, in a communication to the heads of such schools, stated that the cluster heads carried out account audit of the schools and found them charging fee more than the permissible limit.Notably, majority of the schools are situated in rural areas of the district. Some of the prominent schools in the city are DAV Public School, Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary School, GT Road, Roses Public School, Majitha Road, among others.The DEO said, “This is for the first time that such an action has been taken in accordance with the newly-enacted Act. In case the schools do not comply with the norms in the given time frame, the department will be compelled to write to the Divisional Commissioner for taking necessary action.”MK Sharma, president of the Punjab Parents’ Association (PPA), who is spearheading the agitation against the “high and unreasonable” school fee, welcomed the move. “As per the Act, education is a social work. It can’t be carried out for profit. Hence the schools in profit shouldn’t hike even eight per cent fee,” he said.
‘Cong stopped Atta-Dal scheme’
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 6
The BJP today accused the Congress government in the state of depriving the poor people of wheat and kerosene under various schemes launched by the erstwhile SAD-BJP government.BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh said that the Congress had applied brakes on the “successful” Atta-Dal scheme started by the SAD-BJP government, which was replicated by many states.He said the Congress, under pressure of its MLAs, leaders and some bureaucrats, was trying to derail the scheme which had been the lifeline for the economically weak section.“It is unfortunate that nearly 2.5 lakh quintals of wheat could not be distributed due to the failure of the Congress government, thereby inflicting a loss of subsidy worth Rs 37 crore due to the needy people. The situation in Amritsar is worst as the Congress legislators, due to their ego, are willfully halting the implementation of the scheme,” he said.According to Chugh, the SAD-BJP government had approved and released 3.25 lakh quintals of wheat due till March 31 this year ahead of elections. The Congress was instrumental in getting the quota blocked ahead of elections as it cited that the delivery of Atta-Dal to the poor could give electoral benefit to SAD-BJP alliance, he said.Reminding Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of his electoral promises, the BJP leader said it was sad that instead of honouring the Congress manifesto, the new government was discontinuing the schemes started by SAD-BJP government.Chugh also called upon the newly elected legislators of the Congress not to be a party to the anti-poor decisions of the government and stand for the electorate which have voted them to power.
Dept deals blow to power consumers
After JERC’s no to tariff hike, FPCCCA charges added to bills, raising amount by 20 to 50%
Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune news service
Chandigarh, May 6
While the Joint Regulatory Electricity Commission (JERC) has rejected the proposal for enhancing the rates of power, the Department of Electricity has burdened the consumers in another way.The bills of March and April being delivered at the doors of residents are giving shock to them. The Department of Electricity has once again levied fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) charges on the consumers.The JERC has authorised the Chandigarh Electricity Department to compute fuel and power procurement cost variations on quarterly basis and charge from the consumers.The department bought power at higher rates and charged from the consumers. This has increased the bills by 20 to 50 per cent depending upon the category of consumers. The charges have been levied for all types of consumers’ i.e. domestic, commercial and the industrial. The charges have been levied from Rs 80 paisa to Rs 3.15 maximum per unit over and above the existing rates charged from the consumers. This is the third hike within the year.Naveen Manglani, president of the Chamber of Chandigarh Industries, has condemned the unprecedented hike by way of FPPCA charges. In a representation to the Superintending Engineer of the Department he, said the FPCCA charges enhanced rates, which should be reviewed.He said the whole system of charging the FPPCA charges should be made transparent and the public should be told why they were being charged so much. He said with the FPPCA charges, the charges for power in the industrial sector had touched Rs 9 per unit, which was the highest in the region. Manglani said they were ready to pay the genuine cost, but did not want to pay for the inefficiencies of the department or any transmission loses. Baljinder Singh Bittu, president, FOSWAC, also said the FPPCA charges are unjustified and why should the residents pay for the theft and losses.