PEDA RECEIVES NATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION
AWARD
Chandigarh, December 16:
Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has been conferred the
National Energy Conservation Award 2008. Mr..Balour Singh, Director,
PEDA on behalf of Minister for Science, Technology, Environment
and Non-Conventional Energy, Sh.Bikram Singh Majithia received this
prestigious award from Union Minister for Power, Sh.Sushil Kumar
Shinde on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day function
held at New Delhi yesterday evening.
Disclosing this here today Mr.Bikram Singh Majithia Minister for
Science, Technology, Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, said
that this award was in recognition of pioneering work being done
by Punjab in the field of energy conservation. He appreciated the
efforts of Chief Executive, Officers and Staff Members of PEDA for
implementation of energy conservation measures and energy efficiency
programme in the State.
He informed that Demonstration Projects for Energy Efficiency
Improvements in Government Buildings, Municipal Street Lighting
/ small & medium industries and Water Pumping have been taken
up and are being implemented by the concerned Department/Industry
through Energy Service Companies. In this novel financial model
evolved by PEDA, the Energy Service Companies will invest their
own funds and provide efficient technology for the lighting, air
conditioning, water pumping etc and recover their investment from
the savings that will accrue in the electricity bills. The pay back
period of such projects would be about 3 to 5 years depending upon
the level of energy consumption and technology selected.
Sh.T P S Sidhu, Chief Executive, PEDA informed that workshop-cum-interactive
meetings have been held with the senior officers of PWD (B&R)
and Municipal Corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana , Patiala
and Bathinda who are implementing the demonstration energy efficiency
projects in this sector. Technical experts from USAID and Econoler,
Canada had participated in these workshops and presented case studies
of successful projects implemented through ESCO at the International
level, notably, Mr.Jalel from Econoler, Canada and Dr.Archana Walia,
Dr.Satish Kumar from USAID. Sh.Sidhu also mentioned that State Level
Energy Conservation Day will be celebrated at Amritsar in the last
week of December.
No compromise with quality- Manoranjan Kalia
Chandigarh, December 16, 2008
Department of Local Government Punjab has suspended Mr. Rakesh
Sharma SDO and Mr. Rakesh Singla JE of Municipal Corporation Ludhiana
in their bid to influence the test results in their favour.
In line with the initiative of the Punjab government to weed out
corruption for the system, a team of vigilance cell of the Local
Government along with the faculty of Punjab Engineering College
Chandigarh headed by Mr. A.K. Prabhkar, Chief Vigilance Officer,
Local Government Punjab inspected development worked executed by
Municipal Corporation Ludhiana on the orders of Mr. Manoranjan Kalia,
Local Government Minister. Gill road, Hambran road, Dhandran road,
Manav Gram Kochar Market to Pakhowal road and Namdhari Smarak to
Civil Hospital Isa Nagri Pulley road were checked by the team. A
total of 9 samples were taken for testing by the Punjab Engineering
College faculty under the supervision of the vigilance cell officials.
Meanwhile, Mr. Rakesh Sharma, SDO and Mr. Rakesh Singla JE approached
the PEC faculty for favorable results.
Mr. Kalia has taken a very serious note of the misconduct on the
part of the officials and has suspended both the officials and blacklisted
the contractor on the recommendations of the Chief Vigilance Officer.
Payment for the work done has been ordered to be withheld. Meanwhile,
test results of the nine samples are expected shortly.
PUNJAB INVITES SUGGESTIONS FOR EXCISE POLICY-2009-10
CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 16, 2008
The Punjab Government today invited suggestions, comments and
feedback from the general public for Excise Policy for the year
2009-10.
According to an official spokesman Excise and Taxation Department
has started the work for formulating Excise Policy and would like
to invite suggestions/feedback from the people on this. He said
that desirous persons can send their suggestions /feedback either
in writing or by e-mail or in person to Mr. A.Venu Prasad, IAS,
Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Bhupindra Road Patiala by 31st
December, 2008. The suggestions could be mailed at E-mail:etcpb@yahoo.com
or faxed at 0175-2213006 or 0175-2308001.
DALIP SINGH PANDHI ASSUMES OFFICE AS MEMBER
SC COMMISSION
Chandigarh, December 16, 2008
S.Dalip Singh Pandhi, Former Minister assumed charge of office
as Non-Official Member of Punjab State Scheduled Caste Commission,
here today. After assuming charge, he appealed to people belonging
to scheduled caste to bring their complaint direct to him on just
plain paper and no affidavit was required for it. He said that their
genuine complaints would be redressed at the earliest. He said welfare
schemes and facilities would reach upto the beneficiary without
any delay.
BADAL WRITES TO UNION MINISTER OF TEXTILES
TO DO AWAY WITH THE CONDITION OF REVENUE RECORD FOR COTTON PROCUREMENT
CHANDIGARH DECEMBER 16, 2008
The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today urged the
Union Minister of Textiles Mr. Shankersinh Vaghela and sought his
personal intervention to immediately direct the Cotton Corporation
of India (CCI) to continue procurement of cotton without insisting
upon production of revenue record and instead accept the certificate
issued by village Sarpanch/Agriculture Produce Market Committee
(APMC) certifying the prospective seller to be a actual farmer.
In a letter to the Union Minister of Textiles, Mr. Badal pointed
out that the insistence of CCI to supply a copy of the revenue record
at the time of procurement by the prospective seller corroborating
that the crop had actually been grown by him, was badly hampering
the procurement of cotton. The Chief Minister mentioned that the
procedure to produce revenue record was not merely cumbersome but
was also causing lot of harassment to the farmers of the State.
"In fact, farmers have resorted to the path of agitation in
some places because of the delay in Cotton procurement. While we
appreciate the Corporation's concern to ensure that only genuine
farmers are allowed to sell to it, yet it is felt that this objective
can be achieved in ways other than insisting upon the revenue record
e.g. a certificate by the village Sarpanch / APMC certifying the
prospective seller to be a actual farmer", asserted Mr. Badal.
Mr.Badal however, appreciated the CCI which had already lifted
the bulk of cotton procured in Punjab but at the same time he emphasized
the need to maintain the tempo of procurement particularly by the
end of season as it seemed to be tapering off due to the issue of
revenue record to be produced by the prospective sellers.
EMPOWERED COMMITTEE APPROVES 11 NEW MEGA
PROJECTS WORTH RS. 2815.06 CRORE
CHANDIGARH DECEMBER 16, 2008
The Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief
Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today approved 11 new Mega Projects
to be set up in Punjab with an investment of about Rs.2815.06 crore
with an employment potential of about 20465 persons.
Giving the details Chief minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan
Bains said that these approved projects included; three manufacturing
projects viz. Tayal Energy Limited (Rs.507.98 crore) at Goindwal
Sahib in district Tarn Taran, Wazir Singh Yarns Private Limited
(Rs.31.49 crore) at village Bhalla Pind in Amritsar district and
Merial India Private Limited (Rs.250 crore) at village Sambhalheri
in SAS Nagar district with a total investment of Rs.789.47 crore
thereby generating total employment potential of 1155 persons.
Mr.Bains further said that the 5 Multiplex/Hotel projects approved
included a multiplex to be developed by Best Infrastructure (India)
Private Limited (297.14 crore) at Bathinda and another by Necia
Builders & Developers Private Limited (Rs.349.46 crore) near
International Airport Amritsar and three Hotel projects of Piccadily
Hotels Private Limited (Rs.155 crore) at Ludhiana and Cargo Motors
Private Limited (Rs.90 crore) at Jalandhar and Hotel Alstonia -
unit of Nijar Hotels (Rs.11.07 crore) at Amritsar with an total
investment of Rs.902.67 crore had also been approved with an employment
generation capacity of 14510 jobs. Besides, one mega project of
retail chain in service sector namely Metro Cash & Carry India
Private Limited with its two centers in Ludhiana, one each in Mohali,
Zirakpur, Jalandhar and Amritsar (Rs.900 crore) with employment
generation of 2700 jobs.
The empowered committee also approved an Agro based Industrial
project namely Bhagwati Lacto Vegetarian Exports Private Limited
at Ferozepur Cantt with an investment of Rs.32.92 crore having employment
potential of 500 persons.
The Committee also granted clearances to a mega housing township
project to be developed by DSK Realtors Private Limited near International
Airport at Amritsar over an area of 100 acres at an investment of
Rs.190 crore with an employment generation of 1500 persons.
The Empowered Committee had so far approved 32 projects in its various
meetings with total investment of about Rs.33,103.91 crore. The
projects sanctioned so far were coming up in the districts of Nawanshehar,
Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Bathinda, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Faridkot,
Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Mohali districts and were under various
stages of implementation.
With the approval of 11 new Mega Projects total number of approved
projects had now gone up to 43 with the total investment of Rs.35918.97
crore, Mr.Bains added.
Prominent amongst others who attended the meeting included; Local
Government Minister Mr. Manoranjan Kalia, Food & Supplies Minister
Mr. Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Agriculture Minister Mr. Sucha Singh
Langah, Forest Minister Mr. Tikshan Sud, Tourism Minister Mr. Hira
Singh Gabria, Revenue Minister Mr.Ajit Singh Kohar, Transport Minister
Master Mohan Lal, Irrigation Minister Mr. Janmejha Singh Sekhon,
Media Advisor Mr. Harcharan Bains. Besides, Chief Secretary Mr.
R.I. Singh, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr.D.S.Guru, Principal
Secretary Finance Mr.SC Aggarwal, Financial Commissioner Development
Mr.NS Kang, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce Mr. S.S.Channey,
Principal Secretary Transport Mr. DS Jaspal, Principal Secretary
Tourism Mrs. Gitika Kalha, Secretary PWD (B&R) Mr. Kulbir Singh,
Secretary Housing & Urban Development Mr.Arun Goyal, Managing
Director Punjab Agro Industries Corporation Mr. S.K.Sandhu and Director
Industries Mr. VK Janjua and Chief Administrator GAMADA Mr.Vikas
Partap Singh and Chief Administrator PUDA Som Nath and Additional
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr.AK Mahajan.
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