- ------
Connecting over 25 millions NRIs worldwide
NRIinternet.com
Most trusted Name in the NRI media
NRI PEOPLE- OUR NETWORK
 
Punjab News: 2010
FEBRUARY 20:

BADAL FOR MASTER PLAN TO DEVELOP WATER RESOURCES AND IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE

 

CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 20,2010: 

The Punjab Government would soon prepare a Master Plan to develop Water Resources and Irrigation management for Agriculture in the state to over come the alarming situation of declining water resources under severe drought like condition as well as excessive use of ground water for the crops like Paddy in Punjab.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal after going through a detailed Power Point Presentation made by Mr. Moshe Gablinger, Water Resources Development Expert of Israel based TAHAL Consulting Engineers Ltd. along with its Managing Director, Asia Operation Mr. Avi Flor.

Expressing concern over the gravity of the situation the Chief Minister impressed upon the need to adopt a statewide integrated and efficient approach in water resource management and asked his office to chalk out the modalities in this regard at the earliest so that this Master Plan could be prepared with the active involvement of TAHAL Consulting Engineers Ltd.

Mr. Avi Flor assured the Chief Minister that their company would provide water resource management for the entire state keeping in view the long term perspective for next 15 to 25 years and would also suggest remedial measures to tackle the menace of water logging, salinity, canal water seepage from the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals along with the cleaning of village ponds and efficient irrigation management in the state, as the company has a proven technology to provide a permanent solution to these problems.

Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Advisor to the Chief Minister Mr. Harcharan Bains, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. DS Guru, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Director Water Resource & Environment Er. KS Takshi, Executive Director Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Dr. Neelima Jerath, Chief Engineer Water Supply & Sewerage Er. SR Aggarwal, Chief Engineer Drainage Er. Vinod Chaudhary, Chief Engineer Canals Er. Amarjit Singh Dullet and Country Manager India Operations of TAHAL Consulting Engineers Ltd. Mr. Anshu Garg.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HURTING THE SENTIMENTS OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

DGP ASSURES STRICTEST LEGAL ACTION AGANST CULPRITS

  • Chandigarh, February 20

    Mr. P.S.Gill, DGP, Punjab today categorically said that strictest possible legal action is being taken against those attempting to entice communal hatred, causing disharmony and indulging in violence.

    He informed that the printing press in which controversial poster was printed had already been sealed and a case in this regard has been registered against the accused at Police station, Division no. 4, Jalandhar. Meanwhile, additional forces have been sent to sensitive areas to restore the confidence of people, he added.

    The DGP further said that the State police was committed to maintain peace at every cost and would not allow anyone to disturb the hard earned peace in the state.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOVERNMENT TO SET UP SKILL DEVELOPMENT CENTERS AT BLOCK LEVEL - BADAL
CM ANNOUNCES INAUGURATES STATE INSTITUTE OF AUTOMOTIVE & DRIVING SKILL  

MAHUANA (MUKTSAR) FEBRUARY 19:

Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the Punjab government would soon open the state-of-the-art skill development center at the block level to train our unemployed and less educated youth for gainful employment.

Addressing a mammoth gathering after inaugurating Rs. 18 Crore State Institute of Automotive and Driving Skill here, Mr. Badal said that the efforts of the state government in order to provide gainful employment opportunities to the rural youth through establishing such skill development centers aimed at imparting short term technical training would not only help them to earn their livelihood but also change the economic scenario of the state drastically in the near future.

Likewise, the Chief Minister also declared to set up private security training institute at all the district headquarters to impart hi-tech training in private security services to our youth on the pattern of security training institute, Jahan Khelan in district Hoshiarpur. These initiatives of the state government would not only curb the menace of unemployment to some extent but also ensure a dignified living to our unemployed youth who were now sitting idle at their homes. He impressed upon the big industrial houses to join hands with the state government to set up skill development training centers to gainfully absorb the unemployed and less educated youth in the industry and infrastructure projects.

Reiterating his firm commitment to further popularized the concept of skill development centers in the state, Mr. Badal said that on one hand it would provide gainfully employment to the unemployed and less educated youth in the industry and on other it also would help in developing the infrastructure in the state. Mr. Badal rued that the Centre had completely ignored the human resource development sector which should have been accorded the top priority.

Showing deep concern over the problem of unemployment which was growing at an alarming rate, Mr. Badal said that this unhealthy trend must the checked forthwith otherwise it would lead to lawlessness and unrest amongst the youth due to the persistent frustration mounting on them. He mentioned that since unemployment and poverty were co-related issues therefore, Centre should make a multi-pronged strategy in consultation with the state governments to tackle it effectively.

Reiterating the firm commitment of SAD-BJP government to impart vocational training to the unemployed youth, Mr. Badal said that the State Government had already set up Department of Employment Generation to give sharpened focus to check the problem of unemployment in a result oriented manner and had successfully launched Skill Development programme in collaboration with renowned Bharti Wal Mart to impart training in retailing, logistics and supply chain management, L&T for construction skills and Tata Motors for driving and Automotive skills for the youth of the state. He said that all the districts of the state would be soon covered under this unique programme in a phased manner.

Unfolding an action plan prepared to solve the problem of unemployment, the Chief Minister said further that the state government had made concerted efforts to set up a network of skill development training centers to impart vocational training to our unemployed youth to improve their chances of employability. He also asked the captains of the industry in the state to run the ITIs to train the work force required by them according to their needs. He hoped that the trained work force could be efficient employed in the textile, garment, automobiles, hand tools and agro processing industry. Mr. Badal also asked the farmers to avoid wasteful expenditures in agriculture sector with the help of village level cooperative societies.

It may be recalled that to run this joint venture institute smoothly, a society under the name of “State Institute of Automotive & Driving Skills Society" had been established. TATA Motors Limited had provided the requisite tools and equipments for the Institute along with 11 Light and heavy vehicles free of cost. PRTC had been nominated as the Nodal Agency for conceptualizing and running this institute and land measuring 14 acres had been provided by the Punjab Government in addition to the funds had been provided by the P.I.D.B. for the infrastructure of the Institute which included a driving track in an area of 6 acres (approx. 3 kms in length) for imparting driving training to the youth, a computerized innovative driving test system by the C.I.R.T. Pune for driving test. Apart from this, driving simulators at an estimated cost of Rs. 85.00 lacs were also being provided. In order to impart training in different trades, workshop, class rooms, administrative block, library etc. had been constructed, added the Chief Minister.

Chief Minister announced here that five meritorious youth of village Mahauana would be provide training here free of cost. He also said that driving licenses to the trainees of this institute would also be issued here and placement of these trainees would also be made assured. He also urged to Mr. Parkash M. Telang, MD (India Operations) Tata Motors Ltd. to recruit these trainees in their own service centers.

Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal, Member Parliament Mr. Sher Singh Ghubaya, MLA Malout s. Harpreet Singh, Mr. Parkash M. Telang, MD ( India Operations) Tata Motors Ltd., Sh. M.K.Sirupa, Director IIT Ropar ; Sh. D.S.Bains, Principal Secretary Employment Generation ; Sh. KJS Cheema, Special Secretary to CM, Sh. Varun Roonjam, DC Muktsar, S. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, MD PRTC ; Sh. Ravinder Singh Aulakh, Principal (SIADS).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   

POWER FROM AGRO WASTE
PUNJAB SHOWS THE WAY TO THE COUNTRY. 

Chandigarh, February 19

 

The ‘wheat basket’ of the country-Punjab today created a new milestone as Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah dedicated to the Nation the 14.5 MW Biomass plant to generate power from agricultural residue. This Rs. 80 crores plant, the brain child of Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, is the third of the 29 such biomass plants that are set to generate 400 MW Power, taking Punjab closer to dream of becoming first power surplus state of the country.

Congratulating the people of Punjab for this novel endevour at Channu (Muktsar), Dr. Farooq Abdullah said that encouraged by Punjab’s fast march in the area of renewable energy, his ministry has sanctioned 21 more such mini power plants besides sanctioning pilot projects in the area of solar, micro hydel and wind energy. He said that his ministry under the pilot project was planning to provide solar/wind run water pumps to the farmers of Punjab in which farmers would be contributing minimal amount. He said that, if successful, it could save Rs. 3500 crores power subsidy being provided by state to the farmers. He said that Punjab has set an example before whole country under the young dynamic leadership of Sukhbir Singh Badal by making determined forays in renewable energy sector with the target to generate 1000 MW in next two years.

Complimenting the management for using latest Biomethanation technology to produce power from agro waste, Dr. Abdullah said that by providing value addition to the farmers and even utilizing fly ash to make bricks, the company has adopted most environment friendly model to generate power.

Speaking on the occasion Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal said that 29 such plants would be operational all over Punjab in next 18 months. He said that each plant would buy agricultural waste to the tune of Rs. 30 to 40 Crores from the farmers in the 30 Km radius of each plant. He said that the farmer’s economy was set to get a boost as they would be earning Rs. 900 Crore more, that too by selling agricultural waste which was earlier burnt by them.

Mr. Badal said that the plant would use agricultural wastes and produces, inputs like cotton and rice husk, cow dung, straws and stalks of paddy, cotton and wheat to produce electricity. He said that its by product, fly ash would be used to make bricks which would be used in construction.

He said that the plant purchases agricultural waste over Rs 30 crore each year from neighboring villages which solves the problem of managing waste, and ensures that there is no burning of stalks in the fields which deteriorates fertility and leads to air pollutions He said that Punjab was committed to generate 10% of installed generating capacity of power from renewable energy sources.

He said that keeping this target mind Punjab took proactive steps and due to focused approach Punjab had been able to put up 20 cogeneration plants producing 220 MW power. He said that Punjab was also targeting to produce 200 MW power from sugar mills in the cooperative sector.

Mr. Badal said that he launched three pronged strategy to realise mission of making Punjab Power surplus. He said that besides starting work on 4 super thermal plants with combined generation capacity of 6500 MW, Punjab was targeting to generate 700 MW power from renewable sources by the year 2011 coupled with saving 1700 MW power from converting all light connections to CFL.

He said that he was proud that Dr. Abdullah inaugurated first ever solar power plant of the country in Private Sector last month and now he was inaugurating the new foray of Punjab to generate Power from agro waste. He said that this same company would setup 2 more plants in Ferozepur and Mansa area at the cost of Rs 250 Crores. He said that with 20 lac million tonne agricultural residue being generated every year, Punjab can produce over 1000 MW Power from agro waste alone.

Giving the details of Project Mr. Jasbir Singh said that the capacity of this project is 14.5MW and the annual exportable power from this plant to the PSEB grid sub-station at 132KV Gidderbaha Sub-station is 103.35MU. He said that this project is utilizing 400 tons per day of cotton stalks, mustard stalks, paddy straw and other local available biomass fuels. He said that this project besides being environment friendly project would offer value addition to the farmers who can earn upto Rs. 10,000 per acre per year, more by selling the agri-waste to this plant.

Earlier, Dr. Abdollah formally inaugurated the plant by unveiling the plaque in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal and Member Parliament Mr. Naresh Gujral. Dr. Abdullah also had a round of the plant and an exhibition put up by the company to show the preprocessing of raw bio mass.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR. FAROOQ ABDULLAH UNVEILS THE FOUNDATION STONE OF 10 MW BIOMASS POWER PROJECT AT BINJON

29 BIO-MASS POWER PLANTS TO GENERATE 350 MW IN NEXT 18 MONTHS-SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL v PUNJAB FARMERS TO EARN RS 10,000 PER ACRE PER YEAR FROM AGRO-WASTE

 

Binjon( Hoshiarpur), February 19: Punjab farmers are all set to earn Rs 10,000 per acre and people of the state 350 MW power thanks to the visionary Bio-mass Power Plants programme initiated by the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal. As Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy today unveiled the foundation stone of 10 MW Biomass Power Project, which is being set up here by M/s. Green Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd. at a cost of Rs. 68 crores , the State ushered in new era of generating power from agricultural residue.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abdullah congratulated the Punjab government for taking initiatives in exploring new and renewable sources of energy. Describing it another step taken by Punjab Government in fulfilling the Union Government target of producing 20,000 MW Power from new and renewable energy sources by the year 2022 under its Solar Mission, the Union Minister underlined the need to tap maximum resources of new and renewable energy keeping in view the ever rising pollution and worldwide outcry on cutting emissions, as being proposed in recent Copenhagen Summit.

Mr. Abdullah said that earlier in the day he had inaugurated a 14.5 MW Biomass Power Plant at Village Channu of district Mukatsar and now laid the foundation stone of 10 MW Biomass Power plant here, which shows the seriousness of Punjab government to make significant contribution in Indian Government’s endeavour to produce clean and emission free power, to save the planet from the ill effects of global warming. He pointed out that in our ancient history five natural elements i.e. Sun, Wind, Fire, Earth and Water were known as life elements of the planet earth and now his Ministry has launched a campaign to draw clean energy from all these five elements to make the country power surplus.

Speaking about future plans in the new energy sector, Mr. Abdullah said that the task of the Independent Power Producers was being facilitated by single window service in the Ministry. He said that his Ministry was targeting to produce 1300 MW power from new energy sector within next three years as the union government has set a target to generate 20,000 MW from new as well as renewable energy sources by year 2022. He pointed out that only Bio-mass based projects have the potential to generate 15 to 25 thousand MW power keeping in view the availability of huge quantity of agro-waste in the country. He assured that the Union Government would analyse the pilot solar pump project of PEDA and if found satisfactory, it would be subsidized to help the Punjab farmers, who were making significant contribution in nation’s food grains pool.

Welcoming Dr. Abdullah, the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal informed that Punjab had already achieved 300 MW in Renewable Power Sector and was aiming to increase it to 700 MW by the year 2011. He said that the State has launched an ambitious programme to produce 350 MW power from biomass and other agro-waste through 29 upcoming biomass power plants in a stipulated time frame of 18 months and his ultimate target is to set up 50 such power plants in near future. He said that the State has substantial availability of Biomass / Agro-waste which was sufficient to produce about 1000 MW of electricity and reiterated the firm commitment of the SAD-BJP government to explore each new and renewable energy source in its endeavour to make State power surplus.

Mr Badal revealed that this upcoming Biomass Power Plant will provide direct / in-direct employment to more than 1500 people besides ensuring additional income to the farmers of region to the tune of Rs. 10,000 per acre through sale of biomass and agro-waste of all crops to the plant. This project will utilize 400 tons per day of cotton stalks, mustard stalks, paddy straw, eucalyptus, poplar wood chips and local biomass wastes including cattle dung.

He reminded that India’s first ever commercial 2 MW Solar Power Plant, which was further being expanded to 5 MW at village Awan in the District Amritsar had already been inaugurated by Dr Abdullah last year and the State government was making concerted efforts to set such plants that too having 10 MW capacity each in other regions also. A 5 MW such plant is being set up in Hoshiarpur district soon.

Describing sufficient power as the key of overall development of any State, the Deputy Chief Minister said that with construction work of Rajpura Thermal Plant is all set to start within days and approval of coal linkage for Super Thermal plant to be set up at Gidderbaha expected in first week of March, the dream to make State power surplus would be realized soon as these plants would produce 7000 MW power jointly. He said that with the completion of all four thermal plants and maximum tapping of new and renewable energy sources, the Punjab would have surplus power for next two decades.

Earlier, Mr R.B. Lad, Chairman, Green Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd , while welcoming Dr Abdullah and Mr Badal expressed gratitude for overall support given by Punjab government and PEDA and informed that his company was setting up 15 such plants having joint capacity of 160 MW in Punjab. Mr. Visvajeet Khanna, Secretary, Science Technology and Enviroment , informed that this project has been allocated and facilitated by PEDA under the NRSE Policy-2006 of the Govt. of Punjab and the Power would be supplied to PSEB under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included; Mr Naresh Gujral, Mr Varinder Singh Bajwa, both Rajya Sabha Members, Mr Sohan Singh Thandal, Mrs mohinder Kaur Josh and Mr Des Raj Dhugga, all Chief Parliamentary Secretaries and Mr Luv Kumar Goldy, MLA, Mr Balour Singh, Director, PEDA and Mr K. Krishna, Director, Green Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Hike in fertilizer prices to harm Punjab farmers : SAD

 

Chandigarh, February 19 : Shiromani Akali Dal Secretary and Spokesman Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema has severely criticized the decision of the UPA government to increase the price of urea by 10 percent and authorizing the manufacturers to fix the rates of the DAP and MAP and said that this unjust and unnecessary decision was aimed at harming the interests of the farmers of the country in general and of Punjab in particular.

In a hard hitting statement released here from party headquarters, Dr. Cheema said that this decision has proved anti farmer credentials of the centre government which was hell bent on ruining the peasantry. He said that UPA government is well aware of the fact that farmers of Punjab were feeding the country with their contribution in food production and any move to escalate the prices of farm inputs would harm the interests of the farmers of the border state who were already reeling under the heavy debts of the money launderers and other financial institutions.

SAD leader said that this is not the first time when UPA government has acted against the interests of the farming community but in the past too this government has adopted and implemented those policies and programmes which were contrary to its much publicized “pro farmer” postures. He said that UPA government has failed to increase the MSP for the agriculturual produce of the farmers according to the recommendations of the farmer commission bu now was acting against the peasantry in the name of rationalization of subidies on the fertilizers.

Demanding immediate roll back of the hike, he said that this unjust and unneccary step against the major population of the country should be reversed immediately to save the food growers of the nations from any new crisis.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

SAHAYTA CANCER AWARENESS CAMP ORGANISED AT DOABA GROUP OF COLLEGES

Chandigarh February 19 - As part of its initiative to spread awareness about the fight against cancer in rural areas, the Sahayta Cancer Sehyog, today organized a camp for the students and faculty of the Doaba Group of Colleges at their campus near Kurali.

A Sehyog press release said here today that the camp focused especially on enlightening women regarding breast and cervical cancer, the two most wide-spread forms of cancer among women in India, in addition to early detection of symptoms of the disease.

It was pointed out at the camp today that according to a recent survey, one woman dies of Cervical Cancer every 7 minutes in India. Early detection through self-examination mammography and Pap Smear tests results in success in curing this form of cancer. The Doaba Group of Colleges has been actively supporting Sahayta for the last several years.

The camp also stressed the need to fight unfounded fears about the disease among he people and to educate them on timely diagnose which results in tackling cancer effectively. Many patients, survivos and volunteers actively come out at Sahayata events to demonstrate that “There is life after cancer”.

Sahayta Cancer Sahyog also provides financial support to needy patients. Financial assistance is also given to children suffering from various forms of cancer. Volunteers attend O.P.D. of Radiotheraphy, Advance Pediatric and Haematology.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Home

 

NRI News Media

 

Read More