Punjab Advance August 2016 Editorial

Martyrdom Day

Shaheed Udham Singh (July 31) 2 Punjab Advance August 2016 Editorial

apt Amarinder Singh did not mince words when he talked about complete waiver of loans for farmers. He has made it clear tha the Punjab farmer would Cbe debt-free despite the provision of a mere Rs 1500 crore set aside in the budget presented by the Finance Minister in the Vidhan Sabha. The onus of repaying the complete loan would be on the state government. The farmer will be free of the debt once the notification in this regard is issued in a week’s time. Intervening in the House, the Chief Minister clarified that although a total sum of Rs 9,500 crore will be required to fully implement the debt waiver scheme, which would take about four to five years to settle with the banks, the farmers would be free from their debt once the notification is issued. “We propose to take over the debt of the farmers covered under the scheme and make the payments to the banks directly in instalments,” Captain Amarinder stated in clear terms. This is good news for 10.25 lakh farmers who will benefit from this debt waiver as part of the initiative, which proposes double the relief provided by the States of U.P. and Ma- harashtra. The people’s CM set a personal example when he announced to give up power subsidy at his own farm while appealing to all big and well-to-do farmers to give up power subsidy voluntarily. He made this gesture and appeal while reiterating his government’s commitment to provide free power to farmers. His commitment to the girl child is reflected in the government’s decision to provide free education to girls from the nursery to the Ph.D. in state government institutions. The new education policy also provides for introduction of pre-primary classes (Nursery and LKG in government schools from the next session.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 3 Contents Punjab Advance www.diprpunjab.gov.in Farm loans waived LJULY - 2017 LVOL-4 L ISSUE-4

C.E.O. N Gurkirat Kirpal Singh (IAS)

Editor N Donald Banerjee

Designer N Kumar Jiv Chumber

Publisher N Information & Public Relations Department, Punjab 06

Contact address N In the grip of PUNJAB ADVANCE, Room No. 1, 5th Floor, a debt trap Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh-160001 Ph. : 0172-2740668 [email protected]

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors in the articles published in PUNJAB ADVANCE are their own. They do not necessarily reﬂect the opinion of Punjab Government or the organization they work for. Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or expand the articles submitted. In case of any dispute, legal 16 jurisdiction will lie in Chandigarh based courts.

Published and Edited by Gurkirat Kirpal Singh (IAS) on behalf of the Information and Top 10 Indian Public Relations Department, Punjab. healthy snacks Printed by Controller printing and stationery Deptt., Punjab from MP Printers, B-220, In- dustrial Area, Phase-II, NOIDA-201305(UP) and published at Room No. 1, 5th Floor, Civil Page-42 Sectt., Chandigarh. 4 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Historic hike in farm outlay A unique cradle

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Avoid neck pain 38 Page-44

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 5 Cover Capt keeps his promise

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh with representatives of farmers · 10.25 lakh farmers to benefit · Free power subsidy to continue · Suicide ex gratia to kin raised BUREAU REPORT inally the farmers Capt Amarinder Singh other historic announce- have got their due. announced waiver of loans ments he had promised to FKeeping to his pre-poll to marginal and poor the people in the run-up to promises, Chief Minister farmers and made several the elections.

6 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover Farm loans waived Based on the interim report total of 10.25 lakh farmers, in- thoughts and skills of the previ- of the Experts Group under T cluding 8.75 lakh farmers up to ous regime, and shows that the Haq, Captain Amarinder an- 5 acres. The initiative would Congress government has inher- nounced waiver of loans up to provide double the relief an- ited an empty treasury. The fis- Rs. 2 lakh for small, marginal nounced by the states of Uttar cal deficit of the State as on 31st farmers up to 5 acres, with Rs. 2 Pradesh and Maharashtra. March 2017 stood at Rs. 26,801 lakh relief for other marginal The Chief Minister made crore, which is likely to increase farmers, irrespective of their these announcements despite the after actual figures of 2016-17 loan amount. He also announced government inheriting a shock- are available, the Chief Minister a hike in ex-gratia payment to ing Rs. 2,08,051.96 crore debt, revealed. families of farmers who com- as per the White Paper tabled in Capt Amarinder Singh said mitted suicide, to Rs. 5 lakh the House, which showed that the loan waiver move would from the existing Rs. 3 lakh. the crisis was worse than anyone benefit a total of 10.25 lakh While announcing continuation had anticipated or imagined. farmers, including 8.75 lakh of free power subsidy to farm- In a his hard-hitting reply to farmers up to 5 acres. The initia- ers, the Chief Minister appealed the debate on the Governor’s ad- tive would provide double the to the big farmers to give up the dress in the Vidhan Sabha, the relief announced by the states of same voluntarily and immedi- Chief Minister said the White Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. ately announced that he was Paper clearly brings out the fi- The Chief Minister proposed doing so for his own farms. nancial mis-management, im- that the Speaker may constitute The move would benefit a prudence and bankruptcy of a 5-Member Committee of Vid-

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 7 Cover han Sabha to visit the families of the suicide victims, ascertain the reasons for suicides and suggest Farmers to be debt free further steps to be taken to check this menace forever. The Chief Minister also reiterated his government’s commitment Govt to pay loan instalments: CM to provide free power to farmers but appealed to all big and well-to- do farmers of the state to give up Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh inter- power subsidy voluntarily. He an- vened in the House to make it clear that the Rs. 1500 crore nounced his decision to immedi- proposed by the Finance Minister in this regard was an ini- ately give up the subsidy at his own tial sum provided in the budget to leverage more money to farms to set a personal example, provide for the debt waiver scheme in instalments. and appealed to his colleagues to Though a total sum of about Rs.9500 crore (subject to do the same. final reconciliation of accounts) will be required to fully Lambasting the previous Akali implement the debt waiver scheme, which would take government for ruining the state’s about 4-5 years to settle with the banks, the farmers would agriculture and farmers, the Chief be free from their debt immediately on notification of the Minister said the Badal regime ac- scheme which may take another six weeks, the Chief Min- cepted a loan of Rs.31,000 crore to ister declared. cover the shortfall in the cash “We propose to take over the debt of the farmers cov- credit limit for procurement of ered under the scheme and make the payments to the banks foodgrains, for which his govern- directly in instalments,” Captain Amarinder stated in clear ment has to pay Rs.270 crore terms. every month and Rs.3240 crore an- Captain Amarinder said that on the basis of interim re- nually. Had this not been done, his port submitted by the Expert Group headed by Dr. T. government would have utilized Haque, his Government had decided to waive the entire the additional Rs. 31,000 crore crop loan of small and marginal farmers (up to 5 acres) amount also to benefit the farmers, having loans up to Rs. 2 lakh. This, he said, would provide he added. a relief of total debt waiver to 8.75 lakh farmers (as per the Citing studies, the Chief Minis- data of the report of 31.03.2017 of State Level Bankers' ter said there are about 18.5 lakh Committee). farming families in the state, and The government had also decided to provide a relief of about 65% of them are small and Rs. 2 lakh to the remaining marginal farmers (up to 2.5 marginal farmers, out of which acres) irrespective of the amount of loan so as to provide about 70% have access to institu- relief to all marginal farmers. This will provide relief to tional finance. additional 1.50 lakh marginal farmers. The government’s priority In all, about 10.25 lakh farmers would benefit from this would be to continuously increase debt waiver as part of the initiative, which proposes dou- income of all those who are de- ble the relief provided by the States of U.P. and Maha- pendent on agriculture while pre- rashtra, he pointed out. The Chief Minister said the serving the ecological balance, and government had now given 60 days' time to the Expert announced that a State Agriculture Group to give its final report proposing the detailed Policy focusing on increase in farmers' income on a sustainable scheme of debt waiver to these 10.25 lac farmers.

8 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover basis would be formulated soon. as well. He also announced total canal to be constructed at any Captain Amarinder also an- freedom, sans censorship, for cost as the state had no surplus nounced a new Lok Pal bill, the media. water to share with others. He which would bring not only the Captain Amarinder reiterated also announced several other ministers and all bureaucrats in his government’s stand on SYL, measures to ensure that the its ambit but the Chief Minister saying they would not allow the water problems faced by the Nursery, LKG in govt schools

The Punjab gov- a pilot basis, English ernment will give medium will be free textbooks to all started in at least two students of govern- Primary, Middle, ment schools, and High and Senior Sec- will introduce pre- ondary schools in primary classes each educational (Nursery & LKG) in block from July on- government schools wards. from the next aca- The government demic session as also proposes to set part of the sweeping up two new Sainik educational reforms Schools in Gur- in the state, which daspur and Mansa, will also see free in- and another institute ternet service in 13000 primary schools and all on the lines of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Acad- the 48 government colleges. emy, Mohali, to train youth to join the Indian Making this announcement in the Vidhan Armed Forces. Sabha, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Also on the cards is a unique initiative ‘, Singh, said his government would accord the `Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab’ - whereby highest priority to school education and, young NRI graduates and people from across notwithstanding the constraint of resources, seek India and the world will be invited to dedicate to increase budgetary support to the education upto one year by way of volunteer work to assist sector, with five new colleges to be set up in the in teaching in our schools. current financial year. Five new colleges will come up in the current As part of the initiatives to improve the edu- financial year with the objective of providing one cation scenario, textbooks will be posted online, college in each subdivision constraints it faces. thus enabling students/ parents to download the A Central Institute for Promotion and Devel- same free of cost. Special funds will be ear- opment of Punjabi Language is proposed to be marked for providing proper infrastructure in set up at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda. terms of electricity, furniture, toilets and play- The Department of Technical Education has grounds for the students in all government already signed an MoU to provide free Wi-Fi on schools. all campuses of Government Engineering Col- English as the medium of instruction will be leges, Government Polytechnic Colleges and offered as an option in government schools. On Government ITIs.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 9 Cover

people of the state can be solved. Even as he cited facts and figures to show the CM under Lok Pal stupendous success of the government’s war on drugs, the Chief Minister appealed to the opposi- The Punjab Government will enact a new tion to join hands in the effort. He warned all those involved in drugs to quit or face stringent action. Lok Pal legislation with the powers to initiate The Chief Minister made it clear that those action on complaints against the Chief Min- found guilty of trying to disrupt the state’s har- ister, the Ministers and the bureaucracy at all mony through sacrilegious attacks and those in- levels. volved in the false cases registered under the The government has also decided to review previous regime would not be spared. Countering and revamp the Right to Service Commission the opposition’s attempts to mislead the people on Act to bring in greater accountability into the this count, the Chief Minister said only 13 cases system. Revamp of the Unified Delivery Cen- had been registered under his government in the tres / Service Centres is also on the cards, past three months and 12 of them had already while the government is also examining a pro- been solved. He also categorically denied any posal to establish Nayaya Panchayats to en- move to reduce the annual pay of police person- sure easy, quick and affordable justice at nel from 13 to 12 months. grassroots. It also initiated the process to es- The Chief Minister, whose government has al- tablish Special Courts to settle matters con- ready unveiled several social welfare programmes and initiatives in the last three months, further an- cerning NRIs, serving soldiers, drug peddlers, nounced waiver, in a phased manner of loans up for speedier justice. to Rs. 50000 given to the SCs and economically The Chief Minister also reiterated his com- weaker sections by the State Schedule Caste Cor- mitment to preserving the freedom of press, poration and the State Backward Classes Corpo- saying his government stands strongly com- ration. A scheme for free houses to the homeless mitted against censorship, monopoly and and low cost housing the economically weaker cartelization in various forms of media. He as- would also be launched in 2017-18, he added. sured of transparency and level playing field While reiterating his government’s commitment to all interested parties in news channels and to implement GST, the Chief Minister said he in- cable networks. dustry, trade and business would be given sufficient Revamp of the Unified Delivery Cen- time to transition and he had already directed that ters/Service Centers with on-line apps will en- arrests should not be pursued in case of default. sure quick and effective delivery of services The government will also set up a Tax Ombuds- to the citizens, said the Chief Minister, adding man to address GST related public grievances. All rural households will get water connections that 70% of the Centers established by the and toilets in two years, while 100 villages will previous Government were non-functional be taken up for a solid waste management pilot with unproductive liability of Rs.20 crore per project in the first year of the government, said month. The previous Government had spent the Chief Minister. over Rs.400 crore for building these centers, Captain Amarinder also unveiled several ini- wherein limited service has yet been deliv- tiatives for the development of roads, railways and ered, he said, promising delivery of services at air connectivity in the state, as well as Smart the door-steps of each and every household. Cities in Amritsar and Jalandhar, in addition to Ludhiana.

10 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

Power at Rs 5 per unit

New industrial policy by July-end

The Chief Minister declared a freeze on elec- ting up of new industrial hubs in Sangrur and tricity tariff at Rs 5 per unit for new and exist- Khanna and a Rs. 100 crore fund to be created ing industrial units, while announcing that the to promote start-up culture in the state. new industrial policy would be declared by the The government will also set up Employ- end of July. ment Bureaus in each district and also create a The government has also decided to make web portal 'ghargharnaukri.com, enabling all the Bureau of Investment Promotion more ef- the youth to register themselves. Till such time, fective with the establishment of its offices at all the unemployed youth who are registered on district level. the web portal can be provided gainful employ- The Chief Minister also announced abolition ment, they will be given unemployment al- of truck unions to ensure free and fair move- lowance, said the Chief Minister. ment of goods, including industrial products, Referring to the transport mafia, the Chief besides destroying the transport mafia in the Minister informed the House that nearly 27% state. buses in the State are plying without valid per- The Chief Minister announced several other mit and said the permits for trucks and buses steps to revive the state’s industry, which had been completely devastated under the previous given by previous Government in a non-trans- regime. These include creation of land banks in parent manner would be cancelled. all major towns to enable young entrepreneurs Rationalisation of routes for passenger trans- to set up industries or shift existing industries port vehicles, including buses, as well intro- to new areas, fiscal incentives for border and duction of new buses under government and kandi areas, simplification of process of ob- private sectors would also be ensured to check taining CLU and the establishment of Industrial monopoly of a few operators, the Chief Minis- Policy Implementation Council under the Chief ter added. He also promised online platforms Minister to oversee time-bound development of for the citizens to apply for driving licences and industry in the State. other services of the Transport Department in The Chief Minister further announced set- the next three months.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 11 Cover

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal presents the Budget in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha

· Budget reforms to benefit 99 per cent people: FM · Major incentive for employment, agriculture and real estate

istory was created in The Finance Minister described Rs.100 crore in this regard for the Punjab Vidhan his budget as one that would benefit 2017-18. SabhaH when Finance Minister 99 per cent of the people of Punjab. To motivate, encourage and to Manpreet Singh Badal announced The Government has allocated reward the Gram Panchayats to a 66 per cent hike in the agriculture an initial outlay of Rs.1500 crore stop burning of paddy straw, an al- sector spending, increasing the out- for waiving the debts of dis- location of Rs.20 crore has been lay from Rs 6,383.01 crore to Rs stressed farmers in Punjab. made. 10,580.99 crore, while unveiling a Government is committed to Focusing on creation of em- slew of budgetary reforms. plan the Solarization of 2000 Agri- ployment, the Finance Minister This is the first time that the culture pump sets in the State of stated that 3 lakh jobs will be cre- budget outlay for agriculture has Punjab with an 80% subsidy com- ated under the Shahed Bhagat exceeded Rs 10,000 crore. ponent and budgetary provision of Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna-Apni

12 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

Gadi Apna Rozgar scheme alone, following a tie-up with two private Historic hike sectors majors Ola and Uber. The State Government has increased social security pension from Rs.500 per month to Rs.750 per month to all categories in farm of beneficiaries including old age persons, dependent children, disabled persons, widows and destitute women. Government has also decided to increase the honorarium given to the Chowkidars to Rs.1250 outlay per month. An allocation of Rs.100 crore has been made under Universal Health Insurance for the under priv- ileged people. carried out with the help of various Mohali, Jalandhar and Amritsar, Under the Scheme "Financial funds made available in rural areas. which will increase the milk han- Assistance to Acid Attack Female A major boost to the real estate dling capacity by 25 per cent in one Victims", a financial assistance of sector will come through the reduc- year. Two pig breeding farms at Rs.8000/- per month shall be pro- tion of transfer of ownership of Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur, and up- vided. plots/houses from 2.5 to 2 per cent. grading of Government piggery Government has announced Stamp duty on registration of prop- farm at Nabha are among the pro- Modified Atta Dal Scheme using erty in urban areas has been cut by posal. Smart Ration Cards to the benefici- a massive 3 per cent from the exist- A 50 per cent hike in compen- aries. Apart from this, Tea leaves ing 9 to 6 per cent. These two meas- sation (up from Rs.8,000/ acre to and sugar shall be provided to BPL ures will boost the construction Rs.12,000/acre), an increase in co- families. An amount of Rs.500 sector. New residential and indus- operative lending to farmers (which crore has been provided for this in trial estates will be established at should touch Rs.10,000 crore), 2017-18 Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar and along with amendments to the Based on Antyodaya concept, all Ludhiana, among others. A sum of Agriculture Produce Marketing the deprived sections and destitute Rs.2020 crore will be spent on var- Act, and reconstitution of the Pun- living in rural areas who were his- ious development works in the state jab Farmers Commission is also on torically been ignored will be as- in the construction sector alone. the agenda. sisted through a new scheme called Elaborating that only four crops The modern and the state of the PENDU SARV JAN HITKARI contribute 70 per cent of the agri- art ‘Green Boards’ will be provided YOJANA, under which Gram Pan- culture sector, the Finance Minister in all primary schools. This will chayat Development Plan (GPDP) announced a spate of new invest- help the teachers in improving the of all 13,000 panchayats in the state ments for boosting agriculture and quality of education. The govern- based on ground level planning will allied sectors. This includes mod- ment will also provide furniture to ensure that the infrastructure works ernization of three milk plants at all Government Schools and free

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 13 Cover textbooks to the students. each for every student admitted. A ports of Bathinda, Adampur, Lud- Computer education will be in- General Sham Singh Attariwala hiana and Pathankot will be linked troduced in all primary schools in Armed Forces Preparatory Institute under the regional connectivity the state, Manpreet Singh Badal will be established at Amritsar, scheme. stressed as he spoke of how educa- while Sainik School, Kapurthala The Transport Department shall tion will the primary tool to reduce will be upgraded. Freedom fighters soon come out with a policy to in- inequalities and inequities in the humbly will get 300 units free res- centivize the use of electric vehi- state. idential electricity. cles, to encourage more people to Establishment of five new de- A 20 per cent hike has been shift to these less polluting vehi- gree colleges, increase in grant for made in Health sector, with 50 cles. Panjab University, establishment of crore earmarked for the establish- Punjab will provide free smart Central Institute for Promotion and ment of Primary Rural Rehabilita- phones to youth at a cost of Rs.10 Development of Punjabi Language tion and Drug De-addiction centres crore. at Talwandi Sabo, establishment of in the State. A new medical college The outlay of the Department of e-library of national standards, in- will be opened at SAS Nagar (Mo- Local Government will witness a frastructure development of his- hali), while tertiary care centres quantum increase and it includes toric colleges of Punjab will be set up at cost of Rs.50 crore development of Amritsar, Jaland- (Government Mahindra College, at Fazilka and Hoshiarpur. har, Ludhiana and Patiala as smart Patiala, Government College Ka- The enhance ease of doing busi- cities. All Municipal Towns/areas purthala, Government College ness in the State, Government will will be open defecation free by Malerkotla, Government College setup MSME Punjab Kendras in March, 2019, and 117,645 individ- Hoshiarpur, and Government Col- each district with the power to ual household toilets would be lege Amritsar), establishment of grant regulatory clearance across built. Vocational Training institute for the departments. This Government is committed Girls, and Regional Directorate of Government shall provide all fa- to built houses for houseless poor Apprenticeship at village Saneta, cilitation and help to the Trade and urban SC/BC families in the State, District Mohali are among the Industry in ensuring a smooth tran- other major initiatives in the field sition to GST regime. For this, the which will involve construction of of education. State shall appoint a Tax Ombuds- 2000 houses for eligible families Ashirwaad scheme will get a 40 man to address the grievances of this year. per cent hike with a sum of the trade and industry, objectively An NRI Property Safeguard Act Rs.21,000 (up from Rs.15,000). and impartially. will be formulated, and an NRI om- Government has also increased the State government will establish budsman established in the state. reservation for Scheduled Castes 16 Specific Industrial Parks, New Though the speech was laden from 15% to 30% in all govern- industrial hubs shall be set up in with poetry from famous poets of ment schemes pertaining to the al- District Sangrur and Ludhiana, and the subcontinent, Manpreet also lotment of plots/houses in the state. an exhibition cum convention cen- quoted global economists like Paying tribute to Punjab for tre will be set up in Ludhiana under Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and being the sword arm of India, Man- the PPP mode. A Punjab Corporate the French economist Thomas preet Singh Badal announced that Social Responsibility Authority Piketty as he spoke of how Pun- the institute whose students qualify (PCSRA) will be established. To jab’s economy can benefit from for NDA and IMA, will get 1 lakh increase regional linkages, four air- modern global financial trends.

14 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

Key points of the budget

• Rs. 1500 crore have been provided for debt waiver • Incentives for Gram Panchayat for zero burning of for farmers; paddy stubble-Rs. 20 crore; • Rs. 180 crore loan to Sugar Cooperatives for pay- • Modified 'Atta Dal Scheme'- Rs. 500 crore; ment to cane growers; • Border Area Infrastructure Development Pro- • Rate of compensation for loss of crops (Kharaba) gramme- Rs. 300 crore; has been increased from Rs. 8000/- to Rs. 12000/- • Social Security pension increased from Rs. 500 to per acre; Rs. 750/-; • Free text books to all the students- [Rs. 30 crore]; • Construction of 70 new Police Stations and com- • Furniture to all Government Schools; pleting 23 incomplete building of Police Stations; • Computers in Primary Schools; • Dial 100 help line; • State of the Art Green boards in all Primary • 'Friends of Punjab'-Chief Minister Garima Gram Schools; Yojna; • Award for best schools in Blocks and Districts; • Financial assistance under 'Aashirwad Scheme' in- • Opening of 5 Degree Colleges in educationally creased from Rs. 15000/- to Rs. 21000/- - Rs. 200 backward areas; crore; • Special financial assistance to historical colleges; • Loan waiver scheme of Punjab Scheduled Caste • Rs. 50 crore for 'Yaari Enterprises' as interest sub- Land Development & Finance Corporation and vention @ 3%; Punjab Backward Classes Land Development & • Setting up of 'Rozgar Ate Karobar Bureaus' Finance Corporation [Rs. 17.66 crore and Rs. 2.44 • Setting up of 'General Sham Singh Attariwala crore respectively] Armed Forces Preparatory Institute'; • Rs. 1103 crore will be spent for infrastructure de- • Rs. 20 crore for 'Guardians of Governance'; • Universal Health Insurance Scheme - Rs. 100 velopment in rural areas; crore; • New scheme of 'Pendu Sarvjan Hitkari' Scheme; • New Medical College at SAS Nagar, Mohali; • Stamp duty on registration of property has been • Upgradation of infrastructure in the existing Govt. reduced from 9% to 6%; Medical College and Hospital, Patiala- Rs. 100 • Fees charged for transfer of ownership of crore; plots/houses has been reduced from 2.5% to 2%; • Grant to historical places, Quila Mubarak Patiala • Rs.50 crore for Houses for Houseless in Urban & and Fort at Bathinda- (Rs.26 crore); Rural Area. • 'Swachh Punjab' Ate 'Sohna Punjab'-Rs. 873.35 • Honorarium of chowkidars has been increased up crore; to Rs. 1250/- ; • Setting up of 2000 Solar Agriculture Pumps- Rs. • Under 'Captain Smart Connect Scheme', free mo- 100 crore; bile phones will be provided to youth; • 'Paddy Straw Management Challenge fund'- Rs. 5 • Free electricity up to 300 units per month shall be crore; given to freedom fighters.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 15 Cover In the grip of a debt trap White paper paints grim picture of state finances

BUREAU REPORT

he state is in the grip finances, blamed the previous ing debt, power bonds, loans of of a debt trap and its government of lack of fiscal pru- state entities and loan to cover financesT in a free fall, says the dence and indiscriminate raising cash credit limit gap at Rs 1.87- Amarinder Singh government of loans, especially unproduc- lakh crore, as on March 31, in a white paper tabled in the tive borrowings and ‘book- 2017. If the state guarantees are Vidhan Sabha Painting a grim cooking’, for the debt trap. added, it jumps to Rs 2.08-lakh picture, the white paper on state The paper puts the outstand- crore.

16 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

“The state finances are in a the Punjab State Power Corpo- against 7.5 per cent of All India free fall, as the government rev- ration Ltd. level in the year 2014-15. enue has not kept pace with its 9. The average GSDP growth expenditure, leading to balloon- 5. The immediate commit- recorded by the state during the ing revenue and fiscal deficits,” ment that the State government period 2006-07 to 2015-16 was reads the white paper, sum- had to discharge, including un- at 6.37 per cent which is lower marising the fiscal woes. paid bills in the treasury, when than the average growth The following is a summary the new Government assumed recorded by the states like Goa of the 143 page white paper office, was to the tune of Rs (10.68%), Bihar (10.08%), Gu- 13039 crore. jarat (9.70%), Madhya Pradesh 1. The new Government as- (8.54%), Haryana (8.30%), Ma- sumed office on March 16,2017. 6. When the new Govern- harashtra (7.71%) and Tamil On March 29, RBI shutdown the ment took over, it was wel- Nadu(7.66%). State treasury owing to the comed with the additional breach in the limits set by the liability of Rs 29919.96 crore 10. The State which had con- RBI. As on March 31 bills (as on March 31, 2017) in the tinued to hold the top position in amounting to `7791 crore were form of loans to settle the so Per Capita Income across the pending and ultimately lapsed as called CCL (Cash Credit Limit) country for a long time, has now the treasury was left with no legacy accounts. As a result the lost the race to the states like money. State Government had to bear an Haryana and Maharashtra. The additional `270 crore per month state rank slid from the top slot 2. To meet the expenditure in and an annual liability of Rs to the seventh position amongst implementing the Atta Dal 3240 crore. the major States. States like Ma- Scheme, funds were arranged by harashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the State Procuring Agencies 7. The previous Government Karnataka, Gujarat and even Hi- (SPAs) at their own level by di- had been forcing agencies like machal Pradesh are now ahead verting funds from CCL pro- the PIDB, RDB, PUDA and oth- of Punjab. vided for procurement of wheat ers to incur debt on its behalf. A and paddy. The unpaid liabilities part of this debt had also flown 11. Each year, before the An- of `1747 crore were still out- into the State treasury as 'infor- nual Budget is presented, an es- standing on March 31, 2017. mal debt', which stood at Rs timate of the Balance in Current 4435 crore. Revenues (BCR) is made. The 3. The arrears of `2773 crore State has been persistently run- of DA for almost the last two 8. During the last 10 years, ning huge negative BCR starting years had not been paid to the the growth rate of the State re- with (-) `3656 crore in 2007-08, employees and payments had mained lower than the All India (-) `5757 crore in 2009- 10 simply been kept in abeyance. average except for the year which increased to (-) `6544 2013-14 in which the growth crore in 2014-2015, (-) `6138 4. Rs 2342 crore was pending was slightly higher i.e. by mea- crore in 2015-16 and was (-) as arrears of payment that the gre 0.23 per cent, than the All `4488 crore in 2016-17. State Government had to make India average. The growth rate on account of power subsidy to was as low as 4.20 per cent 12. State’s own revenues as a

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 17 Cover

share of total revenue declined 16. The average salary of creased to `8550 crore in 2015- from 77.34 per cent in 2006-07 Punjab Government employees 16 and the position is much to 68.50 per cent in 2016-17. As is much higher as compared to worse in 2016-17. The State was against this in the corresponding other States and even the Gov- to achieve a zero revenue deficit period, the share of Central ernment of India. from the year 2011-12 onwards. taxes went up up from 22.66 per cent to 31.50 per cent. This in- 17. Revenue Expenditure has dicates a perceptible decline in increased from Rs 18544 crore 21. Fiscal deficit of `4384 the State’s ability to raise re- (87.76 per cent of total expendi- crore was recorded in the year sources internally during the last ture) in 2006-07 to Rs 52018 2006-07, which increased by 10 years, 2007-2017. crore (92.18% of total expendi- 168 per cent to `11762 crore in ture) in 2016-17. 2015-16. This trend indicates 13. The share of central taxes that Government spending was in total receipts increased from 18. During the same period, being increasingly financed by 9.32 per cent (2006-07) to 21.14 expenditure on Salaries rose raising loans. per cent (2016-17) indicating from Rs 5783 crore to `19758 the state’s increasing depend- crore (an increase of 242 per 22. Revenue deficit was at ence upon Central transfers and cent), on Pensions from `1905 1.38 per cent of the GSDP at the devolution during the 10-year crore to `8749 end of financial year 2006-07, period. crore (an increase of 359 per which increased 2.18 per cnet in cent) and on Interest from `4152 the year 2015-16. 14. The transfer of Grants-in- crore to `10098 crore (an in- Aid from the Centre decreased crease of 143 per cent). 23. The total debt servicing from 13.33 per cent in 2006- 07 expenditure in 2016-17 was to 10.36 per cent in 2016-17. 19. The share of capital ex- `14145 crore (Principal `4047 The primary reason for this was penditure declined over the crore and Interest Payment the lack of the State to release its years, from 12.24 per cent in `10098 crore). This is likely to part of the share in central 2006-07 to 7.82 per cent in increase by more than 30 per schemes. As a result, the state 2016-17. The expenditure fell to cent in 2017-18 on account of was unable to fully leverage the as low as 4.61 per cent in the the increased debt liabilities of Grants-in-aid from the Central year 2011-12 `29919.96 crore that the previ- Government. ous Government took upon it- 20. Revenue Deficit hit its self in exchange for concealing 15. In 2016-17, 85 per cent of worst in the last ten years. In the liabilities on food account. the total Revenue Receipts were 2006-07 the Revenue incurred on salaries, interest Deficit was `1749 crore. 24. The State introduced the payments and pensions. If we However, this Deficit recorded “Guarantee Redemption Fund add the power subsidy, this to- more than two-fold Scheme”, with the objective of gether accounts for 102 per cent increase in the very first year meeting its obligations arising of the Revenue Receipts of the of the previous government out of the Guarantee extended to State. coming into power i.e. 2007-08 State level entities and was re- at `3823 crore. It has since in- quired to contribute minimum

18 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

amount of `1241.58 Crore over years and in the year 2011-12 the Consolidated Fund of the the period 2013-14 to 2015-16, this ratio came down to 64.73 State. These expenditure were to cover any unforeseen State per cent. neither presented for the sanc- Guarantee invocation. However, tion of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha poor recovery and non-contribu- 28. Despite the support of the and nor were these subject to the tion, has put the State fiscal to a State Government under the audit of CAG. great risk. UDAY Scheme to PSPCL, it has been running into losses from its 25. The Government ex- very inception. It suffered losses 31. PSWC was constrained to tended long-term Guarantees to of `1695 crore during the year annul the tendering process. the tune of `20608.17 crore as 2015-16 and had accumulated Surprisingly, PUNGRAIN with- on 31.03.2017 (the cap is 80 per losses of `3196 crore as on out awaiting the report of the cent of the total Revenue Re- 31.03.2016. subcommittee of the Ministers ceipts of the previous year). and without any While the above figures may 29. The total amount of out- approval and guarantee for look healthy indicating a cush- standing Government loans of silo capacity utilization from ion for the State government to PSUs is `17030.92 crore. provide Guarantees for the debt The outstanding loans of FCI, proceeded ahead with the that its enterprises may raise, the other Institutions was `22593.95 creation of silo capacity against truth is that the Guarantees crore, and loans of `20608.17 the Allocation of Business rules. provided earlier to PSPCL and crore was outstanding against The haphazard creation of silo the food agencies have now Government Guarantee. In case capacity by PUNGRAIN with- been converted into State debt as of default, it is the bounden duty out any uniform policy and a result of the UDAY scheme of the State Government to study of existing storage capac- and the loan taken over on ac- repay these loans to the lenders. ities of all agencies may affect count of CCL of food agencies The State Government received present utilization of storage ca- by the State Government. only a small amount of `4.01 pacities of State Procuring agen- crore during the year 2015-16 as 26. The shortfall between the dividend on a huge investment cies (SPAs) resulting in financial actual revenue receipts and the of `8234.30 crore in these PSUs loss to SPAs. budgeted revenue receipts has and Co-operative Institutions. been `2009 crore in 2010-11, 32. It is observed that the de- `7562 crore in 2013-14 and 30. It has been observed that cisions of these entities were un- `4773 in 2016-17. amongst the Administrative De- planned, scattered and against partments there is an increasing the core mandate of the consti- 27. Similarly, the actual ex- tendency to float Boards, enti- tution of Boards/societies and penditure against the budgeted ties/societies such as PIDB, also ‘need based assessment’ estimates on plan allocations PMB, PLRS, ETTSA etc. was 143.80 per cent of the ap- These entities retain the rev- was found missing. The CAG proved outlay in 2006-07 enues generated by various report has observed this as a vi- whereas the same has since been levies, in a separate corpus fund, olation of Article 266 (1) of the decreasing over the subsequent instead of depositing the same in Constitution of India.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 19 Cover Capt to visit Israel · Defence, agriculture, horticulture on agenda · Ways to boost allied farming · New farm techniques to solve water problem

Capt Amarinder Singh meets Israeli envoy Daniel Carmon

efence, agriculture, be a follow-up of the Chandi- sure a continued meaningful di- horticulture and garh meeting in which they ex- alogue. The delegation invited waterD conservation figure high plored enhanced cooperation in the Chief Minister to coincide on the agenda of Punjab Chief several areas that are critical for his visit with WATEC Israel - an Minister Amarinder Singh’s the development and progress of international professional exhi- visit to Israel in September. This the state. bition to be held in Tel Aviv development follows Israeli The Israeli delegation said from September 12-14, which envoy Daniel Carmon’s courtesy they looked forward to the Chief would offer a platform to show- call on the Captain on June 13 Minister’s visit, which could fol- case latest technologies in water when they discussed coopera- low the Prime Minister’s visit to and environment. tion across a wide range of sub- their country, and offered to pre- While defence is on top pri- jects. The September visit will pare a tailor-made agenda to en- ority for cooperation between

20 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Cover

Israel and Punjab, the Chief ditions, net farming, drip and Minister sought Israeli support Minister is also keen to use Is- sprinkler irrigation. Carmon in- in helping farmers adopt inno- raeli expertise to promote horti- formed the Chief Minister that vative techniques in drip irriga- culture, dairy farming, two more such centres were in tion and hydroponics to tackle bee-keeping, irrigation and the pipeline, one in floriculture the water problem. Model farms water conservation in the state. and another in beekeeping, to should be created to help create Besides working on a strategic boost allied farming in the state. awareness for farmers, he said, partnership on water conserva- He sought Captain Amarinder's emphasizing the need for pro- tion and agriculture, the two personal intervention to get both moting vegetables and floricul- sides also decided to set up a these projects expedited from ture marketing as a means of joint working group on agricul- the Ministry of External Affairs. boosting agriculture income. ture, horticulture and dairy The two also agreed on the The Chief Minister suggesting farming. need to incentivize private com- exploring the possibility of con- This was the second meeting panies to collaborate on such verting the Mandi Board build- between Captain Amarinder and projects, with the Chief Minister ing into a market to enable the Israeli envoy since the for- urging the Israeli delegation to seamless marketing of produce mer took over as Punjab chief showcase their technology to In- by the farmers. minister. At their last meeting, dian private companies to moti- Responding to the request of held in April, the two sides had vate them to join in the the visiting envoy to join agreed to explore the possibility government efforts. Private MASHAV- Israel’s Agency for of setting up a Punjab-Israel companies could be engaged International Development Co- working group for continuous initially to work on a pilot proj- operation programme, Captain dialogue on issues of mutual in- ect, which could pave the way Amarinder asked the Chief Sec- terest, with the concurrence of for large-scale engagement and retary to explore the possibility the Government of India. The funding of such projects, Cap- to chalk out an action plan for two decided on Tuesday to put tain Amarinder suggested, un- training in different short term in place a robust mechanism to derlining the need for a quantum courses offered by the Israeli set up the working group, said shift in technology to promote government to further augment the spokesperson. farming as a viable source of in- Human Resource Development, The Israeli envoy evinced come for the government. besides enhancing capacity keen interest in setting up more He asked his Chief Principal building programmes. Centres of Excellence to pro- Secretary to rope in key players Among those who attended mote agriculture diversification in agritech, such as Ambanis, the meeting were Chief Principal across the state after the huge Mahindras and ITC, for value Secretary to Chief Minister success of its two such existing addition to supplement the in- Suresh Kumar, Chief Secretary Centres of Excellence at Kar- come of the farmers, who were Karan Avtar Singh, Principal Sec- tarpur (Jalandhar) and passing through acute financial retary to Chief Minister Tejveer Hoshiarpur. He said these cen- crisis due to squeezed margins Singh, Additional Chief Secretary tres had been instrumental in in- and low returns on account of (Development) Satish Chandra, troducing high yielding varieties near stagnant MSP. Principal Secretary Industries & of fruits, vegetables, new farm Expressing concern over the Commerce D.P. Reddy and CEO practices under controlled con- depleting water table, the Chief Invest Punjab D.K. Tewari.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 21 PUNJAB DIARY

Harike Pattan to be tourism hub

ourism and Taking the previ- Cultural Af- ous government to fairsT Minister Navjot task, Mr. Sidhu said Singh Sidhu has de- that Punjab Roadways clared his resolve to is reeling under a loss transform Harike Pat- of Rs. 350 crore due to tan into a tourism hub the inefficiency of the of the state. He also previous regime which announced the was in power for 10 grounding with imme- years where as the diate effect of the am- number of buses oper- phibious bus service ated by the badal fam- operated by the previ- ily has rapidly ous regime. Elaborat- increased. He also dis- ing, he said the closed that the ille- operating of this bus gally plying buses in service had proved the state would be disastrous for the stopped soon which farmers of the region would result in the as the release of water to operationalize the project had ru- PRTC coming out of the red. ined the crops of 5000 farmers besides leading to drastic re- Mr. Sidhu also revealed that a comprehensive tourism duction in the number of migratory birds. policy for the state is being formulated under the guidance The minister divulged that vigilance would probe the of Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh. He also said looting and plundering of the resources of Punjab under the that this policy would be announced soon and would lead to garb of tourism by the previous government and those found the creation of employment avenues for the youth of the guilty would be strictly proceeded against. state apart from accounting for increased tourist inflow.

Old-age pension

he Punjab Government has decided to credit the should not be in government or private employment, and old-age pensions and financial assistance under should not have annual income more than Rs. 60000 from otherT social security schemes directly into the accounts of any source, including interest/rental income. Further, the ap- the beneficiaries. This decision has specifically been taken plicant would also need to provide a self-certificate that to facilitate the beneficiaries living in the rural areas of the he/she does not have more than 2.5 acre Nehri/Chahi land, state. or 5 acre Barani land ownership and 5 acre land in water- As per the earlier practice old age pension to the bene- logged area (including husband & wife). ficiaries living in the rural areas was provided through the As per earlier practice, before this amendment, approval respective Panchayats for which the beneficiaries had to face big hurdles in getting the pensions. rights for the provisional pension were vested in the Sub Di- Social Security Minister Razia Sultana said the Punjab visional Magistrate and the beneficiaries from rural areas Government has also raised the annual income limit for el- had to face obstacles get the benefit of pensions. This pro- igibility for pension and other social security schemes to Rs. cedure has been simplified and now Child Development 60000 and the beneficiaries could now avail the benefit of (CDPO) and the Executive Officer, Municipal Council/Sec- these social security schemes by furnishing a self certificate retary, Municipal Corporation have been authorized to ac- in this regard. To avail the benefit of pension the applicant cept the application forms in rural and urban areas.

22 Punjab Advance July - 2017 PUNJAB DIARY

Free mortuary van service

he government has said in case the relatives/ at- initiated a free-of-cost tendants of the dead person Tmortuary van service in the inform that they don’t have state.Giving this information adequate arrangements then Health Minister Brahm Mo- financial assistance up to hindra said all government Rs.500 would also be given to hospitals have been directed the family for making to provide mortuary vans to arrangement for carrying the family of deceased free of dead body through private op- cost. erators. Till now there was no pro- Mr. Mohindra also said vision of providing mortuary vans in government hospi- that in all the cases, a new white sheet free of cost for wrap- tals. He said an unfortunate incident was noticed in ping the dead body would be ensured.This would also be Jalandhar around one month ago, when a person carried his applicable in case of unclaimed bodies brought by the po- father's dead body on a rehri to go to his residence. On in- lice for postmortem. He said all expenses i.e. financial as- quiry it was learnt that there was no such vehicle provision sistance as well as cost of bed sheet would be borne from in the hospital. out of the user-charges of the hospital. In case, the hospital Taking serious note of this unfortunate incident the did not have adequate user charges, the funds would be pro- Health Minister has issued instructions for free transporta- vided from the emergency revolving fund of the PHSC on tion of the dead body to the residence of the deceased. He reimbursement bases.

Singapore keen on skill development project

ingapore-based AT Capital, one of Asia’s leading housing for the poor and accommodation for students. They private investment firms, has evinced interest in have also proposed a senior living complex to cater to the settingS up a holistic residential complex and a skill devel- large community of NRIs from Punjab. opment centre in the university town of Amritsar in Punjab. Going forward, the company wants to expand into sim- This was conveyed by the company’s CEO Arvind Tiku ilar projects in other university towns such as Patiala, Ja- to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh at a landhar and Ludhiana, said the spokesperson. meeting here on Tuesday evening. The company is also interested in setting up a need- Tiku was accompanied by Experion CEO Rakesh Kaul, based skill development centre in the state to address the as well as Consultant Sanjiv Tyagi, an official spokesperson growing demand for skilled workers, which is a key focus said after the meeting. area of the Captain Amarinder government, according to the The Rs. 1000 crore company has around 100 acres of spokesperson. The proposed centre will be designed to ac- land close to National Highway 1 in Amritsar, where they commodate 10,000 people, thus giving a major fillip to the plan to develop a residential project to provide affordable state’s skill development programme.

Education reforms on the cards

he Punjab Government will soon implement a modern requirements . comprehensive policy for education reforms Advocating the online functioning of the department to withT the aim of imparting quality education in government eliminate corruption at every level, the Minister said the de- run schools. partment had already initiated the process in this regard. In Giving this information Education Minister Aruna next 6 months all financial issues like GPF, Gratuity of Chaudhary said the policy would include valuable sugges- teachers and grants would be treated only online. tions from education experts, needs of students and their fu- The new policy would give the much-needed facelift to ture employment plans, role of teachers and syllabus as per the basic infrastructure in the schools.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 23 PUNJABIS OVERSEAS First turbaned judge of Canada

albinder Kaur Shergill is the Shergill is another milestone for the first turbaned (Amritdhari) Sikh community in Canada. It is a mat- PSikh woman to be appointed Judge of ter of great pride that today we have the the Supreme Court of British Columbia first turbaned Sikh appointed to the ju- in New Westminster. diciary in Canada.” Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of She was born at Rurka Kalan in Ja- Justice and Attorney-General of landhar district and married into a fam- Canada, announced the appointment ily from Jagatpur village in under the new judicial application neighbouring Shaheed Bhagat Singh process announced on October 20, Nagar (Nawanshahr). She immigrated 2016. The new process emphasises on to Canada with her family at the age of transparency, merit, and diversity. The four. She grew up in Williams Lake, appointment was made with immediate BC, and received her law degree from effect as Justice Shergill replaces Jus- the University of Saskatchewan. tice EA Arnold-Bailey, who retired on Palbinder Kaur Shergill A news release by the Department May 31, 2017. of Justice, Canada, said that prior to her A human rights advocate, Justice Shergill represented appointment to the bench, Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill the interests of the Canadian Sikh community in several practised as a lawyer and mediator with her law firm, cases heard by the Supreme Court of Canada, including the Shergill & Company, Trial Lawyers. one dealing with the right of Sikh students to wear the kir- She lives in Surrey with her husband, daughter, and twin pan (ceremonial dagger) in schools. sons. Justice Shergill was appointed Queen’s Counsel in Welcoming the decision, World Sikh Organisation pres- 2012 and is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal ident Mukhbir Singh said, “The appointment of Justice for Community Service.

US Sikhs launch ad campaign

ikhs in the Singh, a dentist from United States suburban Washington haveS launched a million- and one of the cam- dollar awareness campaign's volunteer organ- paign that seeks to stop izers. hate-fueled attacks by The ads, which will explaining more about air on CNN, Fox News who they are and what and on TV stations in they believe. Fresno, California, The "We are Sikhs" home to a large Sikh campaign is funded by community, make no Sikh leaders and their mention of the more families across a dozen than 300 hate crimes re- cities, which have been swept up in anti-Muslim sentiment ported by Sikhs in the US since the 2001 terrorist attacks. since the September 11 attacks. Their beards and turbans, Rather, they feature Sikh families explaining how the symbols of equality in a religion that opposes India's caste world's fifth-largest religion, founded in India, aligns with system, make American Sikhs easy targets for the angry and American values. uninformed. Internet advertising will begin immediately as well, and "Our hope was that as the memory of 9/11 goes down, subsequent TV ads are planned for at least three more cities things would get better. But they have not," said Rajwant with large Sikh populations.

24 Punjab Advance July - 2017 PUNJABIS OVERSEAS

UK elects first female Sikh MP

reet Gill has become “I’m really excited to learn the first female Sikh more and really connect with PMP to be elected to the UK’s communities,” the BBC quoted Houses of Parliament. Gill se- Gill as saying. cured 24,124 votes to hold the Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of seat in Birmingham Edgbaston the Sikh Federation, said: “We for the Labour Party with a ma- are delighted to have the first jority of 6,917, reports the BBC. Sikh woman MP in Birming- The seat was previously held ham, Edgbaston.” by Gisela Stuart who stepped “She will be a fantastic MP, down when the election was a credit to the Sikh community called late April. and an excellent role model.” Gill, who said the education Preet Gill Gill was followed by Con- cuts issue was one of her top pri- servative Caroline Squire with orities, said: “It’s a real honour to be representing the peo- 17,207 votes. ple and the place where I was born and raised.” Liberal Democrat Colin Green received 1,564 votes, “We’ve had a really strong campaign, a really good team Green Party candidate Alice Kiff received 562 and Com- of people here in Edgbaston and it’s just been phenomenal.” mon Good candidate Dick Rodgers secured 155 votes.

Assurance to Indians in New Zealand

anwaljit Singh Bakshi, List Contrary to public perception, the MP of New Zealand’s ruling police have been doing its job well. Ac- KNational Party and Chairman of the Se- tually, they need to be commended for lect Committee on Law and Order, has their initiative of ‘Operation Dukan’ and reaffirmed his government’s commit- setting up of a special task force in Auck- ment to remain tough on criminals and land area with deployment of a team of shared the community’s concerns of ris- 20 investigators, and launching a coun- ing incidences of robberies and burgla- try-wide awareness campaign, ‘There is ries. nothing good about stolen goods’. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, who is cur- Scores of arrests are continuously rently in his third-term as a List MP, has being made by police and government reiterated various steps initiated recently has initiated several measures, including by his government to improve law and a grant of $1.8million to improve safety order in the country. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi of owner-operated small businesses Since 2008, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi alone. has been seen as the visible face of the Indian community, To resolve and to improve the law and order situation, and has been doing his best to ensure that voice of the com- Bakshi informed of his government’s several measures ini- munity is heard. tiated to ensure offenders remain off the streets and to re- The recent spurt in aggravated robberies had inflicted habilitate them to prevent their reoffending. some fear and resentment in the minds of the local Indian In response to criticism from some quarters, Bakshi con- community who own majority of dairies and liquor stores in firmed that the government will now be putting more police New Zealand on the beat. Their numbers would be boosted by 1,125, in- The community has been voicing their concerns through cluding 880 extra frontline officers across all police districts, the local New Zealand media and calling upon the govern- and resources to ensure a 24/7 patrolling police presence for ment to take steps to safeguard the small business owners. more communities.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 25

A farmer transplants paddy on his farm Door of Hope A unique cradle Home for the abandoned child

Bibi Parkash Kaur, mother to the abandoned girls, at Unique Home, Jalandhar

Donald Banerjee here is a ray of hope for the doned children. has been running from its Model unwanted newborns and The Panghura scheme, which runs House office in Jalandhar since 1992. infants.T Discarded by their parents at from the Red Cross Bhawan building The driving force behind the home is birth, these abandoned infants, mostly on Maqbool Road in Amritsar, was Bibi Parkash Kaur, who herself was girls, are accepted and brought up with started in January 2008 by the then abandoned as a child. love and care at special homes which Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Holy City’s ‘Panghura’ (Cradle) have come up in Amritsar and Jaland- Pannu. scheme received 150th abandoned girl har. Yes, ‘Panghura’ in Amritsar and The Unique Home is run by a trust child on May 23. Deputy Commis- ‘Unique Home’ (Jalandhar) are a named after Bhai Ghanayya Ji, a disci- sioner Kamaldeep Sangha formally unique destination for these aban- ple of Guru Gobind Singh. The home adopted the child on behalf of the Dis-

28 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Door of Hope

New arrivals on the cradle of Panghura in Amritsar

trict Red Cross Society which runs this Kahan Singh Pannu in January 2008 to The scheme, which was started in scheme from Red Cross Bhawan build- save and rehabilitate abandoned chil- 2009, is proving to be a boon for the ing on Maqbool Road here. dren including infants. The lives of 150 unwanted girl children. It has become The child was left in the ‘Panghura’ infants including 129 girls and 21 boys a home for the unwanted children, in- by unknown person. She was then have been saved so far. cluding girls, children of extremely taken to nearby Parvati Devi hospital The Red Cross staff immediately poor parents incapable of supporting for medical checkup. comes to know about the new arrival in their new born or those infants, who are The unique scheme started by for- ‘Panghura’ from the bell rung by who- the result of illicit relations. Truly this mer Amritsar Deputy Commissioner ever leaves the child or infant there. scheme is a lifesaver for such children.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 29 Door of Hope

Generally such children are either murdered or thrown out to die. Realis- ing the gravity of the situation, the then Deputy Commissioner, KS Pannu, through his personal initiative, impro- vised some space in the boundary of District Red Cross Society’s building and fixed a cradle in it. He gave a clarion call to the people that children may not be thrown out. Rather the unwanted infants may be placed in the cradle and administration will look after their well being. He worked out all the modalities as to how to look after a child who arrived in the cradle and fixed the responsibilities for the same. This initiative pricked the conscious of a few and they restrained themselves from throwing away infants. Others, who due to various reasons could not look after their infants, started placing them in the cradle. After KS Pannu was transferred, every Deputy Commissioner appreciated the initiative and shouldered the responsibility of the cradle with equal sincer- ity. Their spouses also supported the scheme. It is now being looked after by DC Ravi Bhagat. The wooden cradle has soft bed- ding in it and a push button of a bell is placed underneath. Whenever a child is placed in the cradle, the bell inside Bibi Parkash Kaur consoles a little girl the Red Cross building rings and alerts the employees, who immediately come and pick up the child from the cradle. An attendant is always present in the Greh Trust Jalandhar or Ludhiana. In Since the installation of cradle in building round the clock shift wise. the Shishu Greh Trust, childless cou- January 2008, 92 children, including The child is rushed to the nearby hos- ples adopt these children. After fulfill- 87 girls and five boys, have come to it. pital for preliminary medical check-up ing the legal formalities through the Most of them were newborns. A ma- and if need arises he/she is extended legal adoption and placement agency, jority of abandoned children are girl medical care and sent back to Red these children become members of infants, which speaks volume of the Cross Society. Paravati Devi Hospital loving and caring families, which are people’s mindset. in the Ranjit Avenue area is providing economically well off. Thus children, Had it not been for the Panghura, this service. who would have died after being aban- these children would have died in The child is then sent to Shishu doned, live a happy life. bushes, hedges or gutters.

30 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Door of Hope

Unique Home

n Jalandhar, there is a unique place, aptly Today, Unique Home for Girls has around 60 Inamed 'Unique Home' which looks after residents who call Prakash Kaur 'mother'. “They unwanted, unclaimed and orphaned children. are my own children, they are never made to feel Unique Home is run by a trust named after like abandoned children” Kaur says. Bhai Ghanayya Ji, a disciple of Guru Gobind Girls from the home also goes to some of the Singh. The driving force behind the home is Bibi best schools around including the Saint Mary's Parkash Kaur, who herself was abandoned as a in Mussoorie. child. “I want my real mother to know that the Most of the inmates are girls whom the home daughter she threw out of her life is well estab- recovered from the streets or who were left dur- lished. I want to be very famous. I want to prove ing the night in the baby cradle outside the to her that girls are not a burden,”Sheeba an in- home. mate of the house who dreams of becoming a Today, Unique Home for Girls has around 60 neurosurgeon said. residents who call Prakash Kaur 'mother'. “They Kaur's responsibility towards her 'children' are my own children, they are never made to feel doesn't end there. So far, she has organised the like abandoned children” Kaur says. marriages of 17 of them. Most of the inmates are girls whom the home While a few of these girls graduated from recovered from streets or left during the night in college before they got married, the remaining the baby cradle outside the home. tied the knot after passing out of high school.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 31 Career n Competition Focus on photography Photography has come a long way and careers are now booming in the field.

BUREAU REPORT

e live in a world of instant processed and printed within minutes. type cameras, box cameras, flashbulbs, photography, where devices Thanks to smartphones that are 35mm cameras to polaroids, the evolu- Wlike smartphones are able to freeze equipped with superlative cameras, tion of photography as a medium of multiple cherishable moments at the smartphone photography has become expression has been immense. Several click of a button. Think about the same an inextricable part of our lives. What inventors worked on the chemicals, a decade or two ago. In the past, click- was once deemed to be an expensive parts and processes to reproduce pic- ing an image was restricted to the priv- passion has now become an affordable tures, but it was in the 19th century that ileged and people had to spend a and friendly hobby with these hand- the modern camera came into exis- fortune in order to buy a camera or held smart devices. tence. Until then, it was a tedious task even get a high-quality picture clicked. to carry spare photo films, batteries Now, tens of hundreds of digital im- From cameras to polaroids and then wait for days or weeks to get ages and videos can be captured saved, From pinhole cameras, daguerreo- the shots processed into prints.

32 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Career n Competition

A traditional camera meant that a This has helped us understand matters predictable manner or fill their albums film must be developed before view- of social progress mankind has made with images of jewellery, decor and ing, which meant a photographer had along with evoking a sense of nostal- random faces. Couples are travelling to to very careful about his clicks or else gia in them. picture-perfect locations, making use he would end up developing poor im- of props and are experimenting with ages. Need for good different lights to capture their special Now however, gone are those days photographers: moments. when people had to rush to photo labs to get their memories printed into an • The need for instant photo solu- album. The birth of digital cameras has tions and the ease at which photo- Increasing career options, made the process much faster and eas- graphs can be taken has given a boost rising competition to the photography market. People are ier, where images can be stored in a The professional photography mar- keen to share their experiences of computer, viewed on the screen imme- ket is turning out to be a competitive whatever they do or see through im- diately, and printed as per a person's place for young and budding photog- selection. ages or videos. Photography has be- raphers with a rise in public interest in These days, with further techno- come the most powerful tool to various types of photography. The pho- logical advancements, most of the communicate and express oneself cameras are equipped with WiFi and • While smartphones are helping to tography and print industry have GPS that enable quick transferring of capture an image, edit it, and upload it grown substantially with photography images along with registering the loca- within minutes, DSLRs have changed being seen as an elite profession. This tion of the photographs as well. the way people perceive photography has also led to the growth of high-end with companies such as Canon, Nikon, camera phones and photography A good career to pursue now and Fuji offering a myriad of ever- equipments. evolving lenses for telephoto shoots, In a report titled 'Digital Photogra- Photography has undergone an phy Market (Photo Processing Equip- close-up photography, sports photog- amazing metamorphosis; there are raphy, food photography, etc ment, Interchangeable Lenses, Camera umpteen career options within the pho- • These days, photographs have be- Cell Phones, Non Reflex and Others) tography industry that exist now unlike come a vital part of social media ac- for Photography Software, Photo five to 10 years ago. There is a steady Looks, Photo Processing and Others counts, newspapers, magazines and even television business proposition for those who Applications: Global Industry Per- have the knack and interest in beauti- spective, Comprehensive Analysis and • New photographs are taken every fully capturing everything from Forecast, 2015-2021', Zion Market Re- day and most of the well-known photo- wildlife and events to birthday parties search stated that the global demand sharing platforms such as Instagram, and house-warming functions. for digital photography is expected to Flickr and Tumbler are inundated with reach approximately USD 110.79 bil- images. With several applications and Digital cameras have made it eas- lion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of services to edit photographs and beau- ier for people to start a photography slightly above 6.1 per cent between tify them, consumers are able to create business of their own. What is required 2016 and 2021. quality photos themselves anytime, of an enthusiast is to invest in a high- Imagine being able to freeze the anywhere. end camera, learn the nitty-gritties of motion of a speeding leopard in a for- photography and then start clicking est or a butterfly feeding on a flower or Photos reflect social status pictures as per the likes of a customer. being able to capture the sun and stars The advent of digital cameras and Keep looking at and learning from from a distance. Photography not only the rising need for good photographers the work of world famous photogra- has paved the way for many to choose has the ability to inspire your imagina- phers as it will help train your eye in tion but can also document your jour- photography as a career option. Rea- the aesthetic appeal of photographs. ney through life. son: High-quality photographs help to That is something no trainer or pho- People are able to see more, learn determine the social image of a person more and enhance their knowledge by and make them popular icons in the so- tography course can teach you. The gaining access to images drawn from cial stratosphere. professional photography market is several places across the world. For in- For instance, wedding photography turning out to be a competitive one. stance, a lot of historic moments since is no more about just having one's Thus every photographer needs the the birth of the camera have been cap- image captured while tying the knot. drive and talent in abundance in order tured with the help of photography. Nobody is keen to pose in the same to stand out from the crowd.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 33 Career n Competition

NATIONALCurren Justice Bhagwati dead fully test fired anti-tank ‘Nag’ missile in ing momentum, the mobile app is going F o r m e r Rajasthan. The test was conducted by to offer a robust platform for self-di- Chief Justice Scientists of the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam rected tax preparation without paying a of India Praful- Missile Complex at Hyderabad, Defence huge sum to experts,” said Vikas Dahiya, lachandra Nat- Laboratory at Jodhpur, High Energy Ma- founder and Director of All India ITR, in w a r l a l terials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) at a statement. The mobile app with its Bhagwati who Pune and Armament Research and De- user-friendly interface will provide users is considered velopment Establishment (ARDE) at an option to check refund status, calcu- as a pioneer of Pune. Nag Missile The anti-tank Nag late income tax due, calculate HRA ex- Judicial Ac- missile is one of the five missile systems emption and generate rent receipts. tivism has developed by the Defence Research and Kerala’s first metro line passed away. Development Organization (DRDO) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has Justice Bhagwati was 95 years old. Jus- under the integrated guided missile de- inaugurated Kochi Metro, which will be tice Bhagwati introduced the concepts of velopment programme (IGMDP). The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and ab- four other missiles developed under this Kerala’s first metro line. The construc- solute liability to the Indian judicial sys- programme include Agni, Akash, Trishul tion of the Kochi Metro which was en- tem. He made the famous ruling that and Prithvi. trusted to the DMRC has been there was no need for a person to have Income Tax e-filing app completed in a record four-year period. any Locus Standi to approach the court All India ITR (www.allindiaitr.com), Prime Minister has inaugurated the first on the issue of fundamental rights. a government authorised e-filing web- phase of the metro with 13.2 km out of DRDO test-fires ‘Nag’ missile site, launched a mobile application on the total 25 km stretch. The Kochi Metro The Defence Research and Develop- June 14 to make the process of income will be the country’s eighth inter-city ment Organisation (DRDO) has success- tax e-filing simple.“With tax filing gain- metro rail project.

PUNJAB Bhatti is Dy Speaker farmers as the CM read out Bhatti’s po- ways and PRTC in the inter-state, point- Congress MLA Ajaib Singh Bhatti litical history. AAP MLA's on the other to-point super integral coach service on was unanimously elected as the Deputy hand, staged a walk out after they were contract carriage basis will be increased Speaker of Punjab Legislative Assembly not heard ahead of Question Hour. They, gradually, thus eventually ending the pri- on 16 June 2017. His name was pro- however, re-entered the House later. vate mafia control over these high-rev- posed by the New transport policy enue bus routes. leader of the The Punjab cabinet has okayed the Road Safety Fund House Captain much-awaited new Transport Policy, The Punjab Cabinet has decided to A m a r i n d e r while also abolishing the system of set up a Rs. 100 crore Road Safety Fund, Singh and sec- DTOs and restructuring the Transport in accordance with the Supreme Court onded by Department, in order to streamline the is- guidelines of 2016, to enhance public Health Minis- suance of permits and licences across ter Brahm commercial and private transport vehi- safety on the roads and to minimise road M a h i n d r a , cles.The cabinet decided that the state fatalities.The fund would be set up by di- who escorted government will gradually increase the verting 50 per cent of the compounding Bhatti to his state transport undertakings’ share in the fee collected by road enforcement agen- new seat.Bhatti’s appointment was made luxury bus service, currently controlled cies i.e Police and the Transport depart- amid ruckus by Shiromani Akali Dal by the Badals’ bus services, to eventually ments, an official spokesperson disclosed (SAD) MLAs, who continued to raise make it state controlled. The share of after a cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief slogans demanding debt waiver relief for State Transport Authority, Punjab Road- Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

34 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Career n Competition

EventsINTERNATIONAL Largest Airbus market expected the world’s passenger aircraft gence of unmanned systems and the fu- The Asia Pacific continues to be an fleet above 100 seats to more than double ture of intelligent unmanned systems. engine for growth, with China and India in the next two decades to over 40,000 Zhao Yanjie, an engineer with CETC, set to become the world’s largest market planes as traffic was set to grow at 4.4 said since drones were invented in 1917, for aircraft. John Leahy, Chief Operating percent per year. As a result, “nearly intelligent swarms have become a dis- Officer of the European aircraft maker 35,000 aircraft valued at $5.3 trillion ruptive force to “change rules of the (will be) required in the next 20 years,” game”. Airbus said. Home of 6.4 billion popula- Dubai begins Smart travel scheme tion, emerging markets including China, Dubai International Airport has India, the rest of Asia and Latin America launched a smart scheme enabling trav- were set to account for about half of the ellers to use their smartphones instead of world’s private consumption by 2036, it their passport or express gate cards at the expected. airport to reduce travel clearing proce- China’s swarm intelligence dures to the minimum.Dubbed “Emirates China has launched a swarm of 119 Smart Wallet”, the scheme is meant to Airbus, said: “Air travel is remarkably fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles further streamline travel movement resilient to external shocks and doubles (UAV), breaking the previous record of across the airport and is considered the every 15 years… Disposable incomes 67 drones. According to the China Elec- first of its kind in the world. The scheme are growing and in emerging economies tronics Technology Group Corp (CETC), was launched at the airport’s departure the number of people taking a flight will the 119 drones performed catapult-as- terminal. In its first phase, the scheme in- nearly triple by 2036.” Leahy was pre- sisted take-offs and formations in the corporates the traveller’s personal data, senting the Airbus’ latest Global Market sky. The “swarm intelligence” is re- Emirates ID and passport information as Forecast 2017-36. In its report, Airbus garded as the core of artificial intelli- well as the e-gate card data.

SPORTS Virat Kohli sets new record holder was South African captain AB de 2011. India’s Skipper Virat Kohli has cre- Villiers who crossed the 8000 run mark Srikanth beats Olympic champ ated a record by becoming the quickest in 182 innings. The world No.11 Kidambi Srikanth batsman to score 8000 runs in one-day Srikanth wins badminton title has sealed his second successive Super India’s Kidambi Srikanth has lifted Series win by defeating reigning the Indonesia Open Super Series bad- Olympic champion Chen Long in the minton title at Jakarta by defeating Australian Open summit clash in Syd- Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai in straight sets ney. Chen Long is World No.6 and also 21-11, 21-19. For Srikanth who is cur- the current All England champion. rently World No. 22 this is a big title win. Srikanth had lost all of his previous five It is Srikanth’s third Super Series title encounters with Chen Long. Srikanth after 2014 China Open and 2015 India has also become the fifth player in the international cricket beating South Open. Indonesian Open Super Series is world to take part in three successive Africa’s AB de Villier’s record by seven an annual badminton tournament organ- Super Series finals by reaching the sum- fewer innings. Virat Kohli has managed ised by Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh mit clash in Singapore, Indonesia and to cross the 8000 run mark in his 175th Indonesia (PBSI). The tournament was Australia. Last Week, Srikanth had won innings during India’s match against first conducted in 1982. It has become the Indonesian Open title. In the last edi- Bangladesh in ICC Champion’s Trophy part of the BWF Superseries in 2007 and tion of Australian Open tournament, semi-final in Birmingham. Earlier record earned the Superseries Premier Status in Srikanth was a semi-finalist.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 35 Defence Shashank Sharma tops in NDA exams

he young guns of Punjab various military academies with an- are once again emerging as other 20 to 25 expected to join in July theT favourites for the defence services. this year. Once described as the sword arm of the Motivated by country, the state had gone through a Discovery Channel episode bad phase with the kids falling a prey Both Shashank and Armaandeep to drug addiction. But the times are want to join Armoured Corps in the changing now. A new breed of com- army. “An episode on Discovery Chan- mitted young guns are vying for a nel in 2014, featuring the NDA moti- place in the defence services. vated me to join the forces,” said Leading the way is the The Ma- Shashank, son of a BSNL employee. haraja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Prior to joining the AFPI, he was a stu- Preparatory Institute (AFPI), Mohali. dent of Mount Carmel School, Jind- Yes, this year, 25 students of this state- wari, Ropar. run institute have made it to the Na- The first in a family of civilians to tional Defence Academy. Besides harbour dreams of a military career, he bagging the top spot (Shashank said, “At the AFPI, we rigorously fol- Sharma) and the eighth slot (Armaan- the candidates in the entrance exam lowed the programme that the director deep Singh) in the all-India merit list, and the interview. According to Maj Maj General BS Grewal (retd) chalked 12 of its students figure in the top 100 Gen Grewal, Shashank Sharma be- out. What also helped was that we did list. longs to Manakpur village in Ropar not have our mobile phone.” Last year 22 students made it to the district while Armaandeep Singh be- “There was no distraction of What- NDA. The figure has been consistently longs to Muktsar. Earlier, on June 10, sApp and Facebook. I studied for five rising, starting with seven students the first batch of six Gentlemen Cadets hours a day,” he adds. from the first batch of 48 students who of this institute were commissioned as Shashank’s father Dinesh Kumar made it to the NDA in 2013. But after officers after passing out from the In- Sharma belongs to Manakpur village that the rise has been consistent with dian Military Academy, Dehradun. in Nangal. His mother is a teacher. 20 or more qualifying for the defence Seventeen cadets of this institute Armaandeep, the son of a farmer forces. Today the institute has become have recently completed their training from Muktsar, said, “I was hopeful of one of the most sought-after prepara- at the National Defence Academy, a good position but never thought, I tory schools for the NDA. Khadakwasla, and will soon be pro- will get be ranked 8th,” he said. “A rel- Maj-Gen (retd) B S Grewal, the di- ceeding for their final-year training at ative in the family who rose to the rank rector of the institute, said, “Final call respective service academies. Ma- of a brigadier inspired me to join the letters for joining the NDA will be is- haraja Ranjit Singh AFPI is an institute NDA,” he added. sued shortly by Army HQ based on the set up by the government of Punjab for He credits the strict regime and the merit positions and subject to medical training selected young men from the discipline instilled at the institute as fitness.” The NDA entrance exam was state for joining the armed forces key reasons for his success. held in September 2016 and approxi- through the National Defence Acad- Training young guns mately five lakh students appeared in emy. “We are men of the land of five this exam. The candidates who cleared The institute was established in rivers…” goes the SAS Nagar-based the exam were called for interviews by 2011 and its first batch of cadets Armed Forces Preparatory Institute the Services Selection Boards. passed out in April 2013. So far five (AFPI) song. A Punjab government The final merit list is prepared after batches have passed out from the insti- venture named after Maharaja Ranjit taking into account the performance of tute and 63 cadets have already joined Singh, the institute has won accolades

36 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Defence for forhaving having brought brought back backPunjabi Punjabi boys in the entrance test. “The idea is to give What do the alumni of this institute forboys permanent for permanent commission commission into into the necessary skills to Punjabi boys to get have to say about their experience armedthe armed forces forces through through the Nationalthe National De- into the higher ranks of the army,” says which groomed them to become fenceDefence Academy Academy (NDA). (NDA). Grewal. young officers in the making. From seven students from the first The students who are making it to Gurvansh Singh Ghosal (ranked batch of 48 students, who made it to the now very tough entrance test for second in NDA entrance): I am from the NDA in 2013, to over 20 cadets the AFPI are those who passed out Morinda. When I was in school, I had every year since then, the institute has from the Central Board of Secondary never imagined that I would top the become one of the most sought-after Education (CBSE) or Indian Certifi- NDA entrance and my course in the preparatory schools for the NDA in the cate of Secondary Education (ICSE). academy. But the institute here made it state. But it may take a long time before happen. I wish the institute works to- “The number of those who ap- the academy starts getting students wards giving more exposure to stu- peared in the first entrance test in 2011 from the rural heartland of the state. dents through participation in state was about 400. Last year, we had 2,500 Proficiency in English and mathemat- sports events. applicants,” says institute director ics among the Punjab board students in Armanjit Singh Dhaliwal (ranked Major General BS Grewal (retd). government schools is poor. The An- 14 in NDA): I always wanted to join Poor in English, Maths nual Status of Education Report the army. When I was in Class 3, I de- Contrary to a popular belief that (ASER) for 2014 for Punjab found that veloped a passion to become an army Punjabi boys are not making it to the in Class 7, only 18 per cent students officer. I did my schooling from army armed forces and the police due to high could recognise the numbers up to 99, public schools. At the AFPI, they train prevalence of drugs in the state, poor but couldn’t do subtraction, 18.5 per you not just to clear the NDA, but also performance in English and mathe- cent could subtract but couldn’t do di- to shine in the course. matics is hampering their way to reach vision. In English, only 77.9 per cent A.S. Waraich (from first batch, the top. students in Class 8 could comprehend fifth termer at NDA): “I am from Pa- “It’s a struggle to get our students a sentence written in English. tiala. The faculty at the AFPI is fabu- to speak good English. That’s the “This year, we got a batch of stu- lous and the environment here is fit for toughest challenge. They are fit physi- dents from good public schools and training. In NDA, the physical fitness cally and drugs are not an issue. They they are much better in maths and Eng- levels are tougher and we should have also score low in mathematics,” says lish,” says Grewal. taken the sports and physical training Grewal. Fair chance of seriously when we were here. It would Specialised 2-year training making it to NDA have made things easier at the NDA. The institute spread over eight Those who do make it to the insti- Peeyush Jain (ranked 21 NDA en- acres in SAS Nagar admits 48 to 50 tute have a fair chance of making it to trance test): We already have our AFPI matriculates every year from Punjab to the NDA. The training is professional seniors in the NDA and that makes us Class 11 while imparting specialised and tough, but students term it very feel comfortable. We have someone to two-year training for their entry into useful. Even those who cannot make it guide us. Soon, the AFPI will have a the NDA. The boarding school routine to the NDA feel the difference and large presence in the NDA and we will includes regular classes in a school the come back to the institute to get guid- beat the other national institutes. institute has tied up in SAS Nagar cou- ance to prepare for the Combined De- Mohit Sharma (frm first batch , pled with rigorous physical training, fence Service Examination. now in Naval academy): “Whatever is personality development and focused “Physical training starts early in the taught here is useful to us in the NDA. coaching for the NDA entrance test. morning followed by school. After It is tough out there, but we are much Interestingly, the institute which school, the students play games and go better prepared to handle the pressure. has trained over 300 students, (51 of for swimming and obstacle training. I am glad that I made it to the NDA and which have made it to the NDA and the There is no vacation for Class 12 stu- it feels good to come back and moti- naval academy) is yet to have a single dents as they have to prepare for the vate the youngsters. student who did his Class 10 from the NDA. They stay back for more physi- Vishwadeep Singh (AFPI alumni, Punjab School Education Board. cal training and specialised coaching. now in NDA): When I joined the AFPI, Only for Unlike other boarding schools, the stu- my weight was 115kg and everyone Punjab domicile students dents have no complaints about food said I would never make it to the NDA. The institute caters only to Punjab and lodging here. Every cadet is given But I did not give up. My wait is 75kg domicile students. Even students of a separate room with an attached bath- now, thanks to the rigorous regime at Chandigarh are not allowed to appear room,” says Grewal. the institute.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 37 Luminaries

Remembering 3 Punjabi gems of Bollywood

Villain of the millennium Pran, Jubilee star Rajendra Kumar and Dara Singh share their death anniversary on July 12

Donald Banerjee

uly 12 is a black letter Hospital in Mumbai at 8.30 pm due tractor. day. It was on this date to prolonged illness. He was 93. Good at academics, the young J that the country lost three He worked in a wide range of man was training to become a pho- Punjabi gems of the Bollywood movies in Punjabi, Hindi and Ben- tographer when a chance meeting film industry.Yes three of India’s gali, delivering spectacular, per- with a movie writer in Lahore be- most favourite talents share their formances from 1940s to 2007 for came the turning point of his life death anniversary on this day, albeit which he won numerous accolades and he was offered his first movie in different years. Jubilee star Ra- and multiple BFJA and Filmfare role in 1940. jendra Kumar died of cancer in awards. Pran was in Pakistan till 1947 1999, just eight days before his In 2001, he was honoured by when he got to play the lead roles 70th birthday, legendary wrestler Government of India with the in Punjabi movies and later donned turned actor Dara Singh died in Padma Bhushan. Then in 2013 the the role of a villain in 1947 when 2012 at the age of 83 and Dada Dadasaheb Phalke Award, one of he shifted to India’s tinsel town of Saheb Phalke awardee Pran Sikand the most prestigious movie awards, Bombay. bid adieu in 2013 at the age of 93. was conferred upon him. He was The villain of the century used Born on February 12, 1920, the bad guy whom the audience to enter the screen with a swagger, Pran Krishan Sikand was the loved to hate! unleasing his charm and fear. Yes, ‘Pran,’ the eternal enigmatic, vil- Pran’s journey started from the the audience used to go into a lainous personality that many a gallis (lanes) of Balliamaran in old trance the moment he made his ap- times shaped the character of the Delhi, famous for the haveli (home) pearance for they knew that there hero, and plot of the story, in Hindi of legendary poet Mirza Ghalib. He would now be a twist in the story. movies. Bollywood's most loved was one of the seven children of a Most famous for the way he ren- villain, passed away at Lilavati wealthy Punjabi engineer and con- dered his dialogues, he used to be

38 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Luminaries

Pran

the most handsome villain around. watch a movie with the conviction manded a price higher than the he- He had his own style and dia- that there would be lot of drama be- roes of his movies from 1969 to logue delivery. These went a long cause of Pran’s presence. It was the 1980s except for Rajesh Khanna way to making him a great star. Pathan who hosted the legendary who managed to carve his position Whether it was the one legged man Amitabh Bachchan to stardom, for as the first superstar of the Hindi in Amar Akbar Anthony or the it was the camaraderie between the movie industry. Pathan in Zanjeer, the villain in police inspector and the Pathan in However, not known to many, Badi Behen or the other roles he Zanjeer that went on to making it Pran was an extremely affable and played in movies like a bandit in Jis an iconic film. soft-spoken man, much removed Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Pran was a natural choice for form his screen image, a connois- Azaad, Johny Mera Naam, Half young and old directors for the role seur of Urdu poetry, literature, and Ticket, Pran left an impression in of a villain and he has the distinc- avid lover of sports, which led him the movie. The menacing manner tion of having acted with the three to own and sponsor the Dynamos in which he used to exaggerate his stalwarts of Bollywood namely, Football Club Team. role is what made him really popu- Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj He was also an active member lar and famous. Kapoor in the 1950s-60s-70s. of various associations like the Audiences used to come to As is widely known, he com- Punjab Association, the Press Club

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 39 Luminaries

“Talaaq”, “Mere Mehboob”, “Gehra Daag”, “Dil Ek Mandir”, “Sangam”, “Arzoo”, “Zindagi” and others. Acting with remarkable restrain, he repeatedly proved his enormous cinematic grace and charisma to captivate audiences but was unfairly labelled a “Dilip Kumar clone”. Born in a well to do Punjabi family of Sialkot, Rajendra Kumar underwent pangs of Partition and did a long stint as H.S. Rawail's di- rectorial assistant before he made a tiny debut in “Jogan”. After several small roles in films like “Mother India”, “Vachan” and “Toofan aur Diya”, his major success came with Rajendra Kumar Vijay Bhatt's musical “Goonj Uthi Shehnai”, stamping him as a ge- nial, self-sacrificing romantic and of India, Chelmsford Club in New onymous for silver and golden ju- an everlasting darling of the Delhi, Otters Club, CCI Club, bilee hits and so strong was his masses. Though serious and emo- Bombay Provincial Hockey Asso- box office hold that he was nick- tionally gripping roles suited him ciation, all dedicated to sports or named Jubilee Kumar. Rajendra well, it is unfortunate that film charitable activities. Kumar was the man with a Midas makers didn't tap his comic poten- His charitable inclination is ap- touch who ensured serpentine tial which he frequently exhibited parent in his help in organizing queues outside cinema halls in the in humorous scenes. various charity shows for disabled 1960s, with several cities simulta- His turbulent experiences of the and blind children and Bangladesh neously playing two or more of his Partition made Rajendra Kumar a refugees after the 1971 war. films for months. discreet spender but he always He blossomed in an era when helped people in distress as well as Jubilee Kumar there were no tabloids, magazines contributed hugely to national If you were to tell modern cine- or radio and television networks to causes. Having learnt the worth of goers that there was a time when promote or sell an identity to the money, he developed a deep aver- Hindi films ran houseful for sev- masses. In contrast to Rajesh sion to filthy display of wealth and eral months, it is possible that you Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, invested wisely to emerge as one may be termed a liar! And if you his meteoric rise was not built on of the wealthiest persons in film were to add that hits were assured advertising campaigns but borne industry. Despite his phenomenal if there was just a particular hero out of sheer public adulation on success, he remained a humble in the cast, they'd think you need the basis of his emotional bonding man who never lost his amiable, your brains checked. In an era with the cinema viewers. fun loving attitude of a hospitable when film successes are measured Perhaps no actor has been so Punjabi who loved having writers by days and not months, such re- underrated as Rajendra Kumar for a feast. Not only would he actions wouldn't be out of place, who, apart from several anti-hero overwhelm them with goodies but though it's true that there was once films, played exemplary roles in unabashedly suggest names of his a star in Bollywood who was syn- “Goonj Uthi Shehnai”, “Kanoon”, rivals when he felt he wasn't ap-

40 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Luminaries propriate for a particular role and many a time, he'd even ring his fel- low stars about the strength of character and story to promote their projects.

From the ring to the screen Wrestling king, original muscle man of Bollywood, Hanuman of teleserial Ramayana, and last but not the least a great human being could be one of the many ways of describing this great persona. The great Dara Singh passed away on the morning of July 12 at his residence. He was suffering from acute inflammatory degenerative polyneuropathy. Dara Singh Dara Singh was born in a Jat Sikh family to Balwant Kaur and The wrestling king started his hero from the film King Kong in Surat Singh Randhawa in Novem- career as an actor in 1952 with 1962. Some of his famous Hindi ber 19, 1928 in Dharmuchak village Sangdil. He is still known as the films in the 60s were Veer Bhim- of Amritsar district in Punjab. Due first action king of Bollywood and sen, Samson, Hercules, Tarzan to his cult physique he took upon was extremely successful as an ac- Comes to Delhi, Sikandar E Azam, wrestling. Apart from wrestling in tion hero in the 1960s and 70s in Rustom-E-Hind, Raaka, Boxer, tournaments, he wrestled on invita- Hindi Films and in Punjabi films etc. He then went on to do televi- tion of kings of Indian princely in the 1970s and 80s. He could be sion in the late 1980s, where he states in fairs and carnivals. In the credited as the first Indian hero played the role of Hanuman in the world of wrestling, he competed who started the trend of packed television adaptation of Ramayan against some of the greatest names like King Kong, George Gordienko, abs and taking shirt off. He ap- which made him a household John Desilva, and others. Singh peared in approximately 120 Hindi name. His last memorable Hindi won the title of Rustam-e-Punjab feature films and nearly 20 Punjabi movie was Jab We Met. Dara and Rustam-e-Hind for his films. The great Dara Singh not Singh was also the owner of pres- wrestling dexterity. He became the only proved his prowess with his tigious Dara Studio at Mohali, Commonwealth Champion in action scenes but also in acting by Punjab. Dara Film Studio was 1959. He also won the world playing character roles in many founded in 1978. wrestling championship in 1968. In memorable Hindi and Punjabi Apart from his list of achieve- 1983 he retired from wrestling. In blockbusters. He turned a pro- ments and success he will always 1996 he was inducted into the ducer, director and writer when he be remembered as a down to earth, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall made Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar simple, modest, and great human of Fame. Dara Singh had over 500 in 1970. One of his notable friends being. From the ring to screen, he professional fights to his credit, all was actress Mumtaz with whom won the hearts of generations. My undefeated. He was the first sports he acted in 16 Hindi films and had heartfelt tributes to Rustam-e-Hind person to be nominated to Rajya 10 of them as box office hits. He Dara Singh. May his soul rest in Sabha by BJP in 2003. tasted commercial success as a peace.

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 41 Health Top 10 Indian healthy snacks

BUREAU REPORT

f you’re watching your ple and “Indianizing” it into a lip- are high in fibre, low in sugar and sat- weight these days but are smacking and hip-sticking delight. urated fat and offer nutritive value. proneI to a bit of between-meal snack- A diet that is high in saturated fats, So what options are you left with ing, then your best options lie with In- sugars and calories leads to unneces- if you want organic healthy snacks, dian healthy snacks. With dieters, desi sary weight gain and obesity. Eventu- lower sugar healthy snacks or some- khana has a bit of a bad rep for con- ally this lifestyle disease becomes a thing that doesn’t contain all the taining lots of ghee, sugar, oil and contributing factor to conditions such favourite Indian food additives! being over spiced. as sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, heart What Indian healthy snacks op- Indian mothers especially have a disease and stroke. To stay fit and have tions does a calorie-conscious person reputation for taking something sim- fun, choose Indian healthy snacks that have? Consider the following items:

42 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Health

Dhokla: This steamed break- an added bonus. To increase the fast food is a favorite amongst the nutrition, you can use a variety of Gujarati and Jain communities. fruits such as apples, bananas, Many people consume dhokla as pineapples, guavas and water- a tea time snack. Made from melon! chickpea flour (besan) and yogurt Momos!: This steamed de- and steamed in a vessel, it is a light from Kathmandu is a source of protein and B vitamins. favourite amongst healthy food It contains virtually no added fat, freaks and dieters. It is a simple, unless you add a ghee tadka on steamed dumpling stuffed with top. However you can reduce the vegetables, meat or a combina- calories by adding an oil tadka tion of both. You can eat it on its instead. own or dip it in chilli sauce which Bhel: This favourite Indian is usually served alongside. snack is a favourite street food Grilled veg chutney sand- amongst Mumbaikers! It is a wich: Every child can recall eat- hodge podge of puffed rice, ing this Indian healthy snacks in tomatoes, onions, roasted channa their school tiffin. You can choose daal, tamarind and chilli sauces, brown bread slices and top with topped with roasted peanuts, sev green chutney and mixed vegeta- and fresh coriander. Rich in vita- bles of your choice. Grill it mins C and B and protein, this slightly in the oven to increase the snack can become a favourite flavour. Have it with a glass of re- amongst dieters. To reduce the duced sugar lemon juice for a calories even further, you can re- winning combination of health move the sev portion. and taste. Bhutta: All Indians have a Mixed veg poha: Poha is an childhood memory of munching oldie but goodie amongst Indian on a corn bhutta while sitting be- healthy snacks! It is a tasty com- side the sea. Corn on its own bination of flattened rice, mixed ranks as one of the top Indian vegetables, lemon juice, fresh co- healthy snacks. It is the addition riander topped with a tadka or rai of butter that ups the caloric con- and jeera. Very low in calories but tent. Corn is high in folic acid high in nutritive value, mixed veg and B vitamins, so munch down. poha is good for the entire family. Kheere Ka Raita: Cucumber Dates and nuts laddoo: Yes, is high in B vitamins, especially you ready correctly! Ladoos can B5, B7 and biotin. It has a cool- be good for you too. Everyone ing effect in the body not to men- faces a craving for sweets at some tion ultra-low in calories yet high point or another. Try your hand at in fibre. Pair this with yogurt and these healthy ladoos. These are you’ve got a winning healthy made from dates, lots of nuts and combination. You may apply this honey. Yes, honey acts like a mixture on toast, in a pita or just binding agent, replacing that all have it on its own. too fattening ghee! A ladoo a day Baked samosa: This familiar is enough to keep the doctor triangle is famous the world around. peas and carrots. away! However it has a bad reputation for Fruit Chaat: Have a craving or being deep fried and high in calories. something sweet and tangy? Try a As the examples above illustrate, Reduce the caloric content in half by combination of fruits and chaat Indian healthy snacks can be good for baking these goodies. Increase the nu- masala! It creates a delightful mix of you too and they are available as lower trition value by switching potatoes for sweet, sour and spicy. You get the sugar healthy snacks and organic other veggies such as sweet potatoes, complete nutritional value of fruits as healthy snacks. Happy Snacking!

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 43 Health

Avoid neck pain Correct posture and exercises

Dr.Ravinder Chadha osture is defined as “atti- and perpetuates strain on neck mus- dividuals may also feel light-headed or tude of the body”. A good cles. The body can tolerate 20 minutes dizzy on moving the neck. postureP means that the bones, muscle of sitting in one position. After that the The following tips help in avoiding and ligaments work together in har- elasticity in the tissue starts decreasing neck pain: mony protecting the body from injury leading to an increase in stress and dis- or deformity. Posture-related problems comfort. Desk job are on the rise due to the sedentary Neck pain is very often manifested lifestyle: sitting in front of the com- as headache and a restriction of neck Computer screen: Reading material puters, watching television etc. and head movements. Depending on should always be about 15 to 30 de- Reading/working for long hours at the cause, the neck pain may radiate to grees below the head position or at eye a desk with a forward head posture or the arms with numbness and weakness level contact to avoid sustained bend- the neck in sustained flexion, activates (in case of nerve root involvement). In- ing of the head/neck. To confirm, close

44 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Health eyes slowly, if the phone, the re- gaze is at the centre of ceiver should not the computer screen be cupped with then the level is per- the ear and shoul- fect, otherwise this der. Hold the re- needs to be raised or ceiver properly lowered accordingly. using the loud- The keyboard and speaker facility. mouse should be oper- For long-duration ated with relaxed talks change sides shoulders and bent el- frequently. bows. The keyboard Ladies with should be kept close to long supple neck the lap. If no keyboard look beautiful but table is available then are more prone to it is better to have the developing pain in keyboard on the knees the neck than in- so that the arms and dividuals with shoulders are not short stocky necks raised putting a strain because of the on the upper back greater leverage muscles. and demand While typing, placed on the writing or reading it is muscles. They advisable to keep the should strengthen arms vertical with the the neck muscles. elbow behind the portant to place th copy at eye level and Swinging the plane of the chest and not projected as near as possible to the centre of the head around at a full range of motion forward. The arm-rest of the chair line of vision. Placing the copy at the i.e. head rolling should be avoided as helps in taking off the load from the sides involves neck rotation and can this can cause pain dizziness and ver- shoulder and neck. cause stiffness of the neck. tigo. Side bending neck exercise, by Sitting behind the table, the chair While talking to a visitor when bringing the ear to the shoulder first height should be such that the forearms working at the desk, turn the chair (not on one side and then on the other side rest comfortably on the table without just the head) to face the visitor helps improve the flexibility of the hunching the shoulders up or down. squarely. neck. Peering down continuously exerts People wearing eyeglasses while Tight shirt collar and clinching the a negative effort on soft tissues around reading should place the head in an necktie too tightly can cause neck pain. the neck and shoulder region. While erect balanced position by adjusting While selecting a shirt, a finger should sitting at the desk it is advisable to use the frame of the glasses on the nose in fit comfortably inside the collar not a sloping desk. such a way that neck-bending is only when looking straight but also Sit well back in the seat, support- avoided. when looking at the sides. ing the low back, keeping the chin Individuals who have intensive Neck pain can occur while reading tucked in with shoulders relaxed. It is computer or desk jobs should get up when the bed lamp is placed at one ideal to avoid slouching in te chair to and stretch while turning off the buzzer side of the bed. The reading light avoid undue strain on the back of the and reset the timer placed across the should fall directly on the book from neck. Slumping while sitting exerts a room. Some computers have alarm overhead, like a light that clips on the weight of approximately 16 kg on the clock functions which can be set to re- head of the bed or is attached on the neck while the head actually weighs main you to get up. This can relieve wall or suspended from the ceiling. approximately 5 kg. This extra weight muscle tension. Take frequent breaks Dr Ravinder Chadha is a means that the muscles of the neck and to stretch the neck and shoulder region. former physio-therapist of back have to work much harder thus Shrug shoulders up and down. Pull the Indian cricket team tiring quickly. shoulder blades together and relax. E-mail: [email protected] While typing from a copy is is im- During conversation over the tele- (Tel—0172 2702929)

July - 2017 Punjab Advance 45 Children’s world

Hi kids,

he pitter patter of rain drops, the sweet smell of But do we really prepare ourselves to enjoy these magic the earth, the cool breeze and the puddles of moments that the monsoon brings along? Or do we just get waterT around. Yes it is monsoon and all these ingredients busy only stocking materialistic things, completely ignor- add up to excite the kids and force them to run and play out- ing the personal pleasure aspect? doors. They love to jump in pools of muddy water and walk And to parents, irrespective of age or strata of society you through water filled drains. They love to get dirty and messy belong to, there is a child hidden somewhere deep within. in the rains. With the passage of time and For nine-year-old Neha day to day responsibilities, who glanced out of her bed- that child seems to take a room window early on Sun- back seat in most of us. As day morning, the drip drop, adults we don’t make paper drip drop sound of the rain boats anymore, and we think sounded like music. She so much before accompany- jumped down from the bed ing our child to get drenched and danced to the rhythmic in the first monsoon showers. beat of the rain drops. So much so that many prefer She came out of the to stay indoors during rains room and tip-toed into her rather than take a stroll to Nanaji’s room. He was giv- enjoy the gushing of sea or ing last-minute folds to his take in the sweet smell of the paper boat. Nanaji she damp mud. screamed as she climbed up Nature has continued to on the bed and hugged her bless us with same natural Nanaji: afterall she was his delight like it did when we little angel. were kids. What made us The two walked towards change then? Why can’t we the front door. The scene today, just for once make a outside was a treat to the eye. small paper boat and run Water flowing down from across to the stream of water the roof had formed a small nearest to us and compete drain which took a circuitous with several kids already route before flowing into the playing out there. Why can’t garden. we run faster than our chil- Nanaji placed the paper dren out of the house, seeing boat in the drain. Soon the the first monsoon showers little boat was carried away embracing the mother Earth by the flowing current of from heaven? water, Neha ran after the boat with her Nanaji telling her to Dear parents, it’s time to once again unleash that child be careful from the slippery ground. Soon Neha picked up residing in the remotest corner of your individuality. Set the the boat and brought it back and placed it at the starting child free for once this monsoon, it will help you see many point. more. Trust me, the stream shall flow as it always did dur- It was real fun. Her neighbour’s son Ravi peeped out of ing monsoon, the smell of mud shall kiss the air as it always the window. He joined her soon and within 10 minutes they did when wet. So go out and breathe…and yes…don’t for- were a group of five sharing funtime with Nanaji preparing get to carry your very own paper boat! more paper boats. All the best and keep smiling… I am sure kids, you must have played with paper boats and must have had a lot fun in the rain. Uncle Don

46 Punjab Advance July - 2017 Children’s world The Candy

Sanyukta Chaudhury

t was a hot Tuesday The ice candy man had al- afternoon in the ready begun digging away into monthI of October. The geogra- his icebox. Soon, a huge crowd phy lesson was interesting but surged toward him. It was the Sharmila was getting restless last day of school before the waiting for the class to get over. puja break, thus the crowd was The ice candy man had come bigger than usual. some time ago and his day’s Sharmila was in no hurry. quota would soon get over. She took her time and enjoyed He visited the school every every moment of the wait. Tuesday and Thursday to sell Soon, the crowd had lessened his delicious candies that the considerably. Sharmila took children waited for eagerly, out her carefully preserved every week. It was always a two-rupee coin and asked for a struggle for the teachers to hold lemon candy. The thin paper on to the students’ attention cover on the candy was soaked during the last period of school with the juice of the bar. It on those two days. looked a lot like the sweat- Though the ice candy man soaked shirt of the candy seller came every week, this Tuesday was very for. himself, thought Sharmila. special for Sharmila for she had got a She could not help looking out at the She removed the cover effortlessly two-rupee coin from her mother to buy people outside, especially at the clerk and the icy air that she had imagined not one ice candy. whose duty it was to ring the school only felt nice but also smelt good. The Twelve-year-old Sharmila was an in- gong, to end the day in school. first bite was like a dream come true. telligent student and serious in her stud- She could almost feel the excitement Sharmila did not want to think of any- ies. Her father had died of snakebite of holding the candy in her hand, feel- thing at that point of time, but could not when she was three years old. It had ing its iciness caressing her face and help recollecting the radiant face of ma. been very difficult for ma to bring up her slowly melting in her mouth. She could After relishing the first few licks of only child. Though ma had never told almost feel the cold crunch her teeth. It the candy, she turned towards the gate to Sharmila about their problems, she un- brought back fond memories of the day go home when suddenly the picture of derstood everything. Mother and daugh- she had had a similar candy at the wed- her math exercise book lying on her ter: their worlds revolved around each ding of the local zamindar or landlord’s class desk struck her with force. She other. daughter. took a sharp turn towards her classroom. That day as she prepared for school, Since her father’s death, affording a She had hardly taken two steps when ma called her to the puja room. The candy had become difficult, which is two boys running towards the school room was clean as ever and filled with why this day was special. Sharmila had gate, crashed into her. The ice candy fell the smell of incense. The framed photo- made up her mind to have a lemon on the ground with a silent thud and was graph of the deity was glowing in the candy and not an orange one; it would soon covered in a fine coating of dust. light of the little oil lamp. colour her teeth and she did not want The dust granules became more and “This is your puja gift” she said with that. more distinct as the candy started melt- a shy smile on her face and placed a lit- She was trying hard to concentrate, ing. tle paper bag and a two rupee coin in her when the bell rang suddenly. Everyone Sharmila stood petrified at the spot, palm. She knew how popular the ice stood up, wished the teacher and went totally numb. As the surrounding dhaak candies were in Sharmila’s school. This out in a single file. Sharmila’s swarthy sounds faded out, the face of ma slowly reticent and restrained quality of ma face and her black eyes glowed even began to blur as Sharmila’s eyes welled made Sharmila feel special and cared more against the golden rays of the sun. up with tears.

Punjab Advance 47 July - 2017 Forecast

Your stars this month Dr. Prem Kumar Sharma email: [email protected]

Aries: A property matter may turn in Leo: Your quality of life gets a boost Sagittarius: Your foresight in a your favour. Accompanying someone with increased earnings. Good aca- situation at work will help in tackling on a long journey may come as a nice demic performance is likely to open it in a timely manner. Good earning is change for you. You are likely to at- many doors for you. A change in foreseen, especially for those in the tract a lot of praise from your well lifestyle is likely to ﬁnd you ﬁtter and hospitality sector. A party or a get wishers on the social front. Meeting more energetic, than before. The break together may give you an opportunity someone who has special regards for you had been waiting for is likely to to meet people you have not met in you is likely to bring back old roman- materialize soon. Someone you have years. You may have to keep tic memories. Add fruits and vegeta- made your guide and philosopher is reminding someone to pay up or bles in your diet to enjoy good health. likely to help you at every step in your return something. career.

Taurus: Homemakers will find reset- Virgo: Good dietary habits adopted by Capricorn: Someone is likely to come ting the house most fulfilling. Meet- you will keep you protected from into your life soon, so go for an image ing your near and dear ones cannot be common ailments. You will find hap- makeover right away! You are likely to ruled out. Lover is likely to support piness in keeping others happy. Main- have a firmer grip now on whatever is you in rekindling love life. Freedom tain steady pace on the academic front. happening on the work front. Stars for from an ailment that has been trou- Family will be supportive. A great travel burn bright and may take you bling you for long is just round the month is foreseen and meeting inter- on a long journey. You may get better corner. A helping hand extended by esting people is foretold. Someone is job opportunities coming your way. you will be most appreciated. You may likely to get close to you on the ro- Excellent prospects on the property plan for a social event. mantic front. You will manage to earn front are foreseen for some. well and use your money judiciously.

Gemini: : A fixed routine promises Libra: : An immensely enjoyable va- Aquarius: Things move favourably on total fitness. An ex-flame may enter cation with family and friends is fore- the academic front. You are likely to your life once again and make things seen. Health remains satisfactory realise the importance of someone in interesting. Your energy levels will be through your own efforts. Romance your social circle, whom you used to better and satisfying in comparison to on the side will keep you charged and dismiss out of hand. You will follow a previous month. Keep an open mind excited. Be prepared, as you may get a good exercise regimen that will help regarding someone you want to hire. short notice to accomplish something you achieve good fitness. This is a Previous investments promise to keep on the professional front. Good returns lucky month when you will impress your bank balance in the pink of from a property owned by you may superiors by performing your best on health. make you too happy. the professional front. A financially stable position may come as a big relief to some.

Cancer: You will be able achieve your Scorpio: Outside help on the aca- Pisces: Those studying are likely to set targets on the academic front and demic front may come as a boon for come into the good books of their this will contribute to your excellent some. Money problems are likely to teachers. Someone’s support on the performance. Going on the saving vanish. Happiness and positivity per- family front will prove most reassur- mode will help you consolidate the fi- vades the domestic front. Health re- ing. You will make efforts to retain nancial front. Playing one against the mains excellent. You will manage to healthy relations on the social front. other will help achieve your motive. keep a step ahead of rivals by keeping Organizing an official get together You may follow someone’s footsteps a close tab on developments on the may keep you occupied. You will find and join a gym or a fitness class. professional front. Praise, applause and immense satisfaction in helping out appreciation is all yours, so be pre- someone in genuine need. You are pared to hold the centre stage! likely to keep a close watch on your spending.

48 Punjab Advance July - 2017 You can send the subscription amount by money order or by crossed cheque, DD, payable at Chandigarh, to CEO, PUNMEDIA , Room No. 10, 5th Floor, Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh-160001

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July - 2017 Punjab Advance 49 Last Word Tendua, tendua !

Donald Banerjee

t was about 12 in the afternoon about 20 years a leopard. back. This was the first time I had heard of a leopard “gallop- IA person rang up from Sector 30. A jumbled voice ing”. shouting “tendua!”, “tendua!” was enough to send goose To allay the fears of the residents, the Chhat Bir Zoo Di- pimples up one’s body. Yes, he had spotted a leopard in a rector, Dr Vinod Sharma, and the Chief Wildlife Warden, house in the sector. UT, Mr H.S.Soha, ventured into the CSIO forest where there A telephone call to Chhat Bir Zoo confirmed that they was a thick undergrowth. No pugmarks were visible. had received an SOS about the beast having been spotted “Go deeper”, shouted the residents. The panic on the somewhere near the CSIO in Sector 30. campus could not be ignored. They launched a “haka” to By the time Cameraman Karam Singh and I reached the drive out the beast. Special armed policemen stood on spot, the men in khaki had already arrived. Armed with self- standby as drummers beat up a tempo and shouted their loading rifles they were standing near the forest area of the heads out. CSIO. Also at hand were forest officials with tranquiliser The 90-minute operation was of no avail. No beast could guns. The most vociferous person in the crowd kept on re- be spotted. Thorns and shrubs had to be removed from the peating: “I saw big, big eyes. They were glaring at me. I winterwear of the officials. beat a hasty retreat”. But the vast gathering of residents urged the officials to A forest official also chipped in: “I also saw those deadly continue the operation. eyes.” They refused to move away from the location. “The left Some students of the Indo-Swiss Training Centre also side of the forest area has not been covered,” they said in claimed having sighted the leopard at 8.30 the previous unison. night. The tired officials asked the drummers to build up a One of the students even claimed having seen the spot- tempo as they tried once again to go deep into the forest area ted big cat baring its fangs. And he said it in such a way as on the left side. But all these attempts were in vain. if he had spotted a pre-historic sabre-toothed tiger. One of As the “operation imaginary leopard” came to an end, a the eyewitnesses said: “ I saw the beast galloping like a donkey across the street brayed, displaying its teeth and then horse.” virtually “galloped” away into the vast maidan ahead. It was This statement put at rest the theory that the animal was ultimately the donkey who had the last laugh.

50 Punjab Advance July - 2017 People’s participation for effective governance The Government of Punjab is now on Social media

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