M A I L B A G

Heavy taxation hits Punjab dairy industry

Punjab’s dairy industry is passing through a critical phase. Some of its milk plants are on the verge of closure because of the heavy taxation by the state government, compared with less or no taxes by Haryana. In Punjab, there is a 12.5 per cent VAT on desi ghee as against 4 per cent in other states including Haryana. Earlier, 12 states reduced this from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent except Punjab. Further, there is 4 per cent purchase tax on milk which is purchased and processed in Punjab itself. The purchase tax is applicable only in Punjab and not in any other state.

This implies that if milk goes to Haryana from Punjab, Haryana’s milk processors need not pay purchase tax and, instead of 12.5 per cent VAT, they need to pay only 4 per cent VAT on ghee. While the Punjab government won’t get any revenue from such milk, farmers producing it too do not get a better price. If Punjab makes the tax structure uniform as in other states, it will boost the farmers’ income. For Punjab’s dairy industry will then be able to pay better price to the farmers once the tax burden on them is reduced. It will also help government prevent tax evasion.

RANJIT, Milk Processors’ Assn, (Punjab), Ludhiana

Teachers’ transfer

I appeal to Punjab Education Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur to give top priority in the recent transfer process to lady teachers who apply on compassionate grounds.

A sympathetic attitude should be shown towards sick and old citizens who request on plain paper with proof along with the applicants. Such cases deserve consideration as well as exemption of the working place time limit.

R.L. AGGARWAL, Dhariwal (Gurdaspur)

ETT teachers

The Congress government at the fag end of its tenure recruited ETT teachers in Punjab like wholesale dealers without giving any thought to the quality of the candidates. To make matters worse, the previous government recruited teachers who have done courses from outside Punjab. Some of them have even failed in English and Mathematics.

Now there is a rat race among some people to purchase ETT certificates from far and wide and they are being appointed as teachers. For years, it has been a lucrative business. People with money power and powerful connections make sure their wards are quite at ease with studies, get good marks in Matriculation and Plus

Two through copying and then recruited as teachers in elementary schools. For such teachers, teaching is only a part-time job. Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur should rescue elementary education and stem the rot.

VIR SINGH BAJWA, Batala

Check farm land misuse Village panchayats and the revenue department leave ‘sarkari rasta’ in the agricultural land to help farmers approach their respective fields with animals, carts and tractors without destroying their crops and avoiding disputes. Every farm or farmer is linked by this rasta duly specified in the revenue records. In addition, many common small canals and “suas” go through the fields arranged by the irrigation department. In the past 35-40 years, all these common passages and suas have vanished due to colonies developed by the municipal corporations, improvement trusts, housing boards and above all land mafias and colonisers developing the new colonies. While corporations, trusts and boards are meant for public, they purchase agriculture land from poor farmers at cheap rates and sell it to the common man at high rates. They are also patronised by politicians. The government should conduct a survey and recover the cost of such land from the colonisers at today’s market rate and utilise it for the rehabilitation of poor farmers and village development. The colonisers have no right to use such land. B.S. SHARMA,Amritsar

Repair the road

The Nawanshahr-Garhshankar road is in bad shape. It makes driving hazardous and leads to accidents. A first-time visitor may be shocked to find that this is a link road between the Nawanshahr district headquarters and Garhshankar sub-division of Hoshiarpur district. I request the Deputy Commissioners of both districts to look into the matter and set things right.

PARVINDER SINGH KITTNA, Nawanshahr

Merge with SBI

After India’s freedom from the imperial clutches decades ago, Sardar Patel merged the states of Bikaner and Jaipur, Hyderabad, Indore, Mysore, Patiala, Saurashtra and Travancore besides many others into the Indian Union. But paradoxically banks named in the seven states continue to work as separate entities.

An immediate merger of these banks with the State Bank of India is urgently called for to eradicate the blot of imperial reminiscence.

LALIT BHARADWAJ, Panchkula

Probe relief scam

The Haryana government sanctioned liberal compensation to the untimely rain and hail affected farmers of the state for the rabi crop. But it proved a boon for the assessors and distributing officials. This exercise was riddled with malpractice and underhand transactions. For instance, if Rs 5000 compensation was sanctioned per acre, the assessor got Rs 1,000.

There should be a thorough enquiry on the relief distribution and the guilty officials should be punished. The officials have filled their coffers at the cost of genuine farmers. Only those farmers who had an understanding with the officials got benefited.

RAM CHANDER NEHRA, Satrod Khurd