Regional Journal: Untold stories from the states
Heavyweight agri policy
Ajay Vir Jakhar, former chairman of the Punjab State Farmers and Farm Workers Commission, was left astounded on seeing the draft Agriculture Policy of the Punjab Government that runs over 1,600 pages. His surprise arises from the fact that during his tenure as chairman, the draft policy usually ran up to a mere 15 pages. He also notes that while the policy during his tenure was drafted after consultations with farmers, farm unions, agriculture scientists and policy experts, the new policy “lacks such scrutiny”. The brevity of the previous version emphasised practicality and clarity, whereas the current voluminous draft raises questions about its effectiveness and feasibility, he notes. In the world of policy-making, sometimes less can truly be more.
ADC, for how long?
The office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner in the politically significant Muktsar district of Punjab has seemingly been provided with a revolving door, given the frequency of transfer of the occupant. Astonishingly, the average tenure of an ADC here has been about two-and-a-half months. Despite being home to two Cabinet ministers, the state Congress chief and SAD chief, Muktsar continues to struggle in the absence of a regular ADC. By the time officers become acquainted with the ground realities of the area, they find themselves packing their bags and moving to another station. It remains to be seen for how long the incumbent ADC, Sanjeev Kumar, holds the charge.
Rs 200 cr bounty for Kharar
At a recent ‘Sewa Samagam’ event of the Punjab Government, Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Maan announced that Rs 200 crore was available for the development of Kharar town. “Do sau crore paye hoye ne. Chaho taan Kharar nu Chandigarh bana leyo (A sum of Rs 200 cr is there for you. If you wish, you can transform Kharar into Chandigarh),” she said. Mediapersons, however, pointed out that there has been no visible change on the ground. Only last week, she had cautioned residents and officials not to get trapped by swindlers seeking bribes in her name for development works. “Some people are incorrigible. We are here for development only. Don’t pay heed to them,” she cautioned.
Monkeys fancy files
The highly secure premises of the Punjab Civil Secretariat is grappling with severe monkey menace. Not just eatables, the simians have picked up the habit of making off with files and official documents. Officers have ordered the staff members to keep the doors and windows bolted to ensure that no official document is taken away by monkeys. ‘Please bolt the door so that monkeys can’t come inside’ — such signs are a common sight at the Civil Secretariat.
Contributed by Ruchika M Khanna, Archit Watts, Gaurav Kanthwal & Jupinderjit Singh
