Jalandhar, September 23
One person was killed and 25 devotees were injured as their tempo turned turtle after it was allegedly hit by a truck at the local Pathankot chowk here today morning.

The devotees were on their way to Beas.

All passengers in the tempo sustained injuries. Five are in a serious condition. Hari Ram, a resident of Pipplanwala village near Hoshiarpur succumbed to his injuries at the local Oxford Hospital in the evening.

The devotees were from Arjanwal, Sham Churasi, Masani and other nearby villages falling in Hoshiarpur district.

The police arrested driver Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Chaugawan near Lambra and the truck impounded.

Jalandhar, September 23
Exhorting the Army personnel to mobilise communities in their villages to start water replenishing systems, “the water man of Rajasthan”, Mr Rajendra Singh, asked them to lead the way during their visit home in holidays.

The Magsaysay Award winner, Mr Rajendra Singh was in Jalandhar Cantonment to address Army men and school students during the concluding session of the two-day Nature Conservation Festival organised jointly by the Vajra Army Wives’ Welfare Association (AWWA) and World Wide Federation.

Popularly known as ‘johad wala baba’ (bearded man of check dams), he stressed upon the jawans to help villagers in constructing rain water harvesting structures. The idea could then spread as neighbouring villages would try to replicate it, he said.

The man who has been instrumental in making the dry regions of Rajasthan drought-free in 16 years said, “Replenishment of water is the need of the hour or else it will become the cause of conflict among nations in coming times. The SYL canal conflict between Punjab and Haryana is before you”.

“Punjab was the richest source of water till it cultivated bajra and jowar. After the canal system was introduced, farmers took up paddy cultivation.

“They exploited the water resources badly. For how long will the nature continue to pay without being repaid?” he asked. Farmers now were in doldrums due to the problems of water crisis or water seepage in other areas, he added.

Suggesting solutions, the jal-jameen-jungle (water-soil-forest) conservationist said, “Situation cannot improve till the area under paddy is reduced.

“Rainwater harvesting techniques also need to be promulgated. In areas like Ropar, check dams can be built while mud bundhs could help in recharging water in places like Jalandhar”.

Lauding the role of Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal in reviving Kali Bein and focusing on the potential in communities, he said five rivers - Ruparel, Arvari, Sarsa, Bhagani and Jahajwali - had started flowing again in Rajasthan after being dry for decades.

Pointing out that it was an illiterate farmer in Rajasthan who first told him about the process of river rejuvenation; Mr Rajendra Singh said he began work at Gopalpura village in 1984 converting the dark zones into white by 1996. “We have built 8600 johads or water ponds in 1058 villages”, he added saying that these also included a few in Maharshtra and Madhya Pradesh as well.

He added that when he left the government job and stepped up into community service, his family at Meerut was not happy. “But now they realise what I have actually been into. Now, they see me with a successful workforce of 10,000 members of the Tarun Bharath Sangh, the NGO I am working for”, he smiled. 

Jalandhar, September 23
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr A. Venu Parsad, pulled up a number of banks for non-implementation of government welfare schemes and directed them to clear pending loan cases by September 28.

Taking note of disparities for loans among needy and rich people, Mr A.Venu Parsad asked the banks to open accounts with zero balance for the benefit of maximum people.

“It has been observed that certain banks extend loans to rich people unnecessarily, whereas, poor and needy people fail to get loans even to uplift lifestyle. Such banks also show reluctance to give loans under government schemes.

They have been violating government instructions as a routine, so, their work on this front has not been found to be satisfactory,” asserted the Deputy Commissioner, who held a meeting with representatives of various banks here on Thursday.

Mr V.K. Bhandari, Assistant General Manager, UCO Bank, Mr Rajesh Gupta, District Manager, Lead Bank, and Mr R.L. Khera, a senior officer of the RBI, also participated in the meeting.

“Banks should give priority to weaker sections and people belonging to the Scheduled and Backward Classes for grant of loans as per the directions of the government.”

He said the banks had achieved a target of 87.79 per cent in respect of extension of loans to varied sectors. “Out of a total loan amount of Rs 450.92 crore granted during the first quarter of the current financial year, the agriculture sector has got 317.63 crore. The deposits have also increased from Rs 15,309 crore to Rs 17,205 crore if the first quarter of the current financial year is compared to same period of the last year,” he said.