Rampura Phul (Bathinda), February 12
In a significant move to check adulteration of milk and milk products, the state government has also authorised the dairy development department to carry out raids and samplings, Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike said, adding that earlier, only the health department had such power.

He also said that for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, the government was determined to increase allocation in the budget. And to promote dairy farming in the state, the government was going to start training centres in all districts of the state.

Ranike, who holds the portfolios of sports, youth services, animal husbandry and fisheries, dairy development and welfare of SCs and BCs, said the fertility potential of land in the state had decreased from 7 per cent to 4 per cent. So besides farming, people should also take to dairy farming.

Talking to TNS over breakfast in the presence of chief parliamentary secretary, Jagdeep Singh Nakai at Rampura, Ranike said, “Due to lack of awareness about their rights and duties, SCs and BCs are exploited and discriminated against.” “In the Majha region, atrocities against the SCs and BCs are less. Malwa region needs more attention and for this, instructions to the police officers will be issued,” he added.

Showing concern over the decreasing fertility of land, the minister said with the rampant use of pesticides and urea, the land had been losing its fertility. So, the government had been giving loans to all dairy farmers at a low interest rate.

At 45-day training camps on dairy farming, 50 youths who had qualified class XII have been imparted training. After the completion of their training, they would be eligible for loans and other facilities.

When the minister was asked about the alleged diminished physical abilities of the youth in Punjab at the time of army recruitment in Bathinda, he cited drug menace, non-participation in sports and shirking work as the reasons for it.

“To promote sports, the state has been doing its level best by launching academies and increasing the amount of prize money. The results are expected to get better. A committee has also been constituted and veteran sportspersons are its members,” he added.

On the demand for pending amount under the Shagun scheme, he said, “The SAD government has paid off all the dues under the shagun scheme and we have been trying to pay the standing dues of the previous government also.”

Later, Ranike and Jagdeep Nakai accompanied by SDM Phul, Umashankar and DSP Balwinder Singh went to the Rural Sports Fest being held at Jethuke village at a distance of around 7 km from here.

Barnala, February 12
Two persons committed suicide in Barnala in the last 24 hours. According to the information available, one Mohamad Shameem (16) consumed sulphos tablets and collapsed.

He worked in households at Pakho Kalan. The exact reason of his death could not be known. The police has registered a case in this regard.

In another incident, Bhola Singh (45), a resident of Handiaya village, threw himself before a train at an unmanned railway crossing.

Before committing suicide, he left his motorcycle and mobile phone near the railway track. The reason behind the suicide could not be known. A case has been registered.

Ferozepur, February 12
The Punjab government has released an amount of Rs 500 crore for the construction of 1500-km-long link roads in the state, said Sukhpal Singh Nannu, chief parliamentary secretary (revenue).

He was laying the foundation stone of several link roads in the border villages, including Kale ke Hitarh to Hitarh Dhani Jagroop, Kale ke Hitarh to Kutubdin wala, Wandala to Katt Pattan Budha, Behik Ratte Ke to Dhani Acchar, Bandala Hamad Chakk to Peer Gagga and Baggewala to Ratte ke Bahik to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs one crore.

The chief parliamentary secretary also distributed cheques amounting to Rs 15 lakh for the development of these villages.

Nannu informed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had issued a special grant for the progress and development of the border areas, including Rs 5 crore for the maintenance of roads.

Accusing the Congress of ignoring the development in border districts, he said that the present state government has embarked upon several projects for the overall development of these districts.

He further informed that the state government had decided to provide free textbooks to students, from class I to class VIII, belonging to reserved / backward categories. Earlier, only students up to class V were given the facility, he observed.

Ferozepur, February 12
Deputy Commissioner Megh Raj today directed the officials to utilise the government funds and ensure that they were being used for the designated purposes only.

He was presiding over the 53rd sangat darshan here today in which 29 complaints were received.

The DC said that till date, around 2,059 complaints had been received during sangat darshan programmes, out of which, 1,658 were disposed of immediately. The remaining 401 were marked to officials concerned for necessary action.

Megh Raj further said that a special meeting had been convened on February 14 to take stock of all pending complaints.

On the occasion, the DC marked a complaint lodged by Roop Singh against secretary, Agriculture Cooperative Society, to Malkit Singh, additional registrar of the cooperative department, for an inquiry.

He also directed the secretary, District Red Cross Society, not to release any grants to the poor and purchase medicines only from chemists approved by the civil surgeon’s office.

Several cases related to family and matrimonial disputes were marked to police stations for women.

Rampura Phul, February 12
“No one has forced me to quit the post of the All India Youth Akali Dal (AIYAD) president. It is my personal decision,” MP and AIYAD chief Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, said this here today.

Dhillon was here to attend a function at the Punjabi University Neighbourhood Campus. Sukhbir Singh Badal had recently said that a new AIYAD chief would be appointed.

Dhillon, an MP from Ludhiana, is nine years older than Sukhbir, the newly-elected president of SAD.

Observers of the Akali politics feel that a 55-year-old would not have been accepted as AIYAD president.

“Maybe, the SAD feels that a younger face can fill the youth with new spirit. The AIYAD was formed to counter the influence of the All-India Sikh Students Federation before Operation Bluestar.”

MLA Bikramjit Singh Majithia, the brother-in-law of Sukhbir, is considered a front-runner for this post. “Maybe, the SAD wants Majithia to emerge as the face of youth in the state,” the expert said.

Speaking to TNS over phone, Vijay Inder Singla, president, Punjab Youth Congress, said, “Maybe Dhillon has not been able to perform. Before the Assemblly polls, SAD announced formation of a Youth Development Board to give representation to their youth cadre in government offices and boards. That board has not come up and Dhillon is too old for the post.”

Rampura Phul (Bathinda), February 12
With the objective of spreading the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib globally, the Punjabi University, Patiala, has decided to start an online certificate course on Guru Granth Sahib.

Giving this information, Jaspal Singh, vice-chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, said that a committee of experts has been formed and it is working on the project.

“Presently, we are in the initial stages of the project and soon, our experts would come up with details on curriculum, fee structure, length of the course, number of seats, eligibility criteria etc. This course would be online and anybody who wants to do it would be requireed to register online. So, another team of experts is working on its design,” Jaspal Singh told TNS.

The vice-chancellor was visiting Punjabi University Neighbourhood Campus (PUNC) at Rampura Phul in Bathinda district to attend a cultural function there.

The vice-chancellor also handed over financial assistance collected by the students and staff of the PUNC to the daughter of Ajmer Aulakh, the noted Punjabi playwright, who is battling cancer.

The VC also informed that the Punjabi University is planning to start a web search engine for Punjabi language.

“Though Google is providing services in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil, but presently there is no such web search engine for Punjabi language. The university plans a similar search engine so that Punjabis settled all across the globe would benefit from it. I have asked my team of experts to look into the possibility so that work on it can be started soon.”

Besides, he also announced that from the next academic session, beginning in June, Punjabi language would be made compulsory as a subject for the students of undergraduate courses.

“Punjabi being our mother tongue, none of the students would get an exemption from studying Punjabi in the Punjabi University,” he said.

Jaspal Singh also said that the Punjabi University would be organising an All India Punjabi Conference at the university campus on April 30, the foundation day of the university.

“A Gurmat Sangeet Utsav, with the help of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would also be held at the university campus in September or October this year.”

Abohar, February 12
Around 41 progressive farmers of this sub-division, who returned by the morning train after completing a five-day training in Maharashtra, look determined to usher in an era of greenhouse farming here.

The Indian Farmers Fertilizers Cooperatives (IFFCO) and Bharat Krishak Samaj had made arrangements for their journey from Abohar to Pune.

Two IFFCO officials, R.K. Upveja and R.L. Sethi, had accompanied the batch. Talking exclusively to The Tribune on their arrival, the farmers said that per acre yield in wheat was declining day by day, while cotton had been targeted first by the American bollworm and leaf curl and now Mealy bug had affected the Bt cotton.

The experts were ringing warning bells regarding Mealy bug attack on the next wheat crop also.

One Tota Ram, from village Sappanwali, said farmers of this region had worked hard over the years to grow citrus and its hybrid kinnow. The area emerged as the largest and best kinnow-growing region in the state.

He further said that delayed cold had reduced bitterness in the fruit but it was sold for Rs 7-8 per kg only in open market, whereas the processing plant offered Rs 4.50 only for the same. He added that another diversification was needed.

Anoop Poonia, another farmer, informed that the greenhouse culture in Pune had boosted production of capsicum in red, yellow and orange colours, besides modern flowers like carnation, gerbera, gladiolus, anthurium and roses.

There was a good provision to control temperature besides saving water by drip irrigation system. He said that consumption of vegetables in hotels was increasing and economical viability for taking up modern farming was high.

Use of soluble fertilizers would cut down expenses, which we were bearing for the traditional chemical fertilizers. “We could help in reducing pollution caused by the unbalanced spraying of insecticides,” he hoped.

Interestingly, another batch of 43 farmers from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat was also getting training there and all of them had individually opted for this.

Bharat Krishak Samaj president Surinder Kumar Jakhar said the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation offered 3,000 acres of fertile land to farmers for Rs 4,000 per annum only to develop the greenhouse farming.

In the country, only 675 hectares of land was at present under this technology and Maharashtra was leading with 350 hectares, out of which 200 hectares alone were in Pune.

Jakhar informed that the National Horticulture Mission offered 50 per cent subsidy with a land ceiling of 1,000 square meter for green house farming, whereas the National Horticulture Board offered 20 per cent subsidy with a limit on investment not more than Rs 25 lakh.

As temperature here normally ranged between 32-35 degrees Celsius, it was suitable for floriculture and vegetables.

After liberalisation, the union government had identified floriculture as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100 per cent export-oriented status, he added.

Mansa, February 12
On the call of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (EKTA Dakoda), the farmers of this district held a rally today in front of the deputy commissioner’s office to press for their demands.

The farmers demanded relief against the loss incurred because of the cold weather. A memorandum was submitted to the DC in this regard.

Addressing the rally, district general secretary of the union, Gora Singh Bhainibagha and state committee member, Kulwant Singh, said the government was not taking care of farmers who had suffered losses in tomato, capsicum and other crops this season. They demanded from the government due compensation for the same.

Earlier, the farmers staged a dharna at the office of the XEN, electricity board, and demanded uninterrupted power supply to run tubewells.

Mahinder Singh, Jarnal Singh and Darshan Singh were among those who addressed the dharna.

Mansa, February 12
A conference under the banner of “Awaken farmers and save land” was organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta) here today.

Addressing the conference, state acting president of the union, Bhog Singh Mansa said the farmers had been demanding due price for their produce but the government was indifferent towards them. It was one of the reasons why farmers had committed suicides in the past.

The union leaders demanded a financial help of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the farmers who had committed suicide last year and a government job for their family members.

Abohar, February 12
Forest officials have decided to acquire a gun from the state headquarters to fire sedatives to round up “Laden”, the leader of the gang of simians here, sources said on Saturday.

The officials placed a wooden box on rooftop under the shadow of trees in the municipal complex here.

Scores of shopkeepers saw Laden slapping members of his gang, when they came close to the box to enjoy eatables that had been placed inside to lay the trap.

Apparently, he was trying to caution them against being nabbed. Most of them followed what he wanted to convey but two, including a female monkey, finally succumbed to the temptation.

Laden, with two baby monkies, prevented the officials from taking away the box for more than 75 minutes but had to run when people came out with wooden sticks to settle old scores with him.

He has so far injured about 18 persons, most of them fruit and vegetable sellers, besides railway, in the last two months.

Now, after consulting experts on the behaviour of monkeys, the officials have decided to use the gun to make Laden unconscious before making a final bid to nab him, sources said.

Barnala, February 12
To discuss the state government’s ban on preparation of Ayurvedic medicines by the vaids themselves, the District Vaid Mandal (association) held a meeting here today. The meeting was presided over by Vaid Pritam Singh Rahi.

At the meeting, the vaids strongly criticised the government’s decision with regard to the preparation of medicines in pharmaceutical laboratories instead of by vaids themselves.

The members of the association said that it was against the concept and the principles of Ayurveda.

Rahi informed that in Ayurveda, the medicines were prepared from natural herbs. And the quantity and the mixture of herbs to prepare a medicine depend upon the condition of the patients.

Moreover, the medicines prepared by the pharmaceutical companies could impair the quality of medicine.

The government’s decision was aimed at benefiting the private sector, he added.

The vaids demanded that the government withdraw its decision at the earliest.

At the same time, the association demanded affiliation for the unregistered vaids of the state, who had been practising for a long time.

Bathinda, February 12
A 50-year-old farmer, Pirtha Singh of Pitho village in the district, reportedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance on Tuesday.

Police sources said the deceased was under debt and as a result, was mentally depressed. Finding no other way left, he apparently consumed sulphos and died on way to the hospital.

On the basis of the statement of the deceased’s wife, the Rampura police initiated inquest proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC after conducting the postmortem.

Bathinda, February 12
The state election commission has deferred the date, for publication of the list of primary voters for MC elections, from February 12 to 19.

People, who have any objections and claims can report to the authorities concerned between February 19-26.

Giving details, additional district election commissioner, Bathinda, Vijay N. Jade, said, “The cases would be decided by March 4. The final list would be out on March 10.”