Bathinda, April 28
Though, the arrival of wheat in the seven odd mandis (grain markets) of the district have shown an upward trend with the total arrival till date being 4,01,807 metric tonne (MT) as compared to 3,70,684 MT for the corresponding period last year, the lifting has shown a downward trend.

This year, lifting has been just 45 per cent till date as compared to 52 per cent last year. Last year, the total arrival in the Bathinda mandis was 5,44,697 MT and this year the government is expecting the arrival to be around 6 lakh MT.

Based on the expected arrivals this year, the state government has fixed different targets for wheat procurement for the six government agencies namely Markfed (22 per cent), Pungrain (22 per cent), Punsup (22 per cent), Punjab Warehousing Corporation (13 per cent), Punjab Agro Corporation (10 per cent) and Food Corporation of India (11 per cent).

According to data collected from the seven odd mandis of the district, namely Bathinda, Bhucho, Rampura Phul, Bhagta Bhai Ka, Goniana, Maur and Raman, till date, a total of 4,01,807 MT of wheat has been procured.

This year, due to the some restrictions on the private traders for buying of wheat, their purchase has been mere 0.23 per cent of the total arrival, as compared to 5.28 per cent (28,781 MT) last year. Till date, private traders have procured just 930 MT of the wheat arrived in the district.

According to Mandeep Singh Sidhu, district manager, Markfed, “Till date, our agency has procured 90,057 MT of wheat, as compared to 77,163 MT last year on the same date. Pungrain has procured 77,301 MT, Punsup 86,975 MT, Punjab Warehousing Corporation 41,888 MT, Punjab Agro Corporation 55,238 MT, FCI 49,418 MT and private traders 930 MT, till date.”

Atinderpal Kaur, District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC), Bathinda, said, “For the last few days, the arrival in Bathinda mandi has been around 30,000-35,000 MT per day and the same trend is expected to continue till the end of this month. We are expecting the arrivals to reduce by the first week of May.”

Mansa, April 28
“The process of purchasing and lifting of wheat is going on satisfactorily,” informed district mandi officer Narinder Singh Sidhu here today, adding that 3, 31,522 metric tonne (MT) of wheat had been brought to the grain markets of the district.

Out of this, 3,27,397 MT has already been purchased – 4,932 MT by private agencies and the rest by the government agencies.

“Compared to the previous year, 16 per cent extra wheat has arrived in the district grain markets this year,” he informed. Sidhu added that during the entire season last year, 4,20,000 tonne of wheat was brought to the district markets.

Talking about the problem regarding the lifting of wheat, he said the problem was noticed earlier on in the season but later, it was resolved.

The shortage of trucks and labourers had been removed through proper coordination, Sidhu said. Payment to the farmers had also been made on time. “The purchasing bills till April 24 have been cleared.”

However, Ram Singh Bhaini Bagha, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta, when contacted, said that the lifting of wheat was still a major problem being faced by the farmers and that the payment still remained an issue for them.

Barnala, April 28
Taking advantage of an acute shortage of farm labour during the current harvesting season in Punjab, the migrant labourers have exorbitantly hiked their daily wage to Rs 250.

The migrant labourers were dictating terms to the farmers who were desperately in search of workforce for early harvest of the wheat crop because of uncertain weather.

The problem was acute in the hinterland, as the big farmers in the main areas have engaged the labour at any wage they ask for. This has also jeopardised the lifting of wheat bags from the grain markets.

Ajay Kumar Yadav, a migrant labourer from Bihar, said his daily earning this season here was Rs 250 against the average of Rs 60 that he got in his native place in Bihar. He, along with a dozen fellow labourers, was working with a thresher operator.

It is worth mentioning that the uncertain weather has made the farmers engage harvest combines and threshers to cut their produce as manual harvesting takes a long time.

Moreover, migrant labour was scarce and as such it was economically unviable to do the job manually.

Kamlesh and Dhiana, both migrant labourers, said that they work two shifts from 6 in the morning to 6 in the evening.

The wheat season would last about ten days more and after that the labourers would get engaged in sowing paddy.

They said that the thresher owner charges Rs 1,200 for handling the crop over an area of one acre.

The thresher produces about 60 bags of fodder out of the wheat straw from each acre, whereas the harvest combine produces only 20 bags, they claimed.

Bathinda, April 28
To make up for the shortage of staff in the forthcoming elections for rural bodies, the state government is going to approach the central 
government.

A letter from the State Election Commission (SEC) office, vide 2599-2639, dated March 8, contains the order of SEC Commissioner A.K. Dubey asking all district electoral officers-cum-deputy commissioners that the staff of the rural development and panchayat development should not be deployed for the general elections to gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and Zila Parishad.

After the orders, no block and development officer would be deployed on mainline duty and to cover up the staff shortage, the state has planned to engage the employees of insurance companies, bank staff and also the teachers, including women, for the purpose.

It has been further reported that a number of teachers, including women, have already been allotted duties. According to sources, the staff will not get any fixed allowance but only travelling allowance.

As per the block-wise details procured, in Bathinda district, a total of 616 polling stations have been set up out of which the maximum, 131, are in Bathinda block alone. There are 56 polling stations each in Phul and Maur blocks.

As many as 499 booths have been set up, where the number of voters is less than 1,125 and 117 booths where the voters number 1,125 and above. For the total of 734 booths, including 118 auxiliary booths, 1,617 ballot boxes are required. Out of this, 1,265 are available with the district administration and rest of the 352 will be brought from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.

The number of total voters is reported as 57,2952 out of which 30,1498 are male and 27,1454 are female.

Talking over the phone from Chandigarh, Bathinda deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari said, “The state chief secretary has convened a meeting of all DCs today. We have raised the issue of allowance for the staff to be deployed on election duty on which the decision is yet to be taken by the government.”

“We have been facing a staff shortage and to cope with it, we have engaged teachers but with the instruction that they should be depouted only on holidays. We have intimated banks and insurance companies for the required staff but the demand will be placed after the rehearsal.”

Meanwhile, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Bathinda said on phone that today, which was the first day for filing of nominations, no application had been received.

Bathinda, April 28
A slogan writing contest was held on the theme of ‘Save the Girl Child’ at the Swami Vivekananda Girls College.

Students from schools like P.K. Public School, Dasmesh Public School, Guru Nanak Dev Public School and Hemkunt Public School took part in the competition.

In the earlier part of the competition, students from Arya Model School, SSD Public School, SSD Secondary School and Babadeep Singh School took part.

Today, the combined results of the two contests were announced. In the results, as per the language, Geetesh, a student of Arya Model School and Lovpreet Sharma of Dashmesh Public School were declared winners in English while Sandeep malhotra of Dashmesh Public School won in the Punjabi category.

The chairperson of the selection committee Raj Gupta, in her speech, said that the condition of the girl child had improved in Bathinda district, thanks to the efforts of the administration and NGOs.

According to Gupta, girls today are more aware about the prevailing opportunities and their rights and duties and are striving to attain responsible positions.

Among those who were present on the occasion included R.K. nanda, Padma Kumar, Shinderpal Kaur, Satwinder Kaur, Gaganpreet, Sukhbir Kaur, Renu, Sonia and Charanjit Kaur besides the teachers and students.

Bathinda, April 28
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been urged to ensure proper framing of rules to check the functioning of creches, that have gained great popularity as more and more couples find themselves unable to attend to their child because of the pressure of work.

Claiming that large-scale irregularities occur in the functioning of some of these creches, member, working group of the NCPCR, Sadhu Ram Khosla, has urged chairperson Shantha Sinha to take up the matter with the authorities concerned.

Khosla has demanded that all running creches and playway schools, which are proposed to be set up in the public and the private sector, must be registered with the department of social security, women and child development.

The working group has also demanded that permission must not be granted to any creche or playway school that is lacking in facilities and infrastructure as these are needed for the physical and mental growth of children.

Creches and playway schools that are lacking in facilities must be closed down and penalised in accordance with the law of the land.

It has also been demanded that a special legislation should be introduced in the country for keeping a watch over their proper functioning. The creches should also have facilities for medical care and vaccination. A qualified medical professional and a child psychologist must be part and parcel of every creche, Khosla said.

Giving the background for raising these demands, the working group member of the NCPCR cited an instance in Mansa district in his letter to the chairperson, where it had come to notice that small doses of drugs and sedatives used to be administered to the kids to stop them from “crying and creating disturbances.”

The matter has already been taken up with the Punjab State Human Rights Commission and a report has been sought from the authorities concerned, he informed.

Moga, April 28
The district unit of the Congress has failed to finalise the names of party nominees for the ensuing Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections even as the process for the elections began on Monday.

The final selection has been left to Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, the state president of the party. A meeting of the district unit of the party was held here this morning.

All local MLAs, two general secretaries of the state unit, Malti Thapar and Vijay Sathi, officiating president of the district unit Amarnath Bansal and district observer Vijay Khullar were present at the meeting. But they could not finalise the names of the party candidates owing to infighting between the local leaders at the meeting.

Insiders at the meeting revealed that there was a verbal duel between Ranvinder Singh Pappu, former district president of the party, and sitting MLA of Moga, Joginder Jain, over the distribution of party tickets.

While talking to TNS, Khullar confirmed that there was an argument between Jain and Pappu but it was their personal affair and had nothing to do with the party meeting.

Hardeep Singh Sandhu, organising secretary of the state unit of the Sewa Dal, a frontal organisation of the party, also argued with Darshan Brar, MLA of Baghapurana constituency.

While admitting that there was an argument between him and the MLA, Sandhu said Brar was unnecessarily interfering into the political affairs of other assembly segments, which he should have avoided at the time of elections.

Meanwhile, Khullar further said the recommendations received from the local party leaders were discussed at the meeting and a list of nominees was prepared. However, it required final approval from Bhattal.

“We have sent the list of probable nominees to the state president for final approval, which will hopefully return after approval by tomorrow evening,” he added.

It may be mentioned that voting for the 15 constituencies of the Zila Parishad and about 100 constituencies of the five Block Samities would be held on May 12.

The ruling SAD-BJP had already announced most of the names of their nominees for these elections.

Mansa, April 28
Women employees that have been assigned duty in the upcoming Zila Parishad (ZP) and Panchayat Samiti elections criticised the government here today saying that earlier, the government had promised that women employees would not be deployed for election duties.

Jasbeer Kaur Natt and Jaspal Singh Kokhar, leaders of the Democratic Employees’ Front, said women employees face more problems during the election duties as they have to take care of their children and home.

They added that unemployed youths should be hired instead, which would help them earn some money also.

Abohar, April 28
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiromani Akali Dal (B) units here have reached an accord on seat-sharing for the upcoming panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections. BJP received a lion’s share in the agreement.

District BJP general secretary Arun Narang and Khuyiansarwar circle SAD (B) president Gurbanta Singh said this evening that the coordination committee during a meeting this morning unanimously resolved that the SAD (B) would field its candidates in the Kandhwala and Waryam Khera zones in the Abohar block and Killianwali, Usmankhera and Daulatpura zones in the Khuyiansarwar panchayat samiti blocks. The BJP will field its candidates in rest of the eleven zones in both the blocks.

In the zila parishad elections, the BJP will put its candidates in the Panjkosi, Kandhwala Amarkot and Sayeedwala zones.

Those present at the meeting included former BJP MLA Ram Kumar Goyal, district BJP vice-president Dhanpat Rai Siyag, Khuyiansarwar block BJP president Bihari Lal, rural SAD (B) president Karnail Singh and Mohan Singh Killianwali, a close relative of the SAD (B) MP Zora Singh Mann.

Narang said the BJP candidates would be finalised in consultation with the party high command and all would contest on the BJP election symbol.

Moga, April 28
The custodian of the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha and former MLA Vijay Sathi has demanded a vigilance probe into the irregularities committed by the authorities concerned of the local municipal council (MC) while providing basic amenities to certain colonies that had come up in the town during the past few years.

After taking back the possession of a piece of disputed land belonging to the DM College last week, which was encroached upon by the local land mafia, it was found that a water pipeline was laid down through the college land without taking the management of the college into confidence.

He also demanded that the MC should lay another pipeline on their land outside the college boundary so as to facilitate the locals.

“We do not want people to be deprived of the basic amenities but those who had misused the municipal funds by laying the pipeline through the college land should be punished,” he added.

However, Sathi made it clear that taking back possession of the college land had nothing to do with politics as it was purely in the interest of the students of the college to provide them with adequate sports facilities.

He informed that the Sabha wanted to make a modern sports complex on the college land that was lying vacant for the past many years.

Meanwhile, Navneet Kapoor, president of the local citizens’ council, in a written complaint to the district magistrate, demanded an inquiry into an unauthorised colony ‘Neelam Vihar’ that was coming up adjacent to the college land without taking prior approval from the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).

It may be mentioned that the main road to this colony was also provided by the land mafia through the disputed land belonging to the college.

On the other hand, investigations made by TNS revealed that a senior leader of the Congress, presently an MLA, who was considered close to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, was involved in developing the colonies adjoining the college land.

Abohar, April 28
Madhya Pradesh Governor Bal Ram Jakhar and former Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Sompal Singh, today remembered former parliamentarian and the founder of the local Sahitya Sadan, Swami Keshwanand.

They observed that the teachings and principles of the octogenarian saint were still relevant.

The occasion was a meeting, held at the Sethi Palace here, to pay tributes to president of the Sadan Prithvi Singh Rinwa (67), who died after a prolonged illness a few days back.

Sompal Singh said Prithvi Singh Rinwa, like his father Hazari Lal Rinwa, followed the Swami’s principles in letter and spirit.

The Governor said that Swami was more concerned about social reforms rather than freedom from the British rule. So, he tried to make sure that education was made available to the underprivileged section of society.

Jakhar said that the region leads in education only because the ‘Saint of the Deserts’ as Swami was popularly called, had sown good seeds in Abohar and in the neighbouring areas of Rajasthan.

Sandeep Watts, while conducting the prayer meeting, said Prithvi Singh Rinwa was a philanthropist. Former Member of Legislative Assembly Mohinder Rinwa expressed gratitude to scores of dignitaries who sent condolence messages from different states.

Prithvi Singh Rinwa’s sons Ravi Kant Rinwa, former chairman of the panchayat samiti, and sarpanch Surya Kant Rinwa, thanked those gathered on the occasion.

Those who paid floral tributes included Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, legislator Sunil Jakhar and former BJP MLA Ram Kumar Goyal, among others.

Bathinda, April 28
The demand for a car in “dowry”, allegedly raised amid rituals being performed during the marriage ceremony, has landed a groom’s family into a soup.

And the resultant ruckus caused the ‘baarat’ to return empty-handed as the bride refused to marry the boy.

The police has preferred to first investigate rather than register a case outright on the basis of the statements of complainants and sources alleged that this was due to the political connections that the groom’s family enjoys.

According to reports, on Sunday night, when the marriage of Bhushan Kumar, a resident of Basant Vihar was being solemnised with Pooja of Hazi Rattan Gate, at a marriage palace on Bibi 
Wala road here, family members of the groom allegedly demanded an Alto car from the girl’s family.

The bride took a serious note of the demand and refused to marry the boy. The family of the girl today approached the SSP, Bathinda, with a written complaint.

In the complaint, they mentioned that the boy’s family pressurised them for “additional” dowry as they had earlier given in keeping with their financial condition.

They further alleged the involvement of a local BJP leader in the matter and accused him of using his power to build pressure on police to hush up the case.

SSP Naunihal Singh marked the inquiry to the ASP (City), who was supposed to pen down the statements of both the parties.

The father of the girl, Shiv Charan, said he was a daily wager and at the time of the ring ceremony in April this year, he had paid a handsome quantity by way of dowry articles. Later, on the birthday of the boy, they had presented furniture to him.

On the other hand, ther groom’s family members refuted the allegations and said that the family of the girl was making it an issue as the boy was physically challenged.

They further added that the spray showered by the alleged BJP leader had irked some relatives of the bride.

When ASP (City) Harsh Kumar Bansal was contacted, he said it was too early to reach a conclusion and added that the investigations were on to ascertain the sequence of events.

Bathinda, April 28
Residents of Vishal Nagar, Panchwati Nagar and some other areas of the city had a tough time beating the scorching summer heat due to a long spell of unscheduled power cuts today.

Power that went off around 8 am was restored around 3 pm only to trip again at 4 pm for another one hour.

When asked about the reason for this unscheduled power cut, Karnail Singh Mann, XEN (City), Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), clarified that the area was without power because a truck, full of wheat bags, had hit one of the electricity poles in the area, resulting in suspension of power supply.

Today, Bathinda boiled under hot summer sun at 41 degrees Celsius and the area residents faced eight-hour long power cuts.

Speaking to TNS, M.M. Behl, convener, Joint Action Committee, who is a resident of Panchwati Nagar, rued, “We are regularly bearing the brunt of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant due to the problem of ash in our locality. But today, the eight hour long power cut resulted in a lot of problems for us. I could not get ready properly for office as there was no power since morning.”

Rita Yadav, a resident of Vishal Nagar, said, “I had to wash clothes today but could not do so because there was no power supply. Even our inverters were exhausted because the power cut was very long and we had to use hand-held fans to beat the heat.”

Ajay Garg, a resident of Panchwati Nagar, said, “Today, the heat was just unbearable because of no power supply. Besides, there was no water in our storage tank as we could not use our water pump because of the power cut.”

Gulshan Behal, a workingwoman, rued, “I had to miss my office today as I could not get ready because of the power cut. Also, one feels very lazy if there is no power supply in such hot weather. We got some relief around 3 pm when the power supply was restored but it again went off around 4 pm.”

Bathinda, April 28
In yet another incident involving an unmanned railway crossing, a youth, Baljinder Singh was seriously injured after the tractor-trailer he was driving was hit by a goods train. Baljinder, a resident of Naruwana, was on way to his fields.

When he reached the unmanned railway crossing, suddenly the goods train appeared. The impact of the collision was so great that the tractor-trailer was badly damaged.

Baljinder was thrown off the vehicle and sustaine dsevere injuries. He was admitted to the civil hospital here by volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva.

In another incident, three youths were injured in a motorcycle accident near Parasram Nagar while another person, Hardeep Singh suffred a fracture in his right leg when he was hit by a car near lake number 3 in the city.

Bathinda, April 28
The Guru Gobind Singh College of Education, Talwandi Sabo today celebrated its third annual function.

Parminder Singh Dhindsa, PWD (B&R) Minister, was the chief guest.

Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar, Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib, was the guest
of honour.

The annual report of college was read by Principal Dr A K Kansal.

Dr J.S. Dhaliwal, chairman of the college and Gurlabh Singh, vice chairman, were also present on the occasion along with other dignitaries.