|
|
|
|
Harvesting season
No room for farmers in Kisan Ghar
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Biggest junction not quite passenger-friendly
Siblings crushed to death
Protecting man’s feathered friends
Brick kiln workers take out protest march
Institute conducts mock test of AIEEE
JE killed in mishap Pak national dies
|
|
Harvesting season
Abohar, April 17 Though the curbing of smuggling of narcotics in Punjab was on top on the agenda of the state police authorities, the smugglers have been finding new ways and means to transport contrabands to Punjab from other states of the country and from Pakistan as well. Information gathered by TNS revealed that seizure of poppy husk, opium and other narcotics had also witnessed a jump from the routine seizure in the month of March and April. To escape police network, the smugglers had started bringing poppy husk in small quantity. The culture of poppy husk addiction developed in Punjab as the farmers had started supplying an adequate quantity of poppy husk to migratory as well as Punjabi labourers to extract maximum work from them during the harvesting season. What has made the police authorities more worried is the fact that now Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh(HP), which never figured in the illegal business of narcotics, have become new and main suppliers of poppy busk, opium and charas (dope) to Punjab. Earlier, poppy husk and opium would come to Punjab from Madhya Pardesh and Rajasthan only. “The poppy husk, opium and other narcotics have also been finding their way to Punjab from the state like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Even the charas has been coming from Nepal,” pointed out RP Meena, head, Anti-Narcotics Task Force, ,Punjab adding that neighbouring Haryana had become a transit point for smuggling activities. Yesterday, a unit of narcotic cell had impounded a truck carrying grocery items. When it was searched, 13 bags of poppy husk and one kilogram of opium were recovered in the border area of this sub-division, he added. Meena pointed out that generally, the trend of consumption of poppy husk However, during the harvesting season, the demand of poppy husk would increase manifold as even the migratory labourers, who participated in manual harvesting operations, had been hooked to the same, he added. “We have been sharing information with neighbouring J&K and HP in connection with the activities of smugglers based in those area with the respective police authorities so that a watch could be kept on their operations. Even in the meeting held by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the recent past, the police authorities of J&K and HP had been asked to curb their activities. The opium is being cultivated in the remote areas of these hilly states,” Meena said.
|
|
|
No room for farmers in Kisan Ghar
Bathinda, April 17 Exhibiting their indifference towards the “pathetic condition” of the farmers, the administration has chucked them out and the rooms meant for their rest/stay have been allotted to officials of different departments. Kisan Aram Ghar is located just adjacent to the grain market but finding themselves unable to avail of the facilities at the rest-house, farmers recline over their wheat bags under the burning sun while waiting for their produce to be procured. Visiting the Kisan Aram Ghar today, this correspondent observed that four out of the total of eight rooms were occupied by different officials. A huge room, located on the ground floor was being used by the Mandi Board officials as cotton grading laboratory. The room opposite to it was housing a sub-divisional officer (Civil) of the PWD. Finding it suitable for himself, the cotton officer of Malwa was also seen running his office from one of the rest rooms located on the first floor of the building. Further, the staff present there, disclosed that among the rooms lying locked, one was occupied by the construction wing of the PWD while two rooms were being used to store construction material like cement, sand and iron bars. Irked over it, district president of the BKU Ekta (Ugrahan), Shingara Singh Mann, accused the officials of the market committee and Mandi Board of misusing the building meant for farmers' stay. When questioned, SDO (Civil) of the PWD, Pawan Chhabra, who too runs his office from there, said, “We are going to renovate the building, after which, the problem will be resolved.” On the other hand, sources in the market committee informed that the department was planning to renovate the building not for the comfort of farmers but for some other purpose. “As per the fresh plan, the building would house a meeting hall, three guest rooms for Mandi Board officials, an office for a senior official of the Mandi Board etc. There is no proposal for rest rooms for farmers, for whom the building was originally constructed,” informed sources. Ironically, the secretary, market committee, Bathinda, Kuldeep Brar, who is the custodian of the Kisan Aram Ghar, expressed his inability in this regard, saying, “Senior officials are aware of the problem. So it is up to them to take steps for the betterment of farmers.”
|
|
|
Biggest junction not quite passenger-friendly
Bathinda, April 17 From entering the station premises till arriving at the platform for boarding or alighting from the trains, a lot is required to be done by the railway to make the entire exercise pleasant for the passengers. First and foremost, what has been crying for attention of the authorities concerned for several decades is the absence of provision of proper and direct approach to platforms. Bathinda station might perhaps be among the few stations in the country where tracks for goods trains come before those for the passengers from the entry side. In other words, passengers have to walk a long distance and climb the foot over-bridge to reach the platform or the exit gate. They have to cross altogether seven tracks, of course by using foot over-bridge (FOB), but in this way, climbing stairs becomes unavoidable for even the aged and infirm passengers. For young, climbing stairs may not be a big deal but for women, kids, senior citizens and the physically challenged, the whole experience has been turning out to be nothing less than a nightmare and that too when they have to carry their luggage in the absence of the coolies. Members of passengers' welfare association, who have been raising the point, said that it was no exaggeration. “Consider the things in the context: absence of provision for directly reaching the platform coupled with climbing FOB that consists of 60 stairs and then a walk of around 200-300 meters to catch the trains or to come out of the station could not be a pleasant experience for senior citizens and physically challenged,” they said. Apart from this, things have turned out to be worse for passengers for the last one or more year due to the absence of porters. There are only three coolies at the station to cater to the needs of over 18,000 passengers who travel by 64 trains that touch the station every day. Giving suggestions for making provisions for a direct link to platform, passengers said the platform on the side of Post Office Bazaar could be developed as a platform for passenger trains. The platform, though it has an office of goods clerk, is of almost no use for the railway, as movement of heavy vehicles has been banned, eliminating the chances of loading and unloading of goods in real terms. Till that, passengers said, provision for a ramp, underbridge or an escalator could be made to give them some respite.
|
|
|
Siblings crushed to death
Ferozepur, April 17 Police sources said that both Rajni and Satnam died on the spot. Meanwhile, a child identified as Shama, a resident of Mallanwala, who was also hit by the truck, had suffered multiple injuries. She had been admitted to the civil hospital, Ferozepur, where her condition was stated to be critical. Rajinder Singh, ASI, Punjab police said Sukhdev Singh, father of the deceased kids had refused to initiate any legal action against the truck driver and hence, so far, no case has been registered in this regard.
|
|
|
Protecting man’s feathered friends
Fazilka, April 17 “Every year lakhs of birds die due to unavailability of water during the summers and it has been affecting the biodiversity adversely. Hence, the GWAF has taken up the task to save birds by providing them with water constantly during the summer season,” said Navdeep Asija, secretary (Administration), GWAF. “In due course of time, Fazilka’s urban green belt has been reduced to less than 0.2% and no major afforestation plan is being implemented by the local authorities. It has become a major reason for the birds going away from this area as they have lost their nesting places,” added Asija. “We would distribute pamphlets to make out mission popular and acceptable among a large section of populace of this town and its neighbouring rural areas. About 25 members of the GWAF have already started this exercise,” Asija added. “I hope that our efforts would bring desirable results and would save number of birds from falling prey to scorching sun during summers with the availability of water in nook and corner of the town,” he claimed.
|
|
|
No let up in fire incidents
Bathinda, April 17 Firemen controlled the flames after sprinkling about 5000 litres of water. But smoke kept rising and the area was engulfed with the smell of pesticides. Police reached the spot and sensing the gravity of the situation, asked the driver of the truck (RJ 13G 5896) to follow the police vehicle and take it out of the city. Exhibiting extraordinary courage, the driver, Nanak Chand took the vehicle towards Multania road and parked it in a secluded spot.. Immediately after, three fire tenders reached the spot and used water guns turning the pesticides into a liquefied olution. The firemen called for a JCB machine and got the bags unloaded to rule out any chance of resumption of fire. Speaking to TNS, driver Nanak Chand said, “I had to take the truck to Jammu. A small fire was sparked in the bags last evening which we controlled immediately. Fearing any untoward incident, I refused to transport the pesticides and urged the firm sending the consignment to unload it. But they offered me insurance cover for the journey, which I accepted. The truck was parked outside their godown when it caught fire but they did not turn up." "On March 23, a major fire had broken out in a pesticide godown, which could not be controlled till it was completely burnt. So, today, I opted for the truck to be taken out of the city," said SHO Kotwali Gurjeet Singh Romana.
|
|
|
Brick kiln workers take out protest march
Bathinda, April 17 They also burnt the effigy of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and held a 'siapa' at the Fauzi Chowk. The protesters were led by state president of the Lal Jhanda Bhatha Mazdoor Union (AICCTU) Gurjant Singh Mansa and state general secretary of the Mazdoor Mukti Morcha Bhagwant Singh Samao. Meanwhile, the indefinite dharna by the brick kiln workers outside the Mini-Secretariat here today entered the second day to compel the district administration to put pressure on the brick kiln owners to sign an agreement with the brick kiln workers. The protesting brick kiln workers have been demanding an increase in their minimum wages, implementation of the Labour Laws, etc. Bhagwant Singh Samao said the DC today assured him over phone that he would talk to the assistant labour commissioner (ALC), Bathinda, to get the issue resolved.
|
|
Institute conducts mock test of AIEEE
Bathinda, April 17 On the occasion Prof.Harbhajan Singh told that The winners will be awarded laptop for first prize, camera for second prize and third prize will be DVD player. and 4-20 constellation prizes. — TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
the authorities concerned, the growers of gold (wheat) have no other option but to bear the scorching sun in the open as the Kisan Aram Ghar - a building meant to provide comfort to the farmers - has ironically, no room for them.
