Bathinda, October 1
More than 250 private sheller owners here have decided not to lift paddy for milling as arrival of grain in the nearly 850 procurement centres set up by the Punjab government in the six districts of Malwa region began today at a slow pace.

The arrival of grain is expected to pick up after October 10.

The millers are protesting against the state government’s failure to remove the stock of the inferior quality of the PAU 201 variety of paddy that was lying stacked in their premises since the last year when the Food Corporation of India (FCI) refused to lift it because it did not meet with their specifications.

The millers have set up a 21-member action committee to spearhead their agitation and they have warned that the government would be responsible for the consequence arising out of their strike.

Ajay Goel, a leader of the millers association, said they would not lift fresh stock of paddy until their demand was met.

Meanwhile, the district authorities of Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga, Muktsar and Barnala have made all arrangements for conduct of smooth procurement process.

Various agencies including FCI, Pungrain, Punsup, Markfed, Punjab Agro and Warehousing Corporation are in the field to procure the grain.

Bathinda deputy commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said that 168 procurement centres have been set up in the district where eight lakh tonnes of paddy was expected to arrive this season.

As many as 1,500 trucks and 2,200 tractor trolleys have been arranged to carry the procured grain to godowns. The procurement agencies have been ordered to lift the grain within 48 hours of procurement.

Faridkot DC S Karuna Raju said that 63 procurement centres have been established in the district where 6.6 lakh tones of paddy was expected to come. Last year, 6 lakh tonnes of paddy was procured.

Raju said 1200 trucks have been earmarked for being engaged in the lifting process.

Six new procurement centres have been added in the Muktsar district where their total number this time was 110.

Arrival of paddy was encouraging in the Moga district where 600 tonnes of grain was procured on the first day of official procurement today. A total number of 99 procurement centres have been set up in the district where 11.95 tonnes of paddy was expected to be procured.

In the Ferozepur district, 173 procurement centres have been opened this time against 159 last year, while their number in Barnala and Mansa was 96 and 98 respectively.

The authorities have asked farmers not to bring to the procurement centres paddy containing more than 17 percent moisture.

Bathinda, October 1
The students of local Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology (GZSCET) today blocked the Bathinda-Dabwali road in front of the college for more than half an hour. They demanded scrapping of the Vigilance Bureau (VB) case against a professor of the college and registration of a case against the complainant for allegedly making an attempt to falsely implicate the professor in a corruption case.

After lifting of the road blockade, the DSP (City) Jaswinder Singh and SHO of the Canal Colony police station UC Chawla held a meeting with the faculty members of the GZSCET on the college campus. Later, some faculty members along with the DSP met the SSP and handed over a representation to him.

The SSP has reportedly marked the representation to the SP (City) for investigation.

A VB team along with the complainant (father of a student) yesterday went to the college to nab the professor taking bribe red-handed. But when the complainant reportedly tried to give money to the professor on a pretext, the latter made noise and strongly opposed it. The students and the staff of the college also opposed the VB team's action on the spot and did not allow it to take the professor along.

Bathinda, October 1
Against the tall claims of the district administration of ensuring quick and smooth procurement of paddy, the first day of official procurement today turned out to be a non-starter at most purchase centres in the district.

Out of the total arrival of 15,767 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy, only 2,926 MT could be purchased till this evening, which included 1,562 MT of today’s purchase.

It is not only that the procurement remained slow, the lifting too moved at snail’s pace. Out of the purchased crop, more than 1,100 MT is still lying in the mandis.

Sources in the Punjab Mandi Board informed that the purchase centres falling under the Rampura Market Committee witnessed an arrival of 700 MT of paddy, which included 500 MT that reached today. However, there was no procurement.

Similar was the condition at the purchase centres of Talwandi Sabo Market Committee where about 800 MT of paddy arrival was recorded but the entire crop remained unsold.

As per the information available, the 200 MT of paddy arrived at the purchase centres of the Bhagta Market Committee also failed to find a purchaser today.

The details received from the Maur Market Committee suggested that out of the total 225 MT paddy arrived at its purchase centres, nothing was purchased today.

Meanwhile, the purchase centres under the Sangat Market Committee recorded a total arrival of 613 MT, including 253 MT that came in today. Except for the centre at Ghudda village, where 60 MT was purchased, all purchase centres witnessed a nil purchase.

The Market Committee at Bhucho recorded a total arrival of 200 MT, including today’s 120 MT, but only 33 MT was purchased.

The condition of the Bathinda and the Goniana Market Committees were somewhat better. The officials of the Market Committees informed that out of the total of 2,600 MT arrived, about 670 MT was purchased till this evening.

The purchase centres of the Bathinda Market Committee recorded about 1500 MT of paddy arrival and about 397 MT was purchased, which included 257 MT that was purchased today.

Sources said that at most of the purchasing centres, while paddy, farmers and arhtiyas were present the staff of the procurement agencies remained absent, resulting in non-starting of the procurement process.

However, officials of the Mandi Board accused farmers of bringing moist paddy that became a hurdle in purchase. They appealed to farmers to bring the crop to mandis only when the moisture content was within the prescribed limits for the procurement.

Bathinda, October 1
Chairman of the Bathinda Market Committee Gurteg Singh Gikku today inaugurated the paddy procurement at the main grain yard here.

Gurteg assured the farmers, who brought their crops to the mandi, of getting all basic facilities there.

Meanwhile, he warned all alleged encroachers of the yard that if they did not let off their illegal possessions on their own, Market Committee officials would not mind using force to get it done. The chairman also resented that the district administration did not provide any help in getting the yard clear of encroachments.

“Issuing a number of official letters, we had sought the administration’s help but it fell on deaf ears,” rued the chairman. — TNS

Bathinda, October 1
In protest against the non-acceptance of their demands, ministerial staff of various government departments burnt an effigy of the Punjab government outside the Mini-secretariat here today. They were led by state president of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) Darshan Singh Bajaj.

They also took out a protest march outside the Mini-secretariat raising slogans against the government and in favour of their demands. They also blocked the road for a while. Though the protesters seemed to be aggressive today, they did not take any harsh step.

Meanwhile, the ministerial staff continued their pen-down strike in their respective offices for the third consecutive day today.

To a query, leaders of the union said the state government was responsible for the inconvenience caused to the common people due to the strike, as it had turned a blind eye towards their demands.

Among those who were present or addressed the rally included district president and district finance secretary of the PSMSU Gurdev Singh Kot Fatta and Ashok Chopra, respectively.

Chopra said if the state government failed in initiating talks with the PSMSU today, then a strict action programme will be chalked out at a meeting of the state body, which is scheduled at Jalandhar on October 2.

The main demands of the union include payment of arrears of 43 months of the revised pay-scales from January 2006, B.Ed. teacher’s pay-scale to clerk and computer training to clerks at district headquarters in place of passing of typing test.

Bathinda, October 1
During a function organised to celebrate the International Senior Citizens’ Day, the District Social Security Office honoured five centenarians of this district, namely Sher Singh (105) of Kesar Singh Wala village, Mukhtiar Singh (103) of Kotha Guru, Banti Kaur (103) of Kaille Baander, Ajmer Singh (102) of Goniana Khurd and Gurbakhash Singh (101) of Bathinda.

Each centenarian was presented a shawl and a memento during the function, which was organised in association with the Gyandeep Shikhsha Samiti, Bathinda, at the Public Library here today.

Hukam Chand Sharma, a senior citizen and a senior journalist in Bathinda, was honoured for his services towards the society. On the occasion, first five beneficiaries of old-age pension scheme from this district, namely Tejo (Laleana village), Chatin Kaur (Puhla), Jeeto (Puhla), Bhago (Malkana) and Mukhtiar Kaur (Mehma Sarja) were also honoured. Each of them received a memento and a shawl.

A former Sarpanch of Alike village, Balwant Singh (70), was honoured for pledging his body for research purpose after death.

Mayor of the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda, Baljeet Singh Beer Behman was the chief guest while additional deputy commissioner Upjeet Singh Brar presided over the function. Baba Manmohan Singh from Marri Mehraj was the guest of honour.

Ferozepur, October 1
The worsening law and order in different parts of the Srinagar Valley for the past many months has forced the railway authorities to defer the repair of 117 kilometres of rail track, which has allegedly been damaged by miscreants and other protesters.

In the past few months, when the Valley was witnessing normal atmosphere, the rail had been emerging as a popular mode of transportation among the residents as the rail track cut the distance short between different towns and was also cheaper.

Disclosing this to TNS here today, Vishwesh Chobe, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ferozepur, said stone pelters and other protesters had forced the railway authorities to take such a decision.

He added that now the repair of damaged rail track was expected to begin after normalcy was restored in the Valley.

“Today, a team of the railway officials along with other workers was repairing the rail track between Srinagar and Badgam railway stations. A large number of stone pelters reached the spot and started pelting the stones on the workers,” he said.

He said so far, railway property worth Rs seven crores had been damaged in the Valley since July 30, this year. A number of railway stations had been damaged. The rail track had been damaged after the protesters removed its fishplates and pendrol clips.

Fazilka, October 1
Anti-power theft police station, Powercom (Bathinda), have booked two farmers in two different criminal cases of power theft. This is the first case wherein the farmers of this area have been booked in a criminal case of power theft in the recently established Anti-Power Theft police stations in Punjab after setting up of the Powercom.

The farmers had been caught by the Powercom officials while carrying out the theft by running the water motors without having a valid power connection.

Abohar, October 1
Hundreds of anguished residents of the adjoining localities blocked three roads by erecting barricades, staged dharna and also held a demonstration resulting in complete suspension of vehicular traffic from 10 am to 2 pm following a road mishap wherein a woman and her son sustained serious injuries.

The protesters said the motorcycle by which Ajay Kumar Soni and his mother were travelling was hit by a tractor-trolley.

The driver escaped after the mishap. The affected persons had received fractures, the medical staff at the civil hospital said after the preliminary examination.

Intriguingly, none of the administrative (civil) official was available. The state government had not so far filled the vacancy after the transfer of Darshan Singh Grewal, who had been working for the past few months as SDM on contract basis.

The stir was deferred at 2 pm when the loading contractors and representatives of the tractor-trolley union gave in writing that the road would not be used for the next three days. — OC

Moga, October 1
The Moga police and drug authorities in a joint search operation has found nothing objectionable from the premises of a building owned by the former chemist, who got drug inspector Balram Luthra arrested by the Vigilance Bureau while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from his employee on June 4, this year.

A local executive magistrate sealed the building following orders of the district magistrate in the third week of August. Since then the owner of this building Krishan Goel is on the run. — TNS

Bathinda, October 1
Over 20 non-government organisations (NGOs) were honoured by the district health authorities for their role in voluntary blood donation activities, during a function organised to celebrate the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day at the Blood Bank of the Civil Hospital here today.

Blood transfusion officer Dr Inderdeep Singh Sra said as many as 35 persons including president of the District Bar Association JR Khattar, advocate Manohar Lal, president of the Naujwan Welfare Society Sonu Maheshwari and president of the Goodwill Society Vijay Bareja, donated blood.

Abohar, October 1
Even when the arrival of cotton was officially recorded about 17,500 quintals less so far than last year in Abohar, hectic activities were seen in the cotton yard that had been developed under the Technology Mission of Cotton by the Central government here.

The officials were found giving a final touch to the arrangements to begin paddy purchase. Meanwhile, the old system of auctioning/purchasing raw cotton has also been restored since yesterday.

Since beginning of the season, the farmers were required to stack the yield in the grain yard but the purchase would now be made by checking samples of cotton from the trolleys, which would be unloaded later in the concerned ginning and pressing factory.

The farmers were buoyant as the price offered till date was Rs 800 more than the MSP. The average rate was quoted as 3,850 per quintal till Thursday.

Fazilka, October 1
The Sanjha Manch (Fazilka) comprising different social, voluntary, farmers, employees, business, industrialists and labourer organisations, which has been observing hunger strike continuously for the past 47 days to get district status for this sub-division, has started getting support from the neighbouring towns and other organisations.

While Aneesh Sidana, president, Aroravansh Maha Sabha, Punjab, has declared open support for the Sanjha Manch, about 42 organisations of the neighbouring Jalalabad have also passed a resolution expressing their solidarity with the agitating organisations of Fazilka.

On the other hand, the local Bar Association along with petition writers, deed writers, typists and others, who have been working in the court complex in private capacity, have decided to observe a weeklong strike from October 4-10 to press the state government to accord the district status to this sub-division.

Shushil Gumber, president, Bar Association and senior functionary of the Sanjha Manch, said it was do or die battle for the people of Fazilka and its neighbouring towns and villages.

On October 10, the town would witness the biggest ever rally, which would be organised to lodge a protest against the denial of district status to Fazilka and to press the SAD-BJP combined government of Punjab to give the district status to it without any delay.

Meanwhile, Anil Sethi, president, local municipal council, said a unanimous resolution had been passed by the municipal councillors belonging to all parties for urging the Punjab government to accord district status to Fazilka.