Bathinda, April 4
Though the wheat procurement season starts in the state from April 1, hardly a grain has arrived at any of the 171 purchase centres set up in this district till date.

The procurement officials expect that due to changes in weather, it could take about five-six days for the harvesting to begin in the district.

A truck being repaired under the main shed of the grainyard in Bathinda on Monday. Photo by writer

During a visit to the main yard of the Punjab Mandi Board here, TNS found that sheds in the main yard, which were meant for crop only, were being used as a parking lot for trucks and tractor-trailers. Besides, several vehicles were undergoing repair work there.

The district administration has apparently not shown concern towards the direction of the Punjab Mandi Board, which calls for ensuring that all arrangements at the purchase centres are in place by April 1, ahead of crop arrival.

A man washing his truck in the main yard said, “I am doing a routine exercise. Nobody ever came to prohibit me from doing it.”

The presence of truckers in the market has also attracted vendors, who cater to their food requirements.

District Mandi Officer Gursewak Singh said, “We have passed directions to the officials concerned of the market committees in the district to ensure that the yard is ready for wheat arrival. If any yard has not been cleaned or is being used for any other purpose, I will look into the matter and try to get it ready by the time wheat starts arriving.”

It may be mentioned that last season, the district office of the Punjab Mandi Board had recorded 6.54 lakh metric tonnes (MT) as the total arrival of wheat while this season, the officials are expecting it to be over 7 lakh MT. As per official information, the state has roped in six wheat procurement agencies, including the Food Corporation of India.

Bathinda, April 4
The Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal, which caters to a big chunk of area, both agricultural and populated, seems to be turning into a major source of health hazard for those living in its vicinity and using its water for agriculture and drinking purposes.

Today, the 87-mile-long Bathinda branch, which is considered as the lifeline of this part of Malwa region, is no less than a dirty pond filled with garbage, municipal waste, non-biodegradable material and other pollutants. Not only this, the canal is also being choked due to growth of weeds and other plants at the points where silt has got deposited.

The canal not only carries water to irrigate the fields in this part of the Malwa region but also supplies raw water to the waterworks dotting rural and urban pockets of the area. The canal and its distributaries have also become a major source of breeding of germs that give rise to different water-borne diseases due to heavy contamination of its water. Besides, the water of the Bathinda branch has started stinking and turned black in certain pockets.

NS Pandori, Superintendent Engineer (SE), Public Health, Bathinda, when contacted, said though the water of the canal was contaminated, they had been ensuring the supply of safe drinking water to the population by treating the raw water.

Jasvir Singh, executive engineer, Public Health, Bathinda, claimed that they got the samples of treated water, which was supplied to residents, tested from laboratories at regular intervals and every time, it was found fit for human consumption.

However, a large number of residents of rural and urban pockets said as the underground water was unfit for human consumption due to high fluoride content and other impurities, they were left with no other option than to use canal water for drinking purpose. They added that it was common in this part of the Malwa region that taps fitted on waterworks’ pipes supplied contaminated water.  Sometimes, the level of contamination was so high that taps supplied black water. They claimed that the number of people falling prey to cancer had been rising due to contaminated water.

SS Grewal, SE, Irrigation and canal, Bathinda, said only Municipal Council authorities concerned could check the menace of the canal water getting polluted with the release of waste material into it.

He said the Central government had passed a project connected with the brick lining of this canal, which was likely to start during this year. The problem of releasing of waste material into the canal would be solved to a considerable extent after it was brick lined, he added.

Uma Shankar Gupta, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, when contacted, said as he came to know about the pollutants in the Bathinda branch of the Sirhind canal flowing in the city area today, he would do the needful to get it cleaned.

Abohar, April 4
To check the fleecing of cotton growers by unscrupulous traders by creating an artificial scarcity of Bt cotton seeds in the coming sowing season, the state agriculture department authorities have pressed into service cyber surveillance to check their activities.

What the state agriculture department authorities have done is that they have created an e-mail address where each company involved in manufacturing Bt cotton seeds, authorised to supply it to Punjab-based dealers, will have to report their distribution plan to the authorities on its e-mail.

Not only this, all the 17 companies, authorised to sell its Bt cotton seeds in Punjab, will have to disclose how much quantity of Bt cotton seeds has been given to a particular dealer or sub-dealer and how such they have distributed among the cotton growers.

Gurdial Singh, Joint Director, Agriculture, Punjab, said teams under the supervision of the joint directors of the department had been set up. These teams would verify whether the supply and distribution of Bt cotton seeds by dealers and sub-dealers of authorised companies to farmers was according to the plan disclosed by the companies to the agriculture department through e-mail.

He said these companies had been directed to issue instructions to their dealers not to sell Bt cotton seeds, meant for Punjab-based cotton growers, to the farmers of neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan. The companies concerned would be held liable for the bad conduct of its dealers and sub-dealers.

The Director claimed that so far, about 25 lakh packets of Bt cotton seeds had been arranged by these 17 companies for the farmers of Punjab against the expected requirement of 22 lakh packets. The Markfed would also supply Bt cotton seeds to farmers so that unscrupulous traders could be kept out by making the seed easily available to the farmers.

He said that the area under the cotton crop in Punjab is expected to go up to 5.70 lakh hectares from 4.92 lakh hectares, which was the area under cotton cultivation last year. 

Gidderbaha, April 4
Even as the police authorities have launched an investigation into the case pertaining to the alleged siphoning of paddy worth Rs 1.5 crores of Pungrain by Sukhdev Singh, father of Charanjit Singh, a close associate of former finance minister Manpreet Badal, the food and supply authorities have also began inquiring as to how Sukhdev Singh was given permission to run a second rice mill inside the premises of the existing rice mill.

Sukhdev Singh, along with his partner Harjinder Singh, managed to get permission from the officials of the food and supply department, Punjab, for running a rice mill in the premises of an existing rice mill located on the Gidderbaha-Husnar road.

A case under sections 406, 420 and 120-B of the IPC and section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act was registered against Sukhdev and Harjinder for their alleged involvement in siphoning off paddy of Pungrain on the complaint of the food and supply department authorities at the local police station.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that Sukhdev Singh and Harjinder Singh succeeded in getting permission from the departments concerned for starting their mill, Sidhu Agro Industries, in the premises of Sidhu Rice Mill in 2009.

The Sidhu Rice Mill was being run by Surjeet Singh, son of Sukhdev Singh and Malkit Singh.

Kaushal Rao Singla, District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC), Muktsar, said the record pertaining to the permission granted to Sidhu Agro Industry was being examined and official of the department, found guilty of granting permission to the mill against the established norms, would be taken to task.

Claiming that two rice mills could not be run from one premises, he said the other fact in connection with the functioning of these two mills were also being examined to find out whether officials of department had committed some fraud or not.

Meanwhile, the employee concerned of the Sidhu Agro Industries failed to produce the record pertaining to its transactions to the department of excise and taxation, Muktsar, despite the fact that they were asked to do so by 5 pm today.

Inderjit Singh, ETO, said now, the mill functionary would be asked to produce the record regarding the transactions of mills to the department after April 11.

Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh, DSP, said that efforts were on arrest Harjinder Singh, who had been absconding after the registration of a case against him.

He said that the record in connection with the fraud committed by Sukhdev and Harjinder was being collected from different sources. 

Abohar, April 4
The breach that had widened up to 150 feet in the Malukpura canal here by the afternoon has wreaked havoc in the area within the boundary of this sub-divisional town.

Boundary walls of the Brahmarishi Mission School and a marble factory have collapsed. The gushing water has entered the sprawling lawns of the stadium in the sector headquarter of the Border Security Force besides damaging ready to harvest wheat crop in an area spread over 200 acres of land.

More than 450 volunteers of the Green Social Welfare Force from Dera Sacha Sauda have started efforts to plug the breach using JCB machines and tractors. Furniture and other valuables from four houses of a village have been shifted to a safer place.

Farmers said the breach was noticed at 4.30 am at the outlet of a water course located close to the bridge over the Abohar-Hanumangarh road. The officials in the irrigation department were informed immediately. The farmers suspected foul play since the canal had been desilted last month and its banks too were strengthened. The officials of the irrigation department along with a police contingent reached the spot on getting phone calls.

The staff on duty at the Sotha (Muktsar) headworks has been requested to suspend supply of water to the Malukpura canal that was running with 400 cusecs of water today. But the level of water might take a full day to touch the floor bed.

Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board officials have pressed into service its staff to prevent inundating of the main water works that is located on Abohar-Hanumangarh road.

The Dera Sacha Sauda flashed message to its Green Social Welfare Force Wing to rush to the canal for rescue and relief operations. 

Bathinda, April 4
Taking cognisance of the news item published in The Tribune “3 PRTC staffers allege torture by cops” on March 30, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) today asked the Bathinda SSP to submit a report by August 1.

It may be recalled that during investigation, the PRTC staffers, who were subjected to third-degree torture, were found innocent. Besides, the district police chief had also said during a press conference recently that the real culprits were two former drivers of the PRTC, who were held and nearly Rs 5.68 lakh was recovered from their possession.

The PSHRC took action after a Rajya Sabha-member Avinash Rai Khanna lodged a complaint with it and sought an action against the guilty police officials.

On account of the authority vested with them under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the double bench of the PSHRC comprising LR Roojam and Justice Baldev Singh, today directed Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill to submit a report by August 1, the next date of hearing.

The PSHRC direction mentioned that it was highlighted in the news report that the staff of the Crime Investigating Agency (CIA), Bathinda, subjected the PRTC employees to third degree torture, detained them in illegal custody and also pressurised them to confess the theft of Rs 14 lakh. The news item was accompanied by photographs of the victims showing the alleged brutality of the police.

Meanwhile, dozens of employees of the PRTC today held a gate rally at the Bathinda workshop of the corporation and accused CIA in-charge Rajinder Kumar of threatening the victims of dire consequences if they took the matter to court.

Later, a delegation of the PRTC Employees’ Union met senior police officials and demanded action against the CIA in-charge.

Despite repeated efforts, Bathinda SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill could not be contacted for his version.

Abohar, April 4
Realising that the state government could not be expected to be tough towards dealers of seeds, insecticides and fertilisers in an election year, many of the farmers have arranged Bt cotton seeds from independent sources, it is learnt.

This has prompted the dealers to display Bt seed packets at their show-rooms here whereas they had earlier been selling seed in a clandestine manner.

Senior functionaries of the different factions of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, including district general secretary Sukhwinder Singh said the nexus between the politicians and the dealers and manufacturers was evident from the increase in Bt seed prices. Each packet will now cost Rs 75 more than the last year.

The governments in neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana are yet to take a decision on allowing an increase.

Another farmer, Gurjit Singh, confirmed that many farmers had purchased Bt cotton seed from producers and wholesellers in Gujarat directly well in advance. It cost them half the market price prevailing in Punjab.

Assistant Plant Protection officer Dr SS Brar conceded that none of the manufacturing companies and regional distributors had officially informed the agriculture department about the arrival of Bt cotton seeds in the region.

However, unofficial estimates suggested that the companies had planned to supply 32 lakh packets of Bt cotton seeds to this area. About 70 per cent of the supplies were to be routed through Kribhco, Markfed and Punjab Agro.

Markfed had been assigned by the state government to distribute Bt cotton seed packets to the multipurpose cooperative societies.

Sources said that Markfed had received 17,000 packets so far. Requesting anonymity, some of the local dealers said the farmers have been supplied Bt seeds strictly in compliance of the advance booking made by them. The coupons signed by the farmers have been dispatched to the companies. The total arrival of the seed packets was estimated at about 70,000. The companies were expected to augment the supply now following an increase in the rates.

Many farmers were found inclined to test new varieties of Narma or Desi cotton as their counterparts in the neighbouring states had scripted success stories last year. As of now, there appear to be no chances of black- marketing unless until artificial scarcity is allowed to be created by the vested interests. Raids were conducted to check malpractices during the previous years but action was yet to be made public, the BKU activists said.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan, Dr VS Nain, Joint Director, Agriculture, Dr NS Rathore, exhorted the cotton growers to use certified seeds and ensure balanced use of chemical fertilizers. Speaking at a seminar, they opined that soil testing must be taken up for better yields.

The farmers have been advised to finish sowing by May 15. However, an expert, Dr Sridhar Sharma regretted that the state government had delayed permission for marketing Bt cotton seed, paving the way for the sale of uncertified seed in the border region.

Sriganganagar, April 4
A pilgrim couple was killed in a road mishap while two others were run over by train.

Pedestrian Inder Kumar Bishnoi (27) of village Chak 24-MOD (Lakhsar) and his wife Suman (25) were crushed to death by a truck near Purabsar as they were going for pilgrimage to Salasar Dhaam on the Pallu-Sardarshehar road. Other pilgrims who were following them arranged for highway ambulance but the couple had died before the vehicle could arrive.

Sunita (32) of village Chak 2E and Akbar Ali (38) were run over by different trains on the Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh-Bikaner rail lines respectively.

In another incident, Rohtas of village Sultanwala reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in the fields of one Gurdeep Singh. — OC

Fazilka, April 4
The traders and the commission agents are perturbed over non- settlement of thousands of mismatch cases of tax deducted at source (TDS) lying pending with the Income Tax department. As a result,lakhs of rupees have been withheld by the department in the last three to four years.

As per information gathered by this correspondent, government procuring agencies and private traders who purchase paddy, wheat, cotton and other farm produce, deduct TDS from the commission agents while making payment and deposit it with the Income Tax department.

In turn, the department refunds the amount to the trader concerned or the commission agent after the scrutiny of the account.

But here lies the problem.

The government procuring agencies and private traders often do not fill the correct Permanent Account Number (PAN) in the prescribed performa due to alleged negligence. The performa is submitted to the Income Tax department.

When the documents are submitted to the department, the PAN filled by the officials of procuring agencies does not tally with the PAN already supplied to the department. As a result of this incompatibility, the amount to be refunded remains in sundry account of the IT department and the refund of the traders is withheld.

Kacha Arhtiya Association president Daya Krishan Sachdeva said there is an alarmingly high number of 3025 unsettled TDS cases lying pending with the department. Out of this, 858 mismatch cases are related to government procuring agencies and another 2167 cases are of private traders whose PAN has been filled wrongly inadvertently.

Sachdeva said that the Income Tax Department is also helpless in this regard as its officials get wrong information. Hence, they have to stop the payment of TDS refund.

Sachdeva rued that despite repeated requests to the authorities concerned, the statements have not been revised by the agencies.

Now, he has demanded through a letter written to the Deputy Commissioner, Ferozepur, recently to intervene in the matter and direct the department to send the revised statement to enable the traders get their TDS refund.

Bathinda, April 4
A labourer was killed and nearly a dozen injured during a bloody clash that took place between two groups, namely the Punjab Pardesh Palledar Union and the FCI Palledar Union, at Maur Mandi in the district this evening.

The cause of the clash was reportedly a dispute between the two groups over the issuance of procured wheat loading contract in Maur Mandi.

In a recently allotted contract, the Punjab Pardesh Palledar Union reportedly managed to get the contract of loading for three government purchase agencies, namely the Punjab Agro, the Markfed and the Punjab Warehouse, that irked the FCI group of palledars as they had an old enmity with them.

It was a free for all as both the groups used sharp-edged weapons, rods and lathis against each other and turned the area, near Jodhpur crossing, into a pool of blood.

The situation came under control only when a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and used force to restore order.

However, by that time, nearly a dozen members of both the groups had sustained multiple injuries. All the injured were rushed to the hospitals with the help of some local NGOs.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the injured belonging to the Punjab Pardesh Palledar Union were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda while the other group was admitted to the Civil Hospital at Maur.

Later, one Jantta Singh of Ghumman Kalan village, affiliated to the Punjab Pardesh Palledar Union, succumbed to the injuries at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda.

Speaking to the media, both the groups claimed to be innocent and accused the other of assaulting without provocation.

When contacted, DSP Maur Gurmeet Singh said they were in the process of registering a case against both the groups.

Bathinda, April 4
An eminent lawyer of the city and his son have been booked for their alleged involvement in assaulting and tossing the turban of a PCR constable here on Sunday night. The high drama took place when advocate Sukhdeep Singh Dhillon and three PCR cops created a ruckus near the Fauji Chowk at about 11 pm.

The complainant, a PCR constable Gurvinder Singh, stated that acting upon the complaint about an abandoned car (RJ-191-C 5728) parked outside a hotel near the Fauji Chowk, he along with his seniors went to the spot in the PCR-2 Tavera.

“Meanwhile, Sukhdeep Singh reached there and started creating a hurdle in the search of the car. When we objected to it, he threatened us with dire consequences and started hurling abuses at us,” he added.

The PCR cop alleged, “Irked over my objections to his abusive language, the advocate, who was apparently in an inebriated condition, assaulted me and tossed my turban. He tore off my uniform from the shoulder besides punching and kicking me. Meanwhile, Sukhdeep’s father Surjeet Singh, who is also an advocate, along with three-four unidentified persons reached the spot and took him away.”

On receiving information about the incident, a number of police officials reached there. Later, going through the medico-legal report of the cop, the Kotwali police registered a case under Sections 353, 186, 332, 323, 506 and 149 of the IPC against Sukhdeep Singh, his father Surjeet Singh and three-four unidentified persons.

The accused Sukhdeep Singh, when contacted, admitted that the incident took place but accused the PCR staff of being in an inebriated condition and implicating him and his father in a case by using their position.

“The PCR vehicle was coming in the wrong lane and was about to hit my car, which I objected to. They stared at me while passing by. I parked my vehicle outside a nearby shop to get my mobile phone recharged. Meanwhile, the PCR cops came there.

When I disclosed my identity they used derogatory language, after which we all had a heated exchange. In the meantime, they all started beating me. I retaliated in self-defence in which a cop lost his turban.”

Advocate Surjeet Singh Dhillon, a co-accused, said, “I was not involved in the case and the police is just implicating us.”

On the other hand, Kotwali SHO Ranbir Singh said the situation could have been averted if the father-son duo had dealt with patience rather than assaulting the cop.

No arrest was made till the filing of this report.

Bathinda, April 4
An undying lust for earning money by employing illegal means has landed a senior functionary of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) into the Vigilance Bureau (VB) net here today.

Baljit Singh, manager (Quality Control), FCI, Bathinda, was caught by a VB team led by its DSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, while the former was accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Prem Sukh Goyal, manager of the Gill Rice Mill located near Gurusar Saine Wala village on the Bathinda-Dabwali road, today.

Sidhu said the VB team recovered the bribe money of Rs 50,000 from the accused.  He added that two teams of the VB had been sent to two houses located in Rajpura and Bathinda towns, to carry out search for other things.

Sukhdev Singh Chahal, SSP, Vigilance Bureau, under whose supervision the entire operation was executed, said Goyal came with a complaint that Baljit Singh was demanding Rs 50,000 from him for accepting the rice from them, as they were supposed to deliver the rice to the FCI after milling the paddy.

He said Goyal had complained that Baljit Singh had not accepted the rice despite the fact that two truckloads of same were standing on the premises of godowns of the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) located at the Industrial Growth Centre in Bathinda city.

Goyal also alleged that earlier, Baljit Singh had taken Rs 1 lakh as bribe to accept the rice.

Chahal said the raiding team of the VB was accompanied by two government witnesses, namely agriculture development officer Harbans Singh and Paramjit Singh, sub-inspector, Department of Agriculture, besides a shadow witness Baljit Singh, a resident of Bhokhra village.

A case in this connection had been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the VB police station, Bathinda. The accused would be produced in the court concerned for further action.

Ferozepur, April 4
The police has registered a case against a student of BA second year, Gurvinder Singh, a resident of village Malsian, under sections 341, 506 and 186 of the IPC for allegedly threatening and manhandling the superintendent, Kuldeep Kaushik, who was on duty during the Panjab University annual examinations (Centre-III) at the Guru Nanak College in Ferozepur Cantonment.

As per the information, during the English exam today, the superintendent who was on invigilation duty, suspected Gurvinder of using unfair means as part of his question paper was torn off and missing. He started enquiring about the portion of the question paper which was missing.

On this, the student allegedly started misbehaving with Kaushik and even tried to manhandle him. Kaushik said he ran out of the examination centre to save himself and called the policemen on duty.

During the frisking of the student, a mobile set along with a head phone was recovered, Kaushik said. "Later, when I came out, the boy stopped and threatened me with dire consequences,” he added. SSP Kaustubh Sharma confirmed that a case has been registered at the Ferozepur Cantonment police station against Gurvinder. — OC

Fazilka, April 4
Three members of a family including the 60-year-old man, his wife and son were arrested by the sleuths of the Border Security Force (BSF) when they were smuggling two kg of heroin from across the cobra fencing.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that these three members of the family, whose names were not being disclosed by the BSF authorities to avoid any problem in the investigation of the case, were bringing the two packets, containing one kilogram of heroin each, in the battery of the tractor, which they used for agricultural operations.

Vimal Satyarthi, DIG, BSF, Abohar, when contacted, while confirming the seizure of the narcotics, worth Rs 10 crores in international market, said the accused had emptied the battery of the tractor by draining out its water. After emptying the battery, the accused had inserted two packets of heroin in it to avoid detection by the BSF sleuths.

He said that as the BSF jawans patrolling the area had been alerted apprehending mischief by elements across the Radcliffe line, taking advantage of the considerable height of wheat and other crops, grown in close vicinity of the Indo-Pak border, they carried out intensive checking of the tractor and managed to find out the narcotics.

He said that all the accused were taken into custody near Bhaini Gulaba village, which is located near the international border and fell under the Gorkha Gatti (GG) border observation post (BOP).

The sleuths of the 199 Battalion of the BSF had made this seizure. "Last year, the alert BSF sleuths managed to unveil a modus operandi of the smugglers in which they were trying to smuggle narcotics by creating a special cavity in their bullock cart," pointed out Satyarthi, adding that the BSF jawans had been asked to inensify the checking of people and vehicles, which moved in the area, located close to the international border.

The DIG said the police authorities concerned had been approached to register a criminal case in this connection.

The questioning of these accused was expected to reveal useful information in connection with the new modus operandi, being adopted by the smugglers. 

Fazilka, April 4
The drug authorities have seized a big haul of intoxicating drugs during raids on a medical store located in the local Radha Swami colony and at a private place today.

District Drug Inspector Ferozepur Dinesh Gupta said his team, along with local police officials, conducted a raid at the Naman Medical Agency in street number 2 of the local Radha Swami colony and seized a large quantity of intoxicating tablets, capsules and injections.

According to Gupta, another intoxicating material was also recovered from the residence of the in-charge of the agency at village Lalowali in Fazilka subdivision.

The Drug Inspector disclosed that his team had recovered 36440 tablets, 24160 capsules and more than 150 injections which could be used as intoxicants. He said the material had been stocked illegally without any valid licence.

The material has been taken into custody and would be produced before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ferozepur, added Gupta. Departmental action would be recommended against the accused, he added.