Bathinda, April 15
Following numerous complaints regarding the black-marketing and artificial shortage of Bt cotton seeds in Bathinda and Mansa, a team led by officials from the department of cotton extension, Punjab, conducted raids at wholesale shops in the city. Ironically, despite the raids, hardly any irregularity came to the notice of the officials.

Besides visiting the godowns, the team checked the records in shops including stock register, boards displaying the rates of seeds and stock available, sale bill book, licence for seed selling, authority letters etc.

Deputy Director, Cotton Extension, Punjab, Dr JS Bains, who was leading the team, said observing the demand for the hybrid seed of Bt cotton, the department had tied up with 17 renowned seed companies to arrange 30.63 lakh packets to cover nearly 5.50 lakh hectares of land in the state under Bt cotton. "As the complaints were landing in the state office, taking a preventive measure to check black-marketing and artificial shortage of seeds, specials teams were constituted for the purpose," he informed.

"To cross-examine the details of supply and sale of seeds provided to us by C&F and distributors, we were assigned the job to visit the districts and check it at the ground level. After conducting surprise checks, we have to examine all facts related to the actual implementation of the policy to ensure proper arrangement of seed distribution aiming that each and every farmer avails of the benefit," said Bains.

He mentioned that the department has directed the sellers to rationalize the sale of some specific qualities of seed, which are more in demand. The shopkeepers have also been asked to advise the farmers to go for different brands of seeds as it would check unwanted scarcity. “It was perhaps the result of good administration by the district staff of the agriculture department that we could hardly find any irregularity in the system today,” said Bains, adding that such checks would take place in future also.

The district president of the Punjab Fertilizers, Pesticides and Seed Association, Ramesh Garg said, “We will always cooperate with the department to tackle the problem.”

Bathinda, April 15
A large number of farmers from villages, including Kothaguru, Dan Singh Wala, Lehra Bega and Bhucho Khurd, today staged a dharna on the main road near the Mini-secretariat here and blocked the road for some time against non-availability of Bt cotton seed, to be provided by the Markfed office.

They lifted the blockade when an officer assured them that they would be provided seed soon. — TNS

Moga, April 15
The Punjab Agriculture Department has decided to constitute flying squads of agriculture officers at the district and sub-division levels under the direct supervision of chief agriculture officers to keep a check on the illegal sale of spurious/sub-standard Bt cotton seeds in the cotton growing belt comprising Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga and Ferozepur districts.

This has been done keeping in view the reports of illegal sale of uncertified cotton seeds in the past couple of years, which led to economic losses to the farming community in some areas. In this regard, the joint director of the Agriculture Department, Dr Nirankar Singh, held separate meetings of the agriculture officers at Moga and Ferozepur, respectively, on Friday.

Talking to The Tribune after presiding over the meeting at Moga, he said the government would take all possible steps to protect the interests of the cotton growers. “We have fixed the rates of cotton seed Bt-2 Rs 1000 per packet and Bt-1 at Rs 825 per packet and no one will be allowed to sell at higher rates,” he said. In the presence of the representatives of seed sellers and farmers, Dr Singh directed the chief agriculture officer to ensure that proper bills of the sale of cotton seed were being given to the farmers, who purchase the seed.

He also warned the seed sellers to sell only certified and recommended seeds only, otherwise, stern action would be taken against them as per the law. He also reviewed the availability of cotton seed in both the districts. The chief agriculture officers of the districts assured that there is a sufficient stock of seed available in the market and there is no shortage at all. In reply to a question, Dr Nirankar Singh said the total area under cotton cultivation is likely to increase by about 20 per cent in the state keeping in view of the last year's lucrative price and growing demand in the market.

Overall, the Punjab government has targeted to increase the area under cotton by 60,000 hectare, this year, covering a total area of 5.6 lakh hectare area in the state. The production figures are expected to be at 25 lakh bales (one bale=170 kg) this year as compared to 20 lakh bales, last year.

Meanwhile, the Chief Agriculture Officer of Moga Dr Ravi Kumar Sabbarwal said in the district, the area under cotton is likely to increase from last year’s 4,500 hectare to 6,000 hectares.

He said sowing of cotton is likely to begin by the end of April immediately after the harvesting of wheat in this belt. “We are trying to divert the cropping pattern from paddy to cotton keeping in view of the depleting water table,” he said.

In 2009-10, the cotton prices touched historic-level of Rs 7000 per quintal. To facilitate the farmers to take up sowing decisions, the agriculture marketing information centre of the Punjab Agriculture University has analysed cotton prices in Punjab markets along with national and international scenario of the cotton crop.

Based on this, the Union government is of the opinion that during the coming marketing season, the cotton prices may remain favourable for farmers and are expected to prevail between Rs 4500 and 5000 per quintal unless weather affects the production.

Abohar, April 15
The farmers led by Water Users Federation (Sriganganagar) chairman Tek Singh and Gurbalpal Singh Sandhu, former chairman, Gang Canal Project, have urged the Water Resources Department to ensure speedy renovation of the Gang (Bikaner) Canal by April 30 as per schedule.

“This is essential to facilitate sowing of different varieties of cotton crop by May 15 in the twin districts of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh,” they said.

The team visited the sites to monitor the quality of the ongoing work. Over 100 workers have been engaged for each segment of the project. JCB machines too have been pressed into service. Bricks have also fallen from the profile wall of the headworks.

Notably, the renovation work is being taken up at RD 83-86, 97-98, 100-108. Each contractor has been given an area of three kilometres in length to ensure easy availability of sand.

For the work to be carried in the Abohar-Fazilka region of the Ferozepur district, a sum of Rs 3.41 lakh has been earmarked for the repair of damaged lining, Rs 55 lakh for filling the gaps, Rs one crore for berm cutting and sloping, Rs 45 lakh for desilting and Rs 19 lakh for repair of cross-regulators.

A sum of Rs 40 lakh is to be used for repairing the damaged pressure release valves near village Khuikhera, located on the Abohar-Fazilka road. Speaking to the media at the site, the farmers expressed satisfaction over beginning of the work after two days of suspension of water supply from the Ferozepur headworks.

They also joined the local workers in removing the wild growth from the banks of the canal.

The team urged the officials to deploy more manpower and JCB machines to achieve the maximum results in desilting and removing of the wild growth that had choked the brick lining of side-walls.

Garbage dump has been found around the pressure release valves that had allegedly been damaged by some farmers to draw more water illegally through the tubewells installed by them on both sides of the canal.

Abohar, April 15
The Central Institute of post Harvest Engineering Technology (CIPHET) has developed technology to facilitate the use of kinnow peel for face care products.

Director RT Patil explained the different aspects of the research work done in this connection during the meeting that was chaired by the Punjab Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal here today in the evening.

The peel can be widely used by cosmetic manufacturers to minimise chemical content that prevailed in the products at present. Patil said 35 equipment had so far been developed by the research scientists to benefit farmers.

The research had indicated that post harvest losses were the main cause of resentment among the farming community that complained of non-remunerative prices.

He endorsed the idea given by some experts as well as progressive farmers that proposal to extract limonene from seed of kinnow fruit should also be examined.

The Chief Secretary was told by the farmers that studies had shown that limonene have anti-cancer properties. Limonene increase the levels of liver enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogens.

The Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a system which eliminates carcinogens.

Limonene seems to promote the GST system in the liver and small bowel, thereby decreasing the damaging effects of carcinogens. Animal studies demonstrated that dietary limonene reduced mammary tumor growth.

Limonene is also used as a solvent and cleaner. It can replace white spirit and other solvents. The Central government should be approached to wet the proposal, the farmers said hoping that if taken up the project will bring in revolutionary changes in kinnow fruit marketing.

Abohar, April 15
The Punjab government has been making efforts to work out the modalities to start the operations of Multi-fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant, located near Aalmgarh village of this sub-division.

This was disclosed by SC Aggarwal, Chief Secretary, Punjab, while speaking to the media during his visit to the local unit of the Central Institute of Post-harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET), here today.

Aggarwal was accompanied by Managing Director, Punjab Agro, Commissioner, Raminder Singh and Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav and other senior officials. He said the Punjab government was serious about restarting the operations of multi-fruit and vegetable processing plant.

When asked as to whether Abohar and Fazilka sub-divisions would be elevated to district status he said it could be answered only by the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Aggarwal, who met a section of farmers at the CIPHET and listened to their grievances, also said he would take up the matter with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, for making the local unit of CIPHET more active to use it as an agent to bring about change in the agricultural pattern in the area and for promoting small-scale food processing industry.

The multi-fruit and vegetable processing plant, set up at a cost of Rs 40 crores and inaugurated by then Union Minister for food processing industry, Subodh Kant Sahay in 2007, witnessed its operation for a year or so till today.

Though set up in the area, known as fruit bowl of Punjab due to production of kinnow, orange and other vegetables in Abohar and its surrounding area, it could not be useful for the fruit growers of the region.

The fruit growers of the region have no option but to market their produce on their own as it could not be processed in the local multi-fruit and vegetable processing plant, which has turned out to be a white elephant for them.

Meanwhile, Yadav said during a round of CIPHET, Aggarwal found the activities satisfactory. However, a section of the farmers complained that CIPHET had not been active in taking up more jobs related to agricultural practices for their convenience.

Barnala, April 15
Taking strong note of the presence of water in LPG cylinder, the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum (DCDRF) has fined the LPG gas agency and its parent LPG company Hindustan Petroleum.

As per the reports, Karamjeet Singh of Thulliwaal, in a complaint lodged with the Forum on February 2 this year, said he had bought an LPG connection from the Barnala-based LPG gas agency PK Kansal.

“Last year, I got a cylinder from my LPG dealer in December and it lasted only for a day. After checking the LPG, seven kilograms of water was recovered from it. I requested the gas agency to replace it but they refused to do so,” he said.

He said the district administration did not take action. He filed a case before the DCDRF. The DCDRF had sought an explanation from PK Kansal gas agency, Hindustan Petroleum, DC (Barnala) and the District Food and Supply Controller.

It also summoned the senior sales executive Prince Singh as expert and asked him to get his statement recorded. He agreed that water was mixed with LPG gas in the cylinder with a special tool.

DCDRF Barnala, president Sanjeev Dutt Sharma, Members JS Sidhu and Ravinderjeet Kaur slapped a fine of Rs one lakh on the gas agency and Rs 10,000 on its Supplier Hindustan Petroleum and also directed the Deputy Commissioner (Barnala) and the DFSC (Barnala) to lodge a criminal case in this regard.

Ferozpur, April 15
In a complaint lodged with the local police, Vir Singh, a resident of village Sekhwan under Zira sub-division has alleged that his daughter Jagdeep Kaur was allegedly strangulated to death by her in-laws for dowry.

He demanded the registration of case and action against his son-in-law Jaspinder Singh and his brother Jagmit Singh besides mother-in-law Kulwinder Kaur. Vir Singh said he had got his daughter married to Jaspinder on January 23, this year. Her in-laws were allegedly torturing her to bring more money so that her husband could be sent abroad.

Shavinder Kaur Johal, former president Istri Akali Dal, visited the SSP office seeking justice for her. SSP Kaustubh Sharma said, “If we find any foul play in the case, we will take action as per the provisions of the law.” — OC