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Hail brings more misery
Govt may order special girdawari
18 villages in Zira hit
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PPP chief Manpreet’s resignation accepted
Preneet: No threat from Manpreet’s party
Nishan-e-Sikhi, a new knowledge hub
For weary labourers, poppy husk is work stimulant
Remove Hanspal from minorities board: SAD, BJP
Paper evaluation work affected by teachers’ boycott
No takers for organic produce
Power engineers oppose jobs on contract
Water In Cylinder
Two blind murder cases solved, five held
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Hail brings more misery
According to an official estimate, on an average, 2.5 per cent of the ripened crop in Tarn Taran, 2.2 per cent in Gurdaspur and 1 per cent in Amritsar has been damaged. In Amritsar, it is the Jandiala-Rayya belt that has faced the wrath of the weather gods most. Last year, wheat was grown in 1.85 lakh hectares of land here and the yield was 41 quintals per hectare. “Though, hopes of a bumper crop are gone, an average yield of over 43 quintals per hectare is expected this time”, said an agriculture official. In Tarn Taran, 25 per cent of wheat grown in 1.86 lakh hectares has been damaged.The worst-hit area is the Chola Sahib block adjoining Khadoor Sahib and Patti. Sukhdev Singh Sandhu, district agriculture officer, said that by last year this time, 20 per cent of harvesting had been completed. “Despite inclement weather, we expect a yield of 42 quintals per hectare this time too”, he said. “In Gurdaspur, out of 2.3 lakh hectares under wheat, around 250 hectares have been affected,” said district agriculture officer Swatantar Kumar. Last year, the average yield per hectare was 45 quintals, he added.
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Govt may order special girdawari
Chandigarh, April 18 Nearly 90 per cent of the crop is yet to be harvested and Punjab mandis have received very little wheat so far. Punjab is expecting 157 lakh tonnes of wheat, 4 per cent more than last year's yield. Various agencies have picked up only 6.02 lakh tonnes of wheat so far. During the corresponding period last year, the agencies had procured 55.71 lakh tonnes. Ludhiana district is leading in the procurement operations (42,559 tonnes) followed by Fatehgarh Sahib (33,979 tonnes). In the 20 districts of Punjab, the government has set up 1,634 procurement centres.
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18 villages in Zira hit
Zira (Ferozepore), April 18 The hailstorm, that was accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds last evening, flattened the standing crops. Even as some farmers tried to salvage the situation, their attempts were frustrated when a hailstorm struck again this afternoon. The crops in more than 50 villages in this subdivision have been damaged extensively.
The worst-hit villages are Shah Wala, Sirhali, Padri, Battu Bhatti, Nihal Ke, Jhamke, Varpal, Mithe Gatta Badshah, Behak Fattu and Peer Mohommad. Some farmers said they had made advance payments to owner of combine harvesters for harvesting their crop. But even before these could be pressed into service, the untimely rains had ruined everything. ML Puri, tehsildar of Zira, said preliminary reports revealed that standing crop in 7,133 acres of land in 18 villages of Zira had been damaged in the hailstorm yesterday. The fresh damage caused by today’s rain and hailstorm was yet to be measured. Varinder Garg, naib tehsildar of Makhu, said that standing crop in 8,586 acres of land in 13 villages of Makhu subdivision had been damaged. Bakhshish Singh Chahal, chief agriculture officer, said the extent of damage to wheat ranged from five per cent to 50 per cent.
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PPP chief Manpreet’s resignation accepted
Manpreet Singh’s resignation has been accepted as on April 13, though the Speaker received it on March 26. Asked about the delay in accepting the resignation, the Speaker said he did not get time to see it as he had not come to Chandigarh for quite some time. He also denied he had waited for Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take a political decision on the issue. “This is within my purview. I do not need to seek any advice.” Privilege notices to six Congress
legislators Punjab Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon today issued privilege notices to six Congress legislators for creating pandemonium in the Vidhan Sabha by getting on to desks to make their own speeches during the budget session in March. The legislators who have been issued privilege notices include Makhan Singh, Ripjit Brar, Sadhu Singh Dharmsot, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Surinderpal Singh
Sibia. However, political observers say the resignation was accepted after a tour of Gidderbaha, Manpreet’s constituency, by the CM. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal had toured the segment -- the duo’s aim to gauge the mood of the electorate there. Manpreet had delayed resigning as long as possible before forming his own party on March 27, indicating he did not want to force a byelection. The SAD was also of a similar view but felt that delaying the issue further would only be seen as a sign of weakness on its behalf. Though there is a constitutional provision that an Assembly seat can remain vacant for only six months, it would be up to the Election Commission to take a decision on a byelection in this case. This is because Assembly elections are a little over nine months away in Punjab. Since the EC has the power to prepone the polls by up to three months, it may even forgo holding a byelection in such a situation. In a related development, the Speaker has issued notices to legislators Jagbir Singh Brar and Manjinder Singh Kang asking why they should not be disqualified for joining Manpreet’s party.
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Preneet: No threat from Manpreet’s party
In fact, said she, the PPP, floated by former state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, would only cut the votes of the Shiromani Akali Dal. Addressing mediapersons here, she condemned the SAD-led state government for “not lifting” wheat in time from various mandis. About the disrespect being shown to turban in a few nations, she said the UPA government was taking serious steps to resolve the issue. In the town to inaugurate an old age home, being run by the Senior Citizens Welfare Association, the Union Minister appealed to the people, especially the youth, to respect the elderly and try to gain from their experiences. Accompanied by Amloh MLA Sadhu Singh Dharmot and former Nabha MLA Ramesh Singla, Preneet Kaur announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh for the old age home. Prior to this, she also announced as much grant for the Senior Citizens Welfare Association.
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Nishan-e-Sikhi, a new knowledge hub
Kartar Singh Thakral, a philanthropist from Singapore who has contributed immensely in the project, and Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahibwale dedicated the educational complex to society at a well-attended ceremony on the occasion of Parkash Purab of Guru Angad Dev. Spread over four acres of land and having 80,000 square feet floor area, the Nishan-e-Sikhi tower is an unique project which would boast of facilities like sports academy, institute of religious studies, institute of competitions (where students will receive coaching for competitive exams), natural environment conservation and preservation centre, a well-equipped library and an auditorium, all under one roof. The foundation of the tower was laid on April 18, 2004, while its construction work started on January 5, 2006. What lends huge significance to Nishan-e-Sikhi is the fact that the project has been conceptualised to cater to the educational and career advancement needs of rural youth as also those from economically backward sections. For instance, Guru Angad Dev (GAD) Institute of Religious Studies, being run by Nishan-e-Sikhi Charitable Trust, is running a five-year MA (Gurmat) course in affiliation with Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar. Every year, 20 students are admitted in the course on the basis of a test and interview, following which they are provided education, accommodation and food free of cost during the entire duration of the course. Similarly, special coaching for competitive exams is provided to the students of science stream admitted in Plus One and Plus Two at nominal charges. GAD Institute of Competition, which facilitates coaching, selects the students purely on the basis of merit. “There is no discrimination against anybody on any ground. Our doors are open for all bright students,” said Baba Sewa Singh. The trust also owns GAD Institute of Career Courses and Guidance, which has to its credit selection of 162 students, mostly girls, in the BSF, Army, SSB, CISF, CRPF and police over the last couple of years. The trust is also grooming budding sports talent at Baba Uttam Singh National Hockey Academy where the students are extended all amenities free of cost. Among the projects featuring in Nishan-e-Sikhi’s future plans are coaching for competitive exams like IAS, PCS, NDA and CDS, digital library, drug therapy institute, personality development institute, besides inclusion of other games in the sports academy, which is currently focusing on hockey. Tarn Taran district, having a population of 11 lakh, has only two government colleges. Though the district also has various private colleges for courses like engineering, nursing, management and B.Ed, their fee is out of reach for rural or poor students.
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For weary labourers, poppy husk is work stimulant
It’s available for
Rs 1,000 per kg In a remote village of Patiala, a farm labourer told TNS that poppy husk was available for Rs 800 per kg to Rs 1,000 per kg. “Normally, each farm labourer consumes poppy husk worth Rs 35 to Rs 70 daily. Poppy husk works as an energy drug for us. If we don’t get our daily dose, we feel tired and are lethargic in the fields,” said a group of Punjabi labourers working in the fields near the Patiala-Sangrur highway.
Patiala, April 18 Shortage of skilled migrant labour has hit the harvesting operations across the state. It has also sounded the alarm bells for the paddy season ahead. The main worry is the fact that Punjabis refuse to work in the fields till they are promised intoxicants, especially poppy husk and opium, in addition to their wages. “The rates have gone up from Rs 2,000 per acre to Rs 4,000 which at times excludes the cost that a farmer incurs to keep the labour happy”, claims Samana farmer
Hardeep Singh. The big farmer can ill-afford to antogonise the labour that demands poppy husk, if he has to get the wheat harvested before the next spell of rain. Many labourers take drugs to work tirelessly in the fields. Said farm hand Harnam Singh of Jahlan village: “Till the time the landlord distributes poppy husk, how can we work in the scorching sun? Our daily quota is fixed.” The state is undergoing labour pains ahead of the paddy sowing season that officially starts from June 10. The Punjabi farmer is looking out for the migrant labour from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Nabha farmer Harjeet Singh said he had decided to employ women labourers as they were efficient and worked without any demand for liqour. He has 15 women working in his fields but is still short of
20.
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Remove Hanspal from minorities board: SAD, BJP
Patiala, April 18 The removal has been sought due to the alleged attempt to pressurise a witness of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to turn hostile in a criminal case against another Congress leader, Sajjan Kumar. Patiala Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, activists of SAD and victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots burnt an effigy of Hanspal, at Anardana Chowk, in Patiala today morning. Addressing the protesters, Kohli said SAD firmly stood behind the families of victims. “We will continue our battle against the accused of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots till the time all accused are not punished,” he said. Incharge Human Rights Cell Punjab BJP Gurtej Singh Dhillon has also condemned Hanspal. He said, “Hanspal had also tried to pressurise Nirpreet Kaur, who lost her father in 1984 anti-Sikh riots, to compromise with Sajjan Kumar. “By doing so, Hanspal has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community,” said Gurtej Singh. “Sajjan Kumar is facing various criminal charges, including murder, in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. We demand immediate dismissal of Hanspal from the membership of the commission,” Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, Secretary General of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) said. Flaying Hanspal, president Sikh Students Federation Parmjeet Singh Gazi said it was doubtful that the court will be able to do a fair trail in his case, unless Sajjan Kumar’s bail was
cancelled. “Sajjan Kumar has been evading investigations and judicial proceedings for more than two decades. He is managing all this due to his political connections,” Parmjeet Singh Gazi said.
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Sikh jatha leaves for B’desh
The jatha, sent by the Mata Amar Kaur Memorial Sewa Society, Dhanoa, will witness the inclusion of more members from Bihar and West Bengal before its onward journey to Bangladesh. Satnam Singh Dhanoa, who has organised the pilgrimage, said, “Baisakhi will be celebrated at Gurdwara Nanakshahi in Dhaka on April 22. Our jatha will participate in these celebrations. “The festival will also be celebrated at Gurdwara Mymen Singh on April 25 and Gurdwara Sikh Temple Estate, Chittagong, on April 29,” he averred. The religious studies department of the Dhaka University is also celebrating the occasion on April 25, in which 50 Muslim students, who are studying Sikhism, will also participate, he added. The jatha will reach Dhaka on April 21 and will leave for India on April 30. It will return to Amritsar on May 3. Last year too, a jatha led by Dhanoa had visited Bangladesh to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. The visit had brought to the fore the dismal state of the gurdwaras in Bangladesh. Dhanoa had also submitted a report to the SGPC about it. The SGPC had shot off a missive to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention. The SGPC had also stressed on the visit of more jathas to Bangladesh so that these can pave the way for the proper upkeep of the gurdwaras there.
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Poor support infrastructure an impediment
It is located on the Ropar-Nangal road on the periphery of the city, with few means of transportation and poor connectivity. “At times, we don’t even get a rickshaw to reach the bus stand. Students have to walk all the way to Nangal Chowk or the bus stand,” points out a senior functionary of the institute, pleading anonymity. Many faculty members are putting up in rented accommodation in Ropar for better access. Also, with only one convent school in Ropar city, faculty members prefer residing in Kharar for the sake of their wards. “The Ministry of Human Resources has decided to come up with Kendriya Vidyalaya for wards of staff members of all new IITs. We are waiting for one at Ropar,” says Prof BK Dhindaw, Dean, Academics and Research. The transit campus does not have enough number of hostels for students and quarters for teachers. “We have two hostels for boys and one for girls, which is not enough. For the time being, we have asked our teachers to find accommodation outside the campus,” said a faculty member. The staff and students are eager to shift to their permanent campus at Birla Farms. However, construction work at Birla Farms is on at a snail’s pace with even the 11-km-long boundary wall yet to be completed. This was because certain issues with the irrigation department needed to be sorted out, said official sources. The IIT is to come up on 501 acres of land on the banks of the Sutlej. The road connecting Ropar city with the new IIT site is incomplete. “This road is a major part of the project. We cannot start construction at the site unless the road is made motoro-able for heavy vehicles like trucks,” pointed out CPWD officials.They said it might take another three years for the building to come up. Former HRD Minister Arjun Singh had laid the stone of the IIT on February 24, 2009. The first batch of 105 students were admitted at the IIT-Delhi and later shifted to the transit campus at Ropar in June 2009.
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Paper evaluation work affected by teachers’ boycott
RK Bedi, Prof in charge (examinations), GNDU, admitted that the evaluation process had collapsed for a day and stated that an immediate way out has to be found to address this crisis. “Otherwise, it will lead to major problems because if the results get delayed, the students, especially those aspiring to seek admissions in competitive examinations or other time-bound tests, will not be able to do so,” he said. These centres would remain open, he said. HS Walia, secretary, PCCTU, said that the evaluation of papers would not be done till the Khalsa College management withdraws the suspension orders of three teachers and the police cases registered against 20 others. The Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Association (PFUCTA) and the Government College Teachers Union today joined the agitation brigade. A meeting has been scheduled at Panjab University, Chandigarh, tomorrow to deliberate over the future course of action. Meanwhile, the hearing on the house evacuation
notices served on four teachers has been deferred by local courts to May 4.
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Rs 7 crore for Patiala NIS
Patiala, April 18 Presently, the building is being used for training sportsmen preparing for various tournaments. As per a government functionary, the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board has already floated an expression of interest from specialist conservation architects, to restore the heritage monument that once housed the royal family of Patiala. The building, which is also known as the Old Moti Bagh Palace, was recently included in the priority list by the Central Sports Ministry. The Ministry plans to convert it into the National Institute of Importance through a special Parliamentary provision. The works will include site evaluation, site development, electrical work, water supply and sanitation and landscape. Following the renovation, the entire main building will be refurnished for longer sustenance. In this regard, Minister Punjab Heritage and Tourism Hira Singh Gabhria had promised to give a new phase of life to the historic building to generate interest for the purpose of tourism. “Patiala is an important tourism destination and restoration work in all ancient historical buildings will be completed soon so that the visiting tourists get to see these monuments in their best shape,” he said. Last week, Minister Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Maken had said the government was keen in improving the existing infrastructure and facilities at the NIS. “In my opinion the sporting facilities are the best here and soon we will provide better infrastructure to make it a premier sports institute,”
he said. The state government, which has already floated work orders, is keen to begin the renovation and as per senior officials onlyreputed firms would be given a chance. “Before the work starts, the architect will be required to submit a report on the building and work will be done accordingly,” said officials.
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No takers for organic produce
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 18 A group of farmers, selling organic wheat for the past three years have not got any query despite recent television advertisements. With low yield and marketing problems being faced, farmers are growing organic wheat only for domestic purposes. “We have four farmers growing organic wheat in 25 acres of land for the past three years. The buyers have not increased in view of more than double the cost of minimum support price (MSP),” said Ranjeet Singh, a farmers growing organic wheat said. As compared to the MSP of Rs 1,120 organic wheat is being sold at Rs 2,500 per quintal this season. These farmers have now formed an Organic Producing and Processing Sanstha where they will provide a bill to every buyer and take the responsibility of selling chemical-free wheat. Since the appearance of chemical-laced fruits, veggies and crops seems to match the organic produce, people used to question the purity of organic foods. “Now, we will provide bills to customers and the Sanstha will take responsibility if anyone proves us wrong,” Ranjeet said. He said some farmers had grown organic rice, cornflower and vegetables but not many persons expressed their desire to purchase the same owing to high costs. “People are not ready to pay even a rupee extra for chemical-free vegetables and prefer cheap vegetables laced with toxics. Buyers are not impressed with the quality we are providing. It is not feasible to sell organic produce with the produce, laced with intoxicants,” Ripudaman Singh, another organic farmer of Haripur village, said. He said organic farming relied on green manure, biological pest control and crop rotation to maintain soil productivity. “We never use pesticides, manufactured fertilisers and fungicides. There is a difference in odour, taste and size of organic grains,” he
said.
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Power engineers oppose jobs on contract
Patiala, April 18 The recent announcement made by the state government to recruit fresh assistant engineers on contract basis for three years in the two power utilities of Punjab has triggered a fresh controversy. The PSEB Engineers’ Association (PSEBEA) has accused the state government of trying to adjust select individuals as engineers in the PSPCL/PSTCL. They allege that the move was made in wake of political compulsions, ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, scheduled for early next year. While stating that said decision was against the Indian Electricity Rules and Central Electricity Authority guidelines, framed for operation and maintenance of power system, President PSEBEA HS Bedi has urged Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to review the decision. While confirming this, Bedi said, “We have concrete information that 350 engineers are likely to be recruited on contract basis in PSPCL/PSTCL, which is totally uncalled for. Our association has decided to launch an agitation against this decision.” It is learnt that PSEBEA has called an emergency meeting of its executive body for April 20 to finalise the agitation programme. Expressing his views on the matter, General Secretary of the association Bhupinder Singh said the power sector was in need of highly trained and competent engineering cadre. “Fresh engineers require grooming to take up the challenging tasks of manning the power industry. Induction-level training is a must to orient their knowledge, as per power sector requirements. It is beyond our understanding how the engineers, recruited on contract basis, will be imparted an extensive training, by the two power utilities, as the engineers will not be bound to serve the companies, after the expiry of the contract period,” he said. Several other representatives of the association and the technocrats working in the two power utilities said, “The decision reflects that the Punjab Government
is not to keen to address the political compulsion, ahead of 2012 Punjab Assembly elections.”
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Water In Cylinder
Barnala, April 15 Karamjeet Singh of Thulliwaal, in a complaint lodged with the forum on February 2, 2011, had said that his Barnala-based LPG dealer PK Kansal had in December delivered a cylinder that lasted only a day. He alleged that he found water in the cylinder and requested the gas agency to replace the cylinder, but in vain. The complainant alleged that despite reports about the incident in various papers, the district administration did not take action against the erring gas agency. Hence, he filed a case with the consumer forum. Acting on the complaint, the forum sought an explanation from the gas agency, Hindustan Petroleum, the DC of Barnala and the District Food Supply Controller. It also summoned senior sales executive Prince Singh for comment. The forum asked the Barnala DC to lodge a case regarding the matter after an inquiry.
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Two blind murder cases solved, five held
Patiala, April 18 The police has arrested three persons in this connection and has recovered gold ornaments from their possession. Addressing mediapersons, SSP Patiala, Gurpreet Singh Gill said Aarjot Kur was going to a local gurdwara when she was rounded up by the accused and was stabbed using sharp-edged weapons and
iron rods. The accused have been identified as Vinod Kumar, Khairati and Rajesh, all from Patiala, said SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill. While in another case, CIA in charge Sukhminder Singh Chauhan informed that the police had further solved another case when the body of Buta Singh, a resident of Dadrala village, was recovered from Bhakhra Canal. “We have arrested Balkar Singh and Kuldeep Singh, both brothers and residents of the same village, in this connection,” Sukhminder Singh Chauhan said.
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Amritsar, April 18
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Amritsar, April 18