B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Foodgrains: Centre gives approval for increasing storage capacity
Moga, April 24
The Union Government has granted approval to rope in the private sector in a big way to increase the food storage capacity in Punjab and other states of the country, the shortage of which has led to massive wastage of grains in the recent years. The Planning Commission has appointed the global consultancy firm Mott MacDonald for preparing a feasibility report on setting up silos with a combined capacity of two million tonnes in the country.

Concern over contaminated water supply in Malwa belt
Abohar, April 24
Cutting across their political affiliations, senior leaders joined hands today to raise voice against the supply of contaminated water through the Sirhind Feeder to the Malwa region (Punjab) and the neighbouring twin district of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh (Rajasthan).

Lok Sabha former Speaker Bal Ram Jakhar reads the souvenir while writer JC Nagpal explains a few points at a free medical camp in Abohar. A Tribune photograph

Dr SS Gill, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, speaks at a seminar, ‘Third National Mid-term Continued Medical Education of the Indian Association of Geriatric Mental Health’ in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Proposed thermal plant project triggers controversy
Gidderbaha, April 24
A conflict has surfaced among the residents of three villages, Thedi, Babania and Ghagga of this assembly segment, which was represented by the CM Parkash Singh Badal in the state legislative assembly a number of times, over the proposal of setting up of thermal power plant by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), here.

District HQ status sought for Fazilka
Sanjha Morcha delegates to meet Sukhbir today
* Sanjha Morcha plans another agitation if the district status is denied
* In the next phase of agitation, if launched, the commoners would sit on hunger strike instead of political leaders
Fazilka, April 24
Fazilka is likely to witness another phase of agitation for getting the district-level status, if the Punjab government failed to make an announcement in this connection by the end of this month.

Unemployed linemen’s agitation
Health of protesters on hunger strike worsens
Bathinda, April 24
Even as the health of the agitating unemployed linemen and their family members has started deteriorating, they are adamant on not giving up their fast-unto-death until the state government accepts all their demands, including jobs for them and an unconditional release of their 373 jailed colleagues.

District ill-prepared to meet fire exigencies
Bathinda, April 24
With the start of the wheat harvesting season, the worries of the Bathinda Fire Brigade have mounted. Over two dozen calls related to fire in fields have already landed at its office till date. Though the authorities claim to be prepared to tackle any calamity, they are haunted by the problem of acute shortage of staff.

Govt college yet to be functional Dhilmaan (Barnala), April 24 It has been more than a year since Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of the only government college in Barnala at Dhilmaan. However, the college is yet to start functioning. The building of the college, which was supposed to be functional in 2010, is yet to be completed and there are remote chances that the construction work would finish before this session.

A view of the under-construction government college at Dhilmaan. A Tribune photograph

Seer delight

A sadhu smeared with ash quenches his thirst on a hot sunny day in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Fazilka heritage fest in full swing
Fazilka, April 24
The fifth Fazilka heritage festival organised by an NGO Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) with the co-operation of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotional Board is being celebrated with enthusiasm. The festival is being observed to apprise the young generation of the rich heritage of more than one and a half century old historical town.

Plea to utilise agri co-operative societies
Bathinda, April 24
Members (farmers) of the multi-purpose agricultural cooperative societies have been exhorted to sell their produce, like wheat, through these bodies as the society gives 50 per cent of the total commission, received for providing services, to the seller (member) while the arhtiya keeps the entire amount of the commission with himself.

Several injured as bus rams into JCB machine
Bathinda, April 24
Nearly a dozen people sustained minor injuries in an accident that took place between a bus and an earth moving JCB machine on the Multania road here today. Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva and the Noujwan Welfare Society rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared all of them out of danger.

Foodgrains: Centre gives approval for increasing storage capacity
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, April 24
The Union Government has granted approval to rope in the private sector in a big way to increase the food storage capacity in Punjab and other states of the country, the shortage of which has led to massive wastage of grains in the recent years. The Planning Commission has appointed the global consultancy firm Mott MacDonald for preparing a feasibility report on setting up silos with a combined capacity of two million tonnes in the country.

A few weeks back, the FCI approved creation of just 13 lakh MT of storage space by private entrepreneurs in Punjab even as the total bids were received for 50.52 lakh MT. The rest of the bids could not be accepted due to technical problems.

A senior official of the FCI posted in the head-office in New Delhi revealed to the TNS that the storage facilities, for which bids had been accepted, would come up in Sangrur, Faridkot, Mansa, Bathinda, Moga, Patiala and Fatehgarh Sahib districts. Adding that Punjab is currently facing the shortage of storing almost 80 lakh MT of food grain, the official said the private companies are interested in investing in storage sector, which could be judged from the fact that as many as 521 bids were received for 50.52 MT capacity, out of which, creation of 13 lakh MT of storage space has already been approved by the agency.

Now, with the Union government having granted approval to rope in the private sector, the process of calling fresh bids for the remaining 33 lakh MT of storage in Punjab would start afresh soon, the officer added.

The global consultancy firm Mott MacDonald would look into creation of silos, study factors such as comparative costs between conventional storage facilities and silos, locations of setting up silos and tendering process to be adopted for creation of the grain-storage facilities.

This is the second major attempt by the Union Government to create modern silos in the country. Earlier, the FCI entered a build operate transfer agreement for 20 years with Adani Agri-Logistics, a sister concern of Adani group, to set up two silos with a capacity of over four lakh MT at Moga in Punjab and Kaithal in Haryana in 2005, which are working effectively. 

Concern over contaminated water supply in Malwa belt
Our Correspondent

Abohar, April 24
Cutting across their political affiliations, senior leaders joined hands today to raise voice against the supply of contaminated water through the Sirhind Feeder to the Malwa region (Punjab) and the neighbouring twin district of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh (Rajasthan). They feared that the Abohar-Bikaner train (cancer train) might register cent per cent occupancy, if the problem was not checked effectively.

Sharing the dais during the free medical camp organised by the Seth Shankar Lal Daulat Ram Nagpal Charitable Trust at Jaycee complex here, they also rose above politics in lauding the role played by the Lok Sabha former Speaker Bal Ram Jakhar in converting the deserts of Abohar-Fazilka to the largest fruit growing segment of the state. Sriganganagar MLA Radhey Shyam (BJP) said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal confessed during a breakfast meeting with Rajasthan legislators and former MLAs last year that the Sirhind Feeder was supplying highly contaminated water to the Malwa region as well as neighbouring areas of Rajasthan. However, he maintained a studied silence when asked what prevented him from taking stern action against the industries, who discharged chemical pollutants.

Former ministers, Radha Krishan and Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, city Congress president BL Nagpal, also shared the dais.

Proposed thermal plant project triggers controversy
Chander parkash/TNS

Gidderbaha, April 24
A conflict has surfaced among the residents of three villages, Thedi, Babania and Ghagga of this assembly segment, which was represented by the CM Parkash Singh Badal in the state legislative assembly a number of times, over the proposal of setting up of thermal power plant by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), here.

The cause of disagreement among the residents of the three villages is that a large number of residents have been opposing the acquisition of their land for setting up the proposed thermal plant while others have been favouring it.

The situation has reached a point where both the groups have pitched their tents alongside the Bathinda-Malout road and have been observing agitation for the past many days to press the Punjab government to accept their demands. The tents have been pitched up by both the groups a few hundred metres on both sides of the road.

On the one hand, the members of the group favouring setting up of thermal plant have coined the slogan like ‘Thermal Leaao, Kisan Bachao’ (Bring thermal plant to save farmers). On the other, the members of the group opposing the project have coined the slogan, ‘Jeevan Ge Ja Maran Ge, Jamin De Rakhi Karan Ge’ (We may live or die but we will protect our land).

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the Punjab government started the process of acquiring the land, measuring about 2000 acres, for facilitating the NTPC to set up a thermal plant over it for producing over 2600 MW of electricity. However, a large number of farmers started an agitation to lodge their protest against the Punjab government for offering less price of their land as compared to the prevailing market price of it.

“The cost of per acre land in this area has crossed more than Rs 40 lakh, why the Punjab government is offering Rs 21.45 lakh for per acre land for acquiring of their land,” the farmers questioned? “We would not settle down at less than Rs 50 lakh per acre of the land,” claimed Iqbal Singh, who has been sitting on dharna against acquisition of his land.

Kanwaljit Singh, another farmer, said the Punjab government had using police as a tool to pressurise them to accept its offer.

However, Sukhdev Singh, a farmer, who favoured thermal power project, said the project would usher an era of prosperity in this area, which had been plagued by waterlogging. He added that the Punjab government may increase the cost of per acre of land than Rs 21.45 lakh, which had already been offered by it.

District HQ status sought for Fazilka
Sanjha Morcha delegates to meet Sukhbir today
* Sanjha Morcha plans another agitation if the district status is denied
* In the next phase of agitation, if launched, the commoners would sit on hunger strike instead of political leaders
Chander Parkash/ TNS

Fazilka, April 24
Fazilka is likely to witness another phase of agitation for getting the district-level status, if the Punjab government failed to make an announcement in this connection by the end of this month.

Earlier, the 150-day long agitation launched to get the district status under the banner of the Sanjha Morcha, an umbrella body of all the organisations of the city, came to an abrupt end on January 8, when Tikshan Sud, Punjab Forest Minister, announced that the town would be accorded district status by the end of April, this year.

Local BJP MLA Surjit Jiyani, Charan Singh, president, SAD, Fazilka circle, and Mohinder Partap Dhingra, chairman, Improvement Trust, who went on fast-unto-death at the Clock Tower for a few days in January also ended his assurance.

Though the local BJP MLA Surjit Jiyani claimed that he was hopeful that the Punjab government would elevate the town to a district within this month, Sushil Gumber, convener, Sanjha Morcha has made a categorical statement: “If the district status is denied, we would launch another agitation.”

“In the next phase of agitation, if launched, the residents and commoners would sit on hunger strike instead of the leaders of the political parties.”

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the activities in connection with the next phase of agitation had already been started in the town recently after a statement of CM Parkash Singh Badal claiming that the Punjab government had no plans to carve out new districts, appeared in a section of press.

Jiyani said on the invitation of the state BJP president Ashwani Sharma and the local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia, a delegation of representatives of the Sanjha Morcha would meet Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Chandigarh on April 25.

Unemployed linemen’s agitation
Health of protesters on hunger strike worsens
Chander Parkash and Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 24
Even as the health of the agitating unemployed linemen and their family members has started deteriorating, they are adamant on not giving up their fast-unto-death until the state government accepts all their demands, including jobs for them and an unconditional release of their 373 jailed colleagues.

Today, Ranjit Kaur, mother of Pirmal Singh who is state president of the Unemployed Linemen Union and was on fast-unto-death here since April 19, fell unconscious due to severe stomach ache.

Three members of the union, namely Bhola Singh, Amandeep Sanghera and Jatinder Singh Jaloor, who were on fast-unto-death at Barnala Jail, have also been hospitalised.

 The condition of others, who are on observing hunger strike in other jails, is being monitored constantly by the health authorities.

The union activists were arrested on April 14 for staging demaonstration in the Baisakhi conference of the SAD (B) at Talwandi Sabo. After the registration of a case, they were sent to five different jails of the state, namely Bathinda, Barnala, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Malerkotla.

The union members, who could avoid police arrest, launched an indefinite dharna outside the Mini-secretariat, Bathinda. Finding that the protest has failed to move the government, their families also joined the agitation. Womenfolk belonging to the family of the agitating linemen launched a chain hunger strike at the dharna site in Bathinda.

After Ranjit Kaur fell unconscious today and none of the government official reached the site to inquire about her well-being, union members started raising anti-establishment slogans. Only after an hour, a doctor reached the spot for her check-up.

Speaking to The Tribune, the union members said three of their colleagues in Ferozepur jail and two in Malerkotla jail were also on fast-unto-death while the rest of the jailed members were on hunger strike since they were arrested.

State president of the union Pirmal Singh said the representatives of the state government had invited them for a meeting at Patiala on Saturday.

“During the negotiations, CMD of the Powercom KD Chaudhary assured us of accepting the demand for jobs and extension of two years age limit for the applicants. He asked us to call off the agitation which we flatly refused until our colleagues were released from jails. Later, a senior police official promised that it would be done by Sunday morning but till this evening, nobody even contacted us,” said Pirmal.

Accusing the officials of ditching them, Pirmal Singh said, “We and our family members are firm on making any sacrifice. Till all our demands are accepted, we will not retract.”

District ill-prepared to meet fire exigencies
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 24
With the start of the wheat harvesting season, the worries of the Bathinda Fire Brigade have mounted. Over two dozen calls related to fire in fields have already landed at its office till date. Though the authorities claim to be prepared to tackle any calamity, they are haunted by the problem of acute shortage of staff. The incidents of fire in wheat fields are haunting farmers as well.

With six fire tenders, including two mini-vehicles, the Bathinda office does not conform to the fire brigade norms. Most of the staff here is on contractual basis. The service period of the contractual staff, including five firemen and eight drivers, is going to end by April 28.

Even as the in-charge of the local fire brigade office has written to the higher authorities to extend the term of all contractual staff, about a couple of days back, the response is still awaited. If timely action is not taken, the under-staffed fire brigade may head for crisis as it has only two regular drivers and 17 firemen against the standard requirement of 42 firemen and 12 drivers.

Moreover, the Bathinda fire brigade has only one sub-fire officer and one leading fire officer while as per norms, there should be 12 leading fire officers and six sub-fire officers for a fire brigade equipped with six fire tenders.

According to the daily entry register of the local fire brigade, nine calls related to fire incidents that took place in wheat fields were registered on April 23 when storm hit the region. It was reported that due to staff shortage at many cases, villagers were also requested to help the firefighters in dousing the flames.

It is learnt that the district where various new development projects are coming up, has only two fire stations — main station at Bathinda and a sub-station at Rampura Phul.

While the state government is focusing on the development and beautification of the whole district there is no provision for fire tenders at Goniana, Maur, Rama Mandi, Talwandi Sabo and Sangat.

A slight relief is that the authorities of the National Fertilizers Limited and the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant have mutual agreement with the Bathinda Fire Brigade to help each other in case of emergency.

Balwant Singh, ADFO, Bathinda, said, “The matter has been brought to the notice of senior officials with a clear message that if the problem of staff shortage is not tackled timely, it can lead to grave consequences.”

Govt college yet to be functional
Shariq Majeed/TNS

Dhilmaan (Barnala), April 24
It has been more than a year since Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of the only government college in Barnala at Dhilmaan. However, the college is yet to start functioning.

The building of the college, which was supposed to be functional in 2010, is yet to be completed and there are remote chances that the construction work would finish before this session.

Notably, the CM had laid the foundation stone of the government college at Dhilmaan on February 24, 2010, which would have catered to the students of Tapa, Barnala and Bhadaur areas.

After the college becomes functional, the long-pending demand of the students would be fulfilled in this district, which does not have a government college. The students are forced to take admission in private colleges, which charge a huge fee. “I belong to a poor farming family and cannot afford the huge fee in the private colleges of Barnala. As the CM had assured to start college from the 2010 session, I was happy that I would be able to pursue my studies. Since the college was not ready yet, I took admission in BA Part (I) as a private candidate,” said Surjeet Singh of Bhadaur.

Another student of Dhilmaan area, pleading anonymity, said he left studies as he did not have the money to go to private college in Barnala. “I had to travel over 20-km from here to Barnala and also return in the evening. My father is a poor farmer and I have to help him too. So I would get no time to study,” he said.

He added that if the college starts functioning soon, he could continue his studies.

Dr Manjeet, Singh, Registrar, Punjabi University (PU), Patiala, said they had to start the college at Dhilmaan last year but they had no building to commence the classes.

He added that they have advertised posts for various faculty positions this year and they are waiting for the construction to be completed. “We plan to start classes from this session but it is up to the state government to complete the construction of the college,” the Registrar said.

Barnala Deputy Commissioner Paramjeet Singh said he would hold a review meeting to ascertain the status of the construction work of the government college.

Fazilka heritage fest in full swing
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, April 24
The fifth Fazilka heritage festival organised by an NGO Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF) with the co-operation of the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotional Board is being celebrated with enthusiasm.

The festival is being observed to apprise the young generation of the rich heritage of more than one and a half century old historical town.

The festival was inaugurated by Brigadier Arul Dennis of Army Station here and Anil Sethi, president, Municipal Council, Fazilka, on Thursday. The first day of the four-day heritage festival was dedicated to an eminent educationist of the town. Distinguished educationist Prof. OP Chawla, music maestro Krishan Shant and Lovejeet Singh headmaster, Government Primary School, Dona Nanaka of this sub-division were honoured for their outstanding contribution in the field of education.

According to Dr Bhupinder Singh (patron) and Umesh Chander Kukar, president of the Association, the festival is being organised at the local Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Park, located in the heart of the town, to felicitate the maximum participation.

Navdeep Asija, general secretary of the Association, chief guest Arul Denis also spoke on the occasion.

An audio-cassette on the Clock Tower of Fazilka, Eco-cab, Sanjha Chula prepared by Manjinder Taneja was released by Brigadier Arul Denis, MC president Anil Sethi and others.

Plea to utilise agri co-operative societies
Sushil Goyal/TNS

Bathinda, April 24
Members (farmers) of the multi-purpose agricultural cooperative societies have been exhorted to sell their produce, like wheat, through these bodies as the society gives 50 per cent of the total commission, received for providing services, to the seller (member) while the arhtiya keeps the entire amount of the commission with himself.

Talking to TNS recently the Deputy Registrar (DR), Cooperative Societies, Bathinda, Harbant Singh Jatana said that for example, on an amount of Rs 1120, the price of one quintal of wheat, the arhtiya's commission for providing services is about Rs 28 (Rs 2.50 per hundred rupees), which is kept by him if the farmer sold his produce through him. On the other hand, if the farmer sells his produce through the society then the society gave Rs 14 to him while the remaining Rs 14 from the commission amount was kept by the society with itself.

The DR also appealed to the members of the multi-purpose agricultural cooperative societies to deposit most of their savings with their societies. He said by doing so, the members could earn half per cent interest more.

Meanwhile, in assistance with the PUNCOFED, Chandigarh, the Bathinda District Co-operative Union Limited, organised two awareness camps at Nathpura village (near Nathana) and Bagha village (near Raman) for the agricultural cooperative societies during the past couple of days. The DR participated in the Nathpura awareness camp.

At the Bagha village awareness camp, a spokesman of the PUNCOFED Shamsher Singh said that such cooperative awareness camps would be organised during May in Bhucho Kalan, Jajjal and Jalal villages of the district for the managements and members of the societies.

Several injured as bus rams into JCB machine

Bathinda, April 24
Nearly a dozen people sustained minor injuries in an accident that took place between a bus and an earth moving JCB machine on the Multania road here today. Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva and the Noujwan Welfare Society rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital where doctors declared all of them out of danger.

According to information available, the bus was going from Rai Ke village to Bathinda when it hit the JCB machine. The collision was not much powerful but the driver lost control over the bus and it collided with a Neem tree.

The police is investigating the matter. — TNS