Bathinda, June 26
The ongoing crisis in cotton business in the country is likely to snowball into a major issue for the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre if it fails to take corrective measures to tackle it.

To work out the modalities to deal with the situation, the All India Cotton Ginners' Association will hold its meeting at Ahmedabad on Wednesday (June 29).

The Punjab Cotton Factories and Ginners Association have decided to participate in the meeting.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that in the meeting, the All India Cotton Ginners' Association would try to evolve ways and means to put pressure on the Central government to lift the ban imposed by it on the export of cotton.

The Association would also try to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make him aware about the crisis in cotton business. The association would take the help of senior Congress leaders including Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, for meeting the Prime Minister.

The ban imposed on the export of cotton by the Central Government has triggered a severe crisis leading to the crashing of prices of processed cotton in domestic markets as the suppliers outnumbered the consumers.

Information revealed that in the previous season, the Central Government allowed export of 55 lakhs bales of processed cotton despite the fact that the country had a surplus stock of 90 lakh bales.

The cotton ginners feared that as the next crop of cotton was expected to arrive in the markets in October 2011 and the country already had a carryover stock of 35 lakhs bales, the prices of 'white gold' could go down further driving many cotton traders to the brink of bankruptcy.

In May 2011, the cotton ginners of Gujarat, which produced about 40 per cent of total cotton production in the country, observed a long strike to press the Centre to lift the ban on cotton exports, which hurt their business.

Bhagwan Dass Bansal, President, Punjab Cotton Factories and Ginners Association, said when the country had surplus stocks of cotton then why had it not been allowing the ginners to export it. He added that it would bring the ginners out of the financial mess on the one hand and would earn foreign exchange for the country on the other.

He added that it was expected that the All India Cotton Ginners' Association would ask the Centre to allow them to export of 20 lakhs more bales before the next crop started arriving in the markets.

He said the Association could also demand that cotton be brought under the open general licence (OGL) category so that ginners could deal with the crisis on their own by exporting their commodities directly to the international buyers.

Bathinda, June 26
Even as the district police authorities have deployed a number of teams to nab the gangsters involved in the shoot-out at Bhucho Mandi crossing late on Wednesday night, they have been escaping the police dragnet so far.

A team of the Nathana police managed to locate one of the vehicles used by the gangsters of Bhatti gang, from a place located on the Bhalaiana-Ablu road of Muktsar district, today. However, all the male members of this notorious gang are out of the reach of the police so far.

The shoot-out by these gangsters on Wednesday night claimed the life of Nathu and left Avtar Singh alias Gabbe seriously injured. Both Nathu and Gabbe belonged to the Prince Gang.

Gurjeet Singh, head of the Bhatti gang, Devi Sharan alias DS Kaka, Deepu Tent Wala, Devi Guga, Balram, Nikku, Jeeta and DS Kaka and his wife Pooja and sister Rajni along with four unidentified persons were involved in the shoot-out.

Both Pooja and Rajni, who were arrested by the police on Thursday, had been remanded to judicial custody till July 8. The Innova which was used in the crime and which belonged to DS Kaka, was also impounded by the police.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that all the gangsters had left for another state when the police parties started raiding their suspected hideouts in Punjab.

Though the police authorities were trying to pinpoint the area in which the gangsters were roaming in other states, they could not make any breakthrough yet.

"We have come to know that these gangsters have safe hideouts in areas other than Punjab and hence, they have been using it to escape the police net," a police official said, adding that the police was expected to lay their hands on them within a day or so.

Police sources said that efforts were on to persuade the gangsters through their contacts to surrender.

Ludhiana, June 26
Defence pensioners have a reason to cheer. The Defence Accounts Department at New Delhi has come up with "Suvigya", a software that will provide a solution to their problems and answer queries.

AK Chopra, Additional Controller of Defence Accounts, New Delhi, who attended a pension adalat for defence personnel at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan here said: “The software will be provided to all district Sainik Welfare Offices to help pensioners clear their doubts about any pension scheme. Any information will be only a click away." The officer said the department wanted to plug all communication gaps with the pensioners.

“We are also trying to educate the bank employees about this software. We train 30-35 of them at our Allahabad institute everday,” Chopra added.

Chandigarh, June 26
The Punjab Health Department has decided to give a reward of Rs 50,000 to anyone exposing cases of female foeticide through sting operations. Health Minister Satpal Gosain said the reward was open to journalists as well as non-journalists. He said a special scheme ‘Save the girl child’ had been formulated especially for this purpose. The minister said that persons who informed the department about cases of female foeticide would also be rewarded Rs 20,000.

The department has reserved Rs 5 lakh per annum for successful sting operations, Rs 1.6 lakh for those informing about wrongdoings and for Rs 1.12 crore to encourage village panchayats. — TNS

Ferozepur, June 26
Parshotam Lal alias Shoti, president, Auto Rickshaw Union, Ferozepur, along with his associates today allegedly made a murderous attack on a party from the Cantonment police station, including its SHO Surinder Pal, in broad daylight.

Parshotam Lal, his son Sunil, Naresh, Rinku, Tinku and Satin and about 35 unknown persons, attacked the police party with sharp-edged weapons besides throwing bricks on them. Except for Pritam Singh, a head constable, who suffered injuries in his neck and arms, all other policemen escaped unhurt.

Police sources said Parshotam and his associates attacked the police party when it was trying to carry out a search of a shop in this town after getting information that some weapons were lying there. The official vehicle of the SHO, Surinder Pal, also got damaged in the attack.

Sources said that earlier, tension gripped this town when two groups, one led by Parshotam Lal and another by Didar Bhatti had a conflict with each other over the issue connected with the election of the post of president of the Auto Rickshaw Union.

While the Bhatti group was making efforts to get its candidate elected as the president of the Auto Rickshaw Union, the present president Parshotam Lal was allegedly trying to sabotage their plan to save his presidentship.

To defuse tension, a large contingent of policemen led by DSP Joginder Singh reached the spot and persuaded the members of both the groups to settle the issue amicably.

Both the groups were asked that if they could not settle the issue on their own, they could approach the police authorities on Monday to sort it out.

When the members of both the groups, carrying arms, did not listen to the repeated pleas of the police functionaries, mild force was used to disperse them from the spot, located near the bus stand.

Police sources said to teach the cops a lesson for not extending any support to him, Parshotam along with his associates made a murderous attack on the police party.

Sources said the injured head constable Pritam Singh was receiving treatment at the local Civil Hospital.

A case in this connection had been registered under Sections 307, 148 and 149 of the IPC against Parshotam Lal, Sunil, Naresh, Rinku, Tinku, Satin and 35 unknown persons.

Muktsar, June 26
The district police authorities have decided to set up special committees to tackle the menace of drug addiction so that the district could be freed from the evil.

While disclosing this at a seminar held here on the occasion of International Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking Day-2011, Inder Mohan Singh, SSP, Muktsar said relentless efforts were being made by the police to cultivate information about the activities of smugglers, operating in the area so that they could be taken to task.

The function, which was held in the premises of the Red Cross Bhawan, was attended by sarpanches, panchayat members, political figures, representatives and activists of various social and voluntary organisations and sports clubs.

Mitt Singh Brar, president, local Municipal Committee, said he along with his colleagues had made a commitment that they would organise a special drive against drugs.

S. Krishnan, MD (Psychiatry), local Adesh Hospital, said presently the young boys and girls from the age group of 14 years to 22 years were using iodex, ink remover, boot polish and dirty socks as intoxicating material.

Naresh Pruthi, co-ordinator, NGOs of the district and Hardev Kaur Gill, secretary, Red Cross society and Prof Shinderpal Singh of the local Government College attended the seminar. Jashanpreet Singh, a teenager, also delivered lecture on the occasion.

Barnala, June 26
Activists of the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, Barnala, led by its President Sandeep Jaithi burnt effigies and raised slogans against the UPA government at the Centre for price rise of diesel, LPG and kerosene.

Addressing the activists, Sandeep Jaithi said the UPA government at the Centre is against all the sections of the society.

He added that since this is farming season, hike in diesel prices would severely affect the farming community besides hitting the business community as diesel is used for various purposes.

Ferozepur, June 26
Making a significant departure from the existing system, the Indian Railway has initiated efforts to set up a separate goods loading and unloading complex at Khasa railway station to handle the Indo-Pak trade, being done through goods trains, which run between the two countries.

The step has been taken to set up a separate system for handling the volume of trade between India and Pakistan through goods train at a separate station instead of Attari railway station, which has been handling both passenger as well as goods traffic between India and Pakistan presently.

For setting up the independent complex at Khasa railway station, which would have new platforms, sheds, custom office and extra rail line, the Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur, has already sent an estimate of Rs 16.9 crores to the office of the chief commissioner, customs, Delhi, to get it cleared from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Delhi.

Another estimate to the tune of Rs 18.5 crores had also been sent to the office of the chief commissioner, customs, Delhi, for executing the project connected with the construction of rummaging pit, pathways and installing security systems and barbed wire fencing in and around the Attari station.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that serious differences had developed between the Railway authorities concerned and custom authorities over the delay in implementation of these projects.

The Custom Department authorities had blamed the railway authorities for delay in execution of the projects.

In absence of rummaging pit, the officials of the Custom Department have been finding it difficult to effectively check the smuggling of narcotics, fake Indian currency notes (FICNs) and arms and ammunition through the goods train running between India and Pakistan.

Vishwesh Chobey, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur, said both the projects could be executed only after the chief commissioner, Customs, Delhi, would get their approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Railway authorities had already completed its responsibilities by sending the estimates of the two projects to the custom authorities.

"When the new complex at Khasa railway station gets completed, all the volume of trade, taking place between India and Pakistan, would be handled at that station only," he pointed out, adding that it would also make things comfortable at Attari railway station and would help in curbing smuggling activities.

He said now it was up to the chief commissioner, Customs, Delhi, to take up the matter with the MHA (Delhi) to get the projects sanctioned and subsequently execute it at the earliest.

Fazilka, June 26
When the train would start running on the much needed and awaited Fazilka-Abohar rail track is anybody’s guess as surprisingly, the Railway authorities have no answer to this question. All the cut-off dates have lapsed.

As per the information sought afresh by the Northern Railway Passengers’ Samiti under Right to Information Act (RTI), the Railway authorities have informed that when the Commissioner, Railway Safety (CRS) carries out the final inspection of the track, the train would start running. However, nobody knows when the CRS would do so.

“The track and other works on this rail route have been completed and as per the railway authorities reply it was scheduled to start on December 2010,” said Dr Amar Lal Baghla, president of the Samiti. Information revealed that the total amount of Rs 86.44 crore was to be spent on this 43 kilometre long project, if the construction work would have been completed within the stipulated period till March 2007.

With time and again postponement of the deadlines, the cost of construction was swollen to 250 per cent more as Rs 214.80 crores has been spent till December 2010.

“The Railway Department has spent a huge amount on this track but surprisingly does not seem to be keen to start earning from the project by running the train due to indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned,” said Baghla.

The Samiti members have sought that the inspection of the track should be carried out immediately to make it operational.

Fazilka, June 26
Nine persons including seven women were injured as an unauthorized tempo popularly known as ‘Gharuka or Maruta’ turned turtle near the seepage drain between village Chahlanwali and Tahliwala of Fazilka sub-division.

As per the information, 30 labourers including women were travelling to village Abhun for sowing paddy there. The tempo developed some technical snag on the way near the seepage drain. As a result, it turned turtle.

Notably, the unauthorised Ghurkas and Marutas are plying in different part of the subdivision with impunity posing threat to the lives of its passengers and other vehicles occupants passing the road.

These vehicles carry dozens of passengers at a time. The police and civil administration is well aware of the matter as the NGOs have raised the issued in police public meetings and at different platforms several times but nothing has come out so far.

Barnala, June 26
Tapa police have registerd a case against a fraudster accused of duping a villager of lakhs of rupees for sending him abroad.

Gobindpal Singh of Raisar village in his complaint to the police had alleged that Gagandeep Singh of the same village had taken Rs 8 lakh from him in the name of sending him abroad. He had alleged that neither the accused sent him abroad nor returned his money.

SHO Tapa, Harbhajan Singh said after a preliminary inquiry into the matter, allegations were found to be true. He added that the police on the statement of Gobindpal have lodged a case against Gagandeep Singh. — TNS