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Pak smuggler shot dead, 17 kg heroin, fake currency seized
Residents of flood-prone villages decide not to vote
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Farmer shows way to emu farming
Minor raped
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Pak smuggler shot dead, 17 kg heroin, fake currency seized
Amritsar, January 18 During search, the BSF recovered 17 kg heroin packed in packets of one kg each worth Rs 85 crore in the international market and high quality counterfeit Indian currency to the tune of Rs 9.68 lakh from the spot. However, taking advantage of the wheat crop, foggy weather and darkness, his two accomplices and their Indian counterparts managed to escape from the spot. The incident took place at 1.40 am near Bharopal village, which is located near the International Border fence. Before escaping, the accused fired three rounds from an AK-47 rifle at the BSF jawans guarding the border. However, in retaliation an unidentified Pakistan smuggler lost his life. Aditya Mishra, IG, BSF, said that in the intervening night of January 17-18, BSF jawans Basant Kumar and Champak Bhai, who were deployed near the border post number 119/22-23, observed some disturbance. They immediately rushed to the spot where they found three Pakistani smugglers and their Indian counterparts trying to push in heroin and fake currency using a plastic pipe. “Locating the BSF jawans, the smugglers fired three rounds with their AK-47 rifle, while the jawans retaliated in self-defense killing an unidentified smuggler on the spot. Their accomplices and Indian counterparts, however, managed to escape under the cover of dense fog and darkness coupled with standing wheat crop on either side of the border,” said Mishra. “In view of the Assembly elections and amidst reports of enhancement of smuggling bids by anti-national elements, the force is already on high alert and due to dense fog and standing crops on either side of the fence also exploited by the smugglers for carrying out their illegal trade activities,” he said. The fact is evident from the yesterday's incident in which the State Special Operation Cell nabbed two Pakistani nationals -- Rashid Ahmad alias Commando and Shaukat Ali -- involved in smuggling. They had crossed over to the Indian Territory from the river area of Channan in Ajnjala sector in the intervening night of January 16-17. Their interrogation revealed that they had hidden a huge consignment of heroin and fake currency near river belt.
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Residents of flood-prone villages decide not to vote
Patran/Shutrana (Patiala), January 18 Accusing that both the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress had 'ditched' them by making no efforts to find a solution to the perennial problem of floods, a large number of people residing in these villages seems to be in no mood to cast their votes. Rajinder Singh Grewal and Satnam Singh, both residents of Badshapur village in Patran, said in every election, candidates of almost all the political parties come with a list of promises, but so far no MLA from Shutrana constituency has done anything to safeguard people from the fury of the floods, which leads to loss of life and property. “During floods in 2010, our farms were under six feet water. The soil quality has also deteriorated. Apart from the monetary loss on account of crop damage, we have to suffer a lot, as floods lead to outbreak of health ailments", said other villagers. A visit to various villages, including Daftriwala, Jogewal, Nial, Duttal, Hamjheri, Jogewal, Khang and Patran Rural, was enough to sense the sentiments of the people, who had got into serious debt-trap because of washing away of their crops in 2010. “We have discussed the matter in detail and considering the fact that so far no MLA has taken pain to find an amicable solution to the problem of overflowing river Ghaggar, which plays havoc with villages alongside the Ghaggar, we have decided not to cast vote in this election", said villagers of Duttal. |
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Farmer shows way to emu farming
Hoshiarpur, January 18 Gunraj Singh, a former honorary wildlife warden, known for innovative experiments in the agriculture sector, has once again set an example by setting up the first ever hatchery in Punjab for emu faming. He has taken a lead with the hatching of a clutch of 25 emu eggs and that too of the pairs he purchased from Tamul Nadu almost two-and-a-half years ago and reared them in his own farm (housing 100 pairs) in Naroor village in the foothills of the lower Shivaliks. Gunraj Singh has set up a machine with a capacity of hatching 900 eggs in a dedicated house. A room has been converted into an ICU and two workers look after the incubation and the hatching process round the clock. The incubation period of an egg is 52 days and thereafter it has to be shifted to the hatchery for four days. To help farmers in marketing their produce, Gunraj Singh has been signing contracts with farmers procuring emu pairs from him but on the condition that they sell the eggs (Rs 1,200 per egg) of particular emu pairs back to him. Gunraj Singh says he received an overwhelming response for emu farming from farmers from Moga, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Malout, Khanna in Punjab and Ambota in Himachal Pradesh. He says has helped in the opening up of 40 emu farms over last one year. Moga is the only district in Punjab where 25 farmers have opted for emu farming, he said. “I have been advising farmers not to purchase birds from the Southern states because of inbreeding among the birds there. The farmers in the southern states have been flushing the inbred birds to Punjab due to a slump in the market,” Gunraj said. The bird coming from other states is either infertile or lays less eggs besides other deformities because of inbreeding. The bird reared in Punjab is healthy, fertile and lays a clutch of 12 to 15 eggs during the first egg-laying. One-month-old chicks are available for Rs 12,000 per pair and the rate goes up as they grow older. A hen starts laying eggs (20 to 50 in a season) after 18 months of age. The bird has a life span of 35 to 40 years. Emu meat sells for Rs 400 per kg and an adult bird usually weighs between 40 to 45 kg, he adds. |
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Minor raped
Hoshiarpur, January 18 Sources said the 14-year-old girl said she went to her sister's house at Nasra village. But her sister was not there. Sukhwinder Singh repeatedly raped her. He even threatened to
kill her.
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An alleged Pakistani smuggler was shot dead by jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) when he was trying to push in heroin and fake currency near Bharopal village in the district today.
