|
|
|
|
|
Three get life term for killing Akali sarpanch
Crime up on Abohar RoB as streelights remain switched off
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Use of fly ash as fertilizer draws flak from environmentalists
Renovation
of Ferozepur feeder
Pak intruder nabbed
Kataria wants rail services upgraded
500 examined at free medical camp
Harassed by in-laws, man ends life
Stubble worth Rs 1.5 lakh gutted
Two killed in road accident
|
|
Three get life term for killing Akali sarpanch
Moga, November 26 The sarpanch was brutally beaten up and then attacked with sharp-edged weapons leaving him unconscious. Kuldip was rushed to the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital at Faridkot in a serious condition where he succumbed to his injuries. He was attacked by a member of the panchayat who was a former sarpanch, along his associates. The assailants were identified as Judge Singh and his associates, Jagtar Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Roshandeep Singh, against whom a criminal case under sections 302 and 34 of the IPC was registered at the Baghapurana police station. Investigations revealed that the main accused Judge Singh was the sarpanch of the village during the Congress rule and had unsuccessfully fought the last panchayat elections. However, even after having been elected as a member of the panchayat, Judge Singh could not manage to prove his majority in the numbers game. As a result, Kuldip Singh was elected the new sarpanch of the village. Further, it came to light that earlier also, these two political rivals had clashed with each other on many occasions. It was due to this that Kuldip Singh had started living in Faridkot and used to visit his village during the morning. On the ill-fated day, when Kuldip left the village for Faridkot along with his friend Gurpreet Singh, some persons, including Judge Singh, came from the opposite direction in a Scorpio car and stopped them on the Baghapurana-Mudki road. When Kuldip Singh came out of his car, the men in the Scorpio attacked him with sticks and sharp-edged weapons. Gurpreet Singh came out and tried to save his friend but he was also beaten up. The assailants fled from the spot after the incident. People from the nearby areas rushed them to the medical college and hospital at Faridkot where the sarpanch succumbed to his injuries. The additional sessions judge, during the course of the trial, agreed with the arguments put forth by the prosecution and sentenced Judge Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Roshandeep Singh to life. Jagtar Singh, who did not face the trial, had been declared a proclaimed offender. |
|
|
Crime up on Abohar RoB as streelights remain switched off
Abohar, November 26 Notably, the construction of the railway overbridge (RoB) by the PWD outside Dangarkhera village on the Abohar-Fazilka road (NH-10) had remained suspended for more than a year resulting in a delay in the visit by the chief security officer from Lucknow to facilitate the opening of the 42.89 km long Abohar-Fazilka rail link. The PWD officials had confessed that the state government had delayed the release of funds for the overbridge project. As sun sets early in winter, miscreants have started targeting cyclists and bikers near the overbridge. On Sunday, one Mohinder Kumar was allegedly looted as he was passing through the overbridge while returning home in village Dangarkhera. Another cyclist, Rulia Ram of village Bazidpur-Kattianwali, said he was looted by miscreants while carrying domestic goods from Abohar last evening. The Consumer Movement has urged the authorities to switch on the streetlights by arranging an electricity connection without further delay to check such incidents. |
|
|
Use of fly ash as fertilizer draws flak from environmentalists
Faridkot, November 26 However, this claim of soil scientists at the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyala (IGKV), Raipur, has been countered by the environmentalists and social scientists in Punjab who are of the view that the use of this highly toxic thermal plant waste will add to the toxic contents in the food chain. Fly ash, a mineral residue resulting from the combustion of powdered coal in thermal plants, is mainly used for cement production in the region because of its low cost. Fly ash can replace up to 50 per cent of Portland cement by mass and it is less expensive than cement. Now, when there has been a high rise in the price of chemical fertilizers, particularly the DAP (a highly concentrated nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer), from Rs 467.50 in October 2011 to Rs 1,275 in October 2012 (for every 50 kg), soil scientists at the IGKV claimed to have developed a technique to improve the soil quality and production of various crops, fruits and vegetable by using fly ash. Besides resolving the storage problem of fly ash, its agricultural use will also increase production manifold, claimed Dr KK Sahu, principal scientist at IGKV. Application of fly ash in farming will prove to be a boon for farmers in Chhattisgarh because its use in the field helps to lower the acidic nature of the soil. "Fly ash contains various nutrients to nourish the plants. It not only improves soil quality but also acts as fertilizer," said Sahu. After this claim by the IGKV, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Korba, in Chhattisgarh started providing fly ash free of cost to the farmers and also organised a day-long farmers' fair," said Dr Sahu. Countering this claim, Dr GS Dhillon, a former chief engineer in the irrigation department and a noted environmentalist, said the fly ash contain heavy metals like mercury, cadmium as well as arsenic and radioactive materials, albeit in different concentrations. At a time when Punjab is already facing the problem of cancer due to high use of chemical and fertilizers in agriculture, toying with the of using fly ash as an fertilizer would further worsen the problem, said Dr Amar Singh Azad, a noted environmentalist and
paediatrician. |
|
|
Science Express chugs into Ferozepur
Ferozepur, November 26 Mounted on a specially designed 16 coach AC train, the Science Express has traversed all over the country since its launch in 2007. Sudhir Kumar Sharma, manager, SEBS, said every year, the train runs with a new theme for about eight to nine months. "This year's theme of biodiversity has been chosen keeping in mind that the current decade has been declared as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity," he said. Sharma said that the train has received over 60, 000 visitors in the various cities and states that it has visited so far. Meanwhile, the students who visited the science express along with the teachers here today were enthralled by its unique design and wide array of attractive visuals, panels, video clips besides science models which have been put on display in the train. Around 5,677 visitors, including students from 46 schools, visited the train on the first day of its arrival here. "The train has been designed in an interactive manner which facilitates the teaching and learning of various scientific concepts for the students," said Manish Kumar, a local teacher who visited the train today. "The interactive science lab and other models on the train are interesting ways of helping students to learn the concepts. Apart from providing knowledge, it will also help in sensitising people on protecting biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources," said Anuradha Kapoor, another school teacher. The train will remain stationed at Ferozepur till Wednesday after which it will move to
Bathinda. |
|
|
Renovation
of Ferozepur feeder
Abohar, November 26 Responding to the representation given by progressive farmers during his visit to village 22Z to attend the bhog ceremony of a relative, Sekhon said the Central Government had two years back released Rs 950 crore to Rajasthan for renovating the Rajasthan feeder that originates in Ferozepur. But the latter is yet to take the initiative. The seepage causes loss to the tune of 1500 cusecs daily in the canal that supplies about 8,000 cusecs of water to farmers in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts. This was conveyed to Sekhon by the farmers, led by Subhash Sehgal, spokesman, Rajasthan Kisan Sangharsh Samiti. Sekhon said the seepage also results in water logging in Punjab villages as the canal system passes through Ferozepur, Muktsar and Fazilka districts. He assured that the process of tenders would be completed well in time if Rajasthan advances money to Punjab to ensure the lining and repair of the canal system during the proposed closure of canals in April next year. The Punjab government could not go ahead with calling tenders early this year due to the code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission, he said. It may be mentioned that the Rajasthan government will have to make only 10 per cent contribution in the project for first phase of renovating the Ferozepur/Rajasthan feeder as 90 per cent of the budgeted expenses are to be paid by the Central Government. Irrigation division officials at Abohar had earlier asked their counterparts at Sriganganagar to clear the dues on account of the maintenance of Gang (Bikaner) canal and Rajasthan Feeder before the end of December. A team led by sub-divisional engineer Amarjit Sharma, during a meeting with the superintending engineer and other officials, regretted that Rajasthan had not enhanced the annual maintenance charges for the last 15 years whereas the wages paid by Punjab had sky-rocketed. Rajasthan continued to pay Rs 40 lakh per annum only. The officials at Sriganganagar reportedly informed that the request for enhancing charges awaited nod at the state headquarters. The officials had also discussed the project, funded by the Central Government, to renovate the canal system by suspending the supply of water in Ferozepur, Fazilka, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts immediately after the final turn for irrigation in April next year. |
|
Pak intruder nabbed
Fazilka, November 26 Confirming the arrest of the Pakistani intruder, DIG, BSF, AK Sharma disclosed that the intruder has given his name as Parvez. He is 25 years of age. It is stated that Parvez had strayed into the Indian territory near Sadiqi border observation post (BOP) today late in the evening and reached near the fencing but the alert jawans of the BSF pounced upon him and nabbed him. A cell phone has been recovered from his possession. "The motive of the intruder has not been ascertained so far. Investigations are on and the other details would be established after the preliminary inquiry," said Sharma. |
|
Kataria wants rail services upgraded
Bathinda, November 26 Kataria said Bansal assured him that steps will be taken to meet his demands. He urged the minister to make the tri-weekly Sarai Rohilla-Sriganganagar AC superfast a daily train and attach an additional air-conditioned chair car to the intercity express from Sriganganagar to Delhi and also to the intercity between Sriganganagar and Hardwar. At least two 3-tier AC coaches should be attached to the Udyan Abha Toofan Express, he said. In the last budget, a train between Nanded Sahib and Sriganganagar was announced to be made tri-weekly from its existing weekly status, but the announcement has not yet been implemented, he added. TNS |
|
500 examined at free medical camp
Barnala, November 26 The chairman of the society, Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, said about 500 patients were examined by a team of 20 doctors, led by Dr Vipin Kumar of the DMCH, Ludhiana. Medicines were also given free of cost to the patients, he added. A blood donation camp was also organised on the occasion. About 40 persons donated blood. TNS |
|
|
Harassed by in-laws, man ends life
Muktsar, November 26 The police said that as per the complaint of Sukhdev Singh, his son Surinder Singh, a local resident, committed suicide on the intervening night of November 24-25 due to the harassment by his in-laws. The deceased is survived by two children, 4-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. |
|
|
Stubble worth Rs 1.5 lakh gutted
Muktsar, November 26 Locals said that it appeared to be the handiwork of some notorious elements, as there was nothing lying close to the paddy stubble. The stubble belonged to one Kalu Ram of Rajasthan. As soon as the villagers saw flames erupting from the stubble, they started sprinkling water to douse them, but could not control it. Then they called the firemen from Malout and Gidderbaha, who reached there immediately and doused the flames. TNS |
|
|
Two killed in road accident
Moga, November 26 Those killed have been identified as Roop Singh (45) of Kotkapura and Harpal Singh (50) of Jaito. Former councillor of the Kotkapura Municipal Council Naresh Kumar and Om Parkash were injured.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
