B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Rice millers seek one-time settlement
Faridkot, February 11
With over 1,500 rice millers in Punjab in a protracted litigation with food procurement agencies, including the FCI and state agencies, the rice millers want the state government to reach a one time settlement (OTS) and end the lawsuits, many of them over a decade old.

Drunken cop, doc create ruckus
Bathinda, February 11
A constable and a doctor were among the three persons rounded up by the police after they were found creating ruckus in an inebriated condition at the District Administrative Complex (DAC) late in the evening today.

Nod for medical college at Sriganganagar
Abohar, February 11
The demand for a medical college in the border district town of Sriganganagar has been accepted.

125 donate blood on National Youth Day
Fazilka, February 11
The District Red Cross Society, Fazilka, with the cooperation of the health department, organised a mega blood donation camp to mark the National Youth Day being observed to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Truck knocks down young girl to death
Ferozepur, February 11
In a tragic incident, a girl, identified as Kamya (24), daughter of Ashwani Kumar, died on the spot after she was hit by a speeding truck near VS Palace on the circular road in the city today in the morning.

HC summons Local Bodies principal secy
Abohar, February 11
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the principal secretary, Local Bodies, Jagpal Singh Sandhu to appear on February 18 and file an affidavit on the measures taken to resolve the sewerage problem that continues to haunt this sub-divisional town.

Rice millers seek one-time settlement
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 11
With over 1,500 rice millers in Punjab in a protracted litigation with food procurement agencies, including the FCI and state agencies, the rice millers want the state government to reach a one time settlement (OTS) and end the lawsuits, many of them over a decade old.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, the rice millers' association demanded that the state government end the prolonged court cases and extend an OTS scheme to the millers so that a large number of dormant rice mills could be revived to help the state food agencies in the timely milling of paddy.

Hundreds of petitions of the FCI, the central food procurement agency, are pending against the rice millers in Punjab.

The FCI, in its petition of recovery suit, pleaded that it had entered into an agreement with the millers in 1994-95 regarding the sale of rice in the open market within a fixed time period or return of unsold paddy by the millers to the Corporation in proper condition within the time fixed if the commodity remained unsold.

The FCI alleged that the rice millers failed to sell the entire stock of paddy on time. When the FCI approached the millers for the return of unsold paddy, it was found that bags of paddy were either reportedly missing or had been completely damaged.

It is not only the FCI but other state procurement agencies, including Markfed, Punsup, Punjab Agro, Pungrain and Warehousing Corporation that are also in protracted litigation with the rice millers over the alleged misappropriation of paddy. Because of this, hundreds of rice mills in Punjab were declared defaulters.

In April 2000, the state government decided to put an end to the protracted litigation with the rice milling industry and ordered the final settlement of arbitration cases against the rice millers with regard to non-milling and "misappropriation" of paddy in 1994-95. But the settlement could not mature in most of the cases.

"After the state government extended the OTS scheme to the industry last month to end the long-drawn-out litigation, the rice millers also want a similar settlement so that both the government agencies and the rice millers are able to avoid unnecessary litigation and help the government in the smooth milling of paddy every season," said Bhagwan Bansal, the vice-president of Punjab Rice Millers' Association.

"Because of the protracted litigation, nearly 1,500 rice mills in Punjab are in a distressed condition. Even the state procurement agencies face difficulty during the paddy procurement season in the proper storage and milling of paddy because of the increase in the number of defaulter rice mills in the state," said Bharat Bhushan, president, Rice Millers' Association.

Protracted litigations

• In a letter to the Chief Minister, the Rice Millers' Association demanded that the state government end the prolonged court cases and extend a one time settlement (OTS) scheme to the millers so that a large number of dormant rice mills could be revived to help the state food agencies in the timely milling of paddy.
• Hundreds of petitions of the FCI, the central food procurement agency, are pending against the rice millers in Punjab.

Drunken cop, doc create ruckus
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 11
A constable and a doctor were among the three persons rounded up by the police after they were found creating ruckus in an inebriated condition at the District Administrative Complex (DAC) late in the evening today.

They were roaming in a car, bearing the registration number PB-03A-0088, with handwritten slogans of Shiromani Akali Dal Jawanda in Punjabi on its rear screen. The accused have been identified as Ravinder, Swaran, both residents of Sivian village and Gurwinder of Jhumba village. A bottle of liquor and chicken was found lying in the car which was impounded by the police outside the SSP office.

Police swung into action when the three started teasing the passersby in a drunken state asking them to give them company. "I was told to share drinks despite the fact that I did not know who the persons were. I got rid of them after accepting a cigarette from them and pleaded that I do not drink," said a the DTO office staff, who was crossing by.

Earlier, they were seen dancing in front of the women police station with loud music blaring from their car stereo. After being driven away by the bystanders, they entered the DAC where they parked their vehicle in front of the entrance leading to the offices of the SSP Vigilance, DTO and the excise department.

DSP Avneet Kaur and Civil Lines SHO U. Cee Chawla reached the spot and brought the three to the SSP office where their names and addresses were recorded. Their cell phones were taken into possession and after noting down the basic details, they were taken to the Civil Hospital.

Policemen said that a case under Sections 68, 1, 14 of the Excise Act (drinking at public place) would be registered against them at the Civil Lines police station.

Nod for medical college at Sriganganagar
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 11
The demand for a medical college in the border district town of Sriganganagar has been accepted.

It is learnt that Rajasthan Chief Secretary CK Mathew has informed District Collector Shriram Chauradia in this regard.

The much awaited decision was taken after senior Congressmen met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the chief secretary.

The decision gains significance as a few months ago, the management of a private college had claimed to have got the green signal in principle for setting up a medical college. This triggered resentment as the district hospital was deemed to have got better infrastructure for the project.

But the Congress leaders are believed to have convinced the Chief Minister that delay in accepting the demand for a medical college could harm the ruling party in the Vidhan Sabha elections slated for next year. The Congress had been able to win only the Hanumangarh seat during the last elections.

They also reportedly argued that guar gum tycoon Bajrang Dass Aggarwal had offered to contribute Rs 100 crore for the medical college project that is likely to cost Rs 435 crore.

Aggarwal had observed that the project would also benefit the Malwa region of Punjab since the nearest colleges at Ludhiana is located at a distance of 225 km from Abohar.

125 donate blood on National Youth Day
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, February 11
The District Red Cross Society, Fazilka, with the cooperation of the health department, organised a mega blood donation camp to mark the National Youth Day being observed to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Youths of different institutes donated 125 units of blood. The camp was held in the last phase of the month-long blood donation campaign that began on January 12.

The camp was inaugurated by Dr Basant Garg, Deputy Commissioner, who is also the president of the District Red Cross Society, Fazilka. He was accompanied by Venus Garg, chairperson, Hospital Welfare Section, Charandev Singh Maan, ADC, YK Gupta, District Health Officer, Rajpal Singh and Subhash Arora, secretary, District Red Cross Society, Fazilka.

A target of 300 units of voluntary blood donation was set for the Civil Hospital, Fazilka, against which a total of 489 units of blood have been collected. It was the third mega camp organised by the Society.

The DC called for enhancing the capacity of the blood bank at Fazilka. He also suggested setting up of a blood component separator for the analytical use of blood. With its installation, one unit of blood can be utilised for five patients to meet their specific needs.

The ADC suggested maintaining a data-based list of voluntary blood donors to meet the requirements in cases of emergency including rare blood groups.

District Health Officer YK Gupta and SMO SP Garg said 10 camps were organised in the month-long special blood donation campaign wherein 489 units were collected.

“Last year, 3,612 units of blood were collected in 52 special camps and by voluntary donors. Of this, about 3,361 units were supplied to different patients of Fazilka district,” said Renu Dhuria, Blood Transfusion Officer.

NGOs working for voluntary blood donation were honoured for their contribution in making the campaign successful.

Truck knocks down young girl to death

Ferozepur, February 11
In a tragic incident, a girl, identified as Kamya (24), daughter of Ashwani Kumar, died on the spot after she was hit by a speeding truck near VS Palace on the circular road in the city today in the morning.

As per the information, as soon as the girl came out from Basti Balochan Wali on to the main road, a truck coming from the opposite direction hit the two-wheeler that she was riding. The girl died on the spot.

Police sources said the truck driver left her unattended on the spot and fled. The police has registered a case against the truck driver, identified as Sucha Singh, a resident of Mishriwala, on the basis of the statement of Ashwani Kumar, the father of the deceased. The body has been handed over to the family after the post-mortem. — OC

HC summons Local Bodies principal secy
Our Correspondent

Abohar, February 11
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the principal secretary, Local Bodies, Jagpal Singh Sandhu to appear on February 18 and file an affidavit on the measures taken to resolve the sewerage problem that continues to haunt this sub-divisional town.

Congress councillors Vimal Thatai and Suman Taneja and former youth Congress city president Vijay Chhabra who had filed a PIL in the HC, informed Justice Rajesh Bindal that Rs 65 lakh provided by the state government to the Abohar Municipal Council under the directions of the HC on January 31 had not been utilised fully for the purpose.