B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Subsidised wheat seed out of stock
Muktsar, October 30
The sowing of wheat crop has started, but the early sowing variety of subsidised wheat seed, HD2967, has already gone out of stock from the offices of the agriculture department in Muktsar.

Driver killed, 30 students injured as bus overturns
Abohar, October 30
The driver of a school bus was killed and at least 30 students, most of them girls, were injured as the driver reportedly lost control over the vehicle and it overturned outside Pallu town near Hanumangarh today in the evening.

ASI held for taking bribe
Abohar, October 30
ASI Baljinder Singh Bhatti, pr posted at the city police station here, was nabbed by the Vigilance Bureau team as he took Rs 3,000 in bribe to settle a case.

Car catches fire, one killed
Bathinda, October 30
In an accident on Bajakhana Road today late in the evening, an Alto car caught fire and its occupant was charred to death.

Subsidised wheat seed out of stock
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 30
The sowing of wheat crop has started, but the early sowing variety of subsidised wheat seed, HD2967, has already gone out of stock from the offices of the agriculture department in Muktsar.

This is the most preferable variety of wheat seed, but the district, with a nearly 2.2 lakh hectares of land for wheat crop, had got only 4,000 quintals of this seed variety this season.

Though the officials of the agriculture department claimed they had the stock of the other early sowing varieties, the farmers are still demanding HD2967 variety because of its high yield.

Beant Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, said, "No farmer wants to sow any other variety except HD2967. But not being much of an old variety of certified seed, its availability is comparatively less. The farmers can sow the other variety, PBW621, which is cheaper and has an almost equal yield. We have sufficient stock of this variety." Giving reasons behind the high demand for the HD2967 seed, Beant Singh added, "The seed is available in the open market for nearly Rs 1,300 per quintal. But it was being sold for Rs 860 per quintal in our offices and at sale centres."

Meanwhile, some farmers in Gidderbaha even lodged complaints that the officials of the agriculture department were selling HD2967 variety under a pick and choose policy.

"We have already suffered huge losses during the cotton and paddy season because of incessant rains and now want to sow the wheat crop early. But the department is unable to provide us the early sowing variety of HD2967," said Harcharan Singh, a farmer of Gidderbaha.

However, the officials of the agriculture department termed the allegations as baseless saying none can avail more than the subsidy of Rs 2,500 on the purchase of wheat, but the farmers were demanding more quantity.

Driver killed, 30 students injured as bus overturns
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, October 30
The driver of a school bus was killed and at least 30 students, most of them girls, were injured as the driver reportedly lost control over the vehicle and it overturned outside Pallu town near Hanumangarh today in the evening.

As per the available information, the management of Maharana Pratap Senior Secondary School preferred to continue studies even as most schools resolved to observe holidays till Diwali. As the school bus was ferrying more than three dozen students to their native villages, Daniasar and Shekhchulia, the driver Shiv Parkash reportedly lost control over the vehicle and it overturned on the main road that connects Pallu, a small town known for its ancient temple, with Hanumangarh.

Responding to the cries of the students, people rushed and rescued the students and the staff on board. All were shifted to the community health centre but it was not equipped to meet such a situation. The parents and the police officials who thronged the health centre later shifted most of the injured persons to Rawatsar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner.

The doctors described the condition of four students as serious but advised that they should not be shifted at this stage, sources added.

ASI held for taking bribe

Abohar, October 30
ASI Baljinder Singh Bhatti, pr posted at the city police station here, was nabbed by the Vigilance Bureau team as he took Rs 3,000 in bribe to settle a case. As per the information, Inderjit of Anand Nagari had been facing action following a brawl with Ankur Chuchra over a cricket match held at the Nehru Stadium here on October 13.

He informed the Vigilance Bureau that Bhatti demanded Rs 5,000 to settle the case in his favour. The complainant claimed having paid Rs 2,000 and was asked to pay Rs 3,000 today.

The Vigilance team laid a trap. The complainant paid chemically treated notes of Rs 500 denomination to ASI Bhatti. After this, the Vigilance team nabbed the official. However, ASI Bhatti said he has been falsely implicated. — OC

Car catches fire, one killed
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 30
In an accident on Bajakhana Road today late in the evening, an Alto car caught fire and its occupant was charred to death. The incident took place at around 9:55 pm, when an Alto car, bearing the number PB 03 Z 6194, was moving from Bathinda towards Bajakhana.

After crossing a section of the bridge, the car caught fire.

Passersby raised an alarm and informed the volunteers of the NGO Sahara Welfare Society who asked its Jaito unit to rush to the spot.

The Bajakhana police had reached the spot. The identity of the occupant of the car could not be identified till the filing of the report.