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Farmers’ miseries far from over
Poor paddy arrival in grain markets
Dera Bassi, October 4
Farmers of the area, already upset by the MSP announced by the government, are in for another crisis as drought has reduced their yield per acre.
Farmers of Lalru and its surrounding villages are the worst hit since their yield has gone down by 50 per cent this year.
Cops sit pretty, courtesy clout
Jalandhar, October 4
In violation of rules, a large number of middle-rung Punjab police officials have either been posted in their home districts or have been overstaying the stipulated three-year term in the districts of the Doaba region allegedly with the help of their political or bureaucratic masters.
Singla talks
unpolitician-like
Amritsar, October 4
It was a session where the key speaker, Mr Surinder Singla, Chairman of the high-powered Committee on Economic Affairs, did not spare even the politicians — his own class.
Mr Surinder Singla, MLA and Chairman of the High-Powered
Committee on Economic Affairs,
Punjab, at a lecture organised by the Centre for Studies of Punjab
Politics, on
Friday — Photo Rajiv Sharma
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HIGH COURT
Show cause to Punjab on clerks’ sack
Chandigarh, October 4
In less than a week after the services of 132 clerks working with the Punjab School Education Board were terminated, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the state of Punjab and other respondents to show cause why the petition should not be admitted.
SAD mahila wing to fight for justice
Hoshiarpur, October 4
The Mahila wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal will launch a campaign to get justice for the rape and dowry victims in Punjab. This was disclosed by Ms Vinod Chadha, President of the state wing at a press conference here yesterday. She pointed out that atrocities on women were increasing day by day. Cases of rape of teenaged girls and torture of brides for dowry were being reported at various police stations daily.
Siau case: summons for Kang, Mewa Singh
Ropar, October 4
Mr Ravinder Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here, today issued orders to summon Kiranbir Singh Kang, a senior leader of the youth wing of the SAD, and Mewa Singh, both accused in the Siau murder case, on November 6 as both have been evading arrest following non-bailable warrants of arrest issued by the court against them on September 7.
Bodies to oversee forest development
Hoshiarpur
With a view to ensure people’s participation in its ongoing drive to conserve the fast-depleting forest cover in the state and to save forest wealth from falling into the hands of unscrupulous elements, the Punjab Forest Department has decided to constitute Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) in the state.
Rs 11 cr spent without sanction
Bathinda, October 4
In gross violation of rules, officials involved in implementing rural water supply schemes in this region have spent crores of rupees without obtaining the mandatory sanction from the authorities concerned. In some cases funds were spent in excess of the sanctioned estimates without obtaining the requisite clearances. |
US Nagar issue ‘dead’
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Amritsar, October 4
The Governor of Uttaranchal, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, today asserted that the issue of Udham Singh Nagar which had generated considerable controversy and almost led to the withdrawal of support by the Shiromani Akali Dal to the NDA government at the Centre was not significant now as the majority of Sikh population in Udham Singh Nagar have accepted Uttaranchal as their home state and were now committed to its overall development.
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Mr
Surjit Singh Barnala, Uttaranchal Pradesh Governor, at the 'nagar
kirtan' organised by the Chief Khalsa Dewan to mark the 61st
Sikh All-India Educational Conference on Friday.
— Photo Rajiv Sharma |
HC notice on sale of organs
Chandigarh, October 4
Acting on a public interest litigation filed by a former MLA, Ms Laxmi Kanta Chawla, seeking directions to the state of Punjab and other respondents for checking the sale and purchase of human organs, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for November 11.
Arts Council
office-bearers
Chandigarh, October 4
The newly elected Chairman of the Punjab Arts Council and Rajya Sabha member Mr Kartar Singh Duggal announced the names of the office bearers of the council today. While addressing a press conference in the Punjab Kala Bhavan in sector 16 here, he also announced the heads of the three academies under the council.
Noormahalias hold peace march
Jalandhar, October 4
Hundreds of followers of the Noormahal-based Divya Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan today held a peace march here to express their resentment over the alleged misleading role being played by some social organisations, who were demanding a complete ban on the activities of the sansthan.
Market panel locks bank building
Bathinda, October 4
The business transactions of a branch of Primary Agriculture Development Bank (PADB) situated at Raman Mandi, 45 km from here, came to a complete halt when the building was locked by officials of the market committee last evening.
Rice mill’s RC cancelled
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 4
The district Excise and Taxation department has cancelled the registration certificate (RC) of a controversial rice mill, Luxmi Overseas Industries,
Khamano.
DIET association to suspend stir
Chandigarh, October 4
The DIET Students Welfare Association has decided to suspend its agitation. This step has been taken to avoid the politicisation of the agitation. The Association does not want any political party to take advantage of the agitation. Those who have signed the statement pertaining to the suspension of the agitation are Mr Birinder Singh Khera and Mr Nirbhai Singh, president and vice president respectively, of the association.
Meat outlets under scrutiny
Amritsar, October 4
Following reports of contaminated meat being sold in the city’s outlets, the municipal corporation yesterday began a survey on these. Nearly 250 meat outlets are operating in the city. Several such outlets are reportedly selling either contaminated meat or meat of animals who died due to disease or accidents.
Female foeticide worries Badungar
Mansa, October 4
Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar, president, SGPC, expressed his concern over social evils like female foeticide, abuse of drugs, dowry and apostasy among Sikh youths.
Judicial remand for OSD to VC
Kharar, October 4
Mr R.L. Chouhan, Judicial Magistrate, Kharar, has remanded Teerath Singh, Officer on Special Duty to the Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Medical Sciences, Faridkot, in judicial custody till October
9.
SGPC writes to NCM on
Golden Temple
Amritsar, October 4
The SGPC has assured the Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Mr Tarlochan Singh, regarding conservation of the historical character of Baba Atal Minar and Ramgarhia ‘bungas’.
Truck operators block traffic
Kapurthala, October 4
Truck operators of the district today sat on dharna on the Kapurthala-Sultanpur Lodhi road and blocked traffic for an hour. They were protesting against the lifting of paddy by an outsider contractor. They alleged that the outsider contractor was forcing the local truck operators to lift the paddy on his terms.
Help police in drive against
narcotics: DIG
Muktsar, October 4
Mr Rajpal
Meena, DIG, Ferozepore, police range today urged the politicians not to recommend the cancellation of cases against narcotics smugglers so that the campaign launched against the menace should bring desired results.
CM seeks 3,000 cr for crop diversification
Amritsar, October 4
In a communication to the Prime Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, has sought a release of Rs 3,000 crore per year for three consecutive years to implement the diversification of crop pattern and to meet the future challenges being faced on the agrarian front, as recommended by the johl committee.
Rs 450 cr sugar stocks pile up: Sodhi
Ferozepore, October 4
Punjab Chief Minister’s political secretary Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said yesterday that sugar stock worth Rs 450 crore had piled up in the state godowns because of poor offtake by Central agencies. This, he added, had created problem for the government which owed payment of Rs 80 crore to sugarcane growers.
Wheat cultivation area to be reduced
Hoshiarpur, October 4
To boost the economy of farmers, the Punjab Government has launched a programme to diversify agriculture in the state during the ensuing rabi season. It is proposed to reduce an area of 1,70,000 hectares under wheat cultivation in the state during the rabi season, 2002.
Mandis to remain open on holidays
Chandigarh, October 4
Keeping in view the heavy arrivals of paddy and to save farmers from harassment, the Punjab Government has decided to operate mandis on Saturday, Sunday and other gazetted holidays, says Mr Lal Singh, Finance, Planning, Food and Supplies Minister.
Kisan unions to observe bandh
Bathinda, October 4
Various kisan unions last evening evolved a plan to put pressure on the state government to accept their demands. They would gherao officials from October 7 to October 13. Deputy Commissioner would be gheraoed on October 14 and Punjab bandh would be observed on October 29.
Paddy procurement held up
Bathinda, October 4
Non-availability of labour has held up the procurement and lifting of paddy, resulting in thousands of tonnes of grain stockpiling in various mandis here. As a result, scores of farmers are unable to bring their produce to the mandis.
Paddy piles up at a mandi in Bathinda, as
non-availability of labour slows down the procurement process.
— Photo Kulbir Beera |
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Drought: central team coming
Chandigarh, October 4
A Central team led by Mr P.K. Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Marketing, will visit Punjab next week to have first-hand information on the damage caused by drought. Mr Bhagat Singh, Financial Commissioner (Revenue), said here yesterday. The team would be taken to the Malwa and Kandi belts which had been hit the most.
Admn
faces shortage of officers
Mansa, October 4
Even as the procurement of paddy
by the state as well as central agencies has started on a large scale
in the district, the administration has been finding it difficult to
supervise the same due to acute shortage of PCS-level officers.
Bhattal
suspends Mandi Board XEN
Fatehgarh Sahib, October
4
Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal,
Minister, Rural Development, Panchayat and Agriculture, during her
surprise visit to the grain market Chunni Kalan, suspended Mandi Board
Executive Engineer Subhash Mahajan and Market Committee (Kharar)
Secretary Narinder Singh due to their failure to provide water
facility to the farmers in the grain market.
Move to privatise civil hospitals
Kharar, October 4
The Punjab Government is planning to privatise some Civil Hospitals in Punjab and to run them as joint venture so as to provide better health facilities to the people.
To begin with the government is contemplating to give Civil Hospital, Amritsar to a private party on trial basis.
Bela village to have pucca auction yard
Ropar, October 4
To meet the longstanding demand of the farmers of the Bela area near Chamkaur Sahib, a pucca pharr (auction yard) will be constructed at a cost of Rs 19 lakh before the next wheat procurement season in an area of four acres at the grain market of Bela village.
DGP
inaugurates 2 police stations
Moga, October 4
The Director-General of Police (DGP), Punjab Mr M.S. Bhullar, today inaugurated newly constructed buildings of police stations at Mehna and Dharamkot in the district.
Girl alleges kidnap, rape
Pathankot, October 4
The police here is shielding certain persons allegedly involved in a case of kidnapping and rape and getting a fake marriage certificate issued.
Chain snatchers active in town
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 4
A gang of chain snatchers is active in the town and two cases of chain snatchings have been reported in the town.
GND varsity youth festival opens
Amritsar, October 4
As many as 1,500 students from colleges of Amritsar and Gurdaspur will participate in the three-dat zonal youth festival that opened on the Guru Nanak Dev University campus here today.
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