Centre delaying announcement of paddy MSP: minister
Our Correspondent

Amloh, September 15
Around 1,250 villages would be provided with drinking water facilities in the state under the integrated rural development (IRD) scheme, said Mr Jasjeet Singh Randhawa, Minister for Public Health, while talking to mediapersons here yesterday. He said among the 7,000 tubewells already installed, 3,000 were not working properly.

Mr Randhawa criticised the Centre for discriminating against Punjab by delaying the announcement of minimum support price (MSP) of paddy. The Punjab Government had been impressing upon the Centre to declare the MSP so that the procurement process of paddy could be started from September 21. The paddy has started to arrive in some mandis of the state.

He also held the Centre responsible for causing delay in the payment of arrears worth Rs 125 crore that had accumulated after the purchase of sugarcane from the farmers by various sugar mills. The Centre was neither lifting the levy sugar lying with the sugar mills nor permitting them to sell the levy stock in the open market. Thus the sugar mills were not in a position to make the payment to the farmers from their own resources.

Commenting on the students’ agitation in Punjabi University, Patiala, he said university was an autonomous body and it had to take decisions independently. However, keeping in view the financial condition of students from the Malwa belt, the state government had already released Rs 1.75 crore as special grant to the university, he said.

A deputation of residents; Congress workers Gurdev Singh Amloh, Dilbag Rai Sood, Master Kailash Chand, Gurdev Singh Khanian; council chief Baldev Singh Aulakh; councillors Jeevan Kumar Puri, Ramesh Kumar Gupta, Lal Chand; and Shopkeepers Association leaders Mangat Rai Arora and Bheem Sain, led by Mr Om Parkash Karkra, appealed the minister to bring the town under the sewerage scheme as the level of streets had been raised up to 4 to 5 feet and the drainage water entered the houses. The minister assured the deputation of taking up the issue with the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

Technique to reduce water requirement for paddy
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 15
Five years of painstaking experiments by the JDM Research Foundation and the Agriculture Technocrats’ Action Committee (AGTAC) have shown that the water requirement of paddy could be reduced by about 70 per cent if a particular technique is used. Presently, puddling is the sole technique adopted by farmers in the state which results in huge wastage of water through evaporation.

The technique is so effective that Dr S.S. Johl, Agriculture Adviser to the Punjab Government, has recommended it in his report on diversification of agriculture.

Talking to newspersons at the farms of the foundation at Kulewal, principal investigator of the foundation, Dr Daler Singh, said the breakthrough was vital for paddy cultivation that has caused economical and ecological problems in the state due to excessive use of water.

As part of the ongoing farmers’ participatory adaptive research, the experiments had shown similar results at about 300 fields across the state, he claimed. The rationale of doing so was to convince farmers about the technique developed by them, he added.

Reports said the water-table in the state had been declining at the rate of 23 cm annually. Almost the entire state was affected, barring the cotton belt and kandi areas. Many blocks in the state where the level of depletion was more than the recharge rate had been termed as grey areas.

The situation might become alarming in the coming days and could affect the drinking water situation in the absence of drastic steps, said Dr Joginder Singh, Head of the Economics Department, PAU. He said declining water-table necessitated deepening of tubewell bores almost every year and a large sum was spent by farmers for installation of submersible pumps annually.

Though the government and the agriculture experts addressed the problem through diversification of crops, but doubts persisted about farmers taking to this practice due to varied reasons. Dr Daler Singh prescribed a simple formula for making farmers understand that cost escalation of paddy due to excessive dependence on underground water and fertilisers could be taken care of through new technique.

“The new technique consists of sowing paddy on both sides of the ridges of furrows unlike the traditional method of puddling the field, in which a hard layer of soil is created that affects the growth of the plant and demands more water. Against the prevailing practice of transplantation, direct spray of seeds on the bed and on the plain field again, without puddling, were other effective methods of ensuring optimum yield, disease and pest-free crop using little water,” he pointed out.

PAU to intensify research on herbicides
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 15
Punjab Agricultural University has decided to intensify research on herbicides and has set up a group of five experts to chalk out a strategy for the same. This decision of the university is the outcome of the visit of the Vice-Chancellor, Dr K. S. Aulakh, for crop-cutting operations in June to the Rashtarpati Bhavan. The visit of the President to the PAU campus on September 4 to inaugurate the kisan mela was also the result of the visit of the Vice-Chancellor to the Rashtarpati Herbal Garden.

Dr Aulakh said here today that there was a good scope for the herbals in the country and export of the same could be taken up on a large scale. The contribution of India in this business was just Rs. 10 crore annually.

Dr aulakh said that the group of experts would consist of plant-breeder, agronomist, plantpathologist, entomologist and chemist. The group would study the situation and provide guidelines for research on herbicides at the PAU. The PAU has a herbal garden at present with 50 species, he added.

He said that he had discussed the matter with Secretary, Health, Punjab Government, Mr D. S. Jaspal, for the establishment of a laboratory which would issue the certificate. Mr Jaspal has agreed to finance the laboratory.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agronomy and Agrometereology of the PAU has recommended the following medicinal, aromatic and spice crops for commercial cultivation in Punjab. Mentha (Japanese mint, peppermint, spearmint, ornage mint), turmeric, celery, isabgol, fennel, dillseed, fenugreek, coriander, safflower and honey plant.

According to Dr S S Saini, in charge of the herbal garden, the National Medicinal Plants Board has identified the following medicinal plants which are available in the herbal garden of the Department of Agronomy and Agrometereology. Ashwagandha, Brahmi, manduk parni (brahmi ), Bhumi amalaki (hazardani), gileo, Kalmegh, makoy, mulethi, safed musli, sarpganda, isabgol, shatavar and holy tulsi.

The department has added quing hao (artemisia) wild levendar, patchouli, stevia, resault (daru haldi) Bhangra (eclipta), Jamal gota, absinthe (Artemisia) Kapoor Tulsi, tansy, dioscorea, rose (damask ) and chhoti dodak (euphorbea ) in the herbal garden at the campus.

The department is proposing to add kalihari, bhatkai safed, adusa, moringa, rajni gandha, kateni and phalsa and among the trees- jamun, harra, amaltas, arjun, odomass tree, karonda, imli and amla.

College launches magazine for students 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 15
Several activities were carried out in different city colleges here today. The Young Scientists Association of Gujranwala Guru Nanak Khalsa College launched a “wall magazine” for its students. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gurdip Singh, Principal, highlighted the role of creative activities in the lives of students. He stated that by organising and participating in different activities like quiz contests, science exhibitions and chart-making competitions education became more meaningful.

Mr R.P. Singh, Professor in charge of the association, dwelt upon the idea behind the venture. He said there was tremendous potential among each student and once allowed to flourish he could do wonders. Generally the talent was left untrapped in students and that casual approach by elders, including teachers, caused frustration, which often led to drug addiction among the youth.

He said the “wall magazine” would give a chance to students to show their creativity. He invited the students to join graffiti, chart and model making contests to channel their energies and make their education more purposeful.

At Devki Devi Jain College for Women, Hindi Divas was celebrated by organising a poetry recitation competition. Veena of BA-I recited a poem on “Zindagi aur Maut”, while Aditi of BA-II recited one on “Woman power”. The other poems recited were based on thought-provoking topics like environment, growing selfishness among people, terrorism, female foeticide. Ms Sushma Saini and Ms Antarjyoti were the judges.

The Principal, Ms Kamla Jain, stressed the importance of Hindi. The results: First — Aditi Gupta (BA II), second — Mamta Gupta (BA II), third — Rimple (BA III). Kavita was awarded a consolation prize.

A day-long blood donation camp was organised by the NSS and NCC units of Guru Nanak Girls College. At least 112 students donated blood. Dr Hitesh, a representative of the Thalassaemic Society, Dayanand Medical College, imparted information about thalassaemia. He said the contribution made by students in the lives of patients suffering from the disease by donating blood was invaluable.

The camp was organised under the guidance of Ms Tarunjit Kaur and Ms Parminder Kaur of the NSS Wing and Ms Jatinder Kaur of the NCC Wing in association with the Red Cross Society.

College founder remembered
Our Correspondent

Doraha, September 15
Dr Ishwar Singh, founder president of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, who breathed his last in July this year, was remembered by the college at a special programme organised in his memory here today.

Various speakers elaborated upon the achievements of Dr Ishwar Singh as a physician, politician, educationist and social worker.

The chief guest of the occasion, Prof O.P. Kharbanda, from Arya College for Boys, recalling the great soul said, “Dr Ishwar Singh spent his entire life in the service of the poor and downtrodden. His immense fascination for knowledge and education is evident from the fact that he opened an educational institution in a small town as Doraha apart from being the trustee and manager of numerous other educational institutions. He had also been the president of the non-government affiliated colleges, management federation.

Mr Tarlok Singh Jaggi, assistant secretary, college management committee, cherished and recalled the golden moments of his life that he spent with Dr Ishwar Singh who, he said,” was a genius. His dedicated efforts, especially for the betterment of Doraha town and its people, were exemplary.”

Prof Balwant Singh Pangali, general secretary, College Management Committee, said Dr Ishwar Singh despite his failing physical health continued to strive for perfection.

Ms Raj Rani, president, Municipal Council, Doraha, said that Dr Ishwar Singh remained the member of the council for a long period of 45 years and had been on the post of the president and vice-president several times in his life.

Other speakers who offered their tributes to Dr Ishwar Singh were Mr Adarsh Pal Bector, executive member of the committee, Mr D.S. Gosain, Principal, Saraswati Model School, Doraha, Ms Urmil Sood, Principal, Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, Doraha, Prof Kuldip Singh, Government College for Women, Principal Jaswant Singh Gill, Prof Jagdev Singh Grewal, Head of the postgraduate department, GNN College, Doraha, Mr Jogeshwar Singh Mangat, Senior Vice President, College Management Committee.

Apart from this, the chief guest inaugurated the postgraduate department in political science that has been recently constructed by the grant given to the college for developmental purposes by Lala Lajpat Rai, Member Parliament.

Primary teachers to hold dharna
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 15
Intensifying their stir against the decision of the Punjab Government to hand over the control of the rural government schools to the panchayats from October 2, the Government Primary Teachers Association, Punjab, will hold a protest outside the office of Director, Primary Education, Chandigarh, on September 23.

This was decided at a meeting of the association held here today. The teachers have also decided to observe October 2 as “black day” and start protest rally from Company Bagh at Jalandhar to be routed through the bazaars of the city. Stating this in a press note, Mr Piara Singh Dhillon, president of the association, said that the decision of the Punjab government would lead to deterioration of standards in primary education in the villages. He opined that the panchayats were being assigned duties which were beyond their capabilities.

Fun fair for students 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 15
A fun fair for kids was organised at Everest Public Senior Secondary School, Moti Nagar, here yesterday. Mr Alamudin Saifi, general secretary of the Parent-Teachers Association, inaugurated the fair. He said the school was playing a significant role in the development of the area, particularly in spreading education among children of backward classes.

Students presented an entertainment programme. They presented songs and dances and enjoyed joyrides and a dip in a small water pool. A number of stalls were also set up.