Chandigarh, June 22
Acute power shortage and a substantial increase in diesel prices notwithstanding, Punjab is expecting a third successive bumper paddy crop hoping that a normal south-west monsoon would arrive in time.

“Our optimism stems from the substantial change in attitude of farmers who have either delayed paddy transplantation or are keeping their options of switching over to cash crops like soyabeen and moong open,” says Mr Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Director of Agriculture.

This change in attitude, claims Mr Sidhu, is reflected in the area that has been brought under paddy this time. Until June 1 this year, only 2.50 lakh hectares was under paddy against 5.63 lakh hectares at the same time last year.

“If we are able to reduce area under paddy to 75 per cent of last year, we would have won a battle,” adds Mr Sidhu revealing that as of now only 17 lakh hectares is under paddy. “Normally Punjab has 23 lakh to 34 lakh hectares under paddy. We already have taken out 70,000 to 80,000 hectares from under paddy for cotton. Other cash crops for which Markfed has already announced remunerative procurement price are also in the offing.

If farmers go by the advice and extend the paddy transplantation till June 25 and leave 25 per cent of cultivable area for new cash crops, Punjab would be very comfortable with subsoil water.

“All will, however, depend upon the monsoon. If it is in time and normal, it would certainly be a great relief both for the State Electricity Board as well as tubewell-irrigated areas. In that case, farmers do not have to spend extra money on diesel to keep their fields green,” adds Mr Sidhu.

He said some damage to cotton crop by hailstorms and other natural vagaries was the only area of concern of what otherwise is expected to be another bumper agricultural produce.

Mr P.K. Verma, Financial Commissioner, Development, says that the State Government is committed to providing eight hours of quality power to the farm sector for the paddy season.

“The State Electricity Board will buy from all available sources to keep this commitment of the government. Last year, it spent more than Rs 400 cr for buying power from outside,” says Mr Verma hoping that farmers would not have to use diesel pumps to meet the irrigational needs of their paddy crop.

Mr Sidhu held that even if monsoon was below normal and farmers went by the advice of farm experts and reduce area under paddy to 75 per cent of last year, there would be still saving of water. In that case for the remaining area, the farmers can go for moong and soyabeen for good returns. Other choices, too, are available to them.

Weather experts maintain that progress of the southwest monsoon has been more or less on expected lines. It can arrive a day or two either behind or ahead of schedule. Indications, they maintain, are of a normal rainy season in the region this time.

Chandigarh, June 22
A “khurpa” and a set of dumbbells were used by Jagtar Singh Hawara and his three other accomplices to dig the 94-foot-long and 14-foot-deep tunnel through which they escaped from the high security Burail Jail on January 22, 2004. The great escape was further facilitated due to negligence on the part of jail officials.

As being believed by the different investigating agencies and forensic experts that an electrical gadget had been used to dig the tunnel, the escapees dug the entire tunnel with a “khurpa”, sourced from the kitchen garden of the jail and dumbbells were used to compact its inner walls.

The Babbar Khalsa chief in India (BKI), Hawara was in regular touch with his mentors in the West through mobile phones. The jail authorities and the intelligence agencies failed to tap the conversations through interceptors and Hawara was aware of it.

Spilling the beans about his plot to escape from the jail, the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief while being interrogated by the police has revealed that it took about two-and-a-half months to dig the tunnel. At times, Hawara had to literally pull back either of his accomplice, Paramjit Singh Bheora, Jagtar Singh Tara and Devi Singh in a semi-conscious state. As it required stamina to continue with the digging work, they exercised vigorously in their barrack.

It may be mentioned when the 18-foot-long tunnel was detected, an enquiry was ordered and the then SDM reportedly said that there was no concrete evidence of a tunnel. Then, an order was reportedly passed by the administration to tap the phone calls of the jail.

Actually, it was an 18-foot-long tunnel that was being dug, clearly aimed at making an escape. However, the three lost their way while digging. In the meantime a portion of the earth caved in and the jail authorities panicked.

Sources in the police said the BKI chief had admitted that an electrical junction box was used to light a bulb which could enable them to continue in darkness. The loose earth taken out from the tunnel had been adjusted in the compound itself as its level was found seven or eight inches higher than the approved design. In the last days before escaping, the earth was drained through the sewerage system, said the sources.

Hawara disclosed that it was dumbbells which were used to break the concrete slab in the barrack before they hit the earth below. The BKI chief had plotted different aides on need-to-know basis which meant that different facilitators did not know what others were supposed to do. Like Baljit Kaur was alleged to be instrumental in arranging the mobiles and the car in which the undertrials escaped, Narain Singh Chaura was allegedly involved in cutting off the power supply and Narinder Singh was also instrumental in the escape of Hawara from the jail. The entire communication was through coded messages like Durgiana Mandir was the code for Punjabi University and Amritsar was the code for Patiala.

The sources disclosed that after escaping from the jail, Hawara used a particular number to communicate with a particular aide and did not share it with others. He is learnt to have used around 50 different numbers to talk with his mentors and aides. After escaping, Hawara frequently visited Dukhniwaran Sahib Gurdwara in Patiala. 

Bathinda, June 22
The police has booked four aides of BKI chief Jagtar Singh Hawara for supplying ration and other material to him in jail and harbouring him following his escape.

Sources said their proximity to Hawara had been proved in the police probe. According to sources, one of Hawara’s aides, Amrik Singh Ratakheda, also sent youths to foreign countries under a conspiracy. Sources said he was also involved in formulating plans of the outfit. Sources said Ratakheda also met Hawara many times after he escaped from Burail jail. The police registered a case against Ratakheda a couple of days back and two pistols were recovered from his possession. Sources said Hawara reportedly held meetings with Ratakheda in different districts, at which they zeroed in on their targets and prepared strategy.

Following fresh disclosures, the police has registered a case against Amrik Singh Ratakheda, Kuldeep Singh of Faridabad, Harjinder Singh of Fatehabad, and Anokh Singh of Gurdaspur, under Sections 221, 221A, 122, 124A, 153, 212, 216, and 120B, of the IPC, Sections 25, 54, and 59, of the Arms Act, and Section 415 of the Explosive Act. Sources said the police had also seized some mobile phones from their possession. Sources said all four accused had been arrested, but the police was yet to show the arrest of Harjinder and Anokh.

SSP, Kapil Dev, said that Kuldeep Singh had been arrested and a Tempo Trax vehicle seized from the gurdwara of Chhota Gurusar village.

The vehicle was used for supplying goods to Hawara. He said Amrik Singh was behind sending youths to foreign countries and the police was investigating the matter.

Faridkot, June 22
After completing first phase of probe into the PMT paper leak, the Vigilance Bureau has decided to investigate the past four years PMT result. Following a recent paper leak, speculations were rife that PMT paper of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences had also been leaked in previous years.

Sources said questions were being raised on the credibility of the varsity after a series of goof-ups in the PMT application form and prospectus and the paper leak added to the uproar. Sources said the Vigilance was likely to spread ambit of investigation and seek audit report and record of appointments made in the university in the past four years. Sources said though the Vigilance had detected leakage at the level of superintendent, it was yet to interrogate Deputy Registrar, K.P. Singh, who had reportedly gone underground and the Vice-Chancellor, J.S. Gurjral, who fell sick a few days after the paper leak came to light. Sources said the Vigilance Bureau had also got some clues that pointed to the leakage of whole paper and not just 88 questions.

Meanwhile, varsity superintendent, S.P. Kapoor, has been sent in judicial remand till July 7. Seven others arrested in the case including V-C’s peon Buta Ram have also been sent in judicial custody. The Vigilance Bureau had sought the police remand of Dr Vinod Khanna who had bought the paper for his son, but the court rejected it.

Amritsar, June 22
The district police today claimed to have solved a blind murder case of Bilal (21) of the Jan Muhammad mosque, near Kotwali, after two years. Girdhari Lal, a resident of Chhota Haripura, was arrested in this connection.

According to a press release issued here today, Mr R.P.S. Brar, SSP, said that Bilal was stabbed to death on April 27, 2003, following which a case was registered on the statement of Mohammad Isa, father of the deceased, under Section 302, IPC, at Kotwali police station. He had stated that his son had gone to play cricket after “namaz” in the evening. However, he never returned.

Interestingly, the police had booked Lovely, Sonu and Pradeep for his murder on the statement of Prince of Katra Baggian, who was contacted by the father of the deceased. Prince informed Mohammad Isa that Lovely, Sonu and Pradeep had snatched their bicycle and money and Bilal had gone after them. He had, however, added that the accused had stabbed Bilal with a sharpedged weapon and escaped.

After one year the case was shifted to the CIA Staff, which started investigations. During investigations Prince changed his earlier statement and confessed that he had given wrong names to the police out of fear of Girdhari Lal, an old thief and his goons, who were involved in many crimes. He also admitted that Girdhari Lal had killed Bilal along with Satnam Singh of Bhai Majh Road, Ashoka Paharia of Delhi and Raj Kumar of Dinanagar.

Detailing the incident, the SSP said that Bilal and others were used to pick pockets and Girdhari Lal was their leader. He said on the evening of the incident, they had a quarrel with Prince. They, as usual, went to meet Girdhari Lal at Bhandari Bridge where they stabbed Bilal. 

Patiala, June 22
Even as the entire state is reeling under massive power cuts with the sweltering heat adding to the woes of residents, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) authorities have decided to shut down two major grid substations which will affect power supply in almost all major areas of the city.

The board management has decided to simultaneously shut down the Bahadurgarh 66 KV grid substation and Rajpura colony 66 KV grid substation tomorrow. The reasons being cited by the board are `improvement of efficiency of the substations’.

This means that residents of the heavily populated areas of Punjabi University, Lower Mall, Mall Road, Gurbaksh Colony, Anardana Chowk, Virk Colony, Nehru Park, Sirhind Road Rai Majra, Jagdish Colony, Hira Bagh, Factory Area, Bhupindera Road and parts of the walled city will have to spend the day without electricity from 6 am to 10 am. All these areas fall under the Rajpura colony grid substation.

The areas which fall under the Bahadurgarh grid station are Bahadurgarh township, where the Escorts factory is located, and adjoining villages. These areas will be facing a power cut from 10 am to 4 pm.

A board source said these cuts were being imposed apart from the regular cuts the board was already imposing in the city. However, an official spokesman clarified that the board management may try to give some respite from the regular cuts.

Today the city had to face more than five-hour power cut. According to a board source, a three-hour regular power cut had been imposed directly from the 220 KV grid while keeping in view the high consumption of electricity, the board management had to impose yet another three hour unscheduled power cut in the city.

Meanwhile, the board Chairman has said due to rise in temperature and due to the ongoing padding sowing season, the board has to deal with a sharp increase in the demand for power in the entire state.

In a press note, Mr Y.S Ratra, Chairman, said the board was making every effort to purchase more power from other sources to meet the increased demand due to the paddy transplantation season.

The press note further added that on June 19, the board had to meet an all-time high consumption of 1290.92 lakh units. To meet this all-time high consumption, 192 lakh units had to be procured from various hydro stations, 166 lakh units were taken from the BBMB, 425 lakh units were procured from the board’s own thermal stations while the rest of the 507 lakh units were purchased from the central sector generating stations and through unscheduled interchange from the central grid.

Amritsar, June 22
In a significant development, Bibi Jagir Kaur, president, SGPC, today honoured a delegation of Pakistani Sikhs, including Mr Bishan Singh, vice-president, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC), and exchanged gifts, here, today.

This has given clear indications that the SGPC chief had softened her stand on the PSGPC as it was for the first time that she herself has come forward to honour the PSGPC’s vice-president and other members of the delegation.

Earlier, Bibi Jagir Kaur had stopped sending Sikh jathas to Pakistan in protest against the formation of the PSGPC, on Baisakhi day of 1999 to mark the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa Panth.

However, her successor, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, the then SGPC chief, had restored the jathas.

The delegation from Pakistan has also extended a formal invitation to Bibi Jagir Kaur to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

The other members of the delegation included Mr Rana Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Adviser to Pak Punjab Chief Minister, Resham Singh, advocate and Shehnaz, Patron, Human Rights Commission .

Talking to the TNS, the SGPC chief said she had accepted the invitation and would visit Pakistan at an appropriate time. The Pakistani delegation has agreed in principle to implement the ‘Maryada’ (Sikh traditions) as prescribed by the SGPC and Akal Takht in all the gurdwaras of Pakistan.

She said it was a positive development that the PSGPC had considered the SGPC as supreme body of the Sikhs.

However, Bibi Jagir Kaur made it clear that the SGPC would give recognition to the PSGPC only if Government of Pakistan gave control of Pakistan’s gurdwaras to the baptized Sikhs there.

She said that if Muslims were exclusively running Waqaf Board in India then why the control of gurdwaras was not given to the Sikh community.

She suggested that if the Pakistan Evacuee Property Trust Board (PEPTB) wanted to keep the management of the gurdwaras under its direct control then it should recruit Sikhs at a large scale, who could implement the ‘Maryada’ of Akal Takht.

Bibi Jagir Kaur said as per the reports, Muslim employees of the PEPTB were managing the gurdwaras in Pakistan which could not be tolerated.

However, the SGPC chief appreciated the goodwill shown by the PSGPC and looked forward to improving the relations between both the Sikh organisations.

She said the SGPC was ready to extend any sort of help to the PSGPC if it wanted to implement the ‘Maryada’ in its true spirit.

She added that it was a matter of principles on which the SGPC had been fighting to give control of gurdwaras to the Sikh Panth.

The delegation also presented, Nanakshahi calendar, published by the PSGPC, holy Koran, and other gifts to the SGPC chief as a mark of respect.

The SGPC made transport arrangements for the Pakistani delegation to facilitate their pilgrimage to other religious places of Punjab.

Amritsar, June 22
“Lately efforts are on to shed the global perception of Pakistan of a state suppressing human rights, women and minorities. Several ‘regressive’ customs have been banned and penalised with death sentences to improve its image abroad”. These views were expressed here today by Rana Ijaz Ahmed Khan, adviser to Chief Minister of Pakistan Punjab, Mr Parvez Illahi, on law and human rights.

He is heading a 16-member delegation of multi-religious representatives and right activists, including three women, on a peace mission to India.

He said his country had given 22 per cent representation to women at the district level and 17 per cent in the provincial and federal sphere. The government was also trying to root out practices like “haq bakshana” wherein girls of feudal lords are married to the Koran and thus the property remains within the family.

The practice has been banned through an edict and is punishable with imprisonment.

Another regressive practice is of “Vini” in which a convict’s family gives its girls to the family of a victim as “compromise” to withdraw the case against their own. Sometimes minors are given in marriage to a single person. The practice has also been made punishable.

Ms Amna Ulfat, state vice-president of the ruling Muslim league (Punjab) and chairperson of the Crisis Centre for Women, admitted that honour killings continued to exist. However, it is punishable with 25 years of imprisonment or death. With the media highlighting issue in developed countries, people have started taking asylum on this pretext in foreign countries by faking it.

Mr Rana claimed that in the sensational Muktaran Mai case of a woman’s gangrape ordered by a panchayat in lieu of illicit relations of Mai’s brother with a woman of another caste, he personally went to the village of the victim and got an FIR lodged and effected the suspension of police staff. She now had about Rs 13 crore in her name funded by various organisations abroad.

Amritsar, June 22
The much awaited four-laning of the Jalandhar-Amritsar highway, which was obstructed due to legal tangles, is likely to be commence from mid of July.

Informing this in a press conference here today, Mr Navjot Singh Sidhu, MP, said the work would include a total of four railway bridges, comprising construction of 600-m Beas overbridge, and widening of 100 small culverts. He said the Rs 250-crore project would be completed within two years and 80 per cent of acquisition of land had been finished.

He said the highway, which had turned into a killer with an average of four accidental deaths reported in a day, needed immediate attention. He said the project would provide employment to one lakh persons.

Mr Sidhu said the contract had been given to a Hyderabad-based construction company and was allotted by the National Highway Authority of India while the contract of survey had been given to another Hyderabad-based company which had already covered 10 km.

The former cricketer said the construction would speed up the development of the border city, which had been neglected so far besides enhancing the image of the country.

Jalandhar, June 22
To strengthen existing Bhagat Kabir chair in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, the Punjab government would extend a grant of Rs 5 lakh and organise an international level seminar on the philosophy of Bhagat Kabir on the university campus soon.

This was announced by Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Punjab Minister for Local Bodies, at a state-level function in connection with 607th birth anniversary of Bhagat Kabir at Red Cross Bhavan here today.

Chaudhary Jagjit Singh said more government aid would be extended to Bhagat Kabir Chair for research on the “Bani” of Bhagat Kabir and participation of scholars from around the world would be ensured. “The translated version of “Baani” of Bhagat Kabir would be distributed by the government among people of the state,” said he adding that the philosophy of Bhagat Kabir ji revolved around compassion, humanity and equality. He said the Punjab government was working towards upliftment of the downtrodden and financial aid was being extended for this purpose.

He also announced a grant of Rs Two lakh for the Bhagat Kabir temple.

Mayor Surinder Mahey, Mr Rahul Gupta, Assistant Commissioner, (General) were among the speakers.

Amritsar, June 22
The Pakistan government has formed a five-member board for the upkeep of Katasraj temple, one of the most revered Hindu shrines there.

This was revealed by Mr Munwar Chand, general secretary Krishan Temple Board, Lahore, to The Tribune here yesterday who has been nominated as one of its members.

The five-member Katasraj board is headed by Principal, National College of Arts, Lahore, Ms Sajda Haider Wandal, with members Mr Sham Singh, a former Co-Chairperson Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Mr Mighlani and Mr Ravinder Kumar, lone Hindu minority member of the District Committee Chakwal.

However, the shrines continue to be under the Federal Ministry and the Archaeological Department of Pakistan. Work has already started with a demarcation grill around the holy sarovar ‘Amar Kund’. The desilting of sarovar is also underway.

Mr Munwar Chand claimed that the youth hostel that was built on the land belonging to the shrines had also been handed over to the board to be used for devotees visiting the shrine. There is also proposal to build baths near the shrines.

Mr Muhammad Ilyas Bhatti of the Department of Archaeology, Pakistan also the curator, Taxila Museum and Project Director Katasraj temples talking to The Tribune from Pakistan said the Pakistan Government has conveyed to India their need for conservationists and preservationists familiar with the Hindu architecture who could help maintain the shrines.

The repair of Satgarha temples connected with the Pandavas had been prioritised for repair. Many of its gates and structures were vandalised by angry mobs post-Babri Masjid demolition in India. The Pakistan Government proposes to reinstall gates. Efforts were on to install idols in the shrines informed Mr Chand.

The general secretary of Sri Krishan Temple, Lahore, said work on the cremation ground of 24 kanal along the Ravi that was sanctioned earlier this year had started with the initial budget of Rs 50,000 for a 2000 feet wall and other infrastructure. As many as 14 cremation grounds were there in Lahore before Partition. Most of them were encroached upon by land mafias and others.

Giving details of proposals, Mr Chand contended that Krishan Temple had also been renovated with new main hall and ‘parkarma’ had been cleared.

The Federal Government had allocated Rs 25 lakh for Sir Ganga Ram Samadhi in Lahore. Aggarwal serai’s 65 rooms had been handed over to the management of Krishna Temple. The provincial government had earmarked Rs 50,000 for various cremation ground at Multan, Krishan Mandir at Bawalpur, Sherawali Mandir at Uch Sharief, Krishan Temple at Haronabad, Balmiki Mandir at Rawalpindi, a community hall at Taksali Gate, Sheranwali Mata Mandir at Sialkot, he added.

Jalandhar, June 22
Entire Jalandhar city is facing drinking water shortage. Irked male and female residents of Nijatam Nagar locality came out of their houses in scorching heat, held protest, and shouted slogans against the Municipal Corporation and the local Mayor for the inability of the civic body to ensure proper drinking water supply in the area.

Agitated over the shortage of drinking water, residents, displayed empty utensils and alleged that though they were not getting proper water supply for about a week, but, nothing was done by the civic body officials, local councilor and the Mayor to solve their problem. They also threatened that if water supply was not restored to the area, they would gherao the MC office on June 23, for which, the MC administration would be responsible.

“What to talk about bathing, we are not even getting sufficient water for drinking. All of our protests have been felling on deaf ears as nobody has come to our rescue so far,” said Sangeeta, a resident. She said though problem had been there for over a month, but, it had turned unbearable for past about a week.

Ravi Chabbra, the president of the locality, alleged that he had lodged complaints with the area councilor Sardul Singh Kahlon and the MC officials, but, this step failed to yield any tangible result. Sardul Singh Kahlon, however, assured that normal water supply would be ensured as soon as possible.

It is not that the Nijatam Nagar locality was suffering from water shortage alone. Availability of drinking water has become scarce in almost all parts of the city, including, the Cantonment area. The problem is so acute in cantonment area, that residents of certain parts had to purchase water from tankers and one tanker cost them about Rs 500.

Similarly, residents of Mai Hira Gate and other localities, including Suraj Nagar, Ekta Nagar, Kamal Vihar, Bharat Nagar were facing drinking water shortage,. Problem was severe in those localities which were comparatively high as far as their level was concerned.

On the other hand, “Chabbils” surfaced all over the city and these offered some respite to residents. Shopkeepers and other social organisations have put up “Chabbils”, where sweet water was served to people.

Hoshiarpur, June 22
Residents spent a sleepless last night yesterday on account of the failure of the PSEB to maintain regular supply of power even during normal availability of electricity. Power cuts continued till 12.30 a.m. The first power cut was imposed from 9 a.m. to 3 pm yesterday. The supply was made available from 3 pm to 4 pm and thereafter cuts were imposed again. This situation has been going on for the past few days.

Several persons said they had tried to complaint but the telephone of the complaint centre was either engaged or out of order. Similar was the plight of telephones of the Executive Engineer and the Subdivisional Engineer.

Mr Rajnish Tandon, a social worker, said earlier the supply of power was made available to the area from a feeder of the 33 KV sub-station on the Jalandhar road. To improve the supply, the area was recently attached with a feeder of the 66 KV sub-station of Sadhu Ashram. Following this, frequent power tripping had started and electric appliances had been damaged. He said smooth power supply in the area had yet to be started after the removal of bottle-necks.

Residents alleged that there was no power cut in the residential colony of PSEB employees located in the office complex of the Superintending Engineer, Hoshiarpur. The power supply was round the clock there, they said.

Mr Upinder Singh Khamba, Executive Engineer, PSEB Hoshiarpur Division said on account of heavy increase in power load, some technical faults had developed in the supply line last night. He had monitored the removal of the faults till midnight. He said the attachment of the area with the feeder of the 66 KV sub station would improve the power supply in the future. The snags were being rectified.

Asked to comment on the uninterrupted power supply in the residential colony of the PSEB staff, he said the authorities of the board had allowed it. Moreover, computers had been installed in the office of the Superintending Engineer which required a regular power supply.

Jalandhar, June 22
With an objective to create awareness about correct use of condoms, their quality and varieties available in the market to male residents of the city, “Sandesh Doot”, a van, would keep touring different parts of the city for 10 days under a “Yahi Hai Sahi,” campaign aimed at attaining improved maternal health through spacing of children and by preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

The campaign is based on key insights provided by a study involving over 3,000 men aged between 25 and 45 in 30 cities across North India that has been a joint effort of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the ICICI Bank, supported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“The venture addresses the social needs of Indian public effectively as it brings together the synergies between private and public sectors. Today, condoms are promoted primarily for HIV/AIDS prevention and general population tends to forget what an excellent method it is in their daily lives — both for contraception and prevention against many sexually transmitted diseases,” said Ms Sashwati Banerjee, programme director and communcation adviser of PSP-One, a health agency funded by the USAID.

Ropar, June 22
A bail application moved by the SAD (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann, in a case of sedition registered against him was today dismissed by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ropar, Mr S.K Goel.

While dismissing the bail application, Mr Goel said that investigation in the case had not been completed yet as the other co-accused in the case were yet to be arrested. Moreover, there are serious allegations in the FIR against Mr Mann which were supported by sufficient material.

There was merit in the point raised by the Public Prosecutor that bail to Mr Mann at this stage would affect the investigation. Therefore, keeping in view all the circumstances it was not a fit case for concession of regular bail to Mr Mann, the judge added.

Chandigarh, June 22
A danger on the bio-safety front looms in the cotton belt of Punjab. Most farmers, who were not adequately trained to handle the sowing of Bt cotton, have committed some blunders during the souring operations.

Reports from the cotton belt indicate that most of the farmers have not adhered to the safeguards while sowing Bt cotton. As a large number of them had availed themselves of Bt cotton seed from illegal sources, they did not bother to check its purity. And now what is disturbing the farmers is that they are finding growth of a mixture — Bt and non-Bt — of varieties in their fields. Such a mixture can prove harmful from the marketing point of view. It will also have an adverse impact on biological diversity, say experts.

Many of the farmers who got Bt seed from authorised sources also made serious mistakes. They were given a separate kit of non-Bt hybrid cotton seed which was to be sown on the periphery of the field where Bt cotton was to be grown. However, many of them mixed the non-Bt hybrid seed with Bt cotton seed before souring.

While the non-Bt cotton crop is prone to the attack of bollworms, Bt cotton is claimed to be resistant to it. Obviously, non-Bt cotton plants will have to be sprayed to protect them from bollworm attack. But for farmers it will be difficult to segregate Bt and non-Bt plants. “They will have to spray pesticides on the entire field or skip it. Both ways, they will be losers. Spraying of the entire field will jack up the input cost and non-spraying will lead to the attack of bollworms on non-Bt plants.

Moreover non-Bt hybrid seed was to be sown on the periphery as a protective wall to stop the “spillover effect” of Bt cotton on other crops in the adjoining fields and also to play host to various insects for spray purposes. But that objective also stands defeated.

The segregation of Bt cotton from non-Bt cotton in the fields will be a most difficult task for farmers while picking cotton. Though the officials concerned of PAU and the Agriculture Department do not accept that there will be a transfer of the characteristics of Bt cotton to conventional native cotton varieties, there are others who say that it will definitely occur in due course.

Not a single meeting has been held till date of the Punjab Government’s apex State Biotech Coordination Committee which was set up under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The main task of the committee is to take measures to counter the “ill-effects” of genetically modified crops. Though much has happened in the cotton belt, the committee is still inactive.

Although government officials deny it, independent experts say that the “spillover effect” can prove very harmful to native crops. For instance, if any person is engaged in organic farming near a Bt cotton field, the “spillover effect” on his fields can hit his farming.

European markets are sensitive to anything related to genetically modified organisms. There are several European countries which discourage the cultivation of Bt crops and the entry of genetically modified organisms by laying down strict regulations.

Dr S.S. Johl, eminent agro-economist, said the state government authorities should have been very cautious about the introduction of crops like Bt cotton. The sowing of Bt crops had been banned by some countries. States like Andhra Pradesh had also banned the sowing of certain varieties of Bt cotton. “Are we aware of the consequences if the Bt gene affects other crops, the environment and even human beings?” he asked. “We should be very careful on this count”. Bt cotton could become a big liability for Punjab and also for the country if adequate precautions were not taken, he asserted.

ADMINISTRATION

‘Suwidha’ to give status of applications
Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 22
National Informatics Centre (NIC) has replicated and made functional the software, “Suwidha”, for the 17 districts of the state to get the latest status of the various applications submitted by citizens in the state. A website http://www.suwidha.nic.in was being launched for this purpose at the first Suwidha-SDM Centre being made operational here.

According to a press note issued by the Punjab Government, the Chief Secretary, Punjab has issued instructions to all deputy commissioners to implement “Suwidha”. He said that for this purpose, the Government had already provided an outlay of Rs 7 crore under the subhead “Information Technology” in the annual plan 2005-06, out of which, a sum of Rs 3.50 crore had been provided for computerisation in Punjab Government/semi-government offices.

Video-conferencing facility had been established in all 17 districts of Punjab. It was being used moderately. Efforts to increase its usage were on. A programme for the computerisation of driving licenses under the “Sarthi” programme had been implemented at four locations and “Vahan” (Computerisation of Vehicle Registration) at three locations, including a pilot project at Ropar. Soon, these would be replicated in other districts also.

Abohar, June 22
The police has booked Vikram Sharma, his father Bhupinder Sharma and mother Nisha Sharma under Sections 498-A and 406 of the IPC for allegedly intimidating Menaka daughter of Mr Baljit Sharma.

Ms Menaka, a resident of street No. 12 in the Nai Abadi locality, had in a complaint lodged with the SSP Ferozepore, on December 30 said that she was married to Vikram, a resident of the same street, on April 30, 2004.

She claimed that her parents spent Rs 15,000 on the ring ceremony and Rs 5 lakh on the marriage. Her in laws were not satisfied with the dowry and started humiliating her.

They allegedly asked Menaka to arrange Rs 2 lakh in cash from her parents so that Vikram could get a government job by paying the amount or start his own business.

As her father Mr Baljit Sharma, accompanied by some friends, went to her in laws to give Rs 30,000 only, they felt insulted and asked her to leave the house.

She told the SSP that the in-laws had tried to burn her alive and also conspired to get her pregnancy illegally terminated with the help of a practitioner on the pretext that this would help her in marrying some one else. She named the practitioner in the complaint.

She was ultimately restored to her parents but the in-laws allegedly misappropriated the istri dhan, gifted by her parents.

As the in-laws refused to return the valuables, including gold ornaments, she approached the SSP for help. The latter directed the city police to initiate action against the in-laws and investigate. No arrest was made in this connection. 

Muktsar, June 22
A Vigilance team today caught a Markfed accountant red-handed while accepting bribe from a contractor here.

Sources said the contractor, Mr Bagicha Singh, had Rs 1 lakh due from the department for the last season’s lifting work. When he sought the payment from the department, the accountant, Mr Subhash Chander Singla, demanded a bribe of Rs 8,000 for the job.

The contractor then approached the Vigilance SP, Ferozepore Range, Mr I.S. Randhawa, and lodged a complaint against Singla.

Following the directives of Mr Randhawa, the Vigilance DSP, Mr Raminder Singh, today laid a trap and caught Singla red-handed while accepting Rs 8,000 from the contractor. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Bathinda, June 22
A person died and three others were injured when a truck carrying calves collided head on with a fuel tanker near Katarsinghwala village last night, killing 25 calves and injuring 65 others

Sources said the truck was transporting calves from Goniana Mandi to Saharanpur. The impact of collision was such as the front portions of both the vehicles were totally mangled.

Villagers rushed to the spot and started rescue operations. A 10-member team of Sahara Jan Seva Society also reached there.

Sahara volunteers admitted the driver and the conductor of the tanker to the emergency ward of the Civil Hospital, while the truck driver, Purshottam Sharma, died on the spot. The truck conductor sustained injuries.

The truck was carrying over 100 calves and they were bundled into it with their legs tied.

The Sahara volunteers also made arrangements for the treatment of injurecalves. 

Patiala, June 22
A prize distribution function was organised to honour students who recently returned from a 10-day hiking and trekking camp at Youth Welfare Department here today.

The function was organised by the Punjabi Cultural and Social Welfare (PCSW) Club, Nabha.

The camp was organised in Kullu-Manali in which 30 girls participated.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon, who was the chief guest, said student life was best part of one’s life. He added that students should spend quality time on sports activities along with their studies.

The ADC praised the club for organising the camp to train girls in adventure sports like hiking and trekking.

Assistant Director (Youth Welfare) Jit Singh Butar said under the Central Government scheme this year, 90 students would be trained in hiking and trekking activities.

During this camp students were given training at Sundarnagar, Saket, Bhunter, Kullu and Manali.