J A L A N D H A R

Confusion prevails over wheat prices
Kapurthala, April 25
The confusion over the wheat prices continued here today when the state agencies failed to procure wheat from the local grain market, while the private traders purchased the wheat at Rs 665 per quintal.

False report: suitable action against SI recommended
Chandigarh, April 25
For allegedly implicating a Gurdaspur district family in a dowry harassment case, a Punjab Police sub inspector (SI) not only “fabricated a false report”, but also “destroyed” another report initially prepared in the matter. After being indicted by a senior Punjab Police officer, SI Jasvir Kaur has now been booked for forgery and other offences.

More than 70 pc schools understaffed, says a report 
Phagwara, April 25
More than 70 per cent of the schools in the state were understaffed, government teachers spent as many as 73 days on non-education duties, most of the teachers themselves helped in mass copying, and above all, they were not interested in getting their own children educated in government schools.

6,000 acres of land to be covered under bio-fertilizer project
Kapurthala, April 25
A total of 6,000 acres of land in the district would be covered under the Bio-fertilizer project to be initiated under the observation of the Central government and the Punjab Agriculture Department.

Confusion prevails over wheat prices
Arun Sharma
Tribune News service

Kapurthala, April 25
The confusion over the wheat prices continued here today when the state agencies failed to procure wheat from the local grain market, while the private traders purchased the wheat at Rs 665 per quintal.

Around 5,000 quintals of wheat arrived at the New Grain Market here today. Of these over 4,000 quintals was brought by private traders.

The uncertainty prevailed the whole day over the issue whether the new hike of Rs 50 is considered as a bonus or a hike in MSP, as an advertisement by the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in an English daily mentioned it as an incentive on the MSP.

However, Mr Raminder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, said that it was a bonus declared by the Central government.

Meanwhile, the traders kept on enjoying the benefit of doubts, as they had to pay no taxes on the bonus. They had to pay taxes on recent hike if it was treated as the MSP.

Mr Vishavjeet Sharma, a commission agent, alleged that the advertisements appeared in a section of press were misleading as it described the hike as the MSP.

Moreover, the farmers who sold the wheat in the local New Grain Market were entitled to get the bonus from the private traders to whom they sold their produce through the commission agents as it was already agreed by the traders.

Sources said the state government was also mulling over the idea to announce bonus up to Rs 20 for the farmers of the state.

Earlier in the morning, the volunteers of the district Youth Akali Dal staged a dharna on the road in front of the local grain market protesting against the delay in the announcement of bonus.

The youth Akali leaders alleged that the bonus was announced when most of the farmers had sold 80 per cent of the wheat.

The leaders also burnt the effigy of Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh. 

False report: suitable action against SI recommended
Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 25
For allegedly implicating a Gurdaspur district family in a dowry harassment case, a Punjab Police sub inspector (SI) not only “fabricated a false report”, but also “destroyed” another report initially prepared in the matter. After being indicted by a senior Punjab Police officer, SI Jasvir Kaur has now been booked for forgery and other offences.

The case has once again brought into sharp focus the functioning of the Punjab Police at the subordinate level.

Several cases of harassment to the groom and his family by police officials at the behest of the bride and the in-laws are already being probed into by senior functionaries.

In his report submitted to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission in the current case, Punjab’s Director-General of Police (Crime) recommended “suitable legal action under criminal laws against SI Jasvir Kaur — in charge of women's cell at Gurdaspur — for fabricating a false report with wrong dates and destroying the genuine first report”.

The DGP added that “due to her wrong doings a false FIR was registered” in the matter. The case, alleging subjecting a married woman to cruelty, was registered on June 11, 2004, under Section 498-A of the IPC at Police Station Dhariwal against Nirmal Kaur of Gurdaspur district and her family on a complaint submitted by her son’s father-in-law.

Recommending the cancellation of the FIR against Nirmal Kaur and her family, the DGP observed that the inquiry report prepared by the SI in the matter was “devoid of merit” and “prepared due to reasons other than facts of the case”.

He also recommended the “initiation of departmental inquiry against SI Jasvir Kaur for refusing to accept summons properly served on her in connection with the inquiry of the complaint”.

After considering the recommendations, the state Human Rights Commission, comprising chairperson Justice N.C. Jain and members B.C. Rajput, V.K. Sibal, N.K. Arora and Justice R.L.Anand, observed that “the recommendations incorporated in the DGP’s report were based on correct appreciation of facts of the case”.

The commission added that the “reply furnished by SI Jasvir Kaur in response to a show-cause notice under Section 16 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, does not carry any conviction.

She was given full opportunity to explain her position before the Inquiry Officer. Cogent reasons have been recorded in the report for indicting SI Jasvir Kaur for preparing a false report….”

The commission concluded that even the “role of senior officers, including the DSP and SP concerned in the whole episode, deserved to be looked into at the level of some senior ADGP of the state government.

After going through the report received from the DGP, we feel that their conduct may not be above suspicion. However, this may not be construed as any direct indictment of these officers since actual position may emerge only after the matter has been looked into….” 

More than 70 pc schools understaffed, says a report 
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Phagwara, April 25
More than 70 per cent of the schools in the state were understaffed, government teachers spent as many as 73 days on non-education duties, most of the teachers themselves helped in mass copying, and above all, they were not interested in getting their own children educated in government schools. These disclosures were made in a report prepared by the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO). The report was released here on Monday. The report was also critical of the government’s mid-day meal scheme.

The report has been submitted to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for deliberations.

However, the report was critical of both Akali and Congress governments for “corrupt practices” in the Education Department.

Justice (retd) A.S. Bains, in his report, claimed that results of 90 per cent schools were below the expectation levels. Nearly 30,000 posts of teachers were lying vacant and more than 70 per cent of senior secondary schools were without regular principals, claimed the report. About the private schools, the PHRO report claimed that they were emerging as business houses, though they received various concessions from the government. 

6,000 acres of land to be covered under bio-fertilizer project
Tribune News Service

Kapurthala, April 25
A total of 6,000 acres of land in the district would be covered under the Bio-fertilizer project to be initiated under the observation of the Central government and the Punjab Agriculture Department.

This was revealed by Dr Manohar Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Kapurthala, after holding a farmers’ training camp at Saidowal village near here today.

The camp was organised to make the farmers aware about the organic farming in the region.

In every block of the district, 1,200 acre of land would be covered under the project, said Mr Manohar Singh. The villages that would be covered under the project are Madho Jhanda, Saidowal and Gossal from Kapurthala block, Naseerpur village from Sultanpur Lodhi block, and Jatike village from Dhilwan block. In Nadala block, Bagrian village had been short-listed for the trial and in Phagwara block, Bulla Rye village had been chosen for the project, Mr Manohar Singh said.

In the first phase of the project, the farmers would be apprised of the concept of bio-fertilizer and organic farming, while in the next phase, at the time of transplanting of paddy in June this year, the demonstration camps would be organised and bio-fertilizers would be distributed to the farmers free of cost, the CAO added.

The farmers would be distributed Azospirillum, azotobactor and the PSB (phosphate solubilising bacteria) for the trial purpose.