CM seeks more funds from Centre
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today strongly pleaded the Punjab’s case for acceleration of pace of modernisation of the police and sought a 100 per cent grant-in-aid from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

He also demanded that funding to curb terrorism should be made by the Central Government.

Taking part in the deliberations at the Congress Chief Ministers’ Conclave at Nainital, Capt Amarinder Singh said serious challenges from within the state and across the border made it necessary to modernise the weapons and equipment of the Punjab Police.

“There is a strong need to improve the mobility, communication, fire power, training as also the living conditions, like police housing, etc. One aspect of modernisation of the police is computerisation of FIRs and records, which is currently underway in Punjab”, said the Chief Minister.

Education of girls: NGO rises to occasion while govt shies away
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Jhugian (Hoshiarpur)  September 24
The government has failed, to take up the task of providing education to girls in one of the most backward ‘Bet’ areas of the district but a non-government organisation has taken up this task.

Swami Chetna Nand Maharaj Bhuriwale girls college in remote Mansowal village of Hoshiarpur has been providing education to 150 girls. The ‘Bet’ is one of the poorest and backward areas of the state.

Infertile land with stones and unavailability of water for irrigation have hampered progress of the area. Backwardness of the area is also reflected in the attitude of residents of the area. Most of residents do not provide education to their girls. Most of the girls in the area are married off at an early age and only lucky ones among them obtain matriculation qualification. The philanthropic society opened the college in the area to provide education to girls in 1997.

Principal of the college Dr Jagjit Kaur told The Tribune initially they found it very difficult to find students in the area. Nobody was willing to send girls to the college.

Initially they had to be content with 50 girl students. The staff of the college had to persuade by going to villages before every academic session to attract students. Parents of the girl students were persuaded to send them to college. Slowly strength of the college has increased to 150.

Paying capacity of the area is another problem. The college charges a nominal fee of Rs 200 per month from students to meet recurring expenses. However, many of the students are not in a position to pay even that much. Education free of cost is given to poor students who cannot afford to pay fee.

Despite all these hurdles the college has achieved good academic standards. Result of the college is 100 per cent. At the youth festival of Panjab University the college has won zonal trophy and 28 other prizes. In yoga the college has been topping university competitions.

Due to poor paying capacity of people of the area the college has not been able to start science classes. Computer classes are, however, being started very soon, she said. The teachers in the college despite having best qualifications, are not getting salary as per the UGC standards. The management is able to give them just basic pay.

Case for government takeover of the college was moved in August 2005. All papers were sent to the DPI higher education. However, nothing has been done in this regard so far. If the college is taken over by the government it would be boost education of girls in this most backward area of the state.

Probe begins into Dalit’s ‘custodial’ death
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Sangrur, September 24
Mr Gurtej Singh, SDM, Sangrur, has started proceedings of the magisterial inquiry ordered by the Sangrur Deputy Commissioner into the alleged custodial death of a 20-year-old Dalit boy, Ballu Singh, son of Mr Mithu Singh, a resident of Chathe Sekhwan village, near here. Ballu Singh had allegedly died in police custody about a week ago.

After receiving a letter from Sangrur Deputy Commissioner S.R. Ladhar on September 19, regarding holding of an inquiry into the alleged custodial death of Ballu Singh, the Sangrur SDM has initiated proceedings to conduct the inquiry by issuing summons to 10 persons — an ASI, three family members of the deceased, and six others — to take part in the inquiry proceedings on September 25.

In its letter, the Deputy Commissioner has asked the Sangrur SDM to complete the inquiry and send a report to him within a week.

Mr Gurtej Singh, SDM, told The Tribune here that he had summoned Mithu Singh, Gurmail Kaur and Gurpal Singh, father, mother and brother, respectively, of Ballu Singh; ASI Kashmira Singh and Kala Ram, Shivji Ram, Harbans Singh, Ishar Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Nirmal Singh to take part in the inquiry on September 25 here.

On September 16, Mr Gurpal Singh, brother of the deceased, had stated that his brother had died in police custody while the police claimed that he had fled from the fields at Chathe Sekhwan village where he had been taken for the recovery of money which he had allegedly stolen from the shop of a person of the same village.

The victim’s relatives had levelled charges against Shivji, Kala, Harbans Singh, Ishar Singh, Nirmal Singh and Sukhdev Singh that they had got Ballu Singh murdered by way of getting him “beaten up” severely by the police. Due to this, the police registered a case under Sections 302, 148 and 149 of the IPC against these six persons. Later, the police also entered the name of ASI Kashmira Singh in the list of the accused on a statement of Gurpal Singh, brother of the deceased.

Amritsar, September 24
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of Akal Takht, yesterday courted yet another controversy when he honoured USA-based Dr Ganga Singh Dhillon , a Khalistani ideologue and president, Nankana Sahib Sikh Foundation, at a Gurdwara in Switzerland .

The function was organized by the radical Sikhs including those who had hijacked two Indian aircraft on September 29, 1981, and in July 1984 - from Delhi and Srinagar to Lahore respectively . The hijackers, including Jasbir Singh and Karm Singh, who hijacked the Indian plane in 1981 in protest against the arrest of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Harminder Singh and Harbhajan Singh , both involved in hijacking in 1984 after Operation Blue Star, were instrumental in constructing the gurdwara in Switzerland where Jathedar Vedanti was the chief guest.

The hijackers had sought political asylum in Switzerland and their case is still under consideration. The programme of Jathedar Vedanti of honouring Dr Dhillon was broadcast on Punjab Radio yesterday.

Amritsar, September 24
The “Sikh Vision 2025”, a 612-page book authored by Hirsimran Singh and released by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, has raised many questions with regard to the Sikh clergy.

Hirsimran is one of founders of Dal Khalsa and considered close to Gajinder Singh, one of India’s 20 most-wanted persons living in Pakistan. In 1982, the author was arrested in connection with hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane.

The book has questioned the procedure for appointment and installation of the Sikh high priests. The document alleged that the present jathedars had failed to come up to the aspirations of the Panth.

It says the fear psychosis created by the Sikh clergy by pronouncing arbitrary directives has not created the desired image of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs. He gave the example of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, who was humiliated by awarding him a “tankhah” (guilty of religious misconduct) by Prof Darshan Singh, the then Jathedar, Akal Takht.

The author emphasised the need of reaching a consensus among various Sikh bodies like the SGPC, DSGMC, Takhts of Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib to finalise a procedure in this regard.

The role of the SGPC, SAD and certain other Sikh organisations also came under scanner in the book. The author stressed the need of evolving “corporate maturity” by 2025 for establishing “pre-eminence” of the community.

Chandigarh, September 24
Known for using lathis on peaceful demonstrators, policemen in Punjab now intend to wield the pen also. Beginning next month, an illustrated magazine in Punjabi is what the Police Department intends to bring out every month.

The Director-General of Police, Mr S.S. Virk, who had a meeting with 100-odd police personnel drawn from all over the state here on Friday, is “convinced” that “sufficient talent is available within the organisation to bring out an 80-page magazine regularly.”

Punjab will thus become the first state in the region to have its own police magazine. The idea is not to thwart criticism of the department in the print media but to project the police as a people-friendly force.

“We have good story and prose writers, besides poets and those who can describe events. Some of them were eager to recite their poems while a few others insisted on reading out their stories and prose,” says Mr Virk.

“Not many will be aware that famous Punjabi poet Nand Lal Nandpuri was an Assistant Sub Inspector in the Punjab police. Many of his popular songs were sung by Surinder Kaur and others. He quit the job in the early 1940s. Many of his books are part of the curriculum in a number of universities in the region,” reveals Mr Virk

“The main purpose of the magazine is to create public awareness about the functioning of the department. Since there are a number of police magazines and journals in English already available in the market, we decided on Punjabi so that the common man, a farmer, a labourer and a daily wage earner as well as other well-meaning people can be reached. We have not decided on its name as we have to submit three or four names to the Registrar of Newspapers for approval. In all probability, it will be PP (Punjab Police) Darpan,” adds Mr Virk.

The proposed magazine will run a couple of stories on important cases which were solved by the police besides carrying features on new trends in detection and tackling crime. Besides subjects like cyber crime, white collar crime and transnational crime would also be covered. Achievers in various fields, including sports, and extra-curricular activities, would also be highlighted.

Amritsar, September 24
The Improvement Trust today handed over allotment letters of 16 shops in the Nehru Shopping complex in the Lawrence Road area to Mr R.R. Desh, Chief Passport Officer, for setting up the much-awaited passport office here.

Mr Jugal Kishore Sharma, Chairman, Improvement Trust, while talking to The Tribune said that Mr Desh, along with Mr Amarjit Singh, Regional Passport Officer, had come here to finalise the site and assured him to set up the office by the last week of November. He said later the trust would allocate land for the construction of a permanent building of the passport office in the city. — TNS

Hoshiarpur, September 24
A state-level conference of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics and Intensive Care Chapter, Punjab, organised jointly by the Paediatric Forum and a branch of the Indian Medical Association, Hoshiarpur, was inaugurated by Dr Harbans Lal, an ex-Professor and Head, Department of Paediatrics, Medical College, Patiala, here today in which more than 230 child specialists from all over the state participated.

Dr Harbans Lal said the new inventions were being added every day and doctors should keep themselves updated to keep pace with the time.

Dr R. N. Srivastva said about the kidney problems which did not respond to the conventional drugs. He stressed that the delay in the detection and treatment could cause irreversible damage to the kidneys of the child and the poor child had to suffer throughout the life.

Dr Satinder Aneja, Chief Paediatric, Neurology Division of Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, described about the newer guidelines in the management of epilepsy in children. Dr Praveen Khinani, Intensive Care Specialist from Max Hospital, Delhi, detailed about the setting up of intensive care centres in smaller towns like Hoshiarpur. He stressed to set up ventilators to save the life of a child.

Dr Raman Chawla of Jalandhar said there were many non-surgical ways to treat the congenital heart diseases in children.

There was a symposium on diarrhoea in which Dr Daljit Singh, Principal of Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, and President Intensive Care Chapter, Punjab, spoke about the various types of ORS solutions available. Dr BK Jain, Head, Paediatrics Department of Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, described the persistent diarrhoea.

Dr Neelam Mohan, who transplanted liver in an infant recently in New Delhi, described the role of various drugs in diarrhoea. In her lecture on liver transplant, she said that liver was an organ which could regenerate very fast and its acceptability is one of the best by the body.

Dr. J. S. Dardi, patron and Dr D. V. Salwan, organising chairman, emphasised the organising of such conferences at various cities in the state for exchanging the views amongst specialists.

Chandigarh, September 24
While the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, yesterday instructed the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) to order a special girdawri to assess the damage to crops due to rain and hailstorms in various parts of the state yesterday, the Agriculture Department has directed its officials to be in touch with farmers to assist them in handling the flattened paddy crops at this stage.

The weather caused considerable loss to the paddy and cotton crops in south-west Punjab. It took in its sweep Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda, Moga, Muktsar and Ferozepore districts. The hailstorm was confined to only a few places but the rain was widespread.

Paddy plants loaded with grain, were flattened by fast-blowing winds accompanied with rain. Already the harvesting of the paddy crop and the picking of cotton have started. Till last evening, about 5 lakh tonnes of paddy had arrived in various grain markets. Around 50,000 bales of cotton have arrived in markets of the cotton belt. Punjab is expecting the production of 137 lakh tonnes of paddy and 25.75 lakh bales of cotton this year.

Over the past 10 days, the Malwa region has had light to moderate showers. Farmers need dry and sunny weather at this stage when both major crops — paddy and cotton — have ripened. In the next four weeks, the entire paddy crop will be harvested and cotton will be, by and large, picked. It is a crucial period for farmers and the state’s economy.

Capt Amarinder Singh, who is in Nainital to attend the conclave of Congress Chief Ministers, told the Financial Commissioner to compile a districtwise report of the damage to crops and submit a report within three days, so that the government could take the necessary steps to compensate the affected farmers.

A state government spokesman said that according to preliminary reports available with the Chief Minister’s office, in Ferozepore district there had been extensive damage to the cotton crop in 14 villages in the Abohar area because of the hailstorm. Substantial damage to the paddy crop had been reported in the Ferozepore, Fazilka and Jalalabad areas. In the Baghapurana area of Moga district the cotton and paddy crops had been damaged. The yield of cotton was expected to be adversely affected up to 4 per cent and of paddy between 10 and 15 per cent. The discolouring of paddy ranges from 5 to 10 per cent.

Rakhra (Patiala), September 24
Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, an eminent agriculture scientist and renowned rice breeder, here today called upon farmers to use the underground water with restrain to save the state from becoming another Rajasthan.

He advised the farmers to produce other crops in place of only paddy though it gave them more money. He told the farmers that he had talked to the Director, Agriculture, Punjab, to find such a crop which could give profits to the farmers equal to the paddy crop.

Dr Khush also said that he had written a letter to the Prime Minister for setting up of an institute of biotechnology in Punjab to make research on other crops for bringing second green revolution in the state. He said he would meet the Prime Minister and stress him to set up the institute.

Dr Khush was addressing a gathering of hundreds of farmers at a Kisan Mela, organised by the Young Farmers' Association (YFA), Punjab. Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa, Revenue Minister, Punjab, was the chief guest, in which farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, including Mr P. Chengal Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, Secretary-General, Consortium of Indian Farmers' Associations, also participated.

On the occasion, Dr Khush was honoured with the Dr Amrik Singh Cheema Award by Mr Jasjit Singh Randhawa. A silver plaque, a shawl, a citation and Rs 51,000 were presented to him by the Minister. Later, Dr Khush donated Rs 51,000 to the Young Farmers' Association for the farmers' welfare.

Ms Harwant Kaur Khush, wife of Dr Khush, released a souvenir “Rakhra Kisan Mela Special”, published by the YFA. Mr Jagdeep Singh Cheema, president of the YFA, delivered welcome address while Mr Bhagwan Dass Gupta, secretary-general of the YFA, spoke about the activities of the association.

Mr Harbhajan Singh Chahal, vice-president of the YFA, Punjab, read the citation presented to Dr Khush.

Among others who also spoke on the occasion included Mr P. Chengal Reddy, Mr Satnam Singh Behru, both farmer leaders, Dr B.S. Malik, a senior scientist from Indian Agriculture Research Institute, Delhi, and Dr R.S. Chhillar, Extension Department, IARI, Delhi.

Bumper cotton crop expected
Ruchika M. Khanna
Tribune News Service

Mansa, September 24
A bumper cotton crop is expected this year and farmers coming to sell their produce in the biggest cotton mandi in Asia here are elated. Because of high temperatures throughout July and August this year, the arrival of first harvest of the crop is gaining momentum here.

As against the first harvest usually arriving in the mandis in mid- October, the crop arrival this year began in the first week of September. This is the first time that 90 per cent of the crop arrival here is Bt cotton (a genetically engineered seed to avoid bollworm attack), which is fetching farmers Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal more than the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1845 per quintal.

Inquiries made at the market committee office here revealed that as of now 21,882 quintals of cotton had arrived here, with an average of 200 - 350 quintals of cotton arriving here each day. Till September 21 last year, 16, 262 quintals of cotton had arrived in the mandi here. The total procurement of cotton from here in the last season (2005-06) was 9. 55 lakh quintals.

“This year, the crop yield has been exceptionally good (12- 14 quintals per acre) because of large -scale use of Bt cotton seed. Also, the farmers have not bought the seed from unauthorized sources as was the trend last year, which ultimately led to stunted growth of the plant and poor yield,” informed Mr Balwinder Singh, a farmer from Dasoniya village.

Mr Mithu Singh, a farmer of Lalluana village in Mansa, who had come to sell off his first harvest of two quintals, informed TNS that though they were getting a much better remuneration for their crop this year, it was still less as compared to the high cost of inputs. “Bt cotton seed is much more expensive ( 450 grams of seed with 150 grams of normal seed costs Rs 1450). It also requires more DAP urea and water. The crop should sell at Rs 2500- 2600 per quintal to make it economically viable for the farmers,” he said.

But he need not be disappointed. Mr Raj Kumar Danewal, president, and Mr Rakesh Garg, general secretary of the Cotton Factories Association , Mansa, expect that a majority of exporters from Mumbai will be arriving here shortly to buy the produce. “The first pick has some moisture content and is thus getting a marginally high remuneration. But by the time the second pick of the crop arrives, it will be dry and we are expecting that it would fetch Rs 2300 - Rs 2400 per quintal,” they said.

“Because of the floods in Gujarat and Maharashtra, cotton crop in the two states had failed and exporters were looking towards Punjab and Haryana to get their supplies and also for export to China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have been receiving a lot of queries from these exporters,” said Mr Ramesh Kumar, a commission agent here.

CRIME

Woman jumps into minor with three kids; all dead
Our Correspondent,

Fazilka, September 24
A middle-aged woman of a poor family allegedly committed suicide with her three children by jumping into a canal near Muktsar.

According to the FIR lodged with Arniwala police station in this subdivision by Bani Lal, his wife, Bina Rani (32), along with his son Hardeep Kumar (9), daughter Sushil Rani (7) and son Pawan Kumar (3), all resident of Rupana in Muktsar, jumped into the Rupan minor, near Muktsar on Friday at about 3 p.m.

Bansi Lal has stated in the report that his wife was mentally upset and probably she jumped into the canal with the children in a fit of depression.

On Saturday evening some persons, who were picking cotton from the fields at Mahuana village saw the body of a child floating in the water near the field. They informed the Arniwala police. After the search Bansi Lal, villagers and the police were able to recover the bodies of Bina Rani, Hardip Kumar and Sushil Rani. But the police could not locate Pawan Kumar.

Bathinda, September 24
Two policemen have been booked for allegedly killing a cattle thief after a long chase at Gayana village on the intervening night of September 20-21. ASI Surjeet Singh has been arrested, while head constable Lakhbeer Singh is still at large.

Sources said a group of thieves were smuggling cattle in a truck on Wednesday night when they came across a check post set up by a task force of the police at Kanakwal village.

The task force members asked them to stop, but the truck driver instead sped away. The policemen gave them a chase and fired at the truck’s front tyre that got burst, but the driver kept on driving.

The sources said the policemen allegedly fired more shots at the truck while chasing it. Finally, their truck got stuck after some distance.

The sources said when the policemen found one of the thieves dead they left the spot in haste. His body was recovered on the next day and since it was unidentified at that time it was cremated after post-mortem. A case of murder was registered against unidentified persons.

Later, the police investigation revealed that these two policemen had fired gunshots at the truck, which led to the death of Nameem Khan. The victim belonged to Muzzafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and his gang used to steal cattle and tie them with trees on roadsides before taking them in their truck at night.

Meanwhile, another controversy has erupted over the cremation of the deceased, as his family members say being a Muslim he should have been buried.

On the other hand, SSP Varinder Kumar said as the deceased wasn’t identified, the police was unaware about his religion. He said the police would also initiate departmental against the erring cops in the matter.

Hoshiarpur, September 24
The district police here has solved the kidnapping case of Kamlesh Singh, son of Mohinder Singh, of Basoa village. Kamlesh was kidnapped on September 8 by Panjab Singh, son of Kirpal Singh, of Jaloke, under Mamdot police station of Ferozepore district and his accomplices.

Mr R. N. Dhoke, SSP, Hoshiarpur, stated here this afternoon that the police rescued Kamlesh and arrested Harjeet Singh, Jai Ram, both of Suratgarh district Ganganagar (Rajasthan), Kulwant Singh of Jaloke, Gurmail Singh of Rajewal, Lakhwinder Singh of Thame, Kaka Singh of Pajoke. Their vehicles had also been impounded.

The SSP said six more persons involved in the kidnapping were still at large. Kamlesh Singh was produced in the court and handed him over to his parents.