Jalandhar, October 5
SAD acting president, Sukhbir Singh Badal, has said a majority of development projects announced by the government would get off the ground by March 31 next year. In city to attend an Iftar party here this evening, Badal said scores of mega projects have been chalked out which would start getting in shape by the aforementioned date.

This he said is in contrast to the projects declared by the Congress government none of which could proceed beyond the signing stage. In fact, it was all hype and hoopla on the mega investment and a joke played on the people, he alleged.

The projects, include power projects worth Rs 30,000 crore in private sector and refineries of worth Rs 50,000 crore, he pointed out.

He also revealed that his party would launch a membership drive from October 15 to November 15, which would be open for all. Badal also mentioned that the party was ready to give the state a surprise on October 9 but refused to elaborate. Wait till then, he quipped. Denying differences with the alliance partner BJP on power hike issue, he said both the partners take joint decisions on all matters and there was no question of any differences, he added. 

Hoshiarpur, October 5
As many as 35 migrant labourers, presently residing at Lachowal village, were taken ill after they consumed contaminated boiled rice last night. At least 25 of them were admitted to the Civil Hospital at about 11 pm. The labourers began vomiting and complained of acute abdominal pain. Twenty victims were discharged after receiving first aid while five are still undergoing treatment at the hospital. D.K Tiwari, deputy commissioner, has announced Rs 500 for food to the five victims. He has also instructed hospital authorities to provide them medical care free of cost.

Senior medical officer, Civil Hospital, Dr Gurdev Singh, said the labourers were brought in by their friends at 11 pm and were found to be suffering from food poisoning. It might have been caused due to intake of boiled rice, he added.

Twenty persons have been discharged after giving them first-aid. Five are still under treatment at the hospital and have been identified as Sunil, Arvind, Tara Chand, Heera Lal and Gesu Sardar. Their condition stated to be stable, he said.

Hoshiarpur, October 5
Devotees are thronging to see remains of an ancient temple excavated recently at Kalewal Bhagtan village in Mahilpur block of this district. The remains were discovered after an excavation of a plot in the village recently.

According to 90-year-old Pt Khariti Ram, a resident of Kalewal Bhagtan village, the remnants of this ancient temple are believed to be of about 850-years-old. A temple was located in the population of Brahmin community of the village which was completely damaged during the heavy rains in 1988. Instead of its re-construction, some residents of the village constructed new temple just 50-yards away from the actual site of the temple by using material of the demolished temple, he informs. However, only a mound remained at the site, he adds.

During recent excavation by the villagers to construct a wall around the mound, they found Nanakshahi bricks. They were surprised to see them and further intensified their digging operations. First they found old walls and later the whole temple underneath the mound.

The walls of the temples are three-feet in width. Its entrance door was found to be locked and a pitcher was placed in front of it. A havan-kund, Shivlingam, a conch shell, trishul, earthen lamp and other articles used in performing puja were also found inside the temple.

Rajesh Kalia, whose house adjacent to the plot where the temple’s remains have been excavated says according to the elders of the village, the temple was about 850-years-old. At the time Pandit Mahi Dass along with devotees of Goddess Durga from this temple used to visit the ancient holy shrine of Jawalamukhi during Navratras festival every year. This tradition still exists in the village but no one knew about the temple.

Pandit Mahi Dass’s family, belonging to the 23rd to 27th generation of the family, still live in the village. The owner of the said plot live in Ludhiana. Residents here demand that the Archaeological Survey of India must excavate the site further to ascertain the era of construction of the temple.

Nawanshahr, October 5
Police has claimed to have solved the blind murder of Lovepreet, alias Labha, a three-and-half-year-old boy of nearby Rahon town, with the arrest of a dumb boy Dildar Singh, alias Rinka, and a 10-year-old boy Sandeep Kumar, alias Lovely, in this case. SSP B. Chandershekhar gave this information while talking to media persons here on Friday. He said the body of Lovepreet was found from the roof of a shop on September 24 and a case has been registered under section 302  at Rahon.

Sandeep informed victim’s mother, Jasbir Kaur, about the whereabouts of the dead body of Lovepreet. The police thus began its investigation from him. Sandeep has been working at a tailor’s shop in the main bazaar. During investigation, it was found that Sandeep along with Dildar Singh was playing with the deceased on the day.

When interrogated, Sandeep admitted that they were playing on the roof and during it Lovepreet allegedly began abusing him and in a fit of rage he attacked him with a piece of broken glass lying there. They even tied his legs and hands with the telephone wire and wool strings which were lying there, added the  district police chief. 

Hoshiarpur, October 5
A 16-year-old girl of Haidrowal village was abducted by two youths of the Jalandhar district.

In a complaint lodged with the district police father of the girl Darshan Lal stated that his daughter Karamjit Kaur went to a stitching centre at village Chack Gujran on September 19, 2007.

Later, Karamjit’s friend came to our home to hand over her bag. She said Karamjit would return after an hour. However, when she did not return, I searched her bag and found slips of mobile numbers,” said Darshan.

According to the police when Darshan contacted the said number the persons answering the call admitted that they had abducted his daughter and threatened him with dire consequences if he reported the matter to any one. After enquiry about the mobile numbers, Darshan Lal came to know that these numbers were of Sandip Kumar of Shivdasspur PS Kartarpur and Naresh Kumar, son of Joginder Singh of Mohalla Banian, Kartarpur.

He alleged that the duo along with some other persons have had abducted his daughter. The Sadar police has booked Sandip and Naresh under various sections of the IPC. 

Phillaur, October 5
The police has booked three persons including a woman for allegedly burning alive Gurdish Kaur, wife of Jarnail Singh, a resident of Gorsian Nihal village.

In the incident, which took place last night the deceased was objecting to the illicit relation of Jarnail with his sister-in-law. It was Jarnail’s second marriage with Gurdish.

Phillaur DSP Harpreet Singh Benepal said Jarnail’s along with his son Saudagar and lover Sukhwinder Kaur had hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Gurdish.

The trio sprinkled kerosene upon the deceased before setting her on fire. The accused were still at large. 

Hoshiarpur, October 5
Four persons were killed in separate road accidents in the district since last night.

Bhogpur (Jalandhar), October 5
The farmers’ training camp organised today at Bhogpur was a unique experience as a group of progressive farmers instead of department officials imparted the training. It was planned by the agricultural department and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).

The farmers set up their stalls and disseminated information about latest agricultural techniques. Moreover, farmers got an opportunity to enter into tie-ups with potential dealers for processing, marketing and community farming.

An ex-serviceman and a farmer from Sanaura village, Brig K.S. Dhillon had put up a stall to demonstrate extraction of turmeric oil from turmeric leaves and rhizomes. He said, “While cooking instead of using a spoonful of turmeric powder one can simply add a drop of this oil to get better taste and colour.” The oil has a huge demand in the Western countries as well as in Italian food outlets as the oil gives a nice flavour to pizzas and pastas if added just before baking them, he added.

Besides, the farmers have been growing varieties of lavender, roses, wild marigold and eucalyptus too for extraction of essential oils. “These aroma oils are used in cosmetic industry. I had gone to IHBT, Palampur, to learn about the latest varieties of herbs, process of extracting oils and their utility,” Brig Dhillon explained introducing Surinder Kumar from Rohtak at his stall. Surinder Kumar has been marketing for Dhillon’s products.

Sukhwinder Singh, an entrepreneur from Kapur village in Adampur, explained the profit incurred through cultivation of safed musli and exporting its dried roots to companies making Viagra-like products. Statistically proving his point, he said, “One quintal of roots can fetch a farmer Rs 30,000 and if one produces four quintals in 1 acre of land, it comes out to be around Rs 1.2 lakh.” The investment in its production varies from Rs 20,000 to 25,000 and the rest is all profit, he added.

A popular bee keeper from Dhnar village, Sangeeta Deol, had put up her stall demonstrating the extraction of gel from Aloevera. The 57-year-old woman had devised first honey extraction machine and urged the farmers to process and market products on their own to earn profit. She had exhibited honey, jams, pickles, jellies and vermi-compost on her stall, which she had been producing and selling. Another beekeeper Swaran Singh demonstrated the technique of extracting royal jellies, made by the queen bee, and flower pollen from the bees by laying traps. He said both the products fetched a huge sum as they were used in medicines.

An exhibition demonstrating techniques of extracting bio-diesel from Jatropha and sugar-free sweeteners out of Stevia was demonstrated too.