Bathinda, October 30
Citrus farmers of Malwa are worried lot as they think that Mealy bug, which attacked cotton crop in the cotton belt of the state, might spread its tentacles, upto citrus crops.

Though the experts explain that the species of Mealy bug attacking citrus and cotton are different, the farming community seems to be in a fix over this issue.

Mealy bug has already damaged cotton crop in Malwa, with production likely to dip by almost 20 per cent this year. There were reports around Bathinda of Mealy bug also attacking certain varieties of flowers like marigold as well.

Citrus is one of the major crops of this area with Ferozepur leading the list with 11,500 hectares of citrus crops, Muktsar with 3,000 hectares, Bathinda 2,000 hectares, Faridkot 500 hectares, Mansa 300 hectares and Ludhiana 130 hectares.

Recently, the Financial Commissioner Development (FCD), Punjab, Ravinder Singh Sandhu had also visited the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to chalk out ways to control Mealy bug effect on cotton and citrus.

The experts at PAU, Ludhiana shared that mealy bug appeared on cotton in some pockets in Ferozepur (Abohar), Muktsar (Malout) and Bathinda (Sangat) districts during 2006.

Subsequently, the pest also spread to more areas in Ferozepur, Bathinda and Muktsar districts during current season. The damage was comparatively more in Muktsar district followed by Bathinda and Ferozepur.

Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, a leading citrus farmer of the state explains that this pest spreads mainly through the weeds grown in or around cotton fields, banks of water channels and wastelands.

``Mealy bug being polyphagous, may migrate to surrounding rabi crops after the uprooting of cotton sticks but chances of its multiplication in this niche are remote during winter.’’

The experts at PAU explain that for the management of mealy bug menace, use of cultural practices like monitoring of mealy bug in major cotton areas on different crops, weeds and trees or fruits during rabi season should be undertaken.

``Efforts need to be made to destroy alternate hosts of the pests to prevent spread to newer areas. The uprooted weeds should not be allowed to spread the pest through canal water and burying deep in the soil should destroy these. The fruit plants harbouring the pest population should be sprayed with recommended insecticides under expert advice,’’ experts explain.

Kishanpura Kalan (Moga), October 30
The inauguration of separate blocks of Government Girls High School at Kishanpura Kalan in Moga district had to be postponed today after the stones placed there for the inaugural ceremony were found missing.

Sital Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Resham Singh Aulakh, DEO and Sarpanch Balwinder Kaur Shah, an independent who is supported by the Congress, were to inaugurate the three separate blocks of the school yesterday.

Sital Singh and Aulakh inaugurated the new blocks of the school building today while a case was registered against Shah, her son and another person for stealing the inaugural stones, impeding official work and creating a ruckus.

Headmaster of the school, Sham Singh, stated in the FIR registered at Dharamkot police station that Shah, her son Inderjit Singh and one Jaswinder Kaur had created a hurdle that lead to the postponement of the inauguration. He said that addition in the school's infrastructure was aimed at providing quality education to girl students from the rural areas.

Associates of Balwinder Kaur Shah said that it was due to her efforts that the previous Congress government had approved a grant for the expansion of school building. However, they alleged that she was ignored during the inauguration as she was asked to inaugurate a comparatively smaller block.

When asked about the controversy, Sital Singh, the Akali MLA from Dharamkot, said he had been invited to inaugurate it and since it was associated with the noble cause of education for girls, he had given his consent for it. He also said that the inauguration had been performed smoothly today.

Associates of the sarpanch said she had got funds for the school during the reign of the Congress government but she had been ignored at the function.

Bathinda, October 30
Members of all the units of the Bathinda postal division held a joint protest rally outside the gate of head post office, here this morning.

Addressing the rally, Makhan Lal, divisional secretary, All India Postal Employees Union, said, “The rally has been held in keeping with the call of the national federations.” He further threatened that the protest would be intensified if the demands listed in the charter were not met.

The leaders, explaining the points mentioned in the charter of demands, said, “We want a judicial committee to be set up for wage revision of Grameen Dak Sewaks, scrapping of the Provident Fund Recurring Deposit Account (PFRDA) Bill and cancellation of the pension fund managers’appointments.”

Interim relief of Rs 1,000 to Central Government employees, merger of 50 per cent of DA with the basic pay along with all benefits and release of DA installments for State Governemt employees is also on the agenda.

Bathinda, October 30
In support of their long pending demands, the members of the Bathinda unit of the Income Tax Employees Federation and the Income Tax Gazetted Officers Association went on a day-long strike today, M.L.Tuteja, secretary, Income Tax Employees Federation, Bathinda, said here today.

Their charter of demands includes an interim relief of Rs 1,000 to all Central Government employees, implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations with effect from January 1, 2006, introduction of a statutory pension scheme, stopping the downsizing of government departments, end of appointments on contract, regularisation of daily wage and casual employees, filling up of vacancies at the earliest, removal of ceiling on quantum of bonus and bonus to all staff.

Bathinda, October 30
The Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant Employees Federation, Bathinda, has threatened the Punjab government that if their demands were not met, they would go on a two-day strike.

This was announced by Gursewak Singh Harino, president, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant Employees Federation, Bathinda, during the gate rally held in front of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, here on Tuesday

Harino, the president of the federation, said for the realisation of the demands, a dharna would be held by the joint forum in front of the Punjab State Electricity Board office in Patiala on November 6. It will be followed by a day-long strike on November 21.

“The purpose of this dharna and the strike is to make the government take notice of our demands and abolish the Electricity Act of 2003, as promised to us. The government should also make sure that the PSEB will not be turned into a company,” Harino informed.

Bathinda, October 30
Doctors of Bathinda, under the banner of Indian Medical Association (IMA), discussed the problems being faced by them, at a special meeting held here recently.

More than 100 doctors from the district and surrounding areas attended the meeting. A team of cancer specialists from Patel Hospital, Jalandhar, was also present on the occasion.

Addressing the meeting, H.S.Narang, president, IMA, Bathinda, said some members of the society, having vested interests, were now undermining the good job done by doctors.

The medical community had served the society to the best of its capability. In case a patient dies in a hospital due to some disease, the blame is put on the doctor concerned even before an inquiry.

The chief guest, deputy commissioner Rahul Tiwari, agreed that cases should be filed only after a proper inquiry. Amit Sethi, president, IMA, Punjab, said it had been decided to stop ultrasound tests on pregnant women from November 1. A film on de-addiction was also screened on the occasion.

Barnala, October 30
After getting remission from the Governor, member of the Kiranjeet Katal Kand Virodhi Action Committee, Prem Kumar, has rejoined as science teacher at Naiwala village, here today.

Prem Kumar held the post before being sentenced for life in a murder case. Formal orders for his reinstatement were issued yesterday.

Prem Kumar, along with Naryan Dutt and Manjeet Dhaner, were sentenced to life imprisonment on March 30, 2005 by a local court.

The court held them guilty for the murder of one Dalip Singh of Mehalkalan. Following the verdict, Prem Kumar was dismissed from service in June 2005.

A sustained struggle by villagers of over dozen villages and the action committee ensured pardon for the trio from the Governor of Punjab in July this year. The struggle paid off and Prem Kumar has been reinstated.

It may be recalled that Kiranjit Kaur, a daughter of Darshan Singh, a physically challenged teacher, was abducted on July 29, 1997 while she was returning from college.

Her body was dug out from a field in the village after some days. In her abduction, rape and murder case, the Barnala Sessions Court had awarded life imprisonment to trio.

Never in Punjab's history has a rape and murder case taken on the dimensions of such a strong and sustained people's movement, making Kiranjit Kaur an icon of struggle against repression for the region's people.

Moga, October 30
Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training today said that the Akali-BJP government in the state would endeavour to take the ITIs to villages.

The minister was on a visit to the local ITI. He said opening of more ITIs could provide a new horizon to the disgruntled youth in rural areas who struggle to find employment.

He said it would help students from a modest background with just matriculation as educational qualification to earn their livelihood after a six-month long technical course.

Khalsa informed that the state government would repair the dilapidated ITI buildings and also overhaul the clogged machinery lying idle there for their optimum utilisation. For this, the government had earmarked Rs 36 crore.

According to him, 117 ITIs across the state needed to be overhauled to rein in unemployment.

He lamented that the previous Congress government had ignored the vital area of technical education while the present government had recruited 550 persons to streamline it.

Mansa, October 30
Thirteen years after it was declared a district, many departments in Mansa are still waiting for officials to be posted so that work can move on.

Different posts of officers are still lying vacant in the district. All this has only meant delay in implementing the various plans and programmes aimed at ushering in growth in the area.

A visit to the Mini-Secretariat here revealed that posts of many senior officials are still lying vacant. The post of Senior Superintendent of Police here is lying vacant and it is the SSP Bathinda who has been given the additional charge of Mansa.

Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gurjeet Singh Pannu has many responsibilities as he is also the SDM of Sardulgarh as well as the District Transport Officer and administrator of three marketing committees.

Other officers also discharge the responsibilities related to the offices of the district welfare officer and district public relations officer.

The charge of district development and panchayat officer has been entrusted to the ADC (Development) while the post of secretary, Zila Parishad is also lying vacant.

The prevailing opinion in the district is that development work has been affected due to the vacant posts. When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Surjit Singh Dhillon admitted that not enough officers were posted in Mansa to carry out development work and said that it was affecting the general public to some extent.

Mansa, October 30
The low rate of literacy in Mansa district, as compared to other districts in Punjab, is becoming a cause of concern. Mansa has a literacy rate of 52 per cent compared to the 69 per cent literacy rate for the rest of Punjab.

But is not difficult to fathom the reason for this state of affairs. Even 13 years after Mansa was made a district, most schools here do not have enough teachers, proper buildings and equipment.

According to the information received from the education department, there are no lecturers for important subjects right from the secondary to the college level.

Nearly 12,000-15,000 students in the districts have to limit their choice of subjects simply because there are no teachers to teach the subjects of their choice.

It thwarts the ambition of students who may want to become a psychologist, architect or a ge ologist. There are 42 senior secondary schools in the district, 52 government high schools and just one government college, in Mansa.

The district also has no institute to impart vocational or technical education. There are no medical colleges or management institutes either.

There are no posts of lecturers in subjects like psychology, geography, philosophy, sociology, public administration, agriculture, engineering, business management, Urdu and fine arts.

In Government Senior Secondary schools, there are no teachers even for subjects like Hindi and Sanskrit. Computer applications and information technology are managed without trained teachers.

The buildings of most schools in the district are in a poor condition where children are forced to sit on the ground for their lessons.

Convener of the Save Education Committee, Darshan Singh Dhillon and president of ETT Teachers Union, Hardeep Singh Sidhu, have demanded that the vacant posts of teachers should be filled up immediately and grants released so that the buildings of schools can be finished on time.

Bathinda, October 30
Roads in the city have turned into a pasture for the stray animals causing great inconvenience to the people even while civic officials seem unaware of the problem.

The Bathinda-Goniana road is an example of this. Here, it is common to find stray cows and bulls wandering around. The colonies inside the city are also facing this nuisance.

These animals cause a lot of inconvenience in the free flow of traffic. There are frequent reports of parked vehicles being damaged by these animals and passersby being hurt by them.

The cattle dung lying on the roads also contribute to the woes as it makes the roads slippery and people riding two-wheelers often skid on it. Children, women and the elderly are among those affected most by this menace.

“It is a shame that the authorities are unable to catch these free moving animals. These roads are meant for human beings but here in the city, these animals dominate the roads,” rued city-based advocate Tarun Garg.

“Whenever we go to the market, we see herds of animals obstructing the traffic. Even taking a ride in a rickshaw becomes dangerous, but no animal has been caught by the Municipal Corporation, which is supposed to do so,” said Usha Watts, a housewife.

A surgeon at the civil hospital said on the condition of anonymity, “Not a day passes when an accident is not reported. Directly or indirectly, these stray animals become the cause of road accidents. We have received many such cases during the past six months.”

Sadhu Ram, general secretary, Gaushala Committee, Bathinda, said, “A new and spacious cowshed has been constructed for stray cows and bulls. Within a few days, it will be inaugurated. And the Municipal Corporation is supposed to catch and deliver these animals to the cowshed.”

Bathinda, October 30
Relatives of Sohni, Mahiwal and Ranjha from Pakistan will be in town to interact with the people of Bathinda on November 7 at a cultural nite being organised by the Bathinda unit of the Sain Mian Mir International Foundation.

The fest would be held in memory of the foundation’s former president Baldev Singh Mahal.

According to Gurjant Singh Grewal, president of local unit of the foundation, eminent authors, poets, qawals, historians and singers from Pakistan will also take part in this festival.

“These include Mian Muhammad Akram Bittu (retired judge of Lahore High Court), some sitting judges, university professors, Neelam Nahid Durrani (SSP Lahore), deputy commissioner of Shekhupura, Khadoon Warsi (from darbar of Waris Shah), singers from the ‘mazaar’ of Baba Bulle Shah and many others.’’

Rupinder Singh Godara, general secretary, Sain Mian Mir International Foundation (Bathinda), said the foundation had been working to strengthen the ties between India and Pakistan for quite some time. The foundation has 27 units across the globe.

Sohni-Mahiwal, it may be recalled, have been the symbol of love and devotion.

Bathinda, October 30
Jagdish Singh of Kalgidhar Colony of Rampura alleged that Kuldeep Singh and his accomplices attacked him with sharp-edged weapons.

Police sources cited hostility as the cause behind the assault. The incident took place on Sunday.

However, the case was reported to the Rampura police station on Monday.

A case has been registered under sections 307, 324, 323, 341, 148 and 149
of the IPC.