Kotshamire (Bathinda), July 28
Farmers’ suicides is not a phenomena limited to Vidarbha, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Suicides by debt-ridden farmers in the cotton belt of Punjab shake the long-standing impression of being ‘cradle of green revolution’.

Bhola Singh (30) of Kotshamire village ended his life by consuming sulphas tablets on July 10 this year. He was under a debt of Rs 13-14 lakh and is survived by his wife and two children.

Bhola’s cousin Gurpreet Singh had also committed suicide (2002). The joint family had around 20 acres of land, which had entirely been sold.

Bhola’s father Sindura Singh is under depression and is surviving on medicines. “Life is hopeless for me,” he said.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) survey claims over 15 suicides in Kotshamire village in the past 16 years.

Surjeet Singh, owner of land measuring six kanals, committed suicide in 2001. “Unable to pay a debt of Rs 80,000, including Rs 40,000 to private money lenders, he was worried about the marriages of his two daughters,” said his wife Balbir Kaur.

She is raising her children by selling milk and has given the 6-kanal land on contract. “We earn Rs 5000 from cotton crop and cultivate wheat for our own sustenance,” she said.

Ranjeet Singh, a social activist working in the village, said that in the 1990s, the village witnessed crop failures due to American bollworm for six years continuously. The farmers had taken heavy loans during that period.

“The farmers used to have 40 sprays per crop and one spray’s cost was Rs 500. Now you can imagine the input cost at that time.”

Lila Singh, owner of five acres, committed suicide in 1993. He was indebted of Rs 1.7 lakh.

His widow sold the entire land, but is still under a debt of Rs 5 lakh. The deceased’s two sons Sarwan and Bhupinder work as labourers.

Another farmer Harbhajan Singh, owner of 5.5 acres, ended his life in the same year. “Already under a debt of Rs 1.5 lakh at that time, arhatiyas (money lenders) refused him of more credit for pesticides. Thereafter, he committed suicide,” said Malan Kaur, wife of Harbhajan.

The family is left with just four acres. “Agriculture is no more profitable. From where would I get money to spend on my daughter’s wedding,” said Malan.

Ranjit informed, “Around Rs 13000 per acre is the input cost, including seeds, fertilizers, labour and transportation. With tubewell and the use of electric motor (power is free for famers), the cost decreases to around Rs 11000. If the 8 quintals of cotton is the average production, then with a support price of Rs 1890 per quintal, the profit reduces to around Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 per acre.”

In the last two years, the MSP of cotton has increased by just 3.9 per cent. It was Rs 1815 in 2005 and Rs 1890 in 2007.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri, general secretay of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), said that their data regarding suicides ranged from 1990- 2006.

It is important to mention here that this data had been collected through door to door survey of the villages.

Shingara Singh Maan, Bathinda district president, BKU, claimed that Chauke village in the Rampura Phul sub-division, alone has witnessed over 50 suicides from 1990 to 2006. Sangrur is the worst affected with 846 suicides, followed by Bathinda, Mansa and Barnala. However, there is no official data regarding farmers’ suicide in Punjab.

In the bank statement of the Punjab State Co-operative Agricultural Development Bank (PADB) in June this year, there were 56,939 defaulters of Muktsar, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Bathinda and Mansa, with an outstanding amount of Rs 25000 crore.

Regional Manager of the bank, Gurmeet Singh, said, “Even after loan waiver the list of defaulters has decreased by 3 to 4 per cent.”

Bathinda, July 28
Accusing the state authorities of turning a blind eye towards the discharge of effluents into the state canals, the environment protection coordination committee announced that it would hold a protest march at Kharar on August 8.

Addressing a press conference here today, Kanwal Preet Singh Pannu, convener of the committee, and Rupinder Singh Mann, member of the executive body of the committee, disclosed the 25-point agenda of the protest.

Further, they alleged that the officials of the state pollution control board were involved in corruption for they were not keeping any check on the polluters.

Giving details about the protest, they said that on August 6, the members of their group would leave Ludhiana and march towards Chandigarh to reach there on August 8. At Chandigarh, the various groups of protesters would assemble and proceed towards Kharar.

During the protest, the state government would be warned to take immediate and stern action against the owners of the factories, who were discharging chemicals and untreated waste into the Budha Nullah, or the protest would be intensified.

In the list of agendas, the prominent points raised are to launch an awareness campaign for the preservation of the environment, use of manure, development of agro-based industries and protest against special economic zones (SEZs).

Abohar, July 28
The Congress-led UPA had tarnished the image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by allegedly indulging in horse trading in order to save the government during the vote of confidence motion in the Parliament, said SAD MP Zora Singh Mann, who was here today to lay the foundation stone of the second block of Smt Triveni Devi Sanatan Dharam General Hospital.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mann said Manmohan Singh being the first Sikh Prime Minister deserved support from his community but the persons and policies that monitored his working prompted the SAD MPs to vote against his government.

He alleged that in addition, the Congress had never been fair to Sikhs. So, the voting against the motion was justified. Municipal council president Shiv Raj Goyal presided over the function.

Mann announced Rs 5 lakh grant from the MPLAD fund for the hospital and gave a cheque as first installment to the officials of the hospital.

The MP said Punjabis were known for their sturdy built but regretfully, the state was now lagging behind in health and education.

Fazilka, July 28
The Social Welfare Society (SWS), Fazilka, is providing service to the residents of this area for two decades now and has emerged as an organisation that shows way to others.

The NGO was set up in 1985 by small group of socialites under the leadership of Professor R.K. Chauhan.

Initially, it took care of poor students by providing them with free books, pullovers and shoes. Besides, projects of blood donation were also undertaken.

The society has the credit of donating about 4000 units of blood. Many volunteers had donated blood to the patients in other towns also, as and when need arose.

The society realised the pitiable condition of Tuberculosis (TB) patients, who died slow death, many a times for want of treatment.

The society offered comprehensive treatment to TB patients of this area as it launched a TB-eradication programme in 1995 with the help of philanthropists of the town. Full treatment, ranging from 9 months to two years, was provided to over 2000 TB patients.

The society organised eight special annual TB check-up camps where eminent specialists from different medical colleges offered their services. For its programmes the society earned accolades from the government.

The programme continued till the government launched the Revised National Tuberculosis Control (RNTC) programme about three years back. The SWS, of late, has started conducting eye-donation programmes.

In a short span of a year, the society has the credit of securing 51 pairs of eyes for cornea transplantation.

A group of members of the society led by its president Raj Kishore Kalra, approach the kin of the deceased for eye-donation. When they agree, a team from the Shri Jagdamba Andh Vidalya, Sri Ganganagar, is called to the place. The cornea of the deceased is procured to transplant it immediately to an awaiting patient.

For the service, the office-bearers and members of the society were honoured in a specially-organised programme at Sri Ganganagar.

The Home Minister of the Rajasthan Government, Gulab Chand Kataria, presented a citation certificate to the society.

From last year, the SWS started adopting five poor children for higher studies and professional courses. The annual fee of these students is paid by the society. The students are also offered free books and other necessary items.

Besides these projects, the society members comprising Girdhari Lal Aggarwal, Kanwal Kishore Grover, Shashi Kant, Ram Krishan Gupta, Manohar Lal Sukhija, Amrit Lal Kareer, Surain Lal Kataria, Ashok Kumar Monga and Saroj Thirani create awareness by organising seminars on drug de-addiction, female foeticide, AIDS and eradication of other social evils. In addition, the society has taken up a new project of organising monthly sugar check-up camps.

According to Kalra, the SWS with the cooperation of the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur, would organise a free prosthetic camp on August 10.

Barnala, July 28
Rs 1.45 crore were distributed among farmers at a farmer loan mela organised by the State Bank of India (SBI), Barnala here today.

Field assistant manager Sampuran Sharma said that as many as 120 farmers were benefited from the mela. They were given agricultural loans to boost their farming.

Sharma said that the farmers who were not able to repay their loans were also benefited from the mela as their loans amount worth Rs 1.03 crore were waived off.

As per the policy of the Central Government, loans of nearly 20 farmers, who had a good track record in terms of repaying loan but could not repay their debts, were waived off and the loan of Rs 30 lakh were again given to them by the branch, giving them one more chance to revive their agriculture.

On the occasion six meritorious students of the area were also given talent prizes. The meritorious students of the Gandhi Arya High School and the Sarvhitkari Vidya Mandir, Barnala, were given cash award of Rs 1,001 each, Sharma added.

Bathinda, July 28
Accusing the management of being hand in glove with contractors, who were allegedly fleecing the employees, activists of the Contract PRTC Union Azad staged a gate rally at the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation depot here today.

Addressing the gathering, Bikkar Singh, president of the union, flayed the state government for not abiding by the election manifesto, which assured the contractual employees of permanent jobs.

Speaking on the issue, Nirmaljeet Singh Nimma, general secretary of the union, said that at present, the there were over 2000 contractual employees.

The contractors were deducting over Rs 1000 from their pay in the name of TDS, ESIC, EPF and service tax and issuing just a slip for the same.

During their speeches, the leaders said the union had arranged a meeting at Chandigarh on July 30, where further course of action would be chalked out.

Bathinda, July 28
Several Inter-school contests were organised to mark the commencement of the Environment Week at Delhi Public School (DPS), Bathinda today.

Aimed to creating students about the significance of protecting environment, the Environment Week is being observed at the school July 28 to August 2.

On the first day of the celebrations, various Inter-school competitions, including debate, essay writing, were held to sensitize the students about the need for maintaining healthy environment. Various schools of Bathinda and its adjoining areas took part in the contests.

In the debate competitions on ‘We should become vegetarian for the sake of environment,’ Evedeep Kaur of the Little Flower Convent School, Muktsar bagged the top award while Vatsal of Saint Xavier Senior School, Bathinda and Ayasha of R.B.D.A.V. Senior Secondary School, Bathinda bagged second and third prizes respectively.

Mohit Goyal of the Eastwood International School, Doomwali got he first prize in the essay competition which was based on on ‘Save Earth, Save Environment. Vishal Singla of Saint Xavier Senior School, Bathinda and Ashutosh of Little Flower Convent School bagged second and third positions respectively.

As far as the Art and Drawing competition, which was based on theme of ‘Trees our life line’ is concerned, Parneent of Saint Xavier Senior School, Bathinda, Khushbu Sharma of R.B.D.A.V. Senior Secondary School, Bathinda and Siddharth Patil of Army School, Bathinda Military Station got the top three awards.

Principal of the DPS, Arun Jee thanked all participants and teachers from the different schools for enthusiastically participating in the celebrations.

Bathinda, July 28
With global warming becoming major concern worldwide and green activists appealing against felling of trees, the students and the staff of the Imperial Public School, Muktsar, celebrated the Van Mahotsav Day on Saturday by planting as many as 60 saplings.

The students carrying placards tried to convey the message of preserving the ecology by planting trees and clamping down deforestation. The students also presented cultural items on the occasion.

Addressing the students, principal Navneet Thakur spoke in detail about the importance of trees. He said Van Mahotsav was different from other festivals that last for a day or two.

It was an unending movement since mere plantation of saplings was not enough. Post-plantation care was more important, he added.

Thakur exhorted the students to come forward for the cause so as to secure not only their own lives but also that of the future generations. Students along with the principal took a pledge for protecting plants.

They resolved to gift plants to their near and dear ones on all important occasions and took an oath of planting at least one sapling on their birthday each year.

Besides Van Mahotsav, the students celebrated the Parents Day also. They made greeting cards for their parents on the eve of the day.

Mansa, July 28
Students of the Shiv Shakti Nursing College, Bhikhi, submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner Surjit Singh Dhillon today informing him that they were feeling insecure due to alleged misbehaviour of the director of the college, adding that in this environment, they could not study.

They demanded that an appeal for their migration to some other college should be sent to the vice-chancellor of the Baba Farid University.

It is notable that the students of this college were struggling for their rights for past one month.

They had been demanding proper teaching staff besides adequate facilities. The students alleged that the director did not pay attention to their problems.

In their struggle, the students had vainly blocked the traffic and adopted other means of protest.

Meanwhile, the DC informed that the application would be forwarded to the vice-chancellor of the university as demanded by the students.

Barnala, July 28
The Samaj Kalyan Mahasabha (SKM), a group of four sabhas, including Aggarwal Sabha, Khatrti Sabha, Brahmin Sabha and Arore Vansh Sabha, today held its meeting here. President of the SKM Ram Niwas Sharma presided over the meeting.

The sabha criticised the Jammu and Kashmir government's policy concerning allotment of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board.

Addressing the sabha, Sharma said that it was awful that government plays vote bank politics.

It provides thousands of crore to subside the Haj, and at the same time it failed to allot the land to the shrine board.

The J & K government's failure to tackle the issue is condemnable. General category association president Rajiv Barnala demanded that the Union government must apply uniform civil code in the country to do away with this sort of problems.

Jhanda Ram Bansal, president Aggarwal Sabha, Des Raj Jindal and several others attended the meeting.

Mansa, July 28
Farmers today staged demonstration in front of the office of X-En of the electricity board, in support of their demands.

They were demanding eight hours power supply in the paddy season. Addressing the farmers, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ram Singh Bhainibagha said that government had been providing only 3 to 4 hours power supply to the farmers, besides powers cuts wee adding woes to the problems.

Block president of union, Bhola Singh said that farmers had not been getting proper electricity supply and canal water supply in the paddy season.

Kisan leaders demanded government should provided proper electricity to the farmers in this paddy season.

Ferozepur, July 28
The Makhu police has registered a case against five persons for allegedly snatching a bag containing cash and some legal documents from a transport official, who was on duty at the time of the crime.

Gurcharan Singh, DTO, Ferozepur, informed that on Sunday evening while they were checking vehicles on the Zira-Makhu road, a bus coming from Faridkot side stopped near the barrier.

Five persons alighted from the bus and snatched a bag containing Rs 11,000 in cash besides some documents, he added.

Later, the police team chased the bus and forced it to stop near Dana Mandi and arrested the five persons, who have been identified as Jai Pal, Raj Pal, Kulbir, Soni and Ranjit.

A case under various sections of the IPC has been registered against them at the Makhu police station.