Jalandhar, October 14
Unnatural farming using artificial fertilisers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have several ill-effects on our health. Our reproductive system has become an easy target because of its sensitive nature.

What is more alarming is that the sperm counts among men have fallen to half in two generations.

This is what an NGO, Kheti Virasat Mission, and its environment health action group has found in their interaction with medical professionals and general public, especially farmers, during some field surveys.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating health of the people due to unnatural farming, Canada-based microbiologist Dr Shiv Chopra and executive director of the Kheti Virasat Mission Umendra Dutt stressed on the need to restart organic means of natural farming.

Cases of increase in premature births, spontaneous abortions and early childhood deaths have also increased a lot.

Chemical farming, burning of fossil fuels and industrial waste are largely responsible for these reproductive disorders.

Eminent scientist, renowned microbiologist from Canada and one of the first whistle-blowers in the world on genetically modified (GM) foods and recombinant bovine growth hormone of multi-national giant MONSANTO, Dr Chopra stated this while talking to The Tribune in Jalandhar on Tuesday.

Dr Chopra said everything that people ate must be organically grown and the simplest way to do that was preventing hormones, antibiotics, animal remains, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and pesticides from entering food production.

In doing so, all food will automatically become organic. People must have the right to eat and feed their families food that nature intended and not that GMO companies were forcing them to swallow, he added.

The small farmers of India and those in Canada were under a similar pressure to yield their farms and livelihood to factory farming which must be resisted at all costs by the governments of both these countries, he said, adding that in doing so they would help to save the health and livelihood of their citizens.

Dr Chopra asserted that if governments refused to follow these principles of food safety, people all over the world might need to resort to the type of salt march that Mahatma Gandhi undertook to bring British Raj to its heels.

Currently Dr Chopra is in India to address various conferences and workshops. He shall be in Punjab between October 14 and 18.

Dr Chopra has given his consent to join KVM campaign on ecological agriculture in Punjab. He will address a series of public meetings and farmers' gatherings at Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot and Amritsar.

Dr Chopra will address public meetings at Government College in Kapurthala on Wenedsay at 9.30 am.

Following which he will deliver his special lectures on the ill-effects of unnatural farming and GMOs at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar and IMA house in Ludhiana on Wednesday.

Kapurthala, October 14
An FIR of abduction and rape against nine persons was registered today on the complaint of a minor girl of the Sunder Nagar locality.

The FIR has been registered under sections 376, 363, 342 and 366 of the IPC in this regard. However, no arrest has been made so far.

The victim alleged in her complaint that she was abducted by accused Kaka and Hari from near Markfed Chowk here in July on the pretext that her brother had met with an accident and was admitted in a Jalandhar hospital.

The accused took her to an office premises at Lame village, near Jalandhar, and repeatedly raped her for several days.

From there she was taken to Muskan’s house and was raped by two other accused Gola and Vicky, she alleged.

The victim said she was taken to Himachal Pradesh and the accused repeatedly raped her for four months.

Subsequently, the accused brought her back to Jalandhar and she somehow managed to escape from their clutches, she added.

Hoshiarpur, October 14
In addition to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005, introduced in February 2006, has proved a boon for the drug-addicts and women in the district.

Additional deputy commissioner (development) D.R. Bhagat said during a recent survey it was found that after the introduction of NREGA, a majority of the drug-addicts and women had also attained employment.

On account of their busy schedule during the day, 50 per cent of the addicts have left drugs, claimed Bhagat.

As many as 43,154 job cards had been issued since the launch of this scheme, of which 26,735 are members of the Scheduled Castes.

As many as 26,297 households, including 5,767 women, had been provided employment during 2007-08.

As many as 772 works of rural connectivity, 71 of flood control and protection, 33 of water conservation, 208 of drought proofing and tree plantation, 70 of renovation of traditional water bodies (de-silting of old ponds, etc.) and 191 of land development and plantation had been taken up last year at a cost of Rs 1,663.20 lakh. A sum of Rs 480.75 lakh had been released up to September 2008.

The ADC claimed that NREGA had been generating productive durable assets, empowering rural women, protecting environment, reducing rural urban migration and fostering social equality among people.

Jalandhar, October 14
A day before the proposed inauguration of the Prem Singh Murarewale memorial gate in Begowal by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, verbal fighting between arch rivals former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has intensified on the issue of taking credit in the construction of the gate and several other development works in the constituency.

Opposing the proposed inauguration, Khaira claimed that the gate was completed in January this year with Rs 25 lakh given by former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh from his discretionary funds.

He also questioned its proposed inauguration over nine months after its completion. Rubbishing his claims, Jagir Kaur said Khaira should get his facts clear as only Rs 17.45 lakh was spent on the construction of the gate.

Of which Rs 12.52 lakh was paid to the contractor and the remaining amount was yet to be paid to him, she added.

However, Khaira said the expenditure of Rs 25 lakh might be including advertisements given to some newspapers at that time.

Answering a query regarding delay in the inauguration of the gate, Jagir Kaur said, “The SAD chief could not spare time earlier due to his engagements and foreign trips. What is the harm if the stone of a project is laid during one government and the same is inaugurated during another government’s reign after its completion?”

Meanwhile, talking to The Tribune, Khaira said he and his supporters would lodge a protest against the inauguration on Wednesday. However, he refused to divulge information about what type of protest he was planning to hold.

In the meantime, SSP Rakesh Agarwal said the district police would make elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order during Sukhbir’s visit. The main aim of the police would be to ensure the safety of the VIPs and the police would act according to the situation, he added.

Again raising objection to the “re-laying” of the foundation stone of the water supply scheme of Akbarpur village by Jagir Kaur on Sunday, Khaira said he would raise the matter in the privileges committee of the Vidhan Sabha as, according to him, being an elected representative of the area, his rights had been infringed.

Khaira asked in what capacity had Jagir Kaur “re-laid” the foundation stone at Akbarpur village but when he was counter-questioned as to his capacity, as per his claim, in laying the stone of the scheme, he could not give any satisfactory reply.

Phagwara, October 14
The union government has issued a notification on Friday for including diesel engines in the focus product category (FDC). The inclusion of diesel engines in FDC will help the diesel engine exporters a lot in getting export benefits.

Hailing the notification, senior vice-president of the Punjab Chamber of Small Exporters A.K. Kohli told The Tribune that the decision of including diesel engines in focus product category would help diesel engine exporters in getting additional export benefits with which their products would become more successful and competitive in the international markets.

Before the issuance of the notification on October 10, director-general of foreign trade R.S. Gujral had accepted on April 1 in principal the long-pending demand of the chamber regarding inclusion of diesel engines in focus product category.

Diesel engines, mainly used for agricultural irrigation purpose, are widely exported to Middle East, African and other developing countries.

Total exports from this sector is above Rs 500 crore from the country, mainly from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Punjab alone contributes to the tune of more than 150 crore through established export houses.

The step of the union government of including diesel engines in the focus product category for giving incentive to diesel engine exporters would help in generation of more employment opportunities and increased exports, Kohli added.

Jalandhar, October 14
Keeping alive the tradition of good hockey in the city of sports, the authorities concerned have finally set the stage for the one of the most awaited game of the year - Silver Jubilee Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey Tournament.

It would be held at the local Olympian Surjit Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Burlton Park, from October 18 to 25.

As many as three Pakistani teams and 10 top teams of the country will be pitted against each other for supremacy in the eight-day-long event.

This was revealed by deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu, who is also the president of the Surjit Hockey Society.

He said this time three Pakistan teams namely Javed Hockey Club, Gojra, Crescent Hockey Club, Sialkot, and Independent Hockey Club, Sargodha, would participate in the tournament.

All three foreign teams would play directly into quarterfinal league stage. The names of the Pakistani teams have been recommended by the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

And as in the past this year also, Indian Oil Corporation Limited would be the main sponsor of the tournament, while multinational gym chain Gold’s Gym will be the cosponsor of the tournament.

“Apart from this, we are also looking forward to the voluntary contribution of NRIs who are keen enough to lend monetary help,” added Pannu.

The silver jubilee edition of the tournament would be played on knock-out-cum- league basis.

According to H.S. Bedi, general manager, Indian Oil, last year runners-up and star-studded Indian Airlines, Delhi, will now play under the banner of Air India, Mumbai, as Indian Airlines has merged with Air India.

“The top players of both teams will exhibit their skills in one team under the name of Air India, Mumbai,” he added.

The other Indian teams include last year’s champion Indian Oil, Mumbai, Punjab and Sind Bank, Delhi, Namdhari-XI, Sirsa, Border Security Force, Jalandhar, Air India, Mumbai, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Bharat Petroleum, Mumbai, Punjab Police, Jalandhar, and South Central Railways, Secundrabad.

The match would be telecast live on the national network. Another added feature in the silver jubilee celebrations is that the tournament organising committee has also decided to increase the cash prize amount for the finalists.

“We have decided that the winners would get Rs 2.25 lakh instead of Rs 1 lakh while the runners-up team would be given Rs 1 lakh.

The best player of the tournament would get Mohinder Singh Tut Memorial Award along with a cash prize of Rs 25, 000,” said Pargat Singh.

Punjab local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia would inaugurate the tournament while Punjab chief parliamentary secretary Avinash Chander would preside over the function on October 18.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would give away prizes to the finalists during the final match on October 25.

The final match of the tournament would be telecast Live on the PTC Punjabi channel from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

Besides this, a special colourful cultural programme would be presented on the inaugural and concluding day of the tournament, which would include Punjabi folk singers Surinder Ladi and Satwinder Bitti.