Jalandhar, October 18
The government will provide 8,99,329 quintals of quality wheat seed to farmers in the forthcoming Rabi season.

MLA Jagbir Singh disclosed this while addressing the participants at a training camp organised by the agriculture department, on Rabi crops, at Jamsher village here on Friday.

Under the crop diversification scheme, wheat would be sown on 34 lakh hectares land as compared to 34.88 lakh hectares last year.

But the need of the hour was for the farmers to adopt the latest farming techniques and bring down the costs of farm inputs. They should only use the techniques and the seeds certified by agriculture scientists, he stressed.

The farmers should also adopt allied ventures like dairy farming, pisciculture, bee keeping, and poultry to augment their income, he added.

Dr Tarsem Singh, joint director, exhorted the farmers to shun the wheat-paddy cycle and opt for sowing oil seeds, sugarcane, maize and barley. The area under barley has been raised to 30,000 hectares this year from 16,000 hectares last year.

Similarly, the area under gram was being raised to 10,000 hectares from 3,000 hectares last year, he added.

He also said the farmers should look after the health of the soil and use the prescribed quantity of fertilisers and pesticides after getting their soil checked from 66 soil testing laboratories being run by the department across the state.

Dr Kulbir Singh Deol, chief agriculture officer-cum-project director, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Scheme, said a sum of Rs 11.50 lakh has been released under the project.

He said 10,000 hectares of land has been brought under peas, legumes, pulses and sunflower this year.

The department will also ensure that farmers use zero tillage machine for sowing wheat on 40,000 hectares, he added.

Batala, October 18
Raj Kumar, a labourer, was killed and two of his associates suffered severe burn injuries when a cupola furnace at the local Asha Foundry collapsed and fell on them, late on Saturday evening.

This is the second such incident in the town in the past six months. Earlier, a labourer died after he fell into a furnace at a localfactory. Police sources said the condition of the other two labourers, who were identified as Subash and Rinku, is said to be stable. Both the injured were getting treatment in a private hospital in the town.

Sources added that though a case had been registered in civil lines police station against Sunil Kumar, owner of the foundry, he could not be arrested so far.

Raj Kumar and other two labourers were working in the factory when the cupola furnace collapsed and molten iron fell on them resulting in severe burn injuries.

The crane was pressed into service to extricate the injured from beneath the furnace. Gurmeet Singh, president, Indian Federation of Trade Unions, said the factory owner should give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and suitable compensation must be paid to the injured.

He alleged that as per his information, the furnace was not functioning properly and safety measures were not taken by its owner. 

Jalandhar, October 18
A farmer was robbed of Rs 4. 51 lakh by three motorcycle-borne youths near Sultanpur Lodhi on Saturday noon.

According to sources, Mukhtiar Singh of Maniala village had withdrawn the money from two banks in the town to pay the labourers working at his farm, besides getting a registry done. The money was in the dickey of his bike.

Apparently, the assailants had been following him since morning and when he reached a secluded place near Amarjitpur village the accused overtook him and threw chili power in his eyes.

Mukhtiar had to stop his motorcycle following which the accused accosted him and demanded the keys of the dickey. When he refused to do so they reportedly held a gun to his head and after taking out the money sped away. They also took the keys of Mukhtiar’s bike with them. The police have registered a case and are on the lookout for the robbers.

Hoshiarpur, October 18
Jaspal Singh of Khun Khun Kalan died on the way to a Jalandhar hospital while his maternal uncle head constable Amrik Singh, of Himmatpur (Mukerian), was admitted to a private hospital at Jalandhar in a critical condition last night.

According to Jagir Singh, the additional SHO of the Tanda police station, a group of youths from the adjoining villages, who came to Khun Khun Kalan to attend Jaspal Singh's cousin Harparsad’s marriage, to be solemnised today, assaulted both Jaspal and Amrik Singh with sharp edged weapons following a minor dispute which arose after the cocktail party last night.

Both were seriously wounded and were immediately shifted to the civil hospital, Dasuya, from where they were referred to DMC, Ludhiana.

On the way, seeing the deteriorating condition of Jaspal, they were taken to a private hospital at Jalandhar where Jaspal was declared as brought dead.

A case under sections 302, 324, 323, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered against Phagun Singh of Duggal, Vicky and Raja of Rara, Mandip Singh and Sahoti of Sehbajpur, Neeta of Johlan, Avtar Singh of Mohkamgarh, Saini of Tanda (and some others) at the Tanda police station in this connection. 

Nawanshahr, October 18
While lauding the efforts of NGOs - Sankalp Welfare and Awareness Society (SWAS) and All India Crime Prevention Society (AICPS) for launching an awareness drive against the menace of drugs, SSP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi exhorted the NGOs to exert their nerves to convert the drive into a mass movement. The SSP addressed a gathering at BLM Girls College after inaugurating the drive against drug abuse.

“The drive should not be confined to merely taking out rallies or organising seminars but it should be made fruitful by bringing in change in the mindset of the society,” said Dwivedi.

An exhibition highlighting the ill effects of drug abuse was also organised. Nari Shakti Jagran Manch also staged a choreography. A Punjabi poem - ‘Nashiyan da chhevan dariya’ written by Dr. Raj Rani was also released on the occasion. A declamation contest was also organised.

College students - Mamta, Navjit, Isha and Jasleen excelled in the declamation contest. Dr. MP Singh, Guru Gobind Singh study circle, Avtar Singh Matharu, national president, All India Crime Prevention Society (AICPS), Dr. Neelam Goyal, principal, among others, also addressed the gathering. 

Amritsar, October 18
Usmaan Peerzada, a renowned theatre artiste from Pakistan, feels that India should help its neighbour to tide over the present crisis which is causing great suffering to the common man.

He said an economically strong country like India should work for peace, stability and prosperity in the subcontinent. “It’s the stable Pakistan that would be in the best interest of world peace,” he said, adding that both India and Pakistan must encourage people-to-people contact, especially among the artistes, who are stitched together with common traditions and rich heritage.

Usmaan along with a group of artistes has arrived from Lahore to participate in the SAANJH Festival being organised here in close collaboration with Punarjyot. The artist said the strong bond of performing arts was binding both the nations together even in the present juncture of uncertainty. He strongly advocated the need for relaxing visa restrictions for the free movement of artistes between both the countries. “Man-made barriers were causing immense hardship and distress to the people,” said the man who was not happy over denial of visa to a nine-member group of artistes from Nautanki theatre who were scheduled to perform at the festival. He urged both the governments to rise above the petty politics and allow total free flow of all forms of arts round the year between the twin nations.

Usmaan said a world theatre festival would be organised at Lahore from November 13-23 in which 47  countries will participate. 

Amritsar, October 18
The famous Prof Mohan Singh Yaadgari mela today took off with great enthusiasm and fervour at the Sangatpura village with the enthusiastic response from the residents and panchayats of the rural belt.

Gurmeet Bawa, the legendary Punjabi folk singer, who was the chief guest on the opening day of the festival, said the young pool of talent in the rural areas was marvelously unique and would give all those in the metros a run for their money.

She said the abundance of enthusiasm among the school children should be properly channelised to give them a chance to perform at the state and the national level platforms to showcase their ethnic and traditional style of performing arts.

The spokesman of the organising committee of the Prof Mohan Yaadgari foundation said 500 students from 20 schools participated in various competitions including debate, painting, poetical recitation, choreography, gidha and folks songs.

He added that the different panchayats from the area gave full support to the wonderful festival which has won over many new admirers.

Earlier, the festival started with bhog ceremony of Sukhmani Sahib and people of the area organised langar.

He said tomorrow, on the concluding day, a couple of seminars on the traditional art of Punjab would be held where leading speakers would dwell at length on various subjects to enhance the richness of Punjabi heritage and culture.