Abohar, January 6
Hundred of farmers carrying the banners of Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta-Ugrahan jammed the rail traffic for four hours by sitting on dharna on the rail track near outer signal close to the Seetogunno rail crossing here today. They refused to negotiate with tehsildar, Avtar Singh, who was accompanied by two station house officers of the Punjab police besides an officer from the Railway police. This halted a train at the local railway station while other trains were held up on the way.

The farmers snatched camera from a professional as he tried to catch the scene for evidence under instructions from the railway police, witnesses said.

Notably, the railway police had twice during the last year registered cases and made some arrests for disrupting rail traffic on different occasions.

Farmers from Muktsar district also joined the local BKU unit in making the dharna a success. Most of the rail passengers preferred to continue their onward journey by buses.   

BKU state vice-president Surjit Singh Dhaba, district Ferozepore secretary Sukhmander Singh, Muktsar district president Puran Singh Doda were also among the protesters.

State organising secretary Sadhu Singh Takhtupura said the state government had been befooling the farmers by making false promises without addressing the basic problem on purchase of cotton at the MSP. The BKU had lifted dharna from the rail track in Bathinda district by relying on what the development secretary N S Kang promised but the assurance was not converted into reality.

The BKU leaders questioned why the state government had not asked its own agency Markfed to enter the cotton market and what prevented the government from withdrawing the 2 per cent cess while it was not charged in the neighboring states.

Mansa: In a move to intensify their protest against the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), farmers have decided to block the railway traffic at Mansa and Rampura on January 9. They are protesting against the central agency for not purchasing the cotton at MSP (minimum support price), that is Rs 2,800 per quintal.

District president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) Ram Singh Bhainibhaga and district secretary Mahinder Singh Romana informed The Tribune that although the CCI had given assurances to farmers that it would purchase cotton on MSP rate in all markets of Punjab but it had not been implemented yet.

They said many cotton farmers had been provided price less than the MSP. The farmer leaders demanded that the purchasing of cotton in the state should begin at MSP.

Five farmer organisations like BKU (Ugrahan), Punjab Kisan Sabha (Sambar), Punjab Kisan Sabha (Taggar), Kisan Sangharash Committee and Kirti Kisan Sabha would participate in the rail roko agitation of January 9.

Moga, January 6
The agriculture development officer of Moga, Dr. Jaswinder Singh, has been selected for a state award for creating awareness among the farming community of his area on latest farming techniques besides organising a three-day state-level Agro-fair here last month. The award will be conferred on him this Republic Day.

Agriculture minister Sucha Singh Langah, who recommended Jaswinder’s name for the state award, also gave him an appreciation letter for his outstanding works. The appreciation letter was handed over to him by district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal on behalf of the minister.

Meanwhile, the district unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Union also honoured the officer at a function organised here on Monday.

District president of the farmers’ body Nirmal Singh Manuke, in a statement released here, said the agriculture officer had been organising training camps for farmers and awareness drives apart from providing knowledge of latest farming techniques to the rural folk with a missionary zeal. “We all need to appreciate his work,” he said.

Senior SAD leader and former education minister jathedar Tota Singh has congratulated Jaswinder on being nominated for the award.

Abohar, January 6
The state government has released Rs 1.5 crore to compensate the farmers who had suffered due to incessant rain and storm during the last year in 23 villages of the Balluana Assembly Segment, informed legislator Gurtej Singh Ghuriana. 

The MLA distributed the cheques worth Rs 31 lakh during his visit to the five villages beginning from Kala Tibba.

He laid the foundation stone of a block, which would be constructed with grant amounting Rs 2.50 lakh, in the government high school in the village Ramsara besides inaugurating a block that cost Rs 1.75 lakh under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan.

Ghuriana announced that the school would be converted into a model school for which the government had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh.

Notably, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while choosing to develop model school in Ramsara had said since his friend Chaudhary Devi Lal, former Deputy Prime Minister, was married in this village, so he had special reverence for it.

Abohar, January 6
The panchayats led by sarpanches having allegiance with Congress have been debarred from utilising grants released by the Chief Minister recently for the various development works. The grants would be utilised by the state government agencies, local legislator Sunil Jakhar alleged.

Strongly criticising the alliance government for adopting different parameters, the MLA regretted that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had discriminated even in sanctioning the amount for the villages, which had elected pro-congress sarpanches. This would be injurious to the spirit of panchayati raj formulated by the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to empower the small rural units, he added.

Warning that he would take up the matter with the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the legislator said the state government had not spared even a rupee from its own exchequer but was actually politicising the funds received under different schemes from the central government. It is a matter of disgrace that the cheques being issued on account of bonus against the procurement of paddy carried photos of the Punjab Chief Minister and Minister for food and supplies department whereas the funds had been provided by the union government, Jakhar rued. 

Citing examples the legislator said grants for the development projects in some villages including Daulatpura, Sappanwali, Danewala Satkosi, Maujgarh, Tootwala, Dhaani Maseet, Kikkarkhera, Dhaani Aroor Singh, Dhaani Karnail Singh, Dhaani Latkan, Dhaani Shafi and Kutcha Seed Farm would be exhausted by the state run agencies apparently to siphon off money for the officers and the persons in political power.

“We had never indulged in such foul means, he claimed. It appears that the SAD-BJP alliance government intends to defame the congress workers besides teaching a lesson to the electorates for not electing the candidates fielded by the alliance,” Jakhar added.

Abohar, January 6
The circle committee of the Technical Services Union during a meeting presided over by the president Hem Raj here gave final touches to the participation in the state-wide dharna to be staged at the headquarter of the Punjab State Electricity Board at Patiala tomorrow.

Circle secretary, Balwinder Singh said large number of workers and consumers along with the members of their families would leave for Patiala late night on Tuesday from Abohar, Malout, Muktsar, Gidderbaha and Badal areas to ensure the overwhelming participation in the dharna and demonstration.

The state struggle committee had decided to stage dharna as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had allegedly backtracked from promises reportedly made during high level meeting held on April 8 last year.

The TSU claimed that Badal promised last year in January to get the Electricity Act 2003 rejected on the floor of Punjab Vidhan Sabha besides accepting all other demands for which the union had been fighting since the Amrinder Singh led government.

Regretfully, Balwinder Singh said senior TSU workers were either terminated or placed under suspension in Muktsar, Jalandhar and Patiala regions by the present government for spearheading agitation against privatisation of the PSEB.

Badal had promised on April 8 to revoke all such anti-worker orders but finally succumbed to pressure from the bureaucrats.

The TSU workers had been mobilising the consumers including farmers for last week to join the dharna in Patiala on Wednesday.

Abohar, January 6
Regretting that the decisions taken by the state cabinet on long pending demands were not being implemented, the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has resolved to go on district-wise dharna outside office of the DPI (Colleges) from January 12.

PCCTU president Iqbal Singh Sandhu said teachers from Jalandhar district would proceed on mass casual leave to launch the agitation on January 12 followed by the other district units.

Claiming the cabinet had approved lifting of decades old ban on filling up the vacancies in the government-aided colleges, he said the bureaucrats had sabotaged its implementation for some unidentified reasons.

The government had also not fulfilled the promise on bringing salary and allowances of the physical education teachers and the librarians at par with the other college teachers.

Arrears of allowances for the period 1996-99 were also not fully paid, Sandhu said.

It appeared that the government was not concerned with the academic future of millions of students besides the nation-builder teaching community.

Sandhu urged the government to issue notification on the revision of scales without further delay.

Bathinda, January 6
Sensing the gravity of the controversy that erupted over the the alleged tampering of proceeding details of the fourth general house meeting of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) and circulating it without the Mayor's approval, the BMC Commissioner has initiated an inquiry to ascertain the facts.

The inquiry has been marked to the BMC Joint Commissioner Amit Dhaka, who is supposed to submit the report to BMC Commissioner K.K. Yadav within three days from now. The councillors, on the other hand, are still adamant and are not satisfied with the inquiry by a bureaucrat.

It may be mentioned that the inquiry has been marked after it was reported that the Mayor had been holding closed-door meetings with three of his lawyer friends at his house as he wanted to keep it a secret from the BMC Commissioner and other officials of the BMC.

During the meeting, it was also discussed that the complaint could be lodged directly with the chief secretary and the chief minister in writing.

The Mayor had earlier disclosed that he had been going through the investigations in detail and also consulting the intelligentsia before taking any step. He had indicated that the official concerned would not be spared at any cost.

When contacted, senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal said, "We do not recognise the inquiry conducted by the commissioner or the joint commissioner as we have been carrying out the investigation at our own level. Ironically, it makes no sense, if the officials who can themselves be the accused in the case, carry out the investigation."

"I came to know that senior officials have been trying to pass the buck to a junior clerk which would again put them under the scanner."

When contacted, BMC Commissioner K.K. Yadav said, "Though no complaint or order has come to me in writing, Mayor Baljeet Singh Bir Behman verbally asked me to ascertain the cause behind the lapse."

"The inquiry is just to ascertain the lapse in the circulation of the report without the prior approval of the Mayor. It is nowhere concerned with the allegation of tampering with the proceedings of the meeting. Moreover, the councillors have not even discussed with me such allegations," he added.

On his part, Amit Dhaka, who is carrying out the inquiry, said, "The investigation will be fair and the report will be submitted within the stipulated period." 

Bathinda, January 6
The chill is back after a break! After a two-day gap, the chill has returned. And this time, vigorously, as the mercury, recording the coldest day of the season on Tuesday, retreated up to 1.5 degree Celsius, as per the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda.

Most importantly, this is the steepest fall on any single day of the season - a dip of altogether 6.5 degree from Monday. The maximum for the day was 18.5 degree Celsius.

It seems that the chill, in this zone, is closely following the calendar of this year. That is why, maintaining a lull on Sunday and Monday - a holiday because of the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh - the mercury dipped so considerably. The minimum temperatures recorded on Sunday and Monday were 8.6 degree Celsius and 8.0 degree, respectively, while the maximum temperature was 19.0 degree Celsius on both days. The reason attributed to the fall in temperature is that the cold wave is passing over the region.

As far as the weather condition during the last three to four days is concerned, the minimum ranged between 2.5 degree Celsius and 8.6 degree while the maximum ranged between 16 degree Celsius and 19 degree. The humidity in the period remained 99 and 62 per cent.

According to the weather forecast made by the IMD, Chandigarh, for Bathinda region on Tuesday and received by the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda, the weather is likely to remain dry and clear in the next two to three days with no possibility of rainfall.

The weathermen predicted that the condition may be mainly dry. There, however, would be further fall in the night temperature. Expressing apprehension, the weathermen said that if the fall in the minimum temperature continued, there might be chances of frost.

Talking to TNS, agri-scientists suggested the farmers to take measures if the frost-like situation occurred. Delicate plants in nursery could be covered to protect them from the harsh weather, the agri-scientists added.

The director of the PAU, regional station, Bathinda, Dr Gurmeet Singh Buttar, said that besides other steps, light irrigation for crops, especially for potatoes, would be beneficial. 

Bathinda, January 6
Just a day after the Congress high command is believed to have given a free hand to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to plan the campaign in Punjab for the forthcoming parliamentary elections, bigwigs of both rival political families, namely Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Raninder Singh have announced their visits to Bathinda.

While a majority of Congress workers in Bathinda have been welcoming the statement of AICC leaders about Amarinder being given a free hand, the SAD (B) too, apparently, has taken it seriously.

Days after she visited Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, has again scheduled her visit to Bathinda on January 8 and 9, when she will interact people in municipal wards.

On the other hand, Raninder Singh, the son of Capt. Amarinder Singh is also coming to Goniana in Bathinda district on January 11 for campaigning. Though his Lok Sabha ticket is not assured as of now but his visit is being taken as a positive indication, coming a day after the AICC cleared its stand on the powers of Amarinder Singh. While talking to TNS, Ajaib Singh Bhatti, MLA Nathana, said, "Raninder's visit will boost the Congress workers. As the AICC has confirmed the Amarinder's position, we are expecting Raninder as the party candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat. Moreover, during his recent visit, Amarinder himself had said that his son is willing to contest from this seat."

Gurpreet Singh Kangar, MLA Rampura Phul, said over the phone, "We have been taking the statement of the high command as an achievement for Amarinder Singh and it has really boosted the morale of workers who want Raninder to contest from the Bathinda seat."

"If he contests from Bathinda, the seat is sure to go to Congress. As the Badal family has been saying that one of their own will contest from Bathinda, Congress leaders feel that Raninder Singh is the only one who can give a tough fight to ruling family from this seat," Kangar added.

Narender Singh Bhaleria, president of the rural unit of the district Congress said, "Raninder is the voice of the people and after Lohri, there would be a series of his visits to Bathinda district."

On his part, Raninder Singh, while speaking over the phone said, "No doubt I am in the race for the Bathinda seat but there are many others too who are in this race. It is known to all that I have been canvassing in Bathinda, but even if I do not get the ticket, I will support the party candidate who gets the chance to contest from Bathinda."

"Everybody is appreciating the statement of the high command regarding my father, but he is firm about maintaining the team spirit during the election campaign," he added.

On the other hand, Bathinda assembly constituency in-charge of the ruling SAD, Sarup Chand Singla, known to be close to the Badal family, said, "We are aware that the name of Raninder is doing the rounds but we have no fear even if Amarinder Singh himself decides to contest from Bathinda."

"If Raninder's name is announced, the intra-party clashes will again surface as there are many factions in the Congress who would raise their voice on the issue," Singla added.

Abohar, January 6
The residents of Model Town located close to the railway track here are suffering due to apathy of the municipal council as well as the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Some of them including H R Riwar senior manager in the Punjab National Bank informed the authorities that the residents seldom find any employee dusting the streets even in case of a posh locality.

Street number 4 is being used by the maximum number of vehicles, carrying students and patients to the establishments located on the Seetogunno road but they had to face the overflowing sewerage water besides uncovered main holes.

The residents including Vijyender Kumar, Arun Kukkar and Shiv Lal regretted that complaints made in this regard earlier had fallen flat.

Hundred of citizens have to use the streets of Model Town due to suspension of traffic through the college road crossing owing to the construction of the rail over-bridge, they added.

Bathinda, January 6
To raise voice against the anti-social activities that have intruded into the Punjabi culture, the intelligentsia including singers, lyricists, poets, actor, social activists and other eminent personalities have come together under the banner of the Youth Clubs Organisation, Punjab.

While speaking to the media today, Jasveer Singh Grewal, president of the association, cited various reasons for bringing about an erosion of the Punjabi culture. He spoke at length about the aims and objectives of the association.

He announced a list of personalities under various heads namely, cultural wing, sports wing, medical wing, farmers wing and legal wing. As per the list, Jagdev Singh Jasowal has been named the chief patron. Surjeet Patar, Dalip Kaur Tiwana, Harwinder Singh Khalsa and Gurdeep Singh Brar have been declared as patrons.

Addressing the conference at a local hotel, speakers namely, Om Parksah Gaso, Sarup Parinda, Hakam Sufi and others criticised the vulgar songs, plays, comedy, dances that erode popular culture. Social menace like drug addiction and female foeticide was also criticised. The speakers urged all to contribute their best for the betterment of society.

It was informed that the organisation would soon hold a seminar in Bathinda, where around 2000 youngsters hailing from surrounding districts would participate.

They demanded from the state government that the policy related to Punjabi culture should be announced without any further delay. It was also mentioned that fulfilling the promise made in the election manifesto, the ruling party or the government should distribute Rs 51,000 every year to all the youth clubs, without any discrimination.

In the list, cultural wing includes Sukhwinder Sukhi, Hakam Sufi, Masha Ali, Harman Sidhu, Jatinder Pal Jolly, Lakhwinder Singh Johal, Labh Singh, J.S. Anand, Gubhajan Singh Gill, Om Parkash Gaso, Ajmer Singh Aulakh, Sarup Parinda, Albel Brar, Amardeep Gill, Manpreet Tiwana and Gill Surjeet. The sports wing includes Kanwar Bhim Singh, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, Rajinder Singh and S.S. Buttar. In the medical wing, Harshinder Kaur, Harjinder Singh Gill, Amit Gupta, Ajit Pal Singh, Malkit Singh Gill, Darshan Singh Sidhu, Ashok Kumar Jain, Jagsir Singh Sidhu, S.S. Grewal (all doctors) have been included.

Farmers wing includes, Paramjeet Singh Sandhu, Mithu Singh, Pirthipal Narula, Kuldeep Singh, Baljinder Singh, Umender Dutt, Harjant Singh Raikekalan, Satbir Singh Korjiwal and Gurmej Singh Kherki.

In the legal wing, S.S. Bhinder, Bhupinder Singh Pitho, Narender API Singh, Rajinder Singh Makkar, Mandeep Singh Ludhiana, Daljit Singh Brar, Sukhwinder Singh have been named. 

Bathinda, January 6
Rajkamal Singh Mann, a local boy, has been awarded the prestigious international graduate student entrance scholarship by the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada to pursue doctoral studies leading to Ph.D in soil sciences. He has also been awarded the graduate research assistantship during which he will be paid a stipend of $17,500 per year for a period of three years.

A student of the St. Xavier's School and Government Rajindra College, Mann has done his M.Sc in plant genetic manipulation from theUniversity of Nottingham, United Kingdom. He was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme Award by Great Britain. Mann also received gold medals from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka. In UK, he was part of the team that was working on the project involved in genetically modifying the plant system to produce the anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel (Taxol). — TNS

Bathinda, January 6
Unit 3 of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant (GHTP) was closed temporarily for preparing the unit for the performance guarantee test and the required work has been satisfactorily completed and the unit has become operational from January 5 evening onwards.

Giving this information, G.S. Sra, Member, Generation, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) said that however, Unit 4 had to be closed due to a snag and the unit being under warranty period, BHEL engineers were summoned immediately to repair the snag. He however, said that the Unit 4 also became fully operational late on January 5. Sra informed that with this, the state would be getting 120LUs extra power.

Mansa, January 6
To protest for acceptance of their demands, the Mazdoor Mukti Morcha today held a dharna in front of the DC’s office here. State secretary of the Morcha Bhagwant Singh Sammaon demanded that the minimum wages, which were announced by the government, should be implemented at the earliest.

He demanded waiving of all types of loans taken by the labourers and wages at the rate of Rs 200 per day.