Bathinda, February 27
Joining hands with the ongoing campaign called "I am no lab rat" against genetically modified (GM) foods like Bt brinjal, Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), an NGO, working in the field of sustainable agriculture, conservation of natural resources, environmental health and eco-sustainable technologies, has cautioned the Punjab and central governments against the introduction of such food in India.

Kavitha Kuruganti, secretary, Coalition for GM-Free India, urged the Punjab government to take steps to ensure that no Bt brinjal entered the market.

Talking to TNS here today, she called for an immediate moratorium on all GM foods. "An outdated technology used in Bt brinjal incorporating antibiotic resistant markers was likely to have disastrous implications for developing countries like India, which were struggling with communicable diseases burden. This might jeopardise National Health Programmes for the control of tuberculosis, diarrhoeal diseases, sexually transmitted diseases etc," pointed Kavitha Kuruganti.

She informed that in Punjab, more than anywhere else, the people were reeling under environmental health impacts of hazardous agricultural technologies. GM foods like Bt brinjal were known through several scientific studies to cause many adverse health impacts.

"It is very inappropriate to consider commercialising a food containing an antibiotic resistance gene, since several modern biotechnology companies have already developed transgenic plant without these maker genes," she said.

She further said that Bt brinjal had not been properly tested for health or environmental safety. In feeding trials, numerous significant differences were noted compared to the best corresponding non-Bt controls.

"Currently, farmers use around 1.4 kg of pesticides per hectare in brinjal, which is way higher than for paddy. This is a 150-180 day crop, in which picking starts after 60 days. There are about 20 pickings during the crop's lifetime and before each of these, the farmer resorts to 2-3 sprays. Thus, he ends up spraying anywhere from 20 to 60 times," said Kuruganti.

Later, a delegation of "I am no lab rat" and Kheti Virasat Mission, including its president Harjant Singh, vice-president Hartej Singh, executive director Umendra Dutt, secretary, Coalition for GM-Free India Kavita Kuruganti, ecological campaigner Gagandeep Kaur and several other farmers, advocates and ecological activists gave two separate basketful sets of normal brinjals to Additional Deputy Commissioner Upjit Brar to be further gifted to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Health Minister Lakshmi Kanta Chawla with the specific reason: “This could be one of your last chances to have such natural and normal brinjals.”

Bathinda, February 27
The mini-bus operators will launch a protest campaign against the government for failing to implement a mini-bus policy that was due to be implemented nearly a year ago. Owners of mini buses are also upset with increased fuel rates and have demanded a reduction in taxes.

Talking to TNS here today, Harmeet Singh, president, Mini-Bus Operators Union, Ferozepur region, said the state government had told them in a meeting held with the CM recently that the mini-bus policy would be implemented soon. It has not been done so far, he lamented.

"We have decided to intensify our agitation if our demands are not accepted by March 5 and bus owners from all districts in the state would participate in the protest," he said.

Mini-bus owners also said that the hike in fuel rates had crippled their business. They demanded that the government should slash taxes on diesel so that the adverse impact of the hike on their industry got reduced.

Stating that their trade was badly affected on account of high taxes, they urged the government to decrease taxes like token tax and special road tax. "The government has waived token tax for large buses. We want that taxes in the case of mini-buses, too, should be reduced along the same lines," added Harmeet Singh.

Among other leaders of mini-bus operators of the state, Baltej Singh (Bathinda), Hakam Singh Bhatia (Mansa), Balwinder Singh (Ferozepur) and Harcharan Singh (Rampura Phul) were also present.

Bathinda, February 27
With the minimum temperature remaining at double-digit for the last seven days, the nip in the air is no longer a condition in the region. And as the mercury going north, the maximum temperature is also hovering at higher-level, around 25 degree Celsius, for the last couple of days.

The mercury surpassed 10 degrees at minimum level on February 21 and recorded 12 degrees on February 24, as per the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda. It remained hovering around 11 degree Celsius at minimum level in the period.

The minimum temperature, although, declined a bit today and recorded 9 degree Celsius at 7 am, 1.5 degrees lower than yesterday, the maximum temperature maintained its yesterday's record i.e. 25 degree Celsius.

The change in the weather condition is quite noticeable. Expressing their experience of the last couple of days, residents say that days of sun bath have almost gone.

"Sitting under the sun, particularly after 10 am, is no longer a cosy affair," residents said, adding that wearing woollens, mainly in daytime, was causing discomfort.

According to the weather forecast made by the IMD, Chandigarh, for Bathinda region on Friday and received by the regional station, the conditions would mainly be dry and clear in the next two to three days.

There is possibility of partial cloudy conditions in the some pockets in the region on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Ferozepur, February 27
Thousands of farmers belonging to the villages situated along the Indo-Pakistan border today held a massive demonstration against the present SAD-BJP regime protesting the decision of the state government to grant proprietary rights of the provincial government land along the border at an exorbitant price to the landless farmers tilling that land since ages.

In the demonstration, which was spearheaded by PPPC general secretary Parminder Singh Pinki, the protesting border farmers burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and later submitted a memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, for submission to the Governor, Punjab.

While addressing the border farmers, Pinki said that the SAD-BJP government was playing a cruel joke with the already economically oppressed farmers. Pinki said that SAD leaders were trying to earn political mileage to garner votes for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Pinki said these marginal border farmers who have always remained in forefront while sacrificing their lives on the call of the nation and acted as first line of defence against the enemy were being unnecessarily harassed by the present Akali-BJP regime on the pretext of granting them ownership rights.

Pinki said that in the year 2000 also, when SAD was in power in the state, the government had planned to auction the surplus provincial government land along the border to benefit their own leaders. However, the move was shelved after the intervention of the High Court.

Pinki demanded that if the government was really concerned about the welfare of these poor border farmers, they should grant the P-rights at a nominal cost of Rs 1 per acre in the form of 99 years lease. It is not possible for the farmers to pay lakhs as cost of land when they are hardly able to make both ends meet, he added.

Pinki said that if the government does not listen to the genuine demands of the farmers, the farmers will be left with no other option but to commit suicides. He said that the farmers have converted the barren land into fertile fields with their hard work and sweat, without any help of the government and now the government was asking them to pay huge lumps of money for the same land.

On the occasion, Chander Mohan Handa, Harinder Dhindsa, Bittu Sangha, all PPCC secretaries besides other Congress leaders including Raj Baksh Jossan, Sukhchain Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Balbir Singh, Gurbhej Singh were present. Border farmers led by Hansa Singh, Karnail Singh, Avtar Singh, Jagir Singh, Resham Singh and Mangal Singh also addressed the gathering.

It is pertinent to mention here that the CM during his last visit to this border town had promised the border farmers that they will be granted P-rights of the land which they have been tilling since ages.

The government drafted a policy which was passed by the state cabinet under which the farmers were required to pay an amount of Rs 25,000 per acre for land between the fencing and international border, Rs 75000 for land between the fencing and Sutlej river and Rs 1,50,000 for land beyond Sutlej towards the city. The amount was to be paid in six installments. 

Mansa, February 27
The Communist Party of India (CPI) launched its poll campaign at a rally held here on Friday. Addressing the gathering, member of national secretariatt of CPI, Shameem Faizi said the two national alliances which ruled the country-- the NDA and the UPA -- had failed to solve the basic problems of people. So it had become necessary to defeat these alliances in the parliamentary elections.

He called upon the people to give verdict in favour of the Left and third front parties.

Member of national executive of CPI, Dr Joginder Dyal, said that due to wrong economic policies of the UPA and the NDA, global economic crisis had badly affected every field as agriculture, industry and commerce.

Other state leaders of CPI and CPI(M) addressed the rally. State secretary of CPI, Bhupinder Sambar, said only Left Front was the alternative which could solve the basic problems of people. CPI (M) leader, Lehmbar Singh Taggar, said that they had three targets, including defeating the NDA and the UPA, increasing the Left force in the Parliament and forming the government of third front.

CPI candidate from Bathinda, Hardev Singh Arshi, said his fight was against feudal and rich families of the state and he would be able to fight against them with the support of the people.

Among others who addressed the rally included general secretary of AITUC Bant Singh Barar, president of AITUC Nirmal Singh Dhaliwal, CPI candidate from Faridkot Kushal Bhaura, Kartar Singh Buani, Baldev Singh Nihal Garh and others.

Bathinda, February 27
Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology organised its annual athletic meet at the college campus here today. Surinder Singh Sodhi, SSP, Faridkot, inaugurated the meet.

Addressing the gathering, Santokh Singh Riar, OSD to deputy chief minister, said that he was of the impression that students of technical institutes hardly took any interest in sports but he had been proved wrong. 

He advised the students to take active part in sports and restore the lost glory of the Indian hockey.

The results: 800m race (men): Gurser Singh 1, Parampreet 2, Sukhdeep 3; Shotput (women): Rajveer Kaur 1, Simarpreet Kaur 2, Tanvi Dixit 3; 100m race (women): Mandeep Kaur 1, Amandeep Singh 2, Meenal 3; 100 m race (men): Daljeet Singh Sandhu 1, Amanpreet Singh 2, Deepinder Singh 3; Long jump (women): Sukhdeep Kaur 1, Simarpreet Kaur 2 and Swati Dhiman 3. — TNS

Ferozepur, February 27
MP Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala today laid the foundation stone of the overbridge connecting the Malwa-Majha and Doaba regions on which an amount of Rs 74.33 crores is likely to be incurred.

Speaking at village Lalluwala, Ajnala said that construction of the 750 metres long and 12 metres wide bridge would be completed by March 2010.

Ajnala said that the state government had already released an amount of Rs 55.50 crores for the construction of the bridge out of which Rs 48.93 crores has been deposited with PWD department as first instalment.

Ajnala said this bridge was the only of its kind rail-cum-road bridge in the region which used to remain closed during night hours and the commuters had to traverse additional distance of 60 to 70 kms. — OC