Bathinda, March 1
G.S. Bali, All-India Congress Committee observer and sitting MLA from Nagrota in Himachal Pradesh today said he had met a number of Congressmen and leaders in Bathinda to know their views about the prospective candidate of the party from the Bathinda segment.

He was also an AICC observer for Sangrur segment and would meet the leaders and workers of this constituency tomorrow.

After compiling the recommendations of the Congress leaders and workers of the Bathinda segment, he would submit his report to the AICC high command within the next four days.

Replying to a question, he said that he would bring the matter to the notice of the party high command that the Congress workers in Bathinda were in a state of terror. They were not only being beaten by political opponents, but also falsely implicated by the police at the behest of SAD leaders, he added.

To a query as to who would be the prospective candidate for Bathinda parliamentary seat, he said that it was only after the AICC screening committee for Punjab completes its work that the party's Central Election Committee will step in to give the seal of approval for the Congress nominee from Bathinda.

Replying to a question, he claimed that he had not noticed any dissension among the Congress leaders of the district Congress committee.

However, there might be some difference of opinion among them which could be sorted out amicably.

He said that party workers and leaders had high spirits and stated that the Congress would go for the political kill of the Badals and ensure that their political existence was wiped out in Punjab in the coming parliamentary elections. To a question about deployment of central forces in the state, he said that the if law and order situation gets out of hand in the state, the Congress would request the Election Commission for the same.

Asked about support from the followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda who had supported the Congress in the last Asembly elections, he said he has not yet met them and whenever there there is a need, he would visit them.

Bathinda, March 1
The issue of 'one rank, one pension' has been brought to the notice of the government every now and then. To highlight the isue again, a meeting of ex-servicemen organisations was organised at the Teachers' Home today. Many senior leaders of the All-India Ex-servicemen League, All-India Ex-servicemen Movement, Ex-services League, Punjab, and Ex-services War Veterans Movement, attended the meeting.

The ex-servicemen said two persons, who render same service, both in terms of quantum and qualit, should get the same pension irrespective of their date of retirement. The Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) has not bothered much for those who retired early, they said, pointing out that a sepoy who retired on December 31, 1996, would get 82 per cent less pension than a sepoy who retired after January 1, 2006. According to ex-servicemen, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, at a rally of ex-servicemen in Chandigarh in November 2002, had said that when the Congress comes to power, one rank, one pension would be granted. Unfortunately, the government said it was not possible due to financial and administrative crisis.

This decision had forced ex-servicemen to go on a relay hunger strike from December 16, 2008 and they held a huge protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on February 8. Around 300 of them returned their medals to the President of India, another lot of medals was returned on February 21 and the next lot would be returned on March 14. "Most ESMs get exploited for a meagre sum in security jobs," Lt Col S.S. Sohi said.

The ex-servicemen also added that the civilian employees get one rank, one pension. Politicians also increase their pay. The ex-servicemen also declared that they have formed themselves into a vote bank and would vote only for those who look after their interests.

Those who spoke at the meeting were Capt B.S. Bhatti, Sub Balbir Singh Sidhu, Hav Maj S. Brar, Hav Bhola Singh Maur, Sub Nand Singh, Sub Babu Singh, Capt J. Singh, Brig Harwant Singh, Col Sohi, Col Bhinder, Lt Col Daya Singh, Maj Dhillon and CPL Jaswant Kumar. 

Bathinda, March 1
Controversy has clouded the recently launched anti-power theft police station in Bathinda zone with a verbal duel ensuing between a a superintending engineer (SE) of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) and the SHO concerned.

Ferozepur, March 1
A San Francisco (USA)-based NRI couple, who came here to attend the wedding of the son of their friend, were brutally assaulted and all their belongings, including luggage, passports, credit cards, jewellery, US dollars and other travel documents, were robbed at gunpoint at a local hotel here last night. The victims were staying in the hotel.

According to sources, the NRI, Bakshish Singh Handa, reached Ferozepur by road late last evening to attend a function at the residence of Dr Kamal Baghi, director, Anil Baghi Hospital.

Later, around midnight, Bakshish along with his wife, Rajwant Kaur, checked in the Hotel Kings situated at The Mall in the city. A few moments after the NRI couple had settled in their hotel room, three unidentified persons came to the reception of the hotel and asked the manager at gunpoint to escort them to the room where the couple was staying.

Thereafter, the robbers entered their room on second floor and attacked Bakshish with sharp-edged weapon causing severe injuries to him. The robbers took away all their belongings at gunpoint and locked the injured NRI couple along with the hotel staff in the room and decamped with their belongings which also included gold ornaments and around 14,000.

After getting the information, the local police swung into action and send flash messages to all police stations to track down the robbers who had come in white Maruti car.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Pratap Singh said that the police was working on the case and the robbers would be arrested soon.

Some hotel staff had been detained for interrogation. Further probe is on. 

Fazilka, March 1
Incidence of insects and pests emanating in bulk from wheat stocks lying at the Government Primary School No. 1, Bhairaon Basti, has exposed students to health hazards.

According to sources, hundreds of bags of unused wheat presumed to be remaining stocks of mid-day meal scheme developed pests and insects.

The number of insects was so high that they continue to creep into the classrooms and constantly attack small children and teachers.

As a result of insects bite, about 50 children and three teachers of the school had developed itching, said head teacher Asha Rani.

The matter was brought to the notice of SDM Fazilka Charandev Singh Maan. Maan lost no time and immediately rushed to the school to take stock of the situation on Saturday.

He found rotten wheat bags stocked in dinghy room adjacent to the classroom. Small heaps of insects were also seen on the school premises.

Asha Rani told the SDM that she had brought the matter of lying wheat stocks to the notice of higher authorities. Block Primary Education Officer, Ram Chand, summoned by SDM on the spot, said that the wheat bags were stocked on instructions from the District Education Officer (Elementary) since December 2008.

The SDM immediately directed the agriculture department to spray insecticides around the room and on the exposed bags.

The SDM said that he had written a letter to the DEO on Saturday to ensure that the rotten stocks must be lifted within two days.

Some of the residents of Bhairon Basti who after learning of the arrival of the SDM gathered on the school premises said the wheat stocks belonged to a local Congress leader of the area who had allegedly stocked the grain in the school.

Attempts were made to seek version of District Education Officer (Elementary), Sohan Lal Kashyap, but he could not be contacted. 

Faridkot, March 1
Major Ajaib Singh Senior Secondary School at village Jiwanwala in collaboration with a world renowned company 'Educomp' has introduced the latest and highly modernised technology available in the developed nations in its classrooms.

It has installed plasma televisions and smart electronic boards (black boards) and made the classrooms paper-free and eco-friendly. The instructors of this company have arranged workshops to train teachers and other staff of this school during these days.

Principal S.S. Brar has claimed that the new technology introduced from this academic session would help developing the skills of the students at par with the children of developed nations. — TNS

Abohar, March 1
Agro-scientists from different states participated in the two-day seminar, sponsored by the National Horticultural Board (NHB), which concluded in the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET) here on Saturday evening.

The chief guest Dr Nawab Ali, former deputy director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said India had already produced 230 million tones of grains, exceeding requirement of its whopping population, the diversification in agriculture should thus be routed through fruit, vegetable growing besides floriculture. Abohar is heading fast to emerge as California of India, he observed.

Dr Ali said the farmers should also be encouraged to adopt animal husbandry, fish farming and bee keeping as allied professions. Urban population had increased by 45 per cent and 25 per cent of the urban men and women have got jobs, this raises their purchasing power as well as the demand for fruits and milk based products. “We will have to ensure better conservation of agriculture and management of produce through modern system. 

Water management also deserves more attention,” he said. So far 38 post-harvest technology centres have come up in the country. Fertilizer giant IFFCO has sponsored such a project in Bangalore. Research has proved that cattle farms and horticulture has improved fertility of land.

Advocating more cultivation of Soya bean, Dr Ali claimed that one could get one kg of protein by spending just Rs 75 on soyabean or pulses while it costs Rs 1200 to get same quantity of protein from animal meat. 

If one consumes 25 gm of soyabean in the form of flour, milk, curd or cheese for six months regularly, one can bid adieu to diabetes and cardiac problem for ever, he added quoting reports.

CIPHET director Dr R.T. Patil said even when the country leads in fruit production we hardly find a single blotless fruit. Washing system and heavy cold storage system is being developed to meet the global challenges on quality for marketing.

Other scientists, including M.V. Bera, Sudhir Singh, A.K. Thakur, D. Dhingra, D.B. Singh, Sangeeta Chopra, S.N. Jha, Jitender Singh, B.S. Ghuman, R.K. Gupta, G. Mandal, D.V. Sudhakar Rao, B.V.C. Mahajan, Navjot, Harsimrat K, Bons and D.C. Saxena also discussed post harvest processing of fruits and vegetables, quality maintenance, scope of blast chiller, hybrid cold storage system and microbial activities in harvested fruits and vegetables under cold chain conditions. 

Abohar, March 1
Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana during a whirlwind tour of the villages distributed 4000 blue cards among the BPL families, who had not been covered in the first instance. The villages covered during the last 48 hours included Pattisadiq, Dhaani Maseet, Jhurarkhera, Dhaba Kokrian, Shergarh, Ramsara, Chanankhera, Chak Kala Tibba, Dhrangwala, Dhinganwali, Jodhewala, Tajapatti, Kerakhera, Bahawalbassi and Bhagu.

Meanwhile, the fresh distribution of the blue cards has opened a Pandora’s box for the faction-ridden BJP in Abohar constituency. Many residents of local wards met Vijay Luxmi Bhadoo, chairperson of the Women and Child Development Board, to complain that the municipal councilors belonging to her party (BJP) had not given due representation to the Dalit families in getting new blue cards issued recently.

District youth Congress president, Sandeep Jakhar, led a deputation to draw the attention of the sub-divisional magistrate to the alleged discrimination by the ruling BJP leaders in getting blue cards prepared besides benefiting only their "own" persons in the old age and widow pension schemes. 

Bathinda, March 1
Organisers of the Neuro-therapy Centre being run by the local unit of the Sewa Bharti have claimed that a majority of ailments can be prevented and cured with proper implementation of elements of neuro-therapy.

Addressing a gathering at a camp organised at Banglewali Dharamshala, Dr Brij Mohan Singla, said that neuro-therapy is one of the branches of alternative drugless therapy. It is based on scientific studies and it treats the person as a whole rather than treating an illness of the patient in isolation.

He claimed that patients suffering from diabetes, cervical pain, piles, cardiovascular diseases and skin diseases could be cured without administering synthetic products. — TNS