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No wheat procured on Day-I
Bathinda Refinery
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Book river polluters: Seechewal
Former Akali MLA Rajla joins Cong
CM’s bid to placate Tohra loyalists
Bathinda officially becomes Cong focus
Hans meeting: EC wants fresh report
Raninder launches poll campaign
Trucks to Pak line up on roads
Don’t woo voters with liquor, drugs: Takht
3 demands of farmers accepted
Baba holds sway over villagers
Villagers cancel visits to Naina Devi
PTU all set for online counselling
Dr Harshinder gets Pak literary award
Kanwaljit’s ashes immersed
Verdict on definition of Sikh reserved
IPS officer booked for killing 2 stray dogs
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No wheat procured on Day-I
Chandigarh, April 1 The arrival of wheat has been delayed by at least a week in view of the inclement weather that has rendered the wheat green and full of moisture. “We are ready for procurement with all mechanisms in place, but it seeks that farmers will actually start bringing their wheat to sell only after April 7 if weather conditions permit,” a senior official said. The wheat arrival starts from Patiala Division comprising districts like Sangrur, Barnala and Ropar. Punjab is hoping to procure 115 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of the expected produce of 155 lakh MTs. Farmers in many mandis said the recent thundershowers and lashing winds could reduce the overall production. At many places in Punjab, farmers are hand-cutting the wheat that has got flattened. Sources in the Department of Food and Supply said the state government had overcome the acute shortage of storage to the tune of about 50 lakh MTs on account of Union government failure to move last year’s stocks out of Punjab. Punjab has entered into agreement with many shellers and sugar mills for storing the wheat procured during the current season. Many new plinths have been re-hired from private parties, an official said. But there is an indication that Punjab may face a shortage of gunny bags. An arrangement for 4.60 lakh bales of gunny bags (each bale contains 500 bags) and it also arranged 1.20 lakh plastic bags for wheat.
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Govt stands by MoU: CM
Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service
Sangrur, April 1 In reply to a question, Badal said he had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the latter had assured him that the work on the refinery would not be affected. Party candidate from Sangrur Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the SAD manifesto would be released by April 15 as the process to receive suggestions from different quarters of society was in progress. Badal was at the residence of Dhindsa here to address the SAD leaders and workers of the Sangrur constituency.
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Book river polluters: Seechewal
Lohian, April 1 This was stated by Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, who is undertaking an awareness march to highlight the plight of the people living along polluted water bodies. The march passed through Athaula, Khusropur, Billi Waraich, Daulatpur, Dabri, Nawan Pind Dona, Phul, Ghudduwal and culminated at Lohian. The second phase of the march would start from Kot Kurd village on April 3 while the third phase, covering Rajasthan, would commence after Baisakhi and culminate at Bikaner. Talking to The Tribune at the historic Tahli Sahib gurdwara amidst the stench of the Kala Sanghian drain flowing alongside, he said the villagers along the drain were virtually living in hell. The stench groundwater here is so polluted that it is unfit for human consumption even at 250 feet, he pointed out. The government should identify the polluting industries and quantify the pollution caused by them over the years. No polluting industry can operate without the connivance of the pollution control board and other such agencies. Similarly, the government should also come clear on the reasons behind the delay in installing sewage treatment plants under various schemes, he said. Malwa has emerged as the cancer hub of the state and all this was because of polluted water, said Seechewal. Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Hans Raj Hans, LS candidates from Jalandhar, attended the function held at the gurdwara of Nahla village. They said they would take up the issue in Parliament.
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Former Akali MLA Rajla joins Cong
Samana (Patiala), April 1 Senior Congress leaders Amarinder Singh, former Punjab ministers Brahm Mohindra and Lal Singh, who were said to be having differences over certain party matters, shared the stage. Amarinder sought to convey that the Punjab Congress was united and he had no differences with Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. “The party is united and there are no differences among the leadership,” said Amarinder. Addressing the rally, Amarinder alleged that the SAD-BJP government had stalled progress of the state and created unemployment in Punjab by withdrawing "mega projects" initated in the Congress regime. Amarinder, accompanied by senior Congress leaders Lal Singh, Brahm Mohindra, Nirmal Singh Shutrana, Raja Malwinder Singh, Inderjit Singh Zira and MP Preneet Kaur, welcomed Rajla by offering him a siropa.
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CM’s bid to placate Tohra loyalists
Tohra (Patiala), April 1 Paying tributes to Tohra on his fifth death anniversary at Tohra village today, Badal said then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had sent her emissaries to him and Tohra. “She wanted me and Tohra not to oppose the Emergency and in return could rule Punjab forever. But Tohra decided to fight Indira and Emergency by leading a morcha. Earlier the death of Tohra caused a great loss to the party and now the untimely demise of Capt Kanwaljit Singh has delivered a blow to Punjab and the Panth," said Badal.
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Bathinda officially becomes Cong focus
Chandigarh, April 1 The list of campaign in charges, coordinators and spokesperson for Malwa, Doaba and Majah regions is an endorsement of names picked up by Amarinder. The Congress has deployed five senior functionaries as campaign in charge under co-ordinator Maheshinder Singh Badal, a cousin of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who has been his traditional opponent in politics. The Congress leaders deployed for Bathinda are Makhan Singh, Harminder Jassi, Mangat Rai Bansal, Baljinder Singh and Darshan Singh. Besides, Amarinder and his assistant Major Amardeep Singh will also be involved in the campaign activity across the state, but are expected to concentrate in Bathinda. Members of AICC Iqbal Singh and Vishwajit Singh, along with Kaypee and Ashwani Sekri, convenor of the campaign committee, will also focus on this seat that will witness a direct contest between CM’s daughter-in-law and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s wife Harsimrat Kaur and Tikku Raninder Singh, son of Amarinder. Kaypee said the 48-member coordination committee of the Congress had 24 Sikhs, 15 Hindus (Khatri, Aggarwal, Brahmin, Rajput), 1 Saini, 1 Gujjar, 1 Muslim, 3 Balmikis/ Mazhbis/ Adharma/ Ramdasia, 2 Christians, and 1 Sikhs Kamboj. The following are in charge for campaigning on the 13 parliamentary seats: Ramesh Singla (Patiala), Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Gurdaspur), Sukhwinder Singh Sarkaria (Amritsar), Sunil Kumar Jakhar (Ferozepur), Avtar Singh Brar (Faridkot), Mahesh Inder Singh Badal (Bathinda), Ramesh Chander Dogra (Hoshiarpur), Jagmohan Singh Kang (Anandpur Sahib), Jasjit Singh Randhawa (Fatehgarh Sahib), Harmohinder Singh Pradhan (Ludhiana), Santokh Singh (Jalandhar), Arvind Khanna (Sangrur) and Jasbir Singh Dimpa (Khadoor Sahib). A control room at the PPCC HQs has been set up under Naseeb Singh Gill, former Deputy Speaker.
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Hans meeting: EC wants fresh report
Chandigarh, April 1 A spokesman of the CEO’s office said a complaint of Congress candidate from Bathinda Raninder Singh had been sent to the Department of Coordination as it involved seveal departments. Raninder had claimed that officers were working for SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur. Meanwhile, the state government has sent a new panel to the commission for appointing Patiala Range DIG as the earlier panel was rejected. The new panel has names of PS Gill, DIG (Punjab Armed Police), Chandigarh, Arun Oran and BK Bawa, both DIGs in the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in it. The commission had sought a panel after transferring out SK Asthana accused of working at the behest of the SAD.
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Raninder launches poll campaign
Bathinda, April 1 Party activists awaited Raninder, who was followed by supporters in a cavalcade in a show of strength. Raninder started campaign from Mansa today. Later moving in a cavalcade, he entered Bathinda district from Jaga Ram Tirath village, where people accorded him warm reception. He paid obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo and left for Bathinda. Reaching here, he addressed a crowd at his party office and thanked all for support. He urged people to attend the political conference of the party at Talwandi Sabo on April 14, where his father, former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh would address the gathering with other leaders. For the success of rally, all MLAs and in charges of all Assembly constituencies in Bathinda Lok Sabha seat have been asked to make best efforts.
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Trucks to Pak line up on roads
Attari, April 1 Normally, around 120 or 125 trucks carrying onions, potatoes and cotton bales enter Pakistan in the batches of four. Now, as only one truck is being allowed by the Rangers at a time to enter the other side, the number has come down to 110 trucks. Queues of stationary trucks can be seen not only on the Attari/Wagah road but also on the road leading to the Attari international railway station. Around 1,000 trucks were seen lined up on the roads. Truckers said they had been camping at the site for the past more than 10 days and still didn’t know if they would be able to take the consignment across the zero line in the next three or four days. Some of them feared they would not be able to repay their truck-loan instalments as they would be making lesser number of trips across the border. However, Purshottam Sharma, Customs Superintendent, said a limited number of trucks were being allowed to move up to the customs gate to avoid traffic snarls at the gate. A strict checking was being done by officials of the Customs Department. Around 110 Indian trucks were crossing the border daily while only one or two reach here from across the border. Sharma said a restricted entry of trucks on the Pakistani side could be due to the recent terrorist attack on the police training centre in Manawa, 7 km from the Attari joint check post. Meanwhile, only 9 passengers arrived here by the Sada-e-Sarhad bus service between Delhi and Lahore and vice versa. Similarly, only four passengers reached here by the Lahore-Amritsar bus. One of the passengers, Saleema, said the Pakistani authorities were not allowing the Indian buses to move up to Lahore or Nankana Sahib citing security reasons.
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Don’t woo voters with liquor, drugs: Takht
Amritsar, April 1 Meanwhile, the Jathedar took serious note of displaying pictures of Sikh Gurus with political leaders in Nazibabad, Uttar Pradesh, with a view to wooing Sikh voters. In yet another development, residents of Maqboolpura, known as the locality of widows, have decided to launch a campaign against the distribution of drugs, liquor or any sort of intoxicant during campaigning. Talking to The Tribune, Master Ajit Singh, who runs a school providing free education to orphans of drug addicts with the Brij Bedi, a social activist, said children and widows of the locality would take the awareness campaign against drug addiction to every nook and corner of the state.
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3 demands of farmers accepted
Sangrur, April 1 However, they lifted the blockade in the evening at Lehra and Barnala when the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru reportedly gave an assurance to the union that its three demands would be implemented by April 10. Talking to The Tribune over the phone, state president of the BKU (U) Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the Punjab Chief Secretary, along with other officers, held a meeting in the morning with representatives of the union at Chandigarh on four demands, but the talks failed due to which they again blocked rail traffic at Lehragaga and Barnala.
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Baba holds sway over villagers
Athaula, April 1 As Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal warms up to the topic of saving the environment, an issue that is not among the topics openly discussed by villagers, there are murmurs of agreement all around with what he is saying. It’s ditto for some youngsters in the crowd who are recording the speech on their mobile phones. It seems that the Baba enjoys a sort of cult status among the villagers who have been forced to live with the drain of sorrows, as the Kala Sanghian drain is called by the villagers. At least he listens and makes efforts to do something is the general consensus among those present. Some women in the gathering give small amounts of money and send their kids to seek the blessings of the Baba as he winds his speech on the makeshift stage. Seechewal fondles their head, and sends them back with the offerings. As he leaves, he tells women that they should not ignore this vital issue and talk it out with others. Voting was one way of forcing the authorities to sit up and take notice and everyone nods in agreement. The same scene is enacted in village after village.
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Villagers cancel visits to Naina Devi
Ghumana (Machhiwara), April 1 A cross-section of villagers told The Tribune today that they had failed to muster courage to visit the shrine after watching so many dead bodies in their villages. “We are ardent followers of Naina Devi. Most of us make it a point to visit the shrine every Navratras. But, horrendous scenes witnessed yesterday have left us shocked. We have cancelled visits to the temple,” said Harnam Singh of Ghumana village in Machhiwara. Amarjeet Singh of the same village said villagers had learnt a lesson from accidents and had decided not to travel by a truck fitted with wooden shelves. Many of them have postponed their visits to the shrine, he added. Amarjeet said 12 persons from his village lost their lives the accident occurred on Monday night and most of them were young boys from very poor families. Sukh Ram of Mahal Ghumana village said the accident had shaken the villagers and it would take sometime to heal their wounds.
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PTU all set for online counselling
Jalandhar, April 1 According to the parameters for the counselling discussed at a meeting of officials of the university and other participating universities of the state and National Information Centre (NIC) held today, the candidates will get a login and a password on a site after the CET scheduled for May 3. The password will be given on the basis of the information put on OMR sheets during the test by the candidates. The students can get updated and printable information regarding the counselling schedule, directions to be followed and the date of the result on the Internet. At the meeting, teams of the NIC from Jalandhar and Chandigarh briefed the representatives of state universities on the new system of counselling. It was also decided that students be given 10 days’ time to fill up preferences for the college and the stream they want to choose. “Within 10 days, students will be able to change their preference any number of times. After the deadline, the choices on the site will get locked, leaving the last entry as the final one,” NIC officials said. The PTU will help the centres at some of its affiliated colleges for the students who would need assistance in the absence of computers at their places. There will just one counselling this year, unlike two held last year. The PTU will start the sale of CET brochures at all its affiliated colleges and some designated banks from tomorrow. It will continue till April 20, which will also be the last date for the submission of forms.
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Dr Harshinder gets Pak literary award
Chandigarh, April 1 According to a communication received by Dr Harshinder from the trust, the award ceremony for the same will be held on April 4 in Lahore. The Masud Khaddarposh Trust, Pakistan, gives prizes for books in various categories written by authors in Shahmukhi from Pakistan and abroad. This book is a transcribed Shahmukhi version of Dr Harshindar book ‘Maa Boli - Ik daktari Drishtikon’. It was released in New Zealand in May 2008 and then in Lahore in October 2008. It is being translated into English (New Zealand) and Urdu (Pakistan). Dr Harshindar’s book ‘Bachian bare Gyan Vigyan te Manovigyan’ has been chosen as the best book in Gyan Vigyan and has been selected for the Dr MS Randhawa award by Bhasha Vibhag for the year 2008. The writer has decided to donate the prize money for education of poor girls in Pakistan.
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Kanwaljit’s ashes immersed
Kiratpur Sahib, April 1 His son Jasjit Singh Bunny performed the ceremony, while Takht Sri Kesgarh Jatehdar Giani Tarlochan Singh performed the ardas. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, SAD leaders Bikramjit Singh Majithia, Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, Ujagar Singh Badali, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema and others were also present at the ceremony. Capt Kanwaljit died in an accident on March 29 when his vehicle collided with two trucks in Kharar.
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Verdict on definition of Sikh reserved
Chandigarh, April 1 As the matter came up for hearing before the three-judge bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal, Sikh cleric Giani Harinder Singh of Alwar in Rajasthan told the court that counsel Pavit Mattewal had not argued in accordance with his instructions. Mattewal, on a previous date, had come out with a 32-page synopsis on “significance of unshorn hair in Sikhism” purported to have been prepared according to instructions of Giani Harinder Singh. The Giani told the court that Mattewal’s opinion had been fixed in his name. The writ petition has been filed by Gurleen Kaur. She and others had been denied admission in the MBBS in Sri Guru Ram Dass Institute of Medical Education and Research, Amritsar, against seats reserved for Sikh students on the ground that those trimming beard or plucking eyebrows were not Sikhs in strict religious sense of the term. Winding up the submissions, senior advocate Rajiv Atma Ram, on behalf of the petitioners pointed out that the SGPC had not withdrawn its initial affidavit, wherein it had sought to define Sahadhari Sikh as one slowly moving towards becoming a Sikh.
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IPS officer booked for killing 2 stray dogs
Amritsar, April 1 Civil Lines police station has booked India Reserve Battalion Commandant Tejinder Pal Singh, posted at Jalandhar, for killing the two stray dogs with the AK-47 rifle of his security guard Charanjit Singh. His personal security officer Baaz Singh ASI was also injured in the incident as a bullet deflected and hit him. The police has registered a case against the Commandant. The incident took place on March 30 morning. The case was registered last night after preliminary investigations. The complaint, registered on statements of SHO Civil Lines police station Kamal Singh, states the commandant disposed of bodies of the dogs. SSP Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh said no arrest had been made and probe was on.
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The first official day of procurement of wheat today turned out to be a disappointment with hardly any “procurable” wheat coming to mandis in Punjab.
The polluters of rivers, be it bureaucrats or politicians who turn a blind eye to the environmental violations, must be brought to book and asked to compensate those who have lost their loved ones to pollution-related diseases like cancer. The people should vote only for those candidates who promise to undo the huge environmental damage caused by industrial units and civic bodies in Punjab.
The trade between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah route has slowed down due to an intensified checking of the Indian trucks entering Pakistan by Rangers.