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Badal assures 8-hour regular power to farmers
Farmers arrested for resisting power project
Beware of your ‘healthy diet’, it can lead to cancer
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Swine Flu Punjab health dept showed laxity in responding Took over 22 hours in isolating suspected patients Jalandhar, June 15 Contrary to tall claims made by both union and state heath authorities in handling swine flu cases properly, they adopted casual attitude towards suspected patients, which is evident from their dealing with the group of 31 students along with three teachers.
Redress grievances to defeat terror: Mattewal
Power men protest against privatisation
Ferozepur boy tops PMET
Oz assures safety to students
State bans textbook ‘Parag’
Bank gheraoed to get farmer freed
Male foetus found at Sunam
Sidhu’s vehicle hits two
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Badal assures 8-hour regular power to farmers
Ratta Khera (Muktsar), June 15 He said the state had signed agreements with a few other states to purchase extra power at higher rates to meet the demands of consumption. “We are currently producing 6,500 MW of power, but the demand has crossed 12,000 MW,” he said. When asked about the power cuts being imposed in urban areas, Badal said he was helpless and alleged that the previous Congress government was responsible for the shortage of power. He said the previous government did not made any effort to set up new power plants to increase the production of power. Badal said officials of the Punjab State Electricity Board had been asked to review the problems and demands of farmers, especially in the wake of the sowing paddy season. He said the over-loaded grid sub-stations and transformers were being augmented and overloaded feeders were being bifurcated to reduce their loads. Earlier, the Chief Minister visited Bodiwala, Alamwala, Bhagwanpura, Sarawan Bodla, Karamgarh, Mahni Khera, Blocj Kera and Bahika villages in the Lambi Assembly segment on the third and last day of his tour to the area to express thanks to people for helping his daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal get a landslide victory in the recently held Lok Sabha elections from the prestigious Bathinda constituency. While addressing gatherings in these villages the Chief Minister said the state government had proposed to set up 108 Adarsh schools at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore. The government had also decided to recruit 17,000 teachers in various categories on a regular basis on merit, besides recruiting 1,000 English teachers to raise the standard of education in government schools, he added.
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Farmers arrested for resisting power project
Ajnala, June 15 The farmers have been protesting against the construction of solar power project on the panchayat land allegedly offered to a private company without following required procedure. They alleged that Azure Power Punjab Private Limited was continuing with the construction on the said land, despite the lower court deciding the case in favour of the farmers who had been cultivating the land for the past 30 to 35 years. However, Sarpanch of the village Gurcharan Singh Raju had claimed that they had given a letter to the power company asking them to stop work on the site. He said they had given the land to the company after receiving final approval from the state government in this regard. Managing Director of the company Vikramjit Singh said they were not a party to the case as the dispute was between the farmers and the panchayat. Deputy Commissioner Kahan Singh Pannu said a committee headed by SDM Ajnala had been formed for the early resolving of the issue. Meanwhile, the police station was gheroed by hundreds of farmers to protest against the arrests. Activists of various pro-Leftists farmers organisations, including the Kirti Kisan Union and the Bharti Kisan Union, arrived in the town to show solidarity with the arrested farmers. The dharna was continuing till the filing of the report.
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Beware of your ‘healthy diet’, it can lead to cancer
Chandigarh, June 15 Injecting oxytocin for inducing lactation or increasing milk yield in cattle may not be as serious as is consuming agricultural produce from selenium or arsenic rich soils of Doab and Malwa belts. While a Tribune investigation last week about the “unchecked supply of synthetic and spurious milk in the state” has generated an animated debate, serious concerns have been expressed by a cross-section of the readers not only over the alleged misuse of oxytocin injectibles for both raising milk yield as well making vegetables and fruit extra large for higher financial yield, but also over the quality of food produced from cancerous soils. Farm experts admit that the use of toxic water for irrigation purposes makes crops absorb chemicals in their roots. The presence of some of these lethal chemicals, including arsenic, both in fruit and vegetables produced in areas irrigated by toxic water, has been scientifically established. There is a belt in the Malwa where a number of villages irrigate their fields with blackened water that stinks of industrial effluents. Nashara Drain, for example, that carries industrial effluents of a paper mill and an oil mill, is the only source of irrigation for a number of villages in the area. In the Doab, several villages, both in Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr districts, were identified in the early ’80s to be rich in selenium. Selenium poisoning in these villages has been alarmingly high. Investigations reveal that residents of the affected villages, both in Malwa and Doab belts, avoid consuming any of their own dairy or agriculture produce. Instead, they prefer to frequent nearby towns to draw their quota of consumable milk and dairy products, besides wheat, rice and vegetables. The villagers apprehend that whatever they produce may not be fit for human consumption. “That is why we sell off whole of our produce and buy our requirements from safe areas,” says a farmer of Kotbahra village. Initially, the villagers thought that the blackened water of the drain was like a good sludge rich in manure. However, tests conducted by farm experts in general and soil scientists in particular, proved them wrong. Even analysis of their produce gave serious warning signals for they tested positive for lethal elements like arsenic and other carcinogenic elements. While the Malwa belt has come to be known as cancer belt, the selenium-affected areas in Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur are identified as belts of “earth cancer”. The presence of selenium in ground water is much higher than the prescribed limits. Farm experts observe that over the past several years, rice and wheat that have replaced earlier grown crops of maize, wheat, sorghum and oat in the area, have also been affected by high presence of selenium in the soil. Distribution of vitamins among villagers has been among the preventive measures to minimise the affect of selenium poisoning. One of the reasons for growing area under selenium toxicity is perhaps the floodwater from the Shivalik ranges. Scientists, including those from PAU, have been conducting research for over a decade in the area. Whatever be the progress of research in Malwa and the Doaba belts over the known sources of lethal chemicals that are detrimental to human health, little has been done to contain the abuse of chemicals, including injections like oxytocin.
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Swine Flu Jalandhar, June 15 In what may be termed as glare examples of utter negligence in handling suspected cases of swine flu, the Central health authorities lost as much as precious 22 hours in keeping the student-teacher group in isolation as they did not stop them from going to Jalandhar from Delhi and did not wait for receipt of the report of one of the suspected Karandeep’s blood samples. Further, Punjab health authorities also did not persuade all the suspected patients to admit in Civil Hospital in time. As one of the nine students, Guriqbal Singh of New Santokhpura, was admitted on Monday at about one am, several hours late as compared to other eight students. According to the information gathered by The Tribune, the 34 student-teacher group landed at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi at about 3.30 am on Saturday, June 13, after completing its 10-day tour of the NASA. Blood samples of Karandeep (17) of Preet Nagar, Jalandhar, were taken in Delhi after detection of some symptoms of the flu. He was admitted in a hospital there but the other members of the group were allowed to leave Delhi for Jalandhar without waiting for the report of Karandeep’s blood samples. Mother of one of the students, Sarabjeet, told The Tribune that all other students and teachers except Karandeep reached in a bus at their houses at about 5 pm on Saturday itself. However, after Karandeep’s positive report for H1N1 virus, the union health authorities sounded Punjab health authorities. Subsequently, Jalandhar health authorities swung into action and the 33-member group of students and teachers were gathered thereafter at the school premises at 1.30 pm on Sunday. In this way, precious 22 hours were lost due to the negligence of Central health authorities in isolating these suspected patients. By that time, these suspected patients had come in contact with not only their parents and relatives but several others. Sarabjeet feels all the students and teachers should have been kept in Delhi itself before the receipt of Karandeep’s report, and should have been allowed to proceed to Jalandhar only after a negative test report. She said her daughter had not shown any symptom of the flu yet. However, she and her family members have been asked to take precaution for at least a week. While Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Director, Emergency Medical Relief (EMR), Dr P Ravindran and other senior officials could not be contacted, Dr Tarun Kumar deputed at control room for swine flu at EMR in Health Ministry denied any negligence on the part of Central health authorities. District Health Officer (DHO) Roop Lal told The Tribune that he came late at Civil Hospital as he wanted to take dinner at his house. Similarly, Civil Surgeon SS Walia did not find any casual attitude in handling the endemic as he said that they could not admit any suspected patient forcibly at the hospital.
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Tea vendor tied to tree for not serving cops
Naushera Majha Singh (Gurdaspur), June 15 Though the policemen, including munshi Yashpal Singh and Head Constable Amanual Masih, have been placed under suspension and sent to the Police Lines by the district police authorities, no case against them was registered despite the fact that victim Ramesh Kumar was “illegally confined and tortured” in the police post without any fault. DSP Narinder Bedi, who went to the police post and facilitated the release of Ramesh from illegal custody, said Dhariwal SHO Jarnail Singh was doing an inquiry into the case. Ramesh, while narrating his tale of woes before mediapersons, alleged that the policemen forcibly took him to the police post. He was handcuffed and tied to a tree. His fault was that he had refused to supply tea free of cost to the policemen from his kiosk located near it. He added that he was maltreated, abused and threatened by the policemen that he would be implicated in a false criminal case as he had refused to supply them tea free of cost. Ramesh could enjoy freedom only after a resident of the area brought the matter to the notice of an SP rank officer, who immediately sent DSP Bedi to the spot to secure the release of the victim.
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Redress grievances to defeat terror: Mattewal
Chandigarh, June 15 In his speech on “International terrorism: Threat to world peace and prosperity” during the two-day “international conference of jurists for judicial reforms” in London, he said: “Just as terrorism must never be excused, similarly genuine grievances must never be ignored.” “We must act with determination to address, indeed solve, the political disputes and long-standing conflicts that underlie, fuel and generate support for terrorism,” he said. “To do this is not to reward terrorists; it is to diminish their ability to find refuge or recruits for any cause in any country,” he added. The conference, organised by the International Council of Jurists and the Honourable Society of Lincon’s Inn, concluded on June 14. The inaugural session saw participation by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan and other dignitaries. Taking the issue a step further, he said, “Terrorism is a theatre, where militants play brief, yet deadly roles. No story plays better, or longer, than a terrorist attack. The media, especially television, multiplies the fear effect of terrorism by vividly conveying its horror.” Describing terrorism as a global phenomenon and a global threat that called for global response, Mattewal said, “It has now been accepted that no cause justifies the targeting of civilians and non-combatants through intimidation and deadly acts of violence.” About cyber space being exploited by terrorists, Mattewal said: “Cyber terrorism in the form of computer virus, frequency weapons and denial of service attacks threatens the security of power grids, global financial institutions and even pharmaceutical manufacturing. Terrorists are already making extensive use of new information technologies to exponentially compound the damage.”
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Power men protest against privatisation
Patiala, June 15 Board employees from Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Kapurthala, Khanna, Sangrur, Jalandhar and Ludhiana circles participated in the rally held in front of the board headquarters here. Pal Singh Moga and other leaders said if their demands were not accepted, they would be forced to intensify their struggle and the state government would be responsible for the consequences. Thousands of employees started arriving here since early morning and the entire stretch of The Mall outside the head office of the PSEB was packed with thousands of farmers and employees by afternoon. They then held a rally outside the board head office where leaders of the Technical Services Union of the board and farmers’ representatives addressed the gathering. Karam Chand Bhardwaj and Surinder Singh Pehalwan demanded that the Punjab Government should immediately scrap its decision on privatisation of the board. They said the decision had been taken under pressure from outside agencies and if the power board was disbanded, it would jeopardise the future of thousands of its employees who had toiled hard over the years to put the board on an even keel. They said privatisation of the board would mean handing over management of the power sector to private players and employees and different sections of society would be left at the mercy of multinational corporations.
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Art provides some distraction at Attari
Amritsar, June 15 Curious tourists on the Indian side wonder aloud how Pakistani authorities spared time for “art” in the midst of the violence and chaos tearing at the heart of Pakistan. For 62 years there were no murals at the check-post, so what prompted them to suddenly come up with it, they ask. Border Security Force officials shrug it off. “It is on their side and they are free to do what they like,” says BSF IG Himmat Singh Gill. But a closer look at the panels has forced eyebrows to be raised. They depict violence, dead bodies, physical assaults and migration of families on horse-driven carts, prompting onlookers to infer that they are meant to depict the nightmare of Partition. Even more disturbing is the depiction of armed men assaulting unarmed people. Yet another panel apparently depicts a war on hill-tops, presumably the Kargil war. The four panels are clearly visible to spectators on the VIP gallery on the Indian side every afternoon while witnessing Beating the Retreat. The panels are not visible from the
Pakistani side. The BSF IG told The Tribune that the panels were ambiguous and it could not be said with certainty that they depicted communal violence or Partition. Can the panels be said to be provocative by any chance, the IG was asked. His reply was non-committal.
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Ferozepur boy tops PMET
Faridkot, June
15 Jagjot Singh Gill, son of Malkiat Singh Gill, and Anjula Verma, daughter of SK Verma, both residents of
Bathinda, jointly stood second by getting 728 marks. While Vipin Bhatia, son of Parvinder Pal Bhatia of Amritsar, got the fourth position by getting 720 marks.
Shilpa, daughter of Parvesh Kumar of Barnala, got the fifth position. As many as 6,499 students had appeared in the
PMET. The university has displayed the detailed results on its website,
www.babafariduniv.com. The dates of counselling had not yet been announced by the university, but a senior official revealed that these would be announced in the next couple of days. There are 150 seats in the Rajindra Government Medical College at
Patiala, 150 seats in the Government Medical College at Amritsar and 50 seats in the Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College at
Faridkot.
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Oz assures safety to students
Chandigarh, June 15 He mentioned that even Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd had condemned the attacks in a statement to Parliament on June 1. “Australia takes its reputation as a safe destination for internationals students seriously. That is why the police is energetically pursuing those responsible for these attacks. Charges have been laid and investigations are continuing. The culprits will face the full force of the law”. Australian High Commissioner has said the authorities have established a hotline to assist Indian students with their concerns. Police patrols have been increased in relevant areas.
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State bans textbook ‘Parag’
Chandigarh, June 15 More paddy MSP sought
CM Parkash Singh Badal has said the recommendations of Commission for Agriculture Costs & Prices for fixing paddy MSP at Rs 950 per quintal were totally inadequate. A hike in the paddy MSP, with Rs 1400 per quintal at the bare minimum, will be sought.
— TNS
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Bank gheraoed to get farmer freed
Sangrur, June 15 They lifted the gherao when the bank authorities reportedly assured the protesters that they had given a request in writing to the court for the release of the farmer on ill-health ground. Talking to The Tribune this evening, district general-secretary, BKU (Ugrahan), Darbara Singh Chhajla said farmer from Tolawal village Maghar Singh had taken loan from the SBI branch for purchasing a tractor about 10 years ago. “Though he repaid many instalments of the loan, he could not repay the remaining instalments due to which the bank filed a case against him in the court, which sent the farmer to jail,” he added. Chhajla expressed the hope that Maghar would be released
by tomorrow.
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Male foetus found at Sunam
Sangrur, June 15 Sunam SHO (city) Harjinder Singh said on the complaint of Amrik Singh, a resident of Sunam, the police had registered an FIR against Paramjit Kaur, wife of Jagga Singh, resident of Khadial village. He further said Paramjit was nowadays living at her parental house at Sunam. The SHO said no arrest had been made. He also said the police had sent the foetus to Govt Medical College, Patiala, for postmortem as there were no arrangements in the Sunam Civil Hospital for conducting a postmortem of such a small foetus.
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Sidhu’s vehicle hits two Amritsar, June 15 The injured have been rushed to the military hospital situated in the cantonment area. According to information, Sidhu’s driver was backing the vehicle that had struck in the pothole and as the driver accelerated the car it jumped out of the pothole and hit the divider on the road. Meanwhile, the armyman and his son, who were coming from Custom Chowk side could not control their motorcycle and rammed into the front door of the passenger seat. The police authorities said they were investigating the case and action would be taken after hearing both the parties.
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