Bathinda, June 26
The beginning of the minimum 7-hour schedule power cuts in Bathinda city from today has left the residents here crestfallen as with this development the city has lost its status of no-power cut zone leaving the citizens high and dry in the ongoing searing conditions.

The residents have been enjoying the no-power cut status before last Parliamentary elections. In fact, the Punjab State Electricity Board’s (PSEB) attempt to help the power-needy paddy farmers by ensuring eight hours power supply has in turn resulted into the beginning of schedule power cuts in the city.

Besides the scheduled power cuts, the PSEB has also been snapping off supply at frequent intervals as per the requirements.

City people, who at the time of parliamentary polls, were promised with a ‘no-power cut zone’ status of the city, have been considering this development as an blow to their faith which they have reposed in the ruling party at the time of polling.

The ruling SAD leaders had promised that 8-km radius of the city would be free from power cuts as a compensation for smoke and fly ash emanating from the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant.

While a section of residents is terming it as the compulsion of the PSEB because paddy farmers require power more than the urban residents.

The west zone of the PSEB, which comprises of six districts Bathinda, Mansa, Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot and Muktsar has started 7-hour power cuts in whole of its territory, dividing the zone in four categories.

As per the information received from the PSEB officials with regard to the eight-hour agricultural power supply, the PSEB has divided the zone in three groups.

In the night group, farmers will get supply from 10 pm - 6 am; in the day group, power would be released to motor pumps from 6 am - 2 pm; and for border area, it would be between 9 am and 5 pm. The power schedule is applicable till further orders, the officials added.

Bathinda, June 26
Being in the backwaters of Punjab, the industry in the Malwa belt wants the finance minister P.Chidambaram to announce in his budget proposals freight subsidy and other incentives for its survival in this competitive environment.

They also want a better rail connectivity here from the railway minister Mamta Banerjee. A leading industrialist Rajinder Mittal, who is CMD of the BCL Industries and Infrastructures Ltd; in his wish list said that Punjab being basically an agro-based state requires freight subsidy for transportation of its cargo to the Kandla port as there was no direct link between the two places.

A roadmap should be sketched for implementation of the Goods Service Tax (GST) in April next to prevent chaos on the issue.

Mittal suggested that with a view to fulfill its slogan of providing house to each family, the government should not levy stamp duty to the first buyer and should also reduce interest rate on housing loan.

Sukhdev Singh Chahal, president of the Cotton Factories Association, wants that the incentive of 5 percent on cotton yarn export should be doubled.

The government could do this by withdrawing the 5 percent incentive on cotton export, as there was no export of raw cotton.

He said that the taxation on cotton in Punjab was much high as compared to the other cotton growing states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Malwa belt produces on an average 22 lakh bales of cotton.

Kamlesh Chander Garg, a steel miller of Rampura, wanted availability of raw material and uninterrupted electric supply to the industry.

Garg also wanted the labour laws to be amended so that the present day requirments of the industry could be met.

Bathinda, June 26
The “International Day against Drug Abuse” was observed at De-addiction Centre of local Civil Hospital with a resolution to unite the world against drug addiction.

The inmates at the centre also took the oath of converting international society free of drug abuse.

Dr Inderdeep Singh Sran, Blood Transfusion Officer, Red Cross Society, while speaking on the occasion, said the youths of the state and particularly of Malwa region had fallen prey to narcotics.

He was of the opinion that although the youths who could not find employment fell a prey to drugs, but there were some other reasons also which were responsible for increasing number of drug addicts.

He said due to stressful and busy life, the parents did not find time to be with their children, due to which children fell in bad company. He said the parents should take care of their wards and should listen to their problems.

There can't be anything worse than drug addiction and Raj Singh experienced it for himself. He started taking drugs at the age of 18 with marijuana and soon was hooked to other drugs like cocaine, charas and heroine.

After five years, he realised that he was trapped and needed to get out. Due to his will power, he returned to the real world.

“There were nights when I would tell my sister to tie me to the bed so that I could not get up to take a dose. Many a time, my condition would worsen and my sister would tell me to have drugs," he said.

“We take to drugs as it is easily available. But instead of catching us why don't authorities do something about the companies that produce medicines, which are abused as drugs, on a large scale. Why are only chemist shops raided and not companies?" says Bant Singh.

Dr Nidhi Gupta, in charge, De-addiction Centre here said: "If a patient is motivated to quit drugs, he can do so either by getting admitted at a de-addiction centre or even by staying at home. But if a very high dose of heroin (smack) or intravenous drugs or raw opium is being used then it is wise to reduce it over one week and then to stop it completely".

She said that de-addiction must be done under medical care as withdrawal can cause seizures, delirium, dementia, anxiety, psychosis, etc.

Rahul Tiwari, Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, Dr Neelam Bajaj, civil surgeon, Indu Bhushan Aggarwal, assistant civil surgeon, were also present on the occasion.

Bathinda, June 26
The Punjab Rice Millers Association has stood up against the recommendation of PAU 201 variety of paddy by the PAU.

Tersem Saini, president of the Punjab Rice Millers Association, today said at a club that they would not use or purchase PAU 201 variety.

In the last season, 10 per cent farmers had sown this variety and the results were not good, he claimed.

He warned farmers against transplanting PAU 201 variety of paddy. A meeting in this context was called at PAU, Ludhiana, earlier this month.

Senior officers of the agricultural, food and supplies departments, PAU scientists and officials of the state procurement agencies, including the FCI and rice millers, attended the meeting.

All of them assured farmers that the issue would be put forward to the Centre and efforts made to reduce the damaged percentage of the rice, which, however, didn't materialise. The use of PAU 201 would pose a threat to the industry, he said.

Though PAU 201 was a high yielding variety, rice-millers were not willing to purchase or even stock it. Also the food supply agency was reluctant to purchase it for human consumption, he added.

He further said that the Food Corporation of India and Food and Civil Supplies Department supported the millers and had made a three-member committee to view the legal aspects regarding their reluctance to use PAU 201.

Though the PAU authorities had assured that they would get the damage percentage raised from the Central government, it would not solve the problem because PAU 201 had no marketing value.

Faulty policies of the Central government had already caused Punjab shellers a loss of more than 100 crore, he held.

The association members also urged the farmers to stop transplantation of PAU 201 variety to escape from being harassed during procurement time.

They added that the selected sample of this variety was sent by the PAU to the Union Agriculture Ministry, which reported the damage per cent of 1.96 per cent.

However, after rice millers of the state protested, the ministry decided to transplant the paddy at Bathinda, Kapurthala, Morinda and Bilga.

The PAU, Agriculture Department, Food and Supplies and the FCI did the transplantation of the paddy on the trial basis.

These agencies reached a conclusion that the damage percentage of rice of this variety ranged from 7 to 9 per cent. This matched percentage stated by the millers.

"At present, the rice milling industry is incurring a monthly expenditure of electricity, labour and salary as a result of which the rice millers are bearing an approximate loss of Rs 3 crore daily," he added.

Meanwhile, the association members threatened to hold statewide protest in case the government failed to meet their demands.

Bathinda, June 26
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has given its approval for conducting computer science & engineering, electrical engineering, electronics and communication engineering and mechanical engineering courses to Baba Amar Nath Educational Society, Moga, for establishing Ferozepur College of Engineering & Technology at Ferozshah village in Ferozepur district.

In a press release issued by the society here today, the council has allowed the extension of the much-sought-after courses at the college.

With permission having been granted, the stage is set for a timely commencement of these courses this year.

In another Letter of Intent, AICTE has granted approval to newly set-up Guru Ram Dass Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bathinda, for conducting four B.Tech courses-CSE, ECE, mechanical & electrical engineering for 60 seats in each branch.

Moga, June 26
The local Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain walked out of the Moga district Grievances Committee meeting, which was held here this morning.

He alleged that the administration did not provide him agenda of the meeting and adequate seating arrangement was not made for him as per protocol of his position.

Speaking to The Tribune, Jain said that he would take up this matter with the Privilege Committee of the Assembly in the coming budget session .

Jain said that he was the only elected representative of the Legislative Assembly present in the meeting and despite the fact he was not allowed to speak on the issues related to the common people.

The MLA further alleged that the intimation letter of the meeting signed on June 19 was sent to him on June 24 without a copy of the agenda attached with it.

However, chairman of the committee district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal told The Tribune that Jain came at the meeting late by almost 50 minutes at a time when the agenda items were already discussed and the meeting was about to finish.

"Since there was a huge rush, I could not notice the MLA entering the meeting hall, otherwise I could have made adequate arrangements for his seating," the DM added.

Meanwhile, the former education minister Jathedar Tota Singh stressed upon the need to repair and strengthen the breach developed on the banks of the Sutlej during the 2008 floods.

Bhupinder Singh Mahesari, general secretary of the BKU, said that there was a need to improve the condition of power supply for farm operations.

The other MLA members Darshan Singh Brar, Ajit Singh Shant and Sheetal Singh did not attend the meeting.

Hanumangarh/Sriganganagar/Abohar, June 26
Observing the International Day against drugs, the Border Security Force (BSF) today organised a seminar in Srikaranpur, close to the international border, to bring awareness on drug abuse and illegal trafficking.

Dr Neeraj Arora was the key speaker. At Hanumangarh, rallies were taken out by the NGOs and educational institutions.

The district collector Naveen Jain and DSP Rajinder Singh Sisodia while speaking at the seminar that was organised by the District Chemists Association in the Arorvansh Dharamshala advised the medicine sellers to follow the code of conduct set by the Indian Medical Association and desist from providing medicines without proper prescription of the qualified doctors.

They asked the physicians to prescribe only generic medicines to the patients. They felt that free flow of prohibited medicines was responsible for increase in crime graph, besides, social values. We should religiously take collective measures to save youths, they said.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, June 26
Acid attack victim Khushdeep Kaur, an ANM student of the Tantia Medical Institute at Sriganganagar, succumbed to her burns during her treatment at the super- specialty Sawai Mann Singh Hospital in Jaipur today, reports reaching here said.

Earlier, the police had arrested accused Balraj Singh alias Babbu, son of Harbans Singh of village Chak 12-O from the border town Srikaranpur.

The arrest remained a closely guarded secret till late night to avert wrath of the students of nursing institutes and women organisations, who have been on taking out protest processions during the last three days to express anguish over the incident that was first of its kind in Sriganganagar district.

There had also been protest demonstration by the students of other educational institutes, who had boycotted classes all over the district.

As per information available, Balraj reportedly revealed during preliminary interrogation that he wanted to marry Khushdeep Kaur, who had been a classmate of his sister at the Gyan Jyoti College at Srikaranpur and used to visit their house. He was senior to Khushdeep by one year in the institution.

After completing her education in Srikaranpur, Khushdeep, daughter of a Rajasthan Roadway employee, shifted to Vinoba Basti to pursue studies in ANM diploma course at a private college in Sriganganagar. She was residing along with her mother while her elder sister had gone abroad.

Balraj reportedly conceded that he had been trying to meet Khushdeep in her college but other students asked him to stop teasing her as she was not inclined to marry him. Frustrated over this, the accused reportedly conspired to assault her.

He stayed at the residence of his aunty in Purani Abadi locality on Tuesday, purchased a bottle of acid from the local market for Rs 80.

He managed to intrude in the house of the victim and emptied the bottle of acid in a small vessel and threw it on Khushdeep when she was sleeping around midnight. He had kept the door of a room open to flee.

Khushdeep Kaur had reportedly told the police that Balraj Singh had been harassing her even when she had turned down his offer for marriage, sources added.

Abohar, June 26
Legislator Sunil Jakhar has advised the multipurpose cooperative societies to open departmental store in rural areas to make most of the commodities available to the rural people at reasonable rates.

Speaking after inauguration of the new building of the cooperative society in village Killianwali, five km from here today, he said the government will have to be more fair and serious in addressing the problems faced by the farming community.

Most of the small farmers were not able to supplement the basic needs of their families, he added. International Cooperative Alliance director Surinder Kumar Jakhar presided over the function.

Abohar/Fazilka, June 26
A woman and two drivers were killed while two others sustained injuries in a road mishap today morning when the truck they were travelling on collided head-on with another truck during the wee hours outside village Ghallu, 12 km from here, on the National Highway.

As per information available, Shikha, wife of Satish Kumar, a resident of Jawahar Nagar Batala Road Amritsar, was coming to Abohar along with her daughter Barkha (8), son Brajesh (12) occupying the front cabin of the truck to spend the summer vacations with her relatives here.

Owner of the truck Bharat Bhushan alias Vicky, brother of her husband accompanied them. The truck loaded with fruits was to proceed to Ahmedabad after dropping them at Abohar. But it collided head on with another truck that was transporting coke from Abohar to Fazilka during the wee hours.

The collision was so fierce that Shikha and the truck drivers Balwinder Singh and Harpal Singh died on the spot. The body of Harpal got cut into four pieces, witnesses said.

Bharat Bhushan Vicky, Barkha and Brajesh were rushed to the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital here by an ambulance.

Fazilka, June 26
A widow died of burn injuries here today. She is survived by three kids. According to police, Parmjit Kaur (30), a resident of Badal colony, was reportedly living with one Bharat Bhushan, a divorcee.

According to the statement of deceased made before death, the incident occurred on yesterday night when she was preparing meal at her residence.

A bottle of kerosene lying near her accidentally spilled resulting into fire, she said. Parmjit was rushed to local Civil Hospital with severe burn injuries. She succumbed to her injuries in wee hours today. Police have started investigation.