Bathinda, June 28
Irked over the huge quantity of fly ash emanating from the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), residents of the localities in the GNDTP’s vicinity asked the deputy commissioner (DC), Bathinda, and the chief engineer of the GNDTP to take immediate action to reduce the pollution or they would approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Members of the Rakh Roko Committee submitting a memorandum to the chief engineer, GNDTP, in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Around 70 members of the Rakh Roko Committee submitted a memorandum to the chief engineer at his residence this morning. The official told them about the PSEB’s decision to begin the overhauling of one of the two units in September.

Not satisfied with the assurance, the protesters then met the DC, who assured them that he would convene a meeting of the GNDTP and the PSEB staff to find an early solution to the problem.

During the meeting, the members reminded the DC of the Article 32 of the Indian Constitution (right to life), claiming that thousands of metric tonnes of fly ash emanating every year from the thermal plant was endangering their lives. They added that if the DC failed to take immediate action, they would knock the doors of the High Court.

Talking to TNS, the members said their kids have now started complaining about respiratory problems caused due to the harmful fly ash.

“People in Vishal Nagar, Panchvati Nagar, Veer Colony, Green Avenue, Partap Nagar, Paras Ram Nagar, Tagore Nagar and several other localities around the GNDTP should get themselves medically examined as many of them have now become patients of TB, jaundice, asthma, bronchitis, eye ailments and skin allergies,” they alleged collectively.

Convener of the committee M.M. Behal said, “We have submitted a memorandum to the officers concerned. If they did not take action, we will involve female members and children to press for the cause. Meanwhile, we will build pressure on the GNDTP authorities to start the renovation in July instead of September.”

Among others, Raj Kumar Garga, Sonu Oberoi, Kewal Krishan, H.K. Kapoor, Raj Mehra, Rajinder Jain, S.P. Mahajan and Bhushan Aggarwal were present.

Moga, June 28
The vice-chancellor of the Punjab Technical University Dr Rajneesh Arora has inaugurated a pharmaceutical analysis laboratory for testing of drugs in the Indo-Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy at Moga on Sunday.

The laboratory is the first of its kind established in a pharmacy college in the northern states of the country. It would help small and medium level pharmaceutical companies of the area to conduct research and test their drugs with the help of the scientists of this college by paying fewer amounts instead of investing huge money to establish their own research and development wings.

While addressing the research scientists, faculty members and students in the inauguration function, Dr Arora said the laboratory would not only help the research students at the academic level but also pave the way for establishment of pharmaceutical companies in this town. He was hopeful that this laboratory would fulfil all the research requirements of pharmaceutical companies, Dr Arora said.

Dr TR Bhardwaj, director, PG studies, and coordinator of the laboratory, said the laboratory had one of the most sophisticated instruments like HPLC binary system, auto titrator, spectrophotometers of various natures, disintegration testing apparatus, polarimeter, KF titrator, vaccum oven, research centrifuge etc.

He said, "We will provide facilities such as sophisticated instruments and qualified scientists for the additional facilities needed by drugs manufacturing companies and welcome industrial collaboration in the areas of novel drug delivery, new chemical entities, herbal drugs, biological evaluation etc."

Earlier, Praveen Garg chairman of the managing committee of the college, while welcoming the VC gave a brief account of the college, claimed that it was the only institution in the entire northern belt of the country that has its own research wing.

Bhag Singh, the state drug controller, Sukhjit Singh, vice president of Panacea Biotech Limited, Dr UD Gupta, director of the animal procedure laboratory ZALMA institute, and eminent scientists Prof S.P. Vias, Dr A.N. Kalia, Dr R.D. Buddhiraja, Dr K.L. Dhar and Dr K.L. Bedi were also present on the occasion.

Moga, June 28
Tributes were paid to noted industrialist and social activist KK Puri here today. He died of cardiac arrest on June 19 at his residence here.

A religious ceremony was organised as per the rituals here in which hundreds of people from all walks of life and politicians participated to pay floral tributes to the departed soul.

Religious personalities Swami Sampurna Nand, Swami Vedanta Nand, local MLA Joginder Pal Jain, former education minister, SAD leader Jathedar Tota Singh, former health minister Dr Malti Thapar, chairman of the improvement trust Yogesh Goel were among hundreds of people, who participated in the function.

Puri was owner of the famous P-brand mustard oil company. Born on March 16, 1920 he was an active social worker, who never missed an opportunity to serve the poor people and the society. As a staunch follower of Arya Samaj, he had served various social, religious and charitable institutions during his lifetime selflessly with dedication.aHe set up a charitable trust 'Devi Dass Kewal Krishan Charitable Trust' that conducts a number of day-to-day activities like daily yoga classes, free medical help in a charitable dispensary, personality development courses inspired from Vedas for guiding the people to lead a healthy and joyful life. 

Bathinda, June 28
The progressive farmers of Punjab are switching to ‘baby corn’ considering its greater market potential. The baby corn, a tender maize plant, is sweet in taste and crisp too. It is used for preparing soups, vegetable ‘biryani’, mixed vegetable, Chinese food etc. besides crispy salads and pickles.

G.P.S. Randhawa, general manager, projects, Punjab Mandi Board, informed at a hotel here on Saturday that farmers had grown maize on over 12,000 hectares and nearly 200 acres were of baby corn.

Admitting the difficulties faced by farmers in marketing the crop directly, Randhawa said the government should soon come forward to help farmers in marketing their produce. “We are encouraging farmers to grow diversified crops like baby corn. It requires less water and yields good profits. The export value of the crop is good and its demand is high in foreign countries,” said Randhawa.

“The net profit of the crop is much higher than the other crops. I hope it will grow well and yield profit in the years to come,” he added.

This highly-nutritive crop requires very less water as compared to the traditional crops of rice and wheat. It matures in less than 60 days. The Agriculture Department, PAU, has also recommended to the farmers for adopting such vital crops under the crop diversification scheme.

It is Sunday and a part of the grain market, just opposite the Malout bus stand, is humming with activity. Thousands have thronged the place but not to procure foodgrain. You are actually at Malwa’s biggest market of used cars.

If you want to buy or sell the used cars, you are at the right place where hundreds of secondhand cars from across the Malwa, neighbouring districts of other states, including Rajasthan, Haryana or even Delhi, have been put up for sale.

When you go inside the market, a number of dealers start approaching you. If you could withstand marketing gimmicks like “Don’t buy, just start and listen to the noise of the engine,” or “all parts are original” and also know the art of bargaining, chances are high that you may leave with a good vehicle as this is the best market to buy or sell small cars. However, do not forget the authenticating of the documents.

For many, the entire exercise results in a good package which they get in terms of commission by playing the role of a middle man. While for many, including various well-to-do landlords, it is a hobby which brings them quick bucks.

Moga, June 28
Farming community in Punjab is worried over the continuing dry weather conditions and huge shortage of power that has badly affected the transplantation of paddy and the already sown summer season crops and vegetables.

The orchards of citrus trees in the Abohar, Malout and Fazilka areas also appear to be feeling the thirst for water, which may lower the production of fruits.

The officials of the agriculture department revealed that only 45 per cent of paddy seedlings have been transplanted in the districts of Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot, Muktsar, Mansa, Bathinda, Barnala and Sangrur districts of the Malwa belt due to lack of irrigation facilities.

The biggest problem for paddy has been attributed to the increasing rate of evaporation of water in the fields. The evaporation rate has gone up to more than 80 per cent in most of the areas of the Malwa belt, where the soil retaining capacity of water is already too less as compared to Majha and Doaba belts of the state.

The only hope lies in the arrival of monsoon because it is crucial for all the summer-sown crops paddy, soybean, sunflower, moong, mash, sugarcane, cotton, vegetables and green fodder for the cattle, besides, the transplantation of new fruit trees.

Agriculture experts say that the prevailing dry weather conditions can also damage the already sown crops, if they do not get proper water. The paddy crop requires to be kept in water till the end of August. 

In dry weather conditions, the tree trunks loose moisture, develop cracks and sometimes peel-off completely and such damages eventually cause death of the plants.

The fruit trees of mango, litchi, citrus, guava and papaya are comparatively more prone to damage from hot weather conditions.

The horticulture experts have advised the farmers to take suitable precautions to save the fruit plant from heat.

They have advised painting the lower tree trunks with whitewash solution. The whitewash can be prepared by dissolving 25 kg slaked lime, 500 gm copper sulphate and 500 gm of gum in 100 litres of water.

The excessive heat has a deteriorating effect on cotton that is widely grown in the Malwa belt. A yellow ring develops around the stem that is susceptible to bacteria and other disease pathogens, which attacks the plant. As a result, the stem wilts and plant dies.

Fazilka, June 28
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that 31 per cent of the state budget outlay had been earmarked to increase power generation.

Addressing the media in Jalalabad here at his third consecutive Sangat Darshan, Badal said that he has instructed senior officers of the administration to sort out the problems of the farmers across the barbed wire fencing on the Indo-Pak border in the Ferozepur district on a priority basis.

The CM further said that instructions for releasing tubewell connections on a priority basis to these farmers have also been issued.

Badal revealed that he has taken up the issue of crop compensation to these farmers with the deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia during their meeting two days back.

He said that he was hopeful of getting compensation sanctioned for the farmers.

The CM also distributed cheques worth Rs 2.20 crores to 31 panchayats of the border villages. 

Abohar, June 28
To bring about banking revolution in the rural areas in next three years, the Punjab National Bank (ONB) has planned to open kiosks in such villages where banking facilities are not available. This was revealed by DGM RS Kalaria during a function held here last evening to give Krishi cards to 860 farmers with total facility amounting to Rs 21.56 crore. Applications submitted by farmers with 50 branches in the region were processed by the bank for the mega function.

Kalaria informed that such kiosks will be operated through private companies by professionally qualified persons, who will have laptop connected to the main branch in the respective area. Those having accounts in the urban branches will enjoy the facility of transactions right through such kiosk.

The DGM said the bank has decided to advance Rs 962 crore for strengthening the agriculture sector.

Senior officers from Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar districts including KL Grover and HR Riwar assisted the DGM in distributing Krishi cards. — OC

Ferozepur, June 28
Taking cognizance of the growing incidents related to the theft of water for irrigation, the district police has initiated action against the erring farmers, and 17 cases have already been registered against 43 farmers so far.

Giving information here, SSP Surinderpal Singh Parmar said that taking swift action, the police has already arrested 22 people in this connection, while 21 others who were on the run will also soon be arrested.

Parmar said it was reported that certain farmers, to obtain more water for their fields, were indulging in theft of the water from irrigational channels, as a result of which farmers whose land was at tail-end, were not getting sufficient water for their fields.— OC

Fazilka, June 28
Kin and friends of Seema Rani (23), who was allegedly strangulated to death for dowry by her in-laws on June 18, staged a dharna in front of the DSP office here, demanding arrest of the six family members of deceased’s in-laws, who were named as accused. Ten days have passed, the police is yet to arrest any of the accused.

The kin of Seema have also got the support of the CPI, Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union, Muktsar branches. — OC