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Fee waiver in name only at tech institutions
Tribune Exclusive |
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Inside Babudom
SAD seeks package for border areas
More policemen needed for Ludhiana
Meagre relief angers farmers
Moving away from wheat-rice cycle
Roundup
‘Isolation, violent videos affecting US kids’
Follow-up
Over 27,500 posts lying vacant in PSEB
Staff threaten stir over unbundling
Punjab plans incentives to boost organic farming
Debate on judges’ assets sought
Chandigarh residents want dual role of Guv to end
He gives wings to injured birds
Corruption Case
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Fee waiver in name only at tech institutions
Chandigarh, July 26 All unaided technical institutions are also required to post on their respective web sites status of these special seats. A careful scrutiny of printed brochures and web sites of a number of unaided technical institutions reveal that none has complied with the mandatory Fee Waiver Scheme requirements in the current admission session. Admissions to all technical institutes are in progress. First and second counselling has nearly been completed and the process is expected to be over by next month. Till now, there is no indication of the scheme being implemented. Last year in August, a memorandum of understanding was signed among the Department of Technical Education, Punjab Technical University and unaided technical institutions, making it mandatory for all government, government promoted, government-aided private and private unaided technical institutes would implement this scheme. The basic philosophy of the scheme was to provide equal opportunity in professional and technical education to students who are disadvantaged due to their social, economic or physical status. As a sequence to this MoU, 10 per cent additional seats across the board were allowed in all courses of engineering, architecture, and pharmacy and hotel management. These, sources clarify, are in addition to the total number of seats approved by the All-India Council of Technical Education and would be in the ratio of 3:2:1 in respect of economically backward, women and physically challenged candidates. The economically weaker section candidates are exempt from any fee or charges levied by the university or colleges while candidates of remaining two categories are also exempt from payment of annual tuition fee of Rs 45,000 in case of BTech and BE courses. Though the scheme was introduced during the last academic session, not many from three specified categories could benefit as much as was expected. The onus of monitoring the implementation of the schemes lies with the Directorate of Technical Education as well as Deputy Commissioners of the districts in which these institutes are located. In many districts, the institutes are making full use of non-serious attitude of the district administration. Even government colleges are no better than unaided private institutes.
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Tribune Exclusive
Chandigarh, July 26 Despite the appointment of IT czar Nandan Nilekani as the body’s chairman in the rank of cabinet minister and Jharkhand IAS officer Ram Sewak Sharma as its member secretary, besides a budgetary provision of Rs 120 crore for the project, the personnel ministry has virtually drawn a blank from the states and union territories. A similar situation had arisen when directors were to be appointed in states and union territories for conducting the 2011 census. Repeated reminders from the ministry had failed to evoke any response from them and several more reminders and regular followup were needed to get the work going. According to sources close to the ministry’s personnel and training department, 35 UID commissioners are required for the job, each of whom will be in the rank of joint secretary to the central government. The UID authority is under the Planning Commission and the commissioners will be in the pay band of Rs 37,400-67,000 with grade pay of Rs 10,000. Each commissioner will be treated on deputation to the Plan panel. The last circular issued by the personnel ministry wanted state and UT chief secretaries to recommend the name of only officers who had been cleared for empanelment to be appointed joint secretary or an equivalent post in the central government. The ministry also wants only those officers who have been clear from the vigilance angle and whose integrity has been certified should be recommended for the UID commissioner’s position. Earlier in May, a similar circular was issued to all states and the union territories, but the response it evoked was poor. The UID commissioners will be posted in the capital of each state and union territory. Nilekani has already announced the first set of UID cards would be rolled out in the next eight to 12 months. More than 1.7 billion citizens will be covered under the scheme.
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Inside Babudom
Chandigarh, July 26 The CBI has got five new officers under the four-year IPS tenure policy. They are Arun Bothra (Orissa, 1996), V Murugesan (1997), S Sengathis (Rajasthan, 1997), H Venkatesh (Kerala, 1998) and S Shyni (Orissa, 2001). They have been inducted as Superintendent of Police. This has been the first major reorganisation in the CBI after the general elections in the country. Tilotama Varma, who belongs to the 1990 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been given extension of two years as Deputy Inspector-General in the organisation. Similarly, Rakesh Aggarwal (Himachal Pradesh, 1994) and Mahesh Aggarwal (Tamil Nadu, 1994), who were promoted Deputy Inspector-General a couple of months ago, have also been allowed to continue in the CBI for two more years each. Mahesh Aggarwal, who belongs to Bathinda, now heads the Chandigarh office of the CBI. Also allowed a two-year extension is Saurabh Tripathi (Manipur and Tripura, 1997). He is in the rank of SP. Meanwhile, PM Nair (Bihar, 1978), has been taken as Joint Director in the CBI on the basis of collateral shift. Nair is presently working as Inspector-General in the Central Reserve Police Force. He will continue in the CBI till October 2011. Similarly, another officer SJ Ahmad (UP, 1984), has also been inducted in the CBI as a Joint Director.
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SAD seeks package for border areas
Chandigarh, July 26 In a statement issued here, Sukhbir said 62 years after Independence border areas of the state remained underdeveloped due to repeated wars with neighbouring countries and farmers of the border region were the worst hit. He said even now most of the farmers, whose land falls beyond fencing, could not go to their fields in the evening. He said repeated exercises of the BSF damaged the fragile link roads in border villages and also affected the crops of farmers. He further said despite repeated demands of the state government, the Union government was not enhancing funds for the development of the border region under the Border Area Development Programme. Demanding an industrial package on a par with neighbouring hill states, Sukhbir said the state’s industry, which suffered maximum damage due to repeated wars and a decade-long militancy, needed a helping hand to compete in the domestic as well as export market. He hoped that Congress MPs would raise collective voice with SAD-BJP MPs seeking special industrial as well as development package for the border areas of the state.
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More policemen needed for Ludhiana
Ludhiana, July 26 If the police:people ratio (142 policemen per 1,00,000 people) nationally had been maintained in Ludhiana, the industrial city should have had over 5,200 policemen on duty. India’s national average is of course deemed to be low with Hong Kong having three times the number of policemen that India has. During the prolonged period of terrorism in the state, Ludhiana actually had over 7,000 policemen posted here. And several senior officers believe that the number should be restored. What’s more, although Ludhiana is said to have over 10 lakh registered vehicles, including 25,000 auto-rickshaws, it has just 250 traffic policemen working in three shifts. Most of them are deployed on VIP duty, which explains why city traffic is so chaotic. There have also been drastic changes in the character of crime. Besides, snatching (of cars in particular), hold-ups and daylight robberies of cash, there has been an increase in economic offences, marital disputes, property disputes etc. There is also increase in cases of kidnappings, murders and burglaries. While there is an urgent need for more policemen, experts also feel that it is time for the city to have a police commissioner. DR Bhatti, a former DGP of Punjab Police and who also served at Ludhiana as the SSP, says that the National Police Commission headed by Dharmavira had recommended the provision of police commissionerate for all towns with a population of more than 10 lakhs. Ludhiana, he points out, has today a population which is four times higher. A proposal to have police commissioners at Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana was mooted during KPS Gill’s tenure as DGP, but that move too was scuttled. The newly framed Punjab Police Act now provides for commissionerates in five towns namely Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Patiala. With neighbouring Haryana also opting for the police commissionerate pattern in Gurgaon and Faridabad, the case for following the pattern in Punjab has become stronger. The Punjab Police has a large number of senior officers in the rank of IG, ADGP and DGP and it should be relatively easy to post some of them to the three cities. The city requires special attention because of the large number of industries and the presence of migrant labourers from outside the state. Haphazard growth of the city, unplanned urbanisation, increase in vehicular population and an ever-increasing floating population are some of the factors which single out Ludhiana from other urban centres in Punjab.
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Meagre relief angers farmers
Bhurthala, July 26 Farmers from over 20 villages falling under Sangrur and Ludhiana had suffered heavy losses due to hailstorms in March, 2007, March, 2009, and now due to recent flooding of paddy crop by overflowing Lasara and Mahpur drains. To add insult to their injuries, revenue officials gave them compensation as low as Rs 200 per bigha in some cases. “Earlier I used to hire 100 bighas of land for cultivation, but I could not dare do so after receiving a compensation for my completely damaged wheat crop at the rate of Rs 200,” said Rajinder Pal Singh, whose crop on 35 bighas was hit by hailstorm in 2007. Chamkaur Singh received Rs 5,145 as compensation for damage caused by hailstorm to his wheat crop on 30 bighas. Sarabjit Singh, a BKU (Ekta) activist, rued it was shameful of those revenue officials who did not hesitate in demanding bribe from victim farmers. “Even now when we have suffered a lot, nobody has cared to clean the drains. Revenue officials violate norms while deciding value of compensation for the loss due to flooding by overflowing drains,” said Jagjit Singh, adding that he had applied for details of assessment records under RTI Act.
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Moving away from wheat-rice cycle
Muskabad (Ludhiana), July 26 He is not the only one to move away from wheat and rice cycle. There are 28 others who meet every month from all over the state and 30 more members who keep in touch regularly. Plus II pass Devinder was awarded by the Centre this year for the application of highly scientific techniques in farming. In March this year, he was awarded by the state government for growing vegetables. He also received the Ujaggar Singh Dhaliwal Award of Punjab Agricultural University in 2008. He said, “I was goaded into innovations in farming, away from wheat and rice cycle, during interaction with PAU faculty members, more than a decade back. I met other farmers wanting to innovate. We formed a group and met every month to share experiences. We have been able to popularise the movement among farmers”. He said, “I with other farmers will visit Spain, Germany and Italy soon to study details of greenhouse farming. There is very poor government support to send us abroad, despite announcements by Parkash Singh Badal when he had assumed office as Chief Minister”. Devinder said, “In the absence of MSP, farmers are not keen on growing vegetables because in case of glut, the whole produce goes waste. There have been instances when farmers’ produce was wasted, particularly potato, onion and tomato”. “We have organised marketing of our produce, particularly in Chandigarh, Patiala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. In the absence of cold storage facilities, vegetables lose half of their nutritive value in fields and storage. Heat also has a negative impact on the quality of vegetables if not sold in a day”. He want the government to help farmers in getting cheaper and lasting stalks. The Field Fresh has shown farmers the way to export vegetables, he said.
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Roundup
Chandigarh, July 26 A government spokesman said the scholarship under this scheme would be provided to those students who did not have less than 50 per cent marks and the annual income of their parents exceeded Rs 2 lakh. Thirty per cent scholarships had been earmarked for girl students. Sports equipment
Sportspersons of rural Punjab have a reason to cheer as the Sports Department has now placed an order to purchase sports equipment, kits and other infrastructure worth Rs 2 crore that will be distributed in the villages. Disclosing this here on Thursday, Pargat Singh, Director, Sports, said the Department had floated the biggest-ever tender for purchase of sports equipment for next two years.
Bus service
The Punjab government has decided to provide quality urban bus service with public-private partnership in the five corporation towns of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda and Ludhiana. The bus service had already been launched at Jalandhar in August 2008. Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia said Amritsar and Ludhiana local bus service would start shortly. He also announced that Rs 33.30 crore had been allocated for the purchase of 150 buses for Amritsar and Rs 65.20 crore for 200 buses for Ludhiana.
Electricity bills
The PSEB has entered into an agreement with the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) in various villages that would act as collection agents for the PSEB. The PACS in various villages have been authorised to collect electricity bills on behalf of the PSEB and for this service the Societies would charge Rs 5 and Rs 4 as service charge from the consumer and the Board, respectively.
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‘Isolation, violent videos affecting US kids’
Amritsar, July 26 Balasuriya was here to launch Montessori’s pre-school in Amritsar and address teachers and parents at the new MTTI at Jandiala Guru. Balasuriya said children addicted to violent video games developed a tendency to react violently when they faced minor differences. Another reason was that most of the children in American society remained isolated from parents as both of them worked leaving children at home. In the absence of guidance from seniors, children tended to indulge in violent activities. She said Indian students also underwent stress and attempted suicide when they failed to pass examinations or competitive tests. The MTTI Director said parents needed to be made aware that instead of putting pressure on children, they should be nurtured as every child is an individual, with unique capabilities and style of learning. She said focus of centuries-old Montessori concept of pre-school education was to help every child become professional and develop skills for positive impact on lives of children. The course at the institute besides giving teachers diploma to teach children, gives direction in life and satisfying career, she added.
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Follow-up
Kapurthala, July 26 Sekhon informed Education Minister Dr Upinderjeet Kaur, MLA, Sultanpur Lodhi, on phone about the directions issued to the CE after she had taken up the matter of the plight of the Bein with him on Sunday itself after reading the news items carried in a section of the media in this regard. Dr Upinderjit Kaur also told him that the rivulet water had submerged paddy fields in many villages, including Sultanpur Lodhi. Earlier a number of Sultanpur Lodhi villagers informed her of the loss to the paddy crops because of the overflowing rivulet. They also informed her after meeting her at her Kapurthala residence that they had brought the entire matter to the notice of DC Raj Kamal Chaudhary on Friday itself. Dr Upinderjeet Kaur also directed the Jalandhar-based SE, Drainage, to make immediate arrangement to drain out the water from the fields.
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Over 27,500 posts lying vacant in PSEB
Patiala, July 26 Though the board was managing about 77 lakh connections, it has not made any recruitment during past 12 years. Even retirement of a huge number of more than 27,000 officials has failed to make the board management effect any new recruitments. The board has 93,604 sanctioned posts against which only 66,074 officials are working at present even as the power load is said to have got doubled in the last 10 years. The direct outcome of such huge shortage of employees was that fault rectification, particularly in rural areas of Punjab or in respect of industrial connections, was taking much more time than what was expected from the PSEB authorities by people. Statistics revealed that the north zone has 13,652 sanctioned posts, but it was crawling ahead with just 9,950 officials. There were only 9,500 officials working against 13,259 posts in the western zone while the central zone was making it with just 6,067 officials against 8,844 sanctioned posts. The border areas were also affected as the border zone of the board has 11,045 officials working for it against sanctioned 13,862 posts. After the operation zone, the generation zone was also facing similar situation wherein it has to manage its work with much lower strength of officials than prescribed. The Bathinda-based Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant has 2,408 officials working for it, though the sanctioned strength was that of 3,023 officials. Similarly, the Lehra Mohabbat based thermal plant was functioning with just 115 employees against sanctioned strength of 142 officials. Its second phase was working with 690 officials against 947 sanctioned strength of officials at the unit. The huge gap between sanctioned posts and available strength of employees was adding to difficulties of the board authorities and to the inconvenience faced by lakhs of consumers, sources said, adding that only fresh recruitment could drag the board out of its present mismanagement quagmire.
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Staff threaten stir over unbundling
Patiala, July 26 Slamming the government, employees of PSEB and various other organisations have apprehended that the restructuring or proposed ‘privatisation’ of the board could make lakhs of consumers to pay enhanced tariff as was being done by consumers of other states. Anguished employees’ organisations have warned consumers that they might be made to pay between Rs 6.50 per unit to over Rs 9 per unit like in case of certain states of a cluster of 21 states where power boards have been “privatised”. Office-bearers of the employees’ organisations - the Technical Services Union (TSU-Bhangal) and the Joint Forum of the Punjab State Electricity Board - alleged that consumers were being “burdened” by the government in the name of reforms. “We are not going to tolerate ‘privatisation’ of board, which has been serving people of the state for so many years. Private contractors were looting rural people as they were using inferior material and nobody was checking this malpractice,” said the leaders. Interestingly, they claimed that the board has been serving people by providing them with “excellent” services, for an example, it has already achieved its target of ensuring round-the-clock power supply to all 12,500 villages of the state on urban pattern. “On the other hand, losses have spiralled in states where privatisation has already been effected. Transmission losses were between 35 and 56 per cent in such states, with an exception of one or two states. On the other hand, PSEB was running with just 21 per cent line losses despite reduction of strength of employees from 1.20 lakh to a mere 68,000,” claimed office-bearers of various organisations. Bharti Kisan Union (BKU-Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said proposed unbundling would not be allowed to take place under any circumstances. “It will have adverse affect on the farmers and the farm economy,” said Ugrahan.
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Punjab plans incentives to boost organic farming
Chandigarh, July 26 “State organic farmers can be offered incentives in the shape of buy back policy arrangement wherein the entire produce can be lifted by state with an objective of increasing an area under organic farming,” said that chief executive officer of Organic Farming Council of Punjab VS Chimni during a conference organised by CII here yesterday. He said they also proposed to put up the policy for buy back arrangement of organic produce before the state government for its approval. “In several countries, the governments offer subsidy to farmers who go in for organic farming and sustained farm development. We, too, will have to offer incentives to ensure that organic farming picks up,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tej Partap, Vice Chancellor, CSK HP Krishi Vishwavidyala, said that farm area under organic cultivation is likely to grow from 0.9 million to 2 million hectares by 2012. “In Himachal, organic farming can be used to optimise the marginal utility of hilly land, sustain production and get good premium on produce. We have been successful in going organic in floriculture in Bilaspur. Now efforts are being made to introduce organic apple cultivation and organic vegetables — which together is a Rs 2000 crore business in the state,” he said.
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Debate on judges’ assets sought
Chandigarh, July 26 “Reports emanating from the various sources in the media are appalling that the Judges at various levels of judiciary are being protected against the disclosures of their assets and would enjoy imperviousness from domain of the Right to Information Act,” he said in a statement. It was shocking that judiciary was not only shying away to make assets public but was offering stiff resistance to the legislation that aims at making the system of jurisprudence in India more transparent.
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Chandigarh residents want dual role of Guv to end
Chandigarh, July 26 While the clamour for restoration of the Chief Commissioner’s post in the UT has been growing for the past several months, with a large number of residents expressing views in its support in debates carried out by various newspapers, this is the first time when such personalities have lent support to the cause, aimed at bringing in accountability and transparency in governance here. They include former Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Kuldip Singh, former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court Justice SS Sodhi (retd) and Lt General RS Dayal (retd). In a letter to the Prime Minister, these eminent residents have “overwhelmingly” favoured a change in the city’s administrative structure and demanded restoration of the post of the Chief Commissioner for “better, transparent and accountable governance”. Terming the present system of governance as “undemocratic” ,since it’s virtually “one man” running the affairs, the letter states the Administrator, being the Punjab Governor, neither has any accountability nor accessibility. Maintaining that the circumstances in the 1980s, when terrorism was at its peak, had necessitated a change in the system of governance, the letter states that there was no justification whatsoever to continue with it now. “The Punjab governor was given dual charge of the Administrator of Chandigarh to provide better coordination between the police and the administration of Punjab and Chandigarh during the days of terrorism”, the letter states. Recalling their old association with the city, the signatories to the letter say, “Most of us who have been residing here since 1950s have seen the functioning of the first Chief Commissioner, Dr MS Randhawa. He used to hear people’s grievances with utmost attention. Without prior appointment, people could meet him and their genuine complaints were expeditiously considered”. Similar was the case with other commissioners like VP Bagchi, NP Mathur and TN Chaturvedi, they say. While the letter does not name anyone, it’s no secret that the style of functioning of the incumbent administrator and Punjab Governor, Lt Gen SF Rodrigues (retd), has irked many in the city. The manner in which Rodrigues went ahead with his controversial mega projects, most under CVC probe now, without involving the people and literally bulldozing ostensibly sane suggestions of his own senior officers has not gone down well with the residents. Even officers who work with him admit in private that there is no dialogue with the Administrator. “It’s only a monologue where he speaks and others listen,” they say. The other signatories to the letter are former Punjab Chief Secretary RS Mann, Former Chief Architect MN Sharma, Theatre Director Neelam Mann Singh Choudhry, former Advocate General of Punjab as well as Haryana ML Sarin and president of Independent Schools Association HS Mamik.
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He gives wings to injured birds
Ludhiana, July 26 When he woke up in the morning it dawned upon him he had a mission to undertake: Treat injured birds and give shelter to those who could not fly anymore. Ever since then Vipin Bhatia, now 40 and a resident of this city, has been taking care of injured birds for the past two decades. All these years about 5,000 birds have received his tender love and care and of these over 2,000 have returned to their habitat. “They are like my kids but since they number over a hundred I can’t name each one of them. However, I’m able to identify each one of them and they can recognize me,” said Bhatia while
feeding a bird. Owner of a small cloth store, he does not mind spending more time with his birds than in his shop. “It takes around 15 minutes to feed a bird. As many of them can’t take care of themselves they have to be fed by hand and given water through syringes. For the last five years I had to manage this on my own but now my kids are my ‘nurses’,” said Bhatia. He has learned through books and vet doctors how to apply stitches to injured birds. The birds in Bhatia’s collection include pigeons, eagles, owls, crows, doves, ‘love birds’, parrots and many other species. “Financial constraints do hinder my work but I’ve never gone to any NGO or rich and influential people for helping me out with funds. It’s my initiative and I don’t mind spending half of my income on it,” asserted Bhatia. “For the past few years some Good Samaritans have been donating grains for birds who are injured. A piece of land provided by trustees of a cremation ground is being used to feed birds”,
he adds. “That birds have always been neglected is evident from the fact that in the whole of north India there is only one hospital for them, that too in New Delhi. If I had enough resources I definitely would have opened a hospital for injured birds that fall prey to animals as well as human cruelty. Kite flying that is a fun activity endangers these speechless birds,” says Bhatia, who received an award for his initiative from People For Animals (PFA) in 2000. He says people are reluctant to spend time and money on treating sick birds, which is the reason why they ignore injured birds on streets and in parks. “However, my ‘ambulance’ (a scooter) regularly goes out every day to pick up sick and injured birds”, he notes. As he feeds his oldest bird, a parrot that has been sheltered at his house for the past dozen years, Bhatia’s first
finger is bitten by another bird. At this he quips he always goes in for a tetanus shot in advance.
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Corruption Case
Chandigarh, July 26 As the matter came up, Justice Rajan Gupta referred to the order dated January 12, which said: “In the inquiry conducted by Fatehgarh Sahib SSP in the case FIR number 86, dated December 14, 2007, under Section 15 of the NDPS Act, the SSP reached the conclusion that Satpal Singh, SI, police station Ghanaur, had left four persons — Amrik Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Sukhchain Singh and Sukhjant Singh after receiving bribe money of Rs 19, 60,000 from them.” “On this inquiry report, dated November 18, 2008, PS Virk, DIG, Patiala, had ordered recommendations of the case against SHO Satpal Singh under Section 25, 27-A, 29 of the NDPS Act, whereas the police is attempting to hush up the matter and is facilitating the expeditious disposal of trial against the sole accused on day-to-day basis….” Justice Gupta asserted: “Pursuant to the said order, a report from the DIG, Patiala, has been placed on record. Counsel for the petitioner has pointed out the report has been submitted by Satish Kumar Asthana, IPS, DIG, Patiala range, Patiala, though the matter pertains to the period when the officer was posted as SSP, Patiala. “Thus, he has recommended only departmental action against him. In view of the peculiar facts of the case, it is directed affidavit of the DGP be filed on or before the next date of hearing”. The matter will now come up on July 31.”
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Stir for land: 1,384 were held in Mansa
Chandigarh, July 26 While the state government never revealed the number of arrests made in Mansa and Sangrur, it is a fact that 1,384 persons were arrested in Mansa alone. Of these hundreds put in jails across the state, over 500 were women and children. A majority of these were preventive arrests under Sections 107/151, CrPC, but these persons were detained illegally for several days. “Under Section 151, CrPC, an executive magistrate has the power to order the arrest of a person to prevent the commission of a cognisable offence. The person so arrested cannot be kept in custody for a period exceeding 24 hours unless required in some other case. But in this case these persons, including women and children, were kept in jail for a month,” said advocate Rajwinder Singh Bains, who represented a habeas corpus petition filed last month in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the release of the persons kept in illegal detention. Responding to the petition, the state government revealed that 189 persons were booked in eight different FIRs under Sections 447, 427, 506, 148 and 149, IPC, besides relevant Sections of the Prevention to Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, and the Punjab Village Common Land and Regulations Act,1961. “The different FIRs were used to lengthen the duration of custody. When a person got bail in one FIR he was arrested for the next. Six of these are still in jail,” said Harinder Singh Isher, another advocate who filed the habeas corpus petition. Landless labourers of Mansa, Bathinda and Sangrur have been demanding plots for houses. Plots to landless labourers has been part of the election manifesto of all parties, but very little is done to meet the demand, forcing many to encroach on the village common land. On May 19 the government through the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, entered into a written agreement with the agitating labourers that they should apply for plots and he would process genuine cases in three months. “Following this it was decided that the agitation would be softened for three months till the implementation of the agreement. But on May 21 hundreds were arrested violating the written agreement and provisions of law regarding arrest and detention,” said Kamaljit Singh, one of the arrested. Kamaljit claims landless families of 35 villages in Mansa, Sangrur and Bathinda were promised plots of 5 marlas by the Congress regime and the Akali government. “This demand is common across the state, but despite promises it remains unattended,” said Kamaljit.
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Farmers
go for vegetables, want MSP
Amritsar, July 26
Ludhiana, July 26
