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Farmers protest low rates of basmati
Gurdaspur, November 10
Hundreds of activists of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha today staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here to lodge their protest against the payment of lower rates for basmati 1121, which has started arriving in mandis, by the procurement agencies concerned and private traders.

Youth festival row goes to advisory committee
Jalandhar, November 10
Guru Nanak Dev University Vice-Chancellor Dr A.S. Brar today forwarded the issue of biased results of the recently concluded zonal youth festival (group C) of the university’s Regional Campus, Ladhewali, to the Youth Welfare Advisory Committee of the varsity.

Dhar block to get irrigation facility
Pathankot, November 10
The adequate arrangements would be made for the farmers of Dhar block areas to bring an end to the drought-like situation there.

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	Farmers protest low rates of basmati Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, November 10 Hundreds of activists of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha today staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here to lodge their protest against the payment of lower rates for basmati 1121, which has started arriving in mandis, by the procurement agencies concerned and private traders. District sabha president Ajit Singh, while addressing the rally of the activists, including affected farmers, alleged that farmers were being looted by the Central and state governments under a deep-rooted conspiracy. He asked when the Haryana government could procure the same variety of paddy at higher rates through one of its agencies, then why Markfed could not procure that variety from Punjab farmers at the rate ranging from Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,000 per quintal. He alleged the state government had deliberately been harassing the farmers who had gone for basmati cultivation so that the state government could earn foreign exchange by exporting the same after its due processing. State joint secretary of the sabha Raghubir Singh demanded that the prices of foodgrains must be fixed by the Centre by strictly following the recommendations of the Dr Swaminathan committee. He demanded that the Punjab government must pay Rs 10 crore to the farmers in the shape of bonus on paddy which had been announced by the Centre. He condemned the killing of two farmers allegedly by the task force of the SGPC at Khanna Chimayara village last week and said that the sabha would participate in the shradhanjali samaroh of these farmers to be held on November 12. Jalandhar: Hundreds of farmers gathered in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today on a call of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha to protest against the fallen prices of basmati. Handing over a letter to the DC, the farmers demanded the government should buy the crop at good rates and compensate the farmers who had sold to the traders for Rs 1,500 per quintal. Addressing the gathering, Manmohan Singh Gill, district president of the sabha, said the peasants were suffering and were forced to commit suicide because of the government’s anti-people policy of privatisation. The gathering raised slogans demanding Rs 3,500 for basmati 1121 and Rs 4,000 for the fine quality basmati.
	Youth festival row goes to advisory committee Tribune News Service Jalandhar, November 10 Guru Nanak Dev University Vice-Chancellor Dr A.S. Brar today forwarded the issue of biased results of the recently concluded zonal youth festival (group C) of the university’s Regional Campus, Ladhewali, to the Youth Welfare Advisory Committee of the varsity. A meeting of the members of the College Development Council was held in this regard at the university in which the issue was discussed at large. Member of the committee and principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College Dr Jaspal Singh Randhawa said the Vice-Chancellor assured them of the necessary action in case the allegations were proved. The issue had cropped up after some city colleges blamed the judges of biased results in some cultural items during the festival which was held from November 3 to 6. Yesterday Kanya Maha Vidyalaya registered a protest on the issue by boycotting the inter-zonal youth festival being held at the university. Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya also boycotted the festival owing to the ongoing controversy of the impartiality during the fest. Apart from this, the committee has increased the number of seats of professional courses like BCA and BSc (IT) from 40 to 50 for the next academic year. He said the committee members emphasised on the need to fill the vacant posts of lecturer under the grant-in-aid scheme. “The educational standards of the colleges have witnessed a downfall owing to the shortage of lecturers,”, he said.
	Dhar block to get irrigation facility Our Correspondent Pathankot, November 10 The adequate arrangements would be made for the farmers of Dhar block areas to bring an end to the drought-like situation there. This was stated by Punjab Transport Minister Master Mohan Lal while presiding over a sangat darshan programme held at Badhani village,17 km from, here yesterday. More than 100 farmers, besides panches and sarpanches of the different villages of Dhar block, led by Block Panchayat Samiti chairman Kartar Singh, met the minister and narrated their woes facing drought-like situation in the area in the absence of crops like wheat, rice, pulses, til, kulth and scarcity of fodder in the absence of irrigation facilities. The minister said that he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to start a lift irrigation scheme in the areas. He said that more than 20,000 hectares of land had been under drought for which irrigation facilities were needed immediately. He assured the farmers that he would try to revive those 10 lift irrigation pumps in the Dhar block which had become defunct. In the sangat darshan of the 48 complaints placed before the panel, 39 were disposed of on the spot. Most of the complaints were related to the water supply, insanitation, bad roads and problems of the basic amenties being faced by the residents of this rural subdivision. On the occasion, he distributed cheques worth of Rs 69 lakh among 72 panchayats of Dharkalan.
	3 smugglers held with 1,750 kg poppy husk Tribune News Service Kapurthala, November 10 Busting an interstate gang of smugglers, the district police nabbed three drug smugglers and recovered 50 bags of poppy husk at a check post near Jainpur village, falling under Sultanpur Lodhi police station. In a press note issued here today, SSP Ram Singh stated that the smugglers were identified as Mandeep Singh, Baljinder Singh and Ravi. Their fourth accomplice managed to flee. A police party spotted a truck near Jainpur village. During its search, 50 bags of poppy husk were recovered. The value of the 1,750 kg poppy husk was 17.5 lakh. During interrogation, the arrested smugglers revealed that they had bought the consignment from Pulwama in Srinagar. A case was registered under sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act.
	SE’s post lies vacant Our Correspondent Hoshiarpur, November 10 The Irrigation Department has not posted a Superintending Engineer, Kandi Canal Construction Circle, Hoshiarpur, after the retirement of Nirmaljit Sangar on October 31, with the result that the construction work of phase II of the Rajiv Gandhi Kandi Canal from Hoshiarpur to Balachaur has come to a standstill. Besides, the repair work of the canal, damaged during last rains and floods, has yet to be taken in hand. It is worth mentioning here that the post of SE, Dholbaha Dam Construction Circle, is also lying vacant since long. Nirmaljit Sangar was holding the charge of the said post also. With his retirement the post is again lying vacant. The SE of this circle was holding the charge of mini-dams,including Chohal, Saleran, Dholbaha, Patiari, Damsal, Janauri, Thane, etc. Water for irrigation is being provided to the fields in the catchment areas of these dams. The entire staff of the circle is sitting idle in the absence of an SE.
	4 labourers held captive, rescued Our Correspondent Pathankot, November 10 The local administration with the help of the police rescued four labourers, who were allegedly made captive by the owner of a brick-kiln at Gura Kalan village, 20 km from here, today. Sukhmander Singh, SDM, said on receiving an information that some labourers had been made captive and kept in a quarter near the brick-kiln in the village, he assigned the job of verifying the facts to the Naib Tehsildar. Finding the matter serious, he sent a police party with the Naib Tehsildar to conduct a raid at the quarter. He said the labourers alleged that they were made captive because of some money matter. The labourers were identified as Kamal Kumar, Kalpana, Ashwani and Vimla. The police has registered a case against the owner of the brick-kiln, Raj Kumar, under the Labour Bonded Act-1976.