Chandigarh, December 18
The arrests of farmers defaulting on loans extended to them by the Punjab Agriculture Development Bank (PADB) have recommenced in the cotton belt of the state in Ferozepur and Faridkot divisions after a lull during the recent Assembly session.

The arrests of farmers, which started last month following extremely low rate of recoveries in six districts in southwestern Punjab, had stopped during the run up to the Assembly session recently.

However, legal action against farmers has been initiated again because of the sharp fall in recoveries immediately after the informal stoppage during the Assembly session.

PADB sources said its 23 branches in the cotton belt, which had started reporting a loan recovery of Rs 2.50 crore per day after action was initiated against farmers, witnessed a sharp decline in returns after the relaxation given to them. Recoveries dropped to Rs 1.10 crore per day during the last fortnight.

The number of farmers sent to jail has risen to 55 now with two farmers of Jaito and Budhlada being sent to jail in the past two days.

Bank sources said action was taken against five other farmers during the past two days but all of them settled their dues immediately rather than go to jail. There are over 36,000 defaulters in the cotton belt.

Meanwhile, arrest warrants have been issued to nearly 1,500 farmers and the PADB is in the process of issuing warrants against at least 600 more farmers. Nearly 90 farmers have been let off after paying their dues to the bank.

PADB General Manager Gurmeet Singh Brar, when questioned on the issue, said recovery proceedings were stopped recently so as to give farmers an opportunity to repay their dues. “As many farmers did not avail of this opportunity, we have directed banks to take legal action against them”, he added.

Sources said the bank was also moving against its own officials, who had been ‘lethargic’ in collecting dues from farmers with one branch manager also being suspended in this regard.

Recovery in Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Faridkot, Moga and Ferozepur districts had fallen to an all-time low recently with many of the PADB banks being relegated to the ‘D’ category, which bars them from being given money by its central organisation. Most of the farmers who have taken loans from these banks have now been classified in the ‘willful defaulter’ list.

Loan recoveries in the entire cotton belt as well as part of Malwa went down after the loan waiver announced by the Centre. Only a small number of farmers were able to avail the loan waiver but most stopped paying loans in the hope that they too would be taken within the ambit of the waiver.

A strong farmer movement in the area, which prevents banks on forcible collection of loans, is also being hailed responsible for the low recoveries.

Bhillaiana (Muktsar), December 18
Col S K Akhauri, father of IAF Flight Lt Manu Akhauri, the pilot who lost his life while saving others, visited Government Senior Secondary School in Bhillaiana village recently. He wanted to know the places and the people his son saved.

Manu Akhauri’s flight from Bhisiana Air Force base on September 10 turned out to be his last “regular training sortie” - as described by IAF officials. His father accompanied by his wife, daughter and son, paid a visit to the village to see the school which Manu managed to save before plunging to his own death a few meters away.

Colonel Akhauri told school teachers, “A man’s greatest actions are performed in minor struggle. My son saved so many lives and indeed he is a hero”.

Col Akhauri promised to give Rs 10,000 annually to the school to start two “Manu Akhauri memorial scholarships” of Rs 5,000 each to students who top the matriculation and class XII exams. He also announced to construct a new shed at the village bus stand.

During their visit, the pilot’s mother cried inconsolably and had to be comforted by her husband who kept on insisting that “Manu was just performing his duty”.

On his part, village sarpanch Gurcharan Singh promised to start an inter-village multi-discipline sports tournament in Manu’s name. The pilot has become some sort of a revered figure in the village. “School Principal Navjot Kaur Sidhu has already written a letter to the Muktsar DC seeking permission to rechristen the school as Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Manu Akhauri Senior Secondary School,” Ashok Chawla, a mathematics teacher, said.

Manu’s family wants kids of the school to join the defence forces and that too without any inhibition, despite having lost their own kin.

After bidding a tearful adieu to the children, the family went to the spot where their son’s plane was hit.

Ludhiana, December 18
Punjabis should learn to respect and accept migrants as the former have been accepted world over and have never been looked down upon.

These are the words of Jagrup Brar, a Punjabi elected for the third consecutive term to the Legislative Assembly in Surrey, Canada, while speaking to the TNS here today.

Brar, who is touring the state and is trying to help the motherland with his experience and knowledge absorbed overseas, today said the state was witnessing demographic changes and this was the time for the people to rise above regionalism and accept whosoever migrated to this part.

Criticising the recent incidents of violence against migrants in Ludhiana, Brar said the people should always follow the principle of equality, justice and fairness.

"We were really ashamed when the news of violence reached us. Our brethren back home should think twice before resorting to such a practice. When we expect others to hold us in high esteem, why should not we do it when we are at the other end," he asked.

Brar said, "I have never felt like an outsider in Canada. Is it not an enough lesson for all of us," he asked.

The legislator, belonging to a village in Bathinda, is planning to meet the lawmakers back home during his trip and wants to share information on education reforms, infrastructure development, better healthcare facilities and utilisation of human resources.

"The NRIs want to pay back to motherland. But they are scared of returning to India due to delayed help in medical emergency and poor infrastructure. If all these requirements are met with, they would not think twice but rush back after superannuations," he added.

Chandigarh, December 18
A two-day seminar on “Cooperative Development, Peace and Security: Indo-Canadian Cooperation”, which was organised in collaboration with University of Fraser Valley, Canada, on the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) premises, concluded here today with the objective to promote connectivity between India and other friendly countries.

During the seminar, out of the total five sessions, two sessions were devoted to strategies for combating international organised crime and terrorism and strengthening international cooperation while one each session was devoted to sustainable rural livelihood, Indian diaspora in Canada and human security.

Highlighting the importance of promoting connectivity between India and Canada, experts agreed on the timely handling of the problem of international crime and terrorism as neglect and inadequate understanding had given strength to the forces of organised crime.

They were of the opinion that while the rule of law and criminal justice system helped in fighting this menace, yet this alone was not sufficient. In this context, emphasis was laid on to ensure that terrorists did not feed on the emotional void that existed particularly in the minds of the youth. An important component of the strategy would be to fight terrorist leaders, while winning over the rank and the file.

All speakers highlighted the need for international cooperation in fighting this menace.

The experts presented a dismal picture of agriculture scene and rural development in Punjab, noting, in particular, the declining facilities in the health and educational sectors in the villages. While food security was essential, the moot question was whether this could be achieved through food diversification, which had its own pitfalls.

They opined that for food diversification to succeed, it was essential that farmers receive remunerative prices as well as appropriate technology, which could ensure high yields and the government had to aim for inclusive growth. India and Canada both had interest in sustainable rural development.

Punjab could benefit from Canada’s experiences in this regard. Cooperation between India and Canada in the areas of agriculture, health, education, small and medium industries could be a way forward. Indian diaspora in Canada could play a catalytic role and become a bridge-builder in further strengthening the relations between the two countries and the peoples.

Chandigarh, December 18
In a jolt to consumers, the price of butter is all set to go up by Rs 20 per kg (or Rs 2 per 100 gm) from the coming week. While the market leader, Amul, increased the price of butter from Rs 230 per kg to Rs 250 per kg from yesterday, other major players in the region-- - Verka and Vita--- too are mulling a hike in the prices of their butter. At present, the butter of these dairy cooperatives sells at Rs 230 per kg.

Sources in Milkfed, Punjab, informed TNS that they, too, were planning to hike the price of butter by Rs 20 per kg to Rs 250 per kg from December 21. The price of the 500 gm packing of butter is being increased from Rs 112 to Rs 122, while that of the 100 gm packing has been hiked from Rs 23 to Rs 25. “This year, because of the drought, milch animals were under heat stress. As a result, the fat content in milk is much lower this year though the milk being procured by us is more than the quantity last year. We are procuring 7.5 lakh litres of milk daily,” said a senior official.

Sources in the Dairy Development Cooperative Federation, Haryana, said that though they had not yet decided on a hike, it was under consideration. A senior official in the federation said this year their milk procurement was also less (around 6.90 lakh litres per day) than the quantity last year. “But the decision to hike the price of butter will be taken by various milk unions, which will assess the market situation and then decide on the quantum of hike” he said.

This is the second time in the past two months that the price of butter has been revised.In the past four months, the price of ghee has gone up by Rs 40 per litre. The authorities said that with a shortfall in procurement and an increase in the procurement price, they were forced to call for a price hike. After a hike in the prices of milk, it was now processed milk foods like butter whose prices were being increased. It is learnt that there was a 10-15 per cent shortage in milk supply earlier this year. Because of scanty rain during the monsoon, green forage was not available, leading to a reduction in the yield of milch animals.

Chandigarh, December 18
A meeting of the Punjab Pradesh Coordination Committee has been fixed for December 22 and is likely to take up the issue of putting up a united front against the SAD-BJP combine in the state.

The meeting is being held following reports of an apparent disconnect in the state Congress with Pradesh Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal being cut up with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for charting his own course rather than coordinating his movements with them.

Capt Amarinder Singh has recently in a smart move heightened political activity by holding a number of well-attended meetings at various places in the state. Though the meetings were ostensibly held to bolster the membership drive in the state, they seemed to be aimed at projecting his own image. The membership drive in the state is already on a sound footing.

Congress sources said the ruling dispensation in the Pradesh Congress feels Amarinder Singh is carving out a separate niche for himself in the state by first boycotting the “protest dharnas” held by the PPCC and now holding public meetings, which have been organised by his loyalists rather than District Congress Committee presidents or the PPCC.

The meetings have also seen Amarinder loyalists projecting him as the next PPCC president. Sources said “complaints” in this regard have been submitted to the party high command following which this meeting has been organised to iron out differences and make another attempt to ensure unity in the state Congress.

Congress leaders were, however, coy about the meeting. Bhattal, when questioned, said she did not know about any complaint. She, however, said there was a need to present a united face to take the party forward in the state.

Party general secretary Mohsina Kidwai, who was earlier said to be in favour of handing over the Pradesh Congress presidentship to Amarinder Singh and had recommended as such, heads the Coordination Committee. However, its composition of senior state leaders, including Kaypee and Bhattal, is more or less arraigned against the former Chief Minister.

Amritsar, December 18
The Punjab unit of the Congress is all set to get more than 26 lakh new members following the submission of over 46 lakh membership application forms to the All-India Congress Committee (AICC).

The forms have been collected under a three-month-old and still ongoing PPCC workers’ enrolment drive in the state.

PPCC chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee said the membership drive would conclude on December 31. According to Kaypee, the last membership drive initiated by his party in 2005 had yielded slightly over 14 lakh new members.

”This time we are way ahead in respect of the enrolment of new members. We have been flooded with over 46 lakh enrolment forms by new aspirants so far. We have already submitted the forms to the party high command. We will be have an estimated over 26 lakh new members this time even if some forms are rejected during scrutiny on grounds like submission of two forms by aspirants,”said Kaypee while talking to The Tribune.

The forms would be sent to the PPCC by the party high command after subjecting these to preliminary scrutiny. After the scrutiny, fresh lists of members would be made by the PPCC. “Since we are in the process of computerising our office, we will be issuing ID cards to our new members by the end of March,” said Kaypee.

He said a factor behind the success of the membership drive in Punjab was that PPCC office-bearers and other party leaders were able to reach every nook and corner and persuade people at the grassroots level to join the party.

Patiala, December 18
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has said whatever Congress legislators, including Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, did in the Assembly, was part of a tussle to grab the post of president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Reacting sharply to the accusations levelled against Akalis of resorting to hooliganism in the Punjab Assembly, junior Badal, speaking to The Tribune, came down heavily on the Congress and accused the Congress MLAs of “intentionally” creating a scene in the Assembly.

Charging the Congress with running away from the battlefield, Badal said instead of raising public-oriented issues in the Assembly, the Congress created a drama to grab the media attention.

“Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had given an open invite for a debate in the Assembly, but the Congress legislators were more interested in drawing media mileage and scoring on intra-party tussle,” Sukhbir alleged.

Replying to a query pertaining to the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna’s intentions to contest the coming SGPC elections in Punjab, Sukhbir challenged the Congress to contest the SGPC elections.

Without naming anyone, Sukhbir said, “What to talk about Sarna. Let Sarna’s godfather in the Congress contest the SGPC elections and face forfeiture of their security.”

Commenting on the increasing incidents of running away of undertrials on way for the court hearings, he said, “The problem will be over soon as provisions for hearing through video conferencing in the jails are being made.” When asked about the rules in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, which prohibit the Punjabis to purchase property, Sukhbir said it was a national issue and he was of the opinion that there should not be different laws in different parts of the country.

Ludhiana, December 18
The government will hold a meeting with managements of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB)-affiliated schools on December 21 before appearing in a court to file a reply in the matter of the disaffiliation of 187 PSEB-affiliated schools.

This was stated by the state Education Minister, Dr Upinderjit Kaur, here today. She was in the town to attend annual functions of two city schools. The minister said the government had nothing to do with a high court’s decision to withdraw the affiliation of the schools and that it had full sympathy with the managements of these schools.

She added that the schools, which had lost their affiliation, were performing well in all aspects. “They should try to fulfil norms of the board and get their affiliation back,” the minister said.

“The board has some rules governing affiliation which each school has to follow. Once the schools fulfil the criteria, a no objection certificate is issued and affiliation provided. But if the schools fail to fulfil the criteria, their affiliation is liable to be cancelled, as in this case,” Upinderjit Kaur added.

Earlier, a deputation of members of the Association of Punjab School Education Board-affiliated schools met the minister under the leadership of Rajinder Sharma, with representatives from other districts to discuss the problems being faced by PSEB-affiliated schools.

Sharma informed the minister that the schools were incapable of paying government pay scales to the staff, as they were not getting any grant from the government.

He further said the schools were charging a nominal fee from the students to provide quality education. These schools, he said, were fully dependent on their own resources.

The association demanded that the government should give grants to these schools as per government norms so that they could pay their staff accordingly.

The minister reportedly assured the delegation that the matter would be looked into.

Patiala, December 18
In a significant development that may snowball into a major controversy, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) chairman HS Brar has issued a “contentious” order, curtailing powers of two senior IAS functionaries - PSEB member, Finance and Accounts (F&A), Anurag Aggarwal, and Secretary Hussain Lal.

Though Brar could not be contacted, senior PSEB functionaries confirmed that orders to this effect had been issued by the board chairman.

The orders read that: “Since the PSEB member, F&A, and the Secretary are also handling the responsibility of other government departments in Chandigarh, important and date-bound matters may directly be sent to his office for an approval.”

However, Aggarwal refused to comment on the issue saying, “It is an internal matter between the government and the board and I would not like to comment on it.” PSEB Secretary Hussain Lal said: “No comments.”

According to information, all proposals and matters pertaining to the finance goes to the board chairman through the member, F&A. Likewise, the PSEB Secretary, who works as a representative of the state government in the board, has also got many independent powers.

However, some of the IAS officers termed the orders as a “blatant violation” of government directions.

“The PSEB chairman can’t curtail powers of a whole-time member of the board appointed by the state government for the tenure of five years”, argued a senior board official.

Patiala, December 18
The scourge of tobacco has afflicted migrant women in a big way after taking its toll on teenagers.These migrant women are mostly from Bihar and they are hooked on to tobacco in a big way. They also are used to chewing “paan masala” and “gutka”.

Sources in Chest and TB Hospital, Patiala, reveal that migrant women, who travel to the state, are now in the grip of tobacco products. Doctors reveal that this is the primary reason why migrant women are reporting more cases of mouth-related diseases, including cancer. Not only this, these women are also falling prey to passive smoking.

The sources disclosed that these women also suffered from lung cancer due to the influence of passive smoking, mostly by their husbands, a majority of them who are labourers.

The most common ailments contracted by these women included diseases relating to lungs and mouth. Statistics from the cancer department of Government Rajindra Hospital reveal that almost all migrant women admitted there were having lung and oral cancer. Apart from this, these women, most of whom work in agricultural fields in and around the town, are also found to be suffering from chest cancer.

Figures reveal that in 2005, 2,620 men were found to be suffering from cancer from tobacco products as compared to 255 women. Ninety children were also found to be suffering from cancer, most of then due to passive smoking.

In 2006, this figure among cancer in men, rose to 2,855 as compared to 272 woman and 95 children. In 2007, there were 3,105 men, who were found to be suffering from oral and lung cancer as compared to 310 and 92 children.

These sources said earlier there were a few incidents of woman being admitted to the hospital with cancer-related diseases. However, statistics now revealed that there was sharp increase in woman having cancer-related diseases. Last year, 448 women were admitted to the hospital with cancer while 3,236 men too were found to be suffering from cancer.

A senior doctor of the hospital’s cancer department admitted to the increasing incidence of cancer among women. She added that passive smoking and the use of tobacco was responsible for all this.

The doctor underlined the need for educating these women about the hazards of tobacco chewing and passive smoking adding that non-governmental organisations could step in and help these women in a big way.

Chandigarh, December 18
Punjab will finally pay for the deeds of its officials. Following the failure of its attempts to get relief from the apex court in the dead man walking case, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the registrar-general to disburse the compensation of Rs 1 crore to the “implicated persons”.

The Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Jitendra Chauhan had earlier ruled the entire burden of paying compensation to implicated Nachhatar Singh, Sira, Amarjit Singh, Nikka Singh and Surjit Singh “rests squarely” on the state. But instead of paying up, the state had moved the Supreme Court.

After the failure to pay was brought to the Bench’s notice again, the state deposited the amount, but with a request against its dispensation till the decision on the SLP.

As the matter came up this morning, the Bench directed the payment of Rs 20 lakh each to four of the implicated. The remaining amount was directed to be distributed equally between the widow and the son of Nachhatar Singh, Sira.