Karnal, March 13
The former President, Dr APJ Kalam, today exhorted scientists to bring in second White Revolution and stressed the need to launch “national milk mission” to increase the cattle yield and reduce the bacteria to boost export of milk to the USA and European countries.

Addressing the eighth convocation of the NDRI here, he said the milk mission should be a comprehensive project taking care of all aspects like improving the breed, providing nutritive fodder and research and development.

Concerned over the low milk yield of the Indian cattle and insignificant cultivated area under fodder cultivation, Dr Kalam said the area under fodder cultivation, which was just 4 per cent, should be increased to at least 12 per cent for providing quality green fodder to cattle.

Pointing out that the yield of cattle reared abroad was 6 to 10 times more as compared to India, he said a revolution was needed in cattle breeding by establishing regional cattle breeding centres with the NDRI as the nodal agency for breeding of area-specific cattle. This would also generate self-employment for 10 million persons, he added.

Dr Kalam said India ranked first in milk production and this could be achieved due to the bovine population of 283 million (185 million cattle and 98 million buffaloes) and a strong milk procurement network consisting of 177 district unions and 1,28,799 village cooperative societies but they had to make rapid strides by using this base for increasing average per animal per day milk production of animals.

He expressed confidence that India could achieve milk production of 126.42 million tonnes by 2011-12 but for this it was essential to increase the production of milk by overall increase in number of high yielding cows and buffalo population in all parts of the country.

Dr Kalam added that the livestock sector contribution to agriculture GDP was around 25-28 per cent while dairy sector contribution was around 65-70 per cent to livestock sector and they must focus on milk processing as we have even less than 1,000 milk processing centres in the country.

Dr Kalam exhorted to conduct intensive research for producing quality fodder from dry land, improving the availability of feed and explore the possibility of using weeds as feed which could grow with little input.

He emphasised the need to transfer research from lab to fields. Dr S Ayyappan, Director-General, ICAR, said milk was essential for nutrition, livelihood security and could generate revenue of Rs 4 billion through exports.

Dr Srivastava, Director, NDRI, said 147 students were given degrees. These included 26 girls and nine foreign students. Four students were awarded Director’s Gold Medals and merit certificates.

He took a promise from the passing-out students to make India the best in cattle yield, provide bacteria-free milk to be exported to other countries and develop research technologies to convert weed into feed. He made the students take an oath written by him and every student pledged that: “Every cattle is my friend, I will feed the cattle with compassion and kindness, develop technologies to treat their diseases, keep them in clean, green and hygienic environment, facilitate the farmers in the dairy sector and produce value added products.” 

Karnal, March 13
The Karnal police today busted a gang of thieves siphoning LPG from cylinders on their way to various destinations. The police recovered 918 filled and empty cylinders and nabbed an accused, who has been identified as Sushil Kumar.

The police had some information about the practice of cooking gas being siphoned from the LPG cylinders during transportation from depots to various destinations and it intercepted three trucks on a tip off that some people were extracting gas from the cylinders and filling them in empty cylinder for selling them illegally.

A police party headed by inspector Balram Singh, in charge Gharonda police station, immediately rushed to the spot and found three trucks, which left from the Gudda Plant for Kaithal, Gangoh and Dehradun, parked on the unmettled strip along the road and some people filling gas in empty cylinders.

The culprits fled from the scene when the police and officials of the District Food and Supplies Department arrived, but one of them failed to escape and was arrested. These culprits had connived with the drivers of the trucks and were cheating the consumers by draining out LPG from the cylinders and selling it elsewhere at a premium.

The police found that there was shortage of gas ranging between 400 gm and 8 kg in the cylinders dispatched from the depot and the same had been siphoned. A case under Section 420 of the IPC and the Excise Act has been registered and investigations are in progress to bust the wider network and nexus between drivers and thieves indulging in the criminal acts. 

Kurukshetra, March 13
A distillery and a 66 kVA substation will be established on the premises of Shahabad Cooperative Sugar Mill at Shahabad Markanda.

This was stated by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while addressing a peasants gathering after inaugurating the 24 MW cogeneration (electricity) plant at Shahabad Cooperative Sugar Mill premises, 25km from here today.

Hooda also declared that the profit earned by the sugar mill would be shared with the farmers. The decision to share profit has been made for the first time, he added. He urged the workers of sugar mills to work hard and generate more profit so that the same could be shared with them.

He assured the farmers that their interests were secure with him and they need not worry. “I am son of a farmer and I also sow sugarcane, wheat and paddy, so I understand your problems,” he said.

He said as the cogeneration plant was being dedicated on the historic day of Sardar Udham Singh’s shooting of General Dwyer in London, so it would be known as Sardar Udham Singh Plant. The plant would produce 24 MW of power per day, out of which 16 MW would be sold to the State Power Department and the remaining would be utilised in the sugar mills.

He said now 3.5 lakh more units per day would be available to the people, which could run 1,000 tube-wells of 20 horse power capacity for full 24 hours. The plant had been set up at a cost of Rs 100 crore, while the proposed distillery would be set up at a cost of about Rs 30 crores. The distillery would also provide jobs to the people of the area.

Meanwhile, while addressing the Biennial National Conference of All India Primary Teachers Federation at the Theme Park here today, the CM announced, “The state government is giving highest salaries to the teachers in the country. However, if some pay anomaly is brought to the notice of the government, the same would be rectified.”

He said the teachers of the state have contributed a lot in the state’s progress. The state was on its way to become an education hub of the nation. He said the Rajiv Gandhi Education City was being set up at Kundli in Sonepat district, where world-class quality education would be provided to the students.

He also explained different educational promotion schemes implemented in the state to control the drop out rate. The government has come out with a unique scholarship scheme under which Rs 100 to Rs 450 per months were being given to the students of BPL families, he added.

Chandigarh, March 13
The Haryana government, which had conveyed its consent to the Supreme Court on July 8, 2008, for the opening of two major mineral mines in Faridabad district, which had obtained environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), reversed its stand on January 15, 2009.

The government told the court that it wanted no mining of major minerals in Faridabad and Gurgaon (including Mewat) districts for 10 years.

It also wanted the permission of the apex court to cancel all leases of major minerals in these districts. Since Section 4-A of the Mines and Minerals Development Act, 1957, gives power to the Centre to cancel lease of a major mineral mine to preserve environment, among other reasons, one would presume that the Haryana government wants to cancel the mining leases for the same lofty purpose!

The state had earlier written to the Union Ministry of Mines on September 15 last year that these leases should be cancelled. The ministry, however, asked it on October 16, 2009, to issue show-cause notices to the lessees for premature termination under Section 4-A of the 1957 Act before the ministry could take up the state’s proposal.

The ministry also told Haryana to send copies of the notices, replies of the lessees along with the state’s comments. It was obvious that the process suggested by the Union ministry was tedious, lengthy and still unsure of the result.

The process is also open to a plethora of litigation. In its latest affidavit before the Supreme Court also, the state has said that if the court did not order cancellation of the leases of major minerals in the two districts, it would lead to a long-drawn litigation.

Before 1999, there was a provision to Section 4-A which enabled a state government to give the prematurely terminated lease of a mine under this section to a government organisation. But on December 18, 1999, this provision was deleted. Hence, now a state, after terminating the lease of a major mineral mine, cannot give the area for mining to anyone, may it be for major minerals or minor.

Haryana wants to earmark 600 hectares in Faridabad for mining of minor minerals. But most of the proposed area is either notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, or has plantation under the Aravali project.

The apex court has banned mining in such areas. Where mining can take place, those areas have already been leased out. This is the reason why the state government wants the stamp of the Supreme Court on its decision to stop mining of major minerals.

But even if it is able to cancel the leases, it cannot use the area for mining of minor minerals as it is prohibited by the 1957 Act.

— To be concluded

Sirsa, March 13
A private security guard was allegedly shot at from his own revolver here today. The victim has been identified as Krishan, a resident of Ramsara village in Fatehabad.

However, mystery shrouds the incident due to the victim’s alleged link with a religious organisation managed by the family of Haryana Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda. The police is silent on the case.

Kanda’s younger brother Gobind Kanda, who manages the Tara Baba Kutiya, a religious organisation of the family, has, however, denied that the victim was in any way connected to them.

According to police sources, Krishan was brought to the local general hospital at about 5 am today by a teenaged girl, who disappeared after leaving him in the hospital.

Krishan’s cousin Vijay Pal, who arrived in the hospital within two hours of the incident, completed the paper formalities of his admission to the hospital. The victim was later referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

“Krishan (26), father of two children, had come to Sirsa some days ago informing us that he has got a job of guard in the Tara Baba Kutiya,” Vijay Pal said, adding that no one in the family knew where he was putting up.

Vinod Mittal, sarpanch of Ramsara village, said the villagers only knew that Krishan was the bodyguard of a prominent person of Sirsa town.

Gobind Kanda, however, denied this and said the victim had no connection, whatsoever, with the Tara Baba Kutiya.

“Hundreds of devotees started assembling in the Tara Baba Kutiya, when news regarding this appeared in a section of electronic media today. Devotees are unhappy at the dragging of Kutiya’s name in the incident,” said Kanda in a press statement issued today and maintained that Krishan, son of Rajinder, was neither posted as guard in the Kutiya nor had he ever been with them.

SP Satinder Kumar Gupta said nothing could be said with certainty till the victim gained consciousness. “The police has no idea under what circumstances he received bullet injury,” Gupta said.

Fatehabad, March 13
Five members of a marriage party were killed and one was injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a bridge near Saniana village here yesterday.

Four of the five deceased belong to Badopal village, 16 km from here.

The incident took place when the marriage party was on the way to Pirthala village from Badopal. The ill-fated car reportedly hit the bridge at a very high speed.

Radhey Sham died on the spot while car driver Sharwan, Makhan and Krishan died at the Community Health Centre, Bhuna.

Kuldeep, Vinod and two others were shifted to Agroha Medical College last night, where Kuldeep succumbed to his injuries today. — TNS