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Urban development cess imposed on cotton
Rice rots in Moga FCI storehouses
Speed up lifting process: Bhattal
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ASI advises Pothimala’s preservation
Guru Har Sahai (Ferozepur), April 22 
A beginning has been made to preserve a more than 250 years old building, known as
Pothimala, which is one of the most ancient structures of Punjab and has been crumbling in the absence of its care.A part of the Pothimala building that has started crumbling. Photo by writer
AISAD to register with poll panel
Beant Singh Case
Morinda railway overbridge hangs fire
Now, road being laid on Sirhind choe
Ex-PM Gujral to get DLit on April 28
No bills issued at liquor vends
Power blues for maize, sunflower farmers
Lifting of wheat shows no rise
Wheat Procurement
Farmers may suffer loss of Rs 1,100 cr
Farmers choose manual harvesting over machines
Kainth wants govt to give his community its due
Part-time govt college lecturers ‘exploited’
LJP, Dalit Sena burn effigy
of Hooda
SGPC chief lays stone of girls’ hostel
Punjabi Sahit Academy Poll
Old City as Vehicle-Free Zone
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Urban development cess imposed on cotton
Chandigarh, April 22 The decision, which has been notified by the Department of Local Government, says that any sale and purchase of raw cotton will invoke a cess at the rate of 0.25 per cent ad valorem. The notification issued by C. Raul, Principal Secretary, Local Government, indicates that the cess will become applicable after 60 days of the notification dated March 29. But in all likelihood, it is procurement agencies and not farmers, who will have to shell out the cess amount. Sources have expressed surprise over the move as the issue was neither discussed at a meeting of the core committee nor taken up by the Cabinet. The notification has been issued under Section 62-A (2) of the Punjab Municipal Act and will be applicable in all municipal councils and nagar panchayats in the state. The decision will have a direct political fallout in the Malwa region that grows cotton. Though the notification that says the sale and purchase will invite cess, it is being interpreted to mean that procurement agencies will have to pay the cess, but the government has not clarified that the farmer, who takes his crop to mandis for sale, will also have to pay the cess. During the last procurement, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) had refused to enter Punjab mandis on the plea that the tax structure in state mandis was non-viable. The Chief Minister had to then plead with the Union Textile Minister to make the CCI lift cotton from Punjab mandis. This is bound to directly affect the sale and purchase as private traders, who are the main procurers other than the CCI, will prefer to go to neighbouring Haryana or other states than pay cess in Punjab. This will make the task of the farmer to sell his produce more cumbersome. The move is being viewed in political circles as an attack by BJP on the vote bank of the SAD. On the one hand, the BJP recently got octroi waived and forced the government to return enhanced electricity bill for domestic and industrial consumer, now finding the Local Bodies in dire straight, the department has targeted the rural for the development of urban areas. This is for the first time that revenue generated from farmers will be used for urban development. Punjab has about 5 lakh hectares of cotton cultivation that includes all kinds of cotton,including kapas, narma (Bt and non-Bt both). The expected yield is about 22 lakh bales per crop.
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Rice rots in Moga FCI storehouses
Moga, April 22 Sources in the FCI said this rice was procured by the food agency in 2004-2005 and was to be auctioned within two years. But due to the negligence of two employees, posted as in charges of the storehouses, the auction could not be done, as they gave wrong reports about the available stock to the higher authorities. One of the biggest scams of substandard rice was unearthed in 2005 following which the CBI registered an FIR on January 7, 2006, in this regard. Criminal proceedings against a few rice mills of Moga are still pending in the CBI court at Patiala. The overall auction of paddy for this period was a little bit delayed due to CBI inquiries, but the FCI auctioned about 67,000 metric tonnes of rice in August 2008 from the stocks pertaining to 2004-2005 in Moga district. Subsequently, this stock of rice (118 mt) over the years has grown mouldy and recently it has been declared unfit Talking to TNS over the phone, District Manager of the FCI DK Jain said the senior authorities of the FCI had issued chargesheets against the two employees. However, they had not been placed under suspension and are performing their duties during the current procurement season. Jain said the controversial stock of the damaged rice would be auctioned by the regional office soon for making animal feed to recover losses.
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Speed up lifting process: Bhattal
Chandigarh, April 22 She alleged that the SAD-BJP government was insensitive towards the farmers as was evident from the levying of 0.25 per cent cess on purchase of cotton and sunflower in the name of urban development cess. Owing to low production of wheat the farmers were hard pressed, and now they would have to bear the brunt of this additional cess. Bhattal said during the last paddy season, the Centre had earmarked Rs 800 crore for compensating low yield of paddy due to poor monsoon, which had not been disbursed by the state government so far. “I fail to understand the working of this so-called farmer-friendly government,” she added. Bhattal urged the state to announce bonus of at least Rs 200 per quintal on wheat so as to compensate the farmers for the low yield. She said the state was grateful to the Centre for coming to the rescue of Punjab farmers time and again. She hoped the Centre would not lag behind this time too.
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ASI advises Pothimala’s preservation
Guru Har Sahai (Ferozepur), April 22 A team of the Chandigarh-based office of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out its physical inspection and examination and did extensive photography in the recent past, has sent a report to the Director, ASI, New Delhi, recommending its preservation by declaring it as a fit case to be dubbed as a monument of international importance. GN Shrivastava, Deputy Superintendent, ASI, Chandigarh circle, said a report had been sent to head office, Delhi, that this building could be preserved along with its murals and other features. “There is the priceless Padam Sahib also belonging to the first Sikh Guru lying in the building. Only the head office of the ASI in Delhi is competent to take a decision whether this building should be preserved as per the ASI norms or not,” he added. “There are cracks in the pillars. Some parts of the building have already crumbled. The murals have also started facing decay,” he pointed out, adding that it was the right time to start its conservation. “Pothimala, known for pothi (holy book) and mala (rosary) belonging to Guru Nanak Dev which were lying here once and which were reported to be missing a few years ago, building was built by Guru Jiwan Mal in 1705, who was a direct descendant of the fourth Sikh master Guru Ram Das and was revered as a Guru by a large section of the Sodhi clan at that time. Local MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said the ASI team carried out a physical inspection of the historical building representing India’s secular traditions and culture for religious tolerance after he took up the matter connected with its conservation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He said he was hopeful that the ASI would start the conservation and preservation of the building, including its about 500 murals depicting Ram Leela, Krishan Leela and the Mahabharata and other religious tales.
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AISAD to register with poll panel
Amritsar, April 22 Earlier, senior office-bearers of the party held a meeting in which various resolutions were passed. They were to contest all 170 SGPC seats, take part in the next 2012 Assembly elections, to achieve excellence in education, health care, employment and rural upliftment. Mann claimed that the party after coming to power in the SGPC would work to increase its income and expand its welfare activities.
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Beant Singh Case
Chandigarh, April 22 The former Chief Minister, along with 12 others, was killed in the explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat on August 31, 1995. The prosecution has all along been claiming a belt, stuffed with RDX, was used by human bomb Dilawar Singh to kill Beant Singh and others. Dilawar Singh, too, was killed in the blast. Two of the assassins, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, face the gallows. Three other convicts, Shamsher Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Paramjit Singh, too, has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life. But the orders in his case were pronounced on March 30 - approximately two years later than the others, as the trial was delayed after he tunneled his way out of Burail Jail. His appeal against conviction and sentence comes up for hearing before Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Arvind Kumar on Friday. In the appeal filed through senior advocate Baldev Singh, Paramjit Singh has asserted: In the present case, the prosecution has not led any evidence, much less admissible or credible evidence, to prove that the alleged bomb blast leading to the death of Beant Singh and others was through a human bomb, allegedly Dilawar Singh”. Baldev Singh also made it clear that the trial court had based its findings on the existence of the human bomb by relying on the earlier judgment in the case of Hawara and others. “This finding of the trial court, merely based on the finding on the earlier judgment, is on the face of it illegal,” Baldev Singh is insisting. He has added but for the confession of the co-accused illegally relied upon by the trial court, there was no other evidence - direct or circumstantial - to “prove the involvement of the appellant even prima facie in the alleged offence”.
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Morinda railway overbridge hangs fire
Morinda, April 22 Lack of coordination between the Railways and its contractor is said to be the reason behind this delay that is troubling commuters on the road. Work on the bridge started in December, 2006, and was to be completed within 14 months at a cost of Rs 22 crore. The bridge is 1600-m long and almost 30-m wide. While PWD officials have completed almost 93 per cent of work, railway contractor has delayed the entire project. Trains from Ambala to Nangal, New Delhi to Una Janshatabdi and Ambala to Chararu near Una ply on this route that result in closure of railway crossing for six times a day. Commuters’ precious time is lost waiting at this crossing. The project has been granted extension more than five times the latest being June 30, 2010. On January 13, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had claimed that major bridges in the state, including Morinda, would be completed by March 31. This period too has lapsed and the project stands gaping at the authorities. XEN, CWD (central works division), Yograj Singh, said on Thursday railway officials had visited the spot. The railway officials were told that the CWD had completed more than 93 per cent of work and rest laid in the hands of the railway contractor. Slabs overhead the tracks could not be laid by the CWD as it was the prerogative of railway contractor, he said. Meanwhile, the Ambala division spokesperson said the problem indeed lay with the railway contractor, who was not completing work despite repeated orders. “We are not in a condition to recall the tenders of work as it will further delay the project. The Railways has directed the contractor to complete the work within next two months,” the spokesperson added.
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Now, road being laid on Sirhind choe
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 22 In view of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to the district on May 12, the PWD B&R Department is constructing a metallic road (23 feet wide and 390 metres long) on the choe bed. The PM will visit the district on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Sirhind Fateh Diwas. While 30 per cent of work is complete, the rest would be finished in the next 20 days. Work is in full swing despite the fact that no NOC (no-objection certificate) has been obtained by the authorities concerned in this regard. XEN PWD B&R Gurmukh Singh said the Rs 68-lakh road-laying process began three days ago. He admitted that no NOC had been obtained from any department, including the drainage department. “We will get the same in next few days or so,” he said, while adding that local politicians and senior officials were aware of the project. Interestingly, the department plans to “divert the route” of the rivulet, narrowing it at desired places, so as to avoid flooding. The currently available funds do not include any provision for the diversion process, but XEN Gurmukh said matter would be looked into soon. Moreover, instead of consulting government officials, the PWD B&R Department has taken the services of an architect who is planning out the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Heritage Center also. Officials have been told to block the choe with soil, so that water may not enter into the yet-to-be constructed heritage building, which is being constructed on the choe bed. As per revenue department officials, the choe’s path cannot be diversified. “Its route cannot be changed nor could anybody axe the trees on its bank and dig out its soil. These actions call for punishment. Construction of any structure over its bed is a gross violation of the Choe Act, 1900,” said a senior revenue official. He added that the Punjab Government was not entitled to allow construction on the choe and it could get clearance only from Ministry of Forests and Environment, Government of India. Even the ministry itself cannot take an independent decision. The matter is then referred to the Supreme Court that takes the final call. He said the matter was recently brought to the notice of senior SAD leaders and bureaucrats who gave a go-ahead. XEN drainage department DS Kohli confirmed that no permission was sought from the department before the construction of the road. Meanwhile, president of the Hindu Organisation Manoj Banda said even government officials were unaware of the presence of choe at the site. He said the choe must be demarcated before the onset of monsoons. Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan said the choe flowed through three villages -- Fatehgarh Sahib, Harnamnagar and Sirhind -- and the road was being laid in Fatehgarh Sahib. “Engineers have been directed not to block the natural path of water,” he said. Vigilance probe sought DC Mahajan said letters had been shot to senior functionaries of departments and ministers concerned and Vigilance inquiry was sought into the encroachments by private builders on the choe bed. Punjab’s eco-warrior Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, who recently visited Sirhind choe, expressed anguish over the encroachments. “Such blockades eventually bring natural disasters,” he said.
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Ex-PM Gujral to get DLit on April 28
Patiala, April 22 Confirming this, varsity vice-chancellor Jaspal Singh said Gujral was to be awarded the degree in the annual convocation of the university on December 29, 2009, along with first Arjuna awardee Gurbachan Singh Randhawa and writer-cum-director Gulzar, but he could not make it, as he was unwell. The university authorities had then announced that they would present the degree at his residence. Giving details of the programme, the VC said Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil would be present at the function.
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No bills issued at liquor vends
Jalandhar, April 22 While the government has been spending a hefty amount on educating the general public about their rights with slogan ‘Jago Grahak Jago’, liquor mafia allegedly in connivance with top brass of the department has been evading tax worth crores of rupees annually. The modus operandi of the tax evasion is that owners of liquor vends in the state have not been giving bills to consumers. A Tribune team visited Ropar, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Tanda, Dasuya, Mukerian, Pathankot, Gurdaspur and other neighbouring cities and found that salesmen at various shops of English wine and countrymade liquor were not having any cash memo. Surat Singh, a salesman in Jalandhar, claimed that they submit a form listing number of bottles sold against the particular brand of liquor along with the daily sale to owners. He admitted that there was no provision of issuing bills to customers. Moreover, a majority of salesmen claimed their employers had not issued bill books to them. Sources in the department revealed that a majority of liquor vend owners submit monthly reports of their stock registers to the department. There is no provision for daily or fortnightly verification of stock with liquor vends. Smuggled liquor is also being sold at certain vends at much higher prices, it is learnt. Rajan Khetarpal, a Chandigarh-based advocate, raised a point saying how could a consumer approach the consumer court against a particular vendor if not having a valid bill for his purchase in case of any complaint in liquor quality. Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Jalandhar, PS Gill, claimed that maintaining registers for the daily sale and stock was mandatory for every vender. “Liquor vend owners are bound to give bills to consumers on every purchase. I will personally visit certain vends to check,” claimed Gill.
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Power blues for maize, sunflower farmers
Sirhind/Rajpura, April 22 A team of farmers from villages adjoining Amloh area met district Chief Agriculture Officer Sarabjit Kandhari and informed him about the problem arising due to power shortage. “I have no other option but to uproot the entire maize crop which got dried up due to power shortage,” said Preetam Singh, a farmer-cum-advocate at Barh Gujjran village. He said farmers get electricity at a stretch for just half-an-hour. “By the time water percolates into the ground by a few feet, the power goes off. Then it returns after an hour or so,” rued Jagmel Singh of Rajgarh Chhanna village, whose two acres of sunflower crop have got damaged. He said most of the farmers did not have enough money to water fields using generators each time. Balwinder Singh of Rajpura rued that he has lost barseem (green fodder) worth Rs 10,000 this season due to water shortage. Agriculture officials at Fatehgarh Sahib said farmers in Bharpurgarh, Tibbi, Rajgarh, Himmatgarh, Chhanna and Bhamri villages were the most-affected, where most of the farmers farmers have grown sunflower crop, maize and moong cereals. Kandhari, when contacted, admitted the problem and said the officials concerned of the Electricity Department had been apprised of the matter.
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Lifting of wheat shows no rise
Ludhiana, April 22 Guru visited several mandis in the district, including the local and Khanna Mandi. The comparison of datas of total metric tonnes lifted today and yesterday revealed the situation on the ground did not change much. According to the figures available with the district authorities 49,910 metric tonnes of wheat were lifted in the district yesterday. The figure did not rise much today. ‘‘There is not much difference. The average has been the same, ’’ said sources. They added till date 7,17,355 metric tonnes have arrived in various mandis in the district, 7,17, 650 metric tonnes have been procured out of which only 4,60,167 metric tonnes have been lifted. A huge amount, 4,60,167 metric tonnes is still lying in the yards. Guru said as many as 80.5 lakh tonnes had been procured in the state against an arrival of 82 lakh tones. “The problem of lifting is also owing to the fact that due to the rise in the temperature, sudden arrival of wheat was witnessed. Otherwise it would not have happened,’’ he said. Later Guru visited the Grain Market of Khanna and Samrala.
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Wheat Procurement
Kharar, April 22 Mandi Officer Sukhchain Singh was directed to take an action against the agent, who was then served a warning notice. Miglani said Chamkaur Sahib grain market has already exceeded its last year’s quota of procurement. “Early onset of summers has led to sudden increase in the influx of produce in grain markets. Panicked farmers are literally dumping wheat in the markets hurriedly in order to get the wheat procured as soon as possible,” he said. In order to ease this glut, a special vehicle has been arranged to lift 14,000 gunny bags of wheat procured by the FCI from Morinda grain market. In case of any procurement problem, farmers can call district Food and Supply Officer at 9872422505.
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Farmers may suffer loss of Rs 1,100 cr
Ludhiana, April 22 According to Dr BS Sidhu, Director of Agriculture, Punjab, the latest estimates of fall in the wheat production will be to the tune of 10 lakh tonnes. Dr Sidhu told The Tribune today that they were expecting a bumper wheat crop of 160 lakh tonnes this year but the sudden rise in the temperature had given a big set back. They were expecting the production of wheat at 150 lakh tonnes now. The farmers tried their best to meet the water needs of the crop during March. But there was shortage of power as well as canal water.
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Farmers choose manual harvesting over machines
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 22 As per a survey conducted by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, area under manual harvesting of wheat has almost doubled this year due to increase in price of wheat husk. The experts found that last year only 9 to 10 per cent of the area was under manual harvesting in Fatehgarh Sahib and adjoining areas. This figure has now swollen 14 to 15 per cent this year. The experts said the price of wheat husk had increased from Rs 300 per quintal to Rs 700 per quintal this year. Farmers now do not opt for combine machines, as these do not yield wheat husk even though the harvesting happens at a much faster pace as compared to manual harvesting. In some parts of Fatehgarh Sahib, Rajpura and Banur, where there are plenty of dairy farms, the whole of the villages have opted for manual harvesting. In Fatehgarh Sahib, total agricultural land is nearly one lakh hectares of which 85,000 hectares is covered under wheat. This year, farmers have got an average yield of 20 to 22 quintals per acre. Last season, attack of yellow rust on PBW-343 variety had reduced the yield. Farmers were advised to opt for other varieties, including PBW-550 and DBW-17, this season. Yet, 10 to 15 per cent farmers opted for PBW-342, and it yielded 20 to 22 quintals per acre.
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Kainth wants govt to give his community its due
Jalandhar, April 22 Kainth said the students belonging to the community should be given free education in medical, engineering and other professional colleges and institutions. He said that a large part of the community could not bear the burden of hefty admission fee. — TNS
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Part-time govt college lecturers ‘exploited’
Jalandhar, April 22 “Obviously to deny us full salary, the government has been treating us as part-time lecturers in its official records,” said a lecturer. There are about 264 part-time lecturers in the government colleges having a substantial number of vacant posts of regular lecturer. “We do all duties in the colleges where we are posted. We take classes, conduct examinations, evaluate answer sheets, do duty during youth festivals, even do election and other non-academic duties and also handle jobs related to extra-curricular activities such as the NCC, NSS etc,” said a part-time lecturer, requesting anonymity. The starting pay of a full-time regular lecturer is now about Rs 35,000 per month. And regular lecturers with 15-20 years of service draw salary in the range of Rs 60,000-65,000. However, the Punjab government has been paying the part-time lecturers Rs 12,000 as salary. That is basic pay plus dearness pay. “The government has not started giving us salary on the basis of the new pay scale, which has been implemented in the case of other regular employees. We will start drawing a little over Rs 21,000 in case the government starts paying us the salary on the basis of the new pay scale,” said another such lecturer. The state government had recently ordered the disaffiliation of some private schools, which were not paying full salary to their teachers. “However, the government itself is not giving full salary to us,” said the lecturer. “Many of us joined as a part-time lecturer about 10 years ago. We are qualified and fulfil all conditions of the UGC and the state government to be regular lecturers. But we have not been given even a single annual increment since our joining,” said the lecturer. “Even regular peons in government departments draw more salary than us,” he added. “As we fulfil all conditions and have substantial teaching experience, the government should regularise our services as has been done in the case of lecturers of polytechnic colleges. After taking the posts of polytechnic lecturer out of the purview of the Punjab Public Service Commission, the government regularised their services. The same pattern could be followed in our case,” a part-time lecturer asserted.
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LJP, Dalit Sena burn effigy
of Hooda
Bathinda, April 22 Members and activists of the LJP and the Dalit Sena burnt the effigy of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and raised slogans. Gehri demanded immediate dismissal of the Haryana government and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene into the matter, otherwise the agitation by the Dalits would further spread in other parts of the country. He said the Dalits are vote bank of the Congress, but it failed to initiated any step for the protection of their lives and properties. Gehri said activists of the LJP and the Dalit Sena would intensify their agitation against the Hooda government and the Union Government throughout the state in case the affected Dalits did not get justice at the earliest.
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SGPC chief lays stone of girls’ hostel
Patiala, April 22 He said the college had started many professional courses under the guidance of college principal Dharminder Singh Ubha. Ubha said the UGC had sanctioned the grant of Rs 80 lakh for the construction of the five-storey girls’ hostel. The hostel will include 110 rooms for students, mess, common room, staff hostel and principal’s residence. —
TNS
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Punjabi Sahit Academy Poll Ludhiana, April 22 Patar took the step as mediators from intelligentsia failed to bring about a consensus on electing him as the president unanimously. Now, Gurbhajan Gill faces Dr S Tarsem. In their group, Sukhjit Singh is contesting for the post of senior vice-president while Jaswant Zafar for the post of general secretary. Other group led by sitting general secretary Dr Sukhdev Singh along with his associates Prof Anup Virk and Sushil Dosanjh today held a meeting here, wherein it was decided that their group would contest for all the posts. While Dr Tarsem will contest for the post of the president, Dr Sukhdev Singh for the post of general secretary, Dr Harbhajan Singh Hundal will contest for the post of senior vice-president in the other group.
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Old City as Vehicle-Free Zone
Chandigarh, April 22 At present, the high court is hearing arguments on a plea seeking to initiating contempt of court proceedings against the powers that be for their failure to implement the court’s earlier directions on ensuring smooth flow of the traffic. The high court has zeroed in on Gurgaon in Haryana and Amritsar in Punjab as benchmarks. The directions issued for the two cities will be made applicable to other cities of the two states after testing their efficacy. Appearing before Justice Rajive Bhalla, Punjab and Haryana High Court advocate-cum-petitioner Ajay Singh sought the court’s indulgence to prevent the plying of vehicles in the old city. Present in person, Ajay Singh asserted, “Vehicles should not be allowed to ply in the old city of Amtitsar, particularly in the area surrounding the Golden Temple, the Durgiana Temple and the Jalianwala Bagh.” Taking on record his assertion, Justice Bhalla ruled: “The Golden Temple, the Durgiana Temple and the Jalianwala Bagh are significant national landmarks, but are situated in crowded localities. The Municipal Corporation is directed to consider the possibility of declaring the area as a vehicle-free zone, where only rickshaws are allowed to ply”. In an apparent attempt to prevent inconvenience to the residents, Justice Bhalla also asked the municipal corporation “to consider the feasibility of granting vehicle permits to the residents and shopkeepers of these localities”. Before parting with the orders, Justice Bhalla also impleaded as party Amritsar municipal commissioner DPS Kharbanda. The directions were issued after counsel for the state of Punjab said decisions on encroachment, unauthorised parkings, parking on berms, footpaths and roads, were to be taken by the municipal corporation. Justice Bhalla also gave the municipal corporation time till May 5 for filing its response to the queries raised by the court. The case has already seen the issuance of directions to make the highways safer. Driving home the message on road safety, Justice Bhalla has made it clear to the states of Punjab and Haryana that vehicles should not be permitted to travel on the wrong side of the national highways.
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Opposition leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has called upon the SAD-BJP government to pull up its socks to expedite the lifting of wheat from grain markets so as to protect the interests of poor farmers.
Amritsar, April 22
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 22
Paucity of water for irrigation due to unscheduled power cuts has spelt doom for sunflower, moong and maize crop in Fatehgarh Sahib and adjoining Rajpura districts.Farmers here have been forced to uproot their standing sunflower crop, as they have completely wilted and dried-up. Agriculture Department officials in Fatehgarh Sahib have written to the Electricity Department demanding immediate restoration of power.
Fatehgarh Sahib, April 22
