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Bt cotton seed
Sizeable population suffering from fluorosis
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Seminars on human rights held
Illegal shops demolished
5-yr-old boy drowns in canal distributary
Medicine fails test, withdrawn from hospitals
Annual Day of KVs
Man kills wife, kids
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Farmers face ‘artificial scarcity’
After crossing a hurdle in irrigating fields, they are now being overcharged for seed Chander Parkash Tribune News service
Abohar, April 24 The situation in this region, rubbing its shoulders with Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan, known for producing best quality of cotton, has reached a point where the farmers have been finding them forced to pay ‘premium’ to purchase BT cotton seed of their likings. “We have been asked to pay Rs 1,100 for one packet of BT seed by the trader despite the fact that its control rate is Rs 925 per packet,” alleged Bhoop Ram of village Mehrana and Sukhpreet Singh of a neighbouring village adding that if the timely action against such elements was not taken by the authorities concerned, they would be forced to shell out more money to fetch their requirements. “We have already suffered on account of less yield of wheat. Now, we are being harassed on account of BT cotton seeds. By the time, we would be able to get BT seeds, our fields, which have been irrigated with canal water after a wait of about one month, would dry up,” pointed out another farmer Surinder Singh. Mool Chand, organising secretary, BKU (Lakhowal), Abohar, said that they had urged the district agriculture department authorities to conduct raids on the shops of those vested interests, who had been selling the seeds on premium. He added that though one such trader was caught by the agriculture department officials yesterday, no action was taken against him so far. Sanjeev Godara, political advisor, SAD (B), while admitting the fact that farmers had been facing acute shortage of BT cotton seeds, said that he would take up the matter connected with black-marketing of same by a section of unscrupulous elements with the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. Sukhdev Singh, Block in-charge, state agriculture department, said that whosoever had been trying to indulge in black-marketing of seeds would be taken to task. He added that criminal proceedings against that trader, who was indulging in hanky panky in the sale of BT cotton seeds and was caught by them yesterday. He pointed out that scarcity of seeds had been created due to fact that a particular company, whose BT cotton seeds were in great demand in this region, had been supplying little quantity of same to their retail dealers. He added that the state agriculture authorities had been urged to take action against that company.
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Sizeable population suffering from fluorosis
Barnala, April 24 Locals say that due to continuous consumption of contaminated water, a sizeable population of the people here is suffering from a disease called fluorosis. The ailment found in the people here is of two types, dental and skeletal. The dental fluorosis is mostly found in children resulting in discolouration of teeth following by their decay. The skeletal fluorosis is commonly found in aged people and causes acute bone and joint pain. Locals allege that the water supplied by the Water Supply and Sewerage Board from the tubewells is contaminated and has very high content of fluoride, which has resulted in flourosis. “Such is the fear of the disease that majority of middle-class families here have got reverse osmosis (RO) systems installed in their houses. But over 60 per cent population being poor is forced to consume water laced with fluoride,” says Hans Raj Gupta, who lives in old Radha Swami Street here and runs a sanitary goods shop. “The department concerned should install a treatment plan for removing extra fluoride content in the water so that people don't suffer,” he said. Barnala town is being fed water by 25 tubewells for about 1.2 lakh residents. As per national standards, fluoride in drinking water should not exceed 1 part per million (PPM). However, the Water Supply and Sewerage Board authorities boast that the recorded fluoride content a year back was 0.8 ppm, well below the permissible limit. Locals say the board's claims are false and the content is much higher. Subhash Chander, sub-divisional officer, Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Barnala, says “We have taken every measure to provide clean drinking water to the residents. As far as the high fluoride content in water is concerned, the content recorded from the sample was 0.8 ppm last year, which is less than the limit of 1 ppm. We will take measures only when the recorded fluoride content is more than the permissible limits.” A doctor at local district hospital, who is posted at the hospital for last 15 years, confirmed that a sizeable population in Barnala town, about 10-20 per cent, was suffering from dental and skeletal flourisis, which was caused due to contaminated water. A local water filter machine seller informed TNS that there has been increase in the sale of RO systems. (Concluded) |
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Seminars on human rights held
Bathinda, April 24 State president of the Mission Angrez Singh Virk gave important and basic information about human rights to the participants while general secretary of the Mission Jagtar Singh Jashanpal not only educated the people about the human rights but also cautioned them to protect the human rights. Meanwhile, another seminar on human rights awareness was organised by the Human Rights Protection Organisation, Bathinda, at the Government Senior Secondary School, Multania (Bathinda) today. Principal of the school Veena Kumari said awareness about human rights was important for students. President of the Organisation Suresh Kumar Gaur gave information to the students about fundamental rights. He said in case any right of an individual was violated, he or she could approach the Punjab State Human Rights Commission. General secretary of the organisation Navneet Duggal inspired the students to spend a drug-free life. |
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Illegal shops demolished
Bathinda, April 24 The BMC had been fighting court cases for past 35 years to get the possession of the road. Though the four shopkeepers lodged a protest in the beginning but seeing a large number of cops deployed to tackle any untoward situation, they whittled down. BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat said the BMC had won the cases at various courts, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court, before demolishing the structures today. “With this demolition, we are dedicating a 40-feet wide road to the people of the city,” he said. |
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5-yr-old boy drowns in canal distributary
Bathinda, April 24 Finding him missing for hours, his father Rakesh Kumar visited the spot and found Rahul’s footwears lying there. Believing that the kid might have fallen in the distributary, the NGO was informed. The NGO volunteers reached the spot and pulled out the body from a distance. The Thermal police is investigating the matter. —
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Medicine fails test, withdrawn from hospitals
Ferozepur, April 24 Dalip Kumar, civil surgeon, Ferozepur, while talking to TNS said that examination of the sample was conducted at the government laboratory based in Chandigarh. The decision to withdraw the medicine from the hospitals dotting this district was taken immediately after report of Chandigarh-based laboratory was received. He said that he had also required the state-level health authorities to take stern action against the manufacturing company based in Madhya Pardesh (MP), which had been supplying the same to Punjab health department. Though the civil surgeon has ordered the withdrawal of that particular medicine from use, what has raised many a eyebrows is the fact that hospitals in this district were supplied a large quantity of that particular medicine despite the fact that their consumption was much less. That medicine was set to expire within a few weeks as well. The matter connected with the sub-standard material of medicine used as antiseptic surfaced when a section of doctors working in almost all the hospitals, where the same was being used, started complaining about the contents of the same. In verbal and written complaints lodged to civil surgeon, a section of doctors pointed out that use of that particular antiseptic had become a major source of irritation of their eyes and hands. Besides, they had also pointed out that it could also generate complications for the patients, on whom same was being used before carrying out the surgery. They also complained that they had also been finding it difficult to carry out surgery by using the same antiseptic. A section of residents said that criminal proceedings must be launched against those officials concerned, who had purchased this sub-standard medicine and subsequently supplied the same to the hospitals and thus jeopardising the lives of patients. They demanded that a high-level probe must be held into the incident. KK Yadav, Deputy Commissioner (DC), when contacted, said that civil surgeon had already taken action in this regard and he had informed him accordingly. The state health authorities were seized of matter, sources said. |
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Annual Day of KVs
Bathinda, April 24
To mark the occasion, students presented a kaleidoscope of activities, including drama, action songs, choreography and bhangra. Brig K.J. Singh chairman Vidyalaya Management Committee and Commander 615 (I) AD Brigade was the chief guest on the occasion. Principal TD Garg presented the annual report of the school. Ekta KJ Singh gave away the prizes to the winners and meritorious students.
The Kendriya Vidyalaya No.5, Bathinda Cantonment also celebrated its annual day on Friday. Principal Samerjit Kaur delivered welcome address that was followed by cultural programmes. Chief guest Brig Anup Bhaskar, chairman Vidyalaya Management Committee praised students for performing well in study and sports. Rachna Bhaskar gave away prizes to the winners of different competitions. The teachers teaching classes X and XII were also presented awards for their high performance index in the CBSE Examination held in March 2009. |
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Man kills wife, kids
Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 24 As per details, Mukhtiar allegedly killed his wife Darshana Bai (36), daughter Manjit Kaur (12) and son Khushpreet Singh (10) by attacking them repeatedly with an axe when they were asleep. Preliminary investigation reportedly indicated that Darshana had allegedly developed illicit relations with a shopkeeper in the same village for the last few years. It is learnt that Mukhtiar Singh tried to hang himself after killing wife and children but the rope broke down. Mukhtiar Singh has been taken into custody. The deceased were cremated today after conducting post-mortem examination. —
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Barnala, April 24
The Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, Bathinda Cantonment, celebrated its annual day with zeal and enthusiasm on Friday. To mark the occasion, students presented a kaleidoscope of activities, including drama, action songs, choreography and
bhangra. Brig K.J. Singh chairman Vidyalaya Management Committee and Commander 615 (I) AD Brigade was the chief guest on the occasion. Principal TD Garg presented the annual report of the school.
