Sriganganagar/Abohar, July 18
An unidentified youth was feared drowned as Ghaggar waters entered village Bani, neighbouring Tibbi segment of Hanumangarh region on Sunday. He was noticed walking on the banks of the Nali bed, witnesses informed the administration.

Also, the body of an elderly person has been recovered in Suratgarh area. The police had been informed that the victim was found performing prayers along with a youth who had accompanied the victim in a jeep two days back to the Ghaggar river.

The youth had, however, sped away with the jeep after the mishap. It was yet to be ascertained whether it was a foul play or a mishap.

Cotton and paddy crop in more than 1500 acres of agricultural land was reported to have been damaged by today in the afternoon, preliminary survey by different departments indicated. In village Bani, people were found shifting domestic luggage using camel carts and four-wheelers as half the village got inundated.

However, there were many who preferred to stay back and had pressed into service tractors and trolleys to create a bundh outside their houses to prevent further flow of water.

Dera Sacha Sauda volunteers wearing uniforms of Youth Welfare Organisation rushed to the village for rescue and relief operations, Lakhjit Singh state coordinator of the organisation said. Damayanti Beniwal, former chairperson of the Zila Parishad, visited the affected villages and assured the residents of all possible assistance.

BJP legislator Rajinder Singh Rathore spoke to Rajasthan irrigation secretary Ram Lubhaya over the phone while visiting the affected area and demanded that outlived bundhs must be strengthened beginning from village Talwara, Nai Wala, Surewala up to Hanumangarh, Srivijaynagar, Suratgarh and border segment Anoopgarh to protect the region.

Bathinda, July 18
After the high priests of the Akal Takht declared the 1984 riots as Sikh “genocide” and entrusted a US-based NGO, “Sikhs for Justice” (SFJ), with the task of getting it international recognition, the SFJ along with the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) plans to file a “1503 petition” before the UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC).

Besides asking the UNHRC to declare the killing of Sikhs in 1984 as “genocide” under Article 2 of the UN Convention on Genocide, the petition will request the Commission to record the testimony of victims and witnesses of the “genocide”.

In an e-mail, attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the legal advisor of the SFJ, stated, “The SFJ is launching a worldwide petition signing campaign. In the petition proceedings, the UNHRC can call witnesses, record their testimony, and receive documents and evidence related to violation of human rights and killings.” The UNHRC could also seek response from the country involved, he added.

Attorney Pannun further stated that through a petition before the UNHRC, the organisation would provide the member countries with facts, figures, documents and evidence related to the Sikh “genocide” (1984-1997).

“Sikhism is recognised as a separate and distinct religion across the world, except India. India should be asked to take legal and constitutional steps to recognise Sikhism as a separate and distinct religion,” he said, adding, “The SFJ through its website (www.sikhsforjustice.org) is also mobilising human rights’ groups and international community to demand justice for the victims of the Sikh genocide from a common platform.”

BATHINDA: Income tax officer KPS Brar has made Bathinda proud by being nominated leader of the Indian junior athletic team that would participate in the seven-day championship beginning at Moncton in Canada tomorrow. The Athletics Federation of India has done his nomination.

Brar, an ardent sportsman, represented India in 1984 in the World Junior Athletics Championship held at Seoul (Korea) and won two medals — silver in discus throw and bronze in shot-put. In 1986, he participated in the Asian games held at Seoul. He is a three-time national champion in discus throw. — TNS

Abohar, July 18
The top slots in the MA Hindi (I) exam conducted by the Panjab University have been clinched by the students of the DAV College here.

Principal Dr BB Sharma informed that Nishu has topped in the Panjab University merit list by securing 296 out of 400 marks while Devi Lal secured second position.

In the MA Hindi (II) exam, Himanshu has got the second position in the PU.

Notably, the students of this college have been winning top positions in postgraduation in Hindi for the past many years.

Ishan Setia and Tushar Narang, who had recently won applause for performing characters of Ram Chander and Captain BD Kapur in Swadesh Deepak’s most popular play “Court Martial”, staged by the Sparsh Theatre Society at the DAV College auditorium at Abohar during the Zonal Natak Mela, sponsored by the Punjab Sangeet Natak Akademi, are among the 13 aspirants, who have finally been selected for pursuing the Indian theatre course in the Panjab University.

Significantly, Ishan has topped in the entrance test while Tushar secured the fourth rank in the test.

Earlier, Anjum Batra of the same society had been picked up while pursuing this course by the director of Bollywood movie ‘Dev-D’ and excelled on the small screen also through late night serial ‘Crime Patrol.’

All these budding artists had worked under the direction and guidance of the celebrity stage artist Gaurav Vij, who happens to be the founder member of the Sparsh and had also groomed them through the ‘Incredible Society’ that was formed last year in the DAV College for exploring talent among the students.

The selection of Ishan and Tushar adds another feather to the cap of Abohar, said Sonu Babbar and Ashish Makkar, president and secretary, respectively of the Sparsh Theater Society.

Principal Dr BB Sharma and Prof BS Bhullar, dean of the extra mural activities in the DAV College, hope these boys would also get chance to showcase their talent on the small as well as big screen.

Only Abohar enjoys the distinction of sending three students to the career breaking course in the PU.

Noted academician, playwright and director of the Moga-based off stage theatre group, Prof Pali Bhupinder Singh, who has directed scores of plays in India and abroad, had wisely observed that this remotely located small town Abohar has got the potential of flying high the flag of theatre in Punjab.

— Raj Sadosh 

Abohar, July 18
Even as the maximum temperature touched the 35 degrees Celsius mark and humidity shot up to 66 per cent on Sunday, hundreds of ‘Youth Veerangana’ volunteers organised rallies in the villages located between Abohar and Sadulshehar to bring awareness among the villagers over the dwindling gender ratio besides pursuing them to raise their voice against dowry and drugs.

Notably, Sadulshehar continues to maintain its lead in drug trafficking, exploring the freedom to sell poppy husk against fake permits through licensed shops.

Abohar sub-division had been getting regular supply of poppy husk and smack from Sadulshehar for the past few years, most of the drug traffickers who were nabbed by the local police under the NDPS Act had confirmed.

The participating women carried banners and placards while passing through different villages including Alipura, Nurpura and Dodewala. Sarpanch Sahib Ram flagged off the rally in Dodewala while the flagging off ceremony was mostly performed by women members of the panchayats in other villages.

The residents including children and women were found coming out of their houses to greet the volunteers of the NGOs, said Dr Naresh Sethi, a social activist from Sadulshehar who also attended the rally in some villages.

Moga, July 18
Agro scientists of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have drawn up a crop contingency plan for flood-affected farmers of Patiala, Mansa, Ropar, Ludhiana and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts.

Experts have suggested that farmers sow a nursery of basmati in areas where the fury and impact of floods was not tremendous, as this crop can be grown in July. They have recommended growing Basmati 370 and Basmati 386, which can also be sown directly using drum seeders.

“Once the water recedes and fields become fit for sowing mash varieties, Mash-114, 338 and 1-1 can be sown using 6-8 kg seed per acre,” said varsity director (extension education) Dr MS Gill. “This will give 3-3.5 q/acre yield of mash. Particularly, varieties PMH-2 and JH-3459 can also be grown using 8 kg seed per acre. In addition to providing green fodder, green cobs from maize crop can provide good profit to farmers,” he said.

Apart from this, a mixture of maize and bajra using a seed rate of 15 kg maize and 3 kg bajra can be grown for fodder, which will be ready in 40 days. After maturity of these crops in the first week of September, farmers can sow toria varieties PBT-37 and TL-15 using 1.5 kg seed per acre, maintaining a line-to-line distance of 30 cm. The crop takes around 90 days for maturity.

Farmers have also been advised to grow a mixture of toria and gobhi sarson crops in middle September. For this, one kg seed per acre will be required.

After preparing the fields, toria seeds can be sown by broadcast and gobhi sarson in rows 45 cm apart. The toria crop will mature in the end December while gobhi sarson in March end.

Agro scientists also suggest that farmers consider vegetables. August is suitable for radish and cucurbits. Lobia may also be grown. Peas varieties Arkel and Matar Ageta-6 can be grown September end as these yield green pods after 60-65 days.

Moga, July 18
A 15-year-old minor Dalit girl of the Rai Sikh community, a resident of village Said Jalalpur near Dharamkot, was allegedly abducted and sexually abused by two youths of her community at some unidentified place in the district in the wee hours on Saturday.

The culprits allegedly threatened the victim and her parents not to inform the police about the incident. However, the girl persuaded her parents to report the crime to the police. She stated to the police that she was abducted and sexually abused by two youths identified as Lakhminder Singh, a resident of Chak Bandala village of Jalandhar district and Goli, a resident of Bet Bandala village, also in Jalandhar district.

The medical examination has established that she was sexually abused. The police registered a criminal case under sections 363, 376, 506 and 34 of the IPC against the culprits at the Dharamkot police station, last night. Investigating officer, inspector Swaran Singh, said the police had arrested Lakhminder Singh while the other accused was still eluding arrest at the time of writing the news report. “I have despatched police teams to the possible hide-outs of Goli and hopefully, we will nab him soon,” he said.

The father of the girl alleged that he was still receiving threats from the associates of Lakhminder Singh for a compromise. — TNS

Ferozepur, July 18
Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, chief whip of the Congress in Punjab Vidhan sabha and MLA, Guru Har Sahai, while accusing the SAD-BJP government of Punjab for showing ‘deliberate negligence’ in taking necessary steps to prevent the floods, demanded a high-level probe to find out the reasons where the funds given by the Central government to Punjab under the natural calamities funds head, had gone.

Expressing sympathy with those, who have lost their near and dear ones and who have been uprooted in the floods, which occurred in Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa districts of Punjab, Rana said that time had come when the affected people must made their ‘rulers’ accountable for their deliberate negligence.

Talking to the media here recently, he said why the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or any other functionary of his government had not been telling the people that where the natural calamities funds had gone and why required funds were not made available to drainage department to take flood protection measures before the monsoons set in.

He demanded either a retired judicial officer must be requested or a joint committee of MLAs belonging to all political parties must be set up by Punjab government to hold an inquiry to find out where the funds of natural calamities had gone.

“As per my information, Punjab government has given only Rs ten crores for taking flood control measures to the department concerned against the demand of more than Rs 123 crores.

In certain pockets, the work in connection with flood control measures was delayed without any valid reasons,” he alleged. Instead of whipping the Centre government unnecessarily, Badal and his associates must have taken care of certain things, which were most important for saving the lives and properties of the people of Punjab, he said.

He added now the Punjab government must take necessary steps to prevent the recurrence of floods in affected districts and other parts of Punjab, which were located near to other rivers and were prone to floods.

The Congress leader demanded that at least the Punjab government must show efficiency in rehabilitation of those, who had suffered colossal losses on account of damages caused to their crops, dwelling and cattle by the floods. Suitable compensation must be given to next kin of those, who had lost their lives in the floods.

Abohar, July 18
While constituting the Punjab Small-Scale Industries and Export Corporation vide notification 17/18/02-61-B on April 15, 2008, the state government had directed that it should have quarterly meetings for the betterment of small-scale industries in Punjab besides promoting exports.

However, four meetings had been held during the past 27 months. While drawing attention of the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, through a letter faxed on Sunday, Sunil Jakhar, a member of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Public Undertaking Committee regretted that the corporation had so far claimed an expenditure of Rs 20 lakh without serving the prescribed purpose.

He noted with pain that none of the departments had responded even to the recommendations made during the four meetings.

It visibly appears that the state government talked of incentives for the small- scale industry but was virtually strangulating it.

Recalling that the previous Congress government had offered tax exemptions to the agro and food processing units but the same had been withdrawn by the present government last year, the legislator urged the Deputy Chief Minister to ensure uninterrupted power supply for the survival of small and medium industries besides pulling the erring departments who had ignored the recommendations of the Punjab Small-Scale Industries and Export Corporation.

Ferozepur, July 18
It was a different kind of experience for policemen, teachers and drivers of vehicles at the three-day refresher course on traffic awareness held by the district police under the supervision of its chief SPS Parmar in this town.

The traffic policemen and drivers of school vans were made to sit together and interact with each other so that they could contribute in reducing the road accidents and ensure smooth flow of traffic.

The teachers drawn from different schools, activists of various NGOs and member of Road Safety Council along with participants from other organisations also involved themselves in this exercise, which concluded here today, to chalk out a plan to remove traffic irritants and minimise the reasons for road accidents.

Surjeet Singh, SP (Headquarters), who presided over the concluding ceremony, said that about 119 police officials, 31 drivers of school vans and 19 teachers of different schools participated in the refresher course, which was organised as per the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court. A section of those who had been running the driving school in this region, also participated.

The participants were educated about the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, traffic laws, rules of road regulation, road signs, road markings, traffic signs, methods to detect crimes related to vehicular traffic, psychology of drivers and traffic policemen, speed radar and behaviour of traffic police.

The station house officers (SHOs) of different police stations, private participants and traffic police personnel were given training to handle the alcometre to detect whether the driver had consumed alcohol or not.