Moga, July 22
Clouds poured heavily in the entire Moga district on Thursday throwing life out of gear and damaging standing paddy crop in at least 15,000 acres of land in many villages. Most of the drains were overflowing posing danger.

The low-lying villages situated along the river belt and canals were facing the threat of flooding. The water level in Sutlej has started rising during the past couple of days. The district administration has sounded an alert and asked all the officials of the district administration to remain at their stations of posting and be prepared for any emergency situation.

“No leave would be granted to any officials under this situation,” said Satwant Singh Johal, district magistrate of the Moga district.

Some of the canals were also flowing above the danger mark due to the wild growth of grass and weeds enhancing the chances of blockades posing threats of flooding.

When The Tribune correspondent visited some of the villages, it was witnessed that the people in the villages had started the practice of patrolling along the banks of Sutlej, canals and drains.

Johal said he along with officials of the administration had visited more than 30 affected villages. “We have set up round-the-clock control rooms to keep a watch on discharges in the canals and rivers even as in most of the areas heavy rainfall in certain pockets have created a deluge-like situation,” he said.

The president of the local Municipal Council Barjinder Singh Brar alias Makhan Brar visited five villages and many localities within the town to assess the situation arose due to rains.

Brar said paddy crop in 500 acres of land at Saleena village, 100 acre at Dagru, 1500 acre at Mangewala, 800 acre at Baghewala and 400 acre at Korewala village has submerged in the rainwater.

“A drain has reportedly overflowed at the Mangewala village and the authorities have pushed in the services of the local people to tackle the situation,” he said.

Reports from Ajitwal area of the district revealed that many houses of the rural folks had been damaged in the lashing rains.

Mahinder Singh, night watchman of Kili Chalan village said his ‘kucha’ house was damaged last night and he along with his family members had a narrow escape. Many other people of the village had left their houses fearing the fury of rain.

The roof of Ram Singh’s house at Ajitwal had also collapsed and all his household items got buried under the debris. However, the DM claimed that no residential house had been damaged in the rains as per the initial reports. “I have reports that some ‘kucha’ dwellings being used to store fodder have got damaged,” he added.

Meanwhile, heavy rain in the district headquarters had thrown life out of gear in the town. In many localities water was seen standing in the streets even after the rain stopped late in the afternoon. Several low-lying areas at Dashmesh Nagar, Gobindgarh Basti, Zira road, Nanak Nagri, main bazaar and some parts of the new town were still waterlogged in the town.

“We have pushed in our men and machinery to drain out water from the streets of the town and if the rains do not lash again during the night, we would be able to clean all the streets tonight,” Barjinder Brar said.

Bathinda, July 22
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) today demanded a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for the farmers, whose standing crops has been damaged on more than 75 per cent in an acre during recent floods and heavy rains. It also sought a proportionate compensation for the farmers whose standing crops has been damaged less than 75 per cent in an acre. The government should also grant compensation for the loss of livestock and damage to houses of the farmers, the BKU demanded.

State general secretary of the BKU (Ugrahan) Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan today also demanded a grant of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those who had lost their lives during the recent floods.

He said the government should grant compensation to all flood victims, be it farmers, labourers or the general public, without any delay.

Kokri Kalan also lashed out at the government by saying that it had not paid proper attention towards the strengthening of the ‘bundhs’ of the Ghaggar river, cleanliness of the drains and disposal of the water, due to which the people had to face huge losses during recent floods. He said besides, shortage of funds for flood protection measures was another reason behind the havoc wreaked by floods.

He said in place of making tall claims, the government should come forward to help the flood victims by providing them with ration and clothes besides green and dry fodder for animals. He also asked the government to muster revenue resources for helping the flood victims.

Kokri Kalan asked the activists of the BKU to mobilise people in order to compel the government to grant adequate compensation to all flood victims.

He said it was a matter of concern that the political parties were holding each other or the natural calamity responsible for the sufferings caused by the floods while no one was giving a serious thought to the miseries being faced by the flood victims.

Ferozepur, July 22
Tension prevailed among the residents of Moga and Ferozepur districts over the issue connected with draining out of the rain water, which has started flooding their fields and dwellings since early this morning.

Residents of various pockets falling in Moga and Ferozepur districts, have been keeping vigil on the rainy drains running through their respective areas.

The situation was about to turn ugly after Moga residents made a cut in the Manawa minor to drain out water stagnating in their field into the same and thus making the Ferozepur villages to suffer on account of flow of more rain water to its fields when Raminder Singh, commissioner, Ferozepur division, intervenedand sorted out the matter.

“I asked the DC (Moga) that it is not Punjab versus Haryana and hence, cut made in the Manawa minor must be plugged immediately. The SDM, Moga, along with senior police officials including a DSP rank official reached the spot and did the needful,” he pointed out.

SPS Parmar, SSP, Ferozepur, said so far no untoward incident had been reported from any part of the district. 

Bathinda, July 22
The Cooperative Department today organised a “Women empowerment” camp at Sandoha village (near Maur). The deputy registrar (DR), Cooperative Societies, Bathinda, Harbant Singh Jatana presided over the camp.

Addressing the camp, Jatana made an appeal to the women to adopt “Mai Bhago Istri Shaktikaran Scheme” in a big way, which was being run by the Cooperative Department for the welfare and empowerment of the women.

He said under the scheme, arrangements had been made to impart vocational training to women so that they could venture into self-employment.

Besides, loans were also given to them for starting such businesses. The arrangements were also being made for the marketing of the products prepared by the women, he added.

Santosh Kumar, Assistant Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Talwandi Sabo, said women could start any venture individually or by forming self-help groups. For this purpose, they could get benefits from the Cooperative Department, he added.

A representative of the PUNCOFED Baldev Krishan Goyal said women had been contributing a lot in the prosperity of the country.

He said if the women started doing their routine works on commercial basis then they could become more self-reliant on economic front.

Among others who addressed the camp included Field Manger, IFFCO, Harmail Singh Sidhu, a representative of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bathinda, Prof Jaswinder Kaur Brar, and a member of the self-help group, Sandoha, Murti Kaur.

Bathinda, July 22
Bali Singh, a 93-year-old from Talwandi Sabo, was the oldest person while a 45-year-old woman from Beer Talab village (near Bathinda) was the youngest among the 50 persons identified for providing free of cost denture sets during a dental healthcare fortnight concluded at the Civil Hospital here recently.

Out of these 50 persons, 22 were delivered denture sets by Civil Surgeon Dr Inder Dayal Goyal and others today at a simple ceremony held in the Civil Hospital. Denture sets for remaining 28 persons are being prepared and will be distributed in a week.

The 50 beneficiaries belong to Bathinda, Mithi Phulo, Chughe Kalan, Sukh Ladhi, Mehma Sarja, Mehta, Gehri Bhagi, Talwandi Sabo, Surewala, Teona, Beer Talab, Bangi, Tungwali, Jeon Singh Wala etc.

Besides the 93-year-old and 45-year-old, most of the beneficiaries identified for providing with denture sets were in the age group of 60-65 years while two to three were between 70 and 75 years.

Dr Shashi Jain, dental surgeon at the Civil Hospital, told TNS that the 45-year-old woman had to get her teeth extracted at a young age, as she had been suffering from severe gum problem, which perhaps occurred due to improper brushing of teeth. She would be provided with a denture set in a week while Bali Singh was given denture set today, she added.

District dental health officer Dr JL Singla said the next dental healthcare fortnight would be held in the district in November. He said besides examining teeth, needy and poor persons would also be identified for providing denture sets free of cost during the fortnight.

All 50 beneficiaries were called today to the Dental Clinic at the Civil Hospital for educating them, besides providing denture sets to 22 beneficiaries.

Dr Inder Dayal Goyal, Dr Shashi Jain and Dr JL Singla apprised them with dental healthcare besides educating them on the maintenance and care of denture sets.

Among others present on the occasion included assistant civil surgeon Charanjit Garg, district health officer RS Randhawa, district family welfare officer Dharampal Singh Sekhon, senior medical officer Vinod Garg, and two members of the Indian Dental Association Dr BD Puri and Dr Naresh Gupta.

Abohar, July 22
Anxious parents rushed to the Government Senior Secondary School at village Choohriwala Dhanna near here on Thursday after learning that worms were also being served with rice as a part of the mid-day meal. Principal, Ajinder Singh said he had warned the contractors thrice over the impurity in the food stuff but none cared.

The media was informed by the sarpanch Sunil Malhetia and the principal that Suman Rani of class VII spotted worms and other ants in the rice plate that was offered by the mid-day meal staff. She immediately informed the principal, who flashed mobile messages to the contractor and the sarpanch.

A representative of the contractors, Anish Kohli, rushed in and after going through the rice containers reportedly agreed in the presence of the parents that the cooking staff had shown negligence. Kohli assured that the food would be checked at the community kitchen before transporting it to the schools from tomorrow. Meanwhile, a social activist Rohit Watts, spoke to the Deputy Commissioner, Kamal Kishore Yadav, over the phone, who assured that proper action would taken in this regard.

Patiala, July 22
Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) today announced the new date for the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2009. Now, the examination would be held on November 28, 2010. Following a meeting of the commission, held at PPSC headquarters here today, the new date for the examination was announced.

Earlier, the examination was scheduled for July 11 this year, but in wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders that the government employees, whether employed in Central or any other state government services, including the Punjab Government, would be eligible for relaxation of age up to 45 years for appearing in the PCS (Executive) examinations, the PPSC had postponed the examination on June 21, 2010.

Thereafter, the fresh advertisements were given in the newspapers for the candidates, who could not apply because of the age limit criteria. Meanwhile, preparations for the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial) examination 2010 to be conducted jointly by the PPSC and Punjab and Haryana High Court for recruitment to 85 posts of Punjab Civil Service (Judicial), on coming August 8, were also complete. 

Moga, July 22
The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Moga, Karunesh Kumar Kakkar, has sent Baljit Singh, office clerk of the local drug inspector, to a one-day police remand here, today.

He was caught red-handed while trying to sell the seized psychotropic drugs to some chemists yesterday. An FIR was registered against him at the city police station (south). The police today produced the clerk before the CJM court.

The public prosecutor, Lakhvir Singh, pleaded before the court that some alleged accused persons whom he tried to sell the psychotropic drugs were yet to be arrested by the police. — TNS

Fazilka, July 22
About two hundred traders including cloth merchants and scores of activists of the Beopar Mandal, Fazilka, gheraoed the local city police station and staged a protest dharna there today for allegedly implicating the cloth merchant brothers in “false” theft case by the city police.

The protest dharna lasted for about two hours and was lifted only after both the “accused” traders were let off.

The city police in-charge, inspector Tirlok Singh, has claimed that the city police has been working in an impartial way. He denied any political interference in the functioning of the police.