Inside Babudom
Who’ll be next police chief during Assembly poll?
Chandigarh, September 12
The SAD-BJP government is on the look out for a police officer that will lead them through the 2012 Assembly elections as the present incumbent, PS Gill, will be retiring in September next year.

Pakka Kalan (Bathinda), September 12
Despite tall claims of the state government that it was doing its best to control floods and plug breaches in canals and drains, farmers of Pakka Kalan village, where over 200 acres of standing cotton crop got damaged today due to a huge breach in Pakka minor, had to approach followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda for help as the officials concerned cited their inability to do the same.

According to latest information, water was still flowing into the minor and villagers who with the help of over 150 volunteers of the Shah Satnam ji Green-S brigade of the dera had plugged about half of the breach got disheartened when two more fresh breaches occurred there. Finding the administration totally insensitive towards their problem, irked villagers staged a dharna on the Bathinda-Dabwali road and blocked traffic near Machhana village at 7.30 pm.

However, the way dera volunteers helped farmers the whole day, it seemed as if tension that had erupted between Sikhs and dera followers about three years ago, was now a thing of the past. Villagers informed that the breach occurred at 3 am today but they came to know about it an hour later. Immediately, they informed the Irrigation Department as well as civil and police officials. Water was gushing into their fields and damaging the standing cotton plants but they found the administration indifferent. Sensing the gravity of the situation, villagers initiated the rescue operation on their own. Finding themselves surrounded by the devastating flow of water, they approached dera followers for help.

Dera volunteers received the message at 7 am and within an hour over 100 of them belonging to Naseebpura, Shergarh, Mal Wala, Bangi Ruldu, Bangi Nihal, Bangi Rughu, Bangi Deepa, Pakka Kalan and Gurthadi villages reached the spot and took the task of plugging the breach in their hands.

On the other hand, an SDO rank official of the department along with two junior engineers visited the spot but expressing his helplessness left the spot within minutes. Meanwhile, villagers said a tehsildar from Talwandi Sabo also visited the site but finding that people were plugging the breach on their own, left the place.

“When we asked irrigation officials to provide us sandbags and workers to plug the breach, they refused saying it was not part of their duty. However, finding us in a piquant situation, the Rama police arranged sandbags from somewhere and the task could be initiated,” claimed Swaranjeet Singh.

Meanwhile, a member of the committee of dera followers, Bhola Singh, who was leading the Green-S brigade there, said, “Soon after getting the information, we informed our colleagues hailing from surrounding villages. We are performing a social duty but officials of irrigation department did not even turn up to perform their official duty.”

However, speaking over the phone late in the evening, villagers said failing in their attempts to plug the breach they stopped the work and blocked the road with the hope that it would sensitise the administration and make them heed to their problem.

“The dharna would be lifted only when the irrigation department will plug the breach,” villagers proclaimed. Parrying the queries, executive engineer of the irrigation department Gopal Singh said, “I am not aware of the actual situation but I had directed my staff to do their best.” 

Chandigarh, September 12
Farmers owing allegiance to 17 organisations are all set to join from September 15 the statewide “Boycott Power Bills” agitation besides opposing the reorganisation of the state Electricity Board.

“Beginning September 15, farmers and their families will hold dharnas in front of the offices of the Deputy Commissioners at all district headquarters in Punjab,” says Sukhdev Singh Kokri, General Secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta).

Talking to The Tribune here this evening, Sukhdev Singh Kokri said leaders and workers of the union and its 17 affiliates have been working in the field, mobilising farmers to join the “Boycott Power Bills” agitation.

The SAD, before coming to the power, had promised in its election manifesto to provide free power and water to small and marginal farmers. But now the government, citing technical reasons to get central grants and loans for the power sector, has reintroduced “abiana” on water supplied for irrigation besides levying electricity charges on tube wells used for irrigation purposes.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri said that meetings at village, block and division level have shown tremendous enthusiasm among farmers and their families against the state government’s “anti-farmer” policies.

He said that though it was time for farmers to start harvesting their paddy crop, burdening of farmers with power and water bills was leading to increased incidence of suicides. The indebtedness of the farmers has been on the rise because of the increased cost of not only inputs but also the overall cost of production.

Sukhdev Singh Kokri maintained that the agitation starting from September 15 would shake the SAD-BJP government because of the overwhelming response it had been getting from the farmers throughout the state. In some of the areas, especially in the Malwa and Majha belts, the response to “Boycott Power Bills” was 80 to 90 per cent of the total tube well owners.

He said that villagers had formed special committees that would prevent teams of the Punjab Power Corporation that come to disconnect power supply to tube wells for non-payment of bills.

Farmers would continue their agitation till the state government reviewed its decision of reorganising the State Electricity Board as well as its decision to levy abiana and making power supply to tube wells metered.

Amritsar, September 12
The police here today arrested 180 unemployed teachers, including 56 women - all members of the Unemployed ETT Teachers’ Union (Punjab) - from close to the residence of Cabinet minister Ranjit Singh Brahmpura and registered cases under Section 107/151, CrPc, at various police stations against them.

Police Commissioner Parampal Singh Sandhu said sensing threat to public peace, the protesters were arrested and sent to judicial custody in the Central Jail.

Since the union had announced to hold a protest in front of the residence of Brahmpura, who holds the portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, heavy police was deployed around his house and Section 144 was imposed as a pre-emptive measure. Protesters raising slogans trickled in groups at the place, but were taken into custody and made to board the already stationed vehicles there.

The union has been demanding the recruitment of 3,425 ETT teachers, orders for which were passed by the state Cabinet sometime in the past and reservation of 70 per cent of the posts for those who have done their ETT course from Punjab.

Many organisations like the Democratic Teacher Front, Kisan Sangharsh Committee, CPI, All-India Trade Union Congress and others flayed the state government for its handling of the unemployed teachers’ agitation.

Bathinda: As many as 69 activists of the ETT Teachers’ Union were detained by the district police from the Teachers’ Home here today. The action was taken when they were about to leave for Amritsar, where they had to attend a state-level protest rally organised against Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Ranjit Singh Brahmapura. The protesters assembled at the Teachers Home in the morning. After holding a meeting, they were about to proceed towards Amritsar when cops intercepted them. The bus they had hired was also impounded.

Irked, the teachers staged a dharna there and raised anti-government slogans. However, within minutes, the police managed to lift the dharna.

Chandigarh, September 12
Dhuri, a small town in the Malwa belt, which was famous until recently for its railway junction on the important Ludhiana-Jakhal section, has now been hitting headlines for its industrial milestones.

It is the country’s first and single largest producer of refined rice bran oil, a unique health-friendly cooking oil produced from the outer brown layer of rice. And the credit for bringing Dhuri on the national horizon goes to AR Sharma, a first- generation entrepreneur.

When he was presented the “first national award for outstanding efforts in entrepreneurship” on September 3, it was not for the first time that a national award and honour had come to him and Dhuri.

Unfortunately, says Sharma, India is the second largest producer of paddy and has the potential to produce over 12 lakh tonnes a year of rice bran oil. However, this was mainly used in the country for manufacturing soaps and detergents. “Our group enjoys the distinction of being a pioneer in the development of a unique chemical-free process says Sharma, holding that the process developed by them for the production of refined rice bran oil is eco-friendly and economical.

The refined oil produced by this process is rich in natural anti-oxidants and nutrients having scientifically proven cholesterol-lowering properties. The patent for the process is registered with the Government of India in my name,” adds Sharma. The Union Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has already honoured him with First National Award-2007 for Research & Development.

His company was also conferred the National Technology Award-2009 by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology for his pioneering developments in the field of rice bran oil processing. His efforts have revolutionalised the rice bran oil-processing scenario in the country, claims Sharma.

The group now plans to produce nutraceuticals from the residues generated during the refining of rice bran oil. They are working jointly with leading research institutes to develop necessary processes for the same, adds Sharma.

Besides marketing the product in consumer packs under a leading brand name, the company is supplying it to Marico Limited for its popular edible oil blend and Agro Tech Foods Limited under another name, both of which contain 80 per cent rice bran oil. It is also supplying its product to Pepsico for use in frying of its famous snacks.

Chandigarh, September 12
Senior Congress leader MM Singh Cheema today urged party president Sonia Gandhi and party election authority chairman Oscar Fernandes to rectify the list of Punjab Pradesh Congress delegates and purge non-active relatives and wives as well as newcomers from the list.

Cheema and his son Amardeep Singh Cheema, who is vice-chairman of the Nehru Yuva Kendriya Sangathan, have not been nominated as delegates of the Punjab Congress.

In a statement here, Cheema said it was surprising that many close relatives of senior Punjab Congress leaders, who were not active in politics, had been nominated as delegates of the Punjab Congress during the recent “election”. He said nomination of the wives of legislators and senior leaders was against party philosophy and that Mahila Congress president Ratna had also objected to it.

Congress leader said he had bought these issues to the notice of Oscar Fernandes, who had assured him that the matter would be looked into. He claimed that Returning Officer Usha Thakkar was likely to rectify the “wrong” list and ensure tainted persons, criminals as well as the undeserving did not form part of the list.

Cheema also urged that the first meeting of the newly elected delegates of the Pradesh Congress should be held before the party’s regional conference to be held on September 27. He said this would be in line with the programme of the election authority that had called for the election of new State Congress presidents before September 17. 

Chandigarh, September 12
Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira yesterday claimed that the protest march by residents of Jalalabad town, highlighting poor health facilities in the town, proved that the people of the constituency had lost confidence in Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal whom they had elected with a thumping majority.

In a statement here, the Congress leader said if Sukhbir could not satisfy the aspirations of his voters in one constituency, what was the point in hopping across the state showcasing mega development projects merely for cheap political publicity. He said it was ironic that while people of Punjab were crying for better basic services such as education, healthcare, safe drinking water and employment, the junior Badal was bent upon pursuing his feudal agenda of building express highways, five-star hotels, cricket stadiums and airports.

Khaira said on a similar plane, Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia had hired two private firms by paying Rs 1.25 crore to decongest cities. Is this not failure and surrender by a department that has town planners and other expert municipal staff? He asked as to what role the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) and the Local Bodies Department were playing to decongest cities.

Patiala, September 12
Leaders of the SAD Amritsar (Panch Pardhani) met Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur here today. During their meeting with Preneet, SAD Amritsar (Panch Pardhani) Secretary General Harpal Singh Cheema claimed that there were many Sikh’s, who were presently residing in Punjab, but still their name appears in the infamous blacklist of Sikhs.

“We have got to know that the Indian Government is now reviewing the blacklist. Hence, name of all those persons, who had already been brought back to India and had been acquitted by courts, should be deleted from the blacklist,” demanded Cheema, while handing over a copy of memorandum in this regard to Preneet.

The memorandum, a copy of which is with The Tribune reads, “Harpal Singh Cheema, resident of Lohari Kalan village, Fatehgarh Sahib and Kulbir Singh Barapind, resident of Barapind village, Jalandhar, are senior members of SAD Amritsar (Panch Pardhani). Both of them were brought back to India and were tried by Indian courts. They were acquitted by the court and are now living in Punjab. But to utter dismay, their names still figures in the blacklist.”

Speaking to The Tribune, Cheema alleged that the Indian Government has never specified the criteria followed by it for blacklisting Sikhs, which is against the principles of natural justice. “Even the media had highlighted that there are certain names in the blacklist, regarding whom, the government does not possess primary information,” he said. The SAD Amritsar (Panch Pardhani) leaders have urged Preneet to take up the matter at appropriate level with the Union Government.

Chandigarh, September 12
Alarmed at the rising number of fatalities on roads, the Punjab government has decided to make speed governors compulsory in all tourist buses, buses of the educational institutions and goods carriers.

Sources in the Police Department said as many as 3,000 persons died in road accidents in the state every year. A fairly large percentage of these fatalities are attributed to the over-speeding by vehicles. Drunken driving, technical faults and human factors have been identified as other major contributing factors to the rising number of deaths on roads.

Intriguingly, while the commercial and public transport vehicles besides goods carriers have been directed to get speed governors fitted, there are no speed limits notified either by local bodies - municipal corporations - or the state government. Even in the three corporation districts - Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana -- that have police commissioners, no speed limits have been fixed. Punjab has now an officer of the Director-General rank and an Additional Director-General to regulate traffic on the state and national highways. Dr Kamaljit Soi, vice-chairman, Punjab State Road Safety Council, who has been fighting a single-handed battle to get the commercial vehicles, especially buses and trucks, fitted with speed governors, says that his concerted “campaign has worked.”

It was in 2002 that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a direction for installation of speed governors in commercial - public transport and goods carrier - vehicles. Till about a decade ago, buses of the state-owned Punjab Road and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation besides all state motor vehicles used to be fitted with speed governors. The practice was arbitrarily discontinued after the arrival of SUVs and fast-moving luxury motorcars.

It may be a mere coincidence that the present SAD-BJP government lost its Cooperation Minister Cap Kanwaljit Singh in a road accident where over speeding was one of the major causes.

A notification issued by the Punjab Government makes it mandatory for buses transporting students of schools, colleges, etc. besides those carrying tourists and industrial workers to be fitted with speed governors. Besides all, goods carriers like trucks would also be fitted with speed governors before they get road fitness certificate.

Vehicles that are already registered will have to get the speed governors fitted in them by January 31 next year.

The notification has, however, exempted tippers, garbage vehicles and other non-emergency vehicles owned by local bodies and state agencies from the provision of speed governors.

Some vehicles of local bodies, including municipal corporations, involved in fatal road accidents, may gradually be brought under the purview of the speed governor clause.

There is move to cover private vehicles, including tourist cars or taxis, by speed governors.

Ludhiana, September 12
Calling upon the state government to refuse clinical establishment Bill from becoming an Act, Punjab chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) apprised Dr DS Cheema, adviser to the Chief Minister, about the repercussions of its implementation.

Cheema was a special invitee in the state working committee meeting of the Punjab IMA held here today.

Doctors from all over the state had come to attend the meeting wherein they observed that “health” is a state subject and the state government should exercise its right in saying no to the implementation of clinical establishment Bill in Punjab.

IMA state president Dr RS Parmar said doctors in the state were governed by the Punjab Medical Council (PMC), thus, registration of the clinics could also be brought under its jurisdiction. “PMC can regulate the clinics like individuals in terms of registrations and see to it that they abide by the prescribed norms under various Acts,” Parmar said.

Pointing at the clause in the Bill wherein it has been mentioned that penalty on doctors for violation of will be considered as conviction, Narottam Dewan (president of Ludhiana IMA) stated that it would lead to cancellation of licenses and closure of hospitals/clinics.

IMA members referred to a recent survey that states that every year 3.3 per cent of the population in India is pushed below poverty line in their attempt to get medical care for a family member. “With the implementation of this Bill, the doctors will be compelled to invest huge amount that will increase healthcare cost and will weigh heavily on the pockets of the patients. Shutting off small hospitals will provide a monopolised market to the corporate hospitals with uncompeted exorbitant prices of healthcare,” said Dr Hardeep Singh, honorary secretary of the IMA (Ludhiana).

Dr OPS Kande, former state president of the IMA, said the Bill was against the report of the Planning Commission that specified that infrastructure of the hospitals should not be emphasised as it affected BPL families.

Cheema, on behalf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, assured the doctors that the government would do the needful in this regard.

Farid (Chamkaur Sahib), September 12
In the absence of the common village land, residents of Farid village cremate their dead in nearby Lakhewal village or walk with the body till banks of the Sutlej for cremation.

This is the only village in Chamkaur Sahib with 100 per cent SC population and is home to around 300 persons. “We actually belong to Malewal village. In the 1978 floods, our houses got washed away and the then Deputy Commissioner gave us this village to live in, which belonged to Muslims who fled the village after Partition,” said village panch Amar Kaur. Till 1983, the village remained “be-chirag” (village with less than 200 population) in revenue records. In 1983, the first panchayat of the village came into being, said village sarpanch Surjit Singh.

“Earlier, nearby villages dominated by Jat Sikhs and Sainis did not allow us to perform cremation in their cremation grounds. We then requested the Lakhewal panchayat to allow us to use their ground. But if on some day we are unable to use their cremation ground, we take the body to the banks of the Sutlej for cremation,” says Mahinder Singh. Not only this, the village also does not have a pond following which sewage water either finds way into streets or in fields adjacent to the village. The village panchayat has repeatedly approached the district administration and the Punjab Government seeking funds for the shamlat land, but in vain.

“We met the Chief Minister during last sangat darshan programme at Chamkaur Sahib in this regard, but the government expressed its helplessness in getting us the shamlat land. With no panchayat income, we do not even have an option to pool in money and buy a piece of land,” said the village sarpanch. Sources said the village was not even entitled to utilise MPLAD funds. Villagers had narrated their woes to MP Avinash Rai Khanna, who visited the area a few days ago. “The MPLAD funds can be given for constructing cremation ground or digging village pond, but as the village does not have its own land, these funds are useless,” says Khanna. who has been trying to find an alternate means to help villagers.

Meanwhile, DC Arunjit Singh Miglani has assured to look into the issues of the villagers.

Ferozepur, September 12
Saragarhi Day, which is celebrated every year on September 12 here to pay homage to gallant Sikh soldiers of 36 Sikh Regiment, who attained martyrdom while defending the Saragarhi outpost in Waziristan on September 12, 1897, seems to have added a sad chapter in its history today.

Those who attended the function were disappointed over the fact that neither any minister nor any elected representative of the government bothered to pay homage to the martyr that had scripted history in Britain and France also.

For the past many years, atleast one of the elected representatives of this area attended the function that has become like a religious ceremony for the locals.

Brig (retd) Inderjit Singh Gakhal, director, Sainik Welfare, Punjab, who attended the function, said Defence Services Welfare Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan was to preside over the function, but could not do so because of a personal problem. He said some Army officers, who had served in same regiment, had attended the function.

Meanwhile, a function held at the historic Gurdwara Saragarhi in the cantonment here that was attended by officials of the district administration, including DC KK Yadav, a District and Session Judge, and Brig S Sengupta, Station Commander.

People of the town and neighbouring areas paid homage to the soldiers. An ex-serviceman rally was also organised to mark the occasion.

The DC said the Punjabis had always remained in the forefront while sacrificing their lives for their motherland. He said the battle of Saragarhi was one of the most gallant feats of daredevilry in the history of military warfare.

Brig Sengupta said the Army was making all possible efforts to look after the ex-servicemen and families of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives for the call of duty.

Ferozepur, September 12
The issue connected with the sharing of river waters between Punjab and Rajasthan seems to be heading towards a major confrontation between both states.

A battery of BJP leaders, MPs, former ministers and elected representatives of Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Bikaner districts along with mediapersons will descend on the Hussainiwala headworks in this district tomorrow to see why water from the Sutlej is being diverted to Pakistan instead of being fed into the Gang canal and the Rajasthan feeder canal to supply the same to parched Rajasthan.

These leaders will also carry out a study of the physical status of both canals and a report in this regard will be submitted to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundre Raje Scindia and state BJP president Arun Chaturvedi so that the issue could be raised in the next session of the Assembly.

“It is surprising that authorities concerned in Punjab have been supplying less water to Rajasthan than its share decided in pre-Partition days and diverting the same to Pakistan,” said Sriganganagar MLA and former Irrigation Minister Radhey Sham.

“Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal is a farmer and a wise leader and hence I hope he will sort out the matter. Gurjant Singh, former irrigation minister of Rajasthan, has sought an audience from Badal and it is hoped that the latter will be contacted on September 14 on this issue,” he said.

He alleged that people of Rajasthan were being supplied polluted water through canals, which had been causing carcinogenic diseases. “Why the people of Rajasthan are being meted out such treatment when its government has spent crores of rupees on the construction of Bhakra dam, Gang canal and the Rajasthan feeder canal for getting adequate and clean water for the state,” he asked.

“We have full faith in Badal that he will solve the matter,” he said, adding that it was suspected that there was some foul play behind the cut made in supply of water to Rajasthan when the Bhakra and other dams were full to brims.

Chandigarh, September 12
The Punjab State Information Commission has issued a show-cause notice to Patiala Divisional Commissioner GS Grewal for imposition of penalty on him for not providing information to an applicant in time under the Right To Information Act.

Taking up a complaint filed by Mewa Singh, a Mohali resident, State Information Commissioner Ravi Singh has stated that the Public Information Officer GS Grewal, who is also the Patiala Divisional Commissioner, has been “irresponsible and callous” in dealing with the RTI application.

Mewa Singh had sought information under the RTI Act in June 2010 regarding the various complaints received in the office of the Child Development Project Officer, Patiala (Rural), regarding recruitment of the anganwari workers/helpers. He had further asked for the names and addresses of the complainants and the action taken against those complaints. He had also wanted to know the outcome of the investigation, if any.

However, his complaint was sent from one office to another and when he did not get any response to the queries, he appealed to the commission in August, following which the information was provided to him. However, the appellant sought compensation and wished that penalty be imposed on the respondent for delaying the information.

“Seeing the attitude of the respondent, which is both irresponsible and callous, GS Grewal is hereby issued a show-cause notice as to why a penalty under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, at the rate of Rs 250 per day subject to maximum of 25,000 not be imposed on him till the information is furnished.”

“In addition to the written reply, the PIO is also hereby given an opportunity under Section 20(1) for a personal hearing before the imposition of such penalty on the next date of hearing. He may take note that in case he does not file his written reply and does not avail himself of the opportunity of personal hearing on the date fixed, it will be presumed that he has nothing to say and the commission shall proceed to take further proceedings against him ex-parte,” state the orders. The case would now come up for hearing on September 29.

Chhat, September 12
Animals and birds in the Chhatbir Zoo are suffering due to non-availability of round the clock veterinary doctor for past long time.

Though in order to bridge the gap of health services available, the zoo has roped in veterinary doctors and experts from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, to conduct monsoon check up of the animals. “But the animals need medical help round the clock,” pointed out a zoo official.

At present there are two doctors from the Veterinary Department. One of them is deployed on contract basis and another is on deputation. A pharmacist, lab technician and an attendant are also deployed to look after and assist the treatment of the ailing animals.

The zoo officials claimed that though doctors do not stay at night, but pharmacist and attendant were available during the night hours. Pleading anonymity, the zoo employees said a disinfection drive has been launched in the zoo after recent spate of deaths. Every enclosure, cage and animal house is being fumigated and medicated under the drive.

A female African Jaguar died in zoo on Wednesday, a 12-year-old hybrid lion died on August 26, 19-year-old royal Bengal tigress died on August 22, 15-year-old lioness died on June 27, a male chimpanzee Rustam died on June 3, a rescued female cub died on May 18 this year. The zoo houses both Indian and exotic species of birds and animals and presently there are nearly 900 mammals, birds and reptiles of around 86 species.

Chief Wildlife Warden Gurbaz Singh initially claimed that two veterinary doctors were always present at the zoo premises. However, after being apprised of the non-availability of the doctors he assured to look into the matter. Even the evaluation report of the zoo submitted to the Central Zoo Authority has recommended that the zoo operators should deploy full time veterinarian to look after the animals.

Patiala, September 12
A large number of farmers attended the second Kisan Mela of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Rauni, in Patiala district yesterday.

While inaugurating the mela, Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder urged the farmers to improve the quality of the produce to augment their returns. “Do not focus on quantity, but quality,” he said. The quality produce fetches better market price, he added. PAU Vice-Chancellor Dr Manjit Singh Kang emphasised upon the theme “Conserve natural resources for the prosperity of all” and said the problem of lowering underground waterlevel and deteriorating soil health in Punjab were detrimental for agriculture.

Dr Kang said Punjab would survive only if we save our water resources. He urged the farmers not to burn their crop residues, as it not only adds to pollution but also wastes nutrients worth Rs 200 crore per year.

Dr Kang congratulated KVK Rauni for being declared as the “Centre of excellence by ICAR” in recognition of work in hybrid seed production.

Director of Extension Education Dr MS Gill urged the farmers to adopt integrated farming systems in order to optimise the use of natural resources and to lower the cost of cultivation. He informed that the university had developed modules for organic farming and urged the farmers to adopt these technologies to save inputs. Focussing on the need to reduce farm expenditure, Dr Gill said efficient use of farm machinery and other costly inputs should be ensured through co-operatives. The research at PAU aims at developing heat-tolerant varieties of wheat, said PAU Director of Research, Dr SS Gosal. — TNS