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Traders cotton on to price boom
Cancer Control |
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Sub-standard Bt cotton seed
Hindi Diwas observed
Sangat Darshan programme
Woman ends life
‘Honour’ killing
Two shops gutted
PHSC vice-chairman visits Civil Hospital
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Traders cotton on to price boom
Bathinda, September 14 Those connected with cotton trade were expecting the prices to go further upwards as the arrival picks up about a fortnight later when plucking would be at its peak. Moreover, a spurt of about Rs 1500 per quintal in the advance-trading price of raw cotton has been witnessed during the past two months, said a trader. The price boom was basically because of the shortage that would be
caused due to the widespread damage to standing cotton crop in Pakistan by the floods. This was expected to further push up its price in the international market. The cotton farmers here are praying for the weather to open up, as
continued rains would play spoilsport for them. The increasing number of spinning mills in and around here has also become another factor for pushing up the price of raw cotton as a result of which enthusiasm was lacking among the farmers for the government's minimum support price (MSP) for the crop. Against the last year's MSP of Rs 2800 per quintal, the crop fetched more than Rs 3000 per quintal. A leading commission agent, Ashok Kumar Dhunikey, said the average daily arrival of 1500 cotton bales has been reported during the past few days in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana. Each quintal of raw cotton was fetching anything between Rs.4200 to Rs 4300. By setting up their own ginning plants, the newly established spinning mills have caused a setback, particularly to the existing small and medium ginning mills, as the former were enjoying various tax benefits, said Ashwani Kumar, an office-bearer of the association of ginning millers. He said cotton production was likely to suffer because of the abnormal height that the plants have gained due to rains as a result of which hardly any breathing space has been left in the cotton fields. Ashwani Kumar said the spinning mills were enjoying the advantage of the Punjab government having waived recovery of the market fee and rural development fund from them, whereas the ginning millers were paying various taxes to the tune of 12.5 per cent. The spinning mills here were consuming about 8 lakh bales of cotton every season that they were procuring directly from the farmers and commission agents and also doing the ginning work themselves. Maur Mandi near here is becoming the hub of spinning industry with at least four units having come up in the area. Spinning units were also coming up in Muktsar and other parts of the Malwa belt. |
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Cancer Control
Bathinda, September 14 The team will review the cancer control programme in these districts keeping in view three terms of references-- local epidemiology of cancer in the district, capacity of health system in management of cancer, and needs of the district. In the epidemiology part, local causes behind the incidence of cancer in the district, the resources needed to tackle the disease, and the requirements of the district in the needs part will be discussed and reviewed. According to information, two professors from the PGI, Chandigarh, and one professor from the Government Medical College, Patiala have been included in the nine-member team of the ICMR. Besides the nine-member team of the ICMR, four officials of the Punjab Health Department from Chandigarh will be a part of the team. Talking to TNS here today, district health officer (DHO) Dr RS Randhawa said the ICMR team would visit Bathinda in the evening on September 16 and would hold the next day. He said the district health authorities had written to the principal of Adesh Medical College (near Bhucho) to send heads of the departments of medicine, gynaecology and surgery to attend the meeting. Civil Surgeon Dr ID Goyal, the DHO, and district epidemiologist Dr Malkiat Singh Gill would also attend the meeting, he added. It may be mentioned that high prevalence of cancer, especially in the Malwa belt (Bathinda, Muktsar, Mansa and Ferozepur districts) is a cause of concern with even the Centre expressing its worries on this count. Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has also been showing concern over the spread of cancer in the region. Harsimrat Kaur Badal got organised special cancer detection camps in this area, besides writing a letter last year to the Prime Minister to set up a cancer hospital in Bathinda district by the Central government. The disease has claimed hundreds of lives during past five to six years in Bathinda and Mansa districts. |
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Rural tourism scheme fails to yield rich harvest
Bathinda, September 14 The scheme was introduced in February 2009, with the dual aim of promoting rural tourism along with providing an alternative business to farmers of the state. Under the scheme, as many as 23 farmhouses were registered for providing a clean, hygienic environment with modern facilities for the comfort of visitors to help them experience real 'Punjabi' hospitality, with fine 'home-cooked' meals, agricultural activities as well as an opportunity to meet families from the outback and countryside of Punjab. However, the scheme could not yield the expected results. A majority of the farmhouse owners rue that even after spending lakhs of rupees to meet the requirements of the Board they could get even a single client till date. They blame the Board authorities for lagging behind in the promotion of the scheme. Speaking to The Tribune, owner of the Mann Makhi Farms, Tungwali (Bathinda), Gurcharan Singh said, “I have constructed two rooms equipped with all facilities like air-conditioner, television, double beds etc. Spending thousands of rupees, I got some statues installed to attract the visitors. Despite all this, when I did not get any client, we started using the rooms for family purposes. Otherwise, everything would be ruined with the passage of time.” “Had the state tourism department showed real interest in promoting the scheme, people would have surely shown their interest in visiting us as we have sufficient facilities to help them enjoy themselves in the lap of nature,” rued Sukhpal Singh. Further, owner of the Captain Farm House, village Poohli (Bathinda), Col AS Sidhu also informed that he too could not get any client till date. Accusing the Punjab tourism officials of doing much less than required to promote the farmhouse stay concept, Sidhu rued, “Nobody even enquired about the scheme, till today.” On the other hand, the PHTPB officials refuse to take the responsibility and instead pass the buck on to the farmhouse owners, stating that they themselves are not taking any initiative to promote the business, which will pay the ultimate benefit to the farmhouse owners. Refuting the allegations of the farmhouse owners, manager (marketing) of the PHTPB, Razit said, "After launching the scheme, the state tourism department imparted them training as well as operational advice and undertook promotional activity of farm tourism via internet, publications and media relations." Naming some farmhouse owners belonging to Fazilka, Hoshirapur, Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadson, he claimed that they all were fetching handsome returns through the scheme. Speaking further, he informed that many of them had got tie-ups with big tour promoting houses also. “Finding that some of the farmhouse owners were giving a bad name to the Board's initiative due to their personal issues, the PHTPB authorities have even started planning to review the interest and performance of the farmhouse owners. After this, a number of new farmhouses would be registered and some of the old ones will have to lose their registration,” the manager (marketing) of the PHTPB added. |
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Sub-standard Bt cotton seed
Abohar, September 14 Sensing trouble, the distributor along with his male staff escaped. Later, some women were found at the counters. Sources said the senior police officials along with most of the cops posted at the local police stations had gone to Guru Harsahai to perform special duty during the Sangat Darshan programme of the CM Parkash Singh Badal. Hence, no force could be deployed for the security of the showroom and its staff. Meanwhile, owners of all other insecticide and seed shops also rolled down their shutters as a preventive measure. The affected farmers took mediapersons to the village to ascertain that there had been no flowering on the cotton plants even today. They showed the bills that were reportedly issued against the sale of the Bt cotton seed. Sarpanch Sahib Ram along with other farmers alleged they have been cheated due to the ‘nexus between the dealers and agriculture department’. Intriguingly, the seed in question too had been in the list of the products that had certification from the authorities concerned. The farmers, who continued the dharna till evening, resented that the government had not taken suitable action on the complaints filed by farmers. They demanded a compensation at Rs 40,000 per acre against the loss suffered due to the sale of ‘sub-standard’ seed and insecticides. |
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Hindi Diwas observed
Bathinda, September 14 All the students participated in the function. Dr Sangha presided over the function. Principal Vimlanshu Mallik was the chief guest on the occasion. Charu and Prabhleen spoke on the importance of Hindi. Hindi Diwas was also observed at the Baba Farid College of Education,
Deon, Bathinda. The state of Hindi was depicted in a poem presented by Amandeep Kaur and Jagandeep Singh. Managing director S. Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal congratulated the students. Principal Dr Prabhjot Kaur exhorted the students to work for the development of the country.
NTSE results: Dasmesh Public School, Faridkot, shined in the NTSE-2010 by cornering 18 national scholarships which amounts to 36 per cent of the total state’s share of 50 scholarships. Once a recipient, the scholar is entitled to a monthly scholarship till MD (Medicine), ME (Engineering) and PhD
(Sciences). Anurag Bahetra of the school topped in Punjab and secured the fourth position in the country. Principal S. Gurcharan Singh lauded the feat as historic and praised the teachers as well as students for their efforts. |
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Sangat Darshan programme
Jalalabad (Ferozepur), September 14 In Bathinda, over 60 ETT teachers were rounded up and taken to the Jaito police station to prevent any further escalation of their agitation. |
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Woman ends life
Fazilka, Septenber 14 As per the FIR lodged with the police station Arniwala
(Fazilka) by Sanga Singh, a resident of village Dulapur Keri of district
Sriganganagar, his sister Ishran Bai got married to Hardip Singh, a resident of village Ghattianwala Bodla of Fazilka sub-division ten years back. Since she had three daughters, her in-laws including her husband Hardip Singh, Jeet Singh (brother of Hardip Singh), his wife Nanki Bai had allegedly been pressurising her to adopt a son. However, she refused as she already had three daughters. She had reportedly come to stay at her parental house two months back following the alleged dispute. Later, her sister-in-law persuaded her to go back to her in-laws. A case under section 306/34 of the IPC has been registered against the accused.
— OC |
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‘Honour’ killing
Bathinda, September 14 Mander Singh and Amrit Pal were arrested on Monday, while Kala Singh was arrested today. It was informed that the Sarpanch of the village had reportedly produced the accused before the police. Producing Mander and Amrit in the courts today and police got their two-day demand to ascertain some facts, while the third Kala Singh would be produced in the court on Wednesday. According to the details of the incident, Jagtar Singh (the deceased) had an affair with one 16-year-old Manpreet Kaur of the village. Kin of both the boy and girl had objection to their relationship. On September 11, when Jagtar went to meet his girlfriend at her house, her father
along with two of his friends nabbed him and assaulted him with lathis and rods till he died. Later, they kept his body at Mander' house and went missing. |
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Two shops gutted
Jalalabad (Ferozepur), September 14 Information gathered by the TNS revealed that a telecom shop and tailoring shop caught fire suddenly last night. Though the fire brigade in the area was immediately informed, maximum damage had taken place by the time fire tenders reached the spot. However, the people had succeeded in controlling the flames, sources said. — TNS |
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PHSC vice-chairman visits Civil Hospital
Bathinda, September 14 He also held a meeting with the doctors of the civil hospital, including senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Vinod Garg, and officers of the Civil Surgeon’s office, including Civil Surgeon Dr Inder Dayal Goyal, district Malaria Officer Dr Malkiat Singh Gill, district health officer Dr RS Randhawa. The vice-chairman said he had spoken to the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister for reducing the rates of medicines throughout the state.
— TNS |
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