Bathinda, September 20
The whitefly attack from Pakistan and long drawn bad weather has upset the growers’ calculations of a bumper cotton crop in this Malwa belt of Punjab.

The whitefly attack that had in the previous years remained confined to the cotton fields near the Indo-Pakistan border in the Abohar and Fazilka sub-divisions has this time spread to the entire Malwa belt causing leaf-curl virus to the plants. This, experts believe, was as a result of widespread damage to the cotton crop in Pakistan due to floods.

The cotton growers were facing the problem, as the first pluck of the crop is yet to begin in most of the areas. Cotton from areas around the town has started arriving in the terminal markets in small quantity as the farmers were waiting for bright sun to reappear in the sky so that further damage could be controlled. Traditionally, a total number of three plucking of the cotton crop are done.

Farmers who had come to auction their first pluck of cotton hurriedly covered their stock with tarpaulin to protect it as it started drizzling this morning. They were not sure whether the middlemen would come forward for the auction because of bad weather.

Major Singh, who had come today to sell his first pluck of cotton in the terminal market, lamented that he was expecting a total yield of about 5 quintals of cotton from his 4-acre field that had given him nearly 13 quintals last year.

He cried that the fluctuation in weather had upset his initial calculations of a very good crop. The rain soaked cotton is bound to fetch lesser price as its quality had got declined.

Nachattar Singh, who has grown cotton on his 10-acre land, said that long drawn monsoon and overcast sky has played spoilsport for the crop. This type of weather would also hit the paddy crop that was ready for harvesting anytime now, he rued.

He pointed out that the ten cycles of pesticide sprays by him have failed to eliminate the whitefly that has attacked his cotton crop. He has now left everything to god, as he was not in a position to spend more money for purchasing the costly pesticides.

Another farmer, Bhola Singh, who had come from Kot-Shameer, was also concerned about the bad weather.

GS Buttar, director of the regional research centre of the Punjab Agricultural University, said the untimely rains and subsequent humidity were bound to hit the cotton and paddy crops.

The rain hit degraded quality of cotton would fetch lesser price for the growers. It would also affect maturity of paddy. Bright sunshine was required for both crops at this point of time, he said.

Buttar said with increase in the humidity level, the cotton crop was also prone to pest attacks.

Moga, September 20
The whistleblower, a former chemist, who got drug inspector Balram Luthra arrested by the Vigilance Bureau accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from his employee on June 4 this year, is now on the run.

The drug authorities had cancelled his drug licence, the local police had registered an FIR against him under the NDPS Act even as he shut-down the chemist shop and an executive magistrate has sealed the building in which he planned to run a hotel-cum-restaurant to diversify his business.

Not only this, the Moga police has also initiated many investigations against him during the past few months, which he claims were directly aimed at harassing him for exposing the corruption prevailing in the drug controller's office and the local police.

On September 18, the Moga CIA staff registered an FIR under the NDPS Act against Krishan Goel, the former chemist, at the city police station along with his cousin Satish Kumar and Paramjit Singh Malhotra, a transporter.

The in-charge of CIA staff inspector Satpal Singh, while talking to The Tribune, said that 25 boxes of psychotropic drugs were recovered from a storehouse of the transporter. These boxes were brought for Krishna Sales Corporation owned by Satish Kumar and Swami Medicos owned by another chemist, yet to be arrested, he said.

The transporter was initially arrested by the police. But, the inspector said, "After preliminary investigation, we have made him a witness (approver) in this case against Satish and Krishan for whom he brought the boxes of psychotropic drugs and released him last night."

Goel, while talking to The Tribune, alleged that the police was unnecessarily harassing him. He said he had stopped the business of selling drugs as his licence had already been cancelled by the drug authorities. These boxes of psychotropic drugs, as mentioned in the FIR, were brought for two firms which are not owned by him, he added. "How has the police implicated me in this case", he asked

He further alleged that the SHO of Dharamkot police station Swaran Singh accompanied by a local executive magistrate had sealed his building four weeks back in his absence and has so far neither opened it nor produced any court orders in this regard. "I wanted to start a hotel-cum-restaurant in this building but the police is forcibly trying to stop me from diversifying my business," he said.

Goel claimed that in his lifetime, he has never been convicted by any court of law but the police was unnecessarily framing him in false and fabricated cases with the sole motive of hitting him financially and to grab his property.

It may be mentioned that he along with his two brothers was also booked by the Vigilance Bureau under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 193, 195 and 120B of the IPC and sections 7, 8 and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1989 two days after the arrest of the drug inspector making a U-turn in the case that he manipulated the arrest of Luthra by bribing the local officials of the Bureau. 

Ferozepur, September 20
The alteration carried out for giving promotion to the employees of Punjab State Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank for managerial posts by its Board of Directors has triggered a wave of resentment among a major section of its employees.

Mahinga Singh and Baljit Singh Kumbhra, president and general secretary of the Land Mortgage Bank Employees Union, Punjab, while claiming that alteration in qualification for promotion of employees done by the board of directors was unconstitutional, declared the union would approach the High Court and also lodge its protest in a legal manner against it.

Mahinga Singh said according to alteration in service conditions, henceforth only those employees would be promoted to the rank of assistant general manager (AGM), deputy general manager (DGM) and 
general manager (GM) from the rank of manager, who had done masters in business administration (MBA) or passed the Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB) course.

He said the bank's Board of Directors had given approval to this alteration yesterday at its meeting held at Manali. The alteration was done under the garb of implementing the recommendations of the professional committee report of the Bank by certain vested interests.

"Under the new policy, those employees, whose are simple graduate, will be barred from getting promotion to the rank of AGM and above while their juniors and colleagues, who have done MBA or CAIIB, will get those promotions," said Mahinga Singh, adding that it would create chaos in the functioning of banks, which had already been plagued by acute shortage of staff.

"Under the existing law, eligibility qualification condition of already recruited employees for career promotions cannot be amended from back date. Moreover, the qualification to become an IAS, who generally hold the rank of the managing director (MD) of the bank is simple graduation," said the president, alleging that alteration in qualification was made by the authorities concerned to stop rural folks from reaching higher positions in the bank hierarchy.

Though the bank had been catering to the needs of the rural population, the authorities concerned were trying to bring 'city culture' in its operations, which would harm the interests of the bank and its customers.

The union had unanimously decided to demand the immediate scrapping of alteration made in qualification for promotions.

Bathinda, September 20
To compel the state government to pay special attention towards their long standing demands and implement the same at the earliest, members of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) today began their four-day agitation programme divided into two phases (September 20 and 21, September 23 and 24) throughout the state.

As part of the first phase of the agitation, the union members wore black badges in various government offices at the Mini-secretariat and the offices situated outside the Mini-secretariat here.

State president of the PSMSU Darshan Singh Bajaj said here today that according to reports received by him, the ministerial staff of other districts while responding to the call given by the union wore black badges today and would continue the agitation tomorrow.

Bajaj claimed they would paralyse the functioning in the government offices throughout the state on September 23 and 24 when they would hold a complete pen-down strike, as they felt that the state government was not serious towards their long standing demands and had been dilly-dallying for the past several months.

He said a meeting of the state executive of the union had been convened on September 25 at Ludhiana where the next course of action would be chalked out to intensify the stir.

Meanwhile, state general secretary of the Treasury Employees’ Association, Punjab, Ashok Chopra said here today the treasury department’s ministerial staff was participating in the PSMSU’s four-day agitation programme.

The main demands of the PSMSU include payment of arrear for 43 months from January 2006 of the revised pay-scales recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission, computer training for clerks at district headquarters by abolishing typing test, B.Ed teacher’s pay-scale to clerks in the light of enhanced qualification for the post of clerk, restoration of old pattern of assured career progression scheme, mobile allowance and education allowance.

In addition to these demands, the PSMSU today asked the Punjab government to release before Diwali the installment of 10 per cent dearness allowance (DA) with effect from July on the pattern of the Central government. 

Mansa, September 20
With the arrest of 14 persons, the Mansa police claimed to have busted two gangs of fraudsters. Six cars, various gadgets and lakhs of rupees in cash have been recovered from their possession.

According to information available, one Ajay Kumar of Mansa lodged a complaint with the police that he had invested Rs 55,000 in a scheme floated by one Deepak Kumar alias Deep of Longowal in December 2009. Under the scheme, he was promised Rs 5,500 per day for 100 consecutive days. However, he got nothing till date. Whenever he asked Deep about the return, the latter hushed up the queries each time on one pretext or the other. Finally, Deep told him that the company, e-global, in which he claimed to have invested his money, had disappeared.

Acting upon the complaint, the Mansa police registered a case under sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC along with various other provisions of law and began inquest proceedings.

During the probe, it found Deepak Kumar and two more persons, namely Ashwani Kumar and Amrit Pal (a SAD leader), guilty of committing fraud with people by promoting the dubious companies, which run businesses through internet only.

The trio was arrested and a car, Rs 10.5 lakh in cash, a laptop and two computers were recovered from their possession.

In another incident, the Bhikhi police arrested 11 persons for duping 1,600 members of about Rs 96 lakh in the past three months by running a gold company.

The accused, a majority of whom belonged to Bathinda, were holding a seminar at the Paradise Hotel there on Saturday night when the police in civil dress nabbed them.

Giving details, Mansa SSP HS Mann said the accused had been duping people by floating two different schemes — invest Rs 6,000 and get Rs 1 lakh or invest Rs 24,300 and get Rs 18.42 lakh in 18 months.

A case was registered. Those arrested were Abhishek Jain, his mother Neelam Jain, Ravi Kumar Garg, Radhey Sham Yadav, Palwinder Singh, Nanad Lal, Rajesh Kumar, Sarwan Kumar and Sarvesh Kumar all of Bathinda, and one Gautam Budha and Tarwinder Singh of Noida.

The police has recovered five cars, two laptops, a projector and many other gadgets along with Rs 20,000 in cash from their possession.

It is learnt that the police produced the accused in a court today, which sent them to a day's remand to ascertain various facts.

Sriganganagar, September 20
The All India media conference on 'Vision and values for a new social order' concluded at the Shantivan complex of Brahmakumaris in Abu Road today after adopting an action plan.

About 2000 scribes including editors, academicians from different universities and executives of AIR, Doordarshan and private satellite TV channels resolved to work for restoring pre-independent India's media ethics and values in present day journalistic practice and profession by promoting the practice of India's age old spiritual wisdom, eternal values and meditation.

The action plan exhorted the scribes to enhance media freedom, courage, commitment and credibility by reverting back to its pristine role of guiding and showing the right path to human society through blending of journalism with spiritualism.

The action plan was endorsed by Prof Ujjwal K Choudhary, executive director, School of Communication Institute, Pune, SS Tripathi, president, All India Small Newspapers Association, Dr CV Narsimha Reddy, editor, PR Voice, Hyderabad, Rajinder Rajan, joint director, Public Relations, Himachal Pradesh, Dr Virender Vyas, HoD, MG University, Chitrakoot, Madhukar Dwivedi, editor, Mahamedha Bhopal, Som Nath Patil, vice- president, Marathi Patarkar Sangh, Mumbai and Prof Mufti Mohammad Haroon, president Jamait-e-Ulema, Jalgaon, who virtually swayed the gathering by denouncing divisive forces for creating hatred among different communities for their vested interests.

The plan gave the media a call to spread the culture of development communication and social and human concerns in coverage, discourage sensationalism, vulgarity, yellow journalism, advertorials, cross media and paid news culture in mass communication.

The conference further resolved to support the wider usage of cyber media by putting reasonable restrictions under the IT Act 2000, Indian Copyright Act 1957, RTI Act 2005 and Indian Evidence Act. BK Karuna, director, Multi Media thanked the guests. 

Faridkot, September 20
On the second day of the five-day Aagman Purb celebrations of sufi saint Baba Sheikh Farid at Faridkot, a drama festival organized by the State Tarksheel Society in the Amar Ashram enthralled the audience with a message to give up supernatural beliefs, which are still prevalent in society.

The Lok Kala Manch, Mullanpur, Kalpana Chawla Art Centre, Sadiq, Jadugar Sukhdev Malukpuri, Malwa Group, Lehra Gaga and astrologer Surjit Dhaudhar presented their items.

The Lok Kala Manch presented a Punjabi drama 'Ikko raah sawalrha' and choreographed another item 'Maan dharti e teri gode' giving a message to the rural folk, the landlords and landless labourers, to join hands and work together for the prosperity of the state.

The Kalpana Chawla Art Centre presented their items on the life history of Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Bhagat Singh highlighting their contribution to the freedom movement of the country.

Sukhdev Malukpuri presented his show, which not only attracted hundreds of children but also the youth and the elderly.

The Tarksheel Society honoured the family members of eye specialists Dr Anand, Dr Heena and Dr Gurpal Singh who had donated their bodies and eyes after their death. The society also organized an exhibition of books.

In the Aagman Purb celebrations, a blood donation camp was organized in the Sanjeevani Hall of the Government Barjindra College, which was inaugurated by District Magistrate Dr Karuna S Raju.

While addressing a gathering widely attended by students of the college, he said donating blood was one of the biggest contributions to mankind to save the lives of poor needy patients. The principal of the college Dr Kulwant Kaur said NSS volunteers had donated 101 units of blood at the camp.

A separate national drama festival also began in which, 'The game', 'Keon maan karni e bharoon hatya' and 'Sahan di ghutan' dramas were presented by the artists. 

Ferozepur, September 20
In a bizarre incident, a woman, running a beauty parlour in Guru Harsahai town of this district was allegedly raped by a Congress municipal councillor David and his brother Karan repeatedly at their poultry farm.

As the Guru Harsahai police allegedly failed to arrest the accused despite the fact that the rape took place on September 15, the woman today came to the office of district police chief Kaustab Sharma here with a vial of poison in her hand and held out a threat that if justice was denied to her, she would end her life.

Sharma, when contacted, said though a rape victim met him today, he did not remember whether she was carrying a vial of poison in her hand or not. He added that he had directed DSP, Guru Harsahai, to listen to her grievances and redress the same without any delay. The SSP said a case had been registered and an inquiry was being conducted by the concerned. The victim would be get justice if her allegations were found to be true, he said.

The woman in question, told TNS, that after raping her, the accused also thrashed her. The accused were known to her for the past many years. Even Roxy, wife of Karan, one of the accused, was her friend.

What the accused did on September 15 was that they called her to the poultry farm on some pretext. After she reached there and entered the room, someone locked it from the outside. After some time, both the accused raped her by turn, she alleged, adding that immediately after she approached the police, she started receiving threats from the accused to keep her mouth shut on this issue.

"Finding that the Guru Harsahai police is working under pressure from David, I approached the judicial court in Jalalabad on September 16. The judicial officer concerned ordered that my medical examination must be done and the same was done at Civil Hospital, Fazilka," she disclosed, adding that she succeeded in getting a rape case registered against the accused on September 17.

The woman added that she was compelled to meet district police chief as Guru Harsahai police was doing nothing to arrest the accused. "The accused once even tried to break the gate of my house at night when I was in there along with my 11 years old son," she alleged.

Baljinder Singh, SHO, Guru Harsahai, said the accused were absconding. He said vaginal swabs of the victim would be sent to Chandigarh for analysis and denied the police was showing any favouritism to the accused.

Bathinda, September 20
To mark the death anniversary of Bhai Ghanayia, the Youth Red Cross (YRC) unit of the local SSD Girls' College observed ‘Manav Divas’ on the college campus here today.

A function was organised where district health officer (DHO) and nodal officer for swine flu Dr RS Randhawa disseminated information related to the flu among the participants. He also provided the participants with some tips that could help them protect themselves from the swine flu.

Secretary of the District Red Cross Society JR Goyal, principal of the college Parminder Kaur Tanghi, vice-principal Jaswinder Kaur, YRC counsellor Monika Kapoor, college staff and students were present on the occasion.

Earlier in the day, ADC Upjeet Singh Brar, a representative of Ambuja Cement Foundation RN Chauhan, JR Goyal and others distributed 20 sets of utensils among the needy women living in the 'bastis' near the Ambuja cement factory. The utensils were received by the college from the Punjab Red Cross Society, Chandigarh.

The YRC volunteers also created awareness about dengue fever and tuberculosis among the inhabitants of the bastis. — TNS

Bathinda, September 20
In protest against the non-acceptance of their demands for a long time, members of the PRTC Pensioners’ Association held a rally and dharna at the main bus stand here today. A number of woman pensioners also took part in the protest.

Protesters demanded payment of pension on the 5th of every month, payment of the arrears of dearness allowance installments from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010, implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission’s report from January 1, 2006, payment of arrears of gratuity and earned leave, a room in each depot of the PRTC to set up offices of pensioners, payment of medical bills of the PRTC pensioners as per state government’s order.

Among those who were present or addressed the protesters were member of the central body of the association Gulab Singh, president of the Bathinda unit of the association Gurbachan Singh Jassi, vice-president Baali Singh, press secretary Sukhdev Sharma and a leader of the PRTC Pensioners Association from Faridkot, Jalor Singh.

Later, leaders of the association submitted a memorandum enlisting their demands to the ADC for forwarding the same to the Punjab government. 

Bathinda, September 20
Despite years-long efforts of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to make schools and educational institutions tobacco-free, Punjab has not taken a sincere step in this direction so far. Resultantly, students in the state are falling prey to tobacco consumption, oblivious of its harmful effects.

Taking a serious notice of this, the Director General of School Education (DGSE), Punjab, has issued a warning to all schools and educational institutions as well as the district education officers (DEOs) across the state to comply with the orders of the MHRD or face strict action.

The DGSE warning is accompanied by a detailed list of guidelines to check the menace.

According to the letter number R054114, all schools and institutions shall be declared 'tobacco-free' by displaying boards on its boundary wall where the main entrance is located.

Meanwhile, display of boards 'No Smoking Area — Smoking here is an offence' has also been made compulsory. The authorities concerned have also been directed not to tolerate smoking or chewing of tobacco on the premises of institution by students, teachers, other staff members or even visitors.

Further, imposing a ban 
on the sale of tobacco products on the premises and within the radius of 100 yards from the school or the educational institution, the authorities concerned will have to display a mandatory signboard in this regard.

Posters carrying information about the harmful effects of tobacco have to be displayed at suitable sites inside the institution. To send the message home, students will be asked to make posters on tobacco control themes.

“Integrate tobacco control activities with the ongoing school health programme and encourage writing of anti-tobacco slogans on the stationery,” the guidelines suggest.

Besides, the school and institutions authorities have been asked to recognise tobacco-control initiatives taken by students, teachers and other staff and honour them with certificates of appreciation and awards.

Meanwhile, the DGSE has directed the authorities concerned to form 'Tobacco Control Committees', which would be chaired by either school head or the principal.

The committee would comprise members from various sections of the society, including parents, the area MLA and the local SHO.

The committee will have to monitor the tobacco control initiatives taken by the schools and institutes.