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Beopar Mandal to join protest
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Foodgrain damage due to poor storage facility declining in FCI?
Queen’s Baton continues its onward journey
Man thrashed after bid to rape minor in Namdev Nagar
Jan Shree Bima Yojna
Hike in fee for using bus stand
Over 200 units of blood collected
Sai Baba’s 85th birth anniversary
Quiz contests for upper primary classes from Nov 18
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Dist HQ status for Abohar
Abohar, September 26 The meeting held in the Arya Samaj complex located in the heart of the sub-divisional town was presided over by Faquir Chand Goyal, former district president of the BJP and senior vice-president of the Municipal Council. Those who shared the dais with the Congress MLA included Kaushal Pihwal, another former vice-president of the BJP-run Municipal Council, Suresh Phutela, former city BJP president and son of the late veteran leader Mukand Lal Phutela, who had served as president of the council and Surinder Saluja alias Pumpy, general secretary of the district unit of SAD. While justifying the presence, they revealed that there were pulls and pressures, which they defied keeping in view the common cause pursued by the legislator. They also vowed to extend whole-hearted support, if the MLA spearheads a campaign to get Abohar upgraded as a district. Many other workers of the ruling parties also occupied seats in the hall that was overflowing with the people. Those who addressed the gathering included Narinder Kumar Garg, president Bar Association, Ramesh Bishnoi, president, All India Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha, Satpal Khariwal, chairman, Consumer Movement, Prof. BS Chaudhary, president, Social Welfare Society, Ashwani Jhunthra, vice-president, Punjab Beopar Mandal, Dharamveer Godara, former member, Zila Parishad, Daljit Singh Dhaliwal, district president, Rashtravadi Congress, Gurbux Singh, vice-president, CPI, Giriraj Rajora, advocate, Supreme Court, Dr Resham Singh Atwal, president, SC/ST/BC Employees Welfare Federation, Vimal Thathai, councillor, Rakesh Rathi, president, North India Cotton Association, Vijay Golcha, president, Jain Samaj and Brahm Parkash Bhusari, president, Yuva Beopar Mandal. While extending support to the demand, former sarpanches Ram Kumar Mahar and Gursahab Singh, also criticised the state government for discriminating in supplying the canal water to the tail-end villages of this sub-division. The Bar Association in its memorandum put a strong case in favour of the
demand asserting that Abohar has got the best of infrastructure needed for a district headquarter. Legislator Sunil Jakhar regretted that leaders of the ruling parties had succumbed to narrow thinking by giving a call to boycott the meeting that was convened in the larger public interest. “Besides raising the voice in the Vidhan Sabha, we plan to lead an all-party deputation to urge the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to help us in getting rid of the present district headquarter Ferozepur,” Kakhar said. He appealed to his political opponents to rise above petty politics and fight to get the district status for Abohar. |
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Beopar Mandal to join protest
Fazilka, September 26 Notably, the agitation has entered its 42nd day today. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Fazilka Beopar Mandal that was presided over by its president Ashok Gulbadhar. Gulbadhar said the members of the Beopar Mandal would actively participate in the third phase of the agitation,
which would be started from October 10. He warned the third phase of agitation could acquire mesmerising dimensions, if their demand was not fulfilled. Eleven members of the border area Vikas Front Fazilka including its president Baljinder Singh, general secretary Raj Kishore Kalra and members Comrade Shakti, Des Raj Kamboj, Lekh Raj, Kulwant Gaba, advocates Sukhjit Singh and Parveen Dhanju, Prem Chand Farmawali and Lachhman Dass Kamboj sat on
dharna. More than five dozen activists of the Front accompanied them to the dharna site and garlanded them. On the other hand, the president of the Sanjha Morch Sushil Gumber has claimed that thousands of persons including all party activists would participate in the forthcoming rail and traffic blockade, in the third phase of agitation. He apprised the agitators of the details of signature and membership campaign. |
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Foodgrain damage due to poor storage facility declining in FCI?
Moga, September 26 VK Malhotra, AGM (Public Relations) of the FCI has revealed that the actual quantity of the damaged foodgrains as on July 1 in the agency is 11,708 tonnes and these losses have come down from 2.12 lakh tonnes in the year 1999-2000 to just 0.07 lakh tonnes in the year 2009-10, which is a positive development. In fact, the state agencies suffer major losses of the foodgrains. In reply to a starred question in the Lok Sabha, the food ministry had stated on July 27 that the state agencies of Punjab has suffered losses of 54,260 tonnes while the situation of the state agencies of Haryana is far better with losses at just 1,574 tonnes. As per the figures of the FCI, the damages of the foodgrains in the FCI were 2.50 lakh tonnes in the year 1996-97, 1.81 lakh tonnes in 1997-98, 1.51 lakh tonnes in 1998-99, 2.12 lakh tonnes in 1999-2000, 2.12 lakh tonnes in 1999-2000, 1.82 lakh tonnes in 2000-01, 0.65 lakh tonnes in 2001-02, 1.35 lakh tonnes in 2002-03, 0.76 lakh tonnes in 2003-04, 0.97 lakh tonnes in 2004-05, 0.95 lakh tonnes in 2005-06, 0.25 lakh tonnes in 2006-07, 0.34 lakh tonnes in 2007-08, 0.20 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 and 0.07 lakh tonnes in the year 2009-10. Another senior official of the FCI revealed that for minimising the storage and transit losses, the agency over the years had taken many measures such as tightening of security of depots, intensifying surprise checks at the loading/unloading points, ensuring regular stock verification, installation of weighbridges in depots, minimising multiple-handling, trans-shipment and movement in open wagons, induction of central industrial security force at vulnerable depots to curb theft and pilferage, adoption of 50 kg packing in a phased manner and encouraging machine stitching of bags, which has given positive results in reducing the losses. Further, the agency has also issued a set of instructions to control the operational transit losses prescribing a systematic approach to achieve transparency and accountability. Enforcement of strict quality specifications is being done at the time of procurement and strict preservation measures are being taken during the storage of the food-grains. Covered capacity is being augmented minimising plinth storage as far as possible. |
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Queen’s Baton continues its onward journey
Sriganganagar, September 26 However, the event was painful for the school-going children, who had been asked to line up at 8.30 am resulting in a four-hour wait braving the sunshine. Senior officials from the Army cantonment and Air Force station also joined the administration in welcoming the Baton. The Army band played welcome tunes while the folk singers enthralled by singing ‘Kesaria balam padharo mahare desh’ using traditional musical instruments. After about 15 minutes, the bataon relay was taken to Hanumangarh where the district officials including DC Bhanu Parkash and the local academicians received it. The relay passed through the main bazaars. In Sangaria, the Queen’s Baton was received by MLA Dr Param Navdeep and many others, as it proceeded to
Haryana. |
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Man thrashed after bid to rape minor in Namdev Nagar
Bathinda, September 26 According to information available, the girl in question, daughter of a Namdev Nagar resident, was playing in the street this afternoon. Finding the girl alone in the street, their neighbour Hardev Singh, a tailor by profession, offered her some eatables to lure the girl inside his house. As she moved in, he tried to rape her. Meanwhile, the father of the girl reached home and found her absent. He looked for her in the street and asked neighbours. During the search, he entered the house of Hardev Singh and found him indulging in immoral activity with his daughter. Catching him red-handed, he thrashed him up and called out for neighbours. Soon, a number of neighbours and passerby assembled there and beat up the accused. After that, they blackened his face and paraded him in the locality. On receiving the information, the Civil Lines police reached the spot and arrested the accused. Speaking to the media, the accused, Hardev Singh, refuted the allegation and claimed that he had no ill-intention towards the girl and that he was embracing her like a daughter. On his part, Civil Lines SHO Buta Singh thanked the neighbours for responding quickly and in helping the police in catching an anti-social element. |
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Meet cautions against GM food consumption
Bathinda, September 26 Besides warning that such unsafe foods would lead to a major public health problem that would be irreversible, the speakers also highlighted various sources of pollution and suggested ways to check them. Pointing out that the regulatory authorities had a number of serious shortcomings in their functioning, the participants called for an immediate moratorium on all GM foods. Dr GPI Singh, who is also the principal-director of the AMCH, said, “GM foods never undergo any independent, long-term testing and it is already well established that these leave many adverse impacts including inter-generational effects.” Dr Amar Singh Azad listed a number of health hazards resulting due to consumption of contaminated food and water besides GM produce. “During a detailed study, we have observed that pesticides and GM crops are rampantly harming our health. Lessening of sperms, early puberty among girls, feminisation of males, nervous disorder were results of such menace,” said Azad. During the debate, social activist Dr Vitull Gupta raised questions on the functioning of government and blamed it for playing with the health of public. “We need public opinion to be formed, if we want to get rid of pollution,” he asserted. Jagmohan Kaushal, GC Goyal, Rakesh Narula and others also shared their views. Executive director of the Kheti Virasat Mission Umendra Dutt introduced a number of farmers cultivating organic crops and disclosed that a nine-member committee was being formed to promote consumption of organic produce. Before the conclusion, some of the medical science students also raised queries and also took a pledge to check pollution and be a part of the organic crops promotion movement. |
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Jan Shree Bima Yojna
Bathinda, September 26 Besides, the state government also earmarked Rs 1.30 crore under the ‘Aam Aadmi Bima Yojna’ for insuring about 1.30 lakh persons, one member each from rural landless families in the state. The person (may be head of the family), who will be insured under these insurance schemes, should be in the age group of 18-59 years. These schemes will be implemented through the district offices of the Social Security Department, Punjab. District social security officers (DSSO) have been declared as nodal officers for these schemes in their respective districts. Bathinda DSSO Rajwinder Singh Gill said under these schemes, the premium for insuring one person for one year had been fixed at Rs 200, which would be equally contributed by the Centre and the state government. Giving details about the benefits of these insurance schemes, Gill said the insured person’s family would get Rs 30,000 in case of natural death and Rs 75,000 in case of accidental death. In the case of 100 per cent disability, the insured person would be paid Rs 75,000 and in case of 50 per cent disability, the insured person would get Rs 37,500. Besides, half-yearly scholarship worth Rs 600 would also be paid to the insured person’s children studying from standards IX to XII. The DSSO said there were over 13,000 BPL families in rural areas and over 4,400 BPL families in urban areas of the Bathinda district. He said the ADC (D) had written to the child development and project officers (CDPOs) of the district to get the forms of eligible beneficiaries filled for the ‘Jan Shree Bima Yojna’ within 10 days. In the case of urban area beneficiaries, the executive officers of municipal councils had been asked to do the needful in this regard.
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Hike in fee for using bus stand
Abohar, September 26 he protesters said the council pressurised by the saffron party had allotted the contract for collecting adda fee to a senior party functionary, who had exposed the discontent within the party a few weeks back forcing the leaders of the high command take some hard organisational changes. “The fee for the bus has been revised to favour him arbitrarily from Rs 5 to 25 whereas the mini-bus operator will have to pay now Rs 20 instead of Rs 2.50. The charges for night halt (parking) have been revised from Rs 15 to 50 without taking the users into confidence,” the protesters added. The sloganeering protesters resented that the council had not spent even one rupee during the past two years on improving the amenities in the bus stand. Sensing trouble, civil and police officials rushed in and assured the protesters that the revision would be reconsidered during the meeting to be held in the office of the sub-divisional magistrate next week. This prompted them to defer the stir. |
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Over 200 units of blood collected
Fazilka, September 26 The spokesman of the local unit of the foundation Bhisham Kamboj said the camps were being organised in throughout the country in the memory of the two members of the Foundation, namely, RO Hathure and Golak Bihar Patnaik, who had lost their lives in a road accident. They had died in the absence of blood as it could not be provided to them in time after the accident. Eye check-up camp held: Bharat Vikas Parishad organised a three-day mega eye camp at the local civil hospital. A team of doctors including Dr PM Kakkar, Dr SPGarg, Dr Indu Khosa and Dr Arun Jhamb conducted a total of 118 eye surgeries. Philanthropist Periwal
family of the town organised the camp in the memory of their forefather Purshotam Lal Periwal. President of the Parishad Victor Chhabra and camp chairman Vijay Goklany said in the 19th free eye camp, the doctors examined 710 patients. On the concluding day of the programme today, the chief guest Municipal Council president Anil Sethi, PPCC general secretary Davinder Sachdeva’s brother Satish Sachdeva, Bharat Vikas Parishad zonal secretary Rajesh Puri honoured the activists, who actively participated in the camp. |
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Sai Baba’s 85th birth anniversary
Abohar, September 26 The function was organised by the Shree Sathya Sai Sangathan as a part of celebrations of the 85th birth anniversary of the Sathya Sai Baba here. About 85 devotees who came to join the function donated blood during the special camp on the occasion. |
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Quiz contests for upper primary classes from Nov 18
Bathinda, September 26 It would be mandatory for each school to send its team to participate in the competition. The education department has asked the principals and the head teachers of all the schools to recommend three students who would represent their respective schools. The teams would compete first at a block level contest, scheduled for November 18. The winner team from each block will further participate in district-level competitions scheduled for November 29. Finally, the winners of the district-level contests would compete at the state-level competition to be held on January 6. To encourage students to compete, the department has announced cash prizes for the teams winning the top three positions at each level. For the block-level contests, prizes are fixed at Rs 800, Rs 600 and Rs 400, respectively, while for the district-level winners, it is Rs 1,000, Rs 800 and Rs 600. The top three winners of the state-level competition would be rewarded with Rs 5,100, Rs 3,100 and Rs 2,100, respectively. The District Education Officers (Secondary) have been assigned the responsibility of keeping a vigil over the district science supervisor and his/her team while preparing question papers for the block and district-level competitions. The DEOs would also arrange for the competitions at both levels. The question paper for the state-level competition will be prepared at the head office of the Education Department, Punjab, and the competition would be arranged by the state project coordinator. Confirming the details, DEO (Secondary), Harbans Singh Sandhu said the
step was being taken to encourage students to take more interest in science and mathematics, the subjects in which they generally lag behind. “Soon after receiving the guidelines from the office of the Director General of School Education (DGSE), the related proceedings have been initiated with a hope for remarkable success,” said Sandhu. |
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Repudiation of insurance policy claim
Abohar, September 26 While passing the significant award, Lok Adalat chairman Amarjit Singh Katari with members Dr RL Taneja and Dr SK Gupta forming the quorum, observed that Mangla Ram was working as postal assistant in the post-office at Abohar. He obtained postal life insurance policy commencing from October 19, 2005 for 15 years for a sum of Rs one lakh. He died on April 25, 2008. The claim for insurance cover lodged by his kin was repudiated on the ground that Mangla Ram was suffering from some disease and he had concealed the fact at the time of obtaining the policy. A perusal of the report indicated that the deceased had availed medical leave
on different occasions as he suffered from nasal bronchitis, inflammation of rectum, asthmatic bronchitis and pneumonia. However, he died of
septicemia. The SMO of the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital, Abohar, had opined that previous disease had nothing to do with the actual cause of the death. |
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Abohar, September 26
