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Non-availability of urea
Staff crunch at Powercom office
Cong meet on Jan 27
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Cotton price soars to an unprecedented high
Traders submit memo to DETC
‘Illegal’ detention of union leader
Bhattal condoles Jakhar’s death
Senior Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal consoles the members of the Jakhar family at Panjkosi following the demise of IFFCO chairman Surinder Kumar Jakhar. A Tribune photograph
7 held for committing dacoities
Gurdas Badal meets defectors from SAD
Three drug peddlers nabbed
Cleansing of Abohar branch canal likely to be delayed
Basketball tourney
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Non-availability of urea
Fazilka, January 24 The farmers raised slogans against the Punjab government and its other agencies. The protesters alleged that big landlords were being given urea bags in large numbers while the small and marginal farmers were given only one to two bags despite the fact that their requirement of urea was considerably higher. They pointed out that a large section of the farmers of Punjab felt disappointed over the less yield of paddy and cotton crops in the last season and the acute shortage of urea needed for the wheat crop, would adversely affect its growth and would force them to suffer losses on account of less yield. The protesters alleged that when big landlords could be given 100-200 bags of urea, why were they being denied enough urea bags for saving their wheat crops, which had become prone to stunted growth in the absence of the second application of the fertiliser. This was supposed to be done before January 15 as per the recommendations of agriculture experts. Ravinder Walia, Tehsildar, Fazilka, who reached the spot, succeeded in getting the blockade lifted after ensuring that every farmer would get five bags of urea and the distribution of the fertliser would be monitored by the civil authorities. He said the problem started when the authorities concerned distributed a large number of urea bags to some persons at one go in the morning and hence, the other farmers, who were in a majority, could not get the required quantity of urea for their respective fields. He also expressed apprehension that those who had taken urea bags in large number, could sell it to the needy farmers at a premium. The Tehsildar said that he had requested the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Fazilka, to take effective steps so that distribution of urea bags could be kept under strict vigilance.
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Staff crunch at Powercom office
Fazilka, January 24 The situation worsened this month as there was only one cashier left to cater to more than 55,000 consumers that too in a short period. Earlier, there were four cashiers. In the last few years, three cashiers attained the age of superannuation. The Power Corporation authorities failed to carry out the recruitment of new employees. Madan, a consumer, said if he failed to deposit the bill on time, he will have to pay the penalty for it. Sunita, another consumer, said she could not deposit her bill recently even when she waited for many hours for her turn. The consumers demanded that if the authorities lacked arrangements to collect the bill payment, then it must extend the deadline. Sham Lal Arora, Executive Engineer, Power Corporation, Fazilka, while admitting the fact, said a bill collection machine would soon be installed in the office. With the installation of the machine, consumers would be able to deposit their bills even on holidays. He added that additional employees were deployed at the window to expedite the work.
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Cong meet on Jan 27
Bathinda, January 24 District press secretary of the Congress Rupinder Bindra said here today that an MLA from Amritsar OP Soni had been made the coordinator for the February 11 rally, which would be addressed among others by state Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh. The Congress district press secretary said that Soni would preside over the January 27 meeting, which would be attended by party MLAs from the district and office-bearers of the party, to make the February 11 rally successful. — TNS |
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Cotton price soars to an unprecedented high
Abohar, January 24 On the other hand, the rate of processed cotton (ginned cotton) has also touched Rs 4,880 per mound (37.5 kilograms), which was never witnessed in the history of the cotton trade so far. The unprecedented hike in prices of the raw cotton and processed cotton triggered fear among traders, brokers, ginning and pressing mill owners and suppliers, who had made advance purchase of the same as they are of the view that their contracts would not be honoured by the other parties. A section of businessmen, who have purchased cotton by entering into advance contracts, pointed out that traders, suppliers and ginning and pressing mill owners had already backed out from their deals due to heavy losses, which they were bound to suffer, if they honour their commitments. Information gathered by the TNS revealed that prices of raw cotton today crossed the Rs 5,200 barrier and ranged between Rs 5,250 to Rs 5,350 in almost all the markets of the cotton producing states of northern India. The prices of processed cotton had also touched a new pinnacle as it reached Rs 4,880 per mound. The spot price of raw cotton hit a historic high in the current season when it touched Rs 5,000 per quintal in Punjab, Haryana and other parts of Rajasthan on November 9, 2010. After that, the prices came down to Rs 4,400 per quintal within two days and prices remained below Rs 5000 per quintal for a few weeks. However, prices of raw and processed cotton started witnessing jump in the third week of this month and broke all previous records. Ashok Kapur, former president, Northern India Cotton Association, when contacted, said it was for the first time that the cotton trade had become unpredictable. He claimed that though the cotton crop had been damaged in Pakistan and China, the overall global production was comfortable and enough to meet all types of demands from all the sectors. |
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Traders submit memo to DETC
Fazilka, January 24 Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (DETC), Ferozepur division, SJS Bisla, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner PS Randhawa, Excise and Taxation Officer of Fazilka AC Khichi and of Abohar HS Sidhu and other senior officials interacted with the traders. They assured them of redressing their grievances. The representatives of different traders union led by the Beopar Mandal president Ashok Gulbadhar presented a charter of demands to the DETC. Bisla assured the traders that the C forms would be made available within a week. He appealed to the eligible traders to register themselves with the department voluntarily. The DC said the suggestion and the problems related to the policy making would be forward to the authorities concerned for their persuasion. Assistant Commissioner PS Randhawa said the department wanted to maintain cordial relations with the traders. |
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‘Illegal’ detention of union leader
Moga, January 24 Hundreds of trade union activists from various labour organisations gathered in the morning and passed through the main streets of the town raising slogans against Omkar Singh, SHO of the city police station (south). They also gheraoed the police station for about an hour. The trade union activists alleged that the SHO misbehaved with their district-level leader Davinder Singh Jaura and also kept him in illegal detention. The district president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) advocate Vijay Dheer, while talking to the media, alleged that the local police had fabricated cases against their activists under political pressure. The police had recently registered a case against Ramandip Singh, president and Kewal Singh, member of the Nestle labour union. Under his leadership, the trade union leaders gave a memorandum to the SP (City) in the absence of the SSP demanding to immediately remove the said ‘controversial’ SHO and take legal action against him. “We also demand an impartial inquiry into the cases registered against their activists,” he added. They further alleged that the local health authorities discharged one of their injured activists from a hospital ward of the district hospital even as he was yet to recover from the wounds. Meanwhile, a senior official of the police revealed in the evening that SHO Omkar Singh has been sent to the Police Lines with immediate effect while Harjit Singh has taken over as the new SHO of the police station city (south).
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Bhattal condoles Jakhar’s death
Abohar, January 24 Meanwhile, the IFFCO Board of Directors has reaffirmed its commitment to complete the unfinished tasks of the former chairman Surinder Kumar Jakhar. The Board also announced renaming of its Paradeep Township and IFFCO complex building at Gurgaon in the name of Surinder Kumar Jakhar to perpetuate his inspiring memory. Former Union Agriculture Minister Sompal Singh, Haryana minister Anita Yadav, former ministers Jagdish Nehra (Haryana) Malti Thapar (Punjab), Rajasthan Pradesh Congress former president Narayan Singh, former MP Nihal Chand, legislators Radhey Shyam and Jagbir Singh Brar, Punjab Pradesh Congress general secretary Parminder Singh Pinky, principal secretaries Satish Chandra and DS Garewal and Director, Agriculture, Dr Balwinder Singh also visited Panjkosi to express sympathies with Jakhar family. |
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7 held for committing dacoities
Bathinda, January 24 The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sukhchain Singh Gill said here today that the police had recovered 27 batteries worth Rs 1.25 lakh, two pistols, two cartridges, an air pistol, two computer sets and a mini canter from their possession. He said the police had registered the case against the arrested persons and some others in connection with looting batteries from mobile phone towers and costly material from the factories during nights on gun point. After the loot they loaded the material on Sukh Ram's canter and carried it away for selling, he added. The SSP also said this evening that barring Bhagwan Singh, who had been arrested this afternoon, remaining six persons had been produced in a local court today which remanded them in police custody for one day. He said however, four members of the gang, namely Sewak Singh, Rajan, Sukha and Mahesh, were yet to be arrested in this case. The SSP further said during interrogation the accused had confessed that they had been stealing batteries from mobile phone towers and copper from copper factories in Bathinda area for the past about two years. In case the watchmen of the mobile phone towers and the factories opposed their activities then they threatened them on gun point. He said after committing dacoity they sold the material to a scrap dealer Ajay Kumar. They had committed such activities in the areas of Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Muktsar and Mansa districts, besides Haryana. |
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Gurdas Badal meets defectors from SAD
Abohar, January 24 Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal’s younger brother and former MP Gurdas Singh Badal, who was known as the think-tank of the party before the expulsion of his son Manpreet Singh Badal, today visited village Dharangwala in this sub-division to welcome some senior SAD functionaries to his stream. This happened just a day ahead of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal's scheduled visit to the village on Tuesday to inaugurate the first Adarsh School of the sub-division. The junior Badal will also be laying foundation stone for the Dharangwala link sub-canal tomorrow. Former SAD district general secretary Surinder Saluja, who had already quit the SAD to join the Jago Punjab Yatra campaign, claimed during a meeting at village Dharangwala that Panchayat Samiti member Duli Chand and former member Pinder Sekhon along with Rameshwar Limba, Beeru Ram, Banwari Lal, Mohinder Singh and Lajwanti (all members of the village Panchayat) have bid adieu to the ruling SAD and expressed their loyalty to Gurdas Singh Badal since he had virtually nourished the segment and shared pleasures and grief on different occasions with the grass-root workers. “We had in the past advised the workers to wait and watch apprehending that the ruling politicians might harass them for siding with Dass but the workers were now becoming impatient,” Saluja said. Gurdas Badal assured the workers that no harm would come their way for joining the Jago Punjab Yatra which is aimed at bringing major in reforms in politics. |
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Three drug peddlers nabbed
Barnala, January 24 Giving details, Gurpreet Singh Toor, SSP, Barnala, said inspector Ram Kumar, in-charge, CIA staff, along with the police on duty, checked a Wagon-R bearing number PB10CR (Temp) 8324, parked on the GT Road Barnala to Ludhiana near Bhadalwad. The drug peddlers have been identified as Rohit Kumar of Rajesh Nagar Haibowal in Ludhiana, Japreet Singh of Anand Nagar, Haibowal in Ludhaina and Prabhdeep Singh of 1426-K, Vihar in Ludhiana. “During the investigation, the accused admitted that they purchased drugs from the Pindi Street, Ludhiana and sold them in Barnala at a higher price,” the SSP said. He added that further investigation is in progress. |
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Cleansing of Abohar branch canal likely to be delayed
Abohar, January 24 The irrigation department had suspended water supply to all the distributaries/sub-canals originating from the Abohar branch canal on January 16 hoping that the work would be completed by January 31 but the visiting farmers and the media team on
Saturday found that enough equipment was yet to be pressed into service to meet the deadline. Interestingly, the department had projected the cost of the work at Rs 2.50 crore and had been requesting the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the last six months to release the amount but the e-tendering, introduced for the first time, is expected to bring down the actual cost to Rs 1.65 crore at most. The officials visibly feel baffled over it since the low-cost offers made by the private contractors have virtually put the officers in the dock. The Abohar branch canal had been brick-lined in 1996 when Sajjan Kumar Jakhar was the minister for irrigation in the cabinet that was headed by Beant Singh. It had been widely reported that the minister had been camping at the canal sites till midnight to monitor the quality as well as time-bound completion of the work. |
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Basketball tourney
Abohar, January 24 He gave them a cash reward of Rs 10,000 while Manpreet Singh Brar, president, Lions Club, awarded Rs 2100 to boost the morale of the students. Coach Navdeep Sharma said the district police chief had informed the officials to impart training to them at the centre set up in the school complex. Abhishek Panwar and Ramandeep Singh of the GD School Sahil have qualified for the national championship. Earlier, Preet Singh and Mangat Kumar emerged as the first ever participants from the sub-division in the national event.
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Abohar, January 24
