Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda), February 6
Is it the depleting water table, power crisis or the rising debt that farmers of this region are on a tractor selling spree?

This is what all those who visit the second-hand tractor market for the first time want to know. Though of all these three reasons have been there for a long time, a change in the approach of the farmers has set this market abuzz.

Gone are the days when the selling of a tractor was considered as a bad sign in the villages of Malwa. Now, farmers, who were being treated as illiterate and naïve, have also developed a knack for trading (business). They have become so calculative that by sale and purchase of their tractors, they are earning a good income.

Once they feel that the requirement of the vehicle was over in the field, they do not hesitate to bring it to the market and put it on sale with a price tag of their choice. And, after a few months, sensing the requirement for a tractor in the coming season, they again go to the market and purchase one of their choice.

This approach of the farmers has now overshadowed all reasons of the past — payment of the loan to ‘arhtiya’ or the bank, marriage of a daughter or son, financial crisis due to crop damage, emergency domestic expenditure, etc — that used to lead to the sale of tractors.

During a recent visit to the second-hand tractor market at Talwandi Sabo, this reporter observed that every farmer selling his tractor was not a victim of circumstances but a majority of them were those who had either tasted or want to taste the nuances of the sale-purchase cycle.

One Balvir Singh of Sardoolgarh (Mansa), who was sitting on his tractor (Farmtrac), said, “Earlier, one used to love his tractor like a son but with the passage of time, we have understood that it is only a machine that can be purchased any time. So, why block money for no reason? If I get good value for this tractor, I will sell it and purchase another whenever I feel a requirement.”

He was not a lone farmer who had come to the market with such an approach. There were many others, including those who were carrying small bags in their hands and looking for tractors to purchase.

A sexagenarian Narottam Singh of Bajakhana (Faridkot), said, “I had sold my tractor a few weeks ago at a good price. Now, I need it and I have come here to buy one. With my experience of sale-purchase of four tractors, I am sure I will strike a good deal.”

One Pushpinder Singh, who seemed to be literate, said, “Finding farming to be a seasonal trade, I have started this side business and earn a good income by trading a tractor every week.”

According to details collected, there are about 70 groups, which collectively hold the tractor market here every Wednesday. They have hired a plot to set up the market and charge a commission of one per cent on the value of tractor from both the parties (seller as well as buyer).

It may be mentioned that the other three markets dealing in second-hand tractors, set up at Moga, Barnala and Malout, are also famous in the region.

The trend of going for a used tractor has been causing noticeable damage to the entrepreneurs running the showroom or agency of new tractors, as farmers get a variety of tractors at cheaper prices here.

Bathinda, February 6
The Cancer Roko Jagriti Manch here has started a campaign to eradicate cancer in the Malwa belt of Punjab by awakening the state and Central governments towards its responsibilities to the residents of the region.

Issuing a press release, chairman of the Manch Ram Pal Dhapai said their organisation had submitted various memorandums to a number of politicians as well as the officials concerned but to no avail. "Though our past efforts failed in bringing about positive results, we are now going to mobilise the people of Punjab to compel the government to take steps to eradicate the disease. We demand that the government should declare this region as a cancer-affected belt and set up a government hospital on the pattern of the PGIMER and the AIIMS to save the lives of those battling the disease," he mentioned.

Fazilka, February 6
Basant Panchami, the fifth day of the spring season, which is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati and associated with kite flying, has a different meaning for the residents of this border town and its surrounding areas this season.

Hundreds of residents of the area and members of different teams, who would participate in the first ever kite festival being held on February 8, i.e., Basant Panchami, would spread a different kind of message to motivate people apart from rejoicing by keeping alive the tradition by flying kites.

Kites of all shapes, sizes and colours would hang in the air and would dot the skyline over the Fazilka town, bordering Pakistan. The occasion which would witness the participation of girl students of different schools and colleges, members of different organisations, which participated in the agitation launched for getting district status for this town and about 80 teams from various places.

"We have been trying to ensure the participation of kite fliers from various towns of Rajasthan and Haryana, which are located close to this town as a large section of population of these towns share a common culture and observe almost the same rituals," disclosed Navdeep Asija, Secretary (Administration), Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka, adding that this would bring a new kind of harmony among them.

He added that the main attraction of the festival would be that the kites would carry a printed message for according district status to Fazilka town, which came into existence about 165 years ago and was in the process of developing as a major tourist hub.

The other message, which was most important and was the need of the hour, would be to spread awareness among people about the evils of female foeticide. The kites would also carry printed messages against this social evil. All the inmates of the old age home had been invited to watch or participate in the kite festival so that they could also relive those moments again in the autumn of their lives.

"We will also try that no one, who participates in the kite festival, should use China-made string, which has become a major source of injuries to human beings and cattle," Asija claimed, adding that personnel from the Army and the BSF had also been invited for the festival.

Sushil Gumber, Convener, Sanjha Morcha, which carried out a long agitation for getting district status for Fazilka town, said that so far, he had not got any invitation for joining the kite festival. But he would love to join in the festivities for creating a movement in favour of granting district status to Fazilka. 

Abohar, February 6
Three members of a Bathinda based gang today succeeded in escaping while their accomplice, from Jai Singh Wala village in Bathinda, was nabbed when the Indica car that they were using overturned after crashing the main iron gate of Shivpuri (cremation ground) at Abohar, sources in Rajasthan police said.

In an action packed development, Sriganganagar police chased the Indica car-borne miscreants who were considered responsible for looting petrol pumps in village Bakayanwala located on the Rajasthan and Pakistan border near Abohar on Friday midnight and near 22-ML village, about 20 km from Sriganganagar on the NH-15.

The gang reportedly looted another petrol pump near Ramsinghpur last night and a liquor shop near village 40-GB in Srivijaynagar area at about 1.30 am today.

The liquor shop salesman reportedly revealed that four armed miscreants using blue Indica car had struck.

As per information, the car crashed the barrier at Sadhuwali village on the Rajasthan-Punjab border. Some cops pelted the speeding car with brickbats but it headed towards Abohar.

The Rajasthan police informed the Abohar police and continued chasing the car. The vehicle towards Indira Nagri to escape assuming it was a link road. However, the car smashed the main gate of the Shivpuri and overturned.

The nabbed suspect was handed over to the Sriganganagar police. The gang member nabbed by the has been identified as Kulwinder Singh. Being physically disabled, he could not flee while others escaped. His interrogation at Sriganganagar reportedly indicated that one Nahar Singh had formed the gang after he was released from the Bathinda jail where he was locked for past about three years for a crime. His escaping accomplices have been identified as Kewal Singh and Jaswinder Singh. They had allegedly looted the Indica car they had hired from Sector 22 in Chandigarh.

The gang had fixed a fake Haryana number plate on the vehicle and allegedly looted a petrol pump in village Kandukhera (Muktsar) recently before targeting other pumps between Bakayanwala and Bareka near the Indo-Pak border and then entered Sriganganagar on Saturday. Three cases were registered today against them under various sections of the IPC.

Bathinda, February 6
Members of the Hindu-Sikh-led committee of the Peer Khana, who are adamant over the eviction of the Muslims-led committee of the Peer Khana, today postponed their further course of agitation for a day, after the administration assured them of giving a thorough consideration to the matter on Monday.

Earlier, the members of the Makbra Meera Sahib Peer Khana Committee (led by Hindu-Sikhs) had warned the administration that if their demand to evict the members of the Committee Makhbra Baba Nikka Shah (regd) Peer Khana (led by Muslims) from the Peer Khana was not met, they would give a call for Bathinda bandh on Monday.

The representatives of various Hindu-Sikh religious as well as social groups, which had united over the issue, held a meeting at the Bangle Wali Dharamshala in the city today and formed a seven-member action committee to decide on future action. However, tackling the issue carefully, senior officials of the district, including the DC and the SSP, had a dialogue with the representatives of the action committee. During the meeting, the officials cited legal complication due to which they were unable to accept their demand to evict the Muslims-led committee from the Peer Khana. The action committee, however, claimed that they had documents which entitled the district officials to take the needful action in this regard. The officials have now asked the members to bring the documents by 11 am on Monday and assured them of finding a solution to the issue.

Sukhpal Singh Sran, who leads the Hindu-Sikh group, told TNS over phone, “If the meeting with the administration proves futile, we will intensify our protest and give a call for Bathinda bandh on Tuesday.” It may be mentioned that both the committees have been contesting claims over the management and the donations of the Peer Khana for a long time. The situation turned out of control on February 3 after Sukhpal Sran accused the Muslims of running non-religious activities and warned them to leave the Peer Khana or face consequences.

Fazilka, February 6
As the declining water table has held out a threat to the future of agriculture operations in Punjab besides pushing it towards desertification, a local farmer, who has been running a trust and business venture with social welfare component, is trying to build a movement for saving the same among the farming community.

The situation in south west Punjab, known as cotton belt, has become serious as a large numbers of tube-wells installed by farmers, have become non-functional after the water table went down drastically due to paddy cultivation in the area for years. The situation could be judged from the fact that water could be found at the level of more than 500 feet at village Mauzam, located on the bank of the Sutlej.

Now, the farmers of this region have no option but to go for submersible pumps to draw water from very deep-level of soil to irrigate their fields grown with paddy and other crops and thus it has also increased their input costs.

“What we have been advocating to tide over the water crisis, which has gripped this part of Punjab, is that the government as well non-governmental agencies must motivate the farmers to shift to cotton and other less water consuming crops," said Vikram Ahuja, a leading farmer and owner of Zimidara Farm Solutions, which helps farmers in agricultural operations.

Jawala Bai Nathu Ram Ahuja Charitable Trust, which is being run by his father, Surinder Ahuja, has been providing training to farmers to enable them to use paddy straw and stubbles for enhancing the fertility of the soil and retention of its moisture level instead of burning it, which causes environmental pollution besides causing damage to the soil fertility.

"Now, we have suggested to different government agencies to start water budgeting so that no farm is left parched and water table can also be maintained. The farmers are supposed to be motivated to cotton, which requires less water as compared to paddy and fetches more profit to them," pointed out Ahuja.

"Ban on transplantation of paddy before June produced wonderful results. Similarly, the departments of Irrigation, Agriculture, Horticulture and PAU should work to save Punjab from becoming a desert state,” he said. Sugarcane and other crops could also be introduced in specific pockets to save water, he said.

Abohar, February 6
The cash award given by the Punjab government to Sanjeev Kumar, a differently abled boy of Telupura village of this sub-division, for his achievements in badminton at the national and international level, has rekindled his hope of continuing to play the game as he would be able to buy a wheel-chair with the award money.

Belonging to a poor family, Sanjeev, who has won a number of medals in national and international wheel-chair badminton championships, was on the verge of quitting the game due to his poor economic conditions.

However, the cash award of Rs 2.25 lakh given to him by the Punjab government two days ago at a function organised at Mohali has made him pledge that he would strive to bring more laurels to his country by dominating the badminton court.

"Though the award money is not sufficient to buy a wheel-chair of standard specifications, it is a good beginning by the Punjab government and will help the players of different streams to do their best in all types of championships," he pointed out, adding that the cash would also be a great economic help for his family.

With one leg defective, Sanjeev has won the bronze in the Israel Open 2010 Badminton Championship for the Disabled held in Tel Aviv from November 24-29, 2010 in the wheelchair BMW-3 single event, in which, players from nine countries participated.

He won the tournament without undergoing any coaching at any sports institute.

Sanjeev Kumar, who emerged as the national champion in the doubles event at the 'Fifth Handicapped Para Games Championship-2010' held at Bangalore, participated in the wheelchair singles and wheelchair doubles events in the Tel Aviv championship.

Recently, he also participated in the badminton event of the first Asian Para Games, held in Guangzhou (China). He could not give his best as he could not get enough time to practice in that country as the Indian contingent reached late at the venue.

Sanjeev Kumar was financially supported by the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav and an NRI Balwant Kaur Gill. He also had to borrow some money to meet the expenses incurred by him for participating in the event. However, he could not participate in the Colombo championship held last year as he failed to collect sufficient money to fund his trip.

"I must take help from a coach so that I could hone my skills and learn new tricks of the trade so that I can bring the maximum number of medals for my country. Financial help is always needed for a player like me," said Sanjeev, revealing that he was strong in his will and was willing to scale the stars, proving that broken wings are not a handicap.

Sriganganagar, February 6
The poisonous green layers that accumulated in the reservoirs of the water works at Jaitsar segment of this Rajasthan district have resulted in the death of hundreds of fish.

A science student, Surya Prakash Bains said that the green layers were depriving the fish of oxygen and could have caused the deaths.

BJP Yuva Morcha general secretary Rajinder Sharma regretted that thousands of residents in the small town are forced to consume water not fit for drinking. During a visit today, clear water and storage tanks were found in a depleted condition. A thick green layer on the water stored in the tanks emanated a foul smell. The pipelines laid to supply water to different localities too bear cracks resulting in the mixing of dust at some places.

Local consumers including social activist Pawan Nanda and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad functionary Ravi Sharma said the administration had not responded to a series of complaints made by the residents in this connection.They pointed out that silt that accumulated in the pipelines had affected the smooth flow of drinking water.

Some physicians lamented that the incidence of water-borne diseases had occurred because of polluted water. It visibly appears that bleaching powder and alum were seldom used to purify the water before supplying it.

Confirming that fish were found dead in large numbers, a junir engineer in the Water Resources Department Dev Pal Giri said proceedings to invite tenders for cleansing of water tanks would begin tomorrow. Senior officials will also be requested to sanction funds for renovation of old tanks and pipes, he added.

Bathinda, February 6
A meeting was held at the office of Bathinda MLA Harmindar Singh Jassi to take stock of the arrangements for the February 11 Congress rally at Rampura Phul.

Jassi said nearly 10,000 people from the 50 wards of the local Municipal Corporation, would attend the rally. Duties were also assigned to party leaders for the rally. He said the eagerness among the people to hear Captain Amarinder Singh at the rally proved that the days of the SAD-BJP government were numbered. Dr Bhagat Singh Dhaliwal, Jagroop Gill, KK Aggrawal, Roopinder Bindra and Jaswant Goldy attended the meeting. — TNS

Abohar, February 6
Recalling that Abohar had acclaimed eminence for hosting national level Kavi Sammelans even during the British regime, Punjabi Sahitya Akademi chairman Prof. Gurbhajan Singh Gill regretted than no such function was held here for past two decades.

Speaking at the Kavi Darbar organised jointly by the Akademi and the DAV College here last night, he assured of help in organising such functions here annually. Principal Dr BB Sharma welcomed the poets. Tirlochan Lochi, Satish Gulati, Gurmeet Brar, Buta Singh Chauhan, Ravinder Bhattal, Manjinder Dhanaula, Sohan Singh, Hardeep Dhillon, Harmeet Vidyarthi, Jaswant Zafar, Surinderjit and Kamalpreet Sidhu recited poems. — OC

Abohar, February 6
Praveena of Gopichand Arya Mahila College who had won a silver medal in the National Inter-University Archery Tournament held at Kururkshetra was given a warm welcome on return to her hometown today. Principal Dr Neelam Arun Mittu said that Praveena had bagged a silver in the 50 metre category during the Olympic round.