Jalandhar, March 31
Government agencies will enter various grain markets tomorrow to start the procurement of wheat. The state government has set up more than 1,600 purchase centres in the urban and rural areas to facilitate the procurement process. Arrangements have been made to procure 110 lakh tonnes of wheat.

“We are expecting the arrival of 107 lakh tonnes of wheat during the procurement season. However, arrangements have been made to procure 110 lakh tonnes of wheat,” said DS Grewal, Secretary, Food and Supplies Department.

The state Agriculture Department has pegged the total production of wheat at 157 lakh tonne this year. “This year, the weather remained favourable most of the time in February and March for the wheat crop. Owing to this, we are expecting a bumper crop,” said Balwinder Singh Sidhu, Director, Agriculture Department.

He said about 30 per cent wheat was retained by farmers for personal consumption, seed and to meet other requirements and the remaining was sold in the market.

Attack of yellow rust on the wheat crop was reported from certain parts of the state but it will not affect wheat production much, said Sidhu.

As harvesting of wheat is likely to start late in most parts of the state this year owing to a prolonged winter season, the agencies are expecting that the arrival of wheat will pick up in the second week of April. In the first week, it will be a trickle and that also only in a few grain markets.

“We have enough stock of gunny bags. Already, more than three lakh bales have arrived. And the remaining stock of gunny bags will arrive by April 10,” said Grewal.

However, what is bothering the agencies most is the old stock of wheat. About 55 lakh tonne of wheat, which was procured last year, is still lying in the stock in state. And 107 lakh tonne will be added to it in April this year thus creating problems to make space available for stacking some part of fresh wheat. “We are short of space to stack at least 30 lakh tonnes of fresh wheat. Had the Central Government moved about 30 lakh tonnes of wheat to the deficit states from the old stock till today, it would have become easy to make space available for the entire fresh stock of wheat,” said a senior official of the state government. 

Anandpur Sahib, March 31
While the Himachal Pradesh Government has started the lift irrigation facility for Changar villages on the Himachal Pradesh-Punjab border taking water from the Anandpur Sahib hydel channel, the Punjab Government is still to take up the project despite Rs 8.5 crore being earmarked for it a year ago.

The Changar area comprises a cluster of villages on the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. Using the lift irrigation technique, the Himachal Pradesh Government is providing irrigation and drinking water to around 28 villages situated on its side of the Changar area. The project was recently set up at a cost of Rs 88.9 crore, using water from the Anandpur Sahib hydel channel.

The area has been suffering from acute shortage of water for the past many years. Even the ponds dug up to conserve water and a few tube wells installed have failed to meet the requirements of the area residents. In the absence of industry or any other service sector, villagers are dependent on livestock and income from dairy farming.

Last year, the Punjab Govenrment had announced a package of Rs 8.5 crore to deal with water scarcity. Lift irrigation was found to be a very costly option and hence the idea was dropped. “The engineers are working on cheaper methods that can yield good results. Lift irrigation is certainly not on the cards due to the high cost involved,” said Deputy Commissioner Arunjit Singh Miglani.

Chandigarh, March 31
The Punjab BJP today stepped in to limit possible damage to the SAD-BJP coalition from the Bhagat Singh factor by claiming that it was the saffron party in its earlier avatar as the Jan Sangh that had rehabilitated the martyr’s family politically post-Independence.

The BJP’s move is being seen as an adroit step to make people aware that Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s family had chosen to align itself with the Jan Sangh and had even remained associated with it for a number of years.

In an informal interaction here, BJP legislature party leader and minister Manoranjan Kalia said an impression was being created as if Manpreet Badal was the first person who had tried to give its due to Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s family by announcing a ticket from this party for the martyr’s relative, Abhey Sandhu.

Kalia said it was a fact that the martyr’s brother, Kulbir Singh, had been fielded as a Jan Sangh candidate from Ferozepur in 1962 and that he had gone on to win the election. The BJP leader said in 1967, the Jan Sangh had also fielded the martyr’s sister, Amar Kaur, from Kapurthala. He said Amar Kaur had also headed the Punjab Jan Sangh delegation when the party led an agitation on the issue of Rann of Kutch in 1965. He also claimed it was again the SAD-BJP coalition that had created the Shaheed Bhagat Singh museum at Khatkar Kalan in 1970.

The BJP leader also gave credit to the Congress for giving due recognition to the martyr’s family. He said former Chief Minister Zail Singh gave Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s mother, Vidyavati, the epithet of “Punjab Mata”.

It seems by this statement, the BJP has tried to deflect attention from the issue of whether the Shaheed Bhagat Singh factor would affect the SAD and also make it clear that the martyr’s family was in fact a Jan Sanghi family. By doing so, it is also attempting to ensure that Manpreet does not get any political advantage due to support from relatives of the martyr.

Kalia also indicated that Manpreet would not be effective at the hustings.

Chandigarh, March 31
Yet to find a way out of the Khalsa College controversy, the SAD-BJP government is all set to find itself hit by another issue, this time pertaining to “political interference’ in the functioning of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

As the term of the Vice-Chancellor is ending soon, the government has appointed a search committee headed by the Chief Secretary to look for a suitable replacement.

Local SAD legislator and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Harish Rai Dhanda has written to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, requesting to be associated with the decision on naming the new VC. Despite the fact that reasons for wanting to be associated with the selection process are far from academic, the CM is more than willing to oblige.

Dhanda’s letter to the CM is self-explanatory. It reads: “The VC’s term is coming to an end. I request to be associated with the decision making of the new VC. This university is in my constituency. Nearly 5,000 voters are from employees of the university, whereas 15,000 voters are either former employees or public associated with the university. I even see political fallout impacting on me for my future election prospects.” It further reads, “One post of member in the managing body is to be filled in the university. I may be considered for the same.”

The CM held a meeting on the issue earlier this month and is more than willing to oblige. But the move has not gone down well with many, who say, this is a blatant attempt to politicise an educational and research institution. With political interference, the standard of research and its functioning is bound to suffer.

The current VC, Dr MS Kang, is a former student of the university and was Professor at Louisiana State University when he was appointed the PAU VC. He is a known international expert on agriculture. However, the government has almost decided not to grant him an extension.

The matter raised by Dhanda was discussed at a meeting held at the CM’s residence on March 19 and attended by several top ranking government officers. Subsequently, a search committee under Chief Secretary CS Aggarwal was constituted to look for the new incumbent.

The CM has asked the Chief Secretary to associate Dhanda with the committee as “he has made several valuable suggestions with regard to the working of the university and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University”.

Patiala, March 31
The local police is yet to arrest the agency owners who were allegedly booked, last week, for smuggling new vehicles in Punjab without paying any excise duty.

While the showroom has resumed its operations, the cops claim that all accused in the case are on the run.

Following the recovery of a Verna car and preliminary investigations, the local police had registered an FIR against the owner and employees of a local car showroom, DPG Hyundai. Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner (AETC), Patiala, HPS Ghotra, said they were trying to collect documents to nail the accused.

According to the FIR, the accused have been identified as owner of DPG Hyundai DP Goel, their manager Bhupinder Singh, mechanic Varinder Singh, salesman Amrik Singh, and Parveen Kumar.

A case has been registered following recoveries and a preliminary investigation has been carried out by the SSP, Excise and Taxation Punjab, Mandeep Singh Sidhu, and DSP (Excise) GS Dhanoa.

Sources confirmed that following political pressure, the police was moving slowly in the case and even the investigating officer was changed in a few days after the case was registered.

“The Excise Department has not given any nod for the arrest of the accused. It has also not told the accused to join investigations,” they told TNS.

Senior officers said the agency owner was an offender in an earlier case, too, and has managed to evade arrest till date and continues to operate in the city.

SHO, Sadar, Karansher Singh, said they had conducted raids but all accused were on the run. “The investigating officer was not changed in the case and ASI Zora Singh is looking into the matter and it was by mistake that some other officer’s name was mentioned in the FIR earlier,” he added. 

Patiala, March 31
To propagate the old ayurvedic concept of medicine, the first herbal farm in Punjab is being set up at Baradari Gardens here. After formally initiating the work on the farm yesterday, Patiala Deputy Commissioner, Dipinder Singh, said the herbal farm was being set up by the Agriculture Department, Punjab, in order to promote the ayurvedic concept of medicine. “As many as 150 herbs have been identified, which would be grown up on the farm so that these could be used in the ayurvedic medicines,” said the Deputy Commissioner. He also planted saplings of medicinal plants at the farm.

Amritsar, March 31
The Dal Khalsa today claimed that the draft Bill of the proposed Khalsa University had certain provisions that could be “misused by any Chancellor for transforming the university into his personal fiefdom”.

Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh blamed the troika of the Khalsa College Governing Council President Satyajit Singh Majithia, Vice-President Charanjit Singh Chadha and Honorary Secretary Rajmohinder Singh Chinna for “trying to befool the people by highlighting goody-goody points of the draft in the university’s ad campaign while concealing the provisions that are dangerous”.

According to him, Section 17 Subsection 3 (e) of “the Khalsa University Amritsar Bill, 2010”, which specifies the powers of the Governing Body, states: “To recommend to the sponsoring body the voluntary liquidation of the university if a situation arises when the smooth functioning of the university does not remain possible in spite of all efforts.”

Similarly, Section 5 Subsection 14, which specifies powers and duties of the university, reads: “To purchase, acquire and taken on lease or mortgage, and sell, lease, mortgage, alienate and transfer any immovable or movable property belonging to or vested in the university.”

Kanwar Pal echoed fears expressed by a cross section of the Sikh society that the proposed university would “strengthen one man-one family control” at any point of time. “As per the draft, the President of the Khalsa College Charitable Society will be the Chancellor, who will be all powerful. The entire powers have been vested in the Chancellor, including nominating members of the Governing Body, which is the supreme authority of the university. The Governing Body consists of nine members (including the Chancellor), out of which three will be handpicked by the Chancellor while the quorum for the meetings to take any decision is four. So by all means, the Chancellor will be the sole authority to run the affairs,” he said.

The supreme authority of the university would not be the Governor of Punjab, designated as the ‘visitor’ in the draft, as claimed by the management, he said. “The visitor does have some powers but with a rider that he will exercise them in consultation with the Chancellor,” he added.

On the other hand, Majithia clarified that the liquidation clause was a way out for the players who started a private university without doing a proper groundwork, which was not the case with them. 

Amritsar, March 31
An SGPC delegation led by its chief, Avtar Singh Makkar, will meet Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal regarding re-construction of Gurdwara Gyan Godri, a shrine associated with Guru Nanak Dev.

The gurdwara was set up at Har-ki-Pauri in Hardwar in the memory of Guru Nanak Dev who visited the spot in 1504-05. He had done “sadhna” there and had an interaction with local teerth purohits too. But, in the 1970s it was demolished in the name of renovation and was later handed over to Bharat Scouts and Guides, which still has its office at the same place. Since then, Sikh organisations have been demanding allocation of the same place for the construction of the gurdwara.

While talking to The Tribune on phone from Dehradun, Makkar said they would submit a memorandum to the Uttarakhand CM, seeking proper allocation of land for re-constructing the gurdwara. “We want the government to allot us land at Har-ki-Pauri only so that the gurdwara can be raised at its original place. If the government is unable to do so then we will at least demand a small piece of land there to raise a memorial while seeking a large chunk of land nearby for constructing the gurdwara,” he averred. Earlier, the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh, too, had visited Hardwar in this connection. 

Amritsar, March 31
Disappointed over yesterday’s action of the Khalsa College management to serve house vacation notices on their four colleagues, teachers of the college today decided to seek legal opinion on the issue and also threatened to intensify their agitation if the management did not withdraw its decision.

As the Principal of the college did not allow them to hold their meeting on the campus of the college, teachers assembled at Company Bagh to hold their meeting to chalk out further course of action. They demanded the management’s sympathetic approach towards its decision of slapping house vacation notices on four teachers, who were part of the ongoing agitation against the proposed conversion of the college into a university.

They also sought Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s intervention to preserve the rich heritage of the college.

SS Rangi, one of the victims, said: “We neither harmed anyone physically nor damaged any college property. Then on what grounds we have been served notices? These are all pressure tactics of the management to scuttle our move to oppose their personal gains”, said Rangi, who is also the President of the teachers’ union.

“If the management did not withdraw its decision, we will intensify our agitation,” he added.

A state-level executive meeting of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union had also been called here to discuss the matter. It would be attended by all district heads of teachers’ organisations from across the state, said teachers.

They also demanded that a letter of intent issued to the college be withdrawn immediately. “A written request will also be sent to the authorities concerned to withdraw an NOC issued to the college for going ahead with the proposal of converting the college into a university”, said Tarjit Singh, secretary of the union.

Nawanshahr, March 31
Jarnail Singh of Sarhali village (Ropar), who was working as a sevadar at the Social Welfare Office, allegedly committed suicide by jumping before a train near Mehndipur village here today.

Kin of the deceased alleged that Jarnail had taken this step following threatening phone calls made by Ashok Kumar, son of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhary Nand Lal, over the issue of the distribution of cheques of the Shagun scheme. They demanded the registration of a case against Ashok Kumar.

They also indulged in an altercation with officials of the GRP and forcibly took away the body from there for keeping it at Chandigarh Chowk to block the traffic. The police tried to pacify them, but they refused to relent and demanded the registration of a case. Later, they raised slogans and staged a demonstration at Chandigarh Chowk around 8.30 p.m. The body of Jarnail Singh was found on a railway track near Mehndipur village this morning. Karnail Singh and Gurnam Singh, relatives of the deceased and BSP leaders from Ropar and Nawanshahr, alleged that Jarnail had taken this extreme step due to threatening phone calls made by Ashok Kumar over the issue of the distribution of cheques.

Ashok Kumar had been asking him to hand over the cheques to him for disbursing the same to beneficiaries at a sangat darshan programme to be presided over by CM Parkash Singh Badal at Balachaur instead of giving these cheques directly to the beneficiaries.

Describing the allegations as baseless, CPS Chaudhary Nand Lal and his son Ashok Kumar said the distribution of cheques at sangat darshan programmes was a routine affair and the question of issuing threats to any official over the issue did not arise.