PNDT Act should be strictly enforced and meetings of the PNDT cell should be held regularly to monitor complaints of misuse. Last meeting was held in November 2007. — Sadhu Ram Kusla, APO, DRDA

When people consider even the accidental killing of a cat by them as sin, how does their conscience allow them to abort the girl child? The mindset has to change. — Raj Gupta, Leading educationist

Motivation among women is also required to prevent the evil of female foeticide. — Maninder Kaur, Fashion technologist

Bathinda, April 9
With the sex ratio in the high-profile Bathinda district further falling to 865 in the current census, Sadhu Ram Kusla, the whistle-blower who exposed the misuse of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) to abort the female foetus, has urged the Punjab government to curb the negative trend by strictly enforcing PNDT Act.

The negative trend, that has been witnessed only in Bathinda, out of the 20 districts in the state, has caused concern among the people. According to the census figures, the sex ratio here has gone down from 870 in 2001 to 865 per 1000 males now.

This trend has been registered although Harsimrat Kaur Badal, local Member of Lok Sabha and wife of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, was personally monitoring the 'Nanni Chhan' movement to save the girl child.

The governmental authorities are to be blamed for this negative trend as they have failed to make serious efforts to check female foeticide that was on the rise particularly in the Malwa region.

The PNDT cell headed by the Deputy Commissioner that was supposed to monitor the misuse of the diagnostic techniques and progress in police investigations in such cases has not met here for the past more than three years. The last meeting of the cell was held on November 26, 2007.

Kusla, who is an assistant project officer in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and was also member-secretary of the PNDT cell, was suspended last year reportedly for his "pro-active" approach in pointing out that certain ultrasound centres were resorting to sex determination. However, he was reinstated last month while the inquiry against him was still on.

He said that earlier, the meeting of the PNDT cell was a must once in a month to keep watch on the complaints of misuse of the PNDT Act, but no meeting has been held after November 2007. About 70 NGOs that functioned as the watchdog at the grassroot level to check the misuse of PNDT Act have set up the 'Beti Bachao Manch' (save girl child forum), but their voice has generally fallen on deaf ears.

The Central Government had in 2007 asked the state governments to appoint the respective district magistrates as the appropriate authority under the PNDT Act, but this has so far not been implemented in Punjab where the civil surgeon holds the post thereby giving leverage to those doctors who misuse the technique.

Kusla suggested that the cases under the PNDT Act should be referred to the fast track courts as the existing system was very lengthy.

As many as 75 cases under the PNDT Act were registered in the eight districts of the Malwa region between 2005 and 2008. Residents of the town recall that Anurag Aggarwal, who was DC here in 2003, took several initiatives to check female foeticide.

The literacy rate in Malwa that consists of Mansa, Muktsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot and Moga districts, was also low as compared to the rest of Punjab. Mansa was the lowest with 62.8 per cent while Bathinda was 69.6 per cent. This was so even though Bathinda, Faridkot and Muktsar districts in particular have become the hub of formal and technical education.

Meanwhile, Dr Shiv Dutt, president of the local unit of the IMA claimed that the PNDT Act was being followed in letter and spirit by the doctors.

Mansa, April 9
The president, SAD (Badal) and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today warned the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre against discriminating with Punjab on all issues including denial of hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and restructuring of loan of Punjab. He said it could lead to a severe problem in the state.

Sukhbir also warned that if the Central government failed to move out the stock of wheat and paddy lying in the godowns dotting Punjab, it would hamper procurement of wheat in the coming days.

Talking to the media here after addressing a rally held in the old grain market, the Deputy CM categorically said rejection of restructuring of Punjab’s debt by the UPA government had exposed the false propaganda of former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal that the Central government was sincere about waiving the debt of Punjab.

“Why Manpreet is mum over the rejection of restructuring of Punjab’s debt by the Centre,” questioned Sukhbir.

“Manpreet has now been opposing the welfare schemes, including Atta and Dal at subsidised rates, Shagun for the marriage of girls belonging to the poor section of society, pension to widows, pension to elderly people and free electricity to farmers, of the SAD-BJP combine government even when he won four consecutive elections on the SAD’s manifesto, which promised all things,” he said.

He laid the foundation stones of a regional campus of the Punjab Technical University (PTU) and 100-bed cancer-cum-multi-speciality medical institute in this educationally backward town. He said arrangements for setting up a girls college of the Punjabi University would be made for the district soon.

Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MP, Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, Harwant Singh Datewas (former MLAs), Harnam Singh Dhaliwal, president, Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust, Rajneesh Arora, vice-chancellor, PTU and Suresh Kumar, principal secretary, Technical Education, Punjab, attended the function.

Bathinda, April 9
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is of the considered opinion that former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is a positive phenomenon in Punjab politics who can break the so-called two-party system (SAD-BJP alliance and Congress) in the state by taking the support of like-minded parties.

Stating this here today, Dr Joginder Dayal, a member of the national executive of the CPI, further said that if Manpreet Badal really wanted to end the two-party system, check corruption in Punjab and establish people's rule in real terms, then he must take like-minded secular, democratic and socialist forces with him for evolving a common minimum understanding to contest the ensuing elections from a common platform and defeat the SAD-BJP and the Congress in the coming assembly elections.

Talking to TNS, Dayal said the mobilisation of the people was the need of the hour for contesting the ensuing Assembly polls from a common platform. He said if this was not done, then it would be difficult to defeat the SAD-BJP and the Congress, which were basing their politics on non-issues in the state.

Bathinda, April 9
A B.Tech qualified youth, the son of a policeman, who was in his early twenties, reportedly hanged himself to death at his residence in the staff colony of the Central Jail Bathinda, here today.

Though the reason behind the incident could not be ascertained, residents of the locality informed that he used to keep distance from them, even from those in his age-group. They suspected he was suffering from some mental pressure for the last few days.

Police sources informed that his father Major Singh, a constable posted at Moga Jail, was at his place of posting when the boy ended his life.

As per information, the boy in question, Surjeet Singh, had passed out from a private engineering college, located at Kharar, near Chandigarh. After clearing his B.Tech examinations, he was looking for a job.

Some of the neighbours informed that after failing in his effort to find a job on many occasions, he had appeared for placement at a job fair held at the Baba Farid College at Deon on Friday, where he was reportedly selected by the authorities of the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery.

"Everything was normal last night but in the morning, his family members found him hanging from a ceiling fan. They immediately informed the people in the locality," said a neighbour, seeking anonymity. Meanwhile, police received the information and after conducting the preliminary investigation, took the body to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem.

Some of the bereaved kin present outside the mortuary informed that Surjeet was also a kabaddi player.

He was the eldest of the three siblings. His mother was a clerk at the Central Jail Bathinda. The family belongs to village Kalyan Sukha in the district.

The Civil Lines police, acting upon the statement of the family members, initiated the inquest proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC.

The bereaved family members were not in a condition to interact with the media.

Bathinda, April 9
A 45-year-old man of Deon, frustrated over the extra-marital relationship of his wife with a neighbour, reportedly committed suicide today.

Police has booked the woman and her paramour. As per information, Baldev Singh married Paramjeet Kaur about 20 years ago. About three years back, Paramjeet developed physical relations with a neighbour Lakhwinder Singh and decided to keep Lakhwinder with her in the house. Failing to convince his wife, Baldev Singh started living separately in the house. Frustrated, he consumed poison, SHO Sadar Paramjeet Singh Dod informed.

Muktsar, April 9
The complaint regarding black-marketeers of Bt cotton seeds enjoying a free run in his home district (Muktsar) that reached the CM Parkash Singh Badal on Friday, has landed the district administration here in trouble. A group of farmers complained to the CM about the district administration being indifferent towards their problem and also accused some officials of being hand-in-glove with the seed traders.

Taking serious notice, the CM warned the officials to check the menace or be ready to face the music. Fearing action, the district staff of the agriculture department hurriedly swung into action and launched a special drive.

A team led by Chief Agriculture Officer Darshan Singh Sandhu, conducted raids at six seed shops in Gidderbaha sub-division last evening. During the raid, suspecting foul play, the teams seized the sale-purchase records. Meanwhile, finding evidence of mischief, the team restricted the total sale of two shops till further orders.

The agriculture department staff again conducted raids at various shops today and nabbed a shopkeeper of Gidderbaha selling non-permissible seeds brought from Gujarat to a farmer. Suspecting that the dealer was in possession of a large stock of spurious seeds, the team called the police and handed him over to them to ascertain the facts related to his source, godown etc.

“We were already conducting surprise checks but after the matter reached the CM, the drive has been intensified,” said Sandhu.

Refuting the allegation of being hand-in-glove with the black marketeers, Sandhu said, “We are taking the sale-purchase record of all those suspected to be involved in overcharging and selling fake seeds of Bt cotton. After an in-depth probe, the guilty will have to face action.”

Bathinda, April 9
The arrival of raw cotton including Desi and Narma has significantly come down this year in the markets of northern India comprising Punjab, Haryana and Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts of Rajasthan as compared to its arrival during the corresponding period last year in the region.

Sources said the total arrival of raw cotton in the northern India up to March 31 was 36.64 lakh bales against the arrival of 37.67 lakh bales in the corresponding period last year. The fall in the arrival was worked out around 1.3 lakh bales. Though about 800 cotton bales had still been reaching different markets, the traders expected that the total volume of arrival of white gold this year would not be able to cross the figure of arrival of raw cotton of the previous year.

Kapilash Garg, a leading cotton trader of the region, said in Punjab, the arrival of raw cotton this year was more than last year. In Haryana and Rajasthan, it has considerably declined this year as compared to previous year.

He said only 48,955 bales of Desi cotton had been unloaded in the markets till March 31, this year, against the arrival of 1.30 lakh bales of Desi cotton in the corresponding period last year. Ashok Kapur, former president, Northern India Cotton association, said the decline in the arrival to the extent of over one lakh cotton bales this year as compared to last year was a serious trend.

Niranjan Kumar, another trader, said arrival of cotton bales in northern India this season had declined as a section of growers had held back their produce in anticipation to fetch higher prices. Meanwhile, a large number of cotton ginning and pressing factories in northern India have closed their operations due to unavailability of raw cotton in adequate quantity.

Abohar, April 9
The supply of water to all the canals and distributaries originating from the Sirhind feeder and sub-canals thereof have been suspended for 11 days to take up the rest of the cleaning operations.

Meanwhile, Sriganganagar DC Mugdha Sinha has given green signal to the Water Resources Department to go ahead with the long-awaited lining and repair work in the Gang (Bikaner) canal.

The water supply will be suspended from the Harike headworks tomorrow for 20 days to carry out the work. The pressure release valves will also be repaired during the three-week closure. — OC

Moga, April 9
Two police officers, including the SHO of police station (city-1), Moga, had been suspended for not conducting a fair probe in an attempt to murder case.

SHO Harvinder Singh Khera and sub-inspector Des Raj of the same police station had also been placed suspended, said SSP Sneh Deep Sharma.

The SSP after suspending the two police officers had asked the DSP Moga to conduct a departmental inquiry against them. He has asked SI Sarabhjit Singh to officiate as SHO of the city-1 police station till permanent arrangements are made.