|
|
|
|
|
NRHM staff jam traffic outside bus stand
Punjab Govt flayed in Abohar
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Pbi varsity to conduct study on contribution of women in history
Floods may hit Fazilka’s agro-based economy
Cong leader seeks strong Lokpal in Punjab
Badal meets heads of Deras, gurdwaras
|
|
NRHM staff jam traffic outside bus stand
Bathinda, August 30 Altercations and heated arguments between the agitators and the public also took place several times as people wanted to know why were the protesters causing inconvenience to them, and if they had any problem with the government they should go to the residences and offices of the government functionaries to air their voice. One or two persons virtually quarrelled with the protesters when they did not allow even a scooter or a rickshaw to pass the circle. On an occasion, the staff of a private bus confronted the protesters and asked the driver to drive the vehicle. On this, some employees of the NRHM lay down in front of the bus and raised slogans against the state government. While the blockade was on, no bus was allowed either to enter or exit the bus stand due to which long queues of vehicles were formed. While all this was happening, the police officials present there remained as mute spectator. However, Bathinda Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar came to the protest site later and started making efforts to get the blockade lifted. On his assurance that he would arrange their meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, the protesters agreed to lift the blockade. They went to meet the DC and submitted a memorandum to him. Earlier, after holding a rally on the premises of the local Civil Hospital, the protesters wearing black badges took out a march from the hospital to the main bus stand raising slogans against the government. They reached the bus stand chowk at about 12.15 pm and lifted the blockade at about 1.00 pm. They also burnt an effigy of the Punjab Government and held a 'siapa' in support of their demands comprising regularisation of services, formulation of service rules, and implementation of pay-scales recommended by the Fifth Pay Commission, Punjab. Bathinda district president of the NRHM Employees Association Narinder Kumar said in today's protest, the NRHM employees from Bathinda, Mansa and Faridkot districts took part. He said their agitation would continue till their demands were met. The agitation had entered its 23rd day today. |
|
|
Abohar, August 30 NRHM Employees Association, Ferozepur district, president Krishna Rani and Fazilka district president Kunal Keerti criticised the state government for backtracking on the promises made in the past to regularise the services of 5,340 employees. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the Senior Medical Officer Dr Jagdish Chander Takkar and then marched to the sub-divisional complex to submit their memorandum to the SDM Jasdeep Singh Aulakh. The association said the agitation would be intensified, if the state government fails in taking solid steps to fulfill its promise. — OC |
|
|
Pbi varsity to conduct study on contribution of women in history
Patiala, August 30 Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, informed that he had proposed this study keeping in mind the fact that women had played a significant role in Indian history but still no significant study had been done on their contribution. "People are unaware of the contribution of women in the Indian history. Though most of them know the names of prominent women, there is still ignorance as to what was their exact contribution in history. Therefore, this study would be highly beneficial for the coming generations. Rani of Jhansi Lakshmi Bai is one about which people have detailed knowledge," he added. Giving instances from the history, he informed that Guru Angad Dev's wife Bibi Khivi did a lot for the promotion of langar system but no one actually knows much about it. “Guru Gobind Singh's wife Mata Sundri holds a special place in Sikhism for the role she played in leading Sikhs through the troubled times that befell on them after the death of her husband and sons. She commanded the Sikh community for 40 long years after Guru Gobind Singh's death but people are not much aware of her contribution. Mai Bhago is another such heroic lady,” he further informed. Therefore, we have decided to carry out this study in order to apprise our future generations about these strong women. He informed that Women's Study Centre will be given the task of this study. |
|
|
Floods may hit Fazilka’s agro-based economy
Fazilka, August 30 In 90 per cent of the area under cultivation, Basmati variety of paddy has been planted in the affected border belt. “Due to constant stagnation of water that has completely inundated the standing paddy crop has damaged it. The paddy plants require oxidation and aeration regularly and can survive without the natural phenomenon for a week. After this, the plants start dying and cannot be revived,” said Prem Babbar, coordinator, Farmers Organisation of Agriculture Development, Fazilka, which has been providing technical know-how to the farmers for the last two decades. Notably, flood water is standing in some of the fields for the last 10 days. Hence, the chances of survival of the standing paddy crops are nominal. "If some quantity of paddy survives the floods, its quality would considerably fall," added Babbar. The border belt of Fazilka district is famous for producing high quality Basmati rice, which is exported abroad. In the remaining 10 per cent fractions, the crops of cotton, vegetables, lentils and green fodder are cultivated. These too have been washed and damaged. Another progressive farmer Satish Dhingra of Mohammad Pira said the loss in terms of rupees is over 30,000 per acre of paddy, if it is damaged completely. He said the yield of paddy per acre is around 16 to 20 quintals. The rate of paddy during the previous season was average, Rs 2200 to 2400 per quintal. Arhtiya Association president Daya Krishan Sachdeva said the crop damage due to flood would be yet another blow on the already 'cash crunch ridden' economy. The commission agents are restive because they feel that the farmers whose crops have been damaged would not be able to repay the money advanced to them. As per the sources, the commission agents in Fazilka area already owe balance amount of Rs 25 crores from the exporters on account of Basmati paddy sold by them to the exporters during the last year. The amount has not been realised so far. Due to this reason, the commission agents are facing financial crunch, which is likely to be further compounded. Balwant Singh, a resident of village Mahatam Nagar, who had planted paddy in 18 acres of land, is demanding a minimum amount of Rs 20000 per acre as compensation to meet the input cost. His paddy has been submerged in water for over 10 days and has been damaged completely, claimed Balwant Singh. On the other hand, ADC Charnadev Singh Mann said there is a provision of the government providing Rs 5000 per acre as 'relief' to the farmers whose crops have been completely damaged. Others would be paid less amount after assessing the damage. Malkeet Singh, a resident of flood affected village Dona Nanka, whose paddy in 16 acres of land has been totally washed away, said the government the government offer of relief is a pittance. Since the economy of the border district Fazilka is agro-based, the financial loss to the farmers would hit the trade of other businessmen particularly the rice Sheller owners. |
|
Cong leader seeks strong Lokpal in Punjab
Moga, August 30 “All the constitutional and judicial bodies of the nation should positively respond to the call of the masses, quite evident from Anna’s 13-day fast, to end corruption from the country,” he said. He said the Lokpal in Punjab exists in the state for the past many years but it has no power to convict or punish anyone at its own level. He said, “It has powers only to investigate and report findings to the competent authority and recommend action.” As many as 108 complaints had come before the Punjab Lokpal, out of which, 50 had been forwarded to the competent authorities for necessary action while others remained under investigation. He was of the view that the Punjab Lokpal should also be strengthened on the lines of the Jan Lokpal drafted by Anna Hazare and his team supported by the civil society to make the body more effective and responsive in weeding out corruption. He also appealed to all the political parties of the state irrespective of their policies and ideologies to come on a common platform and initiate a move to strengthen the Lokpal of Punjab and set a role model before the nation and other states. It may be mentioned that George Shubh, a resident of Kapurthala district, had recently filed a petition before the Lokpal alleging that 12 acres of the prime government land of Nagar Panchayat and Begowal, estimated to have a market price of Rs 100 crore had been illegally occupied by Bibi Jagir Kaur, who is also a chairperson of the Kapurthala District Planning Board. The complainant had also alleged that she had Badal's backing on the issue. The Lokpal recorded the statement of the complainant before ordering the inquiry |
|
Badal meets heads of Deras, gurdwaras
Moga, August 30 In all the public rallies, he addressed at Dharamkot, Badhni Kalan, Baghapurana, Nihalsinghwala, Moga and some other locations, the CM claimed that the SGPC polls would strengthen the mass base of the party in the run-up to the assembly elections, which were due in February, next year. On the face of the forthcoming assembly polls, the CM met the heads of the local Deras and gurdwaras, which are not under the control of the SGPC for seeking votes in the elections of the prestigious religious body. Badal today went to the Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Tega Singh at Chandpurana village, located on the outskirts of Moga and held a dialogue with Baba Gurdeep Singh after paying obeisance in the religious shrine for about half-an-hour. The details of talks were kept a secret by the CM as well as the management of this shrine by saying that Badal came here to condole the death of former head of the shrine Baba Nachattar Singh, who passed away a few weeks back. He also met Baba Jagjit Singh of the Sikh religious shrine, located at Lopo village, Baba Zora Singh of Badhni Kalan shrine, Baba Mahinder Singh of Janer gurdwara, Baba Tulsi Dass Jhuggi Wale of Daulewala village, Sant Fateh Singh of Khosa Randhir Singh village and a few other heads of the local gurudwaras. Local political observers were of the view that the heads of Deras have their sway over thousands of people in their respective areas with a personal touch, therefore, their importance among the leaders of various political parties contesting the SGPC elections has suddenly emerged to get votes. Dera identity has traditionally been more like an ‘add-on’ identity among the masses, which the politicians try to exploit in the vote bank politics and that too when the run-up to the assembly elections has already begun in the state. In all the rallies, which the CM had addressed in the Moga district, some in the presence of the Dera/gurudwara heads, he talked of assembly elections asking the Sikh masses to pull up their socks for retaining power in the state without briefing much on the religious agenda of the SGPC polls except saying that the party aims to set up more educational institutes and manage the affairs of gurudwaras effectively and transparently. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The agro-based economy of Fazilka is likely to be shattered as a result of extensive damage to the standing crops in over 15000 acres of land following the flash floods. Experts of the trade and farmers estimate the loss to the tune of at least Rs 25
crores.
