The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Badal steps up attack on Manpreet, Barnala SP Sharma/TNS Fatehpur Mannian (Muktsar) October 20 In a dig at his nephew Manpreet Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today accused him of having tarnished the prestige and image of the “Badal family” by betraying the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that was his mother party. In the first ever hard-hitting outburst at the Sangat Darshan in the Lambi assembly constituency, Badal said his family has rendered selfless service to the party but Manpreet had solely deserted it to pursue his vested political ambition for reasons best known to him. Badal said that notwithstanding the SAD’s magnanimity to offer everything that he asked for to Manpreet, he joined hands with the Congress in a “clandestine manner” to tarnish the image of the SAD. He said that it was next to impossible for Manpreet to get the key portfolio of finance in his first stint as a minister, but he was allocated the sensitive portfolio. However, he “betrayed” by parting ways with SAD. “Manpreet is perhaps living in a fool’s paradise by believing that he could jeopardize the electoral prospects of the SAD in the coming assembly polls but he is sadly mistaken as the people of Punjab are wise enough to teach him a lesson”. The Chief Minister reiterated that any individual, however mighty he might be, was not above the party or could make a dent in the organisation. “God forbid, if I ever try to harm the party, it is not at all feasible for me to do so because the people of Punjab are conversant with the pro-people and development-oriented policies of the SAD,” he added. Badal also lashed out at the former Chief Minister Surjeet Singh Barnala and said it is ironical that through out his long political career, Barnala had enjoyed the fruits of power due to the SAD and now at the fag end of his career, he was trying to damage the party. The Chief Minister, however, reiterated that Barnala would not succeed in his “nefarious designs” as the people of the state are prudent enough to teach him a lesson and ultimately make these traitors of Punjab lick the dust”. The “Sanjha Morcha” would meet the same fate in the coming assembly elections as the Panthic Morcha in the SGPC elections. “Barnala’s action to float a front against the SAD would not only remain a black scar on his long political career but is also an unpardonable act,” Badal added. Making a scathing attack on the Congress, the Chief Minister said it was responsible for the poor plight of the farmers in the country in general and of Punjab in particular as it had blatantly neglected the steps that should have been taken to improve the lot of the distressed farmers. He blamed the Congress for putting farmers of the state in a deep debt trap adding that unprecedented hike in the agricultural inputs have already crushed the local peasantry. Earlier, Badal gave away 65 bicycles to the girl students at village Bhai Ka Khera and Fullu Khera.
	Sanjha Morcha prepares to form alliance with BSP Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Bathinda, October 20 The patron of the ‘Sanjha Morcha’, formed by the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), the SAD (Longowal), the CPI and the CPM, Surjit Singh Barnala, former Tamil Nadu Governor, has been authorised by the morcha to initiate talks with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for forming an alliance with the BSP during the ensuing Assembly elections in Punjab. Stating this here today, the PPP supremo Manpreet Singh Badal said the morcha had also asked Barnala to explore the possibilities of an electoral alliance with the BSP. However, they would have to wait for the outcome of the talks between Barnala and Mayawati, he said. Manpreet was here today to address a workers’ meeting, organised in connection with launching of 50-day-long “Izzat Sambhal Yatra” by the morcha from November 6 from Dhudike, the birthplace of Lala Lajpat Rai. About the statement on his party by Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Manpreet said this was a sign of frustration among the SAD leaders due to his strong emergence on the state’s political map. Lashing out at CM Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet said he (Badal) had politically finished many SAD leaders, including Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Surjan Singh Thekedar and Surjit Singh Barnala. He said though the CM and the president of the SAD Sukhbir Badal had expelled him from the party, but they had now been saying that he had deserted the party. He also said Sukhbir Badal was alone enough to ensure the defeat of the SAD in the ensuing Assembly elections and there was no need for leaders like Captain Amarinder Singh to defeat the SAD. Manpreet also said that on November 6, the morcha would sound the bugle for the ensuing elections. He said they had evolved a broad consensus for the elections, in which the PPP would hold a major part. He also said they had not fixed seats for any party to contest. However, they would contest on the basis of the winning prospects of the candidate. Manpreet said the SAD (Longowal) would contest the elections on the symbol of the PPP while the CPI and the CPM would contest on their respective election symbols. He said they would prepare a common minimum programme on November 6 even as all the four parties would have their own separate manifestoes.
	Post office fraud Villagers seek action against official Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, October 20 Hundreds of affected villagers today gathered outside the head post office seeking action against the post master, identified as Rakesh Kumar, deputed at village Khai Pheme Ke, who allegedly decamped with their hard earned savings amounting to crores. Nachattar Singh, sarpanch, village Khai Pheme Ke, where Rakesh was posted for the last several years, said many villagers had opted for the post office saving schemes and had been depositing money for many years. “Over the years, he had earned the trust and goodwill of the people and no one suspected him till the time he vanished with their money,” said Nachattar, adding that Rakesh had even issued them passbooks and deposit receipts, which were probably fake, he added. Though, no case has been registered against Rakesh yet, SSP Surjit Singh said the matter was being probed and the police was recording the statements of the affected people. The SSP said the economic offences wing (EOW) has been entrusted with the inquiry, adding that the exact amount of the embezzlement was not clear yet. Sources in the EOW wing said till now, the police has received complaints of misappropriation to the tune of Rs 85,89,346. However, official sources put the amount at over Rs 3 crores. Police officials said a formal compliant has been received from the postal department on the basis of which a case will be registered once the investigations were complete. Meanwhile, Deputy Postmaster General Madhuri Dabral today visited the Head Post Office and took stock of the situation. Sources in the postal department said a team under the Assistant Superintendent of Posts KP Meena has already been constituted to conduct an inquiry into the incident. For the moment, the number of affected persons is swelling as more of them are coming forward with their complaints regarding the fraud. In village Beghu Maha, the family of former sarpanch Jasbir Singh had alone reportedly deposited nearly Rs 50 lakh in various saving schemes with Rakesh. Besides, there have been scores of people right from the influential landlords to poor peasants who were looking forward to withdraw some money due to the onset of the festival season. However, all of them have been left in the lurch.
	ICAR to promote production of citrus fruits in arid regions Raj Sadosh Abohar, October 20 To promote Aonla and kinnow production in the arid irrigated regions, the Bhubaneshwar-based National Research Centre for Women in Agriculture, founded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has selected villages Nihalkhera and Ramsara in Abohar and Sadhuwali, Khairuwala and Satipura villages in Sriganganagar region of Rajasthan. In the first phase of the networking project, a one-day training workshop was organised at the Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering Technology (CIPHET) here for farming women. Senior scientists Dr AK Shukla from Bhubaneswar, RK Vishawkarma and research assistant Pradeep Kumar discussed the aspects of post-harvest management and value addition of horticultural crops under the network project on assessment of gender issues. CIPHET in-charge Dr Dalip Jain said a plant, based on the technology developed by the CIPHET scientists, has been installed here at a cost of Rs 5 lakh. It can process 200 kg of Aonla per hour. Farming women will not have to pay for getting Aonla processed. The women were the difference in the hygienic status of the fruit processed at home manually and mechanically. Notably, the women of Abohar and Sriganganagar had won many awards during the state fruit shows for management and production. Dr AK Shukla said fruits like Aonla and kinnow can be preserved for a long period only by adopting the modernised technology in processing. This will make farming community prosperous besides simplifying diversification in agriculture. Abohar and Sriganganagar have the potential of leading the country in Aonla and kinnow production, he observed.
	Farad Kendra staff stir Ailing agitator released from jail Sushil Goyal/TNS Bathinda, October 20 Deepak Kumar, a protester who was in judicial custody in the Central jail here along with over 100 employees of various Farad Kendras of the state, was released this evening owing to ill health. He is said to be a suspected dengue fever patient. An official told TNS that the parents of Deepak Kumar met Bathinda SDM Sandeep Rishi and briefed him about the ill-health of their son. In view of this, the SDM ordered Deepak’s release on furnishing of a personal bond. A leader of the protesters, Kush Verma, told this reporter over the phone that after his release, Deepak was admitted to a private hospital in the city as he had been perhaps suffering from dengue fever. His condition was very bad at the time of his release, he added. Verma also said the health condition of two protesters, Pawan Kaur (Hoshiarpur) and Inderjit Kaur (Ludhiana), who had been observing fast-unto-death since October 17 (when they resumed their agitation) here had been deteriorating.