The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	3 done to death in Moga Total number of persons murdered in the town last week rises to seven Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, November 1 A spate of murders continues to rock Moga district. Three more persons had been found murdered taking the total number of killings during the past one week to seven. A 70-year-old man and his 45-year-old son had allegedly been found murdered in a row over ancestral property at Patto Hira Singh village in the Nihalsinghwala sub-division. In another incident that occurred last night, a migrant labourer was murdered by four unidentified persons in Jalalabad (East) village of Dharamkot sub-division in Moga district. As per the details available, partially-mutilated bodies of Bant Singh and his son Jagtar Singh had been recovered from their house at Patto Hira Singh village. The bodies were brought to the district hospital for post-mortem examination. Amarjit Kaur, wife of Kewal Singh and daughter of the deceased old man, in her statement to the police, had alleged that her father and brother had been murdered by her uncle Kirpal Singh and an unknown person probably with the motive to grab their land measuring one acre. SSP Sneh Deep Sharma, while confirming that an FIR under Section 302 of the IPC had been registered against the accused, said it appeared to be a doubtful case of murder. “I have ordered a thorough investigation and truth will come out after receiving the post-mortem examination report,” he said. He revealed that many empty bottles of liquor and some intoxicating medicines had been recovered from the spot, which indicate that there could be a possibility of overdose of medicines or liquor, leading to their death. Moreover, he said the local people had revealed that the father-son duo were living alone in the house and were dependent on the sale of a buffalo’s milk and just an acre of land. Jagtar Singh was not married even at the age of 45 years due to poverty, which could have also prompted them to commit suicide. The police claims that no external injury was found on their bodies. However, the bodies were mutilated and stinking making it difficult to find injury marks. In the second incident, Inder Sen, a labourer hailing from Ballan village of Bandra district (UP), was attacked by four unidentified persons with sharp-edged weapons when he was returning home along with his colleague Mata Din from the brick kiln, where they worked, at Jalalabad (East) village in Dharamkot sub-division of this district last night. While Inder Sen died on the spot, an injured Mata Din ran away to save his life. In an injured state, he was admitted to the district hospital here. Talking to TNS, he said the attackers were in saintly attire and snatched money from him besides looting their bycycle. The police had registered a criminal case of murder and attempt to murder against unknown persons and begun investigations into the incident, the SSP added.
	Farmers dejected as Basmati 1121 variety awaits buyers Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, October 1 A majority of farmers, who had planted popular 1121 variety of Basmati paddy in the hope of getting better prices as compared to parimal variety, are now feeling dejected. The government has not announced the MSP for this superior variety of paddy. Hence, they have to sell it on low price. "We are left at the mercy of private traders, particularly the rice mill owners who are the bulk buyers of this Basmati variety," said Gurdev Singh, a resident of Odian village, who has come to Fazilka grain market to sell his produce. The MSP of course primal variety is Rs 1,110 per quintal. As per sources, the average yield per acre of primal paddy is about 30 quintal. Thus, the farmers earn about Rs 35,000 per acre. On the other hand, the average yield per acre of 1121 Basmati variety is 15 quintal. The prevalent market price of this superior paddy variety is around Rs 1,600 per quintal. Therefore, the farmers cultivating this variety can earn around Rs 24,000. A loss of Rs 10,000 per acre is worrying the farmers cultivating the 1121 Basmati variety. They feel deceived by their fate, government and the private traders. "We had cultivated this fine variety on the persuasion of the government for diversification, as it consumes less water," said a section of the producer of this variety. "The private traders and the exporters have connived and offer a considerably low price," alleged Pritam Chand of Mauzam village. Sources said during the last year, the minimum price at which the 1121 Basmati paddy was purchased was around Rs 2,000 per quintal. This year, after a prolonged deadlock between the commission agents and the millers, purchase of paddy was ultimately commenced at Rs 1,701 per quintal, five days back. "We were expecting a proportionate hike in the prices as the cost of inputs has shot up by about 20 per cent. Contrary to it, the market price of the 1121 variety crashed by 15 per cent as compared to the last year at the very onset of the purchase. Adding salt to our injury, the market price of this variety has further come down to Rs 1,620 today," said Munshi Ram and Kashmir Chand of village Pharmawala. In this price, they would not be able to realize their input cost, they added. The worst hit are the tenants, who had entered into a per acre contract with land owners. They had offered Rs 32,000- Rs 40,000 per acre for Kharif and Rabi crops, which they would not be able to realise. President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union's Fazilka district, Parduman Kumar Beganwali, believes that to mitigate the problem of paddy farmers and to prevent their exploitation at the hands of private traders, the Markfed should enter the market for commercial trading. They should make bulk purchases of the superior Basmati paddy at Rs 1,800- Rs 1,900 per quintal to save farmers from financial loss. Notably, Fazilka is the biggest Basmati paddy producing belt in the state. So far, 2,37,750 quintal of Basmati paddy has arrived in the local grain market and its purchase centres. Out of the total arrival, 1,43,555 quintal of paddy had been purchased by the private traders.
	Affidavit of credentials must for PIL, says HC Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 1 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that an affidavit is required to be furnished while filing a petition to specifically disclose the credentials of the petitioner and his direct or indirect personal motive or interest involved in the matter. The Bench of Acting Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina has further made it clear that petitions, not accompanied by the affidavit, would be dismissed. The assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed by Sukhdev Singh against the State of Punjab and other respondents seeking directions for relocation of an industrial unit situated in a residential area. The Bench asserted: “This Court has already framed Maintainability of Public Interest Litigation Rules, 2010. Rule 6 of the 2010 Rules defines the main categories under which a public interest litigation could be entertained. “It also includes the petitions pertaining to environmental pollution, disturbance of ecological balance, forest and wildlife. “Maintainability of a PIL is governed by Rule 2, which reads -No public interest litigation shall be entertained by the Registry unless the petitioner(s) has specifically disclosed his credentials and his direct or indirect personal motive or interest involved in the case, if any, by way of an affidavit.” “From a bare perusal of Rule 2 of the 2010 Rules, it is evident that an affidavit is required to be filed by the petitioner filing a writ petition as PIL specifically disclosing his credentials and direct or indirect personal motive or interest involved in the case”. The Bench added: “The Registry is directed to insist compliance of Rule 2 of the 2010 Rules, whenever any petition falling under any of the categories prescribed by Rule 6 of the 2010 Rules is filed in this Court. “Necessary steps in that regard be taken by the Registrar-Judicial by issuing a circular/notice in the daily cause list for the information of the members of the Bar and also putting the same on the High Court website.” Referring to the case in hand, the Bench added: “No such affidavit has been filed by the petitioner in the present case. Accordingly, we find no merit in the instant petition and the same deserves to be dismissed.”
	Former SMO, spouse booked for terminating daughter’s pregnancy Our Correspondent Abohar, November 1 The city police has registered a case against former senior medical officer Dr Jaspal Singh, his wife Dr Jagmeet Kaur, daughter Pushmeet Kaur and one Avtar Singh under Sections 420, 494, 495, 312 and 120B of the IPC. While lodging the FIR, Basant Nagar resident Gurjinder Kalra Advocate had stated that he married Pushmeet Kaur on April 15. His in-laws reportedly wanted him to stay at their house. But since he refused, his wife went to her parents’ house and did not turn up. She reportedly had pregnancy of four months. When the complainant approached his in-laws with request to send his wife back, they allegedly refused. He was shocked to know that she had also allegedly got pregnancy terminated. He blamed his in-laws for the incident and sought their arrest. However, no arrest could be made so far, the police said.
	Record power generation at Lehra plant Tribune News Service Bathinda, November 1 The Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat has achieved a record generation. In a press statement issued here today, a GHTP spokesperson said running at its full capacity, the units 1, 3 and 4 generated 1625, 1949 and 1937 lakh units during October at a plant load factor of 103.99 per cent, 104.76 per cent and 104.15 per cent, respectively, which is a record in the history of thermal plants of Punjab. Total generation at GHTP in October was 7,059 lakh units at a plant load factor of 103.14 per cent. Further, the plant generated 233.03 lakh units of electricity at a plant load factor of 105.54 per cent on October 27, which is also a record generation in a single day. The spokesperson claimed that the 210-MW Unit 1 of the plant is running continuously without tripping since July 20. It is the sixth time that the unit has run for over 100 days on the trot. MR Parhar, chief engineer, GHTP, Lehra Mohabbat, congratulated all engineers, officials and workers of the plant.