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Paddy cure: PAU advocates direct sowing
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Prolonged dry spell could spell trouble for farming community
Short-duration varieties more in demand
Budget session
Resolution seeks Sarabjit’s release
Majithia: Cong has lowered the sanctity of zero hour
Illegal mining: Jalandhar admn officials visit site
Phidde village wants Surjeet as sarpanch
No news of Surjeet’s namesake
Gill: Frame policy on undercover agents
RAW agent claim false: Home Secy
Tax evasion by truckers comes to light
Day 2: Tension continues at Mansoorpur village
Gang of train robbers busted
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Paddy cure: PAU advocates direct sowing
Chandigarh, June 29 The university has constituted a number of teams to motivate and guide farmers into direct sowing of paddy, called the “direct seeded rice (DSR).” “For conserving resources, especially water, we are eager to promote the DSR technology”, said Baldev Singh Dhillon, VC. He said this technology was useful for various basmati varieties , including Pusa 1121 and PR 115. Also, the Centre had sanctioned a scheme under the DSR technology under which incentives worth Rs 2,200 per acre would be given to farmers undertaking direct sowing, he said. These incentives would be available for only 15,000 hectares under DSR. The university is keen to develop clusters of 100 acres or more of direct seeded rice. Before introducing the DSR technology among the farmers, it had tested the same in its own research farms. Owing to a long dry spell, the demand for water for paddy has gone up. “With the DSR technology, farmers can save 10 to 15 per cent labour and water”, claimed Dr Dhillon. The depleting water table has become a major concern in the state. The issue was discussed at length in the state assembly a few days ago. More than 100 blocks in the state have been declared “drak” because of the depletion in subsoil water. Punjab draws far more subsoil water than what is replenished through rain. For conserving resources, especially water, we are eager to promote the DSR (direct seeded rice) technology...incentives worth Rs 2,200 per acre would be given to farmers undertaking direct sowing — Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU Vice-Chancellor
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Prolonged dry spell could spell trouble for farming community
Moga, June 29 Dr Jaswinder Singh Brar, Agriculture Development Officer, said cotton had been sown in a little more than 5,000 hectares of land in the Nihalsinghwala and Baghapurana subdivisions and there were no reports of damage to the crop. “If the dry spell persists for another couple of weeks, the hot weather may trouble paddy and cotton farmers”, he said. He said the cotton crop needed to be protected more from humid conditions with the cotton plant running the risk of being attacked by insects and pests. Dr Brar said if the first spell of monsoon arrived in the next few days, it would greatly benefit cotton, paddy and other crops. The rain would reduce the temperatures to less than 40 degrees Celsius, which was most suitable for the cotton and paddy crops, Dr Brar added.
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Short-duration varieties more in demand
Jalandhar, June 29 So far, there has been light drizzle in Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Patiala districts. There has been no rain in Jalandhar district that received 150 mm of rainfall in June last year. A large number of farmers have not transplanted paddy so far, pinning their hopes on the rain gods. Dr Mangal Singh Sidhu, Director, Agriculture Department, said the delay in paddy transplantation could result in the sowing of the next crop being delayed. Fearing a weak monsoon, farmers were turning to short-duration varieties like HKR-47 and HKR-127. “Just about 35 per cent of paddy has been transplanted so far,” said Dr Naresh Gulati. Experts say the prevailing conditions were damaging to vegetables like the brinjal and gourd.
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Area under cotton down by 2.7 lakh hectares
Bathinda, June 29 With cotton fetching Rs 7,600 per quintal two plucking season ago, the farmers had taken to growing cotton in a big way. However, their hopes were dashed last season with the cotton prices not moving beyond Rs 4,200 per quintal last year. Agriculture experts say most farmers are now switching over to gawar, that is being sold between Rs 35,000 - Rs 40,000 per quintal. India has emerged as the largest grower of gawar (80 % of the world produce). Cotton saplings in the area took long to grow this season owing to the prolonged dry spell and high temperature. Stray incidents of pest attack have been reported in Mansa and Muktsar. However, farm scientists say the existing weather conditions are best suited for the crop. With the decline in the cotton acreage, production may fall to around 50 lakh bales against 59 lakh bales last season. The area under cotton in Punjab that was 5.75 lakh hectares last season has now decreased to about 5.16 lakh hectares. Ram Singh, a farmers’ leader from Mansa, said the farmers had opted for gawar this season as the crop fetched a high price in the open market. Jasbir Singh Bains, Deputy Director, Agriculture, said discouraged by the loss to their cotton crop in incessant rains last season, the farmers had opted for gawar. Mansa Chief Agriculture Officer Paramjit Singh said there was a decline of 5 to 10 per cent in the area under cotton in the district. In Abohar, it had to 1.15 lakh hectares from 1.24 lakh last year. Cotton saplings wilting in scorching sun n The long-stretched dry spell has created panic among farmers who are trying to protect saplings from wilting in the scorching sun n
Although farm scientists say the weather was conducive to cotton plants, reports of the saplings wilting as also their slow growth in certain areas of Mansa, Muktsar and Bathinda districts have been received n
The maximum temperature recorded today was 42 degrees Celsius against 41.6 yesterday, but at the time of germination of cotton seeds the temperature had hovered around 47 degrees Celsius, affecting the crop in certain areas n
Mantar Singh, who had taken on contract a piece of land in Aglia village, near Jaito, in Faridkot district, said the cotton plants on his land had started wilting due to the extreme hot weather. He said he was bound to suffer loss as the growth of plants was very slow and he was unable to irrigate the fields properly due to power cuts n
Farm leader of Mansa Ram Singh said the dry spell had resulted in financial losses to cotton farmers as they had to run diesel pumps to irrigate their fields. Electricity was being supplied to villages for only four or six hours against the government’s claim of eight hours n
He said there was threat of mealy bug attacking the cotton crop if the monsoon was further delayed. The growth of cotton plants was slow due to the high temperatures that is otherwise suited for cotton crop n
Paramjit Singh, chief agriculture officer of Mansa, said stray incidents of presence of the parabuilt insect were received from certain areas but the situation was not alarming n
A farm scientist of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), GS Butter, said while the existing weather was suitable for cotton crop, humidity could be harmful
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Budget session
Chandigarh, June 29 They took the opportunity to speak about the state of education in private institutions. Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was forced to react to the discussion and said the state would take steps to control the fee structure of private institutions. Education minister Sikander Singh Maluka, who introduced the two Bills, said the concern of the members was genuine and assured them that the state would make a law, if necessary, to regulate fee structure in private institutions. Leading the discussion, Congress Legislature Party Leader Sunil Jakhar said private institutions were not offering quality education and demanded that the accounts of the trusts running such institutions should be audited. He said it was shameful that trust members owned BMW cars and took home lakhs of rupees as salary. “Is this permissible”, he asked. Industries Minister Anil Joshi said private players had created shops selling education. He said most of these institutions were run by close relatives who formed part of the trust, adding the state must ensure that ministers, legislators and academicians be also made members of such trusts. Pawan Kumar Tinu said a dental college in Ludhiana was charging capitation fee and forcing children to pay hostel fee, even if they did not opt to stay in hostels. He said the institution did not return money in case a student chose not to join it. He urged for district committees to check such malpractices. Congress legislator Jagmohan Singh Kang said the institutions should be checked periodically to ensure they did not get away with under-staffing. Few members lauded the formation of the two new Universities. Akali MLA Tota Singh said before 1997, children from the state would go to the South to get enrolled for engineering or medical colleges. He said now students from nine states studied in professional institutions in the State. Ropar MLA Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, speaking about the new Chandigarh University, said it had a good track record. Muktsar legislator Karan Brar lauded the work done by the Adesh group. She said professional degrees were a must for students for a bright future. n
Maluka wanted fee structure in private institutions regulated n
CLP Leader Sunil Jakhar said accounts of trusts running private institutions should be audited periodically n
Industries Minister Anil Joshi said ministers, MLAs and academicians should be made members of such trusts n
Cong MLA Jagmohan S Kang wanted private institutions checked regularly to ensure these were not under-staffed
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Resolution seeks Sarabjit’s release
Chandigarh, June 29 The House asked the Centre to take steps for the release of several prisoners of war (POWs) and other Indians languishing in Pakistan’s jails due to legal impediments. As Zero Hour started, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal announced that Parkash Singh Badal wanted to introduce a resolution. Badal said it was a moment of great joy that Surjeet Singh, who had spent 30 years in a Pakistani jail, had been released. He appealed that Sarabjit Singh too should be released and asked the Centre to take up the issue with Pakistan. The resolution pointed out that some organisations in Pakistan had also spoken up for Sarabjit. Rana Sodhi of the Congress said Surjeet required financial help which should be announced today. To this, Badal said he would ask the Deputy Commissioner to consult the family on the issue. Sunil Jakhar, CLP Leader requested the Speaker to extend zero hour as it was the last day of the Budget session and many new MLAs wanted to speak. Aruna Chaudhry of the Congress highlighted how liquor was being sold from ration depots in Dinanagar. “As against 75 legal vends, 163 are functioning, many from grocery stores,” she said. Kang raised the issue of Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike’s PA being booked in a Rs 1.5 crore graft case. He demanded the resignation of the minister. Ashwani Sekri spoke of the poor economic status of border areas and demanded a special Bill be presented in the House to protect the youth of the border areas from drugs. Virsa Singh Valtoha of the SAD seconded the suggestion. Jakhar questioned the government on water cess being collected in Abohar. He pointed out how water supply centres were closing down on account of non-payment of electricity bills, causing hardship to residents. Legislator Mohammad Siddique rendered a patriotic song “Bharat hai vaang mundri…..vich nag Punjab”, inviting criticism from SAD legislators who said the House had been reduced to a “singing platform” as the Congress had no agenda.
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Majithia: Cong has lowered the sanctity of zero hour
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Illegal mining: Jalandhar admn officials visit site
Jalandhar, June 29 Backed by security personnel, a team comprising Shahkot SDM TN Passey, DSP Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, District Mining Officer Surjit Singh and Mehatpur Naib Tehsildar Narinderjit Singh along with their teams visited nine excavation sites where the sand mafia had left trails of destruction. The teams, however, found that tractor-trailers were still ferrying sand illegally from the riverbed that fell within Ludhiana administration’s jurisdiction. Bharti claimed to have taken up the issue with his Ludhiana counterpart. “I visited certain points, including Kaimwala and Ramuwala village, a couple of days ago following directions relating to illegal mining from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. After finding that illegal quarrying was going on at several places, I directed the area SDM and the district mining officer to initiate action against the violators,” said Bharti. Up in arms against the sand mafia after the district administration failed to tighten noose around them, residents of Parjian-Kalan and Naranpur villages seized 24 tractors-trailers and handed their drivers to the police. The mafia is active on a stretch of 18 to 20 km along the Sutlej, thus posing a threat to the ecological balance in the area. Villagers even claimed that the sand mafia had set up temporary ‘nakas’ and were charging Rs 500 as royalty per tractor-trailer filled with sand. Former sarpanch of Narangpur village Sukhraj Singh complained that villagers of over a dozen villages who had their land along the river were afraid of floods as the river could change its course because of massive and deep excavation on its bed. Moreover, due to plying of loaded vehicles, the village links roads had got damaged, said Narangpur sarpanch Harjinder Kaur. Over 100 tractor-trailers of sand were being lifted from the riverbed daily and sold for Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 each in the open market without paying even a single penny to the state government, a villager alleged.
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Phidde village wants Surjeet as sarpanch
Phidde (Ferozepur), June 29 If in his youth Surjeet was appreciated for playing an interlocutor whenever there was a tiff between two groups in Phidde, the sexagenarian is now being seen as a new adjudicator that the village had received. “Surjeet will be the next sarpanch of Phidde,” announces Bishan Singh, an old friend. Other villagers, including several youths, who have gathered at Surjeet’s house also echo their support for Bishan’s proposal. Sitting in the courtyard of his house with a flowing white beard and donning a saffron turban, Surjeet was quick in recalling the names of most of his relatives and friends who had come to meet him. Known for having a large circle of friends during his youth --- and even while he was in prison --- Surjeet says he befriended many fellow inmates in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore where the total number of prisoners is over 4,000. “Pakistani prisoners often used to share with Indian prisoners the eatables that their relatives brought for them. I don’t know about the general feeling of Pakistanis towards Indians, but in Kot Lakhpat jail, no Pakistani harboured any ill-will against an Indian inmate. We all wanted soothing of relations between the two countries for the betterment of both the sides,” he says. Even the mortal remains of Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails are kept in safe custody in urns, covered with white clothes, says Surjeet. “The thought of embracing Islam never struck my mind. I had converted my cell in the jail into a gurdwara where cigarette, ‘pan masala’ or any other intoxicant was strictly banned. No other inmate ever violated my wish,” he says. “Four days before my release from the jail, a Punjabi boy, Jatinder, was brought there from Seikhupura jail,” he recalls. Asked why he changed his name from Makhan Singh to Surjeet Singh, he says: “I did so to conceal my identity at the time of my arrest by Pakistan Rangers.” A number of families of Indian prisoners of war (PoW) who went missing in the 1971 India-Pakistan war today called upon Surjeet Singh seeking to know information about these untraceable personnel. These families were carrying with them the photographs of their missing relative. One such family was that of Jugraj Singh of Jeeda village in Bathinda. His 32-year-old daughter Paramjit Kaur and 35-year-old son Jaswinder Singh today reached Phidde to meet Surjeet Singh and enquired from him about their father. Surjeet, however, denied having met Jugraj in Pakistan.
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No news of Surjeet’s namesake
Faridkot, June 29 Amrik Singh, son of the missing jawan, is desperate to meet Surjeet Singh to inquire whether he had ever met his father in the jail. Surjeet says he never got a chance to meet his namesake. “But he may be lodged at Kot Lakhpat Jail which is quite big.” In April, Amrik Singh had sought Pakistan human rights activist Ansar Burney’s help in tracing his father. “Burney had assured us of all help . Hence, when we got news that Pakistan had decided to release Surjeet Singh, we got hopeful,” he said.
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Gill: Frame policy on undercover agents
New Delhi, June 29 “ A man drafted by an agency is caught and spends years in jail in that country. Having spent his youth in jail, he comes home in old age to find his siblings either dead or aged, his children becoming adults...What is our policy towards such people’’, Dr Gill asked. The former Union Minister hoped that the Chief Justice of Pakistan would look into the cases of Indian prisoners who continued to languish in jails even after having served their sentence. The judicial system should also ensure that such persons were awarded compensation. “Surjeet’s wife had to do odd jobs to keep the family going and the agencies responsible virtually abandoned the family. Should not these people be paid or looked after,” he asked Dr Gill said while countries did engage in counter-intelligence operations, it was time that all civilised countries exchanged such agents just as the US and Russia had done. The Punjab MP said he planned to raise the issue in Parliament and seek an answer from the Government on the matter.
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RAW agent claim false: Home Secy
New Delhi, June 29 Surjeet had said yesterday that he was a spy and had blamed the Indian authorities for having ignored him after his arrest in Pakistan 30 years ago. Released yesterday, he entered India through the Attari-Wagah land route. Responding to media queries on Surjeet’s claims of being a RAW agent and having met several top leaders in Pakistan, Singh said: “We do not agree with what he claims… We are not into spying… All such claims are being done to seek self-importance.”
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Tax evasion by truckers comes to light
Patiala, June 29 The Rajpura police today impounded three trucks carrying iron scrap meant to be delivered to industrialists based in Mandi Gobindgarh on charges tax evasion. While two trucks entered Punjab through nearby villages, the third vehicle entered the state through the toll tax barrier at Shambhu where an IRB battalion attached with the excise wing and officers has been stationed to check vehicles passing through it. The
SHO, Rajpura (City), Bikramjit Singh Brar said: “We have informed the excise and taxation officers about the action and will register an FIR”. Sources in the Sales Tax Department said the case of a truck entering the state without paying tax is the tip of an iceberg. The staff stationed at the barrier allowed entry to a truck without checking its billing and papers. “There could be more such cases if trucks in the video footage of the barrier are matched with the trucks that have deposited their bills in the past few months,” they added. “The role of the taxation and IRB officials posted at the barrier should be put under the scanner and a high-level probe marked in the case as the government is losing revenue due to such illegal entries of vehicles,” said another senior excise officer. The
AETC, Shambhu (Imports), KS Chahal, said he would look into the lapse if any on the part of his officials. “We are looking into the matter but we cannot say surely if more trucks were allowed entry in the same way,” he stated.
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Day 2: Tension continues at Mansoorpur village
Mukerian (Hoshiarpur), June 29 The son of a Germany-based NRI Jaswinder Singh, Gurpreet was shot in the head and he died while undergoing treatment at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in Ludhiana. Apprehending violence in the village, the police did not take the body to his native village and preserved it in a morgue at a private hospital in Tanda. Talking to The Tribune, Superintendent of Police (Detective) Jagmohan Singh said the body had been kept in a private hospital at Tanda as the Civil Hospital, Mukerian, didn’t have the facility. The body will be taken to the village for cremation only after Gurpreet’s father arrives, he added. He said the doctors who carried out a post-mortem examination of the body at the DMCH, revealed that Gurpreet had suffered a gunshot injury in the head that led to his death. The SP, however, was tight-lipped about the make of the firearm with which Bhupinder Singh fired at Gurpreet, Manjot and their accomplices during the clash. The exact position will be clear only after the receipt of postmortem report, Jagmohan Singh said, adding that a case of murder under sections 302, 307, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC and the Arms Act has been registered against five persons, Bhupinder Singh, alias Sona, Jaspal Singh, Baldev Singh, Daljit Singh and Manjinder Singh, on a complaint of Haqikat Singh, an eyewitness. Bhupinder Singh, his wife Rupinder Kaur, mother Mohinder Kaur, Haqikit Singh, Manjot Singh and Jaspal Singh, who suffered injuries during the clash, are undergoing treatment at the DMCH, Ludhiana. Sources in the police said as part of preventive measures, Bhupinder Singh’s children had been shifted to safer places and additional police force, including women constables, has been deployed in and around the village. Meanwhile, relatives, friends and villagers assembled at Gurpreet Singh’s house to console the family.
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Canal tragedy: One body recovered
Khamano, June 29 Inspector Chand Singh said the body of Gurinder Singh (33) was recovered today from Burji Number 70 of the canal near Bhedpura village, which is about 35 km from the place where the incident happened. Seven persons, including two children, were allegedly pushed into the canal by Khushwinder Singh. Jasmin Kaur managed to swim out of the canal while the other six were feared drowned.
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Nirmaljit Kaur sworn in as permanent HC Judge
Chandigarh, June 29 She was administered oath by the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Jasbir Singh, at a simple yet impressive ceremony at the Judges’ lounge this morning. Justice Nirmaljit Kaur is known for her impeccable integrity, calibre and administrative experience and is currently at the 27th position on the seniority list of 42 Judges. Justice Nirmaljit Kaur may soon be moving out of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as she has already given her consent for her transfer to the Rajasthan High Court. Once she moves out of the High Court, the number of judges will fall to 41, against the sanctioned strength of 68. The result of the shortage of Judges is there for all to see. As of now, the High Court has approximately two lakh pending cases. The High Court has put in place a slew of measures to check the problem of pendency, including expeditious disposal of PILs. Justice Nirmaljit Kaur passed senior Cambridge from the Convent of Jesus Mary, Dehradun, before doing her graduation in Arts from Sacred Heart College, Dalhousie, in 1979. She was awarded a national scholarship on the basis of her BA result. She obtained the Master's degree in History from Panjab University before receiving the B.Ed degree from Garhwal University in Dehradun in 1980. In 1985, she completed LLB from Panjab University and was enrolled as an advocate in August 1987. She started practice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh. She was Additional Standing Counsel for the Government of India and Punjab Additional Advocate-General and Assistant Solicitor-General of India. n
Justice Nirmaljit Kaur is known for her impeccable integrity, calibre and administrative experience n
She is at the 27th position on the seniority list of 42 Judges n
She has given her consent to being shifted to the Rajasthan HC
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Gang of train robbers busted
Patiala, June 29 The ADGP (Railways), RP Meena, said following some complaints that robbers were targeting commuters in Jalandhar and Amritsar, a special team of the GRP was formed. “The team arrested Manish Kumar, Karan Kumar and Ramu when they were planning another robbery. We have recovered mobile phones and a toy gun from their possession, which they used to intimidate their victims,” Meena said.
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Following a report published in The Tribune on how villagers took to task the sand mafia in Mehatpur area, officials from the Jalandhar administration today visited the Sutlej riverbed and took stock of the situation.
After spending over three decades in a Pakistan jail, 69-year-old Surjeet Singh is all set to emerge as a strong old man in his native Phidde village in Ferozepur where he reached yesterday evening.
Tension continues in Mansoorpur village, near here, on the second consecutive day after Gurpreet Singh’s death in a clash between two groups of villagers over a land dispute on Friday noon.
Chandigarh: Bikram Singh Majithia, Revenue Minister, has lambasted the Congress for lowering the sanctity of zero hour. Majithia said instead of raising issues of public interest, Congress legislators were using zero hour to settle “internal contradictions”. He said members of the Constituent Assembly had envisaged zero hour so that representative could be allowed to take up issues of utmost public importance which otherwise were not covered under the Vidhan Sabha Rules .He said it was unfortunate that the Congress had used zero hour for a slanging match.