Bathinda, March 28
Mild rains have again put the farmers on tenterhooks as wheat crop is in its ripening stage and showers during this stage could affect its yield and increase the moisture content in the grains.

Rains are also a cause of concern for potato growers who apprehend a large scale damage to their crops in case showers continue to lash their area. They are already facing problems in marketing their produce.

Wheat farmers said the standing crop got flattened due to rains coupled with high velocity wind in Bathinda and surrounding areas early morning today. Farmers are sitting with their fingers crossed as weather experts are not sure of the mood of weather in the coming days. Farmers said overcast in the coming few days would prove detrimental to their crops.

Agriculture experts said rainfall during the March-end or in the first few weeks of April was not favourable for wheat and potato crops. Rains would increase the moisture content in wheat thereby affecting its quality. The per-acre yield of the crop would be hit due to rains, which would also delay its ripening.

Farmers fear that if rains continue, the moisture level in the grains would rise manifold. The high moisture content will further affect its sale.

The state government aims at speedy purchase of wheat. For the purpose, procurement centres are being set up and special instructions have been issued to the deputy commissioners to ensure smooth procurement of wheat.

"Strong winds have flattened the standing wheat crop in various villages around Bathinda," said Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Behman Diwana village.

A progressive farmer, Jagdev Singh said so far, rains did not do much damage to vegetables and kinnow but affected the wheat and potato crops.

Bathinda, March 28
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed a city-based doctor to pay Rs 3 lakh as compensation for medical negligence causing acute physical pain and mental disturbance to a 22-year-old resident of Bhucho Mandi.

Dr Gagandeep Goyal of Gagan Gastro Care Hospital has been told to pay the compensation on a complaint by Arti, wife of Balwinder.

The complainant stated that she visited Dr Sanjay Garg at the Delhi Nursing Home, Multi-specialty Hospital and Institute of Laparoscopic Surgery in April, 2011, for treatment of pain in the right side of the abdomen region. He advised an ultrasound scan and an operation of the gall bladder to remove small stones using laparoscopic surgery. However, she did not get any relief even after the laparoscopic surgery. The complainant also accused the doctor of not returning the documents and files pertaining to her case.

The doctor conducted an ultrasound scan and other tests and on January 20, referred the patient to the Gagan Gastro Care for further check-up and treatment. After going through the CT scan, the doctor at the Gagan Gastro inserted a CBD stent.

The complainant alleged that she was discharged with prescription of antibiotic and pain killer medicines.

She alleged that on February 2, doctors of the Delhi Nursing Home and Gagandeep Goyal referred her to the PGIMER, Chandigarh. She, however, got herself admitted to the DMCH Hospital, Ludhiana.

The doctors at the DMCH found her condition to be serious due to pain in abdomen, vomiting and fever. She underwent two operations before she was discharged from the Ludhiana hospital.

However, she is still making visits to the hospital due to 'mistreatment' during initial stages at hospitals in Bathinda. She now complains of acute physical weakness and could not walk without support.

Despite spending Rs 2.54 lakh on treatment, she failed to get any relief, she alleged.

The doctors pleaded that the complainant came to them with pain in abdomen for which necessary tests and investigations were advised by them. They denied that their act and conduct was against the norms of medical science and ethics or that they were negligent in their respective duties.

Keeping in view the facts, circumstances and the evidences, the Forum considered that no negligence has been proved on file against the doctor of the Delhi Nursing Home as he performed the procedure of laproscopic cholecystectomy after proper investigations and thereafter, discharged the patient in a satisfactory condition.

The doctor at Gagan Gastro Care Hospital, however, did not investigate the case before starting treatment. Later, he showed carelessness in giving treatment to the complainant by taking it for sure that the problem does not relate to the stent.

Due to the delay in referring the patient, her problem exaggerated for which she underwent two operations at the DMCH, Ludhiana, and is still under treatment.

The complainant's counsel Sham Lal Goyal said they would move the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum for dismissing the complaint against Sanjay Garg of the Delhi Nursing Home.

The doctors' counsel Ashok Gupta said they have moved the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum against the decision and April 5 was scheduled as the next date of hearing.

Bathinda, March 28
The Punjabi cinema has marked a new beginning with celebrated writer Dr Pali Bhupinder Singh and lyricist Amardeep Gill turning towards Punjabi film-making.

While Pali Bhupinder set an example with his movie 'Stupid 7', lyricist Amardeep Gill is busy promoting his 40-minute short film 'Sutta Naag'.

Both the movies will be shown at the Punjabi International Film Festival to be held in Toronto from May 16 to 20.

'Stupid 7' showcased the lives of teenagers in Punjabi society. A small-budget but daring movie with a different theme, it garnered acclaim from critics and viewers alike.

"As soon as the movie was ready, nobody was ready to release it. All commercial houses shirked from promoting a movie on children and some even laughed at us saying that instead of 'Stupid 7', the movie should be Stupid 8 - I being the eighth one," said Pali Bhupinder, who pumped in his own sources and investment in the movie.

Though the movie was not successful commercially, Pali Bhupinder's fans lapped up the subject. Encouraged by the response, he is now ready to take another plunge and is working on two scripts. He is also in touch with Bollywood.

Similarly, lyricist Amardeep Gill made 'Sutta Naag' with his might and main. Gill too did not get any commercial help for working on the subject due to which he shrunk the two-and-a-half hour movie into a short film of 40 minutes.

"Movies are an extension of cinema. Indulgence of theatre people is needed to maintain its quality. With people like Pali and Gill entering into movie-making, even we can now dare to take up direction," said comedian and script-writer Rana Ranbir.

Prof Shubh Prem Brar, principal of the Government College Sardargarh, added that in the present times, cinema has a wider and deeper reach. "It is a very potent weapon that is capable of setting a trend and change thinking patterns. When such endowed and well-meaning people join in, the end result has to be good," he said.

Darshan Aulakh of the Darshan Aulakh Film Productions, who has worked for the Yash Raj Films, said it was the genre of serious cinema that was spreading its wings. "Most of the Punjabi movies being churned out these days have scenes lifted from Hindi, South Indian and Pakistani movies. There is serious dearth of original ideas and only 'masala' films are being churned out. Such films fail to strike a chord with the audience repeatedly. We are now eagerly waiting for the serious cinema to take over the show and entertain us with some better movies," he added.

Bathinda, March 28
The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal has demanded that the state government should impose property tax only on commercial establishments.

A meeting of the office-bearers of the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal was held today where the chairman of the traders' body Kartar Singh Jaura and president Madan Lal Kapoor condemned the government's move to impose property tax on vacant plots too.

The vice-president of the association, Amit Kapoor, said the government should consult a representative of traders and industrialists while framing policies.

Prominent among others present at the meeting included Mahinder Singh Bhola, KK Maheshwari, Rajinder Singh Khurmi, Manmohan Kukku, Kultar Singh, Vinod Goyal, Darshan Jaura, Pradeep Dhingra, Kasturi Lal, Jeevan Goyal, Pramod Jain and others.

Bathinda, March 28
Teja Singh Gehri Bhagi has been unanimously elected as the chairman of Cooperative Agriculture Development Bank during the elections held today.

The bank team including Teja Singh, Ranjit Singh Pathrala, Harbans Singh Multania, Bhagwan Singh Khemuana and Iqbal Singh Virk unanimously elected him at a meeting convened at the bank today.

Ranjit Singh Pathrala proposed name of Teja Singh who is a former sarpanch of village Gehri Bhagi and a member of the Block Samiti. Harbans Singh Multani endorsed the proposal while the members of the bank endorsed it. Ranjit Singh Pathrala has been unanimously elected as the vice-chairman.

MLA (Rural) Darshan Singh Kotfatta and Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman were also present on the occasion. At the oath-taking ceremony, Darshan Singh Kotfatta and the Mayor Birbheman congratulated the new office-bearers. Speaking on the occasion, Teja Singh thanked the party leadership. Member, Block Samiti Dr Gurcharan Singh Virk conducted the stage.

Prominent among those present on the occasion were Sarabjit Singh Doomwali, Harcharan Singh Kotfatta, chairperson, Zila Parishad, Rajwinder Kaur, member, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amrik Singh Kotshamir, press secretary Dr Om Prakash Sharma, Sikandar Singh, Gurtej Singh, Bir Bahadar Singh, Kanwaljit Singh Birbehman, Balkar Singh, Jagsir Singh Kalyana, Jagsir Singh Balluana, Angrez Singh Deon, Lakhwinderjit Singh Happy, Deepinder, Sukhbir Singh, Geja Singh and others.

Bathinda, March 28
The 11-day theatre fest organised by the Jaito-based Natyam Manch concluded here on Wednesday evening with the staging of the play, Main Bhagat Singh. The play was staged before a packed house at the Balwant Gargi Open Air Theatre at the Rose Garden.

Celebrating 100 years of Punjabi theatre, the seeds of which were sown by Norah Richards (Irish-born actress known as Lady Gregory of the Punjab) in 1913, the 11-day fest offered a spectrum of plays based on different themes.

Created by the thespian Dr Pali Bhupinder Singh and directed by Kirti Kirpal, the play gave the message of Bhagat Singh lying dormant in each human being and the need to awaken it in ourselves.

The play spoke of child labour, agrarian crisis, trespassing of multinational companies on Indian territory which hurts the local business and the government's move to acquire land for different purposes. It said these problems can be dealt with only when everyone unites and awakens the Bhagat Singh lying dormant inside us.

Twenty-five artists filled the 1 hour 15 minutes of play with their colourful performance on the day of Holi festival.

The artists playing the main characters included Gagandeep Singh, child artist Gurnoor Singh, Harjinder Dhilwan, Amanpreet Kaur, Kulwinder Singh and Harjot Singh, among others.

The audience included the principal, Punjab Technical University Giani Zail Singh campus , Dr JS Hundal, principal, Government Polytechnic College, Yadwinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh Sonu, Lakhvir Singh Azad Zeera, Rana, Gurmail Singh Tehsildar and others.

The Natyam Manch will also hold a theatre workshop for the children in the city in the first week of July.

"Our aim is to promote theatre among youngsters so that they are sensitized at an early stage and are able to express their feelings," said the play’s director Kirti Kirpal.

Bathinda, March 28
Central University of Punjab (CUP), Bathinda, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, to initiate academic and research programme between the two institutions in the broad area of biological sciences and biotechnology.

Both the institutes will initiate academic and research programmes in biological sciences and biotechnology. Executive director, NABI, Mohali, Dr Rakesh Tuli and vice-chancellor of CUP, Dr Jai Rup Singh, signed the agreement in the presence of the authorities concerned from both the institutions.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rakesh Tuli highlighted the strengths of the two institutions which will get synergy through an understanding reached between them.

He recognized the advantages that will accrue to the NABI while interacting with the faculty and the students of the CUP in the field of biological research. "The students of the two institutions will derive benefits from the high speed computational facilities now available with the NABI," he said.

The agreement will be tenable for five years subject to further extension on mutually agreed terms and conditions. Under the agreement, the CUP will recognize NABI, Mohali, as an accredited centre for pursuing research to facilitate doctoral research for the students of the institute in several areas designated by the university.

Supplementing the research facilities, the scientists of NABI, Mohali, and the faculty of the CUP will submit joint research projects to the national and international agencies and work together to achieve the objectives of these projects. The faculty and the scientists of the two institutions will visit each other for short-term training and undertake joint research programmes.

Bathinda, March 28
Four persons received injuries in separate road accidents during the last 24 hours in Bathinda.

A biker was injured after being hit by a speeding car near Model Town, Phase-III. Volunteers of the NGO Naujawan Welfare Society rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital in their ambulance. The injured has been identified as Bablu Ram, a resident of Dhobiana Basti.

In another accident, a biker was hit by a three-wheeler on Barnala road. The injured has been identified as Ankit Kumar.

Bathinda, March 28
Hundred units of blood were collected at the voluntary blood donation camp held at Government Polytechnic College.

The NSS unit of the college organized the camp in collaboration with the Red Ribbon Club. Principal of the college Yadwinder Singh inaugurated the camp. Speaking on the occasion, the principal laid emphasis on the importance of donating blood.

"Donating blood not only saves precious lives, but also gives a sense of contentment to the donor," he said. He added that such activities are held regularly in the college to keep the students engrossed in social activities.

A team of the blood bank from the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, headed by Dr Inderdeep Singh Sra collected the donated units. He said any healthy person, between 18 to 60 years of age, can donate blood every three months. He said the body makes up for the donated blood in a natural way

The staff members of the college, including the principal Yadwinder Singh, RK Chopra, SP Rana, Manjit Singh Bhullar, Sanjiv Goyal, Darshan Singh Dhillon and Sardool Romana were among those who donated blood at the camp.