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Diversification plan takes root
Badal seeks Rs 961 cr flood relief from PM
5 of Nakodar family die in car-tipper collision
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New DCs for 5 dists
Sidhu asks CM to probe diversion of funds
Safe water a far cry in Sangrur schools
Harsimrat for speedy justice for women
Govt abolishes fee to boost timber trade
Newborn sold for Rs 1.5 lakh, 2 held
Another heroin haul along border
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Diversification plan takes root
Reaping profits
Officials in the state Agriculture Department are also hopeful that with the basmati prices in the global market expected to remain firm all through the year, riding on high demand, the state’s farmers will get remunerative prices for their produce. Sources said the basmati was currently trading in the international market at $1,200 (Rs 75,954) to $1,400 (Rs 88,613) a tonne. Going by the trends, these prices are unlikely to witness any drastic fall, which will mean that the farmers will continue to get up to Rs 3,200 a quintal as price for their produce.
Pesticide traces a hassle
However, the main worry for the state exporters as well as the Punjab Government was that some niche markets, like the US, may continue to remain elusive for the basmati exporters. This will mainly be because of the traces of pesticides (tricyclozole) being found in the basmati being exported to the US. Though the export of the crop to other markets, mainly West Asia, will continue as usual, there would be little value addition to the Indian basmati if the niche markets were to continue refusing the basmati produced in India on the grounds of high pesticide residue (than that recommended by the food and drug agencies in these countries). Recently, the US Food and Drug Authority had also raised concerns over arsenic being present in rice.
Corrective measures
“So while on one side we are stepping up efforts to wean away farmers from the water-guzzling paddy crop, we are also making efforts that the crop produced here is of best quality. The Punjab Agricultural University is already carrying field trials in parts of the state on growing basmati without using pesticides. Besides, we have now decided to set up a radiation food processing plant in the state with the help of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which will help in removing any residue of arsenic or pesticide in the rice,” said Suresh Kumar, Financial Commissioner, Development. This plant will operate on a no-profit-no-loss basis and is being set up at a cost of Rs 12 crore (from the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana funds). Officials from the atomic research centre are expected to visit Punjab and inspect the sites for setting up the plant.
Market fee on basmati goes
Chandigarh: The Punjab Government on Saturday decided to waive off the Rural Development Fee (RDF) and market fee on the basmati variety of paddy. The approval was given by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The decision is likely to boost basmati cultivation by extending a benefit of nearly Rs 200 crore to its trade in the state, said a government release.
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Badal seeks Rs 961 cr flood relief from PM
Chandigarh, September 14 Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the Prime Minister, who was in the city to attend a function, to declare the project for tackling waterlogging as a national project. He also sought an immediate release of Rs 961 crore as relief to the affected people, a demand that was supported by Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar. The Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Jakhar said the Congress would extend all kind of help to the Badal government to deal with the waterlogging problem. Both Badal and Jakhar spoke to the Prime Minister during lunch at the Punjab Raj Bhavan. "I told Badal in the presence of the Prime Minister that there should not be any politics on waterlogging and that the Congress will extend all possible support to the state government as the issue affects lakhs of people in the most fertile region of Punjab where the scope for crop diversification is maximum," said Jakhar. The Congress leader said if Badal asked him to accompany a government delegation to the Prime Minister on the issue in future, he would be prepared to do so. "I understand the problems faced by the people hit by waterlogging in Muktsar and Abohar areas," he said. The Prime Minister has invited Badal to the national capital with a comprehensive project report on the issue. Earlier, Badal, who also held a separate meeting with the Prime Minister on various issues, informed him that on the basis of recommendations made by a committee headed by Planning Commission Member Dr Mihir Shah, the state government had submitted a project worth Rs 960.62 crore to check the menace of waterlogging and salinity in the affected areas. Badal said unprecedented rains and seepage from the Rajasthan and Sirhind feeder canals had also aggravated the problem. Badal also sought the Prime Minister's intervention for early approval of the Union Cabinet for the setting up of a high-tech cancer hospital in the state.
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5 of Nakodar family die in car-tipper collision
Nawanshahr/Jalandhar, September 14 The victims were on their way to Nakodar after attending a marriage function in Kurali. Ravi Kishan (68), his wife Suman Lata (60), son Sunny (28) and daughter Ishu (24) were killed on the spot. Ravi's daughter-in-law Ritu and grandson Aryan (2) were injured. They were taken to a private hospital at Nawanshahr where the latter succumbed to his injuries. The collision had a major impact on the car (PB-08-BX-5270), which as crushed completely. The tipper (PB-12N-9131) was overturned. Its driver had fled the accident site but was later arrested, said Station House Officer Rakesh Kumar. The accused has been identified as Santosh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh, currently residing in Chandimandir. A case under Sections 279 (rash driving), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 304-A (death by negligence) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the IPC has been registered against him at the Sadar police station of Nawanshahr. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dhanpreet Kaur said she had asked mining officials to check whether the tipper was carrying illegally extracted sand. Station House Office, Nakodar, Subhash Bath said the family hailed from Rattian Mohalla and were popular jewellers of the town. Sunil Mahajan, president of the jewellers' association, said Ravi Kishan's another son was based in New Zealand while his elder daughter was married in Phagwara.
CM condoles deaths
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed grief over the mishap. They shared their sympathies with the bereaved families and offered condolences.
Fatal journey
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Canal breach floods Mukerian village
Mukerian, September 14 Villagers lamented that over 100 houses were submerged under 4-ft-deep canal water. Besides damaging household goods, the floodwater damaged mature paddy and other cash crops over 30 acres of land, said Gurmeet Singh, a villager. Jaswant Kaur, another resident, said water entered her cowshed and damaged stacks of dry fodder. Sources said the breach took place where the canal embankment had weakened and remained unnoticed. Another resident Ashok Kumar was of the view that the paddy crop required water at this stage and the floodwater would be useful if receded in a day. Dharam Pal, sub-divisional officer of the Irrigation Department, said water discharge from the Mukerian Hydel Channel was stopped soon after learning about the incident. "There was nearly 7-8 foot wind breach which would be plugged by Tuesday," he added.
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New DCs for 5 dists
Chandigarh, September 14 SS Channy has been posted as Principal Secretary, Tourism, Cultural Affairs and NRI Affairs, and in addition Principal Secretary, Transport; Jagpal Singh Sandhu as Principal Secretary, Social Security, Women & Child Development; Roshan Sunkaria as Principal Secretary, Parliamentary Affairs and Higher Education; Raji P Srivastava as Secretary, Tourism and Secretary, Cultural Affairs; and Prithi Chand as Director, SC/BC Welfare. Ajoy Kumar is now posted as Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister; Supreet Gulati as additional CA, GLADA; and Varinder Sharma as CA, Bathinda Development Authority and Chairman, Improvement Trust Bathinda. Manpreet Singh Chhatwal has been posted as Commissioner, MC Jalandhar; Jaskiran Singh as CA, Jalandhar Development Authority; and Dilraj Singh as Special Secretary, Home; Manjit Singh Brar as Special Secretary, Personnel; and Satish Singla as ADC, Phagwara. Amarbir Kaur Bhullar is the SDM, Nabha; and Harjit Sandhu is posted as SDM, Kotkapura.
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Sidhu asks CM to probe diversion of funds
Amritsar, September 14 Addressing mediapersons here, Sidhu alleged Rs 60 crore meant for the development of the holy city was diverted. In his letter, Sidhu questioned: “Why this was allowed to happen even as the Amritsar Municipal Corporation was crying for resources and did not even have funds to meet administrative expenses.” About the new projects announced by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir
Badal, he said: “We cannot befool the public by announcing Rs 2,000 crore projects while failing to spend a single paisa on the already-approved projects worth Rs 200
crore.” He asked Badal to get the matter probed within 10 days and take action against the officials involved in the process. He said he was aware of the politics behind “ignoring” the “just” demands. He said projects such as a waste management plant, city bus service, four flyovers, installation of CCTV cameras and a sports complex had been stalled. Municipal Commissioner DPS
Kharbanda, however, defended the government, saying an order of 150 buses for the city bus service had already been placed and the service would start in two months. About the solid waste management project, Kharbanda said as the high court had rejected the earlier contract, they were in the process of floating another tender on September 23. District Sports Officer Harpaljit Kaur said the work on the sports complex would start soon and its budget had been raised from Rs 17 crore to Rs 70
crore.
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Safe water a far cry in Sangrur schools Sangrur, September 14 Sources said of 29 water samples taken from private schools in the last eight months, 13 (45 per cent) failed the laboratory test while out of 101 samples collected from government schools during the same period, 10 samples (10 per cent) failed the test. The samples were tested by the State Public Health Laboratory, Chandigarh. Barring one, bacteriological contamination was found in all the failed samples. This means water supplied in these educational institutions is not fit for consumption. The private schools whose samples were found unfit for consumption are situated at Meemsa, Bhawanigarh, Cheema, Fatehgarh Ganduan, Hathan, Mangwal, Akoi Sahib, Sunam and Jhanerri while the defaulting government schools are situated at Mahoi Khurd, Benra, Shadihari, Kohrian, Sarod, Ranwa, Malerkotla, Dharamgarh, Kherri and Moonak. Dr Surinder Singla, District Health Officer, said notices had been issued to all these schools, warning them to improve the quality of water. He said chlorination of the bacteriological contaminated water was a must and the school authorities must follow the instructions given to them in this regard. Dr Subodh Gupta, Sangrur Civil Surgeon, said instructions had been issued to all district education officers (secondary and elementary) to ensure the supply of safe drinking water to the students in all the schools of the district.
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Harsimrat for speedy justice for women
Chandigarh, September 14 She said while civil society had played a big role in ensuring expeditious justice for the Delhi gangrape victim, the need of the hour was to instill fear amongst perpetrators of crime against women. Harsimrat said there were around 1.7 lakh pending cases of crime against women in the country.
— TNS
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Govt abolishes fee to boost timber trade
Chandigarh, September 14
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is also the chairman of the Punjab State Rural Development Board, cleared the related file. Earlier, market fee and RDF at the rate of 1 per cent each were levied on purchase of wood from the wood market yard in Punjab.
— TNS
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Newborn sold for Rs 1.5 lakh, 2 held
Jalandhar, September 14 The police said some activists had recorded the incident on camera and provided the footage to it this afternoon. Dharam Singh, who works at a cremation ground in Katehra Mohalla, has confessed to selling his child to Delhi-based Sham Kumar. This was his fifth child. The local police has sent a team of officials to Delhi to arrest Sham, who had left with the baby. Dharam Singh, Pooja and midwife Tara Rani have been booked under the Human Trafficking Act. Tara is still at large. The police has also managed to recover the money, which Dharam Singh had deposited at Cargo Motors here to purchase a goods carrier and start a new business. Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), West, said the families did not follow proper legal procedure for adoption. After getting the footage of the incident, Station House Officer Gurpreet Singh and the ACP collected evidence and lodged the FIR.
Heartless act
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Another heroin haul along border
Amritsar, September 14 The BSF, in a statement released here, said its personnel laid ambush along the border around 3.35 am after they observed the movement of two to three Pakistani smugglers near the fence. The BSF challenged the smugglers and fired at them in self-defence. However, the smugglers managed to escape in the cover of darkness and high paddy growth. A search operation led to the seizure of the 17 packets of the contraband. The seizure was made after the BSF strengthened border domination in view of the standing paddy crop as smugglers on both sides of the border were on the lookout to smuggle contraband before the harvesting of the crop, which provides cover to them for reaching the border fence. The BSF has already recovered 211 kg of heroin, fake currency worth Rs 52 lakh, 13 weapons and two hand grenades so far this year, besides apprehending 15 Indian smugglers along the border with Pakistan in Punjab. In 2012, the BSF had seized 288 kg of heroin and fake currency worth Rs 46.21
lakh.
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Chandigarh, September 14