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Hefty road charges take a toll on commuters
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State’s share in hydro power down
Proposed power hike to spell more trouble for carbon industry
Rural bank to issue credit cards to farmers
Phagwara lacks shields to weather fire incidents
Cong polling agents attacked,10 booked
AAP leaders head to battlefield Varanasi
AAP may have hurt BJP vote bank most: Survey
AAP worker’s son wants action against assailants
BSP leader offers Rs 1 crore for Baba Ramdev’s head
Honour for Punjabi scientist in US
Moga scientist awarded for achieving high wheat yield
Dr Sirsa is Sahit Akademi head
Girl jumps from roof to escape molesters
Ex-serviceman booked for killing wife
Liquor worth Rs 50 lakh seized in Rajasthan
2 held with 28 quintal poppy husk, opium
3 arhtiyas booked for
‘damaging’ wheat
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Hefty road charges take a toll on commuters
Ropar, May 4 The amount is collected at five toll plazas en route the 114-km stretch. In case car owners opt for a two-way ticket (return pass valid for 24 hours), he has to shell out Rs 363. The first toll fee is collected at Solakhian in Ropar whereas the fifth is at Mangarh village near Dasuya. Commuters say apart from money, the frequent halts on the route are an irritant.
As one moves from Chandigarh towards Pathankot, a car owner has to pay Rs 41 (Rs 61 for two-way pass) at Solakhian (Ropar), 36 km from Chandigarh. Move 30 km ahead, another plaza comes at Kathgarh where Rs 35 (Rs 56 for return pass) has to be paid. At the next three stoppages, an amount of Rs 51 each (Rs 82 for two-way journey) has to be paid at Majari (22 km from previous plaza at Kathgarh), Chabbewal (52 km from Majari) and Mangarh (40 km from Chabbewal). “I have to visit Chandigarh at least twice a week for my business. I end up spending Rs 61 every time for travelling a mere 8 km on this stretch,” says Surmukh Singh, owner of a toy shop in Ropar. Amrit Lal, owner of a restaurant located adjoining the toll barrier at Nangal Shaheedan village (Chabbewal) says he has to pay Rs 51 as toll fee to deliver meals at Rayat Bahra College situated across the barrier. Though the Lok Sabha candidates of various parties raised the issue in the run-up to the parliamentary elections, the zeal to resolve it appeared missing, say locals. The politicians from the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress, though, assured that they “will work out some relief”. Residents say they “have been exhausted of staging protests against these toll barriers, set up years ago”. These barriers notwithstanding, the state government, say sources, is planning to set up two more toll plazas in Ropar district, though not on the Chandigarh-Dasuya route. The new barriers have reportedly been planned on the Ropar-Chamkaur Sahib and Kurali-Siswan links. Apart from the Chandigarh-Dasuya stretch, the Ropar district has one toll plaza each on the Kurali-Ropar, Ropar-Anandpur Sahib and Ropar-Balachaur stretches.
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State’s share in hydro power down
With the peak paddy season a month away and demand for power heading north due to the rising temperatures, loss of hydro power could mean that the state will have to buy more power from outside sources. Besides Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan will also lose their share of power from the Dehar plant where only two of the six units are running to full capacity. While officials at the Dehar power plant, which falls under the purview of the Bhakhra Beas Management Board (BBMB), claim only two units have been shut down, the injection schedule of the plant shows that only 320 MW is being generated at present. The power plant has six units of the 165 MW each. Experts say due to the low power generation at the plant, the three states are suffering Rs 3 crore loss per day on account of costly power purchase. "As hydro power is cheap and makes up for the state's loss due to costly thermal power generation, the problem at the plant is sure to hit the power supply at a time when the demand for power is escalating due to the rising mercury," they said. Ashok Thapar, member (power), BBMB, said: "Only two units are closed down for maintenance. All other units are working. One unit is down with a major snag as its rotor machinery is over 35 years old." Padamjit Singh, patron, All-India Power Engineers Federation, said: "The injection schedule of the Dehar plant shows 320 MW generation which means only two units are functional. The closure of units at this peak time will cause more losses. All such repairs should have been carried out during the winter months when the water table is low and power demand is low." He said the federation would write to the Central Electricity Authority in this regard. "The BBMB should list the causes of failure and steps taken to restore the units," he added.
Dehar power project Water from the Beas is diverted at Pandoh Dam to the Beas Sutlej link canal where it is utilised for the BBMB's Dehar power house, located near Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh. Water is further released to the Gobind Sagar on the Sutlej where it is utilised for power generation at Bhakra. Grim scenario
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Proposed power hike to spell more trouble for carbon industry
The carbon industry is highly dependent on power. The production process from milling to grinding to mechanical processing leading to the final product is fed on electricity. No doubt then, the proposed move, if approved by the regulatory commission in its meeting on May 7, would hit the industry hard. For years, the industrialists have been demanding cheaper power tariff. As their demands have fallen on deaf years, the industrialists consider shifting to other states and Himachal Pradesh figures top on their priority. Against the average tariff of Rs 7.04 per unit in Punjab, the tariff in Himachal Pradesh is Rs 4.30. The proposed relaxation of 50 paisa in tariff during night for industries having load of more than 100 KW does not allure them. Why? All small-scale and micro carbon units have load not more than 50 KW. One of the industrialists, requesting anonymity, said: “Highly expensive yet erratic electricity supply bothers us the most. Increased tariff is eating into the margins. Every year, the state government increases power rates. As the authorities are hardly bothered about our concerns, why should we stay here?” It things were not always bad for the carbon industry here. When the carbon industry was established here with more than 60 units years ago, The government gave several facilities such as capital subsidy, interest-free loans and tax rebate. In such a scenario, the industry earned a place for itself in the Indian market. The major raw material — charcoal — was abundantly available here and there was no power shortage. But with the implementation of strict pollution control norms and emergence of the plywood industry, the availability of charcoal diminished. Adding to industrialists’ woes was the diminishing forest cover. Forests are considered to be the backbone of the charcoal industry. At present, charcoal is bought from Gujarat, Rajasthan and mainly from Himachal Pradesh. “We already reeling under high transportation cost as charcoal is not easily available here. It has to be bought from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat,” Carbon Industry Association vice-president Brahm Shankar Jimpa said, adding that the proposed power tariff hike would make it unbearable for them to continue operations in Punjab. He further said it was better to shift to Himachal Pradesh. “Just 19 km from here is Gagret, the fast-emerging industrial town in Himachal. There we can have capital subsidy, interest-free or low interest long-term loans, cheaper and abundant electricity and tax holidays,” Jimpa said. “If the government can provide free electricity to farmers, why can’t we be given power at cheaper rates when we contribute to the state’s revenue in the form of taxes? The industry holds an importance as the small and micro units in Hoshiarpur control a lion’s share in the Indian market,” the Carbon Industry Association vice-president said. He urged the government to look into the matter to save the industry.
Mulling to shift base
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Majithia should be exiled
for a year: Bajwa
Amritsar, May 4 “Majithia should be exiled from Punjab at least for a year. Only then can the drug mafia nexus in Punjab be broken and the youths saved from the menace,” he said. Bajwa was speaking to The Tribune at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here to enquire the well-being of Congress workers injured during an attack allegedly by Akalis supporters in Batala yesterday. Though all the five Takhts --- Akal Takht, Patna Sahib, Keshgarh Sahib, Damdama Sahib and Hazur Sahib --- have pronounced ‘tankhah to Majithia, Bajwa claimed “leniency was shown due to the Akali influence in Punjab”. “That’s why the punishment was not made time-bound… If (Chief Minister Parkash Singh) Badal calls the Akali Dal a Panthic party, he should ensure that Majithia is shunted out of the Cabinet,” he said. Bajwa claimed the 2017 Assembly polls would prove to be a “game changer”, “and that the electorate would show the ruling Akalis the door”. The injured have been undergoing treatment at local Guru Nanak Dev Hospital here. Bajwa said, “The results of the Lok Sabha elections, which the Congress will win hands down, will only be a precursor of the bigger jolt awaiting the Akalis in 2017. The Badals, Majithias and Kairons will then by party of political history.” About Aam Aadmi Party, he said it was a “directionless force”. The PPCC chief said he was “bewildered” to see the “dilapidated” medical infrastructure of the government hospital where several Congress workers injured in poll-related violence from Rajasansi, Batala, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran were admitted.
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Man who shot vote purchase video appears before DC
Muktsar, May 2 An 11.30-minute-long video has been uploaded by the AAP’s Punjab unit on its official Facebook page, which has now gone viral on cyber space. The video allegedly shows a few men interacting with some villagers, asking them to cast their votes in favour of ‘takaddi’ (scale - the SAD symbol) and get Rs 500 in return for each vote. An AAP delegation from Muktsar and Abohar also met the Deputy Commissioner today and handed him over a memorandum seeking immediate suspension of Gidderbaha SDM Hardeep Singh Dhaliwal, who allegedly failed to take any action against those buying the votes. Later in the day, a large number of residents of Kauni village, including another man who had shot the video of the SDM investigating the matter at the village and speaking over the phone to someone on the polling day, gathered at a common place at Kauni village and released that CD too. Those who shot the videos also sought police protection, alleging they feared attack. Deputy Commissioner Paramjit Singh has asked another IAS officer, Ramvir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Muktsar, to investigate the matter and file a report by tomorrow evening. Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, VK Singh had yesterday asked the Muktsar Deputy Commissioner to report on the allegations of bribing of voters at Kauni village by the Akali Dal after a report was published in The Tribune on Friday. Gidderbaha assembly segment is part of the Faridkot parliamentary constituency, witnessing a three-cornered contest between Prof Sadhu Singh (AAP), sitting MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan (SAD) and Jaitu MLA Joginder Singh Panjgrain (Congress).
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Farmers mechanise farm operations to check labour cost
Faridkot, May 4 Cotton is a labour intensive crop which requires manual labour right from sowing to picking. Keeping in view the shortage of labour, the Agriculture Department had imported farm machinery for cotton sowing and picking last season. These were used over 50 hectares in Abohar. It showed good results. Now more machines would be introduced in the coming season, said Kahan Singh Pannu, Secretary, Agriculture. Acute shortage of migrant labour has forced a large number of paddy growers to opt for direct seeding of rice, said Jagjit Singh Seikhon, Chief Agriculture Officer, Faridkot. The laborious process of planting seedlings manually in waterlogged fields costs the farmers up to Rs 2,500 per acre. The direct seeding of rice will prove cost-effective. Similarly, cotton growers have been advised to mechanise the sowing and harvesting of the cotton crop to make it competitive in the international market, said Pannu. He said the machines, cotton pickers and cotton stripers, were used to do the bulk of harvesting. While the cotton picker picks the cotton boll from the plant, the cotton stripper strips the boll and often the leaves of the plant. A stripper can harvest about 227 kg of cotton in an hour. In comparison, it takes one man 33 hours to harvest the same crop. Though there is an urgent need to increase the area under cotton cultivation to check the plummeting water table, high labour cost on this crop acts as a
hurdle.
Going hi-tech
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Rural bank to issue credit cards to farmers
Pawan Goyal, chairperson of the MGB, told the Tribune that in the first phase, the bank would issue nearly 20,000 KCCs, while the remaining borrowers would get the the credit cards in the second phase. The MGB, meanwhile, will install two ATMs in Sangrur and Patiala. The Sangrur ATM is likely to be operational by May 15. In the first phase, nearly 5,000 ATM cards will be issued to the bank customers. The bank has a customer base of 1.48 lakh. Under its expansion plan, the MGB will open six more branches by December-end, taking its total branches to 75. The bank had started operations with six branches in 1986 with the head office in
Sangrur.
For the first time
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3 lakh tonnes wheat stuck in Sangrur
Sangrur, May 4 Officials said the government procurement agencies had procured over 7.77 lakh tonnes of wheat till last evening, of which only 4.65 lakh metric tonnes had been lifted whereas over 3.11 lakh tonnes was still in the markets. An official at the District Mandi Office here said apart from labour shortage, there was a paucity of trucks. He said electioneering too had contributed to the delay. Sources said the agency-wise yet-to-be-lifted wheat data in the district stood at ---- Pungrain: 35,500 metric tonnes (figures till May 1); Food Corporation of India: 47,000 metric tonnes; Markfed: 81,000 metric tonnes; Punsup: 78,000 metric tonnes; Warehouse Corporation: 30,500 metric tonnes and Punjab Agro: 38,000 metric tonnes. Apart from these government agencies, private traders too had purchased about 37,000 metric tonnes of wheat. An arhtiya from the Sangrur grain market, Pardeep Singla, said private players had already lifted their quota of wheat as they could not afford any type of damage due to rain or inclement weather.
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Phagwara lacks shields to weather fire incidents
Phagwara, May 4 It has been learnt that civic bodies of Nawanshahr, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Phagwara have only six fire tenders, while the Municipal Committees of 26 towns, including Phillaur, Goraya, Banga, Talwara, Mukerian, Dasuya, Tanda, Garrdhiwala, Haryana, Bhogpur, Mahilpur, Sham Chaurasi, Garhshankar, Balachaur, Rahon, Nakodar, Noormahal, Sultanpur-Lodhi, Dhilwan, Bholath, Begowal, Alawalpur, Adampur, Lohian, Shahkot, are still deprived of fire brigade services. Neither the present government nor the previous one provided fire tenders to the civic bodies of these towns. A Phillaur resident and trader Brij Bhushan told The Tribune that during festivals and crop seasons, they spent the days in fear. Rajinder Singh, a farmer of Bilga, said wheat and paddy crops were being harvested in a fearful atmosphere, as fields were destroyed in fire incidents. Fire tenders are not available with the Phillaur Municipal Committee. Towns of the region are dependent on Jalandhar, Phagwara and Ludhiana for fire-fighting services. Phillaur SDM Jasbir Singh said that the Phillaur sub-division was attached with Phagwara. Phagwara Municipal Corporation Executive Officer Adarsh Sharma said the Phagwara Fire Brigade had two fire tenders of 4,500-litre and 2,500-litre capacity, but the shortage of firemen and drivers was creating problems. The Fire Brigade has only two firemen against the sanctioned 26 posts, while three drivers against required eight drivers. Phagwara Fire Brigade Superintendent Tirlochan Singh said temporary arrangements were being made by appointing four contractual employees. He said the two fire tenders were not sufficient to cater to several towns. “There’s a need for two more fire tenders,” Tirlochan added. Nearly 250 fire incidents have been reported in the last financial year.
Wheat in seven villages gutted Phagwara: Wheat on several acres of land has been gutted in fire at seven villages in Kapurthala district. The fire broke out in Mauli, Jajan, Begowal, Chiherru, Sargundhi, and Nangal Saprod villages due to sparking caused by thunderstorms, which also disrupted power supply for several hours in most of the rural and urban parts of Phagwara. The fire broke out in the fields where the crop was almost ready for harvesting. The flames spread rapidly to the nearby fields due to wind. The fire tenders and farmers had a hard time to douse the fire. The affected farmers have demanded compensation from the Punjab Government.
— TNS
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Cong polling agents attacked,10 booked
Rampura Phul (Bathinda) May 4 There was tension in the town after brothers Rinku and Raju were targeted by the SAD workers. While Rinku is being treated at the Rampura Civil Hospital, Raju has been admitted to the Government Hospital at Faridkot. Local Congress leaders alleged that the houses of certain Congress workers in Kangar village were pelted with stones last night. One of the attackers was identified as Parveen Kansal alias Rocky. The latter had hosted lunch for the DGP when, accompanied by Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, he had come here to inaugurate a police station. Rocky and his aide Happy Bansal and eight unidentified persons have been booked for attempt
to murder. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) vice-president Gurpreet Kangar, who is head of the Malwa region, led a protest at the local hospital and later at the Barnala-Bathinda barricade. Kangar claimed that the Congress polling agents had stood up to Akali leaders and objected to bogus voting during polling even as the police remained a mute spectator. He alleged that Akali leaders had threatened him and other workers inside the police station when they went to lodge a complaint. Gurpreet Maluka, Chairman, Bathinda Zila Parishad, who is Maluka's son, defended the Akali workers. He told the police that Rocky and his aide were not in the town when the alleged incident took place. Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, denied the police had been partisan. Happy Bansal said he and the SHO (City) had been at a local temple since 6 am regarding a theft. Rocky, he said, was away to Chandigarh. Claiming that Rinku and Raju often got into brawls with their business rivals, he accused the Congress of needlessly giving a political twist to the incident.
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AAP leaders head to battlefield Varanasi
Volunteers have also left for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the hill states where the elections are to be held on May 7. A team of volunteers has reportedly been sent from Sangrur to Hamirpur to campaign for AAP candidate Kamal Kant Batra, mother of martyr Capt Vikram Batra, awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour in the 1999 Kargil War. Bhagwant Mann, AAP candidate from Sangrur, said he was campaigning in Bazpur (Uttarakhand) for Balli Singh Cheema, candidate from Nainital. “Cheema’s songs played a pivotal role in building the movement in the 1990s for the creation of Uttarakhand. I have also campaigned in Haldwani, Nainital and adjoining areas. A large number of Punjabis live there,” said Mann. Balli, a Hindi poet and an activist, has his roots in Punjab but his family is settled in Bazpur. “I will next move for Amethi to campaign for AAP candidate Kumar Vishwas, who is contesting against Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani,” he said. From Amethi, he will go to Varanasi. AAP’s Bathinda candidate Jassi Jasraj is campaigning for Subhash Chander in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Already, a team of AAP volunteers led by Prof Manjit Singh and Kultar Singh Sandhwan has reached Varanasi. “We have started campaigning for Kejriwal and response is beyond our expectations,” said Prof Manjit Singh, member of the AAP campaign committee in Punjab. “If required, we will call more volunteers from Punjab to Varanasi,” he said.
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AAP may have hurt BJP vote bank most: Survey
Amritsar, May 4 As per the satta rules, if a punter bets Rs 10 on Amarinder’s victory, he takes home Rs 13.50, if he wins. In case Jaitley wins, he takes home Rs 24 for a bet of Rs 10. A survey by a political science professor at Guru Nanak Dev University shows that AAP may have damaged the BJP vote bank more than that of
the Congress. The survey, conducted by Assistant Professor Dr Harpreet Mangat and her student Sukhpreet Kaur, shows that first-time voters in the constituency preferred AAP over the Congress and the BJP. Of the total first-time voters, 36.5 per cent voted for AAP, 28.04 per cent for the Congress and 16 per cent for the BJP. The survey shows both the SAD and the BJP losing a larger number of votes in these Lok Sabha elections than during the 2012 Assembly poll. “The Congress seems to have lost almost one-third of the votes while the BJP may have lost a whopping 62 per cent,” Mangat said. She said 55 per cent of the voters who had earlier voted for the Congress may have opted for AAP this time. The remaining 35 per cent may have opted for the BJP. The remaining 10 per cent may have opted for other parties, pressed the NOTA button or not voted at all. The BJP seems to have lost 70 per cent of its votes to AAP and 30 per cent to the Congress. Mangat said it was a small sample survey and most of the voters interviewed were from urban areas.
The scenario could be different in villages.
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AAP worker’s son wants action against assailants
Patiala, May 4 He alleged that the police was under pressure not to act against the SAD leader. He said a CT scan had revealed that his father had suffered a skull fracture. Despite the grave injury, the police was yet to initiate action against the SAD workers, he said. Kartar Singh and his brother Shamsher Singh of Jalalabad village were allegedly beaten up by Akali leader Tarsem Singh and his henchmen. They were admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital here. Later, Kartar Singh was referred to the
PGI. Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police HS Mann said the police had included the relevant Sections in the FIR on the basis of Kartar Singh’s medical report.
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AAP’s Faridkot candidate falls ill, advised bed rest Muktsar: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Faridkot Prof Sadhu Singh, 73, has been advised bed rest by doctors at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. His personal assistant Manoj Kumar said: "Hectic electioneering seems to have taken a toll on his health. The doctors suspect a mild heart problem." Prof Sadhu Singh is pitted against sitting MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan (SAD) and Jaitu MLA Joginder Panjgrian (Congress). — Archit Watts
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BSP leader offers Rs 1 crore for Baba Ramdev’s head
Hoshiarpur, May 4 BSP workers today held a protest against Baba Ramdev outside the local bus stand. They burnt an effigy of the yoga guru and raised slogans against him. Chauhan addressed the protesters and condemned Ramdev's remarks against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Dalit community. He said: "It (the statement) is something that cannot be pardoned. Whosoever will behead him and bring his head to me, I will reward him with Rs 1 crore". When asked what led him to give such a statement, he said: "I mean it. Ramdev has disrespected the women. It is shameful on his part to say that 'Rahul goes to the huts of poor for honeymoon or picnic'".
Party flays statement
The BSP has condemned the Chauhan's statement. Narendra Kashyap, general secretary, BSP, said: "If he has said this, the law will take its own course to punish him. The party has nothing to do with it. Such statements should be avoided." Sushil Kumar, SSP, Hoshiarpur, said: "I have no knowledge of any such statement. We will take action if we get a complaint in this regard."
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Her leg lost, she draws inspiration from someone like her
Jalandhar, May 4 “I was shattered and in pain after the leg amputation when a DAV College professor came to me and showed me videos of Shubhreet on her phone. Not being a TV buff, I hadn’t watched her show earlier. I was bowled over her one-leg movements. I thought that if she could be so cheerful, gritty and live her life to the fullest after a similar loss, so could I be,” Arti said. “The professor made me talk to Shubhreet on her phone. She counselled me for 20 minutes and said she would come to meet me as soon as she finished off her shows. She gave me her phone number and said I could call her anytime when I felt let down,” said
Arti, who stays at her one-room rented accommodation in the New Raj Nagar locality here.
Arti recalls the day, “I was off from my dress designer job at a private company in the sports complex here since it was
Holi. I had gone to a shop near my house to buy some cloth for stitching my shirt. I was just 100 m off my place when an Innova car, driven by an underage driver, bumped into my leg, ruining my life forever.” A graduate in economics, she said she was peeved over the fact that the law is helpless for underage culprits. “The Nirbhaya case was so much debated about with suggestions coming in for strengthening the law, but when it comes to questioning the accused of below 18 years, everyone becomes helpless. I have penned a script on the matter and wish to suggest the same to Aamir Khan for his Satyamev Jayete series,” she said. “The family of the accused gave us Rs 3 lakh as compensation, which was used during the month-long
hospitalisation,” said her mother Geeta Devi. Hailing from Muzzafarpur in Bihar, Arti’s family had moved to Jalandhar about seven years ago for better prospects. Her parents are not working and she being the eldest of all had been fulfilling the family needs. After her illness, the onus to run the family has come on her brother, who has started working as a footwear designer. She said, “My problem is somewhat worse than
Shubhreet. My left arm does not work properly. Doctors have tried to rectify the problem surgically, but I need to undergo a long physiotherapy session before being able to restart my career. People have been offering me sitting jobs, but I do not want a job on sympathetic grounds. I am consulting a doctor for an artificial limb. My uncle Narinder Singh has talked to representatives of the Red Cross Society, which might provide me the required financial assistance.”
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Honour for Punjabi scientist in US
Earlier this week, Dr Grewal was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Having distinguished scholars as its members, the academy's mandate is to provide independent, objective advice to the nation on science and technology. Dr Grewal, did M.Sc from PAU, Ludhiana, in 1989. Director, Research, PAU, Dr SS Gosal said Dr Grewal was a dedicated student and had gone to the UK on a scholarship to do doctorate. "We are glad to know that he has been elected member of the two most prestigious academies of the US," he said. In a statement, Dr Grewal's family said: Dr Grewal has done a groundbreaking research in the field of epigenetics. His studies have provided critical insights into how cells control structure of the chromosomes. This 'epigenetic' (literally, beyond the gene) regulation is fundamentally important to human development".
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Moga scientist awarded for achieving high wheat yield
Moga, May 4 Issued by the Financial Commissioner, Agriculture, the appreciation letter was presented to him by District Magistrate Arshdip Singh Thind here recently. Dr Brar has successfully introduced bed plantation of wheat on this seed farm. The technology consumes less water as compared to the traditional way of cultivation. He has now prepared a detailed project for setting up drip irrigation facilities on the government seed farm, which according to him, would come out to be a model farm in the state. He said it would become a source of inspiration for the uneducated farmers to adopt modern technology to stop over-exploitation of underground water resources.
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Dr Sirsa is Sahit Akademi head
Dr Surjit Singh Patiala has been elected senior vice-president. He was polled 534 votes while his rival Joginder Singh Nirala got 272 votes. Five vice-presidents have also been elected. — TNS
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Girl jumps from roof to escape molesters
Amritsar, May 4 The police has registered a case under Sections 376, 511 (attempt to rape), 354 (sexual assault), 452 (criminal trespass), 506 (threatening) and 34,
IPC, against Bab and Rinka, residents of Ganda Singh Wala on Majitha Road, and two others who are yet to be identified. The victim alleged that Rinka would stalk her whenever she left home for work. When confronted by her parents, he apologised to her. But on April 29, he and three others barged into her house and tried to rape her. She jumped from the roof to rescue herself.
Sarabjit Kaur, investigating officer, said that raids were being conducted to nab the culprits.
NRI alleges rape
Faridkot: An NRI from Singapore has alleged that she was raped while in Faridkot on a vacation. The police have registered a case against six persons, including four women. The victim said she went to Faridkot to visit her Toronto-based sister’s family friends, who forced her to marry a boy. Bimla
Rani, investigating officer, said nobody had been arrested yet.
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2 killed, 10 hurt in jeep-car collision
Abohar, May 4 The jeep ferrying them collided head-on with the safari, about 10 km from Rawatsar, besides a bus. A a truck following the safari hit the vehicle, resulting in death of its driver Prem Kumar (32) along with pilgrim Pawan Kumar (52) of Ellenabad. Ten persons, including Safari driver Rajesh Jat, sustained injuries. The other victims have been identified as Asha Devi, Anju Rani, Kusum, Laxmi, Hemant, Sidhi Vinayak, Dinesh Kumar, Manish and Mohit Modi. The jeep and Safari were damaged badly. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rattan Swami monitored the relief operations and got the injured persons shifted to Hanumangarh and other hospitals by arranging highway ambulances. At least three of them have been referred to Jaipur, sources added. A case against the safari and truck drivers has been registered.
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Ex-serviceman booked for killing wife
Hoshiarpur, May 4 At night, Chand received a call from Kulwinder, informing him that their car had met with an accident near Nainowal village and Sarabjit was seriously injured. On reaching the spot, he found Sarabjit had injuries on his head and body, as if she was attacked by weapons. She was taken to the local Civil Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. Gurdial alleged that after matter was reported to the police, Kulwinder fled the hospital. He alleged that Kulwinder had killed Sarabjit with sharp-edged weapons. The police have booked Kulwinder under Section 302 of the
IPC.
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Liquor worth Rs 50 lakh seized in Rajasthan
Abohar, May 4 The truck driver-cum-owner, Jagjit Singh, and his helper Jasbir Singh, both from Jaitu Mandi in Faridkot district, were arrested. They were remanded in four-day police custody. The preliminary inquiry has brought out 875 cartons of whisky and 225 cartons of beer were loaded at Ellenabad in Sirsa district of Haryana. The consignment was to be delivered in Gujarat. The Rajasthan Police have seized liquor worth
Rs 3 crore from heavy vehicles in the past six months. A dozen police stations have no more space to stack the seized consignments. The police said the trucks were loaded at Zirakpur in Punjab and towns in Haryana; each was carrying liquor to Gujarat, a dry state. The Gujarat Police have not seized any such truck at the inter-state border.
Meant for Gujarat
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2 held with 28 quintal poppy husk, opium
Patiala, May 4 A case under Sections 18/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered at the Passiana police station. During questioning, the accused said he used to buy opium from one Raju of Rajasthan, but now he used to buy opium from various truck drivers who came to pay homage at a religious place at Dhainthal, the SSP said. "In another case, we have seized 28.80 quintal of poppy husk. On a tip-off, we intercepted a truck near Hamchidi bypass at Patran and seized the contraband from a especially designed enclosure inside the truck. We arrested Kuldeep Kumar of Bihar while his aide Jaswant Singh managed to escape", said Mann.
In police net
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3 arhtiyas booked for
‘damaging’ wheat
Moga, May 4 A PSWC officer lodged a complaint with the police following which a case has been registered against three firms: Gajiana Trading Company, Sat Pal Har Gopal Trading Company, and Bal Mukand and Company. Assistant Sub-Inspector Gurjinder Singh said the police were investigating the case, but no one had been arrested so far. Depinder Singh, Manager, PSWC, alleged the accused had sprayed the water to increase the weight of the food grain. He said the wheat in question was already purchased by the PSWC. The stock was lying under their possession for transportation to the warehouse. The commission agents were trying to make up for the weight loss of wheat after a reduction in the moisture content due to the drying process, he alleged. He said when they objected to it, the accused attacked them. He told the police that though none of the employees was injured, their car was damaged by the erring commission agents. The police said they were investigating the matter. The loss to the corporation was yet to be assessed, they said.
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