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Basmati glut, Majha farmers resorting to distress sale
Court orders uniform rate for upgrading rice
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Anti-Sukhbir slogans raised at Dasehra programme
SGPC decides not to shun fireworks
Funds not fully spent on SC/ST welfare: RTI
Every time someone walks into his pharmacy in the volatile Pakistani city of Peshawar, Amarjeet Singh prepares for the worst. Protests by Sikhs have failed to ensure them security
ludhiana
killings
Shrimp farmer in Fazilka strikes gold
9 months on, diagnostic centre not operational
Families of youths jailed in Kuwait seek Centre’s help
distillery
controversy
Dal Khalsa to hold ‘Justice March’
Notices issued to 40 doctors
Diesel dearer by 58 paise
3 lecturers killed in accident
Amritsar university penalised
‘Lover’ beaten to death, 12 booked
Two rice millers booked
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Basmati glut, Majha farmers resorting to distress sale
Gurdaspur, October 3 “The 1509 variety rice started arriving on September 22 and till now 2,371 tonnes have arrived. During the corresponding period last year, only 70 tonnes had arrived at the markets. The prices have plummeted, making the farmers, already under debt, panicky,” said Vijay Kumar, secretary, Market Committee. Last year private players, including rice millers, had purchased basmati at Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 per quintal. This year, the excess flow of basmati means that farmers will not get more than 2,300 per quintal for their produce. At the Gurdaspur grain market,basmati was lifted at a maximum price of Rs 2,150 per quintal. Buoyed by last year’s bumper crop, more and more farmers have taken to sowing the basmati variety. “Owing to a glut, private players are not offering adequate prices to the farmers,” said Inspector Surjit Singh Kahlon. With few takers, farmers are resorting to distress sale. “Basmati farmers in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur districts are being forced to either sell the produce at a much lower price as compared with the rates last year or store the crop at home,” said a commission agent. The farmers blame both the Centre and the state government for their plight as no minimum support price (MSP) has been fixed for this variety. "Last year the rates were between Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,500 This year, the price is around just Rs 2,000," said Tarsem Singh, a farmer from Sidhwan village. A disappointed farmer, who had sowed basmati on 35 acres, alleged that the state government was hand in glove with private rice millers and marketing firms. “Private players are purchasing basmati at low rates to sell it at a higher price later," he alleged.
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Court orders uniform rate for upgrading rice
Chandigarh, October 3 Imposing costs of Rs 25,000 on the State of Punjab and the Union of India, the High Court has made it clear that uniform charges for upgrading rice would be paid to the millers across the state. The ruling by Justice K Kannan came on a petition filed by SS Agro Industries against the Union of India and other respondents. The petitioner had claimed that upgrading charges of Rs 200 per quintal were given only to the rice millers of Mansa and Bathinda districts. For the remaining districts, it was restricted to Rs100 per quintal. The petitioner had said that the differential rate was brought out by Clause No. 3 of a letter written in this regard by the Under Secretary to the Government of India. The letter dated October 6, 2010, read: “The Government of India will pay to the state government a sum of Rs 200 per quintal of rice for Mansa and Bathinda districts and Rs 100 per quintal in the remaining districts as cost of upgrading foodgrain”. The petitioner stated that he supplied “the very same rice” after milling. As such, differential valuation for upgrading was arbitrary and violated Article 14 of the Constitution. The state counsel submitted that there was a higher quantum of low-graded PAU variety in the two districts. Unimpressed by the argument, Justice Kannan asserted: “The petitioner’s contention is that he has also milled PAU variety of paddy and, therefore, the cost of upgrading must be the same for his rice mill situated in another district… “The cost of upgrading, which ought to be more, could be brought through appropriate data... If it is merely going to be a weak argument with no data, it is evident that the whole edifice of discriminatory treatment is brought on whimsical recommendation that ought not have been accepted by the Union”. Justice Kannan directed that the petitioner be paid on a par with the rice mills in Mansa and Bathinda
districts.
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Anti-Sukhbir slogans raised at Dasehra programme
Malout, October 3 The youth was seated in the front row opposite the stage where the dignitaries, including the Chief Minister, were sitting. He alleged a false criminal case was registered against him recently at the behest of the Akalis. He was immediately detained by the police and whisked away. Addressing the function, Badal exhorted the state people to fight against drugs, foeticide, dowry and other social evils. The CM said the occasion provided an opportunity to the people to reinforce their bond of brotherhood, amity and goodwill.
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SGPC decides not to shun fireworks
Talking to the media after flagging off a fresh consignment of relief material for the flood-hit in Kashmir, Makkar said they had been trying to explore the idea of pollution-free firecrackers or those causing less pollution, but they were yet to find a viable alternative. He said they had already reduced the duration of fireworks drastically in the recent times to ensure minimum pollution. He said they could not do away with the trend of fireworks on Gurpurbs and Diwali as it was an old tradition. Last year, the fireworks at the Golden Temple on Diwali took place for only 10-12 minutes. In 2011 and 2012, the SGPC had lit fireworks for 15 minutes. This duration used to be half an hour prior to 2011. Makkar said the SGPC was not satisfied with the cleanliness around the Golden Temple despite assurances from the authorities concerned. He said the SGPC would take the responsibility in its own hands once it was free from the ongoing relief work in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir. The SGPC executive committee meeting had taken a decision in this regard on August 23 and the SGPC was to launch a cleanliness drive around the holy shrine on September 1.
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Funds not fully spent on SC/ST welfare: RTI
Chandigarh, October 3 Besides, the government is yet to fill 14 posts of district SC/ST welfare officer. The posts of three deputy directors and a director are also vacant. Information procured under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by advocate Manoj Bhushan reveals that it was in 1993-94 that the Centre appointed six district welfare officers through the Punjab Public Service Commission. Their posts are lying vacant in Barnala, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Mohali, Sangrur, Roopnagar, Pathankot and Fazilka. The government had planned to spend Rs 7.82 crore on the welfare of the SC/ST community. Last year, Rs 7.35 crore was sanctioned, but Rs 6.46 crore was spent. The capital outlay for last year was kept at Rs 1.03 crore, but only Rs 48.45 lakh was spent. Seema Jain, Secretary, Social Welfare, said the government had started the process to recruit 43 tehsil welfare officers. For the appointment of district welfare officers, a requisition had been sent to the Punjab Public Service Commission, she said. She claimed the SAD-BJP government was spending a lot on the
welfare of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe community, which could only be judged through exact figures.
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Pakistani Sikhs living under threat of terrorists; 8 killed in 18 months
Peshawar (Pakistan), October 3 “I don’t know if it’s a customer or an assailant who will reach out for his gun,” Amarjeet, a member of Pakistan’s tiny Sikh minority, said. Easily recognised because of their colourful turbans, members of the Sikh community here say they have been singled out and attacked increasingly as radical Islamist militants see them as infidels. Their plight highlights a growing atmosphere of intolerance in a country long plagued by sectarian violence. Like Shi’ite Muslims, Christians and other minorities, Sikhs live in a paranoid and hostile world where every stranger is assumed to be an attacker. Wearing a large pink turban and sitting cross-legged in his shop, Amarjeet, 40, said the community was so afraid that most people stopped showing up for prayers in gurdwaras. “I have run this business for the last 22 years. Never in my life have I experienced such insecurity,” he said. “Around 60 per cent of our shops are closed due to security concerns. Many parents are not sending their children to schools.” Last month, Harjeet Singh, another Sikh shopkeeper, was shot dead at his herbal medicine shop in Peshawar, near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan which is home to most of the country’s 40,000 strong Sikh community. Peshawar, a sprawling and chaotic city of 3.8 million, lies in a conservative region awash with radical Islamist ideology. Pamphlets praising Islamic state, a group fighting to set up a global Islamic caliphate, have recently appeared. According to the police, at least eight Sikhs have been killed in the past year and a half. Around 500 Sikh families have recently migrated to Peshawar due to a military operation against Taliban militants in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border. “They were forced to leave their established businesses,” said Haroon Sarab Diyal, chairman, All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement. “Pakistan is land of the pure for us. It is the birth place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. It’s our mother land, we love this soil. Why are we being targeted here?” asked Sardar Charanjit Singh, a Sikh elder. — Reuters
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ludhiana killings
Ludhiana, October 3 Mann said incidents like the “cold-blooded murders” of two Dalit brothers at Jamalpur near Ludhiana could have been avoided had the police officials been acting “on their own. “But, the men in khaki have been rendered puppets in the hands of Akali jathedars,” he said. Mann and Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, among others, had protested against the state government in Samrala yesterday. Wanted in an attempt to murder case, the victims were killed allegedly by a SAD leader, Gurjeet Singh, in the presence of policemen at Ahluwalia colony on September 27. The Sangrur MP said, “Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is also facing a case of attempt to murder, robbery and voluntarily causing hurt to extort property. Will the police treat him the way they treated the two brothers?” The comedian-turned-politician said political interference was leading to the “degeneration” of the Police Department. “It is no secret that Station House Officers (SHOs) are being appointed on the recommendation of Akali MLAs or halqa (constituency) chiefs. As such, the only motive of the police officials remains to please their political masters. This is what happened in Jamalpur,” he said. Satpal Singh, father of victims Harinder and Jatinder, had yesterday claimed a police official, Yadwinder, currently in custody for his alleged involvement in the case, was to leave for New Zealand in a few days. He said Gurjeet had reportedly struck a deal assuring airfare to Yadwinder if the custody of the brothers was handed over to him. Backing Satpal, Bajwa said, “Money, for sure, has changed hands in this case.” He demanded that the government should compile data of the assets owned by SHOs and details should be uploaded on the Police Department’s website.” Bajwa said, “These SHOs never wear uniform. They operate like land mafia. Maintaining law and order never seems to be a priority with them,” he said.
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Missing persons’ posters dot Faridkot
Faridkot, October 3 As many as 30 persons, including seven girls and five children, have gone missing under mysterious circumstances in Faridkot in the last 21 months. The NGO, Faridkot Anti-Kidnapping Action Committee, has been spearheading an agitation in the area for the last four months. Even though the High Court has demanded the cases be solved as soon as possible, the police have failed to crack these. While hearing a case of one of the missing youths on September 15, the High Court set one month’s deadline for the police to trace the youth. The court had said if the police failed to trace the youth, the court might consider transferring the case to some other agency. The action committee members fear the missing persons could have been victims of an illegal organ trafficking business and demand the investigation be handed to the CBI. Besides staging the dharna outside the city police station for the last four months, the action committee has mobilised the voluntary organisations of other towns to collect information on the missing persons. The panel members have now pasted the posters of these missing children and teenagers across the town. On September 12, Faridkot district observed a complete bandh to register its protest against the police for its failure to trace the missing persons. Faridkot Superintendent of Police Balbir Singh said they were doing their best to crack the cases. Gurdit Singh Sekhon, a member of the action committee, said the police claimed the missing persons had eloped, while the illegal organ trade for transplantation was flourishing. HS Phoolka, a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court and AAP leader, also raised the cases of missing persons in Faridkot before the SC during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The NGO, Bachpan Bachao Aandolan, had filed the petition and Phoolka is the counsel for the NGO. Phoolka said the apex court, on September 24, strongly criticised the state governments for their apathetic attitude towards tracing the missing children. “While the entire police machinery is pressed into service to trace the child of an “aristocratic person”, no FIR is registered when children of a poor man go missing,” said Phooka, while quoting the SC’s September 24 order.
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Shrimp farmer in Fazilka strikes gold
Fazilka, October 3 The shrimp was reared on a trial basis in a pond constructed on one acre in the waterlogged village of Penchanwali on the outskirts of Fazilka town. Nagpal said a farmer could earn about Rs 5 lakh per acre by rearing shrimp. Official sources said about 5,000 hectares in Fazilka, Muktsar, Faridkot and Bathinda were waterlogged. The low-lying areas coupled with lack of proper sewerage led to the problem. Nasa agro and Sampural Agri with the help of scientists from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Science University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) found that shrimp farming could be profitable in waterlogged areas. Dr Prabhjit Singh and Dr Shanta Gowda, the representatives of GADVASU, said shrimp grew in saline water and consumed calcium in the water, making it soft. They said the shrimp enriched the water with nitrogen-rich excreta. Nagpal said the initial input cost, including imported shrimp, feed, labour, power, was around Rs 6 lakh per acre. He said the stagnant water in the pond had to be changed frequently. Shrimp farmers could earn a profit of approximately Rs 5 lakh, claimed Nagpal. “If the government sets up a freezing plant in Fazilka, shrimp can be exported to the United States, Japan and Western Europe, where it is in great demand,” said a Gujrat-based exporter Yash Patel. Nagpal said since his pilot project had been a success, the state government could help the farmers affected by
waterlogging.
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9 months on, diagnostic centre not operational
Sangrur, October 3 The centre, constructed at a cost of about Rs 45 lakh, was handed over to the Civil Hospital authorities by the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) on May 22 this year. The building has been constructed on an area of 4,200 square-ft. Hospital authorities said the Mumbai firm that was to run the centre was to blame. The firm had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the PHSC to run the centre. Senior Medical Officer Dr Prabhat Kumar said he had written to the PHSC about the matter. Sources in the Health Department said the centre had not become operational due to shortage of radiologists. The centre is to provide facilities such CT scan and MRI at cheap rates.
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Families of youths jailed in Kuwait seek Centre’s help
Phagwara, October 3 They alleged the death of their kin's co-workers was natural and neither the Indian Embassy in Kuwait nor the Central Government had done anything for their release. Even the Punjab Government has failed to pressure the Union Government to take up the matter with the Kuwaiti authorities, they alleged. The family members said Indian workers of Kuwait- based Ahmadiya Construction Company had a brawl with their two Egyptian co-workers on August 26. The workers died a few days later. The youths' relatives led by Jan Kalyan Morcha president Kanwar Harpreet Singh today met former minister Joginder Singh Maan. Among those who have been jailed include Amandeep Singh of Nawanshahr, Santokh Singh of Phagwara, Gurpreet Singh of Moga, Rulda Ram and Surjit Lal of Hoshiarpur, Tarsem Lal of Jalandhar and Vijay Kumar of Kapurthala. Their relatives alleged they were falsely implicated in the case. Several other Indians were also held by the Kuwait police, but a majority of them were released after it turned out that the Egyptian workers had died a natural death, they claimed.
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distillery
controversy
Amloh, October 3 The residents have been sitting on a dharna opposite the sugar mill since September 1. They are opposing the distillery on the plea that it would pollute the environment. Jagbir Singh Salana, who is spearheading the campaign, said they would continue the protest till the government withdrew the decision to set up the
distillery. The residents have lodged a complaint with the deputy commissioner, alleging that the Nahar group had installed illegal tube wells in notified area. The company, however, claimed it had got the requisite permissions for the project. Leaders of various political parties have also joined the ongoing protest. They said the setting up distilleries should not be a priority. They said the state government should instead initiate industry friendly measures so that the existing industries could be saved.
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Dal Khalsa to hold ‘Justice March’
Hoshiarpur, October 3 Dal Khalsa chief HS Dhami said they were seeking justice for victims of the 1984 Sikh ‘genocide’. The participants would assemble at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. Among them would be Tamils, Nagas, Kashmiris and Christians. They would then march to Jantar Mantar. Dhami, addressing a press conference here, said they would meet the UN representative in India. He said they were commemorating 30 years of the ‘1984 pogrom’. Party spokesman Kanwarpal Singh said: “The Sikhs were hounded and killed in Delhi. The RSS too was involved in the killings, although they were not in the forefront.” Dhami said the Sikhs had lost all hope of getting justice. He said the 1984 killings were sponsored by then political establishment then. The march would pass through Ludhiana and Fatehgarh Sahib and reach Delhi on November 3. — TNS
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Notices issued to 40 doctors
Chandigarh, October 3 The notices, mainly pertaining to advertisments in various newspapers to woo patients, have been issued by the Registrar of the council. The president of the council, Dr Gurinder Singh Grewal, said some doctors had approached the council and pleaded that they be excused. Signature drive The Pro-Merger Rural Medical Officers Association has launched a signature campaign to press the state government to bring doctors posted at rural health centres that are run by the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department under the state Health Department. There are more than 1,100 rural dispensaries in the state. Dr Arshdeep Singh Brar, president of the association, said there would be a significant improvement in the health services if this was done. Emergency services would be available round the clock in almost all hospitals. There would be no problem in implementing flagship medical programmes, he said.
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Diesel dearer by 58 paise
The SAD-led government had before the Lok Sabha elections bitterly opposed any diesel price hike in the country. Ashok Thapar, vice-president of the Punjab Petroleum Dealers’ Association, said the hike was shocking as fuel prices in the international market had slipped. “The oil companies were making a profit,” he said. The hike in diesel rates will hit the farmers bringing produce to the market this paddy season. Diesel is now available in Punjab at Rs 57.93 per litre. It costs Rs 57.35 in Haryana. In Chandigarh, it is available at Rs 60.04. The state government is charging 9.75 per cent tax (earlier 8.8%) plus 10 per cent surcharge. Monty Sehgal, state executive member of the Petrol Pump Dealers Association, said: “Scores of dealers will lose business, especially in the run-up to the Haryana elections.” People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Singh Badal slammed the government move, terming it a betrayal of farmers and transporters. Seeking withdrawal of the hike, he said as the Centre was in the process of reducing diesel prices, the state government had put this burden on the people of the state, especially farmers. He said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had opposed any hike in the oil prices during the tenure of the UPA government, but had now himself imposed additional burden on the people. The Punjab Congress president, Partap Singh Bajwa, pointed out that the VAT on diesel in Punjab was among the highest in the country. He ridiculed Badal for claiming to be a champion of farmers. He said it were the farmers who would suffer the most from the decision. The state had the highest number of tractors and other farm equipment run on diesel, he said. “Badal owes an explanation to the people as to why VAT has been increased by 1 per cent in the state in which it is already being charged at the rate of 8.75 per cent. You can’t have double standards on every issue,” he added.
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3 lecturers killed in accident
Bathinda, October 3 Those killed were identified as Rakesh Saini (32), Jagmal (45) and Ajay Kaushik (45). The injured, Ashish Vijay and Tarun Vijay, are brothers. They run a college in Hanumangarh. They were taken to a nearby hospital from where they were referred to the Bathinda Civil Hospital. Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred at a sharp bend near Romanajit village. Head constable Sukhpal Singh from the Nehianwala police station said the survivors were at the rear seats. They were out of danger. “We are yet to record their statements,” he said.
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Amritsar university penalised
Chandigarh, October 3 Acting on a petition filed by student Harmanpreet Kaur, Justice K Kannan imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on the university. Harmanpreet had challenged an order disqualifying her from completing B.Ed. The order came when Harmanpreet was in the last semester. The impugned order was passed on February 3 on the ground that her graduation course in BCA from Punjab Technical University under the distance education mode did not meet the eligibility criteria for admission to BEd. Her counsel contended that she was admitted for postgraduation in English by the university after she had done BCA. She was admitted to BEd only after postgraduation. “Since the eligibility mentioned contemplates only graduates or postgraduates of Guru Nanak Dev University, the qualification she obtained from the university was itself sufficient to meet the eligibility criterion for admission to BEd,” he argued. The university counsel argued that distance education for a graduation course was not permissible. As such, admission granted in a postgraduate course was a mistake and consequently her admission to BEd too was irregular. Allowing the petition, Justice Kannan asserted: “I reject this contention as untenable and most unfair... If a person has secured a postgraduate degree in a regular course from the university and that is also described to be eligibility criterion, the fact that the petitioner had been conferred with the postgraduate degree itself must be taken as fulfilling the necessary requirement for admission to BEd. course... “ It would be impermissible for the university to withdraw a postgraduate degree that was issued by it to the petitioner and without any such action even if permissible, the disqualification made at the fag-end of her BEd. course would be grossly unjust”.
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‘Lover’ beaten to death, 12 booked
Abohar, October 3 Victim’s father Makhan Singh said his son was kidnapped from their fields at
11 pm. Hundreds of people protested at the police station in Hanumangarh. They dispersed when the police said Jas Ram, Sohan Lal, Sandesh Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Shrawan Kumar, Bhup Ram and six unidentified persons had been booked. The police have also registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 against Buta Singh, Ramesh Kumar and Om Parkash. The parents of the girl alleged four persons had molested the girl at their house last night. The girl had been taken to the local Civil Hospital. — OC
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Two rice millers booked
Fatehgarh Sahib, October 3 Assistant Sub Inspector Avtar Singh said that corporation manager Ashok Garg had complained that Gurmeet Singh and Gian Singh, both residents of Jameetgarh village, had lifted 34,534 quintals of paddy for milling during 2013-14. During a checking of stocks on June 3, 2014, a whopping 3,389.19 quintals of paddy worth Rs 55 lakh was found short, the police official said. The police have booked the rice sheller owners on the charge of forgery.
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Fazilka, October 3
Amritsar, October 3
We cannot do away with the tradition of holding fireworks display on important occasions such as Gurpurb and Diwali. Old traditions can’t be cast aside. But we have reduced the duration
of fireworks substanti-ally to ensure that there is minimum pollution around the Golden
Temple.
Chandigarh, October 3