The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Withdrawal of free power: ‘rasta roko’ stir by BKU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 17
Reacting to the Punjab Government decision to withdraw free power and water facility from the farmers, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has decided to resort to ‘rasta roko’ (blockade of traffic) on all major roads all over the state.

Presiding over an emergency meeting of the body here today, the BKU president, Mr Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, maintained that the farming community would force the government to roll back the decision and restore the supply of free power and water. He said it was all the more unfortunate that the government had announced its decision at a time when the farmers were busy in harvesting their crop and sowing of next crop. “The farmers will give a befitting reply to the opportunism of the government.”

Giving details of the agitation programme, Mr Lakhowal disclosed that the BKU would lead rallies of farmers followed by traffic jams at Ferozepore on October 22, Morinda on October 23, Kapurthala on October 24, Moga on October 25, Muktsar on October 26, Mansa on October 27, Fatehgarh Sahib on October 28, Faridkot on October 29, Patiala on October 30, Ludhiana on October 31, Bathinda on November 5 and Amrtisar on November 8.

Mr Lakhowal further lamented that the farmers were already reeling under an unbearable debt burden and rather than providing some relief to the sick agricultural economy, the government had chosen to inflict yet another crushing blow by slapping energy bills for power consumed by tubewells and ‘abiana’ (water charges). “The same party (Congress), when in opposition, had been expressing sympathy with the farmers and used to provide data on suicides by farmers due to massive debt burden. But ever since assuming power, the ruling party has done a volte face and persistent efforts are being made to put more and more financial burden on the farmers.”

The BKU chief said the government, immediately after taking over, brought the farm inputs under the purview of sales tax; thereafter prices of diesel and petrol were repeatedly jacked up and now another back breaking burden had been imposed in the form of withdrawal of free power and water facility. In a note of warning, he said if the government failed to rescind the decision by the end of this month, the farming community, led by the BKU, would launch a mass agitation, which might include gherao of all Punjab ministers.

In another resolution, adopted at the meeting, the BKU demanded a compensation of Rs 12,000 per hectare for crop losses due to hail storm at several places in the state and urged the government to take effective steps for realising arrears of sugarcane growers towards the sugar mills.

Meanwhile, the Kisan Morcha convener, BJP, Mr Jaswant Singh Chhapa said while addressing a meeting of party activists at the Grain Market here today, that the state government had further added to the misery of the farmers by accepting the recommendations of the State Power Regulatory Commission to scrap the facility of free power to the farm sector. “By having to pay energy charges at the rate of Rs 60 per horse power per month, the cost of production of various crops will further go up and the already crippled agricultural economy will go in deeper crisis.”

He charged the Congress government with going back from its poll manifesto and betraying the farmers. The Punjab farmers had suffered due to drought-like situation due to failure of the monsoon during the current crop season and further due to dropping of ground water level. “What they needed was a helping hand from the government and a package of relief. But instead the ruling party has chosen to rub salt in their wounds.” He said the party would soon organise a rally of farmers in the city to mobilise them against the anti-farmer policies of the government and to chalk out the modalities for an agitation.

Farmers pay; industry glad
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17
Various trade and industry associations have hailed the decision of the Punjab Government to withdraw free power to the agriculture sector. These bodies say that the decision will help the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to recover some of its losses, leading to a better power supply, benefiting even farmers.

The Chamber of Commercial and Industrial Undertakings (CICU), the Federation of Punjab Small Industries (FPSI), the Trade and Industry Forum (TIF) of Punjab, the Punjab Beopar Mandal and several other organisations have also urged the state to provide industry with simultaneous relief.

Mr Inderjeet Singh Pradhan and Mr Avtar Singh, president and general secretary, respectively, of the CICU, said the decision was overdue, since the PSEB and the state had been facing heavy losses because farmers were getting free power. They said industry should get relief, as it had been burdened with additional tariff to compensate for these losses.

The president of the Punjab Beopar Mandal, Mr Tulsi Dass Jaitwani, said the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had taken a bold decision. He said, in spite of knowing that free power to farmers would hit the state’s economy, the previous government had given it for its vested interests.

NRI murdered, eight booked
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 17
The Basti Jodhewal police yesterday registered a case of murder against eight persons for allegedly administering some poisonous substance to an NRI, Mr Amandeep Singh (29), who had come to the city about three months ago to supervise his business here and was found dead near his house in Sekhewal on Tuesday.

The viscera of the deceased has been sent to Patiala for examination even as doctors, who conducted an autopsy on the body, said that some smack-like drug had been administered to the deceased.

According to information, Amandeep Singh, who leaves behind three children, went to see the Dasehra mela along with his friend, Parvinder Singh, at around 1.30 pm on Tuesday. But while they were on their way to the mela site, Amandeep got a call on his mobile phone from Avtar Singh, another friend, who called him to a farmhouse in Sahnewal where he was allegedly given some eatables containing something poisonous. Later he returned to his house at around 5 pm after which he started complaining of uneasiness and suffocation. He went to get some fresh air on his farm. He was found dead later by the family members of his uncle with whom he was staying.

The police has booked eight persons, including Avtar Singh, on the complaint of Mr Balwinder Singh, a cousin of the deceased.

Carrying Rama for generations
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17
For 90-year-old Babu Ram, it is not just the family tradition, but a matter of faith. For countless years Babu Ram has been carrying the palanquin of the Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita on his shoulders. Even the advanced age of 90 years has not weakened his shoulders and he continues to carry the gods on his shoulders with the same strength he used to do 50 or 60 years ago, when he was young.

Age might have caught up with Babu Ram in appearance but not in faith and strength. He belongs to Kohar community of Sunet village near here. The Kohars are traditionally known for carrying the palanquins of the lord on their shoulders. There is a belief that only they can carry the weight of the gods on their shoulders, which an ordinary man cannot do.

Babu Ram does not remember since when he has been carrying the gods on his shoulders. “As far as I can remember I used to accompany my father when he would come here (to Ludhiana) and lift the palanquin along with other family members. But I don’t know when I, myself, started lifting the palanquin”, he recalls. But he can recollect that Ludhiana was limited to the area around Clock Tower and Daresi. “At that time Sunet appeared to be a far away place from Ludhiana and now it is very much a part of the city”, he says about his village.

According to Mr Kewal Kishen Marwaha, deputy chairman of the Ram Lila Committee, Ludhiana, he has seen Babu Ram for past 18 years to performing his traditional job. “I have never noticed in all these years any signs of weakness...he looks as strong as he was when I saw him for the first time”, he calls, while adding, “even at that time I used to fear whether such an old man would be able to carry such a huge weight on his shoulders and he did and he is still doing it”.

Babu Ram is the head of a large family of sons, grandsons, great grandsons, nephews grandnephews and great grandnephews. Like his years, he may not be able to even count the members of his family. But he feels proud and lucky for all this. Despite the protestations of his descendants, he carries on with his family’s tradition.

SDM ‘whips’ the corrupt publicly
Our Correspondent

Machhiwara, October 17
Ms Bhawna Garg, Subdivisional Magistrate of Ludhiana (East), publicly humiliated corrupt government employees of Koom Kalan sub tehsil. Before a huge crowd at Miani village, she made them say that they would not seek bribes anymore.

The SDM took this action on a complaint by the sarpanch union of Koom Kalan. Mr Rajinder Singh, president of the union and sarpanch of Miani village, said the SDM had found that the employees of two kanungo segments were seeking an exorbitant “government fees” for ‘jamabandi’. The employees had told her that a fee of Rs 10 per page was being charged, but, the SDM got to know from villagers that the amount being charged was Rs 100 per page.

When exposed, the corrupt employees were speechless. The SDM called them by turn at the gathering and told them to say aloud their names and that they would never again take bribes. She also told them to put up notices in front of all ‘patwarkhanas’, displaying prominently the fee structure and the motto: ‘Bribery is a curse’.

Later, she told the huge gathering that anyone found bribing the employees would face strict action. The experience has left the villagers surprised, as, till now, they used to consider employees of all ranks hand-in-glove with each other. The SDM’s action has reposed the villagers’ faith in the system somewhat.

The sarpanches of the union have thanked the SDM and urged the state government to apply this method in every tehsil to uproot corruption.

Two chief guests as Dasehra committee splits
Our Correspondent

Amloh, October 17
The Dasehra sports tournament at Chinarthal Kalan village in the Amloh constituency, which has been a continuous feature for the past 54 years, due to a split in the Dasehra celebration committee was held on two different grounds. It concluded yesterday at two different places.

Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra, member, Parliament, was the chief guest on one side and gave away the prizes. On the other side Ms Preneet Kaur member, Parliament, distributed the prizes. Both the committees had invited folk singers.

The sports meet organised by the Janta Sports Club, Gram Panchayat and the Ram Leela Committee was inaugurated by Mr Ranjit Singh Libra on October 14, Mr Kirpal Singh Libra former MLA, was the chief guest of the second day (October 15) and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra was the chief guest on the last day.

Mr Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, MLA, Amloh, inaugurated the sports mela organised by the Naujwan Sports Club, while Ms Preneet Kaur distributed the prizes. Dr Utpal Joshi, SP (Head quarter) distributed prizes on the first day. On the second day, Mr Iqbal Preet Sahota, DIG Patiala range, was the chief guest. Mr Param Pal Singh, vice-president, District Congress, Giani Avtar Singh, president of the club, Mr Lakhbir Singh advocate, member Zila Parishad and Mr Sadhu Ram, president, Block Congress Committee, were also present on the closing function.

Woman succumbs to burns
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 17
Rukmani, wife of Mr Satish Kumar, a resident of Vishnu Puri in Salem Tabri, who received burn injuries while making tea on Tuesday evening, succumbed to her burns in the local Civil Hospital yesterday. Her body has been handed over to her husband after an autopsy.

Wife arrested: The Model Town police has arrested Anu Sharma and booked her on the charge of driving her husband, Pawan Kumar, to commit suicide. The deceased, in his statement to the police, had accused his wife and mother-in-law of driving him to take the extreme step of consuming a pesticide on Tuesday. He later died in Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. The mother-in-law is reported to be absconding.

In his statement to the police, Pawan Kumar had stated that he was married with Anu of Khanna about two and a half years ago and he was living with her in Dugri. But his mother-in-law wanted to take her daughter to Khanna which was not acceptable to him.

Ten booked: Starting its campaign against Divali-season gamblers, the city police has nabbed 10 persons, seven for gambling and the rest for indulging in ''satta''.

The Salem Tabri police arrested Ajay Kumar, a resident of Bhagat Singh Colony, and Durga Parshad and Chunu Lal, both residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Tuesday night while they were gambling. An amount of Rs 205 and a set of playing cards were seized from their possession.

In another case, the police raided a gambling den in New Aman Nagar and arrested four persons from whom Rs 710 and a set of playing cards were seized. The arrested persons have been identified as Mohinder Singh and Bhupinder Singh, both residents of Bhagat Singh Colony, and Ram Partap and Raju, both residents of New Aman Nagar.

The Sahnewal police has booked three persons in separate cases on the charge of indulging in ''satta'' business. The arrested persons have been identified as Pawan Kumar, a resident of Guru Nanak Pura, Tejinder Singh, a resident of Shimla Puri, and Joginder Singh, a resident of Kulewal village.

AGRICULTURE

Farmers advised to change methods
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 17
“Farmers should break out of the wheat-paddy cycle and adopt technologies to save the soil fertility from getting destroyed by the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides,” said Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner. He was speaking at a state-level training programme for farmers here today.

Technocrats told the participating farmers about the latest technologies of sowing and nurturing Rabi crops. Mr Aggarwal said farmers would have to produce quality crop at low cost in view of the global competition. It was a matter of concern that groundwater was getting polluted by the indiscriminate use of fertilisers and pesticides. The yield, too, was coming down with the soil fertility, he said.

He said the excessive use of chemicals was affecting the quality of the produce. Ludhiana topped the list of the excessive users of fertilisers and pesticides in the country. This year, the district would take out more than 5,500 hectares from the wheat-paddy cycle, he said.

The DC said the adoption of new technologies would make farming economically viable. The burning of paddy stubble should also be discouraged, since it not only destroyed vital soil nutrients, but also polluted air, he said.

Dr Dinesh Kumar Jain, Joint Director Agriculture, urged farmers to adopt the latest farming technologies and consult technocrats on various problems. He said the department was committed to supplying farmers with best seeds and pesticides.

Dr R.S. Pandher, Chief Agricultural Officer, said various such training programmes were being organised in the district. Though farmers found it safe to sow wheat and paddy, things would have to change, in view of changes worldwide. Farmers should use high-quality hybrid seeds and switch to sowing pulses, mustard and winter maize.

The others present on the occasion included Dr Satpal Mehra, Dr M.S. Gill, Dr Harjit Dhaliwal, Dr R.S. Aulakh, Dr Daler Singh (Agricultural Information Officer) and Mr Prabhdayal Thind. Various manufacturers of agricultural implements had also displayed their products on the occasion. The exhibition was a big draw.