In a first, pomegranate orchards set up in Jind

Jind: Around 13 acres has been brought under the cultivation of pomegranates in the district for the first time. The pilot project has been undertaken by two brothers at Ujhana village in Narwana tehsil. Ramphal Singh and his younger brother Balwan Singh have developed pomegranate orchards instead of following the wheat-paddy circle. District Horticulture Officer Satbir has confirmed that the cultivation of pomegranates has been taken up for the first time in the district. Ramphal says that a few months ago, he and his brother had decided to break away from the wheat-paddy cycle and opted for pomegranate. “We spared 13 acres for orchards. If the cultivation of pomegranates is possible in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and other parts of the country, why is it not possible in Haryana?” “We expect the first yield next year or in 2018. We hope that our project will set an example for other farmers,” Ramphal says. The brothers have another experiment in mind. “We are going to set up lemon orchards spread over eight acres this year,” says Balwan Singh.

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Treating injured animals their mission

Ambala: Youths under the banner of the Vande Matram Dal are providing first aid to injured animals and birds in Ambala city. Davinder Jassal, president of the Vande Matram Dal, said: In 2014 we joined the Vande Matram Dal engaged in providing medical aid to injured animals in Punjab. We started doing the same in Ambala . We have been receiving several calls every day about cattle and dogs getting injured in accidents. Team members reach the spot and provide medical aid to the injured. Besides providing medical aid to animals and birds, the dal has been organising blood donation camps too.

Sonepat first to adopt file-tracking system

Sonepat: This district has become the first in the state to implement the file-tracking system in government departments last week, said Deputy Commissioner KM Pandurang, who presided over a meeting of  to review the progress of  implementation of the system. He said the officials concerned had been trained in this conncetion and the requisite software uploaded in all offices.Now, there would be no delay in replying to queries on the CM’s Window and under the RTI Act. Any  negligence on the part of  officials would not be tolerated, the DC warned .

Six theme parks proposed in Sonepat 

Sonepat:  Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, the Sonepat Municipal Corporation has sent a project report to the Centre for approval to develop six theme parks at an estimated cost of Rs 65 crore within the municipal limits.  Ashwani Maingi, MC Commissioner,  said the sites selected for  these parks included 22 acres  near the ITI, Sonepat; 9 acres near the dividing road of HUDA’s Sector15, 2.5 acres near Murthal village, 2 acres  adjoining the herbal park near Harshana village; 5 acres in the mango garden near Rai village and 2 acres  in the old industrial area of Sonepat town. The Commissioner added that under this five-year plan, 18 towns, including Sonepat, of Haryana had been chosen for development of various facilities, including development of parks. Under the scheme, 50 per cent grant is to be provided by the Centre, 30 per cent by the state’s Urban Local Bodies Department and the remaining 20 per cent by the state government.

Cycle rally to keep M’garh pollution-free

Mahendragarh: The district police with the support of social outfits—Social Club, Anti-Crime Youth Club and Road Safety Organisation (RSO)— on Sunday took out a ‘Cycle Rally’ in Narnaul City to send out a massage for keeping Mahendragarh pollution-free.The rally led by SP Hamid Akhtar was flagged off by Bhagwan Singh, father of Haryana Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Santosh Yadav, at Narnaul’s HUDA Colony and it culminated at Subhash Park where 50 plants of different varieties were sown by the participants.“We have resolved to organise such rallies in different parts of Mahendragarh on a weekly basis for making  people aware about adverse effect of polluted environment ,” said Hamid, adding that a target of sowing 250 plants every week had also been set under the campaign.

Contributed by N Kalia, Nitish Sharma, BS Malik and Ravinder Saini