‘Direct sowing of paddy helps conserve water’

To save depleting groundwater and in view of shortage of labourers for paddy sowing in the wake of Covid, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has urged the farmers to opt for direct sowing of paddy at Madhopur village in Phagwara. An exhibition plant was set up under the Agricultural Technology Management Agency scheme under the leadership of Sub Divisional Magistrate Shairi Malhotra. Addressing the farmers, the SDM said the state government was taking special measures to prevent depletion of groundwater. Malhotra said direct sowing of paddy not only saves groundwater but also reduces the cost of farming for the farmers and also increases the income of the farmers. The SDM asked the officials of the Agriculture Department to make the farmers aware of the various aspects of direct sowing of paddy so that more farmers could use the technology.

Moving towards clean cooking

With the help of a team of a Phgawara gas agency, ex-council president Malkiat Singh Raghbotra organised a camp to provide free cooking gas connections to needy women under the Prime Minister Ujjawla Scheme. Women facing financial crisis and those who are dependent on wood and kerosene for cooking were helped to fill the forms. Raghbotra said a large number of forms were filled by women from various areas.

Giving ‘wheels’ to differently-abled

The Begumpura Helpline Organisation distributed wheel-chairs among four physically disabled persons from underprivileged families. President of the organisation Satish Banti said the wheel-chairs were offered to residents from Mohalla Hadiayabad, Kotrani, Piparangi and Chakk Hakim. Banti said their organisation had been lending a helping a hand to the needful in the tough times. He also said any physically disabled person belonging to economically weaker family could approach them for a wheel-chair or tricycle. The vice-president of the organisation also stated that they had been providing all possible help to persons suffering from Covid. Contributed by Ajay Joshi