Scanty rain spurs uprooting of paddy in Muktsar

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 5

Facing acute shortage of water due to weak monsoon so far, farmers in Muktsar district have started uprooting paddy crop.

Corroborating the fact, officials of Agriculture Department said they had started preparing a report in that regard. Muktsar district has so far witnessed 207 mm rainfall since June 1 this year.

Though the situation was comparatively better in Muktsar block, there was minimal rain in Malout and Gidderbaha blocks, said a department official.

Due to whitefly attack on cotton crop last year, most farmers switched to paddy this year. However, adverse weather conditions have not only increased their input costs, but these are also bound to affect yield.

“Paddy crop needs plenty of water, but farmers are unable to maintain the required water level due to poor monsoon. This is bound to affect crop yield. Even weeds are increasing. Farmers are using diesel-run tubewells to save their crops and this has increased their input costs,” he said.

Dr Beant Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, said, “We have reports that some farmers have uprooted their paddy crop in our district. Some of them have even approached us and sought maize seeds. Now, I have asked all field officers to prepare a report in that regard.”

“Both major crops—paddy and cotton—require water at this stage. The cotton crop is flowering and needs water for bumper yield. Normal varieties of paddy and basmati also need plenty of water. If there are two good rains over the next 10 days, it will prove much beneficial for the farmers or it will show adverse effect on the yield.”

Around 1.4 lakh hectare area has been brought under paddy cultivation and 45,000 hectares under cotton cultivation in Muktsar district this year.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Officers take ADC route to Chandigarh

Officers take ADC route to Chandigarh

Muktsar: The post of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC, General), Muktsar, is proving to be lucky for officers keen to go to Chandigarh on deputation. Last year, Capt Karnail Singh, the then ADC (G), was sent to the union territory. This year, the name of his successor, Kuljeet Pal Singh Mahi, has been cleared for deputation, and that too after serving less than a year here. It seems Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district is showing officers the way to the City Beautiful.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Govt brings nukkad nataks into play

Govt brings nukkad nataks into play

Muktsar: Even as the state government’s publicity vans are screening ‘Char Sahibzade’ in villages, nukkad nataks are being staged in the rural areas to highlight the government schemes for various sections of society. Teams of professionals have been hired to stage a 20-minute play, ‘Eh Mera Punjab Beliyo’. It focuses on the Atta-Dal scheme, Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana, tubewell connections and free electricity to farmers, the opening of meritorious schools and free bicycles under the Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme. ‘Dhadis’ have been hired to sing praises of the state’s history and the Sikh religion.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Cycles for girls, no air for tyres

Cycles for girls, no air for tyres

A bicycle with flat tyres loaded on a rickshaw. Tribune photo
Muktsar: Under the state government’s Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme, Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani on Thursday distributed bicycles among about 200 girl students here. However, the authorities concerned forgot to inflate the tyres. When the ceremony concluded, the girls were seen pushing their bicycles out of the school. Some of them even hired rickshaws to go back home. Seeing this, an aged man quipped, “Waah ni Punjab sarkare, tere rang nyaare.”

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Know AAP's Muktsar candidate Jagdeep Singh Brar (49)

Know AAP's Muktsar candidate Jagdeep Singh Brar (49)

Muktsar

Contested as an Independent and got elected as a municipal councillor in 2002. Later, he fought the MC poll as an Akali candidate and won again. Quit the SAD and joined People's Party of Party, then left PPP as well and crossed over to AAP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. An agriculturist, he belongs to neighbouring Fattanwala village. He is a relative of senior SAD leader Tejinder Singh Middukhera. His elder sister, Gurpreet Kaur Brar, was an active member of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's movement.

Courtesy: The Tribune

AAP sold each ticket for Rs 1 cr, claims Sukhbir

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal distributes bicycles among schoolgirls in Raikot on Thursday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, August 4

SAD chief-cum-Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal today called AAP chief-cum-Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a dictator. He also alleged that AAP tickets were given to candidates after getting Rs 1 crore from each of them.

“Now, AAP leaders will fight each other and bring to fore the factionalism within their party. They will also reveal that they had paid huge money to get the party ticket. The advance declaration of candidates by AAP will not make even a slight difference to the SAD-BJP alliance,” Sukhbir said.

He was here to extend financial benefits to building and construction workers under various schemes of the Punjab Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and the Labour Department.

Asked when the SAD would declare its first list of candidates for the forthcoming Assembly elections, he said, “We are not in a hurry to declare candidates. People already know our candidates. But I can assure you that the advance announcement of candidates will spell doom for AAP.”

AAP leaders were already alleging bias in ticket distribution, he said. “Their statements have made it clear that only those people matter in AAP who pander to whims and fancies of Kejriwal,” he said.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Former Cong MLA opposes Warring, favours Manpreet

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, August 2

Although the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has got the affidavits from the ticket aspirants that they would support the official nominee yet the knives are already out among the party leaders.

Former Gidderbaha MLA Raghubir Pardhan has announced that if the party fielded sitting MLA-cum-IYC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring from there, he would openly support the AAP candidate.

Talking to TNS, Raghubir said, “I will not support Raja Warring. He is not a good politician. If the party allots him the ticket this time as well, I will support the AAP candidate. However, if the party fields Manpreet Singh Badal as the Congress candidate I can support him after discussions with my supporters.”

On being asked the reason of opposing Warring and favouring Manpreet, he said, “Earlier, we had differences with Manpreet when he was in SAD but now he is a Congressman everything is all right.” However, Warring doesn’t even know how to address old Congressmen who spent their whole lives for the party. For instance, he had misbehaved with me in the party meeting regarding Maghi Mela in December last year. Similarly, he abused another senior Congress leader who belongs to a freedom fighter’s family,” he added.

Raghubir reiterated that he was not willing to contest the elections.

On reports that he was sacked for anti-party activities in 2012, Pardhan said, “I have not yet got a single communiqué from the PCC office in this regard. Though some people fuelled this rumour, I am still a Congressman. Even the records of PCC office can be checked,” he said.

DCC chief Gurmeet Singh Khudian said, “I am not sure whether Pardhan has been sacked from the party. He has some dispute with Warring, but the former is a respectable person.”

On the other hand, sources close to Warring claimed that Raghubir was sacked by Capt Amarinder Singh in 2012 and has not been re-inducted in the party till date.

The enmity between the two leaders started when the party had fielded Warring from Gidderbaha in 2012.

Courtesy: The Tribune

No injury marks on carcasses: Official

Samples to be tested

• We will send viscera samples of the dead cows, calves andbuffalo to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kharar to ascertain whether these were administered poison or not —Dr Baljit Singh,senior veterinary officer, Malout

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Malout, August 1

A senior official of the Animal Husbandry Department today said the carcasses of two cows and two calves, which were found in a vacant plot on the Shekhu road here on Saturday night, had no injury marks. Two persons were nabbed for allegedly slaughtering cows at the plot on Saturday night.

Dr Baljit Singh, Senior Veterinary Officer, Malout, said, “The post-mortem examination of the dead cows, calves and a buffalo has been done. The cows and calves did not have any injury marks. However, a buffalo had been cut into pieces as it was bulky. As per the police theory, the buffalo too had died due to electrocution and the cattle rearer had called the ‘hadda rodi’ (carcass disposal unit) men to take it away.”

“We will send viscera samples of the dead cows, calves and buffalo to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kharar to ascertain whether these were administered poison or not,” said Dr Baljit Singh.

Meanwhile, Manwinderbir Singh, DSP, Malout, said, “Efforts are on to nab the remaining three accused. They are all employees of the ‘hadda rodi’ contractor. The arrested accused told us that the cows had died at various places and they were simply taking them to the disposal unit.”

Notably, tension had prevailed in this town after some people were allegedly caught slaughtering some bovines and carrying dead cows in a pickup vehicle on Saturday night. Some organisations had yesterday lodged a protest.

Courtesy: The Tribune

AAP makes ‘topi-cal’ gaffe

AAP makes ‘topi-cal’ gaffe

Muktsar: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Gidderbaha recently committed a faux pas while printing posters inviting people to attend Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann’s rally on July 28. The poster showed AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal wearing the trademark white ‘topi’ (cap), but the catchline, ‘Main hoon aam aadmi’, got flipped. The rally was eventually postponed as Mann was busy giving his reply regarding the controversial Parliament video. Luckily for AAP, this gaffe didn’t stir a hornet’s nest.

Contributed by Archit Watts
Courtesy: The Tribune

Cow slaughter triggers protest in Malout; 2 held

Gau Sewa Commission forms panel, asks police to file report

Activists of Hindu organisations take out a protest march against the alleged slaughter of cows in Malout town of Muktsar district on Sunday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, July 31

Tension prevailed in the town after two persons were nabbed for allegedly slaughtering cows at a vacant plot on the Shekhu road here last night. A pickup vehicle used to transport cows was impounded.

Those arrested are Rakesh Kumar and Ramesh Kumar. Their three accomplices managed to flee. A case under various sections of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act and Sections 295-A, 278, 429, 148 and 149 of the IPC has been registered against them.

Later, activists of some Hindu organisations and the BJP staged a protest in the town. They also damaged the pickup vehicle used to transport cows.

The protest was resumed at Gandhi Chowk today. The activists took out a march in the town and appealed to the shopkeepers to close their business establishments.

Keemti Lal Bhagat, Chairman, Gau Sewa Commission, Punjab, visited the town today. He formed a five-member committee to probe the matter and directed the district police and the administration to deal with this issue diligently and file a report in seven days.

Bhagat said he had last night tried to speak to the SSP, Muktsar, and IGP, Bathinda zone, but none of them answered his phone call. He said: “If the police officers don’t answer our phone calls, I can understand the plight of the commoners.”

Balraj Singh, SP, Malout, said: “A post-mortem of the dead bovines was conducted. The situation is now under control.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Shoddy work, funds lapse too

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 29

The panchayat of Dhulkot village in Gidderbaha sub-division has been running from pillar to post for the past seven months to know who repaired the sewerage pipeline.

A sum of Rs 6 lakh had been released on this count by the Centre in the panchayat’s account. Surjit Singh, the Akali sarpanch of the village, accused a SGPC member of the area saying, “A constituency incharge carried out the work in a botched manner. He did not have any authority but did this work to usurp grants forcibly from the panchayat. He even pressed me to release the grants, but I refused. The grants lapsed.”

“Since then we are repeatedly asking the district administration to inform us that which agency had carried out the work, but are not getting any reply. The funds for the repair work were deposited in the bank account of the panchayat in December. The work was done in January by the SGPC member. A large number of people are affected due to the poor condition of the works but no official concerned is paying any attention,” he claimed.

He showed some documents of the Rural Development Department, Punjab Mandi Board and Soil Conservation Department, which he had procured under the RTI Act, wherein it was clearly mentioned that they had neither carried out the work nor paid the money to anyone.

DC Sumeet Jarangal has asked for a probe by the Rural Development Department.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Dept uploads information on RMO posts

Tribune News Service
Muktsar, July 29

Acting on The Tribune report, ‘Job applications sought twice, but forms unavailable’ (July 29), the Department of Rural Development and Panchayats today uploaded information regarding the recruitment of rural medical officers (RMOs) on its website.

It also increased the posts from 346 to 370 and extended the last date of submission of applications from August 1 to 11.

It was highlighted in the report that though the department had twice sought the applications, the forms were neither available on the website nor in the Zila Parishad offices across the state.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Job applications sought twice, but forms unavailable

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 28

The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has twice sought applications for 346 posts of rural medical officer (RMO), but the application forms have not yet been made available.

The posts were first advertised on June 25, asking the applicants to download the form from the department’s website or collect it from any Zila Parishad office and submit it by July 15. Later, the last date was extended to August 1.

However, the forms, terms and conditions, pay, allowances and other details have not been made public so far.

A job aspirant said, “I have visited the Zila Parishad office twice, but the officials have no information about the availability of the forms.”

When contacted, Baljit Singh, Deputy Director, Rural Development and Panchayats, said, “The forms will be made available from tomorrow. The last date will be extended again.” Repeated attempts to contact SS Bains, Director of the department, proved futile.

Courtesy: The Tribune

CM’s posters on buses ripped off

A Punjab Roadways bus with torn off image of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal parked at the Bus Stand in Muktsar town on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 28

Posters listing government’s achievements, schemes and the picture of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal pasted on state-owned buses were found torn in the district.

The Punjab Roadways authorities have blamed the staff and warned them of stern action if someone was found guilty. A visit to the local bus stand today revealed that the buses with torn posters were parked in the workshop.

Charanjit Singh Brar, General Manager, Punjab Roadways, Muktsar, said: “The government’s publicity posters were pasted on nearly 20-22 buses a week ago. But some drivers and conductors tried to remove these from two-three buses. They have admitted to it and agreed to replace these by paying from their own pocket.” Rejecting the charge, some drivers and conductors said some passengers might have tried to remove the posters. “But we have contributed money and placed order to print 13 such posters,” a staff member said.

Courtesy: The Tribune

DCs ‘not reporting’ to child rights panel on school bus safety

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 27

Despite the High Court being strict regarding the violation of traffic norms by school buses and the Child Rights Protection Commission trying to implement the ‘Safe Vahan’ policy regarding the safety of school buses, Deputy Commissioners and other officials concerned seemed to be not taking it seriously.

For instance, the Child Rights Protection Commission is repeatedly writing to all Deputy Commissioners to send monthly action report to it. However, except for SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other Deputy Commissioner has sent the report.

Sources in the Child Rights Protection Commission said they had first written to all DCs on April 12 to send the action report at the earliest. However, not even a single DC sent the required information that time. Thereafter, the commission sent a reminder on July 11, asking DCs to submit report by July 25.

“Except for the SBS Nagar Deputy Commissioner, no other DC sent us the report till the evening of July 25. The commission is again issuing a reminder to DCs. Even the District Transport Officers (DTOs) of four districts — Sangrur, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana and Fazilka — were recently summoned regarding the safety of school students and the implementation of the Safe Vahan policy,” said Rajwinder Singh Gill, Deputy Director, Child Rights Protection Commission.

On the other hand, sources claimed that the District Safe Vahan Inspection Committees formed in the state were working under immense “political pressure”.

“Recently, a district-level team had gone to the school of an SAD leader in Malwa region, who misbehaved with the officials. Later, the officials decided to approach the court. Then the issue was settled with a compromise and the buses violating the norms were penalised. These are the issues responsible for the half-hearted approach of the officials concerned now,” said a source.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Awaiting distribution order, Atta-Dal dealers return stock

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 27

It sounds strange but true. The Atta-Dal scheme beneficiaries in Muktsar district are waiting for rations, but the authorities concerned have returned the stock in their possession. The reason: They did not have any official order to start the distribution.

The last time pulses were distributed for three months among the beneficiaries in Muktsar district was in March. Similarly, wheat was also distributed for three months in March.

Paramjit Dhamija, District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, Muktsar, said, “Pulses were last distributed in March. Thereafter, we did not get the orders from the higher-ups to start the distribution work. However, PUNSUP, which supplies us pulses, had the stock for distribution purposes.”

Muktsar district has 1,41,601 blue card holders and 5,21,912 beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal scheme. As per the scheme, wheat is given at Rs 2 per kg and pulses at Rs 30 per kg to the beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal scheme.

There is no upper cap for the distribution of wheat, but pulses have to be given 0.5 kg per member and for maximum five persons in the family.

Sources in the PUNSUP said the officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department were informed that they had the stock of black grams, but the distribution agency did not take the stock from them. This made them return the stock in their possession to the sellers.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Like Ganda in Haryana, state too has strange village names

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 26

Just like Ganda village in Haryana which was recently renamed Ajit Nagar, there are a number of villages in Punjab with strange names such as Billimar, Kala Bakra, Jhotianwali, Kattianwali, Sappanwali, Gidderanwali, Moranwali, Kirianwala, etc.

Residents of these villages say they have to face embarrassment sometimes because of these villages are named after animals. A youth of Kattianwali village in Muktsar district said, “We, being the residents of the village, like its name but when we tell others, they laugh. When I got admission in a college in Chandigarh, my classmates laughed at my village’s name.”

Similarly, an advocate from Sappanwali village said, “There may be some historical importance behind the name of our village but whenever we tell people that we belong to Sappanwali village, people not just laugh but also start asking some weird questions. My sister works in a multinational company and she has never revealed the name of our village to her colleagues.”

Notably, some residents of Kuttianwali village in Muktsar district had approached Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. They requested him to change the name of their village, which was thereafter renamed Sheranwala in 2014.

Nishan Singh, sarpanch of Sheranwala village, had at that time said, “The village name was weird and especially the women objected to it. However, it took us 20 years to get the village name changed.”

It is further learnt that a majority of the residents of these villages were not even aware about the history behind their village names.

The list of villages having funny names includes Jhotianwali, Sappanwali, Gidderanwali, Korianwali, Beganwali, Killianwali, Kirianwala and Amir Khas in Fazilka district; Billimar and Phide in Ferozepur; Chhapianwali, Kattianwali, Kolianwali, Chibbranwali, Kabarwala, Raniwala, Bhangchari and Lande Rode in Muktsar district; Moranwali in Faridkot district; Lande and Rode in Moga district; Giddar and Bhagi Bandar in Bathinda district; Kala Bakra in Jalandhar district; Muchhal in Amritsar district; Kubba in Ludhiana district; Munda and Kuttiwala in Tarntaran district.

Sumeet Jarangal, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, said, “We have got an application from an individual of Khane Ki Dhabh village requesting us to rename the village as Harkirat Singh Ki Dhabh (his relative, a former Chairman of Market Committee, Malout). I have asked the SDM Malout to submit a report in this regard. Thereafter, we will see the guidelines of the Union Home Ministry and decide whether it can be recommended or not.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

JE installs hoardings to greet SAD leader

A hoarding on the national highway in Malout. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, July 26

In violation of service rules, a JE in the Public Works Department (B&R) has installed a number of hoardings in the town to congratulate SAD leader Tejinder Singh Middukhera on his appointment as Chairman of Punjab State Cooperative Agricultural Development Bank.

This is not the first time when JE Sukhmander Singh Gill has installed such hoardings to congratulate a politician. Last year in October he had installed similar hoardings to congratulate SAD leader Dyal Singh Kolianwali on his elevation as the president of SAD’s Muktsar district unit.

However, no official in the administration has so far initiated any action against him which raises a question on their functioning.

Sources said, “This JE is very close to some SAD leaders of the area and to prove his loyalty he always installs hoardings in violation of service rules. This is the only reason that he has been posted at Malout since long.”

However, Gill said, “My cousin is married to Tejinder and I have installed hoardings to congratulate my relative over his elevation. I don’t bother what people think or say about this. I don’t take part in any political activity and have not done anything wrong.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Thumbs down to Kishor’s ‘bouncers’

Thumbs down to Kishor’s ‘bouncers’

Muktsar: A section of the state Congress leaders is upset with the team of party’s poll strategist Prashant Kishor, saying that the IPAC (Indian People’s Action Committee) executives behave like bouncers and don’t allow them to have a one-on-one interaction with PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh. “When we are not even allowed to stand or sit beside Capt Sahib, how will the party workers freely air their grievances?” a party leader told a member of Kishor’s team in Malout — and that too in Amarinder’s presence.

Courtesy: The Tribune
Contributed by Archit Watts

Congress leaders await bragging rights

Congress leaders await bragging rights

Muktsar: Several state Congress leaders who were recently accommodated in the party’s human rights cell, sports cell, labour cell and the cooperative cell are awaiting the official order regarding their postings. A party leader who got a prominent post said, “We have not received any communique from the PPCC office regarding our appointment. We want to inform our supporters at the earliest but have no option but to wait.” Agonising for them, to say the least.

Courtesy: The Tribune
Contributed by Archit Watts