Police encroach upon forest land at Doda village

The police post in Doda village that has been built on the forest land. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 29

Though the state government is trying hard to reclaim government land encroached upon by private parties, a classic case of law enforcers turning into lawbreakers has emerged at Doda village in the Gidderbaha subdivision.

Violating laws, the district police are expanding its existing police post on the Forest Department’s land along the Muktsar-Bathinda highway at Doda village. Though the police have in-principle approval to build just two rooms, it was now constructing a boundary wall almost doubling the area.

Muktsar Forest Range Officer Amritpal Singh said the approval was given to the police authorities in 2007-08 to build just two rooms and that too for the highway patrolling post. “Now, they are expanding the area, raising a boundary wall. They were even told to obtain permission from the department for the purpose, but the application in this regard has not come as yet,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior official in the divisional forest office here said they had not even received a single rupee as rent from the police till date. “As per the rules, those using land have to pay some fixed rent, but that too has not been paid to our department till date,” said the officer.

However, senior police officers denied encroaching upon Forest Department’s land for the construction of the Doda police post. The rent for the building was decided to be paid by the district administration, said SP (D), Muktsar, Gurinderjit Singh.

Courtesy: The Tribune

AAP leaders target Badals at Gidderbaha rally

AAP leaders during the Punjab Jodo rally at Doda village in Gidderbaha Assembly constituency on Monday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Doda (Gidderbaha), Sept 21

Aam Aadmi Party’s “Punjab Jodo” rally at Doda village in Gidderbaha Assembly segment today got a good response from the public.

Its leaders — state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann, Faridkot MP Prof Sadhu Singh — only targeted the ruling Badals and did not utter a single word against sitting Gidderbaha MLA-cum-Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Amrinder Singh ‘Raja Warring’, much to the surprise of the audience.

The AAP leaders raised all issues such as drugs, corruption, illegal mining of sand and gravel, privatisation of transportation, favouritism, politicisation of police etc.

All leaders spoke openly against the Badals and the Congress but did not name Raja Warring anywhere in their long speeches.

Bhagwant Mann said, “We don’t want to turn Punjab into California, as Sukhbir claims in his speeches. We want that our Punjab remains Punjab where people can live happily without any harassment. People from all walks of life be it farmers, businessmen, youngsters facing unemployment are fed up with the state government. They will show the SAD-BJP government the exit door in 2017. The public has seen the real face of Badals who believe in filling their own pockets and in looting commoners. They will definitely vote for AAP.”

Courtesy: The Tribune

Muktsar boy Gurkeerat selected in ODI team; Belongs to a politically influential family

Muktsar boy Gurkeerat selected in ODI team

Belongs to a politically influential family

Gurkeerat Mann

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 20

Gurkeerat Mann, who hails from Baam village near here, was today selected in the One Day International (ODI) cricket team. Mann is the first sportsperson of the family that is politically well connected.

Gurkeerat’s father Rupinder Singh is a District Mandi Officer (Flying Squad) at Punjab Mandi Board’s headquarters in Mohali. His father’s first cousins are former CWC member Jagmeet Brar and Kotkapura ex-MLA Ripjit Brar.

The cricketer’s maternal grandfather late Mohinder Saiyanwala was Local Bodies Minister in the government of Surjit Singh Barnala. Gurkeerat is also related to Youth Akali Dal’s Malwa zone in charge Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozi’ Barkandi.

Though Gurkeerat was born in Muktsar district, his family shifted to Mohali when his father got selected in the Punjab Mandi Board in 1990-91.

Speaking over the phone, Gurkeerat’s father said, “I am getting a number of phone calls from relatives, friends, but I have not yet congratulated my son as he is playing a match in Bengaluru.”

He said, “My son along with his coach Balwinder Singh ‘Tinku’ worked very hard to achieve this. Gurkeerat is the first one from our family to pursue sports seriously.”

Meanwhile, the residents of Baam village are celebrating his success. “Gurkeerat has inspired many youngsters in this area,” said villagers. Gurkeerat is the only son in the family. His elder sister is married.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Now, officials fear whitefly attack on wheat crop

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 18

It is not just the alleged poor quality of pesticides to be blamed for the whitefly attack that caused a massive damage to the cotton crop in the Malwa region, the Agriculture Department had also “ignored” the growth of this pest on moong crop and vegetables in March, April and May. The state government on Thursday removed Agriculture Department Director Mangal Sandhu from the post for reportedly purchasing pesticide that failed to tackle the attack on cotton crop.

Now, Agriculture Department officials have admitted that the whitefly had first attacked and damaged the moong crop. The sucking pest had grown at a fast pace and later attacked the cotton crop, they said. It also grew on lady finger, guar and some other vegetables, causing a massive damage to these crops as well.

Even though the state government has now swung into action, Agriculture Department officials are apprehensive of damage to the next-in-line wheat crop as well.

“The whitefly had started growing on moong crop and some vegetables and it later attacked cotton crop. It will die down with the change in weather. But before the season approaches, in the first month of sowing of wheat crop, it may cause damage to wheat crop as well. The farmers will have to be cautious for a month after sowing wheat crop,” said Beant Singh, Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar.

He said famers were being told to destroy the wild growth in and around their fields. “We have also requested the Deputy Commissioner to ask MGNREGA labourers to uproot wild growth from the roadsides,” said Beant Singh.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Badals' district’s new mantra: ‘Beta Padhao’

Tweaking Modi’s slogan

• The ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ (save girl child, educate girl child) was launched by PM Narendra Modi on January 22 from Panipat in Haryana
• The Muktsar district authorities have started promoting education for boys by rephrasing the slogan as ‘Beti Bachao, Beta Padhao’ (save girls, educate boys)
• They say there is a need to educate boys to counter drug addiction among youth

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 15

Worried at prevalence of drug addiction among the younger generation in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district, the education authorities are pushing for boys’ education by rephrasing PM Narendra Modi’s slogan “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” as “Beti Bachao, Beta Padhao” (save girls, educate boys).

Muktsar’s Deputy District Education Officer (DEO) Jaspal Monga says there is a need to educate boys since their chances of taking to drugs increase if they neglect studies.

“This doesn’t mean girls do not need education. Education is important for all. By changing the slogan, we are not only showing our concern towards the fairer sex, but also boys,” he says.

“The need is to save girls at birth and focus on educating boys. Boys need more attention than girls when it comes to education. There is already awareness among parents about educating girls,” he says. The education authorities have started promoting the idea at school seminars.

“If we don’t educate boys, they will struggle to manage their family affairs. There is a rise in matrimonial disputes as well. It is better that the slogan be changed to ‘Beti Bachao, Beta Padhao’. I shared this idea with some educationists who liked it,” says Monga.

“We support the idea of changing the slogan. This has been debated at seminars. There is a need to shift our focus to educating boys now since drugs pose a serious threat,” says Prof Gopal Singh Makkar, former principal, Government College, Muktsar, and honorary secretary, District Red Cross Society.

The deputy DEO also wants making dope test mandatory before wedding. “It can save the young generation from drugs,” says Monga.

Some officials in the district education office here have supported the idea, saying it will have a positive impact on the society. As per the 2011 census, Muktsar has a female literacy rate of 59.24 per cent  against male’s 71.76 per cent. The rate was 50.3 per cent and 65.4 per cent, respectively, in 2001. The average literacy rate in the district stood at 65.81 per cent in 2011. It was 58.2 per cent in 2001. Punjab has been grappling with the problem of drugs and has blamed neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana for the menace.

Top police officers of three states have held joint meetings in the past to keep tabs on drug smuggling. The sale of poppy husk through legalised vends in Rajasthan has compounded the problem. These vends are frequented by people belonging to Muktsar or Fazilka.

Courtesy: The Tribune

In Muktsar, reflector belts for stray cattle

Move to reduce number of road mishaps

A reflector belt tied to a cow in Muktsar. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 13

The local municipal committee has been tying reflector belts around the necks of stray cattle to prevent road mishaps caused by them. The MC officials purchased 150 belts about six months ago, each costing Rs 150.

Residents have often demanded that the stray cattle menace be tackled. Several accidents have taken place near the bus stand and on Maal Godam Road, Bathinda Road, Railway Road, Malout Road, Jalalabad Road and Abohar Road.

Sandeep Tiwari, former Executive Officer (EO), Muktsar MC, came up with the idea to tie these belts to the cattle to reduce the number of road accidents.

Jagsir Dhaliwal, EO, Muktsar, said, “These belts will make cattle visible at night. If this experiment works, we will purchase more belts. We will also introduce the system in Malout.”

The district administration is also constructing a huge pound for stray cattle at Ratta Tibba village in the district.

Courtesy: The Tribune

Rs 1.41 cr to be spent on Malout grain market’s boundary wall

The damaged wall of the grain market in Malout that has to be reconstructed. A Tribune photograph

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, September 9

The state government is about to spend a whopping Rs 1.41 crore just to reconstruct the boundary wall of the grain market at Malout in Muktsar district.

The work executing agency – Punjab Mandi Board – has even floated the e-tenders for this 1,500-m-long boundary wall. If one analyses the figures, a 1-m boundary wall with a height of 4.25 ft and 1.75-ft iron grill fixed atop it would cost the state government about Rs 9,390.

However, if construction experts are to be believed, the amount proposed to be spent is much higher than the actual cost. “The 1,500-m-long boundary wall can’t cost Rs 1.41 crore. Before allocating the tender work, the execution agency must reassess the actual cost of the project or some independent agency must intervene timely to save unnecessary expenses. It seems the department or officials concerned are in a mood to spend lavishly on this project,” said a private construction contractor.

When contacted, Sham Behari Kansal, Executive Engineer, Punjab Mandi Board, Muktsar, said, “The project cost has been fixed after thoroughly assessing the design of the boundary wall and that too as per the common schedule of rates (CSR). There is a difference of about 2.5-ft between the level of outer road and inner road of the grain market. So, the inner portion of the wall has to be built like a retaining wall. It will be made on the reinforced concrete cement (RCC) model, having double beams. Besides, the wall will have multiple pillars at a distance of every 12 ft. Some gates will also be installed for having entry and exit passage.”

He said earlier some notorious elements had dismantled the boundary wall. “This time we are making it in such a way that it can’t be dismantled without using heavy machinery,” added Kansal.

Sources in the Punjab Mandi Board said the tendering process couldn’t be done on the earlier date and it would be be done in a few days.

Courtesy: The Tribune