SUKHBIR CONDOLES THE DEATH OF PRABHASH JOSHI HE LIVED FOR CRICKET AND DIED FOR IT

Chandigarh, November 6: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today expressed profound grief at the death of Prabhash Joshi, founder Resident Editor of Indian Express and Jansatta Chandigarh editions and former Managing Editor and Editorial Consultant of Jansatta, who died while watching fifth India-Australia ODI last night.
In a condolence message, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in the death of Prabhash Joshi country has lost a doyen Hindi journalist who gave a new character to vernacular journalism. Known for his typical incisive slant, Mr. Joshi set apart Jansatta from other Hindi newspapers, Mr. Badal said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that regular readers of Jansatta would miss this passionate cricket columnist for his lucid, analytical write ups with sprinklings of personal touch. "Mr. Joshi had a rare passion for the game of cricket. He lived for the game of cricket and died for cricket as he could not bear the dismissal of his favourite player Sachin Tendulkar, who was spearheading the Indian challenge during the nail biting finish of the match" said Mr. Badal.
Mr. Badal expressed heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved family in this critical hour and prayed to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to them to bear this irreparable loss.

122.53 LAKH TONNES PADDY PROCURED IN PUNJAB
Chandigarh, November 06:

Government agencies and private millers procured more than 122.53 lakh tonnes of Paddy till last evening as compared to 124.33 lakh tones upto November 5,2008.

Out of total procurement of 12253393 tonnes of paddy in all the procurement centers of Punjab, Government agencies procured 12019833 tonnes of paddy (98.1%) till date whereas private traders procured 233560 tonnes (1.9%) of paddy. Till November 05, PUNGRAIN had procured 3536881 tonnes (29.4%) whereas MARKFED procured 2471705 tonnes (20.6%). PUNSUP procured 2785109 tonnes (23.2%), PSWC procured 1477303 tonnes (12.3%) whereas PAIC was able to procure 1157412 tonnes (9.6 %) of paddy whereas the Central Government agency FCI had procured 591423 tonnes (4.9%).

The spokesman added that District Ludhiana with 1357898 tonnes of procurement was leading in procurement operations whereas district Patiala with 1265293 tonnes of procurement was at second slot and District Sangrur 1307553 tonnes of procurement ranked at third position.

The State Government has set up 1600 procurement centres and activated its total machinery to ensure smooth procurement of paddy, the spokesman added.

Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925

Chandigarh November 6

An official spokesman of the Gurdwara Election Commission of India said that the Government of India as per provisions of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 has rotated the plural constituencies of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which had previously been reserved for Scheduled castes Sikhs and for Sikh women vide Notification No. S.C. 308 (E) dated 20th April, 1996 and No. S.O. 601 (E) dated 30th August, 1996.

The spokesman further said that the newly plural constituencies reserved for the Sikhs belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Sikh Women in place of those reserved for them vide Government of India Notifications of 1996 mentioned above have been notified Vide Government of India Notification No. S.O. 2414 (E) dated 17.9.2009 published in Government of India Gazette dated 22.9.2009. A copy of the Government of India Gazette containing the above Notification is available for inspection by public with the Commissioners Gurdwara Elections and Deputy Commissioners of the States of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and U.T. Chandigarh Administration and the Election Tehsildars of the Districts of the aforesaid states and U.T. Chandigarh. The newly made plural constituencies will be operative in the ensuing elections of the members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to be held in future till further rotation to be made by the government of India, the spokesman added.

SHIROMANI AKALI DAL REJECTS WHEAT MSP- DEMANDS PUNJAB BE DECLARED AS SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL ZONE (SAZ)

Chandigarh, November 6
Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal and Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab rejecting the meager rise of Rs. 20 in MSP of wheat, today gave a call to the Chief Ministers of all wheat producing states to collectively pressurize the Union Government to undo this injustice to the farmers at the earliest.

In a statement issued here today, Mr. Badal expressed surprise that with wheat selling in open market from Rs. 18 to Rs. 20 per kg these days, the fixing of MSP below current market price was a clear invitation to the speculators to do the hedging at the cost of farmers. Announcement of low MSP was aimed to discourage farmers to opt for this crop so that low yield of wheat could give an opportunity to Union Government to import wheat. Mr. Badal said that with steep rise in price of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and diesel, Rs. 20 hike would further push farmers in the vicious debt cycle.
Reiterating his demand for declaring Punjab as Special Agricultural Zone (SAZ), Mr. Badal said that Punjab be granted all incentives like tax free agricultural inputs, free power and irrigation facilities and incentives on marketing and exporting agricultural produce besides moratorium on all taxes for agro based industries in the state for sustaining the preeminent position of Punjab in agriculture.

Mr. Badal said that he along with Chief Minister would soon call on Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to impress upon them to raise the MSP of wheat.
Mr. Badal said that Punjabi farmers have worked hard for five decades to make India self sufficient on food security front and Union Government under the pressure of wheat import lobby was out to diminish these gains with faulty policies.
Demanding linking of MSP with price index as suggested by MS Swaminathan Committee, Mr. Badal said that it becomes our bounden duty to make agriculture as viable profession for farmers.

Elaborating the discriminatory attitude of Union government against farming community in general and Punjab in particular, Mr. Badal said that since 1952 Punjab was being recklessly used as food producing machine, without caring for upgrading and nourishing its fast depleting soil nutrients, ground water table and improving its 60 year old irrigation network. He said that this one way traffic would not last long with Punjab all set to be on the brink of becoming another desert in years to come as warned by US agency NASA.

The Deputy Chief Minister pointed out that insensitive policies of Union Government get exposed from the fact that out of Rs. 70, 000 Crores of debt waived, Punjabi farmers, contributing more than 50% to National Pool, got meager amount of Rs. 1021 crores (1.46%).

He said that state contributing maximum wheat to national pool, gets a token assistance in wheat enhancement programme. He said that food security of the country was in danger with irrigation network of Punjab collapsing and Union Government refusing to come to the aid of state to strengthen it.

The Akali Dal President said that the party would continue to struggle till Punjab was declared SAZ and MSP of agriculture produce was linked with wholesale price index.