Farm tourism scheme launched in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: In a bid to attract tourists to the villages, the Punjab government has launched a Farm Tourism Scheme in Punjab aiming at providing an interesting and relaxing rural tourism to the visitor and also ensuring them adequate exposure to local community life besides enjoying the pure Punjabi cuisine. The focus on Farm Tourism would also bring back the people especially the younger generations of non-resident Indian Punjabi families to the basic Punjabi cultural values and ethos. Detailed information in this regard could be sought from the official website of Punjab Tourism department i.e.www.punjabtourism.gov.in.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Punjab government said that detailed guidelines have already been chalked out to rope in progressive farmers and farmhouse owners across the state of Punjab. Under the scheme, a farmhouse owner would play the host and guide to the visitors. Those enrolling under the scheme would have to provide clean, hygienic environment, equipped with modern facilities that meet the standards defined by the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, she said.

Giving details, she said the farmhouse owner would provide home cooked food, comfortable accommodation and tell the visitors about the local agricultural practices like floricultural, harvesting bee-keeping and dairying. Besides the farm experience, visitors would also be exposed to local festivals and marriages. The quality of services offered by the farm owners would be verified by the district authority as well as the tourism department. The department would also provide mandatory training and technical know-how to the farm owners. Preference would be given to farms which have agricultural land attached and only farmhouses with minimum two rooms would be registered, she added.

Adding further, she said that the visitors could also participate or witness rural games such as wrestling, kite flying and bullock cart rides or tractor rides. Besides this arrangements such as taking bath at the tube well could be another attraction and a unique feature for both adults and children from urban areas. The registration of the farm houses under this scheme would be valid for five years initially subject to periodic inspection by a committee constituted by the PHTPB.
The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board may cancel the registration in the event of any serious and justified complaint of any nature particularly about standards of service, cleanliness, courtesy, standards of food served etc. The farm houses registered could not be used for any other purpose except tourism, she added.

NRI Amloh youth killed in US cremated

Amloh, August 24
The body of a youth named Manpreet, who was murdered in US, was brought and cremated at his native village, Majri Kishnewali, today. Manpreet was shot dead at a petrol pump in South Lake Tahoe city. He worked as a clerk at the pump.

Surveillance video showed a thin man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, shoot Manpreet. The man was wearing a mask. Avtar Singh Bhamarsi, who brought the body from US, said, “Manpreet Singh Ghuman (27) worked in South Lake Tahoe city in El Dorado County in California.”

Non Resident Indian (NRI) Satnam Singh Chahal, North American Punjab Association activist, said, “The Punjabi community in the US was shocked by the incident.”

Former minister Randhir Singh Cheema, SAD vice-president and councillor Darshan Singh Cheema and SGPC member Ravinder Singh Khalsa were present.

Chief Justice inaugurates Gurdaspur judicial complex

Gurdaspur, August 24
Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Sanjay Kishan Kaul today inaugurated a state-of-the-art multistoried judicial complex here.

The complex has been built at a cost of Rs 44 crore and has 17 courtrooms, a spacious library, a canteen and a bank. The foundation stone of the building was laid by Justice Ranjit Singh, the then Administrative Judge, Sessions Division, Gurdaspur, on March 26, 2011.

The project had hit a roadblock following a scarcity of construction material although the authorities kept insisting that the construction was being delayed due to "technical reasons".

Those present on the occasion included 12 judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, besides Gurdaspur District and Sessions Judge Sanjeev Kumar Garg, Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Trikha and members of the District Bar Association.

Later, the judges' entourage moved to Pathankot where Chief Justice Kaul inaugurated a similar judicial complex. Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Chief Judicial Magistrate Randhir Verma, Deputy Commissioner Siben C and Senior Superintendent of Police SK Kalia were present.

Punjab Govt. will give legal aid to Gujarat’s Sikh farmers: Badal

Asks officers to show due respect to elected panches

Patiala, August 4
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said he would meet national BJP president Rajnath Singh over the issue of eviction of Sikh farmers from their land in Kutch. He said he had already formed a delegation under Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to take up the matter with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. 
Speaking on the sidelines of the swearing-in of the newly elected sarpanches and panches here today, the Chief Minister said his government was serious on solving the problems of the Sikh farmers in Gujarat.“Our government will ensure free legal aid to these farmers who are fighting their case in the Supreme Court. I will meet Rajnath Singh to get some respite for them,” he said. Expressing concern at the rising trend of migration from villages to cities in Punjab, Badal said he had instructed officers to acquaint themselves with the problems being faced by village residents. He said he had issued instructions to the officers to interact with elected representatives and solve the problems of the people. “The growing trend of migration from villages to the cities needs to be checked and the foremost step in this direction is to provide basic amenities in rural areas on a par with those in urban areas,” he said.

Surging crowds The police had a tough time controlling the gathering with kin of the sworn-in panchayat members vying for a seat in the front row The lure of laddoos almost led to a stampede The CM was handed over a cheque for Rs 51 lakh by Kali Mata Mandir Committee for rebuilding the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand

The Chief Minister assured Rs 1,700 crore for rural roads and Rs 1,607 crore for drinking water. Addressing the newly elected sarpanches and panches, he directed the officers to give them due respect. “Any complaint of misbehaviour with the representatives of the people will be dealt with strictly,” he warned.Badal alleged that the UPA Government, instead of helping Punjab in crop diversification, was creating hurdles in the way. “The Union Government is not helping Punjab by denying minimum support price (MSP) and support mechanism to alternative crops like maize and sugarcane,” he said. Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mantar Singh Brar and other local leaders accompanied the Chief MinisterLudhiana: Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that by not transferring Chandigarh to Punjab, the Centre had done grave injustice to the state. He was in city to administer oath to the newly elected panches. He, however, said: “We can't launch a morcha for every demand of ours.” He alleged that the UPA Government had ruined the state's industry by giving incentives to neighbouring states. Badal said the Punjab farmers were reeling under a huge debt of Rs 30,000 crore owing to the “wrong policies” of the Centre.