In April 2011, 20 farmers from Dhira Patra, Bukan Khanwala, Jhok Hari Har, Basti Natheshah and Sade ke Rahela villages of Ferozepur district in Punjab joined hands for group farming. They contributed Rs 60,000 each and formed Dhira Patra farmer help society. Fifteen more joined them soon. A little more than a year down the line, the group is farming on about 10,000 acres of land in this part of Punjab.

The Centre will be providing separate funds under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) for enhancing road connectivity in the six border districts of Punjab. The proposed move would benefit Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Taran Taran and Pathankot, according to Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh.

Also, the condition of minimum inhabitation of 500 persons for providing road connectivity under PMGSY would be relaxed to 250 persons in the case of border districts on the lines of tribal and naxal areas, he said on Saturday.

Jalandhar: The border areas of Punjab are all set to go solar as the Punjab Energy Development Authority is planning to install a large number of solar-powered streetlights and water heating systems in public buildings in border areas of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday shot off a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar asking him to allot more mega food parks in the state to provide impetus to agro-processing sector and benefit the farmers. The mega food parks, a flagship programme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, aims at boosting growth of food processing industry through facilitating establishment of food processing infrastructure backed by supply chain.

Move comes after NHRC intervention

Following directions of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Punjab Government has banned the manufacture, import and use of carcinogenic pesticides, which according to reports, caused cancer among the small farmers in the Malwa region that consists of Southern districts — Bathinda, Faridkot, Moga, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Sangrur and Mansa.

Women in the Malwa belt of Punjab are facing the threat of breast cancer, if one goes by the reports compiled by Roko Cancer, a UK-based organisation. It has been conducting free mammography tests in collaboration with several NRIs and the state Health Department in the state.
In the last around five years, Roko Cancer organised 700 cancer detection camps and checked over a lakh women, of which 16,000 underwent mammography. Reports found 950 women suffering from breast cancer in the state. Besides, there were over 2,000 suspected cases.

After getting clearance from the Election Commission , the administrations of Ferozepur and Fazilka are all set to distribute Rs 53.5 crore as flood relief funds to affected families. Out of this Rs 33 crore is for Fazilka and Rs 20.5 crore for Ferozepur. The EC had earlier raised objections over the distribution of these funds. Though it will be done sans political leaders, they already planning to take the mileage in door-to-door campaign, revealed party sources.

Cites an ‘exhaustive’ survey conducted by govt in affected areas; PTU expert rubbishes claim
Disparaging reports linking high prevalence of cancer to brackish water in Malwa belt of Punjab, Chief Secretary SC Agrawal has said a Health Department report had found that there was no link between water and the disease.

With the yield of rabi and kharif crops remaining stagnant for the past four years, there is a need for new variety of seeds to improve farming practices or for some seed treatment, experts told a farmers training cam here.

As many as 1,159 patients have been tested positive for dengue so far throughout the state. Of these, 447 persons have been tested positive in Ludhiana district, 358 in Bathinda district and 239 in Muktsar district. However, as per official records, only three dengue deaths have been reported so far.

Dr JP Singh, director, Health Services, said he had been ordered by the CM and the Health Minister to assess the situation in Bathinda, Ludhiana and other districts.