Punjab: 'Jatha' of 101 farmers to resume foot march towards Delhi
Chandigarh (PTI): A 'jatha' of 101 farmers will resume their foot march to Delhi at 12 noon on Saturday from the Shambhu border point to press the Centre for various demands including a legal guarantee for minimum support price.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala till December 17.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said the group of farmers will proceed towards Delhi.
It will be the third attempt by the protesting farmers to march towards the national capital since December 6. They had earlier made two attempts -- December 6 and December 8 -- but were not allowed to proceed by security personnel in Haryana.
A multi-layered barricading has already been done by the Haryana security personnel to prevent farmers from marching towards Delhi.
Meanwhile, mobile internet and bulk SMS services were suspended early Saturday to maintain public peace, according to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Sumita Misra.
The order to suspend mobile internet in Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages in Ambala was issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order, Misra said.
The Ambala district administration has already clamped a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that bans the unlawful assembly of five or more people in the district.
The Ambala police had earlier said the farmer outfits, which are agitating for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price and other demands, can march to Delhi only after getting permission from the national capital administration.
The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and KMM have been pressing for various demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). They have also been pressing the Centre to initiate talks with them to address their issues.
Meanwhile, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's fast unto death at the Khanauri border point entered the 19th day on Saturday. Doctors have already recommended his hospitalisation, saying because of the prolonged fast, he has turned weak.
However, the protesting farmers have formed a security ring around Dallewal so that the state authorities could not remove him from the protest site.
The Punjab Police had forcibly removed Dallewal from the Khanauri border point on November 26, just hours before he was going to start his fast unto death.
On Friday, SKM leader Rakesh Tikait met Dallewal and also called for unity of farmers' groups for a "joint fight".
Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.
Farmers under the banner of SKM (Non-Political) and KMM have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
Besides a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
