This is the front page of The Indian Express published on July 19, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
Over 100 citizens of Amritsar on July 17 joined the Budha Dal Nihang chief, Santa Singh, and his followers in performing kar seva at the Golden Temple complex, ignoring orders of the high priests, who met to decide what action to take against the chief for disobeying their hukum to halt voluntary service. Singh even ridiculed their orders.
Food Adulteration
The rate of food adulteration in Delhi is alarming. According to a market survey by Mahila Dakshita Samiti, it is as high as 70 per cent in the city’s outlying areas like Azadpur and Jahangirpuri. Within the main city, adulteration ranges between 40 per cent in Yusuf Sarai to 22 per cent in Hauz Khas. Officials in the Delhi administration’s Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) department confirm that adulteration is rampant in the capital.
Army’s Flood Relief
The Army swung into relief and rescue operations in the flood-affected areas of West Bengal and Bihar while the situation has shown little improvement in Assam. About 150 army officials with 12 power boats were issued to rescue marooned individuals, while the surging waters of the Mahananda River engulfed more parts of Bihar’s Katihar district. More than one million have been affected as a result of the floods in the state.
Efficient Power Use
The Energy Minister, Shiv Shankar, emphasised the need to make efforts to operate thermal power plants at a higher plant load factor, at a meeting of power ministers. The meeting was attended by the Planning Minister, who also called for improvement in the working of state electricity boards and checking transmission and distribution losses.
