Bathinda, December 28
Dramatic scenes were witnessed at the municipal corporation office here today when some residents of Gopal Nagar attempted self-immolation to demand the demolition of an alleged illegal house that is obstructing passage in the area. Reacting swiftly, policemen prevented them from setting themselves ablaze.

The Kotwali police also rounded up five women and some children when they came out of the municipal corporation premises after having adjourned their protest for the next day. But by the time they reached the Kotwali police station, all except for two, Babli and Amarjit Kaur, who have been booked under section 309 of the IPC, were let off.

According to information available, some residents of street number 2 in Gopal Nagar laid siege to the office of the executive officer (EO) and started raising slogans. Suddenly, some of them tried to pour kerosene on themselves, and threatened to set themselves on fire. Reacting quickly, policemen pulled away the kerosene container and the fuel subsequently flowed on the floor of the MC office.

The scene lasted for nearly three hours and there were moments when it appeared that it would take an ugly turn. The staff at the MC office also entered into arguments with the protesters who were abusing the EO and the municipal commissioner while raising slogans.

Giving details, the protesters said that there was a 20-feet passage in Gopal Nagar, street number 2, but a woman, Amarjeet Kaur, had raised a structure in the middle of the passage blocking the way, which was creating problems for everyone in the area.

The protesters further said that when they met with the officials, they expressed their helplessness saying that the woman concerned had threatened to set herself on fire if her house, in question, was demolished. They further levelled allegations of graft against the MC officials.

When executive officer Kamal Kant was contacted, he said, “The passage is eight feet wide and it is nowhere mentioned in the MC papers. But on popular demand, the MC had carpeted it. The area had been inspected for the demolition of the structure but the woman threatened to set herself ablaze if her house was touched.”

“Sensing the sensitivity of the matter, a committee had been formed comprising the SDM, DSP, SDO, JE and other officials. It was planned that the woman whose house is in question would be arrested under preventive measures before the demolition. But even after this assurance, the protesters are adamant demanding immediate demolition which is not possible,” Kamal Kant added.

It may be mentioned that four months back, when the demolition drive was carried out in the area, the woman in question and her mother had ‘gheraoed’ the car of the MC officials who had to escape from there.  

Bathinda, December 28
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday said he would leave no stone unturned in making the Kalcharani C-pyte project successful.

While going to his native village Badal today, he alighted from his chopper at the village Kalcharani and inspected the project.

To revive his ‘dream project,’ Badal also announced the opening of an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) there. He also announced that Rs 1 crore would be given for the construction of a building there.

The CM directed the Director, Technical Education, on phone to inspect the site and to submit the report for further discussions. Meanwhile, he ordered the deputy commissioner, Bathinda, Rahul Tewari to submit plans and maps of the buildings to be constructed.

The panchayat of the village gave its assurance of contributing two acres of land for the ITI building.

Finding him present in the village, people there made him aware of their problems and put forth their demands, including those for concrete drainage, link road and others. The CM assured them that the drains would be made ‘pucca’ and that a link road from Kalcharani village to Faridkot Kotli would be constructed.

Officials of the Public Welfare Department informed the CM that Rs 55 lakh has been spent on the maintenance of the C-pyte building and for the construction of dormitories for the students.

It may be mentioned here that the Kalcharani project was initiated in the village in 1998. At that time, Rs 4.5 crore, was reportedly spent on it and the project was based on techniques imported from Israel. It was envisaged that the success of the centre would encourage Punjab to undertake the scheme.

The project at that time could not show positive results as the sheds constructed for the cattle were not of appropriate height and proved to be just wastage of resources.

At the C-pyte Kalcharani project, construction of a weaving centre, dairy farm, bank, shopping complex and cement blocks were initiated but lost all direction three years after it first commenced. It was also said at that time that the cattle purchased for the dairy project, were not of good breed.

It has also been reported that owing to its poor structure, the ITI building in Badal village would be shifted here after construction.

The officials present at the spot said there were proposals for the dairy development, animal husbandry and fisheries departments to take up projects in joint venture. Solar system and water works schemes worth Rs 30 lakh were also reported to have been proposed.

Before leaving the place, Badal urged the villagers to motivate their children to join the institute to ensure better future. 

Bathinda, December 28
Treading in the footsteps of the famous ‘Mumbai dabbawalas’, tiffin suppliers in Bathinda are cooking another success story. Their flourishing business is an indication of this.

Thanks to the growing number of professionals and students in this developing town, once considered to be the backwaters of the state, the aroma of home cooked food provided by tiffin suppliers is fast reaching city offices and students.

There are around 10-15 tiffin suppliers in Bathinda who cater to professionals working in offices, students preparing for various entrance tests, who live as paying guest here and many others.

And with ample variety being offered, food at a price range starting from Rs 25 a meal onwards and going upto Rs 45 a meal, tiffin service is not only opted for its quality and hygiene but also low price.

In this present day’s fast life where people working in offices have no time to cook at home in the morning as they have to reach offices on time and also have to dodge the increasing road traffic, Bathinda is soon catching up with the new trend of Tiffin Culture. Moreover even carrying of Tiffin boxes is becoming a thing of the past.

Paramjit Singh Walia, a 45-year-old supplier of tiffins to various offices says, ``People working in these offices feel that as these days, both husband and wife are working and even they have to get ready their children for school, so if they skip cooking during morning time, it relieves a lot of pressure.’’

“After I was transferred here, food became a big problem. I not only got tired of eating the oily, heavy stuff outside, it also made me ill. Now I get tiffin. The food is great, they supply at my convenience and it is economical too,” said Amrinder Singh, a marketing professional.

Singh, like many others, had no option some time back. However, the scenario has reversed now and today not just those already engaged in food business but freshers like housewives too are busy exploiting this business opportunity.

Sunita Goel, a housewife on Amrik Singh road feels, ``I wanted to start my own business but there were a lot of hurdles right for initial investment to infrastructure, connections and time. Besides, I was a homemaker. Then I decided to supply tiffins, which turned out to be a good decision as with a low investment I manage easily.’’ 

Bathinda, December 28
The city committee of the Mool Pravah Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj has in a letter sent to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal drawn his attention to the fact that the Community Police Officer (CPO) scheme, implemented in Bathinda in November 2007, has adversely affected their livelihood.

Pointing to the fact that Nepalese citizens have been living in various parts of India, including Punjab, in large numbers, the committee has said that at the time of the implementation of the CPO scheme, it was said that the Nepalese too would be involved in it. But this has not happened largely because the authorities insist on documentary proof, like an identity card, to involve them in the scheme. According to the committee, Nepalese living in India obviously do not have such a proof, and in its absence are losing jobs.

The committee has, therefore, demanded that Nepalese should not be asked for an identity proof for recruitment under the CPO scheme. The committee has also demanded that Nepalese chowkidars who have been working since long should be allowed to continue and that the administration should arrange for their security.

The letter listing the demands has been forwarded to the CM through the deputy commissioner, Bathinda.  

Abohar, December 28
While the Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified patrolling, keeping in view the violence that erupted in the neighbouring country after the assassination of the former Prime Minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto, farmers on both sides of the Zero Line were found today carrying out their routine work.

“We felt shell-shocked over the brutal killing of Benazir last evening and kept watching the Doordarshan (DD) news bulletins till late at night but today, we had no option but to cross the gate after 9 am to irrigate the fields located on the other side of the fencing as rotation of canal water can’t be missed for a week,” said Vijender Kumar Rinwa, the sarpanch of Bareka village, which is located 32 km from here.

His family owns 12 acres of land on the other side of wired fencing, which farm workers cultivate on share-basis. However, the worker who was standing by Rinwa’s side was grateful to the sarpanch for trusting him.

The village has no satellite TV connections ,so the residents have to depend on the DD. Even BSNL cell phones have poor signal.

On the lifestyle of the farmers, who were also found working in their fields on the other side of the Zero Line, Rinwa observed, “You could now witness six groundwater irrigation units at a little distance. This development had taken place in the last three-four years. Earlier, hardly any Pakistani farmer was found using tractors or diesel-based engines to run the tubewells.”

“They have got electricity connection in their houses in the border villages (as was seen by this correspondent also today) but are yet to avail of tubewell connections. Our watercourses flow on the other side of the fencing also but the farmers have to return home after 5 pm.”

“Developments in the neighbourhood certainly affect the border villages equally as our parents had to bear the brunt of wars in 1965 and 1971 and again due to the laying of landmines following an aggression by the neighbouring country in the Kargil-Drass sectors in 1999,” another farmer said.

Undoubtedly, almost all the Indian villages had been rehabilitated after the last two wars as all the houses were razed to the ground, the residents of Roopnagar village said.

This correspondent found scores of women and minor children busy in picking cotton just at a distance of 20 feet from the fencing. They were not reluctant to indulge in conversation and expressed shock over Benazir’s killing.

“Only god can save the neighbouring country from its worst ever turmoil,” an Indian girl remarked.

BSF DIG V.K. Sharma said that the officers and jawans were put on further alert immediately after receiving the news of Bhutto’s killing.

In such a situation, undesirable elements and even those who felt insecure there could try to cross over to our side for safety, he said.

The men on border posts were asked to ensure the sanctity of security.

“We were aware that narcotic smugglers had become more active taking advantage of fog and the turmoil on the other side could add to this problem,” he said.

“In our district, there had been many attempts to smuggle heroin this year from Pakistan and we would have to further strengthen our network,” he added.

Informing that the proposal for shifting the wire fencing closer to the Zero Line had received a nod from the Central government, the DIG hoped this would give much relief to the farmers in the border villages.

The BSF has decided to organise meetings with farmers next month for making their job more comfortable.

Better coordination with them would be guaranteed besides allowing the farmers to cultivate their fields across the fencing even on Sunday, he added. 

Bathinda, December 28
A day-long training workshop was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a part of the arrangements in respect of the polio campaign being organised at the national level from January 6 to February 10 to administer polio drops to the children upto five years of age, the district vaccination officer said in a press release here.

The senior medical officers of local dispensaries along with in charges of rural dispensaries, nodal officers, among other medical officers of the Bathinda district, attended the workshop. District health officer Kasturi Lal and district vaccination officer Ajitpal Singh presided over the camp.

Surveillance officer of the WHO, Manohar Lal Sharma, gave the details about the various aspects of the campaign and said that despite relentless efforts, 500 polio cases were reported in the country in the year 2007.

On the occasion, Ajitpal informed that as many as 742 polio booths would be set up on January 6. About 33 transit teams and 40 mobile teams would be brought together to administer polio drops to as many as 1,84,323 children.

He said a pulse polio rally would also be organised on 
January 2 under the leadership of civil surgeon Maninderjit Singh.

Saroop Singla, area in charge, Bathinda, will inaugurate the camp on January 6, he added.  

Fazilka, December 28
Education is an essential and sensitive part of life for all-round development of the future generation, but an evaluation of the functioning of the education department of Punjab during 2007 can rightly be described as a “year of assurances”.

Giving a detailed analysis of the ground realities and the gap between various announcements made by the Punjab government, Siksha Sudhar Committee of Punjab’s patron Raj Kishore Kalra of Fazilka has, after conducting a survey, revealed that the first two months of the year passed off in hustle and bustle of the electioneering and ramification of the model code of conduct which was imposed in the last week of December 2006.

The previous government which had the status of a caretaker regime could not take any decision in January and February.

Immediately after being in saddle, CM Parkash Singh Badal, education minister Upinderjit Kaur and other senior ministers in the SAD-BJP government started singing songs that all vacancies of the teachers in the education department would be filled up very soon.

In about 6 months the government inserted advertisements for filling up vacancies of 14,000 teachers against 45,000 vacant posts. Ironically, none of the advertised posts have been filled up so far.

The cases of eligible teachers were demanded about half a dozen times but still none of them were promoted, as a result of which 90 per cent senior secondary schools, 60 per cent high schools, 95 posts of block primary education officers and 40 per cent posts of lecturers are lying vacant.

The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan that the department continues to launch with much fanfare has also proved to be a flop this year too. There have been wide-ranging allegations by the eminent educationists regarding mis-utilisation and squandering of funds on this project.

However, the government stuck to its gun on the issue and holding of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan seminars during the summer and winter breaks, which evoked much resentment amongst the teachers and put a big question mark over the utility of such seminars.

On the mid-day meal front too, the government had given attractive promises but despite this the scheme virtually remained short of success. The government failed to allocate proper budget for this scheme. Hence, it could not be continued in an uninterrupted manner.

The government had also announced that the teachers would not be engaged in preparing mid-day meal for students but it could not make an alternative arrangements.

On directive of the Apex court and government instructions regarding not assigning non-educational work to teachers, the decision could not be implemented practically. Even till now, the teachers are engaged in different “allied” works like amendments of voter lists and conducting surveys for the Atta-Dal scheme.

The government had also promised to grant pension to teachers and employees of aided schools in Punjab who had retired after June 2003 but this decision has also not been implemented.

Contrary to it, about 8,000 teachers of 484 aided schools have not been paid salaries for the last 6 months for the want of release in grant in aid to the schools.

There is some silver lining on the part of the government as it has cleared 80 left out promotion cases of ETT, classical and vernacular teachers.

In another decision, the Punjab School Education Board has decided to start re-evaluation facility and table marking system for 10+2 classes on the pattern of universities. This decision has been widely acclaimed by the students. 

Mansa, December 28
With a collective effort, the farmers of Bhikhi today saved many lives as there was a breach in the Samaon branch canal distributory.

According to the information, after the canal breach, the farmers assembled and repaired it to save many lives in the village.

The farmers rued that the distributory had seen many breaches in the past but the administration was not paying any attention.

They said the issue was raised in the deputy commissioner’s ‘open darbar’ at Bhikhi and the inquiry was marked to the executive engineer, canal department.

But it seemed that no effort has been made to reach a solution to the constant problem, they added.

The farmers demanded that the distributory should be cleared of the sewage and a permanent solution should be found immediately. 

Bathinda, December 28
The National Scheduled Castes Commission (NSCC) has directed the education secretary, Punjab, to appear before it on January 2, 2008. The official has been asked to appear in a case relating to the appointment of headmasters, lecturers and BPEOs.

The Punjab government had invited applications for the above posts through a website. The enrolment for October 1, 2006 was completed by lowering the cut-off in the merit list in the headmaster and lecturer categories for all the general categories. But the enrolment of SC (Valmik Mazbi) is incomplete due to the high cut-off that was fixed at 65 per cent. Through a public notice, the government promised to show the results on the website but it remained silent on the appointments.

The Valmiki/Mazabi Sangharsh Morcha, under the chairmanship of advocate Manjit Dhaliwal, president Chanan Vattu, SC/BC Teachers Union president Sukhchain Singh, SBI president Jagtar Makhu, president All India Balmiki Khalsa Dal, Punjab, Amarjit Gill, filed a petition before the commission. The education secretary appeared before it and admitted the observations made on the enrolment.

The enrolment process started again but even after an year no appointment letter was issued to any SC candidate even as candidates from the general category availed of all the benefits, the Morcha office-bearers have pointed out. Taking serious note of the same, the commission has again summoned the education secretary. — TNS 

Barnala, December 28
To observe the death anniversary of four sahibzadas, sons of the 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh, a procession was carried out in the main bazaars of the city here today.

The women folk of the Sukhmani Sewa Society performed Nagar Kirtan throughout the procession.

They were enchanting shabads (hymns) depicting light on significant movements of the 10th Guru Gobind Singh and his four sahibzadas.

A score of social and religious organisations put up welcome arches at various places in the city.

On the occasion, langar (community kitchen) were also organised. 

Mansa, December 28
Three persons were killed while six others were injured in a road accident that occurred on Budhlada-Jakhal Road near village Sirsiwala today.

According to the information available, the 
accident occurred when a Mahindra jeep carrying some persons of village Thuthianwali, going to Bareta, collided with a truck leaving the Dashmesh pipe factory.

In the accident, Malkeet Kaur and Harpal Kaur were killed on the spot while Shingara Singh succumbed to his injuries at the civil hospital, Budhlada.

The injured were admitted to the civil hospital in Budhlada and Mansa.

The police has registered a case in this connection. 

Bathinda, December 28
The ADC, Bathinda, Upjeet Brar issued an order prohibiting the use of military and olive coloured dresses being used by the civilians. 

He further issued an order prohibiting the plying of jeeps and motorcycles of that very colour, on the roads from December 20, 2007 till February 19, 2008.

To implement the order, Brar used the rights under the section 144 of the CrPC. He stated that this colour of vehicles and persons wearing dresses of this colour can disturb peace in society and the order was necessary to forbid them from doing so.

Bathinda, December 28
A three-day leadership training camp for girls organised at the Teachers’ Home, here, by the All India Students Fedration (AISF) and Sarv Bharat Naujwan Sabha Punjab, concluded today.

Narender Kaur Sohal, senior vice-president of the state , Sarv Bharat Naujwan Sabha, presided over the camp.

At the concluding day, the girls participating in the camp discussed at length various subjects. The girls motivated others by sharing their thoughts on ways to make the society better.

The girls attending the camp further debated on female foeticide, dowry, rape and discrimination and other evils of the society.

Jagroop Singh, state secretary, CPI, remained present on all the three days of the camp to motivate the girls and encourage them.