Bathinda, March 14
With the mercury soaring high, the city residents have been facing the problem of acute water shortage, Thanks to the callous attitude of the officials towards the basic amenities.

The water supply that was disrupted on Tuesday as the main water supply pipe leading to the water works burst out near rose garden was not restored yet.

Moreover, the administration did not even bother to make any public announcement about the water suspension.

In the absence of any other source of drinking water, residents have been left high and dry with not even a drop of water to drink in the past four days. It is worth mentioning here that Bathinda is well known for its contaminated underground water.

Local people blame political leaders for their sufferings. They allege that the leaders lure them with promises, get votes and thereafter forget everything. People here complained about the water suspension to both the Municipal Corporation and water supply and sewerage department, but all in vain.

Ripjeet Kapoor of Tagore Nagar rued that when he complained to the MC officials about the suspension of water supply, he was told that the ‘restoration work was in progress.’

“The water supply has also gone erratic and all the taps have been dried down, but the department concerned seems to be slept in slumber,” lamented Minakshi Saluja, a house wife.

When contacted the executive officer of the MC, Kamal Kant said, “The 34 inches water pipe burst out due to water pressure.

It has been repaired, he added saying that the Sewerage board officials have been repairing the pipe and we have been continuously keeping a tab on them.”

When asked about the restoration work on a slow pace, he replied, “It was a long process so took three days and meanwhile some technical snag came in the process.”

Bathinda, March 14
Irate students of Giani Zail Singh Singh College of Engineering and Technology, today held a protest demonstration against alleged negligence of the doctor in attending to a fellow student who suffered attack of asthma in the hostel last night.

The protesting girls alleged that the doctor on duty did not properly attend to the patient, Moitryee, a first year student of Mechnical engineering when he was informed about her deteriorating health condition.

The students demanded an enquiry into alleged negligence of the doctor and said that immediate steps be taken to meet the shortage of staff.

Moitryee, who was in the office of the Principal when the protest was going on, again fell sick and had to be rushed to the civil hospital. The students cooled down and ended protest after the SDM, K.P.S Mahi ordered an enquiry into the allegation of negligence on the part of the doctor. He directed that the enquiry report be submitted within fifteen days and also asked the authorities to ensure that adequate staff and sufficient quantity of medicine was provided.

Bailing out the doctor, the Principal, Harpal Singh said that the doctor himself was not feeling well and had referred the patient to the civil hospital. Even Moitryee also fell in line and maintained that doctor was not at fault. 

Moga, March 14
Clearing a little cloud over his expected new role of taking over the mantle of chief ministership in the state, Sukhbir Singh Badal, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, said that given a chance he would prefer to work in his home state.

He was here today to preside over the function held to induct the expelled Congress leader Mahesh Inder Singh Nihal Singhwala and his close associates. Answering the question regarding his choice for the Parliament seat, after the Faridkot seat being reserved from where he is currently a member of the Parliament, he said that he would follow the decision of his party in letter and spirit.

Badal said that Rajnath Singh, president BJP, had assured them during the recently held SAD-BJP rally at Delhi that loan of farmers and farm labourers would be waived after the NDA form the next government at the centre.

Claiming that the NDA coalition would form the next government he said that senior leaders of the BJP had promised to extend tax benefits to the Punjab industry at par with the neighbouring hill states.

He reiterated the commitment of his party to provide 24-hour continuous power supply from the fourth year of his government.

Pointing towards the rising demand of wheat and paddy, he said that the Centre must release Rs 5,000 crore for revamping of the irrigation system in the state.

He said that out of Rs 60,000 crore loan waiver share of Punjab was just over Rs 1,000 crore. Whereas Maharashtra, which had already received Rs 20,000 crore special package, had once again got the lion’s share.

The SAD president said that meetings had been held for chalking out plan for contesting Panchayat elections and added that names of contestants would be announced well before the elections, in order to avoid infighting, if any. 

Barnala, March 14
Tehsildar of Barnala, Saroj Rani Aggarwal, has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. The office of deputy commissioner has received communication today in this regard.

As per the information, she had been suspended by an order issued by financial commission, revenue, Romila Dubey. In the orders, no reasons were mentioned for her suspension. But it is believed that she had been suspended due to some local complaint made against her in the recent past.

Deputy commissioner R.L. Mehta has confirmed the receipt of the orders.

Moga, March 14
State Information Commissioner of Punjab, Rajan Kashyap, has issued directions in 3,482 cases out of 4,294 under the Right to Information Act, 2005, brought before it from December 2005 till January 31 this year.

Rajan stated this prior to hearing of 12 cases in and around from this district here today. He said that it pointed towards a success rate of 81 per cent with the minimum cost. He opined that the Act helped in bringing accountability in officials of government departments. He said that in the first year of the Act, cases were more of personal interests. With the increase in awareness regarding the RTI, nature of maximum cases brought before it in the second year were of public interest. — TNS

Barnala, March 14
A man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife. His brother and sister-in-law allegedly helped him in committing the crime. The police arrested the man while a case has been registered against three persons.

Megh Dass, a resident of Cheema village, said that he married his daughter Sarbjeet Kaur to Surjeet Singh, of Barde Wale Kothe (Giddharbaha), about 15 years ago. Megh claimed that a few months ago, his daughter told him that her relations with her husband were not smooth, as her husband Surjeet had "illicit relations" with his sister-in-law. Whenever she objected, the later had beaten her up mercilessly. He added that at last, Sarbjeet came to Cheema to live with us. But then her brother-in-law Jeet Singh and Pal Kaur came to Cheema and took her along with them on their own responsibility. But on the Wednesday evening, Surjeet, his brother Jarnail Singh and Rachpal Kaur allegedly murdered Sarbjeet.

Megh Dass alleged that even after that, they did not inform us about the death of my daughter. The neighbours informed us on telephone about this unfortunate incident.

SHO Daljeet Singh, of Bhaikot, confirmed the arrest of Surjeet Singh. He said that Surjeet Singh was produced in the court that sent him on a two-day police remand.

Fazilka, March 14
The martyrs memorial near Fazilka was not less pious than any religious shrine as everyone who bowed his head there felt proud, observed Brigadier K.K. Sinha while paying tributes at the 1971 Indo-Pak war memorial at Asafwala village, today. Brigadier Sinha was visited to the monument where his counter part Brigadier Rajiv Bhutani was accorded a farewell, on his transfer, by the War Memorial Committee (WMC), Fazilka.

Both the Brigadiers lauded the efforts of the WMC and people of Fazilka, who had raised this privately managed magnificent monument of the country. WMC office bearers patron Sandeep Kumar Gilhotra, president Dr Rattan Lal Thakral, vice-president Umesh Chander Kukkar, general secretary Mohan Lal Paruthi, former SDM B.L.Sikka and PRO Amar Chand Bhateja also paid tributes to the martyrs.— OC