Talwandi Sabo, April 12
Sparing no efforts, the district administration has made proper arrangements to ensure that the forthcoming Baisakhi fair, to be held at Talwandi Sabo on April 14, passes off peacefully. The Takht Damdama Sahib area has been bisected into six sectors, where six Block Development Officers (BDOs) and duty magistrates would be deputed.

The administration has called up 16 duty magistrates many of whom are from Mansa and Faridkot districts. At least one duty magistrate will be posted at each conference venue, at the helipad and inside and outside the gurudwara. One duty magistrate will be deputed at the Gurudwara Budha Dal.

For the convenience of visitors, the public health department has installed around 500 temporary toilets and urinals on a make-shift basis. Officials of the market committee and executive officers would be deputed as supervisers.

Keeping the warm weather in consideration, around 200 temporary connections for taps have been made to ensure drinking water supply for those asembled there. In addition to that, about 40 drinking water stalls would be set up by the market committee.

During the fair, a team from the health department will be deployed in each section while nine mobile health teams will also be doing the rounds. Further, there will be four fire-tenders and three recovery vans to deal with any untoward incident that may take place.

To ensure proper security, around 30 CCTV cameras have been installed in all nook and cranny of the gurudwara.

The much-hyped idea of introducing the balloon spy camera was, however, damaged by the storm on Friday night. Now, a camera has been installed at some height, that will keep an eye over the whole gurudwara campus.

Giving details, SSP Naunihal Singh said, “Around 1,100 policemen have been called up for the security arrangements. DSPs and SPs have been called up from other districts of the state also.”

About uprooting barricades, Avtar Singh, president of the SGPC, who was on a visit to Madhya Pradesh, said over the phone, “There was some resentment among the SGPC members over the tight security arrangements, which they lodged with me. I therefore requested the administration to remove the ‘irritating’ tall barricades on the path leading to the Takht Sahib. As they were concerned about VIP security, I told them to keep an entry solely for the VIPs.”

Mela officer, SDM Anil Garg, further said, “The SAD political conference will be held inside the gurudwara campus at the Diwan hall, while four other conferences, including that of the Congress, will be arranged on plots granted by the SGPC within the Takht Sahib premises. But the conference of the SAD (A) has been arranged opposite the bus stand.”

Bathinda, April 12
It is that time of the year when Bathinda becomes a centre for pilgrimage. While there is already much excitement over the gathering expected at Takht Shri Dam Dama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo where the faithful will congregate in large numbers, the temple of the deity Jwala Devi at Maisar Khana is also attracting devotees in large numbers.It was a rare spectacle at the local bus stand here in the wee hours today with a large number of devotees from the neighbouring areas as also from far-flung places descending on the town to visit the temple.

The pleasant weather after the overnight rains made the devotees comfortable and they camped in large groups near the bus stand under the open sky. A devotee from Sriganganagar in Rajasthan said that he had been visiting temples across the country but it was for the first time that he was going to Maisar Khana. “I have heard a lot about the divine powers of the goddess and have come to seek blessings,” he added.

Another devotee from Ramdeora in Rajasthan, said he was on his way to Talwandi Sabo for the Baishakhi festival and had included Maisar Khana in his itinerary. Rajinder Singh from Sirsa said he normally visits the shrines in Himachal Pradesh and also goes to Vaishno Devi, but this was different. Some devotees had reached around midnight while others arrived in the morning and left for worship soon after.

Bathinda, April 12
The ongoing tussle between the Congress factions owing loyalty to Capt. Amarinder Singh and PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is generating much speculation ahead of the Baisakhi conference here. Supporters of party MLAS, Jeet Mohinder Singh and Harminder Singh Jassi, had clashed recently. So, there is a lot of curiosity on how the two sparring factions will manage to put up a united show.

It is well known that Jeet Mohinder Singh, MLA Talwandi Sabo and Harminder Singh Jassi, MLA Bathinda, do not get along well. This threatens to cast its shadow on the Baisakhi Conference also.

Aware of the ongoing tussle amongst Bathinda Congress MLAs, the PPCC chief had warned them, saying, “No indiscipline will be tolerated at the Baisakhi conference. If anybody commits any wrong, he will have to face the music.”

It has been reported that the PPCC chief ordered all MLAs to mark their presence in a cavalcade. Bhattal herself is expected to reach Talwandi Sabo in a large convoy. Her route has become another contentious point between the Tawandi Sabo and Bathinda. Both the MLAs were trying their level best to convenience the PPCC chief to come via their constituencies.

In the absence of any senior leader from the Centre, many issues, it is believed, may come to the fore, like coordination on stage, raising of slogans, mudslinging and time limit allocated for the leaders of the Bhattal and Amarinder factions.

When contacted, member of the coordination committee formed for the Baisakhi conference, Avtar Singh Brar, MLA Faridkot, said, “All the issues are being resolved. We have been trying to convince all MLAs from Bathinda to cooperate and not to fight overt petty issues.”

When Bhattal was asked about the tussle between the MLAs, she said, “All the leaders will be given a place on the stage and all interested, would be given a chance, in keeping with the decorum.”

Putting an end to the controversy over her route to Dam Dama Sahib, she said, “I will leave from Bhattal village and take the way via Bathinda, as it is shorter. There is no other reason for this.”

About her political differences with Capt. Amarinder Singh, she said, “We could only invite him for the Baisakhi conference and we did that. The rest depends upon him.”

On the other hand, one of the closest allies of Captain Amrinder , Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, while speaking over the phone, on his behalf, said, “Amarinder Singh will definitely come to the conference and would address the gathering .”

“Some people have been spreading rumours that he had spoken of remaining absent from the conference only to gain political mileage,” he alleged.

Bathinda, April 12
The Punjab Government Teachers Union has threatened to intensify its agitation and take to the streets if the government did not change its indifferent attitude and accepted the long-pending demands of the teachers.

The union, at its state-level meeting here, vowed to fight the “sinister designs” of the government to promote privatisation in the education sector and called all the teachers’ unions to come under ‘one banner’ to fight the government.

The president of the union, Baldev Singh Sahdev, asked the government to immediately stop contract appointments of teachers, and categorically state that there would be no privatisation of education.

He also demanded the filling up of vacant posts and initiating effective steps for improving the infrastructure and other basic facilities in government schools.

The members further stated that contract appointments of teacherswould not be tolerated as it not only affected the quality of education but also opened flood-gates for the exploitation of qualified teachers. The government is making clandestine moves to hand over the education sector to private investers, they alleged.

The agitating computer teachers also threatened to intensify the agitation and celebrate ‘Black Baisakhi’ to highlight their demands. The district president of Computer Teachers’ Union rued that they are already underpaid but now the situation has worsened to an extent where they have not been paid salaries for the past four months.

The SAD–BJP combine had promised to give a fair deal to computer teachers during the elections but after coming to power, the government has turned a blind eye to their conditions, they alleged..

Earlier, at a meeting held at Teachers’ Home, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Teachers’ Union also demanded the filling up of all vacant reserved posts of teachers, restoration of scholarships to SC and ST students and free education to girls up to class XII.

Abohar, April 12
The Shiromani Akali Dal (B) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have started gearing up for the upcoming civil polls. Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana on Friday night held a meeting at Ramsara village near here to finalise the election strategy with panches, sarpanches and other workers from 16 villages which form the Sayyedwala zone for the Zila Parishad.

The zone will elect a woman member for the parishad. Most of those present at the meeting belonged to Rajanwali, Kular, Bhagsar, Wahabwala, Amarpura, Ramsara, Jhurarkhera and Kherpur villages.

He assured complete transparency in selecting the SAD (B) candidate for the zone. Ghuriana alleged that the Congress had “gagged” the panchayat and parishad polls last time but no malpractice would be allowed this time.

The MLA also held discussions with the BJP and the Bharatiya Kisan Union activists at a separate meeting.

“Elections will be conducted purely in a democratic way and elected members would decide the candidate for the office of the sarpanch,” he assured.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the BJP, headed by its district president Mohinder Partap Dhingra, met the minister for local bodies Manoranjan Kalia during his visit to Jalalabad West area yesterday and discussed some welfare schemes for Abohar, Fazilka and Jalalabad West.

The members of the delegation alleged that the Congress ruled all these municipal councils for past five years and had left them in a state of bankruptcy.

Ram Kumar Goyal, a former BJP MLA, informed Kalia that the council at Abohar had a net deficit of Rs 1 crore allegedly due to the “irrational policies and malpractices” by the Congress. He asked the minister to sanction Rs 3 crore to put development back on track in the town.

Organisational matters related to forthcoming municipal elections were also discussed.

The delegation included district vice-president Dhanpat Rai Siyag, Rajinder Bansal, Karnail Singh, Raghunath Rassewatt and Puran Chand Kamboj.

Mansa, April 12
Farmers are considering themselves as an exploited lot. This time, it is the Punjab State Electricity Board’s (PSEB) OYT scheme that is being blamed. The reason being that farmers now have to shell out more to purchase the material for tube-wells.

According to information available, the OYT scheme was launched for early tube-well connections. Under the scheme, Rs 25,000 was deposited for tube-well connections that was refundable at the time the connection was issued.

The material required for the tube-well connection, including transformer, conductors, discs and cables, were sold by the PSEB at a nominal rate before the change of the Board’s policy that now asked farmers to purchase the tube-well related material through private players.

Balraj Singh, draftsman in the Electricity Board Office here, informed that private firms had stored all the material required for th e tube-well connections at the departmental stores of the Board offices. It was done so that the Board could verify the quality of the material.

Now, it is at the discretion of private firms as to the rate that would be charged for the material. Farmers are bound to purchase the material at an exorbitant rate rather than the nominal rates charged by the Board earlier.

Ram Singh Bhainibagha, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Naib Singh and Teja Singh, residents of Bhainibagha village, informed that the material was now available at a high price. One pole which was earlier available for Rs 1,250 from the Board is now offered by private firms for Rs 2,000 to 2,200. The farmers were shocked to know that this was being done in the presence of the Board officials.

Kumar Rahul, secretary of the PSEB, admitted that the farmers had been feeling the extra financial burden, but added that the scheme would be reviewed. Ex-MLA and district secretary of the CPI, Buta Singh and farmers’ leader Balkarn Singh Balli demanded a check on the scheme .

Bathinda, April 12
The Army authorities here have rejected outright the theory that missing officer Lieutenant Abhishek might have picked up some fight in the train, but do not rule out the possibility of some mishap.

“Abhishek made a call to the Army headquarters here from Delhi on Sunday informing that he will reach Bathinda in the evening and even asked for sending a vehicle to pick him up from the railway station which confirms that he was fine till that time,” a senior Army officer here said.

Further, all his belongings, including laptop, had been recovered from the cloakroom and the theory that he might have picked up some fight in the train was also not tenable, he added.

Army sources also rule out the possibility of Lt Abhishek deserting the Army or going astray and maintain that he was a jovial and cheerful person, who took a keen interest in all activities. He was preparing for the young officers course and doing well and had no regrets about leaving a lucrative job in an MNC.

The son of an ex-Army officer, Abhishek was a short service commission officer and had joined the Army against the wishes of his mother. He lived a systematic life and was very enthusiastic about his Army career.

The Army authorities here became apprehensive about his whereabouts when he did not reach here on Sunday night and after waiting till the next morning, dispatched a search party to locate him. The Army, police and Abhishek’s father and friends are desperately searching for him but no breakthrough has been made so far.

It is a strange coincidence that every three months, some Army officer goes missing, said another top officer, adding that Lt Abhishek’s case was, however, different.

Mansa, April 12
Farmers of this district, who have now started harvesting wheat, have expressed concern over the decrease in the average production this season. Lack of water supply in the initial stage and natural calamites in the final stage are believed to be the reasons behind the drop in wheat production.

Gurlal Singh and Pal Singh, residents of Bhainibahga village, who have begun harvesting their crops, informed that last year, the average production of wheat was 18-20 quintals per acre, but this year, it was expected to fall by 4 to 5 quintals.

They said that during the initial stage, the wheat crop could not get adequate water as there was no rain and the canals too did not receive enough water supply. And now, in the final stage, heavy rains and hailstorm had hit the crop damaging it to a large extent.

Gurnaam Singh, a farmer from Budhladha, who has also started harvesting the wheat crop, estimated that the production of wheat might decrease by 3 to 3.5 quintals per acre.

Meanwhile, District Mandi Officer, Narinder Sidhu, informed that government agencies had started purchasing wheat from April 11. However, the agencies did not purchase wheat from some markets in Mansa as the wheat brought by the farmers was not dry.

Bathinda, April 12
“Teri yaad dil se bhulane se pehle, main roya bahut khat jalane se pehle… ye masoom chehre hi dete hain dhokha, na samjhoge tum chot khane se pehle.”

Urdu poetry was at its brilliant best as typified by this couplet from Nasir Jaunpuri, whom the audience did not mind asking for an encore. His narration of the feelings of the loser-in-love struck a chord among the people.

Jaunpuri was part of a galaxy of Urdu poets who descended on the city to take part in the All India Mushaira at the Civil Lines Club in the evening today. The poetry session had been organised by the Srijan Society, an association working on drug de-addiction and prevention of female foeticide. The largely attended event was dedicated to the twin festivals of Baisakhi and Ramnavmi.

Those who took part in the mushaira were Asad Raza, Ved Deewana, Sardar Punchchi, Mairaj Faizabadi, Nadeem Siddiqui, Afzal Manglauri, Haq Kanpuri, Hasan Fatehpuri, Tayyeb Pasha, Kayyum Bismil, Nayeem Akhtar, Mohammad Rafi, Rajesh Mohan, Jhanjhat, Sharif Soz, Shaikh Nizami, Sabah Hoshiarpuri, Rana Zeba and Rubeena Shabnam, besides Nasir Jaunpuri.

Sabah Hoshiarpuri recited her couplets on female foeticide, where the foetus of a girl talks to her mother while still in her mother’s womb: “Maaye nee maaye, mainu vekhande…Neela rang asmaani kisda, paani vekhaan kiven barasida…Man reh jave na tarasda, maaye nee maaye mainu vekhande.”

The event that was held with the aim of promoting art and culture besides drug addiction and prevention of female foeticide, started with the customary lighting of the lamp. Before the event began, Mohammad Rafi, who compered the session, urged the participants to refrain from praising drugs in any form as the event would lose its essence otherwise.

H.S. Sohi (IRS), Commissioner, Income Tax, Bathinda, was the chief guest on the occasion while Jitender Jain (IPS), DIG, Faridkot range, presided over the function. SSP Mansa, M.F. Farooqui, known for his interest in Urdu poetry, was the organising secretary.

It is worth mentioning here that as many as 62 All-India mushairas were organised across the country this evening and some of the poets, who were otherwise scheduled to participate, could not turn up for the event.