Muktsar, June 23
After the registration of a Vigilance case against Capt Amrinder Singh and his family on Friday, Congress Working Committee’s special invitee, Jagmeet Singh Brar has come in his support. “I fully support Capt Amrinder Singh and what the Badals are doing, by singling out Capt Amrinder Singh and trying to implicate in false cases, is totally wrong. Whole Congress should come out in his support,” Brar said while speaking to TNS.

Brar’s statement comes during the time when the Congress is a divided house in Punjab and observers feel that it can be tagged as a good beginning for Capt Amrinder Singh.

“Earlier, only MLA’s, especially from the Malwa belt were openly supporting Capt Amrinder Singh and this is for the first time after the new government took over, that one of the senior most leaders of Congress in the state has openly supported him,” a senior Congress leader informed on the condition of anonymity.

Congress leaders feel that Brar’s statement has given a new twist to the ongoing tussle for the PPCC president post and can have two different meanings. “Firstly, the Congress high command taking the Capt and Bhattal infighting very seriously and PPCC president is no more in the ‘good books’ of the high command. And secondly, the importance of Brar’s statement also increases when even Capt Amrinder Singh himself has accused a certain group of Congress leaders from the state behind the Vigilance FIR.”

Moreover Jagmeet Singh Brar can also support Capt Amrinder Singh’s case for the post of PPCC president with the high command as Brar himself is opposing Bhattal now. This can be known from the fact that Brar staged a walkout from the Congress rally in Moga recently.

Interestingly, when Capt Amrinder Singh was the CM, Brar had opposed him by raising the Reliance issue, where he tagged Amrinder as ‘anti-farmer’ leader. But before the assembly elections, when skeletons were found from Brar’s godown in Muktsar, Capt Amrinder Singh supported him. Even after the Moga rally, Amrinder had said that Brar is a senior most Congress leader of the state and he should have been given time to address people. Later, at a press conference at Ludhiana also, Amrinder supported Brar. After that, even Brar thanked Amrinder for supporting him.

Bathinda, June 23
Raising a banner of revolt against the PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and the local leadership of the party, the Congress candidates defeated in yesterday’s election for the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), today demanded expulsion of the local MLA Harmandir Singh Jassi and two others from the party.

They also accused Bhattal, of having failed to campaign for the party candidates and demanded that Capt. Amrinder Singh should be handed over the reins of the Congress that has become dormant in Punjab.

They alleged that Jassi and his two supporters were hand in glove with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and other leaders of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and as such they “sabotaged” their election. They did not allow the Congress MLAs of the district to campaign here.

Manohar Lal Bansal, who lost the election in ward number 6, while talking to media persons on behalf of the other defeated candidates, said that despite frantic telephone calls Jassi did not bother to come to their rescue while SAD activists captured their respective polling booths and manhandled even the women candidates of Congress.

In the presence of the defeated candidates, Asmat Bano, Rajinder Goldi, Surinder Kumar, Paramjit Kaur, Mona Chauhan, Capt.Mal Singh, Usha Rani, Girish Chander and Rajesh Kumar, Bansal said that not even a single election rally was organized in their wards by Jassi or any other leader. Bhattal did not reach the venue of the election rally that was fixed on June 19 thereby demoralizing the party rank and file. Bano said that she was pushed out of the polling both by a DSP accompanied by SAD activists who indulged in bogus polling.

Bansal said that the friendly relations of Jassi with the Badals were evident from the fact that even after the SAD coming to power 18 months ago, he continued to be chairman of MARKFED. In the give and take, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, son of a top SAD leader, was elected chairman of the cooperative bank despite majority of the Congress in the board, he alleged. Jassi should have resigned from the post like other Congress appointed chairpersons did after the SAD coming to power.

He demanded that the Congress high command should order an enquiry into the party affairs here.

He accused the Badals of having throttled democracy by allowing SAD activists to capture polling booths with the help of police. The district administration also remained mute spectator to these incidents that occurred in their full view.

Ferozepur, June 23
Former MLA and president of the DCC Gurnaib Brar today came out in support of Capt. Amrinder Singh and criticised the registration of a vigilance case against him, Raninder Singh and others.

Brar said the case reflects the vindictive attitude of the Akalis and was a quid pro quo as during his stint as chief minister, Amrinder had ordered a vigilance case pertaining to the possession of disproportionate assets against the Badal family.

The former MLA termed the trend of registering vigilance cases against political rivals as injurious for the state politics.

About the Bhattal-Amarinder spat, Brar said, “We should all act as disciplined congressmen and desist from airing our grievances publicly.” He added that due to their dispute, the party workers were feeling dejected.

Brar expressed a hope that the party would perform well in the municipal committee elections and warned the Akalis from indulging into unfair means during the polls.

Mansa: District Congress president and MLA from Sardoolgarh Ajitinder Singh Moffer has criticised the registration of case against former chief minister Amrinder Singh and his son Raninder Singh. Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday had registered a case against Captain and his son for amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

He said in a statement here today that by doing so the Akali-BJP government, who had failed on all fronts, was trying to divert the attention of people from real problems.

Bathinda, June 23
Local traders are up in arms against the local sales tax department as they claim that the department has started collecting tax in advance from them owing to the revenue losses faced by it during the current financial year.

While the Sales Tax officials are denying the development, the traders claim that they are being harassed and have been told to pay three months tax in advance till September 10.

The traders were, however, not willing to be quoted for obvious reasons. They said almost all the traders in the city had been told to pay the tax for three months up to September.

Sources in the department told The Tribune that the advance collection of sales tax was being done in district as the department was facing losses in the current year.

The department had conducted maximum surveys and seized goods without the sales tax receipts.

The authorities had been claiming that the department had registered an increase in the sales tax amount paid by the traders due to the strictness of its officials.

The traders alleged that the officials were asking them to pay the tax in advance that would be adjusted in the annual tax return paid at the end of every financial year. As per the sales tax laws, the sales tax has to be deposited only with the return.

Some officials of the department, who did not wish to be quoted, said these were only rumours spread by some traders who wanted to evade sales tax but were being nabbed by officials.

The officials further said there was no truth in the reports except that they had told some big traders to deposit the tax every month.

The officials counter-alleged that the traders were in the habit of evading the sales tax by one means or the other. 

Bathinda, June 23
Harsumeet Singh Sidhu from Talwandi Sabo near here has covered yet another milestone securing 9th position in Punjab Pre –medical test (PMT). He got 692 out of 800 marks to earn this distinction.

Son of Mohinder Singh Siddhu, Principal, Punjabi University Guru Kashi College, Talwandi Sabo, eighteen year old, Harsumeet had earlier got 941st position in the C.B.S.E. AIPMET and also cleared the PMT tests of Manipal with 928th position in MBBS and 323rd position in BDS.

He also qualified the MBBS stage I test of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi and preparing to appear for second stage test on June 28. He also appeared in PMT conducted by CMC Ludhiana and was ranked 100, securing 174 out of 200 marks.

Harsumeet’s mother, Harmanpreet Kaur is also a Lecturer (English) in Govt. Senior Secondary School Talwandi Sabo and he considers his parents as his ideal.

Aspiring to become a surgeon, Harsumeet is keen to persue MS after clearing the MBBS with high rank from some reputed institution. He loves watching TV and going on long walks and believes in self study as compared to coaching. Sample papers and mock test definitely gives an edge over others, he feels. 

Bathinda, June 23
“People marry their daughters considering the costly land of the village but after few months when their daughters complain about infections of water borne diseases, they find no way left out,” said Harbans Singh of Jassi Pau Wali, village falling in Bathinda district, which has been facing problems due unhygienic water.

Bathinda and Mansa districts have always been considered as “the backwater of the Malwa.” Contaminated groundwater is one of the reasons for it gaining “disrepute.” Besides, government’s approach towards installation of water treatment plants in the area, has also always been questioned.

“It is a common phenomenon that if one belongs to this area of the state, he or she would surely be suffering from joint pain, toothache or some other disease of such nature,” rued Rajinder Singh in the village.

Narrating their plight, villagers took this Correspondent to the water works of the village namely Jassi Pau Wali. Ironically, the village, which was named due to un-ended water chhabeel, has now been crying for the drinking water.

The only water tank in the villages has capacity of around 10,000 litres and is more than 35 years old. Cracks have appeared on the tank causing leakage of water round the clock. Moreover, villagers further rued that the tank was not sufficient for the village population, which is more than 5000.

Shockingly, despite being aware of the serious nature of water borne disease, old technique of filter system — passing water through silt and pebble, has been used and the silt too has now been converted into mud due to the apathy of official concerned. One of old ladies in the village, showed the water of brown colour, which is supposed to be for drinking purpose, supplied through taps.

The waterworks has two reservoirs, one of which has been damaged due to seepage and the second one has been converted into muddy pond, as it has never been cleaned.

Bharpoor Singh, the pump driver deputed over there, was also having enough to lament as he said a very narrow distributory caters the reservoir, which has been running under shortage of supply as we get water only for 13 hours in one week.

The much flaunted plan of the government, to initiate RO plants to provide the safe and clean water is still very far to see the day light in the area.

Confirming the snail speed of the project, officiating deputy commissioner, Bathinda, Vijay Zade said, “It is still on planning stage, after getting proper details through the X-En rank officers, it would be further placed.”

Barnala, June 23
The government dispensary at village Aspal Kalan is waiting for a doctor for the last eight months. The absence of a doctor in the dispensary has left the villagers with no other option but to opt for private clinic which is quite costly for the poor patients.

Villagers, including Rajinder Singh Sidhu, Harjinder Singh Jabanda and Manjeet Singh Dhillon said that during the previous Congress regime, one lady doctor was appointed for dispensary on the contract basis. As per service rules, the doctor also appointed her assistant and one pharmacist on contract basis. But later due to some domestic problems, that doctor tendered her resignation. After her resignation, the pharmacist and assistant also stopped coming to dispensary. Now the dispensary has been running without doctor since October 2007. Only two multi-purpose health workers visit the dispensary occasionally to attend the patients.

Rajinder also said that the major portion of the stock of medicines which was lying with the dispensary had already been expired. A very small portion of those medicines was used for the patients.

The village people lamented that the SAD-BJP government failed to provide primary health facility in the rural fields. They said that the village panchyat has met the local politicians number of times for the appointment of a doctor at their village but of no avail.

Deputy Commissioner R.L. Mehta said that the problem had come to his notice recently. But now election code of conduct was in force. So any action regarding the placement of a doctor could made only after the completion of election process, he said adding that he would take up the matter with government for appointment of doctors at the dispensaries in the district.

Mansa, June 23
Many farmers are not clear about the temporary power connections, which the Punjab State Electricity Board used to provide every year during the paddy season. Nearly 200 to 250 farmers are daily visiting the PSEB offices for this purpose.

In this connection, nearly 200 farmers today met XEN Mansa under the leadership of Ram Singh Bhainibagha.

The XEN informed that they had not received any directions from the PSEB about the temporary connections yet.

Y.S. Ratra, chairman of the PSEB, told The Tribune that the board would not be able to provide connections this season due to the shortage of power.

Meanwhile, state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (EKTA) Joginder Singh Ugrahan and district president Ram Singh Bhainibagha demanded that the temporary connections should be released to farmers as early as possible like every year.

They said on the one hand the government had suspended the OYT (own your tubewell) scheme and because of that many farmers had suffered losses.

Some farmers, Singara Singh of Ghrangna, Manjeet Singh and Gurcharan Singh of Kokhar Kalan, who have been staying at the electricity office here for the past three days, said that after reading news in the Punjabi newspaper they had come here for connection.

They said diesel is dearer and they could not afford this heavy expenditure to run engine tubewells.

Moga, June 23
The Congress has demanded upgradation of the local Municipal Council (MC) to corporation keeping in view of the newly added areas to the civic body limits.

Talking to TNS here, former MLA and state general secretary of the Congress Vijay Sathi said the actual population of the town after the inclusion of new areas in the municipal limits had crossed the two-lakh mark, which was sufficient enough to constitute a corporation.

The MC of Bathinda was also upgraded to a corporation a few years ago when the population of the town was little less than two lakh.

He said Moga had the world's No. 1 food processing industry, Nestle. "The town is number one in the world in truck body building, thresher manufacturing and has Asia's top grain market", he said.

Over the years, the town has grown to get the status of the district headquarters.

He was of the view that with the revival of trade links with Pakistan through Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur district, this town would emerge as a central place for storage of imported items and the goods to be exported from the industries of Ludhiana.

"Ludhiana has become so congested that it hardly has any space for storage, making Moga the only viable solution for the purpose on this side of the border and Kasur on the Pakistan side," he added.

Ferozepur, June 23
The work on the computerisation of land records in Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, Muktsar, Bathinda and Mansa districts would be completed soon, following which the farmers and other land owners could get the records pertaining to their lands on internet, informed B.S. Sudan, Commissioner, Ferozepur and Faridkot divisions, while presiding over a meeting of DCs and other officials from revenue department recently.

At the meeting, besides checking the progress on the work Sudan also reviewed the situation regarding the flood protection measures being undertaken by the district administrations. As a pilot project, a tehsil and a sub-tehsil from each of the six districts had been selected for the computerisation of records, he added.

Bathinda, June 23
Chairman and vice-chairman of the Block Samiti (BS) Bathinda were elected unanimously here today.

Advocate Beer Bahadur Singh, BS member from Buladhewala and Sarabjeet Kaur, member BS Har Raipur elected chairman and vice chairman respectively.

BDPO Batra said that there were 25 members, including eight females in the block. All members were prior intimated but 23 could turn up. As per the requirement, Dr Gurdarshan Singh member BS Virk Kalan zone and Kewal Singh member BS Mehma Sarja zone proposed names of the chairman and vice chairman, respectively. In the absence of opposition, both were elected. — TNS

Abohar, June 23
The Abulkhurana drain has again wrecked havoc on the farmers of Ramsara village near here. CM Parkash Singh Badal had got the drain constructed at Rs 2.5 crore during his last tenure to give relief to hundreds of farmers in his constituency as well as the neighbouring segment.

A team of newsmen and farmers, led by Sheopat Karwasra, secretary (press) of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Lakhowal, observed today that the drain was having more water than its capacity.

The overflowing water had so far spread over about 200 acres of land.

Some of the affected farmers including, Ram Singh Karwasra, Kashi Ram Bhari, Vikram Kasnia, Jeet Kumar Nain, Kripa Ram Karwasra, Vinod Nain, Mani Ram and Rajinder Karwasra, informed that their BT cotton crop had been damaged completely. The worst hit was one farmer, Ram Singh, as plants in his orchard were in three feet water. Heavy rains had added to their woes. 

BKU activists alleged that the funds allocated for desilting of the drain had not been properly utilised. They had earlier complained to the authorities that digging was not as per specifications but none paid a heed to this.

The officials of the drainage department have been delaying the cleansing of the drain under the pretext of paucity of funds even when the shrubs and plants had grown up to an alarming level. The department had erringly laid cement pipes on the drain to facilitate a passage as fields were divided due to creation of the drain, but these pipes halted the flow of water, the farmers rued.

The BKU warned an agitation would be launched if the state government failed in providing immediate relief to the affected farmers besides compensating them at Rs 30,000 per acre.

The village had also suffered heavily due to the same situation some four years back.

Abohar, June 23
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked senior officials of the drainage department to initiate arrangements to drain out water that had accumulated in scores of villages in this sub-division due to heavy rains during last few days. Notably, the rainfall in the sub-division was officially recorded as 7 cm, highest in the region. A team of the officials has arrived here and another was expected by the next day, SDM N.S. Brar confirmed today.

SAD (B) MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, representing the Balluana Assembly segment, during a visit to some of the villages here today apprised the CM on his cell phone of the grim situation.

He informed the CM that crop spread over a thousand acres in villages, including Chanankhera, Kerakhera, Bhangala, Burj Hanumangarh and Ghuriana, had been completely damaged and hundred of houses were under threat. The farmers who tried to use tractors to erect a temporary bandh in order to save their houses had to return leaving their tractors behind as the same got trapped there.

Later, the MLA along with sarpanch of Ghuriana village Jagmail Singh, BKU Ekta Sidhpur president Uday Singh and other farmers met the chief minister’s wife Surinder Kaur Badal at Malout and sought her intervention also. She assured that all possible resources would be made available on priority basis to drain out water from these villages.

Bathinda, June 23
Want to be a ‘Takat Ke Badshah’ (macho man)? No need to go anywhere. Just look around the roadsides and you will find a ‘davakhana’ (clinic) in a tent somewhere displaying pictures of Dara Singh and other well-known wrestlers of the world along with some unidentified herbs.

The banners hanging on these tents claim to treat all ailments, and for the illiterate, the davakhanas have a sound system for oral communication.

The main targets of the vaidjis (medical practitioners) are those who have no confidence on themselves. The so-called vaidjis sell these herbs in packets for a course of two to three weeks against which they charge hundreds of rupees.

The government has strict rules and regulations for medical practice by well-qualified doctors but the quacks are running their business freely.

Bathinda assistant civil surgeon Indu Bhushan Aggarwal feels that bureaucracy was openly encouraging them.

“One may find dozens of certificates issued by senior bureaucrats and police officers expressing faith in their practice,” he says, adding that against these certificates, they give them things like ‘giddarsinghi’.

Dr Aggarwal agrees that it is a very serious trend.

Nobody is allowed to do medical practice without proper registration, he says, adding that he will not only start a campaign against such practitioners but also bring this to the notice of the higher authorities of the health department so that their alleged illegal activities can be checked.