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Drive against drugs takes a
backseat
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Abohar MC polls
Ex-servicemen body
seeks electoral reforms; writes to EC
Sutlej in spate
Students get tips for
drawing future plans
City boy ranked 2nd
in LEET
Three Bangladeshis
held near border
Corruption case
against MC officials
State-of-the-art
heart treatment facility comes up
Restore DGP Virk’s
security: Ex-MP
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Drive against drugs takes a
backseat
Bathinda, June 27 While yesterday the day was observed in other parts of the country, but it apparently got lost here in the din of the elections for local bodies in which the top brass was deeply engrossed. As a ritual, a small function was organised in one of the de-addiction centres. Drug abuse is increasing by leaps and bounds and according to a study more than 67 per cent rural households in the state are facing this problem. Consumption of not only smuggled poppy husk and synthetic drugs is rampant in Malwa, but sale of IMFL and country liquor has also registered sharp increase. The state government was infact taking every step to push up the sale of IMFL and country liquor to earn more revenue. According to official figures, consumption of liquor registered increase of 8.27 per cent, while that of country liquor was up by 5.70 per cent in Bathinda during last year over what it was prior to that. Interestingly, 28,81,884 proof litres of country liquor were consumed here last year, while 8,10,675 proof litres of IMFL were sold. Consumption of other drugs was increasing at an alarming rate here. Some NGOs were engaged in de-addicting the youth, but their efforts were not being supplemented by government agencies in a big way. Some
unscrupulous chemists were thriving on sale of intoxicants, including various
capsules and fluids that addicts find cheaper than other drugs. Hardly any such
chemist has been booked by the drug controller’s set up here. Smuggling of poppy husk, opium, smack, synthetic drugs and heroin from Haryana, Rajasthan and Pakistan was on increase, officials said. |
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‘BMC Mayor will be
announced in July first week’
Dhan Singh Khana (Bathinda), June 27 Sukhbir was here on his stormy visit to seven towns of the district in connection with election canvassing. Hiding his displeasure over the issue, Sukhbir said that Amritsar and Gurdaspur were their traditional seats so if they had announced the candidates from the constituencies, it was not an issue. About the list of SAD candidates for the Parliamentary polls, he said that it was too early to comment. Sukhbir said that the SAD would highlight the issue of economic development in the Lok Sabha elections. He assured to raise to issue of discrimination in rights of outsiders in Rajasthan and Himachal Pardesh in the Parliament. He
criticised the Centre for inflation and for fixing less MSP of paddy. He said,
“If state Congress leadership stages dharna outside the prime minister house,
the SAD would join them. Addressing various public gatherings, he assured the voters for the arrangements of sewerage system, power supply, roads, drinking water, free education providing Adarsh schools, Atta-Dal scheme, pension scheme. He further added the issues of thermal power projects, cement factories and various other job oriented projects for the region. “It
has become the trend of the Congress leaders that they themselves never perform
their duty to back up their candidates but create much drama, when they loss
the seats,” alleged Sukhbir. He added that they had only one word “Vendetta”,
which they had been using after every defeat. “I have gut feelings that many
of the Congress leaders who have been using the word, would not even be aware
of the meaning of the word,” he said. On the issue of Dera-Sikh controversy, he said that the state government would take necessary steps to maintain peace and order. Adding this, he said that he had even urged the Maharashtra government to punish anyone found guilty, irrespective of name and designation. About the mayor of Bathinda Municipal Corporation, he said that it would be announced in first week of July. |
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Abohar MC polls
Abohar, June 27 Even when the EC and Apex Court had issued strict directions against defacing property and places of public importance, many streets and markets can be seen flooded with banners, small flags and posters of the candidates in the municipal council elections slated for June 30. Since the candidates here have always relied more on media hype, the number of local newspapers have increased from five to 12 during the past week. Some of these were being distributed free of cost. Interestingly, some of the media persons were working round-the-clock as publicity facilitators. MLA
Sunil Jakhar said that today’s newspapers reported that the members of the
old drug and land mafia were weighing the BJP-SAD candidates with coins and
sweets. Interestingly, the alliance leadership avoided refuting the allegations as its publicity wing had issued press releases claiming support of the suspected mafia tycoons. A senior SAD candidate, who is re-contesting the MC election, faces another hostile campaigner. One Devinder Kaur has circulated pamphlets, which carry photo of her physically disabled husband Avtar Singh, a former truck operator. She is going door-to-door to request the electorate not to vote for the SAD nominee. She
alleged that the candidate in his capacity as the president of the local truck
operators union had collected about Rs 30,000 from the operators for Avtar
Singh’s treatment, but delivered only Rs 2,000 to the family. Avtar’s right
leg had to be amputated because of high sugar-level. The concerned former councillor, however, refuted the allegations. |
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Ex-servicemen body
seeks electoral reforms; writes to EC
Bathinda, June 27 In a letter to the election commission, he expressed his anguish over the manner in which elections were conducted and the ill-will and hatred it generated, Col Singh suggested that as far as possible, Panchayat functionaries should be elected unanimously and at least 30 days time should be afforded to the villagers to reach unanimity. He claimed that the expenditure on elections to 12,000 panchayats was a whopping Rs 1200 crores which meant expenditure of rs 10 lakh on each panchayat. Why this colossal waste of public money could not be avoided and used for providing safe drinking water, roads and rural electrification/ non conventional sources of energy, he asked . He alleged that elections to Bathinda Municipal Corporation were also rigged. Col Daya singh suggested that the wards should be carved out in consultation with local Mohalla committees/ Welfare societies and not merely to split voters and wards with more than 40 to 50 per cent population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes should be reserved for candidates of these categories. |
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Sutlej in spate
Fazilka, June 27 During the past 10 days, due to heavy rain, the water flow in the Sutlej had enhanced. It was stated that during the last year also, the village had been hit by devastating floods. Following these floods the villagers had raised a dam of their own. However, as the barrage on the Pakistan side was stronger, the Sutlej backlashed into the Indian territory. This resulted into damage to the dam also. BKU president of Mohar Jamsher branch, Jeet Singh, said that their crops were inundated for the past one week, yet no officer of the administration had come to their rescue. He demanded adequate compensation. He said that the village was surrounded from three sides by Pakistan and on the fourth side it was cut off by the Sutlej. The Pontoon bridge connecting the village with the Indian territory was dismantled by the authorities two days back. As such, the village practically remained cut off from India. The villagers are now using boats to reach Fazilka. They are also forced to bring their vehicles, crops, belongings etc through the boats. Sometimes, special permission has to be taken for shifting the critical patients at odd hours. |
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Students get tips for
drawing future plans
Bathinda, June 27 About 800 students from various disciplines attended the counselling session held at local Rajindra College and got valuable tips and guidance for chalking out their plans for further studies, Baljinder Singh Maan, District education Officer said. Experts from different vocational and educational fields apprised the students of various vocational, professional and training courses available for them and asked them to select suitable courses as per their potential, capability and financial position. The experts not only informed the students about the prevalent courses, their scope and the institutions where facilities for study in these courses is available but also enriched their knowledge about upcoming courses in information technology, animation, Media and hospital, hospitality and hotel management etc. The students took keen interest in counselling and the experts were flooded with queries from the students about the scope, prospects and future of various courses and chances of getting admission in these courses. The poor students who did not have much exposure benefited most as very few of them had any idea about the upcoming vocational, professional and management courses. These councelling sessions would be organised throughout the state with a view to update the students. |
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City boy ranked 2nd
in LEET
Bathinda, June 27 Son of Sohan Lal Bansal, 19-year-old Gaurav who topped the JET examinations in 2005, is also a gold medallist diploma holder from Thapar polytechnic, Patiala. A good debator, Gaurav is fond of watching watching Television and practices judo. Aspiring to be an IAS officer, Gaurav gives all credit for his achievement to his parents, elder brother Saurav and Rajiv Puri of LEET Academy, Patiala. |
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Three Bangladeshis
held near border
Fazilka, June 27 According to information provided by the BSF company commandant, Naveen Thakur, to Sadar Police, Fazilka, the BSF patrol party nabbed three persons moving suspiciously near the check post at around 3 am. They were identified as Mohammad Shahid, Abdul Khalid and Abdul Bashar, who claimed to be residents of Rajpura village in Patna district, Bihar. The BSF jawans handed them over to the Sadar Police here. According to SHO Palvinder Singh, those arrested revealed that they were residents of Kesari Bazaar village falling under district Fenni in Bangladesh. While Abdul Khalid and Abdul Bashr were real brothers Mohammad Shahid was their maternal uncle. It is believed that they were trying to cross over the border to meet their uncle living in Karachi. The SHO further said that the accused had allegedly confessed that they entered India from Agartala but they were facing problem of identity even as they were fluent at speaking Bengali and Hindi. They were nabbed while trying to cross over the Pakistan in Fazilka sector. A case under secions 3, 34 and 20 of the Indian Passport Act has been registered against them. |
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Corruption case
against MC officials
Abohar, June 27 Sources said the chief vigilance officer and the regional director in the department of local bodies had probed the allegations levelled by some senior BJP activists against the council. They complainants had alleged that bogus payments on account of renovation of the Nehru Park and repair of the outlived fire brigade vehicles were made. On the statements given by the regional director, the police today registered an FIR No. 214 under sections 409, 420, 467, 468 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code and 13, 2 and 88 of the Prevention of Corruption Act against former council president Tulsi Ram Dhaulia, executive officer Diwan Chand Verma, assistant engineer Karam Singh, accountant Avinash Chander, clerks Sunehri Pal and Desh Bandhu, fire brigade officer Gurjant Singh and (unnamed) staff of the internal audit section in the council. Now, the deputy superintendent of police here will investigate the case, the sources added. Notably Dhaulia, Verma, Karam Singh and Sunehri Pal were booked in another case earlier alleging misappropriation of funds in construction of sports stadium in the Azeemgarh locality but were freed on bail later. |
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State-of-the-art
heart treatment facility comes up
Bathinda, June 27 It is for the first time that the most advanced technique of radical angioplasty of opening the blocked arteries of heart by pushing the stent through hand arteries and the patient is relieved in a day, DM cardiology Naresh Goyal said. The technique was cost effective and beneficial for the patients, he added. He further said that this new technique was time saving as compared to prevalent technology which provided for angioplasty through leg and patient was usually required to stay in the hospital for 3 days. Similarly, radial angiography has reduced the stay of a patient from 6 hours to just one hour without any increase in cost of treatment, he added. The incidence of heart disease being quite high in this region, the new technique would save the patients from lot of inconvenience as they would get advanced treatment facility nearer to their homes. |
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Restore DGP Virk’s
security: Ex-MP
Barnala, June 27 Addressing a press conference here today, Khalsa alleged that the Punjab government took this decision purely on political grounds and there was no other reason behind this. He questioned the state government when former DGPs like K.P.S. Gill were enjoying the privileges of security even after 14 years of their retirement, then why the security of Virk was withdrawn. |
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