Along the zero line, Ferozepur, August 20
The ravaging Sutlej has not only wreaked havoc on the Indian side but it has also forced the Pakistani Rangers to evacuate several of their border outposts (BOPs) along this sector.

According to the information available, at least four Pakistani BOPs — Karnail Sher Khan Sayed, Major Shahid Sayed, Lal Khan Sayed (Section Post 201) and S.P. Khalid — have been submerged due to incessant rains and flooding of the Sutlej. Besides, there are some other Pakistani BOPs, including Annoke, New Kassoke and Gatti Kalangar, that have been severely hit due to the overflowing Sutlej. The river zigzags along the India-Pakistan border in this area.

On the Indian side, at least a dozen BOPs have reportedly been inundated. However, the BSF sentinels were still guarding these posts with the help of motorboats. The affected BOPs on the Indian side include Tapu, Kulwant, Muthianwali, Ramlal, Pacharia, New Mohammadiwala, Kassoke, Shemeke, D.T. Mal, Joginder, D.R.D. Nath, New Gajniwala and Satpal.

When contacted, M.L. Wassan, DIG, Sector Headquarters, BSF, admitted that these BOPs had been flooded, adding that the BSF jawans were still guarding the international border with utmost vigil and were keeping a hawk’s eye on any movement along the fence. “Not even a single BOP has been vacated on Indian side,” asserted the DIG.

Only yesterday, the BSF had apprehended a Pakistani intruder, identified as Nasir Sultan later, who was trying to sneak into the Indian territory near H.K. Tower along the border.

Wassan said despite the problems, the BSF sentinals in consonance with their motto “Duty unto Death” were determined to defeat every sinister design of the anti-national forces. He informed that some BSF jawans had even suffered injuries due to snake bites, as they remain in water for hours. But their morale was high, he said with pride.

The DIG said the flooding of river had damaged the border fencing at certain places along the sector besides lot of observation posts had been smashed beyond repair. The loss run into lakhs, averred Wassan.

The BSF was also helping the farmers belonging to the villages along the border to reinforce the bandhs, he said, adding that BSF medical teams had been instructed to arrange medical camps in flood-affected villages to extend medical aid to the families in distress.

Bathinda, August 20
The new industrial policy of Punjab would provide for project reports deemed approved in case these were not cleared within a stipulated time-frame by the authorities concerned.

Industries minister Manoranjan Kalia while talking to this correspondent here today stated this. He said that the new industrial policy would be finalised within the next three months after consultation with the industry and other related agencies.

He said that to cut delay in granting permission by various agencies for establishing industrial units, the Punjab government was contemplating to bring Industrial Felicitation Act whereunder a project report would be deemed to have been approved if it was not cleared within the stipulated period.

Kalia said that the policy would be industry-friendly and all information related to industry would be available online.

Expressing concern over the migration of industrial units from Punjab to the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand that have been given a special industrial package by the Centre, Kalia said that the Centre should prepare a blueprint of natural potential of each state on the basis of which the industrial package should be formulated. This would prevent flight of industry to other states.

Such a step would also help enhance the GDP of the country. Punjab and Haryana could be made the hub of agro-based industry, while Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh could be given incentives for setting up hydroelectric and thermal power projects, respectively.

Kalia said inter-state dependability would be in the national interest.

He said that Punjab and Himachal Pradesh could undertake projects with mutual cooperation. He has already discussed the issue with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Himachal chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal whose response was positive. As a first step, a ropeway between Naina Devi in Himachal and Anandpur Sahib in Punjab was to be jointly commissioned, he added.

Bathinda, August 20
Mixed reaction was witnessed on Wednesday as most of the markets and business establishments remained open and vehicular traffic, including PRTC buses, went off the roads during the 24-hour strike called by Left trade unions against price rise.

Banks, insurance, electricity, BSNL, roadways and postal employees observed a day-long strike. The State Bank of Patiala employees were protesting against the new economic policies of the Central government, especially with regards to mergers which have led to job cuts. The strike had been called by eight major trade unions, including All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre for Industrial Trade Union (CITU).

Banking transactions across the district was also hit with employees' associations at all public sector banks joining the strike, except for State Bank of India which was on strike on Monday.

However, most schools, colleges and educational institutions functioned normally while elaborate security arrangements were made to prevent any untoward incident during the strike, supported by Left parties like CPI and CPI-M. Activists of Left parties and trade unions blocked vehicular traffic in some parts of the city, including the local bus stand, besides picketing at several places in a bid to enforce shut-down. A rally was organised by striking employees and CITU, SFI, DYFI and CPM members, criticising the policies of the Central government which had rendered people jobless. They feared that the UPA government was following the policies pursued by the NDA regime.

Lower level government employees' federations have supported the strike, which is also against the government's economic and labour policies. Lower level government employees' are highly disappointed over the raise given to them in the 6th Pay Commission report.

The six-point charter of demands including curbing inflation, passage of a comprehensive bill to provide social security to unorganised sector workers, loan-waiver scheme for farmers borrowing money from private moneylenders and proper implementation of labour laws would also be submitted to the Prime Minister.

Bathinda, August 20
The unit-3 of the Lehra Mohabat-based Guru Hargobind Thermal Project (GHTP) stage-II is fast moving towards stabilisation and has achieved a plant load factor of 56.41 per cent during last month.

According to Y.S.Ratra, chairman of PSEB, the unit was further improving day by day and is expected to be on commercial run soon. This unit has already produced 418 million units worth Rs 125 crores. The commissioning activities of unit-4 have also picked up momentum. This unit was test synchronized on July 31 and is expected to run on commercial operation in October 2008. With the coming up of stage-II units, the total capacity of GHTP shall become 920 MW thus contributing 220.8 lakh units daily that will help Punjab to come out of the power crunch.

Ratra said that unit-I & 2 (stage-I) of GHTP have contributed a lot towards reducing the gap between demand and supply of power in Punjab since their commissioning. These units have generated 30701.4 million units up to July 2008.

Taking the average cost of electricity as Rs 3 per unit, these units have generated power worth Rs 9,210 crores, which is nearly eight times its own cost. In terms of economy, these units have contributed much more. Union minister of power Jairam Ramesh applauded the continued improvement made on these units year after year during his recent visit to GHTP. He expressed satisfaction and appreciation over the achievement of highest ever plant load factor of 95.10 per cent and overall efficiency of 37.13 per cent during 2007-08.

He said that recently, GHTP has set another standard by adopting best maintenance management practice by doing capital maintenance of unit 2 in 28.47 days against approved shutdown of 43 days thus producing 732 lakh extra units worth Rs 40 crores by bringing the unit 14.53 day ahead of schedule.

Similarly, annual maintenance of unit 1 was carried out in 13.95 days against the approved shutdown of 20 days.

The unit was brought on bar 6.05 days ahead of schedule, thus producing 305 lakh units extra worth Rs 16 crores.

Bathinda, August 20
District and Sessions Judge Kuldip Singh on Tuesday sentenced Amrik Singh, a cashier with Bathinda depot of PRTC, to two years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 6,000 for demanding illegal gratification amounting to Rs 3,000 from one Navjot Singh, seeking the release of a mini- bus parked at the Talwandi Sabo bus stand.

In default of payment of fine, Amrik Singh, who was booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, would have to spend another two months in jail.

According to the prosecution, Navjot Singh, a conductor with Damdama Sahib Transport Company, had parked his mini-bus at the Talwandi Sabo bus stand on June 23, 2003.

Amrik Singh, PRTC cashier of Bathinda depot and general manager Harbaksh Singh Dhillon asked Navjot Singh about the route of the bus. Amrik Singh, after not getting a satisfactory answer from Navjot Singh, detained the bus at Talwandi Sabo bus stand. Later, Amrik Singh took Navjot Singh aside and demanded Rs 3,000 for release of the bus.

In the meantime, Navjot Singh complained to Baljit Singh, DSP, Vigilance, about the demand for bribe by PRTC cashier. The vigilance official arrested Amrik Singh while accepting money in the presence of some witnesses and was produced in the court. The court found him guilty of accepting the bribe and sentenced Amrik Singh to undergo imprisonment of two years and also fined him Rs 6,000.

Bathinda, August 20
To constitute the district planning committee, activists of the ruling SAD and the members of Zila Parishad, Bathinda, today unanimously elected 13 members from amongst them. 

Giving the names of the newly elected members, Sikander Singh Maluka, the SAD (B) district president, said Jaspal Singh, Raj Deep Singh, Labh Singh, Davinder Pal Singh, Jagroop Singh, Sarav Jeet Singh, Harwinder Kaur, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, Baljinder Kaur, Kamal Deep Kaur, Jagdish Singh, Balkar Singh and Geja Singh, had been included. He further added that the committee will have 24 members, 13 from the Zila Parishad, six from the municipal councils while five would be nominated by the state government.

Abohar, August 20
The Technical Services Union today held a division-level rally here while observing complete strike in response to the countrywide call against nationalisation and other issues. The TSU workers staged a dharna which was presided over by the divisional president Shiv Charan.

Divisional secretary Balwinder Singh and other senior office-bearers criticised the state government and management of the PSEB for sacking the TSU leaders for leading the anti-privatisation stir in different circles.

State executive member Shankar Dass claimed that the cash counters and complaint offices in the PSEB sub-divisions remained closed today. Electricity supply was also affected in some areas.

Bathinda, August 20
The Legal Services Authority, Bathinda, has informed about the quarterly Lok Adalat, which would be held on August 23.

It will be held under the headship of the district and sessions judge Kuldeep Singh. To redress public grievances in a speedy way, eight courts will be arranged in Bathinda.

In Rampura Phul and Talwandi Sabo two courts each would be in session. The information was given in a press release issued here today.

Barnala, August 20
The local court of additional sessions judge Vivek Puri has awarded life imprisonment to one Jagraj Singh of Kattu village in a murder case.

As  per the details available, Jagraj Singh alias Bhola Singh was working as a helper (seeri ) with a farmer, Balihar Singh son of Daya Singh of Kattu village in Dhanaula. The accused had a feeling that Balihar was having an illicit relation with his wife.

In April last year, while Balihar was sleeping at his residence, Jagraj allegedly attacked him with sharp-edged weapons leaving him seriously injured.

In the morning, he was taken to the PGI at Chandigarh where he succumbed to his injuries. The Dhanaula police had registered a case under section 302 of the IPC.

Malout, August 20
Following investigations, the Sadar police here on Tuesday booked a Primary Health Centre employee, Mandheer Singh, and his wife Gurjeet Kaur for committing fraud with one Gursewak Singh of Sangu Dhaun village on May 29, 2008.

Giving details of the case, the complainant said that on the day, the couple received an amount of Rs 1,35,000 from him in lieu of a piece of land (48-marla). But on their way to the Tehsildar office to get the deal registered, they fled.

The matter was reported to the DSP Malout, who had ordered a probe in the case. Confirming the facts, the police said the accused were still at large.