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Dengue spreads tentacles, 32 fall prey in Mansa
Rajasthan polls
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Army’s ‘Wheels & Waves’ rally flagged off
Bills pending
More counters, services at Suvidha centre soon
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Dengue spreads tentacles, 32 fall prey in Mansa
Mansa, November 17 Of the reported cases, seven were from Sardulgarh, 10 from Mansa, six from Budhlada and one each from Bareta and Khaila. Most of the patients went to the DMC, Ludhiana, for treatment while three patients approached Rajindera hospital at Patiala. According to the records of health department, the cases were referred to private hospitals for want of proper infrastructure in the civil hospitals. Resultantly, the patients were bound to foot the hefty medical bills. Ashwani Kumar, a dengue patient from Mansa, who got himself treated at the DMC, said he had to pay nearly Rs 40,000 for treatment. He added that there was a need to create awareness among the public about the fatal disease and its prevention. Civil surgeon G.S. Nagi said till now, 32 suspected cases of dengue were reported and most of them got treatment at private hospitals due to lack of machines and other equipment in the civil hospitals. Teams of doctors had been sent to sensitise the public about the disease, he added. It is notable that the state government had been making announcements to provide free treatment to the dengue patients but apparently, no serious effort had been made to contain the spread of the disease. Jaspal Khokhar and Rekha Sharma, Mansa residents, have demanded from the state government and the health department to make serious efforts to control the disease and provide free treatment to poor patients. |
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Rajasthan polls
Sriganganagar/Hanumangarh/Abohar, November 17 Kunnar had been a frontrunner though signals from 10, Janpath, were not leaving any hope for his candidature since the second meeting of the screening committee. His close associates had till Sunday evening been refuting that he would oppose the party candidate. They had rubbished earlier reports that Kunnar too had been in contact with senior BJP leaders at New Delhi. The BJP finally authorised former Congress legislator Radhey Shyam, after keeping him on hold for about a week, to file nomination from Sriganganagar constituency. The Satta Bazaar in Sriganganagar had been a trendsetter for more than four decades. Sources in the market were putting the expected Congress tally at 88 and that of the BJP at 83 today giving 25-30 seats to the independents, most of them dissidents. The experts were quoted predicting that no single party may be in a position to form the government this time. Meanwhile, in its final list, the Congress okayed candidature of Santosh Saharan in Sadulshehar constituency against BJP candidate Gurjant Singh Brar, a former legislator, who had shifted from Sangaria due to delimitation of the segment. In Sangaria constituency, Damyanti Beniwal (BJP) and Param Navdeep (Cong) formally launched the campaign today by opening offices in different areas. Ram Singh Brar, state president of the BJP Kisan Morcha, and other senior leaders were present in Tibbi where Damyanti was weighed against ‘laddoos’ during the inauguration of her election office. Congress nominee Param Navdeep, while filing nomination, also inaugurated her office and reiterated that she was born in Sangaria and deserved support of the electorates. BSP candidate Krishan Karwa was also weighed against fruits in village Dabli Kalan during the campaigning. In Suratgarh, the Congress organised a massive rally to wash the dust against its nominee Ganga Jal Meel, a close relative of the former Punjab BJP president Prof B.L. Rinwa today. He is fighting against dissidents, who were contesting as independents. Meanwhile, Sriganganar deputy commissioner Bhawani Singh Detha today informed that counting of votes would be held in the Khalsa College where different blocks have been earmarked for six Assembly segments. He also directed that extra buses should be plied on the day of polling to facilitate the movement of government employees on election duty. Hanumangarh DC Mugdha Sinha and SP Navjyoti Gogoi have convened meetings of Home Guards on November 21 and 24 to involve them in the election process, sources said. |
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Mrs Badal exhorts people to donate liberally for ‘langar’
Abohar, November 17 The date for the devotees from Balluana Assembly segment had been fixed for November 28. She handed over a computerised menu to legislator Gurtej Singh Ghuriana and urged all to contribute for the langar. Earlier, a number of men and women besides children accorded Bibi Badal a warm welcome and made a beeline at the dais to offer her ‘siropas’. MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana while welcoming her recalled the sacrifices made by the Badal family. However, Ghuriana did not forget to use the occasion to lambast the archrival Congress MLAs for totally ignoring the development of the Balluana Assembly segment. He also revealed that the BJP had never been successful in this segment and the fight was always between the Congress and the SAD. He even blamed former Congress MLA Parkash Singh Bhatti for neglecting development. SGPC member Jathedar Suba Singh hoped new spiritual service project taken up by the wife of the CM would rejuvenate the devotees at large. Before leaving, Bibi Badal spoke to the media and denied that her motive was aimed at countering the Dera phenomena. “There is no politics behind the movement,” she said. |
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As dusk sets in, migrants move to Bathinda rly station
Bathinda, November 17 Their hardships that they face in life go unnoticed as people just pass by them. But they brave the odds as each day comes up, without aid or assistance from any organisation. Des Raj and his family of five are among the six families from Bihar, who have made the railway station their home. Rather, they live life out of trains. They beg for food, money and clothing from the passengers. “We all came here together to earn a living. It is because of the proximity of Amrik Singh market to the railway station that some of our men and women get jobs as daily wagers there. When we are ill, we take refuge under the cycle parking in the railway station. The outer areas of the nearby villages give us temporary shelter, when policemen shoo us from the railway station. But we return here, as our life revolves around the station,” said Des Raj. Says Nanha Ram, “I collect ‘sarkanda’ grass from the nearby areas and make brooms out of it to sell them in and around the city.” Even the glittering shopping centre on the Mall Road converts into a small township with these homeless families taking shelter there. Their giggles, vivaciousness and camaraderie keep their spirits high. Laughs Brijesh, helper at a teashop, “My family in Patna had named me Brijesh, but here guys rechristened me as Brijesh Patel after the name of the cricket icon. I, too, now take pride in the name.” Hailing from different places in Bihar, the word has spread in favour of the city, says Brijesh. “Here we work till late evening and prefer to sing folk songs with ‘dafli’. On weekends we catch a movie or a serial on the TVs installed in shops on the Railway Road.” Radhe Sham, an eight-year-old boy, is the new guy on the block who joined the community three days ago. Feeling ecstatic in the new ambit, he says, “I have joined my elder brother, who was earlier working in a hotel. Though I am missing my mother a little bit and my little ‘charpai’, otherwise it is okay here.” The police generally keep their hands off these guys, except in a few cases, informs elderly Hari Ram, a rickshaw puller. “The policemen intervene only when anyone is caught taking liquor or drugs or breaking into fights.” Ashok Goyal, in-charge of an NGO, says, “We do provide help to these homeless but we can’t accommodate all.” Nevertheless, these homeless warriors have learnt to wage their battles against their miseries, with or without any assistance. |
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Children’s Home: Present tense, future imperfect
Bathinda, November 17 Although the officials have tried to hide these cracks under several layers of whitewash but the cracks still reveal the true state of affairs. Kaur Singh Gill, who looks after these boys, said, "I can't tell you exactly how old this building is. But I am here for quite sometime and the condition of this building is getting worse everyday. We have written about this to the authorities and they said they are looking for a new place. The rent is very high these days and who will spend so much for these children." Boys from places as far as Mysore and Hydrabad are residents of this Children's Home being run by the Punjab government. Some of them were left here by police while others were left here by their relatives or owners of places where they used to work. Nine-year-old Birender said, "My uncle made me work in a restaurant here and took my salary from its owner. Then he made me join a hostel where I used to work. He used to take everything I earned and at times didn't even bother to give me food. He went away home once and never came back, leaving me behind. The owner of the hostel where I worked left me at this Children's Home and I feel much better here because I go to a school and get food on time." Rati Ram from Mysore, the youngest here, said, "I don't remember who my parents are. The police brought me here. I am happy because at least I get food on time. I go to a gurudwara everyday because I like the 'prasad' they give me." Children attend the elementary school in the city. A majority of these boys want to join the police. "I want to join the police when I grow up. I like the uniform donned by the police personnel," added Birender. Sandeep, who is in Class VII, said, "I just want to study and will decide later what I want to do in life." According to these sources, three boys had escaped from the Children's Home in the past. The boys were brought back within three days. Two of these boys went back never to come back whereas Birender stayed on because he likes this place and says that he has no one to go back to. "This building was declared unsafe by the SDM a few months back. The children had sneaked out from here." When asked, SDM KPS Mahi said he was not aware about children running away from the place. The home lacks basic facilities like medical kits. Children staying here are suffering from scabies because of poor ventilation but no doctor visits them, the sources added. "We have spoken to the doctors who are responsible for these kids and asked them to visit us at least once a week but they said they don't have the time," an employee added. The amount of ration authorised is also according to the old scale set by the government and has not been renewed since long. The children, unaware that they were staying in an unsafe building, said they didn't have any problem here except that they should be provided with a proper medical kit. |
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BMC takes action on DAV pond issue
Bathinda, November 17 It may be mentioned that the department took action after a section of the media brought the matter to its notice that residents of the colony had started an "illegal" practice by accepting money. They had been allowing persons to encroach upon the pond around their houses. Today, finding that the authorities were reaching there with equipment, groups of agitated residents objected. Some of them took stones in their hands apparently to assault the officials and prevent them from doing so. In the presence of the police and aided by JCB machines, the officials dug up a trench around the pond to make a base for the wall. The trench, which is serpentine in shape, spared only an area of a few feet around their houses. Expressing their resentment, a delegation of the residents said that they went to meet the SAD (B) area in- charge Sarup Chand Singla, but were told that he was not at home. Then they met Mayor Baljeet Singh Bir Behman who assured that he would get the work stopped. After retuning to the colony, they asked the Executive Officer of the BMC, Kamal Kant and DSP Gurmeet Singh, present there, about any order received to stop the work, which they denied. Getting frustrated, they were heard hurling abuses at the officials and the Mayor. Then they left the place saying that they would stage a dharna at Ambedkar Chowk. Later, BMC joint commissioner Amit Dhaka reached the spot. Dhaka said the residents had no valid proof to show their ownership over the land. He added that they had been encroaching upon the pond by putting debris in it. He said the illegal practice needed to be stopped as the pond had been used as a source of drainage during the rainy days. On the other hand, residents lamented that if they did not have any valid proof of land ownership, the administration too would face problems as the land was under Mehna Patti and the BMC did not have any entitlement over it. They lashed out at the officials saying that they had spent their hard earned money to fill the pond. “We have invested our money and the officials are now raising a wall and encroaching upon the land as well,” they pointed out. |
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Army’s ‘Wheels & Waves’ rally flagged off
Bathinda, November 17 The bikers would also raft in the turbulent waters of the Ganges covering a 30 km stretch near Rishikesh. 'Wheels and Waves' is part of the 21st Raising Day celebration of the 'Sada Ek' regiment which was raised in the terrorist infested hills of Assam on November 30, 1987. The regiment has an illustrious history of contribution in all the operations of the Indian Army since 1987. The main motive of the rally is to spread awareness among the youth and motivate them to join the armed forces. The team members would also meet ex-servicemen on their way listening to their problems and would inform them about the various schemes being run by the government for them. "A majority of ex-servicemen are from Punjab and they would assemble at various places en route where we would listen to their concerns and tell them about our policies. We would also encourage the youth to join the forces. Most of these youngsters are not aware of the career opportunities the Army has for them and because of negligence they don't think about being a part of the Indian Army. We would delve into the interiors of Punjab to make them aware of varied possibilities we have for them. Our main aim is to spread the message of peace and harmony," Capt Devadesh Sah added while talking to TNS. The Sappers team comprises Capt Devadesh Sah, Capt Vishal Patil, L/Nk Gulam Rabani, L/Nk Pargat Singh, L/Nk Aadesh Puri, L/Nk Smaran Singh, L/Nk Chander Shekhar, L/Nk Amanbeer, Sep Kuldeep Singh, Sep Devinder Singh, Sep Utsav Mehto, Sep Karamjit Singh, Sep Sukhwinder and Sep Ranjit Singh. Lt Gen Chauhan wished luck to all the team members before they set off on their audacious trail. The team would return to Bathinda on November 28. The State Bank of Patiala and Bathinda Brotherhood Club are the co-sponsors of the rally. The flagging off ceremony was attended by officers and soldiers of the Bathinda Military Station. |
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Bills pending
Bathinda, November 17 While reviewing the development process in the district, deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari received a complaint from the nutrition programme project officer Sunita Rani that the mid-day meal scheme had been facing a financial crisis as the treasury department had not cleared bills pending for the last one month. The bills amounted to Rs 1.5 crore. Taking a serious note of it, the DC asked the District Treasury Officer, who replied that they had been functioning according to the orders received from the higher officials. Citing an order of the Supreme Court to clear such bills with immediate effect, the DC ordered the officer to make efforts to clear such dues on a priority basis. Expressing concern over the poor state of the district small saving accounts, the DC also requested the officials to open a recurring deposit account in post offices to give some support to the scheme. Officials were asked to come with deposit records and a review would be done on December 5. To get more details, when TNS contacted District Savings Officer, Pardeep Bhandari, he said, "Despite repeated appeals, departments are not coming up with the details of deposits. Employees do not pay attention to the deposit money at the post office as the rate of interest is only 6.25 per cent, which is less in comparison to the banks." "Our account has been running under the Rs 50 crore negative funds, which means that withdrawal is much more than the deposits. We have no other alternative but to appeal which we have been continuously doing.," he added. Earlier, the DC enquired about the details of development projects of schools from the survey teams constituted for the purpose. He asked the officials to provide him with the actual details of requirement regarding buildings, infrastructure and help for the needy students. In the meeting, it was disclosed that for the repair of 87 km link roads in the district, tenders have been allotted. Further, 225 km of roads, that were carpeted in 2001-02 would also be recarpeted soon. When asked about the incidence of bonded labor, the labour inspector denied any such case in the district. Mandi Board officials disclosed that out of the total 61 mishaps occurring due to threshers, 21 cases had been settled with financial aid. |
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More counters, services at Suvidha centre soon
Bathinda, November 17 As per the information received, the 28-counter Suvidha centre here would now have additional counters to provide services on transport related matters. Further, there would be an electronic machine to accept the payments for electricity bills. In the expansion plan, there is a proposal to launch a counter for work related to license for pesticide dealership. But permission from the agriculture department is still being awaited in this regard. As per the documents procured, the Suvidha Centre was inaugurated in 2005. At the time of its inauguration, in April 2005, only three subjects were being dealt with, namely, arms licences, passport and copying. Later, in November 2005, issuing of affidavits was also started at the centre. Then in April 2007, two new subjects, marriage registration and miscellaneous assistance, comprising providing dependent certificates, permissions, allotment of quarters and assistance to physically handicapped were also introduced. Soon after, in July, issuing of birth and death certificates were also started. Further, in September, no-objection certificates from PUDA, SCs/BCs, residence certificates and matters regarding driving licences were also given to the Suvidha Centre. As per the detailed figures, number of arms license applications remain between 500 to 800 per month ever since the matter was handed over to the Suvidha centre. The number of passport applications was around 200 per month in the first year, but the next year, it crossed 1000, but decreased in the following years. Application for copying remained around 500 per month. The authorities have been receiving a good response from the driving license counter as the number of applications received is around Rs 2500-2700 per month. The counter for getting NOC from PUDA is getting the poorest response as only two or three applications are being received. The Suvidha centre is being run by Sukhmani Society for citizens under the information and technology department of the state and generates a revenue more than Rs four lakh per month from service charges. Out of this, Rs 2.5 lakh is spent on the salaries of the staff while 15 per cent of the revenue is supposed to be submitted to the state exchequer. Suvidha centre in-charge, Jaswinder Singh said, "After the expansion, providing hassle-free services to people will become easier." |
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