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Two killed, 16 hurt in mishaps
RO water system for Central Jail inmates
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High alert after blasts rock Mumbai
Security personnel checking the luggage of passengers at the Bathinda railway station on Thursday. Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera
Garbage dumps choke city localities
Zero pollution by 2012: PPCB
Youth Cong block panels by Dec 8
‘Pay taxes on time’
Rajasthan polls
‘Gehlot emptied state treasury’
DC issues directions to polling staff
Cops frame man, detain minor son
Mobiles banned around polling booths
Punjabis adding flavour to poll mood
Farmers of Punjabi origin seated in the front row at a rally in Srikaranpur on Thursday. A Tribune photograph
Ferozepur admn’s functioning falters with less officers
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Two killed, 16 hurt in mishaps
Bathinda, November 27 Darshan Singh (43), a resident of Sunderpura in Ganganagar, died on the spot when he was run over by a truck near Ambuja Cement factory on the Bathinda-Mansa road last night. In another accident, an eight-year-old boy was run over by a speeding car near Chak Ruldu Singhwala village on the Bathinda-Dabwali road here this morning. Sixteen persons, including schoolchildren, were injured when a private bus in which they were travelling, overturned near Multania village on the Gidderbaha-Bathinda road here this afternoon. As per police sources, the bus (PB-30B-1178), which was on its way to Bathinda from Gidderbaha, overtuned near Multania village while saving an auto-rickshaw. All the injured were admitted to the local civil hospital and were reportedly to be out of danger. Sources said that Major Singh, sarpanch of Multania village, along with some other villagers and workers of an NGO-Sahara, rushed to the spot and took the passengers out of the bus. He said the bus was carrying around 65 passengers.
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RO water system for Central Jail inmates
Bathinda, November 27 But jail inmates can now consume pure drinking water with District and Sessions judge Kuldeep Singh inaugurating a reverse osmosis (RO) system donated by the Dwarka Dass Mittal Charitable Trust. The inmates of the Central Jail watched as the judge pushed the button installed for starting the machine. They said many prisoners were falling prey to water-borne diseases. Consumption of poor quality water leads to diseases like cholera and dysentery which can prove fatal in some cases. Bathinda Central Jail is the first jail in Punjab which now has the RO advantage. After inaugurating the system, Singh said, "I am happy that the Trust took such a humane step. Problems related to polluted drinking water would no longer exist here." Jail superintendent Capt. L.S. Jakhar (retd) said, "Many cases of water-borne diseases were being reported as inmates were getting affected. Seeing this, we contacted a noted industrialist of the region and he came forward to help us by installing an RO system for the jail inmates. I am thankful to the Trust for their kind concern." Some prisoners said that such facilities should be given to every jail. "We are lucky to be here as far as basic facilities are concerned. I request the authorities to provide such facilities to inmates of other jails in the state," Sarabjit Singh, an inmate, added. Bathinda Central Jail which has a capacity to house 626 prisoners is already catering to more than 1300 prisoners and the jail authorities stated that due to more number of prisoners, problems were surfacing but plans were afoot to extend the langar facilities and improve the sanitation system. People lodged in jail seldom have a reason to smile and be happy about. Their troubled background leaves nothing to look forward to for many. They are a class of people who are abandoned by their own people in most cases. But today, they undeniably looked cheerful and were thanking all those who thought about them. |
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High alert after blasts rock Mumbai
Bathinda, November 27 Security around the railway station, inter-state bus stand, other important public places and markets has been beefed up across the city. Besides deploying additional police personnel across the city, check-posts have been set up at all major points in the city. SSPs at district Special teams of officials from CIA wings have been constituted to undertake searches at railway station, bus stops, religious places and other administrative offices. According to SSP Aashish Chaudhary, security had been beefed up in the area in view of the Mumbai explosions. "We have focussed our attention on railway station, bus stand, court complex and premises of administrative offices," said Chaudhary, adding that special checkpoints had been set up to search vehicles. He claimed that all sensitive places in the circle had been thoroughly searched. Emphasis was laid on searching vehicles, including public transport, coming from other states. The blast evoked condemnation from all political parties with Sarup Chand Singla, area in-charge of SAD terming it as "dastardly and inhuman." Singla spoke to Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab, asking him to tighten the security measures to ensure the safety of people and maintenance of peace in the state. The Opposition BJP strongly condemned the explosions and firing in Mumbai and asked the government to beef up security across the country and restore normalcy.
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Garbage dumps choke city localities
Bathinda, November 27 Someone from this area complained about the situation becoming unbearable for the residents. A team from The Tribune visited the area and saw sewers blocked and open drains with water overflowing, with foul smell emanating in the area. Children were seen playing near the open garbage dump and a dead pig was lying unattended nearby. People were seen taking bath in the open in front of their homes adding to the problem. The pig died in the morning and now flies are all over the place. A foul smell was emanating from the carcass making it difficult for the residents to sit outside. People said, "Whom do we complain to, we have been running from pillar to post to get our area cleaned but no one comes from the corporation on a regular basis. Once in a while someone comes in a month and do his bit. But that is not enough." Kiran Devi said, "The sewer is blocked for the past three days and we told the municipal councillor about it but he has not done anything about it as yet. He asked us to open the gutter and we did it but he did not send anyone to repair it. Now, it is lying open and the water is overflowing." Due to the laxity shown by MC officials, four people were reported to be suffering from dengue. Some cases of malaria also were reported. "Malaria and fever are very common here. We prepare food in the open and there are worms in the drains and these worms often enter our homes. We have spotted these worms on chapatis many times when we get up in the morning," said another resident Santosh. "There is a public toilet here but mostly there is no water there. And we have to pay Re 1 to Rs 2 every time we use it. We are those people who sleep without having food at times because we are poor and we can not afford to pay money for such basic things. Things are bad here, no authority pays attention to our woes. We have been complaining on and off for so many days," Krishna Rani added. In spite of a MC vehicle coming to gather garbage regularly, the area is full with polythenes, used bottles, bags etc. If a vehicle comes every day, then what does it do? Polythenes are a serious threat to animals that eat in the open. Consuming polythene is fatal. A worker from the MC came to attend to an open gutter once word was spread that people from the media have arrived. On being asked about how often he comes to fulfill his duties, he said, "I come whenever we get an application from this place about open gutters or blocked sewerage. People of this area are negligent and they do not complain about such issues." On the contrary, it does not seem so. Kamal Kant, executive engineer of municipal corporation, of the city, said, "No one wants to take responsibility for this area. It actually falls under PUDA. We still get the area cleaned on and off. We have 13 tractor-trolleys and three vehicles have been pressed into service to get garbage containers cleaned everyday. In total, about 40 containers are emptied daily." Residents of the area also said that the pipe supplying water was leaking and sewage was getting mixed with the supplied water. Womenfolk complained that they had to get drinking water from elsewhere because the water supplied to this area was not worth consuming. |
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Zero pollution by 2012: PPCB
Bathinda, November 27 Goyal said that industrial units will not be allowed to function without installing proper pollution control devices from the next year. He informed that separate plans were being implemented to take care of air and water pollution. The responsibility for primary treatment of industrial unit will rest with the unit concerned, while secondary treatment will be carried out through a common facility to be set up and managed by the industrial associations in collaboration with the various government agencies, he added. The PPCB chairman informed that the Board had decided not to allow the disposal of industrial waste in landfills. The irrigation and public health department will put in place sewage treatment plants for all major sewerage schemes in the state, he added. "If guidelines issued by Board were not followed, the PPCB will seal the units," he warned. Goyal said that the industrialists were establishing the treatment plants in the state with a grant of Rs 12.69 crore from the Centre. Land for treatment plants was being provided by the PPCB, he added. The installation of appropriate control devices has been made mandatory by the Board for all units causing air pollution. While big units will have to install the state-of-the-art pollution control devices, the brick kilns and other units have to put in place scrubbers. |
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Youth Cong block panels by Dec 8
Bathinda, November 27 Disclosing this, district returning officer, Bathinda, Bhavin Vyas, said that nomination for Block Youth Congress election would be filed on November 28 and 29. After campaigning from December 2 to December 6, the voting for block
level would be held on December 7. The list of elected candidates would be out the next day. However, in case of re-poll, which would be held on December 10, the
final list would be out on December 16. |
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‘Pay taxes on time’
Bathinda, November 27 Kapoor also said that the revenue generated should be used for the development of the state. Praising the leadership of Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, he said the trading community was thankful to them for the initiatives taken to resolve their problems. — TNS |
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Rajasthan polls
Sriganganagar/Abohar, November 27 Addressing well-attended rallies in Suratgarh and Peelibanga today, the CM said the Congress had ruled the nation for more than five decades and tried to hypnotise the masses by raising slogans like “Garibi Hatao” but millions were still deprived of two square meals, shelter, potable water, electricity and other amenities, guaranteed by the Constitution of India. “Rich are becoming richer while poor are becoming poorer due to irrational policies adopted by the Congress-led government,” she added. Lashing out at the ‘Naya Rajasthan Banayenge’ slogan raised by the Congress, Raje questioned what the Congress had been doing during 40 years of its regime in the state. She said that the Congress was quite vocal about fighting corruption. But people know that the UPA government had over 10 tainted ministers, including Lalu Prasad Yadav, she alleged. “Their incumbents were shown on the small screen accepting money for granting favours,” said the Chief Minister. Claiming that her government had made the state self-dependent in power generation, Raje said over one lakh educated youths were employed and millions got job under the NREGA besides major steps were taken towards women empowerment. She said her government showed door to land and liquor mafia, which were now financing the Congress campaign. Number of liquor shops was reduced by 25 per cent. Hundreds of villages were linked by roads besides renovating major roads that remained neglected during the Congress rule in this border region, Raje claimed. Though the Chief Minister was running behind the schedule but thousands kept on waiting for her.
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DC issues directions to polling staff
Hanumangarh/Abohar, November 27 The DC also directed the returning officer in Peelibanga segment to serve notice on the owner of a printing press for violating the rules in printing of election material for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, second randomisation of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the presence of election observers Jyanti Shrinivasan Ravi and V Umesh besides the DC today, resulted in allotment of 199 for Sangria, 259 for Peelibanga, 241 for Nohar, 238 for Hanumangarh and 232 for Bhadra constituencies. Representatives of different candidates were also present. The district collector asked the polling staff to be more alert while on duty at the polling booths, which are located near the Punjab and Haryana border. The district authorities have been informed by the Election Commission (EC) that observers for the expenses, P.R. More of the Indian Revenue Services, Alok Gupta of the Indian Excise Services and Rajesh Misra would visit Hanumangarh on Saturday. Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will reach Suratgarh on Monday by a special aircraft and would be using a helicopter for onward journey to Hanumangarh to address a rally in favour of Congress candidate Vinod Kumar. Vinod’s daughter-in-law Usha Karwa today launched mass contact campaign to mobilise women for their participation in the Prime
Minister’s rally. |
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Cops frame man, detain minor son
Jalandhar, November 27 Gurcharan Singh said the police picked up his son Amandeep (17) from his house in Moga on Monday and was kept in illegal custody. Amandeep, a student of 10+1 at Guru Nanak School, Moga, was released only when acting president of the Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) Avtar Singh Mullanpuri rang up Khuhia Sarvar SHO. Gurcharan said he came to know the police had alleged in the FIR registered against him under the NDPS Act on August 13 that a bag containing his driving licence and 350 gm opium was seized from a private bus. The FIR was registered against him on the basis of recovery of driving licence from the bus. Showing his original driving licence, he alleged the driving licence was fake one and prepared by the travel agent to implicate him. Further he was present in a Moga court in connection with a case related with property dispute on August 13. Gurcharan alleged the FIR was part of the conspiracy hatched by travel agent Paramjit Singh in connivance with the cops as the former wanted to teach him a lesson as an FIR under Section 420 had been filed against him on his complaint at city police station in Moga in 2006. He added Paramjit and his wife Harjinder Kaur had sent him to Toronto on fake visa after getting Rs 16 lakh from him in 2003. He was kept in custody for eight months in Canada for travelling on fake visa. When he returned, he lodged an FIR against the couple in 2006 , following which, Paramjit Singh gave him cheques of Rs 16 lakh but these bounced. Denying the allegations of registering a false case at the behest of the travel agent, Khuhia Sarvar SHO Satpal Singh said the police took Amandeep along it so that his father could produce himself before the police. Meanwhile criticising Punjab Police for implicating Gurcharan in a false case instead of providing him justice from travel agent, LBP president Balwant Singh Ramoowalia demanded cancellation of the FIR and dismissal of the SHO. |
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Mobiles banned around polling booths
Sriganganagar/Abohar, November 27 DC Bhawani Singh Detha asked the polling officers to switch off the battery attached to each EVM after getting it ready for polling. He informed that 194 EVMs for Sadulshehar, 171 for Sriganganagar, 222 for Srikaranpur, 206 for Suratgarh, 243 for Raisinghnagar and 220 for Anoopgarh were allotted today besides additional machines. As many as 1456 polling parties for 6 assembly segments have also been formed under the random system, the DC said. The EC has banned the use of cellular and cordless phones by civilians within a 100 meter radius of the polling booths. Even the micro observers and polling staff will have to keep their mobile phones switched off at the polling centres. They can communicate with the senior officers outside the booth only if instructed by the presiding officer. The booth level officers (BLOs) have been asked to be present around the polling booth on December 4 for the verification of voters, if needed. Installation of digital cameras and video cameras for various constituencies has also been finalised. Sadulshehar will have 16, Sriganganagar 14, Srikaranpur 20, Suratgarh 55 and Raisinghnagar 21 while 34 cameras would be installed in Anoopgarh segment. The operators will be imparted training on Saturday and Monday. |
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Punjabis adding flavour to poll mood
Hanumangarh/Abohar, November 27 Guggu Gill accompanied Congress rebel Gurdeep Singh Shahpeeni in Sangria segment during campaign in Tandurwali, Kharakheda, Sabuana, Gudia and Saliwala villages where he obliged the gathering by repeating some of his popular dialogues from the regional movies. In the same constituency, BJP candidate Damyanti Beniwal was also receiving good response from Sikh electorates even when her Congress rival Param Navdeep hails from the same community. Her supporters in Dhaani Tara Singh Wali hope that division of Sikh votes in Param and her party rival Gurdeep could benefit the soft spoken and well educated Damyanti. Her in-laws have been active in political arena for decades. Sunil Jakhar, MLA, Abohar, is campaigning for Congress candidate Vinod Kumar in Hanumangarh constituency. At a rally in village Pucca Saharan located on Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar road he exhorted the electorates to pack the Raje government off, which had ‘ruined’ the farmers by failing in arranging canal water for irrigation. While campaigning in the ‘kuchcha’ streets of rural areas of Suratgarh segment, women activists from Punjab are told that Rajasthan was still backward compared to Punjab in making electricity, potable water and other basic amenities available even as the ruling BJP claimed of tremendous development during the current regime. Campaigners from Punjab have to carry along mineral water bottles. In Srikaranpur constituency also, Sikhs occupy chairs in front rows as Congress candidate Jagtar Singh Kang or his rebel rival Gurmeet Singh Kunnar addressed election meetings. Turbans add colour to small processions during the campaign. Hundreds of relatives of candidates from far-off places in Punjab have already joined the electioneering to stay till the polling day, few confirmed at informal chat. They prefer to interact in Punjabi while seeking support from the voters of Punjab origin. Notably, large number of families from Amritsar and neighbouring areas had migrated during the decade of terrorism and later decided to dispose of their immovable property to settle here. However, their kin are normally married in Punjab. |
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Ferozepur admn’s functioning falters with less officers
Ferozepur, November 27 The shortage of officers has not only hampered the functioning of several important government departments here, but has also added to the workload of the few officers currently posted here. At the moment, besides Megh Raj, who has been posted here as DC, the district has only one Additional DC, Jaskiran Singh, who besides handling several important departments is also looking after the issues of the local municipal committee and the work of Deputy Director, Local Bodies. In this district, no officer has been posted in the capacity of Assistant Commissioner (General) and Assistant Commissioner (Grievances) for quite a long time now. Besides the two Assistant Commissioners, the district is sans Executive Magistrate, Deputy Director (Local Government), District Revenue Officer and DTO. All these officers look after the departments involving large public dealing. However, due to the absence of these officers, the public is bearing the brunt. Over and above, adding to the already grim situation, ADC (Development) H.S. Pabla has reportedly proceeded on long leave, leaving the important development agency at the mercy of babus. As a result, in the present scenario, the district is virtually left only with two senior officers, the DC and ADC (General), who are combating the shortage of officers by working overtime and spending hours altogether in the office. However, it is difficult for them as well to make up for the shortage of so many officers and that too in an important border town. In contrast, other Malwa districts like Moga, Faridkot, Muktsar, Bhatinda have more officers posted there. With over 40 years of experience, DC Megh Raj has been trying to handle the situation by marshalling the limited manpower resources available. But the government still needs to post more officers here in its own interest and for the general public as well. Moreover, the developmental works are suffering in the wake of shortage of officers. As earlier the overflowing Sutlej that wrecked havoc on hundreds of border villages kept the district administration on tenterhooks and afterwards the panchayat elections and paddy procurement consumed most of the officer’s time due to which the development works remained ignored. Adding to the already worsening situations, the frequent VIP visits only makes the things more difficult for the officers, as they have to hang around the leaders and the official work takes a back seat. According to the information available, presently there are only around 190 PCS officers serving in various capacities against cadre strength of 280 officers in the state. If the sources are to be believed, prominent among other reasons being accounted for the officers’ shortage is the cold war between the PPSC and state government that has delayed the appointments of PCS officers in the state. As the SAD-led coalition government had been reluctant to make recruitment for the new officers under the present set up of the commission, ostensibly due to the reason that the present Chairman S.K. Sinha had once remained one of the close lieutenants of former CM Capt. Amarinder Singh. |
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Bathinda, November 27
Bathinda, November 27
Bathinda, November 27
Sriganganagar/Abohar, November 27
Hanumangarh/Abohar, November 27
