Bathinda, March 10
Holi is just a day away. The market is stocked up with colours, ‘pichkaris’ and balloons. In order to make profits, many manufacturers and shopkeepers sell spurious colours containing chemicals, which are unfit to use. In Bathinda too, people are buying these colours without checking the facts like ingredients, manufacturer’s name, weight and batch number.

The latest in the market are China-made colours. After visiting many shops and speaking to retailers, the TNS found that many colours have already outlived their life. People were buying them too without checking their labels. Colours were also being sold without any label on its packets. Shopkeepers were packing harmful colours themselves and were not putting labels on them.

More than half of the people buying colours do not even see the reverse of the colour packet.

Some colours had only the batch number while the manufacturer’s name and address was not mentioned. On the other hand, there were some packets that had the manufacturer’s address but the batch number was missing. Most of the colours did not have their ingredients mentioned on their packs. These packets did not have a fixed weight also.

Meanwhile, the most preferred colours of the season are red, green and majenta. ‘Pichkaris’ are also available in various shapes and sizes like fish, pistol, water tanks and more.

Shopkeepers said herbal colours were in high demand but they were expensive.

Latest in colours are spray colours. They are packed in cans and can be sprayed like a deodorant.

Meanwhile, the Kids Care Playway School celebrated Holi on the school campus here on Tuesday. Principal Anu Goyal explained the importance of the festival to the kids. Besides, she also informed them about the harmful effects of colours used while celebrating Holi.

Holi was also celebrated in Lord Rama Public School with great enthusiasm. Students from classes I to VIII accompanied by their teachers and principal Suraj Setia splashed colours on one another with joy. They sang songs of Radha-Krishna symbolising the religious significance of Holi. 

Bathinda, March 10
With the ongoing exams, the sale of memory and concentration tonics has increased. According to the chemists of the city, many students visit them and ask for such tonics. Most of these tonics are ayurvedic but some are allopathic too.

Doctors of the city, especially psychiatrists stated that they are getting a lot of patients most of them are children, who ask them about how to improve concentration and enhance their memory.

Dr Nidhi Gupta, a psychiatrist told The Tribune, “We get a lot of children who seek help from us about how to improve their memory and concentration. Our aim is always to tell them that memory tonics are just placebos. There is no guarantee of increasing concentration and memory. 

We suggest them to practice meditation and focusing techniques. A child needs good sleep, diet and should do regular revision to get a good grade in exams. These tonics do not really help.”

Some doctors also believed that the real cause of loss of concentration and memory was lack of iron in the body. Dr K.K. Bajaj, a child specialist said, “These tonics are not evidence-based medicines. There has been no proper study to prove their credibility. 

However, we doctors, at times, advice our patients to take them as they claim to increase blood profusion to the brain and activate nutritional intake of blood by brain. In most of the cases, I have seen lack of iron leads to lack of concentration and memory loss. 

But, on the contrary no harm has been proved by the intake of these syrups. Doctors do give their consent to these syrups because they have seen no harm in their patients.”

Rajesh, a chemist at the Mall road of the city said, “Children come to purchase syrups from us, if the doctors prescribe them. Many claim that there has been an increase in the memory and concentration by taking these syrups. Most of these syrups have no side-effects and can be consumed.”

Bathinda, March 10
The election commission of India (ECI) has directed the district administration to take proactive steps to ensure that the Lok Sabha polls are conducted smoothly. The administration has been asked to set up polling booths on the ground floor. Considering the condition of physically challenged voters, it has also been asked to construct or revamp the ramps leading to polling booths.

In another direction issued under the notification number 464/INST/208/EPS, Sumit Mukherjee, under secretary, ECI, has directed electoral officers to exempt all lactating women and all such women in the advanced stage of pregnancy, whether they are on maternity leave or not or are not fit for any rigorous or hazardous work, from being requisitioned for election duty.

Further, the commission directed that as far as possible, women staff should be deployed as polling personnel or as a micro-observer only in urban constituency or polling stations.

In another document (memo number S/CS-09/535), the chief secretary of the state government, Ramesh Inder Singh, has clearly directed that poll duty should not be assigned to the officials of the grain procuring agencies.

Confirming the facts, Parven Thind, assistant commissioner (UT), said, "Orders being time bound, the district administration is trying to complete all the legwork as soon as possible."

Mansa, March 10
To enforce election code in Mansa district, the district administration today formed committees for the purpose. The deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer, Kumar Rahul, said that the decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of civil and police officials today.

He informed that complaints concerning code violation would be addressed by the additional deputy commissioner (general).

The SP Headquarter would keep a watch on the activities of unsocial elements.

The committee headed by the additional deputy commissioner (development) would manage the polling staff and polling stations.

The committee headed by the district development and district panchayat officer would provide information regarding the electronic voting machines (EVM) to the staff on poll duty.

Ferozepur, March 10
Special complaint cell has been established at the office of the deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer to deal with any sort of complaint pertaining to the violation of the model code of conduct in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Deputy commissioner Megh Raj said that any violation of the election code by any party, candidate or their nominee would be taken seriously and immediate 
action would be initiated against the same.

The DC said that the AC general-cum-additional district election officer would personally monitor the complaint cell and look into all the complaints and violations for necessary action.

He said that proper record would be maintained for all the complaints lodged at the cell and an action would be taken within four hours of the intimation to the authorities.

The deputy commissioner Megh Raj further said that all replies for the compliant would be sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Bathinda, March 10
Congress activists staged protest against the alleged high handedness of SAD (B) activists near Hazi Rattan chowk, here today.

Accusing the SAD leaders and workers for attempting to sabotage their political meeting, which was scheduled to address by the Raninder Singh, general secretary of the PPCC, Congress activists said that they had even applied for the permission for the rally there.

They alleged that they had made all arrangement but SAD activists, under the leadership of their constituency in-charge deliberately using their political influence encroached the venue.

Getting frustrated over the issue, they decided to hold their meeting beside the selected venue, but police did not permit them. Later, when the SAD activists left the place, the Congress workers held their meeting, where MLA Harminder Singh Jassi and Raninder Singh both addressed the gathering.

Bathinda, March 10
In the 10-day-old Barnala bus accident case, Manvesh Singh Sidhu, managing director, PRTC, after conducting a probe submitted his report to the transport minister and other authorities concerned today. In the report, he mentioned the reason of the accident as 'human error'.

While talking to the TNS over phone, Sidhu said, "During the detailed probe, I found that a human error led to the accident. The accident took place due to hindrance in the vision of the drivers. As both the drivers had died on the spot, we cannot accuse any of them."

About the compensation to the victim families assured by transport minister Master Mohan Lal, the PRTC chief said the department was completing formalities to award compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the bereaved families. Soon the compensation amount would be given away, he assured.

It is pertinent to mention that in the accident, which occurred on February 27 late evening, 10 persons were killed and 37 others were hurt on the Barnala-Bajakhana road near the sub-jail.

As of the eye witnesses account, the PRTC bus (PB04L-9904) from Chandigarh to Faridkot was crowded. The driver, in order to save a cyclist, took a sharp turn and hit a private mini-bus (PB29E-9541) going from Moga to Barnala.

A Tata 207 vehicle (PB07Q-7644) also rammed into the mini-bus from the rear and was damaged.

Many of the injured being critical were rushed to hospitals at Patiala and Ludhiana.

Bathinda, March 10
A city resident has accused a head constable with the Bathinda police of selling his stolen scooter to a scrap dealer in the city. As per the details available, Sukhjinder Singh alias Babli, a resident of Bibiwala Chowk, accused head constable Sher Singh of selling his 1986-model scooter (PAS 7167) to a scrap dealer at Shakti Nagar. The scooter had been stolen about six days back.

While giving details to the TNS, Babli said when he went to police station to lodge a complaint of theft, he was advised to find it on his own as his friends might have played a mischief. But today, he found the dismantled scooter at a scrap dealer’s shop. The key was still inside the lock and it carried the number plate also.

When he asked the scrap dealer from where he got the scooter, he named the policeman. Later, when he along with his friends visited the dealer’s shop, they could not find the scooter there.

On his part, the scrap dealer, Rajiv Kumar, said, “The policeman came to me on Monday to sell the scooter in scrap. He promised of providing an affidavit on the next day of Holi. However, his friends wearing police uniform took the scrap of scooter away.”

In the presence of media persons, when the scrap dealer tried to contact the policeman on his mobile, it was found to be switched off.

The victim went to the Kotwali police station to lodge a complaint but was asked to go to the Civil Lines police post.

When Ajay Maluja, SP (Detective), was contacted, he said, “We will take the matter seriously. In case any of our staff was found guilty, he would have to face the music.”

Bathinda, March 10
A local lad has created an ‘unbreakable’ world record by memorising a calendar for unlimited years. Sababbi Mangal, who heads Intelligence Educattion Brain Mensa here, demonstrated the skill before the authorities of the Indian unit of the Record Holders Republic (RHR), UK, at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, on March 1.

Providing recognition to his ability, Kapil Kalra, president of the RHR, India, issued him a certificate that said Mangal has been added to its ‘Registry of Official World Records’ for memorising unlimited years’ calendar. Some time ago, the memory man had come out with a calendar for unlimited years and now he has learned it too.

Talking to TNS, Mangal said by 2010, he aimed at getting himself registered with other four international record keepers too. They included the Guiness Book of World Records, the Limca Book of Records, the World Record Federation and the World Records Academy.

He said on March 22, he would launch a memory and brain development institute here. Over a dozen world record holders are expected to attend the ceremony as special guests. A memory-related seminar will also be organised on the occasion.

The institute would train the students on super memory, vedic mathematics and neurobics (aerobics of memory, mind and body).

Bathinda, March 10
The students of Dasmesh Girls College of Education (DGCE) brought laurels to the college by bagging 10 prizes and the Over all Trophy for the best team in the 'Jhankar' National Youth Festival organised at Panjab University, Chandigarh by the Student Council.

In the art items, Rajvinder got the first prize in collage making, Rajvir bagged second prize in face painting and team of four students Kiranpreet, Sunita, Rajpal and Harmanjeet got first prize in installation.In the cultural items (Dance), Gidha team bagged first prize and Rmandeep Sidhu got individual first prize. — TNS

Fazilka, March 10
City girl Dr Gurpreet Kaur has brought laurels to the state by winning the prestigious President's Gold Medal. Gurpreet, daughter of a local ITI instructor, Surjit Singh, studied at the Sacred Heart Convent School, Fazilka. 

She did her MBBS from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune with distinction. She surpassed altogether 102 fellow cadets and won the award which has been conferred to her for the best all round medical cadet for the year 2008.

Lieutenant General Yoginder Singh handed over the award to Gurpreet at a special function organised in the AFMC last week.

Besides the presidents medal, Dr Gurpreet Kaur also bagged seven academic awards.

She is going to serve at the Military College, Jalandhar.

Navdip Asija, secretary of the Graduate Welfare Association, Fazilka hailed the achievement of Lieutenant Dr Gurpreet Kaur. He said that while celebrating Fazilka heritage festival 2009 in April this year, the GWAF will honour Gurpreet Kaur. 

Abohar, March 10
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has recognised the hand tool and mechanised version of the pomegranate aril extractor developed by the Abohar-based Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering and Technology (CIPHET).

Dr R.T. Patil, director of the institute, recently visited Kabul capital of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan along with a senior scientist Dr Abhay Kumar Thakur to participate and demonstrate the novel tool and machine before the delegates from international fraternity at the world pomegranate fair.

Pomegranate has its origin in the trouble-torn country Afghanistan but the growers faced technological and logistical limitations. A live demonstration of the hand tool for easy separation of arils from whole pomegranate and mechanical systems for clean and safe separation prompted many to make frequent calls from Afghanistan and other countries to Abohar showing expression of interest, sources confirmed today.

The success story revolves around senior scientist Dr Abhay Kumar Thakur, who initiated the research three years back. The tool consists of fruit holders having knife arrangement in such a way that it only penetrates into the peel. The rotating action breaks the fruit into two halves. About 35-40 per cent of arils get separated in the process of irregular breaking; fingers can easily separate rest of the arils.

Dr Thakur says the mechanised Aril Extractor, has the aril extraction capacity around 500 kg per hour and mechanical damage received by arils is only 1-2 per cent. Only two to three persons are required to run it. So far the pomegranate juice manufacturers have been crushing the fruit as a whole and reduced its pulp contents later. The new invention can change the total processing scenario.

Dr R.K. Gupta, in-charge of the institute said the CIPHET has filed a patent for this machine and may license for manufacturing on commercial scale. 

Fazilka, March 10
After a long wait of seven years and spending a hefty amount of about Rs 250 crores, the ambitious plan of the Chief Minister to check seepage has now started showing results and benefiting farmers of about 150 villages.  Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal when taken over the reins of Punjab in 1997 had chalked out a comprehensive plan to deal with the problem of seepage in his home district areas of Muktsar and Malout.

Under this scheme construction work of Abul Khurana seepage drain near Muktsar and Aspal seepage drain in Malout area had been started on war footing. The outfall of both these seepage drains was creek of Sutlej river in border village Dilawar Bhaini in Fazilka sub-division. 

The junction of both the drains was in Sabuana drain near Fazilka. From this junction point in Sabuana, the seepage water reached Sutlej creek through ditch and carrier channel near Dilawar Bhaini. The project had been completed in year 2002. About Rs 250 crore had been spent on the construction. After the change of the government in 2002, the project remained neglected.

Little quantity of seepage and rain water was drained in Aspal and Abul Khurana seepage drains. Now for last few days, the seepage water has reached the outfall in village Dilawar Bhaini. However, a major hurdle is that as the water reaches village Bhaini where the Sabuana drain terminates there is no outlet for water to reach in Sutlej creek. Hence the water continues to flow in the seepage drain.

When the chief engineer drainage Vinod Chaudhury was contacted, he said that on both the seepage drain there were 30 different points from where the water flows into the seepage drains. He, however, said that there was no appropriate arrangement for water flow so far. 

He said that now the officers of drainage department and the Irrigation and Power Research Institute, Amritsar which is monitoring the discharge of water have now made comprehensive arrangement for making the drainage points operational.

It is pertinent of mention here that in thousands of acres of agricultural land in about 150 villages around the areas of seepage drains, the water table has risen and had nearly reached the ground level in some villages.

Superintending engineer (SE), Gidderbaha drainage circle, Hussan Lal, said that as the seepage drains had started functioning properly the water table had receded about 7 feet in these villages and likely to fall more in near future. He says that Punjab government has sanctioned a scheme of for construction of the outlet. Rs. One crore has been sanctioned for this purpose.

On delay in the construction of the outlet, the SE said that even as the Army had approved the construction, approval of the Border Security Force was still awaited because the creek of Sutlej river is across the barbed wire fencing in village Dilawar Bhaini.

He expressed hope that the BSF would accord sanction in about fortnight which shall thereafter enable the completion of the construction of outlet project.