Bathinda, July 1
Bathinda railway junction is the biggest railway junction in Asia, but there is no superfast train between Bathinda and India’s national capital – New Delhi, a mere 300 kms, during the day time.

Bathinda also has been given the responsibility of serving the area, which houses one of the biggest Army cantonments, but only two superfast trains touch it.

Bathinda is also devoid of fast connectivity between all major cities in Punjab. There is no superfast train between Bathinda and Punjab’s major cities, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and others. More importantly, there is no superfast train between Bathinda and state capital Chandigarh.

Residents of the area say that the railways literally rate Bathinda as the backwaters of Punjab, that is why, it has never found mention on its list of priorities.

Passengers’ persistent plea to provide better and fast connectivity even to national capital - New Delhi – has always been ignored.

There is no train from Delhi to Bathinda between 9.30 pm and 1 am. “After 9.45 pm, one has to wait for about 16 hours for the next train to Bathinda, similarly, there is also no train for about 15 hours after 8.30 am from Bathinda to Delhi,” a senior railway official said.

For the past few years, residents, including industrialists and traders, have been demanding introduction of Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Express between Bathinda and New Delhi. But there is no taker for the residents’ request in the Baroda House.

The vice-president of the Rail Passengers Association, Northern Zone, Hanuman Dass Goel, said that instead of introducing new facilities and enhancing the existing ones, the railways had actually started withdrawing amenities. “The 2481/2482 Inter-City Express which had been running between Sriganganagar and New Delhi, now runs between Sriganganagar and Delhi,” Goel said, adding, “People of the area prefer to go to New Delhi as it is the station where they find connecting trains for most of the places.”

The station for the Inter-City Express was shifted from New Delhi to Delhi in July last year when renovation work was going on at the New Delhi station. The work at the station has been completed but status quo for the train movement has not been restored.

Besides, the railways have also withdrawn one of the two air- conditioned coaches from the Inter-City Express citing economic non-viability and lack of passengers as the reasons. The reasons are unfounded, Goel said, adding that the long waitlist for AC chair car certainly suggests that there was a demand for AC coaches in the train.

Demanding immediate restoration of the status quo in terms of movement of the Inter-City Express, Goel said that leaving the train at Delhi station and rushing to the New Delhi station carrying luggage had been a tortuous experience for passengers for the last one year. “For senior citizens and kids, the whole exercise is like an ordeal,” Goel said. He also demanded introduction of one more AC coach in the Inter-City Express.

Bathinda, July 1
The smile is back on the face of the farming community in this region as rain gods have started showing a bit of kindness to them. The best part is that the rainfall has covered almost the entire region. The rain is expected to give some respite to the withering kharif crops.

Reports reaching here indicated that various parts of the region were lashed by light to moderate rain this morning. Because of the prolonged dry spell, drought had hit various parts of the region. However, today morning's rain has given some hope back to the farmers of saving their kharif crops, especially paddy, cotton and green fodder, which were affected by the drought.

Harbhajan Singh, a farmer of Deon village, said the first spell of rainfall was expected to go a long way in sustaining the crops in the region. "Sowing during the initial months was not encouraging due to lack of water. But the situation is likely to change if there is another moderate spell of rainfall," he added.

Paramjeet Singh Sandhu, chief agriculture officer, Bathinda, said the rain would help to some extent in the revival of paddy crops in certain areas. The scarcity of green fodder would also be over, he added.Farmers had abandoned or reploughed paddy fields at various places because of a drought-like situation. Despite reports of light to moderate showers in the region, the fact remains that the drought has already affected the kharif crops and its cascading affect on the economy would still persist.

Abohar, July 1
More than hundred state government officials including some heads of the departments had not turned up in their office as the SDM Amit Dhaka and tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar carried surprise check during first hour of the working today, sources said.

The tehsildar during checking from the canal colony of the Irrigation Department, found 13 employees absent.

In the market committee, the secretary along with three mandi supervisors was yet to reach the office. Seven supervisors in the office of the sub-divisional engineer of Mandi Board, one agricultural development officer, 8 inspectors of the cooperative department along with officer in-charge, two sub-divisional engineers and an equal number of junior engineers in the central works (B & R) were yet to attend their respective office as per information submitted by the tehsildar to district administration.

He checked attendance in the block development and panchayat offices, PSEB, Municipal Council, Civil Hospital, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Public Health Department.

He reportedly noted the absence and asked the office superintendents to send report about the absentees. — OC

Bathinda, July 1
The first Mayor of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), Baljeet Singh Birbehman has landed in a controversy with his own party’s councillors asking him to resign from the post.

The controversy was ignited with the resignation of his personal press secretary. Now it has gathered momentum with 16 out of the total of 24 SAD (B) councillors coming out against him. Moreover, they have now been jointly accusing the Mayor of causing a loss of 15,000 votes to the party in the recent Lok Sabha election.

If sources in the BMC are to be believed, what is happening is just a pressure tactics by a senior SAD (B) councillor whom the Mayor refused to oblige by waiving development charges worth lakhs which one of his relatives constructing a shopping mall was due to pay. It may be mentioned that Birbehman is SAD (B) loyalist and enjoys close proximity to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

According to the joint statement by the protesting councillors, the Mayor had appointed Chamkaur Singh Mann as his personal press secretary in January this year. Due to some friction, Mann resigned from his post on June 29. But to the media, the Mayor denied having appointed Mann which ignited the spark.

Irked, the next day Mann started approaching the SAD-affiliated councillors and with some effort, got success in launching a front against the Mayor. Subsequently, 16 SAD councilors, at a joint forum, today issued a press release, in which they expressed their grudges against the Mayor. They accused the Mayor of showing them disrespect and urged the CM to ask Birbehman to resign failing which they would intensify protest.

When contacted, Mayor Baljeet Singh Birbehman, said, “It is a well planned move by the two councilors, who were earlier arch-rivals for the post of Mayor but now they have joined hands and are using this issue of Chamkaur Singh Mann just as a tool. Keeping in view the dubious dealings of Mann, I discontinued his services just after a month.”

“I was appointed by the Badals. If they ask me, I will not think twice before resigning from the post,” he added.

Bathinda, July 1
The government’s views on the possibility of repealing or amending section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), to legalise gay rights, has triggered a host of debates.

The law concerned provides 10 years of imprisonment for ‘unnatural sex’, including homosexuality and has been frowned upon by prudes, purists and the orthodox. But what was once regarded as a secret best kept in the closet is now coming out in the open with gay rights activists coming out in the streets in support of their rights and the government showing signs of being responsive to their demand.

The TNS tried to gather views over the issue and it was evident that people still had reservations over the issue.

UNAIDS Civil Society awardee, Narender Bassi, who is serving as community AIDS educator, said, “No doubt, those who are gay are putting pressure to get the law amended or repealed but if it happens, it will be a blow to the Indian culture in which people still have respect for others. Moreover, when despite much effort, people here are still unaware of the sexual diseases, then how can the government allow unnatural sex?”

Jatinder Roy Khattar, former president of the District Bar Association, said, “If the law allows gay rights, the young generation will put its wrong foot forward. Western practices and beliefs are coming to India but its negative consequences will be beyond expectation. Instead of being liberal, the government should make section 377 more forceful to check unnatural sex.”

Crticising the government’s step, Sukhdev Singh Bahia, member of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said, “It should not be done at any cost. If it happens, the publicity will attract youngsters who will be dragged into this cesspool. Our religious Gurus had always taught us to love nature, so allowing unnatural sex will defy their directions.”

Dr.Rakesh Gupta, a medical surgeon posted at the Civil Hospital, said, “Gay culture should not be legally allowed here as it will increase the risk of sexual disease among people. Moreover, it is not a natural phenomena but due to the exposure to the media, the world has shrunk and what is in practice in the West is also being demanded here.”

Prof. N.K. Gosain, vice-principal of the DAV College said firmly, “It will strike at the roots of the Indian culture, where we still live in a joint family system. It will also have a negative effect the minds of our students. No parliamentarian should support the repealing of section 377 of the IPC.

Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, Rahul Tewari and DIG, Faridkot range, Jitendra Jain both refused to comment on the issue saying, “We implement the laws. So whatever law is passed by the government, we are bound to comply with it.”

Bathinda, July 1
As students, teachers and principals express their views over Kapil Sibal’s proposal to scrap Class X Boards in schools, those associated with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) feel that Classes V and VIII Boards should also be done away with.

Surinder Pal Kaur, DEO (Secondary), Bathinda, supporting Sibal’s proposal said that overall assessment of a student’s performance was more important than taking exams at the end of an academic session. “A student has to appear for Boards four times during his schooling in PSEB which is not needed. House tests and continuous assessment of a student is important for overall development. Class VIII this year gave an unsatisfactory result. This happens almost every year because teachers and students feel the pressure of Boards. The government should think about scrapping Boards in Classes V and VIII.”

Some students and teachers of PSEB stated that there was an unnecessary stress on students when they had to face a Board exam and Class V was too young a class to bear any kind of stress.

Satpal Kaur, a teacher in a local school, said, “I have seen many students who fare well in Class IV but their performance goes down in Class V due to the continuous pressure of doing well in Boards. Four Board exams would not make a student bright.”

While a majority of teachers and students felt that Boards should not be applicable in Classes V and VIII, there were a few who said that if a child could give Board exams once, then he could face it again also.

“The only problem with the education system here is that Board exams are over-hyped. It all depends upon one’s preparation. If a child can face normal school exams and do well then he can face Board exams also. If a child studies and is prepared then why only four times, Boards can take place in every class,” said Gurdeep Singh, principal of Government Secondary School at the Mall Road here.

Krishan Kumar, Director General, Secondary Education, refused to comment on the issue saying being a government official, he was not supposed to speak on a government decision or proposal.

Bathinda, July 1
“Teachers must nurture creativity among students and mobilise community participation to bring about quality education in government schools,” advised Gurdev Singh Gill while addressing the media at the Mini-Secretariat after assuming the office of District Education Officer (Elementary) here today.

Gill said value education, girl education, education for children with special needs and environmental education had become significant components of the existing education system.

The DEO said the state education department had adopted new teaching modules to involve the interest of teachers and generate enthusiasm among students for their respective subjects.

He said that the gigantic task of bringing improvement in the educational standards could not be achieved by the government alone and the private educational institutions must lend their full cooperation in this regard.

The DEO asked the government to open Adarsh Vidyalayas in remote and rural areas so that poor students could also get good quality education available to their counterparts in towns and cities.

Abohar, July 1
Rachna of Gopichand Arya Mahila College (GAMC) here has topped Panjab University in the BA final exam. She secured 84.7 per cent marks. Kanu Gupta has got the third position in the university.

Priya, Nonia Juneja and Saloni Vij are also among the 13 top rank holders in the merit list, 99 per cent of the GAMC students have passed with 36 of them getting over 70 per cent marks.

Principal Dr Neelam Arun Mittu informed that the institution has improved its overall performance as Shayna Garg of the college had got the second position in the PU last year. — OC

Bathinda, July 1
Three persons were attacked with acid at Gidderbaha this evening. Among the six accused, four are family members of the injured.The reason behind the attack is said to be business rivalry.

According to details available, Rahil, Sahil and their paternal uncle Balish Kumar deals in grains at Gidderbaha. They sold wheat to government purchasing agencies and today the company had to lift the crop.

Levelling allegations, the injured said that Neeta and Sanjay had business rivalry with them. Due to this, they had a scuffle on Monday also. They accused Neeta, his wife Sunita, Sanjay, his wife Kajal, one Hardeep Singh and Darshan of assaulting them and throwing acid on them today.

They were taken to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda where Balish and Sahil were declared to have escaped serious injuries, while Rahil was undergoing treatment for acid burns on his face. On the other hand, the accused Sunita, aunt of the injured Rahil, whilke talking over the phone said, “They had thrown acid to attack us but during the scuffle, Rahil himself sustained burn injuries.”

Gidderbaha police is investigating the case.

Abohar, July 1
An ETO (Excise and Taxation Officer), a shopkeeper and a woman were injured as traders and staff of the Excise and Taxation department clashed in the Indira Nagari locality here today. ETO Harminder Singh Sidhu, shopkeeper Parmod Kumar and customer Kaushalya Devi have been admitted to the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital.

More than 500 retail and wholesale grocery sellers rolled down their shutters after the incident as the Retail Kiryana Merchants Association gave a call for strike to express resentment over the 'high-handedness' of the officials.

Association president Vijay Narula and secretary Pardeep Garg claimed that all the shops in remote localities remained closed.

Hundred of shopkeepers marched to the Civil Hospital. They held a demonstration shouting slogans. Heavy police force was rushed to control the situation at the hospital.

DSP Tarun Ratan Sharma and three Station House Officers led the force 
in ensuring that the protesters do not enter the emergency ward.

Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar was present to monitor the situation. However, the shopkeepers refused to disperse.

ETO Sidhu said he sealed two godowns yesterday reportedly owned by Parmod Kumar of Indira Nagari road suspecting evasion of VAT.

A bid to hit his official vehicle was allegedly made last evening on the behest of the trader. Today, when he along with two other ETOs, AC Khichi and Amrik Singh, inspector Bharat Kumar and some other employees went to seal another godown at about 1.30 pm, the mob led by Parmod Kumar, his brother Parveen Kumar and Kaushalya Devi assaulted him.

On the other hand, Parmod Kumar said the ETO had been regularly harassing him to further his vested interests. "The officer along with the staff visited his shop today and during verbal altercation, the ETO allegedly snatched a bottle of kerosene from customer Kaushalya Devi and poured on me. Had Kaushalya Devi and the locals not intervened, Sidhu and others would have thrashed me," he alleged.