Bathinda, August 26
In another yard derailment at Bathinda station, importantly within a span of just three months, two extra coaches were derailed during shunting exercise on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Although no one sustained injury in the mishap and the rail movement was also not disrupted, the incident raised question mark on the working style of the shunting team here, as the previous yard derailment, occurred just two-and-half months ago on June 9, was similar to the one that occurred today in many ways.

Besides, the place and nature of incident has prompted the senior railway officials to ponder over the possible measures to avoid such an incident in future.

Meanwhile, taking a serious note of the alleged slackness on the part of the shunting staff concerned, the railway has put them under suspension, sources said

According the railway sources, the mishap took place at around 1.45 am on Wednesday when some extra coaches were being shunted for maintenance or in other words, replacement of stock was being carried out on sick line. While most of the extra coaches crossed the T-12 points, two coaches derailed, sources said, adding that vibration caused by movement of wheels might also be the reason behind the incident besides negligence on the part of the shunting staff on duty.

One of the derailed coaches even hit the electric pole along the railway track near the T-12 point.

Following the information about the mishap, senior railway officials, including ATM Sher Singh, station superintendent S.N. Rai and heads of the other departments concerned reached the site. The rescue operation began in the morning and lasted till around 12.30 pm when the normalcy was restored. 

Bathinda, August 26
The state government has started groundwork in all districts for launching the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna, a Central government scheme for boosting agricultural production.

Stating this today K.K. Singla, chief information officer, Agriculture Department, Bathinda, said after collecting data of the total production in all sectors of agriculture — agriculture, horticulture, dairy, fodder, fisheries, soil conservation, forest and animal husbandry — an action plan will be made to boost the production from the present two per cent to four per cent. The data would also include how much production was made in the last five years and how much income did it generate.

The data collection would be over in the next two days and would be submitted to comprehensive district agriculture planning unit. The chairman of this unit would be the president of the respective zila parishad.

A plan for this would be first drafted at block level and then at district level and then it would be sent to Chandigarh for approval. After scanning and approving the data, authorities at Chandigarh would send it to the Centre, Singla informed.

Being an area specific scheme, needs of different areas would be considered. “Sectors that have a good scope of growth in the Malwa belt are dairy and animal husbandry,” Singla said.

The comprehensive district agriculture planning unit would help the government in ascertaining as to what would be the expenditure required to boost the agricultural production in the next five years and what procedure should be adopted by different areas.

“In some areas there are chances that growth might go beyond 6 per cent and there are areas where the growth might not even touch the expected 4 per cent. This would be found out only after the data collection is over and a plan for boosting the production is prepared at the district level,” Singla said.

Bathinda, August 26
Protesting against the non-teaching jobs given to the teachers in the state, members of the ‘Shiksha Bachao Manch’ today burnt the effigy of the Director General, School Education, Punjab, at the Mini-secretariat here and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner after carrying out a massive protest march in the main markets of Bathinda.

The protest rally that started at the Teachers’ Home here in the afternoon was attended by hundreds of teachers, 70 per cent of them being women.

Teachers alleged that the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan’s state project director was experimenting with education and starting schemes that were ruining education. Crores of rupees being spent on these schemes were going useless, they added.

With the Right to Education Bill, 2009, mentioning that the teachers would not be assigned non-teaching jobs, the teachers in Punjab were still being given such jobs.

Teachers alleged that they were asked to maintain all records and tasks of the mid-day meal scheme, like storing the raw material needed for food, making it sure that the food is up to the mark and prepared under hygienic conditions besides sorting out and answering the daily mail, making a consumer club, distribution of NREGA money, making and maintaining health cards of the newly-born in their areas, getting bank accounts made of children who deserve scholarships, maintenance of registers and conducting seminars etc.

The teachers announced a formal struggle against the anti-education policies of the government today.

Chandigarh, August 26
The Punjab Government has issued the transfer/posting orders of 10 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) here today .

According to an official spokesman, the following officers have been transferred on administrative grounds with immediate effect as under: Baljit Singh has been posted as DSP (rural) Bathinda from Muktsar. Present incumbent Bhupinder Singh has been posted to 6th IRB, Ladha Kothi, Sangrur.

Bathinda, August 26 
Acting upon the direction of the district and sessions judge, Bathinda, the Kotwali police booked a rape accused, his parents and an accomplice for cheating the court by getting a bail on the basis of forged documents. 

As per the details available, on July 26, 2007, the Dialpura police had booked one Bohar Singh of Salabatpura village under section 376 of the IPC on the charge of raping a 14-year-old girl. However, producing some documents in the courts, he managed to get a bail order. Later, he fled abroad. 

During a recent visit of the district and sessions judge, Kuldip Singh, to the Central Jail here, the father of the victim, who was lodged there in a criminal case, apprised him about the fraud.

Sensing the gravity of the case, the judge marked an immediate inquiry to the additional district and sessions judge, who, after a detailed investigation, observed the connivance of the four accused in producing fake documents in the court. 

Sources in the police disclosed that the report mentioned two charges levelled against the accused. First, they prepared some fake documents to prove that the girl was a major (above 18 years). Secondly, the rape accused was shown present at some educational institute at the time when the crime was committed.

Receiving the report, the district and sessions judge directed the Kotwali police to book Bohar Singh, his parents Jugraj Singh and Manjeet Kaur along with an accomplice, Major Singh, for cheating with the courts. Complying with the directions, the Kotwali police booked them under sections 465, 466, 468, 474, 193, 196 and 198 of the IPC.

However, till the filing of the report, none of the accused was arrested.

Ferozepur, August 26
Sleuths from the Vigilance Bureau today apprehended Harsharan Singh, Superintendent, District Welfare Office, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 500 red-handed from one Swarna Bai in lieu of issuing her cheque under the shagun scheme for the marriage of her daughter.

While talking to the media here today, Surjit Singh Grewal SSP, Vigilance Bureau, said that the official used to take an amount of Rs 2,000 each against every cheque issued under the shagun scheme.

Grewal said Swarna Bai had lodged a complaint with the Vigilance Bureau regarding the conduct of the said superintendent, wherein she alleged that he had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 1,000 from her in lieu of issuing her cheque after she expressed her inability to pay Rs 2,000.

Swarna Bai said that her daughter had got married in the year 2008. However, the cheque was still awaited, and whenever she approached the welfare office, she was denied her due on one pretext or the other, notwithstanding the fact that her cheque was ready since June 2009. Tired of making the rounds of the office, she finally paid Rs 500 to the said official and the remaining Rs 500 was to be paid on August 25. Yesterday, when she paid the said amount, the Vigilance Bureau team caught the accused red-handed.

Grewal said the vigilance team has recovered 900 cheques from the welfare office out of which 174 cheques were already signed.

He said the department was investgating the matter to ascertain the conduct of other officials in that office.

Fazilka, August 26
Hundreds of villagers from various villages on Wednesday staged a dharna at the bus stand of village Mahuana Bodla, 20 kilometers from here on Malout Road and also blocked the traffic for about three hours causing inconvenience to the passengers.

They were protesting against not releasing adequate water in the Arniwala distributary of Bhagsar minor.

They alleged that water was not released to the desired capacity and was also allegedly stolen from the minor, from where, the influential farmers drew more water allegedly by enhancing the size of the drain outlet.

The farmer leaders said a deputation of farmers had met Sukhbir Singh Badal on July 29 and apprised him of the shortage of water. They had demanded cleanliness of water courses but nothing had been done so far. They warned the officials that if their demand for releasing sufficient water was not met, they would intensify their agitation. h