Sriganganagar/Abohar, September 22
Having achieved 100 per cent financial inclusion in 21174 villages and opened 53.57 lakh 'No frill' accounts, the Punjab National Bank has now launched ‘Project Namaskar’ under which 1,00,000 touch points (kiosks) will be established in the villages where there are no banks by 2013 to extend bank's outreach and enhance customer base over 15 crore.

Revealing this, the PNB executive director MV Tanksale said during a media conference at Sriganganagar on Tuesday afternoon, the bank will prefer employing educated youths from rural areas to run the one-man kiosk services.

The PNB had issued 86,514 Kissan Credit Cards during the first quarter of the year to boost the agriculture sector.

Claiming that the PNB was the first to introduce core banking system (CBS), Tanksale said, “We have 3.8 crore customers spread over 2,583 centres in the country, who enjoy the facility of “One bank-one account” through 4,954 service outlets.

We have launched global credit card and intend to spread the services globally soon. PNB has widely extended banking benefits to the Punjabi community in the UK.”

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rakesh Gupta, circle head of the bank, informed that five new branches are to be opened in Rajasthan by the next year. The bank is holding agricultural disbursement camps in all the rural and semi-urban areas on regular basis to enhance credit flow to the farmers.

To meet its social obligations, the bank had initiated several steps including blood donation camps, distribution of uniforms to socially backward students and plantation of saplings in the educational institutions. 

Fazilka, September 22
With the motive to make the town more beautiful, to remove encroachments and to widen the roads, the Municipal Council again launched a drive to remove the encroachments.

The staff of Municipal Council with the help of city police broke the entrance steps constructed outside the shops situated in Hotel Bazaar, on court and Raja Cinema roads. The members of the Beopar Mandal oppose the anti-encroachment drive of the council. Keeping in view the opposition from Beopar Mandal, the work of removing encroachments further was postponed.

When the JCB machine after removing the encroachment reached on Raja Cinema Road the shopkeepers led by Beopar Mandal president Ashok Gulbadhar oppose the council officials. “The encroachment is being removed for the betterment of the town and to check the increasing traffic problem,” said Anil Kumar Sethi President of the Council.

He said that the encroachment is being removed with the consent of the shopkeepers on Court road and in Hotel Bazaar. “The council shall raise a suitable footpath outside the shops for better movement of customers there,” added Sethi.

On the other hand, shopkeepers said that their entrance steps are being removed without giving any notice to them.

They said that they would oppose the move. 

Bathinda, September 22
With the Central government unlikely to give another extension to the Punjab government to maintain its power utility, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), as a single integrated unit, the Board mandarins have now braced themselves up to separate the power board into four units i.e. generation, transmission, distribution and a power trading company, which will deal with the commercial aspects of sale and purchase of power.

The last extension given to the Punjab government expires on December 15 and sources reveal that it was with much effort that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal managed to get this extension.

In fact, the CM had asked for six months to unbundle the PSEB. But, the Union Power Ministry officials deemed it fit to delay the inevitable, as a senior engineer put it, by just three more months.

The issue has generated much heat with various farmers unions, allegedly backed by PSEB trade unions, holding protest demonstrations across Punjab in an attempt to “make the government see reason and stop the unbundling of the Board.” However, sources reveal that the state government has little option except to comply with the directions of the Central Electricity Act, 2003, which calls for all state governments to unbundle their power utilities into different units.

Senior engineers say that farmers unions fear that once unbundled, private players will step in and raise the power tariff arbitrarily. They also rubbished claims by the PSEB employees unions that the unbundling would lead to job losses.

The Punjab power board had to be unbundled in the year 2003 itself but the Punjab government, led by different political dispensations, managed to get repeated extensions from the Central government. The last extension, granted by the Union Power Ministry on September 4, expires on December 15.

Fearing a backlash from farmers, who may not get free power once the Board is unbundled, PSEB officials revealed the CM was trying to do a balancing act between farmers unions and compliance of the Central Electricity Act, 2003.

Meanwhile, the CM held a secret meeting with the Finance Minister, Power Secretary and other officials at Chandigarh last month. Sources said a road map for unbundling was discussed at the meeting.

The issue has become so sensitive that citing ‘conduct violations’ no power board official is willing to express himself.

However, H.S Bedi, president of the PSEB Engineers’ Association and a vocal critic of unbundling, says, “The government should not unbundle the PSEB as it would lead to disastrous consequences. The Electricity Act-2003 is deliberately being misinterpreted by certain people for their own vested interests. Nowhere in the Act has it been written that it was mandatory for a state government to unbundle its power entity. As done in Kerala, Punjab too can keep the PSEB as an integrated structure.”

Bedi also cites the recent judgement of the Appelate Tribunal for Electricity, the highest dispute reddressal forum for electricity laws, which says that it is not mandatory for state governments to unbundle power boards into separate companies.

The high-voltage demonstrations by farmers and the fervent pleas of the PSEB Engineers’ Association notwithstanding, the top brass of the Board has geared itself to separate the PSEB into four different units.

Abohar, September 22
After making the first ISO certified Suvidha Centre in the state functional, the sub-divisional administration has now launched 'service at your doorstep' campaign.

During this month, camps have been organised at some villages under the Mobile Suvidha Scheme (MBS) to solve the problems on the spot. Realising that students had generally been reluctant due to varied reasons in approaching the authorities to get driving licence issued, a camp was held on Monday at the DAV College campus here.

More than 200 college students were assisted by the Suvidha Centre staff in completing the formalities, medical examination was done by Dr ML Madaan, eye surgeon from the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital, and licences were thus issued on the spot.

SDM Amit Dhaka informed that next Suvidha camps will be organised at village Balluana in the stadium located opposite the gurdwara on September 24 and at Alamgarh on September 29.

For issuing driving licences to the members of the defence services, the administration has decided to organise the Suvidha camp in the Military Station here on September 26.

The administration has again warned the citizens against driving vehicles without displaying registration number and proper driving licence. 

Bathinda, September 22
A Bangalore-based firm — Vascular Concepts — has floated a heart insurance scheme called ‘Heart Insure Programme’ and has made the local Pragma hospital as its lead institution in the Malwa belt.

Disclosing this, Dr Gursewak Singh Gill, consultant cardiologist and managing director of the hospital, said the insurance scheme mainly aims at enrolling post-angioplasty patients for a three year heart monitoring and disease management therapy.

During the insurance period, the Heart Insure Programme team would telephonically be in touch with patients. Patients would also be sent disease management kits, which will be made available in various languages, Gill added.

Insured patients can also avail the facility of free angioplasty within a period of three years, Gill said.

Bathinda, September 22
Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal will formally inaugurate the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) at the Industrial Growth Centre here on September 24.

The IHM is already running its first batch of classes since August 7 this year.

Principal-cum-secretary of the IHM SK Banerjee said, “The IHM is an autonomous body sponsored by department of tourism, government of Punjab, and ministry of tourism, government of India, with an aim to aspire young hospitality professionals to great heights.”

Earlier, speaking in Chandigarh, Hira Singh Gabria, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, Punjab, said a special project has been sanctioned for the institute at a cost of Rs 10 crores. The state government has sanctioned Rs 4.50 crore for the construction of student’s hostel building (boys and girls).

Gabria said 240 students would be admitted in this very institution for the five courses every year. The degree and diploma certificates would be issued by the National Council for Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition with the collaboration of Indira Gandhi National Open University, whereas diploma certificates would be issued by the National Council for Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition. — TNS

Bathinda, September 22
City residents can expect a relief from the problem of fly ash, a residue generated during the combustion of coal at the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, for Vilasrao Deshmukh, Union Heavy Industries Minister, has assured Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal of expediting the project in progress to check the menace.

The minister has told the MP that the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) would make all-out efforts to check the incidence of fly ash emanating from the GNDTP.

Harsimrat had recently acquainted the minister on the harmful effects of the fly ash.

In a letter addressed to the minister, the MP had pointed that she had to face the wrath of the locals, who were being affected by fly ash which, she said, had become a major health hazard.

She added that the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) had awarded the project of checking the fly ash to the BHEL way back in 2006, yet the Bangalore-based firm had done little in this regard. In the letter, she had urged the Union minister to instruct the BHEL to expedite the job.

Mansa, September 22
Though farmer organisations have been demanding the procurement of cotton by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) at MSP Rs 2,800 but CCI appears not to be ready to start purchasing of cotton in the current conditions.

Farmer leaders of different outfits as BKU (Ugrahan) district president Ram Singh Bhainibagha, state leader of Punjab Kisan Sabha Butta Singh and district president of Punjab Kisan Union Balkaran Singh Balli have demanded that government should take steps to start the cotton purchase at the MSP rate in the markets of Punjab.

They said private traders have been exploiting the farmers by purchasing their cotton crop at a low rate of Rs 2,400-2,600 per quintal. BKU has also demanded Rs 5,500 per quintal of cotton. As per the cotton officials, 1,43,951 quintal cotton has reached the markets of Punjab during this season till now. Meanwhile, state general manager of CCI, RC Sarkar said CCI would start purchasing of cotton after it was ensured that the level of moisture was below 12 points. He informed that agency had opened 25 procurement centres in Punjab. 

Mansa, September 22
Different worker organisations staged a dharna on Monday in front of the SSP office in Mansa, demanding action against Sant Gautam Dass, who allegedly insulted the labourers in a dera at Khidal Kalan village on August 28.

Addressing the dharna, leaders of various outfits said on August 28, a langar was being served in the memory of Baba Shri Chand. Some labourers from the nearby villages went to the dera during the langar where Gautam Dass insulted them. State secretary of (MMM) Bhagwant Singh Sammaon said they were demanding action against him but the administration did not do so till now.

Leaders of the various outfits warned that if the administration failed to take action, the labourers would enter the dera after five days. — OC

Barnala, September 22
To check female foeticide, a district-level workshop was organised on Tuesday at the office of the civil surgeon here. Chairman of Zila Parishad, Gurtej Singh Khudi Kalan, civil surgeon Dr Kuldip Kaur Sahni, programme officers of the health department, members of the pre-natal diagnostic techniques (PNDT) advisory committee and members of various NGOs took part in the workshop.

Addressing the workshop, Khudi Kalan said as female foeticide was a sin and a crime so there was a dire need to create awareness against it among the masses.

Civil Surgeon Kuldip Kaur Sahni said under the National Rural Health Mission a scheme had been begun, under which an amount of Rs 500 per month was being given to the family, which had one baby girl while an amount of Rs 700 per month was being given to the family, which had two baby girls.

Giving information about the PNDT Act, District Family Welfare officer Bhalinder Singh said there was a provision in the Act that the person, who would be found guilty for committing female foeticide, would be sentenced to three years imprisonment, besides fine. Assistant civil surgeon Ashwani Kumar Malhotra also spoke on the occasion. 

Bathinda, September 22
Unable to bear the alleged atrocities of her in-laws, a 20-year-old woman set herself ablaze at village Gurthadi in Bathinda on Sunday.

The woman, Jaspreet Kaur, received about 50 per cent burns. Considering her condition, which is stated to be critical, a duty magistrate has recorded her declaration. However, the police could not arrest any of the accused yet.

According to details available, Jaspreet married Kala Singh about four years back and was upset due to the cruelty of her husband and in-laws. In her declaration, she alleged that her mother-in-law Golo Kaur and father-in-law Balaur Singh used to harass her. She added that on Friday, her husband Kala Singh beat her up after returning from his job. Getting upset due to this, she poured kerosene and set herself on fire. On seeing her, Kala Singh doused the flames and immediately called his brother-in-law and rushed Jaspreet to a private hospital in Bathinda.

On receiving information, the Sangat police reached the spot along with the duty magistrate and recorded her statement.

Confirming the facts, Sandeep Singh, SHO Sangat police station, said, “We have booked her husband and in-laws under section 498-A of the IPC. However, no one could be arrested so far.”

“A fact that the woman was undergoing some mental treatment is also being considered,” he added.

In another case, Harpreet Kaur of Haryana, who had married one Gurjeet Singh of village Virk Khurd about five years ago, today accused him of making an attempt to kill her by giving poison. She was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, where the police recorded her statement. However, a case was not registered till late evening.

According to details available, the couple was having strained relationship ever since they got married. In January 2008, parents of the woman filed a court case against Gurjeet Singh accusing him of harassing their daughter. They accused him of planning to desert her and fleeing abroad after selling all of his properties. At that time, the matter was resolved with the intervention of mediators.

Confirming the details, Buta Singh, SHO Nehianwala, said, “I am going to meet the woman concerned personally. After verifying the facts, the guilty would be booked under the relevant sections of law.”

Moga, September 22
A 35-year-old teacher from a Moga village consumed poison on Tuesday when she was unable to meet a senior official of the education department at Chandigarh and submit an appeal for deferring her transfer orders.

Sanjana, a resident of Baghapurana town in Moga district, had come to meet the Director General of School Education (DGSE)-cum-state project director of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan at his office here in Sector 34 on Tuesday.

She wanted to meet the officer to submit her appeal for deferring her transfer orders that were issued some days back but the officer did not meet her.

Out of frustration, she consumed sulphas outside his office.

“The woman was immediately shifted to a government hospital in serious condition. We are investigating the matter and have booked the woman for attempting suicide,” said a police official of the Chandigarh police.

On Sunday, while talking to The Tribune from her cell phone, she alleged that the principal of her school from where she was transferred was unnecessarily harassing her and had prepared a fake vulgar CD of her voice, which was sent to the higher authorities, on the basis of which, she was transferred from there.

She alleged before attempting suicide that actually she had complained to the higher authorities on the practice of cheating that was going on in the school due to which the principal was reportedly annoyed with her.

Moreover, the numbers of some practical papers were marked on the marksheets of some students which were not checked by any teacher. “I am being harassed by the principal and senior authorities,” she alleged. 

Barnala, September 22
A student of class IX Harpreet Singh was today killed while about 20 persons, including teachers and students, sustained injuries when the school mini-bus, in which they were going to the school, overturned in a field near Rureke village. The injured persons were admitted to the hospital for treatment.

SHO, Tapa police station, Balwinder Singh said this evening that the mini-bus had been going to Baba Longpuri School, Pakhon Kalan, when the mishap occurred. He said the bus overturned as the driver reportedly lost control over it perhaps due to some technical fault in the bus. He said the police had registered a case against the driver, but he was absconding. — TNS