The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Ginners’ strike continues
Cotton farmers turn to Rajasthan
Abohar, January 6
Farmers have started selling cotton in the neighbouring markets of Sadulshehar and Sriganganagar as members of the Punjab Cotton Factories and Ginners' Association continued their strike today. MLA Sunil Jakhar regretted that the state government had not found time to invite the representatives of 350 factories for table talk even when the processing of cotton remained suspended for the last five days. It appears that the SAD-BJP alliance was worried of the stalemate on power tariff that haunts the existence of the government now, he said.

Dilapidated bridge over Aspal drain poses threat to life
The bridge constructed on Aspal seepage drain near border village Alamashah in Fazilka Fazilka, January 6
The bridge constructed over Aspal seepage drain near border village Aalamshah is in dilapidated condition. It has become accident prone. There is imminent threat of serious tragedy as the bridge connects hundreds of residents of four villages namely Kotha, Vasakhewala Khu, Mohammad Pira, Bakhushah and Alamshah, to Fazilka town. This bridge was constructed about nine years back when the Aspal seepage drain was dug to overcome the seepage problem.
The bridge constructed on Aspal seepage drain near border village Alamashah in Fazilka. Photo by writer

Barnala resident dies of swine flu
Barnala, January 6
Fear has gripped Qilla Muhalla in Barnala city after an elderly tea stall owner Ramji Lal died of swine flu today. The team of doctors from Barnala civil hospital after identifying the persons, who came in contact with the deceased, has started giving them medicine for the swine flu infection.

Trains cancelled due to fog
Sriganganagar/Abohar, January 6
The North Western Railway (NWR) has cancelled three express trains up to January 31, PRO, YK Sharma informed today. Citing dense fog as the reason for cancellation, the PRO listed the trains as 4525/4526 Sriganganagar-Ambala intercity express, 9771/9772, 9781/9782 Jaipur-Amritsar-Jaipur express and 4853/4854 Jodhpur-Varanasi-Jodhpur Marudhar express. However, the NWR authorities would closely monitor the climatic conditions and may think of restoring the trains, if the weather is found congenial. The Jaipur-Amritsar express would not leave Jaipur tonight.

Rly overbridge to be inaugurated on Jan 12
Abohar, January 6
Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has reportedly given his consent for inaugurating the railway overbridge here on January 12, official sources said. Sukhminder Singh Bedi, senior XEN PWD, who had monitored the construction of the ROB and project in-charge Sanjeev Gupta of the construction company were quoted saying that they have received the message from the district authorities to chalk out the opening ceremony.

Protest over rejig of villages
Mansa, January 6
Residents of 12 villages have started demonstrations against the government’s decision to attach these villages with Sardulgarh sub-division after detaching them from Mansa. To protest against this decision, people of these villages had formed a Pendu Insaf Sangarsh Committee.

Woman arrested for cheating husband
Bathinda, January 6
On the complaint of Satbir Singh, a local resident, the police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC against his wife Meenakshi Sharma, her father Surinder Sharma, her brother Tinkoo Sharma, her mother and her sister, all residents of Panchkula. Meenakshi and Tinkoo have been arrested while others are still at large.

Passengers’ welfare body distributes train time-table
Bathinda, January 6
Like every year, the Railway Passengers Welfare Association, an organisation affiliated to the Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat and formed to protect interests of consumers, distributed Helping Hand Trains Time-table of Bathinda and nearby stations among residents of the areas.

Three held for stealing motorbikes
Four vehicles recovered
Bathinda, January 6
The local police has arrested three persons on the charge of stealing motorcycles. Four motorcycles have been recovered from their possession. SHO Gurjit Singh Romana said today that Nandu, resident of Makaan under Karanpur police station in Rajasthan, Kuljit and Johny Garg, both residents of Bathinda, had been arrested the previous evening along with a stolen motorcycle. He said that during preliminary interrogation, the police also recovered three more motorcycles from them.

Rural medical officers await contract renewal
Seek salary at par with PCMS doctors
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 6
Disappointment and resentment prevail among the rural medical officers (RMOs) working at dispensaries in some districts under the Zila Parishads (ZPs).

They are unhappy with the state government for it has not signed the new contract with them so far though it was reportedly to be signed by January 1. Besides, the RMOs are also disappointed as they were not given salaries at par with PCMS doctors.

The main reason of resentment is that the government has now signed the new contract in some districts with them with a monthly contract package of Rs 37,250 (Rs 31,000 for the RMO and Rs 6,250 for the Pharmacist) which is less than the monthly pay of a PCMS doctor. In 2006, when 1,193 rural dispensaries were handed over to the ZPs the RMOs (then service providers) were given more pay than the PCMS doctors so as to motivate them to serve in rural areas.

Besides, the RMOs are also unhappy with the government as it has not approved 60 per cent post-graduate quota for them in the MD and the MS courses so far. Non-regularisation of the services of the RMOs by the state government is another issue which is disappointing them as the some state governments, including Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh, had already regularised the services of the RMOs.

State president of the Rural Medical Services Association Dr Aslam Parvez told this reporter today that due to non-regularisation of the services of the RMOs, more than 350 doctors had already left the job and had joined in Haryana or elsewhere. He asked the government to regularise the services of the RMOs serving on contract basis so that they did not leave their jobs in rural areas.

Parvez also said there was a huge resentment and disappointment among the rural doctors as the state government had not so far signed new contract with the RMOs in some districts, including Barnala, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Muktsar, Moga, Ludhiana and Sangrur.

He said though the government had enhanced the contract amount from Rs 30,000 to Rs 37,250 but the RMOs had not been given pay at par with the PCMS doctors though they had been performing duties in rural areas for the past more than three years.

Paternity row
Mother fails to appear before women cell
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, January 6
Minakshi, a local woman, who demanded the DNA test of her daughter over a paternity row, did not turn up before the women cell of the Moga police to record her statement on Wednesday.

She had demanded from the DGP of Punjab, PS Gill, to conduct the DNA test of her two-and-a half year old daughter to match with one Ravinder Singh Ravi an influential person of this area to ascertain the paternity of her child.

The DGP of Punjab, PS Gill, had referred this matter to the women cell of the Moga district to inquire into the matter and report to his office within 48 hours.

Santosh Rani, in-charge of the women cell, told The Tribune that Minakshi had informed her that she was not well and therefore was not in a state to record her statement. “Minakshi would come to the women cell on Thursday to record her statement,” she said.

The woman police officer further said that Ravi had contacted her on telephone stating that he had already filed a petition in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in this regard and he would provide all the details of the court case within a couple of days. Ravi had denied all the allegations and said that they were baseless and was being falsely fabricated into this case.

Santosh Rani further said that Ravi had told her that Minakshi was blackmailing her for quite sometime and he had already filed this case in the High Court a few months back.

Earlier, Minakshi had alleged in the complaint given to the DGP, “After my divorce, I came into contact with one Ravinder Singh Ravi, who is the director of a reputed finance company of the area and is a politically well connected person.”

Adding that she had an affair with him, who was the father of her daughter, Minakshi said that when she got pregnant he promised to marry her and take her to his home. She said, “My daughter was born on October 28, 2006 but Ravinder refused to accept me as well as my daughter. He even denied fathering my daughter,” she added.

She had further stated in her complaint that when she pressurised him to accept them, he began threatening her and sent a message through another woman that had she given birth to a son, he would have accepted them.

Elections of Fazilka MC office-bearers
Polls deferred, again
Tribune News Service

Fazilka, January 6
Rajiv Prashar, SDM-cum-Returning Officer, postponed the election for the post of senior vice-president and junior vice-president of the local municipal council, which was scheduled to be held today.

This is for the second time when the elections for these two posts have been postponed. Earlier, the election for these two posts could not be held on January 1, 2010, due to some technical reasons. The next date of election was fixed for January 6, 2010.

Prashar, when contacted, said that as he took the charge of SDM of this sub-division on Tuesday only and he was not aware of the past record of the election of the local municipal council. Hence, he postponed the elections.

He said that moreover there was rift among the municipal councillors belonging to different factions and hence he was required to study the same before holding the elections of these two posts. He added that next date for holding the elections was not fixed yet.

Information gathered by TNS, revealed that though the SAD-BJP alliance commanded absolute majority in the local municipal council house, having strength of 21 municipal councillors, the posts of senior vice-president and junior vice-president had been lying vacant for the past more than three months.

Satinder Singh Savi, who is the only municipal councillor of the SAD (B), while talking to TNS alleged that elections were being postponed repeatedly as a section of politicians had been trying to impose their own men on the posts of senior vice-president and junior vice-president.

He said that Prashar must inform the next date and venue of election to all the municipal councillors well in advance so that all could participate in the same.

He said that election process must be videographed so that any bungling into the same could be avoided.

Dilapidated bridge over Aspal drain poses threat to life
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, January 6
The bridge constructed over Aspal seepage drain near border village Aalamshah is in dilapidated condition. It has become accident prone. There is imminent threat of serious tragedy as the bridge connects hundreds of residents of four villages namely Kotha, Vasakhewala Khu, Mohammad Pira, Bakhushah and Alamshah, to Fazilka town. This bridge was constructed about nine years back when the Aspal seepage drain was dug to overcome the seepage problem.

Surprisingly, no concrete floor was laid at that time. No railing was fixed on the sides of the bridge. There are big pot holes on the surface of the bridge.

When this correspondent visited the site, it was noticed that the banks of the seepage drain were damaged and there was a threat of bridge collapsing due to erosion of edges as the drain was gradually changing its course.

Every two-wheeler rider has to get down from his vehicle and cross the bridge on foot along the vehicle as it is dangerous to drive on the bridge.

Lok Raj, a resident of village Vasakhewala Khu, who was crossing the bridge said that following the uneven surface of the bridge the villagers cannot cross the bridge while driving any two-wheelers not to talk of four wheelers.

Moreover, only daredevil drivers could cross the bridge while driving their tractor-trailors loaded with crops with considerable risks because the uneven surface of the bridge is only seven feet wide and no railing is constructed on both the sides, said Sona Ram of village Awa.

These days the danger of crossing the bridge has enhanced further due to poor visibility following the inclement weather and foggy atmosphere.

Satish Kumar Dhingra, who owns a land in village Alamshah said that some time back a tractor-trailor had fallen into the 13 feet deep seepage drain causing injury to one person.

“As a result of pitiable condition of the bridge, the heavy vehicle drivers, keen to have a safe journey, have to divert their vehicle to cover an additional distance of about five kilometres to cross the wider and stronger bridge,” added Dhingra. The villagers have demanded that the necessary renovation should be done immediately.

On the other hand, executive engineer, Drainage, K.K. Singla said that the villagers had not brought the matter into the notice of the authorities.

However, he should get the condition of the bridge examined by an officer of the department. Upon receiving the report, the department should take remedial measurers, added Singla.

	Barnala resident dies of swine flu Shariq Majeed Tribune News Service Barnala, January 6 Fear has gripped Qilla Muhalla in Barnala city after an elderly tea stall owner Ramji Lal died of swine flu today. The team of doctors from Barnala civil hospital after identifying the persons, who came in contact with the deceased, has started giving them medicine for the swine flu infection. As per reports, Ramji Lal of ward four of Qilla Muhalla in Barnala, who used to run a tea stall in the BDPO Complex had cold, cough and fever for the last about one week. Doctors attending him at the local nursing home hospital referred the swine flu suspect to the Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana where doctors after receiving his sample found him to be positive for the disease and the patient died of the disease at the Medical College on Wednesday morning. The body of the deceased was taken by his relatives to Barnala and cremated at Ram Bagh Barnala today. Confirming the first death due to swine flu in Barnala, District Medical Officer (DMO) Barnala, Dr Ashwani Kumar Malhotra said that they have started giving medicines to the relatives of the deceased and staff who came in contact with Ramji Lal at the private heath centre and those who could have come in contact with the deceased during his illness so that they do not fall prey to disease. He added that after going through the case history of the Ramji Lal, they would come to know as to how he caught the disease. Dr Malhotra has in the meanwhile cautioned people to adopt preventive measures for the swine flu disease. Meanwhile, local sources claimed that it is the first death because of swine flu in the Barnala district.
	Trains cancelled due to fog Our Correspondent Sriganganagar/Abohar, January 6 The North Western Railway (NWR) has cancelled three express trains up to January 31, PRO, YK Sharma informed today. Citing dense fog as the reason for cancellation, the PRO listed the trains as 4525/4526 Sriganganagar-Ambala intercity express, 9771/9772, 9781/9782 Jaipur-Amritsar-Jaipur express and 4853/4854 Jodhpur-Varanasi-Jodhpur Marudhar express. However, the NWR authorities would closely monitor the climatic conditions and may think of restoring the trains, if the weather is found congenial. The Jaipur-Amritsar express would not leave Jaipur tonight. Reacting strongly to the cancellation of the Sriganganagar-Ambala express that originates from Ambala at 5 am and arrives at Abohar by 11 am, the Railway Passengers Association (NZ) said that the Railway Board had been requesting to run special trains for Haridwar on the occasion of the Kumbha fair but it had decided to cancel the existing intercity train that runs between Sriganganagar and Ambala during the day hours and is suitable for onward journey to Haridwar, Hanuman Dass Goyal vice-president of the association resented. How the Board would be able to clear the rush of passengers as there were no signs of relief from the foggy weather by January 12 when the fair kick starts, he questioned.
	Rly overbridge to be inaugurated on Jan 12 Our Correspondent Abohar, January 6 Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has reportedly given his consent for inaugurating the railway overbridge here on January 12, official sources said. Sukhminder Singh Bedi, senior XEN PWD, who had monitored the construction of the ROB and project in-charge Sanjeev Gupta of the construction company were quoted saying that they have received the message from the district authorities to chalk out the opening ceremony. This brings an end to the long wait even when the ROB had been inspected by the representatives of the Central and state governments and OK report was reportedly submitted by December 21. Notably, the foundation stone for the project was laid by the then Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh on December 31, 2006. So far only the SAD MP and MLAs of the ruling alliance have been asked to attend the opening ceremony on January 12, sources said. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had assured the residents that the ROB would be made functional latest by December 29 but the inauguration was reportedly delayed as his son left for foreign trip to celebrate the new year with his family and had more important occupation when returned home on January 2.
	Protest over rejig of villages Mansa, January 6 Residents of 12 villages have started demonstrations against the government’s decision to attach these villages with Sardulgarh sub-division after detaching them from Mansa. To protest against this decision, people of these villages had formed a Pendu Insaf Sangarsh Committee. Following the call given by the committee, people of Jawaharke and Nangal Kalan villages on Wednesday staged demonstrations and burnt the effigy of the Punjab government. Members of the struggle committee Rajinder Singh Jawaharke, Jeet Singh Nangal and Gurdyal Singh Mussa said that these 12 villages have only 2-12 kilometre distance from Mansa while to reach Sardulgarh people would have to cover a distance of over 45 kilometre. They demanded that these villages should be attached with Mansa sub-division. District president of the BKU (Ugrahan) Ram Singh Bhainibagha said that effigies of the state government would be burnt in all the 12 villages till January 11 and on January 15 demonstration would be staged in the Mansa city. — OC
	Woman arrested for cheating husband Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 6 On the complaint of Satbir Singh, a local resident, the police has registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC against his wife Meenakshi Sharma, her father Surinder Sharma, her brother Tinkoo Sharma, her mother and her sister, all residents of Panchkula. Meenakshi and Tinkoo have been arrested while others are still at large. Giving this information today, local SHO Gurjit Singh Romana said Meenakshi and Satbir Singh met through chatting on internet. Later, they started speaking to each other on telephone. Following some time, Meenakshi met him in May 2008 and they started meeting each other which led to their marriage in July 2008, he added. The SHO further said that after marriage, Maeenakshi came to Bathinda but left Satbir after two days. She had not returned since then but continued to take money from her husband. Satbir gave him about Rs 2.56 lakh during this period, he added. The SHO said when Meenakshi did not return even after taking lakhs of rupees Satbir submitted an application in this regard to the Bathinda SSP, who marked an inquiry on the complaint. After inquiry, the police had registered a case against Meenakshi, her father, her mother, her brother and her sister as Meenakshi had done this in connivance with the alleged accused in the case, he added.
	Passengers’ welfare body distributes train time-table Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 6 Like every year, the Railway Passengers Welfare Association, an organisation affiliated to the Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat and formed to protect interests of consumers, distributed Helping Hand Trains Time-table of Bathinda and nearby stations among residents of the areas. The six-page time-table, released in connection with the celebrations of the Consumer Week, has information concerning arrival and departure of trains at Bathinda and its adjoining stations. The office-bearers of the welfare association, including chairman PK Tayal, president AK Garg, vice-president OP Sidana, secretary HD Goyal and cashier Rajinder Bansal said the association had been distributing nearly 1,000 time-tables free of cost every year since 2000. They said their endeavour aimed at creating awareness about railway facilities besides consumers’ rights.
	Three held for stealing motorbikes Four vehicles recovered Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 6 The local police has arrested three persons on the charge of stealing motorcycles. Four motorcycles have been recovered from their possession. SHO Gurjit Singh Romana said today that Nandu, resident of Makaan under Karanpur police station in Rajasthan, Kuljit and Johny Garg, both residents of Bathinda, had been arrested the previous evening along with a stolen motorcycle. He said that during preliminary interrogation, the police also recovered three more motorcycles from them. He said the police today produced them in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate here which sent the accused on police remand for a day. The police had registered a case against them under Section 379 of the IPC.