Bathinda, February 22
The controversy over the execution of a much-hyped Rs 40-crore worth city beautification project has brought the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities under the scanner of the Vigilance Bureau (VB), Bathinda range.

Receiving two complaints, one anonymous and other from social activist Ved Parkash Gupta, VB sleuths summoned all details and documents of the project from the BMC officials.

A highly-placed source in the VB, Bathinda range, said the BMC authorities were apparently unwilling to provide the documents as despite receiving the order followed by a reminder, the BMC officials had not come up with the record.

“The delay is increasing our suspicion. We will send one more reminder. Even if the officials do not produce all required details, we are firm on taking action against all officials concerned,” a VB official said.

It may be mentioned that the tenders of the project were opened on January 24, 2008, and the construction work was initiated after Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia laid more than a dozen foundation stones under the project on February 18, 2008. The project included re-carpeting of almost all roads and main streets, development of parks, work on storm water system, streetlights and beautification of the city.

To execute the project, the BMC authorities, during the tenure of the then BMC Commissioner KK Yadav, had taken a loan of Rs 40 crore from the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB). The controversy had arisen since the day tender was opened as local contractors accused the BMC authorities of doing injustice to them. They had alleged that the terms and conditions of the tender were such that a small contractor could not comply with. Ignoring their allegations and objections, the tender was allotted to a construction company, said to be an outfit of a ruling SAD leader of Bathinda.

Besides the small contractors, city residents and councillors too had accused the authorities of corruption. They even accused the construction company of using sub-standard material in connivance with the BMC authorities.

Taking a step ahead, during a general house meeting, Krishan Kumar Garg, a councillor of the BMC, had openly accused the BMC staff of perpetuating percentage wise corruption in the project.

Confirming the details, SSP Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda range, Chaman Lal said, “We have initiated a probe and are waiting for the BMC authorities to submit the documents. Once the allegation is proved, everybody, irrespective of the designation, will have to face the music.”

BMC Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “I have no information about the VB inquiry. Moreover, the tender was allotted before I assumed charge, but I will ensure full cooperation with the VB officials.”

Bathinda, February 22
A United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded “Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness Project in Punjab” was launched here today. The project has been sponsored by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), the Red Crescent Societies and the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS).

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the IFRC and the IRCS have selected nine districts from the country to implement the project. Out of these, three districts are in Punjab, Bathinda being one of them. The other two districts selected from Punjab are Faridkot and Ropar.

The main aim of the project is to minimise the morbidity, mortality and human sufferings during pandemic, besides building humanitarian response network in coordination with departments concerned, NGOs, media, opinion leaders and volunteers etc to deal with the influenza pandemic effectively.

Talking to TNS here today, project director of the project from Punjab State Red Cross Society Dr RP Verma said the district administration had been asked to prepare an action plan and complete the mapping exercise regarding the project for Bathinda district in a month by involving different departments, NGOs, community leaders, volunteers etc. He said the plans prepared by nine districts of the country would form a national plan to face the pandemic influenza (H1N1).

Verma said the health department would have a major responsibility of training anganwari workers, school teachers, child development and project officers (CDPOs) etc in coordination with the secretary of District Red Cross Society. He said about 1,300 anganwari workers from Bathinda district along with a teacher each from secondary and elementary schools would be trained on prevention of influenza (H1N1).

Verma also said before imparting training to 150 Red Cross volunteers from the district in five batches, about 20 trainers would be trained with the help of project staff and the health department.

To mark the launching of the project in Punjab, a training workshop on “Humanitarian pandemic preparedness project on influenza (H1N1) in Punjab” was organised at the Mini-secretariat here by the state branch of the IRCS.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shruti Singh presided over the workshop. Among others who attended the workshop included assistant commissioner (under training) Dr Joram Beda, IAS; project director Dr RP Verma, assistant civil surgeon Dr IB Aggarwal, district health officer Dr Dharampal Singh Sekhon and secretary of the Bathinda District Red Cross Society JR Goyal. 

Bathinda, February 22
Timely action of Bathinda police today resolved the mysterious abduction case of a liquor contractor of the city.

Police recovered the abducted man from a farmhouse located at village Gill Patti late this evening but refused to divulge details.

However, sources informed the TNS that Harish Thekedar of Veer Colony and Madan Mohan Lal alias Pappu of Model Town locality had been running liquor vends in Rajasthan on a partnership basis.

After running the trade for a couple of months, they had a financial dispute. Madan Mohan accused Harish of owing Rs 42 lakh to him, which he had allegedly refused to pay.

To recover the amount, Madan Mohan today hired a group of goons led by Gurdeep Bhaati to hand over Harish to him on a contract of Rs three lakh.

Bhaati, being known to Harish, offered him a dialogue to reach a compromise with Madan Mohan. He called up Harish near the Rose Garden and after sitting in his car, Bhaati asked him to move towards village Gill Patti.

Reaching near the farmhouse of Madan Mohan, where a number of goons were already present, he asked him to get out of the car.

After some time, police received the information and launched the rescue operation.

Tracing the call details, a police team comprising various officials conducted a raid at the farmhouse.

Police recovered Harish and nabbed Madan Mohan on the spot. However, Bhaati and his goons managed to flee from the spot.

During interrogation, Madan Mohan admitted that he had paid Rs 1.5 lakh to Gurdeep Bhaati and the rest of the amount was yet to be paid.

When contacted, SHO Kotwali, Gurjeet Singh Romana refused to divulge details and said the investigation was going on.

Meanwhile, DSP (City) HPS Parmar confirmed the abduction and subsequent recovery but said a case would be registered only after thorough investigation.

Sources in the district police said cops were asked not to disclose the details to media persons as some senior police official was supposed to hold a press conference on Tuesday.

Bathinda, February 22
The income tax authorities have asked the Punjab government to strictly follow the provision of deducting 10 per cent income tax from the compensation that is paid to any person in lieu of the property that is acquired for development projects.

Sources in the revenue department said the income tax department pointed towards the statutory provisions in the Act that the disbursing officer shall deduct 20 per cent income tax from the compensation that is paid to a person who does not possess PAN.

Deduction of income tax is mandatory if the compensation paid is more than Rs 1 lakh. This also covers the land covered under agriculture and horticulture.

The government has undertaken statewide development projects for which large chunk of lands have been acquired. However, the income tax department was reportedly upset that the legal provision of deducting the tax at the source was generally not followed while disbursing compensation.

In context to Bathinda, the government has approved construction of a ring road to decongest vehicular traffic in the town and for the purpose, a vast area of agriculture land is being acquired and the award is expected to be announced shortly.

Substantial land was recently acquired for establishing the Central University at Ghudda village near here and widening of various roads.

Bathinda, February 22
Lack of interest among farmers of Bathinda to adopt fish farming has become a cause of worry for officials of the fisheries department as they are finding it difficult to spend the allocated funds, besides disbursing the earmarked amount of subsidy and meeting the target of loan assistance. The authorities would have to return funds worth lakhs to the state exchequer at the end of the current financial year.

Sources in the fisheries department disclosed that the district was allocated a sum of Rs 7.82 lakh for the expansion of a government hatchery at Rai Ke Kalan village during 2009-10. However, the department could not even find the official agency to get the work executed.

Further, a sum of Rs 1.97 lakh was allocated to the district for disbursing subsidies for excavation of fish ponds during the current financial year, but the department could not disburse even a single penny till January 31, 2010.

Fearing that the amount will lapse after March 31, the department has now found five farmers for issuing grant of Rs 91,420 as subsidy for excavation, input material and feed.

The Bathinda office of the department was asked to meet the loan assistance target of Rs 15 lakh during this year but till January end, only four cases were assisted with Rs 10.44 lakh. However, the officials are now assisting a farmer with a loan of Rs 2.30 lakh but it is under process.

Meanwhile, if one goes by the statistical details of the fish seed production in this district, it is negligible. The state authorities had fixed this year’s target of fish seed production for Rai Ke Kalan hatchery at 18 lakh but till last month, the authorities could get only 85,000 fish seeds from the hatchery.

However, an official of the department said the plant had produced about 5 lakh fish seeds during the year but more than 4 lakh were transferred to the account of last year to make up for the deficiency.

Replying to a query related to the dismal performance, deputy director of department of fisheries, Bathinda, Sukhdev Singh said, “There is no hurdle from our side. It is just a lack of interest among the farmers to avail of the benefits of government schemes.”

“Though fish farming is a beneficial trade, the high value of land has emerged as the major reason behind farmers shying away from adoptin it as a subsidiary occupation,” he added.

Ferozepur, February 22
Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, chairman, Punjab Agro Industrial Corporation (PAIC) has initiated a move to bring discipline and unity among the SAD (Badal) workers in this border district today to ensure that the party must get desired results in the election of members of the SGPC to be held this year.

Dhillon, also a member of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the SAD (B) and has been appointed as observer for Ferozepur district by its president Sukhbir Badal, also urged the party workers to bring factionalism among them to an end.

In a meeting held here, he said that it was the right time for the workers to take the achievements of the SAD-BJP government of Punjab to the grass-root level so that more and more people must associate themselves with the party.

Those attended the meeting included state irrigation minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Paramjit Singh Sandhu, former MLA, Montu Vora, president, Youth Akali Dal, Ferozepur, members of the SGPC and other senior functionaries of the party.

“I have held the meeting of workers and other senior party leaders to know their view to make the party strong for all kinds of elections, which the party is going to face in future,” said Dhillon adding that he would convey their opinions the party president Sukhbir Badal.

He said he had listened to the problems being faced by the workers in getting their works done in the state government offices. Dhillon, a former member parliament, said workers and leaders had also been asked to keep a check on the working of the state government offices so that corruption could be curbed. He added that he would hold such meeting every month. 

Fazilka, February 22
The Border Security Force (BSF) authorities have started acquiring more equipment to make surveillance along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab frontier more effective.

Besides, the BSF authorities have also sharpened its coordination with other security agencies including the Punjab police to disallow the anti-national elements to play a mischief on the border.

Himmat Singh, Inspector General (IG), BSF, Punjab Frontier, who was here today to carry out the inspection of 130 battalion of BSF, while talking to TNS, said that alertness of the BSF troops alongside the border had resulted into the seizure of huge quantity of narcotics, weapons and Indian fake currency in the past few years.

As the Pakistan was known for its designs and had been trying to make disturbances on the border, the BSF Jawans were being equipped with more surveillance gadgets. A few intruders, who had been caught in the border areas in Punjab frontier, could be a strong reflection of Pakistan’s designs.

Not only this, the activities of those elements, who were living in the Indian territory and once active in smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border were being kept under strict watch. The night domination operation had also been strengthened. About 13 battalions were guarding the Indo-Pak border round-the-clock.

He disclosed that for facilitating the residents of border areas more connectivity of roads and easy access to their farmlands, the BSF authorities had sent a proposal to construct more than a dozen bridges over different rivers, which crisscrossed the Indo-Pak border. For this task, the BSF was in touch with other security agencies including the army, he added.

The IG further disclosed that a proposal for expanding and beautifying the Attari joint check-post (JCP) was already under active consideration of the union ministry of home affairs. 

Abohar, February 22
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a procession here on Monday to express anguish over the failure of the UPA government in checking the price rise.

The workers assembled on the Gaushala road and marched up to the Sadar Bazaar Chowk where they burnt an effigy of the Central government amidst shouting of slogans.

Those present included former MLA, Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, Municipal Council president, Shiv Raj Goyal, Market Committee president, Dhanpat Rai Siyag, District BJP president, Arun Narang, city BJP presidents, Mannu Jaiswal and Shankar Swami, former presidents, Ravi Setia and Bhupinder Snehi, legal adviser, Virender Grover, state executive member, Sandeep Rinwa and a few councillors.

Later, some of them went to the office of the SDM using vehicles and submitted a memorandum to him.

The party resented that the Central government had not taken up measures to check skyrocketing prices of essential commodities which had become inaccessible for poor people. The union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar had been playing spoilsports instead of coming down heavily on the hoarders and black-marketers.

Moga, February 22
The district and sessions court of Moga has on Monday granted regular bail to Indian-born Canadian citizen, Jagdev Singh, allegedly facing a charge of murdering former MLA Nachattar Singh Gill, father of Punjab DGP Paramdip Singh Gill, in a case of fraud and corruption registered against them. Four others including two cops, a retired ASI of the state intelligence and a travel agent had also been granted bail along with him.

A couple of weeks back, the police had 'cleverly' clubbed together two separate FIRs registered against the NRI and six others by adding the charges of Sections 7, 13(2), 88 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 12-D of the Indian Passport Act in the previous FIR (no. 127 of August 4, 2009) registered under sections 419, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC with the hidden motive to again arrest the NRI even as he had already got separate bails in both the cases.

Besides, the NRI, three cops Gurdial Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Ranjit Singh, an ASI of the state intelligence, Hakam Singh, a local travel agent Satinder Pal Singh Bittu and Xavier Vizgard, a travel agent of Goa were booked by the police in these cases.

The bail applications of Jagdev, Gurdial, Jaswinder, Hakam and Bittu came up for hearing before the court of SK Aggarwal, additional sessions judge today.

The defence counsel, Ramesh Grover, argued before the court that the police was unnecessarily harassing his clients under the pressure of the DGP to settle personal scores even as all of them had already got separate bails in these cases. He said, "By just clubbing together the FIRs, it does not mean that any new crime has been committed by them."

Even as the prosecution claimed that custodial interrogation of the NRI was necessary to bring out some new facts in this case but the court rejected their demand and granted regular bail to all of them. Xavier had already got bail a few days back while Ranjit had not yet filed his bail application as the police was trying to make him approver in this case.

Meanwhile, the NRI while talking to The Tribune alleged that the local police was harassing him and his family members by sending policemen almost daily to their house. "They have not even spared my deceased mother whose name has also been added in the list of accused persons," he added.

Earlier, on February 16, the High Court of Punjab and Haryana had already granted blanket bail to Jagdev, directing the police to give a seven-day prior notice to him before making his arrest in any fresh case. 

Abohar, February 22
Hundreds of NREGA workers including women participated in the rally that was held at the Nehru Park here on Monday to criticise the state government for dilly-dallying attitude in providing work to the NREGS job cardholders.

The NREGA Workers Union leaders said the SAD-BJP government should own up the responsibility for the improper implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) schemes in Punjab.

Punjab had been demanding quite lesser funds as compared to its neighbouring states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Punjab, claiming to have 3.44 lakh families falling below poverty line (BPL), demanded Rs 53.97 crore till the end of the last year while the amount sought during the preceding was Rs 67.75 crore.

States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh sought much more funds under this Centre-sponsored scheme in the past three years and carried out tremendous development works in their rural areas.

Had the officers in this district bothered to deploy the NREGS workers for desilting and repair of canals, the farmers would have been able to get better yield per hectare, they added.

Unfortunately, the officers preferred to exhaust funds on purchasing material than passing on the benefit to the skilled workers, they said.

Interestingly, some of the participants revealed to this correspondent while talking on the sidelines of the rally that the Block Development and Panchayat officers will have to pay Rs 62 to each worker per day as unemployment allowance as the government had not been able to formulate any work for them. Several hundred fresh applicants had got themselves enrolled for job under the NREGS. 

Abohar, February 22
Dr Suresh Kumar Sharma, director Statistics department in the Panjab University, discussed correlation analysis, regression analysis, multiple regression, interpretation of ANOVA table, parametric test during the second day of the national training workshop on Statistical Product and Service Solutions at the Kenway College of Education here on Monday.

Dr Vijay Grover, Dr Tara Singh Gill, Dr Rajinder, Dr JD Singh, Dr Vipul Narang, Dr Sushila Narang and Dr Shashi Kala participated in the discussions.

Principal Dr Satyender Singh thanked the participants on the occasion. Some of them had arrived from the neighbouring states. 

Ferozepur, February 22
The body of a student of a local school, who was missing under mysterious circumstances, was found in a canal near 9HH village of Sriganganagar district, today. Information gathered by TNS revealed that the boy, was missing since February 11. After one of the passersby noticed the body floating in the canal, he informed the police accordingly.

A police party from Chunawad police station of Sriganganagar district reached the spot and fished out the dead body. On search, some documents were found, which established the identity of the deceased who was in his school uniform.

SPS Parmar, SSP, when contacted, while confirming the fact that a message had been received from Sriganganagar police in connection with the dead body of the missing boy of the town, said that the parents of the deceased along with policemen had been sent to do the needful.

Raghbir Singh, DSP, who is handling this case, said that investigation would reveal the fact that whether the boy had been kidnapped and killed or had died due to other reasons. The body had been kept in the mortuary of a Sriganganagar-based hospital, sources said. 

Hanumangarh/Abohar, February 22
A blue bull that was fired at by unidentified hunters last night succumbed to its injuries today morning, sources said. As per the details, farmers Bhim Sain and Inderjit spotted the injured blue bull lying on the deserts of village Chak 4 KSP in Hanumangarh district and immediately informed Anil Bishnoi, state general secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha.

On getting the information through the Sabha activists AS Gothwal, deputy warden of the forest department, dispatched a team led by regional warden Bala Ram to the village. However, the blue bull had died by then. Dr Bhupinder Singh Saharan conducted postmortem and confirmed that the wound was caused by firing.

The police said a case has been registered under the Wild Life Act against unidentified persons. The hunting has sent shock waves among the Bishnoi community. Not only the senior leaders of the Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha but others including Inderjit Dharnia, district secretary of the Kisan Sangh, have condemned the killing and demanded that the culprits should be identified and arrested soon. — OC

Mansa,February 22
Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today called upon the people to fight against the real enemies of the country like poverty, illiteracy and corruption which were badly affecting the life of the people.

Addressing public meetings at Boha and Bareta, he said for the development of the country, people should rise above pettiness. People belonging to all fields should come forward to fight against social evils, he added.

He pointed out that the aim should be to serve the larger interests of the country and not to pursue personal interests. To improve the economic condition of Punjab, he stressed upon the hard work by people belonging to all fields like farmers, employees and labourers.

He also provided Rs 20 lakh for development work in Boha and assured financial help for the development of Bareta. 

Bathinda, February 22
A seminar on “Education system – Past, Present and Future” was today organised on the campus of Malwa College here.

Dr RK Mahajan, Profesor of Economics, Regional Centre of Punjabi University here, said a teacher should play present himself/herself as a role model for the students. He also put a question mark on the improvement of education system as according to a survey, students in 7-12 years of age group could not read even a single paragraph while 40 per cent schools were facing shortage of teachers.

Dr Arun Jee, Principal of local Delhi Public School, spoke about the values of teacher-student relations.

Kartar Singh Sidhu, an educationist, flayed the tuition hubs for allegedly spoiling education system. He said the study should be in class room only, instead of a tuition room. The future of the students was suffering as education was becoming very expensive.

Principal of Malwa College Dr P. Subramanian paid thanks to the participants.

On the occasion chief general manager of the NFL, Bathinda Virendra Kumar inaugurated a seminar hall on the campus.

Bathinda, February 22
A fake journalist, Prem Singh of local Hazi Rattan locality, was nabbed for posing as a senior correspondent of a national daily at the Malwa College here today.

The college staff disclosed that the middle-aged man entered the college to cover a seminar which was being held on the college premises. When asked, he claimed that he was a senior staff correspondent of that paper. Getting suspicious, the Malwa circulation in-charge of the newspaper, Gurprem Lehari was called up which led to the revelation that he was an imposter. — TNS