Bathinda, March 8
The main attraction of today's programme, organised by the district health authorities, here to mark the International Women Day, was a drive to create awareness among women against the spread of HIV/AIDS and female foeticide cases, besides equal rights to women and women empowerment.

On the occasion, a call was also given to the women to fight against female foeticide and deadly disease HIV/AIDS.

According to district health officer (DHO) Dr Dharam Pal Singh Sekhon there are 24.70 lakh HIV positive/AIDS patients in the country, of them 9.3 lakh (37.7 percent) are women and 70,000 (2.9 percent) are children.

In all integrated counseling and testing centres (ICTCs) of Punjab more than 4.31 lakh persons had been tested for HIV till June 2009, of them 16113 had been detected as HIV positive cases while more than 5,900 AIDS patients had been getting treatment in the state.

In Bathinda district, more than 15,000 persons had been tested for HIV till June 2009, of them 311 had been tested HIV positive, the DHO added.

Educating the women about their rights, chief guest Bathinda ADC Sharuti Singh exhorted them to come forward in every field to prove their capability in a big way. She said it was a matter of happiness that many women were already occupying high posts in the country.

Bathinda civil surgeon Dr Neelam Bajaj asked the women to think that why a woman became enemy of another woman when she supported killing of a baby girl in the womb. She also stressed on women empowerment. She said till women got themselves educated full development of the country and the society was not possible.

Dr B.S. Gill spoke on spread of AIDS while Dr Dheera Gupta spoke on transmission of HIV from a parent to child, Principal Raj Gupta on women empowerment, and an UN AIDS Educator Narinder Bassi on AIDS control. A skit on AIDS awareness and a poem on female foeticide were presented on the occasion by students of Mahant Gurbanta Dass Nursing School.

On the occasion of International Women Day on Monday, the Youth Red Cross, unit of the local SSD Girls College organised a seminar, which was presided over by college principal Dr Parminder Kaur.

Among others who addressed the seminar included Dr Parminder Kaur, Tripta Gupta, Ritu Singla, Simerjit Kaur, Kritika.

To mark the International Women's Day, a meeting on the rights of women was organised at the Guru Ram Dass Institute of Engineering and Technology where Prof Harbhajan Singh, chairman of the institute, presided along with Prof Joydeep Syal.

Prof Harbhajan Singh expressed concern over female foeticide and laid stress on the need for womenfolk to come forward in life.

College principal Dr HS saini also expressed his views on the occasion. — TNS

Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 8
In an unprecedented move, the district administration in Sriganganagar organised meetings, on the 100th International Women Day to pray peace for uncountable number of girls who could not see the world due to female foeticide.

District collector Ashutosh AT Pednekar, who sculpted the noble event, led the prayer at the district collectorate while similar ceremonies in other offices were led by the respective heads. The prayer was preceded by two-minute silence. This may help in establishing the dignity of girls, the DC hoped. His call also earned a positive response from the NGOs as well as the scribes' organisations, Rachna Bhatia deputy director of the Women and Child Development department said.

Harbaksh Kaur Hayer, who had donated Rs 2.25 crore besides prime agricultural land to raise the maiden college for girls in rural area near Abohar town, was among the 100 women/girls who were honoured by the Punjabi Sabhyachar Manch during a function held at Bhag Singh Hayer College for Women to celebrate the International Women Day.

The function was preceded by a seminar that was organised by the Sub Divisional Legal Services Authority at the same venue. The DAV College of Education celebrated the Women Day by organising variety of activities. — OC

Moga, March 8
International Women Day was celebrated at the Dr Shyam Lal Thapar College of Nursing here, today.

Dr Malti Thapar, former health and medical education minister and chairperson of the institution, while presiding over the function gave a brief account of the importance of Women Day to the nursing students.

Also a senior Congress leader, she expressed her thanks to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for bringing the Women Reservation Bill in this session of Parliament. She criticised the leaders of some opposition parties who were trying to put hurdles in passing of this Bill.

Principal of the college Usha Sharma said that a speech and poster competitions were organised for the women students on the occasion. Rajpal Kaur, Pardeep Kaur and Rawal Kaur got first, second and third positions, respectively, in the poster competition. Similarly, Gursharan Kaur, Navjeet Kaur and Rawal Kaur got first, second and third positions in the speech competition.

Bathinda, March 8
Hundreds of people were put to gross inconvenience today at the Mini-secretariat with functions being held to mark International Women's Day keeping the officials away.

The condition of most offices situated there, the food and supply department or the Suvidha Centre, was similar. A number of chairs were lying vacant and people were waiting for the officials to return get their work done.

The corridor where the office of the ADC (General) is located witnessed a huge crowd. About hundred applicants for arms licenses squatted on the floor as they waited for the official.

People who were waiting said they were there since morning to get their applications approved. In her absence, her subordinates too had not conveyed any message to them, they alleged.

"Whenever we visit the Mini-secretariat, either the officials are said to have gone on VIP duty or are said to be attending some cultural function. You are lucky if you find the officials in their chairs to meet the public," rued people sitting there.

When contacted, ADC Shruti Singh said she was busy as she had been attending various functions across the district on the occasion of Women's Day." About the crowd assembled outside her office, waiting for her to arrive, she said, “My staff has conveyed the message to all.”

Ironically, the ADC's office is located just opposite the DC's office. When the matter was brought to the DC's notice, he assured of immediate action to redress public grievances.

While attending functions is inevitable for the officials, the organizers of such functions too fail to realize that holding them during the office hours inconveniences the public as it keeps officials away.

Coupled with factors like the red-tape, it only makes the matter worse for the ordinary people, driving home the point that it's still a long way to go before responsive administration becomes a reality. 

Bathinda, March 8
In what could be termed as a case of carelessness, a traffic cop of Bathinda police has issued a post-dated challan to a rule violator. Moreover, the challan has been issued without even mentioning the documents retained to produce in the court.

Showing a copy of the challan, Gurveer Singh of Bibiwala road, said, "I was the pillion rider on a motorcycle, bearing number PB03L8474, which was being driven by my friend Param Raj Singh a few days back. A traffic cop, Satnam Singh, who was inebriated, intercepted us and issued a challan for the want of insurance and pollution certificate."

Speaking further, Gurveer said, "He took the registration certificate (RC) of the vehicle in possession but did not mention it on the challan. Moreover, he mentioned the date of offence as March 18, 2010, which is still quite far and the date for appearing the court was March 3, 2010. When we asked aboit the irregularity, he used derogatory language," alleged Gurveer Singh.

"I have been running from pillar to post to appear in the court to get the RC back, after depositing the fine. But due to the wrong date mentioned on the challan, the court staff could not even find the documents pertaining to it," he alleged.

On their part, staff deputed in the traffic police post, here, after going through the registers admitted the challan was bearing a wrong date of issuance as well as the date of attending the court to get the documents released.

Mansa, March 8
They have no real idea of living in this world as they are deprived of vision since childhood.

Three youngsters who are blind by birth depend upon their poor parents for a living.

Amritpal Singh (23) said that they feel ill-fated as they were not able to see the world and could not do anything due to blindness.

He had run a PCO from his house that is situated in Chank village near Budhlada in Mansa district to make some contribution to their poor parents but with the advancement in communication technology it could not continue for a long time.

He has 250 mobile numbers in his memory and dials phone numbers only by guessing. “I want to be financially independent so that we do not have to depend upon our poor parents anymore,” said Amritpal while talking to this correspondent. He further regretted that he could not study as no facility was available to them.

Speaking about financial aid from government, he informed that he receives only Rs 250 as aid after every two months. His two sisters, Kiranpal Kaur (married) and Aman Kaur do not get any help or pension from the government. Kiranpal Kaur encountered another tragedy in her life when her first husband died after sometime. Now, she has been staying with her second husband at another place.

Both ill-fated sisters could do only household jobs and could not study due to lack of facilities.

Sukhdev Singh, father of the visually handicapped children, the only breadwinner, is a daily wage earner. He was not present at home. Manjit Kaur, their mother, is a homemaker said that government had not provided any help or facility to her children till now. She said that her children are blind by birth and possible efforts were made to provide treatment to them but due to poverty it could not succeed. She sought help from the government for her ill-fated children.

Ferozepur, March 8
Punjab transport minister Mohan Lal has directed the district civil authorities to carry out a probe to find out the reasons which led to an accident near the toll tax barrier, situated on Ferozepur-Abohar road late last evening that claimed the lives of nine persons.

The minister who along with district officials visited the Jalalabad civil hospital to inquire about the well-being of those getting treatment here, said that Punjab government would ensure medical treatment of all the injured free of cost.

While expressing his sympathies with the kin of deceased and with those, who had suffered injuries, he added that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had already announced that Rs one lakh would be given to the kin of those who were killed in the accident.

At least nine persons were killed and more than 30 persons suffered multiple injuries when two speeding buses collided head-on at Mamu Johia village on the Ferozepur-Abohar road. Both the buses were ferrying members of two marriage parties.

The impact of collision was so huge that both the buses were damaged beyond recognition and injured were taken out of the damaged vehicles by the volunteers of various non-governmental organisations of Jalalabad after a lot of hard work.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that seven occupants of these two ill-fated buses died on the spot and other two succumbed to their injuries while getting treatment in various hospitals. Information revealed that the injured, who had been admitted in various hospitals of Faridkot, Ferozepur and Jalalabad hospitals after being critically injured in the accident had been getting treatment.

However, the doctors attending on them had kept them under observation as some of them had been battling for their lives.

Information revealed that volunteers of Jalalabad and a section of chemist shop owners arranged medicines free of cost for the injured. Even the ambulances were called from Fazilka, Ferozepur, Guru Har Sahai and other towns of this district to shift the patients to other hospitals.

Meanwhile, on the demand of residents of Jalalabad, Mohan Lal, transport minister, said that he would put efforts so that a blood bank could be established in the civil hospital, Jalalabad. 

Chandigarh, March 8
A week-long series of events to commemorate International Women’s Day concluded with a colourful cultural programme at the Chandigarh Air Force Station today. These included a lecture on suicide prevention, workshop on cancer awareness, various competitions and an excursion to the Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore.

President, Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Local), Neeta Sachdeva was the chief guest at the prize distribution function. She also launched a website of the association’s local chapter which will give all information of association’s activities.

Conveying his congratulations and gratitude to ladies of the station, Air Officer Commanding, 12 Wing, Air Cmde Rajeev Sachdeva said it was the contribution of the ladies on the family front which relieved their husbands from family commitments and who in turn could concentrate on their professional commitments.

At No 3 Base Repair Depot, Air Cmde Ravinder Sharma, AOC, 3 BRD felicitated the women work force of the Depot comprising Lady Officers and civilian employees and re-affirmed the pledge to protect the rights of women. — TNS

Abohar/Fazilka, March 8
Dozens of sarpanches and panchayat members of different villages falling under Abohar and Fazilka sub-divisions demanded that the state government must empower them so that they could participate in decision making of matters connected with those, who deal with rural populace.

The sarpanches and panchayat members of different villages expressed their desire to be a part of the decision making process while interacting with officials concerned in various training camps held in villages falling in the border pockets of these two sub-divisions of Ferozepur district by Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration, Punjab (MGSIPAP).

Information gathered by TNS revealed that sarpanches and other elected representatives demanded that state government must take them in confidence before enlisting any one beneficiary under its ‘Shagun scheme’ or other schemes connected with old age pension and widow pension.

They also demanded that those villages where the state government had allowed sand mining and had given the same on contract must be given money in shape of royalty so that same funds could be utilised for the development of same villages.

The MGSIPAP has been organising regular camps in villages for the capacity building of the sarpanches and other panchayat members so that they could handle the affairs of panchayat in a professional manner. Four such camps were organised in Jandwala Meerasangla, Rana, Nihal Khera and Karni Khera, located closed vicinity of the Indo-Pak border.

Gyan Singh, Regional Project Coordinator, said the elected representatives were also educated about the methods following which they could run the affairs of various departments which had been handed over to panchayat under the decentralisation of power scheme of the Centre government. They were also told about the methods to enable them to plan the development of their respective areas in professional manner.

He said even those women representatives, who would cover their face under the veil, had been attending the camp where the resource persons, hired from different fields, imparted them training. So far about 70 such camps had been organised in the Ferozepur division. 

Jalalabad, March 8
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded that a ban must be imposed on the forwarding trading of all kinds of goods and registration of cases against the hoarders under the National Security Act (NSA) to check the rising prices of essential commodities.

Disclosing this here recently, Joginder Dyal, member, national executive, CPI, said that four left parties including CPI, CPM, Forward Block and RSP would take out a march towards Parliament on March 12 to press the Congress-led UPA government to take these steps to put an effective check on the rising prices of essential commodities.

Dyal, who has been addressing rallies in various parts of this district to mobilise people to join the protest march being taken towards Parliament, said the other issues, which had been taken up by these four parties included the failure of UPA in maintaining the pace of food grain production, carrying out land reforms and protection of democracy.

He added that for food security in the country, the Central government must earmark 33 per cent of its annual budget for agriculture. The UPA must give waste and other surplus lands to the landless farmers with agriculture implements and interest free loans so that they could produce more food grain for the country.

Alleging that the UPA has blatantly been ignoring the increased use of money and muscle power in the democracy (all types of elections), he said almost every state had been facing a kind of situation where the power had been perpetuating in one family only and this had given rise to new kind of ‘dynastic rule'’in the country. He pointed out that effective electoral reforms were need of the hour so that criminal could be kept away from entering into the state assemblies and the Parliament as elected representatives of the people. 

Abohar, March 8
Arrival of sheep wool (hair) at the local grain market started recently but the shepherds complained of exploitation by the buyers. They even threatened to transport the wool to neighbouring markets of Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts as higher rates were being offered there.

Shepherds who transported small quantity of sheep wool today from village Amarpura-Bahavwala of this sub-division revealed to this correspondent that about one kg of wool can be gained by shaving the sheep twice in a year.

“We have been facing multifaceted problems in nourishing sheep herds as grazing area gets reduced day-by-day. My family takes care of 75 sheep and had to pocket off Rs 20,000 on purchasing fodder for them besides roaming here and there from dawn to dusk. The state government offers loan on sheep but it too involves underhand expanses to get the amount of loan. Now, the traders here are offering Rs 3000-3200 for each quintal of wool whereas our relatives in drought-hit Pallu area of Hanumangarh districts were selling similar quality of wool at Rs 6 thousand per quintal,” Ram Avtar said.

Interaction with other shepherds from village Choohriwala Dhanna, Khubban and Sardarpura indicated that they were also critical of the state government for not initiating action against the stray dogs who roam around the cremation grounds of dead animals and had many a time attacked sheep and goat sheds during the past year. No compensation had been announced for the animals killed due to the dog menace so far.

Interestingly, the cane growers from the neighbouring Rajasthan region were again found passing recently through Abohar sub-division to deliver sugarcane at a private mills at Patran which was offering cash payment at rates higher than Sriganganagar mills.

The latter has been closed for want of sugarcane by now. The mills in Rajasthan offered Rs 185 per quintal of sugarcane that included bonus while the mills at Bodiwala Peetha, Dhuri and Patran had been purchasing the same quality of sugarcane at Rs 235-260 per quintal, the rate has further shot up by now.

However, the shepherds of Abohar visibly appear upset over poor rates offered here for wool and may prefer to sale it in the neighbouring markets of Rajasthan as indicated by some of them this week.