Bathinda, June 27
The administration today restored the power supply to village Ramniwas, where normal life remained disrupted due to absence of power since Friday. Snapping the power supply, the administration had left the villagers high and dry. The villagers, including women, kids and cattle, were forced to bear the scorching weather without water and fans.

The power supply to the village was snapped by the Powercom on the direction of the district administration after the villagers lodged an aggressive protest against a drive for shifting the power meters from inside the house to outside.

Enraged over the indefinite snapping of power supply to the village, residents along with a large number of activists of the farmer and farm-labour unions staged a dharna at Lehra Dhoorkot village on Saturday and blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh National Highway.

The day-long dharna was lifted in the evening with a threat to intensify the protest on Sunday.

Meanwhile, some social activists of the district lodged a complaint against the “heartless and inhuman” attitude of the district administration with the state as well as national human rights commission.

Considering pros and cons, the district administration today restored the power supply of the village.

While the villagers and the leaders of the farmer and farm-labour unions termed it as a victory of their protest, speaking over phone, Rampura Phul SDM Umashankar said, “We restored the power supply only after villagers pleaded mercy.”

“The villagers also assured us of not following the farmer union leaders creating a hurdle in shifting the meters out of their houses,” the SDM said.

Replying a query about the fate of the drive to shift meters, the SDM said it would be resumed after two-three days, as the chief minister was in Muktsar district and the administration, including police, was engaged in VIP duties.

Bathinda, June 27
A woman was killed while four others, including two kids, sustained multiple injuries when a four-wheeler they were travelling in turned turtle near Bhucho mandi in this district today.

The victims were returning after attending a wedding ceremony at Kotkapura when a snag occurred in the vehicle and the driver lost control over it.

The deceased has been identified as Parminder Kaur of Giana village. — TNS

Bathinda, June 27
CM Parkash Singh Badal today inaugurated an English Language Lab at Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Bhagu, in Muktsar district.

Principal of the school, Parminder Kaur Sandhu said the lab was developed with an aim to enable the students from rural areas compete with those studying in convent schools. The students will be imparted training in English speaking with modern techniques, the principal added. 

Abohar, June 27
To thwart nefarious designs of forces inimical to India, the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities have set up four layers security arrangements on the Indo-Pak border. For the first time, the existing three layers security setup has been strengthened by one additional security layer.

This exercise has been undertaken as the intelligence inputs have revealed that terrorists’ outfits operating from Pakistan could destabilise the peace process initiated by the governments of both India and Pakistan through the ongoing foreign secretaries level talks and coming foreign ministers meet in July 2010.

Official sources said under four layers security setup, the BSF troops had been deployed in close vicinity of the Zero Line, in the area falling between Zero Line and the cobra fencing, alongside the cobra fencing towards Indian side and about 800 metres deep inside the Indian territory in the border pockets.

First the BSF authorities alerted its troops when a joint operation against the terrorists belonging to various outfits was launched in Lahore and its surrounding areas by Pakistan rangers, Pakistan Army and police force about a month ago to flush them out from that area. Intelligence inputs revealed that terrorists might infiltrate into Indian soil to escape joint operation.7

“Moreover, the incidents connected with unprovoked firing in Simbal Skol area in Gurdaspur, rocket firing in Amritsar and unprovoked firing in Fazilka sector a few years ago do not allow us to use any kind of laxity while protecting the Punjab frontiers,” pointed out DIG, BSF, Abohar sector, Vimal Satyarthi.

“Additional troops have been mobilised from the battalion headquarters to make the four layers security setup a big success. The women constables have been given the task to maintain vigil on the border in a professional way while extending all comforts to them during the duty hours,” he disclosed, adding that the senior functionaries had started visiting the forwards areas regularly. Satyarthi said four layer security arrangements would be a permanent feature on the border.

“The security layer erected deep inside the Indian territory, at a distance of about 800 metres from the International Border (IB) is being used to keep a watch on the movements of strangers and suspicious elements in the border areas. This security wall is helpful in stopping the unscrupulous elements including smugglers and their couriers to reach near the IB,” he added.

Ferozepur, June 27
TeriSikhi, an organisation of Sikhs settled in foreign nations, has urged the Government of India to respect to the offer made by the Government of Pakistan in connection with the setting up of corridor to Kartarpur Sahib from the International border.

Kartarpur Sahib, located in Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal district of Pakistan, was the place where Guru Nanak Dev spent about 17 years of his life and outlined basic principles of his religious philosophy, which later became fundamentals of the Sikh religion. The place is an abode of the ultimate faith for Sikhs.

Jaspal Singh Sandhu, chairman, TeriSikhi, said as Pakistan Government had offered to set up corridor from the International border to Kartarpur Sahib, where first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev spent the last years of his life, the government of India must make arrangements to set up corridor from Dera Baba Naka to the international border.

He said TeriSikhi had already urged the government of India and Pakistan to include the issue connected with opening of Kartarpur Sahib corridor into the agenda of talks that would be held between their foreign ministers in July.

“Now Syed Asif Hashmi, chief, Evacuee Trust Property Board, Pakistan, has made an offer that Pakistan is ready for talks with India to create such a special corridor for the safe passage of pilgrims between Dera Baba Naka and Kartarpur Sahib, both situated on each bank of river Ravi. The Government of India should use this opportunity to fulfil long-cherished demand of Sikhs,” he said.

Sarbjit Singh Mann and Rabinder Singh, senior executive directors, TeriSikhi, said a memorandum in connection with the opening of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib corridor signed by 20,000 Sikhs living in nook and corner of globe, has already been given to both the governments of Pakistan and India.

“We hope that now countdown has begun for this corridor, which would prove ‘passage of peace’ between India and Pakistan and play a great role in stabilising the peace in this region,” they claimed.

“TeriSikhi has organised a function in Dera Baba Nanak a few months ago to mobilise support for its mission from all over the globe. It received encouraging response from about 35,000 Sikhs, who came from all over the world and assembled there to press the authorities concerned to open Kartarpur Sahib corridor without any delay. 

Fazilka, June 27
To lessen the increasing number of prisoners at the local sub-jail, the district and sessions judge, Jaspal Singh, ordered to release some prisoners, who were involved in petty cases of gambling, theft and assault. Overall 15 convict undergoing sentences in such small crimes were released.

The judiciary organised a maiden camp at the sub-jail Fazilka, in which, besides Jaspal Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ferozepur, Karnail Singh listened to 25 cases and disposed of most of them.

Notably, the Fazilka sub-jail is overcrowded with the prisoners resulting in overcrowding. Keeping this in view, a special trial court was organised on Saturday.

DSP, sub-jail, Iqbal Singh said some prisoners have to undergo imprisonment in petty cases as in routine 3-4 months are taken in the trial of these cases resulting in overcrowding.

Move over in scorching heat and long power cuts, the prisoners have to face difficulties in the jails. Local judicial magistrate Charanjit Arora and SDM of Fazilka, Ajay Sood were also present.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, June 27
Thousands of fans felt dismayed as neither right-arm off-break bowler Mohammad Kaif nor left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam turned up to grace the closing ceremony of the five-day VIII National Senior Women, Men Cricket tournament that concluded at the Ramlila ground in Sriganganagar recently.

The district BJP president, Mohinder Singh Sodhi gave away the trophies as chief guest. The chairman of the organising committee, Rajveer Singh, announced that an international-level cricket tournament would be organised by the next year here.

Rajasthan girls’ team clinched the trophy in their category by defeating Punjab. While choosing to bat first, Rajasthan scored 58 runs while Punjab could score only 35.

In the senior boys final, UP team won the toss and scored 89 in six overs. Chasing the target, Mumbai team crumbled at 54. Punjab was placed at third position in boys and UP in girls’ category. The valedictory session was made colorful with dances by Kesar Bhangra group and Star academy artists.

Fazilka, June 27
The residents of Fazilka and nearby areas are deprived of the “justice at doorstep” principle laid down by the judiciary and the government.

Prime Minister and Law Minister have repeatedly announced to provide justice to the general public and poor litigants at their doorstep.

However, it proved to be hollow as far as the residents of Fazilka are concerned, alleged president, Fazilka Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti, chairman, Rajesh Kumar Angi in a press-release here today.

He said the district headquarters of Ferozepur is situated at a distance of about 125 kilometers.

To cover such a long distance is not only expensive but inconvenient also for the public.

Angi further pleaded that Fazilka is geographically suitable to make the district headquarter because it is situated at an equal distance from both the sub-divisions of Abohar and Jalalabad.

Fazilka is one of the oldest sub-division of Punjab. Abohar and Jalalabad sub-divisions were earlier the part of this sub-division.

Former president of the Bar Association, Angi, alleged that the successive government and leaders of all the parities have betrayed the people of Fazilka as they never made effort to provide any relief to them.

Rajesh Kumer Agni urged the CM of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, to declare Fazilka a district headquarters otherwise the Samiti would re-launch their agitation. 

Ferozepur, June 27
To enable the youths of Ferozepur (urban) assembly segment to lead a meaningful life, Parminder Singh, general secretary, Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC), has undertaken the task of initiating them into the game of cricket so that they could be stopped from entering into the world of addiction.

To start with, the Congress leader has constituted cricket teams of youths, who belong to that age group, which is prone to attack of drug addiction, in 71 villages and 33 wards of municipal council falling in the assembly segment.

These teams have been given the cricket kits so that they could practice the game daily.

“I am arranging money on my own for this task. I have been intending to start this project for the past many years. The objective of this mission is to keep the youths away from drugs and to de-addict those, who have already fallen prey to drugs by initiating them into the game of cricket,” pointed out Parminder.

Drug abuse in this border district had acquired alarming dimensions and situation had reached a point where death had started devouring their lives. Efforts being made by the government agencies to stop the spread of addiction among youths had not been proving themselves sufficient, he added.

Parminder disclosed that a number of youths, who had become members of the cricket teams, setup at village level, had taken a pledge before him today that they would resist temptations of drugs and would make them selves strong physically and psychologically through the game of cricket.

“We would hold a district-level cricket championship in September 2010 in Ferozepur. The teams, which would be placed first and second, would be allowed to play a match in the international-level stadium,” he said adding that the prize money in this championship could also be introduced at later stage.

After this exercise became a movement of sorts, the members of these teams would be pressed into service to bring addicts of their respective areas into the mainstream of the society by using personal counselling and by setting up their cricket teams.