Mansa, June 29
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has imposed a monetary penalty on the authorities of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) and the Nagar Council for providing inadequate services against which they were collecting charges from local residents.

A group of residents of the Labh Singh Street near local bus stand and ward number 7 and 9 of the city had recently filed a complaint with the Forum accusing the authorities of the PWSSB and the executive officer of the Nagar Council, Mansa, of paying no heed to their repeated complaints regarding choked sewerage system and sewerage water spilling over the lanes.

The complainants pleaded that passers-by faced a lot of difficulty as the manholes were lying broken and uncovered. They had also alleged that the water being supplied to them for drinking was mixed with sewerage and due to inaction on the part of the officials concerned they were compelled to drink the contaminated water.

Besides, they claimed a compensation of Rs 50,000 along with litigation expenses.

Though the defendants refuted the allegations and tried to pass the buck on each other as well on the residents for the trouble, a joint bench of the Forum observed that it was the duty of the defendants to maintain the water supply and sewerage system so as to prevent such overflowing of sewerage.

Further, it was also stated that they should have taken proper steps to repair broken sewerage covers, as it would not only cause overflowing of sewerage water but also pose danger to the lives of residents, including kids.

Fixing the responsibility of the accused parties, the joint bench comprising Geroge (president) and Neena Rani Gupta and Sarat Chander (both members) asserted that the sewerage system of the entire Nagar Council, , including the Labh Singh Street, should be made functional by de-silting the same within 60 days.

Further, it found the authorities of the PWSSB and Nagar Council deficient in rendering adequate service and directed them to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 each. The amount of compensation has to be deposited in the Consumer Welfare fund of the Forum within 30 days. Besides, the guilty officials have also been directed to pay an amount of Rs 5,000 in equal share to the complainants.

The joint bench mentioned that the departments concerned could recover the penalty from the erring officials in service during February, 2010, as they were responsible for causing harassment and inconvenience to the complainants.

Bathinda, June 29
With the Punjab government releasing Rs 46.08 crore recently for old-age pensions and financial assistance to widows/destitute women, dependent children and disabled persons throughout the state for the month of May, it appears that it is now on the path of releasing social security funds on time every month in future.

The funds were released through the district offices of the Social Security Department, Punjab.

Sources said the government had cleared the backlog of pensions/financial assistance this month and would continue the process of releasing funds on time every month so as to avoid piling up of such payments. Earlier, the beneficiaries had to wait for the payment for months together.

According to information available, funds for old-age pensions and financial assistance to widows/destitute women, dependent children and disabled persons for February and March had been released by the government in May this year while the same for April, were received in the first week of June. For May, the government released the funds in the last week of June through district offices.

The state government has released more than Rs 46.08 crore for old-age pension and financial assistance due for the month of May.

The same would be distributed among more than 18 lakh elderly persons, widows/destitute women, dependent children and disabled persons. Out of the amount released, over Rs 2.66 crore is for about 94,000 beneficiaries in the Bathinda district.

Bathinda, June 29
“We have no link with today’s Maoism. We are only fighting for the honour and respect of the labour class,” stated state general secretary of the Mazdoor Mukti Morcha (MMM) Bhagwant Singh Samao and district president of the MMM Harwinder Singh Sema here today.

They also said the statement of the Punjab DGP that some labour and farmer organisations were active in Punjab as front organisations of Maoists, was just political as the farmers and labourers were running agitations for the fulfillment of their demands in the state.

They said the policies of the state and central governments were pro-capitalist. They said they strongly opposed the government’s policies promoting privatisation and globalisation and would continue to fight against these in the larger interests of labourers.

Samao said to maintain the honour of labourers, seek employment and plots for labourers, and against rising prices, the labourers would observe a nationwide strike on July 7. They appealed to the labourers working in rural as well as urban areas, and persons from weaker sections of the society to join the strike and stage dharnas at block levels throughout the state on the day.

Samao further said the MMM was also demanding 10 marla plot for every poor and interest-free loan of Rs one lakh for construction of house. Strict implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in villages was another demand of the MMM.

Bhikhi (Mansa), June 29
Stray animals, piles of garbage, overgrown weed and a shabby look of the local bus stand presents a picture of official apathy. Thanks to the callousness of the officials concerned, the double-storey complex constructed a year ago at the cost of Rs 52 lakh is still awaiting its inauguration.

In absence of any check, stray cattle move around the structure. Adding insult to the injury, people too have now started giving green fodder to the cattle.

The two old lavatories at the bus stand are permanently locked. So, people have to visit a secluded place behind the bus stand to answer the call of nature.

Besides a number of nearby destinations, the bus stand caters to a good number of buses running between Bathinda and Chandigarh via Mansa. Due to poor upkeep of the place, the commuters avoid entering it and board buses outside the bus stand. A large number of bus drivers too have stopped taking their buses inside. “Though we get passengers from outside the bus stand, we are forced to pay the entry and exit fee (Adda fee) every time, which is quite unfair,” rued a group of drivers and conductors.

It may be mentioned that deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal, while seeking votes for his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal during Lok Sabha polls, had promised a state-of-the-art bus stand here. Till date, nothing tangible had come up to substantiate his statement.

President of the Municipal Council Jagsir Singh said, “Earlier, there was some legal hurdle in the process, which has now been removed. After finishing some petty works, the new building will be made functional.”

Bathinda, June 29
The Bhagta police arrested two persons, including a woman, for capturing an objectionable video clip of a woman of Selbra Patti and blackmailing her.

Police sources said the complainant alleged that one of her friends Manjeet Kaur took her to one Raman Kaur of the village where a man, Phula Pandit, was already present. She fell unconscious after consuming a cup of tea that she was served. Then, the accused trio captured objectionable video clip of her. Later, they showed her the footage and demanded Rs 20,000 from her in case she wanted the footage not to be circulated.

Lodging a case under sections 509, 385 and 511 of the IPC, the police arrested Raman Kaur and Phula Pandit while Manjeet Kaur is at large. — TNS

Fazilka, June 29
Congress workers today jammed traffic for about three hours and staged dharna at Malout Chowk to protest against the alleged atrocities being committed on them by the ruling alliance besides denying them the basic amenities.

Congressmen, led by former MLA, Mohinder Singh Rinwa, said their protest would continue in a peaceful manner until the SAD-BJP combine government of Punjab did not stop implicating the Congressmen and commoners into false criminal cases.

Those who participated in the agitation included Surinder Kalra, former chairman, Improvement Trust, Hari Chand Kamboj, former president, Municipal Council, Vijayinder Singh, member Zila Parishad, Des Raj Kamboj and Roshan Lal Khungar (both senior Congress leaders).

Rinwa said they were forced to adopt the path of agitation as the human rights of Congressmen and commoners were being violated by the police under the 'diktats' of the ruling politicians. He said Harnek Singh, Congress municipal councillor had been sent to jail by the police after implicating him into a false criminal case.

The other factors, which had forced them to sit on the road was that about 45 border villages were not being supplied canal water for paddy transplantation and unscheduled power cuts were being imposed in all sectors.

He said that the so-called police-public meet being organised by senior functionaries of the police in this region had become the biggest joke as no Congressmen or their representative was invited to such functions.

Ferozepur, June 29
Four officials of Punsup, including a former district manager, have been found at fault in connection with the presence of sandstones and sand in the wheat bags, in the inquiry conducted by committee comprising the deputy director, food and supply, Punjab, the district food and supply controller and the Tehsildar, Ferozepur.

DC K. K. Yadav said that he had sent his report to higher authorities of food and supply department for further action. He confirmed that officials, who had been found at fault for this thing, had been identified as Surinder, Jagir Singh, Sham Lal and A.C. Bikan, former district manager of Punsup, Ferozepur. He said now the food and supply department authorities were to take action on the report.

Dharamjit Singh Grewal, Managing Director, Punsup, when contacted, said that he was yet to apply his mind to the report as he was busy in number of meetings. He said that he would be able to tell about the action, which could be taken against the officials, who were at fault, only after applying his mind to the report.

Sources said that inquiry report had also been submitted to Punjab food and supply minister, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, yesterday by members of the high powered committee. — TNS

Abohar, June 29
Following complaints from a number of rural consumers that some fair price shop licensees indulged in unfair practices, Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana today visited a colony outside village Balluana on the NH 10 and distributed wheat and other articles among the blue ration cardholders.

Claiming that more than 2,500 blue cards were issued to the BPL families, he said fresh survey would be conducted to bring more eligible families in to the ambit of blue cards. Five-member committee will be formed in each village to monitor distribution of essential commodities to the cardholders. He warned to cancel the licence of those licensees who failed to ensure fair distribution. — OC

Abohar, June 29
Separate Sikh state will be our poll plank in the SGPC elections, SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann said here today.

Addressing a gathering inside a gurdwara in Sunder Nagari and later speaking to the media he said "the Sikhs can no more tolerate discrimination. We have been denied whatever was promised during the partition of the country in 1947. If trial of the Mumbai terror accused Kasab can be convicted in less than two years, why those who massacred Sikhs in 1984 have not been sentenced till today. Many Sikhs had been black-listed without serving show cause notices even but none booked BJP leaders L K Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee for spitting venom in Gujarat."

Speaking over SGPC elections, he said why this oldest parliament of Sikhs was allowed to function as lame duck when it had ceased validity by August 31, 2009. Crores of rupees had since been spent by the ruling group backed by SAD (B) chief Badal. The Sikh masses had now made up their mind to throw this group out of power. We have decided to field candidates for all the 170 seats, he added.

He released the second list of 27 candidates that included Balbir Singh Fauji (Abohar), Navpreet Singh Advocate Chimnewala (Fazilka), Iqbal Singh Guru Har Sahai (Jalalabad), Jagjit Singh Khai (Nihalsinghwala), Pal Singh Tatariyewala (Moga), Baba Gurnam Singh Samalsar (Bagha Purana) and Baba Surinder Hari Singh Sarai Naga (Muktsar).

Those present included former MP Dhian Singh Mand, SAD (A) general secretaries Gurinder Pal Singh Dhanaula, Jaskaran Singh Kahansinghwala, Prof Mohinder Pal Singh, Karnail Singh, Baba Amarjit Singh Kila Hamian, Bahadur Singh Bhanaur and Jagdev Singh Samagh Gidderbaha.

Some SAD (B) workers including Gurbux Singh Juneja of Gidderbaha were presented with saropas as they joined the SAD (A) during the meeting.

Abohar, June 29
Suspecting that uranium might be flowing with Beas water that gets mixed with Sutlej at Pandoh, SAD (A) chief Simranjit Singh Mann urged the Central government to get it examined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to combat high incidence of cancer in the Malwa region.

Speaking to the media after releasing second list of candidates for the SGPC elections at a gurdwara at Sunder Nagari here Tuesday, he said uranium contents might be found in the heavy water plant of the fertiliser factory at Nangal. The possibility of hazardous contents emanating from the Mansarovar Lake could also not be ruled out.

Ferozepur, June 29
Different teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and water and sanitation wing of the Public Health Department, Punjab, were pressed into service today to collect water samples from various points located in villages of this district bordering Pakistan.

On Monday, a team of officials of the district health department took the samples of water from about 12 villages situated on the banks of river Sutlej. Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the government had been taking issue connected with the consumption of contaminated water by the residents of border pockets seriously after this thing started generating unrest among them.

However, Deputy Commissioner, Kamal Kishore Yadav, when contacted, said a mobile van of the public health department with its officials were called to take water samples so that the status of water being consumed by the people could be known.

A senior functionary of the PPCB, when contacted, said samples had been taken on the directions of the PPCB authorities after news items in connection with the contamination of drinking water in the border belts appeared in various dailies. The samples of water of river Sutlej was also taken by the PPCB scientists.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the Public Health department's team, which took the samples from about 12 villages, located near Ferozepur city, would continue to take samples of water from other pockets of this district.

Bathinda, June 29
The Desh Bhagat Institute of Management and Computer Sciences organised summer internships for students of various branches.

Prof Director general of the institutes, Shalini Gupta said that they had been organising Job Fests and various Campus Placement Drives on regular basis for the placements of students from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Congratulating students on their selections in the renowned organisations, Dr Zora Singh, chairman, Tajinder Kaur, vice -chairperson and Shalini Gupta hoped that the trainee students would get maximum practical and field exposure during their summer trainings. — TNS