The employees alleged the executive officer of the local body, while reacting to the instructions of the DM, initiated a move to give the jobs but he has been suspended from service.

Interestingly, after his suspension, the EO, to gain the support of employees, is believed to have spread the word among the employees that the government has suspended him because he initiated the process of giving jobs to the kin of the victims. The employees demanded that he be reinstated.

It is alleged that the protest is a well calculated move by a section of the employees, who were hand-in-glove with the Executive Officer, to gain the support of the employees when they were already agitated over the issue of jobs and were planning to launch the protests.

The issue also took a political turn when some employees blamed the minister for local bodies Manoranjan Kalia as as the man behind the suspension of the executive officer. — TNS

Bathinda, July 10
Almost all the speakers at a seminar, organised by the Health Department in connection with 'World Population Day' here today, urged the people to play a vital role in one way or the other for controlling population of the country and seeing India in the list of developed countries in the years to come.

The speakers also expressed concern over the population, being increased during the past several decades in the country.

Principal of the local Swami Vivekananda Girls College, Raj Gupta, said it was being expected that in the light of increasing rate of the population in the country, India's population would cross the figure of 200 crore till the year 2050 which was 100 crore in 2000 and 36 crore in 1950. She further said increasing population was the root-cause behind the global warming, spread of pollution and felling of the trees. She also held illiteracy factor responsible for the increase in the country's population.

Community AIDS educator Narinder Bassi said his message to the people was “Give importance to girls on par with boys and educate them.”

He said an educated girl could disseminate the message in a big way to control the population.

Medical Administrator of Adesh Medical Institute, Bhucho (Bathinda) Dr Jagjit Singh termed poverty, illiteracy, desire to have a male child etc main causes behind the increase in population of the country.

He said government's population policy, nowadays, existed only on papers as it was not being implemented properly to keep the vote bank intact. He also said that all should adopt one child norm to control the increasing population.

Presiding over the seminar Bathinda civil surgeon Dr I.D. Goyal emphasised the need of girls' education to control population. He said educated girls got better treatment in the family and helped their families in a big way. He also asked the people to give respect to the girls, equal to the boys, in their families.

Among others who also addressed the seminar, included district family welfare officer Dr R.S. Randhawa, vice-president of the Bharat Vikas Parishad, Punjab (South) M.P. Arora, immediate past president of Rotary Club, Bathinda Cantt Parshotam, and mass media officer in Civil Surgeon's office Usha Singla. On the occasion students of Mahant Gurbanta Dass Nursing College presented a skit on the topic of population. 

Bathinda, July 10
A pall of gloom descended on two villages of this district, Teona and Ghudda, after the death of two cousins during their pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib.

The tragedy struck, when a stone from the hills fell on the bus, they were boarding, near Srinagar, a small a town on the way.

According to the bereaved kin, Jaswant Singh of village Teona along with his two cousins namely, Mehar Singh of village Ghudda and Darshan Singh of village Dialpura (both brothers) had left for Hemkund Sahib on July 7, boarding a train from Bathinda.

Leaving the train at Haridwar, they boarded a private bus for the further journey. The tragedy took place, when the bus reached near Srinagar and a huge stone rolled down from the hills and fell on the bus.

The falling stone hit that part of the bus where the trio was sitting causing injuries to them - the head of Jaswant Singh (40) was crushed, Mehar Singh (50) suffered severe injury on his abdomen and Darshan sustained minor injuries.

Locals rushed them to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Jaswant Singh brought dead.

Further, before they could start operating on Mehar Singh, he also succumbed to his injuries.

After first-aid, Darshan hired a private vehicle and took the bodies of both deceased to Bathinda, early this morning.

After completing the medico-legal formalities, both were cremated at their respective villages, this afternoon.

Kin of the deceased informed that Jaswant and Mehar both had been medical practitioners at their villages for past long time. Jaswant is survived by his wife and a 15-year-old son, Raju, who studies at Bathinda. Mehar is survived by his wife and two sons and one daughter (all unmarried).

Members of the bereaved families were not in the position to talk to media while villagers said that Jaswant and Mehar were appeared excited before leaving for the pilgrimage. 

Bathinda, July 10
To expose the weaknesses in the Congress-led Union government, activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) today held a rally at Budhladha in Mansa district, where the speakers accused the PM Manmohan Singh for ignoring the fate of common man.

Referring to the slogan ‘Congress ka haath aam admi ke saath’, CPI national secretary Amarjeet Kaur said, “The slogan was a mere tactics of the Congress to befool the voters.”

Organiser of the rally, former MLA Hardev Singh Arshi proposed two agendas, first, to nab the land mafia in Mansa district and second, to support the cause of NREGA workers.

Among others, Jagjit Singh Joga, Ved Parkash, Balvir Singh Mandra, Gurdeep Hira and Harkesh Mander were also present in the rally. 

Ferozepur, July 10
Raj Kiran Kaur, a newly-wedded girl, was thrown into the canal passing through village Rau Ke of Mamdot belt of this district, after being mercilessly beaten up by her husband and other kin after she failed to satisfy their lust for dowry late last night.

However, she was saved by some farmers who were irrigating their paddy fields by drawing the water from the same canal. She was taken to hospital and her parents were informed about the incident. Raj Kiran, who belonged to village Lakha Singh Wala Uthad was married to Manjinder Singh of village Rau Ke about three months ago.

In her statement to the police made from the hospital, she alleged that one night, she was beaten up mercilessly by all the five accused when she failed to fulfil their demand for a new car and was taken to the canal and thrown into it.

She added that as she did not know how to swim, she raised an alarm. On listening to her cries for help, some farmers, who were working in their fields at the dead of night, came to her rescue.

Aitbar Singh, who saved the girl, said they immediately informed her parents.

Gurwinder Singh, ASI, Mamdot police station, a case would be registered after a proper inquiry by his superiors.

Ferozepur, July 10
The local police achieved a major success when one of its team managed to arrest two persons and recovered fake Indian currency notes to the tune of Rs 1.17 lakhs, here today.

SPS Parmar, district police chief, said the accused, who had fallen into police net, were identified as Gurmukh Singh of Fazilka and Mohinder Singh of village Lasoodi, falling under the Shahkot police station area.

He said that today, a police functionary, Devinder Singh, had laid a naka near Baba Sher Shahwali dargah on the main road. At the naka, he received secret information that two accused, dealing in the business of fake currency notes, were standing near Saragarhi Gurudwara. A raid was conducted and the accused found in possession of 234 fake Indian currency notes of Rs 500 denomination each. — TNS