Ferozepur, October 14
Shavinder Kaur Johal, former president, Istri (Women) Akali Dal (Badal) and mother-in-law of Manpreet Badal today urged the SAD (B) president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to seek fresh mandate from the people of Punjab on the agenda connected with action taken against Manpreet on his views on waiver of Punjab’s debt.

Johal, who has decided to mobilise support for Manpreet Badal by launching a Punjab Bachao campaign in every nook and corner of the state also urged Akali MLAs to join Manpreet in his mission to bring Punjab out of debt trap.

“I will mobilise support for Manpreet, who has been truthfully fighting for a right cause by following the principles of Sikhism. I also appeal to the Akali MLAs to join Manpreet by shedding the fear of Sukhbir Badal aside,” said Johal while talking to TNS today.

Johal, who was once known as ‘fiery woman’ in the party and who has taken Parkash Singh Badal’s opponents head-on when he was in crisis, stopped her political activities a few years ago.  She has now been confining her activities to the Zira area of this district and that too for public issues.

“Sukhbir Badal has twisted the arms of Parkash Singh Badal for Manpreet’s ouster in the same way as was done by queen Kaikeyi, wife of king Dashrath in Ramayana when she succeeded in forcing King Dashrath to send Lord Rama into exile,” she alleged, adding the SAD (B) had become so weak under the command of Sukhbir Badal that nobody could stop Congress from coming into power in the next assembly elections.

“The dropping of Manpreet is not a small thing as besides creating political crisis in Punjab, it has also engineered a split in the Badal family. Parkash Singh Badal, who is a leader of stature in the entire country, has been forced to see such bad days when he is above 80 years,” she claimed.

Earlier, the SAD (B) was being controlled by Chief Minister Badal and now it was being controlled by Sukhbir Badal and hence, certain wrong things had been allowed to happen in the party. The situation has reached a point where the party MLAs are being chased to keep a tab on their activities, she said.

“How can any Punjabi move while keeping his or head high when the state is neck-deep in debt.  The primary task of every Punjabi at this juncture should be to bring the state out of financial mess and hence I have decided to mobilise support for Manpreet,” she claimed. She said she was of the opinion that people of Punjab would not allow any leader to indulge in ‘hooliganism’ by muzzling voices being raised for the welfare of Punjabis.

Abohar, October 14
A high-level team including technical experts has been constituted by the Border Security Force (BSF) to assess the damages caused by the recent floods to the Cobra fencing, erected in the close vicinity of the Indo-Pak border about 25 years ago to stop infiltration of anti-national elements and explosives.

Official sources said the team would make a preliminary assessment and submit its report to the BSF authorities. After the report was accepted, action would be initiated to make arrangements for the repair of the same at the earliest.

Due to heavy rains in catchment areas and release of excessive water from the Bhakra Nangal dam into the Sutlej, it remained swollen for most of the time during the monsoon and flooded the fencing in various pockets of the border belt. Even in certain pockets, the floodwater made the Indo-Pak Zero Line disappear in the Ferozepur district. Sources said though fencing wire did not suffer much damage in a large area of the border, there were certain pockets, where it had suffered irrevocable damage and would need replacement. In certain pockets, where the fencing had suffered colossal damage during the 2008 floods, the work to restore the same was yet to be undertaken by the authorities 
concerned.

Sources said fencing had been affected in the area falling between the Border Observation Posts (BOPs) of Santokh Singh Wala and Natha Singh Wala BOP, GG-3, Teja Rawela and Pattan BOPs areas in different sectors of the Ferozepur district border with Pakistan.

In Gajniwala BOP area, newly erected fencing suffered damage as the Sutlej, which remained in spate for days together, washed it away apart from triggering severe soil erosion of its own banks. However, the newly erected fencing was yet to be taken over from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which had erected the same.

DIG, BSF, Ferozepur sector, Rajesh Gupta, when contacted, said there was no damage to the existing fencing wire. The newly erected fencing, which had suffered damage, would be repaired by the CPWD before it would be taken over by the BSF. DIG, BSF, Abohar, Vimal Satyarthi said measures would be taken to set right the fencing wire wherever needed.

Bathinda, October 14
Residents of colonies, including Panchvati Nagar, Vishal Nagar and others, situated near the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda, have criticised the management of the plant for what they said, “resumption of emission of ashes and smoke from plant’s chimneys.”

Expressing concern over the ‘GNDTP’s failure in checking the emission of ashes’, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) alleged that the management of plant had again showed indifferent attitude towards the health and wellbeing of residents, residing in the colonies, around the plant.

Convenor of the JAC MM Behal said that residents had again started facing difficulties in breathing. Member of JAC, Janak Raj Garg, said driving two-wheelers had become difficult. He added that even walking had become difficult for the residents.

Criticising the management of the plant, Behal and Garg said that it was gross violation of air pollution Act on the part of the plant.

Seeking the intervention of Bathinda DC, they demanded that the administration should take steps to enforce the anti-air pollution Acts.

Abohar, October 14
Sanjeev Kumar, a differently-abled boy, hailing from Telupura village of this sub-division, who has brought laurels to Punjab after emerging victorious in different national-level championship in the past, has added another feather to his cap as he has been selected for the Israel Open 2010 badminton championship for the disabled to be held in its capital Tel Aviv.

Sanjeev Kumar, who emerged a national champion in the doubles event of badminton in the Fifth Handicapped Para Games Championship-2010 held at Bangalore, would participate in wheelchair single and wheelchair double events in Israel Open 2010.

Sanjeev Kumar, belonging to a poor family, also got second position in the single event of Bangalore championship organised by the Para Olympic Games Committee of India.

The championship at Tel Aviv, for which, Sanjeev Kumar has been selected by Badminton Sports Association of India for Challenged, would be held from November 24-29.

The participants in this tournament would be given ranking points.

Sanjeev, who has been rendered jobless as the authorities concerned have stopped him from working as an inclusive education volunteer (IEV) with the Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyan (SSA) at the Government Primary School (Khuiansarwar) said he has been trying to arrange required funds to participate in the championship.

He said for participation in the championship at Tel Aviv, he needed about Rs 65, 000. He added that he had already been given Rs 20,000 by Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav and about Rs 30,000 by non-resident Indian (NRI), Balwant Kaur Gill, who originally belonged to Abohar.

“I am the only boy from Punjab who has been selected for this championship. Earlier also, I was the only boy from the border state, who participated in different championships and brought glory to the state by facing odds,” claimed Sanjeev, who is the son of a class IV employee.

Sanjeev Kumar, who was selected for the Colombo championship and could not participate in the same for economic reasons, said the Punjab government had failing to extend any financial help to him so far.

Bathinda, October 14
Under a plan of the state government, renovation of the ponds in as many as 25 villages of the Bathinda district have been selected for the purpose. The renovation work will be done under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Punjab will provide guidance while the village Panchayat and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) concerned will get the work done under MNREGA.

The villages that have been selected for renovation of their ponds are: Pakka Kalan, Bambiha, Bajak and Phullo Mithi in Sangat block, Kot Shamir, Chuge Kalan and Goniana Khurd in Bathinda block, Nathana, Chak Bakhtu and Kalyan Sadda in Nathana block, Dhapali, Rayia and Selbran in Phul block, Rampura, Balliyan Wali and Ram Niwas in Rampura block, Shekhpura, Malkana and Bangi Nihal Singh in Talwandi Sabo block, Kotha Guru, Maluka and Jalaal in Bhagta Bhaika block, and Natt, Chathewala and Sandoha in Maur block.

It is learnt that the renovation of the ponds in all these 25 villages will be done with an amount of Rs 1.91 crore, which will be made available from the funds of MNREGA. As per the programme, the time-frame for the completion of renovation of the ponds has been fixed as February 2011.

The Zila Parishad will function as nodal agency to complete the project. The Water Supply and Sanitation Department has already issued guidelines to purify the dirty water of the ponds in the villages.

Sources said in every selected village the pond would be divided into four parts. In the first part of the pond, dirty water of the village would be accumulated which would further go to other parts later. However, the fourth part in the pond would get almost purified water, which might be used for irrigation purpose. On the embankments of the ponds, grass and small trees would be planted to strengthen the embankments.

In the Zila Parishad circles here, it is being felt that the amount of Rs 1.91 crore, for renovating the ponds in a proper manner in 25 villages of the district will not be sufficient as a lot of money is required for material to be used for renovating the ponds.

Abohar, October 14
Paddy growers in the main grain market here alleged that some unscrupulous representatives of rice milling industry have this year also thwarted the efforts of the state government in ensuring smooth purchase and lifting of paddy by the government agencies.

Farmers from village Azamwala revealed to the visiting media team that they had been waiting for buyers for the past four days.

The staff of the state government agencies was allegedly hand in glove with some rice sheller owners of the neighbouring areas to force the farmers sell paddy below MSP that had been quoted at Rs 1,030 at the initial stage. The farmers recalled that such a nexus last year forced the Punjab Mandi Board chief Ajmer Singh Lakhowal to visit the grain markets and pull up the officials.

Again the staff of the government agencies was lamenting that they could purchase paddy only when representatives of the rice millers certify that moisture content in PR114 variety was up to their satisfaction.

This resulted in bargaining depriving the farmer of the MSP, a grower Amarjit Singh said. The staff of the market committee, when contacted, said there was some problem in the sale of hybrid variety.

Abohar, October 14
The DAV College of Education has won 30 prizes including 17 first prizes in the Panjab University Zonal Youth and Heritage Festival of B.Ed/M.Ed colleges that concluded in Ferozepur on Tuesday. The winners were felicitated in the campus here on Wednesday during a function.

Principal Dr Venita Singh announced amidst musical applause that the college had clinched top positions in all the drama categories. She complimented Prof Ajay Khosla, Amandeep Kaur and Gurpreet Kaur of the Youth Services Club over the glorious performance.

The students had topped in quiz, general dance, drama, skit, mime, mimicry, essay writing, collage-making, rangoli, still life, on-the-spot painting, phulkari, dasuti (cross-stitch) and crochet work. Individually, Heena Parnami stood first in group singing, Mukta in folk dance and Priyanka in general dance.

The institution got the second position in folk song, folk dance, shabad, poem recitation, vocal classical, percussion (instrumental music), story writing and clay modelling. The toppers would participate in the inter-zone festival to be held at Doraha from October 24 onwards. — OC

Barnala, October 14
A five-year-old child of a labourer from Bihar died on the spot after after he fell into a manhole allegedly left open by the sewerage board authorities in street number five at Sekha road here this afternoon.

Sources said that Kaltu Paswan (5), son of Ram Sukh Paswan, originally from village Dih of Begusarai in Bihar, who was currently living in a rented accommodation with his parents, died after he fell into an open manhole near his home this afternoon. They said the child had gone to fetch milk.

Sources said children playing in the street saw young Kaltu falling into the manhole and raised an alarm. A labourer, Vijay Kumar, jumped into the manhole to rescue him but the child had already died.

Acase of negligence against the sewerage board authorities for leaving the manhole open has been registered.

Abohar, October 14
Rich tributes were paid to eminent philanthropist and social worker and also reformer Hazari Lal Rinwa on his death anniversary during a function that was organised jointly by Swami Keshwanand Senior Secondary School and Swami Keshwanand Memorial College here on Thursday.

Rinwa was a close associate of octogenarian Swami Keshwanand former MP, freedom fighter and torchbearer of literacy. He had served as life-time president of historic Sahitya Sadan that was founded by the Swami here in pre-independence era.

Former MLAs Dr Mohinder Rinwa and Hans Raj Arya were joined by Banwari Lal Nagpal, president, city Congress committee, Rajinder Rinwa and Ravikant Rinwa, former chairpersons of Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti respectively, Dr AR Talwar and Inder Mohan Verma, Asst governor and former president respectively of the Rotary Club and others. — OC