Bathinda, October 19
Due to one reason or the other, skin disease cases have been rising in the district for the past some years.

As per information, this increase is about seven to 10 per cent as compared to the number of cases, treated by the doctors about five years ago.

In the local civil hospital, the skin specialists are examining about 100 patients daily. Besides, a woman doctor (skin specialist) has also been examining patients of skin diseases in the health centres at Raman Mandi and Sangat on different days. However, a number of patients, suffering from various skin diseases, also get treatment from the private doctors and other medical practitioners.

A skin specialist told this reporter that the skin disease patients were suffering due to various external sources, like Congress grass, soap, detergent, excess medication, sunlight, fertiliser, pesticide, insecticide and cement while some patients also suffered from internal factors, like diet and reaction of medicines.

He said he had been treating patients for the past many years in the Bathinda city for various types of skin diseases, like allergic (eczemas), infective (fungal and bacterial), metabolic, deficiency skin disorders and genetic skin disorders.

When contacted the senior medical officer (SMO) of Women and Children Hospital, Bathinda Dr B.S. Gill, who is a skin specialist, said that use of cosmetic items, perfumes and deodorants by the youths had also been contributing a lot in increasing the skin diseases among the youths.

He said though patients of different age-groups were being examined by him but a majority of the cases belonged to 15 to 45 years of age.

Gill said everyone knew that the skin allergy from Congress grass was common and it affected the face, neck, under knee joints and other exposed parts of body. The allergy by Congress grass spread not only by direct contact but also through air-borne contact. Teenagers and labourers were mostly affected by the allergy, caused by thee Congress grass, he added.

He appealed to the people to keep themselves away from direct contact with Congress grass as the allergy, caused by it, was very harmful to health as it took long time to cure.

Bathinda, October 19
Two youths of Malout were arrested in connection with a dacoity bid made at a jewellery shop in Sirki Bazaar here in broad daylight today.

According to the owner of the shop, Ranjit Singh Jaura, one of the youths in question, Jagmeet Singh of village Saina Khera in Malout, who claimed that he was an employee of the HDFC Bank, came to him on Monday evening and selected a bangle set and said he would buy it on Tuesday.

“Jagmeet came to me in the morning along with a youth in a Zen car. He asked for the same bangle set and on the pretext of bringing money from the car he took the jewellery outside. Suspecting foul play, when I rushed to nab him, he pointed a pistol at me and asked his accomplice (who was later identified as Sumit Pal of Malout) to drive away the car. However, I managed to nab him, before he could flee,” stated Ranjit Singh to the police.

Noticing the melee, a number of people assembled there and beat up the two youth severely and damaged their car. Meanwhile, people also recovered the pistol from their possession.

People informed the Kotwali police station, which is located just at the rear of the shop, where the incident took place. Despite this, police took more than an hour to reach there, people alleged.

Finding the police so indifferent in their approach, shopkeepers of the area gave a call for bazaar bandh and staged a dharna in the market. Raising slogans, they accused the police of shielding the accused suspecting that one of the accused was the kin of a policeman.

Sensing the situation, DSP City along with the SHO Kotwali rushed to the spot and assured the agitators of fair action.

While checking the registration of the vehicle in question, police found that the number it was bearing was not fake. Taking the vehicle in possession, police initiated further probe.

During the investigation, police found the pistol was a lighter one being used for smoking.

Despite this, acting upon the basis of the statement of the complainant, a case under section 395 of the IPC (dacoity) along with Arms Act was registered against the two youth.

Bathinda, October 19
Brigadier Anup Bhaskar, commander of the Signal Group, today flagged off a border trekking expedition at the Bathinda Military Station.

The expedition of the Signal Group under the South-Western Command would trek 203 kms through the border villages of Ganganagar and Bikaner and 939 kms by road.

Members of the expedition will interact with villagers and ex-serviceman en route. The expedition aims at generating awareness among the border residents about the Indian army in general and Corps of Signals in particular. It will impart information on options available for joining the army and the recruitment process. Social and environmental issues like forest conservation, tree plantation, compulsory education and women's empowerment will also be promoted by the expedition.

Corps of Signals is a vital arm of the Indian Army. The Corps was raised on February 15, 1911. It will celebrate the centenary next year. A host of expeditions, adventure activities and displays have been planned in the run-up to the centenary year.

Bathinda, October 19
Four new dengue cases from Bathinda district were reported to the district health authorities by the state Health Department today. With this, the total number of dengue positive cases in Bathinda district has risen to 48.

District Malaria officer Dr Malkiat Singh Gill said today that information about three dengue positive patients, two from Bathinda city and one from Raman Mandi, had been provided by the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana while the report about fourth dengue positive case had been made available by Fortis Hospital, Mohali.

Meanwhile, the insect collectors today found dengue larva from a desert cooler and a small water tank meant for collecting water for an under-construction building on the premises of Mini-secretariat here. — TNS

Bathinda, October 19
Hundreds of farmers got training to improve the irrigation arrangements, sowing of crops and new methods of farming under the ATMA scheme during a daylong district-level farmers' training camp held at the Kheti Bhawan, here today.

Issuing a press release, the district agricultural officer, Paramjeet Singh Sandhu said the camp was presided over by the joint director, agriculture (expansion and training) Dr Gursewak Singh.

During the camp, farmers were made aware about a number of new techniques to get more yield by less investment in the fields along with the benefits of ultra-modern agricultural tools.

The speakers at the event stressed upon motivating farmers to sow pulses and oil seed crops rather than the traditional cotton, paddy and wheat.

A number of stalls were also put up there for the private promoters to get their products introduced to the farmers.

Jalalabad (Ferozepur), October 19
In a bizarre incident, Karnail Singh, a resident of Ghubhaya village, who has four kids, married his beloved by fabricating legal documents connected with fake divorce with his first wife.

He first created fake divorce papers with his legal wife Usha Rani, then got married to his beloved, 20-year-old Seema, and then moved a joint petition with Seema before the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek police protection by alleging threat to their lives from Pala Singh and Preeto (father and mother of Seema).

He solemnised his second marriage in May and the matter surfaced when Usha Rani came to know about it and complained to the police.

A case under various sections of the IPC was registered against Karnail, Seema, Pala, Preeto, Krishan and Sat Pal at the Sadar police station today after all the six persons were found guilty during the inquiry. Pala, Krishan and Satpal had been arrested, sources said.