Bathinda, November 18
Efforts are being made by the Punjab Health Department to bring down the infant mortality rate (IMR), which at present is 41 for 1,000 live births in Punjab, to 30 by 2012 in the state in order to meet the target fixed by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Bathinda civil surgeon Dr Inder Dayal Goyal, who presided over a district-level child health programme held at the Teachers’ Home here today, said that for achieving the target, the health authorities were initiating steps like strengthening of immunisation of infants, promotion of breast feeding and prompt treatment of children suffering from diseases.

Under strengthening of immunisation, especially in slum areas, infants were being administered anti-polio drops, besides administering BCG, hepatitis, measles and DPT injections. Mothers were being advised to breast feed their infants for first six months and during one hour of the child’s birth. The prompt treatment being given to children for diseases like diarrhoea and chest infection, was another aspect to bring down the IMR, he added.

Dr Goyal said the health department had imparted training to the accredited social health activists (ASHA workers) and the auxiliary nurse mid-wife (ANMs) under the child healthcare programme as they could contribute a lot in bringing down the IMR in the state.

Dr Satish Jindal, a child specialist at local Women and Children Hospital, advised people to give priority to the government health centres or hospitals for getting their children treated at the initial stage of a disease.

Dr Monika Gupta disseminated information regarding the importance of breast feeding. She also advised the lactating mothers not to serve milk in bottles to their children.

District immunisation officer Dr Iqbal Singh spoke about the advantages of family planning and proper care of the children below five years of age.

On the occasion, students of local ANM Training School presented a skit urging people not to follow superstitions to get their children treated. Posters regarding AIDS, HIV, dengue and malaria diseases and family welfare etc were displayed at an exhibition here.

Bathinda, November 18
The Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) today started a demolition drive with the aim of razing down nearly half the 34 structures, construction of which was either illegal started or completed this year. The demolition drive began under police protection but even after day-long exercise, only five structures could be razed to the ground.

Soon after the first demolition at Prajapat Colony opposite Hotel Sepal, where a commercial building was being constructed without approval, people started accusing the BMC officials of bias in the demolition drive.

They asked the officials to demolish an adjacent building, which was also constructed illegally and had been issued notices for demolition. As the building belonged to an Akali leader, the officials present on the spot found themselves in a dilemma.

Evading the queries, the BMC officials gave the excuse that there was some complication in it and left the spot.

They then moved to demolish an under-construction illegal structure at Bhatti road. Fearing the JCB machines, owners of the adjoining buildings requested the BMC officials to leave the demolition of the illegal portion to them. The BMC officials gave them a day’s time to remove the illegal structures on their own.

However, speaking to the media, the owner of the building accused the BMC officials of being involved in corrupt practices. He alleged that a BMC official had once received bribe from him to get the whole structure approved by the authorities. Later, when the matter came to the notice of senior officials, he returned the amount taken as bribe from him.

Further the officials demolished an adjacent under-construction roof-less structure and moved towards Basant Vihar near Chandsar Basti. Here, they demolished the front 10-feet structure of a building with a JCB machine. Then, a residential premises located in the same colony was also partially demolished.

Speaking to The Tribune, a number of people accused the BMC officials of bias. They alleged that among the shortlisted illegal buildings, there were some belonging to the ruling SAD-BJP leaders, which the BMC officials had left out.

However, assistant commissioner, BMC, Najar Singh refuted the allegations and claimed the municipal corporation was fair in its action. “If somebody’s illegally constructed building has been left untouched there must be some legal or departmental complications,” he pointed out.

Admitting that the pace of demolition was slower than expected, the assistant commissioner assured that the demolition drive would gather steam on Friday.

Bathinda, November 18
Local Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi today accused the SAD-BJP government of not starting work on the development projects in Bathinda area, the foundation stones of which were laid before the Lok Sabha elections. He also flayed the state government for not fulfilling several promises made to the residents of Bathinda.

In a press note issued here by district press secretary of the Congress Rupinder Singh Bindra, Jassi said almost all development projects, which had been completed in Bathinda recently, were initiated during the previous Congress government’s regime.

He said several promises made by the SAD-BJP alliance like construction of cricket stadium and a five-star hotel, development of deer park, introduction of local bus service in this city, had turned out to be false so far.

Jassi asked the SAD-BJP government to explain to the people that why it made promises that it could not fulfill. He also said though the dengue fever had been spreading in the city but the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda, was not doing anything concrete to kill the dengue mosquitoes.

He claimed that the SAD-BJP government had sold government property worth Rs 240 crore in Bathinda recently but people don’t know where the government spent the sale proceeds.

Muktsar, November 18
Congress MP and state youth Congress chief Ravneet Singh Bittu today urged all political parties to join hands to eradicate the social evils of drug abuse and female foeticide that were posing a big challenge to the youth of Punjab.

Bittu made the suggestion while addressing roadside rallies after he reached Muktsar on the 18th day of his “Nav Inquilab Yatra”.

He urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take the initiative to launch a pilot project for the purpose in his home district of Muktsar.

The Anandpur Sahib MP stressed that if the youth of Punjab was to be saved from the clutches of drug peddlers, the politicians and bureaucracy in the state should develop a solid action plan as drug abuse had become a menace in Punjab. He called for social boycott of the chemists selling drugs to the youth.

Bittu said it was a matter of concern that Punjab failed to win even a single medal during the recently held Commonwealth Games whereas Haryana bagged 30.

Bittu further said that all politicians should come on one stage against the menace of female foeticide that has upset the sex ratio.

He demanded that instead of wasting money on her own publicity on the name of the Nanni Chhan project to save girl child, SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal should spend the money to educate rural folk against female foeticide.

Abohar, November 18
The sugarcane crushing season in the cooperative sugar mills is schedule to start after a week, no efforts have been made by the state government either to increase the total area under sugarcane farming or commission the co-generation power plants in most of the mills, former parliamentary secretary for irrigation and horticulture Sunil Jakhar said here today.

He said former cooperation minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh had laid foundation stones of such power plants last year. The state government had claimed that private companies had consented to share the cost of the co-generation power plants and some had signed MoU also.

These plants were to be commissioned by March 31, 2011 but work was yet to be started in four cooperative sugar mills. — OC 

Bathinda, November 18
The number of dengue cases this season today rose to 266 in Bathinda district when the district health authorities here today received a report about four new dengue positive cases from the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana. Of these, two were from Bathinda city while one each was from Talwandi Sabo and Sangat blocks.

However, of the total 266 dengue cases, 233 cases from Bathinda city alone while remaining cases are from Talwandi Sabo block (18), Sangat (5), Ballianwali and Bhagta (3 each), Nathana and Goniana (2 each).

District Malaria Officer Dr Malkiat Singh Gill said here today that they had received reports about 161dengue positive cases from the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana till now, besides 89 cases from Civil Hospital, Bathinda, 10 cases from Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, three cases each from Fortis Hospital, Mohali and CMC Hospital, Ludhiana.

Dr Gill also said that till now Mac Elisa tests (confirmatory test for dengue) had been conducted on 479 suspected dengue patients of the Bathinda district. Of them, 266 had been tested positive for dengue.

Dr Gill also said that with the fall in temperature, it was expected that the number of new dengue cases would come down in the district, especially from Bathinda city. He also said that they were still continuously checking places where the existence of dengue larva was expected.

It may be mentioned here that in 2008, a total of 359 dengue positive cases had been reported from the entire Bathinda district while in 2009, only five cases had been reported from the entire district.

Bathinda, November 18
The national seminar on ‘Pop Culture and Literary Studies’ concluded at the local DAV College today.

Eminent novelist Padamshree Gurdial Singh was the chief guest at the two-day seminar. Addressing the gathering, he said culture has its roots in the basic needs of man and social changes can’t be resisted. They can, however, be tempered to harmonise with local culture.

Dr Jit Singh Joshi, head of the Punjabi University Regional Centre, Bathinda, presented his paper on ‘Cultural changes in Punjab’.

He was of the opinion that people like popular culture because it is tempting. However, it has marginalised the poor section in society, he added.

A Marxist scholar, Dr Bhim Inder Singh from the Department of Punjabi Literary Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, dwelt on the Punjabi culture in the context of globalisation.

Dr Baljinder Kaur read out her paper on ‘Culture and its relationship with religion’.

The lectures were followed by a lively discussion where scholars answered questions by the audience.

Earlier, Dr JS Anand, principal of local DAV College, welcomed the scholars from various colleges of Punjab and Haryana.

He lauded Prof Varesh Gupta, HoD, Department of Punjabi, and Dr HS Arora, HoD, Department of English, for planning the function.

Summing up the event, Prof Brahm Jagdish Singh traced the history of popular culture and asserted, “We are living with the bad influences of this culture”. He also delivered the valedictory address.

Dr Beant Kaur and Prof Ravinder Singh conducted the stage while Prof Varesh Gupta proposed the vote of thanks.

Abohar/Fazilka, November 18
Making a significant departure from the traditional process of registration of new voters, the district administration has decided to take the help of school kids to get their mothers registered as voters in the summary revision of electoral rolls, which would come to an end on November 27.

Besides, the help of principals of schools and colleges has also been taken to get maximum number of youths registered as voters.

As per the record, it has been found that the number of women, particularly, belonging to Abohar and Balluana assembly segments, who have been enrolled as voters, was significantly less than their actual number in projected census population figures. The record also revealed that while the project census figure population showed that number of youths, falling in the age group of 18-19 years in Ferozepur district, was around 96956, the number of those who had got registered themselves as voters, was only 15015.

Similarly, the number of youths falling in the age group of 20-29 years was around 445328 as per the projected census population figures but the number of those youths, who had got themselves registered as voters so far, was 346364 only, the record revealed.

For this task, Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav today held a series of meeting with the principals of schools and colleges dotting Abohar and Fazilka sub-divisions at Abohar and Fazilka so that the maximum number of persons, who would attain the age of 18 years on January 1, 2011, could be registered as voters in the ongoing revision of electoral rolls.

The Booth Level Officer (BLO) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) had been deputed to take the voter registration forms to each school and college so that those who could not be enrolled as voters so far despite their eligibility, could be registered as voter at one place.

The BLOs had been asked to take the help of panchayats to register women in the rural areas, he said. The educational institutions located in Jalalabad, Ferozepur and Zira sub-divisions would be covered by him within a day or so, he said. He added that the revenue officials, municipal committee officials had also been pressed into service to carry out electoral revision in an effective way.

The main motive of bringing principals and kids of educational institutions into scene was to minimise the gap in numbers of those in this district, who were eligible to be registered as voters and number of thoses, who were registered as voters so far.

Abohar, November 18
The long-awaited cleaning of Abohar branch canal and other distributaries is likely to be taken up by next month.

Even when the irrigation officials here continued to feign ignorance about it, Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav confirmed during interaction with the media here that Rs 87 crore had been received and tenders also floated for the work. “We would try to start the work during the month of December so as to make water available at the tail-end villages also,” he said. Chief engineer Amarjit Singh Dullat also confirmed that funds had been released and desilting/removing of hyacinth would be started after finalising the schedule for suspension of water supply in the canals.

The tail-end Farmers Sangharsh Samiti and other organisations had resented that Abohar canal and Malukpura distributary that originates from it, had not been cleaned over the past many years. 

Abohar, November 18
A case under section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act and three different provisions of Fertilizer Control Order was registered against Bharat Kumar, owner of a firm dealing in fertiliser and located at village Gumjal of this sub-division, for his alleged involvement in selling fertiliser bags containing less quantity than was prescribed on the bags.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that a case was registered at the police station Khuian Sarwar of this sub-division on the complaint of Hardial Singh, agriculture officer-cum-fertiliser inspector.

Interestingly, though Bharat Kumar was allegedly found selling less quantity of fertiliser to the complainant about one and a half months ago, the case against him was registered on November 16.

Information revealed that a section of farmers had lodged a complaint with the district agriculture department authorities that Bharat Kumar had been selling those bags of DAP fertilisers to the customers, which contained less quantity of fertilisers than the quantity prescribed mentioned on the same.

A section of farmers belonging to a particular union had carried out a series of protest in this region demanding action against Bharat Kumar for his alleged involvement in malpractices.

Bakhshish Singh Chahal, chief agriculture officer (CAO), Ferozepur, said on receipt of the complaint, a team of department comprising Parminder Singh, agriculture development officer (ADO) and Hardial Singh was sent for carrying out the checking of fertilisers bags lying with Bharat Kumar.

On checking, it was found that out of a total of 167 DAP bags lying with Bharat Kumar, 66 bags were found containing less quantity of fertiliser that the quantity mentioned.

He further added that after receiving the report from the team of agriculture department officials, process to take action against Bharat Kumar was initiated.

He pointed out that as the case had been registered, it was now the police authorities, which were supposed to proceed in the case. Police sources said no arrest had been made in this connection so far. The investigation in the case had been launched. 

Faridkot, November 18
Setting aside all odds in the implementation of Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme in Punjab, the Faridkot district has become a role model in the state by involving the rural folk to remove encroachments along the link roads, paving the way for planting trees to increase the green cover.

This is the first initiative of its kind taken up by any district administration ever since the rural employment scheme was implemented two years back in the state.

Dr S Karuna Raju, district magistrate of Faridkot, said the initiative has been taken up by involving the participation of the rural people through the panchayati raj institutions and the Mandi Board that maintains the link roads.

In reply to a question, he said the project would hopefully be completed within the next four weeks before the completion of the wheat sowing season. “Then we would raise pillars on the roadsides indicating the length of the road so as to prevent it from further encroachments,” he said.

For this purpose, the administration has employed about 30,000 rural people under the MGNREGA scheme.

“If we fall short of money under this scheme, we would get financial assistance from the Mandi Board,” the DM added. The scheme was kicked off from Ramuwala village last week.

Dr Raju further said, “In the coming monsoon season, we would plant trees along the link roads that too under this employment guarantee scheme by again providing jobs to the needy and poor people.” 

Ferozepur, November 18
To minimise the evasion of market fee by traders and commission agents on various food grain items including wheat, paddy, cotton and other crops, the Punjab Mandi Board has decided to frame a new set of rules to plug those channels of evasion which have come to light so far.

A decision to this effect was taken by the Punjab Mandi Board in a meeting of its senior functionaries held on November 16.

In the meeting, it was decided that a set of rules must be framed as it could be implemented easily without carrying out any amendment in the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961.

“This rule, if introduced, would prove beneficial for the Punjab Mandi Board and Excise and Sale Tax department (Punjab). Both the department would be able to share information to know the actual quantum of transactions carried out by the traders and commission agents to assess the same for levying market fee and VAT on them,” claimed Karamjit Singh Sra, secretary, Punjab Mandi Board, while talking to the TNS today.

“As of today, there is no arrangement between Punjab Mandi Board and Excise and sale Tax department of sharing information of transactions carried out by their respective assesses dealing in food grain and agricultural items,” he pointed out.

“With the availability of VAT number of all the traders and commission agents, the Punjab Mandi Board officials would be able to check the amount of VAT paid by particular commission agents and traders from the website of Excise and Sale Tax department or from its other channels and then the same could be compared with the market fee paid by the same traders and commission agents on the same transactions to detect any sort of bungling,” he added.

He added that he hoped that such rules would be in place within a month or so. 

Sriganganagar, Nov 18
The Railways may soon decide to suspend trains on the loop-canal track to expedite conversion of 116 km long Sriganganagar-Swaroopsar from meter gauge to broad-gauge, said SC Gupta, new Divisional Railway Manager (Bikaner).

All pre-block earthwork and bridge work had been completed and the total cost of the project was estimated at Rs 168.80 crore. The conversion of Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh-Jaipur meter gauge would be taken up after this, he added.

While responding to the concern expressed by a deputation led by Baldev Nagpal and Gurparsad Behal, president and secretary respectively of the District Rail Road Yatri Samiti, the DRM feigned ignorance about proposed suspension of 3007/3008 Udyan Abha Toofan Mail on the Sriganganagar-Bathinda-Delhi route due to foggy season and assured that the demand for running the train up to Agra would be taken up with the higher authorities. 

Ferozepur, November 18
Even as a criminal case was registered against the five activists of the Coordination Committee, Paramedical and Health Employees, Punjab, including its Ferozepur unit chairman Ravinder Luthra detaining Gyan Singh, senior medical officer, the coordination committee demanded that cases should be registered against a section of functionaries of the district health authorities involved in harassment of employees and corrupt practices.

A case under various sections of the IPC was registered on the complaint of Gyan Singh at the city police station. The case was registered against Sham Lal Sachdeva, Varinder Kumar, Devinder Singh and Avtar Singh.

Luthra, who along with other activists of the coordination committee, staged a dharna in front of the civil surgeon officer here today, alleged that Kanwarjit Singh Kakkar, civil surgeon, Gyan Singh, SMO, Primary Health Centre, Kasoana, and some other functionaries had been indulging in corrupt practices besides harassing the employees to extract money from them. Kakkar denying the allegations of Luthra, said he had been taking all the decisions as per the instructions of his superiors.