Neor (Bathinda), December 22
In the presence of strong police contingent, the Powercom today managed to shift all electricity meters (nearly 500) out of the houses at village Neor of the district.

In the aftermath of a clash between cops and villagers, who were led by activists of farmer unions, that took place on Tuesday evening, hundreds of activists today again tried to enter the village to check the process of meter shifting.

However, the proactive administration had cordoned off the village and intercepted them at Gidder village road. They were on board about dozen buses heading for Neor village.

Finding the police determined against allowing them entry to the village, the activists decided to stage a dharna on the road and started raising anti-government slogans.

To negotiate with them, the officials sent Sarpanch of the village Pirthi Pal Singh, who asked the activists not to interfere in the matter of village.

The Sarpanch claimed that the village was ready to go by the government’s policy of meter shifting but they (union activists) were misguiding the people and creating hurdles.

District president of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) Shingara Singh Mann, who was leading the group, turned down the request of the Sarpanch to return and claimed that the villagers were seeking their support by continuously calling them up over their phones, as they were unwilling to get their meters shifted out of their houses.

“The process is a step towards privatisation, which we will not allow. We can only return on one condition. First, the police allows us to take a round of village to confirm whether the villagers are really agreeing to get the meters shifted or have they succumbed to the pressure by the administration,” said union leaders.

The administration, however, turned down their proposal and sensing the gravity of the situation, called for more force.

Meanwhile, the process to shift the meters kept going uninterrupted.

Later, at about 5.30 pm, when all meters were shifted out of the houses, the activists of farmer unions lifted the dharna. They announced they would chalk out fresh strategy to counter the move.

Speaking over the phone late in the evening, Phul SDM Umashankar, who was present on the spot and monitoring the development, said, “Everything has passed off peacefully. All meters have been shifted out of houses and installed in streets and efforts are on to restore the power supply to the village.”

It may be mentioned that after the clash on Tuesday evening, in which some cops and employees of the Powercom had sustained injuries, the police had booked 31 persons under various sections, including 307, of the IPC (attempt to murder). Out of them, 18 had been arrested.

However, while speaking to TNS, villagers also expressed resentment against the police accusing it of thrashing innocent people of the village, including women, while searching for those who had attacked the police.

Bathinda, December 22
To protest against non-acceptance of their demands by the state government, members and activists of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation (PSSF) will march towards the houses of Punjab Chief Minister and senior ministers of his cabinet, including finance, education and health.

This was stated by chairman of the PSSF Sajjan Singh here today. He said they would announce the dates of the protest and the names of the ministers in a day or two. He added that they would also hold a demonstration during the Budget Session of the Punjab Assembly besides a march would be organised towards the Assembly in Chandigarh.

Sajjan Singh was here in connection with a rally organised by the PSSF outside the Mini-secretariat. A large number of employees, including contractual staff, from various government departments took part in the rally. Besides, the protesters carrying black flags took out a protest march in the city. They also burnt an effigy of Punjab Local Government Minister Manoranjan Kalia and blocked road traffic for sometime in front of the main bus stand here.

Sajjan Singh said in case the government remained adamant and did not accept their demands, he would sit on a fast-unto-death and he was ready to do so. He said they had burnt the effigy of the minister as he had given a contract to a Mumbai-based company for lifting garbage from outside the houses. He said the company would charge Rs 50 from every house for the purpose while the safai sewaks would be paid low wages.

The demands of the employees included appointment of a judge retired from High Court as chairman of the Pay Anomaly Committee to remove anomalies in the pay-scales and allowances, granting of children education allowance and mobile phone allowance to employees, payment of arrears of 43 months’ revised pay-scales and regularisation of services of contract employees.

Among others who were present or addressed the rally included state president of the PSSF Darshan Singh Lubana and state general secretary Kuldip Singh; state level leader of the Government School Teachers Union Bhajan Singh Toor; chairman of the Class IV Government Employees Union Daler Singh; a leader of the Punjab Pensioners Union Avtar Singh; state president of the ASHA Workers Union Amarjit Kaur; and state general secretary of the Sewing Teachers Union Jaswinder Kaur.

Bathinda, December 22
Responding to the statewide call given by 17 farmers and farm unions' leaders, members of about a dozen organisations staged a protest outside the Mini-secretariat here today.

The agitators were demanding an unconditional waiver of dues of agricultural motors' bills as well as that of domestic connections of farm labourers, annulment of the Electricity Act 2003, a roll back in bus fare hike, release of the farmers arrested in Budhladha. They also condemned the Neor village incident. — TNS

Bathinda, December 22
Under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), only 55 job card households have completed 100 days’ employment in about nine months of the current financial year in the Bathinda district though 14049 households have been provided employment under the scheme during this period in all blocks of the district.

It is pertinent to mention that there are 39476 households, who have been issued MNREGS job cards in the district, but only 14124 have demanded employment so far during the current financial year. It shows that 25352 households are those who have not even shown interest in getting employment under the MNREGS in all the blocks.

According to information, out of 1227 MNREGS job card households of Talwandi Sabo block, who have been provided employment during this financial year, none has completed employment for 100 days so far, whereas in Rampura block only one household, out of 936, has completed employment for 100 days.

Besides, 100 days’ employment has been completed by 14 job card households in Bathinda block, 11 in Maur block, eight each in Nathana and Sangat blocks, seven in Phul block and six in Bhagta Bhai Ka block during the current financial year so far.

It is a matter of concern that why a large number (25352) of households have not demanded employment from the authorities concerned during about first nine months of this financial year.

However, an official told this reporter that the daily wages (Rs 123), being given to a NREGA worker, was meager due to which many workers preferred to work as a daily wager with private persons as they gave them Rs 180 or even 200 per day.

Besides this, the NREGA workers are given their wages after a week or more by the authorities concerned whereas a private person gives them wages after the completion of work in the evening.

Bathinda, December 22
The Centre for Training and Employment of Punjab Youth will impart training to the eligible candidates, who have been applying for recruitment in Punjab Police as a constable, at C-PYTE, Kaljharani village, in the district.

Deputy director, Employment Generation and Training, Bathinda, Harpal Singh said here today only male candidates would be provided free training, besides free boarding and lodging at Kaljharani. He added that the training would be given for a maximum of three months. At the training programme, besides physical training, candidates would be prepared for written examinations, he said.

Major BS Mann (retd), in charge, C-PYTE, Kaljharani, said they could adjust about 250 eligible candidates for training programme. So the eligible candidates may approach the C-PYTE authorities. The training would begin from December 27, he added.

Bathinda: With the detection of 23 new jaundice cases from Bathinda city on Wednesday, the total number of cases has risen to 190 in the city. Thirteen new cases were reported by local Civil Hospital authorities while remaining were reported by local private doctors.

District health officer Dr RS Randhawa said on Wednesday that they also collected six samples of water from Police Lines, Beant Nagar, Ajit Road, and a reverse osmosis plant on Power House Road here. — TNS

Bathinda: Sukhpal Singh Sidhu (Canal Department) has been elected as the president of the Bathinda district unit of Punjab State Ministerial Services Union while Ashok Chopra (District Treasury Office) was elected as general secretary and Balwinder Singh (DC office) as cashier. — TNS 

Moga, December 22
The Moga police is reportedly dilly-dallying in filing a cancellation report in the sessions court in a criminal case of corruption even after seven months of cancellation of the FIR that was registered on August 20, 2009 against India-born Canadian citizen Jagdev Singh, who is allegedly also facing a charge of murdering former MLA Nachattar Singh Gill, father of Paramdip Singh Gill, the DGP of the state.

As per the details available, an FIR under sections 7 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered at the police station (City-I) of the Moga town against Jagdev, three cops — Gurdial Singh, Jaswinder Singh and Ranjit Singh— allegedly involved in the infamous passport scam, Hakam Singh, a retired cop, Moga-based travel agents Satinder Pal Singh Bittu and Goa-based Xavier Vizgard.

Surprisingly, the police has failed to file a challan in the trial court in this regard, so far. The NRI went for quashing of the FIR registered against him in the HC.

On May 3 this year, the police cancelled this FIR and submitted an affidavit in the High Court. However, it did not file any status report or the cancellation report in the trial court of additional sessions judge Raj Shekhar Attri and as such, the NRI is still appearing in the court on the dates fixed for hearing, awaiting a challan, while all others were granted anticipatory bail by the court. The next date of hearing has been fixed for January 15.

It may be mentioned that the police station (City-I) of this town is situated just a kilometer away from the district courts but the police has so far failed to submit the cancellation report. When contacted, Jagdev Singh alleged that the local police was unnecessarily harassing him under the pressure from the DGP because of his personal interests involved in the case registered against him.

Ramesh Grover, legal counsel of the NRI, said his client would soon file a petition in the HC against the police for unnecessarily harassing him.

Moga, December 22
Two youths were injured in an attack by some persons on the district court premises here, this afternoon.

They were immediately rushed to the district hospital where they were undergoing treatment.

The injured, identified as Jasvir Singh, a resident of Kotla Mehar Singh Wala village and his friend Gurcharan Singh, a resident of Channuwala village, came to the court complex to meet their friend who had been brought from the Central Jail Ferozepur by the police for the trial of a criminal case pending against him, here.

Jasvir Singh, in a statement to the police, alleged that one of his rivals, Kirpal Singh, was also brought to the court by the police for the trial of a case pending against him and some persons who came to meet him, attacked him. He identified two persons and gave names to the police.

They attacked Jasvir and Gurdev with glass bottles leaving them injured on the spot, preliminary inquiries made out by the police revealed. The police has registered a criminal case in this regard at the police station (City-I) and begun investigations into the incident. District Bar Association president Nasib Singh Bawa has criticized the attack saying the district administration should provide adequate security in the court complex. — TNS

Ferozepur, December 22
The seriousness of the authorities concerned in enabling the country to make its mark in sports can be judged from the fact that a section of the athletes selected for the first Asian Para Games, held in Guangzhou (China), returned disappointed as they could not participate into same.

These athletes could not participate in various events as they could not reach the venue on time and get their classification done by the organising committee. The Games were inaugurated on December 12 and the athletes and some other players reached the same day.

Official sources said the athletes reached the venue late as their flight, which was to take off from the Indira Gandhi air port in Delhi, was cancelled at the last minute.

A special flight was arranged for them and by the time they reached the venue, the dead- line fixed for their classification including medical examination had lapsed.

“We took the help of Indian embassy to solve this problem. Some of the athletes were allowed to go for classification but they could not participate in full events,” pointed out R. Rattan Singh, president, Para Olympic Games Committee of India, adding that due to the number of problems, the performance of the Indian contingent was dismal.

“Our contingent should have reached the venue on December 6 or 7. But it could reach only on the day of inauguration (December 12) and hence, some of the players could not get enough time to acclimatise and to practice before the competition," he added.

On the other hand, a section of the players, who could not fetch any medal in any sports or who could not take part, while talking to TNS, said on the condition of anonymity, that the authorities concerned had played with their career as there was no proper arrangement to take them to the venue of games.

Some of them were of the view that by the time they would get a chance to take part in the next Asian Para Games, they would have lost their stamina and would not be able to compete with younger players from other countries.

Meanwhile, the Indian contingent, which fetched a gold, four silver and some bronze medals, stood at 15th position. A total of 41 countries participated in the championship.

Ferozepur, December 22
Within three months or so, the atmosphere in all jails dotting Punjab, will have a different look.

With the opening of three new jails at Kapurthala, Faridkot and Mansa by March 2011, the inmates will not have to scramble for space in their respective barracks, which have become congested due to the rise in the number of inmates as compared to the total housing capacity of the jails. After these jails become operational, the inmates from overcrowded jails would be shifted there. Not only this, about seven Central Jails will be equipped with de-addiction and yoga centres next year with the help of Red Cross societies. The process has been initiated in Amritsar and Sangrur Central Jails.

"At present, all 26 jails in Punjab are housing 17,000 inmates against their capacity to accommodate 11,000 inmates. The opening of three new jails coupled with 260 new barracks, which have been added in different jails in the past five years, will reduce the congestion in barracks," pointed out Jagjit Singh, DIG, Jails, Punjab. The high-security Nabha jail was being fitted with mobile jamming system and permission had been sought from the Central Government. CCTVs had been installed in ten jails and biometric machine was being installed in Ludhiana jail to boost security arrangements, he said, adding all the jails would be covered with CCTV facilities shortly. Apart from it, ten jails have been equipped with video conferencing facility and these had been connected with 32 courts so far.

About 24 assistant superintendents of jail would be joining shortly to improve jail administration. The new double-storey jail in Ferozepur, for which 44 acres had been selected near Khai Pheme Ke village, would be constructed to create enough space to accommodate 2000 inmates.

Abohar, December 22
Almost all the members of Bar Association, Abohar, and their agents today jammed traffic at Malout Chowk of this city on the Fazilka-Delhi highway for hours together to lodge their protest against the move of the Punjab government to shift all the cases pertaining to domestic violence to the district court from sub-divisional courts.

The protesters, who raised slogans against the Punjab government, also decided to observe an indefinite strike till the government withdraw its decision.

Rajnit Singh Phore, Secretary, Bar Association, said that Bar members had to agitate because the government did not take any action on the memorandum submitted to it through its district-level officials. The agitation was led by Narinder Kumar Garg, president of the Bar.

Phore said that traffic jam was lifted after Gurtej Singh, MLA, Balluana, assured them that he would take up this matter with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal tomorrow so that a solution could be worked out. He said a memorandum had been submitted to the SDM, Abohar also.

Meanwhile, the police authorities made efforts to divert the vehicular traffic to alternative routes to save the commuters from inconveniences.

Abohar, December 22
The 13007/13008 Udyan Abha Toofan Mail have its last run of the year today. The train that had been running late up to 12 hours now stands suspended till January 31 next owing to foggy weather, sources informed. This will deprive hundreds of passengers from Sriganganagar, Abohar, Malout and Gidderbaha of night journey facility not only to Delhi bit also to Chandigarh as the S-9 coach that was attached to this train will also remain suspended for more than five weeks.

The Railway Passengers Association (North Zone) vice-president Hanuman Dass Goyal and Gurprasad Behal, president of Sriganganagar based Rail Road Passengers Association regretted that the railways had not responded to repeated requests for limiting the run of the night train from Sriganganagar to Agra during the foggy season. They recalled that the deputations led by Sriganganagar MP Bharat Ram Meghwal and Bikaner MP Arjun Meghwal had urged the Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee and Railway Board chairman Vivek Sahai to launch Sarai Rohila-Sriganganagar Express before suspending the operation of the Udyan Abha train. The elected representatives and NGOs had resented that the new train from Sarai Rohila was announced during the railway budget in March this year but has not been introduced so far. They had suggested that three-tier coaches should be added to the proposed train to compensate hundreds of passengers who would suffer due to suspension of the Udyan Abha train. The deputations had demanded that Sarai Rohila train should have halts at Malout and Abohar also instead of running running non-stop between Bathinda and Sriganganagar.

It is unfortunate that the railway authorities had failed to provide Udyan Abha train with anti-fog device whereas scores of trains would be continued from other stations in the north, they said adding that the journey to Delhi and Chandigarh by night buses will now cost 100 per cent extra.

Fazilka, December 22
The members of the Bar Association, Fazilka, stayed away from the courts consecutively for the eighth day today against the decision of the government to set up family courts at the district headquarters only.

Bar Association president Sushil Gumber said that the members of disputing families would have to go to district headquarters for seeking justice which would cause great inconvenience to them.

He added that the district headquarter of Ferozepur is situated about 100 kilometers away from Fazilka which would further add to the miseries to the litigants. The Bar Association members have demanded that the family courts should be set up at the sub-divisional headquarters also.

He warned the government that their indefinite strike would continue if their demand is not fulfilled.

On the other hand, members of ministerial staff in Fazilka observed a pen-down strike today against the alleged false implication of a clerk working in the Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner's office by the officials of Vigilance Bureau few days back in a corruption case. Following the strike, the day-to-day work was paralysed in the offices of the SDM and the Tehsildar.

Ministerial staff representatives Subhash Arora and Mahesh Nagpal have demanded that corruption case against the clerk concerned, Surinder Kumar should be withdrawn. Scores of members sat on dharna and raised slogans against Vigilance officials. — OC