Bathinda, January 1
The luxury Sikh pilgrimage train-the Shan-e-Khalsa — which is covering the five Takhts (temporal seats) of the Sikhs in eight days and nine nights' trip, received a rousing reception at the Bathinda railway station, this evening.

The visitors went to the Takht Shri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo near Bathinda to pay obeisance; A view of the bar inside the luxury train; DC Gurkirat Kirpal Singh and SSP SS Gill take a look at the interiors of the train. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma

Bathinda, January 1
The appointment of Captain Amarinder Singh as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and the ouster of former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal from the SAD would have no effect on the conference of the SAD, to be held on January 14 at Maghi Mela in Muktsar which would be a historic one. This was stated by Sikander Singh Maluka, a member of the political affairs committee (PAC) of the SAD.

Talking to TNS today, Maluka said the Congress conference, despite the appointment of Amarinder as PPCC chief, and Manpreet's conference, would not affect SAD as there was great enthusiasm among the party rank and file on the issue of Maghi conference.

Maluka also said that the SAD would sound its poll bugle for the SGPC elections this year and the Assembly elections in 2012, at the Maghi Mela conference. The Maghi Mela conference would be addressed among others by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the SGPC Avtar Singh Makkar, members of the Rajya Sabha Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Balwinder Singh Bhunder, besides cabinet ministers and others, he added.

Maluka also said that these leaders would explain to the public about the development work undertaken by the SAD-BJP government in the state, as the next election would be fought by the party on the development issue. He also said that to strengthen the party in Bathinda district, separate conferences of the party's women's wing, SC/BC wing, farmers' wing and employees' wing would be held, for which dates would be announced in consultation with party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Earlier, he also addressed a meeting of the SAD leaders and workers from Bathinda district at the Gurdwara Haji Rattan Sahib here, which had been convened in connection with the Maghi Mela conference at Muktsar.

At this meeting, leaders and workers were assigned duties to mobilise the people for the Maghi conference. About 20 leaders were also honoured for working hard for the youth rally on December 17 in the Diwan Hall of the gurdwara.

The SAD leaders present on the occasion included Sarup Chand Singla, Baljeet Singh Bir Behman, Gurvinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, Darshan Singh Kot Fatta, Balkar Singh Brar and Om Parkash Sharma. 

Bathinda, January 1
The nine-day book fair, organized by the National Book Trust (NBT) at the Government Rajindra College, began today with the valued notes of renowned litterateur.While the publishers were busy arranging books at the stalls on the inaugural day, an assembly of writers, poets, novelists, critics was addressing the gathering, sharing their views and experiences about the value and beauty of books.

Speaking about the fair, the organizers informed that it was the 12th fair of the NBT in Punjab since they started it in 1983.

Hailing the love and respect of the readers in Bathinda for books, the NBT officials said, "Though this belt is called the most backward region of the state, the response we got during a nine-day fair organized here in 2007 was matchless."

"We recorded a total sale of books worth Rs 55 lakh in that fair. That was the highest record the NBT book fair ever got in Punjab. Perhaps, it is the main reason why we opted for Bathinda the second time now," they mentioned. Notably, during the previous fair, there were nearly 35 stalls, which have been doubled this time. Offering discounts (varying in percentage), as many as 72 stalls have been set up in the fair, which have been hired by about 47 publishers belonging to different parts of the country. Besides, a local renowned painter Amarjeet has also exhibited his inspiring paintings at the book fair.

Besides the book sale, the NBT has organized a number of events which include meet-the-author, Ru-ba-ru, lectures to discuss different issues like social relations, economy, politics, besides poetry and story sessions, etc.

Ferozepur, January 1
As this district shares border with Pakistan on the one side and with Haryana and Rajasthan on other, patrolling is always a difficult task for the men in uniform even during the normal days.

Besides carrying out normal policing, the police authorities also remained bothered to check the activities of anti-national elements, who made repeated attempts to push narcotics, weapons, fake Indian currency notes and explosives from Pakistan through the border.

Last year, though the police managed to curtail the incidents related to crime as compared to their figures for the year 2009, a few crime incidents, which rocked the entire region, denied appreciation to the police authorities concerned.

On the other hand, on many occasions, the police had to resort to lathi-charge on the protesting activists of different employees and non-employees union whenever the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal or Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal visited this district.

Moreover, the police could not arrest the accused involved in crimes like murder and sodomy despite the fact that kin of victims in these cases along with other people resorted to protests also.

However, the hard work by the field force has also yielded good results as last year, a total of 27 gangs indulging in different crimes were busted and 105 members of these gangs were arrested.

“The anti-smuggling drive has also shown good results as 471 cases pertaining to NDPS Act were registered in 2010 against 380 cases registered in 2009. The number of murder cases has come down to 58 in 2010 as compared to 65 cases in 2009,” pointed out Kaustab Sharma, district police chief, Ferozepur.

“The number of cases in connection with burglaries, robbery and assault on public servants significantly came down last year as compared to the year 2009. On the other hand, the recoveries of stolen properties have shown upward trend,” he disclosed.

Abohar, January 1
The mass prayer (ardas) for the prosperity of the region was organised by Gurtej Singh Ghuriana SAD MLA from Balluana constituency outside his new house in Ganga Vihar colony.

Senior functionaries of the ruling alliance partner BJP joined the SAD activists in demanding that Ghuriana should be declared as the party candidate for the next Assembly elections as well.

Notably, Ghuriana was known for having estranged relations with SAD think-tank Gurdas Singh Badal, former MP.

Senior BJP leaders, who joined the two-hour long function today included Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, Sohan Lal Dangarkhera, former chairman of Market Committee (Fazilka) and Baljit Singh Jhajhria, chairman of Abohar Market Committee, besides presidents of all the rural blocks of the saffron party. The BJP leaders were not reluctant in conceding that Gurtej was the first legislator to celebrate the New Year in a unique way. 

Abohar, January 1
Realising that comprehensive initiatives need to be taken to combat drug trafficking, an inter-state police meet has been planned, said SP Virender Singh Brar here today. The date for the meeting will be fixed soon but the venue would be Abohar.

Speaking about the measures being taken to regulate traffic and check violations, he said one-way traffic on the Gaushala road and the Old Tehsil road has been enforced by erecting dividers. 

Ferozepur, January 1
The Ferozepur Central Jail, housing a section of Pakistan nationals as prisoners, hogged limelight in the year 2010 for the wrong reasons. The jail has been housing about 1800 inmates against its capacity of housing 1136 inmates.

Notably, 14 inmates have died in 12 months last year. Some of deaths of the inmates triggered off controversies as well. This is not for the first time that the Ferozepur Central jail has hit the headlines.

A few years ago, the Punjab and Haryana High Court awarded a compensation to the tune of Rs 10 lakh to the family of an under trial murdered in the Ferozepur jail. It also fixed the accountability on the head warden, a warden and a constable.

A few years ago, a senior functionary of the jail was taken to task by the authorities concerned when a mobile phone was recovered from an inmate. A case in this connection was registered against that inmate and a senior functionary as well.

This year, the high number of death of inmates led to transfer of all the members of medical and para medical staff, deployed in it for providing medical care to inmates, on the recommendation of its superintendent LS Jakhar.

As a number of activists of various unemployed teacher unions, linemen union and other unions were taken into preventive arrest from the nook and corner of the district time and again by the police authorities concerned, the jail authorities faced a number of difficulties to accommodate them into the jail premises, which remained overcrowded throughout the year.

LS Jakhar further pointed out that every death of jail inmate was inquired into by different agencies of the state and Centre government and so far the jail authorities were not found involved in any way into the death of any inmate in 2010. 

Fazilka, January 1
A cross section of kinnow cultivators of this area, who have switched to kinnow growing following the government’s initiative to promote diversification from the traditional crops, are of the view that a lot needs to be done by the horticulture department of the PAU and the Punjab government to ensure that kinnows bloom.

They say that the cultivation of kinnow is virtually a difficult rearing process for about five years. Pioneer kinnow grower and kinnow king Prem Babbar demands that the horticulture experts must find out the comprehensive reason for phytopthora (commonly known as die back) disease afflicting the kinnows. This disease right from the introduction of kinnow crop three decades back has been disturbing the kinnow plants to a considerable extent.

The National Horticulture Mission (NHM) should provide adequate funds to the PAU scientists to conduct research in citrus cultivation and its high yield, he said.

Another kinnow grower of village Mohammad Pira, Satish Dhingra said in 10-12 years old kinnow orchards, fertility of soil is depleted over the years. Due to this very reason, there is a scarcity of major, secondary and micronutrients in the sub-soil.

State kinnow award winner Sidharth Periwal of village Khippanwali urged the government to ensure that citrus juice plants set up at Abohar and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 40 crores each are rendered operational by the government to promote kinnow cultivation and bring more area under horticulture.

Barnala, January 1
A team of the Punjab Technical University (PTU), led by Vice-Chancellor Rajneesh Arora, yesterday selected a site in nearby Sanghera village for setting up a food technology and research institute.

In collaboration with certain food processing industries, the institute would provide certificate, diploma, degree, PG and research degrees in food technology.

The VC said the construction would start soon and state-of-the-art machinery would be ordered for highly advanced institute.

The land, which belonged to the Punjab Government, would be transferred in the name of the university that would spend Rs 100 crore in developing it.

He said five per cent seats would be reserved for students belonging to this area and locals would be provided employment. DC Arshdeep Thind said with the coming up of the institute, the area would see development in various sectors. ADC Harjeet Singh, Dr NP Singh and Dr AP Singh of the PTU were also present. 

Patiala, January 1
Several Army veterans, senior citizens, doctors and students, under the banner of Joint Panel of Citizens and Soldiers, today held a protest at the War Memorial here against corruption and misrule. The panel hopes to generate a need for good governance and human rights.

The protest concluded at the memorial built in memory of Mahatma Gandhi. MS Randhawa and Capt CS Sidhu (retd), co-conveners of the panel, and Col Kuldip Singh Grewal (retd), president, State Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, urged the people to rise against the forces of corruption and to save the sovereignty and integrity of the country from the deepening grim scenario due to bad governance.

They said new lows in bad governance had shamed the nation with multi-billion scams that were a fatal blow to the country’s economy, which already was in a debt trap. The condition was so bad that the backbone of agri-based country’s underpaid and debt-ridden hapless farmers were committing suicides.

They alleged that due to the shortsighted policies of the government, healthcare and education were out of bounds for half of the middle class. The poor were unable to afford even two square meals a day due to the ongoing inflation, they further said.

“Adding insult to injury, unchecked policies of the government were weakening country’s security by demoralising the defence forces and ignoring its needs,” Grewal said.

The spokespersons maintained that the main reason the Army was short of 14,000 officers were the pay scales being offered. Non-performance on defence preparedness and better infrastructure and armoury, pending for over decades, were posing serious threats for the nation.

Ferozepur, January 1
As many as 156 candidates were selected in the joint recruitment drive of Infosys Technologies Limited, which was hosted by the local Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Engineering and Technology (SBSCET).

TS Sidhu, principal, SBSCET, said efforts for this drive were made by Training and Placement Cell of the college in association with other colleges and about 450 students from different colleges participated in the drive.

SK Kazal, Training and Placement Officer of the college, disclosed that the selected candidates had been offered a salary package of Rs 3.25 lakh per annum.