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Indira Awas Yojna
Thumbs down to city bus service at MC meeting
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Abohar, Ferozepur on the warpath, oppose move
Kabaddi champ an example of abiding friendship
Congress extends support to Sanjha Morcha
Maghi Mela
Patwari goes missing, cops clueless
Traders resolve to continue stir
Improvement in train facilities expected
Saving blackbucks
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Indira Awas Yojna
Bathinda, January 6 Out of these 1264 families, 443 would be given grant of Rs 45,000 each to convert their kutcha houses into pucca ones while 821 would get Rs 15,000 each to carry out repairs at their houses. The IAY is a Centre-sponsored scheme, under which the Centre contributes 75 per cent while the state government puts in the remaining amount of the benefit. According to information available, proceedings are being initiated to open bank accounts of all the new beneficiaries. The BDPOs have been asked to provide the bank account numbers of the beneficiaries of their respective blocks so that the grants under the scheme could be deposited in the accounts of beneficiaries. It is learnt that about 825 beneficiaries have opened their bank accounts so far. It is also expected that the grants will be transferred to the bank accounts by the end of this month. The Zila Parishad (ZP) authorities already have funds of over Rs 5.25 crore under the scheme while they require only Rs 3.22 crore to disburse the benefit among 1,264 beneficiaries. It is recalled that under the scheme, the authorities had earlier covered all (more than 6400) BPL families, which were on waiting list and had been identified from the list of nearly 13,000 BPL families in this district. Still, the ZP authorities were left with funds amounting to crores of rupees. Left with no other option, they had to return the money to the Centre and the state government. However, the ZP authorities corresponded with the authorities concerned to extend the scheme to the remaining needy BPL families in the district. On this, the state government ordered the authorities concerned to conduct a survey so that the benefit under the IAY could be extended to more needy BPL families. |
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Thumbs down to city bus service at MC meeting
Bathinda, January 6 Observing the traffic bottlenecks in the city, a proposal to start a city bus service was listed on the agenda today. Mentioning the details, it was proposed that the BMC would purchase three buses at the cost of Rs 30 lakh each and hand them over to the PRTC to run and maintain them. Initially, some councillors, including Senior Deputy Mayor Tarsem Goyal and Deputy Mayor GS Mangat, proposed an amendment saying the project should be awarded to some private player, who would run the buses and pay some fixed charged to the BMC. However, because of disagreement among many councillors, the proposal could not be approved and the issue was put in abeyance with Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman announcing that the issue demanded an in-depth study. Meanwhile, another proposal to plant about 400 date/palm trees, about 10-15 feet high, on the Barnala bypass also failed to reach a consensus as some councillors felt that the proposal was introduced on the direction of a SAD leader in the city. “The total cost estimated by the officials—Rs 25 lakh—is very high. So, either a tender should be called for the project or the help of some NGOs should be sought for the cause,” a majority of the councillors including Mithu Ram Gupta and Khem Singh Makkar said. Later, due to the din, the house kept the item pending for consideration. Further, one more item listed on the agenda, a comprehensive project for introducing automation and e-governance in the BMC, also failed to get the approval. Besides, there were many items on the agenda, including the implementation of energy efficient street lighting, that were kept pending for the want of detailed report on the projects. Some proposals like the appointment of a law officer in the BMC, continuing an agreement to allot a shop on rent, matters related to granting pardon to some officials in question, were rejected by the house after long arguments. The house also decided to recover some penalty from two junior engineers for some official files that had gone missing. They were held guilty of negligence. However, the house was united regarding item number 16 on the agenda, which mentioned that the tenders be prepared ward-wise for basic development projects. Thumping the table, all the councillors approved the agenda and asked the officials to ensure its speedy implementation. About Rain Basera (shelters for poor), the house decided to take the land from the railways and that the BMC would bear the cost of construction. On the one hand, most of the items on the agenda were kept pending in the first general house meeting of the BMC in 2011, and on the other, the old issues of water supply and sewerage again prevailed during the meeting but no decision could be reached. |
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Abohar, Ferozepur on the warpath, oppose move
Ferozepur/Abohar, January 6 One of the largest districts of Punjab remained gripped by agitation by different organisations in its different towns today. The members of the Zila Bachao Sangarash Committee (Ferozepur) comprising members of the District Bar Association and representatives of different organisations today blocked traffic at Sher Shah Wali chowk for hours and staged a dharna to protest against the state government’s move to carve out another district from the existing boundaries of the Ferozepur district. The activists also took out a protest march in the town. “From Friday, 11 members of the Zila Bachao Sangarash Committee will start a chain hunger strike in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The vehicular traffic will be blocked near the octroi post number seven in this town tomorrow. Their agitation will continue till Jiyani continues his fast-unto-death,” disclosed KD Syal, president, District Bar Association (Ferozepur). On the other hand, a section of the members of the Bar Association today staged a dharna in the premises of the court complex here for pressing the Punjab government to accept their demand. The Bar Association has also decided to continue its agitation till January 11. President, Bar Association, Abohar, NK Garg said, “We have given a call to all the organisations connected with farmers, traders, clubs, political parties, employees and professionals to join a huge dharna, which will be staged tomorrow in the court complex here so that the Punjab government could be conveyed that the residents of Abohar will not settle down less than district status for the same.” He said the Bar Association had already submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal in connection with the demand for granting district status to Abohar, which had required infrastructure for getting the district status, earlier also but to no avail. The Bar Association also condemned the fast-unto-death dharna by the political persons of other sub-division as their modus operandi to put pressure on the Punjab government to get district status for the same, he pointed out, adding that the Punjab government had been urged not to succumb to political pressure. |
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Kabaddi champ an example of abiding friendship
Bathinda, January 6 His best friend, Sarovar Dugal, also a kabaddi player, is now no more but to keep his memory alive, Bittu has got his portrait tattooed on his right arm. A resident of Dugal village in the Patiala district of Punjab, Bittu lost his childhood friend Sarovar in 2006 when a bullet pierced his heart in an “accidental fire”. Going down the memory lane, Bittu said, “Sarovar and I were not only friends but also motivated each other to take up the game of kabaddi. We used to practice together and devoted most of our time to the game. The day he departed was the darkest day of my life, which I can never forget.” “His death caused an irreparable loss to me and the incident disturbed me a lot. During a visit to Vancouver in 2007, I shared my pain with a senior, Lakha Gajipur, who suggested that I should get Sarovar’s portrait tattooed on my arm so that I feel he is always with me,” said Bittu. “The tattoo started proving to be a source of inspiration for me as I realised that if I earn name and fame in the game, people will also give respect to my friend, whose tattoo I have on my arm. I feel happy when, witnessing my performance, people come to ask me about the relevance of the tattoo and appreciate my views,” he said. Bittu, who is now regarded as one of the best stoppers in circle style kabaddi across the world and has won a number of gold medals as well as motorcycles and cars as prizes for his marvellous performances in various countries, disclosed that he left his village in 2002 and joined the DAV College, Bathinda. “I had brought Rs 5,000, of which nearly Rs 4,000 had been spent on college fee and related expenses. The remaining Rs 1,000 lasted only a week and I went back to the village and borrowed Rs 500 from a friend. During one match, a man congratulated me for the performance and rewarded me with Rs 1,000.” “It was the beginning of my career and since then, I have not looked back. I clinched a gold medal in the Indo-Pak games in 2004. In the same year, I won a motorcycle at the Khalsa Heritage Cup held at Jalandhar. In 2006, one Karan Ghuman honoured me with an Indica car for being adjudged the best stopper during the Canada season. I won a Bullet motorcycle in 2008 when I was adjudged the man of the series in the Canada series with a record 124 stoppings. Besides, I won gold and vehicles a number of times,” recounted Dugal. Bittu had also taken part in the World Kabaddi Cup-2010 held in Punjab. The state government honoured Bittu for his performance by giving him a job in the Punjab Mandi Board. Replying to a query, Bittu said he had gifted a majority of the vehicles that he had won to his relatives and friends. “Despite all my achievements, I still remember the days when Sarovar and I used to run after tractor-trolleys to catch them and used to think whether we would even be able to hire a car at all,” reminisced
Bittu. |
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Kabaddi tourney kicks off at DAV College
Bathinda, January 6 In a special gesture, the college honoured 21 international kabaddi stalwarts who were product of this college. Notable among them were Manpreet Maana, star of the Asian Games at Busan, Gulzar Singh and Narinder Bittu, members of the Indian kabaddi team for the World Cup, 2010, and the famous kabaddi player Gurlal
Singh. — TNS |
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Congress extends support to Sanjha Morcha
Dhingra to join hunger strike Fazilka, January 6
Fazilka, January 6 A large number of Congress leaders including Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, former MLA, Hans Raj Joshan, former Congress minister, Surinder Kalra, former chairman, Improvement Trust (Fazilka) Des Raj, Raj Baksh, Ranjam Kamra (all Congress activists), Sube Singh, member, executive, SGPC, Naveen Gumber, BJP leader extended their support to Sanjha Morcha. The other prominent leader of this region, Chaudhary Radhe Krishan, who remained an MLA a number of times and was once a minister, also visited Jiyani and extended his support. |
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Maghi Mela
Ferozepur, January 6 The Maghi Mela conferences are likely to set the tone for the next assembly elections due in 2012. Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal has been trying to make a record by collecting over one lakh people at the conference. “Both the Congress and the SAD (B) leaders have been demanding buses from us. Manpreet Badal has even made advance payment for a few dozen buses. We have been finding it difficult to fulfill their demands,” said Balwinder Singh, president,
Mini-Bus Welfare Union (Ferozepur). “The number of buses demanded from us by different political parties and Manpreet Badal is more than the total number of buses available with us,” said Baljinder Singh, president, Baba Farid Mini-Bus Association (Faridkot). A large section of private bus operators expressed the same views. A section of leaders have started engaging buses from the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Haryana. “We have hired buses from Rajasthan and Haryana so that our supporters could be taken to the venue of the first conference of Jago Punjab Yatra. We expect that about one lakh people will attend our conference,” said Charanjit Singh Brar, OSD to Manpreet Badal. Congress MLA and in-charge of Congress conference of Maghi Mela Avtar Brar said as enough buses were not available to them, the Congress leaders were trying to arrange other vehicles. Meanwhile, Nirmal Singh Dhillon, IG, Punjab Police, Bathinda zone, said adequate security arrangements had been made for Maghi Mela. |
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Patwari goes missing, cops clueless
Faridkot, January 6 His car was recovered from the banks of the Rajasthan feeder canal on the outskirts of Faridkot early this morning. The police initiated a probe in the case. However, it is yet not confirmed as to whether the patwari has committed suicide as the body could not be traced till evening or had gone missing from home. As per the details, the patwari, Jasdev Singh, a resident of New Cantonment road (Faridkot), had left a suicidenote, shoes and his wallet in his Maruti car, found parked on the banks of the Rajasthan feeder canal. He was posted at Kotsukhiya village. Jasdev Singh has allegedly named the district president of the SAD and former SAD MLA Mantar Singh Brar, senior officials of the district administration including the district magistrate and some other persons wanting to
cancel the mutation for harassing him in his typed suicide note, which was written three days ago. SSP Gurmeet Singh Randhawa said, “ We are probing the matter and will take action accordingly.” Meanwhile, Mantar Brar said though he had never met the patwari or spoken to him, it had come to his notice that he was unhappy over his frequent transfers. |
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Traders resolve to continue stir
Fazilka, January 6 Gulbadhar said he had promised the Sanjah Morcha to hold 72 hours of complete strike, if the local BJP MLA Surjit Kumar Jyani goes on hunger strike. If any shopkeeper flouts the decision, he would be liable to pay a fine up to Rs 5,000, he said. Meanwhile, Ferozepur DC asked the Sanjha Morcha members to visit Chandigarh and resolve the issue with the newly-constructed two-member committee of Sukhbir Badal and Manoranjan Kalia. But theMorcha members turned down the offer.
— OC |
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Improvement in train facilities expected
Sriganganagar, January 6 A dozen passengers had arrived from Abohar to board the train at Sriganganagar since the train had no stoppage between Sriganganagar and Bathinda. Speaking before the departure, Virendra Kataria said the rail travel facilities will get a further boost after the completion of the Abohar-Fazilka rail link and gauge conversion on the Sriganganagar-Sadulpur section. |
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Saving blackbucks
Sriganganagar, January 6 The Akhil Bhartiya Bishnoi Sabha was informed that the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had given clearance to the plan under which the reserve would be developed over 1538 acres of land at village Gudha Bishnoi. The decision comes in the wake of a UN initiative. The United Nations General Assembly had declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
— OC |
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