Bathinda, March 11
Amid mild protests, a majority of items listed on the agenda received the nod from the councillors during the general house meeting of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), held today.

Before the meeting could start, the House honoured the former commissioner of the BMC Ravi Bhagat for his 'non-controversial' image and the services rendered to the BMC.

Meanwhile, the delegation of safai karamcharis (sweepers), who are on strike for the last four days, started demonstrating outside the meeting hall. Handling the situation tactfully, senior officials of the BMC assured them that the two items on the agenda regarding the hiring of an agency for the cleanliness of the city on contractual basis, would not be discussed.

Though common issues like drinking water, sewerage and street-lights were discussed at length, surprisingly, the Zero Hour concluded comparatively on a less noisy note than earlier.

The House members passed a resolution to recommend to the SSP to book a SAD worker Lakhwinder Kaur, who had entered the hall during the Budget meeting held a few days back and abused a SAD councillor Rajwinder Kaur Brar over some issue.

Meanwhile, a woman councillor, belonging to the ruling SAD, lodged a complaint with Mayor Baljeet Singh Birbehman saying the officials do not pay heed to the request and recommendations of the councillors belonging to the ruling party. Feeling embarrassed, the Mayor assured of getting her work done.

The controversy over the nomination of three councillors as trustees of the Bathinda Improvement Trust without the consent of the House was also discussed in the meeting. But stating that the order had been challenged in the High Court, the Mayor assured all that he would convey the sentiments of the General House to the state government for consideration.

With the meeting moving towards the discussion of regular agenda, Congress councillor Jagrup Singh Gill lodged his objection over the formal confirmation of the previous General House meeting held on January 28.

The controversial issue of converting the fire brigade building into a multi-storeyed parking was placed on the agenda today. As the item failed to get nod from a majority, it was marked to a committee headed by the Mayor to go through all the details and submit a report in the next meeting.

Meanwhile, as per the willingness of the BMC Commissioner Uma Shankar, the much controversial item related to the sale of Blue Fox land was also listed. There was uproar in the House but after the commissioner clarified that the Improvement Trust authorities were willing to buy it after paying Rs 85 crore in installments, a majority of the councillors except Jagrup Singh Gill and his party colleagues, accepted the offer.

Meanwhile, the proposal to start city bus service within the BMC limits, which was kept pending in the past, was also approved with the condition that the total expenses (estimated to be nearly Rs 6 crore) would be spent by the PRTC.

Observing the insufficient capacity of the sludge carrier to be a major problem in the city, the House approved the proposal to enhance its capacity.

Various other items related to basic amenities and development works were also passed by a majority.

Among others, Rajan Garg, Krishan Garg, Santosh Mahant, Raj Kumar Garga, Mithu Ram Gupta, Master Harmnader Singh were among those who were quite vocal in the House.

Bathinda, March 11
A meeting of the district Congress will be held at the Congress office here tomorrow. Former general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Raninder Singh will attend the meeting. District press secretary of the Congress committee Rupinder Singh Bindra said besides office-bearers of the district units of the party, Congress MLAs from the district would also take part in the meeting.

Bindra said the meeting was being held in connection with preparations for the Congress rally, to be held in Khatkar Kalan on March 23. — TNS

Bathinda, March 11
Officer-in-charge of C-Pyte Camp, Kaljharani, Major BS Mann (retd) said today that Army recruitment for the youths of Bathinda district would be held from April 7 to April 11 next.

Mann further said the youths, who were interested in joining the Army, could report at the C-Pyte Camp at Kaljharani for training. He said the C-Pyte was a Punjab government's organisation that provided free training, accommodation and food. He said the staff would also help the candidates in preparing required documents for the recruitment. 

Abohar, March 11
While resenting the failure of the Health Department to get the blood bank restored at the 100-bed Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital here, over a dozen NGOs today joined the protest march that was organised under the banner of the the Bharat Vikas Parishad.

The licence of the bank was suspended following an inspection by the drug inspector Dinesh Garg in November last year.

In a memorandum submitted to the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Ramesh Verma today, the NGOs warned that the dharna would be staged on March 31, if the blood bank was not made functional before that day. The signatories to the memorandum included half a dozen state awardee blood donors. Dr Verma spoke to the legislator Sunil Jakhar over the phone immediately.

The latter assured of taking up the matter with Satish Chandra, principal secretary, Health Department, to ensure that necessary action was taken. He also contacted the district officers in this regard. The SMO said all paper work had already been completed.

Punjab State Social Welfare Board chairperson Vijay Luxmi Bhadoo had also taken it up with Health Minister Luxmi Kanta Chawla, who arranged the best equipment to remove discrepancies in renewing the licence that had expired long back. The residents are facing inconvenience after the closure of the only blood bank in this area.

The bank had been deprived of licence for want of an Elisa reader (for tests of HIV, Hepatitis B and C), a blood bag agitator (to stop clotting of blood), a tube sealer and a thermograph refrigerator to maintain the temperature of blood samples.

Zira (Ferozepur), March 11
Former finance minister Manpreet Badal today said a new freedom struggle would be launched on March 27 from Khatkar Kalan for establishing the rule of law in Punjab. 

Addressing a rally under his ‘Jago Punjab Yatra’ campaign in the local grain market here, he said a comprehensive struggle to eradicate corruption and unemployment was the need of the hour. — TNS