Bathinda, March 22
The election for the Sarpanch of village Bangi Ruldu (Bangi Kalan) in Bathinda district has been deferred for the fourth time, with the new date now fixed for March 28.

Though all was in place for the elections today, following an allegation of kidnapping of a ruling party Panch that led to a ruckus between the Congress and SAD workers at the BDPO office in Talwandi Sabo, the presiding officer announced the postponement of the election.

Going through the schedule, eight of the total nine-member panchayat of the village assembled at the BDPO office for the elections. Meanwhile the presiding officer, AETC (Mobile wing) Lajpal Singh Lakhar also reached the venue.

Before the election process could start, the wife of a SAD-supported Panch Gurcharan Singh lodged a complaint with the police that her husband had been kidnapped on the directions of the Congress candidate for the post of Sarpanch, namely, Gurpreet Kaur.

Acting upon the complaint, police took the accused Gurpreet Kaur in custody that left the Congress members fuming. The furious Congress workers along with some villagers staged protest at the BDPO office. They even had mild physical skirmish with the SAD workers on the spot.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, DSP, Talwandi Sabo, Surinder Pal deployed a contingent of police at the BDPO office to prevent the situation from turning worse.

Speaking to the media, the Congress supported members of Panchayat termed it as a stunt by the SAD supported workers just to avoid the elections as they were in minority in the panchayat and did not want a Congress-affiliated member to be elected as Sarpanch. The Congress members informed that due to the pressure of the ruling party leaders, the Director of Panchayati Raj Department had suspended their Panch, Gurnam Singh from voting on some frivolous ground. But it came as a shock for them when the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the order and said he was eligible for voting on Tuesday.

Finding the whole system in a mess, the presiding officer Lajpal Singh Jakhar deferred the elections till March 28.

Speaking over the phone, Jakhar said, "As the police is probing the case, it would be improper to hold the elections. Considering the facts, the elections have been postponed."

It may be mentioned that the village Panchayat has made the elections for Sarpanch a matter of prestige as they had on an earlier occasion, turned violent on the day of election and even tore off pages from the official register of the election staff.

Bathinda, March 22
In protest against the non-acceptance of their demands, especially the payment of arrears for 43 months of the revised pay scales from January 2006 in one go, the Class IV employees, under the banner of the ‘Class IV Government Employees Union Punjab' of the district today burnt a copy of the Punjab budget outside the Mini-secretariat here. They were led by the district president of the union Manjit Singh.

The protesters also held a 'siapa' and raised slogans in favour of their demands and against the Punjab government. They also blocked the main road for about 10 minutes in front of the Mini-secretariat while burning a copy of the budget and held a dharna and rally.

District president of the union Manjit Singh said they were not in favour of burning the copies of the budget, but had been compelled to do so as the state government had done nothing in the budget to fulfill their demands. Besides, the Badal government had been making false promises to the employees for the past four years, due to which there was great resentment among them, he added.

Manjit Singh said they were also demanding the appointment of a High Court judge as chairman of the anomaly committee to remove the grievances, in the Fifth Pay Commission's report. He said there were many anomalies in the Pay Commission's report due to which many employees could not get the requisite benefits.

On the other hand, the state government had also not implemented several recommendations of the Pay Commission which were in favour of the employees.

The demands of the protesters include 20 per cent house rent for employees in Bathinda and Patiala, regularisation of services of ASHA and Anganwari workers, scrapping of contractual system in government departments, enhancement of medical allowance to Rs 1500 per month, filling up of all vacant posts of the class III and class IV employees in various government departments.

Among those who were present on the occasion included the chairman of control committee of the union Daler Singh, district general secretary of the union Gurbans Singh, finance secretary of the union SS Yadav and a leader of the Punjab Subordinate Services Federation Baljinder Singh.

Bathinda, March 22
A group of eunuchs belonging to Himachal Pradesh, accompanied by goons, allegedly assaulted and attempted to kidnap a councillor of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), Santosh Mahant, also an eunuch, from her residence on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday. The reason, as told to the police, is the tussle over their jurisdiction.

The injured councillor, Santosh Mahant, who was under treatment at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, alleged that she was asleep at her residence near the SSD school, Sanguana road, when she heard knocks at the main gate of her house.

"When people started clapping outside, I presumed that some eunuchs had come to meet me. I opened the gate and found Chandani Mahant of Amb and Zeenat Mahant of Gagret (HP) along with some goons,” Mahant said.

"Before I could comprehend their intentions, they started beating me up. Listening to my cries, the neighbours assembled and the assailants fled,” alleged Santosh Mahant.

When asked, Mahant said, "We have divided our area of operation but defying it, Chandani Mahant and Zeenat Mahant were trying to capture it. I used to object. It might be the reason why they attacked me." Canal Colony police booked Chandani and Zeenat along with six unidentified persons under various sections of the IPC. SHO Sandeep Singh said, "After registering the case, a team has been sent to HP to arrest the accused."

Fazilka, March 22
To foil the ETT teachers’ attempt to disturb the SAD-BJP rally at Khatkar Kalan, being organised to pay homage to Bhagat Singh on his martyrdom day tomorrow, the Sadar police, Fazilka, took two unemployed ETT teachers, Inqlab Gill, a resident of village Pakka Chisti and Sukhwinder Pal, a resident of village Jandwala Mirasangla, into custody last night.

The ETT teachers and the teachers working under the Zila Parishads had decided to lodge protest at the rally to press the government to accept their demands, disclosed president of the ETT Teachers’ Union, Punjab, Jagtar Singh Jabbar.

Police have arrested eight unemployed ETT teachers in the Malwa region last night, informed Daljit Singh Cheema, executive member, Unemployed ETT Teachers’ Union. Jabbar said the teachers are determined to participate in the rally to raise their voice. They have left for Khatkar Kalan in scattered groups through undisclosed routes. — OC

Bathinda, March 22
Under the banner of Lal Jhanda Bhatha Mazdoor Union Punjab (AICCTU), workers from various brick kilns of the district today held a rally in support of their demands outside the Mini-secretariat here. They also raised slogans in support of their demands.

Their demands include Rs 400 as wages for moulding of 1000 bricks, grant of 50 per cent bonus from the excess profit, 50 per cent increase in minimum wages, two pair of uniform to every worker in a season, first aid equipment, pure drinking water, electricity and latrine facilities, eight-hour duty schedule for workers on monthly wages.

The leaders of the union, Gurpreet Singh Rureke and Harwinder Singh Sema, and state convener of the AICCTU Harbhagwan Bhikhi alleged that the brick kiln owners were not implementing labour laws in letter and spirit. They said if the brick kiln owners did not accept the demands of workers immediately, then they would start an indefinite dharna from March 25 in front of the DC office. They also announced a strike from today.

The assistant labour commissioner today also arranged a meeting between the representatives of the brick kiln owners and the workers but the matter could not be resolved. Later, the union leaders announced a strike by the workers from today.

Bathinda, March 22
District and Sessions judge SK Aggarwal today sentenced Rajinder Singh, a patwari of Sangat Kalan in Bathinda, to two years and three months of imprisonment. A fine of Rs 3,000 was also imposed on him.

SSP Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda, Sukhdev Singh Chahal said the accused had received bribe from one Kartar Singh of Harbans Nagar for reporting a deed of fuel station in the Roznamacha (daily diary) in 2006.

Though the accused had demanded Rs 2,000, the deal was settled at Rs 1,000, which the Vigilance Bureau sleuths had recovered from the accused.