Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), July 7
Water is expected to flow in the Gang canal from the Hussainiwala barrage within a week after a gap of 15 years.

The decision to release the water in the Gang canal, originating from Hussainiwala barrage, was taken by the Punjab Irrigation Department authorities to save the water, which was being diverted to Pakistan from here everyday.

Another reason, which forced the Punjab Irrigation Department authorities to take up the repair of the stretch of the Gang canal, lying in disuse for over a decade, is that they wanted to take water from the Hussainiwala barrage to the Ferozepur feeder canal so that adequate water could be supplied to Rajasthan and Punjab in the peak demand season.

The Gang canal, one of the oldest irrigation systems in Rajasthan, which passes through the territory of Punjab, was constructed to serve the north-western part of Sri Ganganagar district.

However, the Punjab irrigation authorities started feeding the Gang canal through the Ferozepur feeder canal from Ballewala head, located in Ferozepur district, by closing its feeding from the Hussainiwala barrage 15 years ago.

A sizeable number of labourers have been pressed into service so that weeds, bushes and silt could be removed from the Gang canal soon.

After that, cracks and other damaged portions in its bed and the banks would be repaired to make it fit for carrying water from the Hussainiwala barrage.

Baljit Singh Sandhu, Superintendent Engineer (SE), Irrigation, Ferozepur, said a sum of Rs 30 lakh would be spent on the repair of the 14-km long portion of the Gang canal for the time being.

About 700-800 cusecs of water would be taken to the Ferozepur feeder canal from this portion of the Gang Canal. After this exercise is over, the pressure of the existing irrigation channels in various parts of Punjab, which had been failing to take water as per their capacity, would be reduced.

The water is expected to flow within a week or so

Rs 30 lakh would be spent on the repair work

Fazilka, July 7
Standing crop of paddy, moong and vegetables in more than 350 acres of land in the border village of Mohar Jamsher have been submerged as the Sutlej has overflown its banks, following increase in the water level during the last few days. The gate at the barbed wire fencing has also come under keen-deep water at the Pattan post. The reason behind the rising water level is said to be the release of water from the Hussainiwala headworks and Pakistan too releasing water from its side, which has accumulated in the creek of the Sutlej at Pattan.

Fields have been inundated in village Mohar Jamsher as the river Sutlej is in spate. A Tribune photograph

The water level in the main stream of the Sutlej has gone up by 5-12-feet, said Commandant, 51 Battalion of the Border Security Force, ML Meena. The temporary wooden bridge, raised by the villagers, was washed away on Wednesday. The authorities, which had raised a pontoon bridge, have also started dismantling it as part of their annual feature.

The authorities wind up the bridge from July to September and is in use for the remaining part of the year, said DIG, BSF, Vimal Satyarthi.

Due to excessive inflow of water, it is not feasible to let the bridge lie in its functional state. With the removal of the floating bridge, the village Mohar Jamsher, having a population of about 1,000, remains cut off from the mainland towards Fazilka.

The only means of transportation for the residents is a big boat and a rover provided by the civil administration.

The residents of village Mohar Jamsher are braving an imminent risk but are yet to evacuate the village. Sarpanch of the village Kulwant Singh demanded that the administration should provide one more small boat and a rover. 

The Unemployed B.Ed Teachers’ Front, Punjab, has asked the state government to defer its decision on the TET condition for the recruitment of teachers at least for two years, as it has decided to implement the Right to Education Act fully in 2013 in the state

Bathinda, July 7
To beautify all government schools across the state and promote ecological awareness, the education department, Punjab, has decided to encourage the students as well as the staff to promote floriculture in their respective schools.

Education Minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan, in a recently held meeting with the officials of the state school education department, directed all the district education officers (DEOs) to coordinate with the school heads to encourage the students to plant fruit and flower bearing plants as well as decorative trees in their schools.

Stating that the plants would be supplied by a private sponsor, the minister clarified that the care of the plants would also be entrusted to the students and staff planting the saplings.

As the DEOs have intimated the school heads about the decision, some school authorities, while welcoming it, have even initiated the digging of pits for planting the saplings.

Giving further details, District Education Officer, Bathinda, Harbans Singh Sandhu said the department has introduced an innovative idea of putting the name of those planting the saplings (the student, teacher or the school head) on the plates installed along the tree guards, which would be purchased from the Eco Club funds.

“It will not only encourage students to do their best but will also instill a sense of responsibility among them to help the plants survive,” he added.

As per the information, the plantation drive is slated to start in the second week of this month.

Bathinda, July 7
To get closer to the people, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has decided to have a night stay in the villages where he would hold his Sangat Darshan functions.

The unprecedented move is likely to introduce a new culture in the polity of Punjab. As the next Assembly elections are only a few months away, the CM, who is also known for his campaigning skills, will stay tonight with the residents of Chappianwali village of his home constituency Lambi in Muktsar district.

Police sources said Badal would be staying in the building of Government Middle School in Chappianwali village. He was likely to hold an interaction with the prominent residents of the area at night. Sources said that tomorrow night, the CM would be staying in the building of Adarsh Public School after completing his Sangat Darshan functions in the Gidderbaha Assembly segment. Before going there, Badal would also attend a kirtan darbar to be held at the historic Guptsar Gurdwara in Chatteana village.

Interestingly, former finance minister and leader of the People's Party of Punjab Manpreet Badal held his first public rally in this gurdwara after he parted ways with the SAD (B) and his uncle, CM Badal, a few months ago and took a pledge that he would change the course of politics in Punjab.

While confirming that the formal decision to spend nights at the venue of the Sangat Darshan functions had been taken by the CM, SAD (B) president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the only agenda of the SAD-BJP combine was to redress the grievances of the commoners at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the police officials are mobilising personnel to make adequate security arrangements in and around the buildings where CM Badal would stay for the night.

Muktsar, July 7
Expressing his concern over space crunch for storing foodgrain in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal alleged that the Congress-led UPA Government is inconsiderate towards Punjab.

Badal held his Sangat Darshan functions at various villages of Lambi assembly segment. He said neither the Centre had constructed storage points for foodgrain in Punjab nor had it allowed the state government to accomplish the task.

He further claimed that though he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Union ministers seeking their cooperation for solving the problem, nothing concrete has come out so far.

Abohar, July 7
The court of District and Sessions judge MS Randhawa has accepted the bail plea of BJP councillor Ravi Makkar who had been arrested under the NDPS Act on June 2.

His counsel Ashwani Dhingra confirmed that regular hearing in the case will be taken up by the court of Additional District and Sessions judge SK Garg on July 25.

State BJP president Ashwani Sharma visited Abohar and had given Ravi Makkar a clean chit. He had assured that justice will be done. SP Virender Brar was asked to probe the complaint. He has submitted an inquiry report to the court, it is learnt. — OC

Barnala, July 7
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (DCDRF) has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for not issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) to a complainant.

As per the complaint, Satpal Singh, son of Hukum Chand of Sahariya Muhalla Dhanaula, had sold a house in 2004. He said after that, the Municipal Council (Dhanaula) had issued a no-dues certificate.

The complainant added that after that he again needed a no- dues certificate and paid a fee of Rs 200 each twice to the MC. After receiving the fee, an MC official, Paramjeet Kaur started delaying tactics.

The DCDRF summoned the executive officer of the MC and the dealing clerk for an explanation.

The EO and the dealing clerk refused to have issued any no- objection certificates to the complainant. Besides, while the case was pending with the DCDRF, the MC authorities issued no-dues certificate of some other applicant to the complainant.

President of the Forum Sanjeev Dutt Sharma, members JL Sidhu and Ravinderjeet Kaur, criticised the MC authorities for not performing their duties seriously and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the MC. — TNS

Barnala, July 7
The Barnala police today busted a major sex racket being run in a hotel owned by Gurjinder Singh Sidhu, a senior leader and state president of the ex-servicemen wing of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), in Kachehri Chowk here.

The police has arrested 12 girls and an official of the agriculture department and his partner, also a government servant.

Sources said that traffic inspector Jasveer Kaur, after seeing a vehicle with tinted glass, bearing the registration number PB-19C-5036, outside a hotel at about 1 pm, started looking for its owner and enquired from the hotel about the whereabouts of the vehicle owner.

Sources added that after the owner of the vehicle came out of the hotel, the traffic police issued him a ticket (challan) for putting black film on his vehicle illegally.  

Sources further said that while the traffic police authorities were issuing ticket to the owner of the vehicle, they spotted a girl in school uniform, who had probably come with the owner of the vehicle.

The girl was trying to flee from the back gate of the hotel.

The sources added that the girl was nabbed due to the alertness of police personnel.

Sources said that smelling rat, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Barnala, Rupinder Singh Bhardwaj reached the spot and started searching the hotel.

They added that during the search, police nabbed six couples including an agriculture department official, a lady who is a government employee, a woman employee of SLIET Longowal, a boy from Moga, the son of a Muslim Akali Leader along with a minor girl of a government high school, and three other couples.

Sources added that the couples were found in a compromising position in the rooms and tried to flee from the hotel but police managed to arrest them all.

The records were seized and the police sealed the hotel.

The police has registered a case under Immoral Trafficking Act against the six couples and have started hunting for the hotel owner who fled from the spot.

As the news about the police busting the sex racket spread in the area, people residing in the vicinity of the hotel expressed happiness about the police action against the influential SAD leader who is the owner of the hotel.

DSP Rupinder Bhardwaj, however, refused to divulge anything on the issue saying, “I am busy somewhere.”

Ferozepur, July 7
Pipal Singh, a farmer of Jalalewala village, located close to the Indo-Pak border in the district, was held for smuggling fake Indian currency notes (FICNs).

The accused fell into the police net at Gandu Kilche village near the border in Mamdot sector while he was trying to smuggle FICNs worth Rs five lakh to India after getting the consignment from Pakistan, last evening. The accused has reportedly confessed to his crime.

Police said the FICNs, seized from the accused, comprised 244 notes of Rs 1000 denominations and 512 notes of Rs 500 denominations. A case has been registered against Pipal Singh under sections 489-A, B and C of the IPC at the Mamdot police station.