Behman Diwana (Bathinda), October 6
More than 200-feet long sidewalls of Behman Diwana water channel collapsed today following lack of maintenance and repair work. The channel was last repaired more than 35 years ago. The funds to maintain the 21 kilometer long feeders were received in 2007.

The channel was full of water today in the morning and collapsed at around 7 am. Farmers visiting their fields informed the authorities and the officials of the canal department were rushed to block the flow of water.

It took more than six hours to stop the flow of water. The gushing water entered into the cotton and paddy fields.

Darshan Singh, a farmer, said that more than 100 acres of land was inundated. "If we do not siphon off the water in the next two or three days, it will completely damage the standing cotton and paddy crops," he said. Darshan has 9.5 acres land and most of the land inundated belongs to his relatives.

Darshan Singh alleged that though ruling SAD-BJP government claims to have initiated steps to bring about development in the state but nothing has been done to repair the channel that has frequently developed breach in the last five years.

Junior Engineer Gurnaib Singh and mate Ramesh from the canal department were present on the spot and supervised the damage control exercise.

"Since JE Bikramjeet Singh is unwell, the SDO Makhan Singh directed me to supervise the temporary repair work. I am deployed in the Jalal section, whereas the breach falls in the Bathinda headquarter section," he added.

Admitting that lack of repair and maintenance due to the paucity of funds could be among the probable reasons, Gurnaib said rodents could be the reason behind today's breach.

"The farmers had been told to fill up the rodent holes adjoining the water channels as it could lead to such a breach," he said.

Besides the rodents, the forest department has planted trees on the bank of the channel. The roots of trees weaken the grip of wall and lead to a collapse of the sidewalls.

"We even asked the farmers to utilize the banks of the water channels as roads, so that tractors could ply on the banks. This tramples the earth and increases the life of the sidewalls," he said. But there is no space to even walk on the banks due to the plantation.

Twenty labourers have been deployed to fill the sand bags to provide temporary relief to the farmers. Sand bags would be fixed besides the collapsed sidewalls.

He said putting sand bags in place of the breach is no permanent solution but at the same time no permanent solution has been worked out. The entire channel needs to be re-lined, the officials added.

They said that more than 2500 sand bags would be used to plug the breach. The time required for this may range between three days to a week.

Shortage of labourers due to the festival season has also added to the problems while carrying out the repair work. Twenty labourers have been hired after much persuasion and the intervention of the local villagers, said the officials.

Bathinda, October 6
The district administration is soon going to launch 'Mumta — Dial-an-eco-rickshaw cab' service in Bathinda, for which it has been holding talks with the BSNL to provide mobile phone connections to the owners of the eco-cabs.

After the launching of the scheme, the residents of the city would be able to call the eco-rickshaw cab pullers on their premises by just making a phone call to them. The phone number would be displayed on every eco-rickshaw cab.

SR Kusla, who is coordinating the eco-rickshaw cab scheme in the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) here, said the 'Dial-an-eco-rickshaw cab' service would be launched before Diwali in the city. He said the phone connections would be given on the recommendations of the office of the ADC (D).

The eco-rickshaws and the mobile phones would be given to the persons concerned at a function to be held shortly. Under the 'Eco-rickshaw cab' scheme— such rickshaws have already been provided to five persons (two locals and three migrants) in the city by arranging bank loans at a nominal rate of interest (four per cent).

As the administration is serious in implementing the 'Eco-rickshaw cab' scheme in a big way, it has involved the NGOs and voluntary organisations in its effort to identify and make the needy, especially those rickshaw pullers who have been pulling the rickshaws on a hire basis, as the owners of the eco-rickshaws.

The application forms from the needy are being collected by the office of the ADC (D) through the NGOs or directly. The office of the ADC (D) has received 20 more applications forms from the needy rickshaw pullers for making the loan available (to purchase the eco-rickshaw cab) to them from the banks.

After processing the applications, it would be sent to the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the Punjab National Bank. After verification, the bank would sanction the loan of Rs 9,600 that would be repaid by the rickshaw puller in easy installments, for Rs 300 per month.

For now, eco-rickshaws would be provided to at least 100 needy persons.

Bathinda, October 5
An 18-year-old student was killed after being hit by a rashly driven car today in the morning near Ganesha Basti. The student was standing along with two others, who too received serious injuries.

The deceased has been identified as Dilpreet Singh, a student of class XI (non-medical). Investigating Officer in the case, ASI Darshan Singh from the Civil Lines police station, Dilpreet was residing in his aunt's house at nearby Maluka village. He belongs to Nangal village in Moga district.

Dilpreet was standing along with Gurvinder Singh and Pardeep Singh on the roadside when a speeding car, bearing the registration number of Bathinda, hit them. Though the registration number was noted down by the onlookers, the driver managed to flee.

ASI Darshan Singh, after visiting the spot and gathering information from the onlookers, said the car was being rashly driven and it was trying to overtake another vehicle but failed to do so. The driver lost control over the car and hit the bystanders. Dilpreet's head bumped into the road and he died on the spot while the others received serious injuries and were rushed to the local Civil Hospital from where they were further referred to some other hospital.

The investigating officer said that the body of Dilpreet was handed over to his relatives after conducting post-mortem at the Civil Hospital.

The ASI added that a case in this connection has been registered and the driver of car would be traced by tomorrow as the vehicle’s registration number has been identified.

Bathinda, October 6
A 50-year-old railway employee and a 22-year-old resident of Janta Nagar died in separate incidents after being hit by trains in the last 24 hours. The employee, a gangman deployed at the Bathinda railway station, has been identified as Balwant Singh. As per the Government Railway Police (GRP), he was trying to cross the railway track today in the morning at around 6.30 am when he was hit by a train. He was declared dead on arrival at the Civil Hospital.

The Janta Nagar resident was identified as Raju. ASI Jagdish Chander of the GRP said he was the eldest of four siblings and worked deployed as a helping hand in a cloth shop. His body was found on the tracks at around 8.30 pm. Inquest proceedings have been initiated. — TNS

Bathinda October 6
Dussera signifies the importance of victory of divine over devil. The festival is celebrated with lots of enthusiasm as it is the day when people purify their soul by shedding all the evil thoughts from their minds.

In the city, the festival has been celebrated in many parts of the city. However, the main attraction of the viewers were the Partap Nagar, National Fertiliser Limited, MSD School, Thermal Colony and Railway Ground, where the organisers burnt the huge effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad.

For the whole day, the enthusiastic crowd in the markets enjoyed the day. Children were seen very excited. “It is a day when we go to the markets and enjoy the festival with the whole family. In this season, the energy is quite positive everywhere,” said Reema.

“Not only in Hinduism but for all the human beings, the day is very important as it tells us that sin never wins. Every year, we visit one of the Dussehra ground, where the effigies of evil are burnt,” said Aseem.

In every household of the city, the fest has been celebrated with the same zeal. It represented the unity and love among the common man. “From Dussehtra till Diwali, the festive season always brings joy in our lives. The rituals and the celebrations are embedded in our culture. We love to be with family in these celebrations,” said Jeewanjyot.

In the Dussehra Ground of Pratap Nagar, instead of three, there are four effigies made. The fourth one was of Tarka.

Various social workers like Satpal Garg, Kunal Garg and former MC Vijay organised the festival there and burnt the effigies whereas at the MSD Senior Secondary School's ground, Bathinda DC Kamal Kishore Yadav lighted the effigies.

Bathinda, October 6
Believe it or not, but it is true that there are two such important posts in the district administration which have been lying vacant for the last four years here.

The posts are: Assistant Commissioner (General) and the Public Grievances Officer (PGO).

These two officials often look after the work of various branches of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, such as Nazar branch, establishment, licence and passport, copying branch, record room.

Besides the two posts, there are some other posts, which have also been lying vacant here for the last several months. These posts are: Assistant District Transport Officer (ADTO), District Development and Panchyat Officer (DDPO), District Revenue Officer (DRO), District Welfare Officer and District Employment Officer.

However, the work of these posts is being run by the government by giving additional charges to other officers.

Due to this, the work has been hampering not only of the vacant posts but also of those posts, which are being manned by the officials concerned at their original place of postings as one officer can not perform well at two places in a five-day week.

In some cases, the officials perform their duties three days at their original place of posting and two days at the place, holding additional charge.

As per the information available, the post of the ADTO in the office of the district transport office here has been lying vacant for the past about three months while the post of the DDPO has been lying vacant for the past about two months after the transfer of then DDPO Parampal Kaur to Mansa, who has now been holding additional charge of the Bathinda DDPO.

The post of the DRO has also been lying vacant since the retirement of then DRO on March 31 last.

However, it was now learnt that the government has issued orders of someone on the post but the person has yet to join the duty. Till now the charge of the DRO's post is with the Tehsildar, Bathinda Avtar Singh Makkar.

Likewise the post of the District Welfare Officer is also vacant for the past about two months.

The post of district employment officer has also been lying vacant since January this year and at present the charge of this post is lying with the district employment officer, Mansa.

In these circumstances how one can expect from the officers, holding additional charge, that they can make justice at both places.

Bathinda October 6
To pay tributes to the famous playwright Gursharan Singh, on October 9, a programme has been planned at village Kussa of the Moga district. A preparatory meeting was organised in this regard at Bathinda by the committee members Atarjit Singh and PushapLata. The meeting was attended by the employees, youngsters and women.

Atarjeet Singh said for the preparation of the programme the people are being organised in various villages, colonies and towns of Bathinda.

A motorcycle march will be passed across the city on October 8.

Bathinda October 6
Following the call of the ‘Thermal Workers Coordination Committee’, Punjab, the leaders and workers of Contractor Workers Union, Baljit Singh, Kamal Kumar, Karamjit Singh, Sanjiv Kumar, Sanjay Kumar and Gurjit Singh have started a hunger strike at the main gate of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant here today in support of their demands.

The strike is going on in the thermal plants of Roopnagar, Lehra Mohabbat and Bathinda.

The demands include the issues of vacations, bonuses, health allowances in accordance with the factory laws, regularity of the temporary workers and providing every facility as a permanent employee is getting.