Bathinda, December 25
Apprehending the distribution of intoxicants (drugs and liquor) by the contesting candidates or their supporters among the people during the Assembly elections in Punjab, a senior Supreme Court advocate, HS Phoolka launched a campaign under the banner of 'Intoxicants-free Punjab' here today. The intoxicants are reportedly distributed in the elections to lure the voters for securing their votes.

Phoolka, who is convener of the campaign, said due to a similar campaign by his team in the SGPC elections, the distribution of intoxicants had been controlled in a big way.

The Supreme Court lawyer said there were apprehensions that in the current Assembly elections, the intoxicants would be distributed in a big way by the contestants to ensure their victory.

Phoolka said they had formed a group to check the distribution of drugs in the Punjab Assembly elections. In this group, besides him, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Justice Kuldip Singh and noted journalist Kuldip Nayyar were the other members. He said Kuldip Nayyar would meet the Chief Election Commissioner in New Delhi tomorrow to discuss the issue while he would meet the Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu in Chandigarh tomorrow in this regard.

Phoolka also announced that they would form district-level monitoring committees for the purpose. He said Dr GS Nagpal and advocate Jatinder Khattar would be members of the committee in Bathinda. He said in Chandigarh, advocate Navkiran Singh would work for the success of the campaign.

Phoolka said that after receiving a complaint about the distribution of intoxicants, his team would take up the matter with the Election Commission. If the complaint was found to be true, then the winning candidate might be disqualified after election or the candidature of the candidate could be cancelled during the election, he added.

He also appreciated the role of the media during the SGPC elections in checking the distribution of intoxicants. He said they would now meet the state presidents of the SAD, the BJP and the Congress to make a request to issue directions to their respective candidates on not distributing intoxicants among the voters. He said they would even conduct 'sting operations' for checking the distribution of intoxicants. He also said there were several code names for different intoxicants, like dry fruit for 'poppy husk'.

Phoolka said his team would maintain a close contact with the Election Commission for checking the use of intoxicants during the elections.

The Supreme Court lawyer also said that they would issue phone numbers and addresses for making the complaints so that it could be brought to the notice of the Election Commission for the required action.

Bathinda, December 25
Residents of Bathinda continued their date with the bone-chilling weather coupled with frost for the second consecutive day today when the south-bound mercury plummeted further to dip below the freezing point, throwing normal life out of gear in the city and its adjoining areas on Christmas day.

The mercury on Sunday recorded - 0.2 degrees Celsius in the morning at 7.30, as per the agri-met department of the PAU regional station, Bathinda. The day's high, however, was 19 degree Celsius, thanks to the sunshine that was in 'abundance' throughout the day on the holiday, as had been predicted by the weathermen.

The sub-zero temperature causing severe cold waves conditions and frost though has been forcing the residents to remain indoors in the morning for the last three days. However, the bright sun has been bringing relief to them during the day time.

The harsh weather conditions have started affecting people as the local Civil Hospital has witnessed a spurt in cases of cold and cough.

Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Satish Goyal said there was a sudden rise in cases of cold and cough and chest-related problems.

The prevailing chill has been forcing residents to resort to heat-generating electrical appliances, like blower, room heater etc.

Talking about the use of such appliances, the SMO suggested exercising caution. Dr Goyal said that one should maintain the optimum temperature as exposure to excessive heat may also cause problems. "Sudden exposure to heat or cold should be avoided," the SMO recommended, adding that kids must not be exposed to sudden cold or heat.

He also emphasised the need to maintain the moisture content in the room while using the heat-generating appliances. About keeping a bucket of water in the room while using these appliances, Dr Goyal said such practices are preferred to maintain the moisture content during the winter which is a dry season.

Bathinda, December 25
After a gap of three days, the local Civil Hospital and the Women and Children Hospital are set to function normally as the entire staff, doctors, pharmacists and laboratory technicians, will be on duty tomorrow. The OPDs in these hospitals and the laboratories in the Civil Hospital will also start functioning. Thus the patients, especially the poor ones, will heave a sigh of relief.

On December 23 the health services in the hospitals remained crippled on account of mass leave by the doctors and the pharmacists, besides the pen-down strike by the laboratory technicians. On December 24, the hospitals remained closed due to the holiday declared by the state government to mark the Christmas celebrations while on December 25, it was Sunday. However, the emergency services were not affected on all these days.

Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital, Dr Satish Goyal said that there would be complete normalcy in the hospital, including the OPDs, tomorrow as the entire staff would be available to the patients.

District president of the Punjab State Pharmacists Association Ravinder Goyal said all their demands had not been accepted yet. Despite this, the pharmacists would join their duties as the model code of conduct had been enforced in the light of the Assembly elections in the state. He said the state government had given grade pay of Rs 4,200 from Rs 3,800 to the pharmacist and grade pay of Rs 4,600 from Rs 4,200 to pharmacist grade -II.

District general secretary of the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association Resham Singh Jalal said they would join their duties in the biochemistry and the haematology laboratories, situated in the new OPD block of the Civil Hospital, as the model code of conduct had been imposed. However, the state government had notified five per cent incentive on account of rent free accommodation for them, but it was not sufficient as the remaining demands were yet to be accepted.

Bathinda, December 25
Members and activists of more than 20 organisations of farmer, employee, teacher, labourer and unemployed persons held a joint rally at the Teachers' Home here today. They were protesting against the SAD-BJP Government for not fulfilling the promises made to them during its current five-year tenure. They also took out a protest march, which passed through various areas in the city, including Hanuman Chowk, Mall road and Arya Samaj Chowk.

The protest was held under the banner of "Sarkar Di Vaada Khilaphi Virudh Sanjhi Lehar, Bathinda" and led by its convener Jagsir Sahota.

The organisations that took part in the rally and the protest march included the BKU (Ugrahan), the BKU (Dakonda), the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), the ETT Teachers Union, the 7654 Adhyapak Union, the Unemployed ETT Teachers Front, the Technical Services Union (TSU), the Unemployed Linemen Union, the Khet Mazdoor Union, the Naujwan Bharat Sabha (NBS), the BEd Teachers Front, the Pharmacists Association, the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association and the TET Pass Adhyapak Union.

Jagsir Sahota said the SAD-BJP Government did not keep the promises it had made. He said they had gathered here today to fight against the system from a single platform and remind the political parties as well as the government that they should not refrain from making those promises around the elections which they could not fulfill.

He said they would now expose the SAD-BJP Government about its backtracking on the promises it had made besides making people aware of such poll gimmicks.

He said the SAD-BJP Government had not shifted the teachers in the education department from Zila Parishad schools. It had also not regularised the services of teachers working on contract or under the Sarva Sikhiya Abhiyan scheme. It had also not given jobs to all 5,000 unemployed linemen. It had also not provided houses or plots to landless people.

Sahota said they also wanted that the government should provide employment to youths, regular pay-scales to temporary employees, stop forcible acquisition of lands of farmers and better education and health facilities for all.

Among those who were present or addressed the gathering included Shingara Singh Mann (BKU-Ugrahan), Nirmal Singh Mahla (Unemployed Linemen Union), Kulwant Kumari (ETT/EGS Adhyapak Union), Resham Singh Jalal (Medical Laboratory Technicians Association), Nikka Ram (TSU), Surjit Bhucho (BKU-Krantikari), Sandip Singh (Punjab Students Union -Randhawa), Sumit (NBS), Balkaran Singh (Berojgar ETT Adhyapak Union), Zora Singh Nasrali (Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union) and Rajwinder Singh Kotbhara (BKU-Dakonda).

Bathinda, December 25
If things go as per the plan, the production of urea at the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Bathinda, would soon be a more cost-effective affair besides being eco-friendly. This is because the work under the Ammonia Feedstock Changeover Project - in common parlance termed as gas-based production, under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project is going on in full swing.

"Nearly 75 per cent of the work under the changeover project has been completed as per the schedule," executive director NFL, Bathinda, KB Verma, claimed, while talking to the Bathinda Tribune.

Verma said that civil work concerning the project had been completed while mechanical work and installation of equipment was going on. "Work related to the building of control room for ammonia, reformers, electric sub-stations has been completed," the executive director said.

It may be mentioned here that the ammonia feedstock changeover project was undertaken due to the high energy consumption with the existing feedstock.

"After the completion of the project, there would be considerable reduction in energy consumption, cost of production and ash generation," said the executive director.

Verma said that the estimated cost of the project is Rs 1294 crore and a majority of the cost of the project — 95 per cent, shall be funded through loans from financial institutions and about five per cent of the cost shall be contributed by the NFL. "The project would be completed in 36 months from the zero date that started on January 29, 2010," the executive director said.

"The tentative date of commissioning is January 28, 2013 and as per the schedule, the commissioning work would begin in October 2012," he added.

Elaborating the elements of cost-effectiveness, Verma said the completion of the project would result in the reduction of cost of production of urea by more than 60 per cent based on the current feedstock price, consumption of coal by nearly 42 per cent and energy consumption per MT of urea would be reduced by over 25 per cent. About the development of human resources related to the upcoming project, Verma said that the training of manpower was going on.

Meanwhile, the GAIL has also completed the lying of pipelines upto NFL, Bathinda, and essential testing, including pressure check have been completed. The natural gas will be supplied by the ONGC/GAIL/RIL through the Bhawana-Nangal Gas pipeline with spur line up to Bathinda. The project consultants are the Project and Development India Limited (PDIL) and the work is being executed by L&T. The technology licensor is Haldor Topsoe, Denmark.

Bathinda, December 25
You may have decided where to party the night away this New Year's eve, you may have zeroed in on the venue and the dress, but the city hotels where these parties are being hosted are still trying to get the clearance from the authorities concerned.

Speaking about the issue, Satish Arora, president of Bathinda Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association, said, "Almost all the resorts and hotels in the city are prepared to bring in the New Year with much fanfare. But there's trouble brewing. Police keeps asking us if we have permission for having a DJ or an orchestra performance within the hotel premises. We will meet the sub-divisional magistrate and the deputy commissioner on Monday to seek all the required permissions."

He also insisted that the issue was generating a lot of negative publicity for the parties. "This may instil fear in the hearts of the party-goers," he added.

Bathinda SDM Sandeep Rishi, while speaking to Bathinda Tribune, allayed all apprehension and said, "We give only sound permission. Individual hotels have to apply for permissions.

“But we assure them that they will face no hassles in getting the permission. As and when they will apply, we will try and clear their applications. Through these permissions, we just want to ensure that the law and order situation remains under control and also that there is no vulgarity in any of the programmes."

Interestingly, the Association has already issued a directive for all the hotels organising New Year parties.

"We have asked all the hotels to organise such programmes that all family members can sit together and enjoy. Girls in the dance troupe should be properly dressed and the dance movements should not be vulgar," said Satish Arora.

• Hoteliers say police keeps asking if they have permission for DJ or orchestra performances within the hotel premises.
• The issue is generating a lot of negative publicity and may scare away the party-goers, hoteliers say, will meet DC today.
• Bathinda SDM assures there will be no hassles. The SDM said only sound permission is given but individual permission has to be taken.
• Hoteliers have already issued a directive asking that the New Year programmes should be a family affair and girls in the dance troupes should be dressed properly to avoid hooliganism.

Bathinda, December 25
MSD School, Bathinda, formed its first alumni (ex-students) association and celebrated the silver jubilee of batch 1985-86 at the school premises. The school was established in April, 1955.

A core group of executive members with the president of the Association, Dr Puneet Girdhar, also president of the Indian Dental Association, Punjab, Sanjay and Romi Bansal as vice-presidents, Ravi Goel, SDO, PWD as general secretary, along with 80 ex-students of the school of the '85 batch and their families gathered at the school premises for the first ever get-together.

Interestingly the present school principal, who is the ex-officio chairperson of the alumni association, is a junior of the 85 batch. The principal Sooraj Setia is from the 1987 batch. A dozen teachers that taught the batch were honoured with shawls on the occasion.

President of the association Dr Puneet Girdhar announced the adoption of seven students studying in the school who were unable to meet the school expenses with an annual expenditure of Rs 10,000 per student by the alumni association. The association announced that 21 more members would be inducted from other batches into the executive body. Later, a directory of the school 1985 batch was released.

Bathinda, December 25
As the church bells tolled and the midnight masses ushered in Christmas yesterday, people from all faiths gathered at the city churches to be a part of the worship service and celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus.

Although the city churches had started preparing for the festival weeks in advance, the real festivities started last week after the churches were decorated to welcome the lord and the festival was celebrated in the city schools.

“We had started the celebrations five weeks back. On the 18th of this month, we had taken a out a Christmas Shobha Yatra. On Saturday, we held a worship service at 11.30 in the night, which was followed by a big fireworks show post midnight. The celebrations on Sunday started at around 11 in the morning with a worship service and singing of carols. People from far-flung areas came to the church as it is one of the oldest churches in the area. The best thing about the celebrations was the fact that people from all religions took part in them,” said Father George C Masih of Methodist Church in the Railway Colony.

While the Churches across the city had people coming in to pray and wish each other on the festival, the atmosphere was equally festive outside the church premises. Children dressed as Santa Claus went around distributing candies and sweets. Even youngsters were spotted wearing Santa caps as they made their way through the crowds in the city markets.

Bathinda, December 25
A seminar on human rights was organised today wherein experts from Chandigarh and members of the Punjab Human Rights Organisation took part.

Advocate Rajwinder Singh Bains and advocate Ashdeep Singh were among those who spoke on the occasion. The speakers highlighted the issues pertaining to human rights and expressed concern over the lack of awareness among people about their rights. The experts demanded stringent punishment for the government servants, especially the cops, who take law in their hands. — TNS