Bathinda, December 27
It seems that the roundabouts constructed in the city under the beautification drive have attracted drug addicts more than the residents of the area as the colourful lights and water nozzles installed at the roundabouts have been stolen by the addicts.

The rising number of thefts has now forced the caretakers of some of these roundabouts to hire security men.

Two security guards have been deployed around the clock near the Rose Garden roundabout for the past two months.

The guards have been deployed by the Ultratech Cement, Bathinda, and nobody is allowed to enter into the roundabout.

Supervisor of the Ultratech Cement, SC Shukla said that the guards have been hired to check the theft incidents. "Some electric material and lights installed in the roundabout were stolen sometime ago after which the security men were deployed,” Shukla said.

Sources in the Municipal Corporation said that ten green lights worth Rs 40,000 were stolen from the Rose Garden chowk in July 2011.

Similarly, ten nozzles worth Rs 2,000 were stolen in the month of July from the Sirhind Canal.

Theft incidents were reported from the other parks of the city from where CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), an electric motor and iron material were also stolen.

The material stolen from other parks in the city was nearly worth Rs 35,000.

Kotwali SHO Jagdeesh Lal said the roundabout area is divided between two police stations, including the Canal and Kotwali police stations.

"Only the drug addicts are involved in such petty thefts and cases have been registered in this regard during the past few years,” he said. He however added that no addicts have been arrested by him for stealing iron and other material from public places.

Efforts have always been made to arrest such people but they usually take advantage of the legal lacuna.

Officials of the Municipal Corporation said that it become quite difficult for them keep vigil at the fountains and public parks in view of the rising theft incidents.

Bathinda Mayor Baljeet Singh Beerbehman could not be contacted despite attempts.

Bathinda, December 27
The Unemployed Linemen Union Punjab today asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to amend the Special Leave Petition (SLP), filed by it in the Supreme Court for getting the stay on the recruitment of linemen, imposed by the High Court, vacated.

State advisor of the union Soma Singh Bharro said here today that it had come to their notice that the SPL, filed by the PSPCL, had some "defects" that requires immediate improvement. He said they were not happy with the PSPCL authorities as such a thing happened even though the PSPCL knew that the unemployed linemen were fighting seriously for their recruitment.

Bharro also said that despite the enforcement of the model code of conduct in the light of current Assembly elections in the state, they were adamant on not lifting their dharna, which is in progress since December 5 outside the Mini-secretariat here.

He also claimed that it was the longest dharna, which was still in progress in the state, even after the imposition of the code of conduct.

He said besides the dharna, the unemployed linemen had also been observing chain hunger strike here for the past over three weeks to get 4,000 unemployed linemen recruited in the PSPCL. He said there was great enthusiasm among the unemployed linemen as they had been coming daily form different districts to participate in the dharna.

Meanwhile, the Technical Services Union (TSU) today also extended their support to the agitating unemployed linemen as they participated in their dharna today. The TSU leaders also announced that they would continue their support till the issuance of appointment letters to all 4,000 unemployed linemen.

Acting state president of the union Rajinder Singh Gurdaspur said the state government had made an effort to divide the unemployed linemen by issuing appointment letters to only 1,000 linemen while it had issued advertisement for the recruitment of 5,000 linemen. He said they had been waiting for their recruitment in the department for the past more than 10 years.

Rajinder Singh also said they had held a meeting the previous day with the DC for getting the "defects" rectified in the SLP. At the meeting an assurance was given to them that the needful would be done. He said the unemployed linemen could not trust the administration till the PSPCL rectified the "defects”.

Bathinda, December 27
"Mera naam hai Albeli aur mai hu bilkul akeli" (My name is Albeli and I am lonely) — this message may uplift the mood of many but not of a 55-year-old man, particularly at a time when he had gone for a siesta after lunch on Sunday.

And it does not need much of thinking to imagine about the possible reaction of a grandmother who gets a marriage proposal in her mobile inbox.

Such unsolicited SMSs or commonly termed as pesky SMSs that have not only been irritating cell phone users cutting across mobile operators, but have also given a tough time to the Telecom Regularly Authority of India (TRAI).

TRAI had to refrain mobile operators and telemarketers from sending unsolicited SMSs. The measures included limiting the numbers of SMSs to be sent on a particular day to imposing heavy penalty.

Despite these steps, the unsolicited SMSs are still flooding the inboxes of cell phone users though less in number as compared to the past.

As per the sources in the BSNL and private operators, telemarketers have found a way out as they are now using servers set up outside the country and these servers do not fall under the TRAI's jurisdiction.

Sources said that the low frequency of pesky SMSs and also their timing in comparison to the past, themselves speak about the benefits of Telecom Regularly Authority of India’s guidelines but the telemarketers had now started reaching the mobile subscribers via new routes which exist outside the country, leaving not much for the authorities to do.

Sources among the private operators said that besides TRAI, mobile operators are also worried while following the "new" method adopted by the telemarketers as retaining subscribers has become a tough job after the launch of mobile number portability. "Telecom Regularly Authority of India along with the mobile operators is working hard to find solutions," sources added.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune on Tuesday, Deputy General Manager, BSNL, Bathinda, Amit Garg claimed that the BSNL customers who registered with the National Do Not Call registry (NSNC) were not facing the problems.

He, however, said that BSNL customers could contact the customer care if the problems persist.

Sources in the private mobile operators also said registering with the National Do Not Call has been working in favour of the customers as the registered telemarketers who violate the rules could face penalty from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh.

Bathinda, December 27
Respite from the frost and the prevailing severe cold wave conditions is not in sight in the near future, at least for the next 48 hours, for the residents of Bathinda and its adjoining areas, as per the news emanating from the weather room on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the region continued to reel under bone-chilling cold conditions as dipping mercury hovered near the freezing point in the morning causing frost in many parts of the area.

Mercury, though, climbed a bit today to reach 1.2 degrees Celsius, as per the agri-met department of the PAU regional station, Bathinda. The day's high was 20.2 degrees Celsius.

The bright sunshine caused mercury to again reach around 20 degrees, which had in recent past even dipped to 15 degrees Celsius.

As per the forecast, the weather is likely to remain mainly dry in the next 48 hours.

There is a possibility of severe cold wave and ground frost in isolated parts. Fog and mist are also likely in some parts of the areas in the next two to three days, weathermen predicted.

Bathinda, December 27
After much anticipation over getting the sound permission and code of conduct from the Deputy Commissioner, hotel owners in the city heaved a sigh of relief after they were given the green signal by the administration to host the New Year parties.

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, Satish Arora, president of the Bathinda Hotels, Restaurants and Resort Association, said, "The meeting proved to be quite fruitful.

“Hotels have been directed to keep the sound limits within permitted decibel levels and to host only wholesome entertainment programmes. We have also been asked to make sure that there's no vulgarity in the shows. And now the hotels are planning their New Year bashes."

If dancing to Western music is what you'd like to do, then head to HBN Country Club on Mansa Road.

"We have planned an entertainment programme to ring in the New Year. We will have a DJ spin music for our guests. We will also host a Western dance performance," informs CB Singh of HBN Country Club, and adds, "We have entries only for couples and families. No stag entries are allowed."

If a quiet sit-down dinner with your spouse or family is what you'd prefer, then Suncity Classic in Mall Road is where may choose to go.

"Although we do not have any musical programme on the night of December 31st, we are making arrangements for conventional sit-down dinners for couples and families," says Rajesh Gupta, owner of the hotel.

Hotel Comfort Inn in Mittal Mall has gone a step ahead and planned a party with a theme — 'Wine, Dine and Dance'. General manager of the hotel, JS Rajawat says, "We have planned a gala evening. We have something to offer to guests from all age groups. For the couples and families, we have the wine, dine and dance party. The major attraction of the evening will be the 'Ice on Fire' display. We also have special entertaining programmes and games for children."

So let not the cold wave dampen you party spirits and be ready to put on your party hats, dancing shoes and let your hair down on the New Year's eve.

Bathinda, December 27
In protest against the non-payment of their wages for three to four months, members of the district unit of Mid-day Meal Workers Union Punjab (CITU) staged a dharna outside the Mini-secretariat here today.

Led by Baljit Kaur Dhapali, workers from Dhapali, Fulewala, Sidhana, Selbrah, Sandhu Khurd, Chotian, Dhinger and Badiala lodged the protest and announced that in case the district authorities did not redress their grievance by December 29 by holding talks with the union, they would stage an indefinite dharna outside the Mini-secretariat from December 30 here.

District convener of the union Baljit Kaur Dhapali said that though they had been cooking food for children in schools regularly, they had not been getting wages for the past three to four months.

She said they were paid a meagre Rs 1,000 per month. However, the same has not been deposited in their bank accounts for three to four months by the authorities concerned.

A mid-day meal worker from Badiala village alleged that she had not been getting wages for the past about one year, despite providing her bank account number to the school authorities for depositing the amount.

State general secretary of the union Harpal Kaur Barnala said about 40,000 mid-day meal workers had been cooking food under the scheme for the students in more than 12,000 schools of the state, but they were getting just Rs 25 to Rs 30 per day as wages, which were not sufficient to meet their family responsibilities. Worse, the workers had not been even paid such a meagre amount for months together.

The union leaders also said the identity cards of the workers were also not being prepared. Besides, they had also not been given uniforms and benefit of the accident insurance scheme.

They said the authorities concerned also did not hold monthly meetings with the mid-day meal workers to resolve their problems.

Bathinda, December 27
The police has booked a head constable’s son for beating a Bathinda resident and snatching his bike.

In his complaint to the police, Amandeep Singh of Sema Kalan village said the accused, Robin (cop’s son) and one Harman Singh, both residents of Bathinda had beaten him following a minor accident.

Amandeep alleged that Robin boasted that his father was in the Punjab police and thrashed him up after their bikes collided on the Bhatti road last evening.

The complainant said that the onlookers and some other commuters tried to pacify the boy who refused to listen and fled from the scene with the bike.

The investigating officer in the case, Harbans Singh, said the accused had been arrested. He said the accused Robin has told him that his father was deployed as a head constable in the Punjab police, but it was yet to be verified.

A case under Section 382 of the IPC has been registered in this regard at the Civil Line police station.

Bathinda, December 27
An elderly couple sustained injuries when the bike they were riding on was hit by a speeding auto-rickshaw near the Sirhind Canal last evening.

The injured have been identified as 60-year-old Lakhvir Singh and his wife Jaswinder Kaur (58). The injured were rushed to the local Civil Hospital by volunteers of the Waheguru Welfare Society.

The couple belonged to Gill Patti village and was coming to Bathinda from to enquire the well-being of one of their relatives, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The police was informed about the accident and a case in this connection was being registered after recording the statements of the injured and onlookers.

Bathinda, December 27
Burglars struck an NRI’s house in Lehra Dhoorkut village of Rampura Phul sub-division last night and decamped with material worth Rs 6 lakh.

In his complaint to the police, Ajmer Singh said there was nobody in the house when the thieves scaled the boundary wall to enter and decamp with the booty. The complainant claimed a .12 bore rifle, 24 live cartridges, around 200 grams of gold jewelry, Rs 1.65 lakh in cash, 11 Euros, 1200 Norwegian krones, 1,000 units of Denmark currency and 900 pounds (UK) had been stolen.

A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered in this regard at Nathana police station.

Bathinda, December 27
Sham Lal Goyal has given the additional charge of chairman and managing director of the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL).

An IAS officer of 1985 batch, Goyal is presently joint secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Goyal is a mechanical engineer with distinction from the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and an IAS from Maharashtra Cadre. Prior to his present appointment, he was secretary and resident commissioner, Maharashtra Sadan at New Delhi. He had held several key appointments both with the Maharashtra Government and the Government of India.

His appointments with the Maharashtra Government include that of secretary - Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries; commissioner - ESI Scheme; secretary - Department of Environment & Chairman of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board; managing director, Maharashtra State Farming Corporation etc.

While his positions in the Government of India include that of director - Census Operations, Chandigarh; director - Multi-purpose Identity Card Project etc.

Sham Lal Goyal has also been entrusted with the additional charge of chairman and managing director of Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), Fertilizers Corporation of India (FCI) and Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation (HFC).

Goyal is already on the Board of Directors of RCF, KRIBHCO, ICS Senegal.

Bathinda, December 27
Seven-day-long NSS camps are being held at the SSD Senior Secondary School and SSD Motiram Girls School. Programme officer Pawan Sharma said experts from various fields would address the volunteers on issues like AIDS, drug addiction, blood donation, balanced diet and self-confidence.

Later, the volunteers will hold a rally to spread awareness on the issues. The camps will conclude on Thursday. — TNS