Bathinda, December 29
District Election Officer Kamal Kishore Yadav today held separate meetings with assistant expenditure observers for the Assembly elections and the representatives of schools and colleges here.

Addressing the meeting, Yadav said an assistant expenditure observer had been appointed for every Assembly constituency who would keep the records of every candidate during the elections. He said these observers would play a vital role in keeping a check on money power during the elections.

Yadav further said that as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, the expenditure limit for every candidate had been fixed at Rs 16 lakh. So the assistant expenditure observers were being appointed to keep a watch on the election expenditure of the candidates.

He said these observers would also maintain liaison with the returning officer (RO) and the election observer appointed by the Election Commission.

The District Election Officer said every candidate would maintain an expenditure register while the official team, that would keep a watch on the expenditure, would also prepare a shadow register. He said to check the illegal use of money, teams for videography, accounting and flying squads have been deployed.

Meanwhile, the District Election Officer, while addressing the meeting of representatives of schools and colleges, said that the names of those students (18 years of age or above), who had not got themselves registered as voters, would be enrolled from January 2 to 4. He appealed to them to encourage the students to enroll themselves as voters.

Yadav said a complaint cell for the elections had been set up at the Mini-secretariat here whose toll free number is 18001800373 while the fax number is 0164-2211915.

Meanwhile, the Bathinda Beopar Mandal, at its meeting today, demanded from the Election Commission of India to withdraw its order, issued with regard to carrying Rs one lakh or more with proofs.

The traders said that due to this order, they were facing problems in carrying their collections, made from the market.

Bathinda, December 29
In a cricket crazy nation, where streets turn into a cricket pitch, the absence of a cricket ground in a district is unthinkable.

But Bathinda is an exception. The district, presently, has no place where budding cricketers could think of honing their skills and where the district cricket association could teach the finer points of the game and hold a match.

It was not the case some months ago when the local Government Rajindra College fields was being used as a cricket ground besides for training. Of late, the construction of an astro-turf hockey stadium began on the ground without making alternative arrangements for cricket aficionados.

Taking the "complete disruption" of cricket activities in the district seriously, the Bathinda District Cricket Association (BDCA) has suggested a way out to the state government so that the dreams of local lads to join the men-in-blue could be fulfilled.

Honorary general secretary of the BDCA, OD Sharma, who is also a member of the executive committee, Punjab Cricket Association, Mohali, has written a letter in this regard to the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda.

Sharma has written that the BDCA has been promoting cricket in the district for the last 37 years and they it has been running cricket activities and a coaching centre at the Government Rajindra College ground. He adds that in 2001-02, the Punjab Cricket Association, Mohali, sanctioned a Regional Coaching Centre (RCC) and cricket academy in Bathinda and they set up the academy and the RCC in the same ground.

The academy and the RCC produced many good players who brought laurels to the district at the state and national level, Sharma wrote, adding that every year, a number of state-level matches were also organised at the ground.

Sharma has further written that the construction of an astro-turf hockey stadium at the same Rajindra College ground has resulted in the destruction of the cricket ground and the RCC centre which in turn, has resulted in an end to all cricket activities in the district.

He also mentioned that more than 125 players, of all age-groups, have been imparted training at this ground.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune on Thursday, OD Sharma said they had no alternative ground to carry out their cricket activities in Bathinda.

Suggesting an alternative, Sharma said that in 2007, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium in Bathinda. "The land for the same has been acquired and ear-marked," Sharma said.

"Since the land is meant for cricket, so we requested the Deputy Commissiner in our letter to make the necessary arrangements and allow us to start cricket activities on that land so that the game does not get hampered in Bathinda district," he added.

Sharma claimed that they would immediately prepare a ground and practice wickets for the RCC coaching centre and start cricket activities.

Sharma also said that he was hopeful of his request being heeded and cricket activities resuming soon.

Bathinda, December 29
You may be diet conscious, or may not have a sweet tooth, yet the creamy layer on the top of a cake lures you no end. You may be satisfied with just one piece of it or you may eye some more, but you can't deny the charm of a cake.

And when you have an occasion to gorge on this delicacy, there's only precious little that can keep you away from it.

And many in Bathinda would identify with this. Bakers in the city say that thanks to occasions like Christmas and New Year, the sale of cakes has risen in the city. In fact, the inflow of orders is such that sometimes, timely delivery of cakes is not possible, they add.

Cake lovers in the city may not know the nuances of the flavours, but they love their cakes creamy and fresh, says Pawan Kumar of Pizzano, a fast food joint on the Mall Road here. "The demand for cakes increases tremendously during this season. This is the peak time for our sales. December 20 to 1st of January is when we register the maximum orders. We bake cakes weighing 1 kg and sell them off the counter. But during this time, the demand is higher for bigger cakes that are made to order. In fact, some cake connoisseurs are not satisfied with what they see at the counter and choose designs from the cake booklet that we keep and want their cakes to have extra layers of cream. The price has never been a concern with them."

Karanpal of the National Bakers in Dhobi Bazaar agrees, "It will be wrong to say that since Bathinda is a city in Punjab, the number of people celebrating Christmas will not be high. This Christmas, we sold a large number of cakes. Although not all of them were Christmas specific, people bought them nonetheless. During Christmas and New Year, we are inundated with orders. Sometimes, it gets difficult to make the delivery on time."

Although the concept of selling homemade cakes is new in the city, Alka Gupta, a resident of 100 Feet Road, has been doing just that. "When I had started this bake and take service, few had favoured me. But today, people just need a reason to relish a cake. Christmas and New Year are two such occasions. The dry rum and raisin cake is the most popular during this time.

Next on the popularity chart is the Blueberry cake, closely followed by the conventional Black Forest. Tiramisu is also slowly gaining recognition in the city.

Since they know I bake customised cakes, many who place orders with me insist that the cakes should be low on fat and yet look creamy. There is no doubt that the city is indulging in cakes like never before."

Rampura, December 29
A resident of Lehra Dhoorkut village committed suicide by jumping before a train last night. The deceased has been identified as 35-year-old Ravinder Sharma.

Village residents said that Ravinder was quite upset over some domestic issues for the last few years. He has two children and his elder daughter studies in class XII. He jumped before the Intercity Express last night at around 10.15 pm.

The matter came to light when a railway employee brought the matter to the notice of the railway police officials. The badly mutilated body was picked from the railway station and postmortem was conducted at Rampura. Inquest proceedings have been initiated by the railway police in this regard.

Bathinda, December 29
Members of the General Samaj Party, led by the president of the party, Suresh Goyal, today started the ‘Jan Jagran Yatra’ from outside the local historical fort. The yatra aims at arousing the masses to bring about a change in the existing “polluted political system”. A tableau, depicting pathetic conditions of the masses, was also presented on the occasion.

Today, the yatra passed through Arya Samaj Chowk, Fire Brigade Chowk, Hospital Bazar, Post Office Bazar and Mall Road, etc. Later it left the city for Goniana and Jaitu Mandi. However, the Yatra will visit Sangat Mandi, Pukka Kalan, Raman Mandi, Talwandi Sabo and Maur Mandi tomorrow.

Through the yatra, people will be educated about various social evils, besides poverty, unemployment, corruption, complex tax system, “policies of the government to divide the people along religious lines”, and non-inclusion of the citizens’ demands in the Lokpal Bill.

President of the party Suresh Goyal said, “Since Independence no ruler has not provided a government which has been dreamt of by the people. Instead, in the past 64 years, they have given various ills to the country, including corruption, unemployment and poverty. Our party is fighting against the reservation policy and divide and rule policy of the government, complex tax system, commercialisation of education and in favour of the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.”

He added, “Our party holds the view that for the eradication of illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, corruption and caste system from the country, several steps are yet to be taken by the government. These steps include free education for all, job-oriented vocational education, imposition of VAT at the first stage, imposition of lump sum income tax on traders, free health services for all, legal right to all people to have a house, and fixation of wages of labourers as per the rise in the prices of basic commodities.”

Among others who were present on the occasion included national secretary of the party, Surjit Singh; state president, Pawan Bansal; organising secretary, Parkash Singh Sahota; district president, Rajiv Goyal; district president (Rural), Sukhmander Singh and party activist Malkiat Kaur.

Bathinda, December 29
As per the notification issued recently, Punjab Government has decided to convert the Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology, Bathinda, as a constituent college of the Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar.

According to the notification, to provide better technical education in Punjab, the PTU will develop the GZSCET, Bathinda, as its second campus. Major emphasis shall be laid upon research and development, and postgraduate education in engineering, sciences and management.

The college principal, Dr Jasbir Singh Hundal, while welcoming the decision, has elaborated that there is an acute shortage of qualified faculty in all the engineering colleges of the region including government-aided engineering colleges.

Dr Hundal said that even many prominent engineering institutions like IIT Ropar, NIT Jalandhar, SLIET Longowal, etc, have a shortage of faculty more than 25.

In a press release issued here today, Dr Hundal appreciated the step and said he was looking towards taking the necessary steps to start these research activities under the patronage of the Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

Bathinda, December 29
SSD Public High School recently celebrated its annual function. Sardar Lal Singh Dhillon Memorial Society's chairman, Sardar Avtar Singh Samadh was the chief guest on the occasion. Pramod Mittal, head of the SSD Sabha, Bathinda, was the guest of honour.

The event started with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, which was followed by a cultural programme presented by the students. Principal of the school, Sharda Bansal, read out the annual report.

In his address the chief guest told the students to follow the path shown by their parents and teachers to achieve success in life.

Meritorious students of the school were also felicitated on the occasion.

Bathinda, December 29
Aditi Kapoor from the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, has topped the list of successful candidates in the MBBS final result, declared by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, yesterday. She secured 73.5 per cent marks.

Dr (Lt Col) GPI Singh, Director Principal, informed that the overall result for the MBBS final in gynaecology is 96 per cent, paediatrics 96 per cent, surgery 92 per cent and medicine is 86 per cent. As many as 59 students achieved above 60 per cent marks.