The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Hussainiwala Joint Check-post Work on new visitors’ gallery begins Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, February 26 Following the approval of the mega development plan of Indo-Pakistan Joint Check-post (JCP) at Hussainiwala by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the CPWD today finally started the work on the construction of new visitors’ gallery at the JCP here on which an estimated amount of Rs 16.39 crores is likely to be spent. As per the information, the proposed visitors’ gallery will be constructed in a grand way with state-of-the- art facilities to accommodate more than 1,800 visitors on any given day. It is pertinent to mention that everyday, hundreds of people from far and wide flock to the JCP daily to witness the sturdy BSF sleuths and Pakistani Rangers marching in tandem, where they match steps and every motion just to outdo each other. In this half an hour electrifying drill, the sentinels of both the nations try to have an edge over their rivals while lowering the respective national flags with clock-work precision. The stretched shoulders, raised eyebrows, daring glances and thunderous tapping of feet sets an emblazoned feeling of astute patriotism amidst all the visitors who raise slogans like “Hindustan Zindabad” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” to applaud these guardians of the nation. Owing to a large number of spectators coming to watch this exhilarating retreat ceremony by “Seema Praharis”, the BSF authorities were finding it difficult to house huge crowds due to the space constraint in the present pavilion. Moreover, the Pakistani authorities had constructed a much bigger and attractive pavilion on their side, which created the need for renovation and beautification of the pavilion and sitting arena on the Indian side too. BSF sources said the proposed pavilion will be diligently landscaped with ornamental plants and fountains. The CPWD, which is the executing agency for the project, will use Kota stone, Katni marble and Udaipur green marble in its construction to give it a majestic look. In the schematic drawings approved for the project, the CPWD has also kept provision for a new dormitory for BSF jawans, hi-tech conference room for officials and kiosks for selling souvenirs besides a canteen area to cater to the refreshment needs of the visitors. CPWD officials said that provision for car parking has also been made as the visitors had to march a long distance from the BSF check-post to reach the JCP. At the moment, only a selected few, who are permitted by the BSF authorities, are allowed to take their vehicles upto Zero Line. Earlier, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had laid the foundation stone for the project on October 2, 2010. However, the project got delayed as the initial proposal with an estimated cost of Rs 6,22,49000 had to be revised following certain observations raised by the minister who himself reportedly evinced a keen interest in the project. Later, after incorporating those changes, new estimates were prepared in which the cost escalated to Rs 16,39,07,406. CPWD officials further said the entire project will take around 21 months for completion. When contacted, Rajesh Gupta, DIG, BSF sector headquarters, Ferozepur, confirmed that work on the construction of a new gallery has started. “We had a few issues relating to the orientation of the proposed structure which has now been resolved,” he added.
	Chetak Corps to participate in joint exercise SP Sharma Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 26 The Bathinda-based 10 Corps will participate in the three-month-long joint massive exercise of about 60,000 soldiers that will begin in Rajasthan next month. This would be one of the largest maneuvers conducted so far by the army. According to reliable sources, the Mathura-based Strike Corps will also be a major participant in the exercise. The exercise would conclude in May. According to Colonel SD Goswami, spokesman of the defence ministry, all formations and units under the Jaipur-based South Western Command will participate to validate doctrines in a joint service environment. The exercise will be based on the integrated theatre battle concept and will be one of the largest maneuvers conducted so far. The joint synergy will be enhanced by the active participation of the IAF with the air assets of the Army and the Air Force being employed in an integrated manner. Battlefield transparency and operational plans based on real-time situational awareness will be enhanced using intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) inputs from unmanned aerial vehicles, radars and satellites. The exercise will begin with the mobilisation and build up of units in the months of February and March. This will be followed by training at the unit and formation levels and finally culminate into large scale maneuvers. A wide array of tanks, infantry combat vehicles, artillery guns, helicopters, fighter jets, UAVs, air defence weapons and radars will be fielded in the exercise. The exercise will enable the army to validate its war fighting concepts while working towards a ‘capability based approach’ relying on a series of transformational initiatives, concepts, organizational structures and absorption of new age technology, Goswami added.
	6 held for killing Dalit youth Tribune News Service Moga, February 26 The Moga police today claimed to have resolved the murder case of a 22-year-old Dalit youth, Gurjant Singh, working with a labour contractor in Nestle, the premier food and milk processing industry. Gurjant Singh was shot dead by some car-borne youths when he was coming out of the factory premises on February 14. The special investigation team constituted under the command of SP (H) Satpal Singh Bhangu has arrested as many as six youths suspected to have committed this crime. The was revealed by the Senior Superintendent of Police Inderbir Singh to the media persons here today. The SSP revealed that it was a case of personal rivalry of the youth with Hardev Singh and Surinder Khanna with the help of some of their associates. They managed to get the car involved in the crime from one Anil Kumar, a petty shopkeeper of the town. The police had arrested Durinder, Dilsher, Lovely, Satnam, Kulwinder and one Bali in this case.
	Dalit youth killed for ‘troubling’ village girls Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS Moga, February 26 An 18-year-old Dalit youth was killed by some people of his village at Badhni Kalan in the Nihalsinghwala sub-division of the Moga district. The deceased youth, identified as Avtar Singh, son of Raja Singh, was attacked with iron rods and sticks at his residence on Saturday night. He was rushed to the district hospital at Moga in a serious condition where he succumbed to his injuries in the wee hours on Sunday. The SHO of Badhni Kalan police station, Partap Singh, while talking to The Tribune, revealed that the assailants had been identified as Gulab Singh, Lali Khan, Happy Singh, Kuldip Singh and Charan Singh. They would soon be arrested by the police, the SHO claimed. “We have registered a criminal case of murder against them and begun investigations into the incident,” said the SHO, who himself is investigating the case. Preliminary investigations conducted by the police revealed that the killed youth, Avtar Singh, was allegedly troubling and molesting girls of the village, which irritated their family members and relatives leading to the murder, the SHO added. The SHO further said the exact cause of the murder could be ascertained only after the interrogation and arrests of the assailants. “We are on the job and hopefully, all the assailants will soon be taken into custody,” he said. The murdered youth was working as a labourer in a local rice mill. Meanwhile, the family members and relatives of the murdered youth lodged a protest against the local police for not registering the criminal case against the alleged culprits. Later, in the afternoon on Sunday, the police booked all the said five for murdering the youth on the basis of a statement recorded by one Pawan Kumar, a friend of the murdered youth.
	Hepatitis-C spreading its tentacles Our Correspondent Fazilka, February 26 Hepatitis-C, a viral liver disease, is telling upon the health of population in the nearby Mandi Ladhuka area of the Fazilka sub-division. Over a hundred people of the mandi, having a population of over 4,000, had already been suffering or are presently suffering from the disease. If the data provided by medical practitioners of the private clinics is to be believed, then some patients with meagre resources for treatment have died due to hepatitis-C during the last three years. The data of the exact number of the patients is not available with the health department but the Civil Surgeon has order an inquiry in the mandi area. One patient, Prem Lata (70), has been admitted to the PGI at Chandigarh for treatment and her condition is stated to be serious. Another patient Suman is also suffering from the hepatitis virus. One Billu had died some time back due to this disease, according to sources. “I have asked the District Health Officer (DHO) and Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Primary Health Centre at village Jandwala Bhimeshah to find out the exact position,” said Dr Rakesh Sikri, Civil Surgeon. "We shall submit the report by Monday" said District Health Officer Dr YK Gupta. He however ruled out outbreak of the disease.

Under electronic eye, over 2,800 medicos appear in PGMET
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, February 26
Amid extra-ordinary security measures to check impersonation and cheating in the Post Graduate Medical Entrance Test (PGMET), the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, today conducted the tests at six centres in Faridkot.

Medicos waiting to enter the examination hall at one of the centres in Faridkot on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Altogether 2855 doctors from Punjab and its neighbouring states appeared in the examination.

The graduates in various medical streams appeared in the entrance test for post-graduation in dentistry, medicine, surgery and many super-speciality medical courses.

Hit by many controversies in the past — including leakage of the paper and imposters from UP, and Bihar appearing on behalf of Punjab students in 2005 and 2008 Punjab Medical Entrance Test (PMET), the BFUHS was this time over cautious in conducting the exam.

To ensure that no imposter appeared in the paper, the exam was videographed. The candidates were required to keep their head in upright position and face the camera during the videography so that their identity could be clearly established.

To ensure that the candidates appearing in the exam do not misuse any electronic gadgets, they were not allowed to carry mobile phones, watches, even ball pen or any other device in the examination hall. The ball pens and pencils in the exam centre were provided by the university. Before the candidates were allowed entry in the exam hall, they were frisked thoroughly by the male and female police guards.

Much to the discomfort of most candidates and their parents, BFUHS disclosed the names of examination centres just two days before the day of the exam. By disclosing the exam centres at the eleventh hour, the BFUSH wanted to cut short chances of wrongdoings but it put a large number of candidates from far-away area and other states at inconvenience, in planning and reaching the exam centre.

Though the test was to start at 11am on Sunday so that the students need not reach Faridkot a day in advance but taking no chance, a large number of candidates and their parents reached Faridkot on Saturday evening itself and faced much difficulty in arranging for their overnight stay.

Though it caused some inconvenience but to conduct the exam in a fair and transparent manner, the BFUHS had to hammer home the point that it has a zero-tolerance policy on wrongdoings in these entrance exam, said Dr SS Gill, vice-chancellor, BFUHS.

Dr SS Gill said the test was conducted peacefully, without any report of wrongdoing and all students were allowed entry in the examination hall after establishing their identity and proper frisking.

The entire exam proceeding was video-graphed. “We are hopeful of declaring the results today late in the evening,” said Sat Pal, Deputy Registrar, examination, BFUHS.