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TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Plan to set up super-speciality cancer hospital
Faridkot, March 12
After spending over Rs 35 crores to use the latest applications of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, in the last two years, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) and the Punjab government have now mooted a proposal to set up a first-of-its kind super-speciality cancer hospital in the country at Faridkot.

Govt seeks report to revive ‘air to ground range’ project after 19 years
Sriganganagar, March 12
Having developed one of the best ranges for army exercises at Mahajan on the Suratgarh-Bikaner section of the National Highway number 15, the central government has now sought a report from the civil administration to revive the “Air to ground range” project that was initially taken up in 1993.

Spurt in drug trafficking cause of concern for Punjab police
Abohar, March 12
A spurt in drug trafficking after the Punjab polls has alarmed police officials on both sides of the inter-state border. The sub-divisional police in Abohar segment today intercepted one Mahindra Max jeep near village Modikhera, bordering Lambi segment, in Balluana constituency.

Guar farming in Sriganganagar
US business house offers 100 pc increase in MSP
Sriganganagar, March 12
In an unprecedented move at boost diversification in agriculture besides saving canal water, the US-based Economy Polymers and Chemicals have offered hundred per cent increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for guar this year.

Medical scheme for Central Govt’s officers
Chandigarh, March 12
The officers of the Central Government Group-A civil services have been brought under the purview of the annual medical examination scheme that would enable them to get a comprehensive medical check-up every year.

National-level conference on IT begins
Muktsar, March 12
A two-day National Conference on Information Technology, Society and Literary Restructuring (NCITSLR-2012), jointly organised by the department of computer sciences & applications and the department of English of Panjab University Regional Centre (PURC) today began at the TMH Resorts here.

Cyclist killed in hit-and-run incident
Muktsar, March 12
In a hit-and-run case, a daily wager lost his life after an unidentified vehicle hit his bicycle late last night near Bhullar village. The deceased, identified as Krishan Singh (40), was going to Bhullar village along with his brother Harmesh Singh, when a vehicle hit his bicycle and resulted in his death on the spot, the police said.

	Manpreet fails to make a mark in villages, town Archit Watts Tribune News Service Muktsar, March 12 Post poll analysis would not only be disturbing PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal for losing both the seats he contested — Gidderbaha and Maur — but also for failing to make a mark either in the villages or the town in his old constituency, Gidderbaha, which he had represented four times. In Gidderbaha town, Manpreet got 4,060 votes, while the winning candidate Amrinder Singh Warring Raja got 12,483 votes while Sant Singh Brar of the SAD got 6,660 votes of the total 29,315 votes polled. Similarly, in villages too, Manpreet could not perform well. In all the villages, except Assa Butter, Mallan and Karniwala, Manpreet remained either number two or on third position. Out of the total 95,026 votes polled in the villages, Manpreet got 27,762 votes and Raja Warring got 46,781 votes while Sant Singh Brar got 29,940 votes. In village Assa Butter, Manpreet got 691 votes, while Raja Warring got 680 votes and Sant Singh Brar of SAD got 450 votes. In village Mallan, Manpreet got 1,852 votes, where as Raja Warring got 1,734 votes and Sant Singh Brar got 1,243 votes. In village Karniwala, Manpreet Badal got 218 votes, while Raja Warring got 86 votes and Sant Singh Brar got 105 votes. Apart from these three villages, in all other villages including Harike Kalan, Doda, Kauni, Bhalaiana, Kotbhai, Gurusar, Husnar, Madhir and Bharu, Manpreet stood much behind his rivals. In Gidderbaha assembly constituency, 1,24,341 votes were polled out of a total of 1,40,131 and Manpreet became second runners-up with 31,822 votes, while Raja Warring clinched the seat after getting 50,264 votes and Sant Singh Brar got 36,600 votes to emerge as the first runners-up.
	Cantonment top guns fare well in Punjab polls Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, March 12 Four residents of the cantonment here have made it to the fourteenth Vidhan Sabha in the state. Out of these four MLAs, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and Parminder Singh aka Pinky belong to the Congress whereas Janmeja Singh Sekhon and Joginder Singh “Jindu” have won on a SAD ticket during the recently concluded polls. While Rana Sodhi retained his Guruharsahai seat by a relatively narrow margin this time, Parminder Singh Pinky won from the Ferozepur Urban Assembly segment in a convincing fashion. Likewise, Sekhon who hitherto represented the Ferozepur Cantonment Assembly segment, won this time from the Maur Assembly segment after his Ferozepur Cantonment seat was merged into the Ferozepur Urban seat following the delimitation. Jindu has won from the newly carved Ferozepur Rural (Reserved) Assembly segment. However, all of four of them are residents of the cantonment only. Two-time MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu, ex-Chief Parliamentary Secretary, who contested on a BJP ticket from Ferozepur Urban seat but lost the elections to Pinky this time, is also a resident of the local cantonment only. With a strength of four local residents in the state legislative assembly, the residents here are hopeful that the town will not lag behind in terms of funds allocation and infrastructural development now. “It is heartening to know that four residents from this town have been elected to Assembly this time, though from different parties and constituencies,” said Kanwardeep Syal, president, District Bar Association, adding that people hope that this historic town which had always been meted out step- motherly treatment when it comes to allocation of new projects will now see a spurt in development activity. “We have a long list of unfulfilled demands including the abolition of octroi from the cantonment, setting up of a government college, introduction of night bus service and super- fast trains to Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur which we hope shall be taken up by these legislators in right earnest,” said Ashok Baja, Income Tax Officer (retd) who runs an NGO here. “Even Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has stayed and studied till his matriculation in this cantonment which has a rich heritage and legacy,” said Sunil Sharma, a banker. However, notwithstanding the same, the area still wears the tag of being a backward area. “I hope that the senior Badal lives upto the expectations of the local residents and announces the opening of a government college here, which has been a long pending demand,” he added.
	Plan to set up super-speciality cancer hospital Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, March 12 After spending over Rs 35 crores to use the latest applications of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, in the last two years, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) and the Punjab government have now mooted a proposal to set up a first-of-its kind super-speciality cancer hospital in the country at Faridkot. A plan with detailed modalities of the hospital has been sent to the Central Government, demanding financial assistance of Rs 150 crore. Due to the comparatively high prevalence of cancer in the Malwa region during the last decade, the disease which requires costly treatment, has created a fear psychosis in the area, particularly after the death of wife of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and son of former Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar. Therefore, the BFUHS want this super-speciality hospital to come up in the area. Two years back, every cancer patient was going to Bikaner in Rajasthan, Chandigarh or Delhi for treatment. But now, after the oncology department with all its latest radiopharmaceutical infrastructure was set up at the Faridkot medical college and hospital, cancer patients are not only getting the cost-effective treatment but with the introduction of nuclear medicine, but also better cure due to the specific organ treatment. More over, these machines help in the early detection of the disease, thus controlling the disease in the first stage itself, said Dr SS Gill, vice-chancellor of BFUHS, Faridkot. A latest model radiation machine, a CT simulator, brachytherapy (international radiation therapy), linear accelerator and many other modalities such as CT, mammography or MRI to highlight the part of the body in which the radiopharmaceutical is concentrated, are some the nuclear medicine facilities available in Faridkot, said Dr Gill. These latest medical gadgets worth over Rs 35 crore to provide nuclear medicine treatment to the cancer patients were purchased in the last two years. As these highly sophisticated radioactive nuclear medicine equipment carry a high risk of radiation, so to set up these machines, special rooms were constructed with the permission of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). Even to operate these machines, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) trained two radioactive material experts who are working in Faridkot, said Dr HP Yadav, head of the oncology department in Faridkot. Before the cancer department started functioning in Faridkot, Dr HP Yadav, an oncologist from a medical college in Jaipur was engaged in April 2008. Now the cancer department has two assistant professor, one associate professor and two physicists, said Dr Yadav. Out of a total of Rs 100 crore the state government spent on Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in the last three years, over Rs 30 crore were spent to set up the cancer department. Besides Faridkot, the state government sanctioned Rs 70 crore to set up a similar hospital in Bathinda, said Dr Gill. But the BFUHS and the state government have now proposed to the union government to set up a 150 bed cancer hospital in Faridkot. For the high cost of machines, the financial assistance from the union government is needed, said the Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS.
	Govt seeks report to revive ‘air to ground range’ project after 19 years Raj Sadosh Sriganganagar, March 12 Having developed one of the best ranges for army exercises at Mahajan on the Suratgarh-Bikaner section of the National Highway number 15, the central government has now sought a report from the civil administration to revive the “Air to ground range” project that was initially taken up in 1993. Pleading anonymity, official sources confirmed that sub-committees have been formed to access the possible effect, based on a letter that was received from the central government about two months back. As per information gathered by this correspondent, the government had initiated the process to acquire more than 47,000 bighas of land spread over Dhirajdesar, Bangasar, Motair, Banasar and Dhandhusar villages of Rawatsar sub-division to develop one of the best ranges for Air Force exercises. A notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 was published on May 24, 1997. The next publication under Section 6 of the Act appeared in the newspapers of the region on May 22, 1998. The Ministry of Home Affairs had on May 20, 2000 recommended an award worth Rs 159 crore. Surprisingly, the Ministry of Defence maintained a studied silence over this later. Some elected representatives raised the matter during different sessions of Parliament. They wanted the government to take a decision over the acquisition. The Home Department in the state told the district administration vide letter dated July 14, 2006 that the award had expired since it was not vetted through the prescribed legal system within the stipulated time. Acting upon it, the administration sought fresh approval from the state government and passed an award on December 30, 2008 assessing the compensation at Rs 187 crore. The district collector at Hanumangarh on February 28, 2011clarified in his letter that the land to be acquired for the range completely belongs to farming community and they will not be in a position to continue cultivation once the land is acquired to develop the range for the Air Force. A resident, Madan Arora said the state government had not taken up any development project in these villages due to the prolonged uncertainty over the acquisition. Under the revised Rehabilitation Policy-2007 of the state government, the sub-divisional magistrate at Rawatsar re-assessed the amount of compensation based on the District Land Collectorate rates for 47299 bighas of agricultural land at Rs 229 crore and informed the departments concerned. The central government has now indicated that financial approval can be expected by this month-end or latest by the next month, sources said. As many as 1,500 farming/non-farming families will get the compensation accordingly.
	Spurt in drug trafficking cause of concern for Punjab police Abohar, March 12 A spurt in drug trafficking after the Punjab polls has alarmed police officials on both sides of the inter-state border. The sub-divisional police in Abohar segment today intercepted one Mahindra Max jeep near village Modikhera, bordering Lambi segment, in Balluana constituency. The team found that the vehicle, coming down from the neighbouring Sadulshehar area, had been loaded with 38 bags of poppy husk each weighing 35 kg. The search, conducted in the presence of DSP Vibhor Kumar Sharma, also led to seizure of 9,500 gm of opium. The police was able to arrest Surjit Singh “Laddi” of village Sherupura (Zira) but his accomplice, identified as Karaj Singh of the same village, managed to flee. A case under various sections of the NDPS Act has been registered. Another person Kanhaiya Ram of village Khippanwali was nabbed by Khuyiansarwar police with a small quantity of poppy husk at Danewala Satkosi crossing on the Hindumalkot-Abohar road. The divisional and district police chiefs, during a high-level meeting at the sector headquarters of the Border Security Force here, had reviewed the strategies to check drug trafficking besides movement of hardened criminals around the day of polling. They were able to minimise the scope of smuggling of narcotics through the Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts that share their border with Abohar by putting additional nakas on the link roads. Intelligence inputs had indicated that political activists had planned to distribute narcotics besides alcoholic drinks among the electorates in a big way. This alerted the police resulting in frequent seizures. However, the traffickers have resumed activities even after four weeks of the polling; this is a cause of concern for all concerned, officials agreed. DSP Vibhor Kumar Sharma said all the police posts have been put on high alert to meet the prevailing situation. — OC