Bathinda, January 2
The intense cold wave, which has lashed Northern India, is here to stay for some more days. Bathinda and its adjoining areas witnessed chilly winds over the weekend while the sun continued to play hide and seek.

Respite from the cold wave, however, is still a couple of days away, as per the forecast made by the agri-met department of the PAU regional station, Bathinda.

The maximum temperature recorded today was 10.2 degree Celsius and the minimum temperature was 5.6 degree Celsius. The maximum temperature on Tuesday was 12 degree Celsius and the minimum temperature was 5.2 degree Celsius.

The icy winds and the resultant frost can be attributed to the western disturbance which has caused fresh snowfall over the Himalayan region. The snowfall, in turn, has resulted in chilly winds over the plains in Northern India.

Icy winds blew at the speed of 2 kmph in the area today. The met office also predicted the possibility of dense to medium fog in the region over the next two-three days.

Bathinda, January 2
Despite the high alert sounded in the state after the reported rise in cases of rape, yet another assault on a minor girl came to light today.

A 25-year-old man, a tempo driver, tried to kidnap a 13-year-old girl, who was going to school with her younger siblings, but was arrested.

The incident took place near the Janta Nagar area when the girl was going to school. The accused, Charanjit Singh alias Charni, tried to gag the girl and kidnap her. The girl's younger brother and sister, who were accompanying her to the school, raised an alarm drawing the attention of the people. The children's house was also nearby and hence, their parents were also alerted.

In the meantime, the accused tried to run towards the canal, but was intercepted by a police team patrolling on a Tavera vehicle. The cops had received a tip-off about the attempted kidnapping. An enraged crowd gathered and beat up the accused before police took him in its custody.

Senior Superintendent of police (SSP) Ravcharan Singh Brar said the accused is a drug addict. Charni was living in a rented accommodation in Paras Ram Nagar area. He is a native of Kenewala village in Jhunir area of Mansa and had shifted to Bathinda around two weeks ago, working as a tempo driver.

"He was on the prowl and lost no chance in pouncing upon the child. We have arrested him and further investigations are on," Brar said.

The SSP said preliminary investigations do not rule out the possibility of a planned sexual assault. He said it would be investigated if the accused was keeping a tab on the girl's activity or had been following her.

Police have booked him under sections 354, 363 and 511 of the IPC. The accused is suspected to be involved in other unlawful activities also.

Bathinda, January 2
Three members of the Special Trainer Resource Teachers (STR) Union, who were on fast-unto-death for many days now, finally broke their fast after assurances by the district administration that the 494 ousted teachers would also be reinstated soon.

It is reported that the administration buckled under pressure after Jasbir Kaur, a member of the union who had been on hunger strike for more than 35 days, was admitted to the Civil Hospital for the fifth time on Monday and was stated to be in a critical condition.

The members of the union had also blocked the Bathinda-Mansa road on Tuesday afternoon causing trouble to the commuters.

While staging the protest, the special trainers had said that the government was not paying heed to their demands and they had been forced to take to the streets despite the winter chill.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kamal Kishore Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Singh Brar and Avneet Kaur Sidhu, PPS, met the three members of the union who were on fast.

While Avneet offered juice to Jasbir Kaur to help her break the fast, the DC and the SSP offered juice to the other two members, Paramjit Singh and Balwinder Singh, who then broke their fast.

Raising slogans in appreciation of the district administration, the members of the union expressed delight over the assurance.

The president of the union, Devinder Singh, however, told TNS that although the administration had handed over the letter from the Director General School Education (DGSE) to the union assuring them that the teachers would be reinstated, the union will continue to sit on dharna till the date of joining is also announced.

"Today, we were given the letter from the Director General School Education and were assured that our demands will be met. This has come after more than 70 days of sitting on dharna.

“However, this is not the end of our struggle. We have been asked to submit the list of teachers who are to be reinstated. The list needs to be a comprehensive one and would also include facts like how many teachers belong to which district," said 
Devinder Singh.

He added that the administration may take more time in issuing joining letters after the submission of the list.

Meanwhile, the union also requested the Deputy Commissioner to ensure that Jasbir Kaur gets proper treatment as she had been surviving on fluids being administered to her through drip by the Civil Hospital authorities. She had been admitted to the Civil Hospital late on Sunday night after her health condition deteriorated.

Bathinda, January 2
The newly-recruited cops of Punjab police have not been paid uniform allowance, whereas they are being paid the washing allowance.

Punjab police recruited around 700 male cops and 200 female cops in a recruitment drive from October to December 2011.

Neither were the recruits paid the uniform allowance in 2011 nor in 2012. As per an estimate, they are to be paid `3,800 per head uniform allowance since the period they have joined.

Consequently, the new recruits are spending money from their own pockets and have ended up buying colourful jackets and overcoats in winters. “We cannot wait for the allowance. Taking an idea of the colour of the uniform we have got, we bought the overcoats on our own. Now instead of being uniformly dressed, all of us don different colors,” said one of the women cops posted with the traffic police.

Not only have the new recruits, even the other cops have not got the allowance for the year 2012. As per the rules, constables to head constables ranks get Rs 1,107 as uniform allowance, ASI to inspector ranks get Rs 1,050.

“Even with long working hours and strenuous schedule, we are expected to look prim everyday. With no uniform allowance available, how does the department expect us to look presentable always?” asked one of the cops.

The Sanjh Kendras, launched last year, have smartly dressed up women attending to people at the front desk. But these women too have not been paid for their uniform. “We were told the pattern and colour of the uniform to be worn while working. But no allowance was given to buy these uniforms. Since the coats cost little more than the usual clothes, we have ended up spending a lot on them,” said one of the women employed at a Sanjh Kendra in the city.

Interestingly, while the cops are not being paid the uniform allowance, they are being given the washing allowance. The constables to head constables ranks are paid Rs 50 per month and ASI to inspector ranks are paid Rs 80 per month.

Bathinda, January 2
The deputy commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav today convened a meeting to oversee the arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations.

Yadav said the celebrations will be held at the multipurpose stadium. The miscellaneous branch will make arrangements for the Tricolour, office of senior superintendent of police will arrange for the band and the office of deputy director sainik welfare will arrange for the military band.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) would be the in-charge of the parade. The parade ground will have two contingents of Punjab police and one contingent each of police commando, Punjab home guard, two contingents of NCC (boys and senior girls), one each of scouts and guides and one contingent of nursing students will also be present.

Students from different schools will present cultural programmes and in-charge of these programmes will be the ADC (development). Yadav directed that besides the students, participation of college students should also be ensured.

He added that the main roundabout (chowk) and parks in the city will be specially decked up on January 26. These roundabouts will include Shaheed Nand Singh Fauji Chowk which will be decorated by the Deputy Director Sainik Welfare. Bhai Ghanaiya Chowk near thermal plant has been entrusted to the office of assistant excise and taxation commissioner (AETC) mobile wing, DM Markfed will decorate the Bhagwan Balmiki Chowk, Government Rajindra College has been entrusted the chowk near circuit house, executive officer Improvement Trust has been entrusted the Bibiwala Chowk and assistant municipal commissioner will decorate park and chowk near Rose Garden and the Ambedkar chowk and park near the district administrative complex.

He added that different departments will be honoured for their performance and achievements. He directed all the departments to send a list of employees recommended for felicitation by January 18 to his office. Needy people would be given sewing machines and physically-handicapped will be given tricycles.

Keeping in view the cold weather, health department has been directed to keep its team stationed at the stadium during rehearsals.

From January 13 onwards, the rehearsals will be held daily under the supervision of SSP Bathinda and on January 24 full dress rehearsal will be held. SP (headquarter) Gurmit Singh, SDM Ramvir and others were also present at the meeting.

Bathinda, January 2
The members of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) today set wheat on fire protesting against the `65 increase in the minimum support price (MSP) that the Central Government has given on the wheat crop.

Farmers raised slogans against the Central Government and submitted their memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

They demanded that the MSP of wheat be fixed at Rs 2250 per quintal keeping in view the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission that speaks of giving profit to the farmers.

Terming the increase of Rs 65 a cruel joke on farmers, union leader Ramkaran Singh Raman said the low MSP was responsible for farmers committing suicide. “The cost of input in crops has increased several times, but the MSP continues to move at a snail’s pace. Farmers are forced to take loans, which later become the reason for their suicide,” he said.

He added that the campaign has been started against government and now memorandums will be submitted to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts.

Next plan of action will be chalked out at the national meeting to be convened on January 8 in Delhi.

Bathinda, January 2
Senior Citizens Council, Bathinda, conducted a condolence meeting for the gang rape and death of the 23-year-old paramedic student in Delhi.

The union, headed by Prof DS Mastana, also took out a silent candle light march from the Fire Brigade Chowk to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk in the city today. The union observed a two-minute silence after the candle light march.

The members of the union condemned the increasing number of crimes against women across the country. The union presented a three-pronged approach to such cases.

The union suggested that fast track courts should be constituted to decide such cases within two-three months to save the victim from facing harassment. It also demanded that the victim should not be asked to explain or recount the incident during interrogation since the onus lies upon the accused to prove himself innocent.

The union demanded that training in self-defence measures should be made mandatory for girls in all the schools. This would help the girls in saving themselves if they land in some difficult situation, the union said.

The last suggestion included teaching young kids about respecting the fairer sex, be it their sister, mother or a stranger. The union also exhorted all the men to respect the women in their families.

The union members stated that if these steps were taken, women would feel safer and it would also bring down the number of crimes against women considerably.

Meanwhile, the activists of Punjab Student Union (Shaheed Randhawa) today blocked traffic at Fauji Chowk demanding justice for the Delhi gang rape victim today.

The activists, mainly females, also sat on dharna demanding strict laws to deal will rape accused and condemned the rapper Honey Singh for commodifying women n his songs.

The girls were carrying banners with messages demanding justice for all rape victims. They were accompanied by the members of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha and students of regional centre, Bathinda.

Bathinda, January 2
SK Ahluwalia, IAS (retd) today joined as the vice-chancellor of Guru Kashi University (GKU), Talwandi Sabo.

In addition to being an able administrator, Ahluwalia had a brilliant academic record being a triple MA. He is proficient in Chinese, Tibetan and Sanskrit languages and received five gold medals for academic excellence besides having the distinction of being conferred the university colour. He also has 25 awards and appreciations to his credit.

Ahluwalia held the important posts of the deputy commissioner of Mansa and Fatehgarh Sahib districts and was the Commissioner, Patiala Division, besides holding many other assignments.