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Lawyers protest raid at Bahia’s place
caught
in a crawl- 6
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Shortage of anti-rabies vaccine at govt hospitals
City doctor dies in road accident
Bigamy: Eight of a family booked
Lasara case: Local Bodies Dept files reply in HC
Rajindra College students to take employability test
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Lawyers protest raid at Bahia’s place
Bathinda, January 11 The protest was held in the light of a case registered against the son of an SGPC member, who along with his two friends had jumped a police naka and allegedly abused policemen and doctors under the influence of liquor, at the Civil Hospital on Wednesday night. The protesting lawyers alleged that the three persons, including the son of the SGPC member Sukhdev Bahia, also a lawyer, were manhandled and two cases were registered against them. It may be mentioned that Bahia's son Prabhjot Singh and his friend Shivinder Singh were reportedly found drunk in a car driven by Ramandeep Singh, on the Barnala road. The car reportedly did not stop at a police naka near Bibiwala road. The youths were, however, rounded up by the police near the railway station. The inebriated youths created a ruckus as the police tried to take them to the Civil Hospital and also entered into a scuffle with a policeman. The turban of a cop was removed in the melee. The youths were also accused of creating a ruckus at the Civil Hospital. Later, a case under Sections 107, 151 of the CrPC was registered against them. They were released on bail after being produced in the court of the SDM. Thereafter, the police registered another case under Sections 353, 186, 332 and 34 of the IPC at the Kotwali police station on the complaint of constable Gurlal, who accused the youths of misbehaviour and manhandling. The constable stated that the accused were shouting and disturbing the peace and instead of admitting their mistake, they abused and entered into a scuffle with him and the other cops. During the protest held today, the lawyers termed the incident as shameful on the part of the police as it beat up youths who were in a "drunken state" and slapped two different cases in this connection. "The matter was over after the registration of a case and the impounding of the car driven by the youths. The police, however, again raided the house of the SGPC member in the wee hours today seeking his re-arrest," said advocate Gurmeet Mann, secretary of the Bathinda Bar Association. The president of the Bar Association, Ranjit Jalal, said the matter was over after the youths were released on bail. "The police surrounded the house as if the SGPC member's son was some notorious person or terrorist. His family members too were manhandled and harassed by the police," Jalal alleged. Former president of the Bar Association, Rajan Garg and former cabinet minister and advocate Chiranji Lal Garg termed the incident as unfortunate and demanded action against the erring policemen. "I thought the matter was over as the police had already taught a lesson to the youths. A police contingent, however, headed by the DSP (City) barged into my house in the search of my son, who was away to Chandigarh along with his NRI friend," said Sukhdev Bahia. He alleged that the Bhucho DSP, who tried to help him by intervening, was suspended without any reason. The lawyers said they would launch a massive protest against the police's high-handedness and would sit on a dharna if the cases were not withdrawn. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Brar said the lawyers had turned up in the morning. "I told them that the youths were quite drunk and misbehaved with the policemen. And if they still had any problem, they were free to give a representation and meet the DIG or the IG as well. But they refused and left," Brar said. The case was registered after complete verification and to instil a sense of confidence among the residents, the SSP said. "We have already made it clear that the law is equal for everybody. The family or society that an accused belongs to is immaterial," Brar added. On the suspension of the Bhucho DSP, who had called up the ASP City telling him to handle the case "gently" as he was known to the Bahias, the SSP said the DSP's suspension had only been recommended and he had not been suspended yet. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was in the city this evening, termed the incident as unfortunate and said the law would take its own course and that nobody was above the law.
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Negotiating city traffic needs patience
In the sixth and final part of the series, Tribune reporter Gurdeep Singh Mann and photographer Bhupinder Dhillon travel on roads in the city and discover that large-scale encroachments and haphazard parking cause obstruction in the smooth flow of traffic and result in accidents The roads in the city have a large number of points where fatal accidents are reported. Though dividers, speed-breakers and traffic lights have been installed at various points, still a lot needs to be done to reduce the number of road accidents. On roads where the dividers are installed and all the cuts have been plugged, the number of mishaps has come down but accident points still dot the other arterial roads in Bathinda.
Some of the accident-prone areas in the city include the Liberty chowk, Power House road chowk, are near the Civil Hospital, Tinkoni, Amreek Singh road and Bhatti road. Minor accidents are frequently reported in these areas. Cases of serious injuries and deaths too have been reported. The traffic passing through Liberty chowk includes heavy trucks, tractor-trailers and bullock carts making their way to the vegetable market nearby. The heavy vehicles taking a turn from Liberty chowk choke the entire traffic passing on the road and there is hardly any way out. "It is quite irritating to cross the Liberty chowk, bus stand chowk and Fauji chowk where the traffic policemen navigate only when some VIP is supposed to cross the area," said a city-based lawyer Shahbharat. He said the flow of heavy trucks was earlier diverted for some time after a hue and cry was raised by the some residents of Bhagu road. The flow of heavy traffic, however, passes through Bhagu road which is too narrow for the heavy vehicles. The entire road gets blocked whenever two such vehicles cross each other from the opposite direction. Once a person crosses the Liberty chowk, he again gets caught in the crawl after reaching the bus stand where the pace of traffic is quite irritating even during the normal hours. The Tribune team was caught in crawl near Gol Diggi where sweets were being distributed to the commuters on a busy stretch outside. It took more than seven minutes to cross the Gol Diggi area. The team was again caught in a traffic snarl near the railway station. The shopkeepers near the railway station said the city buses taking U-turn always lead to a long queue of vehicles. Brawls and heated arguments among the commuters passing through the railway road due to the encroachment by three wheelers are very common, the shopkeepers said.
Jaswinder Singh, a city resident, said earlier, there was a chowk instead of traffic lights at the bus stand and too many accidents were reported. With the installation of traffic lights, the number of fatal accidents has reduced to a great extent. The shopkeepers and the traffic policemen said they have not heard about any major accident at the bus stand since the installation of traffic lights. Taking a cue, traffic lights have also been installed at the Fauji Chowk. It is expected to reduce the number of accidents. Accidents are now being reported at Fauji Chowk. The road between Fauji Chowk and Bibiwala Chowk too is accident-prone because of the numerous cuts on the road and encroachments. A similar situation prevails on the road outside the Civil Hospital where many accidents have been reported in the last few years. The worst choke points in the city are the railway road, Gol Diggi, Mall Road, Fauji Chowk, Bhagu road and Amreek Singh road. The situation becomes tough outside the schools located in these areas. Problems you have to grapple with Kind of traffic: The plying of heavy traffic has lead to many road accidents and deaths. Residents of the area have been demanding a bypass for a long time which could bring some respite from the rising number of accidents. Kind of vehicles: Three-wheelers plying on the roads have proved to be instrumental in increasing the choke points and the pollution. The number of auto-rickshaws is on the rise and as per a rough estimate, their number has increased to more than 1500 at present. Presence of policemen managing traffic
Policemen remain deployed at the Liberty
Chowk, Hanuman Chowk, Fauji Chowk and near the railway station. Choke points
Liberty chowk, bus stand chowk, Fauji chowk, Hanuman
chowk, Ghorewala chowk and the railway station are main choke points. Accident points identified on the stretch
Accidents are reported mostly at the Ghorewala
chowk, Fauji chowk, Hanuman chowk, Power House road traffic lights and on Amreek Singh road. No survey conducted by the officials so far
So far, no survey of any kind has been conducted to streamline the traffic and to reduce the number of road accidents in the city. Traffic lights yet to be made functional
Though traffic lights have been installed at Fauji chowk and 100-feet road
chowk, these are yet to be made functional. This will help in managing traffic. COMMUTERS speak The volume of traffic has increased on the city roads, but hardly anything has been done by the government to manage the flow. Besides deploying the traffic police, efforts should also be made to remove the encroachments outside the shops in various markets of the city. Jaswinder Singh The roads where all the cuts have been plugged in, have got respite from the accidents. But the cuts on other roads in the city too should be plugged to reduce the number of road mishaps. Kuldip Singh Wrong parking, rash and drunken driving have lead to many accidents in the city. Many people have received injuries while others have lost their lives due to lack of patience while driving vehicles at high speed. Kulwinder Singh Police should tighten the noose around those driving rashly on city roads. Efforts should be made to divert the route of heavy vehicles to the city outskirts. Ranjit Singh official speak The city traffic police has taken many steps to streamline the flow of traffic in
Bathinda. A traffic awareness week was observed recently to inform city residents about the traffic rules. We visited schools, colleges and educational institutions to create awareness about the traffic rules and regulations. We have also held eye check-up camps for drivers so that their vision could be tested. It would help them in driving safely and prevent accidents. We also installed reflectors on vehicles like tractors to check road mishaps, especially during foggy weather.
Bharpur Singh, Traffic in-charge |
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Shortage of anti-rabies vaccine at govt hospitals
Bathinda, January 11 In the year 2010-11, around 360 cases of dog bite were reported at the emergency ward in the Civil Hospital, while the number stands at around 380 for the year 2011-12. Besides, around 8 to 10 cases of dog bite are reported at the paediatric OPD every month. “The last time we received the anti-rabies vaccine was before March 2012. Since then, only the Rampura civil hospital has demanded the vaccine, while all the other hospitals are running dry," confided a health official. The Rampura civil hospital too had sent a demand for the vaccine by collecting funds generated from the user charges. The hospital had received a batch of around 100 vials a few days ago. Each injection of the vaccine costs around Rs 140 in the government hospitals and in the open market, it is available at Rs 250 to Rs 300. Every dog bite case has to be administered a dosage of five injections over a specified time period which puts the total cost of the vaccine in government sector at Rs 500. "For a labourer, arranging even Rs 500 for a dog bite case is a Herculean task. How can we expect such poor people to buy vaccine from private chemists and treat his or her child,” the health official said. The officials in civil surgeon’s office said the supply was now expected to be delivered from the office of the Director Health Services (DHS). “We have sent requirement for around 3500 vials, which we expect to get soon. Once received, the vaccine will be distributed to hospitals under the Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) as well as the others," the officials added. This is the first time when the supply is being received through the DHS. Meanwhile, local residents suggested that instead of arranging for the vaccine, arrangements should be made to create dog pounds on the lines of cattle pounds (gaushala) where stray dogs can be caught and left. With the project on sterilisation of dogs is yet to take shape in the district, respite from the stray canines seems to be a distant dream.
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City doctor dies in road accident
Bathinda, January 11 He was riding his motorcycle when suddenly a trolley, coming from behind, crushed him. Dr Joshi was dragged by the trolley over a long distance and died on the spot. The deceased was identified by his clothes. The volunteers of Sathi Welfare Society took his body to the Civil Hospital for post mortem. The trolley driver was arrested on the spot. — TNS
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Bigamy: Eight of a family booked
Bathinda, January 11 On the complaint of his first mother-in-law, Sukhdev Singh, his mother Amarjit Kaur, his three sisters and their husbands have been booked by the police. —TNS
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Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniv celebrations begin
Bathinda, January 11 Starting from the Multipurpose Sports Stadium, the procession went through the entire city. Passing from Hanuman Chowk, Fire Brigade chowk, railway station, Post Office bazaar, Dhobi Bazaar, it reached Sadbhavna Chowk where Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla welcomed it. The procession culminated at the stadium. People from all walks of life joined the procession. The school band, which was also a part of the procession, played some of the popular bhajans by Swami Vivekananda. Banners, with Swami Vivekananda’s messages written on them, were pasted on the vehicles that accompanied the procession. Meanwhile, Kamal Sharma, the political advisor to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, today reached Bathinda to oversee the arrangements being made for the state-level function to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekannada. The state-level function will be held at the Jeet palace on Barnala road on Saturday. CS Talwar from Swami Vivekananda Study Circle and Vijay Singh Nadda, state secretary of Swami Vivekananda 150th Jayanti Samaroh Samiti, Punjab, also accompanied the procession. At the state-level function on Saturday, floral tributes will be paid at Swami Vivekananda’s statue at Rose Garden and later, a function will be held at Jeet Palace. Brig (retd) Jagdish Gagneja, Punjab Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, CPS Sarup Chand Singla and others would be present on the occasion.
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Lasara case: Local Bodies Dept files reply in HC
Bathinda, January 11 Before submitting the affidavit, the Local Bodies Department conducted a coordination meeting with the other departments, including the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The next date for the case has been fixed in the first week of February. In 2011, the High Court had taken suo moto notice of the news reports published about Lasara drain, which is known for carrying toxic waters of the municipal waste and industrial effluents.
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Rajindra College students to take employability test
Bathinda, January 11 Enrollment of students interested in appearing for placement related AMCAT Assessment & Recruitment test began on Friday. The AMCAT, an employability test, is open to second and third year students of B.Sc, B.Com, BA, BBA, BCA. The students can enroll for the test till January 22. "The counselling sessions and enrollments have begun. Around 250-300 students from B.Sc, B.Com, BBA, BA and BCA will appear for the employability test," Dr GS Brar, head, placement cell of the college, said. The test will provide a unified and better placement platform for the students. He further added, "The test is gradation and merit based. The AMCAT will contact companies and help in the placement of meritorious students." He also said AMCAT will give employability feedback to every student who will appear for the test. "Such employability tests improve the confidence and interpersonal skills of the students," he said. Dr Brar added that educational institutes only provide theoretical information, but employability tests make the students aware of the demand in the private sector. AMCAT will be a two-hour long computer-based adaptive test with multiple choice questions. The test has four compulsory modules — English, Math, logical ability and personality test, along with optional domain specific module.
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Lawyers in the city today held a protest and raised slogans against the police while accusing it of high-handedness.
"The encroachments by the shopkeepers at the bus stand and the haphazard parking of trucks create problems for the commuters. The traffic is difficult to manage even for the policemen who remain a mute spectator most of the time as the bus operators continue to park their vehicles at a place of their choice," said another shopkeeper Sumer Singh.
A procession was taken out in the city today on the eve of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda.