Bathinda, January 21
The scheme formulated by the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) for the beautification of roundabouts (chowks) in the city has been stalled owing to the poor response received from the sponsors.

The BDA had decided to develop seven main roundabouts in the city for which tenders were invited in December 2012 from the interested sponsors.

However, owing to the high cost of maintenance and development, not many sponsors stepped forward to take over these seven roundabouts on a build, operate and maintain basis.

The roundabouts at Bibiwala Chowk, Rose Garden Chowk, Bhai Kanhaiya Chowk, ITI Chowk, Fauji Chowk, Badal Chowk and Jassi Pau Wali Chowk were to be developed under the scheme.

Interestingly, the BDA held an open competition to get these roundabouts designed by various architects from across the country. The competition has drawn the attention of architects from Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Saharanpur and other places. While the makers of the designs that were finalised were awarded Rs 25,000 each, the designs that stood second were honoured with a cash prize of Rs 15,000.

"All the designs are based on the history of Punjab and Bathinda. They depict the rich culture of our state. Every chowk will have its individual identity," said XEN Vasudev Anand.

Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal has given his nod to the final designs that now await funds. They added that the sponsors are finding the BDA rates too high. "With units like Guru Gobind Singh refinery, private hospitals, medical college and universities in the city, it is odd that the BDA has failed to attract sponsors," the sources said.

Meanwhile, Vasudev said the conceptual plans have been finalized. Estimates have been prepared and will be sent for the government's approval.

"After we did not get a good response to the tenders floated seeking sponsors for the project, the BDA is looking for an alternative," he said.

As per the tenders floated, the agencies selected were to be allowed to display their own names at each chowk but no other ad or hoarding was to be allowed. Initially, the work was to be allotted for a period of five years excluding the development period. It could be further extended up to five more years if the work is found to be satisfactory.

Bathinda, January 21
The maternity ward at the Government Women and Children Hospital is flooded with the male attendants of the new mothers, much to the dismay of the hospital staff as well as the patients.

Elder relatives and those savouring the new-found joy of fatherhood at times stay on in the maternity ward. "We repeatedly tell the men to go out of the ward as most patients have female attendants accompanying them. It is very uncomfortable for the female patients to bear the male stare," confided one of the nurses in the ward.

The nurses working at the hospital said the new mothers are taught ways to breastfeed their babies in the ward. They also have to undergo dressings and check-ups. The nurses added that it becomes very difficult for the women patients to get themselves examined when men are around.

"At times, when the government is taking extra measures to promote the practice of breastfeeding, the presence of males on such occasions can prove to be detrimental. New mothers face the problem of latching babies to their

breasts, which requires a lot of patience and practice. But with men ogling at them, the women become conscious while breastfeeding their babies," added one of the nurses. The nursing staff in the ward has many a time requested the men to stay outbut to no avail.

"Most of the time the men end up arguing with us. In one recent incident, a man started yelling at the top of his voice that he wanted to support his wife. We tried to reason that he may stand outside the ward, but he flatly refused and instead threatened to complaint against us for bad conduct," said another nurse.

Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni said the entry of males is restricted in the maternity wards to maintain the privacy of the patients. He said the males are only allowed to hand over essential things and move out. "I will direct the senior medical officer (SMO) to formulate some policy so that the men do not enter the ward," he said.

Bathinda, January 21
Warning people not to take advantage of the promptness of the police in connection with the crime against women, the police today said such cases would be investigated with extra caution and the accused will not be spared.

Claiming to have solved the rape and abduction case of a 24-year-old from Moga within hours after the registration of the case, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ravcharan Brar said such cases are being probed swiftly. The SSP's warning came after the police investigations revealed that the rape and abduction charge was concocted.

"This is an example of hard work and the dedication of the police which acted swiftly and brought the guilty to book and also give a clean chit to the innocent who had been wrongly implicated by the girl," Brar said.

The SSP said the case is a testimony to the fact that people with nefarious designs would not be allowed to give wrong statements to the police and get away.

In the case, Sunil Kumar of Taluwal village in Fazilka planned to take revenge against his wife and her family members by falsely implicating them in a case of rape and abduction by concocting the story of a girl's abduction from Chandigarh.

Sunil, a pharmacist and the father of a five-year-old girl had an illicit relationship with a nurse Gurveer Kaur. Sunil was working at a private hospital on Mall Road and Gurveer Kaur was working as nurse on a hospital at Ajit road.

The SSP said Sunil and Gurvir Kaur are accused of injecting Sunil's wife Kanta with HIV, who underwent severe health problems, and is being treated at the PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Gurvir Kaur has been disowned by her family members residing in Landeke village of Moga.

Sunil told his two friends, Ramesh and Rohtash to help Gurvir Kaur in implicating Kanta's family members in the case. Gurvir also accused Kanta's family members of making her video.

"But the accused were caught in the police web as their statements failed to match. Their claims about the presence of the accused in Chandigarh also proved to be wrong, as those named by them were not in Chandigarh at the time of the fake kidnapping," Ravcharan Brar said.

The Bathinda SSP said that stringent punishment would be recommended by the police for those who try to misuse the special measures being taken to curb the rising crime against women. 

Bathinda, January 21
Imagine a shop from where you can take what you need and pay the money without anybody there to ask you for it. This is the novel way that the Government Rajindra College has devised to promote honesty among its students.

It has set up a stationery shop. At this unique stationery shop, christened the 'Imaandari Ki Dukaan', pens and notebooks are on offer.

At the shop, which has been set up near the main gate of the college, the students are the shopkeepers as well as the buyers. Pens and notebooks, worth Rs 5 each, have been kept on a table. Kept along with these is a money box. The board at the dukan or shop asks the students to be honest and put the money for the notebooks and pens that they take in the box.

"I thought of this concept as a way of encouraging honesty among the students of this college. I want to make the students realise that even if no one is watching them, they are responsible to themselves.

“The board kept by the notebooks and pens urges the students to take the stationery and be honest enough to pay for it too," said Surjeet Mann, a professor in the Department of Physical Education. Mann has been running the shop from his personal funds.

Paying the money the same day is also not mandatory. The board tells the students that if they don't have the money on the day they buy the stationery, they can put the money in the box the next day.

Talking about the success of the idea, Mann said, "I stock stationery worth Rs 500 on the table. On most occasions, whenever we empty the money box, we get the entire amount back. Sometimes, it falls short by Rs 20-30. Interestingly, once or twice, we've got more than Rs 500 from the box."

College principal Vijay Goyal said, "We encouraged the idea since it has an USP (unique selling point) of its own. We are getting a great response."

Bathinda, January 21
The counter-intelligence wing of the police has arrested three persons with 19.25 quintals of poppy husk.

The accused were carrying the narcotics in 55 bags. Those arrested have been identified as Gurnam Singh of Moga and Shailender Singh of Samana in Patiala, while their third accomplice, Sukha Singh of Nakodar in Jalandhar, managed to flee. Police said Sukha Singh had been financing the accused for smuggling the drugs.

Gurnam Singh was a proclaimed offender for the last seven years and the police was trying to arrest him. A case has been registered under sections 15, 25, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act at Kotfatta police station.

The accused had designed the truck in such a manner that it appeared to be empty but was used to carry drugs. The accused had been smuggling poppy husk from Rajasthan on a large scale for further sale in Bathinda, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Barnala. Police said the accused used to make 12 rounds of Rajasthan in a year to make a fast buck.

Gurnam Singh had earlier also been booked at Khannauri police station in Sangrur for smuggling 19 quintals of poppy husk.

The accused were arrested under the supervision of AIG, Counter-intelligence, Ajay Maluja.

Bathinda, January 21
The ripple effects of the Delhi gang-rape case can be seen in Bathinda as well. After getting numerous advisories from their parents, teachers and everyone around, girls in the city are turning to taking classes in self-defence.

Karate trainers in the city vouch for the fact that self defense is the need of the hour. In the wake of increasing number of crime against women, these trainers are much in demand.

Punjab Singh, a black belt karate instructor trains girls in the self-defence art called ‘Goju Ryu’, Kenwakai style.

While talking about increasing awareness about the importance of self-defence for girls in the city, he said, “After the Delhi gang rape case, I have received many calls from worried parents and school authorities asking for training girls in self-defence."

Karate is an art of self-defence in which no weapons are used. In Karate only the hands and legs are trained to wriggle out of the grip of an attacker and hit the opponent.

Punjab Singh said, “It is a misconception that karate makes people more aggressive, while it is the other way round. It teaches the learner self-control and makes one more self-reliant, confident and calm. It is a training of development of character, so that one can overcome mental as well as physical obstacles. Basically, it helps in all round development of the learner’s body and mind.”

While explaining how Karate can make girls learn self-defence, he said Karate practitioners are taught not to attack first, but only to revert to the attack.

“The first two steps which are taught to girls practicing Karate clearly indicate that we choose to defend and not attack. The first step of self-defence for girls is to run as fast as they can and secondly they should shout loud enough to catch the attention of those around them,” he said.

"In case these two steps do not work, then girls are taught to focus and attack. We teach them to break his bones or hit the attacker hard enough to make him faint. We also teach not to give in to the attacker’s pleas of mercy as in most of the cases the attacker hit back,” he added.

In the fourth step, the practitioners are taught to hit the sensitive parts of the attacker’s body. “One should use this step only in extreme cases,” said Punjab Singh.

He added that it takes at least three months to train a girl in the art of self-defence. Once trained, she is ready to take on anyone and save herself.

Karan Singh, general secretary, Karate-Do Association of Bathinda, said, “Karate serves a dual purpose. Apart from being a game, it also teaches one self-defence. Parents and school authorities must promote Karate and it should be made a part of Punjab Olympics so that more and more students learn the art.”

“With more number of girls training themselves in self-defence, hopefully the number of crimes being committed against women will come down,” he added.

Fact file
The first two steps which are taught to girls practicing karate clearly indicate that they should choose to defend and not attack. The first step of self-defence for girls is to run as fast as they can and secondly they should shout loud enough to catch the attention of those around them.
In the third step, they are taught not to give in to the attacker’s pleas of mercy and to hit the attacker hard enough to either break his bones or make him faint.
In the fourth step, the practitioners are taught to hit the sensitive parts of the attacker's body.

Bathinda, January 21
When disaster strikes, it does not give a second chance to anyone — this is what the students of the St. Xavier’s School were taught today by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel.

NDRF today conducted a mock drill at the school to demonstrate to the students how to save their and others’ lives during natural calamities.

During the drill, the NDRF personnel demonstrated various ways of combating natural as well as man-made disasters.

The team had brought with it various equipment which, if kept handy, could save many lives in case of a calamity.

The students were impressed by the mock drill conducted by the personnel. The students were taught about many self-help techniques. They were also taught that many a life could be saved if one is prepared and cautious about the right drills and management techniques.

NDRF teams have been regularly organising similar mock drills at various offices and important buildings in the city to spread awareness techniques of saving lives in case of an eventuality.

Bathinda, January 21
An inter-school competition, 'The Quest — Ek Khoj', was held at the RBDAV Senior Secondary School today as part of the Science Fest.

As many as 20 schools from the region participated in the quiz. Dr JS Anand, manager of the school, inaugurated the Science Fest.

While addressing the students, he urged them to have faith in their capabilities and continue the quest for knowledge and ride the winds of change for the society and the nation. He urged the students to make their own path by being good human beings and benevolent social servants.

An array of innovative science projects and modals were displayed by the students of the various schools in both the Junior and Senior categories. The theme for the project was 'Science Society and environment'.

Plays, on the theme 'Health is Wealth' and 'Space Dwellers', were also staged. Students also exhibited their views through brush strokes in the poster-making competition. While the students' knowledge was tested during the quiz competition, during the debate the competition, students discussed the pros and cons of human cloning.

Dr KK Nohria and PD Goyal gave away the prizes to the winners. Dr Satwant Bhullar, prinicpal of RBDAV School, thanked the judges and congratulated the winners of various competitions.

In power point presentation, DPS, Bathinda got the frst prize while RBDAV Senior Secondary School and Lord Rama Public School got the second and the third prizes, respectively.

In the quiz competition, Sanawar School, Vishwas Public School, and RBDAV won the first, second and third prizes, respectively.

In the debate competition, the first, second and third positions went to the Police Public School, Sanawar School and RBDAV, respectively.

In the poster-making (senior) PKS, DPS and KV 4, grabbed the first, second and third prizes, respectively. In the junior category, Sanawar School, DPS and RBDAV won the first, second and third positions.

The science drama presented by RBDAV Senior Secondary School was adjudged first while the second position went to DPS.

RBDAV students also grabbed the first prize in both the senior and junior categories of the model making competition. DPS won both the second and third positions in the senior category and third position in the junior category.

Bathinda, January 21
Under the Pulse Polio drive, held over two days, 77 per cent of the children in the age group of 0 to 5 years were covered.

Of the 1,76,809 children in the district, 92,478 were covered on the first day, while on the second day as many as 43,682 children were administered the anti-polio drops.

The remaining children would be administered the adrops on January 22.

As many as 24 transit teams were formed to cover children at the bus stands, 14 teams to covering the railway station and nine teams were stationed at various roundabouts. 31 mobile teams have been formed to administer polio drops to children in and around marriage palaces, brick kilns, hutments, etc.

Bathinda, January 21
The Senior Citizens and Pensioners Vikas Manch has demanded that the Tatkal reservation of railways should be allowed to senior citizens too.

During the monthly meeting of the Manch, convened at Model Town Phase I, president GL Goel stated that male senior citizen should be allowed 50 per cent travelling concession bringing it at par with the concession being given to females. They demanded that they should also be given bus tickets at a concession rate.

It was decided to request the railways to start two express trains during day time from Bathinda to Delhi, one via Mansa-Jakhal and second via Dhuri-Ambala. They also demanded that daytime trains should also be started from Bathinda to Mumbai, Bathinda to Howrah, Bathinda to Chennai, Bathinda to Ludhiana via Dhuri and Malerkotla and Bathinda to Haridwar.

They also demanded that separate queues should be started at the counters of BSNL and banks to help the senior citizens in depositing or collecting payments.

Press secretary of the Manch, Amrit Lal Singhal said pension of pre-2006 should be fixed on notional basis as it was applicable in the case of pre-1986 pensioners.

"The fitment weightage should also be worked out at 50 to 65 per cent instead of 40 per cent to bring it at par with regular employees," he said.

He demanded that medical allowance for pensioners be increased to Rs 1500 per month from of Rs 500 as the prices of medicines and medical treatments had risen.

Bathinda, January 21
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Bathinda, will hold a training programme for para-legal volunteers in court number 2 at the District Courts Complex on Tuesday.

District and Session Judge-cum-Chairman of DLSA, Jaspal Singh, will inaugurate the training programme.

The para-legal volunteers include social workers, teachers, students, panch-sarpanch, Aanganwari workers, NSS volunteers, government employees among others.

The para-legal volunteers have been entrusted the job of holding legal literacy camps, reporting any kind of injustice to the nearest legal services authority or committee and to popularise community-oriented services of courts such as Lok Adalats and free legal literacy help schemes and look after the works of legal aid clinics. — TNS