Bathinda, March 29
The state government is likely to lift the ban imposed on the registry of land in unauthorised colonies this Baisakhi.

It will also formulate a new policy under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act 2013 that will allow the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the state giving a much needed relief to the people living in these colonies besides increasing the government revenue earned from various taxes imposed on land deals in the affected pockets.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla said under the policy, the colonies have been divided into three periods, starting from the year 1995 to 2002, 2002 to 2007 and from 2007 to March 31, 2013.

Speaking at a function of the Bathinda Real Estate Agents Association, he said the government will allow the building maps of these areas to be passed from Baisakhi onwards. "Even the policy will be out in public domain and the people will get a period of one year to get all the unauthorised colonies regularised," he told TNS.

Singla added that as per rules, investors as well as developers will pay development charges (50 per cent each), while the investor alone will bear the charges of registry.

The rules of Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995 and the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations Act, 1995, will be moulded and tailored to suit the urban housing needs of the people keeping in view the Punjab Housing and Habitat Policy for urban housing to all.

On March 26, the Vidhan Sabha passed the Bill that has broadened the scope of these two Acts. Now the government officials are busy framing a policy with the exact modalities and specifications in order to allow the regularisation of maximum unauthorised colonies. The checklist of requirements is being populated comprising compounding charges, development charges and others.

However, no relief would be given to any construction that has been started in an unauthorized manner or has been continued on or after April 1, 2013 as well as encroachment on public land.

Also, no relief will be given on areas notified under the Land Acquisition Act 1894, Forest Conservation Act, 1980, Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and Works of Defence Act, 1903.

Fact file The policy is being framed keeping in view the phenomenal increase in population owing to migration that has put tremendous pressure on land and infrastructure in Punjab. In Bathinda city alone, there are 67 unauthorised colonies. Municipal councillors, having such colonies in their respective wards, have been raising a hue and cry demanding that the ban be lifted from registries. The government will allow the building maps of these areas to be passed from Baisakhi onwards. Even the policy will be out in public domain and the people will get a period of one year to get all the unauthorised colonies regularised," said Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla. Singla said that as per rules, investors as well as developers will pay development charges (50 per cent each), while the investor alone will bear the charge of registry. The rules of Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995 and the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations Act, 1995, will be tailored to suit the urban housing needs of the people.

Bathinda, March 29
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has asked private firms in Patiala and Bathinda to compensate for selling an automatic rewinding machine.

The complainant, Amandeep Singh, said he had purchased an automatic rewinding machine from Kissan Electric Works, Patiala, for Rs 15,000 and got it installed by Pal Electric Works near the Bathinda bus stand.

The machine was installed after making complete payment. The seller offered seven years of warranty. The machine soon developed a snag and stopped rewinding fans. The company kept delaying the matter for over eight months and finally refused to do anything.

The representatives of the two companies were summoned by the Forum but failed to turn up and the decision was given in favour of the complainant.

The Forum has directed the Patiala-based firm to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and directed the seller to refund Rs 15,000-- the cost of the machine. It also directed the firm that installed the machine to return the cost of Rs 1,200 to the buyer. — TNS

Bathinda, March 29
At a time when the government is making tall claims about eradicating corruption, the very officials entrusted with doing so are being found involved in corrupt practices.

The PRTC Workers Union (AITUC) and its president, advocate Preetam Singh, have unearthed a case of corruption by an inspector of the Vigilance Bureau (VB). Preetam Singh alleged that the Vigilance Bureau's inspector used pressure tactics to refill the tank of his private vehicle from the accounts of the PRTC.

All the PRTC buses of the Bathinda depot refill oil from the two private petrol pumps after the in-house petrol pump went dry around three months ago. The PRTC has deployed two employees to maintain the records of the purchase of the diesel from the private petrol pumps.

The members of the union have prepared a 30- minute audio and video footage (also in possession of The Tribune) wherein the inspector admits his mistake and begs pardon for filling oil free of cost with the consent of the employees deployed at the petrol pump.

The inspector pleads for mercy and asks for imposing penalty upon him saying he is ready to pay Rs 1,000 for refilling oil worth Rs 400.

While the PRTC employee union claims that the inspector refilled oil in his vehicle many times, the inspector, in the recording, states that he got the oil refilled only once in his scooter with the consent of the employees.

The employees yesterday brought the matter to the notice of their union members and senior officials of the department who further took up the matter with vigilance officials.

The members of the union and the PRTC officials today met the SSP Vigilance (Bathinda Range) Sukhdev Chahal and informed him of the deeds of the inspector.

Chahal, however, denied that the meeting took place and claimed that he was not aware of any such case. "I am not aware of the matter. It might be the outcome of some old enmity between the union members and the vigilance inspector," Chahal said. The employees said though only the PRTC buses are entitled to purchase diesel, the inspector had been putting pressure on them to get the petrol refilled on behalf of the PRTC.

The inspector asked the employees to adjust the sale of petrol with the diesel purchased by the PRTC. Nearly 10,000 litres of diesel is consumed at the two petrol pumps for the buses of the Bathinda depot of PRTC.

Managing Director (MD), PEPSU Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), DPS Kharbanda, when contacted, said he was not aware of the case but would surely enquire into it from the officials deployed at the Bathinda depot. 

Fact file Vigilance Bureau inspector accused of using pressure tactics to refill the tank of his private vehicle from the accounts of the PRTC. Managing Director, PRTC, DPS Kharbanda, said he was not aware of the case but would enquire into it from the officials deployed at the Bathinda depot.

Bathinda, March 29
The Punjab State Power Transmission Limited (PSTCL) has launched the Punjab Islanding Scheme to avoid grid failure and subsequent blackout like the one that happened on July 30 and July 31 last year.

The scheme comes in the wake of orders passed by the Ministry of Power (MoP) directing that all the states must ascertain the preparedness of the power system defence and protection system in accordance with the Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC) using for load shedding and remote monitoring.

Chief engineer, system operations, PSTCL, Patiala, RK Sharma said work on the project has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. "Though we have been given a time-frame of six months to commission the project, it may take some additional months as it is a calibrated project. We are on the job," he said.

Explaining the islanding scheme, a power official said it would ensure that when the power grids fail, some power plants are islanded so that these do not depend on the main systems and hence, do not get switched off. For this, certain power distribution lines would be segregated from the main system.

The system will be based on frequency sensing relays so that in case of imminent grid failure, electrical islands can be formed. These electrical islands will not only provide help in maintaining supply to essential services such hospitals and railway traction, but would also help in the faster restoration of the grid.

Punjab government has zeroed in on three control area islands, including Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power, Ropar, with Gobindgarh load area and Guru Hargobind Thermal plant and Guru Nanak Dev thermal plant with Bathinda load area.

The railway feeding stations at Jamalpur and Sahnewal have also been included to ensure that the railways get uninterrupted power supply in times of grid failure.

Earlier, BBMB, Jamalpur with Ludhiana road was also included but was left out as the Bhakra hydel units have quick backstart facility. Before carving out the scheme, the peak period of summer and paddy season as well as the off peak period of winter load scenario has been considered.

Bathinda, March 29
Swami Vivekananda Study Circle, Bathinda, in association with the Bathinda Association of NGOs (BANGO) is organising a mass public rally on April 3, at Subhash Park at 9.30 am. The rally will be addressed by the president of the Jantantra Morcha, Anna Hazare.

Anna Hazare is visiting Bathinda as part of his Jantantra Yatra. He will begin the yatra at Amritsar on March 31 and will cover Bathinda, Barnala, Patiala and Ambala. Lalit Sachdeva, secretary of Swami Vivekananda Study Circle, said, "Anna Hazare will discuss his 25-point programme with the masses. We are celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and are supporting those who are working towards nation-building. Anna Hazare is one of them.”

A 'Sunday Focus' meeting has been fixed for March 31 to discuss the agenda of the Jantantrik Morcha at the Teachers' Home. — TNS

Bathinda, March 29
Police today barred the members of the Special Trainer Teachers Union from taking out a protest rally in the city. The members of the union had assembled to protest against the education department's decision to terminate their services.

The protesters assembled at the Teachers' Home here this morning and prepared to take out a rally. They were, however, stopped from doing so by the policemen present there. After much badgering, they were allowed to go around Fauji Chowk and burn the copies of their relieving letters.

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, Mandeep Singh, the district president of the union, said, "We have been demanding that our jobs be regularised and all the SSA rules be made applicable to the special trainer teachers as well. We also want that our pay be upgraded and be made at par with that of the teachers employed under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan."

He added that as many as 1,894 teachers were selected in 2011. Half of them were relieved after just three to four months of service. "They were not even paid salaries for the period that they worked. We also demand that they be paid their outstanding salaries." The agitating teachers also met the Bathinda Deputy Commissioner today and presented their memorandum of demands to him.

Bathinda, March 29
Member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the newly-constructed postgraduate lecture hall at the Punjab Technical University Giani Zail Singh campus (PTUGZS) here today.

While addressing the gathering of students and faculty members, she said in a country where the illiteracy rate was still high, children in schools and colleges should consider themselves lucky to have got the opportunity to receive education.

“While you plan chart your career path, also chart out the nation’s success. Be instrumental in the country’s progress. Before you accuse your nation of being backward in several fields, you should ask yourself what you have done or what you can do to make the nation move forward,” she said.

Director of the campus Jasbir Singh Hundal welcomed guests and said with the inauguration of the new lecture hall, the total number of lecture halls had increased from a mere 10 in 2011 to 31 in 2013.

He also pointed out that ever since the college had been upgraded to a university campus, the college had started getting better students.

“Students with higher AIEEE ranks have started taking admission in the college,” he said.

Dr Jasbir added that the number of postgraduate courses had also been increased from seven to 16. He also took the opportunity to request the state government to approve the university status for the campus.

The MP also distributed laptops among BBA students of the Punjab Institute of Technology (PIT) Nandgarh.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla, Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav, ADC Mohammad Tayyab, Mayor Baljit Singh Beer Behman, Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta, Dean of PTU Nachaattar Singh were among those present.

Later, the MP also inaugurated the state-of-the-art park for Bathinda residents at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar. 

Bathinda, March 29
Harsimrat Kaur Badal today set the tone for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for 2014 by asking voters of the country to recognise the flaws in the corrupt Central Government.

Comparing the Central Government’s position with that of a patient who has been pulled off ventilator support, she said: “The Congress will not be able to save its sinking boat as all its trusted allies have left it.

I’m sure that voters of this country are all set to throw the Congress out of power.”

Asking residents of Punjab to vote for the SAD-BJP alliance, she said: “No matter who comes to power at the Centre, I request voters of Punjab to take the pace of development of the state into cognisance and vote for the SAD-BJP alliance and make it win all seats. This will also give the alliance a stronger hold in the Lok Sabha.”

She was in Bathinda to inaugurate a postgraduate lecture hall at the Punjab Technical University Giani Zail Singh Campus,

When asked about a special financial package being given to Bihar while Punjab is debt-ridden, she flayed the Centre for playing vote-bank politics.

“The Congress is trying hard to hold on to the last sprigs. Considering it will get no support from the ruling parties in Punjab, West Bengal and Kerala, it has turned towards Bihar,” she said.

“While the Finance Minister had approved, in principle, that the debts of these three states will either be waived off or will be restructured, the government’s decision to channelling funds towards Bihar shows its real face. Also, the debt that Punjab incurred was during its fight against terrorism. The fight was not only of the state but of the entire nation but the burden of that fight is sill being borne by the state only,” she added.

She also accused the Central Government of giving a cold shoulder to the state, which had been filling the country’s food bowl and was also partially responsible for making it self-reliant when it came to food grains.

While addressing the issue of the increasing crimes against women in the state, she said: “Security of women is a cause of concern not only in Punjab but all over the country.

According to statistics, in India, in every 14 minutes atrocities are committed against women, every 20 minutes a woman is raped, a woman is kidnapped every half-an-hour and one dowry death is reported every hour.

In such a situation, while the police and government can do their respective bits, the mindset of society also needs to change.”

Emphasising that the public didn’t fear the police or judiciary anymore, she said: “The government should ensure that the cases of crimes committed against women are dealt with and punishment pronounced as early as possible.

This will deter many from committing crimes against women.”

Explaining the Punjab Government’s stand on these issues, she said: “The government has zero tolerance for crime against women. Unlike the Delhi Government, which patted the back of its Police Department, for catching culprits in the December gangrape case, the Punjab Government believes in completely rooting out the menace.”

Bathinda, March 29
The ongoing tussle between the parents of students and the administration of the Radcliffe School today took an ugly turn when the parents locked some of the rooms of the school. They also raised slogans against the school authorities. The teachers and other staff members fled the school premises amidst the drama.

The parents had long been protesting against a hike in the school fee. They also threatened to stage a dharna outside the school on Monday if the school authorities didn’t announce a roll back in the fee. A few parents told Bathinda Tribune that the school had fleeced the parents by charging a hefty amount as admission fee last year. They also alleged that they were promised by the school that the fee will be hiked by five per cent every year while the fee was doubled this year.

The parents added that at the time of admission, the authorities had promised that the students will be given tuitions by the school but the promise was never fulfilled. The parents were also infuriated by the fact that they kept waiting for the school authorities to come and iron out the differences but no one came to address their demands.

The public relations officer of the school presented a different side of the story. He said many students were yet to clear last year’s dues. And when the school authorities asked them to clear the dues before the beginning of the new session, they created a scene outside the school. Despite repeated attempts, principal SK Jana remained unavailable for comment.

Bathinda, March 29
The Bathinda District Cricket Association will hold trials on March 31 in the grounds of Government Rajindra College, Bathinda, to select probables of under-16 team to attend a training camp for finalising the district team.

The selected members of the district team will participate in the Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament, which will be organised by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).

In a press statement issued here today, honorary secretary, District Cricket Association, and Convener of Punjab OD Sharma, said every year the PCA had been organising inter-district cricket tournaments of various age groups. The tournament for Under-16 category is expected to start from April 12.

Cricket players from across Bathinda district can participate in the trials. Those who are born on September 1, 1997, or later are eligible to participate in the trials.

The selection committee comprising PCA selector Arun Wadhawan, district coaches Satya Bhusha and Ravi Kohlishall will conduct the trial.

The selected players shall undergo training at the Police Public School Ground from April 2 to April 9.

Finally, a district team of 15 players shall be selected for participation in the Punjab State Inter-District Cricket Tournament for Under-16 category. 

Bathinda, March 29
The police has arrested a resident of SAS Nagar with habit-forming drugs. The accused has been identified as Vipin Kumar. He was arrested from near Naruana road. As many as 150 vials, 580 tablets and other drugs were recovered from his possession without any doctor’s prescription or licence.

A case under different sections of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at the Canal Colony police station. Further probe is on.