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BCL Distillery caught disposing ‘untreated’ waste irresponsibly
Anna draws not-so-young crowd in city
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Miniature wooden artefacts steal the show at Kisan Mela
Farmers enlightened on kharif crops
Teachers to meet Education Secretary to list demands
Area residents demand stoppage of three trains at Rampura
University starts computer literacy workshop for senior citizens
Placement drive held
PTU students visit old age home
Entrepreneurship awareness camp held
Don’t take eatables from strangers: DC
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BCL Distillery caught disposing ‘untreated’ waste irresponsibly
Bathinda, April 3 A team of the regional office of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) caught the two tankers of the distillery, , a unit of the Bathinda Chemicals Limited (BCL) Group, disposing of the untreated waste irresponsibly. PPCB sub-divisional officers Gurmeet Singh and Ravipal have lodged a written report with the Kotfatta police station stating that the two tankers were impounded while disposing of the polluted waste in the abandoned rice mill. The team has recommended action against the distillery under Sections 269 and 270 of the IPC for the act that is likely to spread life-threatening infection. Two samples have also been taken from the respective tankers. However, the Kotfatta police is yet to register a case in this connection. Station House Officer Bhupinder singh said a legal advice was being sought and the matter has been brought to the notice of the Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). "A further action in the complaint will be taken only after receiving the legal advice. The two tankers have been impounded and are stationed at the Kotfatta police station," he said. The impounded tankers have BCL marked on them. It is learnt that the chairman of the PPCB, Ravinder Singh, visited the site today where the waste was being thrown. The distillery has been issued a show-cause notice and the PPCB would take a further action in this regard after getting a reply to its notice. PPCB chairman Ravinder Singh was not available for his version while the member secretary Babu Ram was not aware of the issue. Meanwhile, the managing director of the BCL Group, Rajinder Mittal, said the material was not waste but wet cakes that were being sold to a party. "Those were cotton seed wet cakes, which are used as cattle feed and are openly sold in the market. However, the party buying it from us had not dried it properly, which was against the norms laid by the PPCB. It is the other party that is erring and not the BCL. We have not been served any show-cause notice," he claimed. It is pertinent to mention here that the distillery has been often accused of violating the PPCB norms and spreading pollution in different parts of the district. For a long time, the PPCB has been trying to catch hold of the erring distillery employees who had allegedly been disposing of the untreated waste in an irresponsible manner. A few weeks ago, the residents of Sangat village and nearby areas had allegedly caught the employees of the BCL while decanting waste in the Lasara drain. The practice was stopped only after villagers raised a hue and cry. The waste was later thrown along the Bathinda-Dabwali road, which again drew the ire of the villagers. It is pertinent to mention here that on February 5, PPCB officials had confiscated two tankers of another industrial unit of the BCL Group, which was discharging waste through a secret drain. The regional office of the PPCB had reported the matter to the headquarters. Later, the industry employees started emptying tankers of waste near Jodhpur village. On March 23, the PPCB team collected the samples of waste from the place and sent it to a laboratory for testing. It is learnt that the industry had applied for renewal of consent to operate, which the PPCB's regional office has not recommended. Fact file
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Anna draws not-so-young crowd in city
Bathinda, April 3 Shockingly, when Anna's 'Jantantra Yatra' reached Bathinda on Wednesday, very few youngsters were seen among the crowd. A countable few youngsters, who were present at the rally, knew nothing or little about the activist's ideologies. "My exams are over and I came here with my friends to listen to the activist . I don't know what he is demanding as part of the Lokpal Bill," said a first year student of Government Rajindra College here. Women were also conspicuous by their absence and a few, who were present, seemed more interested in things other than listening to the activist. Halke, a 48-year-old rickshaw puller, was in awe of, not the activist, but Makhan Singh of Swami Vivekananda Study Circle, who was managing the stage. "I had come to drop someone at the Fire Brigade Chowk and saw a huge crowd here. I came to see what was happening. I don't know much about Anna Hazare and his demands, but I like the way that man in turban is speaking," he said, pointing at Makhan Singh who liberally garnished his sentences with Urdu couplets. The crowd largely consisted of men, most of whom were elderly. While few whispered about others taking the centre stage rather than letting Anna talk, some complained that corrupt people were occupying the area marked for VIPs. An elderly person even asked this reporter if General VK Singh (retd) was the same person who was embroiled in the age row. As Anna Hazare took the microphone in his hand, people jostled to capture him on their mobile phones. When he asked the crowd if it knew who Kapil Sibal was, the crowd replied by saying "Chor hai, chor hai". The activist impressed everyone with the way he spoke maintaining a conversational tone instead of adopting a high-pitched dramatic one. After addressing the crowd, when Anna and his close aides starting getting off the stage, people rubbed shoulders against each other to get themselves clicked with the icon. In the process, he was left with a torn kurta. |
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Miniature wooden artefacts steal the show at Kisan Mela
Bathinda, April 3 Harbans Singh (53) had put on display a number of miniature agricultural implements that were used in Punjab around 40 years ago and have gone into oblivion owing to heavy mechanisation that the agricultural practices have undergone. From the wheel used to draw water from wells to wooden ploughs, Harbans Singh's exhibit spread on six long tables at the PAU's district-level Kisan Mela today speaks about the journey of a farmer and his agricultural implements. "Two years ago, I suffered a stroke and doctors advised me complete bed rest. I am not allowed to tire my heart and hence, supposed to sit idle the whole day long. While my family members enjoyed siesta, I used to think about the way to utilise the long unproductive hours," he said. Harbans then started making these miniatures and eventually ended up with a large collection. He does not sell them for commercial purpose as he thinks he may not live long to fulfill the commercial responsibilities. "When I started making these miniatures I never knew the results would be so good. I am happy that I will leave behind a legacy that my children and grandchildren would take pride in," he added. The Sandhiya, a self-help group of women from Hoshiarpur, had also put up a stall selling home-made pickles, chutneys, jams, squashes, sauces etc. Vinod Kumari of the Sandhiya said the group helped many women grow financially. It was started in 2002 and has 14 members at present, who were stake holders in the earnings and expenses of the group that puts up stalls at farmers's fairs held across the state.
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Farmers enlightened on kharif crops
Bathinda, April 3 The chief guest on the occasion was Education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka while Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav inaugurated the event. Sikandar Singh Maluka distributed subsidised rotavators and zero tillers to 15 farmers under the National Food Security Mission. The Director, Agriculture Department Punjab, Dr Mangal Singh Sandhu, who presided over the function, appealed to the farmers to adopt agriculture-allied businesses like bee keeping and pisciculture to increase their income. Chief Agricultural Officer Dr Rajinder Brar gave information about the different schemes of the Agriculture Department. Senior extension specialist, PAU, Dr Jatinder Singh Brar told farmers that they should add fertilizers to the rice crop as per the leaf color management strips provided to them. The senior extension specialist laid stress on direct sowing of rice (DSR). He said under the DSR, rice should be sown by June 15. Meanwhile, farmers from various districts had put up stalls at the Kisan Mela. They exhibited their produce and shared their experiences with the visitors. — TNS
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Teachers to meet Education Secretary to list demands
Bathinda, April 3 During the meeting, the long-pending demands of the SSA, RMSA and CSS teachers were discussed at length. The teachers said the government had failed to honour the promises it had made before the elections. They said the government had failed to bring the CSS teachers under the aegis of the state Education Department. They said that the SSA and RMSA teachers’ demand for regularisation of their posts was also unfulfilled. The teachers expressed their disapproval of the state government’s decision to merge some primary schools and the withdrawal of the free education scheme for the girl students of classes IX-XII. They said that both the decisions would prove detrimental to improving the education sector in the state. It was decided that they would aggressively take up their issues with the state authorities by holding protests. A deputation of the teachers will meet the education secretary and discuss with him their demands on April 5-6. They said they would would support the protest rally to be organised in Bathinda on April 8. DEMANDS
The demands include bringing Central Sponsored Scheme teachers under the aegis of the State Education Department and regularisation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan teachers |
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Area residents demand stoppage of three trains at Rampura
Bathinda, April 3 In a letter written to the Railway Minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal, the president of the Passengers’ Welfare Association, Jasvir Singh, stated that two trains, the Delhi-Ganganagar Express and the Nanded-Ganganagar Express do not halt at Rampura Phul, which was urgently needed. He added that Rampura Phul was not only a sub-divisional headquarter but also a flourishing economic hub comprising more than 130 rice shellers, 30 cold storages and a chain of cotton ginning factories besides several other commercial establishments. It also has the second largest tea market in the North India. He added that residents of the town and areas around undertake pilgrimages to religious places located at Nanded Sahib, Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, Mata Chintpurni, Amritsar and commercial centres like Ludhiana and the national capital. Since there is no stoppage of the two trains, people are forced to board them from Bathinda. He added that the employees of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP), which is located on the border of the municipal limits of the sub-divisional town, will also be benefited if the trains are halted at Rampura Phul. Further, Jasvir Singh demanded that the Bathinda-Jammu Tawi Express, which has been proposed in the last Railway Budget, should also be stopped at Rampura Phul railway station.
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University starts computer literacy workshop for senior citizens
Bathinda, April 3 The programme began with introductory remarks by Gurinder Sethi, senior manager, computer centre, detailing the importance of the programme and facilities being provided at the university. The members of the first batch introduced themselves and discussed why they wanted to be computer literate. Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof Jai Rup Singh formally inaugurated the workshop and addressed the participants. As many 75 applications were received from senior citizens wanting to be enrolled for the course. Out of them, 15 persons were selected on the first-come-first-serve basis to form the first batch of the programme. The programme consists of six modules to be administered in six days from Tuesdays to Thursdays in two weeks. Classes will be held from 3 to 5 pm. While the first hour will be used for lecture, instruction and module teaching, the second will be used for the practicals. The participants will be provided notes of learning modules in three languages - English, Hindi and Punjabi. Classes are being conducted by faculty members of the Centre for Computer Science and Technology. For the convenience of these senior citizens, a bus service has been provided to them at a nominal rate. Earlier, on the concluding day of the fourth foundation day celebrations, the chancellor of the university, Dr SS Johl, had said access to internet opened up various avenues for communication such as instant messaging programmes, social media websites and emails, making it easier and cheaper for senior citizens to keep in touch with friends and family.
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Placement drive held
Bathinda, April 3 As many as 50 students participated in the recruitment process. Representatives of a realty firm divided the recruitment drive into three rounds - written test, group discussion and interview. As many as 11 students were selected at the end of the drive. The package offered to students was Rs 1.68 lakh per annum.
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PTU students visit old age home
Bathinda, April 3 Students interacted with members of the old age home to gauge their problems and to create a cheerful atmosphere for them. The old people, on the other hand, shared their stories and experiences with the students. Faculty members of the college said conversing with these people would help students understand why it is important to give companionship and respect to old people in their family. The students also presented a few thought-provoking cultural items based on human values and ethics. The audience appreciated their efforts and thanked them for spreading awareness about moral values among the masses. The managers of the old age home, Girdhari Lal and Hira Lal Bansal, shared their views on family relationships and stressed on mutual understanding. They said while children are expected to respect their elders, elders, too, should understand the problems of their children and grandchildren and co-operate with them. They said the increasing number of old age homes in India was an indicator that many Indians had forgotten their culture. Dr A Gupta, a faculty member of the PTUGZS campus, apprised the audience of the institute's initiative to inculcate value education and professional ethics in students through seminars, workshops, camps and cultural items. Director of the PTUGZS campus, Dr Jasbir Singh Hundal, appreciated the efforts put in by students for conducting such tasks. He said more scuh activities should be organised — TNS
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Entrepreneurship awareness camp held
Bathinda, April 3 On the first day, Dr Balbir Singh, vice-president, NITCON, was the key speaker. He said the job market was shrinking day by day and entrepreneurship was the need of the hour. He listed long-term benefits of self-employment. He said determination and strategic planning in the initial three-four years of setting up a venture go a long way in achieving success. VK Arora, AGM, NITCON, Bathinda, spoke to students about various self-employment courses being run by the organisation.
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Don’t take eatables from strangers: DC
Bathinda, April 3 In a press statement issued here, he stated that the wrong elements offer 'prashad' laced with some sedative or poison thereby finding a chance to loot vulnerable pilgrims. — TNS
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The BCL Distillery in Macchhana village has been charged with creating pollution by decanting untreated waste at an abandoned rice mill near Kotshamir village.
Scores of youngsters in Delhi may have rallied for social activist Anna Hazare, but the iconic figure failed to break the ice with the youth of
Bathinda.
One would not believe that the maker of miniatures of ages-old agricultural implements is a heart patient, who has been advised against travelling or doing anything that leads to exertion, travelled all the way from Samalsar village in Baghapurana of Moga district to Bathinda to showcase his creation at the Kisan
Mela.
Bathinda, April 3
