B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

State govt’s move to regularise colonies a hit in Fazilka area
Fazilka, October 9
Punjab government has adopted a dual strategy of persuading and warning the illegal colonisers for regularising their colonies but the response has been lukewarm in the state. Contrary to this, in Fazilka town and its surrounding areas, response to the drive for regularising the illegal colonies has been overwhelming. A majority of “identified” colonisers have applied for regularisation of their colonies.

Sweepers dump garbage in front of SDM, MC office
Kotkapura (Faridkot), October 9
The safai karamcharis (sweepers) in Kotkapura town of Faridkot resorted to a novel way of protest when they decided to dump the garbage collected by them in front of the offices. The safai karamcharis took recourse to this extreme step after their verbal pleas to the municipal authorities to release their three month pending salaries failed to yield result.

Cops use force to uproot slum dwellers
Abohar, October 9
At least 12 women and children were injured and shifted to the Civil Hospital here using an emergency ambulance as more than a hundred policemen reportedly used force to uproot dwellings in “Kalia Basti’’ near Dharam Nagari in the evening today.

B.Tech student found hanging
Muktsar, October 9
A third-year student of B.Tech, Navneet Bachhan, a native of Bihar, today allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room at the GTB Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chhapianwali, near Malout. The police said the body was found hanging from the fan by some hostellers.

State govt’s move to regularise colonies a hit in Fazilka area
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, October 9
Punjab government has adopted a dual strategy of persuading and warning the illegal colonisers for regularising their colonies but the response has been lukewarm in the state. Contrary to this, in Fazilka town and its surrounding areas, response to the drive for regularising the illegal colonies has been overwhelming. A majority of “identified” colonisers have applied for regularisation of their colonies.

According to sources in the Municipal Council, Fazilka, 22 illegal colonies had been identified by PUDA and the Revenue Department within the municipal council limits and its outskirts two years back. However to the surprise of the government, 27 colonisers of Fazilka area have applied for regularisation till October 7, the first deadline declared by the state government. These include colonisers whose colonies had not been identified by the government.

The government has earned a revenue of Rs 71.25 lakhs in the first phase of its illegal colonies regularisation scheme.

The overall response for regularisation of colonies in Fazilka district is also encouraging. According to Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, Dr Basant Garg, out of a total of 124 identified illegal colonies, 83 colonisers have applied for regularisation. A total revenue of Rs 3.23 crore has been collected so far. Besides, 1699 plot and constructed house owners have also applied for regularisation of their areas.

The DC claimed that the officials intensively motivated the colonisers in the district to get their illegal colonies regularised which yielded a positive result.

He appealed to the remaining colonisers and owners of plots and houses to get their areas regularised by the extended date of October 25. The DC has, however, warned the defaulters of legal action in case they do not get their areas regularised.

A Municipal Council official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said more illegal colonies can be identified if the government conducts a proper search and survey.

Sweepers dump garbage in front of SDM, MC office
Balwant Garg

Kotkapura (Faridkot), October 9
The safai karamcharis (sweepers) in Kotkapura town of Faridkot resorted to a novel way of protest when they decided to dump the garbage collected by them in front of the offices. The safai karamcharis took recourse to this extreme step after their verbal pleas to the municipal authorities to release their three month pending salaries failed to yield result.

To build pressure on the authorities, the safai karamcharis in Kotkapura chose the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the Municipal Committee (MC) to dump the garbage and carcasses of dead animals.

Because of its precarious financial condition, the Kotkapura MC is unable to pay salaries to its staff for the last three months and the safai karamcharis are sitting on a dharna, demanding their salaries.

"After our peaceful methods did not yield any result, we dumped the garbage in front of the office of senior authorities," said Prem Kala, a leader of the protesters. Today, the MC released the one-month salary of the protestors but the latter said that all their arrears be cleared failing which they would unload the garbage in the main chowks of the town.

For the last many days, there has been no cleanliness drive in the town. While the sweepers are on strike demanding their salaries, there has been no liftting of garbage after a private company, doing the job, stopped work after it was not paid the monthly contract money.

Perpetually short of funds, the Kotkapura MC is not able to pay the monthly contract money to the private company to lift the garbage. The company many a time gave reminders to the MC but no payment was made. So, it stopped the collection of garbage on October 1.

It is not only the salaries of serving employees, the MC is even unable to pay the post-retirement benefits to its employees and eight of them approached the High Court to get it.

In December 2012, the High Court had issued orders to stop the salary of the MC’s senior officials and attach all its properties including bank accounts and vehicles after the MC used its employee’s provident funds to meet its daily expenses.

Some time back, the Kotkapura MC had raised Rs 6 crore loan from Amritsar Improvement Trust to pay the arrears of its retired staff. Now, the MC is facing a tough time in making a payment of Rs 33 lakh monthly installment of this loan.

"After the closure of the bulk oil depots in Kotkapura, we have lost our main source of income as the oil octroi was the main source of our income," said Paramjit Kaur Dhillon, president, Kotkapura MC. 

Cops use force to uproot slum dwellers

Abohar, October 9
At least 12 women and children were injured and shifted to the Civil Hospital here using an emergency ambulance as more than a hundred policemen reportedly used force to uproot dwellings in “Kalia Basti’’ near Dharam Nagari in the evening today.

More than 400 persons had built huts and houses in the colony during the past 15 years. They were issued voter cards and ration cards also. Most of them have been eking out a livelihood by picking rags from dawn to dusk, polishing and repairing shoes or working as labour.

Some of them said that a police officer visited the colony at about 10 am today and told the families to voluntarily demolish the dwellings. As most of the male members had gone on pilgrimage to Salasar Dham, the womenfolk sought time. In the evening, about 100 policemen cordoned off the locality and used lathis on slum dwellers.

The police officials said all the dwellings on the outskirts of the town are to be vacated as anti-social elements were had made it their hide-out. — OC

B.Tech student found hanging
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 9
A third-year student of B.Tech, Navneet Bachhan, a native of Bihar, today allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room at the GTB Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chhapianwali, near Malout. The police said the body was found hanging from the fan by some hostellers.

It added that during the preliminary investigations, it seemed that the youth took the extreme step due to financial problems.

Gursewak Singh, SHO, Kabarwala police station, said, "The last phone call was made by the deceased to his father. The cell phone and the battery were found separated. No suicide note has been recovered and we have started inquest proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC."

"The room was locked from inside and when a friend of Navneet went to his room, he did not respond, which raised suspicion in his mind. Later, more hostellers gathered and broke open the door and found him hanging from the fan," the SHO said.