Bathinda, November 28
Much-hyped World Cup Kabaddi has put the functioning of almost every government office at the backburner as services of almost all the government servants are being utilised for performing various duties for preparations ahead of the Kabaddi cup.

The officials have been deployed to check rangoli making, welcoming special guests, oversee the painting work, cleanliness, seating arrangement, transportation, food arrangement, listening to grievances of players and special guests, vehicle parking, handling media and to check arrangements made for the star entertainer Priyanka Chopra.

All the offices in the District Administrative Complex (DAC) bore a deserted look. Many residents said not only money is being siphoned off but the public is also suffering as they fail to get their works done that have been lying pending in the government offices.

“I failed to find even a peon who could tell me something about the missing staff and other government servants,” said Bhola Singh from nearby Kotfatta village. Bhola had come to enquire about a pending payment of a contractor of his village from office of the Deputy Commissioner.

The Deputy Commissioner, KK Yadav, and SSP, Gurpreet Bhullar, are busy with the Sangat Darshan programme held by the Bathinda MP and daughter-in-law of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Bibi Harsimrat.

A battery of officials, including tehsildars, SDMs, SHOs, DSPs and SPs trails behind the MP where she wishes to hold the Sangat Darshan in various villages and urban areas.

“I could not meet the government officials due to the Sangat Darshan programme of senior Badal and then the much-hyped kabaddi cup of the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Badal, and now the Sangat Darshan of Harsimrat Badal. The entire Badal family has overpowered the government machinery and there is hardly any functioning at government offices,” said Manwinder Singh, a resident of Dabwali road, who was seen making rounds of the offices to enquire about renewal of his arms licence.

Meanwhile, senior sports officials, including Secretary and Directors of the Sports Department paid visit at the Multipurpose Stadium to take a stock of the ongoing preparations work ahead of the opening ceremony of the World Cup Kabaddi.

Deputy Commissioner, KK Yadav, due to his presence at Bibi’s Sangat Darshan, was forced to attend an official meeting late last night at the sports stadium and will address the media tomorrow.

Apart from releasing the route map, the DC would also reveal the highlights of the opening ceremonies.

Bathinda, November 28
Doctors of Fortis Hospital, Mohali, today claimed to have treated an 86-year-old Mukhtiar Singh, a resident of Faridkot for kidney cancer through keyhole surgery.

Interacting with the mediapersons here today, chief kidney transplant surgeon and consultant-urology at the Fortis hospital, Dr Priyadarshi Ranjan, was accompanied by Mukhtiar Singh.

Dr Ranjan said earlier Mukhtiar had approached the hospital with pain in his stomach and that he was passing red-colored urine when he was diagnosed with an advanced kidney cancer.

“Apart from his advanced age, Mukhtiar had a very weak heart, which had made the treatment subsequently more challenging. Singh is possibly one of the eldest survivors of the kidney cancer in the country. We removed the entire kidney cancer, ureters and half of the urinary bladder from him by keyhole surgery. The operation was conducted on October 10 and today the patient is as healthy as any other octogenarian,” said Dr Ranjan.

Mukhtiar Singh had an extensive tumor involving his right kidney extending to ureters and urinary bladder, which required an extensive surgery for its removal. Due to the advanced age, the patient has a frailed heart, which had added to the complications in the patient. Dr Kalra’s team treated and optimised Mukhtiar’s heart disease and kept him in the cardiac ICU to have an uneventful recovery.

Dr Ranjan said the keyhole surgery hastens patient’s recovery as the incision is very small and patient has minimal discomfort after the surgery. Since the incision is small it was successful even in the elderly patients.

Dwelling on the details on incision made on patient’s body, Dr Ranjan said in a conventional surgery, the patient had to be given incisions of 30-40 cms dimension each. However, in the keyhole surgery mere three holes of 1 to 2 cm each are incised.

Bathinda, November 28
The opening ceremony of the 59th National School Games seems to have been marred by the allegation levelled by netball players from Bathinda. The netball players, who had failed to make it to the Punjab netball team, participating in the tournament, alleged that the selection of the state U-19 netball team was unfair.

One of dejected players, Kulwinder Singh, said, “I have played five times at the state level and twice at the national level. I attended the camps this time as well. On Wednesday evening, I was told that I had not been selected in the team. Only one player from Bathinda, Pardeepak Singh, son of a physical education teacher, Nazar Singh Sidhu, has been selected to the Punjab team.”

He also alleged that Pardeepak did not attend the camp. “He was not at the camp even for a day. He came to the camp only once with his father and spoke to the coach and now, he has been selected in the team,” he said.

Pointing out at the discrepancy in the selection procedure, he said, “In the U-19 netball competitions of the 59th State School Games, Barnala had secured first position, Bathinda second and Tar Taran clinched third position. While five players from Barnala and four players from Tarn Taran have been chosen in the national team, only one player from Bathinda has made it.”

Hemjit Singh, father of Supreet Kaur, a student of St Joseph School, Bathinda, also alleged that his daughter, who was part of the state team that had won the third position in the National School Games last year, was not chosen this time. “She attended the camp in Barnala from November 7 to 22 and on Wednesday evening, we received a phone call telling us that she had not been selected. She has been the star goalkeeper of the Bathinda team. Two other players, Pavneet Kaur and Neerupreet Kaur have been selected while they did not even attend the camp. Another player, Imran, attended the camp for only 10 days and she has also been selected,” Singh said.

Singh also pointed out that six netball players in the Punjab team are students of St Xavier’s School, Bathinda. “I refused to see this selection as a mere coincidence. I want the Deputy Commissioner of Bathinda to look into the matter and set up an inquiry,” he said.

Bathinda, November 28
The selection of the men’s national kabaddi team was today delayed as the results of the doping tests conducted on the shortlisted players by NADA in New Delhi did not reach the selection committee here. The 4th World Cup Kabaddi will begin on November 30.

Chairman of the Punjab Kabaddi Association, Sikander Singh Maluka, was also present as part of the selection panel at the Thermal Stadium here today. “Although the team had to be announced today, we have not been able to do so since the results of the dope test have not reached us. We have shortlisted the players and prepared a merit list on the basis of their trials and performance during the training camp. As soon as we have the dope test results, we will announce the team,” he said.

He also said the dope test of the players had been conducted to play it safe. “Internationally, dope tests are conducted on the day of the tournament. We wanted to play safe and hence decided to send the players for tests so that in case anyone is found guilty of consuming any banned substance, the player is ousted from the camp and does not get a berth in the team,” Maluka said.

On a lighter note, he challenged the Congress party workers to play a game of kabaddi with SAD leaders. “If we play with kabaddi players, we will end up with several broken bones. But if we play with the Congress leaders, we can assure you that we will not let them win even a single match,” said Maluka, who is himself a former kabaddi player.

He also said the Punjab government had done a good job of taking the sport to international level. “From organising this tournament, we would like to move forward to taking the sport to the whole of Asia and then to bigger tournaments like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics,” he said.

Bathinda, November 28
In order to ensure smooth flow of traffic at the inaugural ceremony of fourth World Kabaddi Cup on November 30, the district administration and police have diverted traffic routes.

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, SSP, said there would be separate routes for the VVIPs and the commoners. VVIPs from Gidderbaha and Goniana side will enter the city from the side of Rose Garden Chowk further moving towards Barnala bypass, to Guru Gobind Singh Nagar street number 10 to right side towards Bhatti Road, Valmiki Chowk, Chhabra palace and reach the multipurpose stadium.

Similarly, VVIPs coming from Barnala side will enter from Bibiwala Chowk towards Guru Gobind Singh Nagar street number 10, Valmiki Chowk and reach the stadium.

Bhullar said the VVIP traffic entering from Mansa-Dabwali side would enter police lines area ahead towards 100 feet road, Ghode Wala Chowk, Clock Tower Chowk, from Narang Road and lead to Barnala bypass to Guru Gobind Singh Nagar street number 10 would turn left towards Bhatti Road to Valmiki Chowk, towards Chhabra Palace and reach the stadium.

Giving information about the parking arrangements, Bhullar said near the gate number 1 of the stadium VVIP convoys would be parked. Vehicles of all the ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries and flag bearing police and civil vehicles will be parked near Guru Harkrishan Public School. At the truck union site the vehicles bearing VVIP parking stickers and that of administration will be parked.

The VIP traffic entering from Gidderbaha and Goniana side will enter from Rose Garden Chowk, move towards Tinkoni and ahead towards Mann Petrol Pump. The vehicles will be parked at the Nihang Market and Mahavir Dal cloth market. From gate number 6 towards Krishna Continental Hotel, the VIPs will enter into the stadium.

Similarly, VIP traffic coming from Barnala side will enter from Bibiwala Chowk towards Clock Tower Chowk, to Fauji Chowk and will park vehicles at MSD School and enter stadium from the gate number 6.

Also VIP traffic coming from Mansa-Dabwali and Badal village side will enter from the police lines move towards Government Rajindra College, towards new bus stand, Fauji Chowk and be parked on road near Mahavir Dal Hospital and cloth market.

Bhullar further said common people entering from Gidderbaha and Goniana sides will enter from Rose Garden Chowk, move towards Bathinda Improvement Trust (BIT) office and park their vehicles at the SCF near improvement trust market. From there they would walk towards the stadium and enter from gate number 8 near Hanuman Chowk.

People coming from Barnala side will enter from Bibiwala Chowk, move towards Clock Tower Chowk and park their vehicles at the DAV College ground. They will walk to the gate number 7 near Krishna Continental Hotel and enter the stadium. Besides DAV College, people can also park their vehicles at Bharat Nagar market and Jujhar Singh Nagar.

Commoners coming from Mansa-Talwandi Sabo, Dabwali and Badal village will come upto police lines, Government Rajindra College, St Joseph School, Bhagu Road, Ghode Wala Chowk, Jujhar Nagar Wali Gali and Model Town phase III. They will have to walk towards the stadium entering from gates number 7 and 8.

They can also park their vehicles in Model Town phase III and road opposite the Easy Day store near Clock Tower. Similarly, space for parking cars and jeeps will be available on Dr Maheshwari Road.

VIP pass holders of the city (coming from Goniana side) will come towards Hanuman Chowk and further towards the Krishna Continental Hotel. They will enter stadium from gate number 6.

Public entering the city from Barnala side will enter from Kabir Road to Bibiwala Road to Valmiki Chowk and enter stadium from gate number 4. Similarly, people coming from Krishna Continental side will enter stadium from gate numbers 7 and 8.