Bathinda, January 10
With an aim to motivate the youngsters in the age group of 18 to 19 years to enroll as voters, the State Election Commission will be appointing around 33 students as the campus ambassadors for schools and colleges.

Election Tehsildar, Bathinda, Bharat Bhushan Bansal, said the District Election Office had identified and sent a list of 47 students to be appointed as the campus ambassadors. “A total of 500 students in the state are to be appointed as the campus ambassadors. Of the list of 47 sent, around 33 names have been passed,” he said.

The appointed ambassadors will be responsible for motivating the eligible students to enroll as voters and would keep on sharing the importance of voting. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will pay Rs 2,000 honorarium to each of the ambassador.

While the ECI has been making efforts to catch the young voters and motivate them for enrolling, the drive has not yielded desired results. The ECI has identified 24,500 people in the age group of 18 to 19 years, who are supposed to be the first time voters.

District Election Office was directed to ensure that these 24,500 youngsters are enrolled and their voters I-cards are issued. To ensure this, the election office held two large-scale motivational rallies in the Bathinda city, besides holding a number of seminars in the schools and colleges motivating students to get enrolled. Even the principals and in-charges of the senior secondary government schools are repeatedly asked to ensure that all students born before the year 1995 are enrolled as new voters.

While these voters on the educational institutes were targeted through the principals or school in-charges, those who do not study in any educational institute, are to be covered by the booth-level officers (BLOs).

Despite holding this exercise, around 14,000 voters in 18 to 19 years age, the group have got registered so far. There is still a yawning gap of 10,500 voters. A special drive was run in September and October last year to enroll these young voters. Surprisingly enough, the Bathinda urban segment of Vidhan Sabha registered the least enrolment of young voters in 18 to 19 years age group at 1,125. Bhucho segment registered maximum enrolment during these two months at 2,061.

Bathinda, January 10
Chetak Corps Air Defence Brigade celebrated the 21st Raising Day of Corps of Army Air Defence today at Bhatinda. Corps of Army Air Defence was formed on January 10, 1994 and over the years it has evolved operationally and has won laurels both in war and peace. Army Air Defence is a futuristic arm with modernisation of its arsenal under way. To commemorate the event, a special ‘Sainik Sammelan’ and interaction with troops was conducted by the Commander Chetak Corps Air Defence Brigade.

Special functions for all ranks and their families were organised. A painting competition for children was also organised on the occasion.

Bathinda, January 10
Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani today inaugurated the newly constructed building of GNM Nursing School within the premises of the Civil Hospital. Constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore, the new building currently has around 97 students getting education in GNM nursing and midwifery courses.

Speaking to mediapersons, after visiting the new building of the nursing school, Jyani said the government has introduced cashless treatment facility for the benefit of cancer patients who will not have to spend any penny for their treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh. All the empanelled hospitals are extending this facility at respective centres in state.

He also conducted a round of the women and children hospital, routine checking and talked to the patients.

He added that a batch of 330 MBBS doctors and 325 specialist doctors are being recruited in the state. These doctors would be deputed at the 100 government hospitals of the state that have been identified for strengthening. He added that the vacancies of paramedical staff will also be filled soon. He directed the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, officials to ensure that only those medicines should mainly prescribed which are available within the hospital.

He later also went around the women and children hospital where he talked to the patients enquiring about their well-being, facilities available in hospital and the availability of medicines.

Later, members of the Bathinda Association of NGOs (BANGO) too met him regarding their demand of rolling back hike in the rates of blood units available at the government blood banks across Punjab. They were asserted of an action soon in this regard.

Bathinda, January 10
Residents of six colonies are up in arms against the management of SSD Girls College that has encroached upon a major portion of Dr Mela Ram Road from where the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) had removed encroachments on January 3.

A meeting of residents of Vishal Nagar, Panchvati Nagar, New Shakti Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Tagore Nagar and Green Avenue was convened today. Former area municipal councillor, Dr Raj Kumar Garga, said that Dr Mela Ram road leads to all these colonies.

On January 3, while the encroachment by Dr Mela Ram Hospital was knocked down, the MCB team did not take action against the encroachment of SSD Girls College, which is proving to be a bottleneck in the free flow of traffic, said Dr Garga. Encroachments in the 15-feet area were removed to widen the road. “The Commissioner had asserted us of fair action. He had said that the encroachment would be removed and there would not be any biased attitude within a week,” said the president of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) MM Behl. Despite a week has passed, the corporation has failed to get the structure removed.

Area residents threatened the MCB of sitting on dharna outside its office if the aforesaid encroachment was not removed within a week. Panchvati Nagar president Janak Raj, New Shakti Nagar president Satish Arora, Tagore Nagar president SP Mahajanm Vishal Nagar president Sonu Oberoi and former municipal councillor Rachna Oberoi said that the MCB should shun the partisan policy and strictly ask SSD Sabha to vacate the land.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner Vipul Ujwal said, “On January 3, the SSD Sabha management claimed that it had not got the notice that the MCB had issued for removing the encroachment. We are issuing them a fresh notice. SSD Sabha members met us and have amicably agreed to vacate the land in principle. We expect an action within a week,” he said. — TNS

Bathinda, January 10
Urging the public to support the cause of woman empowerment, the cause of girl child and to participate in the creation of a safe and secure society for the woman of the country, Member of Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, today exhorted everyone to celebrate ‘Lohri Teeyaan Di’ to celebrate the birth of a girl child in their families and set an example.

She added that since girls were showing their mettle in all professional fields, it was high time that the society started celebrating their birth as well.

She said this while addressing a gathering at her Sangat Darshan programme in the Bathinda district here today. She also inaugurated the Urban Health Centre in the city.

Bathinda, January 10
Prof Gurbhajan Singh Gill, Director (planning and development) Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, who was a member of the Indian delegation led by Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, Director, World Punjabi Centre, Punjabi University, that participated in the World Punjabi Congress held in Lahore (Pakistan) from December 20 to 23 December stated on his return that joint efforts of the World Peace Congress and World Punjabi Centre Peace Congress and World Punjabi Centre will certainly go a long way in strengthening world peace movement.

Prof Gill moved a resolution in the World Punjabi Congress that the Government of India should provide liberty and security to the people of Pakistan intending to visit India and the Government of Pakistan should extend similar facility to the visitors from India who wish to visit sacred places associated with Guru Nanak Dev at Kartarpur.

He stated that this will strengthen our common heritage and mutual brotherhood. Through another resolution, Prof Gill stressed upon the matter of building peace monuments in the world. It will facilitate change of mindset of the people towards world peace, he said.

Pakistani literatures and intellectuals demanded that a monument should also be build in memory of Dulla Bhatti, hero of common Punjab. Dr Deepak Monmohan Singh moved a resolution to hold next conference at the World Trade Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala, which was unanimously adopted. The conference will be held in the last week of March in Patiala for which concurrence from Dr Jaspal Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the university has also been sought. The theme of this conference will be ‘World peace through communication’.

Sharing his experience at the Lahore conference, Dr Deepak stated that the delegates from various countries in Lahore held unanimous view that the world is at the brink of disaster. In order to save it, writers and intellectuals from different countries should take the lead.

Lahore Declaration was issued at the peace conference emphasising easy way to get Visa and the litterateurs should have the liberty to work as a bridge between the two countries. Senior citizens above the age of 65 years should be exempted from identification as they should be issued Visa on the spot, it demanded. The delegates from different countries emphasised on world peace as peace is directly linked with development. They also regretted not being able to visit any other place except Lahore. Famous Pakistani singers, Bhushra Kasori, Hamid Ali Bela, Shaukat Ali, Shaukat Imran, sons of Iqbal Bahu and a few other singers enthralled the audience with their melodious songs.

Apart from delegates from Ukraine, Germany, Holland, the Philippines, Lithuania, the UK, Canada, India, hundreds of Urdu and Punjabi writers of Pakistan participated in the conference.

Bathinda, January 10
In order to encourage and promote creativity among students and the general public, Central University of Punjab (CUP), Bathinda, has taken an initiative to celebrate First Innovators’ Day on January 17 on its city campus on Mansa Road.

The day-long celebration is the first activity in a series of events to be organised by the newly formed Innovators Club under the guidance of Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) Jai Rup Singh.

The objective of the programme is to showcase innovations which could provide solutions to the emerging requirements and needs of society. These innovations could be displayed from any field of study, including economics, business, entrepreneurship, technology, sociology, engineering, medicine and agriculture.

CUPB Innovators Club has already sent invitations to schools, colleges, other institutions and general public to ensure their participation in this programme. Prizes will be awarded to the best selected entries. The exhibition will be open to the general public from 11am to 4pm.

Prof Singh said the programme would help in linking the newly-established Innovators Club with our formal education system. He said this would enable innovators to establish technology for commercial use.

He added the Innovators Club should also develop a marketing policy to attract entrepreneurs and investors.

Bathinda, January 10
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal today released the calendar of Dr Bheem Rao Ambedkar Scheduled Caste/Backward Class Karamchari Union for the year 2014.

Kamal Kant congratulated the members of the union for releasing the calendar. Union’s patron Tek Singh Khalsa, Dyal Singh, Darbara Singh, Master Harmandar Singh, MC superintendent Harbans Lal Garg, union chairman Veer Bhan and union president Mintu Kumar Jeera addressed the gathering.

Other employees of the Municipal Corporation were also present at the event.

Bathinda, January 10
Punjabi University, Patiala, Inter-College Judo Championship began here today at Government Rajindra College. The competitions are being held at the gymnasium hall of the sports stadium on the college campus. As many as 17 teams of boys and 18 teams of girls are participating in the competition.

The two-day championship was inaugurated by Prof Bahadur Singh, head of the Department of Physical Education, SD College, Barnala. The function was presided over by Prof Jagdev Singh, head of the Department of Physical Education, Government Mahindra College, Patiala. The competitions were held under the supervision of Jagjiwan Kaur of Government Rajindra College, Bathinda.

Prof Surjit Singh, Head of the Department of Physical Education, Government Rajindra College, Bathinda, welcomed the participants and the faculty members of other colleges.