Bathinda, April 26
Despite the model code of conduct for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections being in force, the district administration is busy constructing new roads in the city on the directions of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance.

It is pertinent to mention that while on the one hand, the SAD-BJP government is making tall claims of development, on the other, the administration is hurriedly constructing roads in the city just before the elections to lure the voters by violating the election code of conduct.

For a long time, the Fish Market road was in a pathetic condition with stagnant sewage emanating a foul smell. It affected the surrounding areas and commuters were facing a lot of difficulty in crossing the road. Even the residents and shopkeepers of the area had protested many times demanding that the administration construct the road, but at that time, their grievances went unheard.

But now, with votes on their mind, the administration has hurriedly laid premix over the road after getting it cleaned.

Residents of the area, while talking to Bathinda Tribune, said they know that the road has now been hurriedly constructed just to lure the voters. They said had this been done earlier, it would have been better.

Social worker Sonu Maheshwari said the ruling combine has been in power for the last eight years and is contesting the election on the development plank. But constructing new roads immediately before the elections is surprising.

Maheshwari alleged that a few days back, the municipal corporation violated the election code of conduct by laying premix on the Qila road in the city and constructing new roads there. The same thing was done when new roads were constructed in 24 hours just before the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi visited the city.

He also stated that to lure the voters, these roads were hurriedly constructed which amounts to the violation of the election code of conduct.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav, when contacted, said he will check if the tender was cleared before the enforcement of the election code of conduct. In that case, the work can go on but if the work is being done without proper permit or tender, then strict action will be taken against the violators.

Bathinda, April 26
Contact numbers listed on the official website of the district administration have not been updated for a long time with the result that people in the city are finding it difficult to get in touch these officials.

At the time of elections, when all the scribes who have come from outside for election coverage are making use of the website, the district administration is finding it hard to do the job.

There are officials who have been transferred over a period of time, but their name and contact number is still displayed on the website. So when called up on the phone number mentioned in the website, they come across replies that the official is posted in some other district or at some other post.

Former Bathinda District Transport Officer Bhupinder Mohan Singh ,who was suspended and arrested for issuing fake registration copies of vehicles in August last year, still figures as the DTO, Bathinda on the website.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nirmal Singh Dhillon, who has been transferred as the IGP Ludhiana, still figures as the IGP, Bathinda zone, on the website.

Surprisingly, DIG, Ferozepur zone, Amar Singh Chahal has been mentioned as the Senior Superintendent of Police, (Vigilance), Bathinda. This proves that the website has not been updated for more than three years. In the meantime, Amar Singh Chahal had served as the SSP Fazilka, then DIG, Bathinda zone and now as the DIG, Ferozepur zone.

The website wrongly shows Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill as the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Bathinda, whereeas he is serving as the SSP, Chandigarh. After his transfer, Ravcharan Singh Brar served here as the SSP for more than a year and currently, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar is the SSP.

Even the SPs, ASPs and DSPs who figure in the list are wrongly mentioned and have been transferred from Bathinda a long back. The same is the case with the administrative list where the ADC (D), SDMs, DROs and others have wrongly been figured.

The name of Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav is correct but his contact number listed on the website is wrong.

Chairman, Zila Parishad, Gurpreet Singh Maluka has been wrongly mentioned as the chairman, Co-operative Bank. It is pertinent to mention that last year, he resigned from the post to take oath as the chairman, Zila Parishad.

Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav, while talking on the issue, said he was not aware of the issue. "Since you have brought the issue to my notice, I will take up the matter with the District Informatics Officer at the National Informatics Centre (NIC) who looks after the website."

Bathinda, April 26
Seven national birds, including two peacocks and four peahens, were found dead today in morning under mysterious circumstances in the agricultural fields of nearby Dera-Tapp village situated on Bathinda-Goniana Road.

The land, from where the bodies of the exotic birds that were found, is situated close the boundary wall of the National Fertiliser Limited (NFL) colony.

The incident came to light when Mandar, a panchayat member, who had taken the land on contract, brought the matter to the notice of the village sarpanch after spotting the birds.

Mandar had grown wheat crop and vegetables after taking the land on lease from a religious body of the village. Mandar said he along with workers reached the fields to harvest the wheat crop and spotted the dead birds.

Peacock is also the protected bird of India under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The hunting and killing of this bird is strictly prohibited.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sanjeev Tiwari said that a case under the Wildlife Protection Act has been registered in this connection and further sections would be added once the report of the post mortem is revealed.

The DFO reached the spot and discussed the reason behind the death of the national birds.

Preliminary action initiated by the department reveals that poisoning could be one of the chief reasons behind the deaths.

“Though the exact reason would be ascertained only after the postmortem report is revealed on Monday. The department has also collected soil samples,” the DFO said.

He pointed out that the permission to dispose of and conduct the postmortem is taken from the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Raman Kumar.

The postmortem was being conducted at the Veterinary Hospital on the Dabwali Road.

The department officials said that it seemed that the birds were trying to scale the boundary walls of the NFL Colony as their bodies were lying close to each other at a distance of few feet.

There were no visible injury marks on the body of any of the birds though fluid was seen oozing out of their beaks. The department officials and the villagers said the possibility of consuming edibles filled with pesticides or other intoxicants on wheat crop or the vegetables could not be ruled out.

The department officials said anyone found guilty in the case would be booked under Sections of the IPC and the Wildlife Protection Act.

Sandeep Jain, a Ludhiana-based animal lover and a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (Ministry of Environment and Forest-Government of India) said that the department should also get the chemical (viscera) examination of the birds from government recognised laboratory.

“Since the feathers of the birds and body parts are intact, the case seems to be of poisoning or some infectious disease,” Jain said.

Bathinda, April 26
After the city residents had a harrowing experience due to the extensive security measures and barricading for the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in Bathinda on Friday, an ex-serviceman, Lt Col Daya Singh, president of the Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, Bathinda, today flayed the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer for playing a partisan role and favouring the ruling party.

In a press release, Daya Singh said, “While on the one side, he had banned any rally or protests from being held near the District Administrative Complex by allotting a rally site near Transport Nagar on Goniana Road, on the other, he (DC) had allowed a political rally to be held in the residential area of Urban Estate Phase III thereby choking the public park and green belt causing unbearable inconvenience to the residents, elderly persons, women and students.”

“The students of Kendriya Vidyalayas in the Cantonment remained stranded due to a change in school van routes after 2.30 pm as the Kendriya Vidyalayas did not close at 12 noon like a couple of schools in the city. Several ex-servicemen also faced traffic jams and reached late for an official function,” he added.

Bathinda, April 26
Members of several teachers' unions, supported by other leaders and members of other associations of the district, will hold a convention in Bathinda on Sunday to decide their future plan of action regarding the district administration assigning poll duties.

Members of the ETT Teachers' Union, the SSA/RMSA Teahcers' Union, the Unaided Staff (Aided Schools) Union, the Sikhya Provider Teachers Union, the Inclusive Education Volunteers' Union, the Special Trainer Teachers' Union, the AIE Teachers' Union, the EGS Teachers' Union, the Adarsh School Teaching and Non-Teaching & Non-Teaching Union, Technical Services Union, the Multipurpose Health Workers' Association will participate in the convention. The employees will seek reinstatement into their parent department preference will be given to them by the government while filling vacant posts, giving them salaries as per the revised pay scale and rules set by the govt. — TNS

Bathinda, April 26
To ensure the smooth conduct of the Lok Sabha election which is scheduled to take place on April 30, the third and final election rehearsal of the polling staff was conducted at different places here on Saturday.

The election rehearsal was conducted in all Vidhan Sabha constituencies which fall under Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency under the Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) of the concerned area.

During the rehearsal, the AROs and master trainers passed instructions to presiding officers, assistant presiding officers and polling officers from polling of votes to depositing the electronic voting machines (EVMs) at respective strong rooms and on April 29 the polling parties will be dispatched for polling stations.

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav while divulging details regarding the election preparation said six Vidhan Sabha constituencies come under Bathinda district, for which full preparations have been done.

As many as 1,029 polling booths are there in these six Vidhan Sabha constituencies for which 1,229 polling parties have been constituted, out of which in 155 polling booths five members polling staff and for 874 polling booths four member polling staff would conduct the polling.

He also stated that for the free and fair conduct of the elections in the district 1,247 presiding officers, 1,247 assistant presiding officers, 5,157 polling officers, 442 micro-observers and 108 supervisors have been appointed.

Bathinda, April 26
Adding insult to injury, at a time when the state and private-run de-addiction centres are flooded with poppy husk addicts suffering from withdrawal systems due to the unavailability of intoxicant, the Health Department has raised charges of indoor patient facility.

Against the Rs 150 charged earlier for admission, investigation and diet, the government de-addiction centres will now charge Rs 200 for diet and admission. The charges for the investigation will be asked for separately.

The SMO, Civil Hospital, Bathinda, Dr Satish Gupta, said he has received the government’s letter, which is likely to be implemented from May 1 onwards.

Treatment at the de-addiction centres was a free facility until one year ago when the government fixed its rate at Rs 150. The doctors said the people were more shocked with the fixing of price for a free facility. “The patients have grown accustomed to it and we believe that another Rs 50 hike will not hurt them much. However, it will definitely affect the poor sections of the society who don’t have any alternative other than getting treatment from government run de-addiction centres,” said a doctor.

Meanwhile, due to the non-availability of poppy husk, which finds its way in Punjab from Rajasthan, due to the general elections, has hit the addicts hard. If the swelling rush of the OPD at the Civil Hospital is to be believed, the addicts are having a “tough” time trying to manage without poppy husk.

“Patients come to us crying like children. Being accustomed to addiction to poppy husk, they are asking for immediate relief. Most of the patients visiting us suffer from withdrawal symptoms like lack of sleep, decreased hunger, body aches and severe ache in legs and arms,” said one of the doctors at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, on the condition of anonymity.

The psychiatry department at the Civil Hospital has been getting 150 patients every day, which is an unprecedented rush.

City-based psychiatrist Dr Vandana Singla said there has been a sudden spurt in the number of poppy husk addicts for the past two weeks.

“Suddenly, withdrawing poppy husk from an addict means causing him or her serious health damage. Even during the treatment, we gradually taper off the dosage of intoxicants. Those suffering from withdrawal symptoms are so desperate that they want to have just ‘anything’ to compensate for the loss of poppy husk,” she added.

Bathinda, April 26
Hundreds of farmers, including women and their children, today protested against the Punjab and Central government’s failure to fulfill their long pending demands. The protest was organised at the ITI Chowk overbridge where the farmers displayed an impressive show of strength.

Members of the BKU (Ekta-Ugraha) organised the protest with the aim of making the farmers aware that nobody would ever come forward to help them. “It is not the state or Central governments but our unity, which will help us,” said Mansa district president of the union, Ram Singh.

State president of the BKU (Ekta) Joginder Singh Ugraha, state president of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Jora Singh Nasrali, women’s wing leader Harinder Kaur Bindu, Karamjit Kaur and Lachhman Singh Sewewala were among others who were present on the occasion.

The leaders said all the political parties indulge in mudslinging over trivial issue and all the important issues are sidelined. Betterment of farmers from such political parties is not expected, they said. The leaders said the farmer community should think twice before voting or supporting any party.

Bathinda, April 26
The Congress today suffered another jolt in the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency as Sukhdev Singh Brar, Beant Singh Brar and Jora Singh Aartiya of the historic Ganga Ablu village deserted the Congress along with their supporters and joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in the presence of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Welcoming the Brar brothers, Jora Singh and their supporters in the partyfold, Sukhbir Badal assured them that they would get due respect in the party. He said the Congress and Manpreet both were rejected by the people for hatching conspiracies against the SAD-BJP government. He said that the people of Punjab wanted to put the state on the path of sustained growth and development and were therefore joining the party to strengthen it.

Describing their reasons for joining the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Brar brothers said they were not happy in the Congress from the very first day as the party decided to take a backstabber like Manpreet into its fold. They questioned how one could have faith in a person who did not hesitate while backstabbing his political guru and the mother party which helped in raising his political status in no time? They said now, when the real Congress-Manpreet conspiracy had been exposed, there was no point in working for a party like the Congress.

They said that they were impressed by the work done by Harsimrat Kaur Badal for the development of the area and they would turn a record victory for Harsimrat.

It is pertinent to mention that Sukhdev Singh Brar and member panchyat Beant Singh Brar are the sons of late Gulzar Singh Sarpanch. This was said to be one of the major blows to the Congress during the Lok Sabha campaign as the Brar group has a strong hold in the area and all the nine panchayat members of Ganga Ablu village belong to the same group.

While the SAD-BJP candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal, canvassing in the Maur constituency, dared the Congress leaders their party MPs and ministers from Punjab in the UPA government to list even a single action of their party to safeguard the interests of the state.

Taking a dig at former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who has been campaigning for Manpreet Badal, Harsimrat said such people, who looted the country have no right to seek votes.

Harsimrat lamented that even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had badly failed and let down the state despite being a Punjabi and had failed to give any fiscal package to the state.

Bathinda, April 26
Students and staff of The Millennium School, HMEL, today organised a rally at Rama Mandi amid support from the residents of the area. The rally was flagged off by the school principal Anju Nagpal.

While speaking to the students, she exhorted them to act as change makers and spread the message of effective electoral participation and enlighten the people to vote in the ensung 16th Lok Sabha election, to be held in the state on April 30.

The main attraction of the rally was a street play (nukkad natak) “Jago Voter Jogo” staged by the students of the school at different important places to make the people aware of the town to use their Right to Vote prudently.

Carrying placards and banners, the students passed through the main markets of the town to encourage people to register for the voters’ list and inform them about the importance of casting vote.

The administrative manager of the school, Sikander Singh Sidhu, stated that the main aim of the rally was to motivate the voters so as to increase the voters’ turnout.

The students and staff of the school spread awareness among the local residents about the value of their vote and urged them to make their contribution in the formation of the 16th Lok Sabha of India.

The rally concluded at the Bank Bazaar of the town where the parents of the students offered refreshments to the participants at the rally.

Bathinda, April 26
The employees and consumers of the west zone of the Powercom are suffering due to the absence of circle offices at Mansa, Moga, Fazilka and Pathankot while all the other districts of Punjab have these offices.

In the absence of circle offices at these places, the consumers of Sardulgarh and Budhlada have to travel all the way to Bathinda regarding any work in the Bathinda distribution circle. People of the Bareta area, which falls in Mansa, have to travel more than 120 km to visit the office of the Superintending Engineer, Bathinda. These districts remain ignored as these are located far from the SE offices.

All the four districts have district-level offices of most government departments, including the court of the sessions judge, baring the office of the SE, Distribution, PSPCL, which deals with the electricity consumers. Mansa district, formed in 1992, is attached with the SE, PSPCL, Bathinda, and Moga with the SE, Faridkot, and Fazilka with Ferozepur and Muktsar. However, Barnala district which was carved out of Sangrur much later than Mansa and Moga got the SE’s office in 2011 due to vested political interests.

This has resulted in the overloading of the offices of the SE, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Muktsar and the electricity consumers of these districts are suffering as they have to travel a long distance to visit the office of the SE which falls in other districts.

The west zone of the Powercom has 21 offices of the XEN and 94 offices of the SDOs. There is just one superintending engineer (protection and maintenance) having seven districts under it.

All the 21 offices of the XENs and 92 out of 94 offices of the SDOs are overloaded as per the PSPCL’s own workload norms fixed on the basis of the number of connections, transformers and lines.

PSPCL norms say each SDO office will have 700 to 1200 units of workload but 45 SDO offices have a workload of more than 3,000 units (2.5 times). Some have more than 6,000 units (5 times) and even up to 8,000 units (7 times).

As per the workload and staffing norms of the operational sub-division, every SDO (rural and urban) will have a workload of 700 to 1200 units. If the workload of the SDO exceeds 1,200 units, then its work shall be transferred to the adjoining sub-division.

If transferring work is not possible, a new sub-division shall be created.

Consumers said apart from creating the SE distribution offices of the PSPCL at Mansa, Moga and Fazilka districts, there is an urgent need to create more offices of the SDOs and XENs in the area.

Chief Engineer, Distribution, West Zone, GS Dhaliwal said he could not comment on the SE offices not being available in four districts.

He, however, added that the current number of employees was enough to deal with the given workload.