Bathinda, May 31
The local police have been detaining rape victim’s parents for the last five days who come to protest outside the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bathinda, Paramraj Singh Umranagal’s office-cum-residence demanding justice.

Today also, the police detained parents and a large number of members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta-Ugaraha workers who reached outside the IGP’s office seeking justice and demanding arrest of the third and main accused in rape case.

Farmers shout slogans against the police inaction; and (below) members of the BKU being detained by the police in Bathinda on Saturday. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma

The protestors said until the police arrest the third accused, who is at large, their protest will continue and will take a sharp turn in the coming days if the police do not listen to their demands.

They alleged that the police was detaining them every day because they were coming out and demanding justice in minor girl’s rape case.

It is worth mentioning that the BKU Ekta Ugrahan leaders had given a call that each day they will protest outside the IGP’s office and surrender before the police. Accordingly, the activists and parents have been coming protesting here for the last six days and are not allowed to protest against the IGP’s office. However, they are being released in the evening every day.

But still, many BKU leaders, including Shingara Singh Mann, who were heading the agitation, are in police custody since May 26.

Sources claimed that Shingara Singh Mann had been arrested as a preventive measure as he is also heading the Bhai Rupa agitation against the SGPC over the 161 acres.

It is pertinent to mention that three accused had gang raped a minor girl in Muktsar district on January 24. The police, however, arrested two accused but the third accused Gurlal Singh is still absconding and the police has failed to arrested him despite the court orders.

Bathinda, May 31
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) contract employees of Bathinda zone today protested against the state government and management of the PSPCL seeking their regularisation.

The employees met at the Teacher’s Home where they shouted slogans against the state government and the PSPCL management.

After the meeting, while speaking to mediapersons Bhupinder Singh, a union member, said: “We have been working in the department for the past seven to eighty years and have not been regularised yet, while in all other departments, those who have completed their year work had been regularised.”

They also stated that at first, their meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was fixed on May 28, but later it was cancelled to some plans of the Chief Minister. He urged that if their demands are not approved by the state government, they would protest on the roads. — TNS

Bathinda, May 31
The newly constructed building of Cancer Short Stay Home has started deteriorating due to water leakage in the walls even before its inaugural function. However, it was hastily inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal before the Lok Sabha elections early this year.

A damp wall of the building in Bathinda on Saturday

The project has been constructed in the area of 4 kanal in the land adjoining the Civil Hospital at the cost of Rs 3.15 crore. The project included 24 rooms with attached bathrooms and 15 dormitories.

The short-stay home is meant for the kin of cancer patients who visit Max Hospital, the only empanelled hospital in Bathinda under the CM’s Cancer Relief Fund.

The Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) had constructed the building and it had to hand over to the Red Cross society, but so far, the Red Cross society has not taken the procession due to the various faults in the building.

It is worth mentioning that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had shown personal interest in the project and he visited the venue many a time to monitor the pace of the construction work.

The project was to complete by December 2012, but it had already been delayed and now when it has been completed and inaugurated, still it has not been made functional for the public use as are many drawbacks in the construction.

The secretary of the Red Cross Society, Col (Retd) Mukhtiar Singh, said, “The building was checked two months ago and we observed that a lot of work is yet to be done. As there was water leakage, electrical fitting and many other issues. The BDA assured us that they would do the work.”

The short-stay home will benefit the patients who visit the Max Hospital as the Civil Hospital does not have any facility for cancer treatment and the charges of stay and food here would be much lesser than the market rates.

It is pertinent to mention that after the efforts to curb and eradicate cancer by setting up the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund, now the Punjab government to cater the need of cancer patients and attendant was making effort to give comfortable stay for the cancer patients during their treatment but delaying in start of this project is hurting the patient’s family heavily. As a large number of people come here for the treatment but they don’t have any place to stay at nominal rates.

Bathinda, May 31
The first de-addiction centre of the Malwa region located at Goniana Road appears to be crying for attention.

As no medicines are given to the patients coming here and they are left to arrange them on their own. The reason is said to be shortage of funds with the department.

Sources claimed that from April 1, the patients here are not getting the facility of indoor. Even the centre is facing the staff crunch due to which it has not been able to run 24 hours a day. Situation is quite alarming as with the lack of concern by state government, this centre is on the verge of closure as its building is also in shambles.

The centre was started in February 22, 1992, with a scope that drugs addicts with leave addiction by joining it. The centre has 15 beds in it. It is run under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which provides the centre with 90 per cent funds, while 10 per cent funds are given by the Red Cross society.

It is pertinent to mention that no fee is taken by the centre for the OPD service from the patients. While Rs 200 per day is taken from the patients who are admitted here.

Even the staff is not fully equipped as there are 12 sectioned posts here, out of which only four post are filled at present. Moreover, the doctor and project director have been working without salary for the last one year. There is even no facility of generator or inverter during power cuts.

Meanwhile, in another de-addiction centre, running at the Civil Hospital, there seem to be overflow of addicts. As per official of de- addiction, a high rush of visitors has been witnessed in the last month as there were 80 patients in February, and the number has crossed 300 this month. But the centre has the capacity of only 125 beds.

Bathinda, May 31
The Consumer forum held a cloth seller in the Gandhi market guilty of selling a defected piece of branded Raymond cloth that shrunk after a wash. The forum observing unfair trade practice, imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 and also directed JP Fashion to refund the amount of Rs 1,861, the cost of the cloth.

In his complaint to the forum, Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Balluana, said he along with his friends visited the shop of the opposite party last year and purchased a piece cloth for pants and shirt-1.20 metre and 1.60 metre.

Complainant’s counsel, Rakesh Mangla, said the shop owner declared the cloth as of refine quality due to its brand-Raymond. He said there will be no complaint about the cloth, what to talk about shrinking or any other problem.

After selling the cloth, the shop owner offered to get stitching from an expert tailor operating from his shop and charged Rs 700 for stitching.

Despite complainant’s demand, no bill was issued to the complainant and only a slip was offered to collect the stitched clothes. The tailor delivered clothes after 20 days.

After returning from a trip in July last year, the complainant found that the clothes had shrunk after washing.

The matter was brought into the notice of the shop owner who initially blamed the tailor for wrong stitching, but later assured to get the same inspected from the company officials. The complainant was told to revisit after 15 to 20 days with assurance that in case of fault the clothes would be replaced.

Bathinda, May 31
Patients who are morbidly obese with medical problems like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, knee pain can notably benefit from laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Addressing a press conference at Max Super Speciality Hospital (MSSH), in Bathinda today, Dr Ashish Vashistha, a renowned senior bariatric durgeon at a hospital in Delhi said bariatric surgery was an ideal for a morbidly obese patient who could not lose weight through weight loss programmes.

Giving example, Dr Vashistha informed that 58-year-old Usha’s weight was creating major troubles for her. Weighing 133 kg with a BMI of 51.3, Usha was unable to do her daily works and was always tired. Walking caused debilitating pain in her joints. Sleeplessness and excessive snoring resulted in discomfort in her routine activities. Dr Vashistha educated her and her family members about laparoscopic bariatric surgery which was among the best treatments for morbidly obese patients.

Similar was the story of 58 years old, Kiran, a resident of Bathinda. When she approached Dr Vashistha at the OPD, she weighed 182 kg with BMI of 75.8. She had diabetes along with breathlessness and severe joint pains due to which her movement was strictly restricted. After proper counselling from Dr Vashistha’s team, Kiran underwent the laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Within one month of her surgery, she has lost 20 kg and major improvements have been seen. Her blood sugar levels have improved. Her joint pain has also improved and she has regained her mobility.

Dr Vashistha said, “When Usha came to me, she was severely obese and was not even able to walk properly. Even by going on a strict weight loss programme, she couldn’t have lost weight to get back her mobility. Hence, we thought that the best option for Usha at that point of time will be bariatric surgery. It would improve her quality of life, help her overcome her health problems on an immediate basis, bring a change in her outlook and build her confidence.

“We performed laparascopic bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) on Usha and witnessed a significant weight reduction of 18 kg in one month after the surgery. It has been over a month since her surgery and Usha is leading an ideal life that she had dreamt of. There is no pain in her joints and her snoring has also decreased significantly," he added.

Bathinda, May 31
As many as 325 cases were settled today during a Lok Adalat organised by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA). The cases were settled with mutual consent by both the parties.

DLSA chairman of Tajwinder Singh and Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-secretary DLSA Jasbir Kaur were among others who passed orders during the Lok Adalat.

The judicial officers said the Lok Adalats are organised with an aim of saving time and money for the litigants. Similar efforts were also made in other courts of the districts where cases of civil nature, mostly disputes between two parties were taken up.