Bathinda October 26
While the shopkeepers, roadside hotel and eating joint owners continue to spread their base of encroachments the authorities are turning a blind eye. Despite sudden rise in the number of road accidents and chaos due to such encroachments the officials of the Improvement Trust, the Municipal Corporation and the police remain mute spectators.

City residents, including a section of lawyers, RTI activists and social workers accused the officials of allowing encroachments over petty favors. “Encroachments galore at Dhobi Bazar, Amreek Singh Road, the Improvement Trust Market on Goniana road—opposite three cinemas and outside the railway station and bus stand. But hardly anyone is deployed by the department concerned officials to remove the same,” said advocate Gurwinder Mann. He alleged that though the policemen register cases against roadside vendors for allowing liquor consumption at rehris but never dare to touch the influential hotel owners who also encroach upon the parking areas and serve snacks to drunkards sitting in cars.

An RTI activist and social worker, Sonu Maheshwari, terming the non-removal of these encroachments due to corrupt practices said this proves instrumental in increasing the number of road accidents.

“For instance, an extended temporary eating joint by a hotel owner on Bathinda-Goniana Road serving non-vegetarian food by encroaching a major portion of the parking area has lead to chaos,” Maheshwari said. He pointed out that a little space is left behind for parking of vehicles and haphazardly parked vehicle in which people consume liquor are usually parked outside the eating joint. Also, a nearby cigarette seller flouts norms by allowing public smoking nearby where at least 25 to 50 youngsters park their motorbikes every evening.

A similar problem is witnessed outside the railway station, bus stand and in Gol Diggi where people continue to consume liquor and smoke at public parking area.

The area residents said the officials of the Municipal Corporation and the Improvement Trust have allowed encroachments during the festive season of Diwali, but now, they must start spilling the beans on such encroachments.

Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Varinder Sharma, expressing concern over the rising road accidents due to encroachments by shopkeepers on Bathinda-Goniana Road said a notice will be served to those indulging into illegal activity to remove the same permanently.

Mansa, October 26
The Mansa police have arrested an accused who used to do online shopping from ATM cards of different unknown consumers after reading their password and ATM card number.

The police have arrested the accused Jasveer Singh (25), for second time after coming out on bail after spending 15 months inside Mansa jail. Earlier, the accused was arrested under Sections 465, 467, and 468 of the IPC and in a case is sub-judice, in May last year.

The police claimed that the accused used to read the number mentioned on an ATM card of some innocent customers who knew less about using the ATMs. Offering help to customers, the accused read their number and then password following which he do online shopping later.

Earlier, the police had arrested Jasveer Singh, a resident of Ghele village in Mansa, in February 2013 and had recovered a laptop, mobile phones and other things that he purchased online. He came out on bail in May this year and started purchasing the things online in a similar way by reading the number on ATM card. Last year, he had done shopping up to Rs 5 lakh and whereas this time, he had purchased things online of about Rs 35,000.

After getting complaint, we investgated the matter and found the accused in a CCTV footage identifying him easily. We had, now, arrested the accused under Sections 420 of the IPC and sections of the IT Act.”

Bathinda, October 26
Family member and relatives of the 21-year-old student of ITI, Veerpal Singh, who was killed by some assailants at Partap Nagar on Friday night, staged a protest against the inactiveness of the police to nab the culprits, outside the Senior Superintendent of Police’s (SSP) residence in the city.

The protestors also organised dharna blocking the road outside the SSP’s residence in their protest. After 15 to 20 minutes, DSP (Headquarters) Gurdarshan Singh reached the spot and tried to pacify the protestors.

He asked them to lift their protest by assuring them of listening to their grievances. Later, he met with them at the Canal Colony police station, where the protesters were assured that two accused have been arrested and other two were at large.

Baldev Singh, father of the deceased, alleged that the police have arrested two accused in the case so far and they are been given VIP treatment at the canal colony police station. He added that when they went to the police station regarding the case, the accused laugh on them and also passed comments on them.

He also demanded that the police should arrest other persons involved in the murder of his son at the earliest and take these two accused on the police remand to recover the mobile of the deceased, which will reveal many fact about the murder.

Pawan Kumar, a relative of the deceased, said the police were not working effectively in the case due to which today they have protested outside the SSP residence and he also threatened that if justice is delayed or denied they will intensify their stir.

DSP (Headquarters) Gurdarshan Singh said the relatives of the deceased today sat on dharna outside the SSP’s residence demanding justice in the murder case. We have met the relatives and assured them two accused have been arrested and they are taking them on police remand, while another accused that are on run would be arrested soon as the police are working on the case.

It is pertinent to mention that Veerpal Singh, alias Ganju, a resident of Street Number 11 of Partap Nagar was killed as assailants hit him badly with iron rods on his head and fled away from the spot.

Passersby saw him lying on the roadside in a serious condition and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

It is worth mentioning that some days ago, Veerpal had entered into a quarrel with some youths and had a compromise a day before. But the accused had compromised as per plan and attacked him.

The police have registered a case against four accused Ravi Gupta, Miski, alias Ravi Jindal, Vinod Kumar, alias Kala, and Sushil Kumar, alias Toti, all residents of Street number 10, Paras Ram Nagar, under Sections 302, 34 of the IPC at Canal Colony police station. Ravi Gupta and Vinod Kumar, alias Toti, have been arrested while others are on run.

Bathinda, October 26
Poor people sleeping on the footpaths hardly manage to command the attention of well-heeled passersby. Despite the fact that many of them succumb to bad weather and some get ill and need urgent medical aid, the city moves not caring two hoots about them.

Expecting to have a bumpy ride with the state machinery, the city residents refrain from either calling up and informing about an ailing and abandoned homeless person or ferrying him to the nearest government centre or hospital.

With no one to look after them and left to fend for themselves despite their physical or mental incapability to do so, these homeless persons die a silent death. Only after their death do passersby inform the social welfare organisations which take the bodies to government hospitals.

As per the data made available by some social welfare organisations, on an average, at least one invalid either succumbs or falls seriously ill, due to bad weather conditions every four days during the peak summer and winter season.

According to data made available by another NGO taking care of the destitute and homeless, NGO volunteers help at least 250 such persons every year.

The NGO further added that most of the destitute were either addicted or mentally disturbed ,due to the ill-treatrment meted out to them by their family members.

In the absence of a well-organised mechanism and lack of public awareness, such abandoned persons usually left at the mercy of the Almighty. NGO volunteers claim that at times invalid people are left unattended to at government hospitals and primary health centres due to the insensitivity of the medical staff.

In January 2012, the Supreme Court had directed the state authorities to implement its December 2011 order to provide shelter to the homeless. The order was aimed at “preserving and protecting” homeless from intense cold wave conditions under which the northern states were reeling.

One such place that had come to the rescue of many homeless was the local Municipal Corporation’s Rain Basera . The shelter, located opposite the MC office and also on Amrik Singh road are much sought after though it can accommodate only 50 persons.

The Supreme Court had also ordered on the availability of basic facilities like drinking water, separate toilets for men and women, bedding and medical aid.

With alcohol bottles strewn and tubelights not working, the Rain Basera situated on the Amrik Singh road presents a picture of haven for addicts and anti-social elements. 

Bathinda, October 26
Malwa Heritage and Sabhyacharak Foundation today hosted a singing competyition ‘Awaaz Malwe Di’ at Jaipalgarh village in Bathinda.

The competition, held for the Fazilka district, was organised as a precursor to the upcoming “Virasat mela” in the city.

Bhupinder Kaur, a student of Government Senior Secondary School, Fazilka, bagged the top position and became ‘Awaaz Fazilka Di’. She will compete with the winners of eight districts of the Malwa belt at the “Virasat mela” to be held at Jaipalgarh village on November 8.

Gaurav and Balwinder Singh bagged the second and third positions resopectively.

Harvinder Singh Khalsa, president of th foundatuion, welcomed the guests and participants. Khalsa said such competition helped in keeping the tradition and culture of the state alive. He appreciated the talent showcased by the participants during the competition. 

Bathinda, October 26
Actor Kuljinder Singh Sidhu, last seen in a controversial film, ‘Sadda Haq’, is back with another film, with a hard-hitting story. To be seen next in and as ‘Yoddha–The Warrior’, Sidhu doesn’t fear being typecast as a serious actor.

“I am happy doing the kind of roles that I am doing currently. This is my third film after ‘Mini Punjab’ and ‘Sadda Haq’. Like ‘Sadda Haq’, I have co-written this film as well and was left with no option but also turn co-producer for the film as the investors are not ready to take the risk of betting their money on films with serious subjects,” Sidhu said.

“Whenever, I narrate an idea to the producers, they ask me if I am also investing in the film. They get a morale boost from the fact that I am ready to co-produce the film and they would not be alone if the film incurs loses,” he added.

While ‘Sadda Haq’ dealt with the complex subject of the 1984 riots, ‘Yoddha’ follows the story of a fun-loving and simple youth and how the circumstances, especially the drug mafia in Punjab, force him to transform and turn into a warrior. “Unlike my earlier film, which showed me only as a serious character, this film will show me both as a happy-go-lucky boy and a serious citizen,” Sidhu said.

Agreeing that he consciously chooses subjects which have either had impact on the psyche of the state or are somehow affecting the state in the present, Sidhu stated that it was important that the medium of entertainment is used to convey a message. “The light-hearted comedies also have their fair share of audience and viewership, but films with serious subjects are also turning big grossers in Punjabi cinema. The trend, which began with ‘Sadda Haq’ was carried on by ‘Kaum De Heere’, ‘Punjab 1984’, ’47 To 84 Tak’ and other films,” he said.Although he is yet to be seen in a light-hearted film, he said he didn’t detest them and indeed watched many of them. “I go to watch a film as an actor, director, writer and producer. If after five to ten minutes, I become a part of the audience, I consider the film is good. If I continue to watch the film with a critical eye, it means I didn’t like the film. A film, light-hearted or serious, should engage the audience such that it forgets everything else,” he added.

Bathinda, October 26
The first Panchkarma therapy centre in the state was inaugurated at the Civil Hospital in Phase VI Mohali, in December 2009 by the then Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla. In June 2013, another centre was opened in Bathinda district.

Many people from northern region including Punjab use to visit south India for getting treatment under the Panchkarma therapy, but now its available in Mohali and Bathinda district.

Medical specialists of the Panchkarma therapy have been deputed at these centers to provide all type of Panchkarma treatment and the patients at large are getting treatment here. The Panchkarma centre is situated on the back of the Bathinda Civil Hospital. Medical specialists workinf here claim that around forty persons visit the centre daily to get the treatment.

Being one of the oldest systems of healthcare the Panchkarma therapy treat the diseases at the root-level and does not show their recurrences. It purifies the body by eradicating the causative factors.

To treat paralysis, cerebral palsy, sciatica, gout, arthritis, PIVD, low back pain, polio-mylitis, mental retardation and insomnia, the Panchkarma treatment is given through snehan (massage), swedan (fomentation) and vasthi karma. The diseases like epistaxis, fever, jaundice, urticaria, hypertension and skin diseases are also treated with different procedures of the Panchkarma therapy.

“Panchkarma therapy is anti-aging as well as rejuvenating therapy and can be given to healthy as well as ailing persons. No disease is too big for the treatment as we doctors are acting as “agents of change” to ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of healthcare services among the community at large. About forty to fifty people an average reach and are treated for different ailments.” said Dr Anurag Garg.

“It’s a therapy that is best that anything else for treatment of hypertension and joint pains. I had been a patient of hypertension from long time and was taking numerous medicines but that gave me a little good result, but this therapy has also reduced my sugar level besides hypertension.” said RaJ Kumar Monga, a patient. 

Bathinda, October 26
The Kotwali police have booked three persons for duping Sandip Kumar, a resident of Quila Road, of Rs 36 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad.

The victim, in a complaint lodged with the police had stated that Hasim Ali, Taufiq Ali and Sandeep Singh, both residents of Havri village in Kaithal district, Haryana, demanded a sum of Rs 36 lakh from him to send him abroad.

After receiving the money, the accused started making excuses. Neither did they return the money nor arranged to send him abroad. — TNS