Bathinda, November 8
Bathinda Fire Station, situated on the Mall Road, has made all preparations to tackle any untoward incident on Diwali. The entire team at the station will be on duty.

The station has three fire tenders, one fire jeep and one ambulance. In case of a major incident, fire tenders from the thermal power plant, the National Fertilizers Limited ( NFL) and the Air Force Station will also pitch in.

Following the order of the deputy commissioner, sandbags have been placed in areas around the Government Girls School, Mall Road, Desh Raj School, Railway Ground and stadium as preventive measures.

“Around 90 cracker shops have been set up around Government Girls School, Mall Road. So, it is quite sensitive,” assistant regional fire officer Baldev Singh said. On inquiring how they would reach the narrow lanes, he said, “We can reach upto 200-300 feet inside any street in the city.”

Fire brigade is just a phone call away. In case of emergency, dial 101, but only from a landline phone. You can also dial 0164-2255101 or 0164-2211101 from mobile phones. Although, there has been no major incident on previous Diwali nights, but small incidents do happen, Singh said.

When asked how firemen would celebrateg Diwali, Baldev Singh said, “ There is no celebration for us, as we would be busy in providing safety to you on Diwali.”

Bathinda, November 8
Begh Raj, a 72-year-old man, has been making diyas (earthen lamps) for the past 62 years in Bathinda now. But from next year, he would leave this job and shift to something else. It would not be a big business though but, something like a daily wage labourer or a farm labourer. But not a potter, and that is for sure.

Chinese invasion into the Indian market has affected almost all types of businesses, be it cycle parts, hosiery or electronic goods. And it has affected Begh Raj’s small business as well for cheap lights from China have replaced earthen lamps in a big way.

This festival of lights, markets here are flooded with a variety of Chinese and other imported lights, be it in the shape of gods and goddesses or animals and birds.

However, the sad part is that quite a few people are interested in buying diyas here. Ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 500, Chinese lights are available in all shapes and sizes.

“This Diwali, people have plenty of stuff to choose from. The market has never been flooded with such a big range,” says Raj Kumar Garg, a shopkeeper in Dhobi Bazaar here.

“People used to buy diyas in the shape of gods and goddesses. Owing to the religious significance of the festival, diyas were in high demand earlier. But things have changed now. People prefer buying Chinese electrical lights as they are cheap, attractive and easy to install,” said Kamla Devi, who has been selling mud lamps for past 40 years.

But there are few who are buying earthen lamps only.

“Diyas in the shape of birds and animals are the first choice among kids. Range seems to be better this year because I bought some new designs of diyas like a betel leaf and heart-shaped diyas,’’ said Noor Sandhu, a schoolteacher.

Bathinda, November 8
The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Bathinda, is going to observe Diwali as black day.

President of the IMA, Bathinda, H. S. Narang said, “We have decided not to celebrate the festival this year. Every year, we celebrate it collectively. But this time, we have decided not to celebrate.”

“There are so many doctors in our association who have been falsely implicated in cases related to female foeticide. They are going through a tough time as they underwent a lot of harassment and embarrassment in society,” he rued.

But nobody has been prohibited from celebrating the festival at a personal level, he further added.

On the other hand, Charanjeet Garg, Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Civil Hospital, said, “We have all made plans to celebrate Diwali in a gala fashion.”

Regarding preparations being made to tackle burn injuries, he said, “We have a plan ready. More doctors, pharmacists, sweepers and helpers have been deployed in both the morning and evening shifts to tackle an emergency situation.

“Storage of medicines and other basic requirements have been done to cope with any mishap. Even an eye surgeon has been deputed on the night shift. All doctors have been ordered to report to the headquarters.”

Bathinda, November 8
The solid waste management, especially the disposal of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, has emerged as a major problem in all the urban areas.

The local administration in the major towns has not been able to tackle the problem of garbage disposal and the response of the people is also very poor, as a result the land and water bodies are getting polluted and the environment is becoming unhygienic.

With rapid development and industrialisation, the problem is aggravating with each passing day and the fast coming up town of Bathinda is no exception.

While the civil administration has miserably failed in ensuring proper disposal of Municipal waste, the local unit of army has shown the way.

Army prepared a noble integrated plan for scientific disposal of garbage, both degradable and biodegradable and also encouraged the local people in the cantonment area to join the campaign and helped them supplement their earning. It was not an easy job to put the plan into practice, but army did wonders by getting it implemented through the people’s involvement.

Realising that the earlier door-to-door garbage collection plan failed, as the people were not ready to pay for it the army formulated a scheme to make it an earning proposition.

The task force constituted by the army comprised teams of jobless persons who went from house to house for collection of solid waste and also purchased raddi, polythene bags and other discarded items, it was, thus, a reverse process which helped the people dispose the garbage for money instead for paying for it.

The garbage collected was segregated and the biodegradable waste was converted into vermin-compost, which again was an earning proposition. The non-degradable waste like polythene and plastic was purchased by the teams (red and green).

The teams purchase the used polythene bags considered as useless waste for Rs 7 per kg to sell it in the market and the difference is the their earning. The people were also tempted to collect the bags rather than discarding them in drains and nullahs.

The non-biodegradable waste was washed and sold, the returns were distributed among collectors.

The system has become so effective that the team members are available for service round the clock. The army plan not only made the garbage collection lucrative for team members but also provided for education of children of poor families besides keeping the town clean, said Colonel P.S. Bindra.

The initiative of the Bathinda Military station should be taken up in other parts of the country also as a collective approach on this issue can make garbage disposal a major industry converting the miseries of people into fortunes. 

Mansa, November 8
The district magistrate of Mansa has imposed restrictions on the storage, sale, purchase and use of all sorts of firecrackers, which have the potential to cause serious damage to life, limb and property.

Issuing the order, DM Surjeet Singh Dhillon said these steps were required to be taken in public interest.

The following places are fixed for sale and purchase of fire-crackers: Dussehra Ground, stadium (Khokkar road), vacant site at the back side of the Bhikhi bus stand, Ramleela Ground, ward no. 6 at Bhikhi, Government Senior Secondary School (boys) Sardulgarh, Dera Baba Dhian Dass Jhunir, Government Senior Secondary School (Girls) Budhlada, Ramleela Ground at Budhlada, Mahavir Dall ground Boha and Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) Bareta.

No fireworks and firecrackers, which generate noise levels exceeding the levels specified by the Supreme Court of India, shall be sold and used at any place, including these designated places.

The sub-divisional magistrate shall grant the licences to shopkeepers for sale of firecrackers. The administration has made it clear that these orders will remain in force till November 30.

Bathinda, November 8
Irrigation has always played an important role in making Punjab the food bowl of the country. Canal system in Punjab is 14,500 kilometer long. It also happens to be one of the oldest and largest canal systems in the country. With such a long irrigation system in place, many problems also come as well.

From time to time, canals in Punjab have been breached due to one reason or the other. As per sources, main reasons for breach in canals are attributed to rat holes on the banks, inadequate funds and staff with the irrigation department and disinclination towards regular maintenance.

Sources further said that besides the already prevailing weak spots along the canal, there is continuous erosion along the banks of the canal that lead to a potential inundation of scores of villages in the area. ``Sometimes on the banks of canals at some places, the earth caves in to such an extent that the road gets converted into a narrow trail where even the cars can not pass.’’

Sources in the irrigation department said that most of the breaches during the decade were caused by tree plantation on the banks of the canals and sub-canals in the region.

The same thing happened today when the irrigation department’s claims of adequate maintenance of canal took a severe beating on Thursday when a 30 feet breach appeared on the left bank of Bathinda branch of Sirhind Canal at Bathinda. This is the second breach in the same branch of Sirhand Canal for the year 2007, with the first one being a double-breach on January 6, 2007 near Dhapali village of Rampura Phul subdivision.

The January breach had submerged crops on hundreds of acres of land in various villages and the affected villagers at that time alleged that the breach measuring 250-300 feet occurred had due to poor quality of sand used in raising the level of the canal for a micro hydel project. Last year also, cotton and other crops in more than 250 acres were damaged due to a breach in the Ramsara sub-canal at Abohar.

Abohar, November 8
An intruder was gunned down by the BSF near Shekhsarpal village in the Karanpur sector on Wednesday. The body of the intruder has been handed over to the Pakistan Rangers after a flag meeting late on Thursday, the sources confirmed.

According to the information, soldiers of the 57 Bn noticed a person heading towards the Indian territory. As warning given within a 70-meter distance had no effect, the soldiers opened fire.

Since the intruder reportedly proceeded even after having been hit in his leg; the BSF had to kill him on the spot.

Around eight rounds were fired. Later, during the search, Rs 7,979 in Pakistani and 50 in Afghan currencies were recovered from the intruder, who appeared to be in his fifties and was dressed in a kurta and salwar.

The BSF commanding officer A. K. Tripathi inspected the location near pillar 326.

The Karanpur police registered a case on the basis of a report filed by Subhash Yadav, assistant commandant 75 Bn.

The body of the unidentified intruder was handed over to Mansur Ali Shah, in charge Pakistan Rangers border post, in the evening after a flag meeting.

The sources added that the nationality of the deceased was yet to be ascertained.

Barnala, November 8
Hari Singh Bawa, president of the Bhadaur municipal committee and chairman of Bhadaur Gurudwara Action Committee has send a legal notice to Jai Pal Singh, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Tapa for not initiating new inquiry into the Bhadaur gurudwara clash.

A copy of the notice has also been sent to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, the DGP and the ADGP (Crime) and deputy commissioner Barnala for their ready reference.

In the notice, Bawa has written that regarding Bhadaur gurudwara clash that took place on October 11, 2006, one Rubin Masih was killed and several sustained injuries. A criminal writ number 49373 M 2007 is already pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court for hearing on December 14 this year.

Similarly, in the same case, a criminal contempt, writ number 11, is also pending before the High Court for hearing on November 17. The notice further reads that as the High court is seized of the inquiry, in this respect, any parallel proceedings of inquiry by the SDM Tapa shall amount to contempt of court.

It may be recalled that Hari Bawa is one of the victims in the Bhadaur case. The police registered a case under section 302 of the IPC against Hari Bawa and 155 others in connection with the death of Ruban Masih.

Hari Bawa, who was also in the sub-jail at Barnala for about two and a half months, is not ready to bow to pressure and reach a compromise over the issue. But critics say the state government is trying hard for a compromise between the police and those affected.

Moga, November 8
Diwali this time seems to have lost its sheen here as gold witnessed a price rise and the full stock of paddy has not been lifted from the grain markets.

Although people have thronged the markets a couple of days before the festival, yet shopkeepers rue the moderate sales.

Shopkeepers used to clean their outlets and whitewash them a few days before Diwali. However, this time a majority of them skipped the practice as if they had sensed the trend of the market much earlier.

In this agriculture-dominated district, farming is the prime vocation, which gives other vocations a push. The hopes of traders and shopkeepers rest upon the paddy season, which falls just before the festival season.

Davinder Singh Ghali of Kirti Kisan Union said, “Though lifting of paddy began at the end of September, it has not been completed yet. Therefore, tillers could not be paid dues.”

Besides, government-aided schoolteachers and employees of various departments have not been paid their salaries for the past several months, which also curtailed the purchasing power of the people.

Moreover, traders feel that since the Parkash Singh Badal headed government decided to levy 4 per cent entry tax on eatables, business has lost out.

Earlier, the district administration used to specify some places for selling crackers. However, this time no such area has been specified. Hence, traders have put up stalls to sell crackers in markets putting the lives and property of people at risk.

Artistically chiselled idols of gods and goddesses in various forms and shapes and colourful earthen lamps are available in the market.

Abohar, November 8
Students of LRS DAV Senior Secondary School here today solemnly pledged to distribute sweets and fire works among the children in their respective localities who cannot afford to purchase.

They also reiterated their commitment of spending minimum on fire works to save environmental pollution. Some of them would be visiting slums tomorrow morning to distribute clothes. — OC

Abohar, November 8
The police recovered the body of Pala Singh, who had been kidnapped along with Rajinder Kumar by miscreants in car on the National Highway number 10 on November 1, sources confirmed this morning.

Rajinder’s body had already been recovered near village Kerakhera on November 6. The victims had been kidnapped while transporting cotton from village Panjawa to Muktsar. Their vehicle was found abandoned near village Inakhera.

The circumstances have deepened the mystery behind the crime making the case challenging for the sub-divisional police to solve.

Gidderbaha, November 8
A local court here today convicted Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Gurpal Singh Gora and one of his associates, in a case related to violence during the 2002 Punjab assembly elections. The court awarded them a sentence of two and a half years.

However, they were granted bail immediately after their conviction.

Jathedar Gora and 10 of his supporters were booked under sections 307, 427, 324, 148 of the IPC and under the Arms Act following his involvement in an assault on a Congress candidate, Raghbir Singh, in Gidderbaha during the February 2002 assembly elections. 

Seven years after the incident, Additional Sessions Judge P. P. Singh of the fast track court today convicted the SGPC member and his associate Rashpal Singh under sections 427, 324, 148 of the IPC. The nine other accused were acquitted of the said charges. Gora had also served as the vice-president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.

Bathinda, November 8
A chowkidar, Balwinder Singh, was caught red-handed while trying to loot the Punjab and Sindh Bank, here this morning.

Sources in the bank said the chowkidar had been deputed, but for the past six months, he was not attending to his job. He had duplicate keys for almost every lock in the bank.

It was with the help of these keys that he was trying to loot the bank. But a police patrolling team entered the bank on suspicion.

Police sources said the chowkidar was collecting all the articles in the bank. The cops nabbed him and took him to the Kotwali police station. The officials of the bank were informed about the incident. Police has initiated legal proceedings in this connection.

Bathinda, November 8
The Rama police today arrested one Pal Singh, who allegedly looted a bus conductor with the help of his two accomplices, on Wednesday evening.

Police sources said the accused with his two accomplices stopped a bus (PB-03M-9578), coming from Kalan Wali to Gaat Wali, near Gaatwali bus stand. They looted Rs 4,000 from the conductor at gun-point.

Gora Singh and Harbans Singh managed to flee with the money, while Pal Singh was nabbed. ASI Kundan Lal of Rama police station said the accused had been areseted. He said earlier also, the accused was found involved in a case of beating up a driver and a conductor. —TNS

Abohar, November 8
The Megh Samaj decided to install the statue of Megh Rishi at the Police Complex crossing on Thursday. Social activist Khazan Devi Parihar ceremonially laid the foundation stone for the memorial. She thanked MLA Sunil Jakhar and the local municipal council for allocating a piece of land for raising the memorial. — OC