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‘BJP still eyeing Dy CM’s post’
Wide-Paved Shoulders On Road
Villagers face water shortage as power supply disconnected
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TV tower in Abohar fails to rule air waves
Retired staff of govt-aided schools await pension
Students on right track at this school
Officials warned against falling prey to corruption
Five legal centres for child adoption
Missing girl found dead
Man held for impersonating
Milk van carrying kerosene seized, 3 held
Bank staff’s dharna
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‘BJP still eyeing Dy CM’s post’
Gidderbaha (Muktsar), November 29 “You could very well make out how the BJP has been dominating over its allies on key issues like power tariff, fiscal reforms and the appointment of the chairmen of various Boards and Corporations,” Bhattal told reporters here today. Stating that the creation of the post of a deputy chief minister and attaining the same were still on the agenda of the BJP, though the latter had ruled that out, Bhattal said that the ties between the two ruling allies were worsening day by day. She said that the Akali-BJP regime had failed to fulfill its main electoral promise of providing highly subsidised ‘atta and dal’ to poor families in the state. “Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is running away from his own party’s election manifesto,” she said. Instead of fulfilling the electoral promises like atta-dal for the poor, she said that the Badal regime was lodging false cases against the Congressmen. Reiterating the demand of the Congress that the Akali-BJP government should come out with a white paper on the state’s poor fiscal health, Bhattal said, “ It is because of the ongoing aid of the UPA government at the Centre that the Badal government is able to disperse salaries to the state employees. Badal should rather be thankful to the UPA government for all the Central aid.” When asked about the reason for the state Congress leadership’s restrained protest against the alleged failures of the Badal government, Bhattal said that the Congress leadership would soon meet the Punjab Governor in next month to raise the issue of the “government being vindictive against Congress workers by lodging false cases against them across the state.” She said the matter of alleged false cases against Congressmen in Punjab has already been taken up at various levels like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the judiciary and the party high command. Earlier, addressing a gathering at Lambi, on the occasion of a sports festival there, Bhattal assured the Congress workers and the people at large that the opposition would ‘gherao’ the chief minister and other ministers in the next assembly session and would also “come out on the roads to protest against the Akali-BJP regime.” |
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Wide-Paved Shoulders On Road
Bathinda, November 29 The applicant contractors alleged that the XEN was trying to favour a particular contractor. The matter soon snowballed into a controversy and turned the atmosphere at the XEN office tense. The argument between the XEN and the applicants arose over the conditions mentioned in the bidding document that were allegedly altered by the XEN. And when his ‘favourite’ applicant himself was not fulfilling the conditions, he also reportedly over-ruled his previous order. Meanwhile, the other applicants raised their voice against the power of the XEN in making alteration in the conditions mentioned in the bidding document. Giving the details of the bid, the contractors said, “The bid applications were for construction of 1.5 meter wide-paved shoulders on either side of KM No. 287.650 to 291.585 (length 3.935 kms) on national highway-15, section Bathinda-Gidderbaha road. The estimated amount was Rs 152.45 lakh and the earnest money was fixed at around Rs 3 lakh.” “In the bidding document, one of the conditions for awarding the contract was execution, in any of the last five years, of the minimum quantities of items of work mentioned in the document. The condition was once omitted to enable the ‘favourite’ applicant to qualify but when other contractors also applied in that category, the previous conditions were applied again,” he added. The contractors produced a copy of the alleged altered bidding document to the TNS on the spot. One of the contractors there, showed his frustration by even threatening self-immolation. A representative of a construction company, on the basis of anonymity, alleged that the XEN wanted to allot the tender to a contractor, who enjoys political backing. When they demanded transparency, the XEN allegedly refused to talk to them. The XEN was found making excuses to postpone the issuance of the tender. But sensing the situation, he left the office for lunch and later a message was given to the applicants that the tender has been deferred till December 11. The applicants said that some of them were ready to take up the contract even with a reduction of 15-20 per cent of the fixed amount. They further said that these days many of them had no other work so they were ready to get the contract even at a low rate. All the applicants demanded to open the tender so that any one of lowest bid can get the contract. However, repeated attempts to contact the XEN, A. K. Goyal proved futile as his cell phone was in switched off mode. |
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Villagers face water shortage as power supply disconnected
Barnala, November 29 The electricity connection for water works in the village was disconnected about a week back by the electricity board for non-payment of bills. Panchayat member Sukhdarshan said that at present, the total dues by way of non-payment of electricity bills amounted to Rs 4,10,751 and that the villagers were reluctant to pay. According to Singh, the state government had given the charge of water supply to the village panchayat about a year back. At that time, an electric motor of 12 horse power (HP) was used for water supply but now, the water level has gone down and the old motor has been replaced by an electric motor of 25 HP. This increased consumption of electricity. Singh said that about 600 taps were being used illegally but they were unable to do anything in this regard. He also lamented that the villagers are not much concerned about paying the water bills to the panchayat. Female sarpanch Gurcharan confirmed that the power connection had been disconnected as electricity bills had not been paid to the panchayat. Moreover, tough measures could not be used to ensure that villagers pay their bills. She said presently, the people were making use of handpumps or tubewells installed in the fields to get drinking water. Xen PSEB (suburban), Gyan Chand Singla, when contacted, confirmed that electricity bills amounting to Rs 4,10,751 were pending but denied that electricity supply had been discontinued. |
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TV tower in Abohar fails to rule air waves
Abohar, November 29 While inaugurating the centre in 1994, the then minister for information and broadcasting K.P. Singh Deo had, in the presence of agriculture minister Bal Ram Jakhar and Rajya Sabha member Virendra Kataria, assured that the centre would be upgraded soon. Deo had also promised to sanction an FM radio station in the same premises, as according to experts, no extra tower was required for the project. But there was no breakthrough in the proposal for the FM radio station. The centre located in a low-lying area in a small complex rented by the local market committee suffers from technical problems during the rainy season. Recently, transmission remained disturbed for about a fortnight as showers affected the tower also. The Doordarshan had added another dish to relay DD Punjabi channel programmes but recently, a senior official during the annual inspection, reportedly recommended that the centre was no more required as the tower at Fazilka was also capable of transmitting signals to far off villages. The centre had actually benefited thousands of villagers in the sub-division where no private satellite cable network was available. This helped in bringing the viewers closer to the rich culture and heritage of Punjab also. The Doordarshan Darshak Sangh, an NGO that had agitated for getting the LPT sanctioned has blamed red tape for this state of affairs. They had allowed the LPT centre at Dabwali, that had been installed just one week ahead of Abohar, to relay transmission of DD news channel but preferred to abandon the centre here, they rued. For those who cannot afford the hefty monthly fee charged by private cable networks, depend fully on LPT transmission in urban localities also. They will be worst affected if the DD goes ahead with its plans to abandon the LPT centre. |
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A musical flight into world of fantasy
Bathinda, November 29 The musical bonanza ‘Chak De Eastwood’ entertained the audience with fun and frolic marking the evening. The flight to musical extravaganza was breathtaking and the kids attired in exotic costumes added to the sensation. The musical show started in style with a customary welcome address and lighting of lamp by chief guest Sardarni Surinder Kaur
Badal. ‘Eastwood flight lands into the world of music’, came the announcement from the backdrop as the show
proceeded, leaving the audience amazed. The Jumbo musical drama, a Walt Disney production presented by the Eastwoodians was the highlight of the day, which not only enthralled the guests but also touched their hearts. It was an emotional story of an young idle elephant who became a hero with his noble deeds. The nostalgia of Arabian Nights was revived in a ballet, which presented beauty and cultural bounty sheathed in rich tradition. The carnival, Fiesta Fiesta, which made the audience dance along with the melodious tunes, was another attraction of the show. Sacred songs to invoke the gods for their blessings, by the school choir, added serenity to the occasion. The audience was forced to tap its feet to the rhythm of the Hip Hop dance by tiny tots. The Dean Beena Rao greeted the guests and a galaxy of VIPs. Laying emphasis on the motto of the school, ‘aspire, believe and achieve,’ she said the school has come up with meditation programms like ‘Art of Living’ for the all-round development of the child. Member of Parliament Paramjit Kaur Gulshan lauded the school and she could not believe that such an excellent school existed in the backwaters of Punjab. She assured financial help to the schools in its future endeavours. Surinder Kaur Badal, who was the chief guest at the function, motivated staff members and students to work hard and channelise their energy in the right direction. Chairman of the school Balraj Singh Dhillon proposed the vote of thanks and committed himself to the cause of providing and developing Eastwood as an institute for global learning. DC Rachel Teary, DIG Jitender Jain, SSP Naunihal Singh were also among those present on the occasion. |
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Retired staff of govt-aided schools await pension
Fazilka, November 29 M.L.Chopra, president Pensioners’ Cell, Punjab, has alleged that about Rs 100 crore was lying in the government treasury on account of monthly deductions towards pension fund from teachers and employees of government-aided schools. Still, no effort was made to make payment of pension to the affected teachers. Way back in 1992, the then government had issued notification for granting pension to teachers and employees of government-aided schools at par with government employees. Due to this decision, large number of employees of these schools were benefited and about 3500 of them, who retired up to May 31, 2003, received the pension benefits and are getting till now. In June 2003, the government decided to stop the payment of pension to teachers and employees of government-aided schools. After that, there was resentment among the affected employees and they filed a writ with Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision. Taking notice of the petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 27, 2005 directed the education department, Punjab to restore the pension to the affected employees within two months and pay the arrears. The government instead of implementing the decision filed a special leave petition against the High Court decision in the Supreme Court. To protest against the decision, Government-aided School Teachers and Employees Union, Punjab and Pensioners’ Cell, Punjab launched a statewide agitation and court arrest programme demanding restoration of pension in December 2006. Succumbing to the pressure of the agitation, the then government accepted the demand but unfortunately, for the teachers and the employees, before the issuance of notification the model code of conduct for assembly polls 2007 in Punjab came into force and the restoration of pension could not be implemented. The present government had, in its manifesto, also declared that pension benefits would be given to the teachers of government-aided schools. However, even after lapse of nine months no progress has been made so far. According to details available, over 20 retired teachers and employees have died awaiting pension. |
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Students on right track at this school
Faridkot, November 29 Famous wrestler Gurbinder Singh Pirta, who participated in the 2000 Olympics, honed his skills at this school in his formative years. Harikrishan, who bagged third position at the Junior Asian Wrestling Championship, was also the product of this school. Its sturdy player, Varinder Singh, was a member of the Indian team at the Asian Kabaddi Championship, 2005. National level players, including three in wrestling, one in throwball, two in softball, one in baseball and one in flying disc, were students of this school only. Prabhdeep Singh Chawla, head of the department, physical education and sports, participated in the 2005 Asian Rope Skipping Championship held at Kuala Lumpur, as assistant manager of the Indian team. Principal Sewa Singh Chawla, who has been associated with the school for nearly three decades, says that the school management has invariably tried to incorporate new developments in the field of education. Named as Sanatan Dharam Primary School earlier, the school was established in 1945. After four years, the school was rechristened. In 1968, it was upgraded to the level of middle school and in 1987, it was elevated to senior secondary level. The school with 2000 students is spread over 56 kanals, and has spacious rooms and excellent infrastructure for sports. It could be one of the reasons why it has produced a number of international and national players. It has its own football ground, shooting ball, handball, netball, basketball and hockey ground, where matches in hockey and fencing under the National School Games were held. |
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Cops get tips to tackle traffic bottleneck
Bathinda, November 29 Speaking about the camp and its significance, DSP (Traffic) Parminder Pal Singh said, “It is a step to educate and make these cops aware about new traffic regulating measures. The whole staff of the traffic wing is supposed to attend the one hour camp daily as it is mandatory.” It was observed that some traffic policemen were not aware of the signs required to regulate traffic. When the instructor Sukhraj Singh asked them to enact a particular sign, some of them were found to be taking a cue from their colleagues. The DSP further ordered them to maintain a diary in which the schedule and other activities would be mentioned. The most embarrassing moment was for two bulky policemen in the front row who were asked by the DSP to maintain their physique. It may be mentioned that SSP Naunihal Singh had sometime back started a fitness camp for policemen in the district. Some of the cops attending the camp were found to be grumbling, but looking at the chaotic state of traffic in the city, the camp may well have served its purpose. |
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Officials warned against falling prey to corruption
Muktsar, November 29 Sudan, who was here yesterday, also met district level officials from different departments. He later said strict action would be taken against those found guilty of irregularities. The commissioner particularly briefed the officials of the revenue department and asked them to ensure smooth conduct of the official machinery and prevent harassment of the public. He, however, appreciated the efforts of deputy commissioner Vikas Garg and his staff members efforts in maintaining the revenue record. Sudan said the officials deputed at this station should feel lucky to have got the opportunity to serve the people. |
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Five legal centres for child adoption
Mansa, November 29 The social security, women and child development departments have adopted a new policy for adopting a child. For this purpose, five institutions have been granted recognition: ‘Yadvindra Pooran Bal Niketan’ Lahori Gate, Patiala ; ‘Shishu Home Trust, Nari Niketan, Nakodar Road, Jallandhar ;’Children Welfare Society Pingla Ghar, Gulab Devi Hospital Road, Jalandhar; Niskam Sewa Ashram Village Dad, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana and Swami Ganganand Bhuriwale International Foundation Dham, village Talwandi Khurd (Ludhiana). Giving the information, deputy commissioner of Mansa, Surjeet Singh Dhillon, said adoption of children from any other sources other than these institutions would be termed illegal. — OC |
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Missing girl found dead
Bathinda, November 29 Bahadur Singh, the brother of the deceased said Mandheer had left home on November 18 and did not return. When she could not be found a case was registered at the Mullepur police station (Fateh Garh) on November 19. The police, on Wednesday, found the unidentified body of a girl and meanwhile following a tip-off, the girl’s family members also arrived and identified her. After the postmortem, police handed over the body to the family members. According to the police, the actual reason for the death can be ascertained only after the viscera report. In charge of the Singo police post said the case came under the jurisdiction of Mullepur police post and cops there were investigating the matter.
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Bathinda, November 29
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Milk van carrying kerosene seized, 3 held
Bathinda, November 29 Sources in the department said that the truck, bearing the number PB-10BN-9859, was plying near Ghuda village at a distance of 14 km from here. The vehicle appeared to be a milk container but during checking, it was found to be containing about 5,000 litres of kerosene. The staff arrested the accused under section 420 of the
IPC. All the accused have been sent on police remand till December 1. The investigating officer said that the canter was on its way to Haryana. To nab the vehicle’s owner, a team would be sent to Ludhiana as he hails from there. |
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Bank staff’s dharna
Bathinda, November 29 Meanwhile, officials of the State Bank of Patiala have pointed out that according to their information, it should have read the State Bank of India, Lehra Mohabbat, and not the State Bank of Patiala, Lehra Mohabbat, as mentioned in the news item relating to BKU activists preventing bank officials from attaching land, published on November 13. |
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Art festival
Bathinda, November 29 |
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Health awareness camp held
Bathinda, November 29 |
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Gidderbaha (Muktsar), November 29
