Bathinda, December 17
The demolition drive initiated to remove the encroachments from a park in the Tagore Nagar area of the city on November 25 seems to have come to a naught as the squatters have pitched their tents again, this time in a park adjacent to the previous one, bringing the situation back to square one.

Last month, the officials of the Improvement Trust, Bathinda, accompanied by fire tenders, women cops, commandos, NGOs and a JCB machine, had removed the 30 jhuggis in the Tagore Nagar park on the pretext that the land came under the 25.21-acre scheme of the Trust.

At the time of the demolition drive, K.K. Yadav, administrator, Improvement Trust, Bathinda, had said that the reason behind the drive was to get the park back in its original condition, but the return of the slum dwellers has only underlined the futility of the exercise.

Within no time, those displaced have settled down in the adjacent park and some of them have even installed their tents along the boundary wall of that very park from where they were uprooted.

The residents of the area have been complaining about regular thefts allegedly being committed by these slum dwellers who are mostly migrants. Some of them even said that they are wary of leaving their homes because of the possibility of theft.

Said Sukhmander Singh Laddi, the owner of Paramvir Gas Agency, “Earlier, these jhuggiwalas were living in the rear portion. But after the demolition drive, they have found a new place and shifted to the front side of the park, which is located in the market. It shows the indifference of the authorities,” he added.

“These people have installed their tents in the park facing the market, where every Sunday we hold a market for two-wheelers. They are a blot on the market,” said a dealer of second-hand two-wheelers, Sohan Kumar.

On the other hand, the slum dwellers were found blaming the authorities and demanding compensation for the loss which they had to suffer during the demolition drive.

When contacted, administrator, Improvement Trust, Bathinda, K.K. Yadav said, “At the time of the demolition drive, they asked for some more time so that they could shift to some other area.”

But when asked about whether the slum dwellers had sought permission to set up jhuggis again there, he parried the query and assured that the encroachments would be removed soon. 

Bathinda, December 17
To ensure at least 100 days of employment to people living in the rural areas, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) 2005 scheme is all set to be implemented from April 1, 2008.

To ensure the effective implementation of the schme in the district, a training camp was organised on Monday in Bathinda block.

The aim of the scheme is to end wage unemployment in rural areas and build up durable assets. The Act provides a legal guarantee of 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose members are willing to work as unskilled labourer.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Vijay N. Zade, while briefing about the scheme, said any adult who is a village resident can give an application to the village panchayat for registration.

The panchayat would scrutinise the application within a fortnight and in the next 15 days, a job card will be issued to the applicant. The applicant will be given job for 100 days. If employment is not provided within 15 days of receiving the application, then there is a provision for providing unemployment allowance.

Under the scheme, people hailing from a rural background would be employed in as many as eight fields namely, water conservation, drought proofing (including plantation and afforesation), flood protection, land development, major irritation, horticulture and land development on the land of SC/ST/BPL/IAY and reform beneficiaries and rural connectivity.

The special committees would make the recruitments and 60 per cent would be engaged in manual unskilled jobs, while the rest of the 40 per cent would be hired for jobs relating to the material ratio. The scheme specifically mentions that the contractors cannot not hire anybody on their own.

District Development and Panchayat Officer, Bathinda, Parampal Kaur said that these committees are to be constituted to ensure the smooth functioning of the scheme. A list of projects is to be prepared for every village panchayat, which will be approved by the deputy commissioner-cum-district programme co-ordinator.

Rajinder Batra, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Bathinda, who is also a programme officer for the scheme said that work site facilities will also be provided for the benefit of workers which include drinking water, provision for shade and facility for crèche for children when more than five women with children will work at the site. Besides, first aid facilities and aid in case of injury at work will be provided to the workers. The working hours have been fixed at seven hours and an hour for rest.

The participants at the camp were doubtful about the proper implementation of the scheme. Most felt that the government introduces various policies but the implementation is slow. But Zade assured them that the scheme would be implemented properly. 

Bathinda, December 17
“Jiven chan te chakor, jiven gadva te dor, jiven machli te maan sraan, aina tainu pyar karan…’’ Almost every Punjabi has heard this famous song of Balkar Sidhu but very few know that the bird `chakor’, which is always referred to have a special relationship with the moon, is being sold on the streets of this town at a price: Rs 200 a piece.

When asked about the use of chakor, Rajesh, who hails from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and is selling these birds in Bathinda is quick to inform, “Its meat is considered good for health, especially during the winter season. People who buy them also eat its eggs, which are very costly and are sold at Rs 8 per piece. Moreover, if this bird is reared at home, then it eats almost all the pests and rodents. You won’t find cockroaches, beetles, spiders, lizards, rats etc if you have a chakor in your house.’’

This bird, believed to be found only in UP, are reared in large numbers there.

“Like the poultry farms here, we rear these birds in large numbers in our villages back home. It lays eggs for only a few months in a year. That is why they are sold at a higher price,’’ he added.

Rajesh has been visiting Punjab and selling these birds for the last 5-6 years. ``I visit Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir and sell these birds every year. Every year, I bring almost 150-200 birds, but this year I brought 250 of them. It has been almost two months that I have been in this part of the country selling chakors. These birds were transported by a train and our first destination was Ambala. From there, we went to various parts of Punjab including Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Jammu, Ferozepur, Faridkot and other cities.’’

``We brought 250 birds this year and now we are left with just 60 pieces. After Bathinda, we will be going to Sirsa in Haryana and from there back to Uttar Pradesh. By that time, we expect to sell our stock. When we reach our home, we plan to have a grand party full of `masti’,’’ he says with a smile on his face.  

Bathinda, December 17
The ‘houseful’ board outside the cinema halls in Bathinda have become a thing of the past. The dwindling interest of cinema-goers, because of the easy availability of the latest films through numerous TV channels, CDs and DVDS, coupled with the existing `faulty’ tax structure, is casting a grim shadow over cinema halls in the city.

There are five cinema halls in the city and a visit to them reveals the problems they are battling. With literally empty parking lots, even the bicycle stands wear a deserted look.

Most owners of popular theatres in Punjab have been left with no other option but to convert their cinema houses into shopping complexes. Some, who had preferred to pull along out of sentiments, are on the brink of closing down.

The cinema halls in Punjab have already suffered at the time of militancy and later at the hands of numerous TV channels and video parlours. According to sources in Northern India Motion Pictures Association (NIMPA), Jalandhar, almost 24 major cinema houses in the state had become a victim to the “indifference” on the part of the viewers and the state government.

“The biggest setback to the film exhibition industry in Punjab was the highest and unprecedented lump sum entertainment tax, to the tune of 125 per cent as compared to 50 per cent in Haryana and Chandigarh. To save its film trade, Himachal Pradesh has totally waived the entertainment tax. So how can cinema halls afford to survive in such an atmosphere?” says an official of NIMPA.

Mohan Lal, manager, Pukhraj theatre, said, “Earlier, a film was considered to be a hit if it ran for 25 weeks but now it is considered to be a hit if it runs for a maximum of four to five weeks. Similarly, earlier a family on an average preferred to go to a cinema hall once a week. Now, such a visit takes place once in two or three months.”

“Why would anybody leave the comfort of his home and jostle with people when the pirated CD or DVD of any latest film is available at a price less than Rs 50. The migrant population was the mainstay of cinema halls, but this too has been lost to other alternatives like CDs and DVDs,’’ Major Singh, manager, Ajaib Theatre, rued.

Jaspal Garg, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Bathinda, said,

“As per the Entertainment Duty Act of the Punjab government, we get a lump sum tax of Rs 1,74,816 from six odd theatres under my jurisdiction (including one Deep Cinema at Rampura Phul).’’ 

Abohar, December 17
SAD MP Zora Singh Mann today confirmed that the central government had released Rs 55.56 crore under the Border Area Development Scheme (BADS) for Ferozepur district.

Speaking to news persons at the residence of Chaudhary Vishnu Dutt here before beginning a three-day tour of Abohar sub-division for distribution of cheques for different projects, Mann said he would try his best to benefit each village as the electorate had created a history of sorts by electing him to the Lok Sabha for three 
consecutive terms.

His efforts to get the Hussainiwala border reopened for trade with Pakistan had reached a decisive stage but the political turmoil in the neighbouring country delayed giving it a final touch.

He hoped to get the proposal included in next round of bilateral talks as and when normalcy returns in Pakistan.

Giving details about allocation of funds for the district under the BADS the MP said that the Abohar assembly segment will get Rs 4.58 crore, Balluana Rs 4.29 crore, Fazilka Rs 8.37 crore, Jalalabad West Rs 13.03 crore, Guruharsahai Rs 15.62 crore, Ferozepur Cantonment Rs 0.86 crore and Ferozepur city Rs 9.83 crore.

The funds were to be utilised within a 20-km radius of the international border.

Efforts had been made to provide each village with a pucca link road besides other amenities.

The state government has already chalked out a plan with an assistance of Rs 4,000 crore from NABARD for lining of the eastern canal besides remodelling and cleansing of old canals to ensure the supply of water for irrigation and drinking purposes in this region, he informed.

Construction and widening of the Abohar-Hindumalkot and Abohar-Kallarkhera roads under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna was also in progress. All the national highways in the district will be renovated and widened, the MP added.

Mann was of the view that farmers should be given the liberty of cultivating crops of their choice keeping in view their economic viability.

The state government will do its best to ensure adequate supply of water for irrigation besides electricity for tube-wells.

Inputs were becoming costlier and rise in prices of essential commodities and agricultural inputs had affected the farming community.

The Central government should devise ways and means to check price rise to ensure better living conditions for all, he suggested.

District SAD general secretary Surinder Saluja briefed Mann about the problems of the area. 

Moga, December 17
A four-member team of the Indian Railways from Delhi visited Chuhad Chak village and the railway crossing near here today to enquire and record the circumstances and evidence that led to the tragic accident between the Satluj Express and a mini-bus, which resulted in the death of 16 persons on December 14.

After the three-day enquiry, the committee would submit its report to the higher officials, which would ultimately be handed over to the Ministry of Railways, for taking relevant action and precautions to avert such accidents in future.

Security commissioner Bhupinder Singh, who is heading the delegation, said he would give the details in the report for perusal to the ministry.

About 150 employees of the northern zone assisted the team. For efficient working, the team was divided into four parts. And to record the statements of the injured, teams went to the DMC, Ludhiana, the civil hospital at Jagraon and to village Chuhad Chak.

He said that the team would camp at the local railway station for the next two days in order to record the statements of the witnesses. He added that any person with queries and doubts pertaining to the security, especially at the railway crossing, could meet the team members.

Singh said that lackadaisical approach of the railway employees would be dealt with sternly.

There are about 21 unmanned railway crossings in the Ferozepur division that needed immediate attention of the authorities. In winters, fog reduces the visibility and resultantly, the chances of accidents increase, he added. 

Barnala, December 17
The two widows, Kirandep Kaur and Neena Rani, who lost their husbands about three years ago, have demanded financial help from the state government. 

Though the local court of Additional Session Judge Vivek Puri has awarded life imprisonment to the accused Beant Singh with a fine of Rs 5,000 for the murder of two persons on December 13, 2007, yet it is not enough for the two wives.

Reacting to the court verdict, the two widows sought death sentence for Balwinder Singh as he snatched away the only breadwinners of their families. They said that even after a span of three years, the state government had not given any financial aid to their families and it was really difficult for them to carry the affairs. Neena Rani has two daughters and a son while Kirandeep Kaur has two sons.

Narrating their woes, both the widows said that on the fateful night of March 17, 2004, people in the Mangewal village had organised a jagrata at a public place called Sath. While they were singing bhajans, all of a sudden, Beant Singh rammed his truck at the place where people were sitting.

In the incident, Balwinder Singh and Pawan kumar died on the spot and three got injured.

The police had registered a case under sections 302 and 307. Listening to the arguments of both the counsels, the local court of Additional Session Judge Vivek Puri awarded life imprisonment to the accused Beant Singh with a fine of Rs 5000 each for murder on December 13, 2007. 

Abohar, December17
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s younger brother and former MP Gurdas Singh Badal has said that priority should be given to make health services more effective and easily accessible besides ensuring supply of potable drinking water in each village.

Speaking at a thanks-giving ceremony organised by Jathedar Kaur Singh Balluana, circle president of the Shiromani Akali Dal at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha here today, the former MP lauded the state government for taking up the cancer hospital project at Bathinda.

He said the Malwa region had been worst affected by cancer, respiratory and water-borne diseases due to excessive spraying of insecticides on cotton and other crops during the last five years.

Most patients had unfortunately died as they could not afford expensive treatment, he said.

Regretting that the visitors to the civil hospitals and rural dispensaries during the past five years were seldom provided medicines free of cost, he suggested that not only patients from the BPL families but also from the middle class should be ensured free and fair treatment at government-run medical centres.

He also reminded the government doctors that their profession was regarded as noble and a missionary spirit needed to be nurtured in all times.  

Ferozepur, December 17
The Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) has taken strict cognizance of the spat involving party men at the dharna organised outside the deputy commissioner’s office against the alleged repressive and anti-people policies of the present state government.

District Congress Committee president Gurnaib Brar, who met PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to apprise her about the incident, today said that the party chief took a serious view of the incident pertaining to indiscipline by some party workers and leaders.

Brar said that Bhattal warned the party rank and file against airing their grievances in public.

The DCC president said that the matter was forwarded to the disciplinary action committee of the PPCC and the committee would enquire into the incident. It would submit its report for necessary action.

Brar further said that the PPCC president had made it clear that indiscipline in the party would not be tolerated at any cost and anybody found tarnishing the party’s image would be dealt with strictly, irrespective of his position in the party. 

Abohar, December 17
Four deer were killed and one was injured when an unidentified vehicle hit them near village Mehrana Dhora in the open wildlife sanctuary here on Sunday. Early in the morning, the villagers found four dead and one injured deer.

It appeared that some vehicle had hit the herd when it was crossing the road.

The incident has sent shock waves among the Bishnoi community that struggles hard to save the animals.

Later, some members of the community cremated the dead deer near a temple after performing prayers and took the injured deer to the check-post for its treatment. — OC 

Bathinda, December 17
To support the demand for arrest of the accused in the case in which a labourer was killed when he reportedly fell in a brick klin some time back, members of some political parties and labour groups jointly blocked the traffic outside the Bhagta police post in the district, today.

During the protest, Jagjit Singh Joga, district secretary, CPI, alleged that the labourer Raja who died in the mishap, was killed by administering some poison and then to protect the accused, he was hanged from a hook in the ceiling to make it look like murder. Even after the registration of a case, the accused were still at large mainly because of their political contacts, he alleged. Joga said that the district administration had called them to discuss the matter on Tuesday but threatened to intensify the stir if the accused were not arrested. — TNS 

Bathinda, December 17
Even if half the people living in Bathinda were to buy a bottle of cold drink, then around 6 lakh wallets would end up losing between Rs 12 lakh-30 lakh. This is not a small amount!

People in the city are actually paying more than the maximum retail price (MRP) on most packaged food items like chips, biscuits and cold drinks, despite having immunity under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

Charging a fictional price, which is nowhere written, confectioners in Bathinda are rationalising it on the alibi of high electricity charges. “We charge extra for keeping the cold drinks cool,” said the owner of a leading bakery in Dhobi Bazaar. As if, elsewhere, cold drinks are served hot!

The MRP printed on bottles of cold drink is Rs 10 but stall owners overcharge by fixing the price at Rs 12 or Rs 13. The 500ml bottles are charged Rs 5 more than the printed rate.

Bathinda bus stand and the railway station are mirror images of this competitive cheating. Here, chips, biscuits, cakes, mineral water bottles and other packaged food items are sold at a price which is 20-25 per cent higher than the printed MRPs.

In Bathinda , summer are characterised by temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius and beverages are a big source of relief and soft drinks sell the most among them all.

For the five film theatres here, it is business as usual. It seems an unwritten norm to charge the cinema-goers a higher price. Beverages are charged 50 per cent more and eatables too cost 20 –30 per cent more than the printed MRPs.

Admitting the charge, Mohan Lal , manager of Pukhraj cinema hall , said the canteen had been given on contract, for Rs 3,000 per day, but because sale is just in between the intervals, they charge more than the printed rates.

Under the weights and measures (packaged commodities) rules, all packaged goods should carry pertinent information including the maximum retail price (MRP), date of manufacturing, date of expiry and weight of the product.

The MRP is the maximum price at which a product can be sold and it is inclusive of all taxes. The consumers too must shop at bargain prices, below the MRP. If one charges higher than the MRP, it amounts to unfair trade practices and a consumer can complain to the Department of Weights and Measures.

By filing a complaint before the consumer court, a customer can ask for punitive action against the retailer and thus can hinder this common practice of cheating. But no such case been filed before the consumer court in Bathinda ever since its inception.

The problem lies in the mental block people have about the courts. Jaideep Nayar , a leading lawyer, said that a customer does not need an attorney in consumer cases.

All that is needed is a simple application about the complaint and the court takes a suo motu action. However, a bill is necessary to achieve a legal victory.

So Bathindians, pay the MRP and do ask for a bill! 

Fazilka, December 17 
Whereas over one lakh unemployed teachers are seeking jobs, there are about 13,000 primary schools in Punjab that are still awaiting the appointment of teachers.

As a result, teaching condition in primary schools, considered to be the basic pillar of education, remains a cause of concern.

According to a survey conducted by Raj Kishore Kalra, patron of the NGO Shiksha Sudhar Committee, Punjab, the entire primary education in the state has been divided into 228 blocks.

Of these 228 blocks, 220 are without regular block primary education officers. Senior head teachers who have been given additional charge, are managing the affairs.

According to a statement by education minister Upinderjit Kaur, besides the vacancies for block primary education officers, there are 472 vacancies of centre head teachers, 1,640 head teachers and about 10,000 vacancies of ETT teachers in Punjab at present.

Giving a districtwise detail, Kalra disclosed that in Ferozepur there are 276 vacancies of ETT teachers, 75 of head teachers and 47 of centre head teachers.

In Muktsar district, there are 369 vacancies of ETT teachers, 46 head teachers and 12 centre head teachers. In Bathinda district, there are 380 vacancies of ETT teachers, 69 head teachers and 21 centre head teachers.

In Mansa district, there are 95 vacancies of ETT teachers, 55 head teachers and 11 centre head teachers. In Moga, there are 668 vacancies of ETT teachers, 71 head teachers and 25 centre head teachers. In Faridkot district, there are 99 vacancies of ETT teachers, 31 head teachers and 7 centre head teachers.

Ironically, there is no vacancy of any teacher in Barnala district.

The Shiksha Sudhar Committee has, through a memorandum sent to the chief minister and education minister, demanded the filling up of the vacancies to streamline teaching in primary schools.  

Barnala, December 17
The Gehalan police arrested two persons for raping a married woman here today. ASI Amarjeet Singh, in charge of Gehalan police post, said that the woman, who was accompanied by her husband, was on way to Cheenewal Kalan from Gehalan.

But on the way, two persons, Manpreet Singh and Jaspreet Singh, both resident of Gehalan, forcibly took her to a nearby place and committed the crime. Her husband called out for help but to no avail.

The duo allegedly threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident. The matter was then reported to the Gehalan police. On the basis of the woman’s statement, the police arrested the accused. A case has been registered against them. — OC