DIG, Faridkot Range, Jitendra Jain: “The new year will be adopted as the drug de- addiction drive year in the range. The campaign for the purpose will be as intensive as possible.”

DC, Rahul Tewari: “The residents of Bathinda will discover 2008 as the year of development. The whole staff is committed to providing selfless service for the welfare of the people living in the city.”

   SSP, Naunihal Singh: “In the year 2008, I am    committed to providing a physically fit and active police force. Attempts will also be made to see that the crime graph goes down.”

MP from Bathinda, Paramjit Kaur Gulshan: “All the    promises made to the people of the constituency will  be fulfilled and efforts will be made to make the people happy”

  Administrator, Improvement Trust, Bathinda, K.K.  Yadav: “The year 2008 has been planned as a green   year for the city as plantation of trees is high on our  agenda.”

Civil Surgeon, Maninderjit Singh: “Our resolution for the   year 2008 includes AIDS control and check over female foeticide. These are on top in our list.”

President, District Bar Association, J.R. Khattar: “In    this year, the DBA will try its level best to strengthen    the unity of the lawyers.”

  Principal, Government Rajindra College, Ram          Krishan Bangar: “Our college would be starting             PGDCA and BCA courses in January 2008. More             technical courses would also be started in our college next year. Being a sportsperson, I would also urge my athlets in my college to work hard. Our main focus in the year 2008 would be to win the Punjabi University overall sports championship.’’

Principal, DAV College, Dr J.S. Anand: “We want a green  Bathinda   and for that purpose, our college would be planting one lakh saplings   across the city in the year 2008.’’

Noted lyricist Amardeep Gill: “For me, the new year    will come only when society becomes free from            corruption and other such evils.’’

Chief Agriculture Officer Paramjit Singh: “First and  foremost, I would work hard to make the food security    mission a success. I would also be learning yoga next   year.’’

President, Punjab Beopar Mandal, Madal Lal Kapoor: “We have always fought for the rights of traders and industrialists of the state and even next year, we would continue to do so.’’

CGM, NFL, Bathinda, K.S. Gill: “I, along with my team, will try to achieve the production target to meet the supply-demand ratio.”

ATM, Northern Railway, Bathinda, Sher Singh: “Efforts wiil be made to capture new goods traffic & provide better services to customers and passengers.”

Station Superintendent, Bathinda, D.K. Singh: “Maintenance of punctuality of trains and ensuring safety to the passengers at all costs.”

Post Commander/RPF, Northern Railway, Bathinda, DC Arya: “I will dedicate myself and my staff to the security of passengers as well as railway property.”  

Bathinda, December 31
“If the party high command makes Sukhbir Singh Badal the acting chief minister of the state, I will welcome it,” said Balwinder Singh Bhunder, general secretary of SAD (B).

Bhunder was here to attend the inaugural ceremony of a private hospital on Bhatti road, today.

Talking to TNS, Bhunder spoke about many upcoming projects. “Formalities regarding a thermal power plant in Barnala and a girls college in Sardoolgarh have been completed. Contracts are going to be finalised and the projects will be gifted to the people at the earliest,” he said.

“Everyone is aware of the plan for the revamping of the irrigation system in the state but it will be done in a systematic way. The process will be initiated on a priority basis. The point first selected is Patiala feeder number 1 and for that, Rs 30 crore has been released,” he informed.

Bhunder accepted that speculations were rife that Sukhbir may step into his father’s shoes and become the acting chief minister at the time of Maghi Mela in January.

Replying to a query about the alleged failure of some government schemes, he said, “Nothing has been decided so far. It all will be discussed at the coordinating committee meeting whose member I am. The committee has four members from SAD (B) and three from the BJP.”

About the burden of the toll tax to be levied across the state, Bhunder said, “The ruling party did not sign any contract. These were all signed by the previous Congress government for which the people will have to now suffer.”

On the forthcoming panchayat elections, he said, “The elections will be conducted with the aim of electing indirect sarpanches so that groupism can be avoided.”

Asked about the reported discrimination in allocation of funds between Anandpur Sahib and Talwandi Sabo, he replied, “It was done on the basis of plans for upcoming projects. There is no discrimination as the two places have their historic value and the government respects it.”  

Abohar, December 31
Speculation is rife here after the way a canter-load of huge hoardings of a former MP, Jagmeet Singh Brar, with the election symbol of the Congress, was swiftly emptied on Sunday and his supporters installed the same at strategically located crossings.

The colourful hoardings, through which Brar is greeting the people on the occasion of New Year and praying for peace and prosperity, carry the pictures of the party president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC secretary Meera Kumar, PPCC president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Rahul Gandhi.

Most of the passers-by, after having a look at the hoarding at Major Surinder Chowk, termed it as a preparation for the Lok Sabha elections.

Brar is known for posing a challenge to the SAD (B) chief Parkash Singh Badal’s family in parliamentary elections from their home constituency, Faridkot. He twice contested from the Ferozepur constituency, unsuccessfully.

The conjecture is that some senior party leaders in different Assembly segments had sabotaged his prospects fearing he would dominate in the district if elected. Now when there were indications that Sukhbir Singh Badal might be elevated to the office of the SAD (B) president soon and then would opt to reign in the state politics, the chances of Brar trying his luck again from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency has brightened.

Those who noticed him sitting next to Sonia Gandhi on the dais during the last meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had enough reasons to draw their own conclusions which further fuels the speculations, party sources said.

It may be mentioned here that Zora Singh Mann had been elected to the Lok Sabha on the SAD (B) ticket for last three terms from this constituency and it might be proper for the Congress to put up a grassroot heavyweight like Jagmeet Singh Brar in the coming elections, political observers feel. 

Bathinda, December 31
Just on the last day of the year 2007, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, B.D. Gupta, has been transferred.

The aditional charge of the post has been shifted to K.K.Yadav, IAS. Yadav is already occupying the seat of administrator of the Improvement trust, Bathinda. When Yadav was contacted on phone, he said, “The order has been received late in the evening and I will try my level best to serve the public.”

Gupta’s transfer comes at a time when the municipal elections in the city are scheduled to be held some time this year and it has already created speculations over the ruling party’s plans to wrest control of the MC. 

Abohar , December 31
Hundreds of farmers joined the Chetna March organised by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ekta-Ugrahan, here to mobilise people against the proposed acquisition of 2,500 acres of prime irrigated agricultural land for the setting up of 1,100 MW thermal plant in the private sector in the Balluana Assembly segment.

The march, led by BKU district secretary Gurmail Singh Burjan, passed through Kundal, Bhangala and Chanankhera villages where protest rallies were held. The BKU activists strongly criticised the SAD (B) for backtracking on the promises made during the February elections that the two-crop fertile land would not be acquired for industrial use.

Burjan also questioned the wisdom of promoting thermal plants when developed countries like China and UK were abandoning theirs arguing that these caused health-related problems.  

Muktsar, December 31
Nearly 500 activists from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and different unions of the state government employees today joined in the protest of the anganwadi workers for the release of 35 women lodged in Ferozepur Central Jail for the last six days.

They burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and raised anti-government slogans, as they gave an ultimatum to the state government for an immediate release of the 35 women who had been arrested during the protest at Badal village earlier this week. They gave a memorandum in this regard to the Muktsar SDM.

Addressing the sit-in in front of the DC office here, Aganwadi Workers Union national general secretary Daljinder Kaur alleged that the state government was in a repressive mood and was curbing the democratic voice of the people. “The women are being insulted in police stations as the ruling politicians and the administrators have no sensitivity in performing their duties and dealing with the public,” she said.

Besides the BKU, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Workers Union, Democratic Teachers Front and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union were among those who joined today’s agitation of the Anganwadi workers.  

Barnala, December 31
A debt-ridden farmer committed suicide at Thullewal village about 15 km from here on Sunday. The deceased, identified as Chamkaur Singh, 28, is survived by his wife and two children, both minors.

As per sources, Chamkaur’s family owned about 4.5 acres of land. But about two years ago, the land was sold owing to financial crisis. After this, Chamkaur did farming by obtaining land on a contract basis.

He took four acres of land at nearby Manal village but failed in his endeavour due to the high cost of agricultural inputs. He was not even able to manage his domestic affairs because of the reported economic pressure.

On Sunday morning, Chamkaur reportedly consumed poisonous liquor in his fields. After learning of the situation, people called up his family.

His brothers took him to the civil hospital in Barnala for treatment. But on the way he collapsed. After the postmortem, the body was handed over to the family for cremation. A case under section 174 CrPC has been registered.

Puran Singh, former director of the Land Mortgage Bank, Barnala, and a native of Thullewal village, while expressing his condolence to the bereaved family, said the village panchayat had demanded compensation for the deceased’s kin. 

Mansa, December 31
The Cultural and Lok Sewa Manch organised the 3rd Cultural Fair, Mela Mansa Da, at the Khalsa School on Sunday. The fair was sponsored by the HBN Group of Delhi. 

The fair was inaugurated by Vijay Singla, convener of the Manch and president Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. The fair started with Sukhrajpreet and his companions presenting their poetry against foeticide and drug addiction.

In the latter half of the fair, woollens were given to poor kids. The chief guest M.F. Farooqi, SSP Mansa, distributed mementoes. A cassette, ‘Chandi de Chhalle’, of folk singer Sewak Mann, was also released on the occasion.