Bathinda, January 11
The shortage of LPG cylinders in Bathinda has disrupted the normal life of the residents. Long queues of consumers in front of all the gas agencies here have become a common sight. But even the long wait does not ensure refilling of cylinders for the consumers, who sometimes lodge their protest by cursing the dealers and the authorities concerned.

On the other hand, the shortage has become a ‘way of making money’ for those selling the cylinder in ‘black’ as the price of cylinders, which is Rs 300 at the authorised gas agencies, has crossed Rs 400, sources said.

The TNS team, during a survey in the city today, found that Peer Khana road has virtually turned into a haven for those selling LPG cylinders in black. Another thing observed was that Rs 50 was being charged in exchange of cylinder of some other company.

Disappointed after being denied LPG cylinders outside a gas agency at Amrik Singh road today in the morning, consumers alleged that they had been asked to come tomorrow as the truck with the LPG supply had not arrived. They asked, “If there is so much shortage, then how come that those selling the gas cylinders in black have them ready for sale?”

When the owner of Amar Sons Gas Agency (HP dealer), Suresh Kumar was contacted, he said, “The shortage has landed us in a very awkward position. The shortage in supply is from the depot, but the consumers do not understand our problem. When we ask the sales officers, they say that refineries are facing the same problem.”

District Food and Supply officer Gurmeet Kaur said she was aware of the situation. “The number of consumers has increased but the dealers have not been getting enough supply,” she said.

Residents, however, also accused the traffic wing of the police department for the problem. They alleged that people runn their vehicles on LPG as the fuel is cheaper and the department concerned had not been carrying out a checking drive against the violation of the rule properly.

A senior gas sales officer said, “The ministries have tightened their fist regarding subsidies but do not want to raise the price as it can create problems for the ruling party. Finding no other option, the dealers have been requested to be tight fisted when it comes to supplying LPG cylinders.” 

Bathinda, January 11
The District Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association of Bathinda organised an eight-day First Aid Training Programme from January 8 to January 10 at the local Red Cross Bhawan building.

About 50 candidates from Moga, Muktsar, Malout, Abohar, Fazilka, Dabwali and Suratgarh attended this camp.

During the camp, lectures on the origin of the Red Cross movement, its objectives, aims and scope of first-aid, dressing and bandage, methods of artificial respiration, burns and scalds, poison cases, injuries to bones and joints were given by Naresh Pathania, district training supervisor of the St. John Ambulance, Bathinda.

J.R. Goyal , secretary of the Red Cross, appealed to the trainees to go to their areas and create awareness about the first aid training methods to avoid loss of human lives. Proficiency certificates were given to the candidates by the secretary of the Red Cross, who were declared successful. First-aid training was imparted to 25 employees of HPCL by the St, John Ambulance of Bathinda district. 

Bathinda, January 11
A woman and her two-year- old daughter were burnt to death in a fire mishap, at Hans Nagar, here on Friday morning. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Sources said that Pushpa and her daughter Aanchal were alone at home, when the incident took place.

Some of the neighbours informed the volunteers of Sahara Jan Seva about the incident, who then rushed them to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda.

Pushpa was reportedly found dead on the spot while her daughter succumbed to burn injuries later in the hospital.

The reason for the accident could not be ascertained till the filing of the report.

A police team, led by Superintendent of Police (D) Sukhdev Singh Chahal and ASP (city) Harsh Kumar Bansal and the staff at the Canal police post is investigating the matter.

Bathinda, January 11
The members of the Khalsa Action Committee, in a meeting held at Gurudwara Singh Sabha here today, stated that all Sikh organisations would be invited to come under a banner to chalk out a strategy for a common Sikh panth.

Addressing the meeting, KAC convener Bhai Mohkam Singh and co-convener Daljeet Singh Bittu said that the meeting was organised to prohibit the Dera Sacha Sauda chief from holding any religious programme in Punjab, for which he had sought permission from the district administration. But he said that the district administration has already rejected the Dera chief’s request. Bittu said that the Maghi conference would be held at Muktsar on January 13, in which all the Sikh followers would be invited to take part for chalking out further strategy.

Speaking to the media, he alleged that the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had diverted from its main role. He accused the SGPC of being under the control of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

“The SGPC is a religious body but a politician is governing the committee, which is against the constitution. Badal is the CM of a state which is part of a secular country. So how can he play a role in the SGPC elections and its affairs? It shows he has been violating the provisions of the constitution,” he said. The KAC members condemned the police for the alleged registration of cases against the Sikhs, who were against the Dera Sacha Sauda programme, in Faridabad, Saharanpur, Rurki and Shamli, in recent days.

The KAC members further alleged that the central and state governments were supporting the Dera chief in their own political interests.

When Daljeet Singh Bittu was asked about the steps taken by the president of the SAD (A), Simranjet Singh Mann, he parried the query saying, “There is no relationship between us.”

Bathinda, January 11
“The Punjab Mandi Board has started the process of identification of officers under whose jurisdiction the collection of market fee has declined and evasion has increased,” Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chairman, Punjab Mandi Board informed this at Jassi Pau Wali village in the district, on Friday. Lakhowal said proceedings would be initiated against officers found guilty. Giving details of the progress made under his chairmanship, Lakhowal said the board has recorded an increase of 110 crore in market fees.

Lakhowal said, details of farmers who committed suicide because of the debts, had been collected and the data would be sent to the Prime Minister as the data already existing in the official records shows less number of the actual deceased farmers. The Mandi Board has also written to the Punjab government for the amendment of the Mandi Board Act, he added. —TNS

Bathinda, January 11
The Bathinda Boxing Association organised the 21st Men’s Boxing Chamionship at the Sports Stadium. For the first time, women boxing championship has also been included. Around 112 men and 20 women from the district are participating in the two-day affair that began today. Sukhvinder Singh Buttar, DSO, inaugurated the championship.

Winners on opening day:

42 to 45 kg: Sanjay Kumar, Pawan, Gurkirat, Prince Singh, Harpreet Singh, Suk Pyar Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh.

45 to 48 kg: Gurjeet Singh, Hardeep Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Kala Singh, Sandeep Singh, Simarjeet Singh, Rajesh Kumar, Anil, Nand Lal. —TNS

Abohar, January 11
The Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) is all set to enter into infrastructure development business.

Talking to newsmen on the sidelines of a seminar on water management in village Shekhsar in Sriganganagar today, IFFCO chairman Surinder Kumar Jakhar said that the globally acclaimed cooperative fertilizer giant would soon set up an agriculture-based food processing special economic zone (SEZ) in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, in its pursuit to empower farmers. This multi-product SEZ, to be named as “Kisan SEZ”, would provide state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities to a range of industries with primary focus on food processing and agro-based industries.

Confirming that the Central government had cleared the IFFCO’s Kisan SEZ proposal, which envisages an investment of about Rs 2,400 crore, Jakhar said this would be India’s first SEZ in which farmers’cooperatives would participate as its shareholders. Kisan SEZ will not only boost industrialisation of the area but also benefit the local population in general and farmers in particular, in terms of employment and business opportunities. It is expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 10,000 persons apart from the large-scale economic development of the region.

The IFFCO’s SEZ is to be set up on about 2,800 acres of land already in its possession without involving any displacement of landowners.

The site is located on NH 5 (Howrah–Chennai highway) and is close to Krishnapatnam port, which is being developed as a major port in south India.

Alongside developing the ‘Kisan’ SEZ, the IFFCO also plans to set up state-of-the-art Technical Training Institute (TTI) and construction training facility in the state to provide training in agriculture and post harvesting technologies, grain storage facilities and to upgrade construction related skills.

The IFFCO also plans to adopt certain ITIs in the region to upgrade their facilities to train local manpower, he added.

The chairman said the IFFCO’s foray into the infrastructure sector was with the prime objective of transforming lives of the farmers. Millions of farmers and thousands of cooperatives shall benefit from this project.

In his address as the chief guest at the seminar, Jakhar gave a detail of the farmer-friendly schemes launched by IFFCO and its allied organisations and exhorted the farming community to ensure a balanced use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides for spraying.

He also advised them to save water by better management, go in for cooperative farming, get latest agricultural implants purchased through the multipurpose cooperative societies and maintain neat and clean record of the inputs used.

The IFFCO chairman announced a Rs 10 lakh grant for the construction of a community centre in villages and asked the officials to prepare a comprehensive project for making computers available in the rural school besides equipment for testing of tube well water, tree plantation and other welfare activities.

The function was marked with presentation of blankets to around 80 needy persons, sewing machines to eight widows and poor women, bicycles to eight girl students, 10 chairs, two cupboards, 12 ceiling fans and sports kits for the schools.

A seed-cum-fertilizer driller, two sprayers and duster were presented to the cooperative society.

IFFCO area manager D.K. Sinwer and deputy manager P.R. Sihag also spoke on the occasion.

Senior agricultural scientists spoke on water management and other related matters to a strong gathering, which included a fair number of farming women from a dozen villages.

Barnala, January 11
The Shaina police booked a sarpanch of Mallian village for alleged embezzlement of government funds while the accused denied the allegation saying it was a case of vendetta politics as the complaint was filed on the dictates of Akali leaders.

As per the available information, Jasndeep Singh of Mallian village, in his complaint lodged with the police, has alleged that Kulwant Singh, sarpanch of Mallian village, has embezzled Rs 17,409 from the funds he had received for development work in the village.

Acting on the complaint, the Shaina police registered a case against Kulwant Singh. Harpal Singh, SHO, Shaina, informed that a case under sections 409 and 406 of the CrPC has been registered but no arrest has been made.

The police was, however, conducting raids to nab him.

On the other hand, Kulwant Singh has alleged that it was all done on the dictates of local Akali leaders as he owed allegiance to the Congress.

He said that though a sum of Rs 17,409 was lying with him after the completion of development works but it cannot be treated as embezzlement.

He further said that he had received a notice from the block development and panchayat officer, Shaina, for depositing the sum with the department on December 31.

Rules say, one has to deposit the remaining amount with the authorities concerned within 15 days of the notice but he had deposited the money with the concerned department on January 4 itself.

In spite of this, a case had been registered against him. This was clearly a case of vendetta, he alleged.

Chandigarh, January 11
In a petition reflecting the state of affairs in Punjab and utter disregard for the Chief Minister’s word, an executive engineer (XEN) with the Public Works Department has alleged that he was transferred five times in two years.

Even the Chief Minister’s advisor agreed that the application for cancellation of transfer was apparently genuine and should be considered symmetrically. Still nothing was done, leaving him with no choice but to move to the Punjab and Haryana HC.

Taking up the petition filed by Darshan Singh Shahi of Ferozepur Cantonment, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, disposed of the matter for decision within a week.

Speaking for the Bench, Justice Gill observed that matter is disposed of as “counsel for the petitioner states that he will be satisfied if the representation made by him to the Chief Minister - where he has recommended that the application be considered sympathetically - is decided within a week from date of receiving the order.”

Shahi, in his petition, had earlier sought the quashing of an order dated January 2, vide which he was transferred to Pathankot in an “illegal and arbitrary” manner “without any reason or justification”.

Directions were also sought to the State of Punjab against transferring him again and again as it was contrary to the policy and instructions on general transfers of employees issued by the authorities concerned from time to time.

Giving details, Shahi claimed he submitted a representation to the CM for cancellation of transfer or adjustment at the same station. The application was duly recommended and forwarded by the Advisor to the Chief Minister to the authorities concerned Yet no action was taken.

Abohar, January 11
The Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan (BKU), in a sequel to its fight against the proposed acquisition of 2,500 acre agricultural land to set up a thermal plant in the private sector in Balluana Assembly segment here today, held a demonstration inside the sub-divisional complex.

BKU district secretary Gurmail Singh Burjan, block president Sukhmandir Singh and others strongly criticised the state government for conducting survey to acquire two-crop prime irrigated agricultural land in villages Bhangala, Kundal and Chanankhera. They recalled that the Muslim population in these villages had been exchanged with the families displaced due to migration after partition in 1947, having property in the West Punjab province. The present government looked determined on uprooting them again. They warned that the surveyors would not be allowed to visit the villages.

Mansa, January 11
About Rs 32 lakh was spent towards old age pension while Rs 1.32 crore was spent on providing a healthy diet to the pregnant women in Mansa district during the year 2007-08, Gulzar Singh Ranike, a minister in Punjab government, said in a press realease here on Thursday.

After presiding over the meeting of the District Development and Planning Board (DDPB), Ranike informed that Rs 15.33 lakh under the Indira Awaas Yojna and Rs 26.37 lakh for welfare schemes had been received.

He also informed that Rs 1.65 crore would be used for single point electricity connection for people belonging to the Scheduled Castes.

Ranike also asked the district officials to open pension accounts for the old. — OC

Abohar, January 11
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) today arrested a tempo driver for crashing the barrier at the railway crossing just a few minutes before the arrival of an Express train.

Gateman Charanjit said the 2482 Sriganganagar-New Delhi Intercity superfast train was late due to thick fog in the morning. On getting the message about its arrival, he pulled the barrier down at about 9 am but a tempo ignoring the red lights, tried to cross by crashing the barrier.

The tempo was on its way to Nai Abadi from Krishna Nagri locality carrying three school students. However, he could not succeed in fleeing.

One Darbara Singh of the RPF confirmed that the tempo had been taken into custody and its driver Ranjit Kumar was arrested under section 154 of the Railway Act.

It is pertinent to mention here that as many as two times in the past four-five weeks,rail mishaps have been averted here, as the drivers halted the trains on finding that barriers were not closed. — OC 

Moga, January 11
The district administration has formed a committee to streamline city traffic by drawing officials not only from various departments but also people from different walks of life.

Deputy commissioner Satwant Singh Johal said the committee was formed to streamline the chaotic and unplanned traffic system in the city. The committee constitutes DSP City, executive officer of the municipal council, traffic police in-charge, inspector and two representatives of each residential block and road. It would be headed by additional deputy commissioner.

He warned of an exemplary punishment to those who violated traffic rules.

Abohar, January 11
Launching another phase of agitation to force the state government to reject the Electricity Act 2003, the Technical Services Union (TSU) organised a dharna and a demonstration at the sub-divisional complex of the Punjab State Electricity Board here on Sriganganagar road today.

The union had threatened that a day-long strike across the state might be planned for February 7.

Circle president Baldev Singh, sub-divisional president Nirmal Singh, secretary Anirudh Prasad and other senior workers, while addressing the gathering, said the present state government had failed in fulfilling its pre-election promise of supplying electricity round-the-clock. They demanded that the TSU workers sacked by ordering transfers and suspensions for participating in the agitation should be reinstated. — OC

Fazilka, January 11  
The State Bank of India, Fazilka branch, organised a consumers’ meet to apprise them of different scheme launched by the bank.

Ramesh Chander Sethi, AGM, Ludhiana zone, said the bank had set up Elite Clubs in each town, which included the bank’s customers. They may hold a monthly meeting to discuss the bank’s shortcomings and achievements. — OC

Fazilka, January 11
Border Security Force DIG V.K. Sharma laid stress on age-old adages — prevention is better than cure and healthy mind in a healthy body — at the health awareness and de-addiction workshop organised by the BSF with the cooperation of an NGO, NADA India International, Delhi.

The DIG said there was no problem of addiction in the BSF battalions but he exhorted officers and jawans to be aware of the adverse affects of intoxicants. For this reason, the BSF organised a workshop at all battalion headquarters. He advised the BSF jawans to keep themselves away from all intoxicants.

The DIG admitted that BSF officers and jawans live under stress and therefore, holding such a workshop might prove to be useful for them.

Sharma said to keep the jawans away from the intoxicants, some officers in each battalion have been designated as instructors to create awareness. Pardeep Goyal and Dinesh Singh, representatives of the NADA India International, highlighted the damages caused by alcohol and other intoxicants.

Moga, January 11
In order to press for their demands, Anganwadi workers staged a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and Joginder Singh Chowk here today.

Karmchand Chandaliya, state president, class IV, INTUC, said all 35 members of the Anganwadi Workers Union, arrested on December 25, must be immediately released. He also demanded granting of class IV grade to all the Anganwadi workers, who were drawing Rs 47 as daily wages. The workers also raised slogans against the state government. — TNS