The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Crucial Meet In Chandigarh Today
Urban plan hangs fire
Barnala, January 30
Since the fate of the three decades old Urban Estate Development Scheme of Barnala more or less depends on the crucial high-level meeting scheduled for January 31 in Chandigarh, everyone here is anxiously waiting for the outcome of the meet, which would be presided over by the Punjab chief secretary.

Midwife charged with illegal abortion
Bathinda, January 30
Health department officials nabbed a midwife, who had aborted the one-and-a-half month old foetus of a woman on her request, at Janta Nagar here, on Wednesday. As per the information, Gulabi Devi, who has five children, visited the nurse, Naresh Kanta, at her residence in Janta Nagar this afternoon.

Principals get tips on fiscal discipline
Bathinda, January 30
It was a classroom with a difference at the two-day workshop for principals of the Army Schools here today with roles reversed for school heads who were seen receiving tips on prudent financial management.

Nineteen injured as bus overturns
Passengers were staff of a pesticides factory

Bathinda, January 30
Nearly 19 employees of a pesticides factory were injured when the bus carrying them overturned at Dabwali road here this morning. The injured have been admitted to a private hospital. No loss of life was, however, reported.

Two of the passengers injured in the road mishap, undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bathinda, on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Change in route of trains
Bathinda, January 30
Owing to the ongoing technical work on the Jind-Rohtak section, the Northern Railway has decided to divert the route of two important trains which touch Bathinda and its adjoining stations, form February 1 to February 20, 2008.

Homage paid to Mahatma Gandhi
Abohar, January 30
DAV College of Education observed the ‘Balidan Diwas’ of the Father of the Nation by organising a blood donation camp. Principal of the college Venita Singh informed that around 51 students (26 of them girls) of M.Ed, B.Ed and ETT classes donated blood at the camp.

10-year jail term for rape accused
Muktsar, January 30
A fast-track court here has awarded 10 years of imprisonment to an accused on the charges of raping a five-year-old girl, two years ago. Additional sessions judge P.P.Singh pronounced the verdict yesterday when the convict, Major Singh of Chaksher Wala village, was tried for the crime that he had committed in his village in September, 2005.

Life sentence for 3
Barnala, January 30
A local court of additional sessions judge, Vivek Puri, has awarded life imprisonment to three, including a woman, in a murder case. The woman is the sister of the deceased.

Officials seize LPG cylinders
Bathinda, January 30
Continuing the drive against the use of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes, district administration officials seized altogether 21 cylinders from a mechanic at Barnala bypass, here on Wednesday.

Officials seizing cylinders in Bathinda on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

Lights go out in Abohar
Abohar, January 30
Taking serious note of the default on paying arrears by the local municipal council, the Punjab State Electricity Board on Tuesday night switched off the streetlights in the entire sub-divisional town besides imposing an additional cut on domestic and industrial customers last night.

Amritsar cops in city on drug trail
Bathinda, January 30
Though police officials were tightlipped, but it was learnt that an investigative team from Amritsar had arrived in the city in connection with a case registered under the NDPS Act, on Wednesday.

	College shifting row intensifies Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Although the district administration has been denying that there is any proposal to shift three noted educational institutes in the city to some other place, the issue, which has snowballed into a controversy, is refusing to cease. And more importantly, the absence of a clear-cut statement is fuelling speculations. Sources said that subsequent to the orders of Sukhbir Badal, the acting president of the SAD (B), the district administration started chalking out plans to shift the Government Rajindra College, Industrial Training Institute and Polytechnic College to the vacant plot at the Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology situated at Dabwali road, here. The alleged proposal to shift these institutes has irked residents and student unions. They are levelling accusations that this is being done to benefit property dealers. Sarup Chand Singla, the SAD halqa in-charge told TNS on Wednesday, “The architectural survey has been completed and the work over the plan is going on and if the Rajindra College shifts to the plot at the Giani Zail Singh Engineering and Technology College, it would be in the interests of girls in the city, as there is no separate college for them and that vacant plot can also be utilised.” On the other hand, when deputy commissioner, Rahul Tewari, was asked about the plan, he expressed his ignorance and refuted it by saying, “I was asked to prepare a plan for the possibility of the construction of new building for the ITI, Polytechnic College and a college for boys at the land lying vacant at the engineering college on Dabwali Road.” When the DPI (Colleges), Kanwarjit Singh was contacted on phone, he said, “No correspondence has been made with the Bathinda district administration for any such project.” On a query relating to the proposal for shifting school or college for girls on the premises of Rajindra College, he said, “They have not informed me about any such proposal.” Residents of the city also do not agree with the proposal to open new colleges. In their view, it would have been better if properly trained staff and infrastructure would have been provided to the existing college to improve educational standards. The staff and students of Polytechnic College today held a meeting, where it was alleged that the administration and the land mafia have joined hands to sell the college land. The students pledged to lodge their protest on the issue. Despite repeated attempts, SAD acting president Sukhbir Singh Badal could not be contacted for his version of the issue.
	Frost fury hits potato farmers Puneet Pal Singh Gill Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Gurcharan Singh, a farmer in his mid 30s from village Nehianwala, does not know whom to blame for the fate of his potato crop. Almost his whole crop, planted on 50 acres of land, which he took on lease on an annual basis for Rs 20,000 per acre, has been damaged due to frost. “Sari fasal tabah ho gayi korey naal. Sanu nahi pata, hun theka kive bharange? (Our entire potato crop has been destroyed due to frost. We don’t know how we would pay our lease amount now?),” said Gurcharan, with tears in his eyes. The secretary (revenue), in a fax message, has already instructed all the deputy commissioners in the state to conduct a special Girdawri (assessment of loss) for the potato, green peas and tomato crops and submit the report within 15 days. Gurcharan is one of the many farmers of Rampura belt, which produces table potato (for daily consumption at home), whose crop has been hit. In this belt, almost 60 per cent crop has been destroyed. “As a last resort, we have already spent Rs 13,000 per acre to save our crop. All that we can do now is pray and wait for the government to announce some relief package.” As the Rampura area falls in the cotton belt of the state, so potato is sown here late as compared to other parts of Punjab. The potato crop sown between October 20 and 31 is suffering a loss of nearly 20 to 40 per cent. The crop, which is 70 days old, is worst hit whereas crop 40 days old has also been hit because its sprouting was affected. In this belt, Kufri Bahaar (3797) is the most sown variety. There are more than 2,000 families involved in potato cultivation here and the main villages where this crop is grown include Kararwala, Bhundar, Nehianwala, Gill Kalan, Harnam Singh Wala, Sailbrah, among others. Potato is cultivated in nearly 65,000 acres of land in Jalandhar belt, in 25,000 acres in Hoshiarpur region and in more than 20,000 acres in Khanna (Ludhiana) and Amritsar areas. In total, Punjab farmers cultivate potato on almost 1.25 lakh acres and the annual production of potato is around 15 lakh tonne. Another farmer Gursewak Singh of village Gill Kalan, whose 20 acres of crop has been hit, feels that there is no other option but to plough the entire crop, which has been damaged due to frost and go in for some alternate crop or sow the crop now. “The loss is so high that it cannot be assessed. Some farmers in neighbouring villages, who had sown crop on just a few acres, have been ruined due to extreme climatic conditions.”
	Crucial Meet In Chandigarh Today Urban plan hangs fire Our Correspondent Barnala, January 30 Since the fate of the three decades old Urban Estate Development Scheme of Barnala more or less depends on the crucial high-level meeting scheduled for January 31 in Chandigarh, everyone here is anxiously waiting for the outcome of the meet, which would be presided over by the Punjab chief secretary. The chances are high that this scheme would die a natural death without seeing the light of the day, thanks to the lukewarm response of the urban development and planning authorities who reportedly did nothing for a well-planned urban estate in the city. But at the same time, the residents are happy over the proposed scrapping of the scheme. In Barnala city, a notification was issued regarding the development of an urban estate on 270.24 acres of land in 1981. But the Punjab Urban and Development Authority (PUDA) did not install even a board on the acquired land. Even on papers, the ownership remained in the name of the old owner. But a few who were not satisfied over the acquisition of land knocked at the doors of various courts for relief. Though some cases have been decided but some are still pending with the apex court in this regard. Meanwhile, more than 70 per cent of the acquired land has been developed by the local people. As per official figures, 157 acre has already been covered up by the houses, 27 by roads and streets leaving behind only 86 acres of land that too scattered on both sides of the Barnala-Sangrur road. Even the municipal committee has issued sewage and water connections to houses built on the said plots of land. The administration remained a mute spectator all along. But all of a sudden, PUDA came into play to develop a modern complex on its old scheme. The PUDA chief and many other high-ranking officials started visiting the place at regular intervals in early 2003 to get the possession of the acquired land. On the request of PUDA authorities, revenue officials stopped the registration of sale deeds in the said area which caused a lot of resentment among the residents, because when people came to know about it, they decided to oppose the move tooth and nail. Lobbying reportedly began and people sought help from the politicians to get the scheme scrapped. Congress MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon reportedly paved the way for scrapping the scheme because of his closeness with the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. After a change of guards, Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa took charge and assured the residents of scrapping the scheme. On Saheed Sewa Singh Thikrwala’s ‘barsi’ on January 19, he declared from the dais in the presence of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal that the PUDA scheme would soon be scrapped. This became the ground for tomorrow’s meeting.
	Midwife charged with illegal abortion Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Health department officials nabbed a midwife, who had aborted the one-and-a-half month old foetus of a woman on her request, at Janta Nagar here, on Wednesday. As per the information, Gulabi Devi, who has five children, visited the nurse, Naresh Kanta, at her residence in Janta Nagar this afternoon. She wanted to abort the pregnancy as she already has five children, including three daughters. After giving her an injection to make her unconscious, the midwife removed the foetus and flushed it in the toilet. Receiving a tip-off, the staff of civil hospital along with the personnel from the canal police post, raided the house and nabbed her. In her statement, the nurse accepted that she had done it on the request of the woman. On her part, Gulabi Devi said she already has five children and was not in a condition to raise another child. A team of doctors comprising assistant civil surgeon I.B.Gupta, M.S. Gill and a gynaecologist Dhira Gupta were involved in the operation. When the doctors were asked, they said it was not a case of sex determination but abortion, which is also illegal. More over the midwife has a certificate which describes her as a nurse and she is not authorised to help in abortions. The husband of the midwife, Satpal said, “I was not at home when the incident took place, so I am ignorant about it.” Canal colony police has registered a case under the MTP Act against the nurse, Naresh Kanta, while Gulabi Devi has been referred to the civil hospital for treatment.
	Principals get tips on fiscal discipline Bhanu P. Lohumi Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 It was a classroom with a difference at the two-day workshop for principals of the Army Schools here today with roles reversed for school heads who were seen receiving tips on prudent financial management. The workshop was organised by the south-western command to acquaint the principals of Army schools falling with intricacies of discreet and deft financial management. The main focus of the workshop was on resource generation, without diluting the social welfare objectives and judicious spending of available funds. The intricacies of financial management were explained to the principals by Krishan Kumar, chairman, Chartered Accountants Association of Bathinda, who also expressed his views on various components of financial management. Inaugurating the workshop, chairman of Army School, Bathinda, Brigadier Ravi Shankar underlined the need for proper training and guidance to help the principals manage the finances meticulously. Explaining the purpose of the workshop, Colonel Rathor, Director, Army schools under SWC, said financial management was an integral part of any organization and it should be done in a transparent manner. Major K.J.S. Shekhon, said that every teacher should be groomed as a resource person, capable of handling different matters and situations. He said that in the age of tough competition, students should be exposed to modern trends and techniques and to achieve this, the best use of information technology should be made. The Army schools have not only launched computer-aided learning on a big scale but also laid greater stress on visual learning which was for more effective as compared to conventional teaching. He said the Army schools have also emerged as role models by ensuring at least 75 per cent attendance of the students and there are no ‘dummy’ students on rolls like in other schools. He said that students should be handled with care and encouraged to pursue courses which are to their liking. The parents and teachers should not bully the students and thrust their will on them, he suggested.
	Nineteen injured as bus overturns Passengers were staff of a pesticides factory Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Nearly 19 employees of a pesticides factory were injured when the bus carrying them overturned at Dabwali road here this morning. The injured have been admitted to a private hospital. No loss of life was, however, reported. Sources said the bus operated by a private transposrt company, bearing the number PB-12D-8325, was on its way to the Industrial Growth Center on Mansa road from Model Town. As the main road was blocked for heavy vehicles due to the ongoing construction of a flyover, the bus had taken a detour but the driver lost control over the vehicle. Nineteen persons were injured in the mishap and were rushed to a private hospital for medical attention. It is reported that the reason for admitting the injured to the private hospital is because one of the doctors there figures on the factory’s panel of doctors.

	Life sentence for 3 Barnala, January 30 A local court of additional sessions judge, Vivek Puri, has awarded life imprisonment to three, including a woman, in a murder case. The woman is the sister of the deceased. Public prosecutor A.K.Sardana informed that Mahinder Singh in his complaint had said that his daughter Parmjeet Kaur, after the death of her husband, developed closeness with Baljeet Singh. Baljeet’s friend Davinder Singh also started visiting her. His sons, Beant Singh and Kulwant Singh, vainly warned her to end the relationship. On July 12, 2006, Kulwant did not return home. He along with his son, Beant, went to Kulwant’s shop. But on the way, he saw both Baljeet and Davinder attacking his son with swords. Kulwant died of severe injuries. A case was registered on July 13, 2006, under the IPC. On the basis of the statement given by Mahinder Singh, the court sentenced all the three to life imprisonment. — OC
	Officials seize LPG cylinders Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Continuing the drive against the use of domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes, district administration officials seized altogether 21 cylinders from a mechanic at Barnala bypass, here on Wednesday. Receiving a tip-off, the district administration, under the leadership of Amit Dhaka, IAS (UT), conducted a raid at a gas kit fitting shop, where the illegal business of refilling LPG cylinders was going on. The team recovered a motor pump, which was allegedly being used for transferring domestic LPG into cylinders fitted in cars. The team recovered a total of 21 cylinders, of which 16 empty ones were found at his godown in Guru Gobind Singh Nagar.
	Lights go out in Abohar Abohar, January 30 Taking serious note of the default on paying arrears by the local municipal council, the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) on Tuesday night switched off the streetlights in the entire sub-divisional town besides imposing an additional cut on domestic and industrial customers last night. Sources in the PSEB, while confirming the “drastic steps” today, said that the municipal council was yet to pay Rs 72.44 lakh as arrears against the power supply for streetlights. The amount had piled up during the last few years. Bills amounting to Rs 22.66 lakh and Rs 10.90 lakh were due on account of power used for running the water works and disposal works by the council, respectively. So far, the council had made a part payment of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 3 lakh only on these accounts. — OC
	Amritsar cops in city on drug trail Tribune News Service Bathinda, January 30 Though police officials were tightlipped, but it was learnt that an investigative team from Amritsar had arrived in the city in connection with a case registered under the NDPS Act, on Wednesday. According to reports, the team visited various police stations and some other places in the city, but when the SHO, Thermal, was contacted, he parried the query saying the team members had left soon after their arrival. When the SSP was contacted, he said that an investigative team from Amritsar was in town and said the team was here to nab some accused in a case registered under the NDPS Act. More details would be forthcoming only on Thursday, he added.