Bathinda, February 2
If all goes as per plans, Bathinda would soon be on the tourist map. A high-level team comprising officials of central and state tourism departments today visited several sites in the city to explore the feasibility of launching the tourist promotion scheme here.

The team comprising Sudhir Kumar, deputy director, union tourism ministry, Surender Bajaj, deputy director, Punjab tourism department, Navin Kumar, principal, Dr Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, and representatives of the hotel and restaurant industry, visited Qila Mubarak, Rose Garden and the lakes for the purpose.

Talking to media persons here, Bajaj said, “The department is going to develop all possible tourist destinations in the state. Sukhbir Singh Badal, the newly-elected president of SAD (B), proposed Bathinda as one such destination and the team visited these sites and found that they have potential for tourism.”

“At the Bathinda Fort, we have been planning to build a live theatre, which will definitely attract people and contribute to the exchequer. We have been planning a light and sound show, in which the pre-set programmes will take back visitors to the times of the riyasat.”

About developing Rose Garden, the officials said that through musical fountains and rides for the kids, it could be developed as an attractive place for tourists. The department has also planned to set up an information centre to guide visitors about Bathinda.

About plans to develop the lakes with shikara boats, the officials said a consultant firm would be hired to study the plan’s feasibility.

According to official statements, the state government would contribute only 25 per cent of the total amount sanctioned by the centre which is Rs 8 crore. for Except for the infrastructure, the projects would be run on a private basis.

The team further said that a website would also be launched to provide information to tourists. There are also plans for fast food counters if the hotel and management associations show interest. About developing Takht Damdma Sahib as a pilgrim place, the officials were of the view that the parking lot there should be widened. Railway Minister Lalu Parsad would be contacted for acceptance of the rail link between all the five Takhts, they added.

“We are ready to start the training schemes for the waiters with an incentive of Rs 100 and a certificate,” said Navin Kumar.

“After the completion of the project, it would be inaugurated by Kareena Kapoor, the film actress,” Bajaj added.

Bathinda, February 2
Punjab BJP vice-president Manjit Singh Rai today welcomed the elevation of Sukhbir Singh Badal as president of the SAD and described it as the beginning of a new era.

Rai, who was here in connection with preparations for the municipal elections, described Sukhbir as ‘young, educated and talented’ and a leader who has “performed well in the past.”

When asked whether his elevation was a pointer towards his becoming the chief minister, Rai said it was too early to make any comment and moreover, it was for Akali Dal to take any decision in this regard.

Referring to restrictions imposed on ‘naam charcha’, (kirtans organised by followers of Dera Sacha Sauda), the BJP leader said the decision was taken by the Akal Takht, the supreme Sikh body and he respected the decision.

He said that the BJP respected the religious freedom and the right to expression and had appealed to all concerned to adopt constitutional and democratic means to settle issues during the ‘Sacha Sauda’ row last year. “Our appeal had a sobering effect and the situation was saved from taking a turn for the worse,” he added.

Referring to the problem of contaminated groundwater in the region, he said that the water works department has prepared a scheme for providing water tanks for the supply of clean water which envisaged 10 per cent contribution from the community while 90 per cent of the expenditure would be borne by the government.

He further said that booth-level BJP committees were being set up in all the 544 polling booths falling in Bathinda district.

Ferozepur, February 2
The Ferozepur police today registered a case against an official of the postal department under the IPC, for alleged misappropriation of public funds.

According to reports available, the official has been identified as Ashok Kumar of Sundar Nagar, Ferozepur, and was working as sub-postmaster at the post-office, Makhu Gate branch. The superintendent of posts, Janak Raj Saini, had earlier received a complaint that Ashok was allegedly embezzling the finances at the post-office.

Getting the information, the SP (Posts) sent a complaint to the SSP, Ferozepur, Dinesh Partap Singh, who in turn issued an order for probe. Following the probe, the city police today registered a case pertaining to misappropriation of small savings funds deposited with the post-office.

Bathinda, February 2
The district police announced a state of high alert after reports of a bomb attack on the cavalcade of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim at Nilokheri in Haryana, this afternoon.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, the police stepped up security arrangements at all sensitive places like the bus stand, railway station and markets.

Superintendent of Police (Detective) Sukhdev Singh Chahal told TNS, “We do not want to take any chance. So after getting information, we intensified security in the district. High alert has been sounded and special instructions have been given to the police personnel.”

Tight security was also being maintained at the dera in Salabtpura to prevent any untoward incident there.

It was reported earlier in the day that at Nilokheri, a truck had been used in the blast and two persons sustained minor injuries in the incident. 

Bathinda, February 2
A day after village children from Punjab met the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi for relief from the burden of debt that has seen their fathers commit suicide and mothers devastated, another incident of debt trap plaguing farmers in the state came to light here today.

Tej Kaur, a 70-year-old woman of Kotda Kodian Wala village in Bathinda district, has lost her two sons to debt trap. Her husband died of shock later. Now in the autumn of her life, she says that her visits to the officials for relief have not yielded much results.

Tej Kaur’s younger son, Nirmal Singh committed suicide in June 1996, while her elder son, Bhola Singh, took the same step in August 1999. Unable to bear the pain, her husband passed away in 2004.

“I was happy with my three sons, but unfortunately, I have lost them at an age when I needed them the most. The debt trap has swallowed three members of my family,” she said.

Daljit Kaur, widow of her younger son Nirmal Singh, said, “We had eight acres of land, but now it has got reduced to just 3 kanal. My two sons, aged 12 and 15 years, shoulder responsibilities at home in addition to their studies while I have to venture out to eke a living to meet the basic needs.”

“My husband did not spare a thought for us and consumed pesticides and died leaving us debt-ridden. The loan, which he had taken, was from the arhtiayas which he could not repay. The government gives me only Rs 250 as pension which is a meagre sum,” Daljit lamented.

Narrating her plight, Harjeet Kaur, widow of Bhola Singh, said, “Daljit and I are sisters. But both of us have been left to fend for ourselves in the prime of our lives.”

“Bhola had been under stress as the creditors were applying pressure on him to repay the loan. But to escape repayment, he consumed pesticides in the fields. My two sons were 7 and 9 years old at that time. The elder one is now studying in class X while the younger one has now left his studies after class VIII.”

“We have requested the district administration to lend us a helping hand but they seem to be ignorant of our pain,” Harjeet said.

It may be mentioned that Tej Pal and her daughters-in-law submitted a request to the deputy commissioner, Bathinda, ten days back for relief, but are still awaiting a response.

Abohar, February 2
Theft incidents are on the rise in the sub-division, instilling a sense of insecurity among the people who are scared to leave the house and attend social gatherings or go for an outing on weekends.

Yesterday, some residents of Gobind Nagri in the old city nabbed a youth, while two of his accomplices escaped, when they were trying to open a locked house. Eyewitnesses said a vegetable seller, Veerbhan Chawla, had gone to Arniwala village to attend a social function along with his family. Three youths, from the Bawria Mohalla, scaled the wall of the house after making their way to an abandoned cotton factory adjacent to the house. As they threw a ceiling fan and some brass made utensils from the rooftop inside the factory, neighbourers became alert. They raised an alarm prompting others to nab one Rajesh who later identified his accomplices as Ajay and Raja. He reportedly revealed that the group had earlier also stolen a0 LPG cylinder and some other appliancesfrom the same locality.

A day earlier, people had nabbed three youths in the Friends Colony in broad daylight while they were using a ladder to break into a house, whose owner was away to meet a social obligation.

Daylight burglaries during Anand Karaj in some gurdwaras was also reported during the past year.

The victims have many tales to narrate. Mahesh Kasera runs an electrical appliances shop on the old Fazilka road. His wife teaches in a prim
ary school. Both had locked the house at 10 am. An hour later, Kasera learnt that his house had been burgled. In just an hour, the miscreants managed to enter the house by breaking open the lock and decamped with valuables worth Rs 80,000.

Even today in the afternoon, when a housewife Veena, from village Dhaba Kokrian, was busy in selecting jewellery in Sadar Bazaar here, a minor boy decamped with her purse, which carried Rs 17,000 and a mobile.

DSP Parampal Singh said two meetings with citizens, political parties and social and business organisations had already been held to launch the Community Police Officer (CPO) programme to check thefts.

Three closed circuit TV cameras would be installed in and around the police complex here to monitor the movement of people. Policemen in plain clothes would be asked to take up patrolling in the Sadar Bazaar, where most of the snatchings have been reported. Citizens were also advised to lock houses from the inside and keep lights on while going out.

However, office-bearers of the Sadar Bazaar Association had requested in a meeting early this week that a closed circuit TV camera should be installed. The request would be examined, the DSP said.

Abohar, February 2
Monkeys are not just a nuisance. They are also scaring away people in Abohar and that too, in an organised way. The railway road is the worst affected as monkeys rule the roost here.

The forest department here swung into action only when the victims of monkey menace held demonstrations in the sub-divisional complex thrice.

Rehriwallas and shopkeepers, who had encroached upon more than half of the railway road, were being repeatedly targeted by monkeys, whom they had been serving fruits to escape damage for the past decade.

During the last three days, the monkeys had injured half a dozen passengers, when they were queuing up to purchase tickets inside the railway sheds.

The forest officials laid a trap and nabbed about eight monkeys during the last five days, but the Chatbeer Zoo authorities reportedly refused to take them for want of medical fitness certificates.

The kingpin of the monkey’s gang, nicknamed as “Laden”, was sighted today near the old Central Octroi Office. He successfully dodged the forest department’s trap. The officials put a wooden box to catch him, but failed. Laden’s gang has targeted scores of houses in the Railway Colony, Gaushala road and Nai Abadi localities.

Intriguingly, sources in the forest department said, “We have to spend from our pockets to serve the monkeys in detention as the government has not provided any funds.”

Mansa, February 2
Members of the district committee of the Inquilabi Naujawan Sabha met here today to discuss the issues relating to the youths of the district, including their fight for the proposed thermal plant to be constructed at Banawala, Raipur and Peron villages.

The state convener of the association, Kamaljeet Singh, said that it was necessary for the youths of the district to fight for the jobs that would be created with the setting up of the thermal plants.

In the form of a resolution, the association supported the demands of peasants, who have been fighting for a reasonable price for the acquired land.

The committee members also backed the demand of the farmers that jobs should also be given to their children as there will be deprived of their source of livelihood if the land is acquired. — OC

Bathinda, February 2
The RPF traced the owners of the stolen solar plates, which were stolen from Akaliakalan village on December 7 last.

As per the Post Commander, Bathinda, D.C. Arya, the RPF found 12 solar plates worth Rs 1.60 lakh from yards on December 11.

The RPF contacted PEDA officials and on the basis of the numbers of the plates, the owners were traced. The RPF handed it to them today after verifying their identity. —TNS

Abohar, February 2
The Sriganganagar police booked 10 persons in connection with a gang war among alleged liquor smugglers. The gang war resulted in the murder of one Raj Kumar near Tara Chand Vatika in Purani Abadi locality on Thursday night. Four persons have been arrested in this regard, sources confirmed this evening.

Devnagar locality, where Raj Kumar used to live, was virtually converted into a cantonment on Friday as his family members protested by placing the body on a road in Gol Bazaar area. Initially, the crowd forced the cops to run for cover as they pelted stones on them. Later, some senior officials succeeded in defusing the tension. They announced that the police had booked 10 persons under the IPC. The police has arrested Rupesh, Baljit Singh, Manoj and Goria in this regard. The alleged killers’ motorcycle was also in police custody.

The preliminary investigation indicated that Raj Kumar was killed for passing on some secret information to the police about the activities of the rival group in the illicit liquor trade.

Bathinda, February 2
It was a treat for book lovers at the exhibition held at the local Public Library which turned out to be a big draw. The exhibition included books purchased by the library and also those donated by the people. More than 300 people had visited the exhibition by noon.

K.K.Yadav, commissioner, Bathinda Municipal Corporation, inaugurated the exhibition. He stressed upon the need for developing reading habits among people, especially the youth.

The books donated included some rare and old and original editions of the tomes.

Senior vice-president of the library, K.K. Sharma and general secretary, Jagdish Singh Ghai, explained the difficulties being faced by the library and sought his help and cooperation in resolving them. — TNS