Bathinda, February 6
The examination fever gripping students in Bathinda and its surrounding areas has visibly blunted the piercing cold and tiny-tots are seen attending school in spite of government instructions to close the primary section.

The examinations for the fifth standard in most schools are to commence on February 18 and the students, teachers and parents are more concerned about preparations for the examinations rather than relaxing in the comfort of their homes.

The government had ordered closure of all primary schools; both government and private, from February 1 to 9 due to extreme cold conditions, but small children of various schools were seen attending classes in several schools.

Bathinda was in the grip of a severe cold wave for the past fortnight but the government orders came when the cold wave had started ebbing and with examinations drawing near, it was neither feasible nor advisable to close the school, the principal of a reputed school said on the condition of anonymity.

When school authorities, parents and students have no problem, why ‘holidays be imposed’ during the examination season, said a parent. The orders were implemented mostly by government schools.

When contacted Principal of St. Paul School, which remained opened on Wednesday, A.K. Laurence said as per the government’s order, the school will remain closed till February 11.

Taking note of the reports that the primary section was open in several schools, the deputy commissioner on Tuesday had again issued strict orders to close the primary classes as per the government orders, but the response was lukewarm.

When contacted, District Education Officer (Primary) Gurminder Pal Kaur Dhillon said that letters have been issued to the Block Education officers (BEOs) and strict action would be taken against those not complying with the orders.

Under normal circumstances, such unexpected holidays bring cheers and excitement for the students but the pressure of examinations has robbed them of the joy this time around.

Bathinda, February 6
The much-hyped plan for city beautification may run into rough weather as one of its element —- renovation of parts of the Bathinda-Gonaina Main road —- is allegedly not in tune with the environmental rules. And ignoring this could be termed as tampering with the green belt area, an act that could invite legal action, forest department officials indicated.

As per the project, the Improvement Trust, Bathinda, had got around Rs 11 crore for the renovation of the Bathinda-Goniana main road, which includes installation of underground wiring, new electricity poles, reconstruction of dividers and pavement on both sides of the road.

But according to the forest department officials, the pavement and the road berms cannot be raised on any national highway without the prior approval of the Union government. They also say that both sides of the national highways are with the forest department, which terms it as a green belt and any kind of construction in the green belt requires approval from the Union government.

The conservator of forests, Ferozepur circle, Parveen Kumar, said, “Till date, no department has taken permission for any construction on the road in question. If the authorities concerned start raising any structure or initiate tampering with the green belt on the roadsides without any prior approval, we will definitely sue them after sending them notice to clarify their status.”

In support of his statement, Kumar mentioned the provisions of laws and said that the Supreme Court had also passed a judgement in 1996 that any one tampering with the green belt without prior approval can be imprisoned for six months with fine. The Forest Conservation Act, 1972, also prohibits anyone from tampering with the green belt.

The Shiromani Akali Dal halqa in-charge, Sarup Chand Singla said Sukhbir Badal, the SAD chief, would visit Bathinda on February 9 to lay the foundation stone of the project. Many other projects would also be initiated, Singla said but expressed his ignorance about the said rules.

It may be mentioned that the forest department had already restricted the construction of garbage dumps on the Bathinda-Goniana main road, declaring it as violation of the Forest Conservation Act.

On his part, the administrator, Improvement Trust, Bathinda, K.K.Yadav said, “The forest department has given no complaint in written and moreover we have not been changing the actual structure of the road, it would just be improvement.”

Bathinda, February 6
With elections for the the municipal corporation round the corner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has staked claim to 30 wards out of a total of 50.

Speaking to TNS, Gulshan Wadhwa, president of the East Mandal of Bathinda, said that though the party would contest the elections in coalition with the SAD (B), but the BJP would like to contest in 30 wards.

He further said that development issues would be on the agenda and issues like water, roads, streetlight and sewerage would be raised. People with a clean image would be selected as party candidates, he added.

The formal announcement of the BJP campaign for the Bathinda municipal corporation elections will be made at the Febrary 10 meeting of party office-bearers, which will also be attended by local bodies minister, Manoranjan Kalia. The minister will also listen to the problems of party workers at the meeting.

On being asked about the resolution passed by the BJP national executive recently on 33 per cent reservation for women in party posts, Wadhwa said, “ We are in the process of implementing it at the mandal level also.” 

Bathinda, February 6
The officials at the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat have a reason to smile. After firing one of the six coal mills at unit three of stage II of the thermal plant on HFO oil, it has finally been established on coal. It can be considered as a success for the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) officials as the thermal plant is already running 17 months behind schedule.

However highly-placed sources at GHTP confirmed that only one coal mill has been established on coal but Y.S. Ratra, chairman, PSEB, while speaking to TNS over the phone said, “Three coal mills of unit three of the stage II have been established and yesterday, 45 to 47 MW of power was generated by these three mills. Soon, all the six coal mills of the unit would be ready.”

The commissioning of two units at Guru Hargobind Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant is already running almost 17 months behind schedule. The earlier deadline was March 2007 and later, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal set another deadline of June 2007 but recently, the CM had announced that the unit III of GHTP would be fully operational by April this year and the fourth unit by August.

Due to slow pace of work, the cost of project has gone up from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,200 crore. This delay has already resulted in a financial burden of more than Rs 700 crores on the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) besides the cost of additional power purchases to the tune of 1,825 crores. Also, an interest worth Rs 250 crore will have to be paid to the Government of India (GoI) on the loan taken as the project has failed to meet the deadline.

Highly-placed sources in the PSEB informed that the system is not yet complete. “But we have established one of the six coal mills on Tuesday evening at 7 pm. We used HFO oil to heat up the coal mill because the LDO oil freezes due to cold weather. Today, this coal mill generated 70 MW of power. We are hopeful that by February end, we would establish all six (one standby) coal mills.”

Moga, February 6
The Canada-based Professor Mohan Singh Foundation has once again revived the movement among the Indian community in general and Punjabis in particular for seeking an unconditional apology for racial treatment to on board Punjabis of the Kamagatamaru ship in 1914, from the Canadian government in Parliament.

The movement has again been started by getting signatures from 28,000 Indians, spread across the length and breadth of Canada.

Earlier, the demand was given a burial, following an unfavourable report by a committee headed by Jim Abbott, parliamentary secretary, ministry of Canadian heritage, last year.

Talking to this correspondent, Ranvinder Singh alias Ranu Gill, vice-president of the foundation, said that their demonstration on the last July 23 — the day when Kamagatamaru ship was forced to leave the port, at the internationally famous Stanley Park near Burrard inlet, where the Kamagatamaru ship remained stranded for numerous days, yielded response from an unexpected quarter. Penny Priddy, MP from Surrey North and a member of the National Democratic Party of Canada, tabled a private bill in the Parliament for tendering apology. However, it got defeated after failing to yield support from the ruling Conservative party.

Even as the Canadian government had tendered apology to the Chinese for racial treatment in 2006, but had not reciprocated the same way to the Indian community, Gill rued. For entering into Canada, a Chinese had to pay 500 Canadian dollars while an Indian had to shell out 200 dollars.

Gill said the foundation had been holding a fair in the memory of the Gaddari Babas at Bear Creek Park in Surrey for the last 12 years. It received an immense response when nearly 50,000 people, not only of the Indian origin but also from Pakistan, participated on August 6. Singers Sukhwinder Sukhi, Sukhi Brar, from India, and Shaukat Ali, from Pakistan, regaled the participants.

He informed that although cultural programmes were invariably organised but the stress was on the patriotic flavour.

The vice-president added that in the 2006 edition of the event, then PM Stephen Harper took part and acknowledged the fault of the racial treatment with persons onboard Kamagatamaru. Abbott headed commission was constituted to hear the Indian community on the matter.

Gill claimed that he had participated in both the meetings of the commission held at Surrey and Toronto. He said that the Indian community was pained to learn contents of the commission’s report tabled at the fag end of the last year that the Indian community was not unanimous in seeking the apology.

According to him, apart from apology, the foundation demanded that a memorial be erected at Stanley Park and the incident must be included in the curriculum.

Mansa, February 6
Jathedar of Takht Shri Damdama Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh and president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Amritsar (Panch Pardhani), Daljeet Singh Bittu visited Kot Dharmu village here today.

They visited Swaran Singh’s house and pledged their support to him.

Swaran Singh was arrested in connection with the attack on Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s cavalcade recently.

Bittu informed that a lawyer would be provided to plead Swaran’s case.

He demanded the arrest of the Dera chief saying that the Akal Takht had already issued a hukamnama (edict) against the Dera chief.

Jathedar Nandgarh said that Swaran was a religious-minded person and he was being framed only to defame the Sikhs.

Nandgarh also pledged his suppport to Swaran’s family.

Barnala, February 6
Counsel for the Bhadaur Gurudwara Action Committee, Rajdev Singh Khalsa, deferred one more attempt by the police here to shield an IPS officer posted as SSP Barnala at the time of the Bhadaur gurudwara clash.

The police tried to present another challan in the court by changing sections of the FIR yesterday. Earlier, FIR number 73, dated October 11, 2006, in which section 302 was imposed, had been lodged. The Bhadaur police tried to change the section to 304-A while in the second FIR lodged on the same date, where the case was registered under section 307, it tried to change it to section 353 of the IPC as both these section call for less punishment.

But counsel Khalsa opposed the move of the police by giving an application in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Ramesh Kumari. In his application, Khalsa pleaded that as the writ petition regarding these challans are already pending with the High Court, the local court cannot admit any new challan.

The court of CJM Ramesh Kumari today refused to admit the new challan in writing presented by the Bhadaur police. DSP Baljeet Singh, who also recorded his statement before the court of CJM Ramesh Kumari under section 164, held the then SSP S.K. Asthana responsible for the death of Ruban Masih. An inquiry conducted by SP Ranjet Singh Dhillon of the crime branch also indicated the same.

As more fingers are being pointed towards Asthana, it is being suspected that the police is working hard to weaken the case by changing the sections in theFIRs. It may be recalled that in the Bhadaur gurudwara clash in October 2006, an innocent person, Ruban Masih had died and dozens others were injured.

The local police registered two FIRs on October 11, 2006. As per these FIRs, a case was registered against 152 persons, including the then SAD MLA Balbeer Singh Ghunus. The police also presented a challan in the local court but president of the Bhadaur municipal committee Hari Bawa challenged these in the High Court saying they were false. The then chief justice M.M Aggarwal, stayed the hearing in these cases in local court on May 8, 2007.

Bathinda, February 6
An awareness programme for the farmers by the Forwards Market Commission (FMC), with the help of NABARD and NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange) was held at Hotel Bahia Fort here today. The programme covered introduction to commodity futures market, role of commodity exchanges and information on electronic and settlement systems. A live screen demonstration of trading in commodities was also held to educate the participants.

Rajeev Aggarwal, district development manager, NABARD, coordinated the programme . The participants included progressive farmers, bank officials, representatives of cotton associations, agriculture and others.

Fazilka, February 6
The residents of Fazilka, Abohar and surrounding rural areas still remember the date February 1, 2004, when the then railway minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation stone of the much-awaited Fazilka-Abohar rail link with great fanfare.

It was then declared that the 42.2 km-long rail track would be laid by March 2007. But, due to the alleged authorities’ indifference, the project is still in its initial stage, not to talk of its completion.

According to official sources, acquiring land for the purpose is yet to be done. The railway ministry has released compensation worth Rs 19.20 crore to the state government to acquire the entire land but the state government has not yet been able to give the physical possession of the 45 acres of seed farm land near Abohar.

It is stated that the land has been under illegal occupation for more than four decades. As far as the construction activities are concerned, mud lies on almost the entire proposed railway track.

Hanuman Dass Goyal, joint secretary, North Zone Railway Passengers’ Association, said if the possession of the land was transferred to the railways, the project could gain momentum.

The link would also see the rise of business in Fazilka and Abohar. Residents demand that the project should be completed soon. — OC

Abohar, February 6
Alarmed over the 5:1 ratio of urban and rural students in the B.Sc (Agriculture) degree course, the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, has decided to reserve 40 seats for matriculates with rural domicile besides enhancing the duration of the degree course from four to six years. This was announced by the director (Extension), Nachhattar Singh Malhi, during the field day-cum-seminar on kinnow cultivation held at the regional station of the PAU here today.

He said the ratio in B.Sc. (Home Science) had also fallen to 7:1. The university had decided to reserve 40 seats of the course for matriculate girls with a rural background. They would have to appear in a written test to qualify for the admission, he added.

Observing that the next revolution would be in the marketing of agricultural produce, especially vegetables and fruits, Malhi assured that the PAU would make all possible efforts to supply virus-free healthy plants, grown in net houses, for kinnow cultivation. A bio-control project to check misuse of insecticides and chemical fertilisers was also in the pipeline, he added.

Station director Pushpinder Singh Aulukh and others honoured the vice-chancellor (VC) of the university, Manjit Singh Kang, by presenting him with a memento while the VC honoured two former directors, G.S. Chauhan and V.K. Vij, of the regional station for the research conducted during their tenure.

The VC announced that the Regional Kisan Mela would be held in Bathinda on March 3 and state-level fair would be held at the PAU, Ludhiana, on March 13 and 14.

The VC released first complete book, penned by scientists of the regional station, on Kinnow and asked them to publish it in Punjabi also at the earliest. He visited an exhibition on kinnow and complimented the farmers for producing good quality kinnows.

Earlier, some progressive farmers from Fazilka and Ramgarh village here presented memorandums to the VC enlisting the problems of the fraternity. Kang assured the pensioners of the university that pension for the last quarter would be released very soon. PAU experts spoke on problems being faced by the Kinnow growers and suggested remedial measures.

Not My Cup Of Tea! Surinder Kaur Badal (right), wife of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, makes a point while speaking to Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje in Badal village on Wednesday. — Tribune photo by Malkiat Singh

Badal (Muktsar), January 6
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje today spent her day at the Badal village, inaugurating the state-of-the-art shooting range on a promising note as she appreciated the efforts of her Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal in providing good educational infrastructure for the girl students in his native village.

“This (Badal) is not a village, as we could see, but a place which is a role model for all those who want to give equal opportunities to women at the grassroot level, as we talk of 33 per cent reservation (in Parliament),” the Rajasthan CM said in her speech at the prize distribution function for the winners of the 1st All India Women Air Weapons Shooting Championship and the Punjab women’s hockey league (PWHL) trophy.

Inviting international shooters of Punjab to train the girls of Rajasthan as well, Scindia said she was happy to see the girls perform at the shooting range and she wished that Rajasthan’s young generation too excelled in sports.

Speaking on the occasion, Badal said he started the Dasmesh School initially in Badal village over a decade back, and was pleased to observe that the place had now become a significant sports venue with an international level shooting range and a sprawling hockey astroturf.

Badal said Punjab would soon emerge as a front runner in sports not only at the national but international level also.

Applauding international shooters Avneet Sidhu and Lakhbir Kaur, the products of Dasmesh College who were trained in shooting at Badal itself, he said these two students had brought glory to the institution and made Punjab proud.

Welcoming Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, Badal said he had age-old ties with the Scindia family and that he had been imprisoned along with her mother Vijaya Raje Scindia in Tihar Jail during the days of Emergency.

Earlier, Badal alongwith Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the 
newly-constructed 10 meter shooting range and also witnessed the finals of Punjab hockey league and air pistol shooting competition. 

Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Sports Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, brother of Chief Minister and former MP Gurdas Singh Badal, the CM’s wife Surinder Kaur Badal, SAD general secretary Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Panjab University vice-chancellor R.C. Sobti, director, sports, Pargat Singh, senior officials of the National Rifle Association of India, Uttaranchal Sports Minister Narayan Singh Rana and Dasmesh Girls College principal Kuldip Kaur Mann.

Abohar, February 6
Director, Rural Development and Panchayat department, Punjab, has dismissed the lady sarpanch of Jhurarkhera village of the sub-division, an official communication received here today said.

As per the letter bearing number 6/17/07/fzr-s/4390 dated February 5, the director, Gurdev Singh Sidhu, has said the block development and panchayat officer, Abohar, had vide letter dated April 11, 2007, recommended administrative action against Jhurarkhera village sarpanch Gurdial Kaur on the basis of some allegations.

The director, while dismissing the sarpanch, has also debarred her from contesting panchayat election for the next two years. However, the sarpanch refuted the allegations terming the action as politically motivated. — OC