Bathinda, February 29
The proposed budget for the fiscal 2008-09 has brought cheers to the salaried class, with revised slabs for personal income tax raising the exemption limit from Rs 1.10 lakh to Rs 1.50 lakh and ensuring a minimum relief of Rs 4,000 for every assessee. Even the exemption limit for women and senior citizens have been increased to Rs 1.8 lakh and Rs 2.25 lakh, respectively.

The vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), K.K. Sharma, welcomed the budget saying, “The proposed budget is growth-oriented and mainly for people’s welfare. Farmers’ loan waiver is a step in the right direction. The decision of implementing the recommendations of the sixth pay commission by March 31 for the government employees is also good. For the benefit of those living in rural areas, the government has decided to give a five-year tax exemption for those interested in opening a hospital in rural areas.”

Ashok Garg, state president of the Punjab Yuva Beopar Mandal, said the budget was not in favour of small traders. “Both the governments, at the Centre as well as in the state, misguide us at the time of elections by promising sops. And post-elections, none cares to address our issues. The package for farmers is against the trading community as it would put extra burden on us,” he said.

However, Raman Watts, president of the Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industries, welcomed the budget and termed it as favourable for the industry.

A progressive farmer, Sukhpal Singh Bhullar, hailed the Rs 60,000-crore relief package for farmers. “It would certainly benefit around four crore farmers in India. The complete waiver of loans given to small and marginal farmers may bring some respite for them. Even the decision of reducing customs duty on crude and unrefined sulphur as also phosphoric acid used for making agri-nutrients would provide cheaper fertiliser for farmers.”

Gurmit Singh Buttar, director of the Punjab Agricultural University Regional Research Station, feels, “Though it is quite difficult to estimate the amount of relief to Punjab farmers, yet our quick estimate indicates that for Punjab, the debt relief would be around Rs 1,000 crores.”

“The recovery rate of industrial loans in Punjab is very high (around 85 per cent). Therefore, only a small proportion of the total debt would be covered under these debt- relief measures taken by the Centre,” he added.

“It is good that the government has decided to reduce the prices of cars and two-wheelers. This would benefit the common man in a big way,” said former SSP and senior citizen Harnek Singh Sran.

Navu Sidhu, a student, who has a passion for latest mobile handsets, feels, “Though the other decisions taken by the government in the proposed budget are people-friendly but the decision of increasing the prices of mobile handsets is not good for the ones like me.”

Bathinda, February 29
Nervous tension is writ large on the faces of Class X and XII students appearing for CBSE Board examinations beginning tomorrow.

The pressure is making the students restive. Most of them have taken tuitions or coaching but performance anxiety is weighing heavily on their minds.

The meritorious students are under pressure as they are worried about their score, the average students are keen to improve their percentage while the weak are working hard to do better.

Even the parents and teachers are jittery. The worry of the parents is understandable as even after securing 85 to 90 per cent marks, the students are not sure of getting admission in any reputed institution for pursuing professional or higher studies.

"We know that the burden is unbearable but it is important to come up to the expectations," said a parent who sounded confident about his son doing well.

Principal of DPS, Bathinda, Arun Jee said, "I am confident that our students will catch the bull by its horns. I have advised the kids that they should sleep properly and not exert themselves too much at the last minute. It is important to relax in order to retain," he added.

The pressure on Class XII students is more, said another parent, Vikramjeet Singh.

The teachers of local CBSE-affiliated schools are devoting extra time to their students.

"Students have been coming to us till the last minutes but we have prepared them well," said Ranjodh Singh, a teacher in Army school, known for his expertise in preparing the students for Board examinations.

Some of the students, studying in groups, said they have prepared well and revised the course material three to four times.

"We are studying in groups, exchanging notes and burning midnight oil to do our best but the pressure of expectations is telling upon us," said Vaibhav, a class XII science student.

However, some had managed to keep away from exam stress. "I am preparing for the examinations but I believe in karma and yoga and am not unduly concerned about the outcome," said a student.

So, while the ways to combat the Board exams may differ, but the huge effort underlying it is a common thread binding all the students. Here’s wishing all of them good luck.

Bathinda, February 29
“The proposed budget is a slap on the face of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that held the Insaaf rally in Delhi on February 26,” said Jagmeet Singh Brar, a senior Congress leader and former MP. While interacting with media persons here, Brar spoke at length about the rally held by the SAD-BJP, which the ruling combine had termed as a fight to get justice for the debt-ridden farmers of the state. He termed the rally as senseless saying, “The UPA government was already planning to relieve the farmers from their debt, so the rally was only a show-off.”

Taking the SAD-BJP alliance to task, he alleged, “Crores were spent just to project Sukhbir Singh Badal as a national leader by misleading the people.”

Lauding the budget for the year 2008-09, Brar termed it as among the best. He said the proposal of the finance minister to allocate Rs 60,000 crore as debt relief for farmers, who have land measuring up to five acres, was a step worth appreciating.

Lashing out at the SAD-BJP government that has completed one year of governance, he said, “During this year, they remained busy only in issuing statements. But in reality, their progress is nil.”

Accepting that there was a need for the Congress to receive a fillip, he said, “The SAD president is young and to compete with him, the PPCC chief should instill passion in workers,” he said.

When Brar was asked about the Congress policy ‘one man-one post’ that has not been applied to Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who is also the PPCC chief and the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) chief, he said, “It is tough for a person to manage two posts simultaneously. But since it was the decision of the party high command, we have to obey.”

On a query regarding the triangular Congress politics in Punjab, he said, “People have observed the functioning of Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amrinder Singh. I have never reached that level.”

Replying in the affirmative, about his poll plans, he said, “I will contest the Lok Sabha elections from my previous constituency, Ferozepur.”

Brar also expressed admiration for Manpreet Singh Badal, state finance minister, for setting up an RO water treatment plant at Gidderbaha in Muktsar district.

Moga, February 29
To escape the cost of marrying off her fourth daughter, Joginder Kaur, fell prey to the glib talk of her brother and sister-in-law to marry her 13-year-old daughter to 35-year-old Sardool Singh. They reportedly agreed to the mismatch and illegal marriage after pocketing Rs 70,000. The district court sent Buta Singh, maternal uncle of the minor girl and Kalgan Singh, father of the groom, to police remand for a day here today. While four other accused named in the case are still absconding.

On the complaint of Gurcharan Singh, resident of village Kotabary in Shahjahanpur district of UP, the Kot Isse Khan police station in Dharamkot tehsil registered a case against six persons, including Buta Singh, his wife Nindo, Kalgan Singh, Sardool Singh, his mother Banso and mother of the minor girl, Joginder Kaur. A driver by profession, Sardool Singh of village Pipli in Faridkot district managed to marry the 13-year-old daughter of Joginder Kaur and Gurcharan Singh. Sardool is also a relative of Buta Singh.

Originally hailing from a village at Kot Isse Khan, Gurcharan Singh shifted to a village in Kapurthala after disposing of his meagre land in 1995. However, after some years, he again moved to Kotabary village in Shahjahanpur district and procured land to settle there. In the meantime, he married off his three daughters. However, his life saw a downswing when he agreed to the request of his brother-in-law Buta Singh to send his daughter with him. Buta Singh, along with his wife, had gone to Shahjahanpur. The complainant got the custody of his daughter. He recollected that Buta Singh and his wife Nindo had taken along his daughter on the pretext of teaching her sewing and clothes designing. He added that a fortnight back, his wife had also come to join her brother Buta. He said that the fact came to light when he visited his brother-in-law’s house two days back. Notably, Buta Singh himself is a father of three married daughter.

Ferozepur, February 29
The Ferozepur police today arrested two alleged international smugglers and recovered about 25 kg heroin, worth Rs 25 crore in the international market, from their possession.

At a joint press conference held at the CIA staff headquarters here today, the deputy inspector general (police) Ferozepur Range, R.P. Mittal and SSP Dinesh Pratap said this was one of the largest recoveries by the police in this border district. Mittal said that the police had arrested two most-wanted Indo-Pakistan drug peddlers identified as Sukhpal Singh alias Sukha, a resident of village Machhiwala and Sukhdev Singh, also called as Sukha, a resident of village Preetuwali, falling under the Sadar police station, Ferozepur. The SSP said following a tip-off, a special police team under sub-inspectors, Major Singh and Jaswant Rai, in-charge Narcotics Cell, was constituted and special barriers were laid and the accused were cought near village Palla Megha. He added police team recovered 25 packets of heroin weighing one kg each. The SSP said the duo confessed that they had alleged links with one Maulvi Araf of Pakistan who used to send them the consignment of contraband.

However, how these smugglers managed to bring the consignment from across the fence has to be ascertained.

The SSP said that these smugglers were able to evade the BSF jawans deputed along the border and brought the consignment inside India only to land into the police trap. DIG Mittal said that all members of the police team responsible for the drug haul would be suitably awarded.

Muktsar, February 29
Punjabi fiction writer Kulwant Gill has been booked for allegedly attacking a poetess, Bhupinder Kaur Preet, police said today, adding that the accused was still at large after the incident in which Preet was injured and hospitalised.

The police had registered a case against Gill. The writer had been accused of attacking the poetess and her son with sharp-edged weapons in Hakima Wali Gali bazaar here last Tuesday. According to the FIR, Gill, leading some hooligans, had entered the boutique of the poetess and attacked both mother and son, tearing off her clothes and hurling abuses. Preet, whose left hand was badly injured, was brought to the hospital by her employee and son. 

“We have already raided two-three places along with the father of the accused. The hunt is still on,” DSP B.S. Sidhu said. When this reporter today went to the city police station for an update on the case, SHO Baldev Singh refused to give a copy of the FIR, stating that only the complainant could get the copy.

Meanwhile, the accused has been making phone calls to several persons including this correspondent, claiming that he was not guilty. But when asked why he was absconding, he said he would appear soon after attaining bail. 

Preet, a life member of Punjabi Sahitya Academy, had become popular with her book, ‘Barsai Megh Sakhi’, a collection of poems recently.

Bathinda, February 29
Pushpinder Singh of Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda, and Ajay Singh and Sandeep Kumar of Government Polytechnic College, Batala, bagged the first prize in mono acting event on the second day of the three-day-long 10th Inter College Youth Festival held at Government Polytechnic College, here today.

Sandeep Kumar (PITT, Amritsar) and Sandeep Singh (Lovely Polytechnic College, Phagwara) stood second while Mukhwak Singh (Government Polytechnic College, Moga) bagged the third position.

In skit, PITT, Amritsar and Mehar Chand Polytechnic, Jalandhar, came first. Lovely Polytechnic, Phagwara and Government Polytechnic College, Batala, came second while Bhai Gurdas Polytechnic, Sangrur and CT Polytechnic, Shahpur, stood third.

A.K. Singla, SE, PWD B&R was the chief guest on the occasion.

Film actress Nirmal Rishi, Kumar Jagdev and Jeanpal Singh Sekhon were the judges at today’s function.

In this youth festival, 45 teams from polytechnics in Punjab and Chandigarh are taking part.

Bathinda, February 29
The Army School, Bathinda, has added another feather to its cap, winning two gold and three silver medals in the Punjab State Junior and Senior Baba Dev Singh Athletics Meet that concluded in Amritsar on February 24.

All the five participants from the school, two boys and three girls, returned with medals. Sujata Yadav, 14, won the gold in the open category while another girl of the same age, Savita Prajapati, bagged gold in the under-14 category.

Sujata bagged gold in the 3000m race and silver in 4000m race while Savita Prajapati won bronze in the 3000m track event in the open category.

In the under-14 400m event for girls, Savita Prajapati and Jagnandani bagged gold and silver medals, respectively. Anuj Kumar won the silver in the under-14 boys long jump event while Dinesh won a bronze in 600m track event in the under-16 category.

Major General Dhruv C. Katoch, SM COS 10 Corps and patron, Army School, Bathinda Military Station, said that the one year fee of three students namely, Savita, Sujata Yadav and Rohit Pandey, would be reimbursed because of their outstanding performance in sports.

The students attributed their success to sports teacher Sukhwinder Singh. The school would honour these students along with other students who secured 80 per cent or more marks.

It is worth mentioning here that the Army School, Bathinda, has produced international shotput thrower like Om Prakash Singh, who bagged a silver medal at the Third Indoor Asian Games organised in Doha (Qatar) in February this year.

Barnala, February 29
Kuldep Gautam (22), a staff of Trident factory at Dhaula, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented room in Handiaya village in mysterious circumstances today.

Gautam was a resident of Allahabad in UP. He had cited financial and domestic problems as reasons for the act in a suicide note, found near his body. — OC