Bathinda, March 31
Lodging their protest against the government and the police, hundreds of Anganwari workers accompanied by various organisations blocked the entry and exit points of the Bus stand besides choking the artery of the city, the Bathinda-Goniana highway, here today. 

Accusing state health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla and Member of Parliament Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan of turning blind eye to the ‘brutal’ attack on the women anganwari workers on March 27, the protesters demanded their resignation.

Members of the Anganwari Workers’ Union informed that they would stage a demonstration during the political conference to be held at Talwandi Sabo on the occasion of Baisakhi to exert pressure on the state government.

Leaders of various organisations spoke at length about the ‘shameful’ incident that occurred on March 27 during a seminar at civil hospital. The incident took place in the presence of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the state health minister and MP Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan. The situation took an ugly turn, when a few women Aganwari workers raised slogans to disrupt the speech of the CM. In retaliation, the police, including male police officers, dragged them from their hair. On the day, 11 protesters were arrested and put in the central jail, Bathinda, during late hours.

Demanding the release of the workers, hundreds of protesters today staged demonstration outside the mini-secretariat and blocked the traffic outside the bus stand.

Meanwhile, the police endeavoured to vacate the bus stand urging the bus drivers to flee from the place. A number of empty buses were found coming out when the protesters started moving towards the bus stand.

After a long dharna, naib tehsildar Karnail Singh received a memorandum from the protesters, in which they had mentioned that if the administration would not release the arrested women Anganwari workers within 24 hours, the effigies of the CM would be burnt at block-level and later at SDM offices.

Supporting the Anganwari workers, the Dalit Sena, the Khet Mazdoor Union, the Democratic Teachers’ Front, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta), the Lok Morcha, the Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (Panch Pardhani) and many other social organisations formed a front against the administration. 

Muktsar, March 31
The state administration withdrew the cases against the 13 landless peasants and released them unconditionally from the prison here tonight, while the Punjab 'Khet Mazdoor Union' affirmed its stand for the massive protest rally in the Chief Minister's Lambi constituency scheduled for Tuesday.

These 13 activists from Singhewala village were among some 250 landless peasants, including women and children, who had been lathi-charged and stopped by the police from proceeding to Lambi on March 26 for a planned protest 'dharna' there.

Today, the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union affirmed that the tomorrow's rally would be held as scheduled even though the police administration persuaded them to postpone the same on the pretext that their 13 activists had been released unconditionally.

"The unconditional release of our men is justified and could not be taken as an argument for not holding the protest rally, as this is the only mean to raise our voice in a democratic manner," Khet Mazdoor Union secretary Lacchhman Singh Sewewala here said.

Earlier the police, on Saturday last, had released 34 of the arrested landless peasants, including women and a five-month-old girl accompanying her mother and grandmother, after they remained behind the bars for three days and two nights for their participation in the protest march towards Lambi.

"The only positive signal after the release of our companions is that we will not raise slogans against the police at the tomorrow's rally, but our main struggle for the rights of the landless peasants will continue till the Badal government agrees to our demands," Sewewala said.

The Khet Mazdoor Union was, however, adamant on their demand for a stern action against certain "erring" cops who had reportedly beaten the peasants, including women and children.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugraha), the Democratic Teachers Front and the Tarksheel Society have extended their support and participation in the tomorrow's rally of the farm workers.

Several hundred farm worker families in villages across the Lambi, Gidderbaha and Malout assembly constituencies, presently living in 'kuccha' (muddy) dwellings, have been demanding the 'blue cards' as the beneficiaries under the 'atta-dal' scheme and plots as reportedly promised to them , with many of them finding it tough to meet both the ends.

They had earlier called off their 12-day long 'dharna' in front of the DC office last month, resolving to conduct to carry out peaceful protest marches across the towns and villages to raise the voice for their demands. 

Barnala, March 31
Harsh Goyal, Amritpal Kaur and Kamalpreet Kaur secured first, second and third positions respectively in Barnala district in class-V examination of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), for which results were announced today.

As far as pass percentage in the district is concerned, 98.57 per cent students cracked the examinations.

District education officer (Primary) Roshan Lal said that for the first time the board authorities had immediately released the photostat of the result gazette and therefore, students need not shell out extra money to check the examination results or detail marks at the private book sellers.

He said that Harsh of local Sarvhitkari School secured 437 marks out of 450 while Amritpal Kaur of Aspal Kaln village secured 434 and Kamalpreet Kaur of Baba Longpuri School secured 432 marks in the examination.

Out of 5,018 students of Barnala block, who had appeared in the examination, 4,946 students came out with flying colours while 1,763 students out of 1,809 students of Mehalkalan block passed the examination. As far as Shaina block is concerned, 2,206 students out of 2,272, who had appeared in the examination, passed the test.

Harinder Sharma, secretary of the Private Public School Association, has expressed his happiness over the result.

Muktsar, March 31
Students of an engineering college here today blocked the Kotkapura Road and smashed the windows and windscreen of two private buses after a bus, of the Badal family-owned Orbit company, hit a student, injuring him seriously.

Dinesh, the 2nd-year student who reportedly lost his leg,, was rushed to a hospital, while the police registered a case against driver of the bus under sections 279, 337 of the IPC with Muktsar police station.

The driver, who had initially fled the scene after the incident, was later arrested and the bus in question was also brought to the police station.

The agitating students of Bhai Maha Singh Engineering College lifted the sit-in only after the senior administration officials assured them of arresting the driver of the bus, a compensation of Rs 50,000 to the student and a proper bus stand in front of the college.

The students have been complaining since long that the buses often skipped them and they had to walk for quite a distance and that their passes were of “no use” because of the drastic decline in the number of state-owned transport buses.

The rash driving and high speed of the private buses often scared them in front of the college, the students said.

Bathinda, March 31
Tax evaders beware. Railway authorities have now allowed the officials of various tax collection departments to gather information concerning all consignments being transported through parcel and other trains across the country.

The railway authorities have also permitted the tax collecting authorities to install at least one check post at the entry or exit points of each parcel office on the railway stations. However, the space to establish such check posts would be provided on payment of licence fee and cost of erection of check posts would be borne by the tax collecting departments.

 Reliable sources in the railways revealed that in this regard, the Railway Board, Delhi, had issued an order on January 19 this year to the chief commercial manager, Northern Railway, Ambala. The chief commercial manager, Ambala, further ordered the deputy Railway manager on January 29 who finally issued orders to all stationmasters of the region on March 8.

 Sources said a decision to allow the tax collection departments—including the sales tax, VAT and Commercial Tax departments—to collect details of consignments and consignees from the railways’ records maintained in all railway parcel offices was taken on the recommendations of the Joint Committee of Additional Member (Commercial), Railway Board, and Additional Secretary Revenue of the Union Government. This committee was constituted after the issue concerning the evasion of tax was raised and discussed in the committee of secretaries’ meeting in the month of February this year.

When contacted, railway sources at Bathinda railway station confirmed it and said instructions had been issued to all railway officials to ensure the implementation of the order. The information had also been provided to all the tax collecting departments, sources added.

Bathinda, March 31
Punjab may soon join Rajasthan, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh in implementing “weather-based insurance”, a scheme under the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) for wheat crop. Sources in the insurance sector said the department concerned and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were happy with the scheme.

“A file has been sent to the CM for approval,” the sources informed.

If the scheme gets the CM’s nod, it will be implemented in six districts, namely Bathinda, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Kapurthala and Patiala. The districts account for about 20 per cent of the wheat sown in the state. The area under wheat cultivation in these districts is about 7,00,000 hectares.

But financial constraint is the main reason for the delay in the implementation of the scheme, as it would lay a burden of Rs 9.5 crore on the state exchequer.

The scheme would provide insurance against deficit and excess rainfall, frost, extreme temperature and relative humidity among others deemed to adversely impact the rabi crop during its cultivation period. The risk would be covered for the period from sowing of the crop to its maturity.

As per the scheme, about 1.5 per cent of the premium would be paid by the cultivator insured. The balance premium would be equally borne by the central and the state governments.

Sources in the government said that during the meeting with Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) officials, the Chief Minister showed keen interest in implementing the scheme. After going through the modalities, officials in the state government had sent the proposal to the chief minister for approval, the sources added.

Regarding the implementation of the scheme, sources said that financial constraints were delaying the implementation of the scheme during the Rabi season.

The scheme will provide security to the farmers through insurance products and other support services.

The AIC is an organisation set up to implement the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS). The company devises and implements other insurance schemes relating to agriculture and allied activities.

Bathinda, March 31
Whosoever says that hard work always pays is blatantly wrong in case of Sunita Rani, who is still clamouring for government support for preparing for next Olympics even after winning Heavy weight Power lifting title in Asian games.

Thirty-year-old weight lifter, Sunita brought laurels to the country by winning gold in 2000 Asiad at Delhi, silver medal in 2001 Asian games at Dinghorie and 2006 Asian games at Seol. Winning gold and two silver medals within a span of six years in international athletic meets was no mean achievement but the heavyweight officialdom treated her as light weight.

'It is my cherished dream to win the Olympic gold and bring glory to the nation, but it needs a lot of preparation for which facilities like good coaching, proper diet, quality infrastructure, standard weight lifting kit and financial assistance are required and my parents can not afford,' laments dejected Sunita Rani.

Needless to say that these preparations are expensive and liberal support of government and sports bodies is imperative to make the athletes compete in international meets.

"Not to talk of the jobs which the government provides to the Asiad winners, I am running from pillar to post to get an audience with the officials and a meeting with the Chief Minister to give vent to my desperation," she adds.

"It is an irony that on CM birthday at the inauguration of international stadium, my name was repeatedly announced for bringing pride to the nation. But all my pleas for permission to meet the CM only fell on deaf ears," she complained.

The government only shows lip sympathy and raises hopes and expectations but when it comes to really helping the budding talents in sports, its attitude is disgusting. Sunita Rani, who considers Raman Deep Kaur as her idol, said that 'but for her encouragement and constant support and coaching of my mentor Kanwar Bhem, I could not have ever achieved anything'.

Hailing from Bathinda, Sunita Rani, daughter of Head constable Sant Ram says that she was indebted to her farther for their unflinching support over the years. Sunita who preferred to work with loose weights said 'I started in 'Desi' style with loose weights and was inspired by my seniors in Government Rajindra College. Machine weights help you develop your physique fast but my message for those who want to go for competitions is that they should concentrate more on loose weights'.

Kotkapura (Faridkot), March 31
Despite being the major source of revenue for the municipal council (MC), bus stand here is crying for immediate attention and renovation. Stinking toilets, teeming potholes on the ground meant for parking buses, broken footpaths and window panes, the bus stand presents a dismal picture and that of the MC’s apathy.

Roughly, about 800 buses use the place daily that pay Rs 15 each a day. Thus, the MC earns revenue to the tune of Rs 12,000 per day. However, it does not consider it worthy enough to spend a portion of the revenue on the bus stand’s maintenance and upkeep.

A plaque installed there informed that K.T. Salarwala, the then governor of Punjab, inaugurated the bus stand on January 17, 1985.

Not more than 20 buses can be parked inside the complex at a time. While the building is dilapidated, floor is broken and uneven. The building has not been white washed for a long and most of the window panes are broken. Open space in the complex used for parking buses is teeming with scores of pits and potholes that pose difficulty for the drivers. The passengers too, especially the aged, complain of uneasiness. Deep potholes at the entry and exit points are eyesores. Footpath is uneven and toilets are stinking enough that one cannot bear standing near it what to talk about using it.

What arrangements can one expect for waiting passengers when there is no facility for drivers and conductors coming from far off areas of the state apart from neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Haryana?

Executive officer of the MC Gursewak Singh said the liabilities were much more than that of the earnings as the large number of staff was paid salary. And being the most populated sub-Tehsil of Faridkot district, with population of over one lakh, expenditures were quite high, he contended.

Meanwhile, he informed that there was plan to refurbish the bus stand in the next financial year.

Bathinda, March 31
Treatment for all kinds of diseases for just Rs 20! That is what it takes when you visit so-called specialists from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh doing brisk business in Bathinda.

Though they lack authorised medical qualification and experience, medicines without labels, syrups and injections occupy prominent space at their clinics.

According to health department, the number of quacks enrolled with the State Council of Ayurvedic and Unani Medicines, Bihar, has shot up.

However, as per Rule 2 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, an RMP means a medical practitioner registered or eligible for registration with the state. The medical practitioners enrolled with the State Council of Ayurvedic and Unani Medicines, Bihar, are not eligible for transfer of their registration to Punjab.

There are 285 villages in the district, where most of these quacks operate.

A survey of some villages revealed that the opening of a large number of chemist shops in rural and semi-rural areas were contributing to the sale of medicines such as alprax, paracetamol, proxivon, cough syrups and morphine injections without the prescription of RMPs. And unchecked quacks using combination of ayurvedic and allopathic medicines to “cure” patients, often with negative results.

A labourer pleading anonymity said: “I earn between Rs 70 and Rs 90 daily and spend around Rs 50 to Rs 60 on procuring drugs.”

A youth of a nearby village was seen with prick marks on his arms, probably of self-administered injections, who said: “I don’t ask for the price, I simply want the drug at any cost as I do get money from my parents who are having large land holding in Pucca, Kudda and Tania villages of the district.

These quacks have made their own body and earned political patronage. People, too, support these quacks as they come in handy and cheap at times. “Nobody comes forward to speak against them,” says a doctor on the condition of anonymity.

Sources say that when drug inspectors take action against these quacks they close their clinics, but re-open them after allegedly greasing the palms of the persons concerned.

In spite of the strict instructions to the civil surgeons of the state to register cases against all unqualified and unregistered medical practitioners under Section 15 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, little has been done in this regard.

Mansa, March 31
Five persons were killed in separate road accidents occurred in the district today.

Four persons were killed and one sustained injuries in a road accident on Mansa-Budhlada Road, near Bourawal today morning.

According to sources, five persons in a car no. HR59-5259 were going to Ratiya from Mansa. When they were crossing from Bourawal, the car went out of control and hit a wall of a nearby pond.

Station house officer of the Bhikhi Police Station Jaswrinder Singh said that the victims were returning after attending a marriage party. Amit, son of Harbans Singh, Happy, son of Raj Kumar, Deepak, son of Sham Sunder, Gora alias Deepak, son of Om Prakash all residents of Ratiya were killed on the spot and one injured Sonu, son of Raj Kumar had been referred to Ludhiana hospital.

In another incident, a car driver was killed near the Mansa bypass today. According to the police, some Dera Sacha Sauda followers were going to Amloh from Sirsa, near the  Mansa bypass a unknown heavy vehicle hit their car causing death of the drive Kulwant Singh, resident of Amloh, on the spot.

Other passengers sustained minor injuries. Police has registered a case against the driver of unknown vehicle.  

Bathinda, March 31
In an effort to make the students aware of the career opportunities and provide them with expert guidance on careers, Baba Farid Institute of Higher and Foreign Studies is organising a free of cost week-long career guidance and counselling camp at its complex from April 1 to 6.

At the camp, national and international professional career consultants will apprise the students of new avenues and upcoming courses.