Chak Fateh Singh Wala (Bathinda), April 1
A number of government officials, including senior officers, are contributing to the arrangements for a two-day private religious programme being held at Chak Fateh Singh Wala, the ‘in-laws village’ of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The programmed commenced at the village today in the evening.

During a visit to the village, a TNS team found the presence of various administrative officials, including the SDM, Tehsildar, BDPOs and others, supervising the arrangements for the programme in the memory of ancestors of Bibi Surinder Kaur Badal and her brother Inderjeet Singh.

Sources in the village said that in an attempt to make the programme graceful, lighting was done throughout the village at the cost of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). The electricity equipments used for the arrangements had been working through ‘kundi connections’.

A lot of government machinery was engaged, as the tankers of municipal councils of the area and Municipal Corporation Bathinda were being used to sprinkle the village streets with water. For the purpose, the fire brigade motors were being used to fetch water from the containers of water works department in the village.

The TNS observed that while the electricity department has been imposing power-cuts the lights used to decorate the village were kept on even during the day.

When asked, the villagers said the lights were on since Monday evening. They added that for the past four days, ever since the arrangements were going on, the village had been receiving 24-hour power supply.

A PSEB employee informed that they had been working at the place since Monday.

SDM Bathinda KPS Mahi, when asked, said, “Tehsildar, BDPOs and I are all here to ensure the maintenance of law and order as the CM and several cabinet ministers were expected to attend the function.”

About the electricity, Gura Singh Tungwali, Nathana area in-charge of SAD (B), said the family had paid the electricity charges to the PSEB for the programme.

But when asked about the lighting arrangements made in the village, he expressed ignorance.

It may be mentioned that 24-year-old Ramjivan, an employee of Chandigarh-based tent house, died on Monday while installing the welcome gate for the programme at the village outskirts.

The Bhucho police after conducting the postmortem had initiated the inquest proceeding.

Lambi (Muktsar), April 1
Raising a voice for “justifiably implementing” land reforms in Punjab, several hundred landless peasants today held their much-awaited rally in Lambi, the constituency of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, in which they also threatened to intensify stir for the denial of issuance of blue cards under the ‘Atta-Dal’ scheme to them.

Under the banner of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, the poor men, women and children hoisted red flags as tempers rose high with the references of their prolonged struggle to call the government’s attention for the issuance of the cards and also the allotment of plots to them as assured by the state administration earlier.

The leadership, who also included the activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan), criticised the chief minister for his ‘sangat darshan’ programmes, observing that such meetings were “nothing more than the uneven distributions of the state wealth and the dictatorial attitude of the feudal lords like those of the kings”. Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union secretary Lacchhman Singh Sewewala, who has been instrumental in making the today’s rally a success, said there was no uniformity in the distribution of the state wealth or resources as Badal and his coterie were on the spree of “politically blackmailing” the citizens in the name of delivering grants.

 “If he (Badal) arrives at a particular place and feels, he would announce grants and if he wishes he would snub people, just like a dictatorial king, in his ‘sangat darshan’ programmes,” Sewewala said.

Sewewala said that a surplus 3.16 lakh acre were owned by only 7,200 families in the Muktsar district alone as per the state’s statistical figures. “Out of these, the families of Badal and former chief minsiter Haracharan Brar are the biggest landlords and, thus, they fear the emergence of a movement for land reforms,” he added.     

Criticising the bureaucracy, BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) leader Guruditta Singh appealed in his address for unity between landless peasants and farmers as both these sections were well-knitted not only economically but traditionally .

 He said that now even the government had also agreed that the rural indebtedness amongst the farmers was because of the wrong economic and agricultural policies in contrast to the erstwhile stand of some vested interests who had been wrongly blaming the farmers only.

He said voice of the deprived sections, including the poor farmers and the landless peasants, were falling on deaf ears of civil servants and they were busy in “pleasing the ministers at the cost of the people’s interests.”

 In a memorandum, which was sent to the CM during the rally, the Khet Mazdoor Union mainly demanded the immediate issuance of blue cards to the deserving beneficiaries in Lahewali, Khunde Halal and Sotha villages, plots for 153 homeless families in 16 villages where the Panchayats had already adopted resolution for the same, land for certain poor families of Khunde Halaland Tibba Basti villages for dumping the waste as these families were not allowed to throw their waste in the common dumping grounds of their villages.   

Bathinda, April 1
Stamp vendors in the Bathinda judicial complex (BJC) have been forcing the general public to pay extra money for the stamp papers following its shortage. But the authorities concerned have turned a deaf ear towards the issue.

An inquiry by TNS revealed that lakhs of printed stamp papers of the denomination Rs 20 and above are there at the judicial complex. But for anything below Rs 20 the stamp tickets are glued to a plain paper, much to the vendors’ benefit. The vendors prefer to sell the stamp papers worth Rs 15 only as they earn more by charging Rs 2 extra for the same.

Thousands of stamp papers sell in Bathinda daily. And the vendors have been fleecing the general public without any restriction. Despite the fact that the government is already giving them two per cent commission per stamp paper.

“But many vendors charge Rs 2 to Rs 3 more than the actual price,” said a vendor on the condition of anonymity.

A local stamp paper vendor explained that they purchase stamp tickets from the Treasury Office at Rs 15 and they have to purchase plain paper from the market. This, he said, was the reason behind selling the stamp paper for Rs 17.

It is noteworthy that it is the duty of the administration to provide stamp paper at Rs 15 to the general public. But, the authorities concerned have not paid heed towards the issue although the malpractice was going on right under the administration’s nose, as at the district judicial complex.

A city-resident Maluk Chand said, “There is no check on the vendors. And the people are helpless as all the vendors are selling it at the same rate. Like others, I also had to pay Rs 2 extra for a stamp paper. No body bothers to complain, as people don’t have time today.” The notary and the agents, who attest the form or the stamp papers are also charging extra amount, he rued.

Ajit Singh, an illiterate, informed that he paid Rs 2 extra for a stamp paper of Rs 15 and the vendor instead of giving him Rs 3 as balance handed him down three revenue stamps, which were of no use to him. “Lokan nu loot rahe ne saare,” he rued.

When contacted, treasury officer Jagdish Rai Arora said that the department works as a wholesaler and receives two per cent commission from the Punjab government.

“There is no shortage of stamp papers above Rs 15. We are selling stamp tickets equivalent to stamp papers and approved by government”, he added.

When questioned on the extra charges and black-marketing in practice, he said, “It does not fall under my jurisdiction and regarding this, you can better ask the Deputy Commissioner.”

Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari, when contacted on phone, said he had not received even a single complaint in this regard. “The license of the vendor can be cancelled if found guilty. Besides, we have opened a counter at Suvidha Centre for such complaints,” he added.

Faridkot, April 1 
Of late, horses from Punjab have become favourites in top class racecourses of the country. Thanks to the favourable soil, conducive climate and wholesome diet coupled with pedigree.

This, formerly a princely state, is also matching footsteps with its neighbouring districts which flaunt of the big stud farms in the state.

Sukhbir Singh Samara is operating a stud farm on the outskirts of the city with nearly 25 thoroughbred mares.

Diminishing returns from agriculture, opulent farmers of Punjab with big land holdings switched over to breeding of thoroughbreds by turning a portion of land into stud farms. Besides, selling off colts and fillies fetch them lucrative money.

Majority of these farms are located in the Malwa belt, where land holdings are still bigger in comparison with other regions of the state.

The Samras started their stud farm with only three mares in 2001. He said that rising input cost and limited returns forced them to think about breeding and raring horses.

Their open tract of land provides easy availability for green fodder and soyabeen for horses while oats and barley are purchased from the markets of Uttar Pradesh.

Another stud farm owner Harish Gandhi said that agriculture had been the vocation of his family since ages. His grandparents shifted here after the formation of Pakistan where they had large tracts of agriculture land.

Beginning with 16 mares they are now operating the farm with 45 mares. Gandhi said that they were operating the business on their own without any kind of assistance from government. He opined that opening of a racing course in the state would provide a tremendous boost to the trade.

Samra is also of the view that setting up of racing course would also open a source of earning for the cash strapped state besides bringing spotlight on the trade.     

 In order to handle horses properly, retired army personnel from its veterinary corps are roped in. Because of their instincts as herd animals, horses are prone to aggressive behavior thus they require careful management by handlers.

So next time, if you happened to visit the Maha Lakshmi Race course, Mumbai, Bangalore Turf club, Madras Race club and Delhi Race Club made it sure that the horse blazing the field was not from Punjab. 

Barnala, April 1
Irked over the enthusiasm of individual truck operators, who have floated transport tenders for current season without the consent of union, the District Truck Operator Union, Barnala has decided to oppose the tenders floated for the transport year 2008-09.

They threatened that if any purchase agency, like Food Corporation of India (FCI) or state food purchase agencies, including Markfed, Punsup or Punjab Agro work according to those tenders than the district truck operator union and labour union would boycott the whole transport of the wheat in the current season in mandis and loading and unloading of special goods trains of FCI.

The decision of this effect was taken at a district-level meeting of the union held here today. It was presided over by the Punjab truck operator union and SAD Barnala assembly segment in- charge Malkeet Singh Keetu.

Elaborating the decision, Keetu said that the individual truck operators did not have sufficient trucks to carry the loads in wheat or paddy season. Moreover, they have floated tender but could not deliver satisfactory performance. So if any agency would opt as per their tenders, it had to face inconvenience.

He claimed that labour unions are supporting district truck union.

It is believed that individual truck operators who have floated tenders have quoted quite less rates for transportation, which is not going well with district truck operator union.

Former MLA Gobind Singh Longowal and the presidents and office bearers of truck operator unions of Barnala, Dhnaula, Tapa and Bhadaur participated in the meeting. 

Bathinda, April 1
Furthering their protest against the ill-treatment meted out to them on March 27 in the seminar held at civil hospital here, the media persons of this district today decided to intensify their stir against chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the district police.

In a meeting held here today, the media persons chalked out the further strategy and agreed that wearing black badges they would carry out a silent march through the city on April 4.

It may be mentioned that during the seminar, for disrupting the speech of the CM policewomen along with some male police officials held the protesting Anganwari workers from their hair and dragged them out of the pandal. When the media persons present at the seminar intervened, the DSP Talwandi Sabo, Parminder Pal Singh, DSP (rural), DS Brar, in-charge CIA, Ranjit Singh, sub-inspector Balwinder Singh, in-charge of the Community Police Resource Committee Sanjeev Mittal and a lady police officer Madhu Bala roughed up and abused them.

When CM was apprised of the matter, he rejected the demand for the suspension of the accused police officers, which led to the immediate boycott of the CM and the district police.

Though Bathinda deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari held a meeting with the latter and urged them to settle the matter, the pressmen refused to agree and instead remained stuck to their demand regarding suspension of all the six police officers involved.

Lending support to the media in Bathinda, various organisations had formed a front against the CM and the police. It has been reported that the protest had taken enormous shape as journalist unions from many cities have assured them of cooperation.

Vinod Kohli, the president of the Chandigarh Punjab Union of Journalist, while talking from Chandigarh said, “A call for holding a protest rally in Sector 17 on Wednesday, in support of the Bathinda Journalists, have been given to all the Chandigarh-based members of the union. After the protest rally a memorandum will be submitted to the Governor of Punjab.” “If needed the union will seek involvement of all journalists throughout the state,” he added.

Bathinda, April 1
The week-long career guidance and counselling camp being organised by the Baba Farid Institute of Higher and Foreign Studies here was organised by P.K.Yadav (IPS) and APS (city), Bathinda. On the inaugural day, as many as 400 students were counselled and their doubts were cleared at the camp.

Yadav appreciated the academic achievements of the institute’s students and urged the need of organising more such camps in the educationally-backward district of the state.

On the occasion, managing director of the institute Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal advised the students to derive as much benefit as possible from the camp.

Career-consultant Vivek Sahni apprised the students of the developments made at different levels in the corporate sector.

Moga, April 1
The police apprehended two persons with fake currency worth Rs 25,000 here today.

The accused were identified as Amandeep Singh and Harjit Singh of village Sairon in Taran Tarn district.

Following a tip-off, the Kot Isse Khan police station had held a check-post in its area of jurisdiction. However, when a Maruti car did not stop at the check-post and had sped away to the city, the police become suspicious and chased it, sources said. After some time they managed to catch hold of it in which the two accused were travelling. They were carrying fake currency in denominations of Rs 1000, Rs 500 and Rs 100. The concerned police station registered a case under relevant sections. 

Bathinda, April 1
The Pendu Sahit Sabha, Balian Wali near here organised 13th Dhadi-Kavishari and Award Function on Tuesday. The function was dedicated to Rajab Ali, a poet, and was presided over by MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan.

On the occasion, Dharam Chand Badhni Kalan was awarded with Kavishar Maghi Singh Gill award for his contribution towards Punjabi culture. — TNS

Mansa, April 1
Two youths were killed when pillars of the Shiv Shakti Seva Mandal Mandir at Budhlada collapsed.

According to sources, two youths had been working for the night long religious procession which was proposed to be held tonight.

Mansa SSP M.F. Farooqi told that Nony (19) and Sonu (20) were busy doing electricity work at the temple when two main pillars of the temple collapsed leading to their death on the spot.