The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

	Cops propose compulsory bicycle registration in state Anil Jerath Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 20 The poor strata of Punjab are already reeling under the heavy burden of taxes and soon, they may be loaded with an additional burden. This time it would be in the shape of bicycle registration fee. Police department has sent a recommendation to the state government to make it mandatory for a customer before purchasing a bicycle to submit identity proof to the shopkeeper and get it registered with the district transport office (DTO) concerned of the state. Sensing security threat from anti-national and anti-social elements, NPS Aulakh, director-general of police, Punjab, said the step had been taken due to the recent serial bomb blasts in Jaipur and Uttar Pradesh. He added that in most of the cases, bicycles had been used to trigger bomb blasts in the country, including the ones at Jaipur and UP. Sources in the police department said it would become easy for them to trace a person in case there was a bicycle-triggered bomb blast. Earlier, it was almost impossible to trace a person, who purchased bicycle without giving any identity proof in the state. The misuse of bicycle in crime and other anti-social activities had also increased as the shopkeepers selling bicycles could not know as to who purchased the bicycle and for what purpose, the sources added. The identity proof is going to be made mandatory but is it possible for a shopkeeper to get the proofs from its earlier customers? A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said, “We have it in mind and would chalk out plans in this regard before implementing the scheme.” The police, on the one hand, would be able to contain terrorism in the state and on the other the state government will earn revenue in the shape of registration fee from the new bicycle buyers, the police officer added. Rajesh Pandey, a migrant hailing from Bihar, said, if the state government made it mandatory for a customer to provide identity proof to the shopkeeper, it would become difficult for them, who have been living in jhuggis or rented accommodation for years together. “Only the bicycle is the poor man’s vehicle,” he added. When contacted, a shopkeeper on the Mall Road, said, the step would only be in the nation’s interest.
	Life comes to a grinding halt Hard rain chokes Moga Kulwinder Sandhu Tribune News Service Moga, May 20 The Municipal Council here today was exposed by heavy downpour that paralysed the normal life in the town with most of the areas flooded with rainwater in the absence of any proper drainage and choking of the sewerage system. The rain that started late last night continued till noon. Hailstones also hit many parts of the town and its surrounding areas around 4 am. Even the residences of the district magistrate and executive officer of the MC, various government offices, remained flooded throughout the day. Schoolchildren were the worst hit, as attendance in the schools was also reportedly thin. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded in the rainwater at various locations in the town during the rush hour in the morning. Traffic remained almost at halt between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. The main market of the town remained almost closed till afternoon. The power supply was badly hit with reports of damage to supply lines at few locations. Water supply was also hit due to non-supply of power to the water pump houses of the MC. The sewerage system remained collapsed all throughout the day.The pumps installed at various locations in the town for pumping out the water from the sewage lines did not function properly, probably due to power cut. Although, executive officer of the MC, Brij Mohan Jhamb, claimed that they had run few pumps on generator sets but a round of the town in the afternoon did not give any indication that the pumps were used for pumping out the rainwater Chairman of the local citizens’ welfare council, Dwarka Nath Bansal, said that no pump worked at the time of the heavy downpour that added to the woes of the common people. He demanded from the state government to upgrade and strengthen the existing sewerage and drainage systems, which had become ineffective with the passage of time. He further demanded that the MC should take adequate steps for the cleanliness of the sewerage lines keeping in view of the coming monsoons.
	Officials under scanner Wrong allotment of poll symbols Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Talwandi Sabo, May 20 With the allotment of poll symbols other than those prescribed by the State Election Commission (SEC), the role of the returning officers in Talwandi Sabo sub-division along with the SDM and other officials of the district administration has come under the scanner. In this sub-division, two blocks have been formed, Talwandi Sabo and Maur, from where 612 candidates are going to contest the Gram Panchayat elections. Receiving a complaint from a candidate, Ram Kumar, belonging to the Naseebpura Gram Panchayat, who received the symbol “Book”, which was not in the list of poll symbols given by the SEC, this reporter made enquiries from the DEO Bathinda and the SDM Talwandi Sabo, who immediately swung into action and ordered that the list of election symbols allotted to the candidates, pasted throughout the blocks, be removed. In another incident the poll symbol of National Congress party (NCP), “ clock” was issued to a SAD backed candidate. It may be mentioned that the Punjab State Election Commission has prescribed a list of 45 symbols for the Gram Panchayat elections. So, every returning officer was supposed to allot the prescribed symbols only. After preparing the dummy ballot papers, in the early hours of Tuesday, teams from all the blocks were rushed to Delhi to get the original ballot papers printed. While talking to TNS, District Election Officer (DEO) Rahul Tewari said, “We have received an amendment to the rule that if the people are not willing to accept the prescribed symbols, we can allot other ones.” But when he was informed that there was no scope for this as the choice of the candidates had not been sought, he assured of taking up the matter seriously. SDM Talwandi Sabo Anil Garg dismissed the matter saying it was a minor mistake. “Mistakenly, we had distributed the guideline books to all ROs which were published in 1996, but it will be sorted out soon.” When contacted in the evening, one of the three ROs of Talwandi Sabo, Laj Pal Jakhar said, “We have been preparing the new list of poll symbols alloted which we have to resend to Delhi for printing. In the morning we will go to each candidate to give him the new symbol.” Frustrated over the issuing of the wrong election symbol, a number of candidates and their supporters accused the administration of using underhand tactics to favour the ruling party. They alleged that earlier, scrutiny had taken up an extra day and now, the wrong allotment of election symbols would amount to harassment of the candidates. Meanwhile, Santokh Singh, a candidate from the Kamalo Gram Panchayat, who had been allotted the poll symbol of “Chakkar”, said he had ordered the printing of posters and pamphlets for distribution in the village. Sadhu Singh of Laleana village, showing his allotted symbol “Jeep”, lamented that he had already paid for the printing of the posters and the material would now be rendered waste. He had incurred wasteful expenditure, he rued.
	Candidates gherao RO Allege ‘fake’ thumb impressions used for withdrawal Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Talwandi Sabo, May 20 Frustrated over what they perceive as the deliberate stonewalling by the officials, many Congress activists, including gram panchayat candidates, today gheraoed one of the three returning officers (ROs) deputed in the Talwandi block. The ROs have been accused of using ‘fake’ thumb impressions for the withdrawal of nominations. Tehal Singh of Lehari village, a Congress-backed gram panchayat candidate, showing the receipt issued by an RO, alleged that despite the receipt, the RO was not admitting that the nomination papers were filed by him. Meanwhile, Gurcharan Singh (reserved category) of Kamalo village alleged that his name had been struck off the final list without any reason. Angrej Kaur and Jagroop Singh of Jajjal village alleged that in their absence, their forms had been withdrawn using fake thumb impressions. A candidate from Bhagi Vandar gram panchayat, Ajmer Singh, alleged that his forms were also stated to be withdrawn. He claimed to have a good hold in the elections. During the day, various leaders and candidates narrated their plight to the TNS. At Block Development and Panchayat Office (BDPO) here, candidates showed the applications that they had prepared to send to the state election commission for the alleged ‘shady’ role of the administration to favour the ruling party. On the contrary, when contacted, the ROs of the Talwandi block appeared confident of having done a “fair” job but regretted the allegations. It may be mentioned that in the final list of the gram panchayat candidates, 1,093 have been named under general category, 532 are for women (reserved category), 545 in SC, 282 in SC (women) and 10 in BC category. A total of 312 gram panchayats will go to polls. In the document procured, it is mentioned that as many as 6,533 candidates filed their nominations in the district but the final list carried the names of only 3,947 candidates who are contesting the elections.
	Countering Mealy bug menace Scouts to help farmers soon Puneet Pal Singh Gill Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 20 For creating awareness among the farmers of this cotton belt regarding the management of mealy bug menace and the new pests, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, will train unemployed youth of the state to work as scouts in the cotton belt. These scouts would also educate farmers about the new developments in agriculture and the recommended varieties at the farmers’ doorstep. A few days back, extensive trainings (four days each) were arranged on cotton production and protection technology with emphasis on the eco-friendly management of mealy bug by using non-chemical methods. As many as 220 villages adopted by the State Agriculture Department were covered under the project. Participants for this training were selected from Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Muktsar, Tarn Taran, Patiala, Moga, Sangrur and Barnala districts. A series of trainings were organised to train 250 scouts at the PAU and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Bathinda and Faridkot) and the PAU Regional Station, Abohar. The pest scenario in cotton has considerably changed with the introduction of Bt-cotton as a component of integrated pest management (IPM). Cotton pests like the American bollworm have been almost managed. The cotton whitefly, which resurged on account of the excessive use of synthetic pyrethroids as pesticides, has also declined. However, new pests like tobacco caterpillar and mealy bug are the key pests of cotton. While speaking to TNS, Nachhatar Singh Malhi, director of extension education, PAU, said, “Mealy bug has emerged as a serious threat for cotton in the recent years. During 2006, the crop was damaged in some pockets of the state and the pest spread to new areas in 2007, causing damage to cotton in Bathinda, Muktsar and Ferozepur districts. With the introduction of Bt-cotton, the productivity of cotton touched 728 kg lint per hectare in 2006-07 but declined to 630 kg lint per hectare in 2007-08 due to various factors. Mealy bug being the major one.”
	MLA’s partner missing, cops still clueless Bathinda, May 20 Even after 36 hours had passed, the district police still have no clue with regard to the kidnapping of the 60-year-old businessman, Sham Lal of Bhagta Bhai village, who is also a business partner of Congress MLA Gurpreet Singh Kangar. Sources informed that Sham Lal left his house on Monday at 6.30 am on his motorcycle bearing the number PB-03-0367. He went to Aakliaa Jalal village where he met some traders. Till 10 am, he was in touch with his family but since then, he has not contacted anyone in his family. Fearing the worst, family members searched for him wherever they thought he could be. During the period, they received a ransom call. However, on being asked about the call, they opted to remain tight-lipped. Late in the evening, the matter was reported to the police and a case under sections 365 and 34 of the IPC was registered against unidentified persons. When contacted, Bathinda SSP, Naunihal Singh said, “The family members have not informed if they suspect someone. However, we are investigating whether it is a case of kidnapping or if the person has gone missing.” On the other hand, MLA Kangar accused the district police of “dilly-dallying”. He said Sham Lal was his partner in the family business as commission agent and in transport and also claimed that he was innocent. — TNS
	Cops held on graft charges Our Correspondent Mansa, May 20 The Mansa police has booked two havildars on graft charges. One of the accused has been arrested while another is still at large. Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa, M.F. Farooqi today said that the police had registered a case against havildar Jagdev Singh and havildar Shivji Ram, who were posted at the Bhikhi police station, for allegedly receiving bribe. The SSP added that the case was registered on the basis of an affidavit given by Bhadur Singh, a resident of Hero Kalan village. In his statement, Bhadur said that his brother Bhoora Singh had died on May 10 last. His another brother, Gurjant Singh, had lodged a complaint against him at the Bhikhi police station alleging that he had given poison to Bhoora. The two cops pressurised him for a compromise and demanded bribe from him. Meanwhile, SHO Bhikhi Jasvarinder Singh has been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in this case and has also been sent to the Police Lines, Mansa.
	49 Mansa panchayats elected unopposed Tribune Reporters Mansa, May 20 49 panchayats in Mansa district were elected unanimously. Additional returning officer Baljeet Singh Sandhu said that there were a total of 242 panchayats in the whole district, out of which 49 were elected unanimously. In the Mansa block, 11 panchayats had been elected unopposed, whereas the Budhlada block had 12 and Jhuneer 10 unanimously elected panchayats, respectively. Sardoolgarh elected 13 and Bhikhi had just three unopposed elected panchyats. Barnala: Rajgarh village Panchayat was elected unopposed here today. Nihal Singh Uppali, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, said that the villagers had held a meeting at the Gurudwara Sahib. At the meeting, Harbans Kaur was elected sarpanch unanimously only after Malkeet Singh and Gurmeet Kaur took their nomination papers back in her favour. Meanwhile, Jagtar Singh, Jagroop Singh, Karmjeet Singh, Rajinder Singh, Teja Singh and Sinder Kaur were elected Panchayat members.
	Pirated VCDs for just Rs 20 Boom in video piracy: Authorities turn a blind eye Anil Jerath Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 20 Piracy continues to cripple the music and film industry of Punjab and Mumbai. Those indulging in the crime have mastered their art so well that they have now managed to cut down the time taken to copy music numbers and films drastically — from two days to just two hours — thanks to the perfect combination of their ingenuity and modern technology. Meanwhile, pirated VCDs, DVDs and audio CDs are available freely in almost all markets of Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur and Barnala due to extensive and well-knit network that has become a prime fulltime ‘business’. Sources in industry say that while earlier the pirated stuff was sold secretly, now it is being sold openly, even at good music shops. “Just to have an insight of the level of piracy, I went to the local Gandhi Market and sent someone to fetch a pirated version of a popular music VCD. After initial reluctance, one of the shopkeepers took it out of his bag and gave it to him just for Rs 20,” said Deepak Mittal, the general secretary of the Music Association of India (MAI). “In such a situation, how can the music or film industry survive, particularly when the original VCDs are priced five times higher?” he asked. The Tribune’s investigations revealed that if about two years back, it took two-three days to copy a DVD, VCD or an audio CD, now it takes just two hours, thanks to the information technology era. Earlier, copying of a VCD or a DVD and its entry in the market took two to three days as a product used to be copied only when it was launched in the market. Now, the first step is to scan posters and then cassette or CD inlays are made. Investigations also revealed that nearly 2 lakh copies of music videos alone entered the market of Punjab every month. Out of these, nearly 60 per cent stuff was pirated. Besides, pirated DVDs and VCDs of the latest Hindi and Punjabi films were freely available. Interestingly, the piracy industry has developed its own lingo, which is of great help if buyer is aware of the same. For instance, if a buyer goes to a shop and asks for a pirated copy of a film, the shopkeeper may show some reluctance. But if the buyer demands a “combination”, there is a chance of getting it on the first request only. The original DVD and VCD of a film may be priced at Rs 250 and Rs 120 respectively, their pirated copies can be bought for as low as Rs 80 and Rs 20-30. “We have not come across any solution so far. Anti-piracy softwares proved to be a big failure, as these are cracked by experts instantaneously,” says Mittal. However, police sources said they raid such shops frequently, adding that last year, over 5,000 pirated CDs were seized from these shops.