Mehraj (Bathinda), May 22
Sounds unbelievable but it is true! Mehraj, the native village of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, has nine gram panchayats with a total of 11,764 votes. From this village, as many as 87 persons are in the fray for the 59 seats of panches.

The village that received many grants from the Captain during his regime, has played a key role in the recent assembly polls. This time around, the ruling party, Shiromani Akali Dal (B) has been planning to storm the bastion by cornering Congress votes for candidates supported by SAD.

Out of the nine gram panchayat, three, namely, Kothe Himmatpura, Kathe Malluana and Kothe Pipli, have been declared unanimously elected. The seat of sarpanch for Kothe Pipli has been reserved for a woman candidate while the rest of the two are for the general category.

Quota wise, the Gurusar Mehraj gram panchayat has three seats of Panch for SC candidates and two for SC women. The total number of votes is 347 and nine candidates are going to contest from this gram panchayat. The seat of the sarpanch is reserved for an SC candidate.

In Kothe Maha Singh Wale, two seats of panch has been reserved for general category and one each for SC and SC women candidates. The total number of votes is 989 and nine candidates will contest from here. The sarpanch would be an SC woman candidate.

In Mehraj Patti Kalan GP, three general, one woman, three SC, two SC woman candidates are in the fray. The total number of votes is 2,628 and 14 persons will contest the election from here. The sarpanch’s seat is reserved for SC woman candidate.

In Mehraj Patti Karam Chand, four general, two women, two SC and one SC woman candidates would be elected. The total number of votes is 2,566 and 17 persons are going to contest. The sarpanch’s seat is reserved for the general category.

In Mehraj Patti Sandli, three general, one woman, two SC and one SC woman candidate will be elected as panch. The total number of votes is 1,293 and 11 persons will contest from here. The seat of sarpanch is reserved for a woman.

In Mehraj Patti Saul, four general, two woman, two SC and one SC woman candidates wil contest for the Panch seat. The total number of votes is 2,801 and 12 persons are going to contest from here. The seat of sarpanch is reserved for the general category.

It is worth mentioning here that the village always voted in favour of SAD from 1965 to 1997 but in the 2002 assembly polls, an independent candidate, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, got the lead. Kangar later joined the Congress and again won from this constituency in 2007.

In the previous Amarinder Singh regime, the village had a dream run as grants worth Rs 10 crore were spent here. The Congress government developed a proper sewerage system at an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. Three new water-works were also constructed. A 30-bed hospital was started in the village at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore.

Bathinda May 22
It was nothing less than a windfall for Harmanpreet Kaur of Dasmesh School here who outshined all others in Bathinda region in the class VIII examination held by Punjab School Education Board.

The 13-year-old girl from a predominantly rural area and traditional background ranked 16th in the state, bringing laurels to her school and family.

Daughter of Nirma Singh of Punjab Police and Shinder Pal Kaur, Harmanpreet who was amazed at her brilliant performance said that she did expect very good marks but securing first position in the district was beyond expectations. “I did work very hard and regularly studied for nearly eight hours a day and revised the entire course thrice”, she said adding that she never took tuitions.

“I used to get up at 3.30 am and studied upto 7.30 am in the morning and remained busy with studies from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm in the evening”, she said.

Harmanpreet said that she loved playing badminton but rarely watched TV and avoided other distractions to concentrate on studies. Aspiring to become an Advocate Harmanpreet says that her mission of life was to fight for the rights of the poor and underprivileged.

The principal of Dasmesh School, Raminder Singh Maan was overwhelmed over the success of Harmanpreet said that it was his silver Jubilee award as he joined the school in 1983 and would complete 25 years.

The parents and other family members were also jubilant over the resounding success of their ward and said that she well deserved it.

Barnala/Malout, May 22
A girl student from Barnala today brought laurels to the city by securing the second position in class VIII exam, conducted by the Punjab School Education Board.

Talking to TNS, Ankita gave the credit for her success to Sarvhitkari Senior Secondary Vidya Mandir School staff.

Hailing from a middle class family, Ankita's father deals in inverters while her mother works as an UDC with the Punjab State Electricity Board.

Ankita said she had toiled hard to achieve this position. After the school, she usually spent eight hours on her studies.

She begins her day early at 4 am and retires to bed at 10 pm and seldom watches television. Science and mathematics were the two subjects that interested her.

Disclosing her future plans, the Barnala girl said she wanted to become an IAS officer and serve the nation.

Ankita's proud father Tejinder Kumar Bansal and mother Rano Devi said they were excited and overwhelmed by the achievement of their daughter.

It was a moment of joy for 13-year-old Inderjeet Kaur as she got the news that she came third in the state in the class VIII examination conducted by the PSEB.

Attributing her success to hard work and the blessings of the parents, Inderjeet, a student of S.D. Senior Secondary School, Malout, is now determined to break the record by securing the top position in the matriculation examination.

Even at this tender age, while talking to the TNS, she showed how target-oriented she was, "Everyone should decide their goal in time and focus towards that. To achieve one's target, one should start preparing from the beginning and follow a systematic routine."

She further disclosed that she had never taken any tuitions.

Her father Gurmeet Singh, who runs a repair workshop for electrical appliances, said he could not study even till matriculation but his dream was now being fulfilled through his daughter.

Her overjoyed mother Daljeet Kaur, said, “I am proud of my daughter. She has proved that there is no difference between a boy and a girl. I am thankful that I have been blessed with two daughters."

Mansa, May 22
The residents of this district have raised their hopes with the approaching visit of Chief Minster Parkash Singh Badal as even after 14 years of being declared a district, it is haunted by a number of problems.

The district has a good scope for the setting up of industries. In fact, the absence of industry and consequently, lack of avenues for youth, is the main reason behind the problems like unemployment and drug addiction in the district.

Kisan leaders Ram Singh Bhaini Bagha and Ruldu Singh said there was a vast scope for agro-based industries.

Other major problem that the residents face is contaminated water, which is neither fit for drinking nor for irrigation and has only led to spread of cancer in the region. Officials in health and agriculture department have admitted to the fact.

The contaminated water did not even spare the crops. For its failure, the debt-ridden farmers have suffered huge losses. Owing to polluted water, jaundice inflicted nearly 400 persons in Bareta Mandi a couple of months back.

Babu Lal, who retired from the health department, said the water works connections were inaccessible to many and people were forced to use the water drawn through hand-pumps.

According to information available, as many as 104 water works are operating in the district, out of which 99 are canal-based.

Those living in Malwa have been grappling with the problem of cancer for long time now and there are numerous cancer patients fighting the disease in cities and villages of the region.

Prof. Ajmer Singh Aulakh, president of Kendriya Punjabi Lekhak Sabha and a cancer patient, Jaspal Singh Kokhar, leader of Radical Peoples’ Forum, and Istri Sabha leader Rekha Sharma said the state of poor patients was worst as they could not afford medical treatment of their diseases.

They demanded that a cancer hospital should be built for the poor.

In the field of education, the facilities are almost negligible in the district. There is a single government college in the entire district. It is pertinent to note that Mansa’s literacy rate is 52 per cent compared to 69 of Punjab. Nearly 33 per cent of the posts of teacher are lying vacant in schools.

Convener of SAVE education committee Darshan Singh Dhillon said there were only 42 senior secondary schools and 52 government schools in the district while there was a need for double the number. Many schools were running without proper buildings and playgrounds, he added.

Bathinda, May 22
While it is usual for political bigwigs to contest parliamentary and assembly elections and leave the hurly-burly of grassroot politics to their more down-to-earth followers, an exception is being sought to be made in this regard.

Karan Kaur Brar, daughter-in-law of former chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar and wife of present Muktsar MLA Kanwarjit (Sunny) Brar, who had contested the last parliamentary elections against Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president Sukhbir Badal from Faridkot, has filed her papers for the post of a panchayat member of Sarainaga in Muktsar district.

Karan Brar, while speaking to TNS from Sarainaga, said, “It is only because of hooliganism by the SAD in Muktsar and other parts of the state I have decided to contest the Gram Panchayat elections this year. Though the post of Sarpanch in our village is reserved for a Scheduled Caste woman candidate, but I will assist her in every possible way and get new government schemes implemented here. If given a chance, I would contest the Ferozepur parliamentary elections as well. Last year, my son was the village Sarpanch.” 

But political observers feel this move of Karan will boost her prospects of bagging the ticket for the Ferozepur parliamentary seat, from where Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Jagmeet Brar unsuccessfully contested last year.

After the new delimitation of the constituencies, Muktsar and Malout now fall under the Ferozepur parliamentary seat whereas Faridkot is now reserved for SC candidate.

The Brars of Sarainaga have contested five parliamentary elections from Faridkot, but have won just one of them. In 1980, Gurbinder (Rano) Brar, wife of Harcharan Singh Brar, defeated Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, who contested on a SAD ticket. In 1985, Babli Brar, daughter of Harcharan Singh Brar, contested against Bhai Shavinder Singh of SAD and lost. In 1989, Harcharan Singh Brar himself contested and lost to Jagdev Singh Khuddian of SAD (Mann). In 1996, Babli Brar lost once again to a newcomer, Sukhbir Badal. Babli stood second whereas Jagmeet Brar, who was contesting as an independent, stood third. In the last parliamentary elections, Karan Brar contested on a Congress ticket and lost to Sukhbir.

Sources in the Brar family said the family is planning to field Karan Brar from Ferozepur and Babli Brar, who is considered close to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, will get a Rajya Sabha ticket.

Bathinda, May 22
The Akali Dal 1920 would submit its survey report regarding the alleged high-handedness of the ruling SAD during the PRI polls to the Governor of Punjab on Friday at Chandigarh.

In an attempt to gather the details from grassroots level, leaders of the Dal chalked out a strategy in Bathinda during a meeting with its activists and senior leaders.

As per the slated programme, the party leaders along with the party head, Ravi Inder Singh, visited Lambi, the home constituency of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, on the pretext of receiving the number of allegations that rented the air during the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls.

Before proceeding towards Lambi, Ravi Inder Singh accused Badal for the “breakdown” of law and order machinery throughout the state.

Levelling allegations, he spoke at length narrating the incidents of clashes that took places at the polling stations. He further accused the ruling party of conniving with the bureaucracy to forcibly withdraw the candidates’ nominations in PRI polls.

Taking the police to task, Singh alleged that it was hand in glove with the ruling party.

The leaders of the Akali Dal 1920 criticised the Congress alleging that it pursued long lasting “mischievous” policies. They further said if the PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had taken the resignations of MLAs seriously and really wanted to do something she would have submitted the same to the Governor or the Lok Sabha speaker.

Besides Ravi Inder, those who visited the villages included Gurdeep Singh Bathinda, Surjeet Singh Mehraj, Bhupinder Singh Dhillon, Rajinder Singh, Tejinder Singh Pannu, Bharpur Singh Dhanoa, Gurwinder Singh and Kulwant Singh.

Bathinda, May 22
It was a nightmarish experience for the 100 odd labourers working for a contractor at the District Court Complex (under construction) who were thrashed, abused and then threatened to leave Bathinda here allegedly by goons of a Patiala-based contractor last night.

The labourers who were relaxing after toiling the whole day were taken aback and enquired about the supervisor Kali Charan and other person Ramesh. But when the labourers expressed their inability to furnish the desired information, the goons allegedly thrashed them and also hurled abuses.

The goons, who were loaded with arms, asked the labourers to tell their contractor to pack up and go back to Ambala. “They also warned that he would not be allowed to work anywhere in Punjab,” said one of the labourer, Kedar, who was badly beaten up.

Superviser Kali Charan said ”We have lodged a complaint with the Civil Lines police station alleging that contractor, Anil Kumar Malhotra, who was once their contractor, had allegedly sent the goons to prevent them from working.”

He said he had worked for this contractor for 10 years before coming to Bathinda in August last year. “We left as he was not giving us the full payment and now he is not letting us work,” he added

The labourers, presently working for Bhullar Contractor, said some goons had come to them a few days back and threatened them, but this time they were more aggressive and violent.

They said that the police had not so far registered an FIR and apprehended that they may not get justice. They feared that there could be more such attacks and were worried about their security. Most of the labourers were outsiders and banking solely on the police as they did not have any local influence.

Civil Lines SHO Sandeep Singh, when contacted, said that the labourers informed the police about the incident last night and cops were sent for a preliminary investigation, but they have lodged no formal complaint yet.

Bathinda, May 22
Two siblings, Neeraj(3) and Sangeeta (5) drowned to death at water works reservoirs at Jaito Mandi, in the district on Wednesday.

Police sources said the grief stricken parents of the children run a nursery. For the same purpose, they went to a house in the evening along with their children.

While playing, the children went to the nearby water works. After some time, some passer-by noticed them drowning in water. After receiving the information, volunteers of the Naujwan Welfare Society rushed to the spot and took out the bodies of both the children after few hours.

Moga, May 22
Computer teachers posted in government schools in Moga district hired from the state-owned Punjab Information Communication Technology and Education Society (PICTES) haven’t got their salaries for the past three months.

President of the district unit of the computer teachers union, Iqbal Singh, alleged that for the past over one year, salaries were not being given regularly to them, which was disturbing their household economy.

Inquiries made by The Tribune revealed that the PICTES had released their salary for the month of February that was received in the official account of the district education officer on May 5, but even after 16 days it hadn’t been disbursed among the computer teachers so far. The salary for the months of March and April was yet to be released by the PICTES.

Showing a copy of the orders of the director general of school education, dated May 2, the union leader said the state government had asked all district magistrates not to deploy computer teachers on the poll duty because they were not government employees but the district administration had deployed many computer teachers on poll duty, which was a violation of the government order.