B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

BMC polls
SAD names its 20 candidates
Electioneering likely to gain momentum from today
Bathinda, June 8
With the announcement of names of 20 candidates of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the forthcoming 50-ward Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the slow paced electioneering is likely to gain momentum from Monday.

SSD student ranked 24th in PMT
Bathinda, June 8
Kiratpreet Singh Dhillon, a student of SSD Senior Secondary School here, has secured 24th rank in the PMT examination conducted by the CBSE. 

Cong announces 27 contenders
Bathinda, June 8
Kewal Singh Dhillon, convener of the ticket selection committee of the Congress today released a list of 27 candidates for the BMC polls late in the evening.

Toofan Express cancelled
Passengers left high and dry
Bathinda, June 8
Hundreds of train passengers in Bathinda faced inconvenience and a large number of tickets had to be cancelled today due to cancellation of 3007/3008 Sriganganagar-New Delhi-Howrah Udyan Abha Toofan Express in the wake of the ongoing CPM’s bandh call for recent hike in petroleum products in West Bengal.

Skyward: A bird soars in the sky on a hot day in Bathinda on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera

31 booked for illegal land deals
Bathinda, June 8
The Kotwali police on Saturday evening booked altogether 31 persons in connection with four different cases of selling plots of land by forming illegal colonies and without even depositing fee or taking permission from Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).

Police prevent naam charcha in Abohar
Kikkarkhera (Abohar), June 8
The police today foiled a maiden attempt by the Dera Sacha Sauda followers to organise a block-level ‘naam charcha’ here, the birth place of the Dera chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, about 8 km from Abohar. More than five dozen policemen, including sub inspectors and ASIs reached the village on Saturday and cordoned off the Naam Charcha Ghar. The last batch headed by ASI Ranjeet Singh, however, left the place at 9 am on Sunday.

Farmers take on Mealy bug
Abohar, June 8
The farmers of the villages located at the tail-end of the sub-canals in this sub-division, who could not sow cotton well in time due to suspension of water supply for over three weeks in April, fear that their crops were more prone to attack by the Mealy bug. They have started taking measures to control the bug.

33 school teachers denied promotion
Abohar, June 8
Owing to poor annual examination results, as many as 33 government school teachers were denied promotion as lecturers, as the education department finalised the list for this district according to the norms laid down by a high-level committee. The long awaited list was received here on Friday.

Panchayat polls in remaining Barnala villages on June 22
Barnala, June 8
Deputy Commissioner, Barnala, R.L. Mehta today informed that elections for the gram panchayats, for which the elections were either cancelled or countermanded by the State Election Commission or where the elections were not held under the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court would now be held on June 22.

Medical camp with a difference! 
Mallianwala (Moga), June 8
The Samaj Seva Society organised a free general medical check-up camp at Mallianwala village in the district on Saturday followed by a colourful presentation of skits and dramas, besides lectures on various diseases and social evils in the evening

Paddy sowing on in CM’s village
Badal (Muktsar), June 8
Recently, the early sown paddy crop in Bathinda and some other districts has been destroyed. But the Muktsar administration has apparently closed its eyes towards the early sowing of paddy in CM Parkash Singh Badal’s native village, Badal, in the district.

Planting of paddy is going on unchecked at Badal village in Muktsar district. — Tribune photo by Kulbir Beera 

Asiad Circus
No patrons, only performers
Mansa, June 8
Circus had seen a time when people made a beeline to get into the canvas tents where they could see the real heroic stuff by the jugglers and acrobats apart from entertainment that the clowns and the animals put on offer. Times have changed and the circus today is facing a financial crunch owing to less turnout of viewers.

Raman elected BCCI chairman
Bathinda, June 8
Raman Vats was here yesterday unanimously elected chairman of the Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) for the second consecutive term while Mohan Jit Singh Puri was elected general secretary of the chamber. A meeting in this regard was held at Civil Lines Club here on Saturday.

Rich tributes paid to BK Kamlesh
Bathinda, June 8
Tributes were paid to Brahma Kumari Kamlesh, head of Bathinda zone of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, at a ‘shradhanjali sabha’ at the Bhana Mal Trust here today. BK Rajyogini Kamlesh passed away here on May 30.

PRTC dismisses two bus conductors
Bathinda, June 8
Getting tough with the working of bus conductors of various state government-owned roadways buses in the state, the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has dismissed two of its conductors from service and another was fined for not issuing tickets or allegedly issuing used tickets to passengers of different depots in the state.

BMC polls
SAD names its 20 candidates
Electioneering likely to gain momentum from today
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
With the announcement of names of 20 candidates of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the forthcoming 50-ward Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the slow paced electioneering is likely to gain momentum from Monday.

Although the SAD has released names of 20 candidates, selecting the remaining eight candidates is still not appearing to be an easy task for the party. It may be mentioned that SAD has been allotted 28 wards. Sources said that the candidate selection committee of the party was delaying the decision over the eight seats as more than two contenders were staking claim for the seats. One such ward is the number 41, where the tie has taken a triangular shape.

Not taking any chance, the SAD leaders have decided to keep the matter pending. Meanwhile, a senior leader of the SAD succeeded in the ongoing tussle in ward number 15, where Avtar Singh, chief of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) had proposed his kin against the SAD leader’s business ally.

Interestingly, claims made by members of the SAD candidate selection committee to consider only persons with a clean image, fell flat, when the tickets were allotted to a number of candidates against whom criminal cases had been registered and proceedings were going on. In the list, property dealers and financers have also a noticeable share.

It may be mentioned that the SAD candidate from ward number 28 had been booked for assaulting the Anganwari workers, who had lodged a protest in the presence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a function at Civil Hospital, Bathinda, on March 27. Speculations were rife that she was given ticket for her “impressive” performance.

As per the list, Rajinder Singh Sidhu will contest from ward number 3 (general), Rupinder Kaur, w/o Iqbal Singh Mithdi from ward number 4 (woman), Sukhdev Singh Brar from ward number 5 (general), Baljit Singh Saran from ward number 8 (general), Rajbans Kaur, w/o Nand Singh ex-manager from ward number 10 (woman), Baljit Singh Bir Behman from ward number 14 (general), Harmander Singh Sidhu (master) from ward number 15 (general), Pawinder Kaur from ward number 16 (woman), Bhupinder Singh Bhullar from ward number 23 (general). Tek Singh Khalsa from ward number 27 (SC), Rajinder Kaur Brar from ward number 28 (woman), Daljit Singh Brar from ward number 30 (general), Gurpreet Kaur, w/o Tek Singh Rathor from ward number 31 (SC-W), Santosh Mahant from ward number 32 (SC), Makhan Singh Thekedar from ward number 33 (SC), Khem Singh Makkar from ward number 38 (general), Darshan Kaur Phulomithi from ward number 40 (woman), Sukhwinder Kaur, w/o Ashwani kaur Bunty from ward number 43 (woman) votes, Darbara Singh from ward number 45 (SC), Surinder Pal Kaur Chotiya from ward number 50 (general).

SSD student ranked 24th in PMT
Tribune News Serive

Bathinda, June 8
Kiratpreet Singh Dhillon, a student of SSD Senior Secondary School here, has secured 24th rank in the PMT examination conducted by the CBSE. 

The boy had earlier stood fourth in the state in the 10+2 (medical) examinations conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. The school management and the teachers congratulated the parents on their son’s success. 

Cong announces 27 contenders
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
Kewal Singh Dhillon, convener of the ticket selection committee of the Congress today released a list of 27 candidates for the BMC polls late in the evening.

As per the list, Surinder Singh Pawar will contest from ward number 2, Ram Singh from ward number 3, Jasbir Kaur from ward number 4, Mukesh Kumar from ward number 5, Sukhwinder Kaur from ward number 8, Gurcharan Singh from ward number 11, Sukhdeep Singh Mann from ward number 15, Bhupinder Singh from ward number 17, Rajesh Kumar from ward number 18, Sanjeev Kumar from ward number 20, Ashok Kumar from ward number 21, Usha Goel from ward number 22, Gurtej Singh from ward number 23, Sham Lal from ward number 26, Captain Mal Singh from ward number 29, Meenu Rani from ward number 31, Pinki from ward number 34, Satya Deepak from ward number 37, Nahar Singh from ward number 38, Rajni Sharma from ward number 39, Parmjit Kaur from ward number 40, Jagroop Singh Gill from ward number 44, Rattan Rahi from ward number 45, Paranjeet Kaur from ward number 46, Vijay Kumar from ward number 48, Rita Devi from ward number 49 and Dharam Singh Sanga from ward number 50.

Toofan Express cancelled
Passengers left high and dry
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
Hundreds of train passengers in Bathinda faced inconvenience and a large number of tickets had to be cancelled today due to cancellation of 3007/3008 Sriganganagar-New Delhi-Howrah Udyan Abha Toofan Express in the wake of the ongoing CPM’s bandh call for recent hike in petroleum products in West Bengal.

Passengers blamed the railway authorities and said they should have been informed about the cancellation of the train so that they could have made alternative arrangements.

However, the railway authorities had opened a special counter to accommodate the heavy rush for the cancellation of tickets.

“Since 11 pm, we have been waiting for the train. I had to go to Delhi, but we are all stuck here,” said Varun Jindal who had been waiting for the train along with his parents.

“It is sheer harassment and wastage of time. The railways should have informed us so that we could have made alternative arrangements,” said Seema, who intended to travel with her family to Kolkata.

Expressing their helplessness, the authorities said: “We are aware of the inconvenience caused to passengers. We have opened special counters to facilitate quick refunds. They can get refunds at other counters as well without any cancellation deduction.”

31 booked for illegal land deals

Bathinda, June 8
The Kotwali police on Saturday evening booked altogether 31 persons in connection with four different cases of selling plots of land by forming illegal colonies and without even depositing fee or taking permission from Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA).

Police sources said that on the complaint of assistant commissioner, PUDA, the cases were registered. Later, the matter was handed over to the Economic Offences Wing, Bathinda. However till the filing of the report, no one had been arrested. All cases were registered under sections 420 of the IPC and 36 of Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995.

The additional chief administrator, PUDA, Sibin said, "These are not special cases as a number of such cases are still lying pending. Our department surveys illegal colonies and finding such cases, complaints are lodged with the police." — TNS

Police prevent naam charcha in Abohar
Raj Sadosh

Kikkarkhera (Abohar), June 8
The police today foiled a maiden attempt by the Dera Sacha Sauda followers to organise a block-level ‘naam charcha’ here, the birth place of the Dera chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, about 8 km from Abohar. More than five dozen policemen, including sub inspectors and ASIs reached the village on Saturday and cordoned off the Naam Charcha Ghar. The last batch headed by ASI Ranjeet Singh, however, left the place at 9 am on Sunday.

Dera chief’s maternal uncle resided in the village. But the family had shifted to Sirsa after the Salabatpura (Bathinda) incident.

The authorities had deployed a four-member police picket in the Naam Charcha Ghar here after clashes in other cities. Since then, even the weekly ‘charcha’ was not allowed. The devotees had been advised to do the same in their respective houses. A seven-member committee had resolved to organise ‘charcha’ today at block level. There are about 40 villages in block Khuyiansarwar. The followers were anxious to visit their Guru’s birth place for worship but only a few, who could not be contacted on phone about cancellation of the congregation, were found entering the village.

Chiranji Lal, a senior member of the Shah Satnam Ji Green Force, informed that the organisation had been running a dispensary in the village for the last few years. A mobile operation van, popularly known as ‘Farishta’, had been visiting the village once a month to conduct free medical check-up camp. The activity had to be abandoned after the Bathinda episode. For the past one year, the volunteers, however, took up other welfare activities, including tree plantation in the village school.

The outgoing sarpanch, Gurpreet Singh said the village maintained harmony during the PRI elections recently and yesterday decided to elect Bimla Devi as sarpanch unanimously as the office had been reserved for a woman candidate. He failed to understand why the police thought of thronging the village when the panchayat had not objected to the activities of the Dera followers.  

Major Singh, spokesman for the Dera committee, said the members were yesterday contacted by the police officers on phone and told to cancel the ‘naam charcha’ as the district authorities apprehended disturbance. The ‘charcha’ was to be held from 8 am to 9 am. It was within the constitutional fundamentals, he observed.

Farmers take on Mealy bug
Our Correspondent

Abohar, June 8
The farmers of the villages located at the tail-end of the sub-canals in this sub-division, who could not sow cotton well in time due to suspension of water supply for over three weeks in April, fear that their crops were more prone to attack by the Mealy bug. They have started taking measures to control the bug.

The insect had last year damaged most of the cotton crop. This time, late sowing has resulted in little growth of the plants, which could be easily swallowed, experts felt.

According to information available, complaints regarding attack by the bug have so far been received from more than 10 villages, including Kikkarkhera, Kallarkhera, Gumjal, Panniwala Mahla, Usmankhera, Shergarh and Jandwala Hanwanta.

Today, some farmers were found fighting the Mealy bug menace. Two farmers with the help of tractors were uprooting shrubs from a passage on the banks of the sub-canal while others were using spades to remove grass and shrubs from the sides of the fields under the guidance of the Sir Rattan Tata Trust scout Sita Ram.

Former sarpanch Gurpreet Singh said all the families in the village would be involved to make the campaign against Mealy bug a success.

Last year, some of the farmers had thrown the affected plants and grass in the canal. Due to this, the bug had widely spread.

This time, they had been briefed regarding the preventive measures,Gurpreet Singh added.

33 school teachers denied promotion
Our Correspondent

Abohar, June 8
Owing to poor annual examination results, as many as 33 government school teachers were denied promotion as lecturers, as the education department finalised the list for this district according to the norms laid down by a high-level committee. The long awaited list was received here on Friday.

Those who were not promoted have been told that they were not found eligible as their annual class results during the past few years had been below 50 per cent.

It would help in improving the education standards in government schools, a retired principal observed.

According to the list, a total of 118 teachers (52 male, 66 female) got promoted as lecturers and were asked to join at their present place of posting immediately.

However, they would be transferred to new places of posting only by July 7, by when the municipal elections would be over.

Panchayat polls in remaining Barnala villages on June 22
Our Correspondent

Barnala, June 8
Deputy Commissioner, Barnala, R.L. Mehta today informed that elections for the gram panchayats, for which the elections were either cancelled or countermanded by the State Election Commission or where the elections were not held under the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court would now be held on June 22.

Dalwinder Sharma, assistant registrar, Cooperative Societies, will be the returning officer for villages Nangal, Thulewal, Ghumti, Manal, Thuliwal, Mangewal and Hamidi. District Mandi Officer Ram Gopal will be the returning officer for villages Ghurum, Karmgarh, Thikriwal, Dhurkot, Pirtah Patti, Bikasooch Patti, Baba Ajit Singh Nagar and Bhathlan.

The DC informed that the nominations for the above panchayats would be accepted from June 9 to June 12. Scrutiny of the names would be done on June 13 and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 14.

Medical camp with a difference! 
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Mallianwala (Moga), June 8
The Samaj Seva Society organised a free general medical check-up camp at Mallianwala village in the district on Saturday followed by a colourful presentation of skits and dramas, besides lectures on various diseases and social evils in the evening

Local MLA Joginder Pal Jain inaugurated the medical camp and donated Rs 2,100 to the society. He stressed upon the need to organise such camps in villages.

The society also distributed medicines free of cost to as many as 200 patients who attended the camp. Eye specialists, dentists, gynaecologists, orthopaedists besides, general physicians were called in for check-up of the patients. Clinical tests were done free of cost of the deserving patients. After the medical camp was over, cultural programmes were presented. Two plays, ‘Maape’ and ‘Chandan di Mehak’, were presented that not only enthralled but also educated on the curse of social evils in the society. 

President of the society Gursewak Singh Sanyasi highlighted female foeticide and drug addiction and appealed to the younger generation to lead a good life devoid of such evils. He said that it was disturbing the gender balance. Ravinder Pal Singh Gill appealed for practising safe sex and be aware of HIV/AIDS. He gave some tips on preventive measures.

Paddy sowing on in CM’s village
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Badal (Muktsar), June 8
Recently, the early sown paddy crop in Bathinda and some other districts has been destroyed. But the Muktsar administration has apparently closed its eyes towards the early sowing of paddy in CM Parkash Singh Badal’s native village, Badal, in the district.

During a visit to the village today, this correspondent found acres of fields, along with the road leading from Badal to Lambi, planted with paddy crop.

It may be mentioned here that as per the notification passed by the state government, farmers, found sowing paddy prior to June 10, will be penalised with a fine of Rs 10,000. A number of officers of the agriculture department and even the deputy commissioners have been authorised to plough fields where paddy has been sown. It has also been mentioned in the order that administration could charge the cost of ploughing from the farmers.

Following the instruction of the agriculture department, farmers who had sown paddy prior to June 10, destroyed it in several villages of Bathinda district on June 5.

Tek Bahadur Chand, a farmer from Badal village, in whose fields workers were busy planting paddy, said, “I know that the government has put restriction on the early sowing of paddy till June 10 but we are the CM’s neighbours.”

Chand alleged that the decision of government to start paddy sowing from June 10 in the state would create power shortage as the farmers, who would use groundwater through tube-wells, would consume electricity on a large scale. “To be on the safer side, we have been sowing the crop from last month,” he added.

While the conversation was going on, a number of farmers gathered around there and said, “The pesticide dealers have been waiting for the due date as they would then sell it at a higher price on the pretext of shortage.”

In a similar incident in Mahuana and some other villages of Lambi constituency some time back, when DC Muktsar Vikas Garg was contacted, he had the passed on the buck to chief agriculture officer, but the chief agriculture officer, Muktsar, also expressed his inability to take any action in this regard.

Asiad Circus
No patrons, only performers
Our Correspondent

Mansa, June 8
Circus had seen a time when people made a beeline to get into the canvas tents where they could see the real heroic stuff by the jugglers and acrobats apart from entertainment that the clowns and the animals put on offer. Times have changed and the circus today is facing a financial crunch owing to less turnout of viewers.

The Asiad Circus, which is in the city for the past 16 days now, has found itself in another trouble. This time, it is due to the failure of the city’s sewerage system. After yesterday’s showers, the rain water has started accumulating at the circus site making things worse.

Manager of the circus, Amar, lamented that they were facing a huge loss because the work had been affected. He added that they had made a vain effort to call up the fire brigade but the department expressed its incapability to solve such problems.

The circus crew has already been discouraged by the poor turnout. Nearly 500 people daily visit the circus, which is insufficient according to the manager. The reason that the crew pointed out was that people were more interested in cable TV programmes today.

“Nearly Rs 35,000 is spent on running the circus for a day and we are incurring losses due to low turnout. We are spending more than what we are earning,” said the manager of the circus.

The Asiad Circus is now approaching schools and other educational institutions to bring students to the shows.

The main shows of the circus included driving motorbikes in a circle, elephants playing football, ring dance by an Australian girl, games of dogs and parrots and a girl’s tightrope walk at a height of 40 feet.

Jaspal and Kamaljeet Malwa, residents of the city, said the circus had attractive shows but people hadn’t evinced any interest. They suggested that one should see the real shows of the artistes and not the sham in films.

They demanded that the administration should provide help for the proper disposal of rain water, which has been affecting the circus.

Raman elected BCCI chairman
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
Raman Vats was here yesterday unanimously elected chairman of the Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) for the second consecutive term while Mohan Jit Singh Puri was elected general secretary of the chamber. A meeting in this regard was held at Civil Lines Club here on Saturday.

Davinder Singh, Pardeep Aggarwal and Ved Bansal have been elected senior vice-chairmen, Gian Parkash, Rakesh Vats and Harbans Jindal, vice-chairmen, Rakesh Aggarwal, treasurer and Inderjit Singh, legal adviser.

Executive members are Ashok Kansal, P.S. Randhawa, Ravinder Mohan Garg, Ashok Goyal, P.S. Sandhu, Pawan Singla, Sukhdev Chahal, M.R. Mittal, Bhushan Aggarwal, Pardeep Mangal, Vishal and Suresh Jindal.

Rich tributes paid to BK Kamlesh
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
Tributes were paid to Brahma Kumari Kamlesh, head of Bathinda zone of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, at a ‘shradhanjali sabha’ at the Bhana Mal Trust here today. BK Rajyogini Kamlesh passed away here on May 30.

Speaking on the occasion, Saroop Singla, district president, SAD, said, that Rajyogini Kamlesh dedicated her life to spreading the message of peace and universal brotherhood.

B.K. Achal, regional head of the Rajyoga centre, Chandigarh, said Kamlesh was a spiritual lighthouse, who, with her courage, honesty and dedication, worked for the upliftment of the society. She added that Kamlesh had toured all over India to propagate ancient Indian heritage.

Prominent among those who paid tributes to the departed soul included former state minister Chiranji Lal Garg, members of Inner Wheel Club, Arya Samaj Sabha, Sant Nirankari Mission, VivekananStudy Centre and the Punjab Ophthalmic Association. 

PRTC dismisses two bus conductors
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 8
Getting tough with the working of bus conductors of various state government-owned roadways buses in the state, the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) has dismissed two of its conductors from service and another was fined for not issuing tickets or allegedly issuing used tickets to passengers of different depots in the state.

According to a complaint lodged with the state transport authorities yesterday by R.S. Aulakh, general manager, PRTC, Patiala, Beant Singh of Ludhiana depot and Karamjit Singh of Bathinda depot, who had been working with the PRTC on contract basis for the last four years, were dismissed from service while Kaku Singh, a regular conductor of PRTC's Chandigarh depot was fined and left with a warning note.

An amount of Rs 240, Rs 216 and Rs 139 was found in excess of the actual sale of tickets in their bags respectively, which was attributed to not issuing the tickets or the sale of old ticket to passengers.