Bathinda, June 26
Despite being aware of ban of commercial use of domestic LPG cylinders, railway is flouting the rules.

Railway department has been doing a renewal job of track and sleepers of the four-kilometre long Delhi bypass located at outskirts of the city. For this purpose, railway department has come under scanner for the misuse of domestic LPG cylinders.

During a visit to the spot, TNS team today found the ongoing process of cutting joints and bolts with welding machines. To serve the purpose, mechanics were using domestic LPG cylinders and that too in the presence of railway officers.

When asked, assistant divisional engineer (ADEN) Chaman Lal, who was supervising the work, said, “I know that domestic cylinders should not be used for the purpose but I have come from Bikaner and my job is to take care of the machine testing.”

When contacted, section engineer S.K. Madaan said, “The work will be completed within one month. We have been using these cylinders in a case of urgency.”

The acting deputy commissioner of Bathinda, Vijay Zade, could not be contacted for his version. 

Bathinda, June 26
In spite of a ban on the use of a commonly used chemical as ripening agent, the local fruit dealers are using it with impunity. The inaction of health department in this regard has put at stake the health of lakhs of people who consume these fruits without realising the danger involved in it.

Bathinda, June 26
Jaswinder Kumar of Baba Farid College topped B.Sc (Agriculture) part-II examination while Smriti Middha secured second position in B.Sc part-III (Bio-technology). Smriti who got fourth position in Part-II examination last year performed excellently this time and beat her rivals.

With this the Baba Farid Institute of Higher and Foreign Studies and Baba Farid College achieved yet another milestone with two of its students topping in Punjabi University examinations this year, said Principal of the Institute, K.D Sharma. and The institute got 100 per cent results in B.Sc (non-medical) and Biotechnology examinations, he added.

He congratulated the students for bringing laurels and said that both the toppers would be suitably honoured. He said that 30 students from the Institute cleared the AIEEE, CET and other entrance tests also this year, which was a great achievement. Moreover Harpreet Singh a student of the institute got through the IIT. The Institute would continue to aspire and work for further excellence, he added.

Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal, director of the institute informed that fees would be remitted of the students who score over 80 per cent in the engineering, management and computer Science College.

Abohar, June 26
Having been recently elected as president of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) unanimously, Iqbal Singh Sandhu, a senior lecturer in the local DAV College, feels the august office is neither a bed of roses nor a crown.

“There is no reason for celebrations, the teaching fraternity in about 178 colleges all over Punjab and UT has reposed faith in me to serve as a humble worker,” Sandhu said on his return to the home town after the election on Thursday.

Speaking exclusively to The Tribune, Sandhu said the task ahead was a struggle for the long pending demands which include 95 per cent grant against salaries, pension benefits at par with government teachers, revival of 716 posts that had been freezed by the state government following retirement of teachers and payment of the arrears of dearness allowance for the 1996-99 period. The union has been demanding that librarians and DPEs should also be treated as college teachers in terms of salary and other benefits.

The chief said 86 college teachers had courted arrests during the longest ever (22 days) agitation, which was postponed on the request of the state government. Their meetings with finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal had brightened the prospects of a settlement. A three-member committee, headed by the state BJP president Rajinder Bhandari, was formed to decide core issues but so far no progress was visible.

If the government continues freezing of the posts of those who retired on superannuating of their services, some of the government-aided privately managed colleges may face closure, he fears.

The PCCTU office-bearers had appreciated Manpreet Badal’s efforts in ensuring the release of grants regularly but the ban on fresh recruitment must be removed on a priority basis, Sandhu said.

Ferozepur, June 26
The district development committee held a meeting here today to take stock of the various developmental works that are going on in the district where deputy commissioner Megh Raj informed that an amount of Rs 110.89 lakh was being spent to provide science laboratories and additional rooms in the government senior secondary schools at Megha Rai Utar, Mamu Joyian, Nukerian, Dhandi Qadim and Ghubaya villages.

The DC further informed that a sum of Rs 242 lakh was being spent to construct 136 additional rooms in various government primary schools of the district.

Under the proposal of the state government to establish adarsh schools in each block of the state, an amount of Rs 3 crore had been spent to construct an adarsh school at village Bukan Khan, he said.

About the new road projects, he informed that the work on the construction and four laning of Ferozepur-Zira highway was in full swing on.

Further, the DC said Rs 750.97 lakh had been spent for the construction of Jalalabad-Muktsar road.

He added that the work on renovation and maintenance of various link roads in the district was being carried out by the Punjab Mandi Board.

On the occasion, Megh Raj instructed the Mandi Board officials to construct permanent shelters and make other requisite arrangements for proper storage of crops in all the purchase centres falling under the district before the commencement of next procurement season.

In the meeting, the DC also reviewed the arrangements for supplying drinking water to the villages in the district.

He said that 48 new schemes had been mooted to provide clean drinking water in 120 villages of the district at an estimated cost of Rs 411.07 lakh, out of which 16 schemes had already been initiated.

Abohar, June 26
Nearly thousand farmers participated in the Kisan Mela organised by Periwal Brothers here today.

On the occasion, experts, including Sat Pal Mehra, former additional director extension, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Rajinder Singh Brar, chief agriculture officer, Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, director, regional centre of the PAU, and Joginder Singh Brar, advisor to the Rashi Seeds, gave tips to the farmers.

The experts discussed ways to protect cotton and kinnow plants from the deadly pests besides judicious use of chemical fertilisers and insecticides for spraying.

SDM N.S. Brar, while appreciating the participation of the private sector in educating the farming community, advised that more experts should be invited during the next fair to educate the growers as farming needed both diversification and modern outlook.

Fifteen leading companies participated in the agricultural exhibition that was arranged on the occasion. Farmers from Malout, Muktsar and Fazilka areas were also present in good number.

Barnala, June 26
Three got injured in a group clash between the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Akali workers at civil hospital, Barnala, here today.

The incident happened in the evening when the supporters of Shashi Bala, a BJP candidate from ward no.24, were going for canvassing.

Sohan Mittal, senior BJP leader and husband of Shashi Bala, alleged that when his driver reached at the destination, a person named Manga allegedly started pelting stones and damaged his car. The person at the wheels, Babbu Singh, also got injured.

Mohan Lal Sethi, BJP in-charge of Sangrur and Barnala district, also reached the hospital. The BJP leaders raised slogans against the Akalis and poor administration.

Former SAD MLA Malkeet Singh Keetu also reached at the hospital but BJP leader did not spare him and raised slogans, holding him responsible for such activities.

The local police, present there, failed to diffuse the situation and Akali workers severely beat BJP workers including Sohan Mittal.

Mohan Lal Sethi alleged that as per the SAD-BJP alliance, the BJP was contesting on eight wards in Barnala but Keetu had put his candidates in BJP wards as Independents, which was a violation of coalition ethics.

He said he would raise the matter with the party high command.

Interestingly, when the BJP candidate brought her driver to the civil hospital for medical treatment, a group of the rival candidate was already present in the hospital near the emergency ward. They again attacked the BJP workers.

With this second assault, the BJP workers got agitated and a clash took place between the two parties.

The Akalis allegedly beat BJP workers with sticks, swords and stones. In the mess, two more got injured.

Sohan Mittal alleged that the whole incident had the backing of Keetu.

He said that as per the SAD-BJP alliance, ward no. 24 has been given to the BJP, but Keetu's supporter Sukhjeet Kaur alias Sukhi wanted to contest the elections so she filed nomination as an Independent candidate.

Barnala, June 26
The use of liquor and other drugs right from poppy husk to opium is common to woo the voters, but some women candidates here are serving ‘Dahi Bhallas’ and ‘Gol Gappas’.

The ward no. 7 of the Barnala MC election is reserved for ladies. As many as five candidates are in fray for this ward, who are trying hard to ensure their win.

One woman candidate distributed ‘Ladoos’ among the voters, while the second candidate has stalled three rehris of ‘Dahi Bahllas’, the third one is trying to attract women folk with ‘Gol Gappas’.

In the evening, one candidate who was canvassing in the ward served cold drinks to her supporters.

Though this is a sweet bribe for the voters, yet they are enjoying the treat. At last the MC aspirants have started thinking about tickling the taste buds of voters.

This ward has one other interesting fact also. The candidates who were having bus as their election symbol in the past have been emerging as victorious in this ward for the last 15 years.

Barnala, June 26
Apprehending booth capturing in ward number 6 for the municipal committee (MC) polls to be held here on June 30, one of the eight candidates has sought from the state election commissioner (SEC) a heavy security arrangement at the election booths.

In a letter written to the SEC, Manoj Kumar contesting from the ward said he was apprehending that on the elections day, his rival candidates may disturb the peace inside the booth or indulge in booth capturing. In order to ensure free and fair election, adequate security arrangements should be made.

A copy of this letter had been sent to deputy commissioner R.L Mehta.

The letter attracts significance as Shankar Sharma, PA to former Akali MLA and now SAD Barnala assembly in-charge Malkeet Singh Keetu, is contesting as an Independent candidate from this ward.

Mansa, June 26
CPI (ML) candidates, namely Sukhcharan Singh Danewalia, contesting from ward no. 7 of the municipal council, and Gurjant Singh, of ward no. 12, have made poor sewerage and water supply system in city as election issues. They are also raising the issue of alleged privatisation move of government in the sectors of health, water and electricity.

Criticising the present government during campaign, they said privatisation policies were not pro-people.

Meanwhile, Balwinder Singh Kaka, state president of the Anti-terrorist Front, who is contesting from ward no. 9 on the Congress' symbol, has also been raising pro-people issues like sewerage and drinking water problems. It is important to mention here that he was the only Congress MC in 1997. — OC

Abohar, June 26
The police on the either side of the inter-state border was trying to shirk responsibility in shifting the body of a Narainpura village resident from the periphery of village Malarampura till today evening, sources said.

This was happening for the fourth time in less than two months. Earlier the disputes had been over the victims of road accidents on national and state highways.

As per the information, some persons noticed the body of Mohar Singh of village Narainpura of the Abohar sub-division in the periphery of Malarampura village of Sriganganagar district today morning and informed the police posts on both the sides.

Prima-facie, it appeared that someone had thrown the body after murdering Mohar for the reasons yet to be explored. Injury marks supported this assumption, sources added.

The Malarampura police said since the victim was a resident of the Abohar sub-division and the body had apparently been thrown on the other side of the inter-state border after committing the crime on the Punjab side, so the Punjab police was legally bound to register a case and get the post-mortem done.

The Seetogunno police in this sub-division said the dispute might be settled by tonight.