Bathinda, July 24
Hundreds of candidates appearing in the supplementary examinations for class XII conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) in Bathinda district were a harried lot today.

Many of the students said that the PSEB did not send their original roll numbers due to which they had to pay additional charge to get the duplicate roll numbers issued. Though the authorities had arranged for providing the roll numbers at its regional centre, Bathinda, but the additional charge (Rs 20) obviously irked the students.

An officer deputed for the job said that in two days, more than 350 duplicate roll numbers had been issued.

Sukhmandeep Singh, the father of a girl student, alleged that it was just a new way to make additional money at the cost of the students. “Since it is the fault of the authorities, why should we pay for the duplicate roll numbers?” he rued.

Further, there were six examinations centres in the district, (three at Bathinda, two at Phul Mandi and one at Talwandi Sabo), but none of the centres saw smooth conduct of the examinations.

A number of students were found ruing the wrong allocation of examination centres. Gurpinder Singh (roll number 671613) alleged that he had named Bathinda as his centre in the form, but got Amritsar. After arguing with the PSEB representatives from Mohali, he managed to get the centre changed but for that too, he had to pay an additional charge.

Making mockery of all arrangements, a student, Aman Kundra (roll number 684060) accused the authorities of sending him the roll number slip but not sending the question paper at the examination centre, Government Senior Secondary School Talwandi Sabo.

“I appeared at the centre but after 15-20 minutes, the centre authorities asked me to leave as the question paper of my subject, Theory & Practice of Management (TPM), was not available with them,” he said.

Aman was not the only one who faced such harassment, said there were three more girl students who faced a similar problem.

In addition to that, the scorching heat and power cuts made the students uncomfortable. Lighting in the classrooms was also not adequate.

Despite repeated attempts, Khushbir Singh, controller, middle examination, PSEB, could not be contacted. But the PRO of the Board, Ranjeet Singh Mann said, “The duplicate roll numbers were just a facility made available to the students as due to Punjab bandh and overburdened post offices, the roll numbers could not reach them in time.”

“The students who could not appear in the examinations, due to the fault of the Board, will all be given a special chance,” he assured.

Moga, July 24
Sub-inspector Yadwinder Singh Bajwa, a former SHO of the Dharamkot police station, who is already facing a criminal case of murder, has found himself in the dock yet again as now he has been booked on the charges of abstaining from election duty.

In the former case, a 65-year-old man, claimed to be a supporter of the Congress, was allegedly beaten to death by Bajwa, the then SHO of Dharamkot police station, at Kokri Vehniwal village in this district at the behest of some SAD workers on May 13 of this year, the day of panchayat elections.

Agitated over the ‘brutal’ act of the police, hundreds of Congressmen, including several MLAs, staged a dharna outside the police station, following which a criminal case was registered against the SHO and few SAD workers. The protesters carried along with them the body of the deceased. At that time, the SHO fled from the spot and did not turn up for duty for days. Subsequently, he was suspended from the service and a hunt was launched to nab him.

Presently, he was facing a re-investigation into the allegations of murder.

As per the details available, a police party, led by the said SHO, raided the house of the nephew of the deceased in order to arrest him but he ran away. Later, the police went to the deceased’s house and started beating him with sticks, alleged a family member.

When the old man fell unconscious, the police team, including the SHO, fled from the spot.

Now, with the intervention of the State Election Commission and the district administration, the police has registered another case against him under section 134 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, on the charges of abstaining from election duty without taking prior permission from the senior officials either of the police or of the civil administration.

Bathinda, July 24
The Congress today accused the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the district administration of being hand-in-glove but could not come out with any action plan against the alleged rigging in the sarpanch elections.

The rural wing of the district Congress today held a press conference at a local restaurant, which the MLAs from rural constituencies were supposed to address. But after half an hour, just one MLA from Pakka Kalan, Makhan Singh, and the rural district president, Narender Bhaleria, along with a handful of partymen attended the conference.

Addressing the media persons, Makhan Singh congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for winning the trust vote and appreciated his efforts to go ahead with the N-deal.

When reminded of the cause for holding the meet, he started flaying the district administration for lending “out of the way” support to Panches with affiliation to SAD in the election of sarpanches. Makhan alleged that the administration had declared Congress Panches, despite being in a majority, as losers in the sarpanch polls. He named Panchayats like Dhadde, Daulatpura, Badiyala, Dikh, Bhucho Kalan and Bangi Ruldu, where the returning officers allegedly did not perform their duty in an impartial manner.He also could not satisfactorily explain the absence of other Congress MLAs in the district.

Deflecting the query, he said the Congress had decided to hold a district-level dharna at Bathinda, but said that the date was yet to be decided. He said that PPCC chief Rajinder Kaur Bhattal would be invited to address the dharna. When the leaders were asked why they had not knocked at the doors of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, they that they had decided to fight rigging and electoral malpractice themselves.

Bathinda, July 24
The Paramedical and Health Employees Association, in a press note issued here today, informed that a delegation of the association presented a list of demands related to the staff and public welfare to the Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC), Bathinda, Ajit Pal Singh, who only recently assumed charge.

The association placed on record its appreciation of the DMC for opening a new medicine window at the civil hospital, Bathinda.

Activists of the Aurat Mukti Morcha, Lok Sangram Manch,MazdoorMukti Manch and Technical Services Union, in separate press releases issued here today, welcomed the decision taken by the health department in giving Singh the additional charge of the DMC. 

Bathinda, July 24
Balraj Singh alias Baja, 40, was beaten to death at his village Chughe Kalan late on Wednesday night following a land dispute.

According to the information available, Mada Singh, a resident of the same village had some property dispute with Balraj. Last night, Mada Singh along with eight persons, including his four sons, went to Baja and called him outside. When he came out of his house, they started beating him up with rods and injured him severely. Finding his condition critical, when his family members attempted to intervene, the accused pelted stones at them.

The family members then called up police helpline on number 100, but before the police could reach, the accused fled from the spot finding Baja dead.

Police and family members took Baja to the civil hospital, Bathinda, where he was declared brought dead. Police registered a case of murder against all the eight accused on the basis of the statement of his family members. However, till the filing of the report, no one had been arrested.

Mansa, July 24
The Health Department, Mansa, today seized a large unauthorised stock of drugs, diphenoxylate and Themotil, all high on the preference list of addicts. It is the biggest drug haul by the departmenmt in Mansa so far.

The raid was conducted by the civil surgeon, Mansa, G.S. Negi who lead a team that included a drug inspector, Janak Raj Bansal and Dr Naresh, besides other officials. The raid was conducted at a chemist shop near the railway gate. At least 9 lakh, 60 thousand tablets were seized which were without bills and invoice.

The civil surgeon informed that the drugs had been seized and the director, health department and other senior officials too have been informed about the raid.

It may be mentioned that only some time back, a raid had been conducted at this medical store and 30,000 tablets and capsules had been seized.

However, the owner of the medical store refuted the allegations saying he had the required bills for all the medicines and that he had informed all senior officials about it.

But Dr Negi refuted such claims saying that the team was there for about two hours and the owner could not produce any bill for the large stock of medicines at that time.

He also claimed that the owner had signed on the papers at the time of sealing of the stock which mentioned that no bills had been produced.

Moga, July 24
Two persons were sentenced to three years of imprisonment by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Tarsem Lal Mangla on the charges of causing grievous injuries to a person, 10 years ago.

Lakhvir Singh, additional public prosecutor said that Rashpal Singh and Jagdev Singh, both residents of the town, had brutally beaten up one Anoop Kumar, another local resident, on July 21, 1998.

The next day, an FIR under various sections of the IPC was registered against them and another person. After 10 years of trial, the CJM sent both of them to three years of imprisonment.

The third accused in the case had already been awarded with the same punishment.

In addition, a fine of Rs 2000 each has been slapped on the duo, failing which they would have to serve imprisonment for another two months.

Abohar, July 24
Another resident brings laurel to this sub-divisional town. Poet Chander Trikha has been selected for this year’s Shiromani Hindi Sahityakar award by the Punjab government.

Hundreds of admirers here are jubilant over the official announcement about the author who penned “Har Khushi Do Chaar Din Ka Rog Hai, Dard Hi Ab Tujhko Raas Ayega”,

Interestingly, he had served as director of the Haryana Sahitya Academy, which made him popular in both Punjab and Haryana. Born at Pak Pattan, the sacred land of renowned sufi saint Baba Farid, in district Sahiwal (Montgomery) in the West Punjab province on July 9, 1945, the Trikhas had to migrate to Abohar after partition and lost some relatives in communal riots on the way.

The family got a small piece of agricultural land at village Tahliwala Jattan and still cultivates it. Chander, as his friends and relatives call him fondly, had his school education at Abohar.

He got the Sahitya Ratan degree in Hindi from the Hindi Sahitya Sadan Sammelan Prayag.

During that period, he emerged as a versatile poet. Later, he did his post-graduation in Hindi and PhD from Panjab University. As a journalist, he started his career from Hindi daily Milap at Jalandhar in 1964, and later served in about eight newspapers as sub-editor and chief editor.

He remained associated with The Tribune publications for 15 years, as its Abohar-based correspondent, till 1989.

His first collection “Pashan Yug” brought him not only name and fame but also honours from the governments in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

“Shabdon ka jungle” is another popular poetry book. He edited “Kali Nadi”, a collection of poems penned by established poets on terrorism in Punjab.

Trikha had served as director of the Haryana Sahitya Academy also. He fondly remembers literary friends like Satya Parkash, Krishan Lal Anpadh, Prem Aboharvi and Mohan Lal Chugh, who were among his good listeners, but are no more now.

Achadiki/Abohar, July 24
The farmers of this tail-end village of the state, who had been crying hoarse for the past 18 months against insufficient supply of canal water for irrigation purposes, can now use a laser leveller equipment, heavy tractor and modern agricultural implements as the Cooperative Agricultural Service Society will be offering them these equipment on nominal rent.

A laser equipment used to level the ground facilitates the smooth flow of water, which is not possible if ground is levelled manually.

IFFCO chairman Surinder Kumar Jakhar today handed over the keys of a tractor to Baldev Singh, president of the society, during the cooperative conference held at Achadiki village, 26 km from Abohar.

The chairman exhorted the farmers to switch over to drip and sprinkle system of irrigation and to use laser leveller in their fields in order to save at least 25 per cent of water.

Jakhar also gave a loan of Rs 25,000 each to some women entrepreneurs of Achadiki, Gumjal and Kallarkhera villages, under the Maai Bhago scheme in the presence of R.K. Gawri, district manager of the Fazilka Central Cooperative Bank Ltd.

Referring to the Central government’s debt waiver, Jakhar, who is also managing director of the bank, informed that small farmers would get a relief of Rs 24 lakh while big farmers’ of these villages would share Rs 9 lakh.