Vada Bhai ka (Bathinda), August 1
Staging a protest against workers of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over their alleged use of unfair means in grabbing the post of the village Sarpanch, Congress panches along with a large number of villagers today blocked the national highway and raised anti-government slogans.

According to sources, the Panchayat of village Vada Bhai Ka was reserved for a woman candidate belonging to a Scheduled Caste (SC). Despite being in majority as it had six panches out of the nine, the SAD did not have any SC woman panch. In thev given situation, Manpreet Kaur, a Congress panch from the village was deemed to be the best candidate for the post of sarpanch.

It was because of this reason that the election of sarpanch had been deferred even earlier. When the election took place today, the one and only woman panch belonging to a scheduled caste Manpreet Kaur was on the verge of winning when a SAD worker fled with the election register of the presiding officer, Sikander Singh.

Accusing the administration of inaction, the Congress workers blocked the National Highway-15 leading from Bathinda to Faridkot and raised slogans.

A local leader Rampal Bargadi and Pawan Goyal, president, District Congress Committee (DCC) Faridkot addressed the gathering and accused the ruling party of being hand-in-glove with the administration. They also accused Mantar Brar, former MLA from Kotkapura of alleged involvement in the incident.

When media persons contacted Mantar, he refuted the allegation and said that he was out of station, and was unaware of the issue.

DSP (D) Paramjit Singh, who had inspected the spot, said, "A case has been registered against unidentified persons on the basis of the statement of the Tehsildar concerned, who has mentioned that the presiding officer Sikander Singh had informed him about the incident."

It may be mentioned that in the village, people had accused a SAD worker, even naming him, for fleeing with the register but later on, at the police station, the case was registered against an unidentified person. This has also raised the villagers’ hackles.

Ferozepur, August 1
The Punjab Government has embarked on an annual plan amounting to Rs 5000 crore for the overall development of the urban and rural areas in the state, stated Manpreet Badal, finance minister, while presiding over the foundation stone laying ceremony of a modern stadium at village Chak Suhelewala on Muktsar-Jalalabad road here today.

Manpreet said that in the next two years, an amount of Rs 10,000 crore would be spent in the state on various development works.

Zora Singh Mann MP, Gurdass Badal, former MP, Gurtej Singh, Surjit Kumar Jiyani, both MLAs, Paramjit Singh Sandhu, Hari Singh Zira, former MLA, besides other senior SAD-BJP leaders were present on the occasion.

Manpreet said that the 13th Finance Commission will visit the state somewhere around October to take stock of the fiscal position of the state. He said that in order to get additional funds for the development of the border area, the state government had prepared a case which would be sent to the Union government.

Later, while laying the foundation stone of the stadium to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore, Manpreet said that if people really wanted to grow and develop as a state and a nation, then they should provide good quality education to their children. Zora Singh Mann also addressed the gathering.

Meanwhile, Manpreet Badal answered a volley of questions from students of one of the reputed schools in the rural hinterland of Malwa belt. The students asked Manpreet about his views on a cross-section of issues ranging from nuclear deal to foreign investment, industrialisation, corrupt practices in politics besides his personal likings and the development work he has initiated in his constituency.

Speaking on the occasion, Manpreet exhorted students to appear in the NDA exam and join the army to lead a disciplined life. While expressing concern over the declining number of youngsters from Punjab opting for defence forces these days, he announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the school if its students decide to appear in the NDA examination.

Bathinda, August 1
Heavy rainfall lashed the city this afternoon leading to inundation of Power House Road, Mall Road and Sirki Bazaar and other localities.

There was a total collapse of drainage system with most roads collecting knee-deep rain water. The vehicles kept breaking down in the middle of the roads.

The situation exposed the functioning of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC). It was clear indication of the BMC's failure to prepare the town for the monsoon. G.T. Road and Sirki Bazaar were the worst-affected areas. One could see roads inundated under 2-3 feet of water. The drain water also entered some huts built illegally on the Goniana Road. The occupants, in an effort to save their goods, made a hole in the locality wall to release the water.

Power House Road faced the worst situation. It was, as always, converted into a pool. On the Mall Road, shopkeepers were seen busy draining out water from their shops. Raman, a shopkeeper, attributed today's mess to the BMC's failure to take precautionary measures, including timely cleaning of sewerage system prior to the monsoon. On the other hand, BMC authorities claimed that such a situation will not arise again after the on-going project of laying the sewerage pipes is completed.

Mansa, August 1
Jaundice outbreak is being feared in Mansa as several persons are suffering from the disease in the town. Most alarmingly, nearly 30 persons affected by jaundice were found in only one street, which is nearly 300 metres long, from Dhaliwal Chowk to Channi Di Chakki.

This correspondent, during a survey of the street, found that many patients belonging to poor families are not in a position to afford treatment. Daljit Kaur, Kapil Dev, Parveen Kumar, Raj Kumar, Surinder Kumar, Ashwani, Subash Chander, Hardev Kaur and Naresh Kumar, who are suffering from the disease, said that stagnant water and poor sewerage system were the main reason for water pollution in the area. Some patients alleged that contaminated water was also a major reason for the disease outbreak.

Jaspal Singh Kokhar, leader of Radical Peoples Forum and Sukhcharan Singh Danewalia, city secretary of CPI (ML), expressed concern over the spreading of jaundice in city on a large scale. They held the administration and the health department responsible for the situation.

They said that many patients have been adopting superstitious practices in the absence of proper treatment at government hospitals. Deputy medical commissioner Rupinder said that they had sent teams to ward 7, 8 and 9 to examine patients and ascertain the reasons for jaundice outbreak. He admitted that at some places, stagnant water and mixing of sewerage water in the pipes of water works were the main reasons for the spread of the disease. In this connection, a letter had been written to the executive officer of the city, he said.

He assured that an awareness campaign would be started soon.

Bathinda, August 1
Pesticide residues in food and feed continue to worry environmentalists as these lead to serious health hazards, even cancer. The issue was debated during a two-day seminar on "Our Environment: status and challenges ahead" at the forest department premises here today. It is being jointly hosted by the Environment Society and Department of Entomology, Bathinda.

Entomologists R.S. Saroa and P.S. Bittu, in their paper on pesticides residue, mentioned that pesticides would remain an essential and integral part of modern science and the need was to introduce legal and administrative frame work for the use of insecticides, pesticides and fungicides to reap maximum benefit with minimum risks.

Citing specimens analysed by the PAU, the two entomologists had covered milk products, vegetable oils, meat, human milk, animal feed and cereals before and after the restriction/ban on the use of DDT and HCS chemicals in 2006-07. Saroa and Bittu said all samples were found to be contaminated above permitted levels.

Mansa, August 1
Admission to the MA Political Science-I at the Nehru Memorial College, Mansa, has resumed following the demand by students, who had organised a struggle for the same. Students organisations, including AISA, PRSU and SFI had been at its forefront.

Vice-principal Charanjit Singh said that college principal Naresh Gupta had made sincere efforts for the resumption of classes. He met special secretary, education, and sought permission of restarting admissions, he added. College students thanked the college principal and student leaders for the same.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, August 1
More than 2000 persons who had been registered as owners of property in the villages located near the international border in Bikaner and neighbouring revenue divisions of Rajasthan have not turned up for verification of their credentials, sources said.

The state agencies had geared up for the exercise to verify the domiciles of border area residents after the regional media reported that hundreds of outsiders had flouted the ban that was imposed on purchase of immovable property. The ban was also in force in Barmer, Jaisalmer and Jalaur areas besides Bikaner. Sriganganagar district is a part of the Bikaner division.

As per sources, the state government had on May 8 issued notices to about 6700 persons who had reportedly purchased land in the border villages as per deeds registered at various revenue offices. They were served notices making it mandatory to appear in person on or before June 30, 2008 to get their credentials verified in the respective sub divisional office. Out of them 4,559 persons appeared before the designated officials, the sources said adding that the lists of the absentees have been sent to intelligence agencies to verify their identity.

Bathinda, August 1
Harjit Singh, judicial magistrate, has sentenced to jail Om Parkash of Thermal Colony in a cheque bounce case. The accused has been ordered to undergo imprisonment for a year. He was also fined Rs 5,000. The orders were pronounced while deciding a complaint filed by H.R. Thukral, manager, State Bank of India, Bhago Road branch, in 2004. It was submitted that the accused had taken a loan of Rs 50,000 from the bank. Thereafter, he gave a cheque for Rs 50,000 which was dishonoured. Despite being served with a legal notice, the accused failed to make the payment.

Bathinda, August 1
Delhi Public School, Bathinda, launched its week-long tree plantation drive here today. The entire school participated in the campaign with great fanfare with the slogan "Go Green".

Addressing the students, school principal Arun jee, who planted the first sapling, said that environment degradation was an issue that needed to be addressed first. ‘Catch them young’ is the adage people believe in. So, all the students of the school and teachers were asked to bring a sapling each on the occasion, he added.

The principal further said that the school's effort was to sensitise the students towards planting and upkeep of the trees.

Barnala, August 1
Jeet Singh, a lineman of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) sustained injuries while rectifying some problems at village Jabnada Patti on Thursday night. The supply from transformer was also disconnected but in spite of that, he received electric shock and fell down on the road. The villagers took him to civil hospital, Dhanaula, for treatment. Senior officials said that they would hold an inquiry about how the supply could be restored.

It may be recalled that it is the second such incident in one and half months when power supply was restored while the lineman was working. In an earlier incident, the lineman was killed while rectifying the error.

Barnala, August 1
Five persons were injured in a group clash over a financial transactions that took place at village Uppali on Thursday night. The injured have been identified as Bhim Singh, Shamsher Singh and Malook Singh, Nahar Singh and Baljinder Singh.

A case in connection with the financial transactions was also pending in the court.

Sources said that former sarpanch Nahar Singh was having a financial dispute with Bhim Singh of Uppali village. On Thursday night, the meeting between the two groups at the outer road of the Uppali village turned in to a clash.

Shiv Kumar Verma, SSP Barnala, said that a case had been registered.