Bathinda, August 8
The lingering tussle over the Gurdwara Lakhi Jangal is not yet over as two groups of the Budha Dal Nihangs have locked horns over the issue.

Indulging in blame game, both the groups have now accused the administration of not taking proper and immediate action.

Holding a protest outside the Mini-Secretariat here today, the Baba Surjeet Singh faction claimed their right over the Gurudwara Lakhi Jangal in Bathinda district.

They alleged that the jathedar, Baba Balbir Singh, chief of the Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal, was creating disturbance in the administration of the gurudwara.

They also cast aspersion at his character and castigated him for proclaiming himself chief of the Dal.

Speaking over the issue, Inderjeet Singh, son of Mahant Uttam Singh of Gurudwara Lakhi Jangal Sahib, said, "The Balbir group has been trying to take away our rights over the gurudwara."

He further said that they were ready to cross swords with the Balbir group, because of the lackadaisical attitude of the administration.

In a memorandum submitted to senior officials of the administration, they accused the district police of supporting the Balbir group in its alleged attempt to encroach upon the gurudwara.

They also mentioned that the court has ordered a stay on the matter, which the Balbir group was ignoring.

On the other hand, Baba Balbir Singh, talking over the phone from Patiala, refuted the allegation.

He said that he was legally, and in the presence of a number of dignitaries of the Sikh Panth, appointed the successor of Baba Santa Singh.

"The claimants of the Lakhi Jangal gurudwara are not the real owners. They are just the Sewadars, appointed as caretaker of the gurudwara. They have no right to claim entitlement over the complex as after losing the case to the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Budha Dal had taken possession of the gurudwara from the committee in lieu of Nangal Kalan."

When asked about the role of the administration, he said, "We are law abiding so the administration should itself sense the gravity of the situation. The police should arrest the activists of Surjeet group, who had killed my family members and are now prompting these people to create disturbances."

DIG Faridkot range, Jitendra Jain and SSP Bathinda, Ashish Chaudhary, parried the query saying they were out of station and were not aware about the situation.

Bathinda, August 8
The Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was launched to provide comprehensive and quality medical care (covering all possible diseases) to pensioners and their dependents, as well as to widows and family pensioners.

This is the only health scheme which, in addition to the hospitalization, also covers OPD, diagnostics and investigations.

However, in case of those Army personnel, who had retired before 1986, benefits of this health scheme are being denied to them and they are facing harassment for not being able to produce pension payment order (PPO) to the ECHS authorities.

Bachan Singh, an affected retired Army official, said that those keen to avail of this scheme had to fill an application form and produce their respective PPO as one of the essential documents for membership.

But in case of the Armymen, who retired before 1986, PPOs were not issued to them at the time of retirement, he added.

Earlier, the ECHS authorities were accepting a copy of pension book in their case in lieu of the PPO.

But about two months ago, the submission of PPO was made mandatory even for the pre-1986 retirees.

In the absence of this document, their applications were not being accepted for the ECHS membership.

The affected ex-servicemen contended that prior to 1986, the retired Army personnel were given a pension book at the time of retirement.

At the same time, a copy of PPO was sent to the Defence Pension Disbursing
Officer (DPDO).

In view of this, there was no reason why the DPDO concerned should not issue PPOs to the pre-1986 retirees.

Some of the ex-servicemen, who have retired before 1986, claimed that when approached for issuing PPO, the DPDOs had declined to issue this document.

The affected persons made a fervent plea with the Army authorities to intervene and help the needy retired personnel by approaching the Principal Controller of the Defence Accounts, who should issue executive orders to the DPDOs in this respect.

It is pertinent to mention here that the scheme was wholly financed by the Government of India from public funds through the Army budget, with only marginal contribution from retiring and retired service pensioners.

Bathinda, August 8
"Singh is Kinng" starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif was released here today with a bang in a local cinema hall where it was screened amidst deployment of a strong contingent of armed police.

Youngsters thronged the Pukhraj cinema where all the 775 tickets were sold out within a few minutes. The subsequent shows also went house full.

Mohan Lal, manager of the cinema hall, said it was after more than seven months that he had to put the board of "house full" at the gate.

The last time such rush was witnessed was during the screening of a Punjabi film "Miti Awazan Mardi".

Earlier, a Sikh group had threatened to burn down any cinema that screened
"Singh is King".

However, the warning was subsequently withdrawn following the visit of Akshay Kumar to the Rakabganj Gurdwara at Delhi where he met members of the Sikh community to clarify any misgivings.

Mohan Lal said he expected the movie to run house full for many days. He said 704 tickets for the evening show had so far been sold out. The films during the past seven months saw only 150 to 200 seats occupied, he added.

College boys and girls turned out in large number to watch the first show when long queues were witnessed at the booking windows, which is not a regular feature here.

A truckload of policemen headed by two officers who were in constant touch with the control room was deployed outside the cinema hall as a precautionary step.

Abohar, August 8
The rain that started amusing seasonal crop growers of the desert in the region since July 31 has virtually washed off the euphoria that had emanated over the change of guard in the municipal council here.

A visit to localities on the outskirts of the sub-divisional town exposed poor efforts made by the authorities during last nine eight days to give relief to the residents who were having sleepless nights due to accumulation of rain water.

Interestingly, the parking slot of the sub-divisional administrative complex continued to remain ininundated.

The contractor, Rohan Lal, rued that he was not earning even a rupee whereas Rs 80,000 was to be paid to the administration. The accumulating water caused a lot of inconvenience to all.

The rain-hit localities include Indira Nagri which had been developed by encroaching upon the 50 acres of the waste water land (Ganda Nalah) owned by the municipal council. The offenders were issued right of ownership a few years back by abandoning the development plan of the Improvement Trust.

The electorate of this area were proud of having recently elected the saffron party candidates who now occupied the chair as president and senior vice-president of the council.

But the residents today submitted a memorandum to the administration regretting that nothing tangible was being done to give them relief from the problem of overflowing sewerage that had aggravated after the recent rains.

The stinking water had entered their houses, Krishan Kamath, Jagdish Tank, Vikram Chawla and others rued. They equally blamed the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board for the hell-like situation.

On Thursday evening, hundreds of devotees including women, who were spiritually bound to visit the historic mazaars of Panj Pirs, located across Dharam Nagari to pay obeisance and perform weekly prayers, had to carry children on shoulders while passing through knee-deep water.

Two-wheelers had a tough time in carrying devotees to the historic domes as the rain had breached the link road.

Residents of the Mizzi Sahib Dhaani on the Bahawalbassi link road said they had suffered losses to property in the first week of June also but no survey was done for giving compensation.

Now again, roofs and boundary walls have collapsed following heavy downpour since last Thursday. Eatables perished.

They had no safe way to go out or return from their place of work. Some municipal employees, along with a Congress councillor, had visited the area but delivered false assurances only, they rued.

Moga, August 8
Diarrhoea and gastroenteritis continue to haunt the rural folk of Lohara village near here. More than 65 fresh cases of diarrhoea and gastroenteritis have been detected by the health authorities in this village today, out of which, six people suffering from acute form of these diseases were admitted to the makeshift hospital for treatment.

Revealing this to The Tribune, Senior Medical Officer of Kot-ise-Khan Ajay Kumar Jhanjhi said that as many as 87 patients were checked at the special medical camp set up by the health department in the village.

He said that 22 patients were given oral treatment for throat infections, fever, headache and other general ailments that were common during the rainy season.

While claiming that more than 400 patients undergoing treatment for diarrhoea and gastroenteritis for the past few days had started showing signs of improvement, he said that the special medical camp would continue for the next three or four days and then there would be no requirement for the camp as the health condition of all the patients would improve by then.

Meanwhile, a special cleanliness drive was launched by the district administration with the cooperation of the panchayat in the village. "We are cleaning the open drains and removing piles of solid waste from within the residential areas," said Surjeet Kaur, the village sarpanch.

The District Magistrate Satwant Singh Johal had also appealed to all the sarpanches and panches to launch a special cleanliness drive in their respective villages. He asked the sarpanches to immediately constitute village-level water and sanitation committees for regularly monitoring the water supply and sanitation systems.

The DM has also appealed to the people to stop all illegal connections and regularise them after paying the required fees with the authorities concerned.

Moga, August 8
Four youths accused of raping a minor Dalit girl surrendered before the police on Thursday. The police later produced them before a local court that has sent them to judicial custody.

The minor Dalit girl was allegedly gangraped by four youths here on Saturday. A criminal case under sections 363, 366 A, 376 and 34 of the IPC was registered against the accused on the statement of victim's father with police station (sadar).

The victim was abducted by the four youths, namely Narinder Singh, resident of Landeke, Baljit Singh, a resident of Ghal Kalan, Deepak Sood and Shiv Pal Singh, both residents of Moga, on Saturday morning from her village.

The victim had already recorded a statement before the court of judicial magistrate Kuljit Pal Singh stating that she was abducted by the said four youths and then brought to a house in Moga where she was gangraped.

Meanwhile, three accused, Narinder Singh, Baljit Singh and Shiv Pal Singh had refuted the allegations and stated that the girl was going on with Deepak Sood and wanted to marry him.

However, Deepak was not interested in marrying her even after maintaining relations. Therefore, in order to exert pressure on Deepak, the girl and her parents had concocted the rape story, they alleged.

These youths alleged that since she was the girl friend of their friend they had given her a lift and dropped her at Deepak's residence as desired by her.

"Suddenly, after two days we came to know that a case of sexual assault was registered against us," they added.

Bathinda, August 8
After blocking the bus stand crossing for some time, the kin of Surjeet Singh (22), of village Chak Hira Singh, who was allegedly shot dead on July 17, in the heat of the sarpanch elections at village Dann Singh Wala, lodged their protest outside the Mini-Secretariat in Bathinda today.

They accused the district police of ignoring their views about those guilty and booking the Congressmen just for political vendetta.

Raising slogans, the protesters sought immediate action against three persons belonging to the ruling SAD, namely Kaka Singh, Daroga Singh and Gora Singh.

Bir Devinder Singh, brother of the deceased, alleged that Kaka Singh took Surjeet along with him in his relative's election, where using the gun of one Gora Singh, Daroga Singh killed his brother.

Jagjeet Singh, paternal uncle of the deceased, said ignoring their statements, the police had registered the case against Congmen, who were not involved in the case.

Only after pressurizing the police with dharna and protests, one Kaka Singh was reportedly arrested, but no other accused had been arrested so far, he informed.

He further alleged that in this regard, no copy of an FIR was presented to them. He said that on being asked, cops at the Nehianawala police station parried the query saying that the investigation was on.

Asking about the reason for lodging a protest outside the Mini-Secretariat, they
said that a number of memorandums had been submitted to the senior police officials but in vain.

Meanwhile, Gurmel Singh, convener of the Bharti Kisan Union (Sidhupur), block Nathana, said that the union had lent them support for the cause.

Bathinda, August 8
Finding a clerk, Phulveer Singh of Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, run by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), in an inebriated condition and indulging in rowdy behaviour, a local court today sent him to judicial custody till August 11.

As per the information available, after finding him in an inebriated condition, the college staff informed Mohan Singh Bangi, an SGPC member from Talwandi Sabo, who after investigating the matter, informed the police, requesting it to take action.

After undergoing medical examination, he was presented before the local judicial court, from where he was sent behind the bars.

On their part, the college authorities said that he had been suspended from service for causing damage to the prestige of the college that is being run by the SGPC.

Bathinda, August 8
Accusing her husband of forcing her to have illicit relationships, Nirmal Kaur, a resident of Model Town quarters, killed her husband late on Thursday night.

Giving details, of police sources said the couple had some dispute over domestic issues. On Thursday night, Nirmal Kaur killed her husband after assaulting him with sharp-edged weapons.

When the police reached the spot, she was quietly sitting beside the body. During the interrogation, she reportedly said her husband was trying to drag her into immoral activities.

Police recovered the weapon used in the killing and registered a case of murder against her.

Bathinda, August 8
To keep the menace of the mealy bug under control, Markfed organised a camp for farmers at Burj Sema village in Maur block of the district here today.

Speaking on the occasion, experts engaged by Markfed, advised the farmers to be vigilant against the mealy bug to their cotton crop. Markfed also adopted the village under 'block adoption project'

The farmers too corroborated the observations of the experts' advice to keep the mealy bug menace under control. Markfed would also hold such camps for farmers in Sangat and Talwandi blocks.

During the year 2007-08, Markfed had adopted 48 villages of Talwandi Sabo block under the BAP scheme.

On getting encouraging response to these camps, Markfed decided to adopt 98 villages of Maur, Sangat and Talwandi Sabo villages during the current cotton crop.

Ferozepur, August 8
The Philosophical Society of Dev Samaj College for Women, Ferozepur City,
organized a seminar on the topic of 'Contemporary debate on the moral rights
of foetus: Some Reflections.'

In the seminar, Impinderjeet, Popsy, Rajbir, Pawanpreet, Sakshi, Priyanka and Lovedeep of B.A. final year raised their voice to support the plea of Nikita and Harish Mehta to abort the foetus.

In the first round of the discussion, the speakers, while addressing the participants, highlighted the conservative, moderate and liberal view related to abortion.

They said that the conservatives totally deny the right to abortion but moderate and liberal consider abortion legitimate under special circumstances and conditions.

They further said that the right to abort a child should solely rest with the mother as after all, it is she who conceives.

Addressing the Nikita case, they said that the couple approached the Bombay High Court, after discovering the foetus had a congenital heart block. They feared for the quality of the life of the child.

But the decision of the Bombay High Court and the statements made by the health minister had disappointed all the students of the college.

They urged the government to grant permission to Nikita to abort the child or assure the family to bear all the medical expenses on its part.

They said the question today was to revise law relating to Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971. So that, in future, the citizens of the country can hope for justice in such cases.

In the second round of the discussions, Amandeep, Paramjeet, Pumpul, Manpreet and Jyoti of the campus, did raise important questions relating to the moral rights of the foetus.

They condemned the female foeticide and emphasised the role of women in nation-building. The session was chaired by Prabhdeep.

Principal Madhu Prashar appreciated the efforts of the students. Among others who spoke on the theme were Namrata Gupta, Jiwan Jyoti, Kuldeep Singh, Palwinder Singh, Ambuj Sharma and Manish.

Fazilka, August 8
The sub-divisional administrative complex here, which is popularly known as the Mini-secretariat, which has been in the eye of a storm ever since it was constructed by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) at a cost of Rs 3.25 crore, is embroiled in another controversy.

The newly-elected BJP-led Municipal Council in its first meeting presided over by senior vice-president Kanchan Sharma, on Thursday, has passed a resolution, No. 6, demanding cancellation of resolution No. 111 dated January 7, 2008 adopted by the outgoing Congress-led Municipal Council.

Through the resolution no. 111, the MC had demanded that the 46 kanal 7 marla of land on which the PUDA has constructed the Mini- secretariat be leased to it at market rate.

The BJP members in the outgoing MC had been opposing this proposal on plea that it was tantamount to revenue loss of about Rs 20 crore to the civic body.

Since the BJP is now in the saddle after recent civic polls, the BJP-led MC resolved through a majority decision that not only the resolution No. 111 be cancelled but vigilance probe be initiated against the officials responsible for the illegal transfer of the land to PUDA without realising the collector rate.

It has also been stated in the adopted resolution that since PUDA has constructed the Mini- secretariat by encroaching upon the prime municipal land, a notice be issued to the PUDA under the Punjab Public Premises (PPP) Act seeking its vacation.

Ironically, the civic body then adopted resolution No. 111 on January 7 this year virtually reversing its own resolution dated July 26, 2005 demanding collector rate for the land. Now, the MC has also made the same demand for payment of collector rate for the land to PUDA.

It is pertinent to mention that the then Congress MLA Mohinder Kumar Rinwa, in an alleged attempt to derive political mileage, got the foundation stone of Mini-secretariat laid in haste by the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on February 18, 2006 before the issue of transfer of the land to PUDA was settled.

Since the controversy over the construction by PUDA persisted for about two years, a public interest litigation (PIL) had also been filed by one Ashok Kumar in this regard in 2006 before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The High Court while taking cognizance of the facts had in its order dated December 4, 2007, observed that if the facts stated on behalf of the Municipal Council were correct, then the payment in lieu of the land be made to the MC.

Moga, August 8
The consumer court has imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on the Municipal Council after it was found guilty of negligence in not issuing regular bills of water and sewerage facilities to the residents and asked the executive officer to award this fine as compensation to the complainants, which could be adjusted in their future bills.

Three brothers Anil Garg, Rajiv Garg and Avinash Garg filed complaints under section 12 of the Consumers' Protection Act 1986 alleging that an excess amount of Rs 4,275 was added to the actual water and sewerage bill dated September 20, 2007.

However, the counsel of the MC while arguing before the court revealed that they had not raised any bills from these consumers on account of water and sewerage facilities being provided by the council for the period June 2003 to March 2007 and the disputed amount of Rs 4,275 related to that period.

The president of the consumers' court, J.S. Chawla, agreeing to the plea of the MC directed the complainants to pay this amount to the council within a month but at the same time, held the local body guilty of negligence in not issuing regular bills. He imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on the MC for this negligence.

Bathinda, August 8
Rajvinder Singh, a product of ICFAI National College, Bathinda, had got the prestigious post as Business Development Manager in ABN-Amro Bank in Dubai.

He was in the city at a felicitation function held at the college campus here on Friday. He was given a warm welcome.

The college staff and students lauded his achievements and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Mansa, August 8
"Nearly 1,193 dispensaries situated in the rural areas in the state are not serving their purpose due to wrong policies adopted by the government," said the office-bearers of the Punjab State Pharmacist Association (PSPA).

Sham Lal Sharma, state president of the association and former district president Sham Lal Goyal said that in June 2006, when nearly 864 posts of doctors were lying vacant in rural dispensaries, the government, instead of filling up the posts, shifted all staff of these dispensaries to the CHC and PHC civil hospital.

Later, the government deputed service providers, meaning medical officers on a contract basis, they added.

The pharmacists demanded that the government should reconsider the contract system. T.R. Sarangal administrative secretary, health and family welfare, said it was a policy matter and only the government could decide in this connection.