Bathinda, September 13
While dengue has hit the city with suspected cases rising each day, the district administration seems to be inactive in countering the epidemic.

Dr Kasturi Lal, district health officer, said four dengue cases had been identified during the past one week out of which two - Gopal, a migrant from Bihar and Sudhakar from Nagpur - still continued to be under treatment.

However, Charanjeet Garg, SMO, said today that so far no dengue case was reported in the town although two cases with high fever had been hospitalised.

Even the tall claims made by the health and civic authorities, the ground reality is that the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been doing a little to counter the disease. This has exposed the public, who has to cope up not only with the garbage but also with the breeding mosquitoes, which have already taken a heavy toll in other parts of the region.

The countless open drains, the stagnant water and the running taps have compounded the possibility of the growing menace, while the government seems to be sleeping over the contingency plan to counter the problem.

Dr Neelam Bajaj, Bathinda civil surgeon, however, said the civic authorities were fully aware of the problem and had launched a campaign. She said that she had personally undertaken this operation along with the team of health officers and fogging machines would be deployed in vulnerable areas.

When contacted, the Kamal Kant, executive officer, BMC, admitted that several areas had been left where no fogging could be done. He promised that the entire city would be covered within next two days.

Dr Bajaj said a notification had been issued to check the breeding mosquitoe sites even in private houses. People should remove the water from old tyres lying in their houses, coolers and pots etc. She advised the public to get their blood tested in case one had high fever.

Bathinda, September 13
Bathinda, Mansa and Faridkot districts have been put on high alert following the serial blasts that rocked New Delhi today in the evening. Several persons were reportedly killed while many sustained serious injuries in the explosions.

While talking to TNS, Jatinder Jain, DIG, Faridkot range, said that the security forces in the three districts had been instructed to step up the vigil at important places. "Checking at the sensitive areas has been enhanced. Every possible care is being taken to avoid any mishap in the area."

Ashish Chowdhary, senior superintendent of police, Bathinda, said, "Stepping up the security is but obvious. All steps to avoid any untoward incident are being taken in the district. The personnel have been directed to be more vigilant."

Meanwhile, the General Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Police Force (RPF) carried out thorough checking at the local railway station. Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service during the anti-sabotage operation.

Kuljeet Singh, SHO, GRP, informed that in association with the RPF, they searched all the platforms. "We would also conduct security checks on the trains that would arrive at the station as a preventive measure," he added.

Moga, September 13
The local Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain has reportedly gone underground after the sessions' court rejected his anticipatory bail in a attempt to murder case, this morning.

The police had launched a massive hunt to nab him before he could approach the High Court for bail. However, he was still eluding arrest, when the news report was last filed.

As per the details available from the district courts, the additional session judge Amarjot Kaur Bhatti had rejected his anticipatory bail agreeing to the request of the plaintiff's counsel.

The plaintiff's counsel argued that Jain had not yet joined the investigation in this case and the police was yet to recover the fire arms and the vehicle under which the MLA tried to crush his client on that day.

The plaintiff Guriqbal Singh, a resident of village Ramuwala Kalan, had lodged an FIR under section 307 of the IPC during the panchayat elections on May 26 this year against Jain and one of his close associate Harnek Singh alleging that they had made an unsuccessful attempt to eliminate him.

He alleged that both of them first opened fire on him but being physically disabled he fell down and escaped bullets.

Later, Jain tried to crush him under the car, he stated before the police in his complaint.

After this incident, Jain moved an application before the sessions' court of B.S. Sandhu who granted him interim relief by staying his arrest for the time being because the process of panchayat elections was in progress.

In the meantime, this case was transferred to the court of Amarjot Kaur Bhatti. She had rejected his application to grant him bail, today.

The Tribune repeatedly tried to contact Jain on mobile phone to carry his version in this case but it was switched off all throughout the day.

His whereabouts were also not known to anybody, even to his close associates in the town.

However, it was learnt that he had gone underground, probably out of state, fearing arrest.

Meanwhile, the supporters of local MLA Joginder Pal Jain took away along with them an air conditioner fixed in the office of the administrator of the local body, this morning.

They also took away some crockery items; however, MC authorities did not confirm it officially.

When contacted, Lakhmir Singh SDM-cum-Administrator of the local body told The Tribune that as per his knowledge the AC belonged to Jain and he had installed it in that office in his personal capacity when he was the President of the council.

Mansa, September 13
Sher Singh Gagowal, Congress MLA from Mansa who was among the members of the House committee whose report formed the basis for the expulsion of former CM Captain Amarinder Singh today said they had objected at every stage during the probe.

He said that action against Amarinder Singh was illegal because the case is already pending in the High Court. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken this step under pressure from his son Sukhbir Badal, Gagowal added, saying Badal feared the popularity of Amarinder Singh and had taken this step in frustration.

Along with Gagowal, the other Congress MLA's from Mansa district today condemned the expulsion of Amarinder Singh from the Punjab Assembly. They termed it as setting up of a wrong precedent and murder of democracy.

District Congress president and MLA from Sardulgarh Ajitinder Singh Moffar said that Badal had taken this undemocratic path to save his reign. In the coming days, he and his party would face the destructive consequences of this step, added the MLA.

Mangat Rai Bansal, MLA from Budhlada, criticised the expulsion of Amarinder Singh from Punjab Assembly and said this undemocratic tradition would bring negative trends into the democratic process.

He said the party is behind the former chief minister on this issue.

Bathinda, September 13
The Government Rajindra College organised a talent hunt competition on the college premises today.

The programme was related to the youth festival scheduled to be organised by the Punjabi University, Patiala, from October 7 to October 9.

Bathinda MP Paramjit Kaur Gulshan was the chief guest on the occasion. Addressing the students, the MP said, "Such competitions create awareness among the youth. Today's generation should stay away from alcohol, drugs and any such addiction. We need the younger generation to work for a better tomorrow."

On the occasion, she released the college magazine tilted 'The Rajendra'.

Students presented 'shabad', classical vocal, folk music, 'gazal', group song, speech, drama, skit, clay modeling, 'bhangra', 'gidha' and many other entertaining events during the hunt.

The college felicitated popular Punjabi singer Masha Ali on the occasion. He also enthralled the audiences with his songs.

Principal R.K. Bangar addressed the students and encouraged them to excel in every field in life. 

Bathinda, September 13
The cotton has already started arriving and within a week, paddy too would start reaching the local grain market. However, there is still a pressing need for overhauling the market.

A visit by TNS found that as many as 50 trucks were parked on its premises. Many were stationed under the shed meant to secure the farmers' produce from the vagaries of the weather. Drinking water and toilets facility were not satisfactory and the entire market requires immediate cleaning.

Who would pick a fight with the truckers, asked Keemti Bansal, an arhtiya at the grain market.

If these truckers continue to stay for another 15 days, it would not be possible to unload cotton and paddy crops here. At that time, the arrival would be at its peak, said another arhtiya at the market.

"Besides, there is no lighting arrangement to secure our material and the crop from thefts during nights. Just a week before, I found two motors of my power cleaner (worth Rs 8000) missing," lamented Bansal.

There was no arrangement for preventing stray animals from entering the market premises, said Harbhajan Singh of Chughe Khurd village. "Due to trucks stationed there, we cannot get our produce unloaded under the sheds," he added.

Amarjeet Singh, secretary of the Market Committee, when contacted, said, "There is no permanent solution to keep the truckers away from the place. If they are removed today, they would turn up again two to three days later. We have told about this to the district transport officer (DTO) many a times.” However, Singh denied that the market lacked proper clean drinking water and toilets facility.

When DTO Manish Kumar was contacted, he said, "The prime responsibility is of the market committee. If they cannot do anything, none can. There should be something to act as a deterrent. If we are asked, we would challan the illegal parked trucks. But why the committee doesn't claims damages, if any, from the truckers?"

He would extend full support to the committee in getting the penalties implemented, added the DTO.

He assured that within three to four days, the illegally parked vehicles would be removed, adding that there would not be any problem once procurement began. Kumar also said he would speak to the DC in this regard and find a permanent solution to the annual trouble.

Bathinda, September 13
Claiming to be the first candidate from Malwa region to contest from the graduates' constituency of the Panjab University's senate elections scheduled for September 21, Harinder Singh (Chahal) is seeking votes from the graduates of the area with a promise of introducing professional courses, including B.Tech and B.Sc (honours), at the PU's Regional Centre in Muktsar.

A post-graduate from the same university also aims at enhancing the level of Punjabi as a language.

Moga, September 13
The district administration has claimed to have made adequate arrangements for polling in 25 wards of the Municipal Council (MC) of this town, which would begin at 8.00 am on Sunday. The results would also be declared tomorrow itself by evening.

The District Magistrate of Moga Satwant Singh Johal said that a total of 76 booths had been set-up for the polling, out of which, 8 booths had been declared sensitive.

The administration would conduct videography of polling in the sensitive booths, he said.

He said that as many as 380 officers and employees of various departments had been deployed on duty to conduct the elections.

"This is for the first time that we have decided to use the electronic voting machines here in the local body elections", he said.

The DM has appealed to all the political parties, candidates and their supporters to help the administration in conducting free and fair polls so as to maintain the sanctity of the democracy.

Johal and the SSP Ashok Bath had made a round of the town this evening to check the polling booths and see the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The elections were being held in 25 wards out of the total of 31 wards.

There were a total of more than 70,000 voters in these wards. Six candidates of the SAD, including Barjinder Singh Brar son of senior SAD leader Jathedar Tota Singh had already been declared elected as unopposed in the absence of any candidate fighting the elections against them.

Abohar, September 13
Uday Bhanu Hans, Rajya Kavi of Haryana, Chander Trikha, recipient of Shiromani Hindi Sahityakar Award from Punjab government, and eminent poet Madhav Kaushik of Chandigarh were honoured with the “Rashtrabhasha Seva Sanman”  during the 38th Hindi Divas function organised by Swami Keshwa Nand Senior Secondary School at Sahitya Sadan complex here this afternoon.

Virendra Kataria former member of Rajya Sabha was the chief guest while noted playwright and poetess Neelam Arun Mittu presided over the function.

Awards for excellence in social service and literature/language were given to Nar Seva Narayan Seva president Raj Kumar Charaya and Raj Sadosh respectively.

Genius International School won the trophy for third consecutive year in poem recitation competition that was held during the function. Amrit Model School and LRS DAV senior Secondary School bagged second and third prizes respectively. The veteran guests were presented with bouquets by I.M. Verma, A R Talwar president and secretary respectively of the school managing committee besides principal Saroj Nagpal. Welcome address was read by G L Nagpal coordinator of the Swami Keshwa Nand Memorial College. All the prizes and awards were sponsored by Dheeraj Trikha Smriti Foundation.

Earlier citizens paid warm tributes to Swami Keshwa Nand former MP and founder of a chain of educational institutions including Sahitya Sadan in Abohar and Gramothan Vidya Peeth at Sangria on his 36th death anniversary. The Vidya Peeth has now attained the status of a recognised university.

Narrating his personal experience with Swami, a former MLA Hans Raj Arya revealed that even as parliamentarian Swami fell short of money for his treatment in 1968 and had refused to use funds of the institutions founded by him for medical aid. He did not own any property. He was an orphan from Bikaner and studied at home only but emerged as torch bearer for literacy in rural areas besides inspiring thousands to recite Gurbani.

The SGPC had invited Swami in 1956 to lay golden Patras on the Golden Temple and he was the first to invite calligraphists to script the Granth Sahib and other holy books at Sahitya Sadan.

Principal B.B. Sharma of DAV College here said that Swami was a role model not only for educationists but politicians also and N.D. Grover, founder of the college here, was his true follower.

Sandeep Watts, in charge of Swami Keshwa Nand Ayurvedic Hospital, and C.D. Rassewatt, former president of the Arhtiya Association, also paid homage.

Bathinda, September 13
The Chairman of Ring Official Commission, Lenny D’Gama, appeared pleased after the conclusion of the week-long Senior National Boxing Championship here on Friday.

During a chat with The Tribune on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the national boxing carnival, an upbeat D’Gama said that among others, this tournament had given five important points to rejoice, which apart from others things had established the fact that boxing had won many hearts in the country.

In support of his claims, he cited several reasons, including the one that the tremendous number of entries in the tournament - altogether 349 boxers vied for the titles - was enough to indicate that boxing had drawn the attention of the youth in the country. It also suggested that boxing was progressing rapidly in India, he added.

D’Gama said that the tournament had proved that the standard of the game had improved.

He underlined the fact that the knockout-free tournament, which the nation witnessed during the last seven days, did suggest that equipments used by the boxers were of good quality and high standards. He added that it also indicated that the tournament was a highly technical one.

The performance of referees and judges remained of a high standard throughout the tournament, he emphasised.

In the end, he did not forget to mention that the performance of the Indian boxers in Beijing had given a much-needed impetus to the game in the country.

Bathinda, September 13
The members of several teachers’ organisations met here today and discussed the problems being faced by the teaching fraternity.

The participants criticised the state government for its alleged anti-teachers’ policy, and resolved to work against it. At the meeting, the teachers demanded from the government that the contractual appointments in the profession should be regularised.

They said that privatisation of education would prove detrimental to the society.

Among those who were present on the occasion included Darshan Mod, Jagsir Sahota, Jeet Singh, Rajkumar and Sukhdev Mittal.

Barnala, September 13
After some farmers, whose land had been acquired by the Trident group, did not get their compensation cheques, the tillers under the aegis of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan lodged a protest by staging a dharna in front of the deputy commissioner’s office here today.

The union’s state vice-president Jhanda Singh Jethuke informed that the farmers had reached a compromise with the management of the company in April 2008. But, the administration did not disburse the cheques to all the farmers. So far, 12 families, whose land was acquired, did not receive their cheques.

He added that to protest against the same, the union staged a dharna at district-level today. However, if need arose, they would not shy away from staging a state-level dharna.

At the dharna, the protesters raised slogans against the government and the company.

Bathinda, September 13
The four-day South Western Command Golf Championship concluded here today. The winners of the tourney were given prizes.

This event was aimed at constituting the team of South Western Command. The selected team would take part in the Inter-Command Golf Championship and the Army Golf Cup.

The selected ones who form the team are Lt Col Rajesh Gupta, Maj S. Sundaram, Col Arvinder Singh, Lt Col G.C. Sharma and Capt Shakti Singh. Badri Dutt and Shikha (reserved) form the women category while selected children are Ravi Kumar and Megha (reserved).

The prizes to the winners of the South Western Command Golf Championship were given away by Maj Gen Dhruv Katoch, SM, of the Chetak Corps and the winners were Lt Col Rajesh Gupta, Badri Dutt (women category) and Ravi Kumar (under-16 category).

The overall team championship was won by the Numero Uno Corps team.

Chandigarh, September 13
Reacting to a news item, "Additional charge for tainted doc raises hackles", published in these columns on July 15, the counsel for Dr Ajit Pal Singh, "Deputy Medical Commissioner" (DMC), Bathinda, has claimed that Ved Parkash Gupta, referred to in the report, is facing court proceedings on the basis of a complaint filed by his client.

In a communication to The Tribune, the counsel said Dr Ajit Pal Singh had filed a defamation complaint. Gupta, along with others, stood summoned in the matter under Sections 506, 501 and 34 of the IPC.

He added that his client had not been promoted to the post of DMC, but had been given additional charge against a vacant post.

Describing the news report as "one-sided" and "not based on true facts", he claimed that his client had been defamed and his prestige lowered in the "eyes of the general public, relation and friends".

The Tribune correspondent adds: Dr Ajit Pal Singh's version, refuting the allegations, was duly incorporated in the news item. As such, the report cannot be termed as "one-sided".