Bathinda, September 23
While the first day of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit to Punjab was greeted with enthusiasm and affection, the second day of his tour here in Bathinda proved to be a mismanaged affair as the tight security arrangements played a spoilsport in his roadshow.

Manhandling of the media persons by the state police and the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel, in an attempt to keep them away from Rahul Gandhi resulted in sloganeering. The SPG did not even spare the top Congress leaders of Punjab who were frisked at the main gate of the guesthouse of the thermal station and were not allowed to take their vehicles inside.

Despite being a former chief minister of Punjab and presently the CLP leader, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, along with others namely, officiating president of the state Congress Mohinder Singh Kaypee and former finance minister Surinder Singla had to face the humiliation of thorough frisking that they were subjected to. CLP leader Bhattal was even frisked by women police personnel.

At Jaito, Moga MLA Joginder Pal Jain was also denied entry into the jail premises where Jawahar Lal Nehru was arrested in 1923 at the time of Jaito Morcha as his name was not in the list of approved visitors. When his supporters said that he was a sitting MLA, an SPG sleuth replied curtly, "So what if he is a sitting MLA, even CMs take an appointment to meet the members of Nehru-Gandhi family." After the hue and cry raised by his supporters, Kotkapura MLA Ripjeet Singh Brar took him inside.

Though Rahul Gandhi never showed any signs that he was uncomfortable with the media but his security personnel used derogatory language while dealing with the media persons at Bathinda, Gidderbaha, Jaito and even at Ferozepur.

As per the details available, at the PSEB guest-house in Bathinda, where Rahul had halted for the night, there was a scuffle like situation between the security guards and the media persons. After making efforts for around two hours, only the cameramen were allowed to enter. At the gate, some Congress workers, including women activists who were thrashed, lodged a protest saying, "Leader avde supporters naal hi utte pahunchda hai, fir hun milan to etraz kyun?" Punjab Police, on the directions of the SPG, dragged away the reporters and lensmen to a distance. Some of them even said, "Je hun koi is line to agge aya taa hisab la lyo.”

All this led to an outbreak of anger and due to this, members of the electronic media who were was here from Delhi and Chandigarh along with the local print and electronic media raised slogans. They even alleged that if there was need for such tight security, then what was the need for a roadshow and visiting villages in the state?

When the media outburst was conveyed to Vijay Inder Singla, president of the Punjab Youth Congress, he expressed his inability to do much saying, "I am also helpless like you people."

When asked about the misbehaviour with media persons, Mohinder Singh Kaypee said, "The state police did not even bother to receive our orders as we had requested them to allow the media to perform their duty." CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal expressed regret on behalf of the state Congress. She also accused the state police of resorting to devious tricks to try and take the sheen off Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

Bathinda, September 23
The South-Western Command Athletics Championship 2008-09 kicked off at Bathinda Military Station today amid much fanfare.

The Chetak Corps is organising the four-day track & field carnival in which altogether eight teams from various formations of the Corps are participating.

Major General D.C. Katoch declared the games open. Senior officers of the Army were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, all the teams dressed in their respective uniforms marched as Maj Gen Katoch took their salute. The band from 15 Mahar and 10 Sikh put up an impressive show as the teams marched to their tunes.

The participants vowed to maintain the spirit of sports and exhibit an honest conduct during the entire event. The torch was carried by Hav. Padam Kumar, a national champion, to inspire the teams to do their best at the meet. Later, Maj Gen Katoch declared the meet open. Two doves symbolising peace were also set free to mark the occasion.

Major General Katoch while talking to TNS said, "Athletics are an integral part of the Army and it is a major event for us as we will be selecting the South-Western team during this meet. The selected team would undergo training in Bathinda to participate further. We are trying to improve the standard of sports through such events so that India can hope to get gold in international games."

"Bathinda Cantonment has world-class sports facilities and we are planning to improve by building a stadium here. The stadium will be named after Sam Manekshaw and it would be completed in around three years," Maj Gen Katoch proudly mentioned.

Mansa, September 23
“The share of taxes in the total revenue of the state has been increased to 44 per cent following the relentless efforts of the SAD-BJP government to bring the state out of financial crunch. It was 24 per cent during the previous Congress regime,” claimed Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD (B) president, while talking to this correspondent at Datewas village in this district today.

He was here to lay the foundation stones of 66 KV grid sub-stations at Datewas and Tahlian villages. Besides, the SAD chief also laid the foundation stone of market committee, Boha.

Badal said the state’s earning from taxes had become the highest in the country and it was despite providing nearly Rs 400 crore as subsidy to the people in the state.

Speaking about Rahul Gandhi’s Punjab visit, he said: “Rahul is a tourist. Many tourists come and go. His visit would not have any effect on the election prospects of the SAD.”

When asked from where he would contest the Parliament elections, Badal replied that the party would decide about it.

Talking about water problems in the state, the SAD chief said to provide canal water in each household of the Malwa region, the meeting of officials concerned would be held on Wednesday.

He added that the government was pursuing a scheme in association with the World Bank. Following the approval, waterworks might be set up in the villages of the state with five per cent share of villagers and 95 per cent of the government.

Similarly, sewerage systems in the villages would also be launched on sharing basis, said the SAD chief.

Badal addressed public meetings at Boha and Phaphre Bhaike. Later, he gave away prizes to the winners of the Kabbadi championship that was held today at Budhlada.

Among others who addressed the gatherings were Balwinder Singh Bhunder, general secretary of the SAD (B), Harbant Singh Datewas, district president of the party, Chatin Singh Samaon ex-MLA, Gurpreet Singh Advocate, district president of the Youth Akali Dal, and Gian Chand, MLA from Ratia (Haryana).

Faridkot, September 23
On the concluding day of the 23rd Baba Sheikh Farid Aagman Purb, a religious procession was taken out here today in which a large number of people participated. The procession led by “Panj Piaras’ started from Gurdwara Tilla Baba Farid and culminated at Gurdwara Godhri Sahib after passing through the tastefully decorated main markets of the city. The holy book of Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, was placed in a flower-bedecked vehicle and the people paid obeisance on the entire route of the procession by showering flowers and bowing their heads in reverence.

Community kitchens were arranged on the 4-km route of the procession that turned into a religious congregation at Gurdwara Godhri Sahib where Mukesh Kumar, naib tehsildar, Ludhiana, and Nirmal Singh, patwari, Dhurkot, were honoured with the Baba Farid Honesty Award. Swaran Singh Virk, principal, Baba Aya Singh Girls College, Tugalwala (Gurdaspur), and Bhan Singh Jassi Sherpur (Sangrur) were honoured with the Bhagat Puran Singh Award for service to mankind.

The awards were given by Bhai Kahan Singh of Tikana Bhai Jagta Ji Goniana on behalf of Gurdwara Tilla Baba Farid and Godhri Sahib Managing Committee.

Inderjit Singh Khalsa said both the award carried a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh each and today Rs 50,000 was given to the each of the four personalities.

National Folk Dance Festival was organised at Amar Ashram on Monday night. Despite bad weather, it was largely attended. The programme was sponsored by the State Bank of Patiala and Markfed. It was arranged by the North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, in collaboration with the Faridkot District Cultural Society.

Folk dances of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana besides ‘bhangra’ thrilled the audience.

Barnala, September 23
The civil and police officials of Barnala are at loggerheads following the registration of cases against revenue officials of the district on Monday evening in connection with a land sale deed. Today, the revenue officials went on strike suspending all revenue work.

District patwari union president Harjeet Singh said if action was not taken against deputy superintendent of police Balraj Singh and case registered against revenue officials was not withdrawn, they would launch an indefinite strike in the district.

A controversy has arisen between the bureaucrats and police officials over the issue of registration of cases against one tehsildar and naib tehsildar. Terming the registration of cases as against norms, the deputy commissioner R.L. Mehta joined the revenue officials and called a press conference here today and expressed his annoyance over the issue.

On the other hand, the police claimed that the cases were registered after the inquiry.

A case was registered against then Barnala tehsildar Saroj Aggarwal and present naib tehsildar Gurinder Singh Walia, patwari Ishwar Chand and four sellers on Monday evening for allegedly making sale deed of a piece of land measuring up to eight marlas twice.

According to sources, a piece of land measuring eight marlas was sold first in 1993 and again in 1997 but mutation of the sale deed was not recorded. Taking the benefit of this non-mutation, the first sellers allegedly again sold this land on September 11, 2007 and revenue officials registered the sale deed without verifying the facts. The said piece of land which has been sold twice originally belongs to Labh Singh and his daughter Kulwinder Kaur. Both approached the deputy commissioner, who marked an inquiry to ADC. The DC recommended the registration of case against the buyers and sellers and the concerned revenue officials.

Mehta said that though a case had been registered following his recommendation but the police did not take any action against the accused who attacked Kulwinder Kaur's house thrice.

Later, Labh Singh and Kulwinder Kaur approached High Court that on August 19 this year directed the SSP to dispose of the matter at the earliest. Acting on it the police registered a case on Monday. DSP Balraj Singh said that case had been registered after taking legal opinion from district attorney while the DC said that the district attorney was not competent enough to make recommendation for registering the case.

The SSP Barnala could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated calls made on his mobile phone.

Barnala, September 23
Demanding hike in the MSP for cotton as well as paddy, the activists of Bharti Kisan union (Dakonda) disrupted the rail traffic near Tapa today. Manjeet Singh Dhaner, state vice-president of the union informed that the traffic was blocked for three hours, between 12 noon to 3 pm, across the state.

He said the union was demanding enhanced MSP for both paddy and cotton crops as agricultural expenditure had increased manifold. “The union is demanding MSP of Rs 4,500 per quintal for cotton and Rs 1,500 for paddy crops.”

Dhaner said farmers were debt-ridden and waiving of loans by the union government was nothing more than an eye-wash. By waiving loans, it had cleared the non-performing assets of the nationalised banks. “It has not helped farmers in any way. They are resorting to suicides in the absence of farmer-friendly policies.”

“It is high time that the state as well as union government came forward to rescue the farming community,” he added.

Bathinda, September 23
To help schools in the city step into the digital learning age, an event titled 'NexGen Schools Summit" was held here today. Organised by a leading education company Educomp and supported by IT majors Intel, Dell and Acer, the summit showcased to the school community in Bathinda the latest technology that is changing the way teachers teach and students learn across the globe.

Principals and teachers from schools across the city attended the summit in large numbers where the organisers updated them about the current trends in digital learning age and shared technological solutions designed to meet the challenges faced by teachers.

Speaking on the occasion, Rakesh Dahiya, assistant vice-president, Educomp Solutions Ltd, said "The requirement of today is innovative solutions designed to supplement traditional methods of learning in classrooms with multimedia applications to enhance a child's educational experience.”

Currently, over one million schoolstudents in India are studying through the programme.