Bathinda, October 5
At least three fresh cases of dengue were reported at private hospitals here today. With the new admissions, the total number of admitted patients at the private hospitals and Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, has increased up to 30. Over 16 dengue cases were reported to the DMCH, Ludhiana from Bathinda so far.

As per sources, two women-Paramjit Kaur and Santosh Rani-both residents of Goniana Mandi, died for not getting timely treatment at the DMCH. Two others, Krishan Kumar and Gobind Ram, have been battling for life for the last 10 days there. However, Dr Neelam Bajaj, civil surgeon, Bathinda, denied any deaths due to dengue.

Dr Charanjeet Garg, SMO, civil hospital, Bathinda, has said the hospital had recently started the diagnosis and treatment facilities for dengue fever. "There has been a sudden spurt of dengue cases in the city. To tackle the problem, the hospital has set up facilities like cell separator, platelet transfusion and kits for diagnosing the disease. A separate isolation ward has also been set up for the patients," said Dr Garg.

According to health officials, dengue cases have also been reported from Rampura Phul. "A majority of the fresh dengue cases at the DMCH have been reported from Bathinda. The 30 cases reported from the city, are sporadic in nature. We cannot say that there is a dengue epidemic in the city," claimed one of the health officials.

Information gathered by TNS indicated that besides major hospitals, many patients afflicted with dengue were under treatment at nursing homes and private clinics in different parts of the city.

Meanwhile, the health authorities today claimed to have set up several medical teams which were visiting vulnerable areas for identifying the victims, providing medical care to the patients and creating awareness about preventive steps.

While the fumigation and other anti-mosquito operations were still nowhere to be seen in several city localities, residents of the affected areas charged both the civic body and the health administration with neglect that had led to the viral infection taking roots over the last one month or so.

"If the authorities had woken up and taken timely steps to check mosquito breeding, the population in the city could have been saved from the threat posed by dengue," said an agitated Goniana resident who had two members of his family down with suspected dengue. 

Fazilka, October 5
The police today arrested a youth Congress leader and one of his companions for allegedly raping a minor. Their two other accomplices, including a woman, have been reportedly booked for abetting the crime.

According to details in the FIR (number 124) lodged with the city police, Fazilka, the girl, daughter of a poor labourer, is a student of Plus II in a local school.

She reportedly attending the birthday party of a friend in Fazilka town on September 16.

At the party, she met a person, believed to be a resident of Abohar who reportedly assured her of a job.

A woman, resident of village Panjeke Uttar, was to help her secure the job.

Lured by the promise of a job, the girl accompanied him to village Panjeke Uttar where she stayed with the woman accused.

On September 20, the youth Congress leader, along with an accomplice, brought the girl to the latter's residence where she was allegedly raped at night.

The girl returned home but seeing her downcast, her mother enquired about it and she is learnt to have told her about the incident.

Her parents reported the matter to the city police, Fazilka, which registered a case under sections 376 and 34 of the IPC against the accused.

No medical examination of the girl had been carried out till the filing of the report.

Bathinda, October 5
Opposition to the India-US nuclear deal, rising prices, continuing terror attacks in various parts of the country will be among the issues on which the party plans to fight the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. Balramji Dass Tandon, former minister, and BJP election committee chairman, announced this today while briefing the media persons this afternoon.

Balramji Dass Tandon said that though Lok Sabha poll strategy was the main thrust of the meet, it would also finalise the plan for assembly elections in several northern states. The BJP would also look for ways to win back party's former allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), added Tandon.

The BJP Punjab general secretary Kamal Sharma and local senior leaders met here this afternoon in the presence of Balramji Dass Tandon, to prepare state-level as well as district-level committees for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The party today prepared a political resolution at its media executive body meeting, with the party receiving a communication from the party high command about the possibility of an early Lok Sabha polls by the Congress.

Harminder Malik, media convener, Narinder Mittal, BJP Bathinda district (urban) president and Naveen Singla, district general secretary, were also present on the occasion.

Bathinda, October 5
Around eight years ago, some youngsters from the Muslim community, with dreams in their eyes, tried to find a foothold in the Malwa heartland.

They had been to cities like Delhi and Mumbai earlier to try and earn a living through their artistic talent. Bathinda gave them the foothold where they could do so.

This group of Muslims, who hail from Bareilly, weave magic with threads and needles. They do embroidery on suits, sarees and shawls. "You show us the embroidery and we will copy it exactly. Our needle won't turn a bit, we will give you the best," boasted young Aamir.

"We had earlier gone to Muktsar but people told us that Bathinda would pay us more. So, it was the desire to earn profit that brought us here, but we are only fetching a meagre sum of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month," said Liyakat, one of the workers.

These workers do not get to sell their art directly. So, it is done through retailers who manage to earn a huge profit. The highest price paid to them is Rs 400 per suit and the retailers sell it for anything between Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000, depending on the work and the cloth. The work is done totally with hands without using any machine. "In Bareilly, we used to make Rs 50 per day, but here the earning is double," said Aamir.

When the TNS team asked them why they had agreed to such low price, these workers said it was due to the competition. If some of them quoted a higher price, others might quote a lower price and they would lose the order. "We can not set up our own shop or business because we do not earn enough to do so. Starting a business needs lots of money and our problem is that the retailers extract much more through our work but we have to compromise to make a living," chipped in Aneesh, who also showed some of his work to us.

"We don't want to go to a big city because we already have the experience of working in places like Mumbai and the labour charge is given according to the hours you put in. Here, we get labour according to the work we do," another worker added.

When they were asked about the problems they face, they said, "The biggest problem we face probably arises because we belong to a minority community. We find it difficult to get ration cards and voter I-D cards issued. Though some of us have got it but most of us live without any identity. We are Indians but still our community is viewed with suspicion at times. If India has a cricket match with Pakistan, we cheer for India because we are a part of this country," they said in unison.

When asked whether they were happy doing the emboidery work, they said they had no choice but to carry on to earn a living. Most of them are uneducated but want their children to attend school as they do not want their next generation to carry on with this work. 

Bathinda, October 5
Hardly a day passes, when a newly carpeted road or street is not dug up in the city. Though the avowed purpose behind this is to upgrade civic amenities but the trenches on the new roads and the delay in carrying out patch work prove to be a big inconvenience for people in the city.

It is worth mentioning that on Februrary 18 this year, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal and local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia had laid as many as 14 foundation stones for road projects. Under the project, almost all roads and main streets were supposed to be recarpeted as part of the beautification project for the city.

It has now been only eight months since but the Rs 40-crore road revamping project has started losing its sheen.

The money spent on the metalling of roads is proving to be a "wastage" as many of them in various localities have been dug up.

The water and sewerage authorities have also, as is their wont, started digging up trenches to lay the pipes. In some places, people themselves were found to be digging pits to connect the sewer channels or to link the drinking water pipe to the main connection.

During a random visit, the problem was witnessed in several localities like Shakti Nagar, Vishal Nagar, Namdev Nagar, Model Town Phase I and II and Dhobi Bazaar, among others.

It is apparent that due to lack of planning or the absence of any check, people get encouraged to damage the newly recarpeted roads and streets to serve their own interests.

"If there is a need to dig up trenches to lay pipes, one is supposed to pay fee for it. The fee is supposed to be spent on the patch work as soon as the work is over. But in Bathinda, as the top official of the department concerned holds charge of a number of posts, so he hardly gets the time to check it," alleged Jai Ram Yadav, a resident of Vishal Nagar.

Deepak Kumar, a shopkeeper in Ganesha Basti, rued, "There should be system but in its absence, people dig up trenches whenever they feel like. They forget that it may cause inconvenience to others."

When Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) chief administrator KK Yadav was contacted in this regard, he said, "We have taken a certificate from the water and sewerage board before metalling the streets and roads. If the board is found guilty, then it would have to face the penalty. Though I have not received any such complaint, but it can not be ruled out that individuals might have dug up trenches in their own interests."

Yadav assured that the matter would be enquired into.

Bathinda, October 5
As the city gears up for Dussehra, artists from the suburbs are busy giving final touches to the effigies of Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran, that will finally be reduced to ashes to symbolise the triumph of good over evil.

The TNS spoke to various artists, who create effigies of the above three and others who do not do so for the sake of earning profit, but only to spread awareness about the oldest epic on earth, Ramayana.

Vijay Kumar has been conducting Asia’s biggest Dussehra by burning around 14 effigies and conducting Ramlila on a major scale. “I don’t do it for profit. It’s my effort to make people aware about our culture. It’s sad to know that most of us do not have time or any interest left for knowing where our roots are. We have put up a huge screen that presents Ramayana everyday for two hours. At the end of every show, we put a question to the audience about what they saw. I was the first one who came up with the concept of showing Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana in Bathinda 14 years ago.”

Last year, the administration troubled the organisers a lot, says Vijay, adding that this time, they are not telling anyone about what they are doing on the final day. “We are keeping it under wraps. The Dussehra we celebrate is on a massive scale, which can be seen by everyone present in the city even from their terraces. The sky turns a fiery red when we burn the effigies. People not only from Bathinda, but also from Ferozepur and Barnala, come here to watch the celebration. I have been doing it for the last 25 years. All this has been made possible because of public support,” he says.

Unlike Vijay, some artists do it to for their bread and butter. It’s their way of earning a decent living. Taranpal, who comes to Bathinda every year from Jaitu Mandi to make effigies, has been doing this for the last 30 years and is happy doing it because he feels it pays him well.

He manages around Rs 30, 000 every year, and his wallet is getting thicker every year. “I have two sons and they are also in the same business. Altogether, we make Rs 50,000 every Dussehra. When business is more, we even fetch around Rs 1 lakh,” adds Taranpal.

There are others who feel celebrating Dussehra is akin to rendering social service to mankind. Ratan Rahi, who also manages to burn two to three effigies, feels that, “It’s our duty to spread knowledge about what India is when it comes to religion. I have been celebrating Dussehra for the past 13 years and I intend to carry on the tradition.”

A lot of enthusiasm was exhibited by everyone who was doing his bit for Dussehra, whether on a large scale or on a small scale.

Their endeavour is devoted to the aim of spreading knowledge among people who are speeding towards progress but are forgetting the erstwhile glory of a land called India, which is famous for keeping its traditions alive even to this day.

Bathinda, October 5
Songs of Phalguni Pathak wafted in the air and young couples performed “dandiya raas” using the ‘alaap’ (sticks) and danced at the Moti Ram Kanya Mahavidyalaya here on Saturday night. The dance will continue for four days.

Many young Gujaratis born and brought up here do not know the fine points of Gujarati dances, as they know more about Bhangra compared to “dandiya raas”. So the seniors decided to celebrate Navratras in the way they celebrate it back home. For this purpose, Gujarati families living in Bathinda for the past few years have taken time to celebrate Navratras in the traditional manner and teach their children and the Punjabis as well the various steps of dancing.

What better way than to dress in typical “chaniya choli” studded with mirror work and boys dressed in traditional Gujarati attire. The venue came alive with the clanging of dandiyas in a rhythmical manner.

The women felt nostalgic about the nine days of unbridled fun, and thrill of Navratras back home. Bhavna said it seemed that during the Navratras, they had developed wings as they swirl and twirl till the midnight without getting tired. “We are glad, we have made a beginning in Bathinda.”

Chiman Bhai Patel, president, Gujarati Welfare Society, is the force behind getting the Gujarati society together and is trying to motivate the boys to shun their indifference towards the traditional form of dance.

He is coaxing the boys to wear typical Gujarati dresses during these nine days. Talking to TNS, Govind Maheshwari, press secretary of the society, said that “dandiya” would continue for four nights in the school. Last year, it was on a smaller scale but this year it has been expanded. Gujarati Welfare Society had got a chance to be together and enjoy themselves in the same way they do at home. “Moreover, our younger generation has to learn and appreciate their own culture,” he added. 

Chiman Bhai Patel, said ‘dandiya’ dance was a regular feature of his dance classes, but it had special importance during he Navratras. Manoj Kumar Sharma, ASI, Canal police station, was the chief guest.

While Sukesh Garg and Dinesh Jindal were adjudged the best couple, Seema Shukla and Vipin Chauhan got the ‘best dressed’ and ‘best player’ award respectively on the fifth day of the Navratras.

Fazilka, October 5
“The waterlogged land considered unfit for cultivation can be remunerative. Their owners can earn better than the farmers cultivating traditional crops of cotton and paddy,” stated Vijay Taneja, vice-chancellor of the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, in village Shajrana of Fazilka sub-division. He visited the seepage-hit village on the instance of the Farmers’ Organisation of Agriculture for Development, a Fazilka-based NGO.

The VC said the university had launched a project of setting up fish farms in the waterlogged areas. The farms can successfully be set up in brackish water and yield from the farms could be worth over Rs 40,000 per acre annually, he added.

Taneja also had a glimpse of fish farm ponds in the village which were already set up by the NGO. In seepage-hit areas, the fish ponds could be set up successfully, he said.

The VC maintained that in the fish farms set up in the seepage-hit areas, two tonnes of fish per acre can be produced initially. The production could be raised to four tonnes by research and trial by university experts.

He said canal water shall be mixed with brackish seepage water in appropriate proportion for setting up a fish farm pond.

Amarjit Kaur, a university scientist, who also accompanied the VC, said if farmers in the village switched over to fish farming on about 200 to 300 acres of seepage-hit areas, the university would provide them with regular technical support. For the purpose, special training camps for such farmers would be organised at Ludhiana and Fazilka.

Prem Babber, coordinator of the NGO, said they would set up marketing centres for the fish raised at the farms. He said about 5,000 acres of land was waterlogged in Fazilka sub-division, which can successfully be converted into fish farms.

He maintained that such a venture could change the fortunes of the farmers.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, October 5
The cremation of an INA soldier at his native village Chak 23KD in Sriganganagar area on Saturday was delayed by six hours as the blank cartridges to be used by the police contingent were not available at the moment.

Sources said freedom fighter Mehar Singh (90), who originally belonged to Jaitu town in Punjab died on Friday night. His body was brought to native village Chak 23 KD near Rawla town of Sriganganagar district for cremation with state honors. Scores of villagers joined the funeral procession but the officials later realised that the blank cartridges which were to be fired in the air by the police contingent were not readily available at the Rawla police station. A message was flashed to the district headquarter for dispatching the cartridges through a special messenger. It took him almost six hours to reach the village. Till then, people kept on waiting.

Gharsana SDM Surinder Meena and Anoopgarh DSP Kalyan Mal Banjara placed wreaths on the pyre on behalf of the state government as the police reversed arms and then fired black cartridges in the air besides sounding bugle.

Family sources said Mehar Singh was jailed in Germany and Italy for about six years during the freedom movement launched by Netaji Subhash Chander Bose. His family migrated from Punjab to settle at 23KD village in 1986.

Bathinda, October 5
Four people were killed and seven others sustained severe injuries in a head-on collision between a jeep and a car near village Maisarkhana late on Saturday evening.

According to information received, a family, after paying obeisance at the Maisarkhana temple, was returning towards Maur Mandi on their Bolero jeep number PB 31Y 9097, when all of a sudden it hit a car bearing the number DL 3 CK 9273. The impact of the collision was so great that the remains of the car were scattered all around. up to distance.

Soon after receiving the information, volunteers of some NGOs rushed to the spot and rushed them to the different hospitals.

Budh Ram and his wife Krishna Devi of Budhlada, who were in the Bolero, died on the spot. Their son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren sustained injuries. Amrik Singh and his wife Amarjeet Kaur of Bathinda, who were in the car, died on the spot, while their son Gagan Deep was admitted to the civil hospital in Bathinda.

The driver of the Bolero, admitted to the Maur civil hospital, said the mishap took place due to the sharp headlight of the Zen. It is reported that out of the eight admitted, five were still in a critical condition, so, they have been referred to Ludhiana.

The Kotfatta police registering a case under section 174 of the CrPC and initiated inquest proceedings.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, October 5
The body of a missing Punjab police head constable was found at Massetwali headworks under the Tibbi police station of Hanumangarh district on Saturday.

As per information, head constable Sukhwinder Singh was reported missing from Muktsar since last Sunday. He was feared drowned in the Indira Gandhi canal. Search led to recovery of his body at Massetwali head. The divers who fished out the body found a purse in the pocket of trouser that carried identity card and driving licence besides other documents. The 35-year-old victim originally belonged to village Ladhuka in Jalalabad sub-division and was posted at Muktsar recently. The police had registered a case under section 306 of the IPC against some persons who had reportedly been harassing him on some pretext, the sources added.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, October 5
With the recovery of body of Sarika alias Seema from the NN sub-canal near village Chanan Dhaam of Padampur tehsil on Saturday, the mystery over missing youths stands resolved. Earlier, the police had found body of her alleged lover Mukesh Batra near Chak 8 village from the same canal on Friday.

The police said that Mukesh, a property dealer, had gone missing along with 17-year-old school girl Sarika from Setia Colony in Sriganganagar last week. Initial reports had indicated that Sarika met Mukesh at Homeland city enclave on Suratgarh road last Monday after her parents reportedly refused to accept Mukesh’s offer to marry her. The police had registered a case under section of 363 and 366 of the IPC in this connection on a complaint lodged by parents of the missing girl. 
— OC

Sriganganagar/Abohar, October 5
‘Naam Charcha’ in most of the towns and villages, including Gurusar Modia, the native village of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, passed off peacefully today. The district magistrates in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh had warned the miscreants against disturbing the ritual and senior officers were designated as executive magistrates to ensure peace. Elaborate security arrangements were in place.

However, the police prevented the followers from proceeding to the Naam Charcha Ghar in Subhash Nagar locality of Abohar. The followers finally held the ‘Naam Charcha’ on the roadside in the evening. Heavy police force was deployed on the road leading to the Naam Charcha Ghar. Even the mediapersons were not allowed to ply two-wheelers on the Subhash Nagar Marg.

Significantly, packs of essential food items were distributed to the needy families after the ‘Naam Charcha’ at Sadulshehar, Gurusar Modia, Tibbi, Gharsana and Suratgarh under the recently-launched Food Bank scheme. The Dera followers said they save food by observing weekly fast and contribute the same to the food bank for needy.

As the managing committees of gurdwaras in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts have been preventing the Dera followers to use Guru Granth Sahib for performing ‘Anand Karaj’ of their daughters, the local committees finally found its substitute. They have started using specially-designed ‘Dil Jod Mala’ (Var Mala) to solemnise the marriages.

The marriage of Kuldeep Kaur of Naurangdesar area with Jalaur Singh of Dabli Rathan was performed at the Naam Charcha Ghar in Tibbi town of Hanumangarh district today in the presence of hundreds of Dera followers.

This would play a vital role in bringing back those, who deserted the Dera for marrying their daughters in the presence of the holy book, observers said.

Bathinda, October 5
The Gunners Golf Cup 2008 was organised at the Chetak Training and Environmental Park by Chetak Gunners. The tourney began on October 4. The two-day tournament saw an array of events and was conducted under the St. Andrews rules and CTEP by-laws. The series of awards included longest drive near the centre line and nearest to pin.

Winners were awarded at a glittering prize ceremony held at Chetak Golf Course by Sudha Chauhan, president Chetak AWWA, and Lt Gen D.S. Chauhan, GOC, Chetak Corps. At fairway No. 4, the longest drive closest to centre line was won Lt Col A.S. Beri, Closest to pin at hole No. 17 was bagged by Col S.S. Bakshi.

Among major awards, stable ford handicap 18 runners up went to Col J.V.S. Rathee, and the winner in this segment was Col R.S. Chiller. Lt Col Anil Dhoon was runners-up in stable ford handicap 17 and the winner was Lt Col Rajeev Sharma. The runners-up with the net score of 75 points went to Col U.S. Narwal and the best net score was bagged by Maj J.S. Ghuman. He also clinched the Gunners Golf Cup 2008 title.

A ladies putting competition was also held at the prize distribution ceremony in which Poonam Patil was declared runners-up and Mrs Sidhu was declared the winner. Lt Gen Chauhan in his speech said, "I appreciate the efforts put in by everyone to make this event a success and also the participants who kept the spirit high. It is good to see the golfers competing with such a close margin and I wish them luck for their future course." Maj Gen D.C. Katoch was amongst the other senior officers present on the occasion. 

Bathinda, October 5
A meeting of the Balmiki community was held at Pratap Nagar.

The meeting was attended in large numbers by members of the community. At the meeting, Fakir Chand Pihal was appointed as the in-charge of Pratap Nagar area of the community. He was made to don the traditional headgear on the occasion to symbolise the event. Chairman of the meeting Satish Kumar expressed the hope that Pihal would work for the welfare of the community while the latter promised to vindicate the faith reposed in him. 

Fazilka, October 5
To celebrate the foundation day of the RSS, more than hundred volunteers dressed in traditional attire took out a ‘Path Sanchalan’ (route march) through the main markets of town. Liladhar, organising secretary, Bharti Kisan Sangh, Punjab, led the march that commenced from S.D. Senior Secondary School today.

Liladhar, while addressing the volunteers, exhorted them to remain united in their fight for the cause of Hindus.

The volunteers also performed ‘Shashtra Puja’ and avowed to use the arms for self-defence and protection of the nation. The organising secretary eulogised Lord Rama and Lord Krishana for they picked up the arms for protection of the religion.