Behman Kaur Singh Wala (Bathinda), October 30
Two persons died today while deepening a borewell after the soil caved in at village Behman Kaur Singh Wala, located on the Punjab and Haryana border in the district. The rescue operation started by the administration lasted for four hours but the two succumbed to their injuries before they could be pulled out.

According to the villagers, faced with the depleting water table, the owner of the land, Tarsem Singh alias Semi (35) and Gurcharan Singh alias Sadeek (45), were deepening the borewell. The land belonged to Tarsem. Janta Singh, a cousin of Tarsem, was helping them in the task.

All of a sudden, when Tarsem and Sadeek were working at a depth of 25 feet, the sides of the well caved in and both got buried inside. Due to the mudslide, Janta also fell into the well but managed to climb out.

Hearing Janta Singh shout for help, villagers ran to rescue them. Some of them made an appeal for help from the loud speaker of the village gurudwara. The administration was also informed about the mishap at the same time.

With the help of around 20 tractors arranged by the villagers and two JCB machines by the administration, after three and a half hours, Tarsem was pulled out, but was declared dead. Then after an effort of half an hour, Janta was also pulled out, but he too was dead by then.

Villagers said that Tarsem is survived by a 12-year-old son while Sadeek, who belonged to Singh Pura, a neighbouring village in Haryana, is survived by two sons and six daughters.

SDM Talwandi Sabo, Anil Garg, who was on the spot, said, "It was an illegal act as the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, had prohibited the digging of wells without intimating the administration under section 144 of the CrPC." When contacted, DSP, Talwandi Sabo, Gurmeet Singh said, "Though the owner has died but we are going to register a case under section 188 of the IPC as he had violated the orders of the DC."

Bathinda, October 30
"The Ludhiana City Centre scam has paled into insignificance before the Medicity scam in Chandigarh as the Governor and administration of the Union Territory have come under the scanner," said Simranjeet Singh Mann, president of the SAD (A), here today.

Mann further disclosed that he would approach the High Court to intervene in the matter and hand over the case to the CBI for a free and fair investigation.

"I agree that as a Governor, he can not be interrogated but as an administrator of the UT, there is no hurdle in investigating the matter. This case has exposed his being hand-in-glove with the land mafia, which thrives with the blessings of the state chief minister and his son," alleged Mann. Mann was here to appear in a case of sedition lodged against him in 2006 at Talwandi Sabo.

When asked about his strategy regarding the forthcoming parliamentary polls, he said, "The SAD (A) will contest 10 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The agenda of the party will be simple-Punjab affairs, protection and equal rights for minorities and a proper status to Sikhs who have been enjoying neither legal nor constitutional status in the country."

"In this country, on the one hand, we are celebrating the Gurta Gaddi Divas and on the other, Sikhs are counted as Hindus. This is a serious matter which no leader is ready to take up as they need Hindu votes to come to power. Even the jathedar of the Takhts, CM who has stake in the SGPC and the Prime minister, a Sikh, are silent on the issue," he said.

Replying to a query, he said, "This is the issue which restrains us from entering into alliance with any other political party."

"If one asks me about Amarinder Singh and Parkash Singh Badal, I will say: Amarinder had the policy of 'aish and cash,' while Badal is a 'nahash' and is busy collecting cash," said Mann. "The senior Badal and the junior Badal have been following the policy of selling all government properties just to fulfill their own ambitions and the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has been working as a tool to further their interests," he alleged.

On the Sangat Darshan programme of the CM, he said, "Parkash Singh Badal has been acting as an old Mugal emperor. Those whom he likes, he freely gives as much as he wants. While allocating funds at Sangat Darshan, he does so at his discretion which should be thoroughly investigated to expose him in public."

Expressing his willingness to contest from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, he said, "If the party high command orders, I shall do so.”

Moga, October 30
Former sarpanch of the village Ramuwala Kalan, Harnek Singh, who is a close associate of local Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain has landed into fresh trouble as the High Court of Punjab and Haryana has rejected his anticipatory bail in a case of sexual exploitation registered against him by the police in the city police station here, early this year.

The bail was cancelled by the court after he repeatedly refused to cooperate with the police in getting his DNA tested to find out if he had any relation with the girl child born to the victim. The High Court had earlier ordered to conduct the DNA tests.

On July 22, he first refused to cooperate with the police in the court of the local chief judicial magistrate to get his DNA tested. The court turned down the demand of the police but gave an advice to the investigating officer to use his own powers under section 53, 53 (A) and 54 of the CrPC to get the DNA tested.

According to the section 53 (A) of the CrPC, 'examination shall include the examination of blood, blood stains, semen, swabs, in case of sexual offences, sputum and sweat, hair samples and finger nail clippings by the use of modern and scientific techniques, including DNA profiling and such other tests, which the registered medical practitioner thinks necessary in a particular case'.

Complying with the orders of CJM's court, as per the directions of the High Court, a police team took Harnek Singh along with it to the Central Forensic Laboratory, Chandigarh on September 26 and October 7 but he repeatedly did not cooperate with the scientists of the laboratory and allegedly ran away in the presence of the police.

Annoyed with the attitude of Harnek, the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application early this week directing him to surrender and get the DNA tested as per the previous orders.

The woman from Badhni Kalan village complained to the police about her sexual exploitation in March, 2004, but the FIR was registered early this year, probably due to political pressure.

Meanwhile, while talking to The Tribune here this evening, the victim revealed that she was repeatedly getting threats to life from Harnek and his friends who were also influential personalities of the area.

"I have in writing informed about this to the SSP Ashok Bath and requested him to comply with the orders of the High Court for getting his DNA tested," she said.

She threatened to move an application of contempt of court in the High Court in case the police failed to arrest the accused and get his DNA tested. She said that certain officials in the local police were hand-in-gloves with him who had helped him to run away from the Central Forensic Laboratory, Chandigarh on two occasions.

On the other hand, it was learnt that the authorities concerned of the laboratory had also given in written that Harnek was not cooperating in getting his DNA tested, however, no one was willing to come on record.

It may be mentioned that the victim had also given a written complaint to the Senior Superintendent of Police some time back that the local Congress MLA Joginder Pal Jain was helping the accused but so far the police had taken no action against the MLA even as he had already got a blanket bail from a local court with regard to this complaint fearing arrest. 

Hanumangarh/Abohar, October 30
Besides ordering a crack- down on the persons indulging in theft of canal water in the Hanumangarh region, district collector Mugdha Sinha on Thursday issued prohibitory orders to ensure effective implementation of the election code of conduct.

The DC today formed a four-member vigilance cell, headed by an additional district collector besides nominating the tehsildar, irrigation officials and the police officers to the committees in their respective areas. The cell has been authorized to get a case registered against the persons who are caught red-handed while stealing canal water. Penalty will also be imposed on the culprits.

Taking a serious view of spurt in cases of thefts in the first phase of Indira Gandhi canal, the DC said some scrupulous elements by indulging in theft of water were depriving the farmers of the tail-end village of water for irrigation. This posed threat to the law and order situation as well, she observed.

Claiming that deployment of the Rajasthan Armed Force (RAC) in Nohar-Bhadra areas in the past had given good results in checking the theft of water, Sinha said water was needed awfully for the Rabi season, beginning October 15. She has sought action-taken-report in detail from the officials on the FIRs that were registered against the erring farmers. She also directed the irrigation department to intensify patrolling with assistance from the police to check further thefts to ensure free flow of water till the tail-end villages.

Confirming that orders under section 144 CrPC 1973 had become effective till December 13, the DC said no person would now carry fire arms, sharp-edged weapons, any kind of explosive material except Sikhs who would be permitted to carry kirpan as per their religious tradition. 

Bathinda, October 30
The PSEB has again brought the home district of the Chief Minister in news. Out of the six districts falling under the PSEB's west zone, Muktsar tops the list of staff shortage. Earlier, the district was in news for the maximum number of power theft cases and the defaulters.

The west zone that caters to Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, Moga, Ferozepur, Faridkot districts has 3,828 vacant posts. And in Muktsar, 1128 posts in various sections of the PSEB are lying vacant, which is the  maximum.

The chief minister and his son Sukhbir Badal have been laying foundation stones of a number of grid stations in Muktsar. However, there are 288 posts of assistant linemen, 263 linemen, 71 sub-station attendants, 66 lower class clerks and 51 posts of cashiers vacant.

As many as 64 regular team mates, 50 bill vendors, 24 drivers, 13  cleaners, 18 helpers, 18 meter readers and 13 foremen are yet to be  posted in the circle.

In the circle, 68 junior engineers (electrical), 13 sub-station officers, 11 revenue accountants, 22 upper class clerks, six area assistants and five JE (installation) are required to fill the sanctioned posts.

In the procured list of sanctioned posts of the PSEB's west zone, Muktsar was the only district that has been allotted a cook-cum-chowkidar. Ironically, that too is lying vacant.

While the CM and his cabinet members are speaking of making the state power surplus, the acute shortage of staff may well hamper these efforts.

Fazilka, October 30
India united against AIDS and Zindagi Zindabad are the two main slogans displayed on the Red Ribbon Express which attracted hundreds of visitors here today. The train has been on the move in different parts of the country for the last one year creating awareness against AIDS. The train is sponsored by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

The State Health Department, Punjab AIDS Control Society and civil administration organised a programme today to mark the arrival of the train in Fazilka. Chief parliamentary secretary and MLA from Jalalabad was the chief guest on the occasion.

Civil surgeon, Ferozepur Dr Balbir Singh, who presided over the programme briefly detailed the audience about AIDS. He said that the disease spreads through unprotected sex, transmission of HIV infected blood, reuse of infected needles, and from HIV infected pregnant mother to the child.

Dr Singh said that it was time the parents of the eligible couples should check the health status particularly with respect to AIDS of their wards before entering into matrimonial alliance. They should consider this equally important as matching of the kundli.

Chief guest Sher Singh Ghubaya lauded the efforts of NACO, health department and NGOs in creating awareness against AIDS through the Red Ribbon Express. He said that the exhibition, audio-video material in the train was of great use.

Additional deputy commissioner, Ferozepur, Jaskiran Singh, while addressing the gathering, sought clarification regarding spread of AIDS by tattooing and use of common shaving razor by barbers.

Coordinator of Nehru Youth Centre, district Ferozepur, Raghubir Singh Khara, deputy director, Punjab AIDS Control Society, Dr Meenu, senior medical officer, civil hospital, Dr Y.K. Gupta, PHC Dabwala Kalan Dr D.P. Godara, PHC Khui Khera Dr K.N.Babbar, SDM Fazilka Rajiv Prashar and a large number of NGO representatives, schoolchildren besides contingent of BSF jawans were also present on the occasion.

The officials of the train offered publicity material, counselling to the visitors and answered to their queries. Dr Renu Dhuria, manager and Harmandeep Kaur, AIDS councillor of Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) of the civil hospital, Fazilka, rendered their services in the counselling coach of the train. 

Moga, October 30
In the absence of purchase by the government agencies, most of the farmers of this district were taking away PUSA-1121 variety of paddy to the nearby districts of Taran Taran and Amritsar after having failed to get good rates of their produce in the Asia's biggest grain market here and other grain markets in the district.

Nirmal Singh a farmer of Daulewala village near Fatehgarh Panchtoor brought his produce here this morning but in the open auction he was offered only Rs 1055 per quintal by the traders. Disheartened over the poor response from local traders he told The Tribune that he would take away his produce to the Taran Taran district where the average price being offered to the producers was between Rs 2700 and Rs 3200 per quintal.

Kuldip Singh of Manawan village of Ferozepur district who brought his produce here in the Asia's biggest grain market was hopeful of getting good price but he also had to take back his produce to sell outside this district.

After talking to a cross-section of the farmers it was quite evident that the local traders here were offering good prices only to few farmers who had brought exceptionally good crop in huge quantities. The farmers who had sown this variety of paddy as an experiment on small landholdings were just being overlooked by the traders for the reasons best known to them.

However, Ranvinder Singh Lali, president of the local arhtiya association, said that the price was based on length, quality and humidity content of the crop. He said that the farmers who were not getting good prices had brought their produce with high humidity content. He said that the traders were giving chances to the farmers to use fans for drying that could fetch good price.

Giving some examples, he said that Kewal Singh, a farmer of Kothe Patti Mohabbat was offered Rs 2545 per quintal, Jagmel Singh of Chupkiti village Rs 2700 per quintal and Gurpreet Singh of Bughipura village was offered Rs 2710 per quintal for their produce.

When this correspondent checked the register of purchase of PUSA-1121 in the grain market here from the official record it was found that good prices were being offered to very few farmers. A large section of the farmers were getting an average of less than Rs. 2400 per quintal.

Few farmers revealed that some traders had come from Amritsar and Taran Taran districts who by manipulating with the local arhtiyas were offering lesser rates to the farmers.

When contacted, the District Magistrate Satwant Singh Johal said that he had already asked the authorities concerned to keep a check on the purchase of PUSA-1121 and ensure that the farmers were not being exploited by the traders. "We will not allow anybody to exploit the farmers", he warned the traders.

Meanwhile, as per the trend of purchase going on in the markets in this district it was evident that a large section of the farmers were going out of Moga district to sell their produce in Amritsar and Tarantaran districts. 

Abohar, October 30
Surinder Kumar Jakhar, the IFFCO chairman, has assured the farmers that there would DAP fertilizer would be adequately available during sowing season.

He further cautioned the farming community against panic purchase, as unwarranted stocking would unnecessarily aggravate the situation. He regretted that there were some rumours over the issue to create unrest among the farmers.

Jakhar advised the farmers to enroll themselves as the members of the cooperative agricultural societies. IFFCO had already provided the societies with DAP fertilisers and other facilities would also be made available to these societies to meet the needs of the farmers, he assured. 

Abohar, October 30
Two persons were run over by passenger trains at different places.

Sources said that Radheshyam of Nai Abadi was crushed near village Achadiki on the Hindumalkot-Abohar section while trying to board a train. A GRP team brought his body here for postmortem at civil hospital.

In another mishap, Gurpal Singh, a physically challenged boy of village Killianwali, was injured seriously when he was to cross the rail line before noon. Nar Sewa Narain Sewa volunteers shifted him to the civil hospital where he succumbed to his injuries in the afternoon.

Both deaths have been registered under section 174 of the IPC, the police said.

One Aulakh Ram who had arrived from Uttar Pradesh and was going to meet his brother, working in a cotton ginning factory on the Fazilka road using a cycle, was hit by an unidentified truck today morning.

The doctors in the civil hospital described his condition as serious.

An Indica car reportedly driven by a home guard allegedly hit a motorcyclist Sushil Kumar of Sunder Nagri on the state highway. People who were able to detain the car reportedly found number of liquor bottles in it.

The home guard was handed over to the city police who was yet to concede the demand for his medical examination, sources said. Sushil Kumar has been hospitalised.

Bathinda, October 30
Diwali is over and the city has got back to its schedule but there are some who are still cleaning up the muddle spread by vendors selling crackers for the festival. These are the students and the teachers of those government schools that were used for selling crackers. Students and teachers found it difficult to attend classes amidst the stench spread by the vendors staying in the school.

The district administration had asked around 96 vendors to put up stalls in the Government Girls' School through letter No. 1878 on October 23. The vendors paid the fee to the administration and had put up their stalls on the school premises by October 25.

But no attention was paid towards the students and teachers of the school where the stalls were set up. There was no one to take care of the cleanliness of the school primises.

The cracker vendors stayed in the school for almost three days and used the utilities provided by the school but did not bother to clean the school before leaving the premises.

The vendors used 50 benches of the school and these were found lying outside when the school reopened. The school authorities said they had to use disinfectant and phenyl to clear the stench and dirt spread by the vendors and customers.

The condition was so bad that some classes were used as toilets by those who came to buy crackers. The ground used for volleyball, football and kho-kho, was left in an awful state. The administration had asked the vendors to keep atleast five sandbags near their stalls in case of any exigency. These sandbags were found lying in the school everywhere.

The principal of one of the schools is learnt to have said, "Our peons have been cleaning up the school premises since yesterday and I think it would take one more day to complete it. We did not earn any income from the vendors and but we are bearing the brunt. We are writing to the DEO in this regard."

Another school where these stalls were set up was the Des Raj Government School and the condition was the same here also. It was also left in a messy state by those who made a good amount of money here.

DEO (Secondary) Baljinder Singh Mann said, "The matter will be brought to the DC's notice. The administration should have made appropriate arrangements before allowing the vendors to use the school premises for selling crackers."

Bathinda, October 30
There has been a notable rise in computer theft committed at government schools of the state in the Malwa belt. A group, termed popularly as "phency", because they reportedly consume the drug Phensedyl to get a high, is believed to be committing this crime to procure money to buy the drug as they are addicted to it.

It is believed that this group steals computers and UPS worth lakhs and sells them off in open market. The police too has not been able to get any major lead in this case.

It may be mentioned that most schools do not have any one to guard the computers on their premises once the school closes for the day. According to the information procured by Charanjit Bhullar, an RTI activist associated with an NGO, Pulang, around 105 computers worth Rs 39, 910, 30 have been stolen in 44 schools of the Malwa region. A loss of Rs 6, 90,163 was estimated in Bathinda alone.

The state government had started a computer programme for schoolchildren in 2004-05 under the Information Communication Technology (ICT) scheme. Under this scheme, there were three levels which covered government middle, government high and government senior secondary schools. A minimum of 10 computers were sent to every school that was covered under this scheme. Computers and UPS worth an estimated Rs 5 lakh are installed in every school. In Bathinda, this scheme is being run in 245 schools and out of these, there is no watchman in 95 per cent schools to keep a check on computers and other machines installed.

Because of no watchman, the addicts finds it easy to break open into schools and get away with computers when there is no one on the premises.

Computer thefts in schools have been reported in schools at Ghuman Kalan, Maur Mandi, Bhodi Pura, Goniana, Harman Singh Walan, Bhagta, Baiman Jassa Singh and Mandi Kalan, since 2005.

The police has recovered the stolen computers from the schools of Goniana and Mandi Kalan. According to sources, the problem of stealing computers by addicts is the highest in this region because Malwa has the highest addiction rate. In around eight schools of this region, computers worth Rs 6 lakh have been stolen. Whereas in Ferozpur, 10 government schools have reported thefts worth Rs 10.49 lakh. Mansa reported theft worth Rs 84, 565 from two government schools, in Muktsar, computers worth Rs 3.12 lakh from five schools were stolen. Moga reported computers worth Rs 5.5 lakh stolen from six schools and in Sangrur, computers worth Rs 2.27 lakh were stolen from four government schools.

Taking the whole of the state, there have been thefts in more than 100 schools and the loss has been around Rs 68, 28, 442 in four years.

DEO (Secondary) Baljinder Singh Mann, when contacted, said, "This problem is not limited to the Malwa region only. It has spread in the whole state. There has been no recruitment of class IV employees since 1996 and chowkidars come under class IV. Many of them have retired but there has been no replacement. When a computer is stolen, an FIR is registered and a copy is sent to the company from which the computer was purchased which sends a replacement to the school." 

Bathinda, October 30
Thermal police today booked three accused belonging to Chandigarh and Maur, who had allegedly duped a resident of Pakka Kalan of around Rs 4 lakh, on the pretext of sending him abroad.

Police sources said Nachhatar Singh lodged a complaint that Ajaib Singh and his son Amandeep Singh of Maur in Bathinda and Ajit Pal Singh of Chandigarh had demanded money from him in April to send him to Cyprus. As his relatives were known to each other, he believed his words. He gave them the money..

When, even after three months, the accused were not responding, he gave in writing to the SSP Bathinda from where the case was referred to the economic offences wing (EOW) following which a case was registered at the Thermal police station.— TNS

Barnala, October 30
Three shops selling clothes were gutted at Sherpur today, about 22 km from here. Sources said that some unidentified youth allegedly set the shops on fire.

SSP Barnala Shiv Kumar Verma said that more than ten unidentified youth set the three shops on fire at the main market of Sherpur.

As per information, nearly 12 youth came at the bazaar on two vehicles and allegedly set the shop of one Sita Ram on fire by sprinkling petrol. The youth also thrashed Bisakha Ram, a worker, at the shop when he tried to stop them from indulging in the act. The fire soon engulfed two other shops. As per the shop owners, the estimated loss was of about Rs 45 lakh. Three fire-tenders were called to control the fire.

Sherpur bazaar remained tense following the incident. President of Beopar Mandal, Barnala, Anil Naana, has demanded action against the anti-social elements who were behind the incident.

Mansa, October 30
Tension prevailed between two families at the village Kot Lallu today after a three-year-old child was tonsured. This case was also reported at Mansa Sadar police station.

According to family members of child, when the child Niskam Singh was playing out in the street, a hair dresser called the child and allegedly tonsured him.

According to the complaint lodged by the grand-father of the child, Bhura Singh, the hairdresser Preet Singh forcibly tonsured his grandchild. After that, members of the family attacked the hairdresser’s shop.

SHO, Sadar police station, Jaswarinder Singh said that police had been trying for a compromise between the two families. He said that two families had a good relationship and hoped that the tension generated would ebb after the two families sort out the issue.