Mansa, January 10
"Development of the state will be highlighted by the SAD in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls," said Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal while talking to media here today. She said that SAD-BJP government had launched various developments schemes during its regime.

Representative of Badal family would contest from Bathinda constituency so that the development work could be continued in the region, she added.

Talking about spread of cancer disease in this belt, she said that a cancer hospital with a cost of Rs 500 crore was being setup at Bathinda and free treatment would be provided to poor people at the hospital.

She also said that problem of contamination of water was being solved by installing RO system in the villages.

She stressed upon eradication of social evils including female foeticide, pollution and drug addiction.

She also said that efforts were also being made to provide free education to the girls. She addressed public meetings at different wards in the city and appealed to people to give a chance to SAD candidates for the development of states and the region.

General secretary of SAD Balwinder Singh Bhundar also addressed the meetings. Among others who were present on this occasion included ex-MLA Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, district president of SAD Harbant Singh Datewas, president of Municipal Council Atamjit Singh Kala, Paramjeet Singh Sandhwa and district president of BJP Suraj Kumar Chhabra.

Bathinda, January 10
Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of the ruling SAD(B), today said the government would take steps to provide uninterrupted electric supply to ginning mills to benefit the cotton growers in Malwa.

Talking to media persons here, Sukhbir said giving further incentives to the ginning mills that were facing closure would be considered. However, he blamed the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for creating problems for the farmers of Punjab.

He said it was unfortunate that the MPs of the Congress were maintaining silence over the problems of the farmers and not pressurising the Centre to come out with some scheme to bail out the growers. “They are also silent on the issue of exorbitant prices of petroleum products.”

The SAD-chief said the PSEB would formulate incentives for the residents of the localities around the three thermal power stations at Ropar, Bathinda and Lehra Mohabbat, who were facing fly ash pollution.

Sukhbir said stress of the government during the current year would be on administrative and education reforms and taking steps to make Punjab a power surplus state. “A sum of Rs 400 crore would be spent on upgrading the education infrastructure. Stress would be laid on outsourcing and privatising various facilities at district-level to remove the problems of the people.”

Sukhbir said filing FIRs online with the police was also being considered. He said issues pertaining to setting up of a state-of-the-art cancer hospital, five-star hotel and an international stadium here would be sorted out within two months.

Bids were again being sought for constructing AC bus stands at Bathinda and Mohali. Within three years, 80 per cent fleet of the PRTC would be air-conditioned so that poor people could also afford a comfortable travel.

Bathinda, January 10
At least 80 families would be rendered landless in Ghudda, the ancestral village of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, where 529 acres of fertile land is being acquired for setting up a central university. The village is about 20 km from here on the road leading to Badal village.

The union cabinet yesterday cleared the ordinance for setting up 12 central universities, among which the one for Punjab was expected to be established here.

Panicked over their fate, residents of the village have constituted a six-member action committee to take up the issue with the state government. They fear that the families would get disintegrated in the process and they would become landless.

The revenue department has fixed compensation of about Rs 19 lakh per acre of land. In addition, the affected land owners would get some dislocation allowance.

However, they are demanding a compensation of Rs 40 lakh per acre.

Harpal Singh said he would lose his entire 61 acres while Baljinder Singh and Hardev Singh would be deprived of their entire holding of 55 and 47 acres respectively. Their anxiety was that the villagers rendered landless would not be in a position to purchase land at a single place and were bound to get scattered in other areas of the state.

They recently met the chief minister and narrated their vows and demanded compensation of atleast Rs 40 lakhs per acre in case the land acquisition was unavoidable.

These villagers have been growing paddy, wheat, cotton and other crops on their lands for the past several years. Of the 529 acres under the acquisition process, only 25 acres is wasteland while the rest is irrigated.

Besides, four other persons would be rendered houseless, as the structures would be demolished when the road leading to the university would be widened.

Abohar, January 10
Round the clock efforts made by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board finally resulted in bringing the sewage water accumulation crisis to an end today morning.

SDO Sita Ram Bajaj while supervising the operations said that farmers refuse to use sewage water for two months during the year as it was not required for irrigation. A breach in the system had caused the problem; there was no immediate alternate than to divert the overflowing water to ponds in the neighboring area. In fact the drain is just 3 km long; the state government had been requested to release funds for extending it by 9 km which requires Rs 7 crore. The proposal is awaiting nod. The department had recommended linking of the sewage disposal channel with the drain that is located 12 km away from the town. This will help solving the problem permanently. Accumulating water has receded from all the localities by now, he claimed. — OC

Moga, January 10
Students of Dr Shyam Lal Thapar College of Nursing organised a welcome party for the new batch of M.Sc. Nursing, B.Sc. Nursing and Post B.Sc. Nursing Course along with GNM and ANM courses on the college premises here, today.

Dr Malti Thapar, former Health Minister of Punjab and chairperson of the college management, congratulated faculty members of the college for excellent result in the last annual examinations.

Dr Pawan Thapar, director of the college, sought the help of the faculty members and students for further improving the academic atmosphere.

Amarjeet Sangheria officiating principal welcomed the new students in the college. 

Bathinda, January 10
Criticising the SAD-BJP government for not fulfilling the promise it made to them for arranging diplomas in education and then regularising their services, hundreds of activists of the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) Teachers' Union burnt an effigy of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here today. Later, they sat on an indefinite dharna outside the mini-secretariat.

Earlier, a delegation of the protesters met SAD (B) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal at the PSEB guest house. However, the meeting could not produce any positive result.

During the meeting, Sukhbir, after speaking to the DPI over phone, said the matter had been referred to the Government of India. He said he would himself pursue the case but it would take couple of months, which the delegation rejected.

Later, the protesters gathered from all over the state held a protest march through city markets. On reaching the Hanuman Chowk, they burnt an effigy of the CM and raised slogans. Afterwards, they assembled outside the mini-secretariat and announced to stage an indefinite dharna.

They said if their demands were not fulfilled, they could go to any extent of protest.

Speakers at the dharna alleged that they had been working on meagre salaries to get formal experience in order to fulfil the condition set by the Education Department.

Presently, the union has 3,175 members, who are unemployed, as the state government after passing a resolution closed down all EGS centres on March 31.

Bathinda, January 10
The stalemate between the government and truckers continued for the sixth day here today despite the arrest of two top leaders of the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

“We are incurring heavy losses in running our business. Hence, the strike will continue until the government gives us some solutions,” said Amolak Singh Bhatia, vice-president, AIMTC.

While transport minister T.R. Baalu announced to act tough against the truckers, the unrelenting transporters said that ‘coercive’ measures will not deter them and the strike would continue till their demands are not fulfilled.

“The government is committed to take every necessary step to ensure smooth supplies. We have advised states to transport essential commodities so that the common man does not have to suffer,” the minister said.

The AIMTC received a setback on Friday after the Delhi police arrested its president Charan Singh Lohara and secretary S. Venugopal along with 30 other leaders under the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA).

In a counter offensive, the truckers had announced to intensify their stir. “There shall be no talks until the arrested leaders are unconditionally released,” the AIMTC leaders said today. The government had already announced its plans to press 15-20 lakh vehicles into service and impound the trucks of the truckers on strike to ensure supply of essential commodities, especially food stock.

Bathinda, January 10
Members of the Contract PRTC Workers’ Union (Azad) held a rally outside the PRTC workshop gate here today. They were protesting against the cut imposed on their salary in the garb of service tax.

A leader of the Union, Jaspal Singh, said the gate rally was held with regard to the strike scheduled to be held on January 15.

Union members Baldev Singh and Nirmaljit Singh Nimma urged the other members to come forward and work together on a large scale for the welfare of the contractual staff.

They alleged that despite putting in hard work, they were being paid less wages. They added that the contractors, who hired them recently, had imposed a cut on their salary.

The workers have asked the management to release the amount due to the workers as arrears, stop contract system of the recruitment of drivers and conductors and stop the termination of workers under one pretext or the other.

They demanded that the government should stop the exploitation of contractual staff, failing which the union threatened to intensify the stir. They also demanded that their long-pending demands be fulfilled.

Bathinda, January 10
After hovering around 2.5 degree Celsius for the last four days, the mercury shot up here today as activated western disturbances approaching Punjab and the adjoining region influenced the weather conditions in the zone.

Besides giving a rise to the mercury, the disturbances caused slight overcast in the city and the nearby places.

The minimum temperature recorded at 7 am today was 6.0 degree Celsius, 3.6 degree higher than that of Friday, as per the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda. The maximum, however, remained at 17.0 degree.

As far as the weather condition during the three days is concerned, the minimum ranged between 1.2 degree Celsius and 3.2 while the maximum ranged between 16.8 degree Celsius and 18.5 degree. The humidity in the period remained 97 and 44 per cent.

Fazilka, January 10
The Bharat Vikas Parishad, (BVP) Fazilka, organised 8th All India Bharat Ko Jano (Know India) symposium here today. The symposium has been dedicated to commemorate the martyrs of the Indian army of 1971 Indo-Pak war in Fazilka sector.

It was inaugurated by the Forest and Medical Education Minister Tikshan Sood. He announced to grant Rs one lakh for welfare projects of BVP. Local MLA Surjit Kumar Jyani was present as the chief guest.

BVP executive president I.D. Ojha, general secretary N. Sabharwal, state president Dr Rajesh Puri, zonal chairman and Convenor of symposium Shri Niwas Bihani were also present.

Seventy teams of schools from all over India participated in the symposium. These included 36 senior teams and 34 junior teams. — OC