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TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Gidderbaha land acquisition
Ghudda villagers rue higher land price in FM’s waterlogged area
Bathinda, January 11
On the one hand, the “high” fixation of price for the waterlogged land has made the people in Punjab Finance Minister’s constituency, Gidderbaha, ecstatic. On the other, it has given the farmers of Ghudda village in Bathinda— whose land is also going to be acquired but at a price much below their expectation—- more than one reason to rue.

Seminar held
Immigration aspirants apprised of legal ways to fly abroad
Bathinda, January 11
There is an increasing craze for migrating to other countries among the students today. Many of them want to study and earn together, while others want to experience the world outside. This has led to mushrooming of migration centres, which claim to facilitate education for students from reputed institutes abroad. Many cases have been reported where students were duped with false promises.

BCI sets aside order passed by state Bar Council
Abohar, January 11
The Bar Council of India (BCI) while admitting a petition filed by advocate Sukhdev Singh Dhaliwal and others has stayed proceedings of the orders passed by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana on the election petition relating to the local Bar Association, informed S. Radhakrishnan, secretary of the national council.

Mandi Board to float tenders online from Feb 15
Bathinda, January 11
The Punjab Mandi Board has signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Indian Telephone Industries Limited, a Government of India enterprise, for implementing the prestigious e-tendering system in the Board. The decision has been taken in accordance with the initiative to implement E-governance in the state on a large scale.

EGS teachers to observe black Lohri
Bathinda, January 11
Protesting EGS teachers have announced that they would observe black Lohri this year as the government was not doing anything to help them out. The EGS Teachers’ Union had started an indefinite dharna yesterday in front of mini-secretariat, which continued for the second day today.

Youth dies after being hit by cricket ball
Ferozepur, January 11
A youth hit by cricket ball during a match died in the field at the local CRPF grounds here today.

Nannhi Chhaan
Honour for girls at Lohri Mela
Our Correspondent

Mansa, January 11
The Sabhyachar Chetna Manch, Mansa organised fourth Lohri Mela of girls at Gaushalla Bhawan here on Sunday. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of SAD chief Sukhibir Singh Badal, was the special guest on the occasion. She honoured five girls, including Ranjna Gupta, Meenu Jindal, Veerpal Kaur, Kiranjeet Chauhan and Sukhjeet Kaur for excelling in sports and education.

Harsimrat emphasised the need to protect the girls. She announced that Rs one lakh would be given to the Manch.

The fair began with a poem recitation by Khushboo "Mainu mar na maye" and Sarbjit Kaushak's poem based on female foeticide also attracted the audience.

Two choreographies were also the main attraction at the function.

An exhibition of old Sabhyachar articles by Dhunna Group of Bathinda and painting exhibition by Sukhdev Fine Arts, Mansa, were also a part of this fair.

Famous folk singer Harjit Harman and comedian Chachi Atro and Jasmeet Vicky attracted the audience with their songs and comedy. Jagdeep Singh Nakai, chief parliamentary secretary, was the chief guest and he gave Rs 50,000 to Manch.

SAD leader Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Paramjit Singh Dhalewan, Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh ex-MLA, Dilraj Singh Bhunder, Manminder Singh, SSP Mansa, Gurjeet Singh Pannu, Munish Kumar Babbi, Atamjit Kala, Vijay Bhadauria and Mithu Ram, social worker, were also present at the function.

President of the Manch Kamaljeet Malwa proposed vote of thanks.

Parents of 100 newly-born girls honoured
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Shinjni Tiwari, wife of deputy commissioner Rahul Tiwari, along with others during a function organised to celebrate Lohri for the girl child in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

Bathinda, January 11
"Men need to change their attitude towards women. Since girls have started competing with the boys in every field so all customs, traditions and festivals should be celebrated without associating them with any gender,” said Shinjni Tiwari, wife of Rahul Tiwari, deputy commissioner, Bathinda, while addressing a function held to celebrate Lohri of the girl child at Jeet Palace here today. Parents of around 100 newly-born girls were honoured at the function that was organised by the Bathinda Vikas Manch.

Shinjni said it was a matter of concern for the Punjabis as they had the lowest sex ratio in the country. She added that there were only 842 girls against 1,000 boys in the district.

It was a Lohri with a difference. Archna, a young housewife, with her 11-month-old daughter, Vridhi, attended the function enough to rekindle a new hope in the hearts of those espousing the cause of a ‘girl child’.

Narrating a short tale of her woes on the occasion, she said that she was thrown out of her in-laws’ house just seven days after she gave birth to a girl child.

Talking to TNS, Archna said she had been living with her parents since then. “It may sound a cliché, but girls are in no way less important than boys. My cherubic daughter has brought us happiness and cheer,” said Archna. Her daughter Vridhi, swaddled in woollens from head to toe, might have not been old enough to understand what was going on around her, but she was surely enjoying the festivity.

“It’s hard to understand why people celebrate the birth of a son as if it was the ultimate act of God’s benevolence. Most of us find it hard to accept that a daughter is not a liability. She can be as good, if not better, than a son,” said Geetanjli, one of the invitees on the occasion, who is an academician.

Well, as the last embers of the Lohri fire died down at the venue, Shinjni Tiwari distributed gifts to the girl children.

Gidderbaha land acquisition
Ghudda villagers rue higher land price in FM’s waterlogged area
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 11
On the one hand, the “high” fixation of price for the waterlogged land has made the people in Punjab Finance Minister’s constituency, Gidderbaha, ecstatic. On the other, it has given the farmers of Ghudda village in Bathinda— whose land is also going to be acquired but at a price much below their expectation—- more than one reason to rue.

According to the Land Acquisition Collector-cum-SDM, Gidderbaha, Rishi Pal Singh, the price fixation committee had decided to acquire 2,232 acres in villages Babania, Thehri and Ghagha for setting up a 2640 MW thermal plant at three different prices slabs. As per the details available, the front opening piece of land would be acquired at a price of Rs 30 lakh. The land behind that would be purchased at a cost of Rs 25 lakh and the rest would be acquired at approximately Rs 21 lakh per acre. The compensation amount would comprise all allowances.

The meeting chaired by ADC Muktsar, Varun Roosam was held on Saturday, in which Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, the SDM and other officials and panchayat members of the three villages were also present.

When contacted, the ADC said, “According to details, much of the land was badly affected by waterlogging. So the price announced is obviously a reason to smile for the farmers. But the price has not been actually fixed as it has only been recommended to the state-level land acquisition board, which is authorised to announce the price formally.”

On the other hand, farmers of village Ghuda in Bathinda, whose land (a piece of total 529 acres) is being acquired for setting up a Central University, have been ruing the meagre price being offered by the administration.

Talking to TNS, members of the action committee, formed to seek better price for their land, accused the FM for creating “discrepancy”. “In the constituency of Manpreet Badal, the price for waterlogged land has touched around Rs 30 lakh per acre. But in our village, where the land is fertile, the district administration was trying to settle the price at just Rs 25 lakh, that too including all allowances.”

“We easily earn around Rs 28,000-Rs 30,000 per acre annually as the land is very productive for paddy and cotton. The price that has been offered to us is much less than the deserved value,” said Hardev Singh, a member of the action committee.

Another member Baljinder Singh rued, “In the selected chunk of land, eight houses and 40-50 tubewells are included and after acquisition, around 80 families will go landless.”

“When we recently met the chief minister, he proposed to give us just Rs 30 lakh, which we turned down. Now it is very simple to compare. If the waterlogged land of Manpreet’s constituency can be acquired at Rs 21 lakh to Rs 30 lakh, then why we are being offered much less for this fertile land,” he added.

Rahul Tewari, deputy commissioner, Bathinda, said, “The CM has already assured them of giving more compensation than what the district administration had announced. We can not compare the price of land with other districts. So, farmers should evaluate the market price themselves and then they will be satisfied with the price we have been offering.”

Seminar held
Immigration aspirants apprised of legal ways to fly abroad
Anjali Singh Deswal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 11
There is an increasing craze for migrating to other countries among the students today. Many of them want to study and earn together, while others want to experience the world outside. This has led to mushrooming of migration centres, which claim to facilitate education for students from reputed institutes abroad. Many cases have been reported where students were duped with false promises.

Tarandeep, a college student, said, “I always wanted to go abroad and bumped into some persons who promised me that they would arrange everything for me. But I was duped. After descending in a foreign land, I did not find the institute they were talking about.”

There have been many cases like that of Tarandeep’s. In this regard, the Rapid Education and Migration Services organised a seminar regarding the recently changed immigration policies of Australia. Various easy and legal ways about moving to Australia were explained at the seminar.

Mandeep Singh Sidhu, who is a registered immigration consultant in Australia, said, “Australia is a country with unlimited work opportunities and experiences for students. There are many who are attracted to foreign countries but many of them fall into wrong hands and face unpleasant consequences. So, the best way is to choose a registered migration consultant and ensure the processing is transparent and legal.”

There are many organisations that claim to be legal and genuine but many get cheated in their hands. “People must make sure that they are attached with a reputed organisation and all documentation is done properly by qualified and experienced staff to avoid any inconvenience or problem,” Sidhu advised.

BCI sets aside order passed by state Bar Council

Abohar, January 11
The Bar Council of India (BCI) while admitting a petition filed by advocate Sukhdev Singh Dhaliwal and others has stayed proceedings of the orders passed by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana on the election petition relating to the local Bar Association, informed S. Radhakrishnan, secretary of the national council.

The chairman of the Bar Council of India while hearing the petition on January 8 observed in his orders, “Prima facie, we are of the view that the State Bar Council has no jurisdiction to interfere in the election of the Bar Association. The copy of the election petition filed on record reveals that elections have already taken place. No provision of law or rules gives jurisdiction to State Bar Council for entertaining such election petitions. Hence in the interest of justice, further proceedings of orders dated December 18 and December 23 of the State Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana are hereby stayed till further orders. State Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana have to be informed accordingly, Notice to be issued for February 8, 2009.”

Notably, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana while acting on the representation of some members and the election committee had informed the SDM here on December 18 that the election should be postponed. But the faction led by Sukhdev Singh Dhaliwal had stated that the polling had been completed before receiving copy of the letter from the Council through the SDM. Dhaliwal had further stated that there was no provision for getting such election approved from the State Council. However, Harpreet Singh Brar, secretary of the Council had maintained that the Punjab Advocates Welfare Act empowers the State Council to interfere in such disputes. Later, the Council had admitted petitions challenging the election and asked the concerned parties to file replies by December 27. — OC

Mandi Board to float tenders online from Feb 15
Anil Jerath
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 11
The Punjab Mandi Board has signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with the Indian Telephone Industries Limited, a Government of India enterprise, for implementing the prestigious e-tendering system in the Board. The decision has been taken in accordance with the initiative to implement E-governance in the state on a large scale.

Under the MoU on E-governance programme, the Board will float all tenders on the internet. At present, the Board received tenders to the tune of Rs 300-400 crore every year for construction and maintenance of mandis (grain and fruit markets) and rural roads.

Previously, the contractors had to procure tender documents physically from various offices and had to visit the office again for submitting the tenders. The manual processing of tenders consumed a lot of paper work and time.

Informing TNS over phone from Chandigarh here on Saturday, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chairman of the Board, said that now with the implementation of the e-tendering system, the whole process shall become online leading to a paperless environment.

He said the e-tendering would bring total transparency in the work of the department. “It shall bring more competition. The system shall come into force from February 15.”

The Board is the first organisation in the state, which has implemented the e-tendering system.

EGS teachers to observe black Lohri
Anjali Singh Deswal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 11
Protesting EGS teachers have announced that they would observe black Lohri this year as the government was not doing anything to help them out. The EGS Teachers’ Union had started an indefinite dharna yesterday in front of mini-secretariat, which continued for the second day today.

Sunil Kumar of the union said, “We will observe black Lohri. We used to get Rs 1,000 when we used to teach. But the government has deprived us of that too. It has been long and we are still struggling for diplomas in education, which the government had promised us but did not start yet.”

The union has decided to hold district-wise dharnas. Presently, they were being staged at Bathinda and Mansa. Later, they would be staged at Sangrur and Barnala. Dharnas would be staged in each district for three days.

Chhinder Pal Kaur, a leader of the EGS teachers, said, “Women are a part of the protest and will remain till the struggle is on.”

The teachers said they would intensify the stir if their demands were not met within five days.

Youth dies after being hit by cricket ball
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, January 11
A youth hit by cricket ball during a match died in the field at the local CRPF grounds here today.

According to sources, Vinod Kumar (19), was reportedly got a blow on the chest while batting. As soon as the speeding ball hit him, he became unconscious. Other players rushed to him and gave him some water. He regained consciousness and resumed batting only to fall down again.

His teammates brought him to a private hospital where he was declared dead.

A pall of gloom descended on the family residing outside Zira Gate as the news of his death broke out. The deceased was working with a private concern whereas his father, Ramesh Kumar, was employed with the fire brigade unit in the municipal committee.