Bathinda, January 27
Despite heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel yesterday maintained the tradition of celebrating the Republic Day by presenting sweets to the Pakistani rangers.

While BSF DIG V.K. Sharma presented sweets and fruits to Major Ishtiaq Ahmed of the Pakistani Rangers at the Sadiqi check-post near Fazilka, no such gifts were exchanged on the Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur. The BSF jawans celebrated the day with enthusiasm and were offered sweets by their officers. The day was celebrated with fervour and gaiety in district headquarters and other places in the entire Malwa belt.

Animal husbandry minister Gulzar Singh Ranike presented tricycles to 25 physically-challenged persons and an equal number of sewing machines to poor women at a function in Muktsar.

Irrigation minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon donated a sum of Rs 2 lakhs to the deaf and dumb school in Bathinda.

Meanwhile, the MSD Senior Secondary School here won the first prize in the cultural show. Chairman of the school management committee, Chiranji Lal Garg, received the prize.

Cultural functions were organised in various colleges and schools here. PRTC INTUC president Ganda Singh also unfurled the national flag to mark the day at local bus stand and distributed sweets. The EGS teachers celebrated Republic Day by putting a garland on the statue of Bhagat Singh at Arya Samaj Chowk on Monday.

Abohar: Former minister Sajjan Kumar Jakhar, legislator Sunil Jakhar, SDM N.S. Brar and municipal council president Shiv Raj Goyal were the chief guests during the functions held at different places in this sub-division.

Nearly 48 individuals and NGOs were honoured by the district collector Naveen Jain during the R-Day celebrations. The recipients of the trophies included Dalip Singh Shekhawat of the Navjiwan Nasha Mukti Kendra, who had been instrumental in giving normal life to 538 addicts during the past year. Eleven sarpanches were honoured under the Nirmal Gram Scheme for ensuring good environment in their respective villages. — OC

Fazilka: Chief parliamentary secretary Sher Singh Ghubaya unfurled the national flag at the official function here. Ghubaya took salute from contingents of BSF, Punjab Police, Home guard and NCC cadets of different schools. Surjit Kumar Jyani MLA Fazilka was among the dignitaries present. A colourful cultural prgramme was presented by school students. The chief guest distributed tricycles and sewing machines among the needy. — OC

Ferozepur: The Republic Day was celebrated here at the Shahid Bhagat Singh Stadium where Manoranjan Kalia, local bodies and industries minister unfurled the national flag and took salute. Commissioner B.S. Sudan, DIG Ferozepur range R.P. Mittal, DC Megh Raj, SSP Dinesh Pratap besides senior civil, police and judicial officials were also present.

The minister said, “On this auspicious day, we should reiterate our resolve to protect sovereignty, self dependence and unity of the nation.”

Several sportsperson, historians, freedom fighters, social workers besides 60 police and government servants were honoured at the function.

The minister distributed tricycles and sewing machines among the needy. Earlier, the minister along with Kamal Sharma, general secretary BJP, and other officials paid floral tributes at the memorial of Shahid Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukdev in Hussainiwala. The minister also laid wreaths at Samadhi of Punjab Mata and B.K. Dutt, another freedom revolutionary. At Cantonment Board, Brigadier S.S. Bhatia unfurled the national flag. — OC

Mansa: A district-level function was organised at the Nehru Memorial College here. Deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly, Satpal Gosian, hoisted the national flag on the occasion. The Red Cross Society distributed 14 tricycles and 33 sewing machines to the needy. Meanwhile, social workers, sportspersons and others were honoured by the administration. — OC

Bathinda, January 27
The Punjab State AIDS Control Society (PACS) is running a project to identify the migrants in the city inflicted with HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) and SIT (sexually transmitted infection). The PACS workers feel that the migrant population is the worst affected because they are unaware about the disease and do not pay heed to it.

The Mahila Kalyan Samiti, Bathinda, would be organising camps to identify such migrants. Four such camps would be held in a month at various places in the district. Sources said the migrants were more prone to contracting HIV because they were totally unaware about the disease.

"When they contract SIT, they don't bother to get themselves checked and therefore, their chances of developing AIDS rise by 10 to 15 per cent," said Sukhwinder Singh, counsellor of the project.

Sources informed that it was a six-month project and would end on April 31. Under the project, around 5000 people would be tested free of cost. For the project, five sites in the city, where the migrant population stays, have been identified.

Sukhwinder said, "Civil surgeon Dr Neelam Bajaj at a meeting told us that the identified patients would be attended immediately at the SIT centre and the DOTS centre in the civil hospital."

The PACS has given a sum of Rs 5, 34,000 for the project.

Fazilka, January 27
The activities of smugglers across the border in Fazilka sector for pushing in narcotics particularly heroin and fake currency has been foiled time and again by the vigilant jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF), claimed BSF DIG V.K.Sharma while talking to media persons at Sadiqi Joint Check Post in Fazilka sector on Monday.

The DIG said following Mumbai attack, the BSF had become more vigilant which has resulted in minimising intrusion from across the border. He said that at present the BSF jawans are fighting three major problems.

These include constant threat of intrusion, smuggling and rough weather. He claimed that BSF jawans were meeting out these conditions very successfully.

Bathinda, January 27
The police top brass is in a fix following the registration of an FIR by a head constable against his colleague. The latter had, earlier, sought an action against the former's son, who was allegedly involved in eve teasing.

According to the residents of Jujhar Singh Nagar, they were disturbed with the menace of eve teasing in their locality and caught two of them on December 2. One of them was son of head constable Jaspal Sharma.

The accused were taken to Civil Lines police post, where Surinder Singh, reader to inspector PCR, also reached and asked the official concerned to take action irrespective of the accused being son of a cop. A compromise was reached later, however.

The residents said later, Jaspal got a court order to book Surinder and Baljinder Singh, the complainant, for kidnapping and assaulting his son Harmeet Sharma. In his application, Jaspal did not reveal that Surinder was also a cop and managed to get him booked under the IPC. The residents said, "The case should be cancelled immediately otherwise no cop will come forward to check social evils."

On the contrary, Jaspal refuted the allegation and said he gave the details of Surinder along with his father’s name and address.

Bathinda, January 27
One is enthusiastic while he flies kite, irrespective of age. However, the roadside kite flyers get so involved in the sport that they become unaware about the surroundings. Sometimes, it becomes difficult for a person to avoid an accident while driving on the road if a kite flyer or somebody catching a defeated kite come in front of his vehicle all of sudden.

For some years now, accidents have been reported in the city due to negligence of kite flyers. One such accident occurred in Naamdev Nagar on Monday evening when a kid while flying a kite was hit by a scooterist as the latter lost control over his vehicle. The kid received minor injuries in the accident. The collision made dent in the vehcile.

The imported thread being used for flying kites is also hazardous. It can inflict cuts on the eyers, lips and ears of the passers by. If the thread touches a high-voltage electricity wire, it can prove fatal to the kite flyer.

A middle aged man from Shakti Nagar informed TNS on phone, "I was riding bicycle on the Bathinda-Goniana road. I received sharp cuts on my nose and cheek with a thread that a child on the other side of the road was pulling to fly kite.

Bathinda, January 27
BMC councillor Krishan Kumar Garg has been suspended from the primary membership of the BJP following the allegations levelled against him by deputy mayor Gurinder Pal Kaur Mangat.

Acting upon the charges of misbehaviour, Narender Mittal, district president of the BJP’s urban unit, suspended Garg from the vice-presidentship of the urban unit. His primary membership of the party has also been suspended. In addition, he has been served with a show cause notice and has been asked to reply by February 5 or face disciplinary action.

Mittal, who is investigating the matter, said, "During the prima facie investigation, I found it necessary to take a stern action against the councillor but he has been given a chance to prove himself as innocent."

On the other hand, Garg said, “I am unaware about any such proceeding. I have no grudge against Mangat or any other party worker. However, if the party has issued notice to me I will file a reply.”