Bathinda, March 6
Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tiwari today warned that action would be taken against those parties and candidates who deface public property with posters and banners during the Lok Sabha elections.

Tiwari held separate meetings with leaders of political parties and government officers to discuss implementation of the model code of conduct issued by the Election Commission. He pointed out that sticking posters and banners on walls of government offices, public property and educational institutions was completely prohibited and in case the publicity material was to be pasted on private property, it should be done only with prior written permission of the owner.

He ordered the parties to remove hoardings, banners and posters already put up. Election campaign in religious places was banned. 

Use of loudspeaker was prohibited between 10 pm to 6 am. Mayor, deputy mayors, chairpersons of boards and corporations and other such functionaries have been ordered not to fix red beacon on their vehicles and also not blow siren. They would also not have any escort police vehicle during campaign.

Bathinda, March 6
"The Akalis are befooling the people by harping on development works as poll plank.” Ashok Kumar, District Congress Committee (Urban) president, said while addressing a rally of OBC wing members of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) here today.

Alleging that Congress workers were being implicated in false cases to demoralise them, Kumar also asked the Congress workers to be active in the district to ensure a free and fair elections. The DCC president demanded that CRPF personnel should be deployed to prevent untoward incidents.

Tahal Singh Sandhu, PPCC secretary, said his party had made a "list" of top leaders and workers of the ruling party who had indulged in high-handedness against Congress workers. He said after the formation of the Congress government in the next Assembly elections, the 'listed' workers and leaders would be brought to book.

Sandhu also asked party workers to get ready for the mid-term Assembly elections as the present SAD-BJP government might fall under its own weight after the "defeat" of the party in the Lok Sabha election. He claimed that the party would win all 13 Lok Sabha seats.

Jaspal Singh, chairman, OBC wing of PPCC (Urban), Gurinder Singh Billa, PPCC OBC chairman (Rural) were also present.

Bathinda, March 6
Since no single party would be able to form a government on its own, the Left parties would play a crucial role in the formation of a "stable" government at the Centre, Dr Joginder Dayal, national executive member, Communist Party of India, (CPI), said after kickstarting poll campaign for Hardev Singh Arshi, CPI candidate from Bathinda.

The CPI leader alleged that the Manmohan Singh government had failed to fulfil its promises. Its prime motto was to stay in power, he contended. Dr Dayal also said the SAD-BJP alliance and the Congress party were generally pursuing the same economic policies, which fulfilled the desires of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Bank. 

He said these policies were not only crushing the common man, but also affecting badly the middle class, farmers and traders.

He said CPI would organise a mega rally in Bathinda on March 31 which would be addressed by CPI, CPM and Lok Bhalai Party leaders, among others. Arshi urged the voters to defeat the Congress and the SAD-BJP combine and elect true representatives close to people.

Mansa, March 6
“Mansa and Bathinda would be number one regions of the state after two years and people of other areas would visit here to see the development,” claimed Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal during public meetings in the villages of Mansa today.

She further said that the state government had made sincere efforts for the development of state in every field. Two new universities were being set up at Bathinda and Amritsar and new projects were launched to streamline water supply to farmers. 

Thermal plants had been brought in the state by the government to meet the need for power, she added. A cancer hospital was being set up at Bathinda.

She appealed to the people of Bathinda constituency not to miss the chance for development as it was an opportunity for them to change the fate of the area.

Criticising former chief minister Captain Amrinder Singh, she said that the Captain paid no heed to the problems of people of this area.

Surinder Kaur Badal addressed public meetings at Sammaon, Matti, Gurthali, Khiwa Kalan, Khiwa Khurd and Bhikhi.

Former MLA Sukhwinder Singh Aulakh, district president of SAD Harbant Singh Datewas, Parmjit Singh Sandhwan and Hani Mansahia also spoke at the public meetings. 

Moga, March 6
The Maharashtra police today picked up a local, Mohan Lal (48), for interrogation in 
connection with a double murder case.

A six-member team of the Maharashtra police from Ganeshpuri police station of Thane (rural) district arrived here this morning and picked-up Mohan Lal (48) after informing the local police.

The SHO of Ganeshpuri police station P.I. Wagmare while talking to TNS on telephone said that on January 26, this year, a truck owner-cum-driver and his cleaner were murdered while another person was injured in Ganeshpuri area and the truck loaded with copper was looted, he said.

The SHO said that the investigation revealed that deceased were in constant touch with Mohan Lal prior to the incident.

Meanwhile, Mohan Lal told TNS that he was admitted to a hospital run by Sacha Sauda Dera at Sirsa when the incident took place in Ganeshpuri. 

Bathinda, March 6
Summer has set in. Today, the figure substantiated that summer is finally here as the mercury crossed the 30 degree Celsius mark for the first time in three months.

The feeling had substance as the mercury remained around 30 degrees Celsius for the last four days, as per the Agro-met Advisory Service of PAU, Regional Station, Bathinda. On Wednesday it even touched 29 degree Celsius.

Just after entering March, the mercury moved upward from around 25 degree Celsius to near 28 degrees. Even minimum temperature increased from 10 to around 13 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday, the region recorded highest minimum temperature of the recent past and settled at 15.6 degree Celsius. As far as today's temperature is concerned, the maximum was recorded at 30.2 degree Celsius, 3.7 degrees higher than on Thursday. But the minimum declined 3.5 degrees to record 10 degrees. 

Bathinda, March 6
Mohit Inder Bawa, Miss Punjaban-2008, was in the city today to attend and judge one of the events at the youth festival which concluded today at the Government Polytechnic College.

Mohit had never thought of getting into the world of glamour before she saw Neelu Sharma, Miss Punjaban of 1993, in a video. "I saw Neelu and developed a liking for the glamour world. But I did not know how to get into this world and how to be on TV," Mohit said.

Mohit is doing her B.Tech from RIMT in Mandi Gobindgarh. "I would like to be in this field only if I get good offers, else, I would explore the field of electronics and telecommunication. I plan to do an MBA after this," she added.