Bathinda, March 15
The local police today nabbed an staff of a gas agency while he was stealing gas from LPG cylinders at his residence near Sepal hotel here. The cylinders were to be supplied to the consumers in the city.

According to the details available, Hari Chand, the accused, worked with the Paramveer Gas Agency, which supplies Indane Gas, and was caught red handed. In the police custody, he admitted that he had been into the illegal activity for the past couple of months. He used to draw out about 1-2 kg of LPG from the cylinders.

On receiving information, gas agency officials concerned reached there and thrashed the accused. In a police statement, they expressed ignorance of the illegal act of their staff.

When contacted, in-charge of the civil lines police post, Sandeep Singh said, “The accused has been booked under section 406 of the IPC and will be produced in court tomorrow.”

Bathinda, March 15
Following the orders of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the returning officers issued directions to police department in their respective jurisdiction for conducting free and fair election.

Police officers have been instructed to gather every kind of information on proactive basis and report it to the deputy commissioners.

The deputy commissioner Bathinda, has drafted a 17-point order, which through the SSP, has been circulated to all concerned SHOs and in-charges of police stations and police posts, instructing all to send the updated report on every third day.

Following the order, a number of police officials have been deputed for such purposes, who keep on contacting with all 16 police station and 12 police posts of the district to get all updates, throughout the day.

Moreover, complaints concerning elections, have now been taken on priority basis.

As per the letter, all officers have been ordered to prepare a list of those, who had been accused or found guilty for capturing polling booths in the past. A list of all history sheeters and absconders has also been sought.

It has been ordered to complete all formalities regarding the pending warrants and challans, along with preparing a list. To speed up the investigation and prosecution in all cases related to election related crimes. Inspect the stock registers of arms and ammunition selling shops, collect the report related to the seized illegal weapons and illicit liquor.

As per the order, if any one found preventing SC and ST to cast the vote or force to give vote in any body's favour, he would immediately be booked under criminal law. The order states to draft the plan for the deployment of central paramilitary force (CPMF) and also to provide all basic facilities to them.

When contacted, DC Bathinda Rahul Tewari said, "The ECI has directed all Returning Officers to ensure such arrangements, following which, we have started the process."

Bathinda, March 15
The district excise and taxation department is expecting highest ever revenue generation through the auction of L-14 and L-2 liquor vends.

Vends would be auctioned on March 20 and Monday is the last day of receiving applications in this regard.

The department has received over 2,000 applications till today. Considering the number, the officers concerned have been terming it as an overwhelming response from the applicants.

As per the details, there would be 94 group lotteries for total 294 vends collected in 140 units. The total fixed license fee is Rs 64.25 crore, excluding the forms fee and duties, etc.

The department has been expecting revenue of around Rs 5 crore with the non-refundable fee of application forms and others.

In Bathinda city, that is a Municipal Corporation, there would be 32 units collected in eight groups, means all vends of the city would be manned by only these parties. Further Raman and Maur Mandis would have two groups each with two units each. For Rampura Phul, there would be three groups of two units, in Bhucho and Goniana one group with one unit each. While Sangat and Kotfatta Mandis, would have only one unit each.

About the Bathinda city group, the draft fee has been fixed as Rs One lakh, for mandis the amount is Rs 50000 and others are under the category of Rs 25000.

This time, the both kinds of vends, L-14 (country made 'desi') and L-2 (Indian made foreign liquor), would be under one roof and has been counted as single vend. For one unit, the form fee is Rs 9000 and for a group of two units, fee is Rs 16000, while for a group of four units fee is fixed as Rs 32000.

Lat year, there were around 3700 applications and the total vends were allotted for Rs 57.45 crore and the district had earned a revenue through non-refundable fees was Rs 2.38 crore.

Confirming the details, assistant excise and taxation officer, Jaspal Singh said, "The interest of applicants is more than the last year. Factors like, development of the district, policy terms and the benefit gained from the outgoing year, all have encouraged people to try their luck this time."

Bathinda, March 15
Class V exams, which would begin on March 16, will witness a change in the way they were conducted earlier.

Sources from the education department stated that the duty to get class V exams conducted has been assigned to upper primary and secondary teachers neglecting the primary teachers completely. Secondary teachers would be involved from the beginning of the exams till the checking of answer sheets.

State project director Krishan Kumar took the step to curb the menace of cheating and false methods of marking the answer sheets.

According to the earlier practice, primary teachers used to conduct class V exams and even the subject teachers used to be the invigilator. It made easy for the students to write their exams, as help reached them at their desks. However, since the responsibility has been assigned to secondary teachers, only deserving students will get through the examination.

The sources also stated that the DIET (District Institute of Education and Training) principal here would be supervising the exams.

Gurdev Gill, principal of DIET, Bathinda, said, “The DEO (Secondary) is getting the exams conducted and I was made the member of the District Exam Control committee, which was formed to control the exams about two to three months ago. As of now, we have no role in it. But if we are put on duty, then we would go for getting the exams conducted.”

DEO (Secondary) Baljinder Singh Mann, said, “We have got these guidelines from the education board. The exams are taking place under the SSA and we are just an implementing agency.”

“The answer sheets would be checked by the secondary teachers the same day when the exam are conducted or latest by the next day,” the DEO added.

Earlier, the primary teachers used to pass almost all class V students because their credibility was in question.

Avtar Singh, the deputy state project director from Mohali, said, “We all would see to it that exams are conducted in a fair manner.”

On the other hand, the primary teachers felt that it was an unfair practice because secondary teachers, who would be checking the answer sheets, do not have knowledge of those subjects.

Fazilka, March 15
Even as the annual examinations of primary, elementary, high and secondary students of government schools are going on, the education department under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has made a parallel schedule for organising teachers training seminars for educational service provider teachers and teaching fellows recruited on contract basis for 10 and 20 days durations.

This has hampered the programme of conducting the examinations in smooth manner. The functioning of the school is also being adversely affected. Sources said that conducting the examinations and seminars simultaneously was being considered as an ill-conceived scheme and has also caused resentment among the teachers.

As over the 80 per cent of the high and senior secondary schools of the state are without regular school heads, the officiating in-charges of these schools have been assigned the job of conducting the examinations and examining the answer sheets of the class V from teachers of upper primary classes who have already been deployed in seminars and process of conducting the examinations of the Punjab School Education Board and the local schools.

In these circumstances, each teacher is compelled to examine hundreds of answer sheets in very short span. They have also been directed to submit the award list the very next day.

The Punjab Shiksha Sudhar Committee patron, Raj Kishore Kalra, and spokesperson Hans Raj in a joint statement issued here today demanded that the chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the education minister Upinderjit Kaur should review the decision of conducting the seminars during examinations. They said that such seminars under the SSA should be held at some other time. 

Fazilka, March 15
Justice Amarnath Jindal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the annual inspection of the local courts and sub jail here on Saturday said that a new judicial complex would be constructed on the land adjacent to the newly-constructed mini secretariat complex in Fazilka.

Justice Jindal said that the Punjab and High Court Construction Committee had cleared the project for construction of the new courts complex there. The construction work is likely to commence in about a month. The complex is likely to be constructed in an area of about 4 acres of land and an amount of about Rs 4 crores would be spent on the construction of the judicial courts and lawyers chambers.

Sources said that the Army authorities have decided to vacate the municipal land adjoining the mini secretariat complex. The civic body had also recently agreed to offer this land for the new court complex.

A deputation of the members of Bar Association, Fazilka led by its president Rajesh Kalra met Justice Jindal and demanded setting up of court of Additional District and Session Judge (ADSJ) in Fazilka. Justice Jindal assured that after the construction of the new judicial complex, the new ADSJ court could be established here. 

Mansa, March 15
To encourage the farmers towards commercial crops and vegetables, agriculture department has set up some projects at the farm of progressive farmer Manmohan Singh Sandhu at village Hodla Kalan under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) scheme. The ATMA scheme was launched in Mansa in 2007-08 and aimed at providing new techniques to farmers.

Chief agriculture officer and project director of ATMA, Dr Davinder Singh said that farmers were being encouraged towards dairy, fish farming and bee-keeping along agriculture. To inform the farmers, exhibitions, field day and exposure visits were organised, he added.

Dr Jagtar Singh Brar, an official of agriculture department, said that projects under ATMA scheme had been setup at the farm of Manmohan Singh Sandhu and this farmer was setting example in crops diversification. Farmers could get valuable information about commercial crops and vegetables from him, he said.

Manmohan said that he earned more income by sowing non-seasonal and seasonal vegetables in his farm. He added that he had sown chilly, pumpkin, onion, garlic and pea by new technique and such attempts were proving to be more lucrative than wheat and rice crops.

Agriculture department organised an farmers' exposure visit to the farm of Manmohan last month.

Agriculture officials said that ATMA scheme was formed keeping the problems and needs of Mansa district in mind and farmers could get benefits from the scheme. 

Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 15
Election arena has hot up in the border district Sriganganagar on Sunday as Ranjit Singh, a senior member of the Saadh Sangat's political committee addressed hundreds of Dera Sacha Sauda followers during meetings especially convened at the Naam Charcha Ghars in Sriganganagar, Daulatpura, Keri and Lalgarh to apprise the followers of the latest situation.

In the meantime, a Congress legislator from Sadulshehar today participated in the congregation in Dera Budhranwali and interacted with the senior workers.

However, Dera spokesman, Lakhjit Singh said Ranjit Singh made it clear that the present chief of the Dera, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, has nothing to do with politics and the Dera had never issued any direction to its followers since 1948 for extending support to any of the political parties.

Ranjit Singh was quoted saying "Not the Dera but the Saadh Sangat has to unanimously decide whom to support in the Lok Sabha election.”

Gopal Insan of the 25 member committee exhorted the followers to concentrate more on Naam Charcha besides continuing social welfare activities by providing food and other essential assistance to the needy families. He also inspired youth to join the Youth Welfare Federation. Others present included Yogesh, Labh Singh, Hakam Singh, Chiman Lal all members of the committee.

Similar meeting was held at the village Kera Khera in Abohar area. 

Sangrur, March 15
Six cops, including Moonak DSP Sharanjit Singh, were hurt today in alleged stone-throwing by Dera Sacha Sauda followers and Sikhs at Chural Kalan village, 10 km from Moonak.

DSP Sharanjit Singh said in the evening that Dera followers today started naam charcha at the naam charcha ghar at Chural Kalan village without taking permission or informing the police. When the police asked them about it, they came out of the naam charcha ghar and blocked traffic on the road, he added.

The DSP added that when Sikhs came to know about the naam charcha in the village, they also reached near the naam charcha ghar and started opposing the holding of naam charcha there. On this the police tried to disperse members of sides, but they started hurling stones on the police in which he and five other cops were injured, he added.

He said a case would be registered against those who had stoned the cops. — TNS

Bathinda, March 15
Popularity of Bhojpuri films in Punjab is growing. The cash registers of theatres across the state substantiate the fact, which shows more earnings from Bhojpuri films rather than Punjabi movies.

Tarun Gupta, a leading film distributor, said there were no takers for Punjabi films these days. “Thanks to rising number of migrant labourers, Bhojpuri movies are doing roaring business in Bathinda, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar," he said.

Jagjit Singh, member of the Northern India Film Distributors Association, said 'Nehrawa Rickshaw Wala' had fetched over Rs 25 lakh in Punjab, a record earnings for a film in the state. For the popularity, the Bhojpuri film industry has attracted many Bollywood stars recently, adding to its glamour quotient.

Unlike Bollywood flicks that are screened in multiplexes, these films release in small theatres where tickets are sold for Rs 10-20.

Din Dayal, manager of Sukhraj Cinema here, said, “The permanent and floating population of migrants in the city pockets is keeping the cinema halls alive. Hindi pictures would have sounded the death knell for the theatres in the city. The labour class gets entertainment at modest rates. They are happy, so are we."

Bholay Nath, a migrant labourer from Bihar, said: "Earlier, I used to watch first day, first show. I have a huge collection of Bhojpuri film songs also."

Meanwhile, pirated Bhojpuri CDs, which cost around Rs 20 each, are selling like hot cakes in the city and nearby areas. Labourers with VCD players are a hot property these days. A shopkeeper in the Gandhi Market pleading anonymity said: “There is an unprecedented rise in the sale of pirated CDs as originals were expensive. Our sale has gone up by 50 per cent.”

As per information gathered, in Bathinda the number of migrants has shot up by 50,000 in the past five years.

With their families not around, the Bhojpuri films fill up the cultural void they experience in Punjab.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, March 15
An appeal made to about 75,000 men and women, by Pramukh Swamiji, chief of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purshotam Swaminarayan organisation (BAPS), during the Pushpadolotsav (Fuldol festival) in Sarangpur is likely to improve poll percentage in Rajasthan, Gujarat and other states in the coming Lok Sabha elections, experts feel.

The three-day festival concluded on Saturday with "deeksha" of 13 well-educated NRI youths as Sadhus.

Elaborate arrangements were made for the followers of the organisation, who used hundreds of buses, cars besides trains to participate in the annual Holi festival. The tranquility of the humble village located at Barwala sub-division, about 150 km from Ahmedabad, attracts thousands of people every year from all over the world. Creation of a temple at Jaipur besides planning more at other places of Rajasthan has increased participation from this region.

Interestingly, none of the central or the state leaders of any political party was invited to the dais this time. Even some Sikhs were found dancing as the Sadhus presented bhajans related purely to the Holi festival.

Rajasthan had recorded only 52 per cent polling on May 6, 2004. In all 1, 73, 46549 voters including 72, 90569 women had exercised their franchise during the 2004 polls. Gujarat had second lowest (45 per cent) voting after Jammu and Kashmir. Only 1, 52, 13501 (out of 3, 36, 75062) including 65, 43424 women had polled votes in the 2004 election.

Well before Pramukh Swamiji's brief spiritual discourse, the organisers read out his message for millions of followers.

It said "matdaan (polling) is as pious as bhoomidaan, vidyadaan and gaudaan. Swamiji wants each eligible voter to go to the polling station and judiciously exercise franchise to strengthen the democracy in India. None of the voter should fall prey to any kind of pressure or malpractice."

Darshan Soni, a leading foreign money exchanger from the capital of Gujarat and physiotherapist, Sunil Nayak said "The appeal will certainly have a magic effect since his (Swamiji) words are religiously respected and followed by all of the followers of Bhawan Swami Narayan. If right people do not come forward, the negative forces are bound to flourish, they added hoping that none of the devotees could be lured. 

Abohar, March 15
Poonam Gangpuria and Sukhwinder Singh were adjudged the best athletes among girls and boys respectively in the 41st Annual Athletic Meet of the DAV College of Education here.

Poonam won the 100 meter, 200 meter race, long jump and high jump. Winners other events for girls included Jagmeet (50 meter race), Monika (shot put and discuss throw), Navinder and Harpreet (three leg race).

In boys' category, winners were Surinder (100 meter race), Nand Lal (1500 meter race and long jump), Arvind (high jump), Surinderpal Singh (shot put), Rakesh Makkar (discuss throw), Rajinder Kumar (javelin throw), Lovely (sack race). Milkha Singh house and Sania Mirza house emerged winners in tug-of-war. Gurdeep Kaur won the musical chair race while Priyanka topped in potato race. Parushi emerged winner in 50 meter race for guest children. Lieutenant Colonel Dilbagh Singh, CO of second Punjab Independent NCC Coy, was the chief guest. The meet was conducted by Amanpreet Kaur.