Bathinda, March 23
Will the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) this time be in a position to maintain its grip over the four Lok Sabha seats of the Malwa region that it mostly retained during the past nine Lok Sabha elections since 1977?

This is a hotly-debated question, particularly in the core areas of the Malwa belt, where the Congress gave a drubbing to the SAD in the last Assembly elections held in 2007.

The parliamentary constituencies falling in the Malwa belt are Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Sangrur.

The Congress has chosen young faces, Raninder Singh (Bathinda), Sukhwinder Danny (Faridkot) and Vijay Inder Singla (Sangrur) for these seats whereas the SAD has fielded its tested horses Paramjeet Kaur Gulshan from Faridkot and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency.

The party is taking a long time in finalising its candidate for the Bathinda seat.

Gulshan, who represented the Bathinda (reserved) in the dissolved house, has been shifted to Faridkot that has now been reserved after the fresh delimitation.

The SAD that snatched the Bathinda seat last time in 2004 from the CPI had earlier retained it five times, except in 1991 and 1980 when Congress candidates bagged the seat.

However, every time the winner of the SAD was a new candidate.

Sher Singh Ghubia has this time replaced the hat-trick maker Zora Singh Mann of the SAD in the Ferozepur constituency. Mann won the seat for three consecutive terms in 2004, 1999 and 1998.

The BSP bagged the seat for two consecutive terms in 1996 and 1991 while the Congress also pocketed it twice in 1984 and 1980.

While deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was representing the Faridkot Lok Sabha seat in the dissolved house, the seat remained with the SAD for five other times since 1977.

The Congress had the privilege to represent it thrice in 1999, 1991 and 1980.

Sangrur has comparatively been a weak wicket for the SAD as it had won the same only five times in the past nine elections. The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Mann) won it twice each. While the Congress won in 1991 and 1980 the SAD (Mann) triumphed in 1999 and 1989.

Bathinda, March 23
Rich tributes were paid to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at the Arya Samaj chowk here today. The occasion was the death anniversary of the martyrs. A rally was also organised in which youth clad in white kurta pyjamas and yellow turbans caught the attention of many. They raised slogans as they passed through the city roads on motorbikes.

Members of the Sahara Jan Sewa, an NGO working in the city, paid floral tributes to Bhagat Singh at the Arya chowk as the slogans like ‘Amar Shaheedan Nu Salaam’ and ‘Jab Tak Suraj Chand Rahega, Bhagat Singh Tera Naam Rahega’ rented the air.

On the occasion, Vijay Goel, president of the NGO, addressed the members. He said, “There is a need to adopt the ideology of the great martyrs today and bring a change in the society, which is being exploited by politicians for their vested interests.”

Goel said the best tribute to the martyrs would be eradicating evils prevailing in the society like poverty, inequality, corruption and drug addiction. He also urged the youth to take a pledge to stand against the social evils, like female foeticide and dowry.

Meanwhile, the local units of the Lok Morcha, Punjab, and the Taraksheel Society, Punjab, also observed the death anniversary of the martyrs by paying floral tributes before the statue of Bhagat Singh at the Arya Samaj chowk.

Members of the General Samaj Party organised a function at the Teachers’ Home to pay tributes to the martyrs.

Bathinda, March 23
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Muktsar, has directed the Muktsar Gas Agency, District Food & Supplies Controller and Sales Officer of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Kamaljit Singh, to pay a sum of Rs 25,000 to Rajpal Sharma, who, as per the forum, "was compelled to take legal action just to rectify simple problem i.e. booking of the LPG cylinder at any time after delivery,”

The forum also directed the secretary, Food and Supply, Punjab, and the chairman, BPCL, to take action against the erring officials.

Addressing media at the Teachers Home here today, Rajan Singla and Shashi Kant Sharma, district president and city president, respectively of the Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), (Bathinda), said the Consumer Forum, Muktsar, penalised them in a case concerning supply of LPG cylinder after 15 days of booking instead of 24 hours as per the rules of the company.

They said complainant Rajpal Sharma, an advocate and city president of the ABGP, Muktsar, filed a complaint against the gas agency for not supplying the cylinder within 24 hours of booking, not booking for refill before 21 days, no checking by mechanic on regular interval, not giving the complaint book and cash memo, rude behaviour of the agency officials, non-display of stock on gas agency, not weighing the cylinder during delivery, not attending phones. He also complained against the DFSC and Kamaljit Singh, for not taking any action against the gas agency after receiving the complaint by the complainant through his advocate Bhupinder Singh in the consumer forum, Muktsar.

After the hearing of the case, the forum fined Rs 15,000 to the gas agency, Rs 5,000 to the DFSC (from his own pocket) and Rs 5,000 to Kamaljit Singh (from his own pocket) and ordered them to pay it within one month to the complainant. 

Moga, March 23
The Union Ministry of Human Resources under the 'Sarva Siksha Abhiyan' has selected Moga district for the launching of its Residential Bridge Course, an educational project for overage and drop out children belonging to the poor families.

This project would be run by the district Red Cross society for children in the age group of 8 to 14 years. Under this sponsored scheme, the funds would be released to the district Red Cross society by the union government.

The project aims at educating these children and providing basic knowledge so that they could take admission in formal schools for school education.

According to district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal the duration of this course would be for a period of six months. After this course, the children would join schools for education in classes of their age.

The DM said the Residential Bridge Course under 'Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan Programme' would be of residential nature. The children and teachers would stay at the residential centre throughout the duration period of the course. He said that in this centre as per the ministry rules the children would be selected from the extremely poor families who cannot afford to send them to school.

The DM further said a three-member committee for the selection of children has been constituted headed by Dr P.C. Mittal, deputy director of the Animal Husbandry department while the members include the district agricultural officer and junior engineer of the national highways.

These children would include children of daily wage labourers, belonging to poor families and also disabled children. The sanctioned project strength in each Residential Bridge Course has been initially fixed at 57 students; however, it could increase by seeking permission from the Union Ministry of Human Resources if the response was good.

Johal said that during the last three days 30 children had so far been selected by the Red Cross society. The Project would be formally launched on March 30, he said. The centre for the course has been set up on the outskirts of the town. The enrolled children would be provided free boarding and lodging as per the guidelines of Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan issued by the Union government. 

Bathinda, March 23
Sham Lal Maheshwari has been unanimously chosen as president of the All India Punjab & Sind Bank Officers’ Federation of Bathinda unit here on Saturday, a press release issued here today said.

The members of the federation also elected other office bearers: G.S. Waraich - zonal secretary, I.S. Sandhu – vice-president and Ram Lal Rawal as secretary. Sixteen other executive committee members were elected.

Bathinda, March 23
A two-day seminar on ‘Good Parenting’ was organised by St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, Bathinda, where Dr Keshav Sharma, former head and professor of education department, was the resource person.

The programme started with a prayer, followed by a welcome song.

Dr Sharma discussed the contemporary problems, which the parents have to face with their children.

Providing tips, he emphasised the point that good parenting includes unconditional love.

He further guided the parents not to be overprotective about their offsprings rather they should teach their kids to be responsible human being.

Children should be given a certain amount of breathing space as individuals, he said. Give and take relationship does not work in good parenting. Parents should be role models for their kids, he added.

Sharma also talked about yoga and meditation, which, according to him, plays a significant role for both the parents as well as the kids.

The seminar was first of its kind and the parents appreciated this seminar.

Abohar, March 23
The sub-divisional town remembered Shaheed-e-azam Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev by organising many functions here on Monday. SDM Amit Dhaka and former SDM B.L. Sikka led the NGOs in paying tributes to the martyrs during a function in Arorvansh Bhawan here under the aegis of the Punjabi Sabhyachar Manch.

Several trade unions held Shaheedi Samagam at the Bhagat Singh Chowk here. 

Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 23
The birth day of veteran freedom fighter Hemu Kalani and Balidan Diwas of Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru and Sukhdev was jointly celebrated by Sindhi Samaj Samiti, Lions Club and Adarsh Vidya Mandir at Beopar Mandal complex in Padampur today.

Shiv Darshan Goyal, chairman of Manav Sewa Samiti, Sushil Kumar Jain president of Shiksha Vikas Samiti, Vinod Kumar Sidana principal of Adarsh Vidya Mandir, Karnail Singh Dhillon president of Lions Club, Ghanshyam Harwani president of Sindhi Samaj, Hardeep Kaur of National Institute of Fashion, Bhoj Raj Jain secretary of Beopar Mandal, Chiranji Lal Kalra director of Market Produce Marketing Society, ITI director Manoj Jindal and social activist Major Singh Khalsa garlanded the portraits of the martyrs before giving a call for protecting the hard earned freedom by intensifying vigil against the subversive forces.

They also exhorted the youths to refrain from drugs and other social evils. Vidya Mandir students presented patriotic songs. —OC

Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), March 23
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal while replying to a question of the media revealed that SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal would announce the name of their party's candidate for the Bathinda seat.

He said, "Sukhbir will announce the name after holding a dialogue with senior leadership of our party". He claimed that his would regain the lost glory in the Malwa belt and Dera Sacha Sauda was no more any issue in this area. — TNS

Hussainiwala: The Central Working Committee member of the Congress and party's nominee from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency has claimed that his party would win all the Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.

He said, "The SAD-BJP leaders are the killers of democracy who have grabbed panchayat and local bodies elections with force. — TNS

Fazilka, March 23
"The BSF Wives Welfare Association (BWWA) has been working for promoting communal harmony and bringing the families of BSF personnel close to each other," said DIG BSF V.K. Sharma at the annual programme of BWWA of 80th battalion in BSF headquarters here today. 

Hundreds of family members BSF personnel were present in the function. One of the main features of the programme was an exhibition of stitched uniforms and household goods prepared by members of BWWA.

The DIG while addressing the BSF personnel wives maintained that by stitching the uniforms for the BSF jawans and preparing household items, a considerable amount was saved and the wives of BSF personnel came closer to each other in sharing their joys and sorrows. 

The BWWA was launched with a motive to improve the social set up of the BSF, said Sharma. Since then BWWA has been working commendably in the all the social spheres of the BSF, added DIG.

A culture programme was presented on this occasion. Nikki Sharma, wife of DIG V.K. Sharma was the Chief guest of the programme. Gopika Kechehri, Ranju Sinha and M.C. Painte were adjusted the best BWWA members of the 20th Battalion and were honoured.