Bathinda, March 25
A class VI student of St. Joseph’s Convent School was killed when the auto-rickshaw on which he was going to school overturned near Tinkoni on the Bathinda-Goniana road here this morning.

According to the information available, Ajay Gupta (10), who resided in Veer Colony, had left for school along with his elder sister in an auto-rickshaw at around 7 am. Eyewitnesses said the driver increased the speed of the vehicle, carrying around 10 children, while entering the Bathinda-Goniana road and the vehicle turned turtle and hit the central verge made of concrete.

While Ajay was killed in the accident, others escaped any serious injuries.

Bereaved family members said Riya, the sister of the deceased, reported the incident to them. She told them that Ajay was sitting on the driver’s side.

Sonu, the driver, rushed the Ajay to the Civil Hospital on another auto-rickshaw where doctors declared him brought dead. The family members, in order to avoid any complications, got permission from the sub-divisional magistrate for doing away with the post-mortem examination.

Sandeep Singh, in-charge, Civil Lines police post, said the kin of the deceased refused to lodge a complaint against anyone.

Parents of the boy were inconsolable when this correspondent visited their house. A family member said, “Today, he left for the school wearing a newly-stitched half sleeve shirt. It was for the first time that he insisted on sitting along with the driver.”

Meanwhile, the school authorities have decided to keep the school closed on Thursday.

Bathinda, March 25
The Bathinda police has turned a blind eye towards the chaos prevailing on city roads. Instead, they are apparently confined to just issuing tickets to two-wheeler riders or performing VIP duties. The Bathinda-Goniana road has been undergoing renovation, due to which, some parts of it (near Hanuman Chowk, bus stand and Police Lines) have been closed, leading to constant traffic snarls.

Due to lack of interest among the officials to depute cops at the ‘accident-prone’ sites, it seems that commuting in the city has become risky for all, especially for schoolgoing children and senior citizens.

On visiting some places, like Hazi Rattan Chowk, Fauji Chowk, MSD School Chowk and outside the St. Joseph’s Convent School, it has been observed that in spite of awareness about the threat of road accidents, hardly a traffic policeman was deputed there.

Moreover, no diversion board had been placed to make the commuters alert about the diversion in the road, where it has been closed due to construction work.

The bus drivers do not bother about the two-wheelers and light motor vehicles, while taking wrong turns. At Tinkoni, where the accident took place today, it is common for buses, more than one at a time, to park themselves to pick up passengers, leaving hardly any space for other vehicles to take a turn. Over six months back, traffic cops were conspicuous by their presence and checking was done. But now they seem to have gone into a deep slumber and have wilted under pressure from VIP duties. Traffic lights too have become permanently dysfunctional even though much of the Bathinda-Goniana road has now been reconstructed. Chaotic scenes have been noticed where ambulances too remain stranded.

Irked over the careless attitude of the traffic police at Hanuman Chowk, an elderly car driver, Hardeep Singh said, “You move across the city and the cops in blue-white can be seen only at tea stalls, not where they are required to be.” “Sensing the gravity of situation, at least three policemen should be deputed here to ensure the free flow of traffic and thwart the danger of accidents,” said Surinder Kumar, a scooterist, wading through the heavy traffic chaos at Hazi Rattan chowk. A rickshaw puller, transporting school kids said, “In this chaos, carrying children safely is very risky.”

Bathinda, March 25
Mobile telephony in Bathinda city underwent a generational shift today when the telecom major, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) launched its ‘a generation ahead’ 3-G service here. With the launch, Bathinda has become the second city in Punjab after Jalandhar to have the cutting-edge technology in mobile communication.

Significantly, the launch has triggered the beginning to the end of the era of mobile communication based on 2-G or 2.5-G service because the 3-G service is much beyond the voice service; in fact it is a bouquet of services.

Launching the epoch-making service, the general manager of the BSNL Bathinda, Vinod Parkash, said that the users of 3-G service could use applications, including high speed broadband, view video footage/clips on mobile handset, make video calls, enjoy live TV, high speed internet while on move, receive e-mails, download full track music, live streaming, online games and others.

He added that data could be downloaded at much higher speed than 2-G network, at 2 mbps in ideal conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, general manager of the Cellular Mobile Telecom Services V.K. Ahuja said that the BSNL had planned to launch the service at 23 cities in 20 district headquarters in Punjab.

Disclosing that the 3-G would be rolled out in a phased manner, the GM said the service would be launched in Kapurthala and Pathankot only this month while Amristar, Patiala and Chandigarh would get the service next month.

He also said that the service would also come up in Mansa city, the neighbouring district of Bathinda, within 15 days. The project cost was over Rs 300 crore, he said.

The 3-G service is available in both prepaid and post-paid segments. The tariff plans in prepaid starts from Rs 350 whereas in post-paid from Rs 500. The call rates for voice calls are lesser than the present rates. Fourteen TV channels would also be available to the users.

During the inaugural function, live demo of video calls, mobile Broadband and live TV channels were also given to all.

Other senior officials of the BSNL, Bathinda, including DGM Pradeep Kumar, officials of Ericsson, franchise holders were also present at the function.

Bathinda, March 25
Following the launch of the 3-G service in Bathinda, the city got the distinction of becoming the second district in Punjab having the cutting-edged technology in mobile telephony. Presently, only Jalandhar has the service.

Well-placed Sources in BSNL said that the decision to launch the 3-G in Bathinda was taken by the company as the district was found well-equipped with the required infrastructure as fibre cables had replaced the radio links in most of the areas in the district.

“The one-and-half-year long efforts of BSNL Bathinda team led by the general manager Vinod Parkash is about to bear the fruits,” sources said, adding that when the GM took the decision to install the fibre cable about one-and-half-year ago anticipating future requirements, some termed it as “not needed” because the existing system was serving the purpose. “Today, the decision is proving to be a right one,” sources said.

Bathinda, March 25
Just a day after receiving the directions from the chief electoral officer (CEO), Punjab, to vet all election-related cable programmes, the deputy commissioner, Bathinda, received a complaint against Sonia Gandhi, president of the All India Congress Committee, alleging violation of the model code of conduct through a pre-recorded advertisement.

The complaint was filed by Mohan Lal Garg, state executive member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It is worth mentioning here that the CEO has directed the deputy commissioners, who are also the district election officers, to examine all election-related programmes in terms of content and cost.

In the complaint, Garg alleged that various channels were telecasting the advertisement, which claimed that the Congress had got freedom for and provided Constitution to the nation. He alleged that in the advertisement seeking votes in favour of the Congress carried the national flag.

In support of his complaint, he said the flag was a national property and no political party could use it for demanding votes, which would mean a violation of the poll code.

He urged to book Sonia Gandhi and others for the alleged violation.

After receiving the complaint, the DC, Bathinda, Rahul Tewari, is finding himself in a dilemma. He has been terming the issue as state-level and under the purview of the CEO.

When contacted, he said, “Taking preliminary steps in investigation, I have directed the district public relation officer to ascertain the facts and file a report as a case of urgency. Soon after receiving the report, I would submit it to the CEO, who may decide on action thereafter.”

Abohar, March 25
A case of positive polio detected here has rung alarm bells not only in the region but also in the Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, sources said. A World Health Organisation (WHO) official, in-charge of seven districts in Punjab, Dr M.L. Sharma, rushed to Abohar today to gain first-hand information.

A message has been flashed to the state headquarters at Chandigarh and Lucknow, he confirmed.

An on the spot study conducted by Dr Sharma reportedly indicated that the victim, one-year-old Komal, was born here in a migrant family from district Etah of Uttar Pradesh, settled in Baba Deep Singh Nagar here. Surinder Kumar took his wife and daughter to his native village in Etah to perform some rituals.

While returning on February 27 by train, the family found that Komal was not able to keep her neck balanced. On reaching Abohar, they took Komal to a child specialist Dr A.C. Sidana.

Diagnosing that the child was under polio threat, Dr Sidana referred the case to the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital. Dr Ramesh Verma, senior medical officer, while endorsing the opinion expressed by Dr Sidana took up the case with the higher authorities besides dispatching the blood sample to Kasauli, one of the eight labs authorised for such tests in India. Samples were also examined in Mumbai, which confirmed it a polio positive case.

Dr Sharma said inquiries in Etah indicated that only a few families had responded to the Polio Plus campaign and the response was poor in the rural areas to which the local migrants belong. Komal’s father Surinder Kumar was quoted confirming that they too were not responsive to the campaign even while living in hygienic conditions in their palatial house here.

As Komal had been taken to Etah when she was just five months old, polio drops could not be locally administered, family sources said. Her hand also got affected though her neck was in a slightly better condition now.

Komal was seen trying to pick up the phone’s receiver at home today but could not succeed.

Ferozepur, March 25
The appalling sewerage and sanitary conditions in most areas of the city have further contributed to the poor economic condition of the town.

Over the years, the sewer lines have become defective and have broken down due to which, the roads often get flooded with sewage. The condition is particularly worse at the main circular road in front of the office of the sewerage board itself, which has become a nightmare for the commuters.

The condition of this road has worsened to such an extent that people have started using longer routes instead of passing through this road.

This road is used by hundreds of students daily as it is the only route to the major educational institutions of the town including schools, colleges and polytechnic. Pillion riders on two-
wheelers have often fallen into the sewerage accumulated in front of the sewerage board’s office and many of them have even reportedly suffered fractures, but the municipal authorities have not learnt any lesson.

Notwithstanding the pathetic sewerage condition in the town, the state government, instead of making concerted efforts to improve the system, has reportedly planned to shift the office of the water supply and sewerage board to Bathinda for reasons best known to it. The move has not only invited public wrath but has also worsened the deteriorating water supply and sewerage conditions here.

Though there has been much claim of making large-scale development in the state, however, this town is still crying for attention. Even a slight drizzle inundates the town, particularly the low-lying areas.

Thanks to the erroneous planning, the sewage sometimes even enters the dwellings of the residents. The potholes beneath the accumulated sewage water act as a death trap and cesspools of slush further add to the woes of the people.

Heaps of garbage can be seen near the old civil hospital, Baghdadi Gate, in front of Dussehra ground, near Zira Gate, near Makhu Chowk and Baghi road. Besides the garbage, the blocked drains act as breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies. Every year, several cases of diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and other water-borne diseases are reported in these areas.

On their part, the local politicians are doing what they are best at: blaming each other for the mess. Recently, some enthusiasts of the town led by former MP Jagmeet Brar had arranged for some trolleys of red soil to fill the pothole in front of the sewerage board’s office.

However, the effort did not bring much relief. Taking to The Tribune, Brar, while blaming SAD-BJP government for the worsening sanitary condition in the town, said if he gets a chance to represent this parliamentary constituency, he will leave no stone unturned to bring the SE, Sewerage Board office, back to Ferozepur.

Earlier, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Revenue) Sukhpal Singh Nannu alongwith DC Megh Raj and MC officials had also visited the site and had even allocated some funds for rectifying the condition of the road in front of the sewerage office. However, the work, it seems, is going on at a snail’s pace and the residents are bearing the brunt of the government's apathy.

When contacted, Nannu said that he was aware of the problem and that he has already allocated funds for the laying of sewer lines in this area. Once the sewer lines are laid, the road would also be constructed immediately, he added.

About the areas in the city where the sewage facility does not exist, Nannu said that a grant of Rs 31 crores is awaited from the government, and once that grant is received, the facility for proper sewerage would be provided in those areas of the town.

Moga, March 25
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has demanded from the Election Commission (EC) that the ban imposed on the release of subsidies to the farmers for purchasing farm inputs, including machinery and agricultural implements like the Happy Seeder and Laser Leveller, required in the coming sowing season, be lifted.

A large number of BKU activists staged a protest and held demonstrations against the EC at the district headquarters here and submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate for forwarding the same to the chief election commissioner. The farmers were of the view that the ban could delay paddy cultivation, as a large number of farmers had decided to opt for the Happy Seeder for transplanting the crop keeping in view of the labour shortage in the past few years.

Paddy transplantation would begin in mid June but it came to the notice of the EC that on the directions of the state government, the departments concerned had started preparing subsidy cases of farmers. The state government has now claimed that on receiving directions from the EC, it has halted the process of preparation of the subsidy cases for buying farm implements and seeds. Talking to media, BKU spokesman, Bhupinder Singh Mahesari, appealed to the EC to lift the ban in the interest of the farmers and the country. ''We have great regard for the guidelines and the model code of conduct of the elections but keeping in view the interest of the farmers, the EC must lift the ban,'' he said. Meanwhile, there were reports that similar protests were also held at Ferozepur and Faridkot by BKU activists and they submitted memorandums to he respective district magistrates.

Bathinda, March 25
Jawed Habib, the hairstylist, refuses to acknowledge that hairstylists can improve your hair. “Stylists can only give you a good cut, the quality of hair depends on your lifestyle, diet and your maintenance,” he says.

“It’s not just about haircuts but it is the hair culture that is taking the fashion industry by storm,” said the renowned hairstylist, who was here to inaugurate his academy of hair and beauty professional institute on the Mall Road today.

Providing a word of caution to those wanting to go in for hair colour, he asserts, “Seek the help of a professional or it could be highly damaging. Hairstylists are like doctors. It is their duty and they can guide you properly on not just hair styles but also on the products or chemicals you use.”

For healthy hair, it is important to maintain a proper lifestyle. “Drink plenty of water, keep your scalp clean and have a relaxed and positive mind,” he suggested.

Habib in his body-hugging T-shirt and silver grey hair comes across as a bundle of energy. Hand him a pair of scissors and the excitement he radiates is almost palpable.

The Jawed Habib Professional Academy will conduct basic and advanced courses on hair styling and colouring. The course durations are one, three and six months besides part-time courses.

“The academy here is the fifth branch in Punjab. We will be opening two more branches in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur shortly in view of the tremendous demand there,” he said.

Abohar, March 25
Currency notes worth Rs 50,000 have gone missing from the sub-post office located in the DAV campus here. Sub-postmaster (SPM) Prem Singh, in-charge of the office, has lodged a formal complaint with the city police station alleging that a close relative of a postal savings agent had taken away the money.

The employees of the local post offices urged the police to round up the person identified by the sub-postmaster, who alleged that the relatives of the suspicious person thronged the sub-post office today and tried to manhandle him for levelling the allegation.

Prem Singh said the nephew of the said agent had come to make some withdrawal but kept sitting even after his work was over.

Meanwhile, the SPM went to the bathroom without locking the cash box. On his return, he found that the suspicious person had left the sub-post office and the cash was missing from the box. The police is investigating the matter. The agent named in the complaint refuted the allegations as baseless and concocted.

Abohar, March 25
Worried over the delay in the formal launching of the election campaign for the alliance candidate, Sher Singh Ghubaya, in Abohar segment, former MP and younger brother of the CM, Gurdas Singh Badal, had an emergency meeting with the workers here last evening.

As per the information, Gurdas Badal, known as the think-tank of the SAD, spent two hours in the exercise. Sarpanches and panches of many villages expressed their resentment over the style of functioning of former BJP MLA Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, besides questioning the propriety of distribution of grants through him for development works in addition to funds received from the central government under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and other welfare schemes.

While assuring that all the issues will be discussed with the CM to find an amicable solution to the simmering discontent, the former MP exhorted the alliance workers to create a congenial environment for the first election rally to be addressed by the CM soon. However, no specific programme for the rally was made public.

Moga, March 25
The district and sessions court today sentenced a local resident to eight years of imprisonment after having found him guilty in an attempt to murder case here.

Revealing this to The Tribune, K.K. Mittal, deputy district attorney said that Gurmeet Singh, a resident of village Khosa Jalal near Kot-ise-Khan, attacked Naseeb Singh and his father Ajaib Singh with a .12 bore gun on June 23, 2006. They were seriously injured.

A criminal case under the IPC and the Arms Act was registered against him at the Kot-ise-Khan police station after the incident. Additional sessions judge, B.S. Sandhu, while agreeing with the arguments of the prosecution, sentenced Gurmeet Singh to eight years in jail and a fine of Rs 25,000. Failing to deposit the same would lead to another six months’ imprisonment, the court said.