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Vasundhara takes credit for development in Rajasthan
Students feel need for university in region
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Bathinda part of state master plan
Religious leaders pay tributes to martyrs at Asafwala memorial
Tributes being paid to martyrs at Asafwala in Fazilka. A Tribune photograph
Experts caution on need to curb pollution by polythene
Muqaddar Ali travels to his bride’s home in a car that was driven in reverse gear from Bathinda to Daduwal village in Haryana on Monday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
This girl child was rescued from the Sirhind canal in Bathinda after she was found adrift in it on Monday. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh
BDPO murder case accused held
Will Congress break the jinx?
Farmers vent ire at parties, say they make only false promises
Protesters at a rally in Bathinda on Monday. Tribune photo: Kulbir Beera
Third Front is gaining momentum: Bardhan
One killed, 10 hurt in road mishap
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Vasundhara takes credit for development in Rajasthan
Hanumangarh/Abohar, March 30 Addressing her first rally in
Hanumangarh, she tendered unconditional apologies on behalf of the candidate, conceding that the grassroot workers were ignored during the past five years and their expectations on development works too could not be respected well. Even when Nihal Chand had lost in the recent Vidhan Sabha elections from Raisinghnagar segment, the party found him to be the most suitable candidate for re-contesting the Lok Sabha election, Raje sought to convey to the gathering. Claiming that she, as chief minister, had arranged Rs 9 crore for augmenting water supply schemes and sanctioned Rs 80 crore for sewerage schemes in the region, besides developing the
multi-crore mega highway linking Hanumangarh with Suratgarh, Vasundhara Raje said canal water was lifeline for the farming community particularly in the deserts of Hanumangarh and
Sriganganagar. “I succeeded in getting more water from Punjab for you people besides pursuing the Indira Gandhi canal project. This resulted in bumper crops and your smiling faces speak volumes of the prosperity achieved by better irrigation facilities,” she said amidst thunderous applause. Lambasting the Ashok
Gehlot-led Congress government, Vasundhara Raje said, “They blamed me for the Rs 5,000 crore scam, later, it was downsized to Rs 2200 crore and now their estimate is around 1 lakh
crore. This is all nonsense. Gehlot should concentrate on putting back Rajasthan on the development track instead of wasting precious time in launching baseless and concocted campaign against me,” the scion of erstwhile Gawalior state said. She alleged that the NREGA and other welfare schemes which she had pursued vigorously and fairly during her tenure, have failed after the formation of the Congress government in
Rajasthan. Daily wage-earners have not been paid under NREGA for the last three months, she rued and said that public distribution system has collapsed.
Vasundhara Raje welcomed Jaspal Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the recent Vidhan Sabha election on the BSP ticket and joined the BJP today. Notably, he had earlier quit the INLD after losing the previous election.
BJP candidate Nihal Chand Meghwal and former minister Dr Ram Partap also addressed the rally while district BJP president Dharminder
Mochi, Urmila Bijarnia, chairperson of the Panchayat Samiti Nohar and former minister Rajinder Rathaur also shared the dais. Notably, Nihal Chand Meghwal is locked in an electoral battle again with Bharat Ram Meghwal of Congress. The latter had lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election by 7000 votes. |
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Students feel need for university in region
Bathinda, March 30 Jatinder, a student from the college, said, “The education in Bathinda and nearby towns is very limited. We are left with very few options when it comes to good education. There are institutes running professional courses, but they are either not recognised or are not worth opting for.” Girls feel they are more affected than boys as people in this part of the region are conservative and are not inclined to send their daughters to far off cities for higher education. “I am doing my graduation but I don’t know what I will do after this because my parents are not keen on sending me to some other city for a higher degree. I don’t want to put a stop to my educational qualification after a plain BA degree,” Isha, a local college student, said. Sources from various colleges in the city stated that the government has planned to open a Central university in Kudha village near Bathinda and an advertisement asking for a public opinion on whether the session should be started from this year or not appeared in newspapers this month. Reacting to it, local students said the session should definitely start this year because they would not have to go to other places when their own city could offer higher education. Rajvinder, who is doing her B.Sc, said, “My parents are not well off. So, I cannot afford the expenses of staying in a hostel and acquiring an expensive degree. Moreover, the Central University’s fee would be less than that of a government college. I am in favour of the session starting from this year itself.” Some local lecturers said if natural science courses could not be started as they need laboratories and other equipment, then at least social science courses should be started from this session. Students also stated that they expect a lot from the forthcoming elections. “Whosoever wins from this city should definitely initiate quality education in Bathinda by bringing a state-of-the-art university for the local students as they have been deprived of good education for long,” they said. |
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Bathinda part of state master plan
Bathinda, March 30 As per the details available, the master plan would be guided by shared long-term vision of the city and not merely by projection of current trends. A unique feature of this master plan is that enlightened citizens will also be called upon to contribute their knowledge in the planning. The Chief Secretary, Punjab, has issued a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, asking him to set up a think-tank in the city to develop a visionary plan for the year 2031. The think-tank would include three groups, including public sector, private sector and the social sector. Stressing upon the inclusion of people from all the three groups, the order mentions that they should be actively enlisted in solving the problems being faced by the city and their solution. As many as 15 officials including the SSP, Mayor, chief administrator of the Bathinda Development Authority, BMC Commissioner, district forest officer, civil surgeon, district education officer, general manager, district industries centre, executive engineers of PWD, PSEB, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage board and the district transport officer have been included. From the private sector, RP Mittal of the Bathinda Chemicals limited, Vishnu Goyal, a noted builder, president, local chamber of commerce, principal, Giani Zail Singh College of Engineering and Technology and the president, Beopar Mandal, have been nominated. From the social sector, GS Dhaliwal, MD, Baba Farid Institute, Harwinder Singh Khalsa and president of the Sahara Club have been included. The think-tank, while chalking out any strategy, will make visionary plans for the year 2031, while taking into account the present strengths of the city, opportunities likely to arise, weaknesses and threats emanating in the region. The master plan and its proposed land use plan will form one of the components of the strategy, while others including infrastructure investments, regulatory and governance reforms etc would be done at a later stage. Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari said, “The administration has held four meetings in which they have come with their proposals. But due to the pre-occupation with the elections, the finalisation is yet to take place.” |
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Religious leaders pay tributes to martyrs at Asafwala memorial
Fazilka, March 30 The saints had gathered in Baba Ram Dev Temple at village Bodiwala Pitha for religions congregation organised by Bhagat Kuldeep Sahu for the last two days. The saints were accompanied by Vishav Hindu
Parishad, district president Lila Dhar Sharma, general secretary Dr Prem
Balana, RSS propaganda secretary Parmandand Dhuria and Prop. K.K. Sidana and Brahmkumari representative
Darshana. War Memorial Committee president, Dr Rattan Lal Thakral, general secretary, Mohan Lal Paruthi and Shashi Kant welcomed the saints and their followers by showering flower petals. The saints and the followers after paying tributes at the memorial recited patriotic songs and religious hymns. While addressing the special congregation organised on war memorial, Swami Sushobha Nand called upon the people of the country to get united on the Dharm Raksha Manch platform to save the country and the society from terrorism and social degradation. He said that the security personnel protect the boundaries of the country from enemy and the saints protect the religion of a country to keep the social fabric of a nation intact. He said that the religious preachers and saints have always been in the forefront while fighting terrorism even at the time of
Ramayan. He said that saints supported lord Rama to bring an end to the evil dynasty of
Ravana. Brahamkumari Darshana called upon the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians to work untidily for the progress and development of the country. Later on, the saints and their followers visited joint check-post at Sadiqi and witnessed retreat ceremony. They also blessed the security personnel, who are performing a tough duty in protecting the border. |
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Experts caution on need to curb pollution by polythene
Bathinda, March 30 Taking a serious note of the plastic bag menace, Dr Aslam Parvez, state president of the Rural Medical Services Association, Punjab, (doctors working in rural dispensaries under Zila Parishads of Punjab), stated that polythenes had caused a serious damage to the environment by choking the soil. “Every year, around 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. Punjab is among the top consumers of polybags in India. Yet, little has been done to recycle, reuse and dispose them of. The government ought to issue a notification prohibiting the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags in markets, local shopping centers, hotels, hospitals and restaurants. Though, there are provisions under the Punjab Plastic Carry Bags Control Act, 2005, to check the manufacturing of plastic carrybags and disposing of non-biodegradable plastic waste in public places, drains and sewers, one can find plastic bags littered on the roads, settled on bushes and drifting on nullahs and rivers,” he said. A doctor said, “They clog the gutters and drains causing water and sewage to overflow and become a breeding ground of germs and bacteria. Given Punjab’s poor garbage collection system, tonnes of plastic bags litter the roads preventing rainwater from seeping into the ground. When burned they emit gases that cause cancer.” “Polythene bags also find their way in the gut of cattle. A number of cows die every year in Punjab because of intestines clogged with plastic bags after they eat vegetable waste stuffed in garbage, which leads to slow starvation and ultimately their death,” the doctor added. The environment ministry has banned the manufacturing and use of plastic carrybags of size less than 8 inches X 12 inches and 20 micron in width. The ministry has also asked the state governments to register all plastics manufacturing unit so that these could be regulated. However, the implementation of the order in Punjab has been slow, which is evident from the large number of polythene bags strewn everywhere. The doctors suggested using paper bags, jute bags and cloth bags.
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Groom drives in back gear to wedding venue
Bathinda, March 30 Interestingly, before leaving for his wedding, he paid obeisance at places of worship of all four religions — mosque, temple, church and gurudwara. Moreover, in his car, people belonging to the four religions were taken to his in-laws town, Daduwal, in Haryana. He also put up flags of Hindu and Muslim sects on his Fiat car, bearing number PB 03 A 4155, to give the message of brotherhood. Calling over phone from Daduwal, Ali said his marriage was solemnised according to Muslim rituals. He said it took about two and half hours to reach the wedding venue, which is about 70 km from here. Ali has passed his senior secondary and is working as a car driver with a local senior leader of the BJP. The car in which he went to bring his bride home was driven by Harpreet Singh Pappu, who has already made a record by driving over 16,000 km in reverse gear. The bridegroom has one sister and one brother. His father is a folk singer and Ali himself is fond of singing. “I took such a step to get myself registered with the Limca Book of Records and also to give a message of brotherhood to all. The whole event would be recorded on tape, which would be sent to the authorities concerned,” he said. |
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Girl child dumped in Sirhind canal, rescued
Bathinda, March 30 The life saving brigade of the NGO rushed the baby to the emergency ward of the civil hospital. The doctors have confirmed that she is now out of danger. NGO chief Vijay Goyal said, “A polythene bag carrying a suit for the girl was also found floating along with. It is the height of cruelty. After informing the district administration, I have decided to bring up the girl as a member of the Sahara family.” When contacted, SSP Ashish Chaudhay, said, “I am deeply touched by the incident. A case under section 307 of the IPC has been registered and we will do our best to trace the culprits.” On his part, Sadhu Ram Kusla, project officer, the Pre-natal Diagnostic Technique (PNDT) Cell, said, “The incident is discouraging for the social workers doing their best to check the adverse sex ratio. As the district administration has set up a cradle in the city, those who do not want a girl child should put her there.” |
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BDPO murder case accused held
Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 30 As per information, the special investigation team cracked down on the culprits by getting location of the signals recorded from the valuable mobile phone that the alleged killers had taken away after murdering Sran inside his farm house outside Sadulshehar, 30 km from Abohar, last week. The cyber experts opined that the mobile phone was being used around village Kabrel near Adampur tehsil of Haryana. The police succeeded in the first attempt to nab RMP Hans Raj, Subhash alias Bhalu, Sanjay alias Mohinder and Bal Raj while fifth accused Somveer Singh was arrested on Sunday. The investigation indicated that Hans Raj had been visiting his brother's card paper unit located near Sran's farm house and had acquired services of the hard-core criminals to kill Sran and loot the farm house but could not succeed during the three previous attempts. Now, finding that Sran was alone in the house, Hans Raj along with four others visited the farm house late at night. He forced Sran to consume liquor even when he had finished meals. Then the culprits stabbed the former BDPO to death. They decamped with some valuables, which they had to abandon in the main bazaar at Sadulshehar fearing interception by the police patrolling party. Initial investigation indicated that they had not been able to break open the cash boxes but the actual loss in terms of money and material is yet to be ascertained, sources indicated this evening. Two die in freak accidents
Abohar: A housewife died of electric shock at village Burjmuhar located on the outskirts of the town here, sources said. As per the available information, Radha (23), a migrant from Uttar Pradesh, received an electric shock while using an iron rod to boil water in her house. In another incident, a daily wage-earner Deepu died this afternoon, as he fell while working at a house that was under construction in Sunder Nagari here. — OC |
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Ferozepur Lok Sabha seat Our Correspondent
Ferozepur, March 30 However, ever since the Congress has been on the losing spree and has faced consecutive defeats at the hands of either SAD or BSP candidates. In 1989, Dhian Singh Mand had wrestled this seat defeating Jagmeet Singh Brar. Thereafter, Mohan Singh Phalianwala of the BSP, who belongs to the Rai Sikh community won this seat two successive times in 1991 and 1996 defeating his nearest rivals, Santosh Singh and Sunil Jakhar of Congress respectively. However, he could not continue his winning streak in 1998, when Zora Singh Mann of SAD defeated him by a huge margin. From then on, Mann did not look back and grabbed this seat three consecutive times in a row creating history of all sorts. Mann defeated his nearest Congress rivals, Hans Raj Jossan, in 1999 and Jagmeet Brar in the year 2004, however, got his vote percentage diluted to 42 per cent in 2004 from a massive 52.49 per cent in 1998. It is pertinent to mention that though Brar lost in 2004, he still managed to secure 39.87 per cent votes, highest by any Congress leader since 1977. Balram Jakhar had won this seat in 1980 defeating Iqbal Singh, when he went on to become speaker, Lok Sabha. Thereafter, Jakhar has been contesting Lok Sabha polls from Rajasthan. Though, SAD think-tank has played a smart tactical move by playing caste card this time as its candidate, Sher Singh Ghubaya, belongs to Rai Sikh community, which has significant presence in this belt, but how far this gamble brings dividend is yet to be ascertained. It is pertinent to mention that Rai Sikhs constitute a major chunk of votes (almost 35 per cent) in this constituency, but whether these votes get transferred en block in favour of its party candidate or not will only determine the future of Ghubaya. Moreover, ignoring the three times MP, Zora Singh Mann, who belongs to the Jat Sikh community will also prove to be a thorn in their neck. Mann still boasts of a sizeable following in this area, but till date, he has not shown any signs of rebellion against the party's top hierarchy. Lately, Mann had developed differences with the party leadership on the issue of allotment of ticket to his bete-noire Sher Singh during previous assembly elections. The deletion of Akali strongholds of Zira and Makhu in aftermath of delimitation is also likely to adversely affect SAD's prospects. However, on the other hand, the Congress needs to overcome the internal strife, if it has to break the jinx of losing this seat time and again.
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Farmers vent ire at parties, say they make only false promises
Bathinda, March 30 The speakers said that the political leaders come to them to seek their votes by making false promises of allurements. Whereas after coming to power, they never come up to resolve the problems and fulfill the promises made at the time of elections. Shingara Singh Mann, Jora Singh Nasrali, Randir Singh Maluka of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan), Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and Inqlabi Jamhoori Front (PSEB employees), respectively, all flayed the political
parties. "They raise issues related to militancy just to misguide people but about the basic matters such as farmers' debt, suicide, illiteracy, land shortage, nothing was done. Moreover, this current system of polls has encouraged the royal families to satisfy their lust through polls as due to huge expenses now the poor cannot afford to face them,” they said. The leaders said that in an attempt to suppress the real demands, politicians create hatred but themselves remain united. "Mega projects, wide roads, SEZs can pay no benefit to farmers, whom the political leaders through police and their goons suppress,” they alleged. Talking to the Tribune, the union leaders said, "We have been creating a new thought among all in a fair way.
We are neither giving a call to boycott the polls nor to indulge in the political mudslinging.” |
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Third Front is gaining momentum: Bardhan
Bathinda, March 30 “The Third Front has started gaining momentum, as in Orissa, Naveen Patnaik and in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa have joined us. Others are also coming soon,” Bardhan claimed.. Lashing out at CM Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh, he said they are contesting the Lok Sabha polls just for the sake of their family honour and termed it as a “fight between Jagirdars and Rajwadas” (landlords and royalty) which people should
repudiate. Bardhan raised the issue of debt-suicide by farmers and unemployment created by the global meltdown saying, "the debt waiver by the UPA was insufficient." Chief of the Lok Bhalai Party, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia urged the voters to defeat the SAD (B) and the Congress, saying in a lighter vein, "Je Edda Hoya, Taan Na Bua Russegi Na Maasi." Urging small-scale traders to vote for the Third Front as only it can protect their interests, Ramoowalia said, "Otherwise, big houses will grab all business and make you unemployed." “Politicians and black markeeters have deposited around 1.45 lakh crore dollars in Swiss banks, but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is not ready to get it. In Punjab, democracy has been hijacked," he alleged. He also urged the BSP to join the Front and attacked Gurcharan Singh Galib, SAD candidate from Ludhiana and Sukhdev Singh Libra, Congress candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib for switching party loyalty. In their speeches, Shamim Faizi, secretary, Joginder Dayal, central committee member of the CPI and Charan Singh Virdi, state secretary CPM, all flayed the Congress and the BJP. |
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One killed, 10 hurt in road mishap
Abohar, March 30 No case has been registered as the affected families said none was at fault. The driver reportedly tried to lead the jeep to the nearby fields. Farmers rushed to help and shifted them to the Civil Hospital here. Sources said members of the two families, closely related to each other, had hired a jeep from village Sardarpura Jiwana to fix a matrimonial alliance in the border village Khanpur of Fazilka sub-division. On the way, their relatives from village Pakka Saharan, Amarpura Jaluka and Panjkosi villages of Abohar also boarded the jeep. The hospital staff said Ruby Daman (3) succumbed to his injuries within few minutes while the condition of others was stable. The injured were identified as baby Dimple, Sonam Rani, Badri Ram, Ram Lal, Rajji Ram, Bhim Sain, Prem Kumar, Amar Singh and Jagdish.
— OC |
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Nearly 100 saints from different parts of the country of Dharam Raksha Manch along with their about 500 followers paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of 1971 Indo-Pak war at the war memorial in the border village Asafwala 7 kilometers from here today. The saints were led by Maha Mandleshwar Swami Sushobha Nand from
Bikaner.
In a joint awareness rally organised here, activists of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta (Ugrahan), Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union and Inqlabi Jamhoori Front (PSEB employees) today urged the gathering of farmers and landless peasants to give up their hopes from political parties and take to protest to get their demands accepted.
