Bathinda, April 12
Former chief minister Amarinder Singh was showing signs of frustration as he was finding himself a loner in politics, said SAD president and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal while addressing a public rally at Maur Mandi here this afternoon.

The deputy CM also predicted that the Congress would earn the wrath of the electorate in the LS elections and pay dearly for its follies, particularly for its long-standing “anti-Sikh” stance. He advised Amarinder to quit active politics, as people had rejected him.

He said the people of Punjab would remember Amarinder as a leader bereft of vision and ideology, the one who was surrounded by a corrupt coterie and the one who had deserted the state when he had lost power. 

Terming the Congress as leaderless, he alleged that the anti-Sikh and anti-Punjabi face of the Congress got exposed with its decision to give a clean chit to Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, the ‘butchers of Sikhs’, though they later succumbed to public pressure, especially Sikhs.

He said Amarinder was facing political isolation as his own partymen in Punjab had deserted him. Finding himself a loner in politics today, Amarinder was issuing meaningless statements against our government, which only showed his frustration.

The SAD chief said Amarinder lacked vision and during his regime, Punjab had slipped from the top slot in the country to fifth slot with its economic growth dipping to less than 1.9 per cent.

To a query about theft of revolvers in Hoshiarpur, he said it was a serious matter. One person has been arrested in the case and it was too early to disclose his name, he added,

Earlier, the SAD got a shot in the arm when former chairman of the Weavco Sukhjit Singh Natt left the Congress and joined the SAD along with hundreds of his supporters.

Welcoming them into the party fold, the SAD chief said it was the SAD that took care of the sensitivities of all the sections of the society, particularly the minorities.

Among others, Jagdeep Singh Nakai, chief parliamentary secretary, and Harvinder Cheema, president, Arhtiya Association, Punjab, were also present.

Bathinda, April 12
Raninder Singh, the Congress candidate for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, today rubbished the claims of the Shiromani Akali Dal that he was not accessible to the common people.

Addressing a series of election rallies in the Bhucho Assembly segment of the Bathinda LS constituency, he said he was son of the soil and his family had an old association with the area.

During his tenure as Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh had brought about a sea change in the area and all people were benefited by his vision. It is time to bring Punjab back on the path of development. 

The Akali Dal is resorting to a false propaganda as they had failed on all fronts and their defeat at the hands of the people was only a matter of time, he observed.

Raninder Singh said it was encouraging that the youth has joined the election campaign of the Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sunil Jakhar today campaigned for Raninder Singh in various parts of Bathinda. He described the contest here as a battle for survival for the SAD.

Mansa, April 12
Congress activists have intensified campaigning for the party candidate Raninder Singh. Raminder Singh Richi, brother-in-law of the Congress candidate, is the election in-charge in Mansa district. He toured villages and towns of Mansa and addressed public meetings along with the Congress leaders and MLAs. 

He addressed public meetings at Dasoundian, Jhuneer, Beerewala, Burjbhlaike, Tandian and Mansa. Ajeet Inder Singh Moffar MLA and Sher Singh Gagowal MLA also spoke at the meetings and raised the issues related to all sections of society. During the meetings, pointing out the failure of the Punjab government, Congress activists said the SAD-BJP had failed to solve the basic problems of the people.

A youth rally was organised in Mansa yesterday, which was addressed by Raminder Singh Richi and district youth Congress president Gurpreet Singh Vicky.

Congress leaders claimed that there was an enthusiasm among the people for the Rahul Gandhi's rally on April 14 at Takht Shri Damdama Sahib. The rally of Rahul Gandhi would play a key role in the campaigning of Congress candidate Raninder Singh. 

Bathinda, April 12
Taking a serious note of reports related to the making of country liquor ‘Lahan’ in Bathinda constituency, the Election Commission of India has strictly warned the district administration to check such illegal activity.

The ECI has also sought detail of cases registered for such crime after the imposition of the model code of conduct.

In reply, the district administration mentioned a total of 10 cases regarding the making of illicit country liquor, registered at various police stations.

According to sources, four such cases have also been registered in Mansa district.

Sources in the district administration confirmed that a Congress leader had filed a written complaint with the ECI regarding this considering its possibility of being used to lure voters.

In reply, Bathinda police has mentioned that the cases were registered at Kotwali, Thermal and Phul police stations.

Besides, the ECI has directed the administration to observe May 6 (a day before the polls) and May 7 (polling day), as dry day. Meanwhile, May 16, the day of counting, has also been declared as dry day.

It may be mentioned that being a high-profile contest in Bathinda parliamentary constituency, liquor lovers have started assuming that they would be getting supply of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), a fact that wories rural liquor venders, who were expecting large-scale profit from the sale of Punjab Made Liquor (PML).

According to information received from Rajasthan, the price of poppy husk has also shot up.

Confirming the facts, Roop Singh, counsellor of the drug de-addiction centre at Civil Hospital, Bathinda, said, “Now a days, more cases are coming from Rajasthan about prices having shot up. Finding it tough to meet the requirement, persons have started getting admission here. Just a day back, eight patients from Rajasthan have been discharged after the treatment.”

Bathinda, April 12
More than 10 devotees got injured when the truck they were travelling in hit a tree near village Shekh Pura (Talwandi Sabo) today.

According to information available, they all belonged to Dhaibi village and were going to Takht Damdama Sahib for ‘Langar Seva’. On reaching Shekh Pura village, the rear tyre of the truck burst and the vehicle hit a tree on the road side.

Except for one, all sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Talwandi Sabo.

Ironically, the Talwandi Sabo police was unaware about the mishap till the filing of the news in the evening. When asked, they said they were on duty to make arrangements for the Baisakhi fair.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 12
Gurvinder Singh (18), son of a water works employee, was murdered last night in village 47GG near Padampur.

As per sources, Lachhman Singh working in the public health department had gone to Sadulshehar on Saturday for some social engagement leaving behind his younger son Gurvinder alone at the government quarter.

Other members of the family were staying in their recently built house at Padampur. Kulwinder Singh, elder son of Lachhman Singh, on Sunday morning got worried as the mobile phone of Gurvinder was not responding. He contacted a nearby brick kiln staff on phone and asked one Ram Raj to go to the quarter and ask Gurvinder to contact on phone.

Ram Raj found Gurvinder lying dead on a cart with multiple bleeding injuries and informed the family. Lachhman Singh and his other sons rushed to the water works along with Padampur police.

The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital at Padampur and handed over officially to the parents after post mortem.

ASP Mohinder Hingonia who visited the water works said the mobile phone and colour TV was missing from the quarter but at the outset it does not appear to be a case of murder for loot. Preliminary investigation indicated that the killer had hit Gurvinder on the head and neck with some heavy object. 

Bathinda, April 12
The employment guarantee scheme initiated under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is proving to be a boon for those elderly who have been forsaken by their family members and have to eke out a livelihood in the twilight phase of their lives.

During a random visit to village Lehra Dhurkot in the district, located on Bathinda-Chandigarh highway, around 30 elderly persons were witnessed digging a common pond (chhappar) near the cremation ground.

With beads of sweat on their brow, they shared their sorrows and joy with TNS.

“We are employed here under a scheme called NREGA for the past three months. We have dug up a pond in the village. This scheme is quite helpful for us as our kin have refused to give us shelter,” said an elderly woman Som Nath.

“Around 20 years back, my son went his own way and now at the age of 75, the scheme is proving good for me as here we collectively work, enjoy and get the money to eke out a livelihood,” he added.

The others too narrated their tale. Almost all of them were dejected due to family problems as they had been abandoned by their kin or had lost their life partners.

In a choked voice, an elderly couple, Bhura Singh and Daleep Kaur, said, “We have two daughters and two sons, all married. In the last phase of our lives, they have left us in the lurch. Now we are depending on this scheme of employment for our livelihood.”

Darshan Singh, who had lost a hand and Jagsir Singh, who was struck by polio, were also seen working happily there.

Grey-haired Gurmel Singh said, “I have two sons and four daughters, two of whom are married. It was all my ill fate that one of my married daughters, due to some dispute with her in-laws has now come back to sray with us along with her three children.

It is my sheer helplessness because of which I am here but when I join these people for work, I forget all my worries.”

A widow, Harjeet Kaur, said, “I have two sons who are quite young to earn their livelihood. So, I am working here.”

Before leaving the place, they all enthusiastically said, “We are working to earn wages which would guarantee us food and happiness. Every fortnight, we are paid according to the fixed wages. This time, we have been told that the wages have been revised, which is good news for us.”

When asked why they did not go to harvest the wheat crop, they replied, “The scheme guarantees work for only 100 days in a year and we are about to complete that period. We fear that if we leave this project midway, the government may not allow us to rejoin. So, we all are committed and for the moment, do not want to go anywhere else.”

Bathinda, April 12
As the ban on the use of polythene bags is being flouted with impunity, the top authorities of three districts in the Malwa region justify the same with an excuse that it has become a habit among people. However, this habit is leading to blocked sewers and the administration claims that they do not have sewer cleaning machines.

The administrations of Moga, Faridkot and Bathinda districts agreed that sewers get blocked because people do not hesitate from putting the garbage in polythene bags and throwing them in the sewers.

Deputy commissioner of Faridkot V.K. Meena, when asked about the condition in his city and whether his district had a sewer cleaning machine, said, “The municipal authorities see all this. But I am very sure that our city does not have that machine and Kotkapura also does not have it. It creates havoc during rains.”

DC of Moga Satwant Singh, when contacted, said, “I don’t think Moga has a sewer cleaning machine. During rains, water accumulates on roads and make things worse. As far as implementation of the Punjab Plastic Carry Bags Control Act, 2005, is concerned, till the government does not implement it strictly, people would continue using polybags.” He added there was a need to sensitise the masses about how harmful the polythene bags were.

The authorities expressed their helplessness about not having a sewer cleaning machine but when it came to implementing the ban on polythene bags, which is the main cause behind blocked sewers, they said people were in a habit of using plastic bags.

Dilip Kumar, XEN of the Sewerage Board, Bathinda, said, “The sewers here are not meant for draining rain water. The Municipal Corporation is laying storm water sewers and the work is in progress. As of now, Bathinda has four sewer cleaning machines.”

When Harsimrat Badal, the SAD candidate for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, was contacted for her take on banning the polythene bags, she said, “I would take up the matter through the public relations department after elections. In Delhi, there are dustbins everywhere and people are aware about the bad effects of plastic bags. But here, people lack awareness.”

Saaianwala (Ferozepur), April 12
The result of Government High School, Saaianwala, in board examinations has been 100 per cent for three years in a row.The students, guided by teachers, have also started cleaning and greening the school premises.

The school, on two acres, has fewer than 200 children on the rolls who have a sense of competition.

Besides education they take part in extra-curricular activities with children of private schools in the border district.

The children, by forming Tiger Eco-Club under the guidance of teachers and villagers, have developed gardens on school premises, put up eco dustbins and set up small natural garbage disposal plants to prepare organic manure for the gardens.

The aim is to drive home the importance of care of environment. The environment-conscious children often go out to people to create awakening relating to environment.

Headmaster of the school Pargat Singh Brar said the drive started with focus on personal hygiene of the children, but gradually from self-cleanliness it extended to the classroom, the school and then to the public in the village.

This exercise impacted young minds so much that the children, unlike other government schools in the state, improved educational skills and started excelling in studies. The school has shown 100 per cent results in board examinations in three years.

Sarpanch Paramjit Kaur said, “Good sense is beginning to prevail among the villagers also. After seeing systematic work in the school they have become conscious and think before dumping garbage or littering the place”.

All our students are not only keen to keep the school campus clean, but also go prepared for competitions at the district level, says Naveen Kumar, science teacher.

Two students Sukhpreet and Bimla stood first and third in the science examination at the district level recently. In science fair also, the model presented by the students got the first position at the district level.

All teachers put in extra efforts for studies and overall development of 
the children.

Fazilka, April 12
On the third night of Fazilka Heritage Festival being organised by Graduate Welfare Association, Fazilka (GWAF), the special feature of the programme was that it was dedicated to the female achievers of the Fazilka area. The distinguished women personalities belonging to this area were honoured in the programme.

Lieutenant Dr Gurpreet Kaur, a newly qualified doctor from Armed Forces Medical College Pune, who had won the President’s Medal while completing her degree in medicine this year was honoured. 

Fazilka-born Dr Uma Sharma, who is working as a district public relations officer in Mohali and is a daughter of socialite late Dr Gobind Ram Sharma and Kanchan Sharma, senior vice-president, Municipal Council, Fazilka, were the two other women, who were honoured for bringing laurels to this area.

Besides, a competition to select Mrs Fazilka was also held at the festival. Eight women participated in the competition.

The Army Wives Welfare Association president Vaneeta Sinha, Shashi Ahuja and Army School principal Vandana Doda acted as judges for the Mrs Fazilka competition. They asked different questions to the participating women on different topics to assess their IQ and wit. 

Ultimately, Geetu Kamra and Ritu Guleria were jointly awarded the title of Mrs Fazilka. Nisha Sharma and Sushma Rani remained first and second runners-up in the contest.

During the programme, women from 20th battalion BSF presented an impressive “Krishan Leela” programme. A young artist Rakesh displayed mimicry of noted silver screen actors Paresh Rawal, Dharminder, Dev Anand, Akshya Kumar, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, Gulshan Grover and others and enthralled the audience by his performance. The audience burst into peels of laughter.