Bathinda, May 10
Days after the Congress workers managed to force the police to book former minister Bikram Singh Majithia for attempted murder, Congress workers again staged a dharna outside the Sadar police station and succeeded in getting a SAD (B) affiliated Block Samiti chairman booked for attempt to murder.

As per the details available, the Block Samiti chairman, Vir Bahadur Singh, had alleged that during the day of polling on May 7, some Congress workers assaulted and intimidated him at village Behman Deewana.

Acting upon his statement, Sadar police booked some Congressmen, including Panchayat member Ajit Singh, former Panchayat member Pawan Kumar, district Congress secretary Jogeshwar Kumar, Deep Singh and Harwinder Singh under sections 341, 323, 506 and 148, 149 of the IPC.

On the other hand, Congress leaders alleged that the scuffle began when they lodged objections against Vir Bahadur Singh for casting fake votes. Irked over the allegation, Vir Bahadur called some outsiders and opened fire in which an SC worker of the Congress, Harbans Singh, sustained a bullet injury.

Later, the Congress workers, including the villagers, staged a protest against the ‘partisan’ role of the Bathinda police.

Taking the incident seriously, Congress nominee for the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, Raninder Singh, during a press conference on Saturday, openly alleged that senior officers of police and civil administration of Bathinda for working as tools of Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal. He accused them of deliberately avoiding the registration of a case against the ‘guilty’ Block Samiti chairman.

“The youth activist of the Congress sustained a bullet injury in his back. But even after the recovery of the cartridge from his body, the police is not bothering to book the accused. His only fault is that he is poor and belongs to a scheduled caste.

Had the bullet injured me (the son of rich father), police would not have thought twice and a case would have been immediately registered.”

He had made it clear that if the SSP Bathinda did not act fairly in the case till Sunday, he would be gheraoed from Monday onwards.

Meanwhile, to build pressure on the police, district level Congress leaders along with the Congress MLA from Pakka Kalan, Makhan Singh, today staged a dharna outside the Sadar police station. After a few hours, the police accepted their demand and assured them of registering a case the accused Block Samiti chairman.

When contacted, Sadar police said that the Congress leaders were demanding the cancellation of a case registered against their workers in Behman Deewana village along with booking the SAD-affiliated Block Samiti chairman for murder bid. 

“Considering the facts, we have entered the cross-version of the injured Harbans Singh in the same case (FIR number 24, dated May 7) and booked the chairman and some unidentified persons under section 307 of the IPC. No arrests have been made so far and the matter is under investigation,” police said.

Moga, May 10
The Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal while claiming that LK Advani will be the next Prime Minister of the nation said that the NDA has today emerged stronger after the Ludhiana rally while the Congress-led UPA has started disintegrating even as the poll process was still in progress.

He was addressing a public gathering of the SAD organised in favour of the party candidate Paramjit Kaur Gulshan here, this evening.

He said that the Ludhiana rally was historic as many allies of the UPA had joined the NDA group, which was a clear message across the nation that only the NDA could run the country well.Lashing out at the union government he said that the Congress has done nothing for the nation. 

As far as Punjab was concerned, no big project had come to the state during their rule, he added.

BJP president Rajinder Bhandari alleged that the prices of essential commodities had increased Manifold during the past five years putting an extra burden on the pockets of the common people.

Jathedar Tota Singh, senior vice-president of the SAD, while highlighting the qualities of Bibi Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, the party candidate from Faridkot, said she had done good work being a Lok Sabha member in Bathinda and the people of Faridkot were lucky that she had been given the party ticket from here.

He appealed to the people to vote for her.Party candidate Bibi Gulshan, local MC president Barjinder Singh Brar, Improvement Trust chairman Yogesh Goel and many other local leaders of the SAD and the BJP addressed the gathering. 

Moga, May 10
Local issues dominate elections in Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency as electioneering in this reserved constituency has entered the last phase with just one day left for flexing up the muscles.

Almost all the candidates had come out with their election promises for the electorate.

The promises cover almost every local issue such as providing clean potable water, streamlining power supply, improving law and order, generating employment opportunities, establishing a direct rail link between Moga and Delhi and constructing few railway over-bridges in Faridkot and Moga towns.

Dissatisfaction with the performance of both the union and the state governments is visible. The local people allege that the outgoing MP Sukhbir Singh Badal had neglected this area for many years.

Pritpal Singh, a resident of Moga said that Sukhbir had promised to develop Moga and Faridkot like California but one could hardly see any development done in the past five years.

There were reports that Bibi Gulshan tried to ride on the legacy of Sukhbir Badal in the initial stages of the campaigning but as the electioneering progressed she has come out with her own vision and ideas posing a tough fight to Sukhwinder Singh Danny, the youth Congress leader fighting the election against her.

A few industrialists and businessmen on the condition of anonymity did not even hesitate to grumble over the very functioning of the SAD-BJP leadership. However, this does not seem to worry Gulshan as she enjoys the reputation of being a clean person.

Her rival Danny is capitalising on the anti-incumbency factor against the state government and by demanding votes in the name of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh whom he often quotes as 'Sher-e-Punjab', the lion of Punjab.

Gulshan was banking on the traditional vote bank of the Akalis, besides, having an eye on the women vote bank while Danny was eying the vote bank of the youth in this region of the Malwa belt.

For Paramjit Kaur, a resident of Faridkot, the price rise of essential commodities during the last couple of years was a big issue affecting her household budget, besides, long hours of power cuts during the summer.

Since the Faridkot constituency was reserved for the scheduled castes, the vote bank of Dalits comprising more than 30 per cent of the total electorate was clearly divided between both the SAD and Congress candidates.

CPI candidate Kaushalya Chaman Bhaura and BSP candidate Dr Resham Singh were the other two serious contestants but as far as the indications from their campaigning were concerned, it seems they would not matter much when it comes to voting by the people.

Bathinda, May 10
A man repeatedly stabbed his wife with a sharp-edged knife at their house in Nar Singh Colony located at the interstate border of Punjab and Haryana in this district following a domestic dispute today.

The woman, Mandeep Kaur, a PRTC employee of Bathinda depot, accused her husband Ramjeet Singh of Mansa, with whom she was married 18 years back, of trying to murder her.

While speaking to the media at the Civil Hospital in Bathinda where she is undergoing medical treatment, Mandeep said, "Ramjeet used to force me to bring more dowry from my parents and he injured me several times due to this."

"Frustrated with domestic violence, I left home and went to my paternal house at Dabwali. After some time he came to see me there and requested that I should come back and assured me a pleasant life.

As he was out of job, my parents arranged a house at Nar Singh Colony for us on lease."

A few days back, I had gone to my paternal house. Today in the morning, when I went to my house to take some clothes along with my son, Ramjeet asked me to cook. I was busy in the kitchen when all of a sudden, Ramjeet pushed me and repeatedly stabbed me in the abdomen."

Showing the injuries, she said, "I tried to resist by holding the knife but he overpowered me and stabbed me in the arms, hands and other limbs. Meanwhile, my son ran outside and shouted for help and seeing people gather at the place, Ramjeet fled."

The mother of Mandeep also accused Ramjeet Singh of living on his wife's income and beating her up frequently. "We are fed up with his behaviour," she said. When contacted, the investigating officer, Sangat police station, Sikander Singh said, "We are probing the case. First, we have to ascertain whether the case comes in our or under the Haryana police's jurisdiction. Only then will the further action.”

Bathinda, May 10
A 32-year-old farmer reportedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a train on the Bathinda-Ferozepur railway track late on Saturday night allegedly after finding his wife in a compromising situation with her paramour at his house in village Sewewala.

According to information available, the deceased Lakhveer Singh was working as share-cropper with a farmer Jagmeet Singh alias Raju of village Sewewala. Due to his frequent visits to Lakhveer Singh's house, he reportedly developed illicit relations with his wife Jasveer Kaur.

After getting information about the extra-marital affair of his wife, Lakhveer reportedly pleaded with her to mend her ways, failing which he brought the matter to the notice of the village Panchayat.

The Panchayat members intervened in the matter but allegedly she did not relent.

Late on Saturday evening, when Lakhveer entered his house, he reportedly found them in a compromising situation. He asked them to mend their ways and end their relationship.

Police sources said that after being nabbed red-handed, Jasveer Kaur bluntly told her husband that she could not live without her paramour. Then both of them insulted Lakhveer and instigated him to end his life following which he left the house and late at night, his body was found on the Bathinda-Ferozepur railway track.

The GRP reached the spot and took the body to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital Bathinda, where a postmortem was conducted this morning. After the postmortem, the body was handed over to the father of deceased, Major Singh.

Confirming details, SHO GRP, Kuljeet Singh said, "We have lodged a case of abetment to commit suicide under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code against Jasveer Kaur and Jagmeet Singh. As of now, both are absconding but soon they will be nabbed."

Bathinda, May 10
In the much-hyped Lelewala firing incident, under which SAD (B) former minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Congress MLA Talwandi Sabo Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu were booked for murder bid, the special investigation team (SIT) today visited the village Lelewala and thoroughly inspected the crime site.

The SIT, comprising of SP (D) Ajay Maluja, DSP Talwandi Sabo Amarjeet Singh, inspector Mohinder Singh Ghai and in-charge Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Harbans Singh Riar, has been constituted to inspect and report the case to the Election Commission on a day to day basis.

According to police sources, the team today visited the village and called both the rival parties of the village. From each party, around 40 to 50 persons had appeared in front of the team to record their statements.

After recording the statement, the team also took a round of the crime spot to find bullet marks and blood stains. But the team could not find any such mark on walls, shutters and floor.

When contacted, the in-charge of the team, SP (D) Ajay Maluja said, “We had visited the spot and investigated all related material. The report can not be disclosed in public but fulfilling our duty, we have sent it to the ADGP (election cell) from where it will be forwarded to the Election Commission.”

It may be mentioned that the firing incident took place on May 7 when the polling was going on at a school in village Lelewala.

The Congressmen had alleged that Majithia, brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal had opened several rounds from an AK-47 rifle.

After hours-long protests led by Jeet Mohinder Sidhu, a case was registered against Majithia.

Later, the next day, police entered a cross-version of the SAD (B) activist and booked Jeet Mohinder Sidhu under the same sections of the IPC.

Both the accused, Majithia and Sidhu, expressing resentment over the police act, had demanded investigation of the case.

Bathinda, May 10
Frustrated with domestic violence, a 19-year-old married girl, Hina Sharma of Dhobiana Basti, reportedly ended her life by consuming a poisonous substance. Police has booked her husband and sister-in-law for abetting the suicide.

According to information available, the deceased was married to Sunder alias Raju about one-and-half years ago and was blessed with a daughter around seven months back.

Police sources said Bobby Sharma, father of the deceased, in his statement, accused Sunder and his sister Harsha alias Anita Devi of Dhillon Colony of mentally and physically harassing her daughter since her wedding.

He stated that the accused had illicit relations with another girl due to which his daughter remained under stress. Further, he alleged that the accused was earlier also charged with killing his previous wife.

Police said the girl was taken to the Civil Hospital on Saturday evening when the volunteers of an NGO found her lying on the road in an unconscious state. Doctors at the hospital declared her brought dead.

The accused was running an orchestra and had a rented accommodation near Chajju Wala Gurudwara in Kikkar Dass Mohalla, but when police went in his search, the location could not be identified. When Kotwali police station was contacted, the investigating officer Gurdeep Singh said, “No arrest has been made yet as the accused could not be located. The inquest is on. Soon the guilty will be put behind the bars.” — TNS

Sriganganagar/Abohar, May 10
One person identified as Ganesh was killed while another unidentified person sustained injuries in a road mishap, as two cars reportedly collided head-on about 2 km away from Kainchian village on Sriganganagar-Suratgarh road this afternoon, sources said.

The highway police have shifted the injured person to the district hospital.

As per another case registered on the complaint of Kulwant Singh at Ramsinghpur police station under section 279, 337 and 304A, one Sajjan Singh of village 53GB was allegedly crushed to death by a Tata canter. The driver fled after the mishap. 

Abohar, May 10
Slow lifting of wheat allegedly due to non-cooperation by the labour union members in 26 purchasing centres of the sub-division has baffled farmers as well as the commission agents here, said Pramil Kalani president of the Arhtia Association.

Kalani said glut in the rural centers as well the grain market here force presence of an average of 20 arhtias and an equal number of their employees have to face scorching summer at each centre to carry the business.

Compared to last year's 15 lakh quintal up to May 9, the wheat purchased so far has been recorded at 25.11 lakh quintal.

Nearly 14 lakh bags of wheat purchased by six government agencies remain to be lifted. Kalani resented that the local labour unions were not cooperating with the contractors in streamlining the system of lifting.

The farmers, finding little space available for stacking the produce here, may have to stock wheat in their farm houses or will be forced to transport the same to neighbouring markets of Rajasthan.

This will cause financial loss to the commission agents besides revenue loss to the market committee, he felt.

Harpal Singh Behal, secretary of the market committee said demurrage at the rate 25 paisa per bag had been slapped on the agencies for delay in lifting of the packed wheat but this did not solve the problem.

So far Rs 5 lakh had been imposed as demurrage. The Punjab Mandi Board had to spend money on rural development from the market fee, received on the sales but in the present situation the state government may not achieve its revenue earning targets.

As compared to the last year's total of 21 lakh quintal wheat arrival is expected to go up to 27 lakh quintal this time.The agencies have been purchasing nearly 35 thousand quintal of wheat daily. 

Bathinda, May 10
Three villages in the periphery of Bathinda have been deprived of water for long now. Residents of Jidda, Amargarh and Harraipur villages are forced to drink groundwater, which is salty and has been declared unfit by experts who visited Jidda village.

The waterworks is not working in Jidda since long and villagers have to walk at least two km in the scorching sun to fetch water.

Drinking water is being sold here with 10 litre costing Rs 5. Those selling it are not sure whether this water is filtered or not but they claim that it is better than the groundwater.

Sources said the BKU (Sidhupura), an organisation of Jidda, met the officials concerned and apprised them of the water problem but in vain.

The scene in Amargarh village is no better. It has no waterworks of its own and the village gets water supply from a village, which is 3 km away. The villagers said the water crisis become worse during summer. The 3-km-long water pipes laid down for water supply is broken and damaged at many places, which further aggravates the problem.

The villagers had met public health department officials and they have asked them to allot them a piece of land where they would install waterworks.

A meeting of all the villagers would take place tomorrow in this regard.

Harraipur has a similar story to narrate. It gets water supply from Goniana Kala village, which already caters to three villages. In this village, 70 per cent houses do not get water supply for a week together.

Sukhjinder Singh, general secretary of Harraipur’s youth club, informed TNS that the village is at a height and only 30 per cent houses, which are near bus stand get proper supply for they are not at a height. The remaining 70 per cent houses are near the focal point and do not get supply for being at height.

“According to a map for water pipeline, the water should be first supplied to focal point and then to the rest of the village as focal point is at a height. But it is happening the other way,” Sukhjinder added.

Villagers said they are getting regular water bills but are not getting water. They are forced to fetch water on tractors, cycles, motorcycles, bullock carts and women get them in pitchers.

ADC (D) C. Sibbin, when contacted, said, “I am not aware of the problem. I will direct the XEN concerned to initiate action. The villagers should give me a written complaint.”

Bathinda, May 10
Baba Farid Institute of Higher and Foreign Studies conducted a seminar on Punjabi literature on its campus today. At the seminar, eminent speakers stressed upon the various facets of Punjabi literature and its role today.

Dr Devinder Singh Jammu, Dr Tejwant Singh Gill, Dr Surjeet, Dr Maheep Singh and Dr S.P. Singh, the former vice-chancellor of the GNDU who was the chief guest at the seminar, discussed the topic at length.

Dr Devinder of the Jammu University, who has been honoured for his literary work by the Jammu and Kashmir government, was the first one to speak at the seminar. Discussing the social facets of Punjabi literature, Dr Devinder said the field of Punjabi literature was very large.

He said writers had a social responsibility of bringing about a change in the society for being the ones who bring out the actual picture of the society.

“We have started accepting the western culture for our personal interests but what is needed today is a simple society which Guru Nanak Dev always promoted,” Dr Devinder quoted.

He also spoke about women empowerment, terming it as an important aspect of the modern era. Reciting certain poems and giving some quotes from various novels about women he attempted at driving home his point.

In the end, he said, “Today, literature has become a business but Punjabi literature has escaped the clutches of commercialisation.”

Fazilka, May 9
Thousands of teachers working at Government Middle, High and Senior Secondary schools of Punjab have not been paid their salaries for the months of March and April this year. These teachers are facing a financial crunch and are a harassed lot.

This led to resentment amongst them. According to the patron of an NGO, Shiksha Sudhar Committee, Raj Kishore Kalra, the main reason for non-payment of the salary could either be that the drawing and disbursing officers have not been granted the authority for the purpose by the accountant general of Punjab or the Education Department has not released the necessary budget.

Every year, after the completion of the academic session, the authority is renewed and the budget is released. Kalra lamented that due to red tape and bureaucracy, the budget is not released and the powers are not delegated on time.

He further said that during the months of April and May, the teachers have to bear extra expenses by way of annual fee for their children. Hence, their difficulties get multiplied. He has called upon the Chief Minister and Education Minister to ensure that the salaries are disbursed on time. 

Moga, May 10
As the leaders of the two main political parties Congress and SAD are busy attacking on each other raising the national and state-level issues highlighting their respective achievements, the people of this town in the heartland of Malwa are reeling under severe civic and infrastructure problems.

Initially, the leaders raised the problems of irregular supply of water, stray cattle, poor traffic management and poor condition of roads but as the electioneering progressed they switched gears to national issues.

The issues raised are more about senior party leaders- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader LK Advani rather than developmental issues. The national issues now dominated most part of the speeches and debates at the public rallies.

The Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal and their local candidate Bibi Paramjit Kaur Gulshan could be heard praising LK Advani while the former CMs Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and their party candidate Sukhwinder Singh Danny leave no stone unturned to praise Manmohan Singh with satirical comments against each other to spice the audience.

Bohar Singh, a local resident, who was waiting for more than 20 minutes sitting on his tractor-trolley in the sweltering heat for the railway crossing on Gandhi Road of this town to open on Sunday said that he was more concerned about the basic infrastructure facilities than the national issues.

His companion Ranjit Singh said that the problem of traffic on railway crossing was concerned with union government and the MP has a great role in solving these problems.

However, the Congress candidate Danny speaking to The Tribune said that he talks about the local issues to connect with the local voters. Such issues were closer to people's heart but it was equally important to talk about how his party has been working at the national level.

Interestingly, a majority of the people who interacted with the candidates of both the main parties in the nukkar sabhas in the town only talked about local issues. The SAD candidate Gulshan said that she had come across many demands of the local residents like the construction of a nature park, a railway over-bridge, proper solid waste management.

"I am more interested in having smoother roads and better infrastructure in the town and vote for the one, who promises me better life," said Jasbir Singh another resident of the town.