The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Poor water supply rocks BMC meet Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 23 In contrast to the numerous claims about initiatives being taken to ensure the supply of potable water in Bathinda, people here are still facing a severe scarcity of drinking water, which should otherwise be the top priority among the civic amenities. The problem surfaced prominently in Fridays’ General House meeting of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), where no councillor was satisfied over the water supply. Expressing their annoyance, they asked the officials of the department concerned to answer queries in this regard. At the BMC meeting, an executive engineer of the water supply department and the Mayor both accepted that against the total requirement of more than one lakh gallons, they are able to provide the city with only around 75 lakh gallons of water, inclusive of those 10 lakh gallons which are provided by tankers. “If it is analysed at the micro-level, only half the total requirement reaches the public because of the old infrastructure, most of the water is wasted midway,” the councillors said. Some councillors said it was the fault of the officials but being the elected representatives of the people, they had to answer the people who throng their houses with empty buckets and tubs. A SAD (B) councilor, Khem Singh Maakkar, was quite vocal. “It is the last warning to all of you. If till the next meeting, people in my locality did not get adequate water supply, my resignation would reach the BMC General House meeting.” When the officials of the water supply department tried to pacify them, they failed as the councilors were unanimous. They asked the Executive Officer of the BMC to arrange water from any source and get the time-table of water supply published in the news papers for public convenience. Tarsem Goyal, Senior Deputy Mayor, took up the matter strongly saying that the water scarcity has given a bad name to the BMC, which he would not permit. Mayor Baljeet Singh Bir Behman asked the officials of the water supply department to chalk out a proposal for a new water works for areas across the railway track. After much grilling, an executive engineer of the water supply board presented the details of the projects underway with their estimated cost. He disclosed that the total projects would cost Rs 29.40 crore, out of which the central government’s share was Rs 21.14 crore and the state government’s share was Rs 2.64 crore. He mentioned that both union and state governments had deposited half their share but the BMC had not paid even a single penny out of its share of Rs. 5 62 crore. Hearing this, neither the Mayor nor any of the councilors contradicted him.
	Rise in crime prompts cops to take a fresh look at infrastructure Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 23 In a fresh move, the district police chief has again initiated a process to make an improvement in the functioning and infrastructure of the police force. This time, sensing the increase in crime, besides the upgradation of some police posts located in the city as police stations, establishment of a new police post in the district court complex has also been mentioned. If all goes well, the police post in the district court complex would be set up by next month. Taking into account past incidents like a brawl outside the court complex, in which rival groups after attending the court hearing, fired at each other and incidents of fire-arms being carried inside the judicial complex, the district police chief, in a meeting with judicial magistrates and the deputy commissioner, took the decision to set up a police post there. As per the information available, there would an assistant sub-inspector along with eight to ten other cops including women staff at the post. The police have selected a suitable space for the police post in the office complex of the district attorney. Though they have initiated formalities, the rooms have not yet been specified. It may be mentioned that the district police hds earlier, in the last quarter of 2008, taken a similar step. But due to unknown reasons, the plan did not make much headway. According to available documents, Civil Lines and Canal Colony police posts, housed in “unfit” buildings, would be shifted to Model Town phase III and PIDB land located across the railway lines, respectively. Further, the CIA staff building, in Sirki Bazar area, would be shifted to Transport Nagar while the Sadar police station would shift near the Industrial Growth Centre. Further, acting upon the directions of the DGP Punjab, Rampura police station will be divided into two parts— City and Sadar— which would work according to the parts of the assembly constituency. Analysing the crime graph and distance factors, Dialpura police station is being proposed to be downgraded into a police post and Bhagta Bhai police post might be upgraded to a police station. The same reasons have been cited to convert Nathana police station into a police post and upgrade the Bhucho police post to a police station. SSP Ashish Chaudhary said, “The plan was prepared after a deep study. We were hopeful of getting immediate sanction but there are many departments from where approval was required. Moreover, the Lok Sabha polls made all of us quite busy and played its role in delaying the project. Now I have decided to take the initiative on my own to get all decks cleared.”
	Paramour kills woman, consumes pesticide Our Correspondent Abohar, May 23 One Resham Singh allegedly murdered his beloved with a sharp-edged weapon and later consumed insecticide at village Dodewala of this sub-division late last night, sources said. As per information available, Resham Singh, son of Jagraj Singh Mazhabi, belonged to village Bhagu located on Abohar-Hanumangarh road (State highway), allegedly fled with Shakuntala Devi, wife of Om Parkash Dhanak of village Chiragh Dhaani last year in January. Since then, their whereabouts were not known even when a case had been registered by the police on the complaint reportedly lodged by Shakuntala’s in-laws. Some residents of village Dodewala, 25 km from here, said Resham and Shakuntala had reached the village in January this year impersonating as duly married couple. Resham was employed as farm worker by a farmer Amrinder Singh, who also allowed them to stay at a room in the fields. Bodies of both were found in the room on Saturday morning. Preliminary inquiry indicated that Resham attacked Shakuntala using a sharp-edged weapon that was reportedly found on the spot. Later, he ended his life. Both were aged about 50 years. Dodewala falls in both Punjab and Rajasthan. Since the crime occurred in Punjab side, the sub-divisional police was informed. Hardeep Singh, in-charge of the police post at village Bahavwala rushed to the village. As none of their relatives turned up in Dodewala, the bodies were shifted to the Nehru Memorial Civil Hospital for post-mortem.
	One killed, five hurt in road accident Our Correspondent Abohar, May 23 The driver of a Gypsy was killed in a road mishap after he lost control over the vehicle that he was driving. Besides his death, five other persons were injured in the mishap that took place on the NH 15 late on Friday night, sources said. As per the details available, deceased Sukhdav Singh, son of Babu Singh of Faridkot, was on his way to Sriganganagar to deliver old tyres. He reportedly lost control over his vehicle which first hit cyclists, Ram Kumar and Sonu of village Sayeedwala, near a petrol pump, then motorcyclist Surinder Kumar and his pillion rider near the roadside temple and a vegetable seller, who was returning home after a daylong business. Finally, the Gypsy hit a roadside tree resulting in the death of the driver, identified later as Sukhdev Singh Khosa. All were shifted to the Nehru Memorial Civil hospital by the Khuyiansarwar police.
	IMA forms committee to ascertain facts Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 23 Expressing concern over the circumstances that forced Dr Laxmi Garg of Rampura Phul, convicted of female foeticide, to commit suicide, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has constituted a committee to look into the facts of the incident. IMA members today said Dr Garg had been harassed by people in power for long and the system shattered her confidence about getting justice. They alleged that the sequence of events suggested that the PNDT Cell, which had still to prove its constitutional validity, cornered Dr Garg using all pressurising tactics that it could. The IMA members accused the then DC Rahul Bhandari, who was also the chairman of PNDT Cell, of restarting the investigation, which was cancelled after the report of an enquiry team. Dr SD Gupta, president, IMA, Bathinda, said, “This unnecessary harassment should stop at the earliest to prevent any other doctor from taking such a drastic step.” Meanwhile, in a press release, Dr Yash Pal Sharma and Dr HS Narang, president and honorary secretary of the IMA, Punjab, have sympathised with the bereaved family. They also criticised the activities of the PNDT Cell and the PNDT Act.