The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	More relief for non-smokers Anil Jerath Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 27 Indu Bhushan Aggarwal, assistant civil surgeon, district health department, today convened a meeting of hotel, restaurant and cinema hall owners and asked them to make arrangements and provisions for a smoke-free environment. A minimum of two boards of the size 30 cm by 60 cm, stating “No smoking area — smoking here is an offence” must be affixed at all hotels, restaurants and cinema halls. At least one such board must be affixed at the entrance and one at a conspicuous place on each floor, Aggarwal added. As per Section 4 read with Rule 3 of the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act, 2008, and the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Rules, the hotels/restaurants and cinema halls offering 100 per cent smoke-free healthy environment would have to maintain a 100 per cent non-smoking atmosphere and none, including the staff, would be allowed to smoke on the premises. The hotels desirous of making a smoking area must have a capacity of over 30 seats or 30 rooms. The smoking area must be physically segregated and air-insulated from the non-smoking areas. The smoking area or rooms must be situated in such a way that no non-smoker has to pass through the smoking area or inhale smoke while accessing either the non-smoking area or any other facility. Smoking and non-smoking rooms would have to be demarcated and marked by prominently displayed boards. As per Section 6 of the Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act read with Rule 3(1) of the Prohibition on Sale of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Around Educational Institutions Rules, 2004, all educational institutes must display a board outside stating that “sale of cigarette and other tobacco products in an area within a radius of 100 yards of the educational institution is strictly prohibited”. While talking to TNS, Dr Aggarwal informed that the public have also been instructed not to smoke in office buildings, hospitals, railway stations, bus stands, including any area/compound of an educational institute. If caught, smokers will have to cough up Rs 200, he added.
	Two killed over land dispute in Ferozepur Kulwinder Sandhu/Anirudh Gupta Tribune News Service Ferozepur, May 27 Two persons, including an ex-sarpanch, were killed while two others were hurt in a clash over a piece of disputed land at village Kamaldin Lehandian in Mamdot area of Ferozepur district this evening. The deceased had been identified as Kulwant Singh (50), former sarpanch of Khai Phemeke village and Charan Singh (60), a resident of Mamdot Hithar village. As per the information available, the land dispute between two groups, led by Gurdev Singh and Mukhtiar Singh alias Mukha, was simmering for quite some time over nine kanals of land at village Kamaldin Lehandian. Both were claiming their right over this piece of land, which actually belongs to the government. Mukhtiar stated before the police that he had gone to the fields today along with his associates. He said the opposite party was apprehensive that they had come to take possession of the land due to which Gurdev Singh along with his son and associates allegedly attacked them with sharp-edged weapons and opened fire at them. Mukhtiar stated that in the firing, Kulwant and Charan died on the spot while Gurdev and his son were injured. After the attack, the rival party also set their tractor on fire and dropped the 'illegal' arms near the body of the deceased, Kulwant Singh, he added. Ferozepur SSP Dinesh Pratap Singh and DSP Jasbir Singh reached the spot immediately and took the bodies in their possession, which were sent to the civil hospital for post-mortem. A case against six persons, including Gurdev Singh, has been registered. The SSP said inqvestigation was on. When contacted, Gurdev Singh and his sons told TNS that Kulwant Singh, Mukhtiar Singh and Charan Singh wanted to take the disputed land in their possession for which they had come along with their associates. "We were forced to open fire in self-defence when the dispute turned violent after we were attacked with sharp-edged weapons," he said.
	Class XII results Girls outshine boys in PSEB’s merit list Anjali Singh Deswal Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 27 The Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) has declared its Class XII results in which more than 10 students of Bathinda district have made it to the merit list. Gagan of Government Senior Secondary School, Nathana, is one of those who has made it to the top bracket. Amandeep Kaur and Gurpreet Kaur from Nathana school have also made it to the merit list. Baba Farid Public Senior Secondary School students bagged three merit positions. Karan Kumar who opted for science with maths not only made it to the PSEB merit list but has also made it to the IIT. Karan wants to opt for electronics and telecommunication. Travelling 60 km to and fro to attend school, he managed a good result because of sincerity towards his dream of making it to a good engineering institute. Ruby Sachdeva, who was placed 19th in the state and took commerce in Class XI wants to become a chartered accountant and is already preparing for Common Proficiency Test (CPT). Even Amandeep Kaur from commerce steam whose name is in the state merit list is preparing hard for the CPT. G.S. Dhaliwal, MD, Baba Farid Institute, congratulated the students during a press conference held in the city today. These three children did not take any coaching for Class XII and secured good marks on their own. With six subjects in Class XII against five subjects in CBSE Class XII, these children managed to put up a good show. The merit list of the PSEB clearly shows that girls have again outperformed boys in Class XII as in the merit list of 274 students, 198 were girls. Others who came in the merit list of PSEB from Bathinda are Anurag Singla from SSD Senior Secondary School, Satinder Singh from Dashmesh Public School, Spency, Gogi Mittal, Gagandeep Kaur and Priyanka. The overall pass percentage of the state was 66.67 per cent. Around 2,71,552 students had appeared for the PSEB class XII exams.
	Irate villagers lock up school after poor results Praful Chander Nagpal Fazilka, May 27 Due to the disappointing class VIII results in Government Senior Secondary School in the border village of Karni Khera, 6 km from here, nearly 60 residents of the village staged a dharna before the school in the morning. According to sources, out of the 98 students in class VIII, 51 failed while 47 cleared the exam. A majority had failed in English and mathematics. Expressing resentment, parents from the nearby villages of Karni Khera, Muthianwala, Chananwala, Mandi Hazur Singh, Khanpur, Pakka Chisti, Asafwala, Kotha Thangni, did not allow school officials to unlock the main gate. The villagers informed the Tehsildar Varinder Kumar Garg, who further informed SDM Charndev Singh Maan. The SDM was told by the villagers that the teachers did not teach and were not punctual. Their attendance was also short. The SDM persuaded them to allow the school authorities to hold classes. The SDM had made a surprise visit to the school about six months back and found that out of 20 teachers, 12 were on leave. Officiating school principal, Vijay Monga said the overall results of class VIII in Punjab had been disappointing. Defending his staff, Monga said the teachers were teaching with dedication. He said 52 out of 53 students of class XII have passed. Last year too, the class X result was 100 per cent and that of class VIII was 85 per cent.
	Pushp wants to crack IIT Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 27 Pushp from St Xavier’s School had her name at the top in the list of toppers in the city. Pushp scored 96.8 per cent marks and was .2 per cent ahead of the second topper Shreya Minocha of St Joseph’s Convent School. She wants to join the IIT after her Class XII for which she has taken maths, physics and chemistry as her main subjects in Class XI. Pushp’s father Surinder Singh works as an assistant manager in the State Bank of India. Her elder sister is currently doing engineering from the Thapar Institute in Patiala. Pushp would take up computers as her stream in engineering. She has already enrolled herself for tuitions and had increased her study hours. Pushp is confident of cracking the IIT in her first attempt as she says that planned study would take her ahead. She also gave the credit for her achievement to her teachers and the principal who she says are very cooperative and helped her out when she was in doubt.
	Prohibited area around historical monuments to be increased Rajay Deep Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 27 Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums, Punjab, is going to declare the extension of prohibited areas from 100 meters at present to 200 meters around the protected monuments throughout the state. According to procured official documents, in exercise of powers conferred under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rule, 1965, the department concerned of the state government intends to declare the prohibited areas from 100 meters from the protected limits and further beyond it, up to 200 meters near or adjoining to each protected monument. The prohibition is related to the mining operation and construction works. Taking a step ahead in this regard, the department has even issued one month prior notice of intention to declare the area as prohibited and regulated areas. According to information available, people coming within the limits have started lodging their objections with the department. Geetika Kalha, principal secretary of the department, who has issued the preliminary notification, could not be contacted as the official was away on official tour. Meanwhile, the director of the department was also reported to be out of state. As per the document, bearing number 10/46/09-4TC, there are more than 70 monuments declared protected by the state government. As per the document details, the notification would be applicable to all protected monuments already declared or to be declared. The highest number of protected monuments (20) is shown in district Patiala, while Bathinda, Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Barnala and Moga districts are mentioned nowhere.
	Man’s infidelity drives wife to end life Tribune News Service Bathinda, May 27 Frustrate over the illicit relationship of her husband, a 30-year-old woman, Naseeb Kaur of village Singo, reportedly ended her life by consuming poison. The police has booked her husband and the wife of his cousin, with whom he was allegedly having an extra-marital affair, for abetting the suicide. According to information available, Naseeb Kaur married Resham Singh of Singo village about 13 years ago. She was blessed with two sons. Lodging a police complaint, the brother of the deceased, Jagga Singh of Saharan village in Mansa, alleged, “Resham Singh had an illicit relationship with Jasveer Kaur, his cousin’s wife. Since the day, my sister came to know about it, she started objecting. Irked, Resham Singh used to beat her up.” “Later, Resham Singh and Jasveer Kaur both started harassing my sister and encouraged her to committ suicide. On Tuesday, irked with the domestic violence, she consumed some poisonous substance,” he added. Replying to a query, Resham said, “Her in-laws informed us about her deteriorating condition. When we reached there, we found her unconscious. We immediately rushed her to the Mansa Civil Hospital. Unfortunately, she died on the way and we returned to Singo and informed the Talwandi police.” After conducting the postmortem, Talwandi police today handed over the body to the kin of the deceased and booked the accused duo under sections 306 and 34 of the IPC. However, they were still at large.