Bathinda, July 2
Marginalised almost by all the rail ministers, Malwa — called as the cotton bowl of Punjab but considered as backwaters of the state — is making a clarion call to the new Rail Minister Mamta Banerjee for making room for the region in her plan of actions.

"We are not putting new demands, we just request the rail minister to fulfil our long pending demands, like superfast trains to southern part of India like Chennai, Bangalore; introduction of superfast trains — including Jan Satabdi Express, extension and regularisation of some trains," said Hanuman Dass Goel, vice-president, Rail Passengers Association, Northern Zone.

"Doubling of tracks, rail electrification, better public-utility service at stations, increase in frequency of trains on several sections in Malwa are need of the hour for the socio-economic development of the hitherto ignored region," said Goel, who is also the ex-member of Divisional Railway Users' Consultative Committee.

Pinning high hopes on Mamta, Malwa residents are also seeking provisions for trains between important stations, including Sriganganagar-New Delhi via Jhakhal and between Sriganganagar-Amritsar via Dhuri, Ludhiana and a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) between Bathinda-Dhuri. Residents' desires include increase in frequency of some trains. More train from Bathinda to all directions would also be able to cater to the need of people of adjoining places, like Mansa, Barnala, Moga, Muktsar, Abohar and others, Goel said.

Seeking direct train between Bathinda and Ludhiana, social activist and president of the Bathinda Vikas Manch, Rakesh Narula, said Ludhiana was one of the biggest centres of trade, education and medicine. "A direct train, which will touch Rampura, Barnala, Dhuri and Malerkotla would be helpful for patients, students and businessmen," he added.

Narula said that recruitment of coolies must be done for the Bathinda station which has been left with only three coolies for about 18,000 passengers under the Lalu’s poll plans that elevated coolies to gangmen in 2008.

Member of Railway Grievances and Reform Committee, Gidderbaha, Sanjeev Kochhar said that the Lal Qila Express that runs between Howrah and Delhi should be extended upto Sriganganagar making arrangement with the Udyan Abha Toofan Express. He also sought fast trains on the Amritsar-Sriganganagar route.

President of Railway Passengers Welfare Association, Bathinda, AK Garg, seeking special emphasis on upgradation of amenities and security, said that hidden cost of reservation should be abolished.

Industrialists and traders in the region have also hopes from Mamta. "Business community here needs more trains between Bathinda and New Delhi, besides better connectivity. Rail electrification would certainly give fillip to industries, including textile and cotton, and commerce in the region," said Raman Watts, president of the Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industries. "Bathinda which would witness new thermal plants in near future besides other industries, certainly deserve importance in the rail budget," Watts said, adding that it was high time for the railways to serve as a catalyst in the development of the region. 

Bathinda, July 2
The Punjab government today launched a pilot project, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY), to provide health insurance cover to the workers under the BPL (below poverty line) in 12 districts.

Under the first phase of the scheme, Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Moga, Mansa, Mohali, Nawanshahr, Ropar and Tarn Taran districts have come under its ambit.

A press release issued by the district health department today said, the unorganised sector workers belonging to the BPL category and their family members (a family unit of five) would be the beneficiaries under the scheme.

The head of each family along with four members will be covered under the scheme. The beneficiary family will have to pay a nominal fee of Rs 30 for registration, after which each registered family member will get a premium of Rs 30,000.

The Punjab Health Systems Corporation, the nodal agency, would implement the scheme. An inter-departmental coordination committee of labour, health, finance, cooperation, rural and urban development and public relations had been constituted in this regard.

Under the RSBY scheme, the Government of India (GoI) would contribute 75 per cent of the estimated annual premium per family per annum and the remaining 25 per cent would be borne by the state government. As per the BPL census 2002, there are approximately 4.5 lakh BPL families and the total expenditure involved would be around Rs 33.75 crore, of which Rs 25.32 crore and Rs 8.43 crore were the GoI’s and the state’s liability, respectively.

Under the scheme, the beneficiaries could get the indoor treatment in any government hospital or empanelled private hospital of not only the district or the state but anywhere in the country by showing the smart card given to them.

Bathinda, July 2
The first-ever elected Mayor of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) finds himself in the eye of a storm with members of his own party, the ruling SAD, gunning for his scalp.

The controversy has centred over the imposition of lakhs of rupees as penalty and development charges on a firm for illegally constructing a shopping mall, which the Mayor said, was the main reason why his detractors were gunning for him. The mall in question is being constructed by the kin of a Mayor’s key detractor.

Sources informed that sensing the gravity of the situation, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has now asked his son, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, to intervene in the issue.

The Mayor has accused former president of the Bathinda Municipal Council, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, of fomenting trouble. Birbehman said Bhullar wanted him to waive an amount worth Rs 17.5 lakh, development charges imposed on the mall constructed by his kin along with a penalty of Rs 25 lakh for undertaking construction on about one lakh square feet. The mall is being constructed without even getting the building plan approved.

Giving details, Mayor Birbehman said, “The total chunk of land is 1.55 acre, where a firm, the HBN Dairies & Allied Limited wishes to develop an eight-floor shopping mall- cum-multiplex. Calculating the total proposed constructed area, the BMC was entitled to get an amount of Rs 17.5 lakh from the firm as development charges, which the firm did not pay. Being a major point of objection, among others, the site plan could not be approved.”

“During a recent inspection, we found that the builder has raised four floors, while construction of the fifth was in process. As the architecture plan of the building is not yet approved, so we sent them a notice to stop the construction and pay penalty. All this has irritated Bhullar, who is misleading others and is trying to put pressure on me,” said Birbehman.

On the other hand, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar presented documents supporting his stand and said the firm had already paid a fee of Rs 18.63 lakh to the chief town planner. Further, an amount of Rs 15.98 lakh had been deposited with the BMC by way of Change of Land Use (CLU).

“I will reply to this in the next general house meeting of the BMC, where the Mayor will not be able to fend off the queries,” said Bhullar.

Abohar, July 2
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has assured representatives of the Punjab Arhtiya Association that payments to the farmers against purchase of agricultural produce will be routed through the commission agents by cheques.

While confirming the development, Pramil Kalani, president of the local unit of the association, said that state president Ravinder Singh Cheema and general secretary Jaswinder Singh Rana had held a meeting with the CM recently. It was resolved that the state agencies will issue cheques to the commission agents against all purchases made in the grain markets as well as rural purchase centres.

As per revised rules, the commission agents will also be required to make payments further to the farmers by cheques dispensing with the century old system of making payment in cash. However, there will be some exceptions. If a farmer intends to sell small quantity of his produce to meet domestic needs, he will be eligible for receiving payment in cash from the respective commission agent.

The new practice has become effective from July 1.

On being asked about the demand being made persistently by some farmers unions for making payments directly to the farmers, Kalani said Cheema and other senior leaders had been repeatedly saying that most of the BKU leaders had given their agricultural lands on contract basis and have been inciting the farmers on wrong footings. Age old bonds between the farmers and commission agents need not be harmed, the Arhtia Association had asserted.

Abohar, July 2
A pall of gloom descended today on about 12 villages located at the tail-ends as two more breaches in different canals deprived them of the long awaited water for irrigation.

About 50 feet wide breach was noticed at 4 am near village Rajanwali in the Ramsara sub-canal, just an hour before the first heavy downpour of the season. The irrigation department got supply suspended from the head works by the afternoon to start plugging operation. However, another breach about 250 feet wide was reported at 3 pm in the Malukpura distributary near village Chak Kala Tibba just 5 km from the town. Interestingly, breaches had developed in the same areas last year also and the department had promised to repair the weak sidewalls, besides, strengthening the supporting paths. The gushing water had inundated more than 300 acres of agricultural land by the evening. Official sources said supply has been discontinued from the head works and plugging was expected by Friday evening. Earlier, on Monday, about 50 feet wide breach in the Panjawa sub-canal near village Khuyiansarwar about 15 km from here had deprived the farmers of the tail-end villages of irrigation when it was needed the most to save the cotton crops. The irrigation department introduced rotation system to streamline canal water supply during crisis. Water supply in the Panjawa sub-canal (minor) was restored to capacity but breach developed near village Khuyiansarwar. 

Mansa, July 2
Farmer organisations have criticised the hike in diesel and petrol prices. Bhartiya Kissan Union (Ugrahan) and Punjab Kissan Sabha said in different statements here on Thursday that it is the peak time for paddy transplantation and the demand for diesel is the highest at this time.

However, the central government did not care for the interests of farmers. District president of Bhartiya Kissan Union Ram Singh Bhainibagha and general secretary Mohinder Singh Romana said the hike in oil prices should be rolled back with immediate effect and these prices should be brought down even more than what it was earlier keeping in view the season of paddy transplantation.

When prices of crude oil had come down in the international market, why the central government did not bring it down to the level of the international market, they asked.

The farmer leaders blamed the central government for protecting the interests of big companies. Leader of the Punjab Kissan Sabha and ex-MLA Butta Singh also criticised the hike in oil prices. He demanded that the central government put the hike in diesel prices on hold till the paddy transplantation season is over. — OC

Abohar, July 2
The .303 rifle seems to be losing even the status of ‘ceremonial weapon’ used in parades and on other solemn occasions.

The impression was drawn by the citizens, who recently attended the state funeral of the INA soldier Budh Singh at the Shivpuri cremation ground here.

Three of the five members of the Punjab police contingent felt dismayed as the .303 rifles that they were holding did not work as they tried to use it to offer salute to the veteran freedom fighter. This could be due to half cock problem that normally develops, if the person using the weapon is not properly trained or daily maintenance of the rifle is not ensured, sources said.

Budh Singh, 87 years old, who was born in village Chameli of Faridkot district, had initially joined the British army during pre-independence era but later quit to join the Indian National Army led by Neta Ji Subhash Chander Bose. The British government declared him a traitor. After independence, his family spent a few years in UP and Rajasthan and finally settled in Abohar.

Load, lug and pull, still it would not fire. It was ironic that while celebrating its centenary, the .303 rifle, which has a history to boast of, had got so much bad press due to the attack on the American Center in Kolkata on January 27, 2002.

Policemen were not able to put up much of a resistance and most observers blamed it on the obsolete nature of the .303 and its inability to fire rapidly.

Surprisingly, the same .303 rifles had helped the British defeat Germany in 1914.

Bathinda, July 2
At least 15 passengers sustained injuries when a private bus they were travelling in overturned on the Malkana road in Talwandi Sabo on Thursday afternoon.

According to volunteers of the Sahara Club, the accident occurred when the driver of the bus (PB03M-9676) got busy with a phone call and lost control of the bus. The bus veered into a water channel in a nearby field. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Talwandi Sabo. — TNS