Bathinda, July 28
Four unidentified motorcycle-borne youths shot dead a Dera Sacha Sauda follower after firing five bullets at him near village Chukerian in Mansa district today.

A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to enquire into the case.

According to information available, the Dera follower, Lili Kumar (42), of village Alampur Mandra (Mansa), was on his way back home after appearing in a criminal case at the sessions court.

Intercepting his motorcycle near village Chukerian, four unidentified youths shot five bullets at him and fled.

An eyewitness to the incident immediately informed the police. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Till late in the evening, Dera followers did not give any statement to the police, for which police was waiting to get the postmortem conducted.

Sources informed that the deceased was a member of the district committee of the Dera Sacha Sauda. During a Dera-Sikh incident in the past, a mob had set his house on fire.

About his court appearance, sources informed that in September 2007, Lili Kumar was an accused in a cross case of attempt to murder, which was registered after violence took place between Dera followers and Sikhs over holding Naam Charcha, the religious discourse of the Dera Sacha Sauda.

The deceased is survived by his wife and three children. He was posted as patwari in canal department, at Khudi Kalan village in Barnala. He was also said to be the kin of a Congress leader of Bareta town.

Confirming the facts, SSP Mansa Manminder Singh said, "We are ready to register a case but the Dera followers are not coming forward to lodge the complaint as they are firm about breaking their silence only after taking a collective decision, for which they are holding a meeting."

"Meanwhile, we have constituted the SIT comprising the SP (D), DSP, in-charge CIA staff and the SHO, Sadar police station, to investigate the case in depth. Till now, no evidence of personal enmity has come to light."

Bathinda: The DIG Faridkot Range, Jitendra Jain said that anyone involved in the shooting incident would not be spared.

He said that eleven teams of police have already started raiding various places to nab the culprits. He said forensic experts have also reached the spot to assist the police in the investigations. — TNS

The kitchen of the rest house which is in a dilapidated condition. Photos by writer

Nandgarh (Bathinda), July 28
For reasons best known to the authorities concerned, the canal rest house at village Nandgarh, located on the Bathinda-Badal road, has turned into a shelter for birds and stray animals.

According to officials of the canal department, the rest house was constructed in the late 1980s by the Canal Lining Organization and after a decade, the possession was transferred to the canal department.

The rest house was equipped with all facilities required for proper accommodation, including a number of well furnished rooms, kitchen, dining hall, etc.

Being government property, the room rent was nominal as all officers on duty were entitled to free stay and those who were not on duty, were charged a mere Rs 5 for 24-hour stay. Retired officials and ex-MLAs were entitled to accommodation for just Rs 10 and for a private person, the rent was fixed at Rs 50.

Despite being equipped with all facilities at cheap rent, neither politicians nor bureaucrats prefer to stay at this rest house, which is located just at a distance of about 10 km from the chief minister's house in Badal village.

Whenever the CM visits his native village, a caravan of civil and police officials follow him. Ensuring his safe entry to his home, they all return to Bathinda for suitable accommodation.

On their way back to Bathinda, which is about 35 km from Badal village, these officials cross the canal guest house, Nandgarh, but prefer not to stay there for the night.

As a result, disuse of the rest house has resulted in its disarray. The electricity supply to the rest house has been disconnected and the infrastructure, including beds, electricity appliances, kitchen, washrooms, cupboards, chairs and tables are in poor shape.

During a recent visit to the rest house, this correspondent found the building locked. When the watchmen deputed there opened the doors, it was evident the place was in urgent need of repairs. Rust has set in and termites are visible turning the building into a shelter for birds and stray animals.

The caretaker of the building said, "For the past one year, I did see any one staying here except for a few days when security personnel stayed here during the elections."

When contacted, Harlabh Singh Chahal, executive engineer, canal department, Bathinda, said, "We are aware of the pathetic condition of the rest house at Nandgarh. Once we planned to send a proposal for its renovation but after keeping in mind its viability, we dropped the idea.

"We too are surprised as to why officials in the CM's caravan prefer to leave for Bathinda for accommodation instead of staying at this rest house?" Chahal quipped.

Bathinda, July 28
The long struggle of the EGS (Education Guarantee Scheme) Teacher's Union for attending the Elementary Teachers' Training (ETT) classes is set to yield fruit as 1480 teachers would attend classes at the DIET (District Institute for Education and Training) centres across the state from Wednesday.

However, all the EGS teachers, who took part in the struggle, are not going to be benefited as nearly 1700 of them would not undergoing training because their names did not figure in the list.

The government’s reason for this is that the advertisement published on July 23 was wrong and that it would be published again. The counselling on July 25 and July 26 did not consider the 1700 teachers due to the technical error in the advertisement.

Sources said that for getting admission in the ETT course, Scheduled Caste candidates were to have 45 per cent marks and general category candidates were to have 50 per cent marks in Class XII, which was not mentioned in the said advertisement.

Kulwant Kumari, district president of the union said, "The percentage criteria was not mentioned in the advertisements published three times. But this time, the condition has been included."

The left out teachers are learnt to have started a silent protest for the past five days in Jalalabad. The condition of three girls was said to be serious but they refused to be taken to the hospital.

Teachers said that Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is contesting from Jalalabad in the coming by-election, called the teachers a few days back and yesterday night they were invited by Sukhbir for dinner where he assured them that he had called up the officials concerned who would sort out the matter soon. 

Bathinda, July 28
The Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisation (PFUCTO), Bathinda zone, today criticised the state government for 'inordinate' delay in issuing notification for implementing the new UGC scales for the university and college teachers.

Dr G.S. Brar and Prof N.K. Gosain, office-bearers of PFUCTO local unit, jointly criticised the dilly-dallying by the state government in this regard.

They said that teachers of university, government college and private-aided college would wear black badges on Wednesday to stage protest in this regard. They would hold dharnas in their respective institutions from 11 am to 1 pm on August 3.

The teachers also said that they would stop working for an hour on August 7 and organise rallies in their respective institutions the same day.

The teacher leaders appealed to the government to issue the notification at the earliest so that the academic atmosphere improves. They sought immediate intervention of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the issue. — TNS

Moga, July 28
The police department has decided to purchase 25 acres of land to construct a new building for the Police Lines, besides, approving in principle to construct new buildings for three police stations, residential complexes of the SSP, a DSP and other gazetted officers in the Moga district.

When contacted, Lashkar Singh SP (D) of Moga, confirmed to The Tribune that the police department has already identified the land and approved the site for Police Lines. The DGP sent a formal request last week to the home secretary to issue a notification in this regard, he said.

Presently, the police department has no building of its own for the Police Lines and it is being run from a portion of the local ITI building for the past more than 13 years, much to the discomfort of the students affecting their studies.

Apart from this, the police department does not have its own buildings for the residences of the SSP and some other gazetted officers. The SSP’s residence has been housed in the canal rest house since 1995 when Moga was made the new district.

The canal department has objected on many occasions against the 'forcible' occupation of their building by the police without paying any rent. Now, the police department wanted to transfer the canal rest house to them but the state government has plainly refused to do.

The state government has asked the police department to purchase or get on lease the rest house from the canal department at its own level. "We have moved an application to get the rest house on lease agreement," said the SP(D).

Further, the police department does not have its own buildings for Kot-ise-Khan, Badhni Kalan and Moga city (south) police stations.

The Kot-ise-Khan police station is housed in a building of the Health Department, Badhni Kalan police station on a panchayat land, and city (south) police station in a building owned by the Arya Girls' School. Lashkar Singh said the police department has moved an application before the gram panchayat of Badhni Kalan to transfer the land to the police, which is still pending before it. For the rest of the two police stations, the department is still looking for suitable lands to construct new buildings, he said.

Interestingly, the police department has so far not constructed many official and residential buildings for its officials in this town even after 13 years of the formation of this district.

The office-cum-residence of the local DSP and CIA staff is also housed in a rented accommodation for the past many years.

Bathinda, July 28
Ravneet Singh Bittu, Punjab Youth Congress chief, has described the effort of the SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to create a controversy over the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs) "a result of frustration" in him.

Bittu stated today that Sukhbir Singh did not question the legitimacy of EVMs when the SAD won elections in Punjab, but now apprehending public verdict against SAD-BJP government in general and himself in particular in the Jalalabad by-election Sukhbir Singh has started crying foul.

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Parminder Singh Pinki also castigated SAD chief Sukhbir Singh for doubting credibility of the election commission that has initiated use of EVMs after consulting all political parties.

Pinki criticised Sukhbir Singh for trying to belittle Bittu who defeated a member of the Badal family in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Sukhbir Singh should not deviate from the traditions of Punjab, he added.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, July 28
Parul Bhatia of Sriganganagar was recently honoured with the "Best trainer'' award during a camp held in Chandigarh, an INIFD press release said on Tuesday. Stephania Guleena, who headed the designers' team from Italy and Anju, academic head of the Inter National Institute of Fashion Design, affiliated to the Annamalai University, while giving the award, lauded Parul for promoting career-oriented training for youths in this remote border district.

Guleena had earned eminence for designing costumes for hit movies like ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar,’ ‘Chandani Bar,’ ‘Chameli,’ ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom,’ ‘Ajnabi’ and ‘Kambakht Ishaq.’

Anuj Sharma, who designs clothes for Indian cricketers imparted training on designer garments. — OC

Fazilka, July 28
The issue of raising the status of Fazilka sub-division to district headquarters was again raised before the SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today by the members of the Bar Association and Zila Banao Sangharash Samiti, Fazilka.

A deputation of Zila Banao Sangharash Samiti and Bar Association led by its president Rajesh Kalra, former president Anil Kumar Jain and chairman Samiti Rajesh Kumar Angi, met Badal at Sandeep Gilhotra’s residence, member of SAD working committee today and presented a memorandum seeking district headquarter status for Fazilka.

It has been stated in the memorandum that the litigants and other residents have to cover a distance of about 160 km from Abohar and more than 100 km from Fazilka to Ferozepur district headquarters to attend court and for their day-to-day work.

To travel such long distance is relatively expensive and very difficult for the people to fight for their rights and causes.

The Bar Association members have pleaded that Fazilka is geographically suitable for making it a district headquarter because it is situated at an equal distance from both the sub-divisions of Abohar and Jalalabad.

Fazilka is one of the oldest sub-divisions of Punjab. Abohar and Jalalabad sub-divisions were earlier a part of this sub-division.

The advocates claimed that earlier, Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya had also supported this demand of to make Fazilka a district headquarter but nothing had been done so far.

They have stated in the memorandum that the constant efforts of Supreme Court to provide justice at the doorstep is being defeated here because the litigants have to travel a long distance to get justice from the sessions and other courts. They also demanded that for the time being, as an interim measure, the courts of additional district and sessions judge, offices of additional deputy commissioner and superintendent of police be set up here for the convenience of the public. 

Fazilka, July 28
A meeting of the co-ordination committee of the Para Medical and Health Employees, Punjab, of Primary Health Centre Khui Khera branch was held under the presidentship of state press secretary Shashi Kant.

In the meeting, long-standing pending demands of the paramedics were discussed. Addressing the gathering, state press secretary Shashi Kant alleged that the Punjab government appears to be hell-bent on privatisation of health services.

He said the Pay Commission report is a big farce as the paramedics will get minimum benefit from the report. Moreover, the commission has concentrated on enhancing the salaries of the bureaucrats, who are already highly paid.

He alleged that this is an anomaly for which the paramedics of the state will launch a massive agitation, if it is not removed. Later, election of Primary Health Centre, Khui Khera branch of the co-ordination committee of the para medical and health employees was conducted unanimously.

The newly elected chairman Danu Ram, while addressing the gathering, demanded that promotion cases of 42 left out women multipurpose health workers for the post of staff nurse be cleared immediately.

Regular disbursement of salaries to employees be ensured and all employees recruited on contract basis under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) be regularised, he demanded. 

Bathinda, July 28
The local police today seized pirated CDs and arrested one person in this connection.

Police said that on a tip-off, Jagdish Kumar, additional SHO of the Kotwali police station, conducted a raid on two music shops near Gol Diggi on a complaint filed by T-series Music Company's observer Mukesh Kumar. Police seized VCDs, DVDs and audio CDs of MP3 and held Vinod of the Unique Video Lab while Ramesh of Ishnoor Communications, fled the spot. — TNS

Bathinda, July 28
The Punjab government today nominated Dayal Das Sodhi, president of the district (rural) BJP, as a member of the district planning committee, Bathinda.

The government has already nominated Sikandar Singh Malooka as chairman and Amarjit Singh Sidhu, Rajan Garg and Rajinder Guddu as members of the committee.