Bathinda, October 3
If you are new to Bathinda, just don’t expect any of the customer care facilities at the fuel stations located in the vicinity of the city. Staff at most of the petrol pumps may stare at you with a surprise if you ask for basic facilities like free air, cold water and wiping windshields.

Only few pumps, which have been renovated, are offering the free services. While all fuel stations have installed air machines its staff is ever ready with an excuse if one asks for air for one’s vehicle. Either it would be power failure or the air machine boy would be on leave. If all goes well and you succeed in getting air filled in your vehicle, they may ask for coins in lieu of the service rendered.

Unhygienic toilets and supply of impure water are other issues to which the administration is also apparently not bothered. Besides, there are some fuel stations, which are still running the years-old traditional pumps. In absence of digital metres, customers are often found arguing with the filling staff over the volume of the fuel.

Hardly a fuel station in Bathinda has the pollution check equipments. When asked, pump operators say, “It is Bathinda. Here traffic cops do not have time to check the pollution certificate. If people are also not bothered about it, why spend money over installing new equipment?”

The location of a petrol pump in congested markets here has also remained a subject of controversy but the administration never paid heed to the fire risk looming large.

Parveen Vij, the district food and supply controller, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Ferozepur, October 3
A 12-year-old boy and a migrant labourer (30) were killed in a mishap when two speeding trucks coming from the opposite side rammed into a shop, in which, they were sitting in the grain market at Guru Har Sahai here on Saturday afternoon.

Police sources revealed that the trucks bearing registration numbers RJ-13G-7462 and PB-05P-8602 were coming on a high speed from opposite directions. When they came closer, the drivers of both the trucks lost control and rammed into a shop seriously injuring the boy identified as Rahul Kumar and Sadanand, a migrant labourer.

They were immediately rushed to a local hospital from where they were referred to the medical college and hospital at Faridkot. Both of them succumbed to their injuries, minutes after, they were admitted to the medical college hospital.

The police registered case against the drivers and taken the trucks into custody. However, the drivers managed to escape from the spot immediately after the incident.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the trucks were hired by the FCI to transport rice from the stores to the location of the train, especially, arranged to transport the rice out of the state so as to vacate the storehouses of the rice mills keeping in view the ongoing paddy procurement season.

Bathinda, October 3
The owner-cum-principal of a private school was arrested for abducting a girl student of class eight of the school today.

According to police sources, registering a complaint, the girl alleged that the principal Karamjeet Singh, who runs St. Soldier Convent School at village Naruana, took her to another private school located at Paras Ram Nagar for some practical examination.

After the examination, he took her to a vacant residence of his friend, located at Kothe Bhagtuana, where he tied her hands from back and pasted a tape on her lips. After locking her there in such condition, the accused went out for some work. 

Availing the chance, the girl somehow managed to get released and shouted for help, hearing what, crowd assembled there and informed the Thermal police.

Observing the jurisdiction of Canal Police post, thermal police shifted the case there, where the accused was booked under various sections.

Police was trying to find out the motive behind ‘abduction’.

Bathinda, October 3
Garbage heaps in the middle of the main road of the city and emitting foul smell only prove how much the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities are concerned about the cleanliness in the city and the health of the residents here.

The stinking muck was pulled out of the manholes of the main sewerage line laid under the Bathinda-Goniana road a couple of days ago. Since then, the huge heaps are irritating all except the officials concerned.

Earlier in July this year, The Tribune had highlighted a similar problem which led to bringing the BMC authorities into action.

Asking to raise the issue once again, a group of shopkeepers on the road today approached the TNS.

They said, “The city is in the hands of sleeping bureaucrats, who never bother about such grave menace, which poses severe health hazard.”

“What is the point in having a 50-member municipal corporation when none can address public issues,” asked Jagdeep Singh, a mechanic.

Parkash Singh, another shopkeeper, said, “Being the main road of the city, every minister and bureaucrat has to use it. So, it is impossible that they are unaware about these huge piles of muck. It is just their callousness towards public issues.”

An elderly painter, Sohan Singh, said, “It is tough sitting in our shops and inhaling the foul smell emitted from the muck piled outside. Besides staining the face of the city, these heaps of muck also create a traffic hurdle.”

A senior official of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation, seeking anonymity, said the muck could not be removed before Monday for want of manpower.

Bhatinda, October 3
The HDFC Bank has recently opened its new branch at Kikar Bazar in Bathinda. This is the second branch in the city and 111th in Punjab.

The new branch is offering its customers “world-class” banking services under one roof ranging from basic services such as Savings Account, Fixed Deposits, Current Account, Mutual Funds, Lockers, NRI Services, Demat to sophisticated direct access banking channels such as ATM, PhoneBanking, NetBanking and HDFC Bank International Credit and Debit Cards.

MC Sibin, additional deputy commissioner (Development) Bathinda inaugurated the branch in the presence of the Cluster Head Kapil Trehan, Darshan Goyal, the branch head, Anil Khurana, relationsip manager, and others.

Bathinda, October 3
Though all government agencies have entered the mandis to procure paddy, the pace of procurement is yet to pick up. It has led to frustration among the growers of this district awaiting the purchase of their produce for past couple of days.

According to information available, about 1,10,800 quintal paddy has arrived in the 60 centres of the district till this evening while the government agencies purchased only 44,950 quintals.

About 50,700 quintal of paddy is still lying in the mandis, as the agencies were reportedly not buying the crop citing high level of moisture content as a reason.

Farmers, who have been drying their crop at the mandis by spreading it under sun and before table fans, are sore over the 'indifferent' attitude of the government agencies.

Sukhdev Singh of Buladhewala village said, "I have put my best so that the moisture content meets the specifications of the agencies. But they are still terming it to be containing moisture more than the permissible limits."

Jaswant Singh of Multania village claimed that even after passing of four days, no official has agreed to purchase the crop.

Farmers Gursewak, Shubhkaran and Major Singh alleged that the government procurement agencies had been forcing farmers to bow before private buyers, who could fleece them at their will.

To improve the process of procurement, Rahul Tewari, Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, had been convening meetings with the concerned officials regularly. However, the smooth process of purchase is still awaited.

Sensing the gravity of the issue, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has assigned additional principal secretary KJS Cheema to keep a tab over the procurement process in the grain markets of Bathinda, Mansa and Muktsar districts.

Abohar, October 3
Pursuing the 'Healthy youth health India' plan, the NSS unit of Gopi Chand Arya Mahila College here started a special camp at village Balluana on Saturday.

Programme officer Seema Somani was joined by other teachers including Amardeep, Dinesh, Manju, Ankita, Ishu and Rana Virender in educating the participants on preservation of the environment, female foeticide, precautionary measures for safety from epidemics and social awareness.

Principal Dr Neelam Arun Mittu said the volunteers would now educate the villagers on these topics.

Abohar, October 3
Megh Raj Garg, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of the Reserve Bank of India, reportedly assured that a special camp for distributing new currency notes and coins would soon be organised in Abohar.

A deputation of the Consumer Movement led by its chairman, Sat Pal Khariwal, brought it to the notice of the DGM that coins and new currency notes were not made available to the common people in Abohar while there was no shortage of it in the neighbouring areas of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Interestingly, local shopkeepers keep on displaying currency notes stitched as garlands for special occasions in defiance of the rules. 

Sriganganagar/Abohar, October 3
Rajasthan is amongst the only three states in India that have met the target of power generation under the XI five-year-plan, claims Rajasthan Energy Minister Dr Jitender Singh. He inspected the Super Thermal Power Plant in Suratgarh today to review the progress of its VI unit. With its commissioning by March 31, the plant will be able to generate 1500 MW power, he hoped.

The minister was briefed about the progress of the VI unit by the chief engineer PN Singhal. Earlier, local legislator Gangajal Meel, SDM Kalu Ram and DSP Suresh Saini, received the minister and discussed the power situation.

He informed that at present, the installed electricity generation capability of the state is 4,547 MW. Besides, Rajasthan is also capable of 1,300 MW of captive generation. A major percentage (about 72 per cent) of Rajasthan's electricity generation capacity is based on the thermal power or energy.

During the time of the formation of the state in 1949, the installed capacity of the electricity generation was 13.27 MW and only the princely states and some small towns received power supply. Rajasthan power sector gained momentum only after the formation of Rajasthan State Electricity Board (RSEB) on July1, 1957.

Gradually, rapid growth in installed capacity, transmission network and electrification in the rural areas took place. At present, (RSEB) the state owned utility set up under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, is the only supplier of electricity in the state.

A deputation of the employees led by Lekh Ram Jat submitted a memorandum to the minister.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, October 3
The body of veteran poet and writer Harish Bhadani was handed over to the Sardar Patel Medical College at Bikaner today for research by medico students as per his last wish. He breathed his last on Friday after prolonged illness.

Many dignitaries including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited Bhadani's residence to pay tributes by offering wreaths and rose petals. Gehlot said Bhadani was poet of the masses, who owned a palatial house in Chhabili Ghaati but sacrificed the wealth to promote poetry and music.

He was the first to demand the status of Rajbhasha for Rajasthani. He had come into lime light by reciting favourite poem "yeh raj bolta, swaraj bolta" and "Roti naam satya hai" from India Gate in New Delhi.

Born on June 11, 1933 at Bikaner, Bhadani had scripted more than 24 books on adult education.

His first book titled "Adhure Geet" was published in Hindi and Rajasthani in 1959 and the last one titled "Akhiri Jigyasa" hit the stands in 2007. Bhadani had served as an editor to "Vatayan" a literary monthly in Hindi from 1960 to 1974 and was recognised as a torch-bearer of the new poetry. He had been honoured by the Rajasthan Sahitya Academy, West Bengal Hindi Academy, KK Birla Foundation and many other organisations. — OC

Sriganganagar/Abohar, October 3
Hundreds of men and women accorded a warm welcome to the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra as it entered the twin districts of Hanumangarh-Sriganganagar today. The Yatra will be received at Abohar by Sunday morning.

Swami Raghaveshwara Bharati, said it is a joint endeavour of all the saints, environmentalists, scientists and scholars, who wish to do something concrete for the protection and preservation of the cow and also to save the farmers from the clutches of untimely death.

The signature campaign has also been launched for protection of the cow demanding declaration of the cow a national animal and enactment of a Central law for the cow protection and stopping all kinds of cruelties on the cow and her progeny. He said people would give their assent to the memorandum, which would be presented to the President of India Pratibha Patil, on January 29, 2010. — OC