Bathinda, November 23
About 100 people from Mehna Basti here protested today to save their homes as a railway official informed them a few days back that a new railway line is being planned and for that, over 15 houses were to be removed.

Informing this, Sukhmandar Singh from Mehna Basti said a team from railways had come a few days back to visit the site for laying the new railway line till Bikaner. “An official said our house is situated on the way of the upcoming bypass railway line. We would have to vacate the place.”

The affected residents had called up Sarup Chand Singla from the SAD (B) yesterday to show him the site and they have decided to meet the deputy commissioner. The residents appealed to the government to lay the line somewhere else.

“About 100 people gathered at Mehna Basti today at 8 am and we were here till 12 noon. We demanded that if the railways lays down the new line then we should be given land elsewhere. Where would we go with our kids? We have been staying here since long now,” another resident voiced.

Sources said there was a railway line going to Bikaner that passes alongside the milk plant. The new line would be connected to it.

A railway official, when contacted, said that before planning a new line, the railways acquire land after seeking a no objection certificate from the state government. The railways pay compensation to the affected families. This case is with the Bikaner division which falls under the North-West Railways and Bathinda railway authorities had nothing to do with it.

Bathinda, November 23
The radio programme meant for primary children of Punjab School Education Board went on air today as part of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (education for all). However, it could not catch the attention of children.

Though the Board did everything it could to make the programme entertaining for kids, but ‘chaacha,’ one of the characters in the programme, failed to entertain kids.

‘Learning through radio’ for children in Punjab was started last year but after a botched attempt, the Director General of School Education claimed to rope in Doordarshan for imparting an improved look to the project. Teachers of primary school in Bathinda, however, felt that today’s programme was beyond children’s level of understanding.

“Today’s programme was on pollution. There were difficult words used in the script which the children could not comprehend. The programme started at 2:10 pm and ended at 2:35 pm. After 10 minutes of the programme, it became tough for us to make children pay attention to the programme,” said a teacher from a primary school at village Burj Dalla.

Blaming the block primary officers for not informing the teachers on time, teachers here said they were told a day prior that radio sets should be made operational as ‘learning through radio’ was to start from today.

“We were informed only yesterday that ‘learning through radio’ lessons would begin today. Locating the radio sets that were stashed in closets a year back took time to be found and managing cells was also a problem. We, however, managed the cells but today when we turned on the radio at 2:10 pm the radio failed to function and it was only after 3:20 pm after the school closed that we took the radio for repair,” a teacher said on the condition of anonymity.

There are schools where the student strength is over 200 and teachers found that the programme was not audible to all the students. There were a few teachers who also said that the frequency was not clear at some places.

Bathinda, November 23
Avtar Singh Brar, vice-president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, today said people were fed up of the SAD-BJP coalition government that has “failed on all fronts”.

Brar, who is MLA from Faridkot constituency, said people in general were depressed because of the “anti-people policies of the Badal government”. He said the farmers, farm labourers, employees and housewives were cursing the SAD-led state government for their wrong policies. Brar flayed the government for having failed to release widow, old age and other social security pensions for the past few months. He said the reduction in scale of ration was pinching the common masses.

Meanwhile, the MLA claimed that there was enthusiasm among the people, particularly youth, towards membership drive of the Congress. More that 35 lakh membership forms have been issued to the Congress functionaries for enrolment of new members. — TNS

Bathinda, November 23
The Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, will organise the first Khetri Pashu Palan Mela on November 27 at the Regional Research and Training Centre (RRTC), Kaljharani, in Bathinda.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will inaugurate the fair while Dr VK Taneja, vice-chancellor, GADVASU, will preside over the function.

Providing details, Dr OS Parmar, director of Extension Education, GADVASU, said the university’s elite animals would be exhibited at the fair to motivate farmers to breed superior livestock by getting the improved germplam from the university. Books on dairy farming, pig and goat rearing, package of practices for animal husbandry and registration for Vigyanak Pashu Plan magazine would also be made available to the farmers during the fair.

The farmers can also register their names for the university’s training programmes.

The mineral mixture and uromin lick prepared by the university would also be sold at nominal rates. Hoof trimming, urea treatment of wheat straw and preparation of uromin lick would be demonstrated. Besides, milk and meat processing technologies for value addition would also be discussed.

Different departments of the College of Veterinary Science, College of Dairy Science and Technology and College of Fisheries would arrange exhibitions to display new techniques and practices for the benefit of livestock farmers and would attend to their queries.

All the developmental organisations of the state would put up stalls at the exhibition.

During the fair, other important private sector organisations dealing with production/marketing of animal feed, medicine, vaccines, animal germplasm, animal farm machinery, milk and meat processing machinery, fodder seed and banking institutions would provide valuable information and know-how to the livestock farmers.

Abohar, November 24
Former Governor Bal Ram Jakhar regretted that the Rs 1,000 crore agricultural development plan that he had finalised as union agriculture minister, as part of the VIII five-year-plan has not so far been completely implemented in letter and spirit.

Speaking to the newspersons here during his first visit to his hometown on Monday after relinquishing the charge of MP governor, Jakhar said he had met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh recently and discussed the plan again. He would like to invite the PM to Abohar to show how water can be better managed by promoting drip irrigation system.

While taking Punjab Chief Minister to task, the former Lok Sabha speaker (Jakhar) said Parkash Singh Badal had got state-of-the-art multi-crore agro fruit and vegetable plant inaugurated at village Alamgarh near Abohar immediately after taking over as CM but the same was lying non-functional till now.

It has not given any relief to the Kinnow fruit and vegetable growers. Badal has not established his tall claim of being farmers-friendly by actions even when he too happened to be a major fruit grower.

On skyrocketing prices of sugar and other commodities, he said the government will have to form comprehensive policy based on ground realities to meet the challenges in agriculture sector. Why farmers will grow more sugarcane, if incentives are not made available besides ensuring cost-based remunerative prices, he asked.

The farmers need to be guided on pattern of crops keeping in mind demand and production factors. They had rescued the country from food crisis but were denied due respect.

It is the fundamental duty of the governments to weed out middle men and ensure marketing avenues free of exploitation. Cold chains besides air-conditioned railway wagons should be provided to transport fruit from Abohar as well as neighboring areas.

The Punjab government must arrange canal water for the villages located at the tail-ends, he said.

Legislator Sunil Jakhar and district Youth Congress president Sandeep Jakhar were present during the press conference.

Bathinda, November 23
The ongoing marriage season has spelt trouble for vegetable consumers. With vegetables being used at marriage parties in large quantity most seasonal vegetables are sold out in the vegetable market here in the morning only and prices increases three folds as the day progresses.

Mushrooms that had cost Rs 70 a kg in vegetable market few days back were sold at Rs 210 a kg by afternoon today, new supply of potatoes cost Rs 650 for a 50 kg bag and wholesale price of tomatoes cost Rs 25 a kg as vegetables got sold by 11 am at the vegetable market.

These days, a major chunk of vegetables like cauliflower, green peas, carrots, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, potato, mushroom, pepper, etc are going to marriage parties. The leftover vegetable stock is being sold at exorbitant prices by vendors.

Mahinder Kumar, a large-scale trader from the vegetable market here, stated that there had been a three-fold hike in the prices of vegetables due to marriages. “A majority of vegetables are coming from various parts of Punjab except green peas and still the prices are high. I have been into this business for many years now but I have never witnessed such a condition where prices have gone so high,” he added.

Ramesh Garg, a local trader, said, “There are a large number of villagers visiting the Bathinda vegetable market as they do not have an access to variety in villages. So, over half of the daily stock of fresh vegetables get sold out in the morning only,” a local trader Ramesh Garg said.

Chandigarh, November 23
Refusing to interfere in a retrial benefit case filed after delay, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the remedy for a legally enforceable right has to be availed of within a reasonable time.

Justice Mahesh Grover asserted: “The courts ought not to interfere in cases where a person without any plausible explanation chooses not to knock the doors of the court in the event of violation of an enforceable right. In the instant case, more than 5 years have elapsed since the passing of the order releasing the retiral benefits to the petitioner.”

In his petition, Bachan Singh had prayed for grant of interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum on the delayed payment of gratuity released to him.

Working as a librarian, he retired from the service in 2001. His gratuity and some other retrial benefits were not released, compelling him to file a writ petition. Disposing of the petition in August, 2004, the high court had directed the state of Punjab and other respondents to decide his legal notice by passing a speaking order. The respondents, subsequently, released the gratuity and other retiral benefits.

Justice Grover asserted: “The grievance of the petitioner is that from 2001, when he retired, till 2004, when the gratuity was released to him, the respondents had no justifiable reason to withhold this benefit and therefore, he was entitled to interest on the delayed payment.”

“After hearing the counsel for the petitioner, I am of the opinion that the writ petition is misconceived. The order determining the rights of the petitioner was passed in 2004 and no justifiable reason has been given in the petition as to why the petitioner kept sleeping over his rights for such an inordinate long period….”

“The denial of interest for the delayed payment was a cause that accrued to him at that point of time and going by the law of limitation even a suit would be barred today when the petitioner has made a grievance of the denial of interest. This court is thus of the opinion that the petition is highly belated and does not warrant any interference,” the court said.

Mansa, November 23
The fire brigade in Mansa has been working without any permanent office and lack of fire control vehicles, staff and fire controlling chemicals. The fire brigade office is being run from the rooms of the Public Health Treatment Plant.

It is notable that the office of fire brigade was sold in 2004 at the rate of Rs one crore and forty six lakh. Employees informed that the then president of the Municipal Council, Mansa, Narotam Singh Chahal, had promised that the new office would be constructed soon but this promise could not be fulfilled till now. There are two fire control stations in the district at Mansa and Sardulgarh. These stations have only two fire control vehicles.

Sources in the department informed that one post of sub-fire officer, one post of leading fire man, one driver operator and three posts of fireman are lying vacant at Mansa station.

Along with this, foam compound chemical, which was necessary to control liquid fire, is still not available at these fire control stations.

Fire officer Baldev Singh too admitted the problem. He said the fire department had written to the director of local government and deputy commissioner in this regard.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Kumar Rahul said new fire control vehicles would be provided to the Mansa station soon and also as per the proposal in the new office of the Municipal Council, a proper office would be provided to the fire brigade. 

Sriganganagar/Abohar, Nov 23.
Forty-six civic bodies including the oldest and richest municipal committee in Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajasthan, went to polls during the first phase under revised pattern on Monday.

Electorates started thronging the polling booths in Mount Abu right early in the morning even when the mercury had nosedived to three degree centigrade the preceding night.

Nearly 60 per cent voters had exercised their franchise till afternoon as temperature jumped to 18 degree. The Congress and BJP had fielded candidates for all the 20 wards while 12 independents were also contesting in Mount Abu.

The Rajasthan government had taken a lead by introducing direct polling for electing municipal presidents besides enhancing reservation for women to 50 per cent.

Hanumangarh MC had got reservation for OBC woman in presidential election while electorates were to choose the new civic body presidents from the SC category in Suratgarh.

In Sriganganagar, 255 candidates tried their luck for 50 wards while 10 were in the fray for presidential election in general male category.

About 74439 male and 66976 female voters were given a chance to elect the president also by casting votes at 144 booths located in 62 buildings. An octogenarian, who had lost vision, was found being escorted by his son at a booth while elders too were helped by their kin in reaching the polling stations well before lunch hour.

Hanumangarh/Abohar, Nov 23
Rattan Lal (86) of ward 11 (Bhatta colony) died of cardiac arrest while he was coming out after casting his vote in the booth located near Swami Vivekanand Park in Hanumangarh during the civic elections. Rattan Lal was rushed to the Civil Hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Even when polling had been initially dull due to cold wave in the morning hours, it picked up later and touched 62 per cent till 3 pm. In ward number 4 of Suratgarh, polling had to be continued after 5 pm as the ward has got 3,000 voters, many of them could not vote in the prescribed time. — OC

Ferozepur, November 23
Three persons including a woman and a teenaged boy were killed following a road accident in which a Scorpio hit two motorcycles on Ferozpur-Fazilka road between villages Lakho Ke Behram and Alfuke here this evening.

As per information, the Scorpio with registration number CH 03 J 0046 hit two motorcycles which came in its way. First, the vehicle hit a bike on which Balbir Singh, his wife Preeto and their son Navi were traveling. All reportedly died followed by collision with another motorcycle on which two youths were traveling. They were seriously injured. The youths could not be identified till now.

The persons traveling in the Scorpio fled the scene after the mishap. The police is investigating the case and the injured have been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Ferozepur. 

Ferozepur, November 23
Amritsar bagged the ‘Overall Team Championship’ award while Vikramaditya from ESI, Amritsar, bagged the top honours by winning the men’s title on the final day of the 50th Stag Punjab state inter-district and open table tennis championship, which concluded here on Sunday evening.

DC KK Yadav presided over the valedictory function and gave away prizes to the winners of various events in individual category and team championships.

On the occasion, a host of dignitaries from all parts of the state were present to witness the spectacular finale of the golden jubilee event in which Vikramaditya from Amritsar defeated Vineet Chopra from State Bank of Patiala (3-2) in a well-contested match.

The results of various finals were as follows:

Men: Vikramaditya ESI (Winner) b Vaneet Chopra from State Bank of Patiala. Women: Rajni Gupta (Postal department) b Nirdosh from Ludhiana. Youth Boys: (Under-19) Hitesh Dogra of Jalandhar b Kartik Dogra from Jalandhar. Youth Girls: (Under 19) Nirdosh from Ludhiana b Ruchi of Jalandhar.

Boys (Under-17): Kushal from Amritsar defeated Ritesh of Amritsar. Girls (Under-17): Lovepreet from Ropar defeated Sugandha of Amritar. Sub-junior boys (Under-14): Kushal of Amritsar defeated Rohan of Amritsar. Sub-junior girls (Under-14): Saima of Ropar defeated Ruchi from Jalandhar. Cadet boys (Under-12): Rupam from Jalandhar defeated Gursham from Jalandhar. Cadet girls (Under-12): Saima (Ropar) defeated Neha (Jalandhar).

Team Events: Men: Amritsar (I), PSEB (II), Ludhiana (III); Women: Amritsar (I), Ludhaina (II), Ferozepur (III); Youth boys: Jalandhar (I), Patiala (II), Amritsar (III); Youth girls: Amritsar (I), Ludhiana (II), Ropar (III); Boys: Amritsar (I), Jalandhar (II), Ludhiana (III); Girls: Ropar (I), Amritsar (II), Ludhiana (III); Sub-junior boys: Amritsar(I) Jalandhar (II), Ropar (III); Sub-junior girls: Ludhiana (I), Amritsar (II), Khanna (III).