Fazilka, December 5
As compared to the Wagah border in Amritsar, the Beating Retreat ceremony by the BSF and Pakistani Rangers on their respective sides at the Sadqi joint check post near here is poorly attended by civilians.

Only ten civilians were there on the Indian side to witness the ceremony this afternoon, whereas on the Pakistani side only a handful of family members of Rangers were present to cheer their soldiers.

BSF personnel said that a good number of people come to witness the ceremony on Sundays. There is a large crowd of visitors particularly on The Republic Day and Independence Day when the members of the families divided by the border are allowed to talk to each other from either side of the fence.

Soldiers of the BSF and Pakistani Rangers perform the daily drill at a distance, but the Beating Retreat on that side is clearly visible as their post is situated on a height across the nullah.

However, the gestures of soldiers on both sides are similar to those at Wagah. Soldiers on both sides puffed their chest and raised their boots to show their soles to those across the border. The sound of stamping their feet echoed on both sides before lowering the flags on either side just before sunset.

The Beating Retreat ceremony is performed at two joint check posts of the Ferozepur district, one here at Sadqi and the other at Hussainiwala where participation of civilians is larger.

Many members of divided families even from Rajasthan and other areas make it a point to reach Sadqi on January 26 and August 15 to witness the Beating Retreat after which they are allowed to talk to their kin across the border.

Bathinda, December 5
In a survey conducted by the district health authorities recently, it has come to light that women in Bathinda district are more prone to breast and uterus cancer. Apart from these two, they are also suffering from cervix, spinal, liver, mouth, esophagus, stomach, brain and blood cancer due to which hundreds of women had lost their lives since 2001 while hundreds are battling for life in the district.

The survey for the period 2001-09 has also revealed that women in Bathinda district were more prone to cancer than their male counterparts. During a span of nine years, a total of 1,355 women were inflicted with cancer while the disease hit 863 men during this period.

However, the death rate in women cancer patients has been found to be less than men, as out of 1,355 women cancer patients 724 had died while out of 863, 623 male cancer patients had died.

Due to breast cancer, 148 women died from 2001 to October 2009 while 245 are still under treatment. During the same period, 143 women died due to uterus cancer whereas 141 are getting treatment in the district. However, liver, esophagus, stomach, blood and brain cancer have claimed lives of 45, 23, 87, 52 and 26 women, respectively, in nine years. But due to cervix, spinal and mouth cancer less than 20 women died during this period.

Worried over the grave situation of cancer disease in the district, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had initiated a “cancer roko” (stop cancer) campaign some months back. She had got organised special cancer-detection camps, especially for the women in this district, in October and November. As many as 1,481 women had been examined for breast lump at these camps. Mammography tests of 352 women were conducted. Out of them, 39 were detected as suspected cancer patients.

Fazilka, December 5
The rumour of female foeticide ended up in recovery of a newly born child at village Nukerian of Fazilka sub-division. There were unconfirmed reports of female foeticide, information of which was given to civil surgeon Ferozepur, Dr Dalip Kumar.

Following this, the civil surgeon constituted a team of doctors led by assistant civil surgeon Dr DP Godara to inquire into the matter.

As the team of doctors reached the spot, it recovered a newly born male child with placenta from stubble outside the residence of Nirmal Singh of the same village. As per the details provided by Dr Godara, Dhano Bai, mother of Nirmal Singh heard mild cries around 3 am today.

The family members immediately rushed out of their house and noticed a newly born child lying on stubble. They immediately informed the Sarpanch Jeet Singh, district planning board member Dr Ashok Kumar Kamboj and three other panchyat members. The panchyat resolved to initiate the process for giving the child for adoption.

Krishan Lal, who had been married for about 10 years but was issueless, happily adopted the child in presence of the panchayat members.

The health department team, however, scruitnised the record of village midwife Sudesh Rani.

They also checked maternity homes in the nearby villages of Arniwala and Roranwali for detection of any fresh delivery. Two maternity homes of each village were checked. Nothing incrimating was found reportedly.

Krishan Lal is a well-off agriculturist and his family's joy knew no bounds today after getting the greatest gift of god for which they have been longing for years. 

Bathinda, December 5
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Council of Junior Engineers (Bathinda, Thermal) have decided to hold strike on December 7 to protest against the unbundling of the Board into different entities as envisaged under the Electricity Act-2003.

In a press release, president of the Association Malkit Singh Sidhu claimed that many jobs would be lost if the power utility was unbundled into different units like transmission, generation and distribution.

He said those states that have unbundled their power boards were facing power crises and unrest among employees.

Sidhu said the junior engineers would be resorting to a strike and would organise protest rallies in front of all circle offices across the state.

He added that disgruntlement was prevailing among junior engineers because there was no proper policy being followed as far as their transfers and promotions were concerned.

Sidhu said the Board management had constituted a committee to oversee promotions of junior engineers but its report was still awaited causing discontent among the engineers.

Bathinda, December 5
On the call given by the Private College Non-Teaching Employees Union (Punjab and Chandigarh), the non-teaching employees of local DAV College today observed strike in support of their demands and against the state government for not revising their pay scales from January 1, 2006.

Addressing the employees, union leader Sat Pal Sharma asked the state government to pay salaries to them as per revised pay scales. He also demanded interim relief, enhanced medical allowance, lifting of ban imposed on recruitment of employees, rural area allowance and implementation of pension and gratuity scheme.

The employees were also addressed by Vijay Singh Rajput, Baldev Krishan Sharma and Mathra Dass. They also urged the state government to redress their ‘genuine’ grievances and fulfill their demands as early as possible. — TNS

Bathinda, December 5
In recently-exposed fake driving licence scam, the Kotwali police here today rounded up an employee of the Suvidha Centre, who had been reportedly running away for past some days.

According to information available, the man in question, Harwinder Singh of Talwandi Sabo, was posted at driving licence section of the Suvidha Centre when the holograms, meant to be pasted at driving licences, went missing.

Though sources in the Kotwali police station informed that the interrogation of Harwinder Singh was started just after he was rounded up this morning, station house officer Gurjeet Singh Romana claimed, “Till now, we have just zeroed-in on the man in question but we are hopeful to ascertain relevant facts during interrogation.”

Reliable sources informed that during the interrogation, Harwinder admitted that some holograms had been stolen from his possession but he had brought the matter into the notice of the officials concerned.

To check the reliability of his statement, the police had sought record from the Suvidha Centre, which the officials had not provided the police with till late evening.

It may be mentioned that the scandal was unearthed after the ADGP (Intelligence) sought a probe in the matter.

During the probe, the police detected a scam in the District Transport Office (DTO) where fake learner’s licences were issued in back dates to meet the formality for a regular driving licence.

The police had already arrested two private agents, dealing with the DTO, while one clerk at the DTO along with his helper, who were initially booked in the case, are still at large.

Meanwhile, the police had also rounded up two employees of the Suvidha Centre, who were later released for the want of evidences.

Abohar, December 5
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted under the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has nabbed Gursahib Singh, a proclaimed offender who had reportedly masterminded the escape of an alleged killer Jagsir Singh alias Seera.

DIG (Crime) RPS Brar, who headed the team that had been camping here for last three days, told The Tribune today that a police party led by Rattan Singh, SHO Sadar police Abohar, nabbed Gursahib Singh from the house of his relatives near Tibbi area of Hanumangarh district on Friday night.

Notably, Jagsir had escaped from police custody as head constables of the Punjab police identified as Dharam Pal and Har Narain Singh had halted in village Kikkarkhera, 8 km from Abohar on November 19, 2008 while he was to be produced before a court in Jaipur against production warrants obtained by the GRP in another pending case. Jagsir had been arrested in connection with a triple murder case of village Usmankhera in Abohar sub-division along with other 17 accused.

The Abohar Sadar police had registered a case under various sections against Jagsir, his relatives, including two women, and PP head constables. All except Gursahib Singh had been arrested after frequent raids. He was later declared PO besides Jagsir Singh. 

Abohar, December 5
Four NCC cadets from the 2nd Punjab Independent Company have been selected for the Republic Day parade to be held at Rajpath next month, a message from Colonel KJ Singh, commander at the Ludhiana-based group headquarter, said.

Significantly, they are among the 17 cadets from the NCC Army wing in the state who have qualified for the parade after attending seven camps that were held in Abohar, Mahiyanwali and Ludhiana during the year.

Lt-Colonel Dilbagh Singh, officer commanding of the NCC Company here, was joined by principal of local DAV College Dr BB Sharma, Captains Iqbal Singh Godara and Sarabjit Singh and Lieutenant PC Padhey in felicitating the cadets on the campus of the DAV College, a press release said.

The cadets from Abohar are under-officer Yogesh (Rampura) and sergeants Amit Godara (Panjkosi), Chandan Setia (Seetogunno) and Vishavjeet (Dhingawali).

The cadets are students of the DAV College and belong to rural families. Earlier too, the DAV College students had participated in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi but selection of four cadets from this area has been made for the first time.

Ferozepur, December 5
Appalling sanitary conditions prevailing in the town are giving an open invitation to the infectious diseases. Already around 12 cases related to diseases like chicken pox, malaria have been reported from Shiv Colony area in the city out of which seven belong to a single family.

According to the information, the sewerage in this colony is in state of collapse from past some time and the repeated requests by the residents to the MC authorities seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Mukhtiar Singh, a MES employee, has three children in the family suffering from chicken pox besides few others. Dr GS Dhillon, senior skin specialist, who visited the family said he has already apprised the family members about the requisite precautions to be taken as the disease is infectious.

Residents complained that earlier they had collected money to get the sewerage repaired. However, things were back to square sooner than later, and thereafter, they have approached the local councillor and the MC office time and again to get it repaired, but in vain.

While the residents are suffering, the MCs are busy fighting amidst themselves over petty political issues. For the last two years, the post of president MC is lying vacant.

The elections for the post of president MC have been postponed on several occasions, as local BJP leaders failed to reach any consensus about their selection of candidate.

Blocked sewers dotted with heaps of garbage and cesspools of slush can be seen at several places in the city especially near the old TB hospital outside Zira Gate, opposite Dusshera ground where more than four hospitals are situated in its vicinity besides Basti Shekhanwalki and Burt Road near Dashmesh Nagari.

Instead of solving the problem, the government has already shifted the office of water supply and sewerage board from Ferozepur to Bhatinda.

Though, the administration has been trying to improve the sanitary conditions in the town. However, in absence of any initiative on political front besides paucity of adequate resources and funds with the MC, the district authorities too seem helpless.