Gidderbaha, December 8
The Gidderbaha Mandi, which was established in 1909 by British, has completed 100 years and the town is busy in the two-day centenary celebrations, which began today. Gidderbaha, a sub-division of Muktsar district, is the constituency from where Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was elected to the Assembly for the first time, in 1957.

The celebrations are serving dual purpose —the centenary of the mandi and the 83rd birthday of the CM.

There were talks in the town that finance and planning minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who represents the Gidderbaha constituency in the Legislative Assembly, had ‘intentionally’ opted for the celebrations to be held today.

Not only the town but the roads leading to Gidderbaha were also dotted with huge hoardings. Besides arranging sequence of events and renovating the historical clock tower, the boundary wall of the mandi as well as its gates were given fresh coats of twin-shade paint.

Inaugurating the celebrations today, Manpreet first attended an Ardas ceremony at Gurudwara Guru Amardas Ji and later inaugurated a medical camp at the MSD community centre. Following that, he attended the founders’ day function of local Malwa School, founder of which is CM Parkash Singh Badal. Manpreet inspired the students to set goals and strive to achieve them.

Further, the finance minister inaugurated a bar room and a library on the courts complex where Bar Association president Gurmeet Mann along with his colleagues thanked Manpreet for giving financial support.

A special cultural programme for womenfolk was arranged at a park where Manpreet and his kin marked their presence. A basked ball match was held at Baba Ganga Ram stadium where various Punjabi singers, including Ashok Masti, a product of Gidderbaha, enthralled all by their performance. Later, a troupe of sportspersons held a march past in the town.

Talking to this correspondent, Manpreet said, “It is an initiative to bring people close and strengthen their bonding.”

When asked why Opposition leaders were not seen around at the celebrations, Manpreet replied he would pay a visit to all the leaders of Opposition and request them to participate.

About the questions raised over the date of centenary celebrations, Manpreet said, “That it is my uncle’s birthday today is a mere coincidence. Though we are glad about it the celebrations are not meant to celebrate his birthday only. It is dedicated to the town.”

The huge hoardings and cut-outs installed in and around the town had pictures of CM Parkash Singh Badal, Manpreet Singh Badal, his father Gurdas Badal and brother-in-law, Jai Jeet Singh alias Jojo. However, picture of deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was missing on most of them. When asked about it, Manpreet denied it to be a deliberate move. He said, “It was the willingness of those who got the boards installed. Sukhbir is our party president and we all respect him a lot.” 

Fazilka, December 8
The war memorial set up by residents of this town in the memory of 82 soldiers of the Indian Army, who laid their lives while protecting the area during the India-Pakistan war of 1971, is being renovated these days. It is being done with the donations from residents of the town that has the distinction of having established the country’s only war memorial built out of funds raised from public.

Mohan Lal Paruthi, a prominent person of the area, who was among those who collected the mutilated bodies of the 82 soldiers of the 4 JAT and cremated them at the site of the war memorial in village Asafwala, is supervising the renovation work.

The war memorial committee has also set up a high school, a primary school, a dispensary and a community centre on the five-acre complex. A war museum is also under construction. The pillar on which the names of martyrs have been inscribed is also being renovated.

Paruthi recalled that the 82 soldiers laid their lives at Grumikhera while preventing the Pakistani troops from advancing towards the Fazilka town. A couple of residents on December 18 collected the mutilated remains of the soldiers from 7 in the morning till 3 pm and thereafter, performed the last rites on a mass pyre.

The war memorial was initially established on one acre land and was later expanded to five acres. The state government was approached for setting up a school that has now been upgraded to high school.

Paruthi said the war memorial had become an attraction for not only residents of the surrounding towns but also for visitors from outside who visit Fazilka to pay respect to the martyrs. He said portraits of the martyrs and pictures of the war would be displayed in the museum.

Shashi Kant, also involved in the renovation work, has published a booklet on the heroic deeds of the soldiers .

Bathinda, December 8
Accusing the police of making no effort to nab alleged assailants¸ some persons associated with the SAD (B) blocked the road leading to Guru Gobind Singh Oil Refinery at Ramsara village today. Lodging a protest against the police, they demanded suspension and transfer of some police officials.

According to details available, one Onkar Singh of Ramsara, whose mother is the sarpanch of Ramsara village, accused one Ashok Kumar of Raman Mandi and some unidentified persons of assaulting him on Monday evening. He said they had to stage a dharna outside the Rama police station on Monday late in the evening to get a case registered. Though the police had booked the accused it did not arrest them, he alleged.

Expressing anguishes, some persons blocked the main road leading to the refinery this morning and demanded suspension of SHO of the Rama police station. Sensing the gravity of situation, the police arrested the accused. DSP Talwandi Sabo along with other cops intervened and pacified the protesters to lift the dharna in the evening.

Bathinda, December 8
Pawan Sharma, assistant staff photographer of The Tribune has been elected as the president of the Bathinda Press Photographers’ Association here on Tuesday. Harwinder Sharma of the Ajit Samachar has been chosen the vice-president of the association.

Meanwhile, Randhir Bobby of the Dainik Jagaran, Vijay Arora of the Dainik Bhaskar and Naib Singh Sidhu of the Jagbani have been elected as the general secretary, the joint secretary and the cashier of association, respectively. — TNS

Ferozepur, December 8
Even as the SAD-BJP government of Punjab has been promising to maintain law and order situation in the state, the entrepreneurs have started giving second thought to their plans in connection with investing in different ventures after the violence, which took place in Ludhiana district in the past few days.

A cross section of entrepreneurs, to whom TNS talked to, claimed that incidents of repeated violence had been eroding their faith the ruling alliance in connection with the fact that whether their investments would be safe or not under the prevailing conditions.

Ashok Kapur, former president, Northern India Cotton Association, said that cotton markets of Punjab had been attracting less number of buyers from other states due to high rates of taxes and high cost of transportation charges.

The repeated violence incidents in Punjab would force those, who had been procuring their requirements from Punjab, to place orders to the traders of other cotton producing states and hence the state would suffer on this account.

Subash Jindal, a rice exporter of this region, claimed that about three businessmen of the country was planning to set up mega rice mills in Punjab to process the Basmati paddy, which had become a major foreign exchange earner for Punjab. Due to violent incidents, the entrepreneurs had now started exploring the possibilities of their ventures in Haryana.

A big industrialist of Punjab, who ventured in real estate business in big way about six years ago, said on the condition of anonymity, that due to deteriorating law and order situation, the investors belonging to Delhi and other parts of the country had started finding out other options as they had been feeling that it would not be wise on their part to invest in Punjab now.

Another industrialist said that it was a known fact that Punjab's condition was going from bad to worse and if the corrective measures were not taken, it economy would derail again. He, however, refused to be named.

The businessmen pointed out that a sense of insecurity had started generating among all sections of society.

The Punjab, which had been facing shortage of labour, would face its worst on the same front if exodus of migrant labour started. 

Gidderbaha, December 8
Condemning the incident that took place at the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today, finance and planning minister Manpreet Singh Badal termed it the saddest day of his political life.

Talking to this correspondent during a cultural event here, Manpreet avoided targeting the leaders in person but lamented, “Vidhan Sabha is a sacred place. If we, the elected representatives, would behave in such a hostile manner, what would we ask public to follow?”

“Moreover, across the party lines, we all know each other personally. The scuffle in which turbans of some leaders fell on ground will leave nothing but embarrassment to all,” he said.

Replying to the speculation about levying octroi again, Manpreet said, “A two-member committee is analysing pros and cons. As of now, I could not see its report. I can comment on the issue only after seeing it.”

“Being a finance minister, I can say only one thing, whatever adds to the revenue of the state, is always welcome,” said Manpreet.

While talking about the achievements of the ruling government in the past about three-year period, the minister also spoke about a number of projects, which were yet to see the light of the day. He said, “I accept that many of projects are yet to take off but I am a bit satisfied with the fact that we have been putting efforts continuously.”

“It is not the financial crisis but the lack of spirit among the people, which has been proving a major hurdle in the implementation of proposals,” said Manpreet.

Denying any conflict with his cousin and deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, Manpreet said he respected him a lot. Meanwhile, he maintained, "Being planning minister, I have to take various decisions, which are future-oriented and sometimes not accepted by others. Moreover, while performing the duty, I focus upon the welfare of the state rather than anything else." 

Mansa, December 8
Five farmer organisations decided to stage dharnas at Lehra Gaga and at Badal village on December 10 in protest against the alleged privatisation of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). District president of Bhartiya Kissan Union (Ugrahan) said that dharnas would be staged in the Assembly constituencies of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and leader of opposition in the Assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal so that they could be pressurised for passing a resolution against the privatisation of electricity board.

During the dharna, a delegation of farmer organisations would meet all MLAs of Punjab and appeal to them for passing legislation against the privatisation.

The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Kissan Sangarsh Committee (Pannu, Kirti Kissan Sabha and Inqlabi Mazdoor Union and others would take part in the dharna.

Ferozepur, December 8
The court of additional district and sessions Judge J.S. Bhinder today sentenced two persons to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment besides penalty of Rs two lakh for their involvement in smuggling of heroin. In case, the convicts fail to pay the fine, the court awarded another sentence of three years RI in the case.

According to the information, Avtar Singh, a resident of Mutthianwali and Jassa Singh, a resident of village Usmanwala, were arrested by a joint squad of Punjab Police and Narcotics Control Bureau ( NCB) following some secret information about their movement on December 22, 2005 from Aaarifke-Muthianwali road along with consignment of 26 kg of heroin . This consignment was worth around Rs 1.25 crores in the international market.

The Police-NCB team had also seized a Chinese mouser from the possession of Avtar Singh regarding which a case under arms Act had been registered against him at Mallanwala police station.

In this case also, the court announced a sentence of five years besides imposing fine of Rs 1000 fine.