Bathinda, December 17
In the two swine flu positive cases, admitted to the CMC Hospital, Ludhiana, from Bathinda during past some days, there was one thing common. Both patients had visited Jaitu town in Faridkot district. Krishana Devi, a resident of Bathinda, was vice-principal of a school at Jaitu and had been visiting Jaitu daily while Shafali Bansal (30), also a Bathinda resident and a teacher at a school here, had visited Jaitu last week.

According to the district health authorities, except Jaitu, both the patients had not visited any other place in the recent past.

The Bathinda health authorities have also sought information from the health authorities of Faridkot district whether there is any positive swine flu case. Information in this regard is yet to be received.

Krishhna Devi had died at the CMC Hospital, Ludhiana, while Shafali Bansal is undergoing treatment at the CMC Hospital.

Talking to The Tribune here today District Health Officer (DHO) Dharampal Singh Sekhon said that they had also seen symptoms of swine flu in the two-and-half-year old son of Shafali, but he was still a suspected Swine flu case. However, the authorities had started treatment of the child. The child was even today examined by the doctors, he added.

The DHO said they had also started the treatment of Shafali's elderly father-in-law and the mother-in-law at their home here. He said they had been giving the both one capsule (Tamiflu) daily as a precautionary measure.

The DHO also disclosed that he had also received a report from the state headquarters the previous night that there was one Gurmail Singh in Bathinda who had been found positive for Swine flu. He said that they today went at the given address, but no Gurmail Singh was found residing there. As Gurmail could not be traced, so they had asked the state health authorities to seek more information about Gurmail from the Chandigarh health authorities, he added.

The DHO told this reporter this evening that one more Swine flu positive case (Sharanjit Kaur from Gidderbaha) had been admitted to Adesh Medical College, Bathinda. He said she was undergoing treatment there. 

Bathinda, December 17
The subsidies/concessions, sought by the management of the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Bathinda, are under consideration of the state government as the same have been referred to the Finance Department and the Excise and Taxation Department for their opinion.

In reply to a question here today, the Punjab Industry Minister Manoranjan Kalia said after considering the matter both the departments would send their reports to the Chief Minister, who would finally see to it.

The management has sought an interest-free loan, worth Rs 6,000 crore, to repay the same in 15 years, Rs 400 crore per year, for making the refinery functional. Earlier, it has reportedly been proposed that the state would waive the tax to the tune of Rs 250 crore per year for five years.

Kalia visited the city after taking a round of the refinery at Phullokhari, about 40 km from here. He said about 54 per cent work on the refinery, against the proposed 52 per cent, had been completed.

He said as per the earlier target, the project was to be completed by 2012, but it could now be made functional in 2011.

He also said that contracts to the tune of Rs 16,000 crores had been signed for the completion of the refinery so far, of which the contracts of only Rs 1,000 crore had been given to the foreign companies. Thus, only Rs 1,000 crore would go abroad while the rest amount would remain in the country, he added.

The minister also said that bankable detailed project reports (DPRs) in connection with setting up of ancillary units in the area had been prepared.

He said that any one could set up an unit from Rs eight crore to Rs 200 crore while the refinery might also invest 30 per cent in such units.

Regarding new industrial policy Kalia said that it had been formulated in such a manner that it would boost the agro-based industry, hotel and tourism industry, information technology and other industries in the state in a big way.

Bathinda, December 17
A man shot his 25-year-old son dead at village Chughe Kalan here late on Wednesday night.

Sources said that it was a quarrel over the alleged "unethical" behaviour of the accused Boota Singh and his relation with a woman led to the incident. Sources said Boota came to the house on Wednesday night and started hurling abuses to his sons. His second son Amrit Pal (25) tried to stop him then Boota allegedly opened fire at him. Amrit was rushed to Civil Hospital, Bathinda, where doctors declared him brought dead. A case has been registered against Boota who is evading arrest. — TNS

Bathinda, December 17
The three-day animal fair 'Khetri Pashudhan Championship-2009' is going to commence on Saturday at Goniana road, Bathinda.

As per information, the fair would cater to six districts, namely, Ferozepur, Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Barnala and Sangrur, where the competition would be among 49 categories of about 1500 animals.

The animal husbandry department is all set to hold the fair in a systematic way, with a fixed budget of Rs 25 lakh. Besides bearing the transportation expenses of the animals, various prizes worth Rs 14 lakh, including Rs two lakh for village level milking competition, have been planned.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal will inaugurate the fair, while Gulzar Singh Ranike, minister for animal husbandry and fisheries and dairy development, would preside over the fair.

Giving the information, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Punjab, Surinder Kumar Singla said the department has tried to allure the cattle rearers to participate in the fair, offering them to-and-fro fair, if they come from a distance of beyond 30 km.

Singla said those who transport their animals from 31-50 km, would be given Rs 400 as transportation charges. Further, people bringing animals from 51-100 km distance would get Rs 600 and animal rearers who come from beyond 100 km would be given Rs 800 as transportation charges.

It may be mentioned that in the list of guests, all names belong to the SAD (B). Interestingly, most of them are those defeated in the previous assembly polls. Repeating the history of the previous fair, no one from the ally BJP and winning MLAs of the Congress have been listed as guests. When asked about the reason, the Deputy Director parried the query saying the programme had been finalised at the state headquarters level.

Bathinda, December 17
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today paid a surprise visit to the Government High School at Kaljharani village, about 25 km from here. He talked to the students and teachers and also inquired about the problems of the school.

The teachers reportedly informed the CM that the school had not furniture for its more than 200 students. On this, the CM ordered the Bathinda deputy commissioner Rahul Tewari to arrange the furniture and a reverse osmosis (RO) system for the school.

The CM also asked the deputy commissioner to make arrangements for leveling about five acre of the school and prepare a 400-mtrs track there so that the students could get benefits from the same.

Badal also urged the teachers to get the children involved in planting saplings of various trees and also to inspire them to look after the plants. On the occasion, the deputy commissioner said the administration was distributing about two lakh saplings of various trees in the villages to plant the same there.

The CM also visited Badal village school. When it was brought to his notice that the school had not utensils for serving the mid-day meal to students then the CM asked the Muktsar deputy commissioner to arrange the utensils for the school.

Later, the CM attended the bhog ceremony of his nephew Mohinder Singh Dhillon, son of Kartar Singh Dhillon, at Badal village. The bhog ceremony was also attended by deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Maheshinder Singh Badal and Jagmeet Singh Brar. On the occasion, the tributes were paid to the departed soul by the speakers. — TNS

Gidderbaha, December 17
A person who allegedly forged the signature of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to get his son’s name deleted from the list of proclaimed offenders (POs) was arrested by the Muktsar police late on Wednesday evening.

A case under section 170, 419, 465, 468 and 471 of the IPC has been made out against one Daljeet Singh, a resident of village Madheer, at Gidderbaha police station. ASI Balwant Singh of Gidderbaha police station has been made investigating officer of the case.

The Muktsar SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill confirmed the registration of the case against Daljeet Singh. The case was registered after preliminary investigations were conducted by RPS Brar, inspector general, (Investigation), Chandigarh.

Police sources claimed that a criminal case was made out against Shaminder Singh, son of Daljeet Singh, at Kotbhai police station on May 19, 2007. However, during the court proceedings of the case, Shaminder flew to Australia on a student visa and was later declared a PO.

Daljeet came in touch with Nishan Singh, a Zila Parishad member of Muktsar, who assured him that he would get things worked out in favour of Shaminder Singh by meeting Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Sources claimed that Daljeet forged the signatures of Sukhbir Badal on a petition that he made to RPS Brar urging him to delete his son’s name.

On the other hand, Daljeet claimed that it was Nishan Singh, who allegedly forged the signatures and not him. Daljeet was sent to a two-day police remand by a Gidderbaha court today.

Ferozepur, December 17
In a significant development, Sukhdev Singh, district food and supply controller (DFSC), who unveiled paddy scam in the recent past and got a criminal case registered against unscrupulous traders, has been placed under suspension.

SP Singh, secretary, food and supply department, confirmed the suspension of Sukhdev Singh. He, however, said an inquiry would reveal the fact that whether Sukhdev Singh facilitated the scam or not.

When asked, why Sukhdev Singh was placed under suspension despite the fact that he (Sukhdev) unveiled the scam? SP Singh said, “so what”.

Officials sources said that Sukhdev Singh and six other officials including Swarnjit Singh, Balwinder Kumar, Arvind Nanda, Baldeep Singh (all inspectors), Rajan and Kabul Singh (both clerks) in the food supply department, Ferozepur, were placed under suspension with immediate effect by the higher authorities of the department without assigning any reason.

The action was taken by the higher authorities of department after a scam connected with the siphoning of paddy worth about Rs seven crores by the owner of Noor Rice Mill of this district along with his associates, a section of truck operators and labourers was detected by Sukhdev Singh during the night of December 8.

A section of functionaries of the department, while pleading anonymity, claimed that the action taken against Sukhdev Singh would bring demoralisation among the staff members. They demanded that a high-level probe of an independent agency could bring truth into this case.

Sukhdev Singh, when contacted, said that though he had informed the higher authorities everything in connection with involvement of owner of the mill, his associates, truck operators and labourers, a section of officials of department, political bigwigs and a section of policemen in the siphoning of paddy, he was placed under suspension without any fault on his part.

He said that police official did not recover the paddy, which was siphoned off from Noor rice mill and was stocked at various places in this and other districts of Punjab despite the fact that he managed to trace the same in presence of a police team.

He added that Inderneel Singh, whose name figured in the FIR registered in Sadar police station in connection the paddy scam and who was given into custody of police on the night of December 8, had also been freed by the police instead of asking him to make recovery of siphoned off paddy.

Meanwhile, SP Singh said that he would take up the matter with the police authorities concerned that why the paddy was not recovered when the same was traced by Sukhdev Singh?

Fazilka, December 17
Varinder Kumar (swine flu suspect) left the Sachdeva Hospital on Wednesday night after the samples of his throat swab taken for testing of H1N1 virus, were found to be positive. As per sources, he had left the hospital on the plea that he has recovered and was leaving for a check-up at Alkem Hospital, Panchkula.

The health department, which was virtually on its heals since yesterday, following detection of a suspected swine flu case at Sachdeva Hospital here acted swiftly.

Throat swab and blood samples of the patient Varinder Kumar (44), a resident of border village Sivana, were taken on Wednesday night by the ENT specialist Dr NK Sethi and senior laboratory technician Balbir Singh. These samples have been sent to the virology laboratory of the PGI Chandigarh through a hospital official for confirmation of H1N1 (swine flu).

According to senior medical officer, Civil Hospital, Fazilka, Dr YK Gupta, ten persons who had close contact with the patient, have been given prophylactic doses of medicines to prevent occurrence of swine flu.

Dr Gupta said there is no threat of an outbreak of swine flu in this area. Hence, there was no need to panic. 

Muktsar, December 17
The Muktsar Suvidha Centre’s proposed document delivery system would enable residents to get their birth, death, arms and driving licences at their doorsteps.

Earlier, people had to visit the Suvidha Centre, located in the mini-secretariat that is far away from the city centre, to receive their documents. However, now things would change and harried residents would no longer have to trudge to the secretariat to get their licences or other certificates.

Muktsar DC Varun Roojam said that talks were on with some courier companies and once things fell in place, the document delivery system would be initiated at Suvidha Centres in Muktsar, Gidderbaha and Malout. He expressed confidence that the system would be in place within a week’s time.

This mechanism is already in place in some districts of Punjab and Muktsar would soon be joining the elite group.

Rajiv Gupta, in-charge of the Suvidha Centre here, disclosed that in the first phase this arrangement would be started in Muktsar and later it would be extended to Gidderbaha and Malout.

“If successful, we would also bring Suvidha Centres at sub-tehsils Lambi and Bariwala under the scheme. People would not have to come to the secretariat and more than 100 to 125 people would be benefitted daily.”

Information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act sought by the residents would also be supplied at the doorsteps of residents at a nominal fee. Gupta added, “In this way, the rush at the Suvidha Centres would also decrease considerably. Earlier, there were long queues of residents to get their documents. However, once the arrangement is in place, the rush at various counters would subside.”

Earlier, the ‘Push and Pull’ scheme started by the administration found instant success with residents.

Under this method, all a resident had to do was to sms his token number to a particular number at the Suvidha Centre and he or she would get a prompt reply regarding the latest status of the documents sought by them.

In yet another initiative, the authorities are considering appointing a doctor at the Suvidha Centre itself to facilitate the process of issuing driving licences. Rules state that in order to get a driving licence, a resident should get his medical check-up done from a government doctor and the medical report has to be provided to the district transport officers (DTO) office before a licence can be issued to him.

“If the medical certificates are provided at the Centre, it would not only save time of the public but also help them from facing harassment as was complained by several people earlier,” said Sumanpreet Kaur, a resident, who has applied for a driving licence.

Abohar, December 17
Two persons died in road mishaps while two others committed suicide in the Abohar sub-division and neighbouring area of Hanumangarh district today, sources said.

As per the information available, one Manga Singh of village Rajanwali was killed as the tractor that he was driving overturned near village Kala Tibba. At the Indira Nagari locality of the town, body of Vishal (30) was found hanging with the ceiling fan in his bedroom on Thursday morning.

Reports received from Hanumangarh said a motorcyclist identified as Kanha Ram Meghwal (35) of village Morkhana died on the spot after loosing control of the two-wheeler while his pillion rider sustained injuries and was admitted to the civil hospital.

Meanwhile, one Bahadur Singh of village Gedas died after consuming insecticide, sources said. — OC